In a traveler's words

LA, We are going to LA!

2012-05-11T14:20:00.002-04:00

That was my happy jingle just a few days before going to Los Angeles, a city I ha heard so many glamorous things about. A city which is so multi-cultural. A city with beautiful beaches and chilled people. Of course, they are all true. Traveling in USA means people driving to places, own cars or rental cars. But drive is the mantra. When you are not driving and want to rely on public transport, America lags behind Europe and even Asia. Some major cities like New York city and LA do have reasonably well connected metro system but the loop holes in most cases are far too many. This is a tiny list of things to check off while you need to rely on public transport in LA. 1. Buses run often, but after business hours, they run once in 15 minutes. Download the IPhone app Move on Bus to get real time info on the buses nearby and track yourself to the stop Buses to the Venice beach have a travel time of like 1 hour. Even drinking in LA traffic is miserable. But The beach is worth visiting. 2. Buy a day pass of $6 if you plan to do more than one bus or change bus/ train. Or you will be putting in $2 for a single ride. 3. If you are traveling to/from the airport, there is really no information desk or staff to help. Approaching anyone you see is not a option in US. So have a plan. Keep the day pass ready to get to Union station. But you need a $7 ticket on the airport shuttle. It is not a part of LA metro. 4. If you plan to only fly in/ out on a day (early morning, night flight), get a single way ticket. Day pass is going to be a waste. You. Any use it on the airport shuttle. 5. It is tough to save money and still travel around in LA. California is expensive. But serious planning can save you a bit and let you have fun as well

The Big Apple

2012-04-21T14:32:00.000-04:00

Alright, I was in NYC again. New York City, the Big Apple, the melting pot of cultures and all those fine things. But in the day, there is mostly high rises and busy people. That's what I watched this time. Sat down on a bench in Madison Avenue and watched busy office goers and really busy office goers. Girls in flat shoes running to work, girls in high stilettos walking casually for coffee, men sitting in the sun and catching a book. It was great to sit and watch the world go by, just waiting to be a part of this life someday.

By the day, the city scape is not so pretty. I was a tad disappointed. Mostly constructions and refurbishing buildings. But once the sun sets, there is some dramatic sunset and very pretty scenes. There is the Statue of Liberty against the setting sun. Then there is the beautiful Manhattan Skyline. And then there are friends and food and drinks.

Home of Ben & Jerry's

2012-04-16T12:27:00.002-04:00

Do you think I went to a Ben & jerry's ice cream stall with a mild winter in the background? Oh oh, let me explain!
Not that I committed a sin, but I feel just as sinful being in the spiritual heaven called the Home of Ben & Jerry's. I had been to Vermont, USA., the town of Waterbury which houses the Ben & Jerry's factory.

Stairway to Heaven

All the good things Ben & Jerry do for the environment. They also give 3 tubs of ice-cream to all employees of the factory everyday.

And for the flavors that didn't survive, they killed them and bult a graveyard. The Flavor Graveyard

Disney, an experience!

2012-04-09T12:00:00.000-04:00

Definitely, Disney is an experience. Not and attraction. Maybe it was an attraction when I was a kid. To realize that childhood dream after two long decades including the loss of childhood and dawn of adult priorities, it made no difference in the innocent hand waves to Mickey Mouse on the Disney parade. That's really what Disney World does to you. Makes you "Celebrate your Dreams come True".

Genie of Aladdin

Up in the Air - Cinderella's Palace

The Disney Parade happens once an hour or few times a day. This is the best experience for you see all the Disney characters ever created, all those cartoon characters you grew up with walking around you and shaking hands with kids. I just magically transformed to a 5 year old and waved at Mickey Mouse with all my hands and shook hands with Pluto.

The evening parade is an electrical parade and just as fascinating. All characters and carts are lit up with colorful serial lights. Every filler girl looks like a Disney Princess. Overall, the experience is amazing and will engage you thoroughly irrespective of your age.

Cinderella in Pumpkin carriage

Key West Cuteness

2012-04-05T20:13:00.000-04:00

Old fashioned white fence and bright Pink bougainvillea flowers bulging out from inside the graden, might sound like just another small town sight. But the yester-years feel and small charm that goes along with the kick that you are actually holidaying on the southern most point of the United States? Nothing quite beats it!

Out of a fairytale in Vermont

2012-03-14T23:54:00.000-04:00

Imagine driving from a cold dry place in North Eastern USA, and just driving past light snow. Snow, when you expected and had none, can be pretty amusing. Boston, which is supposed to be super cold didn't really have all the inches of snow this winter and driving through New Hampshire gave me the beautiful sight of two-lane freeways with snow, ice and all white.

If New Hampshire was that good, further up north, Vermont was a fairy land. It is exactly one of those beautiful pristine areas. Constantly snowing in the first week of March, the snow was not harsh but just the right kind to create great ski slopes of the valleys.

Way down from Bolton Valley, Vermont

If I see a pathway trailing off a mountain highway, seemingly to a hill side cottage/ home, trees lining its sides., and all this coved in snow, there is just one way I would describe it. Out of a Fairytale. That's what Vermont will be in my memory.

5 things NOT to miss in Sikkim

2012-03-11T20:25:00.000-04:00

The state of Sikkim has been gaining tourist popularity in the recent years and with a growing number of resorts and tourist facilities, the state tourism board advertises Sikkim tourism in a never before kind of commercial style. There are lots of tours, each covering almost all the popular destinations and at super competitive prices. Amidst all the commercial holiday planning, all a simple soul like me wants is to lie back in a cozy hill top room and sip a cup of hot tea. Maybe include some special Sikkimese moments.

1. Pahadi shopping on M.G. Road- Ironic as it feels, the Indo-Chine-Tibetian flavours bring out the best of pahadi colors of Himalayas. Searching and digging through the street markets along M.G. Road of Gangtok gave me access to a whole range of vibrant shawls, caps and sweaters. Most Chinese makes are cheap and if you can discount the tiny flaws, what you have left is bright and cozy winter-holiday wear.

2.Changu lake- A lake at the height of 12000 feet above sea level can create excitement in anyone. Add to it the foothills of Himalayas, surroundings of Buddhist culture and a protected community of villagers. Changu lake is beautiful through the summer months from June-September. Though my visit was in late October, the beginning of winter and off-season for tourists, the sight of multi-colored Buddhist flags around a foggy lake were more exotic than my imagination went. I would put it on my must-see for any visit to Sikkim.

3.Acclimatize with Alu Tikki – If there is one experience I can count as truly Himalayan about Sikkim, it was the drive to Nathu La, the Indian-Chinese border located 14,140 feet about sea level. Getting there meant acclimatizing from the Gangtok’s atlitude of four thousand feet, stopping at regular intervals to breathe, eat and stretch. When the demand is so high, the supply can get no better than Alu Tikki, Momos and piping hot tea at a bunch of local cafes. Kyangnosla Café had no more than an asbestos sheet for roof, a basic Indian toilet and roaring business catering to all basic needs of travelers.

4.Take home Temi Tea- Sikkim’s own Temi Tea garden was established in 1969 and boasts of Organic grown tea. Temi tea and Sikkim tea are of top quality and hold high demand in International markets. The neighbor Darjeeling tea is also sold in Gangtok. Tea estates around this region produce some of India’s finest tea and adding some to your tea collection can never make you regret.

5.The feeling of Patriotism- This a unique feeling you get only when you are seeing one-day cricket match or near India’ s border. Here I mean the latter. BRO or Border Road Organization has done a great job of building and maintaining roads at the high altitude. What’s more amazing is the beauty of Himalayas all along the hair-pin curvy roads and the occasional MERA BHARAT MAHAN painted on the soil of Himalayas. The was the hair-raising climax of my Sikkim holiday.

This is my article published in Club Mahindra Blog

Lighting brings alive Brooklyn Bridge

2012-03-05T15:23:00.000-05:00

If you thought the title will show you a lit up night photo, no, think again. Dramatic afternoon light in Northern hemisphere is good enough to make up for any special serial lights. Even in the middle of restoration, in cold and late December., Brooklyn Bridge just continues to stand tall and beautiful. Braving the externals, and living with beauty. Just like New York City.

Brooklyn Bridge

Peace after Chaos, Batu Ferringhi

2012-03-02T10:49:00.000-05:00

Batu Ferringhi beach is one of the most peaceful beaches I have visited last year. In Penang Island, Malaysia, the name means Foreigner's rock. And holds good to its name. There are more foreigner tourists inhabiting the beach than Malaysians. And despite the beach side cafes and luxury hotels, the cleanliness and calm of the beach is commendable. After a long stretch of crowded markets in Penang, I was pleasantly surprised by the almost non-existence of tourist stalkers in Batu Ferringhi.

Long walks on a calm beach

Early April might have been off season for the beach vacationers. There were a few locals trying to get some business for their cold drinks, parasailing or jetski. But the few people at the beach would rather chill by themselves.

Clear beach with a few tiny businesses

The most relaxing time is the one you spend doing what you do best. Though doing nothing is among everybody's best, I would stil rate it my second best. Chilling and taking in the beautiful sunset at a beach, however, ranks on the top of my list.

Just the right beach activuty

Beach on a Cloudy day?

2012-02-02T14:30:00.000-05:00

If you already planned a vacation, got to the destination and it started to get cloudy., don't fret. Clouds and Rain aren't meant to rob off your holiday spirit. Anything natural would just add up to your holiday spirit.
Last year, I was in Phuket, a place I always wanted to travel to. And the weekend we were there, it was very cloudy, mostly raining and slushy roads. Most of the roads are commercialized and sales people stalk you to enter their shops. In the middle of all this, I wanted to enjoy my trip, which was a long time's wish.

What I did realize was, you can;t control people or nature. What you can control is how you spend your time, where you go and what memories you create for yourself.
We went to a beautiful gold resort in north Phuket, close to the airport and there we were: the rain had only made its grounds greener, clouds had made golfing pleasanter! One of the loveliest holiday afternoons in my life was on this cloudy/slushy day. Who says weather can play spoilsport? I say, be a sport!

Photo Essay : No Museum shall bore in DC

2012-01-28T08:50:00.001-05:00

Adding to the title, not all museums can be completed in one trip. There are so many museums and so much variety in Washington DC that one day, one week or one trip is just not enough to complete viewing. List of museums is exhaustive and can lead to monotony if you try to squeeze in too many but the experience is overwhelming.

Museum of American Indian

Native Indian Art

American Indian Tribal Tent

National Gallery of Art

An Original Monet

National Gallery of Art - Sculpture Garden

Museum of African Art

Robe/ Head gear

Nigerian art

Museum of Natural History

Check out the huge dinosaur fossil

The best thing about all these beautiful museums is FREE entry. You could run out of time and never be able to do all of them if on holiday mode. But the museums are so unique, each one will consume your full attention and if you dont don't keep track, time too. Enjoy!

Cheering Boston, the home team

2012-01-25T11:13:00.000-05:00

USA has four major sports to follow and talk about all the time. Baseball, Ice Hockey, American Football and Basketball, if I got those right. So this post if about the first live basketball game I went to. The players are really really tall, maybe 7 fet tall each.

Packed stadium

Stadium is packed. Especially since I went to see the home team play.
Boston Celtics vs Chicago Bulls.
Boston Celtics put up a great show. Chicago Bulls, an even better game. Derrick Rose played a great hero for his team. And all this I learnt on the fly as I watched the game, learned the teams and the game rules

Every Timeout called had a filler by cheer leaders and ever quater break was a show by cheer leaders and kids.
Fun way to spend a winter evening indoors!

Photo Essay : Monuments Trail in Washington DC

2012-01-23T10:35:00.000-05:00

From my own experience of the United States of America, the history chapters from high school and little east coast travel, I can say USA has a very short history compared to Asia or Europe. Yet, the huge country has put in a huger effort in documenting and monumenting their history for the generations to come. If there is one city that can boast of tons of this, it is Washington DC, a city-state. The monuments/ memorials trail is long, though walkable and very exhaustive. Managed to cover a few that appealed to my history lesson remainders.

Washington Monument

Tall pointed structure of 555 feet and 5 1/8 inches

There are 3 colors of stones that make Washington Monument. Best part is observing the colors change with sunset.

Lincoln Memorial

Abraham Lincoln, the first guy to abolish slavery

Lincoln fought for colored people not to be treated as slaves

World War II Memorial

Names of all states during World War II are on each of the arches

Philippines is also in the US territory list as of World War II days.

Columbus Memorial

Columbus, the guy who discovered America

Columbus fountain around the monument is a sight to see during summer. Ofcourse, water freezes in Winter and fountain is not operational.

Life sized bell next to Columbus Memorial

Jefferson Memorial missed out :(

Martin Luther King Memorial
With all the preparation for MLK day, and Obama scheduled to give a speech on MLK, the memorial was bustling with people.
MLK fought for the racial equality in USA.

United States Courthouse

Pantheon styles structure is the US courthouse

Capitol Hill
Definitely one of the biggest attractions of DC. It is the equivalent of India's Parliament house. About the hill part, you might be lucky to see a ten feet high slope on top of which the Capitol is built. So, it is a rised structure.

The boulevard in front leads all the way to Lincoln Memorial where Lincoln can see the Capitol

Singapore Hawker Stalls

2012-01-20T10:35:00.000-05:00

If you think Asian food is all Beef ball noodles and pork fries, think again. Here's good fish and great vegetarian food for a lifetime

Being a single city country, Singapore has an effortless edge blending the East and Western cultures. Having no real boundaries but welcoming foreign talent makes this melting pot of cultures even more deliciously aromatic and tasty. Local food is best tasted in the hawker stalls, which are local versions of stand-alone food courts. These courts have multiple stalls each serving a unique cuisine, Chinese, Indian, Malay, Western etc but not authentic, just very Singaporean.

Breakfast of Bee Hoon- Bee hoon is rice vermicelli or thin noodles, prepared with a chinese touch. It is either white noodles with sesame seasoning or yellow with soya based seasoning. I have always liked Asian countries for healthy steamed food and this one just tops my list.

Kaya toast has its own space for western influenced breakfast. Kaya spread is a mixture of egg yolk and coconut paste, usually served with butter toast. It goes great with the local coffee and is served throughout the day at dedicated Kaya toast cafes.

Lunch the Laksa – Noodle soup with coconut curry flavor. When I first tasted Laksa, I felt it was very Malay but noodle soups are very Chinese by definition. This culture blended dish comes with a couple of huge prawns and lots of bean sprouts as any other dish in the region. No trip to Singapore would be complete without Laksa.

Nasi Lemak- Again a blended dish. Usually served for work lunch. It is available any stall and contained sticky rice, fried fish and really spice groundnut sauce, all wrapped in banana leaf. Being Indian, I thought no other culture beats the spice we make. But I was wrong. The spicy groundnut paste with Nasi Lemak beats the living daylights out of most unsuspecting people. There are various flavours of Nasi Lemak, the Malay version sell well in Singapore, though Indonesian versions are just as tasty.

Rojak- This one comes in Chinese, Malay and Indian flavors. I have tried the Indian/Malay Rojak which serves as an appetizer and the stalls can throws in the mixture of vegetables and fruits with sweet-n-sour chilli based sauce in just a few minutes., the time you wait for another hawker stall to put together a quick dinner.

Roti Prata- Indian immigrants form 9% of Singapore’s total population and with a majority being collared workers, Roti Prata is a staple dinner in most stalls. The corn flour bread has its history from India’s Kerala state and in Singapore it is served with curry, egg or chocolate.

Dessert it off with Mango Sago- It was only when I moved to Singapore, that I realized there are a whole range of desserts very specific to south east Asia. Sago seeds are the same as

Sabudana in India. These are dunked in Mango Puree and topped with mango fruit to serve. So tropically exotic and so Singapore!

Which one's your favorite?

Wall Street Art

2012-01-12T21:52:00.000-05:00

Some cool posters I saw for sale on the side walk of Wall street. When I visited NYC during the Christmas break of 2011, Wall Street was at its festive best, decked up for tourists from around the world. These posters on the sidewalk have the very flavor of NYC along with the world-changing-biggies.

Weekend Getaway - Newport, RI

2012-01-09T15:46:00.002-05:00

A Weekend trip itinerary
M and I were off to Newport, Rhode Island last weekend. Now we live in Massachusetts which is a tiny state in North eastern USA. Tinier than Mass is Rhode Island to the south of MA. On interstate highway or freeway as people USA calls it, the journey is a mere hour long, which makes RI a quick getaway for people like us in Boston.

Trivia Some small little states like these in the north east together are called New England.

But why Newport? True, it is not NYC but Newport has many a thing for the first timers. Being a big-loud-crammed-city girl all life, I love the idea of quaint little towns, slow and spaced out. So here's the weekend agenda

Saturday
Morning- rent a car for two days and drive down south on the interstate
Sweet is the word for this place. Pell bridge across two protruding pieces of land in Atlantic ocean looks so beautiful on a clear day that it could pass off as grand as the Brooklyn bridge.

Pell Bridge

Noon- reach Newport, check in to the hotel and head to the historic center if the town for lunch.
Sweet is the word for this place. Pell bridge across two protruding pieces of land in Atlantic ocean looks so beautiful on a clear day that it could pass off as grand as the Brooklyn bridge.
Newport town had single storied buildings and each of a dramatic color. Some old school Irish pubs, Italian restaurants and regular's bar and restaurants; where the bartender greets you by first name when you enter and chats with you about a local game on TV. Thats what I like about small towns.

Cobbled streets and doll house like buildings

Evening- Walk along the wharf, pier and boat docks. Though I am a inland city girl and completely clueless about wharfs and piers, being in sea facing cities for a year has gotten me used to these terms. Bowen's wharf is bright and on a clear day, just right to soak the sun. And why not? The weather has been exceptionally warm and friendly off late.

Bowen's Wharf

Night- Have a margarita and head to a local casino. That's right. Newport, a small town has its own casino, originally started for the players from the Hall of Fame.

Sunday

Morning- Healthy, hearty, over loading breakfast and head to International Tennis Hall of Fame. If Newport, RI is famous for one thing, it would be this. Located right in the heart of the town, the Hall of Fame museum is a complete tennis addict's show. But, as a non-tennnis player and non-sport's addict, I still found the International Hall of Fame interesting. Afterall, Tennis is a game that played on TV when we were growing up with just one TV channel. So Steffi Graf, Sabatini, Navratilova, Monica Seles all ring bells and keep the ball bouncing.

Noon- Oh! I can't really say this. But I spent the sunday afternoon at Newport Creamery. It is such a heaven for kids. They were all having a ball ordering icecreams of choice. I just blended into the crowd and enjoyed the brownie-chocolate icecream-fudge creation I ordered.

Evening- Walk the 3.5 mile Cliff Walk. It stretched all along the Newport cliff lining the Old England style mansions. Late afternoons are a treat in the northern hemisphere. Esp, in countries where sun goes down around 4-5 pm. The sun is just warm, birds flying, lots of walkers, a real wavy beach of the Atlantic next to you, good fun!

Colors of Atlantic City

2012-01-07T16:55:00.000-05:00

The vibrant Jitney, most convenient mode of transport in Atlantic City. And in the background are the colorful vintage-looking buildings. Atlantic City is US East Coast's Las Vegas with a strip full of Casinos, hotels and brand showrooms.

Fenway Park, the ball park culture

2012-01-05T16:39:00.000-05:00

As a fresh-off-boat desi in USA, I had no clue what a ball park was up till a month back. Ofcourse, I knew baseball was a big time sport in the US. Just had to connect dots to make the ball park mean what I understood as a baseball stadium. I am talking of the legendary ballpark of Boston Red Sox, Fenway Park.

Boston's famous base ball team

The ball park is huge. The present location of Fenway Park was once a swamp and it had to be filled to make it usable as a ball park. Most of the ballpark's history revolves around Boston's Red Sox team, how they were bought by many owners, how the players were sold off for money to save the park and so on.

TRIVIA And guess who was the biggest rival team for the last hundres years? New York Yankees! The same team that bought Red Sox' best players.

View from the season ticket holder's section.

TRIVIA Red Sox was a later name. The original name of the baseball team was "Red Stockings".

Because they wore red stockings as a part of the team uniform. So cheesy, right? Gladly, they were shortened to Red Sox.

The manual score board which operates even to this day is above. The guy peeping in to see what's inside is the only tiny little hole for the score changers to look through before they can update scores live during the base ball game.

Fenway Park

Happy New Year from NYC

2012-01-03T17:06:00.000-05:00

We are back from a rocking year end trip to New York City. And symbolically, here is the Wall Street Bull decked up for Holidays and wishing everyone a wonderful new year.
Happy New Year, folks!
Bring it on 2012!

Art Scene in Boston: Part 1

2011-12-15T19:25:00.000-05:00

Art of Americas

Some of the best documentations of how Art scene in America evolved is in Boston. I am talking about Musuem of Fine Arts or MFA, Boston.

The section flows from Victorian times in New England with the decor and art used by Protestant immigrants, to the present day.

Victorian times decor and art works

During the twentieth century, some American artists strove to record the world as it is. A lot of skill though I wouldn't admit creativity, but definitely hard work on the artists' part.

Paintings just like a photograph.

The above painting is easily 10-12 feet wide and covers a whole wall in the huge section dedicated to twentieth century artists.
Below is a still life from an African-American family in the mid-twentieth century.

In the post World War era, Modern American artists sought to capture modern and urban sophistication.

Art in this period is known as Art-Deco (as opposed to Art-deco meaning art and decoration, which I had conveniently assumed till I read it). I read these artists borrowed from European Cubism, sleek French styles and German functional designs.
Above is a canvas painting of City of Lights. Below is Brooklyn Bridge.

Below is a painting by Stuart Davis. I hadn't heard of him. But he is one among three known Modern artists in America. And these three artists and their art is America's response to Europe's modern art.

Finally, my favorite section, Contemporary American Art. Occupying huge walls, these simple designs follow the Minimalist style. The patterns and designs are not mind-blowing. Just, simple and overwhelming.

Practical information
Getting there: Museum of Fine Arts is connected well by the Boston metro train system.
Entry: On regular days, the entry is $22 for adults. I suggest this is a place for adults to enjoy an appreciate the arts scene. However, there is child ticket as well.
Wednesdays, after 4 pm is free entry/ by voluntary donation
Check out the website for free introductory tours to each section, which last half hour.

Stop and Look Sunday

2011-12-04T14:27:00.000-05:00

Sunday evening in downtown Boston and a walk around the quiet alleys made my week-end fabulous and gave a enthusiastic start to the week ahead. What's your stop-and-look-Sunday?

Photo Essay: When the Fall waited for me...

2011-12-01T10:52:00.043-05:00

Drafted 9 November 2011

Fall excitement!!!

Here I am in the epicenter of Boston's history, Beacon Hill area. Hopped off the red line train at the Charles station and walked all along Charles street. A quaint street with quiet shops boutique cafes on the sidewalks of Federal style buildings. These buildings have red brick finishing on the outside and have a 19th century look. The street feels American, very old school American.

This area has lots of little alleys, each housing beautiful fall foliage and street parking for Boston's historical center.

Old America?

Charles river esplanade is just in the parallel street. I am here in early November, I feel the north eastern USA just retained the last of its fall colors for me to enjoy on a bright and sunny afternoon.

A walk along that deck gives me sights and colors that make my soul smile and thank the guy up there for all the beauty. (Really, I sound like that guy in American Beauty!)

Clear sky, fall colors, sunshine and a deck. Anything else? A boat maybe. Does that complete the happy picture? For me, it completes and fulfills. That's what I call the beauty.

Charles river bridge from Boston to Cambridge

The maple leaf definitely waited for me

Borobudur, Jungles of Java

2011-11-26T00:39:00.004-05:00

Everything is nothing, nothing is everything! This is what our guide said about the Borobudur temple. Borobudur temple has 13 levels and all the way up the steps, there are carvings of Buddhist culture and history with a tiny bit of Hindu culture. There are war sagas and legendary beauties all the way from level four till level nine. Now, these are not equally spaced levels. From ground level to level four might have been around 20 steps. But upwards happens to get more steeper. After listening to the Buddhist history on level four, we pondered.

Took a moment to enjoy the cool morning breeze and looked around. Coming to Borobudur for the famous sunrise had been worth the ride. Fortyfive minutes from the city of Yogyakarta in Indonesia, in the middle of nowhere, temperate climate and yet really close to a beach. Everything was around the temple. This was Borobudur, within the beautiful jungles Java. In distance was the active volcano Mt. Merapi. Hot and blazing up smoke. So the nothing around this temple is indeed Everything.

Why is the Borobudur sunrise so famous? When you walk up the levels of the temple and look east, what you see is the sun rising behind this active volcano. The sight of hot gases and smoke rising up as sunrays slowly emerge behind Merapi is amazing. It first felt like see a hot cup of coffee with steam against it and a beautiful sunrise. Magnify that hot cup but two million times and that is Merapi for you. Active and scary, the local guides have actually stopped mountain treks to Merapi which were a hit with visitors till a few years ago.

As we walked up the levels ten to thirteen, the last four levels mostly have Stupas. Each of the Stupas is supposed to have a Buddha inside who is seeing the world through the square holes. Restoration of the temple is in progress and some Buddhas can be spotted sitting inside the Stupa with a little teasing smile.

The topmost level was under restoration when I visited in August 2011. But all it housed was another Buddha. Another Buddha looking through the square holes of the Stupa and smiling at the world. That’s the nucleus, the everything. Nothing really!

When everything is around you, why do you care about nothing inside?

This is my article published in Club Mahindra website

Wall Art in Singapore

2011-11-23T16:05:00.024-05:00

All in the under ground alley lining the Esplanade and City Hall, Singapore definitely knows her way around to make space. The little island, known for its accommodate spirit towards foreign talent sure has space for young artistic talent from their own schools.

A simple idea like the old school hawker of the 70's Singapore is now on the walls of the posh commercial heart giving the old Singaporean his due. And making a contemporary expression!

After all,Art is all about ideas and expressions. Isn't it?

Culinary Tourism in Hampi

2011-11-21T08:38:00.002-05:00

Eating is not the first thing I would think about in Hampi. Culture and history are more like it. But from my past travels to Hampi, I have realized there is a whole new revolution with the culinary culture in this place.

Local Breakfast : Fried Bajjis early in the morning
My first encounter with this culture was when I hopped off the overnight bus. The main road of Hampi town has local restaurants serving hot idlis and mirchi bajji with chutney for breakfast. They cook almost on the road and anyone passing by, who catches the delicious smell of idli steam or bajji fry is simply invited to sit inside and get served. Cook outside and serve inside. That’s right, it is opposite of most places.

Don’t like it fried? Then go Continental.
The next morning I relaxed on the mattress in the guesthouse’s restaurant and the menu set me off in awe. For a tiny little village, the menu card of each guesthouse’s restaurant ranges from continental breakfast to a full-fledged Italian pasta including Indian curies and roti/naan, finishing off with pancakes and pudding desserts. My continental breakfast came with a fresh juice, 2 eggs with the option of fried, boiled or omelet, toasts with butter/ jam and a coffee to finish off. I would specifically vouch for the well made vegetable omelet (with minimum grease as I requested) and a beautiful Cappuccino. Not sure if that little kitchen had a Cappuccino machine, but whatever it was made of, that coffee really kickstarted my day. My French friend’s Indian breakfast looked more sumptuous with greasy Alu Parathas served with spiced yogurt and an Indian Chai.

Khanawali
Rest of the morning, I went to the ruins and got busy admiring and photographing and never realized how exhausted I got in the scorching October sun. I got so hungry as I started to cycle on my rented bicycle that I had to stop at the local restaurant for lunch. Khanawali, is the local name for the North Karnataka restaurant. And the meals they cook are locally grown vegetables curry (nutrition masters alert!), complete with lentils’ (yes, I got the proteins) served with Jowar roti and rice. That was the tastiest meal I had in ages. As I stepped out in burping satisfaction, I noticed their nameplate said they were featured in Lonely Planet. All for a minimum price of seventy five rupees. That was a steal

Nepali cooks' signature dish
I took the last boat back to the guesthouse side of the river, this time determined to taste the Nepali’s hand cooking. I ordered a vegetarian Pasta Arabica which I have to agree was beautifully cooked and flavored. Though not authentic flavoring, the pasta definitely struck a chord with my taste buds. Our new found French friends offered us to taste their Aloo Palak with Roti and again I gorged on it like there was nothing else. Admittedly, the Nepali’s cooking had an Indian flavor to the Western dishes but the taste was second to none. The cream of this meal was Nepal’s own Saklab dessert or “Hello to the Queen”. It is sliced bananas mixed with vanilla icecream and topped with chocolate sauce and biscuit crumbs. Filling is an understatement. Food was fulfilling and satisfying.