From my Desk to my Mat : A glimpse of my Yoga Journey!

Listening to many mental and physical problems faced by people of all age groups made me think, are we taking proper care of ourselves? With extremely busy lifestyle and work pressures are we able to cope up with it?

I was also living this life on the edge till now. I was suddenly motivated to take a break and forced to take a deeper look into my life and health which pulled me towards Yoga. Till now Yoga had just been one more type of exercise for me consisting of asana and pranayama. I enrolled myself into the Yoga teacher’s training course to take a deeper dive into the subject. Yoga is just not an exercise but a lifestyle, and joining this course made me realise that there is an ocean full of knowledge out there. 

What made me join Yoga?

I always desired to know more about myself and my purpose in life to get a closer look to my soul. After much research I was able to zero it to Yoga which led me to a fruitful and fulfilling life. My research led me to The Yoga Institute in Mumbai. It is one of the most premiere and oldest institute to learn Yoga. It was also an advantage for me that is was very near to my house. Also the course is structured along the lines of traditional and spiritual Yoga. I joined the teacher’s training course, which would intensively expose me to yogic life style and basics of traditional yoga. Also, this would entitle me to become an official Certified Yoga instructor.

What is Yoga that I have learnt?

Yoga is a life style of exercise, a disciplined science focusing on physical and mental well being. Yoga is a journey of the self, to the self, by the self. It is not about being flexible physically, instead it stretches your mind beyond its limits. This art is not just about body strength, it is rightly to develop mental grit and willpower. Its not just an exercise but an experience.

Going back to school! 

For me the experience was just like going back to school. Here desk, bags, lunch boxes, uniforms were missing. New designer cartoon school bag was replaced by a simple jute bag, uniform was replaced by loose comfortable clothes, black shoes were replaced by no shoes at all inside the institute. All text book were replaced by just one main text book which I like to call the Bible of Yoga. No lunch boxes were shared, instead we shared each other’s stories during the break time. Summer vacations was no more casual fun but was about studying, preparing and appearing for exams. Finally all the classmates were transformed into upcoming yogis. While all of this changed, the discipline, sincerity and urge to learn remained the same. 

Although the school life and yogic life had their own differences, I could still point down few similarities as well. Unlike homework given at school, we were given homework in the form of assignments, asana presentations, conduct yoga teaching sessions and practise techniques and asana. Back in school in order to maintain discipline we were asked to put finger on our lips before any teacher arrived in our class, similarly here we closed our eyes, sat erect in silence, and conditioned our self before the start of every lecture. Discipline was to be followed while taking our meal as well since we were not allowed to speak to anyone while eating, in fact we had to strictly maintain silence (Maun) so that one can feel, observe and experience the food served. But human nature doesn’t allow one to follow rules, and since we are not use to keeping quiet, we ate quickly so that we can speak to our friends while taking a stroll in the premises post lunch. Gradually our base shifted from the eating area (Naivedyum) to the Gazebo which was an open space in a circular format covered with a shed, surrounded by lush green trees, and attached with a small rivulet of water continuously flowing around the area. One could dip their feet in and experience the natural spa along with a great peaceful view. 

A typical day at the Institute! 

My day at the Yoga Institute used to start at morning 9.45am. Always welcomed by the lovely gatekeeper by a "Namaste". This was followed by entering into a totally different world within the heart of Mumbai. The premises of the institute is very well maintained and are surrounded by exuberant trees all around. There was also a small marble fountain which would add up to destressing yourself instantly. The place is filled with positivity with daily changing motivational quotes and buzzing with very eager students all around. We had proper time table, with different aspects of Yoga being taught by various teachers. Before the start of each session we had to condition ourselves(unique technique of the institute to prepare our mind and body), followed by a small prayer and ending it with Om chanting, we open our eyes and soul with a big bright smile to receive valuable learnings from our teachers. This was followed by a big Namaste exchanged between the students and the guru’s meaning we respect each other and bow down in front of the Ishwar within you. We also bow down our head towards the dedication and purpose on our mat.

There were specific meal times, where we were served "Saatvik" food (no spices, less oil and easy to digest) as they believe that food and water play a very crucial role for our wellbeing. This was usually followed by strolls across the premises and small chats with our new friends. After attending lectures, at 6.00 pm we ended our day as we finally roll back our mats, all drained and tired, bid good bye and thank each one not forget the guards, helpers, cooks around, and end our day at the institute only to reach home soon, so that we can meet again and look forward brightly to gain more life lessons. 

Hands down the Institute premises has a vibe of its own. It has a sense of calmness in between all the chaos of a city like Mumbai.

Yoga Gurus 

The teachers and gurus at the institute are extremely well trained and knowledgeable who left no stone unturned to explain us each and every concept of our curriculum so flawlessly. Their dedication and knowledge about yoga is undoubtedly unmatched. Our each and every doubt or confusion were solved within a snap of our finger. Also, we were also blessed with weekly lectures by Dr. Hansama. And what’s better than listening to life precious lessons straight from the horse’s mouth. The valuable lessons we learnt from various gurus/teachers were to let go, surrender ourselves and strip ourselves from the external influences and internal obstacles. I must say in these 200 hrs of learning, they reshaped our lives by inculcating values of gratitude in us, taught us ways to heal from the past and prepare for future, showed different techniques of meditation which helped us connect to our deepest self and the universe for self-purification, gave in depth explanation on each asana and pranayama, and lastly inculcated the training skills in us to train other people. They have surely left a lifelong impression on our hearts by reminding us to carry a winners attitude each time we feel like giving up. Overall, we were fortunate enough to have such an amazing and friendly faculty who not only shaped our learning experience as a guide or mentor but who also sowed the seeds of mindfulness, peace and tranquillity inside us. 

Struggles aka. sweet pains faced during the course! 

As it is rightly said that the best view comes after the hardest climb. Starting from sitting on the floor the whole day for 8hrs daily, without any back support to theory lectures which would make me go bananas in the first week. The yoga sutras and complicated words in Sanskrit totally went totally above my head making it difficult for me to grasp. Honestly it was difficult to concentrate at start, but slowly with proper explanation and examples, I got a hang of these Sanskrit words and their meanings. Initially there used to be some sense of under-achievement seeing my slow progress over few who had already started excelling. But slowly with the motivation of our teachers all of us started doing excellent progress. This was even more surprising as we all had come from different backgrounds but moving towards a same goal. In addition to this, there were few medical subjects like Human Anatomy and Human Physiology, which were quite challenging but I was lucky to get help from my family members who are from medical field. Lastly, the anxiety about examinations which I was going to appear after years was overwhelming, but I was able to overcome all the obstacles with hard work, practice and dedication. Now I am proudly a "Certified Yoga Instructor" – a landmark achieved! 

Reflections 

When I look back at all these moments, I truly understand the changes what Yoga has got inside me. The path to reach this point was quite difficult and not like any walk in the park that one would think of it. It tested us to our physical, mental and emotional limits making us much more stronger individuals who would be able to make difference in the society. It definitely changed us.

Few take away lessons! 

As its rightly said that knowledge is of no value unless you put it into practise. I have indulged myself into every bit of the following and I hope and wish to regularly practise the same:-

1. Silence – A powerful sword to avoid problems. 

2. Breathing - Our whole life is from the moment we were born till we have our last breath. The power to control it, gives us immense control on oneself.

3. Dharma - the route to fulfilment goes via Dharma. 

4. Gratitude - appreciate even the smallest of things in life and see how beautiful your life becomes.

5. Calmness - Staying calm makes our body a strong receiver of positivity. The more that we are at peace with ourselves, the better we are to maintain and communicate in relationships.

6. Taking the plunge - to achieve the best for yourself you need to come out of your comfort zone.

Conclusion! 

Yoga helped me heal my body, my anxiety and most importantly my relationship with myself. Loving thyself is what I gained from this training. I have formed relationships and friendships deeper that I had imagined (friends and fellow batch mates) because of them I easily connected together to think alike.

Being blessed to be guided by best of the teachers and gurus, I have achieved a sense of eternal harmony. I pay them my deepest respects who introduced and taught me this beautiful art called Yoga.

Now that I hop back from my mat to my hustle and bustle, I hope this article reaches everyone and they can also be motivated to come out of their comfort zone to achieve positive Mental and Physical changes. Since we all have the power to do that, I believe that one share or right awareness can bring that change. 

Happy International Yoga Day! 

                                    🙏 NAMASTE 🙏 

                                       

                                    By- Khyati Haria

                     (BYT200 - Certified Yoga Instructor) 

O Womaniya, you are more than enough!

Although writing is a small gesture of expression, but today through this article on behalf of all the women out there, I express strength, gratitude and love by sharing a tiny experience with you all.

To embark upon, I am sure one can imagine and relate to our big fat Indian weddings and associate oneself with having a massive family size. I recently attended a close knit family event, where we all ladies of the family got a chance to attend the function without our partner and kids. Each one of us looked pretty and incredible like always, draped beautifully in sarees, hair neatly spun into a bun giving a classy and glamorous look. Of course there were dad’s, brothers, uncles and other men’s too, but I am sparing them for the reason you exactly know why? Because on this Women’s Day, I wish to put light on my recent experience through which I can relate why Women are Warriors. 

My family ladies gang consists of my sisters, sister-in-laws, mothers, aunt’s, nieces who usually tend to occupy minimum of two rows in any family function. We also consume and relish almost entire starter platter being served at one go. To explain in short, this is the size of my family’s feminine crowd. We have variety of power packed talent in house. To introduce them in short, one of them is a teacher, while other is a professional home baker. One conducts homeschooling with two kids and pets, while other runs a family business. One handles and beautifully manages the house, while other is a Chartered Accountant. One helps her husband in his business, while singing is passion for other. One works for a well-known firm, while other works for a social cause.  While having fun with this talented bunch of mine, I realized that nowadays women enjoy equal status in the world because they have successfully navigated through their struggles. And let me tell you those four hours with such enthusiastic, hardworking and loving beauties were spectacular for each one of us. We had “our time” minus any kind of interruptions. We enjoyed every bit of the event, constant chitchatting, hogging on mouthwatering food pleasing our taste buds, clicking pictures and of course little gossiping. How could we achieve all of these together? Usually during such functions, women are seen either feeding their kids, serving food for their betterhalfs, some taking frequent visits with their child to the washroom, few are occupied with work calls, all of this resulting in missing out the real fun. 

While we were all attending the function, I was pretty sure multiple thoughts about one’s child, home, work, routine household chores, maids etc. were wandering in each one of us heads. And the only reason I could conclude upon here is that a woman’s mind is never at rest, it is always running with multiple tabs open in her head like Google. A woman’s bond with her responsibilities is just like the relation between Mind and Heart: inseparable. In order to have a healthy heart you need to have a healthy mind, and just like we need air to stay alive, similarly we need a woman to lead a home. Further to correlate, the way our heart never leaves the mind, likewise a woman has a superlative bond with her duties and not ready to leave them, because she feels it’s her responsibility (Dharma) to serve others. While doing her yoga, she is unconsciously thinking of what menu is to be cooked for dinner. While taking bath, she makes a list of items to be bought from market, or while cooking food, she thinks of her child’s school tests, even while taking her meals, she calculates the time left to pick up / drop her child to classes, while cleaning the house, she thinks of umpteen number of unanswered calls to be made, and while working in office, she thinks of not giving enough time to her family and the list goes on. Her mind is never at peace. The thinking cycle is never ending. And if you feel the woman in the houses are living the most comfortable lives, then you failed to view the other side of them. Every woman in the society has to go under some challenges of juggling work, handling children and family as well they usually deprive themselves of many pleasures in their day to day lives.

While listening to various interesting stories of my female gang on one side and thoroughly relishing the lip smacking crisp starters and fresh juice on other, one question that crossed my mind immediately was, Is Woman born with a label on her head “On Duty”? Can a woman give up on her responsibilities sometimes? Can she let go of her duties or should she feel carefree for few moments? Don’t women need a break? Only because she a superwoman with some great powers given to her magically right from birth doesn’t mean one should not appreciate her.  Wouldn’t it be great if we all cherished the spirit of every woman who spends their entire life doing limitless work and sacrificing for their loved and dearest ones without having dreams and goals?

Well the fantastic event was about to end and the joy of meeting your closed ones is unexplainable. It’s a common ritual in our family to occupy a large space by arranging chairs in a circular format, and have a memorable time by sharing each other’s experiences, discuss current affairs and routine life. While we were doing so, slowly our topic of discussion was diverted towards woman, her challenges and the art of balancing it out. It is rightly said that it’s possible to be a woman, a mother and an achiever. We also discussed how today most of the woman play significant role in the social, cultural, political and economic spheres. The woman performs the role of wife, partner, organizer, economist, mother, teacher, health officer, artist, queen etc. Women in India are also shining in sports and all other services that have traditionally been performed by men. We felt the world will be a much better place if we celebrate woman’s achievements and break the bias. We should call for change and celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who are playing extraordinary roles in our day to day life. We in the developing world are still in the culture and tradition of a male – oriented society. Infact we need to acknowledge and change the orientation from male dominance to gender neutrality and parenting friendly environment.

Finally we finished our meals, clicked infinite pictures and now it was time to disperse and go back to our actual roles and grind into our routine life. Goodbyes are always difficult specially when one has thoroughly enjoyed every bit of happiness with their loved ones. While I was driving back home enjoying nonstop soulful songs of Lata Mangeshkar, I felt uplifted and remembered the memorable time spent with my feminine crowd and how it truly pacified my soul. I decided to lock these moments by penning down my experiences. Many thoughts about womanhood wandered in my head and today I appreciate each and every woman wholeheartedly and would like to convey that every woman out there doing any job, or in any role being a mother, being sister, being a wife, being a daughter, being a friend, we all have a very precious birth. Being a woman we are honored to be mother, an adoring daughter, caring sister, funny and amazing friend. We are heading towards a generation where we are equivalent to men. So just be yourself, stay motivated, keep yourself healthy and happy. Let there be strength for each other. Let’s be the icon of Love, let’s be super amazing moms. For every woman her family is her strength, we sacrifice a lot of things for our family, we make promises and we keep it. You are the inspiration, the motivation and you are independent. You build the world, you have dreams and have the power, you are beautiful and you are proud of that.  May the marvelous feminine energy cover our own warmth and greatness by following to be strong:-

Mentally – learn to be so strong, that you do not depend on anyone else, when you feel low. Make yourself so powerful to deal with any situations and crisis that arise. Diversion is a great pathway to any problems. Learn the art to survive. Giving up doesn’t help, it just piles up. 

Physically – stay fit, move your body, say bye bye to laziness. It’s a long term investment for any individual. Try and invest in yourself, your physical fitness. Design a daily regime and ask yourself daily, Did I move Today? 

Financially – No one knows what life holds ahead. So men or women, have to be financially independent. 

A big shout out to all the women’s making progress that no one recognizes because you never let anyone see your darkest moments. You’ve been silently winning battles and reinventing yourself. Be proud of every step you are making in the right direction. Keep going. You go this. 

And while I head back to my routine hustle and bustle again, here’s my short creation in a form of a little poem which will help us all to accept, appreciate and allow woman to grow and legitimize themselves in all life prospects. 

Let her live the moment flawlessly,

Let her embrace her beauty gracefully,

Let her dance her heart out,

Let her finish that cup of tea peacefully,

Let her enjoy cooking at her own pace,

Let her meditate in tranquility,

Let her finish that important call without interrupting,

Let her have that extra hour of sleep,

Let her take few deep breaths,

Let her enjoy her meals calmly,

Let her have her much needed “me time”,

Let her be late sometimes,

Let her not be strong all the times,

Let her throw those tantrums of being exhausted,

Let her make those unintentional mistakes,

Let her live her dreams,

Let her go out on her limb to help others,

Let her not economize and sometimes,

Let her spend that little extra,

Let her not be judged,

Let her take that break from her routine and,

Let her paint the town beige.

Because a little is all she deserves! 

Let’s not strengthen her weakness,

Rather let’s build her strength.

Remember woman remember, no matter whatever you do,

You are more than you can see and 

You are loved endlessly! 

Happy Women’s Day!!

Women's Day Special (8th March 2021) - An Inspiration in my Life

AN INSPIRATION IN MY LIFE

It’s a simple three letter word: MOM. Yes! My mother is a hero of my life – A true warrior: My constant Inspiration in my Life.

For me heroes really exist in reality. And for me my super hero is my mother. She is actually an ordinary woman, but for me she can do extra ordinary things. She has brought me up with a strong faith and a power to face the toughest challenges in life. 

She is the one who has helped me read, write and explore things in life. With the fact that she has not studied from an English Medium School, still she managed to make me study by buying text books in Gujrati, so that she can compare our school textbooks with the Gujrati ones to make me understand each and every line of the book. Today when I sit and realize I feel overwhelmed for what I am today is all because of her. She has always pushed me to study hard so that I can achieve my life’s goal. She is an inspiration in everything I do. 

Everyday, my mom inspires me to be the best I can and so I feel the world needs more women like my mother. Her support, her drive, her strength, her hard work, her perfection and heart cannot be found just anywhere. I am blessed to call her my mother.  My mother is the perfect example of what I aspire to be. She is like a role model for me. She has been a teacher to me when I needed to learn something, she has been a coach to me when I am low and frustrated in my life, she has been my all-time tailor and designer whenever my clothes needed alteration and beautification, and she has also become my healer when I am being hurt. 

Like we all have a Smart Phone in today’s hi- tech technology world, I can proudly say I have a smart phone as well as a Smart Mom. Where Google Maps helps us show the right path / route to reach our destination, my mom has always shown me the correct path which has helped me reach several destinations in my life. My smart mom is no less than the Weather Forecast feature on our phone. No matter in whichever corner of the world I am, she never fails to remind me to take necessary precautions suiting the weather. She is the Google for all my doubts and queries. Wherever I am stuck and confused, she is one who is just a call away to help me answer all my questions. I believe that it is important to get mothers advice, particularly because they have had many years of experience and have gone through so much in their lives. Like Google, my mom has constantly been there for me no matter the problem. Where our social media app Facebook always asks us “what’s on our mind?”, my mom has always been an observant person, she has always known where there was something irritating me, when I am stressed, upset or angry, happy and excited. She clearly knows what’s going on in my mind? I mean sometimes I feel, she has inserted and inbuilt device inside me to know what is going on inside my head. Like the Clock in our smart phones who always reminds us to be on time, my mom has always taught me to be punctual in life. She reaches always before time, may it be she has to catch a train or bus, meet someone, or she has an appointment with any doctor. No matter what the situation is, she is always way ahead of time. This is where I am inspired by her, because I feel punctuality is more than just being on time. It is a practice that cultivates respect for other human beings. My mom has helped me build this practice as I was a kid, and today I can proudly say that this is one of the most invaluable practice that instills an attitude of inner discipline in everything. It is truly a gift for me. No matter how old I am, my mother stills takes care of me medically. She keeps a regular check on my health just like my smart phone Health Feature does for me. She constantly advices me on what to eat, when to eat, how much to eat, when to rest, when to take a break. My all in one health records which includes exercise records, sleep records, and diet records are taken care by my smart mom. My mom has been my constant Youtube Channel who helps me enhance my cooking skills. She has also been my live Commutree, who leaves no stone unturned to explain me the various relations in our community. Our relation is more than any other friendship that my Gallery of life is filled with infinite memories with her. In short, in my Life’s Playstore I am grateful to have installed and inherited perfection, honesty, multitasking, confidence, kindness, being independent and many other skills from my mom which I will never Uninstall from my life. 

It is true that all women are born managers. And so is my mother. She requires no certificate or a professional degree to prove her managerial skills. Whether its time, house or family, cooking, managing kitchen or multitasking, her managerial skills are beyond compare. I firmly believe she has got this from her mother -in - law. I can proudly say that all I have inherited today of being a perfect manager and a strong mother is all because of her. And I am so proud to be born in such family who believes in instilling life’s important values deep within us which can never be forgotten or neglected. 

My mom has taught me so much throughout my life. She never really taught me lessons, but showed me by examples. Her decision making abilities is what I have inspired the most. With every decision I make, I think to myself, “what would mom do?”. I admire my mother because of how she faces her struggles, how she respects herself, how she has accomplished so much and for everything she has done for me in my life.  No matter how many times I have heard from her: “In our days, this never happened…. we always listened….we never had freedom you have and so on and so forth” but in reality she has so easily adapted to the new rules of the age which in turn becomes smooth for our relationship to nurture. I am so glad and inspired by her that she is not stuck in the world of her childhood or her age, but has been more understanding and adapting to the changing lives.  

She is a firm believer of Lord Ganesh. Never even once has she has failed to remind me to carry Ganesha idol during my travel. She believes it will help me to steer clear of the obstacles in my path. That’s how I have learned, inspired and gained my faith in worshipping Lord Ganesha. She has also taught me Jainism and the powers that you get from the mantras and how it just soothes our mind and we get positive vibes and energy. Whenever I am stuck at any difficult situation, this positive energy guides me towards the solution.  Her faith in religion has laid a strong foundation in my life. 

Today she has made me capable in the world to be independent, even though she doesn’t hold any professional degree of her own. I can proudly say that all my confidence and drive to be independent is what I have gained from her. Right from the start, my mom was the one who nurtured me, prayed for me, worried about me, guided me and supported me in every step of my life. With now me being a mother of an 8 yr old, I feel I am already turning into how she is. And I am very thankful for this. Even things like emphasizing on eating more vegetables, limiting screen time are so important to me now as a mom. All those years she taught me to tidy up the house, look presentable and be perfect in whatever work you do. This is how she has always been doing things, and I feel I have been practicing and teaching my son the same. Truly I feel blessed to have learned a lot from her. 

On this Women’s Day, I honor each and every woman who are not only working hard for their living but also bringing happiness in their son, daughter, husband, families and friends too!  I truly thank KVO Lady Graduates Association for always coming up with fantastic events and giving this wonderful opportunity to write, express and share a little bit about the women who made me who I am today. I hope that I can be half the mother and wife that my mother is. 

Thank You. 

 

Breaking The Dawn - Mystical Mumbai.

There is no place in the world quite like Mumbai. Its big, its loud, its beautiful, its delicious and most of all its iconic!!

Like the most busy cities, Mumbai’s beauty and charm are often overshadowed by the hustle and bustle of everyday crowds, commutes and commotion. This is why exploring busy cities early in the mornings, before temperatures soar and work travels throw traffic into chaos, is a great way to experience the beauty within the beasts.

So I set my alarm clock to the break of dawn and got ready to see a whole new world when I headed out in Mumbai at the break of dawn. Yes, its 22nd Jan 2021, the day I was born in this magical city of Mumbai - the city which never sleeps. 

Its was almost 5.30am and my 1st stop was the beautiful Asiatic Library. Spending sometime embracing the iconic Greek architecture was magical in itself. Clicking pictures on the beautiful Fleet of stairs with noone around was perfect in itself. 

Moving further, came the Grand Gateway Of India - one of Indian's greatest landmarks. The huge art structure looked mesmerising even in the dark. Looking over Mumbai harbour and feeling the morning breeze was an experience in itself. 

Bang opp the Arabian Sea, there lies the diamond of the sea - The Historic Taj Mahal Hotel. What better than starting your best day with sipping a cup of cappachino at the Taj Coffe Shop.

Now was the time to witness the beautifully lit up line of street lights that lend the MarineDrive its nick name :- Queens Neclace. I felt this queen necklace is always ready to embrace you in warm welcoming hug. I soaked in this seductive ambience and sat on the promenade observing the calm sea, hearing the waves of water, no traffic, no crowd, peaceful enviornment and much more. A must must visit before the break of dawn just to avoid the hustle and bustle of the city. And its rightly said in a city like Mumbai, where everything and anything can change, the sea is a constant.

Soon the street lights went of and quickly moving ahead, I visited the very old Mahalaxmi Temple to seek blessings of the tridev goddesses Mahakali, Mahalakshmi and Mahasaraswatiji. It was such a perfect time to offer prayers on this day. I guess I was the 1st or the 2nd one to enter the temple and I felt totally lucky. I had a warm welcome with the poojaris doing their morning ritual Poojas and one of them was blowing the shank. Totally unexpected, I didn't knew I would truly visit this temple so peacefully. 

It was time to eat breakfast at the Iconic Ram Ashray in Matunga. I guess the taste and quality of this 80 Yr old South Indian joint, is still the same. It opens at 5am in the morning, and people start waiting in the queues only to experience its soft idlis, crispy dosas and uttapa. After having the most scumptous meal, it was time for some "Filter Kaafi". One cannot miss drinking the amazing filter coffee served here. And finally my meal ended with cutting this Desi Cake - The Mouthwatering Pineaaple Sheera! Because meetha toh banta hai!  It was truly an experience in itself. 

Juggling ahead fast only to experience the Beautiful Sunrise at 7.15am, I reached at the Mesmerizing Bandra Fort. One of those rare sun rises with the Bandra Worli Sea Link in the backdrop, that moment was one in a million experiences of mine. The rising sun made the sky look so beautiful. It was time to pause and soak in the sunshine. 

All in all this day was absolutely great with No cakes, no parties, no hustle and bustle, no dressing up, no music, no tam- jaam, but an amazing two hrs of pure peace travelling in city so that i get a majestic view of Mumbai skyline at dawn - A kick-start to my 2021 Birthday. 

In everyday Hustle Bustle, in the never ending tussle,  admits the local crowd, having so many responsibilities, yet I manage to carry myself with dignity and class. Truly I hve learnt the art of finding peace in the chaos. 

And as I sit and edit, travelling alone for the 1st time, I get deeply nostalgic about Mumbai and want to experience more of my city. 

Do wait for my next blog... 

Adios till then! 😊

My Quarentine Story - From Dreamy Dubai to Lonely Mumbai!!

"Unplanned trips are always the best ones!" whoever said, surely said it right. 

             Part1:  DREAMY DUBAI

I was dreaming of going to Dubai from last 2 yrs, but everything happened in just a span of two weeks. 

Yes, so this was our one of the most unexpected - unplanned trip. Everything went on so quick, as far booking our flight, passport renewal, hotel booking, preparing iternary, visas and very little shopping :( in just two weeks time!! Phew.. 

The COVID 19 Outbreak had barely begun when we left for Dubai. Finally it was on 1st March that we left our home for the Mumbai International Airport. We had an early morning flight, but we decided to reach the airport and spend the nite there itself, so that we can get a long stretched sleep, rather sleeping for 2 hrs at home, waking up and then reaching airport with no sleep till we board our flight. Honestly it was one of the worst decision we made to reach early and catch up sleep at the airport because we actually couldn't get good sleep. Well as soon as we entered the T2 terminal, we saw few people wearing masks, then few more, and then many more....!! All the immigration officers at each counter had their face covered with masks on their mouth. Didn't knew that Corona had affected so much already. But yes, after all people from various countries transit and airport is the place where many people come and go outside the country. So its understandable that people were already getting into their own safety mode wearing their respective masks. 

It was time for our flight and we soon excitedly boarded. Finally it was time to catch some good sleep. Out 1st stop was Abu Dhabi and our arrival at Abu Dhabi was superb. We were secretly being tested by a fellow at a desk with his laptop attached with a heat machine on top. Honestly we were not scared at all. Well everything went so smooth and we were out of Abu Dhabi Airport, reached our hotel in a huge Mercedes-Benz cab. :-) 

 Day 1: 

As soon as we reached our Hotel in Yas Island  which we had pre booked, the staff didn't let us in and we were told that our stay has been upgraded to a opposite 5 star hotel at Yas Island itself. Soon we were escorted to our hotel room with all our baggages. To our suprise it was a very kids friendly hotel with an amazing pool and a great play area. 

It was a mind blowing stay at Rotana, with scumptous breakfast daily, fantastic services and very comfortable and homely stay overall. 

So our stay at Abu Dhabi was only for Ferrari World and Warner Brother's.  

We planned to visit Ferrari World first. 

Thankfully staying at Yas Island Rotana was advantageous for us because attractions like Yas Waterworld, Yas Marina Circuit, Yas Mall, Yas Beach and Ferrari World are very near. The commute was not a problem since Yas Island has a shuttle service that brings guests back and forth from the attractions and to their respective hotels within Yas Island. 

By the way Rotana is the partner hotel of Ferrari World. At Ferrari World, Formula Rossa is the world's fastest roller coaster, experiencing the adrenaline rush of an acceleration from 0 to 240 km/h in 5 seconds. There were many other such rides which were equally challenging. This park also showcased spectacular collections of unique ferrari models. My son was already getting crazy on day 1 seeing his favourite cars all live, all together. One of our advantages was that the park was so empty and we didn't had to wait in queue for any ride. Infact we ended up doing each ride more than twice. I was proud of myself as I tried Formula Rossa twice. We certainly had an amazing and memorable experience at Ferrari World. Something I ticked off from my bucket list. 

It was a tiring day and we hit our bed as soon as we reached back to our hotel. 

 Day 2 :

 We started the day with some pool time, lovely breakfast and then headed for Corniche Waterfront - one of the most beautiful place we came across. Corniche, Abu Dhabi (upgraded version of our Marine Drive in Mumbai) was marvelous and unique in its own way. One can walk for hours and never get tired of the scenes and beautifulness of the surroundings. It was noon and hot though, but it seemed we were the only ones there. Later we hired a cab for the Grand Mosque. As soon as we entered, we were given a pass individually and I was given an Abaya (traditional long floor length dress covering top to bottom) to wear. We reached here at around 5, spent 1 hr walking through the mosque. It looked spectacular against the beautiful sunset views. Suddenly my son started wondering as to how long would have it been taken to built this, and I asked him to ask a fellow man at the counter, so he explained my son that it took 11 long yrs to build this amazing structure which is the 3rd largest mosque in the world. Totally stunned by the views of beautiful huge chandeliers, studded pillars, domes, engraved walls and lovely carpets. We stayed on for a little longer time here, to get a view of the mosque during the night with all its lightings, and trust me it was a sight of life time. The classic and magnificent Sheikh Zayed Mosque was truly majestic in appearance. 

Finally we took a cab back for our hotel. 

Day 3: 

We were so eagerly looking forward for this day. Finally we got ourselves ready and headed sharp at 11am for the Warner Bros.World, which is the largest indoor theme park in the world. I call it as a paradise because it bought us so much loved characters of the Flinstones, Tweety, Tom & Jerry, Bugs Bunny, Scooby and many more on this list. On the other hand, we experienced the world of superheros - the Batman, Superman, Green Lantern, Wonder Women, Flash all together at one huge place. My son & my husband went crazy throught the day seeing their favourite super heros all live. He did love it and we were thrilled too, as it took us down a memory lane.

Overall it is a fantastic park and absolutely stunning. The rides are great and the feel inside the park is absolutely perfect. It was extremely empty. We could sit on each ride, some mutiple times! There were various shows and virtual reality stuff which we thoroughly enjoyed. 

We had to reach Dubai by nite. Ended up being at this park till the closing, rushed back to our hotel, booked a cab and zip zap zoom we reached Dubai in 1.5 hrs. Not to forget, our driver was an young African Girl, who was too sweet and courteous, gave us a great smooth ride till Dubai. All drained and super tired, we checked in our Hotel at Bur Dubai and dozed immediately. 

Day 4: 

Our 1st day at Dubai started quite early, today is the day we actually joined our gang. Yes, our cousins joined in today and now it's going to be hell lot of fun with these bunch of people (3 couples and 2 kids). Till the time we met them, we took a tour of our apartment, and it gave such nice homely feel, with all the kitchen ware and washing machine, microwave, refrigerator, cuttleries and much more. 

Finally we met everyone at the pool side on the rooftop, everyone was equally excited to see each other, kids couldn't resist themselves diving into the pool, we had our lunch and moved forward for Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo by 1.00 pm. 

     From today onwards, our iternary was booked with one of the leading tour operators in Dubai.

Our pick up arrived at the hotel and we headed towards Dubai Mall. The Aquarium is located inside the Dubai mall. We explored the marine world, where we saw various fishes, sharks, whales, and many other marine creatures. Located on level 2 was the underwater zoo, where one can explore different species of aquatic animals like the otters, African crocodiles, piranha, crabs, giant spiders, seahorses, lionfish and many more. Here the main attraction is to see King Croc - one of the biggest crocodile. Luckily we got a chance to touch a baby shark who was just 4 month old. It was an experience in itself. Well we ended our visit to the aquarium by clicking our 1st group selfie outside the aquarium. Honestly I wasn't much satisfied with the aquarium here if I compare the ones with Bangkok and Bali. 

No visit to Dubai is complete without visiting the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa. Our time slot was booked at 6.30pm to visit the Grand Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. 

Everyone seemed excited for this especially kids, when their long wait dream was about to come true.  

When we stepped out of the elevator and  got onto the observation deck at level 124, we had a 360-degree views of the entire city, surrounding desert, and ocean. Later we wallked around the deck and took in the views from the At the Top. 

At night, the view takes on a different meaning as you look out from the world's tallest skyscraper and see the vibrant cityscape. There are no time restraints whilst visiting At The Top, So we took our own sweet time, relaxed and enjoyed every bit of it. 

We totally immersed ourselves into the breathtaking views standing "At the Top". Everyone got engaged in clicking pictures, selfies, group selfies etc. 

This truly incredible experience cannot be explained in words, but instead must be felt personally. Further we got down from the viewing area. And we went to see an Amazing Fountain Show rite below Burj Khalifa. It was probably one of the most spectacular musical fountain show I have ever seen. Kids were a bit tired, but anyway it was relaxing while we sat and saw the fountains dancing on the tunes of music, it was too breezy and overall was a fun filled experience in itself. Finally we were done for the day, our pick up arrived right outside Dubai Mall, and we headed back for our hotel. When leaving the mall, we saw a few sports cars - the top price category in front of it. And my son never missed a moment clicking a picture of himself with one of such cars even if he was dead tired. 😌

Day 5 : 

So today was a special day, as we had a date with dolphins. Yes, we headed in morning for the Dolphinarium. Our booking was for 11.00am  slot for the dolphin show. All kids were super excited, even adults too. Dubai Dolphinarium was basically fully air-conditioned indoor dolphinarium providing habitat to dolphins and seals. We took our respective seats inside the auditorium. It was fun and we enjoyed the dynamic pool performances by dolphins. It was a treat to watch them twist, juggle, jump and perform feats which was an truly lively special experience. There were seals too who performed quite well. It was the 1st time we saw such a kind of show. My son enjoyed it thoroughly. Entire show was so fascinating that it kept our eyes glued to the stage. Very well choreographed and well coordinated show of paternship between human and dolphins / seals. Later we took a long walk inside the park towards the beach which was connected. Crystal Clear water and soft sand gave us a picturesque atmosphere. Kids dived into the sand and started collecting shells for themselves. We had a great photo session here. It was calm and we were the only ones on the beach and the waterfront area was too scenic. Though it was sunny but never did we feel the sun scrotching even once. Our ride was was waiting for us and we headed back to our hotel. We had very little time for lunch and changeover for our next thrilling experience - Ride to Dessert Safari. 

I was really excited and was looking forward to the desert safari, because I had never been to the desert before. Our ride arrived outside our hotel sharp at 3.00 pm. There were two 4 ×4 Land Cruiser's between 11 of us. 

Our driver was too funny. And he kept us entertained throughout our ride. He understood Gujrati, Hindi, English and even Kutchi. Because he was a Sindhi. Finally we reached the desserts and our ride started. We had a thrilling dune bashing activity which lasted for 20 mins. After reaching our campsite, we were welcomed with kawa (a drink similar to black coffee) and dates. We went and booked our tables and came again outside for camel riding. Honestly the camels look so tired and you’ll feel guilty for riding it. Though, you wouldn’t miss the chance because it’s on your to do list and kids were excited for the ride. 

Behind the camp, there were a few higher dunes and we installed ourselves on the top of one to admire the sunset over the stretched out desert. My son enjoyed to the core, rolling over on the sand dunes and having his own time. 

We walked back to the camp and sat down on a slightly elevated platform with a table and benches dressed with beautiful table cloths. From our seat, we had an excellent view of the stage.

That was a good thing as there where several cultural performances: belly dancing, the traditional Tanura dance, and a fire show! Darkness fell swiftly after the sunset and the temperature noticeably dropped. Not that it was cold, but I was happy I brought a sweatshirt along. 

When the performances were finished and our tummies were full it was time to leave. But not before looking up to the sky and admire the stars. I can only imagine what the sky must look like a little further into the desert where it’s pitch black except for the shiny stars…

Altogether it was a wonderful day: it was my 1st dolphin show, 1st time in the desert, the 1st time I went dune bashing, the 1st time I saw a spectacular love belly dance performance and 1st time I had a very upsetting camel ride. An awesome adventurous day, we headed back into our Land cruiser to reach our hotel. 

It wasn't a tiring day though, we decided to get ourselves fresh and gather in one apartment and have some chit chat and over night snacking. Kids played their games, and our talks were never ending. Few wickets starting falling down on bed and few were still too lively. Finally we called it a night, and our chit chat was to be continued next day over the breakfast table. 

Day 6: 

We woke up late, as we did not have any plan for the 1st half. Finished our breakfast and kids headed to the pool with daddies. I decided to do sauna instead. Our plan for the day seemed quite hectic as there was lot of walking needed. First we went to Butterfly Park at 2.00 pm. 

As soon as we entered the park, the 1st room portrayed various art made with dead butterflies. I continued to the garden, and I was greeted by an attendant, who explained me that there were 3 main rooms to the garden and asked me to please mind the signs. I was surprised that it was all indoors. There were large varietiy of butterflies and they were all very well fed. Anywhere you walked, you could see butterflies of different shape, size, and color than the previous one.

In the second room, there was a small enclosure room bound by netting, with benches for people to rest and observe the butterflies. And if we are lucky, we can have a butterfly land on us. But this was not the case. Here people were trying to chase the butterflies and get them slowly on one's finger, even we tried it and yes, we could do it. There were times, butterfly sat on my dress, sometimes on hat, and many times on face. Basically we cannot sense a feeling of them touching our skin. We loved our time with these colourful butterflies. Sometimes  we became statue as soon as any butterfly landed on us, for a quick picture to be clicked. This click wasn't to be missed at all. 

Soon we were done with all the 3 rooms, we quickly moved out of this park and headed to the Miracle Garden which is just 5 mins walk away. 

There are many flower displays that bloom into the shapes of hearts, stars, pyramids, animals, cartoons, fairies, floral castles, heart passages and even the World Record largest plane - Emirates Airbus A380 covered entirely in flowers. It was a bit hot when we started, but gradually it became quite pleasant. There was lot of walking inside as this park is very huge. We somehow managed to finish this garden in time and took a long rest on a bench at the exit gate, waiting for our other fellow teammates. 

Our next stop was Global Village.  It is basically a  blend of culture, art and cuisine from all over the globe at one single place. In short this place allows you to experience different parts of the world in just a few hours. You get to enjoy street food from all around the world. 

The whole park is one huge shopping and entertainment zone. The area is huge and there is always something happening somewhere. We spent hours wandering through different country areas (our favorites were Africa, China, and India), enjoying street shows, concerts, and local food and desserts. Each pavilion represents a country with a majestic entrance shaped as an iconic landmark from it, perfect for great selfies! You can literally shop the world in a few hours! 

Once the sun sets, Global Village was illuminated with millions of colors and neon lights.

There was no doubt, we were terribly tired and hungry. We landed up at the Indian Pavillion and hogged on to much awaited Indian Mumbai Chats and other food items.

Done for the day and as were were leaving for the parking area, we were bidded adieu with huge fireworks at the Global Village which lasted for 5-10 mins. It was a sight not to be missed. Kids all drained, one was picked on daddy's shoulders, one was dragged somehow till the car, and other one was diverted somehow and was made to participate in a race till the car. 😉

Everyone had a small nap till our journey to the hotel. Finally we hit our bed, looked forward for one more exciting day. 

Day 7: 

Much awaited Legoland it is for today. We missed visiting this during our Singapore - Malaysia trip due to some reasons. So finally the wait was over. We started at our regular time, had breakfast and made our move. My son was looking forward for this excitement as he wore his lego pants specially for today. 

As soon as we arrived inside Legoland we were walking through the area, and suddenly we were greeted by an attendant who took us around the Lego Factory tour, explained us how legos are manufactured, designed, coloured and packed. Next area is MINILAND, a miniature buildings area built out of lego pieces. We were glad to find constructions from lego pieces including: Top 10 World Highest Buildings, Dubai Skyline, Dubai Airport, Egypt, Petra City, Desert City, India, Abu Dhabi, Dubai Creek, Dubai Waterfront, Burj Khalifa, Burj Al Arab.

This park is divided into 4 sections, we somehow managed to cover all. We got queues and rush today, maybe because of weekend. Our 7-year-old was the perfect size and age for this park. 

My son also got a driving license- he did so well with driving his Lego car. We were gearing up with trying to explore the park with the map in our hand, trying to finish it as soon as possible because we had to cover Motiongate as well which is in the same premises. Though we decided to skip the Legoland Water Park and Bollywood Park which is also a part of Dubai Parks and Resorts which was anyways not in our plan for the day. 

Legoland, definitely is a great place to let the kids imagination run wild and let them participate in some fun. We had rats running in our stomach, and legs already were taking a toll, took a short snack and juice break, rushed and ran towards Motion gate as we were falling short of time.

Motiongate Dubai is basically Dubai’s largest Hollywood-inspired theme park.. As soon as we entered, we grabbed a map. Motiongate Dubai is part of Dubai Parks and Resorts, and bought together three major motion picture studios: DreamWorks Animation, Sony Pictures Studios, Columbia and Lions Gate. Being a Saturday, there were many visitors and we had to wait in queue for most of the rides, specially roller coasters. 

All in all Motiongate Theme Park Dubai was a family-friendly fun and entertaining amusement park suited for all ages. Spending our day at Motiongate made us create memories of a life-time

Here I have a confession to make. I am in my mid-thirties but I still love going to theme parks! I don't believe that these places are made just for the kids. These were also built for us adults to get back in touch with our inner child from time to time! I feel lucky to enjoy each and every moment with my 7yr old monster. We were inside the park till its closing time. Our pick up arrived, and we could not stop discussing our experiences and the struggles we faced at the theme park within our group. Kids chattered their experiences with each other during our journey till Hotel. 

Day 8:  Today was suppose to be a slightly relaxed day. Today's iternary had less walking. We started our day with a scumptous breakfast and then headed for half day Dubai City Tour. We were accompanied by a tour guide. Today's tour included the following : 

- Dubai museum - Al - Fahidi Fort. 

- Jumeriah Beach

- Burj Al Arab

- View of Palm Atlantis via Monorail Ride. 

Out of the above, The best was Jumeirah Beach, because the view of the Burj Al Arab from Jumeirah Beach was mind-blowing. We spent a good time at the beach with kids running around, clicking group pictures, some funny clicks and much more. 

We had our lunch back at hotel. (home made rotis and ready to eat paneer makhani). Post this we had a mini gola party. It was a surprise party by my son for his junior cousins. Very little time to relax and then we were headed for Marina Beach and Marina Cruise. I was a little extra excited as this was to be my 1st ever Cruise experience. We quickly changed and left for Marina. 

Dubai Marina is more of an uptown area of Dubai. We opted for the Marina Cruise rather than the Dhow Cruise which mainly runs in the Dubai Creek. 

We had planned to reach early at the Marina and explore the area. Walking around in this uptown area was an experience of its own. This was the most luxurious man made canal city in Dubai. 

Finally it was time for our cruise. It lasted for 1.5 hrs along with the dinner, plus a variety of entertainment on board like live music, tanura dance etc. As soon as we boarded, we were greeted with Arabic coffee and dates. We took our respective seats on the upper deck and we were offered some soft drinks as per our choice. 

We enjoyed the view of the sky scrapers rising high on both sides of the marina. The five star hotels and the Dubai Marina residences were shining fabulously in the night. Right in the center of the sky was the shining moon. Along the footpath we could see people relaxing on the benches or taking a walk. It was pleasant and a little windy. Trust me, the view of the sky scrapers on both sides of the marina just were amazing! 

     The dinner was on and we all were enjoying the glimpse of the beautiful architectures of the buildings around us. The to and fro journey provided different views of the marina. It was as if the buildings were touching the moon. This was truly an incredible experience. Our wonderful marina dhow cruise came to an end and we reached back to the pier. As we came out of the pier, our vehicle was ready to transfer us back to the hotel. It is around 10.45 pm when we reached the hotel but at the end of the day I know that the money is extremely well spent and the cruise is worth every dhiram😉. This Cruise experience  surely made our trip truly unforgettable. 

With some really well spent moments, we reached the hotel back mid-night for a sound sleep.

Day 9:  Our trip was about to end, but our today's plan was going to start late afternoon. But guess what, our day started much much earlier than that as we left for the not to be missed place in Dubai post our breakfast. Who doesn’t love shopping—especially when you are in the “little India” of Dubai, Meena Bazar it was. This is basically a local market located in Bur Dubai, and is famous for all kinds of gold jewellery, textiles, watches, perfumes and spices. Must say this is the best place a to buy souvenirs for our big (really big) families, and live up to the reputation of bringing back things from Dubai! 

It was tiring and sunny, as we were walking through the streets of Meena Bazar. Today our lunch was at a great Indian Restaurant which was located very much at the streets of Meena Bazaar. Our thirst for Indian food, specially street food was quenched here. In this entire trip, we had skipped our lunch maximum times because of our tight schedule, but today everyone thoroughly enjoyed the Indian lunch at this restaurant. Mouthwatering, puri bhaji, cheese grill sandwich, biryani, tawa pulao, some Delhi chaats is what we hogged for our lunch. Now it was time to move back to our hotel, as our plan B for the day was waiting for us. As soon as we reached our hotel, we tried to rest for sometime and on the other hand, started packing our stuff little by little. 

  Finally our pick up arrived and we headed for the magnificent Dubai Frame. It was too breezy and pleasant as soon as we reached below the Frame. It was around 4.30 pm. The frame was jaw dropping. One will not resist clicking a picture, trying to fit oneself between the frame. It's tough get a perfect click here. We used our wide angle lens to capture this beauty. We entered inside, and honestly speaking, when moving further, it gave us a feeling that we have entered a time machine. The Frame takes you on an adventure of three time-periods in the UAE – the past, the present and the future. Primarily, at the start we get to experience of Dubai’s past history. Later, when we got up at the Sky Deck level, we get to experience Dubai’s present from all sides.  The view is quite nice and so is the transparent glass floor, which is not dangerous to walk on, even though some people will get nervous to walk on it. Through this we can see the ground below. The glass bottom switches ON/OFF as people step on it. And finally when we get to the mezzanine level, we get to see the future of Dubai. Its basically a virtual experience that totally left as mesmerised by portraying Dubai evolution for the next 50 yrs. 

Honestly, I liked Dubai Frame more than Burj Khalifa, why because its something different and best part is when in elevator, we could enjoy nice view as the elevator goes up & down. (which wasn't the case at Burj Khalifa). 

We were out of this area, it was dark and Dubai Frame was looking great with its lightning effects. 

    Our next halt was at the Dinosaur Park. The Dinosaur Park was incredible – there are huge, life size, growling, moving dinos. My son had real fun time, spotting his favourite dinos. It's a small park with more than 100 animated dinosaur models. 

Now our next stop was Dubai Glow Garden. This area is basically to be visited at night, obviously because its all about lights. Its just a bunch of neon lights with some artistry and creativity, it was a truly magical experience for small children and adults too. Again there was a lot of walking here, definitely one needs a stroller for kids.

Lastly, we visited the Magic Park, which was also situated inside the Glow Garden area. It's a 3D image park. They have made artifacts in such a way that which will give 3D effect to our images. Personally, it was not upto the mark, as it lacked proper instructions at most of the stalls. 

    This concluded our parks for the trip, and we were all eagerly awaiting for our Limousine Ride, which followed soon after this. We were dropped at our hotel and again picked up soon by our ride for the night - extra long stretched Black Limo. (37 feet). As this was our last night at Dubai, we had a gala time with our ride in Limo. The driver helped us connect our phone to the music system of the car, and soon our car became a Party Limosuine. Kids danced on their favourite tracks. It was the most elegant, luxurious and sophisticated vehicle. We had a 1 hour ride with royal ambience and will cherish this memory forever and ever. The chauffeur dropped us back at the hotel, and we bid adieu to our ride. This was the last night here in Dubai and we made the most of it. The party still continued at our cousins apartment, as we all gathered and cherished our memories, struggles, fun, laughter, thrills of our entire trip till now. 

Day 10: On the last day, we didn’t do much as the last 4 days were a lot of continuous activity for us. We quickly got ready to catch a cab to the most famous Gold Souk. On entering the Souk - the first thing I noticed was a full body suit in GOLD!

Can't even imagine someone in this bodysuit. 😉

The Gold Souk is a must must visit place - even if you don't have anything to purchase - just go there to see the charm of Gold. It is basically like a fish market but all they sell is Gold and lots of gold. 

Then after the fun walks in the souq, we hopped onto an Abra, a traditional Arab style boat, which lets you cross the Dubai Creek for a merely sum of 1 dirham. The fun though, is priceless. 

We reached Meena Bazaar and ended up doing some last minute shopping. As we were booked for evening flight, we didn't have enough time to do some serious shopping, but it was worth to shop Date-Almond chocolates, famous Ajwah Dates, perfumes etc. I feel, my trip to Dubai would have been incomplete, hadn't I had visited the most famous Gold Souk. 

It was time to go, we hurriedly packed our stuff and took parcel of our lunch to leave for the Airport. 

     As soon as we reached the airport, we gave away our luggage for check-in, so that we can relax and peacefully have our lunch. We sat together and had a scumptous lunch at the dining area of the airport. Further we took metro to our terminal. As we had wasted lot of time already, we directly went for boarding. Unexpectedly few seats of the last portion of the plane were empty (corona virus effect 😉), we took our original seats, and in sometime, we all moved behind for some masti, fun, laughter and much more. We played cards and had a hell lot of best and last time together. In sometime, we were given a form to be filled which needed to be submitted during immigration at Mumbai airport. The health declaration form  consisted basic details like travel history, passport number, personal details, contact details, any symptoms, medical history etc. Here comes ones honesty while attempting this question: 

Are you suffering from any of the following?

- Fever (Yes / No)

- Cough (Yes / No)

- Respiratory problems (Yes / No)

Obviously we had to tick No for all three, as we had none of the above symptoms. 

It was a task somehow as we had to fill two copies of the same. So I had 6 in all to fill. 

     We had a safe landing, and as expected it was time to undergo ourselves from screening for the COVID 19. After doing a lot of timepass even at the airport, clicking pictures and making fun, we were the last ones I guess to reach the spot. Few set of medical college students and doctors had settled on a table to check everyone before one goes for immigration. They were doing universal thermal screening by using heat sensors and can spot people with high temperature levels.

We were lucky enough to pass through this test. 

Finally we reached back to our pavilion, with lot of good times and fun-filled memories, but on the other hand we seriously didn't knew what was comming for us.

Before I move on to part 2 of my story, I would like to give few tips if you plan to visit this trip : 

1. Dubai is ridiculously safe. You will almost never lose your valuables. 

2. Dubai has to be seen to be believed. Explore it completely, and you will never regret it. Plan it as per your budget, and it will never leave you UNIMPRESSED. 

3.Everything here is massive, beautiful and beautifully planned. Do carry your best cameras and don’t miss any opportunity to Click.

4. The variety and beauty of ornaments that offer in Gold Souq are simply mind-boggling. Do your homework on the Indian gold prices very well. There is not much difference in prices of 22k and 24k gold. Bargaining is the key to getting a good deal. Don’t stress and politely walk away if you do not like the price. That’s ok.

5. Cost cutting options: Buy food and water at Supermarkets like Carrefour. They have the best deals on all the stuff.

6. The Dubai Mall fountain show is every 30 mins, different each time with Arabic, Chinese and Indian music. Do watch all three shows. Don’t miss the free aquarium view in Dubai Mall. 

7. Try water taxi. They are called Aabra Taxis. Take the water taxi from Gold Souk to Meena Bazar. The views are fantastic and entirely paisa vasool. Their Funda is call 1-1-1. (1 dhiram for 1 person for 1 way). 

8. Shamelessly admire cars and click pictures. Luxury & sports cars are extremely common. 

9. You’re likely to reach your Fitbit step goal daily, as there is lots and lots of walking everywhere. 

10. Buying the sim card in Dubai is expensive and data is even more expensive. We missed it but recommend people to buy the sim from the airport itself where we saw few counters where the sim could be bought for free by the visitors. While data pack is still an issue, most places in Dubai has free WiFi that turns out to be the savior. 

           Goodbye Dubai...Till next time!! 

                    Part 2:   LONELY MUMBAI

Back to our routine, looking forward to school, office, work, busy schedule and whole lot of unpacking. Little did I knew that what was comming our way. But as usual it was very normal with me, two days passed by and suddenly we hear the very 1st Corona virus positive case in Mumbai. 

Undoubtedly it had created a lot of havoc in the city. And it was all over the news. 

School groups, family groups, general groups, all started flooding with only 1 msg - the novel COVID-19 had reached Mumbai. Parents started panicking, family members got scared, and news channel was adding extra fuel to the fire. 

  It was 7pm in the evening and I got a call from my sons class teacher, mentioning to not send him to school for 2 weeks as we had a travel history to Dubai. The school also mentioned to provide a certificate stating our reports being negative for Covid-19. I knew and understood that its impossible to get oneself tested unless one has any symptoms. We didn't have any. Fair enough, I was already ready to face this. Strangely by night, I got several personal messages from mothers asking about mine and my sons health. The news that we travelled to Dubai spreaded like wildfire in just a span of 1-2 hours. In the start, I took it positively, but gradually it turned out to be a total mental torture. On the other hands, being a mother, I understand how parents get overprotective for their kids... It was a real bad night. I didn't understand how would I explain to my son that he is not allowed to attend school for 2 more weeks. I knew it was a challenge in itself.

       A pandemic had been declared!! But somewhere deep inside my heart, I had a feeling that we shall safely come out of this too, because throughout our trip, we took every precaution we could. We washed our hands every now and then, santized ourselves after every surface we touched, and avoided contact. 

   Next day morning, we decided to visit Kasturba Hospital to get ourselves checked. We were accompanied by my father in law who is a general physician. As soon as we reached, we were given a token and we were made to sit number wise. There were around 15 people in all. Finally our turn came, and we three were allowed to go inside together because we were a family and had same travel history. Primafacy, they took our details and made a digitally printed ATM type card for each one of us. Then we had to go and meet the doctor who was fully covered in their surgical body suit. I could only see her eyes and listen to her voice. We were asked to sit on a chair and they politely asked us our travel history and if we had any symptoms like cough, cold, breathing issues. She noted down everything on a paper and asked us to Self Quarentine ourselves for 2 weeks. I insisted on getting ourselves tested, but they strongly recommended a "No" . They told us we do not test anyone unless one has any of the above symptoms. They also told us that we are all good asked us to go home!! 

PHEW... I felt 50% relieved here after a lot of mental torture I faced last night. 

    So while we were returning home, I called the school and informed them the same and that I won't be sending my son until further notice. Later I called my boss and informed him that I am self isolating myself for few days. 

      So this is my day 1 of "self isolating". Never did I knew that I would be so lucky to get an extended vacation. 😉

     The first few days after we retuned were scary as many Corona +ve cases had a travel history of Dubai. 

      After couple of days, finally on 19th March 2020, Modiji, Prime minister of India announced the Janta to maintain a curfew on 22nd March 2020. 

        Finally, on 20th March 2020, Mr. Udhhav Thackeray, Chief minister of Maharashtra had called for a complete lockdown in the city. The entire Mumbai was shaken. Surely there were more worst news comming our way. We were not safe anymore. But its rightly said that hard times come to purify us... Not hurt us. 

   Strangely family members, friends, whom we don't talk to often, started asking us about our health. I was glad and I was feeling nice in a way, but on the other hand, honestly I was not liking it. It seemed like we were being victimised. 

   It was evening of 21st March, and groups flooded with msgs regarding one more case suspected in our vincinity with travel history of Dubai. No, it wasn't us!!         

      While we were enjoying in Dubai, Corona was fast spreading its wings. Infact as per the news there were many cases in Dubai already, we came across so many local residents staying in Dubai, and one thing for sure was that I never experienced panic situation there. Whereas in Mumbai, there was lot of panic right now and I feel its lot more contagious than the virus. 

      Somehow I am super glad of spending my days with my family . Maybe that's what I missed doing since I resumed work. Everyday, I definitely end up doing lot more non academic learning than ever before, lot more snuggles, lot more cooking and snacking, lots of games and most important lot of sleep. 

     Many people criticised us for taking this trip, few told us this was not the right time to go, few were upfront on the thought that we shouldn't have gone, few people were happy we took this trip (of course because of my tight schedule I badly needed a break). But I luckily feel so glad that I took this trip. And we came back just in time and that other peoples negativity was totally not worth worrying about at the moment. 

    This quarantine is really testing me, on how everyone is invested in me, may it be friendships or relationships. 

    Nevertheless, I feel Obliged to have got the opportunity to pen down my Quarentine Story. 

   So our day starts with a glass of warm water and ends with a good vibe thought that we are in this together.#covidtimes#. 

     My very 1st target was to achieve on catching up with all the movies I had missed watching. One fine day I watched this movie called Contagian(by now everyone has watched I am sure), I wonder if this is really what is happening to us, I could never imagine that a bat could change the world. 

  Indian's death toll of Corona Virus has crossed 100 this week and so many increasing cases have been reported. I heard on the news that this sudden increase in the toll is linked to Tablighi Jammat meet that took place in Delhi around 13th - 15th March 2020. So I m still wondering if this is really the bats or this is some kind of conspiracy??? 

22nd March - 5.00 pm A feeling of Gratitude: 

      At 5.00 pm today when I was ringing the bells in balcony, I could see small children clapping, ringing bells, adults banging on plates, blowing of conchs and the whole environment was that of gratitude to all those who are fighting Corona for us. An amazing overwhelming experience of solitarity. What a sight👏👏👏

Gratitude once again to all those who are untiringly serving humanity.

On 23rd March 2020 while I  was surfing through the news channel, it was suddenly declared that section 144 was imposed on Maharashtra. Total Lock down, trains shut, interstate buses, everything was about to shut down. 

    As it was already getting scarier all the more, on 24th March 2020 : Prime minister, Modiji is addressed the nation and as expected, looking at the increasing number of COVID 19 cases, he has announced a "Complete lock down for India for next 21 days." 

   But the great news was that tonite we completed our "14 days of self Quarentine period." We were suggested and adviced that the typical incubation period is about five days and around 99% of the people who get infected and develop symptoms do so within 14 days. We felt confident about not being carriers of the virus. This surely called for a small celebration and out of excitement and happiness, me and my son decided to bake. 

This doesn't mean life was going to be carefree and easy anymore.  Life had come to a standstill. 21 days lockdown is no joke. I wonder we can still survive on our savings, but what about people who live on daily wages??

     One lockdown lesson here I learnt is, that the cost of living is never expensive, it is the cost of lifestyle that is expensive. 

26th March 2020- It was 12 noon, BMC officials gave us a surprise visit at our place. This was basically to enquire on us and routine questions were again asked regarding our health, whether we have any symptoms and our travel history. It was again a feeling of gratitude towards them. As mentioned in the news paper few days back, that the BMC will keep a strict check on people who have travelled abroad, I was stunned to see their dedication towards work. The perfect timing they maintained while visiting us. It was exactly on the 15th day that they visited. Hats off to management of Mumbai Municipal Corporation. 

    This 21 days lockdown didn't make me feel strange or different to me, as I was already on an isolation much before this lockdown. I feel I am used to it by now. There is so much to do, there is so much I missed doing, and now when I am getting all the time in the world, I feel its worth it!! 

      Well this Quarentine bought the chef in me! I am cooking new dishes, baking, relishing every bite of food and eating 5 times a day. 😁 Making art, playing new games, dancing on our favourite tracks, fighting, reading, writing, telling stories has become a part of my lifestyle now. 

       It more than 20 days of Self Quarentine and I realised that this virus has travelled more than I did. 😁

31st March 2020: Today when everything is locked down my company has still paid me full salary even when I couldn't work for many days. And I again feel so lucky about myself. But unfortunately it isn't the case for many people who earn on daily wages. Today I have sent across my maids salary through someone. And I feel Proud about this. Do you?? 

   Most Indians are religiously following social distancing. Because of this novel corona virus and its outcomes, its glad to see everyone:

*  queuing up to purchase goods patiently

*  washing hands regulary 

*  practising self care

*  building immunity

*  being kind

*. keeping the environment clean

*  Realising the importance of savings. 

*. Volunteering ones time towards the needy while taking precautions to keep oneself safe. 

      I wish everyone's tries and follows the same post this Outbreak too. 

    When humans take a break, nature thrives! 

It a nice breezy evening, I am taking a walk on terrace of my building , and I see pitch clear sky, few eagles gliding in the sky, parrots nosing around and a family of pigeons go back home from work. No one had asked them to follow the protocol of social distancing. There is nothing called islotion in their world. There is no concern of COVID 19 either. Lucky them!! 

5th April 2020 - Sunday 9.00pm.9 mins... 

I haven't seen such fan following when it comes to leadership. Modiji did it again!! 

For 9 minutes, the soft glow of diyas, the cheerful sound of the crowd reminded me of one of those Diwali celebrations. India stood in solidarity and showed confidence to fight against the noble Corona Virus. 

     Telecasting Ramanayan and Mahabharat was the best decision ever. I had missed watching them in my childhood. Thanks to this Quarentine, that I am able to watch them now. And strangely my son is following the same.

      We are on day 23 of Self Quarentine. Bringing in Maggi and pastas in our pyjamas. 😊 Many more days to go still as this lockdown has been extended already till 3rd May 2020.

    Lockdown is an opportunity to do what you always wanted to do. So here I am unlocking myself....It was a roller coaster ride for me. Past few months, managing work, home, kid, family and very little time for myself. Sometime no time for myself!! Social life had already taken a toll with me. But there is a different enjoyment in this kind of busy life too!! 

      When it comes to unlocking myself, my Life pre - Quarentine vs present is as follows :

 1. Early morning wake ups to - now waking up late. 

 2. Driving to work to - now my son driving me crazy.

 3. Talking to my employees to - now having a chat with my family. 

4.  More official Calls to- now more personal calls. 

5. Never used video conferencing to - daily using Video Conferencing. 

6. Lunch with my batch mates to - lunch with my Family. 

7. Giving tasks to employees to - now completing my tasks. 

8. Missing my son to - now missing my maids.

9. Completing office work to - somehow finish household chores. 

10. Face to face official meetings to- now online meetings. 

11. Sleeping tired to bed to - no proper sleep schedules. 

   There is this panic, and it feels like our lives have been reprogrammed. And that's how unpredictable life can be. So I have to savour every moment now... Let's practice self care, work on ourselves, love ourselves and sprinkle kindness around, heal so that we do not bleed on people who didn't cut us, spread more love and be there for each other during this tough times.

       Last thing, once we are over this.. What do we do of China now? Any suggestions??? Please dont miss to mention below in the comments section. 

          If given a chance to me, I would sit on a dragon and Dacraysss on entire China! (Game of Thrones fans would surely get this) & for others, you can follow GOT in this lockdown😉

Hope we all get out of this safe very soon. Till then take care and stay home!! 

Much Love, 

Khyati

Camera : A mirror full of memories!

23rd January 2019, Wednesday Morning 8.00am.

"Smile well while uncle clicks your photograph ! Listen to the instructions!" said myself to my 6 yr old son today morning while we were on our way to school. We were informed by the class teacher that today is their class photograph day and kids have to be dressed in their regular school uniform. We were nearing our school and I waved my son goodbye at the school gate. While going back to my vehicle I overheard a father telling her daughter, "Look into the camera, Smile well!" She didn't respond and without any reaction she walked off to the school gate. I was about to start my bike and all of sudden it striked me that I had to collect a parcel from my brother in law at the school junction. I went behind to collect the same. After collecting the package I was walking towards my bike and my ears heard, "Don't look here and there during the class photograph. Follow what is being said". I looked behind to see and it was one of the mother who was informing her 5 year old son. While I was driving back home with cool breeze all over my face, and my hair flying away, I culdnt stop thinking about the above parents instructions to their respective kids including mine to my son. I didn't have answers to these question which my mind asked me :

Do photos always need perfection? 

Why do we always need perfect pictures? 

Why not candid pictures? " 

A candid photograph is a photograph captured without creating a posed appearance. The candid character of a photo is unrelated to the subject's knowledge about or consent to the fact that photos are being taken. However, if the subject is absolutely unaware of being photographed and does not even expect it, then such photography is secret photography, which is a special case of candid photography. So recently I came accross a forward on whtsaap yesterday about Mr. Chetan Gusani - last runner who was running at the sea link at Tata Mumbai Marathon held last sunday. What came to my mind the moment I saw the picture of him running on the sea link is the beauty of this photograph. Everything in life is not about perfection or winning, it is about the beautiful moments witnessed from behind. Mr Gusani would be totally unaware of someone clicking him from behind as he is just striving hard to run and reach the finish line. No matter he must be feeling frustrated that he is the last one running but must say this was one of the superb secret pictures(secret photography) captured which he will relish for lifetime as one beautiful memory because great photos don't need to be Perfect! 

Candid are the kinds of pictures taken at children's birthday parties and on Christmas morning, opening the presents, the pictures a wedding photographer takes at the reception, of people dancing, eating and socialising.  The moment I think of childrens birthday party, I feel like sharing a very recent experience of mine where I could relate myself thinking about the fact that don't we worry too much about the perfection in a particular, forgetting the real moments behind it.?  So it was recently that me and my son attended a kids birthday party at quite an amazing play area for kids and adults. Kids everywhere were jumping on the trampoline and bouncing themself up and down enjoying their life to the fullest. Few other kids and mumma's wore their harness, helmets, gloves, shoes and were all set to do some climbing and crossing hurdles activities. There was a photographer who was being hired to click some pictures and that's what everyone does to capture few very beautiful moments . While I was eating some French fries and sipping my fresh juice, I saw the photographer had a great time clicking pictures of kids at the party because one could see all kids jumping here and there like cute monkeys everywhere. And the same moment we few mothers chit chatting had a discussion as to how difficult it is to capture these kids perfectly in one frame. Mothers want their kids to pose, look into the camera, take a Selfie, and most importantly to smile! Because otherwise the picture will not come good. Why not just click when the child is not aware. Or just click in whatever and however they want to get themselves being clicked. Candid pictures are always fun to watch again and again. It captures people when they are not aware of their picture being taken. Hence the name candid. Here at the party, the photographer was clicking pictures without staging a scene. Hence it is natural and brings in a sense of realism. That's where the real memory last. We want our kid to be so alert during any photograph moment as if we are giving them a lifetime task. Allas me and my son surely did enjoy every bit of the birthday party. But back in time when I think about it, I feel I struggled myself :

# clicking some selfies with my son wherein we wore glowing glasses, but he wasn't looking into the camera. 

# Clicking pics of my son with his bestie (birthday boy). Both equally tired and not interested to smile. 

# Clicking a Selfie with a dear old friend whom I met after a long time. 

# Asking one of the mothers there to click mine and mine sons picture giving a "yo pose"while we were doing our climbing and crossing hurdle activities. 

I am sure the photographer has surely captured moments that are unique, funny, powerful and real because candid photography is a very interesting art form. It's all about capturing the sponteinity of a moment. Whereas, I tried my level best to create a perfect photography which is totally the opposite of candid photography. Perfect photography allows the photographer to create the perfect space to take a picture where everyone is giving their best pose. Here people are aware that somebody is clicking their picture. This kind of photography is more formal in its approach. 

Haven't you all seen offlate people are getting photo shoots done. May it be for a pre wedding shoot, pregnancy shoot, post wedding shoot, 1st birthday shoots, and so on. Agree to the fact that life moments are captured through photography. Sad but true that photography is shifting from memory tool to communication tool. People take photos to document an experience to help them later recall it. But this trend is changing, as we are witnessing a significant shift, among all the generation toward using it as an instrument for interaction and peer bonding.”

As with weddings, I have seen people getting candid style photography done during their family photography sessions, which can be so much fun. Some of our favourite candid photos emerge from the energy of teaming up with energetic families who are willing to get silly! Suddenly I went back in time, and recollected a wedding we recently attended. Everyone agrees to the fact that a wedding is a once in a lifetime experience. People want to remember their special day. We recently attended my cousins wedding in Mumbai. Thoroughly we enjoyed clicking selfies, solo pictures and group pictures, pictures with the bride, posing differently and so on. On the other hand I saw our kids who met each others cousin (after a long time) were having a gala time playing and running around the entire banquet Hall. We (who even met after a long time) on the other hand were just giving a tough time to our respective cameras. I observed at the end of the day we just ate and clicked pictures with some funny comments and we spoke very little. 

Sooner at the wedding, I noticed there was a  dessert counter and there were variety of waffels being served. My son is one big Waffle Fan. He must have eaten 4-5 waffels without my notice. Suddenly we decided to have a group family picture and everyone was searching for their respective family members. It was a task gathering everyone on the stage as we are one big huge gang (50+members). I too was searching for my son, and there I caught him comming hand in hand with one of his cousin friend. Looking at his state of mouth totally loaded with choclate sauce, I can say he relished the waffels wholeheartedly. But it was time to click and be on the stage. I told him, "look at you my boy, why didn't you wash your mouth?" I over heard one of my cousin telling me," Let it be!  Let him not wash his mouth. This is how kids are suppose to be." I told her worriedly, "Soon there is a group photograph taking place. He looks so shabby with choclate all over his mouth." We were almost on the stage and had no time to clean him. And there, we all cheesed to the camera. I am sure my sons pic would have been the most funniest one with him cheesing his brown choclate teeth and mouth all covered under choclate sauce.  But the beauty of this group picture will lye in the natural reactions of each one including my son's because  candid are all about snapping photos of people when they are being themselves and not posing for the camera, which is why they are often the most treasured moments and photos from a photo session. It clicks people their best emotions and brings out the feeling of that moment. This is where memories lie. I would love to see this group picture again and again only to look at this funny shabby monkey of mine. 

I firmly believe that vacations are a must and we all take a break from our hectic schedule to create some new memories. We’ve all done it at one time or another: whipped out our smartphone to snap a picture of a sunset at a vacation that is too beautiful to forget, or surreptitiously photographed a particularly impressive dish at a restaurant. If you’re on vacation, it's obvious that we document our lives to keep our memories from fading, but with such widespread use of camera phones and new devices and seeing n' number of same pictures in our phone or on our memory drive, don't you get this questions in your mind'? 

"Are we taking too many pictures?" 

"Aren't we logging our lives?" 

"Is technology affecting our ability to make memories?" 

Agree to the fact that photography increases the enjoyment of an event. But have you noticed that people who take photos of their experience usually enjoy the events more than people who don’t.” However I believe that taking too many photos can impair a person’s “ability to recall details of the event later.” As with all things in life, moderation is key — taking photos, but not doing so excessively, can increase our enjoyment of an experience.

We get so obssesd clicking picture that we are not taking photos to remember a moment, rather we are doing so to mark where we are and how we felt, thanks to our social media. Now I realise and I firmly advice that If you are on a vaccation and enjoying some beautiful site, take a couple pictures and put the camera away and enjoy the site. Later, go through them, organise them, print them out, and take the time to reminisce with other people. Those are all things that help keep memories alive.”

In the end, when it comes to candid photography or posed (perfect photography), I believe both offer their unique advantages and we are always thinking about how best to capture any given moment! Moreover, some photos are best when they are candid because it always spontaneous :Expect the unexpected. Photos arent supposed to be the perfect depiction of anything. They exist for delight. Life is all about precious moments and we human beings don't leave any chance to capture them, but we shouldn't really care if pics looked perfect. We should see those authentic moments that people aren't around to capture. 

Thank you. 

Happy clicking! Happy cheesing!