Canon in D Major

So, now I am hooked on to this soaring Piano ballad. It’s uplifting, passionate and pure in the truest sense of musicality. Something about this melody makes me want to jump up in the air and smile a giddy smile. And when the music builds the tempo slowly, I am left soaring when the notes hit the high octave. This is my new anthem. My panacea to pure unadulterated joy!

I’m completely hooked on this soaring piano ballad. It’s uplifting, passionate, and pure in every sense of the word. There’s something about this melody that makes me want to leap into the air, grinning from ear to ear. And as the music gradually builds, I feel myself soaring when the notes reach that high octave. This is my new anthem—my panacea for pure, unadulterated joy!

50 shades of writing

So, finally the writing bug has caught up with me again and I must begrudgingly thank Ms. E.L.James for this.  Now I couldn’t have imagined in my wildest dreams that the novel that I studiously chose to avoid a year ago, would become my nemesis for change. So lets see, everyone that knows everyone who has read the book has sworn by the lascivious content, and to not to mention the depravation of the so called yin-yang equations. Yet as I read and re-read the book multitude of times, I grew addicted to alternate lifestyle sold to perfection by the protagonist. The nuances, subtle hints and the vivid descriptions just add to the kaleidoscope of memories that constitutes the essence of the story.

Now this by no means is a reflection of my personal journey. But it does open the doors to ‘More’ in life. And I hope to the stars, sky and back that I find my writers edge once more, and maybe take it more seriously this time on.

Jai ho Namo

So the world's biggest democracy has witnessed the epic elections drawing to a close. An election that will go down in history as the most techno savvy, modern, intelligent and entertaining race faught by one man Narendra Modi. He rose like a phoenix from the ashes of communal disharmony in Gujarath. Slowly but surely he turned the clock around. Buidling from the fragments, he made his home state an epitome of perfection for others to follow. His idea of utopia was suddenly envisaged by the rest of the nation. This was the perfect foil for his masterplan, 'Modi'fication of India. An innocuous comment by the opposition about his humble beginnings as a chai wala spurned 'Chai Pe Charcha' movement. There was no turning back after that!! From social networking to gathering grass root organizations to help spread the message, he literally turned the campaign into an all out creative -media blitz crieg. It was a disciplined effort that finally yielded the results. In a country where old age is frowned upon, a 63 yr old has achieved the unthinktable. He actually out- ran, out- smarted, out-spoke all his challengers who were way younger than him. He has no only changed the status quo but made an epic beginning to a hopeful future. With youth by his side, he is certainly going places!

Dissappeareance

The dissappeareance of an aircraft is almost as absurd as the Aliens taking over the planet. In a technology driven world where all our actions and thoughts are being constantly recorded and replayed for the whole world to enjoy; its incredulous that there is no signs of a 500,000 pound object. Isn't it ironic that our coordinates is known to the entire populace on FB but a 777 Boeing flight can just vanish into thin air without a single soul knowing its whereabouts. I find myself asking this question over and over again. What has come of this world?? Privacy invasion is an accepted evil but safety is still an ambiguous notion. It almost seems like living a life of make believe. Social networking makes us look good but inside we are deprecating. Technology has made us smarter yet internally we are slaves to codes of data. Data that tracks us down to the minutest details and yet make us a blip in the ocean.

Call it irony, fate or just muddled priorities!! We as a human race seem to have a forgotten what it means to live a simple life. Unclogged by the i cloud, artificial intelligence and the like; is it too complicated to seek a safe subsistence?? Now can technology provide that safety net, my guess is as good as any of you!! For now I can only hope and pray that Aviation's greatest mystery finds some closure. And we find some safety in this digitized world!

Chennai Beats

Just a month ago, I was leading this atypical suburban life in the US with my husband and our two daughters. As every American resident, I would pride on my independence and proudly state to my Indian friends about managing it all. Of course, the cookie cutter lifestyle can often dilute the unexpected in life. Needless to say, with two young kids I didn't care for such frivolity. So when my girls and I landed in Chennai, I looked forward to our vacation with some trepidation.

As I stepped out of the airport into the musty Chennai air, I felt an all too familiar stirring. The climate, the roads, the traffic had not changed much but I had undergone a sea change. My cynicism and judgmental tone precluded over the joy of being in my own home turf. The planner and routine seeker in me felt at a loss. Ironically my girls seemed to be holding up well. My older one was in awe of the changed surroundings and the younger one was blissfully unaware of the same.

The first week was the toughest on all of us especially my mother as she had to deal with my inexplicable demands. First on the list was finding a suitable school for my older one, and then came the ordeal of keeping my twin minions busy and lastly the task of satisfying the overzealous me. And to think I was the hapless mother. It was the slow hand of fate that dealt me the final blow.Slowly but surely I realized that the whole point of the vacation was to go with the flow. I had to enjoy the unexpected once again in my life. After days of cajoling, I finally warmed up to my city and the joys
it offered.

I am now seeing Chennai through the lens of my three year old daughter. The abundance of creativity and exposure to culture is unparalleled.  As she begins to take baby steps in learning Bharatanatyam, and getting a grip on Tamil, I am astounded at the opportunities the city can present to a toddler. She can dabble with theater, music, dance, sketching all in a day’s work. Of course the interaction with other kids on a daily basis is a learning experience in itself. As watch her personality bloom, I can’t help but wonder at the vitality of this city and its people.

As for me, it feels like I never left this city. While a number of new chains have spruced up the decor, my all time favorite hangouts still retain the same old world charm. Hobnobbing between plush cafes, multi-cuisine themed restaurants, destination stores; my concept of luxury travel has undergone a
metamorphosis. From the very expensive hangouts to the simple pleasures in life, my city has it all.
Add to this a dose of spirituality and culture; you get a well rounded experience. Living the life with
my family and friends I hope to take in this city in all its splendor and charms.

The great Indian saga

Traveling solo with baby and tot

So a few years ago I had this demystifying transatlantic flight experience with my baby. And  I was convinced that i had unravelled the haplessness of a for lone mother but little did I know what the future would augur for me and my growing family. What if I had to undertake a similar journey with a toddler and a baby In tow. Sometimes the hypothesis meets reality and the unfathomable happens. And thus began my saga to repeat history,  part 2 in the making. The punchline being buy one trouble get the other one free!!!!!!

As the d day advanced, my mind was in over drive. I was a virtual machine making checklists in the zillion. Baby check, toddler check, mother check mate. The bags kept piling and my lists kept growing. On final count I had 8 bags, one stroller, 2 kids and a zapped brain. Ironically there was no time for self pity, I still had a routine to keep up and a journey to strategize to the minutest detail. The day of reckoning finally arrived and I uttered the battle cry. The first pit stop was encouraging. The Babbage check in proceeded without much ado except for the sympathetic inquiry from the ground staff. I was already being touted as the brave heart.

My husband on the other hand was on a mission of his own. He was already scanning through people to find a potential ally for my impending journey. We were both expecting some tamil Mami to take pity on us when we found a young woman also braving the odds with a small bundle in tow. By default we decided to stick with each other through thick and thin. As our husbands bid goodbye we strode in for the security check. It was quite the scene wading through the sea of people with my myriad accompaniments. And to my surprise I  was sidelined for a full pat down check. My past experience had taught me one valuable experience- never be shy to ask for help. Without a pause I  turned around, and passed my unsuspecting baby to the equally unsuspecting security guards. And that my friends summed up my whole experience. It didn't matter how rude or insensitive the authorities/flight staff were to me, my hands could only handle so much. So my baby was invariably handed over much to every one's chagrin.

The first half of my journey to London was a whirlwind. I was a woman in control. Handing over the iPad to my older one, I focused on the baby. She seemed content in her cot seat aka bouncer. In between her intermittent sleeps and feeds, I was a tired out woman. Again past experience has taught be to be over prepared and thick skinned. Just when I expecting a smooth ride, I was handed over my first shocking news. There wasn't going to be a cart as promised. But hey I was prepared for all eventualities or so I thought!

The next part was nothing like I had imagined. The security check at London literally knocked the wind out of me. I was asked to strip all my accessories and taste the baby food. I felt like i was in shawshank prison.  I so regretted making the solo flight. My temper flew and the ground staff just compounded my misery. Folding and unfolding the double stroller, I had to collect all my sundry and soothe my jet lagged babies. If not for my friend, I would probably haven broken down. We made our way through the multitude gates,  and took the Air Tran to the final gate. As we sat down waiting for the penultimate flight, we gave each other a triumphant look. We had made it past the most difficult leg of the journey.

The final leg was a total contrast from the previous leg to London. Surrounded by caring Indian flight staff, I was in good hands. In fact the entire front row was occupied by mother's traveling alone. And all the young ones were girls!!!! As I glanced at my sleeping beauties, I couldn't help sighing at my good fortune. When we disembarked the flight, help was waiting around the corner. My bags and stroller were taken from me. And all I had to do was keep a watch on my babies. There were no lines, no security checks. The only blip in my happiness was the one delayed luggage. But all in all it felt felt like home. And I made made it solo with my angels.

London

It seems rather absurd to be writing about a vacation that transgressed ages ago. Then again, a far greater crime would be to let the transgression wane away. So here I am trying to relive the magic of the past.

As I had envisaged in my dreams, reality was more demystifying than the actual.  From the moment I set foot in London, my whole concept of realism was transformed. Greeted by small London cabs, the American dream seemed larger than real.

Narrow old world roads lead to beautiful minion houses in atypical English neighborhood.  As I looked outside the window of my swerving cab, I couldn’t help but notice the Asian influence in the air.  For a moment my mind drifted to the galis of India. I was entranced by the eastern influence. It seemed like the English Raj was still much in awe of its colonies.

The cost misty air also took me by surprise.  June was by no means a scorcher in this European terrain.  Dark clouds were looming by, and colorful umbrellas were beginning to spruce up the air. This made the city more ethereal. Walking by the streets and watching the famed red London double Decker bus roll around the street corners, I couldn’t help but smile. Of course, the boutiques stocked up in the latest European trends priced at oh la la pounds made me gasp for cover. Coming from a country of deals, this was a tad above my expectation.  Just, as I was about to loose my balance, the quintessential London pubs made my smile once again. Brit accent emanating from the pubs mixed with the smell of beer lightened by spirits.

We began our traverse in Greenwich Village.  Making our way through the maze of colorful London tubes, we reached our first stop. Grabbing our umbrellas in a typical English fashion, we undertook a walking tour of the city. There were Fish and chips eat outs in every corner. And the old fashioned telephone booths beckoned us. This felt like renaissance. 

Having tasted the old country feel, we made our way to another extinguished landmark, “ The London Eye”. A mammoth glass enclosed giant wheel encircling London city seemed like the perfect end to our day. As I soaked in the famed landmarks like “Big Ben” and “Buckingham palace”, I was ready for an adventure.

And thus began our Big Bus London tour. Starting at Buckingham Palace, we made our way through the crowded London streets. Past the Victorian cathedrals, svelte apartments, sprawling parks, trendiest shopping districts, and streets owned by the queen, we were treated to the most luxurious and eye candy sights.  Standing in Trafalgar Square, surrounded by the history and ethnicities, we were lost in time. As time lost travelers we made our way to the penultimate stop, the “Tower of London”.  The day marked to a close with a boat ride past the London Bridge. And all I could think of was my daughter’s favorite rhyme

London to the naked eye is a city of thoroughbreds. High fashion and culinary finesse is second nature to the locals. On the one hand, the hopeless romantic can get lost in the cathedrals and the Victorian landmarks. On the other end, a hopeless nomad can revel in the street arts, rustic English countryside, beer and strawberries. That to me is the brilliance of London.