Culture & Colors of Japan

Japan was always on the list for us, and a vacation to Japan is best timed with the Cherry Blossom season! Initially my husband din't quite get my enthusiasm for the Sakura aka Cherry blossom season, but he was game for it anyway. Thankfully we started planning the trip 4 months prior to ensure we get decent accommodation, closer to the train stations and flights etc at a slightly lower rate.

Our 13 Day Trip Itinerary:

Some Must Do's:

1) Munch on White Matcha Chocolate Chip Cookies from 7 Eleven

We've all been to 7 Elevens to buy knick-knacks, alcohol, meals etc. when traveling abroad. But the local bakery selection by 7 Elevens across Japan is simply divine. Once we got a taste of the White Chocolate Chip Matcha cookies.. it become our everyday staple for the rest of the trip! They have a short shelf life so you really won't be able to bring these back home :(



2) Kimono and Yukata Experience in Kyoto

I understand its not easy to look like a foreigner, dressed like a local and walk around the town.  It does take some guts, and lots of excitement to pull this off - but totally worth it. Find out the nearest Kimono rental center in Gion district, and head there to get dressed up in a Kimono / Yakuta, then go straight to Yasaka Shrine to greet the locals, take pics and eat street food.

3) Vegetarian? Then must eat the Okonomiyaki

If you are a vegan or vegetarian, fear not. Most of the top tourist places across Japan have local restaurants serving a vegetarian version of the Okonomiyaki - the local pancake/ pizza on a bed of cabbage. You can ask your local restaurant to make a vegetarian version for you, and this is quite common. Its an overload of cheese and cabbage, but trust me you won't regret having it.

4) Universal Studios - something for everyone

Universal studios across the globe are more or less standard and a must do. But if you haven't been to one and are heading to Japan, then don't miss out on this 1 day excursion to get an adrenaline rush, plenty of photos and memories. Our favourite area was the Wizzarding World of Harry Potter which had the Hogsmeade village (Ollivander's Wand Shop, platform 9 3/4 quarters, etc) Hogwarts castle full of rides, and everything looked straight out of the movies :D  This trip will also give you a much needed break from the daily sightseeing and touristy stuff

5) Okeiko Cultural Experience, Miyajima (Hiroshima)

The Japanese have a rich cultural heritage with traditions dating back to 59 B.C. You simply cannot miss learning / experiencing their traditions when visiting Japan. There are plenty of centers across popular cities which will provide you Cultural Tours, but the most famous one is Okeiko Japan  They have such a lovely home nestled away on a small hill on Miyajima Island, 20 min wak from the Ferry station and the whole experience is about 4 hours at max. Women of the house will teach you the traditional Japanese Tea Ritual, Calligraphy, Dressing Traditional, and how to cook Sashimi. This center is a 20 min walk from the famous Itsukushima Shrine


4) Airport Shopping

Until now we had not purchased any chocolates or Sake from the country and we took our chances at the Duty Free section at Haneda Airport. Although we landed at Narita Airport which made sense cause of the timings, we definitely wanted to fly out of the country from Haneda airport. Haneda has some beautiful Duty Free shopping so you can stock up on chocolates, alcohol from here at very low rates (when compared to the city). Must buys - the Meiji Chocolate Bar which will barely cost you JPY 2 yen for a 2 foot long bar and it tastes like a premium version of Cadbury, buy a variety of Sake, the famous range of flavored KitKat, Japanese Plum Wine and other knick-knacks from Haneda Airport. Set aside atleast one and half hours for shopping and touring the lovely airport.

Happy Journey :) 

Tips For The Budget Traveler To Land Of The Long White Cloud

 

As you drive around New Zealand exploring the many natural wonders and picturesque landscapes, you may find yourself trying to save a few bucks in order to spend a little more on that adventure tour or sightseeing beyond your itinerary. My husband and I ended up splurging too much and if you'd like to avoid that situation, here are a few tips we've curated from our vacation to the North and South islands of New Zealand, that might help you budget your travel efficiently.

 

 

 

1) Just Airbnb your stay and make the most of the local company with your host! We spent a great deal of time researching options for accommodation in Auckland. There weren’t any hotels in our budget near the Bay / Parnell locality, alternatively Airbnb offered a great variety of accommodation types within our budget and the ones to fall in love with. Parking is fairly expensive in the daytime around the city center & the Terminal areas, so we definitely wanted to stay within walking distance and found the perfect home on the plush Cleaveland Road with our Superhost Sheldon. So unlike a hotel where the setting is very formal and breakfast wraps up at 10:30 AM, we found a comfortable, cozy and well equipped room in his bungalow; and a sumptuous breakfast meal even if we got up late. That was our first time opting for an Airbnb stay, and I am really glad we did it. The biggest difference you will find is the overall richness in experience and quality tea time conversations with a local.

 

2) If you’re in Auckland, Queenstown, Christchurch or driving on the national highways, ensure that you stock up on groceries & supplies only from Countdown. This one of the largest super market chains and the only one that stocks 1 litre mineral water bottles for NZ $ 1 (along with excellent discounts). Countdown has over 180 stores across both islands so you’re likely to hit one in the bigger towns or cities every couple of hours.

3) In smaller cities like Franz Josef, Lake Wanaka, The Anau etc. you should only head to Four Square; comparatively smaller but rather well stocked hyper market. And if you’re looking to buy bakery stuff, head there first thing in the morning otherwise you will end up with empty shelves by 4 pm.

4) Auckland Duty Free airport shopping is Only good for discounts on alcohol. For example we picked up two bottles of CloudyBay Sauvingnon Blanc for NZ $ 68 (a single bottle otherwise costing NZ $ 40). 

5) But if you are looking for deals on chocolates and sweets, just buy that from Countdown and stuff it in your check-in bags. Countdown runs good deals on branded stuff, for instance we picked up several bars or Whittakers Lime, Raspberry flavors for NZ $ 3.5 per bar which was sold at the Auckland Airport duty free for NZ $ 6.5. We totally regretted not splurging at Countdown.

6) There is only one good place for shopping and that is Dressmart Mall (only available at Auckland and Christchurch). You will find several international and local brands like Adidas, Esprit, Casio, Cotton On etc. running daily discounts on fashion & accessories. 

 

7) Fill up the fuel tank from the bigger cities only. We noticed the petrol prices being ~14% cheaper in base cities like Te Anau and Christchurch when compared to Franz Joseph or Milford Sound.

8) If you’re looking to buy gold, jade or coral jewelry, I found the prices to be cheaper by ~30% in towns like Ross - the gold city of New Zealand, Rotorua, Lake Wanaka etc. where local souvenir shops house a decent selection on toiletries & accessories. The same jewelry is overpriced at the airport, oh and don't bother hunting for unique designs because the same stuff is sold across north and south islands. 

9) And lastly, my closing thoughts for newbie drivers who will be self-driving and will face the ultimate dilemma at the airport car rental counters, “Should I buy the additional Bumper to Bumper Car Insurance worth NZ $ 30 /day?!” Here is where I leave you with two contradicting views from our own experience driving across New Zealand.

• First off the background on this dilemma; my husband and I are not expert drivers and honestly, this was our first time driving in a foreign country, hence we felt the need to buy the insurance for NZ $30 per day. We were informed by folks who had traveled previously that driving is extremely easy especially for Indians who are accustomed to left hand side driving. This thought was very comforting and I relied completely on my husband to take the lead on driving us around. There was a sense of assurance and security that came with buying the additional insurance mainly because it offered free Road-Side assistance, which in country like New Zealand could be a great value add given the limited Gas stations in South Island let alone garages. At the end of our trip we observed that all the cars we rented were provided in excellent condition, and the driving rules are extremely simple to follow. More importantly we dint have a single scratch on our cars. This made me wonder if it was worth shelling out NZ $ 300 on additional cover for insurance, the money which could have otherwise gone in doing more adventure sports...

 

• But we also discovered a disturbing fact - more common to South island. On some of the major highways we stumbled upon most disturbing events of collisions between cars or bikes; and mind you all these accidents were severe where the cops and ambulances were required to control the situation. Because these were highways the general public weren’t permitted to stop by or help, leaving a large room for imagination on who or what survived of those unfortunate accidents. We felt lucky touring for 2 weeks without a scratch on the car or ourselves, nonetheless the bumper to bumper played some role in keeping the stress out of our heads. So I guess the decision to buy the additional insurance would vary from individual to individual.

 

 

I am hoping you find this article useful; and New Zealand, as charming as we did. It's got to be one of the top tourist destinations in the world with all its beauty, legacy, ease of traveling, update-to-date infrastructure and friendly locals. And on a closing note, sharing some of my favourite pics from our tour in 2016.

 

        

           

        

 

 

 Happy Travels!

The Temples Of Hoysalaya Kingdom

It started with my husband and I trying to figure a weekend getaway with the sole purpose of discovering India. Or perhaps it started long before, with my keen interest in the temple architecture of India. I have visited some amazing temples of Angkor Wat, Somnath, Gangeshwar, Dilwara etc. over the last few years and that have left a remarkable impression on my mind.

The Hassan district houses some of the greatest temple architecture from the Hoysala Empire dating back to 10th - 14th centuries and includes the areas of Belur, Halebidu. Historians have mentioned that larger parts of the present Karnataka and Western Ghat regions were then ruled by Western Ganga empire which held patronage for Jainism.

Site 1 - Shravanabelagola and Chandagiri Hills

Shravanabelagola is a celebrated Jain temple with a 60 ft tall Bahubali statue atop a mountain. The statue is visible from the highway when driving towards the site, situated just 12 kms off the Mangalore - Bangalore highway. One can only trek the mountain barefoot or wearing socks, which includes 600+ steps on a steep slope and 2 storied complexes housing sculptures of Gods and Goddesses, eventually ending with the central statue.

On the mountain adjacent to Shravanabelagola is the temple complex of Chandragiri hill, the name derived from Chandragupta who is known to have devoted himself to Jaisnism and had renounced in these caves. There are a total of 14 temples which were dedicated to renowned members or pandits of the time to practice meditation and Jainism. The main basadi or temple has beautiful carvings on the doors and 3 layers of passages before the main shrine. While the other 13 basadis are merely run down versions with shrines installed at a much later period.

There is one cave on the adjacent hill peak which has footprints belonging to Chandragupta himself; localites say this is the cave where the great king spent his end days in meditation.

Site 2 - Lakshmi Narayana Temple, Nuggehalli 

Located just 3 kms off the highway in the village district of Nuggenhali and 25 kms ahead from Shravanabelagola, this temple is a tough route to pick up on the maps. To reach this temple you have to travel inside the village of Nuggehalli through narrow roads. Although the main temple was closed when we arrived, we were able to walk around the grounds to explore the outer beauty

Site 3 - Hoysaleshwara Temple, Halebidu

This is one gorgeous site! The rich architectural delights, temple layout, green landscape and a museum housing the remains from the vicinity all make up for a good 2 hour excursion. The temple has 2 super structures both are dedicated to Lord Shiva with two 30 ft wide Nandi facing each of the shrines. The richness of the carvings, total area spread, coverage of all possible deities and apsara's give an indication that this site was a powerful center during the 12th century. 

Site 4 - Kedareshwara Temple, Halebidu

This temple is an offshoot of the main Hoysala temple located just 7 mins walking ahead on the main road. The site seemed more neglected than all the others we visited, with many of the shrines missing and the porch inside smelling of 1000 year old soapstone making it almost unbearable to breath. Noteworthy of a 10 min drop by only if you have time at hand.


Site 5 - Veera Narayana Temple, Belavadi

Just 11 kms ahead from Hoysaleshwara temples is the site of Belavadi. This is also the location cited in Mahabharatha where Bheema killed the demon Bakasura to protect the village and its people. This is a 3 shrine temple built by King Veera Ballala II and holds 108 pillars. This is a classic example of the richness in sculpture during the Hoysala Kingdom with intricately carved shrines for Narayana, Krishna & Narsimha - all different forms of Lord Vishnu hence making this a pure Vaishnava temple site. The Krishna deity has intricate carvings and is more elaborate compared to the other 2 shrines. 

Site 6 - Chennakeshwara Temple, Belur

This site is 40 kms ahead of Hassan towards Chikmagalur on the banks of Ygachi river, built by Hoysala King Vishnuvardhana. The majestic site houses sculptures from both Vaishanava and Shaiva faiths and has the most remarkable pillar designs. Also unique to the exterior construction is the representation of different deities in their various forms ranging from war, dance, yogasana postures etc. These include the forms of Durga, Ravana, Ganesha, Arjuna and many others all depicted in certain actions they are most renowned for, as per legends.

All in all, you will need a maximum of 2 days to cover the listed places. Staying at Hassan city center is the best option since its location is convenient to all the sites. The Bangalore - Mangalore highway is a pleasant drive in the hilly region. 

Story of stolen Divinity

There was once a time when all human beings were gods, but they so abused their divinity that Brahma, the chief god, decided to take... it away from them and hide it where it could never be found.

Where to hide their divinity was the question. So Brahma called a council of the gods to help him decide. “Let’s bury it deep in the earth,” said the gods. But Brahma answered, “No, that will not do because humans will dig into the earth and find it.”

Then the gods said, “Let’s sink it in the deepest ocean.” But Brahma said, “No, not there, for they will learn to dive into the ocean and will find it.”

Then the gods said, “Let’s take it to the top of the highest mountain and hide it there.” But once again Brahma replied, “No, that will not do either, because they will eventually climb every mountain and once again take up their divinity.”

Then the gods gave up and said, “We do not know where to hide it, because it seems that there is no place on earth or in the sea that human beings will not eventually reach.”

Brahma thought for a long time and then said, “Here is what we will do. We will hide their divinity deep in the center of their own being, for humans will never think to look for it there.”

All the gods agreed that this was the perfect hiding place, and the deed was done. And since that time humans have been going up and down the earth, digging, diving, climbing, and exploring–searching for something already within themselves.

- Author Unknown

"I have lots of things to teach you..

“I have lots of things to teach you now, in case we ever meet. It said that Nothing Ever Happened, so don't worry. It's all like a dream. Everything is ecstasy, inside. We just don't know it because of our thinking-minds. But in our true blissful essence of mind is known that everything is alright forever and forever and forever. Close your eyes, let your hands and nerve-ends drop, stop breathing for 3 seconds, listen to the silence inside the illusion of the world, and you will remember the lesson you forgot, which was taught in immense milky way soft cloud innumerable worlds long ago and not even at all. It is all one vast awakened thing. I call it the golden eternity. It is perfect. We were never really born, we will never really die. It has nothing to do with the imaginary idea of a personal self, other selves, many selves everywhere: Self is only an idea, a mortal idea. That which passes into everything is one thing. It's a dream already ended. There's nothing to be afraid of and nothing to be glad about. I know this from staring at mountains months on end. They never show any expression, they are like empty space. Do you think the emptiness of space will ever crumble away? Mountains will crumble, but the emptiness of space, which is the one universal essence of mind, the vast awakenerhood, empty and awake, will never crumble away because it was never born.”

- Anonymous 

The Cracked Jar

An Indian legend tells of a man who carried water to his village every day, in two large jars tied to the ends of a wooden pole, which he balanced on his back.

One of the jars was older than the other, and had some small cracks; every time the man covered the distance to his house, half of the water was lost.
The younger jar was always very proud of its performance, safe in the knowledge that it was up to the mission it had been made for, while the other jar was mortified with shame at only fulfilling half of its allotted task.
It was so ashamed that one day, while the man got ready to fetch water from the well, it decided to speak to him...
The older jar said, "I want to apologize to you, but because of the many years of service, you are only able to deliver half of my load, and quench half of the thirst which awaits you at your home."
The man smiled and said, "When we return, observe carefully the path..."
And so it did. And the jar noticed that, on its side many flowers and plants grew.
"See how nature is lovelier on your side?" commented the man. "I always knew you were cracked, and decided to make use of this fact. Hence I planted flowers and vegetables and invariably you have always watered them for me. I have picked many roses along the way to decorate my house, I have fed my children with lettuce, cabbage and onions that grew along your way. 

If you were not as you are, how could I have done that?", said the wise old man.

All of us at some point will grow old and start to acquire other qualities. We can always make the most of these new qualities and help our dear ones, all it requires is the ability to See Beyond the facts.

Short Inspirational Stories

Many years ago, there lived a man who was capable of loving and forgiving everyone he came across. Because of this, God sent an angel to talk to him. The angle said, "God asked me to come and visit you and tell you that he wishes to reward you for your goodness, You may have any gift you wish for. Would you like the gift of healing?"

"Certainly not," said the man. "I would prefer God to choose those who should be healed." 

"Then what about leading sinners back to the path of Truth?", said the angel. "That’s a job for angels like you. I don’t want to be venerated by anyone or to serve as a permanent example" replied the old man.

"Look, I can’t go back to Heaven without having given you a miracle. If you don’t choose, I’ll have to choose one for you."

The man thought for a moment and then said:
"All right, I would like good to be done through me, but without anyone noticing, not even me, in case I should commit the sin of vanity." So the angel arranged for the man’s shadow to have the power of healing, but only when the sun was shining on the man’s face. In this way, wherever he went, the sick were healed, the earth grew fertile again, and sad people rediscovered happiness.

The man traveled the Earth for many years, oblivious of the miracles he was working because when he was facing the sun, his shadow was always behind him. In this way, he was able to live and die unaware of his own holiness.

 ---

"Tree, O tree, with what should I bless you?
Should I bless you that your fruit be sweet? Your fruit is already sweet.
Should I bless you that your shade be plentiful? Your shade is plentiful. 

That a spring of water should run beneath you? A spring of water runs beneath you.
There is one thing with which I can bless you:
May it be God’s will that all the trees planted from your seed should be like you… "

---

You must try to be like a river that flows silent through the night,
not fearing the darkness and reflecting any stars high in the sky.
And if the sky is filled with clouds, the clouds are water like the river, so
without remorse reflect them too.

---

THE NATURAL ODER:

A very wealthy man asked a Zen master for a text which would always remind him how happy he was with his family.
The Zen master took some parchment and, in beautiful calligraphy, wrote:
  The father dies. The son dies. The grandson dies.

"What?!", said the furious rich man. "I asked you for something to inspire me, some teaching which might be respectfully contemplated by future generations, and you give me something as depressing and gloomy as these words?"

"You asked me for something which would remind you of the happiness of living together with your family. If your son dies first, everyone will be devastated by the pain. If your grandson dies, it would be an unbearable experience," replied the serene Zen. “However, if your family disappears in the order which I placed on the paper, this is the natural course of life. Thus, although we all endure moments of pain, the generations will continue, and your legacy will be long-lasting."

Interesting excerpts from 'Social Media Marketing - An Hour a Day' by Dave Evans

Below are points from the book that I found most remarkable, some what focus areas for traditional Marketeers and the young tech savy Agencies handling online marketing. .. 

Will keep updating the post as and when I get around to completing the book. 

• "Your customers are already talking about you. The fact that you aren’t participating is yourimplicit endorsement of whatever it is that they are saying."
• social media is driving interconnectedness to a whole new level!
• Trust is essential to any form of conversation on the Social Web.
• It is the democratization of information on the internet space; by the people, of the people and for the people
• So how do you influence a crowd? Well, given that you can’t tell “it” what tothink, going the direct control route is probably a loser. Instead, listen to it. Tap it.Learn from it. And then “do that.” One of the characteristics of social media is thatyou can listen to it, measure it, and track it over time. You can use what you learn tomodify and improve what you offer, and in so doing influence the online conversation.
• It is Participatory in nature
• Recent studieshave shown that of the estimated 3.5 billion word-of-mouth conversations that occuraround the world each day, about 2.3 billion of them — roughly two out of three —make a reference to a brand, product, or service. Word of mouth is increasingly manifestingitself through digital social media, where it spreads both farther and faster. Thisuse of the Social Web is increasingly important to marketers.
• Communities — whether formallybuilt around a specific interest or cause, or informally built through more casualconnections — sit at the center of the Social Web.
• Step back and look at most traditional forms of media: They are “push” and“tell” oriented. They place the marketer in control of the message and dictate for theconsumer a subservient role. Social media tips this balance: On the Social Web, boththe consumer and the marketer have an equal voice in terms of permission to speak.This not the same as implied trust, which is something else altogether, but it does serveto support the notion that as a marketer you need to participate in the communities ofwhich your audience is a part in order to gain trust.
• Your existing customers are — orshould be — among your strongest evangelists. After all, they are buying your productTip: The addition of consideration-phase marketing bridges a critical gap for marketers between awarenessand purchase while opening the channel for effective word-of-mouth.85■ C ons ideration and the Pur chase Funn elagain and again...they must like it! Your objective should be to get them to talk abouttheir positive experiences. This gives you the double benefit of making the currentsale — to them — and a future sale to the new customer that they create for you.
• These twodevelopments — the realization of a global network and the digitization of content —multiplied each other, driving the growth in the use of the Web as an information andfulfillment platform.

A very special Holi & Women's Day at Shepherd Old Age Home

The first time we ever visited a social home was during our college days back in 2007. That one time the same group of friends had gone to an orphanage home to celebrate Holi Festival with children from the age group of 2 yrs - 16 yrs. That year Holi was such a wonderful time, to be able to celebrate it with children who were so excited to have us over, little angels flaunting their toys and little possessions; seeking attention and love from the bunch of us who had visited them. That Holi truly made our day festive and memorable and we knew we had to do this again soon.

I admire and am proud of my group of friends; for we have have managed to tick off Some of the many items on our Friends Wish list. One of them being visiting an Old Age Home this year on Holi. Nikita & Me had planned this activity a week prior to the day; we managed to get donations from our dear friends Saroj, Gunjan, Prakshal, Sanket & Ronak and decided to visit Shepherd Old Age Home for Widows. We bought the ladies shawls, hand towels and snacks. On the day we realized the pleasant coincidence that 8th March was also Women's Day :)

Upon reaching the home, I must admit initially we were pretty lost on how to go about making the day fun and memorable for them. So we decided to play games and keep it short. During the game session it amazed us to see the elderly lot; some of whom couldn't even speak, managed to sing songs and recite prayers with such enthusiasm! They were very supportive and encouraging of our presence and eventually we were glad to know they liked the gifts we bought them. When we were leaving the administrator informed us that there was a shortage of basic medicines that they are unable to provide to the ladies with the current donations. We decided to pool together and inform our social circles  about this requirement. The plan is to either collect money or the mentioned medicines; buy the balance items and send it to the home by beginning of each month.

Your contribution either in the funds or in sending medicines will be appreciated :)
Cheers to another meaningful day and beautiful experience!

Reference :
Shepherd Windows Home
15/A, Shepherd Road, Off Clare Road, Nagpada, Near Byculla Station, Byculla (W) Mumbai- 400 008

What love has seen

You could see love but you could not see the pain with it,
You saw the smile but didn't see the efforts to put it on.
You saw the ocean but didn't know of the storms within.

The mind wanders far into the unknown,
A land-so beautiful
Shores so calm, relations so simple.
We lived in serenity, in the beauty of love's simplicity,
Where our eyes were blinded from reality and the mind is oblivious to practicality.

Then with distance, creeps in prudence
And the senses come back to life.
They ask, "Why was the love so blinding?
Why did everything come to a stand still?
How is it that we reached a fairy land and not able to differentiate reality from it?"

Much later as years passed by,
The lesser of the loves' does realize
Selfishness and materials bring a phony smile,
Prudence brings stability and security.

But there was and never will be a greater joy
than to see your beloved calm,
at ease and with a smile.
And no amount of wealth can earn the love for you,
That you once saw in His eyes.

Let it be - written by a dear friend

"A Life less lived, a prayer half said
Waiting at the end to let it begin.

They call Him God, the one they never see
They built Him palaces to be guilt free.

I spoke to Him, he is my imagination
He cried and said - let it be
People die of hunger - let it be
Children without a future - let it be

They are the one He said, they are the one
I am just a concept to keep them going.

I am just a reason to make you smile to make you cry, and for everything

I don't need palaces I don't need anything
All I ask is You .. so let it be
A place in your heart, cause I am a part of you
But they will not understand that
So let it be..."


(The writer of this poem does not wish his name to be disclosed)

Memories and more

When you look back at all those memories
best friends, colleagues, lovers and acquaintances,
And as time flies by; from months that turn into years,
There comes a point when you realize
that it took nothing much to erase some memories,
That It took very little for them to fade;
yet it took eons to work on and build these relations
And a lot to get get them there...


There.. where it left a mark on your mind
there; where it drove your heart for the longest time,
With many smiles and mostly joy; you celebrated outings with dear friends
With love and passion; you cherished with your lover every moment of togetherness


And while these memories kept your mind preoccupied for the longest time,
It took a few rude moments and ego to stampede,
all that you once thought was life!


Yet as we walk ahead; some carrying the weight of these memories on their mind
while the others who constantly move on,
They lie ahead of us
and yet somehow 
not many have successfully predicted them


- Memories memories and more memories!

Saurashtra... to be precise Gujarat - a humble experience

A travel list always existed and there are the fixed top 20 destinations to cover, but I never really planned Saurashtra - the south west region of Gujarat which comprises of the famous Rajkot, Jamnagar, Daman & Diu, Gir forest, Palitana (the center for Jain Pilgrimage) and few more attractions. Its not a destination one would usually plan unless your a Gujarathi or Jain headed there to touch base with your roots, for your yearly temple visits, meeting relatives etc or if your like my elder sister strictly hunting  down non commercial places for touring.

In the heart of Saurashtra; admits the cotton and corn farms you will find Amreli. Now I have visited quite a few tier II and tier III cities in India mainly based in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra but there is something else about this land, the fresh air, docile people, scanty population and yet the town is hustling with movement during the morning and evenings. With afternoon sleep as a daily ritual and fancy flavoured Sodas for desserts; what caught my attention is the simple life, innocence of thought and action. Nope I am not going to crib and discuss the fast pace of life because that is the charm of metros and makes life worthwhile in cities like Mumbai but yes I would love to talk about the difference in mindset, innocence and lack of exposure which is peculiar to Amreli and similar cities which could convert any one whose lived here for over a month; into a full time family man.

And coming to the second most striking experience of Saurashtra is the Gujarati experience I was blessed with!

This trip was possible and full credit going to my dear friend Nikita; whose home town is Amreli. Nikita is one of the most non Gujju people I have ever come across. But her attachment and connection, stories and description of Amreli (her "so called backward Village" though its actually a Tier III) convinced me instantly to accompany her and given the fact I was going to burst out with stress in general, it made perfect sense to head to Amreli with her if I had to continue existing in Mumbai.

I was fortunate to stay with her close knit joint family, live the local experience, do immense traveling and meet some of the nicest people - her family in Amreli. Her Mama and Mami who removed four days to take us to Palitana, Somnath, Gir and the local farms on the out skirts of Amreli. Our Trip began with the fixed route trains Mumbai - Rajkot - Mumbai; an overnight journey. From Dhoda station in Gujarat; we drove down 180 kms to arrive at her hometown. We knew the trip was going to be a bumper when a snake crossed our path while driving (which is considered a highly auspicious sign in the land of Nagnath).Her home was in the heart of Amreli; in front of which was their family built temple; the finest and biggest there. Trying to keep it light and easy on day one, we decided to cover their farms and meet the farmers. Our actual discovery began with Palinata; having heard of this pilgrimage site from practically all my Jain friends I was certain on instantly liking this place. Unfortunately the town was closed the day we visited; nonetheless we covered the base temple. Subsequently we went to Somnath (one of the biggest Jyotilings in India). Legend has it that this natural Jyotiling emerged from the sea and the biggest discovered in India back then, thus the magnificent temple was constructed to house the Lord Shiva lingam. After a night's stay at Somnath we headed to Diu (with another snake crossing our road) and straight to Gangeshwar. And I am glad we did. One of my favourite places in the world now; Gangeshwar hosts 5 Shivlings under the hill and worshiped by the Arabian Sea! It is a small, quite and highly attractive place, one of a kind temple; not accessible in monsoons and during high tides. The waves hitting the Shivling, washing away all the offerings or perhaps accepting them on behalf of Lord Shiva lingers in the mind for a while. On our way back to Amreli we traversed through Gir Forest. Perfect timing as the early monsoons advent bringing with them a cool evening wind, lush greens and fuller streams! Fortunate as we had been so far; there it was, a gorgeous Lioness wandering along the narrow roads staring at our vehicle, almost as though she was acknowledging our presence yet ignoring us. Ahead were Deers, Jackals, Rabbits and a variety of birds. The forest would resemble a green canopy almost completely blocking the night sky creating a perfect arch effect as we drove slowly through it.

From the farmers to the Temples, small towns to the gigantic Diu Fort, the forest and fresh air... Saurashtra resembles the better parts of Rural India. With Balaji having over 70% of market share in the FMCG industry in Gujarat, the region is a playground for competitors wanting to penetrate the rural market. Needless to say the cotton farms flourishing here explain why Gujarat is the Textile capital of India.

Been thinking hard on the one line that best describes Gujarat... but with so much to offer, the state is a power in the making, a wonder yet to be fully discovered.

Natasha Bedingfield - an Artist, Inspiration and Way of Life

She was nominated for Grammy, Brit and MTV awards with her first album itself for the hit single 'These Words". Though my favorite from her first remains 'I bruise easily'. So while she was an instant hit with her first solo album, its interesting to know she has been into music for years with her two siblings. Daniel Bedingfield was already successful when she launched her solo career.
Back then around 2008 when she launched her second album 'Pocket Full of Sunshine' I though to myself, most of her songs or rather her hit numbers are typical commercial american pop kinds, targeting teenagers, beaming with life, positiveness and up paced beats. They were some great tracks like 'Love like this' and the title track 'Pocket full of shine' that got me interested in her music.

And the reason I am writing about her is her latest album 'Strip Me'. And its shockingly amazing, all the tracks and the title song and above all - to see this huge transformation in her both as an artist and individual. I fell  i love with 'Strip me' instantly, its one of the rare songs that hit the soul and make you question the ways of the world versus who you are and what you should be. The lyrics are powerful and captivating, as though she has figured it all out and its time to share it with the world through her music. The video is simple yet beautifully correlated to the meaning behind the song. And I love how she is constantly changing her look from nude (no make Up) to 10 different looks (with all the glamorous make up) and she looks fabulous in each frame.

Post this song, I you tubed her other latest songs 'Run run run', 'Touch', 'Who knows' (this I discovered while watching the movie 27 dresses), 'Soulmate'. Though 'Strip me' tops the charts for me, I am as much in love with 'Run run run' and 'Who knows'! Lets just say I listen to each of these songs atleast 3 times a day.

Soon I started tracking her latest interviews, blogs and site; searching for what ever information I could get my hands on. And I am glad I did.
Her journey was just like any struggling British Pop singer trying to make it big in America at the young age of 23. She was a workaholic and her passion for music kept her going. Apparently although she is know for her positive vibrant songs; she has written more sad slow songs only that they were never produced. And when success finally came her way with the second & third albums; she knows she has finally found her path in life to travel the world and collaborate with artists and cultures in diverse countries; only to expand her horizon in music and offer more insightful tracks to her fans.

Natasha Bedingfield is unlike your regular R&B or Hip hop artist who create/duplicate music that is one track with baseless lyrics. Her lyrics are what one would feel in their inmost desires and thoughts, only that she manages to put it correctly add to that excellent tunes.

I hope someday to meet and thank her for givings us such brilliant all inspiring songs, daring and different from most pop music which is a commercial hit in the west. Artists like her, Corine Bay Railey, Leona Lewis (I figure most British artists) have a depth to their songs which keeps the other half of the world listening.
Also just seeing her transform and finally discover her self, her music and path for life; boosts a certain confidence in me that there are people who are achieving what I aimed to do... living your dreams, life to the fullest.


Must watch - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnhDIGTldho&ob=av2e
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwwLLT120vk

Apple Cinnamon cake - mostly my own creation

This is a tried and tested recipe, and on request of a few friends I am sharing it with you guys :)

This recipe infact is a combination for a few others with my modifications

The below is for a half kg cake -

Ingredients:

- 1 cup flour finely sieved 

- 3/4th cup super fine sugar

- 2 Table Spoon honey

- half an apple thinly sliced soaked in rum for couple of hours

- cinnamon powder 1/2 cup

- 2 eggs

- fresh cream

- 1 pinch salt

- 1 tea spoon baking powder

- pinch of cooking soda

- Olive oil (for the heath conscious guys) or Butter or Margirin (3/4th to 1 cup)

Method: 

1) sieve the flour, baking powder, soda and half of the cinnamon powder and mix

2) Beat the sugar and butter/oil with an electric mixer for 5 - 7 mins till the batter is smooth fluffy and light in weight

3) Add only the egg yellow (make sure the egg whites are separately removed) and honey to this sugar mix and continue beating till a liquid consistency is obtained. Then add the fresh cream to this batter

4) Now bit by bit start adding the flour mixture to this liquid batter... making sure no lumps are there. This should be mixed by hand for 10 mins

5) Simultaneously pre heat oven for ten mins @ 150 C .. (u can also use microwave for this cake)

6) Now to the Egg whites add 1 pinch of salt and start beating it with electric mixer to obtain a fluffy white batter

7) Once the flour and cream batter is smooth  add this fluffy egg whites and gently stir it in for few mins only

For the decorative icing first rub in butter/oil on the base of the metal pan, then dust the entire inner lining with flour. place the apple pieces in round twirling design. now dust Cinnamon powder all over this design and along the inner lining of the Pan

Add the cake batter on this apple cinnamon pan, i suggest cover the pan with foil so ur cake does not burn.

Put in oven for 40 mins @ 130 degree C .. check towards the end if the cake has risen, if not put it in oven for another 10 mins...

Incase ur using a microwave put this cake batter in a glass pan for 6 mins only.

After removing it from oven, let the cake cool for half hour then turn it upside down onto a plate to have the apple side as the top icing ....

serve with Vanilla Ice cream and viola!!! Its Yummy all the way :) :)

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Guest Lectures - A Stepping Stone

I have always loved talking, narrating or describing incidents - sometimes my own version sometimes exaggerated stories ;)  but on a serious note, this passion for expression evokes in me an interest to teach.

Teaching; in any form, nature, subject or to anyone in any way - is in my view the most powerful of acts. Ofcourse to teach the right, factual concept is of uttermost importance. Beyond that, its the ability to influence the youth, friends, colleagues or family that requires substance of character. Above all it requires knowledge, experience and an open mind. In the last week or so; I finally managed to reconnect with this passion. I was invited to speak on two occasions - one at my B-School as an Alumni for the in coming batch of MBAs and the second at my Graduate college as an alumni and ex-member of our events club.
Thankfully on both accounts I knew exactly what I had to share - they were purely motivational sessions on how the youth should go around their tenure in their respective organizations/schools, what should be their short term goal, how to develop it, their aspirations and what they can achieve from the organizations and lastly correcting their attitude towards the course and life in general. The reason I can say 'correcting' with confidence is because there were many students who came back to clarify many of the doubts and misconceptions.

These 2 sessions I would categories as purely motivational, providing guidance or generic (catching up with an Alumni in their case perhaps). But for me; personally this was a stepping stone towards ONE of my many long term goals. For it bestowed in me many things, for starters I managed to grasp the attention of the audience, could easily curb their raising voices, figured that most of them had attentive and interested faces whilst I spoke to them and lastly a lot of them came back with doubts. A successful session I say.

This only motivates further to develop myself, have as many varying experiences professionally and personally simply because I would much rather inspire people on the grounds of 'Who' over and above 'What' I am.

The Era of Entrepreneurship has/had Arrived! PART - I

We seen the last 5 decades; well perhaps up until 2002 as the era of the Service Industry in India. With the late 1990's came policy changes, industrial sector reforms and most importantly privatization. India's GDP was growing from average of 5% to 8% pa as we crossed over into 2000's. The value system was strong and the traditional mindset of families were to see their children become White Collar professionals mostly Doctors and Engineers back then.
With a boost to the Financial Sector; Higher Education, Retail  and other such industries; there was a para dime shift in the Traditional Indian family - and everybody is doing MBA to join the services sectors. The job security, heavy packages and fast paced life all glorifies the service industry.

Well that was then.

Today in metro cities in India; we are seeing an up splurge of Entrepreneurs actively involved in IT, Hospitality, Tourism and Travel, Events and Media and other such industries. These young dynamic Entrepreneurs are managing one or multiple ventures and yet in a small but quick way contributing to our economy.

Then there are the smarter ways to make money. Equities & Commodities Markets are booming (for all stakeholders). Celebrities, socialites, rich kids and the intelligent ones are finding their entry into various ventures; the less capital quick returns model to run their business. Most socialites today either run their own business or use their brand name to support their partners'.

Another very interesting Industry is Weddings in India.
Currently every event company, set designer, production house and individual as Freelancers are offering Wedding Planning services because this is a Market (estimated at $10 Billion) one cannot miss, simply because it is  profitable, tax evasive and pure entertainment! Given the black money floating in India which is twice as much as the white currency is proof to the fact that Indians love their tradition and have great savings, and the sum of the two variables is a Big Fat Indian Wedding. This is mostly because having a Grand wedding is a matter of Prestige and Privilege while the real reason being disposal of black income.



circulating in the economy and purchasing power parity at $ 2946 US Dollars (making us the world's largest economy) we definitely see why Entrepreneurship is here to stay and soon the Service Sectors will be paying its Employees heft packages to avoid Attrition and another commoner turning into a businessman!