The kids of the 70s and the 80s

I came across an article in my office's employee forum and it enforced me to pen down what was lingering in my head for a very long time. Abhay and I ofttimes realize the beauty of our childhood days and this post is dedicated to all the people born in the late 70s and early 80s ....

First we survived being born to mothers who ate anything and everything while they carried us.

Our baby cots were covered with bright coloured lead-based paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles,doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes,we had no helmets, no safety pads either!

As children,we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags.

We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a sealed bottle.

Evening snacks were limited to Parle-G Biscuits, Samosas and Kachoris from the nearest local shop. No Pizzas and no burgers from MacD , Subway or Burger King.

Eating out in a restaurant with family and friends was a luxury, not a routine.

We just drank milk, Didn't bother if its whole , skimmed , semi-skimmed and never bothered to check the pesticides level either!!

We ate cakes,white bread and real butter and drank soft drinks with sugar in it,but we weren't overweight because - WE WERE ALWAYS PLAYING OUTSIDE!!

Yes , we had the privilege to have paani puri and chats just about anywhere !

We would leave home in the morning and play all day long until when the street lights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K!

We would collect 20 bubblegum wrappers to get one more for free :D

There was no cartoon network. Sunday Morning cartoon shows on Doordarshan was way too much of a privilege for us.

We never went for any swimming classes or tennis classes. God knows how but we have still learnt it :) A garden , two poles and a string was enough to play badminton ;)

We didn't have 'Google'. Yes we visited the local library zillion times!

We exchanged comics till its last page was attached to its binded cover!

We did not have Playstations,Nintendo's, X-boxes,no 99 channels,no cable,no video tapes or DVD movies,no surround sound, no mobile phones,no personal computers,no internet............... WE JUST HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!!

We had to work hard whole year round and study well to earn a new colouring box.

We danced on the tunes of Micheal Jackson on birthday parties :)

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell,or just yelled for them!!

Our parents were never bothered about how they looked and they never were too particular about our fashion statement either :P

We had freedom,failure,success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!!

Yes we are the kids of the late 70s and of 80s :) We have survived and will miss the struggle forever! 

 

A moment to shine

24th May 2012 : A beautiful gorgeous sunny day (Yes! Its a privilege to see sun in this country :D And I am already losing my patience.  I am a girl from Orissa who spent almost all her life in places which literally come to a boiling temperature in summers..Remember?. My body is not accustomed to not having enough sunlight :P... anyway, we will talk about the need for the intake of vitamin D sometime later :D),15:40 and I started my journey from Telford.I had told almost everyone that I possibly could, the reason for leaving early including the 'Ring and Ride' Van Coordinator.Now interestingly the Van is always on time!Always! but yesterday it was late :) and I really started to wonder - why do things go wrong just at the time when you need it to be right the most? May be to spice up the important day for you ... so that later you have a story to tell like I am doing right now :)? Well I would like to believe so...I had a train to catch at 15:51 and I could see the clock ticking and the time was now 15:47 and finally the 'Ring and Ride' van arrived ("Ring and Ride" , interesting name isn't it :D )! Now the mutlibillion question is - Can we make it to the station in another approximately 4 minutes ;)...If your answer was Yes!?!? you lost the chance to become a multibillioner :-P we took 5 mins ...did I miss my train? Did I ????? Well no, and probably this is the only time I will thank national rail services UK for doing this ;) 'THE TRAIN WAS LATE BY 7 MINS'! Yipeee! I haven't missed my train but the number '7' didn't seem to put a smile on my face yet! Because I had a connecting train to catch for worcester at 16:45. The quest is still on 'Would she make it or not?'. The train finally arrived and I got inside the train. I searched for an empty seat and I found one! Seated , I preferred not to call anyone as I wanted to save the battery of my mobile phone and I am so glad I did so. You will come to know about it soon enough ;) Sometimes you do feel that God makes you do certain things because he has a better plan for your future. Well, thats the bit of Gyan from me coming your way :D ....The train from telford always drops me off in Platform 1 of Birmigham new street station so I did a check on my mobile phone to find out the platform number where the train to Worcester would be arriving. Platform 5 it is!! So, my plan was to get off in platform 1, take the staircase because the escalators will be rush and then run towards platform 5 and board the train. Why? Because there cannot be any other plan :-| The train arrived in Birmingham new street and time was now 16:43 on my watch and to my surprise, I was on platform 4 and I could see the train to Worcester standing on the other side... I got off the train and boarded the train to worcester and it literally started moving! Phew! Bless you National Rail Service. You did a fanstastic job :) Happy and excited,I finally made a call to Abhay. Yeah! I was on my way to Worcester! Have I told you why? Duh! I don't live in worcester anymore. Ofcourse I don't but the glorious golden torch of Olympics 2012 was arriving in Worcester yesterday evening :) I have grown up watching this famous symbol of sports on TV and I couldn't afford to miss this oppurtunity. I still remember the summers of 1992, Barcelona Olympics and 1996, Atlanta Olympics. Then a young little girl,I used to wake up at around 5 in the morning to see the opening/closing ceremony on Doordarshan. My father will be all set with his VCR to capture these historical moments on a cassette(The place used to be literally full of wires) while my Mom will be making Tea for herself to stay awake and I will be dancing around on the tunes of the olympics theme song , hoping and wishing that one day I will witness it myself live :)

I finally arrived at the Foregate street,Worcester and met my partner in crime 'Abhay' who was waiting for me :) I bought some drinks to combat the humid day and moved on to see the atmosphere around.The whole town was beautifully decorated with balloons and ribbons in green , purple and yellow. I had never seen this place being so festive before. Oh what a lovely feeling it was to be back. Worcester is like home for me and always gives me a very warm feeling. This place has also been extremely lucky for us and has brought beautiful moments in my life and here I was again :) And I knew it won't fail me this time around as well. We moved on to join the bystanders to see the torch on its journey to the London Olympics 2012 stadium. On our way, we happened to meet our close friends John and Michelle and we were so glad to share this special moment with them. Yes we were all so very excited! I asked abhay to take out our dear Canon 1000D Camera which I had thoughtfully kept inside his office bag after fully charging its battery the previous night. It was this moment when my mood turned upside down. He realized that he had taken it out from the bag and left it in his office table. Wow! Can I get luckier? And then he doesn't even want me to be sad. Its just not happening! I had to literally force myself to keep a smile. I wanted to cry out loud and beat him hard :'( Though on a second thought, I am glad it happened because then I would have been really busy composing shots and would have really missed out the real fun.Yes, I have seen lots of memorable moments only through the lens :D The presence of John and Michelle has also been the factor behind my forgiving behavior :D (Now you know why God forced me to save the battery of my mobile phone :P)

Hundreds of youngs and olds had lined up on the either side of the street by now to welcome the torch , waving flags and ribbons,whistling and cheering. Almost everyone had a smile on their faces because everyone knew thats its finally happening and that we all are here! We had also grabbed our vantage point for this once-in-a-lifetime event by now! In every intervals of 5 minutes, an advertisement Van would pass and someone would scream - here it is ! False Alarm :) Every now and then,the crowd would start to cheer and my heart beats would pace up. I could feel the Olympics Spirit by now. That was the feeling for almost an hour until it finally arrived :)!!!!!!! *** Drums Rolls *** .... I was finally witnessing a historical moment of my life. The famous golden

torch in the arms of a lady in white waving and smiling as she progressed ahead. I had the flame, the symbol of 'the light of spirit,knowldge and life' and the important moment of Olympics London 2012 in front of me.It was just a fraction of a minute but it was beautiful and worth every second of waiting under the sun. However, this was not the last time I was seeing it B-). We (John and Michelle, Abhay and myself) had a good run towards the friar street to get a glimpse of the torch again and we were second time lucky. It was literally a recap for us... taking pictures,videos,cheering we did it all over again :) And still we hadn't had enough! We quickly made our way towards the Cathedral and saw this proud moment of Worcester and its residents and watched the torch go past. The Cathedral and the Edward Elgar statue is the symbol of Worcester and it must be an honour for the residents to welcome the flame home in everyway. The torch was in the hands of a young boy and he should always feel very proud about it:) We finally bid farewell to the relay team as they progressed towards the Worcester Bridge and we headed home!

To be honest, I felt very touched and was moved surprisingly. I was over excited without any doubt but to live this moment ,having Abhay by my side, made it much more special and will remain in my heart and memories forever :) Our 'Moment to Shine'!

A video for you all :

Thanks for reading :)

Hodge Podge!!!

Today morning I thought of being a little experimental.....I thought of jotting down all my thoughts...well not all but almost! And run through them quickly...Well I wanted to complete an entire day but I couldn't as I stopped thinking after I came home :P. I have been talking out loud since then :D However it was a very interesting experiment and I absolutely enjoyed it... Just gives a feel of how random thoughts appear in our minds... its never quiet... its always working ! :)

Now! I want you to do something for me... Go through it really quickly...read as quickly as you can ! Show me your reading skills and trust me ! Its fun :D I have already tried with my sister and she did have fun :D

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Gosh I am late! Runnnn Chets!! Run for your train.... I made it phew! wow, its so sunny today :). Why is that old man staring at me ? Mirror Check! I agree with this article I am reading right now- I dont like work from home option as well as I tend to get lazy but end up working for more hours. Huh? why there are no taxis in the station? Change the shoes chets!!! The coffee is sooo good today :) No MAILS in my inbox!!! Call Mom and Papa. Call Abhay! Oops I forgot the house keys :( Whats the phonetic for S? Sugar or Sierra? Eew , why is the keyboard so sticky? Nidhi sent me some pictures , damn I can't check them in the office! Long meeting!Why do people call from private numbers and dont leave voice messages? Its sooo good to see sunshine out of the window! Composed emails ..dozens of them... I think I can write formal emails while sleeping as well now :D What's the time in the U.S? Loved Mushroom Parsley Soup! Slurp...I hate Samsung galaxy S2's battery life!! am sleepy...Can I have a better chair please? I hate this chair! Someone is eating an orange... I can smell it.....Apricots are good for health... just 9 days to go for Abhay's birthday :)... What do I gift him :( Kashvi must be awake now! Hurry hurry hurry now quick quick quick...Wow, the smell of the coffee beans ... Am talking like a sniffer dog :D 2 hours more and I will be home!!!Woah! I finished the packets of apricots and I didn't even realize! I hate my frizzy hair today! Oh no,Kashvi fell off from the bed last night. How is the movie ishaqzaade? The problem with winters is : I forget to drink water just because I am not thirsty! The transition from heater to AC took only a day? The capricious weather of United Kingdom!Why does this 'private number' always call me when I am away??Water got stuck in my throat ...this feeling is sooo irritating ehu ehu ! I love butter croissant with strawberry jam. Time to go home ...starting in another 5 mins..4 ..3 ..2 ..1 ...Its so hot in the van! Aah, the train is late by 10 Minutes?!? Call Mom , Papa ! Call Abhay! Call Apa.....she didn't pick up as usual... Wow! beautiful mustard fields...Need to buy sugar ... Shall i wait for abhay? Oh there he is!
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I hope you had fun reading as much as I did writing it :)

P.S - Thanks to my mobile :) You are awesome !!! :)

Morning jog

phewwww!!!! Had a good run from home to the station :D

Morning jog - check
Reached office on time - check
:p

A very good morning everyone :)

Like a spring?

Be like a spring ! The more someone pushes you, the better you will bounce back!

-Chetna

P.S - Yes, I do get philosophical at times ;)

Oh No! My white shirt !!!!!

What do you do when your husband washes clothes(basically runs the washing machine :P) to give you a surprise and you find out that all your formal white shirts have turned dirty blue in colour !!! :'(

Abhay please don't ever give me such surprises that put me into such a dilemma - whether to thank you or throttle your throat :P

Ah ... welll.... Okay !!!! Thank you :)

(But I loved my white shirt :'( :'( :'( )

A letter to my princess

This tiny little thing has turned 2 today!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KASHVU !!!!

Backpacked!

In continuation with my previous post , I would like to talk about basic Dos and Donts when you plan a backpacking trip. Since you are planning to explore a city on your own, preparation is the key to a successful, exciting and satisfying experience. Here are the basic things that I follow whenever I travel to a new city/place.

1. First thing first , buy a travel guide for that country/city. I am a big 'Eyewitness Travel' series fan. I feel it gives the right information without encumbering your mind  with history lessons. Perfect for me ! ;) But you can choose to buy any good book or just lend it from friends/colleagues.
2. Depending on the amount of time you have in your hand, focus and choose the things you want to see or do. The planning would vary from individual to individual. For example : I am more of an outdoor person than a museum person and that's why I remain very focused whenever I visit a museum. I visit the things only if I feel is worthy my precious time ;) instead of spending the whole day inside it. It might vary for you!
3. If its a non-english speaking country, its beneficial to jot down basic terms and phrases in the native language. If its a famous city , then you won't find it hard to find people who can speak/understand english but if its a countryside then its better to be prepared instead of spending hours conveying a simple question - 'Where is the train station?' .
4. No matter how long is your vacation , sadly it comes to an end and all that you are left with is wonderful memories and lots and lots of photographs. Make sure you keep extra batteries , chargers , memory cards and carry it in your carry bag instead of leaving it in the hotel room ;) Yes I have done that :P And I am sure you can guess how Abhay must have reacted ! :D
5. No one knows a place like the local residents do. If you can , always consult with a local resident before planning. They will give you the right information! The hotel concierge is the right place for it. Ask them to mark places on the map. Oh yes! Also find out who is the best map reader in your group. Trust me , it helps ;) 
6.  It is not safe to travel around with lots of cash. Keep a fare amount of cash and always carry a credit card. Mostly all restaurants accept cards these days.
7. If you are travelling on a tight schedule , then its a good idea to book tickets for museums and famous monuments online before starting for your journey. Why waste time standing in queues? However, I generally don't do it as our plan fluctuates a lot (Courtesy : Abhay! :P) and honestly, I do like to stand in queues :P It helps in pacing up my excitement.
8. If you are on a backpacking tour , then I will assume that it would include lot of walking!! Don't forget to wear a comfortable pair of shoes. I would love to have my pictures clicked in my silhouettes but never in your wildest dream even , think of heels or uncomfortable shoes while touring. If you have doubt about the durability of the footwear, carry another pair in your backpack.
9. These days all famous cities offer cycling or photography tour and I absolutely enjoy it! They are generally short and sweet and you happen to see/learn things that you don't generally get to read online or in books. Its fun as well since you get to meet other tourists and interact with them. Most of the times we have got good tips from fellow tourists.However, you must book for it well in advance!
10. Beware of pickpockets! They are everywhere and naive tourists are there first and foremost targets. They just take a second to change your wonderful trip into a nightmare! 
11. Please don't travel around with your passport in your carry bags.Always ask for safe in the hotel. Most of them have it!
12. Always check the weather forecast before starting for your journey. It gives you a basic idea of the type of clothing that you should pack. If its going to be rainy and cold , then your summer dresses wont be of any use.

I hope I passed all the important tips to you and hopefully its going to make your next trip better in anyway it can :)

Thanks for reading!

In the city of blinding lights ....

Was I dreaming?Did one of my dreams just come true? Pinch me .... Aaaouuucchhh! It was just a metaphor. Hold on, Oh my god! It did :) I just spent my life's most beautiful 5 days with my parents in Paris. Remember , I had told you 'I am highly inspired' ;)

Before I talk about it, I would like to first thank few people/things which made this trip an absolute success :

- First and foremost MY PARENTS , the ever enthusiastic , the ever energetic people I have known. Without their zeal and excitement, this trip wouldn't have been possible.
- Abhay and his meticulous planning!(You were being badly missed in this trip Sweetheart :) )
- My navigational skills which I have inherited from my dad ;) Yes! I do feel very proud about it :D
- And last but not the least , my favourite travel book 'Eyewitness Travel Paris' (picture coming soon... Am too lazy right now :P)

Ofcourse my trips to Paris always start and end with 'Eiffle tower' and so will this post :) Eiffel Tower is one of the most stunning thing I have ever seen in my whole life.I just cannot go past it without clicking pictures and I just never have enough of it. I have found it gorgeous at all times... be it in the daylight ,

in the twilight ,

with lights on ...

 with lights off ...

when it sparkles! AT ALL TIMES!!! ;) No wonder that its a wonder of the world.
(I have been to the top of the tower 6 times !!!!! I know its crazy but its true ... for a second , I felt that an official even recognized me and gave me a smile :D I am sure he must have confirmed that I am some sort of a psychopathic Eiffel tower fan! ) .

This one was my second trip to this beautiful city and I am still craving for more. I am just in love with it! The city is engrossed with rich culture and influential history, great food, and beautiful architecture and one can never get saturated with it.

I was a little nervous as I was playing the role of a guide for my parents and things get even more challenging when the visitor is my dad! Everything had to be perfect ..... I started with making tiny little notes of the places to visit , jotted down basic french phrases ...though I only used 'bounjour' and 'merci' and 'Oui' :D

Sorry for my bad hand writing. I never knew then that I will post it in my blog :D

Cheating Codes ;)

We started our journey from St Pancras International Station,London as my father preferred to travel by Eurostar. I have no doubt about the fact that the speed of the train has left my dad mesmerized :) He couldn't stop clicking pictures and taking videos.

St Pancras Int Station - All set for Olympics 2012
(Picture Credit - Papa)

I don't like the idea of tour packages for visiting places. The tour guides bring back the memories of history classes and I am not fond of them at all :P However, this was the first backpacking tour experience for my parents and I am sure they enjoyed it as much as I do.

Those 5 days have been the most precious 5 days of my life. We had it all - Papa's excitement when we travelled by Eurostar train (Yes, he is crazy for high speed trains and automobiles) to figuring out how to use ticket machine at station with text written in french, from tasting delicious french food to making to the top of the eiffel tower, from strolling in the bank of river Seine to discovering Monalisa in the Louvre. This city has so much to offer that 5 days cannot do justice  and I still have a feeling that I am going to go back again :)

Leaving you all with some pictures that I have taken on my trip..... Seeing Paris through my lens!

Arc De Triomphe

Love Padlocks!
Lovers affix locks to a bridge to symbolize their everlasting love.

Musee de Louvre

When I was inside the Louvre Museum , I asked a person 'Is Monalisa inside?' , he smiled and said yes! I have been reading about her so much lately that I almost forgot that she is just a painting.

View from our hotel!

The 'Monalisa'
Do you know why is she called Monalisa? This painting is a potrait of  Lisa Gherardini. In Italian , ma donna means 'My lady' and Mona is its contraction. Thus comes the name of the painting MonaLisa ... My Lady Lisa. Interesting isn't it?

The statue of Liberty , Paris

Shopping is always in my mind ;) I found that in a shop inside the Eiffel Tower.

Burning Candles , Notre Dame

While strolling in the flower market...

View from the top of Eiffel Tower

Notre Dame

If you see this , you know that my post has come to an end:)

So, when are you planning your trip ? eh?

Have a wonderful week ahead ... :)
Ciao!

Delhi ..... winters ....bread dhokla... and Me :)

I would always like to believe that in this world, everything happens for a good reason and if thats true then meeting this wonderful person must be the reason why I joined Amity School of Engineering and Technology in New Delhi almost a decade ago. Yes! I am talking about none other than my best friend , my sister from another mother 'Nidhi Batra'. There was a strong connection between us the moment we met and the bonding has just got stronger everyday. We have always been very shy in expressing how much we care for each other and extremely expressive in displaying our anger/anguish :P which is why this post will definitely come as a huge surprise for her.

It was the chilli winters of December 2003 when I decided to stay at Nidhi's home for the semester examination and got introduced to her lovely family. No other family can make you feel more warm and welcomed. I felt as if I have always been a part of it.And since then they all have been an integral part of my life.Yes! That was also the time when I missed my family trip to Tirupati :( anyway... moving on :)

Few days ago, I recalled a particular dish that I used to relish whenever I used to visit their home.I have never tasted it anywhere else and would like to believe that its aunty's (Nidhi'z Mother) recipe. Words will fail to explain what an amazing cook and what a beautiful person she is. I immediately asked Nidhz to mail me the recipe and so she did!

Last night, when I reached home, I had only a minuscule amount of energy left in my body but it was good enough to allow me to walk and reach to the refrigerator to see if I can get my hands on any previous night's left overs :P I saw a fresh jar of curd lying over there and I immediately got into action! Now , generally , when a person thinks of cooking a particular dish , he/she would first check if all the ingredients are available before starting to cook. I would like to call it a Bottom-up approach in cooking. I , on the contrary, like to follow a top-down approach :) I start cooking first and collect the ingredients later (Abhay gets really vexed up with his habit of mine). Lucky for me! I had all the ingredients available at home last night which saved my 5 minutes walk to Sainsbury's :)

Abhay doesn't feel very enthusiastic whenever I do an experimental cooking and conveyed the message that he will manage his own food :D Meanwhile I kept telling him about all the memories that this dish has brought back.The wonderful time I spent with Nidhi and his family , the late night dinners (at 1 pm) :P , Stuffed paranthas and curd , the killing winter which Nidhi never found killing enough ;) And between all the talking , the bread dhokla was ready! After seeing the end result , it didn't take long enough for Abhay to finish the plate. He absolutely loved it :) And just in case you are wondering what did it look like then here it is : The Bread Dhokla ! Taaa-daaa

Thanks Aunty for introducing me to this lovely dish and for all the love and affection that you have given me always :)

When you walk with me ....

Birmingham new street station is one of the busiest train stations of United Kingdom. Every minute a train arrives at or leaves one of the platforms of the station and every minute hundreds of people cross their paths while heading towards their own destinations. Abhay generally comes very late from office and I happen to come a bit earlier than him. But ,sometimes , it so happens that we reach the city exactly at the same time and meet at the station main gate. Suddenly my brain recognizes him from a distance in the middle of the crowd of hundreds of people and I immediately get a big smile on my face even if I don't want to :) Despite his attempts to hide in the crowd and surprise me, he fails! And I wouldn't recommend it either to anyone who is 6'1" tall or more :P

I love those few seconds of walk till I meet him and I love the walk till the house with him even more :)