The Summer story!

The two weeks we were in hyd last month seemed almost a nightmare what with the increasing mercury levels and no AC to beat the bloody heat!

Rewind to a few year, na makes it a good 2 decades(man! am getting old) ~~ AC was a unimaginable luxury ~~Even the monstrous water cooler we had was a prized possession then! But but summers is where the best memories of my childhood are ~~ The long summer vacation spent at Kerala was jus the topping on the cake!

The house we were living in hyd then ~~ A "Match-Box" size apartment it was but the one luxury we had was bigger-than-the-bedroom open-air balcony n a huge terrace almost to ourselves. By late afternoons thou the balcony would be as good as live-burning-coals! Remember this was summers which meant water shortage which would mean lugging buckets of water to our first floor house(elevators at homes werent really heard of then!) ~~ Despite that  come evening, the entire balcony is doused with buckets of water . The pleasure of sitting down in the balcony post this "water treatment" and catching up over evening tea as the cold evening air caress our faces ~~ Luxury! I hv quite a few memories of last minute cramming up for my exam siting right on that balcony.....

As night creeps in, there would be more-often-than-not a tussle for the prized-position under the water cooler. So one fine evening it was decided to ditch the cooler and mats were laid down back-back on the balcony with a few pillows popped in! Now imagine, A groups of cousin lying down next to each other, looking up to a sky full of stars n telling stories of far far away places...............

Indeed Old is gold!

Linking this to ABC Wednesday (O is for "Old is Gold")

While I do not have any pics of hyd to share what I could instead show you is a old pic of hubbs from his childhood days(the child on extreme left).. doesnt he look like a sweetheart here or is it a biased wife speaking :)

Happy Vishu!

N heres a glimpse of our 'Vishu Kani'!If you want to know more about 'Vishu Kani' ~~ Jump over to this link ~~ it does describe in detail abt Vishu and what a 'Vishnu Kani' is typically adorned with!

Two interesting observations abt 'Vishu Kani'

>> 'Vishu' is also the 'Harvest Festival' of Kerala ~~ so obviously the 'Vishu Kani' will be brimming with the 'produces' from the fields. So in keeping with the tradition(Thou I live in a concrete Jungle far far away from the fields), the urli even today is filled upto the brim with all kinds of veggies n fruits(K I know oranges n grapes arent really found in kerala!) but jus that instead of picking them from the field one pays thru the nose (Anybody wanna guess how much that half dried up jack fruit costs in B'lore market!)

The Yellow flowers that you will see v. generously scattered around(look around the small mirror to the Right hand side of the pic) is locally called 'Konna'. Now I dono whats the significance of this flower in 'Vishu Kani' ~~ but many hardcore mallus will tell u that 'vishu Kani' is incomplete without a bunch of 'Konna'. I did try googling up to find the reason but dint find any except that its the 'State Flower of Kerala'(!) This again surprises me as I have hardly seen it growing in bunches anywhere in kerala and (beat this) if it werent for the hue-n-cry made on Vishu day, I wouldnt even know that this flower exists! Somebody help me iwth this story plz?

Linking this to abc Wednesday N is for New Year(n Vishu is New Year in Malayalam calendar)

MileStone Alert!

Well am almost a month late in ringing in the 'good news'(:-P) The hubbs finished his project 365 ~~ Indeed a 'Milstone' am glad he achieved! Heres a pic he clicked. N the reason for this particular pick is cause this is what is on top of my mind now-a-days... A lotta childhood memories!


Now back to our milestone, whats with hubbs that he will make me rue abt everything I prod him into! Take this photography hobby for instance ~~ he got into this post some 'not-so-gentle' pushes from yours truly but soon took to it like a 'fish-to-water'. But haaa ~~ jus as ma smirk was getting obvious, he goes a step ahead n devotes all his free-time into 'shoot-process-upload' routine day-in n day-out! N if he is left with any xtra time its devoted to 'Upskilling' these 'Shooting' skills so much so that one day I caught him sneaking in his camera manual into the loo~~ sob sob sob!

Linking this to ABC Wednesday (M is for Milestones)

Best In Travel: Top 10 cities for 2012!

Have you this list from Lonely Planet of top10 cities to visit in 2012? Now this publication is one I had held in good esteem ~~ but this list did disappoint me!

C'mon, you must be kidding when u say B'lore figures in top 3 "Best In Travel" cities of the world. I hv been living in this city for nearly 5 years no n thou that doesnt classify me yet as a "Banglorean", I literally fiddle ma fingers trying to figure where do I take my random guests around in B'lore? Lalbagh, Banergatta National Park, ISKCON Temple? None of this is close to impressive esp for a veteran traveller(even my mom who hasn't stepped out of India refused to be impressed with any of this!).

But again for lonely planet to pick this place, there should be something abt it rt ~~ so am I missing out on something v obvious! So I read and re-read the reason quoted for choosing B'lore.. here is a decko of the same....

"The undisputed Elvis of South Asian megacities, Bengaluru is in a class of its own when it comes to redefining flamboyance. Perpetually drunk on the good life, this South Indian metropolis packs in the best brews, the scrummiest cuisines, and the liveliest arts and music scene, not to mention the hippest population you could hang out with. This year, evenings in the ‘capital of cool’ are poised to get even more intoxicating. And if the maddening traffic has always been your concern, take heart: Bengaluru’s new high-speed Metro network now ensures that your favourite watering hole is easier to reach than ever. There’s only one thing you could say to that: ‘Chill maadi!’"

:-/. Yea all this makes it a nice place to live in or a great place for a transit. But if am a globe trotter will I want to travel half way thru the world to experience jus ‘capital of cool’! Na am jus not impressed!!


PS: This is a post thats been on draft for ages n dono why it dint see the light. Anyways today is as good day as any to publish this esp as it comes with a double bonanza of tagging it to ABC Wednesday(http://abcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.in/) - L is for Lalbagh\lonely plannet

No Shave ~~ No Lipstick!

I dono if you seen this ad by Gillete - "No Shave, No Lipstick" ~~ But this rt there in the front page did grab my attention.

"Err" I went! Forget about hubbs shaving, Me using lipstick is like once-in-a-blue-Moon phenomenon! Yea, on a good day I try n dab some lip balm on(if its somewhere handy!) but lipstick! N God-Save-me  but the thot that stuck me is ~~ given this wide spread participation by women  does my not dabbing in lipstick translate to poor grooming! Ha good sense prevailed soon thou.....

Now as for shaving ~~ Yea I think my man looks office (wise) handsome when he is clean shaven but yea nothing like a day old(only!) stubble against ma body to make me go purrrrrr :-p.


So Mr. Gillete, did you take a leaf out of our bollywood heroes who seem to believe that negative publicity is the sure shot route to fame!

@Kulgi Nature Camp

Imagine staying in a wooden cottage tucked in the forest outskirts relishing food of your choice as you listen to the forest chirping (a far far cry from the honks of city) all this without burning a hole in your pocket... Then don think twice, jus go onto Kulgi Nature camp, Dandeli!

Now lets get a few facts right... This is not one of your regular jungle lodges, there are no usual 'Jungle trappings' here (n well u pay less than half the jungle lodge rates), No booze 'officially' allowed......

To book accommodation here thou is wee bit of pain at the wrong place.. U need to go to Dandeli city-center, reach one of the forest dept offices and pay them via cash\DD... So well u better reach during their 'Working Hours'!

N yeap it’s no exaggeration when I said 'Food of your choice'... Cause u allowed to carry any non-veg of your choice and the cooks there will cook it for you... Give them a free-hand in cooking n you will get truly the best ever finger-licking good local food!

The cottages are GREAT (Expensive than the tent but worth it... Ofcourse I havent stayed in those tents, so maybe am jus biased!) and the staff more than helpful!


So if u wana come back n relax at Dandeli after a morning of trek n river-raft then this definitely a good bet!
 
Linking this to ABC Wednesday(K is for Kulgi)
 
PS: This is something I had posted over at Tripadvisor a few months ago, but something I never got around to posting here. BTW Tripadvsior has been my fool-proof hol guide until date!

Two Weeks....

.... s at the home you bought up in  has this humbling effect on you rt... it kinda rips off all airs that you have around you and all that you are left with is a craving to go back to those good old days when being daddys gal was the sure shot solution for every malady in life! Haaaa.....

Probably cause this was the longest time I spent there in the last 5 years and 2 weeks is enuf time to look back and reflect on all those growing up days.  Indeed its this reflection that makes makes u realize that all is left of those days is memories and well things would never be the same again.

Esp when  ma litt sis is on threshold of taking a huge leap in her life, this trip bought back all those bitter sweet memories ~~ of the daily cat fights that would often boil over to physical fights but again at blink of eye we stand united on the face of a mom breathing down our necks, of the first crushes, of the teeny-weeny thing who would climb up the balcony grill to chat up with the neighbors, of the not-so-little b'day gal who gobbles up the entire box of chocs sharing it with jus her best frnds(ignoring he rest), of the most consistent winner of the 'Most talkative kid', of 'the tantrum queen', of the gal who would be walking off in the opp direction even as the   rest of the school kids would be walking in the direction of the school (and would then want us to believe that the school has declared a hol), who would sneak away the stick from her teachers desk every other day(!).

Indeed time flies....

A Jewish Synagogue in Kerala and her stories.....

Clicked @ the Jewish Synagogue in Fort Kochi. This synagogue was built in 5th or 6th century and is supposedly one of the oldest ones across the world! Isnt it interesting that in the heart of Kerala, there still resides a thriving Jewish community settled there for centures together! You could read more about the Synagogue here.

Now thriving is a exaggeration cause most of them have moved over to Israel and other greener patches ~~ So all thats left there today  is a handful of people(The count doesnt exceed 10). While googling up about this place ~~Here is a interesting snippet I came across about the ticket seller of the synagogue! She is the youngest of the lot there(and is almost hitting 40) and  her refusal to marry the only eligible Jewish bachelors in Kochi (who happen to be her cousins) will bring this community to extinction in few decades.

Makes me wonder, if I were in her place ~~ Would I agree to marry a Man-not-of-my-choice jus cause thts the only way to keep a 2000+ old tradition alive?

Linking this to ABC Wednesday ( J is for Jewish Synagogue)

Intricate Designs of Life!

Mehendi - Henna this intricate is for me synoymous with 'Good Times'... Marriage, Festival is bound to be around the corner :-)

Well the day is a long one n has still not got over :(.  But wanted to do a quick pop in as I dint wana break this ABC chain .....
Linking this to ABC Wednesday (I is for Intricate)

Happy Womens Day!

Each day is different;
You wake up hoping a few of the responsibilities would be less. But you face them, nevertheless.
You smile when you much rather wouldn’t and entertain when all you want is some quiet space.
You know what independence means to you and yet, love to rest that head on the shoulder of someone you love.
Today is going to be no different from any other day. And as the world ‘celebrates’ International Women’s Day, perhaps an odd rose, a few wishes and a party in the evening await you, you continue with your daily routine, grumbling occasionally, but rarely failing.


That’s what makes you special — today and every day. Happy Women’s Day.

(Lines copied from DNA After Hrs. Luved the lines and but ofcourse had to share them! )