Whimsical Fantasies

I love nature and God has crafted it out with so much detail.  Mankind is just so small in front of all of this. A truly spectacular sight with a 270 degree view of the sea.  This particular pic was taken in Cabo de Rama fort, Goa.

While  the news on the 2013 Miss America has been having some controversial buildups across social media and  the internet  about her being an immigrant, some of them even passing racist remarks against this young excited woman who has probably just set foot to tread on her path of dreams, our Indian counterparts on the other end of the globe have left no stone unturned either in claiming how dark she is and perhaps how she would not even have been close to being a Miss India, had she been living there. Obsession for "fair skin" has become such a deep rooted open secret in the Indian society and it all the more implies if you are a girl. Growing up watching all sorts of ads on products challenging to lighten your skin in 'x' number of days with the promise to give your money back incase it didn't work, and having a slightly "tan" colored skin compared to the many people in my family, I did hear bits and pieces of "advice" on how I should not...

Baking is something I enjoy thoroughly.. It is just therapy. My dad being in the armed forces, I spent most years of my childhood in places that were so remote that even our  food supply was limited to the monthly ration. In case we needed additional veggies, the nearest village/ market was at least 10-15 kms away.  So bakeries were out of question. If we did manage to have one in the base, it was luxury. As a result, baking cakes for my birthdays was done at home and YESS, I would help.. I would lick all the left over batter once the cake went into the oven.. :P.. Fast forward many years, my sis and I took to it and making chocolates, baking cakes  became "tradition" atleast once a year when my cousins visited. So although Im not a fan of cooking (AT ALL.. !!)  I can spend hours baking and experimenting on a variety of things.. We made it all- Custards,cakes,cupcakes, tarts, mousse, puddings- basically DESSERTSSS!!!   After my post on some c...

I remember making all sorts of creations  in college using  stuff such as wax, clay, silicones, rubber etc .. This time around.. decided to experiment with chocolates.. and Voila..This is what I got!! All of this was of course relished by my man, Nikhil Jamadagni, who can eat, love, breathe, sleep and live CHOCOLATES!

Its now a year since I moved to one of the most beautiful cities I've seen. Thinking back , I've had a rather good time, learnt many things: Patience and  Tolerance,  being the most important of it all. There is no point getting impatient or frustrated with life's circumstances. Things will happen when they have to and in the manner they should. So its better to ride along in an optimistic manner. Perhaps that's the only way to enjoy it and make things easier for yourself and others around you.  In short, it is better to accept things as they come. I normally like to plan out most things I do, at least to the near future. I like to look at where I'm heading, else I literally feel as though I've been blindfolded and I'm walking aimlessly in some random direction. Though not meticulously, I just need to have an idea, so that I can pace myself accordingly.  Expecting the unexpected, there are bound to be many blind turns. But this ...

The year was 1998. It was my first visit to the town of Puttaparthi, the name which I'd only heard of vaguely. 'Sai Baba', the man with big hair as I described him when I was young, lived there. I'd only seen him in one photograph, with my grandparents also in it and it was always in the the living room of their house. Everytime I asked about him, my grandpa would just tell me, he's Baba. I do not remember anything more than that. Subsequently, I started witnessing miracles in my aunt's house. Vibhuti coming out from calendars and photos, honey from shirdi baba's idol, rings materialising in a cup of vibhuti began to occur regularly. It was a very different vibration and I was intrigued but all I did was witness them. I had just entered my teens and I was still naïve. It was Christmas time and mom's brothers were visiting Bangalore on vacation. It was an amazing time for my sister and me specially since we got to spend time with my cousin, whom bot...