Small things that makes you smile !!! - Do notice it.

Last night i was running upstairs to my apartment using stairs, giving competition to Elevator. while I reached, Advait was alredy there, opeing the door. And a small conversation :

Advait: thaki gai?? (tiered, in Gujrati)
I replied : Ho na!! (yes, in Marathi)

We came inside...I am sure Advait didn't notice what I did!!
We both, without saying, without realizing, getting acquainted to each other's customs :)

Loving this mutual feeling!!!

Something very typical from American culture!!

I went to US for 5 weeks, my very first business trip, and in fact very first international business trip!! I was so excited because of three reasons. I was making trip on my own, I was excited to work with people there and acquire more knowledge and third and strongest reason was I am going to be in new culture, with new people!!! While having conversation with people there, got to know few typical things about their marriage system!!! Many of my relatives and friends are n US however they are from India so conversation with people during my trip was very different!!!

These are few things I got to know and felt like sharing.
1. They DO NOT have arranged marriage…and I think now in India we too are quite getting into same culture. This generation finds their better half on their own!! And in case of arranged marriages, we take our own time to make that “somebody” our “soul mate”!!!
2. Marriages are more like personal affair UNlike us. It’s just a family function with some 70-100 people in their black and white suits. However in India, it’s more like crowd of hundreds in colorful dresses. And for most of the time we invite most of them for some reasons which I never understand…On personal note, I would love to have my wedding very much personal affair!!
3. I had been to central part of US and their people are very much different than those in the big cities like New York or LA. I would say they are more like Indians. They very much believe in family. They do not have arranged marriages so youngsters are very much into dating. If they get along well, it’s the perfect thing else they are not hesitant to date someone else in search of perfect life partner. This is very much straight forward but we Indians are more concerned about society in case of breakups and ended up stretching it till it literally breaks!!!! Anyways, so after couple is all set to start a relationship called “marriage”, guy first takes permission from girl’s dad. May be he will just walk up to him or in case of long distance over the call!!!I find it so very sweet!! Basically guy proposes gul’s dad first ;)
4. And last but the best thing!! In India once couple gets married, gul is all set to move to his prince’s place. May be overseas or wherever he stays!! However it’s exactly opposite there!!! Guy moves to the town from where gul belongs. Just to respect the truth that they are more emotional and social!! I wish, really wish…my price charming would have the same heart to understand this!!!

here comes snaps of the year.............

Thought it could be the best way to return to my blog after long long time at year end...

Man made bridges :) liked this place a lot...

spent quite some time on this bridge...

As usual..can't stop uploading my own pics ;)

beauty of DSLR...I'm loving it!!!! I think these are the best pics on the blog so far..

Beauty, isn't it??

Handsome dude ;)

Putting these snaps on the blog takes away the guilt for disappearing since quite some time !!!! Comments are highly appericated :)

Loved these lines!!

I allow my memories to return and have their own way...
I let the past replay but do not live in it...
I let old feelings to flow through me on their way to peace...
I accept all that I was, all that has been...
I accept all of it, all of me!!!

Courtesy: Some good book!! Crossword, A'bad!!

The snap!!

I had captured this a year back, last monsoon!! It is one of the places i loved the most!!

Just thought to share it!

Diwali, 2010!!!

Ahmedabad's diwali is pretty different than that of Pune's. More crackers, more sweets, more getherings and more HOLIDAYS!!!! You know funny part, i was watching news on TV channels and looking at amount of fireworks (despite of huge prices), they say is it a festive time or terrist attack?? I love this crazy crowd, really!!!

Everything remains closed for 5 days!!! and that's the thing i love about this festive season! Infact that's the factor which drives more gethering and poojas!I would say people here are different than rest of the country!! Relaxed and in complete festive mood. They spent lots of money on shopping, travelling, crackers, decorations,gujju food and what not without giving a second thought!

I spent all these days with my parents and uncles and aunties (without my cousins; missed them a big time!) .

And I admire pune's diwali too ! I love lightingS, rangoliS and aakash kandilS...which is quite different than what we do here in a'bad!! People do rangoli here but in pune almost everybody does that. Aakash kandils are just so awesome, so much creativity!!Diwas has their own charm but Kandils are really attractive!! We don't really get them here in a'bad. These are some of the snaps i had taken before i came to a'bad for this diwali!!

Kind of hexagon!

This one is the click of the day!!! I loved this design. But it is made up of paper and can't fold it and so not possible to bring home:(

All these kandils are made up of paper!!!they are just awesome!
Made up of plastic sheets!!
Made up of thermocol!! It was really big...hanging on big banyan tree i guess ;on F.C.Road!!

Me on the streets!!! These two were really huge and amazing; made up of paper !! Simply loved them!

And finally found John Deere Ganesha too!!! hehehehe!!!

Rafting at Kundalika!!!!

Did rafting for the first time in "River Teesta", Sikkim. It was around 9 years back. After a long wait got an opportunity at "River Kundalika", Konkan!

starting point.

We were 9 guys and place was around 95km from pune towards Konkan. D day was Saturday,16th oct. There were two things about this trip which excited me the most.
a. Rafting for 12 kms. - Good enough distance
b. They allow us to swim in river - never got an opportunity to swim in natural water. And being a water lover and a swimmer was ready to jump in anytime :)

This is how our day went.....
1. Me, super duper excited gul...slept at 12 on friday night and woke up at 3:30 am :) couldn't sleep then..Friend picked me up from home at 5:00 am. Early mornings are just so amazing!!!
2. We had to reach there by 8:30 am as per the guidelines. Reason - River has water but not the heavy flow. There is a DAM near by and TATA uses dam water to drive their turbine plant so they release water into river sometime between 9 am to 1 pm. and so rafting timings completely depend on that.
3. Reached the place sharp 8:20 am to find out rafting time is 10:30 a.m today:)
4. Played with doggy and fishes around!!

5. Rafts had capacity of 10 person. so it was just perfect for us. While we were killing the time, guys got rafts ready for us!!



5. Rafting was fun...we had few amazing curves, though not sharp enough to turn our rafts down..
6. The thing i didn't like much was our guide, He wasn't confident about us and till the end he kept most of the control with him :(

I mean his attitude was right, we all were learners and he can't trust us! But we all were so enthu that we can't accept this :)
7. And as soon as we reached the point where water flow was prettly slow, he asked us to stand on the raft and then smarty gave the push and most of us fell down in river to enjoy it :)

8. And 1.5/2 kms of swimming....I just loved it!!! I mean only water, not the slightest fear!!!
9. Best part was, three of us did pretty fast swimming and reached ahead of all to realize that now we have to go back to the raft which was around half a km away. So had to swim opposite of water flow..Wow it was just awesome. and i gave good competition :) Did swimming almost after 4 years and it was simply WOW!!!

A big simle came naturally :P

10. Din't had anything since morning so all were very very hungry and no one had wallet. We kept everything in cars and to reach there we had to travel another 8 kms using public transport.
11. But yes,could borrow some money from our taxi driver and had Wadapav :) God bless him!!!!
12. Tiered us, got fresh and had heavy lunch on the way back home!!
13. Had a refreshing nap in the car :)
14. Reached home around 5 after dropping friends....Great!! Awesome feeling....tiered but very fresh...power of nature, isn't it???