New Zealand/ OZ Trip

Hey Everyone, am back, been a long time, been a bit lazy not good on health front..whatever you call it as excuses but I've really not updated everyone on what we've been upto and how..!!!

So here goes, last thanksgiving i.e Nov 2007, we had been to NZ/OZ Trip, and it was a gr8 one..

Just before the trip there was a bit of a bummer time..I had developed 'Vertigo'..dont ask me how..??

But this was a week before our travel, when I used to faint, vomit and the whole world guessing if we were expecting(huh?) and we were about to cancel our trip but we decided to go for it..and we went..It was bit shaky all the time I woke up and went to bed..and whenever i looked up at some monument or building..as I used to get that whirlwind fainting sensation :((

We travelled on 17th nov nite and reached NZ on 19th nov...wow u must wonder ..so long travel haan :)..nopes it was a 16 hrs flight but u gain on time when you travel there..!!!

NZ was so welcoming..we first landed in Auckland..in the north island.at night...NZ has 2 islands, North and south Island..and they are only connected by water ...we spend the night at a City Hostel which was like a hotel room, dinner at an Indian restaurant..Tagore..:)!

Day 2, morning we started out to explore North Island more..we headed out to famous Waitomo caves...where underground inside the caves you see the glow-worms..glittering away in the dark! Apparently, these are tiny larvae..not yet grown up and are like egg phase of the insects..and cant fly...they are stuck on the walls of the caves from inside..generally where water is flowing below them inside the cave..they glitter in the dark....they have a mouth and need to feed themselves so they secrete some gluey stuff which drips down towards the water..and this glue sticks to the insects which fly just above the water..the glue holds the insects which these worms pull up, feed on and survive for 9 months after which they grow up, fly, they no longer have a mouth(huh)..and hence they die within 2-3 days!!! Unbelievable..
From here, we saw a sedimentations cave..similar to the one you see near mt.shashta..!

That night we stayed at Rotorua..spent an hour in a Polynesian Spa..ah..that felt refreshing and awesome:))

Day 3, we explored rotorua..the Maori(artificial native) village and there are hot geysers...it was fun...they illustrate how in olden times...a different tribe leader was welcomed..by keeping a Fern leaf on the ground in front of him...if the visitor picks it up, he's a friend else a foe...they go on war with the visitors..!!!
Out of the tourists, they picked rakesh :)) to act as our "chief"..remember we were visitors..luckily for us, our chief was good enough to make friends with them...hehe..you can imagine I wouldnt have been alive writing this blog!!!

After that fun time, we saw some Falls on the way..again beautiful and then we headed on our way to reach to Wellingdon...it was a long drive all the way to the southernmost tip of the north island..this was the capital..so we started afternoon driving...on the way we halted at Lake Taupo...a beautiful village around it..

From far distance, we spotted the "Lord of the Rings" fame Mt. Doom..I was thrilled..
But I didn't know we would be driving very close to it!! We drew right next to the Tongariro National Park where you see the tongariro mount as well as the Mt. doom next to each other ...awesome view..I couldnt stop taking pics and just soaking in the breathtaking view !!

We reached wellingdon early on around 6-7 pm I guess and checked into our YHA Hostel..it was a busy city..checked out a trolley ride up a hill to view the city from top..had a quick bite at yet another Indian bistro restaurant!!

Day 4, morning we had an early morning cruise ride of 3 hrs along with our car to the South island..our adventure more into nature and beauty..and adventure sports..hmm ;)

We reached the Southern top bit..Picton..and we drove to a nearby Mama's something...Clam restaurant..for lunch..I had a bunch of them..yummy..(I did have an upset stomach later though..hehe)

Then we drove to Nelson...again checked into YHA Hostel..since we reached early...we were pretty free...Rakesh decided to have a haircut..we hiked upto the "Centre of Nelson"...for half an hour..this was great..

Day 5, we went to Tasman National Park, took a speed boat to one end hiked back for 2 hrs and then took another boat back to shore! It was lot of fun, scenery was okay.

Then we drove down to arrow town to a nice bed and breakfast place. There were an elderly couple a very nice one.

We explored Queenstown and were looking forward to some fun.

Day 6, we did the Jet speed ride and also the drive down a narrow lane all on your own! You can do a lot of adrenaline activities like bungy or free fall etc.

Day 7, we went to Franz Josef Glacier but didnt take any ride as it was very cloudy.So we drove down to Te Anau.
This was a very small quiet town but very beautiful

Drive was so scenic I still cant forget it.

Day 8, we went on a cruise to Doubtful sounds, it was a 8 hr one and I was wondering how will we spend the time, but time just flew.

Nature was so beautiful, it rained and we saw waterfalls and then we saw the beautiful sounds, huge gigantic mountains sraped one behing the other giving the illusion that they were moving!

Day 9, we saw the Milford sound which is another beautiful place.

This was the last day of our NZ tour, we were dead tired after the cruise and reached our hotel at 12 midnight and we had to get up at 4 to catch our flight out of NZ to OZ!!! We drove a flat 12 hr to reach the hotel.

OZ :Day 1 - we reached sydney and were totally tired of course becoz of our hectic travel in NZ and we couldnt get over it.

OZ was very hot both in terms of weather and people :)
On the first day itself I think we saw everything, Opera house, sydney harbor bridge and also the train station.

Day 2, we went to a zoo. Saw a lot of koalas, kangeroos and the whole lot.
Bird show was amazing!

Day 3, we met up with R's college friend and his wife.
We spent some quality time at the darling harbor and also saw a IMAX movie :)

Day 4, we were winding up and on our way back to USA.

It was a very well planned and spent trip and we would really like to go back there anytime :))

Movies

MOVIETIME Folks...and in this section I intend to talk about those that touched my heart.
Over the last month, I saw 2 movies that were simply great..

PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS
SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION

Awesome is the only word that comes to my mind! Brilliant screenplay and heartfelt story that keeps you gripped to your chair all the time and you so look forward till the end to a happy ending and they do..!

The closing line in the first movie was "the smallest moment of my life is called happiness.." You've to watch the movie to understand what it means...really nice movie.

The 2nd one is a very interesting plot with captivating actors..intelligent and yet touching..well made..

These movies make you feel so good about being able to watch movies :)

August 2007

Hmm..Come August onwards...its Indian festival time..yippee..
The benefit that I have is I get to celebrate most of the festivals..as R is from kerala and that way we self proclaim ourselves as half-keralites;)

In the month of August, was the festival of Onam. Festival of good food..ha ha..and colorful clothes and lots of good music...this year we celebrated it quietly at home...it was a monday..sounds like all good days this year falls on a monday!!!

In office, I spent a lot of time thinking what to prepare for the evening..one of my office friends told me that one prepares the Onam sadhya...meaning a five course elaborate meal..!!!

Well, I decided to make 5 curries...so I did a whole lot of shopping on way back home...and started the elaborate prep!

Actually it wasnt difficult, I quickly sifted through the recipes online..and started dolling out the dishes!!
Kadala(Channa) Curry, Morr(Curd)Curry, Avial, Rice, Cabbage Curry, Papad and Rice payasam!!!

At the end of it, we had a very good meal...Happy Onam:)

July 2007

Blissful month...why ??? Well, its my birthday month :) We had a quiet birthday this year..perhaps R had enough of cakes for me to cut last year so maybe he thought a quiet one would be sufficient this year round!

It was a monday, week day, I met a close friend for lunch, nothing exciting so far, then on way back to office took a haldiram's sonpapdi box for co-workers..and shared my small happiness with them:)

Early on in the morning, R had already presented me a watch and I was wearing it for the day.

Evening, I thought maybe there's a surprise party lying around the corner..but no...both of us had a long day at work, so it was just the two of us and we got ready to go for dinner.

R had booked in a new orleans modelled restaurant on castro...and it was a great ambience..so we enjoyed the meal.
On the way back, we got home a cake and cut it. Thus ended the beautiful day!!!

Yosemite Trip

Wow...I can hardly believe that we made it to yosemite...R was away on a business trip to Wichita...so I was busy doing something like this.


R comes home late friday and I have an upcoming release for which i had been working for the past one month...so I work till late ensuring everything goes smoothly and it does! So next morning on saturday we decide to go to Yosemite impromptu..just like that...wow...vrooom ..we went...at 11.30..
Stopped over for a quick bite and reached the park at 3.30 pm.
First we went to Bridal Veil falls ..just at 5 mts walk..but the view was great...a fresh waterfall in that summer heat was so welcome..and I felt so much happier just by being near it..:)

Dont know much about this fall but it was beautiful..small but good.

Next we went to Vernal falls..it was a good 3 mile hike one way..and my oh my was I tired...hehe..dont ask such a dumb question..well of course yes..I was and R was pushing me inch by inch at some point of time thinking I might trip over the edge..hehe..but no..I was fine..only thing was while climbing I wanted to stop often so as to catch my breath and not get too tired..

But the hike was worth what I saw at the top of it...Vernal falls..!!
Amazing breathtaking scenary...just mindblowing...its supposed to be the widest falls in yosemite..and yosemite the highest in US..can u believe that..?


When we were climbing up..and nearing the waterfall..and people coming down in the opposite direction as us...one of the men was wearing a plastic raincoat..and he asked me if I wanted then I can have it..and there you go me in a yellow..rainshield..hehe...well.. shield or no shield I would have either ways enjoyed it..and i did...as you can see from the picture..it was such a beautiful time of the year and so beautiful..A thing of beauty is a joy forever...!!!

The climb down was that of 5 mts...!!! can u imagine we had spent around 3 hrs to climb up and to come down only in 10 mts or so..we simply ran down...and happily jumping down like small kids..hehe..

Had a full buffet meal after all that exercise..and returned home satisfied and peaceful...by the way this day 9th June marked a year of mine having come to US for R...!!!

Memorial Day Weekend

My first time of memorial day weekend here in US...and we had planned to go with our friends all in all 12 to Bass Lake..a favorite American vacation place.
We had rented a house overlooking the lake and it was just perfect.

We left late on Friday evening and reached the place at around 1. Obviously we got up late next day on Saturday and we had warm bread and butter awaiting us in the kitchen..who else but our early bird friends had got it for us.

After getting ready we went on a rental boat. Now this was a unique experience for me. There was a floater attached to the back/ rear end of the boat. One by one each couple dived in on the floater and enjoyed the sail. We both went too and fell the first time we went in within a couple of minutes of sail!!!

Next r went alone as he thought he could balance well, and I went with Shivani.
I enjoyed it thoroughly and would have never known what the experience was had I not got into it!!!

Thus the day well spent we came back home and barbequed paneer capsicum, chicken and veggies...they were just mouth watering.
Then we made some biryani and cauliflower manchurian.

At night we played couple of group games namely casino royale and tabooo...just the perfect end to a perfect day!

On sunday we went to the lake again and splashed around in water. We were fully drenched and had a wonderful time, returned to the house and had pasta...!!!

Put on some music and had pure fun..such was the end to a beautiful trip along the awesome Bass Lake..

Long time ago

Everyday the thought crosses my mind I should pen down my thoughts but either time or lethargy keeps me from doing it.
Finally am doing it. Its a saturday morning and am staring blankly into space!!!
R was out on official tour but came home yest nite. I had prepared a bit of a meal for him...it turned to be i guess..with saaar upkari, bhajji, and fish fry..all put together unintentionally ;)
MOrning we somehow woke up early and I prepared sweet appam..was not bad ..I know I can improve though.
Next what was the question running into my mind..R went out to gym..I wanted to go along not to gym but to the library by the time he's back but he refused so am sitting here browsing aimlessly and ending up writing my blog.

Utterly bored, I want to take a different dimension to my writing..so this is my first attempt at writing a short story..fictional..watch out.
She was looking aimlessly out through the window...it was springtime and everything was turning from colorless to lush green...flowers blooming everywhere..
Linda..our lady in question is a 23 year old..graduated with a Master degree and on the verge of joining her first job as a professional. She has dreams in her eyes to make it big. At the same day, she knows that she will soon lose all her free time and carefree lifestyle..and life was going to open something new and larger which she wasnt yet aware of..
This is the last day of her vacation that she came to spend with her Mom..who owned a posh villa in Long Beach, LA. Dont even ask what her mom does..a hell of a talented lady, a successful house broker.

Linda is packing her things soon to go away to her dingy apartment in SFO. She stays alone. Next day rise and shine she gets ready quickly, brushes her hair and puts on an air of confidence. She is a finance consultant and this being her first day at work she needs all that luck could offer her.

She reaches office on time and becomes nervous like everyone is watching her! She has no time to feel nervous as she gets her first client. A business tycoon has a problem and the regular person from her finance company, her senior is out on a sabbatical and she has to attend to her client's urgent need.

She picks up the phone to setup an appointment with the tycoon..Mark, but in return his secretary gives her a hard time to set it up..as obvious he's too busy.

Still...a time is set and they meet, she's at his office waiting, thinking through the various if's and buts that he can come up with for the solutions that she was about to offer him...and the door opens to beckon her inside his room..and there he was..Mark..her secret hearththrob from college!!!

Oh no..how was she going to handle this...she hadn't anticipated this..stay tuned.

Spring's here!

There goes a tag line these days spring is here and love is in the air.

Now-a-days since our weekdays have been so packed with work, we have been squeezing a lot into our weekends so that we make the most out of them:) Weather too is very inviting so all the more good for us.

Let me recall what all we did over the past one month. I distinctly remember when we went to Big Sur and visited the Pfieffer beach. The beach was just awesome. There were beautiful creeks through which water used to splash around and we got soaked..actually only our feet got soaked ;)



Then one of the weekends we went to our friends place and had some great chaat to eat.


This weekend we had been to SFO and walked around the city and visited Macy's Flower arrangement. There was also an Indian artifacts celebration of sort..mannequins dressed up in Indian attire aka sarees...beautiful jodhuri decorations and lotsa sale..the whole city was throbbing with shops with lots to shop..I too bought a nice bag :)



Its only the start of the week and am already desperately looking for this weekend...where our special plan would unfold..i only pray and hope we spend it the way we've planned!

Adios..