The big fat Greek Holiday!

I love new beginnings...the new year is not just another day for me. It brings new hopes and dreams for me. From small beginnings come great things and I firmly believe in it. We spent the end of 2008 exploring the Bella Italy, and what an exciting ride 2009 was! Maintenant (now), we spent the end of 2009 in another beautiful country - Greece! I am really excited about 2010. I am positive that its going to be a fun ride this year too! :-)

Exploring a new country and that too, Greece and to spend New Year's eve in a lovely country was a double bonanza for us. For me, the best part of travelling is about observing the people, their characteristics, the culture and of course, the beauty of nature and the finer aspects of every region.

1. The islands of Greece have breathtakingly beautiful beaches which was expected...but I didn't expect to see the islands nestled between lovely mountains and the beautiful blue waters everywhere. Expecting to see dry lands, I was pleasantly surprised to see a lot of greenery as well.

2. The Greeks are very well known for their prominent features globally and are indeed blessed with sharp features, especially noses and most of them have very attractive facial features. I had a great time simply watching people ;-)( What??!! Nothing is wrong with appreciating beauty, right?)

3. As opposed to the rest of Europe or France, the Greek women dress pretty conservatively; mostly wearing tights or leggings and a long sweater top mostly. I did see a huge variety of boots too which was really fun! I didn't see too many funky 'punk' hairstyles or piercings.

4. As we roamed around the city, I also noticed that the Greeks are not only hospitable and friendly,they are also family-oriented people and have large happy families. Beautiful little kids play with their parents/grandparents and enjoy themselves in the park or squares.

5. Though some parts of Athens are quite dirty except for the touristy areas; the Metro stations are impeccably clean and maintained beautifully. Every station looks gorgeous and is very interesting with old excavations retained, interesting pictures, huge clocks, beautiful paintings. Its a landmark in itself!







6. As we were holidaying during the festive season, we had the pleasure of sharing their cinnamon sweets sprinkled with walnuts, crackers dunked in honey in almost every cafe, restaurant and bakery. It was quite interesting to taste the local cuisine.

S could not get enough of the Greek coffee either! I tried it, but i think its an acquired taste.









7. The best part of our trip was our stay at Milos, one of the islands in Greece. Everywhere we saw these marketing captions towards promoting Milos - "Milos is for lovers". I could'nt agree more, Milos is definitely for those who love nature; as its blessed with loads of natural beauty and you can just never have enough of the calm serene views. S and I had a long walk along the sea-side and I think that sight will remain etched in my memory forever. It was GORGEOUS and CALMING, all at the same time!!

It was a long 8-hr ferry ride, 4-hr bus ride and tiresome ferry trips that made me nauseous. But it was really worth every inch when we reached the captivating islands of the lovely GREECE!

Sunkissed, relaxed, together...

Soaking our feet in the beautiful beach - Milos, Greece!

Edited to add: S describes the natural beauty in his prolific words in 'Nowhere road'. Go read it!

The year that was...2009!

The year 2009 began on a pleasant note as we just got back from a fantastic holiday in Italy and we learnt that we would soon be living in Paris! By God's grace, the year was phenomenal with major changes; interesting learnings on the way and a subtle maturity in me! :P

The move to Paris was a major decision indeed. It meant uprooting ourselves from familiar surroundings and our own lovely home. But it was a fantastic opportunity for S and an exciting option to live in the most romantic and exotic city in the world!

Initially, the new surroudings, new home, the people and their language seemed daunting. We have slowly settled down into our Parisian home, made some great friends and we feel at 'home' now! Yet, there is a lot of scope for improvement in French! :-)

When I was skeptical about moving to a new country as it meant moving from familiar surroundings, friends and family and most importantly, quitting my job (mine), my mom said something that really convinced me. Lots of people crave for change as the routine seems mundane and boring. So when you get a chance to explore, travel and move ahead; you must grab the chance! Why do you want to stick to the routine? That convinced me totally! 2009 is also my first year without a regular job. I have been freelancing on and off as we travel very often whenever we can. It has taken a lot of time to get used to the fact that I don't get a salary at the end of every month. When I had a regular job, I longed for a break and now when I am taking a break, I want a regular job! Such is LIFE :-)

I do make sincere efforts to find a relevant job here. But its difficult to find any job here if you don't speak French, the key being fluent french. I thought it would be really easy to find a job here. After the initial disappointment, I found some really interesting freelance work and worked on varied writing projects. It is like running my own business and there are dry periods too! I have learnt to be tough and direct with freelancing! That's a first! :-)

One day ( yes, I make up my mind in an instant and that's it - I have!), I just made up my mind to enjoy my break and do things I didn't find time to do earlier and I am loving the person I am now! On most days, I am happy and cheerful from all the wonderful music I listen to. I have renewed my reading habit and read a lot of books (thanks to the American Library). I exercise regularly, alternating between Yoga, Pilates and floor exercises which has really improved my overall health and stamina. I dabble in glass painting and gardening when I feel like it. I go out with friends and explore Paris as much as I can. Of course, there is a lot of household chores to do as I don't have any domestic help here which is therapeutic(sometimes!). So there is always so much to do and my days are happy and full. Is'nt that what matters?

Thanks to the internet and Skype, I have not missed my folks or friends at all. I speak to my parents almost everyday just like I did in India. :-) What would I do without the internet? I am known to be really cranky and upset if the connection goes off here for some reason! I have made some really good friends here and I am so glad I have close friends in every city and country now!

Saving the best for the last! The best part of this year has been all the travelling. We have been to 6 countries in this year alone! We have always made an effort to travel as much as we can even when we were in India. Now that we are in a more convenient location in terms of distance; we would like to travel all over Europe.

Someone has aptly said that one’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things. You learn and unlearn so many things in life; as you explore different places, cultures, people, cuisines, nature. It is a beautiful experience that needs to be felt; not described. I am in love with travel. PERIOD. I am aware that you also need twice the money. We try and save a little amount every month before we plan a trip. That way it does not pinch too much all too suddenly.

So we have saved enough to spend Christmas and New Year's in GREECE!!!!!! We will spend about 10 days in different islands and I am sooooo looking forward to it. Its a double bonanza that after we get back, in another 2 weeks, we are off to INDIA!!!! Here's wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a fantatic new year. I send a little prayer to God to bless us all with loads of love, happiness and prosperity in 2010 and thank him for the lovely and happening year that was... See you guys next year!

Cheering up dull corners...

With so many cute christmas decorations springing up everywhere....I could'nt help myself!! They look damn cute and definitely cheer up the bathrooms and the rest rooms!! :D

I used the sugar dispenser used in restaurants to store the room freshner as it adds color to an otherwise bland room like the rest rooms!!!

...Exploring different markets!

I live in a central area in Paris ( as I have often shown off the wonderful view of the Eiffel Tower!)....there is a very interesting market that occurs every Wednesday and Sunday of the week. So I buy fresh vegetables, fruits, bread, household items, flowers, you-name-it and they-have-it kind of market. Of course, we often end up buying a lot of stuff that we don't even need! Like we buy a lot of clothes and luckily for me, they even have shoes my size (which is a rarity, coz I have large feet and a large heart! ;-) ).... This time, they had hosted an 'Antiques Market' and I found it really interesting. I was sternly told not to click pictures after some time, so I could not take too many! But here are a few to give you an idea....

















Very interesting furniture and unique pieces....very expensive! ( I stuck to window-shopping!)

I shook the camera....but it is a table designed to look like a ship, it looked really interesting...

African figurines and masks....I have noticed these faces in many homes including mine! It has gained a lot of popularity in recent times.

Of course, art pieces and paintings were there in every alternate stalls and is a very important aspect of Paris. I enjoyed my first 'Antiques' experience and noticed a large crowd of old women near a jewellery stall. The old women are not only very well-dressed here; they also wear lot of jewellery; especially large-stoned rings that tend to cover your entire hand!

I have also seen a lot of flea markets here where people sell their old articles, family heirlooms and sometimes, I have even seen worn-out shoes being sold! Crystalwear is most prominent in these markets. I am not a big fan of second-hand stuff :-) Interestingly, a friend of mine took me a second-hand store where clothes are sold at very low prices and are often clothes discarded by others. I was amazed to see an entire area filled with these shops coz for Indians ( I doubt if such a concept exists back home in India) it is an entirely alien concept. I am surprised that the proud French and Brits are open to shopping here! I am NOT!

Brightest Diwali in Paris!

We decided to celebrate Diwali in Paris in our little way at home! I love the festival of Diwali; so meaningful - celebrating the victory of good over evil; knowledge over darkness - the bright and beautiful lights drive away the darkness from our lives. It signifies the victory of inner good over the evil within all of us.



















We began with our favorite Ganchu ( I have a lovely lamp that I brought here from Pune; shaped like Lord Ganesha - one of my favorite things at home!)

These are lovely tea-light candles, my friend's Mom gifted me. My friend and her mom buy me gifts all the time!!! I know, its great to be 'me' ;-)

These are little 'travel jam bottles' that I cleaned and painted like this. They are too cute to be thrown away; so I decided to use it like this for Diwali. My little thing I did for our Diwali here...(not a great picture, I know!)

Capturing at a different angle....

( Aroma sifts through the air...again a gift from my cousin! I bless her everyday when I get back home!)

This time, as always, we updated the curtains instead of clothes! ( Who am I kidding??!! Even today, post Diwali, we bought some clothes...) Anyway, I bought some sheer-curtains first and then realized though it looks pretty; it glares and the light reflects on the T.V. So I went back and got some more. So, now I have two sets....which I can change to my fancy! I am in 'home decor heaven' now!

and now, last but definitely not the least....the brightest unique light as promised in the title!

I am not going to lie....I did miss the air of festivity back home in India. But by evening, my spirits were really high. We went to a friend's place for a '70's theme party' and we had a really good time. We met some lovely people and I felt so much at home with so many people around. Here's to a unique and different Diwali in every sense!!! Hope all of you had a good one too! :-) Making the most of everything in life; THAT is the elixir of happiness!

How cool is that?

My new home in Paris is going to have a view of....



















Awesome, eh?

My Motto of the Year is...

A friend told me that he follows this philosophy deeply. I would like to follow the same throughout the year....when I heard it, I simply loved it...On a positive note I begin this year...
I am going to be... "Positively Aggressive at being Aggressively Positive".

You could try as well, I hear it works wonders! :-)