Dec 28, 2011
Dec 26, 2011
The Versatile Blogger !
Shail and Ritu,Two of my favorite bloggers, whom I have read and admired for long have conferred the versatile Blogger award on me. And then Zradar another faithful reader of mine suddenly delurked to bestow this honor on me again!
I suppose you could call me versatile since I can never make up my mind regarding what exactly I want my blog to be about! I flitter about trying to write travelogues, funny anecdotes, feminism with occasional haikus and 55 fiction thrown in for relief.
Thank you Shail, Ritu and Zradar. It is indeed motivating to be recognized and awarded!
The rules of the award say that I must:
Nominate 15 fellow Bloggers
Inform the Bloggers of their nomination
Share 7 Random things about yourself
Thank the Blogger who nominated you
Add the Versatile Blogger Award picture to your Blog Post.
Hmm .. 7 random things about myself! I just did a post on how quirky I can get and I had half a mind to simply link up to that post and leave it at that. but me being me I am sure I can find a few more peculiarities about myself to write here. So here goes:
- I hate to eat cooked fish but I love sushi and sashimi (raw fish)
- I am a Punjabi but I don’t like to eat Saag and Makki ki Roti. I am definitely a Parantha person though!
- In my house I want a special room dedicated to books. The room will have window seats with lots of sunshine filtering in,bookshelves filled with books, comfortable wicker chairs with bright ethnic cushions thrown on them and loads of plants. This is what I definitely want. About the rest unimportant things like the kitchen, bedrooms etc – I am a bit hazy!
- I am a silver junkie – I have a huge collection of silver jewelry and I wear silver all the time.
- Travel is a passion, something I can’t do without. I do a corporate job only because it gives me money to travel.
- I am a history buff. I can wander around monuments for ages.
- I love collecting bookmarks and notebooks. I have them from all over the world!
And now, I am going to twist the rules a little and nominate 7 bloggers instead of 15 (well rules are meant to be broken aren’t they!) So here are the 7 bloggers I read and think are truly versatile:
Versatility thy name is Preeti !
Dec 22, 2011
Dilli meri Dilli !
Delhi and I share a love hate relationship. I have lived here all my life but I never cease to complain about it. I crib about the long distances, the horrendous traffic, the increasing crudeness and brashness of its people but really I couldn’t be happy living anywhere except perhaps Chandigarh. And after a few days in Chandigarh I grow restless and start pining for Delhi.
This lovely city completes 100 years this year and I feel nostalgic enough to do a post on it! I have a whole mélange of memories of Delhi so instead of writing the usual post on Delhi’s history I am going to write about how Delhi has shaped me as an individual and what make this city so very special for me.
So here are few of my favorite things about Delhi -
Lutyens`Delhi
The whole area stretching right from the Pandara Road Government Bungalows till the Rashtrapati Bhavan, taking in India Gate, the secretariat as well as the Connaught circus – that’s my favorite part of Delhi. The roads are broad and well laid out, the avenues neat and tree lined, and most of all the architecture is simply magnificent, something I can stand and marvel at again and again. To the mortification of the stiff upper lipped Brits I have even proclaimed that I like our Rashtrapati Bhavan better than their Buckingham palace!
Once, when I was a university student, on a whim a bunch of us decided to go to India gate one winter afternoon and spent the afternoon walking up and down Raisina Hill. The security was not so stringent in the 90s and the guards indulged us as we wandered about taking in the superb architecture of the parliament house and the North and South Blocks. It was February and the Mughal gardens had just opened to Public– we finished our day with a walk through the gardens - If you are even remotely interested in landscaping and flowers – The Mughal gardens in Delhi are something not to be missed at all!
Another favorite memory is watching the Beating the Retreat Ceremony at Vijay Chowk. I have never seen the Republic day celebrations live but have had the good fortune to watch the Beating the Retreat Ceremony twice.. To say it was awe inspiring is an understatement. The illuminated Rashtrapati Bhavan and the Parliament complex in the background, the military bands, colorful and resplendent in their uniforms weaving magic not only with music but also with their fluid and graceful formations – That is an experience one rarely forgets!
Jawahar Lal Nehru University (JNU)
JNU is something very very close to my heart. I spent five fantastic years doing my graduation and post graduation there and can rightfully say that they have been the best years of my life. JNU enriched my love for languages and linguistics and I am one of those rare breeds who actually enjoyed my academic years !
There is a lot I can write about JNU – The aesthetic brick buildings, the sprawling green campus– most of it still a forest, the occasional nilgai and the deer we could see from our class room windows, and the peacocks that invariably came out during the monsoons and danced for our benefit, the fantastic nine floored library that has the best collection of books I have seen till date ….
But what I loved the most was whole intellectual and cultural ambiance of the place. It was JNU that introduced me to the“ Jhola culture” and I took to it like a fish takes to water. The ethnic khadi kurtas over jeans, the juttis or kolhapuri chappals, the embroidered cloth bags from janpath– these form a trademark of those five years I have spent there and frankly my dress sense still has a lot of JNU in it ! It was at JNU that I first learnt the true meaning of “adda – baazi”. The socio-political debates and discussions that took place in its cafeterias or the on the lawns that could stretch for hours and hours. I enjoyed every bit of them! I loved the way we could persuade our teachers to take our classes in the green lawns on a sunny winter afternoon, I loved the street plays you could simply sit on the grass to watch, and I loved the posters that are an ever present part of JNU walls – so much so that it is said that it is the posters that keep the walls up!
Theater
My childhood memories are of theater and music concerts, of going with my parents to see plays at the Sree Ram Center or kamani or at the National School of Drama. I had the good fortune to see plays like Andha yug, Asadh ka ek din, Ghasiraam kotwaal before I reached high school. Even today give me a good play over a movie any day! I also thoroughly enjoy the classical music and dance shows that take place in this city – be it in closed auditoriums or places like the Deer park, Lodhi Gardens or the Purana Quila. One of my favorite memories is sitting at Purana Quila in late evening and listening to Bhimsen Joshi as he weaved his magic.My parents inculcated the love of theater in me and Delhi helped me enrich it further !
The ethnic wear
I really haven’t seen people any where else carry ethnic clothes with so much panache as we do in Delhi. For lovers of ethnic clothes Delhi is heaven. The ethnic dupattas,kurtas, jackets, silver jewelry that we find here– I love it and flaunt it too !
The Open spaces and the greenery
Inspite of the high rises and the unending construction, Delhi is still a very green city. From the tree lines roads in South Delhi to its various gardens you can find a dash of green everywhere.I have spent almost every summer morning of my childhood taking a morning walk in Lodhi Gardens where we would sometimes run into Khushwant Singh! Be it the open grounds at Purana Quila, Deer Park, Ridge or the garden of five senses, Delhi’s gardens are a delight especially in winter and spring.
The book shops
I am sure every city has its share of good book shops but there are some in Delhi especially close to my heart. Connaught Place has the best bookshops in town and for a long time I made regular forays into CP simply because of its book shops. I later shifted allegiance to the bookshops in Khan market because they were closer to school and home. Sadly most of the book stores in Khan market have been taken over by foreign retail brands selling shoes and clothes and with that Khan market has lost most of its sheen!
The historic Monuments
Delhi has a rich history and its historic monuments are a delight to a history lover like me. Starting from the Red fort, Humayuns tomb and Purana Quila to the lesser known ruins at Mehrauli and Tuqlagabad fort I have spent many a day’s wandering amongst the ruins and clicking photographs.
The “Melas”
So many of them ! The annual Surajkund mela, the dastakar mela, the Diwali mela at the Blind school and who can forget the annual Book Fair at Pragati Maidan – a pilgrimage all book lovers like me must make ! Delhi”s fairs have something for everyone!
So this is what make Delhi so special for me. And what makes this city special for all you other Delhi - wallahs out there :)
This lovely city completes 100 years this year and I feel nostalgic enough to do a post on it! I have a whole mélange of memories of Delhi so instead of writing the usual post on Delhi’s history I am going to write about how Delhi has shaped me as an individual and what make this city so very special for me.
So here are few of my favorite things about Delhi -
Lutyens`Delhi
The whole area stretching right from the Pandara Road Government Bungalows till the Rashtrapati Bhavan, taking in India Gate, the secretariat as well as the Connaught circus – that’s my favorite part of Delhi. The roads are broad and well laid out, the avenues neat and tree lined, and most of all the architecture is simply magnificent, something I can stand and marvel at again and again. To the mortification of the stiff upper lipped Brits I have even proclaimed that I like our Rashtrapati Bhavan better than their Buckingham palace!
Once, when I was a university student, on a whim a bunch of us decided to go to India gate one winter afternoon and spent the afternoon walking up and down Raisina Hill. The security was not so stringent in the 90s and the guards indulged us as we wandered about taking in the superb architecture of the parliament house and the North and South Blocks. It was February and the Mughal gardens had just opened to Public– we finished our day with a walk through the gardens - If you are even remotely interested in landscaping and flowers – The Mughal gardens in Delhi are something not to be missed at all!
Another favorite memory is watching the Beating the Retreat Ceremony at Vijay Chowk. I have never seen the Republic day celebrations live but have had the good fortune to watch the Beating the Retreat Ceremony twice.. To say it was awe inspiring is an understatement. The illuminated Rashtrapati Bhavan and the Parliament complex in the background, the military bands, colorful and resplendent in their uniforms weaving magic not only with music but also with their fluid and graceful formations – That is an experience one rarely forgets!
Jawahar Lal Nehru University (JNU)
JNU is something very very close to my heart. I spent five fantastic years doing my graduation and post graduation there and can rightfully say that they have been the best years of my life. JNU enriched my love for languages and linguistics and I am one of those rare breeds who actually enjoyed my academic years !
There is a lot I can write about JNU – The aesthetic brick buildings, the sprawling green campus– most of it still a forest, the occasional nilgai and the deer we could see from our class room windows, and the peacocks that invariably came out during the monsoons and danced for our benefit, the fantastic nine floored library that has the best collection of books I have seen till date ….
But what I loved the most was whole intellectual and cultural ambiance of the place. It was JNU that introduced me to the“ Jhola culture” and I took to it like a fish takes to water. The ethnic khadi kurtas over jeans, the juttis or kolhapuri chappals, the embroidered cloth bags from janpath– these form a trademark of those five years I have spent there and frankly my dress sense still has a lot of JNU in it ! It was at JNU that I first learnt the true meaning of “adda – baazi”. The socio-political debates and discussions that took place in its cafeterias or the on the lawns that could stretch for hours and hours. I enjoyed every bit of them! I loved the way we could persuade our teachers to take our classes in the green lawns on a sunny winter afternoon, I loved the street plays you could simply sit on the grass to watch, and I loved the posters that are an ever present part of JNU walls – so much so that it is said that it is the posters that keep the walls up!
Theater
My childhood memories are of theater and music concerts, of going with my parents to see plays at the Sree Ram Center or kamani or at the National School of Drama. I had the good fortune to see plays like Andha yug, Asadh ka ek din, Ghasiraam kotwaal before I reached high school. Even today give me a good play over a movie any day! I also thoroughly enjoy the classical music and dance shows that take place in this city – be it in closed auditoriums or places like the Deer park, Lodhi Gardens or the Purana Quila. One of my favorite memories is sitting at Purana Quila in late evening and listening to Bhimsen Joshi as he weaved his magic.My parents inculcated the love of theater in me and Delhi helped me enrich it further !
The ethnic wear
I really haven’t seen people any where else carry ethnic clothes with so much panache as we do in Delhi. For lovers of ethnic clothes Delhi is heaven. The ethnic dupattas,kurtas, jackets, silver jewelry that we find here– I love it and flaunt it too !
The Open spaces and the greenery
Inspite of the high rises and the unending construction, Delhi is still a very green city. From the tree lines roads in South Delhi to its various gardens you can find a dash of green everywhere.I have spent almost every summer morning of my childhood taking a morning walk in Lodhi Gardens where we would sometimes run into Khushwant Singh! Be it the open grounds at Purana Quila, Deer Park, Ridge or the garden of five senses, Delhi’s gardens are a delight especially in winter and spring.
The book shops
I am sure every city has its share of good book shops but there are some in Delhi especially close to my heart. Connaught Place has the best bookshops in town and for a long time I made regular forays into CP simply because of its book shops. I later shifted allegiance to the bookshops in Khan market because they were closer to school and home. Sadly most of the book stores in Khan market have been taken over by foreign retail brands selling shoes and clothes and with that Khan market has lost most of its sheen!
The historic Monuments
Delhi has a rich history and its historic monuments are a delight to a history lover like me. Starting from the Red fort, Humayuns tomb and Purana Quila to the lesser known ruins at Mehrauli and Tuqlagabad fort I have spent many a day’s wandering amongst the ruins and clicking photographs.
The “Melas”
So many of them ! The annual Surajkund mela, the dastakar mela, the Diwali mela at the Blind school and who can forget the annual Book Fair at Pragati Maidan – a pilgrimage all book lovers like me must make ! Delhi”s fairs have something for everyone!
So this is what make Delhi so special for me. And what makes this city special for all you other Delhi - wallahs out there :)
Dec 15, 2011
London Diaries (8): Walking across the Millenium Bridge - from the Ancient to the Modern
The Millennium Bridge is one of the 8 London bridges that span across the river Thames. On one end of the bridge is St Paul's Cathedral and on the other end is the Tate Modern art Gallery.
I decided to walk to St Paul’s cathedral on a blistering cold and windy day. Under the overcast sky, the dull white structure appeared almost drab. But Like Westminster’s Abbey the real beauty of St Paul’s Cathedral lies inside it. Most of the people find cathedrals and churches boring to visit; they click a few photographs from outside and quickly leave for the next destination. But for people like me who revel in quietude, time spent inside St Paul’s was simply amazing. The sheer beauty of the cathedral, the magnificent stain glass and the paintings inspire peace and serenity. You are almost compelled to sit quietly and connect with yourself and God. Clicking photographs inside the cathedral is not allowed.
Here are some pics of the outside.
The most imposing thing about St Paul’s is its three domes. The outer dome is what is so prominently visible in the London Skyline and makes St Paul such an iconic landmark. The interior dome, that one can see from inside the cathedral is a masterpiece in painting and art. Between these two domes is yet another dome that acts more like a support structure. Three galleries run inside these domes. In case you are wondering why I am describing the domes in such details, it’s because I spent the better part of the morning climbing them to reach the galleries. All the galleries are accessible to public provided you are willing to climb dizzying heights to reach them.
Now all that was left was the Golden Gallery. Most of the tourists don’t go up till the Golden Gallery. It’s not an easy feat even if you are totally fit and not claustrophobic – and I was neither! But I persisted and decided that another 150 odd steps couldn’t hurt me.
From the Golden Gallery, you can also see "Big Tom" – the clock face on the right-hand tower of the cathedral.
Here are some pics that I took
I decided to walk to St Paul’s cathedral on a blistering cold and windy day. Under the overcast sky, the dull white structure appeared almost drab. But Like Westminster’s Abbey the real beauty of St Paul’s Cathedral lies inside it. Most of the people find cathedrals and churches boring to visit; they click a few photographs from outside and quickly leave for the next destination. But for people like me who revel in quietude, time spent inside St Paul’s was simply amazing. The sheer beauty of the cathedral, the magnificent stain glass and the paintings inspire peace and serenity. You are almost compelled to sit quietly and connect with yourself and God. Clicking photographs inside the cathedral is not allowed.
Here are some pics of the outside.
The most imposing thing about St Paul’s is its three domes. The outer dome is what is so prominently visible in the London Skyline and makes St Paul such an iconic landmark. The interior dome, that one can see from inside the cathedral is a masterpiece in painting and art. Between these two domes is yet another dome that acts more like a support structure. Three galleries run inside these domes. In case you are wondering why I am describing the domes in such details, it’s because I spent the better part of the morning climbing them to reach the galleries. All the galleries are accessible to public provided you are willing to climb dizzying heights to reach them.
The first gallery is the whispering gallery, so called because even a whisper can be heard on the other side of the gallery- an effect of the acoustics there. The Whispering Gallery is reached after climbing 357 steps of a long, winding circular stairway. It wasn’t exactly a pleasant climb because it was a narrow closed stairway and I tend to get claustrophobic very soon. I didn’t get a chance check out the acoustics there because a whole lot of tourists whispering together just created cacophony! But if look down at the cathedral floor from the gallery you do get a stunning view of the murals and the naive.
Next comes the Stone Gallery after another dizzying and claustrophobic climb of 150 odd steps. This gallery is open and you get a very panoramic view of London when you peep over it. My knees and back were creaking and shaking and protesting loudly by the time I had reached the stone gallery. But this view of London made the effort worthwhile.
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| you can see the millennium bridge and Tate Modern across Thames |
How wrong I was. The climb up till the golden gallery was much much worse. The staircase was so narrow that my shoulders almost touched the two sides of the walls. I became so claustrophobic and breathless halfway though that I almost decided to give up. But there is a separate staircase for coming up and another one for going down so there was no way I could backtrack and go down. So with my lungs burning with the effort and panting like a fish out of water, I carried on. But the worst was yet to come – Till the last 50 steps the staircase was narrow but closed – it gave you a very claustrophobic but a secure feeling. The last 20 odd steps were nothing but a circular iron staircase going up the dome – I really couldn’t see the top of the dome even if I craned my neck. All I could see was this open circular stairway going up and up to nowhere ! And if you dared to look down you would get a dizzying view of the cathedral floor 365 feet below you. Oh and did I tell you I am scared of heights!
This is a pic I clicked from the iron staircase. Yes I was dizzy, hyperventilating and about to faint but I still managed to click a snap. Just to give you an idea about high up I was – those black spots are people and the brown ones are chairs!
Needless to say the view of London from the Golden Gallery is absolutely breathtaking.
As usually happened to me during my stay in London, the weather gods turned against me and the sun was completely obliterated by clouds!
Can you see the London Eye in the distance?
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After an arduous climb down the galleries, with my knees wobbling and about to give in any minute, I sat down on the steps of the Cathedral to rest my tired and aching feet.
Then I decided to walk across the Millennium Bridge to Tate Modern Gallery. Walking from St Paul's to the Tate Modern Gallery across the Millennium Bridge is like walking from the ancient towards the modern …
Then I decided to walk across the Millennium Bridge to Tate Modern Gallery. Walking from St Paul's to the Tate Modern Gallery across the Millennium Bridge is like walking from the ancient towards the modern …
 |
| St Pauls Cathedral on one end of the Millenium Bridge |
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| Tate Modern art Gallery on the other end |
Frankly Tate Modern is a rather drab brick colored building that doesn’t look too inviting from outside. But it is one of the best modern and contemporary art galleries that I have been to and is definitely worth a visit even if you are even a teeny weeny bit interested in art. The most intriguing thing about Tate Modern is that its actually an old Power station that has been converted into an art gallery.
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| The turbine hall - now an art gallery |
Dec 14, 2011
The one in which we burn our chin
Yes, I have a penchant for doing weird things, things that not only put me in some discomfiture but also make my friends roll on the floor with mirth. This time I burnt my chin. And not only did I do something so silly, I also put it up as my facebook status to make sure that the whole world laughs at me. Some of my more curious friends have been busy speculating on how I managed to accomplish this impossible feat. I’ve had guesses ranging from putting my chin on the gas stove, bringing a lit cigarette near my face with the lit end facing inside (I don’t smoke by the way!) to accidentally touching my face to a hot iron.
Since I refuse to assuage their curiosity on Facebook I have been asked if I’ll blog about it(As if putting it up as FB status was not enough!). Obviously I am not going to blog about it! The last thing I need on my very prim and propah blog is people making fun of me. Certainly not!!
So this is what really happened :)
I had a cold. Colds are bad – they make me irritable, cranky and honestly I just can’t think straight when I have one. So in order to unblock my very blocked nose, I decided to try some herbal medicine. The label on the medicine bottle informed me that the medicine must be taken in warm water. Now, the conventional way of heating water is by putting it in a pan and heating it. But you see, I believe in doing things differently. So I put the water in a steel katori (small bowl) and the katori on the Gas burner. After a few seconds I turned off the gas, touched the rim of the bowl with my hand and decided that it was not too hot and I could lift it using my fingers. I poured the medicine in, lifted the bowl to my lips and as fate would have it, sneezed at the very last moment. My hand trembled and the base of the bowl touched my chin – off course the fact that the rim of the bowl might not be too hot but the base will definitely be extremely hot had not crossed my cold befuddled mind. So now I have a bright red burn to show for my stupidity.
We all know Aruna Irani by the mole on her chin and I will now go down in history as the lady with the nasty burn on the chin!
And after you all finish rolling on the floor laughing about it – can someone please tell me how to remove that damn scar from my face?
Since I refuse to assuage their curiosity on Facebook I have been asked if I’ll blog about it(As if putting it up as FB status was not enough!). Obviously I am not going to blog about it! The last thing I need on my very prim and propah blog is people making fun of me. Certainly not!!
So this is what really happened :)
I had a cold. Colds are bad – they make me irritable, cranky and honestly I just can’t think straight when I have one. So in order to unblock my very blocked nose, I decided to try some herbal medicine. The label on the medicine bottle informed me that the medicine must be taken in warm water. Now, the conventional way of heating water is by putting it in a pan and heating it. But you see, I believe in doing things differently. So I put the water in a steel katori (small bowl) and the katori on the Gas burner. After a few seconds I turned off the gas, touched the rim of the bowl with my hand and decided that it was not too hot and I could lift it using my fingers. I poured the medicine in, lifted the bowl to my lips and as fate would have it, sneezed at the very last moment. My hand trembled and the base of the bowl touched my chin – off course the fact that the rim of the bowl might not be too hot but the base will definitely be extremely hot had not crossed my cold befuddled mind. So now I have a bright red burn to show for my stupidity.
We all know Aruna Irani by the mole on her chin and I will now go down in history as the lady with the nasty burn on the chin!
And after you all finish rolling on the floor laughing about it – can someone please tell me how to remove that damn scar from my face?
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