Embracing motherhood at a young age....the benefits of this decision.

“Why do you always stop me from doing things?”, “Why can’t I stay up late at night?”, “Why can’t I play video games?”……These, and many more, are the questions, I’m bombarded with, day in and day out.

Welcome to the world of motherhood!

At the age when girls are hanging around in college, going out for parties, leading a completely carefree life; I chose motherhood. Yes, I chose to be a mother when I twenty and by the time I turned twenty-one, I proudly announced the arrival of my little cherub.

Tiny fingers, entwined in mine, that flaky skin peeling off, that reddish fairish complexion….all made me fall in love with my little one slowly and steadily. The first thought that comes to your mind when you see your baby is, “How could I create a baby! A full human being…..a part of me!!!” And once these overwhelming thoughts clear off, you start living each moment with your baby.

My son was a perfectly happy baby, playful at all times and happy to be in people’s company. Born in a joint setup, he had the pleasure of getting abundant love from all quarters. Being the first baby at his maternal side, he was the apple of everyone’s eyes there as well. His only crying moment would come when he would be extremely hungry. Save that and you were spared the wrath. However, he just wouldn’t want to sleep. And that my friends, was one big problem. Not that he would be cranky, but just that he would be in no mood to sleep at any time of the day or night.

The day was manageable, as he would keep playing merrily, throwing his tiny hands and feet in the air initially, graduating to sitting on the mat and playing with toys strewn all over, to walking around the house when he was one. The only constraint if he took a rare siesta was that I had to be around as even while sleeping, he would frequently open his eyes and if I was seen, he would smile and sleep again instantly but if I wasn’t spotted in the periphery of his bed, all hell would break loose and he would cry loudly.

Nights however, were nightmarish. With my hubby gone off to sea for half of the year, I would be left alone to my own devices. Sleeplessness was taking a toll me as my son would be up almost all night, sleeping only for about half an hour to forty-five minutes at the max and then waking up for another two hours before that half an hour relief came to me. My father in law was a huge support as early in the morning, I would just hand my son over to him after giving him a full feed and then the next four hours would be spent with me being in divine sleep.

Counting a total of sleeping hours, my son would hardly sleep for about 4-6 hours in a total of 24 hours and that too in breaks! God alone knows how he managed all that energy and growth when all studies point out to long hours of necessary sleep for infants. And since he would be up for such long hours, he would be hungry all the time. To compensate for the extra feeding, I had to introduce top feed every 4 hours, apart from breastfeeding him every hour. So, day and night this cycle went on and on.

Then came his crawling stage. Lo and behold! Who on earth would like to crawl? Since I’m baby strange due to my funny sleep pattern, I ought to be different in this sphere as well. So, at the age of 7.5 months, he got up with great difficulty, taking the help of two - thick but empty hard cover files; and took his first five steps into this big world.

If a child chooses to straightaway graduate to walking instead of crawling, there are bound to be difficulties. He was ecstatic that he could do something different, so he would stand up all the time, try to walk with his wobbly knees and in due course, make a mad dash to whichever place he decided as his target and once very close to that place, his excitement would get the better of him and he would fall with a thud. This had to be attended to and so I would always stay on red alert and walk right behind him in a squatting position with arms ready to clutch him in case he falls. This went on for around 2 months, until he was about 10 months old and his walk had steadied considerably.

Once he started walking, I had another challenge to face. As soon as he wanted to pee at night, he would just get up without any warning in the dark and start walking on the bed, towards I don’t know what! So even while sleeping, I had to be alert to spring into action and hold his hand before he falls off the bed with eyes shut.

His no sleep requirement activities went on till he turned 2 years old and then, as if some miracle occurred, he developed a better sleeping pattern.

Looking back at that time, I always feel that had I chosen motherhood at a later stage, I definitely wouldn’t have been able to manage with him as I did at that time. Waking up almost round-the-clock, staying active in whatever little sleep I could manage to walking behind him in a crouching position so that he doesn’t fall and hit his head on the floor; this just wouldn’t have been possible for me now. 

Exhaustion sets in easily now and the knees seem to give away if I try to squat…..not that I’m very old chronologically, but everybody’s platter is so full with various things these days that we start feeling old at a relatively young age.

I just turned 34 and my son is on the threshold of teenage. He will enter his teens in March 2017. Now I have a different set of problems to deal with. I started my article with his usual rants and those are just a fraction of what I get to hear the whole day through. Not that he is a highly disobedient child but the effect of teenage is surely brushing upon him

.

I can only thank my stars for facing this, and all that is to come, at a comparatively younger age. It gives me jitters to think of how I would have handled all this if I had to do so had I been in my forties.

Please note: These are entirely my personal views based on my personal experiences. I do not intend to hurt anyone’s sentiments with this writeup. There are many women around me who have chosen motherhood at a later stage and are far better than me at their job. A big hug for all the lovely mothers out there!

Foot note: My hubby ensured that I didn’t get bogged down by motherhood pressures and occasionally we did go out to the disc. (benefits of staying in a joint setup) We went for a lot many outings and carried our son along almost everywhere. So, I lived and loved life all this while.

GOAN PARADISE

                           GOAN PARADISE

Sun, sand, sea, surf, coconut trees, ethereal beauty and lots of fun…..Goa is synonymous with all of these. One thought of Goa is enough to bring cheer to people’s lives. What Goa does to people is absolutely magical! I’d say it brings out the best in people. You can be completely at ease in Goa, the land of love, the land of unlimited FUN…..

One trip to Goa and you are bound to fall in love with the place. It is like that beautiful woman whom you see once and can’t stop looking at again and again. Goa attracts you just like that woman. An affair with Goa is just inevitable.

As much as we love Goa, regular visits haven’t been possible, but this time, the opportunity came in the form of hubby’s seminar. Seminar of course isn’t any holiday but that was a wonderful excuse to plan a getaway to this wonderful place. We planned a pre and post seminar holiday keeping the seminar days in between. So it was like a warm up session (pre seminar), and a cool down session (post seminar).

Our first resort was at a location which no one actually even considers a location for a holiday. It was close to Bogmalo beach and the resort was called Stonewater Eco Resort. It was what you can truly call a hidden treasure. Placed very strategically with lush green tress all around and the vast sea hitting the shores right under the hillock; the beauty of this place is indescribable. It wasn’t that I just happened to stumble upon this property….it’s just that I had spent hours looking for the perfect place where I would like US to spend a few days…..and this place definitely didn’t disappoint me at all.

Tucked away from the noisy world, this place looked like it was a fairy tale destination.

We had booked a sea view chalet for ourselves and that provided a perfect view of the sea and the pool. Just imagine taking a dip in the pool with a view of the sea and the sun setting in the pink and orange hued horizon!!!

In terms of service and food, it wasn’t up to the mark though, but we weren’t concerned about that at all as we were totally enamored by the beauty of this place. If the monsoon was playing spoilsport elsewhere, here it was just adding to the beauty of the place.

The owner, Nisha and the manager Vanya, both were very forthcoming when it came to giving suggestions about places to visit.

Day 1- We checked in on Thursday and were told that there’s live music at Firefly shack in Benaulim. Since it was raining cats and dogs, we decided to hire a car, instead of our usual choice of a two wheeler in Goa. The rainy car drive from Bogmalo to Benaulim was a memorable one with some old Kishore da tracks playing in the mind.

Firefly was just the place to kick start our holiday with. A local guy Emmanuel was crooning some awesome tracks on the microphone and then a lot of people from the audience sang perfectly like rockstars while we swayed to the music!

Such was the experience that we felt, the long drive to Benaulim was totally worth it.

Must try at Firefly –Seradura (Goan Dessert)

Day 2- The day started with buffet spread which wasn’t quite appealing. However we ate a little and ventured for a tour to old Goa. First stop was St. Augustine’s Tower. This tower was built by the Portuguese between 1597-1602 and is now a ruin. However, the ruins present such a marvelous picture, that this place is a cameraman’s delight. A quick tour and numerous pictureslater we had to run for cover, as the mighty rain God started playing his tunes again.

We then headed for the Basilica of Bom Jesus, which is a world heritage site. The beauty of this place lies in its gold plated architecture and this place is famous for the fact that it holds the mortal remains of St. Francis, which is open to public view. What is surprising is that his body has not decayed over the years. This is a huge miracle and believers from all over the world flock this church to seek the blessings of St. Francis.

Opposite to this church is Se Cathedral, another noted monument.

Tired after all the sightseeing, we decided to hit the very famous Ritz Classic restaurant in Panjim for some authentic Goan cuisine. The Goan Fish thali here is delectable, which my hubby devoured in no time and me the poor vegetarian had to eat Veg Biryani which turned out to be pretty tasty as well! We ate to our heart’s content and then headed back to the resort to brace ourselves for a jazzy evening.

Must try at Ritz – Goan Fish thali

Our manager, Vanya, had briefed us that we must eat at Claudi’s before hitting Joet’s if we wanted some real good food. So the foodies that we are, Claudi’s was out first stop for the evening and I must say that the food here was worth every penny. Hubby relished some superb stuffed crabs and tandoori squid/calamari. Since vegetarians in Goa are sinners, I’ll skip my reviews about veg food and only focus on the seafood part. So coming back to the food, the seafood here was simply mind blowing! After filling our tummies, it was time for some music so we shot out to Joet’s.

Must try at Claudi’s – Stuffed crabs

Joet’s shack is at Bogmalo beach and they have live music every Friday. To our pleasant surprise, the same guy Emmanuel from Firefly was performing at Joet’s as well. This time round, hubby couldn’t control his singing urge and entertained us on the mic. Dancing, singing, eating and drinking……It was a fun filled evening, packed with entertainment. The highlight of the evening was, a nice long friendly conversation and dinner with yesteryears cricketer, Ajay Jadeja and his charming wife.

Must try at Joet’s – Sausage paratha(highly recommended by Ajay Jadeja who ordered it for us) 

                                                                  

Day 3 – This day was meant for relaxation after the previous late night, so we woke up comfortably and lazed around only to move out for lunch at John Seagull’s shack. This place was suggested by my bro-in-law (a BITS alumni), who was a regular at this shack during his BITS days. Turned out the food was yummy and this time the poor vegetarian also got a good option of noodles sizzler while hubby ate his seafood sizzler.

Must try at John Seagull – Noodles sizzler

Back at the resort, we decided to take a dip in the pool as the rains had finally spared us and we could dare to step inside the pool.  Swimming in the pool while eyeing the beauty of the sea is one unforgettable experience!

Dinner was planned at Martin’s corner, an upmarket restaurant, said to be Sachin Tendulkar’s favourite. We drove down to Betalbatim to try out food at this place but weren’t quite happy. The sausages didn’t look like sausages at all but the crew was adamant that they were sausages. We were still unconvinced and soon realized that the people on the next table too were being wrongly convinced by the crew about some dish.The live music too wasn’t appealing and so I wouldn’t rate the place as a must visit place. We soon left the place.

Day 4 – This was the day we had to check out from this heavenly resort and check into ZuriWhitesands resort for the seminar. Coincidently this was also the day when the sun shone brightly for the lone time during our entire stay. ZuriWhitesands isn’t one of the best 5 star properties of Goa, but it does have a lovely stream like pool, which opens up to a large pool. The large expansive lawns and the white sand beach right outside the resort are an asset to the place.

Day 5,6 and 7 – Hubby was occupied with the seminar all the 3 days, while I enjoyed some moments of solitude, reading through my novels. The highlight of the stay was early morning walks along the beach, that started in the dark and got over an hour later when the sun came up. Seeing the fisherman bringing back their boats after a night out at the sea, emptying their nets and sorting the fish, eagles hovering over the boats in search of a quick catch and dogs eyeing an opportunity to grab some fish….it was all spectacular!

These days also provided me an opportunity to interact with hubby’s shore staff and it was wonderful to hear them talk about various incidents, some of which made me feel mighty proud of hubby dear.

The gala night, which is held to celebrate the success of the Seminar, was a fun event; complete with music, dance and sea service awards. Hubby dear too received his sea service award which felt great!

Day 8 – With the seminar finally over, it was time to start the next leg of the vacation. Packing our bags and baggage, we drove towards North Goa’s Anjuna Beach where we had booked ourselves in a Portuguese boutique hotel.

On the way we stopped for lunch on the Kanyakumari-Panvel highway near BITS campus at a restaurant named Antique Mardol. This was our second visit to this restaurant after a gap of 5 years, as it’s the only place on Goa which offers

 Goan Veg Thali. I didn’t want to miss it for anything in the world. The food was yummy-liscious  and I lapped it up hungrily!

Must try at Antique Mardol – Goan Veg Thali/Goan Fish Thali

On reaching the hotel, we were taken aback.The expectations were too high and they didn’t fall in line when we were shown our room. It was in total contrast to our earlier resorts and we didn’t want to disappoint ourselves with a dull room. We intimated the manager about our discomfort and he was courteous enough to upgrade us to a far better room. That was the saving grace. We rested a while to prepare ourselves for a reunion with our lovely friends from Goa, in the evening.

Britto’s, it was, at BagaBeach…..the destination for our reunion. It was special as we were meeting our friends, Neeraj and Jyoti, after about 5 years. A lovely session of food n drinks followed, coupled with some nostalgic conversation and soul to soul talks.

We then parted with the promise of catching up again soon.

Must try at Britto’s – Prawn Curry Rice

Day 9- This day was earmarked for some sunning and tanning at the beach but the weather didn’t seem to favour us and it kept pouring. It wasn’t supposed to dampen our spirits….so we decided to checkout the famous joints at Anjuna.

First stop was Artjuna, a quaint café, offering some Mediterranean food. As we weren’t too hungry, we just hung around for a while, sipped a drink and left for Café Liliput. This place normally holds beach parties and so we were inquisitive to check it out. But blame it on the weather or the muddy seas, we weren’t enamored by the place at all. So we stayed, had a drink, ate some prawns and salad and then made up our mind to hit Curlie’s shack.

Curlie’s shack is a walk down a narrow lane after you have parked your car and you seem to wonder as to where you are heading, but once, the walk is over, you realize, there’s some huge space out there, ready to embrace its guests.

Curlie’s is a huge shack built in two levels and we went up straight to the first floor. The cool breeze of the sea, the splash of the waves hitting the rocks, the wooden structure and people enjoying themselves….all added to the charm of that place. The only drawback of the place was its unresponsive attendants. We did raise this concern with the manager, as however pleasant a place is, the smile of the person who serves you makes it even more pleasant. On the contrary, a frustrated attendant, ruins the entire experience. The manager was apologetic and assured us that it wouldn’t be repeated.

Must try at Curlie’s – Indian Fish Masala Fry

Sun was setting and we had clubbing on our mind, so it was time we left Curlie’s and freshened up for the night-out.

Sinq Club at Sinquerim Beach was the place we had on our minds. Party there starts at 10in the night and goes on till 3 in the morning.

The entry to the club was 1500/- per couple with unlimited drinks inside. It took a little while for the momentum to pick up but once started, there was no looking back. To my delight, it was Bollywood night and the DJ was superb in his song selection. Not single track was repeated entire night and it only got better than the last one.

The bartender was liberal with the drinks and made sure, the unlimited stays unlimited. Also he was quick to remember the drink you ordered first and would refill the same one without delay, whenever you approached him next. The thin crust pizza was also lip smacking!

This place provided us with an awesome clubbing experience after years!!!

Lots of dancing, eating and drinking later, the night, or rather morning, was wrapped up by playing a game of pool at the pool table.

Note – Look out for Sinq club vans on the roads. They hand out discount coupons worth INR 500/-, so if you have it, you just pay 1000/couple entry fee.

Day 10 – Tattoo Day…..this day had been specially reserved for our tattoos. Goa is the place where there is no dearth of tattoo parlors but identifying the right one is the key. Getting inked is not an easy task, as one wrong tattoo and you are stuck for life, unless you go through the pain of laser removal.

This time around, we chose RK’S Ink Exposure at Baga, after careful survey. A week prior to this, we had discussed our respective tattoos with the tattoo artist, Rakesh and he had assured us that we wouldn’t regret it.

Rakesh is a very confident artist, does his work meticulously and maintains hygiene. My tattoo took just about an hour and a half and I was quite happy with the results but before starting to work on hubby’s huge tattoo, we decided to take a lunch break at Fat Fish, Baga. As to tattoo was to be time consuming, we quickly ate some good food.

Must try at Fat Fish – Tandoori Prawns and Vegetable Xacuti

The tattoo’s design was quite detailed and it took about 6 hours with almost no breaks, to finish the tattoo beautifully. The artist as well hubby, both were completely exhausted after this tattoo making exercise. However, both of them were proud and satisfied at the result.

Since there was no time as well as energy left to explore some new places for food, we decided to eat at Crazy Crabs at Arpora, which was on our way back from Baga to Casa Anjuna hotel.

The ambience of the place is not worth mentioning, however, the pleasant staff and the low priced scrumptious food is definitely worth mentioning.

Must try at Crazy Crabs- Crab Xacuti, Mushroom Masala and special mention Tandoori Roti.

Day 11- The final day of our holiday. Time to go back. The heart was divided between wanting to go back and to stay there but real life was beckoning. It was time to bid adieu to this dreamland. Since the last day too had to be special, our friends invited us for a hearty South Indian breakfast at their place before flying to Delhi. The wonderful hosts that they are, they weren’t hassled about feeding us a lavish spread at 8 in the morning even though it was Jyoti’s birthday. As if that wasn’t enough, I was handed over a tiffin box with some delicious PuranPoli inside. The last day of the holiday was converted into a mini celebration.

Rejuvenated, refreshed, satiated and extremely happy about getting such a relaxing break, we left Goa, with the promise of coming back soon. Adios, Goa. Wish to be there soon again.

Hate commenting!

Yes, I know what I'm writing about will set many tongues wagging....not because people sincerely feel for an issue, but because they enjoy hate commenting.

So welcome to this world where hate comments have become a regular feature, thanks to people who don't bat an eye lid before writing anything nasty about another person. Mostly these will be about issues which do not even remotely concern them nevertheless they will comment. And why will they comment??? Now that's the question, I've been looking for this answer myself for the past many days.

Let us pick a few incidents from the recent past.....

A two year old is pulled into water by an alligator near Orlando's Disneyland Resort and subsequently dies. Now what would you do in such a situation when parents are grieving the death of their little one? My natural instinct would be to join the grieving parents and either offer my condolences or just let them deal with the grief on their own.
FLASH!!! Here comes the battering army.....butcher the parents... crucify them! How could they be so careless? How could the boy get pulled by the alligator in the presence of the father? What was the mother doing? The parents killed their own child!
Oh c'mon, I say.....do u even know the background of the family? Do you know the parents personally? Are you aware that they were careless or not? Were you present at the site of accident?
Then how come.....just how come....can you say anything that comes to your mouth....err not say but type with your hands....those very hands which should have shook while typing such negative comments. Par kisee ka kya jaata hai? It was their child, not anyone else's....why should they bother about how the parents feel!!!
Who cares to know if the parents were the doting ones? Who cares if the mother had given up her career aspirations to take care of her child? Who cares if the father tried hard to keep the alligator at bay when it was pulling the child? Hell.....no one does.Type....send....and you're done for the day. Whether your negative comment has scarred someone for life is none of your concerns....you got your share of sadistic pleasure, that's it!

Next in line is our RBI governor's exit. Raghuram Rajan, a wonderful economist, who planned some great strategies for the country. Now he resigns...gives subtle hints as to what lead to his resignation.....and people join him in solidarity understanding his woes. Nothing wrong with that. A person has full rights to take a decision and people can stand by him and appreciate the work done by him during his tenure as RBI Governor....but hey! hey! Here come the slammers.....Why should we let anyone just leave gracefully...we ought to trash that person...that's our birth right!
And if that was not enough, we gotta batter those too who appreciate his work....take for example, actor Soha Ali Khan who tweeted in Raghuram Rajan's support....boy!!!! .....people who don't even know her hit her with some real nasty comments. One even went to the extent of asking her is she even knows the E of Economics....Well well my boy! How would you know that she has graduated from the prestigious London School of Economics and worked as an investment banker before she started acting? Wouldn't it be much better to concentrate on your studies/work before questioning other people's education? But then again......isn't trolling the best form of entertainment these days!!!

And now moving on to the latest one.....the one which involves controversy's own child....our very own, Salman Khan....
During a press conference, Salman stated that the shooting of Sultan involved kushti in the ring and after the shoot, he felt like a raped woman as he could not even walk properly.
Now.....agreed....this is not the best of statements one can make but certainly not the worst.
He compared his pain to the pain of a raped woman meaning he very well understands the plight of a raped woman and the pain she undergoes.It does not in anyway mean that he mocked at any woman who'd undergone the most horrible torture...rape.
Coming back to the same issue again.....why should we spare him cause he used the word RAPE!
It really doesn't matter how many times during college we said that the teacher raped us (if she asked too many questions we didn't have an answer to) or we said, my friends raped me today (if they picked up some point and zestfully kept poking fun at us the entire evening) or we said, the boss raped me yaar ( if the boss bombarded us with too much work to handle).....but yes! We are the simpletons. We can say anything and get away with it but when it involves someone else, we will charge towards them like a mad bull...err....I used a similie....now will I  get trolled for this? You never know.

So while I contemplate why people have this sadistic approach, you all can just take a chill pill....if you like something...like it.....if you don't....ignore it.
Why does everything have to be either liked or hated....can't there be a middle path? Can't a certain person have his or her own views over something? When we don't know the person in question, personally, then shouldn't we refrain from making such negative comments?  Who knows why, in what situation and exactly what that person said?
Isliye....khud jiyo....aur jeeney do! GET A LIFE !!!

Ciao folks!

Values

                                                                     VALUES


Values....erghhhhh! Doesn't this sound like some vague concept in today's world?

It is not that I'm claiming to be someone who doesn't err on values ever, but basics! What about the absolute basic values that used to be the core of humanity not very long ago? Where have they vanished?

Taking an evening walk onto the walking track of my society, I came across a bunch of 14-15 year olds, frantically searching for what was probably their lost ball while playing a game of cricket. To my surprise, these children, well into their adolescence, were merrily trampling the plants underneath their feet. A flustered guard was telling them not to do so, but they were just not in a mood to listen.
Enraged by their act, I decided to confront them. Of course, I decided to maintain a cool demeanor and asked these children to stop damaging the plants and look for their lost ball in the morning, when the broad daylight would be of help to them. But remember.....the missing values.....while two of them continued with their stampede, two others giggled away at my statement. Infuriated, I had to accost them and tell them that :

1.  At their age, they must very well know that plants are living beings.
2. When their wisdom is failing, and the guard is telling them to stop, they must listen to him.
3. Failing in understanding both the above, when a lady is talking to them, they can at least listen to what she is saying.

At that moment I told them to go, but I could read their eyes very well which screamed and said "Oh Shut Up you insane woman!"

This incident highlights a few things:

1. No matter which school our children go to, their schooling is useless if they don't understand the difference between living and non living things.(in this case, plants)
2. They have probably never been taught to respect their elders even if the person does not belong to a high economic status. (in this case, the guard.)
3. Children will not do the right thing but instead mock at the person telling them to do the right thing. (in this case, me)

The incident disturbed me immensely and I kept harping on the thought as to why is this happening?
The act of these children actually puts up a question mark at the upbringing and schooling of the children.
Are we, as parents, so lost in our daily lives, that we forget to instill these basic values of love, respect and kindness in our children?
If so, we must pause, take a breath, analyse and evaluate the repercussions  this callousness will cause.

A friend of mine aptly put it when she said, "We must teach our children the values of Love, Respect, Honesty and Kindness. For the rest, the entire world is there."

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!