tit bits form my recent travel- Muscat

View of Muscat on my first morning out..
azure blue sky dotted with fluffy clouds randomly, sandy brown barren hills/mountains all around reaching up into this sky; life flourishing, plants in bloom, cars zooming on the highways in the valley below, between these mountains, balmy breeze blows my hair around....
The starkness of the hilly peaks, some of their razor sharp edges jutting into the sky speaks of absolute beauty to me..evokes a feeling of reverence for nature... how it sustains itself... beautiful!!!!

tit-bits from my recent travel- Mumbai

Memories from my daily routine of having a blast in Mumbai while with friends:

Maharaj (my friend Kinjal's cook of 15 yrs) making theplas effortlessly, perfectly.. every single 6" circle one after the other... rolling, dusting with flour, rolling, roasting, basting with ghee, flipping over, basting with ghee.. his hands fly over the the stove in perfect motion every time, not missing a beat, not breaking into a sweat .... eating those hot theplas that morning, eyes closed, taste buds alive, my olfactory nerves humming,vibrating with the aroma wafting through..... pure heaven!!!

A woman, maybe 20yrs or so, on the streets of Colaba with a small child on her hip, streching her arms out wordlessly, hope and plea in her eyes, listlessness in the child's eyes, snort dripping down its nose.... I've been around beggars all my life.. young, old, healthy, crippled, female, male, fake, genuine..... I can't say why this lady affected me so, why the kid yanked at my heart so... I left the scene having bought her an afternoon meal, felling I'd at least taken care of her immediate need, but also almost feeling helpless at the situation of these people on the whole.... where will it stop, when will it end.... where do my priorities lie I wonder at times... after all wasn't I shopping around for a pair of shoes ( albeit for my friend's wedding)... I walked away not buying any.. surely I could use one of the many pairs I had.... I feel quite shitty..ahhhh pure hell!!!

My conversation with Kin's dad about following dreams... walking a unique individual path.. living life for oneself... about staying strong, dreaming big, staying true to one's self... .. I remember dad, an image of him zipping through my mind, gone quickly but leaving me breathless with a searing pain in my chest.. I miss him.. it's like an instant feeling of pain, loss, love... I have no control over the tears that stream down my face...hell I say!!!

An evening out with friends.. at a local lounge ... packed with herds of human beings.. no breathing space.. fantastic music thumping.. mostly classic rock on the level 1 of the lounge.... there is hip-hop on the 2nd level, but we stick to the first. A lady in a cotton sari swaying to the music.. conversation is alive with all trying to guess her intention... Is she is making a statement, is she craving attention or is she asserting her freedom of choice? .. .. tons of theories flying around... the herd gazes in her direction, some snickering some admiring, some indifferent... I wonder what if she wasn't trying to do anything at all.... we judge quite easily don't we?.. and why the need to slot everyone's actions into neat little explained behavior all the time? I have no answers..

Pleasures of waxing

Yes, I said pleasures. No, I am not immune to the sometimes intense burning when hair is pulled from its roots. I was at a parlor I frequented for years while in Belgaum, recently; and there is something to be said about 2 beauticians working in tandem, stripping clean your body of unwanted hair.... that too in 20 minutes flat. You really have to concentrate hard on which yank hurts the most....
So I was thinking... this pain is a blessing isn't it... At least I know that all my nerve endings are working fine, so is the signalling mechanism, and my brain centers that register the pain.

Now for a month of smooth, soft kissable skin .. ahhh bliss!!

Perfect everytime!

Beautiful aren't they? These images I captured while working on my friend's organic farm (harvesting blueberries) in Jackson county, TN.....( blueberry pics some other time).

I am amazed at how nature works perfectly every time... beauty, symmetry.. all a part of its immense awe-inspiring creation. I am humbled by all of its creations.. flowers, animals, water in all forms; the snow (watching fresh fallen snow blanketing the earth.. stupefying!!), the rain, the ocean... the human body even.

Why are we bent on disrupting the harmony in which nature works... are we ignoring the truth...... that we will incur losses as a result? Our sense of urgency is dulled maybe , based on the assumption that our generation isn't going to face nature's wrath in our lifetime..... who the hell cares about our children or the youth?

I so wish every person asks him/herself this. Stop for a while during your busy day and take a look around at nature's work surrounding you.... Now tell me you aren't awed. You won't be taking any of it for granted when all the beauty disappears now will you??

I'm ready or am I?

I opened this account, knowing that I need a place to vent, put thoughts into words, and keep friends updated with how I'm doing....
Now it remains to be seen how well I manage to keep you all updated.. I do get fits of laziness you see, and think posting a voice blog would be so much easier.... but being stubborn as I am, I'm giving this a shot.. bear with me

For all those who don't know I am at present in Belgaum, India; staying with my mum, taking a hiatus from work, mulling over the direction I need to head in, with my life. I am also resisting (or trying to, when energetic) my strong willed mum's efforts to get me married off, the traditional way.... more about it in a new post.