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No doubt life has been busy. When we plan a vacation it eats up almost two months' of whatever little free time we get. I was holidaying the last week of September and first ten days of October. One of the destinations was on my top three list, Egypt where it all begins. Standing in front of the pyramid was an ethereal experience. The Egyptians are a lot like us Indians. They harass travelers, try their maximum to cheat if one is not careful. I just hope it's all because of their poor economy and political unrest.
Another destination was Oman. This will be my first time in the middle East. We consciously make an effort to choose our destinations as per its culture and heritage, and our inclination towards that. Oman is the poor country in the Arab world. We weren't surprised when we get to see and talk to a lot Indians, Bangladeshis, and Pakistanis. But it pained us to see our fellow countrymen treated badly in a foreign land. Dignity of labour is unknown in this part of the world. I couldn't help but wonder if our country could provide job opportunities to these people why would they leave their motherland. I digress. The details of the trip will soon be updated in www.milesandtrails.com.
Immediately after returning from holidays we had to go to Mantralaya as a family to fulfill MIL's wishes. But for the Brindavana there's nothing much to explore. To my surprise the food served there was very good and palatable.
As a custom I celebrated the Deepavali festival in native. There was a talk about meeting school friends, which never materialized due to heavy rains. And I secretly was wishing it never will because of lack of time. Strangely school friends are the ones with whom I'm in constant touch now. Maybe the innocence of childhood and adolescence is what they hold on to.
During Kannada Rajyotsava weekend we traveled to Tanjavur to visit the iconic Great living Chola temples. The climate was mild in Tamil Nadu that made the trip more joyous. Same weekend cousin A called to inform about the sudden move to Pune for her job. My cousins and I were stressed and worried, which amused hubby to a great deal. It took me sometime to explain that he was brought up to be self-sufficient and independent, wherein we were all overprotected and pampered, so it takes sometime for us to get adjusted to new places and until then it stresses us. Now one month into it cousin A is comfortable in the new place and soon will start painting the city red.
It has been three years since I lost my father. There's isn't a day that passes without missing him. Slowly but steadily I have learnt the art of blocking the memories when it starts to hurt. And still I haven't stopped asking why my dad?
In September Ammamma lost her younger sister to old age. She doesn't express her feelings but we all know how close she was to her sister and how deeply she loved her. In fact everybody loved H. Ammamma who was exuberant, loud, funny, and entertaining. Just a week before her death she disapproved my child-free status asking my mother why the hell did I get marry if I had no intention to reproduce.
The reading pace is slow and I did read few books. However I doubt whether I will be able to reach my reading challenge for this year. The movie numbers are quite okay. In web series We have watched Bard of Blood, Family Man, Leila and few plays. An idea is brewing at this point and I can only act on it next year because of the pending projects.
All I can say I was super busy personally, professionally, and socially. Let us see whether I'll be able to reach the unrealistic goals I have set for myself in the next coming 30 days.
