Where Did Feb Go?

It has been a busy month to say the least, and the only reason I am writing this post is because I did not want to have zero posts in February 2011!

I am almost through editing a manuscript...the closer I get to the end the faster I want to finish it.

Rummy got his own Facebook page and is getting popular.

Rummy also got a Kitty. Actually, Husband saw this wiry little thing in desperate need of help and picked it up. The plan was to make it feel better and put it up for adoption. But unfortunately, people will spend thousands on Persian cats that can't live in the city's heat and humidity but won't adopt an equally adorable stray. I find people annoying most times! So looks like Kitty is here to stay. We've named him Bing Qing (due to Husband's insistence on a Chinese name. It means crystal clear.) aka Kitty.

Rummy is not too fond of the new addition. For a week we had to keep Kitty in one room and let Rummy in for 5-10 minutes on a leash for orientation sessions. Now, we can leave the two together unattended as long as Kitty doesn't eat or play...it upsets Rummy and he snaps. We're guessing he'll get over the jealous phase soon because it is just painful to manage them otherwise. Not a good first birthday present for him, but we hope it will make him more sociable.

Kitty is just about 2 months old and adorable. He eats, sleeps and poops all day. His stomach is now bigger than the rest of him and he just loves to cuddle up on the warm modem or UPS if laps are not available.

A Walk in the Woods

The good thing about living in Bombay is that there are places you can escape to for the weekends. It was one of the things we most looked forward to when we moved here from Hyderabad. Before the summer heat kicked in, we wanted to make a trip to Matheran...India's only town that doesn't allow motorized vehicles (apart from a mini train that plies passengers from the city to the town market).

We had left Rummy at his kennel the previous day. It takes us 2-3 hours to get there but that is the only decent place we have found so far to keep him. The boarding facilities near our home are small apartments that keep several dogs at once and they have to be tied up the whole day. For this first time we felt Rummy had grown attached to us. He kept turning back to look at us. We felt horrible.

Our original plan was to drive up to Neral station and then take the morning train. However, mid way we realized that we would not be able to make it in time because we had not taken into account the deteriorating state of the 'roads' in various stages of disrepair since the monsoons. We drove all the way. The route has no facility to 'relieve' yourself (ladies beware) which is expected when travelling in India, but it also doesn't offer a secluded bush since you travel through several hamlets bordering the main city. (We had to make use of the hospitality of a relative on the way.)

We reached Dasturi point around 10:30 in the day and it was crowded. Extremely crowded. We were worried that this trip might not be the escape we had planned. We parked our car and paid the entrance fee of Rs 25 each. We decided to walk instead of take the horse or carriage option. We were accosted by the horsemen for most part of our walk, but we realized that even they had to make a living.

The hotel we opted for was the furthest from the entry point. The Verandah in the Forest is about 5 kms (we were told). It seemed daunting for us who would not even walk for 30 to 40 minutes everyday if it wasn't for a dog! But we were resolute. We had packed light with only a small backpack each (Husband chivalrously carried mine for most of the way). It wan't too hot, and the path was mostly shaded by trees. It would've been a prettier sight during or just after the rains. The air was fresh and we tried to walk as fast as possible through the market crowd to get to quieter place.

Monkeys were all around trying to see if they could nab something from someone. Husband bent down to photograph one and had a bag (MY bag) nearly snatched. As we went deeper, the crowds dissipated. It was quieter and lovelier. We reached the hotel in just over an hour...not too bad.

It was an oasis in the crowd we had just left behind. It is a 19th Century colonial bungalow lovingly restored. Its Parsi heritage is visible in the old photographs and artifacts around the property. The rooms take you back  a century. They are clean and spacious. Even though all modern amenities (excluding television and telephones) are provided, they have kept to the original essence of the building as far as possible. The Reading Room has light that filters in through stained glass, the verandah offers a great view, and the dining room serves scrumptious meals - the perfect place to go and do absolutely nothing!

 

We went to the Charlotte Lake nearby in the evening for a glorious sunset, and then to Echo point which had several tourists who felt that screaming out the names of their beloved would be very endearing. One of my pet peeves - people coming to nature spots for peace and quiet then disrupting the peace and quiet. There were many of them here (and a large boisterous group at the hotel).

 


Husband is an early riser and so armed with a camera, he went exploring. His photos always make me want to get up early and go along with him, but my body just doesn't seem to cooperate. We were to leave in the afternoon. We checked out before noon and decided to find a place to eat in the marketplace. Being a Sunday, it was as crowded as a popular mall on weekends.

We went into a restaurant right next to the park and ordered a simple dosa. After just one bite I saw for the first time Husband wasting food - it was THAT bad. We saw a vada pav vendor, aptly named Famous, but he runs out of supply barely an hour after he opens for business. We missed it, but were told that his food is something to write home about. We went in to another restaurant that looked unpretentious and finally had some good food. The staple Vada Pav did not disappoint and neither did the dosa. Finally fed, we shopped for the famous chikkis, natural honey and Kolhapuris and made our way back to the bustling city.

A New Beginning

Happy New Year!

January always signifies hope, a new start, leaving the regrets of the past behind. No matter how down in the dumps you are, you think come January, the start of a new year, everything will change for the better. Sometimes it does, sometimes you give up trying to make it better, and by December, you look forward to another January.

You make resolutions to do things you don't stick with for more than a week, you promise yourself this year will be the best you've ever had...but somewhere down the line, after the excitement wears off - for most of us in the next 24 hours. After a few years of making resolutions we can't keep, we stop making them altogether: "It's such a cliche." There are of course those rare people who actually stick to what they promise, I have not been able to so far.

What do I hope this year brings? There would be a list of tangible things I would want, and if I manage to get them I will be very pleased, i won't deny it. But it really are the things that you don't see, but feel that matters the most. Spending time with family and friends, being secure in love, having pets that think the world of you...what more can the soul want to be happy?

Although there are some things I am looking forward to this year, it is really the unexpected, the good kind, that I cherish more. Life has a way of surprising you when you least expect it, that is the beauty of it. It might not always be the kind of surprise you were hoping for, but it makes you appreciate the good times so much more when you've been dragged through the worst.

Here's to a year full of promises and new beginnings!

On a Maraventure

This would be our first ever safari in Kenya, and going by experiences of people before us, we were already counting our sightings of the Big 5. The Big 5 here includes the lion (of course), African elephant (you can't get bigger than that), Black Rhino, Cheetah (while some say leopard), and the African Buffalo. Moreover, we were going there during the Great Migration season, so further images of wildebeest stampedes came to mind.

We booked a safari van from Nairobi and traversed the 270 km in approximately 5 hours. The roads at most places were smooth, and the rest were being built. One stopover on the drive is the view point where you can see the massive Rift Valley. In August, everything was dry and barren (although the golden grass has a charm of its own), but during and right after the monsoons, the place is an oasis.

While we were waiting at the entry gate to complete the formalities (60 USD per person per night ensures that you savour this once in a lifetime experience for all its worth), the Masai ladies with their colourful attire came by to tempt us to buy some souvenirs. We found that these were cheaper than the ones sold in the city, but don't be fooled by claims of ebony wood and what nots. Just take it as you see it unless you can identify and want to invest (a lot of money) in the quality stuff.

We stayed at the Keekorock Lodge, the first one that was built in the reserve. Rooms were great, food was ok, but the Hippo Bar was the focal point of the whole place. It is basically a little shed built over a small pond where hippos hang out all day. If you are really lucky, you might even spot other wildlife without having to drive around.

The resort has a resident Masai at whose sight the mischievous monkeys seem to vanish in thin air. So if you are carrying food while walking around the resort grounds, make sure the Masai is nearby unless you want to be accosted by a group of simians.

It gets to be quite cold in the mornings and evenings, but during the day you would want to keep to the shade. Kenyan wildlife reserves are a stickler for rules. You have to be inside the resort before 6pm, and don't think about going off the tracks trying to get closer to the wildlife. Both instances could cost you a hefty fine and your driver may face a possible ban from all the Reserves in the country. Why go through all the trouble when you can see all the wildlife you want right on the track?

The animals in Kenya are used to being in the spotlight, and will go about their business as if you are nothing but a minor distraction - a fly on the wall even. They won't think twice about just brushing past your vehicle  while you stand there not breathing. They do it for fun I think - to ensure that you know your place in the larger scheme of things. As clichéd as it may sound, it is one of the most awe inspiring moments you will live through, to have a lion just a few metres away look at you in the eye, and then just go about its business knowing fully well it can devour you in seconds if need be.

We went up to the Mara River on Day 2, but it was low on water and therefore so were the numbers of wildebeests to be seen. We did however, manage to see all of the Big 5 plus the elusive leopard, and a variety  of deer species, colourful birds, and the myriad other wildlife that had us turning our heads in all directions with our eyes wide open.

If you can afford to, go for a hot air balloon ride - you don't see the wildlife up close but the panorama will take your breath away.

 If you have the time, you could also take a tour of one of the Masai villages on the outskirts of the Reserve. They charge you upwards of a thousand Shillings per person for an introduction to their way of life - right from farming, to their tiny cottages, and spectacular dances.

 Once you get a taste of the wild, there is no turning back. Husband has been saving up for a DSLR camera which we sorely missed on the trip, and then we'll start saving up for another trip here during the green season. Can hardly wait!

Where Can I buy 2 parts Patience, and 1 of Persistence?

Has anyone ever tried doing Origami? Those Japanese folks have some patience and spare time to sit around making circles in the sand and folding paper! Their work looks so good though. Some of the modular origamis need over 200 modules, where each module would be made of at least 5 units. It's enough to drive you insane! By happy chance, the Internet at home was not working yesterday, so taking a break from work, I got down to completing my Origami task.

Task 1: Kusudama


This sphere had one of the least number of modules required (only 12) and looked interesting enough. I started with a petal

which turned into a flower

which turned into many flowers

which eventually turned into a sphere.

I got the design from an article on eHow but made some modifications to the center of the petals which works especially well if you are using paper coloured on both sides.

Task 2: Mette Units

Next, I then made two rings using Mette's Units, which is relatively simple and requires just 15-18 units.

Put it all together, and finally I came up with a unique door hanging that Husband assembled with some ribbon this morning. 

               

Warning: Side effects include numb fingers, increased annoyance, and loss of patience to do anything else.

Creatives - Some Stuff I Did When I Ran Out of Stuff To Do

I love art and crafts projects...as long as they get over quickly because I am not the most patient person in the world. But there are some projects that are worth the time. My paintings were done in a day or two, whereas the quilling work took days. I have been trying to take out some time every week from my schedule to work on such projects. I love to see the end results.

                                        

Jambo Nairobi

A while ago, Dad took up a job in Kenya. We believe he took it up only for the chance of going on wildlife safaris, but why look a gift horse in the mouth? He has now returned to India and is more busy than ever with work, but while he was there, we got to take advantage of his hospitality and go for a trip of a lifetime!

Nairobi airport is in a constant state of chaos...that coming from someone who's familiar with the situation at Indian airports. Once in the city, it is quite unexpected to see such clean, wide roads. It is the same kind of eye opening experience that people from the Western world would get when they visit India for the first time ("How do you speak English so well?" "Where are all the cows?").

In my head, I pictured Africa to at least look as poor as it is made out to be, but I was pleasantly surprised by the well maintained city (I am told that being the UN headquarters for the region has a big part to play in that). The soil is extremely fertile which shows in the fresh, organic, tastier and good looking produce available (especially potatoes which everyone in our family is very fond of). Security though, is another matter altogether. It is best to stay off the roads after dark. Getting around the city is very difficult. Public transport mainly consists of jittery Matatus that might fall apart at any time, and taxis are very expensive. Dad had bought a car, and with a short-term driver that he hired, it made our lives so much easier.



Since Kenya doesn't have any phone connections provided by the government, the whole city depends on mobile phones. Even banking and wire transfers are done this way. Dad had an extra phone we could use to keep in touch, but our India phones had to be kept switched off to avoid the super-expensive call charges.

In terms of currency, even though the Indian Rupee is stronger than the Kenyan Shilling, you need a whole lot more of it to get anything here...the place is expensive. Whether you are looking to buy groceries or souvenirs, you better have a heavy wallet which you can empty at the cash counter. The prices souvenir shops will quote might shock you at first, but you need to keep in mind that they quote with a 100% mark up since they know tourists will start bargaining at 50%. So to get a good deal, start your bids at the 25% mark, and depending on how much you want the item, go up till you get it. The quality should also be taken into consideration. Like a bracelet Husband bought for me at a department store was for about 1500 Shillings...but it was made of wooden beads and had a polished bone clasp. You could get a similar looking piece for much cheaper with plastic beads and wooden clasp.






                         

We had gone there in the month of August. It was quite cold (by my standards) and we didn't need the fan at night. The afternoon sun sometimes got very warm, but if you stayed in the shade you'd still need a shawl. Needless to say, I was always wrapped up in one. The house where Dad was staying at was in a nice quiet neighbourhood with a lawn regularly visited by birds, squirrels and other critters—a mini-safari through your window. Nearby was an Indian temple which also served as the local community center, which was a nice evening spent in peace and quiet.

The city blends in with its natural heritage and has its own National Park for those who can't make it to one of the country's many safari destinations. It also has an Animal Orphanage next to it, housing several abandoned, orphaned, or injured animals, and if you happen to be near the big cats' cages during lunch time, you will get to witness up close that caged and seemingly domesticated animals never lose their wild touch. They start getting fidgety around the appointed hour, and by the time the meat is being doled out one-by-one, these cats go on a frenzy, jumping on fences, snapping at everything and pacing around the enclosure.

There are many places in and around Nairobi that you can visit. We went to Nakuru, the Animal Orphanage, and a few malls. Apart from some souvenirs we picked up some coffee (for me) and tea (for Husband), but unfortunately we liked it so much that now it is difficult to go back to having the regular stuff! We need to find people who can keep sending us some on a regular basis. Any volunteers?