Just abt anything....

Thoughts of a mother.

2010-03-10T10:50:00.003+08:00

Its been 7 months since my lil darling was born, and each day has taught me new things - about her, about myself, about my spouse, about motherhood and mostly about life! There is absolutely nothing more precious than one's kids.

Though I love kids a lot, I find them real cute - why is it that I find my daughter more beautiful than any other kid I see...that's they inherent fault of motherhood, I guess. Some may not dare admit it, but I think all mothers have this feeling for their children.

My lil sugar bum has started sitting recently...and looks like she loves it...she just wants to keep doing just that. It may be a wonderful new experience for her, but for me, its time to pull out every pillow I have and build a fortress for her. There are so many hidden fears that are hard to put to rest. Everytime I see my lil one wobbling as she tries to sit properly, I want to rush and help her - but I stop myself, she has to learn things herself. All I can do is provide a safe and happy environment for her.

I admit, am not a patient person. I want things done "right now!". But as my daughter is teaching me now, a baby cannot do things on demand...she has her own mind and will. It is I who needs to go according to her.
After all, its me who needs to grow up first :)

On Being a new mom....

2009-11-27T19:56:00.005+08:00

Its surprising how much one can do faced with new challenges. I never used to think i can handle housework and a baby all by myself. It used to scare me no end when I was pregnant, but now it seems like I just worried too much. Nature has its way of equipping u with what is needed - whether that is giving u that extra energy or the loads of patience!! More than all this what u need is the positive mentality to handle all that comes ur way. Am thankful for the wonderful family support I have, without it I dont think i would have reached so far.

Though its one of the most gratifying things to be a mom......it can also be one of the most punishing jobs. Just when u feel like taking a nap, ur kiddo will scream her lungs out....or in the middle of the night get hyper active and start playing....!! Not only these, lots more things happen when u have a baby around...and my baby is just 3 months...there is more to come. I know I need to take it all in the stride and deal with it. Each day is a learning experience and a very humbling experience too.

New beginnings...

2009-11-15T18:20:00.002+08:00

In these past 8 months that I havent blogged, a lot has changed. First, I went through a lovely phase of being pregnant and delivering my first child, a beautiful girl. And now, I have started a whole new chapter of my life with my new role as a mother.

Rite now, am just so thankful for all the things in my life - a wonderful, understanding husband, a lovely daughter and a loving family. My little bundle of joy has changed my life forever. Now, its no more just about me, its now about us :) By reviving this blog, I hope to continue sharing my thoughts and like any typical mother am gonna be talking baby all the time....he he!!! That's unavoidable I guess.

Like the many phases in my life, my blog too has its phases, of activity and absence. There is so much happening in my life now, so its only appropriate that I start blogging again.

Sad Sad happenings...

2009-03-12T10:28:00.002+08:00

Its so sad to read abt the recent Germany and Alabama shootings....seriously heart wrenching!! Around the world, there seems to be such senseless brutality against innocent ppl like in Mumbai. Whether it is a individual gone crazy or a whole organization, ultimately inncoent families are the victims. I cant even begin to imagine how the families are handling such tragedies. We can only pray and hope such events dont occur in future.

God bless those families, and give them the strength to handle the situation.

Interesting Read.

2009-03-11T08:45:00.001+08:00

Was reading the morning news when I came across this article.....http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/2009/03/10/what-does-it-mean-when-more-americans-say-they-have-no-religion/

Definitely thought provoking and interesting!

Time hi time hai!

2009-03-10T11:11:00.006+08:00

Aha, the luxury of being at home. No bosses, no deadlines, no meetings, no scurried lunch breaks...so on and so forth! Now, there is time...and time for everything esp my favourite passtime - watcing clouds.

The weather nowadays is so volatile here that it makes good timepass. There is bright sunshine in the mornings and suddenly there are thunderstorms in the afternoon, complete with the dark, menacing clouds and the incredibly loud wind, and in the evenings it back to normal as if nothing ever happened.

This is not something new to S'pore but I am still amazed at how quickly the weather changes. Yesterday's "super heavy and super fast" rain almost flooded my living room! Rite now the place looks so sunny and bright but the forecast says thunderstorms and I am just waiting for that to start - a nice excuse to have hot soup!

That apart, the one good thing that has happened after I left my job, is that I am cooking regularly and guess what, enjoying it too! I never knew some of my fav dishes were so easy to make. And the icing on the cake was the visit to Kerala, where I picked up some simple yet tasty dishes to make. I never usually cooked for other ppl (except ofcourse my hubby who eats whatever I make, however I make), but recently we have started inviting ppl home and experimenting on them. Its almost like giving an exam, making Kerala food and serving it to a Keralite. But I guess I passed.

Now, I am scouring through websites to make interesting items...what a change from a person who was satisfied with the same dish for every meal! I really hope this habit stays.

P.S: Just realized this I had written something similar abt being at home at long time ago....Yawn-continued

Changing times and tough decisions.

2009-02-17T14:42:00.003+08:00

There's recession everyone and touching everyone. Its been a tough last 4-5weeks - a holiday which turned to extended medical leave, a loved one's accident, a resignation and loads of stress. But now all that's behind me, and the decision is made. I have chosen not to continue my contract with this MNC I used to work for...it just didnt feel right. If after being totally dedicated to the job, the mgmt doesnt care if u exist or not...what's the point in continuing in such a env! I just hate office politics!!!!

The essential prb in me is that I give in my 100% and expect the same back from everyone and everything.....doesnt always work...i know...and now am slowly getting used to the idea. Why cant ppl take you for what you are as a person, rather than as a resource??? Anyways there is no point in me getting hyper abt this...all is done and closed...by now they must have easily replaced me with somebody else...or better still they must have given my job as a multitasking challenge to some poor wannabe!!! Anything goes nowadays....its recession time...so that's the only excuse!!!!

Now is time for me to do something different...even if that is being a housewife ...all over again. Its just in me to take these breaks....good for me. Am going to enjoy every bit of this time I get for myself and for the little one who is coming soon. :)

And good thing I wrote this post way after all this happened. If it had been at that stressful time, I sure would have vented out much more. Alls for the good.

Dragon boats and tiger prawns.

2008-11-23T20:20:00.004+08:00

Yeah this is the week of strange titles. Today, on the advise of a friend, we went to watch the singapore dragon boat race at the Boat Quay area. And man, it was quite worth it.....although it was scorching hot, we had a great time. While I was clicking away, my husband had to patiently had to wait on me....so chweet of him. Here are some of my clicks....

1 : The boats racing against lovely "asian civilization museum" and the dramatic sky

2 : Love those colors!

3 : Well, it was photo finish literally.

4 : Just a few feet to finish....

5 : All those muscles pumping....just looking at them, makes me so tired.

And now, if you are wondering about the tiger prawns...well, after the tiring day we settled down in a river side restaurant to have lunch. And wow! it was good food, my hubby finally got to eat his jumbo burgers and me - my ceasar's salad with tiger prawns.

And in all, it was a day well spent, now back home am just winding down and getting ready for a tough week ahead.

The Aftermath.

2008-11-23T14:36:00.003+08:00

Yeah, after the rains this is what it looked like...

And then again nature surprises with a glorious "made-to-order" morning....

Cant beat mother nature :) Loving every moment of all this heavenly glory.

Rain clouds...hot porridge and my imaginary hot samosas....

2008-11-22T12:35:00.008+08:00

All of a sudden am in a blog-writing mood.....good its time i gave my blog its due. Just as I started this post, outside it started rumbling and the inevitable howling of the winds....it's rain time again. And I just love it.....its a great oppurtunity for me to click some cloud snaps. I really dont know why or how I started this cloud obsession, but I quite enjoy it. Below are some of the snaps I just clicked....

It has started pouring so bad I have had to close all the windows....and even before I could do that...the sofa is all wet! When it rains...it really rains here.

Am just sitting here having hot porridge (the instant one, of course) and imagining how great it would be if there was hot samosas and pudina chutney [mint chutney doesnt sound tasty enough :) ]....hmmmm

P.S: Have you noticed how the grass looks so much more greener after quick rain showers....

Frozen clocks....and human spirits

2008-11-20T22:27:00.004+08:00

Time is definitely moving pretty fast, its already end of Novemeber and I somehow have this feeling am still in August.....! There are times when the day passes so quickly that I dont seem to remember what day of the week it is,or that I missed somebody's birthday until my loyal phone cries its heart out...!

The only "slow time" is possibly during my long train journey to my office...its about 45 mins but feels like eternity. But am thankful I have atleast that time for myself....to sit and think, to observe, to laugh about some funny things i see.

Its fun watching all those people in the train - most of them with their "am the busiest person in the world" body language, all those business suits and high heels, and of course all those ipods, iphones and mobiles wired to their ears.....each person is interesting in their own way. Sometimes i find myself looking at people and wondering what's going on through their minds at that moment...are they thinking like me, judging me...may be or may be not.

Human nature....so diverse...so interesting....................so scary at times.

Educated Fools!

2008-10-30T21:47:00.002+08:00

Hmmm...that's what I want to call some of the ladies who use the common ladies room in my office floor. Each day its a irritating experience trying to find a clean cubicle. I cant imagine how "educated", "ultra modern", "well dressed", "responsible" "ladies" can be this inconsiderate. Though this is a kind of touchy subject, am just sick and tired of trying to find a clean toilet. GRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!! And to top it all some of these ladies dont even know how to correct a stuck flush button....they just let the water flow.....and they act offended if someone goes and fixes it. These ladies havent seen water crisis that is why they r so inconsiderate. Its ironic....on one hand singapore is trying its best to portray a very good image to tourist....and on the other average singaporeans jst dont seem to be bothered. :(

Hmmm

2008-09-22T22:17:00.002+08:00

Its been quite a while since i blogged....and its not looking like am going to do so soon. Just thought i will drop by and see if everything is ok..... :)

Finally....a gold for India

2008-08-11T16:42:00.002+08:00

So happy India has finally got individual gold. Congrats Abhinav Bhindra, u have made us all so proud.

Now I hope we can expect more to come.

Olympics.

2008-08-10T19:54:00.003+08:00

Right from the start of August month I have been excited about the Olympics. And so when the opening ceremony started, I was aboslutely thrilled. Sat glued to the TV all night and wow! what an opening it was.

A lot has been said about China's human rights record, Tibet and Darfur and most of all pollution levels but all that aside Olympics is Olympics. And China proved the dragon has truly arrived. The opening ceremony was proof the Chinese are hardworking, dedicated and most of all it shows the level of patriotism and pride each Chinese has. Well, I am neither a rights activist nor a Chinese lobbyist...I am just a common perosn viewing the Games. What I saw during the opening ceremony truly moved me, be it the expectacular fireworks, the whole concept of the games or the sheer size and volume of the whole Games itself. China has truly shown the world how its done.

But its sad to see the western media try and totally discredit the efforts. They have made it a political propaganda. Whatever else the true spirit of the Games is to compete with all fairness everthing else is secondary. This topic is so political that you just cant escape touching upon the issues.

Anyways coming to the Indian contingent, truly disappointing to see the women in tracks...looks like they were doing us a favour being a part of the parade. They could have done a lot better...looking at these people, we should have been inspired but yet nothing happened. Personally I have no expectations but if someone does make it, it will be wonderful.

Good thing Monday is a holiday, I get to see some of the fav sports...gymastics and synchronized swimming. Just waiting for that.

Nothing and Everthing

2008-07-09T21:22:00.000+08:00

What is going on in my life? Nothing and Everything. Come to think of it, one moment I am thinking of the slow pace of my life and the very next, am in a frenzy and too many things are happening - one of those "so many things to do but what to do when" moment. Life sure is funny, it seems to throw a lot at you at the least expected time. You want to make a decision and you have almost made it, but then comes along another avenue or another option; only to make you more confused. Why god, why?

I'm just thinking out loud today. Sometimes I wonder if we control our fate or is it the other way. I have met some people who are so much in control of their life and they seem to know the trick of decision making. How do they do it, I wonder! Dont they have the confusions and frustrations like I face? Well, its all a part of growing up. Some learn it quicker and faster than others.....and so those are the ones who actually achieve what they want.

Hmmmm.....enough confusing myself and whoever else is reading this. Lets just forget all this and get back to being confused and frustrated

#$#%#%@#$@$

2008-06-24T20:43:00.002+08:00

Some days are good, some days bad and some just plain disasters!

Yesterday, for me was no less than a disaster. First am running late and trip on the escalator hurting my knee[btw still paining... :( ]. Forgot to add why I was running late.....I forgot my mobile at home, so had to come back to get it!

Then I chose to have a black pepper salad burning my stomach royally. And the finale, I burnt half a kg rice because I forgot to switch the gas off!!!!

Grrrrrrrrrr....royally pissed...dont know at what. And to make matters even worse, today I left the electric iron switched on!! Only good thing is nothing got burnt but am sure the electric bill will have a big hole in it.

Am seriously hoping all this bad luck goes off fast and I get to my usual boring self.

More Photos.....

2008-06-20T19:55:00.002+08:00

A day at the zoo....

2008-06-18T21:06:00.004+08:00

Another visit to the zoo and another set of photos...this time I got to capture lovely orangutans making faces.

Lovely sunset!

2008-04-01T21:23:00.002+08:00

No time to spare a thought...

2008-03-27T20:53:00.002+08:00

No time and no heart! What started out as a normal week, has now started me thinking on how some ppl dont give a damn about others. Few incidents this week got me going... First on Monday, I was getting my usual fruit juice no ice (well, in singapore u get more ice than juice! so u pay 50 cents extra for no ice...) and I noticed the stall lady adding ice, so I pointed out clearly that I didnt want ice. But the lady just continued to make the juice. I asked her why she added ice but all i got was a steely look and cos others were lining up she wanted me to move on. I too didnt want to start a fight as i was in a hurry so I moved on. Now, I pay 50 cents more and i get juice with ice and fruits seeds, great!

Next yesterday, I was at another stall getting juice (now that I had decided not to go back to the previous one) and this time the lady cooly cut the apples along with the seeds and stem and even the stickers...you know the ones stuck on the apples to show the supplier.....! Now, I didnt want to be rude, so I politely told the lady about the stickers...but to my surprise, she didnt stop. I lost it then. I had to raise my voice and tell her I didnt want the juice...only then did she take notice.She took some more apples and even showed me the apples in anger. What a grouchy way to serve a customer.

These r just a sample, there have been to many others but no point writing abt them. Just because we r polite some ppl take us for granted. Not only that there is no sincerity in the work they do too. Its so irritating to encounter such ppl. But one thing is there, am sure learning how to do deal with people.

Jodhaa Akbar - Wonderful

2008-03-04T22:30:00.003+08:00

Went to watch Jodhaa Akbar this weekend, and boy am I glad I did! Before going to the movie, this time I made sure I didnt read any reviews....now-a-days reading a reivew is like reading the whole script....no fun! Even then I had loads of expectations - first its a ashuthosh movie....after watching lagaan and swades, i wont expect anything less than spectacular. second, a very good cast (read as hrithik ;)] and crew r involved...performance should be good. third (rather should be first hmmmm.....) arrahman music......pure ecstasy what more can i say?

And what I got in Jodhaa Akbar was a lot more than I expected. Wonderfully directed story, superb - heart warming performance and exceptional music. Its like everything good fell into place.

I especially was blown away by hrithik's look and mannerism....felt like I was actually looking at a king. Some actors just fit into any role with easy....that's why they r special. Apart from drooling over hrithik's good looks, I also loved his acting. My fav scene is one where hrithik gets up and joins the sufi dancers (khwaja mere khwaja) - something totally mesmerizing abt that scene...with all that sufi music and good acting.

Ashuthosh didnt fail to deliver too. The scenes between akbar and jodhaa during the courtship after marriage are very well done....the naughtiness and passion is well potrayed. He has chosen his characters well...I cant dare imagine anyone else as akbar or jodhaa. Though ila arun rocked as maham anga...i would have liked to see shabana azmi or kiran kher in that role. Sonu sood was also a good choice for sujamal.

ARR's music...well what can I say that hasnt been told before...nothing. Rehman is a magician, a genius. His music is soul stirring....totally soothing. I have been listening to the songs over and over again for the past week...and havent yet got bored. Fav would be khwaja mere khawaja instrumental and then In Lamho ke daman mein.

Ok with all this good things to say, let me also add some points I didnt like....the gory war scenes with elephant's on rampage (i know it was needed for the story, but still...) and sometimes the pace of the story went slow. Otherwise a very good watch.

Quiet evening at the beach

2008-02-06T23:38:00.000+08:00

Its festive time here in singapore again....its lunar new year and we have 5 days off! Went to the beach to wind down, and enjoyed a lovely sunset.

Reduce, Recycle, Reuse.

2008-01-18T23:40:00.000+08:00

Recycling - a word that keeps coming up very often when u live in a forward society like that of Singapore. 2 years ago when I was in Chennai, we were asked to separate waste but like the millions of people in the city, I didnt follow the advice. But after coming here, I have slowly taken recycling seriously. Cant explain why but somehow I have become very particular about this. And Am happy doing it cos I feel its my moral responsibility towards the environment.

I have consciously made it a habit to avoid buying too much plastic bottles and taking plastic bags. Simple changes like taking a bag when I go shopping, buying cartons/refills instead of plastic containers, buying recycled bags, products that are made from recycled stuff,etc are quite effective and cost effective too. Its not difficult at all, but I wonder why most people dont even think about it. I have seen people taking plastic bag after purchasing a chocolate bar! Some even insist on separate bags for different items!!

With the thousands of convenience stores, supermarkets and malls all around the city, I can only imagine the amount of plastic bags that are used in a day. Though huge supermarkets like NTUC have a "Bring your own bag, get 10cents off your bill" scheme, I hardly see people utilising it...and in reality the discount is negligible and not all sales clerks notice you bring your own bag! Another scheme that is available through the community centres is the recyclables - for - food exchange programmes which I think is a good way to involve the public and educate them. But the best thing in Singapore is I dont even have to leave my house to recycle - twice a month the waste disposal team collects all recyclables rite outside my door step - COOL!!! I just need to put all the stuff into the provided cover and leave it outside.

Its not always easy to change habits and I know that very well. Am still trying to get my husband to avoid plastic bags :). Once we were at the Changi beach and I noticed some plastic covers floating in the water, I went ahead to remove it and trash it. Now what surprised me is the stares I got from the onlookers...they were looking as if I had gone nuts. Sometimes my husband gets irritated that I make it a point to reuse plastic bags, but I feel someday he will understand and remember why its needed.

I think this all started with a visit to the Singapore Zoo where in one of the animal shows the otter showed that its necessary to reduce, recycle and reuse. I kind of took it all too seriously....and am ok with it. I dont know if I can change anyone else but am happy to have changed my view on this. And am happy I wrote it down, maybe some one else will get inspired :)

Sunrise........after a long time

2008-01-16T19:50:00.000+08:00

Not working definitely has its perks, first sleeping late and second taking a nap in the afternoon. Am now totally spoilt with this routine of sleeping in late for the last 9 months so I decided i will get up early from today, not bad I saw the sun rise today. What a glorious way to start the day...not that am going to do anything other than the mundane.

Anyways I recently came across this rap number by a malaysian band and am so hooked on to it.....

New year, new hopes, new action, old me!

2008-01-03T20:03:00.000+08:00

Its new year time again. A nice time to look back and learn from the year past and look forward to the coming year. 2007 has been a good year for me - I travelled a lot (Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia), experienced new challenges, become an aunt twice (mami and massi), learnt a lot of lessons (the hard way, but its ok.). And there was the inevitable bad times - fights, disappointments, frustrations. But in all it was a nice year to look back at.

So here's wishing you all a very happy and prosperous new year.

IKEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-11-26T11:34:00.000+08:00

This weekend I visited the IKEA showroom near my house, something I wanted to do ever since I laid my eyes on the IKEA magazines. I had a lot of expectations from this wonderland but man, when I went in, I just couldnt believe my eyes.....it was like a heaven!

There is nothing in India compared to the scale and variety that IKEA offers, how I wish back home we had such places. I remember furniture shopping with my dad in the local carpenter shops.... really tough job! Looking at IKEA, I realize what wonderful facilities the developed countries have. Anyways I did get some lovely candle stands and scented candles.

Bangkok Day 3

2007-11-23T17:22:00.000+08:00

[After a month's gap am finishing the day 3 events...thanks to my friends for reminding me]

Day was relatively lack lustre compared to our day 1 and 2. We spent the day having a thai massage and also explored the full stretch of main road next to our hotel in Sukhumvit. We got to see a lot of the local life and culture on a busy monday morning. I remember our taxi driver had told us that to show their loyalty to the king, the people of thai wear yellow on monday...and lo, on monday we saw swarms of people in yellow tshirts.

[Below : The famous Bangkok traffic]

After another heavy breakfast, we started walking from our hotel into the busy main road. There were quiet a few hotels and malls and also a conveniently placed Starbucks and McDonalds at the beginning of the stretch. Slowly these buildings gave way to the smaller shops selling souvenirs and the usual match-box hotels and eateries. The narrow, dirty, overcrowded side roads look as if we had turned and reached some street in Delhi instead. The overhead power lines and roadside transformers also familiar sight, in general the bustling city looks so much like Delhi or Mumbai. But one big problem with Bangkok is the lack of English name boards, most of the street signs and instructions are primarily in thai script.

We spent 2-3 hours just walking up and down the busy road, trying to pick a bargain at the souvenir shops. But nothing came across as collector's item....hmmm most of it was the usual junk...nothing spectacular. Anyways we had a lot of time in hand, so we decided to get a thai massage...atleast this was something completely thai! So we were back at the hotel, had a good lunch and checked out early. At the hotel spa, we went for our thai massage. It was a very nice experience getting pampered...but mind you, this massage is only for people who can handle a bit of pain. At the end of it, we both felt so refreshed.

In any trip there always has to be some casualty...so we had ours...my husband lost his tshirt in the hotel common room. Though we were given lockers to keep our clothes while we were at the spa...we hung his tshirt outside...and when we came back it was gone! We tried to trace it but the hotel staff were not very ethusiatic about finding out what happened to the tshirt...instead they started blaming us that we had kept it outside...so we abandoned the search and moved on.

[Below : On the way to the airport...thank god we started early]

So after all this drama it was already 5 and time for us to leave to the airport. The agency taxi dropped us at the airport nearly 2 hrs early so we went looking around the airport. Must say the airport is like a city in itself...lots of shopping and lots of statues and there is even a representation of the "Churning of the ocean for nectar" scene from the Puranas. Interesting to note the close ties thailand has with indian culture.

[Below : Churning of ocean scene]
[Above: Section of the superb airport]

And finally we were on the flight back home, after a great holiday. It was a great experience visiting a different country and getting to know its culture and in observing the similarities. In all it was a bindaas trip.

Bangkok Trip - Day 2

2007-10-27T20:24:00.000+08:00

Our second day started with a great view of the busy freeway and a heavy breakfast at the hotel, after which we were almost thinking of getting back to the room for a nap.... but then we recluctantly set off to find the taxi we had hired for the day. At the lobby, we met our driver and guide for the day Mr. Keno, who turned out to be a valuable source of info abt the local life and culture. Armed with the map of Bangkok, water bottles and sunscreen, we started for our first destination the Wat Phra Kaew or the temple of the emerald buddha.

From the net I had gathered that this temple housed within the Grand Palace was the largest in Bangkok and the most popular tourist destination, so we were quiet excited to see for ourselves the beauty and grandeur of the temple. Enroute to the temple we noticed a lot of monuments like victory monument, democracy monument on the wide main roads and numerous dedications to the Thai King. From our limited 3 day stay itself, we could make out that the Thai people are dedicated towards their king and treat him with the same respect as that of God. The Thai king was under medical supervision during our visit and you could see people really wanted him to get better...there were huge hoardings and placards placed all over the city wishing for his speedy recovery. [Below : Grand Palace]

So after a quick 20 min skim through Bangkok traffic, we reached the Grand Palace. Our driver left us at the entrance and promised to meet us after 2 hours, we went in hoping 2 hrs was ample time to look around. At the entrance were royal guards giving a once-over to all the visitors, some tourist who were not properly attired (sleeveless or feet exposed or sexy tops) were directed to borrow sarongs from the conviniently placed booth by the entrance. Once inside, the temple chedis or mounts on the left and the palace towers directly ahead along with the well manicured lawns and trees make a spectacular view, transporting you to a different era. It is not hard to imagine how it would have been some 100 years back.

[Below: Murals depicting Ramayana on the walls of Wat Phra Kaew]

Next, we lined up at the ticket counter, paid 200 bahts for entrance to the temple. Incidently the entrance is free for Thais, and there are plenty of guards to make sure non-thais dont pass off as locals. Inside the temple first thing we noticed were the lovely murals on the walls, we gathered later that these were the scenese from Ramayana and in the courtyard are these huge statues of demons each vibrantly painted with a ferocious face. Looking around the temple we realised we would be wasting time not hiring a guide so immediately we signalled for a english speaking guide. The guards introduced us to an retired army officer who for a price of 500 bahts guided us through the temple.

[Below: Temple decoration, Wat Phra Kaew]

The temple has many areas with lots of statutes and smaller shrines strewn across the courtyard. Some architectural features like the edges of the roofs are inspired by Naga, the king of snakes and Garuda, the king of birds. Throughout the temple influence of Ramayana is very evident, in fact the Thai ppl even call their king Rama. The temple decoration is done mainly on wood with gold leaf and porclein to add the vibrant colors. An interesting feature of the temple is that three different styles of buddhist architecture are seen here - the srilankan solid gold chedi, the thai style chedi and the camodian or khmer style chedi. Another interesting feature is the seals of all the kings and the white elephants owned by them are also represented in various corners of the temple. There is also an replica of the Angkor Wat here, so for me it was half dream come true. (I hope to visit Angkor Wat some day..it has always fascinated me...maybe i was born there in my previous birth...god knows!!!) Next we went into the inner scantum housing the emerald buddha, actually the idol is made of jade, it was quiet a spectacular room with floor to ceiling murals and numerous buddha statues.

[I can keep writing abt the Wats....and this post will keep growing so me cutting short the descriptions...maybe will write a detailed post later...]

[Below: Reclining buddha at Wat Pho]

Before we knew it one hour was up and we bid goodbye to our guide. We spent another half hour walking around the palace grounds and I even got to click a snap with the palace guard! IAnd soon it was time for our next stop Wat Pho, this temple is in walking distance from the Grand Palace. The speciality of this temple is that it housing the largest reclining buddha. I didnt expect much when I went in but the scale and beauty of the reclining buddha at Wat Pho took my breath away. It is a small shrine but it has some interesting chedis built by the first four kings Rama I through Rama IV. Each of these chedis is a tapering structure with lovely porcelin adornments. One thing I noticed about the buddisht temples is the omni present lily pond and bells. Lovely water lillies...my grand favourites....everywhere around the temple. Had a great time taking snaps of bees in those lillies...drove my husband crazy!!! Btw I almost forgot.....that day being my bday I wanted to do something special, so I lined up to get loose change for 20 bahts and dropped coins into the 108 urns kept there.

[Below: Wat Arun]

Our next stop the grand Wat Arun. After seeing the temple outline at dusk, I was more than eager to visit this temple. Lots of surprises awaited us! The central chedi is a tall structure with intricate workmanship, the structure wows you in a different way in daylight. And when u climb the really steep steps and see the view from the top terrace, you get a broad view of the city, the river and the life around the temple. Simply marvelous. Btw this temple is dedicated to Indra and most of the work is covered with broken porcelin.

Moving to the next temple location, its the Wat Saket, temple of the golden mount. When we saw the spiralling staircase, we almost decided not to go ahead but then, what's the point if you dont see all the places. Anyways off we went climbing the steps of Wat Saket, and pleasantly after 10 mins the spectacular view of the city just made it so worthwhile. Just to keep my mind off the climb, I rang every bell I saw on the way to the mount...! The actual shrine is very small and houses a golden mount but the best part of the temple is the killer view of the city.

It was already 5 and time for us to head back to hotel and our taxi hire ended at 5:30. But on the way, we did hope into one of the handicraft "showrooms". Surprising the range of handicraft we found were very less so we settled for a peuter mask of a king. Then we headed back to the hotel. Actually we were quiet glad to get back as we were quiet tired and sweaty. And then I had a special surprise, the hotel staff had placed a cake and card for me in the room....I was so happy! It really made my day so special.

After a quick change, we were back out again, this time we took a taxi upto the night bazaar. It was this huge shopping area that reminded me of Ranganathan street at night....fully packed with ppl mostly tourist. We spent a lot of time visiting the stalls but didnt find anything spectacular...and to make matters worse, we found the same artifact we bought in the showroom for less than half the price! I was so pissed, but then its all a learning experience!! Anyways we got a glimpse 0f the vibrant night life and the best part was the live band at the hawker centre style eating place.

It was a very eventful day with some of the best moments of the trip. I was specially happy to have spent my bday visiting beautiful temples and doing the things I love most....photography and exploring temple architecture. An unforgetable birthday for me.

Bangkok Trip - Day 1

2007-10-25T11:26:00.000+08:00

Well, the day finally arrived in style, we were packed and raring to go on Saturday morning. Checking in 2 hrs earlier, ours being a budget carrier, we killed a lot of time in Singapore's budget terminal. Atleast I was feeling good that we chose the afternoon flight instead of the 6 am flight...I cant imagine walking around the place at 4 am!!!!

After a quiet flight and a lot of scenic island views later, we landed at Suvarnabhoomi airport. The size of the airport wowed us even as we were landing. The place is huge, a literal concrete jungle. Once out of the plane, we scrambled for the visa on arrival counter....well, things were not that easy as most officials operate on minimal english mode! Finally we did figure out the procedure and joined the long line. Our turn came a full 45 min later, and the questions were bit strict....why r u here?, how much money u have? show me the money, show me singapore id, etc...I can understand the strictness considering the fact that many ppl come there to work illegally. But this being my first such experience I was feeling a bit scared. Luckily nothing much happened and we got our visas and had our photos taken for that.

Next we located our hotel transport and soon we were on our way to the hotel. The airport is some 30 km from the city so we had a splendid view of the city scape. The huge road and massive flyovers are really stirking. Took us some 25 mins to reach the hotel....most of it through a expressway. Unlike singapore where all the sky scrapers are at one place, bangkok is full of sky scrapers vanishing into the horizon.

We had booked at the Majestic Grande hotel, a decent 4 star hotel. After checking into the hotel, we booked ourselves on a dinner cruise along the Chao Praya river. We were picked up at the hotel at 6 pm for the dinner curise which was at 7:30 pm. We realised later that one whole hour we were to spend in one of the shopping malls that hosted the pier. Nice tactic to get us to spend money at the mall. Anyways after wasting an hour, we finally boarded the Grand Pearl Cruise. It was a big and neat boat which could accomadate about 150 ppl.

The total cruise time was 2 hours, the boat took us through some famous landmarks of bangkok including the Wat Arun, Grand Palace, the rama VIII bridge and many other some spots. We had a lovely time taking pics and videos of the Wat Arun at night. Its a spectacular view, better than the day time. The rama bridge is also a very good sight....its a suspension bridge but with a difference and its huge. [Photos below: Wat Arun, Rama bridge]

Dinner was ok, a lot of variety but we hardly sat down continuously to enjoy dinner...all the time we were running from one side of boat to another taking snaps. There was also in-house thai dance. Two very bored ppl dressed up as thai dancers came danced and ran away....previously during our 1 hr wait at the pier, we were all given orchids and this thai dancer took snaps with us..... later during the end of the cruise, they came around selling the photos as souveniors...nice trick. we already knew this so didnt bother with the snap. It was a bit to commercial for my taste...the sense of hospitality vanished once they abruptly turn away to catch other ppl for the photos. Even when dancing, they were just doing their jobs without passion.

Anyways it was a very exciting start to our 3 day trip, and already one day was over. I was dying to see the beautiful temples or Wats, we had just seen along the river.

Burnt memory

2007-10-18T09:53:00.000+08:00

Forgetfulness has always be a part of me. I sometimes feel like a 70 year old trapped in a not-yet-30 body. But something that happened 2 days back, just jolted me to the seriousness of this habit.

Being the lazy bum I am, I generally look forward not to making dinner. And so that day, I went out with hubby to get dinner, blissfully forgetting that I had put a saucepan with soup on the stove.

When we came back some 20 mins later, smoke and burning smell engulfed us as we entered. Only then it struck me something was wrong, but I thought I had put something in the microwave, that being the latest addition to our kitchen and the appliance am least aquainted with. But as I rushed into the kitchen I saw bellows of smoke coming out of the saucepan. Quickly, I switched off the gas and looked inside, the contents were red hot and the sides were fully black.

It took quite some time for me understand, this could have been quiet bad, I have heard of huge fires being caused by such acts of forgetfulness. At that moment, I just thanked god nothing serious had happened. That day in the morning, I had accidently ripped off the Cltr key from the keyboard and was feeling foul about it, this incident just made the whole day a lot worse.

After that it took us almost and hour or two to get all the smoke and smell outside. I was also hoping the neighbours dont notice the smell, and luckily they didnt. It was a huge lesson learnt but I sure do hope I dont forget such important things in future.

Our little weekend get-away!

2007-10-10T10:13:00.000+08:00

Last month we celebrated our 2nd anniversary and to reward ourselves for being such good spouses [:) phew! its hardwork!!], we took a quick trip to a little resort town called Bintan in Indonesia. Its your usual resort place with hotels on the beach, water sports, loads of holidayers...but a lot quieter and fun.

So we started on a Saturday morning by ferry, which took abt 40 mins and in an hours' time we reached Bintan. The ferry was in fact a Catamaran....man it was big and lots of fun. Every time the boat hit the high waves, we could feel the thundering drop. Thank goodness neither of us had problems of sea sickness. And btw it was pouring outside, the fact that we couldnt see much outside made the trip much more exciting!

Well when we arrived at Bintan, a big eagle statue stood with its wings spread to welcome us. Known as "Garuda" as in our Ramayana, the eagle is the official symbol of Indonesia. From here our hotel bus picked us up for a little trip through what looked like forest area to the hotel itself. Looking at the dense cover, we were a bit apprehensive about how the hotel was going to be like...the area looked nothing like the photos...but once we reached the hotel, it turned out to be just perfect. In fact, we were welcomed by traditional Indonesian dancers and a cool refreshing drink.

Well, once inside we first hit the beach...and then after a bit of lunch, we changed and went straight into the lovely pool. Am very frightened of water, but only when I need to submerge. My husband tried his level best to teach me swimming but I, being the coward I am, didnt learn much. Anyways the only achievement for me is I learnt to submerge for 10 secs after an hour!!! Drum rolls.... my hubby was too exhausted to teach me anything further [:)].

Later in the evening, strolling by the wonderful beach, we came across a beautiful rocky part littered with corals. All sizes and shapes, so we climbed over the slippery rocks and retrieved some of the bigger corals we could find. Hopefully I will someday use them in decorating an aquarium. And did I mention the beach sand was a so soft and fine...and so white! I wanted to carry some home to use in handicraft but the thought of explaining this to the customs put me off.

That night we were treated to some fine Indonesian dance-song sequences at the hotel. After a cocktail, my husband settled to have the barbeque buffet while I sheepishly stuck to my sandwich. After dinner, we went back to the beach, by now everyone had left so we felt as if the beach was totally ours. Spending some time sitting in the dark, hearing the soft waves hitting the shore was a the highlight of the day for me.

The next day, we decided to take the Bintan Mangrove tour. A 2 hour ride in a small boat along the river into the thick mangrove trees. It was a wonderful experience on the speed boat. We did see 2 species of snakes, one poisonous and another non-poisonous and a monitor lizard. The banded black and yellow was the mangrove python, this we saw atleast 3-4 and one was nicely coiled and looking down at us. The boatman took us right under the snakes just to give us the scare. As we were having thoughts of jumping out of the boat to escape the snake, our guide told us about the fresh water crocodiles in the water. Phew!

Back from the trip, we just had time to checkout. And then it was a quick trip back to the ferry terminal and before I could realise it, we were already on the ferry back to Singapore. This time too we couldnt see much outside as it was already evening, but we were treated to a good display of nature's fireworks. With loud booms and bangs, we could see spectacular lightining in the horizon.

On the whole the trip was very memorable. A short but sweet trip. Am already looking forward eagerly to our next trip.

Earthquake!!

2007-09-13T08:36:00.000+08:00

We just had a second quake (first quake was yesterday evening 6 pm Singapore time) some time around 7:55 am Singapore time. Thanks to the old, creaky chandelier at home, we could make out it was a earthquake. Man! 2 quakes in such a short time....and this was my first experience first hand, i was definitely rattled. Previously i couldnt feel anything...but now sitting in my 10th floor flat i could feel the disorientation. I wonder how it is for the people of indonesia who r near the epicentre. Yday's quake was of strength 8.4 and today mornings is 7.7 on the Richter scale. Pretty big ones!

One thing i noticed, ppl here either didnt notice, or didnt bother. But there was this small set of ppl who religiously followed all precautions....like we did :-). No matter how small the quake, it is always better to go out of the building...there is no point in regretting later. I just wish ppl take these situations seriously instead of shooing it off.

Clouds...

2007-08-24T11:52:00.000+08:00

One of my favourite pass times is to watch clouds esp before it rains....and of course photograph them. I dont know why I have this fascination for clouds, but I love to watch them float by. Above is a snap I clicked today in the morning just before the monsoon showers. I just love the deep dark colors...it may be dull and gloomy for some but I like it anyways. More in flickr....

Chak de!!

2007-08-12T20:46:00.000+08:00

I went to see Chak De India only because my husband wanted to see it....and now am happy he did! Its one of those few movies that makes u laugh and cry with the characters, makes u a part of the action, make you feel good! One of the things I really liked is the fact this is not a run-of-the-mill movie - no heroine, no out-of-place, filling-a-gap songs, no typical villans, no fight sequences and best of all no stupid graphics!!

There's a similar old war time movie called Victory, based on football. Its stars a lot of ppl including Pele. The story is about how 11 prisoners held by the Nazis in Germany plan their escape in the guise of playing a game of football.

In bollywood, there are very less movies based on sports theme, and even more less with no songs, no heroines. So this movie is a real treat to watch. Plust points include great casting, good acting by Shah Rukh, simple storyline. I thoroughly enjoyed it and wont mind another go at it!

A day for remembering friends...

2007-08-05T15:30:00.000+08:00

Today is friendship day, a day to remember all the good times, all those shoulders that supported you and so much more. One day may not be enough to think about the many souls that touched our lives, made us laugh and cry....but then in this fast world the least we can do is think of them on this very special day.

To all my dear friends, thanks for being there for me! And for the special person in my life who is not just my better half but my best friend too.........thank you so much. Am so blessed to have you in my life. Love u!

Price of wisdom!

2007-07-31T17:56:00.000+08:00

Dont know why they named the third molars as wisdom tooth, but get them pulled out and u do get a bit wiser. I got my lower third molar pulled out 3 weeks back. All that excrutiating pain definitely made me feel like i was surviving hell!! Keep it and it pains, take it out and it pains even more.....Gosh!

Dont understand why this third molar comes up in the first place, when its not needed. Looks like docs r looking this question for a long time, anyways for something that's literally waste, its a costly affair. In singapore, getting your impacted tooth is one of the more costlier procedures....infact its considered surgery. Luckily i got mine removed in india for free but the followup checkups here in singapore cost me more than it costs to remove 4 molars in india!!

Anyways if anyone is interested in dentistry, singapore should be a good place to start :)

Blissss

2007-06-07T10:27:00.000+08:00

Comfy couch, laptop with broadband, a host of tv channels, home cooked food....hmm what else do i need? Just another day in my life. Dhat! Am in the making couch potato...and rite now its ok.

what's up world?

2007-06-01T09:40:00.000+08:00

I almost forgot I used to blogged ...(thanks N, cant believe u want to read my blog !!) Well, hi guys....

Watched Shrek 3 yday. Am not much of a Shrek fan, it was a ok movie. I felt the plot was weak and dont know if kids will understand many of the jokes....after its supposed to for kids rite!? But I definitely loved the graphics, it was so realistic....could even see the little stub on Arty's chin. Attention to detail was too good. Especially loved one scene showing the sea water receeding and Shrek and gang come ashore, it felt so real.

These 5 months was a quick rollercoaster ....am through with the contract I took up (rather chucked it i should say), made a trip to my hometown and rite now having a great time discovering my new found cooking "skills".....

Anyways recently I have tried to consicously reduce the number of plastic bags when possible. Here in SG, many big stores have introduced "Bring your own bag" day. I think its a great start. Back home I wish something like this can be done. People dont realize how bad these bags can be.

ok that's all for now, got to go.
ciao

Human Nature

2007-01-13T19:17:00.000+08:00

Why is it that we are always in awe for things that we dont have? A very difficult question isnt it. I used to think I wasnt going to be too excited if I come face to face with a celebrity, after all they were just doing their job arent they! But then when I did have a chance, I acted like a 5 year old kid! All excited, heart racing, feeling so ecstatic. The celebrity was just a TV actor but yet somehow I was drawn into the glamour of it.

Come to think of it now, I laugh at myself for acting so stupid. When I met this person at the airport, he probably was on a holiday and going back home. He was with his family and in fact he was in a argument with his wife. But I didnt see all that, I just saw him. All eyes, all heart!! I knew it was his private time but still I went up to him and spoke to him. He was kind enough to oblige but I guess I was wrong to do that. Hysteria!

Actually it took me a while to settle down and come back to normal. I feel funny abt this whole incident. Its like I didnt know I could do this. Anyways it was defintely an experience to remember.

New Year, New Beginnings

2007-01-06T19:46:00.000+08:00

First, A very happy new year to all of you out there! I hope this new year ushers in lot of good things and happy occasions to remember for all of us.

Recently I have realized I can put on weight too... till now I had the good luck of maintaining a standard weight whatever food I eat. And also I was not used to fast food - burgers, fries, etc till I came to Singapore. Its a new experience for me to realize my clothes dont fit anymore, just 2-3 months after buying them. Initially I felt good about gaining a little weight cos I have been thin all my life, but now its getting out of hand. I really need to start watching my diet and also try and exercise. Ppl in S'pore are quiet health conscious and there's a lot you can do if you want to. But unfortunately, I neither have the drive nor the time. I feel bad but that's how I am. Am not too good at following diets, as I eat out a lot. Got to do something but dont know what.

Let me ponder over this one, will be back later.

Back after a loooong break..

2006-12-17T19:53:00.000+08:00

Not exactly back, but yeah am back to normal. Frustrations and tensions regarding work are slowly disappearing, am learning to cope well. [P.S : Thanks for ur encourgaement guys.] Kindof settled into a routine and that's good for me.

Ok, to some serious topic now. Lately I have been watching and reading about this reality show "Bigg Boss" (Big Brother concept). Initially I thought it would be fun to watch and was expecting a lot of masala. After about 6 weeks (or more I think) and lots and lots of masala, I think its a pity that these celebrities are going through this for money. There isnt one decent soul in that house. All are planning games and doing their best to throw the others out. Playing with emotions, manipulation and bitching are like second nature to these celebrities.

I used to think celebrities are just like you and me, common people. Now am not so sure which way to think, are these celebrities mean or all of us are like them one way or the other!?! For those who watch the show, you will know what I mean. Its very entertaining but yet its revolting. Cant imagine how people can choose to play games with others' emotions and trust just to win a game.

Anyways, whatever I think of it, am still hooked on to this show. Its a good way to know what not to do and how not to be.

Grrrrrrrrrrrr

2006-12-07T21:07:00.000+08:00

Never did i think working will cause me this much stress. Right now, I just feel like leaving everything and go to some place far away. When i did get the job, i was happy that i could get over my interview fears but now am not so happy working. May be its not the work itself, its just the environment. The people, the pressure and the policies. But am trying to take it slow and work out things.

ok enough of blabbering, i guess i will finish here. btw took this snap at boat quay some time back. Loved the colors swaying in the water.

Early to rise.....

2006-11-20T22:17:00.000+08:00

Caught the early morning sunrise today. Feels so good to watch the sun paint the sky fiery orange. This spectacular "paint job" lasts just a few minutes and makes a great coffee time view.

Human Nature

2006-11-09T21:28:00.000+08:00

[ Psst : Sorry my blog friends, I havent visited your blogs lately, will do it in the weekend]

There's a strange fun in observing other people in a crowded train or bus, atleast for me it is fun. On the way to work, which btw is, me rushing to catch the train and then the bus, I do get to spend some time by myself. I carry a book and sometimes even work on the su-do-ku in the paper but what I like to do is just look around. Observing people really fascinates me, it calms me infact.

Usually people are all hurrying in and out of the train, few have the time to stand and enjoy the day. Most of them with their in-dispensable I-Pods and cellphones faithfully stuck into their ears ( i wonder if they ever take it off!) and the music blasting so loud, u can hear it from 3 feet distance.....! Many burying their sleepy heads into the morning newspapers, trying to catch the news and the rest, well, what else sleeping. People here seem to be experts in cat-napping. They sleep in the train and bus even if their travel is just for minutes.

Some people have this annoying habit of talking loud whether they are shouting into their cellphones or having an conversation with a friend. Once or twice I have ended up sitting next to such people, and by gosh, I most lost my temper the last time. The guys was going on and on in his loud, shrill voice that I almost told him to shut up. But then he was too involved in his monologue to even notice my displeasure. Cant do much about such people and funny part is they are the ones who comment about how loud music puts them off.

You dont get much spice during the weekday rush but take a ride during the off hours and you will get to see a lot happening. Couples, mostly teenagers, will be busy with...lets say, each other and the elders would be giving them a stare, murmuring how things have changed. And then there are the gangs of boys and girls who think spikey hair, lots of piercings and wearing their already loose pants below their bums is a hep thing, can't blame them. They are so into it they dont notice they look ridiculous with their pants looking as if they will fall any time. And there are some eccentric characters too. People who dust their dresses just because their neighbours touched it, some who get so uncomfortable if a less fortunate soul sat next to them and often keep pulling themselves in the opposite direction.

The thing I hate most and dont ever what to be stuck with is a snoring, sweaty, falling-all-over sleeper. That's something I cant stand. There's already not much space once the seats are taken and to have a guy who's stinking as if he hasnt had a bath in years, falling all over you in his sleep is not what u want. I understand people are tired and want to catch a nap but that should never disturb others. Once I was stuck with such a guy but didnt get up as I was also drained out. I kept pushing him back but then, he kept faithfully bouncing back. Had to put up with it till my stop came.

Some people are plain inconsiderate - the moment they see a pregnant lady or an elderly person - they pretend to be sleeping and some kids dont bother with such courtesies, they just continue with their playstations or back to their gossip. But I must say, people here dont order you to get up and give the seat. Many offer their seats voluntarily and people dont fail to thank.

So many people and so little time. These were just a few observations I have made during my journeys. Let me continue with my observations and I hope you will share your views and experiences too.

Do u want to help Anna?

2006-11-02T21:42:00.000+08:00

"helpanna.com is the new campaign by the Singapore National Committee for the United Nations Development Fund for Women, to create awareness about violence against females. Visit the site to improve the condition of the person suffering."

I read about this site in the morning newspaper and was very curious to know what it was. The site has some fictional character depicting some very real-life situations and the site provides a glimpse into the various absuses and pains these characters undergo everyday. And every visit is supposed to improve the condition of the character.

I found this to be an innovative way to make a positive difference. Though the pictures are bit graphic I think it will only help to make an impact on those visiting. Its a good thing such campaigns are being brought out and I hope such initiatives are taken in India and other countries also. I wish such campaigns would also extend to anybody who is vicitmized not just women. But anyway each of us can make a difference, by just being nice to ppl who are working for us be it the maid, or the watchman.

Nature's Art

2006-10-30T22:29:00.000+08:00

These huge trees with their long octopus like branches spreading out uniformly line the street opposite my house, couldnt resist capturing it on film. I loved the beautiful effect the creepers give to these trees, as if they were from some long lost world.

Out of Action

2006-10-26T22:17:00.000+08:00

As they say in college slang - Long time No see! I havent been seen around Blogger for a long long time. Nothing intentional but things just piled up! First, I got a job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yahooooo!!! And guess what in the first interview I gave. After all that fear about interviews and my writing abt it in the blogs, it feels so good to be working again. I guess discussing it openly has helped me immensely. Special thanks to Srijith and Samy for their pep comment ! :)

Ok, moving on, this year my birthday was on the same day as Diwali so had a "Double Dhamaka"! Actually diwali day didnt seem like Diwali here in Singapore. No crackers, no sounds, no rockets nothing!! It was kind of sad and I missed Chennai so much on that day! Chennai or for that matter most cities in India would have been bursting with life on Diwali day! And the nights would have been decorated by the rockets.......I missed it so so much. Anyways I did have a great time, as we had some friends over at our place for dinner. Ofcourse I didnt cook but ordered from outside! I used some candles to brighten up the atomsphere and this was our way of connecting with our culture.

Friends had bought a cake and bouquet for me so it was quiet memorable. I felt like a little kid who got everything she asked for. Thanks to all our friends for the lovely time we had. After such nice time, I really didnt feel like going to work, but then life is not always a bed of roses.

Ciao.

For the first time...

2006-10-06T19:23:00.000+08:00

Am back after a little bit of silence. Was busy doing nothing! :)

Last weekend I went for my first Cable Car ride and boy! it was a bit scary for me. I hate heights and water too. And the cable car connecting Sentosa island to mainland Singapore is a combo of both these fears.....the cable car goes rite across the sea. Its a short ride but for me it was quite unnerving.

I was so scared that I didnt want anybody moving around and whenever the cable car shook, I literally was imagining falling into the water. Not knowing how to swim was another reason my fear so was strong. Anyways I somehow survived the ride.

There happened to be a Star Cruise ship "Gemini" docked and the cable car went rite above the ship, so got a close up look into the luxury cruise.

In all had fun and hopefully i get to do something new next weekend too. Like the Emirates ad "When was the last time u did something for the first time?" How about u?

Night Shots

2006-09-24T00:13:00.000+08:00

Had a great day today! Got to take loads of photo and also learnt a lot of new tricks in night photography, thanks to my hubby!

Also went to the Asian Civilization Museum, a great place with some good exhibits. But didnt take any shots.

Here are some snapshots of Singapore (Evening and Night Shots).

dark and moody

2006-09-18T11:11:00.000+08:00

Took these snaps just now.......the cold wind is howling through my window, the clouds are gathering, soon it will pour.........like every monsoon day.

Interview Blues

2006-09-15T10:44:00.000+08:00

I have this real problem with interviews, I just dont seem to get out of this fear. Actually this fear is bugging me so much that I thought i will write about it and see if that helps. Sometimes pouring out helps.

Cant really pinpoint why this started but I did have 2 experiences where I was roasted, toasted and finally left wondering "do i really know something?". The first was a panel interview at ISRO where 9 ppl were firing questions at me and i couldnt answer many questions. And to top it all, when one guy asked me why I applied for this post, I replied......."I was jobless so applied"- I couldnt believe i said that!!!! Second was an interview which was meant for elimination....and believe me it was. The questions asked were totally from areas i didnt specialize in and also it was a phone interview and I was totally uncomfortable. I was totally devastated after that, it made me feel so worthless.

Its not like I dont know anything and that's why I fear being interviewed, I know am kind of fine when it comes to technical stuff. Am good at communication too. Then, what is it that I really fear? I fear that when I dont know something that is asked, what impression will that person have!!! I keep thinking about whether the person will think that am not competent and in this process loose concentration. Many ppl have told me that its better to say you dont know than cook up something, and I agree. But i get so tongue-tied when i dont know the answer, and from then on its like a big tension. I keep thinking of that and fail to move on.

I feel so miserable being like this! This is now affecting my chances of getting a job. Many ppl have told me its 30% technical knowledge and 70% communication is what wins an interview. I think am quite good at communication skills but all that fails when am in an interview. I literally get a panic attack. I have read about interview skills, heard ppl on how to tackle it and it looks easy but when I actually need to do it, I somehow cant!!

How do i get over this fear......? I dont exactly know but am trying. This time I have decided come what may (that's what my husband says....) am attending any interview i get and going to give my best. I hope soon i can throw this fear out and be the confident me that I am ..........expect when am in an interview.

I love Steve Irwin! to hell with Germaine Greer!!

2006-09-08T14:22:00.000+08:00

Sometimes people forget all the good that was done and instead keep complaining and criticizing other ppl. Take the case of Steve Irwin, some ppl (feel like calling them fools but then fools are ignorant....these are not!!) and in particular this writer Germaine Greer have sneered at Irwin and called him names. This man did so much for the animals and for the cause of conservation, atleast more than this lady did!! How can ppl be so mean to others esp someone who passed away? Do they think they will be thought of as good men/women after their death? No way. Steve was and will be highly respected for his work and will always be remembered as the lovable, bubbly person he always was.

Its so heart breaking to see communities like "I hate Steve Irwin" in orkut. What the hell did he do to you? If he was loud so what? he named his daughter bindi so what's ur prb? Steve did takes risks but he didnt murder or rape anyone to be outraged and sneer at him. After all every one has their wild side, and as long as the intentions are good, you shouldnt be bothered abt anything esle. But no, these ppl are so sadistic that they will never appreciate others nor will do anything themselves. Its just a mean way to get publicity.

What Steve did in his short life was very comendable work! No one can question it, and esp not anyone like Germaine . You dont like someone stay away, dont bad mouth anyone, no one gave u the right to do it.

I absolutely loved this article in support of Steve..... article link.
Thanks to this author a fitting reply was given to those who have criticized Steve.

P.S: Was very upset on reading those articles against Steve so this post. Its so sad ppl have forgotten to even respect the dead.

For you my dear husband....

2006-09-05T14:22:00.000+08:00

One year has passed since we said "I do" , a full year of ups and downs, lot of travelling and loads of fun. We have learnt to live with each other, forgive each others mistakes and in the process we have learnt a lot. Words cant express how happy and lucky I feel to have you in my life.

Happy Anniversary hubby dear! This is just the begining we have a long way to go!!

Tribute to Steve Irwin.

2006-09-04T15:08:00.000+08:00

I Will miss you Steve!

Steve died today morning while filming underwater after being stung by a stingray barb.

Link

Orchids

2006-09-02T19:52:00.000+08:00

Clicked the above snap when a bumble bee was "visiting" the orchid! Loved it absolutely!!

This beautiful red dragon fly kept coming back to this spot waiting for me take a snap and then it vanished.

My visit to the Orchid garden was really too good. Loved the flowers with their vibrant colors and shapes.

....

2006-09-01T16:23:00.000+08:00

There are times when you want to just clamp up and go into a shell. you dont feel like being responsible, dont feel like answering anyone. Knowing very well this will not solve any problems, you do it. Do it just so you feel satisfied. You end up hurting loved ones but dont want to stop because you just cant, you get carried away. But after a while, you know its not working. You come out of it and start afresh, start again from scratch. It pains, its difficult, but yet it has to be done. Such times come and go, and you learn as you grow. Another day in life, another lesson learnt.

Weekend Workout Part 2

2006-08-28T11:28:00.000+08:00

This lovely stain glass piece is the center piece of the dome at the entrance. Truly superbly done.

There were some interesting birds like the African crown crane (above) who kept poking into the bags of visitors and was very interested in the ruffle of plastic esp the chips packet. Gave us a quiet a good pose though. And this parrot(below) who kept hanging upside down all the time and came close to where we were to strike this pose. I think it was very fascinated by the blinking red light of my camera anyways there was also competition for the others too joined in.

There were some nice swings and benches all over the place so it was good to sit down and absorb the beautiful surroundings. BTW there's also a huge man made waterfall, supposedly the largest man made water fall in Asia. By the end of the day we were all exhausted from the walking but the excitement was still there.

Nature always amazes me, the variety and the individuality is so interesting. Going to a zoo or bird park or even a botanical garden is probably the best thing I would like to do on a holiday. Its better than any shopping :)

Weekend Workout Part 1

2006-08-28T11:03:00.000+08:00

Nah, its not that I finally made it out of the couch and into the gym. But yes I did have a good workout by walking through the winding paths of the Jurong Bird Park here. Went there with friends and had a great time. Its an ideal place to spend the day off - quiet and serene, well, except for the constant chatter of the parakeets in the distance.

The park is quiet big and has an impressive collection of birds and its well planned out. My first visit was some 4-5 months back, and all I did then was click snaps, forgetting to enjoy nature. This time I knew what was coming so I took it nice and slow. There is a monorail that takes ppl around but we preferred to walk, I find it more personal this way.

Bonding with nature is a real special thing, it brings out the kid in all of us. At the bird show there was a parrot that was singing in 3 languages, most of us were watching it in awe. It was amazing to see those intelligent birds and to be trained so well, that's too good. The trainers really deserve a lot of praise, I guess u need lots of patience and dedication to get these birds to do perform. If you have a pet, you will definitely agree that training is no easy thing.

One important thing for me in this trip was that I held a wild bird in my hand - a Malay Eagle Owl.[In the snap above] Ok I had to pay for it but it was an experience I really wanted to try out and am happy I did it. Its scary and at the same time I was amazed by the bird. This was at the second bird show, the show for birds of prey and gosh, it was a exciting one. The huge eagles and vultures flew just inches above our heads in trained precision. The show was a good one, lot of information about the birds and their natural abilities.

I particularly enjoyed the lory loft where the lorries (of the parrot family i guess) interact with the visitors in the walk-in aviary. Its a nice place with feeding towers and connecting suspension bridges. The birds themselves are so bright coloured and in so many sizes. Some ppl there even had the luck of having the birds jump up to their heads and shoulders during the feeding. We tried to trick some birds into jumping on to us but no, these birds know the difference between feed and water. One bird had taken a fancy for coke so one of the visitors was enjoying feeding it with a straw.

Will continue in the next post as blogger is not allowing me to add more photos............

Clouds, Greenery and views from a plane

2006-08-23T10:03:00.000+08:00

Here are some snaps I took from the plane during my India Trip. Absolutely loved the sugar candy clouds and the varied landscape views.

Good Days and Bad Days and then there are Disasters!!

2006-08-22T09:41:00.000+08:00

Yesterday was a disaster!! One thing after another bombed, cant believe how one could have so much bad luck in a day, rather in one evening!?!?!?

Well, the day went of quiet as usual in solitude. I had this urge to try glass painting ever since I had seen my SIL's framed paintings. So here I was equipped with the right accessories ready to prove that I could do it too. After an hour and a half, I finally managed to finish a detailed piece on a trial transperancy sheet and was telling myself, "Not bad not bad at all." Just as I was taking it (very carefully ) to let it dry, a sudden gush of wind sent it flying out of my hand. And plop, the sheet lay upside down with the wet paint sticking to the ground. Cursing my luck I picked it up and tried to salvage what was left, and thankfully was able to get i back to a decent shape. Cleaned up the mess and I decided to myself, next time on, I will remember to close all windows and doors!

A little while later, it was time to cook and I was browsing the net to find some interesting dishes and found a Kerela avial dish. Luckily (what a pun!) I had all the necessary stuff at home so I happily started making the avial. By the time it was finishing I was sure something was wrong, either too much water or i had missed something. So I decided to pep it up a bit by adding tamarind, and that was it, my biggest mistake! In the end the dish tasted like a boiled veggie soup.

In the meanwhile, my husband had returned from office and both of us were in a really "out of the mind" state, he from his office affairs and me from all the bad luck! What started as a little chasing around game between us, ended up with me breaking something he is really attached to. And he isnt attached to a lot of things I should say. This left me in tears feeling really bad about the whole day.

I wonder how sometimes we have all the bad luck in a very short period of time. Once one thing goes wrong, so many other things follow. Its so irritating and frustrating when this happens. I am just hoping this doesnt continue, for it does am sure to go crazy.

Evening Shots

2006-08-13T21:50:00.000+08:00

2006-08-13T00:01:00.000+08:00

Me back to base, but not in form. Rite now am in a total mess. Cold and cough has certainly left me irritated and dull. I personally find it really irritating to have a cold, anything else seems ok at this time. Having already used up one whole box of tissues, I wonder when I will be free of this cold. Hope to be back in full form soon.

Its been a long time...

2006-07-31T15:12:00.000+08:00

....since I blogged. That's becos rite now am on a long break to India. Its been a very hectic two weeks with a lot of visits to relatives' place, lots of travelling and loads of shopping. From chennai to trivandrum and now in delhi, its been a great trip. Coming back to your native place is such a happy thing.

Scribblez and Has to be me have complained that I dont visit or comment in their blogs anymore, let just tell u guys, I havent visited any blogs. First thing the Blogs were blocked temporarily when I was in chennai so couldnt access any site. Between then and now, didnt have net acess! Anyways once am back to base, I will definitely visit all my favourite blogs and surely comment too.

Till I get back, all u guys take care and keep blogging.

Random ramblings

2006-07-14T09:23:00.000+08:00

Me going down to India (home sweet home!) for two weeks. It will be a lot of travelling......may not get time to blog. So dont miss me guys!!

Ok, here's something that's been on my mind for sometime now. Looking at all these incidents of terror and crime in India, I somehow feel the problem mainly lies with attitude of ppl. I have a feeling people take law lightly. Corruption plays a huge rule in increasing this slack. Ppl have this opinion that by giving a few extra bucks u can get the job done. People dont realise the bigger picture.

What starts with a simple chocolate to get the homework done by a kid can lead up to bribery in higher levels. Initially the money would have been to avoid a long wait in the queue but finally the money ends up doing illegal stuff too. And god knows, a simple mistake by a corrupt peon can end up with a national disaster. Is it not possible? Do u think its difficult for malicious minds to get info in India, no its all the more easier! Give a wad of notes, and they r ready to serve u like slaves.

Its not only corruption, the general attitude of going above the law is very common. The goons fleece common ppl and share this with some corrupt police. There are some specimens in the police dept who think they r above law and go about torturing innocent and raping women. Politicians think they can get away with anything be it bribes, scams, abduction, or even murder. Why go that far, take the common man. How many times in a day we ignore the law? We go through one-ways, we jump red lights, we bribe to get better treatment in hospitals, we dont want to be witnesses in a theft or hit and run and chose to ignore it, and so on. We are not willing to obey our laws or implement them.

Is all this not an invitation to outsiders to divide us? These terrorist claim that minorities are ill-treating. It may be true. But who are these ppl to deliver verdict? How can the govt allow outsiders to interfere?

Coming to the point of minorities, I think this whole concept should be done with. There should be no discrimination based on caste, creed or religion. All citizens of India should have equal rights in everything no special cases. The problem arises when there is provisions for special cases. The guy in torn rags working his butt off and the rich businessman who rests his delicate butt on rich silk cushions should be treated equally when it comes to basic rights. Money should not be a factor when it comes to providing justice. A poor man cant afford to fight a case in court then the govt should make provision for it. A rich man can fight a case in court then the system has to make sure he doesnt use his money power to alter the course of law. Similarly with education, make education a must for everybody. Let the govt provide education to all those who cant afford it, make it easy.

At present, many good laws may be in place. But how many are being used effectively? A clever lawyer will use loop holes to bring out a rich man but will he help a poor man with the same law....no he wont. He doesnt stand to gain anything, that's the prb. The POTA law was framed to make it easy for holding terrorists but the politicians are using it against their political enemies.

One more thing, the Right to Information Act is a good thing. But do u think it will actually be delivered well. Will a common man actually get answers? What answers will he get? What will the govt say if I ask why the roads are full of holes or why there is no ration left in the ration shop? If the answer is corruption, will that be my answer? what will i do with knowing what i already know? If the question is Were the ppl responsible punished or when will they be punished, what answer will I get?

I know there are so many other issues connected with democracy and what I have written here might have already occured to thousands of ppl and the ppl who form the constitution. But I dont know why these are not in place now. What stops the govt from implementing the already present law, leave alone the utopian ones. Why ppl like the Mumbai Don has not been arrested? Why corruption has been allowed to grow so far? Is no one ever going to take action?

One thing I definitely know is if I can do my bit to stop this corruption, I will. And I definitely hope everyone who realises how bad the bigger picture is getting should also do his or her bit! If someone is ignorant, then I will definitely try and explain. Will you?

Tears and Rage.

2006-07-13T09:30:00.000+08:00

Another horrific and cowardly act by baseless ideology.

Hunderds of lives snatched away, leaving a big vaccum in many more lives.

No one gains by this. There can be no solution through violence, only more violence.

My prayers and tears with those affected by terrorism.

Sudden showers

2006-07-10T19:38:00.000+08:00

Interesting.....

2006-07-07T19:02:00.000+08:00

Sitting lazily on the couch I was enjoying myself watching tv when I got a call. Picked it up and there was a sweet male voice on the other end.

Sweet Male Voice (SMV): Can I speak to Mr X?

Me : Well, he's not home. Can I take a message?

SMV : Is this Mrs X?

Me : Yes, what is this regarding?

SMV : Congratulations Madam. You have been selected by Oriental Travels for a $1000 holiday all expense paid package.

Me : Really, but how?

SMV : For the past 5 years we have had good profits and we decided to share this blessings with all of you. We selected 50 couples through referrals and you are one among them.

Me (Not very impressed) : Is that so. hmmmm

SMV (Quickly interrupting me) : We need to verify a few things madam, is your telephone number 666666?

Me: yes but...

SMV : Is ur husband's name Mr X Y Z?

Me : yes. Can you give me your number so I call back?

SMV : Sure mam. Our number is 11111111111

And then the call got disconnected at the other end. I was having a feeling there was something fishy....come on who gives u a $1000 all expenses paid trip just for good will. I wanted to check this Oriental Travels for myself, so I quicky googled for info. And thanks to dear old Google, I found out that this is the latest scam to hit Singapore. I even found a message of an ex-employee of the call centre, apologizing to all the couples he had conned.

Like they say there is no such thing as a free lunch. Earn your money well, spend it wise. Dont believe in free offers. Be safe.

Sin and the sinned!

2006-07-04T13:29:00.000+08:00

A temple in south india is going to undergo a purification process because an non Hindu actress offered her prayers.
Source : chennaionline.com

Come on, how ridiculous can it get!!! Am stumped. How can ppl be so narrow minded? Traditions have to be upheld i agree but who gave the right to these ppl - the so called keepers of the tradition - to decide who enters the premises and who doesnt. And to go to such extremes, its such a shock to me.

In the olden days when these rules were made, the caste system was so important so no one opposed this. But now, in every field ppl of every race and caste work shoulder to shoulder. The temple became impure just because that lady is a non-Hindu or rather a born Christian (which btw is generations of branch away hindus following christianity).

What about those ppl who are murderers, rapist, cheaters, robbers, wife-beaters and what not sinner Hindus who visit the temple....? This applies to any society, any religion that discriminates ppl from other races. I want to ask these authorities who decided this "purification process" was necessary just one -thing - does this mean these ppl dont allow anything non-Hindu in their lives. Dont think so ...then why this discrimination?

Its my god and me. Who can come in-between us? Do I need a middle man/woman to tell me the importance of god in life? No i dont. It doesnt matter which god u pray to, it is only important that you r sincere in what u do and ur intentions are good.

I'll get it for u!

2006-06-28T14:24:00.000+08:00

After reading Scribblez's post "I'll try it for u!", I got all nostalgic. It made me think of my post graduation days, the time at which I had maximum fun. There are lots of lovely moments to remember but one particular instance that will always stay in my mind.

During the first year, we had gone to Ooty for a trip. Almost all of my classmates had turned up for the trip and so had my seniors, so it was a really big crowd and we were having a lot of fun. We had only three days for the trip, but still enjoyed every minute we could. The trip went on great and by the end of the 3 days, most of us were exhausted and almost all had run out of cash because of the shopping.

Just before we were to start back, we went for our last round of shopping, rather window shopping. I was hanging out with 3 of my good friends, all guys btw, and we were going from one shop window to another, just staring at the display. At a particular jewellery display, I stopped and was gazing at a pretty pendant. It had a oval green stone in between two well designed leaves.I really wanted to get it, but knew i had no money. While I was staring at it, one of my friends asked me if I liked it. I said yes. He asked me why i am not buying it. I told him rather sadly that I didnt have money enough to buy it. After this we just moved on and continued our window shopping.

Later that day, we were all on the way back and had boarded the train to get back to Chennai. After the usual commotion, we all had settled and the train started. I had meanwhile fallen sick having eaten some junk food. So i was totally down and feeling a lot of pain in my stomach. My friend, who had earlier seen me admiring the pendant, came and sat next to me. He said he had something for me and he opened his palm to show a brown paper package. Not knowing what to expect, I took the packet from him and started unfolding it. And to my utter surprise, inside the crumpled little brown paper packet was the same pendant that I had wanted so much. I didnt know what to say. I was so delighted and happy to get it.

What I didnt know then and later found out from other friends was that he had bought it by borrowing money from the others, for he himself didnt have cash. I was really touched. Now, there is an undercurrent that I didnt mention. This person was really special to me, for me he was my closest friend! I liked him very much but so far didnt have any romantic feeling towards him. So to have got a surprise like this from his was indeed double special. What I didnt know at that time was I would one day fall in love with him and eventually marry him!!

That pendant did a lot more than just make me happy, it helped me find my soulmate. But unfortuanetly, the pendant didnt stay with me long. The pendant was stolen along with some other jewellery from my house. I was so upset on losing the pendant and felt like I was going to lose my friend too. But fortunately losing the pendant only got me closer to him.

This was probably the best surprise I have ever had. And I will remember it forever. As I was writing this, I was consulting my husband on the facts for I have a big problem remembering details. He must have pretty much guessed why I was asking so many questions.

My dear husband , I love u!

The movie Krrish and an Identity crisis!!

2006-06-24T22:22:00.000+08:00

Had been to the movie "Krrish" today. First something about the movie - I liked it very much- was entertaining and well made. Special effects were superb. Some scenes reminded me of Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (by now, u know which scenes!!) but the effects were apt and well wrapped with the story. The movie has been shot in India and in Singapore.

The things I liked in the movie

1) even though it is a superhero storyline, the sequel to "Koi mil gaya" is believe-able. the story is strong, well fabricated.

2) evergreen and sexy rekha as hrithik's grandmom :)

3) the stunts are simply too good. Hollywood style thrills in a Indian flavour.

4)the locations are superb. Be it India or Singapore the locations were well chosen and the beauty well explored.

5) the songs are very good. esp liked the koi tum sa nahin, pyaar ki ek kahani

6) its simple, sweet and simply superb.

and the BIGGEST of all reasons, Hrithik rocks!!!!!!!!! The guy is handsome, a great dancer, and acts well too.

Krrish is definitely worth a watch. I think this movie has shown what intelligent narration and creative technology can do to simple story line. Its high time such technologies are put to good use. One important thing to note, the tamil movie Boys had already started the trend of using technology like the time slice technique, the matrix effect with 62 cameras in tow for a love song and a fully animated 3D effect characters for another. But unfortunately India means Bollywood so innovations in regional movies are not very well appreciated, rather go unnoticed in tinsel town Mumbai.

Now for the next part, the identity crisis! As I came out of the movie theatre, a singaporean muslim lady happened to be walking out with me. She started by asking me if I liked the movie. I said I did. Then she told me that she didnt have any idea the movie was being shot here in Singapore. I was not surprised, people here never do get the time to do anything other than work...no offense but I think people here work a little too hard :) As I was thinking this, the lady's next comment surprised me. She said "The film only shows Chinese people as Singaporeans, why didnt they show Indians and Malays. We are also Singaporeans." I didnt know what to say. I politely excused myself and joined my group.

Now, thinking about that lady i am wondering where lies the problem. As a outsider I will never know what it is she felt. One thing I do know the movie was not meant to be a cultural encylopedia for Singapore, but more like a tourism promotion. Why should someone feel this way??? Singapore is a multi racial, multi cultural society and as far as I have noticed there is NO racial discrimination, no issues with culture. The majority people here are chinese so obviously the cross section of people u meet are primarily chinese.

BTW This is a serious issue, by mentioning it in my blog, I just want answers to my question. This is not to demean or belittle anyone. This question for me is plain pschyology.............nothing political.

Another question is do u take a movie so seriously that u analyze every detail and think about it. When I see a movie, its part of entertainment. The movie can make me laugh, cry, think and even put me to sleep. I dont search for any inner meaning or motive. But I have heard of people taking movies very seriously. Some go to the extreme of living out movie characters. This is a big topic in itself, I will discuss this later. Right now, its bed time. Me off to bed with a lot of questions in my head.

yipeee

2006-06-23T19:47:00.000+08:00

Me saw a real Lamborghini.............yahoooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, me back to normal now. Am not crazy about cars, but i do have a fancy for some of them. Top on my list is a lamborghini. Kya car hai!!!!!!! (*sigh*)

Yday i had been to a hotel visiting a relative and there in the parking lot just outside the main entrance was a silver grey lamborghini. At First I didnt realise that it was my dream car, cos u dont expect to find one in a hotel parking lot. In india, u dont get to hear about this car, so seeing it in india is like no chance!! I was so hyper on seeing it that I wanted to take a snap. But then I remembered that I was in a hotel and it would look very stupid. No other choice than to move on. Unfortunately when I returned the car was nowhere to be seen.

Wish I had taken a snap instead of thinking of manners *big sigh*

Maybe next time.

A few of my favourite things

2006-06-20T20:05:00.000+08:00

The mellow sun shining through soft white curtains
The early morning dew drops on newly blossomed flowers

The glorious blue sky merging with the deep blue ocean
The white fluffy clouds floating across

The fresh smell of earth after rain
The elusive rainbow dancing in glory

The pretty bunch of red roses waiting to be taken
The neatly wrapped presents all a surprise

The blushing cheeks of a embarassed lover
The reassuring smile of a faithful partner

The soft red cheeks of a new born
The innocent smile of a toddler

The lustful licks of a beloved pet
The irresistible smell of mom's cooking

Imagine all this, does it bring a smile on your face? It does to me, even if am feeling down, these will definitely cheer me up! These are a few of my favourite things.

Please add on to this list and share what makes u smile.

Daddy thank you!!

2006-06-17T11:19:00.000+08:00

I generally dont believe in days like Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, Father's Day, etc, etc. But today am using this Father's Day, to say thank you to my dad - which I havent done for a long time.

My dad has always been special to me, more than anybody in my family. I share a strange love-hate bond with him, it is him that i am most scared of and him that i most look up to. He has always wanted the best for me, I never understood that initially. I always opposed his choice for me, but now I realise because of him, I am where I am. Am thankful that he did what he did for me and my family. He has always wanted the best for me and also stood by me when I needed him most.

I remember when we were building our house, me and my dad used to visit the site to check upon things and to water the foundations. My dad suffered from back problems, yet he used to bend over the well to pull water without even a pulley. These were the times when I really stepped back and observed him, learnt from him, appreciated him.

If i like reading books, it is because he encourage that habit. I love National Geographic, Discovery and other nature channels all because he encouraged us to learn more. He used to take us sisters to the beach and to playgrounds, spend lots of time talking about current happenings and history. He taught me the importance of being in touch with the world.

My dad shaped me, am proud of him and thankful to him. There is so much more to say, but in the end just two words "Thank You!"

Weird habits

2006-06-15T21:47:00.000+08:00

Some ppl have weird habits, some ppl r plain weird. I often wonder why and how these habits came by.

I have noticed ppl picking up a carton of milk or a can of juice from the back of the shelf, when all the cartons and cans will have the same expiry date. I find it real strange. Not one or two, but i have noticed a lot of ppl do this.

Some ppl have the habit of storing things in a particular order and if by chance somebody messes up, they will get upset. Some ppl have the habit of cleaning too much, something like washing hands too often, dusting too often, double washing clothes. Its a real irritating habit.

I had this weird habit of always watching tv when i have to study for major exams....much to the displeasure of my parents. somehow it helped me concentrate better but cant explain why.

The Moon up close.

2006-06-13T14:22:00.000+08:00

Yesterday was full moon, and for the first time I saw the moon through a binoculars. It was an amazing sight. Up close the beauty of the moon is so tantalizing, a bright ball against the backdrop of the deep blue sky. Could see some of the craters too. Wow! anybody having a binocular should try this, its beautiful. Basking in the moonlight the clouds looked a eerie gloomy pink, a very different shade from the usual white.

fresh after rain

2006-06-10T22:43:00.000+08:00

come out shining.

2006-06-09T23:02:00.000+08:00

there is always light at the end of the tunnel.

2006-06-07T21:35:00.000+08:00

Six Weird Things About Me ! I have been Tagged!!

2006-06-05T15:36:00.000+08:00

What I need to do:

1..Post a blog with six weird things about myself.
2..Tag six people at the end of my post, victimize them unawares and pass the buck.
3..Post a comment in their blogs letting them know that they have been tagged.and ask them to visit my blog for info.

I have been tagged by Starry Nights, so here is my list

1) I get paranoid when i see closely spaced holes esp like the beehive or a crop of insect eggs....gosh, just writing this is getting to me! I start to itch and scratch. Dont know when this started or why, its ju$st there.

2) I have a knack of solving issues in my dreams.........seriously! More than once i have found solutions for my problems through dreams. Maybe i think of the issue so much that i even dream abt it.

3) I keep getting hurt in the same way, in the same place always. I trip over the simplest of things, hit against the wall for no apparent reason. I get cut by the bluntest of instruments like lids and spoons. Initially my husband didnt want me to enter the kitchen, but now he is used to this and is always ready with a plaster in hand when i shout for help! :)

4) I talk faster than i think, atleast that's what ppl around me always say!

5) I am very afraid of looking down from heights....so afraid that i dont even go to the edge. During a college trip, we had gone to a spot called Dolphin Nose in Kodaikanal. All my friends were walking into the pillar of rock projecting out of the hill, and I refused to budge from the van!! They were so angry with me, still i couldnt get myself to go there.

6) I didnt like posing for photographs, i always felt i dont look good in them. Now, I have slowly got over this feeling.

I am going to tag IyerEducation(excluded), Harjee, Ajay Surve, Enchanted Mind, Chikuado, Mocking Spirit and Keshi.

Colors of the sky!

2006-06-02T20:16:00.000+08:00

Sights and tastes of summer.

2006-05-31T21:33:00.000+08:00

Rows of watermelons,

tender coconut,

juicy yellow mangoes (esp bangnapalli),

fresh tender cucumber (veliri pinju) all lined up neatly in the vendor's push carts, and not forgettting the bunches of palm kernels (nungu) hung from those road side trees by vendors......thanda thanda lime juice, fresh sugarcane juice with lemon ........piles of earthen pots waiting to be taken home and filled with cool water.......waiting impatiently to be taken to the beach..........

a new flavour of icecream to try every night.............

sleeping under the stars at night.

Some of the most unforgettable summer experiences of my life.

Photo credit : fotosearch.com

In Circles

2006-05-30T09:08:00.000+08:00

Every now and then people get caught in a web, a cycle that refuses to be broken. U do the same things, think the same way day after day. U want to change but it doesnt happen. U go through irritation, then anger, then frustration and then finally total breakdown.

Am in that cycle right now, I want to break it, come out, but I cant, or is it wont? I hate monotony but yet am monotonous. What is it that is stopping me from breaking free? I dont know! Its not confusion that stops me, I know what I want to do! No, its something else.......! But what?

Explosive Clouds!

2006-05-26T20:04:00.000+08:00

Sitting lazily on the couch, I was watching one of those never-ending serials when I spotted this "explosive" cloud outside my window. Looking just like the mushroom cloud over a nuclear explosion.

All I wanted to do was get some books......

2006-05-24T17:16:00.000+08:00

It was a hot afternoon and I was in the community libary searching for some books to read. I was pulling out some books off the rack when I saw a pair of lips interlocked on the other side. My first reaction was amusement, and I started to laugh. I must have startled the couple, for they paused for a couple of seconds and then to my surprise, just got back to what they were doing. For a second I was embarrassed, for it was like I didn’t exist. I just dumped the books and moved on to another row. After some time I returned to the row to continue my search. This time there was no one about and I was kind of relieved. Was just walking out with my book, when I caught a pair of mismatched legs at one blind corner. Now I was more than curious, I didn’t care if I was interrupting or anything, I just walked up the corner and was met with the same couple in….ahem……an embrace….that’s decently putting it. This time I had a better look at the pair, both in school uniform, just about 15-16 maybe much younger. Now, I couldn’t just stand there looking at them, so I walked…..rather jumped over them….and went to another section and started browsing through the books. Inside my head, I was asking myself “Am they disturbing me or am I?”. I frankly didn’t know. I just finished my browsing and walked out, and as for the couple, I think they must have just continued on.

Bollywood in Cannes.

2006-05-23T14:01:00.000+08:00

Scanning through the Cannes news, I noticed our Indian maidens all decked up in western designer outfits. Its sad to see our "cultural representatives" choosing Armani and Cavalli instead of exposing our rich cultural variety. Ash should know better, last year her wardrobe was Indian but dull so she was criticised. But this year instead of finding a better designer, she chose the easy way.

2006-05-22T14:49:00.000+08:00

Broke the code....

2006-05-21T01:25:00.000+08:00

Da Vinci fever still hasnt reduced for me.....finally i took the Da Vinci online web quest. The last two hours was full of frustration, fun, amusement and awe. Finally i completed the code, of course with a little help from Google, and just one spoiler.....but on the whole is was quite an experience.

If you like puzzles and will do a bit extra to have fun, I recommend this web quest.

Cast in a magic spell.

2006-05-20T00:46:00.000+08:00

Just back from watching Da Vinci Code.........still open mouthed, still in awe........spellbounding is just not word enough. The movie was very good, though the ending has been altered a bit, nevertheless full justice done. Graphics simply fantasic. Casting good, though I felt Silas could have been a bit more "cruel", and as for other roles - good choice of actors.

Enjoyed every bit of the movie!!! I feel ppl should just forget their inhibitions and just see the movie - as a movie for I think the director has made a good film. It doesnt matter what the critics are saying, cos the movie has generated such an interest, that it is bound to be noticed anyway.

A few hours more..

2006-05-19T17:56:00.000+08:00

waiting excitedly for the evening to set in, so i can see the Da Vinci Code. What a tour of Lourve museum it going to be!

Am just hoping i dont get disappointed with the movie. It sometimes happens when a book is made into a movie. Harry Potter movies though visually fantastic have not been true to the book. If u like reading books, u will know how a book unfolds in ur mind. When u compare that to the movie, the movie is never that interesting. All to do with the way we look at things.

There u r!

2006-05-18T23:34:00.000+08:00

Da Vinci Furor

2006-05-17T18:02:00.000+08:00

The increasing protests mounted against the movie "Da Vinci Code" is doing only one thing - making the film more intriguing and so, as a result more people are going to watch it.

Are we so religiously weak that we cant make out fact from fiction? People who read fiction dont always believe all those extraordinary situations actually exsists, or do they? Its ok for people to boycott seeing the film, but why should they prevent the rest of the crowd from watching it.

Its funny that people in India dont protest against the increasing violence, atrocities protrayed against women and the hatred spread against neighbouring countries through so called patriotic films.

Am just thinking out loud, dont want to hurt anybody's sentiments.

Hide and Seek

2006-05-15T01:15:00.000+08:00

Took some shots of the beautiful full moon today. Everytime I got ready with the camera, the moon hide behind a cloud. I was almost giving up when the finally, the moon decided to show up.

Toilet Woes

2006-05-14T01:01:00.000+08:00

Yeah its a touchy subject, not to be discussed openly but I do want to make a point. Dirty restrooms shows dirty habits.

I expected toilets in S'pore to be neat and clean to match its clean image, so it was till I entered the local library restroom today. Gosh, even if u had a urgent call of nature, u wouldnt want to be in there. Floor all wet, toilet paper everywhere soaking and the stench unbearable. I was surprised bcos even the restrooms in the hawker centre's are cleaner, given the fact that max usage would be these restrooms.

Even though the infrastructure is good, its sad to see ppl r not utilizing it properly. Today was a bad experience, I hope things get better soon.

SHOCK!!!

2006-05-11T20:16:00.000+08:00

That's shock with a capital S H O C K!!!!

My heart broke, my hopes crushed.......am more than shocked......am flabbergasted.

And the reason :

Chris Daughtry was booted out of American Idol today............!!!!!!!!!!!!

Though I like Taylor equally, i expected Chris to cruise to the semi finals....the judges thought so too. Just goes to show that public voting is so unpredictable. Did they go by Katherine's looks and overlook her lyrics goof-up, must be. She's escaped more than once.

Ok, got to see who cruise through the next round.....hope its Taylor vs Elliot.

Hike in petrol and LPG prices?

2006-05-10T23:32:00.000+08:00

Just read abt the possible hike in petrol and LPG , its alarming. How can they increase the essential commodities so steeply? Imagine paying nearly 400 rs for a single refill of gas.....gosh it will be tough. If for ever price rise, if the govt hikes the salaries then it is manageable....but with the existing salary package, if a person has to spend a extra 114 rs per month just on gas.....it wont be feasible.

When is the govt actually going to think for the ppl's welfare?

Power of Smile

2006-05-10T15:28:00.000+08:00

5-6 years back, I came across this poem "A Simple Smile" and liked it a lot. Kinda inspirational, one of my fav!

A Simple Smile
(author : unknown)

She smiled at a sorrowful stranger.
The smile seemed to make him feel better.
He remembered past kindnesses of a friend
And wrote him a thank you letter.

The friend was so pleased with the thank you
That he left a large tip after lunch.
The waitress, surprised by the size of the tip,
Bet the whole thing on a hunch.

The next day she picked up her winnings,
And gave part to a man on the street.
The man on the street was grateful;
For two days he'd had nothing to eat.

After he finished his dinner,
He left for his small dingy room.
(He didn't know at that moment
that he might be facing his doom.)

On the way he picked up a shivering puppy
And took him home to get warm.
The puppy was very grateful
To be in out of the storm.

That night the house caught on fire.
The puppy barked the alarm.
He barked till he woke the whole household
And saved everybody from harm.

One of the boys that he rescued
Grew up to be President.
All this because of a simple smile
That hadn't cost a cent.

To run or not to run

2006-05-09T18:34:00.000+08:00

........that is the question for 4-something Budhia Singh who wants to run 65 km marathon to make a record. I dont know what to make of the human rights commision's statements abt the kid's run.....the medical reports find him anemic.....PT Usha doesnt want him to run......Budhia's coach is presistent.

If the boy is medically fit, why shouldnt he attempt the record...?

Streaks

2006-05-09T00:28:00.000+08:00

One of those "by chance" photos I took.

{ See the enlarged version for a clear view of the jet }

Memories of my trip to Jodhpur, Rajasthan.

2006-05-07T17:28:00.000+08:00

Camp Site Osia Sand Dune, outskirts of Jodhpur

Inside the camp site.
Umed Bhavan in the background, taken from Fort MehranGarh.

Above photo is a shot of Umed Bhavan, Jodhpur.

The majestic Mehran Garh fort taken en route.