tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117265382024-03-08T04:21:37.833+05:30Postcards From JJaywalk or journey - come along for the ride!~j~http://www.blogger.com/profile/01545750271574664978noreply@blogger.comBlogger207125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11726538.post-81849551324504364842018-09-04T03:02:00.002+05:302020-06-07T03:04:11.339+05:30Avventura Italiana<p dir="ltr">It's been about four days since I returned from Milan, Italy. While being back home and at work has already swamped me, I can't help thinking of this Italian adventure I got to embark on. 17 days across cities that breathe history, art, architecture, culture, religion and so much more! 17 days of fun (and exhaustion) accompanied by two women who kept me on my toes, literally and otherwise. </p>
<p dir="ltr">In a nutshell, my itinerary read like this eventually: Rome-Vatican City-Naples-Florence-Pisa-Milan-Nice-Monaco-Cannes-Milan-Verona-Milan. It seems whirlwind but I think we managed a good pace and never really had to worry about missing something - even if we did. </p><p dir="ltr">Of course, the full credit goes to Fi, who planned the entire itinerary right down to the places we should eat at. And because she had already been living in Italy for a year and knew the language and her way around Italians, it was a massive help.</p><p dir="ltr">Lo and I just followed instructions. I whined about the walking. Got mad a few times, but in hindsight, it was all for the best. I needed this trip. Not just for the "vacation" aspect of it, but more from a life experience perspective. </p><p dir="ltr">I will try to articulate these hopefully soon.</p><p dir="ltr">Ciao for now!</p><p dir="ltr">~j~</p><p dir="ltr"><br /></p><p dir="ltr">PS: Excuse the delayed posting. #Drafts</p>
~j~http://www.blogger.com/profile/01545750271574664978noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11726538.post-92046699423152526372018-06-27T12:23:00.000+05:302018-10-04T18:14:26.210+05:30For Tony<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPv_mMYxVaOjcnGFJSs_uEAbWGq-HDKw21EHMq9id9yiV4EwGHm1PCFCVJR-CW6rWc80jNw7Kmh3kfgVbbpMDQ4JJqcfkgtGYLLSY2yYCaeWMmOaWbJrf6NH98NbUUBRJD-ukJ/s1600/Bourdain-Tribute.png" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span black="" color:="" eeeeee=""><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="540" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPv_mMYxVaOjcnGFJSs_uEAbWGq-HDKw21EHMq9id9yiV4EwGHm1PCFCVJR-CW6rWc80jNw7Kmh3kfgVbbpMDQ4JJqcfkgtGYLLSY2yYCaeWMmOaWbJrf6NH98NbUUBRJD-ukJ/s1600/Bourdain-Tribute.png" /></span></a></div>
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<b style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 18pt;"><span eeeeee="" font-family:="" quot="" sans-serif="" verdana="">8 JUNE 2018</span></span></b></h3>
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<span eeeeee=""><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">4.57 PM: It's Friday, and I am looking at my to-do list and hoping the day gets done soon.
That I get to go home and enjoy the start of another weekend. One of the WhatsApp groups buzzed.</span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span eeeeee=""><b><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">"Anthony Bourdain is dead. Shite."</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span eeeeee=""><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">I was the first to reply.</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span eeeeee=""><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">"NO".</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span eeeeee=""><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">"WHAT?"</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span eeeeee=""><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">And then I started to Google with a strange mix of anxiety and sadness.<i> Say it wasn't true.</i></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">Bourdain was gone. 61 years young. It was surreal. </span></span></div>
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<span eeeeee=""><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">I pinged D but knew he would be asleep as he was working the night shift. </span><i style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Gawd, D will be devastated to wake up to this news. </i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">My mind was racing. Bourdain would feature in our conversations often over the years and I didn't know anyone who was a bigger fan of the chef-turned-storyteller. Still can’t believe it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">People were shocked but I was in another zone. My hands had turned cold and my brain was blank. What the hell had just happened? That it was by suicide was equally perplexing. And very very <b>very </b>heartbreaking. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">Here are some random conversations (with typos et al) with D and L which mentioned Bourdain and our love for him.</span></span><br />
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<b style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 18pt;">25 SEPTEMBER 2014</span></b></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">j: My life <i>toh</i> is upside down here. No orientation of time or day. Plus my parents arrived on Tuesday morning.... just like that. No notice. Nothing. Surprise, it seems. But I was actually relieved to see them. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">d: oh nice. Ull get nice <b>food <o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="" font-family:="" georgia="" new="" quot="" roman="" serif="" times="">j: SIL's birthday today </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="" font-family:="" georgia="" new="" quot="" roman="" serif="" times="">Kori roti and chicken curry </span></span></div>
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<span eeeeee="" font-family:="" georgia="" new="" quot="" roman="" serif="" times=""><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 12pt;">And </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">pork</span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee=""><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Yummy </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">d: wow <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">j: Yeah <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">But I reached after everyone finished dinner and were singing Happy Birthday <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">Sigh <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">Life <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span eeeeee=""><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">d: </span><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">thats</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> ok as long as u got the food</span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">j: Lol <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span eeeeee=""><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">d: </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">im</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> eating rubbish here <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">j: At least I reached earlier than my own birthday <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span eeeeee=""><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">d: craving for a nice plate of food and </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">im</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> watching </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">masterchef</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> so that makes things worse <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">d: what is the last episode on star world ? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">j: Sheesh I haven't watched since two days <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">Last one was the team challenge <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">Red vs Blue after Laura's immunity challenge <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">d: what was the challenge ? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">j: Some restaurant challenge under Marco Pierre White <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">I saw only the end <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span eeeeee=""><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">d: </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">ahhhhh</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Marco week I loved Marco week !!!! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">I love him <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">j: You should marry him LOL <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span eeeeee=""><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Yeah, I like him too </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee=""><br />d: no </span></span></div>
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<span eeeeee=""><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>My first love is Bourdain </b></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee=""><br />j: <b>That we all know</b> :P<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">d: hahaha. You do ? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">j: Yeah </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b><span eeeeee="">You keep tweeting about him <o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span eeeeee=""><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 12pt;">d: </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">h</span>ahha<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 12pt;"> <b>:)</b> <b>parts unknown new season stars next week first stop : China :)</b></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><b><span 18pt="" eeeeee="" font-family:="" font-size:="" georgia="" quot="" serif=""> </span></b></span></div>
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<b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 18pt;"><span eeeeee="" font-family:="" quot="" sans-serif="" verdana="">12 JULY 2014</span></span></b></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">d: seriously think i am in the wrong line of work<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span eeeeee=""><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">i want </span></b><b style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">anthony</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></b><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">bourdain's</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> job</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">j: Hmmm You just need to be disciplined about the blogging/writing<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">d: i write horribly no grammar no spell check nothing lol<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span eeeeee=""><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">but i like to eat</span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">j: Then create a YouTube show Don't write<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">I would love to be on the road...and eat and travel.<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">But I don't think I am disciplined enough People have told me to take up writing more seriously... but zero dedication I have</span></span></div>
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<b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 18pt;"><span eeeeee="" font-family:="" quot="" sans-serif="" verdana="">6 SEPTEMBER 2011</span></span></b></h3>
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<span eeeeee=""><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">l: btw u know what i cooked for easter this year?</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">prawn biryani, pimento styled egss, tongue, mutton chops fried and of course salad <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span eeeeee=""><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">j: Woahhhhhhhhh</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">All by yourself? And you eat tongue? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">l: yup <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">j: I have never had tongue <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">l: i had an off so i cooked :) my fav <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">j: I've heard of tongue sandwiches <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">l: actuallty mom had sent the tongue so i can't take credit for it but i did heat it... everything else i prepared from scratch <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">j: Imagine if a vegetarian was reading this conversation... how grossed how s/he would be reading "tongue" as food <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">I'd like to try it some day <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">l: hahaha i know <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">and to think we eat ox tail, and goat feet <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">j: That's one of the few reasons I'm glad to be born a Catlick :P <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">l: i don't eat brain, lover, heart and pig feet hahahaha <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">j: I've had pig's intestines As in... cooked like a sorpotel <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">l: urrghhhhhhhh <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">j: But differnt <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">l: not my thing <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">are u sure it was pig and not cow's <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">j: It doesn't look like intestines <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">l: i've heard of cow's intestine <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">j: And is cut into tiny pieces And cleaned very well <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">l: i know... imagine <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">j: My uncle is an expert in it <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">l: btw the tongue is sliced up so u don't really know <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">j: Called "rakhti" because it involves cooking with pig's blood <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">l: i see <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">j: But when it's made her now... we don't add blood <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">l: my aunt puts pig's blood in sorpotel <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span eeeeee=""><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">j: <b>Anthony Bourdain would like us very much :P</b></span><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKN7H5ZpXVkSSW-qBEmExltx12F_0cUx2qfeshyphenhyphene7Ncgth7V8k_DRlY2LvSGvZhkY7oThskk5A8jDFFetv3NZ9RG1aogDZUrVevYQPjin90Ea96jw915LNHPL6RXSc7WZaLVUq/s1600/bourdain_blog.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span black="" color:="" eeeeee=""><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1264" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKN7H5ZpXVkSSW-qBEmExltx12F_0cUx2qfeshyphenhyphene7Ncgth7V8k_DRlY2LvSGvZhkY7oThskk5A8jDFFetv3NZ9RG1aogDZUrVevYQPjin90Ea96jw915LNHPL6RXSc7WZaLVUq/s400/bourdain_blog.png" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><span eeeeee="">Screengrab courtesy: explorepartsunknown.com</span></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><i><span eeeeee="">Yes, Tony... what we'd have given to have met you even once! You inspired us to look at and beyond food in our personal journeys. You opened our minds and hearts to a world that wasn't always Instagram-worthy, yet it was meaningful and far more interesting. We lived and learned and loved the world through your eyes. Thank you for the stories. I am sure you're rocking the heavens too!</span></i></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><i><span eeeeee=""><br /></span></i></span></b> <b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><i><span eeeeee=""><br /></span></i></span></b>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><b><i eeeeee="">My favorite story teller. When he spoke, you listened. Feel like I've seen the world, eaten the best food, and learned about other cultures just by watching his shows. Thank you for the ride, chef. I wanted to be as cool as you. You were my hero. <a href="https://t.co/VjWTROC9TN">pic.twitter.com/VjWTROC9TN</a></i></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><b><i eeeeee="">— DeeSee (@BeingDeeSee) <a href="https://twitter.com/BeingDeeSee/status/1005152699174842369?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 8, 2018</a></i></b></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><b><i eeeeee=""> </i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">Till we meet again,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span eeeeee="">~j~ </span></span></div>
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~j~http://www.blogger.com/profile/01545750271574664978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11726538.post-21557598505017148162018-02-12T10:29:00.001+05:302018-02-12T10:29:39.166+05:30Going mobile<p dir="ltr">Not sure how I never thought of this earlier, but hey... Blogger has an app and I'm writing this from there. Perhaps this is the push I need to write often. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Testing this now, and also adding a photo from my phone to check how this will pan out. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Have a nice day, wherever you are. </p>
<p dir="ltr">~j~</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJIvPsNj6-CjcqBNTyj5yUjJwyILhCNsAJy97zFPfnWkHsf5HgN2TqC9a3sa77lNhe-YqR1t8H2MfKI3cYdydjsaqLYHILkzGb_pOBeYApYUdgfemOxSKbxaMYiOqtCy1XHhq4/s1600/IMG_20180211_000643.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJIvPsNj6-CjcqBNTyj5yUjJwyILhCNsAJy97zFPfnWkHsf5HgN2TqC9a3sa77lNhe-YqR1t8H2MfKI3cYdydjsaqLYHILkzGb_pOBeYApYUdgfemOxSKbxaMYiOqtCy1XHhq4/s640/IMG_20180211_000643.jpg"> </a> </div>~j~http://www.blogger.com/profile/01545750271574664978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11726538.post-64234874950305432402017-12-31T23:25:00.000+05:302017-12-31T23:25:17.801+05:30From me to me...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It's less than two hours to a brand new year. 2018! Gosh, isn't that something? Why did I decide to sit in front of a laptop and type this? I don't know. And no, I didn't even have some major breakthrough to talk about either. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Has it been a great year? Ummm... in bits and pieces. Like most of my recent years. What defines a "great year" anyway? 365 days of being happy? Can anyone ever claim to be happy or fulfilled every day of the year? Okay, I'm rambling now.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Before I sign out, here are some highlights of 2017:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">- I grew up. Yes, I lived alone for the most part and I learned what 'adulting' really was. I have lived alone for a while now, but this year was really the test. During 2015-16, there was a lot going on. I travelled to a few countries on work and also for holidays in 2015 and the next year, the family was down as my niece was born here and that was the major focus for everyone at home. And then September 2016, the family vanished. Brother took sis-in-law and niece abroad where he is on a work assignment, and parents returned to Mangalore which is where they've been based for a few years now. So yeah, I am responsible for day-to-day living and managing of expenses. It's bloody hard, but I think I've finally come around to it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">- As part of the adulting process, I - along with help from my family - finally invested in property. That was probably the most stressful part of the year with the running around for the paperwork and getting my savings out. Even though the EMIs have already kicked in, it hasn't hit me yet. I still need to put down my thoughts on this. Hopefully, I will.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">- I ditched artificial jewellery. You might think this is weird, but I've always loved jewellery - just not the kind made of gold or precious stones. I had invested a little in one of those Tanishq schemes and at the end of the period, could use the amount + a little extra to buy their products. So, I ended up buying a few things - some for me and some for the family. A pair of small diamond earrings (my first diamonds) are now sorta permanent and I wear a really thin chain with a small pendant. It's not about the money that got spent or what these are. As I grow older, I find myself being drawn to classic styles that don't need much work. I am not a fashion person, nor am I huge on 'dressing up', so these ornaments are apt and serve as 'staples' that are super low maintenance. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">- I rediscovered music. Yes, it was via a certain Mr John Mayer. And yes, my friends have hated this the most about me this year. But let me clarify something - I've ALWAYS LOVED his music. Don't believe me? Check my <a href="https://www.blogger.com/profile/01545750271574664978" target="_blank"><b>Blogger profile</b></a>. Mayer is listed there with a bunch of others and I wrote this silly bio years ago. Honestly, I had even forgotten about it. It may sound stupid considering how old I am but JM's music *found* me around January-February when I was going through a terribly low phase. To counter whatever was going on, I started researching anything and everything about him. The years I had missed. And those seemed like many, many years. Imagine I had lost touch since 2009. And when I look back at my own timeline, I see <i>why</i> and <i>how </i>I was disconnected from music. Today, he is my absolute favourite for a number of reasons. I won't delve into those. His talent and life's story have been my rock in 2017 and just for that - THANK YOU, JOHN. (Now, just help me tick off a bucket list item soon!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>By the way, I also bought a JBL Flip 3 Bluetooth speaker this year and listening to John Mayer, internet radio, YouTube stuff, and the odd podcasts through it has been simply kickass. It's my companion when the house gets too quiet.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">- I attended the Ed Sheeran concert. Was fun! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Despite the fact I could barely see a thing, I enjoyed the music. </span></div>
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bb2XoXgFBWQ/" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">"How Would You Feel (Paean)" >> My second favourite thing about this Ed Sheeran song is how he brings out a stage hand - a carpenter on his world tour - to play piano on this. PJ Smith is incredibly good at it. 🎹 . . . PS: First fav thing is that the studio version of the song has an uncredited #JohnMayer guitar solo in it. 😉 🎸 . . PPS: Shitty quality video 'coz phone is on its deathbed. . . . #EdSheeran #EdSheeranMumbai #PJSmith #Piano #Guitar #HowWouldYouFeel #Paean #JioGarden #BKC #Concert #Music #LiveMusic #Divide #Mumbai #Bombay #India #DivideTour #Throwback #ThrowbackThursday #TBT #Flashback #GoodMusic @teddysphotos @johnmayer</a></div>
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A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/vodkaholic/" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" target="_blank"> ~j~</a> (@vodkaholic) on <time datetime="2017-11-23T20:10:44+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Nov 23, 2017 at 12:10pm PST</time></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">- I returned to Postcrossing after a long break from it. It's a slow process for now and supposed to be that way. I've promised myself to not write more than 1-2 postcards at a time. That way, I can take my time and not get too "busy" for it. Gotta write a couple tonight. Yes, it's a great habit/hobby to have. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">- Work wasn't a highlight as such, but my team was/is. I was fortunate to find a bunch of good, talented kids who've been supportive and fun to work with. There have been some trying times, but the good outweighed the bad by a great deal. I got severely sick around July-end when we kicked off a new project and was unable to get out of bed for two days. The team was still fairly new, but they told me to stay put and not come to office till I was okay. That really lifted my spirits and has kept us all in good stead over the months. I hope I was a good boss to them and hope I can get better in the year ahead.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This is it for now. I might have more to say, but (a) I can't recall everything right now, and (b) I have to rush for midnight Mass. Yes, that's how I'm starting my year. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I don't know if anyone still reads my posts. They are hardly noteworthy now, but if you are reading this, <b>THANK YOU</b>. And I wish you a year full of happiness and bright possibilities. May all your dreams come true! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Love,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">~j~</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">PS: This post isn't going to be edited (like I do with everything I write). I need to really let my writing be more carefree and not sanitised. No? The stupid "editor" in me is forced to check grammar, spellings, punctuation and whatnot. Maybe this year, less of that on the blog at least. :)</span></div>
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~j~http://www.blogger.com/profile/01545750271574664978noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11726538.post-78646992611224188092017-05-04T15:20:00.002+05:302017-05-04T15:20:46.815+05:30A fine line<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">There's a fine line between joking with someone and targetted harassment. Never forget that. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">~j~</span></div>
~j~http://www.blogger.com/profile/01545750271574664978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11726538.post-13223859835108855012017-05-01T04:05:00.002+05:302017-05-04T15:22:31.978+05:30Things to do when a wave of sadness hits you...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9y5pINvVIk5qPYDw5AjzOPye3X2gR9ynuioT3BY_inTltjckcqiCzPALrEBO6dt_pGd_1cmmpxVco9B1j5SJ6xgRkmgUmHyEpqSeGSiQkQzt13v-rUrHLouFVyjTqmq3GULVQ/s1600/life_pills.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9y5pINvVIk5qPYDw5AjzOPye3X2gR9ynuioT3BY_inTltjckcqiCzPALrEBO6dt_pGd_1cmmpxVco9B1j5SJ6xgRkmgUmHyEpqSeGSiQkQzt13v-rUrHLouFVyjTqmq3GULVQ/s400/life_pills.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Take a chill pill and maybe some of these too! (Image Source: Unknown; Don't sue me!)</span></td></tr>
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<b style="font-family: inherit;">In no particular order:</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"># Listen to some upbeat music and sing your favourite lyrics out loud.</span><br />
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# Or just DANCE - even if you have two left feet like mine. Here's my current jam:</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/krQblwXLxos?rel=0&controls=0" width="560"></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"># Think of parents, family, friends, just about anyone who loves you - pretty much unconditionally.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"># Read old, funny IM conversations you've had with your favourite people. Like the ones I have with Lo and DC... So much entertainment! </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">(Thank God for search functionality within chat apps)</i></div>
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<i><br /></i><span style="font-family: inherit;"># Check out the Instagram 'Explore' tab and discover interesting people and their feeds. Some of the super accounts I follow: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/mumbaipaused" target="_blank"><b>mumbaipaused</b></a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/marsder" target="_blank"><b>marsder</b></a>, <b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/petesouza/" target="_blank">petesouza</a></b>. Go, check them out NOW.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"># Dream of Japan. </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">(Insert your own dream destination.)</i></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7LTucSj7zJVCtLGvv6uk13rmX5BKt41gmcoThdYKxbz-WhTcuqiGMV88HUoyhhyohGSIecoay6fb419uFROPa7IOppnpsudi4z1AQF4POAouOJJx4YVJsfwpgxQs-FBF0hr3K/s1600/IMG_20151130_132558_HDR_JPN_Kobe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7LTucSj7zJVCtLGvv6uk13rmX5BKt41gmcoThdYKxbz-WhTcuqiGMV88HUoyhhyohGSIecoay6fb419uFROPa7IOppnpsudi4z1AQF4POAouOJJx4YVJsfwpgxQs-FBF0hr3K/s400/IMG_20151130_132558_HDR_JPN_Kobe.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Somewhere along the Hanshin Expressway, Kobe - Japan | December 2015</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"># Count your blessings. Be grateful. EVERY DAY.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"># Pray. Without an agenda. </span></div>
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That's all I can think of for now. It's well past 4 AM at the moment. Signing off with this uplifting (?) thought that I found in some forgotten folder of my laptop...<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOduG-9aYRLj6d3rm-oS0PE45GC9MELvt9nIY90xbasTUTIY73MwoSKAZqaZcl6GhPYkh9QjwmywMfEb010EcCQB_XgpCmuH3juALXx7GfaMaqFynA-koWxIgZpDwQdHwxobIZ/s1600/screwed_bigwetball.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOduG-9aYRLj6d3rm-oS0PE45GC9MELvt9nIY90xbasTUTIY73MwoSKAZqaZcl6GhPYkh9QjwmywMfEb010EcCQB_XgpCmuH3juALXx7GfaMaqFynA-koWxIgZpDwQdHwxobIZ/s640/screwed_bigwetball.jpeg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Image Source: Unknown. Sorry!</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Peace/XO,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">~j~ </span></div>
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~j~http://www.blogger.com/profile/01545750271574664978noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11726538.post-68420950320081535902017-04-15T19:24:00.000+05:302017-04-15T19:24:54.145+05:30BEST Interview Ever (and Happy Easter)!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>"Your true life exists in between the period of time where you stop being an ass and something kills you. That's your life, and I just started my life."</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #4c1130; font-weight: 600;">JOHN MAYER</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #4c1130; font-weight: 600;">***</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Honest, candid, thoughtful and positive! These are the words that first struck me after listening to this superb interview of John Mayer by Talia Schlanger. And I've listened to it twice already. Ms Schlanger did an outstanding job of conducting this with class. The questions and prompts were smart and effective. And the best part is she handled some of the obvious done-to-death talking points with such sensitivity that even JM surprised us and himself at the end to round off the perfect interview. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Set aside 35 minutes and press 'play' below to listen: </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="290" scrolling="no" src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/523652905/523814525" title="NPR embedded audio player" width="100%"></iframe></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I have so many favourite bits in it! Listing a few here:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">On being asked whether he's nervous about his parents hearing 'In The Blood', he goes </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">"Nah!"</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> followed with </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">"A good song explains its own existence."</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">JM reading the lines from 'In The Blood' as per Talia's request and his laugh at her reaction. Priceless. (And gosh, what a brilliant </span><b style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://youtu.be/ob-jS7bqYgI">track</a> </b><span style="font-family: inherit;">this is!)</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Q: "</span><i style="font-family: inherit;">How did you get over that?"</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> A: </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">"Just die and come back to life."</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><i style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"I was like, "Got it. Let me just go take a breather, I'll see you again, I'm gonna go disappear for a minute, get my head together" and repaired it and came back and it's like — I've never had more fun in my life playing music. I've never had more fun in my life. And I'm glad I had the experience of growing my hair long and walking around drunk in New York City and no one bothering me. I got to have some years that I didn't get before. Like Bill Murray says, "Everybody's an ass for two years when they first become a celebrity," but I didn't do my two years until later on."</span></span></i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">On fame: </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">"I realized that it doesn't fit me to be any bigger than the music is. It doesn't fit."</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Love the stories behind how/where these two songs came into being: 'The Theme from The Search For Everything' (Christmas Day/Joshua Tree) and 'You're Gonna Live Forever In Me' (In the shower:</span><i style="font-family: inherit;">"hard-typed on an iPhone with wet hands"</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">).</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><b style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></b></div>
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<b style="font-family: inherit;">THE</b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><b> poem</b> that kicked off his seventh studio album 'The Search For Everything' (which JM originally posted <a href="https://li.st/john/the-search-for-everything-4eiERDK6LvI7dgoKlTmx1S" style="font-weight: bold;">here</a> by the way</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">). Beautiful words!</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><ul style="text-align: left;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Show some love to </span>Ms<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"> Schlanger and </span>Mr<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"> Mayer, will ya? </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">♥</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hear my full chat w/<a href="https://twitter.com/JohnMayer">@JohnMayer</a> about <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/thesearchforeverything?src=hash">#thesearchforeverything</a> for <a href="https://twitter.com/WorldCafe">@WorldCafe</a>. Thanks JM, for your honesty + humanity. <a href="https://t.co/JyJou5AwU4">https://t.co/JyJou5AwU4</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">— Talia Schlanger (@TaliaSchlanger) <a href="https://twitter.com/TaliaSchlanger/status/852868774990680064">April 14, 2017</a></span></div>
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<b style="font-family: inherit;">Finally...</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Can't think of how apt the timing of this post is... It's Easter weekend. A time for new life, new beginnings and positive vibes. John Mayer is turning his life around and inspiring me on so many levels. I really hope all those vultures outside his door will now move on and get over their obsession with JM's personal life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Here's all the music from his latest venture:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SmYa7pYHU00?list=PLGm9PgCjc-iuydJJG4nDgl167q_7VxJ_I" width="560"></iframe></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Happy Easter, folks. </b>May you be successful in your search for everything!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">~j~ </span></div>
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~j~http://www.blogger.com/profile/01545750271574664978noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11726538.post-72590139856505326072017-01-09T18:15:00.000+05:302017-01-09T18:15:31.329+05:30"Take your broken heart, make it into art."<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Mondays can suck. Especially when you're coming back to work after a five-day break. Anyway, if you need a little pick-me-up, here are two videos from the Golden Globes held earlier today. One where Viola Davis pays tribute to Meryl Streep and the second is Streep's speech on receiving the Cecil B. DeMille Award for her body of work over the years.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="315" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FGoldenGlobes%2Fvideos%2F1420658437976170%2F&show_text=0&width=560" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="315" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FGoldenGlobes%2Fvideos%2F1420657734642907%2F&show_text=0&width=560" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" width="560"></iframe><br />
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I'm ignoring the hate that Streep is getting for the 'political' slant she took (some of the comments are just vile), but that final Carrie Fisher quote has just become a major inspiration for the year ahead.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="giphy-embed" frameborder="0" height="265" src="//giphy.com/embed/l0MYPlvrUhzQulnI4" width="480"></iframe><a href="http://giphy.com/gifs/goldenglobes-l0MYPlvrUhzQulnI4">via GIPHY</a><br />
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<b><i>Take your broken heart, make it into art.</i></b> How beautiful! 💔<br />
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~j~</div>
~j~http://www.blogger.com/profile/01545750271574664978noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11726538.post-6737808001461847062017-01-02T01:05:00.002+05:302017-01-02T11:11:05.481+05:302016-2017: Musings<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b><i>Damn, the year has flown by!</i></b><br />
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Now where have I heard those words before? Yeah, that's pretty much what we say EVERY December as the end of the year approaches. But it felt a bit different this year for me. I was busy in phases, and the last three months were incredibly slow - at least it felt like that. So do I hate 2016? Umm... not completely.<br />
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For starters, it brought about the birth of my niece (and godchild) - a tiny miracle that left me weeping when I first laid eyes on her. She has turned our world upside down and changed us as humans. How can someone so little have so much power over the rest of us? Even though she's far away in another country now, just a glimpse of her on video calls or her photos brightens the dullest days. A blessing like no other!<br />
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I lived all by myself in patches during the year. And it was fine for the most part. But after the niece and the rest of the family left, I had a tough time by myself. I went back to being an insomniac - and this time, neither television nor social media could help. They probably made it worse.<br />
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Don't get me wrong. I do like my space and solitude. I enjoy being alone. But this time, it was strange, and made me a lot sadder than any other time. Maybe having a baby in the house - and then her absence - does that to you.<br />
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Work was okay. Nothing to tom-tom about - unlike the previous two years - or even cry about. Same old same, but it did leave me wondering a few times where I'm headed and if I should consider other options.<br />
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Health was the biggest #fail of 2016. I had every intention to kickstart a diet and exercise routine, but NOTHING happened. Except for that one week where I decided to go on this 'keto' diet and lost a kilo. A whole freakin' kilo! An ex-colleague was doing the keto diligently to get leaner and boy, there were some stunning results. Of course, it helps he isn't particularly unfit in the first place. Keto focuses on a high protein/fat and zero carbs/sugar diet - which is all good until your energy levels go south and you start feeling like shit. You get moody (and imagine a woman having another reason to have mood swings!) and your mind plays games with your stomach. So that spiralled out of control in December and with all the weddings I had to attend, "Diet, be damned!" became my life's theme for some time.<br />
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Cut to January 1, 2017. A new day, a new week, a new month and a new year set to unfold. And while I'm a bit stressed out on the family front this week, I am ready to give this year a shot. I'm promising myself to get health on track. Small steps.<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><i>Eating healthy by eliminating carbs and sugar slowly</i></li>
<li><i>Cutting down on junk/beverages</i></li>
<li><i>Getting fresh air and enough sleep</i></li>
<li><i>A brisk walk everyday and then adding other exercise or yoga to it</i></li>
</ul>
And then there's these three things that I must do at all costs:<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><i>Read</i></li>
<li><i>Make</i></li>
<li><i>Give</i></li>
</ul>
Finally, two pictures will sum up my past year. These are apparently my best nine photos (based on likes) on Instagram in 2015 and 2016. See the reduced number of posts for the latter? And also, the kind of posts? In 2015, travel to the UAE dominated the feed, while in 2016 all my yearning for Japan crept up in my posts (Sample this: Japanese Lantern Festival, MUJI store in Mumbai, throwback posts to time spent in Japan!).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk93WnVl_uQBWWMEJ3QMcUfw4cqk4JYPSsj_s6w-GYz8jUwWRcN-k1C5PzoOlKEkaNI43gieO7zoTrWKKbIrrho8G9LpJ44BZCBSemnhni_bj9HztmHABd7uQ4bLJd8VOpCg-o/s1600/vodkaholic_full_2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk93WnVl_uQBWWMEJ3QMcUfw4cqk4JYPSsj_s6w-GYz8jUwWRcN-k1C5PzoOlKEkaNI43gieO7zoTrWKKbIrrho8G9LpJ44BZCBSemnhni_bj9HztmHABd7uQ4bLJd8VOpCg-o/s640/vodkaholic_full_2015.jpg" width="512" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtAH_QC5CftzbD6Ok7Li9OC1LewWXhNENyKCVXlsf1Y5i-MVaVp5TijHtOEzhPO-foHhLhJtQFX9qSiv6aASqC6PFL-TP1ZRi98AWCbzUJKYIhTF5HAi6iKW3nvLBZPltM0hc_/s1600/vodkaholic_full_2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtAH_QC5CftzbD6Ok7Li9OC1LewWXhNENyKCVXlsf1Y5i-MVaVp5TijHtOEzhPO-foHhLhJtQFX9qSiv6aASqC6PFL-TP1ZRi98AWCbzUJKYIhTF5HAi6iKW3nvLBZPltM0hc_/s640/vodkaholic_full_2016.jpg" width="512" /></a></div>
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That's it. I don't have much to say. Hope to return to a bit of blogging this year and report on health goals. Have a wonderful 2017, guys! Let's make each day count.<br />
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Warmest regards,<br />
~j~<br />
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~j~http://www.blogger.com/profile/01545750271574664978noreply@blogger.com3United States46.558860303117171 -126.914062521.036825803117171 -168.2226565 72.080894803117175 -85.6054685tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11726538.post-52908473520832970412016-01-27T00:56:00.001+05:302016-01-27T00:56:43.947+05:30Scratch a blog...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: justify;">Two and a half years ago, I took off with friends to a resort in Khopoli for an overnight trip. While we were there, we decided to explore the nearby Morbhe Dam (not accessible to public) and the surrounding villages. It was rainy but definitely not depressing. Carpets of lush green grass, a little hilly terrain, the occasional tiny waterfall, grey skies, cool breeze and droplets from the sky marked that evening's drive.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigXs7xnf2aiD62z9BC1qpdKfJK0mwJ7LVyoShPSkrkt9G7i0ntS8lpEGqaJkjcHCUmyzrOjGpdnM9sIQgA_ijGgBuQJWTZoIpE9QM8TjiBZaska8tUvDeDTbSpety-tq4efOEb/s1600/130713_khopoli.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigXs7xnf2aiD62z9BC1qpdKfJK0mwJ7LVyoShPSkrkt9G7i0ntS8lpEGqaJkjcHCUmyzrOjGpdnM9sIQgA_ijGgBuQJWTZoIpE9QM8TjiBZaska8tUvDeDTbSpety-tq4efOEb/s1600/130713_khopoli.jpg" width="480" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I came across this idol placed near some rocks. No clue who it is (and I couldn't get closer because we had to rush back), but it reminded me of Arun Kolatkar and his famous work of poetry entitled </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Jejuri</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. A collection of poems focused on the temple town of Jejuri (which is still on my travel list) in Maharashtra, the lines from "Scratch" are my favourite. And here's one that has always stayed with me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>scratch a rock</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>and a legend springs</i></b></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Look it up if you like!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Found this post lying in my drafts and thought it's necessary to kick the blogging lethargy away. Hoping to scratch more rocks and write more in the weeks/months ahead. Trust 2016 is treating you well! More soon...</span><br />
<br />
~j~<br />
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~j~http://www.blogger.com/profile/01545750271574664978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11726538.post-30971459169665086272015-03-26T03:40:00.000+05:302015-03-26T03:40:16.879+05:30Insomnia Express<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">For some unexplained reason, I've been wanting to blog all day. Write a few lines at the very least. Or at least cheat with some pictures on the photo blog (which needs to be revived). But NOTHING.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It's well past 3 AM and I am still wide awake. Dammit. Reading (or trying to read) as many things being thrown at me by the world wide web*! And you know where that leads you... Straight into insomnia hell. Well, I think I'll just go back to reading and dreaming of that next holiday.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My desk looks calm, but my mind is all over the place.</td></tr>
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Okay, enough. Thanks for stopping by. :)<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">~j~</span><br />
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<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">*PS: <a href="http://www.natgeotraveller.in/" target="_blank"><b>National Geographic Traveller India</b></a> has some great content, by the way. Their social pages on Facebook and Twitter are constantly pushing out features which are quite refreshing. Just thought you should know, especially if you love travel! #NotASponsoredMessage </span></div>
~j~http://www.blogger.com/profile/01545750271574664978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11726538.post-24018256294008887662015-03-13T02:12:00.002+05:302015-03-13T02:12:29.453+05:30Heartbreak Warfare<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzysTmHbHrvdcHk5U3jb8PFcxJJliYX0REu0_xGdIKd8jNRkQLhaYLsYf5GAgXQttlao9veNaa3Ga9-I9IulIp4t5DtNULh2UB5L24XtNNj_UhjsgDIJO5BpvC5z4D7_YqTJb2/s1600/heartkeychain.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzysTmHbHrvdcHk5U3jb8PFcxJJliYX0REu0_xGdIKd8jNRkQLhaYLsYf5GAgXQttlao9veNaa3Ga9-I9IulIp4t5DtNULh2UB5L24XtNNj_UhjsgDIJO5BpvC5z4D7_YqTJb2/s1600/heartkeychain.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It takes very little to break one's heart, no? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Watching your favourite cricketer stranded on 99 or some such significant milestone. Having your best friend back in the city after years of her being away only to know she's moving further away. Being unable to relate to friends with husbands/wives and now, babies. Losing out on travel opportunities because you put others' interests ahead of your own. Meeting the man of your dreams only to realise he's already taken. Or in the process of being taken. And you have to be supportive about it because he is also the friend you can't lose. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Indeed, it takes very little. </span></div>
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~j~<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">PS: Don McLean's American Pie plays in my head as I type this. Only because: "... I know that you're in love with him/ 'Cause I saw you dancin' in the gym/ You both kicked off your shoes/ Man, I dig those rhythm and blues.../ I was a lonely teenage bronckin' buck/ With a pink carnation and a pickup truck/ But I knew I was outta luck/ The day the music died."</span></span></div>
~j~http://www.blogger.com/profile/01545750271574664978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11726538.post-5335394858203836082014-11-03T11:00:00.000+05:302014-11-03T11:00:01.477+05:30TV Dinners<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">There I was, on my day off at home, switching between TV channels and came across Vh1. Some random song was playing and I wasn't even looking up from whatever I was doing. Then I heard this familiar strain and looked up and saw singer Anushka Manchanda in a video with another 'firang' guy. And soon I was actually humming a line or two. What song was this??? How the hell did I know the words? The credits that rolled at the end of the track called it 'Chase Every Dream' and it was on an album called '<b>TV Dinners</b>'. Then it struck me as *that* <a href="http://youtu.be/8jjdxt_2vOY" target="_blank"><b>Levi's ad</b></a> and it intrigued me enough to Google it all. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">So <b>Mikey McCleary</b> is this music composer who has worked with really big brands like Vodafone, Levi's and more for their ad jingles. On the request of many fans, he decided to extend the jingles into full tracks. And all of them are now part of his <a href="http://pepsimtvindies.com/buzz/update/tv-dinners-by-mikey-mccleary-out-now-52192049.html" target="_blank">unique debut album</a> called 'TV Dinners'. Cool, right? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">You can watch the video here for 'Chase Every Dream' featuring a host of well known faces: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">And if, like me, you find this really interesting, here's the full playlist:</span><br />
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<iframe frameborder="no" height="450" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/playlists/45762015&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true" width="100%"></iframe>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Happy listening!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">~j~ </span></div>
~j~http://www.blogger.com/profile/01545750271574664978noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11726538.post-64953227172352337422014-11-01T03:36:00.000+05:302014-11-01T03:36:15.362+05:30Now-ember<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Wake me up when September... oh wait, even October has ended! Wow... time really flies. Two months to 2015! Imagine that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I have spent the better part of 2014 drowning in work. Most of it, in just one project. ONE massive project culminating in December. When I look back at this year, I feel so many emotions. Love. Hatred. Frustration. Dejection. Pride. Happiness. Sadness. Depression. At so many different levels. But I also feel blessed in many ways. Some power above me has looked after me in moments of despair and need. Things clicked when they weren't supposed to. And of course, I am truly grateful for my family and friends who made my life a little easier.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">While I continue being busy over the next seven weeks, I do have a few interesting non-work things to look forward to. For starters, Dilip D'Souza - amazing writer and a friend - releases his latest book, '<a href="http://www.amazon.in/Final-Test-Exit-Sachin-Tendulkar/dp/8184006365/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414787100&sr=8-1&keywords=dilip+d%27souza" target="_blank">Final Test: Exit Sachin Tendulkar</a>' this weekend. I hope to make it to the event. In any case, don't forget to check out the book.</span></div>
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<a href="https://instagram.com/p/uxSGpjBLES/" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_top">A photo posted by ~j~ (@vodkaholic)</a> on <time datetime="2014-10-30T08:32:08+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Oct 10, 2014 at 1:32am PDT</time></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Second, my latest purchase - the <a href="http://www.amazon.in/Canon-PowerShot-S200-Digital-optical/dp/B00G6EMHLE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413544042&sr=8-1&keywords=canon+S200" target="_blank">Canon PowerShot S200</a>. Yes, it's a point-and-shoot. But I'm excited. I think, lately, I've lost my photography mojo. So after getting suitably tempted by DeeSee and Stu who have the same camera, it happened. All it took was a weak stressful moment to fish my credit card out and pay for this. Thankfully, it was bought at 40% the price. Phew.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Later in December, I'll be attending the weddings of three close cousins. Three in the space of 10 days. And it involves two trips to my native place for the first and third weddings. Expected to be tiring and fun. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">But what I'm most excited about is a holiday scheduled for January 2015. I just booked my tickets. And now have to get my visa, plan an itinerary, sound off people I need to meet while I'm there, read up on what all I should be doing/eating/seeing/experiencing and think of ways to save money for it all. Details coming soon. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Can't wait to take off! I think I've earned it. :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Happy November, folks.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">~j~</span></div>
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~j~http://www.blogger.com/profile/01545750271574664978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11726538.post-14640085723771964042014-08-15T16:01:00.000+05:302014-08-15T16:01:44.181+05:30A for Anthem<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Here's a lovely video by the awesome folks at The Akanksha Foundation in which their children teach us the meaning of our beautiful national anthem. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Happy Independence Day, India!</b></span></span></div>
~j~http://www.blogger.com/profile/01545750271574664978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11726538.post-36025380511686204412014-08-12T23:39:00.003+05:302014-08-15T16:08:24.877+05:30Thank you for the madness!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>"You're only given one little spark of madness. <br />You mustn't lose it."</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Began the day, still sleepy, a little tired - as has been the past few weeks because of work. And it just got a bit sadder when I caught the news of Robin Williams passing away. Twitter, Instagram and Facebook were already plastered with his photos and quotes and video clips by the time I could process it all. It was mass mourning. For a man none of us knew personally. But a man who touched many lives with his personality, his craft, his comic genius, his humanity.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Leaving you with these three tributes to the talented soul...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>This heartbreaking and apt tweet from <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAcademy" target="_blank">The Academy</a>:</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Genie, you're free. <a href="http://t.co/WjA9QuuldD">pic.twitter.com/WjA9QuuldD</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">— The Academy (@TheAcademy) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAcademy/statuses/498996314395246593">August 12, 2014</a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>That time when he owned the stage on 'Whose Line Is It Anyway?':</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://www.moddb.com/videos/whose-line-is-it-anyway-w-robin-williams-full">Whose Line Is It Anyway w/ Robin Williams (FULL) - Mod DB</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://uproxx.com/tv/2014/08/lets-look-back-on-the-time-robin-williams-owned-the-stage-on-whose-line-is-it-anyway/" target="_blank">Link to the article & video</a> (in case the video doesn't display)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>A scene from Dead Poets' Society, my favourite RW movie and one of my all-time favourites:</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Oh, Captain, my Captain... Rest in peace!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">~j~ </span></div>
~j~http://www.blogger.com/profile/01545750271574664978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11726538.post-27430530849390885662014-07-15T18:32:00.001+05:302014-08-15T16:09:52.785+05:30Baklava<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This has been a busy day (and very tiring because of zero rest over the weekend and then an offsite yesterday) but I'm stealing a moment to post these yummy photos.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU9nxHk-LuXrOYyIXIaTRECfdwrJAfVnVKDdiumd9e6hXOtJIcGEeK5ZbcXfYXLVoVyszdlK4KHmtbKqZSE-h_fQAOYofjWTcIUT5BZCr3drLuph7QtwBr3RAmqiZAmwCSrx9C/s1600/IMG_8486.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU9nxHk-LuXrOYyIXIaTRECfdwrJAfVnVKDdiumd9e6hXOtJIcGEeK5ZbcXfYXLVoVyszdlK4KHmtbKqZSE-h_fQAOYofjWTcIUT5BZCr3drLuph7QtwBr3RAmqiZAmwCSrx9C/s1600/IMG_8486.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-HoanEpIwaQPaSe8CY4EKb6HzTzhK9x4tzhH-fCq4E_5q9nuBp_q-7WOOf1sdpCbty5vL0tYzbNIVZ5M6qtPD1PeKM48I8GO9Xq5NvpHiyVuv7CYluFI8QFtxBIA1St139gxa/s1600/IMG_8487.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-HoanEpIwaQPaSe8CY4EKb6HzTzhK9x4tzhH-fCq4E_5q9nuBp_q-7WOOf1sdpCbty5vL0tYzbNIVZ5M6qtPD1PeKM48I8GO9Xq5NvpHiyVuv7CYluFI8QFtxBIA1St139gxa/s1600/IMG_8487.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Originally from Turkey, 'baklava' is a sweet pastry with layers of filo, chopped nuts and a sweet syrup to hold it all. I thought I won't eat more than one small square of it, seeing how rich it was. But I was wrong. :-/ </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Anyway, just thought I'd share these photos that I clicked on a friend's Canon EOS 70D. This was shot indoors but no flash was used. Really nice camera, but oh-so-heavy to lug around.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">~j~</span></div>
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~j~http://www.blogger.com/profile/01545750271574664978noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11726538.post-77578196500870794032014-07-10T16:26:00.001+05:302014-08-15T16:10:07.091+05:30My kinda 'House' music!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I'm in love. With this man. And boy, is he talented or what! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Hugh Laurie</b>'s two albums are fantastic. And this coming from someone who isn't into this kinda music. It's raining outside as I type this... Perfect weather to curl up at home and listen to these gems.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">And those eyes! Le sigh.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">~j~</span><br />
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~j~http://www.blogger.com/profile/01545750271574664978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11726538.post-52930840467887773762014-07-07T01:14:00.000+05:302014-08-15T16:10:35.610+05:30Missing Mangalore<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I've always loved Bombay/Mumbai. Being born and brought up here, it's part of my identity, my DNA. But of late, this city has made me question everything around me. I am forced to throw away any rose-tinted glasses I may have put on. Let's face it. Mumbai is extremely burdened. And it pains me a great deal. And this realisation only hit me last year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">My folks have now moved to our native place, South Canara (or Dakshin Kannad). Mangalore, as it's normally referred to even though it's technically not Mangalore city. Anyway, back to my point. I visit at least once or twice a year. Usually, I can't take more than four days of being 'home'. I would miss the Bombay pace and feel like something is missing. Socialising there meant attending five weddings, two funerals, a house-warming lunch, and going to church. Electricity could sometimes be a pain and one would struggle to get a few bars of connectivity on the phone. I'd feel trapped and wait for the days to pass quickly. But that has changed now. I visited my parents in September for the feast of the Nativity of Mary when as per Mangalorean tradition, we also celebrate the harvest and have this elaborate vegetarian meal served on a banana leaf (more on that some other time). And I didn't want to return after my standard four-day whirlwind trip. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">What changed, you ask? Well, I think I've become old. Sounds silly, but I've been rather tired of hoping it will all get better. This city of dreams has made me an insomniac. When I'm extremely tired, I can't nod off to sleep. Once I do, it's barely 4-6 hours of any rest. And even if I do clock more hours of shut eye, I wake up feeling tired. It's not the case in Mangalore. My parents are early risers, so it's a given that they go to bed by 10pm latest. Lights out. I'm forced to sleep. And then, there it is. Silence. Occasionally interrupted by the sound of a cricket or leaves rustling in the wind. But for the most part, it's quiet. Eerie for my Bombay senses. But I get used to it and soon enough I'm zzz-ing away. Cut to 5am... The alarm doesn't go off because I haven't set one. But I'm wide awake. And feeling energised. Like a dead phone that's completely recharged. Back here in the urban jungle, I end up setting three alarms with loud tones on my phone. AND I STILL CAN'T WAKE UP. So, here I am. I started typing this on a Sunday night and it's already past midnight. Monday, bloody Monday beckons. And I don't look forward to it at all. There are a million things running in my head and all I have been thinking of is Mangalore.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">(I was only supposed to post a few photos in this post. Too bad the ranting also happened. Ah, well!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">So here's what and why I'm missing Mangalore:</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglG7VZtVzyO3r_2TyzZGBIqAxhnKUx92fNcDDWZ3yiMa9ITv_O6ZUGNGldl4pHO2qi8RaF8eUA1JuS9OE8qwFkS3a5MPv00vdgpIMkhTKicchCOtdm6B7seTxn_3HK5ut2qc3r/s1600/20130906_144559.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglG7VZtVzyO3r_2TyzZGBIqAxhnKUx92fNcDDWZ3yiMa9ITv_O6ZUGNGldl4pHO2qi8RaF8eUA1JuS9OE8qwFkS3a5MPv00vdgpIMkhTKicchCOtdm6B7seTxn_3HK5ut2qc3r/s1600/20130906_144559.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Our Home</span></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiDHFOO83AVPYbDG0w-fAp_rcOQCT0wxwAMGprzmea80DSCqA7PixGnDSs7x4NwYr3oVrW6YqYNd69FE3VprUJfaBONxSNtug0EJ8mkbkKId522NjxFqSMOnh5NYjxLKz_xZ6H/s1600/20130906_145606.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiDHFOO83AVPYbDG0w-fAp_rcOQCT0wxwAMGprzmea80DSCqA7PixGnDSs7x4NwYr3oVrW6YqYNd69FE3VprUJfaBONxSNtug0EJ8mkbkKId522NjxFqSMOnh5NYjxLKz_xZ6H/s1600/20130906_145606.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Chillies growing at home</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsbmn4cQ1oYuJvyfh8VAKpBoQ1r1V2OBvxEcQ7k00tdAktNE_WNgnohRuuk5Zvu2trd2FQEnj9KTtQMXdBio9yEyPOheOTOFOcuhca5sAVRvdwYyHRJGQJQ5pIuEtH7ZIkxUAf/s1600/20130906_144920.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsbmn4cQ1oYuJvyfh8VAKpBoQ1r1V2OBvxEcQ7k00tdAktNE_WNgnohRuuk5Zvu2trd2FQEnj9KTtQMXdBio9yEyPOheOTOFOcuhca5sAVRvdwYyHRJGQJQ5pIuEtH7ZIkxUAf/s1600/20130906_144920.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Pepper too...</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid-mcEROjD8BrW6pvKxXRg8pFUp2tYLgMaQvmXfxhO1R4c7FeMbYUUFuOkYqMUikkwLfCQFLJBy0JRDUmWkT4kcK5Csm1zKvATadUTF1bTZXzTTA1CdJ2aJDwoY7FKXsCtCeGV/s1600/20130906_153101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid-mcEROjD8BrW6pvKxXRg8pFUp2tYLgMaQvmXfxhO1R4c7FeMbYUUFuOkYqMUikkwLfCQFLJBy0JRDUmWkT4kcK5Csm1zKvATadUTF1bTZXzTTA1CdJ2aJDwoY7FKXsCtCeGV/s1600/20130906_153101.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Look up and the sky is always framed by those trees</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidlrEu9yhwkbwwJygnHjtUV_DYQg8YRcJ4KyR6geYsUxWD4o1ClzuRCbFZ8lINpJ2KILkZSwiiWPMPrlyuNVgxVJvugK9c_neHy017v69WNxqpkmTrKvcxVpsOtZ8feesRc0h2/s1600/20130906_153159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidlrEu9yhwkbwwJygnHjtUV_DYQg8YRcJ4KyR6geYsUxWD4o1ClzuRCbFZ8lINpJ2KILkZSwiiWPMPrlyuNVgxVJvugK9c_neHy017v69WNxqpkmTrKvcxVpsOtZ8feesRc0h2/s1600/20130906_153159.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Dad busy with his gardening and whatnot</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrpI5uS3oow1bpBwqSRVTC9nonh0-p6u8tsndw6P_s6Y-T72-zqz1lIOukcixxpbwjzpbqHdwAzt6BkCxti1TPS67fEirFw4J66JUTlfcrI4TisMa31aiXaFja0lM7qIiIeWs4/s1600/20140315_091134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrpI5uS3oow1bpBwqSRVTC9nonh0-p6u8tsndw6P_s6Y-T72-zqz1lIOukcixxpbwjzpbqHdwAzt6BkCxti1TPS67fEirFw4J66JUTlfcrI4TisMa31aiXaFja0lM7qIiIeWs4/s1600/20140315_091134.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Occasional visitors</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCnZGuW1DtdN6hsxhlRRttvONkqhosp29ROQyElwOxqnWJsbUuPZWuNZ_nHweVHIhHVU1dc3dvlg8_csavaq1VR74L-e9MvJjX1jXltSN8U8Q-94JMsbyXPObWwplbb0oFWgAC/s1600/20130906_145650.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCnZGuW1DtdN6hsxhlRRttvONkqhosp29ROQyElwOxqnWJsbUuPZWuNZ_nHweVHIhHVU1dc3dvlg8_csavaq1VR74L-e9MvJjX1jXltSN8U8Q-94JMsbyXPObWwplbb0oFWgAC/s1600/20130906_145650.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Bursts of colour</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbk7d95c5DVKVT3X4auBohSXT83R5tLhQukYL_Ym7LSBXy14zuRGEptsMjVhGYlcSoTDufQ3CpZ-t7EhlEJ6oeOJRZTWUZ8bdBOjaM-cgjrVXzv9daCHA2KPaRvZda-0uh3g0s/s1600/20140318_121633.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbk7d95c5DVKVT3X4auBohSXT83R5tLhQukYL_Ym7LSBXy14zuRGEptsMjVhGYlcSoTDufQ3CpZ-t7EhlEJ6oeOJRZTWUZ8bdBOjaM-cgjrVXzv9daCHA2KPaRvZda-0uh3g0s/s1600/20140318_121633.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Traditional Mangalore tiles on roofs</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1E3yf9kHZMsPLcbtz9W3ftmRw0LgMSeQvfWmraB478Rs7Y9PplD6Lnl2Vj4pz-7qVV06RBktPosmm-4XsRr-xkBA8QM62neB618vlNAqfcPOQ4K9BYBxdNODRogdgDdlzvVa4/s1600/20140315_091520.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1E3yf9kHZMsPLcbtz9W3ftmRw0LgMSeQvfWmraB478Rs7Y9PplD6Lnl2Vj4pz-7qVV06RBktPosmm-4XsRr-xkBA8QM62neB618vlNAqfcPOQ4K9BYBxdNODRogdgDdlzvVa4/s1600/20140315_091520.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Some with a hint of modernity... TV dish and all.</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_afwbjFmLGr0jKtizW1APXlBthuV0ntnIt0RGWcz0wCF_q08NWEz0_4q3BcxFCaHNItBKxrExaH_SUetq-1jU1lRjCfLlT83WkdZbfimr1BvbmSPF9HNkul4mqD8iOZEF_vUZ/s1600/20140318_121614.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_afwbjFmLGr0jKtizW1APXlBthuV0ntnIt0RGWcz0wCF_q08NWEz0_4q3BcxFCaHNItBKxrExaH_SUetq-1jU1lRjCfLlT83WkdZbfimr1BvbmSPF9HNkul4mqD8iOZEF_vUZ/s1600/20140318_121614.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Candy coloured residences at the other end of the spectrum</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQU_mEaIpbHtP__WrmHrCX05KZ-Fcb8MgSbUpR1AxVds3lCus1CXLWFQ6N-enTp9c1_4gA3epJ2ixo9KEQL1kV9jxJ6xRf-zybDzG-FmqCM6hIjIQnUs7MR7JWQPyBmeIfbZcP/s1600/20140315_091342.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQU_mEaIpbHtP__WrmHrCX05KZ-Fcb8MgSbUpR1AxVds3lCus1CXLWFQ6N-enTp9c1_4gA3epJ2ixo9KEQL1kV9jxJ6xRf-zybDzG-FmqCM6hIjIQnUs7MR7JWQPyBmeIfbZcP/s1600/20140315_091342.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">And some abandoned dreams</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Ignore the rant. Hope you liked the picture postcards.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">~j~</span></div>
</div>
~j~http://www.blogger.com/profile/01545750271574664978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11726538.post-26377327036006767482014-03-11T21:12:00.000+05:302014-11-01T03:46:18.764+05:30La-La-Lanka!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">2012. That was the year I had earmarked for a trip to Sri
Lanka with a couple of my friends. But fate intervened. My brother met a
lovely girl in April that year and decided to get married. That same
year. In December! The same month I was to be off to the island nation. A
bittersweet feeling ensued with having to abandon travel plans but a celebration in the family was a very valid reason. Cut to 2014. And Sri Lanka has still not
happened. Work and other priorities took over since the last few months.
I wasn't even planning any travel even though at the back of my mind,
the thought remained.<br /><br />You know one of my favourite past-times is to browse
travel-related websites and blogs. I've always enjoyed reading up about
a particular place and dreaming of what it would be like to be there.
Of course, that would then mean running searches on some of the trustworthy
websites for airline fares, accommodation options and general
information regarding any paperwork like visas for international
destinations. <br /><br />Sri Lanka still holds one of the top spots on my wander<i>list</i>. Reasons? Well, I give you three obvious ones:<br /><br /><b>1. The place itself! Duh!</b><br />Sri
Lanka has a lot to offer. Travellers can soak up the sun at a beach or
chug through the countryside in a train or be surrounded by lush
plantations or
even get in touch with their spiritual side. From whatever I've heard
and read about the country, there's only been positive feedback. And the
food! If those TV shows about Sri Lankan food are anything to go by,
the avid foodie in me can't wait to try out native delicacies.<br /><br /><b>2. "So much to do, so little time."</b><br />It's
not too far from India so it won't hurt my annual leave quota. I could take 5
days off from work and that effectively means 9 days in all (with the
weekends on either side of the 5 days). That means exploring a lot more than
if it involved travelling to the other side of the world. Time saved is
always valuable. Plus it means I can do one more long trip in the same
calendar year (Cambodia? Pondicherry? Now that's a topic for a separate post.)<br /><br /><b>3. The foreign exchange rate!</b> <br />At the time of writing this, <b><a href="http://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/convert/?Amount=1&From=USD&To=LKR">1 USD = 130.510 LKR</a></b>.
Which means, 1 INR = 2.14 LKR. Which means MORE money to spend on a
worthwhile experience and not have to worry about everything being
expensive!<br /><br />Now, now, now... it's not all good news.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Let's
face it! Flight fares are expensive these days. Even heading to a place
like Sri Lanka or Thailand will burn a small hole in your pocket. What
do you skimp on? Especially when you're a female traveller, staying at a
cheap-but-shady accommodation is ruled out because of safety reasons. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">BUT here's where a resource like <b><a href="http://www.skyscanner.co.in/">Skyscanner</a> </b>comes
handy. I've been using the Skyscanner Flights app on my Android phone
for a while now after a friend recommended it to me. The app is
fantastic in itself. It tracks air fares across multiple airlines and
gives you the best rates. And once you've figured what to pick, it
directs you to the airline website or travel agent for the bookings. Simple!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">You
can filter your search not just by price (even though that's my main
reason of using Skyscanner) but also by airline, class of cabin and even
landing/take-off time.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">One feature of the app which is
beneficial to on-the-spur travellers who are not tied down to a 9-to-5
job is to search for any destination for any date from your country. That gives you fares across the calendar and you can then probably grab a bargain. </span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCnSciaJwldpoAcz9LqdqTclb1iujSjmnz1M8ZZKA4hhGtrB3RIihk3NZAZVlrcgN28LrHHbKwYj93RmSY-GDXDz5F2aLtsOwLnDKUU0isDtlfJc0ACHe0kQrG-9gB8Dohej4h/s1600/Skyscanner_01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCnSciaJwldpoAcz9LqdqTclb1iujSjmnz1M8ZZKA4hhGtrB3RIihk3NZAZVlrcgN28LrHHbKwYj93RmSY-GDXDz5F2aLtsOwLnDKUU0isDtlfJc0ACHe0kQrG-9gB8Dohej4h/s1600/Skyscanner_01.JPG" height="250" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click to view a larger size</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I just realised the website also offers hotel and car rental options. Wonderful! If you seen the screenshot above, June fares seem a tad better. With a stopover at Chennai, a SpiceJet return ticket could cost just under Rs. 16,000 per head. Not bad.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">My smart travel checklist for Sri Lanka (or any place) would also include:</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">- Visa requirements, application and related documents</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">- Accommodation research</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">- Outline of an itinerary (which could be flexible)</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">- Research about the weather and essentials regarding safety</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">- Talking to people who've travelled there before and/or talking to any locals you may know</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">- Reading travel blogs/websites</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">- Setting aside a budget for the trip</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">As for the last point, if you're not born with a silver spoon, you better start saving for a trip anywhere. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">For now, I have about two-and-a-half months to research and plan. I'm looking to visit Sri Lanka after mid-June. I know it's the rainy season, but one look at Shivya's <a href="http://the-shooting-star.com/travels/sri-lanka/" target="_blank"><b>posts</b></a> about her Lankan getaway in June 2013 tempted me a great deal. In particular, I'm hoping to try <a href="http://the-shooting-star.com/2013/06/24/sri-lanka-train-to-ella/" target="_blank"><b>this train ride to Ella</b></a>. The photos are just breathtaking. It also helps that my friend is game to join me in June. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ok, here's what I'm thinking: Take 8-9 days off exploring Colombo-Negombo-Kandy-Ella-Nuwara Eliya and maybe if possible, Galle or the Sacred City of Anuradhapura. The last one because it's a World Heritage Site and also because I know a local who hails from Anuradhapura. Would be nice to visit. Right now, I'm only in the very first phase of my research. So if any of you have travelled to this part of the world, please feel free to share your tips and advice.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Fingers crossed, this trip will happen. It's been almost four years since I took a long vacation and Sri Lanka is definitely a destination I would love to have stamped on my passport.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Cheers,</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">~j~</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">NOTE: This post was originally written as an entry for <a href="http://www.indiblogger.in/topic.php?topic=100" target="_blank">#TravelSmarterWithSkyscanner</a> contest hosted on IndiBlogger. It's also the first time I'm participating in a contest. But win or not, I'm definitely going to Sri Lanka this year. :)</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></span></span></div>
</div>
~j~http://www.blogger.com/profile/01545750271574664978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11726538.post-69051557988289573772014-01-14T18:28:00.002+05:302014-01-14T18:28:11.816+05:30Kite Runners<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">The blinds at my office window were down but I could see a moving shadow behind it.</span><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> Then it hit me!</span><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> There was a simple brown paper kite suspended a little away. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">So I tried sliding the window glass. It was jammed. Looks like it hadn't been opened in a while. Nail chipped. Left index finger. Dammit.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="kl" dir="ltr" id=":1ph" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">And then these three boys standing below looked up and saw I had access to the kite. And they start to scream, <i>"Aunty, aunty, patang nikalo please." (Aunty, aunty, get a hold of the kite please.")</i></span></div>
<div class="kl" dir="ltr" id=":1ph" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i> </i></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR3B0YYq9c9DngN4I-Jgn1XjdHpQD-UNb-i1ofiMzEdO0epGWAQVON28H4rIRod9PPn5sCN3t-ARCy8j5DDj-_AelGca-Ukv-rB-DrDekXQXt1kHeSpF7qvFSlTLmFXScyeVsv/s1600/20140114_171020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR3B0YYq9c9DngN4I-Jgn1XjdHpQD-UNb-i1ofiMzEdO0epGWAQVON28H4rIRod9PPn5sCN3t-ARCy8j5DDj-_AelGca-Ukv-rB-DrDekXQXt1kHeSpF7qvFSlTLmFXScyeVsv/s400/20140114_171020.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The three rascals waiting for the kite</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="kl" dir="ltr" id=":1ph" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="kl" dir="ltr" id=":1ph" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="kl" dir="ltr" id=":1ph" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></span></div>
<div class="kl" dir="ltr" id=":1ph" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i> </i></span></div>
<div class="kl" dir="ltr" id=":1ph" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">"<i>Aunty.</i>"<i> Grrr.</i></span></div>
<div class="kl" dir="ltr" id=":1ph" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="kl" dir="ltr" id=":1ph" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">They must have been 10-12 years old.<i> </i></span></div>
<div class="kl" dir="ltr" id=":1ph" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="kl" dir="ltr" id=":1pg" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">I didn't utter a word the whole time. Mainly because there are others working in the same room as me.</span></div>
<div class="kl" dir="ltr" id=":1pg" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> </span></div>
<div class="kl" dir="ltr" id=":1pf" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">I had half a mind to yell back and say I wasn't going to give it to them - my own inner child rearing its head for a few fleeting seconds - but then I just smiled at the whole idea. Using my <i>iktara</i> (a single string musical instrument I picked up in Rajasthan*) like a fishing rod, I pulled the kite to bring it closer to the window grill. Realised the thread (<i>manja</i>) was stuck/entangled onto something above my floor. Kept tugging at it. The boys told me to wait and not throw it yet. I guess they were waiting for an audience to come along and earn bragging rights.</span></div>
<div class="kl" dir="ltr" id=":1pf" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Finally, they go: "<i>Abhi pheko!</i>" (<i>Throw it now!</i>). So</span><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> I tugged as hard as I could and voila! The <i>manja </i>broke loose. I had the kite! Managed to click a quick photo of it and I could feel anxious eyes watching from below... </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhaw3kORMVWvgPBkTEA_CTUn9SEXVxi11Yj-eeQwB1mUG7_nn6fgMC83R0ltpEua77EeYn4AWqiSDj3gNqakHvsTe17c5tYLQGsXr7jVrAW421a_eCLIjxQ05R7gICyCqSyn2X/s1600/20140114_171240.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhaw3kORMVWvgPBkTEA_CTUn9SEXVxi11Yj-eeQwB1mUG7_nn6fgMC83R0ltpEua77EeYn4AWqiSDj3gNqakHvsTe17c5tYLQGsXr7jVrAW421a_eCLIjxQ05R7gICyCqSyn2X/s640/20140114_171240.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Catch</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">So, I </span><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">flung it down hoping it doesn't get stuck on another floor's window.</span><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> The boys ran between the cars parked below to catch it. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="kl" dir="ltr" id=":1ek" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">And then, "<i>Thank you, aunty</i>". :)</span></div>
<div class="kl" dir="ltr" id=":1ek" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="kl" dir="ltr" id=":1ek" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Happy Sankranti, folks. </span><span dir="ltr" id=":vq">तिळगुळ घ्या आणि गोड गोड बोला.</span></div>
<div class="kl" dir="ltr" id=":1ek" style="text-align: justify;">
<span dir="ltr" id=":vq"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="kl" dir="ltr" id=":1ek" style="text-align: justify;">
<span dir="ltr" id=":vq"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">~j~</span></span></div>
<div class="kl" dir="ltr" id=":1ek" style="text-align: justify;">
<span dir="ltr" id=":vq"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span dir="ltr" id=":vq"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">*PS: I don't play the <i>iktara </i>or any other musical instrument. It was just a nice souvenir from Jaipur.</span></span></div>
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~j~http://www.blogger.com/profile/01545750271574664978noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11726538.post-2553725964749966092014-01-02T10:57:00.001+05:302014-01-02T10:57:03.679+05:30Another chance to get it right...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">This 2014, here's my wish for you...</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">...and me! :) </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4SuArNf0TwlfdnxNSBWyHFRdQ-jzyXIC4kpzqQsp9YXmCbO2YQFqmB3JreXkzrfBZveqa4dj8coJaxOaD7vL7mR2YmHqvbDQ_1UaV6HUB775G3nC1MTNoLqpt3aUXOUb4ZSUe/s1600/neilgaiman_quote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4SuArNf0TwlfdnxNSBWyHFRdQ-jzyXIC4kpzqQsp9YXmCbO2YQFqmB3JreXkzrfBZveqa4dj8coJaxOaD7vL7mR2YmHqvbDQ_1UaV6HUB775G3nC1MTNoLqpt3aUXOUb4ZSUe/s1600/neilgaiman_quote.jpg" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">I have decided to make a conscious effort on one facet of my life: HEALTH! Starting January 1st, I'm giving up aerated drinks. Will add a few more things-to-do in the coming weeks related to this. Tons to do at work, so need to keep myself healthy and fit. And I'm praying healthy habits will last me at least a year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As Oprah Winfrey's optimistic greeting says: "Cheers
to a new year and another chance for us to get it right."</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Hope to blog regularly too.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Best,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">~j~</span></div>
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~j~http://www.blogger.com/profile/01545750271574664978noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11726538.post-42054961839444282982013-11-26T21:02:00.000+05:302013-11-26T21:06:42.493+05:30Online discoveries<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">I love discovering. A quaint
store, an underrated food joint, local markets, a tree-lined lane
(increasingly, a rarity in Bombay), second-hand books, quirky
merchandise, a cool bargain, picture postcards (finding a nice one in
Mumbai is an achievement) and just about anything. It's my curiosity
that eggs me on to do these things.</span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXPkWIZOF4OPQJk4x6eJnhHdHjpt99wtjuucfWFsR9szHL3QtpfL2vySUdD8-2gpXQ_JB4Tj6Vrf9OrbmVzKhRdYtoiMzHJ1BnHP10cVLfrtZuuBXB-euV5AdI08rFShL5ps-x/s1600/P1230779.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXPkWIZOF4OPQJk4x6eJnhHdHjpt99wtjuucfWFsR9szHL3QtpfL2vySUdD8-2gpXQ_JB4Tj6Vrf9OrbmVzKhRdYtoiMzHJ1BnHP10cVLfrtZuuBXB-euV5AdI08rFShL5ps-x/s400/P1230779.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A local market in Goa</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">While nothing beats an actual shopping trip and stumbling upon the
unusual, of late I've been checking out a lot of e-commerce portals. A
LOT. And it's interesting, too, to see how the Indian online shopping
scene has exploded. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Flipkart made it fashionable, I guess. And then you
had everyone from SnapDeal, Fashion&You, 99Labels and a host of
others selling everything and anything. I used to wait eagerly for their newsletters to see what deal(s)
I could score, especially watches from fancy brands. I wasn't completely on board though. For most of the time, I was happy being a
window shopper of the online variety. Till one Christmas. I ordered a
dozen or so books from Flipkart to gift to children of my relatives and
friends. Even though I had shopped online before that, it was my 'aha'
moment. I could do this. Without worrying. And most importantly, even
enjoy it as much as offline shopping. :P</span>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br />But soon, I also realised there's life beyond Flipkart and the others. And not just
heavyweights like Junglee, Jabong, Myntra, etc (how do they come up with
such names?).<br /><br />I'm hardly addicted to social networking sites
these days. I am active on them but they don't keep me hooked for too
long anymore. Apart from a silly game, Candy Crush, all my online activity seems to centre around any website that sells something of interest. And with Christmas around the corner, my annual <a href="https://twitter.com/MumbaiSanta" target="_blank">Twitter Secret Santa</a> participation was imminent. My Santee's wishlist had a generic mix of things s/he wanted (not gonna reveal the gender yet). And while looking for those, hit upon some sites - old and new. I'm sharing a few in this post. Maybe you'll find something of interest or score a bargain in the process.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">---<br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://www.chumbak.com/" target="_blank"><b>CHUMBAK</b></a></span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">This colourful company changed the perception of the India souvenir. For the better. 'Chumbak' means 'magnet' and that's how their product line really began... from a fridge magnet. At least now we can proudly say we have funky fridge magnets for those tourists who want a piece of India to take back home.<br /><br />Chumbak products are not easily available in Mumbai (or at least I haven't found them easily), so your best bet is to go online and shop directly from the website.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Some of my current favourites are <a href="http://www.chumbak.com/home-souvenir/storage-tins.html" target="_blank">Storage Tins</a>, <a href="http://www.chumbak.com/home-souvenir/fridge-magnets.html" target="_blank">Magnets</a>, <a href="http://www.chumbak.com/home-souvenir/gift-hampers.html" target="_blank">Gift Hampers</a> and <a href="http://www.chumbak.com/home-souvenir/bobble-heads.html" target="_blank">Bobble Heads</a>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br />"FREE shipping on order value Rs.595 and above". So that could be a factor.</span>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Also, it's a good idea to check the "sale" section on any of these sites. Like <a href="http://www.chumbak.com/sale.html" target="_blank"><b>here</b></a>.At the time of writing this, there's this sweet <b><a href="http://www.chumbak.com/sale/awesome-mum-lovable-dad-coffee-mug.html" target="_blank">combo of coffee mugs</a></b> for mom and dad for Rs. 395. And a <b><a href="http://www.chumbak.com/sale/funky-auto-laptop-bag.html" target="_blank">canvas laptop bag</a></b> with an autorickshaw print on it at Rs. 495, marked down from Rs. 1550. Awesome, right? </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">One thing I'm sad about is that they have discontinued selling (at least online) their square-shaped postcards. I thought they were
wonderful.</span> </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB0nzzSHipJ-O_NCBO7dMEsJTX5idSLpFDeq5vHKdCS9NssWv5iDEcgWc9d1kL6yNIkhzYhlBoYDG3aAmcplPUX-E9G1dQj_A0g1VjIFbwhMv2T2VegCVgpY3ewHZHBoiII4SF/s1600/Chumbak_Postcards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB0nzzSHipJ-O_NCBO7dMEsJTX5idSLpFDeq5vHKdCS9NssWv5iDEcgWc9d1kL6yNIkhzYhlBoYDG3aAmcplPUX-E9G1dQj_A0g1VjIFbwhMv2T2VegCVgpY3ewHZHBoiII4SF/s400/Chumbak_Postcards.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A selection of Chumbak postcards</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">I asked them about it and the response was "They were not moving." :( I am not surprised, but it's still disappointing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">---</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><a href="http://hysteriaonline.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>HYSTERIA</b></span> </a><br />I stumbled onto this store on my last trip to
Bengaluru in April. It's a haven for original merchandise with a music,
film or TV theme. Like bobble heads of your favourite TV characters. The
incorrigible <b><a href="http://www.hysteriaonline.com/Products/TV-Series-Collectibles-Bobbleheads/How-I-Met-Your-Mother/How-I-Met-Your-Mother---Barney-Stinson-Talking-Bobblehead/pid-3786149.aspx" target="_blank">Barney Stinson</a></b>,
an annoyingly cute Sheldon Cooper (as also his other fellow characters
from The Big Bang Theory) and even some of your favourite superheroes
make up a small collection worth checking out. Considering these are
genuine pieces, the pricing looks quite reasonable. The <a href="http://www.hysteriaonline.com/" target="_blank"><b>website</b></a> is a welcome relief if you live outside of the Garden City.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Sore points with the online experience? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">(1) The website
doesn't load the images properly. Most of the descriptions are hidden.
Cluttered feel. CSS/HTML gone haywire perhaps? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">And (2), the other issue I
have (and I did make a phone call to confirm this) is they have a
shipping cost for each product. So if I'm picking up a set of badges
(Rs. 50 shipping) AND the Barney bobblehead (Rs. 100 shipping), they
will charge me Rs. 150 for shipping to the same address. Absurd, right? I
was informed they are working on that. I hope that's rectified soon.</span>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Thankfully, the one time I transacted online, it was a smooth process. Waiting to see how and by when my order gets delivered.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">---</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://www.xarato.com/" target="_blank">XARATO</a></span> </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
I don't know anything about this e-commerce venture. It's just another
shop for different sellers. Somewhat like an Indian Etsy (of course,
Shopo was once that till SnapDeal bought them - a move I don't get).</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Coming back to Xarato (How do you pronounce it? "Zarrato"?)... I
landed on it because a friend sent me a link to something and then I
clicked on something else and was on this Facebook page for "<b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nobodyelse/171490599574737" target="_blank">Nobodyelse</a></b>"
- an independent Nagpur-based business for "Clocks, jewellery, hooks,
murals, paintings etc." - and the person behind it has a jewellery line
called <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Errors/114256788698193" target="_blank">Errors</a> </b>which caught my eye. I'm a sucker for earrings. What can I say? Click <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Errors/114256788698193?id=114256788698193&sk=photos_stream" target="_blank"><b>here</b></a> to see some images.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">And Xarato enticed me by saying if I signed up via my Facebook
account, they'd give me a Rs. 500 discount on my first transaction
(minimum spend of Rs. 1500; also the coupon code is only valid for the
first day, I think). Not bad, I thought. And what's the harm in trying
it out? It's not going to be a massive spend anyway. So now I'm waiting
for three pairs of earrings, and because I had to round off the billing
to Rs. 1500, I added some kiddie hair accessories. They will be included
in my Christmas gift for the loveliest almost-3-year-old girl I know. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">The surfing on that site took me a while. The site is image-heavy
(obviously!), so a slow internet connection can really kill the
experience. But other than that, no issues with the transaction.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">So that's that. I might be shopping at <a href="http://www.theelephantcompany.com/" target="_blank">The Elephant Company</a> soon. Waiting for my bank balance to recover a bit before I do that. ;)</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Disclaimer:
This is a personal opinion piece. None of the sites/brands mentioned here
have anything to do with me, except for the fact that I may have
snooped around their websites/stores, lusted after their products, and actually
purchased some as well. I do not take responsibility if you shop at any or all of them and have an issue.</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></span></div>
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~j~http://www.blogger.com/profile/01545750271574664978noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11726538.post-77620841234915933392013-11-21T15:53:00.000+05:302013-11-21T15:53:21.813+05:30Ooooo-Usha<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">It's Thursday and you're longingly looking at that calendar waiting for the weekend to descend upon you. For me though, the weekends have been so hectic that I'm looking for a weekend to get away from my regular week AND weekend. Seriously. In the middle of that thought, I came across this video today and it brought such sunny happy thoughts to my mind that I had to share it.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/QO3oILb1vSY?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">I've always admired Usha Uthup's versatility and her unique personality. Fabulous singer, woman of substance and funny as hell. A true legend.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Enjoy maadi,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">~j~ </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">PS: Who doesn't love her sarees and bindis? Sigh.</span></div>
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~j~http://www.blogger.com/profile/01545750271574664978noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11726538.post-20826132784953972232013-11-06T20:07:00.000+05:302013-11-06T20:07:09.706+05:30Thaali in a gif-fy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">One of my favourite food places in Pune, <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.in/Restaurant_Review-g297654-d3187777-Reviews-Janseva_Bhojanalaya-Pune_Maharashtra.html" target="_blank"><b>Janseva Bhojanalaya</b></a> near Deccan Gymkhana, does a very delicious unlimited almost-Maharashtrian <i>thaali</i>. It's mindboggling, really. So instead of just posting multiple photos, I experimented with a <b><a href="http://gifmaker.me/" target="_blank">little something</a></b>. Hope you like it.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirKeN93WILI7P_VVtoZipVhRcWWbCy-eXk077SfhjOchRN8swMkE0XUP2vZHpFrk1leDxZkm3tymh5mPCUv33E6JtCDUOchXQltvvWIpDHRDgI9_ixFGoAxewNsSCSiMq91pGC/s1600/output_JstpZe.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirKeN93WILI7P_VVtoZipVhRcWWbCy-eXk077SfhjOchRN8swMkE0XUP2vZHpFrk1leDxZkm3tymh5mPCUv33E6JtCDUOchXQltvvWIpDHRDgI9_ixFGoAxewNsSCSiMq91pGC/s400/output_JstpZe.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">When I ate there in May 2012, the thaali was priced at Rs. 130. This time around (November 2013), it was Rs. 250. WHOA!!! But still totally worth it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">~j~</span></div>
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~j~http://www.blogger.com/profile/01545750271574664978noreply@blogger.com3