Ever since I can remember, we have had a huge painting of Venice in our living room- a water canal between buildings, a bridge above and a gondola parked along the side. I always wanted to visit this part of Italy someday.🛶
I jetted to Venice right before the pandemic had taken over the world, quite in time, literally!!!
The architecture and the grandeur of the city is all heart. People love to call it ‘a living museum’ and I couldn’t agree more. In the evening, with the city all lit up, I truly felt as if I was inside the painting.❤️
Let me take you to a virtual tour around the city- some must visit places and experiences. 48 hours in Venice!!!!
We are often in situations that need polite, ice-breaker conversations, which we popularly call “Small talk”. It is building a bridge between you and the other person- it’s about starting to talk. Some common topics may be books, weather, travel, food, sports and hobbies.
More than just the extravagant beauty, there is something humbling about the mountains.
This is about my experience of climbing the Kedarkantha Summit in the December of 2021. It is a majestic peak in Uttarakhand at the elevation of 12500 feet- one of the most popular snow treks in India.
When going on snow treks, it is best to equip yourselves- snow boots, gaiters, caps, gloves, warmest clothes and more layers of clothes🥶. I am a person who would feel the coldest in a room- you know the “cold hands and warm heart” type🤣😌, so thinking about a snow trek was a big challenge, and now to have completed it is feels like a bigger achievement.😎
December is the prime time, so, not gonna lie, it was crowded. But, the bright side, I met so many new people from all over India. Precisely- New People, Good energy and Great Adventures.
Hello Spring, or should I say Summers (really hot in Delhi🥵)?!
I spent yesterday, running errands around the city, and I also completed 10,000 steps (little goals), BOOM!💥
Weekends are usually with friends, family or people around. But it is amazing to sometimes take a stroll around the city on your own. It is fun. I love observing people around me. It is liberating too. Basically I love my company.❤️ You will definitely have some incidents to bring back home- funny, strange or surprising- can’t say.😂
All of you should do this often too. I think you’ll enjoy it.
“Becoming the best version, requires you to continuously edit your beliefs and to upgrade and expand your identity.”
This line sticked around and led me to think about the upgrades my system needed. Execution is of course a gradual process.
One right way of living life: Let us get this sooner, there is no right way of living life. It unfolds differently for each one. Whatever best suits us is the most appropriate way.
Aim for perfection: We always want to be the best at what we do and achieve it all. This is of course not the wrong thing to aim at, but I believe the key to master a habit/ task is to start with repetition, not perfection. Progression matters more than perfection.
Always be happy: Who wouldn’t love to be happy all the time, but it can not be the case. Emotions flow in as per situations, so acceptance is the key.
I am not enough: We are often intimidated and relentlessly compare ourselves to other people, and how greatly they perform a task. But it is all about training our minds, it accepts what you give it. Repeat each day, “I am confident and enough.”
Have a clear career plan: A part of adulting involves us to evolve as humans, eventually our interests and passions change, hence we may not be able to stick to our original plans. This is a part of growing up. It is absolutely normal to discover continuously and act accordingly.
Being an adult is super awesome in so many ways, but it definitely has its set of challenges. I am loving how things are turning out though.
You know how it is always said, if you know what you want to do, half your problem is already solved.
It is all about spotting tigers in Ranthambore🐅- and all I prayed for was that at least one of the expected 87 tigers of the park will come give me a glimpse.
Today is about my experience of the Ranthambore National Park and Tiger Reserve.
My first jeep safari, early in the morning, was in Zone 8 (Zone 8/9/10 are comparatively newer zones, which were opened up to attend to the increasing tourists.). Early morning is the best time for animal spotting, you usually find them around lakes having water.
Though it is true that, the chances of sighting totally depend on your luck, but probability plays its role for sure. The locals told us that Zone 8 has less probability (compared to 1-5), so, we were almost hopeless of spotting any animals that day.
This Saturday evening was devoted to treating myself with Watermelon 🍉 (I think it is officially summertime in Delhi💃🏻), and discussing over fruits and vegetables with my house help. I now know that potatoes are called Bilatia in some part of India, and that she doesn’t like Delhi’s Sarso ka Tel (Mustard Oil); it makes her eyes burn. “They sell adulterated oil here, unlike the one we get in our village.”, she said.
The last couple of months have been a little different, so I was basically trying and adjusting to that. I have been distant and away from even the closest friends (nonetheless, I am trying to mend that!) My corporate job is in its busiest period right now, so it is practically leaving me with no free time to write. 🧘🏻♀️
But the interesting part, I did go on a few trips around the end of last year and had the time of my life. I climbed a freakin mountain covered with snow- It was something🥶. I am excited to write about it and share it asap.💃🏻💃🏻
How have you all been? Something interesting happened in the past months? Any strange/ new/ unachievable new year resolutions you made?🤣 Tell me in the comments below. Let us make this one interactive!
I’m sure all of us have been to immense number of cafes and restraunts all across Delhi, but believe me when I tell you Triveni Terrace Cafe is the most vibrant cafe there is out there.
My tuition teacher would always wish me “GOOD LUCK” before all my exams (never said “all the best”- he thought luck can make or break a person.)
I think most of us believe in luck, and that it plays an important role in making us who we aspire to be.
What do you think, Is Luck a matter of chance?
Most psychologists doubt the concept of LUCK. They believe getting on well with our subconsciousness makes us lucky. And that keeping an open mind, being easy going helps us make better decisions in life, finally seizing better opportunities! (which we may ultimately term Luck?)
Believing in luck or not is a personal thought and choice, but what I personally believe is; You’ll not be able to achieve what you want by just sitting, waiting for LUCK to do its thing by itself. Lucky opportunities may present themselves to us every now and then, but these moments would amount to nothing unless we are ready– ready to face these lucky moments, ready to work hard afterwards.
Finally whatever side you are on, let us always keep a healthy mindset – A mindset that accepts bad luck as inevitable but good luck as something we create by sheer hard work, bravery and optimism.
Well, the festive season is here- in full swing! I simply love these last months of the year- full of colours, celebrations, culture, people, unity, diversity, basically the extravagant aspect of INDIA. 🌈🧨🎊🎉🎁 Of all festivals, Diwali is closest to my heart; love decorating the house!😍
Today what I am sharing with you is a DIY decoration, to get your house ready for this Diwali. This one in particular, I was taught by one of my Art teachers back in school, and still love it! Remade it for this season and blogged the process!
Kiara made her way to the Jaipur railway station, loaded with two suitcases, couple of backpacks and handbags 🛍🧳💼(of which her grandma’s photo was popping out🖼), another bag full of ‘maa ke haato ka khana’ and a leash in her hand. She was shifting to Delhi for her new job (with her dog, yes🐶).
Parks; well they bring back so many fond memories from childhood- swings🌳, karate sessions🏃🏻♀️🏃🏻, flowers🌺, & the mosquitoes 🦟 (not to forget😢). And today, parks seem like a good place to burn those extra calories, or maybe just relax and take that fresh and brisk air in.
Here are a few observations that I made the past couple of months (when I actually had a routine 🤦🏻♀️), which I believe are highly relatable, real and maybe funny too.
As I write this, I am on my flight back home from the most picturesque destination of the season-Maldives.🇲🇻
I can’t help but use this extra time to recall the entire getaway. While each trip is special in its own way, this one is indelible because of the crazy experiences I had.😍 I scuba dived for the first time, and as they say, firsts are always special.❤️
It was a Sunday morning, the Indian Ocean was dazzling and looked glistening blue🌊. The water wasn’t too aggressive and the sun shined at its brightest☀️. It was 10 in the morning and we proceeded to the diving centre, filled up some forms and health declarations and it was finally time to roll.🔖
Hi everyone, welcome back to another one of my weekly blogs.😀 Let me take you through an exciting tour of Dilwaalo ki Dilli.❤️
Delhi has been ruled by mighty empires and powerful kingdoms, and has been destroyed and rebuilt several times. This is the reason for the capital’s diverse culture and history.
Today we are going to take a trip to Old Delhi, where the architecture has plenty of charisma.✨
While there are so many landmarks to stroll in Old Delhi, Chandni Chowk is the iconic one you can not miss.😍
While talking about judgement, we only talk of how people around us comment on the way we dress, walk, talk and take our life decisions.
But seldom do we realise that we judge ourselves the most!
The other day, I saw a video from 4 years ago and immediately judged myself for the way I was talking, read my journal from a couple of months back and judged my own thoughts.🤪
While I realise judging ourselves may prove to be fruitful, but it isn’t always the most considerate thing to do – we are growing and evolving literally everyday!
We may not be our BEST VERSIONS now, but we are definitely trying to be a better version of our past selves. Which Is great.
Let’s start feeling proud of how far we have come!
Have a good day you all! Would love to hear your thoughts.
Reading time: 3 minutes Ever since I can remember, we have had a huge painting of Venice in our living room- a water canal between buildings, a bridge above and a gondola parked along the side. I always wanted to visit this part of Italy someday.🛶 I jetted to Venice right before the pandemic had… Continue reading 48 hours in Venice, Italy.
We are often in situations that need polite, ice-breaker conversations, which we popularly call “Small talk”. It is building a bridge between you and the other person- it’s about starting to talk. Some common topics may be books, weather, travel, food, sports and hobbies.
More than just the extravagant beauty, there is something humbling about the mountains. This is about my experience of climbing the Kedarkantha Summit in the December of 2021. It is a majestic peak in Uttarakhand at the elevation of 12500 feet- one of the most popular snow treks in India. When going on snow treks,… Continue reading Trek to the Kedarkantha Summit⛰
If you are craving the most delicious, creamy bowl of happiness, you’ve come to the right place!✨ Sharing with you a quick pasta recipe with the minimal supplies!
Our star ingredient for the day- Tomatoes!🍅🥫
Forget about Italians, even Indians cannot imagine cooking without tomatoes.
Tomatoes are an integral part of the Indian cuisine. We use them every single day; tomato soup, tomato rasam, chutney, in our gravies and more. Basically can’t think of cooking without them.🤷🏻♀️
I am guessing we all have an assortment of unique glass bottles at our places– bottles of olive oil, ketchup, beer, wine, shakes, sauces, etc. Instead of reusing these as containers or just simply throwing them away, why don’t we try and put them to a different use this time?💁🏻♀️
I’ve done this a couple times now and turns out, revamping glass bottles is one, a lot of fun! and two, a simple yet effective way to add beauty to any space.✨
While I write this one sitting comfortably in my balcony chair, it’s raining cats and dogs outside. Monsoon – such a pleasant weather, isn’t it?😍✨
My little house plants seem happy, swaying and bending with the wind in their lush green glory.🌱 And I kind of get it… the feeling of cool breeze in my hair, rain drizzling against my face, and not to forget, the oh-so-wonderful scent of wet mud – how could one feel anything but bliss? It is an absolutely soothing and calming setting for the soul.🧘🏻♀️
By now you would know I am a Sindhi (if you don’t, click here to check out my last blog post on the story of the India- Pakistan Partition 1947)
Let me help you know little bit more about our culture!
~ Starting off “India’s very name comes from the Indus River which is the English way of pronouncing the Sindhu river. India, Indus, Sindhu are all the same! The Persians and Mughals converted the word Sindhu to Hindu. The Greeks converted that to Indos. So from Sindh and Sindhis we get Hindus, Hindustan, Hindi, India and Indian.”
~ Our Surnames As a Sindhi, can you guess what I hear most often? “Oh! You are Kukreja and still a Sindhi?!!”
Me: preparing myself to explain it yet again!
Most people spot Sindhis by inspecting whether their surnames end in “-ani”? Lol
Let me tell you why this opinion!
The route of this, is the Sanskrit word ‘Ansh‘ which means- ‘descendedfrom‘. Ansh colloquially became -ani therefore we have our names — but not all Sindhi surnames end in -ani.
Surnames identify the family groups. Each family was allowed a Nukh (meant to be one’s caste name) and hence that is how the surnames were derived. This refers to a broad family tree. Take for example if the head of the family was Ramchand, the family would use the surname Ramchandani.
I hope now you have the answer for your most favourite question!! HAHAHHAH
~ Our Occupation Oh yes and we are amazing business people. Even though Sindhis entered the country empty handed, (as we discussed in the last blog) with endurance and hardwork most re-established themselves in trades and other businesses; The Rahejas, the Hindujas, the Hiranandanis to name a few.
Originally Sindhi Language is in the Arabic script but now also in the Devanagri script. This is my collection of books- some poems, some stories. (in both scripts)
~ Our Language Well we speak Sindhi. And those who know me, definitely know how much I love it. This is the one thing that keeps me closest to my culture. The joy is to be able speak in Sindhi at most places when not a lot of people understand it. (It is like a secret, code language, haha)
Even though it is the official language of the Pakistani province of Sindh, Sindhi is one of the scheduled languages officially recognised by the Central Government in 1967.
~ Our Music I assume most of you have heard, Dama Dam Mast Kalandar, the song sung by Mika and Honey Singh! It is actually a Hindi remake. Dama Dam Mast Qalandar is originally a spiritual song written in the honour of the most revered Sufi saint of Sindh, Lal Shahbaz Qalandar. The original poem was initially written by the 13th-century Sufi poet Amir Khusrow. To top it all, Sindh is also called the land of the Sufis.
Sufi Literature is the essence of Sindh, and hence we share a similar taste in dance 💃🏻 , music 🎶 and poetry.
~ Our food
And finally the food. Our cuisine is filled with mouth watering dishes: Sindhi curry, Aloo Tuk, Dal Pakwaan- to name the famous few. (come over, I am sure you have never had something like that before😋)
Infact we have our own version of Macroni. 😚 It is said that a few Sindhis visited Italy and got some macaroni pasta back home and the ladies created a Sindhi-nised version of it using tomatoes!
Well and yes Sindhis are very particular about their papad, it needs to be the right kind. We sure love having papad with all our meals. AND we have amazing flat breads mixing jaggery, flour, and oil; for dessert – Miththo Lolo! (in the image down below)
Well that was about it! ❤ Happy and guilt-free eating to all! 🙂
A very happy Independence Day to all of you!🇮🇳 Today, it has been exactly 75 years we got freedom from the colonial rule of the British.
Well, what better day to take you through the days of the India- Pakistan Partition!😃☀️
In August of 1947 while the British Raj finally came to an end and gave rise to an Independent India, instead of TRIUMPH, our country faced what can only be described as one of the bloodiest disruption in human history. ☄️
It is the history of pain, separation, loss and despair.
“We are independent now, they said, but what good is it when you have to leave everything behind!?”
My grandfather (DADA) narrates to me his encounter of the India-Pakistan Partition, some of his memories still vivid and stark.📝
Recently in one of her Instagram stories, Tahira Kashyap Khuranna mentioned how she finished an entire book in a day; I was fascinated to read it and so bought “What I Know For Sure by Oprah Winfrey” on her recommendation!
Beyond It by Prachi Kukreja 