olive oil!

i read somewhere that olive oil is really great for dry hair, adds volume and stuff...
and i also read that it helps as a substitute for hair spray..
i tried it, and loved it! here's how:
after washing hair, dry it, and do your hairstyle, and finally, just take a single drop of olive oil in your palm, rub both palms together, to coat the palms with the oil, and slide it over your hair...
that's it!
your hair sets, and even if u stand in front of a giant fan, your hair falls back into shape instantly!
this is because olive oil is more viscous than any other oils, so a single drop will do the magic!
plus, since you are using just a single drop, your hair does not look oily, or sticky.. and plus, olive oil is great for your hair! so in time, you get that natural shine and volume, just coz u substituted your regular hair spray with olive oil!

Trip to the Andamans - day 5 - 18th May

Last day of tours.. today, we were scheduled to see the rest of the city attractions. we started a bit late, coz the museums do not open till late in the morning. the first place we went to, was the Anthropological Museum. here we saw and read a lot about the different tribes in the world, their evolution, and current state of life. as expected, a lot of emphasis was given to the tribes of the Andaman and Nicobar islands. although most people might find it boring, i found it pretty nice, and interesting. especially, because, we missed out on the chance to see the tribals this trip.
Next we went to the mini zoo. compared to the zoos in chennai, or in the mainland.. it wasn't much to see.. plus, this zoo was being vacated and moved to a newly constructed main zoo. the only highlight, was that when we entered the zoo, a monkey seemed to have escaped from it's cage. so all the workers were tied up, trying to put it back in the cage. we saw India's largest python there.. the Reticulated Python. pretty gross, and i'm not a snake lover. we saw a lot of crocs there, not a croc lover either. then there were tiny turtles, which were so cute. and a lot of monkeys, and eagles... the place was very old, and since they were moving the animals, it wasn't much fun.
after the zoo, we went to the Chatham saw mill. this saw mill is supposed to be the largest in Asia. but it was closed, today being sunday. but then, i dont think it was much to see, and i'm not very comfortable with saw dust anyway. the most important thing about the Chatham saw mill is that there is a sea bridge connecting two islands; the main island of port blair, and the island hosting the saw mill.
Next we went to the Zoological Survey of India Museum, which is situated near the Andaman Teal House. this museums and research library exhibits a good variety of sponges , corals, butterflies, centipedes, and such. outside, is also kept the skeleton of a baby blue whale! if a baby is that big, how big is momma whale????
after that we went to the Samudrika fisheries museum. this place hosted some of the coral, and sea life species for us to see.. it was really interesting to see fishes, lobsters and star fishes, those that we get to see just on TV.
but then, i wasn't able to enjoy this place fully.. i was sunburnt completely, trying to dry out my jean in the sun.. so all this moving around today, all the walking, wore me out completely. and i could barely stand. only after i drank 2 tender coconuts, was i able to stand up, and see clearly.
right outside the samudrika, there was a canteen, where you can choose the sea food you want, fresh catch, and have it cooked for you, right in front of your eyes.. my dad and i were really intent on trying out a lobster. we don't find lobsters back at home.. so here atleast we thought we might try. and in this canteen, they had a single, beautiful lobster in display. we asked for the price of one, and the reply, was a whooping 1500 bucks.. that much for a single lobster.. we came back, and lost all interest in it..
after that, we had lunch, and then went to the New Science Centre, that we missed on the first day of tour.. it was superb fun.. all those interactive science learning.. honestly, enjoyed every minute in there..
next stop..the most famous, Cellular Jail. the last time we were here, was for the light and sound show on the first day of the trip. it was pretty dark, and we weren't allowed to look around. so we went this time to see what it looked like.
the front of the jail which used to be offices, have been transformed into museum and art galleries. so we walked through rows and rows of freedom fighters' life stories, and art depicting the sufferings of the prisoners at cellular jail.
after that, we entered the jail... it was so depressing.. i guess the cries and hues of the prisoners left a permanent mark on the ambiance of the place.. when you stand within the walls of this jail, it's not hard for you to imagine what it would have been like 60 years ago..
we went through each wing of the jail... initially, the jail had 7 wings, now it has only 3..
the image below is only a model of the jail, back in olden times..

we even went to the gallows.. unusually, they had 3 nooses for hanging the prisoners. which meant that 3 at a time were being killed. they had so many people who had to be executed, or should i say, slaughtered, that they couldn't make do with just one. they needed 3!!
it was so depressing... we heard life stories of some very strong freedom fighters..
how the inmates of one wing, never saw those of another wing.
how, they were treated like worse than animals..
we even saw the old oil-press... it is an olden day method of extracting oil from dry coconuts. usually, cows would be used to run the machine, but in this jail, prisoners were used.. per day, the amount of oil to be extracted was given, and if they don't extract that much, they were beaten up to a pulp...
then we went around to the roof of one of the wings.. the view of the sea from up there was breath-taking.. but it was also sad to think that despite all this beauty around this place, the prisoners were in no state to enjoy these views..

David Barry the most cruel jailer of those times.. the following is one of his quotes..

i couldn't wait to actually get out of that place.. it was like, all the joy was sucked out of me, and maybe this is how it feels to be kissed by a dementor...!
and it also set me thinking.. all those freedom fighters, who gave their lives, families, and everything they had, to free these country.. if they were to see how our leaders run the country today, i'm sure that they'd be extremely vexed to see that India was better off in the hands of the British. every politician except maybe a handful are only looking to see how much of the national treasury they can move into their bank accounts while in power. and to think that all the sweat and blood that every freedom fighter shed, for this country, is now going right down the drain, makes me so sad.. it is saddening to see all that work go to waste..
and for those who want to see how the first paper published on the 15th of August 1947 looks like.. this is it...

last stop, was to the Runway View point. from up a hill, we could see the airport runway. splendid view, and my bro, who is an airplane enthusiast, went completely bonkers.
it was also a joggers park, and what a nice place to jog in every evening.. the view was super cool! this place is a definite must-see!














well, I've come to the end of my trip... we went back home, had dinner... settled all the bills. next morning 19th May, we left for the 12:30 flight back to Chennai. this time we flew in Air Deccan.
this place is the most wonderful place i've ever been to. and i'm definetely going back there. these 5 days weren't enough for us to see all the tourist attractions. we still have to go to Baratang, India's only active mud volcano and Barren Island, where is India's only active volcano. and Mount Harriet, and a lots of other cool places i've been wanting to go to. i also wanted to go to Cinque island, where tw islands are connected by a single mud strait. when there's high tide, they are separate islands. when it's low tide, they are one island. cool na?!!
i am definitely going back, and it's a promise!
and for those who are planning a trip to the Andamans, make sure you plan a minimum of a 10 day trip. it costs a lot, but it is so worth it....
and for those of you who are wondering why i'm not in any of the pics i uploaded, thats because basking in the sun all day at Red Skin, has charred me beyond recognition. and i don't want anyone to see me like that....

Trip to the Andamans- day 4- 17th May

As i said, couldn't get up in the morning at all.. but today was one of the most important attractions, and i've been wanting to go there since we started planning this trip. Red Skin Island. it was part of the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park. and it was one of the best islands for coral sighting, and snorkeling. the weather was bright and sunny, making it perfect for snorkeling.so dragged myself out of bed, and got dressed. we reached the place just in time. we took a half hour's ferry ride to the island. and from the ferry, a fibre glass motor boat took us to the shore. and before we got to the shore, we got to see corals through the fibre bottom of the boat. it was awesome. we missed seeing this back at North Bay Island, but the sun was shining, and the view of the ocean floor was crystal clear.





the colour of the water was proof to the marine life underneath. it was a beautiful blue- green.
it took me a while to convince my dad, to let me go into the water. he was worried that my fever would go worse, and even yet, that i might go snorkeling. well, i intended to anyway. and my dad wasnt sure how safe it was. i don't even know how to swim. well, i still went into the water. it was icy cold, against my feverish body. still i went in. now reef walking was prohibited. so those who can't swim, were supposed to hold on to a rope that took us into the deep waters, for support. this way, we can remain suspended in the water, hold on to the rope for safety and support.
we went in, and a lot of people had already begun to snorkel. although i was very brave, when i first set foot in the water, now that i've actually come to it, i got a little scared. so i nudged my bro to try it first. he put on the snorkeling gear, and for try outs, the guide, immersed my bro's head slightly into the water, so that he might get used to breathing with his mouth. bro was a little taken aback, got scared, when the water pressure, started hurting his ears.. and being startled, he drank a little sea water, and was out of breath. so he panicked and backed out. ok. now i was scared. but there was this girl next to me, in the water, who was telling her mom, that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. and this gave me back my lost courage. and i went for it. the guide put the gear on my. and when i say 'gear' it isnt to complex or anything.. it's just a pair of eye goggles,so you can see without salt water irritating your eye.. a nose block, so even if instinctively you should breathe through the nose, no water will get in.. and a tube for breathing through the mouth. this tube will always be out on the surface, for air. plus, we weren't going deep under water. we were just swimming on the surface of the water, and just immersing our head in to see the corals.
and although i too panicked with the difference in pressure under water.. i soon got used to it..
the view under water was amazing.. i saw shoals of fishes swim beneath me, colours that i cant even find on the color chart.. it was simply amazing, and no words can actually describe the sight, and do justice to the feeling. so i'll just leave it to you to try it out for yourselves.
well, i got back triumphantly, and earned the title of being the only one in my entire family to have done that.
the rest of the afternoon was spent in trying to dry out my clothes.. you see, i wasn't prepared to get into the water today, because of the fever. but after getting here, i couldn't hold back the excitement. so the jean i was wearing was completely wet. low waist again.
TRAVELLER'S TIP # 3: ALWAYS CARRY EXTRA CLOTHING WHEN GOING TO BEACHES. EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT IN THE MOOD, IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO BE PREPARED.
so i had to stand out in the sun, hoping that my jean would dry out. and the wet clothes won't help my fever at all..
after that, we ate our packed lunch. the island was very small. and there was nothing,no shops, not even drinking water to be found there. so we had our lunches packed from the restaurant.
plus, it was a national reserve. so no plastics and no littering either.
we ate. and explored the place a bit. it was so nice..
let me show you..

Trip to the Andamans- day 3 -16th May

Today, we were going to Havelock Island.. this island is about 54 Kms by sea from Port Blair. It takes about 4 hrs by ship to get there, so it's a total of 8hrs journey, to and fro.
and we had to get up pretty early.. well, it's all a part of the trip, and you can't complain too much about missing a few hours of sleep, when there's so much to be seen..
So, we all got up at 4:00, and left the hotel by 5:00. when we reached the harbor, it was 5:20. i told you, everything in that place, wasn't too far away..and these 20 minutes, was the most we traveled by road.









it was so beautiful, the sun was just rising. and keeping the last 2 days in mind, i was imagining another ferry ride. and 4 hrs on a ferry wasn't so much fun. it was so cramped, and wet. it was quite a surprise, when our driver, and guide, took us to this ship, M.V. Ramanujam. it was so exciting, this trip. i mean, i get to travel by air, land, and sea!
well, we got in, and there were beautiful couches, and seats. we took a couch near the entrance, on the first floor. except for my dad, the rest of us have never been on a ship before, so it was a new experience. my dad, has sea sickness, and it's always a problem, when he travels on anything that's not solid ground. it was the same when we flew to port blair, and it's the same every time we take a boat ride. so he took an Avomin ( that prevents you from throwing up), and lay down in his seat all day. and my mom kept him company, in case he should need help. my brother and i on the other hand, went exploring the place. i mean, we had 4 hrs at hand, and nothing much to do. so we went on to the top deck. ours was a relatively small ship, so it had just 2 decks for passengers. we were on the top one. the top most deck held the bridge ( captain's command room) and a lot of viewing space. it was super cooool! all that wind that rushing up on your face, blowing your hair flying so poetically, it was a completely new feeling. when the ship took sail, there were a lot of co-passengers on the top deck. but as time wore off, they got bored of standing, and went below to their seats. but me and my bro just couldn't get enough. we found places to sit and enjoy the view.















there is something so lovely about traveling by sea. first of all, there's no one, no life around you. all i could see was a trail of islands on both sides. but apart from that, there's no one. and it gives you the sense of being alone, although you know that there are a lot of people aboard the same ship. then, there's this feeling of self- awareness. all thoughts go blank. and there's this sudden emptiness. and it's a silence that is most welcome. i'm not talking about the silence on the outside. trust me, a ship is quite noisy. even if the engines were quiet, the sounds of the ship's bow hitting the waves won't stop. although that's not counted as noise, it's still a sound. so that doesn't count for silence. the silence that i'm talking about, is the silence within. when you have nothing to think about, when there's no talking going on inside your head, that's silence. and for a talkative person like me, it's very rare.and i loved this silence. i could see the waves rise up, and be hit by the ship, breaking it down into white foam. i could see the dark green islands, floating on the blue sea. the sky was clear and bright, unlike the past 2 days. the warmth of the sun, against the chillness of the breeze, was so soothing. the ship sailed gracefully, like an English Lady, wearing a lace frilled dress ,walking across a blue marbled ballroom. [and just in case you dint understand, ship= english lady, foam=white frills, sea= blue marble].
the view that sailed past us, wanted me to be a writer, a painter, or maybe even God!
God! that guy sure has some taste. it's true that man has created outstanding creations of his own. but it's these natural god made ones, that evoke most inspiration.
the silence, and sheer simple beauty, makes you loose interest in talking. i just sat there speechless. and i sat there for the entire journey. i just dint have the heart to miss all this, and go back to my seat. i was thinking, that this place, was a great place to write a book. because, here, there are no distractions, and you think clearly.
well, we were even given a chance to go see the bridge. we went in and saw the ship's captain, first, and second officers at work, with maps, and navigational instruments. and this was the first time that i saw the helm (ship's steering wheel). we spoke with the second officer. it seems that he's been aboard the vessel for the past 3 months. and he says that life's a bit dull aboard the ship, and you begin to miss land, and home a lot.
well, we reached Havelock island at 10:00 am. we had a van waiting for us, and we drove straight to the Radhanagar beach, which was the main attraction of the island. it was a 14 km ride to the beach. it was refreshing to see so much greenery. but the place, although it was a tourist attraction, was very remote. there was a shack near the beach, or should i say the only shack. and you don't walk in and have lunch. you order, go to the beach and have fun, and only then will your lunch be ready. it was almost home-like. just the feeling. not the food. well, that's for later. anyways, we had a tender coconut before we went into the beach.. it was so sweet and heavenly.. i did notice, that the coconuts in the Havelock, were like those in Hawaii.. not that i've been to hawaii.. i'd love to go thr sometime..*sigh*...they were black, as opposed to the brown ones in india.. and they were huge.. the size of the coconut in havelock, after the fibre being removed, was as big as the indian ones with the fibre. thats big, and thats a lot of water to drink. so much, that i dint feel hungry for a long time...
well, the beach, in all, was a little dissapointing.. just that it was lush green, and the view of the beach while standing in the water was amazing..

well, the beach was strewn with coral bits.. not like the beach in North Bay Island... this was comparatively sparingly strewn. the water wasn't visibly colourful here.. or maybe it was too cloudy to be seen.. but the.. the waves were better than elsewhere, and totally it reminded me of the Marina beach back home.
well that was it.. we stayed in the water for sometime.. and then went back to the shack.. it was called the 'shore restaurant', though it was anything but a restaurant. the food wasnt too good.. but we were famished anyway... ate, and then drove straight back to the harbor. boarded, and started home. the journey back home was slower, and rougher than the journey here. that was because, in the morning, we were traveling with the wind. so it was faster and smoother. but now, we were going against the wind. so we were slowed with the wind resistance, and the ride a little rough. so much, that the captain, came out of his cabin, and personally asked us to go back to our seats, and not come outside..
so i dint get to sit in the top deck, and i missed it.. but couldn't sit in my seat for long.. so went out to the balcony, to the ship's rear. it was nice.. totally, enjoyed the ship journey, best of all, in this trip.
we reached Port Blair at 7:00 pm.
went back to the hotel, and only after that did i realise, that all the rocking on the ship, has tired me, even though it wasnt uncomfy at all. so after we got back, i got sick. sick meaning, had a fever all night. and severe body ache, that i couldn't get up next morning at all..

Trip to the Andamans : day 2 - 15th May

i slept pretty badly last night.. well, not because it was uncomfortable or anything... just that it was a new place, and it takes time to get accustomed to it.. the ceiling was full of glow stickers, those of the universe. there were galaxies, black holes, lots of stars, a few planets... it was nice.. plus, i have this problem with watching scary movies.. i never forget them.. i saw the movie 'dark water' recently, and all night kept imagining water to pour out the ceiling , or a ghostly face look at me through the mirror in the bathroom. to add to it all, i had a nightmare that i missed a practical exam, and was being scolded by everyone i knew...
i woke up in the morning having a very sore throat. change in the water, food and climate always does this to me. couldn't even swallow my saliva.first thing that i heard on waking up was my mom ordering coffee for us. after a few minutes she put down the phone with a startled look. she told me that the guy on the other end, said that the kitchens do not open till 6:30, and politely told us to call after that.and when she asked him what time it was now, he said it was 5:30! we both looked out of the window, it was pretty bright. considering the weather and the rains, it could have well been past 7. but then we also realised, that we were far more eastern than the Indian subcontinent. naturally it would dawn here sooner than it did back home. also since it was a part of the Indian Union territories, it kept the IST without changing it, although geographically it usually dawned earlier.

I got up at 5:30 in the morning, all by myself, without a cup of coffee!!! things like this dont happen often...

went out to the balcony to see the bay..


it was so beautiful.. the wind was gentle and cold. i could smell the freshness in the breeze. the sight before me was so calm, graceful and pristine.. it was like love..
the tiny boats were leaving for their daily fishing trips..
but the gloom kept getting stronger.. i'm so getting used to this by now... unlike back home, where passing clouds gave nothing more than a 5 minute drizzle, here these clouds brought pretty heavy rain.. i come from a metro, where huge buildings block your view everywhere... but here, it wasnt lke that... here i could exactly see what happens before the rain starts pouring..
i'll try my best to put down what i saw.. difficult, but i'll still try..
I see a bay flanked b islands... a few boats stand scattered...a huge black cloud comes towards the shore with great speed and anger..As the Great Black( as i named the cloud!) comes towards the shore, i can see this fog, trailing with it...the fog slowly joins from the clods to the water, like little tornado streaks. these streaks, join together to form a veil, like that of a bride.. you can just vaguely see whats behind it.. this veil along with Great Black, moves towards the shore.



As it gains more speed and moisture, Great Black cannot hold it anymore...It looses control and breaks as rain.. and now instead of this fog, a sheet of rain moves with the Great Black. and trust me when i say, that this was amazing..!

The morning began well, but these frequent spells of Great Black, made the day gloomier. dad called our travel agent, and he changed the plan from Island tour to City tour. We all got dressed. Went down to the lobby. our driver waiting there for us, tells us that the plans been changed back to Island tours again. I dint have any change of clothes exactly... was a little upset about their way of informing us at the last minute.. but then what the hell! lets go!!!!!!
we saw 3 islands today..
Ross Island
Ross Island, erstwhile capital of the British penal settlement is names after the British surveyor Reginald Ross. This desolate island was transformed into a thriving township wen the British established a penal colony on the Andaman & Nicobar islands in the year 1858. Ross island became the natural choice for settlers, due to its commanding geographical location at the mouth of Port Blair harbor, it's plentiful supply of fresh water and the security is provided through the water separating it from Port Blair.









During those times the settlers went about their business of recreating a home away from home with vigour, so much so that the island earned the epithet of 'Paris of the East'. In rapid succession rose the Anglican Churches, homes for the British and Indian
officers, store houses, shops, printing press, hospital, post office, tennis courts, mineral water plant, swimming pool, a bakery, library and general stores.there was even a cemetery. an entire bazaar and three separate clubs were also constructed. in all, about 500 personnel including officers, troops,Indian merchants and families lived at Ross Island.
after almost a century of ruling the islands of Andaman & Nicobar from this tiny 'island citadel' the settlers were shaken by a massive earthquake on 26th june 1941. the majestic buildings damaged by the earthquake were a sign of events to follow. with the advance of the Japanese forces during WW2, there was also imminent danger to the british settled in the Andaman & Nicobar islands. thus the British started withdrawing to the mainland, and by 1942, Ross island was virtually deserted.
In May of that year, the Japanese forces occupied the islands of Andaman & Nicobar. under the Japanese control, the island was given a more military look. bunkers and small military installations were constructed by the Japanese, mainly out of the material extracted out of the existing structures. the Japanese control lasted for almost 3 years, till the British regained control at the end of the second world war. by this time, however, the seat of power had firmly established itself at Port Blair, and Ross Island could not achieve its old glory.

and enough with the history, the place was simply amazing.. to think that there were so many places in such a small island! plus, the rain made the entire place a combination of greens and browns.. so fresh, so beautiful and so old! you should see the trees in Ross island! they were not just growing on the ground, they were also growing on the buildings. it sort of made you wonder, whether the trees upheld the buildings or the other way around. and about the bakery. it is said that the bakery itself was constructed using the 19th century British architecture, and was fully equipped with the modern facilities of the time including a self contained cook house. it offered some of the best confectioneries, breads, buns and croissants!!! yummmm! and there was this lovely pond with a lot of ducks in it.. and the place itself had a lot of deer and peacocks running around. it was so nice to see these out of a cage!
come to think of it, i'm a really weird person. i like ruins a lot more than i like normal, and complete buildings. because when you see wreckage, and ruins, it makes you wonder how they might have originally been in their days of glory... they are so mysteriously beautiful!

North Bay Island



this was the next island that we went to... about a half hours ferry ride from the Ross Island during which we were provided with lunch ( you need to buy a lunch ticket for that), it dint exactly have a port for us to get off from the ferry directly to.. so to get to North Bay Island, you have to go by the ferry, and take a 3 minute fibre glass boat ride to the shore.. before being taken ashore, the boats take you around for some coral sighting. these fibre glass boats are normal boats, but the base is made up of fibre glass which allows you to see the corals without having to step in to the water..but since the weather was too cloudy, we couldn't see the corals. and you have to put your legs in the water, coz the boat doesn't get you till the shore.for people like my dad, who are panicky when it comes to travelling by air or water, brace yourselves. you don't have much choice! it stops a few feet from the sands coz the motor in the motor boats needs to be atleast in a4 foot deep water.. it was nice to step into the icy cold waters and walk on dead corals.. it was like having a very cozy foot massage..
and when i say beach, it wasn't exactly a sandy beach. rather it was a corally beach. the dead coral bits gets washed ashore, and the beach was strewn with corals.. it was nothing like i've ever seen before.. and the water wasn't rough at all.. the waves were mild, and hardly had any force.. snorkeling can be done, but in this weather, the guide himself doubted if the corals could be seen.. the weather was so romantic, and it was such a dreamy place... i just dint have any special 'somebody' to experience it with ;)

Viper Island
OK! this was a big disappointment. there wasn't much to see at all. just that it took us about an hour's ride on the ferry from the North Bay Island to get here, and on the way, we passed through the Port Blair harbor and saw some really cool ships. it seems that the Viper Island acted as a standby island to hold prisoners while the main Cellular jail was under construction. it had a few cells, and a court, to put the prisoners under trial before being put under custody.
and when i say 'island' it is to be understood that these were not flat masses of land floating in the water. these were mounds of land, irregular, and mostly climby. so we had to climb about 2 flights of stairs to get to the court. the views from the top were nice. but overall, not a great place to be. and if you must exclude it from your itinerary, don't feel too guilty about it. you did not miss much...

totally, it kept drizzling every half hour. it was pretty annoying, but wasn't delaying. at the end of the day, my jeans was soaking wet, heavy, mushy, and irritating. it was a low waist jean, and it was all i could do to keep it on me!
TRAVELLER'S TIP # 2: IF YOU KNOW IT'S GONNA RAIN, DON'T WEAR JEANS, ATLEAST NOT LOW-WAISTS!

Trip to the Andamans : Day 1-14th May

It's been such a long time since i blogged! sure is good to be back!
before i get to the topic, let me say this: i finished my engineering!!! i finished my exams and even got my final semester results! i am now a degree holder!!
May of this year must have been one of the most memorable months in my lifetime..
after what i cud say, and eternity, me and my little family took that much awaited trip to the Andamans..
for those who do not know, the Andaman and Nicobar islands are a part of the Indian subcontinent, and you do not require a passport to get there. we were a party of 4, dad, mom, me and bro.
to get to the Andamans, there is a regular flight and ship service everyday from Chennai. we choose the quicker of the two.
it was my first time on a plane. and for those who've already gone a million times on a plane, i don't have to get into the details, and for those who haven't, i'm gonna let it be a surprise.
i loved the plane ride, it was more than awesome! we took the Jet Airways to get to port blair, the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar islands. The plane that i was in was a Boeing 747, white with deep blue, bearing a bold Indian flag.
Ok! faaainne!! i wanted to keep it a surprise for the first timers.. but i cant hold back my tongue!
the aerial views were simply amazing.. i got the window seat, and i couldn't take my eyes off the window...
as soon as it took-off, the aerial view of the city's buildings, road, and the sea shore was overwhelming. it was excitng.. a further 15 or 20 minutes later, all i could see outside the window was white clouds. it was actually a scary thought that if we should fall down right now, these clouds aren't going to hold us up! a further half hour later, this is what i saw. we were way over the cluds, and i had to look down to see the clouds scattered like bits of cotton on a blue floor. the horizon was simply the most beautiful thing i've ever seen.

i could see nothing but the while clouds beneath me, and the clear blue sky before me... the sense of floating was nothing that i can describe with words.. the stilness was so calming... luckily there were no crying babies or coughing adults on board.. and i enjoyed every minute of the stilness and silence..
the weather for a week before our trip was full of rain and thunderstorms, and all flight services to the andamans were suspended.. mine was the first one going to port blair after a week... to see the bright blue sky after a long time, and to know that our long awaited trip isnt going to be cancelled, it was joy without bounds..
let me now show you an aerial view of the andaman islands before we landed at port blair.. it was simply breath taking.. the colour of the water was blue green, owing to the richness of corals there..after seeing the bland waters of the marina back at home, this was like falling into an oasis of icy cool water in the middle of a scorching desert! and i'm not even exaggerating! honestly!

it was about a 2 hr ride, most exciting two hrs... we landed at about a little past 12. before that, i have to tell you this... There are 572 islands in the territory, of which only some 38 are permanently inhabited. Most of the islands (about 550) are in the Andamans group, 26 of which are inhabited. The smaller Nicobars comprise some 22 main islands (10 inhabited).
i dint like the port blair airport at all...but i cant complain... i'm glad that we reached there...we already had reservations at Hotel Abhishekh, which was hardly 10 minutes from the airport. you see, everything in that island was just 10 minutes away! we had a hotel car and driver waiting for us. we got to the hotel, and my dad spoke with the hotel owner, Mr. Bhagat Singh Negi. he's been in touch with us since we reserved, and he's been letting us know of the weather conditions there now and then. this morning, before we left for the airport, he called us to tell us that the weather has improved greatly, and wished us a safe trip. good man. the first thing he said on seeing us was this: hello sir! you brought the sun out with you! great way to welcome a guest!!!
we checked in, and went to our rooms. me and mom were in one room, and dad and bro in another. we were given the keys and a bell boy took our bags. i ran ahead of everyone, and took the room with a view of the bay. it was beautiful. this is the view from our balcony...

before that, once i saw the balcony, i went rushing to open the door, and snapped my finger on one sharp edge of the lock, and my finger started bleeding..
TRAVELLER'S TIP #1: DO NOT GET TOO EXCITED, OR YOU'LL GET HURT!
a little later we had the travel agents come and talk to us, and our 5 day agenda was set. we were given an hour to refresh ourselves, have lunch and get down to the lobby.
we started at about 3:30, for a small city tour. we dint want to waste a minute of the day... there was so much to be seen. the first place that we went to was the science centre, but there was a power outage, so that was ruled out. next, we went to the Corbyn's Cove beach. ok! this was the funniest beach I've seen till now.. back at home, at the marina, you have to walk for atleast some 15 minutes on the beach to get to the water.. but here at the corbyn's cove, you step down from the car, take two steps, and voila! you are in the water!! i guess the water receedes or advances with the tide, and with the week long rain, it wasn't surprising to see the water come till the road. we spent some 20 minutes in the water.. and went next to the Gandhi park.
it was nice, to see lush greenery amidst a small pond, a big huge gandhi statue in gold.. we took a long and slow walk around the park. the climate was subtle, cool and drizzled a little now and then..it was so refreshing compared to the scorching heat of chennai..
after a hot cup of coffee in the park caffetaria, we next went to the most popular Cellular Jail.

there was a Light & Sound show in three languages, and the one we got to was in hindi. lucky us! neither of us knew too much of hindi. dad can speak, mom can read, but none of us knew pure hindi, as was spoken during the show..the show was based on a narrative by a peepal tree that has been there since the time of construction of the jail... this tree seems to have seen all the tortures that the prisoners and freedom fighters were put through...the show was pretty boring, especially because we dint understand, and also because there was this hindi family behind us, constantly eating, chattering, giggling, and completely irritating..
this got over in an hour, and we left. got back to the hotel, had dinner and slept like logs...

Mona Lisa smile... inspiring!

I saw this movie this evening, and i couldn't take my mind off it for a long time. I'm sure most of you might already have seen it, or know the story. For me, it was a completely new 'experience'. I studied in an all-girls school. And since childhood, I've always been up for women liberation, and safeguarding women rights. I'm more of a passive activist. My school had no men around the campus, except for maybe 5. So i have been used to living without the help of men, and going to college was a blow for me. I hated men, and used to say, that if I had the power, I would wipe all men off the face of this planet. I'm not sure if my view of men has changed altogether, but i now know that not all are bad, there are a few exceptions, ones, that I'm pleased to say, i know of. If only all of them could be like these few..
The movie, Mona Lisa smile, taught girls to think out of the box, and question their traditional societal roles. I completely agree with that. The movie is set in the mid 1950s, but i think that even today, we are not completely free. Women, especially, from a country like India are still held back by social inhibitions. Who should we fear? It's a free world! Men and women are equal, and co-dependent. In this society, a woman is always answerable to the men surrounding her, and influenced by them, in every phase of her life: father, brother, employer, co-worker, husband, son....Have you ever wondered why all the main deities in every religion across this globe are male? or why there is no religion led by a woman? Why is it that change is something that is so alien and hard to live with?And how long should we wait to make this change happen? When a woman steps out of her doorstep, to fulfill her dreams, everybody in the society, call her too daring, and irresponsible. The first and foremost duty of a woman today, is to raise a family, and look after it's welfare. Although I should say, that the condition has improved greatly as opposed to the past century, the barriers, still, have not been completely removed. A woman, is always seen second to her male counter-part, no matter, now greatly developed, the country is. It is a fact, that we all refuse to accept. I am not talking about complete female domination. I talk about co-existence. But that realization, is a far away dream...one that i never wish to wake out of..
The only thing that we can hope for, is the day, when every woman believes in herself, and steps out, and breaks every barrier that holds her back, to exercise her rights, to live the life that she wants to live! That is the day, we can truly call this world, a civilized planet...

One of those touching 'forwards' in your inbox...

This is a beautiful article: The woman in your life...very well expressed...

Tomorrow you may get a working woman, but you should marry remembering these facts well.
Here is a girl, who is as much educated as you are;
Who is earning almost as much as you do;
One, who has dreams and aspirations just as you have, because she is as human as you are;
One, who has never entered the kitchen in her life just like you or your sister haven't, as she was busy in studies and competing in a system that gives no special concession to girls for their culinary achievements.
One, who has lived and loved her parents & brothers & sisters, almost as much as you did for 20-25 years of her life;
One, who has bravely agreed to leave behind all that, her home, people who love her, to adopt your home, your family, your ways and even your family name.
One, who is somehow expected to be a master-chef from day #1, while you sleep oblivious to her predicament in her new circumstances, environment and that kitchen.
One, who is expected to make coffee, first thing in the morning and cook food at the end of the day, even if she is as tired as you are, maybe more, and yet never ever expected to complain; to be a servant, a cook, a mother, a wife, even if she doesn't want to;
and is learning just like you are as to what you want from her; and is clumsy and sloppy at times and knows that you won't like it if she is too demanding, or if she learns faster than you;
One, who has her own set of friends, and that includes boys and even men at her workplace too, those, who she has known from school days and yet is willing to put all that on the back-burners to avoid your irrational jealousy, unnecessary competition and your inherent insecurities;
Yes, she can drink and dance just as well as you can, but won't, simply because you won't like it, even though you say otherwise.
One, who can be late from work once in a while when deadlines, just like yours, are to be met;
One, who is doing her level best and wants to make this most important relationship in her entire life a grand success, if you just help her a bit and trust her;
One, who just wants one thing from you, as you are the only one she knows in your entire house - your unstinted support, your sensitivities and most importantly - your understanding, or love, if you may call it.
But not many guys understand this......

Please appreciate "HER"

I think it was wonderful, you know, to hear our side of the story... men are always talking about how they lost their freedom after marriage. no one, looks into what the girl would have lost. and it is specially most irritating, when your husband, does not realize how much you do for him, and not appreciate you.

Mega Mart inaugrated

I've heard of shops and malls being opened by huge celebrities, nut i've never been to one.. but that's getting off my list of ' things-to-do-before-i'm-dead' list!
There's a new mega mart outlet, that's been open for a week near my place.. about 5 minutes walk. but today, at 6 in the evening, it got formally inaugurated. my mom and i had it all planned a couple of weeks ago, to go today, but we dint know that it was being inaugurated. atleast not till this morning. but then, plans shud never be canceled, especially, shopping plans... so we went, at 6, just to see who this 'celebrity' was.. we had to wait outside the door, till the star cut the ribbon and opened the store.. after 15 minutes, the star did arrive.. actress Nameetha.. the minute the car door opened, escorts, policemen, and fans, fought to get to the door, and get a glimpse of the star. finally, she did get it, and the doors were closed for some privacy. she came out and left the building like half hour later. and while we were left standing outside, you should see the men and grandpas outside... woah! you can literally slip with all the drool on the floor... one even managed to reach the decorations on the roof, and get her a flower... she din't take it though... but just see how desperate people were...although i regretted going there as long as i stood outside, waiting for her to leave, to think of it, yaaaa! it was fun.. to see guys running here and there, desperate to see her.. the fireworks on the sky that lasted for atleast 15 minutes, the irritation that a glass wall kept me from all those clothes, and gorgeousness... it was cool... and where most of my friends, and even my dad will think it madness, my mom and i are wild! and we like doing things like this..
infact the first thing that my dad told us after he came back from work and saw the shopping bags, was that it was a lesson for us, never to go to a store on it's inaugural day.. i agree.. but then, it was a, mmm... what do i call it? experience! i don't think i'll ever get to go to anything like this as long as i live, but atleast, i've been through it once...and it was nice.. seriously..
oh! i forgot.. or did i? :)
i still haven't told you what i got... i got myself some silver embedded with swarovski crystals earings.. 3 of them.. and an anklet, and a chain and earing set in emerald green and black.. super cool!
it's a pretty nice place, and i definitely will be going back there a lot more..

High School!

we all remember our High school days, but for me, that place has a very special meaning... infact, my high school days are the yard stick with which i measure happiness...
it is customary for the final year pass outs to conduct their last school assembly, and my class 12B wrote a song, summarizing the 7 years we spent within those walls.. and this is how it goes... and for those who are familiar with the Reema Sen song "may maadham 98" , this song is sung with that tune..

Chorus:
June maadham 97il high school vanthome!
high school vantha naalai nangal happy aanome
passa faila endru ennai thinamum kaetkum parents,
it's ok, u can trynu ennai ookkapaduthum teachers
intha balanced life romba pudichirukke, intha high school jolly thaan
intha schoolai vittu povathendral ada, haiyo! kashtam thaan!

stanza 1:
6th vanthom, subjects pudhusu confuse aanome
pona poguthu endru padithu paasum aanome
7thu 8thu 9thu vanthu kurumbugal pannome,
kurumbugal panni, sister kitta maatikkitome
10thil nanga ondrai ponom bangalore excursion
ada, athe aandu ezhuthinome board examination

(Chorus)

Stanza 2:
11thu vanthathu teachers pudhusu, friendsum pudichome,
assignmentsum marathadi testum kalakkipottome
12th vanthom naanga, ada serious aanome
ozhunga padikka sonnanga, aana thoongi vizhunthome
ada match paaathu maths pottu, duck out aanome
but everything has come to an end, its all in the game thaane

(Chorus)

i know that you don't understand what the song means.. but everyone in school did and it was a great laugh... but let me explain anyway...
My batch (2004 pass outs) entered high school in the moth of june '97 . In the 6th grade, we had new subjects, like History, Geography, etc. and although the standards were difficult to follow, we still struggled, and passed.
then came the 7th, 8th and 9th grades.. it was during these years, that we started growing our 'tails' and did monkeying all around the campus.. our principal, Sr. Preethi, has the habit of going around the school on periodic rounds everyday. it was during one such round, that our class happened to not have a teacher, and you know what happens to a class without a teacher... we were all noisy, throwing paper everywhere... and when one of our girls alerted us about the principal, the class instantly became quiet, and we each minded our own business.. but then, Sister had already heard the noise, an came into our class, and literally, blasted us... and here were the reasons: 1. that we were indisciplined 2. that we were irresponsible, that we didn't call a teacher from the staff room( and why wud we do that???) 3. that we were cunning enuf to go all silent when we heard her, and 4. that we were 'boneless' and not strong enough to admit our mistakes.
after declaring that we were unfit enough to be 'goos shes', she told us to get out of the campus, and never come in... so my entire class went out of the high school gates, and stood... by now, the teachers had all come out, and started begging Sister to be more lenient. but NO, she would'nt budge. so we all sat outside the closed gates, bag and all, the entire class, sitting on the floor, ashamed, looking at the other students come out for lunch, play in the grounds..
but don't worry, although the punishment was pretty hard, it wasn't all that cruel. the Sister had placed us, under the shade of a huge tree, just near the watchman, so he looked out for us, and when i say, out of the gate, i meant out of the high school gate only... my school had 3 schools, high school, junior school, and primary school, and many more buildings within a single compound. s we were not exactly sitting on a road with heavy traffic, just outside this one fenced gate.
but it was the most humiliating experience we all had, and the strongest for any class to ever receive.
and as for all the other naughty things we did, i'll have to blog it separately... thrs just too many!
In the 11th grade, all the teachers were different, coz we were now in the higher classes. we even had a separate building, for the 11th and 12th. and we were sposed to even chose out own groups, biology, computer, or commerce. so friends were split, and we were seated according to our groups we chose. but then, my class especially bonded too well, and soon we were known to be the naughtiest class in the entire school...it was the best two years of my life..
but then those years, we had a new Chemistry master, the only 'master' in school.. every one else were female teachers, and he was the only guy. and he was strict.. damn strict! it was like having nightmares everyday! he told us to stay back after school hours, and come one hr early to school for special classes. My school doesn't even work on saturdays, but he made us come to school for tests on SATURDAYS and SUNDAYS!
But then, although back then we hated him, there was something really fatherly about him, and i'm surprised to say, that we miss him, a lot.. he made us eat, sleep, drink, and talk chemistry... and the way he controlled us like a puppet on strings, amused every other teacher.
there is no place like high school for us.. and we are so proud to have been a part of such a wonderful school, where teachers were our friends, and second mothers.. the trees not just gave us shade and cool breeze, but also life... it was truly our second home, and every second within those walls, we were truly happy, and safe, like within the wings of the mother bird....

Charlie and the chocolate factory!

What a movie was that?? wow! and that word just isn't sufficient! i've already seen it, but today, i really wanted to write about it! in a world full of children who simply want to compete in life, this movie showed charlie as a kid who has a lot of lessons that he can teach today's children..
for starters, he is such a self-contained kid. while other children keep complaining about what they don't have, and compare themselves to their better-off friends, this kid, who shares a house
with his parents, and 4 grand parents, is such a lovely kid, and makes every parent want for one like him.
when his parents present him with a willy wonka chocolate bar for his birthday, he shares it with everyone at home... now tell me, how many kids do you know of, who share their chocolates with everybody, without being told to?maybe toys, but chocolate? never!
and when he does find a chocolate eventually, and he gets many offers to trade that ticket for money.. he goes home to tell his parents, that although he so much wanted to go and see the factory, he'd rather sell it, and use the money to buy some food for his family. woah! maybe you see kids like those just in the movies...
and these are just a few to name... but finally, it's this kid that gets the wildest prize... and this is one movie that parents shud make their kids watch, and teach them, that being good, pays well in the long run. i know that my kids are definitely seeing it..

My first time at the dentist's...

Well, how would a girl with a lethal phobia of dentists and the tools associated with them, feel like on her first ever visit to the dentist...? I know exactly how.. coz I'm such a girl... and i went to the dentist yesterday. My gums have been bleeding for sometime, and i thought i cud get it checked. not voluntarily, but because my mom kept pointing at every old woman on the street with no teeth, and told me that i cud look like that in a few years if i dint go now... blackmail!
But i did go, because i didn't want to loose my teeth so young.. plus, it is extremely repulsive to look at blood first thing in the morn while brushing.. first of all, i have to admit, it took me a lot of courage and a lot more whining to land on the doorstep of the clinic. there were a few people already waiting, and there is nothing worse than waiting for something dreadful to happen to you. plus, there was the constant sound of drilling from inside, which did NOT help calm me. i'm sure that i was sweating in the air-conditioned waiting room, and a sure attraction for all the others there. i was so damn scared. then finally, it was my turn. my mom came with me, so that was some relief. atleast i THOUGHT so... coz she always maintained a 5 ft distance from me. it was a single room divided into 2 so 2 dentists can work separately.and the first one was occupied by a patient surrounded by some 5 people with lot of "weapons" in their hands. I definitely did not want to be in that chair right now.As a matter of fact, NEVER!.I went to the second one, and lay down on the dentist's table. by this time, i was in a fit, but had to keep it all to myself, coz i dint want to alarm the guy wen he's inside my mouth, and i hate to think what might happen!!!
well, after a few minutes of checking, he gave me a mirror and told me that i have perfectly healthy teeth. the reason for the bleeding gums, was because of the mineral deposits around a few teeth. since they took up the space that should have been occupied by the gums, it caused a little irritation, and hence the bleeding. i just needed to clean my teeth once, and that one sitting will cost me abt 800 bucks. now my mom came into the picture, and the doc had to go thru the entire story again. and thank god! mom told him that we'd be back tomm morn at 9, and an appointment was thus fixed. and happy me, walked out of the clinic, unharmed, unscathed!
tomorrow! (that is today):
since my last(first) visit to the dentist, the only purpose of the others at home( meaning mom, dad and bro) was to scare me to death. maybe I'm exaggerating, but even when they reassured me, it was scary. got up in the morning, and got dressed for the appointment. went in and i was the only one there. mom was asked to wait outside, and it was just me, the doc, and the assistants. guess that after all, i was going to end up like that woman i saw in the first cubicle yesterday. and he began. i am not going to describe what he did, coz i'm sure most of you have gone thru a cleaning process, and i dont want to go thru it again in words. i have never prayed so much all my life. kept imagining Jesus on the cross and those big nails, and kept telling me that it wud have hurt him more. not sure if that helped, but atleast i was oblivious to what was going on those few seconds... i was in there for more than half an hour, during which i can't even express all that went through my head, and most importantly, all that went through inside my mouth... i kept telling myself, "i'm not coming back,i'm not coming back..". about half way through, the doc asked me to rinse my mouth. there was blood and saliva and ya, i was crying to myself... " O My God! I'm loosing blood.. so much of blood!". and just when i thought that it was over, i was asked to lie down once more and he went on with his job for another 20 minutes.. finally when i got down from the table, i cudnt feel my teeth in my head... just this horrible ticklish feeling... and ya, gooey feeling saliva, that i DIDN'T want to swallow.. all this time in my life, i wanted to get braces, and kept telling myself that something that even kids get done, cant be that horrible.. i'm now correcting myself.. if a simple cleaning could do this to me, wearing iron inside would kill me.. psychologically, that is..
and here comes the best part.. i got down, rinsed my mouth, and great news.. what the doc thought yesterday to be just a stain, dint come off with all that drilling he did today.. the verdict! i got a decay forming now on two teeth.. initial stage, so no worry.. ! easy for him to say.. i just vowed a few minutes back never to come back..! he gave me few instructions on brushing with a model, and prescribed a gel and a mouthwash. and ya, he told me to come back next week, for HIM TO MAKE SURE HE CLEANED PROPERLY!!!!!! what the hell!@#$%^&***!!!!
and come again in a month, to clean and fill that decay.... dammit!
WHY ME!!!!!!!

your crowning glory!

I saw this soundtrack from the movie Princess diaries 2. It's called "your crowning glory"
here are the lyrics:
Your Crowning Glory
by Julie Andrews & Raven

[J.A.]
Some girls are fair
Some are jolly and fit
Some have a well-bred air
or a well-wholed wit

Each one's a jewel
with a singular shine
a work of art
with it's own rare design

Dear little girl,
you are terribly blessed
But it's your heart of gold
I love the best

And that will be your crowning glory
your whole life through
It'll always be your crowning glory
The most glorious part of you

[J.A.] Some boys can waltz
[R] Some guys can groove
[J.A.] Strike an elegant pose
[R] With the really good clothes
[J.A.] Some seem to have no faults
[R] But we never like those
[J.A.] No we don't
[R] He'll praise your eyes
[J.A.] Your melodious laugh
[BOTH] Call you more lovely than others by half
[J.A.] The one who's right
[R] My gorgeous prince
[J.A.] Will be honest and true
[R] He'll believe in me too
[J.A.] And prize your heart of gold the way I do

[BOTH]
He'll know that will be your crowning glory your whole life through
Your love will see that it's your crowning glory
The most glorious part of you and you
and you
and you

[BOTH]
That will be your crowning glory
Darling when they tell your story
They'll call your heart of gold your crowning glory
The most glorious part of you

Well, isn't that cute.. I too had a grandmom like that, who told me stuff that only grandmom's can tell. She was my father's mom, and to me, she was the best grandmom ever. Until she was alive, my mom always had second place. and everytime i listen to this song, i get reminded of her, and the very thought brings tears to my eyes...miss her a lot... she taught me how to be elegant and poised, walk with an air of authority, with grace. Loved her. Although i should say, that she wasn't a very great mother or a mother-in-law, she was a great grandmom. I never got tired of the stories she told me, or the way she fed me when i said i wasn't hungry, and somehow got me to finish my plate and even take second and third helpings. Even the most boring food tasted great when she fed it out of her hands. And only grandmom's have that kind of a gift. Since both my parents worked, she was the one i always came home from school to. And every single day, when i came back home, she'd have a plate full of smoking hot food on the table ready for me. How she manages the timing, I never knew. But there again, that's what grandmom's are always good at; knowing what you want the most and precisely when exactly... She taught me songs from her times and made me sing those along with her. And on saturdays, she'd bring me a second cup of coffee at about 11, after my parents had gone to work( i wasn't allowed to have more than one cup a day). Even today, when i have my second cup of coffee, the coffee reminds me of her. She taught me values that i will never ever forget, yet spoilt me in a way that only grandmom's can. "grandmom! you rocked!!!!!!" And all i wish right now, is for my daughter to get a grandmom like mine, to love her and spoil her, and teach her to be a princess!!!

Happy New Year 2008!

Happy New Year everyone.. this is sure going to be a very eventful year, I'm sure... i have so much things, both good, and bad to expect.. well, by bad, i mean, the most tedious and frightening. this year i finish my bachelor degree in engineering..and i guess, this is the last stage of education for me. although i really wish i could do a masters in business management, i don't think it is remotely possible. for a lot of reasons.. first, by the end of this year I'm expected to join Wipro at my first job.after that, life does become very monotonous. well, forget that. most importantly, i have my project review coming up in another 2 days. and these are one of those frightening things i mentioned.. to get my project through. i don't even know if I'm anywhere with it. well, hope it all goes well, I'm so worked up with it.
last year was ok. nothing went wrong too horribly. but as it's with everyone, i hope that this year is better than the last. not just for me, for everyone:)