enjoying the moment

Since the twins, I find it quite difficult to live in the moment. While I have always been the kind of person who post analyzes everything, the twins have triggered a crazy loop of constant to do and worry lists. I also find it hard to just overlook the kids' crankiness and tantrums and enjoy myself.. This was particularly the case on our recent five day trip to Goa.  traveling with kids is hard, traveling with kids and another family requires even more juggling and patience and good humour.

Now, back home and in my own space, I will say that the trip was an overall success, with equal amounts of laughter and crankiness (kids’). In the moments of crankiness however, I was wondering why on earth we thought this might be a good idea..

Now I fondly recall the beautiful beaches, the sunsets, the kids laughter as they splashed in the pool or jumped at the waves in the sea.. the crying, the tantrums, the throwing up are just minor blips on a huge landscape.. why is it that I cannot see that when I am in that moment??

With my twins being three, I can foresee that this will be the case in many many more future trips. So what can I do to enjoy myself more in the moment??

#microblog mondays

 

travel diary

agra-delhi-manali, 8-15 march 2011

yes, this post is a tad overdue, but that's okay. in ck's words, i've been mulling a little!

it was a wonderful holiday. there was lots of history to keep me fascinated, enough walking to make up for four months of sedentary life, cold and snow and my winter wardrobe (unpacked after over a year) to soften the pressure of this crazy heat (it's march and temperatures are already soaring over 30 degrees celsius, ugh), entire constellations of stars in a clear black sky, and lots of yummy food (including steamed dumplings and apple pancakes, ahhhh).

our backpacks (and perhaps H's bright red, 'lost in hk' tshirt) led all kinds of people to think we were foreigners, which amused me to no end, but caused H some grief and puzzlement.

being away from our usual routine and daily pressures was bliss. it was nice to while away our days sightseeing, wake up late, not worry about family waiting for us, chat about shahjahan and movies and food and everything but bills, family and home repairs!

travelling is good for the soul, and it was good for us -to just be together, to recall our 'dating' days, to wander, hand in hand, in our own world.

coming back to bombay was more of a reality shock than i expected. the magic disappeared before i even had a chance to blink. sigh. oh well. until the next holiday, i will browse through the photos and smile at the memories.

india diary: week one

my first week in the country was mainly spent in ajmer, rajasthan. it was my first field visit in india, and it was very educational. we visited different villages and communities, interviewed government employees and activists, and attended a couple of meetings.

the content of the meetings and interviews was nothing new; it was my discussions with people i found insightful and inspirational.

what baffled me: the place we were staying at in ajmer had a patrol guard who would circle the building and randomly (inevitably outside my window) bang his stick and let out a siren like whistle that nearly gave me a heart attack the first time i heard it.

also, i saw many women sweeping sand strewn streets, which simply made the sand and dust rise up in clouds around them; there was no cleaning value to the act, as far as i could see.

fruitful travelling

my recent trip to south korea was wonderful. i spent most of my time basking in the southern countryside, which is gorgeous and idyllic, lush with rice paddies and mountains, temples and traditional houses. it was one of my most outdoorsy vacations, and i loved it. the best part was not only hanging out with ksa, but also experiencing her country and culture with her. it was a very fruitful trip -we visited many places (too many perhaps, for such a short time!), ate lots of yummy (and homemade) korean food, did a lot of shopping, received a lot of gifts and laughed a lot. i wish all my trips were as fortunate and hassle free! in particular, i wish my next trip to be so..

i have few expectations however. in fact, the expectations are all in the negative. sigh. my biggest concerns include having little control over my own life, of having no friends around, and instead being surrounded by people who think i am from a distant planet, of being unproductive and stagnation. not to mention the corruption, chaos and lack of punctuality. i tell myself all kinds of cheery nonsense and chant numerous mantras, but really, when it comes right down to it, i would give anything to not go. it's too late for that, i know. so i must simply 'prepare a face to meet the faces that i will meet', and 'dare to disturb the universe'. (and look forward to discussing pigs and music with c). the memories and photos of korea will have to keep me going for a while..

mombasa diary

i returned from mombasa, kenya early last week. now of course, it already seems like a long time ago and it's hard to recapture my thoughts and emotions in writing; this post will be briefer than i originally intended, malish.

temperature: i knew it was going to be hot, but i really didn't expect it to be as bad as it was. not only was it hot and sticky, but the super strong sun also zapped all my energy. i am still amazed that i managed to get so tan (at least five shades darker than my original skin tone) in the first few days, merely from the 15 minute journey from the drop off point to my seat during the waaz. it didn't help that the shed i was seated in had pretty bad ventilation. during power outages i had to meditate my way out of any claustrophobic fits.

people: being my third ashera, i was prepared for the various inanities and bizarreness of bohras from everywhere. i was pleasantly surprised however; the only memorable incidents were a lack of geographic awareness and being totally mystified at eating pumpkin. oh, wait. i heard one too many racist jokes about africans. sigh.

meeting up with friends and family from various places was definitely one of the highlights of this trip- i love you all :)

the adage that travelling and living with people is when you truly know them was quite forcefully brought home to me on this trip. i was staying with persons i've known since i was a kid, and i wasn't expecting any shockers, which took me a good few days to get over!

there were numerous stories of thefts and awful tuk-tuk drivers doing the rounds, but i was lucky enough to not have any first hand experience of this. in fact, i found the average kenyan on the street very helpful and friendly.

faith: before going to mombasa, my faith was riddled with more doubts than i cared for. much as i want to say this is no longer the case, i cannot.

also, for the thousands of people that were there, for the mass practice of religion and rituals, i felt very alone.

safari: the highlight of my one-day safari was definitely a beautiful black-spotted giraffe, whom birds would randomly rest on :)

while others in my car got bored after a few hours, i found myself thinking i could spend a week or so on a safari. i have always liked car/bus/train journeys, and this one had beautiful scenery and animals as well.

beach: moving into a hotel on the beach after ashera was another highlight. i spent a lot of time dozing in the shade of huge palm trees. it was surprisingly windy though, particularly after the stuffiness of the city.

thousand islands

a few days ago i visited the thousand islands, which is an archipelago of over 1000 islands located in the st. lawrence river, canada. some of the islands are in american waters; new york. most of the islands are pretty small, with single houses built on them. one of the bigger islands has a wonderful castle built on it. all the architecture was wonderful and quaint; a lot of time was spent discussing our own preferences and ideal designs :P i meant to upload some photos as well, but sorting them all out is taking longer than anticipated.

the most amusing moment of the trip was when our guide mentioned that the infamous thousand island salad dressing (which was a staple part of my childhood diet, particularly in pizza hut) was named after these beautiful islands. ra, fb and myself doubled over in laughter. how surreal, for this ordinary bottled dressing, regularly consumed halfway across the world (and in many other places i'm sure) to have originated from this beautiful scene.

simple pleasures

for the past chung yeung holiday, i went to dongguan, china with a few friends from work. although i was looking forward to the company, i had few other expectations (well, maybe cheap shopping!) of the three-day trip. those are probably the best trips though; little planning, no set schedules and lots of improvisation.

we went to random places that turned out to be very scenic and/or historical. (i love that china is steeped in history. you cannot help but stumble over something with rich historical/cultural associations.) we walked a LOT (a's feet are probably still sore), took several long bus rides and occasionally meandered away from our destination (this is not to be confused with getting lost). i was initially worried about the food, but apart from the congee the first day, our meals were good (in taste and price), particularly at the thai and korean restaurants.

the best part was definitely the company. i like small groups of people; five is a good number. moreover, these were persons i am very comfortable with. we laughed a lot, particularly at the crazy signs everywhere, and at p's attempts to buy a black suit. us three girls shared a bed, and that inevitably led to much giggling and squirming.

all in all, a wonderful weekend away. thanks a, p, p and i. when's our next trip?!

a day in shenzhen

the more time i spend in shenzhen, the more i enjoy it. a large part of this has to do with novelty i'm sure; it is always fun to explore new places, and so far, every time i've visited, it's been to a new place. and with different groups of people!

two things that strike me the most when i'm there, are the vast amount of space and the wonderful greenery. this is probably not what first comes to mind when you think of shenzhen, which just makes it all the more wonderful.

yesterday's visit yielded yet another wonder: it is indeed a shopper's paradise (or obstacle course-cum-maze) and everything is SO cheap. sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

all in all, it's a fun place to go off to for the weekend or even a day. it is so easily accessible now, and if i drag h with me, language is no longer a problem. my only complaint is the weird smell that seems to permeate certain areas of the city...