Toad Rocks!!!

You can visualize different forms and shapes when you look at clouds. The same thing happens with rock formations. During our visit to Mount Abu, a hill station in Rajasthan (India), we saw a rather unusual form on a hill top when we were roaming around the beautiful nakki lake. Abu abounds in grotesquely shaped rocks which often resemble animals and human beings.

That looks familiar, we thought. We climbed up that hill to explore this unusual form. It was none other than a protrusion of a giant toad. Overhanging the Nakki lake, it is called ‘ Toad Rock‘ because of its resemblance to a gigantic toad about to leap into the water. What do you think?

It may not be the 'Shoegate' (Bush ducking the shoe), but it is pretty cool !

Happy Slob!

I was so caught up with house cleaning and house keeping work that I didn’t have enough time to update about how it all went. So here I am to share a quick update about cleaning task that I had mentioned in my previous post – Let’s Clean Up!

Housecleaning and housekeeping has never been my cup of tea. But keeping up with dirt seemed pretty harder than cleaning it all up ;-) I have been planning to re-organize my kitchen for ages, but never found enough time to do it. The worst past about procrastination is that even though you neglect the job, the job doesn’t leave you. It always used to linger at the back of my mind that there are a few things that I need to work on but I used to shove it. But thankfully the time had finally arrived when I could compel myself to come out of the cocoon and take care of the kitchen. The other items in the TO-DO house cleaning list (mentioned in my previous post Let’s Clean Up! ) have been done and hence marked C R O S S E D.

- clean the living room : X
- clean the dining table : X
- wash the dining table mats : X
- clean the kitchen
- rearrange the kitchen shelves
- move the unwanted items from the kitchen to storage : X
- clean the two beds : the beds are intricately carved out of wood and hence attract lot of dust : X
- change the bed-sheets : X
- extra quilt covers (it’s winters here in India) : X
- move the kitchenware from all the rooms back to the kitchen : X

Earlier, my kitchen used to be a mess, literally. So many jars and containers were piled up on one another gathering dust. And when I needed something I had to struggle to figure out the right jar. Phew! It was quite a task.
I accomplished this near-to-impossible task on Friday, after I returned home from work. I had read about lot of articles online on how to quick clean and how to spring clean your rooms or kitchen or bathrooms. And after reading them I had an eye for the details and the need of the hour. I could figure out till what level I should delve in to carry out this daunting task. The kitchen sink, tiles, cupboards were all clean. So they didn’t require any work. I fast cleaned up all my shelves, arranged all the containers so that I don’t have problem figuring out the right one when the need is. I also moved oil container, spice jars and mixer apparatus, which always cluttered my kitchen top, to other more appropriate and reachable places.

You know what! My husband was all praises when he saw the kitchen. It looked more neat and organized. The placement of all the kitchen paraphernalia seemed to be in order and made more sense. I am quite ecstatic about all this. I have also decided to keep cleaning my home frequently so that I don’t have a ‘Herculean’ task up my sleeves every time someone has to pay a visit to us. Marking the items left out undone in the TO-DO list as C R O S S E D

- clean the kitchen : X
- rearrange the kitchen shelves : X

And yes, the guests from a faraway land have finally arrived. It is their son’s birthday today. So we have a birthday party up in our agenda today;-)

Let's Clean up !

Yeah, since my guests from a faraway land would be soon dropping in I have to prepare my home to welcome them. As mentioned in my previous post Guests from a land far, far away, focus is on C L E A N I N G & D U S T I N G.

We are living in a rented 3-BHK apartment. Practically we have 2 bedrooms; the other one is converted to host miscellaneous activities. It is partially a store-room and partially a washing room where I have kept my washing machine. It is always cluttered with clothes; both dirty and clean. So I thought of leaving out this room altogether. At least for now I am not going to add this room to my cleaning and dusting chore. So now I am left with the following rooms –
A living room
A kitchen
2 bedrooms
2 toilets

Not losing the focus, I have prepared a list of TO-DO items for the housecleaning task. Earlier I used to mentally prepare and maintain list of items. No pen no paper. But when I read the post about maintaining List I thought even I should pen down the items on a paper (sometimes I can even make soft copies of the list too!). The mere advantage of scribbling it all on paper is that I never waste time recollecting if I have missed out something. Trust me, I waste a lot of time thinking if I have forgotten any item from my mental list. I have never been into this ever before- making lists. This is my initial attempt, perhaps naïve too, to manage house by making lists. I am not good at making lists, at least I think so. I have penned down the items I thought should dot my list. Here is my TO-DO list for preparing my home for the wannabe guests :
- clean the living room
- clean the dining table
- wash the dining table mats
- rearrange the kitchen shelves
- move the unwanted items from the kitchen to storage
- clean the two beds : the beds are intricately carved out of wood and hence attract lot of dust
- change the bed-sheets
- extra quilt covers (it’s winters here in India)
- move the kitchenware from all the rooms back to the kitchen

I am not sure if it is complete. Anyways I will try to stick to it completely. I will keep adding to this list as and when I find something needs to be pushed onto the itinerary. I will be back again on how all this has been. Till then wish me luck in my cleaning endeavor.

Guests from a land far, far away

This December we are expecting guests from a land far, far away from ours. My husband’s Uncle and Aunt and their two lovely children- a son and a daughter, are coming from Australia to visit us here in Delhi (India). His aunt is his Mother's sister. And my husband quite enjoys her company.

Uncle and Aunt are Indians by origin but they chose to make Australia their home land to spend the rest of their lives, or rather to begin a new journey of their life. Uncle had been with merchant navy and had sailed through almost entire world. And when he married her, they chose Sydney to start their new quest. Since then, they have been visiting their family here in India once in three to four years. Last time they were here in Delhi our engagement was being planned. Because their next visit would not have been at least 3 years thence, they pressed my husband’s mom hard to get both of us engaged before they leave. They knew, otherwise, making for our engagement and wedding couldn’t have been possible. So I thank both of them for getting both of us engaged earlier than expected.

There is a vast difference in the climate and culture of India and Australia. Well, culture wise their family is an Indian by heart. So there isn’t any appreciable culture GAP. Though their children were born and brought up in Australia but they, as parents, have deliberated a lot of hard work in inculcating Indian values in their children. So culture isn’t a problem at all. But climate certainly is a BIG problem. Unfortunately, apart from boasting a rich cultural heritage, India also abounds in pollution and dust. On the contrary Sydney has far better and cleaner environment. It’s quite hard for their children to put up with dust and pollution, esp. for the youngest one who is very sensitive to dust. All our family members here in Delhi are busy nowadays to prepare their homes for the guests. We all are specifically focusing on the cleaning part. Unfortunately, there is so much dust around everywhere that if we don’t dust clean our homes regularly our homes will look as if they have been deserted for months. All the siblings of my husband’s aunt, accompanied with their children, will be spending time with her. So we need to prepare our home for at least 10 more guests milling about my house.

So what am I waiting for? Even I need to prepare a checklist of what all things I must do to prepare myself and my house to welcome them. They will be visiting us for the first time. So it’s time to get my home in order, from the perspective of a “happy slob” ;-)

Mumbai's 49 Hours Tryst With Terror

(Pictures courtsey Mumbai Mirror)

It was the black night of November 26, 2008 that painted the Indian city of Mumbai red with blood. 10 terrorists struck Mumbai on that fateful night with massive arms and ammunition. Multiple sites in the Mumbai were attacked with bombs and gunfire in a coordinated terror attack. Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, Trident Hotel, Nariman House and CST were amongst the main sites that were brutally hit by the terrorists. Besides these sites, terrorists openly fired on the innocent people on the Mumbai streets. The attacks killed 179 people, including at least 22 foreigners. Over 300 injuries were reported. It was nothing less than a WAR.

The attackers entered Mumbai via the waterfront near the two hotels. The first attack occurred about 9:30 pm at the Cafe Leopold on November 26, 2008. A man was seen firing an AK-47 in the Taj Mahal Palace hotel lobby before fleeing into the kitchen. Another series of injuries was reported when a gunman opened fire at a central train station. As the rampage progressed, gunmen opened fire at several locations throughout the city, including a crowded train station, a popular restaurant and several luxury hotels.

In the wee hours of November 29, 2008 the tryst with terror in Mumbai ended after battling continuously for 49 hours with the terrorists. The last gunmen were cleared out of the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel on Saturday morning, November 29, as firefighters continued work putting out blazes on the first few stories. The terror strike finally got over as the sun dawned. A previously unknown group called the Deccan Mujahideen claimed responsibility for the attack via email. The terrorists apparently sought victims with British or American passports.

The bloody show that was put up for almost 3 days has angered the citizens of India. According to intelligence reports Delhi Airport is next on their hit list.
Today I received an e-mail on ‘Travel Advisory’ from my company stating that there is high security alert for the coming week on Delhi Airport and that the employees should travel only if it is essential.

Though, the terrorists might have been cleared out of Mumbai by the heroic efforts of NSG commandos, the ATS and the Mumbai police force. But the BIG question still dangles unanswered - ARE WE SAFE. Is our tryst with the terror not yet over?

A Perfect Summer Day

A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is broken. ~James Dent

This is a perfect way to idle or rather spend my summer day. I am not referring to the heat and swelter of a summer day. I am referring to a sunny holiday.

I am one of those who want to imbibe more than just the peace and serenity of a place.

I always imagine a big, wide, enormous field with long green grass. A spreading chestnut tree in the middle of the field. The place thrives with fresh green grass. The field is filled with the most spectacular flowers I have ever seen. Not far away is a murmuring cascade that makes the atmosphere mellow. Though I cannot see the cascade but I can hear the deep sound of water splashing against stones and rocks. Aroma of ripe fruits adds to the ambience. Sparkling silver rays of the sun lends the Midas Touch to everything it touches. The whole field is scintillating with the glory of the sun like a thousand sparkling diamonds.

The environment is supremely tranquil and silent.

I imagine myself sitting under the shade of that spreading big tree. I could feel the whole atmosphere melt into my soul – the sweet smell of just blossomed flowers, aroma of ripened fruits, smell of green grass, melody of chirping birds, a flowing cascade. I savor the sensual delights of the atmosphere and enjoy this natural oasis.

I am stirred and energized by the fragrance of some fresh flowers blooming nearby. Then I would lie down under the tree over the soft fresh grass. As I lay I could feel the cool breeze on my face which has just touched the cascade and flown softly through the trees towards me. With half closed eyes I have almost resigned to slumber- lying silent and still.

Just perfect.

Mere thought of such a place calms my nerves and makes me relaxed. This place has always existed in my mind. I don’t know since how long. I have never been able to find such a place. But some day sure I will. Until then I will find solace of this beauty in my imaginations.

What’s your idea of a perfect summer day?

Think Before Doing

A Nice Article Via E-mail. Thought of sharing with you all.
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The bus has started moving. It is packed with people of all ages, mostly with the working men and women and young college guys and gals. Near the window is an old man seated with his 30 year old son. As the bus moves by, the son is overwhelmed with joy as he was thrilled with the scenery outside.

"See dad, the scenery of green trees moving away is very beautiful" , said son of that old man.

This behavior from a thirty year old son made other people feel strange about him. Every one started murmuring about this son. "This man seems to be a crazy" newly married Anup whispered to his wife.

Suddenly it started raining, rain drops fell on the travelers through the opened window. The thirty year old son, filled with joy said, “See dad, how beautiful the rain is”

Anup's wife got irritated with the rain drops spoiling her new dress. Anup confronted the old main, "Can’t you see its raining, you old man, if your son is not feeling well get him soon to a mental asylum and don’t disturb the public henceforth"

The old man hesitated first and then in a low tone replied, " We are on the way back from hospital. My son got discharged today morning, he was blind by birth and last week he got his vision. These rain and nature are new to his eyes. Please forgive us for the inconvenience caused."

The things we see may be right from our perspective until we know the truth. But when we know the truth our reaction to that will hurt even us. So try to understand the problem better before taking a harsh action!!