Hippies’ Haven - Trip to Goa

Goa!!! Here I come. After 14 hours long stuffy bus ride and fives bags filled with my puke:), we finally reached Goa on 20^th May 2010. Oh I forgot to introduce. We matlab me and my other tanhayees - Suyash, Manish, Wendy and Ravi.

After checking-in to our hotel, we splashed straight to the in-house pool for some full-body hydration. We bonded over a game of water volleyball and some under water breath controlling race (surprisingly I won even against the boys). After some unsuccessful attempts in teaching swimming to the girls, the boys succumbed to the pressures of necessity-for-stomach syndrome. Bhukkhads. Damn! I could have competed in the CWG in Delhi :(. Anyways without wasting any further time, we freshened up and headed towards Brittos for a lavish brunch. The view was straight out of my dreams – eating delicious food with beaches and water as a backdrop. Bachpan have had panipuri and bhelpuri in Juhu beach with human feaces and dog shit as extra design to the already clean beach (sarcasm to be noted!).

Once done we stepped out to Baga beach, collected shells, took pictures, and all of us got the same tattoo done one our arms. Team Spirit!!! After loitering around for some more time, we headed towards our rooms, again did some keedas and got ready for a late night party to Tito’s (famous club in North Goa). We danced the entire night to our glory. Day 1 ended.

Next day we got up on time for breakfast, filled our stomachs and headed for Infantaria café for a brunch. Post which we headed for the Basilica of Bom Jesus church. The church was enormously huge. We also had a peek at the mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier. We dawdled around the town on our hired bikes, shopped for clothes and sea shells and headed for a nice dinner at Britto’s. Days 2 ended.

Our last day in Goa arrived. We had an early start for Calangute beach. And here we had our fun of our lives. We did jet skiing, banana ride, Water scooters and Parasailing. Now came the best part of the fun. The gang decided to just dive into the mid-sea with just our life jackets on and no one around for help. We dived into the water, floated for sometime waiting for a boat to arrive to take us to the shore. While heading back towards the shore; we again jumped into the water and swam to the shore, Boy that was fun! With our tummies ticking for food we went to Infantaria for a brunch and beer session. Took some rest and set out for Morjim beach. Played games on the silver sand, did some dryfruits shopping and headed for a sumptuous dinner of togetherness. Last day in Goa comes to an end.

Nest day we catch an early morning flight and head back to our office :(

A bike ride to a blissful journey

A famous Bollywood film stated that 'it’s easy to find a partner in your best friend but not too easy to find a best friend in your partner'. However, Ambika was lucky to find a best friend and a life-partner in Karan. Karan and Ambika had lot of things in common which made it easier for them to get along well with each other like a house on fire.

They both met at a social event for the first time. Though Ambika was outspoken and made friends easily, it took time for them to befriend each other all thanks to Karan being an introvert. Time passed-by and gradually phone numbers were exchanged and thus their road to discovering each other started. They used to chat for hours over the phone without realizing the time.

And one day a common group of friends decided to go for a stay-over jaunt. Karan and Ambika had best of fun during this trip with ganging up against each other, pouring water over their sleeping friends, applying toothpaste on their face etc. They were inseparable through out this trip. The trip not only got them together but also made them the best of friends. In spite of developing a fondness for Karan, Ambika did not take it too seriously without realizing that Karan had already fell in love with her. Two days after coming back from the trip, it happened to be a common friend’s birthday. So couple of friends decided to go to Marine drive for a late-night bike ride. Ambika joined Karan on the pillion and thus the love-struck Roadies set out for their bike ride.

It was exactly 12.00 midnight, cool air was blowing on their face, empty roads with Queen’s necklace (Marine Drive) in the background, and Karan popped up the million dollar question to Ambika leaving her astounded. It was the most romantic & beautiful idea of proposal any girl could have asked for. The bike was whirring past the clear roads, ripping apart the cool breeze with strings of street lights lit up and Karan saw a blushing pillion rider through his rear view mirror. Ambika could not stop smiling that night. It was the most beautiful moment she had experienced. But the happily-ever-after is yet to come.

Ambika was recuperating from a bad past and was not ready for a new commitment. Hence she kept rejecting Karan’s proposal as she had by now made up her mind to be single. It took Karan almost a month of patient persuasion to get Ambika accept the proposal. Life went on well thereafter with Karan and Ambika still being more of best-friends than a couple. They hardly fought and even if they did, the fight hardly lasted for an hour. Karan was the sweetest and perfect guy for the pursuit of a loving man. He dealt with Ambika’s bad temper and mood swings effortlessly. He was a romantic at heart and they both loved each other truly. Ambika was fond of dogs but was not allowed to have one at home. So Karan created a story of an imaginary puppy and they both used to talk about it everyday. Daily Karan used to describe about the pup’s antics to Ambika and she would burst into peals of laughter.

Few months later, Karan went abroad for further studies and Ambika got a new job offer in a new city. Life was going on good for them with Ambika giving enough space for Karan to enjoy his new life and showering him with her constant care. Karan also reciprocated her emotions by standing up for her during testing times. They decided to get married with their parents’ blessings after Karan got back from US.

It’s been 3 years now. Ambika is still waiting for her knight-in-shining armor to come on a horse back and take her away along with him. But Karan is nowhere to be seen. With mehendi on her hands and the rituals going in full swing, Ambika is hoping that her hero would make it on time to the wedding. Yes it’s their wedding tomorrow and Karan’s flight got delayed and hence the long wait only to live happily ever after.

What's in a Name? Therez lot in a Pet Name

Sexypear! Oops I means Shakespeare has rightly said that what’s in a name. People took it seriously and started referring to each other using pet names. Couples calling each other cutie pie, janoo, shweetu…, parents calling their kids chunnu, munnu, tunnu…, friends referring to each other with their own versions is quite common. And one such pet naming ceremony happened in our office too on Wednesday. Even I was given many pet names. Not that I didn’t have any before.

Bachpan mein my brother’s friends used to call me Naana Spot (coz there was a villan named Spot Nana in yesteryear’s Bollywood flick) as I used to be a trouble around them. Then came the petname DJ bestowed upon me by my college friends for reasons better known to them. And on Wednesday I was given some more names by my colleagues.

It so happened that a contest kinda was rolled out for our team wherein you are supposed to name your neighbor in a funny way. So it was decided that the placement would be such that no one crosses the limit of mocking some one’s name or surname. So it was decided as Name_(petname given by your neighbor)_Surname. And today when I came to my desk I was surprised to see four funny names for me which I thought I would share with you:

• Sangeeta “Main apni favourite hun” Iyer (the famous dialogue from Jab We Met)
• Sangeeta “Enthu-Cutlet” Iyer
• Sangeeta “91.0000 FM” Iyer
• Sangeeta “Meow” Iyer (though this I am not sure why meow”

It was fun. A good welcome for me to start a grumpy day :)

Ladder of Love – Life is but a journey

Love is as much of an object as an obsession, everybody wants it, everybody seeks it, but few ever achieve it, those who do will cherish it, be lost in it, and among all, never... never forget it.

- Curtis Judalet

It’s a very famous line in Bollywood movies that “mein tumhare pyar mein kuch bhi kar sakta hun”. But very few people live up to their promise. The moment a hot chick passes by, the dogs run after the meatJ. Ha ha ha. In today’s materialistic world filled with different options to lead your life, people have somewhat forgotten the real meaning of LOVE. It’s high time that we flip through the pages of the dictionary to reach the word LOVE.

There is a famous Greek saying - A heart that loves is always young. And this has been proved right by 70 year-old Liu Guojiang and his 80 year-old wife Xu Chaoqin in China. Over half-a-century ago, a 19 year-old boy fell in love with a 29 year-old widowed mother only to be criticized by friends and relatives because of the age difference and the fact that Xu already had children. Hence the couple eloped far off and decided to live in a cave to live and love each other in peace. The couple had to face numerous hardships. Sometimes Xu felt that she had tied Liu down and repeatedly asked him, 'Are you regretful? Liu always replied, 'As long as we are active, life will improve.'

As a token of love and the best gift a husband can give to his wife, Liu began and continued for over 50 years, to hand-carve the steps. And it was a surprising discovery that the wife was gifted 6000 hand-crafted steps by her husband so that his wife could get down the mountain easily.

However like any other love story, this love story also came to an end when 72 year-old Liu returned from his farm work and collapsed and passed away in Xu’s arms. The love for his wife even after death is seen when no one was able to release the grip he had on his wife's hand even after he had passed away. 'You promised me you'll take care of me, you'll always be with me until the day I died, now you left before me, how am I going to live without you?' Xu spent days softly repeating this sentence and touching her husband's black coffin with tears rolling down her cheeks.

WOW! Such kind of incidents does force you to believe in love, commitment and beauty of relationship.

P.S. You can see their story through this video too

Guide To All Future Parents