Unmasking –The real us!!

Yes, It’s enough of Smart phones, Tablets, Internet, Offers, e-Commerce. Need to put a full stop to this digital world we have entered into, at least for sometime during the day & if not daily there has to be a 2-3 days a month wherein the actual crux of this life can be felt in ! The actual essence, the real world, real people, lovely nature besides us, all of it has to be felt certainly.

Let’s all pledge to take a pinch of the freshness, which will certainly play an important role to create a fragrant aura, to help us motivate ourselves, to feel an unsullied spanking new life, but the main question arises how?

Will the detoxification lies in just one line-

Leave behind your digital world. Switch off your mobiles, tablets, laptops, no shopping, no mails, no Whats app, no Facebook/Twitter..Nothing!

So what next, well you will be flooded with bright thoughts to spend this lovely time, for me, I would love to spend a complete day with my hubby, kid & close friends as–

1. Venture out for exploring the beautiful sparkling Sunrise, right next to the garden close to my place. Wouldn’t it be a great idea to embrace the nature around us, walking hand in hand with people you love? Walking through the greens with a cup of coffee, hearing the chirping of birds, looking high to the rising sun, gleaming at the beautiful fresh flowers around, yes, this will be a perfect start for us, valuing the nature & relations!
2. Following to the “Raahgiri” (well ,if it is on Sunday’s & for Delhi ,else you can plan your own in the colony you stay) ,to unwind , to cycle up to the location & try few wonder steps with friends to check on the left stamina (not just dance but yes would definitely go for aerobics ,Yoga & Meditation) .This can be a perfect platform to enjoy the beautiful mornings with friends in a fruitful manner .Lost enough of energy ?So ,next would come pouncing on protein shakes for family & spices free sprouts with milk –muesli & a nutritious yummy breakfast from so many options to chose from !Don’t forget no touching of the Phone/TV/Laptop/..No temptations! Well I’m sure this energetic morning would make a great start for a digital free beautiful world 🙂
3. Well, what to do now? Think on your lost passions- Sketching? Oh Yes ,I thought of it so many times ,but this bloody 24 hours ,they seem so small for me (as the world revolves around E-Commerce ,Whats app ,Facebook only) or Playing Scrabble with family or want to recall those innocent Ludo /Snakes & Ladder/UNO play ? Yes, try out; they can all still be so much fun together.
4. Forgot the forceful nap mom used to ensure we took in the afternoon as a kid? Don’t have a time for even a power nap? Well, so this day belongs to purify your soul. Have a deep sound sleep to find yourself blissful & well ready for an exciting evening waiting ahead..
5. For sure ,let me see kids play ,let me hear people laughing out loud (in real world) ,let me grab the rackets in open sky once again .So this takes me to a big garden where again I’ve fallen prey to mother nature ,to help me rebound those young days & let me play disc , try some smashing shots on the badminton I loved playing ,sit with elders & have a lovely chat with them ,make them feel lively ,to again embrace the beautiful sunset ,not amidst the trails of cars but a perfect scene to see the rays changing the colour & setting in slowly ..Not an end, there has to be a welcome to “Chanda Mama”:)
6. Well, we did plan a good “Antakshari session” in the late evening, with friends pouring in (with a condition …No mobiles) & that was rocking, we ate, sang, danced to our own tunes! It was astounding really, without any disturbances.

So a beautiful day was coming to an end, but the starry night awaited for us on the terrace. Taking quick steps towards the terrace, I again wished to count on those shiny stars, to trace Great dipper, figuring out Jupiter & Mars & trying to explain all of it to my kid .Wow ,It was so much of fun ,we sat there for some 2 hours ,only to see ourselves enjoying the real world , spending a peaceful quality time & cuddling the nature around us !It was an introspection time. It was my time which made me pledge to have many such days in a month, without any beep beeps!

One more pledge came ,not just to have more of similar days ,but to have couple of such days out from the metro ,direct in the lap of nature ,to jump to nature’s least crowded places ,wherein me ,my loved ones could have just “Our time” ,trekking & Playing in the lap of gorgeous nature ,in the farms ,on the hills ,on the grasslands , exploring the flora & fauna ,living the way villagers do!! Interacting with the locals, understanding their livelihoods, culture all means so much, If we can have all this by ourselves, why is Google required? Well, my blood is gushing to see myself unwinding in this manner.

Yes, that’s what is the real togetherness for me, to get close to nature with the loved ones, to hear out others, that is moving from reel to real world for me!

Have a look at this Kissan video stating the “Real Togetherness with Nature”

Crabs.. Shells…Starfishes

So now let’s take a round of these amazing creatures ..Well hidden in the sea & beaches of Goa:)

Basket full of 5 CRABS:) Direct from sea..yohooo

Lovey Starfishes..In Ample @ Candolim!!

So beautiful..Shells @Morjim!!

Fruit? Or ?? Guess Out with tentacles !!

 

Crabbie Garland 😉

See closely.. red Rock Crab is getting clicked;)

Millipede ? Centipede?

Beach for all:)

Dogs ,Crows ,& HUmans ..ALl @Baga Beach;) 😉

Finally an unknown fruit..

Shells & Star Fishes!!

 

 

Nature..Sea..Sand..Beauty…That’s called GOA!!

Guys Let’s have a look at the scintillating beauty of GOA in Monsoon ,before my detailed post comes across:)

Let’s refresh our thoughts ,minds & have a relaxing look !!

Amazing morning Breeze,. Swaying coco trees:)

The Rocky one. Anjuna Beach..With amazing Red Rock Crabs!!

Nature’s Force!! Whatta Gushing of Waves!!

Astounding Sunset after Rains @ Candolim Beach!!

Another one from Candolim! Nature at its best:)

Vagator…Simply cool ..No crowd..

Mesmerizing view@ Sinq Beach ,one of the best view fronts!

So just Wait for next post.. For  some fauna’s ,hidden jewels of GOAn sea:)

 

I’m MOM -Master of Multitasking: My Journey from Or to And

 My Journey from “Or to And”

“There cannot be true democracy unless women’s voices are heard. There cannot be true democracy unless women are given the opportunity to take responsibility for their own lives” – Hillary Rodham Clinton

Is women born to make sacrifices, to forgo her plans of life initially for the happiness of her parents, then for Husband & In laws & then for her Kids?

But the question comes as to Why only Women?? It has more to do with the Indian culture, the society we live in & the values in which we have been brought up ,the society which still assumes woman handling the sole responsibility of taking care of home & her family ,of nurturing the child ,but it has never ever thought of the working woman looking after home & nurturing the child .

Men ,if you ever wanna know what a woman’s mind feels like, imagine a browser with 2857 tabs open all the time ! She is multi-tasking!

Why are we assumed to perform only one task at a time ,Is it just an extension to the older times when women were confined to homes & men were treated as bread earners ?Why even when researches dominate that women are Multi tasker’s, as a result of their better planning & strategies ,our families still constrain us to go for the option of “OR” & most of the times that OR ,as per the family is opined towards betterment of family ,but to ask us ,it actually dwindles away the hopes & ambition of a women .A woman can easily manage a Lion’s share of household & childcare chores ,along with the sense of full or part time work ,which is because we tend to equate priorities ,organize our responsibilities& don’t just jump into. Studies say that “women might possess higher level of cognitive control than men wrt planning, monitoring and inhibiting behaviour”.

Well I believe ,that most of the Indian women might have faced these challenges in their lives & post resentment ,One would have fallen prey to family wishes discarding self inner feelings to pose as an idealistic Daughter or Wife or Mother. Bust ,just ask yourself ,are you so weak that to explore & nurture your ideas ,your ambition ,you need to fall prey to those emotional stings? We, The women have the qualities to dissuade, to convince our families & we are the best force to prove that we alone can handle & justify numerous tasks with 100% efficiency & competency.

Well ,like all I have also faced few instances wherein I was de-motivated (on the name of justice to role)& forced to opt for single role in the family ,but I was not the one to let my ambition pass away that soon ..I went ,I ran & caught them ,savoured the fruits of my ambition & corroborated my success not by judging the best responsibility done ,but by exemplifying myself as an “Epitome of Modern day Women ,a confident women ,who can manage her numerous roles hand in hand & that too with utmost ecstasy & excellence”.

So it all began ,(post 3 years of marriage)with elderly pressure flowing in on high, to expand the family ,but as these days ,wherein both the partners are working ,ambitious about their career & growth in life ,this tricky situation calls for a genuine delay & takes a toll on one ,especially on the feminine part of the wheel…But yes ,few questions kept pondering me then ,How long will I delay it? One day I’ll have to enter Motherhood & sensing a strong signal of taking a sabbatical from work to be a care taker. Would any of my family be there to support my desire of working post baby? Am I ready to take the responsibility of entering into the phase of motherhood? Can I nurture the child with full justice? My ambition towards my career will anytime be an impediment to this decision, whether it’s taken today or later on.

All these questions hovered around my mind, & after a huge bewilderment ,I was firm…My decision was yes ,I’ll enter into the phase ,let me take the life as it comes ,I’m not that weak to surrender my passion ,my charm. There needs to be 200% justice to both the objectives of Motherhood as well as of the Profession, the profession which gives you everything, from leading a desired lifestyle to the social significance & Motherhood ,which gives you the immense pleasure of life.

As was expected ,with the happiness ushering out of the little innocent tender baby ,it was at the back of the minds of my family ,to define & restrict me to only one role ,that of motherhood. & one day over the discussion ,this decision was enforced on me to quit my Profession & be a good Homemaker & caretaker of my kid ,none bothering to question my aspirations ,none hoping to find some mid solution to my ambition ,instead I was filled with so much of scepticism ,that if I opted for Job this time ,It would have filled me with deep guilt & would have proved that I could not be a good mother & been fair with my little kid. In their thoughts, The duty of a mother is only to care & up-bring her child.

Days & weeks passed by ,with the same thought pondering me ,but as my leaves came to an end ,I wanted to face this world booming with self confidence & make a new start by handling my profession as well as enjoying motherhood..

Our female leaders have all emerged out of these situations & this is the moment wherein a women needs to be balanced emotionally as well as intellectually! If Arundhati Bhattacharya ,Chanda Kochar , Kristin Armstrong could have done it few years back ,why can’t I? They have been my role models & I have to earn my name for the uphill tasks I’ve dealt in.

Few battles are worth fighting ,so, pretty decisive of not calling it a quit & enter into sabbatical, I went for a discussion with my management to impart some flexibility & I was so very thrilled on the first few words of my Manager ,A senior Vice president of the organization “ We feel women can handle multi-dimensional things & all at the same moment ,we believe that you are capable of doing justice to both the arduous professions & we ensure to be completely flexible & lend out support to fulfil both the chores” ! What else God! These words radiated a new Joy ,new shine & acted as morale booster to be proud of my decision to join back some 15 days later.

Well ,there was no looking back ,I drove swiftly back to my home to share my happiness with my husband & to my belief ,my husband stood out with me ,embracing my thoughts ..What a respite that was! Suddenly winds seemed to be blowing from other end ,calming me down ,inducing productive thoughts ,ushering a new ray of cheerfulness around me. Quickly entered into the mode of employing a fulltime helper (known to me for past 2 years),training her to feed my baby ,sing lullabies , to make him sleep, play with him, during few 3-4 hours when I would be at my office .Observing her for a week gave a thumbs up ,as my darling gelled with the good caretaker. Belief was the biggest factor ,in the absence of any family member ,keeping the kid alone with the helper even for an hour was tedious ,but yes our mutual faith made it happen!

Preparations for my Day1 at office began ,rescheduling all the work timelines ,prioritizing them ,making my baby comfortable ,feeding &massaging him ,cooking lunch was what I was supposed to do before my day started at office & I did complete all the tasks in hand on time ,with very much the same passion& warmth as it was earlier! Returning from office demanded my baby’s bathing ,changing ,feeding ,playing ,to be his mini Joker , more kiddish & big chatterbox, singing all self –formed lullabies ,talking all non sense ,making silly faces & laughing from nowhere ,just to see smile & happiness on his face, sharing all these intimate moments with him to show my love ,compassion & care for him.(& yes making presentations ,data mining, in between for the office work)

Day 1 was super anxious ,meeting all the colleagues ,answering their queries ,it was a wonderful re-union I felt !It was also an inspiring moment for 2 of my female colleagues who were expecting in some time(& with the same circumstances of family apprehensions ,nuclear family stand) ,this feeling to motivate them ,to steer them towards their sense of independence became my aspiration ,I yearning for them to not chose “OR” but be a part of “AND” fraternity & celebrate the happiness of life!

It’s been some 3-3.5 months now ,though things have become pretty hectic but it has not drained me .A look at my life ,my baby de-stresses me out completely & I’ve discovered a new energy in my working styles. I can proudly say that I’m giving my 100% to both my love (Motherhood & profession) & none of my responsibility stands out neglected or undermined. My aspiration to touch pinnacles in my career, along with blessing my kid with all “Sanskaras” ,all support to let him grow into a confident,responsible young man remain intact!

Well ,on a lighter note ,I’m not just managing 2 biggest tasks hand in hand…But yes my first passion ,my first love (before my profession & kid came into my life) –my write ups in the form of Blogs ,keep kindling me up & spreaden the aura of radiance around me..

So I’m a happy Manager ,An ecstatic Mother ,A thrilled Blogger ,A magnificent Home maker & A Contented Human Being!

Hats off to the modern women!! Welcome us & help us inspire many more!

This post is a part of #UseYourAnd activity at BlogAdda in association with Gillette Venus“.

“Mother of beaches” :::Land of Mauritius!! Part (2/2)

Continuing from Part I —-Day 2 & day 3

Day 2: Encountered a calm serene drizzy morning, clouds hiding the sun in their monopoly. Breakfast followed a trip to the “Ship Model factory”, great artifacts by the locals ,perfect place to get souvenirs from!

A touch on the Volcanic site did not create any volcano of the emotions ,as the site had been redundant & was alive 7000 years back ,but now it was completely covered with huge trees & a small stream flowing through.

Amazingly ,we did see Alexandra waterfalls but “Ganga Talao” encompassing Brilliantly carved stupendous huge Bronze statue of Lord Shiva, built In by Indian craftsmen, gave us a sense of pride to be an Indian. But the next trip to fascinating “Seven colored earth” was attention grabbing. One place with sand of 7 identifiable different colors ,due to natural sedimentation & salt depositions was remarkable. Even  if these sands are washed away by the rains, due to natural processes ,these colorful strata’s are re-created ,amazing mother earth!

Lets figure out seven diff colors —

This day was a short trip but we decided to ensure Fun filled water activities. Reaching Hotel was soon marked by big rounds of kayaking, Windsurfing ,Pedallo ,all from our very own Hotel. Kayaking ,deep In the sea was such a leisure ,slow moving raft ,waves coming nearby & trying to pull us apart ,picturesque mountains on one end & infinite sea on the other end ,we in the mid ,deeply in love with the nature with one another ,a feeling to never ever come out from this leisure.

A warm meeting by 2 Indian couples made this day more enchanting ,by playing some Beach Badminton & Volley ball by the Males of our group .Huge round of gossips ,laughter’s , play ,beach side night walk made our day to the fullest!

Next day had to be the most thrilling one, with day full of escapades & the most looked for day of the trip.

Day 3: Early morning bags were packed with extra clothing, accessories to start trip to Ilex Island.

So the whole bouquet of interesting pursuits-

Parasailing ,Under sea walking, Bumpy Tube ride  waterfalls created a hullabaloo amongst us!

It all started with Speed jet picking us from the beach to the “Platform” in the sea to initiate the “Under water walk”.Being a non swimmer ,the turbulence of water & the fear of survival under the water shook me hard ,but it had to be done to create my memories.

The preparedness was marked with a belt with the strong weights put around my waist ,special footwears ,big heavy oxygen mask covering my head & face ,special gesture language to be used under the water in case of any emergency or requisites ,God ,all this was like a dream unnerving me throughout!

1-2-3 …splash & yes there I was inside the sea ,4 more coming inside tied to me one by one ,OMG I was not even able to stand & I had to walk  ,this took lil time to understand the underwater moves but it became an auto function soon, once we were surrounded by colorful corals ,beautiful yellow ,blue fishes  swimming around us & we giving small bread pieces to those beautiful free living creatures. Amazed to see huge corals ,all of different shapes for the first time in life ! Simply Incredible tour of the under sea life ,with a feeling to explore it more ,our new expedition awaited us for the next.

The most hilarious “Tube Ride”,a banana Tube (capacity of 4 people),tied with the speed jet boat ,was all set to give us the most amazing twists & turns. Gosh !This was the most horrific yet hilarious bumpy & speedy ride ,which made us scream ,laugh & cry all at the same moment as the tube took abrupt twists & turns ,whirling at such high speed that we took this ride by aghast!!  A must do adventure to get an unnerving experience with all emotions in one go!

Expressions say it all

Then awaited the next round of our escapades ,a travel via speed boat to another platform amidst the mesmerizing ocean surrounding us…A platform for the sky ride “Parasailing”, A parachute awaiting to bring forth an aerial world.

So we both tied up from our legs holding the strings of parachute set in a specific pose ,marked our readiness to fly high in the skies..1 minute more & yes it went up ,up & more up ,more high in the deep blue sky.

Amazing ,no word could’v explained that moment ,eyes wide opened ,peeping the surroundings ,across the vast ocean down ,our friends ,waving at us. Peeping down just shivered me ,as we sensed highness from the ocean. For next 12 minutes ,we enjoyed our aerial survey  every bit of it ,when the time stopped & we slowly & steadily took our swift flight back to the Platform .

All these fabulous events had sparked hunger sensation & this took us to “Masala Restraunt”aside the beach ,an altogether marvelous ambience in the lap of nature ,designed in the form of Huts ,with each family allotted a single Hut .To our utter surprise ,we just relished finding “Indian thali & Biryani” on the menu ,& it just rejuvenated our energy back. Enjoyed sun bath for next one hr @the scintillating beach of Ilex ,walking ,collecting beautiful colored sea shells & Corals from the shore.

Reached our hotel in the evening ,with deep craving for good tight sleep, as more escapades were approaching in the next 2 days.