LEISURE

                                      LEISURE

What is this life, is full of care, we have no time to stand an stare.......

Life today is a complicated term. What earlier used to be something very simple has now been taken over ruthlessly by a lot of complications. Remember the good old days when you would sit along with your friend on the lakeside and watch the ducks swim by, or look at the trees swaying away gently in the wind, or better still.... spend hours looking at the night sky......

Such was the childhood we had. And it's not that I am talking of a very long ago time....it's been hardly around twenty years when I was a tiny little girl. We had ample time to soak into the beauty of nature and relish every day and night. I think it's got to do something with childhood or maybe the place you have spent your childhood in. Whatever it was, it definitely was the best phase of life. Ample time to drink in the natural surroundings around and have the feeling of being in communion with nature. 

Having been brought up amidst stunning beauty in Nainital, one of our favourite activities used to be going for walks. It amazes me still as to what distances we could cover absolutely unattended by our parents! Going for long walks around the lake used be absolutely fantastic and once tired, we would just sit at the side of the lake and look at the ducks gliding in the glistening waters. The green lake (that must be coz of the reflection of green tree covered mountains) was a charmer. Just sitting on the lakeside made us imagine all sorts of crazy things about what would be under the lake. Would there be a castle underneath, with a witch reigning the underwater kingdom? Or would there be a fairyland? Or would there be large caves with huge serpents inside them??? Whatever it was....it still remains a mystery :-)

The sound of rustling leaves while walking in the woods was equally fascinating. With tall trees towering over us and their leaves moving gently to the tunes of the breeze, the fragrance of the pine trees filling the atmosphere and the chirping of excited little birds to add to all this.....it was surely a treat!
Sitting on the benches on mall road and incessantly nibbling onto corn on the cob, looking at people walk past and observing the distinct mannerisms of all, watching the candy floss being made in the circular aluminium machine and enjoying the warm corn popping out of the popping machine, loitering in the flats and enjoying looking at a cricket or football match.....such were the days my friend.....

However this all seems quite alien to everyone now......Gone are the days when one just looked for the solace of nature. All care and worries would vanish instantly while we rested peacefully in the lap of mother nature. 

What is lacking today is the time and willingness of people to take a look at their surroundings. The hectic schedules, the cut throat competition, the never ending rat race and ultimately the race for survival.....all these are deterrents to leisure. Nature, which once used to be man's best friend has been replaced by gadgets. It surprises me that little ones are happy to be with gadgets rather than going outdoors and playing. Where is that carefree attitude, when hopscotch, hide and seek, seven times, used to be the favourite pass time of kids?  All that I see around is kids with gadgets in hand, deeply involved in their so called play, totally unaware of the chirping birds around them.
I think it's a very sorry state of affairs. 

Just hoping that people realize the need to relax and unwind and teach their children to do the same. Go for a nature walk or a simple cycle ride or maybe just sit by the side of a river, or a mountain or even in the balcony of your house, gaze at the night sky and look for figures in the constellations....... 

Enjoy nature's bounty.....it's for you.....
Don't get lost in the crowds...take out time for yourself.....
Time when you have nothing to worry about.......some time for LEISURE!

GO.....TRY IT...

EXOTIC ANDAMANS

                     EXOTIC ANDAMANS

Lost in the beauty of the emerald waters;

With a plethora of aqua marine life;

Walking through the lush green mangrove forests;

With an occasional coconut drink to rejuvenate my body and mind.

The rays of the morning sun kissing my forehead;
The tranquility of the night sky bidding me good night.
The granular white sand, the green-grey sea, the tall and magnificent coconut trees lining the beach;
The chirping of birds, the glorious colors of the sky...

The serenity of the Andamans is truly beyond my capacity to aptly describe.

Highlights : 

1. Emerald Gecko ( an Eco friendly resort)

2. Black Beard Bistro ( Emerald Gecko's restaurant)

3. Wild Orchid ( Classy with a bar and beautiful display of fishes, crabs and prawns to choose for your meal)

4. Welcome restaurant ( a small dhaba in the main market with yummy food)

5. Golden Spoon ( a smaller dhabi with delicious Banana Fish)

6. Dalia ( Dahlia miss-spelt as Dalia - for noodles and rolls)

7. Andaman Bubbles ( nice cafe for pizzas)

8. Gol gappey/ puchkas/ paani puri at a theli served by a woman opposite Charcoal restaurant in front of Holiday Inn Resort.

9. Fresh fruits at beach.

10. Coconut water standardly priced at Rs. 30/-

11. Charcoal - Naam Badey aur darshan chhotey

 Day 1 : 

Reached Port Blair and hailed an auto  for Gol Ghar. The auto guy charged us 150 bucks for a distance of about 3-4 kms. We reached the hotel at about lunch time and were hugely disappointed on seeing the arrangement there.

Can't call it the best start to an exciting trip as the hotel we had booked in Port Blair was actually pathetic. To add to our woes, they hadn't booked our tickets on the ferry (for Havelock) we had asked them to and had even paid in advance. On repeatedly asking the manager, he produced tickets of another ferry by the name of Coastal Cruise. Bitten by the delay in the process, we decided to take them. We now decided to not let this frustrating chain of events dampen our spirits and so decided to go out and visit the historic Cellular Jail. It was a 5 minute auto ride that cost us ₹30/-.

The Cellular Jail shook our inner being. It was a soul stirring visit. The sacrifices made by the freedom fighters,the torture they underwent made us reflect in wonder as to what was the force that was driving them!

The light and sound show which followed later was beautiful. The narration along with light and sound effects was spectacular and touching at the same time. It was heart- wrenching!

                                

Now came the time for dinner and the foodies that we are, we headed to ' The Lighthouse' , a restaurant which had been highly recommended by people. Contrary to the high recommendation, the food was below average, the ambience or should I say no ambience was horrible and the service was extremely poor. 

Day 1 winded up with a whole lot of disappointment and to top it my husband was running high fever :-(

Day 2 :

I know it's not turning out to be interesting yet but ironically, as disappointing as day 1 was, equally annoying was the start of day 2. We had asked the reception for a wake up call at 5:45 AM, instead got a call at 4:00 AM. Got up and started getting ready only to realise that it was way too early. 

The ferry here requires passengers to check in an hour prior to departure so we reached Phoenix Bay Jetty at 6:30AM.

As if the turn of events hadn't been frustrating enough, we were in for a further shock! 

The coastal cruise ferry seats we had booked were not the ones which we got. We were allotted no view, first row, cheapest class seats wherein we had paid for the higher class. To my utter surprise, the ticket which had been handed over to me the previous evening was different from the one I had picked up from the hotel room while leaving in the morning. I still fail to understand how this happened, however the truth was that we had been grossly cheated. 

Thankfully the coastal cruise staff was empathetic. They heard me out and offered us an upgrade. 

The ferry ride was just about average. It took 2.5 hours for a 1.5 hour journey. 

While on the ferry I felt distraught and felt like abandoning this holiday. What the heck! Who wants so much of tension on a holiday? This was turning out to be disastrous :-(

                                         

In all our troubles, we forgot that it was HOLI that day. We arrived at Havelock Jetty and were happily surprised to see people in full holi mood. 

We took an auto to reach Emerald Gecko, an Eco friendly resort located at beach no. 5. The reception people at the resort paid the auto wallah. The best part was the auto ride. As it was holi, we were greeted with pichkaris, balloons and coloured water. It was thrilling to see people in full holi mood. 

What we saw at Emerald Gecko, lifted our spirits! We had booked a split-level bamboo lodge. The lodge overlooked the emerald waters of the Indian Ocean. This looked like a perfect ray of hope in the dark clouds that had shrouded us on the first one and a half day of our holiday. 

It was fun to colour people of different nationalities at one place. After playing holiday, we soaked ourselves in the sea to wash off the colours. The ensuing lunch at Black beard bistro was satisfying. The day winded up with relaxation and then dinner by the sea under the moonlit night at Emerald Gecko.

Day 3:

Travel blogs had recommended Radhanagar beach as one of the best 5 beaches in Asia, so we decided to visit that beach. On the same route is the Elephant Beach. We planned to hit Radhanagar beach first and then on the way back go to Elephant beach. Pangs of determination hit us hard. We wanted it to be an action packed day. After a complimentary breakfast at the resort, served by our cheery-chirpy attendant, Sheela, we set off on the scooty. Vroooooom......off to the beach!

                   

Reached Radhanagar beach, did some knick-knack shopping and then reached the beach. Undoubtedly the beach was beautiful. Light blue waters till wherever you could see.....it was nice but the waves seemed to be too high and the waters didn't look too safe to wade in. 

After spending about an hour there, we moved on to our next destination, Elephant beach. 

Reaching the beach was a task as it was almost an hour long trek through the jungle. The walk had started to tire us, when suddenly the small jungle trail opened into an unbelievable sight! Words fall short when I think of describing the splendour of that place. The sight was truly spectacular!!!!

The emerald of the waters with white uprooted trees fallen around made such a sight. We quickly made our way into the waters and it was definitely the best part of the holiday so far. The waters were crystal clear and colourful fishes swam just below the surface of water. 

Snorkelling is a famous water activity there and how could we not do that! Along with an instructor, we decided to try it. Swimming is one thing which scares me immensely. Being a seafarer's wife doesn't help me in that matter and I'm extremely water phobic but it was something I really wanted to experience. So there I went as I was assured that no swimming skills were required for it, and I'm so glad I took the plunge! 

The corals of Elephant beach are just so beautiful! The plethora of colourful fishes are a sight to behold. Left, right and centre.....everywhere just colour and beauty!!!! All three of us experienced this and were super elated. We decided to buy snorkelling equipment as soon as we would reach the main market. Some more lazing in the waters and on the white sands and then we had to make our way back as it was already evening. On reaching the main market we had dinner at Welcome hotel, a dhaba. Again we were in for a pleasant surprise, as we hadn't expected much from the place but I must say that the Pasta was just fantastic! The taste is still settled on my palette. Hubby and lil boy enjoyed some fresh crabs which they chose themselves to be cooked for them. 

Back to the resort and an early retiring to bed. 

Day 4:

This day was reserved for the much anticipated and even more exciting Scuba Diving! 

The clarity of the waters in Andamans allow for some great snorkelling and scuba diving. Now this was something I was quite apprehensive about.

As mentioned earlier, I have no experience of waters but I was assured that diving has got nothing to do with diving. Andaman Bubbles was the dive shop we chose for this expedition of ours. After some coaching and then donning on our diving suits, we were all set to plunge into the deep waters. For this activity, we had to go to North Bay which is a diving site owing to its coral reefs and enchanting marine life. A short drive with our instructor and our diving gear and there we were, shoulder deep in waters, masked with oxygen cylinders, ready to indulge into once in a lifetime experience of diving!!! 

What pushed me further was the uninhibited thrill in my child's eye. I'm sure he had no inkling that this stint was to unveil such an exotic marine life in front of him!

                         

We went deep into the waters, enjoying every moment of our dive, spotting fishes, corals, turtles and what not! The water was so clear.....swimming along with the fish in their own home felt so wonderful. We managed to go 30 meters into the water while being happily clicked by our diving instructor. It was an out of the world experience.

Out of the waters, we hit bed for an afternoon nap and then spent rest of the day, just enjoying the solitude of the place. What is enchanting about Andamans is it's virginity. The clarity of the waters, the speckless beaches and the civilized people....all add to the charm of the place. 

Dinner for hubby was the famous Banana leaf fish at another dhaba, Silver Spoon while I happily munched on to rolls and noodles at Dalia while chatting up with a French Couple. 

Day 5 : 

Done with everything and not having adequate time to visit another island, we had to now decide what to do with this day. Kala Patthar Beach was quite close to our resort and so we thought of going there. Strangely the place didn't excite us at all and so encouraged by the fun we'd had on Elephant beach, we happily decided to spend our day there yet again :-) 

                              

I must say that it was the best decision of the day. Ask me why? Well.....it turned out that the previous day we had reached the beach on low tide, and today it was still morning, so there was high tide. As soon as we finished our jungle trek, we were taken aback. The entire way up to the beach was flooded with water!!! What fun!, we thought, and quickly and happily took our slippers in our hands and waded through the waters. It wasn't easy though and many would not have really enjoyed it but we decided to make the best out of it. Clicking, recording, we reached the sandy beach. The water was even more beautiful today. It was a breathtaking combination of Green, Blue and Purple! Never having witnessed such beauty, I stood there with a gaping mouth.

                              

Soon, my son brought me to senses as he hit the waters with the newly bought snorkelling equipment, this time to witness the beauty on his own. Dad and son bonded well into the waters while I gaily sat on the beach reading my novel, glancing at my darlings and refreshing myself with coconut water in between. Turn by turn we took our dips and soaked into the bliss of those divine waters. It was evening and we had to head back to our resort. 

Dinner was as Wild Orchid, a restaurant with amazing ambience and a wide display of sea food to choose from. Dad and son feasted on some prawns and fish, while I managed to eat just something. What else does one expect as a vegetarian....hate myself for being that at times :-(

Day 6 :

The last day of the trip. Best time to laze and enjoy the last day of bliss. 

We had reserved this day for no activity but for lazing at our resort. Lunch was at the bistro and then evening we just went out for a ride. Charcoal was one place we wanted to explore but it was a major turn off. We ordered for a mocktail, only to hear that their blender was not working. We ordered a tandoori dish to be told that their tandoor was not working. "Naam badey aur darshan chhotey" is what aptly describes this restaurant. 

Fuming, we came out from the place and thought that out evening had been ruined when I spotted a lady selling gol gappas/puchkas/pani puri at her theli. Enthusiastically  I ran across the road to her and waited for my turn. Needless to say, that was the best thing I did that day. What amazing gol gappey!!! Each one made me crave for another one. Okay okay.....now I'm finding it hard to resist. Looks like will have to treat myself to gol gappas tomorrow but where on earth would I find that divine taste!!!

Again some delicious dinner..... the yummy Pizza at Andaman Bubbles cafe.

Off to bed.

Day 7 :

Last morning at Havelock. With heavy hearts, I packed the bags and made our way to the Jetty. This time around we got our tickets booked on Makkruz which was definitely far far better than coastal cruise by every standard. Reached Port Blair, checked into a hotel, had some South Indian meal and then went off to visit the museums of the place. First was the Anthropological Museum and then was the Samudrika Museum. Both museums were nice. It was great to know about the culture and history of Andamans. 

                                       

Some shopping at the government outlet, Sagarika Emporium and then we went off to sleep to catch our flight the next day. 

With happiness and sadness as a mixed emotion, we bade goodbye to the beautiful land of Emerald waters.

The best part of the trip was no network coverage, no TV, no Internet.....total cut off from all the materialism of the world. 

Life has certainly much more to it than just work, TV and phone......though I myself admit to the absolute necessity of these, yet at times the simplicity of life takes over all these worldly entanglements and you feel freed from the shackles of the materialistic world. 

So do take out time and experience the raw beauty of nature and life. 

   

Separation :-(

I fall in love with him when I'm with him and I fall deeper in love with him when I'm without him.......

That's the life of a seafarer's wife! Destiny has some great plans for you when it decides that you fall in love with a shippie. Love, attention, time, concern, care.....you are showered with all of it in abundance.
And then you get so used to it that when your sailor sets sail, your heart cries for him to be with you.

I am God's chosen one, to be fortunate enough to have a seafarer as my beloved, spouse and friend. I think he has a certain design plan when he picks and chooses a woman to get married to a sailor. Often I wonder what goes on in his grey cells....some kind of sinister plan or some kind of a disguised blessing.....whatever it is, I thoroughly enjoy being the cynosure of my sailor :-)

The first stint with my sailor was when we met somewhat reluctantly at my house. I wouldn't call it love at first sight. We both weren't like really wanting to get married at that point of time. The meeting was kind of imposed onto us but we took it confidently in our stride. "What's the harm in meeting?", we thought. Looked like a perfectly friendly get together with parents of neither side pressurizing us for anything. So there we were, in front of each other, little nervous, little contemplative but not in the least disinterested. The meeting was smooth, quite interesting I would say! The most remarkable feature of this guy (apart from his drop dead gorgeous looks) was his honesty......Honesty to die for. He put his stance in such a straight forward manner that I was almost speechless! What an aura of confidence....what perfectionism! Deceit and lies completely eluded this man.....So there I was, all of 19, completely taken off guard! I had never expected that day to change my life forever. Just a few hours ago, this person who meant nothing to me, was soon to become the
most important person in my life.

And now here I stand.....his spouse...his better half.... for over a decade.

This account of mine, might sound like "Oh! So fairy tale kinds".....but behold! Let me clarify, that life is not a bed of roses for a sailor's wife. There are times when you are in the worst phase of life and just want a shoulder to lean on, that's when you are deprived of the most basic thing....and that is a simple touch.....a touch of reassurance that everything will be just alright.
But I guess we shippie wives are made of a sterner metal. We don't get cowed down by pressures. There might be moments when we get jittery but we soon get a hold of ourselves and charge at the problem with a vengeance.

Life of a  shippie himself is extremely tough. It's not all that hunky dory as it seems. All that people can think of is the travelling around the world and the bunch of holidays they get. What they forget is that the sailor pays dearly for those few moments he gets to spend with his family. He misses so many life changing moments...the most important ones being the birth of his own child, seeing his child crawl/ walk for the first time or his child's first words. He sacrifices all these precious moments.  His life at sea is restricted to the ship and the few men that are around him. Sometimes he doesn't set foot ashore for months together and has to even face the roughest of weather.

This small insight into the life of as shippie couple is the result of my sailor joining his vessel soon. So all the pent up emotions find way through my writing. I miss him terribly when he is not around but I don't want to be his weakness.....I want to be his strength, an assurance that I'll take care of everything and all his loved ones when he is not around. Even though he may not be physically present but his heart beats inside my body.....his words resonate in my mind and his smile plays on my lips. He is there everywhere....I love my sailor and am proud that I'm the chosen one to be his better half or maybe the worse ;-)

Time to say goodbye to him for a few months.......a big broad smile on my face and the twinkle of his love in my eye...That is this face he should remember while on board......Beaming and brimming with happiness and love.

Ciao my sailor.....Bon Voyage!

The gripping effect of 3D

Sitting in my room and trying hard to focus on some reading, I realised that it was a futile attempt as my mind was elusive. It was hard to control it as it was continuously wavering in the thoughts of The Amazing Spider-Man part 2. Just back from watching the movie, I could not take my mind off from it.
Pestered by my son ( mind you! He's a die hard action flick fan), I eventually succumbed to his request of taking him for the movie. I wonder how at times the strict disciplinarian in me gets overshadowed by the doting mother facet of mine.....anyways.....there we were, armed with our 3D glasses which made us look like crusaders, ready to embark on a mission.....
Quite shyly, I must admit, that I was thrilled at the aspect of watching a 3D super-hero film. Not that it was my first outing with 3D, but the fact that I had heard rave reviews about the effects in this film, heightened my excitement. This concept which was fairly new to India a few years ago, has rapidly caught on and is in fact gaining so much popularity that every action film maker aspires to make his film in 3D.
Struggling hard to make my glasses sit properly on my nose, I gathered myself when my son nudged me saying that the movie had begun. The starting was a bit confusing initially, but hey! Who had the time to think about the plot, when all I could fix my eyes upon was this man coming out of this TALL building! Okay now.....don't race the horses of your mind.....it was not the man but the building which   captivated me. It appeared as if I was standing on the ground floor of the building and gazing at it towering high above me This was just the beginning of what seemed to me a promise of breath taking visual effects.
From Spider-man throwing his web and jumping across buildings, to overturning cars, to blowing shards of crashed window panes......it was all so visually appealing. The clarity of 3D made me spell bound! Hooked onto every scene of the movie, made me feel as if I was in direct communion with everything happening on screen. Such can be the power of 3D.
Every scene had its own share of beauty yet the scene that shook me most was when Spider-Man is engaged in a fight with Electro and he suddenly visualises his girlfriend's dead father. He is disillusioned for a while when Electro suddenly appears right into his face.....or should I say mine! That was the moment when I literally jumped back into my seat.....What a scene!!! Another scene which was beautifully shot was when Spider-man's girlfriend is falling off the building and he darts his web to save her. The way in which the web moves, transforming into a hand, showing the helplessness of Spider-Man and his earnest attempt to save his girl is mind blowing!
Apart from the 3D effects, it was a treat to watch Andrew Garfield playing Spider-Man with much ease. It was cute to see him romancing his lady love. Trapped between his undying love and the call of duty, The Amazing Spider-Man, showcases the turmoil in the mind of Spider-Man. We've always known that Spider-Man's most important battle has been within himself: the struggle between the 
ordinary obligations of Peter Parker and the extraordinary responsibilities of Spider-Man.
Do watch this movie for some breathtaking visual effects, amazing action and sizzling chemistry between Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone.
Growing up on Marvel comics of Spider-Man, it was hard to imagine as a kid that this would go on to  become such a blockbuster series but now that it has, I can vouch that it's much more fun watching it in the form of a well made flick rather than just reading it. So for those who haven't watched it yet....go on.....don't miss this one.

Excitement uncontained!

As the going gets tougher, the tougher gets going.
Haven't we all heard this innumerable times ever since we were at school? But what exactly does it mean? Does it mean that a person toughens up when life throws unpredictably tough situations as hurdles in his life? I assume this is the case. We all fail to understand our potential and quite often under-estimate our capabilities, until we are thrown into situations which demand us to come out in full form, or say, show our true colours!!!

Phew!!!! There you go.....I managed to eventually start writing my first blog. Funny it is that I have so often been told that I should start writing but I never took it that seriously. Time and again my dearest hubby encouraged me to put down my thoughts in a blog but I always doubted my capability to write something interesting. It's not that I have never written before,  but I guess, time takes its toll on you, and you seem to stop recognising who you actually are.

First you are a daughter and you do as your parents say (Okay now! Don't raise your eye brows to this one) , then you get married, get soaked in marital bliss, become a dutiful daughter-in-law and then eventually get submerged into the happiness of motherhood. Time for total contentment in life. Nothing else matters at this time. The carefree laughter of your baby, the wobbly walk, the countless cute activities.....all these leave no space for anything else in life. Then comes the growing up of your little baby. Now is the time when you devote your entire time in teaching your child the way to live life, the way to conduct himself in public and the way he is expected to behave.

Now there are two ways to bring up your child. One way is to bring them up and the other way is that they are brought up on their own. Do I see a quizzical expression on your face as you read this? Well, I'll help you to understand it better. When you Bring Up your child, you are completely involved in his upbringing. You like to cater to all his needs on your own. You want to be there for your child when he needs you and even when he does not need you. I'm sure most of you will relate to this.

Now comes the second part.....when your child is Brought Up on his own or say 'grows up' on his
own. The law of nature states that every little one will grow up into an adult. So this is the new way in which children are growing up these days. Parents are so lost into their own world that they do not seem to bother about how their child is growing up. They need to realise that feeding (or rather getting fed by a maid) their child and providing him with a whole lot of expensive toys is not the way a child is brought up. Unless and until you have a proper conversation with your child, how will a child know what life is?

All the time we end up telling children what is wrong.....don't we often say 'Beta, don't do this, don't do that?' But do we ever bother to teach them what to do? That's where we are making a mistake. Some careful introspection can do wonders for us.

I think  I veered from the topic. What I was saying was that I totally reveled in the glory of being a concerned mother until now but now that my son is 10, I think he needs me in a different way than he needed me up till now. So what better way to get busy by writing some accounts of day today life and still be around for him as and when he needs me!

This is how my first blog came about. Loads of  introspection and continuous prodding.......but now that I have actually written it, I must say, it feels rather good! Thank you Mr. Pati, you finally brought it out ;-)

Looking forward to writing more often and making my blog interesting. Till then CIAO folks!