Memories of 2011.....

Hello everyone! So final date of year 2011 has come and soon it would be new year 2012 or as I write maybe the new year has already set in some parts of the world. Year 2011 saw many ups and downs in whole world but here I would like to talk on personal level.

My first half of the year went in normal way with me watching tv programmes talking endlessly about them and basically wasting time while socializing and other things.  But second half did some changes to my life. I did something which I never thought I would. People make resolutions for new year but here I want to share past six months of my life and even though thanksgiving is gone I still want to thank a lot of people.

June 2011 encouraged by a very dear friend of mine Bhaskar, I started this blog. I was totally clueless on how things work and what should I be writing but constant support and mild scoldings and lot of encouragement I was finally a blogger. So here is big big thanks to you buddy to put me on this platform letting me express myself and being a chatterbox giving me an outlet to express my thoughts and feelings. Here is  wishing you a very super duper birthday today.  

Starting blog was ok but then I was panicking again. What title should I give to my blog, what url should I make which would reflect me. Along came to rescue another dear friend Vistaa who helped me with title and url. A big thanks to you dear Vistaa for helping me on this and also supporting me  and my   write-ups. Still do miss your comments buddy so please show your valuable presence here.

Nandini though invisible still was another one who supported and loved what I wrote and I had to make faces when she disappeared in middle but came back again with a bang.  

Gauri who without fail comments on each and every post of mine first and is always there to give me ideas. Psst.. sms post idea was hers. Thanks for being there Gauri.

Along the way came Sangeeta Vimi, Madhu, Prashasti ,Jolie,Mukta and others who supported me in their own way.  I still miss presence of lots of people but lives do get busy. Hope they do come around soon.

Next came big bunch of friends from bloggers.com and top of the list is vinod (itechcolumn) who I have bugged so much to get answers I am sure he must be banging his head everytime I ask him questions. I have learnt a lot from his site and implemented some of his ideas and tutorials here. Puru, Suresh, Hema and others thanks for being there and visiting my blog.

My post is getting really long now but I guess I am in mood to talk. The past six months have been a revelation for me and making me utilize my time and learn new things and making new friends.

Finally comes my family, my husband and my kids who would at times proof read to see if I have written correct grammar. I tend to forget my punctuations at times but people close to me know where my fullstop is and where my comma is. Ha ha..

I haven’t made any resolutions but I just wanted to thank everyone for being there and hoping I would see all of you along with those who are missing to be there again in new year.

There is one advert which comes on tv which says har ek friend zaroori hota hai ( each friend is necessary) so here is big wish for everyone.

celebrate new year  but dont drink and drive.

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Computer maintenance..... small tips

Hello!.  Some weeks back I had showed you how to format your windows xp system. Today I would show you how to remove unwanted temporary files from the computer and keep disk space free.  I never used to do before but my technician advised and showed me how to do it.

Temporary files and cookies take up lots of disk space and tend to slow down the computer.

 On Windows XP  Go to Start > run.> type in command “prefetch” ( without quotation marks) in the box which opens and click ok .  A new window opens . select all files and delete them. Those which don’t get deleted leave them.

Next  again go to Start> run>  type in the little box  %temp%  and click ok.  A new window opens and again delete all files you see there. Those that don’t  delete leave them.

Install free Ccleaner software and run it at regular intervals or keep it in auto mode to run when windows start.

This would remove a lot of clutter on the pc but at times there are still some files left. So go to My Computer   right click on C: / drive and click properties. Press disk clean up button and the window pops up.  Wait for few mins till windows detects the file  then Select all the things you see and click ok

This would clear up any remaining files on the computer. Do this at least weekly to clear up the clutter on your system and remove unwanted programmes which you don’t use on your machine.

Always keep your antivirus updated and regularly scan the disk drives including pendrive as it is bound to carry viruses or malware when you use it anywhere. 

Hope following the above steps would help you in keeping your computer running smoothly. Any errors please contact your computer technician.

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The great spice route------------

Hello everyone! Today's topic is giving quick easy pictorial guide to some basic spices,seeds and lentils or dals which I am sure many would find useful as they cook and can differentiate one from other. Specially bachelors would find this useful, I hope.

I am listing the basic ones which are used in daily cooking.  Please use 1/4 or 1/2tsp of these seeds depending on quantity of your dish.

Methi dhana or fenugreek seeds. Good for digestion but bitter in taste.

Jeera seed or cumin seed.

  mustard seeds or sarson  or  rai

  coriander seeds  or dhaniya seeds

The above items are used in tadka. Not all use dhaniya seeds but some do like that.

Basic spices or masalas to be used in cooking.

Turmeric powder or haldi powder.

  Red chilli powder

      Amchur powder or dry mango powder .

  Dhaniya powder or coriander powder

Above are the basic spices used in any dish and of course salt is important. Some people also use garam masala powder which is mixture of many spices like clove, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom.

Dals or lentils.

Tur dal or arhar dal

Chana dal or bengal gram dal

   Whole moong.. It can also be used sprouted.

Moong dal

 There are many more but I have listed just the basic everyday used  lentils or spices so its easily recognisable. Have fun cooking.

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Destination...........Mount Abu

Hello everyone!

This week I'm going to take you up to the mountains with me to  Mount Abu.

Few years back I travelled with my family to this beautiful place in Rajasthan. Situated in the Aravali range, Mount Abu is an oasis in the desert sands of Rajasthan, it accedes the honour of being the only hill-station in Rajasthan as well as the whole of North-West India. Mount Abu  is home to the world famous tourist destination: the ancient  Dilwara Jain temples.  It  has a very cool and soothing climate. 

We had gone in month of November and it was freezing cold compared to Mumbai climate. After 12hours of journey by train from Mumbai we landed at Abu road station. From there we took shared taxi up the winding road towards the hill station with travel time of approximately  45mins. The first day we  rested and later went  to nearby sunset point. Spectacular view of setting sun atop the mountain.

 Day 2... We went to explore market which was about 10mins from our hotel. We hired a taxi to show us the long distance places like Dilwara jain temple,  Adhar devi temple. Photography is prohibited in  Dilwara jain temple and we had to deposit our camera and cell phones at security. Adhar devi temple is at great height and I didn't go up but my husband and son went up to see the spectacular view of the valley below.

Day 3....We  found  the best way to travel around Mount Abu by  rented Motorbikes and scooters, the latest  medium to enjoy beautiful Mount Abu to its fullest.Please note you require a valid driving licence for this service.You can hire the bike for whole day and roam around at your own convenience and we found this very useful and cost is very reasonable too. We went around more places and roamed market  lake and far off places.

Day  4... Me and my husband roamed around market to buy some stuff while my kids took the bike to explore some more regions including the museum.

Day  5... We had checked out of hotel and since we had enough time to catch our train we spend time at  nakki lake in afternoon and visited some shops. After lunch we got sharing taxi which took us down the winding road back to Abu Road station from where we took our train back to Mumbai thus bidding good bye to a beautiful hill retreat.


Though Mount Abu can be visited throughout the year I preferred winters as it was all around pleasant with chill in the air in the evenings.  While  travelling Mount Abu you must feast on  the Maharashtrian, Gujarati, Rajasthani, south Indian, Punjabi, Chinese or Continental dishes. The variety offered is so vast that you may try new dishes in every meal. Even the smaller eating joints in Mount Abu are shining clean. Amongst the many delicious dishes you must try out the pav bhaji and the Rajasthani thali. My personal favorite was  sev tomato sabzi.

Sight seeing.

Dilwara Jain Temple: These beautifully carved temples built between 11th and 13th century A.D. are sheer elegance in marble, dedicated to the jain Tirthankaras. The Vimal Vasahi temple is the oldest of these dedicated to the first Tirthankara. Built in 1031 A.D. (by Vimal Shah-a merchant and representative of then Gujarat ruler), it is a superb example of temple architecture.
Adhar Devi Temple: The temple is chiselled out of a huge rock reached by a flight of 360 stairs. A favourite tourist spot.
Sunset Point: Spectacular sight of the setting sun when the hills are covered in the golden glow can be viewed from here.
Honeymoon Point: Also known as Andra Point, it offers an enchanting view of the verdant plains and valleys. The place looks most beautiful during the dusk hours.
Gardens and Parks: Beautifully laid parks and gardens are interspersed throughout the hilly paradise. Ashok Vatika,Gandhi park, Municipal Park,Shaitan Singh Park and Terrace Garden are some of the noteworthy gardens.
Museum and Art Gallery: Located at the Raj Bhawan, it was a collection of archaeological excavations dating back to 8th-12th century A.D. It also has Jain bronze carvings,brassworks etc. for viewing.

Nakki Lake - Situated within walking distance from the main market and almost 80% of Hotel's and restaurant's of Mount Abu, Nakki lake posses the crown of being the heart of Mount Abu. The hub of evening activity and boating - Nakki Lake is the perfect place to spent your evening with your partner, friends and family.The picture perfect location of the lake surrounded with mountains, gardens and rock formations also make it a very good location for photography. In the evening the setting sun makes the canvas 

How To Reach Mount Abu 

To reach Mount Abu by Rail: Abu Road is the nearest railway station just 28 KM from the main city, Which is very well connected by rail routes to New Delhi, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, and Mumbai. From Abu Road you can opt for state transport service (usually every hour) or Taxis on both sharing and private basis.
To reach Mount Abu by Air: The nearest airport is Udaipur at a distance of 185 km, But Ahmedabad is having better connectivity and daily flights with other parts of the country and is just 221 KM from Mount Abu, from Ahmedabad or Udaipur.

To reach Mount Abu by Road: Mount Abu is well connected by road with major cities of the country, nearest national highway no. 14 is just 24 KM's.

There are many budget hotels in Mount Abu and very centrally located near the lake and market. We had however stayed in  Hotel Sunset Inn. Reasonably priced, good food and good ambience with very helpful staff. It is also very near to sunset point.


A trip of 4nights is enough to enjoy the beauty of  this hill station   I would like to share with you all some of the wonderful pictures  which I took on my trip.

SUNSET

VIEW FROM SUNSET POINT

FROM TOP OF MOUNTAIN

FOUNTAIN AT NAKKI LAKE

Adhar devi temple

 

MUSEUM

 

Also featured in  Mahindra homestays

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Discover Coorg in Karnataka

Nestled in south-west Karnataka lies Coorg, a small hillstation that’s often called ‘The Scotland of the East’. This beautiful hill station is an ideal base for trekking, rafting or just relaxing in beautiful surroundings.

Things to see and do

Spectacular sights and viewpoints: In Mercara or Madikeri, explore the proud Madikeri Fort, which was built in 17th century. Here, the Raja’s Seat overlooks a deep valley and from here you can enjoy spectacular views of the sunrise and sunset. At the Abbey Falls water cascades to a depth of 70 feet into a rocky valley offering an unforgettable sight to visitors.

Trekking: From easy to arduous treks, Coorg has varying trails for all kinds of adventure seeker. The best season to plan treks in Coorg is December to May. The three main mountain peaks in Coorg for trekking are Brahmagiri, Pushpagiri and Tadiandamol.

On the river: Located on the banks of the river Cauvery is the Valnoor Fishing Camp where avid fishing enthusiasts can indulge in the luxury of angling for the huge game fish mahseer. During the monsoon season between the months of July and October visitors can experience the rush of adrenaline from a Coorg white water rafting adventure. Outside of the monsoon there are still opportunities to try out still water rafting but to experience the river at it’s best the white water rafting experience is highly recommended.

Sample the local cuisine: The Kodavas pride themselves on being foodies and the local cuisine is a highlight of any Coorg trip. It is famous for unique non-vegetarians dishes particularly based on game meats, pork (pandhi), chicken (koli) and lamb (yarchi). 

Visit a coffee plantation: When you are in Coorg visiting a coffee plantation is essential, but instead of a quick tour why not spend some time with the coffee pickers! Joining them for half a day is an interesting experience and will help you appreciate your piping hot coffee made with fresh beans!

Getting to Coorg

The closest airports are in Bangalore (260 km) and Mangalore (135 km). The nearest railway station is 146 kms away, in Mysore.

This article was written by Mahindra Homestays . For further information about Coorg they have a Coorg guide  on their website and a collection of Coorg homestays.

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Own Nothing........... a poem

Today I present you a poem by my dear friend Jolie.

Own Nothing

I own nothing,

There was a time,

When I have desires,

When I have feelings,

When I have expectations,

There was a time,

When I had dreams,

There was a time,

When I had expectations to win the world,'

There was a time,

 When I   had believe that "I have someone, who loves me"

There was a time,

 When I had believe that "He will be with me"

There was a time,

 When I was firm that "he will trust me if I stand against the world"

..Now I own nothing, 

That One is gone,

I own nothing because he left me for world,

I own nothing because he trust world not me,

I own nothing because he was never with me,

I own nothing because he never loved me,

I own nothing because that one left me,

Is it the reason that I own nothing?

I own nothing because I trusted someone else,

Not in me,.

I own nothing because I expected other to stand for me,

Not for my self,

I own nothing because I deserved nothing, that nothing

 Now I realize

I own nothing,

Not even fear to loose,

Not even fear to fall back,

Not even fear to be wrong,

Because now I own nothing,

Not even   A Dictator, A controller of my life

I own nothing but my self.

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