HOLIDAY RAMBLES

I am enjoying my holidays. I wish I had more time at hand, to upload some beautiful pictures I have taken.   I have ten more days left of my vacation, before I return to Kuwait. I'll upload the pictures then. The days just seem to fly. Each day, I find myself busy doing something nice. There are exhibitions and concerts happening and a variety of interesting places to visit.  I am charting out an iternary for the coming days. I am looking forward to visiting the annual Flowers and Mushroom show. I am surrounded by beautiful nature at its best all around me. Each day,  I wake early morning to watch the sunrise either from my bedroom balcony, or head for the 12th floor terrace for a grand view of the sunrise. The next thing I look forward to is the newspapers and before I look at the headlines, I look at all the music, art  and cultural activities happening in the Trivandrum city. It's a cultural hub with a lot to offer for lovers of all forms of art. 

I find myself spending more time in the kitchen during my vacation than when I am in Kuwait. Reason being, I am cooking for two special men in my life - my husband and my son. Though I am not totally a fan of my cooking, I think they are! My son has come down from U.S. for vacation and it's a pleasure to make all his favourite food. One very important person is missing during our family vacation, and that's my daughter. Wish she was here too. 

There is a good reason why I don't mention anything about my diet and exercise. I am on a temporary break from my regime - ahem... until I head back to Kuwait. I am trying hard to exercise restraint, but not to my very best though! But I shall soon return to my health conscious eating habits - no doubt about that!

Here are some random pictures taken during this vacation.

Fresh catch - at the beach

 

Brass statue at Trivandrum airport

A beautiful wooden chariot used during procession

Why is the baby placed on the ground - I don't know. Maybe I should have asked this question to the mother.

Penguin eggs on ice (just kidding ; they are boiled chicken eggs placed in salt)

Traditional Kerala lunch served on banana leaf

Its not a ladder, this is a very old steep staircase. Its feels like climbing a ladder actually.

Image credit - my husband.

STUMBLING BLOCKS OR STEPPING STONES

Stumbling blocks or stepping stones depends on how you view them.

THE FAMED KAPPAD BEACH IN CALICUT

A few days before New Year, we visited the famed Kappad beach in Calicut, a place of historical and geographical significance.  Traders from Kuwait travelled to Calicut with dates and returned home with spices, cloth and wood. Vasco Da Gama, Portuguese explorer landed at the Kappad Beach on May 20, 1948. His voyage led to the discovery of an important sea route from Europe to India, followed by the Portuguese colonial holdings in several western coasts and regions in India, up until the independence of India from British colonial rule.  Gazing at the seascape at Kappad beach, I couldn't help thinking .. if waters could speak and tell us all the stories that are wrapped secure in a bygone era. Is everything in history known to us today, and taught in schools,  exactly what occured in history? There would been so much  which  we will never ever come to know. 

Fisherman casting his net

My son on the right with the driver (left) who took us to the Kappad Beach

HUMOUR - LIFE IS HARD

INTERESTING MESSAGE

I was surprised to see this note at a food court, placed in a manner quite visible and 'clear' to the people who would come to eat. 

FASCINATING THINGS FROM KERALA

Spices that people can't do without!

 

Beautiful wooden hand crafted elephant statues

Culture and heritage of Kerala

Important ingredients for Kerala food (less chillies for me though)

Decoration for the elephants during festivities

Freshly prepared banana chips

 

Flowers on the roadside

Beautiful brass statues

EXPRESS AVENUE MALL IN CHENNAI

The Express Avenue Mall in Chennai is a beautiful must visit place for those aspiring to visit Chennai. It's Chennai's largest retail shopping destination that will find you spending a good many happy hours. It was awarded with the 'Most Admired Shopping Mall of the Year' award in 2011. My aunt took me to the Express Avenue Mall while I was visiting her. It's a huge mall with lot of shops, eateries, movie theatres and gaming. A great place to be!

ANNOYING PEOPLE PATIENCE AND PRESENCE OF MIND

Variety is the spice of life! And the world is filled with people of different temperaments, personality and view points. Some people are born to make things as difficult as possible, which becomes way too spicy to digest!. And some triumph over the difficult task of dealing with annoying people,  without being emotionally boggled.  Patience and presence of mind...that's so important. Emotional equilibrium is absolutely  vital in handling certain obscure situations crafted by annoying people as their sole purpose in life is to create chaos and rob others off their balance. Cut yourself off emotionally from annoying people and don't let provocative things they say ruin your time or day. Sometimes ignoring or keeping quiet or not responding with an attitude of  'an eye for an eye',  does not mean you are weak, it just means, you are strong and  you don't wish the other person to ruin your peace of mind. If you need to speak your mind, make it short, firm and clear without being affected by any negative response. Let them dwell in their negativity, and you can revel in your positivity. Experience the blissful peace which they don't. 

What kind of people annoy you?


* The know it all
* The argumentative type
* Taxi drivers who overcharge and try to cheat
* Rude sales persons
* Lazy, inefficient workers
* Service personnel who don't know what they are doing
* Those who say yes by default or just to please you for the moment
* Those who can't be honest
* People who think they are super smart and bigger than God
* Those who are full of talk or tall tales because they think they being entertaining.


You can add to this list with your own set of 'annoying people'. 

MY PICTURE FOR THE DAY

Wonder what he is upto now?

HUMOUR - NEW YEAR RESOLUTION

WHAT ARE YOUR NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS AND ASPIRATIONS FOR 2012

I haven't been blogging since I am still on holidays.  I found some time today to do my first blog for 2012. Hope you all had a great New Year's eve and New Year's day!

How was the past year? Was it a great year or did you face some rough times? What are the memories you hold dear from 2011? 

Welcoming the New Year is a great feeling, that is experienced year after year on 31st of December. Ushering in the New Year is so full of dreams and wishes, saying goodbye old habits, trials and tribulations of the past year,hoping that they be replaced with great blessings and new ventures and good fortune. Sounds and feels great....that the new year has begun, although everything around us might still be physically the same. 

If we are looking for a positive change, then the attitudes we carry, our honest intent,  the efforts we put into our ventures are important. No change is possible or no goals can be met without determination and a will to succeed. So be it a change in job, education, losing weight, replacing negative habits and traits with empowering habits, restoring emotional balance,   it's entirely up to us. What are the lessons you  have learnt from the past year? What are the blessings you have experienced in the past year? What changes should you consider to make life better? The choices you make today is important, for they define and shape your future. If you made a resolution for greater good, twelve long months is a good amount of time to see through your resolutions. 

Have a great year ahead!