Another Fun-Filled Holiday!!!!!

Getting bored of the same old routine, me and my husband again wanted to get away from the Shor of the city, so we sat down to decide where to go for a holiday, where the kids would enjoy and we would have some family time together. After going through all the options (me being biased as usual) I decided to go to Tarkarli( the kids haven't been there) Situated 6 kms south of Malvan and 546 kms away from Mumbai on the coast of Maharashtra is Tarkarli.

Okay so, finally after loads of pouting, eyelashes batting and pleases(since I have been to this place many times and my husband wanted to go somewhere else), we started packing for our lil' looong drive to Tarkarli! We booked ourselves in the MTDC resort online. The location is what makes this resort distinct from any other resorts / hotels in Tarkarli.

Both my kids love the beach and after hearing about this place from me, they were all excited about our holiday. So finally we set off for our self-drive holiday!
This place has gained prominence because of its long and narrow stretch of beach with pristine waters and water sports. On a clear day, one can see the bed unto a depth of 20 ft. It presents a panoramic view with tall 'Shuru' trees in the background. The wide river, the beautiful sailboats and the tiny hamlets situated on the riverbank, add to the picturesque beauty of Tarkarli. Sighting dolphins is not a rare event here. This place fishes throughout the year, the sea during summer and winter and back-waters during the monsoon since the sea water enters this area and also due to safety reasons

We checked ourselves in the boat houses instead of the bamboo cottages at MTDC. The view from the deck of the sea was breathtaking! We rested for sometime & since it was evening by the time we reached, we decided to just rest a little. The kids kept themselves busy by running around the deck of the boat-house, after sometime we ate dinner and took them on the beach( which by the way is just a short hop skip and jump away from where our boat-house was located). The fishermen in that area usually come back from fishing at night so there are many fishermen trying to take out their fishing nets at night to see and claim their catch! With torches & lanterns shining we managed to find ourselves places to stand and see their Catch Of The Day! Both the kids were jumping with joy to see the different kinds of fish they had caught...ooh and then there was the Sting Ray, which the fishermen were sweet enough to make our kids touch and hold!
Tired we called it a night early to gear ourselves for the next fun-filled day. Next morning we ate our breakfast & left to show the kids Dolphins! Like I said they are very common in this part of Malvan...with a little bargaining(which my husband is good at ;P) we took the kids for Dolphin spotting...the dolphins were jumping in the water at just a few feet away from us which made the kids not only cling to us but also made them jump with joy! There are other sport activities too like snorkeling, para-sailing, scuba diving but the kids being too small for them we did not go for all the activities

Then, of course there is THE fort, Sindhudurg, one of Maharashtra's most popular and important sea fort and the First naval base and the First Indian armada, built in the 17 th century by Shrimant Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. My son being a huge Chatrapati Shivaji admirer was very thrilled to go to this fort and see Shivaji's foot impression in this fort!
Having spent a lovely day out we were tooo tired and finally went back to the resort to spend some quiet time to relax. Another refreshing holiday it was for us as a family to create memories!

Dhoom Experience!!!

With "Happy Holidays" on, the kids getting 'BORED' at home decided to pester me into taking them for  Dhoom 3 on a wednesday morning. 

Finally after a day it was decided to go for the movie with a very dear friend and her kids. So, we got up early that day and just to keep me happy( so that the plan doesn't get cancelled), the kids quietly without fussing finished their milk and breakfast quickly( trust me it's a miracle!) The show was of 12:45 so we got ready to leave by 12.

We got the tickets and proceeded towards the said screen, before entering the hall...all the 4 kids (2 mine and 2 of my friend's) refused to enter without popcorn...once they had their stuff in their hands finally we sat on our seats! The movie started and with all the reviews we had heard, my friend and I had already decided that we would be tortured, so we braced ourselves and started watching the movie.

I have to say we really enjoyed the movie...though the movie had nothing much, especially with the same old story of a small boy robbing banks to avenge his father's death. Uday Chopra was irritating as usual, same acting since Dhoom.
Abhishek Bachchan was looking sexy after a looong time, he was more of an eye candy, it was tough concentrating on his acting because the entire concentration was on the way he was moving. 
Yaa...somewhere in between Katrina kaif was coming and going in songs not worth remembering for ladies...yes, for guys she was a treat in the movie but not for a long time(she was hardly seen in the movie for maybe 30 minutes in all)

The best part in the movie was Amir Khan switching from a smart confident man ( performing stunts like Rajnikant) to a  mentally slower but intelligent brother. 

In between my analysis of the movie I sneek-peeked towards the kids, they were on the edge of their seats  during the entire movie, I could hear them use terms like 'O-teri' or 'sambhaal'  when one of the characters would jump or fall. During a fight sequence they would be shouting out instructions loudly, when the movie reached the end, the bachcha party wanted to watch it again.

For us the movie really was a big time Dhoom!!  

Away from SHOR of the CITY

The KHET

As 2013 is about to bid goodbye, it gave us another great news of a dear friend blessed with his first child.

A three hour journey from Pune to Retre Budruk was a full thrill.

The excitement was not only to meet the new arrival but to feel the fresh air of the village away from the SHOR of the city.
I Have been to villages in the past too,but this one had its own charm and it's own Story

Surrounded by water almost all around, prominent greenery spread all over, open farms with cattle and carts and amidst all this natural beauty  well constructed comfortable homes....this place looked just out of this world!

Everywhere I saw, Banana , turmeric, grapes, sugarcane, sugarsnaps( vaal), ground nuts,  jowar, wheat crops spread all across.
The location could be a true interpretation of a Yashraj movie.

 Unlike city kids stuck to the Idiot Box the kids here pass their time by playing with hens, roosters, goats and running around in the fields or splashing in the river...something that the kids in the cities miss out on!!! Most of the boys here gather in a ground and play the favorite game of this country CRICKET regardless whether they are acquaintances or strangers or friends; something city kids think twice about.

Away from the SHOR of the CITY,the serene blue skies and the tranquility of this place offered peace to mind & soul
Admist all stood a 200year old temple of Lord Shiva located by the river, and as they say , the temple stays unaffected from the floods from the river

People here are very welcoming, to them, world is a family. Their homes may be small in size but it accommodates their big hearts. The people here  won't let you leave without having a satisfying meal, Made from using fresh ingredients from their farms. On the contrary, we the city people cannot host guests even for few hours. Why trouble self to cook food for more than usual members. Instead take them out for food or get home delivery.
People in these happy villages are happy and satisfied in whatever little they have whereas us the city people always craving for more. No matter how much we have, to us satisfaction is never guaranteed.

Wishing in my heart  for the day to not come to an end as  I did not wish to get back to the boring, busy, and SHOR in the city! The surroundings in this tiny but larger than life village made GOODBYE a difficult task.

Promising myself to introduce the calmness & culture of "Retre Budruk"  to my children very soon.

I said BYE BYE to Retre Budruk with a heavy heart but a very light soul and

a hope that I will  visit this place again but for escape from the SHOR!! 

SHIVA-TEMPLE

Enlightened!!!!

Sitting in the comfort of my room, rolled up in blanket,treating my weak body to some soup.

Unsure to be able to decide what to do for myself. One thing that I am sure of is that he would not forget to get the kids picked up from school on time & get the necessary medicines for his"more hot than usual wife."

I couldn't help but think how does he manage to track time in his busy schedule.

9 years of knowing him and soon completing 8 years of marriage, I can't help but smile with pride about his articulate responsible behavior towards family.

Like any other happily  married couple, our lives has been a roller coaster ride with more highs than lows.

7 years & 10 months teamed with 2 back to back kids has bonded us with each other more stronger with each passing moment.

Enough efforts has been put by the man to give me immense confidence, knowledge & pride that I treasure today.

Switching interest from Tom & Jerry to Discovery was a tough path.

Neither was the journey from high on love Mills  & Boon to low on masala literature easy.

Holding true to your name,You have in real words lighted up my senses & my world ,which is YOU.

Memories Etched Forever

Yaaron dosti badi hi haseen hai

And like any other individual, even I have some memorable and beautiful haseen pal of my younger days
Yes, this blog is written remembering my most dear friend! She and I have seen most of the ups and downs in our lives together, we became friends over a fight in which I had no clue who she was, but just took her side....that's all it was for us to become the best of friends!!
We gossiped, we chatted, did lots of crazy humiliating stuff together. From school days till we got married...there never was a day when we did not meet or talk. No matter how many people we meet in our lives, they can never replace THAT ONE FRIEND, because it is only this friend that we can say anything and everything to. It is this one person(apart from our family) who knows us better than we know ourselves. It has been 8 years that we have talked over the phone, forget seeing each other.
Two best friends...shared clothes, food, bought everything in twos and now...TOTAL STRANGERS!!!???? Unbelievable but true!
Yes I miss her a lot!! A best friend is a best friend…no-one can replace her, I am not ashamed to say it too.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=m1l1u8Zkvb4&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dm1l1u8Zkvb4

Lets not stop living!!

Today while going to bed, I happened to notice few kittens playing and running around in my garden. While I looked at them jumping around and playing so energetically, it took me back to the time when I was young. As kids I used to play with my friends the whole day and finally in the evening during dinner time my mother would drag me home. That's when it struck me TIME DOES FLY!

My friends with whom I used to play, have all grownup now and are busy with their lives. Funny that as we grow up we get so much busy in our respective lives, that we start taking everyone around us for granted. like taking relations for granted

Almost 8 years into marriage with 2 kids of almost 7 and 6 years each, I have been so busy with my life juggling between being a daughter, daughter-in-law, wife and a mother, that catching up with friends or family seems to be something not less than a miracle.
Frankly speaking (I know people with small kids would agree) I do not remember when was the last time I went for a nice quiet dinner where I have sat in peace over drinks and talks and somewhere in between ordering food!!

Just last week leaving the kids with their grandparents(whom they love!!) My husband and I decided to run away for a day( literally RUN AWAY). We put in a set of clothes in our day pack, sat in the gypsy(did not change our clothes too) and left. The entire way I felt bad that we left the kids home especially since the place we were 'running off' to was their favorite  After ages we held hands while driving, I drove(which I do not when we are out with kids), took detours for reaching our destination, and all the crazy things we could think about.
In short it was a refreshing trip, we did things we used to in our initial years of marriage. My point is that we are so busy managing our lives to make it perfect that we forget these little things that make us happy and give us a change from the monotonous work life that we have. Like I said we take relations for granted which is wrong! We need to stop somewhere and just give it a break, we need to catch up with friends, family, kids…whatever and whoever, just have some fun time together. Like I read somewhere, "You can always make money, but it takes vacations to make memories".

My Mom…Hats off to you!!!

Why do kids have to grow up!?
As a kid I always wanted to grow up fast…in school…. I wanted college and in college wanted to work!
After growing up I understood… growing up is not easy, all those years of pestering my mother just flew by.
She would tell me "slow down", but I would just want to do everything quickly.
When she would be really angry she would shout "the day you have kids of your own, I'll see how you handle them!" Or she would tell me "when you have kids of your own you will understand!"
I used to laugh it all away thinking that I will never marry...never did I know that not only would I be in a hurry to marry, but I would be in a hurry to have kids too. After having kids & handling them along with my 3rd overgrown kid (my darling husband) & the household work too...have I realised that my mother used to do more than what I have done so far...she used to work and still take out time to stitch us frocks & soft toys, knit sweaters for us & read us stories at night!!
I feel soo bad that never did I even once tell her that Mumma I LOVE YOU and yes you will always be my inspiration! Thankyou sooo much for everything u have done with us & for us. We are what we are because of you and are very proud that YOU are our mother!
Now I want to slow down with you…let you relive all the moments again with your grandchildren with no worries of the studies part…you can spoil your grand children rotten...u do not need to worry because I know that we grew up to be good humans, so our kids will too have your teachings instilled in them.
I wish to be a mother to my kids just as you were with us & pray that they are just as proud of me as we are of you!
I LOVE YOU HANNA!!!!! No one could be a better mom