Merry Christmas!

To all my lovely readers,

A very merry Christmas!! :D

It's hard for me to believe how fast this year really went by. It seriously feels like 2011 just came and went as if it were only about a month long. That fast. But where did it go really?? I wonder. Anyway, it was a wonderful year on the whole. With an absolutely beautiful ending. I couldn't have wanted more from life. No regrets. :)

So here's something to make my blog all festive and Christmassy, in perfect synch with the spirit of the season.

I clicked this beautifully decorated Christmas tree on last year's visit to The Hilton, probably for post-Christmas or New Year's lunch. I found it befitting the description of the perfect X-mas tree.

I feel it in my fingers,
I feel it in my toes,
Christmas is all around me,
and so the feeling grows.

It's written in the wind,
It's everywhere I go,
So if you really love Christmas,
C'mon and let it snow.

For me this song embodies the Christmas spirit perfectly. It's from the film Love Actually, one of my favorite feel-good movies. Check it out for sure!

But not taking up any more space or time (it's Christmas after all - lots of celebrations awaiting all of us!) I wish you all a very happy festive season ahead, and a fabulous Christmas! Tell me how it was!

Share the love and joy. :)

Indiblogger Meet in Delhi

Aah...civilization...finally!

This interjection was meant to signify that I've finally got an internet connection at the new house. Two more days I'd have had to bear this phone internet, and I'd have died of lack of exposure to the virtual sunlight and rain. Well, that might be an exaggeration really, but you get the drift I hope.

My exams are on and I'm having a gala time doing nothing all day but eat, sleep and roam around the new neighborhood. I now understand what a thrill explorers must have derived from their pursuits of totally new places. I am having a good time exploring my humble little neighborhood. :)

Okay so I know I am late in posting about this, but yeah, I attended the HPOriginals Indiblogger Delhi meet held last Sunday at The Park Hotel, Connaught Place. And all I can say is, there could have been no better way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon, especially when you have a major examination the very next day for which you're not in the least prepared.
The day was spent mingling with bloggers not only from all over the city and NCR, but from other cities as well. That is the kind of craze we bloggers have for our passion. There were some 150 odd people gathered for the meet, who blog about myriad topics encompassing everything under the sun, right from food, love and technology to video tutorials, photography and database of best dating websites (lol, that's true!) It was a truly inspiring and enjoyable event, with lots of discussions, fun, food and even a treasure hunt thrown in. HP, who were sponsoring the event, gave away huge number of USB flash drives and Printers, complete with a year's supply of cartridges too. How cool is that? I didn't get the printer, sadly, but won an awesome pen drive in the treasure hunt. :D I think every single person there did get at least one prize that afternoon. Now that's what we call an awesome event, isn't it?

Here are some of the snaps from the event.

(Photos courtesy: Indiblogger and their official photographer, I fail to know who)

And that's the print on the t-shirts that all the participants got as a complementary present:

As of today I'm left with only two exams to go. So the feelings of freedom and ecstasy are gradually creeping in from all corners. I am in great anticipation of the two weeks of holidays our crappy university administration has very generously decided to grant us this year round. A big round of applause for them (sic). Am really excited as to what all I'll be doing to make full use of this rare commodity called holidays. More on that once these exams get over. For now, I am really glad to announce that my guest post on FTLOFAOT, like I earlier mentioned here, is underway and will get posted within a day or two. Cheers! :)

What's new?

Let not the title mislead you. This news-update-kind-of-post does not mean I have run out of ideas to write about. In fact, quite contrarily, my mind's been overactive these past few days, owing a lot probably to the lack of physical exercise in my life. Yes, it is the week before my semester ending examinations, and I have nothing else to do all day but sit and think of what to study (and then study - but I seldom reach that stage) or to eat and sleep. No TV, no internet connection as of now, and no college or friends to spend some fun time with. It is mind-numbingly boring and monotonous. Days literally seem to drag on for months.

I've been meaning to write but a phone isn't exactly the kind of device I prefer to update my blog from. Feels primitive, insufficient. But it had been too long that I'd been away...had to write. So, just thought lemme start off with a few updates on what's new in this lovely month of December.


1. On the personal front - I've shifted my residence, like I mentioned earlier I was going to. It was a pretty smooth transition. The new house is quite airy, full of windows, with a backyard and a lawn, though unkempt for now. Most of my idle time is spent sitting beside the front window looking at the weather changing through the day. Being in the vicinity of one of Delhi's most happening markets, I've only visited it once in all this time. Haven't really got any friends out here, plus it is exam time, so all indoor rest and no play is making me a dull girl. Literally.

2. Delhi's 100 years of glory - So! My beloved city is turning 100 this December. And am I not proud. The 12th of December 2011 marks the 100th anniversary of the day the city of Delhi was officially made the national capital. Its new imperial look, as seen around the Secretariat area better known as Lutyen's Delhi, was designed by a team of British architects headed by Lutyen and Baker after its gaining this title. There is debate nowadays about whether this date should make us feel proud, or remind us of India's 200 years of British rule. I personally feel it is a happy occasion - we should celebrate the good in it. And this day symbolises our city gaining such a prestigious status as the one it holds till date. It calls for celebration, doesn't it? :)

3. Delhi 100 Food Festival - To mark the conclusion of Delhi's 100th year as the National capital, Hindustan Times is organising this festival that started on the 24th of November all over the city, supposed to go on till the 31st of December. It has 50 top-notch restaurants/food chains participating, with each of them offering one of their signature food items for 100 bucks all through the duration of the festival. What more, the participating restaurants include the likes of those at Hyatt Regency, Hilton, Shangri la, Moti Mahal, Khan Chacha and Karims, offering delectable cuisines that further strengthen Delhi's status as the Food Capital of India. I plan to catch up on some of the items off the list. But that'll make for another post altogether. Do make it a point not to miss it - Delhi doesn't turn 100 ever again!

For the list of participating restaurants and further ideas on how to join in on the celebration of this great once-in-a-lifetime event, you may refer here.

Found an excuse!

Today was yet another of those days that I spent mentally cursing myself for not having adequate control over my own life. And such days are actually becoming more of a routine now. I mean, laziness isn't even a valid enough excuse any more for not being able to fulfill my commitments. Commitments to myself, to my friends, my readers and maybe any other commitments that I don't even seem to recall now. You see how complacent a person can be? And this is not even my upper limit.

But coming back to the title of the post - yeah I found the perfect theory to justify my being MIA again for long. I stumbled upon this blog while rummaging through random pages while on my way to those wretched weekend classes early this morning. A few lines down the page and I come across this theory that suddenly makes a lot of sense.
Check it out, in the writer's very own words:

"I have a theory. When you are about to do something, and you tell everyone about it, there are 80% chances that you would end up not doing it. Like you are going to visit the gym from tomorrow. But today you practically let the whole world know that you are going to visit gym from tomorrow. So, if the purpose of you visiting the gym was actually flaunting it to others and not physical fitness, half the job is done. It's not my theory, my dad told me this."

What I deciphered this as, is that if you go about telling people about what you're gonna do, you'll either end up not doing it at all, or if you have a will power as great(sic) as mine, you might as well end up doing it, very late though. And this was not all. He backed up this theory shortly enough with what I think of as quite a sound example(sic again):

"The theories are working. I stated that telling everyone that you are going to start something, you would end up not doing it at all. Proof:- My hidden blog is still empty."

LOL. This just set me thinking. Maybe it is because of this theory that I am being lazy these days. I should probably stop signing off from my blog every time with a promise to come back again soon. Like it happened with my Diwali post. (See! I have an example up my sleeve too!) I planned to write it the very next day after Diwali. And I ended up somehow managing to write it a week later. Not that I didn't have my exams that week. In fact, look at the irony of the situation. I couldn't write a post during the whole pre-exam preparatory leave, what with Diwali and other such stuff coming in between. But I did eventually, and that too during the exams. So basically, exams can never be the reason for a normal person to really not write. They can be a valid excuse though, coming very much in handy to explain off one's time-killing tactics, doing nothing of much consequence.

Okay. I've pretty much forgotten exactly where I started off from and what I meant to write by now. All I remember thinking is, no more anticipatory sign-offs from now on. A simple bye bye take care will have to do I guess. Please make do with that for some time my dear readers. So long as the fad lasts, or the theory lasts. It is in the interest of my blog's well being and my blogging frequency that I am making this move. Hope to see some improvement soon. Ohhh crap. There I go hoping again. Nooo! I don't hope for anything! Undo undo undo!

Hah. That feels better. :D

So folks. Have a good night. And a perfectly lazy and laidback Sunday tomorrow. I'm sure most of you (don't) deserve it. All the more reason to enjoy it! ;)

Angel in Paradise !

Four days of total relaxation in the Valley - the sureshot key to profound bliss.

I am in a state of full contentment right now. It's been five days since my return from Kashmir, and yet the feeling of inner peace just seems to persist. Throw in a set of amazing friends, a completely mad and awesome birthday celebration, and some temporary respite from college, and there, you have it. The perfect life.

I am gearing up to write a lot over the next few days. Actually I planned to write about my experiences while I was in Kashmir. But the sheer beauty and laidback feel of the place urged me to give up all worldly matters and just soak in the magic. So that is what I did. And now that I'm back, I have lots to say and show you. So kindly bear with me for the next few posts!


If you ask me I'll say, the entire beauty of Kashmir lies in the Chinar. Shaped somewhat like the maple leaf, the chinar can be seen all across the Valley in full color at this time.

That, in addition to the snow capped mountains of Gulmarg and the pleasant chilly weather, just beckons you to wear an extra piece of clothing and come out of doors to enjoy yourself. I guess Kashmir is the one place to be in the month of November. Whoever thought it's the off season and not the right time to visit, trust me, if you haven't seen Kashmir in the Fall, you haven't seen its real beauty at all!

This, mis amigos, is the temple in Gulmarg where the song Jai Jai Shiv Shankar from the Hindi film Aap Ki Kasam was shot. Just a random fact I got to know from regional people. :)

The Dal Lake is the most beautiful place one can visit in Srinagar. A shikara ride over the vast expanse of the lake at dusk is a truly mesmerizing experience. Watching the sun go down behind the distant mountains, searching for the unseen depths of the lake and getting lost in my own thoughts, it was a heavenly experience, truly befitting Paradise.

That would be all for today I think. I'll come back with another post very soon. A guest post for one of my favorite blogs, For the Love of Fashion and Other Things, is in the pipeline too. Keep reading! :)

(Photos courtesy my phone camera :D)

November spells Ecstacy

Happy November readers! :D

Come the month of November and my spirits instinctively soar. The fact that it is the month of my birth is surely not the only reason, though it is indeed a major reason behind all that extra excitement. I mean I don't know. Is it just me, or is November indeed the month of romance and joy? It seems as if love is in the air. Or again, maybe it's just me. Whatever it is, it feels lovely. And not even these ongoing mid-semester exams can mellow down my spirits.

I've long been in wait for this month to arrive. Because this year round, I have more reasons to rejoice than just the obvious one. Let me just give you a brief run down on what all I've been excited for.

1. More than obvious: My Twentieth
I was lucky enough to be born in the middle of November, right at the onset of the chilly Delhi winter, amid all the warm clothes and cosiness. I am not one to usually expect a lot from life, so all the love and beautiful surprises that I get from my friends and family on this particular day each year keep me smiling all year round. And that is why I love it all the more.

2. Kashmir!
It's Kashmir again mis amigos! I've so been longing to visit the place again, as I mentioned earlier in this post. And the wish has been granted! I'm in for a 4-day trip to the Valley in the second week of this month, right after my exams. Keep a tab on this space for more on the same. A travelogue to follow soon too!

3. New home
I'm shifting my residence, finally, for the first time in life. It isn't at all easy leaving your home of twenty years, the one where you've had all your memories in life, and suddenly shifting to a totally new place on the other side of the city. That too when the transition is from the congested but adorable West part of the city, to the open, posh and affable South of Delhi. It is nothing short of a potential culture shock. But somehow, I'm really excited. New and better environs, a quieter neighborhood and a change in lifestyle is all I needed to cheer me up in life. We shift by the end of this month.

4. Creative Writing Program
You all know how much I love writing and expressing myself in words. My closest friends are always admonishing me as to why I don't take my writing seriously. They keep encouraging me to write professionally, take this passion to the next level. And I don't know why, but I'm always reluctant. It is too much of a commitment, and I don't as yet find myself fully equipped for it. Then one day I found a seemingly good distance learning program on creative writing from a very reputed national university. And I knew as an instinct that I wanted to do this. Now the catch here is, I have to be at least twenty years of age to enroll myself for it. :P And SO! I've been waiting for this month with all the more excitement, as now I'll finally get to start with the program.

5. India International Trade Fair
I literally wait all year round for this 14-day international extravaganza held every year in Delhi to kick off. You will always find awesome food as well as great shopping stuff from all over India as well as many other countries there. And the spread of the area is so huge with so many options, that a single visit to the Trade Fair is never enough for me. Love being there, every single time. And the event begins every year with my birthday - isn't that a fun fact? :D

I just noticed how I've been going on and on about how excited I am because of the arrival of my favorite month of the year. But for the record, I must admit, of late I have really been happy with all spheres of my life. Things are beautiful on the personal front, and you can always, at any given time of the day, find a smile or a grin on my face. I haven't felt better in ages. Even exams and the pathetic state of my preparations cannot seem to bog me down. All the more reason for celebration, ain't it? I'm in love. With life and everything that comes with it. :)

If any of my writing-enthusiast readers wish to know more about the distance learning program on writing, feel free to contact me. I'll be more than happy to help. And tell me what you like about the month of November. Do you find it as lovely as I do? Any special events associated with it that you're waiting for? Tell me all. :)

Colors and festivity

I return a little too late after Diwali. What to do, these examinations never seem to leave us engineering students alone! They're always, as in ALWAYS, going on. I did not even enjoy the biggest festive season of our country like I would have at any other time. But not one to regret anything in life, I come back today in full spirit to fulfill my promise of giving you a glimpse at the Rangoli I made this year. As I hardly had time or the inclination this time round, I only managed to make a simple but colorful design in the front verandah of my house. Here's a look. :)

Nothing elaborate, but it made for a nice way to welcome the festive spirit. As for the celebrations, I did enjoy the night. I lit up the whole house with candles and diyas. A friend who I was long out of touch, came over. We, that is the whole of my joint family, had a little pooja followed by dinner. Then we lit up a few, as in really FEW, crackers to carry on with the Diwali tradition from our childhood. The night again saw me trying to study a little to compensate for all the fun (and so called waste of precious study time) I had throughout the day. To no avail though, so I ended up sleeping soundly after a Diwali well-spent I believe. :)

That is all for today, as I have an exam to study for. Another post coming up tomorrow, which I've been dying to write since forever! Do tell me about the Diwali celebrations you had. :)