Japan - Land of the Rising Sun

A much awaited international trip. The last one was in 2019 - Italy. After that pandemic, personal tragedy, lethargy - all set in, thwarting our vacation plans for almost four years. We had been on vacations but not an international one. My 55th birthday approaching, I wanted a Cherry Blossom birthday and my better half obliged. And so started our one week sojourn to the land of the rising sun. 

It was filled with excitement and wonder that I embarked on this trip. Japan with its interweaving of modernity and tradition had always intrigued me. How do they blend swift bullet trains with sumo wrestling or quick-on-the-go Bento lunch boxes with elaborate tea ceremony? Their obsession with discipline and perfection, their politeness, and their adherence to tradition and rituals are legendary. Now I was about to experience all that!

Punctuality and Discipline: It is amazing how people can be so punctual. I pride myself at being on-time for everything even a casual dinner appointment, but this is at a totally different level and that too the entire nation. Trains, sub ways and even buses are always on time. Given the traffic snarls it is amazing how buses can maintain time. We even got to hear an announcement apologising for a delay in the train - by 1 minute! Add to that the discipline. Queues are maintained, privileged seats are kept vacant, lane discipline is followed, traffic signals are obeyed - all without any monitoring. Public places are spic-n-span, no littering despite the lack of garbage bins. 

Technology and Convenience: What little I saw of their habits, I realised they believe in using technology to the fullest in simplifying life. 

    Free wi-fi everywhere - even supermarkets. Life is so much easier when we are connected constantly, I realised on this trip how important it was to stay connected. Not socially but for translations, directions and searches.

    Shinkansen - the legendary Bullet Trains - travel made easy and fast. We took a Japan Rail Pass before the start of the journey - along with the flight tickets. All we had to do was activate and start travelling. For long distance travel, we needed to reserve seats else it was as simple as swipe in and out. Another amazing thing - trust. The pass we took was not valid on all train services - something about private lines etc., but with the pass we got access to the station and nothing prevented us from getting onto the ineligible train. Apparently the authorities are relying on our good honest nature.

    Everything automated - luggage lockers, coffee/tea vending machines, even change machine. If we travel by bus where our pass is not valid, we need to buy ticket and tender exact change. Where to get the change? From change machines! So convenient. The seats on the trains can be changed to face the direction of the train. 

    The best application of technology I felt was the toilets - heated seats, bidets with various settings including water temperature and flow control!

Hospitality and Politeness: I found people to be very patient and polite. With so many tourists and so many mundane queries, I found all the officials answering very patiently, no yelling or screaming. Even shop owners, who had little or no English speaking skills, tried to answer our queries very cheerfully. Being vegetarian but eager to try new cuisine, I pestered quite a few of them with queries regarding the ingredient list, always to be met with a smile and eager face. Google Translate was really handy, one vendor had a ingredient list which he scanned using Google translate to help me figure out and wanted to know the answer "Is it vegetarian?" as applied to his wares.

Site Seeing: Coming to the actual purpose of the whole trip:

    Cherry Blossoms: Though we did get to see the blossoms, it was limited. A week - ten days later would have been a better visual treat. We were at the beginning of the season, so it was just a tree here and a tree there, instead of the whole street lined with the cherry blossoms.

    Shrines: We got to see a lot of those - Hie and Asakusa Shrines in Tokyo, Kinkaku-ji, Daigo-ji, and Ryoan-ji in Kyoto, Kotoku-in in Kamakura, Itsukushima at Miyajima, Todai-ji at Nara. While I was impressed by Kotoku-in and Todai-ji and the Torii gate of Itsukushima, I am a bit perplexed. From my understanding, Buddhism does not endorse idol-worship or at least Gautam Buddha didn't. So what about all these shrines and the rituals there? I need to study Buddhism in detail to understand that I guess. With my limited knowledge all I could appreciate was the architecture and the grandeur of each of these places. There are intricate details like the posture of Buddha which identifies the sect etc etc., all that needed in-depth knowledge of Buddhism and their practices.

    Parks: We covered multiple parks mostly for Cherry Blossoms. But one that attracted me the most was Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, at Kyoto. Tall bamboo trees reaching for the skies, hundreds and hundreds of them. And of course, Nara Deer park near Osaka, where we can walk alongside multitude of deer and feed them. I felt they posed for photographs!

    Hiroshima: Of course, no trip to Japan would be complete without a visit to Hiroshima and the memorial island of Miyajima. It is an living example of the resilience and the sheer will power and hard work of Japanese people to come out of the devastation and rebuild their city.

    Geisha and Samurai Show: This we unfortunately missed. There were many tea ceremonies but I wanted the whole nine-yards which included the Geisha experience. We had planned on it at the famous Gion area in Kyoto. Alas, it needed advance booking and to top it we went there on a Saturday evening when the streets were filled with weekend party revellers.

    Mt. Fuji: It was not yet the season for hiking the slopes, but we did plan on a ropeway at Hakone to see the iconic volcano Mount Fuji. But that day it was too windy and the ropeway service was cancelled. We had to satisfy ourselves with a boat ride around Lake Ashi. But we did get a glimpse of the might peak the next day from a train ride, it was awesome.

Overall it was a nice experience. There were few glitches but nothing unsurmountable. Though the people were friendly and everything automated and simple, we did stumble a bit. What was apparent to the locals is not so for a tourist. So there is a steep learning curve to understand and familiarise ourselves with the system, which we didnt experience in any other country we visited. The literature we researched on before embarking on this tour, indicated the same - first timers guide is different from a repeat visitor.

Char Dham Trip

Finally it happened - Char Dham trip - lots of bumps and hurdles on the way. 

Chota Char Dham (Uttarakhand) includes Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath. It involves lots of strenuous effort,  inclement weather and unpredictable road conditions. Located in the Garhwal (northern Himalayan) region of Uttarakhand, these places are open only for six months of a year. Even these six months are not without difficulties - landslides, cloudy cold weather. The accomodation is average and not to mention the crowd, given the importance as Hindu pilgrimage place.

When I showed interest many wondered - you are too young for pilgrimage. Well my response - better do it when the body allows, rather than wait for old age and then struggle with the effort. Then it was the company. Of the usual crowd of us friends that went on trips together, only two of us were interested. Added to that - the two of us suffered from motion sickness making the road trip a bit dicey, one was lethargic and averse to long on-road travel times, another was particular about the hygiene and these places offered none. The first time we seriously thought of this trip resulted in the great floods. After that the plan put on the back burner. Last year we had been to Dehradun and saw banners advertising helicopter trips to Char Dham. Intrigued we did some research and it sounded good - a bit expensive but was overcoming most of the issues we had. The entire trip which takes around 15 days could be completed in mere 6 days, with least on-road time and avoiding most of the walking/trekking. Might not be the best option for those with religious bent of mind but it suited us. A little more digging and we came across a package offered by Thomas Cook and they assured the best accomodation under the circumstances. The brand name gave us some confidence and we plunged in.

Given the limited availability, we needed to book in advance - almost 6 months. I think this was the only trip that we planned so much in advance. The itinerary was fly into Dehradun, heli to Yamunotri to Gangotri to Kedarnath to Badrinath, night halts each day at the respective places. We were warned by the Thomas Cook that heli rides are not guaranteed - a lot depended upon the weather and army activity being close to the border. We figured it was worth the risk. Booked the package for 4 people.

Day 1: Flew into Dehradun and were met by the vehicle and driver to take us to the hotel for the meet and greet and night stay. A little about the heli ride limitations. The weight was the key issue here. Passengers were supposed to be less than 75 kgs, any extra was to cost extra, luckily for us they averaged over the group!!! And each was allowed only 5 kg luggage. So we had to cut down on what we packed. We went in Sept-end and there was a likelihood of rainy cold weather, so it meant lot of discussions, weighing options and juggling around. Another limitation was the type of luggage - nothing with wheels and given the weight restriction we were better off with back packs. Being the conscientious travellers we bought back packs - waterproof ones and packed very diligently. But at Dehradun, we were given duffel bags by the aviation company and all our efforts and economic measures proved a big waste of time. We were told to repack and leave our luggage at their cloak room. 

Anyway back to Dehradun and our day 1. We were greeted with some bad news - weather was not good and had been like that for the past couple of days, so lots of back logs and no idea if we would be taking off the next day or not. Not being the ones to be deterred by such news, we tried to enjoy the 5-star hotel stay, availing the spa facility and generally relaxing.

Day 2: No heli and no hotel. Apparently the hotel was over booked and we had to vacate our rooms. We were downgraded and shifted to a smaller hotel and had a whole day to waste. There was a mall next door and our friend found Devara (telugu movie) playing, so watched that to kill some time - a movie which we most likely would have avoided even on OTT.

Day 3: Luck favored us and off we went to Yamunotri. Amazing views from the heli, the first glimpses of Himalayan range were breathtaking. 

Reaching the Yamunotri involves a trek of 6 kms, not bad uh? Think again, add to it the mountain terrain, with steep inclines and decreasing oxygen levels. Our package included palki (a wooden chair carried by 4 people) but my friend and I decided to trek and test our fitness levels - a big mistake. Whatever your fitness levels, this trek was not an easy one. I used the palki for sometime, my friend only on the way down and by evening both of our knees had taken the toll and we ended up limping for the next couple of days. 

Luckily we finished our trek and darshan by noon and were flown into Gangotri the same day.  After all that trek, I dont remember much of the Yamunotri shrine, there was hot water spring, and something else ....

The serene Gangotri was very refreshing and soothing.  Since all four of us were tired from the Yamunotri trek and still had two more hectic days ahead, we decided to give the Ganga Arati later in the evening a miss and retired to our rooms.

Night stay at Gangotri, with the same instructions - be ready by 6:30 am, we will take off as soon as the heli is ready.

Day 4: Onward to Kedarnath. There are two approaches to Kedarnath - walk/palki from Sersi or heli from Sersi. Heli from Sersi to Kedarnath is run like a shuttle service, every 10-15 mins there is heli, and a long waiting period. We were told the waiting time could stretch to 2-3 hrs. Luckily for us our chopper from Gangotri was allowed to land directly at Kedarnath, so no waiting for the ride. From the helipad it was little less than one km walk to the shrine. 

A note on the temples here - pathetic maintenance, no proper management, though the crowd was not that heavy there was lot of hussle and tussle. Also unlike other temples, the pujas etc offered by the pilgrims are done at the main idol directly, not separately. So all the more confusion and chaos. We were supposed to be getting VIP darshan as part of the package, I shudder to think our plight otherwise. The Shiva Lingam is supposed to swayambhu ie naturally born, hence is not in the shape we are familiar with. Despite the crowd, it felt peaceful and tranquil. 

My favorite part - the Adi Sankaracharya samadhi, though still in progress it felt really grand.

Stay at Kedarnath was awesome. We were put up at a sort of resort with tent cottages right next to the helipad. Post lunch we were pretty much free. It was a relaxing evening with nothing to do, nowhere to go. A massage guy came selling his wares and all four of us got the much needed leg massages. But due to the frequent flights the entire area was stinking with kerosene smell, I felt guilty of polluting the pristine beauty. I just hope that the government or whoever monitors these rides are taking care of the environment.

Day 5: Off to Badrinath. Once again luck favored us and we could take off on time and went directly to the temple. Again same crowd, chaos and hustle and tussle. Our friends had some ritual to be performed so they stayed back at the temple and we came to the hotel. The rooms were not ready, after waiting for couple of hours and yelling at the staff, we got one room ready. By then our friends returned and he was in a bad shape - cold and fever. We put him up in the room and had our lunch. Later in the evening there was a trip to Mana village - supposed to be the first village of India. But by then our energy levels were low, and with our friend was in bed sick we decided to ditch it and spend a relaxing evening.

For the next day, we had entry passes for Mahabhishekam to be performed at 5 am. We ladies decided to go leaving the guys behind in bed. That was a really wonderful experience. As I mentioned the darshan on the day before was very chaotic. It was compensated by this early morning darshan and puja.  

Day 6: We were told to be ready by 9 am for our ride back to Dehradun. It would be an hour ride from Badrinath to Dehradun and we had plenty of time, since our flight to Hyd was in the evening. We reached to helipad only to be told that there was some army activity going on and the airspace needed to be vacated. Being army stuff - top security, no idea of the time and duration. We were bundled back to the hotel and told to wait. We had vacated the room and the lobby was filled with people like us. Our friend was still sick and was finding it difficult to cope. We just finished a cup of tea wondering what to do next when suddenly our tour operator rushes in saying we got clearance to fly. We were bundled to the helipad and an hour later were safely in Dehradun. Due to the army restrictions, our flight path was slightly altered and we could see Rudra Prayag, Haridwar/Rishikesh from the skies !!!!

We reached Dehradun airport by noon and had 4 hrs on our hand to kill. We decided to avail the lounge facility, hoping for some relaxation. Alas, the lounge was worse than a railway waiting room. Many passengers opted for lounge and the place was jam packed, food was also substandard. After an hour we quit the lounge and moved to the terminal waiting area which was much better - spacious and with better food options.

Overall it was a great trip, no regrets. Despite the initial hiccup, we finally made it on time and didnt have to reschedule our return. The entire experience was made more memorable by the courteous and patient staff all the way. The accomodation was also not that bad. The support offered by Thomas Cook and Heritage Aviations is commendable. 

Given the fact that I made this trip within a month of my chikungunya infection, I am happy I could do it. This gives me hope to revive my wish list - Manasarovar, Amarnath, Vaishno Devi (recent addition) and Everest Base Camp (!!!!!) Always ready to test the limits :-)

My (Semi-) Enlightenment

मा कुरु धनजन यौवन गर्वं हरति निमेषात्-कालः सर्वम् |

मायामयमिदम्-अखिलं हित्वा ब्रह्मपदं त्वं प्रविश विदित्वा ||

(Do not take pride in wealth, friends and youth. Each one of these is destroyed within an instant by Time. Free yourself from the illusion of the world of māyā and attain the realm of brahman, timeless truth)

I understood the true import of this verse from Adi Sankaracharya's Bhaja Govindam this past one month.

Let me digress a bit, it's not every day that one is enlightened, so let me set the stage and build to the climax.

Growing up, I had been a good listener, not only listening I started observing people and tried to emulate the behaviour I liked and avoid that which I didnt. As I grew older the act of learning from others declined a bit - I attained a position of superiority. But luckily given my reticent nature I didnt turn preachy.

Once I crossed my 40 I started observing people around me, once again. This time the focus was on aged and elderly. I noticed one thing. People who were active physically and mentally, looked more happy and satisfied with life in general. Activity could be walking, gym, solving puzzles or as mundane as following a daily serial on television. Basically I concluded people needed some purpose in life, post retirement, something they look forward to getting up each day in the morning. That started my tryst with various forms of physical excercise regimes - gym, aerobics, walking, running, yoga and finally I settled to walking and yoga. Mental activities included apart from puzzles, sudoku, crossword - learning new subject. Collection of degrees before settling to philosophy especially with religious leanings.  

So coming to the present, over the past couple of years, I became cocky. I was getting compliments for my looks and fitness. Most of my friends had started feeling the pinch of the age - arthritis, low stamina etc., I was in a better shape relatively. I started giving unwanted advice and resenting when my word was not heeded. To the extent of being critical of the very people who guided me on this path. Arrogance set in.

Result - it started with small reminders - a fall here, a tumble there. Nothing major but they were there, I was arrogant saying I always bounce back in no time. And I did. Those around me also started appreciating me. And it all went to my head. Only to be taught a bigger lesson. 

Chikungunya induced joint pains. I knew that we humans are not infallible but experiencing it is a totally different ball game. The first week was bad - fever, pains and weakness. Then came relief - big time. Doctor warned me - "it will come back, it always does. It will come back big time and the pattern will repeat for 3-6 months." Two weeks passed and I was doing good. Everybody was surprised and attributed it to my fitness and that my yoga helped "lubricate" the joints resulting in my speedy recovery.

I thought great, I beat the big one. Off we went on the pre-planned Char Dham trip to Uttarakhand. I survived the trip, it was beautiful though a bit difficult, not as much as I feared. We came back and so did my joint pains - with vengeance.  Nothing i do was working or easing my condition. It has humbled me in ways i can't describe. The only thing i could do was lie down. Not being much of a TV person and since reading lying down was giving me headache, i depended heavily on audiobooks. 

All this lying down triggered introspection and self-analysis. All the teachings from Bhaja Govindam and Atmabodh, excerpts from various philosophy discourses by multiple authors suddenly made sense. How insignificant we are in this vast universe, mere speck of dust. We think we are in control of our lives - we are not. Everything happens as per pre-destined fate, nothing we do will avert it. We can only prepare ourselves and be ready for the worst!!!!

This Dusshera I vow to surrender completely to the divine and keep my ego at the minimum.

In search of the Real ME

From birth, we are told what to do or rather what not to do. Our actions were always under the radar and we were under constant scrutiny. We were expected to obey blindly, without asking any questions. We were to do what we were told to do, not try and evaluate the rationale behind such an order. And then suddenly we are being asked to get in touch with our "real self". "Self-realisation" is the key to happiness, we are told. Now, where is this self? 

As infants, we emulated and followed our parents. Then we obeyed and followed our teachers. Later spouse and in-laws. Finally, kids and grandkids. If at any time we asserted ourself, we were branded a difficult child, a rebel teenager, an arrogant employee, or a selfish person depending on the position in life.

We studied hard because our parents told us to. We became an engineer because our teachers said we had the potential. We went abroad because our friends said it was the best thing to do. We accepted a lucrative offer from an MNC because our placement coordinator said it was the best deal. We burnt the midnight oil because our boss said it was good for the career. We retired because everyone said it was time to relax and enjoy. But, we don't feel fulfilled and that is making us unhappy. Apparently, "self-realisation" would help us find our happiness. Hmm, where is this "self", what is it, and how do we find it? How could we have retained the "self" while giving in to all these demands? We are so used to this constant monitoring and guidance, that we really don't know what we want. And now all the self-help gurus are advising us to get in touch with the "real me". What is the "real me"? We are the amalgamation of our parents, our teachers, our spouse and god knows who else. Where is the "real me"? 

We are told to be a witness and that it would help with realisation. But then it is even more confusing, the world is behaving in a totally different way than what we were taught. We were taught to keep our voice down, but everyone is yelling to be heard over all the noise. We were taught to be polite and courteous, but only people polite and courteous are the ones in need. We were taught to be mindful, but the only thing everyone seems to be mindful about is their smartphones. So, is the loud, obnoxious, self-absorbed the real self?    

Then we are told we are our true self when we are alone. Look around. We are on our best behaviour when we have an audience. When the cops are around, we follow traffic rules, wear helmets/seat belts, and don't jump lanes. We are diligent walkers with a friend else we relax on a park bench during our morning walks and pretend to be tying shoelaces if someone passes by. When the family is around, we stick to the diet plan the doctor laid out for us, or else we binge on the extra dessert. So what does this mean? Is the rule-breaking, indisciplined, indulgent our real self? 

End result, we are more confused than ever and totally lost in an attempt to find the elusive "real me"?

My Tryst with Yoga

On this International Yoga Day, 21st June 2022, let me trace my yoga journey.

I was first introduced to yoga by Zarna Aunty, I should say ma'am but she was a family friend who used to conduct yoga classes out of her apartment in Hyderabad. I was studying degree then and was getting bored during one summer vacation and started attending her classes. It was fun, we used chairs,  balcony railing, our dupattas and many such household items as props and used to do quite a few stretching asanas. Then studies, career, and marriage took precedence. On and off, I would do some asanas, as best as I could remember.

While in the US, I tried various fitness fads - gym, aerobics, etc but never found my groove. This was the late-90s and yoga was not the in-thing, yet. So finding yoga studios were a bit rare and expensive. I did find some books and tried to revive my yoga skills, what little I possessed. But it didn't sustain. I settled for long walks and a self-devised exercise routine. 

Once we returned to India, and I quit my active career, I started hunting for yoga places. Tried many - Hatha, Ashtanga, Vinyasa, and even hot yoga. But either the timings or the instructor didn't work. Then I discovered Art of Living and got hooked onto Pranayama. I was quite happy doing their Sudarshana Kriya and a few rounds of Surya Namaskars on a daily basis. That sustained for a long time. Then the running bug bit me, and that was another story, as you are all aware (see here if interested).

Once the running euphoria died out, I was back to yoga. The thing with yoga is that it is holistic. 

Your entire body and life change with yoga. You realise what your body is capable of and it is really enlightenment, a eureka moment if you please. While we do asanas the focus is not only on the posture but also on the breathing. this gives clarity of thought which sustains throughout the day. The flexibility is not limited to the body but extends to the mind also. I have noticed I am much calmer and more forgiving and compromising on the days I practice yoga. 

I got back into regular Yoga sessions conducted in our colony. But lockdown put an end to it. I played around with some apps, but without posture correction, it was proving futile. Then I discover Energizer Yoga at Somajiguda. Their online and offline offerings, along with multiple batch timings give flexibility to the students which is a big plus. The instructors are very capable and efficient. It's not an easy task to teach yoga online and be able to give attention to each student individually but these instructors have achieved it successfully. I don't feel like I am missing anything when attending online classes,  same attention to detail. I see my flexibility limits being stretched, so also the endurance levels. I could even complete 108 Surya Namaskars under their able guidance. I love their Aerial Yoga sessions, too.

I would suggest everyone make yoga part of their lifestyle, you won't regret it. Of course, if you are looking for instant results like drastic weight loss or some such thing, then yoga is not for you. Yoga needs a lot of patience and you will see a gradual and subtle change in your life which is evident first to people around you before yourself. 

My Father-in-law

 This was written on the night of 2nd February 2022

I can't believe that the deep baritone "Amma Manjula" will no longer be summoning me. The imposing figure that guided the family is no more. Today, as I sit vigil at his death bed, I am going down memory lane.

My father in law, PPS Hariprasad, has been the guiding force for many. My relationship with him was one of mutual respect and understanding. He treated me like a daughter. On the second or third day after marriage, he was going to the airport early one morning to drop off his second son and wife. I was asked to accompany. Apparently, that was an honour rarely bestowed, especially on a "new acquaintance", the family was stunned. I remember the first time he visited us. We were newly married and living in Pune. I don't remember the details but there he was at our doorstep. I was new to cooking, hosting etc. and had prepared a modest meal. My husband in his usual style tried to prepare me by portraying the worst-case scenario. To his utter surprise and bewilderment, my father in law was totally bowled over by my cooking and courtesy. These two incidents first year into my marriage set the course for the future. We had our differences but then nothing unsurmountable. There have been occasions when my mother in law and my husband took advantage of my relationship with him to get a few things sorted.

He always drove me around whenever we came to Hyderabad for our annual vacations, later when we shifted to Hyderabad I was always invited to his lectures and felicitations. Then I became his technical advisor and towards the end his confidante. He, at one time, rued that I was too much under my husband's (his son's) influence and that it was affecting my style/independence.

I always admire and envy his zeal and ability to learn new things without any regard to his age - be it usage of computers, sundial installation, Vedic nuances and much more. Till the end, he was busy with some activity in the other.

I can't believe he won't be regaling us with anecdotes from his experiences and guiding us. The past few months had been tough. Seeing such an active and intellectual person go through the throes of dementia is brutal. He tried fighting for a while and then towards the last month, it felt like he just gave up. He kept telling us that its the worst suffering and that he might have done some heinous sin to deserve such an end.

I sincerely wish he found some peace now. For the family, it will take some time to get over his absence. We will miss him forever and ever.

Importance of Mobility

Let me at the outset get one thing out of the way, this is not intended at body shaming, nor is it a guide for any fitness regime. It is just my thoughts that I am putting together hoping to motivate you into what I think is a healthy habit.

Once I crossed 40, I started paying attention to the health habits of people around me, especially those who crossed their 70s and were leading an active and more importantly independent lives. They didn't seem very much into any special diets, nor were they going to the gym or investing in any fitness regimes. Most were eating balanced food and getting a moderate amount of exercise in the form of morning walks. Nothing drastic. A few of these active septuagenarians were not even into regular morning walks, but they were never idle. It was as if they had a spring in their step. Let me elaborate. Even when they were loitering around in the house, it was not the feet-dragging kind of movement but purposeful and strong strides. I guess that goes a long way. When your movements are brisk and active, even the trip from the couch to the refrigerator burns some calories and builds the crucial muscles. Another aspect was they didn't allow any pains to slow them down. Most of them revealed to me that at the first sign of knee/joint pain, instead of stopping, they just kept going, might be they slowed down a bit and cut down a bit in their walks but overall didn't let that pain deter them. They learned to stay active through the pain. 

I feel that maintaining mobility is a very important part of being healthy. It doesn't matter how much you weigh, how much weight you can lift, or how fast you can run, at the end of the day what matters is how mobile is your body. How much in control are you of your body? Do you listen to your body or make it listen to you? As long as you are in control, age is just a number and disease just an inconvenience. The minute you lose control, both become a nightmare. What is a true indicator of physical wellbeing? Personally, I have two indicators - the ability to sit cross-legged on the floor and get up effortlessly and climb a flight of stairs without losing breath. I don't have any scientific theory backing my belief, but as long as I am able to do both, I feel fit. 

We should keep all the muscles in our body engaged. How do we do that? Remember the morning drill we used to do in school? Those drills clearly work on all the muscle groups. A brisk walk and a few breathing exercises should be enough to stay fit for a lifetime. That and moving around a bit and sitting straight instead of plonking in front of the TV.  Anything over and above that should be out of your interest and as a hobby, not a compulsion. I have nothing against gym, aerobics and other heavy fitness routines. I myself am into yoga and running, as most of you are aware. But I feel one shouldn't feel that it is the only way to stay fit. 

Another mistake we make is when it comes to food. We think eating less is good. We think once we lose some weight our mobility will improve. Wrong. You need all food groups for a healthy body. Practice controlled eating, and try to have a balanced diet, all food groups are equally important. Don't let your body crave one more than another. 

Please stay active and make mobility a habit when you can, you won't regret it.....

Lockdown - the Tragedy

 Warning: The content might be a bit morbid for few.

Imagine this: You are sick and in hospital, surrounded by machines, wires, tubes, etc. One monitoring your heart rate and oxygen levels, one ensuring your sustenance, one eliminating toxins from your body, one pumping oxygen into your body, and whatnot. You do not have the energy to raise a finger but just enough to be aware of what is going on around you, which is not much except the beeping of the machines. Once in awhile a medical professional comes to check on you and to note down your vitals. They are also a bit cautious, donning PPE suites - a scene right out of a medical thriller. You have no contact with the outside world and have no way of knowing what's happening. God forbid, but what a way to spend your last days - alone and lost.
In the not so serious scenario, you are in a quarantine ward and it is worse. You have energy levels but nothing to do. Loneliness - how long can you talk to friends and family over the phone (no one is allowed to meet you). Boredom -  how long can you play games or watch TV? Since you are more aware of the surroundings, you are aware of the fact that even medical staff is maintaining a safe distance, it does prick. A lot.
The least serious scenario, home isolation - you are plagued with the thoughts of your family's safety and whether it would be better to be in a hospital or isolation centers. Such a dilemma.

Imagine the other aspect: You have a loved one diagnosed as positive. They are in ICU under medical care, but little is revealed to you. No one can be blamed since no one knows what needs to be done, what will happen, and when. You are chased away from the hospital, to minimize the risk of infection. You cannot stay away - it is someone you love in there. What if they need your help? But what assistance can you provide and how? Was it a mistake to get them to the hospital? Would it have been better if they were at home? But then there are kids/seniors at home. Should you have taken the chance? So many thoughts while you wait helplessly for some news, and flinch every time the phone rings.
At last some news - recovered. But the euphoria does not long last. Apparently, there are side effects like heart or liver complications at a later date, so the fear is not completely gone. What if they are still carriers?
If unfortunately - succumbed. The situation enters a realm we never knew existed. You do not get a last glimpse of the person. An ambulance picks up the body and transports it to the crematorium. There the last rites are performed by a complete stranger. The maximum you can do is watch from a safe distance. Even if you are not a believer, it hurts. While all this is done for the benefit of the community and society, it still feels unfair and inhuman. 

I think most of the families by now have experienced these situations - directly or indirectly. That is how COVID 19 is affecting all of us. This is one pandemic that is affecting all - equally and globally. The situation is really pathetic. Apart from the physical pain and suffering of those infected, it is touching every single aspect of our lives. What can be done? How can we mitigate its effects? Looks like there is no viable solution to this problem. We keep getting tons of advice - mask, sanitizer, 6 feet distance, zinc fortified vit c, pranayama, yoga, etc. etc. Do any of these work? No one knows. 

People are getting frustrated with the safety measures and are rebelling. The common refrain - how much longer and more importantly to what end. Some are getting infected despite precautions while some who are moving around more freely are not infected. Some are showing minor symptoms and recovering fast, while some are succumbing easily. 
Might be maintaining physical distance doesn't help - but what is the harm in keeping distance? Do we have to pile on one another at shops, banks, and other public places? (I used to wonder about this even in the pre-pandemic days)
Mask - they may not eradicate but I am sure they do help in containing. It is like adding a glass of cold water to a bucket of hot water - it might not bring down the temperature drastically but it would definitely take the sting away. Same with a mask, I feel.
Sanitizer - a little bit of hygiene won't kill anyone.

We needn't lock ourselves in the houses, that would be detrimental to building our immunity but few precautions might, just might, go a long way. Next time you step out of the house and feel like ditching the mask, think of all the damage that it can cause. Think for a second, not just about yourself but your family and society at large.

BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY

Hobbies

The most common ice-breaker after the weather is discussing hobbies. Since childhood, we are pestered with this question and honestly, I never knew how to answer it. My interests seem to change and I never had a steady answer to that question. I remember when we were kids my cousin told someone snooker was her hobby and at that point of time we had no idea what it was. Later to my query, she said it sounded very posh (this was before the word cool was in use). That was the importance we gave to hobbies!

I always stuck to reading and music as my hobbies, both of which I have written about here and here, respectively. Later I added running to the list, since though it started as an exercise regime it turned into a pastime, and I have covered in detail starting here, adding and continuing to it.

So what is left to cover in this blog? Well, a lesser-known hobby of mine - needlework.

Not exactly lesser-known. Those who know me well have one of these in their homes, hopefully adorning one of the walls and not gathering dust in a closet. These are my pride and my joy, my stress busters. I have tried various other outlets like colouring, painting, zigsaw puzzles etc., but after cleaning up the house, this works best for me.

How did I get hooked on? Well, in school we had a class called SUPW - Socially Useful Productive Work (popularly known as Some Useful Periods Wasted). And in the conservative city that I was studying - boys were tasked with gardening (read weeding) work and girls were made to sit in the class with cloth and needle. I never like these classes. I hated hemming and all the teeny weeny dresses we were forced to make and file. That was until they introduced embroidery and I was hooked. Our first project -  handkerchiefs to be showcased in the annual fete. I had warned my mom to be prepared to spend some money, she had to buy my products if no one else did, it was a matter of pride. But alas my handkerchiefs were missing from the stall. I was sure my teacher thought they were not worth displaying. It took a lot of courage (we hesitated to talk to our teachers in those days) to approach the teacher and ask her why my handicraft was not put out. Imagine my surprise when she informed me that the principal's wife, who toured the stalls in the morning, took them since she liked them so much. I was on cloud nine. That was it. For a couple of years, our tables, fridge, curtains all were adorned with my art. My goal was to do a sari but somehow it didn't happen.

Then with the busy schedule of life involving studies, job, marriage this hobby of mine took a backseat. Every now and then I would look at the magazines with these embroidery designs and sigh. It seemed too much work to come up with a creative idea and then buy all the material for it. Then I chanced upon the DIY kits at Hobby Lobby in the US. These kits came with material and instructions for some of the coolest home decor projects. Thus began my second innings. I did wall hangings with cross stitch, 

  plastic baskets, 

fridge magnets and whatnot. 

I learnt a lot about cloth count, needles, threads and colours like mauve, fuchsia, lavender, champagne and more.

Then came the problem - what to do with all these "masterpieces"? My mother-in-law unwittingly gave me a solution. She had visited us in the US and during her stay, our out-station friends decided to pay us a visit. My mother-in-law said we need to gift them something, as you are aware as per Indian tradition we usually felicitate our guests with new clothes. Well, buying clothes that they would like in theUS was a tricky business, at least for me, so I came up with a novel idea. Why not present them with some of my "artwork", sort of a punishment for being my friend 😉. So that solved not only the issue of choosing gifts for all but any future gift dilemmas. Now all my friends and relatives enjoy my talent (if anyone doesn't agree, keep it to yourself).

Once we decided to return to India, the one thing I was sure I would miss out on was these kits. I bought a few to tide me over. In India, I discovered Anchor Stitch kits. These were much easier than cross-stitch, it was just straight-stitches. My favourite and also of many who have visited and seen it in our home 

Then I chanced upon beadwork hanging in one of our neighbour's house which I liked a lot. With the help of my mother, I converted it into cross-stitch format and presented it to my Dad. It still hangs in their puja room.

Now there was one kit I bought in the US, which was yet to be my pièce de résistance. It was very intricate and very appealing. Though I opened and sorted the threads way back in 2005, I somehow could never work on it continuously. I completed many other projects big and small (including a sari for myself) but this was always on the back burner. Now with lockdown, containment and work from home, I finally completed it. Isn't it a beauty!!!!

Lockdown - the New Normal

Well, this is it. COVID 19 came spoiled my grand day, we were under lockdown for nearly two months, some in containment, and then Unlockdown - what happened, nothing. The statistics show a drastic rise in the number of cases. Everyone is blaming everyone else. People flout all rules - have birthday parties, kitty parties, unnecessary get-togethers, don't maintain physical distance and blame the government for not taking adequate precautions. The private hospitals say they are not being allowed to serve the needy, and when given the chance, jack up the prices and commercialise the entire tragedy. The government says the death rate is low, so its a victory. Well, who knows, might be the situation would have been worse if not for the lockdown.

But as a layman, who is not well-versed with the medical jargon and not at all into political or economic repercussions, what should we do? They say "Stay home, stay safe". I don't mind that but for how long? We do have to get out for essentials or to take care of parents' need or get a tap or a bulb fixed in the house, then what? They say "mask, disinfectant and physical distance" are our best friends now. The virus is here to stay, we better get used to it - the new normal.

By nature, I am not a person who panics easily. I can handle medical and non-medical emergencies calmly and without getting too worked up. I get anxious but once I know the cause or have a plan in place I am good to go. But this pandemic has turned me into a scaredy-cat. Every time someone sneezes or coughs, I startle. Every visit to the vegetable market either ends up in a fight or returning half-way out of disgust and frustration (I am surrounded by morons who think wearing a mask and maintaining distance is for losers). When I see the news of how people in the US and the UK are flocking their beaches, I hyperventilate (apparently it was the hottest day). The other day my maid said a 30-year old in her building passed away suddenly without any apparent (or revealed) cause, I told her not to come for a week (she is the watchman at that neighbouring building and stays there). Am I overreacting? I hate this "new normal" which is making us watch over our shoulder all the time.

I am remembering my childhood, especially my grandmother. Feels like I am living her life with her rules all over again. As soon as we enter the gate, we had to wash our feet. Next, we were to discard our "street clothes", wash our hands and face with soap (have a bath if feasible) and don our "house clothes". Only then could we talk, or have a glass of water, or do whatever in the house. Guests were restricted to the drawing-room, only close relatives were allowed inside the sanctum sanctorum. She never allowed the maid inside the house. For sweeping and mopping, the maid was allowed after all the morning activities were over and most adults had left the house on their business, ie when the house was practically empty. We, kids, were driven out to play in the backyard, till the maid finished her "inside work".  The maid's entry into the kitchen was a big no-no. My grandmother would leave the vessels outside and the maid would leave them at the threshold after wash. My grandmother would rinse them and then bring them into the kitchen. Grocery shopping was done once a year, all the items sun-dried before storing them away for the rest of the year. New clothes were to be washed before wear, how we used to crib that the new clothes don't feel new. Are we not doing the exact same things now? Wash our hands and feet as soon as we enter the house, sanitize all the veggies and groceries before use, rinse all the utensils after maid washes them.

They say there is no going back, but guess we are going back to the roots.

Lockdown - the Containment

Can there be anything worse than Lockdown? Turns out yes and it is called containment. Two weeks of imprisonment. 

One fine Saturday afternoon, my watchman calls saying police are here. I rush downstairs. Apparently, the watchman from the opposite apartment building was tested positive and his wife was working for an elderly couple in our building. So our apartment complex along with theirs is declared a containment zone. Since it was late in the evening, the police left with a warning - no one leaves the building until further instructions. But people being people, the first whiff of trouble they start disappearing leaving us to face police queries.
For the uninitiated, ours is a single building complex with 22 flats. Of these 3-4 are permanently locked, 2-3 were not occupied since well before lockdown, 2-3 vacated just after lockdown, and 2-3 on the day of containment. So there were a total of 10 flats in containment. Sunday the police, GHMC, and health workers landed. Each gathering information and the same information - who are the occupants, their age, occupation, and health conditions. Exact same information had to be shared with all the three. In the meantime, the apartment complex was sprayed with disinfectant, gates closed and barricades put up with a banner. We protested at the suddenness and they gave us a grace period of an hour to stock up. There are two doctors in the building who were on duty, so they called the collector or some such official, got special permission, and were allowed to continue with their duties. So by Sunday evening, we were locked in.

Now coming back to my personal experience. The story which started on my birthday, took shape, got extended, and continues here. My husband was taking care of his parents at their house, my parents were staying with me and now this. With my moral support available only over the phone and WhatsApp, I was getting scared. Here I was with my aged (70+) parents, already risking by allowing maid to continue working, now in a worst-case scenario. Well, not exactly worst-case, since my maid was not posing any danger, or was she??? So many doubts, so many thoughts, and no place to run, literally no place to hide. I tried my best to stay upbeat, parents were very supportive. But dil hai ki manta nahin.

Till now lockdown meant restriction in movement. I was getting domestic help so didn't feel the pinch apart from the fact that getting and sanitizing provisions and groceries was a bit painful. Now I was in the same boat as the rest. Have to take care of the dishes and house. House I was not very particular, gone were the days when I wanted a spic and span home. Now a dust speck here and a cobweb there doesn't bother me that much. And I will not claim that my house is cleaner when I clean it. I depend heavily on my maid to keep my house neat and tidy, and my maid does an excellent job of it. In these past 10+ years that we have been in India, I never held a broom, leave alone the mop. I was fortunate that my maid hardly took any time off, and even if she did it would be for a day or two. I didn't have any issues leaving the house unswept for a couple of days.

But then two weeks is a totally different deal. I couldn't leave it, and I couldn't lock up any rooms. So it was the entire house. How I curse the size of the apartment and how I wish I was shorter so that reaching the floor wouldn't kill my back. To top it, GHMC decided to utilise the lockdown period to re-pave the road, resulting in dust and debris floating into the flat, cons of living in afa on the first floor.

While daily essentials like milk were being delivered, and Big Basket was delivering so provisions were taken care of.  Fresh fruits and vegetables were a bit tricky, we have a weekly market in our colony on Saturdays. Luckily friends in the neighbourhood volunteered to get for us. That was a relief. Though we do not go out much which was further limited post lockdown, still the restriction that we cannot go out was very frustrating. Dad and I were used to going out for either a morning or evening walk which was now a big no, the terrace was too hot to be considered and our parking space limited. We were feeling like we were in jail. Every day the health workers would knock on the doors promptly by 11:30am to see if we were all doing fine. And we started pestering them for our freedom, poor people they were not in control but were getting harassed all the same. Two weeks were nearing their end and we were ready to heave a sigh of relief.

Amidst all this, weather decided to test us. Huge gales and rain battered the city one day a week into the containment. A huge tree on the south side of our flats was uprooted and it fell on the transformer. No power for 6 hours. What was impressive was the disaster team response. Within half hour electricity board guys were here and within couple of hours the disaster recovery guys. They first cleared the tree and then restored the power. I got to watch the show from our utility balcony, really impressive.

Two weeks came and went, so did 15 days, now it was getting really irritating. Every day we were told 2-3 days more, nothing more nothing less. Residents were getting anxious and started seeking out avenues to complain - police, commissioner, collectorate all included, nowhere did we get a proper response. Unfortunately for us, the timing coincided with the Lockdown 4.0 announcement and all officials were busy with those arrangements. Me being the logical soul, tried to find a meaning behind this so-called official negligence/goof up. My theory was - since a positive case turned up among the watchman's contacts and our two weeks got reset to that date. 

Finally one fine Thursday morning, after 19 days of containment we were free..... But where to go???? Nowhere, just an exhilaration that we are now on par with everyone else in the city........

And then I come across a case where one person was in containment, not once, not twice but a total of three times !!!!! He should be awarded a Nobel prize.

Lockdown - the Saga

In continuation from the Prequel & the Beginning.

End of vacation, time to take things seriously. Even with all the additional household chores, people were becoming anxious about their fitness, kids were getting bored without the school routine, work from home was becoming a pain with all the meetings and status calls, and those who were literally on paid vacation had no clue what to do with all the leisure. Tempers were on the rise and looked like corona was creating additional domestic issues. 

The enterprising fitness instructors started posting instructional videos, some started conducting classes over hangout/google meetings, skype, and even zoom. Schools started giving online assignment and soon came up with online classes with a set schedule. TV channels started telecasting old serials like Mahabharat, Ramayan, Buniyaad, etc. Anything to keep people home and occupied. Slowly a trickle of the morning and evening walkers started cropping up. But not in groups only scattered individuals. People were taking social distancing seriously, initially, it was not that scary but with all the new cases, some closer home, people started behaving responsibly. The daily wage labourers returned to their hometowns, by hook or crook, easing the pressure on the police a bit.

Social Media exploded. WhatsApp was inundated with messages. There was no dearth of theories, solutions, and jokes. People became experts - medical advice, pandemic experts, governance ideas, you name it we had them all - some all rolled into one. Quizzes, puzzles, jokes. memes starting making rounds easing the tension a bit. These were the times I realized so much talent was getting wasted. People were scouring through their contacts and calling long-forgotten friends and acquaintances - the standard topics irrespective of age and gender were - how are you coping, are you getting groceries and provisions, are you getting domestic help. With the lack of traffic, we could hear bird calls and all sorts of things that we were earlier unaware of. For example, I realized the wall clock in our kitchen tick-tocked a bit too loud.

Doomsday predictions, conspiracy theories, natural calamity advisories, pralay sagas, you name it and all laid a stake on the virus. My favourite of all - nature reclamation. As most are aware, in Hindu religion we have a belief - whenever atrocities by a man spillover, God takes a mortal form and rids humans of that villain - the story behind dasavatars. Now it was the entire humanity's atrocity against nature which had to be taken care of. That is the reason we are seeing so many natural calamities like tsunami, forest fires, volcanic eruptions, epidemics and now this pandemic. Makes sense, we had taken nature for granted and in our demand for comfortable and luxurious living, we have overlooked the negative impact our inventions and comforts had on nature. And nature is retaliating.

Apart from this, there were other things that Corona was teaching us.
First, personal hygiene. People started washing hands more often, covering their mouth and nose while sneezing and coughing. Washing hands and feet after returning home. Now that we started I hope it becomes a habit.
Second sanctity of personal space. This is proving a bit tough, but people are trying to maintain distance, it will take some time to become a habit but I am optimistic.
Third, most importantly, it brought families together. With nowhere else to go, families were forced to hang out together. They started watching movies together, talking to each other and spending more time with each other. Of course, there was a side effect to it, quarrels also were on the rise. Especially things were difficult for the newly-weds, with no relatives, malls and movies acting as buffers, they were having doubts on their compatibility.

Things seemed to be coming under control, the new cases per day dipped and things seemed to be getting better. Then the bubble burst. Cases spiralled due to one unfortunate incident and the age-old fear and dread for cops. One incident triggered a spike in the infections and fear of cops and authorities led to those infected into hiding and prevented timely action. The once hopeful situation of nearing the end of Lockdown now seemed to be a distant dream. Where will this lead to? When will this end?

Continued here...

Lockdown - the Beginning

As you all know a deadly pandemic broke in 2020 - COVID-19 and the only way to mitigate it was social distancing. Cities and countries started announcing lockdown to discourage people from meeting and mingling with the hope to mitigate the effect of this virus. India was also not left behind.

In my previous blog, I spoke about the week leading to the lockdown. Now let us get into the details. Once again a disclaimer - my intention is not to undermine the effect of corona nor belittle the efforts taken to keep it under control, it is just to give some comic relief in these difficult times.

Well, PM has asked us to stay at home on Sunday (March 22nd) and then the following Wednesday (25th March) imposed a nation-wide lockdown for 21 days. By then we, in Hyderabad, were already working from home for a week now and in lockdown since 22nd March. So this was just an extension to the situation.

The initial euphoria behind working from home died. For some, it was vacation time, but for most of us, it was still working time. We realized that we had deadlines to be met, calls to attend, status to be given and amidst all this a house to be taken care of. With police blocks in place, the movement of domestic help and daily vegetable/fruit vendors were restricted. This meant additional household work to be taken care of within the limited means, and everyone in the house had to pitch in some way or the other. Wives realized that their husbands were not that useless after all, parents realized that kids can be responsible and kids discovered homemade food was edible.

Of the innumerable measures state took to contain the virus, one was to seal off the state borders but this meant that along with the virus, provisions and groceries were also stuck at the border. Being the end of the month, many households had the same issue with provisions. And for people like me who are totally dependent on supermarkets and Big Basket, the outlook was bleak. Supermarkets stock was dwindling. Online delivery portals failed due to the lack of delivery executives. The crowd was increasing at supermarkets and hoarding started Seeing the crowd I started getting paranoid, what happened to the social distancing call by our beloved PM? Luckily the local Kirana shops came to rescue, basic needs were taken care of but with no supplies coming in, they were also not able to restock. Slowly the law enforcement started coming up with waivers - allowing entry for trucks carrying provisions and groceries, allowing passes for the delivery vans, prioritizing the vehicular movement, allowing for relaxation hours - a classic case of act first think later!!!!!

The law enforcers had a tough time enforcing social distancing. People refused to take things seriously, either out of innocence or out of arrogance. Everywhere they had to be monitored. Markets, shops, supermarkets were given strict orders not to allow people in without masks, there were markers in place to ensure people maintained distance. All this queue system, lack of crowd and lack of noise (no traffic no noise) made my Dad comment that it almost feels like we are in a foreign country, not India.

Uneducated people had no clue as to what a virus was and what a pandemic is. Some educated morons very ardently believed themselves to be immune to the virus attack and that the government knows nothing. Most blamed the police for impeding their freedom. Both the class of people looked for ways to break the law. Poor cops, they were beaten up if they allowed people to go and also if they didn't. To overcome this mess, they did what they do the best - erect barricades. Flyovers were closed, all major roads were blocked, areas were cordoned off from each other. While it was the need of the hour it had its own repercussions as we would witness later (I always wanted to say that in my blog!!!).

 As I  mentioned, it was the senior citizens living by themselves who were the worst affected. Even though the maids were willing to come and help out the elderly, the law enforcers were very harsh on them. Without the delivery guys, they had no means to acquire fresh provisions. My parents and my in-laws were stuck. Given the caution around senior citizens, we weren't too comfortable moving them. My husband and I decided to take care of them separately, he moved in with his parents and my parents moved in with me. This move ensured that we would not be on the list of rising domestic dispute cases!!!

Continued here....

Lockdown - a Prequel

Disclaimer

I am not undermining the effect of corona nor am I trying to belittle the efforts taken to keep it under control. 

This blog, as with all my other blogs, is meant to serve as comic relief in an otherwise grim and grave situation.

It all started last week, 17th March to be precise, with our office declaring mandatory work from home from 18th till 31st March. This was keeping in view the threat of Corona pandemic looming large in India and specifically Hyderabad. The initial euphoria about being able to work from home died once we came to know of all the measures taken to ensure that we work. Hangout meeting links were established for each team and we were supposed to log in the morning and be available during the working hours. Status calls twice daily - morning and evening, now that was becoming a bit difficult, weekly status was fine but daily? To top it we need to inform the team via the meeting link when we stepped away from the machine, now that was brutal. We decided it would be better to forgo the work from home and proceed to the workplace. But then the cafeteria would be closed we were warned, so would the AC. Pedestal fans would be supplied they said, and lunch can be taken care of by getting from home but what about tea/coffee? That was a toughie. There were few who didn't have connectivity at home and were forced to go to office till those issues were sorted, we thought we would check with their experience and then decide. The first couple of days were fine, then stringent checks started - no swiggy, no entry if you have travelled by cab or any other public transport system, daily temperature checks. There rested our plans to go to the office.

Working from home was not a bed of roses - it had major thorns. I tried maintaining office schedule but that was slowly becoming a challenge. With the corona scare, ensuring smooth functioning on the home front was proving to be a Herculean task. Each day came with a new challenge. I was lucky to have my maid living next door, so that was taken care of. Many were having problems on that front. Senior citizens are the worst affected, they can not manage without maids, and the worrier that I am I was concerned for my parents and in-laws. Vegetables and groceries were proving hard to procure. Day 2 luckily a street vendor turned up with fresh vegetable supply, and I stocked up. Groceries were not an issue but then the lockdown started and got extended to 21 days. I ventured out only to find the local kirana shop had run out of stock, but he assured me supplies are on the way and if I can manage I should come back in a day or two for any needs. With the cancellation of yoga classes and morning walks, not having my daily dose of the exercise was effecting my mental well being.
Attending meetings in a peaceful atmosphere was also tough. Imagine two people working from home and having to attend meetings, and add to that traffic and TV (better half suddenly gets the urge to watch a movie) noise to it. Then the connectivity took a hit, speed started dropping. Amidst all this chaos how does one be productive????

To top it I had a major milestone coming up - my half-century. Beginning of the year, I was happy that I would get a holiday for my birthday this year, as it coincides with Ugadi. But then not happy with just a National holiday, Global holiday was declared, the entire world gets not just one but an entire month off as celebrations. What did I do? Nothing. Initial plans were a weekend outing with family but that was proving tough given the varied interests of parents, in-laws, nieces & nephew. My brother not too kindly pointed out that I should be doing something I liked to do the best. Point taken, I searched and found Mussoorie trail run slated for the weekend before. I thought that would be ideal, I could take a couple of days off and have a run-cation celebration of sorts. Somehow that didn't pan out. Finally, it was supposed to be a lunch with parents, inlaws and brother's family. That too got cancelled given the situation. I thought I would just go visit my parents and in-laws and get their blessings. Thanks to 21-day lockdown that too was overruled. So much for my milestone. I should have stuck to my resolution last year when I decided no more birthdays for a decade - from 49 years to 60 in one leap. 

My nephew observed that half my life is over but then with this week I feel like I have seen it all......

Continued here....

Italy

Usually, travelogues start and end with the travel. But the trip to Italy was unique in so many ways that it has to be extended beyond that.

Inception - three months before the day of travel.

Why Italy?

First, it had been on my to-see list for a long time, since our days in London in 1995-96, but somehow my husband was vehemently against it.

Second, as most of you know, my husband has been travelling frequently to London over the past 5 years. He had accumulated miles as a British Airways frequent flier member and suddenly realised that a majority of those points would be expiring by the end of 2019.

Third, he and his friend were turning 50 this year (they were born one day apart) and they wanted to celebrate it in a special way.

Last but not least, the four of us hadn't been on a vacation together in a long time.

So, many birds in one shot - international vacation.

Now that the why has been established, the next question - where? Europe was the choice based on travel time from India. While we covered quite a bit of Europe in our earlier travels, there were still some places to cover like Germany, Austria, Hungary, Greece and my long-time request Italy. Somehow, Italy it was.

The next step was fixing the itinerary. Visa application requires travel documents including local travel, accommodation bookings etc. etc., so we set about planning the itinerary. Due to paucity of time, I was in a new job, had already taken quite a few holidays, I felt guilty taking more than a week, we stuck to the standard tourist route - Milan, Venice, Florence, Pisa and Rome. But it seemed too hectic and I was compelled to seek a ten-day leave and Naples was added to the list.

Applying and obtaining Visa was in itself a great adventure. Those who travelled to Italy would vouch for it. There are two ways to apply for Visa - directly at the embassy or through VFS services. Each channel has its own set of documents to be submitted. Since we were in Hyderabad, we had to go through VFS. We made the mistake of following the Embassy checklist. We were sent home and asked to come again with the proper set of documents. We did that and were still harassed for improper documentation. Like the bank statement, it said last three months, which we got but then apparently it should be up to 2-3 days prior to the submission date!!!! Anyway, the waiting game started. We applied two months ahead of the travel and didn't hear from the Embassy for three weeks. We tried calling but all our calls got diverted to VFS and they didn't have any information, as their job was limited to collection and delivery of the paperwork. It was really frustrating. My friend started coming up with alternate plans since none of us wanted to cancel our vacation plans. Finally three weeks after applying, five days before the travel date we got our Visas. Apparently, we were the lucky ones, there were people who got their Visas on the day of travel!!!!!

Execution - things that could have been disastrous.

First, we neglected the fact that it was winter. Not exactly forgot since we did pack warm clothing but did not factor in the duration of the daylight. By 4-4:30pm, it would be too dark to carry on any site seeing. We had planned meticulously and accommodated two days for leisure and relaxation. We had booked Airbnb with stunning views, gazebo, solarium and more to utilize those leisure days to the maximum. Due to the short days and my insistence to cover everything on the list, the two rest days were consumed and we ended up tired.

Second, rains. We did not anticipate rains and due to that, we were stuck with wet clothes, smelly rooms and lugging umbrellas around. Luckily, except Rome, other places the rain would subside whenever we were on the road. The Venice floods started the day after our visit. We were in Airbnb at Rome and in that locality, the centralized heating was not to be switched on till mid-November (global warming, I guess). So not only dampness but we had to deal with the cold during the nights.

Third, tickets to museums and cathedrals. Though most of the websites warned us about long queues and to pre-book the tickets, we overlooked that advice. The reasons being multi-fold. Major being the time of our visit. We thought it would be a lean period and there wouldn't be much crowd, wrong, I guess there were many others who thought like us. There is an option at most places for guided tours and skip the line tickets, which were more expensive. So we ended up prioritising the places and going in only for the major ones like the Vatican, Colosseum, and Pisa.

Third, the food turned out to be a major issue. I know Italy is famous for its food!!!! While I enjoyed Italian cuisine, my husband and friends were tired of the "bland food", they were craving for spices. We did visit a few Indian restaurants but they were not satisfied and ended up cooking one day!!!!! I had issues with their hot beverages, they were not hot enough. It was raining and cold and the tea, coffee, hot chocolate were lukewarm at best.

Fourth, we relied heavily on local transport throughout the trip. This worked out quite well and even though lugging the luggage didn't seem too strenuous, I would still recommend taking cabs when you have luggage. Another convenient thing was that the metro tickets were valid on the buses too, which was very convenient once we realised it. Google Maps was a boon, it made our lives so easy. The only time we had a problem was the train from Florence to Rome, it got delayed by about two hours. Without any prior intimation, we had to spend almost half a day at the station.

Conclusion - home sweet home.

By the time we were ready to pack our bags, the feelings were mixed. While the food and all the walking made homecoming a pleasure, the hectic schedule and lack of relaxation made it equally hard. Luckily we had planned the return on Saturday and we had two days to get over the jetlag before the gruelling daily schedules. I tried beating the jetlag by not sleeping during the daytime both on Saturday and Sunday and was feeling quite fresh by Monday morning. But then it is not easy to fool jetlag, it hit me on Tuesday and I had to take the day off and sleep throughout!!!!!!

Let us now dive into the adventure Italy was......click here

Italy - the visit

So, finally, we landed in Milan Airport, Italy. I had been waiting for this trip to Italy for so long, I was excited. As arranged, a taxi came to pick us and take us to the hotel. We checked in, freshened up and decided to see the sights.

Milan

First stop - Duomo di Milano - the cathedral of Milan. We took a train from the hotel to the cathedral and the cathedral loomed in front of us as soon as we stepped out of the station, giving us the feeling of having reached Italy finally. Till then it was just open spaces and buildings. First impression - so many pigeons. Second people flocking around to sell us wares greeting us with a Namaste and references to Salman Khan and Bollywood!!! Next, I wanted to visit Santa Maria to have a glimpse of Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci. But alas the tickets, apparently, have to be booked three months in advance, without that Santa Maria seemed a bit drab. On the way, we visited Porta Sempione - the city gate of Milan. By then we were tired and had an early morning train to catch to Venice the next day, so we grabbed a bite on the way and called it a day. 

Venice

The train journey from Milan to Venice brought back memories of Eurostar - London to Paris and was quite comfortable. Venice - what to say. It lived up to my expectations. People tried to dissuade me from visiting Venice, saying it is all hype and not worth a visit. Might be it lowered my expectations, but I liked it. Our first stop Piazza San Marco - St. Mark's Square. While I savoured the sights of the Basilica and the Campanile, my travel mates booked us on a Gandola ride. It was really amazing going through the narrow canals and under the numerous bridges, people greeting each other - straight out of a Bollywood movie!! Also, this was the first time we tasted authentic Italian food - the standard pasta, spaghetti, ravioli and pizza but the taste was somehow amazing.

Pisa

Next day from Venice to Florence. Again by local train. We dumped our luggage and headed out to Pisa. We took a train and a bus and then a short walk to - Piazza del Duomo, Pisa. Lo and behold - Leaning Tower of Pisa. We took tickets to go up the tower. Not for the faint-hearted, let me warn you. The steps are spiral and steep. We all know it was an architectural fiasco which became a famous landmark, but what I didn't know was that the original architect got his name removed from the records. He realised his folly after the first level and abandoned the project. Later it was taken up by different architects each correcting and adding a level to it, and achieving a structure which compensated for the error and stood erect (in a way) for centuries to come. The view from the top is amazing, the number of people who can enter the tower is restricted. Pisa was where we started our encounter with rains, though the sky thoughtfully cleared whenever we were on the road. Also, Pisa was the place I had the best-tasting pizza with the famous eggplant topping. 

Florence

Once back from Pisa, we still had time to do a bit of shopping at Florence. We were located quite close to the famous Mercato di San Lorenzo and got lured into the road-side market. Since the sky was dark with clouds, most of the shops were packing up for the day. I still managed to buy their famous leather handbags of good quality for reasonable prices. 

Next day, visiting yet another Piazza del Duomo, this time in Florence. By then my travel mates had enough of climbing, so while they waited I went up the Giotto’s Campanile, for a view of the city and the Cathedral. The queue leading up to the Cathedral was too long and we had a train to Rome to catch. We decided to give it a skip and though, I wanted to see David by Michelangelo, I had to give it a skip, too.

Rome

The train from Florence to Rome got delayed by almost two hours. This meant that we reached Rome quite late in the day and given the short winter days our entire itinerary went for a toss. This was my first encounter with Airbnb - a two-bedroom apartment. Though the rain and damp weather was a big letdown we still managed to enjoy the stay.

Day 5: We took the metro to Spanish Steps - very impressive. Being a Sunday, the mass was in progress when we reached the Trinità dei Monti church. Next stop, Colosseum and Roman Forum. Here we took a guided tour which included Colosseum, Palantine Hill and Roman Forum. This was a really enlightening experience. Though we read about the glory and fall of the mighty Roman empire, it does not come close to the realisation that dawns on you, when you behold the actual ruins. Such imposing structures, the ruins themselves are so imposing imagine the sight in their full glory. Lunch was at a locally recommended authentic amazing Italian place, where the host burst into an Italian song when all I asked was for a pic!!!! 

Post lunch we roamed around Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, savouring the famous Gelato. Both of these were a big let down, not the gelato though. Though Trevi fountain was beautiful and impressive it was too cramped and too crowded.

Vatican

What can I say? All that glory, power and grandeur. The only way to enter St. Peter's Basilica is through the Vatican museum. You walk past all the artefacts and paintings belonging to the church, collections of previous Popes, enter the Sistine Chapel and then the Basilica. Words cannot describe the visual treat that is Sistine Chapel. Gazing at it gave me a neck crick wonder how Michelangelo painted it. Then I took the lift and stairs up the Duomo for a bird's eye view of Rome and the Vatican. The stairs were something else, spiral all the way till the top, places, where we got some respite from the spiral, was along the curved edge of the dome, making the walk inclined, really scary. But then what a view! We also get to see the offices and living quarters of Pope and the ex-Pope. Really impressive.

Once outside I walked down the main avenue to reach the River Tiber. This is when the rain really pounded on us, leaving us soaking wet. Finally, I found a place that served vegetarian Lasanga, yummy. My food checklist was complete with the exception of crepes which we had later that evening and biscotti which we got at Naples and which I am still enjoying!!!!

Naples

Next day we started our drive along the coast to Vico Equense, Naples. Again we underestimated our drive time. Actually not the drive time but the number of breaks we would need to drink in all the scenic beauty. I guess after almost a week of ruins, cathedrals and bell towers, it was a welcome break. 

Pompeii & Mount Vesuvius

Another and last day for some more ruins and walking. Pompeii was vast which I did not anticipate. Unlike Rome, this one a natural disaster. Entire city wiped out by molten lava. Climbing the mighty Mount Vesuvius was an entirely different experience. The walk up the mountain was steep and long-winding, I gave up twice before reaching the top. And view from there amazing. But what was more amazing was the steam and sulphuric vapours emanating.

Well, that was the last stop for the trip. From canals to Vulcano; from ruins to cathedrals; from scenic drives to brutal steps; we have seen it all done it all. And I am willing to do it again. Such is the beauty and allure of Italy.