Celebrating freedom!

Indian in every lil way...

            ......INDIAN all the way!

People have different notions about long distance relationships. Some survive, while the others fade away with time. In my life, one such long distance relationship is filled with nothing but love, respect and an ocean of memories. Its the relationship I share with my country. The land that I was born and raised in.

Staying away from her, yet feeling attached in every single way on any given day, especially today!

Back home, the air feels different, I know it does. It's the smell of freedom because its the 15th of August. A date that acknowledges the independence of India. A reminder of how many lives and sacrifices this freedom has cost us.

As we celebrate our 67th Independence Day, millions of Indians form a part of the celebration. Each in its own way. While some remain glued to their television sets to watch the Independence Day parade, others gear up for flag hoisting ceremonies being performed across the nation. Students in schools  and colleges are all set to present their long rehearsed skits, that emulate the fight for freedom and roll us back in time. 

Whether its wearing the tri color batch on a simple white attire, singing together our national anthem or shedding tears while watching a patriotic movie being aired on television.

I miss doing it all.

Nevertheless,

A Happy Independence Day to all. 

Summertime!

While peeps back home sit and rejoice over the much awaited monsoons in India, I welcome the summer sun with open arms in New Jersey.Yes! Finally I feel the heat.The irony of the whole situation is that the summer here puts a smile on my face as opposed to dreading the same season back in India.

Memories of the hot hot Indian summer don't go far too beyond looking forward to summer vacations (as a kid of course), relishing the mangoes (slurp) and restricting ourselves to a bare minimum of outdoor activity. The scorching heat makes you wanna stay indoor to avoid the dehydration, a heat stroke as well as the tan (especially the tan!)

Staying in USA however, has given a brand new definition to "summer" in my life! The sun and the warm temperatures bring along with them an array of activities to be experienced.Its that time of the year when beaches are flooded with people, hiking trails are waiting to get explored, barbecue parties are either being hosted or attended to and deals to white water rafting are on its highest sales!

Sounds fun right!? I know! That's exactly the reason I found myself developing a fondness for this season. Trying to squeeze all the activities in a handful of summer weekends at my discretion, I am all set to enjoy and make the most of this short and sweet summer, before it quickly disappears.

Hope you too have a happy summer/monsoon!

Post a review!

Make your opinion count!

I am sure we all have relied/taken some advice from an online review.Whether it is before purchasing a product,availing a service or eating at a restaurant. Haven't we?

These ratings and reviews that exist all over the Internet world today,help us make a smarter shopping decision before we spend the bills or swipe our cards.

My point is that these comments do not come from "experts"who are getting paid to write so. These reviews reflect personal experiences of regular shoppers( just like you and me) who have selflessly taken that time out to post an unbiased review(good or bad) only to help future shoppers beware!

It got me thinking...have I ever personally stopped by to post a review for something I really had a good or bad experience with? "Write a review"is an option available at almost every website. It would take five minutes to speak up about your dining experience at a new restaurant you visited last weekend or the pair of shoes that you picked up from a store. 

Lets take that selfless timeout to post a review in return for millions of others who are already out there doing it.

Wondering where to start? You can write about anything.Your favorite spa,a restaurant you love to wine and dine at,or maybe a bad haircut at an over priced salon( now this place certainly needs a review!)
Spread the word.Let people know.Post it!

I just posted my first online review of a recent purchase,and it feels great! I hope you do too:))

Here is a little insider that will help you frame a good review.

https://support.google.com/plus/answer/2519605?hl=en

Happy writing!

Photo credit: Google images

The Indian attire!

The only thing more beautiful than a sari,is the woman herself!

Few things are timeless.A sari is one amongst them.It never seems to go out of fashion.Despite of getting a little makeover here and there with due respect to the change in time and trends, it still is (I believe so) the most precious asset in the closet of the Indian women!(including me)

Whether it is our moms wearing it on a daily basis and yet performing those household chores with such finesse (yet to figure out how!),or the famous divas from the Indian film industry rocking it at international events(remember Ash at cannes?)The versatility of the sari,to make a woman look subtle or hot (whatever she chooses to be) goes unmatched.

As much as I love this Indian attire on myself, living in the USA since two years has given me rare occasions to wear my ethnics. A diwali puja, friends wedding, or a dandiya night gets me excited to adorn that sari I picked up on my last visit to India. If only I could wear it more often here.

Nevertheless my online hunt for those chiffons and georgettes,Manish malhotras and Sabyasachis never seems to rest. If you are looking to buy one or simply hoping to stay connected with latest in trend. Check out the below mentioned sites. I simply love them.

http://exclusively.in/

http://www.perniaspopupshop.com/clothing/sari

http://www.fashionkafatka.com/default/special-collection-bollywood/bollywood-sarees.html

Happy shopping!!

Celebs at Cannes,and the designer labels!
Courtesy: google images.

The style statement....ain't nobody like a Desi girl.

Same airport, different emotions!

Airports:

There is something so strange about the way they can make you feel.I call it strange because the 

variety of emotions it can put you through each time you find yourself at an airport. Same place yet different emotions dependent upon two simple yet strong words. Arrivals and departures!!!

For any Indian like me, staying in a country other than India,the meaning and feeling of being at an airport goes beyond the obvious reasons.

Trips to India are long awaited. When it happens,the departure from the U.S. airport and the arrival at the Mumbai airport fills the heart with excitement and joy. I love this feeling of being at the airport. Starting to count the hours/minutes at the back of my mind,my heart begins to anticipate the feeling of meeting my loved ones.

Pretty soon,even before I realize my trip comes to an end and its time to head back. I leave for the airport. The same one,but the feelings attached with being at that airport doesnt remain the same. They seem to have taken a 180 degree turn. I feel the difference. My excitement is replaced by the sorrow to separate from my loved ones back in India. I hate this feeling of being at the airport.Starting to count the minutes/seconds at the back of my mind once again,my heart wants to make use of all the little time I have before I say my final goodbye. 

Whether its the arrival of friends/family coming to visit me in the US or the departure of the same. Whether it is my own arrival into India or departure from the same. I keep juggling between the love-hate relationship of being at the airport and it never seems to change!

Old friends reunite!

An old friend is like an old pair of jeans. We might love the new ones we buy, but the

comfort of an old we cannot deny.They have witnessed our past,been our partners in crime. Though we did fight a several times, what really does matter is that the friendship still survived!

Old friends, new memories.

When such old friends from back home visit your town, they bring along with them not just your favorite goodies to nibble on, but an experience of nostalgia that can transport you back in time.

"Back in time" to those days when responsibility was just a word that belonged to the dictionary.Real life was more synonymous to words like chilling, bunking and partying.Yes! that was the college life. A life that we lived with our friends.Those friends that we made for life.

Having them over led to a series of activities reminiscent to a life back then. Long drives with our favorite songs from the past playing on repeat.Shopping sprees that lasted as long as our feet didn't give up. Painting shades of neon on each others nails. Late night Maggie meals.Two mugs of coffee
and endless conversations made our days!

Then comes the time when they have to leave. My heart feels heavy as we exchange our final goodbyes. I know we would get busy and move on with our respective lives, but never mind.We would meet soon the next time:))

Their physical presence may not

surround us 24/7, yet when life is treating us dull we know they are just a phone call away.
Such relations are timeless, precious and special...

I call them family, but they are generally known as FRIENDS.

Mothers are special!

Mom n me <3

Yay!It's 12th of May. A very Happy Mother's Day to you mom and to all the other lovely mommies/mommies-to-be, across the world. This day of the year is dedicated to you'll and so is my post.

We all know the priceless feeling attached to having mom made food. Just regular daal roti made by her can be more satisfying than a gourmet meal at a fancy restaurant. Their cooking skills, we can hardly match, or may be its the love with which they cook thats the real catch.

With summer on its way, I thought sharing a drink recipe from my mum's collection would be the perfect way to mark her importance on this special day and prepare ourselves to face American summer the Indian way:))

Aam paana: A drink that I practically grew up on back in India. Never tried making it myself, dreading the thought of not being able to match the taste of my mom. This Mother's Day I decided to borrow the recipe, give it a shot and share it on my blog.

Ingredients  

• 2 raw mangoes
• 10 to 12 fresh mint leaves
• 4 cups water
• 1 tbsp black salt( kala namak)
• 1 green chilly (chopped)
• Sugar as per taste.

Method

• Peel of the skin from the mangoes.Slice into long pieces and boil using 4 cups of water. Cook until they get tender.
• Store the water and grind the pieces along with the mint leaves and green chilly.
• Strain this mixture using a strainer and collect the liquid in a bowl.
• Add the water to the strained mixture and let it cool.
• Add black salt and sugar as per taste.
• Put in the fridge and serve chilled. 

Flavorful, refreshing and loaded with nutrients, this cool summer drink has it all. It does lack the love my mom would mix in it if she made it with her own hands, nevertheless sipping on it from miles apart, does make me feel closer to her heart.

Cheers! What are we celebrating? Nothing much except for motherhood<3<3

Work-it-out!

Do they come in pink as well!:P

RJ and me were a match made on earth, but "gym"and "him"? Definitely a match made in heaven. If he was the gym freak, I was the opposite of gym freak.

Things would be hunky-dory if I could apply the formula of "opposites attract" to this situation. Sadly not and I always expected his gym time be replaced with us spending that time together.

After spending a long day at work, a man has a right to re-creation. After spending a long day at home, a woman has a right to her man! With an unbaised approach I argued both sides of the argument and decided to put an end to the love triangle between him, gym and me.

Enrolled myself to the gym membership. As we began to workout together, everything else worked out too.

What started of as an activity to simply spend more time with him has become more meaningful today. I can feel the obvious benefits that exercising has brought into my life. Realized that gym is not a place only for people trying to shed those extra pounds or aiming for perfect abs. A slim body doesn't necessarily imply a fit body.We all need the gym or some kind of physical activity. Be it dancing to zumba , playing a sport, lifting up weights or running on the tread. Health is wealth and cannot be taken for granted.

So let's drop the laziness and put on those shoes.

A tiring day at work can no more be the excuse.

If doing it alone sounds crazy and boring,

find yourself a gym buddy and get going!

Remember, two is always better than one,

makes the act of gymming more fun.

Have a happy workout!:)

We all need a break!

Miami state of mind

OMG! Is it end of April already!? Time is just flying. Except that I say so every year, the only difference this year was the long stretched winter. Little hint of spring and temperatures swearing not to rise beyond the 50-60 degree Fahrenheit in New Jersey. I am glad Mr. RJ (darling hubby) and me had planned a short getaway to explore the sunny side in Miami. A vacation long due anyway, where Mr. RJ could forget about his office deadlines and I could take a break from the list of daily chores lined up one after the other. Deciding menus for lunch/dinner, doing laundry, loading the dishwasher and stuff like that needed a serious substitution.

Lying on the beach, soaking up the sun, sipping on margarita's and eating like there is no tomorrow was the agenda of the trip. That "idle" state of mind, which I had failed to attain via meditation in a closed room of yoga sessions was effortlessly experienced while staring endlessly at the beach. That's the magic of a vacation. It can do wonders and comes with multiple benefits. I suggest we all make time to accommodate at least one (may be two) every year, out of our otherwise oh so busy lives!

Lately I have seen juice cleanse diets trending its way into our lives. A 3 day/5 day/7 day plan designed to give that much needed "break" to our digestive system and detoxify our body to get rid of  the harmful chemicals. How about we plan a similar break for our mind as well. A 3 day/5 day/7 day vacation designed to help us get us rid of the pilling stress that work has caused and change from built up monotony of routine life. We all need that sabbatical to reenergize our exhausted systems and bounce back harder and stronger.

Let's take the time off our work schedules, plan that vacation before we reach the burn out stage. Pick a destination spot (there are numerous to choose from), make it happen and feel the difference.

If by any chance you land up in Miami like I did,  don't forget to try their Cuban coffee.

Life is too short and time is flying anyway. Except that I say so every day:P 

Bon voyage!