Travelling is more fun than Arriving!!

I have always been a semi superstitious person. So, it’s a given that I would have believed the myth of the world ending on 9-9-99. I remember being so freaked out about it that Kavitha’s mom invited me over, thinkin that company might help appease my fears.

Anyway, 13 years later, with 12-12-12 looming around, I am none the less wiser!!

But this time, instead of just panicking & awaiting the day, I thought I’d go down with some awesome adventures to my name. (I had once packed all my stuff into a drawer in 1998 incase of war & it wasnt much). & thus begins my explorations.

Which was what my last sane post was about – planning a Nile cruise around Egypt.

First trip was Dubai in Oct’2009.

Then, I did go to Egypt in February 2010, where I met my burkha clad best friend.

In April 2010, an official trip took us to Frankfurt with 3 female colleagues + 10 male colleagues.

In February 2011, my son accompanied me on my 30^th birthday madness to Dubai.

December 2011-Jan’12, we went to Melbourne via Malaysia. Got stranded in Sydney for a day.

& now, I have just returned from a Greece trip during the last week of October 2012.

So, if I were to die – I’d say Wohooo….

Around the same time that I was initially panicking about the 12-12-12 myth, my company big shots were thinkin along those lines, only they replaced the world with the company. So we got a new boss – whose arrival put a full stop to my blogging with a pile load of work, but along with a bucketful of fun.

Every time Kavitha would tell me to post something on the blog, I’d go online & change the template…then feel sad, cz I used to know how to customize it so well. Anyway, this template isn’t me, but it won’t give anybody a headache either.

Easter Bunny greetins!!

  

International Pillow fight day!!

International Pillow Fight Day- April 3rd 2010

Came across this while surfin the net for the "He Said She Said" on the current weddin couple topic!!

Wikipedia info :

Pillows are sometimes hidden and at the exact pre-arranged time or the sound of a whistle, the pillow fighters pull out their pillows and commence pillow fighting. The pillow fights can last from a few minutes to several hours.

pEaceful Goodbye

When in dubai, meet anita, when in ngl/chennai - meet anju, kavitha, when in egypt meet naureen!! when not travel, bug them wit emails/text msgs/calls
thats my motto on how to keep in touch wit pals!!

So, Anita was to reach dubai on 27th nov & spend 3 days wit us - but she postpones & reaches on 2nd Dec at 12am & i am to leave at 6am, so being a true friend who knew the consequences of crossin me - she came straight to the hotel from the airport to meet me at 1am.

I felt like a teenager sneakin out (my hubby was sleepin like a log), carryin my sleepin baby, goin to meet her family. but those 10 minutes wit her was worth every second, gettin to meet her hubby for the 1st time & baby shreya.

Back home, there was this another event which took place a day after my weddin anniversary - yeah 7 yrs really - wow !! now, i feel like doin somethin about the 7 yr itch!! oh yeah - the event - my drivin license test - my 4th test. This was like my last ditch attempt after which, well... who knows, who cares - am just happy that I got it!!

Then came christmas!! We were informed that a Santa Clause would visit a store & distribute self bought gifts!! so i wait from 4-7pm only for him not to come!! was weird not seein even one santa that year, not even the thin puny types like in india!!

Here's to a spicy 2010!!

New resolutions!! Step 1 - Recklessness

Ohoh the best part of october was that one evenin - when all were dead tired & slept off by 7pm, me & my kiddy saw Horton's hears a who & he simply loved it!! hence the cake for his bday!!

Ok here comes November – cold weather’s been predicted – really cold!! & voila there are 4days holidays comin along, courtesy eid!! I’ve been nicked named Jet Airways – cause of my 5 trips to India so far. So, there I am –sitting and planning a trip to Egypt for the past full month, when I finally convince myself that its not goin to work out.

With 12.12.2012 loomin on the horizon, I have decided to live a little recklessly by travellin to new places.

I was bookin 2 tickets for my colleagues to Dubai on this low fare flight to dubai & to Bahrain for another – next thing I kno – am ringin up my hubby & tellin him that I have booked tickets & v are flyin to dubai from Nov 27th till Dec2nd.

After a month of planning, maps, hotel brochures scattered around me, We finally board the flight havin forgotten to print out the ticket & my hair frizzin about like I’ve just been electrocuted!!

Dubai – awesome climate!! the hotel apartment everythin – my kiddy’s awesome sleepin pattern - 8pm – 8am thro out the 5 days we were there!!

After breakfast, we would set out by 11am, visit the different places & b back by 7pm and then Dubai One channel, Swiss choco liq & me used to party!! Ofcourse my hubby was there too!!

We visted all the places on our itenary - the dubai mall - the aquariums, the atlantis -the aquarium there.

I found this lady's outfit hilarious - micro shorts with a shawl !!

Touchin the dolphins was really something else!! Basically the 1st creature I volunteeringly touched.


PS: the tube worms pix is from my mobile!!

OOoohh Oouch OctOber!!

Oct brings back a lot of memory of Oct'2007!! of how my due date kept oscillatin from 15th to 17th to 19th Oct & in my mind, my dates went from 01/10/07, 10/10/07 & then as nothin happened with any of those dates, my fears of it finally happenin on 22/10/07 - I really really dont like the no 22!!

With all the family down to welcome my kiddy - my grans, in laws & my sis, along with my parents and hubby, it was obvious my kiddy wanted to make an entrance - so he dilly dallied & messed with all my dates!!

Finally, my father-in-law sat down on the 8th day of the stay(2weeks stay) & took the malu calendar & then they started haggling over the stars & finally all settled on a good date - 25th oct!!

So, naturally they were all shocked when I decided to check into the hospital on 24th mornin!!

Oh, I forgot to mention - durin this month of oct, my house is an open-mad house as there's this Onam function for Keralite Engineers Forum, for which my mom choreographs about a 5-6 dance performances for kids!!

So, along with my relatives, these 1000 odd people were awaitin my baby's entrance & prayin it would b either before or after 26th oct - even they had a date!!

26 - 1/2 hrs later, on 25th evenin, he arrives amidst my breathin mask, epidural, minus my specs(am sure my lens would've popped out) & in front of 5 students, 3 docs & 4 nurses! With all of them present, I was the one who suggested that they use the vaccum pump!!

& what followed was a mind numbilngly shockin 41 days of horror, with the exception of the baby!!

Well- thats wat oct reminds me of!
This oct however started on the same note - my home being an open - mad house. One day, on the way to pick up my mom from out, this guy hit our rear wheel while v were turnin - the axle promptly broke, swervin the car from the left to right like a pendulum - only we were on the highway. We hit a half lorry twice or thrice & then swerved at 180 degrees to the safe side of the road!! We had hit the lorry at its fuel tank, but luckily nothin happened... anyway - car got damaged, but all were safe & v got it sorted out over the night.

The next big thing was my kiddy's 2nd bday party - this time at Pizza hut - needless to say - he loved the cake, although he did try escapin unnoticed to the playground below!!V had 3 cakes that day - a weddin annversry cake & a bday cake for my brother who was hospitalised on his bday on 13th Oct.

thus starts the reign of the TERRIBLE TWOs !!

Mumbai - with love

Made another really short(weekend - 2days), surprisingly fun trip to mumbai for my cousin's sister weddin reception come sept 1st week!!

After a hectic 10 ramadan days of shuttlin between home, nursery(before 1pm) & work, me & my kiddy left to mumbai wit a family friend, Keith!! He took us to the Pearl Lounge at the airport ere, which I didnt even know existed. He was so tolerant of my kiddy, who he totally suspected was high on the sugar he was eatin!!

We were picked up by my dad at mumbai, who himself was visitin the place after some 17yrs. Went to Bandra(John Abraham's neighbourin apt) to freshen up, then me & mom set out to paint the town red!!

Took the Bandra-Worli sealink to Colaba, picked up my 2 brothers at the hotel adjacent to Taj. Funny how 7months can calm u down & help u enjoy the place witout too much lookin over your shoulder!!

 Shopped at the causeway, lunched at LEOPOLD cafe, went bak to bandra & back to colaba for the reception!! Met all the relatives & all the teens took turns chasin my kiddy away from the pool, from the flowers, exits, overall trouble!!

Next day(being my last day there), I refused to go for a party at Khandala & instead went shoppin, visited relatives in worli - ate really tasty fish tikka!!
U think john abraham would've come home to c his parents to celebrate the parsi new year? well, havin spent the night near the peep hole, i finally came to conclusion - the guy aint in town!!

  Met my brothers at the airport, bid them farewell for their domestic flight & slept thruout the flight bak home!!

Came back to office & made this wit the file thingys!!

Dry August

Had house guests - a bengali aunt & her daughter - uncle passed away in jan - so they came to clear his things up - stayed wit us for 2 weeks - taught my kid bengali, they ate kerala food, v ate bengali food -but i forgot to ask how to wear the saree bengali style :( Finally got my Isthimara after 3 attempts. Isthimara is the learner's license - only v dont need to give any sort of test. Only have the correct papers & qualifications, which vary accordin to the officials mood!! I applied as housewife with child, cause thats a seperate & easy category.

Started drivin classes in july with a private school - the guy's name was my best friend's psycho ex boy friend's name - knew i was doomed from the beginin!! 6-8am daily for a week !!

Went to india for 10 days, came back - went for the test & flunked royally!! the norm is that they flunk u atleast 3 times - my 1st time was a sitter for them!! couldnt figure out how to park with their barriers. Met the cutest top cop - a sheikh - twice - to change my test dates!!

These are a few international flags that were presented at a food festival in sidney.