tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7877407Wed, 23 Jul 2008 10:55:20 +0000http://oftravelsandtravails.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Shalini)Blogger2065125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7877407.post-9161571339289010010Wed, 23 Jul 2008 10:40:00 +00002008-07-23T14:55:06.711+04:00photographySummer is here in full force and we are doing everything we can to not let it overtake our lives and keep us indoors. Even the minimum temperatures here are so high that it's hot and humid early in the mornings as well. I never thought it would be humid here in the desert, but along the coast it does get pretty humid in the summer. I can't wait for better weather, but it seems like ages away. In http://oftravelsandtravails.blogspot.com/2008/07/summer-time.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shalini)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7877407.post-2257977769875427218Sun, 20 Jul 2008 06:24:00 +00002008-07-20T10:35:51.266+04:00travelsAs an avid traveler, I have learned that one can easily ruin a trip just by not packing correctly. These days it has become even more important to be vigilant when one packs so that one doesn't put some of the banned items in the carry on luggage and so on. One of the best things that one can buy, is a set of TSA travel locks, that can be opened by security agents without having to be broken and http://oftravelsandtravails.blogspot.com/2008/07/traveling-right_20.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shalini)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7877407.post-8167693531065978401Sun, 13 Jul 2008 11:06:00 +00002008-07-13T15:11:42.772+04:00photographyI've found that I love taking photographs in my neighborhood. It wasn't until I started going for my early morning walks that I realized how peaceful it was to wander and connect with the area one lives in. At one time, we all had a great sense of community, but with time, this feeling has got lessened to the point that a lot of times, we really don't know anything about our neighborhoods, and http://oftravelsandtravails.blogspot.com/2008/07/we-all-need-sense-of-community.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shalini)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7877407.post-1330891815847270516Sun, 13 Jul 2008 10:41:00 +00002008-07-13T15:04:50.159+04:00trendsSummer is here and it's that time again, where everyone is looking out for the newest and latest of diets to go on and get into the best shape possible. There is a list of best diet pills here if you're interested. But as usual, I must add that before starting on any diet or exercise plan it is essential to get a health check done. If one ends up losing weight too quickly that can lead to lots ofhttp://oftravelsandtravails.blogspot.com/2008/07/another-summer-trend.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shalini)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7877407.post-5335516239935132703Sun, 13 Jul 2008 10:30:00 +00002008-07-13T14:40:43.595+04:00trendsThe newly designed milk jug that has been adopted by Costco and Walmart is supposed to be a better designed jug, but the majority of consumers are not happy with it. The newer jugs are a lot cheaper for the manufacturers and are easier to ship as well, they cost less and the milk in them is fresher, but the downside is that these new jugs have no spout which leads to spilt milk everywhere. The http://oftravelsandtravails.blogspot.com/2008/07/sign-of-changing-times-new-milk-jug.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shalini)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7877407.post-6162670845814085263Sun, 13 Jul 2008 06:47:00 +00002008-07-13T11:11:59.167+04:00travelsEach time I travel, I worry about my suitcases. I worry whether they will arrive on time, whether they will be in good condition when they arrive, and whether they will be the oldest and most tired looking luggages on the baggage carousel. I think if I had something like these famed Zero Halliburton luggage, I would not worry at all! I've always thought of them as super cool, and loved seeing http://oftravelsandtravails.blogspot.com/2008/07/traveling-right.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shalini)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7877407.post-8552250682549318384Sun, 13 Jul 2008 06:39:00 +00002008-07-13T10:47:05.925+04:00fun stuffDid you know that you could personalize M&Ms? I didn't, so I was quite thrilled to find out from their site that you can personalize them with your own mix of colors, captions and now even photographs! I think that's really adorable! Just image how cute it would be to get some made with your child's photo on them! M&M's has long been a favorite of kids around the world (in some form or the other.http://oftravelsandtravails.blogspot.com/2008/07/personalize-your-party-m.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shalini)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7877407.post-330602591267373785Sun, 13 Jul 2008 06:21:00 +00002008-07-13T11:14:22.905+04:00travelsWhenever someone asks me for advice on planning a great vacation, I just cannot stress enough the importance of getting some travel insurance. It is the one thing that will ensure that your vacation does not get ruined if you fall sick, lose some important papers or your luggage. A lot of people think of it as wasted money or something to get only if you have a lot of money, but there are lots ofhttp://oftravelsandtravails.blogspot.com/2008/07/how-to-have-perfect-vacation.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shalini)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7877407.post-5067449863493964500Thu, 10 Jul 2008 09:57:00 +00002008-07-10T14:04:26.841+04:00photographyI got a lot of positive comments on this photo, so I wanted to post it here as well. I took this one in May, but somehow never got around to posting it till now....think I had posted too many shots of neem leaves and flowers already! We get lovely light in the house, especially in the afternoon and evenings and so most of the work is already done, and all I have to do is to be around and notice http://oftravelsandtravails.blogspot.com/2008/07/thanks-to-light.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shalini)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7877407.post-3227412088493642124Thu, 10 Jul 2008 09:52:00 +00002008-07-10T13:55:46.351+04:00Even though your next semester in college is a while away, it's a really great time to get your required textbooks, since you're sure to get some really great deals on them. As the semester nears, prices always increase, so it's best to buy in advance. A lot of bookstores reorganized their inventory during these lean summer months, so many books might be on the reduction table, if you're lucky. http://oftravelsandtravails.blogspot.com/2008/07/get-set-for-school.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shalini)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7877407.post-1876895144034286642Thu, 10 Jul 2008 09:44:00 +00002008-07-13T11:17:22.371+04:00travelsHaving a great map is essential for all travelers and I am really liking these new kinds of software that help you map your trip and location. Schmap is one such site that uses an interactive process to show you places on a map. All content is integrated dynamically so that it is completely intuitive and will have real-time photos of the places on the map. How do you use it? Well, you have to http://oftravelsandtravails.blogspot.com/2008/07/schmap-it.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shalini)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7877407.post-7402698628839691854Thu, 10 Jul 2008 09:35:00 +00002008-07-10T13:42:05.758+04:00marketingI find it very interesting how the process of finding a job has changed so much in the past few years. Where at one time, one actually had to hunt through newspapers and job agencies, now one can find a job sitting at home in your pajamas half way around the world. The entire concept of a job search has been reinvented. The jobs have changed too, so it has been a great way to keep up with the http://oftravelsandtravails.blogspot.com/2008/07/on-finding-perfect-job.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shalini)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7877407.post-7715757466079705706Thu, 10 Jul 2008 09:24:00 +00002008-07-10T13:34:44.639+04:00photographyI've really made a concerted push to doing things that make me happy, since I often get down in the dumps for no reason at all, but enough is enough, life is for living and I'm going to make sure that I'm having a heck of a time. The weirdest thing is that taking photographs made me realize this, as it made me slow down and think about the present instead of fretting about the past and worrying http://oftravelsandtravails.blogspot.com/2008/07/new-me.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shalini)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7877407.post-6584450314551339016Thu, 10 Jul 2008 08:12:00 +00002008-07-10T12:15:55.578+04:00Finding the right gift for someone is always a stressful job, but thanks to the xbox 360 pretty much everyone who gets it is thrilled with it. I find that to be a huge relief, since I am not that great at buying gifts for teenage boys and this was a really tough one for me. Thankfully, my know-in-all neighbor helped me out on this and get me going in the right direction. After searching on the http://oftravelsandtravails.blogspot.com/2008/07/right-gift.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shalini)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7877407.post-3852794140019237044Tue, 01 Jul 2008 05:37:00 +00002008-07-01T09:42:04.388+04:00photographyI simply adore bougainvilleas. The variety is amazing and these plants are so giving, always blooming the most beautiful of flowers even in the harshest of conditions. I hope I never get tired of looking at them and admiring them. I've been photographing a lot of different ones on my morning walks, but these are probably the most vibrant ones that I have shot to date. I love the background in thehttp://oftravelsandtravails.blogspot.com/2008/07/nothing-like-bougainvillea.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shalini)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7877407.post-3664488940629881941Tue, 01 Jul 2008 05:31:00 +00002008-07-01T09:36:34.808+04:00entertainingWe've always been huge movie buffs, and have been planning to st up a nice home theater when we move to a new location. Even though, we're not quite sure when it will happen, it hasn't stopped me from looking for the perfect home theater sconces, reclining seats, cozy blankets and everything else that one needs to create the perfect home theater room in one's own house. We do love going to the http://oftravelsandtravails.blogspot.com/2008/07/movie-theater-dreaming.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shalini)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7877407.post-3972189490551103580Tue, 01 Jul 2008 05:19:00 +00002008-07-13T11:18:20.052+04:00travels I found a pretty cool travel site today. It's called TripTie and its actually a travel planning website where you can check out other people's travel plans and use them for your own trip, add your own info to their trips, such as updating a restaurant closure or recommending a particular dish and so on. I've not signed up or used the system as yet, but I've certainly enjoyed browsing through http://oftravelsandtravails.blogspot.com/2008/07/travel-inspiration.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shalini)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7877407.post-2729598610167862846Tue, 01 Jul 2008 05:07:00 +00002008-07-13T11:19:41.950+04:00travelsIn between working, I have been doing a lot of searching for a different kind of vacation. When we usually travel on vacation, we like to mix the budget with the expensive to get a little bit of everything, but this time we're considering going on one of these all out luxury vacations. We haven't really decided where we want to go as yet, or even when, but it sure is very tempting to search for ahttp://oftravelsandtravails.blogspot.com/2008/07/luxe-trip-maybe.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shalini)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7877407.post-685527170815845641Mon, 30 Jun 2008 04:34:00 +00002008-06-30T08:39:58.620+04:00Reading blogs opens up a whole new world for you. I find it fascinating that thanks to a simple blog, one can read about someone living their life across the world and see what their experiences are. Ever since we moved abroad (again!) I've been quite active on expat boards and am forever searching for expat blogs, so that have people I can relate to. So it was pretty cool to come across, Culturehttp://oftravelsandtravails.blogspot.com/2008/06/i-love-expat-blogs.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shalini)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7877407.post-7902182838035797365Mon, 30 Jun 2008 04:21:00 +00002008-06-30T08:27:09.537+04:00As a blogger, one automatically gravitates to reading other blogs and over the years I have built up a nice list of bookmarks of sites that I like to visit. I haven't been doing it too much recently, ever since I have been caught up with my Flickr-addiction, but one of the blogs that I used to read regularly and now am looking forward to reading again is Table For Five which is authored Elizabethhttp://oftravelsandtravails.blogspot.com/2008/06/daily-reading-material.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shalini)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7877407.post-2350818549127403533Thu, 26 Jun 2008 11:54:00 +00002008-06-26T15:59:15.421+04:00photographybooksA few days back I wrote about finishing reading The Family by Kitty Kelley, and so here is the photo of it. I agree that the objects in the photo are totally incongruous in relation to each other, but I didn't set up the shot or arrange it. These were just objects that were lying on the table and when I saw the sunlight coming in so beautifully, I ran to get my camera and take a shot. That's whathttp://oftravelsandtravails.blogspot.com/2008/06/book-pic.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shalini)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7877407.post-7767969587679097945Thu, 26 Jun 2008 11:32:00 +00002008-06-26T15:52:41.260+04:00In the past decade or so, the kind of home security systems that have become available have really changed. Not only have them become much more secure, but they have also become so much more simpler for the consumer to understand and use. Earlier, it was quite easy to find a way around the system, since everyone used to use the simplest of passwords and just about anyone could get around them. A http://oftravelsandtravails.blogspot.com/2008/06/secure-thing.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shalini)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7877407.post-5527481485396564609Sun, 22 Jun 2008 05:45:00 +00002008-06-22T09:54:16.734+04:00travelI'm missing out on a major adventure these days! Instead of being here at home I could have been at Club La Costa, Alpine Center near Zell Am See. Wow, now that would be a great summer vacation right? I thought so too, but had to decline to go since I had a lot of work and family stuff going on here at home. Oh well, that is life! Sometimes I think that since I love to travel so much, all I http://oftravelsandtravails.blogspot.com/2008/06/i-could-have-been-here-too.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shalini)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7877407.post-6737979304739126603Sun, 22 Jun 2008 05:21:00 +00002008-06-23T09:15:10.960+04:00travelinsuranceAs an avid traveler, I cannot stress the importance of getting travel insurance before heading out on a trip. Nothing is worse than losing your luggage, getting ill and misplacing your wallet while you're far away from home. I always take out a health insurance policy before leaving for vacations, something that will cover me and any illness at our destination. The thing about travel insurance http://oftravelsandtravails.blogspot.com/2008/06/traveling-without-worry.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shalini)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7877407.post-6331751889897420675Tue, 17 Jun 2008 06:50:00 +00002008-06-17T10:54:02.354+04:00booksI'm really thrilled with the amount of reading I've been managing to do these past few months. While two books a month is not much at all, it was hard for me manage even that before, so am very happy to keep up my current reading rate. I finished reading Kitty Kelley's The Family yesterday and must say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. I've read one of her earlier biographies on Jacqueline Kennedy http://oftravelsandtravails.blogspot.com/2008/06/finished-reading-family-by-kitty-kelley.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shalini)