Happy New Year - 2009

Was just wondering what New Year celebration has meant for me over a period of my life.

Being from Goa, New Year parties and celebration have always been a part of my life since childhood. When I was a kid, New Year Eve meant exclusively watching Doordarshan. Ila Arun, Sharon Prabhakar, Alisha Chenai, Usha Uthup and likes, entertained us till the clock struck midnight. This was followed by telephone calls to Uncles, Aunties and all near and dear ones. As I moved to College, New Year meant Strictly Partying. We planned well in advance, communicated to the group and Partied hard till the wee hours of Morning. Not Partying was considered uncool. How then often I wished that the night would never come to an end. Now As I Age, New Year celebration to me involves a peaceful evening at home, some drinks and nice sumptuous home cooked food.

I guess I am becoming sober with days passing by and somehow fear that soon as Age catches up with me you may find me sleeping well before the clock strikes 12.

Anyways Happy New Year 2009. God Bless us All!!!

PS.: I have some resolution surprising in mind and look forward to complete them all.

Being Myself....

I sway around random thoughts
I move around motionless objects
I blabber words that have no meaning
I hear things often unsaid
Career thoughts don’t interest me
I am living a meaningless life
Just to be myself…..

Udaipur: What to visit?

A list of must visit places in Udaipur :

• City Palace: This is India’s second biggest palace next only to the Mysore Palace. The Palace has been build across the rule of several Maharanas and each of them has left a unique mark in its architecture. The Palaces can indeed make a rich man realize how poor he is.
• Saheliyoin-ki-Bari: Maharaja Fateh Singhji builds this garden so that he and his beauties can dance, play and fool around.
• Pratap Smarak: This smarak was built in fond memory of Maharana Pratap Singh and his close associate, the beloved horse- Chetak. People in Udaipur still recite the story of how the horse sacrificed his life to save his master. I was astonished to see the armor of Maharana at the City Palace - this guy must have been atleast 7 feet tall. It was believed that Chetak himself wore an armour of about 30kg in weight. Wow, A giant Horse with a Superhuman Master.
• Jagdish Temple: The temple was built by Maharana Jagjit Singh in 1651 and has an Indo-Aryan architecture to it.
• Sajjangarh–Monsoon Palace: The Palace is situated in the outskirts of the city and to reach it we have to travel through a patch of forest area. It was build so that the Maharana could take his time out during the monsoons. This place gives a panoramic view of the city and is most definitely worth a ride to the top.
• Car Museum: Can you believe that this beautiful place was once upon a time was meant to be used as a servant quarter and Car garage. The Cadillac’s, the Convertibles, the Merc’s – You Name it and they are all here.
  
  Besides places to visit, I recommend the few must visit restaurants. Do visit these fine dining restaurants to have a complete feel of Udaipur.
• Ambrai – This place provides an amazingly good view with one end towards the City Palace and another end towards the Lake Palace. Surprisingly this place is reasonably priced and worth a fine dine.
• Park View: Doesn’t look great from outside but does provide a more than decent meal. Its located right in the city and most of the folks do recommends this place to tourist.
• Berry’ restaurant: We did visit this place in hope of drinks; however the drinks permit is withdrawn as of now. A recommended place by locals.
• Lake Palace and Udaivilas: Nothing can beat the experience out here. You just need dough to make merry.
• Please make it a point to have Lal Maas, for all the non veggies out there…
  
  “Eat Food today as there is No tomorrow”
  

The Great Rajput Wedding

An Institution called Marriage

A symptom of what is known as a ‘Quarter life Crisis’ is Marriage. When you speak to your Mom on every Sunday morning, all that you get to hear is about a cousin or a neighbor of your’s getting engaged. The only mails that you receive from your friends are the ones inviting you to their Marriage. When you meet your cousins at a party, the first things they tend to ask is–So when are you getting settled in life? When you sit around with your friends over drinks, the topic that seems most discussed is -Are we planning to get married?

When these unusual communications tend to become somewhat regular, you start fearing that the entire world is conspiring to get you Married.

Some things that strike rather scare me about marriage are-

• Independence is all that we strive for in life. 9 years of independence that I have earned. I am just wondering how will I let it just go with marriage?
• Responsibility- another big word that causes shivers in my spine.
• Financially Stable Always- If you plan to choose an alternate career of your choice, you dare not do it because you need to provide financial security to your family. This means ‘The End’ of your personal choices.
• I hate attending boring family events. How will I cope up with this post marriage?
• Arranged or Love? Another messy question.
• Many more things which I dare not Spill out

Maybe it’s just a fear that every Guy (Not sure about girls) faces before marriage. Let see what destiny has for me in this regard.

Anyways, With Pro, Anjali, Raha and now, Chauhan in this brigade – Marriage seems inevitable to all people around me.

God Bless them all!!!

“The world has grown suspicious of anything that looks like a happily married life.”

Udaipur: A two face town

This was my first trip up the north and turned out indeed to be very unforgetable one. Udaipur has two faces to it - A Majestic Princely face where Maharajas royally lived and ruled and a just another small town face still developing and yet to have a Mall culture.

Few things that struck me in this journey-

• People in this princely state take great pride in thier culture.
• The food is simply delicious may it be a simple Puri Baaji, Lal Meat or Fish fry.
• The respect that that pour on you is simply overwhelming. Every other time you here the word 'Hukkum' it somehow makes you feel special.
• A tip: If you plan to visit Udaipur, please put your lifetime savings into staying in a Palace. It will surely make you understand the meaning of being "Royal"

A few people to thanks in this journey - Jijousa, Monty, Shafhi and Murs. Thanks and God Bless you All.