Travelogue: Tuscany (Day 10 -12)

From the city of water, we headed towards the historic center of Florence - the capital of Tuscany region. We set up our base at Florence and in the next 2 days visited Siena, San Gimignano, Pisa and Chianti in Tuscany, all of which are designated as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO (excluding Chianti which is a green land with vineyards)

Florence (a.k.a Firenze)

The captial city of Tuscany is one of the most important artistic centers, rich in history & culture and is popularly known as the art capital of Italy. Though for me, all cities we visited in Italy looked very similar...the buildings, roads, architecture etc seemed very ancient but nothing different! We stayed just a few meters away from the train station, within the city and it proved to be very convenient. It's a good idea to do that especially if you want to travel in and around florence.

Florence has lots and lots of piazzas (elegant squares), renaissance palaces (palazzis), churches, museums, gardens and art galleries. However, the must see is the David statue by Michaelangelo. We went to Piazza Santa Maria Novella a few times as it was close to where we stayed....it looks absolutely beautiful during sunset. The remaining time was spent visiting the restaurants and walking around the city....

Siena

We reserved one full day for a day trip to Siena, San Gimignano and Chianti. The guided tour was a lot of fun but tiring at the same time. Our guide spoke 5 languages and was extremely patient, cheerful and knowledgeable..which made the trip more interesting. Siena is declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and it is well known for art, architecture & medieval cityscape. The cathedral of Siena (shown in the image below) is stunning and is a good example of the romanesque architecture. Another architectural treasure is the Piazza del Campo, the town square, which is famous for hosting the Palio horse race. We saw a lot more monuments, churches and walked through the small lanes and road of Siena for about 3 hours. You can see a strong influence of medieval culture and architecture everywhere around and it is definitely worth a visit!

San Gimignano

San Gimignano is another famous small medieval hill town famous for its medieval architecture, culture and especially the towers, which can be seen from several kilometers outside the town. It is said that, at one point in time, there were supposed to be hundreds of them! Most of them were brought down during wars, catastrophes and urban renewal with just a few left for people to admire. We climbed one such tower and I was absolutely thrilled to reach the top, given my fear of heights!! :)

Chianti

Chianti is famous for its wine and vineyards, especially the red wine which is one of the best wines available there. We reached Chianti in the early evening and the greenery all around was a treat to the eye! We visited the "Casanova SantaAgnese" winery and their vineyard. The owner took us around the farm and to the cellar where he had stored barrels of wine and balsamic vinegar. The next couple of hours were spent understanding his process of wine making and also tasting varieties of red, white and dessert wines, balsamic vinegar and cheese. This was my first visit to a vineyard and I loved every bit of it!

If you are in Florence, then a wine tasting tour is something you wouldn't want to miss and if you are a wine lover, then it is a must do!!

Pisa
You cannot go to Italy and miss the leaning tower of Pisa! So on the second day, we headed towards the town of Pisa, which is about an hour's journey by train from Florence. Pisa is a small city, with the architecture quite similar to rest of the parts of Italy. The walk from the train station to the Leaning Tower was quite long and tedious! We had a slot reserved in advance, so once we reached the tower, we didn't have to wait for long. The climb up the Pisa tower was quite an adventure! The steps are worn out, with space just enough for one person to walk at a time and you actually feel like you are going to fall 'coz of the leaning tower :) The view from the top was truly amazing!

P.S: The images displayed here are copyrighted and cannot be reproduced without due credits or my consent.

Travelogue: Venice (Day 8 - 10)

After spending 5 days in the land of beautiful lakes & mountains we started our journey towards Italy, Venice (or Venicia) being the first destination. This time we managed to get the fast train (Eurostar Italia) and reached Venice from Luzern in just about 6.5hrs via Milan...

Venice is also called the city of love, romance, water, architecture and more! I had no idea what to expect there and I was completely taken aback seeing the entire city surrounded by water, water and more water everywhere!!! It has a group of islands around such as Lido, Murano etc, all of which are part of Venice. We landed at the train station and looked for a taxi to the hotel but figured that the only mode of transport there are boats! hmmm...it was really interesting, especially the street lights in water :) It took us 45 mins or more to reach Lido island... I kinda got bored in a day travelling back n forth on the boats to the city. Everyone there has his/her own private boats instead of cars/bikes and you can see them all out on the sea during weekends....

The next day morning we set out to explore the small city. We went to St.Mark's Square where we checked out St.Mark's Basilica. The weather was perfect, though it got too sunny towards noon. We checked out the surrounding places, the shops, markets and went for lunch. Our stint with the pastas and pizzas started here and we ate just that and ONLY that for the next 10 days!!!!!


We then went to the famous Rialto Bridge and took the Gondola ride from there which lasted about 30 mins. We also saw the Grand Canal and various small canals through the gondola ride which was a lovely experience and completely worth it! Though expensive, gondola ride is something that you should not miss if you visit Venice.

We went back to the Lido island and visited the beach in the late evening. The sun sets around 9.30pm during summer so the days are long and sunny and hardly any night life in this city. We had planned 2 full days and nights in Venice but figured that there is nothing much to do in the city! So we cut short the trip and headed towards Florence the next day....

Final thoughts .... Whenever I visit a city I usually end up thinking if I can see myself living there at some point in life. Paris, Interlaken, Luzern are places which I surely wouldn't mind going back to...Venice is definitely a gorgeous city, ancient, with lot of history, beautiful churches, buildings etc and very different but I definitely wouldn't want to go back, forget living there! I'll get depressed seeing water all around the place, day in day out! But it surely is one city you would want to see in your lifetime 'coz it's different ;-)


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Inception

Ah! What an awesome movie it was! Truly one of its kind! My brain cells did get chewed up trying to understand the intricate and mentally taxing plot but it was totally worth it. It's one of the most complex movies and very intellectually stimulating... reminded me of The Matrix and Memento... definitely a must watch!

Director Christopher Nolan's brilliant plot & precise screenplay have been expertly executed. The visual effects are outstanding and a treat for the eye. It definitely scores points for trying to convey a difficult & complex theme and actually succeding in doing it so well.

Cobb (Leonardo di Caprio) is a thief (of a different kind) who steals ideas from people's subsconscious mind by accessing the mind when someone is asleep. He is an "extractor" who stalks people in pursuit of their deepest secrets. He is under the charge of an unspecified crime which prevents him from returning home to his children. He is given an opportunity to clear his name and return to his children however that requires him to do an almost impossible task of 'planting an idea' into someone's subconscious rather than steal it. He accepts this impossible task and the movie unfolds..

Most of the movie takes place in various people's subconscious and what a spectacle it is! The plot gets into multi layered dreams woven into each other and getting so complex that sometimes you struggle to understand which one is reality. Story telling is absolutely brilliant with Nolan introducing new ideas and twists constantly throughout the movie. So paying close attention is very much necessary and a single viewing is probably not enough to process it all! So I am all set to watch it for the second time :)

Well, this is just about the movie on the surface. It is difficult to write more without giving away the spoilers. To me, this is undoubtedly the most intelligent and visually stunning movie of this year!

Verdict: 5/5

Travelogue: Luzern, Switzerland (Day 6 - 8)

Switzerland has postcard-like views everywhere! It's a land of crystal clear lakes and snowy mountains.The route from Interlaken to Luzern (known as the Golden Pass route) is supposed to be the most scenic of all panoramic routes...extremely picturesque, there is no doubt about it!

The city of Luzern (or Lucerne) gets its name from the lake Luzern, to the edge of which the city lies. We reached there in the early evening, took a stroll to the lakeside and I was awed by the crystal clear brilliance of it. Staying within the city had its advantages. The public transport system (buses) is extremely efficient and easily accessible. So travelling within the city was very hassle free. The city is rich in culture, people are way too friendly and it has a pristine atmosphere...It became my favorite destination in the Euro trip. There is a lot to do at Luzern for people seeking adventure (venture to Mount Pilatus & Titlis) and an equally good spot for relaxation...

Mount Pilatus (7000ft)

The next day we took the Golden Round Trip to Mount Pilatus which includes a boat ride from Luzern to Alpnachstad - cogwheel train from Alpnachstad to top of Pilatus - aerial cable car from Pilatus to Frankmuntegg- gondola cableway to Krienseregg and back to Luzern by bus. The whole thing takes an entire day and is quite strenuous but worth it! The cogwheel train taken to the top of Mt Pilatus is supposed to be the world's steepest train and the views are breathtaking though very scary...

Once you reach the Pilatus Kulm peak, there are a lot of restaurants to eat and chill out. The food is nothing great, but who cares, coz you will never forget the views! There are different hiking routes to the peaks at Pilatus which are quite easy and short. You get stunning views of miles and miles of swiss alps in the crisp air in addition to the panoramic views of the lakes of Central Switzerland.

The adventure park of Frakmuntegg offers a lot of adventure sports like tight rope walking, sledging, toboggan runs etc during summer and snow sledging during winter. So if you are looking for a bit of adrenaline pump, stop over at this town on the way down from the mountain top.

With stunning lakes and mountains, adventure sports, soothing atmosphere, lovely buildings & art, easy to navigate streets & friendly people, Luzerne is one place that every traveller needs to add to his list!

P.S: The images posted here are copyrighted and cannot be reproduced without due credits or my consent

Travelogue: Interlaken, Switzerland (Day 4- 6)

Going to Switzerland had always been one of the MUST DO things in my bucket list. Well, who wouldn't want to go there?! Friends who had visited the place had gone ga-ga over it and now I know why exactly! It is beautiful beyond words can describe! Switzerland is known as the land of skiing, chocolates & private banking.. but there is MUCH more to experience than just that..

So from Paris we headed towards Interlaken which is a small town between 2 lakes (hence the name) and is incredibly beautiful surrounded by soaring mountain peaks (the snow clad swiss alps). Though a small town, it wont fail to captivate your heart by its beauty! I loved it the first minute I stepped out of the train..

This was our first trip on Eurail and the journey took almost 1 full day as we couldn't get tickets on the fast trains. But if you take one of the TGV or Eurostar it takes just about 4hrs from Paris...

The hotel we stayed (Hotel Beatus) was a bit away from the city and close to nature, and the view of the lake and swiss alps from our window was simply amazing!! Imagine waking up and seeing the snow clad alps the first thing in the morning... It was truly blissful!! So always look for a room with a view, even if you have to pay a little more it is totally worth it.

Mount Jungfrau (13, 642 ft)

The next day we went on a trip to Mount Jungfrau, the top most point of Europe. Jungfrau is one of the main summits in Bernese Alps. Together with the Eiger and Mönch, the Jungfrau forms a massive wall overlooking the Bernese Oberland and considered one of the most emblematic sights of the Swiss Alps. The best time to visit is during the Summer of course.

To reach there, you have to take a train from Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen and then the Jungfrau railways to the top of the mountain. The whole journey is about 2.5hrs. The train stops twice on the way, within the moutain tunnel where there are 2 view points and through the glass window you get to see the snow mountains. It gets EXTREMELY cold as you go up, so carrying layered clothing is a must! Once you reach the mountain top, you can trek upto the viewpoints and explore different places where it is snowing and admire the beauty of the majestic swiss alps, while you create snow angels in fresh ice! :) It feels like a heaven on earth and was one of the Out-of-the-world experiences for me!

Ice Palace

The Ice Palace is on the top of Jungfrau and is completely made out of ice - the floors, ceiling, walls and a whole bunch of sculptures!! It is something very unique and fun to see, though it is freezing cold inside!

Adventure Sports

Interlaken is also the adventure sport capital of Europe. If you love adventure then this is the place to be. They say that even if you have done sky diving before, you should do it here again coz diving down to the mountains in swiss alps is a breathtaking experience! Paragliding, canyon swings, rafting are among the other things that you can do.

People & Culture:

The Swiss have 3 official languages - German, French & Swiss. Which part of the country you are in will determine which language is used more. Interlaken is kinda in the middle, so there is more of French/German. The official currency is Swiss Franks and they accept Euros too.

Swiss people were the friendliest among the 3 countries we visited. They are so warm, helpful and welcoming! Not once do you feel intimidated. We had absolutely no issues in finding our hotel or figuring out the day trips and schedules...It actually feels good being in that country!

After admiring the snow and the lakes, we headed northwards to Luzern...

P.S: The images displayed here are copyrighted and cannot be reproduced without due credits or my consent.

Travelogue: Paris (Day 1 - 3)

The first of our destinations in the Europe trip was Paris - the city of lights, love, dreams, romance... as it is popularly known. Landed there in the afternoon with a bright, sunny and a pleasant weather inviting us. The Charles de Gaulle airport is quite far from the city but SNCF (French Railways) connects Paris very well, so travelling within the city is very easy.

Paris Metro/Subway

A metro pass would be a good idea if you are planning to stay there for more than 4-5 days as it works out to be economical & cabs can get very expensive. Locating a hotel close to one of the metro stations will be a smart thing to do and we got lucky with that :). Like all city subways, you proceed downstairs past the human/automatic ticket dispensers and to the platform. The metro is very well signed and the lines are designated by colors, letters & numbers. It is clean, spacious and very convenient as we discovered it over the period of our stay.

Streets of Paris
We stepped out in the late evening with the weather still bright and sunny. Summer there has long days with the sunset happening around 9.30 -10pm. The streets of Paris are wide and nice and most of them are named after Mathematicians. The buildings have a rustic look and follow the same kind of architecture throughout the city.

Eiffel Tower and River Seine
The first thing to do was obviously to see the Eiffel Tower and River Seine. The river flowing through the city looks beautiful and the Eiffel Tower dominates the Paris skyline, being one of the highest points. It is definitely one of the best known landmarks in the world and a good piece of art with history, but I wasn't as impressed by it. My expectations were probably something more and it was way different from what I had thought I would see. There is a ride to the top and a restaurant at the first level of the tower where you can have dinner. But looking at the crowd and the lonnng queue, we decided not to take it. So just wandered at the base, admired the surroundings and returned back.

Food & Accomodation
In terms of food the city has a lot of options for various cuisines like Italian, Chinese and Indian too but limited options if you are a vegetarian. So make sure you ask someone if you are looking for a specific restaurant or a cuisine. The food is definitely very expensive, so depends on how much you wish to spend on every meal. There are a lot of hostels/bed & breakfast places available for budget accomodation which range from 40-60euros and 2 star hotels which cost approx 90euros a night..

Wine Tasting

The second day was the wine/champagne tasting at O Chateau, in one of the cellars within the city. It was a real good experience and we got to taste about 6 different french wines (red/white) including a champagne. This is something I would recommend as a must do, if you are a wine lover!

Louvre Museum

The visit to Paris is not complete without seeing the famous Louvre museum. So the third day morning we went to the museum (locating the entrance was a bit of a struggle). The entry is free on the first Sunday of every month but unfortunately we had to travel the next day which was the first Sunday, so had to buy the tickets . There is also a museum pass which grants multiple entry access to almost 70 museums/churches in Paris. So if you are an art lover, then this will be economical than buying individual entry tickets and you also get to skip the long queues.

I was thrilled to see the inverted glass pyramid and the Monalisa (something I've always wanted to see after reading The Da Vinci Code). The Louvre is composed of 4 floors with exhibits including sculptures, Egyptian, Greek, Roman and Etruscan antiquities and much more! It is said that you need 2 full days to see the whole museum in detail if you are a real art & museum lover but again it depends on your interset level. We spent around half a day and were quite happy with what we saw... It is no doubt one of the world's best museums!




Arc de Triomphe

It is one of the most recognizable symbols of Paris/France and stands towardst he north west of the city. You can climb up the arc to get a magnificient view of Paris but we didnt have enough time to go all the way up...

A couple of other things we saw includes Champ-Elysees and Bastille (Opera de Paris Bastille)

The 4th day we hopped on to the Eurail and headed towards Switzerland......





(Note: The images displayed are copyrighted and cannot be reproduced anywhere without my consent)

Change...and resistance..

Change is always difficult, be it in professional or personal life. If one of it is constant, it becomes easier to handle the other. But what do you do when all aspects of your life are changing at the same time... new job, new city, new lifestyle, new friends etc etc.... its like getting a complete makeover; at the end you find it difficult to recognize your own self!

Coming out of the comfort zone is something no one likes to do. Everytime I've wanted to do something different, I have seen myself procrastinating and embracing the status quo; Mainly coz of the already existing sense of security and the fear of the unknown. But luckily, in retrospect, all the dots seem to connect perfectly well and am glad I took those bold steps and embraced the change, even though I was unsure and it felt extremely difficult at that point in time. So that itself gives me a lot of confidence to plunge ahead now... and believe that change is not always bad. You never know what you are missing out in life, if you do not take that leap of faith and come out of the safety of your comfort zone. Breaking that barrier is very important... if you do not stretch beyond your comfort, you are going to be in the same place tomorrow and the next day and the next!

Someone had sent these lines to me many years back and everytime I have something drastically changing in my life, I always remember this -

"...For everything you have missed, you have gained something else; and for everything you gain, you lose something else"

Now that I have a music system in my car, I listen to the radio at least 2 hours a day while commuting to work, thanks to bangalore traffic! So recently, I heard this ad on Radio One about 'Privilege Matimony', which is supposed to be a "personalized" special matrimonial service offered by Bharatmatrimony for all the busy and young professionals who have no time to find a suitable partner for themselves... and of course it comes with a premium cost. Hmmm... I am still unable to find a logical reason behind this concept.....extremely stupid and silly! How can a relationship manager decide whether you are compatible with someone or not? Searching the profiles online can be done personally on any of the regular matrimonial sites, so I dont understand this "personal relationship manager" concept at all. One of the basic and most important decision of people's lives is being treated like a mere business transaction...

Well, I believe, if you are so busy that you dont have time to invest in finding someone special, then you probably dont need that special someone in your life!

I am not sure if anyone has *actually* benefitted from this, but to me, the concept itself sounds hollow and like just another money making tactic...

It's just one of those 'not so great' days when am wondering why is happiness always relative?! You wait for something for a long time, you get it; you are happy, but the next moment you are not, coz you have just compared yourself with others....may not be consciously, but it happens and then that happiness suddenly becomes elusive....

Happiness doesnt seem to lie in what you get or have but in whether or not you have more or less than others...sigh! 'Being content with what you have' seem like just words of wisdom many a times...far beyond putting into practice...

Competition is good, healthy....but the more one learns not to compare...the better it is...I realize!

It's been ages since I wrote something here. I have been getting mails from many people asking if I am ok and why I have not updated anything here. Well..it is nice to know that there are people who actually read what I post :) It has never so happened that I've lost interest in writing coz it gives me a lot of joy and I myself was surprised to see that every time I opened this blog to write something, there was a complete lack of enthusiasm & interest, in addition to having a crazily hectic work life... Hope I find some time to update this space more often...

I've been watching this Ad which is an aircel initiative, about Save the Tiger campaign. I absolutely love it. The very first time I saw it, it touched my heart. Definitely does it's part to raise the social awareness & hopefully influence people to raise their voices and do something for the cause! I don't know what I can do about it but as the Ad says 'spread the message'....here I am, posting the video :)

I was checking my Google Analytics account for this blog today, after a really long time and I was surprised to see the statistics! Never realized that there were so many people who visited this blog regularly to read the ramblings that I write :) Yet, there are very few who leave comments....it was interesting to see the number of people who are curious to know what's happening in my life....coz there are a lot of specific searches for these keywords "pratima+jayaram+ blog+ ISB+bangalore" and so on..

This month (Jan) seems to have the max number of visits (though I hardly posted anything..)

Visits - 1,050 from 46 countries
Page views - 2,280
Visitors - 620 absolute unique visitors
New Visits - 60%
Direct Traffic - 11 %
Referrals - 72%

Top 10 Keywords
1. marilyn monroe quotes
2. pratima jayaram
3. mind over matter
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6. pratima jairam blog
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8. "mind over matter" blog
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10. mind over matter + pratima jayaram

hmmm...

India sings Phir Mile Sur..

There is probably no Indian who wouldn't have heard of Mile sur mera tumhara. Most of us grew up listening to it on Doordarshan. It brings back the childhood memories. I vaguely remember starting to watch this on DD when I was 7-8 yrs old and knew the entire song, with lines in all languages (I still do). Released in 1988, this video about national integration which was pretty much like a national anthem and brings out a medley of the country's languages and diversity, is definitely a legend....

But the question is, can we recreate the legend? Well, you can surely try but probably cannot! The new contemporary version - Phir Mile Sur premiered today on TV on the account of Republic Day. Zoom TV has been airing nothing but this since morning and I've watched it a zillion time already... It was a good thought and effort by Vodafone/Times Group and it is no doubt beautiful. The setting, screenplay, direction are truly brilliant. It presents India in its true glory but according to me, it failed to create the magic. First of all, the song/video is way toooo long (16mins) and seems like a drag. It doesn't sound all that melodius like before, coz of a too many additions. And above all, it's supposed to be a national integration video, so what are SO MANY bollywood stars doing in there?!!! Most of them look very superficial, especially Ash and Deepika Padukone. To me, the best part of the video was that of AR Rahman, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and Amitabh Bachchan...I feel more diversity in the artists chosen would have looked better.

Phir Mile Sur is no doubt good, but Mile Sur Mera Tumhara still remains immortal for the impact it created on the nation....old is gold..

Here is the Part 1 of the video...and full video is available HERE

Books...I love thee!

I saw this Cadbury Celebrations Ad for Raksha Bandhan which has been playing on TV for quite a while. But yesterday I noticed something more in it. This kid gives his sister a gift for Rakhi and she asks him what it is....he says "Book" and the sister makes a sad face and then opens the box to find chocolates and is very thrilled about it....

Well... for me, it would have definitely been the other way round! A good book is one of the nicest gifts that I could get (I do love perfumes and flowers too ;-) )... I'd treasure it more than anything, 'coz I am extremely possessive about the books I own. I hate getting them dirty, having folds or mishandling them while reading and I *always* use bookmarks. I hate it when people fold the pages to mark their readings! That's one of the reasons why all my books look brand new even after I've read them multiple times. I love keeping hard copies of my favorite books...I love the smell and feel of it! I might sound a bit cynical but I find it hard to lend my collection of favorite books unless I know that the recipent will handle it with care...

It's sad to see these days how the passion for reading has reduced and television, video games and other sources of entertainement have taken over. To me, a book would still be the first choice whenever I have time to spare. Leave me in a book store, and I'd forget the whole world around. It can be quite unnerving to someone who accompanies me coz I can spend hours browsing through the books and still be left un-satiated...

Sitting in a coffee shop, in a book store with a good book and a hot cup of green tea is like a perfect afternoon for me....... Ah! my life would be so incomplete without books!

A movie and the book...

Watched 3 idiots today.....I had read Five Point Someone (FPS) by Chetan Bhagat years back and had loved it. This was one book which I had thought would make a base for an entertaining movie. When I heard that 3 idiots was based on FPS, I was quite eager to watch it but I read a lot of reviews since its release last week which say that the director claims the movie plot is just 5% of the book...So today I started the movie with an expectation to see something new and more than just FPS. I was quite suprised to see almost 70% of the movie adapted from the novel and the sad part is that there has been no credit given to Chetan Bhagat anywhere.

I quickly visited his blog and found this post and this one as well. I still remember the book quite well coz I've read it twice...the characters, settings, drama, emotions, love story, everything is the same and a lot of scenes like Raju's (Alok) suicide, Rancho (Ryan) helping Raju's father and his family, Raju moving out the group, Rancho falling in love with Pia -the professor's daughter, stealing papers from the professor's office, Pia's brother committing suicide and she hiding it from her father till the end, the ragging scene at the beginning of the movie...and I can list a lot more...which are straight from the novel..

Agreed that Hirani has a great sense of humor and he has added his own flavor & twist to the plot and adapted from FPS quite well. The catchline "All is well" does make it sound like another Munnabhai movie with a social message. Everything about the movie is good, it's well made, entertaining and has the right amount of comedy and emotions...I am not undermining the authenticity. But the point is, the movie is not just 5% of the book...its much more than that and the fact that the director/producer is not giving the due credit to the author is quite un-ethical, unmerciful and shameless!! If I were the writer, I would have screamed at the top of my voice saying its my story! Bollywood churns out a lot of movies which are "inspired" from different things and the least they could do is give the due credits to the sources...

Watch the movie and then read the book..am sure anyone can see a whole lot of similarities...

On a different note, I loved Aamir's performance. Though he is 44 and playing a 22 year old college kid, he gets away with it and totally fits in! Sharman Joshi, no doubt was perfect for his role though Madhavan did seem a bit out of place...Whatever the quirks, 'All is well' in the end and the movie is definitely worth a watch!

Calvin n Hobbes

I've been trying hard to pen down my thoughts here for the last 2 hours but I was just not able to articulate what I feel...it just ended up frustrating me more and I turned to my favorite CnH collection to give me a break and ...I find this line in one of the strips which just seemed perfect!

"We're so busy watching out for what's just ahead of us that we don't take time to enjoy where we are"



They say.. "Stop and smell the roses" ... that's exactly what I need to do now

Sometimes CnH seems to be more than just cartoon strips....it gives you such a good perspective on life in the most simple way

Vacation blues

Well, here I am, back from my week long holiday...it's been 4 days but I still seem to be lingering in that mood with little or no interest in getting back to my normal routine. With all the planning and anticipation of the trip and the trip itself getting over, there is a sudden drop in the excitement and a strong feeling of nostalgia which has left me longing for more.....making it really hard for me to get back to reality & the pre-vacation routines.

I miss that city, the partying, the food, the people....the sight, smell and sounds... and every moment of my time spent there! This was one of those vacations which was so "perfect" that I sometimes fear none of the future ones might even come close to it...

After almost 2 weeks of the strong feeling in the gut, I am very close to figuring out what it is all about! My brain seems to be registering it now, whereas my subsconscious mind seemed to know it much before...hmmm..

One of the readers of this blog (you know who u are :-) ) who has also learnt pranic healing, dropped me a mail reading my previous post, reminding me that there are different energy/astral layers through which the thoughts cross before they actually enter the physical body and the brain can comprehend it. That info was helpful to me, coz I practiced the meditations taught in Arhatic Yoga which actually helped me calm down and become more aware of the "thoughts" or "events" associated with the gut feel. I could still be wrong... but I *think* I fairly know what it is! Only time can confirm...

On a different note, I am eagerly looking forward for the 8 day long vacation starting next week. It's been ages since I actually took off for so long and I am glad I am going on a long break...which I badly needed...

More when am back next month.......

It's been 4-5 days now...there has been a strange funny feeling in the pit of my stomach. It's a weird and queasy feeling in the gut which one would get when anxious.... like just before an interview or an exam or maybe in anticipation of a good/bad news. I know its not based on a conscious thought, coz everything around me seems perfectly fine, normal, happy and peaceful. It's that strange "gut-feel" which you experience when your brain actually hasn't registered something yet but your subconscious mind is aware of it coz it's said that our subsconscious mind functions ten times faster than our conscious mind and it can pick up signals which our conscious mind has still not processed.. I am just unable to put a finger on what's causing this and it has been bothering me quite a lot....

I am pretty sure it's not just a random feeling...I really want to know what it is... I probably know it already, but waiting for my brain to register!

First Look: Lux catch me

I caught this new Lux Ad featuring the Bachchan couple - Aishwary and Abhishek, for the first time on TV yesterday. Reportedly the couple has been paid 25 crores for this commercial! Hmmm..I feel, more than the product, concept, music or whatever for that matter... it's the presence of the duo together for the first time on small screen which is going to increase the recall value of the brand... coz when people see it, they are not seeing just another couple, its Ash & Abhi...and am sure that's the whole intention of the advertisement too..

It's been playing quite a lot and I actually loved the music and used to watch it everytime just for the song ..... was very suprised to find out today that the music has been composed by my all time fav Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy... ah! no wonder I loved it ! ;-) Their music has a very unique touch which can't go unnoticed...

In pursuit of happiness...

This is one of those random thoughts I had when I found a few hours of idle time amidst my otherwise busy schedule...those few moments which are spent contemplating on life and such...

All of us have dreams/aspirations/goals in life, small or big, doesn't matter. We visualize, plan, prioritize, chase and strive hard to achieve those *objects of desire* or fulfill those dreams. I've been there, done that too. But I have noticed that whenever I reach a goal or acquire that *object of desire*, it never makes me as happy and thrilled as I had thought it would, when I started off. In short, it doesn't live up to the initial fantasies. It really makes me wonder why?! It cannot be becoz I dont want to be at that stage anymore or I dont like that *object of desire*, coz I would have put in days, months & sometimes years of effort behind it... Then, is it becoz my priorities changed during the course? I guess not, coz then I would have not pursued the goal or chased my *object of desire* till the end! So what else could it be??

I do realize that as human beings, we are never content with what we get. We always aspire for more. It's like someone wanting to buy a house all his life and when he actually does, he'll wish he owned a bigger house or a house by the sea side. What's the guarantee that the same feeling wont pop up again? There's no limit to being satiatiated....

After much contemplation, analysis, thought & discussions, one answer did satisfy me to an extent. It's always the "pursuit" which is more exciting than the "attainment" itself. "Wanting" seems to be a much stronger emotion than "Having".... the happiness actually lies in the pursuit itself and not the end point or the goal ". So when you actually attain it, you wonder Now What?! Of course there is a short period of excitement when we attain the goal, I dont deny. But very soon we are back to picking on the next goal and sailing on the same boat, striving hard all over again...

The best analogy here could be climbing a mountain. You trek all the way up for many hours to get a glimpse of that beautiful view from the peak. But the time spent there is just a few minutes....The excitement and joy is more in the journey to and from the peak...

So in short, attaining a goal or the *object of desire* is not an end by itself.... it's the journey that matters and is more enjoyable ; pursuit is where the happiness lies...