The White Experience!

If you haven't visited Alberobello, which i think is quite likely as it is a tiny little place tucked somewhere far in the south of Italy, you really should make an effort to go and see this town. Its a pretty little town made up in white stone. Pure white houses with super clean roads as if no one has ever used these. With a population of just 11,000 people (mostly older generation), this is such a unique, calm and cute town. I can talk about it forever even though walking around the whole town just took half a day, No...few hours, No...4 hours, Umm...3 and 1/2 may be, Ya....3 and 1/2 hours :)

The European street lamps, the stony pavements, the little pizzerias, the Juliet balconies and a unique-cozy warmth in chilly weather (may be because i was wrapped up in Mandar's arms:P)! While walking around, i felt its unreal, as if its an ideal set for a movie, as if real people don't live here, they have been told to mingle around to look real, haha! Its that perfect, that picturesque! We walked around the Trulo houses,  kept rushing inside the coffee bars to gather some warmth, trailed around the "business district" which was just one beautiful lane full of tourist shops selling handmade crocheted winter-wear and clicked tons of pictures.

This unesco sight Alberobello, Bari is worth a longgg train ride to the very south of Italy. Please please visit this place, its heaven on earth! Oh and do take a book along, read it sitting on the bench in the piazza, grab a hot chocolate from the vending machine across the piazza, you wouldn't forget the name, its called - "Automatic shop"  ;)

Divertiti, Ciao!

Time is flyingggg....:)

How many times have you heard people saying "Really, it's been five years already?? Time is flying". But if we peep in and have a closer look at our memories, its not so "flying" after all. A sequence of chores that we follow day in day out connect us to people, things, places that we might not necessarily know or intentionally take notice of.

I was walking to the metro station this morning and was following my usual routine. Considering that I leave home around the same time everyday, people I see on my way to office are same too. The two aunties walking there dogs and sitting on there favorite bench gossiping about don't know what! I unmistakably see them every single morning. This guy with a funky hat, taking the trash out from the garbage chute in my condo, I consciously make an effort to look at him without wrinkling my nose at the sight of trash and saying a very good morning to him with a broad smile. His job is the toughest, taking out people's trash is no fun. A little further I walk , the "Bonjour" bread guy is always filling in fresh bread in the vending machine for the residents, he turns back and raises his eyebrows saying "have a good day"...without actually saying it :P ya, we kind of have an understanding :P. Grrr, the moment I step on the wet floor cleaned by a very old uncle in front of the post office, I curse myself but he is never cross, he always looks at me with a warm smile and I right away feel like volunteering to mop the floor with him. He is really old and my heart breaks to see him doing it in hot sun everyday.

As soon as i walk past the escalator in the mall on the way to the metro station, smell of the fresh toast and tea puts a grin on my face. No, i don't eat at this place but this fresh scent of a usual morning where people rush together to work, is a mix of toast & tea & their favorite body wash or perfumes & news papers & novels & smiles & stares & many more things! The day just kick starts with all these people you see on the trains & in the buses, doing hundred different things but consciously or unconsciously they become a part of your life. When you look back at your memories, they may be a little insignificant to sparkle on top of your head but they really are the ones who significantly contribute to your routine of 365 days. 

Life amuses me everyday, in one way or the other :)

Ciao!

Eyes closed+Long breaths+Mellow smile = Peace !!!

  I feel very different, briskly calm, enthusiastically peaceful !

As if i am lying flat on my back and floating effortlessly on the rippling waves, gazing at the stars in this blue-black-silent night, fully satisfied. I feel like smiling, a lot...to myself...and expressing some gratitude towards nature, god or a worldly power that created this wondrous & unusually strong bond between a mother and her child.

Too bad, i can't transmit my feelings to you, i can only write or say and the intensity of my thoughts that are ardent than ever right now,  may not be as strong by the time they reach you. I really am over and over and over the moon.

Ruhaan said "Mamma" today !! I just lost myself as "me" and found myself as his "mum" ! He kept on mumbling..."mamma mamma mamma mamma"...ohhh! I just don't know what else to write after this, i am so full of joy & tears and so majorly short of words, I am smitten by this little chocolate muffin. He makes me feel...Complete!

A day to mark, to remember, to cherish, 14th Jan 2016 !!

If kisses were snowflakes, I would send you a blizzard :)

Wind blows and my hair is riding waves in the rainy air,
The Rain droplets drizzle and  my eyelids twitch,
I look through the beaming sun but the sun stares at the flowers,
Flowers shining in the morning glory, admire the butterflies on it,
The butterflies...not the one on that flower but those that i feel in my stomach :)

Hmm, all this because hub looks at me this morning all dressed in white (that's his favorite color) carrying a white umbrella, gives me a good second glance, clicks a picture and says "Ahem, Girl in white and blue! Chan Distes" (you look beautiful in Marathi). This man has an effect on me, damn!

Really? That's all it takes for me to feel those butterflies when it comes to you Mandy?

In Love today,
Ciao!

#Santa Claus#Reindeers#Gift-Opening#Kids Stuff#

Not a usual December for sure! Full of doctors, medicines, treatments and stress! But all is good now and there is a sudden realization that its already 24th of December and i have been caught up so badly that i haven't even noticed my favorite month pass by so fast...so incredibly fast. The least i can do is put a post quickly on this beautiful cloudy Xmas eve :)

Many friends have either left or are leaving on a holiday today, traveling to mesmerizing locations. We would have been roaming somewhere around the world if it was not for Ruhaan. Howeverrrr, this year its all together a different joy to plan a trip to the nearest mall to buy Xmas gifts for Rui, dress him in Xmas sleep suit tonight, open presents tomorrow morning and learn this new side of Xmas with #Santa Claus#Reindeers#Gift-opening#kids stuff# and most wonderful of all, experience the Family bonding over this holiday season-our small little family of three! Last year this time i was desperate to give birth @ 8 months of pregnancy and get this little bub out of my tummy. Just 9 months after his birth i see him walking on his 2 little feet & exploring the world. "A proud and amazed mum" !!!

Let me get going now, i need to buy fresh bakery (that's my another xmas tradition-lots of calories :P) and Rui's present :)

A very merry Christmas all !! Take it easy and chill :) Jingle bell Jingle bell, na na na naaaaa....

"Play"

One look out of that window and the afternoon looks dull (in a good way), slow and holidayish! My white Christmas tree (a small one-12 inches may be) sparkling with blue ornaments is already out on the desk. It almost looks like a garden here, xmas tree, artificial flowers, a few real ones from my bday last week and 2 vases full of yellow and lavender orchids. Arghh! but a garden with papers, a phone and laptop :( I am smelling the holiday mood and that calls for a trip to the library to pick a Christmas novel. That's like a ritual every year! the rains as usual are making everything look misty, hazy, cloudy and this cold breeze is what i wait for, all year long.

Have been trying to cut down on coffee and tea recently but this certainly is the worst time to start. I should have let December pass by :( How to catch the essence of life without a hot coffee mug in the hand letting the steam & aroma warm your face? I wish we had a digital memory to capture moments, something that will let you be in that moment again. Life would have been sorted. Feel like drinking coffee? Click "play" and be in the moment :))

Ohhh, most importantly, i would record the whole bedtime routine that i do for Ruhaan, that is the most lovely time of the day when i smell the baby soap, baby powder and feel the soft touch of his chubby cheeks while he watches twinkle twinkle little stars and drinks his milk. And I? watch him, simply watch, just watch you know...and capture him in my eyes as much as i can! Aww, these tears, i can't see at the screen anymore, its even more misty...

Ciao!

Almost !!!

An empty auditorium, hundreds of chairs steady and waiting, a quiet stage, the spotlights pointing random directions, the wings on both sides watching each other! It  gives me goosebumps by just imagining the sight of an empty theater. I, right now feel as if i am standing in the middle of this place and peacefully looking at a quiet stage. I may just run up and start performing until i am bone-tired.

Being on stage is world's greatest joy for me, that exhilaration, that zeal is something i cannot put into words. That heavy feeling of happiness cannot be communicated, written or narrated. I use the word "heavy" because that's exactly how it is, my heart weighs more, my brain is completely engaged, my surrounding dissolves into a dramatic numbness and i am left with this halo around me. As if i am not listening, not spoiling the moment by talking, i am simply observing my breath that is equally heavy but full of liveliness and an indescribable joy. As if i want to breathe-in that happiness and never let it go.

It makes me realize how long its been since i was out there performing, letting those beams from the spot lights glow my skin- making my hair shine and subtly sweating my nose from the heat.  Its been ages since those gleaming lights on-stage and the dark cut outs of the audiences off-stage made me feel i belong here, on this very stage.

The one-month long "Actor Prepares" workshop that i am doing has shaken something inside me bringing me back to the world i love so much, i can almost die for it, i can almost leave everything behind and just walk along this way, i can almost gather courage to live my passion.

But this "almost" most certainly always interferes whenever i want to rebel, i want to go crazy, i want to follow my heart !!!

My heart didn't fly with me !!!

Away from my munchkin for the first time....Don't feel like enjoying this silent peaceful night, i would rather keep missing Ruhaan and stay awake.

This certainly is my first work trip after delivery. I was on a plane today after 8 long months, part of me was excited to go back to the old life, just for one night. However, here i am sitting in a plush hotel really wanting to indulge myself in this temporary peace but my mommy-heart melts and keeps asking for more of Ruhaan's videos, i am bugging Mandar to facetime with me all evening and the best thing i can do right now is blog about this little fellow!

My first time in Philippines but every ounce of me wants to finish business as quick as possible and fly back to my sugar ball. Being a working women is easy but being a working mother is one hell of a challenge.

Let me try to enjoy this cup of coffee by myself (for sure you know that this used to be my all time favorite)...

Life's weird, isn't it?

Cheers to a changed life...

It’s been such an emotional roller coaster but things are kind of settled now. 3 months ago we didn’t have this little toy in our house and now it seems like I have been with him for the longest of time I can ever remember. Yes, all parents talk identical language, love at first sight, your world revolves around the baby, you will be getting familiar to the night world, you won’t have time for anything else blah blah blah. The part about your world revolving around the baby is very true but in a beautiful way. The part about not getting enough time with the husband is not so true. You both are so much into the baby and the family as a whole, you are simply learning to spend time in a different way. And if you have a partner anything similar to mine, rest assure that even if he is not fully awake at 4 am, he will atleast put a hand on your lap while you are feeding and make his best effort to tell you that “I am here if you need anything”. He will be super sleepy at 11 pm and wishing you goodnight with an “I Love You” and a guilty “I have to sleep” expression. After a tiring night you both wake up to the most innocent smile in this world and the two button eyes looking at you which now seems to be a look that recognizes you as a mother and your husband as a father…and the joys of it are inexpressible. 

This little fellow has turned my life upside down but I just count hours before getting home from work. Now I realize why mommies tend to leave there jobs, take a break in their careers and spend time with these innocent tiny things. I keep mumbling rhymes and lullabies, pumping milk has become 'me time', whenever somebody around the house reminds “we are out of milk”, the first thing comes to mind is baby’s milk stock, meeting friends on a very tight schedule, have to change FB profile pic for last 2 months, credit card bills have not been paid, I keep telling everyone I will call you back and it never happens, I have been trying super hard to make time for a daily dose of cardio, an evening with coke in a wine glass and some country music makes me feel genuinely relaxed!!! Ya, its definitely a changed life but somehow it works :) I look at my mickey mouse and everything turns into blisss. I have surely started enjoying this new phase and am looking forward to much more that is coming.

And for Mandar, I just cannot explain how much I enjoy watching him as a Dad. I see him full of love for his little guy and I can’t stop loving that entire father-son dynamics. Muah….

Flowing :)

Just finished my yoga and the mood is swinging in the relaxing zone. Its a weekday and looks like my military precision is out of the way tonight. Yes, i am simply snuggling on my couch and listening to this beautiful piece of music by Zen.

In the shadow of soothing yellow lights and smell of the gorgeous Jasmine that is blooming happily in my balcony-garden (with so much rain lately), i don't mind being by myself at all. This is what i call a perfect evening..with candles, music and some alone time! Such Thursdays don't come my way so often, while its here...let me get the most out of it :)

Umm, wondering if someone can bring me some comforting hot chocolate? Jeannie (with 2 claps :P)

Lost and found :)

A friend reminded me of having a blog...and i felt so....so...aww'ed? hmm'ed? wahh'ed?

If this gets published, it would be my first post for 2014...this makes me feel really bad but staying on a positive note its past midnight, i am awake, pulling my lappy out, ladies & gentleman...here i go :)

Things have been on top of me these last few months...totally! I have gone far away from my own self. I haven't "Created" a-n-y-t-h-i-n-g in these few months. Neither a DIY something nor a good piece of poetry. My blog has been all dry and mind has been full yet empty! Of course, a non-creative mind for me is, is empty. My graph of reading books has taken a dip and the librarian friends are proly waiting to see me again. I haven't listened to good music, i haven't cooked exotic dinners, i haven't even spoken to my favorite people lately.

But something triggered tonight and i came back searching my soul in this tiny space. Its been 8 years since i first met Mandar and how i relived all those years in the last hour. The time has rushed through but every moment is so alive, in me, in my heart! He has been such an extraordinary person that i have kept falling in love with him every single moment we spent together. To a lovely marriage and a perfect husband, Cheers!

While smelling this mysterious scent of the rain....

Lazy Sunday!

While doing my weekend chores, the bedroom darkened suddenly and i happened to look outside the window. Dark skies, strident lightening awaiting the rains to pour down tearing the clouds apart. A glance at the beauty of this weather through my window and i instantly pulled out my favorite lens for close and sharp shots. Owning a DSLR is so worth it at such times!

I am home by myself this weekend and decided to watch "The Lunchbox" before this Sunday blurs into sameness. Well, for the love of Irfan Khan & his extra ordinary talent, i never read reviews before watching his films. What a perfect choice for such a day and what a beauuuutiful movie (I hope you can sense the intensity of "beauuuutiful" just the way i am trying to convey it)! Movies which treat you with a plot and direction of less to hear and more to watch, always impress me the most and "The Lunchbox" is absolutely one of those.

I am deciding the title for this post but am still unsure....something about the weather? or the rains? or the movie makers? or ...? Duhhh! For now-enjoy this song with a Coffee (of course!!! coffee hasss to peep in my post, right? :))

oh and my clicks here....have a great week ahead on this "rainy" note!

The hunt is temporarily paused :)

Remember this post from the newy times after moving to Singapore...i was so amused at the fact that sometimes friends cannot just happen and they have to be searched for but its not completely true indeed!

Yes, i have settled down here and the roots have started to spread wider. The hunt is coming to an end for now. I feel like home in Singapore and its not because of just the familiarity of this place, its because of the "people" who have slowly and steadily grown to become "Friends" and some "Best of Friends" :)

All those "dreams" of hanging-out "again" with the same chilled-out attitude when you don't really need to think before spilling the beans have turned real....Surely in the supreme absurdity of dreams there is always truth :)

I am back to the long chit chats, chai sessions and holy trinity of girliness :)

Life's good again!

Lets march Onwards and Upward!

May was coming to a beautiful closure, only before I got this tragic news of my granddad routing to heavens. He was burnt to ashes by the time I reached home, only to see his empty bed, his clothes hanging with a familiar lingering smell, an old old radio almost all covered in cello tape and this beautiful picture of my grand-mom hanging alone on the wall, smiling at me. Her cheery sentiment struck a chord instantly of them being together now somewhere in the air or clouds or skies,  I don’t know, and I was happy!

Something more unreal happened after this. My dad took me along to the crematory for what we hindus call “Asthi-Visarjan”… remains of the dead person are collected and immersed in a river. All you have is some left over bones & ashes that have to find a resting place in flowing water. Usually Son of the departed soul is the one who does Asthi Visarjan and whatever the culture or traditions say, girls are NOT to enter the crematory for whatever the reasons may be! Now you know why I said “something unreal happened”- in a small town like Sangli, 50 odd Males in the crematory were looking at me like I came from some other world…. Or like my dad was this insane person who was encouraging me to collect the remains…Or like their own cremation-rituals almost took second place as they all seemed to be forgetful about the recent death in their families…Or me being the only girl there became a more important scene to turn their heads to! Arghhh! All I cared about was cherishing the last pieces of my granddad that were in my two hands and now I had to let them go, for ever!

Unfair believes be damned! I am proud of my dad for taking this step! Let my grandpa rest in lots of peace!

The Unplanned is always sweet :)

What a roller coaster these two months have been. April and May were by far the busiest months of my entire life. I was in for a ride both physically and emotionally. Travel was almost non-stop to a point where at the end of May I had about 5 bags lined in a row begging to be unpacked ;).

More intense were the emotional ups and downs….Pause…. **Warning: Long sentence ahead before coming to a Full Stop**…..ok, Continue :)…where I met my long lost friend Asmit after a good seven years break, hung out with my long time crush Actor/director Rajat Kapoor (of course i am blushing) invited a Bollywood celebrity home for dinner, experienced excitement of The Great Vinay Pathak performing live in his hotel room with the only Audience apart from his team being “me” (of course i am showing off), not only attended a wedding of my bestie which was due for a long thousand years but also walked her through the aisle of this beautiful church (of course i am not crying...phew), hung out with my cool dude BIL after a long 4 years who traveled all the way from US with a stopover in the lion city before reaching India.

Meeting Asmit made me realize that some things never change...the seven-year gap was instantly erased and we went back to the same old equation! I learnt the real meaning of being down to earth after meeting Vinay ji, what a gem he is! Rajat kapoor & his play "Nothink like Lear" took me back to the times of drama rehearsals i used to sit in-my most lovely time spent ever! Walking the bride through an aisle is no simple thing, it depicts a strong bond with the bride and the bond between us i think carved confirmation on her wedding day.

With this sequence of happenings I really don’t know what I treasure most. Every person mentioned here has an important place in my heart. Times pass by and we don’t get a chance to talk, to meet, to see people we love and these 2 months just brought together an unexpected number of events that were destined to happen. Isn’t this surprise element in life the most you will remember and cherish for the coming years?

Who Knows?

 Sitting on the Airport, waiting to board my flight, no wifi connection and everyone would agree that data roaming is too expensive! Eyes and brain cells too tired of working, so reading a book-out of question. Whats my next option? Simply sitting & looking around, hmm, doesn't sound too bad! 

Its really interesting to just look around on airports, so many people with their own different stories are chatting, eating, laughing, dozing, shopping! But something really caught my eye that day was a couple departing and going to two different gates for flying their own ways. Now i kept looking for a few moments, both were crying (yes! the boy as well), kissing passionately and looking at each other without winking even for a second. I could feel their pain distance away, their hands intertwined, bodies up-close and the warm everlasting stare that could not have moved unless their was to be something as crazy as an earthquake.

Aww, the two strangers, So much in love! I know this line from somewhere, "To meet & Part is the way of life but to Part & Meet is the hope of life". True, ehh?

And then right after being charged up by this emotional experience, i heard a very heartbreaking story of a friend who got a divorce after his long marriage. He is very happy & relieved after breaking the love-bonds which proved to be quite a rough patch of his life. Only So much for love?

This leaves me with discomforting thoughts, whats the Way & whats the Hope really? with the most beautiful emotion in life--Love, Who knows?

Ciao!

I want to go home...da da daaa :)

I want to go home, da da daaa :) I am total vella today! Rather I have made myself available for vella-bility coz nothing urgent has come up at work (phew! Surprisingly !) and rest can wait! Never mind lahhh!

Busy week is much better than a dragging week but hey, some lazy and relaxing days at work are not too bad as well.  Last evening I got out of office at sharp 5 pm and instantly tuned into 96.3 FM, what bliss! There was no stopping this RJ who was literally on fire, back to back unbelievably melodious hindi tracks! Ok, half of them might be on my playlist but the exciting part of listening to a radio is it takes you  on a surprise ride! It’s almost like a super duper shuffle function on your iPod!

Suddenly I got thinking what if there was no such thing called music or songs or hindi songs to be more specific. Of course I am a big Hollywood country music fan but it can never ever beat the sheer joy of  listening to hindis. The language just retains more emotions & feelings, for me! So back to the point of living without music, can u even imagine that? I just feel it might not be worth living anymore, the definition of basic needs should be changed in the community-living-textbook for kids-food, clothing, shelter and…?? And Music! Really! It’s that much of an inseparable part of my life but when was the last time I thought about this…don’t know, don’t remember, never…I guess (eyes rolling & face confused - my expression right now)!

Hmmm, so that’s my message for today, never take things or people for granted, you may only realize how worth they were in their absence! Taking a mental note of who is worth what, once in a while sounds like a good idea to me :)

I want to go home, da da daaaa ! Happy Friday, Again!

Cheers to the 7th valentine day with you :)

Take me out on a date
To that beautiful hill top
Give me a warm stare, full of love
Like sunshine twinkling a dewdrop!

Light those candles yellow & bright
And let me melt into you tonight
Take me back in the moment I saw you first
To feel newy again, with the time reversed! 

Make my heart beat faster
And let me out of breath
Touch me like you used to
You beside me, I fear no death!

I would live this same life back and forth

If you promise to be always by my side

I will renew the same vows all over

To this heartfelt promise I forever abide!