Let's Party

Spring is here and I can see all the colors blossoming all around me.I love the play of colors all
around me..Nice winds and amazing morning,evening breezes.Never knew Delhi has a pleasant weather phase as well..Surprisingly here it is and it reminds me so much of the bangalore..

Roamed around in malls and markets a lot during last few weeks as in laws were here..Discovered some new markets..I am a fan of lazingly roaming around in a market U get to see everything in abundance be it colors smells food shops people and love the feel of it all though I believe shopping takes away the focus from what I see lol Anyways will go to explore the markets some day later..Found a market in tilak nagar exclusively for Shaadi ka band baaza and accesories.Yeah there was a whole row of shops dedicated to gaana bazzana.Proper office with manequins playing bands in their typical dress..There were shops even the ghodhi waala and pretty carriages and all ..Amazing
Got the holi gujiya at a local shop and yummy it was total home kindaa taste..Finished the whole buy in just two days ..Gosh how gluttonous..It reminds me of what joey(frnds soap character) says when he is caught redhanded while finishing somebody else's cake "And I dont even feel guilty about it " :-D
While shopping in our sector mkt saw this guy wearing T shirt with slogan "we both know u want want me" I was so amused I think I stared at the lines quite a few times lol..One of the best one's I have read in recent times :D

Had some of the funniest moments with our bhanja..in pic above

Sample bhanja moments :D

-Sitting on the floor in a mall(we made him walk quite a bit) massaging his legs saying "Ab mein bahut thak gaya hoon"

-While going back "Mamma ka plane ticket nahi hein mein abhi lekar aata hoon"
-Checking my washimg M/C's logo(he cant read right now) and saying yeh LG hein na

-Asking me a logo when I said bajaj he replied "Bajaj Auto waala"

I was left amazed at how attentive creative expressive we are as a child and how set on a pattern as we grow up already moulded in our thinking biases..talking of biases..Kept a maid for cutting veggies(I hate this part of cooking) and here I get calls asking me if I am really okay letting a muslim do this..I was shocked by the blatancy of the question..I have seen the prejudices but in a gen above..This coming frm someone around my age was unexpeted

I must say I had quite impressive experiences with my maids..I still remember my mumbai maid who when came first to our house..We thought she was the head of some maid association..she had this mangalsootra heavy ear rings and saree with not even a slight wrinkle anywhere..And I never saw any wrinkle in her saree ever for as long as she worked in my house..Then I had a similar maid in Bangalore..I was amazed by her zest to give a better life to her kids fighting a non supportive husband and in laws..she had a savings account for her daughter(which she had kept with my landlord's help as she herself cld not read and write)..
There must be so many stories around I am sure..

Watched Slumdog Millionaire..I think he small kids were amazing..and so was the energy of the movie..I love that chase and the way they have shown the O saya .even the potty scene I am still awed by it..dont tell me u guys never did a timepass like the little guy.. :-p ..Not sure how many times I have seen the movie for these shots..

Been to haldiram in search of ghevar and came back these pics of mango tango..As our home is near airport strip keep seeing so many planes landing and believe me watching a plan frm soo close is wow everytime..Now there section outside the airport where u will see guys selling matka kulfi..couples, kids, parents gazing in the sky kulfis in their hand..All just to catch a glimpse of the scene..Its funny how such a small thing can become an attraction here :D
Yeah and even I plan to do the same sometime soon..

Went across to stretch of NH8 a lot many times and got so many amazing sites..Above is one of them..A huge fleet of cow gaadi's with villagers on NH8 ..It was a cool I wish I had camera instead of my mobile with me.

Been ne few rounds of rajpath that my fav stretch and this time went there especially to catch lovely dahlias..:-)

Wish you all a belated holi and a colorful spring time

Happy New Year

New Year is already here..:-) A month already gone by..Wow u realizing it today..Cribs another voice inside..But I was too wrapped up shouts back my inner self ;-) and the fight goes on...

This New year was spent travelling to rajasthan..for many it's a dream destination somehow never was for me..But after the visit I still can't get it over my mind..

The long lonely landscapes to aravali's in the background,rana pratap's famous haldighati & the battle seasoned forts of Chittor to the jauhar of padmini and palatial beauty of Udaipur...I still keep running over it again and again in my thoughts..

Was supposed to be just a long weekend but then hubby got a week's vacation and we decided it was time for a rajasthan tour. Our first stop was Chittorgarh I am still mesmerized by the beauty of the fort and the aura of history that just goes with it..

Saw the simple looking padmini jal mahal (right bldng of the 2 in pic)..last three steps where padmini sat and khilaji saw her in a shininng kansa plate(no mirrors mannn) in adjacent building. well for amateurs..here goes the story..Rani padmini's beauty was beyond words and khilaji was the maharuler(villian as in our stories). He told chittor ka raja he will leave chittor if they show him rani once which of course is so beyond rajputana tradition. Hence the mirror show of rani.But now as khilji saw rani once he of course wanted more(well as every villian wants) which led to the battle with only one end and that was chittor's fall.hence the jauhar the ultimate sacrifice(u go on pyre as suhagin and ur husband goes to fight for death)..

Cld not help but overdramatize the story watching too many movies nowadays. I can't believe it hubby has not heard the story ..But it was amazing.

Victory tower..Aaj phir jeene ki tamanna hein we replayed it here :-)

MeerBai's temple another treasure..I thought it was all in our dadi maa bedtime stories but here it was right in front of my eyes where meera drank the poision only for it to be turned into amrita.
Road drive from chattisgarh to Udaipur was a zoom zapak drive.I didnt know such roads existed in India.No habitation around 100 km driveway. One of the common scene that greeted us u wld be cattle grazing in the ground and ladies of house just sitting on their hunches by roadside in the sun , looking content or blank I wish I knew.
Amazing how sometimes scenes that touch u most, just passes by.. It now seems like a movie with no prints ..yeah I got no pics :-) But my memory is serving me perfectly fine so far,so there it runs in my mind..

There is a sharp contrast as u move from Chittorgarh to Udaipur. Suddenly from a battle driven huge lonely rocky terrain u reach land of lakes,beauty and palaces.. First rendezvous was the night light and sound show at City Palace..Amazing it feels as if the whole fort has come alive to tell u the story of it's creation and tradition.

I can see how the janata wld have felt about such a transition in those days..How and why did Rana pratap had the courage to leave life of such luxury is a question that still wonders me.It was Pratap's father who did the transition from Chittor to Udaipur..

Ropeway's top view of Udaipur was amazing..Glittering with jag mandir and city palace in view..

Haldighati terrain was as the name says all haldi in color..One can even visit chetak's(that's was pratap's famed horse) samadhi too..What delighted me to no ends was we could spot the naala(in the left pic) which chetak crossed and saved his raja's life though it led to chetak's demise..Surprsingly not too highlighted as a tourist destiantion, it was cherished discovery for me..
Phew Sweet memories :D

Jan has been busy making every wekeend to my parent's house on one pretext or other..Celebrating lohri after a decade since I had left home was special moment as well.Not much to it except its kindaa bonfire but the tradition and home coming feel of it makes its lovely. First lohri for hubby as well :-)

Life has been interesting journey so far and I wish it unravels itself as beautifully as it has so long..

Wish you all a very Happy New year

Note:Pic at the top are the view we got all along the highway..I love dilli ki sardi :-D

Waiting for More

Trying to come back to normalcy that's how we as a country are feeling..So,Is all back to normal..No it isn't and I really wish it's not..

Political back lashing by janta at least ensured co-operation among various faction on India's integrity issues. Though how long they it stays this way is anybody's guess.
Let the pressure be on..

For the first time I am seeing the response frm pakistan on our channels..I am really able to see why aam janata there failed to believe 26/11 was being rooted in their soil itself.
Yes our politicians shouting Pakistan for all happening here never helped (especially sambhavana blast being the recent example)..Dawn's own investigation definitively reveals some role media can really play..Now this is a new change,as I never remember something like this coming out frm pakistani media in Musharraf government.Some faith in civilian government and of course freedom of speech..(To be honest I always was a Musharaf fan and cld never understand why ppl were shouting freedom in his reign apart from political reasons..Shows how far projected images can go,But I stand corrected).

I appreciate our govmt's measured response and pressure building tactics on pakistan.
Ensuring there won't be a any war but pakistan will have to fight hard for any terror on its own soil. Stopped Zardari in his own tracks rather than letting him blackmail the world by saying they wld be shifting their troops.

I sound for the time being satisfied with government is trying to achieve on border scene.. But I am yet to see anything concrete on home front..Measures so far hasn't impressed any of us. So yes I am waiting for more a lot more..


Also some hot questions still running wild in my thoughts

--yeah PK has banned Jamat E Udwa but then announcing 2 days in advance and then banning doesn't help much..By then all assets are transferred else where and member already start disappearing. So whats the way to take this forward.

--How does one change the basic nature of an organization(ISI) which has been at war with INDIA since their inception be it frontline war or being involved with indirect warfare..(trying to train insurgents/militants)

--We are thinking of creating a new federal agency but does that ensure smooth transition and information flow among our agencies ..How do we solve that? Also how do we minimize the bureaucracy for various approvals required?

Sometimes I try to think back when all this started..and I am not sure why my mind stops at Babri Masjid Demolition.Its not that our history didn't have riots before that but somehow this one seems like unending loop to me. But the recent attacks are far beyond our own issues or are they really??

Would Don's involvement ink something similar?

Sometimes I wonder how someone like advani can sleep comfortably at night..Does his conscience never bother him or it it really easy to say and believe things went beyond ones control..Was he not the leader,the one driving his rathyatra..How can one fool oneself huh

Note:Last post I got at least 2 of my queries answered by steps taken by govt..I wish things get clearer by next time..

So yeah I am Still waiting for MORE..

Its Happened Again

It happened again..and I am sitting here in anguish how can this be..Have we not seen the same bad dream so many times..But every time its come more stronger more organized and better funded than before..Who is to blame for this,we,our politicians or the country there across the border

How we allow ourselves to be cheated by the broklen promises time and again..Or is that we have simply perfected the art of let go..and made it sound great with "being resilient"..Or is that in a country of billion few hundreds dont matter..Keep punching us and we will come back stronger in numbers at least if
not in strength..Where are the lessons we learnt frm the so called attack on our democracy 7 years back..

There has been so many question running around in my mind

--How come its been 7 years and still there we are as vulnerable as ever..No lessons learnt and every time the same promises frm politicians..Will this time be any different if so why.

--Do we really think getting some more hawaldars stand here and there is going to make the terrrorism stay atbay..Dont we see we need to be a lot more active on gathering intelligence..Some men came by boat checked in to our best hotels made their control house there for 8 days and we didnt even get a sniff on that..Wld the guys in govt realize how significant it is

However we might criticize bush I still have to agree on on fact that he has not let his country to be attacked since 9/11..Do u really think ppl dont plan to attack them..

--when will see a co-ordinated response to a terror act..Do we even have a list of hostages taken out or anything to calm the families struggling to get any news of their families..Looks like disaster mgmt is in disaster itself..I thought TAJ Mgmt was so better appreciated here even though half of there staff
was killed..U cld hear the appreciation in the guest voices frm inside.Thats how u play a moment of crisis.

--When are our politicans going to realize that they need to present a solidaroty front on at least some basic issues like home security.They can't keep dog fighting each other out just for the sake of it..

--If we really so strongly believe that Pakistan is behind every such attack..Why we haven't put forward the strong evidence across to US UN and them itself..How can someone really deny a conclusive evidence...Are we missing something here or after so many attacks we still are to gather evidnce against them(a Shame)..Or is it govt thinks it too conveninent

So is there any hope for all of us..Of course there is..we are democracy..and at the end of the day govt want votes..Such situation will force all the parties to make security their top priority.They will have to act upon the groundswell demand from us the people.Even politicos know they can make it a huge election issue and they will be measured on it..Also aren't we on our way to become a economic superpower..So what abt all those buisnesses who fourish in a calm and peace env. Am sure that wld be a good force to make govt act..

So do I think its going to happen soon..No now that wld be a mistake..Till we make the habit of letting go it will be a let go issue..
And before things go for good there is always a dive down..so hold ur breath as there might be more to come before we see the good happen..

Till then have faith

Winters after a longg time

Delhi is having its smog day and night nowadays..I knew of fog since my childhood days and that it meant the biting cold in which we had to get up for our schools..But now its different..Whole lot of smog but not as cold as u wld expect..Looks can be deceptive ;-)

Never knew delhi was so polluted in its CNG days as well..I must say though in summers I never had the pollution or smoke feel..Why with so many innovators around the world we can't have a clean fuel car with decent mileage and cool promotional value in market(very imp.)..Yeah I am true beliver in marketing u just need to get the campaign right to give a product intial boost,rest a good product will take care of itself..

Looks like Strike of TV workers is still on.That brings me to the fact that BIG BOSS is still running and with no more shows on air,my guess wld be its TRP shld be running high..Its time like this whihch tells how good are reality shows I mean u need no story nothing just some editing here and there and bang show is on..

I have been an avid follower of BIG BOSS...and I think the part 2 is damn interesting..In the intitial days itself I thought this group was the one writing the rules rather than the BIG BOSS writing them..

I remember the episode where all of them decide to quit together the task of not sleeping as it was too injurious to their health..Lol it was a great change frm ealier studious batch..These guys were like if all of us do it who are they going to punish..Then there was rahul threatening BIG BOSS for the ciggies..and now comes all of them running out of the house for food..Yummy I think at time even BIG BOSS is at loss of words..and did u notice the special announcement by BOSS about how a dietician decides the right amount of food etc etc after the episode..This was more masala than I expected..and raja is one person whom I hated most in the start but who has evolved most in the series..Did u see his and sambhavana's encounter in the last episode..Temper under leash but how long hmm

Have been reading audacity of hope by of course president elect obama..Nice read..But more because I was really curious to know what drastic change this guy plans to bring..Or what are his thoughts on burning topics..After reading I find his thoughts are quite well meant and well written,though am not sure how implementable(BTW is this a word)..Now I can at least map what he thinks and what he does :-)

Finally went to see Qutab Minar in Mehrauli..Overall nicely maintained and kept.Keeping a slideshow here of QM pic..Had wanted some better ones when the sun was going down but then the itnerest in guide story made me leave it..Next time..I still have that image of sun dawn @QM in my mind..There are always lots of kabootars in such areas...Must be creating havoc inside QM,but then being closed frm inside due to suicide attempts,we wld never know what those kabootar has done to the insides..But they sure make for a very pretty sight flying in grps here and there..

Getting a glimpse of winters,home fans are not needed anymore..Pullover,jacket or shawl is all time wear now. and with it the feeling that we want to get up late,be there in cosy quilts every morning..

Pleasant :-) It's winters after a real longgg time..(Lets see how long I stay in this mode))

Speed On Bro , Hell ain't full Yet

Diwali is round the corner and durga puja festivities just died down..After seeing the pujas here I can understand why bengalis everywhere cant stop raving abt poojas back home in Kolkata..

Went for the durga darshan in two most famous pandals around my area..One of them was inside an apartment complex owned by benglais mostly..I was hugely surprised by the kind of arrangements they cld manage to do..Apart from usual loads of khana peena shops there was cultural programme going on with artistes frm Kokata and even the security arrangements..There were metal detectors ,regular scanning and stuff. As such these thing are not that big deal but being arranged by an apartment for an event open for all(and I can assure u that means huge crowds in India) is amazing..

This wld be first diwali when I am not going to be home(Ppl find it quie funny that I callall of my rented places home.. but then home is what we make it ain't it)..I will miss all the lighting up,looking for new diyas and stuff..
Might be I will just lit my poojaghar up hoping there wont be any short circuits in my absence. Though I have doubts abt hubby letting me do this.

So ppl keep asking me if I made any new frnds here..Sometimes I think I am past making friends stage its more of aquaintances..(some exceptions are always there though)..Now here my link to other apartment ladies is typical maid talk..I consider myself quite a ideal employer(yeah I know we all love to think that way :-D) but some how my plea of informing leave dates till now is falling on deaf ears..and so comes all the calls here and there
Here I know all apmt ladies by their house numbers..well thats how it works on intercom ..So there is 953, 133, 613 681 and so many more..Somehow it reminds me of the idea mobile ad where u get to know a person by their mob numbers..Do I like them..Not sure but I am amused..Never seen such a secretive lot..Not sure what secrets they are hiding though or it just plain habit here of talking straight..681 lady in her first talk simply didnt tell me her house number..I asked and her response was I am calling frm 6th block..Well well well give me a break .This is no suspense drama. 953 lady was more interested in which caste I belonged to..I asked her why what diff did it make to her..She stammered and said nah just curious..I told her I am no brahamin :-D But nope this wasn't enought to ward off ladies spirits she was gutsy enough to ask me again..613 lady told me her name,asked mine On hearing Sangita,said hers was the same name earlier ,changed as they got another Sangita in their family..Interesting ppl
Then I met this doctor lady in my lift who already knew where I was living frm where I had shifted. I am not sure though why did she ask then cld have introduced herself straight way..Somehow it reminds me of the curiosity generated in Saas Bahu aur Sensex when kiron kher and daughter shift into this new apmt.I have never been such object of curiosity since my marriage..So its weird
Now hubby is too amused by our talks and if my intercom rings he is all ears to whats happening..
Finally took metro to rajouri garden to explore the shivaji district centre..well an amazing concept for ppl like me..U come out of metro station and there is this huge space where there are 5 malls lined up and some more coming up..This is what they shld do..will avoid a lot car jams..Loved one of the suits..Might buy it in my next visit let see..
Oh and in one of the stations there was only one lady getting out and another guy rushing..Both wearing same mix of pink an white exact same shades as well ..I wish they had had noticed each other standing right there with just the yet to open door between them.

Went to Jaipur and Kurushetra..Jaipur was nice and Jaigarh Fort was amazing..U can take ur cars inside nowadays..All to promote tourists and they say footfalls has increased since then..And if u are thinking aint car a little too broad(I did think so)..well then if elephants with all howrah and stuff can go on those peripheries cars surely can :-)but somehow whenever I think of jaipur now it will be poorness of the city which makes a mark rather than anything else...Was amazed by the poverty which was right there in the middle of old city to see..U didnt even need to go searching for it,beyond my expecations(not at least in the capital city).Been to so many cities and even the old city areas but this was beating all of them.I thought Vasundhara raje was doing something..If this is the state in Jaipur I am not sure whats the case at other small places..

Saw Loads of trucks on the way much more than I had ever seen in my drives..yesterday driving down saw on one of these cars with the sticker ."Speed On Bro , Hell ain't full Yet".and I thought it was so true and catchy :-D I wish I cld click it. I dont sit in car with my camrea in hand :-(

So on a caution note be safe whether u are driving or crossing roads or going for diwali patakha spree..Enjoy :-)

Hot Times

Its been hot here for the last few days..Amid all the hot news is hubby might be travelling to aamchi mumbai for few months..Oh how badly I wish to get a chance to vist the place..Though his last few visit's report has been getting worse and worse ..Everytime he visits, he insists that infra is bad.going further worse and so on .But that still is not enough to demotivate my visiting thoughts
Mumbai has been city of dreams for me though I never thought so even for a day till i was there..I still can't forget our juhu visits(which used to be quite often),walk on the beach in front of SRK's house,all the time staring at his house (see I am already forgetting the name of that beach in bandra ..yeah Bandstand ) and of course our visits to AB's both house(jalsa and ...)..I cld never get salmans house right somehow it gets lost in the maze of bldngs..

Then there is this pomfret near heera panna (I think name is noorani's)..they say sanju baba gets his food parcel from this place.A very no sense place but serves an amazing pomfret..Yummy So many memories in there..The thought of it makes me smile.I wish its not as bad as hubby says when I visit it..

Back to Delhi..I am yet to explore any of Delhi..Wish to take the INTACH walk heard its nice but am not sure if anyone in govt really picks up phone for bookings. Even have to re-read the Delhi Jinn book by William derymple(After checking on net I see name is City of Djinns)

Delhi metro is amazing..I think Kolkata metro is cool but delhi's metro has this bright and sunny character which of course makes it more adorable.Surprisingly its clean,though I must say the credit is more to the system than to the people. Reason being in metro stations they have not allowed anything to munch on..chips and sandwches and stuff..All u get is water and cold drinks..
So not much for our indian public to create a mess :-)

Metro has connected me to the most of to be visited delhi..That's one cool advantage ,apart from the fact that the whole journey is a colorful experince.Last visit I had these group of four college gals,on the whole way discussing how to get makeups right for a perfect cam pic..After a longg time I did peer reading (peering over someone else's magazine while the person is reading) .and there is nice nap time with background ongoing noises and a good AC inside..Travel makes me sleepy a lot more sleepy than usual..I sit in a plane and even before its stable in the skies and seat belts sign off I am half wayto my beauty sleep.Same with trains ,metro..Car is the only exception as there I go in a trance staring at the outside world,in my own thoughts..I love the feeling.
How I wish noida was directly connected to my place..Wld have made my travels a lot more shorter..I love the metro part but I hate the auo part..Though I have met some nice autowallahs..One of them told me how to identify noida autos at delhi metro stations..

An interesting thing here is about the name of apartments..U have a doctors apartment(yeah the bldng occupants are mainly doctors),samachar apartments(This one is quite a landmark) and many more..though don't remember seeing any of lawyers apartments might be they will fight/bite each others off ;-)

Market in my place is interesting and I finally got hold of a library as well.Not a proper one as bangalore but a sadak one,better version of my kolkata sadak library.Expensive though,well imagine charging 40% as reading charge but then I can use it for occasional purposes or say fall back mechanism.Plane to re read HP 6 and 7..yeah I am a big fan(though I admit it only in some of my book hungry moments)

Saw jaane tu and bachana ..Ranbir looks cool and I absoultely love genelia and Imraan..Imraan looks so the new happening guy to me.These kids are the ones who have made me think SRK Aamir bandwagon has realllly grown old.. Waise thinking kats and ranbir are of same age,was weird.Might its about how old a face u have become in the industry..

Have nice balconies in my new home..And there are some flower pots as well..Been bringing some plants from parents home to fill in my empty pots..Did see parrots here and loads of them. here is a pic..Have pigeons visit on my ,mainly attracted to the water available in the pots.. That reminds me I am yet to water the plants :-)

Its lovely feeling hearing the flutter of their wings flying in and out of my balcony..Now that's a good advantage of having a nice top floor apartment though I guess next years summer will really tell me how good or bad it is..

We were just thinking we dont even have warm clothing for delhi winters..Lets see how much we buy phew I hate overloading or underloading of clothes..

Lots said rest will be for next time
Cheers

Capital Calling

Finally settled in delhi..Or saying home is set wld be more apropriate..My settling never is complete till Ifind my places of interest and that takes time..People keep asking me how am I finding delhi and why delhi after bangalore..To many its a no brainer why someone wld give up Bangalore..Yeah true to an extent
But for me,2 yrs in bangalore & my soul was troubling me with too long a stay. So I was more than happy to when hubby got an oppurtunity at a new place.So am I regretting it,yeah the weather is so unrocking :-( . I am still trying to beat it..Though a home at top floor and loads of balconies gives me some breather but phew no one can beat bangalore in that respect..
House hunting was quite an eye opener.Noida was out due to huge distances though parents place so near was definitely an attraction.
Gurgaon was our next stop and we were shocked see the bad state of the infra ..I am still struggling to understand how can people call a place like that hep..
Though I give it to them that the buildings are world class and so are the facilities till you are ready for the cagey existence it gives..There are enough malls to keep you occupied but then I can't spent my whole life mall hopping..I need my walk , roads ,parks, the roadside market and the pedal rickshaws as well ..First thing we noticed when In capital was the roads wide roads real wide the long flyovers and no traffic snarls..Might be mine is a twisty view due to weekend drive only but its cool..
Finally got place of choice, dwarka..Wide roads, enough public transport to make me feel I am in India not in some faraway place ..No malls here and no movie theaters(sounds quite abhorrent doesn't it) but then weekend visits to the nearby Gurgaon should suffice for the purpose..For weekdays I love it here in the sector market,which is more like a picnic place in the evenings..U name it and u get it,its been years since I cld see all those kababs on roadside ..(yeah till now we had to sit inside the restraunt and had whole meal there if we ever waned to have them.) Mehendi waalas on every nook and corner and so are those chuphut stuff shops..I wish I had taken some pics here ..
Last three days have been roadside food for us..gorging on those chicken tandooris and kababs..(though I think we did overdid at times)..

One thing I am missing badly here,even more than Bangalorean weather is my books..there is only one magazine waala and if he is not there then I am doomed yeah u heard it right there are no magazine shops..or might be I am yet to locate them. was searching thru libraries listing on net ..the scenario looked quite bleak if I am to believe the site..Hopefully I will find something if I try hard enough..
This is about delhi but what about delhiwallas..Now not that I had a lot of interaction..but whatsoever I had I learnt one thing..Mumbai was prompt and efficient,Bangalore prompt though inefficient,delhiwalla tops it all..As he is nether prompt nor effiicient..It takes ten calls to get a thing done and if u let it be upon them to do it their way then god save you.. Can u imagine it took me 4 days simply to start a simple service like milk and paper..Waise I am still learning how to deal with them.
Came to delhi via ahmedabad..did our grah pravesh..Function we thought was a home funtion became one with 150 guests (now thats a overshoot lol)..Overall it turned out to be great..food was veggie but amazing ..and I loved the saree I wore..Had got it on our visit to Waynad(Kerala)..Imagine getting a North Indian attire from south India on cheaper price and with a lot less effort than I wld have placed if in Bangalore..
Talking of kerala..Last outing we had from Bangalore was Waynard,..(just before our pack up)..waynard means land of paddy.. Attraction was kuruwa dweep island and speed boating at the earth dam..View at both the places were amazing and the baddie was hubby got a bad foot bite in the island waters :-(
I was quite fascinated by the name earth dam and thats when hotel help desk guy told us its so bcoz the concrete structure in the dam is quite less the three side are more obstructed more by natural resorces..One of the amazing thing I found in there was however hilly remote the terrain you will get the icecream wallas with their colorful vehicles parked in there..Wasnt the cost of commuting more than what they could earn..Not sure but above is a pic

Went for bamboo rafting in the islands as well and saw some of the tree houses..First time I got to see one ,it was nice looking at an adventourous experience but a price of 700 in such a remote place made me feel more scared than anything else..

Just now heard the news of so many bombs being diffused at surat..and the ppl were a lot more vigilant..It reminds me of sometime back when we were travelling by a train where one of the stops was surat..It was after the plague days and the station was spot and clean..We cld not stop ourselves from commneting on the neatness and thats when a tea seller started telling in his proud voice,all the dirt garbage was before plague days..we learnt and now u will see surat is the cleanest city..Its so rare to see all indians hopeful or proud for a cause so that was a welcome..

Similar feel I got in delhi wrt to asian games ahead..even the rickshawallas will tell you that so and so things will be done before that..Now thats some hope ppl look forward to an optmistic feeling and I can see why
The rate at which construction work is going on is amazing..makes me remeber me of bangalore where a flyover starts and then takes on years and years to build upon
So much said need to run for my idlis (Yeah u even get the idli mix here roadside and with chutney as well)..
Will be back soon

IPL watch

Where have I been..No visits on my own blog since last few months..Hope it does not go bad than this..Afraid even to make promises if I can't keep them..

IPL is the most happening thing right now in most Indian homes..and lots of it is happening in mine as well.Went to catch upon match in chinnaswamy stadium. Was surprised to see so many of facts cleared up after seeing the match

1.View in the field is quite clear with the naked eye.Yeah binoculars are only for eyeing the celebrities gracing the event ;-)

2.Sixers and fours do not look as grand & as powerful as they do in TV...Can be attributed to the fact the ground is not as large as it looks in idiot box(Now u know why they call it idiot)

3.Surprisingly it's the bowled and run outs which have the real sheen..forthe first time I started appreciating clean bowled,stumps falling and why umpires can make wrong decisions..

4.There is no stage for presentation ceremony ..The prizes the talk all happens in front of a glass panel full of sponsors ads..

5.You need not take odomos,association does pest control to ensure there aren't mosquitoes around to fight..Yipee
It was amazing being part of a three hour crowd cheering event..Aryans the band played nice numbers..Laser show on the stadium was simply amazing and the spirit of cheerleaders unbeaten..Was happy we had someone flamboyant like Mallaya owning the team..Only thing I missed was firecrackers how I wished RC had won..well if you are wondering,let me make it clear I am no cricket person ,that hubby is ..I went to match for the frills and thrills and IPL surely didnt disappoint me there..So if you ask me if IPL is a hit,I would give it a huge thumbs up..Yeah if it can make audience like me interested enough to know all the team names ,watch a match live(I don't even know how do u spell bowled always thought it was bold yeah laugh at me but thats how it is)..well IPL surely has arrived with a BIG BANG

So a perfect except I wish Bangalore Royal Challengers were as royal as their name..The worse part even though the whole experince made us want to see another live match BUT we know one of the teams will always be RC so not much to be expected..(how I regret this)..I let this to be taken care of by Mallaya hopefully he will something abt it next season at least :-D

Went to rangnathitu(a bird sanctuary) twice in last few months.Very nicely maintained one.U can get a boat ride(the boatmen know all the birds by heart) passing you by diff islands with lovely migratory birds all around you..Its an amazing feeling and by the second visit I was able to identify quite a few of the birds..Egrets, ibis, pelicans,darters..Did spot a kingfisher,and that was my highlight..(Seems like I am quite impressed by mallaya)..Both trip we got the same boatmen another coincidence :-)

Another visit to Mysore palace but this time we ensured a guide.I always feel if you get a good guide they can make a place come alive for you..After hearing so much now surely next time I can act as a guide.. Cld see some of raja ravi verma's 3D paintings..Never had heard of 3D concept in paintings before so found it amazing...I am always amazed by the curse on Wodeyars(it said they will never be able to have direct genealogoy)..and it been happening since a long time now..One generation has kids and next one has to adopt..Current wodeyar's was born to his parents but his father was adopted and now he again has no kids..

Past to present.How many of you are watching the paanchvi pass..I do,am so much for all the quiz shows..My dream,hope I do get a call and win at least 2L :-) Nothing wrong in dreaming

Its been raining on and off in Bagalore making the weather better than most place in the country. Been going to labagh for my morning walks since last few days..Mornings its harld 12 minutes drive.Forced hubby to take me lalbagh one sunday mrng and thats when we realized the small water lake..Imagine me going there for last one year and still never saw it..Good,he has been hooked to it ever since ..Lets see might go one day with my Digicam to get some pretty shots ;-)

Till then c ya

Camel Ride

Been down and out for more than a week with the usual cold..More than a year since I had the cold last. Recovered we decided its been long since we went for a drive so decided to have our loved sandwiches at eagleton..The joy was the camel ride there..Have taken my share of elephant and horse rides but then this was new..Another story abt hema malini's(the actress) ride on a camel in movie rajia sultana made me curious enough to try..Seems during the shooting she had demanded bottles of perfume bcoz of the peculiar odour that camels have..
Well good that I tried..Ride was humpy,I cld even feelt the hump where camel stores the water and nah contrary to the report I had read, I did not find any objectionable smell..Might be camels have evolved ;-)
On the ride we got talking to the ride guy and found for him this was an ancestral buisness..Originally hailing from jodhpur in rajasthan gujarat,he has been travelling all over india where ever the buisness had been brisuqe.Maharasthra has been good for him and he seemed to be real fond of pune where he had stayed for over six years.. He had travelled on foot to bangalore and it took him 4 months to reach bangalore..well of course with the tiny miny money making stops..
Between the three brothers they had 256 camels he was travelling with 100 and the rest were with his elder bro in hyderabad..His father had more or less given in the reins to brothers.. And his role was more of the doctor guy for camels now.Been six months in banglaore and his next stop wld be Hyderabad..

Cool I didn't know such such buisness was there even today..I find it interesting going from one place to other,finding new people new customs..But then after a while it can feel tiring and that's when u start searching for your roots..such a dilemna..The camel we have in pic is only 12 years and has not reached her full ..Seems once they grow real heighty,they are no more used for tourists instead for caryying luggage..Average agespan for a camel is 35 years..Small lifespan naa waise depends what u are comparing against :-)


Had a nice brunch with view of greens of the golf course..I wish their service has been a little faster. Love the kind of look they give to the overall serving check out for yourself..makes me feel yum yum even now :-) The faraway one in the pic is mine


Have been reading a lot..Done with angels and demons(book by da vinci author) recently..Gripping book and for the first time reading about illuminati was cool..Illuminati was another ancient brotherhood in the turbulent times when church had strong control on all aspects of life.Some of the greatest scientist were the member of the brotherhood(started with Galilleo) and even the one dollar bill seal (Pyramid and eye ) is illuminati...Made me curious if we had any such similar concepts in our mythology ..Secret societies and stuff.Dont think I heard of any..Am I missing something.Or were we so liberal we didnt need any,I should look for on the net..
Have been reading about religion for past sometime..Were soo surprised to learn some new facts..Genesis is there in Chiristianity,Islam and Judaism and So is Noah and the flood story..Jesus is there in Islam as well but known as a prophet & till Ibrahim all the three religion had same lineage..Such close ties. And do u know why we celebrate December the 25th..Nah that's not jesus DOB..well every take over frm another and in the process es with earlier beliefs,stories..Before Christinaty it was what pagan's winter festival..In those days taking over the holidays and replacing the gods was a common way of taking people with you in ur new belief and thats what happened..Though there will always be some controversy around this but this is the most plausible explanation I could see..
Has been reading historical fictions lately..read Amber room by Steve Berry. A room full of amber(now even the art of carving amber seems to have died) severly sought after in russia and germany by treasure hunters..Seems hitler wanted in his art artifacts and so did herman goring(No 2 after hitler)..till this is fine but what was a surprise was the fact that both these guys wanted to make their own museums in their respective birth towns and had an art rivalry which is well documented in history..Interesting ain't it..U and ur no 2 going in on ur own seperate ways..
Sometimes I ask myself why do I need to read or write such stuff..what purpose it is serving..I wish I knew but I love doing it
So here I am :-)
Wishing you all a great day ahead

PS:Camel guy requested the top pic..I wish I wld have been able to give the pic..& I loved the the petal arrangement in water.One can give so much attention to a tiny decoration.Pretty

Just back frm another wedding..yeah too many wedding at home but then weddings are always good time..

Even went on a 2 hour drive to bokaro Nice one..Had gone to pick up my bil(bro in law).. On our way it was good to see early morning mist, and ppl just waking up going about their daily chores Bokaro station was a small one had thought of a bigger one considering that its a soo well know city..3 platforms thats it..Only regret cldnt get an omlette on station..Bird flu seems to have made a strong impression on people's minds..

Way back was nice sleepy time on bumpy roads

Quite a cold time of the year and after so many years of living in kolkata bangalore mumbai had really fogotten what chill means..it Was good recall how teeth chattering & hitting cold feels ..just for old times sakes :-)

Repurcussion was of course felt after being back now down with a horrible cold so much so that even my sound is alien to me..Fil(father in law) was all packed up like a kid with his new sweater and the monkey cap..yeah it may sound funny bit it really saves you :-D

Got my mehendi done :-) mehendi gals were too fast and good.Admitted to doing it for last 4 years.quite some time..We asked the cook to light up a gas for warming our hands(trick to ensure mehendi color comes).of course it served the purpose of so much needed warmth in cold wave.

Nice to have attended finally a dulhas wedding after a gap of three dulhan's marriages and of course the chance to dance.One new ceremony was making a replica of dulhan which is done with once the dulhan comes home..Here is the one with full makeup of lehenga choli bindi mattha teeka and all...

Loved the ceremony where the groom's parents are all dressed up as dulha dulhan themselves..and here is mami posing for me ;-)

Literally gorged on litti choka on the shaadi day ..never had tasted them but somehow had this non tasty image of them..But yummy they are..I was one of few ppl on that stall and the only one to come every second either for more litti or for more chokha..

Silver man was another attractive feature.Had seen the same in europe US but in IndiaNot sure how was the guy managing in such a weird posture without even battling an eyelid

The hotels where we got married were quite nearby to where we were staying.Saw them first time after marriage.How did it feel..I wish I cld recall something or might be it will be some more years later..As of now those moments are so un vivid ..it's more of chaos that I remember..abt new ppl new place the look the makeup and of course for me the most imp issue of me and hubby to go our sperate ways for next 6 mths

But yeah glad I was to see it :-)

On our way back,was our halt at kolkata. Airport had a cloak room and I thought only railways stations had..Thanks to it we deposited our stuff in there and went roaming around..went to city centre ,used to be our fav haunt in kol days.Ate at pizza hut,manager had changed with one of serving guys having hit the position..I think i remember faces though always have been bad at names..even got to buy a sandal from khadim's.

I have a record,none of my footwear lasts long for more than 3 months..Does not matter how expensive or how cheap it is.hubby used to say this to me always and I used to make fun of him..But then after some time I started keeping the receipts just being curious to see how true his claim was ..Though I hate to admit it it but he was right yeah 3.5 is the maximum record that any of my chappals have :-(

Been watching so many movies of late..None that impresed me a lot.I think godfather series was the last that impressed me.Now that have got a DVD player,is more like a movie a day..thanks to the DVD library we joined..

Liked the concept of "sunday"(Imagine thats a movie name) but then its good with all those fast forwards only..

Friday night it is time for another movie..C you guys

Closing 2007

2007 coming to an end..Time always flies soo fast..Realization made me resurface here again..Wld have been so unfair if my page wld not even have had a last
word from me on the year and happenings
So how wld I describe this year..Busy one beaming with guests some amount of backache and then the lovely trips thrown in..
Went on a 4 day trip to Kerala in Nov.Roamed around kovalam, kanyakumari , allepey, trivnadrum..
Sole reason of going to Trivandrum was nostalgia..Had spent three months there in my training days so just wanted to check how has the city been all these
years. even saw OSO(Om Shanti om) there..It was nice cheering shouting with the crowd that made up for the not so likable first half of the movie for me..Pic is of ambrosia at bakery junction which used to our favorite treat joint..We were so excited at unexpectedly finding it but also were so happy that all we too there tasted so yummy

Kovalam was as pretty as ever but somehow that was not sufficient for me..The novel experience was the two hour fish catching ceremony on the beach.something I will never forget and which i can see happening before my eyes even today.Ceremony is the word not task I use. As that can rightly describe the untiring effort and focus,the rhytmic movements and the merriment around

Had just gone a walk by the beach in the morning when we noticed the fisherman pulling ropes whose lengths were hidden somewhere beneath the sea..Seconds changed to moments and moments to hour..we stood there watching.Cld see the rope's lengths after an hour..that was a new high among the fisherfolks..U cld see suddenly the movements going faster..Youths, in hope of getting a piece of final share,joined in the effort..

Foriegners joined in for the excitement of it. As the ropes came near some folks went inside the sea..Jumping near ,still far end of the net,it was dance celebrating the arrival ..As the net came nearer,efforts reached crescendo..On could feel the excitement in the air..Fisher men started singing ,a rythym complimenting their movements and at the same time conveying the hope..

Soon the catch was out and all the excitement was changed to business like demeanor in deciding the amount of share for everyone. Yeah did ntowit up to
see the further details as I had my bag full with a lifetime experience

Next stop was Kanyakumari..We took a taxi ,it was lush green everywhere..Hotel we got in kanyakumari was a pleasant surpise..Yipee we cld see the sunrise frm
the room and they even have a knock door service for this.

Got up early in the mrng to roam around the sea.Even though weather was not at its best we had the advantage of having risen early..lonely boats,clean blue sea all around,early mrng fish market bustling with activity were some of the images that still stay
with me

Took first ferry to vivekananda memorial in hope of beating the sun..Thiruvallur rock was new addition since my visit last time..knew the name thanks to abdul kalam's book wings of fire

Another major attraction for me there was the majestic look I cld get of the rock memorial ,as if rising out of the sea

Next day early morning we started for allepey..Houseboat(Mettuvalam) was another attraction we had thought abt going to..We decided for a six hour day tour and I can tell
you for sure though little expensive its a lifetime of experience u shld never miss

We had a crew of three with us boat captain(dont get a image of someone in whole white but its plain shirt and loongi ishstyle,one sitting without umbrella in the pic),one cook and I guess third one was giving the morals support to other two ;-)
Must say out captain was a sociable guy,honking his boat nearly every 5 minutes as a way of greeting someone he knew..And one colorful thing of all the ppl the boats nearby us he was the only one typical india with a colorful umbrella..All others had usual black ones

On discussing we came to know these boats are made by investment of somewhere around 20-30 lakhs and the high ends one can reach as high as 50 lakh..Its
literally a 2 bhk home inside with TV decent baths with hot clean water thrown in.Wld even go to the extent of saying better than some of the hotels we have stayed in. Lunch is such a nice feast..we choose to go in small canals and cld see the bustling activity on tiny strip of land on both sides..There were homes schools and even shops there. Boat head even showed us his home..we saw the longest snak boat the route of yearly boat raceand they hav boat clubs jsut like football clubs..Our boat captain was a part of such club and claimed to have been part of winning team in many races..

Six hours were a dream run and they simply passed by..we being mesmerised by the lovely views .But end it did and with it our kerala trip..

For me this wld be the remembrance of the year..Hope to have more for such moments in the year to come..

Wish you all a very Happy & Prosperous New Year ..

Trivia: Must thank doctor bejan singh who game me some jaan when some foreign object invaded my eye..TO hubby who took me all the way from kanyakumari to
nagercoil just for something in my eye which I wld have avoided.. and in such case surely wldn't have had any trip to remember

Little Delights

Last one and a half month have been nothing but full of walks, gastronomic delights (yummy laddos ,chocolate cakes loads of golgappas) with little bit of scrabble and bluff(a card game and I am the bluff queen :-)) thrown in..

Durga puja has started,dashhera is right a the door step and diwali coming in..looks like the eating days are not gonna end soon.Actually they have just started. Not that I mind :-)

Was so down and out today,not seen a single pooja mandap in all these pooja days..Finally ventured out looking for puja pandals.Got two :-)Had a funny scene of a lady turning & staring at me then her kids and then her hubby...Weirdo. thank god came out they were acquaintances.. Had an impromptu lunch with hubby's langotia yaar,yummy food and new restraunt.

On our way to next pandal also got a ganna juice waala after a long time.Had a perfect day end sitting in park for an hour..now that's some record and weather was so very best at 3 in afternoon..Hmm A perfect day..

I absolutely love days like this when u feel things are made right just for you .

Home now and it's raining yipee what more can I ask for..hearing to the rain drops and writing my blog..

Recently seems like i have found my walking foot and companion as well..so have been walking loads recently and its good to get so much of fresh air in your system..found nilekani's house in one of these walks.yeah somehow wanted to know which one is millionairre's row lol.

Have been going there for quite some time..It's just on the other side of the road but it seems like a world lost in itself..U have to enter the road and u have left all the noises behind. Tree's are there lining the roads on both side..branches meet each other at the centre of road,ensuring a heavenly welcome. Flower buds there everywhere on the road,sun shines thru the branches,uare not deprived of the sunlight but at the same time the coolness around makes u love the walk..Does not matter what the time or season this is how it feels there..

Not that roads there are good,neither the gov nor the millionaries has taken to making it nice smooth road but good avoids loads of vehicular movement there..

Now that rains are dropping in as and when they wish,need to get a wind cheater(are these really the right spelling's ) to cheat those winds,rains for my walks..Is that why cheater in its name ;-)

Discovered Lumbini garden's. Was a surprising delight in bangalore..reached at the right time to be in the boat watching the pretty sun set..Romantic for sure I am..

Learnt new ishtyle sambhar,which as been a hit..Recipie transfered from raipur to Bangalore yeah thanks to sweta's chachi & of course sweta..Funny how recipies travel..

Reading seems to have been going a little slow..books I would have read in few days take two fortnights to read..reading some classics somehow I find then interesting yet funny..Underlying facts(strength of women characters,men chivalory,the gossiping world) i see in them are as true in today world as well.just the packaging is different..

Have been doing loads of house hunting,thankfully not for me this time..Saw some PG's..Quite an eye openers they were..Little bunkers with a bed,no sunshine..we had better days for sure I think friends make things a lot easier going for you.still remeber fondly of mumbai friends.So must thank all of them for the good times I had

T20(cricket) is going on..I can't understand those weirdo dancing in there..Can't they have better dancers at least..the steps are so repeatitive and funny.. Poor ppl like me,can't even see the dance lol

Wish you all great pooja's and happy dusshera

Here is one of my fav pics in nandi hills,I call it sharing the duppata secret..

Enjoy and have a nice time

Pic at the top is another favorite love the leaf shades in there