Lagoon Tales

A crimson coloured maple leaf flew, propelled by rapid winds resting on deep green water. It's journey continued, dancing along with the gentle ripples. The crisp dry leaf, dampened and glittered as the stream lazily meandered. The serene calm was destructed by a solid yellow oar and there was tumult. The sailor flung the tangled leaf out of  his way and it toddled on.

Not too far away, a group of ducks paddled. They plunged at the crimson leaf destroyed it structure  only to discard it as unpalatable. But it's misfortune ended when it was eventually caught by a little boy running by the lagoon, dry patted it and glued it to his scrap book. The journey of a dead leaf as I observed from my bedroom window.


It wasnt too hard for me to draw a parallel to our lives from what I observed. We are aimlessly blown away, struck by hardship and experience good fortune at times. It re instills the feeling of how meek and tiny we are in the grand scheme of things and how our pet peeves and everyday problems are tinier than an atom.

The beautiful lagoon running by my apartment tells a story everyday, as my thoughts amber along with its crests and troughs . It inspires me, teaches me and makes me more peaceful each passing day. Loving it! 

                                            

A peek from my window

Cant wait be home...

It was one of those days when the Californian summer beckoned and I obliged. The glare from the sunlight brightened my conditioned mane; I wrapped myself in a grey fleece and walked through the valley. The streets were much more familiar now, a sense of comfort seeped in; felt like home. My empty mind recollected the day I walked the same neighborhood for the very first time. A nervous me toddled on, wary of the surroundings, clinging to my belongings and trying to look confident. The transformation of me from then to now brought along numerous thoughts!

The streets were quiet except for the occasional vroom of a car, instigating my kindled mind. 
It has been close to two years thriving in the flawless roads, comforting weather, world class technology, breathtaking views, orgnaised and well planned cities, living a state of the art life transforming me and my lifestyle!

Inspite of the cleanliness, luxury, comfort and freshness, memories of my 25 years of life come back to me. Thoughts of my hometown, my childhood and the house with numerous memories of me growing up. Can't forget the coziness of my bed, the charming little apartment, the beautiful city, the beaches, the restaurants, the road side stalls, friends, all of which brought me a million smiles. Miss the warmth of my motherland, a sense of belonging, goodness of home cooked food, the pampering of my parents and grandmothers, the occasional banter by friendly neighbors and so much more.


As desperate I was  to walk away from all that, now I yearn to get back to those lazy days abating the heat munching on juicy mangoes and chilled watermelons. Running along the streets on a sultry afternoon, browsing through road side thrift stores, watching hardworking people strive to make a living mindless of the pollution, traffic, heat. I had taken it all for granted, little did I realize that  it would be so hard to have it all now!


Like all the good things, we fail to realize it's value when we have it. At the moment, this seems like a far fetched dream to me. Cant wait be home...

Pursuit of happiness...

Every passing day brings to life new facets of the personalities we know, new characteristics, new faces driven by mood swings, zeal, happiness, corkiness, laziness, humor, criticism, pessimism, capriciousness, predictability, optimism, bravery, cowardice, murkiness, vice, goodness, honesty and so much more...

Everyone of them define life in their own terms and leads a life driven by their circumstances and situation. Deep down, all of them would want to make the most of their unknown existence on this planet.


As I lay pondering about the various dimensions and shades of personalities I meet, acquaint, bond, work and socialize with. I wondered if it was normal to categorize each of these personalities and place them mentally in folders and label them. Strangely, it is and everyone does in some way or the other. Subconsciously, the human mind places and judges irrespective of one's goodwill or nature. The two distinct categories which stand out in the labeling are Winners and Losers! 

How does the world define winners? One who has made the pinnacle of glory? has millions to spare? Graduated from the top of his/her class? Is that what winning is all about? To have a succesful career, striaght A's and excelling in any endeavor? Being famous?

Are losers the ones who have not achieved accolades? Not been able to make a good living? Who do not have an agenda? the not so ambitious?  Sadly, thats how the world defines success and failure!

Not quite agreeing with the world, I had to overcome the nagging urge to find what should ideally make someone successful. Further introspection, I realized that being successful is a measure of happiness after all. Unfortunately, happiness too is very subjective. The ambitious are happy only when they achieve, the greedy are happy when they amass more wealth, parents are happy when they see good grades in their kid's report. Everyone's happiness is dependent on something materialistic or something that would lead them to live a comfortable life. 


But, in my opinion, if a normal average person manages to remain content without any expectations and cherishes the goodness of life is a winner. A true achiever indeed, after all thats harder than making it to Harvard! 

A few of my favorite things...

A few of my favorite things to do, which brings a smile no matter what!

• Finding a "tasty" healthy snack (yes! it tops the list)
• Reading a long email from a friend
• Going crazy on a game night
• Walking into the commotion of a lovely Indian wedding
• Laughing till your stomach hurts
• Reliving the highs and lows of life
• Browsing through childhood pictures
• The aimless banter with buddies through midnight 
• Relishing a wholesome punjabi meal
• Hot coffee on a cold rainy day
• To hear a loved ones voice over the phone
• Run wild in the open like no ones watching
• Enjoying peace of quiet of a lazy Sunday morning
• Watching a favorite movie again
• Finding a book you long wanted to read, ready for pick up
• Go window shopping with a bunch of girls 
• The excitement of wearing a new outfit 
• Singing an old song with childhood friends
• Discussing a joke from the movies
• Anticipation and  thrill of a Friday evening
• Standing in a queue to watch a much awaited movie
• Cheering and screaming during a game...

Consumed by wanderlust

Love the thought packing bags, wrapping up work, finishing hurried last minute calls, picking outfits to wear, planning things to do, capturing numerous shots, grabbing the itinerary and tickets, trying different cuisines, waiting to board a flight / train and lastly getting to the holiday destination! The joy of virtually running the trip in my mind is unbeatable; say prepping for a trip is way more exciting than the trip itself!

I think I have inherited the wanderlust from my parents, mostly my dad. As a child I have been out on a holiday every summer and winter vacation. Save a few, been to most of the states in the country. Every place oozing its own flavor, custom, culture, people and food forming fond memoirs as we traveled along.

I recollect one of my most favorite vacations in Rajasthan, India. Biting into hot juicy jalebis from the street, surfing through colorful bright tie & dye fabric, walking past the reflection of little glittering mirrors, trying on sequin shawls,  bargaining for jhootis, hogging on hot paranthas and cold lassi in the hot sultry afternoon, tasting camel milk and curd, dancing to traditional folklore in chowki dhani  (a cultural amusement park) , riding on camels and elephants, touring through the embellished palaces or just driving through the busy streets of Jaipur, there is so much more to the desert land than one can imagine. The scenic boat rides in Udaipur, temples & palaces encircled by the lake, even the sand dunes of Jodhpur glamorized by bollywood are worth a visit. Rajasthan reeks its culture, color scintillating your senses. Kudos to Rajasthan tourism for bringing its hertiage to life. Hmm...Love Rajasthan!

Reeling back to the today, I have the whole world to explore - newer cultures, exotic food, unexplored ventures. My travel wish list never seems to go through a dry phase! Introducing it to cyber space.

• Australia & New Zealand have always fascinated me, specially the bungy jump in Auckland, New Zealand and Coral reefs in Aussie. Waiting for land of the kiwis to extend an invitation.

• Egypt - Been drawn to Eygpt and its culture since forever. The Pyraminds, Sphinx, sandy deserts, the Nile, the rich history, the soil cleopatra tread on is definitely worth a visit.

• South Africa - Cape town, sun city, wild African safaris. South Africa has its own charm and a must see on my list

• Hawaii - Need I not say more? Love water sports or just anything fun. Does'nt make one feel ridiculous even in colorful large print and orchid garlands!  Can't wait to say 'Aloha' Hawaii!

• Europe -  Im not too much of a nature lover, but Europe definitely has much more than picturesque locales. A lot of catching up on History before I hit the musee of Paris read musey of Pari, the churches in Vatican and Rome, the gondolas of Venice, the colosseum, Swiss Alps, the list is endless (Not so well informed to have a things to do yet) 

Thus, Dreaming on...

My tryst with English

In an effort not to sound too unpatriotic, I confess my love for the English language. I pride myself in our country (India), it's rich heritage, the culture and its diversity! But I also love the languages it taught me which includes English - foreign by all means.

The English influence is predominant across the asian sub-continent owing to the British rule for nearly a century. One can navigate from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, with the help of friendly native Indians who willingly guide anyone with their broken English. Road signs, billboards, posters , menu cards, vehicle registration , application forms, etc are all in English.  Its ironical to even call it a foreign language anymore, its like a native tongue to most of the educated Indians.  

As for me, I grew up learning English in a little convent back home. Our proficient teachers effortlessly taught us to enjoy and appreciate the language.  Reading and learning new words was always a pleasure. Be it the lovely poems or our non detail class / grammar classes,  the language always intrigued me to learn more.I  loved all our grammar classes and thoroughly relished learning original Shakespeare plays (Very grateful to Mrs Juliana for making it so interesting)

The only flip side of mastering, living and dreaming in English was, I lost out on our very own rich literature. Not that I am proud of it, but I can barely read in my mother tongue nor speak without faltering in our national language. But when it comes to English, there are no hassles - its almost like second nature. My mom often contemplates the amazing rich Tamil literature I missed out reading because I can't read in my own mother tongue as much I can in a foreign language! 

On the other hand, staying afloat in this maddening competitive world, knowing English is only a value added asset! One should give due credit to the language, because of which I sit here in Silicon Valley writing this blog and living my dreams. But my love for the language is way beyond and I enjoy using it in everyday life to express myself , to quench my literary thirsts, to pen my thoughts and so much more. I know I could have survived without it,  but can only imagine how different life would have been!

P.S: Pardon me if this sounded anything like an analytical reasoning essay. Im still trying to overcome writer's block people.

Skii dream!

After almost a decade of musing and dreaming about skiing, I finally had my day. My fascination for skiing began after I read Jeffery Archer's 'The Perfect Murder' (not the best of stories to inspire someone), but it did. The A and B grade slopes, skii lifts, poles ,skiis, snow boots, vast barren land covered with snow were just a tinted dream until last weekend. Ok, I think I made my point that it was quite a big deal for me :) Let me get to the details.

A and I left bay area early Friday evening to Sonora, where we were treated to a sumptuous meal of desi fondue, paneer quesadia and tiramisu. An indo western fusion to satiate the well trained Indian taste buds. It was a delicious home cooked meal made with lots of love and
affection :) Thanks B & M (must give him due credit) for concocting a wonderful dinner to kick-start the weekend. After stuffing myself with two large helpings of tiramisu and playing some pictionary, the rest of the gang and I retried early (quite unusual when we catch up).  But anything for the next big skii day ahead  :D

Early on Saturday, as the sun's rays stole its way into the peaceful community of Sonora, the four of us were predisposed to hit the slopes at Dodge Ridge skii resort. Patches of clear white snow showed up as we drove closer to the resort. At the resort, there were loads of people , a motley of colors - bright sweaters, printed gloves, matching caps, luminous metal equipment, all stood crisp against the contrasting pallid backdrop ; miles and miles of overwhelming milky white snow!

We parked our car and walked up to the registration center to pick up our equipment. The moment I strapped on to the snow boots and started walking, I cherished the wonders of walking on barefoot. It was like pulling an enormous truck attached by chains to your leg. The brisk walk got slower and slower until I began to drag myself. Somehow, did manage to get to the skii lesson. The instructor started his lesson, made me walk up the slope and skii down a hill not even worth of calling a bunny hill. Then came my glorious first skii fall. I rammed into a fellow skiier, could not brake and decided to fall down instead. Only then did I realize, the harder part is yet to come. Lying down in an awkward angle with my legs transfixed, I felt my back cracking and a few feet away, saw my dear husband laughing! The instructor heard my cry for help and took me off the skii. Since, I was a disgrace to the class , he asked me to stay away from the 10 degree slant hill and try my luck at the plains and get used to the skiis.

I did'nt let that bog me down and continued to try. But fall after fall, lying helpless on the ground tied down to 100 ton metal balls, if not me, my body had to give in. Thus ended my long awaited skii experience. Skiing is a tough sport and practice maketh one perfect. But..ha! I live in California and with the kind of traveling we do, it was a surprise that I got to see some snow this year. Anyways, I can finally say, I've been skiing read falling ;) I would try my hand at it again when I am done with the remaining winter sports I've been daydreaming about. Until then, I don't have worry about falling unless I tread on a banana peel ;)

Enough of the skii ordeal, coming to the fun part of the day. It was snowing intermittently and was a great day for photographs with weather man on our side. What a wonderful sight it was, the pale white, warmth of the sun and the tender snow flakes offering a soft kiss. The freshly fallen snow got me excited and I rolled on it, had a snow fight, made a snow man and at times just lay down on the chill bed of soft vanilla! Was an exciting day, but walking with the heavy equipment and not to forget the boots, we were zapped. I had burnt more than the two helpings of tiramisu I had packed in the earlier night. We head straight back home, cancelled all other plans and retired way way early.

     

It was a well deserved 10 hours of rest, woke up to a lazy Sunday, ate a sumptuous Thai lunch at downtown Sonora. Drove back as I let VTV songs sink into me yet again and came home to the oscars. As I watched Sandra Bullock kiss her golden statuette, I kissed my long desired dream goodbye :)

Let go...

Letting go of yesteryear...hard on the human mind

plays unpleasant games, never to rescind

Old memories resurface; teasing logic and reason

the bygone and beyond, never did it last

but lingers on, clinging to the past

happiness and contentment thrives today

continues to swell and grow...

Wholly relishing the present, but old stains cease to go

the debating heart and the mind

always affirms to be kind

unmindful of the reason, the peer at par

the heart continues to wage wars

straining the lovely bond, leaving scars...

Hard it is to let go

times past tis insignificant, however so...

to quell an unruly head, a flinty toil

sowing seeds of remorse in enriched soil...

Wishful for the end to dig the old

Cherishing the existing as precious as gold

An earnest effort to extirpate the bygone

Never come back, so long gone!

The lonely soul...

A lonely soul strays, desperate for solace

Amidst a million souls, who fade away feeble

Greetings and smiles, carry no warmth

Many an acquaintance,no friends but wrath

A lonely soul thrives, living on to the light

very many miles away,  spanning across the globe

the warmth, assurance and comfort called home

peace reigns on the thought of unchanging love

the chaste love of mom and dad , all adore

Its keep life going, without which, it reduces to zilch 

Hanging on to it forever and forever, without a glitch

Away from the madding crowd 

Rude waves crashing in proud

walking against the unforgiving wind chill

The comfort it brings to know , hope that stands by you still

at all times, right or wrong, good or bad, happy or blue

Forgiving my puerile ways, 

ignoring my arrogance, caustic remarks, my craze

the unadulterated love only seems to grow

unfailingly concerned about my world , my happiness, so much more

thus is all I have, as permanent as change

rest of the self seeking world will revolve, leaving all estranged

regret the mindless actions, mended my ways, 

the stinging words and the adamant rage

gratitude and undying love fills my heart

will reign through eternity, tender and soft

beyond this wordly human form, upright and aloft...   

A lonely soul strays, desperate for solace...

The heart or the mind!

It was calm and quiet ; the eerie quiet before the storm. A slow chill breeze speed through the gloomy weather. Soon, large rain drops began to crash into the window. 

Tears rolled down her eyes as she stood there watching and sipping a bitter cup of tea. Known to many as a pragmatic woman, her mind always ruled her heart. But for once she let her heart take over. Insecure thoughts haunting and killing her every minute...

She recollected the most wondrous and blissful moments of her life. Head over heals, her joy knew no bounds. The lovely day  she finally heard from him and got all the attention. She had dreamt this over a million times and pinched herself, for it was real! She was too overwhelmed to think of the consequences, bowled over,elated, happiness spread all around...

An unsurpassable hurt and guilt dawned on her now; the pining and the impatient  yearning all those years. Today, she came to terms with the truth. Reality struck her hard and it hurt. The sudden outturn of events, unexpected reciprocation of love was all a game of chance and circumstance. She was ecstatic to throw him back into her arms. But her beloved was just taking a chance, moving on from another windy road, choosing to let his mind rule the heart!

She wiped her tears, gulped the tea and walked away. The eye of storm had swept past the shore, leaving behind a disarray...

Bunkum and Balderdash

Dead bored! Caught in a humdrum routine. 

My mind - wandering, gaze -standing still, challenges- no longer exciting, desperation deep down - waiting for the evening. 

The week that was - nothing pleasant. 

Rather, a melancholic mood crept into me - unpleasant phone calls, irritable mails, unfinished goals, lame excuses, stress and the junk food that came along...

But like always, there is another new day, radiant sunshine and a glimmer of hope hanging around. A wonderful weekend waiting to be discovered; some time off to rejuvenate my bruised spirit!! 

A fresh start to all my to-dos starting Monday...

Goals for March - I came up with some silly names for the long forgotten

I miss my waistline project

Grear up (Don't look up the dictionary, its not a word)

Vivs 2.0- Time for an upgrade

Telly Troubles

Its amazing how the idiot box can trap you! Life seems uneventful without the background score from commercials, sitcoms, reality shows while I cook, clean, eat, work, chat, fight or unwind after a long day.

Thanks to the 42" masterpiece, I am 'Keeping up with the Kardashians', growing insane with the 'Jersey Shore' and becoming a big loser cheering the 'The Biggest Loser'. Socializing only with 'FRIENDS' ,' The Simpsons' and the 'Seinfelds', life is spiced with 'Good Eats', only to put my agility in 'Jeopardy'!

Once in a while I do hit  'Discovery' and explore 'History', dutifully agreeing with the 'Myth Busters'. Not for too long, before the ironical 'Rehab' and drunk revelers invite more attention. Sadly, the gleaming neons of Vegas entice me more than serene 'Planet Earth' and all its wonderful living creatures.

The days when I am not fidgeting with my laptop and the TV turned off, the silence kills me and I prefer to have it running even when Im reading! Unfortunately, It seems like a significant part of my life at the moment...Maybe I need a new hobby, maybe some activity, maybe some friends...hmmm...while I debate the argument, need to get back to 'House' right now.

So long...blogworld!
By a true telly fan and a couch potato!

Mission Peak Trek

A bird's eye view from the mountains

Up next is a piece on our trek to Mission Peak, Fremont last weekend.

It was one of those perfect days to go on a trek with the sun glowing after a long absenteeism on luscious green velvet mountains. The foothills of Mission Peak welcomed us with its long winding trails, cheery dogs, chirpy kids and enthusiastic people. We took a while and some pamphlets to decide on the trail; only to forget about it along the way and meander like the grazing cows! The views were simply breathtaking, overlooking a dozen million dollar homes, bridges, freeways and the ocean way beyond.

We warmed up by slowly walking up the hill, chatting until the impending trail intrigued me to jog. As I jogged, it didnt take too long for me to huff and puff and halted for a break early in the game. The pace was unspeakable beyond that point, urging the unwilling muscles and bones to move drawing motivation from much older people who hiked up without a flinch.
Thats when I asked 'A', "Dude, we're 27 and we can't climb up a hill, where are we heading?"
'A' then willingly agreed that he was 28 and not 27 :P (Men! I tell you )

Nonetheless, we managed to finish 75% of one of the trails and rolled back. The downhill was a lot more easier and fun. We zipped down in seconds owing to the steepness of the peak.

All said and done, we thoroughly enjoyed our trek, panting, chatting, eluding menacing dogs while savoring the spectacular views. Albeit some sore muscles, the trek was all fun - good company, a gust of fresh air and a lovely day to compliment it!

Verdict:
Mission Peak: Brilliant!

Our Mission: Accomplished!
Revelation: Our physical fitness is pitiable! Im planning to step it up a notch and work out more often. As for 'A'...Nah! he stays unaffected :P

What's cooking? - Potato Spinach Lasagna!

Finally, another post makes it to cyberspace! It's a recipe for 'Potato-Spinach Lasagna' this time around.

I read a few recipes online for a vegetarian lasagna, before trying this one. But ended up making my own concoction. Enjoy! if you do try it.

Ingredients

Lasagna noodles(4)
Cheese (2 cups) - I used grated four cheese blend
Spicy Marinara sauce - store bought (Numerous recipes online to make them)
Baby Spinach (a bunch)
Red Potato (3)
Onions (2)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preparing the Veggies & the noodles before baking

1)Onion Spinach mixture: Saute the onions in olive oil, add baby spinach after the onions turn translucent. Season with salt and pepper once the spinach is cooked.

2) Noodles: Boil the Noodles according to the instructions in the box.

3) Baked potato: Thinly slice the red potatoes and bake them in the oven for about 20 minutes

Layering of the Lasagna

1) Line the Lasagna bowl with cooking spray
2) Layer the bottom with cooked Lasagna noodles and top it with marinara sauce

3) Arrange the baked potato crisps followed by the spinach mixture over the sauce layer.

4) Top each layer with a good helping of cheese

Repeat the last four steps, two or three times.I tried mine with three layers.

Cover the assembly with an aluminum foil and bake at 350F for 40 minutes.

Then, remove the foil and bake again for 20 minutes for a lovely crusty lasagna.

Thinking aloud...

The numerous incomplete drafts seem to stare at me as I click open my dashboard.

I am beginning to wonder if writing is really my cup of tea. Putting my arbitrary thoughts into an organized, let alone absorbing fashion is tougher than I thought.

When I do begin to pen down something, I cant go beyond a line or two. In minutes, I go off the track wondering what I was intending to write. The many 'publish unworthy' drafts stand testimony to this.

Sincerely hoping, I will overcome the initial setback and deliver a good one soon...


Im glad this one made it :)

Mocha Mornings

I write this as I sip into my hot chocolate flavored coffee and my morning seems to brighten up already. There is something almost magical about a good old cup of joe. Oh! There is no magic, just caffeine :(

Call it addiction or craze, nothing can beat that fact it keeps me going through my mundane Mondays, tiring Tuesdays, workaday Wednesdays, traumatic Thursdays and of course the fun Fridays.

Farcical as it may sound, I can roll out of bed and look forward to day unfurl by the very thought of a chocolaty Mocha treat!

Oh, how I love my Mocha Mornings :)

Back again!!!!!

My last blog was way back in 2004!!!! Been a while since I started this whole thing. A lot has changed since then including blogspot!!!! Yeah, I had to go through some stuff to get here.

When I last wrote this blog, I had just graduated from college and waiting to get on board with my first job. I have been through a lot since then. I ve been married to my then best friend , moved to another continent, learnt living on my own , burnt some in the name of cooking , jumped from plane (with parachutes of course!), been in the craziest of roller coasters and a lot more. But this blog is not going to be about any of that. Its going to mirror my current thought process, maybe some movie/ book reviews, some gossip maybe ;) Well..I dont know, but can't wait to get started all over again :D So here I go ...