myriadhues

Out of Courtesy...

2011-02-10T13:56:00.002+01:00

Wow! It sure has been ages since I last posted. I used to always think it's just been a few months. I now realize it has been over a year! Not good! Not good at all!
Needless to say, a lot must have happened over the past year, which unfortunately, I’ve been lax in recording down.
The freshest thing in my mind right now is the ongoing India trip.
Being in India with two friends, who have never been here before, has been quite an experience of sorts. There are tons of things that I could write about, but what has stayed uppermost in my mind is one specific incident.
While travelling from one place to another, very often we needed to ask for directions from people on the roads. Whether it be my dad who asked for directions or the taxi driver, there was usually no preamble and no acknowledgment. It was just direct questions and then a slight nod (if at all!) of the head before driving away.
One of the two friends travelling with me mentioned this when we reached our destination and I realized that I had been thinking the same thing. Have we as a nation forgotten our excuse me(s) and thank you(s)? Did we never really use them enough? Most foreigners, if not all, always thank the taxi drivers, rick drivers and other service people. Do we do that? Maybe sometimes we do, but surely not always. However, we must be doing it when we’re in other countries because it’s the norm! I can’t fathom why it isn’t the norm at home too.
I also think, what may be contrary to popular belief, that the younger generation does say a lot more please(s), thank you(s) and excuse me (s). Or does it have to do with the difference between mentalities in rural and urban areas?
The incident sure left me a little confused. I think most of us young Indians are cordial and polite enough when asking for directions, but maybe we should start acknowledging the people who drive us around too. We get angry when they refuse to take us someplace late in the evening; let’s also show our gratitude when they do take us!

In Retrospect...

2009-10-12T14:03:00.007+02:00

I'm going to quickly and slyly sweep under the carpet, all the neglect that my poor blog has undergone over the last month or so. Instead, I leave you with a picture of the goddess that graced the Durga Puja celebrations in Frankfurt.

The celebrations that spanned over the customary period of five days brought back so many many wonderful memories for me. Having been a part of the Durga Puja celebrations in Calcutta all through my growing years and more, the festivities, the rituals, the ubiquitous joy in dressing up in the best traditional finery, and most importantly, the mouthwatering food, all proved to be the highpoint of my existence for those 5 days.

Many have tried and failed to aptly describe the atmosphere that builds up in the city of Calcutta before and during Durga Puja. I've since realized that it is one of those things that just have to be experienced to be understood. No amount of linguistic and literary ability can ever do it complete justice. Some people compare it to a handful of the other big celebrations that take over different parts of the country every year, but that only serves as a gross injustice. It'll suffice to say that you have to feel the pulse and heart of the city and its people to truly and fully comprehend the aura and allure of this festival, which by no means remains just another religious cacophony in our country, where aplenty of those abound.
It'll be nice to be back in Calcutta at least once more in this lifetime, just for the Pujas.

Punishment Begets Reward

2009-09-10T14:05:00.003+02:00

I will not neglect my blog again...
I will not neglect my blog again...
I will not neglect my blog again...
...except till I'm back from Mallorca! :-D

See you Monday!

Of Negligence and Redemption

2009-09-01T14:25:00.004+02:00

Sometimes, neglecting the blog becomes the easiest way to handle bad days and full plates! Tsk... tsk! That's enough self chiding for now...
In news, the full movie, the trailer of which I'd posted after a similar period of blog negligence, is out!
Catch it at any of these spaces:
http://www.vimeo.com/6343210
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/5847277
http://www.indee.tv/films/view/1130pm-camp-road-a-film-by-gopakumar/

11:30 PM, Camp Road

2009-08-13T11:49:00.006+02:00

After the unexpected short hiatus that I took from my blog, as well as from others blogs, it gives me great pleasure and excitement to tell you about one of the things that I've been occupied with during this time:

After the stupendous success of his debut album, my friend, Gopu, is back with a new offering. Being in the form of a short film, this new venture of his is sure to garner many eyeballs!

Do hop on over to the movie's blog (http://lensmangops.wordpress.com/) and read all about the film there. The blog also includes a quick peek at the film itself, in the form of its trailer. You can also watch the trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IVcg5NN3sg.

Repubblica Italiana

2009-07-29T14:03:00.012+02:00

When people keep harping on how Rome wasn't built in a day, they really aren't kidding, are they!?! If it wasn't built in a day, can you even fathom how much of a miracle is required to be able to see it in a day!?! Well, we did pull off a tiny miracle of sorts, because unfortunately, that's all the time we had in that wonderful haven of a city! There is so much to see and imbibe in that place that it soaks you up and keeps you eternally in its clutches! Having landed quite early in the morning, we set off to explore this city of cities with eyes filled with awe and a spring in our step. We weren't the least bit disappointed.

Vatican City (a separate country within the city of Rome) is an absolute stunner. I'm now not surprised that it is one of the richest countries in the world. Not discounting the expansiveness of the "little" country, the sheer exuberance and architecture of the place left us all salivating for more. After having spent a good part of the morning and some of the afternoon in Vatican City, our hunger for all things beautiful had grown manifold. Rome satiated us beyond all measure. As we wound our way through the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Piazza Novona and many other such dreamy places, we understood the magnificence that is Rome!

With the Arno river ever faithfully by its side, Florence is a picturesque, little town, to state the obvious. Particularly known for being the abode of Michelangelo's David, Florence acted as the soothing balm to the thumping excitement of Rome. Needless to say, beautiful churches and cathedrals dot the whole landscape of Italy, and Florence was no less fortunate. However, the river captivated me like no other. We spent a good amount of time on a couple of its lovely, old bridges and watched the sun bid us a cheery goodbye.

Pisa; quaint is the first word that comes to mind whenever I think of this curious, little town. Seeing the leaning tower peeking out from behind the famed baptistery, is a memory that has been etched into my mind forever more. The souvenir shops that line one side of the street/lawn leading up to the tower do brisk business and are themselves quite a delight to observe! Haggling over the prices, smiling, friendly faces, the continuous murmur of voices, all make up the wonder that is Pisa!

On my way to the hotel from the airport in Rome, the first thing that struck me is the glaring and apparent similarities between India and Italy. The houses were structured in a similar manner, the people were as friendly and forthcoming as we're used to back home and the reverberation of life and bonhomie in the air was truly reminiscent of dear, old homeland.

Not to mention, both countries are home to some amazing culinary delights!

Poor Paul and Naughty Mia

2009-07-24T15:24:00.010+02:00

This is Mia: waiting to bark at her next victim!

This is Paul: all happy and waggy before the big fight!

Paul and Mia: After the fight, trying to get them to walk using the same leash.

Poor Polly, safely ensconced and very subdued...

I'd Like to Thank...

2009-07-21T17:19:00.006+02:00

Yay! An award for me! Thanks, Ani!

The rules of the award:
Link the person who tagged you.
Copy the image above, the rules and the questionnaire in this post.
Post this in one or all of your blogs.
Answer the four questions following these Rules.
Recruit at least seven (7) friends on your Blog Roll by sharing this with them.
Come back to BLoGGiSTa iNFo CoRNeR (PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE THIS LINK) at http://bloggistame.blogspot.com/ and leave the URL of your Post in order for you/your Blog to be added to the Master List.

The questions:
The person(s) who tagged you: Ani
His/her site’s title and url: Silent Expressions - http://silentlyexpress.wordpress.com/
Date(s) when you were tagged: 18/07/09
Persons you tagged:
Unfortunately, some of the people whose blogs I love have stopped blogging for a bit! I do hope they come back soon! I don't have 7 names to pass on this award to, but I really value and enjoy the writing and friendhsip of the people I've listed (below) and would like to award them for the same:
(In random order)
@voskenslaan (mº¿ºsh, brecht and nora): http://voskenslaan.blogspot.com/
Muse Cruise (Shankari di): http://shankari.wordpress.com/
Thru My Eyes (Sri): http://srigenesis.blogspot.com/
My Family Bluez (Idah): http://myfamilyblues.blogspot.com/

Salve!

2009-07-17T12:41:00.005+02:00

I have a date with Michelangelo, Pavarotti, Leonardo, Donatello, Dante and Joey! ...all in the greatest pizzeria in the world!

Ciao till Tuesday!

Paris Remnants

2009-07-16T14:53:00.032+02:00

One of the monuments that I'd definitely go back to Paris for, is the Panthéon. Formerly meant to be a church, it is now known as a famous burial place. Isn't it amazing that a nation thinks about having all her greats buried in a single place!?!

The Arc de Triomphe honours all those who've fought for France, especially during the Napoleonic wars. Similar to the Amar Jawan Jyoti, the Arc de Triomphe also pays homage to the tomb of the unknown soldier.

The Place de la Concorde is the largest square in Paris and houses the obelisk known as Cleopatra's Needle. It is an ancient Egyptian obelisk, but has no connection whatsoever with Cleopatra!

The Galeries Lafayette is a huge, French department store, not unlike many malls in other parts of the world.

The Sacré-Cœur Basilica is a famous Roman Catholic Basilica and is a landmark in the city. It is situated at the highest point in the city and we trudged up many a stairs to get to its sacred heart! It was well worth it, may I add!

The Catacombs of Paris are an underground ossuary, which resulted out of the overwhelming congestion of the city's many cemeteries! The walk through the ossuary was extremely eerie, to say the least! Hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of bones seemed to cover every available speck of space, each carefully and neatly arranged to fit into the whole geometry of skulls and more bones!

Les Invalides is most well known for being the burial place of some of France's war heroes, especially Napoleon Bonaparte. More broadly, it is a collection of museums and monuments that document France's military history. Originally, it was meant to only be a retirement home and hospital for France's war veterans.

Centre Georges Pompidou is a curiously designed complex that is home to a library and a museum, in addition to a few other things.

Finally, a glimpse of some Parisian food:

French Onion Soup

Coq au Vin (Chicken in Wine)

Salmon Something!

Books Are a Girl's Best Friend

2009-07-15T17:35:00.005+02:00

Taking up Shankari's tag, here are the 15 books I came up with:

1. The Third Twin - Ken Follett

2. Rebecca - Daphne du Maurier

3. Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy

4. Elephants Can Remember - Agatha Christie

5. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden

6. The Diary of a Young Girl - Anne Frank

7. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

8. Return of the Native – Thomas Hardy

9. The Princess Trilogy - Jean Sasson

10. Rumpelstiltskin - Brothers Grimm

11. The Glass Menagerie - Tennessee Williams

12. Mysteries of the Universe - Colin Wilson

13. Malory Towers (series) - Enid Blyton

14. The Guide - R. K. Narayan

15. The Day of the Jackal - Frederick Forsyth

I'd love to read your lists too! You just need to write down 15 books that come to your mind (under 15 minutes).

Weekend Escapades

2009-07-14T15:45:00.008+02:00

With our social life being kicked into super-high gear, the weekends have been a happy blur of bonhomie and fun. Yes, the hectic weekends continue. Not that that makes the weeks between them any easier or faster! I still wait for the next hectic weekend to rear its beautiful head and engulf me in its being.
At the cost of sounding repetitive, the weekend that just went by was no exception. Having a friend or even a friend of a friend visiting sure makes for a marvellous time! Saturday saw about half a dozen of us making our way through the sights and sounds of Frankfurt. The weather Gods kept playing truant, what with the sun making its appearance felt one minute, only to be displaced by a light shower the next! We took a ride on the Ebbelwei (Apple Wine: Frankfurt is known for its apple wine) Express, clicked tonnes of pictures, ate lots; in short, a merry time was had by all. Walking down the coffee shops laden streets of Frankfurt like tourists and seeing all the architecture and monuments in the city which is now our home, was quite a lovely experience. Seeing them all again made them seem that much more charming! Evening had us indulge in a good game of pool and bowling. Considering that dusk during summer in Europe is only around 10 in the night, which makes it pointless to wait for the sun to set, we (the half dozen had by then become about a dozen) made our way to an Irish pub, and slowly, but steadily, proceeded to bring the house down with our raucous laughter and joviality. We downed some drinks, played the fool and returned to our houses just after midnight. Midnight (early by our current standards), only because we had an impending trip the next day!
Mainz; pretty, little Mainz...
This town, located on the west bank of the Rhine river, was our Sunday destination. After 2 in the group missing the train by just a few seconds and after countless explanations and directions over the phone, the 9 of us and 2 dogs managed to be united just in time for some lunch!
Mainz itself is a delightful place. The first thing that caught our attention was a very uniquely structured fountain, with various figurines etched onto it and water spouting out of various outlets. Like almost every place in Europe, Mainz also boasts of some beautiful churches, a lovely river, an old part of the town and some fantastic bridges. The castle that we came across was quite a letdown, though, especially after the Heidelberg one. We even made time to play some beach (artificial) throw ball and loosen up those muscles a bit!
The only blip on this beautiful day was the fight that Paul got into. Paul; poor, little, excitable Paul! Paul and Mia were the 2 dogs who were part of our group. Beautiful babies, both of them, but so easily and stupidly excitable! Mia would start (and I guess, still does) barking like crazy on spotting even the tip of the tail of any other dog, and that would excite Paul so much that off he'd go galloping like a horse! He learnt his lesson fast enough and how! The simpleton that he is, on seeing Mia bark at a couple of huge dogs (one looked like an Alsatian, the other, a Rottweiler), off he went as was his wont and before any of us could do anything, there was poor Polly being roughly manhandled and being reduced to pulp by those horrible beasts! The police came a running and finally we managed to extricate him from their vicious holds. The poor boy was in such a state of shock that we couldn't get him to eat anything even after a few hours! Thankfully, nothing worse happened. After some infuriating moments with the police detaining the owner of the 2 hounds and getting all the details about Polly, we continued on our sojourn, albeit a little morosely and leadenly. We found a nice perambulator abandoned on a sidewalk and made Paul comfortable in it. He didn't bark at a thing after that horrific trauma he'd been through. Mia, on the other hand, was Mia through and through! Barking at everything with a tail, she brought us girls to shame, I say! So much so that I called her Naughty Mia and Paul, Poor Polly, the rest of the day...
P.S. Pictures to follow; they were in 2 different cameras and a phone, at the last count!

Meme Time

2009-07-13T15:15:00.004+02:00

Ani tagged me to list down 10 things I dreamt of accomplishing (in life) during my tweenage years. Here goes:

1. Travelling the world; every corner of it
2. Becoming a medical doctor/actor/air hostess
3. Being the proud owner of the biggest ever library in the world
4. Never running out of potatoes (dishes made using potatoes as at least one of the main ingredients)!
5. Holding my own exhibitions (sketches, paintings and the like)
6. Learning to play the piano and guitar
7. Eating Phuchkas at least once a week!
8. Mastering most dance forms
9. Writing a book (or ten)! :-D
10. Keeping in touch with all my friends (always)

Thanks for getting me to do this, Ani...

I don't want to forcibly tag anyone! Please do take it up if you'd like to do it; I'd love reading your lists too! :-)

Our Lady of Paris

2009-07-07T14:15:00.019+02:00

Notre Dame de Paris. Stained glass windows. Swooooooooon!

Versailles and Its Palace

2009-07-03T14:34:00.014+02:00

Versailles is a suburb of Paris and is home to the beautiful Palace of Versailles, a stunning and popular haunt of the royal family of France. Let's jump right into the pictures, shall we!?!

Two Ends of the Spectrum

2009-06-30T14:23:00.014+02:00

Glitzy and glamorous,
Spunky and fun,
Showy and frivolous,
All rolled into one!

All grown, each girl, each boy,
Yes, champagne; no, snaps,
Buxom women, none ever so coy,
Wonderful Cancan, loud claps!

Discovery and Frontier lands,

Lands; Adventure and Fantasy,

Colourful streamers, fluttering bands,

Pumping adrenaline and ecstasy!

Young ones and old folks,

All screaming with delight,

Thriller rides; in whose yokes,

Imagination takes flight!

P.S.

To Disney Studios park, too,

Did we make our happy way,

Didn't it also us merrily woo!?!

Almost a mirror to our Disneyland stay!

Role Reversal

2009-06-29T17:06:00.003+02:00

Busy weekends,
Make the weeks seem like a break!
Irony, isn't it!?!

So, I apparently still like haikus!

Weekends in recent life in Frankfurt are becoming increasingly busy! No, I'm not complaining; I quite like it this way. We've hosted lunches/dinners, watched movies, eaten out enough times to boost the economy (!), danced, sung, played, partied, drunk and had tremendous fun doing it all.
The weekend gone by had these and more. Not to mention some regurgitation thrown in. No, not on my part. Ugh.
It had to happen sometime!
Did I mention it quite increased the fun!?!

Musée du Louvre

2009-06-25T11:44:00.016+02:00

With a mind that feeds on mysteries and an overactive imagination, the Louvre Museum has always held an enormous allure for me! I thought that the pyramids were every bit as spectacular as they're made out to be. When we went there the first evening in town, unfortunately, we reached past the museum closing time. This meant another visit to it and I can't say that upset me much!

The Louvre Museum, faithfully playing its part of being gigantic, like every other structure in Paris, stretches from one extreme end to another. Wait, it doesn't end there; it then stretches from that second, extreme end to a third one, and so forth, until your mind is completely warped around the immenseness of the thing. It is humanly quite impossible to cover the entire span of the museum in a couple days, let alone a few afternoon hours! So, we quite expectedly wound our way to take a look at the much hyped (and might I say, quite undeserving of it too) Mona Lisa. Selfishly occupying an entire wall by itself, the painting is really nothing to write home about. Small and pretty unimpressive, it didn't appeal at all to the artist in me. Ensconced in a glass case, it has been given a lofty status, while bigger, better paintings fight for space on the opposite wall!

I almost felt as though our camera shared the same sentiment, because it decided at that very opportune moment to allow its battery to conk out! I then had to resort to my mobile phone to take a picture. :-D

After the disappointing performance of what is arguably the most famous painting in the world, The Raft of the Medusa, didn't fail to deliver one bit! We saw many more stunning paintings and other works of art, including some beautiful sculptures, before wearily making our way out of the building.

The pyramids at night are every bit as striking and beautiful, if not more so, as during the day. Needless to say, we took in our fill of that delightful sight, coupled with the cool breeze that was slowly making its way over the numerous fountains that dot the place.

Sharing the same vicinity with the Louvre Museum, are the Jardin des Tuileries (Tuileries Garden), an expansive breadth of lush, manicured, green lawns, interspersed with interesting works of sculpture and the like. This garden had many picnickers, strollers, old and young couples, people making out, some others basking in the summer sun, and a host of other, sundry activities taking place.

Robert Langdon, I'll definitely be back for more...

Making the World Wonder...

2009-06-23T14:14:00.019+02:00

Most monuments in Paris seemed to have the tendency to not be visible from a little afar, but then to suddenly pounce upon an unsuspecting soul just as the poor soul turns a corner or tilts the head a wee bit! After that, the awestruck soul can do nothing but jaw-droppingly stare at that which made its presence so felt! So was it with the Eiffel Tower.

Scarcely had we got out of the metro station and begun lamenting that it was nowhere to be seen, did it amazingly loom before us just as we walked a few yards. This first, proper sighting of it made me recollect what I'd felt when I saw our very own Taj Mahal for the first time. Beautiful, humungous things really do make quite an impact, don't they!?! It often makes me wonder why good things are supposed to come in small packages! :-)

As expected, the serpentine queues at the Eiffel were really just that; serpentine! After debating for a while whether to be lazy and take the elevator right up to the top or to climb up two levels and then take the elevator, we decided on the latter. I won't say it was a wise decision because a level up the Eiffel Tower is really not an ordinary level now, is it!?! Nevertheless, we made it to the top with just a little huffing and puffing! To the first level, that is! The ascent to the second level seemed to be a trifle easier; maybe because the whole train of people of which we were a part, intermittently paused together and then set off again towards the summit. I'm not a great admirer of views from atop tall buildings, but from what I could sense, everyone looked like they were agreeing about the awesomeness of the view.

Once on the second level, another wait for the elevators followed, to go up right to the top. Elevators are the only way to go up from the second level. Again, after pictures galore from the very top, we started the less arduous climb down. What interested me most were the dummy or two that had been set up in a couple spots to give the impression of construction workers fixing up something!

Although the Eiffel itself is quite impressive, it's the walk up to it that is even more so. Called the Champ de Mars, the green lawns, the fountains, the sculptures, the expanse of marbled space, all make a very breathtaking picture! Of course, this walk is infested with hawkers aplenty, all armed with miniature models of the tower and other sundry knick knacks.

It's quite amazing that a structure that was first pretty loathed by Parisians has now become the most famous symbol of their city! Like I've mentioned earlier, it didn't impress me as much as the Pantheon did, for example, but without doubt, it is quite a wonderment. More so, at night.

Let's Start at the Very Beginning...

2009-06-19T14:11:00.015+02:00

...a very good place to start!

Considering that we'd taken a bus to Paris, we reached quite early in the morning. The bus journey itself was quite uneventful. Almost never having been able to sleep in buses, this time was no different. Half the night I was awake like an owl looking at the other passengers ensconced in their seats. Stopping at a gas station somewhere in France and buying something to munch on, did perk me up a considerable bit, though!

Hoping that we'd manage to get an early check in at the hotel, we set out to get a grasp of the public transport system and the like. Pleasantly enough, it wasn't as complicated as Amsterdam had been and we were on our way to the hotel soon enough. I must say though that the trains in Frankfurt are a lot more comfortable and passenger friendly than the Paris Metro trains; not to forget smoother rides too!

As luck would have it, the hotel had only one, tiny room available at that time. It's another story that when we did go to our originally booked room, the sheer smallness of it had us wondering how much more tiny a room could be! Anyway, having about three or so hours to kill, we entrusted our bags to the hotel personnel's care and set off to explore the neighbourhood.

We hadn't yet walked too many paces when we came upon an old church. Serene and tranquil, its lawns had many people just sitting and soaking in the elusive sun. It was quite a chilly morning, what with the sun intermittently playing hide-and-seek and a cold wind blowing right into our faces. Unfortunately, the church was closed and we didn't get to see it from the inside.

We then chanced upon the National Academy of Music. Boy oh boy, wasn't it grand! That was when the sheer magnificence and grandeur of the monuments in Paris first hit us! Beautiful in their every intricate detail, the statues and figurines adorning that monstrosity, were a treat to the eyes! I wonder why this place is not sold to tourists in the same way like the Opera near it, is!

From there, we made our way to the Galeries Lafayette, a posh shopping mall, housing almost every brand and name you can think of. Its ceilings captivated me to no end! Beautifully designed, reflecting the hundreds of lights that were on in the stores, they truly were a sight to behold.
Going right up to the terrace of the building, we managed to catch a nice view of the city, replete with impressive domes scattered around the landscape, while in the distance, the Eiffel Tower was timidly making its appearance felt.

Back at the hotel, we removed the grime of the previous night's journey and having armed ourselves with pamphlets and brochures, we headed off to our first destination.
What had seemed timid to me from afar was nowhere even close to that when clamouring to devour me, while in its proximity!

Paris

2009-06-17T15:22:00.007+02:00

Paris has a tremendous amount of expectations riding on it. The good news is it comes close to fulfilling most of them. I think that's more than a city can hope for! I've always felt that the charm you feel on reading about a place or seeing pictures of the place, considerably lessens when you're in that place yourself. Not so, at least for the major part, with Paris.

Believed to be the Mecca of fashion, I was told to watch out for the high-heeled, stuff-strutting, always well made up women. I did see them, but I saw quite many not-so-fashionable people too. Mostly well turned up, though. Also, the city, not unlike cities in Germany, is infested with smokers. What's with Europe and this smoking extravaganza they have on! It gives me the heebie jeebies! I hate having a ton of cigarette fumes all around me; it makes it so difficult to breathe.

Ah, I digressed.

The main thing that stunned me in Paris was its awesome, jaw-dropping monuments and their architecture. Gigantic and voluminous, they are quite a spectacle. They are well worth a trip all by themselves!

Most main roads are spacious and span from one far end to the other equally far end! An abundance of huge scooters and motorbikes also dot the entire city; that sure was a refreshing change from seeing only cars and the like!

Unlike what I was expecting and had heard, quite a few people spoke English and made the use of just a smattering of French not seem that terrible! I guess it being the most visited place definitely helps in the proliferation of English!

Other than the stunning monuments, we also went to the Moulin Rouge, the palace at Versailles and the ever popular Disneyland.

Lost and Found

2009-06-15T15:17:00.001+02:00

Almost lost you today, didn’t I?!?
What was I thinking, I wonder aloud!
It would never ever have been the same,
Without you, my sky is but a grey cloud!

Intact in your safe cocoon, ensconced,
In happy times and sad, to thee, I bow!
My faithful companion, you always are,
A storehouse of memories, ever and now!

As the vagaries of my mind ran amok,
Extricated you out your unusual home,
Heavy steps, heavier eyes, heaviest mind,
All led you, from my hands, to roam…

Frantic searches, pitiful, scared moments,
They sure did seem to last a lifetime long!
When, rolling back to me, you happily came,
I could’ve sworn you sang a little song!

Paris!!!

2009-06-10T12:40:00.002+02:00

...are you ready for me!?! :-D

Be back here in a bit, guys!
See you Monday...

You Age...

2009-06-08T12:58:00.004+02:00

...Like Wine!
Happy happy b'day, A!

Heidelberg

2009-06-04T14:58:00.035+02:00

After having put it off for eons because of myriad reasons, finally, last Saturday, we rose nice and early and set off to explore Heidelberg. This pretty, little town in the state of Baden-Württemberg in Germany, is the very epitome of picturesqueness! As we walked along a bank of the Neckar, taking in the sights and sounds of the beauty that seemed to permeate everywhere, I swear I've not anytime recently felt so in love with nature! There were children running around; people lazing on the bank, soaking up all the sun (I can never understand that!); kites being flown; ducks waddling in the water; students studying; artists painting; the works!

The long walk along the bank of the river leads to the castle, for which Heidelberg is chiefly known and flocked to. The castle itself is in ruins, but one look at it reveals the magnificient and opulent structure that it once was. A huge wine cellar (housing an enormous, enormous barrel), an ancient apothecary and the castle gardens are open to the public and are worth a visit.

After having trudged all along the river bank and up a steep slope to reach the castle, we had a nice lunch at a tiny Persian place (the dishes were called Dschudsche and Sereshkpolo).

We also met up with a couple friends and decided to go on a paddle boat. We exercised those legs on the Neckar and I must say it was the best workout ever!

Although it's considered to be a very touristy town and the castle is not thought to be any great shakes, I was pleasantly surprised by the beauty of the whole place. The walk was definitely the best part of the trip and I'd go there again anytime, without batting an eyelid!

The Heineken Experience (Amsterdam)

2009-06-02T15:22:00.004+02:00

So, we went a lil crazy at the beer factory and ended up doing this:

Cheese Delight

2009-05-29T18:19:00.004+02:00

When A gets going, omelettes end up looking like this!

Treasure Trove

2009-05-26T11:25:00.015+02:00

In what is a rare occurrence, A and I whipped up quite a frenzy in our kitchen a few days back. We had a couple of German friends over for dinner and I'm glad to say we did outdo ourselves! Come to think of it, I think this is the first time we've actually made a full-fledged meal for someone else!

Lemonade (complete with lemon slices and umbrellas), along with a chicken starter dish (A mysteriously calls it his masterpiece! Oops, unfortunately, I didn't manage to take a picture of it!) and lijjat papad, made up the appetizers.

The main course saw rice, chicken curry, aloo gobi, raita and pappadum being served, in all their regal royalty! Of course, wine, beer and cola also were part of the very same stormy frenzy!

Dessert was gulab jamun (bought from the store), the sugar level of which took our friends completely by surprise, thereby solving the mystery of my urge to always want to up the sugar content in most German sweetmeats! :-D

Anne Frank; Her Hideout, Her Diary

2009-05-18T11:34:00.004+02:00

Ever since I read Anne Frank's Diary, which wasn't until very long ago, I've been besotted by her and her overwhelming life experience. Even as a kid, I'd heard a tremendous lot about her diary and I'd always wanted to read it. Quite strangely, it wasn't until just a few years back that I managed to lay my hands on a copy. Once I'd read it cover to cover, all I wanted to do was visit the house in which she and her family had remained hidden for such a long period of time. My trip to Amsterdam was quite a long awaited one, for this very purpose.

When we reached the site, we could see a long, serpentine queue of people waiting to get into the house. The weather was lovely and playing charades and answering a survey conducted by one of the locals, made the waiting time seem pretty short. To the serpent's credit, although it winded its way right from the entrance door all the way to the next perpendicular street and beyond, it did move pretty swiftly.

The house itself was quite an experience. People familiar with the story will find themselves moved beyond words upon entering the various rooms that the inhabitants had occupied, not so very long ago! Anne's room, in particular, so reflects the girl we've come to know through the diary; so reminiscent of the lively little girl that she was. The walls of her room still have bits and pieces of the posters and drawings that she'd adorned them with, so as to alleviate, at least by a slight measure, the boredom and barrenness of the place.

Although a large portion of the house was destroyed, most of it has been recreated with the help of the recollections of Frank, Anne's father. The movable bookshelf, the secret annexe, all the things that the readers of this dairy will be very familiar with, are there to be revered and marvelled upon. There are also numerous videos, pictures and plaques that tell the story of Anne and her family and friends.

The original diary is also on display. Seeing Anne's own handwriting made me only rueful that I couldn't read her thoughts and feelings in their original language; the language in which she thought and felt them.

Keukenhof

2009-05-13T15:24:00.036+02:00

Keukenhof translates to kitchen garden. The Tulip Garden in Lisse, which is in South Holland, is believed to be the largest flower garden in the world. Rows and rows of tulips greet visitors during the months of April and May, which is when they're usually in bloom.

There are innumerable tulip fields in the Netherlands and just to state what is obviously stale news by now, the famous song sequence in Silsila was also shot in the fields adjacent to this garden.

Considering that there were so many tulips around that they managed to render even me speechless, I'm just going to sit back and let the pictures do the work on this post! :-)

Amsterdam RLD

2009-05-11T14:30:00.008+02:00

The Red Light District in Amsterdam is popular among locals and tourists alike. Prostitution is legal in the Netherlands and there are supposedly over five hundred "windows" in the largest Red Light District. These windows (in many cases, glass doors) are where the prostitutes stand and wait for customers. Women of almost every nationality can be found there. As we walked around, we learnt that one street was for Russian prostitutes, one for Asian, one for African, and so on. All the windows or doors glow with a red light and all the women standing at those windows are required to wear at least a bikini. In fact, one particular street has a small kindergarten (for the families living in that area) in the midst of this flesh trade, and the kids who go there and see the women standing at the glass doors, are told that the girls are waiting for a bus to take them to the beach! :-)

I was most surprised to learn that there was even a street inhabited by older women, in their 60s or so! The oldest one is said to be 85 years old and she continues working because she likes it!

The area is also home to a statue, which bears the inscription that prostitutes all around the world should be respected. The majority of them are extremely careful and conscious, with the result that the percentage of people having HIV/AIDS is almost equal to that of the common public. This, in spite of, a basic health check that was required in earlier times, has now been done away with, following widespread protests from the prostitutes!

The Red Light District is home to not only many women prostitutes, but also to some male prostitutes. Gay places are distinguished by the rainbow flags that hang outside them, while the leather clad, whip yielding (BDSM) ones stand out by using a black flag.

The Red Light District is generally thought to be quite a safe area. Although it was a crime-infested area not too long ago, government regulations and police intervention have transformed into one of the major attractions in Amsterdam. Each street and alleyway is manned by many cameras and even the safety of the prostitutes is not undermined. The pimp responsible for a particular group of prostitutes ensures this by looking at the television monitors that they set up in their "shop", lest any untoward incident happens.

We also went through an alleyway believed to be the narrowest one in the area; we could go through only in a single file, almost walking sideways. The area also houses a number of restaurants, small eateries, souvenir shops and sundry other things.

Near the entrance to the area is a big "condomerie", with a hilarious display of numerous, funny-looking condoms. There is also a sex museum, an erotic museum, sex shops, coffee shops selling marijuana, sex and peep shows and a cannabis museum in the vicinity. The sex shows differ from the peep and strip shows, because in the former, they show people doing it live.

Life goes on as usual in the district, which is almost always bustling with a wide array of humanity, including children and older people.

While there, I also picked up the trivium that some Dutch men like to frequent this area in the mornings, while on their way to work! Apparently, mornings are usually the busiest for the girls; and like a guide vehemently stated, no, their wives don't approve!

The 3 Xs in XXX that is so synonymous with X-rated movies now, stands for fire, flood and plague.

By the way, they charge €50 for about 15-20 minutes.

Birthday Tulips

2009-05-10T21:46:00.001+02:00

None the Wiser :-)

2009-05-07T12:09:00.003+02:00

...although I be older!

Psst: In keeping with the Amsterdam theme, A got me some lovely tulips... My phone isn't cooperating right now, will upload the pics later...

Arriving in Amsterdam

2009-05-05T15:09:00.018+02:00

Amsterdam takes liberty and freedom to an altogether different level. Beautiful in so many ways, the city is such an amazing collage of contrasts.
As for most parts of Europe, the advent of spring bodes well for the Netherlands too. The weekend gone by saw a bunch of us basking in the glorious sights and sounds of the popular city of Amsterdam. After a fun train ride of a little over four hours, and after figuring out the public transport system there, we finally checked into our hotel. Then, we made our way to the city centre.

Amsterdam is a city of bicycles. Rows and rows of bicycles is what catches the eye on every road. Methinks, the Dutch sure must be a very fit lot! Can't really blame them for wanting to ride their bicycles at every given opportunity, though; the city is just so pretty with its myriad canals and cobbled streets.

The trams and bicyclists have a menacing reputation preceding them; they are thought to wait for nothing! Quite often, we were told not to incur the wrath of the bicyclists and to steer clear of the cycling tracks. Bicyclists having to ring their bells to even nudge a pedestrain a little to the side, is just not a done thing! It is almost always accompanied by a bout of glares, frowns and stares, all from the concerned bicyclist, of course! :-)

The Oldest Clock Tower in Amsterdam

Central Railway Station

Our first stop at the city centre: the all famous red light district in Amsterdam.
To be continued in my next post...

Amsterdam, Baby!

2009-04-29T15:22:00.005+02:00

Akin to what Joey said:
It's all Amsterdam, baby! Here we go!
This weekend being the long weekend that it is, what better place to jet set off to than the Venice of the North, eh!?!
Yayyyy!

City Tunes

2009-04-23T13:03:00.000+02:00

Christmas 2008, a season to remember,
A wondrous trip, did it behold…
A bustling city, 4 hours yonder,
In these very lines,
Will its joyous tale be told!

Friendly and so welcoming,
Opened its arms to encompass us…
With sights and history galore,
Move into its bosom did we,
Without any fuss!

The Mauer, spellbinding,
A treasure house of real lives…
The museum in its vicinity,
To the depths of our humanity,
It easily dives!

The Reichstag, the Dom, the Tor
All statuesque and impressive…

The KaDeWe, the panoramic bahn,
So reeking of affluent modernity,
In its very excessive!

The AquaDom, surely a delight,
Tranquil blues and greens…
A match only to the near Sea Life,
Bringing up the rear, Tussauds, no less,
Where everyone stops and preens!
Berlin, it sure is, all the way through,
Captivated my heart, mind and soul…

Comparisons does it unwittingly warrant,
Oh Berlin, you sure were a pleasant whiff,

Of fresh air; of all the nicety that a city can dole!

Yours Randomly...

2009-04-20T18:26:00.005+02:00

Having been tagged to reveal 25 random facts about myself, here's some randomness!
1. I am a stickler for punctuality. I hate being kept waiting because of someone being late; I equally hate being late myself.
2. I’m a staunch Calcuttan. I love Calcutta to death. Nope, can’t hear a word against it. I’m impractical, illogical and completely unreasonable when it comes to anyone hurling the least invective at my city or its offshoots (Kolkata Knight Riders being a case in point).
3. I used to draw and paint an awful lot; don’t do even a tenth as much now. I have to, have to, and just have to get back to it in full flow again.
4. Books are my life blood.
5. I’m impatient about most things, and if I have to wait for something, it consumes my whole being.
6. I love dancing. I hope to learn many different forms of it.
7. I’m easily bored. I have a need to be continuously doing something.
8. I hope to visit all the places in this world, including the far-flung, dangerous, eeriest, hottest, coldest ones.
9. The number of people I genuinely like is quite small.
10. In Europe, everyone seems to love the sun. I don’t! I don’t like sitting in the sun! I’ll sit outside, but give me the chair in the shade please!
11. I never want to lose touch with any of my good friends. Some are very dear to me. I’m good at keeping in touch *knock on wood*!
12. I love backpacks in red and orange.
13. I don’t drink tea/coffee. I rarely ever drink them. Maybe, once a year or so.
14. I like doing many things at the same time (not necessarily at the very same moment). It gives me a sense of accomplishment.
15. I hope to write a bestseller some day. I love writing; I just need to garner the patience I need for it!
16. I am very loud. Whispering is almost alien to me.
17. I regret not having learnt a musical instrument yet. I will learn the piano; I will, I will, I will. Throw in a guitar too.
18. I’m very nearly a feminist (in the original, unadulterated sense of the word).
19. Many of my instincts have come true. I feel psychic and clairvoyant quite often.
20. I miss Indo-Chinese food; way more than I expected to!
21. I like long flights, but hate long bus journeys.
22. I need a dog, to call my own.
23. I would have loved to be a twin. I’ll settle for having twins.
24. I don’t like my full first name. I prefer the shortened version. I love most modified versions of it, which my friends use.
25. I don’t want to live too long. I’d like a full life, rather than a long one.

Thanks for the tag, Ani. I had fun doing it.

All you lovely people reading this, please do take up this tag if it interests you.

Picture Time...!

2009-04-16T11:45:00.056+02:00

..of the sights in and around Frankfurt.
Considering how behind I am on my blogging, here are the pictures I missed putting up... quite a few of them, may I add! You had better sit back and relax! Here's presenting autumn, winter and Christmas; all in a jumble!
:-D

Kino = Movie Theatre

Boat ride on the Rhine

Frankfurt Christmas Market

Hauptbahnhof (Central Railway Station) during Christmas

Christmas Tree - The lighting of it was a big event...

2 angels; one in disguise :-)

Scenes from the Christmas Market

Carousel at the Christmas Market

Ebbelwei (Apple wine) Express

European Union

Hauptbahnhof

Hauptbahnhof

Stock Exchange

Alte Oper

Dom Römer

Strassenbahn (Tram)

Airport

Another Strassenbahn

Shopping street decked up for Christmas

Winter, in all its glory!

Autumn; I told ya they're all jumbled up!

Homecoming...

2009-04-14T15:41:00.001+02:00

An eternity; that’s what it feels like! An eternity since I last let my life out in the blog world. Well, the part of it that I choose to let out, that is!

Life has really been a rollercoaster these last few months. After much turmoil and upheaval, I feel okay enough now to get back to documenting it again, for future reference. Don’t get me wrong; not all has been bad. Along with some terrible times, along came some good times too.

After a horrible stint (5 weeks) in the hospital and some troubling times thereafter, I found out just how much I enjoyed teaching. Being an English teacher has really widened my horizon like never before. Apart from getting to know so many different people and being appreciated by quite a few for my teaching skills, I feel quite pleased. More so because I’d always, as far back as I can remember, wanted to teach and have my own little roost to rule, like a fellow teacher once put it!

Having landed a full time job at a gaming company (yeah, baby!), I now teach purely for the pleasure of it, whenever time permits. My students seem to like me and that’s more than I can ask for.

Germany is a beautiful place. Quite alien to me to begin with; but slowly, the streets, the buildings, the people, don’t seem that strange anymore. I recognize and understand the place and the people now, even though I may not ever relate to it.

A wee bit of traveling has been done and more is on the cards. Imminently, may I add! Pictures are due, and will be posted soon.

Right now, I feel like I’ve regained a lost baby! It feels exhilarating to have words at my disposal once again. It feels invigorating to have breathed life into my progeny once again. Supernova is back!

P.S. I’m here to stay!

From Deutschland!!!

2008-08-13T16:33:00.003+02:00

So, I'm in Frankfurt now. Yup, moved here. I know I have a lot to blog about and a tag to do too (sorry, Shankari, will get to it soon!), but this has to suffice for now. I will be wholly back on the blogosphere et al by mid next week.

Till then.... auf Wiedersehen!

Paintballing

2008-07-01T08:56:00.003+02:00

Tiny pellets,
As deceiving as they get!
Squishy, squashy paint,
Do they all beget!

An afternoon,
A pleasant Sunday one,
Afar the city’s chaos,
The venue, one of fun!

Smelly masks,
A group of lively eleven,
Jackets for the girls,
Just 2 short of seven!

War vests,
Yes, for all genders, those,
And with loaded guns too,
We all did bravely pose!

T’was war,
On the battlefield, no less,
With the battle lines drawn,
It sure was a painty mess!

Crouching tigers,
Did we all happily become,
And the last team standing,
Did the victorious, sum!

Aching thighs,
Searing arms, bruised red,
The remnants of that war,
Of each held-high, proud head!

http://www.yuyutsa.com/home.html

Ich bin Glücklich!!!

2008-06-26T08:20:00.003+02:00

I really don't have great reasons for not having posted for so long! I have been busy doing lots of varied stuff, but really nothing to keep me away from blogging for so many days at a stretch! I've just been procrastinating, I guess! Anyway, so the things I've been busy with have been exciting and fun, to say the least. I've just completed my A1 level international examinations in Deutsch (yes, the German language!) and have also signed up for some basic dance classes in Salsa, Jive and Cha-cha-cha, which I must say have been truckloads of fun!
The German classes at Max Mueller have allowed me to meet so many wonderful, lovely people, some of whom have become my good friends. Now if that's not a good outcome, what is!?!
Oh, did I forget to mention that I got 85% in those exams? Ich bin glücklich!

Alles Gute zum Geburtstag zu mir!

2008-05-07T07:00:00.000+02:00

Of Celebrations and Closures...

2008-04-14T12:18:00.005+02:00

The anniversary passed in a swirl of cheese, sinful chocolate desserts, gifts and not to forget, the all important final checkup (of my arm) with the doctor. Yes, the holes left by my ex-armour are nicely filling up again, and like Rachel exclaims in an episode of F.R.I.E.N.D.S,

...and that, my friend, is what they call closure!

One thing stood out in all the above mêlée. Thanks A, for the resplendent beauty below:

P.S. Now all I have to do is wait a few days for my b'day to make its appearance! :-)

Happy Anniversary, A!

2008-04-09T18:31:00.003+02:00

Three years together, is by no means few,

A celebration, I think, is certainly due!

So let's clink our glasses and drink to this,

Tied with love and sealed with a kiss!

Happy anniversary to you,

Happy anniversary to me,

Love and happiness,

As far as I can see!

Workout.Haiku.Com

2008-04-09T10:57:00.003+02:00

Some crunches and jumps,

Filling my evenings with pain,

...Result; I await!

Pain.

2008-04-01T08:36:00.000+02:00

In. My. Neck.
Literally!

What's in a Title?!?

2008-03-24T11:21:00.003+01:00

The little clock had been ticking from ever since it could remember! Round and round went its big, medium and tiny hands, round and round and round and round. Fast, when the entity it controlled was busy and happy; painfully slow, when the very same mind was melancholic and bored. Try as it did, the routine did not break. It was waiting for that moment when time would stand still for the mind it controlled. No, not literally; figuratively. One morning, the hands weren't ticking. The little clock was relieved in a way. Maybe the all encompassing standstill had finally arrived, it thought! No, the mind decided. It was just the battery that'd died out. A new one replaced the deceased and the hands began their circular journey all over again. Surprised, the little clock wondered whether it was the master or the slave; did the mind actually control it just a few moments back?!? Symbiotic; that was what the relationship was! For now, the little clock and the mind, both had to wait for that all encompassing, standstill moment. Not too many days for that. Just a little forbearance, with a smattering of patience...

Images of Singapore

2008-03-19T10:32:00.010+01:00

Well, this was what I was writing about before I went to de-metal myself! The Merlion and the quay et al were really nice, but what I liked the most was the Fountain of Wealth! People follow a little ritual when they visit this fountain, which is to hold their palms out to the water gushing out of the centre, and then walk around it thrice, making a silent wish all the while. It's believed that the wish so made, will definitely come true. Needless to say, I made a wish of my own. Such a pleasing and serene experience; I'll do it every time I'm there!

My Armour... Laid to Rest!!!

2008-03-17T11:24:00.004+01:00

I'm finally back at work. The cast is off; I just need to have the crepe bandage and sling (only while travelling around/going outside) for a few weeks more. The important thing is that all the metal is out of me! :-D

Tada!!!

No Method To My Madness

2008-03-07T07:14:00.003+01:00

I didn't think I'd be able to type this fast with just one hand! Impressive, if I may say so myself! :-D Yeah, sitting idle is making me a lil vain! :-/
Catching a cold, and only one measly hand to wipe my snotty nose, is no fun!
Not being at work is driving me insane!
It's weird how we can get accustomed to even continuous pain! Human beings are really something, eh?!?
Okay, my negativity really doesn't deserve so much space here!
Life is one big countdown; make that two! Lovely things to look forward to, though; dreams coming true! Okay, three! No more, I promise, I think! :-/
What a muddled array of thoughts!

No More an Iron Maiden!

2008-02-29T07:56:00.006+01:00

So, I'm going to get all the metal implants in my left elbow (result of a surgery that I had about 3 years back for a complex fracture) removed tomorrow. The less I talk about how tense I am, the better! I should be back here in a few days...

P.S. I've added one of those mood-expressing emoticons too; look below my profile snapshot. I'm waiting to change it to a "Relieved" face!

Beatrix and Anne

2008-02-25T09:19:00.005+01:00

I've been obsessed with 2 things over the last few days:

Pics Courtesy: Wikipedia

Bloody and gory, but so engaging and impressive! Uma Thurman truly rocks!

Pic courtesy: Amazon

A book so disarmingly simple, yet poignant through and through!

By All Means, a Fine City!!!

2008-02-21T10:11:00.005+01:00

Singapore was pretty much how I'd imagined it would be. Very clean, spotlessly so! However, what amazed me is the amount of greenery that has been preserved! High rise buildings and stylish malls may be aplenty, but it was heartening to see that the importance of having lush trees hadn't been forgotten! To me, it almost felt like a civilization inside a jungle! Not kidding, lovely forests bordered both sides of almost all roads that we drove across, on our way to the hotel, from the airport! Barring the abundance of plants and trees, being in Singapore felt a lot like being in Dubai. Similar stringent laws, similar proliferation of shopping malls and stylish buildings, and the like!
The new year just having begun, and our hotel being in one of the most happening streets, Orchard Road, rendered it possible for us to see the myriad decorations and lights that were strung high up, almost everywhere we turned! Singapore definitely has all the trappings of a first-world country. Another interesting thing about the place is that everywhere we went, we were told how fines were a part of every day life! "Singapore is a fine city!" is a dictum we heard over a hundred times while we were there! Apparently, Big Brother keeps a close watch on everyone's activities and the moment you litter or make a nuisance of yourself, down swoop the cameras and catch your every guilty move; and believe me, cameras were all over the place! What a nice concept, eh?!? I remember our guide telling me that even loudly banging a door could lead to a fine! I'm not sure how true that is; maybe Mush or Idah can clarify this!
In the neighbouring country of Malaysia, and even in Singapore itself, we saw quite a bit of ridiculing of this fine policy by means of cheeky writing on tees, other apparels, coffee mugs and the like! It's always good to see a sense of humour in things that are not funny on the outside!

Batu Caves

2008-02-19T09:09:00.010+01:00

Temples built within hills and caves that have been hollowed out, make for some lovely pictures! Batu Caves, near KL, were no exception!

We were out of breath when we reached the top, but it was certainly worth it!

My Library is Growing This Valentine's Day!!!

2008-02-14T06:45:00.003+01:00

With 2 more books (this and this) added to my library, this Valentine's Day sure is good for me!

Thanks, A!

Hope all of you have a good one too! :-)

I also hope that I have a huge library soon enough! :-D

Malaysian New Year

2008-02-13T09:37:00.011+01:00

Lights - Beautiful

Sounds - A continuous buzz and excited murmur in the air!

Decorations - Lovely

Fireworks - Stunning

New Year's Eve - The best ever!!!

A "Know Me Better" Tag!

2008-02-11T10:44:00.002+01:00

As instructed by Miss Iyer, I'm taking a break from my vacation stories and posting the meme she wanted me to attempt!

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Nope. My name was chosen by one of my paternal aunts. I was first to be called "Tripti", which means "satisfaction"; but a maternal aunt of mine waxed eloquent about how that was a fitting name considering my parents hadn't had any sons and weren't planning for another baby after me! Of course, that pissed my mother off a great deal (no points for guessing that!) and she promptly ran another name through my dad, "Priya". As luck would have it (I don't like the name, "Priya"!), there was a girl in the neighbourhood with the same name and that was dropped as well! So was I stuck with my current name! Not that I like it much either!

Also, of course, like many other Indian names, my name too is part of a morning prayer/song.

P.S. Don't have any illusions about how much I like that maternal aunt! :-/

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? Well, err; I turn on the tap quite easily. So to answer the question; last Friday! :-/

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Yes, I do! I'm a little presumptuous that way!

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Chicken; I don't/can't venture beyond it. Other meat make me squirmy!

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? Well, maybe! Let me explain that before there are exclamations all around! I have a little girl, like Monica had her imaginary boyfriend!

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? I certainly hope so! See, I can NOT be presumptuous too! :-D

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? Absolutely!

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yes, I do! Looking at the number of people having tonsil problems at some point or the other in their lives, I'm hoping they stay obediently malaise free, forever!

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? I certainly hope I do when the time comes! I can't let A be one up on me, now, can I!?! :-D

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? I haven't tasted many yet, so it has to be "Chocos" for now! I'm sure there are many more sugary, chocolaty ones waiting to be devoured by me!

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Oh please! That'll be like the end of the world!!!

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Yes. I have some metal in me to back me up too!

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Chocolate and Butterscotch; athough, my absolute favourite is chocolate ice cream on chocolate cake! It can't get yummier than that!

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? I'm not sure about this one! I hope to remember to remember this when I next meet a stranger!

15. RED OR PINK? Ha! Need I even answer this one! It's not for nothing that almost every belonging of mine is first bought in pink!

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF? My impatience; it's legendary!

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? Right now A's away on some work and I'm pretty bored when I'm alone at home for more than a day, so it has to be A!

18. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Pants, blue (denim); shoes, black (for a change!)

19. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? Rice and gravy

20. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? A loud conversation in a neighbouring cubicle; in my head though, "Life is a rollercoaster" is playing!

21. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? I'm thinking pink, but then, I'd rather be able to see pink stuff, than be just another of those stuff! So, going by that, I'd like to be a silvery hue!

22. FAVORITE SMELLS? Damp earth, A's cologne, babies, new books, chocolates, delicious, steamy food...

23. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? A

24. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? Gymnastics, Cricket, Tennis

25. HAIR COLOR? Dark brown

26. EYE COLOR? I've heard that all black pupils are actually dark brown; so, dark brown...

27. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? No, I don't. Although, I must admit that I quite like the coloured ones!

28. FAVORITE FOOD? Again, chocolate ice cream on chocolate cake!

29. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Scary movies; even though I drag A EVERYWHERE after watching one!

30. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Mithya and I am Legend

31. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? Green and silver

32. SUMMER OR WINTER? Winter! Any day, anytime!!! I abhorrrrrrrrr Summer!

33. HUGS OR KISSES? Depends on who's giving them! Hugs mainly, though!

34. FAVORITE DESSERT? Good God! I have the same answer for 3 questions! Chocolate ice cream on chocolate cake wins yet again!

35. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? Anne Frank - The Diary of a Young Girl

36. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? I don't use one; they are too cumbersome!

37. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT? The last thing I watched was a silly movie. I was watching a cricket match for most of the day, though!

38. FAVORITE SOUNDS? Babies; not when they start howling, of course!

39. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Rolling Stones, though I really don't have a strong liking for either!

40. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? Middle East

41. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? I have a very weird one; I can bend my left thumb backwards; yes, all the way!

42. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Kerala, India; I was taken to Calcutta when I was just 20 days old, though! So for me, it's always Calcutta!

Oh, I'm done! That was good fun! Please do take it up if you feel like it! It'll be fun reading each one's answers! :-)

P.S. Mush, I stand corrected! Singapore is 900 kms farther away than Dubai, from here! Sorry!

A No(i)sy Affair!!!

2008-02-08T07:48:00.000+01:00

Did I forget to mention that Himesh Reshammiya and his damn nose followed us all the way to Safari World, Bangkok?!? Yes, he sure did! Gauging that a truckload of Indians had deigned that very day to descend upon the world of animals, the organizers of a certain show decided to play a patriotic Hindi film song, followed by a popular song in the now horrendously famous nasal twang! What followed had to be seen to be believed! While there were scattered cheers and enthusiastic clapping during the patriotic song, the second one had most of my compatriots in the crowd up on their feet, swaying and stomping there way to mucousy glory!

P.S. Not that I don't like the man's compositions; I just wish he wouldn't sing the songs himself!!!

Sunway Lagoon

2008-02-07T10:46:00.000+01:00

Sunway Lagoon is this amusement park that we went to, in Malaysia. It is mainly a water theme park, and I was so busy playing in the water that was all around us that I forgot to click too many pictures! Not that I could've taken my precious camera into the area at all, what with fountains springing up at every step and buckets of water raining down on us with every move!!!

The adjoining resort that we stayed at also played host to Sunway Pyramid, a massive shopping mall, with an ice skating rink being the icing on the cake! I'll let the pictures do the talking now! Well, not that once I started scouring the shops, I took too many pictures here either! :-D

Genting Highlands

2008-02-05T06:32:00.000+01:00

Malaysia is home to this amazing place, high above the normal land level; Genting Highlands! In the midst of the sweltering Malaysian heat, these highlands are akin to paradise! To my absolute delight, the temperature was icy cold when we were there! Just the way I like it! We took a bus to reach the top, but for our descent the next day, we used the Genting Skyway. It was, without doubt, the most amazing cable car ride I've ever had! Giving the feeling of helping you plummet to your death, the cable cars move quite swiftly down (world's fastest and South East Asia's longest cable car), covering a view so panoramic and beautiful that it seemed straight out of a painting! Genting also plays host to the world's largest hotel, First World Hotel.

There are two theme parks in Genting, an outdoor one and an indoor one. The indoor one, especially, is beautifully lit up and decorated. Of course, it being the holiday season, everything was doubly lit and glowing! Rides are aplenty in both the theme parks, and we managed to ride a few of them.

Genting also has two casinos and needless to say, we spent quite a number of hours in one of them! I won just 2 Malaysian Ringgits more than we gambled with, but it was a win nevertheless!

The craziest thing we did in Genting, though, was to get wax models of our hands clasped together! There was this stall where they were doing this, and of course, I had to get it done! The couple's hands are positioned together in different stances and then dipped into warm wax and cold water, in turn. After a few such dips, the wax forms a thick coating on the hands and can be easily removed! A few minutes of solidification and colouring, and voilà, our very own wax hands were ready to be proudly displayed in our showcase back home! :-D

Thean Hou Temple

2008-02-01T06:56:00.000+01:00

We went to this beautiful Chinese temple in Malaysia, called Thean Hou. What fascinated me, other than the gorgeous architecture and beautiful idols, was the mechanism for knowing each person's future! There were these 3 huge steel cylinders, with a number of drawers built into each. A hole in the cylinders holds some sticks, each of a different length. Each fortune seeker needs to bunch up all the sticks together, hold them a little aloft and then release them so that the bunch falls into the hole and scatters a bit! The person then needs to pick out the longest stick (the one protruding out the most) and read the number written on it. She/he then needs to look for the drawer having the same number, open it and read the chit placed inside! Voilà! There's what your future holds!

Doing this ritual was a lot of fun and I ended up doing it thrice, not being pleased with the first two predictions! The third one pleased me immensely. I guess I did it right only the third time! :-D :-D :-D

Everything about the temple was beautiful; the idols (Goddess of Mercy), the little prayer stools that I so fell in love with, the architecture, the lamps, the joss sticks; all these gave the temple a nice, serene feel! The outside garden even had all the animals of the Chinese zodiac neatly lined up!

Images of Koala Rumpum

2008-01-30T10:13:00.000+01:00

Like my little friend (all of 3 years!) pronounced it, Koala Rumpum (Kuala Lumpur) was quite an interesting place! Here are some pictures of the city:

Palace Gates

Inside the National Monument Area

Independence Square

Atop the KL Tower

Putrajaya River

Retribution? Not Quite...

2008-01-30T06:36:00.000+01:00

Trust was something that came naturally to her! Never mind the myriad tribulations she'd already faced when it came to her blind trust in people; she still carried on trusting, wholly and completely! It wasn't surprising then that as she looked at her piece of creativity in admiration, she smiled to herself and prepared to send it to the "middleman" (mm), who would then let her creativity garner a place in the big conglomerate that both were a part of! As was her nature and compulsive need, she read and re-read, many times over, the few words that she'd put together for the event. Nodding to herself, satisfied that the lyric was worth being read by many other eyes, she took a deep breath and handed it over to the mm.
To the middleman's credit, a small note of appreciation was sent to our protagonist. Convinced that her work was in good hands, she heaved a sigh of relief and set about doing her daily chores. Nevertheless, something nagged her; something was surely amiss! Sure enough, she heard the sounds of a good job being lauded coming from the middleman's room, but no one seemed to realize that she was the author of those words that were being applauded! Not one to be slighted so easily, she waited a while and then went to the middleman's room. Upon enquiring about how the poem had been received, the middleman waxed eloquent about how much appreciation had come its way and how the mm had proudly declared that the mm and another person had put it together! Our girl didn't know what hit her! Fumbling for words, she smiled faintly and came out of the room. Disappointment writ large on her face, she couldn't fathom how someone could take credit for what was definitely not their work!
As is the way with things, she soon chanced upon one of the big guys who'd loved the poem and praised it whole heartedly. Not one to stay quiet, she asked him whether he'd liked the poem. Surprised, he asked her whether she and the mm had put it together! Composedly, our girl minced no words when she replied that she'd written it herself. With ensuing words of praise ringing in her ears, she left the place.
Somehow, she wasn't satisfied, though. Retribution though it had been, what remained was the fact that her trust had proved worthless yet again!
Plagarism is an evil eating into our very lives. Raise your voice against it. More importantly, resist it.

KL Chocolate Factory

2008-01-28T11:06:00.000+01:00

Apparently, eating chocolate every day erodes the bones and makes them weak!

Do I really care if I get to sink my teeth into the sumptuous dragon above, or even the lil fellas below!?!

Malaysia

2008-01-25T10:12:00.000+01:00

Malaysia has nice, wide roads! That's the first thing that struck me when I got out of Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Also, is the airport itself nice or what! The baggage claim (or reclaim, and rightly so written in one of the airports; I forget which!) section is so far away from where the plane lands that commuters need to take a train (through the airport) to get there! That train ride was just so awesome! As the train flits by, you can only begin to imagine the airport's expanse!

The hotel that we stayed in at KL offered a lovely view of the famous Petronas Twin Towers, featured many a time in Indian movies! I must say though that I found them beautiful only at night, all lit up and glowing; during the day, somehow, they just looked like two metal towers; nonetheless, with an amazing architecture! The hotel was also very well placed, what with upmarket malls and stores surrounding it on all sides.

The night we landed in Malaysia, we just strolled around the neighbouring area of Bukit Bintang, taking in the sights and sounds of the ever lively streets! All through the walk, we kept spotting the Petronas, and each time, I was awestruck by its nighttime beauty!

Thailand Musings...

2008-01-22T10:04:00.000+01:00

Majestically reclining,

He took my breath away!

Swathed in a golden skin,

Over all, does he hold sway!

Temples steeped in tradition,

Monks absorbed in prayer,

Thailand is an eclectic mix,

Of these, as also every lair!

Abounding in culture,

Abounding in colour,

Of dancers and rhthym,

Of warriors and valour!

Elephants and dolphins,

Spy shows and cowboys,

The funny and the bizarre,

And of life, all the joys!!!

Pristine, blue beaches,

Dazzling, shimmering malls,

Thailand is one place,

I'll go every time it calls!!!

The dummy lady up above,

All tattooed; yes, that's the one!

She'll squirt water all over you,

A close look at the jets, and run!!!

Maadaaaame!!! Maadaaame...

2008-01-18T10:08:00.000+01:00

When people say that the Thais are a group of friendly and accommodating people, they aren't far from the truth! They genuinely are some of the nicest people I've ever met! Of course, I'm sure that there are good and bad sorts everywhere (we did encounter one such foul mouthed gentleman), but, in general, the people of Thailand are friendliness and hospitality personified! This was evident wherever we went. Barring the umbrella seller who yelled at us in Thai when we declined to buy an umbrella from him (I must admit that the umbrella was beautiful, though! All traditional and reasonably priced, we made a mistake by not taking up his offer!), all the other people we came across spouted smiles, with words, as sweet as honey, to match!

When we went shopping in all the lovely street markets, Pratunam being the most notable among them, the shop girls went out of their way to be nice! The number of compliments I received that single evening was enough to make me feel like an Empress! They also had this cute way of pulling my arm whenever I walked away, not being happy with the price they quoted! Musical intonations of "maaaadaaaame, maaaadame..." still ring in my ear! "Hello, madaaaaame!" in a singsong tone is how they usually seemed to greet foreign women! Of course, each of them is armed with a simple calculator, which comes out every time a customer starts to haggle! As most of them barely spoke any English, they used the calculator as a handy tool to convey the best prices they were willing to offer!

If you're a pro at bargaining, Thailand is the place for you! Start to bargain and prices fall straight from 400 Baht to 250 Baht to 100 Baht and so on! Whether ultimately you pay for what the item is worth or not, you definitely get a kick out of having been able to reduce the price so much!

A Different Facet of Thailand!

2008-01-16T10:46:00.000+01:00

Lady boys, like our guide called them, are everywhere in Thailand. Apparently, it's one of the few things that families in Thailand worry about when their sons are growing up; the other important thing being the boys agreeing to spend some weeks in a monastery, living the simple lives of Buddhist monks. These lady boys, when you look at them, will give you no indication that they were men for some period of their lives! We attended this show in Pattaya, called Tiffany's Alcazar show, a gala feast of lights, sounds, costumes, humour, songs, revelry and most importantly, dance! The costumes and sets were like out of a fantasy land; so brilliant and colourful that they could have put any Indian movie or festival celebration to shame! The performers, all lady boys! Every single one of them! Yes, not one is a girl by birth, claimed our guide vehemently! A glance, not followed up with a hard look, couldn't have confirmed that! The show was spectacular. All of us enjoyed every bit of it! The grandiose sets and costumes kept us spellbound till the very last minute. Of course, we weren't allowed to click pictures inside the auditorium, but we did click some outside, of the participants and some other sundry stuff.

Walking street in Pattaya has no comparison. I'm certain of that! It's a one-of-a-kind amalgamation and co-existence of curio shops, massage parlours and night clubs and bars! Although the night market that we visited in Bangkok also had shops and these bars, the shops/stalls took the main road, whereas the alleyways paid host to the eerily lit bars, leaving no iota of doubt as to what they had to offer! People of all ages and walks of life mill around in both places, and more so, on Walking Street, of course! Children, women, old folks, all saunter past, taking in the amazing energy of the place! Pimps and their kind approach the pedestrians with promises of "shows" and the like, but refuse, and they bother you no more! In fact, the whole of Pattaya is littered with these bars, some having really funny, sleazy names, and almost all coloured in a pinkish hue, but Walking Street is a whole another experience! We even spotted a girl, dressed in cabaret clothes, dancing in a glass case raised high above the road! What really amazed me is how even kids traipsed along with the elders, with no fear of being accosted by kinds that are usually said to infest such areas! That, for me, was one of the marvels of Thailand!

Getting Around in Bangkok...

2008-01-14T11:26:00.000+01:00

While on our way to our hotel from Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport, the first thing that struck me was the amount of colour on the roads! Initially mistaking the colourful automobiles to be private cars, I soon delightfully realized that the profusion of colour that were the roads, was all thanks to the taxis, cabs, call what you will! Ranging from bright oranges to fuschias, blues and greens, I spent the rest of my traipsing days and nights on Thailand roads trying to spot one, new, bright colour that I hadn't seen on my earlier sojourn; sometimes, the sojourns being just minutes apart! Not for the Thais the drab yellow, white, or other monotonous colours that are usually cabs; Thais need their dose of colour and glitter in most everything!

The tuk tuk is another common feature on Bangkok roads. Very similar to the auto rickshaws found in this part of the world, they are only bigger and more fun to ride! Also, of course, they come in hues that can give their bigger counterparts, the cabs, some stiff competition! Tuk tuks are an easy way to travel to short distances, and it's only when you travel to other parts of Southeast Asia, namely, neighbouring Malaysia and Singapore that you realize how nominally priced the transport fares in Thailand really are!

Another popular mode of public transport in Bangkok is the Skytrain. Extremely viable, a day's pass lets you travel around the city, up until midnight! Comfortable and clean, Skytrains are surely a traveller's delight in Bangkok, what with many stations' exit doors leading right into a popular shopping mall, a delightful market, or some other place of commercial interest! Talk about leading the customer to right where you want her!

A Tale of Two Daredevils...

2008-01-11T10:08:00.000+01:00

...Okay, okay! One, a hesitant one... *phbbt*

Bangkok and Pattaya provided truckloads of opportunities, which, surprisingly, failed to let me not return home in one piece! :-D Quite a feat that, I tell you!!!

What with feeding a tiger and smiling as though it were a pussycat,

hurtling down a 180 ft high tower in 2 minutes,

parasailing and

jet skiing (unfortunately, no picture of this; we were busy trying to hold on and not go *splat* into the salty water!), I feel like quite an accomplished adventurer! :-D

Of course, I had to chicken out of something! Underwater sea walk; now, really! You expect me to survive all the way down under with just that bubble of oxygen!?! You've got to be kidding! In my defense, I did try going down, but my unfaithful ears created a ruckus and brought me right back on board! A did it, though, as is quite evident from the picture. I, on the other hand, went down in a submarine! Now that's more like it; a tank full of oxygen! Nope, no picture of the submarine either; I was still sulking over the apparent unfaithfulness of my ears and pluck!

First Look

2008-01-09T10:34:00.000+01:00

Thailand barely resembled what I imagined it to be! As I've been expressing time and again, ever since I've returned from there, Thailand is an amazing diversity of tradition and modernity! Our first destination was this very exotic land!

Bangkok airport, though not particularly spectacular (unlike Dubai), has its own unique identity. The airport itself offers a glimpse into the beautiful Buddhist temples and idols that Thailand is known for! The Thais love their king, and if our local guide is to be believed, unanimously so! She claimed that there may be other differences or problems between the locals, but the love for the king is a strong undercurrent that permeates their very existence! Going by the number of posters all over the country that depicted the king's picture, as also the numerous placards and the like hailing and celebrating the king, we had no reason to doubt her words! Though their king really has no power, the sway he holds over his country folk is to be seen to be believed! Truly heartwarming!

A quaint, quite unpleasant smell hovers over most places in Thailand. After a great many quizzical moments, we learnt that the smell was of fried garlic, which apparently is an important ingredient in almost all local dishes! I didn't think those tiny, white cloves could whip up such a stinky storm! It's also quite a difficult place for vegetarians to be stuck in, what with most of the food having some form of meat or the other, in them. Street food stalls serve almost everything imaginable! Some of the sea food, insects and the like made into satays may make the weak hearted turn squeamish!

Pattaya in Thailand is often considered to the 3rd sin city of the world, close behind Las Vegas and Amsterdam. One visit to Pattaya and we realized why exactly this was so! More on that later, though!

Memories of a Lifetime, Set in a New Dawn...

2008-01-08T11:32:00.000+01:00

It's the beginning of another year! Let me start by wishing the few readers who still frequent my blog, a wondrous and joyous year!

This year started for me and A with a big bang, literally, as up on one of the highest floors in Kuala Lumpur, we ushered in the new year under a brilliantly lit sky of fireworks and the like! The past year has been quite an eventful one for me! Not only did I get to travel extensively, a dream that is beginning to take fruition with satisfying speeds, but it also gave me the chance to visit exotic lands that I'd only heard of and always hoped to set foot in! Of course, the last trip spilled over to this shiny new year too, and I'm hoping that this year brings many more such expeditions my way!

The tour of Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore has left me craving for more! Although Singapore was almost uncannily similar to my expectations, Thailand proved to be the surprise package! I'm truly spellbound by this unique country, not to mention the diversity that is inherent in its very nature!!!

Singapore was clean and green, almost to a fault! Not that I can ever find fault with such cleanliness! It does falter in some places, but more on that later.

Malaysia somehow serves as an in between in my head! The one thing that comes to my mind when I think about it, is its sprawling expanse! Genting Highlands almost didn't feel like part of that expanse, it was more like a fantasy land, what with its theme parks and casinos, et al!

A good start has this year heralded, and my fingers are tightly crossed for the rest of it! Here's hoping it's as adventurous and exciting as the last!

P.S. Expect to hear/see a lot more about the trip in my forthcoming posts!

Holiday Wishes!!!

2007-12-24T10:51:00.000+01:00

After a hectic flurry of activity the last few days, I'm all set to leave for my vacation tonight!

So here's wishing you all a merry Christmas and a fantabulous New Year! I'll be back in about a couple weeks...

Hilarious!!!

2007-12-05T11:34:00.001+01:00

C'est magnifique!

2007-11-23T07:08:00.000+01:00

Your Inner European is French!

Smart and sophisticated. You have the best of everything - at least, *you* think so.

Who's" Your Inner European?

A Rhapsody

2007-11-21T06:26:00.000+01:00

A while back I read this quote that proclaimed how the funniest thing about life is that no one gets out of it alive! I read it, chuckled, and then chuckled some more! It has since become something I keep telling myself when things are not going all that great. In spite of the glaring truth in that quote, isn't it incredible how easily life twists us onto its littlest finger and twirls us around like nobody's business!?! Playing havoc with our emotions is just another day's job for the miracle that is life! Phases of elation, monotony and gloom may be a recurring feature in almost every person's life, but isn't the feeling of being happy after long periods of gloom, always a welcome and well-received phenomenon? No matter how adroit we be in handling despondencies, there's nothing like soaking up the first rays of sunshine after a dank few days!!! (Not the sunshine for me, though! Give me the cold weather and damp snow any time!) Anyway, going back to my metaphorical frame of mind, as welcome as the sunshine may be, there also lurks deep inside a sometimes unnecessary fear that before we know it, dark days may come upon us again and soon! What keeps us going, nevertheless, is hope and trust. Without these, each of us would have had to accept the biting cold as a companion of many precious days! Not that I mind it in its real, physical sense, but accepting it in its metaphorical guise is an altogether different ball game!!!
Intuition and premonition work in much a similar manner for me. They may portend joy or dismay, but what makes them bearable is hope. For, although we won't get out of life alive, we'll at least die satisfied.

Happy Children's Day!!!

2007-11-14T08:45:00.000+01:00

Every child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged of man.
- Rabindranath Tagore

Bygone Charms...

2007-11-07T09:37:00.000+01:00

With the festival of lights just waiting to burst upon us, a friend and I were talking about how different things were when we were kids. I lived in a highly secular locality in an entirely different part of the country, where all of us neighbours would get together and celebrate a good many of these festivals, whether it be Holi, Diwali, Eid, or Christmas! Each had its own charm for us. While during Holi, we got downright filthy and smeared with colours, with not an inch to spare, Eid saw us wolfing down countless sweetmeats! Christmas was when we knocked at each door in the neighbourhood, singing carols into the wee hours of the morning!
Diwali had us lighting diyas on each step of every stairway and in front of every house door! Although the usual share of noisy firecrackers was inevitable, what I loved most were the light emitting ones. A gazillion memories are attached to each of these lovely festivals, but what remains uppermost in my mind is the harrowing experience of one particular Diwali.
My sister was busy setting up little diyas all along the stairway of our apartment, when her dress caught fire from an adjoining lamp! Her friend spotted the disaster even before she herself felt the heat closing in on her. What her friend did next is something I can never forget. She beat down vigorously upon my sister's dress, dousing the flames as best she could with her bare hands! So determined and quick thinking was she that before any of the parents milling around could've realized what was happening and douse the flames with water, the brave girl had curtailed most of the damage! The sight of the two friends hugging and crying, one with a blistered hand, the other with a ragged dress, is a sight that I've associated with Diwali ever since! They don't make them like that anymore!

October...

2007-11-02T10:36:00.001+01:00

...was pretty long to be just one measly month!

Working Amidst Nature

2007-10-31T08:44:00.000+01:00

One thing that I missed writing about is the visit to A's workplace campus. It is a beautiful one, extremely spacious and environment friendly too! The couple of hours that visitors are allowed inside certainly do very little justice to absorbing the place in its entirety. One can easily spend quite a few hours just exploring every nook and crevice in the place. Yes, believe me, even the crevices are green and beautiful! :-)

Considering that the campus spans quite a large area, people can either opt to traverse it on foot or use one of the handy bicycles stationed at regular intervals. I must say I've not had so much fun riding a bicycle, in a very long time! Many of the office buildings also have their own, unique architectural styles. While one is modeled after the Louvre pyramid, many others are also opulent and grand in their own way! The campus boasts among other things, a serene pool, overhung with the branches of trees, as also a lovely bridge that has an old world feel about it. Numerous fountains and other nature inducing knick knacks also dot the place in considerable abundance. Equipped with almost every facility that can be desired, the campus is definitely an added impetus to go to work! Food options aplenty, bountiful nature, and lovely buildings; a real seamless blend of the manmade and the natural!

P for Patience

2007-10-26T12:01:00.000+02:00

Patience is a virtue,
Oft have I been told.
Lack in it, I plenty,
And seems I will, till old!

Waits becoming easier,
A dream so sickly sweet!
God, why this injustice,
A big P would’ve been neat!

Let alone a big, capital P,
Don’t even own a small half!
All my prayers for some Ps be,
As I do kneel, resting each calf!

On second thoughts, I’d rather,
You left me as jumpy as ever,
Considering you did make me so,
I’d doubt your intention never!

So, wait I shall, ever restlessly,
And when the time I do see,
Double the joy, will I beget,
All because of the lack of a P!

Good things...

2007-10-24T12:19:00.000+02:00

...come to those who wait?

Hello!

2007-10-22T10:09:00.000+02:00

My my! It has been a while since my last blog post! Apart from the fact that I've been downright lazy and procrastinating, the increased workload also did its bit to keep me from emerging out of my self-induced writer's block!
Other than being busy with work and our travel plans for the end of the year, I haven't been doing much. The weekend that went by, though, was an awfully good one! A brought a common friend over and we three had the time of our lives! We managed to cram in 2 movies, a super charged NFS game and a healthy, fun bout of dumb charades, into the 2 days! I must say it was the best game of dumb charades I've ever played! Thanks, friend; you know who you are!
I also suddenly remembered that I am yet to post pictures of our new place of abode. I will do that this week. I haven't been following blogs all that regularly too; I need to catch up on them all! I've been reading a lot, though; the current being one of the few Agatha Christie's I haven't read even once! Quite a find, that!
Hopefully, my silent phase is over for a long while and I'll be blogging as often as I was a fortnight back!

Solitary Confinement

2007-10-10T10:30:00.000+02:00

One of the things that has me up in arms almost every time I'm led to it, is eating alone. However, I've figured that more than the very act of eating itself, it's the cooking for the just one solitary person (me!) that really irritates me to no end! With A being out of town for another three and a half weeks, I have not much choice anyway! Cooking, although not one of my better known skills, is at least bearable, sometimes, fun even, when there is another mouth in the house to taste it! It's another story that the taste is usually nothing to write home about! At least, it lets me gloat over the fact that I was responsible for the feeding of one hungry mouth! *grin*

Now, all I've been doing for the past few days is to quickly whip up some mess that can barely pass off as edible food, and then hastily stuffing it down my throat! For a teeny tiny moment yesterday, I did feel like having one of those, well, okay, the only cake I've ever made, but that feeling quickly realized that it was at the wrong place at the wrong time, and quickly scuttled off again into the furthest and darkest recesses of my mind!

The little mug of noodles that only pleads for a cup of water to be boiled for the stringy strands to immerse themselves in, has been more than a staple diet for these last few days! I'm sure they don't consume so many of these noodle things even in noodleland! So much so that my excitement at spotting a favourite colour of the noodle packet after a good many days, is to be seen to be believed!

Okay, off with all of you who have company while eating your grub at home, while I go hoard on some more of those lovely red packets! *eyes glinting*

:-D :-D :-D

2007-10-08T12:37:00.000+02:00

Guess who's going here, here and here, this Christmas and New Year's Eve!!! I'm way too excited for my own good!

A Nap in Time Saves Eight!

2007-10-04T10:25:00.000+02:00

Intermittent conversations at my workplace today brought to mind how fraught with adventures our trip to the jungle home really was! To add to the fun element, we'd decided that we'd cover the journey of more than 5 hours, by travelling in the night. We hired a van and driver for the very purpose. Little did we know that the driver of the van really meant to give us the ride of our lives! After the eight of us had been picked up from our respective points and we were well about an hour and a half into the journey, we realized that the vehicle was not cruising along as smoothly as is expected! A glance in the rearview mirror confirmed our worst fears. The driver was sleepy as hell! After many bouts of insisting conversations, with us asking him to rest a while and him refusing, he finally relented and brought the vehicle to a stop outside a cafe. Leaving him to close his eyes for some time, the rest of us traipsed into the cafe, offering to get him some caffeine too, which he vehemently refused. After a good many quarters of an hour, we set off once again. The same rigmarole was repeated a second time! The spotting of droopy and steadily closing eyes on the rearview mirror, myriad shoves and taps on the driver's shoulders, unending refusals of cups of coffee; all giving the semblance of a déjà vu of sorts, with the man finally agreeing to have a cup of tea when it all happened for the third time!
Narrow misses were the order of the day (night?)! Phew! We missed ramming into that truck by an inch! Woah! Look out! There comes a median! Were we glad or what when the first rays of the sun finally broke through the dimly lit sky! Out we all trooped, bleary eyed and aching all over, all of which was forgotten the minute the misty and cold air hit us right on our faces! We spent a good many hours there, leaving the driver to catch his fill of sleep, wistfully hoping for a safe enough descent down the treacherous mountain pathways! Please don't remind me how we got up the mountainside in the first place, what with us battling hairpin bends, coupled with the man steering being unable to keep his eyes open for even a few seconds at a stretch! As A opined, the charging elephant seems so tame in comparison, nay!?!

Aviary

2007-10-01T11:33:00.000+02:00

On our way back, we stopped at Mysore to visit India's largest walk-through aviary. Various birds and small animals had a free run of the place, and they calmly strutted around, not caring two hoots about the many human feet walking around. It sure was a refreshing change to see our less privileged friends not confined to claustrophobia-inducing cages! Karanji lake also affords opportunities to go boating, with the aim of spotting various migratory birds. Ibises and cormorants were aplenty! The entire place spans a massive area, and we walked all around the lake, spotting many birds, butterflies and insects, in the bargain!

Adventures Galore!

2007-09-27T11:16:00.001+02:00

The jungle home was truly a delightful place to spend a couple of days in. Although the cottage we stayed in is nothing to write home about, we couldn't have asked for a better place, so close to nature! Ducks, hens, pigeons, turkeys, and the like, had a free run of the place, some even stopping to put their inquisitive beaks into our plates of food! There was a continuous cackle resonating around the whole place, with the bad tempered turkey letting out a horrible shriek quite occasionally!

Our first activity was a nice walk through some lovely fields, slipping and skidding on the slippery mud that made the narrow pathway. The intermittently falling rain, sometimes just a pitter patter, sometimes a torrent, made it all the more fun! After a long, winding path, we soon reached a wooden ladder leading to a wooden structure atop a tree, akin to a tree house. We all climbed up and settled down into the sheltered confines of that little resting place. With a steady rain falling, the place was idyllic in its setting. That's also where, I guess, a small, friendly gang of leeches decided to befriend a few lucky ones from our group of eight! As we'd made our way down the rickety ladder and set off on our way back, I noticed this little black fella, clinging on to the skin of my ankle with all the might it could muster, leaving me with no choice but to unceremoniously pluck it right off my poor, bleeding skin!

Next, we turned up all bright and chirpy to embark upon a safari. The drive through the jungle (in a van), was quite exciting, what with us spotting animals at regular intervals! Unfortunately, no big cats for me this time! Soon after the safari, we made our way to an elephant farm, where we saw a number of these big ones being given a nice scrub. To me it looked like their skin was being rubbed raw and ripped right off, but they sure did seem to enjoy it tremendously!

The highlight of the trip was most definitely the night safari. Done over the course of two hours or so, it was an experience in itself! Unfortunately, cameras are a big no no because the flash is an irritant to the animals, and we didn't want any angry animals on our trail now, did we!?! Not that it made any difference to appease one angry elephant, but more on that in the subsequent lines! As we moved through the dark forest with as minimal light and sound as possible, we spotted some beautiful deer, a majestic sambar, huge elephants, and a herd of humungous bison. We had one camera with us and we did manage to click a few snaps, but only of the mild mannered deer. However, it was truly a wonder to see the eyes of the animals shining in the dark! I've never seen anything like it ever before! We were travelling in a jeep and the driver (doubling up as the guide too) of the vehicle was quite careful not to tick off any of the animals we encountered. Nevertheless, we hadn't taken into account that the headlights of the jeep would choose just that opportune time of being inside a dark jungle, to stop working completely! With no choice left, we started to drive in the dark, our only sources of light being the moon when its light managed to get through the trees and the few torches that we'd carried! Before we knew it, we were almost face to face with a tusker! With it standing almost on the narrow road, the guide spotted its silhouette and brought the vehicle to a halt. The elephant was so close to us that he could have just tipped us right over with his giant of a trunk! We had all just finished admiring its beauty and the driver had just stealthily started the vehicle again, when the huge animal lumbered forward with a deafening trumpeting roar! Our hearts in our mouths, our jeep raced forward, with the tusker following us for a few feet. He soon gave up his chase as our jeep made way in the almost pitch darkness! It was truly an experience we'll never forget, the image definitely etched in our memories forever!

That's quite a long rant for a day! More on the trip later!

P.S. The night shots and the shot of the bird pecking the leftover food were taken by 2 of my friends.

First Look

2007-09-25T09:56:00.000+02:00

On our way to the jungle home, we stopped at this place that I can only describe as heavenly! Nestled atop a hill, the place is absolutely ethereal in its beauty! A small temple adorns the top of the hill, its gate looking almost like a passage to eternity! When we reached the place, there was a slight drizzle, coupled with a powerful and noisy wind. The wind almost drowned out our voices, while the air, thick and heavy with mist, made it almost impossible to see beyond a few yards! However, whenever the mist did clear for a few seconds at a time, the view that unfolded before our eyes was breathtaking, each time it happened! The slight drizzle soon turned into a lashing, cold rain! The even further drop in temperature just made the whole experience even more treasured! We were there for almost two hours, with no one wanting to leave such a place of pristine beauty!

P.S. Coming up next: Leech bites, a night safari, dysfunctional headlights, a tree house, lush, green fields, and the icing on the cake, an enraged elephant!

In the Wild...

2007-09-20T11:07:00.000+02:00

I'm off to a jungle lodge tonight, with a group of friends from work.
I should be back in a couple of days; of course, laden with stories and pictures!

Have a good weekend, all of you!

Play Along!

2007-09-17T10:48:00.000+02:00

I've been tagged by a friend to use the first letter of my name to answer each question given below.

For anyone wanting to play, here are the rules of the meme: All places, names, and the like must be real ones. One's own name cannot be used as the answer to any question.

1. Famous Singer: Pink
2. Four letter word: Pile
3. Street: Priory Lane
4. Color: Pink
5. Gifts/Presents: Pen
6. Vehicle: Peugeot
7. Things in Souvenir Shop: Penknives
8. Boy Name: Paul
9. Girl Name: Priti
10. Movie Title: Pearl Harbor
11. Drink: Pina Colada
12. Occupation: Poltergeist
13. Celebrity: Penélope Cruz
14. Magazine: People
15. U.S. City: Pittsburgh
16. Pro Sports: Pinball (:-D)
17. Fruit: Peach
18. Reason For Being Late To Work: Poltergeising *grin*
19. Something You Throw Away: Packets
20. Something You Shout: Please keep out of my room!
21. Cartoon Character: Popeye

My Time Is Not Your Time!

2007-09-13T08:26:00.000+02:00

What is it with time and other people not respecting it, unless it's their own?!? I mean, why give a time if you have absolutely no intention of keeping it? Of course, I understand that sometimes really urgent things may come up at the last minute, prompting a person to run late for an appointment. However, doesn't making an appointment also signify that nothing else will be allowed to take priority at the said time? Emergencies are a different ball game altogether and I'm not taking them into count here. What I'm harried about is people giving priorities to things that can be done after the appointment made previously has been kept! Also, not everything is an emergency! In fact, the only ones I can think of are situations threatening one's own or some else's life, or even job/relationship threatening situations. Most other things will not warrant a holocaust if not dealt with for a bit!

I guess meetings not starting on time and people not showing up on time when a rendezvous has been planned, are things that many people have started taking for granted. Not me, though. When I land up for an appointment bang on time, I expect the others to be on the dot too! I mean, what can ever explain my last house owner making me and my dad, a senior citizen, wait for his Highness to arrive, for almost an hour, and that too bearing a cheque that is rightfully mine?!? All this after having made an error on the previous cheque that he gave me, and the bank declaring in no uncertain terms that it will reject the cheque! The cheque was for the deposit that we had made when we'd moved in (it's a norm here), and the error he'd made was of not writing the amount clearly. When I'd pointed this out to A and he'd shown it to the house owner, the guy just promptly signed his initials above the error, claiming that that was sufficient! The bank, of course, refused to accept just the initials! After all this, he makes me wait for an hour before he lands up at the decided place with a new cheque! I don't swear, but if I did, here's what it'd look like: !@#$%^&*()

*grin*

I may be laughing (grinning?) it off now, but every time I'm made to wait because the other person is late for an appointment, I'm hopping mad! Is it too much to except people to be on time, especially considering it's often mutually decided upon, or even set by the other person?!?

Yay!

2007-09-10T11:43:00.000+02:00

So, we've moved! Yay, I'm happy! Somehow, the new place seems to exude more cheer, joy and warmth! Maybe it's just me, but I like the new place a whole lot better than the old one. Almost all the things have been unpacked, except a couple bags (but naturally, holding my clothes), for the contents of which, I need to conjure up some space first! *grin*

Of course, the normal travails of moving to a new place have already set in. The telephone and Internet are still awaiting connection, a talk with my parents (who came down to help with the shifting, et al) today has left me with a suspicion that the washing machine has decided to unceremoniously conk off at this very opportune time, as also some other scattered knick knacks need to be set straight. Oh well! All in good time! For now, it's just "yay, the moving part has been successfully accomplished!"

A New Beginning...

2007-09-07T11:07:00.000+02:00

Setting out again,
So beckons a new abode,
I have just a single prayer,
Of happiness, again,
Let there be an overload,
As I painstakingly build my lair!
Every corner, each nook,
Of full comfort, a haven,
Is what I fervently hope,
As prized as a precious book,
As treasured as a lovely raven,
With not a moment to mope!

Here's to a new start!

Back

2007-09-06T11:07:00.000+02:00

I'm back from weddings and wedding halls and a roomful of relatives, and of course, meeting some very dear friends. It's amazing how much has happened over the last few years. Weddings and moves to different cities/places galore, and now babies too! Anyway, of the two weddings that I attended, one, of course, was our very own Miss Iyer's sister's wedding. I'm sure she'll get down to posting about that, so I won't dwell too much on it right now. It'll suffice to say that all us friends had a rollicking time that day! The bride, of course, looked ravishing and completely blissful! Miss Iyer, do post some pictures!

It's moving day this Saturday. A will be here over the weekend (like I mentioned in a previous post, he's away for some 2 months, and I'd rather not talk about that).

I have quite a bit of mails and other stuff to catch up with, but I hope to get to regular blogging from tomorrow.

Have a nice day, folks!

Revival

2007-08-27T11:44:00.000+02:00

I feel like I'd almost dropped out of the blogosphere, and I must admit, I almost did. I don't think that after I've started blogging, I've ever gone without penning down my thoughts for as long as 13 days! Nah, not once! So what propelled it this time? A number of things, I guess; some really recent, some not so much; but most of which are my deepest thoughts/emotions that will never find a place here. Not that I'm in the habit of keeping a personal journal either. Anyway, after contemplating about doing away with this space, which I created almost a year back, I've finally decided against it. I realize that I need this space; if not for anything else, just to keep my thoughts in working order. Although many don't even find a spot here, this blog of mine keeps them churning in my head, keeps them alive to be savoured or devoured, if, by none else, then, by me, at the very least. Also, I've grown so fond of this virtual world that it'll be difficult to let it just dwindle off without a fair fight. So, write I will, and many more blog years at that! Amen!

I think I last left you all with news about my M.Phil thesis viva. Well, that went well, I think. I should know more in a few days time. It'll sure feel good to get that coveted degree at long last. Two of the three examiners who took my viva seemed pleased with my answers, with one nodding vigorously and agreeably at every possible moment. The third professor, though quite strict in demeanour, didn't seem too displeased either. My instinct says I will get through; only time will tell, though! In some other news, I'm taking a couple days off to attend a friend's and a cousin's weddings. Of course, A is also off to another city for 2 months, so it's back to my living alone days for a while. The moving to the new house is also right up on the agenda now and will be tackled as soon as I'm back from the overdose of weddings!

I'm glad I decided to post today; I feel more relaxed already!

August 15th, 2007

2007-08-14T11:04:00.000+02:00

Sixty years, long and winding,
Sixty years of freedom unbidden,
Sixty years of searching and finding,
Sixty years, has our nation ridden!

As at the stroke of dense midnight,
We leap forward into the sixty-first,
With haste, we do hope to set right,
As all our ills, through freedom, burst!

Independence, treasured like no else,
My compatriots, come one, come all,
As with national pride, up, our flag wells,
Hear ye, my Happy Independence Day call!

...And So Approaches the D-Day!!!

2007-08-13T10:33:00.000+02:00

This coming Saturday, I have been asked to show up at the University I'm doing my M.Phil from, for the discussion (viva) of the thesis that I submitted. I am quite nervous at the prospect of standing there in front of all those professors, answering the volley of questions that are sure to be thrown at me! Considering too that I learnt of this only a day back, doesn't really give me much time to prepare! Oh well! I'm just hoping I cross this last block, without any stumbles or mishaps! It won't be good to see all the hard work of more than 2 years go down the drain!

Wish me luck, guys!

Nomads on the Move Again!

2007-08-10T10:03:00.000+02:00

So, we're moving again. Yeah, ridiculous, isn't it?!? Our current house owner (we have an apartment on rent) suddenly decided last week that he'd like to move in to the house that he's rented out to us. All it took for him was one phone call to A and some disagreeable conversations with me (I'm not too good with the patience and being civil under all circumstances, et al!). I mean, come on, we'd just moved in some 3 months back! Is it really fair to make us go on a house hunting spree so soon!?! Anyway, as an afterthought, he did mention that we could move into the downstairs place if we wanted. Although that would have been simpler and easier, we were not too happy with the state of that apartment. We dilly dallied a lot between keeping it as the last option and just moving in there for a little while. Thankfully, as luck would have it, before we committed to moving in to that dingy place (:-D as I can now safely call it!), we chanced upon an even better apartment in our vicinity! I, for one, am quite thrilled to bits for stumbling upon it! It's a much nicer, prettier place. Also, adding on to the charm is that it is going to cost us lesser than what we are paying now!

So, we're moving again!!! Ain't so ridiculous now, is it!?! :-D

We move in to the new place early next month and you guys get to see more pictures! Pictures of two pretty houses in the span of four months! I think it's quite a nice deal! :-)