Travel Tales - Rome

Having written the 2nd post under 'Travel Tales' I feel compelled to at least write something about Rome - one of our more extensive travels!

We spent 4 days in this grand Italian capital - and I must confess, this short write up is neither going to cover it all chronologically nor possibly will describe the experience in great detail. But what I endeavour to do is to present an essence of our trip here. 

Rome was not our first choice for this holiday - we were looking at Turkey for a couple of weeks when someone suggested Venice and Italy became another country to look at. Though still quite confident about Turkey, we started reading about various Italian cities. The more we read about it, the more we felt attracted towards it. S & I were looking for a budget  holiday so there was also an economics element in picking up Rome. The flights were reasonable, and we found a very nice hotel at bargain rates! The visa process took about 2 weeks and then a month of excited wait :)

We arrived in Rome on flight nearly missed from Paris at 11 PM! Outside the Ciampino Airport, it felt a bit unsafe and strange when no taxis came for about 20 minutes. My mind started thinking of the infamous Italian Mafia :D We checked in at about midnight. The hotel was decent (feels even better on thinking back!) Tired, we slept almost instantly. 

Next morning, Rome gave us a hearty welcome with bright sun and clear skies. We had a nice breakfast and left for the city centre. First day in Rome was allocated for the Vatican City. And this tiny country deserves a full day of your attention. The Vatican Museums are one of the largest campuses I have set foot on.The Sistine Chapel is divine! (pun intended) The paintings, the altar, the ambiance all make you feel so spiritual. St. Peter's Square and St. Peter's Basilica are awe inspiring.
Had a lovely time street shopping and enjoyed Italian coffee. Satisfied with our day we had a good night's rest. 

Second day in Rome was for city sight seeing - Castel de St. Angelo, The Pantheon, Piaza de Venezia, Piaza de Popolo and a scrumptious Italian dinner. These ancient monuments in Rome (except Piaza de Venezia which is 19th Century) are treasures of human stories. Each place has a special tale to tell and a special place in this eternal city.

In the evenings, while waiting for our train back to the hotel, we would map out our next day's routes. For the 3rd day we had - The Roman Forum, The Colosseum, Trevi Fountain and Piaza Navona. The Roman Forum is a 'city centre' of the modern day. It housed temples, shops, community halls and memorials. Looking at it, one realises that the human mind has worked along the same lines for centuries. And that the current social set up is probably not easy to get rid off! The Colosseum - it is truly a marvel of human ambition. The sheer structure, the mechanics and the design is mind boggling. To think of constructing something of it's stature without any electrical or mechanical aid gives me goose bumps. It was one of the best sites in Rome for me. 

We also visited Trevi Fountain that day - another one of sclupting geniuses in Rome - it was one of S's favourite from the trip :)

Piaza Navona was a delight too - a haven for artists it was full of painters and sketchers. We got a caricature done too (still to find a frame for it!!)

  

On the last day we covered all the remaining sites - The Spanish Steps, Villa Borghese, Capitol Museum, The Zoological Park and a visit back to the Trevi Fountain. 

We also spent some time roaming around the various Piazas and street markets shopping for souvenirs. Enjoyed a very delicious lunch and made our way to the airport!

Rome didn't let us down in any way - the local transport was good, people were warm, food was tasty and weather was kind :) We were really glad that we chose it to be a part of our first European holiday!

Travel Tales - Belfast

Last weekend S & I decided to have a 'meet in the middle' adventure at Belfast, Northern Ireland. 

We were not expecting to have a lot in the city to do or visit. So we thought we will spend the day at The Giant Causeways. 

But on our city tour, we discovered much more than expected!

Even after years of the peace agreement, the city is more divided than I could imagine - there is a wall running through the residential area to stop violence. It felt as if the common man was more involved in these troubles than the military could ever be. The bitterness lingers on and from what I picked, I am not sure if it is getting any less intense.

It was eerie to go through these areas with war torn buildings and rebel murals. It made me realise that how lucky I am to have never been near a conflict site.

But as always hope survives, there was a brand new development quarter in another part of the city, hailing Belfast's claim to fame - The Titanic.
Our tour guide joked - "Titanic was sent off the coast of Belfast in perfectly good order, it was not their fault that she had an English captain and a Scot navigator".
 

 We also went to the University area and the Botanic Gardens. The gardens were thronged with people, out and about to enjoy a glorious summer day! We had to queue for more than 20 minutes to get our ice creams :)

With an insight to Belfast's story at the Ulster Museum, the trip ended up being much more than just a romantic adventure!

No Border Control!

Muggle to Magic!!

Daal Makkhani

Made this for the first time a couple of weekends ago. Took some guidance from various recipes off the internet, some handy hints from mother in law and some additions of my own! Below is the resulting recipe -

Ingredients (for 5 people):

Base - 

1. 150gm Sabut Urad

2. 1 cup Rajma (Red Kidney Beans) if not soaked or 1 400gm tin of red kidney beans soaked in salted water

Cooking Medium - 

3. 50gm butter

4. Clarified Butter (ghee) - 2 table spoon 

Spices - 

5. Cinnamon Sticks - 4-5

6. Bay Leaves - 2

7. Cumin Seeds - 1 tea spoon

8. Ground chilli powder - 1 tea spoon

9. Turmeric Powder - 1 tea spoon

10. Coriander Powder - 1 tea spoon

Gravy (Tadka) - 

11. Ginger - 20gm

12. Garlic - 2 cloves

13. Onion - 3

14. Tomatoes - 3

15. Green Chillies - 2

Garnish - 

16. Fresh Coriander leaves

17. Fresh Cream - 125ml

Advance Preparation:

Soak the daal and rajma (if not tinned) overnight for faster cooking.

Recipe:

• Boil the soaked daal and rajma with a little bit of salt in pressure cooker (use the same water in which it was soaked). If soaked overnight, then 5-6 whistles should be enough. Check the daal for being soft as undercooked daal could spoil the dish! If there is extra water in the pressure cooker then keep it aside because you will need it to bring the thick daal to right consistency before serving :-)
• For the gravy -Peel the onions and quarter. Wash the tomatoes and quarter. Cut the chillies into halves. Peel the garlic cloves. Peel and slice ginger. Put everything together in the food processor bowl and pulse until smooth. Alternatively you can chop (dice) these ingredients very finely and mix them together.  
• Heat the butter and ghee in a pan on medium heat. When it starts to bubble add the dry spices. Roast for a couple of minutes or until the cumin seeds change colour to golden. Then add the gravy paste. 
• Keep stirring the paste until it - a. Changes to a dark red colour b. The raw tomato smell is gone c. The gravy leaves the sides of the pan and starts coming together. This could be anything between 15-20 min. 
• Drain any excess water from the pressure cooker and stir in the cooked gravy. Let it boil on low heat for about 20 min. Keep adding the excess water if the mixture becomes too dry.
• Once boiled & bubbling, add in about 100ml of fresh single cream and boil again for about 20 min. At this point the daal will begin to change colour from greenish brown to rusty brown. 
• Add salt to taste. 

Serve hot garnished with fresh cream, coriander leaves and ginger sticks.

Whilst cooking

Final Dish

Travel Tales - Paris

After spending a couple of months obsessed with planning the trip we at least understood that less was more with luggage. We started our light journey for Paris with barely a couple of hours of sleep - at 3 in the morning :) I know the timing may sound un-earthly, but the excitement of 'travelling abroad' kept us going! We managed to reach St. Pancras to take our 'Euro Star' in time - but without our boarding passes - thankfully they were printing them out at the station! Through the barricades, we reached the border control. Since Paris was not our main destination, we had visas from the Italian embassy. Making the people behind the counter slightly suspicious. That went alright and our passports got stamped with 'Left Londres' :)

(I am a stickler for getting more and more stamps on my passport - if in different colours even better!!)

I must confess, I was asleep for most part of the journey :D But we did enjoy a hot chocolat in the restaurante carriage of the train with some fantastic views of Paris scenery :) Soon it was time to get down at Paris Nord terminal. It is huge, I would say bigger than London Victoria or St. Pancras (I can see many Britons raising an eyebrow over that!) and it is confusing (definitely much more than ANY of London stations). 

Like most technology savvy, well planned tourists these days - we had a plan - to go to Canal St. Martin- for a lovely Parisian breakfast. However, as it would appear - the destination was not as popular with the locals :D So we did what the tourist information officer explained to S - day passes on Paris Public Transport & off to Monmarte - Basilica of Sacred Heart. It is a beautiful church, built on top of a hill. Weather being nice to us - we had some amazing panoramic views of the city from there. After spending some quality time at the church, we had our brunch at a small cafe bottom of the hill. I would not stay it was the best I have had, but I guess it was all about the ambience :)

By now we had got grips with the metro map and managed to reach Arch De Triomph without much difficulty. Again, with sun out of the clouds, it made a fantastic view. It is a monument inspired by Arch of Titus in Rome (which has inspired hundreds of victory arches over centuries) built in the memory of the 'unknown soldier'. It marks one end of the fancy Parisian street of Champs Elysees. 

We walked around Champs Elysees - which was truly Paris for me. Fancy window displays, specialised restaurants and cafes, delis and dedicated dessert bars! We had lunch in one of the good looking places which had even better food in great seats with a superb view :)

(I am also a stickler for seats in a restaurant, they have to be in a corner, but not by the doors or the toilets, with perfect lighting and view :) )

Our next set of destinations took us around River Siene - Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and the Lourve. 

Eiffel Tower - well by now the sun had said bye and it was a little colder by the river and it was super crowded!! Even then, it is an iconic structure and it surprises me how people may perhaps not recognise Paris with some of its prettier monuments, but would do so instantly with a picture of Eiffel Tower. We did spend some time around it trying to get decent pictures & some trick photography inspired by fellow tourists :D

Next, on a double decker train to Cathedral of Notre Dame - a very elegant monument with grand facade. On a nice sunny day, Notre Dame will be my pick to spend an afternoon with a book with loads of 'chewables' and a hot drink. Its majestic spires make perfect backdrop for a historic read!

From there we went to the Lourve - already a bit tight for our flight to Rome, we panicked a bit - I think we took a bad decision to switch the stations at the last minute and were lost for a little while. A nice looking French man gave us a few directions (I think all French people are aware that their country lacks what is called - sign posts!!) and we finally managed to reach the grand grounds of Lourve (the gallery itself was closed - and is a reason we must plan another visit to Paris soon). S loved its geometrical layout and of course the famous glass pyramids. Wish we had a bit more time to sit and absorb. 

Intelligently - we took a taxi back to Paris Nord and managed to catch our train to the airport JUST IN TIME :) :)

Thought Soup!

Lately I feel S & I have been overwhelmed with things to do! There is always something else to add to the list, always something more to be done.  This should be normal right?

I guess it is the same for everyone - every body must have their own things to do, in a format of their choice. It is difficult to imagine an existence where you don't have a 'thing' to do next. Since the day we are no more 'kids' we start worrying. When kids, we are all infected by a strong desire of being 'grown up'. How utterly naive of us!! I can only look back and realise that those must have been the most carefree days of my life ever. I will never be as curious, as enthusiastic, as free of worldy sins and as energetic as I was when I was 6! Being 'grown up' is not nice most of the time. I mean it is nothing compared to being under the love, care and protection of one's parents :) Right, back to the list then. 

So if every one has lists, every one is busy finishing one task and moving to next, then why do we feel so overwhelmed by it? Are we late? Are we not doing well enough so that we are having to play catch up? Why does it feel 'all at once'? May be we are in a hurry? We just want things to be done?

Tick Tock

It must be running faster than ever. The clock. I can't believe this is April already. 

Past few weeks have just whizzed by. And I am grateful that they did. I can imagine how dreadful it is when time drags. 

Quite a few things happened over last month which deserve to be properly documented. But as days pass, each one loses its context and my enthusiasm to write about them. I am always worried about what is next. I think, S thinks, I don't enjoy the 'now' as much because I am already buzzing with the 'next'.

I guess I need to start reading more - more spiritual literature, the kind father always recommends. It will calm me down, I hope. 

So getting back to the chronological devices, in the month of March, weekdays were busy at work, and weekends busy with so much more. Birthdays, festivals, house move and travel :)

I am a 'house' wife now! Moved out of my bachelorette pad after 3.5 years finally!!! Still getting used to having it all to myself :) (& of course the huge amount of work which comes with it to keep it all sparkly :()

We travelled - to Paris and Rome. It was an indulgent trip - had a fantastic time :) Makes me want to go - again and again - to discover the rest of the world :)

Life - as it unfolds!

I have this very strong notion in my head - that nothing comes without planning, without working hard towards getting it. Whenever I see people of my generation having a seemingly good life - in the high earning spectrum, married by a certain age, living in a newly constructed (or still under construction!) house, with European cars and holidays - I think - it may look effortless, but it is not. 

I believe the smart working class people, have increasingly started 'planning' life. Every move is calendarised, every information organised, every event managed. Always - in control; of everything. 

And when I flew out of the nest, I almost instinctively started to do the same - plan, plan and plan!! I have spent a lot of my life being sequential - A after B, Y not before X and so on. I have tried to think ahead, manage my future. I find these words from Wolf Hall (Hilary Mantel) unforgettable - "It is all very good to have a plan for next year, couple of years or 5 years, but is no good to not have a plan for tomorrow"

I have learnt, that it is in this tiny unplanned tomorrow that life happens!

Quite a few turning points in my life have come out of turn (pun intended). Further education - planned? Not until I actually filled in the form. Working in the UK - planned? Not until weeks before time to fly back. Getting married - not even after being engaged!!!

Still - I have not given up on planning, and rather have dragged S into it! Someone who has lived for now most of his life, must find it so strange, but still appreciates my point of view :) I do think planning reaps rewards and definitely is not harmful! But what it does or rather has done to me is - made me wary of surprises, cautious of unexpected things, and scared of sudden decisions. 

What we did today is super awesome, long due, and eagerly awaited :) I have been so looking forward to this! But when it happened, it happened suddenly and my feelings got punctuated by my overly planned mind.

I am sorry S, and well done you :)

Cromwell

Wolf Hall - it is a soap opera in a book. Hilary Mantel has woven a an irresistible fabric of romance, jealously, politics, family and history. 

To say that the book is about Tudors is a bit unfair. It is more about the relationship between two men in power- one deriving from the other. 

Henry Tudor - a king who's questioned by entire Europe, who's position is weakened by his marital status. 

A king without an earnest adviser. 

Thomas Cromwell - An opportunist. A pragmatic trader who knows how to turn any obstacle into a boulder to step on.

Hilary has brought these two characters together beautifully. Each encompassed with his own set of domestic and political issues, each haunted by a wife who is no more. 

I would have never thought I would like to read a political book, but Wolf Hall has it so finely ingrained in  the whole plot that one doesn't realise when history morphs into dirty politics.

I am surprised how relevant this is all these centuries later. Shrewd men like Cromwell are making their way up the ladder - the cooperate one if not regal. Connections, obligations, favours still drive the who's with who equation. And how important it is to have an 'image' that is liked by all.

Only an author of great(?) capabilities could pull it through.

I know my review of the book has done no justice to the book, plot, characters or the author, but I am a firm believer of something is better than nothing.

Absent & Aware

It is not as if I am "Oh where did all these months go". I have been acutely aware of my lack of writing. On every event which would have normally got a post, I thought about this space. 

I know so many things happened over last few months that it has gone beyond a consolidation post. But still I will try, because along with everything else - this blog has helped me keep a record - of life, as I have lived it for past 6+ years!

November 2012 - 

S's birthday - our one of the least enjoyable trips to Canterbury (I can laugh about it now, but believe me on that day - it was awful!) It was raining all the time, the streets were packed full of people and all the decent attractions were paid (quite highly) for :(

We took the first bus back we could. You can have an idea of the trip when I say lunch at a high street chain was the highlight of the day :D

Trip to India - In one word - it was all about Family :) 5 days at S's place - fantastic. Loved it (most of it ;))

My rushed trip to welcome N - adventurous!! Cannot thank enough S & parents for letting me do it. It will be one of the most memorable moments in my life. But days at home are never enough. Other highlights - attended a friend's engagement, spent some good time with my little brother and had parantha's for breakfast :)

Missed S terribly for the rest of my time. I think we both agree - no more solo trips :)

Trip to Reigate - Chronologically it happened before the trip to India but it took effect on a later date. I was very anxious about going on this one - I think more than most students are about bunking classes these days :D But it was a fruitful trip, though still waiting for the fruits to arrive in post :D

December 2012 - Our first anniversary! Yippee :) One year - gone by, just like that. This gives me a feeling of panic more often than glee. Yes, everything was good enough that the year just went by, but that's a year gone!!! Are we moving in the direction we want to? Are we doing things that we were meant to do in this first year of wedding? Perhaps not. Time to sit up and take stock. I think S's alarm bells are ringing too. We shall have a more happening, a more 'us' year this year! I hope and pray and wish and I will do. Celebrations were superb. One of the best weekends yet. Full on enjoyment - short yes, sweet - very :) :) :)

And then I fall ill :( for all of the 10 days S was here :( No outing, no movies, no fun. Stay at home and have medicines. Poor thing had to cook, shop and nurse me :( THANK YOU! 

New Year 2013 - Some resolutions, some will, some motivations, let us make this a cracking year!

Mix Bag

I don't like to write about sad things in the same post in which I recollect happy things. But then, it is so depressing to think/write/read/think about a sad thing in isolation.

October is one of the busiest months in our family calendar, averaging more than 1 occasion every week!! So many flowers ordered, so many cakes delivered, loads of online shopping and greeting cards :)

Just for keep sake I will write the dates here -

2/10

7/10

9/10

10/10

14/10

16/10

24/10

27/10

S & I hosted a birthday dinner :) I cannot express how satisfying it was, to have a dinner, where I was not guest! First, formal, proper dinner party 'we' gave. (Things which make you feel instantly grown up #1*). It was full of fun and great food. Really a Fun-tasty-ic evening :) Thank you S, for having the heart!

And I was also taken for a shopping spree, found a couple of 'wanted' items on my list :) I think S would agree, I have almost forgotten - how to shop for self and/or how to shop without need :D I realised, yet again how impatient I am. Nothing apart from food seems to be worth spending hours on, not even women's fashion stores in a super-high end mall!

This was on the weekend.

During the following week, I heard the absolutely shocking news of one of our family acquaintances' sad demise. I was in tears, and shaking. It was horrible. This is the 3rd news. I hate it, absolutely hate it. It makes me sick. I had to put great effort in putting this behind me. But it is not gone, lingers on - like bad after taste. I want to completely, absolutely, fully forget it. I don't know why am I writing it. But I guess the strong emotions I felt needed to be said out, hence.

I know S will not like it - that I have wrote it in the same post - but that's the point - mix bag - life - happiness makes us work so hard for it, and sadness, cause of it; and the show must go on.

*PS: I think this list of 'Things which instantly make you feel grown up' is going to grow - hence the number!

Mission Accomplished

Months of trepidation, weeks of dilemma and days and nights of discussions! To go for it or not - but we did. He did it, through the prosaic assignments, strange examinations, boring classes and frustrations!

At the risk of sounding immodest, Thank You S, for doing it, for I know you did it for me :)

Extremely proud of you, well done!!

Grateful

Thank you God. Really - A big Thank You!

I want to do an exercise - of quantifying the positive and negative thoughts I have during a day or even during a conversation. I feel the need of doing so after meeting a friend today who's story made me realise how much time I waste in complaining rather than appreciating what life has bestowed on me so far. 

Only yesterday, for some brief minutes I let myself be a conceited person. My swollen head full of 'Oh I have done it all on my own', 'I work so hard for it' notions. I am so grateful to God, that within 24 hours I am humbled again. Thankful and Grateful, for all things I have got - hard work or not, the rewards cannot be taken for granted, ever.

Her difficulties are not hidden from me, and by all means she has never shied away from a fight. Such grit, such determination, such devotion to life, truly amazing. I am ashamed to have thought of her in any other way. Such terrible times, and yet, to have the heart to share. To have the attitude to fight another fight, to have the mind focused, still on the right things, to have the resolve to stay and persevere. I salute.

You have taught me a few things today, and I hope not to forget this in a hurry -

1. Money matters - but only to an extent

2. Will to win should stay, no matter what, no matter where

Random Realisations

1. Time and tide wait for none. Life goes on, with or without you. There might be a level of exotic-ness in being the foreign child in the family, but fact of the matter is that - you are not there, not sharing the moments, and you are as good as news channel - with snippets from across the world being telecast-ed but no one stops to read them.

2. However tiring and exhausting the week has been - I cannot have do-nothing weekends. I may pledge to myself to not do anything and then I feel extremely wasted and irritated with myself with a day past empty. I need to do something most of the times.

3. I am not rich enough yet. And may not be anytime soon. My dreams are still far far far away and it is not going to be an easy ride.

4. I am not living the life I had envisaged 3 years ago. In fact I have not moved tangibly and I don't like it. Time is slipping away.

5. I am a difficult person :(

Weekend Kitchen

Only if these were not in preparation of him going away!

An Insight

I am not really keen on war time books, or more generally any depressing books. I am a very 'happy-ending' kind of a person. 

There is a little story behind how I got the book. It was one of those stressful weeks at work when once I am out for lunch I have no will to go back. I had to do some errands that day during lunch and had already used up most of my 45 minutes when I thought to give myself a quick visit to the library (with no hopes of finding a book, only greedy for the aroma of a room full of books). 

I just glanced through the fiction stands and saw a book titled something like 'The Story of A...'. I don't know why but it reminded me of Memoirs of a Giesha! I thought oh it would have been nice if I had found Memoirs instead and guess what - on the next stand - not in alphabetical order - I found it!! One can guess how happy it made me feel to have been granted a tiny wish on a stressful day :))

I took my own time (had to re-issue it twice before) to get into it. Once I went past the first 20-30 pages, it was difficult to put down. One of the reasons I have taken to reading so strongly is because they give the power to transport myself into another world. Memoirs of a Geisha did it very effectively for me. It was indeed an insight into a world I had not heard/read much about. I did know what Geisha means (thanks to a BBC documentary) but none of the little nuances of their lives. It was a difficult to believe, yet  captivating story. 

Having been brought up in a certain school of thought, I couldn't agree with the author when the profession of a Geisha was equalled to something sacred and 'art'. Perhaps now, after I have read the book, I can see an element of art in the job, and the discipline of an artist in their lives, but beyond that I can't see the glory. 

Also, some of the decisions by the protagonist were not very convincing. As a woman I found myself at conflict with the 'need' of a man driving some one's life for 50 years!

Though the way the book is written is quite good. I enjoyed little 'foot notes' from the narrator about the Japanese culture and contrasts with Western ways. There is also an autobiographical feel to the book, which lends it more credibility. A book like this is almost at the cusp of fiction and non-fiction.

As with most books I read, I looked it up on the Internet and came across the statement from the inspiration behind 'Sayuri'. It made me realise that I was not reading a real story, but a novel with a 'fictional' disclaimer.

However, it did sour the experience a bit for me. 

Strangely I don't feel any thing for the author.  I don't know whether it is a complement for the author or not that I came away from the book thinking that it was 'Sayuri''s tale told as it happened. The author in my interpretation was only recording.

Kudos to the author for being able to let his characters do the talking without making the readers feel that he 'wrote' it.

Overall a very well written depressing insight into lives of Geisha 60-70 years ago (if I take it to be non-fiction) and a decent plot (if I take it as a fiction).

Mangoes & Generals

A Case of Exploding Mangoes - long listed for Man Booker Prize in 2008. That was my primary attraction towards picking it from the library. 

I often find Booker Prize winner books quite readable. Even though this one had not won it, I went ahead because of curiosity. If we don't consider Khushwant Singh as half Pakistani then it would be probably my first notable book by a Pakistani writer. 

I was curious to see how in country so strict about political censorship, can someone write a novel about one of it's longest running military ruler's visions and ultimate death. The author being an ex-Air Force man did add some insiders details to the fiction.

There were some lucid references to India but without it I guess the book couldn't have been written by the neighbour. The fact that I am trying to write about it and nothing much comes to me does speak a lot about the book. In short - 

1. My first insight into Pakistan's army/executive structure

2. Typical racy fiction of a first timer who often remain first timers (I would have compared him to Indian Chetan Bhagat had he not been an armed forces man)

3.  Some hints of a good comic timing

4. Led me into watching some more documentaries about General Zia and Bhutto 

That's it really. Typical holiday read. Nothing sparkly about this one.

Sawan

English summer this year has been a bit Indian. There have been thunderstorms and showers in late June. Just like we have in India - Monsoons. Though I still miss the smell of wet Earth. For some strange reason, even when walking on wet roads or grass, I don't feel the amazingly appealing smell of dry Earth being satiated.

Right, so in spite of the missing aroma  - there was something very 'sawani' to it. Days on which I felt like  getting out of work and just getting drenched in the rains, or dancing to some monsoon folklore :) Did it have something to do with the fact that this was my first sawan after wedding? Perhaps!

And then I was overwhelmed with all the 'sawan' gifts I received from Noida :) It was simply superb. I melted on seeing all the little things to remind me that I am married - bindi, bichiye, choori, mehandi :) All the little things to mark the occasion. 

The care with which mum remembers all that I need :) & the sweetness in which she packs them all :)

Oh! Little parcels of their (all of them really, even if most of it mum's) love :) Thank you God for giving me the world's bestest :) What more can I ask for! 

Thank you so much Mum. Sorry for being rude - but trust me I am working on it.

God bless you!!

Sevens!

On 7/7 this year, we have completed 7 months since 7th December!
 7 cheers to that :)

Writing for a Purpose

Often I read fiction which is just that - fiction. 

This time I read Animal Farm by George Orwell. This book, though sub-titled as 'A Fairy Story' is by no means a work of fiction. It has very cleverly used the setting of an animal farm to tell the makings of a (not)socialist nation. 

The edition of book which I had was perhaps meant for college reading and had an introduction explaining how to read the book. I chose not to read it. 

The fast paced book captured me - always another event in pipeline, always another development to read about. But it was not until I reached the end of the book that I saw the weight this book must have carried back in 1943 when it was first published. 

The book had an appendix - preface to the book written by the author himself for the Ukranian translation. In these 4-5 pages, he explained how his life thus far had led him to writing a sort of 'Soviet Union for Dummies' book. Orwell, being a committed socialist himself, couldn't accept the fact that people's understanding of Socialism was based on USSR of that era. He quite effectively puts forward all the things socialist which USSR was not.

I was moved by his intention behind writing a politicaly incorrect book - endangering his commercial interests. He wanted people to know what really happens behind the closed gates is not Socialism and that there are not many examples of socialist societies in the world and least of all USSR.

This brings me to the age old battle between - duties as a citizen versus our little often materialistc gains. Are we not mortals who try to achieve what we can physically during our lives? - whilst losing sight of the bigger picture? But can't both be done together? As some of the geniuses in the society have done before - so elegantly.