Thailand _2016

My family is the bestest! I swear we are. In January 2016, around 30 of us(I kid you not!) with ages ranging from 10 to 80, decided to take a trip to Thailand(Yep, you read that right!).
It was a brillant idea by my daddy cool who took up the entire responsibility of organizing the trip right from the passport/visa nonsense to the accomodation bit to the sight seeing etc. Of course everyone pitched in some form or the other but it was basically his idea to get the family together for their first ever International trip. Thailand was an obvioius choice considering this was largely a "budget trip"! He ensured everybody was comfortable, budgets were drawn up much in advance, and more importantly he made sure we stuck to it!
We were going to spend 3 nights in Bangkok and do a day trip to Pattaya beach as well for all that parasailing & beach fun !
The obvious airline of choice was Air Asia which wasn't as bad as I expected it to be. We were told to pack really "minimal" luggage, so that we had no trouble of paying extra for baggage.. See I told you, it is a budget trip!
The highlight of our trip was our stay at Citadines Sukhumvit  8. It was a service apartment which was super luxurious! The breakfast was really yum with lots of variety, the rooms were clean and the service was great! Thanks to my uncle G who spent a lot of time researching options and finally came up with this one - thumbs up !
The other good thing was that we had a bunch of people joining us from Mumbai as well. Uma aunty came with a huge bagful of Gujrati snacks.. I kid you not, my family survived Bangkok largely because of the theplas and khakras ! :P Thanks Uma aunty for being super generous!
Although some of us had been to Thailand earlier, we sportingly joined them in the sight seeing. We had organized a lady guide with a van to take us around and boy she was a funny one !
We went to all the usual sights - Buddha temples(Wat Pho which houses the Golden Buddha), the Royal Palace, the Nong nooch Garden, Animal Safari(we had a blast in this one!) and of course the famous night markets - Indra market, Chattuchak, MBK Mall etc.
We had an equally adventurous time at Pattaya - Believe it or not, there was an 80 year old uncle who wanted to parasail and he actually did it ! Mind blowing stuff. I had the best time with my sisters - Sne, Sanj and we also had a great time with Devs who wanted to try "street food" one evening and we actually walked across the hotel and had the guts to try some authentic yucky Thai food.. I told you my family is one helluva adventurous group !  And oh there was another 70 year old Athai who wanted to experience a traditional Thai massage, I'm telling you.. we were just freaking out big time!!
Overall we had a wonderful time and I'm leaving you guys with lots of random pics of all the fun we had... I guess the pics are self explanatory :) Happy viewing!

The "almost" full group !

The gorgeous Pattaya Beach

Wat Pho Golden Buddha

Yep my family goes nuts whenever there's Hindi music playing!

One of my fave evening shots of BKK :)

5 years up!

Dear Chintu,
I know I've been super irregular at blogging this year but nothing would stop me from my yearly ritual of writing to you. Maybe I am doing this because a decade later I might read my blog and reminisce all that we went through and feel good about it. Or maybe it is just my way of expressing my emotions and love for you. Call it what you want but nothing's gonna stop me from doing this. So here I go..
We've been through Year 1, Year 2, Year 3 and Year 4 but I can vehemently state that nothing, absolutely nothing can come close to what we've been through this year. This past year has been super rough on us as a couple in every aspect possible - working professionals, family life, health etc. But as I look back, I can proudly state that we've been through some really horrid and testing times and I am sure it has prepared us to accept each other for who we are. At the same time, it has also taught us to make changes, we've learnt to adjust to each other's liking, we've learnt the art of balancing work and home, we've learnt the art of balancing social life and "our" life etc. So much learning in such less time! I will admit. There were so many times when I doubted we would sustain. Everyone around us was pissed off - my folks, your folks, my friends, your friends, my extended family etc. However, I must say that we are truly blessed with some really supportive family and friends. You know who they are and I don't have to mention any of them. But I would like to use this space to acknowledge all that they have done for us, despite their own busy schedules. My parents, your parents.. it goes without saying.. My bestie, M. Your colleague M. My cousin Sne. Your friends CP and D. And their respective spouses, S and V. I'm positive that without all these people and their counsel, we would not be where we are today. And I would like to say a huge THANK YOU to each and everyone I've mentioned here. We love you and are forever indebted to you guys! <3 nbsp="" p="">
I know it is really childish on my part to imagine that our bad times are behind us and that we know each other truly well. Sadly no. Each day is a new day and brings with it a new learning. But the one thing that remains constant is how much you care for me. The number of times you've headed to the store to pick up medicine. The umpteen number of times you've loaned me cash because I've been too lazy to go to the ATM. The nights you made your yummylicious peanut salad.. Slurrp! Please make it again for me.. it is to die for !

The best part about our life is the wanderlust, of course. Amsterdam was such an adventure! Bruges was stunningly beautiful. Ghent was so lively. Brussels, though not my most favorite, was still a chocolate lover's heaven ! Thank you for splurging and indulging in all these places. I truly am very very lucky! The best bit was of course our family trip to Bangkok(which I really need to blog about soon!) - all that street food, evening walks, Thai food and of course the shopping.. Hmmm lovely memories! I eagerly look forward to all the trips we will undertake this year and of course all those superb photographs that you take.

This year is a crucial year for us in so many ways. I shall blog about in detail(hopefully soon!). I pray that we enjoy each day as it comes and most importantly, be there for each other when required. Here's wishing you loads of luck, good health, prosperity and hope you get all that you desire.
Happy 5th anniversary, Chintu!
Leaving you with one of my favorite collage that I posted on my Instagram page this year - sums it all up :)
Love,
Aishu

"In life it's not where you go, it's who you travel with"! Love that we started traveling and never stopped. Half a decade with my BFF today! 😁 #anniversary#5years — with Karthik Balaswamy.

Belgium_2015

Continued from here..

With a heavy heart and a semi heavy luggage(thanks to some super shopping at their department store, HEMA!), we left Amsterdam to Antwerp. The Antwerp Central Station is super pretty! The architecture is brillant, it has a nice ancient cum modern twist to it! It has 4 levels and is super busy. In fact, I could add Antwerp to my itinerary just to go and sit in the station & people watch  ;-)

We stayed at Hotel Eden, which was again a good choice as it a mere stone's throw from this beautiful station. Now since we had such a tight schedule, K and I had to be a little picky on what we wanted to see. We had exactly 24 hours in this cute city, so the same evening we took a walk to the Grote Market Square which was wonderfully lit up ! I got some pretty cool shots on my phone.
The next day we headed to the gorgeous Our Lady's Cathedral. Man. It was simply mind blowing. I couldn't bring myself out of it. So peaceful, calm and quiet. Lit a candle and just sat down while K took pictures. Total state of bliss! Antwerp had a few more really cute cathedrals which we were lucky to check out. And the best bit about Belgium has to be their fries or Frites as they are called in local parlance. They are delicious! And you can pick from options such as Ketchup, Mayo, Ketchup mayo mixed and so forth. Slurrp.
And oh. I became one Instagram paithyam * on this trip. Europe has such interesting and pretty sights that I had to keep uploading pics endlessly. Sigh. Below is my piccollage of Antwerp -

*paithyam = mental in Tamil

Around 4 pm local time, we caught a train from the Antwerp Centraal to head to Bruges. This part of the trip was what I was most expecting! 2 reasons -
1. K had been to this ultra cute town way back in 2010 and he had told me tales and tales of how cute it is
2. I had to sorta believe him when I saw the movie PK. Yep. The initial scenes where Anushka Sharma is cycling were shot in this town.
So I was really looking forward to this.
Bruges is filled with cobble stones. And our hotel Bla Bla(I swear that is what it is called!) was like super far! At least it felt like that because we literally had to drag our luggage and keep walking.
But as soon I stepped into the town, every word which K said was true. Quaint, pretty, lovely weather, hardly any people or noise... it was a dream place!
Even our hotel was like that. Adorable!
We had already planned on renting bikes and riding around town the next day. Each bike comes with a little basket which you can use to keep any stuff that you buy. Plus we carried an umbrella each because it rains on and off. We kept going and it was so much fun! The weather was perfect and thankfully we had the brains to carry a light jacket since the wind just kept blowing. We kept going and going through until we came to an even smaller countryside with a little cafe/dessert bar. We tucked into some delicious hot chocolate.. Ahh. Now is probably a good time to tell you that Belgian chocolates are indeed yummylicious and worth all that hype. Also, their waffles.
Bruges also has a lovely landmark, the Church of our Lady. This particular church happens to house the famous work of Michelangelo's The Madonna and Child. Bruges also has a very Amsterdamish feel to it as it is full of canals and trees. My happy face below sums it up -

And oh. Please do visit the Minnewater Lake also known as the Lake of Love! Now I'm not a romantic and all that.. but this place is worth visiting! It oozed charm! Legend has it that the girl Minna who was in love with a warrior, escaped from her father and died in this park. That too in the arms of her beloved. Sigh. It has little lakes, a castle, trees that look stunning in all the Fall colors, horse carriages that ferry people around, little cafes that sell frites, chocolates and waffles, tourists taking a zillion selfies (yup. I was one too!).. It is perfect.
Please plan a trip to Bruges, a must visit :))

The next morning we took a train to another not so famous town in Belgium, Ghent. To be honest, I've not heard anything about this place. Ghent also has a cute small town feel but very different from Bruges. It is more like a University town..kinda like Springfield, Missouri :)) 

The best bit about Ghent was the St.Michael's bridge. I absolutely loved just standing there and watching the hordes of people/tourists walk by and take pictures. The nights were especially beautiful - it was all lit up and we got some fantastic shots. 

If you think that the Michael's bridge is only pretty by night, you'd be surprised to see how pretty it looks during a normal day. Just look at this beautiful capture from K's fancy pansy camera! 

And oh. Belgium has some really cool graffiti all over town! Zombies, flowers, super heroes.. you name it, you'll find it! Street art at its best! 

And then finally(much to our dismay), our much awaited trip was drawing to a close. Well almost. The last place we had to visit was the capital city of Brussels. The only reason I was looking forward to Brussels was the TinTin museum. Yup. I'm a hugeee fan of TinTin and I've read all the comics a zillion times. I remember when my cousin Ashwin and I were young, we would take turns reading them and have a good laugh! I posted this picture on my Facebook page - The middle picture is, believe it or not, street art! Isn't that amazing? And oh. Check out my new denim jacket.. I'm loving it! More on it at the end.. 

We had about 3 days in Brussels and that was enough time to visit the limited sights - the museum, Mannekin Pis(this is practically the statue of a little boy who pees into a fountain!). On certain days, he is dressed up. For example, Halloween, Belgium's national days etc. I really didn't see what the hype about this kid was but there were like 1000's of tourists thronging this area. 

We instead enjoyed visiting the Grand Market place which is much more lively and colorful. We saw loads of tourists, we saw locals performing live music, there were school kids dancing and singing, little food vendors selling frites, waffles etc. 

I honestly didn't have too much time shopping in this trip. So I decided to use the last day to walk around a few malls and make a few last minute shopping. We picked some really cute souvenirs(our fridge is getting full!), we picked gifts for friends & family and for ourselves, we went crazy in this store called Primark. It had amazing deals especially on makeup. I also picked up shoes and a denim jacket at H and M(yup that is the one I'm wearing),  some hair care products, shower gels, clothes for some friends' kids and so forth. Also, our final night in Europe, we had some delicious Punjabi food! 

All in all, a great way to end the trip =) 

I didn't particularly care for Brussels too much. I'd probably be happy to skip it next time around. I found Bruges and Ghent much prettier, calmer and cleaner. So if you plan a trip to Belgium, do keep these two places in your "must visit" list ! 

But on second thoughts, look at this picture below.. This is Brussels on a cool, breezy evening... How pretty! So maybe it can be a "one time" visit kinda place? ;-) 

Amsterdam - 2015

2015 has been an exhausting year for me. You would probably gathered that by now, given the lack of posts here. Whatever few posts I've managed have all been mostly rants. Probably the only good thing that happened this year was that in September, the husband and I managed a 12 day getaway to The Netherlands and Belgium. I was most excited about Amsterdam. I've seen so many many gorgeous pictures of those nicely lit up canals, all that hype over their "coffee shops"(weed anyone?), the famed red light area etc.

So we flew down to Paris and then took the train to Amsterdam(a good decision). We managed to revisit the Eiffel(didn't get to click pics since it was raining) but nevertheless felt so good reminscing our good times in 2012. We then took the train to the Amsterdam Centraal and it was almost 9 pm local time when we landed. We found the tram waiting outside and headed to our area(Leidsegracht). We stayed at Hotel Leidsegracht(check out the trip advisor review). Good choice. Not great but decent. The area was bustling, which I loved. Loads of eateries and of course bars. The people seemed to be having a great time, no matter what day of week it was. So so different from my good ol' Chennai. And they were the locals. Not tourists.
What we did there?
Well for starters, we did not visit the Anne Frank house! There were huge lines. Lol.
The only super touristy thing we probably did was to visit the Rijks Museum and go click pics outside the I Amsterdam sign.Spot me if you can?

 And oh. Did I tell you that Amsterdam is known as the "cycling capital of the world"? Seriously. Its truly amazing. The air that you breathe there just feels so different. Clean and fresh. And oh did I mention "weedy". Haha
But seriously, I saw bikers of all ages and sizes. They even have a separate biking lane in all the main roads. Amazing!

 I loved the colors of this bus. And in case you are wondering, no we did not use this. We are too cool that way! :D

What we did do is to take long walks in the evenings. Almost all the canals are lit up and they look absolutely stunning. Sample this - 

I mean doesn't that look so so pretty? I could just sit around and stare at it all evening long. I loved just sitting around and people watching - kids on bikes, parents and kids riding bikes together, a 70 year old granny wearing a dress and biking along, college kids smoking up the place(In case you didn't know, marijuana is legal there)... It was all there. Peaceful and serene it was.

Once we got sorta bored of the city feel, we took a day trip to a place called Zaanse Schans. It is a really pretty countryside. We took a train from Amsterdam Centraal and enjoyed the scenic beauty. The main purpose of going there was to see Amsterdam's famed wind mills!

Once we landed at the station, we took a quick 5 minute walk.

 

There were little shops selling loads of souvenirs. Needless to say, K went crazy!
And we couldn't resist clicking silly pics of myself.

I never thought I would say this but I actually enjoyed my visit to the Rembrandt Museum. I'm not the artsy types at all but the way the museum was set up with a fabulous audio guide which chronicles the life of the artist in such an interesting fashion, had me hooked! Please do visit!

The walk on the red light area was another different experience. Nothing wild but just different. Skimpily clad women just staring and trying to lure men. And oh, there are curtains in each room. If the curtain is drawn, apparently it means that its taken. No pictures allowed! Sorry =) 

We ate a lot of Continental European food at Amsterdam. We enjoyed delicious tomato basil soups, vegetable pastas and pizzas and had no problems whatsoever in finding good vegetarian food. And in case you are wondering, no we did not eat at any Indian restaurants :D

I've handpicked a few of K's random Amsterdam shots. I absolutely loved being here and will definitely come back!! 

Stay tuned for my posts on Antwerp and Belgium(where I talk in detail about Bruges, Ghent and of course Brussels!). 

I'm still alive!

It has been a terrible few months. Life has been chaotic. Lots of things happening. The more I think of it, I more I start stressing out. Hence I shall let it pass. Blogging here used to help me destress. But I've decided I am not going to dwell on the things that have happened. But you probably guessed it right. Things have been really rocky in the home front. I've had to make a few important decisions. Life changing ones. Work has kept me busy. Too busy for my husband's liking. A lot of folks including my parents who I believe are my biggest strength, feel that I am not balancing work and home. They feel I am being unfair to K. Fair enough. I agree that we've had some miserable fights around it. But will things change if I quit my job? I don't know and I can't say it unless I actually do it I guess. Oh well. Its complicated. 

But. It is September. It is THAT time of year. It is time for that much awaited, much needed break. I've not had a "proper break" since probably May when we took off to Yercaud. I really need to do a post on Yercaud and especially Allepey where K got some fantastic shots! I promise I will put up the pics soon. 

But. coming back to our upcoming holiday... we are eagerly awaiting Saturday morning when we take off. The plan is to fly into Paris, took a quick tour of the Eiffel, take the train(ooh yes!) to Amsterdam, go to Antwerp, and then to Belgium where we will be traveling to Bruges(think Anushka Sharma in PK!), Ghent and of course Brussels! I absolutely cannot wait to take off. I need a break. I really do. I am sincerely hoping and praying we have a good time and more importantly that we don't fight or argue. Sigh. 

I will be back on the 22nd and I promise to spam this space with my not so great pictures, with K's amazing pictures, stories and so much more!! =) 

4 years up!

Dear Chintu,
Ok heads up - this is going to be one helluva short post,compared to Year 1 or Year 2  or Year 3 since I am sitting at work and blogging :D You may wonder if I am doing this annual posting as a ritual or a compulsion.. but the fact is I know I am a weird person who doesn't express my emotions. I rarely surprise you, I rarely make you feel special and I can't remember the last time I told you "I love you". I just do this because I want you to know there are some things that I really value and appreciate in you. And what better day to do that than our anniversary :) While I may not say it in as many words, I still love you to pieces and will continue to do so!
If there's one thing I really need in my relationship, it is space. And you give me so much of it! I make plans with colleagues, I make last minute party plans with my friends, I disappear for an entire day with my family (a jamboree as you call it)!. Although, you hate every minute of it, I don't leave you with too much choice. Like Yercaud for instance. You really didn't want me to go. But the stubborn me fought and still had my way. You just stayed at home, supervised the cook, the housekeeping and spent the weekend playing PS3. I'm really not sure how many husbands out there do that! Of course you sulked for a good 10 days after that, but I know I can make it up to you ;-) I know I am crazy but I just want to let you know how much I appreciate you giving my space and letting me breathe. Thanks!!
I absolutely loved our trips this year too - Kumbakonam was fantastic, Yercaud and Trichy were super relaxing especially in our new Vento baby.. but of course my favorite has to be Turkey... Istanbul was a dream destination and a place I really enjoyed visiting. Not once did you scrimp or crib about how much we spent on eating at those fancy places or shopping at the Grand Bazaar. A big thank you!!
Next up my work - Argh. I know you absolutely hate it. I know you've made it clear you want me to quit. Again my stubbornness comes into play. Gosh I really don't know how you deal with it. There are so many days when I just leave you to yourself... I just text you about dinner, where it is kept etc and I just continue working. So many men in my office are amazed at how you put up with this but I just shrug it off.. Honestly, not much I can do. But I solemnly swear to make more time for you this year.. I promise you I won't unnecessarily stay back or take calls really late or check emails in the middle of the night! Again, thanks for putting up with this nonsense!!
Of course all these seem small when compared to how well you took care of me when I was really sick in May. You know what I am referring to. And believe me, I was amazed. I always knew you are caring but that was mind blowing. I saw a very different side of you and it just moves me to tears every time I think of it. How incredibly lucky am I? Ok I shall stop the mush now.
But you get the drift right? ;-) I love you and I will always be thankful to have you around not just as a husband but as a friend - my BFF! :D
Leaving you with one of the cutest selfies of us, taken this year - pic taken outside a pretty church in Izmir.
Happy 4th anniversary, Chintu!