From Taiping to Titlis :)

If you noticed my profile picture for this blog, it is me jumping by the lake garden in Taiping Perak , Malaysia. That was my first experience doing those jumping poses. I never thought i could do it. But during that trip 2 years back with my beautiful friends from KL, one of them, Kym gave us the idea of how to do it. So she started jumping and i was snapping her pictures and was amazed at how lovely the pictures turned out. So we all got excited and started jumping together . Thats how i got that first jumping pose! Then, i kind off encouraged other friends to do it whenever we got the opportunity and a good backdrop. 


And this time , during my trip to Europe, i couldnt help doing the jumping poses again everywhere i go, you cant blame me, with the kind of backdrops you get over there you might even attempt a "floating in the air" pose !  

First it was at Dunstable, a beautiful town about an hour from London, and there are rolling hills and meadows here SO gorgeous you cant help jumping around...! And here i made our friend from Dunstable try it as well , and she enjoyed it so much and came up with interesting ideas like jumping off the cliff as in the pic above :) 

Then...we were in Switzerland, at Mt Titlis......gosh ! need i say more ! So here i go again .... at first we were wandering if it was a good idea to do it there as it was pretty slippery even to just walk on. We kept tripping over the snow for every 2 to 3 steps...but then decided we simply got to try it ...and when i see the pictures now ...I am SO glad we did ! Worth the risk and effort ! Well, thats the highest point ive jumped off so far and ohh....it definitely helped to keep ourselves warm :)

Looks like now ive got a new hobby...to jump around the world :) Thanks to my friend Kym who started this in Taiping! hehehe yeah, hope to see more breathtaking places so i could keep jumping ! 

So, next time you see a place worth jumping off ....dont think twice ! yeah of course you will get some spectators laughing at you ! but who cares ...its your life ! Your Jump ! Just do it and You will love it ! And  if you try it, you will know that it is impossible not to smile while you do these jumping poses...so every picture turns out with your best smile coz you just cant help it ! Its is a joyful experience. So....up for a jump ! ? :) 

Europe 2012 :)

Europe.....now it all seems like a book i read...the rolling hills, meadows, fields, crystal clear streams, the divine snow capped mountains, the enchanting woods , the roaring waterfalls...roses and lavenders, ...blueberries and blackberries, the dairy farms, the humble sheeps, horses, colourful ducks, and swans....castles and ancient cathedrals....could it be true i walked through all these and more in just 3 weeks..? or was it just another book i read ???


Honestly thats how it seems now...real and unreal at the same time...but the only thing that keeps reminding me that it was all real is the photographs.. :) yes...THANKS to my brother, Navin who lives in England, who made this exceptionally beautiful holiday possible. Also thanks to the most amazing family friends we have in Dunstable who let us stay with them, which gave me a chance to experience the english lifestyle and not just being a clueless tourist wandering around. Thanks to my aunt who invited me to go with her :)


Honestly i dont know where to start...places so breathtakingly beautiful leaves your soul stretched out and light . Theres just SO MUCH to share , but i will sure do it the soonest possible, one at a time :)  

Yesterday evening, after finishing my prayers at home, i sat at the computer table, checking some mails about 5.55 pm when i heard a very loud chirping of bird , i continued browsing as i thought it must have been some bird flying pass my apartment. But then , i heard it again and realised it was really loud. So i got up and walked towards the living room ...and found a small bird perched on the iron grill of my balcony facing the house. I stopped walking just in case i would scare the bird off. Waited a few more seconds to see it fly off...but no...it just stayed there. 

I was eager to snap a picture of it. Very slowly i walked to my room , got the camera and walked back to the entrance of the living room. I managed to snap a few pictures of the bird and expected it to fly off anytime now..but no ! it stayed perched on the grill. I decided to sit on the floor and wait to see what it was up to. Snapped a few more pictures when the bird started looking left and right and even straight to me ! Got as many pictures i could , zoomed in and out and changed a few angle....and yet it was still there ! I looked at the time on my Astro decoder and realised it had been almost 15 mins since the bird flew in to my balcony !! I thought it was really strange for bird to stay so long on a iron grill while it can see a human walking and standing so close to it ....dont you think !??

Seemed like it was waiting for something but i had absolutely no idea what it might be! then i decided to click the video button on my camera just in case i am able to capture something interesting ! Finally after 20 mins, it chirped again and hopped on the grill moving towards my bamboos on the right side of the wall...i followed with my camera...still recording and snapping pictures....thats when i saw another bird of the same kind flying into the balcony and also perched on the grill !! Then , the earlier bird hopped nearer to its pair and chirped away, after a few seconds chirping ...it both flew off together !!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLpLVwvTHRI

I was really excited to witness this rare scene of reunion at the comfort of my home in the midst of a concrete jungle...15 floors high on a tiny balcony with a few pots of plant .... i thought it was really amazing ! But i am still not sure what type of bird it was...definitely not the common Myna, or sparrow, pigeon or Robin...i dont know what species this is. Got to find out :)

Whos the mother ? :)

Its mothers day....and after calling my mom first thing in the morning...i realised something interesting. Its about the relationship between my mom and me. How over the years we have switched roles. Without realising it, i have been acting like a mom to my mom while she has been acting like a child who seeks love and attention from me. I guess its just natural especially between moms and daughters, you cant help it.

Once we daughters grow up, we become more of a friend to our moms then a child. So we enjoy shopping, or watching a movie , going on vacations or even simple outings like to the grocery stores. But the difference is , now it is our turn to hold their hands when we are crossing the roads, to teach them how to use some machines, how to get the e-tickets, where to get the perfect shoe or which beauty parlour to go. We start taking responsibility to do things for our moms whether its is as important as health screenings or simply a walk in the park. We want to see them happy make them believe in themselves to look just as young as they were 20 years ago. We convince them to try wearing a pair of jeans, and even sun glasses and tell them how cool they look. We protect them by not telling some of our stressful days at work or personal life for we know it isnt fair to burden them with such details. 

We want the best for them always and we try not hurt their feelings and be as understanding as possible of their very different views about life to ours.

Still i think its fun being a mom to your mom !! :):) yes we occasionally get into heated arguments too and put up long faces for a whole day, and yet still will not miss calling each other EVERY single day ! hahaha yeah ...

So this mothers day i especially dedicate my wishes to all those daughters who have turned into mothers to their mothers :) its and awesome relationship ! have fun ! for its love both ways :):) 

A quiet bloom

I have 3 bamboo plants at home...one really tall and touching the ceiling which is 9 years old . It grows in a big pot which I have placed in the living room by the sliding glass door. Theres another plant which is about 4 years old growing in a medium sized pot out at my balcony which has grown about half the height of the one inside. I have the 3rd one which is about 5 years old but it has been in a very small pot which you can just hold in your palm. I kept this small one as a quick and easy deco inside the house whenever there are visitors or gatherings. At other times i leave it at the balcony so it gets enough rain and sunlight.


 Last year as i shared some of my photos of the plants in my FB page including the tallest bamboo...one of my good friends , Trina mentioned how when the bamboo blooms it is believed to bring good fortune to the owner. I didnt know about this before and found the fact interesting coz my tall bamboo did bloom once about 4 years back and thats it, after that i never saw another flower from that plant. So i told my friend..."Ohhh i didnt know about that and i shall watch out for the next bloom for sure !!" this conversation took place sometime end of last year...and eversince that day ..everytime i water the big bamboo inside the house...i cant help looking through the thick bamboo shoots and leaves to spot a flower...but it hasnt bloomed yet.


This morning...as always i walked to the balcony right after i woke up...as i love to feel the morning sun. After standing there for a few mins i turned back...and saw a beautiful bamboo flower !! BUT not from the tall plant inside but in the smallest pot at the balcony....i was so delighted to see the lovely bloom that i just stood there looking at it . And while i looked at it i couldnt help feeling guilty...how unfair it was for me to assume that the small bamboo plant wouldnt bloom!!...i NEVER looked out for a flower in that plant EVER coz i didnt even think it would bloom simply because it was growing from such a tiny pot ! I admired the flower and in fact said sorry to the lovely little plant for not believing in it ! really...made me think how life can be deceiving most of the times. Just like the tall bamboo ...our minds are most of the times distracted by some things which we believe will make us happier but as always happiness bloooms from the most unexpected places. 


So...nature once again has thought me how to stay alert in this ever deceiving world and never be blinded by the big things alone. Also never to underestimate the power of anything ..no matter how small it may seem for every bit of this world is made of the same powerful force and is equally amazing ! So...remember to pay attention to the small things for the biggest joy is always there ! :):) heres the bloom...in my LOVELY tiny bamboo plant ! :) Have a beautiful day :)

The Glass Palace

Most people find history to be a boring subject. Because what we learn in school or college is focused on WARS ....WARS....and nothing but WARS..memorizing years, dates, names, political parties and so on. While we focus on these so called facts of wars, we always forget about the lives of ordinary people who were not directly involved in the wars but had their lives changed totally !

The glass palace is an awesome book which takes the readers to the streets to live with the ordinary people who had to flee their countries and with some who decided to stay back and face the harsh situations , also with The Royal Family in exile during the wars.

Historians do not think its important to tell the stories of people who were interrupted rudely by a bunch of officials who decided they should invade a country just at a time..when a women is pregnant awaiting a safe delivery, a man had worked so hard on his farm so he could earn a little extra to be able to send his children to a better school , a child who is just learning how to take its first steps and so on.

This book takes you across Burma, Malaya and India beginning in the year 1885 with two orphaned children, an eleven years old Indian boy who was stranded in Mandalay after his boat where he worked as a errand-boy needed repairs and the other is a Burmese girl who was then a maid to the Burmese Queen Supayalat. When the British invaded Burma and won the war in just 14 days , The Royal Family ( King Thebaw )were forced to be sent into exile to India together with some of their maidservants.

From here the story stretches to the next 3 generations and how their lives were determined by the waves of wars and brutal occupations. It will make you understand that merely being ambitious or having a passion will not be enough to live through such periods of time. Imagine the courage needed to wake up everyday wandering if your son or daughter got killed yet ! Not having any means of communication with your family members for years and years and growing old ..still wandering if your son is alive somewhere in another country. How excruciatingly painful every moment of wait will be ? While we could hardly wait to have our children come back from school safe, there were parents then who had brutally strong hearts to be able to stay oblivious to the danger faced by the children simply because they had absolutely no choice !

Life was merely about , who made it longer. Lovers torn between countries, parents dying alone, children hiding from enemies, even soldiers starving to death ! But in the midst of all the chaos across these 3 countries and over 3 generations, there were some who still managed to not only live it through but also follow their dreams. In this story theres a person who always loved photography and he lived up to the age of 80 in Sungai Pattani and succeeded in his career as a professional photographer. You have read it to see how difficult it must have been for all those people who lived through those years..

The book paints a complete picture of how life was during the British conquests and their interest in the teak trade and rubber plantations , also the fate of indian
peasants in their hands. Having been ruled by the British for 200 years, the Indians were torn between patriotism and loyalty. Indian soldiers who were sent to fight in Malaya were utterly confused about who they were fighting for, as it wasnt for their country nor their people but for the British. So many decided to leave the British army and join the Indian National Army.

Arjun who is in the British Army fighting against Japanese in Malaya...says :

" Just look at us Hardy, what are we? We've learnt to dance the tango, and we know how to eat roast beef with a knife and fork. The truth is except for the colour of our skin, most people in India wouldnt even recognize us as Indians. When we joined up we didnt have India in our minds: We wanted to be sahibs and thats what we have become "

Theres is SO much more in this book....in fact too much to be discussed over just one post...and what i loved most about it is that by studying individual lives we are able to learn more history than by reading any History book.

So , if you are one of those who hates history....do read this book and you will sure change your mind :)

Pray Love Dance

No this is not another version of Eat Pray Love...this is set in a totally different realm altogether...its a dimension where even nature herself is defied. Here, you will see the river Ganga flow in reflections of the colours of rainbow, ancient temple sculptures coming to life and dancing by Her banks to the majestic sunrise in the evening..(YES i meant EVENING)...only here you will EVER get to see the sunrise and the sunset simultaneously.

Surya Staka is a homage to Surya, the Sun God as Remover of Darkness and Source of Light & Knowledge. The dancers here transform into bright rays of sunlight, slowly emerging from the darkness and filling the space up with vibrant colours. It feels so real that you would feel the heat warming your heart and emotions up. It gives the same magical feelings of watching the sunrise in the morning..how the light engulfs the darkness of dawn so gently that you dont feel anything changing by the seconds and yet within an hour you will be drenched in the light so bright.

Once again in Pray Love Dance presented by Sutra Dance Theatre last week, I had the same magical experience ...theres also another piece called Aditya Archana ( my favourite!! )...which is also homage to the sun and the same effects of the sunrise!

You might think i am exaggerating ...but only until you have watched Sutra Dance Theatre performing it. Then, you will believe that sunrise doesnt have to be only a morning occurrence...these dancers can bring the sun to rise at anytime, anywhere...all you need to do..is get a ticket :):)

For those who have never experienced sutra dance theatre, heres a glimpse of how it is...below is a link to a promo of show held in 2010 in Istana Budaya...have a look :)

and have a magical day :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onPuNd-65Hs&feature=related