Meena's Space

Are Dreams a epitome of things to come?

2012-02-17T12:28:00.001+05:30

Yesterday Morn I woke up with these "butterflies in my tummy" ~~ A hangover from the early morn nightmares (yes plural)! Now they don really classify as a "nightmare" ~~ Cause they weren’t really "scary"! Each dream thou had a pattern thou ~~ Of a calamity (not a major one mind u) that is this close to happening but is averted at the last moment! N a repeat performance of this thru the night ensured that I woke up in not the best frame of my mind! But as the day dawned I got so involved in the routine that this thots were shoved away somewhere!

So why this post now? Cause well the dream jus played out in front of my eyes last night....... When I reached hom from office, the sight that greeted me was this huge beehive in our bedroom balcony! Now now this usually doesn’t hv my eye popping out... U c these guests make a appearance atleast once a year(Thanks to this well maintained garden opp our house ~~ courtesy the church convent) ! N the lazy bums we are, we jus let them thrive there until the watchman manages to get those bee hive hunters!

But today, with my mom around ~~ she got this crazy idea that the bee hive on our balcony is a a epitome of a unkempt house and so took this as a personal insult which had to be set right ASAP.

Now in hindsight, I wonder where did all our presence-of-mind disappear! The huubs n mom(ably guided by me) decided to spray "Hit" on the beehive ~~ Now imagine the chaos tht followed post tht! We had closed our doors and windows but v conveniently forgot that they can swarm the entire building soon ~~ thou thank heavens that the worst case scenario dint really play out ~~ the damage was v.v.minimal(Jus one person bitten ~~ I still dono how!) but the heartburn that ensued (for lack of presence-of-mind n the sight of the dead bees) did ensure that my smiley is still :( The topping on the cake should be the news of a young colleagues accidental death that hit me first thing in the morn!

Here is hoping that there is no repeat performance of this dream anytime!

Funnily enuf after all that fiasco, the only thing that bring a small smile back on my face was to see a new horde of bees coming back and building the hive all over again... Indeed a grim reminder that life does go on!

Epitome of Valentines Day....

2012-02-14T20:45:00.000+05:30

Cute isnt it :). Pic courtesy hubbs ofcourse

Here is wishing you all a happy valentines day ~~ Hv a good one!

Speaking of mine, wouldnt call it a "romantic" date but managed to hv a "couple" lunch post ages as against the hurried eat-on-the-run places!

Linking this to ABC Wednesday(E is for Epitome)

D-day....

2012-02-07T23:12:00.001+05:30

As the D-Day of engagment approaches....

Here is hoping that both of you are indeed made for each other(The tongue-in-cheek msg on the cake below is courtesy hubbs:))

Here is Hoping that both of you indeed remain mad for each other not jus today, Not jus tomo but each and every day of you life together.....

Here is hoping that you hv a gr8 life ahead Dearies!

Linking this to ABC Wednesday (D is for D-Day of ma dearies)......

A pic speaks a thousand words...

2012-02-04T00:02:00.001+05:30

.. Nee Nee this pic isnt abt more pics or abt ma hubs blog for tht matter! Go ahead, look at the below link n well u'll be a believer of the post title!

Sony World Photography awards @ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2095791/Sony-World-Photography-awards-shortlist-2012-provides-real-challenge-eye.html

TOI ad for their Launch at Kochi @ http://www.firstpost.com/photos/images-the-times-of-india-kerala-launch-simply-stunning-199894.html

Some mindblowing stuff huh!

Numero Uno!

2012-02-02T23:27:00.000+05:30

Small for sure but hey its a mention nonetheless ~~ Hopefully the first of many(anti-jinx!). If u read this 3+ page article in Hindu(Yea! I know its a boring paper, but read it jus for this once) and peer hard at the 6th para you will see a mention of ma most fav blog(yea! yea! Am known for me modesty) ~~ Pheno Menon's capturedalive :-D(Hubbs Photoblog) And if you are too lazy to go and read up that entire thing, here's a transcript of the same......

Another photoblog, Pheno Menon's capturedalive(http://capturedalive.wordpress.com/) is the result of a play of colours, starkness and succinct comments, and a sound investment in a DSLR.

And a post on a photoblog deserves a pic for sure rt.... Leaving you with the current fav of mine! Fav simply cause itc reminds me of a succulent piece of cheese.... lol, Am a foodie for sure.......

Linking this to thursday Challenge ~~ "ONE" (One of Anything, Unique, Standing Out, Special,...)

Cloud Watching!

2012-02-01T08:58:00.000+05:30

Cloud Watching ~~ Ho yes u read tht rt! N, no I dint mean sky watching ~~ 'Cloud Watching' is a v distinct, different hobby from 'Sky Watching'. Read on to know how I hit upon this pastime.........

When I was a child I firmly believed that people who die look down at us from the sky camouflaged as clouds ~~ courtesy my grandmother \my father(was it a ploy on their part to get us to shut our mouths for a while!). So there I was ~~ accompanied by ma sis ~~ up on the terrace trying to figure out as many shapes as we could. N discover shapes we did ~~ from people to animals to birds to dragons(ho yes!) to well u name it........ Lol!!

This is a habit that still catches me unawares ~~ So next time u c somebody peering closely at the morn sky nee the clouds, u know its yours truly :).

Look at this pic n c'mon put on ur thinking hats n start fishing out 'figures' in there....

I c a mouth-wide-open tortoise, A big fat cat, A crocodile, A fish, A lizard..........

Linking this to ABC Wednesdays(C is for Cloud), Wordless Wednesday

Life, Thoosi gr8 ho!

2012-01-27T21:31:00.000+05:30

Have you wonder how many a time, life brings along circumstances where u hv no option but to accept(nee make it embrace) the very situations ( n people) that you have always dreaded n would hv loved to avoid!

Life, Thoosi gr8 ho!

@ Beach...

2012-01-24T23:01:00.000+05:30

.... in Fort Kochi, this is common sight taht will greet you ~~ Chinese fishnets!

Click courtesy Hubbs!

You can read about what n whys of Chinese fishnets here...... Take my words for it, its indeed a sight to watch them in action!

Linking this to ABC Wednesday(B is for Beach)

A is for....

2012-01-17T22:36:00.001+05:30

....Ammu my little niece! A is for Aunt! N 'A' the herald(er) of alphabets is in a way symbolic of New beginnings

So will kickstart posting this year with a pic that captures the little Ammu with her not-so-litt-anymore-aunt(:-p). The smile that u see in these face is courtesy the the new beginnings.... A new year, A new facet of life.......

N speaking of Ammu, here ARE new names that we hv christened ourselves with ~~ Bagunda(BAda GUnda** ~~ yoursTruly) and ChoGunda(CHOta GUNda** ~~ Ammu)! U see one area that peop cant blame us abt is lack of self realization.... he he he!

** Gunda - A hindi word that means Brat; Bada - Hindi word for Big; chota - Hindi word for small; So in effect our chose names are "Big Brat" and "Small brat" :-D

Linking this to ABC Wednesdays(Letter A)!

2012 - Here we come!

2012-01-05T16:42:00.000+05:30

5 days into the new year n thou I have this itch to blog, for some reason no post is getting materialized. So will leave you with the pic thats my current desktop background

Pic courtesy hubbs ofcourse. In his own words "I wanted to try out an “out of bound” post processing technique wherean ordinary Yellow flower photo could b transformed into a 3D kind ofeffect and hence the result that you see above. My aim was to create aneffect of the flower coming out of the frame."

Here is hoping that ala this flower which seems to be sprouting out of nothing you hv a gr8 year filled with pleasant surprises n good times :) So 2012 here we come...

2011 - A review!!

2011-12-22T00:33:00.000+05:30

When 2011 came ringing in, I had recorded my wish list here... Today almost at the fag end of the year lets see where it stands!

For starters I hv hardly achieved any in the list.... But well its 2011 and well the number "4" has to bring something in its wake(read up the post to know why)....

So Indeed as I said, 2011 thou dint see me doing a "tick" on any of the items in my wish-list what it instead did was set the machine for the wish list in action... Be it ma sis marriage or ma good news! Now if u ask me thts like more than 60% job done.

N jus so that its indeed recorded ~~ 2011 is the year that saw the item that topped my wish-list for four years come true(no qs plz) and now thts saying something rt :) Of course the xtra time I I got to spend with ma mom-sis was the unexpected bonanza!

Heres hoping that 2012 sees us taking all these things into their logical- happy ending ~~ Fingers crossed! As I type this, I realize that its a BIG ask and me hopes that things jus fall in place.

To a gr8 person.......

2011-12-12T03:00:00.000+05:30

Look closely at this n lemme what do you see? Two kids from a rural setup on the way to school? rural empowerment? Right to education? Look more closely do you observe anything else??

Look more closely... Do u notice that only the boy has shoes in his leg while the gal is bare-footed! Imagine walking on the village roads(translates to next-to-nothing) on bare foot :-/.

BTW neither did I notice this until it was pointed out by my FIL... speaks something of the person rt :). Its jus topping on the cake, tht he is a big time advocate of gals ... I tell yea its soopa fun to hv mock fights with ma MIL N her son when I hv him on ma side... lol!

But of course a person like this does deserve a space esp on his bday(Dec 8) here rt..... Join me as I wish him a gr8 year ahead......

Linking this to Color Dekors......

Favouritism!

2011-12-10T22:42:00.001+05:30

Pic Courtesy: StarPlus!

Well u always knew tht Favouritism is a bad thing rt! But did you know tht when you start showing "favouritism", it always keeps you on the edge n neva lets u sit back n relax! Possibly jus common sense rt.... You wan your fav team to win n not the "May the best team win"!

So why this spl note on favouritism? Cause the above point jus drove into my mind in last few days.. Its transpires something like this..

I hv been for last few weeks a regular fixture in front on TV when "Master Chef India" gets telecasted (Na na not cause of cooking.. But looking at well laid food is orgy in itself :)). Now in this season among the team of contestants my fav was one Mr. Puneeth ~~ if u hv been following this you'll agree that he isnt really the best of the lot there. But but possibly cause he was this rolly-polly uncle who seemed almost helpless ~~ Something in me rooted fro him(somewhere he reminds me of my daddy :-/). So each episode was more about "Will Puneeth get eliminated" than anything else!

But today post his elimination, for the first time I got to sit back, relax n enjoy the episode and see the best team win :)

The power Of Udhi...

2011-12-06T15:28:00.001+05:30

Well the power apart, jus realized that it could be a great beauty accessory(wink)... don belive me? Here hv a look......

Clicked at Mylapore Temple in Chennai....

Udhi is yet another term for Bhasma\Vibuthi ~~ The sacred ash used in religious worship in Hinduism.... You can read more about it here

Linking this to ABC Wednesday (U is for Udhi)

The joy of Doing nothing.....

2011-12-06T11:35:00.000+05:30

Hv u eva been on a vacation n felt bogged down with the "to-do" list in the place... I know I am a culprit there! Given this, when peop suggested a hill station which is a stones throw away from B'lore with a promise of "Doing nothing" it seemed promising. So "Yelagiri Hills" it was.....

But but calling it a "Hill station" may really be a exaggeration.. Its jus a wee bit cooler than blore but yeap a welcome relief from sultry Chennai!

Second, The possibility of any recreation activity there is next to zero. The only strenuous thing(or rather the only thing) u can abt do is go for a trek up the Swami Malai (The trek is indeed easy, coming from somebody who is nimble footed like me ~~ Its saying something) ! The other v dubious attraction of "Nature Park" is well avoided! The lake there? Hmmm good for a stroll but nothing To write home abt!

Hmm now I know that its not alays the "tourist attractions" that hv people flocking to a hill station... But each place has a USP ~~ Solitude, nature, weather ~~ Yelagiri jus doesn seem to score v great in any of these depts.....

So ma suggestion there if u visiting the place, Choose a hotel where u hv some foliage to stroll around cause tht may turnout to be the only source of entertainment (apart from the swami malai trek)!

Now Now looks like I hv painted a v sad pic of the place! Its still a place you could do a quick get-away to escape the hustle n bustle of the city, to jus sit back n relax as well even if u chose otherwise the "to-do" list in the place is next to nothing :-D. I am told thou that during some months this place is a haven for para gliding.......

You cans see the other images from yelagiri here

Linking this to My World

Portraits Of India!

2011-12-05T21:12:00.001+05:30

That was the exhibition where ma hubs pic was selected n displayed.... A moment to be proud of rt :) The proudest thou seemed his 85+ year old grand ma who despite her age manged to climb up all those stairs to hv a glimpse of her grandsons first exhibition :). N thn had a passer-by read out the entire caption accompanying the pic....

Pouring over her grandsons pic printed in the book released to mark the occasion!

BTW u know whats the wish tht is rt at the top of her wish list now... No not jus to hv a glimpse of her rolu-polu great grandson(!) but hv that news be flashed on every other news channel ala Abh--Ashs child.... LOL!

Now back to the exhibition, it truly captured the "Portraits of India"..... from Leh to Up, From Rajasthan to Maharashtra, from Karnataka to Chennai, from Pondi to Kerala.... From apple-of-the-eyes to orphans, from old men left on the streets to doting grandparents...From Farmers to Tea Masters, From drama artit to Fisherman, From Priest to Naked Nagas, From fortune teller to anti-poachers.... From Kathak to bhartanatyam, from Kathakali to Yakshgana...... From Sindhoor Khela to Pongal... From Namaaz to Sandhya Vandanam.... Truly it was a riot of colors that captured the spirit of India!

Linking this to Color Deckors Weekend Wrapup!

UpCountry Tea!

2011-11-30T12:44:00.001+05:30

@ One of the many tea factories in Nuwara Eliya.

Possibly cause Nuwara Eliya is located at a height ~~ on a hill station ~~ they call it "Up Country". And the "Up Country Tea" u bet is the best seller in Srilanka! If you ask me, for the Indian palette the upcountry black tea is a safer bet. Their regular milk-tea jus doesnt hv our "Kick" ~~ Can be a litt too mild for our taste!

But indeed What more can one ask for when you get the air of the mountains and a chance to taste lovely unblended black tea. Its a combination to live for (or die for?? ) :)

Linking this to ABC Wednesday(T is for Tea)

Ha n with this I succesfuly finish the NaBloPoMo... Indeed it was maddening this time esp with the crazy schedule at office... Glad I finished it thou :)

Ice Ice Baby!

2011-11-29T23:08:00.000+05:30

The first time you sit in front of a fire place not cause its fancy but cause you are chilled to the bone ~~ Now thts a memory you'll treasure for your life.....

Possibly the only reason why NuwaraEliya and more Importantly Binota Residency will remain special (We figured out later that its not NuwaraEliya which is chilling cold ~~ This hotel we staying in is so positioned that it gets hit by the cold mountain wind n tht explains the freezing temp there!). N ofcourse for ma hubba ~~ no hol is comp if theres no hill station in the iternary!

Linking this to our world

Sizzling....

2011-11-28T09:00:00.000+05:30

... Sizzling 5 years tht I met ma hubbs!

To be noted tht its not yet 5 years of marriage but the day marks 5 years of the 'Bride-Seeing' Ceremony.... You can read my 'Jab We Met' story here. Doesnt it seem a non-consequential day to be remembered n celebrated! But if you ask me... It was this day (22nd of November) 5 years ago tht kickstarted this new phase of my life :). A day to be treasured rt........... N wht betta way to celebrate a 'Sizzling' life than with a 'Sizzler'

@ Kobe in Koramangala - This place gets a Thumbs-Up from my side! Almost lip-smacking!!!

Linking this to Color Deckors.......

Aye Captian!

2011-11-27T22:30:00.001+05:30

Almost every other day we met somebody ~at work, among frnds, among colleagues who are well jus toooo big for their shoes n this invariably when they must be jus a step or two above you in the value-chain!

But then you meet somebody, who defines what "Humility" means ~~ Somebody at work whose style of operation can be described only as ~~ "Underplay"! So here hes been working with a minion in the value-chain for the past few weeks (yours truly) and me in my ignorance have been treating him jus as one would yet another peer. Its only by chance that I learn that he is right there at the top in the value chain and all I could do was "Gulp" with surprise at his humility, humbleness!

The topping on the cake thou should be his story of "How I met my Life partner" ~~ Not publishing it here as well its his story to tell....

Somebody, who you would truly want to bow down to and say "Aye Captain" ~~ Its not everyday that you meet a true blue gentleman! Aye Captain!

Happy Bday.....

2011-11-27T18:30:00.001+05:30

Sax! Ho yeap the same Sabina Zacharias who keeps popping in v frequently into this blog! Well if you go here and read, you will know tht she is goodness personified. But well well, if u think shes this Miss. Goody-two-shoes, you couldn't be more wronger. Sample her latest FB msg to know what am speaking....

May those who love us love us,

and those who do not love us,

may God turn their hearts,

and if He cannot turn their hearts

may He turn their ankles

that we may know them by their limping ;)))))

She can be this imp and well I guess its tht mixture which makes her this perfectly lovable n interesting person :). Heres hoping tht this year, she ends up finding the much-awaited professional happiness in her life..... Something which as she keeps saying is "More Than A Job".... This I believe will be the elixir to all her maladies!

Leaving u with the cake tht we baked(ho yes! More of it later thou) to mark the occasion.....

Book Review: Resident Dormitus!

2011-11-26T20:48:00.001+05:30

Pic courtesy: Google.

This book came in via Blog Adda's Book review program! Even before I start the review, I should tell u the first thing tht stuck me about this book is the intro of the author on back cover, a part of which read something like this "He has random obsessions which include dropping one-liners, missing deadlines, and an unhealthy emotional attachment to his slippers". Lol! Esp as the first and the last bit reminded of ma hubbs. Ma hubs n his shoes deserve a post in themselves :)

So back to the review, Frankly, I flipped thru the first few pages jus cause I had to do this review. The book started off jus as yet another of those boring chiklits ~~ couple of disillusioned boys straight out of college n well u can guess the rest of the plot.

But am happy that I dint give up reading it at tht instant...... The way the book took a shape slowly but steadily was indeep a pleasant surprise! A surprising mix of "chiklit" with a v healthy dose of "Gyaan"(The variety tht really doesnt breath down ur neck). It indeed comes as a whiff of fresh air to meet characters who are from larger-than-life but by design n sometimes by chance reach their goals in life...... As a afterthought, this book thou seem to be skimming on the surface does in reality makes u pause n think twice. Here is a piece that you would want to sample to ow what am talking:

"You Know why we construct these walls around our homes" Achet(the hero in the book) is asked by his father. "To Keep unwanted elements at bay" answers Achet trying to humour his father. But of course the father has the final word - "And to keep the desired elements within. The trick is to know which is which" - simple lines but thot provoking rt!

Thou to be fair, I wouldnt still rate it as "Must Read" ~~ But if this is somebody’s first attempt at writing, then trust my words, he is author to watch out for!

Book: Resident Dormitus
Author: Vikas Rathi (Yet another IIM Suspect)
Rating - 7\10.

This review is a part of Blog Adda ~~ Book review program! If u ask me, its quite a innovative way to market ur books ~~ reaches the audience without spending a bomb on marketing! Thank You BlogAdda :)

PS: Edited to add this bit this bit tht remained with me even a good week post reading this book ~~ a desc of the IT Crowd. As the author says "The IT crowd can roughly be divided into three groups. The first group consisted of those who were new in their jobs. They thought were smart, except they were not ~~ They were a lethal combination of arrogance and absurdity. The second group consisted of those who had been around for a while. They were either sufficiently numbed or were smart enuf to realize that the minuscule impact they could make on any project. The third group consisted of a minority of employees who had been doing very well, in line with their ambitions. They took every meeting as an opportunity to show how smart they were" ... LOl! A good one rt... no prizes for guessing which group I belong to......

Reflections!

2011-11-25T23:53:00.001+05:30

A click By hubs! Captured here for the simplicity yet the elegance tht only nature can eva personify...

The KodiMaram has a Story to Tell tooo......

2011-11-24T21:57:00.001+05:30

If u from certain parts of India(esp south), you will realize tht the pic in here is tht of a Kodimaram - you can read about it and it s significance in a temple here.

But whats interesting abt the pic here is tht it wasnt clicked at a temple but instead at a church. Here's is a closeup of the pole-mast!.

This I guess must be the influence of the local culture and people on the church! Clicked in a small nondescript town in kerala!

Linked to SWF

One God ~ One Religion!

2011-11-23T14:27:00.001+05:30

This is a pic tht adorned (in the theme at least if not a exact replica), not a political office not a govt office but across the walls of bakeries, travel offices, shops and even on the glass panels of public transport in a small town tucked somewhere in the heart of Kerala. A point to note is that these areas are the ones where typically riots regularly break out in name of religion! Kudos to them!!!!

Linking this to ABC Wednesay(S is for sacred), wordless wednesday

The Stories a Tomb says...

2011-11-22T20:24:00.001+05:30

Clicked at a church in Kerala. Jus look at the date of Death in the first few entries to know why this tomb deserves a click....

Linked to MyWorld

The wedding Scene....

2011-11-21T22:26:00.001+05:30

A typical marriage (esp if its a arranged marr) will hv a bashful groom n a shy-n-demure bride ...... But times change; Today's bride is a confident and self-assured gal ready to take life heads-on ~~ No more walking down the aisle clinging to her father with her "Head Bowed Down" ~~ Today she walks in proudly with her head held high and will welcome you with a bright smile, firm handshake n a warm hug!! As for he groom ~~ He's the one with butterflies in his tummy :). This BTW is no fictional description... its straight-off from the wedding we were off to attend this weekend!

Here's wishing this lovely couple a v happy Married Life......

N speaking of the groom ~~ Hes been more of my virtual friend than a real one ~~ strictly speaking this must be one of the first instances we are really "Meeting"! Jus so that its on records, neither of us are known for our "social" skills ~~ So much so that Mr.Groom is almost famous as the "Loner"! But today as I settle back into the hustle-bustle of daily life, it strikes me that at no point over the weekend, did I feel the usual awkwardness of meeting a person for the first time ~~ Not to say that we were speaking eighteen to a dozen but there was none of ths usual "When DoeS this Get Over" Moments" ~~ It was almost as if hes been somebody I hv known for few years now....

Linking this to ColorDeckors weekly stories...

Cause am way this weekend....

2011-11-20T10:21:00.002+05:30

In this space, you must hv seen book reviews, hotel reviews, restaurant reviews but one thing if you realized tht I hv rarely posted on is movies... for simple reason tht I don enjoy them as much as food\books\travel.

But cause am away for the weekend with no Internet access(thank god!) and cause I have to schedule a post in next few mins(thnx to Nablopomo) n cause I cant come up with any other viable post here's a movie that I saw in recent times which I think deserves a mention.....

The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn. It was possibly the well taken graphics n the 3D effects tht added to the lure. Mind you, this is from somebody who is a self confessed critic of cartoons.. Have never been a fan of the mindless cartoons except say Nancy, Calvin n Hobbes, Dennis the Menace which if you ask me is more 'real to life'... Must be the the very grounded taurean in me speaking!.

Junior Bachans Girl Can be Named...

2011-11-19T10:08:00.001+05:30

... 'Phoenix' coz she is rising from Ash... :)))

Courtesy Hubbs!

Book Review: To kill a Mocking Bird

2011-11-18T12:07:00.001+05:30

My rating on the book - Full 5 stars!

This was one book tht was lying around at home for ages - I dismissed it as yet another of those hi-funda book tht ma hubbs devours! But its a book that once you pick up you jus cannot put it down ~~ Not one of those breezy reads thou. This is book tht has to be savoured slowly - page by page. N before you know the country side and the lives of inhabitants there has grown on you. Truly its a book about growing up ~ About making peace with decisions that you make for your conscience thou they may be the most unpopular idea in the society!

A must read is my verdict!

Books... Very Old Books :)

2011-11-17T22:50:00.001+05:30

Theme of the Week:

"BOOKS" (Very Old Books, Library, Electronic Books, Piles of Books,...)

When the topic of week said books, my mind was swarmed with images of... what else but books, books n books! It seemed a diff choice to pick up one or two. N then there in the corner I saw these books. Look closely....

These are the books of ma hubbs from his school boy days v longingly n painstakingly preserved by ma FIL in the fond hope tht it will be passed onto his grandchild :) A v personal family heirloom wont u say.....

@Niligiris

2011-11-16T14:37:00.001+05:30

A click from the Ooty Toy train ~ Yeap the same tht every tourist who steps into Ooty has to by default hop onto!

Heres my one dollar worth suggestion if you planning to ~~ Make sure you hit the place before the crowd starts pouring in if you intend to enjoy the ride! Else its gona be one big fight to even get onto the train which takes me to the most imp pre-requisite for this trip. Get a ticket for the first class ~~ the extra peanuts u shell out for it is more than worth the money simply cause the seats are reserved here! So if you don manage to get tickets for it in the first shot(The no. of seats on first class if I remember it rt is a little10!) , don worry jus hang in there for the next round-trip!

The next one dollar tip ~ ooty is no place to go for a one day hurried trip! N if u intend to stay over, you will want to book a place far away from the milling crowd cause on any holiday Ooty is so swarmed that you will get claustrophobic(No kidding)~ I hv been told tht Coonor is a betta bet!

Linking this to ABC Wednesday(R is for Railways - Niligiri Railways) n wordless wednesday

Cakes for you...

2011-11-15T17:30:00.001+05:30

Can U guess whats the topping on this pic?

...

here take a closer look

Any luck? Lemme give u a hint.......This is a click from the small cake I got to celebrate ma litt sis(not so litt anymore!) convocation as she finished her MS (Gulp! Gulp!)........

Still no bells ringing? The topping on tht is supposed to resemble the convocation hat... something like this!

U will not believe as to how non imaginative the people working in these so called top-rung eateries can be.... This one was dished out from Cakewala @ Koramangala in B'lore! I (yea, go ahead roll ur eyes) had to tell them how to get tht topping together....

While am still not happy with what they conjured up, it did serve the purpose of pulling together a small nice surprise for ma sis..... Her expression when she was caught clueless on this was priceless :). At the end of the day thts all matters rt......

Linking this to Color Deckors - weekly stories....

PS: I luv the visual appeal these pics add to the post :)

Monday Blues..

2011-11-14T20:14:00.001+05:30

... Well they jus dissapear the moment u land at office. N if u thinking its cause I enjoy ma work n so dono what it means... Ha all I will say is "I Wish!".

The answer is that on an odd day like this I don seem to hv even a min to breathe :(. Heres hoping tht these workaholic days don arrive too often for my convenience!

Thoosi Gr8 Ho!

2011-11-13T19:08:00.001+05:30

This story am relating is well no story but what actually happened on our trip to Hogganekkal.....

As I said it was a rainy day n in attendance were ma hubbs, sis n ma frnd! Now ma mom isnt v agile for her age. Despite that with with all our coaxing she did hop onto the coracle n was indeed wowed by the sight of waterfalls! But the unrelenting rain n the sight of gushing waters had her lose her courage soon...... This landed us all in a true dilemma! Leaving amma alone wasnt an option as the round trip can take a couple of hrs(thou she was more than game for it!) ..... so the million dollar question was who would say back with her....

There stepped in am eva generous frnd who with no fuss offered to give my mom company giving all of us the chance to hv fun for next few hrs....... Given tht shes been to this place once but still the v selfless act of hers is worth a bow rt.....

N this frnd for those who know her is Sabina Zacharias! ... You do drive me up the wall, but its these small acts of urs that continue to surprise me(on afterthought in most cases)

Book Review: Arranged Marriage

2011-11-12T23:10:00.001+05:30

My constant grouse wheneva I read short stories is the fact that the characters arent really fully developed! They seem to end jus as they begin n so u rarely get lost in them... U know what am talking of don u!

But one book tht broke this opinion was "Arranged Marriage" by Chitra Divakarunni! This book has chronicled the chemistry of Indian Marriages like no other...

Hats off to you Chitra Divarakunni! Like I said here you are indeed a amazing writer!

PS: Another book of hers that came in highly recommended was "Mistress of spices" ~~ yeap it dint disappoint but "Palace Of Illusions" and then "Arranged marriage" win hands down if you ask me!

@Vengurla...

2011-11-11T01:00:00.000+05:30

Clicked at Vengurla in Maharashtra, India. This stretch of beaches should definitely classify as 'Undisovered Gems of India'.... The beach is clean, wide n v sparsely crowded.... U cant ask for anything more from a beach can u!

Dint get a chance to stay over last time we were there, but theres a MTDC resort right on the beach which am told doesnt really burn a hole in your pocket! Definitely something in my "to-so" list in near
\distant future!

Linking this to friday skies...

@ Sita Eliya!

2011-11-10T01:00:00.000+05:30

Pic clicked @ Sita Eliya in Nuwara Eliya, Srilanka . Theres' this temple there, which they claim is where Sita was kept imprisoned. And as the story goes, Hanuman lands there to save her and thts the huge footsteps you see in the Left side of the pic! At a distance from the temple theres this huge boulder which when viewed from a side resembles Hanumans face ~~ A fable possibly ~~ Look at the pic n decide for yourself....

Linking this to thursday challenge - HARD (Rock, Ice, Brick, Steel, Cement,...)

The quintessential Indian Meal....

2011-11-09T08:02:00.000+05:30

... is Never complete without a dash of Green chilli, onion smeared with salt n pepper!

N yes there are connoisseurs of good food who swear by this... Ma hubbs being one point in case!

Linking this to ABC Wednesdays (Q is for quintessential )

Hogenakkal ~~ A rainy Affair!

2011-11-08T21:19:00.000+05:30

Imagine sailing in a coracle in a valley ~~ A valley of waterfalls ~~ as you are sprayed with the jetting water from all sides.....

Will let the pics to do more talking......

All these pics were shot @ Hogganekkal!, a few hrs drive from Bangalore

The day I stepped out for this trip it was raining cats n dogs n the downpour jus seemed to increase as the time went by... So much so that we had to stop the coracle in between n use it as a shelter! But on afterthought, the rain proved a blessing in disguise..... No scorching sun (N this place is famed for the heat that can make u go grrr) n more importantly no crowd (Jus a handful of coracles were out tht day as against the 100s tht usually frequent this place)!

The best part of this trip? Hot piping fresh fish fried on the river side... Imagine devouring this as u step out soaking wet :)

Linking this to Myworld tuesday

title n the coracle pic is courtesy sabina zacarias!

Kaash Ye Halwa Hotha!

2011-11-07T17:14:00.001+05:30

If you been reading this space, you know tht am foodie. But me in kitchen, now thts a sure shot recipe for disaster :). Tthankfully I hv a sis who as siblings are meant to boosts up my morale ... she almost makes me feel as if am a pro at kitchen.. lol! Now am sure you need no explanations of how gr8 her culinary skills are!!!!!!

Given all this, a dessert she dished out by her(Her First I should add) surely deserves a entry here rt.... So heres presenting to you the sumptuous 'Kasi Halwa'

Do not go by its 'dubious' looks. It was finger-licking yummmm!

The best part of it is its recipe... Custome made for any novice!

Grate a white pumpkin and roast it in ghee till it seems to change colors (Which means standing near the gas-stove for a good 15-20 mins!)
Now add sugar to it until it dissolves (More hard work! ANother 15 mins! Nobody said making sweets is no-sweat!)
N abracadabra! Ur Halwa is ready! Go ahead n garnish it with cashews, dry grapes, pista......

PS: The title is courtesy hubbs, who went chanting 'Kaash Ye Halwa Hotha!' from the time the pumpkins were bought.. LOL!

Linking this to Color Deckors.....

When in Bangalore...

2011-11-06T17:16:00.002+05:30

... Make sure you drop in at The Selct BookShop @ Brigade Road. Not as this is a one stop shop for all your books - actually the books there seem all scattered with absolutely no order - but simply cause its a experience in itself!

Forget air conditioned, this place is so cramped with books that you jus hv about enuf place to sit around n browse the books. The best surprise thou lies in meeting the shop owner ~~ A gentleman in his 70s(80s) ~~ his love for books so comes thru! Its not everyday that you meet a man who runs a bookshop not for a profit but well for the passion that he has for books!

Its jus a added bonus that you may end up finding a rare and almost out-of-print books!

Book Review - Dork

2011-11-05T07:30:00.000+05:30

One line review ~~ Yet another Chicklit novel, Not worth a read!

The Blushing Bride

2011-11-04T14:08:00.000+05:30

Clicked at BasicHalli, an outdoor kind of retreat near Kanakapura, Karnataka about 70 kms from Bangalore. The name BasicHalli literally means Basic Halli(Village). Go here to read more abt the place....

The pic n title is courtesy mister hubbs....

Linking it to Skywatch Friday

Creative - Handicap!

2011-11-03T11:34:00.003+05:30

I dono if I mentioned this before... I cant for the life of me paint, draw - even a straight line, sing the simplest tune, Dance the easiest steps.... I always wonder if this is cause of some kinda 'Handicap'... Jus like dyslexia was undiscovered for quite a log time, am I suffering from some conditions that yet to be discovered :)
So I look up with aaw (n a bit of J i should add) at anybody who can sing, dance or paint! So next time you see this lady gawking open mouthed at a child dancing away, you know who it is!

The only minute creative(if I may call it that) streak tht I hv displayed till date is been in drawing out flower rangolis (they arent a eye sore at least!) of course with more than a generous help from ma sis. Now doesnt tht explain why u saw a flower rangoli not jus for Onam but again for Diwali... lol!

Linking this to Thursday Challenge - "CREATIVE" (Fine Arts, Crafts, Engineering, Music, Clothing,...)

Portraits Of India

2011-11-02T14:18:00.001+05:30

Heres a click by ma hubbs tht was recently picked as one of the winning entries in "Portraits Of India" :) . You can look up the other winning entries here...

Did you observe a common theme running thru these pics... Atleast one out of three seems to be on poverty or old people! I wonder why? ??

Not jus in photos, the dominant theme in books, paintings are more often than not on 'Melanchoy'... Wonder why? Why this preference to romance the sadder aspects of life.... Is it what we as readers, onlookers lap up or is it jus the "I'm Not OK, You're OK" syndrome!

Linking this to ABC Wednesdays ( P is for Portraits Of India)... BTW the intro for 'P' is done by Mr. Hubbs (ala Pheno) himself :)

PS: These pics will supposedly be displayed in an exhibition at Chennai... Cant wait for ma hubbs 'first exhibition' :-D

Edited to add: One of the comments I recieved, so v summarized the issue, " It would be wrong to ignore poverty but in a country with so much to celebrate it's a shame it was emphasised so much."

Buddha and Buddhism!

2011-11-01T23:13:00.000+05:30

When somebody asks me hows Sri Lanka, My ans invariably is tht its v much like kerala except for the inherent differences that Buddhism has infused..... Buddhism there is a way of life jus as Hinduism is in India! Hers a pictorial walk thru of the diff Buddhist temples tht we hopped into....

The Most Famous Buddhist Temple inb whole of Srilanka - The tooth Temple, Kandy

Then we reach the ancient Buddhist city ~~ The Dambulla temple which is almost prehistoric.. being built somewhere in the early BCs.... The finesse of the work is worth marvelling at.....

Heres a closeup shot of the sole of the recling buddha ~~ I wish I knew what the figures in there signify....

Signing off with the Buddha that I picked up for ma home when in Srilanka :)

Heres a suggestion for you if you intend to go buddha-shopping in Srilanka ~~ The best bets are the buddhsit centeres or Laksala by Srilanka Handicrafts board

Linking this upto Myworld tuesday and with this I kickstart NaBloPoMo for noevember ... Imagine 500+ bloggers from across the world bloggin everyday for month... wow huh!

Diwali 2011....

2011-10-31T15:55:00.003+05:30

Having exhausted all the 'Lighting up' decor ideas last year, me decided to zero on a 'Flower-Diya' rangoli this time... Easy on time n eyes as well esp with ma sis visiting! I could easily outsource the design picking n color co-ordination to her and with the hubbs around, I know there are some fab pics guaranteed :).At times, I believe, that the pics look much betta than the actual subjects.. This is a perfect point in case ... lol!

The diya tht you See in the middle is the latest addition to our diya collection. You can see a closeup of the diya here.

Speaking of Diwali, what should not be missed to add, is the way my mom never ever loses a chance to driver point home! It so happened that while we were out to burst the crackers, we were joined by the kids from neighborhood which jus added more life to the celebrations! My mom but had to think aloud(loud enuf for me n hubbs to hear!) n exclaim "Dont kids always bring more joy n happiness to our lives" n this was repeated so many times that am sure half the people out there got the msg tooo (rolling ma eyes in resignation).

Linking it to ColorDeckors Weekly Story

Happy Diwali...

2011-10-26T23:01:00.000+05:30

Here is wishing you all a happy n safe diwali......

Linking this to Thursday Challenge....

Oil Extraction Anybody?

2011-10-25T23:46:00.000+05:30

No No, don run off post reading the heading ~~ I hv not om back from any indistrial visit nor am I gona bore you With some hi-funda oild extractoion proocess! First lemme tell u what gave me this idea for a topic(yea yea this topic of everything) ~~ It was a glass of orange juice tht I was squeezing out! Yea you heard tht rt... Read on n lemme know if you think am rt.....

As I was squeezing out this orange juice, it stuck me tht the process of extracting cocnut oil is so v damn similar ~~ Sachi! Its as simple as desiccating the dry cocnuts , squezing them till the last drop of oil is extracted and then filtering it out ~~ almost how we extract the fresh fruit juice right See the pics if you don belive me ~~

The actual machine ~~ K k its a wee size bigger than our fruit extractor! The rod u see at the topis the one tht desiccates the dry coconuts

A closer look at the top part of the machine ~~ Desicating the coconut

The bottom half of the machine ~~ The Juice(read oil) tickling out

Filter it and there you hv Your oil ready to use!

So aint I right ~~ Jus replace this mighty machine with your juice extractor ~~ Isnt the mechanism behind the same :)

Pics clicked at Udipi, Karnataka.

Linking this to ABC Wednesday (O ~~ O for Oil (Oil extraction))

Home Of Hope....

2011-10-24T16:20:00.001+05:30

Remember this site I linked in sometime back.... Well thanks to her, I managed to not jus cleanup my wardrobe but also meet people at whats rightly called "The Home Of Hope" ~~ A home tht shelters physically and mentally challenged people... NO no, shelter isnt jus the word - each of them there work (in whateva little way they can given their challenges) to earn their living! You could read up abt them here.... Truly you come out feeling humbled........

If you in blore, make sure you drop in at this place .... if not for anything then to pick up some awesome candles, batiks, mats n smaller knick knacks that they produce.. trust me, you will be awed at their finesse... N mind you all gthis at throw away prices! Now you know where to head to to complete ur Diwali - Christmas shopping! Unfortunately, we dint carry our cam with us..... Hv a mobile click thou of one of the kutti butterfly candles tht I picked up.... Mind you this pic is in no-way a benchmark of what they hv in stock...

Thanks Vivify Again! I look fwd to the next episode of Joy of Giving :). Heres wishing you all a v Happy Diwali...

Linking it upto color Deckors...

A Family Heir-Loom

2011-10-20T13:32:00.001+05:30

In this post written a good two years back, I grieved not having a hand written letter from my father... Here are those lines from that post....

Today when my dad is no more all the memories tht I hv is all in my mind n may be a few pics! Isn’t it sad tht my child will never have a chance of knowing him better! Sad considering what a beautiful writer my dad was!

But what I do hv thou not a letter is a piece of stencilled plank in which he had engraved the principle that truly governed his life and was a permanent resident at his office table! What makes it all the more precious is that this plank was stenciled and then laminated by dadu himself :). Today it deckos my home, at a place where I ste my eyes as soon as I wake up in the morn..... My Kitchen window. A good piece of wisdom to take in as I brew my cup of morn tea rt :)

Click on it to view betta..

Linked to Thursday Challenge.."WRITING & WRITING TOOLS” (Pens, Pencils, Notebooks, Journals, Calligraphy, Graffiti,…)

Of Nagas.....

2011-10-19T16:19:00.000+05:30

Clicked at Snake Park in Chennai - Founded by Romulus Whitaker

What intrigued me most abt this pic is the 'Smiley' pic in its hood... This marking is considered to be the symbol of Vishnu... The first time I hv seen Cobra showing the markings n its hood in all glory!

Linking this to ABC wednesday - N is for Naga (as Cobra is called in parts of India) and Wordless wednesday

From the interioirs of Tamil Nadu.....

2011-10-18T15:00:00.000+05:30

Clicks from interiors of Tamil Nadu(India) ... What caught my eyes are the bold colors of the walla n doors of a few houses there....

Candy Pink Walls!

Go Green!

Possibly a v common occurrence in few parts of India, But they deserve a click don they :).

Linking this to OurWorldTuesday and thursday challenge "DOOR" (House, Barn, Gate, Entrance, Cellar, Car,...)

Post Hol Blues :(

2011-10-17T18:18:00.002+05:30

Am back from ma vacation at ma in-laws place in Chennai... As usual am amazed at the space they give me n ma hubbs **Ant-Jinx**. No qs asked as to why we hvnt yet give them the much-dreaded 'Good News' as yet... As I hv said somewhere else in this blog, I cant thank them enuf for it n it makes my respect for them grow in leaps n pounds :). With this vacation was also wrapped in a quick get-away to Yelagiri(More of it later) N Kanchipuram

But fir today, my heart-n-mind refuses to warm upto the daily mundane living........... thou theres some joy in coming back 'home' any day esp when u hv come back with bags full of shopping thnx to ma in-laws again :) But office... well my heart keeps racing back to last week....Last week this time I was at the beach n today #%%**((&%!@@&

Will leave u for now with one more pic of Kanchi, Do drop in here to read more..... Lemme for now get down n dust my inbox! (Somebody remind me my login password plz...)

For now heres a pic tht will bring in some cheer.....

@ Chennai Snake Park

Pic courtesy Hubbs!

N while at it heres a wonderful site..... quite a innovative way to spread the joy!

A evening at Kanchi.....

2011-10-14T16:39:00.001+05:30

Clicked at Kanchipuram ~~ The city of temples! I luv the hustle-bustle of the streets surrounding these temples.... The aroma of agarbatthi- camphor, the lady selling the basket of coconut - flowers, the small time vendors selling everything from sweet-meat to bangles to toys....

Pooja Thali

N when in Kanchi, a visit to the silk-loom vendor is a definite item in ternary thou beware before u pick up something there ~~ Its v easy to be fleeced ~ Govt. recognized society are a better bet!

Linking this to SWF

Words.....

2011-10-14T15:44:00.000+05:30

Somewhere somebody told me that the people we generally tend to hurt the are Most probably than not the ones we love the most..... They are typically our easiest available victims be it a unprovoked outburst or a rant!

Well I for one cant help but nod at this statement... Caue how do I say it ~~ Am a big culprit at it! The victims range from ma sis to ma hubbs with the former being the easiest victim n the latter being a unmovable rock(which only make me go more grrrrrrrrr) ..... Ofcourse in a few hrs(at times mins),conscience starts pricking n I try n make amends(N I suck at saying sorry even if am at the wrong side)....... N then expect peop to behave as if nothing has happ! N Mind u, U cant hold this against me, cause the reason u were chosen as the victim is cause I luv u... Now how screwed up is tht :-D

Now why this sudden round of confessions? Well it recently stuck me tht it doesn't feel gr8 to be in the victims shoes.... Despite all attempted efforts of apologies n a v conscious attempt by the 'victimes'to 'Forgive' what will remain at the end of the day (or weeks or months) is the non erasable mark of words tht hurt..... As somebody said " Choose ur words wisely, words once said cant be taken back"! well easier said than done....

Heres a click tht I think is apt as you do some food for thot....

Masks of Sri Lanka

2011-10-11T23:28:00.000+05:30

No points for guessing what topped ma shopping list on the hol to Sri lanka ..... Hands down it was those colorful n vibrant masks! The dance show jus added more fire to the fuel......

It was on this shopping sojourn tht we got this interesting tid-but abt masks and their significance. Supposedly the Masks that are hung outside most srilankan homes, widely fall under one of the five categories:

Peacock Mask: Brings Peace, Harmony and prosperity
Fire Mask: To subdue enemies and bring friendship and harmony.
Garuda Mask : Brings Protection (Garuda is a mythical bird)
Snake Mask: : Brings protection from all dangers.
Evil Mask: Keeps away Evil(??)

Thou I wish I could take you on a pictorial walk thru of the masks ~~ I jus cant find them in my archives :-/. So plz do click on those links to hv a glimpse of those masks. The one that I could show you thou is the "Peacock Mask" that I picked up.....

Somebody asked me if we picked it up fo what it signified ~~ All I will say in ans i s"I wish" ~~ This is another of those things where the "Object" chose us rather than vice versa :-D. One hella dumb pots we are .. arent we :-D

Linking this upto ABC Wednesdays (M for Mask), Wordless Wednedays

What happened over the weekend?

2011-10-11T22:50:00.002+05:30

For starters landed in chennai at ma in-laws place for a vacation....

N U am at ma in-laws place when ~~ no not when am overloaded with work ~~ but far far from it... Am so vegetated tht at times the prospect of doing dishes seems appealing... Lol! Thnx to ma hubbs granmom **Anti - Jinx** So now you know whom to blame when I put on tht extra tyre..... N ofcourse not to forget the packets-n-packets of choc tht ma FIL is loaded into the fridge cause we are visiting. Seriously, How old does he thionk I am :-D

On another front, went to a indi-blogger meet ~~ The first in terms of meeting bloggers whose blog I hv been on n off visiting ~~ Adithis's mom, sanctifiedspaces ~~ Thnx to Color Deckor Ofcourse! Am glad that their real-life avatars seemed as simple-gracious as their online avatars :) . Heres a pic tht ma hubs clicked at the event ... Of a chandelier at Hyat Regency ~~ Supposedly some macro n stuff.....

Linking this upto Color Deckors weekly wrapup

Books Reviews And More.....

2011-10-10T11:02:00.000+05:30

Pic COurtesy ~~ Google

One of the initial first-person opinion I heard of "The immortals of Meluha" was from my cousin ~~ quoting her words ~~ "Shiva is pictured as somebody who smokes Ganja and then lolls around calling Sati pleasantries like "darling" ~~ Now to imagine our Gods indulging in such pastimes seemed letta jus say a little too much for our delicate(!) sensibilities to digest ... Lol!

Now comes in my regular book review confidante ~~ Ma hubbs who letta jus say poo-poohed my sensibilities! He was of the v no-nonsensical opinion that Shiva is hardly as a jewel adorning, polished(if i may use the word) Gods and so well he "Ganja smoking" avattar cant be v far from reality! So this opinion coupled with rave reviews by him n a couple of co-bloggers set me on the book ...

Pic Courtesy Google

My review... Well all I will say is I couldnt wait for part 2 "Secret of the Nagas" to release! Now now v truly it doesnt hold the attention as much as its precedor did...... But what it does instead is give u some good "Food for thought" ~~ The story of Sati-Kali does drive home the point of "Duality" ~ That good-n-evil are jus two sides of the coin and what you perceive as good may be evil to the other person and vice-versa! lemme not be a spoilsport n reveal the story to u ~~ Trust me bits of it has a nice nail-biting feel to it...

Speaking of Kali, heres a click of "Kaali ma" ~~ Clicked at ma MILs place in Chennai.... For all her ferocity isnt there a silent grace n power n love tht exudes from her....

Before wrapping up this review, here is a funny aside of how much the "duality" principle is driven into me.... One of the current books on ma reading list is Nora Roberts circle trilogy (The reason I set off on it is cause somebody gifted me tha part 3 of the book :) )~~ The story revolves around the man-vampire struggle to take over the world! Ofcourse no point in guessing that the villain in this piece is the vampire ~~ But but ma Fresh-from-a-dose-of-duality sensibilities was coming up with jollifications as to why the vampire aint after all evil ... They jus are struggling to survive as much as we humans are :)

Thank You.....

2011-10-06T18:09:00.003+05:30

A small family of mummy-daddy.. A house with hardly a dull moment(for well the sisters are more often than not at each others throats :)) .......The soul of that home lay in the gals for despite all the warring there was lotta love topped with the indulgence of a bestowed daddy :)..... The elder one was the geeky kind whose world revolved around her books but the younger one was well jus the other extreme.. Talkative, bubbly, spirited who was happier hi-fing her daddy during a cricket match than stepping into the kitchen!

Times flew, wedding bells rang for the elder one ~~ Festive was the spirit at home! But but soon v soon things tuned topsy turvy when the dearest dadu of the girls passed away with no prior intimation whatsoever..... The happy moments came to haunt them!

Life thou has a habit of moving on... The elder daughter got married n moves away to other city.... She gets too engrossed in making pace with all the new happenings in her life....

But in midst of all this the younger one is lost... her spirit is letta say almost dead... her laughter is wiped off! She is now a ghost of her former self...... With her dadu far far off n the elder one too far off to make her presence flet in day-day life.....

Now now behind every dark cloud theres a silver lining aint it ... Th bad times cant lats forever can it? Job takes the litt gal(no more litt thou..) to the city where her sis lives..... The few months that she spends with her sis n jeeju slowly buy surely brings her old spirit back...... She is no more lonely... No more craving for company.....Her laughter n boisterousness slowly peeps out once again.....

This ma frnds as few of you must hv guessed is no piece of fiction.. Its the story of ma life n yeap the elder gal in the story is yours truly!

So Aint it something I should be thankful for... For the smile, the laughter, the joy, the leg-pulling thts back......

Pictured her is ma sis with her jeeju(read ma hubbs)... Thank You God!

Linking this to Thursday Challenge - "THANKFUL" (Things I am thankful for)

At Sigriya...

2011-10-05T14:06:00.000+05:30

The word Sigriya Literally means Lions Rock (In Sinhalese - Lang spoken in Srilanka) and the word "Lions Rock" is no writers imagination .... The rock is literally carved to resemble a Lion!
I will let the pic do the talking.... Seeing is believing rt....

The history behind is I should say the story of the downfall of many royals across the continents - The blood bath for the coveted seat!

History apart, this place is no less than a archaeological wonder - after all Unecsco declared it is as the 8th wonder of the world ~~ Come to think of it, a entire palace was recreated on top of a rock! Reaching the top even today is a true test of your physical stamina ~~despite the staircase build around the rock by tourism! Supposedly in yesteryear the soldier would use the flimsy holds on the rock(The grroves u c in the below pic) to get onto the top... Makes me wonder how!!!!

The Grroves u c here is what the soldiers used to climb up the rock!

If u visiting there, make sure you get hold of one of the guides ~~ If not for the know-how about the place then definitely for the short-cuts they know to reach at the top

Before I close this post heres the pic of the world famous fresco paintings on Sigriya walls...

Linking this to ABC Wednesday(L for Lions Rock), Wordless wednesday (This post is wordless!)

I am a Woman....

2011-10-04T12:04:00.000+05:30

I am a woman, wrapped in chiffon and jewels,
Thin silks and girdle of gold.
I stretch my arms...
The embrace encompasses a universe.
I can control a quiver in my hips,
Tell a thousand stories with my eyes,
Skip with child-like glee
The smile of experience on my lips.
Glide in innocence, endure with age.
Spin like a dervish; undulate in sensuality...
Excite, promise, create, change, tease, mock,
Unveil my passion.
Untiringly seduce the world as I move my body,
For I am a woman...

Lines from the handout given as a part of "HIpnois ~~ The Journey of Belly Dance"! Lines penned for a dancer, But true for many.... Aint it! Heres a click from that evening.....

Speaking of WOmen n her beauty....Heres a click from ma pooja room.... Isnt she beauty, grace and power personfied....... May she bless you with all that your heat desires..... Hv a blessed Pooja Folks!

SARVAMANGALAMANGALYE
SHIVE SARVATHASAADHIKE,
SHARANYE TRIYAMBAKE GAURI
NARAAYANI NAMOSTUTE.

MEANING
Thou art the all auspicious Shiva (Shakti aspect), the bountiful;
I prostrate myself at Thy feet.
O Triyambaks (Three eyed one), Gauri (the one with a fair complexion, Parvathi) Naraayani.

Edited To add the pic cliked ar one of the Pooja Pandals....

Linking this to colordeckors weekend wrapup

Stories From SL - IV

2011-09-29T11:51:00.001+05:30

Imagine walking for a early morning stroll and witnessing this sunrise n having the beach almost to urself(barring a few fishermen n a odd tourist)! This is the best thing I liked abt Trincmalee in Srilanka - Beautiful, untouched beaches with no usual tourist trappings!

You hv a hotel ~~ Almost basic, nothing v fancy but bang on the beach! Hop on here to read more abt Coral Bay ~~ the Hotel where we stayed.....

N when at Trinco, do drop in at Pigeon Island ~~ A haven for snorkeling with crystal clear - almost see thru water! The approach to the island is adventure enuf(at least for the faint hearted like me) ~~ You are cruising thru the ocean with jus the diver for company n no sign of land n man for miles together! Hats off to the Navy for maintaining this place spic n span despite the crowd coming in everyday........

Linking this upto Thursday Challenge - "GOLDEN" (Fields, Sun, Flowers, Hair, Gold,...)

Stories From SL - III

2011-09-28T13:34:00.003+05:30

Pic Clicked at Kandy, Srilanka. Loved this concept of Srilanka Tourism tourism where they capsule the entire dance forms of SL into a 1 hour live program every evening for the tourists! Imagine replicating this in India ~~ Wont each state hv its own customized dance-drama capsules!

N when we at this pic ~~ The dance here is the famous Srilankan mask dance(chk the link in youtube for a hazy glimpse of it)! The masks hv a socio-religious significance around them.. But I will park tht story for some other day.....

You can look up the othe pics of SL Dance forms here (Hubbs FB Album page)

Linking this upto ABC Wednesdays(K for Kandy), Wordless Wednesday...

Making a Mango Whistle!

2011-09-26T10:50:00.001+05:30

"There was always a way you had to do everything. For instance you had to bathe before you begin making Kasundhi, the Bengali version of tart mustard sauce. All these rituals running thru the seaons.... You simply pick them up by living in an extended family. Ofcourse, they were mostly practical kinds of activities, but the color, the touch and the taste were always special to the season. It was like being surrounded by art".

Aint there a magic in those lines , possibly the hit of nostalgia ~~ Replace the "Kasundhi" with whateva is ur local delicacy from childhood days and there you hv a longing that weaves into ur mind n heart...... Possbly heightened in ma cas as I hv ma mom staying over ~~ A sure shot recipe to revisit the childhood days.....

This is a extract from the book "Making a Mango Whistle" ~~ By Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay ~~ The abridged version of the Bengali classic Pather Panchali.This extract is politically speaking from the introduction penned by Sharmila Tagore.

This book along with other translations from across India (Malyalamundoudtedly tops ma list) is my new reading muse! Here is to happy reading n a happy week ahead........

Linking this to Color Deckors Weekly Story! http://coloursdekor.blogspot.com/2011/09/weekly-story-wk-50.html

The Teacher.....

2011-09-15T08:07:00.002+05:30

.... and preacher who taught the world the values of peace and non violence

Clicked at Dambulla in Srilanka!

Linking this upto Thursday Challenge!

Onam Visheshangal - 2011!

2011-09-14T20:30:00.003+05:30

While the visheshams can wait, heres a quick glance of the Onam pookalam ...

Liked it? Much betta than all the amateurish attempts till last year... The credit goes well not to me but ma sis... nobody like ur sibling to buck you up and take the task to completion!

No Onam is complete without the Sadhya ... Heres something for you to slurp on :-P! Credit to ma amma ofcourse....

Linking this upto Colordeckors ~~ Story of the week!

Back from SriLanka!

2011-09-08T15:23:00.000+05:30

A trip tht was on our minds for few years... something tht neva worked out for myriad reasons ~~ passports, finance u name it! So this time with no prior planning, we leapt into it head first and guess what the hol jus materialized!

The first thing tht comes into ma mind after spending a week in SL? Not the places, not the food, not the hotels its the people ~~ warm, friendly people across the length & breadth of the country! From the waiters to the hotel staff to the pavement vendors everybody is more than happy to go outta their way to make u comfy in their country! Evn the street vendor is happy to let u sample his fares before u zero on what suits ur taste buds!

Speaking of people, the western influence here is profound from their names to their dressing! But well its a diff story when it comes to speaking English, they are still true to their mother tongue! Something we could learn from!

The touch of Buddhism is what adds tht other distinctive touch to the country! Possibly its the novelty of a new religion but for me I equate the pristine white Buddhist temples with "calm n peace"!

Hang on here to read on abt the masks, dances, temples of Srilanka!

Ayubowan!

2011-09-06T13:44:00.001+05:30

Ages I hv managed to take a peep into ma blog and so Ayobowan it indeed is for me and for any lone reader left! So what kept me away? Well at times you get so lost with soaking in simple moments of life(viz. spending time with mom n sis) that blogging is the last thing in your mind... Indeed this statement surprises me as much as not missing the blogging!

So in an attempt to keep the blog alive, am leaving u with a recipe of a dish thats been figuring right at the top of ma hubbs fav list the past week ~~ If u know ma hubbs remotely n so are now pukka tht its gona be a non veg dish or possibly a cocktail then well well heres a shocker for u! This is a coconut based dish... Yea u heard it rt! N for those of u who dono him ~~ The pseudo mallu he is, coconut n him are like poles apart ~~ He runs off at the v whiff of coconut oil `` So he taking to this like fish to water is a shocker! Now with no more diversions, heres the recipe:

Mix together grated coconut, finely chopped onions, red chilly powder, lime juice, salt and there u hv the pol sambal ready! Trust me its yummmmm ..... Gos perfectly with rice, sevai n such!!!!

Pic Courtesy: Google!

Now go ahead google up the words "Ayubowan", "Pol Smbal" and u possibly know where I was headed to the last week!

What we did Over the weekend...

2011-08-02T21:15:00.001+05:30

Will let the pics do the talking for once....

Ganesh Homam @ Dawn!

The Bhagvati seva @ the dusk

The above pic does no justice ti the kolam\muggu that adorned the pooja floor! But captured this pic to show you the way poojari spread the colors around - with the tea strainer ~~ Effortless it seemed ~~ Innovation I say!

Linking this to Color Deckors Weekend Wrapup!

All pics courtesy hubbs ofcourse!

The story of a....

2011-07-27T16:00:00.002+05:30

Dining Table!

Stop rolling ur eyes n read on ....

A rainy eve on the way back from off, waiting for hubbs to pick me up... But as ma mister dint seem to show any sign of appearance, I hop onto the nearest shop which well happened to be Fab India! Did ma by-now-religious round of window shopping! Jus as I was abt to wrap, tring-tring goes the phone n in the nick of stepping out ma eyes fall on a dining table and yeap as the lore goes it was ~~ Love at first sight! The hubbs was soon summoned n as luck would hv it he gave his nod of approval too.. So in 5 mins flat the sale was sealed!!

N if u thot I am a impulsive buyer ~~ Am far from it! I am usually a very calculative, balanced shopper! This dining table was in our to-buy-list for a few months nee years now ~~ But well there hardly seemed one tht we liked and which fit into our budget (K I dint really go hunting for it but still...)

This ma dearies is the story of ma life(at least post wedding) be it this dining table or come to think of it, even ma home! We do go thru a few cursory glances but all were rejected post the quality checks n brain storming sessions!Thou when we end up buying ~~ the deal is clutched in flat 15 - 30 mins ~~ No quality checks, no brain storming nothing! Love at first sight did yea say ~~ My foot it is! The fickle minded I am, no soon is the deal signed ~~ My brain goes on a overdrive n starts fishing for all the possible mistakes with it! But Hubbs ~~ Ha did u ever hear "Love is Blind" ~~ Yes thts Mr. Hubbs for u!

Having subjected u to this long essay, lemme show u the pic of the dining table. To quote ma hubbs "I call it my magic table :) 4 seater to 6 seater conversion". BTW its jus the table tht we bought home minus the chairs(dough issue u c) .. now lets Wait n watch how long it takes before we fall in love with chairs!

Liked It?

Linking this to Color Deckors Weekend Wrapup ~~ Ages I hv linked up there Now!

Love or.....

2011-07-15T16:04:00.002+05:30

A gal, a much loved one loses her dad at a v young age. Her other pillar of support - her sis moves to other city post marriage n is soon immersed in her life. so she soon unconsciously is looking for somebody to fill the void. Her friends slowly but steadily becomes her support system. Among them, one boy becomes a stabilizing factor - Her day is neva complete till she talks to him. To be fair to the boy, he goes outa his way to help her out.

Soon they grow up and its the time for wedding bells And you guessed it rt, they realize that possibly they are best suited for each other.

So whats it for the girl? Love? Comfort factor? A unconscious father-figure hunt that she mistakes it to be love?

Does anybody know the ans? I dono

You know ur mom is visiting when.....

2011-07-14T12:06:00.002+05:30

When u r greeted early in morn with... no, not with morn tea or even the damn paper... but with a ounce of kashaayam tht refuses to go down ur throat...

When all ur medicines (n bottles of them) that were tucked away to oblivion, are all dusted, lined up and then horrors of horrors.... Its stuck rt under ur nose until u oblige n swallow it up(saves hrs of nagging u c)

When ur undies which until then was strewn all around the place (n every morn there is a big hunting expedition to esp pair up the socks) is found neatly packed into separate bags - one for me n other for hubbs(the expression on hubbs face as he opened the drawer was worth a sight)

When U hv somebody who runs off every 15 mins to shoo off the pigeons who hv made ma balcony their home(the mess they make!)

When the food is xtra spicy cause her son-in-law likes it tht way!

:-). Yea yea u got tht rt ma mom - sis is visiting me for a good 1.5 months.... Yippppeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!

N ofcourse with the sis visiting comes along god-worshipping her 'jeeju' (it can drive me up the wall!), with insolent requests to hug her to sleep(:-D), to bugging u till u shut the dam lappie down, to ofcourse being indulged with lotta new dresses - yum yum goodies to treat on :-D

When its raining troubles....

2011-07-12T14:58:00.001+05:30

"Happinees brings the best in you while Adversaries brings out the worst" ~~ Yours Truly!

Hmmm true rt? On a good day, Look at the swing in your walk, you hv a ready smile for even a stranger ~~ ut on a bad day, God save the person who errs, forget the smile am ready to go grrrr at an unsuspecting stranger!

Now over to ma frnd whose day is as bad as it can get ~~ A bigg tiff with her hubbs, unwell parents, A big interview looming large and she jus oversleeps to wake up at 12 in afternoon ~~ shes somebody who cant sleep a wink beyond 6:30 even on a weekend ~~ I was subjected to her trying to pierce ma eyesopen at tht ungodly hr on a SATURDAY(with no luck ofcourse!)

Ha topping on cake ~~ the rain god chooses tht moment she steps out(No she doesnt drive) to shower his blessings! So there she is trying to squeeze herself into her umbrella as, well the last thing anybody waana do is arrive at an all imp interview soaking wet rt? Now what does she sight upon in the midst of all this halla - gullla?? A young mom carrying a infant-toddler in arms and struggling to keep the little one dry with jus a duppata n no umbrella! So wht does ma good Samaritan of a frnd do ~~ Hand over the umbrella with no second thots to this perfect stranger n asking her to drop it off sometime next day in the small corner shop around the road! N her?? The wet clothes n interview be damned!

But as she says life is a circle of goodness, so not only did she get her umbrella back next day but managed to bag the job!

Hmm its these nothing-in-return favours tht make u like sit back n give the person a second thot n all u can do is be just awed at how goodness still exists!

One Pic!

2011-07-06T10:42:00.000+05:30

The last of the 10 day challenge ~~ 1 Pic(of self!)

Heres ma pick..... Captures me in ma truest form ~~ 'The Happy-to-be-silly' me ~~ I luv luv luv the wind caressing ma face n blowing ma hair in all possib directions ~~ Trust me theres no betta magic to wipe away all ur troubles(at least for the moment) ~~ clicked on a hol by ma fav photographer .......

Hmm Enjoyed the Tag... The first few ones were tricky ~~ To dig deep to come up with the secrets, fears, wants ~~ The next leg was fun ~~ Fav books n FOOD! As always I take up a blogging marathon when I hv things spearing outta ma control(This time it was work n loads of it!)

2 Songs!

2011-07-05T22:36:00.001+05:30

Almost the last leg of the 10 day challenge!

Ala Movies, Music wasnt something tht I got eva addicted to! Biggest shame of life, I know! So music is not abt Music, Its abt people for me

So rt on top of the list is I swear By the Moon ~~ Hubbs dedication during the pre-wedding Dates!

N there is this Mal song - A fav Lullably ~~ A huge dose of Nostalgia there!

3 films!

2011-07-04T22:41:00.000+05:30

.. Can I say 'pass' to this one! Am no movie freak.. Thou enjoy the fri - weekend night ritual of sipping a drink as I sit back channel shuffling(With a lappie around!) before we settle on a movie! Come to think of it..... English movie is a comparatively new entrant in ma life! I was initiated to it a few years back by ma cousin., I became a fan courtesy hubbs(Well when push come sto shove ~~ I jus oblige Cause the other option is 'No TV') thou I still rely on English subtitles :-/

So 'Pass' it is :-/

4 Books!

2011-07-03T19:30:00.000+05:30

Hmm for the reader I am('voracious' should hv ben the adjective appended to it, But hving met hubbs n a few other frnds, I realize voracious is tooo much of an exaggeration!) - Am not able to pin down my 4 top picks! Lemme try thou:

Enid Blytons: Without doubt the book that hooked me to reading ~~ Thnx Dadu, for opening up this world to me!

Sidney Sheldons ~~ Jeffery Archers ~~ Robert Cooks : For the simple reaosn that once I graduated from Enid Blyton, these were the first set of fiction tht I hit on(again Thnx to dadus ~~ They were on his reading list)! But on 2nd thots, did a overload of fiction make me fiction- handicapped? (I cant for life of me read non fiction!)

Harry Potter: Go ahead pooh pooh ma intellectual levels! But this is one book that opened the world o 'Fantasy' to me n this is one book that I can read n re-read without getting bored!

Palace Of Illusions: The one book that got me hooked to Indian fiction! Hv never been disappointed since then ~~ Be it Indu Sundaresan or Anitha Nair! Here hv a look at the recent ones I finished... Not a bad list huh! Here go ahead, hv a quick glance of the books I recently read!

Five Foods!

2011-07-02T23:32:00.000+05:30

Hmmm as I begin to write what should be ma fav section of the tag, Realization hits me that for all ma being a foodie n eating out n happy-to-experiment, at heart am still a comfort-food loving Indian Food Lover :-/ . So here are ma few fav, staples at home!

Roti - dal - Sabji : The staple at ma home ~~ Na forget it being ma fav comfort food, I jus abt manage to swallow it ~~ Am v much ur Rice loving South Indian ~~ Thank U v much! But it so happens tht the Hubbs cant swallow rice unless its pushed down his throat! See what a hub loving sati savitri I am!
Fishy Fish: Yea yea so much tht its a part of ma name too ('Meen'(a)~~ 'Meen' is fish in mal ~~ LOL! Fish fry ~~ Kerala style, Fish curry ~~ Bong Style(the one made in mustard), Goan style Dry Prawn Powder ~~ Well basically evry possible sea food!
U heard of 'Maa-Ke-Haath-Ka-Khana' ~~ In ma case it should be 'Hubbs-Ke-Haath-Ka-Kaana' ~~ No No don roll ur eyes! He has magic in his hands(Runs in his moms side of faily I should say) ~~ Any damn thing he dishes out is invariably spicy but Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!
Sweet Tooth! Anything remotely sweet will be swallowed in with no 2nd thots! The tyres around ma stomach can tell a tale....
Comfort Foods rt from ur curd rice - Pickle to Kichidi to Pulao to Rasam! Nvr realized am such a true south Indian!

Will leave u with a pic of ma favoute(est) fish fry ~~ Courtesy ma Frnd ofcourse!

Six Places!

2011-07-01T23:58:00.001+05:30

Hmmm as soon as I heard '6 Places' I thot its gona be a freeze considering the travel freak I can be! But as I sit down to pen it, words don seem to be coming easy ~~ Which place to do I chose ~~ My favs(well diff to pick one), The places I want to go to (Too many to list!) ~~So decided to stick to places that I hv lived \travelled n loved!

Kerala ~~ Its ma fav hol destination in the world thou nothing it has to do with it being 'Gods own country' ... Its a place I hv visited on n off thru ma summer hols.. So but ofcourse I hv ma best memories of childhood associated with this place!

Hyderabad ~~ Home Sweet home ~~ The place I spent a good 2.5 decades of ma life, a place that I know like the back of ma hand... Funny how the description of a place changes as we move on in our life.. When I lived there I thot of it a 'Big City' but today I would call it as 'Quaint ~~ Slow Paced ~~ Warm'

Bangalore ~~ A place where I discovered myself! Where I made the transition from a 'Non-Confident\No-Clue-Abt-Life'\'Dreams-In-My-Eyes' to a 'Confident\Practical\'Been-There-Done-Tht' Lady ...Well well I know of people who think am still to make the transition... But yeap I would call it as a 'Work-In-Progress' and I know of the other lot who preferred the 'Simpletion-Me' to the current Me! Hmmm but yeap for good or bad I hv moved on...... And what helped in the transition isnt just the people around(Hubbs played a Big role) but the city in itself... The cosmopolitan\'don-give-A-Dam' culture here lets u be urslef as u r jus yet another anonymous speck in this Big city!

Goa ~~ A place I will want to go back to not for its beaches, not for its 'Party-Every-Night', Not for the booze(Thou I think thts the biggest incentive for ma hubbs) but thts one place in India(atleast among those I been) where a gal-lady can dress up how she chooses without worrying abt lecherous looks! Luved the freedom there!

Coorg ~~ A place I been with ma hubbs in the early months of marriage! I was almost disappointed thou thnx to the incessant rain! But today as I look back its a hol tht I think of with the fondest memories... A perfect hol with good food, a gr8 place, long walks n jus sit back n relax(n read) but the operative word tht describes the hol for me... 'Passion' :-D (Go figure!)

London ~~ Of all the places I hv been abroad(Not tht its a long list)... I luved this place for the way they preserved their history n ofourse their public transport is indeed something!

N before I sign off ~~ A special mention to all the road trips with ma hubbs ~~ The journey as they say is what makes a trip more memorable than the destination!

Now to Five foods tomo ~~ My fav of the lot u bet :-D

8 Wants!

2011-07-01T11:26:00.000+05:30

Ha 7 Wants.. Only 7 is it :-D. K here u go...

A few rays of happiness n good luck or rather a definite path maker in lives of certain people in ma life - So that the dilly dallying, this phase of confuSion is done with and they can move on with their lives! Include me in the list too.. I could do with a certain ray of good luck... The 'Good News' syndrome!
Remember this Adnan Sami song - Mujko Bhi Lift Karadey ~~ Basically all the works in it ~~ paisa,Gaadi, duniya ka ser ~~ U got it rt :-D
To Travel, travel n travel with hubbs to ma hearts content! A foreign hol\trip\assigment please?
A high flying job for ma hubbs! So generous of me did yea say? Well well only tht will let me afford a 'sexy-timepass' job :-D n even stay at home if i choose to!
To set up a restaurant.. Nothing fancy a basic place where they sell some chai - Calcutta style rolls, tea n stuff ! Did u go like 'Open Mouthed' cause ofcourse u heard of ma being a foodie but this was a newbie? Well well this figures in ma hubbs wish list not mine!
To hv a home in a biting-old hill station ~~ Imagine having the cold air mist caress ur face every day! Ofcourse 'Biting cold' can be a harbinger for many other things... yea yea let ur imagination take a wild trip :-D
A want tht pops in everyday as I set foot in the public transport(baa)... To be able to drive!
Last but I guess most importantly - to love and be loved!

Ha for 6 places tomo(nee today.. I missed a post yest).. Now now we slowly getting to things closer to heart!

Eight Fears!

2011-06-29T13:55:00.000+05:30

Yikes! Not something I look forward to writing... Anyways here we go:

Of Losing near n dear ones to death! Tht for sure is the biggest of my biggest fears ~~ So the moment somebody seems off my radar, my brain does a Topsy turvy n will jump to the worst conclusions! Sheesh!
Of staying put alone! Mornings I manage with no sweat, but come night I will manage to hear all strange noises n sounds, see shadows lurking... Basically all the horror movie works!
Of Losing control! This I think is the reason why I don enjoy\am scared of the roller coaster rides, of swimming...
While am not scared of heights, actions like jumping(eve if its a dismissal 5ft) or climbing up\down a uneven surface can make me n people around go bonkers!
Of numbers, finance, tax... Esp the last one! N so extends to excel, macro, spreadsheets....
Of Gynecs :-/ All the poking they do gives me creeps!
Of goofing up at work but mind you not of failures ! Na na doesn in anyway translate to perfection.. Am so v blissfully far from it!
Of creepy creatures - Which literally translates to rats\snakes and well not-so-literally to humans!

Ha! This wasnt as bad as I was presuming it to be!

Nine Loves.....

2011-06-28T18:21:00.001+05:30

'Nine Luves' courtesy The 10 day challenge tag! So here goes the list in no specific order......

'My Love, My Life' ~~ Kitsch thou it sounds, will let hubbs top the list
'Its All About Loving Ur Family' ~~ True aint it! Love them or hate them ~~ U know its somebody u will turn to at the end of the day!
My 'Soul-Sisters' ~~ Makes my life complete by holding it all together! Not taking the names here - thou they been written on-n-ff in ma blog - for well they know who they are!
Books! For the most simple n intoxicating world of imagination tht it lets u into!
The lure of Travel, of vacations to 'roads'(to be read as places) less taken! Ha the pleasure of a hol well spent....
Writing ~~ I know I don rock at it! But a well written article gives me a high!
Food! Period. No explanation needed.
Kids! The innocence and the open heartedness with which they can love u, the ease with which they can get the most cold hearted people to warm up, the charm with which they creep into ur lives n bring a smile at the end of the most damned day!
Me :-D. But obvious aint it!

So for eight fears tomo.. :-/ Not something I look fwd to!

10 Day You Challenge | Ten Secrets

2011-06-27T22:43:00.001+05:30

This is a tag tht I saw here....

Recently more than one friend happened to comment on the fact that my blog rate has slowed down(Now what followed it was a sigh of loss or relief :-/) n so heres jus for their benefit(:-D) 10 days of non stop commentary!

Day 1 ~~ 10 secrets! Hmm letta c what I can conjure up.. Here I go...

I can hv the most sadist\inappropriate thots that can barge in with no notice and lurk around for sometime!
"Looking beyond Peoples imperfection and accepting them for what they are" - A principle that many of us subconsciously follow at least as far as concerned. But something I had to consciously put in a effort to learn the other day.
"Moderation" is not a word I relate to when it comes to eating out! Yea yea, U r rt am almost proud of it!
I cant just window - shop. My principle as far as shopping is concerned is - Pick N exit ! I know, I know am missing out on the biggest joy of life! Sigh!
For all the books i read and review, for life of me I cant read a non - fiction (Level of intellect u say ~~ Well whateva!)
I can be bad host especially if u r my friend! But well to my benefit, I expect my friends to feel "At Home" and well then there is no question of "Playing a host"... correct?
I hv my set of color-stions. Black(or even speck of it) is strict no-no. Blue-Green are ma lucky colors!
A pro at delegation be it at work or personal :-D.
A diplomacy-Personified (some read it as uncouth) until I know you or decide to keep away from u! But can be a pest if I decide to luv... Trouble either ways u c :)
A child like curiosity in expoloring something new especially when it has an elemnt of risk involved!

The last 3 were coutesy ma frnd ~~ Sabina Zacharias! Did yea jus say tht they don classify to be secret anymore.... Well well to my credit there is hardly a handul who can vouch to knowing each of this trait of mine ....

So now for nine loves tomo... I think I will luv tht one :-D

Happy Bday Dearie......

2011-06-21T00:42:00.002+05:30

...... today as v celebrate ur 100th day, heres hoping that you continue to be ur colorful, happy self spreading the joy n content in you in all those who behold u.... N ofcourse this post cant be complete till we say a special thank u to ur papa (after all Fathers day jus passed by) cause he is undoubtedly the one who dedicated his time, attention, efforts in ensuring that you moved from strength to strength even as he endured late nights to early mornings... N come to think of it am yet to find anything(am almost J of u) tht has kept ur papa hooked for so long(Ofcourse am the mama!)

N u dear papa, heres hoping tht you will nourish ur 'real-life' baby like u did this one.... With lotta time, care, dedication :-D ... I can then rest in peace :-D

Haa tell me, tell me did I get ur imagination to run wild :-D. Well sorry dearies, all am referring to is this ~~ Ofcourse its ma hubbs baby n today is the 100th day(100th post ~~ 1 post per day courtesy Project 365) ~~ So hop on there n join me in wishing the proud papa n his creation a Happpy Bday :-D

Linking this upto Color Deckors weekend wrap up ~~ I know this dint happen over any weekend! But well aint this site a sure shot source of colors ~~ So but ofcourse anything of beauty - Joy links up there rt?

100 Years Of 'THINK'ing....

2011-06-16T22:25:00.002+05:30

... Is what ma comp celebrated Today .... Lemme do this simple yet elegant Video do all the talking!

Pic Courtesy TOI

Indeed to a great extent I would say am proud to be an IBMer but well pride doesn fill ur wallet does it! Hmm tht apart am sure every other person working there would agree tht its the place to be in.... But again cribbing as the BIG BLUE celebrates its big day does seem to be doing it justice after all the flexibility, the career opportunities it has given me and thousands of others especially the womenfolk - so lemme reword my earlier statement to read

'Happy To Be An IBMer'

Women in my life....

2011-06-11T14:37:00.000+05:30

Hmm while a lotta book reviews - hotel reviews - Shops reviews - Holiday reviews hv been taking up this space(Albeit the last two posts), I realize tht the 'Personal' touch of pople who make my life hv taken a back seat ... So here is the snippets of whats been truly paying havoc(k havoc is a exaggeration... but yea comes close) with my mind - heart:

*** Of a gal who decides to go fall in love with a boy (n a gem of person at tht) from a dff caste, state. Now while all her dear-n-near ones are ready to make peace with tht fact, there came a bigger bomb namely the 'Horoscope' which predicts a big calamity(read: death) if this marriage materializes. Now while many of us may poo-poo those believing horoscope even at this age(well I still do), who will convince her parents ... N can one truly blame them? Will they be eva able to live in peace, always scared as to when the Damocles sword will hit their gal?? :-/

*** Of a lady, whos going thru well the worst phase in her professional n personal space (Thankfully the personal life is showing some signs of revival... Anti Jinx \ TouchWood) and well ma equation with her suddenly changed from one of rock solid to a rocking see-saw! Ha let this damn phase go away soon and may I find the strength to be ma former self with her again (My bad!)

** Of a lady, whose v thot brings a smile to my face ~~ Afterall shes my evening tea partner every other day ~~ Thts like a whiff of fresh air after even the murkiest day at work! So this 'Passionate'(yes tht describes her to the 'T') lady decides that the work place ( BTW 'teaching' is no work for he... Its her calling.. A calling to which she will give her entire heart-n-soul) is doing no justice to her(Thou I hat agreeing with her.. I know tht its true) n has quit the place n is now in a maha - job hunt! Heres wishing her luck as I hope she spoon finds a place that gives the satisfaction not jus monetarily but will do justice to her passion to teach, to give back to the society!

Funny huh the ones tht I love n hate passionately always ends up to be a women ... Ofcourse there are these few obvious exceptions :)

Connections...

2011-06-11T11:26:00.000+05:30

A cousin who stayed a few streets away for a good 10 years and we saw each other (grow) thru school-college-work, silly crushes(:-D), long girls-only nights, The never ending walks thru the colony streets,Mr. Groom hunt and the one tht will always make it the the most special....She hugged me to sleep the day my daddy bid us goodbye....

Hmm n then marriage - career - studies came calling taking us countries-n-continents away, The priorities changed, the mails n calls became once-in-blue-moon affair n as I write this it strikes me that we hv not met for more than 4 years now(!)

But well arent some connections always there as if they never ceased to exist... So when this dearest gal has the first glimose of he yet-to-be-born baby (muah!), your truly saw a flutter of call on her mobile :-D.

A perfect start to a weekend huh :). Makes ma heart go mmmmmm.....

PS: A few work-factors seem to be almost on verge of upsetting this mmm factor! So c'mon wish me al the luck.. I know I wil need it :(

Treasures Of My Life......

2011-06-07T21:34:00.002+05:30

Though these words of my
Shall surely fall shy
Of doing justice
To the love that I
Have for you,
But still, I shall try.

Where should I start?
It’s a task but hard.
Begin, perhaps, I should
By saying that I could
Not possibly tell you
How beautiful you are
On the outside,
And on the inside
Till the greatest depths
Of fathomable existence.

I thank you for your kindness
For your care, and concern,
And those few brief moments
When you have been stern -

When I am in the dark -
As I often am -
With nothing in sight
I have seen you there
As my guiding light;
I need you there
To wipe the tears
From my face
And keep at bay
All my fears
With your grace.

In the end I just pray
That you always be there
For me
As you always have been.
Especially
As I can't take care
Of me
By myself, on my own.
Without you
I shall feel alone
And empty.

N incase u wondering these pearls of words were drafteed not by me (Me n poems..... Please! I am not in the elite realm who appreciates poems) ... This is what my sister-of-the-heart had to say.....

Hotel Review: UpBeat!

2011-06-03T23:04:00.002+05:30

Hmmm jus realized tht while there seems to be a overload of book reviews in last few weeks... The one topic tht seems to hv really taken backseat is food ~~ Ha the injustice of it! So heres a review of a small cozy place where ma frnd hosted her farewell party....

Hmm eva wondered how at times a evening tends to take on the v aura of the person hosting it even with no conscious efforts on anybodys part ~~ Elegant, Old- world charm, Gr8 Music(70s- 80s Goan\Country Music), Yumm Drinks, Gr8 Food, Lotta dancing n all this seemingly pulled off with no effort!

These words are the exact ones used to describe ma frnd by those who know her n co-incidence! The ones I would use to describe this small cosy place ~~ Upbeat @ Banaswadi - Bangalore! N while no word theres a huge exaggeration here are a few dampeners ~~ The starters - Prawns in Red Wine was jus perfect ~~ Cooked jus rt so tht the prawns oozes its natural flavour! But the main course ~~ Ma Fav ~~ Rice N Fsh Curry jus dint reach there! Ha thts the only grouse ~~ Otherwise the music, the ambiance (Jus a peppering of dim lights actually) and a dance floor(with no teengaers\men vying to show off their moves) lets u sit back n relax! N hey did I tell yea tht they supposedly host the ball dance few weekends....

Nope I do hv any pics to show off... But do drop in if u in tht part of the town... U wouldnt be disappointed! N if u do, chk out their 'The Lady In Red' Cocktail ... I loved it!

A parting thot, how can a food post (A hotel review is a food post na) be complete without something to salivate on... so heres a click by ma hubbs (the creator .. N yea jus to get the point in I cut all those damn onions n tomatoes) of his Sunday morn breakfast!

Book Review: The Feast Of Roses

2011-06-02T00:31:00.004+05:30

Part 2 of the triology series by Indu Sundaresan...

Now now is this something u hv experienced b4.... Letta say theres this book of XYZ author tht u reading for the first time n fall head over heels in love with it and cannot wait to finish the next book only to be disappointed.. You know the bane of high expectations...

Well even this one I was so abt to write it off as yet another victim of my 'expectations'.. But but for once I was proved wrong :). Post the first few pages, Indu Sundaesan weaves her magic seamlessly!

Th story of a lady much ahead of her times who dint bow to convention or opinion (Eva wondered how life never comes easy for them... Be it a few centuries bac or even today!) , who ruled over the empire (at a time when women were supposed to be Jus heard n not seen!) ..... so much so that many a people thot the king was wooed by her beauty n is now a slave to her whims n fancy! For a min hv yea thot in how many context do we hear this line being quoted! This book for one gave a food for thot to this line of thot.... The difference between love(to be read as mutual trust n love n belief) n lust is one that only the giver-recipient can differentiate while the entire world can chose to ake their own perspective!

As I said before, loved the way a character from our history books is bought back to life ~~ In a way that not only do we empathize wth her, we slowly but surely will begin to Like-respect them! I for one know that whenever I hv a glimpse of Taj, am gonna hv a few names n stories drifting in ma mind! Indeed A gr8 read!

Jus a grouse thou: The Family Tree at the start of the book kinda gives off the plot of the story doesnt it... I guess the reason for not hiding it maybe cause of the assumption that the readers outa there know their history well... Sheepishly thou lemme acknowledge tht it may not be the case n for them the family tree can indeed be a big let away of the plot!

Haa cant wait to get ma hands on Shadow princess now!

Edited to add: A underlying lesson from this book..... Not every man (be it now or generation back) can be man enuf to accept tht his wife having a upper hand(in career, life) in no way undermines his 'Man(li)Hood"... You need to be man enuf to let the lady of ur life be herself!

A picture is worth...

2011-05-29T13:58:00.000+05:30

..... A thousand Words! Heres ma this weeks pick from hubbs pic collection!

This beauty decided to land on ma breakfast counter n was possibly hurt, so parked itself there for sometime! The photographer in ma hubbs coudnt hv asked for more.... N there he we nt berserk clicking pics in every possible angle! Heres another shot...

Linking this upto Color Deckors "Thousand Words"... Indeed this pic does talk a "Thousand Words" (N more) of beauty dissent it!!!

To New Beginings.....

2011-05-27T15:10:00.001+05:30

Today is the day I bid one of ma work buddy cum close frnd goodbye as she leaves the place to explore Betta options.....A singer(opera), a dancer, the strangest combi of tomboy -n- girl-next-door -n- A diva, A gr8 cook (n a a betta bartender), Personal chauffeur(lol).......All term that describes her to Tee!

The last few years for her hv been anything but tough.... The biggest lesson one could probably learn from her is how not to an adversity take over ur entire life; How you can still smile at the face of never ending problems; How you need not be projected as sad-soul in front of all not-so-well-meaning acquaintances .....N just for records, forget being called a 'Sad-Soul' she was regarded as one of the 'Non-Accessible-Hot-Chicks' on floor!! Haa the look on the faces of men nee boys(well even ladies too... But yea so tht u get it rt the intonations there are diff :-D) as she pulls of with aplomb the dresses which would jus border on 'bOLD' ......

N look at the game of fate, Shes staring off this new journey not jus @ work but well after hving thrown outta the window a few personal baggaes thts been bogging her down....... Heres hoping that this step leads her to a new tomorrow full of happiness, promises, hope, joy and a Complete 'Home'.... Go ahead sweetheart, You are done with all the troubles in life... Now let the celebrations Begin!

Back to Basics...

2011-05-24T12:43:00.003+05:30

... @ Basic Halli!

Lets get the facts rt at the outset.. Shall we? When they say 'Basic' they mean 'Basic'(V Basic).. So if u head there expecting a village experience while still being lapped in all luxuries of the day then sorry this is the wrong place! Sample this to know what am talking... A tent with a mat, bed sheet, air pillow comprises ur living quarters, When darkness sets in the only source of light would be the camp fire or one of those strong torch lights (Keeps the insects - flies away ~~ Makes sense in a village!) n of course no Fan(Can get pretty ho in the afternoons!)

Now tht u got these 'basics' rt lets head to the more-than-basic fun u could hv.... A huge hammock(actually a strong net over a water tank) that can easily accommodate 4-5 people ~~ The best place to lull around in morning n evenings with a book in hand n let the gentle breeze from the water n the canopy of trees to put you to sleep(Bliss!)

Take a long 2 km walk (with a few Shepard's n lotta cattle for company) till u reach the pleasantest n most peaceful lake(I tell yea it redefines peace!) ~~ U can go boating on bamboo rafts or still betta take a quick dip in the clean natural waters(will beat any swimming pool1)

Take along lotta marinated meat (or veggies if u prepare) ~~ N toss up the yummiest barbecue dinner!!!!! (Well something to keep u occupied during the dark hours of evening ~~ Scroll up to top to know why its dark; Of course u always hv the backup option of huddling around the campfire n yapping away to glory!)

Pick a few 'Organic' Veggies from their backyard!

N best of all feast on the yummy yummy yummy Ragi Mudde - Upu Saaru (Trust me it will leave u licking for more!)

Of course not to forget the warm company tht only a pet can guarantee!

All this at a mere 70 kms from Blore ... A nice weekend getaway huh :-D

All pics courtesy hubbs :) (ofcourse except the ones where hes the subject)

The Depth at which a seed should be buried....

2011-05-23T13:27:00.003+05:30

.. Should be less than the diameter of the seed!

Howwzzaat for a freebie gyan! Thou the sherlock-Holmey me does wonder what should be the depth if the seed is like oval in shape???

N na before u wonder if I hv taken to gardening.. well well you couldnt hv been wronger!I got this piece of gyaan courtesy Mr. Anand of Basic Halli! Yea yea thts where I was headed to this weekend :-D. Promise to review that soon.. In the meantime hv a glimpse of the sunset clicked there... pic courtesy hubbs ofcourse!

Linking this upto Color Deckors Weekend Wrapup ~~ Go on look at what others were upto this weekend!

wHAT qUALIFUES FOr ExcLuSIVE sCreeNing?

2011-05-17T20:24:00.001+05:30

... Does a movie screening for jus two of us qualify under "Exclusive Movie Screening" ?? Don believe me? Read on...

Hubbs happened to get a voucher courtesy a frnd for free movie screening of "Men Will Be Men" @ PVR. - With it being ages we landed in a cinema hall we jumped at the chance(c'mon! its freee n with a added bonus of Pepsi-popcorn too) and landed up all excited there afraid if we were a little too late! N as we enter what do we see?? Jus another couple in the entire movie Hall(!!!! N I hv ma doubts as to their intent behind landing there.. If u still dint get it lemme give u a few liberal hints - "Privacy", "AC Hall", "Darkness" are all the key words :-D .)

So how was the movie? Well well this huge turnout is a yardstick in itself aint it :-D. Haa by the time the movie ended only we two yea jus we two braved it thru!! Exclusive aint it :-D

Weekends!

2011-05-17T15:50:00.000+05:30

A quick hop-n-stop visit to cheenai, Eating Out(Emu meat anybody), site seeing(even thou the scorching sun makes u curse urself for coming up with the damn idea!) n the best of all to discover the story teller in your FIL ~~ To see him literally do a ROFL as he entertained us with stories from his youth ~~ Priceless Memory!

BTW Does cooking up delicacies for u qualify under 'Pampering' (Me the Foodie ofcourse!)... Well well it does for me esp when the 85 year old grandma of hubbs wakes up at an unearthly hour jus to ensure that ypou don miss packing it up((even thou the practical-me says the reason behind the delicacy was to ensure no food is wasted)

N before I forget the magic of long drives ~~ the drive between banglooru n chennai is about 4 -5 hrs... Jus long enuf without sapping u out ~~ By end of the drive u r relaxed n somehow all problems in world seem surmountable!

So heres to a happy week ahead! Leaving u with a pic of the place we hopped by around cheenai ~~ Mahabalipuram.... To imagine all this been etched on a rock years ago!!

Linking this up to Colordeckors weekend wrapup!

Stories oF Life - I

2011-05-15T23:05:00.000+05:30

Once upon a time long long ago... almost a 100 years ago in a small village in Kerala lived a young girl ..... She was bought up v lovingly by her uncles as her mother had bid goodbye to this world and they(uncles) decided to take upon themselves the bringing up of this girl(Also something to do with the maternal system of Nairs in Kerala). It was one of those families on whom the fortune was then smiling bright... So the little princess would be carted on palnquins\horse carriages to the scholl everyday... But to her credit she didn't let all this pampering get into her head. Instead she went onto become one of the first graduates of her village (n possibly one of the first ladies of her generation?)!

Now soon the princess grew upto be a young lady of marriageable age.... Imagine the hue-n-cry the uncles would have raised before finding a suitable suitor for her... afterall she was their only Apple-of-the-eye! The search went on far n wide n soon they found somebody who they thot were equal to her on all respects.... a postgraduate a good century ago was a rarity and he was thus deemed the lucky one! So started the new dawn....

The prince charming was indeed Mr. Charming... A well read scholar who went onto become a financial advisor to many known personalities of Indian govt\politics, A sutradhaar of Indias Five-Year-plans... But basically a dreamer, an idealist... A dreamer for whom the daily living was immaterial.. Who deemed running the country's financial wheels more important than teaching his son to fly a kite or to bother abt his childrens schooling(It was rumooured that he dint even know which scool his chikdren went to?) ; A dreamer of a new dawn, a idealist n a staunch communist who wrote off his(n wife's) entire ancestral property to the communist party!

The princess(remember the story is abt her?) thou had little to complain abt... she was still leading quite a comfy life resting on what was then a plush, vast bungalow (Rented thou it was).....

Before I proceed further, take a min n think of what kind of lady u think she is...... A brave lady who thou has seen the best of life is now ready to fight it out for a husband n his idealism's? Or a born-with-silver-spoon(which somehow generally translates to being spoilt) and so cant-be-bothered about the economics of daily life... Somebody who is happy letting the hubbs do what he wants as long as she gets her bread-butter, a big house n all luxuries?????

Hmmm give it a thot until I come back with more on this.....

The Tuck Shop.....

2011-05-08T20:18:00.002+05:30

Imagine in a far off countryside(ok now now tht was too wide a stretch of imagination) tucked into a hole in the wall is this warm, bright, lively place..... A place where as soon as you step in you are more often than not offered tea\coffe\water.... Where the walls are painted with cheery lines, flowers, slokas.....A place where you will see a group of ladies guffawing over much cheer n banter on clothes.... Where you are encouraged to try on different clothes n are gently guided to discard the fashion disasters(Me me me!) .....A place where you can exchange you can walk in with ur dabba(filled with rice n fish curry?) n walk out with a 'fav dress' that you been eyeing for sometime.....

So go ahead guess what am I talking of? Did I hear you saying possibly a frnds place? Hmmm now what do i say? Tht you are right n wrong at the same time?

Ha cause am talking of 'The Tuck Shop'(Yea thats the name) tucked into a bylane near Varathur Lake! N nea nea theres no element of exaggeration involved in my above description! Sadly I don hv any pics to show off(except for the one from thier site)... Butt hop onto their site to hv a glimpse of the place(Thou gota say the site doesnt doesnt do any justice to the place!). Are u still wondering abt the 'dabba' part.... Ha thts the bartering system(yes yes the same one we read in our history books!), go on visit the site to know more....

Pic coutesy Tucksop.in

I will leave u with a line that greets you as soon as you step in...."Certain things catch your eye, but pursue only those that capture your heart"