Amazing Shivaratri in Indo-Swedish way:-)

Shivaratri is another festival I have been missing since I am in Stockholm, But nevertheless I can say I got a chance to celebrate it in Indo-Swedish way :-)
It was 11th Feb, early in the morning I decided to fast on Shivaratri even here in Stockholm as usual, I dint know how the day went as I was completely busy in the office, I just took water the whole day, I came back home and finished talking to home people and started preparing Vegetable Upma which is a kind of tradition to eat on Shivaratri at our home with lots of fruits..By 8.30 PM I finished Puja and eating!! Then I wanted to go to temple as I knew they celebrate Shivaratri here.So I took bus to the temple and went there and decided I will be back by 9.30 as it will be late otherwise.

To my surprise there were lots of people not only Indians but also Swedish dressed in traditional Indian dresses!!! They were all looking so cute. Inside the temple they placed a small shivalinga so that the devotees can do Abhisheka with Milk and water, Even I went and put milk on shiva linga, I was feeling content with the kind of environment they created over there, Pujari was chanting Shiva stotram until all the people finish putting Milk on Shiva. Finally he asked all devotees to sit and do Bhajan, The Swedish devotees brought their own musical instruments and few were owned by the temple itself, They started singing one by one Shiva Bhajan.. “Om namashivaya”, “Shiva Shiva Shankarayya Shiva Shiva Shanakara”, “Trayambakam Yajamahe..” and so on...

Oh!! It was so captive.., I completely forgot about my return to home and involved in Shiva Banjan, I realized only when my clock tick 11PM..Even though I wanted to sit, because of less bus frequency I had to getup and come back home, when I reached my place it was almost 12 and I was walking alone... thinking of Gandhiji’s word ...“I would like to see that India where a girl can walk all alone FEARLESSLY at mid night ..” I don’t know when it is possible in India but in Stockholm I was walking all alone at 12 in the night remembering the beautiful Shivaratri I spent :)

Pursuit of Happiness

Yesterday I was watching the movie pursuit of happiness..It is such a touching movie from beginning till end.. I was feeling so true about each and every facet of that movie..Well I am not writing the review of this movie..But yes I am just talking about the meaningful title of that movie..

So many times we become so desperate to be happy in life.. But do we really get the kind of happiness we want…!! Happiness can be different for different people and at different moment, I can only repeat the sentences told in the movie “Happiness is something that we can only pursuit, and actually never have it no matter why..!!” Yes most of the time we always chase behind the happiness!! Well I don’t know why :) ??

While watching this movie I was remembering a beautiful line of a poem written by great kannada poet Gopala Krishna Adiga- “ iruvudellava biTTu iradudareDege tuDivude jeevana “ means To leave behind everything we have and long for what we don't, is the life. So true..

In the beginning I told “Do we get the kind of happiness we WANT” Hmmm I think we need to change our expectations or the WANT to be happy.. Well I know which is difficult and it is easy to write over here!!
I don’t know how many people would have written on this..well I am just an other person writing on the same…:) If you also have something on this..please leave your comments :)

One ‘Lost’ day in my Life

It was almost 8.30 in the night and we were returning from team outing in a cab filled with around 20 people from the team. All were playing Antakshari and every one were singing songs in their high pitch, But I was the one who was sitting almost silent not interested in anything.. but my eyes were anxiously browsing through all the snaps which are taken on that day in the resort… I was trying to remember each moment happened in the resort by seeing the pictures, But all the time I was miserably failing to identify them and questioning myself.. did I really participated in those activities??!!! I was trying to check with my colleague sangeeta who was sitting beside me.. I don’t know how many times I would have troubled her asking the same question and looking at the Pictures captured in my camera.!! Then my colleague Harsha forcibly snatched the camera from me as I was even troubling him also asking the same question..

I took my mobile to call up home and talk about the weird feeling I was having on that day and suddenly got a shock to see the mobile was showing 2nd January…Oh my god! when did this date come??!!!I quickly turned to confirm from my colleague that is it really 2nd Jan or there is some problem in date setting in the mobile, But she confirmed that it is 2nd jan.. !! I started really feeling bad thinking that I have not wished any one on the new year either to my family members in my home town or my friends.. But she was trying to convince me that I did have a party before night and I have already wished every one…!!

Well this was the situation I was in when I was coming back from Anandadhama, an adventure resort which is located 100Kms towards south of Bangalore on the banks of River Cauvery.

It was 2nd of January 2009 ,all the people from our project planned well ahead and chosen this place to spend an entire day in this resort creatively and each one of us wanted to bring back the memorable moments we have on that day including me..We started our Journey to that place early in the morning at around 8AM and all were ontime and also the cab was ready to take us to Anandadhama.
As soon as we started all were feeling hungry and wanted to have breakfast, We all had nice idlis in one of the Darshini. On the way we started playing dumbsherads enacting movie names..I still remember I enacted “Dubti Huyi Dariayan main Tairti Huyi Laash” It was really a tough one to get each word from the team..But finally I was successful in getting the complete words..and so we played for almost 2 hours until we reach that place..It was real fun :)

After we reached we felt like it is really a wonderful place with small tents and Huts..and water ponds nearby and cute ducks walking around.. every one took out their cameras and started clicking their own shots :) Some people were relaxing on the rope swing.. We were welcomed with cold juice, with a nice breakfast..
One more important thing the resort people did is they took sign on a NOC form to say we are responsible for all the risks we face. Well no one bothered and all signed on that form and gave that back to the organizers from the adventure club.
Initially we started with the first team building game “Balancing on the beams” there was an instructor to tell the game of the rule and we all were trying to walk on the beam, slipping in between again climbing on the beam to complete one round on that..We all had real fun.

Then we all decided we will do a Tarzan Jump..ie, Jumping from a height of around 10-15 feet holding the rope. Well to play in this game there was a test which we have to pass, ie we have a hold the rope and swing farward to touch a rooftop which was around 10 feet high and 3 feet away(Well this is all approximate measurements) All the girls failed in this test..except the only lady Tarzan.. yeah that’s me!! Yes I got through and you should see the happiness in my face.. well all the guys passed and they already started jumping from 10 feet high roof holding the rope to the ground..
My turn came and every one were little scared and curious and also trying to protect incase if I leave the rope in between.. Well I was in full enthu standing on the roof… and was ready to Jump 1..2..3.. some where people were screaming hold the rope tight.. tight… tight….and duuuuuhhhhh!!! No one guessed that as soon as I jump I would leave the rope and fall on the ground…I fell exactly on my forehead..I only remember someone lifted me..Then everything was out of my memory.. !!!!!!!!!!

People never took it seriously as I looked quite ok and started participating in other games, But from then on I started asking the questions regarding each thing happened as I was not able to remember any of the event which I was doing just after few seconds..Scary isn't it..Yes it was indeed…:( well I have played Archary.. went in a boat wearing life jaket, inside the water.. everywhere..but none in my memory.After each game, I use to pick up my camera and see each picture and start asking question..Probably everyone would have got fed up with my questions.. I even denied to get into the water telling I have not bought extra pair of cloths even after showing the other pair of cloths..hmmm!! I can imagine the plight of my friends..

When all these things were happening I was feeling inferior each time when I was failing to remember, Finally I called up home and started crying as I felt something really bad happened to me..Then only people realized that I have really lost my memory..!!!Finally they succeeded to take me to the doctor present inside the resort and he gave a sedative to bring down my anxiety and make my brain calm..by then it was almost evening, and from morning till evening I spent my time almost in subconscious state...yes!!!

Finally I went back home after my husband came and took me. By then the doctors medicine slowly started working..and I was coming back to normal situation..Well all the teammates took back their memorable moments with them from Anandadhama..except me..!!
Now if I see the snaps and all the events people enjoyed I really miss it as that day is completely erased from my memory and it is only the photos which I can see and think of my “One Lost day in my life”

No wonder resort people took sign on NOC, they have to be safe in this kind of situations else they can never run their business..:))
Well I can really feel the pain Sanjay Singhaniya of “Ghajini” (Hindi Movie) had, when he use to forget things and no wonder he etched his enemies name on his body...

Posters which caught my eyes!!

“Papa Tutige Muttu”… Means “Papa kissed on the Lips” -my mind automatically perceived the lines in this poster like this!!I really don’t know why even though the papa(Pope) is kissing on the head :D
Hmm are you thinking what is this?? If you see this poster and if you are a Kannadiga, you may easily think the same.. Anyway let me explain... This was one of the poster which I saw in Vatican city written in Italian “Il Papa di Tutti’ Means ”The Pope of all” Such a wonderful meaning with a cute picture.
Thanks to google translator which gave me the correct meaning :)


This is another Poster Which I saw in Venice, can anyone guess what it could be just by seeing this?
I could give you a hint.. Its Nirmala…Hmm still not or you already got it?? Ok let me tell you it’s a poster inside the toilet in Venice city they call it as WC(Water Closet). Oh! you are asking what is great about this place.. !!!Well nothing just that each one has to pay 1.5 Euros..!!! Yeah current indian price would be 105Rs!!! Yes just for SUSU… too much is nt it!!! Well the relaxation we had after we came out.. felt finally it was worth it..in such a cold weather :D
“Nice feeling and a relaxed experience”” Ufffff!!!

Frozen Lakes !! crazy people!!

I did hear about the frozen lakes, Frozen falls etc only in news and pictures.. But I had a chance to see that during this winter in Stockholm.. Hmmm are you people thinking what is this she is only writing about cold, freeze, Ice!! Yeah! What to do as long as I am in Stockholm I can only think of these things :)
Yeah I was talking about the frozen lake called "Hellas garden"..., it’s a huge lake where during summer people take peddled boats and enjoy their boat ride with their lovers..and do fishing..But wooow!! this is the peak winter and there is nothing to do with boats or fishing.. its all frozen, the complete lake looks white another wonderful experience we had walking on the frozen lake where people were doing ice skating, cross country skying and kids in a different kind of trolley and parents pulling that... was cute to look at.. all the people there loving these activities that too in -20 degree celsius..
Well I am not writing here to tell about only this but the most interesting part is they have made a swimming hole cut out of ice, Yes SWIMMING hole…and the brave people of Sweden take a swim in that water, Ooops!! can you imagine the weather out is -20 degree and people swimming in that water!! That was the amazing and the crazy thing which made me shiver more wherein I was already shivering wearing almost 4-5 layers of cloths!! Anyway Amazing world and Amazing people is nt it!!!

My first long walk in chilling Stockholm :)

Today I had two reasons to smile and be happy, after nearly 5 months I started my walking schedule again… and for the first time I made up my mind to write blog..
Yeah I am a fitness freak, but after I came to Stockholm in Aug 09 I had a big reason to be lazy and sit in front of my laptop all thoughout the day yeah its sooooo COLD….!!!!. Well when I say fitness freak I don’t mean that I am that kind who does lot of dieting and fast blabla..Naaah.. I never come in that category, I just want to eat and eat all kind of food(Vegi food) until my stomach says please stop..
When it is really cold, the urge to eat is little bit more only, and you know the result of eating too much, yes I increased in weight..!!! which I haaate…as all the others ladies out there.. yeah I have hardly increased in my weight from past so many years and within 6 months I put on weight which is all the result of today’s excursion of walking.. By saying this I will tell one more thing.. I cant compromise in eating just cant and I cant even see myself in bad shape also ;-).
Hmm I was always thinking I cannot walk in such a chilling city like Stockholm where the temp is mostly below Zero during winter(Unfortunately I spent the longest cold winter after 1987 in Stockhom itseems) and today when I madeup my mind to walk it was -9 degree..(I can never imagine walking in such cold temperature, as in Bangalore when it goes just below 19 I was like freezing and wearing socks, muffler etc and sit and people at home really make fun of me when I am so cold.) It was around 8.30 in the evening (1st Feb 2010) and I wore my walking shoes, coat and cap and geared up for my long walk as I dint have any other option other than walking.. yeah Walking again to lose my extra gained stupid weight..i thought I will do it atleast for 10 mins on first day..!!
I was literally shivering when I came out, But it was looking so beautiful covered with snow every where..(yeah some beautiful thing!! to pamper myself to keep walking..But yes it was really beautiful :-)) when I started walking I started enjoying my walk.. I finished 10..20..30..40 mins yes 40 Mins of walk in -9 degree temp and you cant guess my happiness to achieve some thing gr8 atleast for that moment..
Finally I was just smiling and thinking one line in my mind “Where there is a WILL there is a WAY!!”

uffff its 12 in the night and its time for me to sleep.. i cant be awake late you know;-)

Good Night :).. Will come up with some thing else for my next blog..soon

Bye for now..