Shillong,Guwahati, Cherrapunjee - Gems of the 7 sister states

An uncommon path always holds the intrigue and possibility of a great adventure. The idea of exploring new cuisines, topography, culture, language gives the required adrenaline rush!

How about venturing into a land steeped with culture, nature's bounty and pilgrimage?

This is my humble attempt in chronicling my travel to the North Eastern states, hoping it would entice you to experience these on your own.


North Eastern states comprises of the 7 sisters -- Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland -- and the himalayan state of Sikkim. Nature has bestowed its best blessings on these sisters.

Lush greenery greets you right from the moment you step out of the airport and follows you like vodafone, wherever you go.

The topography of the place makes you dizzy and elated at the same time.. The curvy roads definitely calls for a bout of motion sickness but the feeling of breathing in pure air and the weather conditions makes it tolerable.

Gateway to this land of natural beauty is Guwahati, one of the largest growing cities. The connectivity to the airport is excellent. Many flights are direct from New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata or connected via Kolkata.

Guwahati 

Guwahati is home to the Kamakhya Temple, which is a shakti peeth revered by the Hindu customs.

The female reproductive organ is the main deity here. The temple closes for 3 days in a year when the goddess is supposed to be menstruating. The deity is actually in the form of a vagina, which is usually decked up in flowers when you visit. One has to walk down in a crypt, below the main dome, for the darshan.

Normal queue for darshan takes minimum 3-5 hours whereas Rs.500 ticket facilitates the same in 1.5-2 hours.

The legend of the temple traces back to the time where Goddess Sati sacrificed herself in the yagna fire, conducted by her father- Daksha Prajapati. She was appalled by the disrespect shown to her husband by her father , which made her step into the auspicious fire.

Lord Shiva retrieved her body from the flames, after his massive forces destroyed everyone present. He then held her body and danced the Tandav- Destruction dance. Lord Vishnu who was mighty concerned, disambulated her body by the help of his Sudarshan Chakra.

Various bodily parts scattered all over the Earth. Her vagina fell here and thus has been revered in the form of a shakti peeth (strong and powerful place of worship)


Shillong 

Termed as the "Scotland of the East" due to its topographical similarity to Scotland. 
The rolling hills, The flora and fauna spouting out of everywhere,  the enriched tribal culture etc makes it an interesting getaway,

Its a 3 hour drive from Guwahati which has curvaceous roads and hills. You can shop for local cane products and taste the local khasi cuisine. The temperature is simply cool and pleasant.. The massive traffic jams are the only hitch in this place. 

Its like Venice but on hills.. super curvaceous city. Amazement at the construction on difficult terrain is sure. 

There are many picturesque spots to be visited. Elephant falls is one of the gems found after a 20 min drive from the city centre. Elders can slowly and comfortably walk till the waterfall area. 

Elephant Falls

Umiam lake should be the next stop for clicking pictures,savouring hot tea and gorge on freshly roasted corn on cobs. 

Umiam Lake

Khasi woman selling corn on cob!

The Don Bosco cultural centre is a 7 storied museum which provides in-depth knowledge about the 7 sister states. Each floor is dedicated to various aspects of the people living here. Worth spending 1 hour here. Also, the terrace features a Sky walk which gives the bird's eye view of Shillong city. 

Shillong boasts of quirky cafes and restaurants, making your taste buds very vey happy.

One such place is City Hut Dhaba, situated in police bazar. Quirky Decor -- Usage of huge cutleries as wall decor, keeping food grains in small sacks as counter deco, ducks in its waterfalls etc.-- and Dal Makhani to die for. The waiting time for tables will be worth it. 

Dylan's Cafe is the coolest place to hang out in town. Its dedicated to the legendary singer. Record discs welcomes you and encourages you to leave your mark by the form of ceiling art. Yes, you can show your creativity on the armstrong tiles. The food is lip smacking good!

Dylan's Cafe

Shillong cafe is the perfect watering hole. You can indulge in a round of pool/billiards and take the bottoms' up! 

Ri Kynjai is the upscale resort situated on the umiam lake. The name means "serenity by the lake" in the local Khasi language, and trust me, it is true! 

Beautifully made out of wood and cane products, the resort is the perfect getaway with family to bond and chill while soaking the nature's beauty. 

A small pathway makes the trek till the lake easy. The rooms are massive (base category) for the pricing. However, the food is kinda below average.

The Spa is a must do! 

Cherrapunjee

Dubbed as the "wettest place on the planet". 

Had only read about this place in my geography text book in school and now, standing on the place was a great adrenaline kick. You actually feel on top of the world. 

Clouds play hide and seek and the weather tends to be unpredictable.. It is advisable to carry an umbrella.

The 7 sisters waterfall is a delight to behold! The monsoon time brings out the beauty in its full glory. 

The Mawsmai caves feature stalactites and stalagmites ( icicle- shaped formation that hangs front he ceiling of a cave and protrude from the floor of the cave. It is produced by precipitating minerals from water dripping through the cave's ceiling). 

Mawsmai Cave

Venturing inside is strictly not for elders and claustrophobic people. However just viewing the entrance is good enough to admire mother nature's charm.

Its a 2 hour drive from shillong. You will be amazed at the condition of the roads, so smooth. 

Seven Sisters Waterfall

Guess, i have provided sufficient information and motivation for you to head east. Additional bonuses include, hogging piping hot hill station wali maggi, innumerable photo opportunities and to try something new. 

Thanks for reading, 

Lotsa love, 

Seeking a new adventure now....

Anu 

Gokarna, Murdeshwara and Idgunji. Devotion by the Sea!

Admiring the sunset's hues with clear sand beneath your feet and intense happiness and peace within yourself! Doesn't it sound amazing and stress free?? Break out of reverie, grab those back packs and keys to your car along with wallet and drive away on a scenic road which leads you to spirituality and peace....

A vivid memory streaked past when my parents mentioned the pilgrimage trip to Idagunji, Gokarna and Murdeshwara. I was nostalgic with the prior trips taken with family and relatives. The adrenaline of driving through lush greenery and curvaceous ghat section was overwhelming. Immediately, i confirmed the plan and went along... Presenting you, the Gems of Coastal Karnataka..

 

Idagunji

A huge Kaman (entrance) on the left side of the state highway, proudly proclaims the tiny hamlet of idagunji with its resident deity, Lord Ganesha.

The legend of this temple is a simple story of the fulfilment of devotee's prayers by the generous lord. 

 On the onset of kali yuga , sages feared the unknown evils which would be associated with the era and hence performed severe austerities in order to negate it. However, many obstacles besieged this quest, rendering it incomplete. 

Celestial sage Narada, tried to reinstate  this penance by convincing mother Parvati to send her son, Lord Ganesha to the designated spot and give his blessings. But, was refuted by mother parvati owing to the dangerous nature of the place (it had many elephants and other wild animals). 

Narada then set out to lure the lord himself by making him eat a special kind of laddu made by 5 elements, specific to that region, named as PANCHAKHADYA.

Lord Ganesha loved it so much that he requested for more. Narada being very crafty, mentioned that only if he stood over the puja site and blessed it for eternity, he would get more of them. 

Thus, the Lord consented to reside over there provided the laddu being offered as prasadam everyday!!  The chief priest of the temple chuckled and recited this story to us and proudly showed us the magical prasadam which will be offered everyday till eternity!

The diety is a swayambhu (self generated/self made) which dates back to almost 4th century BC and is in the standing position with 2 hands. This sets it apart in legend and in devotion. Also, it is a form of bal ganesh/ child ganesh. The charm of the deity instantly makes your heart fill with awe, devotion and positivity.

Every wish made surely gets fulfilled here.

How to reach there and accommodation:

The nearest big railway station is Hubli. It is a 4 hour drive from there. Idagunji falls in honnavar district and is just 17 kms away from the sea side town of murdeshwara.
Accommodation is available at honnavar ( 14 kms ) or at murdeshwara (17 kms) away.


Gokarna

4 beautiful and serene beaches along with a centuries old shiva temple (which is supposedly the atmalinga of the Lord) is what makes gokarna a auspicious place and a getaway spot. Gokarna means the cow's ear and has a interesting legend associated. 

This is the current hippie/foreigner destination in karnataka. You will find lots of foreign tourists on a bliss holiday.  The market place has interesting knickknacks,such as- leather bags, trinkets, beach wear, junk jewellery etc, for purchase. 

The lore recounts a tale featuring Ravana, King of Lanka and Lord Ganesha. 

Ravana was a staunch devotee of Lord Shiva and once, was granted a atmalinga (self statue)  by the god himself. The only condition was that he wasn't supposed to place it on any ground before he reached Lanka and installed it on the designated spot. 

Other Gods panicked and approached Ganesha to prevent it from reaching Lanka. They feared the might of Ravana might increase even further. 
Lord Ganesha appeared in front of Ravana as a cowherd and magically transformed the sky,from noon to dusk. 

Ravana always worshipped Shiva at sunset and thus was perplexed what to do now?. He spotted the cowherd and requested him to hold the atmalinga  till he returns back after a bath in the river.  He strongly cautioned him not to keep in on the ground under any situation. 

The cowherd promised him, he will yell ravana's name once before keeping it down. Cunningly, he gave a soft call and kept it down. When Ravana found out what transpired, he was mighty furious and tried to move the atmalinga by using his full force. 

Few fragments of it, dislodged and flew away to a place wherein a temple dedicated to the fragments still stands. It is called Murdeshwara. 


How to reach and accommodation : 

Gokarna is almost 3 hours drive from hubli. this is the nearest airport as well. 

Konkan railways runs a train from mumbai to gokarna station. for other places, kindly google. It's advisable to drive through the beautiful countryside. The accommodation ranges from top notch 5 star resort of swaswara, medium ranged resorts like sanskruthi and modestly priced namaste cafe and home stay. 

Would highly recommend visiting namaste cafe. Perfect place to enjoy a cup of coffee/ beer while viewing the sunset. BLISS! 

Murdeshwara





















The presiding deity, Lord Shiva, makes his presence felt from afar. His gigantic sculpture looms over the small temple town of murdeshwara. 

On the shore of the Arabian Sea, you will find families enjoying in the waves on the beach after offering their prayers in the temple. The temple's legend has been mentioned above. The temple has a huge courtyard featuring other gods as well. 

Gopuram, the traditional south indian temple door, is a massive 18 floor structure, which lends supreme aura and character to the temple. You can travel to the 18th floor by paying the lift charges of Rs.10/-
The beautiful view of the sea and the shiva idol arrests your attention and makes you lunge for your cameras and mobile phones.

There is a museum of statues beneath the shiva sculpture which tells a mythological story. 

How to reach and accommodation: 

RNS residency is the best option here. Rooms are decently priced and the view from them are phenomenal. One night stay is highly recommended here.. Soak in the moonlight sprayed across the sea and gaze at the beautiful stars! 

Hope you liked my post about my sojourn. Do write to me about what you liked, disliked and suggestions. Also, advise if i should keep writing more on travel topic.. 

Love, 
Anu

The charm of luxury vacations...

Google defines luxury as a state of great comfort or elegance, especially when involving great expense. When money isn't an issue (even post demonetisation) and the need for relaxation in a huge spacious area with unlimited benefits is your thing, then luxury vacations are a must for you! 

Vacation is the best way to destress, create happy memories, innumerable photo opportunities, gastronomical journey and so on.. 
You can lounge in your casual wear and be at ease with your true self.
 Now, you may ask why the need for spending so much on a room wherein you can do the trip with a lesser budget! 

True that !! 

This is my feeble attempt to highlight the features!

The ROOM -- Imagine a huge sprawling living room welcoming you with its brightly coloured cushions, chandeliers/state of art lighting, gigantic television with a printed menu of programmed channels, a side bar area/dining table for digging in your room serviced food without messing the sleeping area, a humongous bed ( imagine king+queen bed makes it royal bed ) with excellent turndown service, a walk in closet along with a private safe and an adjoining bathroom which gives you an awesome feel of doing your ablutions in luxury! 

Whether it is the sunken bathtub or the private shower cubicle with best complimentary essentials ( ex: forest essentials), or the additional sit out in the balcony,overlooking a beautiful landscape or just the kick of getting free knick knacks like pastries, fresh fruit and sweets ! 

The housekeeping personnel are like magical elves who keep everything spick and span! some even make interesting swans and elephants out of towels and place them on your bed !! 
Be ready to inhale rose petals smells and see beautiful arrangements when the hotel discovers you are on a special occasion trip :) 

The extra space gives you tremendous breathing space, cozy corners and value for money!

The Property -- Manicured lawns, smiling and courteous personnel wishing you during your stroll, beautiful and artistic locations wherein you can click pics and get those tons of likes on FB! The ease of checking in and checking out.. the golf cart rides and beautiful pathways for your serene walk..

Private pools -- The best feature money can buy/rent ! :) ideal for couples looking for some wicked fun! this is the latest trend in the hottest properties around. 
advisory warning- avoid winter time while booking this since none of them are heated pools.. Splash around with your special someone or indulge in a water volleyball match with family! 
In India, Serai - chikmagalur, Orange County ( Hampi,Kabini and Coorg), Leela Goa are good places with private pools.

The Food -- Chefs go out of the way to accommodate all your requests.. The spread of buffet and taste is so good that you want to overstuff yourself! The room service delivers your food with aplomb! Proper cutlery meets brilliant packaging!

Privacy -- Luxury places offer you the perfect serene environment with good crowd. You can be assured of a good guest list owing to the high price tag ( am not being racist here)! Discretion is the middle name of the staff who wouldn't disturb you until you call for them!

However, as life isn't bed of roses, similarly luxury vacations have many cons as well..


Price Tag : Its definitely not for the faint hearted! imagine paying minimum Rs.25,000-30,000 (plus taxes) for a single night! It works out best for people who are likely to be more indoors and use the facilities than for adventurous sorts! basically, for sloth bears :) 

Pricey Food and Beverage : Most properties (like leela and orange county) have a american plan system wherein the buffet breakfast,lunch and dinner are included for a small fee or with the room. In case, this isn't available, best way is to get a takeaway for at least one meal from outside. If the resort is on extreme outskirts then no option but to opt for the food plan. 

Also, if you are a avid drinker and love your 3-4 pegs or just want to have some fun... smuggle a bottle and coke tins/soda inside your room ! it just isn't practical to spend Rs.350 on a can of soda/coke! 

2 peg in room (with ice bucket on request) and 2 peg in their lounge will balance your wallet's status :) 

Veg food jugaad : places abroad have lesser varieties for vegetarians and in Indian Cuisine. My Hack is to carry a packet of haldiram's bhujia and relish it with bread and ketchup available in the hotel! Problem solved, happy tummy!

Instant food packs like sambhar rice, pav bhaji,bhel puri etc from haldiram's, MTR and priya are your best friends when you travel and also, if you wish to save few bucks! 

Its not wrong to be cost effective while being extravagant! :P (quite an oxymoron)

Some of the fabulous properties can be listed as : 

Atlantis - Dubai 

Orange County - Kabini, India

Kurumba - Maldives

Park Hyatt-- Hyderabad

Hyatt -- Hyderabad 

Westin Villa --Langkawi

Nusa Dua hotel and spa - Bali 

If you need any additional info about any of these hotels or generally, pls do comment :) will be happy to help !!

thanks for reading ! :) 

Love, 

Anu ! 

Short Story - Honeymoon!

"Rs.40,000/- per night!!! Don't u think its little expensive?" said jalebi.  She was shocked hearing the room rate as she was going on her honeymoon to an exotic location with the love of her life, laddu.

"but baby, look at the amenities, it is the top room available in the resort. we would have enough space, additional features and discounts in spa, private butler, pick and drop in luxury car etc. I think the money will be justified.". Laddu was trying to pacify the frayed nerves of jalebi with all the marketing tactics he could employ. He wanted to give the best in their HM to her and was looking forward for a super relaxing time.

"you think we can afford it?"

"yes dear, we can."

"alright. if u say so... now, let me finish packing!"

End of discussion, start of daydream. Jalebi saw a kaleidoscope of images of the location/hotel in her mind and the naughty way they would do justice to the room. here, was a girl who believed in the beauty of love and dreamt about all she read about love and art of lovemaking in mills and boon novels. laddu seemed the perfect guy to be hitched to, smart, tall, educated, set her pulse on treadmill speed. 

" Standing near the floor-to-ceiling glass window, soaking the visual delight of the vast blue sea with its golden grained shore, the heartbeat raced as Michael  Schumacher would race his F1 car in the winning lap. The adrenaline pumping made her uncomfortably wet in the moist centre of her being. He came up to her from behind and held her tenderly in her arms. She hesitantly kept her head back on his broad chest and lowered her back on his tummy. Most were mesmerised by the way their bodies fit in sync, the warmth radiated between them was comforting and exciting at the same time. He turned her around and looked deep in her eyes, she lowered her eyelids demurely. He coaxed her to look at him and stole a kiss from her unsuspecting lips. He laughed at her sudden widened eyes and then pinched her chin playfully. 

His arm around her waist made her feel secure and loved while her head on his chest made him feel happy and responsible. 

She went up on her toes and rubbed her face against his one day old stubble. Startled, laddu looked upon his bride with raw lust in his eyes. He never expected her to take a bold step so easily given her timid nature, this added fuel to the fire.. She wanted to DO so much, but shyness didn't let her take a step voluntarily. 

Removing the garb of being shy, jalebi raked her fingers in his hair, traced his eyebrows with her nails and pulled his mouth upon hers. Her tongue explored his lips and delved within the inviting warmth of his mouth.. he quickly responded by playing the same and biting her lower lip in a way which made her squeal in delight.. 

laddu started showering a trail of wet kisses from her lips till her tummy. A deep vampirish kiss on her throat ensured nail marks of ecstasy on his back. 

Laughing crazily, she falls back on the soft bed and is instantly bouncing on it like a kid.. Laddu feels the happiness exploding in his chest ! he walks to the bed menacingly, hoping to scare her..  But, jalebi is making all inappropriate gestures,enticing him to the point of madness. The Little Big Guy in his pants is doing a crazy tribal voodoo dance on its own.

The atmosphere in the room is crackling. She sits on the foot of the bed while laddu stands between her legs. Taking their own sweet time, she unbuttons him slowly and pushes shirt away. 

Throes of passion engulf him when he rubs her face on his belly button... Uncontrolled passion leads him to pull her hair up and kiss her senseless. "

"OOOOOOuuuuucccchhhh..........!! What are u doing laddu??"

"Wake up sleeping beauty.  Time to get ready and head to the airport. Our flight is in few hours.. Remember??" 

" Oh.. i was seeing a beautiful and erotic dream... wait till it comes true soon...."

As scheduled, they reached their destination, checked in and loved the place. The tranquility and beauty of the place was worth the flight time, the money invested and time taken off. 

Jalebi's anxiety, shyness and wildness of her heartbeat reached its zenith, anticipating her dream to come true. 

Laddu was lounging on the chair in the patio in a relaxed stance,unknown to the raging fires within jalebi's mind and body. 

She tried to initiate the love making session, but couldn't fathom the lack of interest from laddu's part.

"whats wrong? did i do something which turned u off?"

" nahi, aisa kuch nahi hai.... just need to destress the mind. The wedding and its preparations have taken a toll on me"

"But, Aint u happy we are finally together?"

" Yes, Iam very happy. however, can't explain you my mindset as of now."
"SO, what do we do now?"

"lets just enjoy the vacation and let things be spontaneous"

"my dreams, my longing of being with u , my fantasies????"

"i Promise to fulfil it all in due course of time....."

She Said YES ABHI..... and he says ABHI NAHIN!

newbie daughter-in-law's veggie shopping experience!

mother-in-law hassled with the vegetable lady in a shrill voice, " how much for the karelas? 100/kg? aiyyo... its too much.. 80 should be fine!!"...

the newly wed bahu stood dutifully behind her to learn the tactics of the most important shopping a lady endures on a daily basis.. she was trying to control the peals of laughter bubbling within her while she glanced the interesting scene around her. lots of people were walking with bulging bags of colourful veggies and trying to sort good products from not to so ones, with their free hand!

its an art to learn how to run a household and its vegetable requirements.. it sounds floozy at the moment but too many permutations and combinations are needed in order to stock your fridge with healthy stuff and not rotten goods. In a big family, the choices/tastes are different and hence, one may consume abc veggie and the other may not.. !

the daughter in law was like a management trainee in a new corporation. she had to unlearn her learning and imbibe new organisation culture and learning.. the manual instructions include mother in laws instructions! The chef's requirements! the household staff helping and aiding u on how to select a better looking vegetable and so on... Its always advisable to ask your driver to hold the bags while u shop in a sabji mandi..

as she contemplated the pricing of a big supermarket v/s sabji mandi v/s weekly neighbourhood bazaars, She was thrown the most potent weapon to tackle.. " the rates are higher on a amavasya"..LOL!!

Am sure, this trip is the HIGHLIGHT of any self-respecting household stree's daily routine.. :P

Caution : please buy your stuff with a calm mind.. or else u will have to return back to stock up your dhania.. tamatar and nimbu !! ;) 

My views on what maketh a lady!

God is very mischievous.. he provides few things in abundance but pulls out one major thing.. for example: middle class people might have too many family values,love and so on..but need to struggle for their existence! (am not being racist of anything like that).. For me, it was classy stuff like, having too much money to buy clothes but can’t fit into anything!!

this dilemma has been dogging me since doggy years.. the precise reason i DETEST apparel shopping.. however , my “weight” issues never posed a hindrance for my personality growth.. who says a woman with generous curves cannot be confident enough to face the world? should she be veiled under anonymity?

surely, the world judges you on your physical attributes first.. and as they say,naughtily, SIZE matters.. lol!!

at the start, its cute when random aunties pull your cheeks and say “aww baby, so cute”. after passage of time, the same ladies,with their panties in bunch, make comments about the impending marriage, how clothes should be worn, how to behave etc while imparting any nonsense they know about shedding the skin, just like a snake would do!

no one would want to look ugly, wear ill fitting clothes, tolerate the unsolicited advices and still smile despite all this. It isn’t a lifestyle, but merely a hurdle of your physical attribute. Some can be due to genes.. some due to irregular hormones or lifestyle..! this can be corrected or at least kept in check if the person does something for it.

Crash diets.. weight loss pills.. lipo..gymming..baba ramdev..green tea.. etc are the most commonly heard “crash courses” by over enthu gyaan gurus. The reality being that every body’s metabolism reacts differently. what may work for a person,might not work for the other. In indian society, if you do not follow “the norm” , you are instantly labelled as a lazy person who doesn’t listen to the good advices.!! gosh!! give it a break guys!

Grey is a beautiful colour. not entirely black nor white. just the right mix.! similarly a personality should have a shade of grey. having the extreme attitudes in a perfect balance. I consider myself to be a great example of this! drink like a bear but pray like a saint. Smoke like a chimney but cook like a pro.. dance till you drop but greet your guests properly… getting my drift?? thats when the perfect balance is achieved. you enjoy your freedom yet are restricted by your values.

Managing human resources is the most tiresome job of being a smart manager. This can be achieved easily by having a beautiful smile always which is juxtaposed with kinds words for everyone around you. This will gain you immense respect and popularity in a short while. I practise what i preach strongly.

being extrovert has its own benefits.! you can walk into any party/event/anywhere and light it up with your exuberance and instantly connect with lots of personnel and build your network. you are never shy to approach anyone and start a conversation. it also makes you independent in your ways of life and gives u the ” LETS DO IT” attitude!

religiously being religious is also an important attribute. Praying and thanking god for the good life you lead is a way of staying grounded and humble. Have faith in any particular god u like, maybe ganeshji, balaji, allah,jesus etc.. and stay calm!:)

3 am friends..phone friends…hang out friends..buddies etc.. har friend zaroori hota hai! truly immortalised by the epic airtel ad.! its essential to be a good friend to someone and having good friends for yourself!  They are your extended family, who love you unconditionally, put up with your tantrums, share your secrets, act as sounding board, your drinking companions, partners in crimes and so on… there are many stuff which cannot be said to parents or relatives but can be ranted out verbally in a colourful language with them.. cheers to a beautiful thing known as friendship ! :) 

wedging your way between irresponsible pedestrians, crazy motorbikers, zooming cars and suddenly some jackass tries to overtake you from a scary position.. what would u do? Abuse in every language every cuss word possible !! :P :P i personally feel, its a therapeutic experience in exhaling the cuss words to highlight the stress points in a conversation or just to show your irritation ! its kinda orgasmic in saying “bahenchod, chutiya etc” with full passion..! lol..

Somras is an awesome invention by our ancestors..! the blissful sleep you get after getting sloshed/high is just right! at times, i feel like gulping down alcohol just to sleep well! the rule of drinking with friends is first peg is voluntary.. second is complementary, third is persuasion and 4th is BC,leke aa!! :P Rum-coke, vodka-coke and watermelon based cocktails are YUM !!!!!!

guess, my buck stops here.. 

A Quickie on Retail Therapy :)

Shopping...!! 

This word can raise the blood pressure in men and induce adrenaline rush in women! :)

Variegation in the purpose of shopping can be attempted to be listed as follows :
Window, blowing parents' money, retail therapy, aivehi, spur of the moment, too much money,budget etc..

Online shopping definitely has advantages but the charm of scouting stores physically and "checking out" stuff is a sport in itself..
you can hog to your heart's content, bitch about the heat with others, feel accomplished (as if u have won the olympic medal), crib about the traffic and parking slots etc.. Makes life worthwhile!

The usual dialogues that u need to learn and practice in order to be a shopping pro are:

Shopper:

1. bhaiyya, yeh/woh wala dikhana!  ( wasting time and energy of the salesman , poor guy)
2. kitne ka hai?  (curiosity's answer will kill the cat :P )
3. sahi dam bataye... (just check the price tag attached!! )
4. DISCOUNT??  (she forgot to see the "fixed rate board")
5. maal to thik hai na?  (he is selling u china maal...beware)
6. pichle dukanwala was giving at xyz rate!!  (why don't u go back and buy it?)

Shopkeeper:

1. ekdum naya maal hai.. ( just transfered from the stock room to the main showroom)
2. Absolutely single piece made! (salesman knows he has already sold 4 of them)
3. nahi nahi, fixed rate hai ( will bargain if desperate)
4. search entire shops, u won't find this rate and quality (buckchodi)
5. naa aapka naa mera, this rate is final! (premature/final ejaculation of the price :P)
6. paying by cash or card? card charges extra!! (this is the asterisk of terms and conditions)
7. here, take this eclair instead of change! (sweetening the tough deal)

hope u liked reading this quick take on shopping.... feel free to write your additional views in comments or on my fb post !