GUESS WHO IS BACK!!!

Well....well...well....what a glorious week this has been...!!!! I have just returned from one of the most refreshing holidays I have had in a long time.....and it was my folks...in hindsight, I realised that I had not spent quality time with them since I joined work! Now..that is definitely what I call a GOOD LIFE!! But what the heck...now we are back on track..things are looking better..and I am determined to keep it this way...I had forgotten the brilliant one-liners of my dad's-something that would drive me into fits each time I heard them...we call it "the today's"..and mind you, on this trip, "the today's" had turned into a torrent of innuendos and witty anecdotes!!- I had forgotten how much my mom rocked in sports- she is one terrific sportsperson. I watched her in awe while she was playing TT/carrom/pool- I had conveniently shut out how willful and determined my granny is- mind you, aged 80 she actually climbed 100 steps without taking a break!- I had forgotten how mesmerised and tongue tied my uncle would leave me whenever he recaled his storied from his life in the army- his stories on the Sikh regiment still drive me into fits of laughter- I had forgotten what "girl talk" was all about- Gauri, Achu and I were busy catching up on marital bliss, occupational hazards and childhood remniscences...phew..I really miss those days..I really do...felt like the kid I was..playful, impetuous, ready to prove a point..."wanna bet" and "as if"s galore!! And the latest addition to our family..Saketh..Gauri's husband..geez he is actually her HUSBAND!!! anyway..the chap is a delight..a treasure, actually...he was so comfortable amongst us...which is quite a lot to say for the rather dysfunctional family of ours...:-) trust me..we are as weird as they can get....REALLY!!!

Hmm..I just realised that I have rattled on endlessly without mentioning where I had been....Well, the last 3 days and 3 nights were spent in Coonoor...a hill station 30 kms from Ooty- a rather secluded one at that- we spent a large amount of the time in Kurumba Village resort- worth every single penny you pay for your stay..check out its website; Though it doesnt boast of much, it really sticks to its "resonate with nature" theme... http://www.kurumbavillageresort.com/. The pool was such a welcome break from the heat in Bangalore, being the hydrophobe that I am, simply loved it..!!! Says a lot about the place itself. The cottage I was staying in was breathtaking...my balcony -the rooms, by the way have been decorated very aesthetically to suit the surroundings in wood and warm pastel shades adorn the walls through and through; basically sticking to the principle of a relaxed and soothing ambience- opened into a beautiful waterfall and one could easily jump into the water if one could jump over the balcony..and needless to say..that was the first thing I did!! Through the entire trip, Sak helped me identify atleast half a dozen species of birds- the coppersmith, bulbul, robin...dammit...I dont remember all their names now!! If my cousins shut up-a hard thing to do...but when they did- I could hear a beautiful sy,phony of the birds and the waterfall of course, the crickes helped jazz things a little!!! And to top it all...this resort was strategically placed inbetween the legs of the "sleeping pregnant woman".. :D . Ok..so that was enough for my dad to crack a zillion jokes- of course, all of which cannot be written here- that even the deadly ghats couldnt keep us from being DOA (dead on arrival)!! "Great mid wives, here, I must confess" is all he had to say!!!

So...the entire time we spent in gorging delicious meals and then burning it all up in the pool....it is a sight to behold...takes the contours of the hills and is open to the sky...amazing experience if you just manage to float awhile. So, we religiously followed a breakfast-pool-lunch-pool-tea-TT-dinner-chat routine....sigh...and the only thing that I could think of on the last day was that I HAD to return...simply HAD TO with someone special and share these delightful moments with....it is a place to cherish...a holiday to treasure and memories to inspire me to take more of such holidays....I needed this week of isolation in order to unclutter my head....prioritise a lot of things in my life....and experience the humbling presence of those luminous stars and serene hills surounding me....

But it is back to work today...my colleagues thought that I was rather jobless to be taking such vacations..but screw them all..I want a life..and I DO NOT want to turn into those lifeless geeks that infest Bangalore right now..I am sorry guys..but I really do not want to be a part of the band wagon..ok..k...I will stop this train of thought right now and treat myself with some milkshake...so until the next blog...Hasta La Vista...