Inner Space

We are among Top 100

2009-07-20T23:18:00.003+05:30

The results are out and we are among the top 100 in the ongoing TGDC contest. And boy we were relieved. !! Its been quite some time since we felt like this. The feeling akin to a student waiting for results or a lover waiting for the nod of his sweetheart. Very unusual circumstances for a normal techie couple to undergo, but then since we entered this contest, things have been anything but usual. Since Anand is very busy with his work commitments, I had to take it up as a challenge to work on the application, those maps etc, and after we put the kids to sleep, we would discuss and rework where necessary , sometimes well until 2 am. This contest has got us into backpacker mode since the day we saw the advt and we've been fighting that childlike giggle everytime we think of our travel plan. Its been amazing till now and now we've set our sights higher.

Around the World in 18 days

2009-07-18T13:04:00.004+05:30

The voting phase has finally come to an end and we finished 107 with 667 votes, which in my opinion is not bad. We were careful not to mail everyone in our contacts, maintained protocol, but requested our closest friends to pass on the mail to their close friends. Our link has literally gone around the world in the last 18 days.Our friends changed their status messages to help us garner votes, campaigned vigorously in their offices, and supported us wholeheartedly. Thank you once again. Team GDC has been reiterating that votes is not the only criteria. So we took care on all aspects to the best of our ability. It took quite a deal of time and effort, but then i guess its worth it. Considering we have not fully utilised our contacts, potentially , our vote count could have been more. But nevertheless, we dont regret anything. Our Journey so far has been great.

A Dream called TGDC

2009-07-17T20:13:00.000+05:30

Welcome to the weird, wired, virtual world.. where everyone's connected to each other via Orkut, Facebook, or Gmail. The Great Driving Challenge campaign has brought out travel enthusiasts, bloggers, photgraphers, amateurs and professionals alike. Everyone vying for votes, some reaching out to their long lost cousins, some making up with his nitpicky neighbour, just to make that extra vote count. Everyone tweeting, burning midnight oil or CFL lamps rather, staring at their lappy screens , tracking their vote count.........what not. This campaign brought out a thousand dreams, but one desire to turn it into reality. Whoever goes on to drive those 3 golden cars will be followed, cheered, encouraged, applauded at every milestone.

Coming to our journey in this contest so far, We have done a great job reaching out to friends, friends of friends, and our Orkut communities. Our friends have genuinely supported us, campaigned on our behalf, and cheered us at every step. Their love has touched us in a way never felt before, and we are really grateful to each and everyone of our voters. We're happy to have experienced the love and affection of 630 + (at last count) wellwishers through this campaign. Integrity is something which we stand for and genuinely believe in. Hailing from humble middle class households, our feet stand in terra firma and our life so far is self made. Our travels are all about self discovery and living the moment to the fullest. Whether the chai that we have in a road side shack or the pasta in a high end Italian bistro, its our togetherness which adds flavour to our experiences.

Thank you TGDC for a wonderful campaign which brought out a thousand brilliant stories, dreams, travelogues, photographs and an enriching learning experience. We enjoyed this experience with all humility, integrity and creativity.

Lastly, TGDC, if you were looking for a couple for whom, travel is all about discovery, and not going from point A to point B, then look no further... Your search ends here..

Winning Streak

2009-07-17T16:52:00.006+05:30

As the The Great Driving Challenge Campaign reaches the end of voting phase, I got some pertinent questions lingering in my mind. What appealed to people in this campaign that couples of all ages , classes, want to take part and share their story ? Why, people who already own hi end cars like BMW's, Merc, or even Mitsubishi Cedia itself, want to embark on this journey, collect votes, and then go on to be the final lucky three? There are people in this contest who are millionaires already and on the other hand those , for whom the prize in this contest is twice their annual salary.

I guess its the age old quest for supremacy. Man has always had that competitive streak in him where he wanted to show he's the best in what ever he takes up. Whether it was the gladiators in bygone eras, or the Olympics, or now the contestants in TGDC , its only human nature to want to win, to better ourselves, to be the best.

As to why we entered this challenge, we loved the novel idea of travelling 3000 kms in 10 days and telling the world as we go by tweeting, blogging and having fun. We took this mission to gift our workaholic selves a vacation well deserved.

We don't have high end digital cameras or for that matter, fast luxury cars but we made sure we never fell short of integrity, spirit, creativity to the best of our ability. May the best one win..

Thank you TIA

2009-07-13T12:15:00.000+05:30

I'm part of this orkut community and blessed I am to be a TIAn. I've posted our link requesting fr votes and got great response from this close knit family of sweet,cute, smart, intelligent and progressive women.

Telugu Inti Adapuduchulu !!!!!

We Rock!!!

TB and TBFC

2009-07-11T12:11:00.000+05:30

Today we requested our orkut communities, Telugu Brahmins, TBFC to help us in getting more votes.. and got some good response. Considering the fact that , it was against rules in the above communities to post personal advertising threads, we could not do it earlier. We requested the moderators, but they promised to keep the thread only for 48 hours. Let's hope for the best.

My Garden

2009-07-10T17:25:00.001+05:30

I have a new hobby now, Gardening. I was always interested but never found enough time to tnd the plants and water them everyday. Now that both my kids are going to school, I thought I should work on this hobby now. I planted soe flowering plants, for the daily puja, and some veggies for the kitchen like Palak and Curry Leaf. That's about my modest Garden. I kept it simple this time, I would expand the garden depending on space and sunlight.

2009-07-08T19:06:00.004+05:30

View The Road Less Travelled in a larger map

The Great Driving Challenge

2009-07-03T10:26:00.008+05:30

Hey friends,

We entered the Great Driving Challenge cconducted by Mitsubishi Cedia Sports and we would like to seek your support in the form of votes and testimonials. Please click this link below and keep the votes flowing...

http://www.greatdrivingchallenge.com/application/Ananda/
This is going to be one helluva ride....

Motherhood..keyword is when?

2009-06-13T10:48:00.000+05:30

Some women in India are choosing to store their ova in liquid nitrogen (for safekeeping up to 40 years) so that they need not forego their employment/career to raise children during key phases of their career.
They can freeze ova but not themselves... age catches up ..

Any pregnancy conceived after 35 is termed a high risk pregnancy by doctors.. and taken utmost care. The incidence of twins or triplets is high in mothers aged 35 + ( which also adds to high risk factor).There are ideas and then there are practical ideas.. In my opinion this idea of freezing ova is not a practical one applicable to the larger population.At 40 it has to be an assisted pregnancy,and not everyone can 'afford' the costly procedure involved.
Its always better to take the help of nature... these jobs, the material comforts .. the career notions are all man made... remove these filters from the eyes and anyone can see the right picture.
What we actually need is two or three year break in career, if companies help us by allowing unpaid break, that's sufficient... what is more precious ? the work? or health ?
Traditionally, companies have framed rules in corporate scenario to suit the male employee.Any woman if she wants to work has to mould herself into male domain. When man and woman are different by nature( physically) , does it not mean they need different rules when it comes to the point of conception and kids (by female employees ) ? The moment a working woman makes a choice about her kids, she is put in a quandary where she has to choose between career and kids ( or one of the things suffer)
since there are no existing rules allowing the above.. so, i took my break.. but many are forgoing health in order to work , don't know when this will change?

2009-06-05T16:54:00.000+05:30

We have been to Mantralayam in Kurnool district (A.P) recently by car. We were planning to visit the sacred samadhi of Sri Guru Raghavendra Swamy since long but it materailised now. We could not take pictures inside the temple as it is not allowed.

Mantralyam is a Hindu religious place where the Moola Bridavanam of Sri Guru Raghavendra Swamy is located. Sri Guru Raghavendra Swamy, (1601-1671), was an influential saint in Hinduism. He advocated Vaishnavism (i.e. worship of Vishnu as the supreme God.) and Dvaita philosophy advocated by Sri Madhwacharya. He is considered to be a reincarnation of Prahlada, the devotee who was saved by Vishnu, in his avatar of Narasimha. Shri Raghavendra Swamy is said to have performed many miracles during his lifetime and is believed to continue to bless his devotees to this day.

On our way back, we were delighted to see vast expanses of Sunflower fileds... it was like a yellow treat to eyes.. we took pictures and played in fields like children... enjoy the pics..

Vacation

2009-05-15T13:14:00.003+05:30

Hey,

I've disappeared for quite a while, didn't I ? I've been on a vacation from 25th April to 11th May and I'm back rejuvenated and relaxed. I've been to my hometown Visakhapatnam, the most beautiful place on earth, or so I feel. I was joined by my hubby after a week and we set out leaving our kids with their grand parents.

We have been to Puri and Konark in Orissa and Bhadrachalam in AP and must say the heat was too much. But we were undeterred and were waiting for a break from the routine, so we didnt complain. Visited the famous Jagannath Temple in Puri and The Konark Sun Temple in Orissa for which a detailed account will follow soon.

Bhadrachalam, the abode of Sri Rama, is the other place that we visited and we were pleased with ourselves to see the famous temple and the jewellery that Bhakta Ramadas has offered to the lord. Legend goes that Ramadas who was an official in Md. Tanisha's court, made the jewellery for Rama, Sita , Lakshmana and Bharata from the tax money he collected, for which he was imprisoned. Lord Rama appeared in Tanisha's dream and offered him 10000 gold coins and ordered him to release his devotee, which the nijam obliged. It was in prison that Ramadas wrote the famous keerthanas like ''Seethammaku cheyisti chintaku patakamu'' in which the ardent devotee taunts the Lord himself saying '' evarabba sommani kulukuchu tirigevu ramachandra''. Must say it was a treat in a material and also spiritual sense, to see those famous jewels in the museum right beside the temple.

We had a great time and in spite of the heat, we made sure we enjoyed every bit of it.

10 Things I Hate about Cricket

2009-04-24T01:25:00.006+05:30

I hate everything about Cricket
I hate the way Tendulkar creates new milestones every half a mile
I hate the way The Wall disappoints his critics all the while
I hate Laxman for letting his willow talk so eloquently
I hate Kumble for not letting his age catch up with him silently
I hate Mahi for combining power with strategy elegantly
I hate Gambhir for being irrestitably cute while hitting a sixer
I hate Yusuf Pathan for not letting the other batsman score in the Super Over
I hate the Deccan Chargers for forgetting that they finished last in previous season
I hate Gony for his smile, hell I dont need another reason
but mostly I hate the way I don't hate them all
Not even close, not even a little bit , not even at all

Inspired by '10 Things I hate about You' , one of the movies I like.

I' m lost

2009-04-22T12:49:00.000+05:30

Oh my god I'm lost .. completely lost....
Nothing seems to matter anymore...
The birds, the bees,the beauty of flowers,
Everything in the universe seems to be momentarily meaningless.
My life has been reduced to mere existence now.
I've lost my connection to the world,
I can't hear my hubby' s voice
I can't pester my mom for the recipe of Shahi Paneer.
I can't click pictures of my two year old kid while she is at it again,
I never knew losing it would cause so much pain

OK chill guys , I just lost my CellPhone again.

Right to Freedom of Expression

2009-04-21T19:09:00.005+05:30

India is one of the largest secular democracies in the world and as citizens we enjoy certain rights. For ages India has been a thriving center for many religions like Hinduism , Christianity , Islam , Buddhism, Jainism and is known for its tolerance for each other. Among these Hinduism is the oldest religion and majority of the population are Hindus. So when India became free in 1947, it only made sense to many to declare India a Soveriegn Socialist Secular Republic. Our Constitution enlists our Fundamental Rights and Duties and as citizens it is imperative to follow them.
One of the most important Right is the right to Freedom of Expression and this happens to be the most misused one. A lot of liberties are taken in the name of this right and protests from religious groups that their sentiments are hurt, have become commonplace. The World has seen what happened in the Danish cartoon issue regarding Prophet Mohammed. Religion and religious sentiments have become touche subjects. Stoking religious sentiments has been the shortcut to becoming an overnight celebrity by many. One of the most high profile of these cases is that of MF Hussain. I have heard of the controversies surrounding the painter but never actually understood what the fuss was about.
Recently I chanced upon a website which is protesting the famous painter MF Hussain's portrayal of Hindu deities in nude and explicit postures, and they have enlisted his paintings there. It was OFFENSIVE to say the least and derogatory and disgusting in many ways. Nude art.. I can understand, but explicit depiction of Hindu Deities.. sorry that is not art in any way...Not that it is a burning issue of national importance but being a Hindu and a tolerant one at that, I was deeply pained to see the offensive works portraying Deities of my religion in a demeaning manner.

Considering the works have been produced long back, and some Hindu groups are protesting now, I guess its a case of better late than never. The artist sure has Right to Artistic Expression but not to hurt religious sentiments of people. Consider this : One painting shows Lord Hanuman in the nude, fighting Ravan who has Seeta Maa in nude sitting on his thigh. This depiction can at best be termed 'GROSS'. Hanuman is a devotee of Lord Rama and Seeta is considered Mother by him, and Ravan according to the Ramayana has never touched Seeta, let alone sitting on his thigh, that too nude( Husain himself said he depicted Hitler nude in one painting to show his hatred). If the guy is interested in art then he has to choose his subjects carefully, and if it concerns a religion other than his, he has to do a research at least. What he has done actually is to deliberately berate Deities and intentionally hurt religious sentiments of Hindus. The hypocrisy of this pervert can be established by his double standards in his paintings. Sample this: he depicts Goddess Saraswati in nude and his stepmother, daughter and Prophet's daughter Fathima fully clothed. I'm not saying he has to paint them nude too, but why Hindu Deities?

The guy has surely taken it too far and I fully support the groups that are protesting( as long as it is by peaceful and lawful means like petitions in courts). It is unfortunate that a set of so called pseudo- secular, pseudo-liberal art connoiseurs are supporting him in his misdeeds. Never mind. Justice will catch up with this 91 year old painter wherever in the world he is. He has a plethora of cases against him and he is not answering or responding to court summons which also amounts to contempt against Judiciary.

This post only vaguely expresses my deep anguish and once again I assert, it is not of utmost importance to the country right now, but nevertheless important in the sense that one has to use discretion and caution in exercising their rights. Let truth and righteousness prevail.

Art attack

2009-04-20T16:24:00.004+05:30

this is one of those construction equipment

and this is supposedly a car

I was working on my laptop and my kids came in saying I have to let them go outside and play. I couldnt let them play outside as it was really hot, so taught him how to use Paint and draw pictures using the mouse pointer. These are his first scribblings.

Elections

2009-04-18T15:22:00.001+05:30

The election season is in full swing and the first phase of elections in AP has ended on a peaceful note. The TV channels started off with their analyses and predictions galore but must say this election is going to surprise everyone with a stunning result. The main reason for this would be that the educated Upper Middle class has exercised its right to vote in large numbers this time and I see that many of these have voted for Loksatta( I did my own small poll survey) in anticipation of that ever eluding change in the helm of affairs. Some are saying Loksatta might have eaten into the other parties' vote shares but may not win as many seats as to make a mark.
Need to watch this space to know what happens in AP politics by May 16th. Till then,keep hoping for real change....

Do Actors make good politicians?

2009-04-15T00:28:00.006+05:30

It is a common sight all over the world, that people with considerable reputation in acting or related glamourous fields, venture into political arena. But the probability that they do a good job in it is highly questionable. We are in an election year and the recent months have seen more and more actors make their foray into politics, but how many of these are coming in with a service motive or to make a positive difference is anybody's guess. Practically none of them have their homework done, all they want to do is cash in on their glamour and come into power, only to fill their pockets.

Our political system is already in shambles, what with politics being coloured by caste, religion, communal and regional differences. These actors are doing a great disservice to the nation by showing up with zero knowledge about issues that matter and nil insight regarding governance. Even our state has a popular movie star jumping into politics but one can make out in the outset itself as to how ignorant he is regarding the real issues that plague our state. Moreover the candidates are asked to pay for getting a ticket from that party, which he would view as an investment. The same person, if elected , would only try and extract it from taxpayers money tomorrow. When would this vicious circle end? Already a bad precedent has been set in terms of caste based candidature and money ridden politics. Now it would be really unfortunate if this party indeed wins majority of seats and forms government in our state.
There are already many things which need immediate attention in our state, and handing the government to wrong hands would only worsen the situation. I am hoping that majority of people would be sensible enough not to hand him power.

Cakes

2009-04-13T19:54:00.010+05:30

Mmm .. I love Cakes and Pastries. My kids love them too. So I had to learn baking cakes and cookies and the likes and in this regard it was my Mom who has been of immense help. She taught me the finer nuances of baking which one can only get through experience and not by just reading a recipe. I first started with a simple sponge cake and then gradually learnt to make the icing or frosting whatever you call it.
Here is the recipe for a simple Chocolate Cake complete with choco icing.
Ingredients:
eggs - 4
Maida - 200 gms
Sugar - 150 gms ( powdered)
Butter- 200 gms
cocoa powder- 2 to 3 tbspns
vanilla essence- 1 tsp
Baking powder - 1 tbsp
for icing:
butter -50 gms
powdered sugar 50 gms
milk - 3 tbsps
cornflour- 2 tsps
cocoa powder - 4 tbsps
First cream the butter in a vessel with an electric beater, add the sugar and beat again. Add the eggs one by one beating after adding each. Seive the baking powder, maida and cocoa powder together. Now add this to the above mixture slowly, beating at lower speed ensuring that there are no lumps. Add the vanilla essence and pour into a greased and dusted cake container and bake in a preheated oven at 185 C for 26 mins. Prick a knife in the middle and see if it comes out clean, if not bake for another 2 mins. Remove and keep on the wire rack to cool.
For the icing, take a saucepan and melt the butter on a slow flame, add the sugar and stir. Add the cocoa powder and ensure there are no lumps. Now add the cornflour to the milk and add it to the above mixture, stir evenly. Let it simmer for nearly but less than a minute and pour on the cooled cake. Spread it evenly and you can decorate it with dry fruits if you wish.

Enjoy..........

Pic : Chocolate Cake with Icing

Cooking

2009-04-13T19:24:00.015+05:30

One of my passions in life right after music is cooking. I started cooking with considerable interest only after marriage. My hubby is a total foodie and enjoys all kinds of food, which I have to admit, is the main catalyst to my cooking. I learnt North Indian, Chinese dishes just for him. And soon I started loving it considering cooking is an art in its own right.
Some of the dishes he loves are Paneer tikka, Veg Kolhapuri, Biryani and Dum Aloo. Needless to say these dishes feature in my menu frequently and some other dishes I like are Gobi Manchurian, Schezuan Rice and Tandoori Gobi. ..mmm.. My mouth is watering now.

The dishes in the pic are Biryani, Dum Aloo and Raitha

Divine Music

2009-04-13T12:51:00.006+05:30

One of my favourite genres in music is Carnatic Classical Music. There are many stalwarts who have enriched this genre with their soulful renditions but my idol remains MS. Subbulaksmi. No word can singularly express the quality of her pristine voice. Her rendition brings peace to my soul, often tears to my eyes. Such is the greatness of MS Amma that it is not an exaggeration when one says ' na bhooto na bhavishyati ' which means in Sanskrit, there is no one like her in the past and there wouldnt be one in future. She is a legend and though she is not amidst us now her divine songs will remain beyond eternity.

It has been my dream to learn vocal Carnatic Classical music, but for some odd reason it has been eluding me till now. I'm hoping I would do that in near future.

Love

2009-04-12T16:49:00.007+05:30

Love is a strange feeling. It manifests itself in many forms. Many definitions float around which try to describe love but in my opinion words fail to completely capture the depth and the myriad emotions that entail love.
What then is love? In the limited world view that I have , I have seen people from completely different backgrounds, religions, physical attributes, castes come together and get entwined by the power of love. Love strikes at the most unexpected moment and all you know is getting swept off your feet. The feeling is flattering to be offered roses, chocolates and the likes. I am fortunate to have experienced love in its most romantic form and still remember feeling completely oblivious to hunger, thirst, day and night just thinking about him.
But after five years of marriage do I still love him the way I did back then?
The answer is no. Five years into marriage anybody will have a list of flaws in the other person... Nah.. just kidding. I still love him but the attributes of this love are different. In the sense that I care for him in a much different way. I respect his long term goals and ambitions in life, I know that we have different interests and still appreciate it, I choose to downplay the petty arguments that we have, I ignore the random fit that he throws. I love him unconditionally and accept him with all his vices. I now know fully well when I need to leave him alone and when I should shower him with my attention. The romance is there but in the silent glance that he gives me even when we are in a crowd. I support him in every endeavour of his, knowing fully well that whatever he does is for our collective wellbeing.
Love is a choice that we conciously make even when we could do otherwise.
And blessed I am to get back whatever love that I give, only multiplied and I sincerely hope the Gods above bless him with boundless energy to chase all his dreams.

Sunday is a Holiday

2009-04-12T16:19:00.004+05:30

Its common knowledge that Sunday is a holiday...whether you are a student or an employee or whatever.. but what about homemakers ? They dont get a single day off in their lives unless they are on a vacation..
but I'm lucky that my hubby is sensitive to my needs and ..(touchwood ). Seeing that I was feeling a little dull today he offered to cook for me and boy.. need I say I was delighted.
So he set off with his new role and I relaxed for a while. Which made me realise all the more that everyone needs that little time in life to rejuvenate oneself. Sometimes we lose ourselves in the daily routine and the numerous mundane things that we lose focus. I decided to make the most of the break that I got and set off doing things I was postponing since long.
And then it was lunch time and I should admit I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that he has done a pretty decent job. Though he doesnt hijack the kitchen too often, he managed to cook the daily must haves Rice, Dal and Curry pretty well. I gorged myself to satisfaction knowing fully well and appreciating the fact that everyday is not a sunday..especially this Sunday.

Music

2009-03-12T20:28:00.000+05:30

I turn to music whenever I fell lonely and a little bit down. It instantly lifts up my mood and helps me regain my focus. I listen to all kinds of music depending on the mood I'm in but my all time favourite genres are Soft Rock, Blues and Carnatic Classical.
This song by Bryan Adams is my all time favourite. The inherent romance in this song sways me. I can listen to it anytime and no matter how many times I listen, it doesnt seem to lose its charm
the lyrics:
Everything I Do..

Look into my eyes - you will see
What you mean to me
Search your heart - search your soul
And when you find me there
you'll search no more
Don't tell me it's not worth tryin' for
You can't tell me it's not worth dyin' for
You know it's true
Everything I do - I do it for you

Look into your heart - you will find
There's nothin' there to hide
Take me as I am - take my life
I would give it all - I would sacrifice
Don't tell me it's not worth fightin' for
I can't help it - there's nothin' I want more
Ya know it's true
Everything I do - I do it for you

There's no love - like your love
And no other - could give more love
There's nowhere - unless you're there
All the time - all the way
Oh - you can't tell me it's not worth tryin' for
I can't help it - there's nothin' I want more
I would fight for you - I'd lie for you
Walk the wire for you - ya I'd die for you
Ya know it's true
Everything I do - I do it for you..

My Son's First Outing on Stage

2009-02-13T11:33:00.001+05:30

My elder son Srikar is in LKG and he is pretty adjusted to the school and the routine which entails going to school. But he is a little bit shy with strangers and takes some time to get adjusted to new surroundings. We were apprehensive when his teacher told me he was going to take part in the Annual Day Celebrations of his school, but the event was to take place in a different branch ( not the same premises that he goes everyday ).

I carefully noted the dress code and that evening went shopping to get the shoes and his blue T-shirt as prescribed. But all the while I was the one having jitters as to how he would perform on stage and whether he would listen to his teachers.

Finally the big day arrived. We got him ready and were waiting with bated breath for his item in the sequence of events. At last his 'Boogie woogie' dance was announced and there he was on stage ready to perform. In the previous items I have noticed that some of the children were totally comfortable on stage while some went blank and few others started crying. I was waiting to see what Srikar's reaction would be. For me he is always my sweet son whatever is the outcome. And then there he was.. he started off his performance with his group exactly how he practiced earlier and to my utter joy he was doing a great job. I could see he was taken aback seeing the large crowd in front of him but he continued nevertheless. I took out my camera to capture those special moments and Anand was totally ecstatic to watch him perform.

Finally we thanked the teacher who trained him and we went out to have his favourite pizza to celebrate his first outing on stage. It will remain in my memory forever. It is these little joys that actually makes life worthwhile.

Trip to Vaishno Devi

2009-01-13T16:19:00.003+05:30

Our daughter's name is Vaishnavi and there is a little back story behind her name. In the sixth month of my pregnancy I had Mata Vaishnodevi in my dream and she told me that there is a baby girl in there and asked me what I would name her. In total rapture , I replied that I would name the baby after Mata herself and the mysterious part of this dream is that I have never seen her before. Yet when I had Mata in my dream, there was only one name on my lips. Considering it to be 'Mata ka Bulawa' we set off to pay our obeisance to Mata in 2007 DEC after Vaishnavi's first birthday.

Since we haven't been there before, we left the kids in my hometown Visakhapatnam, or Vizag as it is fondly called, with their grandparents, and came back to Hyderabad. To our suprise we had tickets available to Delhi just the next day (normally trains to Delhi are jampacked and one needs to book well in advance to get reservation) so gladly booked and started packing hurriedly. We planned our itinerary during the journey. We reached Delhi,from there we went to Agra. We found out from the station master that there was a train to Jammu that passes thru Agra so we decided to take it.Finally the train came and the TC allotted berths to us against some cancellations. That part ended well and we sighed a relief. The next morning we woke up and enjoyed watching the fields in Punjab. Reached Jammu at about 11 am.

Then we took a cab to Katra, the base camp to reach Vaishno Devi Shrine. It was 7 pm in the evening by the time we were out of our hotel. Though we were apprehensive of the hour we wanted to see Mata as soon as possible, so we started off on our trek. Also we did not book any room on the top so we thought we would complete the darshan and come back.

To my surprise there were a lot of people walking up their way chanting 'Jai Mata Di ' as they do. But the real knock came from a guy who was lame in one leg but still was trekking his way up with the help of a stick. Really sometimes we harp on petty things when instead we should be counting our blessings. It was after I saw him that I decided never to be unhappy considering that I'm all hale and healthy.

We continued on our trek and gradually the temperature was dropping.We reached the top by 1 am. It was so cold over there and we were shivering completely. I dawned upon us that it was impossible to go back at that hour considering it would only get colder. Then something miraculous happened. A guy walked upto us and said he was leaving since he had a flight to catch and asked us if we would like to have his Dorm that he had booked. We were overjoyed that we could sense Mata's blessings even before darshan and paid the person the dorm's rent.

We proceeded to the cave where she resides and there she was giving us the Pindi Darshan, The Mahalakshmi, Mahasaraswati and Mahakali. We spent a good five minutes inside and we could hear a stream of water flowing somewhere behind the rocks. It was magnificent.

Once we were out we proceeded to the dorm and spent the rest of the night there. At 5 am we were up again and on our way to the top of the mountain ie. the Shrine of Bhairavnathji. It is said that the yatra is not complete unless one visits the Bhairavanth temple. We reached the top and it was very very cold there what with the Himalayan winds sweeping across. We lost sensation in our bare feet and our hands and face became blue. Finally took Bhairavnathji's darshan and started our descent.

Reached Katra and we took a bus directly to Delhi. We had a good time and returned to the station to catch our Rajdhani back to Hyderabad. The memories of this trip stayed with me for many days. Even now when I think of it I get transported to the cold foothills of Himalayas.

2008-12-04T20:55:00.000+05:30

Our experience with Taj Mahal was exotic to say the least. I always wanted to visit the Taj after hearing so many stories about the monument of love and we had a chance to do so on our way to Delhi to visit our in-laws. It is indeed a marvel in white, pristine marble and we were so excited.

Words cannot describe this engineering excellence that immortalised Shahjahan's undying love to Mumtaz. So I leave you at that, enjoy the pics.

Ethereal Voice

2008-08-14T16:30:00.000+05:30

That Music has the power to lift your spirits, is a known fact. And if that is the ethereal voice of Jayshri Ramanathan popularly known as Bombay Jayshri, it needs special mention. Being a renowned Classical Singer, who would have thought she would render filmi songs with equal ease, but that's a rare feat that only she could manage. Sometimes I think once a person is a classical singer and a noted one at that, there is no need to sing filmi songs which are considered a tad lowly compared to Carnatic. But what she does is, to render the lowly filmi song in a way that increased its stature manifold. I can't imagine the song 'Vaseegara' from Minnale( 'Manohara' from Cheli in telugu) in any other voice than hers and there are many more like that. She lends that strong bass to the song which increases the total effect. Of course the music director Harris Jayraj should be applauded for coming up with a good tune but I would appreciate him for choosing Jayshri madam to sing it, because a tune is like damp clay in the hands of a singer, they can make anything of it. Wouldn't you agree ?

Tomato Cheese Macaroni

2008-07-15T16:25:00.001+05:30

This is something I make when I'm very hungry and dont have too much time to whip up something filling to eat. It deviates from the standard pasta recipe,( that pasta needs to be boiled separately), but then when you dont have time, small sacrifices (which do not alter the taste) need to be made.

Ingredients :
Sunfeast Benne vita - 1 cup (any shape) (available in supermarkets, really good)
Onion -1
Tomato -1
Garlic - 2 pods
Cheese slice - 1
Milk - 1/2 cup
salt and pepper to taste

First grind the onion, tomato and garlic together. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a thick bottomed saucepan and saute the above paste in it for 2 minutes. Pour three cups of water, add the salt and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for 5 mins occasionally stirring gently. Add the cheese slice and the milk and let it simmer for 2 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Now add the pepper and serve hot. Makes a quick dish which is yummy and also wholesome. This takes harldy 10 mins to make and my kids love it. If you are counting calories, you can skip the cheese slice.

Try it and you'll love it.

Splendour of Hampi

2008-04-15T10:01:00.000+05:30

In our travels, we were fortunate to have visited the Hampi, the capital of Vijayanagara empire, in Karnataka. The ruins of the once glorius city stretch across a vast 14 sq km with lot of temples, forts, pavilions and stone sculpture. One needs to stay in Hospet, the nearest town to this monumental splendour in order to catch its charisma at a leisurely pace.

The city of Hampi enjoyed it peak roughly between 1510-and 1530 ad under the rule of Sri Krishnadevaraya of the Tuluva dynasty, and it is said that it was a major trade centre with anything between horses, food grains to gemstones being traded there. The king was a patron of art and poetry and the period saw many a poet deliver their best literary works. Every stone over there has a story to tell and one cant miss the romance that reverberates the whole place. The must see places in Hampi are the Stone Basavanna, the Virupaksha Temple, The Vittala Temple, the Stone Chariot and the musical pillars. It is a backpacker's paradise, and it is a delight exploring the inside story of each place in Hampi. Being the hopeless romantic that I am, I was totally transported to a different world when I went there. I even imagined the whole place as teeming with people and myself selling bangles in one corner to a handsome young bloke(obviously they were meant to be gifted... well... probably....to me [;)] ) in some bygone era.....ohh.. well it could have happened in some previous birth or I would prefer to believe so. What a pleasant dream...

Like all dreams, it had to end, but then I'm glad I had the memory to hold onto.. it was exquisite, marvellous and ecstatic. Now coming back to reality, its just 350 odd kms away from Hyderabad and makes an ideal weekend getaway. If you are planning a honeymoon (no matter whether its first or second or nth) I recommend this place. Go ...

My true friend

2008-02-14T11:20:00.001+05:30

We all have a lot of people around us- parents, siblings, spouse, friends, relatives and the number of them put together might run into hundreds or maybe more. Now when you have a situation or a problem in your life whom do you turn to?Suddenly the population in this group shrinks to single digits. Some turn to parents, many turn to friends, some to relatives, but among them, is there at least ONE person who listens to you patiently, does not judge you no matter how ridiculous your views are, lets you speak your mind, understand your words and also your silence and accept you as you are?
If your answer is yes, you are lucky, and if its more than one , you are tremendously lucky. And if that one person happens to be your spouse, its like Icing on the Cake. You don't have to explain yourself to such a person or people since they know you inside out and understand your predicament. Sometimes when you are in despair, just listening to your anguish relieves you and reduces your burden and once you are out of it, it might be surprising to note that even you might not subscribe to your own earlier views. A true friend knows this, only too well and is always ready to offer his/her shoulder and might differ from you but will never desert you. Sure you need one true friend like that and the best way to have one, is to be one....

Here's to my BEST FRIEND in life. Thanks for being my friend in the truest possible sense.

Our Trip to Goa

2007-12-23T15:54:00.000+05:30

Its a beautiful Sunday morning... As I sit back lazily with a cup of coffee my mind goes back to Nov 20 2003. We got four days off from work and my hubby suggested we go to Goa. As luck would have it all the Goa bound trains and buses were full. We tried all possible options but to no avail and I should admit I could see the dissappointed look on his face. We decided we are going to Goa come what may. And the next morning early at 5.00 we set out.... well ...on our bike.. ..where else but to Goa.We asked the driver of a goa bound bus for the route and the distance (around 780 kms)We packed some biscuits and eatables,made sure tank was full with petrol..some woolens and lots of enthusiasm and we were on our way.The route we took from Hyderabad was via Raichur in Karnataka but after that we werent sure about the route. We didnt get much advice from passersby, some even looked at us strangely ..but nevertheless we continued our drive, stopping by when tired, but taking only short breaks. Practically we didn't know what the major towns in that route were and we werent having a map. Not the right way to set out but we weren't bothered.. being young and fearless, we continued our journey having tea and biscuits at roadside teastalls and stopping for 5 minutes when legs ached.
It was 5.00 in the evening when we reached Bagalkot and we understood that we cannot cover the entire distance to goa that day itself. Nevertheless we continued and reached Belgaum by 8.30 PM and decided to stay there for the night. Considering it was a hectic day, we took a decent room in a hotel ,took a hot shower, had dinner and not a word ... both of us fell asleep. But we knew we had miles to go.. so woke up at 5.00 am again the next day and set off to Panaji .

The ghat road Via Londa is a beautiful stretch and we enjoyed our journey immensely..
stopping by to take pictures or sometimes just to take a peek into the vally.. it was beautiful ..We reached Goa at about 11.30 am and believe me we were immensely pleased with ourselves..having travelled a distance of 750 odd kms on a two wheeler. Our spirits hit a new high and we felt on top of the world.We checked into a nice resort and took some rest ..That evening we went to Calangute beach ..had a good time ..later went for a cruise on the Mandovi river.. after that excruciating journey it was totally relaxing.. being the cold November air .. It was very romantic and totally worthwhile. The next day we set out on our exploration.. we went to Majorda beach, Goa port and some very unusual places that the regular tourist wouldn't get to see..all day we drove but what was there all along was that undying spirit. We went to Dona Paula that evening ..watching the sun set in the Arabian Sea was a soothing sight. It was an incredible experience that would stay with us all our lives. That night after dinner we came out for a walk..the laid back streets of goa were immensely rejuvenating.

The next day was our big day again. Got up at 5.00am and started this time taking a lot of beautiful memories .. joyous moments ...romantic feelings .... and last but not the least the India map that we bought the previous night. This time around we had the western ghats to cross and we took the Maharashtra route (via Sangli Solapur Humnabad Hyd).Across the plains of Maharashtra we drove with the road passing through vast plain deserted land. It was a long day and it was 7.00pm when we reached Solapur and Hyderabad was 300kms away. The town looked musty and somehow we didnt like the idea of staying there for the night. But even if we went further there is no decent place on the way where we could stay for that night.We made up our minds to continue driving thru the night. And yes it was a tough decision considering the cold winds blowing across the plateau.. but all we had on our minds was to get back home.. and we did ... We drove through, having just the silvery light of moon and an occasional lorry that went past, for company. It was getting colder and colder and the night seemed longer than it was. He stopped occasionally for tea and a smoke but never losing heart. It was 3.00 am by the time we reached home. We ourselves couldnt believe what we just did.. we pinched ourselves. I made some coffee and we sat back thinking about the adventure...

It was definitely a high point in my life and something that we could discuss.. relish ... reminisce ...something that we could take with us through eternity.......

My first post...

2007-12-12T15:35:00.001+05:30

Hello ..
I have been thinking of blogging for quite some time now .. but I really am trying to find what kept me from actually doing so.. Is it that I am a homemaker and a busy parent of two toddlers? or the fact that my hubby has been away working in another city ?.. really dont know ..but then I have realised I need to express myself in order to keep my sanity in the absence of the constant companionship of my dearest hubby...
So here I am.. this is a peek into my Inner Space .. an expression of my spirit.. a virtual body to my real being...