Twilight

The painted sky settles gently on a darkened earth.

A horizon too far is blurred at the union.

Twilight is magical and at times induces hallucination.

Every dawn and dusk is unique.

Transition from reality to a land of dreams or vice versa is seamless.

What happens in between becomes history fuelled by twilight creativity. 

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Time continuum

Constant whirring of concrete mixers drowns the chirping of the homing birds. The setting sun paints the sky in fascinating colours. A sense of melancholy sets in and the mind starts the documentary of a time gone by. I can hear the soft music play in the background. And then nothing else matters. Am Trance-ported

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WeChat in 55

Got an offer to review the WeChat app for Product Reviewsprogram at Blogadda. Unfortunately all my contacts have and use Whatsapp. Hence am unable to actually test it out to give my honest opinion about it. Its USP of Video/Audio calling and voice messaging not exciting enough. Maybe am tech challenged. Or am I?

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Born again bikers

Rode a bike through my teenage years and into marriage till we had children. Had to change over to a car to accomodate the children in our travels. Been 25 years now. The children having grown up, busied with their lives, given us the option to being bikers yet again! We are born again bikers.

Check out my maiden ride at http://instantwords.blogspot.in/2012/10/my-maiden-ride.html

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Kudos Mumbai police!

Day before, got a call from the local police station asking me to present myself, with my credentials, for my newly issued passport verification. Was surprised at the courteous caller and I was joyous when I actually went there, got over with the process in exactly five minutes! If in a dream, let me sleep.

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.. And I ride!

Tomorrow I set out on my four day maiden bike trip with the Bisons, all on Royal Enfields, to visit the ten famous Lord Ganesha temples in Maharashtra! My bags are packed, bike is fuelled and my excitement is building up!

Catch up on our trip live @magic_eye.

Will flag off at six am IST.

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Dream the Dream holiday

I dozed off into dreamland with the words ‘…it's your time to visit Melbourne NOW!’ ringing in my ears.

I dreamed that i walked the streets of Melbourne taking pictures of the fantastic street life and cafes. The dream ended with a pub crawl and my laptop’s home page configured to www.visitmelbourne.com/in 

The Aussie dream!

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Reissuing a passport in India

Getting a passport issued/reissued today is no longer a torture. The process is streamlined and very user friendly.

I submitted my application online, got an appointment at a Passport Seva Kendra, where I submitted all necessary documents and got an acknowledgement, all within four hours, in comfort!

Passport will be couriered home in a fortnight!

Update: Received the passport at home in 6 days from the day I submitted the documents!

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Finally....

And the baby has arrived.

A new journey begins as I sit astride my Royal steed and thump my way gently to destinations far and near. The palpable excitement matches the gentle heartbeat of the machine.

It starts raining and am blessed. Elation, as we are drenched, riding in the rain!

Great beginning, instant bonding.

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Desert Storm beckons!

The wait has begun. In just a couple of days my newborn baby will be with me to spend a  lifetime of riding rough and smooth roads in varying temperatures. Now is the time for me to get ready to receive her and ensure she is safe with me.

The Royal Enfield Desert Storm beckons.

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Back on two!

Growing up was fun,

riding around on two wheels,

visiting places for the ride.

Marriage happened 

and so did children.

Had to move on to four wheels 

for journeying together.

Life moved on 

and so did the children.

The freedom to ride is back.

Life has turned full circle.

Soon I shall ride on two!

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Communication

Last week I spent four days in a forest, in tented accomodation of the Karnataka Forest Department. Listening to the sounds of the forest I realised that I was in a place where animals and birds and all living creatures had connectivity but I did not! This was the time for my communion with nature.

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Winter tease

When the temperature in Mumbai dips to 20C we say it is winter. Since it stays for just a week, no blankets are left unturned. For the past few days though, winter has been playing games with us, teasing us. There were times last week when the temperature dipped, but rose again only to dissappoint. 

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Tigers are safe :)

Back from a wonderful ‘Bloggers trip’ to Corbett National Park. Was great meeting fellow bloggers and putting faces and characters to names. It was heartening to note that we did not sight a single tiger nor an elephant in the forest despite spending a day and a half looking for them! Proof that they can survive.

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Tiger Ahoy!!

My bags are packed and am ready to go! This time it is to the wonderful tiger reserve – Corbett National Park, on an invitation from Club Mahindra for a ‘Bloggers trip’. Hope to spend quality time there with bloggers from other Indian cities and shooting the exotic flora and fauna. Be back in a week, rejuvenated!

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Lost soul

On Dusserah we celebrate the victory of good over evil in every sphere of life, symbolically. But, when we look around it seems just another reason to celebrate. Just like all festivals that have lost the true essence and are celebrated to indulge in merry making. The soul is lost but the carapace plods on.


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Action replay

Sorting out the photographs after a vacation is an action replay of the holiday but without the exhaustion of gallivanting. One does end up seeing more while discussing specific images and the whole experience is enriched. 
The best part is just when one has done with it, it is time to plan the next one!

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Travel

After being on the road for three weeks it feels good to be home. So many things can be taken for granted now. Home also makes it easier to ruminate on all the experiences and revel in the good ones and learn from the bad ones.

Travel indeed is a learning experience. Keeps ethnocentrism away.

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Death

The finality of death is stunning.

Though one may be prepared to face it, is unnerving, especially when it is the end of someone dear who has been suffering from a terminal disease and hence relieved.

Yet to accept the fact that the body no longer shall breathe and be consigned to flames is daunting.

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Nature

For over three months he had planned this project. This date and time had been chosen with a meticulous eye to detail.

He had envisaged a beginning to be proud of.

All geared up, he stepped out and heard the thunder.

One look at the weather broke his resolve.

He returned to his slovenly self.

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