"Sundowner" in Goa

Figured it's about time to write again :P

We came back this morning at 5 am. I'm still drugged and beach minded. But lemme recapitulate.

This time it was for 5 whole days!Come March end and it was time to head down there again. Palolem was the central destination although we decided to explore a bit more this time. And so we did. Agonda's waves had us tumbling and rolling and falling and drinking some salty sea water too. The waves were too strong and end result...I felt like i had just tumbled out of a washing machine. I really enjoyed the bike ride there and back tho [after the embarrassing attempt to ride one on my own :(] Agonda Beach is beautiful of course, less populated and peaceful, though somehow I guess I had already adopted a fierce loyalty to Palolem already. So back we went to our safe haven. Food is another thing I like about Goa. I've always loved seafood - but I realized there's more than just that - Cafe Inn was true to its word- best damn Irish coffee I have had! And the welcome AC there :P! Little Italy served us the yummiest pizza and pasta too! Breakfast was always so exciting for me with the sausages, ham, cream cheese buns, baked beans, mushrooms and tomatoes, eggs and pancakes. I dont know why my friends never felt hungry more often, coz I always seemed to be the one constant 'bhuk lagi ase' hollerer out there.

Come evening, we would always rush to take a dip in the waters (at least two of us) and be the last ones to come out (wrinkled fingers and wrinkled toes), and also feeling increasingly fit and healthy by the day. Yeah, it's in the mind too.. coz two days past, I could already feel the healthy n fit vibes :D.

So this time round - new things I did (that I can remember):

Went canoe-ing (Awesome!) - jumped in the near-middle- bottomless-end of the waters and swam some - with life jackets there of course, tried my hand at riding a scooty (failed miserably tho) and decided sitting behind the rider was more of my kinda thing, read the 2nd and 3rd series of Twilight (books have been out of my scene since I don't know when and so never had I been so engrossed!), watched a movie that was being screened on the beach - felt like one of those drive-in kinds I had always wanted to try out and here's the part I loved most - on the last night- visited 'Sundowner'... which was the scene of swooning to the sunset (ack.words and pictures never suffice and simply reading it is just paltry in comparison), great music to boot, free spirited people everywhere and some good partying too. You have to reach that place preferably in a boat and back. So yeah I think we saved the best for last this time.

It's always just like magic. Or better :)

Black and not white but red

I do wonder why I even started this blog since I’ve come to realize I’m not one to update it regularly and just type away what often comes so naturally to my mind.

And I do wonder again how I came to this point in my life where I feel I need to type all this down. (Probably coz it’s a weekend and this nagging feeling tells me to just write something – no matter how ‘inky’ or banal.)

So this is from one of those days of mmts-ing and moments of reminiscing which surprisingly I’ve come to miss.

I saw dots of red in the distance. I drew near and it got brighter and bigger. It was the first thing that caught my dazed attention that morning. It turned out to be a shirt in the end. No not just a shirt but a man, no not a mere man, actually men- workers in bright red t-shirts. All waist deep in what was supposed to be called Hussain Sagar Lake- but the grimmer side i'd guess. Not that I could recall seeing anything close that resembled a lake from below the bridge. They were cleaning, rather salvaging whatever could possibly be salvaged from the remnants of a lake. I just saw black really- some slimy, greasy, filthy utterly filthy slick black...but with dots of tiny red hope.

And I gulped.

Heads up people.

The New Chapter.

I expected to be beat, bushed and wary. Instead everything became sort of boring, monotonous and likely to lull me to sleep. It was the dawning of the moment , a striking revelation, a Eureka moment - I concluded since x was y and i cudn't do anything to help x not being y, as y was inherently a part of x,
it became pretty clear - i needed an anti-yawn pill. (or someone to invent it fast!)
Well that was how my first job experience was a week ago.

I'm now into my third week and well pretty much yawning less and sitting higher up in my chair as my projects are finally being handed out to me. More interesting too id say. (I don't know how long this'll be valid tho, when the work starts to kick in ;))

But anyway , working has taught me to- number one take the MMTS on my own, be grateful for the MMTS (no matter how crowded and stifling), but detest traffic even more, cross the street bravely (altho in multitudes), undergo the intolerable attitude of the auto guys every evening, realize the dearth of autos in Hyd., earnestly wish i had a car of my own in the process, and walk a whole lot more too.
No matter how much i like or dislike my work at times, i run out of the office everyday overjoyed to be going back home. And i also see the swarms of people around me rushing to go back home everyday...

It makes me think about myself and the millions of people who live in the cities making a living - some making it big - others scraping to make ends meet. I wonder if its just that. And i think this is just going to be one chapter I make of my life - just one brief chapter.

I still feel there is something else more...

Pink sunsets and pink gowns in Kerala (April 19-21,2008)

It became another dream realized :).. as i set out for Kerala (A place I had been really really longing to see for sometime)..of course the reason was for a greater purpose -on account of my friend's wedding on the 20th of April, which actually made my trip to Kerala possible. The other added bonus was the fact that I was going to be a bridesmaid wearing a pink gown...something I really wanted to be for a long time (don't ask me why..maybe just some girl desire to know how it feels like).

And now to begin!Well as usual our trips always seem to range on the extraordinary.. with the huge bus/ticket confusion in Bangalore as we mistook Trichy for Trichur (confirmed our geography and spelling too I guess does suck!). So after all the hullaboo and running as fast as we could in and out of the platforms and in between maze-like parked as well as huge moving buses(that made me feel like an ant).. we finally managed to get new tickets and board the bus on time! It really seemed like a nightmare that time. This is where writing cannot account for the experience..no kidding!
Although one positive note did come out from the whole fiasco, it was the realization of something we never knew we had in us, that would no doubt score us big points on Amazing Race (if nothing else but for the ability to run like mad, apparently making bags seem like featherweights but for that moment in time only :P) even as thoughts of 'why oh why does this have to happen!' kept running through my mind the whole time.But i guess they're all meant to be memories ..memories one could possibly do without but oh well..something to laugh over when we need to.

The moment we reached Kerala though, that episode was long forgotten as we entered a whole new scenario of coconut trees, banana trees, fields and greenery all around!It sorta felt like home in a strange way. The bride and her parents were the perfect hosts and they made sure we were full all day long. The bride's cousin, Arun took us for sight seeing and we got to see (I believe) the most beautiful parts of Kerala what within the short span of time we had. Arun was the perfect guide, with his constant urgings at us to hurry up and walk faster and not waste time (did i say tour guide?!? :P), then asking us if we were having fun amidst all the constant pressure of having to keep on schedule..whew! but wait.. all in order for us to see the sunset at the beach. First, we went to the elephant farm, then St. Thomas church, and after that we reached our final destination- the beach (one of Arun's fav. places too which we found out later .. and which explained a few things :P). Then from there we had a lovely surprise as Arun told us we could go see the back waters (something about Kerala I had been dying to see should i visit it someday). So like happy kids, we made our way to the car.. and there Arun, our driver sped like mad (did i mention the funny comment he made about Kerala traffic that everything is always flying in Kerala..no kidding its like a race car alley!.. to which my friend retorted the undeniable obvious 'even we are flying' and flying we were!)..and with stiffled screams but almost giving way and a grip tight hold on the car door, we reached... Chetuwa backwaters.And now if it weren't for Arun, my trip to Kerala would not have been half as much fulfilling :).

Sigh and Sigh.And all I can say about it now is it was absolutely breathtaking!! It made the whole slogging and running in Bangalore for tickets to Thrissur so worthwhile and my love for Kerala grew and grew and grew.. as the natural beauty continued to stretch on with the oncoming sunset. The groves, the bridge, the tiny boats, the balconied shacks on the shoreline, the sea gulls... all together it was awe-ing :).. I cannot begin to imagine how it would be like to spend a night on a houseboat (and that's for my next trip to Kerala someday). At the end of the day the exhaustion over the previous night set in and I slept content having fulfilled half of my desire for coming to Kerala.

20th April morn came and Anila was looking as beautiful as ever a bride could be on her wedding day. She was radiant! The wedding ceremony was a whole new experience for me- a Syrian Christian wedding. The moment had come as the bride entered the church while the four of us bridesmaids had our moment of glory too following in our pink gowns carrying pink carnations. But after some time, trying to be the disciplined bridesmaid was not as easy as it seemed, and the whole marriage became like a strength of endurance- to stand continuously on highheels for what seemed like hours! (but of course, we had the congregation as company to our standing test..if it helped any) .It was indeed quite an experience and I'm just glad I was there. Finally the sari's were exchanged and the necessary procedures completed. I think Anila is pretty happy for everything having worked out so beautifully in the end and I wish her a happy married life, she definitely deserves one. Because i always believe that everything works out for the best in the end, after having done all one can possibly do.

My friends and me came back exhausted after another day of bus traveling for almost two hours to the reception at the groom's house. We managed to go to Ernakulaum (I hope i got the spelling right) and also saw the pinkest sunset i have ever seen in my whole life that day. Truly breathtaking and the special moments that make time stand still.

Through the painstaking heat and humidity the next day on the train, we finally reached Hyderbad laden with our overloaded bags of banana chips, tapioca chips and jack fruit chips that we ate throughout the whole journey (which ultimately left us wanting to do without for sometime). Speaking of food - Cant forget to mention the local dishes of fish cooked in green mango curry with coconuts, pork and beef cooked with coconuts. Note think that's just the simplified version of used ingredients since i dont know what all more goes into the recipes but gosh they were all so yum!!I just loved the food, served on banana leaves for us. I think it tastes different somehow :) and maybe its the place too.

And so well that was how my trip to Kerala ended..with chips! :P.. na.. with memories of those time frozen moments,pink sunsets and pink gowns in kerala ;), promises to go back for more and happy beginnings for two newly married people. :)

the drifting

To be constantly swept away...
by the swell of the waves...
and the gulps of inescapable sighs...
And the endless breathes that just never seem to be enuff,
To feel the spirit filled winds breeze past me, my senses suspended,
..intoxicated, ravaged, wasted, satiated..

They are what i will yearn for..never ceasing nor breaking..
For a reason did i go..
Thinking i would find all the answers and come back..

And what did i find.. but more reasons to never want to come back..
to just drift in the vast expanse of nothingness..to just let go and let out.. where nothing but bliss and peace would fill my senses.. i think i found it in the beauty and the splendour...the soft waves, the light reflection on the surface, the endless sky..the streaks of red,orange or were they pink or yellow...the sinking sun in all its glorious glamour... granting the promise of an unceasing touch..

i knew i jus had to embrace the moment.. and i did..

and i told myself..

this untouched beauty will neither fade nor perish...but for want of this idyllic utopia.. i will come back to it...

for the moments of solace ..away from what i not even know of...

for it itself has become the reason for my solace.

My precious Goa trip!

It was the sand, the sun, the waves, the surfs –and there I was in Goa once again – Palolem beach before me! I took a long look at the stretch of the beach before me – the range of shacks along the beach, the other already settled tourists and vacationers enjoying the pleasures of tanning, dining and surfing. Even before i took one step i knew i was gonna have the time of my life...So there I was trudging along with my friends checking out the shacks that would most likely fit our expectations and needs and oh so excited to be out there. As we would later refer to our water escapades ‘to be one with the surfboard’ and ‘to be one with the water’, impatient we were to hit the waters and make use of every bit of the three nights and two and ahalf days we planned to vacation out there (including a birthday celebration of two friends who had been earnestly planning all along to spend their birthday in Goa). And so here begins my long awaited beach vacation I had been looking forward to for so achingly long!!!!

Day 1 March 27, 2008

Shack found what else could we do but hit the waters. There we went trotting with glee along the sand oblivious of the other tourists and vacationers around us towards the big vast expanse of water that seemed to be waiting for us. Now comes the free fall feeling of letting go, letting out, indulging in waves of peace, calm, and at the same time exhilaration and tinges of excitement when u enter the (I would like to call it) beach domain. Sorta transports you into another world that can't be felt anywhere else. There we played so engrossed that I actually forgot to take off some time to watch one of the things one must'nt miss in Goa - the sunset. But I left the waters that evening, grit determined not to miss it the next day . Next moment we found ourselves sitting around a fire (yeah still chilly enuff to manage a small campfire in Goa that time! ;).. more so for the ambience i'd say) waiting to be served a candlelight dinner out on the beach. The live performance set the mood (although the singers were'nt the best u cud ask for-a friend would later say it was like screams from the process of being bitten by an ant - but hey the tabla and guitar strumming was enuff for me) with the stars above and the waves crashing along the shore behind us- there we were spending our first nite in Goa. Later I sat on the beach till 2 a.m with my friend who had just turned 26, each contemplating and I guess each lost in our own thoughts but grateful for every precious moment.

Day 2 March 28, 2008

Yeah got up kinda late but excited for what I consider the best meal of the day – breakfast. Toast, bacon, beans , eggs , coffee and banana pancakes and big smiles on all our faces. Now skipping the siesta moments under the big umbrella with the flowing wine glasses that never seemed to end ;), here comes the best part of my day. The big surprise entry of a new special friend of mine ;). (Even the damper of losing my phone in the water while climbing the rocks wouldn’t be able to shake off the anticipated joy)Boy if I could capture the look and shock on my friends face when she saw the surprise visitor come all the way from Nagaland! I tell you, Goa is the best place for reunions long awaited for. Not forgetting how very romantic it is too ;). And of course we all hit the waters later together - this time with the surf boards. Also, that day I got to walk along the beach and watch the sunset. The dining, wining and downing began way after the sun went down and the stars came out... till the wee hours of the morn ;)

Day 3 March 29, 2009

Woke up early for the boat ride to Butterfly Island. And what else did we see besides butterflies? Dolphins! Along the waters, we were able to catch sight of two dolphins, swimming alongside each other with their shiny and glistening fins out of the water. It was a beautiful sight no doubt with the occasional screams and yelps of joy every time someone spotted a tiny sight of the water creatures ,even as distant as they were. Now the best part of this last day- I learned how to ride the waves! And there was nothing like the exhilarating feeling of being on top of the waves and letting it carry me all the way till the sandy beach. It kinda felt like a roller coaster ride actually. Though it was difficult to catch the perfect timing of jumping along with the wave, me and a friend would jump with every signal given by the surfer boy named Loren (yeah –strange coincidence that its pronounced same as my surname? ;)) as he said ‘Go now’ or ‘jump, jump’! it was a blast man and we cudnt stop ourselves. And the most breathtaking sight was seen in the evening - the sun ready to go down, streaks of red along the skyline,few clouds like cotton, the waves bopping up and down and me and my friend lying flat on our stomachs on the surf boards,looking towards the vast expanse of unending water that lay before us, with no desire to see anything else, but that for the moment - it was bliss! :) I will never forget that moment. Its been captured on camera..but hey there is nothing, nothing like the real thing. ;)

And well I could go on and on giving descriptions about the last day we all spent together. Despite me losing my phone(ouch!), our lost treasure of money(small ouch!) and the periodical hiccups, I’d say- we always come out happier, stronger and ready for more ;) and as usual I had an amazing, fascinating and breathtaking time with my friends thatll never be forgotten. We did it once again! We did Goa! We did Palolem Beach…and I just cant wait for more. :)

* Well this section is called making up for the 'erred unmentioned presence of a special friend' above (as Penny Lane so reminds me...and shucks to my memory.. geez!) that we made out there in Palolem Beach and who made our stay in Kinky Reggae as comfy as possible. His name is Ramu... definitely a beach lover and keeper of the shack, as well as apparent party lover with his constant beckoning of 'Go Party', 'U want to go to Party' calls. He seems to enjoy the simple beach life near the waters and is content with the constant beach tourists he meets everyday. It's always nice to meet people like him , ever-ready to help and be of assistance totally minus the outright cheeky sleazy guys one meets once in a while who constantly set our moods on raging fire. So thanks Ramu :) for nice guys like you and hope the shirt Penny Lane got for u fits. :P .

Feb 14, 2008 with the groupies

I was wondering what to do this Valentine's Day as i felt the pangs of missing a certain someone more than usual (sigh)... sometimes i think it's the hype of it all.. but watever it was.. it dint change the way i felt... so here's wat me and my lovely friends did... we went out for a night at Coco's ... groovy songs by a live performer crooning songs from the genre of Jack Johnson, Bon Jovi, Elvis, the police, Smokie and occasional Hindi songs (that i have no inkling about), outdoorsy ambience on the roof top and lamps to light up the place - it spelt relax, sit back and let go. And that's what we all ended up doing - the drinks , the hookah , the food - they were all ...well jus wat we needed!...despite the obvious couples that could be seen all around us... we jus had fun like how we always do together .... and so to this day i say hanging out with my friends certainly made the day for me!