IAMSTERDAMED!!

Finally I successfully ticked off one thing from my Bucket List..Yes I did it..WOHOO!!

I successfully got a pic clicked in front of the IAMSTERDAM landmark in the city of Amsterdam, Netherlands. And its then I realised that its tough to get the pic with you and the entire letters in one frame.Plus you have a close to 95% chance of getting photbombed.;-)

I could manage only one decent shot in which I am there and the letters are there mostly but I did get photo bombed every time.I may have done the same to many of the pics of others myself:D

But the point is its one off the list and I have visited one city which I had planned to go for long time.The city is pretty and its a mixture of different cultures,people and the shops. You can find a Newyork pizza in the heart of the European city and right next to them would be the shop selling the super cut I love Amsterdam umbrellas.

For anyone who wants to visit Amsterdam the city has a few upfront attractions 1.The Dam Square 2.Madame Tussads 3. IAMSTERDAM 4.Canal Rides

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There is also a place nearby where the windmills are there but since we did not go there I cannot really comment ;-)

So on a bright Saturday   morning we reached the place at around noon. First on our check list was the DAM SQUARE which we wanted to see really badly, the only problem being that neither me nor my friend knew what it was, where it was and why it was.We knew it was there for us to go necessarily visit the place.We searched ,followed with google maps and then we got lost :D for those who have already been here it might seem funny but both of us were actually trying to find what this place was and where exactly was it.

For those going for the first time …DOnt ask passer byes as 90% of them would be tourists which means either you get no
directions or you get confused or wrong directions…one guy asked us to go straight front and after walking half a km we were told we have moved in the wrong direction all together.Ask the shopkeepers..they are brilliant at directions.

When we eventually found dam square it was pillar…a beautiful pillar ..but a pillar to the naked eye.We got our pics clicked as is the custom .

Then we saw madame tussads rt across the street.we had our lunch and then moved fwd to madame tussads queue and just then it started raining cats and dogs.We had to leave our queue and rush for shelter, and that’s the time we realised we should have relied on the weather forecast and took an umbrella..they are correct sometimes and in Europe I think always.So note to others before going check the weather.

Moving on after a long wait we got in madame tussads. We got our photo clicked with every statue and in very possible pose
…thats the only way to justify the 22 euors we spent for the tour of the place…go crazy that’s the secret for the madame tussads exploration and enjoy to the fullest.

Next in in the agenda was the IAMSTERDAM area..FYI the area is called Museumplein as far as I got to know and not IAMSTERDAM :D …Us we were actually asking people
there where IAMSTERDAM here…you need to take a tram which will take you direct to either Rijk Museum or Museum Plein. The place is easy to spot and the letters hard to miss.

Almost everyone is there and everyone is on the letters..so you cant get a clear picture but its fun to be there and everywhere around.The place has a fun feeling to it an and you can set and relax there.We chilled and relaxed there and had our share of fun.

And thats how our trip came to and end ..fun and always to be rembered it was..two girls dumb enough to be lost in the city yet who somehow managed to get their way through.So yeah…go to AMSTERDAM and ROCK ON!!!

The Incredible Connectron !!!!

#InsearchofIncredible

On the sudden parting away of my beloved old phone , i bought myself a new smart phone. The buy was followed with the updation of the phone, bringing it up to date with all the contacts and the sites.So after the whole process one day I was searching through my contacts when all of a sudden my grandmothers flashed on my screen and kept flashing on the screen. Curious as to the number flashing on my screen continuously I clicked on the number .


Next what happened u ask? I was standing at the doorstep of my grandmother's home ..how?? I dont knwo and i do not have the faintest clue.Puzzled , I ring the bell....and there I see her coming ...Whoa..is this happening in real? I pinch myself...Ouch..I am still here, must be true.

She comes close to the door and sees me and she as shell shocked as me ,maybe a wee bit more..She lets me in and instantly showers on me  a series of questions..How did you come? Why did you not inform? Why did you come alone ? Is everything ok?

I am standing there dumbfounded thinking should I tell her that a click of a button led me here? Would she believe me ? Or she would categorise me as delusional ? Not having the answers I told her that I just wanted to surprise you Nani..So I did not tell anyone and everything is as good as it can be or maybe even better ;)

We got talking , she made me drink the whole glass of milk that she always used to give us twice a day when we were kids and spending our vacations at her home. She told me how she was just making my favorite pickle and how she was thinking of me while doing that ...she said that she actually was thinking how many days it has been since we talked and years since we met . And moments later I was on the dooorway, sometimes its telepathy that works, she sighed and resumed her work.

Slowly it dawned on me ...my phone got me here as she was missing me ...I missed a step or two when i realised my phone could do this...I was still trying to figure this out but it was clear to me that my phone had a power of connecting me to the people who were missing me at the instant..My phone as I like to call it is the "CONNECTRON".

Jumping with joy that such things do exist and my phone actually had a superpower of connecting me to my loved ones who miss me without me thinking about it in our high pressure lives , I suddenly had a question .How do i go back? Does somebody have to miss me only then I would be able to go back ?Will look into it but right now its time for some poha made by my grandmother.

After having spent some time with her I finally looked into my phone and wished to go back home ...and there the message displayed "BACK HOME". I knew this was my way back...so I bid adieu to my grandmother and took her blessings ...left the home and pressed the button..and just like that I was back home.

It finally settled that I have a smart phone with a superpower which lets me connect people who miss me and gets me back too ..could life be any more awesome ? :)

The tragedy thats "Ek Villain"

To beat the Monday Blues we decided to go for a late night movie on Monday night. This in itself goes to shows how much we wanted this movie to be a kick-ass movie. It had all the right ingredients- a good cast (was gonna say great but was considering only Siddhartha ;)) , a seemingly good story and ok reviews…atleast it would be good ..that’s what we thought too.

Alas in the first five minutes of the movie we knew our hopes were shattered and badly at that. The movie begins with an over chirpy an over bubbly Shraddha Kapoor talking to an Idol of Ganesh and cracking a joke at the deity’s expense. She then like any upright lady in Bollywood tries to amend the society by telling a telephone repair guy of the mess he has created on the road. She predicts that one day someone is going to die on this very road due to the negligence. Cut to the next scene where the lady is seen using one of the applications that has sponsored the movie and leaving a long message for the hero over phone.

 Minutes later she is dead, how is something you should try and watch yourselves (as Shakira says “I Dare You”). The distraught Guru (Siddhartha Malhotra) lays his beloved wife to rest and there out of nowhere a CBI officer turns up who is scared that now Guru will take revenge , read he is no bothered about the murder or what happened , he is worried that the anger and vengeance of Guru will prove devastating. J

The film then rallies back and forth in the memory lane innumerable times and just when you start getting the hang of it, the mystery is solved .Just like that, it is game over. He finds the killer and he finds the reason of the killings.But does he lay down innumerable bodies as the CBI inspector had predicted ? Uh, NO.

Instead he has some intense dialogue delivery to do and say sentences which revolve around the same sentence so many times that after a time you just simply lose interest. He wants the killer to die everyday and then when he is close to dying our hero injects life in him (Literally he injects some magic fluid right in the chest ;)). Why ? Because it has to be a long enduring torture. Yes the torture is there …but for the audience and it continues till the very end.

The film has so many loose ends no body has thought of doing anything about .The lady is about to die..how may I ask? God or the director knows. It’s a disease so fatal that the major doctors wife is dying because of it but our heroine is miraculously safe after just one song. She has a wishlist …sorry  but after #Awalktoremember this just looks Cliché.

The only salvaging factor is the music of the film and Riteish’s performance which should have been more explored.

The movie’s title says “Every love story has one “ …well not true folks. J

For the love of "Football" :-)

The FIFA Fever

As a layman and someone who has never touched the football in my life, the World Cup is as interesting as it gets. The world cup is not just the best countries coming together to play and win, it’s about the fans, the emotions and the pride of the nations. Saw a wallpaper on my friend’s desktop saying ”Every four years the world has one time zone”, honestly didn’t understand it the first time around. It took me a couple of minutes to understand the gravity and the passion in Football for its fans.

I have always followed the world cup with limited interests with the exception of 2002 where I was following each and every match that Brazil played. But with the advent of internet and the reach of the social media in our lives, it is annoyingly impossible to stay out of it. And once you start watching you just can’t stop it.

Each match is better than the other, each more interesting and gripping. For a person who is not much interested in sports overall, football is a game that holds you. It’s a game that changes in a minute and then again is changed in the next. 

The game sees big stalwart teams getting kicked in the opening round. Defending champions knocked out in the first round and underdogs coming and playing like champions. It’s a game that is fast, that is always on the edge and can always go either ways. 

While I don’t understand the fine nuances of the game, the off sides and the goal line technologies I am hooked to it ..I am starting late but as they say better late than never.

May the best team Win J

THE "QUEEN" EFFECTS!!!

“Queen” the story of Rani from India to Paris has been cheered all over by people and has girls identifying themselves with the protagonist at many times in the movie.The young naive girl’s journey beautifully framed in the movie is the kind that would linger on your mind for a while and leaves you with some precious lessons. To each his won but these are the things I learnt-  

1.Friends make life better- Whether Rani was at her hometown with her college buddy or she was in a new world with the new friend “Vijayalakshmi” or the three roommates she accidentally met..life always gives you a chance to meet new people and have friends for life..So next time if you are on a trip alone..dont worry you will meet someone on the way and who knows they become your buddies too.

2. Sometimes “Hungama” is required-  ”Let go” of things, emotions , barriers and once in a while just enjoy your own company.Enjoy to the most possible and don’t have any inhibitions and do something out of your routine self. Who knows what you might discover about yourself just by doing that .

3. “Siyappas” are not the end always- Whether its failing an exam or being dumped…tragedies happen to one and all at some points in their life…take a breath and believe that there would be a way out , a better way out of the darkness.

4. Travel Solo- Though I have never taken a solo vacation till now but queen made me think about the idea for quite a while and then i thought “why not”..So next time pack your bags and take the risk of foraying into the unknown on your own !!!

5.Believe in yourself- She is a small town girl who has followed all the rules and all the guidance given to her but she goes on to become a confident lady who believes in herself and knows when to say “No”.

So this was i enjoyed and learnt while watching the movie. All in all loved it , liked it . :-)

The Tangy Tongue Twisters!!!

Midway in a conference call today while i was reporting something serious ...i entered an array of tongue twisters with errors being the keyword and as expected my tongue twisted on the twister and ended up in people in my team having a good morning ;)

That made me go back to the time when saying the most number of tongue twisters without getting twisted made you a champion. Here's a list of the Hindi and English tongue twisters which I can think of, feel free to add the ones you remember-

1. Chandu ke Chacha ne Chandu ki Chachi ko Chandani Raat mein Chandi ki chamach se chutney Chatai

2. Khadak singh ke khadakne se khadakti hain khidkiyan, Khidkiyon ke khadakne se khadakta hain khadal Singh

3.Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked.If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,Where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked? 

4.She sells sea-shells on the sea-shore.The shells she sells are sea-shells, I'm sure.For if she sells sea-shells on the sea-shore,Then I'm sure she sells sea-shore shells.

5. Betty Botter bought a bit of butter.The butter Betty Botter bought was a bit bitter,And made her batter bitter.

But a bit of better butter makes better batter.So Betty Botter bought a bit of better butter.Making Betty Botter's bitter batter better.

Care to add some more? ;-)

My Bucket List!!!

Each one of us has a list ..our very own personalized Bucket list...some things which each one of us wants to fulfill in this one lifetime..something for us , somethings for people we love , some places where you want to visit....some people you want to meet..so here's presenting my Bucket List...feel free to share yours..maybe i will add some items on hearing your ideas :)

1.Buy a house and a surround sound system for it - A flat or a ground house but one day i will have my own home ...totally and completely mine...it will have a surround sound system..and songs will play for a majortiy of the time I am in home.

2. Have a cupboard full with books.- Was going to say a room but due to space constraints in todays world restricted to a cupboard or two filled with my select books..those that you can read over and over again.

3. Get my name published in a magazine/newspaper for an article- I want to be known for articles..be a known name in the field...maybe there's still a very long way to go..but then the journey has just started :)

4. Be introduced as a guest speaker for discussions- Yes I want to be a speaker...much as i am afraid and the phenomen of stage fear does apply but yes one day it will be true.

5. Visit Europe- Ever since i watched DDLJ , i swore to myself ...one day i will be there ..the resolution is still there ..lets see :)

6. Gift my Parents a foreign trip- I have always wanted to do this....mum has never travelled much and i want to show her the world outside India.

There are other wishes too...but they are just not part of the bucket list like meeting Shahrukh Khan personally, having a tombstone in my name saying "I loved it all" and Travel the whole of India till I reach 30...the list is endless...but we will go about it one step at a time :-)

The Andamans!!!!!!

Peace in an otherwise busy life..beauty of nature untouched in an otherwise polluted environment and co-existence of land and water in a blended and harmonious way is how i would like to define the mystic Andaman and Nicobar Islands!!!

Far away from the mainstream world situated in the absolute south of India, the Andamans are a world of their own.The closest connection by land is Port Blair after which you either take the sea or air route to reach the Islands.The water borne jetties like Makruz are easier to book and give you a real feel of the life an island. in the journey for quite a time there is just the vast ocean for as far as one can look.The horizon is  a blend between the calm ocean and the gracious
and accepting sky.The feeling of not seeing land for a long time makes one understand the safety it gives us and the feeling of being completely surrounded by water is a revelation of sorts.

For our trip we selected to be on the Havelock Islands for the major time and on reaching the island you realize that you have come far from the hustle bustle of city life.the feeling of " Welcome to the Andamans" hits you at that very moment.For lodging there are numerous options available for the tourists but it is always advisable to pre-book. The government run Doplhin Niwas which was our humble abode for 2 days requires proper followup  :). The lodge opens into the Vijaynagar Beach or better known as the Beach no.5 where mostly all the lodges are stationed . For the second half of our trip we settled into the much youth friendly Emerald Gecko which had huts and villas made of bamboo.While the Dolphin Niwas is a brick and mortar structure and has great rooms Gecko is filled with hammocks, beach tables and the likes.

The most popular beach of the area is the Radhanagar Beach and rightfully so . The beach is a vision to the eye with the wide expanse of ocean and the flora and fauna covering it in a brilliant way .Before you enter the beach make sure to eat the mango slices dipped in spices and mustard....slurrp!!! Also do make a point to have the divine coconut water ..it really different from the one we get in our cities.

We started walking on the beach and the touch of the water on ones feet makes you realize the still yet vibrant nature of the ocean .We had our share of fun with swimming in the waves and then moving to the other side of the beach where we reached by mistake a divine place for snorkeling. Snorkeling is one of the few adventure sports in the Islands. People generally use and they should take coaches for this activity if they dont know how to swim. But we did it anyhow on our own as we know well enough to swim ...we saw the fishes living in peace as we swam over them...the feeling was surreal to say the least.

Next up was the major adventure sport of the island...Scuba Diving ...there are many providers who give this experience along with trained divers ...We chose to go with Andaman Bubbles whose main guy looks like a carbon copy of Raghu Ram of roadies fame....take my word on it :) . They provided us each with a trained diver and they gave us the required training before going in with the equipment.We went in till 10 meters inside water as we took the beginners course ..they also provide the training for other levels.

To say that it was once in a lifetime experience would be an understatement..at one point deep inside all you can hear is your own breath...you can see a life so peaceful that it makes you feel wonderful and understand peace in a new way altogether.

Andamans is not Goa.there are no late night parties , no parties ..it shuts down at 8.30 but this is the USP of Andamans ..its a world of its own and has its own beauty to be discovered.It gives you the chance o enjoy solace and be with yourself like never before.

This was our journey in the Andamans..It was beauty beyond words ,peace beyond limits and love with no boundaries.Hope you have a great one too!!

The Song Therapy!!

After a pretty average day at work, coming back home one gets busy in the routine schedule which leads to further structuring of life. But at times this leads to life becoming so structured it becomes frustating for the person.

One such day was experienced by yours truly today where the last thing after coming back home was to get into what i get into each day, the house work. So it was time to get the lazy bum out of the house and put on those sport shoes which had been lying in the corner of the room for quite some time now.

Once out the fresh air touched my face but that was not enough to lift my spirits considering the grumpy mode in which i had left work.Took two rounds of my society walking aggressively as if on a mission but then got an idea and switched the songs on in my phone.

There was a slight glitch , I had forgotten the headphones in my bag nicely put away in an organised manner.one impulse was to give up the idea and give up walking, the other said what the heck for once in a blue moon I will stop thinking what the others think and do what I want .

So I put on the song in speaker mode and started running ...and I ran like I had never did...the songs, the running , the adrenaline rush  made me feel smile and laugh and be happy. I laughed with people looking at me ..the running laughing idiot. :)

But what I realized in that instant was how busy we get and how mixed our lives get in the routine ..we get so busy being the perfect employee , the good daughter or son, the good friend, the good companion ...that we forget to give time to the good "me"..

For me it was the songs and a super average day at work that made me meet the real me after so many days ..find your let out...your secret getaway into meeting the real you and be with him/her for no other reason but just to let you know yourself better :)