The Great Indian Road Trip - 1 [Delhi- Kishengarh- Udaipur- Ahmedabad-Delhi]

The best way to learn and discover about a country is by measuring it by feet or by road. Given the love for travel and the amount of learning that it offers, me and my husband usually do a long roadtrip every year squeezing out time over the long weekends and sometime even taking official call in the car parked under tree. :)
This time around we decided to head out of Delhi not knowing which direction to take. Given the good condition of roads in Rajasthan, we headed towards Jaipur starting around mid day. Reached Kishengarh and decided to take a halt overnight in one of the 1859 havelli turned into hotel. The hotel is quite serene and beautiful and one of the few good heritage properties on the stretch. We started our day and headed towards destination Udaipur. The road to Udaipur is well constructed and usually a pleasant drive. There is a short stretch between Kishengarh and Beawar which is under construction and single lane leading to slow drive. The way onwards is quite interesting, specially the way it starts panning out into mountains and city of lakes.  The small towns on the way are basic and studded with temples and roadside economy. People are helpful in general and incase you are fond of anything coming off street. You can get all kind of things to try, freshly cut radish, peanuts, roadside chaat, rajastani dahi bade and mewar kulfi. So, don't forget to keep enjoying the real India while on your way.
There is a road stretch of about 50 odd kilometres which is drive up/into the lake city Udaipur. The serene mountains give a feel of wonder and amazement if you were really in the land of sand dunes. Local people are quite friendly and pleasing. You cover the mountain way up to reach a wonder land. We headed straight to the fateh sagar lake to see the wonderful palace right in the middle of lake. The palace is a 5 star hotel, leaving the lake's periphery for general public to enjoy. The walk around the lake takes you to some real lone and beautiful places and gives a complete 360 degree view of the beauty. Having enjoyed the serenity of the lake from a quite corner, we headed to pichola lake, a tip to city palace (from outside) and then a round around the city. We then decided to head further into Gujarat and see how the land of lakes transition kilometre by kilometre into new culture and life.
Ahmedabad touched our heart with simplicity, the city still has value for money. A visit to Sabarmati ashram and how well the river has been kept and developed is must do. It was time to give ourselves the gujarati food treat and we decided on thali buffet at sasu ji.. the food was finger licking. We took a way off to visit the Sabarmati bank and decided to start our journey backward..


A great journey, where nature transitions from sand dunes to lakes to simplicity of plains. By the end of the journey, I could only think that ours is not a nation of one culture, one caste or one king. It is the diversity , co existence and wealth of nature that makes India and on every road that we drove, every city that we passed by and every stranger that we talked to was written a story of survival and optimism. Before you head out of India, do give your own country a chance to mersmerize you, but look at it with your eyes and lens.

Delhi Food Diaries - Priya PVR

Delhi is a city of color and vibrance. It throws all kind of options to its residents to live and create memories. Some of the fondest memories of this city are around the street food or local joints which have gained their popularity by food, pricing or simplicity. We are here to explore the unknowns which suited our pocket money as students and which still suits our taste buds and want for heart to heart service and simplicity that India stands for. As my husband fondly calls it "Local Optima".
This time around we decided to dedicate our sunday evening exploring the food at Krips restaurant in Priya complex. It has the old dhaba feel and its rate card tries to keep its words with growing complexity of options and decor all around. What we were looking for was simple food - Chawal, Rajma and tandoori roti. The place stood upto to our expectation and promise. Food was simple and tasty. All in all a place worth trying. Dont forget to try the meetha pan on the entry of Priya PVR. This will be a perfect ending to a wonderful evening of youth and true Delhi experience.

The queen of mountains - Mussorie

Yep, this wasn't my first trip.. Mussorie has been a destination for summers since childhood, but this time it was with a new friend called husband.. While descending from Lansdowne, we decided to explore Uttarakhand more and hence drove to the old crowded favourite. The drive uphill is easy and hence going to mussorie is safe and quick as compared to what it used to be few years back. We decided to stay in Padmini Palace hotel in there. This is a well constructed, old victorian style hotel and has a room which is constructed on top of the valley with 3 way view from the room. The hotel has pleasing ambience and good service, the location is accessible to all the key visiting points. Some of the points i noticed about the city were, that it was too crowded and commercialised as compared to what it used to be. Positive side is that it is a place where you can spend more time as life is comfortable and you have many options to explore and spend time. Like some of the places to try good food apart from the usual street side food :P, The meeting Point - this is a very small and old roadside Tibetian eating joint. The meeting point is very tastefully decorated with wall writing, graffitti and offers limited but tasty range of tibetian food. Do try the honey- ginger tea if you happen to visit the same. A bit farther on mall is lovely omlette shop, i dont eat eggs, but my husband found it impressive. It is more about the way the small shop has evolved to be hot favourite of so many people; what really touched me was the humiltiy of the owner and his motto to make the best and purest; just like me, he dsnt eat eggs; so he really does not what what the world drools over tastes like. :)

Apart from this, mussorie has many walking trails like, camel back, kempty falls, usual walk on the mall and various restaurants including the Nirulas', Dominos and CCDs of the world. What you can not miss is the corn cob, the roadside pakodas and momos when you need a quick bite. All in all, a comfortable hill station with more than enough to do and many options for foodies. Dont look for simplicity in people and keep your eyes and ears open..

The Untouched Beauty of Uttarakhand - Lansdowne

Ever wondered what is untouched mountain beauty ?? Whats so special about simple people and not having many luxuries to indulge in.. Here is a place to explore.. Lansdowne in Uttarakhand is a millatary training area, amidst pristine hills and a very small market square with limited material life.. My husband and me decided to visit the place and booked a stay in Blue Pine resort around 5 kms before Lansdowne. We drove for around 6-7 hours from delhi and reached at the day settled in for evening. Our first reaction to the place was silent and dull, not many luxuries.. We negotiated our way to the room on hill top, initially the ascend up looked very difficult to us but we braved it and the view from room's terrace more than covered up for it.. We were amidst mountains.. We asked a question to attendant, "Surendra, yaha koi ata hai?".. "haan sahab, subah chidiya ata hai.. ".. :D He wasn't joking, he meant what he said, his simplicity touched us and we settled into the peace and purity that the place had to offfer, what added the experience was the brilliant food that came our way, neatly so, one of the best food served; not many options, but what was in menu was prepared by the recipie every bit.. Our terrace had brilliant view of the balcony and at few meters ascend one could see the snow tip. We managed to sneak out to the city, visited the market square to taste the momos and local food. We managed to make a visit to the view point, which wasnt greatly hyped about, a very small and beautiful lake where one could spend some time walking up and experiencing the city. Manage a few walking trails to view the mountain life and visit a few temples. All in all, a place to get away from city hassle, but make sure you visit it during the weekday, weekends might be different with resorts all full as the stories had it.. :)

Travels 2012 - The Turkish Delight

It was a long awaited holiday after one long year and absolutely worth the wait. This year i decided to visit Istanbul. As i stepped in the city, i could feel the culture and warmth of people. I knew i was in for a non verbal connect for next 7 days as i dint know Turkish, but something told me i will be fine. I started with figuring out my way with public transport as thats the key to any travel i do in key cities of Europe. It is through this connect that i get the real feel of people, culture and facilities in a city. I had booked a hotel in the center of the city, the famous Sultanehmet. The square which houses the hagia sophia, blue mosque and many other monuments which stand as a testimoney to harmony and strategic importance of the city which stands on two continents. Yes, this is the only city in the world to be located on two continents Europe and Asia and owns the shortest path which connects the two continents.
So, i figured out that trams and metros cover the city from all angles and also found that it is pretty much what i will need to cover my travel plan for the week. I bought the tokens and boarded the tram to my hotel. My hotel was pleasant and its being in the center helped as i could watch the beauty of the city till wee hours and could experience the tourist buzz and good food after long days of exploration. My day started with Hagia Sophia which stands splendid with its huge dome and some preserved wall and cut stone crafts. I moved on to see the topkapi palace which houses some of the rare jewels, islamic precious and thrones which i found particularly interesting. What i could not help noticing was the importance of stones, turquoise color, flower based carvings all over. This seemed to be key to turkish art and existence along with the honor of hosting one of the world's richest cuisine. The center of the city thrives on tourism with corn, local turkish bread, the doldurma( ice cream) man all running into their routine to greet and meet the strange new faces everyday. Interestingly, quite a few would not know english or any other language commonly used in europe, but this does not come in the way. My day ended with walking past a street where people will woo you to their restaurants by holding you on street and showing you the menu. Yes, the food business here is quite competitive. I finally managed to make a choice to try the mezze platter which sort of became staple for me in turkish food given that i am veg.
I went on to see blue mosque, experienced the bosophorous cruise both day and night time as i love water and sea over follwoing days. The coming days also saw me walking through the grand bazar and spice bazar which host the colorful and vibrant turkish porcelain art. It happnes to be the world's oldest shopping mall with 200 + shops. What you will find in abundance in turkey is fruits and dry fruits, this shows how food endowed is the nation with thriving farming. Not only this, if you happen to cross galata bridge you will see trail of people fishing for the restaurants serving fish by the bosophorus. This happens to be one of the must eat and must try spots for fish lovers. I also happned to visit the prince's islands which is an hour's ferry ride from Istanbul. The island boasts of culture and beauty and probably a spot to spend some time peacefully by some silent corner near the sea. This is the place where i made friends with a lady who happened to talk me through the transition of culture and modernity in turkish society, about how women here have made choices and are free to do so. This country definitely boasts or tolerance and growth in every way. May be the talk i had with this lady in island or my sign language talk with an old man by bosophorus, it all showed that poeple here have a heart larger than life and mind that looks forward. If you happen to change upon it, do not forget to taste Kampir, which is baked potato full of salad of your choice. Well, i dint know turkish, but that dint come my way.. We talked.. All my travels teach me one thing, there is something very local about every country and its people, but there is one thing which connects all, curiosity to know and find the human connect.. You will find this in abundance in Turkey.. It is absolutely lovely and one of its kind where modernity blends so well with culture.. :)

Life so far in 2012..

It was an interesting weekend, yes, a weekend after rather long time; when i explored something new. I have been neck deep into some work or other. 2012 seems to be the most unwritten year of my life so far. Dont know i like it or not, it seems i did not even have time to make that judgement. Lots of people visited London and lots of them left. I just realized i have become more and more mechanical about everything in life; i dont feel good , bad, happy, sad. I dont complain about many things and i dont resist or try to stop or change anything either. Somehow my mind has evolved to accept everything, i dont ask too many questions. I dont like too many things, i dont hate too many things, i dont want too many things either. The year so far has not got much to be talked about. I did some walks around the London city to learn about the history and culture. The poets, the architects, the authors, the plague, the fire insurance firms, the industrial town and the story behind when lion drinks, london sinks, the lovely hampstead village.. Made some good friends during the walks. I learned that world is a small place yet again, when i met some complete strangers who happned to be the post grad college mates of my grad room mate and how one connection led to other. :) I tried some good food: Must try: Turkish coffee and nice ambience -- Kahve Dunyasi, La pain Quotidien - I love the ambience and woody look, maroush on edware road, Manna for sunday roast and chef's special salad, la parel for mexican, chai roti for good indian food and ofcourse my fav boba milk near shaftesbury avenue.. there were revists to wales, burmingum and a short trip to leicester.. i watched my first opera in royal albert hall ( i dint like it much, its artistic but boring), and flamingo dance in stadler wells, which was good, then also a show on royal symphony orchestra in barbican center which was good.. but no, i have not managed to go to turkey and norway yet, this is on my priority list for the year. I dont know if i like 2012 so much.. It did not start so well and summers are not as bright.. PS: i dont even feel like writing anymore..

Confessions of a shopaholic.. :P

Yep, this is not essentially something which will help me get rid of my guilt, but nevertheless i need to give it a go somewhere. So, i am a proud owner of some of the nicest dresses in London. Why? I dont know, i liked them. How? i have no idea, i just thought they looked good and i should wear them sometime , someday; so why not buy them and squeeze into my almirah.. With whom?? I havent figured out yet, but may be dinner with special friends where i will have to force everyone to come well dressed, so that i could dress up.. But the fact of life is, i love them.. i have worn them 20 times since morning and am happy to wear and show them to anyone who asks me to do so.. :P
One of the dresses is black in color and other is red from neck to knee.. and then there is another black print frock which is out of the world simple and beautiful.. apart from this i also have a net top and a black JC frock which i thought i would return, only to be stopped by a friend, "No, this is too good, just keep it.." "Ok, if this is meant for me, it cant go anywhere.. :P".. havent checked my bank balance yet, but then i dont want to; those numbers dont mean a thing to me, these colors mean so much to me.. i dont even want to keep them in my almirah, i am going to have them all around me so that i could wake up from my sleep and see them.. :) I will also have to buy a red shoe else i can not wear the red dress.. some more tasks at hand before i reach there.. :)

Thank you God for giving me all these clothes today.. I know that not always can you buy what you like and you need to put a limit to everything.. I just wanted to do it today and i think i will stay low profile for next 6 months..

F.R.I.E.N.D.S

Dear Blog,

Guess what? This is the year when three of us best of friends are together in London.. So, we had this long discussion on how life has been, i had very little to contribute (i guess out of sight is out of mind stands so true for me); according to Nimbz, i have bad memory and i dont remember anything about life so i keep smiling and looking at all of them while they speak; as per him nothing about me has changed, which he finds disturbing :).. Nimbz has all the series of Tom and Jerry and Friends , hence i become useless once i enter his home, i dont look at anyone and talk to anyone.. he has a karaoke kit too and we sang some 20 songs, in the worst of our voices, loudest of all.. But then Nimbz is a star, he can not get as bad with his singing as we all can, he sang his fav song with guitar and i was reminded of the most amazing lyrics from UB4.. it was an amazing day with so much fun.. Thank You God for this life, you are my favourite!.. :) Also, i have an amazing secret santa gift.. It is an ipod Nano blue in color.. I think i know who my Santa is :).. I had decided to punish myself for leaving overcoats, sandals and ipod on airport by not buying me replacement for an year (2011 has 2 jackets, one ipod and 2 pairs of shoes to its credit lost on airport)..I think my Santa knew that running without an ipod is so much of a task, so i have a new one which i have setup for myself (No one says no when Santa gives you something :P).. yey! I love christmas, its not only boring parties, it is also gifts.. Ok, i am not only taking gifts, i am being a good girl, i am also giving everyone gifts.. :)

For memory, the good lyrics.. :)
Wise men say only fools rush in
But I can't help falling in love with you
Shall I stay
Would it be a sin
If I can't help falling in love with you

Like a river flows surely to the sea
Darling so it goes
Some things are meant to be
Take my hand, take my whole life too
For I can't help falling in love with you


Your Truly

Changing moods of life..

It was a normal weekend.. i was happy and tending to do lots of things, but not doing anything.. Got a call from one of my friends from college.. I had not met her in last one and a half years.. There are so many people i have just not found time to meet, but i have been in touch with her on call.. As i picked up the call, i heard a very heavy voice on the other end.. there was something wrong, she never cries.. As useless as i am in such situations, i could not ask her what was wrong, i could only use some lame words like things will be fine, whatever it is.. I have no clue why, but i cant ask anyone anything, i just dont find it important to make someone revisit something painful for my quest for information.. We stayed on call for half an hour, till she felt better.. i asked her if she would like to go home for some days, to which she agreed.. After sorting the tickets, i decided to visit her in person to hand over her tickets.. I had never seen her so sad in the time that i had known her; she is just not one of those people who get sad for no reason.. again, as useless as i am, i did not know what to ask.. i stared at doors, windows, looked at her, asked her if she would like to come out for coffee.. but her silence did not break.. She asked me if she could hug me to which i said yes.. again, i did not know what to ask, how to comfort her..
While i dont know what happened, i just know that it felt very heavy to see someone as happy as her sad.. everything within me sank, i felt so helpless with all my presence, i could not have changed anything for her.. I just know that such dormancy and sadness sets in when one loses hopes in life.. expectations, attachments and hopes can shatter people and that is why i hate them.. i just know that anything that kills spirit and smile is not worthy of tears; it needs to be thrown in dust bin without regrets and any further emotional investment.. I so hate broken spirits, i think its fine to loose, win, break bones, but worst is when something breaks your spirit to live and find meaning in life.. For now, i just pray to God that i see the same lovely smile and life back in her, it hurts to see broken spirit; it just makes me realize the vanity in human existence..

Neemrana fort to Reading..

I always believe that we come across people for a reason, there is some connect.. This was one of the evenings when i was coming back from Reading.. There was a very interesting counter right in the middle of station with some offers around paint ball.. I am usually in hurry and hence tend to completely ignore anything around me.. But for some strange reason, i just stood on the counter and started talking to the guy who explained me about the scheme and where all can i avail the offer etc.. Suddenly he said in hindi," achaa hai, lei lo".. I was all smiles and where did you learn such perfect hindi from?? "well i was in India for sometime.. i ahve been to Rajasthan.."" Where in India are you from?".. I was born in jaipur and then ofcourse many cities.. ""Well well, have you been to Neemrana fort?? Have you seen the zipping that they have?? I set it up, i trained Hari on it, he now runs it".. "ofcourse, i have been to neemrana and i know zipping and the guy who ran it then".. its scary but good fun, its quite popular.. :D
We guys had this long discussion on how much he liked India, how he missed Hari who seemed to have settled in his heart, on the simplicity and love that India showered on him and how it changed him completely as a person.. In a very emotional tone, he told me that i was very lucky to be born in such a country, where people are simple, loving and nice; that he probably discovered family , love and affection in the innocence with which people welcomed him and made him feel at home in India.. I nodded my head in affirmation, i know that i am lucky to be born in India and i am very proud of the fact that i am an Indian.. there are many things which need to change and get better; it has its imperfections, but it has basics in place..
I had to move now, and his last words left me very touched.. Hari told me that i will see India everywhere , no matter where i go, i will feel the connect; i guess that is why Neemrana Fort to Reading i never thought i will find someone who has seen both places and can connect the dots for me.. Indeed, i never thought i will also meet someone who setup zipping in Nimrana in Reading.. :)

A winter evening..

It was a colder than usual day.. I was too cold sitting in office, all that i wanted was to get inside my cosy blanket and sleep.. I wrapped up my work and walked towards home.. An old Indian couple travelled with me all the way from canary wharf to central london.. there is some sense of familiarity, may be in the skin tone, or oneness that we have due to similar roots.. they asked me if i could ensure that they get down at the right station.. they looked lost and nervous.. i started to talk.. So, uncle, is this your first trip to London? yes beta.. and then i could see the pride on their face.. "our son works here, he is big now, he has been calling us since many years, but i was too busy, this time he did not agree so we decided to come down.. he is very busy, so he cant take us around, but he has told us everything, its just that it gets dark too early so i thought if you could guide us.." "its fine uncle, i can find my way in London, so this is doable.."
And then uncle asked me about what do i do.. i had an interesting story to tell around work that i do( wonder where do i get it from?).. then came a rather sweet question.. "dont you feel scared staying so far away from home?" i thought for a while.. " No uncle, there is nothing to be scared of.. i dont remember any fears of survival being on my mind.. there is wierd sense of satisfaction in struggling and learning that, come what may, you will survive and God willing thrive.. :)" uncle had some more questions on London and western lifestyle and then unlike me, i managed to find way for them in one go.. uncle insisted that i have a cup of coffee with them.. as i gathered my stuff to walk out, uncle and aunty put their hands on my head very lovingly and said that your parents must be very proud of you..
i was taken aback by the moment.. there was something very unique about my dad, he was always very proud of us; he dint need reason for it.. whether we stood bottom in class ( i did , my KG report cards are scary:)), stood last in painting, did nothing.. he was always proud.. there was this unconditional love, faith and trust; no matter who you are, what you do, where you go, i will always have confidence that you will survive it.. sometimes well, sometimes may be not that well, but you will live it and most importantly not regret it.. i dont think end result really mattered to him, it was always about the journey and the spirit with which one went past it.. he would have never asked me "are you scared of anything?" he never did.. he would rather say, go and explore if you fall, call me :), but dont hold yourself.. Its one life, live in the moment; as long you dont hurt others, you have every right to live..

With lots of thoughts on my mind, i bid good bye and travelled back to a good night sleep.. From finding way to showing way, it must have been quite an experience, though beauty about life is, when you are in it, you dont know it.. :)

Happy Children..

It was a normal day after a hectic week.. I just closed my eyes after end to end calls to gather myself back and dont know why, a thought hit me in my head; something told me i will be rich and successful.. i have no clue why that came to my mind, but it did and something tells me i have always known it, never wanted it, but headed towards it with complete calm and i will get there.. i freaked out with my closed eyes.. this is precisely what i dreaded, all the while life was conspiring for this.. but why? why will this happen and what is the purpose of this life.. some memories flashed infront of my eyes.. it took me to some of the worst aspects of life which left me shaken.. my visit to orphanage in Bangalore where kids did not know what being loved means, they ofcourse dont miss it, coz they dont know what it is.. the innocence in the eyes of 8 year old newspaper seller on new year night who was happy to see so many lights and people on street at night, happy to sell newspapers, he obviously did not know what childhood means.. it kept on getting complicated by every minute when i opened my eyes.. i packed my bags and headed to home, i was not at peace, something was wrong in the day.. there was conflict in my mind on what i was trying to achieve and what i needed to accomplish.. they are not disconnected, one is needed for other.. but i need to find the other and leverage first to make progress..

i have always felt passionately about "happy childhood" being a fundamental right to be granted to all.. i feel its the moral responsibility of human race to let every life live and enjoy its innocence till he is prepared to take on the big bad world.. nothing hurts me more than seeing a child who is hungry, not warm and working or someone who matures at that age to know what does not work.. i feel it is unfair to kill the hopes and foundation of life in someone who can not fight it back.. child needs to be a child and we as grown ups need to ensure that it is protected.. we need to give them all standard growth platform and bring them to a racing track from where they take off and create their space..for every happy child that is in home, we need to make sure that there is another who gets his childhood back and gets to live and grow exactly similar way.. unfortunately, i dont know the way today, i never knew the way to anything but i do manage to find way once i know the destination..
for now friends, i know we all are rich and successful enough to read out a story to a sad child,make his new year special,fund his nutrition and diet for an year, ensure an year's education for a child and reaffirm his hope in life and the fact that God did not do injustice to his life when he was helpless and innocent to build it for himself.. do make that extra effort to be successful in making this world a better place..

Aberdeen

It is a lovely small town near north sea in Scotland. I happened to travel the same for work; this was a day trip. As any Scottish city, this too had highlandish roads, stone houses and high roofs and lively people (few that i met for sure :))..
While coming back taxi driver told me that this is one of the rich cities in England, as this is dominated by O&G.. he proudly mentioned that these firms do not impact the environment and have contributed to prosperity of the city.. Though he did mention that at some point Shipping and Fishing used to be the major driver of their economies which accoridng to him were more sustainable, but since the onset of oil exploration, these industries have moved their base.. All in all, an interesting day.. :)

The Saturday Night Adventure..

One of those days in life when every trial is just perfect. Me and Kady decided to spend a saturday having "fun". And trust me Kady is fun woman, so she can make it happen. So, we started with a movie "Ides of March".. George Clooney is hot as ever, do i have to repeat it nth time, but Ryan Gosling had beaten him in this movie, he was as impressive and hot and handsome as one can get.. The movie was engrossing, had a very gripping story line and guess what? While wearing my coat, i dropped my keys in pop corn packet.. There was a frantic search for my keys with theatre staff wondering where did it fly only to be found in pop corn packet in my hand. Such is life, we all laughed at it; happens..
Then was a wild expedition.. We decided to try aunthentic greek place called Elysee.. This has live music band that plays at night, if you wish, you could tap feet on greek music or enjoy them doing it AND if all that wasnt enough, they break plates to give it the greek feel. Loved it, it was really an experience and food was good.. We ordered some mezze and then decided to food hop and go to Enamo, this is an oriental place where you can order from your table using a projected menu.. We tried a japanese drink and some food.. Must say, this is not a place you should miss for the feel of it.. Food is not bad either.. We then decided to move to Liecester square to track the night life of London (when you stay in central, you walk there :)).. The buzzing music, pub agents all marketing their music, their crowd etc.. We decided to visit a place and the music turned out to be real good.. You know how much i love dancing and when it comes to it, i do have stamina to carry on till eternity.. :)
We reached home and decided that we will have brunch at some nice place, do a red velvet cake in hummingbird and end the day.. If you havent, you must try this small place called Lantana for burnch in Charlotte place.. There is usually no place to sit and people waiting outside, but it is every bit worth the wait.. So, yes with that ended a day of good food, good places and fun.. Lets not talk about the follow up on laundry, and other works and yes a great home cooked meal at a dear friend's place on sunday.. That was the best really, home cooked food takes away the cake; (i did not cook it, so you can be fine, someone else's home cooked meal, alright!! .. :P). Indeed, we found love in a hopeless place. :)

Yellow diamonds in the light
And we're standing side by side
As your shadow crosses mine
What it takes to come alive

It's the way I’m feeling I just can't deny
But I've gotta let it go

We found love in a hopeless place

Shine a light through an open door
Love and life I will divide
Turn away cause I need you more
Feel the heartbeat in my mind

Do we really know what being educated means.. :)

It is interesting how many graduates and post graduates our country churns out every year, but it is really sad to see that we have misunderstood the meaning of education and many of us have remained illiterate. Education does not mean adding degrees to your kitty, become proud and arrogant, make money and put to rest the case of every other existence. No, it means, humility to grow everyday, it means empathy to understand people around you and help them live and grow and it indeed means realization that you have just been one of those fortunate kids, to be born in families who could afford to give you dream and exposure to pursue, what forms the basis of your existence today. However, our education system has failed to broadly give people social mindset, it had probably given them maths, science and english. And now i kind of see why my friends who have studied far wide and have travelled tend to seem so normal to me against the ones who have always been comforted by the social edge that our nation gives.
It was an interesting evening. A friend of mine has moved to London and he decided to have a small get together. It was meant to be 5 of us close friends, but somehow one led to other and there were 20 of us :). I am not a big socialite. I am peace loving person who enjoys intelligent humour and conversation, i have kind and nice friends and we have been there for years that we have known each other, through thick and think. Crowd has never been easy for me. Only thing that comes to my rescue is that i can turn into a good listener to strangers and hence the small talk people can talk at me.. :P From that perspective it was an interesting evening. While i managed to run like a shadow behind my friend like a 2 year old child runs after her mother seeing so many unknown faces, and being a friend that he is, he ensured that he searched for me if i was not within his periphery. In one of the group conversations with majority of guys and few girls, one of the guys happened to discuss on how women blocked the seats in colleges, how they are not good enough for growth and jobs etc and as if that wasnt enough, how education is ruining their mindset and hence is a social issue. :D. I wanted to debate but, i just happened to tell him one thing, " I used to be against reservation for females in colleges etc, always thought it wasnt required. But males like you need 50% females sitting in your classroom to really give you a feel of their intelligence and capability and also make you understand that they are humans like you. Suppression is a social issue, it had to break someday for good. You will never really be literate and educated till you go through that. You will just be an insensitive idiot making money because he knows maths, science and english, you are not a human..".. And even better was what my friend told, " All that i learned through my educational years was power that diversity brings in.. Unique perspective that girls bring to table, that different people from different geos bring in and the fact that underneath we are all human, we all want to be happy, dream, feel good about our existence.. the social issue in India is the fact that you graduated with 2 girls in your classroom never thinking why only 2 and what does it feel like to be 2 in a class of 40.. what is really going wrong here is that your colleges dont churn out leaders, they add a layer of english to engineers and analysts.. as an alum you should ask for better female ratios in colleges and also understand them more to leverage their strength in making team work effective.."
It is interesting sometimes to know what people think. :) I used to think we all are equal, but i think i am just fortunate to have friends and family who have been educated in real sense. And while i was sitting in one corner and thinking why so much hatred for women and a constant attempt to push them down? My friend, who always finds me no matter which corner i hide in :), came and said, " you know, had it not been for girls and their brains in this world, there would not have been so many colors, designs, dishes, creativity and life.. they do well, no matter whatever be the challenges.. and on top of all that, they are , balanced, sweet and nice too.. ".. Me, "right and had it not been for guys who would have admired colors, designs, watched the same cricket match 10 times and make unbalanced decisions and take high risks to bring the economy where it is today.." ..We both laughed at the whole incident and decided that some fools learn it hard way.. :D

Noni Junior

Dear Blog,

Noni Junior was born on 14th Nov 2011. I do not want him to complain that his birth date was not mentioned here just because his bua was busy :). A naughty one with 6 fingers again; Noni senior too has six fingers; there will be no fights, everything is equal. I so want to fly down and hold him, but i guess with no leaves with me, i will see how long can i be practical and understand. Everything about him right now is too small and dependent, i guess that is how we all were. He does not have a name, but ideally we would like to name him Golu Matolu provided he does not kill Noni senior and his bua when he grows up for their creativity and complete lack of worldly sense.. :P Noni senior is excited that someday this little bundle of joy will convert into a full fledged cricket partner for him. His parents are worried about his late nights and his liking to be treated well in cozy lap than be left in cots. He liked his dadi, she thinks he is just perfect. As for his bua, both Noni 1 and Noni 2 lead the list of my fav little boys in this world and ya its perfectly fine to stay awake, expect luxuries, be considered perfect by Dadi, plan to be spoilt and demanding with bua; you indeed are the bundles of joy and we all thank you for being you. :)

Yours Truly

The Kathi Roll company.. :)

This is must try place for all Indians in London.. I still remember deep craving for some good food(read spices and hot meal) in London when Sanzz took me to this small lil shop in oxford street.. Those were first few days in London and i used to miss everything.. In the neck deep work, i had survived on sandwiches for a week.. So, with tears in my eyes, home on my mind and food to be the only practical solution to my rescue, i called my childhood friend, "Yaar, mujhe ghar jana hai. :P (nth time in one week, wonder from where do real friends get the tolerance:))".. "Hmm, how about dinner at a good place and then let us see if you want to go home?".. "Ya, i need food too, i am starving, i did not choose to be a model, i chose to eat and be merry, life is not heading in right direction..".. "Alright, we fix the starving problem and ething else after that?".. Yep..
So, we sat with a list of places to eat in and finally decided to relive some desi moments by visiting this small shop in street.. The ambience reminded me of college days, there was nothing fancy about it, my friend offered to choose best roll in the place for me and i trusted.. This place serves roti rolls with veg and non veg fillings.. wait, thats not the best part, they serve it with green chutney which is like a treat in the otherwise bland country.. Rest is history.. With every bite of roll, issues in my life started getting solved.. after 2 rolls life seemed to be ok and full ..:P
this has been one of my fav places to eat in since then, i can say once in a week is not really a lot.. the food here is simple AND TASTY, menu is minimal, people on counter are very friendly and its as rugged as it can get to let you be and not get killed with sophistication.. Yeah, you can laugh, talk, there is background music which gives it college canteen feel.. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.. There aren't many aunthentic Indian tasting places in London.. this one is a must try.. it can solve many issues at hand in your life with just one roll and no i am not paid for advertising for them, there are many like me who will endorse them.. :)

The Reading Diaries..

So, i work for Energy Majors and life at that end is very different, its away from world, but very close to nature.. One of my usual visits these days is to a river side town Reading which head quarters some IT giants and then energy giants too.. I like travelling and this indeed is teaching me a lot.. :)
So, from day 1 of figuring out my way, to finding out my favs on the usual track is a journey i covered in last few days.. It was my first trip and i noticed that Thames Valley Park has lush green meadows with river running behind.. I was out of a meeting, day was almost ending and i wanted to open my shoes, walk on the grass, sit by river side and do nothing.. BUT, i told myself, control, understand that work day is over but this is still near office, what if someone recognizes you and thinks you are mad.. i queued, waiting for a taxi to pass by.. boom, there came two teenagers with a lovely dog.. "Excuse me! Do you know how to reach the meadows, and that river?".. "Ya, you cross the road and walk for few minutes, its right there.. Can i also come??" (Yours truly, i dont have very strong mind when it comes to such things:)).. So, me, two teenies and a dog.. we went to the river side, had a long walk and talk, till one of them asked me, where do you come from?? Oops, London, i need to take a train back.. interesting day; i loved every moment of it.. I decided that i needed to stay in a small town and also buy a cute dog at some later stage in life.. Lesson learnt part 1...
Today was another day.. While coming back from Reading last evening, i saw a little ice cream shop which intrigued me everytime i passed by.. i wanted to have an ice cream to come out of hectic last week which had left me sleepless.. i wanted, so i did get in.. the shop was beautiful, had candies, cholocates, lovely pastries and a small counter for ice creams.. the counter boy was cute and smiley, he helped me choose the ice cream i loved and i walked out.. Today, i remembered at 3 PM, that i had nothing to eat since morning.. i got dragged to the same shop.. as i stood on the counter waiting for my soup and sandwich, the lady on the counter asked, " what do you do?".. i do blah blah blah.. She cuts me short, "do you like it?".. yes, why do you ask that?? Well, i had a big business and i was lucky to be able to sell everything and open a chocolate and ice cream shop where i love all of my customers and i love the sandwich that i will make for you now, you know i love my job.. And i felt like asking this to you, coz the way you looked at my chocolates and ice creams, i thought you will own a shop like this one day.. :).. I smiled with no words; i did look at her shop with admiration a day back, it looked so made with own hands, small and beautiful.. i did think for a moment that i wish i had a shop like that..

Sure, may be someday lovely lady and i know i met you for a reason today, i believe in destiny :).. At one end there are meetings and numbers, at other there is simplicity, nature and contentment.. i find both in one destination.. :)

My Summer Travels..

This is just a listing for my memory, but i do need to spend some more time over the long weekend to fill you on the most exotic of places in Europe.. Ladies and Gentleman, you take my words, Europe is bestowed with beauty by God and for all the fairness he is expected to shower, he did get biased here.. :)
So, it was 15 days, 7 countries, 3 different weather, atleast 8 different delicacies and lots of learnings and experience.. To the person who taught me the best thing ever, "Remember, its only money. It is meant to be exchanged for goods, so just go live.. " and to the quote i will never forget, " There are no strangers in this world, its only friends, we havent met.".. Those were some moments lived.. :)

So, here is my list of countries and my quick one lines:
- Belgium - Umm Chocolates
- Netherlands ( Its cute and one of the few lands where sea is higher than land, go figure out how:)) - As much as Amsterdam is fun for adults, rest of Netherlands is fairy tale for kids, with cheese, clogs and windmills..
- Germany - This is a hi tech country with river Rhine and Alps adding the dash of beauty ( Oops, did i say beauty with brains.. :))
- Switzerland - This is heavenly.. Did you know that Swiss don't fight for anyone but themselves.. They stay neutral in wars.. Is UN established for that??
- Rome - Vatican is as rich and Royal as any religious place can get..
- Venice - Cute! Like this merchant town.. Mysterious is the feel..
- Italy - Being an Indian, i just feel at home.. :P
- France - Class!! Style, food, wine and fashion.. And the city is beautiful, no one can take that away..
- Austria - Small, green and peaceful.. I would want to spend sometime just in Austria..
- Leicistan ( Aah , i dont remember the spelling, but this is the smalled country in Europe or may be competes with Rome:))
- Additional places in UK - Leeds, Dover, Canterbury, (Again) Isle of Whites, Stonehenge, Bath (recommend)

The snow at Mt Titlis, the waterfall inside the swiss mountains, the feel of venice, the grandeur of colossus, the austrain shimmer; everything just fills me with memories and peace.. I think i always feel that travelling adds a lot of perspective, tolerance and truly global mindset in people.. I got to see how borders change the look of land and everything associated with it.. Culture and people are accepted differences and i wonder if world can ever be truly global.. what i also learned was that there is huge element of local flavor to retailing and food in large part of europe.. what runs in UK is very different from what a country like Germany or France adopts.. under every similarity, there is a difference which is nurtured by years of learning and experience.. Value is in local innovation and doing something which appeals to the human soul of the land in question.. what i really liked about europe was that they have preserved and marketed their specialities well.. This is something Indian tourism cam dwell on.. The kind of geographical diversity and hence the culture and stories that India has to offer is unique in this world.. if India had the talent, infra and investment to market it well, it probably would have been the best one stop shop for a tourist.. There is a lot to learn, and do in this sector..

The european holiday was followed by a business trip to vegas again.. no, its not beautiful, its rich and grand and fun.. thats america for you.. if we dont have it, we will create it and live happily ever after.. :D

Learnings in life!!

It is amazing how less we know about ourselves. And how end up losing to ourselves some of the unkown battles of life.. This is about an experience i had few months back.. i went for a buffet with some friends.. laughing and chatting on some things which mattered and some that dint.. there was a debate on what is that unavoidable quality in someone we really like.. no one knows.. so, there were some generic answers that came out.. on smartness, intelligence, compassion.. blah blah.. and then i happned to get up to take a second serving ( hungry as ever, yours truly:)).. i did not notice who was infront of me, i simply queued.. suddenly, a very kind looking and caring face turned towards me, you seem to be hungry?? i smiled, i said yes; had a long day.. and to the best gesture that anyone had ever done to me in last 10 years, the person turned and said how about me helping you choose the dishes that are good and also filling your plate along with mine.. i could not say anything, i followed silently.. i dont know what followed in my plate as my head was simply nodding, my mind was thinking how as a child i used to be chatter box and had it not been for papa consciously putting something in my plate, i would have filled my stomach with talks every night.. :) like everything else, this had to end, so it ended and i came back to my world with a plate full of best food..
it was my turn to talk, and God had told me the answer which i never thought was really my answer few minutes back.. i shouted: kindness, ability to think of others just the way you think for yourself and sometimes understanding that there is some other self who needs to take your thrill moment because his or her happiness will just add to yours.. the sexiest thing in life my dear friends, is a beautiful mind which shows in the patience in your voice, in the cure of your touch and your ability to drive your intelligence to bring out the best in everything around you.. i really had a plate full of best food and it had an effect which 1000 words could have never had on me.. :)