I left my heart in Egypt

My love story with Egypt began when I started reading about the temples of Abu Simbel and Pharoahs in secondary school. I spent years and years dreaming about visiting one day...but I had yet to make a concrete plan. Then one new york morning, a cabbie from Cairo re-kindled that dream in me. And so it began...

I started toying with the idea of actually going to Egypt. A few random emails to friends and casual research got the process flowing. We found an amazing tour via Contiki and started researching dates. I couldn't believe it was happening! It all seemed unreal. We encountered numerous hurdled with visas and tickets.....but in the end, we ended up making it to Egypt!! What followed was 10 of the most unforgettable days of my life. All other travels and adventures have paled in comparison.

I had to pinch myself when I got out of the Cairo airport. I felt I belonged to Egypt the moment i arrived there....it was very strange. It was as if I had found a missing part of my life. Our tour guide, Mohammed, gave me the name - Amun (derived from Amu, derived from Amrita). Amun as in the Sun God. Amun as in the most powerful God of Egypt.

From witnessing the glory and architectural wonders of Karnak, Abu Simbel and Luxor; to having endless discussions about Akhenaten, Ramesses, Tuthmosis and Nefertiti; I felt a deep contentment. Leaving Egypt has left me numb. It was as if Egypt was the way of life and everything else was irrelevant. It was not a casual vacation for me...it was an unforgettable journey.

Shukran,
-Amun
P.S: Stay tuned for a day by day account with pictures...

The advent of the late twenties

It's the beginning of a new era in my life. The one in which I get to be responsible, mature...yada yada. I was clinging on to the faint line of early-twenties till now. 25 was a lovely age to be in mentally. As I was not a girl anymore....but not yet a woman either (Britney Spears be damned).

Here's what I was thinking on the last few birthdays... Hahaha! How come I was always dumbstruck by the reality of age?!

August 2006
20 something...I had myself a happy birthday on 6th August :-) Ushered in a brand new year flanked by friends and family. Never before have I felt so special, fortunate and blessed. The wishes from those near and far meant a lot. Many friends actually took the trouble to fly/drive in to NYC to celebrate ...that was just amazing. And celebrate we did.....night out at Crobar where we celebrated both mine and Krishna's birthdays....lazy brunches....dinners at home....chilling at central park...Gooood times!

Potha actually said..."You just completed the best 25 years of your life. It's all downhill from here" Maybe so, but I choose to think not! :-P

Friday, 6th August 2004
Happy Birthday to moi! I think I'm going to stick to the thought that I'm 21....cant relate to the fact that I'm 23 now! Oh well...in an apparent wave of proud proclmations.....heres to meee! lol...hehehe
Song of the day: 'Stairway to heaven' by Led Zeppelin

Wednesday, 6th August'2003
Happy Birthday to meeeeeeeeeee!! :) i'm 22 today....gosh i feel old! ;) Please see bday pics under the photos section.
Song of the day: 'In da club' by 50 cent

Actually, in all honesty, I'm fine with growing older. The word "Independence" is going to an all new level now. I get to begin a lot of projects that I didn't have the maturity and/or freedom to handle before. I'm taking the initiative to travel and follow my passions. I'm looking at life in a new light as well as I hope to find answers to two big questions by the end of this glorious year. The questions being - What do I see myself doing 5 years from now? And where? Technology has been my interest for a really long time...and I still couldn't give it up. But then there's the other side of me that starts flapping it's wings desperately whenever possible....my alter ego. The Amrita who would rather be a journalist or a social worker or a musician or a stage director. I've been trying to let her take over as much as time and energy would allow. But as internal pressure and restlessness rise, I need to find answers soon.

So what are the deltas in the last week as I crossed the big bridge between 25 and 26? ..... I get annoyed by 20 something scantily clad hipsters in clubs and bars now...shocking!! I want to only hang out at unpretentious joints and spend quality time with intellectuals. I'm also finding it really peaceful to spend a lot of alone time during the week. Self-sufficiency I think it's called.

Hmm...what else is different? Ah yes! The marriage scene. All of a sudden for my elders....I'm precariously close to my expiry date for marriage...cos I'm no longer 25. In the one day, that it took me to turn 26, I'm suddenly too old to be married. My parents are actually quite cool...but they sometimes give in to societal pressure. This is the point when I have to intervene and reiterate for the 200th time that I'm not married yet out of choice...and not some grave tragedy. Mentally, I'm ready to settle down but not settle ...you know what I mean? I'd rather wait for a while and make sure I'm doing the right thing than repent later. I'm too rebellious to settle for anything anyway...so I'm not worried!

Till then, there are oh so many things to be done in life. As one of my friends recently said "30 is the new 20". Cheers to that concept!! :-)

Love,
-Ammu

Happy Birthday to me

Turned 26.....aging like fine wine hopefully :-) YAY!

August 3rd news

- Arkansas couple welcomes 17th child. Is it just me? Or is this ridiculous!!
- It's a long weekend for me... :) Cos hey shawty....ish my budday....on Monday!
- There was a gorgeous clap of thunder outside right now..
- I think some guys have stopped going dutch in restaurants now...they expect the woman to pay... hmm...worrisome
- What should I do with myself on my budday? Spa visit?
- I'm writing performance reviews for work ...and it's booo-ring!
- I just realized that the last few months can be categorized as quarter life crisis
- Strange sub found in NY
- My buddy just got a second ear piercing....i'm really kicked about getting a second one too...an awesome excuse to buy more earrings. (I loove earrings!)
- I love my friends...truly...
- I can't believe i'm in the latter half of the 20's in 3 day! :S
- I need more shoes! And music!

Was listening to:-
~ 'Pehchaan' by Penn Masala
~ 'La Valse d'Amelie' by Yann Tiersen
~ 'Throw it on me' by Timbaland
~ 'Billie Jean' by Caetano Veloso

Love,
-Ammu

Awakenings

This is probably the first time in the last 6 or so years of blogging that Amrita's Musings has been post less for a few months. (I personally don’t count photos and videos as posts :P !)It has been a writer's block of the worst kind. Now, as I sit here drinking my cup of hot coffee and watch the rain sing an end to another busy weekend, I think it's time I tried hard to flush out the block.

May has been a month of awakenings - cultural, physical, spiritual, musical and psychological. I'm usually a happy and positive person, but a series of upsetting events in the last couple of months threw me into a very morbid state of mind. I have been stimulating myself rapidly and doing things that make me feel good about myself. I did take one item off the list of 3 things to do before I die - I colored my hair red. Seriously! And it looks fabulous :)

The soundtrack of this musing is ...
- Rahat Fateh Ali Khan's album Tere Bina
- Cafe Del Mar #1
- Lounge Café
- “X&Y” by Coldplay
- Incredible India

Parsing Psychologies...

My mind has been a veritable mish-mash of issues, events, people and stress. While trying to sort through these, I read an interesting quote by Albert Einstein. He said, “No problem can be solved from the same consciousness that created it. We must learn to see the world anew.” The solution lay in raising my consciousness and investigating possibilities.

I used to live by the phrase “You don’t find happiness, you create it”. But it’s not that simple anymore. Finding mental peace has become a challenge. I attribute New York City to half of the turmoil. The other half is life. I’m not new to dealing with life, but what was missing was a realization of self-worth and my priorities. Thankfully, every experience - good or bad - leads to an increase in self-awareness. You realize what's important to you and what's not. How to deal with people and circumstances. How to manage expectations, of yourself and of others. How to strike the right balance between giving too much of yourself versus being selfish. How to make it in a man's world as a woman. Do I need to stuff a pair of socks down my pants to be recognized for my professional worth?

I felt so wronged a couple of months ago when a relationship came to a crass end. I could have chosen to turn the other way and never talk to the person anymore. But I’ve always lived by the principle of forgiveness. It’s easy to block the person out of your life but it leaves you with such a stinging bitterness that it erodes your soul. So I chose the exact opposite. I detached myself from the hurt and opened all channels of communication. I feel so free now :-) People think I’m stupid…. but I’m only preserving my heart and soul. This relationship did make me realize what was important to me in a partner. So for that, I’m thankful. As pressure builds from the home front and by my imminent 26th birthday, I’m getting nervous as I am also realizing the importance of having someone to share my joys and sorrows with. All in good time my love…all in good time.

Spiritual Sunrise

Summer is here! And the sunshine has done me good. I spent a weekend bumming around on the beach in Southampton. Life looks beautiful when you’re well stocked with Vitamin D and especially when you’re lying in a hammock staring at the blue sky through lush green trees. Suddenly the leaves part and the sun shines through…and everything is ok :-)




Adrenaline Pumping..

It's a spectacular feeling to do a grapevine to ‘bhangra’ with 1000 other people under the brilliant sunshine in Central Park. That was how the SELF workout in the Park went. There were a ton of workout sessions of different kinds. Some friends and I attended most of them. The most funnest of all was “Masala Bhangra” by Sarina Jain. 4-5 hours of sweating it out was a really great way to get the blood rushing through my head.

Musical Me

You know you're different from a typical techie/banker when you read the Rolling Stone on your commute to work instead of WSJ or Economist or Wired!! The 40th anniversary issue has been a fun read so far.

That being said, it's been sad to be stuck in a musical rut. But that's another area that I revived with a bit of help from my friends. I attended a string of concerts in the last month that has left me tingling for more….

Shivkumar Sharma with Zakhir Hussain - Town Hall, May 5th 2007

This was a great concert albeit sleep inducing owing to the soothing strains of the Santoor. Zakhir pulled me out of my lulled state of mind by slapping out unimaginable beats.

Arcade Fire - Radio City Music Hall, May 9th 2007

What a concert? I've loved this band since the days of Vertigo (U2's tour in 2005). I'd never seen them live and jumped at the opportunity when Rick offered me his extra ticket. (Thanks buddy!) The ensemble was phenomenal live! They played some instruments that I'd never even seen before. Very talented and energetic band. It was also great to hang out with my old U2.com gang again. (Missing Noreen and Nivi in the crew)

Raagamala – New Victory Theater, May 13th 2007

Raagamala is a Bharatanatyam troupe from Minneapolis. Founded by Ranee Ramaswamy, the troupe offers a fresh take on the dance form by fusing it with ballet, jazz and folk. The show was great and the finale was spell-binding. Raagamala collaborated with Art Lee's Taiko ensemble - Wadaiko Tokara. The fusion of these 2 beat heavy art forms was magical.

Falu - Mercury Lounge, 31st May 2007

Falguni Shash a.k.a Falu is quite talented. I’d heard of her before but this was the first concert. I’m definitely going back for more. I had a great time at this one. Her voice is powerful and sweet. The band itself is really down to earth and friendly.

Kings of Leon - Roseland Ballroom, June 5th 2007

Ok, what just happened? I used to hate them in Vertigo days....they sounded awful. But they kicked ass in this show. I'm suddenly loving their songs and their performance. There was actually a mosh pit going on during the show....I couldn't believe it! KOL rocked. I'm seeing them again in September

Next up… A.R.Rehman on June 16th 2007. Looking forward to it :-)

And to sum things up…

I’m back. I feel complete. Hopefully, no more serious writer's blocks....
Cheers, Have a good week ahead :-)

Love,
-Amrita

Yosemite!!

I spent this past weekend in Yosemite national park - camping, hiking and being one with nature (excuse the cliche!). It was breathtaking! The camping was super fun - the hiking was super exciting - the experience was mindblowing!! Here are some pictures for you to see what I saw :-)

Cloud covered Yosemite Valley. El Capitan on the left, Bridal Veil Fall and Cathedral rock on the right. Somewhere down the middle is Half Dome and Sentinal Rock...blocked by clouds.



View of the Upper Yosemite Falls from the road. I took this shot with negative exposure and I really like how it turned out :)



Aahhhh - once we setup our camp site by the river - Sri and I took a breather and this was captured perfectly by Mads.



The next morning.....




Some portfolio shots courtesy Sri ;)



Me being myself :)

Recap

I know I know...a whole month between posts....not good/fair!! I cant believe it myself. It's been a whirlwhind month too. London-Bath-Stonehenge-Windsor. Then 2 weeks of quality time with friends who were visiting (day trips to Philly and Brooklyn). Topped with a few weeks of something crazy good. And a very interesting trip to Chicago last weekend. Life's been hectic man! I get a 3 day break before heading off to a camping adventure in Cali. Just thought I'd write in before that. Also to ensure my loyal readers that I am alive :-)
Here are some pics from London meanwhile....

The Great Court of the British Museum



Big Ben at night from the London Eye



Me in the streets of London :)



St.Paul's looms over London city



Keep smiling. Take care. Baila!
-Amrita

When dreams come true

I'm in London....better believe it!
After dreaming about it for more than a decade.....the end result of a totally whimsical plan....I'm in London.

Can I get a Yipppeeeee?? ;)

Cheers!

(adding a pic as proof for Mosi...)

Home

If this isnt utopia...I dont know what is.

Ammu is Des-bound

Dilli Diaries - Day Zero

It's time to go home...

It's time for a little romance with the wind over the Aravalis,
The same questions ("Do you cook there?"; "Do you have friends? Are they Indians?") ,
The same once-overs ("You've become so dark/fair"; "You've lost/gained so much weight") ,
Feeling the familiar rush of patriotism as I cruise down Rajpath and Shantipath,
Ducking behind my mother as she expertly plays the bargain game in Janpath,
Wrapping myself in a shawl on a foggy winter morning, sipping coffee and chatting with dad,
Eating peanuts on the terrace on a sunny Sunday afternoon in the winter,
All this; while my stomach transforms into a bottomless pit as I gorge on Idlis - Bathure Chole - Sambaar - Koottu - Kachoris - Gaajar ka halwa - Tharatipaal - Filter coffee - Nirula's Hot Chocolate Fuge - Adai - ... ,

And just like that; for a few beatific days; my soul is at peace.

*sigh*

As Ozzy would say - "Mama I'm coming home!"

:-)

Think about this

I've been reading Feynman's works of late. Currently reading - "Surely you're joking Mr. Feynman". While researching about him, I found one of his snippets very interesting.

"But I don't have to know an answer. I don't feel frightened by not knowing things, by being lost in the mysterious universe without having any purpose, which is the way it really is, as far as I can tell, possibly. It doesn't frighten me."

It really makes so much sense....at least to me. Now before I elaborate more....I'm signing off to do some real work ;-) But, you know it's a good day when you see two posts here :-)

ciao ciao,
-mee

Tagged by 5...

Courtesy some really Spooky Action in The Distance... :P (See Rajesh, I told you I'd get to it eventually)

Ten Years Ago

1. I was 15 years old
2. Joined Delhi public school - R.K.Puram...a whole new chapter in my life
3. Realized that geeks of higher magnitude and competence existed on the planet
4. Life was fun again...even though really challenging.
5. It was awesome to have dad back with us. He had been transferred to Lucknow for 3 yrs.

Five Years Ago

1. I was 20 years old
2. Had moved to Tucson, Arizona for college. Best time of my life. Made a zillion friends. Had learnt how to live on my own and how to not miss home too much.
3. The highest of highs and the lowest of lows. But still loved every second of it.
4. Countless adventures. Awesome hikes, amazing road trips.
5. Suffered my first and most serious heartbreak ever. It changed me for the better. When I look back, I would have dealt with the situation differently....but given I was only 19-20 yrs old...I think I turned out good. Thanks to my buddies.

Last One Year

1. Professionally: Entered the whole work life deal....it's all that and a bag of chips (as Frito would say)
2. Intellectually: Got my second degree!! YAY :-)
3. Artfully: Started learning a new dance form and actually took part in an ensemble performance! (more on that later)
4. Personally: Made a truckload of friends....and some very special connections. Cried and laughed a lot. Heartbreaks+1
5. Musically: Met The Edge and got his autograph!!! Attended an up-close and personal U2 concert. Attended a Roger Waters concert!!

Yesterday

1. Pulled a late night at work...and got a lot done :-)
2. Saw some great kathak pictures.
3. Froze my butt off in the cold.
4. Yapped away with a friend to catch up on his Peruvian adventures.
5. Finalized plans for the great Zootopian gettogether this weekend :) Yay!

Five Things Planned for next 5 Years

1. World domination.
2. Visit Egypt.

Five Yummy Things

1. Coffee
2. Johnny Depp
3. Chocolate, Idlis
4. Clive Owen
5. Gael Barnal Garcia

Five Songs I know by heart

I suck at learning lyrics. But any U2, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd song is usually more lyrically easier for me. Other than that, I usually remember songs well after I've heard them a couple of times.

Five Things I'd do If I had Money

1. Buy a house for my parents, wherever they wished...with sweeping gardens for my mom to enjoy....and sunlight for my dad.
2. Buy a condo in the city in a high rise, loft style!
3. Leave aside some for the future. And donate the rest.
4. Quit and travel the world. Probably move back to India as well...

Places I Escape to

1. Into music.
2. Dancing
3. Into a book.
4. With Bugs and Tigs.
5. Taking a walk...wherever...whenever.
6. Pictures.

(ok, so that was 6)

TV Shows

1. Friends
2. Mash
3. Whose line is it anyway?
4. Sex & the City
5. X-Files

Five Things I Can't Live Without

1. With the people I share my life with.
2. Coffee
3. Music
4. Dancing
5. My computer

Five Things I Can Live Without

1. See above. Negate that.

Five Favourite Ethnic Cuisines

1. Indian
2. Thai
3. Greek
4. Italian
5. Mexican

Five best places to visit

1. Home...wherever my parents are.
2. Kerala
3. Arizona....not the touristy stuff...the real beauty lies in the roads less travelled.
4. California
5. Rajasthan

Tagged: Anyone who's reading this right now!! :P

And the tears fell...

...it was one of those mornings. I think this song sums it up. "Is it any wonder?" by Keane.

I always thought that I knew
I'd always have the right to
Be living in the kingdom of the good and true
And so on
But now I think I was wrong
And you were laughing along
And now I look a fool for thinking you were on, my side

Is it any wonder that I'm tired?
Is it any wonder that I feel uptight?
Is it any wonder I don't know what's right?

Sometimes
It's hard to know where I stand
It's hard to know where I am
Or maybe it's a puzzle I don't understand
Sometimes I get the feeling that I'm
Stranded in the wrong time
Where love is just a lyric in children's rhyme, a soundbite

Is it any wonder that I'm tired?
Is it any wonder that I feel uptight?
Is it any wonder I don't know what's right
Oh these days?
After all the misery you made
Is it any wonder that I feel afraid?
Is it any wonder that I feel betrayed?

Nothing left beside this old cathedral
Just the sad lonely spires
How do you make it right?

Oh but you try
Is it any wonder that I'm tired?
Is it any wonder that I feel uptight?
Is it any wonder I don't know what's right?
Oh these days
After all the misery you made
Is it any wonder that I feel afraid?
Is it any wonder that I feel betrayed?