Guess who's back, baby!

If you've been following the blog since the beginning, this character should not surprise you  - although she's making her comeback for the first time in full colour - it's the one and only Annoying Aunty back in action!

This week's comic strip is a major throwback timeline wise, before the days of Being Mrs. Ninja when she was Newly Mrs. Ninja.

#TrueStory #ImNotKidding

TBH IDK

Remember how I mentioned a while back about how I try to 'keep up' with Mr. Ninja's work conversations by noting and learning the different acronyms he uses with his colleagues?

Based on this week's comic, clearly I'm trying too hard sometimes. LOL

On another note, Happy Holidays everyone!

From The Inside

Let's face it, we all know by now how Mr. and Mrs Ninja are quite different from each other. But there are also a ton of core personality traits that are similar between the two characters - and this is kind of what you'll be seeing this week.

I'd written a long time back about how making 'Being Mrs. Ninja' is my "passive-aggressive" way of dealing with being married haha. Remember that core similarity I was talking about? Yeah, this would be it.

Excelsior!

Since we're going on the theme of Mrs. Ninja trying to connect with Mr. Ninja by attempting to understand the work he does, I thought I'd continue on the same lines this week.

Excel sheets may be something we have in common (TBH I hardly use it myself, but it's something!), but it is still so so SO very different how we work with it. This week's comic will give a better idea about that.

Just a Face

It is probably common knowledge by now that the Mr. Ninja character isn't the most expressive person one might come across. This doesn't mean there are no emotions involved - just that more creative tactics have to be applied in order to extract and decipher information. It also helps if you try to work on building common interests (read: work & work terms).

Based on this week's comic I clearly need to do more research (or just wing it).

Oh well, I tried.

Specify!

The title will make sense if you read it out loud like a disarming spell that has to be used on Mr. Ninja when having conversations about something that you Really need him to be clear on.

I think I've spoken many times about how Mr. Ninja sometimes tends to take things quite literally (heck, a lot of comic strips have sprung up simply based on that). This week's comic is one such conversation that should exemplify this.

Eye of the Tiger

I like to think that I'm a hard worker when it comes to my job. You know - dedicated, eager to learn, yada yada yada. I can say the same for Mr. Ninja as well.

But on my chill time, I completely turn it all off. So it's particularly in this aspect that Mr. Ninja takes the phrase 'hard at work' to another level.

Two Peeps, One Cup

This week we see how a a single cup of tea can extract two different reactions out of Mr. Ninja. Well, not single in a literal manner - more like same cup made by two people.

Now I know what you're thinking - everyone has their own way of making tea and that I'm probably in denial about someone's tea being better than mine. WRONG. Let me assure you my tea is pretty mediocre; moreover that's not even the point because we are talking Green Tea. I don't know more than one way to make that - do you? You're welcome to give me a Tea-torial (sincere apologies on that pun).

Violence of the Lambs

People who have been following this blog for a while now will know how Mr. Ninja seems to speak another language when he talks about work. Well, at least it is way beyond MY spectrum of understanding so it would feel that way for me.

So as a creative person, I sometimes go a little crazy with the 'translations' in my head.

Okay, maybe more than a little crazy.

Picture Perfect

Let's face it - Mr. Ninja and I don't like taking selfies. I like photography in general (I'm sure people who know what my Instagram page looks like can vouch for that) but for me it's more about preserving a memory than anything else.

And sometimes there's a moment you want to preserve which involves two people who don't really want to be in the picture. Oh well, I try.

Mostly I think I do this as a way of compensating for my really bad memory. One day I'll probably thank myself.

Throwback Thursday

There was a time when Mr. Ninja used to listen to a certain song that he liked - all the time. Which is great, I get that..sometimes you really like a song and feel like you have to listen to it over and over again. Just the other day I got into the mood for 70's rock and played Styx's 'Renegade' on loop all day.

Thank goodness for earphones - else people around me would have lost their minds from being subjected to my earworm loops.

Mr. Ninja usually plays his music on the TV, in the car, etc. - which means, if he has an earworm you are going to know about it. Not only that, the song is going to remain constant till the next big tune comes along..which means it could be months before the next track change. If you're lucky, it could be a song that you like too - else, brace yourselves.

Now even if they are beautiful songs and I like them, sometimes I lose my mind..just a little bit. Hey, it could happen to anyone!
Did I say Throwback Thursday? I meant Throw Out Thursday.

5 Stages of Being Mrs. Ninja

Every week I write about the different aspects of Mr. Ninja that I find amusing (*ahem* deal with) so I thought I should probably show what Mr. Ninja has to go through in times where I lose my head. Yeah, I can go a little nuts sometimes too #mood

Poor Mr. Ninja.

Two Hockey Sticks

Seven and seven...seventy-seven! Feels good to be here..

This week..love is in the air..Not! Based on all the things that I read is happening around the world today, I can barely make that statement. I can only hope that we all can contribute in some way to make things better - if not provide a smile - every other day.

But I was mostly talking about something closer to home - read all about it! XD

Story Time

Okay, so last week I was experimenting with publishing some comic strips as stories on Instagram & Facebook - which got a great response I'm happy to say! However, not having been able to share on all fronts (like Twitter, maybe) and the whole 24-hour timeline may have led to some people missing out on their BMN Thursday.

So my learning from this experiment would be that next time, I should share the comic strip here as well - just to make sure that no one misses out on their weekly funnies. I know it may feel like a repetitive week for those who DID catch the story, but bear with me - like all experiments, this one requires patience and we're all understanding new things as we go.

So, ICYMI, here's the story for you!

P.S. Feel free to make suggestions, I'd love to hear from my fans :) Thanks everyone!

Some say the Darnedest things

I can safely say I'll never get bored of some of the things that Mr. Ninja says. And I get a kick (maybe even a laugh) out of the thoughts that go behind them.

Of course, there's always a reasonable(ish) explanation behind the dialogue but where's the fun in that? You know, like how magic isn't as fun when the tricks are explained - sometimes you just want to be wonder struck.

A(ajaa)ve Mr. Ninja

Mr. Ninja is usually dreading the month of December because that is when things get super busy around the house, like me being caught up in my choir rehearsals (among a million other things I like to do in the Christmas season). My group does 4-5 shows all over the city and just because it means something to me, I ask Mr. Ninja to attend one of those shows for his support.

Unfortunately, choral music isn't really Mr. Ninja's preferred genre of music (as I'm sure it isn't for many) but I feel amused thinking about the reasons he'd have come up with (apart from love and support for wife, of course) to convince himself to attend that one show.

Making Love out of Nothing At All

This week as I was going through my BMN notes (yes, I keep such a thing handy in case there's a story ready to happen at any moment) and I realised how a lot of events that come up in my comics may seem like regular things to other people.

What I mean is, a lot of things I note down may not seem like things that are note-worthy. Guess thats where the love for getting creative and presenting things in a fun way come to be.

At this point, I want to take the opportunity to thank all my faithful fans - it's thanks to your love and support that I've been making time to continue doing something I really love to do. Yay!

Things I Do For Love!

Courage the Cowardly Dog couldn't have put it better. I'm sure there are various interpretations to the phrase but I can connect to at least one of them - sometimes you just do things for others out of love. Not a need, not a necessity, just because you feel happy doing it for someone, which can translate into love of sorts.

And when I'm happy, I just need to spread the happiness and share it with someone :)

P.S. I've used some mixed media and had some extra fun in this one, hope y'all like it!

Do Re Mi

Music has been and will always be a stress buster for me. I'm not talking about just listening to music, but playing & singing - not for an audience but for yourself. There's nothing else quite like it.

As a teen, before leaving the house for Board Exams - while others I assumed were probably scrambling for their revision notes - I would calmly sit at my keyboard and play a few notes. My mother always tells me how amused she was by this habit of mine.

The thing about this habit - which I still indulge in - is that I do it in my own time, usually when there's no one around..and this brings about situations like the one in today's comic strip!

P.S. Sometimes I record some of the songs that I play/sing just for fun. If you want to give it a listen, go to www.soundcloud.com/tnapki

Monkey see, Monkey do

Young people are highly impressionable. They carve aspects of their personalities and behaviour based on those around them, be it their mentors, their friends or parents. Actually, now that I think of it, it may not be limited to young people, everyone has someone they look up to in some way or another.

This week (can you believe we've reached number 70!) we talk about how I "learn" something from Mr.Ninja and apply the same - well, mostly just to annoy him.

Nutty Nephew

Introducing my newest character - the Nutty Nephew. Honestly, I have so many funny nephew observations and quotes I could easily start a separate series for him. So be assured you'll be seeing more of him in the future!

Kids have an interesting perspective of the world and that's part of what makes this character interesting. Hope you like him as much as I did drawing him up. Cheers!

Nobody's Listening

Some of the best comical situations in life (and more so on screen) arise from misunderstandings. They could be silly, they could be serious - but a story comes out of it nonetheless.

This week we talk about one such scenario where filling in the blanks was highly required.

Trek it out!

I think Treks are so much fun! However tough (or I like to say adventurous) the journey upwards may be, the view from the top is always worth it. And the feeling of nature all around me is something else, not to mention the freshness of the air.

Which is why I thought it would be exciting if I got Mr. Ninja along to experience the same with me. But it turns out Mr. Ninja had another perspective to offer.

What To Expect When You're Not Expecting

The topic of expectations reminded me of the quote by Dulquer Salman's character in the movie 'Bangalore Days':

"Once school is over, are you writing your entrance exams?
If you finish your degree, did you get a job?
When you get a job, what's your salary?
If you get a good salary, when are you getting married?
After the wedding, when are you having kids?
If you don't have kids, do you want the Doctor's number?
If you do have kids, same questions... Season 2!"

Clearly, I'm not interested in following this sequence. (Hey, I've met it half way, that should be good enough.)

P.S. Oblivious Uncle is back!

School's Out. For Summer.

If you sang the title as you read it just like I did when I typed it, Cheers.

Summer holidays. Ah, I miss those. Equivalent to fun while in school, now all it evokes is a visual of a lot of kids playing outside when I'm rushing to work. Not that I have a problem with kids; I actually get along very well with people younger than me.

I feel like I can connect with any kid and have interesting conversations. And they can be enlightening conversations.

Love..Bytes

So it's Mr. Ninja's birthday and I thought I'll write something a little cheeky this year..talk about how Mr. Ninja responds to some of my questions in the most surprising and unexpected ways.

I'm not going to write much this time - mostly because I'm on a holiday - but also because the comic strip pretty much speaks for itself.

P.S. Biggest birthday wishes to the Ninja in my life :)

As a special Birthday Tribute, share your stories about the Mr. Ninja in your life (I'm sure everyone has one) or simply send your birthday wishes on Twitter/Facebook/Instagram with #ThatsSoNinja

Cheers! And hello from Sri Lanka!

By The Way

Sometimes we get busy. Sometimes we get so busy a lot of our conversations are in the form of 'by the way's as we weren't able to or forgot about sharing news, gossip or information at the time that it happened and only get to relay it much later as a passing comment. Which is okay, it happens.

But sometimes, 'by the way's go to a whole new level which makes you wonder, 'hmm..maybe we need to slow down a bit and take a breather'.

So Punny

Let me start by saying that Mr. Ninja is a very intelligent man. His mind works fast, much faster than mine probably ever will.

But as Henry Allen said on 'The Flash', "Sometimes you just have to slow down to get back to where you want to be." Because you go too fast you'll trip and fall on your face. And no, that wasn't part of the original quote, that's just me. And this applies not just to actions, but words too.

My point is, there are times when Mr. Ninja makes statements that make me go wha-? And this aspect is my comic exhibit for the week.

But then again, I feel like I cover this aspect every week! XD

One way or Another

I think everyone's got their things they are good at, things they are okay at and things they don't even want to bother trying because they are pretty sure they will suck at. I don't imagine anyone can be good at everything.

Sometimes I wonder if there really is such a thing as an all rounder - I think the definition would be better as Jack of all Trades and Master of None (although I'm sure there are exceptions).

And then this leads to that moment where you are being complimented on something..or are you?

A joke is a joke is a joke

As a kid when I watched or read something new, I would find myself associating with it in some way or another - like the time I truly believed I was exactly like the Yellow Ranger (OMG both our names start with T too!) while watching Power Rangers on TV with friends. Pardon the reference, I just watched the new Power Rangers movie last night and it was nostalgizz as heck.

Is it just me or does this still happen sometimes? It could be when watching a TV Show, listening to a song, reading a magazine/newspaper..

It's Gettin' Hot in Here

Finally its the Thursday we have all been waiting for! Well, at least I have..been planning a comeback since last year and finally decided this break has been going on for far too long. So yes, I finally decided to bring out Season 2 of Being Mrs. Ninja.

I know I didn't really do much in terms of promos (except for that little Teaser I put out in December?) but I hope that the ones who used to follow the blog will come back to it and I hope to see more people joining my comic parade so I can spread more smiles around :) And to those who've been encouraging me to get back to it - a big Thank you for constantly reminding me how much I love doing this!

Let's get right to it then. First thing I want to ask: Is it just me, or has everyone else in Mumbai started to sweat like crazy over the past few days?? It. Is. So. Hot.