Day 2 in Hawaii – Oahu

Picking up where I left off, on to our second day in Hawaii.. My ‘insane’ hubby had this insane idea to start our day with an ‘Insanity Workout’. At this time I would like to point out that my hubby is perfectly sane J and that there is this guy called Shaun T who sells these workout videos that Suman is a huge fan of.  Suman recently bought a set of these ‘Insanity Workout’ DVD’s which consist of really insane exercise methods. 5 minutes into it for the first time and I was gasping for breath. Enough of digression.. We had our 15-minute workout session. Aloha Hawaii, great start to a day indeed. (Aloha as in ‘Good Morning’)

Suman had to step out for a business meeting and I wanted to make most of the time alone. I attended a lei-making class and I had that garland on for next 6 hours or so. Then I took a class in hula dancing. I was so excited to learn some cool moves, but alas, this was a beginner’s class. But it was a lot of fun nonetheless. A few people came up to me after the class and said ‘You were really good’.  I was in the clouds... Talk about being scared of heights. :P Aloha Hawaii, you are very kind. (Aloha as in ‘I love compliments any day’)

We decided to not go for the regular touristy attractions and just drive around the island. So took the H3 highway and drove along the beaches through some truly breathtaking visuals. We stopped at a couple of beaches along the way only to find lots of surfers having the time of their lives. I was simply amazed by the skill and audacity of those surfers. Heck, why am I scared of water so much? I would love to surf/parasail by myself some day. Some day may be, but definitely not today J  Now, I have a couple of more things in my to-do list for life, I guess. Aloha Hawaii, you are truly inspiring. (Aloha as in ‘Adventurous’)

We were staying in the almost-southern tip of Oahu, so wanted to go northern tip. We kept driving past Pearl Harbor and North Shore and suddenly at one point the road just ended. It was just some volcanic deposits ahead and there was nowhere to go. Deciding we had enough adventure for one day, we headed back on a different highway, H1 this time. We drove through downtown Honululu and ended up in our resort just before sunset. Got a pizza takeout from Round Table and had our dinner by the beach. Took a small walk and we were ready to retire for the day. Now did I mention that I got two free gifts today? One was a very cute Hawaiian coffee mug from a store for spending a 100$ and the other was a bag from the resort as a welcome gift. Aloha Hawaii, I had a great day today too. (Aloha as in ‘I love free gifts’)

And I shall write to you tomorrow….

Day 1 in Hawaii ...

This was perhaps the most awaited trip for me.. Hawaii.. Fifteen years after I had first set foot in the US, did I get to travel here. The long wait included a couple of bookings and cancellations for the same vacation.. Man, did we wait a long time for this..

Suman and I woke up at 5 am in the morning for our big trip and were ready by 7. We had hired a chauffeured car to take us to the SFO airport. The driver was a very old/sweet guy who definitely gave our day a very good start. After a not-so-organised security/boarding we were finally en-route. Aloha Hawaii, here we come:) (Aloha as in Hi)

After what would be described as a smooth take-off, we encountered some very strong turbulence. I was literally thinking my last thoughts of how it would all end... Well, fear of death could do that to you, if you are as scared of flight as I am.. Aloha Hawaii, we might never meet (Aloha as in Bye) :( it is when my dear hubby comes up with some reassuring statements like 'we are going to be okay. It's fine'.. And suddenly starts to sing this song from Lootera 'Zinda Hun Yaar, Kaafi Hai' .. Talk about timing.. I just couldn't help but laugh at that.. Rest of our flight was pretty uneventful.

As we we about to land Suman started taking pictures of an island below us, which I first thought was   Oahu, but then when we finally landed in Honolulu, it remains to be seen what island that actually was. We picked up our car at the rental agency and while we were driving, our firsts experience in Hawaii was a bit underwhelming. It looked like many places I have been to viz. Acapulco, Araku to name a few.. Aloha Hawaii, what have you in store for us? :( (aloha as in a bit disappointed )

After a long wait for check-in at our hotel, Hilton Hawaiian Village at Waikiki, we just crashed in our room. The kadhai panner that I got along with a couple of paratha's was very helpful and so were the sandwiches. We just gobbled it all up and rested for about an hour. We had been upgraded to a suite with two balconies instead of a standard room, with partial ocean view and a full lagoon view where people were completely enjoying themselves. And then, there was life everywhere around me ..Aloha Hawaii, I think I am going to like you (aloha as in 'not bad at all')

We started walking around the Village as they call it, which has some 90 odd shops, and realised that the beach was just a couple of minutes away for our block, I mean literally 2 minutes. It was very sunny outside and we stuck to some shopping/walking. Came back to our room for a bit, changed into our newly bought Hawaiian clothes and then went out just in time for sunset. The colours were un-bloody-believable. The was too much serenity for me to put into words, but it just felt as if there could be no better place I'd rather be at that time... Nature can do that to you :) Aloha Hawaii, you are special indeed. (Aloha as in beautiful)

Soon after the sunset, the flames were lit on the Waikiki beach and live bands started to show their talents, as the ocean showed it's own. It was a sight to behold!! We passed a couple of beaches during our walk and before we knew we were 2 miles away. There was one Hula performance that we saw along our way, a bit too slow and boring for my taste, but is was well-coordinated :) The were lots and lots of stores we walked past on our way back and we crossed over to walk by the beach again. Though we were tired and feet started to hurt, we kept walking. The sky was so clear and a couple of stars so bright, I could keep looking at them forever. Now this was life like I had never seen before. Aloha Hawaii, I could get used to you. (Aloha as in 'I love it here')

Back in our suite, after quick shower and dinner, we quickly fell asleep, anticipating what the next day had in store for us. Aloha Hawaii, for a better tomorrow. (Aloha as in 'good night')

Until tomorrow.. Where I hope to continue ..

A Walk to Remember -- Paradise to Kukatpally

It started like any other Saturday - with me not wanting to wake up at 6.00 am, like I would on a weekday. Maid problems - like any other day and I dealt with it like I would do any day :) We were supposed to drop off our car for service in Ranigunj (near Tank Bund) at 9.00 am and we promptly started from home at 9.10 am, like anyone would do in India any day:) We drove for 23 km's to reach our destination and were done with paper-work by 10.30 am.

It was then that I decided to take a long walk and if possible walk all 23 km back. Insane idea - one might think, but we just started walking. Around 2 km later we found a roadside bookstore near General Bazaar and I bought a few books there. 3 Madhubabu novels and 2 Tinkle double digests. Then we saw Cherma's where Suman told me they used to shop many years ago:) Then we walked to Paradise and since it wasn't open for business yet, we ate a few snacks and resumed our walk.

We walked past Old Airport, Shoppers Stop, Lifestyle and Country Club. On the right I saw Hyderabad Public School for the first time. It was a beautiful white building with a huge playground:) Then we took a right to head to Ameerpet and shopped at a shoe store named MSL- More Shoes for Less. Never did I imagine that I would shop in a store named such!! I could feel blisters on my feet and wanted more convenient footwear. Ended up buying 2 pairs and wore the walking slippers immediately. Once we reached Ameerpet we decided to buy some biryani from Suman's favorite biryani place in S.R.Nagar - Madhura Biryani. We reached S.R.Nagar and ordered the biryani. While waiting we had some roasted corn cobs... yummmyyyy..

Once we reached Erragadda, we were all sweaty and tanned. On a sudden impulse Suman suggested we watch 'Badrinath' in Gokul theater and even though there was a line, I was told that there is a separate Ladies queue:) I bought the movie tickets in no time. It was around 1.45 then. There was 1 whole hour to spend before the movie started. We wandered around a bit and ended up having lunch at Sanman Restaurant.

It was time for the movie and some relaxation. It wasn't a bad movie but could have been much better, definitely without the songs which were sore to the ears but dances were very good nevertheless. We came out of the theater at 5.25.

Then we walked again. We walked till Moosapet and it was now time for Suman to buy a pair of shoes:) We walked till Kukatpally and then hired an auto to Miyapur crossroads as it was about to rain and also India-WI match was due to begin soon..

Around 16 km and 1 last kilometer from Miyapur main road till our home. Never felt the last km distance would feel so small:) After a shower and biryani from Madhura, I wanted to recollect the day as it went by and blog it so I could re-visit it whenever I wanted to.

Am tired, tanned, blistered and very very drowsy but have a sense of accomplishment that cannot be taken away:) Some day I wish to do this all over again and may be walk all the way home. I don't suppose I will wake up early tomorrow morning - like I would have done on any other Sunday!!

Movie Reviews...

Survived yet another movie Marathon at INOX. This time hubby and I out-did ourselves and watched 5 movies in a row. And for friends and family who have been waiting for my reviews, here it goes:

Patiala House : A nice family entertainer with right balance of everything you would expect from a movie. I hope this breaks Akshay Kumar's jinx at the box office though I still don't understand why TMK wasn't a hit! Everyone in the movie lived their characters and you get involved into the story too. Akshay underplayed his role very well and the movie will pull your emotional strings every now and then .. You can't help but love Anushka Sharma who is giver better and better perfomances with every movie.. Recommend a watch.

Dil To Bachha Hai Ji : It was an okay movie. Expected more from the director of films like Page3, Chandni Bar, Fashion.. etc. It was a light entertainer and what I really liked about the movie was it's ending, though it was delayed by 2 hours:P Performances were all okay.. Watch it if you really want to..

Yeh Saali Zindagi : Though I haven't watched too many Sudhir Mishra films, I really like Chameli.. This was a different kind of thriller.. Watch it if you like offbeat movies. Definitely not for kids and even teenagers.. I like the way the story was presented and it had a dash of humor sprinkled all through. Irfan is a treat to watch and everyone in the movie seemed a perfect fit for their roles. Recommended for movie-crazy ppl like me and hubby and those who have a liking for some serious kind of cinema.

No Strings Attached : I couldn't sit through the movie but most people in the theater seemed to love it. It was a typical rom-com but I guess not just my type. It would be good to see Ashton Kutcher doing some real acting.. he still seems the boy in 'That 70's Show'.. The movie end with a dialog which is sth like 'If you come any closer, am not letting you go' but the movie let go of you way before that.. Watch it if you are in the mood for a brainless rom-com or if you are a fan of Natalie Portman, who did very well btw.

Gaganam : This was the second and bigger surprise of the day. Nag should be really appreciated for being part of an experimental film. This was an experience which for me was the first time in Telugu cinema .. a movie centered around a hijack and I must say it was an awesome one! I thoroughly enjoyed it and would definitely recommend it. Nag, Prakash Raj and every one was good but the show-stealer for me was Brahmaanandam as ususal, and of course Parvathi:P

Last Night in B'lore!

I woke up this morning, fully aware that tonight would be my last night in Bengaluru, as a resident. Not that I am attached to it in any particular way, but I did get attached to a lot of people here. I bid some of them goodbye today, my heart felt very heavy all of a sudden. I do intend to meet all of them again, but how often and for how long, I don't know. When the kids ask me 'Why do you have to go to Hyderabad Aunty?' or 'Can't you stay with us for ever and ever?' I don't have an answer for them. Couple of them even offered me a job when I told them that I got a job and I was moving. One said ' Why don't you work in Papa's office Aunty? He can give you a job.', all I could do was just hug her:) The kids are sooo innocent and sooo full of love, it breaks my heart to part with them.

The day began in a very normal fashion with my exercise-cereal etc. Then hired a cab to Indiranagar to go to Airtel office. Went to Total Mall to buy gifts for the kids. As I was signing the labels on the gifts, it seemed more concrete and certain than ever that this was probably my last time shopping there. And from then, everything seemed much more dearer to me. From the time in Total till the time I got home, whatever I saw/experienced will be etched in my memory forever. The last time at signals or Marathahalli Jn and everything else. It started as a routine day but the way it ended was anything but normal.

And now tonight is the last in B'lore as a resident here.. Last night where I would wake up and see the lake from my balcony.. no more ducks in the lake or sparkling water to wake up to.. no more walks in the open, clean and green air at Purva Parkridge.. no more swinging like kids in the play area... no more chasing kids in the park..

While I gear up for my new job and not-so-new city, I will have to thank B'lore for giving me some wonderful memories to cherish!

Moving On and Leaving Behind...

When I first left Visakhapatnam for pursuing my Master's in US, I felt miserable and lonely. Lots of my friends had come to send me off and it was then that I realized that I might never meet them again in my life. That very thought was simply unbearable and I never thought I'll be myself again. Soon, 5 days later, when I had to go through security check at Mumbai airport, leaving my parents and sister behind, I felt not only lonely but also helpless and stranded in an unknown place. It was my first flight ever and I was too sad to realize that I got a window seat. As I looked outside the window, slowly my attention diverted from myself to the lonely yellow ball hanging in the sky all by himself. Pity, thought I, that he had no friends with him either, yet he is there everyday, albeit waxing and waning every fortnight, but moving on with his own cycle. I figured that is what life is all about.. moving on... Leaving behind people and holding on to their memories..

Then I made few friends at Motorola in the suburbs of Chicago. When I had to leave to the Bay Area, I had the same feeling of leaving a part of me behind. But by then email, cellphones and other methods of communication had evolved so much that I knew we would be in touch in one form or the other. And I was soo excited by the thought of sunny California that leaving the snow-filled winters seemed like a pleasant getaway:)

Once I moved to the Bay Area, I lost count of how many friends I made.. Few at work.. some through my husband.. some through mutual friends and many many through dance:) Each one of the friends I had known for years now and each holds their own special place. On September 16, 2008, when we left the Bay Area for good, no words could ever describe my feeling of solitude. Seven and a half years of my adult life spent here, it was like a home to me. I knew the roads, every intersection, every signal and I was part of everything that was around me. Once we drove to Denver, after stopping at Vegas, Zion, Bryce and Arches, the amount of fun we had in all different activities kept my thoughts at bay. It was not until our flight took off that I realized that we were leaving US for good!!! India seemed as alien to me as US has seemed to me 10 years ago.. I was leaving the country which had given me so much.. I am the person I am because I had been in US for that long. Had I never been to US, my mind would have never opened up to accept differences and to celebrate them!

Once we landed in India, it took a while before we had made any aquaintances. A few months later, thanks to the community events and my dance classes, I got to know a few families and I made friends with quite a few of them:) The best part being that here I got more attached to kids than adults:) It has been an amazing experience. The way kids unconditionally adore you is something you have to experience personally. The way their eyes light up when they see you, is probably one of the best things in the world. All they need is your love and all they do is love you back:) God! how I love those kids.. Now I got a really good job in Hyderabad and we are moving shortly. Today when we had our farewell, every kid made/got something for me and I was so deeply moved.

I just got home and I realized that I have no friends in Hyderabad, there are lots of family members, but no friends.. I leave Bengaluru with the hope that I will make some new friends in Hyd as well and hope to keep in touch with ones in B'lore.

How many times do we have to move on before we call ourselves settled?

How many memories do you keep accruing before you say you're done?

How many times do you leave yourself behind, before you have nothing else to leave?

(and as a song in Forrest Gump says..)

The answer my friend is blowing in the wind!

Dance-Frenzy

I am no Basanti.. There is no Gabbar threatening... No shattered glass and definitely no Jai or Veeru and this is no Sholay.. this is not you who is reading and not me who has written.. Then what is this about..**scratches her head in irritation and resumes** The sole point of similarity in the scene and me, happens to be the song that follows. When Hema Malini sings and dances, actually it's Lata singing and Hema dancing, my li'l heart flutters to the lyrics... "Haan, Jab Tak Hai Jaan, Jaane Jahaan, Main Naachungi". I cannot help wondering about the lyricist who wrote this song. I would have said Anand Bakshi had actually read my mind even before I was born. Now, is there a law to sue plagiarists who steal thoughts of the unborn? There should be.. Damn.. I don't even have any lawyer friends..

It is indeed true that I cannot control myself dancing when I listen to some peppy music. The location somehow doesn't seem to matter. Take my kitchen for example.. The blowing of the pressure cooker whistle, or the sound of veggies being cut or the act of mixing atta.. everything seems like music to me.. Even silence has it's own kind of music. What I mean to say is that I do not need any excuse to dance:) I just like to dance.. all the time.. People think I am crazy.. but heck! who isn't? They just don't admit it, that's all..

Well all this impulsive dancing does get me into trouble sometimes. Apart from embarassing family and friends who think dancing in public nothing short of a sin, I did have a very weird experience once. Not that this incident stopped me from dancing but it certainly did increase my confidence in my dance skills;)

It was a Friday evening and following the usual Friday routine, I went to an Indian Grocery store in West San Jose to pick up some DVD's and samosa's. They usually play music and I was looking at the DVD's and was generally grooving to the beats, when this guy suddenly comes up and stares at me and then goes. It looked like he was making an attempt to talk to me. I didn't want to make his job any easier so I just ignored him:) At the checkout counter, I was still dancing and I carried my grocery bags and put in in my car. I started the TL(Acura.. our first car) and reversed it to get out of the parking space. Then I was driving out of the complex, when suddenly this guy from the store startes following me in his BMW. Once on the road, he comes in a lane next to me and makes some frantic gestures. I was scared and thought that I might have hit his car or something. I knew I hadn't but that guy kept asking me to pull over to the side. And I eventually did. Then he comes to me, and says 'I don't want to stalk you or sth but I would like to go to dance with you tomorrow night. I saw you dancing in the store and you dance very well.' Then he hands me his phone number and walks away. I never called him nor had any intention but that was a close call;)

I am not a pub or disco person. I went to a disco only once in SFO and decided it was the last as well. I wanted to see what it is like and hubby wouldn't come. So I went with a very close friend of mine(You-Know-Who)! And it was a horrible experience. Never saw those many drunk perverts at one place.. Couldn't wait to get out of there. What I do like is dancing with friends and family. And of course after we returned to India, I started my dance school in my community.. Had to stop once I started working but we do keep meeting and dancing in the clubhouse, every now and then. It is a great stress reliever and workout as well. All worries go away when I dance.

When Appu asked me to write about Dance, I promised her that would be my next topic and so this one's for you Appu Darling!! Oh God! I see the scroll bar appearing much smaller and before the blogger people decide to banish me for over-writing, I will stop!!

Cereal Hoarder

How I love the taste of crunchy cereal with a few slices of almonds with a dash of cranberry's in a bowl of cold low-fat milk.. mmmmmm ....yummmmmmmyyyyyy. It's possibly the best breakfast in this whole world for me and heck! healthy too.. an irresistable combination. That ladies and gentlemen is nothing but Cranberry Almond Crunch from Post Selects:) And that happens to be the only one that I eat;)

But somehow the people from Post seem to have got a hint about this cereal maniac and they started keeping the prices pretty high. But never-to-be-dissuaded-by-price me kept on buying it at $4.59/a small box where Costco sold much bigger boxes of other brands/flavours for much lesser price but no; yours truly is so loyal to this particular one, she would think of nothing else.

So it came as a pleasant surprise to me when we were is LA once and found the same cereal for $2.00/box in a Burbank grocery store... I thought Holy *&%$# ! And got as many boxes as my car would accomodate. So much for price differences. But those boxes did not last for long:( Anything that good, never does:( Sometimes I would find it for $3.00 at a nearby Target but that was the lowest price I could find in the Bay Area! So I began to live with it..

Until...

We decided to move back to India and I totally forgot it in all the excitement that followed our decision. Too many things that needed to be done packing.. shopping.. again packing and shopping for even more.. A 20-foot container could not contain our luggage.. so we had to book another one. Anyways, so once we boarded our flight and I started thinking about our life in India and it suddenly struck that I had no idea about groceries in India. I tried to console myself and was prepared to live without my favourite cereal when I landed in Bengaluru.

After a few days I decided to take a tour of local grocery stores, I was soo pleasantly surprised to actually find my favourite cereal at Namdhari Fresh and at More as well. But as I looked at the price tag, I had the shock of my life... crap.. this was priced at Rs 425/box. The way the exchange rate was last year, that was almost $10. Even then, it was outrageous.. But so-in-love-with-the-cereal me ended up buying it. Though our grocery bills were ridiculously high thanks to the exorbitant prices of my treasured cereal, I didn't have a choice, did I?

A few months later there was another surprise in store for me. When I went to Food Zone on Varthur Road, I found the same Cranberry Almond Crunch priced at Rs 325. But that didn't last long either:( Soon they went out of stock and I was back at square one. It was not until I went to Food World in Whitefield that I was surprised again. They had it for Rs. 240.. can you believe it.. 2.4.0.? I had found my new haven in Food World!! God Bless them! Every time I go there I buy whatever they have in stock:) And the looks that fellow customers and the ones at the check-out counters give me, don't escape me but don't bother me as well:)

To me, a perfect morning warrants a perfect day. And what's more perfect than starting my morning with a bowl of crunchy..tangy.. sweet.. Cranberry Almond Crunch!!

Flashes of Amber..

Did I wake up first or did I open my eyes first? Before I could decide the sequence of events, the room was lugged into broad daylight. Light had managed to sneak through the slightly displaced curtains. I sat up and stared in front of me.. stared and stared.. walked up to the balcony and stepped outside to get a view of the lake. The chirping of the birds at first was pleasant, then it grew louder and louder into a cacophony that I couldn't take anymore. It took me sometime to realize that the cacophony was in my own mind and that was not the birds but something else..

Some call it brainwave.. some call it sudden stroke of genius.. I call it 'flashes of amber'.. cause thats what I see with my eyes closed when I think of something suddenly. Haven't been able to stop these flashes since yesterday for some reason. I don't know what came upon me but I have been thinking.. thinking in not words and sentences but in paragraphs. It feels like they always had been lying dormant, waiting to erupt when provoked. And once they did, my feeble efforts to contain them could do nothing more than a stopper cork could, in a flood.

I tried to duck them, hide from them, tried not to think at all but all in vain. The unconscious mind proved too strong for the conscious one. When those neurons start firing and the grey cells get to work, I realized it's utter foolishness to evade them. Then once they occupied my mind, my fingers started tingling and are not able to keep up with the tirade of thoughts inside.

Where are these coming from? Why don't they stop and give me some reprieve:)

Hair-A-Do

I stood staring in the mirror and began to like what I saw. It was one of those great-hair days when my hair looked really good. I love my hair everyday but it was one of the few times when it loved me back.. It has a smooth and soft texture, begins wavy end end up in curls. But not everyday does it look or feel this good!

I grabbed my hair brush and started combing slowly. Not that it needed to be combed but I like the feel. The way the brush massages my scalp is amazing. Kudos to the one who invented a hair brush. Such unsung heroes should not be left unnoticed by history. So here's a toast to all those who spent their whole life inventing hair accessories, so that people like me could rave and write about it!

I fuss a lot about my hair. I guess most of us do. It is something you dare not admit lest people take you for a maniac. But I do see follicly challenged people fuss about their hair even more, so there's some respite for me!

When people ask me who my stylist is or how do I set it up that way, I just smile and say that it is the way nature intended my hair to be. If it wanted me to save a thousand rupees every month on hair style, heyy.. I ain't complaining!