Real and Virtual

Its Mid August and no postings.Last I had was on 9th July.. just saw(I mean really sawww) the dates today..Long hiatus guess..

Independence day is near..How does that make u feel..I don't know I feel nothing from inside u know I mean like when something means to you in real sense.Might be I am not patriotic enough or something..Yeah I love those AR Rehman new releases every 15th ,get goosebumps when i see flashes of our freedom fighting pictured all over channels I can be feel very proud when I hear out anthem from a distance every time recited in one or the other school functions..I even recite it with them but that's a momentary feeling ain't it what after this?? I mean its more of a festival feeling(ain't that how I believe many of us treat it)..Might be its before my era that I can never fathom things as they shd be but yeah I am thankful that I can do what I want,go where I want and live like I want..So Thanks INDIA and all those who gave us his all..and I am proud to be here.

Got XBox 360(gaming thing) recently..and its yummy.I love the car racing game.Somehow I can never take turns in one go..My car goes totally in reverse after a huge bump..Once derailed,after that I can't even go straight and its a humpty dumpty ride after that..One bump on right,another on the left Sounds funny..It makes me really laugh..But yeah now after a few days of gaming its little improved I do get hit still but at least can go forward and complete the race
:-)

Went on a drive this Sunday..Roads were as neat and weather nice..And I realized I missed the roads..Must give this to TN
they have really maintained their roads well and just stretch back to Karnataka u need to even go 1 km to see the difference..There is broken road as soon as u enter karnataka welcoming you:-)

went to reliance plaza for a breakfast of dosas..Nothing extraordinary as in food but a nice concept..Decent sitting area, food(little less than decent I wld say but ok),freshning up options and petrol, all at one place..

Drive was interesting.. I was comparing the car steering to my gaming ways..I mean I cld really see turns and say ohh on this turn I wld get hit in my game and here in real world my car steering worked just the right way.(Must say Thank god for it working right way lol).So that's what u call mixing up the real and virtual worlds..
Noticed quite nice back truck quotes on the way..Loved this one
the way daboo choudhary has declared himself "Chora Jaat ka" Funny gave me a good laugh and I patted myself on clicking it so nicely I mean both we and truck were moving at 100 kmph..I am still smiling on this one.

Ready to go home after a gap of nearly one year..and this one is a real longg trip..yeah I do not remember when last I had gone for 9 days end to end..

Am reading Stephen King nowadays..whenever I used to say his name I always got an image of guy on wheelchair with some life support system.But then on the back of novel there was a different person looking at me.Well some days back figured out why I have this image..Stephen Haw"King" is what I thought of , now tell me with such similaritites in name how am I to blame..

So enjoy and HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY

It was federer versus nadal game again in finals..Oh I do not know even an iota of tennis..But yeah I do keep a tab on news..and guess its the upteempth time I have heard the two play against each other in finals..Guess after that Boris Becker,Pete Sampras era, this is another when I know names of players..

Knowing my equation with sports,if I know both of these names then it's like saying joey(friends am sure u guys wld have heard of it) figured something out..An indicator these really are great days for tennis..For me whom do i prefer to win is entirely a question of persona for me..Any day I wld love federer to win..Was surprised to see he does not even whine when making those powerful shots..No idea how he does it but I do not remember a single playe,of whatever little tennis I have seen of, who does not shout at the top of his lungs..Now am not sure if these are really required shouts or more kindaa I shout louder than u show..But be assured,such gentlemanly charm surely makes my vote go for the guy ;-)

Went for tea to my landlords place..Cute couple they seem like..Will post a pic of theirs some day. Loads of plants they maintain,I wish I cld as well but then me and plants our vibes do not go together quite well :-)

Loads of reading and reading..Seems my appetite has grown many fold in last few years..By now librarian's(yeah there are few of them rotating) of course knows me by face..

Latest am reading this book called "The Egyptologist".Anything to do with mummies,egypt catches my(am sure there are thousands more like me) eye.Tried thinking many times why so..Think there is that element of mystery,suspense,grandieur be it of their tombs,riches inside, all give us a glimpse of a great era left behind..And that's what allures us..

But then I see questioning myself,why my own history not allures me?? Guess a bit of that I wld attribute to the textbook ratto style in my school days ,which made sure I was away from anything to do with history for a very very longg time..

Talking of today,even all the ho halla abt the taj being in wonders,cld not make sure a single piece broadcasted on taj and what makes it such a wonder..What the beauty inside is and how its been holding all these years and what do all the pretty patterns inside mean..

Do u remember anything on Indus civilization?? I do,some of those potteries in history book and fact that it was a great acheivement for that time.Not a word on their structured town planning,sewage systems and fine designed jewellery ..
Try finding out the same for romans/egyptians,and u can the whole of roman city re-created as it was in those days..Yeah I really did seeing shows where they explained all abt their town planning,living style,all the day life nuances...

Now how can i not be mesmerized with information as beautifually pictured as that..How I wish I cld have something like this happening in to our country's heritage..

It was all those phirang desi's books which really ignited my interest..I personally believe they have more dilligently tried to understand our own past.Try reading a tully or william's Age of kali, and u wld see our own country,its landscape with such a surprise..

Phew sounds like a history lesson and that too from someone who knows nothing abt it..Is this what happens if u are too deep in reading..;-)

With the live earth campaign, I am trying to get rid of my habit of having so many lights switched on..Putting off all the power switches after charging and all..Not sure how much that helps but then can try.Did I see sav earth live,nah,not my kindaa music. Somehow am waiting for MTV Aids campaign which happens every year, really curious to see if they change as well to MTV earth or some kindaa..well with all the climatic change thing taking priority I am expecting that to happen..

Trying to watch movie in bangalore is quite a harrasment..Even on weekdays u get all the shows booked all the time..Need to wait at least 2 weeks before I can get my hands on the tickets..

Whole of bangaloru has no other pass time I guess..Well with all the traffic jams I guess this is the easiest way to chill out
Need to go and get my chef cap on now..Bye till then

Note :Pic above is from lalbagh somhow posted it for thinking of "Save Earth" campaign

Just back from another marriage..Last wedding for quite a few years to come..Had a nice time now that hubby was there with me..(Engagement he was not there.) Will be sometime before we have any other such oppurtunity to have lavish get togethers ;-)

Best part was whole day mehendi session.Every lady and kid had mehendi on their hands..This time artist was not that good as mehendi designs didn't have that fine quality but that was subdued by the joy of all of us having mehendi,comparing our designs and even getting mehendi tatoos..

Back to bangalore now..Nice weather is such a huge relief.Recently joined a library..Very nice one,whole collection listing is online. I can browse reserve and even get home delivery done for a cool price of Rs 10..Not that I never knew of this library just it's very to near to my current home.So that made me finally take the plunge.Read like I hadn't read in years but then that's true to an extent..Took three books in first go and had 2 finished in a day..Been an yearand only books I have touched are our weekly dose of India Today week and others,apart frm few buys here and there..Seems like at least for first two months I am going to do a real good usage of the library ;-) Plan to catch upon Ruskin Bond Anita Desai Mark Tully ,thrillers(not good at author's names here)

Sunday was spent catching upon the reading and best part was me and hubby sitting outside and doing the reading..With all the rains in the nights,weather is getting prettier day by day,though a little colder for me..Even went for a drive with nice winds blowing..For the first time told hubby to take a U turn and go home..somehow the cold wind made me homesick..Never was so desperate for home warmth and cosy bed.

Got a new haircut.More of a doc suggestion than a desire for change.Was quite apprehensive not sure how it looks but it is quite difficult to let ur long tresses go,however thin they might be ;-) Both me and hubby are trying to get used to it..

Latest I read in paper they actually are going to develop the Ramnagaram as a tourist spot..So long due..On my last visit I was wondering why this idea had not stuck anybody till now.Sholay was released in 76 and it's been good 30 years.Anyways good at least they are thinking on those lines not sure execution will take how many years..

Weather has with it brought power cuts and everytime darkness fells I am thankful for the UPS I bought..Phew my stomach is aking all those hungry noises.Time for lunch.

Enjoy

Note:Purse in pic above is my favorite..

Life seems to getting back on track.Had anniv on 29th and day was so nicely spent.Got mehendi done. Came out very pretty at least in my eyes.My wish of spending real long time in oxford bookstore was fulfilled ..This was followed by dinner at leela's..Last I visited leela was on my B'day so u can understand my fondness for the same..Dinner was decent but the lovely part was the decor..Well yeah u can't eat the decor for that matter but without that how can a day be special.

Inlaws visited a day after,had nice dinners outings and loads of cooking.Too short a visit so did not go anywhere much. Got to know even about few other bhanjaas and bhanji's who are studying in bangalore..and suddenly I found out I am mami to so many ppl..So from the much heard of bhabhi now the latest one is much heard mami..

Finally started chatting again ,that's an important improving milestone for me..

Losing my hair fast nowadays not that I have many but am sure wouldn't look nice if I have none left..Planning a visit to hair doctor soon..tried mix of amla shikakahi and reetha powder.Na Na I did not do all the hard work of powdering and all.Too lazy to do that.U get powder in shops.It's cool I mean u need not use any shampoo and makes ur hair soo soft

Finally am back to finishing my quota of movies..Cheeni kum was lovely, though I am not sure it is for bachelors. I say this for quite a few movies Reason I have a feeling at times u just can't understand the intimacy comfort level or say equation u can share with a person at various levels. It is only when u are well into ur life or marriage for sometime that u realise that it has so many shades.Now this makes me real curious about the director who made it if he is married or bachelor..well google search not much of help here ;-)

Just back from hospital visit and found out I need to reduce my weight as it is pressurising my poor spine..Quite some work ahead for that. Here shot of my favorite mehendi .

As said earlier last few days been raining and has given my front yard a nice dreamy look..Was just standing on the balcony when decided to use my mobile cam and took few pics..Two of my favorites are here..Enjoy

It's the time of the year which I love most..Rains..this year rains are much more prettier than any other as I am into a independent house ground floor..So I got an aangan/peechwaada and even front real small garden as well..So I can just step out when I want to and be under the roof when I want to be a mere spectator..

This house has a mango tree..yeah u heard it right.At most weird times of day one can hear these sudden big bangs of mangoes landing right in my backyard.Half of them eaten by birds frequenting the tree..Since I came here I have been a keen listener of loads of different bird voices..Google is coming up with new video search..Imagine u putting in a small pic and it will find out all similar pics and their details for u. How I wish they had a audio search where I can just place in the bird voices and they can find out the details of the birds for me..sometimes I wish I knew the voices better and could say names like whistling thrush and what not..I do hear loads of whistles in my backyard but not sure if they belong to the variety said..

Want to put up a bird bath kindaa thing..wld be real interesting..have a huge diya and many times, the thought of converting the same into a bird bath has crossed my mind ..

It's quite different a feeling living on your own rather in an apartment..No security whom I can call anytime of the day to whine light is not there. Instead I need to look out for problem source..Ringing owner's bell is a nice way of finding out if its a colletive failure or only my concern ;-) Surprisingly this is the first city stay for me where power cuts are so common but am sure now such is the situation in most of the cities..
Another important tip for non starters like me, voltage dim is a generic phenomenon and not home specific..So need not bother just say gods name and have belief in our power supply units.Another intresting aspect always try looking into ur neighbor's home,and u might discover something interesting like TV is still working :-) and can help u kill some time
Also CFL's(compact fluorescent lamp) work wonders in such conditions..Nothing else wld glow but CFL won't give u away and light up the home for you..Just the other day read an article on how a village has reduced their power cuts by saving the power by using these wonder lamps..

Life is different now that I am down and out with this weird slip disc thing..Been so long since had any outings..Just the other day was watching my sandal,how long since wore it..Now adays a small sneeze can make me feel all the 306 muscles in my body.Yeah and some of them u never even realized were there.I surely know my body more than I knew in all those years of studying :-)

Plans to go out this weekend though.One visit to my doc and another to cheeni kum. Hope Big B does not disappoint me..waiting eagerly for Penguin's love story on NatGeo, 27th at 8 pm..again voiced by Big B..So do try to catch it up and have a happy weekend.

Note: Pic is of my adorable nephew who recently turned one ..and also tells of the nice times I had at my in laws

Been a month but time flies away or must say runs away..How the nitty gritties of the daily life can keep u busy considering that now I got no other job than sit at home :-) Weird...
Had loads of relatives visiting starting from chotti maa,chotte babu my devar..So had endless get togethers,eating outs,eating ins, dinners, and of course shopping sprees..and the fact that hubby's bday fell in during the exact same time was an added reason for all the fun and gala time.

But then all masti maza had to end but here it did end with a thud..Came down with severe backache and never could believe myself when I just could not get up from the bed. Acupressure rocks though still going on allopathy as well..

Did the house shifting. yeah another one our average surely is one per year.During one of those early conversations with the new landlord called him Mr kumaraswamy.For unknowns Mr kumaraswamy is the CM of karnataka.How stupid can I get..

Yet to get used to the new house and set it up properly. Day One went only in guiding the movers and packers on keeping the things at right place..and next day morning we started for Ahmd..Need to set my abode again once back.

Now at my in law's place for some rest,shopping and few more cautious getaways..I know difficult to amend ways ..

Went to this mall called gallops. It had a wonderful horse sculpture with "Photo Prohibeted" Tag on it. Instead they could have placed artist's name somewhere.Might have bought some publicity and money to the artist..Was surprised to see the loads of new buildings , malls and hanging out places coming up in a year,bought loads of lightings and of course crowds on the roads though nothing in compared to the metro's...This is just the start but I hopethey do not overdo it. But yeah I know that's quite subjective. Malls are great equalizers I believe..U will see all categories of ppl whether they have money in their pocket or no money venturing out and checking what's inside..Yes I have seen this even in Bglr and more so in Ahmd, u will find college kids, window shopping ppl ,village going junta with their women folk doing their outing (of course this proprotion is little less now but I am aure same won't be the case soon), buddhist monks (this made me really smile) and at the end ppl with deep pockets.

It surely has something for everyone.

Saw a small garden outside some complex..Loads of ppl with their families resting their after dinners..Kids doing their khel and tactics was good to see there are still ppl around who after dinner instead of being glues to TV sets are out there enjoying with the families..

Ahmd is so hot even at night seven u can feel the heat being radiated from the earth.It is such a dry land that it is difficult to find any greenery on the outside..Suprsingly the mornings are cool till 9 -9 :30..So gives me just sufficient enough time to get up and read my paper in the garden ..Yeah they have a pretty huge garden..Best part is while u read by the birds come by in the garden hopping near you here and there,unaffected by ur presence. Quite a refreshing feeling.Rest of the day not much can be done except sit in the AC talk,sleep.So good enough time to catch up on things.

Met another of my family friends here and seems she is also down with slip disc..So had a classic meeting with her with both of us lying on beds and discussing away.

Never mentioned about this movie "Bheja Fry" Went just to kill some time and this one had decent reviews..Came out feeling why what a day. Still remember it was a day after my slip disc and I was laughing so hard, that i was real afreaid of hurting my back..A gem of a movie, u do not see many of them nowadays. So if u are in need of a hearty laugh do keep some time for this, u are not gonna regret this one. I remember that guy Vinay pathak from his khosla ka ghosla days (I simply mean that I have been keenly observing his performances since then not that I know him :-)) Knew he was good but this good..Cool Sil(sis in law) is coming tomm. so might make up a plan again this time with the whole family though.

Tea Time,so need to go and make one for myself..enjoy

Note:Pic there is decoration I did for hubby's bday..was a nice idea about using diwali lightings.. :-)

Another shifting in offing..No change in the city though,not that city shift would have really bothered me. Even though bangalore is acquiring all the mumbai's characterstics, population hot temperatures pollution,traffic jams..I wish it had somehow brought with it some of the vibrancy that mumbai has. Every city has a character of its own like we humans..and bangalore's charm was that easy laid back old city with tree lined narrow streets..Must be a poet or an artist's heaven..But somehow city has been stretched to its limits(like every other city though) and not be able to reinvent itself..Mumbai on the other hand is a vibrant city,not sure abt
artist's but definietly paradise for ppl who got the courage to be lost in the crowd and then come at the top..Though stretched to its limits it keeps offering u surprises at every turn..Kolkata will always be a city still in time wrap..Though I wld give it to the CM for trying hard to change its image but I still believe that's not kolkata at heart..It's a city where time stands still and ppl want to revel in it..Ppl full of proud aristrocracy at times difficult to digest it's 20th century.. Voices they raise about equality,sometimes I feel its written text admiration that fascinates them. Hand pulled rickshaws,the ease with which they use it quoting some hi fi text is a image
I find hard to forget..

Back to bangalore,temperatures are soaring real high with no rains to bring in the relief this year..went to yercaud to get away from the heat.Nice roads to drive on and
enjoyable journey esp if u start early.Though afternoons were as hot,mornings and evening were deliciously cool..went for morning walk..A good day's start what I call them.
To our surprise came across Mont Fort School..Established in 1831,nagesh kukonoor's rockfort was shot here..That brings to my mind how do these guys really hunt for movie
locations..I mean finding out such a faraway school in a far far away town.Impressive.And yercaud is not famous place mostly know as poor man's ooty only . I knew it
existed from word of mouth..Or might be thats power of word of mouth in India. Spreads far and wide..

Did see namastey london recently..Katrina looks sooo pretty..Her presence lits the screen and u are awestruck by the beauty of it all..Absolutely loved her hairstyle..Wish I had enough hairs to go for something like that.Been on a movie spree(Borrowed from shopping spree)..Seen six movies in last two weeks. So much so that my neighbor knocked on my door to check if I was there..she assumed I was out of station..It's difficult to explain though that I was busy with movies :-)
Have been on few morning walks..Now there is this office going guy with longg legs..There we are trying to walk as fast as we can and this guy crosses us swiftly with his long strides..Always makes me feel so funny..Have never seen his face..I recognize him from his walk and hubby by the way he holds his mobile in his hand ;-)
Bangalore has been having its own share of stray dog issues..Was going to cyber cafe when this little gal noticed a dog on the street and shouted see see "Stray Dog" So difficult to get into kid's mind..how come from so many dogs loitering around the city she picked one out to label as stray..
Seen so many statements from animal lover's about how we should not kill stray dogs but vaccinate them..Only thing I do not understand is how will that solve the problem..Point is valid in long term but then vaccinating them still can't make a bunch of stray dogs dragging a little gal to death..Did not seem like they had the intention of a dog bite only. It's diffciult to go by even on morning walks alone..I feel scared when I see a bunch of 7-8 dogs loitering and I can assure you our shoo shoo will not even raise even an eyebrow on them..BMP is famously happy passing the buck on to NGO's saying they are not doing their job..It has to be a case of too much on
their hands and I personally believe it can be take care of only when both parties understand that u can take care of things till numbers are in control..It's as simple as asking can a teacher take care of 200 pupil class..

Looking for houses is getting difficult with all the heat around..Let's see what we get this time. Read in paper so many blogs are dying..Seen many die,some revive some do not. quite curious about the ones who die..Is it that there is nothing more to say or just a fad
that passes of..Never know might find someday myself

Till Then Have Fun

Happy Holi

Have seen a pattern to my writing but then I am sure everyone has their own patterns. After all the ho halla is over can be some function.festival or internal uthal puthal, and then when I am in one of those reflection moods that's when I sit down to write..Going by the rate I write seems like I reflect too much ;-)

Just over with the holi bash..I am sure as by now most of u would have an idea that I love festivals..So this one was no unusual event.Just another oppurtunity for me enjoy the revelry.This was the first time I played quite loads of dry colors.Always used to feel they are more dusty then wet colors .But guess with time things change and as I can hardly find pl around me who are ready to do with wet colors..So I got to go for change of mode..Though I did my shubharambh with wet colors but that's what it was, only a start..Rest of holi belonged to gulals..I love the medley of colors they provide All the yellows reds & jamuni's.

Had holi in the apartmnet as well and then a nice get together with close one's..Best part was the dishes I could make..Dhokla,cake,dahi bada,nimki and kheer..I surprised myself that I cld make quite decent preparations of all of them..Dahi bada recipie was shared by a friend of mine..Never knew a small portion of adrak(ginger) and soda could make so much of a difference..Chocolate cake was the most wanted items as I had to make many in succession to ensure a smooth demand supply equation..And I never knew I could make kheer for ten people at a go..Made it in cooker thanks to idea confirmed by ma..Yummy it sounds.

One thing I missed was bhaang..I really wish I could have it some day in holi. Though I have serious doubts about that..Learnt thandai from neighbor and decided next year will add the same to my menu..Easy to make and adds to the holi feel..Esp. will let me crave less for bhang ;-)

Phew,was little tired at the end of it all..Monday was left with nothing but to finish off all the leftover sleep.
Had my tooth extracted recently. Got decayed so badly and all the time I was like why are things getting stuck here.Thanks god I went to the dentist.Hardly top part left.Even brought it home so it reminds me to take care of my teeth properly.

Now am sitting with this weird swelling on my face..By now my maid and sabji waali has asked for explanations..Though I have given them a truthful account,I have my own resrevations how much of it they understood considering they know no hindi and me no tamil..Just hope they are not thinking husband has beaten me up lol lol Poor him..

Might have to shift homes..Another week to know and then will have to start home hunting..
Did make one of my first canvases at last..Am no good at drawing so was thinking of copying a drawing but all my efforts to do so failed..Yeah I do not know how to copy on a canvas.Any ideas there are welcome. So finally had to draw myself.Made a bunch of flowers with all the colors I had in my kitty :-) Holi effect I guess

Won't say outcome is that good.Still waiting for hubby to come and see how he reacts..he is the best critic though it's always hard to believe what u did is not good enough.
I always have to think hard for words to end a post..Thank god am not a writer,else this would have been real nightmare
So ending the post by hoping all of u had agreat holi.

PS: At times I feel like I am writing a letter as in old days uncle and aunts used to do..writing all of that has happened in a simple postcard or envelope..Seems like a lost art today :-)

Flying Time

Read another ruskin bond..

Loved the conversation mentioned by ruskin bond with one of his readers. Reader says I also want to be a writer like u getting paid for those idyllic moments lying on the grass, looking at the world. Well I must say I cldnot agree more ;-) and now am owner of 2 more of his books. Though one of them gifted :-)

Have u ever noticed how when u r craving to know more about things they just fall into ur lap. This has happened to me many times. I have my in laws in ahmedabad and there u will find these real colorful motorbikes with long lorries attached for various purposes. I always thought of clicking one and finding out more about them as I had never seen anything like them anywhere else..

Been a year since then and suddenly in my flight, I find this jet airways magazine where an article has covered details of this colorful monster..Voila that was such a nice surprise.Tried searching for the pic on net but there are none.. I promise in my next visit to ahmd there wld be one from my camera :-)

We Indians have quite a creative mind coming up with such colorful combo's.But the cream of the cake goes to the fact that design is approved by Auto Association of India..Did I see any eyebrows raised well mine did..
They are called chakkadas name attributed from the fact that the body is assembled from six parts of different vehicles. AND they have even successfully exported these. Wohoo

Was on a visit to ranchi for a family function..Flight was via Kol,so got some time to rewind my days in Kolkata..Went to my old house(a friend lili di still stays there ) and had a real nice time..
She gave me those home made momo's..In kol for two years I never tasted them wondering they look so raw and tasteless, owing to fact they are made by steaming. But one bite and all my notions went to the wind..Simply yummy and when served with spicy veggie soup, u can even call it exotic. I can still feel the taste lingering..

Had darjeeling tea with Marie biscuit..This is something that I had learnt from Lili Di. I used to go her place for tea just for the combo And I cherish it till date.
Back at home..On my visit gave away two of my works. One to Di and another to ma in law. This time definitely plan to start on a canvas..Let's see how this turns out to be.

A New Day and a New Moment..

Note:The pic above is of the hall decor..Absolutely loved the satin on white look and clicked..Simple yet eye catching. Also quite diasppointed byt the fact that could not get chakkada pic on net..Blog seems to be incomplete without same :-( Only reference I could find of it on net was http://www.ahmedabad.com/index/viewarticle/article/14431/section/10

Feb MakeOver

Jan rollovers to Feb and still no new entries in my blogspot..No this time won't blame it on my laziness or so.. just that have been busy roaming around..But then when do I not do so ;-)
Republic day long weekend we had decided to go to ooty..Bangalore-ooty is 6 .5 hr drive..Highlight of first part of drive was preparations for republic day function going on in schools on the way..
We were lucky enough to see these preparation in varying stages as we kept driving along..Interesting experience it was..One of schools had this small kid climbing the rod where the tiranga was to be flown later on..he was doing the initial arrangements.Must be real acrobat the way he was moving up.Saw school kids in colorful attires. One school had gals in all white attire coupled with orange duppattas..Somehow it was not looking dhinchak as it sounds..Another place school kids had these tiranga friendship bands in their hands.Even we bought a small flag for our car :-) So Belated Happy Republic day to you all

Went through bandipur and madumulai forest areas..On our way back spotted peacocok,deer elephant,monkeys and langurs..Might be going inside cld have seen more but from the outset it hardly looked many animals are there.

Ooty was a pleasure experience though.Best was our morning walk..Running up and down on the mountains in chilling cold,pretty morning surroundings and those princely villas is anytime a wonderful experience..Saw so many of those huge houses with even huge gardens there..Not sure how people maintain them though..We stayed on Havelock road and even saw havelock house on that road..Not sure who is named after whom :-)
Finally fulfilled my dream of an enjoyable horse ride..My first horse ride was in darjeeling..I must have been in 8th at that time.I remember being so excited abt taking the horse ride but when i really was on the horse,all my hopes crashed..I was a sickly kid with my nose always flowing at any given oppurtunity to do so..Horse's gallop combined with the air chill was an excellent trigger..After that only thing I remember is me struggling with my hanky and the reins of horse, trying to save myself from falling off. Phew so much for the excitement. This time I really wanted to give it another better chance..Taking clue from my prior experience,I got my afternoon lunch packed so I will have it after the ride.. Ride turned out to be a memorable event and the track they followed was next to ooty lake with the tall eucalyptus trees around.Made me crave for more.Next time I plan to take even a bigger route :-)

Took the toy train ride..this was something in my must do list..The small little compartments in blue were so cute..I found the stations and the cute look of the train even better than the ride :-) And the ticket was a small amount of Rs 7.
Got my friends over from paris here and two days were finishing his list of shopping..Thanks to fabmall was a one stop shopping and we nearly finished everything in a whopping 1 hour straight..A neat feat ain't it..Had another friends party yesterday..Still trying to get over from the party hangover..An enjoyable time overall..

Winter seems to be slipping away and afternoons are getting hotter and messier.Will go and get a nap..Enjoy the day

Looking Back

Been quite a cold day.Not a single ray of sunshine in my balcony .One of the days when all you want to do is curl up in ur bed with your favorite books..Bedspace full of magazines,books around which I had been planning to read for soo long..Finally the day has come....Made myself cosy in those lovely quilts and spent the day flipping books,day dreaming and sleeping

And of course my beloved tea breaks thrown in between..After a long time had lemon tea(hot of course..I am more of a hot drink person than cold one).Always brings back the memory of my distant Dadi. she was my grandma's sister. It was she who had introduced me to kaava tea first..I remember her visiting us when I must have been around 10 years of age.she had this habit of getting up real early in the mornings,when whole house was asleep and making kaava for herself.Somehow one day I tasted it,and that's how I got hooked to it..During the rest of her stay (which was for a month or so) of all three of siblings of us , I was the one to get up early just to share that cuppa tea with her..I used to have my cup and then would go back to sleep. I can't feel or remember today the taste of that kaava but the feeling associated with it, is there so clear in my mind.Some time it is surprising how some of these memories are still so fresh in our minds..These are the ones you cherish most I guess..weird that I do not remember much else of her trip except this one incidence..So today's tea to her..

I do not even know if she remembers me as that was the only time when we met..But I am sure had she been listneing to this she would be a happy soul..That reminds me of the story behind her name "Parsinni"
My grandmaa used to tell us about her family.Best story was how my grandma's sister was named "parsinni".As we know girls in those days were not as welcome as boys.(Holds true even today to some extent). So when after my gradma, my grand grand pa(her father) had another daughter, they said we are too happy ("prasann") with two daughters and we want no more..Hence the name "parsinni" . ;-)

Now my grand ma and her sis both are no more but I still remember them at times like this and always wish I had some more time with them..Or the time I had I should have asked for more stories from them :-) So this one blog for all my loved ones..

Coming to writing ,I do quite a bad job first time.lol. lol..(I know what r you guys thinking) What I mean here is I need to read my blog at least two to three times before I can even think of publishing it..There are so many mistakes of all kinds grammatical..words crumbling over each other..looks as if I was trying to write as fast as my mind can think..If I publish my blogs without few rounds of proof reading they come out so raw..check out my last blog,simple laziness made me skip a third proof reading and look at the half sentences or half finished words leading suddenly to a completely different sentence.

And when I go back to them I always think,gosh is this what I have written..

At times life is so weird..There is simply no end to perfection..or trying to do better..What if some day I suddenly get tired and say I want to improve no more..Knowing myself I am completely capable of this..But I really wish such a day never comes..Gosh such gloomy thoughts not sure why are they entering my head..Is this what no sunshine does to you :-) Or is this post holiday blues for me as well. The thought makes me smile for sure
Waiting for tomorrow..Sunshine day awaits me..Till then enjoy

Happy New Year

Start of another year.sure all of you wld have had a great time.

This time of the year is making me feel all the more lazy..Had a nice XMas ime with my niece..and then New year time with my SIL(sis in law).so it's good to be back home now.. Love enjoying the sun in my balcony with a paper as company..Peace prevails..Is it that I am getting old..Well i refuse to believe so but read sometime back,this is the time when teenagers feel highly depressed.(So as pr the study I sure am no more teenager.. ok :-( ). Reason stillness of life after all the ho hungama starting from pre XMas bash and lasting till New year.

Guess shld call it post holiday blues..Or is this an already existing jargon
was mentioning to one of my friends I love holidays now as I know I got no work next day ;-) Saw Vrindvan garden in night and enjoyed bowling..went there saying I won't play much but ended up playing for two of us..Yes even played for my sil as dropped out at the last moment..
After a long time tried cycling..Was quite a relief to see I can still ride one..Though must say was little surprised by the fact that the flexibility was missing.

Been making use of my so many sarees lying in the closet.Should say was on a saree wearing spree..Must say there is not another attire as pretty as this one..Hides all those tires at the wrong places and still makes you look so pretty..Ever thought abt the origins of this one..Do not know much except that it is one of the oldest attire dating some 5k yrs back

do you ever wonder what has New Year in store for you?? I always used to wonder what more is to come..Somehow this year feel different..So here is welcoming 2007 and


Wishing you all great days ahead..

Wedding season

Just back from Bhopal.Wedding season it seems it was. Heard in TV delhi had 35,000 wedding in a day..Now thats quite something..Reason last auspicious day of the season..Seems like us indians habit of doing things at last moment catches up here as well :-)

Wedding are always fun time..Best part being the family get togethers.So here is a pic of all the cute kids posing,who were quite happy with the fact that they cld see their pics immediately after taking them..One of the reasons they were all ready to pose any time

Main function was in a palace turned hotel called Jehanumma.. Made in 1890 and turned into a hotel in 1950's. Could even locate a chamber of princes there..Wish they had a guided tour as well, oops who knows they had as I never asked..:-(

One of the pics of the pretty settings around..Never knew bhopal also had an uneven terrain with main stretch of road going up and down like in hilly regions.

Journey back home was in train and me watching all the time the scenery around.Best part was getting the side seats, where u can just lie down and keep on wacthing outside..

No need to turn ur head at weird angles like u do in other seats.(BTW this was quite frustrating for hubby considreing his height it is a difficult task fitting in.)

Never seem to tire of landscape,trees,mountains,small ponds and every tiny thing runnning by..Want to see it all and wish it cld be like that even when my eyes are closed..Guess one of the reasons I love these long drives.

During another one of our long rides went beyond krishnagiri(that wld be approx. 100 km frm where we started). Drive on NH7 was such a delight that we even made future plans on the lines that we cld go to chennai and it would be only five hours of journey..Let's see how serious our thoughts were or was it just spur of the moment excitement speaking :-)

Took loads of pics..Of the rocks the water and of course the highway..I am sure some years down the line when I am through with this obsession with highway,land water pics I will realize,how repeatitive I was..But today every pic looks so different to me.. Check out family above who seems to live with in the confines of this tonga only..

Only stupid thing was that on my way back I realized,phew , that the same scenery was certainly more photogenic..but guess was too tired to take any more pics..So made another pledge to come again and this time take pics the other way..(Actually looking for excuses to go back). Loved the sheep and the house beyond..Can u see some special glow to that house not quie similar to those huts or brick houses..cld not find out the reason..

And here is the loney buffalo..Now u might say what did I find here..well not sure but ain;t the setting with mountains behind quite nice :-)
Once the toll road ended we entered the countryside..That's where actually we came across our dhaba..Here is to the pretty country roads and of course to the lush green kheth(Not able to remember the english for it so please bear with me)
And in the end me ready to go back..
Finally hungry and tired we came across a punjabi dhaba in the heart of tamilNadu.That was quite a surprise and we had nice butterchicken and naan..

Just back home and it feels so good to be on your own bed..slept peacefully after 7 days of roaming around..Blissful sleep..

Winter Time

Weather is getting chillier and even though not good for my vocal chords it's good to feel the chill after soo many years..
U know the feeling of wanting to be in bed all the time..Sitting cosily in ur blankets and doing all the chit chat..Oh I love that feeling just wish there was someone to hand me over that so loved cup of tea and pakoda's as well..Ok I am dreaming too much..

Sunday was a nice day..went out for a night drive with hubby and out of the blue thought of a friend whose home we were passing by.Made a call and voila we were at her doorstep..Family was having a nice time sitting with blankets sprawling in front of TV(Gumanjee being watched avidly by their 2 yr old kid)..We also joined in the chat and yeah there was someone to hand me over that precious cup of tea..Yummy Nice time we had and after an hour we were on our way back to home..Some times such small pleasures are soo precious ;-)

Next week would be marriage time..Going to bhopal. already explored net for places I can go to..considering the time crunch we would be going thru, would miss upon sanchi.That's a buddhist stupas & all kindaa place two hour from bhopal..Should have planned earlier and could have extended the trip a day farther..Too late now :-(

Anyways to compensate for this ensure my New Year plan is on track..Planning to go to Pondicherry..Most difficult part I face is in explaining to my realtives what is in a place where I am going..As they understand mostly things like going to Temples,shopping and of course a very famous city..Now how do I tell them about this simple small town charm..well i am sure in few years they would stop questionin itself,considering my choices are anyways hopeless lol

XMas is also near and this time plan to listen to enjoy all the carols in the church near me..Yeah anyways I can always hear their saturday sunday prayers sitting in my bed so this wld be a good XMas as well..Yipee..At times I wish had some Christian frnds nearby where I can celebrate XMas..well does not matter as I plan to catch upon most of the festvities this time

So many of friends are catching up in orkut..Good to see them all there..I love some of the lalu jokes doing round..
This one is very common but I still Love it So here enjoy

Laloo Prasad sent his Bio Data - to apply for a post in MicrosoftCorporation, USA.A few days later he got this reply:
"Dear Mr. Laloo Prasad,We are sorry to intimate you that you do not meet our requirements.
Please do not send any further correspondence. No phone call shall be
entertained.Thanks"

Laloo Prasad jumped with joy on receiving this reply. He arranged aParty and when all the guests had come, he said: "Bhaiyon aur Behno,aap ko jaan kar khushi hogee ki hum Amereeca mein naukri paa gayahoon."Everyone was delighted. Laloo Prasad continued...... "Ab main aap sab ko apnaa appointmentletter padkar sunaongaa - par letter angreeze main hai - isliyensaath-saath hindi main translate bhee karoonga.

Dear Mr. Laloo Prasad ..... Pyare Laloo Prasad bhaiyya

We are sorry ...... humse galti ho gayee

to intimate you that .........aapko yeh batana hai ki

You do not meet ---- aap to miltay hee naheen ho

our requirement ---- humko to zaroorat hai

Please do not send any further correspondence ---- ab Letter vetter
bhej ne ka kaouno zaroorat nahee.

No phone call ---- phoonwa ka bhee zaroorat nahee hai

shall be entertained ---- bahut khaatir kee jayegi.

Thanks ---- aapkaa bahut bahut dhanyawaad


Enjoy the Day

Past, Present

That's glass painting,recent one being made by me..Planning to gift it to one of my friends That way I can make more ;-)

On side is this pntng of mine which I got recently framed. Placed it in my bedroom ,the only place bereft of my pntngs till now..Now this is one of my non favortite one's. As the dancing ladie's face has not come out with soft features.
Irony is that the location of pntng is such that as I lie on that she looks straight into my eyes.. And the effect is her looking angrily at me doing tandav nritya..Gives me a creepy feeling ..U know the kindaa when all your faults are looking at your face :-( Will very soon shift it to another location. :-)

Went roaming around forum mall yesterday.. Bought a collection of books ..Had not gone with the intention of buying but then got lured into it by hubby..And next I see is I have bought three of Gerald Durrell's.On second thought was nice of hubby to do so.Been long since I had read any.Most of his books are about his journey to various island in search of endangered species and his experiences in trying to catch them..Make it a very interesting read..And the best of all is the new way I have find to supplement his readings..Now an amateur naturalist like me has mostly got no idea of the kind of flora and fauna he refers to..So here I am in front of the net looking for these names..This happens when I am in one of those moods where I want to imagine what I read..Other wise it just reading and imagining urself in those make belief world..

Many times I wonder what I was in my earliy life..(If there is any such phenomenon).BTW do u guys wonder a swell. For me, I round it all to three choices:

1.Queen:Considering my love for castles,bldngs architecture, king's queen's lives, gossip's of that era ,I must be somewhere in there..BTW this phenomenon became quite evident after my visit to london..So was I queen of england lol Rolling on the floor laughing ..yes I know little incredilous but then what the heck ;-)

2.Nomad: My love for nature..the excitement of seeing new cultures, their ways and everything I can get to know..And the ease with which I gell with them..(Well that's hnow I wld like to think)

3.Hungry Man: (I know u surely enjoying this)..Well considering I am soo hungry most of the time, and bite I take is soo god sent for me.Yeah even during my regular meals I relish every bite.(Hubby loves to watch me eat.).Makes me think I must never had enough food in my past life

Yeah I know quite unrelated realities but I find the thought very interesting..
So here I have given you all some food for thought..What do u guys think u were in your past life..Do u wanna share ;-)

Enjoy the week

Just Chill

Been busy with relatives for quite some time..Had a gala time roaming around Bangalore.(U know my first tendency was to say Bombay here ;-)) lol Bombay surely is addictive.

Nowadays becoming a regular watcher of Big Boss..For starters few celebrities are made to stay in a place and there are cameras noting their every action..Now one of the characters out there is rakhi sawant..This gal has fallen head over heels in love with this another guy called amit..And man u should see her brooding over the fact..Yesterday in this scene she was complaining "Tum to sab se baat karte ho sabke saath hanste ho ....bus ek meinhi hoon jo tumhe nahi dikhati kindaa"Man that made me laugh real hard..Her expressions were soo evident ..I do not think the gal is faking it for her TRP sake..It really reminded me of some of our brooding sessions in college days ;-) Good to see a reminder bringing back the old memories

Then there is this humourous show by Cyrus "This week that wasn't"..it's good to see humour back on screen not the johnny lever kind (no offences meant)..Nach Baliye is another of my favorite with couples dancong on various themesand choreographers assigned to every one of them..Surprising the kindaa dance maniac I am why I never have pursued this interest seriosuly..Or is it something which u need not learn it or something..Never know but I still wish someday I will learn kathak some day..(Have I said it many times before here ;-) )

wohoo looks like I am watching lots of TV these days :-)

My chotti mil(Hubby's chachi ) and her daughter(my sil ok sis in law) were here..took chotti mil to a "Infant Jesus Church" church here.Famous for granting any wish u ask for 7 consecutive thursdays.
Though I have been there this was the first time we took our own sweet time sitting and enjoying the peace there.It was kindaa funny first we burnt the candles and sat in front of infant jesus statue, then moved to other church and sat infront of the virgin mary stature then the huge mural..my chotte pil (pa in law) said are u going to convert or something??

One thing I admire about churches is the sense of calm there as if u are having one to one chat with god..I abolutely love that feel..We used to have temple in our colony where I was bought up with similar calm and quite..But then am yet to see again another one non bustling like that..
Finally got a palce to frame one of my painting yipee near the church only..Doscovered the fish market near as well..So church visit surely has been very fruitful ;-)

got most of mil's shopping done from deepam..By now deepam shld give me some loyal customer award as every relative at home does one visit there.well u get all with loads of variety under one roof,so kindaa convenient for me & few day visitors as well
weather is getting colder here and I seem to be enjoying the chill at least till now..Let's see how cihlly it goes in this part of the country..Good time for long drives..Let's see if I can get hubby out of his sleep for one..

So see you guys soon :-)

Note:My PC is supposed to back on Tuesday after all the repairs..Wish it will last longer this time..Wohoo My PC is back and it feels awsome to sit and home and surf..Too hungry now will go and get something to eat..Yipee

Happy Diwali

Happy Diwali to you All. How do I feel.. So lazy and been sleeping all day..Seems like a diwali hangover..

I love this festival of crackers and I am sure I did my best to kill all those dengue mosquitoes out there..U think that is an excuse for me to burn crackers then so be it.:-) Though I agree sound pollution shld be eliminated..

Had my niece coming over to our house..So we had a nice time..Did nearly whole day shopping day before diwali..Got all the lightings for my three balconies.Not much celebrated here in south..so in my whole partmnet block only three families had lightings..well all the more good reason why lakshmi should come to my house now ;-)


Bought Loads of colorful diya's.Even got a simple lot and colored them :-). Got the best ganesh lakshmi ok beauty lies in the eye of the beholder.Best purchase was the lalten diya..Check in the pic..Also the heart shaped one's red and yellow were painted by me..In hubby's words red is the only color I see and like..well but then it has its own charm..ain't it

And most important of all crackers..Loads of them..Had a nice pataka time in apartment..one of our neighbours fired this huge showers of light which went on for around fifteen minutes and that reminded me of aatishbaaji shows we used to watch mesemerised as kids..

Every year I get a snake my diwali are never complete withouth them..love the black snake coming out of the ground bellowing fire..Even clicked one this time :-)

Hubby is travelling for work..No idea how he does so after such a long four day vacation..Soo grateful that now I am lazing over writing this blog..

So guys enjoy and Have fun.And here is my fav diya of the season..Happy Diwali

Kid talk

WHAT is this life if, full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare?—
No time to stand beneath the boughs,

And stare as long as sheep and cows:
No time to see, when woods we pass,

Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass:
No time to see, in broad daylight,

Streams full of stars, like skies at night:
No time to turn at Beauty's glance,

And watch her feet, how they can dance:
No time to wait till her mouth can

Enrich that smile her eyes began?
A poor life this if,

full of care,We have no time to stand and stare.

W H Davies

Got this poem from my nephew..This is one good thingwith my nieces and nephews ..Get them to read some poem,do a dance step for u..will keep them occupied and u happy :-)
After hearing the poem i was surprised and told shubham(nephew) to write it for me..And he did write it with no spelling mistakes..Cool I was impressed..

U really come to know quite a lot..In conversation with one of my nieces she mentioned about giving up post of head of a group..On enquiring further came to know about this group which helps other students to cope up with studies..and there are some rules u should abide by if u are head of group.. like even if someone asks u or ur copy 2 days before exam u got to give it..So u got the brightest as the heads.(nobody willa ask otherwis). Quite a meritious system and it is their idea to be ahead of other sections..Not managed by their teachers they are not even aware of such a thing..Cool Na

Another anecdote..Mishti's mom scolded her and after few mins bhaiya did the same(unaware of that she was recently scolded by bhabhi)..
Mishti's reply: Hein bhagwaan hum agle janam mein is ghar mein kabhi bhi paida nahi honge..(God make sure in next birth I am not born in the same house)
And she is hardly three years old..
Kids these days are a smart lot :-) And they say things which make u think..

Sometime I think they should recommend kid talk as relaxation therapy :-)

Note:Above pic was taken in Mysore near KRS Dam.

Festival Season

Been to delhi recently..Thought of doing a rang de basanti style pics but all hopes were thrashed with the barricading all around the monument.. Pic down
My cousin sis n law's engagement was very nice and was another occasion for the whole family to meet.We even parted with a discssion like we need marriages every year but unfortunately not so many candidates..So let's start the tradition of celebration wedding anniv's..Nah not only golden or silver ones, anything will do :-)

Went on a long drive to greater noida at 11 in the night with papa sitting at the back and saying every second minute "when we will take the turn to go home". Think we bhai bahan have gone little wicked as we ignored his plea for an hour before turning backQuite impressive infrastrcuture..A city planned in advance quite contrary to the expectations.yet waiting for ppl to occupy the empty flats :-)

Went to jantar mantar and this museusm in FICCI building..Gosh have never seen such a pathetic one..There was not even a single soul in the museum and of course it was speaking the story of neglect..Won't say that concept was faulty or anything..They definitely could do with some nice marketing. Read about DNA blodd cells and what not..Reminded me of my school days and things I had forgotten ;-)
Janatar Mantar was nice though.Was quite surpsied to hear from the counter person that there are no goverment guides inside. But we did find one who had gathered knowledge over the years. Told us interesting facts like the instruments there cld accurately predict not only indian timing but greenwich, paris timings as well. Movement of celestial objects cld be traced and for grahan days they had a pond so as to avoid ur looking directly into the sun/moon/stars.Ppl cld use that to find out the hindi month day,rashi's and make the whole janam kundali of newborns..They even have this kotari(dark room) downstairs with just one small window at the top which gets lighted by sun rays on 23rd of September(Longest day)Yet to put up the pics but soon will do so..
Had the long weekend of gandhi jayanti here. went on long drive to krishnagiri..Actually we thought let's go beyond hosur and see what lies ahead..We were pleasantly surprised to find the good roads..Funniest part of the drive was trucks..Indian trucks are a class in their own..With the kind of speed they were running it is a real surprise they reach their destinations..One of them was so loaded that it was tilted on one side and was trying hard to go up the road..Quite a sight but on a serious note this is what leads to all the accident(Guess something that we all know).

Just downloaded photoshop and was trying different looks..So here are few from long..My latest obsession with clouds ..Above is in the orignal form and another worked upon using workshop..Will come up with something better as well..Just need to warm up my hands..

Tomorrow is bandh in Karnataka..I really find them all useless but then trying to cash in on the oppurtunity going for "Pyaar ke side effects" Night show..No need to worry for getting up in the morning. :-)
So time to enjoy the holidays..I love this start of festval season..Time to enjoy and enjoy
Wish u all happy festival season
PS:Pyaar ke side effects nice movie..Enjoyed the show and night drive

Long Drive

On our long drive skies went all red and blue..Very nice I tried ignoring it for a while cosidering I might not be actually capture the beauty in the absence of digicam but then finally decided to go ahead..And here this one is the results from my Mobile Cam.