A trip to Washington DC and the Shenandoah National Park

With family visiting us in May, we set out to shortlist all the ‘touristy’ locations on the East Coast to show them around.  Most itineraries of people visiting the east coast include New York, Washington DC, Niagara falls, Boston and if budget/time permits Orlando theme parks. Throw in an Atlantic city, and the US visit is complete!..rather if they don’t go for a ‘Tirth yatra’ to any of the above places, they have seen nothing at all in the US!

We were on our way!

So, as Memorial Day (the day to honor war heroes and veterans) dawned, we packed up our bags and our assortment of snacks of sandwiches, gobi parathas, pickles, ketchup, cheese, chips, laddoos, bananas, oranges,strawberries, water, frooti, ‘fast’ snacks, halwa, cake and chocolates!  Yeah, I can’t believe we actually finished all of that! It took far more time to make and buy all that than gobble it up!

I dozed off almost immediately in the car to wear out the weariness of all that food preparation and refused to wake up till lunch time at Maryland where we stopped for a picnic lunch.  That power nap did me a world of good, as I took up the wheel in the next leg of our drive to Shenandoah National Park. As we got on to the Skyline Drive of 105 miles, the cool mountain breeze and the scenic vistas greeted us all along.  Although we did not spend as much time as we would have liked to hiking and biking, I did enjoy the feel of wild grass under my feet, the bloom of the wild yellow flowers, deer peacefully chewing away in natural surroundings and the balmy breeze.   

A short hike at Shenandoah

The sun peaking through the lush trees at Shenandoah

A Shenandoah wildlife sighting

The woods are lovely, dark and deep

Day two and three of our trip had been set aside for Washington, and we set forth after a heavy breakfast at the hotel.  Well, again, it being a purely touristy trip, that translates into getting off the car, taking photos and getting back to the car, we thought, we would do it in no time at all! But fortunately or unfortunately, the city had other plans for us!  Memorial Day is a big deal in USA, and I was hoping to witness something of this day in the capital city to reflect some of Americas traditional celebration.  I was not disappointed.  As we drove in, people with waving flags greeted us as we crossed overhead footwalks and bridges, several Harleys zoomed past us everywhere making us wonder what was in store.  As traffic moved to a snails pace, we pulled out and took the metro route.  Riding a city’s trains has always excited me, be it New York, Kolkata, Mumbai or Washington as it is something non-touristy, something that citizens use to go about their life everyday anywhere. The stations here were much cleaner and spacious and far less smelly than NYs stations.  Being Memorial day, well, only tourists clambered onto the train and took away the charm of the locals travelling! We got off at the station near the White House, and started our act of clicking away to glory in the usual silly poses. Barrack and Michelle must certainly be uneasy in that fortress with snipers patrolling its terraces and with all that security and tourists and even protesters constantly outside their windows. Never a moment of peace to enjoy those lush gardens outside!

The White House

 The next halt was the George Washington memorial which is the tallest structure in Washington DC.  Here is the exciting part.  As we neared it, the vroom of motorcycles was heard nearby. As we recollected the many bikes we saw on the road, we hastened towards it.  It turned out to be a spectacular rally of 400,000 bikes (these huge mean machines- Harleys or look alikes) aptly known as ‘Rolling Thunder’ that was paying tribute to American war heroes in their own style.  That certainly was a super show!

George Washington Memorial

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Rolling Thunder

The Capitol

For the remainder of the day we proceeded to visit the Smithsonian museums.  I went to the National Gallery of Art and tremendously enjoyed seeing master pieces of Impressionists as well as Modernists. I particularly enjoyed seeing the Chester Dale collection that included works of great masters such as Monet, Renoir, Picasso, Van Gogh among others.  I was also pleased to see special exhibits by Gauguin, who I was first fascinated by' on reading Maugham’s ‘The Moon and the Six Pence’.  Apart from these that I admire, I also managed to find the ones I didn’t and took pleasure in rebuking Rothko’s and Barnett Newman’s modern (non!) art which I wrote about in a recent blog! I finally left the museum after it closed and dragged myself to the Air and Space museum to join the others and find out about their sojourn to the Natural History museum which I skipped seeing.  We ended the day with a meal at an Indian restaurant with a snooty manager and driving around in Washington , uh..driving around was not out of choice, but because our GPS kept taking us round in circles and all over the place! 

The Air and Space museum

Our trip drew to a close the next day when we saw the lofty memorials built in honor of US Presidents Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson and the Vietnam and Korea war memorials. With plenty of memorial spots dotted across town, we had to skip most of them albeit with no regrets really!

Thomas Jefferson Memorial

Abraham Lincoln in his towering seat

Well, again, for people out to visit places for the sake of the photo, Washington DC was a pleasant place to be in.  However, as always, I always believe, cities are to be experienced by living there and a couple of days’ visits will never capture the essence or the culture. However, all in all, this was a lazy fun trip that kept everyone contented for all the things they saw.

Disney Magic

Cinderellas Caslte

What kind of superheroes will an Indian a la Disneyland have, I wondered, when I visited Disneyland in Orlando, Florida.  Some friends of mine instantly recalled our very own Chacha Chaudhari and Sabu.  Instead of the simulated launch on to Mars in the ‘Mission Space’, we could go to Jupiter ofcourse after traversing the planets that come in between. We could have a 3D movie with Sabu throwing off evil villains off peaks.

Or how about a Rajani ride…It would ofcourse include rides which would flout all laws by Newton, Einstein or any scientist!  If Disney had an Epcot World Showcase, our Bollypark could have all the locales which SRK spread out his arms and sang to his heroines. That would pretty much cover all the gorgeous places there are in the world.

Instead of delving into the fairy tales of Snow White, Cinderella, we can always dig into our treasure trove of popular mythological characters like Ganesh, Hanuman, Bhim, Ram, Krishna who have already been animated too.

Anyway, I guess, there is no point in me speculating about what can be, when I have just returned from a trip to this truly magic kingdom…a kingdom for the kids actually.  It was fun walking through the Main Street, Adventure Land, Frontierland, Fantasyland, Liberty Square, Mickeys Toontown and Tomorrowland in this fairyland.  It certainly made me wish I was back there as a kid.  However as an adult, I did enjoy the two Parades, the one in the day time and the electric parade at night, which were fabulous and I enjoyed watching them and calling out to my favorite characters swinging by me.  The electric parade was a dazzling display of illuminated floats and wonderful lighted up costumed dancers and characters.  The shows ended with a spectacular display of fireworks with the backdrop of Cinderella’s castle. Unforgettable. Amongst the rides and shows, I did enjoy the 3D movie with the popular Disney characters, the jungle cruise on the boat, and the Space Mountain rollercoaster ride.

But as an unfortunate adult in the world dominated by kids in this magical land,  most of the rides such as Winnie the Pooh, the Magic Alladin carpets, Peterpan, Snow-Whites adventure etc, were for ages 2-8.(we read to  our consternation after enjoying them earlier!). The lines were long and winding and the waits were intolerable 30-80 minutes for each ride.  Though after the first crazy wait, we discovered using our ‘Fastpass’ to beat the lines. And this was supposedly in the off-peak season.  I reckon, the lines would be even worse in the vacations and summers.

Epcot was the other Disney Park I visited, and though the Rain Gods spitefully tried to dampen our spirits and us all day, we still managed to have a great time, especially as the crowds thinned and there were no lines as compared to those in the Magic Kingdom!  Epcot was certainly one targeted to adults and teens and was an educational as well as a fun experience that helped kids and adults alike learn about a variety of burning issues.  It taught environmental consciousness through the ‘Circle of Life’ short film through the eyes of Simba, Timon and Pumba. Another show explained power and energy sources with the Ellen DeGeneres dream that took us through a journey from the Dinosaur jungles to the nuclear age today in a vast moving theater. The fun rides were the space mission ride to Mars, the fast paced drive on Test Track, the entertaining 3D video by the King of Pop Michael Jackson as Captain EO and the Soarin’ ride to California. However, the best part about Epcot was the World Showcase with its miniature country pavilions.  Dining at an Aztec temple in Mexico, riding a Norse boat in Norway, seeing miniatures of the Teracotta warriors, and learning about the various other cultures of France, Germany, Itay, Japan, Morocco, France, UK and Canada through short films in huge theaters were highlights.  I particularly enjoyed the China video that was very well done and was projected in a 360 degrees absolutely humongous theater. All in all, a wonderful experience for people of all ages. 

How I wish I were back there as a child! Some snapshots of my trip here.

Walt Disney- The Man behind it all.

And the fun started with the Parade!

The Genie to grant wishes with Alladin

Dancing with the stars

Lighting up the day at night!

Dazzling lights and illuminating memories

Hola! At an Aztec Temple

A German Square

A Japanese Pagoda

A spectacular show at the Magic Kingdom

The Epcot dome

I wish I had a Time Machine

How I hate waking up in the morning and getting dressed to go to work. Maybe in the near future, we won’t have to go to offices anymore. Maybe we will have a few screens showing us the people installed in our homes for meetings and a robot to take down notes and email them to us after formatting them. Maybe we’ll have flying cars. Maybe shopping will be through simulated rooms with us experiencing even the feel of the fabric and not just plain online shopping. Perhaps we will be able to touch our near and dear ones from miles across on the computer or whatever becomes of it. Maybe we won’t need to know different languages. Speak in English at one end and have it translated and come out in perfect Chinese at the other end which is something I believe Google is working on.

Floppies have become pen drives and hard drives, desktops have become laptops and will soon be tablets or phones or something else totally. Landlines have become mobiles which in themselves are computers. Maybe we will be able to use any surface as a laptop with some projections out of thin air and of course we will have a robot cook and clean for us. I hope we don’t become all fat and wobbly creatures with all that work being automated and not having to step out. Post offices will cease to exist and philatelists (stamp collectors) will perish if they already haven’t.

Maybe schools will cease to exist and kids will be taught like they do in The Matrix..put in a CD through the brain and copy paste the ‘books’ or delete to make more room. No more mugging up History! Books, paper and pens of course will not exist and maybe even most trees won’t. Hopefully we will have travelled to some more inhabitable planets and shifted half the population there. Maybe we will be able to control rains and storms. Maybe we will never run out of food.

Maybe biodegradable only will be the only norm, maybe plastic will be abolished. Maybe the world will cease to have boundaries and maybe there will be no more terrorists. Maybe everyone who is corrupt will stop being so. Maybe there will be no more diseases.

Maybe there will be a nuclear war fought over water not oil. Maybe trees will be present only in Museums. Maybe there will be an ice age, or maybe the ozone layer will tear apart and half of the world will become uninhabitable. Maybe aliens will attack us. Maybe a new form of disease will come and eliminate humanity. Maybe the world will become a garbage dump. Maybe there will be no more room for more population on earth. Maybe, Frankenstein’s monster will become reality and Sarah Connor will not be born.

We are all getting so ahead of ourselves in Technology or maybe I was born just after the dinosaurs! Computers in all sizes, Google, smart phones, Global Satellite systems (GPS), Video conferencing, e-readers, Social Networking are exploding and the world is closer and more aware than it ever was before. What was unbelievable in the past is reality today and we are still in awe of the technology wave that is sweeping us. While the human race is not just ambling ahead, but taking great leaps racing ahead, let us remember the bleaker side and take steps starting with recycling, generating less waste, using fewer disposable things, saving electricity, planting trees and spreading the word in building this amazing future perfect world called Utopia!

I ll Miss...

Some things I will miss this year when I'm out of India...


PavBhaji,Pani Puri, Bhelpuri, Wadapav , idliwada sambar, pohe, cutting chai, Indianised Chinese
The colours of the saris and dresses at every market
The lights of Diwali
The colours of Holi
The elephant God Ganesha’s festival

My wonderful Friends and Family here
My beautiful Home sweet Home
The ring of the temple bell every morning
My mommys yummmmy food
Relaxing while the kaamwali cleans up the house and the dishes
Chai at Aslam Bhais tapri next to office
Shopping for trinkets on Linking road
Trying to resist (always in vain) buying those earrings in the local train
The clamour and bargaining at the vegetable market so full of fresh veggies
The cool breeze at Marine Drive
Walks in the calm bylanes of Chembur
The CCD at Shivaji Park
All the great Indian Traditions…(psstt…read my prior blog for that info :))
The bustle at every station and outside it
The jhatkas of Bollywood on every other TV channel
Shopping for jewellery from the TV serials
The Bandbaja at the wedding Baraat
Lunch at the office cafeteria facing the BandraWorli Sealink conquering the awe inspiring ocean
Getting a driver to drive the car, a maid to clean the dishes, a guy to wash the car, a maid to cook the food, and a handyman anytime to fix stuff at absolutely low prices compared to anywhere else!
Contemplating if I should use my car or the rickshaw, or the MERU or the bus or the AC bus or the local train to get anywhere, where else would I get so many options!


Well, some things I wouldn’t miss would be

The honking cars and bikes who think the road belongs only to them
The yucky spitting on the roads by someone every 1 minute I look outside
The traffic jams
The ever crowded trains and roads
The poverty and filth on so many roads
The politicians who encourage everything that’s wrong, for the votebanks and have nothing to do with development

Well, I guess, my positives still outweigh the negatives…so sure will look forward to getting back soon :D

Traditions- Part 1

I love the traditional food that Mom makes, the traditional attire that I think really suits Indian women, and I love all our traditions that go generations back. I guess, most traditions are linked to the great Indian festivals. The aftermath of one such festival, led me thinking about all the wonderful festivals and traditions that our culture had. While talking to a friend of mine, I discovered not everyone had the same enthusiasm for these festivals and traditions that I did! Much has been said and documented too on Indian culture, but I only hope the traditions that define our unique culture are carried on forever and with the same fervour as they are today. Afterall, what would life be without celebrations!

Come Jan comes Makar Sankranti, the kite flying festival. ‘Til Gul ghya god god bola’…that is so sweet to hear..be enemies or friends, we try to appease all with the good will gesture of giving the sweet concoction of til and jaggery as we ask them to be sweet to all! Flying kites is another great institution that is sadly dying down in larger cities. Otherwise hours of langorous gazing up in the skies at the multitude of colours up there was unadulterated joy. For married women, this season is yet another excuse to meet up under the pretext of ‘Haldi-Kumkum’ a tradition predominant in Maharashtra, where the married women of the house invite other married women and others, apply haldi and kumkum to them and give them little gifts..and then of course binge on hot samosas and snacks apart from the til gul laddoos or chikkis or gul polis while newly wed women, are decked up in ‘halwache dagine’, i.e ornaments made of sugar. Well, this festival is known by different names in different parts of India. It is known as Lodhi in Punjab, Uttaryan in Gujrat and Rajasthan, Bihu in Assam, Pongal in the south.

Well, come February, well Valentines day is not really traditional per se, but I guess, it is one in the western world, and I guess, we Indians have not remained far in keeping up with the traditions of wishing our loved ones if not more.

March brings another big festival in India, Holi, with the tradition of throwing colours at each other…I guess, I don’t really revel in this anymore, but I still enjoy watching other people playing it on TV or otherwise!...for me its my Mom making yummmmy Puran Polis with oodles of ghee year after year that makes me look forward to Holi! Alas, Holi also brings with it a long dry spell of fewer festivals.

Sounds funny but March ushers the Hindu New Year called as ‘Gudhi Padwa’ in Maharashtra. An auspicious day, there’s the tradition of tying a ‘Gudhi’—a bamboo stick or any stick, with a silk covered goblet embellished with flowers and sweet ‘gathis’ (caramelized sugar discs on a string) are seen popping out of windows and doors of Maharashtrian households. I've always found putting up the smallest of these tokens really festive and has always made me upbeat in the day! Well, like other festivals in India which are known by different names in different regions, this day in Maharashtra is synonymous with Ugadi of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka which starts on the same day, Baisakhi of Punjab, Naba Barsha of Bengal and Vishu of Kerela. I guess, all the states have one thing in common…that of making the best of sweets and celebrating the New Year!

Well, there are so many so many stories for each festival and there’s some logic associated with every tradition. For example, Black is worn on Makar Sankranti, since it absorbs heat in the cold. Tilgul given on Sankranti is something that gives warmth to the body. The gudhi symbolizes victory or achievement to look forward to in the new year. The Rangolis drawn in front of houses ward off evil from houses, but for practical purposes, look welcoming and pretty. I reckon, it’s the logic which came first and then these traditions that have lent so much character to all the festivals.

There actually is so much to tell out of just my own experiences and what I have been seeing my family do over the years. I ve reached only March so far…and still several months more to go! I guess, I’ll do that in a separate part to this blog!