Viva Salsa!!!

So Salsa is the latest thing that I am learning these days. 1-2 pm every Mon n Wed in the office. Its very conveniently placed for me and suits the schedule. And I am already glad that I took this decision to join the classes. It is a great way to unwind the blow away the stress. It helps me feels good and the fun part is also there.

So now I can say that I know something more than the 'Indian Freestyle' dance. The problem of two left feet continues though ;P

Long time.....

Hey all... errr anyone here??? helloooooooooo

Well I guess I cant blame u people for this long long absence. And whats the point in when u r not here to read it. To be honest, I cant even say that I have no time or am occupied with a new passion which is keeping me away from blogging. Anyways words may not be able to explain why I kept away from this blog for this while.

Well I am here today to wish Sakshi a very Happy Birthday. U rock gal!!!

To all those who hoped that someday I will be back - Thank you all. And to those detractors who wrote me off - may u be tied in a dentists chair and subjected to 36 hrs of pure 'Rock Your Body - Himesh Reshammiya Nonstop Remix'

DBM XXI (4th Anniversary celebrations)

It's the 4th birthday of our beloved community. It's great to have lasted this long in the online world, certainly no mean feat this one! 20 official meets, a couple of unofficial meets, history walks, photography gyaan, book reading, kite flying, link-ups, print/tele coverage (BBCRadio/ Delhi Times/HT City/TodayPlus), flame wars, exercises in blogging outreach and endeavours with NGO's ..........we've come a long way together.

The group has had as its members, people from all walks of life..techies, journos, students, activists, photographers, lawyers, doctors, guys who make their living off blogs!!..and we've walked a few steps together. A few in our group have moved on, relocated to other cities, but are still a part in spirit, and try and stay in touch. As the old saying goes "Once a DelhiBlogger, always a DelhiBlogger!!"

We are celebrating our 4 years in this online world and keeping a simple meet this time with no frills and fancies - only fun unlimited, which includes shooting a video of delhi bloggers. If you wish to join in on the fun, please append your name at http://delhibloggers.eventbrite.com or write to twilightfairy at gmail dot com. Please keep your calendars blocked for 13th Jan 2008, 4:30-11pm, Blues, Outer circle, CP, New Delhi :). You can drop in any time at your convenience.

An Evening in Old Delhi

I had been thinking about going to Old Delhi for quite some time now. Having read so much about the Iftar celebrations in the walled city area, when muslims pray , break the roza and go onto consume delicacies, I certainly wanted to experience it. So a good friend P, who shares an equal (if not more) enthusiasm for food, and I headed to spend an evening in Old Delhi on Sunday.

The roza is the fasting during the holy month of Ramadan when devout muslims observe daylong fast from dawn to dusk, without even a drop of water. A small breakfast before sunrise which is known as Sehari and a feast after sunset, known as Iftari.
The road outside the Gate No 1 of Jama Masjid was jam-packed. Vehicles, mostly rickshaws, were lined bumper to bumper. A vast multitude of people here, heading off with their families to shop and eat. We deftly make way to Karim hotel and wait for our turn to be seated. Over here one can see variety of people. Foreign tourists digging into kababs and tikkas after thoroughly examining them, families of people enjoying the elaborate and lavish meal after the roza, young people out there to grab a bite, waiters running in loaded with dishes. The crowd was heterogeneous, the service quick and the food Y-U-M-M-Y.
On the streets it's a party of sorts and people have come out to enjoy. Mounds of sevaiyaan and other sweets, dry fruits, footwear, clothes, bangles and a whole lot of things.
The 100 watt bulbs bathing the shops in a yellow hue. Shoppers bargaining with the shopkeepers over the price of their purchases. Happy smiling faces, twinkling eyes behind the hijab, its all happening here. The area seems like a bouquet of vibrant colours, sound and flavors.
After Karims it was Rabri at the roadside Kallan Sweet Shop where I tried my hand (unsuccessfully) at reading the urdu written on the board, much to the amusement of the shopkeeper as well as P.
Thereafter We headed for the Paranthewali Gali. The shops here are from an era of the badshahs and rajas, well before last century, being run by the 4th – 5th generation of owners. Each of the shop here must have around 20-25 variety of paranthas. We sampled the Matar parantha and Paneer paranth which were good. The paranthas are accompanied by aloo sabzi, seetafal sabzi, couple of chutneys, pickles and greenchillies. With modest prices and seating arrangements these shops are trying to lure the people into their establishments.

Colorful skullcaps with ornate embroidery and exciting design patterns.

To most, Old Delhi may be a down market wholesale bazaar. However the erstwhile city of Shahjahanabad was once the epicenter of Hindustan. To some it still is!

A young shopper bargaining with the shopkeeper for a pair of shoes.

Chak Ditta, India!!!

It's Diwali time as India lifts the Twenty20 World Cup beating arch rivals Pakistan. A young n relatively inexperienced team under a brand new skipper and without the "stars", achieved what was really unexpected and seemed daunting at first.

Started as non-favorites, with the bookies giving 1-16 for India playing in the finals and 1-40 for India winning the cup. Beating Pakistan, England, South Africa, Australia and finally G-L-O-R-Y!!!

Chak Ditta India!!!

Happy Birthday to Me

Just in case u didn’t notice the change in the 'About Me' section, I turned 28 yesterday. Yet another year has passed by. One more year, on the face of earth. I dunno if u feel this way, but 28 suddenly seems much much older as compared to 27. 27 is closer to 25 whereas 28 is closer to 30. At 28 you can’t even give the excuse that u will think about settling down at a later stage. You ARE at the later stage. 30 seems just around the corner.

Anyway, it was after 4 years that I was celebrating my birthday at home with family. It was a quiet and simple affair. Last time when I was home on my birthday, I was 23 years old, still studying in the final year of my post grad. It has also been 4 years since I moved out of the comforts of home and started staying on my own. First in Bombay for 2 years and later in Aalborg for another 2 years. Now after 4 years I have finally shifted base back to Delhi.

The ticket u see below is the train ticket for the journey to Trivandrum for the training of my first job. I carried this ticket with me all this while to remind me that no matter where I stay, I have to return back home. Finally I can say I have arrived. I can now destroy this ticket. Maybe not, let it be there for memory sake.

Fellas…. thanx a lot for your wonderful wishes. God Bless You!!

Happy Janamashtami

Glimpses of Laxmi Narayan Temple aka Birla Mandir, on the eve of Janamashtami.