Kelwa

This time, it was a drive to Kelwa. A small beach town before Manor, via the Saphale Road, on the Mumbai - Ahmedabad Highway. After leaving Dahisar, the road was pretty much in the good condition other than some slight road work and an overturned truck. The clouds had gathered and it was pretty windy. 

After leaving the highway at Varai, we drove down to Kelwa which was close 30 Kms. The road was beautiful with lush green trees and bright red shoeflowers popping up now and then. It was quite and serene. Would have loved to walk down on this road. 

We crossed the Vaitarna river on the way and then some ghats. The drive was wonderful. On reaching the beach, we had some wonderful local Chinese... I know, its not the place, but what the heck...Munish wanted to have some and surprisingly, it was pretty decent and better than most of the small restaurants who offer the Indian version of the Chinese Food :-). 

We stayed there on the beach for an hour and two and then headed back home. We met some rain on the way and by the time we reached Mumbai, it was on full swing. Yes - the monsoons had arrived. And now, almost when I am writing this post, its raining...my plants have sprung up and are looking so fresh and green. A cup of piping hot tea at my side while  I write about our drive to Kelwa.

Let the sunshine in...

Open the doors... Let me in...

This picture was taken by Munish during one of our trips. Nice composition. Its only today that I got around to work on it. I miss this. 

I miss my blog too. There have been so many instances that I wanted to blog about a day, a wedding, work, movies, friends, plans...but somehow, I have not been able to make time for this. Whenever, anything of importance happens, I miss writing, I miss my blog. 

I want to spend more time here. Have not been able to. Would love to....

Until then...

Cleaning and Dusting

With festivals round the corner, I have been breaking my back over cleaning and dusting my place. Here, I take this opportunity to thank God who has gifted me with a such a wonderful househelp - Padma Kaki. She has been actively helping me out - no, she I have been lazily helping her out to clean up our home. I just had to tell her my intentions, and KABOOM --> the plan was set...and the execution even severe. Tomorrow shall be last day of cleaning. YAY!!!!! 

Cleaning and dusting is a very therapeutic activity for me. Very relaxing. I feel a lot of positivity in a a clean place. It frees you of the clutter in your home, in your space and hence it positively affects the corners of your mind too. Although, hubby dearest does not approve :-P... he likes things a bit messy...a bit scattered...his favourite quote is 'We live in a home, not a hotel'... 'I like things being imperfect...out of place'... Me- I am old school. Firmly believe, everything has an appointed place...and that - only that - is its right place. If its not that 'that' right place, then its out of place. If its out of place, then its -MESSY, - SCATTERED....

Hmmmm... With time, I would like to believe ;-), that we've found a middle ground, especially with Padma Kaki to the rescue for the annual, pre-Diwali, cleaning, I chew his brains a little bit lesser!!!!

Cleaning has its advantages... Have packed 2 cartons of old clothes to be given away. No books. I don't give away books as a rule. They are sacred to me. I discovered some old letters. Went through them again. Will post about them sometime :-). Some pieces of junk jewellery :-). Yeah - that too. Finally getting rid of them. And yes - that pair of old college jeans - when I thought, I could get back into them once again :-P...I kept them for 5 long years...yeah, am smiling about that....I yet dream about going to back to that size. Some nicks and pieces. All neatly stacked and packed ready to be given away. There's so much space created. Off with the old and the new is awaited (Applicable for old, non usable, crapy things only :-)). 

Tomorrow or perhaps day after shall be last day of cleaning and I truly have only Kaki to thank for that :-). 

Karwachauth

I am not overtly fond of festivals in a religious way... actually I am not really a religious person...think I am an agnostic person. But Yes - I do celebrate festivals. Not for their connection to the God Almighty, but simply for the reason that its a one big family activity, happiness is in the air, the shops are in their full splendour, there is  a change in routine, one gets dressed up in a traditional attire (not a fan of wearing saree) and of course the hogging of anything delicious and sweet. 

I think I really am a homesick person. Always missing home. Always on an nostalgic trip. Of course, you can read my post on Navratri HERE and also the happiness when I tick something off my list. 

google.com

The next festival on my list *eyes rolling* is Karwachauth. Yeah....I know...dharam patni and all... sometimes, traditions just do not leave you. I am not trying to demean a tradition / festival , but sometimes, people just don't understand the logic why it is celebrated. These days, the movies and the soaps have made it so fashionable to have a KarwaChauth PARTY *eyes rolling again* that even the people who have not celebrated it before, start following 'tradition'.

 Hmmmm......I actually asked one of the learned astrologers who teaches in Gujarat University about the logic of the festival. 'Pati ki lambi umar' and all is really good, I want hubby dearest to have a long  and a happy life.......but...FAST....sigh!!!! 

Okay, the logic goes, in the old days, traders (read businessmen) used to travel far and wide to sell their wares or conduct their business. The wives were left alone at home. So they wished well for their husbands and prayed that no harm comes to them. It was tradition to celebrate Diwali at home and perform the Lakshmi Pooja, so it was evident that they come before Diwali...and this day being the last full moon before Diwali. Since, they were coming from so far, all the 'chappan bhog' was cooked and prepared and food was consumed only when one saw the face of the 'pati'.....Hmmmm...

There, thats it... and this thing has been followed for ages and ages....Hubby dearest is just a phone call away... does not travel far and wide...even if he does, he is just a phone call away... and the biwi - she is also working....just a phone call away.... even if she travels far and wide...even she is just a phone call away....but celebrate Karwachauth - we must...for the lambi umar of our pati!!!!!

P.S. Personally I think, half the festivals or traditions were made or followed to keep the biwi at home busy x-)

Your warmth

Your Warmth, 

Protects me from the cold

Around Us!!!

Birthday Blues

Am not a much of a "Happy Birthday" person. Hmmmm..... yeah... I always find it embarrassing to celebrate birthdays. Its not a recent phenomena but right since school / college. I am embarrassed especially when I have to blow the candles, cut the cake, smile politely and take in all the hullabaloo over turning a year older. Ah, well, this aspect of my life has not changed over the years (about which you can read HERE)

I had my birthday just last friday. Munish prepared a special midnight spread along with the cake et al. Had loads of wishes over phone, facebook, twitter from family, friends, acquaintances, colleagues, fellow bloggers - Phew!!! I felt special and good. Loved all the gifts which kept pouring in. Birthday gift from hubby is yet to be received (booked already), but I received little tids bits from special friends too. Like the latest header of my blog...thanks to my dearest friend Namit Bhatia...and Oh, he even wrote a poem for me (in return for THE ONE I wrote for him ;-) it was a deal) hehehe.... c'mon, don't you all giggle or laugh...this is his first attempt, and I must say, a pretty good one. Here it goes..........

The Maggitoes Rhapsody

I know a fine girl named Maggitoes,

Who has a penchant for writing prose.

She loves to travel far and wide,

A valiant voyager bona fide.

Photography is her leisure pursuit,

Be it nature or a random shoot.

A self proclaimed Bollywood movie buff,

One lousy flick and she goes, “I’ve had enough”.

Always at odds with the firewall at work,

Once granted access, tweet frenzy ensues as she goes berserk.

Recently bitten by the cooking bug,

Her hubby knows best and he dare not say “Ugh!” :P

Chirpy, bubbly and immensely adorable,

“Oh look! That’s the poem for you, now am I out of trouble?”

~ Namitoes (circa 2011 AD)

yay!!!! *clap clap*....his twitter handle is www.twitter.com/namit93 for all you interested in following his perky, quirky, funny tweets and yes - especially writing tailor made poems on oneself!!!!   

Mumbai - Pune

Munish has a "thing" for a species under the category of "two wheeler - motor bike". Something, which he acquired rather late in his life. Especially when "late" is defined as a 26 year old, last semester at college, and learning to drive!!!! Since then, his "thing" for the particular category has always been on an exponential curve so much so that he refuses to sit in our cars much less “learn" to drive it.

Well - his beloved bike from college was almost in shambles when we got her from Pune to Mumbai. Had been in Pune under the care of many of his friends after he shifted to Mumbai. So finally, after a year of passing out, he did decide to bring her back to Mumbai :-). Well, off we went to Pune, collected his bike, got it repaired, PRAYED to God, counted our blessings and left for the road to Mumbai... It was one rickety ride... We lost our way many times, especially when we were closer to Mumbai. We reached JNPT and Uran by mistake. Took a detour again and then reached Vashi via Khopoli. Me - I was a mess. Wishing when the damned trip would end and dreaming about a hot bath and a warm bed. Mind you - I also took a cat nap in between and thus scaring Munish out of his daylights lest I doze off and fall of in the middle of the God forsaken highway!!!! My back was sore and so were some other parts of my body. Since then, I have always been wary of taking "long" drives on the bike.

That was then...my point of view changed. I tried hard to get out of this trip but Munish would not budge. He insisted on driving to Pune, with or without me :-O. Didn't want to let him go alone for two reasons, one - it is not safe to drive alone all the way from Mumbai to Pune, two - its monsoons and raining cats and dogs - so it becomes very risky!!!!

Hmmm....finally, I mustard up my courage and we started from our home. The first stop was at the garage to get the clutch repaired. Post that, all I can say is that I enjoyed every bit of the trip. Inspite of our rain gear, by the time we reached Lonavla, we got wet three times and also dried up three times!!! After reaching Vashi, we stopped at Mc Donalds for some burgers...I spilled the Pepsi :-P hehehe..[I guess I have to demonstrate some of my clumsiness !!!]...Then we stopped intermittently, to soak in the view... to have a hot makai and later at Khopoli for a highly sweetened masala chai at one of the innumerable tapris... :-). Only post Lonavla, did we stop for lunch at Toni Da Dhaba at 3:00 PM.... After stuffing ourselves with food, we then left for Pune which was only 30-35 kms away. Decided not to stop in between.

The entire trip was fabulous. The Mumbai - Pune highway has always been talked about for its beautiful lush greenary, especially in the Monsoons. It was simply thrilling. I have crossed this route many a times, but not during the monsoons. Feeling the cool breeze on our face, the green grass and trees, a cloudy sky, village women in the rice field with their umbrellas, the masala chai and the hot makai!!! It will always be etched in my memory.

P.S. I regret not having the camera lest it should get spoilled in the rains. Have clicked some pics from my mobile. Will put that up later.


Update: Pics taken from the mobile camera as below. The resolution is not all that great but nevertheless...:-)

Thank You!!!

Source: Pic from my Home@Ahmedabad

Photographer: Mayank Garg

There are days....and then there are days....And when you are thinking of the days gone by...you realise that some of those days have been so special....This is a "Thank You" ....for one of those days...

Snail's pace

Life is moving at a Snail's pace and that too a snail whose view of world is blocked by larger issues in front of him....

Still looking for the courage to break free from this snail pace rat race

Ladakh - A trip to remember!!!

@ Dal Lake, Srinagar, Beautiful town set inside a lake.... scenic, calm and peaceful..... boatman singing a Kashmiri song, hot pakoras  and chai.... floating vegetation.....floating shops and eateries.... must come back here again....

 @ en route to Leh via Kargill..... Sparkling tributaries, Mountains..... brown and white.... green and barren... hamlets, towns, museums, people so wonderful....breakfast - bread and chai..... a shepherd, his flock of sheep and goats ....all posing for a perfect score....  Jhelum’s rivulets, sometimes sparkling clean and sometimes muddy brown.... crossing the Rocky Mountains....  admiring their frown....

 

@Sindhu ghat....

@Hemis Festival, Hemis Monastary, Of museums, butter lamp house and prayer rooms....Of Buddha, Buddhists monks and kids.... Of dances, expressions and beats....

 

@Thiksey monastery, Altitude and peace, solitude and wind.....,A vast pan of fields, road and barren beauty.... as far as the eye can see.....

 @Shey Palace, Home to Maitrey Buddha and the wheel of life

 @Stok Museum, A different era, different belief, a     different culture..... What remains are its pieces....a window to the world afar....

@Chang la baba’s temple, the friendly Indian army and a hot cuppa of ginger chai....

A snowball on my co-travellers face, a smile for the camera...

@Pangong Tso

Unbelievably crystal blue.... salty.... clear..... peaceful..... and Brahmi ducks.... so beautiful.....Hot Maggie and chai.... a camera in one hand.... sitting on the edge of the lake....Tired of clicking away!!!!

Brahmi Ducks

@ Rohtang La

A drive into the clouds.... cold and frosty..... a bumpy road.... a hot makai in hand..... driving down to civilization..... away from the magnificence of the Himalayas..... away from the beautiful people and experiences....

Ladakh was a wonderfully enriching experience. I was awed by the magnificience of the Himalayas, its beauty, its culture, its people and its food.... Never felt anything like it... .right from Srinagar to Manali.... the multi colour mountains, the crystal clear tributaries and so much more... The best of this journey was the road....:) which took us through such wonderful terrain of green and barren mountains, arid vegetation, the flowing ice cold water, the ladakhi songs - which we didnt understand but enjoyed every bit of it.... the waving hands of other travellers on the road, acknowledging their presence.... just roaming aimlessly through the streets of Leh, the shop vendors selling their wares, eating momo and aloo ka parathas in the same lane.... walking... talking..... a culmination of cultures - foreign and local..... it was simply amazing.... returning back to Delhi, was a jolt to my senses which had got so familiar with Ladakh. And I know, I will come back again :)

The trip to Ladakh was the most beautiful days spent.... the magnificence of the Himalayas empowers you....the beauty enthralls you..... such much so that when you get back to 'Planet Earth' it feels unreal....

Court

I am my own court, I am my own judge
Create my own alligation here
And give my own justification
I incriminate a me in myself
And defend a me against the world.
I support my own convictions
And weaken my own arguments.
I am my own law, law-maker and law-breaker.

Courtesy:WWW