To do list in Kerala

This is a long planned blog, inspired from my last vacation in Kerala. Its written many times over by many people and here are my recommendation of top 10 must do in Kerala.

· Visit to Kerala is not complete without visiting Munnar, it’s a must visit and don’t forget to take a walk in those lush green tea estate, it feel like heaven in the middle of nature. Interacting with the Tamil Tea Leaf plukers(yah you guessed it right the tea pluckers are all Tamil) in the estate gives you a complete local flavour .

· Anamudi Peak lies to the interior of the Eravikulam National Park and Walk on this highest peak of Western Ghats and South India is one of the most enjoyable things to do in Munnar, there are no steep elevations which makes it a very comfortable trek. On a bright sunny day you can experience the full view of this peak.

· This was the most enjoyable part of my trip an Elephant Ride and an elephant bath. Its complete fun activity and a must do, my elephant Unni Krishnan was so amazing and friendly. You will simply fall in love with this beautiful animal.

· Kathakali Show and Kalari Payatte shows are one of a kind, the former is a dance form and later is a martial arts performance , so if you happen to visit Thekkadey do attend both the shows .

· Staying with a local family would be an icing on the cake. If you know a local stay with them or opt for a home stay. Though I was lucky to stay with the local but I have heard home stay are good and cheap option. You can also savour the typical local food which is not easily available, infact I guess Chola bhatura are found in more places then Appam and chicken stew.

· If you are in Kerala don’t forget to visit Thekkdey, it’s around 4 hrs from Munnar and offers amazing Kerala experience. Thekkdey is popular for its National Park “Periyar”and believe me its much better than what you see in Singapore and Bangkok. You see animals around lake in a much more natural and relaxed way. You can easily spot elephants, wild boar, deers and some other animals. Don’t forget to carry a good camera with you preferably SLR. You can also enjoy the Kathakali shows, elephant rides, and Kerala Massage here.

· If you are a adventure lover, Thekkdey offers lots of thing to you including a jungle safari, treks and bamboo rafting.

· Kerala trip is not complete without a backwater visit and there is no better way to visit it then staying in a houseboat. A Houseboat stay makes you feel Royal . You can savour the local delicacies in the houseboat which comes as a package with the stay. The Houseboats take some haults and that’s the time when you can walk around the small villages around.

· My trip came to an end, where it started 5 days back. Cochin is popular for portugal churches around but for me the big attraction lied in the Chinese Fishing Nets which are one of kind

· And last but not the least don't forget to enjoy the kerala food, starting from the typical kerala fish to chicken and veg curries are amazing

So plan your trip now any season is good in kerala but this season is particularly a perfect time to visit

Kerala Delicacies

I have only one word to say...it was Yum Ye......i mean Yummy !

Lord Shiva...Friend, Philospher and Guide

Today I am writing on something which has changed my whole perspective and philosophy of life, but as they say that any philosophy however good it is, its only void for a finite time. We all have been brought up with some belief which have just passed on from one generation to another; most of the time without even knowing that why are they, the way they are.

“Immortals of Meluha” the recent book in my collection gave me goose bumps while reading it and also a good food for thought. Though a fiction on Lord Shiva but such beautifully crafted story that it leaves you spellbound. Today after reading the book I would say my biggest compliment to the author would be that I connect better with Lord Shiva than ever before, my love for him has increased many folds now. Although its this book which has inspired me to write about lord Shiva. But there is something so spiritual about him which has always fasinated me since childhood. When I first read Da Vinci Code I thought why some people are so upset about seeing Jesus as a man who turned into God, for me seeing Shiva's transformation in the book from a warrior to a Legend and than a God bring me more closer to him.

I always saw lord Shiva as a God who is far ahead of his time, he is not a religion, he is a Cult. Yoga one of his biggest gifts to mankind is not just exercise form, Yoga is a way of life. And today millions of people are going back to what he taught us many years back. Shiva who was a great Meditator himself, taught us meditation, meditation which not just helps in reducing your stress but also helps in self realization.

Since childhood I have seen women specially young girls fasting for “Sawan ke Somwar”, My mother used to tell me that girls keep that fast to get a husband like lord Shiva and I wondered why out of all Gods, Girls want a husband like Shiva (for me every god looks the same except the different mythological stories behind them). So is it because Lord Shiva was a magic man…who could do many chamatkars….no not exactly…Lord Shiva was neither like Purshottam Ram…who was very righteous nor a lord Krishna….who does not mind small manipulation for a right cause. He was somewhere a balance between both of them. I don't know if we can call him a commoner., simple.. a kind of middle class man, with no legacy behind him. A good looking man with typical Aryan looks (tall, broad shoulders, long hair) brave, intelligent, sharp, great leader, dancer, worldly wise, meditator, spiritual, lover (who wooed Goddess Sati/Parvati) and a family man if you notice most of the picture show him either as a meditator or with Ma Parvati and Lord Ganesha, a self made man. Ok he has some of his weeknesses like he was also a smoker (Chilam in those days), he was easily angered but its easier to make him happy also(a child like man) but that makes him more real isn’t it. For me I don’t care whether he was magical or not he is still the most worshipable for me.

Please don’t misunderstand my sentiments; they are completely personal. Each one of us has a right to express his spirituality without hurting others. Faith is divine and its just that in my book of faith lord Shiva holds a special place.

Na jane kis bhes main Narayan mil jaye……………….

Ok this is something i have been thinking of writing from last many days…. Di(my elder sis) she keep referring this phrase to me…na jane kis bhes main narayan mil jaye…..actually the pharse is a part of a kabir doha

Rahiman ehii sansaar mein, sab saun(se) miliye dhay....

naa jaane kahi roop mei, naaraayan mili jaaye...!!!

What it really mean is you should meet people warmly and love them genuinely….you really don’t know maybe 'Narayan'…that refers to the lord here is testing you; wants to see whether your wishes come from the heart or begin merely at the tongue. Di always told me god is in everything…….sirf narayan ko dekhne ke liye nazar chahiye…..though I never believed her….i had my own reasons to be angry with god…..but I learned my lessons and restored my faith on him, this time I was a changed person. Yes I actually started seeing Narayan(not literally) I could see him doing things for me...I started counting my blessings for the first time……I saw him in almost everything and now I could see a reason, that why sometime things are the way they are, may be its my blind faith which is speaking now, but I trust him to surrender onto him and I know he loves me…just the way he loves you

For the first time i started seeing things in a different light...may be i started seeing the other side of the coin......I noticed that i am surrounded with not so bad people.....and they all are helping me grow further in life.....meeting such wonderful people here in Pune where i had no one to fall back on was a nice pleasant surprise, people who were not my friends did things for me which even most of my friends would have not done. My office was very cooperative, people were nice enough to not ask anything when I was extremely vulnerable (yes some of them were very annoying …..and they still are---but that’s the part of deal). I worked with wonderful superiors….they not only supported me but also gave me freedom to work(my way)….and the best bit is I found a deeper sense of meaning in my friendship with Manvi (My childhood buddy, someone told me once that if you remain friends for more then 10 yrs you are no longer friends you become sisters....and i am happy to have one more sis) I also found a good friend in Sudesh. And my family….which is probably the best in the world….. my parents who always told me that there are no obvious truths in life, each life is unique and the key to be happiness and contententment is being honest to yourself (don't fool yourself with the lame excuses). My Di who is my friend, philosopher and guide(my spider woman) a complete powerhouse of strength, my brother who always told me me Ru (this what he calls me lovingly) the day you laugh on your adversities believe me you will know it you are out of it and off course my most amazing Jiju(who is just a call away) and my bhabhi (who is the sweetest)

These are my blessings…… I see Narayan in all of them and many more, Vanieeta, Vishal, Mr Mali and all those amazing lovely people who have been part of my journey, they are god sent to me. Probably Narayan could not be present everywhere so he created these people in my life….but he gives such people to all of us….you just need to have an eye to recognize them...value them and love them........be nice to everyone…even if they are not generous to you….so what.....someone else be……remember life is full circle……

So smile, love and count your blessings, and never give up on love, life and faith whether in disguise or not, 'Narayan' would definitely be pleased!

Its all about Office

I think my last blog was little serious and more personal…so I thought of writing something we all can relate with. Have you realized that on an average we spend 2/3 of our time in office infact most of us have nothing in our life beyond office. We sleep, drink and even dream office. Ok let me clarify love what you do (work) and do what you love is an ultimate combo (even better then the Dominos and MC Donald’s combo pack’s) but then that’s a rare combination, I am assuming that most of us at least like what we do in office. Anyway so late working hours are pretty normal with all of us but do you know not all of us stay in office late because we worship our work, some stay because they are waiting for the other colleague to finish his/her work so that they can go out together, some stay late cause they want to avoid traffic and some have to stay because of the peer pressure. But there is one more species of people who are very often found late in office and they are called "The king/queen of pretence” they are not those Hard Working type…….actually they are Hardly Working types but their true competency lies in their acting skills ..…infact if given a chance they can give hard time to the likes of Kamal Khan and Gracy Singh (from the Deshdrohi fame). They don’t go home, work late everyday, sends emails late at night (often after 11.00pm…thanks to the advanced technology….set a timer on your emails) and still survives infact flourish in this cruel corporate world, how???? Now this is what the blog is all about….our research shows they flourish because they are very good at the "Art of Killing" It’s that art which teaches you how to kill time effectively. They feel completely at home in office, actually more often they are found in office than at home. They share more things with their colleagues then their own spouse. But what is it which makes them so special they have this intrigue-ability to look busy through out the day. They sit in front of there laptop/pc for long hours, no it’s not dumb at all it needs some skills and patience to do that. This reminds me some few years back in one of my earlier organization I had this colleague who used to sit hours in front of the computer doing some kind of deep meditation, actually I never disturbed her to find out what exactly she does..

Anyway over the period of time I have realized sitting in front of computer in not that big a challenge the bigger challenge is to look busy in front of the computer……changing excel sheets and word documents after every ½ hr to 1 hr and don’t forget to change your face expression with it. Bring that intense look on your face….ok ok… I agree it takes some time and practice to bring that right look…so utilize your short leaves (that is the reason you are given two short leaves in a month) practicing it in front of the mirror…I am sure you will master it soon….

Have some time pass (TP) meetings (these are informal short meetings where you discuss least important things) Most of the time you know it before meeting that this discussion will not lead you anywhere but still you discuss and kill time (remember you have 9.30 minutes in hand). You can also do this type of TP meeting with your boss…when you notice he is also relatively free….and looking for someone to pass his time…infact he uses this time to give you gyan (take it…..you will be enlightened soon). Actually such meetings show your initiative and proactiveness for work. Your ability to discuss anything…even things with no sense….and who knows you can also come out with some bright idea, remember Isaac Newton also discovered about the universal law of gravity while lazing under the apple tree.

Infact even the long smoke breaks and tea breaks contribute a lot in killing time…you basically develop your inter-personal skills during these breaks. You don’t need to have excellent communication skills …you only have to be curious.......be curious about any and everything…..stick to people for information …become a pylon…slowly You will develop into a fine communication person. More the breaks better you are with regular company updates…...you are like that News box, which displays news item of your forum. People will run after you to get more information, you will be in demand all the time. You will be called in most of the parties and lunches. Infact the tip is to tell the gossip to your boss first, it helps you grow faster in the organization (don’t worry no one is going to call you the hair ram nai…...hari ram nai…jail main surang……sholey) Infact tell your boss everything about others, if you don’t hear gossip…..create couple of them….use your creative skills…give some work to your creative juices to work.

Another effective way to show how busy you are….is to always go for late lunches. Never go for lunch on time even if you do not have work….wait for someone to call you…..if your colleagues calls you up tell them to wait….look busy and politely request them to wait for 10 minutes…..this builds your image and also elevate your status among the busy and important people…….your colleagues will also respect you.

Never give a slightest hint to anyone that you are free (off course you are well trained by now….but even experts make mistake…so no loose talk). Your colleagues and superiors should feel you are that character who is loaded with work. Incase someone ask you anytime of the day(even when you are at home)…..that are you free….tell them….kaha yar there is lot of work…even if you have been sitting vacant and counting flies through out the day.

And last but not the least have lots of formal meetings. Send meeting request and have as many meetings as you can. Meetings are status definer…..more meeting more important ….no meeting…least important. Apart from that there are plenty of meeting benefits, you get free tea/coffee (whatever you like…even black tea or coffee are served) if you are lucky you will also get biscuits/samosa and even luckier you shall be treated with business lunch also). But never be the first one to enter the meeting room as you can be the chosen one for making the minutes of the meetings, be the 3^rd or 4^th one in the conference room and if the meeting turns out to be very boring...…go out pretending you have got a very important call and then either don’t go back to rejoin the meeting or go back after a long break, it also shows you are busy.

Anyway there has been innumerable stuff written on office…….but this one is purely based on my personal experience...…You must be thinking that my experience doesn’t look that pleasant……….. Ernest Hemingway said it once “you got to take a lot of punishment to write a really funny book”

Change is Good

Is change actually the essence of life…I don’t know that but one thing I know is “change is a reality” and it happens naturally to all of us…like hunger….thirst and sleep. We all change with time……some time significantly and sometime less significantly but we can't escape it. Sometime we don’t even realize that slightest shift in our attitude or a pleasant shift in our energy, which people call change……..if it’s a change….i guess it is..

By the way, why are we talking so much about change today…..because lately people have started seeing changes in me...and they don't forget to mention it whenever they get the chance. So is it really a change in me or a change in the way they look at me. Its both i guess. Friends, Colleagues, my maid and even my lawyer have started pointing out that I have changed so much? Earlier i used to wonder how should i react to all this and now i don't react, its democracy and they have a right to have there own opinion..... so be it. Yes I accept the change in me…...whatever the reasons are ….I have completely embraced the change in me.

Sometime circumstances lead to a multidimensional change in you. Yes Changes are multi dimensional ……they change you completely….starting from changing you(your personality), to how you perceive life, how you see your relationships and your loved ones. Change doesn’t necessarily mean harming or hurting others feelings infact sometime it brings out the best in you.

For me I didn’t create a change in me, it’s a change which re-created me. It brought me closer to my family. When everything was going wrong it showed me who are my real friends and who were just hanging around. And most importantly it made me more responsible as an individual. It brought me closer to my higher self (the lord), less complaining, calm and more patient. It also made me think more seriously about my career (it made me focused).

Even though I see so many good in it...some people still don't forget to mention about how i am not the same one anymore....to which i jokingly reply...., that's right i have changed i look more beautiful now...:)

So never listen to the complaints people generally make about you changing…..because change is inevitable….there is nothing wrong to it….if it creates joy for you and the others around you.

Remember...shadow don't change form with there own will they change with light...

Note: *Thoughts are purely personal ….no offence to anyone please… :)