tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70693661284590781742024-03-14T03:11:38.815+05:30Odyssey Of The MindAnubhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15090232788838097342noreply@blogger.comBlogger269125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7069366128459078174.post-78204483470972995682017-08-10T15:06:00.000+05:302017-09-20T15:10:39.351+05:30The world of boxes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Was musing last night over why we feel lost sometimes. I encounter this question many times in my own life, “where in this world do I fit?”. Mostly with regard to profession, “Who am I?”, “Am I really a web developer? But I love to write”. Or, “am I a feminist?” I am all for equality of the genders but I can’t help feeling taken care of on occasion when the guy pays for the meal when we are out together.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It’s hard for me to tick the boxes I fit in, and I wonder if we could live in a box-less world. An attempt at poetry after REALLY long. (Maybe years). May not be as crisp as it used to be, but it had to be put it in this form:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Some people feel strongly about something,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">they wear it with passion and pride.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">But in this labelled world,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">your</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em;"> </span><span class="markup--strong markup--p-strong" style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">eccentricities</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em;"> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">you have to hide.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">Some things I like on some days,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">And on other days I don’t.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">And sometimes I don’t have an opinion,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">No particular preference or want.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In the current world we live in,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">we are defined by our voice.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">With what we like or stand for,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">but not why we find it nice.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Not with how we express that like,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">or how it makes us feel,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">but with what it is,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">that’s the only thing held real.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">You may like a butterfly,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">for it is colourful and nice,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">I may like it because of the way,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">it flutters when it flies.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The world isn’t black and white,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">sometimes we confuse it as so,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">and with all the knowledge we have gained,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">there is still so little that we know.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We feel lost because of the boxes,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">that we put people in,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">boxes based on what they like or do,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">than what makes them sing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It’s time we got rid of boxes along with labels,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">For in the quest of finding a box of our own,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">we will miss out on the truth of life itself.</span></div>
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Anubhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15090232788838097342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7069366128459078174.post-46202514938229590492017-07-04T00:26:00.001+05:302017-07-04T00:26:02.865+05:30Until next time, Neil..<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I haven’t met anyone that was so passionate about life as Neil was. He spread energy and joy wherever he went. Be it a shop owner, a friend, the postman or just someone who lived in the vicinity, there is no one who hasn’t been impacted by his energy. Neil loved everyone and everything. The places he had been to, the food that he ate & liked.. Neil loved to explore new things, especially food and places. He loved being in the outdoors and almost everyone who had met him once remembered him fondly.</div>
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Neil and I met through our common friend Mona, who met him first on a social networking site known as hi5, that existed years ago, in 2004-2005. We exchanged messages on it, and were fascinated with how he described all of Parel in text, right from a small Aarey outlet, to the old buildings and hospitals, all upto Matunga where he went to school at Don Bosco. Such was his memory. Neil could tell you stories about every place. He could tell you where names of things came from, or where the patterns of grills or foothpath tiles came from. “It is all geometry”, he used to say. </div>
<figure class="graf graf--figure" name="17f6"><img class="graf-image" data-height="1920" data-image-id="1*XRW3Hg3RHjOcJzwkmXGltg.jpeg" data-width="2048" height="375" src="https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/800/1*XRW3Hg3RHjOcJzwkmXGltg.jpeg" width="400" /></figure><figure class="graf graf--figure" name="064d"><img class="graf-image" data-height="720" data-image-id="1*WvWyKRLOiArXyP9S7KIhhA.jpeg" data-width="404" height="400" src="https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/800/1*WvWyKRLOiArXyP9S7KIhhA.jpeg" width="224" /></figure><div class="graf graf--p" name="c7e2">
Slowly, he entered our lives and found a place almost immediately in our families. It was like we knew him for ages. Everyone in our building knew him, right from grandparents to grandkids. Such was Neil, made people feel welcome and comfortable, joked with both the young & old and never discriminated. He valued friendship immensely and loved making people feel special on their birthdays and anniversaries and well, every day.</div>
<figure class="graf graf--figure" name="665f"><img class="graf-image" data-height="720" data-image-id="1*EBagSAVqFju2Ny9QNho_PA.jpeg" data-width="960" height="300" src="https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/800/1*EBagSAVqFju2Ny9QNho_PA.jpeg" width="400" /><figcaption class="imageCaption">Neil’s idea to surprise my parents with a cake on their anniversary!!</figcaption><figcaption class="imageCaption"><br /></figcaption></figure><figure class="graf graf--figure" name="6ed0"><img class="graf-image" data-height="720" data-image-id="1*Jo88y71VR8WJ0PQtBqNxnA.jpeg" data-width="960" height="300" src="https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/800/1*Jo88y71VR8WJ0PQtBqNxnA.jpeg" width="400" /><figcaption class="imageCaption">Neil and my mom fooling around at Mona’s wedding</figcaption><figcaption class="imageCaption"><br /></figcaption></figure><figure class="graf graf--figure" name="d1a7"><img class="graf-image" data-height="1200" data-image-id="1*tWfeIL2vJD0_v0PzYEOXag.jpeg" data-width="1600" height="300" src="https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/800/1*tWfeIL2vJD0_v0PzYEOXag.jpeg" width="400" /></figure><figure class="graf graf--figure" name="1b7b"><img class="graf-image" data-height="540" data-image-id="1*WCdgZ05uu93jk4VMGxKBrw.jpeg" data-width="720" height="300" src="https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/800/1*WCdgZ05uu93jk4VMGxKBrw.jpeg" width="400" /><figcaption class="imageCaption">In the local when Neil came to drop us home</figcaption></figure><div class="graf graf--p" name="7a63">
Neil always brought either sweets (that he himself loved to gobble up with us :P) or snacks each time he came to visit, so I remember once in December 2016, when he came home and his health was deteriorating, he couldn’t even walk straight but was very apologetic instead that he wasn’t able to bring anything that time. That was him, always putting others before himself, even in pain.</div>
<figure class="graf graf--figure" name="fc31"><img class="graf-image" data-height="720" data-image-id="1*hCa5opJ70sE46CR9uJb1jw.jpeg" data-width="540" height="400" src="https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/800/1*hCa5opJ70sE46CR9uJb1jw.jpeg" width="300" /></figure><figure class="graf graf--figure" name="d05a"><img class="graf-image" data-height="720" data-image-id="1*vwmUvBDge_EdarHCS02TOw.jpeg" data-width="960" height="300" src="https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/800/1*vwmUvBDge_EdarHCS02TOw.jpeg" width="400" /><figcaption class="imageCaption">When he got Pictionary at my place and got mom to play it too! :)</figcaption></figure><figure class="graf graf--figure" name="2a9c"><img class="graf-image" data-height="404" data-image-id="1*sfnVTPhRd5lO0UZEkFT7_A.jpeg" data-width="720" height="224" src="https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/800/1*sfnVTPhRd5lO0UZEkFT7_A.jpeg" width="400" /></figure><div class="graf graf--p" name="58ce">
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I confided in Neil with many of my own issues but often didn’t require to say much. Neil always spoke the right things, not just because he listened, but because he could feel. He wasn’t one to sympathise but empathise instead, a quality that very few possess in this time. The days I didn’t say much, even a phone call that comprised of mundane conversation uplifted me and filled me with energy enough to get through my pain. And that is what baffles me, that the energy he contained wasn’t enough for him to get through his own fight. But then again, I also feel that we should seek warmth and comfort in the knowledge that he may be finally in the right place now, for a heart like his couldn’t find a place here on earth.</div>
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Until next time, please rest in peace Neil. We are all always with you ❤</div>
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Anubhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15090232788838097342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7069366128459078174.post-61068788455739216962017-07-03T12:41:00.000+05:302017-07-03T12:41:03.741+05:30Tea Culture of the World: Chamomile and Kashmiri Kahwa<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Those of you who know me or even follow me on social platforms are well acquainted with my love for tea and trying out different kinds of it. Though my personal favourite will always be the milky masala chai, I always like to experiment with exotic teas and savour them on days when I feel like soothing my nerves down and indulging myself at the same time :) Also, this monsoon calls out for hot beverages, and so this tea box from <b>Tea Culture of the World</b> arrived just in time :)<br />
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First of all, I was wowed with the box and the colours overall, the box also has a pleasant scent when you open it, I am guessing it is the wood. Anyway, I was having quite a rough day and so, I thought of trying out the Chamomile tea, aware of its stress relieving properties! </div>
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I liked the feel of the tea bag too, silky tea bags look so classy! Also you can properly see the dried flower petals and other parts of the flower in this one, and so I could judge the quality of the tea from this.</div>
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As my guess was, once brewed, the tea turned out to be quite pure, it went down smoothly and left a sweet aftertaste, something I look for in most teas. I made a mistake of brewing it a bit too much though (5 minutes would have been enough), and it ended up slightly bitter. I will brew it as per the instructions given behind.<br />
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My excitement got the better of me that day and I skipped looking at the back of the packet!! Next time, I will know better. I also plan to try it with lemon grass next, for a variety in flavour :)<br />
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Next, I was in the mood for something desi, with spices and the like, and I carefully selected the Kashmiri Kahwa tea from this collection.<br />
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Like I guessed, the tea bag had a lot of fresh spices in it along with some black leaves, that I am guessing were Kahwa leaves.<br />
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I brewed it as per the instructions given at the back, and I am so glad I did that!!<br />
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The result was a wonderful brew of Kahwa with subtle sweetness of almonds. I was quite surprised with the almond taste as I couldn't spot almonds in the tea bag, nor was there any mention of it on the packet, but I am sure there was something! My mom said it was the taste of cinnamon that mixed with the other spices to give the palate that flavour. Anyway, I sure liked it and look forward to having it again. </div>
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There are six more teas that I can't wait to try: Oolong, Darjeeling, Imperial White, Earl Grey, Rooibos and Sencha. I may have a mini tea party at home to try these, as it would be more fun that way! Shall share my experience soon!</div>
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Anubhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15090232788838097342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7069366128459078174.post-42665651310985305202017-06-11T20:30:00.001+05:302017-06-11T20:30:43.051+05:30Runaway Bride (Review)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I know it's not common to review a movie after nearly two decades of its release! But not a lot of movies make it to my 'favourites' list and it so happened that I watched it just recently. Though I end up liking / enjoying almost every movie I watch, there are some that I especially relate to, and "Runaway Bride" easily makes it to that list.<br />
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It aired on <b>Romedy Now</b> some time ago and honestly, when I checked the description, it seemed very cliche - "A reporter falls in love with a small town girl who is known as the Runaway Bride." My dad was watching it and the characters and dialogues kept me glued to it, despite the description. And I am glad I continued to watch.<br />
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The plot goes like this: A woman, Maggie (played by Julia Roberts), is infamous for leaving men at the altar, which earns her the title: the "Runaway Bride" in a little country side town in Maryland. She has left three men already and is about to marry a fourth one.<br />
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Ike (played by the very handsome Richard Gere) is a reporter in New York who wants to do a story on Maggie and chases the people she is friends with, chases all the men she has left at the altar and tries to find out more about her in the process. Eventually, after unsuccessfully trying to dampen all his attempts and efforts at this, Maggie decides to give in. She strikes a deal with Ike where she would help him with the story if he agrees to give her some money, buy a killer wedding dress for her upcoming wedding (to the fourth man) and help her have a grand wedding.<br />
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Such begins the story of Maggie and Ike, and many things unravel further as we see them fight, help each other out and slowly feel attracted to each other (though it's long before they realise that).<br />
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Other than just their chemistry in the movie (which I obviously adored), there were many subtle dialogues and scenes in the movie that I could relate to-<br />
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The part at the luau, where her friends and relatives (especially relatives and family friends) make jokes about her past "escapades" in their toasts, instead of saying something nice about her. Everyone of them has something to say about her tendency to leave men at weddings, and they decorate it in the form of jokes. Things like, "May the groom's heart be filled with hope... and the bride's feet filled with lead." or "May the gifts be returnable" or "May the pitter-patter of little feet not be Maggie's."<br />
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Have noticed this about a lot of people, how they very creatively, and mostly in an unaware fashion, seem to pass remarks about people and their mistakes or habits that they judge as bad. And I have been the victim of many such remarks growing up. It's sad how people so comfortably dish out such "jokes".<br />
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Ike, undoubtedly, comes to her rescue with his toast that is intended to humiliate them for what they have said, but they very cleverly fill up the awkward silence that follows with dance and activity suggestions. Typical! And that's what I loved about the movie. They have shown a lot of scenes as they are, as they take place, in real life.<br />
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Then there are wonderful bits like these which I could relate to as well.. for one, the uncontrollable flirtations that Maggie projects at men, how many women have felt that they do this? We won't always admit it but haven't you ever found yourself losing control, not knowing why you're charming someone you don't even find attractive?<br />
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And then again, how many times have you not asked this question or thought this in your head? I know I have!<br />
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So it's not just the realistic characters that make this movie likable. The dialogues, direction etc. are fantastic. Also, who doesn't love this grandma!! :D<br />
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There's also the part where Ike tries to make Maggie see how lost she is, how she believes that what the man in her life wants is also what she wants. In his interviews, there is a question that Ike asks each one of the men that she has left - what kind of eggs does Maggie like? And it turns out that she always orders what the man orders.<br />
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I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and it was so reassuring watching Maggie explore herself finally, trying to see who she is. I also loved all the tracks played throughout the movie, planning to download all of them though I am familiar with a few of them already. It was a perfect end to the movie for me when the credits were displayed and I heard Marc Anthony's voice after ages, pouring out his soul into "You Sang to Me".. :)<br />
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When I checked the ratings on IMDB later, I was really surprised not to see very high ratings but the reviews were also pretty strange considering the reviewers thought the movie was just like Pretty Woman, and most of the reviews were comparisons to Pretty Woman. I have seen Pretty Woman more than twice, and I must say, that other than the same lead characters (Richard Gere and Julia Roberts), and the fact that the movies have a common director (Gary Marshall), there is no commonality in the movies!! Both the movies are entirely different. You can't possibly compare. Also, I enjoyed this more than Pretty Woman. Would recommend watching this atleast once, especially women - I am sure you may find yourself in atleast one of the scenes, I had several "A ha" moments though!! :)<br />
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Anubhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15090232788838097342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7069366128459078174.post-1643714181498083632017-04-14T14:07:00.004+05:302017-04-14T14:13:51.154+05:30Life on the other side of 25<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
They rightly say that the mind goes through puberty in the twenties. Life is the most stressful I believe once you cross the age of 25. I have been struggling since then, trying to fit into old structures that worked for me (which obviously won't work now, but I am often unable to see that things are changing, and I don't know how to deal with the changes, so I keep going back to old methods).<br />
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For instance, I love staying in Mumbai, in my home. It is the place where I can be most comfortable and relaxed but as I grow up, I realise that sometimes this routine just does not work for me. I can't drop everything at my convenience and go like, "The shower can wait. I need to write this down and get this out of my system." (Going through this at <b>this very instant</b>). Even if I do that, I can't shake myself off the guilt of not having showered before a certain time, not having woken up at so-and-so time, it just piles on and on. I like having a routine but often, I realise that my body demands that I go to bed early, it demands more sleep, it demands not eating a heavy meal at night. It can sometimes get difficult to meet these demands and form your own routine within a structure of a family. You may have to make certain compromises such as not sitting down for a meal together, and that just feels odd to me. And this is just one of the many compromises.<br />
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Society does not make living easy for you either. There are constant questions and advices, pointed at you or your parents, of the manner- "When are you getting married?", "Why isn't she getting married or even asking to meet guys?", "Take her to a psychiatrist.", "Why don't you just take up a fulltime job? It is more stable."<br />
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Sometimes I feel like it should be possible to get into the body of someone for a day and just live that person's life. We all wouldn't be so 'judgy' then. I do get the concerns of the generation before us. They come from a different time, have lived different lives, maybe they are even wise and are advising what may be right for us. But sometimes, I really wish they were better empathisers or listeners than just dropping advice or pointing at solutions. Not generalising or blaming, sometimes they too have their own insecurities but even so, take it from any 25+ year old, all we want is for someone to understand how we feel and try to feel the same things as we do, and then just point us to where we should look to live life better just for the next moment, not what we should see. We don't need to know more than the next moment, and slowly we'll get there. We'll find our paths that way, they may or may not be different than yours. Now, I feel like the Guru-Shishya parampara in India back then was so valuable. Too bad we lost it, we're left now to find our paths by ourselves. And the worst part is that, more often than not, we don't even let ourselves do it. There is societal and peer pressure alright, but there is also some self inflicted pressure. Maybe we have picked that up in modern schooling and competitive environments, but it's something we really should unlearn for our own mental peace.<br />
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Work is also something I struggle with a lot. I don't struggle as much with doing the work than I do with exploring opportunities that are presented in front of me. I have realised that I can't always communicate freely with people that offer opportunities because of a certain corporate language or a formal manner of speaking which creates a wall between them and me. I never know how to communicate in such cases. I wish it weren't so difficult because I like working otherwise. I wish we didn't feel the need to put up a different personality / pretend when dealing with professional matters. It can be done with ease and naturalness, or as we say in Yoga, "sahajta".<br />
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These days I spend most of my time just managing my anxiety, trying to "be". The world around is constantly moving, demanding my attention 24/7. I juggle between meeting the demands of the society (which are also important for me in some sense i.e. earning money, attending certain events etc.), managing my emotions by way of Yoga / meditation, spending time with friends etc. Most of my energy is spent just in managing emotions, anxiety and fears. And then I spend more time ruminating over not being able to do things for my friends or people I care about, because of this anxiety and general feeling of being unwell. I also wish I had "free" time to explore my hobbies or other activities that I can put my heart into. By free time, I mean energy and mental space.<br />
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I think I am finally at least slowly letting go of holding on to old structures, trying to make way for new things and new methods, being okay with doing things differently. Yes I do, from time to time, get reminded that my life is not perfect, especially when I cannot answer questions put to me by my parents or society. On marriage, on stability. It reminds me of how screwed up my life is, but I also know that putting energy there won't help solve the problems. I need to be accepting of all that it is, in the way it is. I also need to stop "moving away" and start "moving towards". Though I know all this in theory now, putting it into practice is a matter of huge habit change. Sigh, one step at a time.<br />
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So that's how it's like being on the other side of 25 for me. That, and the fact that I am not so comfortable revealing my age here anymore.. afraid of being judged, afraid that I haven't accomplished as much as I should have. I don't know who decides these "shoulds" but until I unlearn everything, I don't think I will be fully comfortable with who I am.<br />
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I'm still on my way ( I hope!)</div>
Anubhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15090232788838097342noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7069366128459078174.post-35165947575898022552017-03-18T19:41:00.000+05:302017-03-18T19:41:28.200+05:30Checking In<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So I never thought I would write in here again.<br />
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Whenever I think of writing a new post, I think about how it would link to all my old posts and how I would explain this gap!! But I don't think I should be looking for continuity anymore, should I?<br />
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Anywayyy, it doesn't feel like a whole 2 years have passed since I have blogged here.<br />
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A lot has happened since then but I somehow never found anything significant enough to document along the way.<br />
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Maybe it is because I have been struggling putting myself into moments completely. I get immersed into very few moments lately, and I want to change this.<br />
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Umm, so to briefly update, I lived in another city (Bangalore) for 4 months in 2016, didn't like it and moved back to Mumbai. Still experimenting with finding a career / something I love to work on and have also got back into practising basic Yoga on a regular basis.<br />
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Friendships have taken a different turn now. The circle has reduced but I like that there is more purity in it now. I used to find my identity in my college group, and had some trouble dealing with the separation of a few, but realised that some things have to change and some people need to be away if they have a tendency to make you feel bad about yourself to feed their own habits or desires.<br />
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Lastly, I discovered a new found interest in classical music, due to a band that I started listening to on YouTube called "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/Maatibaani" target="_blank">Maati Baani</a>". You should totally check them out!! They combine elements of Indian classical music with music from across the world, and the result is pure brilliance. I started listening to solo classical tracks by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/niralikartik" target="_blank">Nirali Kartik</a>, the lead singer of the band on YouTube and fell in love with pure Indian classical music.<br />
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Other than that, life feels a bit stuck somehow. I hope I am moving, though it has been this way since over 2 years now.<br />
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For 2017, I want to fall in love, find something to do that sustains me long-term, gain the ability to find peace in every moment (learn to relax), be able to make clear decisions for a better / peaceful life and generally be healthy.<br />
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Don't know how often I'll write in here. But this was nice.. :)<br />
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Anubhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15090232788838097342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7069366128459078174.post-44850274619543479092015-02-22T16:44:00.001+05:302015-02-22T16:44:11.130+05:30State of my Mind<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Don't know what I'm waiting for,<br />
Often I can't breathe,<br />
I am lost, in search of<br />
some missing piece..<br />
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All the wants in the world,<br />
all of them require me,<br />
to have someone that shares those wants,<br />
that can provide some company..<br />
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It's strange how I crave to be alone,<br />
Sitting with friends who let me be..<br />
And strange how I start wanting my friends,<br />
When I find the one that completes me.<br />
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Needless to say, when I'm alone,<br />
I move in circles, can't stand my head,<br />
Try to make sense of all this and more,<br />
Can't find myself, then someone said..<br />
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Why don't you write? Just write all of it.<br />
And as I wrote, I found myself.<br />
But I lost my peace when I realised..<br />And went again in search of self..<br />
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How do I stay in between those lines?<br />
In that space where I find me.<br />
So that I may do more things and not<br />
just keep going in search of me..</div>
Anubhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15090232788838097342noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7069366128459078174.post-69805348715567084752015-02-16T15:55:00.001+05:302015-02-16T16:00:11.943+05:30The Zenfone!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I don't do a lot of gadget reviews usually but when this campaign came up, I thought I should pitch in, given my pleasant experience with the Zenfone over the past few months. A lot of friends keep asking me about it too, and one of them even bought it very recently, after looking at the one I have!<br />
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I bought the Asus Zenfone 5 from <a href="http://www.flipkart.com/asus" target="_blank">Flipkart</a> on the day of the Big Billion Day sale.<br />
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It's a 5 inch Gorilla Glass screen with a 2 Ghz Dual Core processor, 2GB RAM and 16GB memory. It has a 8 MP camera with LED flash.<br />
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So here's a few reasons why I like my phone:<br />
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<b>Sleek and smart</b><br />
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As always, looks are important, even with technology. I can be quite a girl like that!! The body of the phone is really sleek, with a smooth back. The screen is large enough (5 inches) for one to comfortably see a movie (not that I use my phone for it) but not humongous so as to make one feel like you're resting your head against something when you're answering the phone.<br />
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<b>Front camera</b><br />
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Good quality front camera (2 MP) - has a reputation of clicking amazing selfies!! My friends can vouch for this!<br />
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<b>Battery life</b><br />
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I can afford not charging the phone for a day. It depends on the usage though. It's a 2110 mAH non-removable battery, with a talktime of 18 hours and 30 minutes.<br />
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<b>Clean UI</b><br />
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Most people who've used Android phones before really seem to like the UI, especially this screen with the quick access to most used settings.<br />
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As compared to the Google Launcher, I also found the Asus Launcher to provide a more spaced out app screen:<br />
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<center>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-saYpQJKIrY4/VOHANaFeYnI/AAAAAAAAJVw/h-TFWZLwjbA/s1600/Screenshot_2015-02-16-15-31-27%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-saYpQJKIrY4/VOHANaFeYnI/AAAAAAAAJVw/h-TFWZLwjbA/s1600/Screenshot_2015-02-16-15-31-27%5B1%5D.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a><br />
It can be changed anytime ofcourse.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-51L0ko-G3r4/VOHAt1Hk6hI/AAAAAAAAJWA/RW709Pff8Ac/s1600/Screenshot_2015-02-16-15-35-14%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-51L0ko-G3r4/VOHAt1Hk6hI/AAAAAAAAJWA/RW709Pff8Ac/s1600/Screenshot_2015-02-16-15-35-14%5B1%5D.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a><br />
<span style="text-align: right;"> The Home screen</span></center>
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<b>No lags</b><br />
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I haven't experienced a lot of lags while operating the phone. There was minor lagging a couple of times when I was playing one of the games, but I cleared some memory and it was gone.<br />
<br />
Even money wise, I think you get twice of what you pay.<br />
<br />
Just one little complaint - when the battery is low and you're on the phone talking to someone, the default setting is that it vibrates too loud, right on the ear!! It is highly annoying when that happens. Let's see if I can find a way to tackle that.<br />
<br />
So that's it from me about the Asus Zenfone 5. Quite happy so far and I'd totally recommend it!<br />
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Anubhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15090232788838097342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7069366128459078174.post-78226078224055922452015-01-31T22:58:00.000+05:302015-02-01T17:46:08.207+05:30Things that define me.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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When I was little,<br />
everyone would ask me,<br />
"When you grow up,<br />
what will you be?"<br />
<br />
I never had answers,<br />
And confused it would make me.<br />
"I cannot tell you now,<br />
but I'll be happy."<br />
<br />
I never had an ambition,<br />
A "work title" as one would say.<br />
It just never came to my mind,<br />
As I would live by the day.<br />
<br />
Now I'm much older,<br />
To tell, I have stories!<br />
But not just one would say,<br />
What makes me, me.<br />
<br />
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<br />
When I sit down to think about who I really am, I paint a very confusing picture in my mind. Truth is, I had a long phase where I sought identity and was always disappointed to not find one, in the sense, I wasn't able to define myself with just one thing. I often get lost when I seek identity and now, I realise that it's okay, it's not possible to have just an identity and even if you do come up with one, it can be quite limiting.<br />
<br />
If I really think about it, I feel I am so many people at once.<br />
<br />
I think I am a dreamer first, a writer next, when I started writing poems and stories as a child.<br />
<br />
I became a blogger when I found the channel in 2007.<br />
<br />
My work life has mostly involved computers and though I have been seen in work environments as a technologist, I have also occasionally written and designed, and in that sense, I call myself a creator!<br />
<br />
I'm the author of two short stories published in a book.<br />
<br />
Sometimes, I go trekking with my friends and don the hat of an adventurer.<br />
<br />
My hair forms a large part of my identity too.. Born with curls which then grew into smooth waves as I got older, and now are curly again, I've <a href="http://anubha-bhat.blogspot.in/2011/11/hair-affair.html" target="_blank">experimented with hair</a> a lot - right from colouring, straightening to embracing their natural form again!!<br />
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Hair stages! :P</div>
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I like music a lot and though I am not a "dancer", I put on my dancing shoes sometimes and like to swing to music. I took up dancing classes a couple of years ago and got myself trained in three levels of ballroom dancing.<br />
<br />
I am an explorer, a philosopher as I sit down with my friend Akshay or even Nikhilesh and chat with them hours together on life and all that's in it.<br />
<br />
A traveller when I go on trips with family, friends, or occasionally, even alone!<br />
<br />
I am a tea enthusiast and love experimenting with teas. Over a cup of tea, I dip myself in the bliss of solitude, in hours of loneliness as well as in interesting / warm conversations with friends!!<br />
<br />
I am a fun loving friend when I am with Nimit, when all I can do is laugh and crack Kindergarten level jokes!! I love gifting, throwing tiny surprises and making people happy.<br />
<br />
To sum it all up, there's a lot of things that make me up really and as each day passes, I am even more new things! Needless to say, I think I have stopped looking for the one thing that defines me now.<br />
<br />
Like a friend once said to me, "Maybe your one thing is a million little things!"<br />
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Anubhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15090232788838097342noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7069366128459078174.post-69788716202750431742014-12-30T23:45:00.001+05:302014-12-30T23:45:27.963+05:30Musing over Melbourne<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
When I was a little girl, whenever my dad asked me where outside of India I wanted to go, I'd always say "Australia". I don't know the reason myself. I might have seen glimpses of the country in some sitcom or maybe they did an episode on "Lonely Planet". We used to see Discovery a lot in my childhood.<br />
<br />
It grew off somehow over the years and now, a couple of days back, when Indiblogger announced the "Fly to Melbourne" contest, I decided to go look up places in and around the city!<br />
<br />
So here are a few places I'd like to check out if ever I get to visit the country's capital!<br />
<br />
<b>Royal Botanic Gardens</b><br />
<br />
Have heard that these gardens provide an Alice in Wonderland sort-of experience which gives one enough reason for one to go and experience it. A walk in these gardens would be heavenly, if there indeed are naturally wondrous things to see and feel.<br />
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Not too fond of display gardens, I would like to spend most time in the nature sanctuaries. I would consider signing up for the Aboriginal Heritage walk though, if it means knowing more about these sanctuaries!!<br />
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<b>The Shrine of Remembrance</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
The shrine is interesting, in it, it has stories of the war. Originally built to commemorate the men & women of Victoria who served in World War 1, it's now for all Australians who served in war.<br />
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They say that there is a marble stone inside on which is engraved "Greater love hath no man", which, quoted fr<span style="font-family: inherit;">om the Bible is a version of "<span style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">Greater love hath no man</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"> than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends". On November 11, also called as Remembrance day, at 11 a.m., an opening in the roof lets out a ray of sunlight on the word "Love".</span></span></div>
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<b>The Great Ocean Road</b><br />
<br />
I'd like to go for a drive on the Great Ocean Road, stopping over to see the 12 Apostles, then maybe for a short walk, to see the Bay islands and experiencing the food culture in the many towns here.<br />
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<br />
Wouldn't want to miss out on seeing historic lighthouses, the ancient rainforests.. I think a good trip on this road would last atleast two days.<br />
<br />
<b>Brighton Beach</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
When I saw the picture of this beach, the bright houses immediately lit me up!!<br />
<br />
I don't know if I can stay in one of them, but they sure look inviting..<br />
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<br />
<b>Australian Centre of Contemporary Art</b><br />
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I think I'd like to make a trip to the ACCA to view international as well as Australian artwork.<br />
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<br />
I kind of like how oddly shaped the building is!!<br />
<br />
Besides Melbourne, if I do get a chance, I'd like to go visit the <b>Daintree Rainforest</b>, in Queensland.<br />
<br />
I looked at the pictures, and the lush green is too inviting!<br />
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<br />
I like green places.. and on a lighter note, this also reminds me of "Honey, I shrunk the kids" for some reason!<br />
<br />
To be honest, I wouldn't say I love Melbourne but this just gives me a chance to go, explore!<br />
<br />
And now for a small surprise - there's something in this post for all of you readers. Aside from me taking part in a contest, you can also take part by telling me which of the places in Melbourne you'd like to visit from amongst the ones that I mentioned, along with a reason why!! The last date for doing so is the 4th of January, 2015 and you stand a chance to win a shopping voucher worth INR 500.<br />
<br />
So, go on, tell me.. :)<br />
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Anubhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15090232788838097342noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7069366128459078174.post-25900319544385393342014-12-15T14:07:00.003+05:302014-12-15T14:07:31.830+05:30Feeling free and making mistakes.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This year has seen a lot of movements and a struggle of a certain kind.<br />
As it closes, I can see it better.<br />
<br />
Fixing my life up to achieve some sort of perfection has been an obsession - the right way of living life, the imagined "ideal" state to be in, pursuing an imagined definition of a relationship / career..<br />
<br />
At times, I have found it necessary to give in to my fears. And in that, I have found some freedom. It felt like I was making a mistake and yet I didn't want to stop myself from doing it. People might deem me stupid but I see it as - I was trying to live with making mistakes.<br />
<br />
Maybe that's what we all need somewhere. Freedom to make mistakes - freedom from our own judging selves.<br />
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Anubhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15090232788838097342noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7069366128459078174.post-46912943619357891612014-10-23T20:41:00.001+05:302014-10-23T20:41:40.373+05:30Festival of Lights<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Haven't been coming here too often because I have been running out of things to write about..<br />
<br />
Not because my life is *full* but more so because it has been mostly passing by me, much like a movie .. I watch it but often find myself unable to get involved.<br />
<br />
Today, after a long time, I felt the warmth of the light within me - what people like to call "faith" or "belief".<br />
<br />
The questions stopped. Felt comfortable with myself. It wasn't magical or something - it was very normal, yet so good. And it stayed on for most part of the day.<br />
<br />
It's been five years now since this light has been flickering - my faith has been shaky. I like the times when it stays. It gives me strength to act. Too bad it doesn't stay too long but every now and then, it comes back to give me hope.<br />
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Happy Diwali one and all - let the light in you always shine and shine bright.<br />
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Anubhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15090232788838097342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7069366128459078174.post-17275598235629435312014-08-18T02:12:00.002+05:302014-08-18T02:12:42.154+05:30The blog awakens!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
People have been asking me why I haven't been updating my blog of late.<br />
<br />
I have no clue as to why myself but I can say these past four months have been very different. I have done everything new and nothing of the usual.<br />
<br />
So much has happened in life I don't know where to begin.<br />
<br />
It's like a sudden dash of everything new.<br />
<br />
Shooting for the 'Happy' video (which is still not done!!), joining a workplace, meeting new people at both, making new friends even outside of these worlds, considering a relationship, considering going abroad and the likes. And oh yes, I also went on holiday.. almost forgot!! (That needs another travelogue though.)<br />
<br />
A lot has begun and a lot has been left half way.<br />
Things left half way clutter up in the head.<br />
The empty time I find in between is also quite restless. Yes, I find empty time in between that I manage to spend in tasks that drain me out even more.<br />
<br />
So, I'm putting on weight, eating at improper times, sleeping at odd hours for odd durations, struggle to work and still don't manage to get things done well. Also, I end up late for everything.<br />
<br />
Making decisions is the hardest ever. I am bored of the familiar and not ready to take in the unfamiliar yet. I need something that drives me to the unknown. No clue what. So a lot of times, I just move around in circles. It gets tiring after a point and I feel like nothing is important. Nothing at all. As if all that I am doing, I am doing just to pass time and that I haven't found anything worthwhile to spend time on yet. Even that brings so much restlessness!!<br />
<br />
Amongst all this chaos, I do find dashes of 'happy'.<br />
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I don't know how long I'll keep going in circles. This restlessness sometimes seems endless. And life just feels out of sync. But moments like these make life bearable and fill me up with hope. Wish for more of such and want to see fuller times again.. I'm hoping it'll all fall in place one day.. and till it does not, I'm hoping I'll always find hope.<br />
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Until next time.</div>
Anubhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15090232788838097342noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7069366128459078174.post-11024516952398269022014-04-19T15:42:00.000+05:302014-04-19T15:42:13.530+05:30The Lil Flea<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Food, live music, pop up shops, workshops, short films and all the hippy-ness, it was a well spent Saturday (6th of April) at The Lil Flea, a flea market on Bandra Reclamation grounds.<br />
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We reached at around 6pm though I wanted to get there sooner.. it was too hot to leave home before 5pm, I doubt if Bombay has been as hot before as it is now.<br />
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We were surprised to find a long queue outside and sure enough, the place was crowded inside..<br />
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I managed to take some pictures:<br />
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There was so much colour everywhere..</div>
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And yes.. kids!!</div>
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This one looks a bit tired.. but I was told she is usually a great poser!</div>
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Ah.. hair accessories <3 comment-3--="" nbsp=""><!--3--></3></div>
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We had cupcakes and then at The Lil Flea Cafe, some yummy dessert (Mango Cheese Cup) by The Bell Pepper.<br />
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As it got darker, the live bands were more active and people gathered to sit & listen..<br />
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They were also showing short films in a tiny part of The Lil Flea cafe. I liked this part the most. It was nice and cosy. The films were funny.</div>
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It was fun seeing so many different artists, some taking pot painting workshops, some selling & teaching how to make dream-catchers. There was a Poi artist who was demonstrating poi but wasn't taking a live workshop. She explained there is going to be a workshop later (look up Mad Poi if anyone's interested).<br />
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We really had fun at this place where they made boards of different hash tags. Lots of people were seen clicking pictures with these.<br />
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I clicked a few that represented different expressions.<br />
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Clicked one of Rahul that said "Follow Me"!<br />
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I liked how they did up every corner of the place with bottles, flowers and fans..<br />
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... made the place all the more colourful !!<br />
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Small Fry Co. along with Visual Disobedience is coming up with another such fun event tomorrow at Kala Ghoda- <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1421730908081734/" target="_blank">Arty Party</a>. Check link for more details! :)</div>
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Anubhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15090232788838097342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7069366128459078174.post-9507704719688884922014-03-27T23:33:00.000+05:302014-03-27T23:33:25.897+05:30Online Shopping Woes & Upsides (India)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I don't recall the first time that I shopped online but I faintly recall doing it to buy books off <a href="http://www.flipkart.com/" target="_blank">Flipkart</a>. The thought of discovering and owning original books at reasonable prices lured me to start shopping from Flipkart. I think it's an amazing concept till date. Next, I had purchased a domain online for one of my friends as a gift on her birthday. A lot of domain & hosting purchases followed. Shortly after that, I started shopping for jewellery online and had a very <a href="http://anubha-bhat.blogspot.in/2013/05/yepmecom-non-responsiveness-brings.html" target="_blank">bad experience with YepMe.com</a> when they did not replace my damaged earrings.<br />
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And it's only been a few months since I started shopping for clothes online. What stopped me from doing so earlier was the fact that you couldn't try the clothes on, and it was hard to tell what would look good on you just by looking at the clothes online, not to mention the difference in colour. But when ecommerce retailers came up with this amazing return policy, where you could return the outfit within 30 days if you didn't like it / if it didn't fit you, or you could try it on and return on-the-spot, things got a lot easier and I safely ordered about 4-5 dresses for my birthday, 2 of which I liked best and the rest, I returned with the money refunded to me in no time.<br />
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Just last week, dad was checking out grocery stores online and was discussing it with mom on whether we should give it a shot. It would surely reduce trips to the market, thus saving time. Plus, with the number of cashback & payback offers with almost every other product that is bought online these days, it was also saving us some money.<br />
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A lot of Indians are still skeptical about shopping online. At first, it was because of the stigma associated with online transactions, whether it is safe to deal with money online. I have been a victim of credit card fraud and though I wasn't charged for the amount after I filed a complaint, I haven't activated my replaced credit card since. I do shop online a lot though- for recharging my phone, to renew domain names and I use my debit card in a lot of places offline too. But my mom almost never uses hers. The online frauds that show up in the papers are enough to scare her. The ecommerce retailers came up with a solution for this - Cash On Delivery. I'd think online sales have doubled ever since they came up with that.<br />
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But there was another problem to deal with - trust, personal touch. Wouldn't we like to buy from people we know? Don't we like to feel the products we are buying - whether they are mobile phones or clothes? Return policies served the purpose but that still wasn't enough to push people to give online shopping a try.<br />
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So now, we have discount coupons, cashbacks and free items (for instance, a free pair of sunglasses with a camera or a watch free with a mobile phone).<br />
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That's right - online shopping didn't serve one major Indian shopping habit - bargain. Freebies and discounts compensate for it totally.<br />
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Also, after ecommerce have started attacking social networking sites, they are forced to better their services to maintain brand reputation.<br />
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This November 2013 infographic tells us how much online shopping has grown in the recent years in India:<br />
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<img alt="e-commerce(Retail) in India" class="visually_embed_infographic" src="http://thumbnails.visually.netdna-cdn.com/ecommerceretail-in-india_528a15f0366a7_w540.png" /><br />
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But online shopping still has one major concern - return policies can have loopholes and customer care can be non-responsive or careless. I am still waiting to hear from YepMe on what they have to say about my damaged earrings. Returning a product at an offline shop is much faster & easier. Customer care is almost never required.<br />
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Shopping in the comfort of your home may have these downsides but if this also means you can shop for anything under the sun with just an internet connection, I guess the risk is worth it. Saves you so much time and often, money.<br />
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I have slowly learnt to strike a bargain between the two. A lot of times, especially when buying electronics, I usually look for online reviews, look for the best price available and then walk into an offline store to test the product out. If the product is offered for the same price, I buy it offline and if there is a lot of difference in price, I buy the same product online if I have liked it after testing it.<br />
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So, I get the best of both worlds. And even though I've had a couple of bad experiences, I can say I am a happy shopper.<br />
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This post is a part of the <a href="http://gopaisa.blogadda.com/" target="_blank">Shop, only to Save More!</a> Activity by <a href="http://www.gopaisa.com/" target="_blank">GoPaisa.com</a> in association with <a href="http://www.blogadda.com/" target="_blank">BlogAdda.com</a>.</div>
Anubhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15090232788838097342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7069366128459078174.post-6311240470947194902014-03-18T02:21:00.000+05:302014-03-18T02:21:49.344+05:30Malaysia<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i>I am participating in the <a href="http://malaysiajao.blogadda.com/" target="_blank">MalaysiaJao Blogathon Contest</a> in association with <a href="http://www.blogadda.com/" target="_blank">BlogAdda.com</a>.
</i><br />
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When someone talked of Malaysia, the first words that used to come to my head were 'culture', 'dragon','costume parades' etc. It's strange how that image has completely been replaced ever since the disappearance of the MH370. Now, Malaysia evokes feelings of concern, worry, angst amongst other things. My heart goes out to friends & relatives of the passengers on that plane. I cannot imagine what they must be going through right now.<br />
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Malaysia holds my interest for a lot of things.<br />
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I am fond of dragons and everything to do with them. Don't know for what reason! I was also born in the year of the dragon as per the Chinese zodiac. And this is me kissing and posing with a dragon in Mussoorie!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NWCe3Uqfx-0/UyNRZbp7lJI/AAAAAAAAIxo/VS4H2Vq8klw/s1600/Fotor03150247.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NWCe3Uqfx-0/UyNRZbp7lJI/AAAAAAAAIxo/VS4H2Vq8klw/s1600/Fotor03150247.png" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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So, in Malaysia, I'm going to visit Penang to witness the dragon boat competition and be there for the dragon boat festival.<br />
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Even the map of Malaysia looks like a dragon boat, see!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Eb7UrWG4xX0/UyNIKg4ahgI/AAAAAAAAIxM/laYgalicOMQ/s1600/full_detailed_road_map_malaysia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Eb7UrWG4xX0/UyNIKg4ahgI/AAAAAAAAIxM/laYgalicOMQ/s1600/full_detailed_road_map_malaysia.jpg" height="275" width="640" /></a></div>
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Keeping my obsession with dragons to one side, these are the list of some other five things I'd like to see and do in Malaysia:<br />
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<b><u>Numero Uno : Experience the Culture</u></b><br />
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I'd like to experience the culture as much as possible by way of festivals, temples, meeting people. So here are some places I'd go to for the culture!<br />
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<b>1. George Town, Penang:</b><br />
I had mentioned in one of the earlier posts how much I love to see heritage buildings. George Town has been listed as the World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2008. It's named after a king of Britain, is the capital of Penang and has wonderful heritage buildings to look at. A heritage walk here is a must!<br />
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Something to note about this place though is that it is inhabited by a lot of Chinese & Muslims and most of the shops and places are closed on the latter half of Saturdays and all of Sundays. So visiting on a weekday is preferable.<br />
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<b style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion</b><br />
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This mansion may not look like one from the outside but has 38 rooms, 5 courtyards, 7 staircases and 220 rooms. It has been built as per Feng Shui rules and has made an appearance in a lot of movies.<br />
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<b>Fort Cornwallis</b><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jWmns98iiqM/UySjbC6-IMI/AAAAAAAAIyI/F6-GVscdxwE/s1600/Fort_Cornwallis_Penang_Dec_2006_005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jWmns98iiqM/UySjbC6-IMI/AAAAAAAAIyI/F6-GVscdxwE/s1600/Fort_Cornwallis_Penang_Dec_2006_005.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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So this fort was named after the Governor General of Bengal. Interesting, eh? It was built over a century ago but a lot of structures are still visible i.e. the chapel, the prisons, some cannons. There is a Dutch canon here called Seri Rambai (1603) which is said to have a positive effect on a woman's fertility!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JoFdBIac9wU/UyS8dcrQ0_I/AAAAAAAAIzM/OEW15FdZwBE/s1600/100_0523.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JoFdBIac9wU/UyS8dcrQ0_I/AAAAAAAAIzM/OEW15FdZwBE/s1600/100_0523.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>The Seri Ramabai cannon</b></div>
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<b>Victoria Memorial Clock</b></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TB5-HZkpoPE/UyS0ZFOXIEI/AAAAAAAAIyY/KQNQBu3UDRI/s1600/img_32111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TB5-HZkpoPE/UyS0ZFOXIEI/AAAAAAAAIyY/KQNQBu3UDRI/s1600/img_32111.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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I can't help thinking of the clock tower at VT (Mumbai) when I see this. Just next to Fort Cornwallis stands this 60 feet tall clock tower that was presented to Penang by Cheah Chen Eok on occasion of the diamond jubilee of Queen Victoria (1897).</div>
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So other than these, I'd also take a walk on Armenian street, pay a visit to the Islamic Museum, City Hall, Little India. It being a religious place, will also go to churches & temples here!</div>
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There is also a huge national park out here in George Town called Bako National Park.</div>
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<b>2.Sarawak Cultural Village</b><br />
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I have heard that the best way to get acquainted with the culture and lifestyle of the people in Malaysia is to pay a visit to this "living museum" - Sarawak Cultural Village<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bHBZzc0pbj0/UyS7HZktzVI/AAAAAAAAIyo/wPUtGftA_mE/s1600/sarawak-cultural-village-54708.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bHBZzc0pbj0/UyS7HZktzVI/AAAAAAAAIyo/wPUtGftA_mE/s1600/sarawak-cultural-village-54708.jpg" height="218" width="400" /></a></div>
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There are about 150-200 people living here. They put up performances for the visitors at a theatre in the village, make wonderful handicraft items and provide information about their culture & the different ethnic groups. There are also buildings specific to every ethnic group (Iban, Malay, Chinese, Bidayuh, Orang Ulu, Melanau) that you can see here and you can also get married in any of the styles you want!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-senYXAGAYWs/UyS7Q2qocZI/AAAAAAAAIyw/niV2eMuxHmI/s1600/sarawak-cultural-village-09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-senYXAGAYWs/UyS7Q2qocZI/AAAAAAAAIyw/niV2eMuxHmI/s1600/sarawak-cultural-village-09.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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So this village is basically a huge dose of culture. I'll easily stay here for a couple of days and tour the whole village to get a good taste of everything!<br />
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<b>3. Cultural Enclaves</b><br />
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So, Malaysia has these cultural enclaves which have a huge number of people living there that belong to one sect, region or culture. It makes sense to visit these places to get a feel of the culture.<br />
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There's Little India in Penang & Kuala Lumpur, Chinatown in Kuala Lumpur and Central market a few minutes away from there. Those are good places to shop too!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ecwnYwzfUwc/UyS89-YNVSI/AAAAAAAAIzU/_lyuqAhVsnE/s1600/central-market-Kuala-Lumpur.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ecwnYwzfUwc/UyS89-YNVSI/AAAAAAAAIzU/_lyuqAhVsnE/s1600/central-market-Kuala-Lumpur.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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Paying a visit to Little India will be appropriate when I'm feeling a little homesick :<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mFecqkYHphk/UyS9v6cV8SI/AAAAAAAAIzg/QswWaS3zJ24/s1600/kl_little_india.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mFecqkYHphk/UyS9v6cV8SI/AAAAAAAAIzg/QswWaS3zJ24/s1600/kl_little_india.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></div>
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This reminds me so much of the garland vendors at Matunga! :D<br />
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<b><u>Number Two: Food</u></b><br />
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In Malaysia, I heard you get a lot of rice based dishes. I'd like to taste them all (vegetarian ones). Nasi Lemak is one such well known rice based dish - rice, coconut milk and screwpine being the main ingredients.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dteWPy5od0A/UyS_I29d7lI/AAAAAAAAIzs/6Yy-6sgFfuw/s1600/rice-wisdom-052-nasi-lemak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dteWPy5od0A/UyS_I29d7lI/AAAAAAAAIzs/6Yy-6sgFfuw/s1600/rice-wisdom-052-nasi-lemak.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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Other than that, would love to try out the different festive sweets, drinks and snacks.<br />
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<b><u>Number Three : A trip to the capital, KL</u></b><br />
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I want to see the World's tallest twin towers at Kuala Lumpur.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MxIH6l4erHg/UyTC1VuQU4I/AAAAAAAAIz4/wZ12B5gFxFM/s1600/YR8YF00Z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MxIH6l4erHg/UyTC1VuQU4I/AAAAAAAAIz4/wZ12B5gFxFM/s1600/YR8YF00Z.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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I also want to shop here. The two main things to shop for here are the Batik fabric and Chinese herbs/medicines. I'd like to lay my hands on the Chinese tea. Heard a lot about it but never tasted.<br />
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<b><br /></b><b><u>Number Four : </u></b><br />
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<b>For a taste of nature & adventure, I'd head to Pahang and Sabah.</b><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s2s5NHFeps4/UyTDZylT7RI/AAAAAAAAI0A/Xlbs9Kwegd4/s1600/gh3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s2s5NHFeps4/UyTDZylT7RI/AAAAAAAAI0A/Xlbs9Kwegd4/s1600/gh3.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Genting Highlands, Pahang</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dAq1DOpVJLs/UyTEHt1SoKI/AAAAAAAAI0M/ZQcY5IqpSEA/s1600/6393756657_5c3c866e24_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dAq1DOpVJLs/UyTEHt1SoKI/AAAAAAAAI0M/ZQcY5IqpSEA/s1600/6393756657_5c3c866e24_b.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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River Safari, Kinabatangan river, Sabah</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gr1oevYVHB8/UyTEgjB7EXI/AAAAAAAAI0U/sf_6rhi4cGQ/s1600/pulau_tioman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gr1oevYVHB8/UyTEgjB7EXI/AAAAAAAAI0U/sf_6rhi4cGQ/s1600/pulau_tioman.jpg" height="320" width="400" /></a></div>
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Tioman island, Pahang</div>
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<b><br /></b><b><u>Number Five : </u></b><br />
<b>For age old stories, I'd head to Langkawi and Melaka.</b><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q5W2a-twxAE/UydeHM-OHcI/AAAAAAAAI1I/hkvBF3r9wKM/s1600/christ_church_melaka.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q5W2a-twxAE/UydeHM-OHcI/AAAAAAAAI1I/hkvBF3r9wKM/s1600/christ_church_melaka.jpg" height="261" width="400" /></a></div>
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Christ Church, Melaka</div>
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So that's about it. Adventure, nature, tales & legends, culture, shopping, food, the dragon boat festival..<br />
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I have tons of reasons to visit Malaysia and I really hope to win this contest.<br />
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Images have all been Googled for (as I haven't been there yet).</div>
Anubhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15090232788838097342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7069366128459078174.post-82692143884185874722014-03-16T23:33:00.000+05:302014-03-16T23:33:31.620+05:30How far?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So, <a href="http://www.indiblogger.in/">Indiblogger</a> & <a href="http://www.britishairways.com/en-in/offers/flights/get-closer?src=indiblogger&DM1_Mkt=India&DM1_Channel=&DM1_Campaign=INDIAQ1FEBWINNINGHEARTS&DM1_Site=Blog&utm_source=Blog&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=INDIAQ1FEBWINNINGHEARTS">British Airways</a> came up with this contest, the topic being, <b>"How far can you go for someone you love?"</b><br />
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One of their (British Airways) ads had gone viral not too long ago :<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/ixbLMsVlpes" width="560"></iframe>
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I came up with the following.. "You" here refers to who I've loved / will love in the future :)<br />
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<b>At thirteen,</b><br />
<b>Love was tender, it felt so new,</b><br />
<b>It felt fun.</b><br />
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<b>At seventeen,</b><br />
<b>Love was flippant & each person,</b><br />
<b>seemed like The One.</b><br />
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<b>'Going far'</b><br />
<b>meant skipping classes,</b><br />
<b>It meant stealing a glance.</b><br />
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<b>'Going far'</b><br />
<b>meant being courageous,</b><br />
<b>it meant taking a chance.</b><br />
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<b>I've gone as far as,</b><br />
<b>living my life around you.</b><br />
<b>Without you, I could never imagine to be.</b><br />
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<b>I've gone as far as,</b><br />
<b>picking a life, just like yours.</b><br />
<b>I thought you'll remain with me.</b><br />
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<b>Time went by,</b><br />
<b>And I grew with time.</b><br />
<b>Love, for me, changed every year.</b><br />
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<b>Love is now,</b><br />
<b>something pure & divine,</b><br />
<b>to the truth it'll take you near.</b><br />
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<b>Love is helping each other,</b><br />
<b>to grow, to serve,</b><br />
<b>to be better & better everyday.</b><br />
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<b>Love is enriching each other,</b><br />
<b>to help to just 'be',</b><br />
<b>to stay strong, come what may.</b><br />
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<b>Love is to inspire,</b><br />
<b>to grow each other to become,</b><br />
<b>the best versions of "me".</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>All this,</b><br />
<b>so that the universe can be beautiful.</b><br />
<b>For to it, love adds beauty.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>So I don't know if, together,</b><br />
<b>you & I,</b><br />
<b>will ever be.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Because, now, I'll go as far as,</b><br />
<b>stepping out of your life,</b><br />
<b>If you have to grow without me.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>And that is the farthest I can go~</b><br /><br /><a href="http://www.britishairways.com/en-in/offers/flights/get-closer?src=indiblogger&DM1_Mkt=India&DM1_Channel=&DM1_Campaign=INDIAQ1FEBWINNINGHEARTS&DM1_Site=Blog&utm_source=Blog&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=INDIAQ1FEBWINNINGHEARTS"><span style="font-size: x-small;">http://www.britishairways.com/en-in/offers/flights/get-closer?src=indiblogger&DM1_Mkt=India&DM1_Channel=&DM1_Campaign=INDIAQ1FEBWINNINGHEARTS&DM1_Site=Blog&utm_source=Blog&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=INDIAQ1FEBWINNINGHEARTS</span></a></div>
Anubhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15090232788838097342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7069366128459078174.post-69759574550213647822014-03-06T01:50:00.000+05:302014-03-06T01:50:21.726+05:30An encounter<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had posted this on Facebook a few days ago and some people still couldn't view it even with the Public settings. Posting it here again.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Valentine's day for me was very different this year.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">I thought of treating myself with a hair spa & a haircut at a salon in Andheri West so I was there by noon. When I was done after about a couple of hours, I was looking for an auto to take me back to the station & by fate, I was in celebrity rickshaw driver Sandeep Bachche's auto!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">He is a simple man from Mumbai who calls himself Munnabhai SSC, being a die-hard fan of Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt. He is such a big fan of Sanjay Dutt that he has tattooed Sanjay Dutt's face on his left arm and ever since Sanjay Dutt went to jail, he has not worn slippers. He walks & drives bare foot.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">So as soon as I got into the auto, he started telling me he's on Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and other sites I hadn't even heard of! He went on to tell me about the number of awards he's got, who all he has met, how he went to give a talk at TedX Vizag, how Salman Khan called him over for tea and how he decided to help cancer patients after his mother passed away in his arms in 2004 (hope I got the year right).</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">His auto was a sight to see. He provides a lot of services within his auto- water, newspaper, fire extinguisher for emergency, tissues, a mirror, mobile charging, chocolates for kids, PCO, hot tea for Rs. 5. I might have missed on more. There are so many services that he even felt a need to write- "Toilet is not Available"!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">There's a small board that he updates daily with the current currency rates, weather etc. He told me he gets it from the morning newspaper.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">A believer of Ram, he also believes in respecting Gods of all religions and bathes the holy idols/pictures in his auto with milk on Sundays. He said that instead of separate offerings, he lights an agarbatti for all of them together. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">He does not drink, smoke or eat meat.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">He offers 50% discounts to blind people, 25% to other handicapped people, 10% discount to couples who are just-married and for senior citizens, the meter starts from Rs. 10 instead of Rs. 15.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">While waiting at the signal, a man peeped into the auto almost scaring me. Sandeep then explained that this is a common occurence because his services are also printed on the back of the rickshaw so people get curious!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">He sets aside Rs. 150 daily and every Sunday, he uses Rs. 700 to help cancer patients. I don't quite remember what he does with the rest of the money but he said that he often keeps getting calls from people who require money for someone's operation or education.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">I took a lot of pictures while sitting inside the auto and after stepping out, he happily agreed to pose for a picture.</span><br />
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That's an LCD TV</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3ZmY5Ddr5Q0/UxeAvajpuII/AAAAAAAAIt8/zBtIFd1B2to/s1600/140220141373.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3ZmY5Ddr5Q0/UxeAvajpuII/AAAAAAAAIt8/zBtIFd1B2to/s1600/140220141373.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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A phone and a fire extinguisher (at the far left) </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DyDfdAZ0WmQ/UxeAwWGRVdI/AAAAAAAAIuU/LJUB9EUiuHM/s1600/140220141377.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DyDfdAZ0WmQ/UxeAwWGRVdI/AAAAAAAAIuU/LJUB9EUiuHM/s1600/140220141377.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cQo8ekkraaw/UxeAw1ZIMvI/AAAAAAAAIuc/LaNUW1k3ZpA/s1600/140220141378.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cQo8ekkraaw/UxeAw1ZIMvI/AAAAAAAAIuc/LaNUW1k3ZpA/s1600/140220141378.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Donation</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--OWeos6vQpU/UxeAxGhUd9I/AAAAAAAAIuY/z1zrTzav8Vk/s1600/140220141379.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--OWeos6vQpU/UxeAxGhUd9I/AAAAAAAAIuY/z1zrTzav8Vk/s1600/140220141379.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Flowers and tissues</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--evd08Nh99c/UxeAx1FyygI/AAAAAAAAIuk/z2MlSF_4mkU/s1600/140220141380.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--evd08Nh99c/UxeAx1FyygI/AAAAAAAAIuk/z2MlSF_4mkU/s1600/140220141380.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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He updates this board everyday with the current currency rates, weather, shares etc. He says he gets it from the newspaper every morning. And hey look- it's also Valentine's Day!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D0T8HpGaEjo/UxeAyAK0GnI/AAAAAAAAIu4/IXy8BTyhS7U/s1600/140220141381.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D0T8HpGaEjo/UxeAyAK0GnI/AAAAAAAAIu4/IXy8BTyhS7U/s1600/140220141381.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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He has all the Gods!</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j3VKBJ3_7wI/UxeAy_U-x1I/AAAAAAAAIvA/HkC5joyLpkc/s1600/140220141384.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j3VKBJ3_7wI/UxeAy_U-x1I/AAAAAAAAIvA/HkC5joyLpkc/s1600/140220141384.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Water and a newspaper - also laughing Buddha! Peace & good luck! ;)</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TQO2PbkWUWs/UxeAz318_vI/AAAAAAAAIvM/2rtGBiJBrAc/s1600/140220141386.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TQO2PbkWUWs/UxeAz318_vI/AAAAAAAAIvM/2rtGBiJBrAc/s1600/140220141386.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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"Jeena yaha, marna yaha.. Mumbai ko chhodkar jaana kaha?"</div>
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Important numbers</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-01DczQ-WEJo/UxeA0uJE_cI/AAAAAAAAIvg/2FLDdyFJ83U/s1600/140220141395.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-01DczQ-WEJo/UxeA0uJE_cI/AAAAAAAAIvg/2FLDdyFJ83U/s1600/140220141395.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Mirror.. selfie :P</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sW_uUpi3kBg/UxeA1C-lcdI/AAAAAAAAIvo/ktlSVD5YuUM/s1600/140220141396.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sW_uUpi3kBg/UxeA1C-lcdI/AAAAAAAAIvo/ktlSVD5YuUM/s1600/140220141396.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Take 1 sweet - chocolates for the kids in his auto!</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SN1B1t_UJcE/UxeA1ualjMI/AAAAAAAAIvw/geJkP7hVlEk/s1600/140220141398.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SN1B1t_UJcE/UxeA1ualjMI/AAAAAAAAIvw/geJkP7hVlEk/s1600/140220141398.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Mobile Charging Available</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8JZKPmkQ-ZI/UxeA2qG4AYI/AAAAAAAAIv8/1RZbusG2_5U/s1600/140220141401.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8JZKPmkQ-ZI/UxeA2qG4AYI/AAAAAAAAIv8/1RZbusG2_5U/s1600/140220141401.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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I spot "Baga" of Tarak Mehta fame, Rajdeep Sardesai, RJ Mallishka</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ew9kxI4dLAw/UxeA5YS7-AI/AAAAAAAAIwg/EAqJSy9KVoI/s1600/140220141407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ew9kxI4dLAw/UxeA5YS7-AI/AAAAAAAAIwg/EAqJSy9KVoI/s1600/140220141407.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Tea for Rs. 5, and the photo looks like that of the Tarak Mehta cast!</div>
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Hot tea available ;)</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f_akuZCCEwI/UxeA5cIptMI/AAAAAAAAIwk/lBzt7XrUSoE/s1600/140220141406.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f_akuZCCEwI/UxeA5cIptMI/AAAAAAAAIwk/lBzt7XrUSoE/s1600/140220141406.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">So, this was my meeting with him and all that I mentioned was narrated by the man himself.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">I am really interested in hearing from people who he has helped or know someone he has helped so if you're one of those people, leave your views & thoughts in the comments below :)</span></div>
Anubhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15090232788838097342noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7069366128459078174.post-50188983041312419132014-02-21T00:58:00.000+05:302014-02-21T01:03:01.118+05:30Barcamp 2014<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So Barcamp is happening again.. and this is the first one of 2014!!</span><br />
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So what is Barcamp?</span><br />
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It is a platform for people to connect with each other, speak about what they like, present their ideas openly. It's much like a conference except that there is no pre-planned agenda and hence it is called an 'unconference'. You can walk away freely from any session and walk into any ongoing session. The event is usually from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and from 10 a.m. onwards, one can book a time slot for their session on the white board put up there. Other than in classrooms, people are free to take sessions in corridors and even on the staircase!!</span><br />
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<b>Hear what happens at Barcamp Mumbai:</b></span><br />
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<br />Barcamp, for me, is a huge gathering of really smart people exchanging really smart ideas! I long for Barcamp to happen so I can meet people and hear them talk about awesome things. There is always so much to learn at Barcamp and you take away from it what you want to take - yes I literally mean that - people take away Facebook DPs & fix up dates all the time :D Jokes apart, over the years, Barcamp has acquired such a dimension that other than sharing ideas & connecting with people, people have also co-founded companies, started work at awesome places and helped each other professionally. And yes, we've even had awesome homemade cupcakes & chocolates! :)</span><br />
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Some pictures from the previous Barcamp:</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/abhishek.gupta/media_set?set=a.10151765001642819.1073741837.510477818&type=1">https://www.facebook.com/abhishek.gupta/media_set?set=a.10151765001642819.1073741837.510477818&type=1</a></span><br />
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This time, Barcamp is happening on the <b>23rd of February (Sunday)</b> at <b>NMIMS Mukesh Patel School of Technology, Management & Engineering, Vile Parle.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You may even register on the website if you want to: <a href="http://barcampmumbai.herokuapp.com/">http://barcampmumbai.herokuapp.com/</a>So, be there! <br /><br />Or in <a href="http://psychedchick.blogspot.in/">Rashi</a>'s words, "<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17.940000534057617px;">Be there or be square (or round or whatever shape, I don't discriminate)"!!</span></span></div>
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Anubhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15090232788838097342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7069366128459078174.post-58444941714411958702014-02-14T18:31:00.001+05:302014-02-14T18:31:50.419+05:30On love.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Two nights ago, I happened to muse (or rant) over love, marriage & relationships.. co-incidentally around Valentine's day. I don't generally post anything out of my diary but since this para was about love, I thought I'll put it up :)<br />
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Happy Valentine's Day :)</div>
Anubhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15090232788838097342noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7069366128459078174.post-57487730582987858592014-02-03T11:59:00.001+05:302014-02-03T15:33:02.264+05:30Not on Facebook? Did not happen.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Lately, I have started writing in my diary again.<br />
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And I realised that I have to update it so much, it seemed like an effort. Which made me think- why the need to document every part of my life? Why can't I just go on writing the things on my mind and what matter to me *right now*?<br />
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It reminded me of an article I had read a few months ago in The Eye. In this age where we document every aspect of our life or 'instagram' it, who's to say something really happened unless it's out there somewhere? If it isn't documented, did it really happen?<br />
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We keep updating our Twitter, our Facebook with tons of stories about our lives. The other day, a friend had a baby, a photo of who she put on Facebook and everyone went like- "When was she pregnant? How did we not come to know? Was she really pregnant?". If it's not on Facebook, it didn't happen. That is how it is today. (Facebook completes a decade this month by the way and you might want to read the comments on this one: <a href="http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/01/31/as-facebook-turns-10-how-has-it-transformed-your-life/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0">http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/01/31/as-facebook-turns-10-how-has-it-transformed-your-life/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0</a>)<br />
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Maybe that's why I feel the need to put everything down somewhere.<br />
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But that is just draining at times. Maybe there are moments I don't want to remember or moments I'd rather just remember in memory or moments that are so deeply felt by me that putting them anywhere won't give out the true essence of how I felt i.e. in a way that I felt it myself.<br />
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Perhaps we can only fully live our life once we stop braking to document it.</div>
Anubhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15090232788838097342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7069366128459078174.post-11370995348003331732014-01-19T23:55:00.000+05:302014-01-20T00:00:34.371+05:30O15 Cafe - An experience!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Exactly a month ago, I visited this cafe in Four Bungalows, Andheri just a little ahead of Kokilaben Ambani hospital. My friend & Marketing Manager (YBFC), Reeti, invited me for its launch which was going on for a week before its opening. I didn't think I would be doing a post on it but after those visits, I couldn't help talk about my experience. This post has been due since then.<br />
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The first time I went was on 6th December, 2013. I invited Mona to come along but it was pretty late by the time we met and we arrived at the venue just a little before 10PM. The building entrance had the cafe logo on a wooden finish board giving out the impression of it being a quaint cafe-bar.<br />
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But what was waiting for us inside was far from it.<br />
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<b>Ambience:</b><br />
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As soon as we entered, we were floored by its ambience. Brick walls, musical instruments on display, dim lighting, a performance stage, club & new-age music that isn't too loud to deafen and not too quiet to get lost in the walls of the cafe. They have elements of everything. To be honest though, I couldn't help think of Hard Rock Cafe as I saw a couple of guitars up against the brick wall. There are other elements though that are far different. Firstly, what strikes out about the place is that they have a place for everyone.<br />
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They have a huge seating area with tables & chairs in front of the bar and all around it. This is where the music can be heard and space can be made for a dance floor just by moving the chairs a bit (this is what happens when the guests can't hold their feet!!). They have a stage area where bands can perform.<br />
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I like these black boards atop the bar area</div>
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Buzzing with people!</div>
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Now, for couples or people who want to have a little privacy but still not be taken away completely from all the fun & music, they have cute little booths designed as "Telephone Booths".<br />
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Fooling around with Mendes, one of the people who served us.</div>
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We took one of these - not because we wanted "privacy" but more so because there were a lot of food bloggers out there, just finishing their session and taking pictures. We didn't want to intrude.<br />
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There is another seating area which is behind the stage. It has a separate wall (made of glass tiles with faces of artists painted on them). This area is completely isolated from the rest of the cafe and is undisturbed by the music or any noise outside. Here is where you have your meetings and discuss serious stuff with people.<br />
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On the left is the entrance to the quiet area</div>
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We had to return home soon that day and just got an hour to spend at the cafe. I'll describe the food we had a little later in the post.. Save the sweet-treats for last ;)<br />
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Anyway, so, like I said, we had to go home soon that day. I really wanted to come back here and experience this a bit more so when I learned that the next day was Karaoke night, I immediately decided to come the next day - to stay for longer and to experience Karaoke..<br />
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(Let me tell you, Karaoke nights at O15 are super fun! They happen every Wednesday and the cafe is usually full during this time.)<br />
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Karaoke screen put up before the evening could start</div>
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It was my first time at a Karaoke night and when I entered, it had already begun with people singing some of my favourite songs of the old days!! The mood had been set, there was more crowd than usual and a lot of cheering from them for the singers that courageously went ahead!<br />
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I kept getting off my seat to sing but sat back down again, not knowing how people would react to my voice (though I used to sing a long time back.. but that's a secret ;)).<br />
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There was a woman called Fenella who completely had the audience with her voice.. She sang a lot of tracks and after her, whatever little hopes I had of not making the audience throw food at me, died.<br />
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This is one of her tracks:<br />
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This girl is really on fire ;)</div>
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We (Reeti & I) had something to eat, spoke for some time, she introduced me to her G.M. and after a while, I saw Tanaaz Irani walking in with her family and friends.<br />
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Tanaaz - I remember her from the Zabaan Sambhalke days!</div>
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One of them even decided to sing and he was being quite a performer singing whilst standing up on his chair!! Crappy voice though.. but that only meant my hopes had come to life again!!<br />
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So, when this random other guy started singing "Nothing gonna change my love for you..", I just couldn't resist. I told Reeti that I am going with her or without her. So without her, I went ahead. This guy had a magical voice.. he was doing justice to the song right until I stood next to him and he gave me the mic so I could sing a few lines. Soon, we were taking turns singing through the song, much like a duet! I felt so nice.<br />
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Reeti came forward just after this and we (Reeti, this guy and I) sang Marc Anthony's "You Sang To Me" to end it all. It was the last song of the day and with that, the cafe also came to a close.<br />
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I am not posting our videos :P<br />
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Reached home at a long time after 2 that night. Was very tired but it felt so good!!<br />
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<b>Food:</b><br />
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Over the two days, this is what we had and what we think of it:<br />
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<b>Starters (Veg):</b><br />
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I chose to have the Chinese Mandarin Wraps on Day One and let me tell you - they were such a treat!!!<br />
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See how cute they look too!<br />
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They are quite healthy too with so many veggies inside them.<br />
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The other starter was the Afghani Mushrooms. Now, let me tell you how much I hate mushrooms. I remember once someone ordered a mushroom pizza with me, I picked out every single one and just had the pizza bread with cheese & some other veggie over it. It's about how they look, how they taste.. it's everything! I don't like mushrooms! Reeti shares the exact same sentiments as me when it comes to mushrooms so when she asked me to try them, I could trust her to be onto something really different and went ahead & ordered.<br />
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I can say I surprised myself as soon as I found myself reaching out for the second piece!<br />
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They didn't taste like they usually do at all and I really don't know how they were cooked but they tasted a lot like paneer but very tasty paneer!!<br />
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Afghani Mushrooms. Image Source: <b> </b><a href="http://archive.mid-day.com/lifestyle/2013/dec/271213-mumbai-guide-a-leap-from-india-to-the-world.htm">http://archive.mid-day.com/lifestyle/2013/dec/271213-mumbai-guide-a-leap-from-india-to-the-world.htm</a><br />
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So, whether or not you are a mushroom eater, I'd recommend the Afghani Mushrooms to you.<br />
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On the second day, we had <b>Jalapeno Cheese Croquettes</b>. I needn't explain these to you. They were simply yum. I feel like having them again as I am typing this right now!!<br />
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<b>Starters (Non-Veg):</b><br />
Mona had the Jack Daniels BBQ Chicken Wings but I am not sure how she liked them. Waiting for her take on those in the comments!! :)<br />
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<b>Main Course (Veg):</b><br />
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On day one, we had Vodka Sauce Pasta which is Pasta in tomato cream sauce infused with vodka. And on day two, we had Asian Style Paneer. I liked the Pasta better than the Paneer. Reeti likes the Paneer more.<br />
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<b>Dessert:</b><br />
We got so engrossed in singing and in the music that we forgot to order desserts! But the Raspberry Cheesecake was recommended by some. Will taste it the next time I go there :)<br />
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The stage is all set for the band performance the next day (Picture shared by Reeti which she clicked the next morning.)<br />
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I'd recommend this place to anyone who wants to have a good time. Like I said, this cafe has a place for everyone! :)</div>
Anubhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15090232788838097342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7069366128459078174.post-53832660177459305172013-11-29T02:44:00.000+05:302013-11-30T02:31:45.297+05:30Another birthday gone..<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Another year has passed. Reached what some would call a milestone.<br />
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It was a day mixed with laughter, peace, joy and actually even a little negativity but nothing that could kill spirit.<br />
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Things turned out to be okay after all. Maybe not as perfect but still just okay.<br />
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Started off with breakfast with a dear friend, followed by attending a college friend's wedding, lunch with parents, dinner out with friends after which they came home to relax & enjoy some more..<br />
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So all in all, it was a good day. Met people, cut cakes, laughed a little and there was hugging!<br />
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Like I mentioned in my last post, I don't have bucket lists to mark milestones. Other than wanting to travel more, after the past couple of years, all I really want is to have a fuller life. A life I can fully let myself into..<br />
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which is to say,<br />
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<b>I want to have more life in my moments than moments in my life.</b><br />
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<i>Happy Birthday to me!</i></div>
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Anubhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15090232788838097342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7069366128459078174.post-6752365616416512552013-11-18T13:35:00.002+05:302013-11-18T13:59:35.888+05:30Choices and expectations<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This weekend seemed like the most stressful one in recent times. Like I mentioned in the last post, my birthday is coming up.. I kept stressing over whether to celebrate, where to celebrate, what to wear etc. Last week was spent in going to the mall trying on clothes and looking at dresses online. Shopping for an occasion almost never works. I get so confused that I either end up buying them all or none at all. This morning, I decided I won't stress out over having a perfect time on my birthday. It's my state of mind that will make it perfect after all.. not the location or the outfit. I mean, I really won't mind if I am only just by myself but at peace. It will still be worthwhile. (FYI, I can now imagine the stress people go through at their weddings)<br />
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It makes me think whether choices, plans etc. are really an illusion. Last year, I had the best time ever. I did make plans but none of them worked out. My dress tore at the last minute. The party was delayed. Someone I was close to at the time did not wish me all day. But in the end, all of us ended up having the best time of our lives. My friend had bought me a dress as a birthday present which I donned for the day. The party was late but that only meant more guests could arrive and those that were already there decided to crash at my place than go back home. I got the awaited call quite late but that time made it possible for me to be wished & blessed by that someone's mother too.<br />
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So, it feels like it does not matter what you want. More often than not, life gets in the way and makes it worthwhile. Choices / Decisions feel like an illusion at such times.<br />
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Or maybe we need plans. Safety sake. Sometimes they are going to work out. Sometimes they just won't.<br />
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A lot of times, unplanned or unexpected things bring more joy as they have the surprise element.<br />
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All of this reminds me of a quote I once read,<br />
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<i>"The expected is what keeps us steady. It's the unexpected that changes our lives forever."</i></div>
Anubhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15090232788838097342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7069366128459078174.post-12653379186698001162013-11-16T17:42:00.001+05:302013-11-16T17:42:08.001+05:30Hola<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I cannot believe I haven't written here for a whole month!<br />
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I have just been running out of things to write about.<br />
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October was a month that brought a lot of changes to my otherwise boring routine or rather, the lack of it.<br />
I had been in my shell for almost a year now & decided to slowly try and find a place for myself somewhere than waiting endlessly for something great to happen. So, it started with me taking a random decision by accepting a project to keep myself occupied. It led to me being super busy & stressed instead, but atleast the stress was directed differently so I'd like to think my decision wasn't a bad one.<br />
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In the middle of all this, I spent a few nights at a friend's place and we stayed up talking all night the first night I was there!! It's nice how some people just seep into your life like they've always been there and staying with them seems as comfortable & natural as living by yourself. Better too! I feel lucky to have such friends..<br />
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Spent a weekend in Goa with my parents. It was our yearly religious trip but this time, it was slightly more relaxing than all the times we have been there.<br /><br />
I took some photos in my dad's phone..<br /><br />
This is where we stayed :<br />
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It's called "Bhakt Niwas" and is temple accommodation but the building looked so vibrant & royal that I could not resist taking pictures..</div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">And this is the temple building :</span></div>
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Who'd say it's a temple!!! right?</div>
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Somebody was in a mood to pose for a picture ;)</div>
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Doesn't he look like he's winking at the camera? :D</div>
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I tried taking pictures of the sunset across the landscapes from the train on the way back.. but it was an AC train so the windows were shut.. </div>
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Some of the photos look like they are painted on canvas because of the settled dust on the windows :D The last one looks like it's from a dream..<br /><br />I think I prefer travelling in Sleeper trains (with the windows open and lots of people).. they have a different feel altogether.<br /><br />I started attending & performing at Open Mic, Prithvi Cafe.. it happens every fourth Tuesday of the month. My first time there was quite nice. I met someone new, read out one of my poems, listened to others perform and had a good time. The second time around, it was a bit dull. I read out some of my short poems but was shaky for some reason. Also, it got over very soon.<br /><br />Navratri just came and went by .. it wasn't as fun as last year and that was the same with Diwali.<br /><br />On one of the days, a friend & I had gone to Worli Seaface post dinner .. and we came across people were bursting firecrackers, lighting sky lanterns.. it was so lively & colourful!!<br />
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People lighting sky lanterns..</div>
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A small boy lighting one more sky lantern</div>
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In the air..<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3PccB9j7KIY/UodfFhgMt9I/AAAAAAAAIgc/llj-rH3HJCQ/s1600/IMG_0743.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3PccB9j7KIY/UodfFhgMt9I/AAAAAAAAIgc/llj-rH3HJCQ/s400/IMG_0743.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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A family lighting chakras..<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kJo_7rU4C30/UodfcsOqxsI/AAAAAAAAIgk/hjhc5eVkDlk/s1600/974543_10153468181445013_1432337244_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kJo_7rU4C30/UodfcsOqxsI/AAAAAAAAIgk/hjhc5eVkDlk/s400/974543_10153468181445013_1432337244_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I love these!!! Can look at them all day :) This one was clicked by my friend.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-td_p9PpViaw/Uodf4yYH30I/AAAAAAAAIgs/GexryBtd8V8/s1600/IMG_0746.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-td_p9PpViaw/Uodf4yYH30I/AAAAAAAAIgs/GexryBtd8V8/s400/IMG_0746.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />And this dude was bursting fireworks in his hand !!!<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b0iGrWyk6dI/UodgOfabVGI/AAAAAAAAIg0/06IEaRLsUC0/s1600/IMG_0747.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b0iGrWyk6dI/UodgOfabVGI/AAAAAAAAIg0/06IEaRLsUC0/s400/IMG_0747.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Wrong person wearing the superman tee :D<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ne-ZywfTc78/Uodgf-QDpzI/AAAAAAAAIg8/fnehlbsW7C4/s1600/IMG_0750.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ne-ZywfTc78/Uodgf-QDpzI/AAAAAAAAIg8/fnehlbsW7C4/s400/IMG_0750.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />So many sky lanterns.. there were more!!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">
So it was a fun evening..<br /></div>
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In other news, my birthday is coming up soon ..I had thought of making a bucket list but dropped the idea..<br />
I know what I want to do pretty much.. worry less and take the train out of the city more often :)<br />
<br />Until next time, cya! :)</div>
Anubhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15090232788838097342noreply@blogger.com2