Adventure Zone!!!

We took an Air New Zealand flight from Rotorua in the North Island to Queenstown in the South Island. Our flight had to take a detour to Christchurch because of bad bad landing conditions in Queenstown. While waiting in the lounge at Christchurch for our flight to Queenstown I was able to witness a very caring gesture of love. A middle aged women who was travelling for business at the day of her anniversary was waiting with us for flight to take off in the Christchurch airport lounge. Suddenly she had a card delivered to her by one of the airport officials and while she was opening to see who it was from her husband was standing right there next to her a bunch of flowers in his hands ready to take her in his arms and give her a kiss. The woman's happiness knew no bounds and she had tears in her eyes only to be wiped by her husband. It was miraculous...and magical to witness love in that form... :)
Anyway getting back to my travels;we finally landed in the most adventurous place in the world - Queenstown.
Queenstown truly is an adventurer's paradise with activities ranging from shotover jet to skydiving.
But even apart from the adventure activities Queenstown as well the neighbouring Arrowtown is truly a page torn out of a fairy tale. Its fabulous. The hillstation is built and developed around a huge lake which provides water to the town. New Zealand is the only country in the world where there is no water tax!!!
If anybody would ask me about visiting New Zealand, my only advise to them would be to visit only Queenstown and Christchurch.
When I visited New Zealand around two and a half years ago the concept of an ice bar was a novel idea. (now of course there are many around the world) and i truly loved the experience at Minus Five.(the name of the bar). I won't waste too much space in writing about it since many of must have experienced and also for those who haven't i dont want to spoil the novelty of the experience.
I know you guys anxiously want to know about the adventure but i'm gonna leave that for my next write-up so till then, Adios!!!

Marriage... why???

Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. People marry for many reasons, including one or more of the following: legal, social, emotional, economical, spiritual, and religious. These might include arranged marriages, family obligations, the legal establishment of a nuclear family unit, the legal protection of children or public declaration of commitment.
Of all the above reasons as to why people would want to marry the one that intrigues me the most is 'public declaration of commitment.'
Why is it that we feel the need to showcase our commitment to our love to the world by the legal binding of a marriage; it makes me wonder.
Do we really get married just to ask permission from the world for living together and sharing the same bed?
If that is so then why do we consider our wedding day as the most important day of our lives and spends millions just on that one day if its just a matter of taking permission. By that logic the day you fell in love and decided to spend the rest of your life with each other should be celebrated with a greater pomp and joy.
But the rationale that goes into making the wedding day a big show off is show off - show off to the society and to the world at large about the most expensive jewellery, clothes, food, flowers, etc. because after all marriage is for everyone except for the bride and the groom themselves. I don't think any bride and the groom themselves have enjoyed their own wedding.If you do come across any couple who did please do let me know. I'd like to ask them the way in which they did it so that i could follow the lead and enjoy my own wedding too.
But then if it were in my hand I would never get married to the person i'v chosen to spend the rest of my life with. I'd rather spend all the money I save on a world tour with him.
And as a matter of fact it's not even about the money. I think trying to bind a beautiful relationship which is formed with the golden thread love with the shackles of legality is an insult to that love. I think my love for him is above a contractual agreement. It doesn't need a marriage certificate to survive for eternity.
If you truly love someone and both know that you are made for each other and are going to be together for eternity come what may then why the need to declare to the world using a microphone. If you can just declare it to each other thats enough.
A friend once asked me how can u trust someone so much that he will stay with you for the rest of your life without a legal obligation to do so. And my answer to her was,'how can u trust your husband that he won't divorce you and marry someone else even after being legally attached to you.'
If people are meant to go, they are just meant to. No legal barrier can tie them.
I think the sooner people realize this fact, the easier it will be for them to realise the importance of trust.
My cousin told me the other day that she never wants to get married. Her answer to me when i asked her the reason for it was that she doesn't believe in it. People separate eventually anyway so then why make such a show about the union. This is when i told her the importance of trust. Nobody will force to get married and you don't have to if you don't want to but that doesn't mean that we stop finding love. We should trust ourselves with finding that perfect partner for ourselves and live with each other for eternity bound only with that golden lining called love and not the black thread of obligation.

Saree - the Sexiest Garment!!!

According to Wikipedia, a saree is a strip of unstitched cloth, ranging from four to nine metres in length that is draped over the body in various styles.
Who am i boring? I guess almost everyone in the world knows what a saree is... so much so the Oprah Winfrey wore a saree while she had Aishwarya Rai on her show.
Indian women have been draping sarees for over centuries now and no wonder Indian women are considered to be the sexiest... ;)
While Vidya Balan was posing for the cover of FHM for their third anniversary November issue she said, 'I'm glad people are getting bored of seeing women in bikinis- we've become very parochial about our sexiness. I think the saree is by far the sexiest garment, it covers the right amount, it exposes the right amount - it's such a tease and i like teasing..."
And i so completely agree with her. i agree draping a saree in the right way is a big hassle for our jeans wearing generation but it's so worth it if you wanna turn the eyes of the men towards you ;)
My sister wore a saree with a sexy blouse for the first time after her engagement for her friend's engagement that she was supposed to attend with my brother-in-law ( her husband now, fiance back then). And could i see him getting floored by her sex appeal in that drape... oh yes...
See, that's the kind of effect that a woman draped in a saree has on her man.
Indian women the world over are choosing to flaunt this garment for many international appearances. (Everyone remembers Deepika clad in a Rohit Bal drapery at the Cannes this year and of course the oomphs and the aahs... that it generated).
Indian women have the natural curves to flaunt this garment and hence we can carry it off reely well.
So, i think we should really take advantage of that and unleash our flirty attitude and in Vidya's words enjoy the teasing... ;)

To the land of the geysers!!

About a 4 hour drive from Auckland is the lake city township of Rotorua known for its natural warm fountains. But, before get there let me take through the world of the Waitomo caves. Waitomo is a Maori word made up of two parts. 'Wai' which translates as water and 'tomo' which means entrance or hole. Waitomo can be translated as the 'stream which flows into the hole in the ground'. This meaning is reflected through its fantastic geological history and landscape. The Waitomo caves are formed due to the erosions caused by the flowing water of the Waitomo river. Once the caves were formed, stalactites, stalagmites and other cave decorations began to grow. Water dripping from the roof or flowing over walls leaves behind a deposit of limestone crystal which sets as hard as concrete.
Legend has it that if the water dripping through the ceiling falls on your head, its considered a sign of goodluck.
But the main magnet that attracts millions of visitors to these caves is the glow worm, Arachnocampa luminosa, which is unique to New Zealand.Thousands of these tiny creatures radiate their unmistakable luminescent light which gives the impression of a beautiful starry night to the eyes inside the cave.
A must see!!
After the amazing glow worm its time to move to our ultimate destination for today - Rotorua. The moment you enter this tiny village you are greeted by the vast and picturesque lake of Rotorua. The sight from the banks of this lake during sunset with the ducks and swans swimming is absolutely divine.
A geyser is hot shower which shoots up from the earth's surface. It has a lot of medicinal properties due to its high sulphur content. There are a number of such hot fountains to look out for in Rotorua.
A trip to the spa to take a bath in one of the natural sulphur pools is an absolutely relaxing experience; a little expensive but totally worth it as the sulphur water pools have a backdrop of the stunning views of the lake which is therapeutic in itself.
Rotorua has a lot of adventure sports to offer but the one which is unique to this place is zorbing. In simple terms, you are put into a huge rubber ball filled with water and just thrown off a mountain. And trust me the bouncy experience is totally worth the money. :).
The road which leads to Zorbing from Rotorua has a sheep farm called the Agrodome further down the same path where sheep rearing is exhibited. But it was so not worth the drive. Frankly, my parent thought that our Indian Circuses are better than the sheep rearing show that they put up!!! :D
But, all in all Rotorua is a super cute place to go to for a short romantic getaway. You could stir up romance with a nice hand in hand walk through its tiny lanes ravishing the rich creamy ice-creams from one its local dairies or spend an absolutely divine sunset by the lake.
I'm sure you'll love it....
So until the Maori destination, ta...

New Zealand it is!!

i now move on New Zealand my friends... there were many other places in Europe that i visited that i would love to write about including London, Venice, Rome and of course The Leaning tower of Pisa but frankly i don't remember much about these places and providing partial information would be an insult to the exotic aura that these places inherently possess. So rather than me painting an incomplete picture about them and completely marring your image about these places i suggest u visit them urself and create images of ur own.
So back to New Zealand... after a 20 hour long flight from Bombay to Auckland, i was completely jet lagged add to that the survival on just drinks for those 20 hours( he food on the flight sucked as usual, they had unlimited booze though... ;) and the good ones not the cheap ones...). but the moment the plane starts to descend, i was overwhelmed with the feasty sight for my eyes driving all the jet lag away - with snow capped mountains on one side, the harbour on the other and green plains for as far as my eyes could see. This was unlike any other airport i had seen before.
Auckland has a natural harbour and a port. Its totally a commercial city with not many tourist attractions to its credit.
New Zealand is a volcanic country with a very high level of seismic activity and Auckland has quite a few craters of its created some thousands of years ago.
You could visit one of these craters or even visit the Sky tower and even jump off of it.. but totally missable.. nothing great about Auckland as such...
So, what if the start of New Zealand's journey wasn't as great as expected, it has a lot of great things to watch out for... so wait for it guys in the upcoming posts...
totally not missable!!!

The land of the royalty...

Scotland is known for its humongous castles, everybody knows that. But how many of us know that each oh these castles has a very interesting story behind it. Now i'm not gonna tell u these stories and ruin the fun for you to know them yourself but what i can say is that they are definitely worth knowing. Staying in one the castle turned hotels is a must when u visit this windy province. Scotland can get very cold in the winter with temperatures going as low as -16'c. But trust me its a perfect honeymoon place. The serenity of the natural beauty that gets its fame from the pristine lakes is always spellbinding to welcome you warmly in spite of the cold.
You wont find many people in Scotland. So, if you are a people's person i.e. love the crowds of Bombay and New York, then this is not your place. Hell!! there must be more sheep than people in Scotland.
But if you visit one of the old Taverns for a sip of fresh you would surprised at the energy and vibe of the Scots.
So, am not going to say anything else, as it impossible to describe this place in words, everyone has to experience it in person and create a wonderful memory of their own.
P.S. visit to the oldest surviving brewery in Scotland!!!

lets move to Paris!!!

The French absolutely love their delicious baguettes and their intoxicating wines.. and why shouldn't they if you and i can almost immediately fall in love with them too. The French capital of Paris on the banks of the Siene is an eclectic mix of conventional and contemporary ideologies. And for the fashion lovers its paradise on earth with every possible fashion label in the world adorning its streets (both original and fake) :)... every possible street in Paris is worth exploring... just leave you hotel room in the morning and just start walking in any direction that your heart leads on to... it will never happen that u didn't enjoy the day or didn't create an unforgettable memory.
So here's a list of must try things to do in Paris...
- try the delicious crepes at one of the cute little open roadside cafes.
- getting a bird's eye view of Paris from from the third level of the Eiffel Tower.(a visit to the third level is must. )
- taking the night cruise on the Siene.
- attend at least one performance (either Moulin Rouge or the Lido)
- visit the Louvre for a date with Mona Lisa
- Getting a peak at the Eiffel Tower at midnight when a million tiny bulbs that adorn it glitter for 15 minutes like millions of diamonds.
- Stroll down the Champs Elysees (one of the most elite streets of Paris.)
- Visit the Arc De Triomphe to pay homage to the ones who died during World War I.
- Dine at one of the Michelin Star restaurants (that is if your pockets permit you to)
For all you romantics at heart visiting Paris with your lovers, do hell with the list... just enjoy and do what you feel like. Its one of the most romantic cities on earth. Who knows maybe you can give me a list things to do that you enjoyed doing the most with your lover that maybe I could try when i visit Paris again with my lover...

So till then au revoir...

switzerland is the heights of capitalism!!!!

Could you ever imagine a private person owning a mountain or further even a waterfall?
No right... but it's true!!! how many of us have heard of the famous Jungfraujoch(pronounced as yoong-frau-yok)- the third highest mountain in the Bernese Alps south of Interlaken. but does anyone know that the railway that takes you to the summit from the base and the peak itself is privately owned? amazing isn't it?
just imagine owning a mountain...
but it doesn't end here... the Trummelbach falls which also originate in the Bernese Alps is also privately owned by the Trummelbach family... the melting of the Jungrau flows through these falls...
even though the ticket to the summit is a bit expensive, it's definitely worth it... the transformation from the lush green landscapes to the start white snowy landscapes as you move towards the summit is breathtaking...
when i reached the top the temperature dropped to a numbing -33 degree celcius. a snow blizzard had hit the peak which is why we couldn't enjoy the various winter sports that the peak offers but still all was not lost...
the purpose of the ice palace as a legend goes is precisely this - for the tourists to have something to watch put for when the weather conditions turn bad...
and trust me its definitely worth it...
The palace's ice sculptures include vaulted rooms, birds, animals, penguins, people, automobiles, furniture, and even a bar. The palace is an amusing novelty and is worth visiting when you're on the Jungfraujoch--especially since it's free to Jungfraubahn passengers. :)
on the whole this entire experience definitely gets a must visit flag from me...
so until i take to anotther unforgettabel journey ciao!!!

a day in the snow capped alps - Mt. Titlis

Mt Titlis is the first peak in the world to have a cable car going all the way up to the peak from the base with one of them being a revolving one...so hop on the small cable car which sits only 5 to the first stopover post which you use the bigger car to take you to the next level. The lap of the journey is the most awe striking as the rotating cable car provides you with 360 degree phenomenal views of the snow-capped Alps. Once you land right on the peak, you will surrounded by nothing but soft cottony pearly white snow. The tempuratures can get quite low so warm clothing is definitely recommended... once on the top there are a variety of adventurous activities that you can do including skiing(you need to know skiing though), you could even try the snow bike. There's this amazing thing that you could try!!! they make you sit on a big tube and you are pushed from behind and down you go...woosh... down the slope... its an amazing experience... a must try... i would definitely never wanted to leave the peak to come back down through the three different kind of trolleys again... but unfortunately i had to...
so see you again for another chilly experience... till then Ciao!!!

the land of the yummy yummm.... black forest cake and the amazing cuckoo clocks!!!

The dark green coniferous trees that crown the German Alps are a sight to watch out for. The amazing Heidelberg Castle is a must visit. It has a thousand year old barrel which matures the most delicious wine. Try a free sample... ;)
The bakeries on the edge of the Black Forest make the most delicious Black Forest cake which look so tempting and mouth-watering glazed with snow-white cream and perfectly red cherries. A must try!!!
Its nothing like the extremely sweet,dry no cherry layer that we get here.The cake gets its name from the Black forest of Germany.
The cuckoo clocks that are made from the wood of the pine trees from the Forest are the cutest clocks in the world with the cuckoo peeping out of the small cute door every hour.
The Rhine Falls on the border of Switzerland and Germany are beautiful. I recommend for anyone who likes the sound of flow of water juxtaposed with the serene, pristine beauty of the Alps.

Thats it for today... so till the next time we visit another sight for the eyes in Europe...Wiedersehen!!!

My Travels

This is the first part of a series where m going to share my experiences about the places that i have visited so far. Hopefully, it will help you plan your holidays in the future....

Let me begin with my trip to Europe(i don't remember about any trips before that... :)).

Lets start with the city of windmills, cheeses and of course how can i forget tulips. The moment you land at Schiphol, you are definitely in for a ride.

The mini Amsterdam created in the confines of Madurodam is a fantastic and very realistic replica of the city. i recommend spending a good 2-3 hours at this place.

Next comes the world of flowers- tulips to be specific - the awesome world of the Keukenhof Gardens. Mind you this entire estate is still privately owned and managed by the Keukenhof Family to be precise. Its acres and acres of colourful, eye pleasing paradise.

If you are a cheese lover then Amsterdam's the place for you. You could even visit a factory where they manufacture cheese and get free tastings.

The canal cruise on the River Seine is a must. It lets you witness the the world's smallest house by width... :). Experience the charm of Dutch architecture through the various structures by the bank of the river.

Apart from this Amsterdam has various Art museums which exhibit some brilliant works by Van Gogh.

So, thats it for this city.

So, until next time on a journey through another wonderful sight in Europe. daakh!!!

Why do Indians lack civic sense i wonder...

i was walking on the main footover bridge of Dadar station today(the main one that is used to cross over to change the railway lines) and i saw a woman spitting right in the middle of the bridge not even bothering to go to on corner and spit there not that i think that is justifiable but its definitely lesser of the two evils.I felt like slapping her and nauseated seeing her spit like that.

Why is it that we never stop ourselves from doing something like that? Why is it that the innumerable cigarette butts are stamped upon right on the spot where people smoke rather than using ash trays or the trash cans? Why is it that even the educated and civilised throw wrappers and fruit skins right out of train,car or bus windows?

Is it because we Indians lack a sense of self-discipline and will never impart it unless its thrashed upon us. I think it definitely works that way. Lets say tomorrow BMC announces,'The person spitting on the road or not disposing trash in trash cans will be charged a fine of Rs. 100' Post the announcement it employs officers at public places just to catch people who violate this regulation.I'm sure it will be a very good income generating activity for the government provided we dont bribe those officials too. Why don't we litter when we go abroad in cities which are extremely well maintained and clean by whatever means that they employ? It will happen here also if BMC takes it up seriously and prosecutes us for littering. Why so? Why can't we realise on our own that its our city, ou country, our world. We are the ones living in it and that its like our home. If we dont dirty our own houses then why do we dirty our streets? Thats because as Indians we will never learn to do anything on our own unless someone slaps our backsides...

Speaking of bribes, we say our government is corrupt to the core. But what the recent Tata Tea Ad says is true, log khaate kyun hain...? kyunki hum khilate hain... We are the ones corrupting the system... Nothing can change on its own... we have to be a part of this change...

So the next time you see a person littering or spitting stop them making them pick it up or make them clean their spit by employing whatever means you want to... :).. like i said we are Indians... we won't change and we absolutely lack self- discipline unless someone whacks our backsides and makes us do it...

Lets bring about the change guys...

Oh! and last but not the least thats absolutely ghastly is that some of us dont even have public speaking etiquette. How else do you explain an Indian CEO of an MNC coughing into the microphone while making a speech to an audience of more than 500 people...

Indians seriously... buck up guys... lets bring about this change and its high time that the rest of the world changes the way it looks at us.

Ads that care but sell more

The Aircel campaign with Mahinder Singh Dhoni and Bhaichung Bhutia saying that there are just 1411 tigers left in India definitely ignites the bulb in the minds of wildlife enthusiasts but what after that? Social service ads are supposed to do more than just hold a candle to the cause. They have to provide an answer. The Tata tea Jaago Re campaign actually improved the voter turn out as people were provided with the platforn where they could be a part of the campaign and reduce the indifference to voting among the educated in India. The Aircel ad just helps to get rid of the guilt and the brand connect seems to be slapped on. Having a thousand fans on a facebook fan page will just make the people aware of the number of tigers left in India. But so what about that? Is Aircel actually doing anything to increase that number or see to it that the number doesn't fall more?If anyone knows then please tell me. This brings me to doubt about how true their intentions are or is it just an advertising gimmick. Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR) is the need of the hour and corporates do need to expand their horizons beyond the profit making objectives. We need companies with a soul not materialistic hawks who can use even distress to turn to their advantage.

Why engineers should not be allowed to do get into an IIM?

Typically, 80% of the entrants into IIMs aare engineers. For some strange reason the tests are designed in such a way that as an engineer you have a greater chance of belling the CAT.Does this mean only engineers can manage? What if you are a lawyer wanting to manage your law firm better, or a journalist wanting to manage your newspaper better, or a biochemist wanting to manage your R&D company better? The IIMs have already decided that you are unfit to be a manager. IIM-B's web site on the contrary says 'candidates from diverse backgrounds are selected.'
Out of the pool of students that graduate from these colleges only 10% join engineering companies and the rest 90% sell consumer products, manage mutual funds or join IT companies.
When they do their engineering courses, these people obviously have no intention of becoming engineers. They are using their engineering education merely to give them an edge over other competitors at the IIM entrance examination. Incidentally, 30% of them are from IITs and being an IIT-IIM graduate is considered to be a badge of honor.

The world over, engineers do an MBA to acquire skills to manage their engineering industry better, not to switch to alternate high paying careers.

Added to this, the governement spends an average of Rs.4 lac annually and 8 lac if he/she's and IITian for engineers who pass out from governement subsidised colleges. this means that a hard earning tax payer is paying for the engineering education of a person who has no intention of using his engineering. This definitely is not the intention of government subsidy of engineering education.

An annual ritual (currently on) in all the IIMs is the great tom-tomming of the pay packets of their fresh MBA graduates. How many professions have you heard of where so much noise is made of the starting salary of graduates? how many times have you heard of an IIM graduate turning a loss making company into a profit making one?

These high paying lucrative jobs are the attraction for engineers to change the course of their careers. Just because they are good engineers doesn't mean they are good managers as well.

Its high time that people realise the value of education as a way of living rather that considering it as a way to earn fat pay cheques.