My Thoughts Keyboarded

In the city where meals are happier than people who have it, no one has time to live in the moment. We even press ‘close’ button in the lift several times hoping it would close faster. We hold our breath in weekdays and breathe out during weekends. We constantly long for long weekends. While we like living in this city, we love escaping it during long weekends.  Perhaps we believe our work is our purpose, and holiday is a form of reward. But if you were to take two week holiday with no new city to visit or agenda to attend to, you would go crazy. That was exactly my mindset when I had a surgery recently. My gallbladder was removed and I had to rest for couple of weeks. My activity for the day were eat, sleep, pee and a short walk around the block.  First few days flew as I concentrated on finding the best position to sleep, and enjoying the attention from others.  And then there was my mom. After the operation I couldn't take the pain and I wept on her sho...

Happy birthday Singapore, thanks for enriching my life in many ways. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lMeihSWbxs

Singapore is.. Where Chinese who lives in Malaysia, and Malay who lives in Singapore have similar customs. Its safe to drink tap water and yet most of them buy mineral water bottle (which now believed to have harmful chemicals) Tipping a taxi driver or anyone is considered an insult! People get pissed off when train takes a second or two to open the doors to the platform. Pedestrian thinks pressing the signal umpteen times would make it green soon. Rickshaw tours are still popular. -----------you can find public toilet almost anywhere :)----------- you can see devoted chinese in Ganapathi temples and Indians in Budda temple . The second part mostly involves cannon camera (those with big lenses which looks exactly like the big cannons at war) shutterbugs. People take part in walking, running and sometimes shaving the head ,not to win but only to donate money to charities. Men walk around completely "free" in swimming pool shower rooms. Milo can be decl...

King of skies, a show not to be missed in bird's park There is a general perception that Singapore tourism is over rated. What is in Singapore that’s unique? It’s probably smaller than the city you are living now or countries you have already visited. Many call it the microstate of Asia. It does not have cultural monuments like churches of Europe or temples of India, There are no spectacular natural sceneries like that of Holland or Amazon forests, there are no blue beaches and definitely not much history or artefacts to compete with others. But I bet you cannot show me a country with similar background, attracting millions of visitors each year. A culture that’s melting pot of Chinese, Malay, Indian and Arabic communities. A central hub for travel & transportation, 4 national languages, several museums, a budget destination and a perfect example of the quote “It’s not what you got but what you give”. Every brick of Singapore that shines today is result of constant planni...

My mom was so dissapointed since the lion didnot vomit, on that day ;) In the last few days I was so busy shopping, packing and couriering stuff that I forgot the change happening to ME. I have to adapt to different lifestyle, culture and people. You might think it’s not big a deal for someone who lived in India for 28 years and that's my sweet home. But if you have lived a perfect system like Singapore your standards of everything is set and it’s such a pain to revert back to the old ways. Singapore has become my home away from home. In India I would be judged for all my actions, but here I can be myself and still be respected as a person. There are no questions about what time I go home, what I eat/drink and to which deity I bow my head to. When I came here, I realized the only way I could fit in, is be unique and different just like Merlion of Singapore. A photo with Merlion is destined to be framed for the show case. And I bet people won’t ask you where but when it’s take...

Serenity personified You can make out the places someone travelled just by looking at their fridge door, thanks to invention of magnets. If you want to pick up souvenirs for self or for your friends at budget rates, the place to go is china town. You just need an evening to explore this 6th in the countdown attraction. Get down at china town MRT and take the pagoda road exit. Above this exit, stands a beautiful garden bridge from which you can see the architectural beauty of the china town. All through Pagoda road there are 3 for $10 shops selling different souvenirs. You can also buy table top decorative here, beware some shops are exuberantly priced. Once you are at the end of the road, quench yourself with chilled Thailand coconuts. Then take right and you can see the famous Hindu (Mariamman) temple. Keep walking and you would reach Buddha tooth relic temple around the corner. It's the biggest Chinese temple in Singapore (so you can’t miss it) dedicated to Maitreya Buddha....

Last night I was gifted a box Lindt Swiss thins from a friend. It’s a chocolate I would want to safeguard for me in locker. While returning from train station I saw this couple walking along. The dad was carrying a small and cutest baby. Being me, I opened a conversation. The one month old angel’s name is Valarie. Valarie then yawned, a most beautiful one and rubbed her eyes to look at ‘the talking’ me. That was enough for Lindt to find its way from mine to her mom’s hand. The most important things in life are not THINGS. And Giving is more satisfying than receiving. Garden festivel - 08 Let’s start the countdown of the attractions you have been waiting so far. I narrowed it down to 10 places. For anyone who wants to visit Singapore the first website you should be looking at is this . It has got all the information you need for your trip. We have already seen how green Singapore is in this post . One thing my mom liked about Singapore is that there is at least one park, walk-a...

Its official now! I got my itinerary for travel to India. Next week same time I would be home. I am not sure whether I am excited or scared or happy. Last two nights went sleepless, while I was trying to find my closure. I know its going to be ok. It’s just the anxiety and discomforts of the transition stage that's flipping me out. Near Espalande Singapore 20 december 2007 It’s hard to summarize two years of my life here. I learnt cooking, washing and also the one thing I thought I would never do, the thing I hated for my entire life – Ironing. I learnt more about myself through difficult times, because I was all by myself. Living away from family would teach you more lessons than any college will. I missed my family in the first few months and also had a terrible break up from a long time relationship. I vividly remember breaking down in the toilet of an amusement park. Albeit, it’s all those things that sculpted ME and I am grateful for it. My office building. On the flip...