this is how my family plans our next vacation.

(our house has 5 phones...go figure..)

myself - connects the phone to my mic-headset, leaving my hands free to multitask. (ie, use the computer and chat with other people (including gee) online.)
gee - connects the phone to an identical mic-headset, leaving her hands free to multitask (only difference is that she's on the computer doing real work..)
the 2nd house phone is on the speaker mode, so the entire block can hear the conversation...
dad - sprawled on his bed, usually reading that month's medical journal. he relies on the speaker phone andshouts out whenever he has anything to say, so that the speaker would pick it up.
mom - only person who uses a phone like it should be used. also manages to watch some soap opera on tv at the same time.

mom: so where do you want to go for the holidays?
me: SRI LANKA!
dad: *laughs* but we've been there before.
me: we didn't get to go to jaffna. (msgs gee - "LET'S GET THEM TO LET US GO TO JAFFNA...BACK ME UP GEE...")
mom: you won't be able to survive there.
gee: besides, we just came back from there. (msgs me back - "WE CAN'T BECAUSE WE JUST WENT THERE FOR OUR LAST VACATION.")
me: but how can you say that? you keep telling gee and myself that we should be proud of our heritage, and that we should never forget where we come from. we come from jaffna, yet you guys won't even let us go there...
mom: you go dear, and instead of coming back with a fractured ankle, you'll come back with no ankle after stepping on a landmine...
me: hmph. what about somewhere in europe...i haven't been there in a long time...
mom: you want to go to france?
me: yeah?
dad: *wails* i just went there 2 months ago...
gee: i went there 6 months ago, nothing would have changed, i'm not going to waste my money going to a place that i have already gone to before...
mom: she's got a point. i just went there with your dad.
me: great. i'm the only member in this family who studies french....and i'm the only one who *hasn't* been there...
gee: i speak french. i work for the french bank.
mom: anjali, you start earning your own money, then you can go wherever you want.
me: then let's go to prague.
gee: nope.
me: WHY?!
gee: i've been there. it'd be boring if i have to go again.
dad: where's prague?
mom: i think it might be near switzerland.
gee: it's the capital of the czech republic. choose somewhere that i haven't been to.
me: that's impossible since you go EVERYWHERE. argh...ok...greece..athens.
gee: been there.
mom: been there.
dad: me too.
mom: shall we go to japan?
me: i hate japanese food.. why can't we go to the maldives?
dad: i'm too old for the maldives.
me: istanbul?
gee: will it be cold in japan?
mom: i don't know, i'll have to check with our travel agent.
me: turkey?
gee: they're both the same place dumbo.
me: i knew that.
dad: do you want to go to somewhere snowy?
me: no. i hate the snow.
gee: YOU'VE NEVER SEEN THE SNOW. HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT YOU HATE IT.
me: i don't like the air con. snow would be worse. let's go somewhere hot... mauritius...
mom: i heard switzerland would be nice around this time...
dad: it's been a long time since i've been to switzerland...
mom: so shall we go there?
me: why can't we go to russia? i missed out my chance earlier.
dad: i've been to russia. the people there aren't very friendly. you wouldn't have liked it even if you had gone.
me: thou canst not speak of that thou does not feel.
mom: what?
me: nevermind. rome?
gee: i've been there. so has dad.
dad: yeah.
me: copenhagen?
gee: we have cousins there.
dad: your mom and i went there last year too. and we met all of your cousins.
me: let's just go to london.
gee: I LIVE IN LONDON.
me: good for you.
gee: THEN THAT WON'T BE A HOLIDAY FOR ME.
me: too bad.
dad: why don't we go to india?
mom: that seems nice...
me: i don't want to go to indiaaaaa...
gee: which part of india, north or south?
dad: you pick.
me: i don't want to go to indiaaaa....
gee: let's go to the north.
mom: geetha wants to see the fashions there.
me: i don't want to go to indiaaaa...