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Once again we were ready to get going. We never plan our travels. Even this time we didn't make any arrangements. We just decided and hit the roads. On the way! So where were we going to this time? This time we decided to drive down to one of the extreme end of India. Any idea? No, it's not Kanyakumari. We opted for the one not as famous as Kanyakumari. We opted for Rameshwaram!!! We started early in the morning. The drive was long, very long. And with Puppy along, it appeared to be longer. The roads in Tamil Nadu is icing in the cake. Long, broad highways invite the travellers to drive down the roads.  The trip from Bangalore to Madurai was quick. We enjoyed the misty morning throughout. We were very fascinated by the name Dhindukkal! Sweet name. So we stopped in Madurai for brunch. And started off real quick. We wanted to reach at the earliest. Once we started nearing Pamban, we started getting the feeling that the sea is nearby! And literally, it wa...

This sounds like a rather interesting topic to me. Drinks! Obviously I am sure you are not relating to water, tea or coffee here! Though to me drinks means just that. I do not drink anything else. No wine, no gin, no tequila or anything else! So excuse me if I hurt your emotions. Drinks, to me it's bad. You might think no big deal. Many people dislike drinking. But I, like maybe many out there, have seen the ill-effects of drinks. Let's not go into those. Also, let me make it quite clear that I am not against occasional drinking. But clearly against Alcoholism. Let me just point out some very negative effects of drinking too much. 1. Health - Do I even need to state this? Negative effects of alcoholism on health is no hidden secret! It's obvious. Still, for the sake of those who have the habit of drunkenness, let me elaborate a bit. But, just a few hints! Liver - The liver which is the largest internal organ in a human body, has some 500 odd functions. And, t...

Been almost like two weeks that we are suffering from cold! First the toddler at home, followed by me and finally my hubby! Cold cold cold, give us a break, man! We are so tired of stuffy noses at night and running noses in the day time. So bugged up of the shooting temperature at nights and absolutely normal feeling during the day! Really fed-up. I am sure some of you must also be suffering from the same. What say? Anyways, let me state some home remedies here so that you can feel better at the comfort of your own home! These measures obviously after keeping yourself warm first! 1. Basil - the best cure of cough and cold. Basil is a low-calorie herb and is rich in antioxidants. It also has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties which soothe the throat. You can chew it directly or get a spoonful of juice and take it. 2. Ginger - Ginger has properties to comfort the sore throats and reduce cough and cold. I make a paste and extract a few drops of juice into a spoon....

Another death in the name of shame. This is in regards to the Varanasi gang-rape case that shook the small city yesterday. Image Courtesy: Google A small village in Mirzapur district saw a women win the Panchayat polls. And the ultimate result is the daughter of this winning lady, who studies in class eleven was brutally raped by two of the mother's rivals. Really? What sense does this even make? A class eleven student, maybe just 16 or 17 years old and raped? How can somone be so inhuman? Does the poll defeats mean so much of honour to you that the little girl's honour was nothing? Did you not feel a pinch of shame? And as the news says, police inaction led to the little one commiting suicide. Obviously, the torture she must have felt. The filthiness, the guilt, the shame all must have forced her to take this extreme step. Though she is not to be blamed, but would the society not blame her. Would questions not arise on her character even years after? Would she not be...

Being born and brought up in a Axomia household, I have seen and followed the culture of Asom very much. Being born a girl and specially at the age when "Female feticide" was a hush in the air, I can proudly say "Yes, I was born in an Axomia household" and literally I thank God for it! Never in my family had I seen any one ill-treating me or for that matter shutting me up for being a girl! Never! I was always treated as a child. Whether girl or boy was not the issue in our household or for any other Axomia family, I knew off! Some of the qualities of Axomia ladies is what I would jot down here. 1. Soft - spoken : typically Axomia ladies are soft-spoken. Sweet that our language is, our girls only make it sweeter! 2. Stylish : Indeed Axomia ladies have an sterling sense of style. They can carry off every piece of dress very well. Be it the traditional Mekhala-Sador or a casual Jeans and a T-shirt, they can carry it all. Graceful looks compliment them! It...

The Juvenile Justice Bill was passed in the upper house of the parliament yesterday. Many seem to be happy while others not so. Let's first see what this bill actually is. The bill is mainly a Care and Protection of Children. The main highlight of this act is it brings down the age of a juvenile to 16. That is now on, person whose age is in between 16 and 18, and who commits a heinous crime, would be treated as an adult in the Indian Court of Law. In addition, it defines the eligibility of adoptive parents and the procedure for adoption. Also, the penalties to be faced in any case of child neglect. The main reason of hue and cry over this act currently is why the age is being reduced? Let's first think in these lines - "What is a heinous crime?" Well, in my terms heinous crime is anything intentionally done which could hurt someone physically to the extent of getting very ill, enter a vegetative state or in the worst case, death. Any crime where one is fully ...

Well winters in Gurgaon is really bad. And after being in Bangalore for some 8 long years, I am really finding it difficult here. The morning is no different from the day here! Fog, fog and more fog!! To start off, I was really happy to have shifted here. I used to enjoy the sunset. The  herd of sheep and buffalos passing by the nearby fields used to give me the feeling of nature. I could see the Aravali at a distance which only made me reminiscent of my days spent in Tezpur University. But soon reality stuck. Winters started and I soon found myself getting sick day by day. Not used to the cold, I did't bother wearing a jacket at first. I thought it was pleasant. Though, not really! To my utter dismay, my temperature was rising and my nose was getting stuffed. Now, I was beginning to feel how much I indeed missed Bangalore! Waking up in the morning was starting to be a torture, day by day. As I removed the curtains and looked out, I really couldn't make out wh...

Some interesting facts about the North East of India. North East is a topic very close to my heart. Having born in Assam, I have these special feeling about the entire region. I put down few things about my region. 1) Arunachal Pradesh - Known as the "Land of Rising Sun", Arunachal Pradesh receives the first sunlight in India! One can have the most amazing views of the Himalayan peaks, the white snow, 9 rivers that flow through it, the sub-tropical jungles and the breath-taking high altitude meadows. Hence also knows as  the ’Last Shangri La on Earth’! 2) Assam - Assam has the highest tea production in India. Majuli, the largest river island in the world, is also a part of Assam! Not to forget our very own, the endangered one horn rhinos. Assam is the home to these species! Assam also is the proud owner of the first oil industry in India! Yes, Digboi it is!! 3) Tripura  - Something is very special about this place called Tripura! People are literate here. Not ...

The foodie in me makes me try out different delicious food. Some dishes have interesting recipes, ingredients, and ways of cooking. This write-up is about some of enthralling dishes from around the world. The list is not exhaustive. I would keep adding to it time and again! Grilled kangaroo - Kangaroo, the national animal of Australia, is relished by some people out there. Methane-free kangaroo is low in fat too! Cooked on one side in low to medium flame, the taste is just ecstatic! Kangaroo is palatable with garlic, pepper, juniper, rosemary and fruity flavors such as plum, red currant and orange. Bacon-Wrapped Toads in Leek-Filled hole - This traditional British dish is normally served with brown onion gravy, but a runny fried egg on top does far better at breakfast. Wrapping the case-less sausage in bacon and then browning the leeks provides a delicious fatty base for the batter to cook in, and helps to get the ideal puffiness that makes this dish great. Stuffe...

Yesterday was not really a good day. Got so terrified, I could have almost had a heart attack. No its not because I saw a ghost! But beacuse I saw my 34 month old kid choking! The day started of so well, with me and hubby making chicken together. The kiddo was also in a good mood and playing with us. We had our breakfast, which is usually more of brunch and then just went outside to get some sunshine and some other stuff. This episode happened when we were back and were feeding the litle one. Though she can feed herself now. But because we had chicken yesterday, so I thought I would give her a helping hand. By that time, the toddler was in a different mood and moving all over the place and we were just trying to move along with her and put a morsel of food in her mouth every now and then. All was going off preety well. We were almost towards the end of things when the incident struck. The little one, all of a sudden put her hand into her mouth, something like she was gagging. We d...

This post is preety offbeat to what I generally write. Yeah its a recipe here! Actually had some beetroots at home and the toddler at home and also the hubby dear, doesn't like them. So i had no option but try out something so as to make both of them have beets! Well, let me just jot down what I did. The simple recipe is as follows - Ingredients... Beetroots 250gms Sugar 2 cups Milk 1/2 litre Almond 9 -10  Raisins as required Clarified butter or oil 2 table spoon Wash the beetroots properly and remove the skin. Cut them into slices and pressure cook them for 3 or 4 whistles. Once done, let the pressure cooker cool. Smash the beetroots into semi paste. In the mean time, heat some clarified butter or oil in a wok. Add the semi paste beets. Fry for couple of minutes Add milk and let it cookat the least temperature. Add some grounded almonds Add sugar Keep frying for some 20 minutes or till the milk almost dries up. Add raisins Serve hot. Turned out really...

What does it mean to be a "Stay-At-home mommy"? No, really! Does it mean to the world that we are just sitting at home. Chilled out with beer in one hand and lying on the couch watching the useless " Desperate housewives"!? No no no no no. We are not! I wish that was true but seriously we have got lot more to it. Infact much more to it that, that 'it' part doesn't even exist! Alas!! Let me just give you an idea of what a "Stay-At-Home Mommy" means to me. Oh, for the start let me tell you, I too am a Stay-At-Home Mom!! Forget the pleasure of beer or even sofa, I consider myself lucky if I get even a couple of minutes alone in the loo! And, Im not joking. I literally mean it. Even while writing these couple of paragraphs, I am having to struggle with sitting for a couple of minutes to working while typing! No, I know I am not a bad mom. I have a toddler who no doubts wants my hundred percent attention and I do give it to her. But does that...

Tezpur - the eternal town of romance! Tezpur is a small town in the Sonitpur district in the state of Assam. Situated on the banks of the mighty Brahmaputra, Tezpur holds heart to many ancient reminisances of religion, love, bloodshed and then again peace. With its pristine beauty, Tezpur remain the untouched town on the northern banks. Situated around 175 kilometres from Guwahati, the Capital of Assam. Here I state 10 places which are must visit if you ever happen to be in this place of love and romance! 1. Mahabhairab - As per the Hindu mythology, King Banasura built the Mahabhairab temple in Tezpur. King Banasura or Bana is the son of Bali. He was considered to be an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva. Belief is that this is the tallest shiv linga in Asia. Though the original shiv linga is made of stone. But now part of it covered in modern concrete and tiles, thus stealing the show of the ages old linga. However, faith is what keeps mankind going and people from far and ...

Burns are something inevitable, whether in kitchen, during play or just plain accident! Cannot really avoid these smaller burns. As common it seems so are the ways to treat it.  Here I state 10 ways to treat a burn immediately and hence avoid blisters. 1. Water - cool it under running tap water. Though never apply ice to burns. Water would cool the burning sensation. 2. Wheat flour - yes, you read it right. It does have a cooling effect. And easily available in the kitchen. Smaller burns in hands, fingers etc, just put your hand inside the wheat flour tin! 3. Coconut oil - Age old medicine, Coconut oil has healing properties. It not only offers a cooling effect, but also speeds up the recovery process. It also helps remove the scars! 4. Camphor - heat a little bit of coconut oil in a spoon and add a pinch of camphor. Apply this when cool to the burn site. This helps in the healing process. 5. Toothpaste - commonly available in all households, toothpaste has amazing co...

Axomia or Assamese as we are popularly know as in English! Axom has a very rich culture. Not many people outside the state are aware of the beauty and culture of this pragmatic section of people. Here I mention some distinctive terms associated with Asom and Axomia people, in general! Bihu - "Otikoi Senehor Mugare Mekhela, Otikoi Senehor Maku, Tatukoi Senehor Rongali Bihuti, Napaati Kenekoi Thaku" No doubts when we hear the word Bihu, only Asom comes to our minds. Bihu is like one of the trademarks of Asom. Bihu is the main festival of Asom. We have mainly three bihus - the kati or kongali bihu, the Magh or bhogali bihu and the very festive, Bohag or Rongali bihu! Even the very beautiful dance of Asom is referred to as the Bihu dance. And, we all know how much we love it! Saah - Tea or saah as locally know is the most preferred drink in Asom. Yes, why not? We have the largest tea plantation in India! This inherently gives India the status of being the secon...