World Lives on Hope !!

While driving on the roads of San Jose for the first time, I came across this street 'Hope Drive'. One friend of mine says - "World Lives on Hope"... And everytime he says this, it reminds me of "Hope Dr"...

I drove to 'Hope Dr' today.. wondering to find The World around there. I am sure if people say World Lives on Hope then there must be a reason to it... In this practical life where "Seeing is Believing", where emotions hold less value, where attitude of everyone around is so materialistic.. I, obviously, didn't want to think 'Hope' as some form of feeling / emotion. Hope to me at this moment was 'Hope Dr' , which is here, in the heart of San Jose city...

How do you define world ? Is it diversity of culture, people, religions, dialects, food ? Or it is the unity of mankind ? Feeling of society and oneness ?
For someone in Love, that one Special person would mean the World to him / her. For a soldier returning to his home after a long 3 year war could mean the World to him. For a mother, 85 years old, seeing her son after 20 years could mean the world. For geeks, world could be World Wide Web (www) or for a politician world could be his territory. For a poet, world could be residing in his dreams.......

I trust my friend who says 'World lives on Hope'.... I am sure he means what he says.. I am sure he found his world out there.... but I didn't find my kind of World on Hope Drive.. Or, May be I should just 'Shut-up & Drive' !

TO-GO / TAKE AWAY...

It really matters what you say, where you say and to whom !!!
This incident happened just last week at an Italino Restorantte in London.. when after we finished eating all the Veg Lasagne, Penne Pasta, Bruschetta, Ciabatta, Cheese Crepes.. that we could'nt finish up the Large Mozarella Pizza... still had more than 50% lying in front of us.
Irony, We entered the restuarant coz we had really liked the Dessert Menu and now there was no scope !!!

Anyway, We decided that we would make the large pizza 'TO GO' (in American Language- thats what we say in Austin.. I remembered well and am so used to it)... I asked the waiter for the same and he was taken aback (we saw a wierd look on his face).. Hopefully, he did understand what I meant (though he had hard time earlier while we had placed order for drinks, main course), just to be sure I repeated-"We want a box to make this To-GO".
He asked- "TO-GO?? TO-GO Where ?? Are you visiting UK? Where you from?"
I replied - "Well.. Yes! United States" (Wanted a back up for 'ToGo' thing.. we still saw that look on his face !)
Waiter - "But thats sad... Its not TO-GO.. its Take Away"
Bang !! I knew this was coming...
I said - "Hmmm... Thats what we say out there"
Waiter- "Young Lady, Well not in England.. coz we say what Queen Elizabeth2 decides to say.. and she likes to call it Take Away"
Heck.. I mean enough of it..for a mere two words and that too a synonym !! I just shook my head in agreemeent... And finally the Italian waiter who was barely managing to speak English with all the Italian slang said - "Young Lady, I need to give you English Lessons" And, that was when all others on the table broke into laughter (LOL) !! I smiled - "Yeah! Sure.. someday"
:)

Tour De France 2007 @ London

21 teams, 189 bikers, ONE ambition - Tour de France 2007 !

In the 104 years of history of Tour de France - first time race started in England at the heart of London City. This was 07/07/2007 - where more than million people got together to witness Tour de France Prologue. It was so exciting to be one of the crowd.. cheering the bikers and see them make record.. 7.9km (From Whitehall to House of Parliament to Buckinghm Palace to Hyde park to Greenwich) in approx 9 mins. Wow !! They just went so fast at speed of 55km/hr. It was just amazing ! I was thinking about Lance Armstrong (another Austinite) and the unbeatable winner of Tour de France SEVEN (1999-2005) consecutive Years... (OK! I know, we all know about him and his success story and for the ignorant few probably this could be of some help - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lance_Armstrong).. Well, I was thinking how he did it.. why did he retire in 2005, else I could have seen him today and witnessed that energy, zeal, passion to win be what come !!
Whatever said and done.. I was having the time of my life watching Tour de France (most prestigious bike race) for REAL at Hyde Park in London.

So all this time, German guy was topping the charts during the Prologue.. The crowd roared, cheered, clapped as the Londoner hit the track but he made to the third position.. That was when world champion Cancellara (Swiss), holding the Yellow jersey, with CSC team broke all the records by completing the track in less than 9 mins. He just did wonders! It was just few seconds and he made it...

Let's see who'll make the running, win who may!

Next day - Stage1 began... Fans, both young and old and from Britain and abroad, began lining the 203 kilometre route from London to Canterbury, Kent from early on Sunday morning. Luckily again it was a bright sunny day (ideal English summer)!
McEwen, an Australian with the Predictor team, was caught in a crash with 23 kilometers, or 14 miles, to go and, with the help of teammates, made his way slowly back to the front.
With 80 meters to go and the 188-man pack surging to the line, McEwen was battling for the lead. The Australian then turned on his afterburner and won easily. It was the 12th victory in his Tour career. Phew.. Another inspiration from Armstrong ?!?!

And as the stages continue, as Le Tour de France proceeds- many bikers crash and break their bones, block the roads but still many of them rise (not giving up hope) and take up the challenge to swiftly speed up on their bikes to the one common goal....'Live Free or Die Hard' !!!!

I will return to Tour de France again !!!
PS: For more images visit- http://www.letour.fr/2007/TDF/LIVE/us/100/images.html (Official site)

Who doesn't ???

It is one of those days I wake up with phone calls.... phone calls ranging from all different time zones. Since, I was in London this time on my Bday.. I started getting phone calls from midnight India time stretching all the way to midnight GMT.. so thats called LONG, Stretched B'day !

So, who doesn't love surprises ? I definitely do !

The best surprise was the 'Thorntons' Chocolate cake... suddenly door bell rang at midnight and my bro's friends got the sumptuous cake. I was delighted to see the Thorntons.. its the best Chocolate in London town ! I just love it and again I would ask.. Who doesn't ?

The day started with another lovely surprise.. The postman rang the door bell at 8am to deliver a parcel.. and Guess what... 20 fresh beautiful red roses!!! Wow ! What a way to start the day.. I was really happy and grateful to have caring friends and family. I just love Roses .. and would ask again.. Who doesn't ?

How could I not mention 'Kosmos' - Award winning Spanish/Argentine Group that took their inspiration from nuclear physics in a dreamlike gravity defying aerial performance with atmospheric live music. A team of eight fearless aerialists and bungee performers suspended on a spherical steel frame and raised by crane at Canary Wharf was an experience in itself.. Here is the pic :

I love dance, music, lights, Live shows and unique performances.. Who doesn't ?

Then we went on a shopping spree to my favourite 'Oxford Street' and was again surprised by the genuine patience, interest of my bro in picking up gifts for me. We spent hours in all kinds of cosmetic shops,perfumes, 'Body Shop', H&M , Zara, and London style chick clothing. And, not to forget the heavy sale @ HMV and the 'GnR' Rock Tees ! With light drizzle and 'Double chocolate' Gelateno Italian Icecream in our hands full of bags.. we had fun together. I just love Gifts, pleasant Rain and Icecream.. Who doesn't ??

Next we got all our friends together for the Bday Party.. after deciding between Lebanese/Malaysian/Japenese/Vietnamese/Italian/French.. etc etc cuisines.. we had a blast at the Vietnamese restaurant.. After long long time I had the 'Veg Chowmein' and ' Hot n Sour vegetable' which was spicy and yummy ! We all loved the good food and wine.. Who doesn't ?

Finally, we closed the day with Blue Wicked Vodka and Smirn-off Lime .. and gala session of chit-chats and funny college tales.. ranging from hostel menance, Weird Professors, Maggi at canteen, AIIMS ke paranthe, funny characters and 'SAMPLES' etc etc.. Got jokes and tales from IIT ,DCE, MDI.. all variety of colleges... We all enjoyed and cheshired our college days.. Who Doesn't ?

All in All.. it was a fun day... I love to have fun... am asking the same old question once more - Who doesn't ???

Dry day at the beach....

After longing for more than a year, this was the day we planned for a trip to the beach. My first beach in UK, SouthEnd Beach- close to London. With all the excitement we planned for the trip and relied on weather channels online (which most of us do). With hope that weather would remain pleasant and enjoyable we set out in the morning for the National Rail.

The country side was amazing and scenic.. really beautiful. Green pastures, cows, horse ranches, huge mansions, golfing lawns and what not ! But, I also noticed that the weather people had predicted it wrong.. I could see some grey clouds rovering over ! As we reached our final stop and step out of the station.. we witnessed drizzle. The weather had cooled down and it was raining...

With all the excitement and enthusiasm we marched towards the beach... and since it was freezing cold (6 degree celcius) we were tempted to jump onto the roller coaster rides rather than plunging in the sea waves... The Beach was quiet ... waves were low... Hence, we spent hours on those fun roller-coasters and got the adrenaline kick! And I being the brave gal (which my friends know.. how much) kept the excitement going !!!

Next we took the train ride on the "World's Longest Pier" which is 1.33 miles long and has survived natural calamities, world wars since 18 century. The Irish fishermen on the pier were eager to teach us fishing and we got so much engrossed with them...

It was evening and we had loads of fun so we decided to return to the coast. On the way back on the train ride we realized that the sea water had receeded almost half a mile... people were walking towards the anchored ship in muddy land... (I was scared coz I was remembering my Tsunami 2005 experience @ pondicherry). But, We happily & safely reached the beach and enjoyed hot coffee in the cold weather. And since water had gone back the sea looked dry at the beach, so we eagerly marched back to the station to get back to London...

And while on the Rail, it struck me hard......... I din't even TOUCH the sea-water... forget about playing in the waves and a splash ! Ooh !!! This was a unique Beach trip where the sea went DRY !!!

Guerrila Girls - reinventing the "F" word: feminism!

A long tradition of masked avengers like Robin Hood, Batman, The Lone Ranger, and Wonder Woman was taken up by Guerrila Girls - "Girls fighting DISCRIMINATION with Facts, Humour and Fake Fur"

How it all began ????
In 1985, The Museum of Modern Art in New York opened an exhibition titled An International Survey of Painting and Sculpture. It was supposed to be an up-to-the minute summary of the most significant contemporary art in the world. Out of 169 artists, only 13 were women. All the artists were white, either from Europe or the US. That was bad enough, but the curator, Kynaston McShine, said any artist who wasn't in the show should rethink “his” career. And that really annoyed a lot of artists because obviously the guy was completely prejudiced. Women demonstrated in front of the museum with the usual placards and picket line. Some of these so called - "Guerrila Girls" who attended were irritated as they didn't make any impression on passersby.

On spending 5 minutes on research, it was found that: the most influential galleries and museums exhibited almost no women artists. Some said it was an issue of quality, not prejudice. Others admitted there was discrimination, but considered the situation hopeless. Everyone in positions of power curators, critics, collectors, the artists themselves passed the buck. The artists blamed the dealers, the dealers blamed the collectors, the collectors blamed the critics, and so on. That moment these girls decided to embarrass each group by showing their records in public. Those were the first posters Guerrilla Girls put up in the streets of SoHo in New York .
On asking Georgia O'Keeffe why did they come up with the word "Guerrila Girls"? She replies- "We wanted to play with the fear of guerrilla warfare, to make people afraid of who we might be and where we would strike next. Besides, 'guerrilla' sounds so good with 'girl'." Further, Frida Kahlo adds - "Calling a grown woman a girl can imply she's not complete, mature, or grown-up. But we decided to reclaim the word “girl”, so it couldn't be used against us."

These girls wear GORRILA Masks with short skirts, high heels and fishnet stockings. The mask helps in disguising themselves in front of the Press and get the publicity. They say - "We were Guerrillas before we were Gorillas. No one remembers, for sure, how we got our fur, but one story is that at an early meeting, an original girl, a bad speller, wrote 'Gorilla' instead of 'Guerrilla.' It was an enlightened mistake. It gave us our 'mask-ulinity'."

Another humourous Poster by Guerrilla Girls :: In US, Bus companies are more enlightened...

And the most famous poster and one of my favourites by Guerrila Girls...:

Today, there are millions of Guerrila Girls and supporters for this movement. I am glad to learn about this group at the "Tate Modern" Museum at London. Guerrila Girls Rock !!!!

Me and my Travelodge !

Those were the days when I started writing travelodge... Travelodge is a repository of the trip/travel taken for leisure. It describes the journey, the events, the places visited on every day basis. It outlines the trip and describes it in a nutshell... You might ask me.. why? Why I began writing travelodge?? Was it for show-off, or something to share with friends? Nope.. infact I used to write it for my own reference, collection and memories.. slowly I started sharing them with my family & my loved ones. I realized they would get the pleasure of the snaps from the trip alongwith detailed description making it more lively and enjoyable for them... Hence,this travelodge always had dual affect and even today when I read my travelodge it brings those sweet memories back to me. The moments , the times, each and every bit of the trip runs like a film in front of my eyes... sometimes making me wonder how joyous my trips always are.. Always full of adventure, fun... Each trip had such unique experiences that they can never fade away...

The pic above is from the Dandeli trip (India) with office team... In the midst of jungle on our wildlife-safari... The jungle and the beautiful sunrise with those golden leaves just took my heart away... I had to appreciate the beauty and take some memories with me. Now, coming back to travelodge... My trip to Kerala had tons of adventures.. from leech to bhoot. And, if we talk about my trip to Pondicherry.. I remember how we had to run for our lives - Tsunami 2004 had hit us on the beach!! Well, everytime I read that particular repository I realize that this is my second birth (a new life).. So, memories are not necessarily romantic/sad/nice.. they can be scary too!! I have written about trips both in my country and abroad. Currently, I am travelodging London... Along with travelodge, I enjoy photography but if I get struck with the nature's beauty then I would cry out my heart with ink on paper.. Yes! you got it.. Poetry.. be it hindi / english.. be it Kerala or Colorado.. nature has always touched my soul. Don't worry, am not gonna bore you or elaborate more.. don't want to see that grin on your face... as I said travelodge for me are very personal and NO SHOW-BIZ !!!

For me, a trip is complete only with - Poetry, Photographs and a Travelodge! My travelodges haunt me, surprise me, encourage me, teach me. They make me smile, wonder and pray.. They help me live my life with vibrance and variety of shades.

SNOW-WHITE !

Should I say beautiful White Snow or "Snow White" ??? Just so serene, calm and pure as a lovely white angelic doe... This is no poetry or a fairy tale story... So, Are you wondering what is this "Snow-White"??

Hmm.. lets face the truth and facts first. On Jan 16,2007 Texans woke up to a fierce stormy weather. The Austin news@ 8 warned of the possible storm, "weather.com" pressed the buzzer alarm. Everyone stayed back inside the homes, kids were happy to get a mid day break and others felt lucky to work from home. As if the city had come to a hault, not much hustle-bustle and no traffic jams. Lot of travellers were sad when all the flights got cancelled and they were told to stay back. Some agitated and got really mad coz they didn't want to lose that important trip of theirs. Winter storm was something rare and strange at Austin.. It had been raining for last 3 days and the temperature had dropped to 30 deg F. On top of that continuous Alerts and warnings... making it further tense, anxious and cold...

Weekend was spent completely indoors - there were no soccer matches, no hiking, no biking at Great Hills trail. For last 3 days going outside for work, or even getting the grocery had been tough for some... for many it was kind of depressing without the sun.

And today, in this moment of despair and uncertainity... there came the beautiful white glory ! Pretty, pure Snow-white spread her charm around. Children peeped out of the window and rushed outside to play with her... My friend grabbed his camera and moved outside to shoot few pics... The lady in the house jumped out of the couch with her Hot cocoa mug to the patio ahead...

Who else could spread a magical excitement around? Beautiful white snow flakes touched the Austin grounds.... slowly everything turned quiet and white.... I am waiting to see those pics and cherish the lovely Austin "Snow-White" !!!!

Sunset at North Pole...

"Sunset at the North Pole with the moon at its closest point"

It is almost like a dream.. so beautiful , pretty and amazing! Something so hard to believe..

Sun and Moon together at the same time... in the lovely sky !!

But, we believe in Heaven and we desire to be there .. We assume Life would be brilliant out there in heaven.. we assume it would be peaceful , beautiful and comfortable...

Isn't this picture spectacular??

If we could witness such a marvelous, beautiful moment while our stay on Earth... then I would say Heaven is Over-rated !!!

Delhi :: Paranthe wali Gali

Delhi the heart of my country India is a lovely place. Famous for its history, culture, diversity, shopping arena, Delhi Haat and its chaat. Old Delhi is well known for "Delhi ki Chaat", Chandni Chaunk ki " Paranthe wali Gali" and Dariibe ki Jalebi.

People flock from all over the world to experience and have a taste of Delhi. This place also has lots of upscaled pubs,discos and lounge bars. Recently, the restaurants have modified a lot and concentrated on the style and decor. Delhi, specially South Delhi, has its own Style statement. With new restaurants coming up on varied themes and attractive menus to attract people from all generations. The Latest is the projection of old village or remote part of the country into a glamorous restaurant..

Here, I am talking about "Paranthe wali Gali" in old Delhi (Chandni Chawnk) famous from hunderds of years for its Paranthas (Stuffed Bread) served with Yogurt , Pickle. There is a buzz in the town, 'NOT JUST PARANTHAS' (NJP) is the restaurant based on this theme.

As soon as you reach NJP, you notice a olden time cart which was pulled by bullock and an ancient "Hooka" at the entrance. The "Darbaan" is all dressed in traditional dress and salutes and welcomes you in native language. Next step inside the restaurant takes you to another world altogether. Dim lights, Lower seating, and amazing flavor in the air... The waiter was dressed like a "Daakiya" i.e. the Postman who used to wear Khaki dress and delivered the letters door-to-door.

The walls were eye-catching.. They were covered with hand-sketches to depict the old Delhi's Paranthe wali Gali in Chandni Chaunk.. The lanes, houses, and market of that part of Delhi was setup in an appreciable and upscaled manner.
The Menu card looked nothing but a Newspaper.. covering few newsarticles on Old Delhi and its specialties. Inside it had the Menu items listed where you will notice all types of paranthas with mouthwatering stuffings. They serve more than 100 varieties of paranthas in different sizes and shapes like Pocket paranthas,etc. One can chose- the basic style of cooking i.e Tandoori or Tawa fried to a customized "Diet Parantha".

Some examples to quote from their Menu: "Jodhpuri Parantha", "Mughlai Prantha","Papad Parantha", "Achari Paneer Parantha", "Pizza Parantha", "Teekha Aloo Pyaaz Parantha" and the list continues... The most amazing was the "SHARABI Parantha" or the "Wine Parantha" which is served on Fire... Its a delicacy as they put wine while making the dough from the wheat flour and also the stuffing contains almonds soaked overnight in Red Wine.

Also, its worth mentioning the Dinnerware was made of copper, brass metal with unique style, which gives you the actual feel of the Glasses, plates used in olden times in Delhi. Also, the use of "Knife and Fork" is prohibited. There is a sign borad stating so, next to the ancient style wooden window. A glass full of "Lassi" is most refreshing drink in Northern India and NJP serves it alongwith Parantha's in the most authentic manner.

The 'lanterns' create a soothe dim light effect and the aroma of the Parantha's is tempting enough for anyone to experience the Delhi's most upscaled and stylish fashion.