Complimented

      Your teacher praising your work in front of class:"Excellent", you yourself praising your work to yourself: "Super star" and overhearing your parents praising you: "Priceless"

       It was a week day,I suppose some 18-20 years back. I had woken up but still not woken up.You know what I mean. I had woken up but my eyes after a glance on clock have closed again and were not willing to open.I still do the same. Old habits die hard. I was still in the warm embrace of my quilt. In the room, beside the bed there was a study desk where I used to do my homework. That evening before, I had done my homework and my notebooks were still lying in the table stacked one over another. My parents were sitting in the bed looking over the table, having their morning cup of tea.They had their back towards me.With a squint eye I had seen them and closed my eyes and trying to catch a nap or two before they wake me up.

        "What a neat work!!' gushed my father to mummy as he turned the pages of my notebook. I think, it was either my Geography or Science notebook where we have to draw diagrams/ maps along with answers. My mummy gave a happy "hmm...vaakyi.. Yes her handwriting is good and..blah blah" as she along with my father watches over my handiwork.

          This was the first time I have heard my parents praise me (in front of me). I didnt leapt over over my bed hearing this praise from my own parents. Instead, I smiled and savoured it. I covered my face under the quilt. In my bed, under the quilt I was grinning and beaming so proud.

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Recharge your life, recharge your hair

     

         Travelling is a good way to recharge your life. As scarcity of leaves did not give me chance to travel much,  when I get an opportunity to go to Jaipur for official tour, I planned with ZZ to travel to Jodhpur for 2 days after my work at Jaipur ends. We had already been to Jaipur last year and I have been enamored to see the Blue City for some time. So off began our adventure.

          The adventure began a bit early than I expected. In the first time of my life, I missed my train. Actually I had the fortune of witnessing my train leaving the platform right before my own eyes and I could not do anything. The plan was that ZZ would reach Jaipur by bus and from there we had to take our train to Jodhpur. So I was waiting for him at the railway platform and desperately calling him from time to time to know his whereabouts. His bus was far behind its schedule and ultimately his bus got late and I waited for some more hours idling in the Jaipur railway station. Finally we took a night Volvo bus that reached Jodhpur early in the morning.

            Jodhpur the city of blue. As we were taking our breakfast in the roof-top restaurant of our hotel, the majestic Mehrangarh fort atop the hill stood high in front of us.

excuse the bright photography:p

             We went to Jodhpur Palace,  Jaswant thada and finally went ahead to Mehrangarh Fort. It is said to be the most well-maintained fort of India. It was the location which give the birds-eye view of the city. 

blue-blue everywhere

And while the fort visits are all history, sight-seeing, museums and views, there was the surprise. Zip-lining by Jodhpur Firefox!!!!

                Now let me share a secret here: I am not very comfortable with heights. And this idea of Zip-ling covering the whole fort was such an awesome offer. You know the feeling of excitment and nervous together, that was me. I triple-checked my safety gear, gloves, ropes et al and prayed ferevently and saying to myself "All is well.All is well." Our guide eased me saying “Nobody has died doing zip-line,so chill." Oh well.

                Jodhpur the city of sun. I love sun. I love myself some Vitamin D. But walking in the sun did take its toll on my hair. For eyes there was sun-glasses, lipbalm for lips, for skin it was  moisturizer but hair –hair were unaided. I had forgotten to carry scarves. One important precaution one has to take while ziplining is: tying your hair.  My hair what with all the sun, dust and sweat have spread In all directions and become coarse.

that red dot among trees is me

              But what I can say , I have a great time. The zipline was swift and before realizing, we had already crossed 7 ziplines with elan.The best part was I finished it. Yay!! I did it. I was happy on my achievement, of winning over my fear. I came back recharged. 

facade of fort all lighted 

              The trip was refreshing. Just the right pack of sun, sand, history , exotic views and adventure packed in 2 days. All in all a good trip. The hair are another story and now I wonder that if my hair were recharged , then I didnt even need the external help of scarves etc and would have enjoyed the trip more without any worry of tangled and drizzy hair. What a topping it would have been if my hair were as recharged as I was and how fabulous it would have made my photos. And now that I know the sureshot way of recharging my hair (http://www.sunsilk.in/) , I know I can go to my next trip to Jaisalmer flaunting  my tresses without any worry.

This blog-post is an entry for the Indi-blogger "Recharge Your Hair" Contest.
  

Rain, rain go away

One sure-shot thing I know about myself is that I am not rain-child.

No, I am not a rain-child as the only link that binds me with rain is that I was born in the month of July which is the monsoon month in India otherwise  I despise getting wet in rain.

No, I am not a rain child as I am of the kind who believes that rain is nice only when you view it from the inside of your home or any place which has roof. If in my home, I love the pitter-patter of rain, the bright colour of the freshly-washed leaves, the earthy scent of the air, the hot cup of tea and pakoras that is the treat of this season.

No, I am not a rain child as I tend to get wet even after holding the umbrella and getting wet in rain is something which I don’t like.

No, I am not a rain child as my favourite time is not the time when it rains but the time when the clouds are pregnant and about to pour rain any-time, when the air breezes past you with the hint of rain in them and the period after the rains have stopped. That is the time when I wish to get out and feel the air on my skin and return back in the comforts of my home with the first splash of the rain.

No, I am not the rain person as though I enjoy watching people dancing in the rain but I don’t do it myself(may be I have done it once or twice with friends).

So spring-woman can be my name or summery breeze can be my game or winter afternoons I look forward to and autumn colours I so want, but rainy days are not favourite days.

Image courtesy: http://www.hdwallpapersinn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Creative_Wallpaper_Rain_021048_.jpg

Introspection: my year 2013

“When you really want to achieve something, the whole universe conspires in helping you to achieve it ..” and so said Paulo Coelho. I vouch for this statement and So, I had set out this goal for me to post everyday for a month and what better day to begin then the first day of the first month of the year. I was looking across the internet for some daily prompts for January month but in vain.  And today, through chain reaction, I stumbled upon Blogathon 2014 which aims to help bloggers achieve just the same: blogging everyday for a month. Ahh.. love such chance discoveries..

So lets get back to action.

 2013 was a good year and while there were some sour moments but I am so grateful for the oppurtunities and everything it brought.

I am not very comfortable of heights but when the adventure of zip-lining was put in front, I somehow, said “Yes”. Even though, I asked tons of questions to the guide and was triple-checked my gloves and the safety gear, the rope and all and shivered with nervousness before every zip-line, I did it and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. And I was so proud of myself. Here’s a photo of the remarkable feat.

This year I got to spend maximum time with my parents after my marriage. They came and stayed with me for a day or two on their way to Kerala in February, then together we went to Mussoorrie for a family event and then in Christmas this year, they came here for few days and with Christmas holiday and weekend, I got to spend some good time with them.

I got this opportunity for one interview which was good and I could not clear it, which was sad but I am so thankful for the experience.

We invested in a property and well we are now stuck in the loan cycle and sometimes, on hindsight, I wonder if the location is okay or we should have taken more time to decide or if it was risk worth-taking to get into this huge loan. But it was a huge step for us and I am thankful for the opportunity.

All-in-all, life was good in year 2013. There were times, when I cried buckets, was cranky for no reasons, had some big fights, worried a lot and got pimples, I feel blessed for whatever 2013 brought. Thank you and I look forward to 2014 with bright enthusiasm.

To new beginnings and new resolutions

2013 went by pretty fast. Though this statement is made at the end of every year, but this year was like you blink and its December. I didn’t blog at all this year but if I have to sum the year 2013, I would call it good. I had some new experiences, did some things for the first time and  am grateful for the experiences of 2013.

 And now here we are at the steps of Brand New Year. It’s the time to make New Year Resolutions. My new year resolutions have almost always been the same every year and that in itself declare how successful I am in keeping up with my resolutions. So let me flow with the wave and share my 2014 Resolutions with one and all.

1)      “Open up” is the statement I choose to follow this year. Open up -In thoughts, in deeds, in words, in writing, in speech, in giving, in taking as well.

2)      Incorporate some physical exercise in my daily life. I think I have reached at that stage of life where I cant just continue living the sedentary life and yet remain slim. So as I age, I gain this wisdom that I have to sacrifice my laziness and pursue an active lifestyle with yoga and exercise if I want to remain fit and active.

3)      “Meditation” is a part of all my resolutions and well, it is a part of my resolutions only and not of my life. So, 2014 is going to be the year when I will follow meditation religiously everyday.

4)       Listen more music, watch good movies, read good books and take care of myself.

Image Cortesy: http://midlifebloggers.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/new-year-resolutions.jpeg

A new day has begun

         Surely a new day has begun and here I am clinging to the literally last strand of my youth twenties with all my might. Yes I am so close to the big 3-O that telling your age as late-twenties gives you a sense of relief that you are still in your twenties and an impending grief that it is soon going to an end.
         Like many in the internet world, I had begun making my 30-before-30 list some 2-3 years back. Thought the list was never complete but you get the drift, right. While in this period I got to tick a few of my goals, there were a lot of them remaining and a few of them still unlisted. So today I took to this task to complete writing my full 30-before-30 list in my blog diary. I wish I could write my list here, but then I am not very comfortable sharing some of the goals here in public.(For the record, all of the goals are clean;)) Any hoo, the point of writing is that as and when I get to tick the pointers of the list, I will document it here in this blog.
            So here begins my 30-before-30 challenge. Wish me luck..

End of an era

         Today marks the end of an era. Google Reader will no longer be available tomorrow onwards. The one-stop destination where I used to read all my favourite blogs and sites shall be no more. You have been a good companion for the past 3 years, Google reader and time has come to move on.
          I exported all my stuff to "The Old Reader" but I am not finding it very user-friendly. It will take some time to adjust with it or to move to some new reader and you will be definitely missed.
           It has been a long time since I am back to blogger. This urge to write about anything and nothing was so much, but finally it was the demise of Google Reader that prompted me back. And now that I am back, I plan to hang around a bit more.