Live in relationships

Namaskar friends. I am glad I am not in New Delhi right now. The massive electric grid collapse in India swept people back to the dark ages. The cascading power outage cut power to 620 million people in the world's largest blackout before the lights started coming back on again. I woke up to this news today. To add to that, I met with an accident. It was my fault. I was pulling out of the parking lot and did not see the car in front. Luckily it was in the parking lot and was not at high speed. However, both the cars were damaged. My car is in the body shop and I am now driving a rented Nissan Altima. I went to the gym today after nearly 15 days of gap. I am so tired now. I wish someone could serve me some Chicken Biryani right now. I am craving for it. Welcome August! It feels likes I am just counting days and the month is over. Nothing "new" had been achieved. Aamir Kahn has made us all think now. Wow! the popularity of his show is amazing! Sadly, its over now. I hope that there will be a Season 2 of it. Congratulations to Gagan Narang, who won the bronze medal for India, in the 10-meter air rifle event, at London Olympics. You did us proud!
Do you agree that some songs just stick with you, because of the time frame it was made in? One such song for me is today's Song of the day: from the movie Tezaab. Madhuri was an overnight sensation with this movie for the song "Ek do teen'. However, the song below is my favorite for many, many reasons that ONLY some of my classmates can relate to. :-)

_______________________________________________________________________

The more I think about a live-in relationship, I believe that, it will be the way of the future. A live-in relationship is an alliance that people enter into, in order to satisfy their various needs. Some people enter into one, because they believe they are madly in love. Others do the same because they believe it will help them understand and know their partner better and will also aid in sculpting a better future with this person. The best aspect about live-in relationships is that it allows you to find out the compatibility ratio between you and your partner, without admitting yourself into the constitution of marriage. Live-in serves as the perfect rehearsal for a married life. A main disadvantage of live-in relationship is social censure. Because these relationships have not yet been awarded the stamp of social acceptance, they are looked at with scorn. Many couples in live-in relationships prefer to call themselves married fearing rejection. This primarily causes problems in relationships. I loved the episode of Aamir Khan's  Satyameva Jayate, where he talks about this institution in India, where like minded, single (mostly senior citizens) can come and choose a partner to have a live in relationship with. Brilliant! India, is really moving ahead. Helps people to get out of  loneliness. Someone to share the ups and downs of life with. I know of a couple who are in a live in relationship for 25 years now. They were high school sweethearts. We constantly ask them, what is their secret. Their constant answer is, "not getting married." Now, this says a lot. Your thoughts? 

Dedication to ALL my dear friends

Friends, July is almost over. Time flies! I had a quiet weekend. Attended a Vara mahalaksmi pooja on Friday evening. The rest of the weekend was spent with family. I have one complaint folks. I wonder why people make promises and don't follow through. Shows lack of interest to keep up. Leaves the other party high and dry. Did not expect that form close friends. I guess, I have to stop expecting. Sigh! Every Sunday evening, I feel like listening to Ghazals, when all the family mumbers are fed and are involved with their own interest. Its winding down time, and its quiet time for myself. I have listened to this ghazal gazillion times this evening, so rightfully this is the Song of the day. Today's post is also going to be about this melodious, meaningful ghazal, based on raag Yaman Kalyan.

Friends, I request you to indulge in this song. You will love it. There is a video of this ghazal with the very pretty actress, Madhubala's pictures on YouTube. I wanted to upload that version. Unfortunately, the link did not work for me. Please try to look at that, when you have some time. The face does justice to the ghazal. Now, I understand the meaning of the word "tehrao". This song would not have been the same without it. So many singers have sung this, every singer has his beauty of singing, its difficult to compare, but, by far, the most beautiful rendition is by Fareeda Khanam. Born in 1935 in Calcutta and raised in Amritsar, she migrated to Pakistan after partition of India in1947. Words fail me in describing the beauty and depth of this marvellous song. Nothing comes close to this. What an incredibly beautiful and soothing song! Amazing lyrics, by Sehba Akhtar .

English translation:
Don't insist on leaving today
Keep sitting beside me.
Don't insist on leaving today
else I shall die, I shall be looted.
Please don't talk like this.
Don't insist on leaving today.
Give it a thought,
why shouldn't I stop you?
When you leave,
life goes out of me.
For your own sake, beloved
Just listen to this one plea,
don't insist on leaving today,
keep sitting beside me.
Don't insist on leaving today.

yuun he pehluu me baithee raho....So simple words, yet it feels so close to the heart. I have to say that the Urdu language trumps all others in its beauty and grace..And this rendition by Farida Khanum is sublime..ohhhh myy ghoshh!!! I got goose pimples!!!!! The voice can pierce into you! Farida ji...aur unki kala ko mera salaam!! What a song! The husky voice is mesmerising to say the least. It gets all the emotions out of me every time I hear this one......

I wish I could listen to this with ALL of you. Beautiful background score and what a captivating voice! Music truly has no boundaries......

Prince Charming dream remains a dream?

How have all of you been? I was down with a bad headache for the last couple of days. It did not stop me from having normal working days. I did all the days work and more! Nothing excites me more than a bright sunny day. Read an article today, where a husband was raped and killed by 5 of his wives beacuse they were jealous that the husband was spending more time with the 6th, youngest wife. This happened in London. He he. First of all,  how can one man legally have 6 wives. Nevermind. Dangerous Ishq! Other than that, caught up with a couple of friends who called to say Hi. Talking to friends really perks up my otherwise dull day. Its like an instant "happy" pill. Song of the day: From the movie Aap Ki Khatir. I envision these type of songs being played in Punjabi weddings. Its not surprising then, to know that one of the singers of this song is Jespinder Narula. This song has a certain "Mitaas" to it, that I instantly fell in love with it.



____________________________________________________________________________

Talking about wedding, what little girl doesn't dream that one day she'll meet prince charming, have a magical wedding and live happily ever after? I did too! We grow up having crushes on classmates, neighborhood boys, actors etc. Bollywood just makes the dreaming process even more likeable, by potraying every movie with a love story in which the hero and heroine fall in love, sing and dance, face opposition from families, elope and then the hero eventually after fighting all the bad guys wins the family and the girl. So, what is a teenage girl watching these kind of movies do but dream? More of the same situation for themselves when they grow up. I especailly liked to watch the part in the movie where the hero and heroine elope and are by themselves for the FIRST time, away from their strict parents, who watch their every move like a hawk. I think that moment for a couple in real life is the most exciting! Suddenly, they have the freedom to do what THEY want to do. Who can forget the secene in the movie QSQT where Amir Khan asks Juhi to make Baigan ka Bartha for dinner, (couldn't find the eact clip, but the one below is also cute)

 or when Kumar Gaurav and Vijetha Pandit sang the song Dekho maine dekha hai ik sapna in Love story

 or the Sunny deol and Amritha Singh movie Betaab. Movies, I watched growing up. I still cannot get over these scences. Love to watch it over and over again. That's the influence Bollywood has on me. However, as we all adults now know, reality is far, far away from this for the most part. I am not saying that love does not exist in this world, but the type of unconditional, unselfish, pure love that, Bollywood shows us audience, I think, does not exist. If it's out there, I would like to see it. Marriage is mostly about sacrifices and adjustments. Once we start taking the responsiblity of children, who are living and breating and demanding, marriage becomes a whole new ball game. Nevertheless, I think one should get married. I beleive in the institution of marriage. Like they say in Hindi, shaadi woh laddu hai jo khaye voh pachtaye aur jo na khaye wo bhi pachtaye. How true! Your thoughts???

The goodness of fruits

Hello world! Weekend was busy! I know, I always write about my weekend as if life is just about those two days. But it is! Here in the US, Monday through Friday people work hard and postpone all the fun activities till the weekend. That's the format people like to follow here. We have adapted to this routine too! So, friends now you know why I write about my weekend so much. Watched "Bol Bachchan" on Friday. It was one those movies, where you leave your brain at home. Attended the monthly "Bhajan" get together on Saturday. The Mango custard they served was amazing!
So, Rajesh Khanna is no more. You know you are growing old when film icons you adore are bidding adieu. There are so many good songs that were picturized on RK aka Kaka - like, Chingaari koi Bhadke, Jai, jai shiva shankar, Chala Jaata hoon kisi ke dhun mein (my fav.!), etc. But today's Song of the day is

Zindagi ek safar hai suhana
Yahan kal kya ho kisne jaana
Arey o leiyo leiyo, oleiyo leiyo
Oleiyo leiyo, oleiyo leiyo

Below are some meaningful lyrics. I am highlighting it because, I think it's so true and everyone should follow this, because life is precious and very short.

Maut aani hai ayegi ik din
Jaan jaani hai jayegi ik din
Aisi baaton se kya ghabrana
Yahan kal kya ho kisne jaana
______________________________________________________________________________
Ok, I am sure you have met someone in your life, who has preached to you about how good fruits are for health and it has so many benefits. However, for the life of me, I cannot enjoy fruits. I do not have a favorite fruit. Here, fruits are relatively inexpensive and available in abundance. (they are not as tasty as the ones we get in India tough). Fruit lovers like my husband can't be more thankful. Some of my friends suggested that I make fruit juices and try it that way. I tried watermelon juice over the weekend. See pic. below:

It had a very interesting texture to it. I love fresh fruit juices in India. Love grape juice and Musambi juice. I have never tasted anything like that here. Fruits are delicious as a healthy snack, for use in cooking, baking, desserts, sauces, drinks, one of the perfect food varieties of the earth. So many different colors to choose from. Nutrition experts recommend that you select different colours of fruit and vegetables red, green, yellow/orange, white or purple - for maximum health benefits. Experts say one has to eat 2 servings of fruit per day. The frozen variety is also good. There is the option of dried fruits and canned ones too. Make sure to choose the ones with less sugar. Another surprising and interesting fact about the fruit is that a fruit is the best fuel for our brain. Keeps your mind sharp! Fruit is 100% Cholesterol free. Fruits are rich in fiber. So, anytime you feel constipated, try eating lot of fruits. It loosens up the stool. Now, this I have experienced myself. Scientific evidence shows that those who eat a diet rich in fruit and vegetables have a lower risk of many diseases, including heart disease, stroke and certain cancers. So dear friends, eat fruits, stay healthy. I am going to try.

Lassi-Wassi Ho Jaye?

"Kasshi assachi sakkad jana"? This is Konkani for "How are you folks"? Hot, hot weekend people. No, no, nothing like what you are thinking he he. I was talking about the temperature. I was looking for ideas to stay cool. I had a can of mango pulp in my pantry and a big can of Dahi in my fridge. I knew if left for long both of them would get spoilt. What best way to use them, other than Mango lassi, correct? As I was preparing the lassi, I was remembering my trip to Amritsar. One night after visiting the Golden temple we had stopped at a Dabha for dinner. I had ordered a sweet lassi. How far we have come now from those days of hard labor, just to make a tall glass of lassi. The hand churning of the lassi has been replaced by a modern day blender, the ordinary sweet lassi has taken many different flavors, mango being the popular flavor, at least here in the US and the tall steel glass tumbler has now been replaced by fancy glass wear. However, I must say, that the authentic Punjabi lassi is unbeatable. See Pics. below.

____________________________________________________________________________

Man Churning lassi in a pot.

 Slurp! Gulped all of it as soon as soon as it was served. Then, remembered to take a pic.

 This is my blender, with all the ingredients, ready to be turned on

 Sanil, pouring his share into a cup

 Not as tasty as the hand churned one in Amritsar, but close

I still had some Mango pulp left, did not want to throw it away, so decided to make Mango Kesari. We call it Mango Sheera in Konkani. I did not have crushed cashew to top this Kesari. Nevertheless, went ahead and made it. Ok, I had to make it twice, as the first time around, it flopped. I added the mango pulp to the boiling milk (duh!). The milk curdled. I had to throw it away. Learnt, on the second round that the pulp should be added to the cooked Rava. Anyway, I got my certificate when Shekar ate it. He liked it. The kids, well, they did not like it. Normally, Kesari is served in a bowl as a pudding. But I decided to spread on a greased plate and cut it into diamond shaped burfis. Wish I could invite all of you who read this blog.

 Hot kesari directly from the stove, into a plate left to set.

 Cut into diamond shaped pieces

Ready to be served. I know, the pieces are not perfect. I was in a hurry

Decided to spend my weekend, at home with the family, and cook good food for them. After all, they are the ones who surround me with love and let me be me. I did go window shopping looking for an area rug for the family room. I am looking for a circular one. Did not find it. So gave up and came home. One of these days I will post pics. of the house. Stay tuned. Aah! before I say goodnight to all of my favorite people, I have to post my Song of the day - a romantic song from the movie Hum Tum, sung by Alka Yagnik and Babul Supriyo. Beautiful Rani with her big brown, tiger like eyes along with young and sexy Saif, make a very romantic couple. The rain sequence and the Saxophone add to the song, making it such a memorable song. Love it! I love rain songs. Posting the link for my dear friends. I bet you will feel like talking to your sweetheart after listening to this. Happy dreaming. :)

Vaastu Shastra - Makes Sense?

Vanakkam friends. I had an alright day today. One of those days where I felt low for no reason. I took a water motion class at the gym today. Feeling a tiny bit better now. Thanks for taking the poll in this site. Looks like most of you like the title of my blog. So keeping it as is. Bollywood's strong man, yesteryear's action hero, Dara Singh is no more. He was 84. Lived his life to the fullest, I would think. I only remember him from his "hanuman" days on TV. Director Imitiaz Ali of the "Jab We Met" fame has called it splits with his wife. Found new love with a Pakistani actress. No shockers there. Part of life these days. Good boy/bad boy Yuvi made a statement that, he hates the color red these days. Red used to be his favorite color. His explanation made total sense. He has seen too much blood in the past few months. I am so sorry Yuvi. I am so glad that you are now cancer free and back on the field where you belong. Bravo! I read a very different article on TOI today. A man drank his wife's breast milk to help him with his sexual disorder. Apparently, he had symptoms of ED (erectile dysfunction). TLC channel has agreed to do a show with the couple. Can't wait to watch that. These days I am watching Mrs. Nene's show on TV called "Jhalak Dhikalaga". Some of the dancers are close to Puur fect - MD style. Song of the day is from the movie Tera mere saath rahein. Music by Anand Raj Anand. Those were the days of Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik. Wonder where they are now? The Fathe Ali Khans, Mohit Chauhans and Shreya Ghoshals have taken over.

Haathon Ki Lakeeron Mein Likha Hain
Tera Mera Dil Ka Rishta Hai
Har Dhadkan Yahi Baat Kahen
Tera Mera Saath Rahen
_______________________________________________________________________________

During one of my recent chatting sessions with my friend, she related the following incident to me. One of her friends used to get nightmares on a daily basis. She got so disturbed by this, that she actually went into depression and had all kinds of health problems. Proficient doctors could not help her. Her friends suggested that she change the position of her bed that she sleeps on, in her house. As a last resort, she moved her bed, so, her head was pointing in the South direction and feet in the North. Gradually, she noticed that she was getting more sleep during nights. Eventually, her nightmares completely stopped. Wow! I really could not believe my ears. After all, what was this "Vaastu" that is supposed to be helping so many people? Is it just blind faith or is it an accurate science that people are making a career out of. Well, curious me, had to find out. I had heard about Vaastu Shastra for the house, but I did not know that Vaastu can be applied to Money, Love life, Career, Prosperity, etc., till I started reading about this science. It turns out, Vaastu Shastra which is similar to the Chinese science Feng Shui, is a complex body of knowledge that reveals how to balance the energies of any given space to assure the health and good fortune for people inhabiting it. Vaastu Shastra is the science of direction that combines all the five elements, Earth, Water, Air, Fire and Space. ("Panchabhootas") of nature and balance them with the man and the material thereby paving the way for enhanced health, wealth, prosperity and happiness in an enlightened environment. The basic rules of Vaastu Shastra are based on the eight directions, North, Northeast, East, Eastsouth, south, Southwest, West, Westnorth. Vaastu forms the basics of each construction. Our Shastra says, if we worship, idolize and honor the Lords of these eight directions, people yield eternal blessings in the form of success, health and prosperity.

East: This direction is governed by lord Indra and he is known to be the king of Gods. He bestows wealth and pleasures of life.

South East: This direction is governed by lord of fire - Agni. He gives us good personality and all good things of life. Fire is a source of health as it is related to fire, cooking and food.

South: This direction is of Yama, the god of death. He is manifestation of dharma,and eradicates evil forces and bestows good things. It is a source of wealth, crops and pleasure.

South West: This direction is directed by Niruti, the god who protects us from evil foes. It is a source of character, demeanor, case of longevity and death.

West: This direction is directed by lord Varun, the lord of rains. He bestows his blessings in the form of  natural eater-rain, brings prosperity and pleasures of life.

Narth West: This place is directed by lord Vayu and he brings on us good health, strength and long life. It is a source of change in course of business, friendship and enmity.

North: This direction is governed by Kuber, the god of welath.

North East:This place is supervised by lord Eshaan, and is a source of wealth, health and success. He brings us wisdom, knowledge and relieves us from all miseries and mishaps.

The term Vaastu, meaning a dwelling place, initially used to refer to the home of gods and human beings. However, with time, it came to be associated with the right location as well as design of almost any and every structure. Now I know why and how things worked out for the friend who chose to change positions of her bed, This is because, the Vaastu Shastra believes the body acts like a magnet. Therefore, if the head (as the heaviest and mist important part) were towards the North, it would repel against the North Pole of the earth, adversely affecting blood circulation. This says the Vaastu Shastra, will result in tension and disturbed sleep. Vaastu Shastra also says an east facing house is most beneficial and next to East, is North entrance. I wish I knew this when we were buying our house. Our house faces North now. The second best choice. Not bad at all. I hope we continue to have mental peace and happiness throughout our stay in this house. Folks, time and again, I tell myself that all these beliefs that people have are for lack of other solutions. We all need something to hold on to, to keep us going. I will definitely consider this, now that I am wiser.

THE Konkani Spread

My dear, dear dosts, it was a wonderful evening spent with some of our good friends. Everybody enjoyed themselves. People loved the new furniture and the new look of the house. They all told me that they enjoyed the food. As promised, I am posting some pictures. Now, people who do not know much about Konkani food, beware that the menu is a cholesterol ride from start to finish. Coconut is our main ingredient in most of the dishes. It is definitely a developed taste and not everyone might enjoy it. My poor knees, please someone give me a good solution please! Folks, did any of you hear about the hideous act by a hostel warden at a school in Delhi? The ruthless warden made a class V girl lick her own urine, in front of her hostel mates, as punishment for bed wetting. OMG! The warden was arrested, but released on bail, for wrongful detention and the malignant act that could spread infection. The poor, embarrassed and traumatised child is now refusing to go back to school. Sad but true.
I heard this melodious song by Lataji after a long time on facebook, when someone posted it. I have listened to this at least 20 times since yesterday. It is the Song of the day from the movie Chhalia. Had to post the link so, all of you are tempted to listen. Let me know if you like it.

____________________________________________________________________

Ok, evening of fun and laughter started off at 6:30 PM with the follwing food:

 Mumbai Pav Bhaji for starters

 

Dahi vadas. Anu, was afraid to try it for the fear of disrupting the pretty decoration. 

 Mumbai Veg. Biryani for the veggie crowd

Mint Chutney to go with the Biryani. Deadly combination!

 The spread

 Kadge Chakko. This is a dry curry made of raw Jackfruit

 Gulla Sagle. This is a Konkani delicacy made out of green brinjals.

 Ambe Upkari. It's mango season folks. This is a sweet curry made out of mango. Relished by all.

 Ok. This is a very popular dish called Cooka Upkari. (Chinese Potato). I was thrilled to find it in the Indian store here in the US. This was a surprise item of the evening. The Konkanis joy knew no bounds, when they tasted this.

 The infamous dalithoy. Very dilute version of the North Indian Dal. This is prepared almost everyday in a Konkani household.

 Semi homemade Rotis

 Chane Gashi. This dish is the Konknai version (coconut gravy) of the North Indian Chole. If you want to impress a Konkani, use the name of this dish as your ice breaker to start a conversation. The Konkani will be floored, guaranteed!

 Bhenda Huli. Konkani version of Bhendi

Beans Upkari. Upkari is a dry dish made of any and every vegetable. In this case, its green bean and therefore the name, beans upkari. This dish is a must in every Konkani meal.

Fruit Salad with caramel and chocolate syrup, coarsely ground mixed nuts and topped with cool whip  for the sweet tooth. Too much for the stomach to handle after a full meal. Nevertheless, yummy!

After dinner as we were sipping pipping hot tea, the topic of discussion was, which is a better place to live? India or US? All of you, who are regular on this blog know me enough to guess which side I was on. Of course, MY India. Mera Bharat Mahaan! At the end of the discussion it was concluded that both countries have its pros and cons and it is where you feel comfortable and at home, is the best place to live. Here in the US, we have the best of both worlds, Indian values and culture and a cleaner, more prosperous country to live in. Got to agree with that. We wound up at 3:00 AM! Here is wishing me more such evenings. Alright folks. Got to go now. Love you all.

Paradise island - Day 3, 4 and 5

Namaskar my favorite people! It's Friday! Made a quick trip to New Jersey and back on July 4th, Independence day, for a day. Spent some quality time with my friend. It's was a hectic trip, but well worth it. Just finished some grocery shopping for a small get together for some close friends tomorrow at our place. The hard job is done. "The menu". I have planned an extensive Konkani Menu. Will post the pictures in my next post. Little nervous and anxious at this time. Have to feed 15 adults and 10 kids single-handedly. Quiet a task. Planning to wake up early in the morning. Had a good day today. Was remembering good old days back in Manipal. Wish I had a time machine that took me back to those days for sometime. Song of the day: A Geetha Dutt song from 1956. This was before I was born. Wow! I still can connect to it. Nice tune and lyrics. Posting the link.

Looks like, thee net material salwaar was a fashion back then and it has come back now. Isn't that something? Fashion goes through a complete circle. I guess there is only so much a fashion designer can think off.

_________________________________________________________________________________

I know, I am dragging the post about our vacation little too long. I am going to end it today. Day 3 and 4 were the same. Went on water rides ALL day. The children tricked me into taking the scariest water rides. I was glad when it was over. It was so hot and we were walking bear foot. It was like walking on burning coal. Not fun! No one can convince that walking on coal is therapy. I have heard of people who pay money to have this experience. Well, good luck to them.

Leap of faith ride

 Abyss ride

 Nice lady making the perfect omelet at the $50.00 per person breakfast buffet

e

Pancake man. Look at his HUGE tava!

 Yes! Hibiscus

 Rath ki Rani

 Grand fountain at the front of the hotel that welcomes guests of the hotel

 The Atlantis Hotel, Finally got a picture.

 The fish in the Aquarium

 Star Fish

 Jelly fish

The 5 day trip was very enjoyable and came to an end very soon. It was now time to turn around and  face reality. Got back on 17th, late night and quickly took over the responsibility of a maid at home. Next day, I  had to resume work. It took me sometime to get back to routine. Thank god for pictures, I can relive the experience anytime I want. Good night my dear friends. Wish me luck for tomorrow.  

Paradise Island - Day 2

Friends, if there is anything like an "ideal weekend", then, that was how it was this past weekend -only for me. I was unaware of the HUGE storm that came in our town. So many trees fell down and many people were out of power, but not us. Lucky! I was busy with friends, family, music, drama, food and laughter. My friend from NJ arrived late Friday night, but was staying with her Sis. We were trying to coordinate to meet on Sat. since 9 AM. However, we could finally meet only later in the afternoon at 2:30 PM. There is always a slight initial nervousness in meeting someone, even if it is your best friend after a long time. I have to admit, I was experiencing that, when I met her. But sweet that she is, she made me feel comfortable in no time by her constant chatter. Love it! I picked her up from her sister's place and brought her to my house. Showed off the new furniture and remodeling of the kitchen and basement. My joy knew no bounds when she showered me with carefully chosen compliments. She knows me very well. He he. I was invited to her sister's place in the evening for a casual get together, which turned out to be so much fun! Both of us decided to wear the same salwar kameez, (purchased together on a recent trip to India) to the party. People were calling us twins the whole evening. Wish I had a picture to share. One of these days.  We had some excellent Mexican food for dinner which included fajitas and casadias. Yummy! We enjoyed music and dance, played antakshari till 3 AM! If  you have played antakshari before, you know a game of antakshari is not complete without the typical arguments like "that song does not start with that letter", "this song has already been sung", "you are taking so long, 1..2..3..". Also, people get kicked out of the game when they get stuck with repeated usage of the latter "Ha" and "Ra" and the infamous "Ta" that has only 2 songs associated with it. Any guesses on which 2 songs for the letter "Ta"? Leave a comment. When we came back home, it was 4 AM. Of course, we analyzed the party to death and finally fell asleep at 5 AM or so only to wake up at 7:30 AM. We then had Aloo parantas and Mango-Blueberry lassi for breakfast. We spent the rest of the Sunday, being couch potatoes and watched parts of our favorite movie - Silsila. Felt very lonely after she left at 6:30 PM. Diverted my attention, by browsing the web. Came across this song. I am sure most of you have NOT heard it. It's from the movie, College girl, sung by Mohammed Rafi, lyrics by Dev Kholi (must have been a romantic) and surprise! music director was Bappi Lahiri. Really? So, song of the day:

Phoolon ki tarah woh hasti thee

Kaliyon ki tarah muskati thee

Woh tumse bilkul milti hai

Khwabon mein mere jo aahti thee

In other news, I had a furniture fiasco at home. The delivered family room furniture was incorrect. So, had to re order some new pieces. I am waiting for the new ones to come in. I am crossing my fingers, so that it all works out in the end.

Unfortunately, could not attend the Konkani Sammelan that happened in NJ last weekend. Konkanis from all over the world gor together in NJ. Lesser known actress, Amrita Rao was honored. Hey, she is a Konkani figure alright! TOI covered this. See link. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/news-interviews/Konkani-honour-for-Amrita-Rao/articleshow/14557553.cms.

Yet another fatal accident by the Khan brothers. Sohail Khan this time. He claims he was not in the car at the time the accident happened. His big brother, Salman backed him up and they got away without paying compensation. Hai...

_____________________________________________________________________________

Ok, on Day 2 of our vacation in the Bahamas we had good breakfast, within the hotel. Mostly croissant sandwiches and starbucks coffee. We started off the day, by visiting the beach. Spent couple of hrs. there and then went to a PGA golf course and palyed some golf. Came back to the hotel late evening had a good dinner at an Italian restuarant. We then went for a long walk. Ate some icecream and went to bed.

Early morning breakfast bar

My fav. coffee

Hot, hot beach!

Carved by the kids. Nice na?

The "Atlantis" hotel from the beach

Library inside the hotel

Aquarium in the Lobby of the hotel. It was awesome!

One and only Ocean PGA golf course (Michael Jordan plays here)

A friendly visitor at the golf course

The Boyz on golf carts

More swimming pool

DJ at the pool side

The music by the poolside was so enjoyable while swimming. Some ladies got up and danced. Total party atmosphere. Nice way to chill with drinks. By the end of Day 2, my skin was completed burnt. It was pining with the just a simple touch. My whole body had turned red, inspite of applying sunscreen. Excitng Day 3 and 4 coming up soon! Stay tuned. Good night folks.