tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70789143023691408212024-03-08T11:58:56.295-08:00Unknown Dimensionsfaiyazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02256942766559155989noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7078914302369140821.post-46282312252982351912013-11-09T03:14:00.000-08:002013-11-09T03:26:19.392-08:00What is spectacular? What is it?? what is IT??<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
They say it takes something spectacular for you to get out of your comfort zone.<br />
Particularly if you are a perennial <a href="http://livesandlifetimes.blogspot.in/2010/08/precrastination-v20.html" target="_blank">procrastinator</a> like me<br />
<br />
What then, you might ask prompted me to get back to writing my first blog post in years?<br />
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Nothing.. Nothing spectacular that is.<br />
Its a Saturday, I'm at work like all other Saturdays, I drove to work today (which I've never done before, and i know this is bad news for a lot of auto-drivers around the city who took me an many a ride - pun intended)<br />
<br />
So ya, maybe driving to work is making me feel good?<br />
Driving my car is symbolic of driving my circumstances? No.<br />
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God forbid, i wouldn't want to drive my circumstances. I want to live the circumstances. that is where all the beauty is. The beauty of being, of experience.<br />
<br />
I said beauty of being, whose being? mine?<br />
<br />
God forbid, no not mine... Its the beauty of the ONE who remains hidden, yet within us all along.<br />
<br />
I do not know, maybe its a call from this person i received just a while back... I do not know.<br />
<br />
All i know is, spectacular is all around us. It lurking, beneath every mundane activity or situation around us.<br />
It is lurking under the garb of boredom, its lurking under our fear. It is lurking under our hunger, our food, our breathing.<br />
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We shouldn't really try to define spectacular. We must only open our eyes.<br />
<br />
and look around, live, and wait for that spectacular to sweep us off our feet, and lead us.<br />
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The spectacular is in us. Within us. Hidden, yet infinitely manifest. Let That spectacular drive you. Rub your eyes, out of disbelief, and you will then rub in disbelief, at the Spectacular.<br />
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Can we name this spectacular? this supremely, infinitely blessed being? Out of whose being-ness we live, feel and experience, yet not learn??<br />
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When the belief of knowing-ness comes to you, you will rub your eyes and open them wide, and you'll be surprised that all of your life, you, my friend, have been living the Spectacular!!<br />
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May we be bewildered, and in awe, forever and ever. In this spectacular, that we call - <a href="http://www.thesufi.com/rumi_fihi_ma_fihi.pdf" target="_blank">LOVE</a><br />
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Not the kind they show in movies, but the kind, which when realized, leaves you speechless.<br />
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Donot ask me, do not ask yourselves where you would find it.<br />
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Rumi says, <span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">“What you seek is seeking you.”</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">What is spectacular??, it is that, which is seeking you, every second of your existence,</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"> Don't find it, remain silent for a while, and let it find you.</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.thesufi.com/rumi_fihi_ma_fihi.pdf" target="_blank">It is, what it is </a><br />
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When you know this.. and you will, you will fall in love all over again, with your trials, with your difficulaties, with you unease, for in reality it was all Hidden Mercy, that pushed you to banish what is outside of you, and seek what is within,... The very core of your being, the very core of the universe, the very core of all that is... The spectacular.. Love..<br />
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What justice can i do to the #awesomeness of this spectacular, but since i yearn to... I dedicate this post to The spectacular. This my friend, this dedication, is my worship. Blessed be the spectacular!! Blessed be the spectacular..<br />
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<br /></div>
faiyazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02256942766559155989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7078914302369140821.post-3485493766586513272013-07-09T04:35:00.000-07:002013-07-09T04:35:01.525-07:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br /></div>
<table border=1><tr><td>
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<td colspan=2 align=center><b>Right Brain/ Left Brain Quiz</b></td>
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<td colspan=2 align=left>The higher of these two numbers below indicates which side of your brain has dominance in your life. Realising your right brain/left brain tendancy will help you interact with and to understand others.</td>
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<tr nowrap><td valign=top align=right>Left Brain Dominance: </td><td align=left><img src="http://www.intelliscript.net/test_area/questionnaire/bar_graph.gif" width=54 height=12 alt="9">(9)</td></tr><tr nowrap><td valign=top align=right>Right Brain Dominance: </td><td align=left><img src="http://www.intelliscript.net/test_area/questionnaire/bar_graph.gif" width=84 height=12 alt="14">(14)</td></tr>
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<td colspan=2 align=center><font size=1><a href="http://www.intelliscript.net/test_area/questionnaire/questionnaire.cgi?q=questionnaire_ini">Right Brain/ Left Brain Quiz</a></font></td>
</tr>
</table>
</td></tr></table>faiyazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02256942766559155989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7078914302369140821.post-29170503007917100592011-03-10T07:15:00.001-08:002011-06-06T22:22:15.960-07:00The sun and sunny days .... A tribute to Philip caputoThe following is an excerpt from 'the voyage' by 'philip caputo'<br />
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<br />
''the golden shimmer appeared where the horizon was supposed to be,then a red sun pushed up,like the head of some fiery infant bulging out of the grey sea's womb-water giving birth to its opposite element.<br />
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<br />
Take that for a piece of writing !how brilliant was that , hats off Mr caputo !! I have always believed that a great piece of writing is one that inspires the reader to think , and write !! <br />
There are few examples better then this one , for its not only pushed me to think , its pushed me to write what i thought about too !!<br />
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Not surprisingly ,its about the sun that i have written .<br />
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Our lives, are like the daily cycle of the sun.<br />
We take birth ,all mild ,innocent ,utterly harmless and extremely lovable , we appear but like a miracle of nature !<br />
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But as we sprout wings and fly into adolescence and then adulthood ., we , with wings , unfortunately grow horns too !... And we become more ferocious , less mercifull and more arrogant , causing discomfort to poorer beings! Like the sun in the noon , blinding yellow , extremely bright , hot, refusing to provide us with any sort of relief or shade .<br />
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But then, there is justice after all and life does teach us a lesson or two. It humbles us , gives us a chance to realise , and.... Towards the ends of our lives , we are humbled too , just like our radiant celestial neighbor.<br />
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Again changing from a fiery yellow to a friendly glow of orange , and then to a serene pink , its almost like the sun , has learnt his lesson , like he kno's he's run out of his 'sunny days', and is Reminiscing his time during the noon. And in retrospect ,is feeling foolish ,almost guilty , <br />
....but....<br />
He's serene because, he must have lived arrogant, like a fool , for a certain period of his life , but he's learnt from his life and he's appreciated the beauty of it......<br />
And now , is going down enlightened, going down wise , heart heavy with joy and remorse at the same time ,,......<br />
<br />
Waiting for another chance... Hoping not to repeat his mistakes ......as we wait.... For another chance ....everyday<br />
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and how marvelous is this set-up, how marvelous is GOD , HIS nature !! And how fitting that with the next chance the sun gets , a new day , a new chance to start afresh we are blessed with !! <br />
A new page in the book of our life we turn !! A blank page more importantly , giving us a chance to start afresh , keeping the past out of our present !! <br />
<br />
How can we not fall in love with this complicated ,yet so simple life !!faiyazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02256942766559155989noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7078914302369140821.post-27083428721647140562011-03-10T06:01:00.001-08:002011-03-10T06:04:04.853-08:00The misery of being a ''thinking man''I am not much of what 'they' call a ''thinking man''.... Or so i am told ...<br />
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In that previous sentence i really don't know who the 'they' are...<br />
Come to think abt it , no one know''s who , the 'they' are...<br />
<br />
Everyone says 'they' , but nobody 'is' 'they'.<br />
So maybe there are no 'them' really !!<br />
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As to why i should not be considered a thinkin man by 'them' ?,really beats me <br />
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its not like i don't think?...<br />
I think all the time, i think every second I'm awake, maybe i think when I'm asleep too?maybe i just don't remember the thinking part of my sleep !<br />
<br />
I 'think' a lot of things !!,... Like....<br />
<br />
Why is a parking lot called a parking 'lot' ,?<br />
Is it because it has LOTS of parking space ??<br />
<br />
Why is a 'better half' a 'better half' ??who decided that ur 'other' half is ur 'better' half ??<br />
<br />
<br />
Why do chicks hug 'filthy rich' kids saying ' awwwwww ... My 'poor' baby??' ..are they really that blind ??<br />
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Why do some girls 'babytalk' all their lives?? Even if it sounds......well...... More baby'ish then babe'ish ??<br />
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Why do people make movies like 'golmaal 3' ?? Who invests in these??and who' watch these??<br />
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Why do ppl wrote blogpost such as these??<br />
<br />
The list is endless !!! Inspire of it I'm not considered a 'thinkin man' !!<br />
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Its not like i WANT to be considered a thinkin man, i just wanna know why I'm not considered one ??<br />
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<br />
My brain is overcrowded with things to think about ,like I've already mentioned !<br />
The volume of thinking is so high that I'm barely left with anything else to do !!<br />
So I'n 'compelled' to think,......<br />
<br />
That my thoughts aren't too compelling , is another story ! <br />
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It is a kind of thinking that doesn't lead to anything, anything substantial that is, .<br />
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It is , a kind of thinking that leads to stupidity!!<br />
<br />
Or maybe stupidity leads to this kind of thinking !!<br />
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'thinking men'..don't think of such things .,...things this trivial ....<br />
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They think of things that matter, matter to who ?i'm not sure yet !<br />
But they think , and sentences like 'what does not kill you only makes you stronger' result from their thinking .... ...<br />
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Doubts like 'if we keep getting stronger every time we don't die !, but we eventually die, den wat use was the strength we gained by not dying' ?? ,,....result from my kind of thinking !! ..sadly.<br />
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They think and the product of our thinking make way into our English exams as 'comprehension passages' ... I think and the product makes way into an unknown blog.... (which is how it shud be ofcourse:))<br />
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<br />
pathbreaking realisations , intellectual tidbits are the consequences of their thinking.,,... But , in that case , shouldn't they be called 'great pathbreaking thinkers' or something like that ??<br />
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Because 'thinking' is too general a word for them !! Or is it too hard to realise what I'm saying ??<br />
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If they are such good 'thinkers' shudnt they have thought about it already?? One needs to be specific after all , doesn't one ??surely thinking , is too general a term to be patented for the elite !! For this patent robs a lesser mortal from being categorized as a 'thinker' ,although he/she thinks !!<br />
<br />
Isn't this a fair enough plea??if yes, then why don't many of them agree to it ??<br />
<br />
Maybe I'm a dick and i don't know it , maybe everyone but me is a dick and they don't know it !!<br />
(as Jim maher wonders in the hemingway man)<br />
These are questions that'll remain unanswered !!<br />
All i want to tell you is (if you're still reading this that is)....., <br />
<br />
do not think a lot , or you'll end up writing a stupid blogpost like me...<br />
Ironically .... Without putting much of 'thinking' into it !!!faiyazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02256942766559155989noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7078914302369140821.post-4451045358220942412011-03-10T04:35:00.001-08:002011-03-10T04:35:52.214-08:00What happens when a common man visits ub city part 2I don't normally keep promises ,simply because i forget i made any .however your first blog is hardly somethin to forget about !! And i had promised to you that i will come back and tell you what happened while i was crossing the road !!<br />
<br />
Well , that another day had arrived (unfortunately for u and fortunately for me ) soo, here you go (say ur prayers or close the window or do both before its too late)<br />
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<br />
<br />
when i did come out of 'ub city' i walked past itch gardenia where some of the top names of the country were motionless being treated like assets and liabilities and the ipl auction was in progress, i have never liked ipl personally and i hated auctions even more , but i doubt if my dislikes and likes matter to the rest of India , the players themselves don't mind the auctions (only overrated players i mean) so i can say nothing abt i ...... Anyways comin back to the story !!<br />
<br />
I came across 2 little (15 or 16 something i guess) making a fuss about crossing the road!!<br />
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Now let me tell you a thing or two abt Indian girls (because most of my audience, yes i do have ppl reading my blog and I'm serious, are from the western hemisphere)<br />
<br />
the ''cool quotient'' of a girl in India is directly proportional to her ''fuss quotient''...<br />
If you are not familiar with indian girls and the fuss they make, you'd think they are facing a nuclear missile with bare hands.<br />
<br />
So they were fossil crossing the road and i did not get the opportunity of knowing their names so lets call them the 'hot girl' and the 'hotter girl' (i hope i am not assumed to be a pedophiles, these are YA's we're talkin about)<br />
<br />
<br />
their conversation went something like this <br />
hot girl ; fuck man ....... Something something...... Fuck......something ...fuck !!!....fuck......fuck!!<br />
<br />
Hotter girl ; reallllllllllllyyyyyyyy???? ......fuck man.... I thot....something ...something.... Fuck ...... But.... Something.... What the fuck !!! <br />
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Here's your lesson #2 ... In India , a young girl/guy's cool quotient is also directly proportional to the number of 'f' words in his/her ave sentence!!!<br />
This is all i got to hear , i needn't hear anymore , they crossed the road as did i ...<br />
Were they being stupid??maybe the were being natural ??? Or were they naturally stupid??? <br />
<br />
I'll never know... <br />
All i know is ...<br />
the way they spoke wasn't very unfamiliar to me!.... I knew it too well , heck... I even luv'd it i guess.... I felt at home !! Surrounded by the fussiness of the world,...surrounded by the stupidity of the world .... Surrounded by youthful carelessness !! I luv'd my life... <br />
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If somebody'd ask me what i learnt/realised that day I'm sure my answer'd be that ... Cool quotient's presumed to be directly proportional to a girl's fuss quotient and the number of fuck words in her language...<br />
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I am sure my answer wudnt amuse anyone ..but i luv accepting life the way it is.... And i luv stupid gilts who use a lot of 'f' words for no apparent reason !!faiyazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02256942766559155989noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7078914302369140821.post-40836760592533312202011-01-10T18:17:00.000-08:002011-01-15T09:37:04.673-08:00What happens when commoners visit ub cityVitthal mallya road ..10th of jan 2011 A rather untra thing happened at ub city , bangalore. A man,who had no business being there,was there...(waiting for a gentleman who happened to be his brother) before you ask, let me tel you why this was a strange occurrence.......<br />
<br />
A few people stared at our friend..others ignored him...out of the ones who stared, some shared in disbelief,some with pity , some with appreciation......appreciation , because he had the audacity of turning up looking like how he was looking at ''the u b city ! ''. . . dull , tired, sweating , wearing loose ill fitting clothes...no sun glasses stuck on his face, no plastic smile stuck on his lips either.....<br />
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<br />
Now lets let our man do the talking himself...before you close this window... So here's the account of a 'commoner' visiting ub city. . . For the first time...<br />
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<br />
<br />
<br />
Okay, so i 'd been to u b city, and i know i 'm making it look like i'd been to the moon....shows how jobless and idle my mind really is.....but anyways......here're the thoughts that crossed my brain...(yes, i'm convinced i do have a brain, ppl who kno me are not ) i'd strongly recommend you to discontinue reading lest you get terribly bored...but you already have stopped reading anyways , so let me continue... .<br />
<br />
<br />
My mind....<br />
<br />
'woww, this place is beautiful.....i have lost weight, this pant used to fit me well previously.....nice little fountain here.....my bag..is al gone,need to get a new one.....my hair look awful and i look like i'm sorry abt being here....in the middle of all these important looking people.....i need to try and look important too...........they're al smiling , some giggling ,laughing....why're al those girls laughin so hard?are they looking at me?no that cant be possible, why're they waving their icecreams at me??............do they know i'm nursing a semi ??.....i should stop looking at their butts......this carpet is beautiful,and so soft.....the mirrors here aren't amazing....my reflection looks....dam am i walking with a visible hump???i need to use fewer pillows to sleep......wait, you dont think i 'm obsessed with myself do you ??i'm not an egotist....i'm not a narcissist . . . .i'm just a little vain .<br />
<br />
<br />
But why are al these people looking at me??i know i look funny. . . . But. . . Now even more people're looking . . . ..wat's wrong ?? . . . . . .maybe because i'm the only guy using this mirror here. . . . . . . .oh fuck. . . .its one of those glasses with a mirror on one side and bunch of laughing people on the other . . .a restaurant on the other side in this place..... . . .that explains why those girls with ice creams were giggling looking at me. . . . . . . .damn . . . .i need to get out of this place.... .before i create yet another embarrassing moment for my self. . . Which i 'm so fond of creating . . . . . . .i walked into some restaurant . . . . . Walked out a little faster then i walked in. ,a coffee costs a fortune there. I looked at my cel phone hoping my brother 'd call me up to end my misery,but that wasn't to be. . . . . . . . ..I walked into a louis vuitton showroom. . . .i saw this ladies handbag ,so red and shining ,you'd think its a human and thug repellent. it could make bag snatchers contemplate changing their field of work. . .it was so small you couldn't keep your cell phone into it without a fifteen minute foreplay..and then i saw its price. . . . . . . And then i saw the bag again. . . . . . With more respect this time. . . .appreciating its compactness. . . .its bold and loud color . . . Its splendid shine . . . . Elegant zippers . . . , and its price. . . . Rupees 77900 . . . Only. . . . The 'only' part almost looked sarcastic . . . . . . . . . . . . I suddenly realised wat this bag was all about???it was abt being louis vuitton . . . . . .i realised what louis vuitton was all about . . . . It was about outrageous prices . . . . I realised what ub city was all about . . . . .brands like louis vuitton . . . . And the people around me were people who could afford louis vuitton . . . . .who didn't need a loan to buy a hyundai i20. . . . Or innova . . . .. . . People who talked in hushed tones . . . People with fake smiles , the people here, looked like people you see in huge billboards and electronic boards . . . , rich . . . Happy . . . And smiling . . . . , well , i 'm not rich . . . And i wasn't smiling . . . And i cant afford louis vuitton . . . And i dont need bags worth a fortune. . . . And i dont need to own good brands to convince me i 'm living the good life. . . . . . So i thought 'what the hell am i doing here??',that is when a phone call from my brother reminded me i was at the right place and that i'd come here without the intention of coming here<br />
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that was it... i headed back.. making a mental note of reviving my dying blog and writing down the funny (read dark, disgraceful, and stupid) thoughts that i cam across while at UB city......<br />
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<br />
i walked out.... into a familiar world.. with dust, traffic, traffic ignals and traffic jams.. a world with friends.. arguments and pedestrian crossings<br />
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what happened while i was crossing the road is for another day to write about... ( and it is with pain that i tell you that yes.. i'll be back... with more stupidity and more pathetic writing)<br />
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thanks for reading through ... please feel free to express how much you want me to stop writing this very minute... thank you.. good bye and GOD blessfaiyazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02256942766559155989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7078914302369140821.post-73833333687911380362011-01-10T10:46:00.001-08:002011-01-10T10:46:17.309-08:00faiyazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02256942766559155989noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7078914302369140821.post-88580414731567513312010-11-07T04:24:00.000-08:002010-11-13T15:41:33.699-08:00reminiscence reflections and learning<div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></div><div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: separate; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 3px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 3px; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 12px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: separate; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div></div><div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><u><strong>1) Reminiscence</strong></u></span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">1. the act of recalling or narrating past experiences</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">can be broken as re + mini + scene - recollecting mini scenes from our past memories</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><strong><u>2) Reflection</u></strong> </span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Definition: Result of meditation; thought or opinion after attentiveconsideration or contemplation; especially, thoughts suggested by truth. </span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><strong><u>3) Learning</u></strong></span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">The act of gaining knowledge</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">The following blog post i am going to enter is based on the three things defined above....</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">On the first look it might appear to be a diary to you... or even a travelogue....</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">But i hope you find the deeper meaning to it... and acknowledge it... as the learnings and writings of a beautiful... intelligent and a very impressive woman.......... my mother</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">the following blog post is a translation from the writings of my mother..... her trip to scotland..... but it is more then a travel guide to scotland..... it has got meditating mountains.... talking rivers .... and wailing remains of ''once splendid mansions''</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">And most importantly.... its got the learnings of life of a simple mother of four..... </span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">This post means a lot to me.... i am hoping you like it too... </span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">This write up.. does not represent the feelings of one woman... or one mother.... it is the writing of all mothers of the world... from fiji to alaska .... from new delhi to new york.... from arctic ocean to Antarctica..israel ..palestine... india or pakistan.. this is what a mother feels when she see's her offsprings grow up and become men and women</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">spare a thought for your beautiful mother when you do finish reading this...</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">thanks for your time... i am indebted </span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13px;"><strong><u>A walk through my memory lane</u></strong></span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">It started early in the day … our journey.. The daylight had just started spilling over the darkness....</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">We four started from my daughter’s home in east London.My Husband, my daughter, son-in-law and myself.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Well my daughter says it is springtime in London now but the only thing I could feel was biting cold. I wonder if this is start of summer then what is winter. Coming from almost a tropical region as of now it is out of imagination for me. I guess this is what they call the “British Summer”.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Our travel to far north of Scotland has started. I will not speak for others but there was no limit to the happiness inside me. I felt I was the happiest soul on earth that day.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">To travel far off ...to witness the infinite creativity of GOD, as it manifests itself into different people, different cultures, different behaviours and their lifestyles, to see the breath taking beauty of nature …</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">All these have fascinated me since the time i could think</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">They say the innocent dreams of childhood... if fulfilled ...in whichever way and in whatever part of your life.... give you the same innocent childish joy. I could witness this first hand. When you do face it you realise that you suddenly forget all those difficult moments and stingy portions of your life that the life has thr at you over time.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">It is as if your heart and mind conspire with one another, chuckle with one another and win over the difficult parts of your life and find childhood like innocence and joy again.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">British people have always fascinated me; their clothing their mannerism always amused me. Since the time I could get curious I have been curious to know about them. Ours was a Christian Baptist School. I still remember it, with its church…those huge bells.... there would be a mad rush of students .... running ... chaos ... but all so wonderful</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">They would visit us once a year... the britishers.... I would stand excitedly in queue, flowers in hand to welcome them, looking at them in awe. They would lovingly pat on my cheek and they would say “ study well. …Make your mom proud” and of course they would welcome me to their country. ”Come once to our country” they would say.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">That seeded this desire in my little heart, to visit the country full of courteous, well mannered</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">English people. I would dream of my flight flying over oceans, train crossing tunnels of snow capped mountains and some times me flying like a free bird in the open skies watching the vast lakes below. </span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Never realised when these little dreams took backseat and when the daily life and its demands took centre stage. The little girl before she could realise became a mother to four beautiful children. A lovely daughter and three gorgeous sons. The concern of growing four lovely kids, the passing time and growing age took the toll on me. Fatigue exhaustion tiredness had caught upon me, when my daughter visited me in India last summer, donot exactly know how, but she could see the fatigue right through my eyes.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">That is when our first ever trip to England was conceived. This trip to Scotland is a part of UK trip.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">My girl is actually her daddy’s girl. Her silence her patience, strong comforting presence; all are her dad’s traits. It has always been this way. I have never seen her worried about herself. </span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">We had shopped extensively before trip, in spite of this what makes it special is how she clothed us with care, worrying about our comfort every single minute, fussing over us, covering us with clothing and with her love, from head to toe literally.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Life it is so beautiful. It feels like yesterday that she crawled, walked on my chest, placing her tiny legs, her baby feet the size of my palms and today she is making us walk. My eyes are filled with tears at the mere thought of it. </span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Why is it that parents fail to register their children grow. However old they might be why do parents always remember them as their newborns who just opened their eyes.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">The first look of their eyes, their untimely laughter’s in sleep, their toothless grin, the sparkle in their eyes when they see their father, their first call of mama …these are the priceless moments, precious gifts for us from god. These memories remain framed forever in your life.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">My daughter and son-in-law are both software engineers, so we planned this trip in the vacation of Easter. The idea was to have a close look at the fields, villages and natural beauty of England and Scotland that is why the car trip.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">It was early in the day, “street lights hadn’t gone off yet,”</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Light drizzle as is always the case in England, greeted us enroot. Huge green lawns, healthy cute sheep nodded at us all the way till Manchester.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Daughter dear pointed out the directions through her laptop as we set off to dolphin bay suite, The deep blue lakes as wide as ocean kept us company where ever we went with daughter planning ahead the exact itinerary we were to follow.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">I briefly contemplated, how would it be to bathe in the deep water, the bitter cold suggested otherwise and I chuckled to myself at my foolish thought.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">We reached Windermere in the Cumbria district early in the afternoon. I am told this called the Lake District, reason!!!!! It has got 175 lakes to add to its beauty. The lakes were so beautiful they forced us to abandon the motorway and take the roads next to those beautiful lakes.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Longest lake here is lake Windermere 8 miles long I almost got the feeling it was keeping us company all through our journey.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">The English countryside is an exhibition of beautiful creations of god. I secretly thanked him as he chose us to witness this magnificent beauty. If this was joy??? My joy increased ten folds as I witnessed my first sighting of snow capped mountains, standing majestic so far-off.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">I could only see their peaks, offering only a small glimpse.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">These small mountains became bigger and bigger as we approached towards them, standing solemn, silent as if clothed in white blankets of clouds, they looked to me like the mystics of ancient Arabs, unaware of the world around them lost in deep meditation.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Ice ahead of us!!! Heaps of ice all around us…. my joy knew no limits. How do I express this in words to you??? </span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">It is easier felt than described. My eyes widened to absorb the whole sight around and suddenly I realise to add to my amusement our car was standing still…this was it… I wasn’t me anymore. Ohhh God I was the 5 year old me with all my mischief’s and pranks. I still have no idea how could I stand in zero degrees cold there.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Thanks god for the technology, my daughter captured all these precious moments in her camera. Preserved all these moments, our expressions, and our joy forever in her stills.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Slowly we resumed our journey and touched the highway at Carlisle and soon reached Glasgow. </span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">As if the journey wasn’t pleasant enough my daughter was playing our favourite songs from guide, madhumati and humraaz as we moved forward.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">My little one later told me that she had handpicked the songs in consultation with him even before we had booked our flight ticket.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Crossing over Sterling we reached Inverness at 20:30 hrs and reached our destination in Inverness. The “dolphin bay suite” to be more precise.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Our suite was brilliant; comfortable equipped with everything we would need during our stay. Our temporary house was on first floor. I was amazed to see the staircase the floor the furniture every thing was wooden.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">You must visit this you sit in the warm hall and see the beautiful grey ocean. If this is not enough you could even sit in the balcony a mere 40 feet of distance from the ocean and get a glimpse of sunset and if lucky enough can catch a glimpse of seals and dolphins while you sip your cup of tea. It finally began to get dark. At a distance I could see little lamps, twinkling like stars in the night sky.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">I suspected them to be small villages, I couldn’t help but wonder how much more beautiful they would look when viewed from closer. It almost looked like the villages were telling about their existence to me, in this breath taking set up, inviting me, as I sat there looking dazed, refusing to believe that I was really experiencing.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">The following day I opened my eyes to see my pretty daughter with a wide smile and a hot cup of coffee wishing me a good morning. We could see a group of sea gulls hovering over the oceans from the balcony. They were big moving around like shadowy creatures. One could barely see the ocean through all that mist.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Elderly people were walking along the shore, wishing me a warm good morning as I stood in the balcony with my coffee. I felt embarrassed and shy at myself for not being an early riser and decided that even I should be on the shore walking with them tomorrow, returning their greetings with an active smile.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">These people here are very mannered, courteous and warm. You can only hear many pleasant “thank you’s”, hellos” and “sorry’s” as you walk among them.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">We got ready to visit Urquhart Castle along the shores of Inverness. My watch showed 10:00 hrs. These highlands have been ruled by picts from 6th century A.D. People here have spoken Gaelic since then.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Right through 6th and 17th centuries many rulers came and went, empires changed, many wars happened, victories were achieved defeats were witnessed. Buildings castles forts were created, destroyed now you can only see ruins there.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">You look at them superficially there’s nothing but plundered buildings, when you look at it in depth, there’s a lot of history there… to see and to feel!!!!</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">What struck me is emperor’s changed, empires changed, policies changed as did the life styles and the styles of construction but “Ness ” has continued to flow, never stopped.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">The only constant among various variations around her. Carrying in her heart all the memories, all the secrets, all the joys, all the cries of pleasure and pain that she was witnessed to; a mute witness.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"> Her flow same as it was in 6th century. A constant in the middle of all variables around her.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">As I write this I can still feel that light wind, small ripples, the soft sand along her banks. They were whispering in my ears, melancholically,,, “”going away my dearest?? Wont you stay a while longer?? Wont you turn back the pages of history?? Don’t you want to know about my experiences?? Aahh!! I know you do!! So please stay back dearest???” Pestering me to be with her, to listen to her.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Its such a pity man in today’s world is so busy, that he hardly has time to listen to his own voice, don’t even talk about hearing to voices of rivers…</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">I was lost in my own thoughts, when a light drizzle woke me up to reality. The light drizzle soon became rain… rain without thunder. We hurried home…</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Once we reached back, got fresh and poured ourselves steaming hot tea, but before I could put the teacups to my lips rain became hailstorm, hail stones pouring. I normally like hail stones…but not today..Not after watching the plundered mansions, not after listening to the melancholy of ness, not after leaving her behind in spite of her protests, not after witnessing the ruins of once splendid kingdoms, not after what ness shared with me…her heavy burdensome secrets. I felt a strange sort of grief the wind blew in my ears. I couldn’t see much difference between the lives of us humans and of those falling fast melting hailstones.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">I woke up early the next morning and went out for walking as I had decided the previous day.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">The atmosphere today was nothing like yesterday’s, there were birds chirping, gentle people around warmly wishing each other hello’s, good morning’s filling the air with early morning buzz.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">We visited Eilean Donan Castle later that day. This also stands on the banks of river ness like Urquhart. The blue sky and the mountains cast reflection on the river. One almost gets a feeling as blue sky was swimming carelessly in ness.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">We saw loch ness views, went on boat trips. The 25 mile long ness was jumping with excitement today…welcoming me, talking to me, boasting to me this place belonged to her. She owned the steeps of mountains and soft grass, which grew on it.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">She owned everything along her 25 miles long banks and today; she was proudly showing it off to me, like a little kid showing off his presents.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">This is not a river she is a maiden lost in her own world, perennially long and beautiful, indifferent to the world around her she is not lifeless but full of life and talks to people who standby and listen to her.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">We were next scheduled to visit Ben Nevis, don’t let the name mislead you, it sounds like the name of an innocent little primary school kid…It is far from it. … The highest peak in Britain.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Ben Nevis is situated in fort William. So innocent it certainly is, but a little primary school kid??? It is definitely not…</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">I could see many tourists here; some of them with the help of guides were busy trekking. There were cable cars here.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">There is the single Jacobite steam engine train; I am told we get precious stones along the banks of rivers here. The bursting, bustling river, little wooden stone bridges, the scent of wild flowers are all making me feel intoxicated.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">The tall peaks and the pine trees competing, attempting to outgrow each other, they are all taking a second off to welcome us as we move along.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">The view here is like what we see only on picture postcards or wall hangings with a motivating message printed on them or in the calendars in India. </span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">The views are like a painter painting this with brilliant imagination and stunning colours. I rub my eyes is this a dream or is it for real???</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Today we were going to biggest island in Scotland Isle of Skye. Our journey commenced at 7 in the morning. I would always feel we are four of us, but I realised how wrong I was, how could I not recognise our little tom tom. Sitting pretty next to the drivers seat our talkative little fellow. Our tiny little satellite navigator, I am told the whole map of United Kingdom is fed into it. all we need to do is enter the postcode and our little fella will take the mantle on himself to ensure we reach our destination.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">First part of our trip is the undersea glass bottom boat trip. What happens in this, do we get to see the seabed? Inside the sea, the soil on which the seawater rests.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">My husband and me have a habit of watching the discovery channel back home. I was watching discovery channel today too but not on a television screen, I was watching it all live in person.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">It is amazing how far humans have come. The prophet Noah (P.B.U.H) was first to travel on sea by his first handmade ship, an achievement in its time and now man can dive right through the sea, deep into the sea like the prophet Moses (P.B.U.H) and the children of Israel.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">The inside of sea is like a bon of jewels, jewels scattered around. The sand inside the sea is pure white with huge number of fish swimming. All the fish glittered like gold when the light from sun fell on then.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Different kind of grasses, leaves, aquatic plants,,,,, the guide tells me the Japanese use them in their salads .he goes on to add it is also used in making cosmetics, lipsticks etc. May be that is why they have wrinkle free, smooth flawless skin, I silently thought to my self.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Boat journey then came to an end. The guide was very nice. The captain exhibited the best Scottish hospitality by personally coming down to us and seeing us off, with a big smile on his face.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">My verdict?? Full marks to the guide, captain and Scottish hospitality.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">We had so far spent the day under sea next we travel over the sea via Skye bridge to reach the very famous “Isle of Skye” and visited its capital Portree a very beautiful place.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">I can hardly spot anyone here. Very scarcely populated with people, very densely populated with tall, strong silent cliffs though!!</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">We visited the kilt rock; it’s a huge cliff and stands over an enormous deep blue sea.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Next we saw the old man of storr, it’s a tall sea rock in the middle of sea 60 meter in height.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">There is also a huge harbour on this Island.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">The people still live here in Gallic tradition and give a lot of importance to their ancestral culture. We saw the homes and belongings of the ancient islanders in a museum.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">People chasing peace and quite in busy cities can take my advice and live their entire lives here. The sky is enormous and clean over our heads as is the earth beneath our feet, people here know nothing about noise or air pollution.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Houses enveloped in flowers as are the roads, you would be lucky to find more than a couple of people on the long peaceful silent roads.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">It is such a place that a person with writing instincts will discover Charles dickens in him and with poetic inclinations will find a William Wordsworth hidden inside him and a person with painting instincts will become Michael Angelo. In such serenity did we finish sighting the complete island. </span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Resumed our return journey at 6.00 p.m. Ocean all around us, you see yourself surrounded all over by water. Only colour we knew was blue, I almost got a feeling we were heading only towards the awaiting sea every minute, there is no end to the road the only end is deep blue water ahead. And at the nth moment road curves around giving me more hope and then I feel we are headed right into the cliffs and the suddenly there is another curve and more hope and then I felt we are headed into the river and water streams next, trempling in fear I realised more and more curves rescued us each time I lost hope. I almost felt there are no people here only us, our car and the awaiting sea, creepy at times.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">The light would not fade even as late as 21:00 in the night and the street lights lit and gave us the extra courage most needed now in the absence of people. Son-in-law deserves an award for the concentration he showed. Unwavering focus, very much appreciative. We were applauding as we reached the city limits of Inverness and had our dinner at Mc Donald’s. Quite literally a happy meal.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Today’s day was dull, very cloudy, full of mist, low in visibility but my daughter was very happy.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Reason; she ‘s going to go fishing today. Fishing has interested her for a very long time and today she is getting the opportunity to do it and also because we were going to visit the snow capped mountains.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">We first visited Cairngorms National Park situated in Aviemore; it has many attractions for kids and grown-ups alike.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">The thing I enjoyed the best here was watching the little kids on their tiny sledges over the white snow. They looked like the little stuffed dolls on the while snow.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">My daughter and her hubby were looking forward for skiing but due to heavy snowfall the previous night they weren’t allowing today. They looked quite disappointed but not for long. We decided to climb the mountain by foot, climbed a hundred feet was a lot of fun but it can get very slippery mind you. Everywhere we looked we only see huge expanse of sharp white snow. And the snow was very bright, to the extent that it hurts your eyes. It shone like it were formed of heaps and heaps of glittering diamonds.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">The sky and mountaintop were one. The clouds in the air and the huge snow balls were one, the sky and earth were one, I felt I was in a different world, different universe one that is all has a universal colour…White.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">A very memorable experience it was. Our next destination was river Insh. My eyes remained open unable to close my eyelids at the serene beauty in front of me. There has been a heavy snowfall here too.. Wherever you look whichever way you see there is beauty all around. The kind of beauty, which shouts out aloud of its existence, which flows like the flow of water. We the people living in this era of manmade creations when we come across such breath taking spectacles can’t even describe it.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">My heart truly, truly praised the lord who created this beauty and chose us to witness it.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Our next stop was river spee. They have built a commando memorial near the bridge of this river in memory of the martyrs of World War II. It is said they were trained on the foot of mountains right here. Their memories have been immortalised here by their teacups, guns, caps and such things they had used here during training along with huge bouquet of flowers in respect of their contribution.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">My heart churned when I saw the cap of 21 year old his photograph besides it. His eyes told me they hadn’t seen much but had a very resigned look in them as if saying they had seen enough and hadn’t liked what they had seen.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">In spite of my mind resisting my heart felt what his mother would have gone through and I cringed in fear. Was 21 years all you were destined to live dear boy? I asked the cap, the photograph half expecting the answer.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Why do people fight? I can understand people fighting over their differences but why do nations fight?? Something’s I am utterly incapable of understanding…</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">I left the place with a heavy heart but my sad face suddenly burst in to a smile when I saw my baby all geared up, with an ear-to-ear grin on her face and a fishing rod in her hands. She must have grown but in her excitement she didn’t look much older than a six year old to me.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">16:00 hrs and she was ready for a mission …mission fishing. She was very excited but I didn’t understand what was all this fuss about fishing .she wasn’t the only one there. There were others, who shared her enthusiasm,</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Fishing I am told is a popular weekend activity here. Well thanks to the fishing we had a fresh trout on our dinner plates today.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">I was terrified looking at the sea at 6:00 the following morning. There was something different, too misty and we could not see the seashore at all. The water had come until the footpath until the wall.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">None of us showed any interest in getting off the beds. had tea once hoping to shrug off the laziness ,,had another cup of tea still didn’t move until 9:00 hrs.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">We had to keep up our appointment with the intelligent mammals on earth .The Dolphins.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">We reached Moray Firth on time. Absolutely chilling air constantly blowing at us leaving me shivering, but the cold wind never stopped blowing all day. They made us wear blue colour jackets and we set off sailing into the North Sea. We sailed very far but our friends never seemed to turn up. The captain took us quite far in their search still no signs of Dolphins It became quite apparent that our friends hadn’t kept their appointment but sailing in the sea in a speedboat was an amazing trip in itself.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Though we were based in Inverness we were quite busy covering the other cities. Today our idea was to explore the beautiful Inverness.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">The northern most city of Scotland. This was very beautiful and attractive city. It houses a big university and a small airport. Population is very less here. You can see old monuments and churches from far off distances. We saw St.Columba church. St.Columba came here in 521 A.D to the highlands. a very important personality in this part of the world, St.Columba belonged to the royal family of Ireland. He brought the Christianity to the picts here and to a large extent responsible for the widespread following of Christianity here.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">There are malls on one side and 1500-year-old churches on other side. It is like modernity looking into the mirror and finding antiquity on the other side. River ness flows through the centre of the city hence the name Inverness. These cities are the synonyms of cleanliness and peacefulness.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Now we decided to visit the countryside of this part of the world where we had halted so far dolphin bay suite. The glittering towns through our balcony had always excited me and invited me always. In the back of my mind I always knew we would go there. As we got nearer I got a feeling they might be celebrating Easter. I could feel the festive spirit in the air. I could see the colours of Easter spreading on the evening sky.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">There were thick lush green fields; there were heaps of fresh corn and carrots along the roads. The herds of lovely sheep and hen were running around the village. Little kids played noisily on one end innocently. The streets were adorned with lovely streetlights .I don’t know why I watched the village with great love and affection like it was my own. It felt in strange sense home coming to me, best part is my folks were as happy as I was, they didn’t feel much different than me about the village.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">We decided to return to the bay suite and our return journey gets better when we were reaching back. Seals were for some reason I don’t know were swimming very close to our shore, People were getting their binoculars out .We watched all this with excitement. There was something about today’s weather that got them here or might be they were sailing here to say us good-bye. Good-bye to you as well seals.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">This brings our journey to an end. My best journey to any place on earth till date. The thought of our return journey. The thought of leaving Inverness is looming in my heart making my heart heavy.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">I didn’t want to leave this place. I would never leave it if it were in my control. It had such a captivating effect on me.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">I don’t know what the travellers to this place had felt before but let me pen in a few lines the thoughts that crossed my mind.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">We were here only for a few days but I some how get a feeling of having lived a lifetime here with my family and the best part is this lifetime seems a day to me.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Confusing thoughts, lovely memories captured my mind.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">The Stuart castle standing in front of us, the old church on the street behind, those tall pine trees, the pine fallen on their feet, its fragnance, the evening walks along the seas of Scottish ladies and gentlemen, the many conversations ness held with me, the many stories she told, her melancholy she shared at Urquhart, her childish excitement she shared at Eilean Castle….</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">How could I leave her behind, but was I really leaving her behind was I leaving anything behind at all??</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Wasn’t I carrying these memories with me back to London?? back to India?? Forever in my life…has it not become an inseparable part of my life? Later in my life when I look back, Scotland would spring to life again and I would relive my days here again in those huge castles. I would visit ness every day of my life here on, live in my memories, and sit on her banks </span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">And then I suddenly felt much better, After all I wasn’t leaving mystic highlands behind, I was taking her with me, I was taking ness with me.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">My mind was suddenly tired after all this thinking. Tired but relieved and now my hands our tired after all this writing. Tired but relieved …</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">I feel excited about penning down my whole experience, to share with you, to relive and to cherish forever.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Thank you dolphin bay suite ,thank you Inverness ,thank you to wonderful people of Scotland, thank you my family who made it happen and who made me take this much needed vacation ,thank you daughter darling for all these lovely memories. And finally thank you dear god for giving me this lovely daughter.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">This brings to end one of the most beautiful 10 days of my mom's life..... please do not mistake this piece of writing to be mine..... i am merely the translator... mine was not the heart that felt these feelings first hand..... it is a work of my mom's.... so full credit to her....</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">i consider myself lucky to be her son... and consider myself lucky to have had the honour of putting it into a language we all understand ....</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">By Asmath Sabira</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">(with amazing and significant inputs from my sister.... and some not so amazing and not so significant and often unheard and negligible inputs from me too :) ;-))</span></span></span></span></div></div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: separate; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"></div></div></div></div>faiyazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02256942766559155989noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7078914302369140821.post-58752456172147828582010-11-06T11:09:00.000-07:002010-11-06T11:09:47.111-07:00reminiscence reflections and learningreminiscence [ˌrɛmɪˈnɪsəns]<br />
n<br />
1. the act of recalling or narrating past experiences<br />
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can be broken as re + mini + scene - recollecting mini scenes from our past memories<br />
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Reflection 8<br />
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Definition: Result of meditation; thought or opinion after attentiveconsideration or contemplation; especially, thoughts suggested by truth.<br />
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learning [ˈlɜːnɪŋ]<br />
n<br />
. the act of gaining knowledge<br />
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the following blog post i am going to enter is based on the three things defined above....<br />
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on the first look it might appear to be a diary to you... or a travelogue....<br />
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but i hope you find the deeper meaning to it... and acknowledge it... as the learnings and writings of a beautiful... intelligent and a very impressive woman.......... my mother<br />
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the following blog post is a translation from the writings of my mother..... her trip to scotland..... but it is more then a travel guide to scotland..... it has got meditating mountains.... talking rivers .... and wailing remains of ''once splendid mansions''<br />
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and most importantly.... its got the learnings of life of a simple mother of four.....<br />
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the following post means a lot to me.... i am hoping you like it too...<br />
This write up.. does not represent the feelings of one woman... or one mother.... it is the writing of all mothers of the world... from fiji to alaska .... from new delhi to new york.... from arctic ocean to Antarctica..israel ..palestine... india or pakistan.. this is what a mother feels when she see's her offsprings grow up and become men and women<br />
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spare a thought for your beautiful mother when you do finish reading this...<br />
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thanks for your time... i am indebted<br />
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A walk through my memory lane<br />
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It started early in the day … our journey.. The daylight had just started spilling over the darkness....<br />
We four started from my daughter’s home in east London.My Husband, my daughter, son-in-law and myself.<br />
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Well my daughter says it is springtime in London now but the only thing I could feel was biting cold. I wonder if this is start of summer then what is winter. Coming from almost a tropical region as of now it is out of imagination for me. I guess this is what they call the “British Summer”.<br />
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Our travel to far north of Scotland has started. I will not speak for others but there was no limit to the happiness inside me. I felt I was the happiest soul on earth that day.<br />
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To travel far off ...to witness the infinite creativity of GOD, as it manifests itself into different people, different cultures, different behaviours and their lifestyles, to see the breath taking beauty of nature …<br />
All these have fascinated me since the time i could think<br />
They say the innocent dreams of childhood... if fulfilled ...in whichever way and in whatever part of your life.... give you the same innocent childish joy. I could witness this first hand. When you do face it you realise that you suddenly forget all those difficult moments and stingy portions of your life that the life has thr at you over time.<br />
It is as if your heart and mind conspire with one another, chuckle with one another and win over the difficult parts of your life and find childhood like innocence and joy again.<br />
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British people have always fascinated me; their clothing their mannerism always amused me. Since the time I could get curious I have been curious to know about them. Ours was a Christian Baptist School. I still remember it, with its church…those huge bells.... there would be a mad rush of students .... running ... chaos ... but all so wonderful<br />
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They would visit us once a year... the britishers.... I would stand excitedly in queue, flowers in hand to welcome them, looking at them in awe. They would lovingly pat on my cheek and they would say “ study well. …Make your mom proud” and of course they would welcome me to their country. ”Come once to our country” they would say.<br />
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That seeded this desire in my little heart, to visit the country full of courteous, well mannered<br />
English people. I would dream of my flight flying over oceans, train crossing tunnels of snow capped mountains and some times me flying like a free bird in the open skies watching the vast lakes below.<br />
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Never realised when these little dreams took backseat and when the daily life and its demands took centre stage. The little girl before she could realise became a mother to four beautiful children. A lovely daughter and three gorgeous sons. The concern of growing four lovely kids, the passing time and growing age took the toll on me. Fatigue exhaustion tiredness had caught upon me, when my daughter visited me in India last summer, donot exactly know how, but she could see the fatigue right through my eyes.<br />
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That is when our first ever trip to England was conceived. This trip to Scotland is a part of UK trip.<br />
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My girl is actually her daddy’s girl. Her silence her patience, strong comforting presence; all are her dad’s traits. It has always been this way. I have never seen her worried about herself.<br />
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We had shopped extensively before trip, in spite of this what makes it special is how she clothed us with care, worrying about our comfort every single minute, fussing over us, covering us with clothing and with her love, from head to toe literally.<br />
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Life it is so beautiful. It feels like yesterday that she crawled, walked on my chest, placing her tiny legs, her baby feet the size of my palms and today she is making us walk. My eyes are filled with tears at the mere thought of it.<br />
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Why is it that parents fail to register their children grow. However old they might be why do parents always remember them as their newborns who just opened their eyes.<br />
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The first look of their eyes, their untimely laughter’s in sleep, their toothless grin, the sparkle in their eyes when they see their father, their first call of mama …these are the priceless moments, precious gifts for us from god. These memories remain framed forever in your life.<br />
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My daughter and son-in-law are both software engineers, so we planned this trip in the vacation of Easter. The idea was to have a close look at the fields, villages and natural beauty of England and Scotland that is why the car trip.<br />
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It was early in the day, “street lights hadn’t gone off yet,”<br />
Light drizzle as is always the case in England, greeted us enroot. Huge green lawns, healthy cute sheep nodded at us all the way till Manchester.<br />
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Daughter dear pointed out the directions through her laptop as we set off to dolphin bay suite, The deep blue lakes as wide as ocean kept us company where ever we went with daughter planning ahead the exact itinerary we were to follow.<br />
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I briefly contemplated, how would it be to bathe in the deep water, the bitter cold suggested otherwise and I chuckled to myself at my foolish thought.<br />
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We reached Windermere in the Cumbria district early in the afternoon. I am told this called the Lake District, reason!!!!! It has got 175 lakes to add to its beauty. The lakes were so beautiful they forced us to abandon the motorway and take the roads next to those beautiful lakes.<br />
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Longest lake here is lake Windermere 8 miles long I almost got the feeling it was keeping us company all through our journey.<br />
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The English countryside is an exhibition of beautiful creations of god. I secretly thanked him as he chose us to witness this magnificent beauty. If this was joy??? My joy increased ten folds as I witnessed my first sighting of snow capped mountains, standing majestic so far-off.<br />
I could only see their peaks, offering only a small glimpse.<br />
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These small mountains became bigger and bigger as we approached towards them, standing solemn, silent as if clothed in white blankets of clouds, they looked to me like the mystics of ancient Arabs, unaware of the world around them lost in deep meditation.<br />
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Ice ahead of us!!! Heaps of ice all around us…. my joy knew no limits. How do I express this in words to you???<br />
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It is easier felt than described. My eyes widened to absorb the whole sight around and suddenly I realise to add to my amusement our car was standing still…this was it… I wasn’t me anymore. Ohhh God I was the 5 year old me with all my mischief’s and pranks. I still have no idea how could I stand in zero degrees cold there.<br />
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Thanks god for the technology, my daughter captured all these precious moments in her camera. Preserved all these moments, our expressions, and our joy forever in her stills.<br />
Slowly we resumed our journey and touched the highway at Carlisle and soon reached Glasgow.<br />
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As if the journey wasn’t pleasant enough my daughter was playing our favourite songs from guide, madhumati and humraaz as we moved forward.<br />
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My little one later told me that she had handpicked the songs in consultation with him even before we had booked our flight ticket.<br />
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Crossing over Sterling we reached Inverness at 20:30 hrs and reached our destination in Inverness. The “dolphin bay suite” to be more precise.<br />
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Our suite was brilliant; comfortable equipped with everything we would need during our stay. Our temporary house was on first floor. I was amazed to see the staircase the floor the furniture every thing was wooden.<br />
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You must visit this you sit in the warm hall and see the beautiful grey ocean. If this is not enough you could even sit in the balcony a mere 40 feet of distance from the ocean and get a glimpse of sunset and if lucky enough can catch a glimpse of seals and dolphins while you sip your cup of tea. It finally began to get dark. At a distance I could see little lamps, twinkling like stars in the night sky.<br />
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I suspected them to be small villages, I couldn’t help but wonder how much more beautiful they would look when viewed from closer. It almost looked like the villages were telling about their existence to me, in this breath taking set up, inviting me, as I sat there looking dazed, refusing to believe that I was really experiencing.<br />
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The following day I opened my eyes to see my pretty daughter with a wide smile and a hot cup of coffee wishing me a good morning. We could see a group of sea gulls hovering over the oceans from the balcony. They were big moving around like shadowy creatures. One could barely see the ocean through all that mist.<br />
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Elderly people were walking along the shore, wishing me a warm good morning as I stood in the balcony with my coffee. I felt embarrassed and shy at myself for not being an early riser and decided that even I should be on the shore walking with them tomorrow, returning their greetings with an active smile.<br />
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These people here are very mannered, courteous and warm. You can only hear many pleasant “thank you’s”, hellos” and “sorry’s” as you walk among them.<br />
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We got ready to visit Urquhart Castle along the shores of Inverness. My watch showed 10:00 hrs. These highlands have been ruled by picts from 6th century A.D. People here have spoken Gaelic since then.<br />
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Right through 6th and 17th centuries many rulers came and went, empires changed, many wars happened, victories were achieved defeats were witnessed. Buildings castles forts were created, destroyed now you can only see ruins there.<br />
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You look at them superficially there’s nothing but plundered buildings, when you look at it in depth, there’s a lot of history there… to see and to feel!!!!<br />
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What struck me is emperor’s changed, empires changed, policies changed as did the life styles and the styles of construction but “Ness ” has continued to flow, never stopped.<br />
The only constant among various variations around her. Carrying in her heart all the memories, all the secrets, all the joys, all the cries of pleasure and pain that she was witnessed to; a mute witness.<br />
Her flow same as it was in 6th century. A constant in the middle of all variables around her.<br />
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As I write this I can still feel that light wind, small ripples, the soft sand along her banks. They were whispering in my ears, melancholically,,, “”going away my dearest?? Wont you stay a while longer?? Wont you turn back the pages of history?? Don’t you want to know about my experiences?? Aahh!! I know you do!! So please stay back dearest???” Pestering me to be with her, to listen to her.<br />
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Its such a pity man in today’s world is so busy, that he hardly has time to listen to his own voice, don’t even talk about hearing to voices of rivers…<br />
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I was lost in my own thoughts, when a light drizzle woke me up to reality. The light drizzle soon became rain… rain without thunder. We hurried home…<br />
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Once we reached back, got fresh and poured ourselves steaming hot tea, but before I could put the teacups to my lips rain became hailstorm, hail stones pouring. I normally like hail stones…but not today..Not after watching the plundered mansions, not after listening to the melancholy of ness, not after leaving her behind in spite of her protests, not after witnessing the ruins of once splendid kingdoms, not after what ness shared with me…her heavy burdensome secrets. I felt a strange sort of grief the wind blew in my ears. I couldn’t see much difference between the lives of us humans and of those falling fast melting hailstones.<br />
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I woke up early the next morning and went out for walking as I had decided the previous day.<br />
The atmosphere today was nothing like yesterday’s, there were birds chirping, gentle people around warmly wishing each other hello’s, good morning’s filling the air with early morning buzz.<br />
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We visited Eilean Donan Castle later that day. This also stands on the banks of river ness like Urquhart. The blue sky and the mountains cast reflection on the river. One almost gets a feeling as blue sky was swimming carelessly in ness.<br />
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We saw loch ness views, went on boat trips. The 25 mile long ness was jumping with excitement today…welcoming me, talking to me, boasting to me this place belonged to her. She owned the steeps of mountains and soft grass, which grew on it.<br />
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She owned everything along her 25 miles long banks and today; she was proudly showing it off to me, like a little kid showing off his presents.<br />
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This is not a river she is a maiden lost in her own world, perennially long and beautiful, indifferent to the world around her she is not lifeless but full of life and talks to people who standby and listen to her.<br />
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We were next scheduled to visit Ben Nevis, don’t let the name mislead you, it sounds like the name of an innocent little primary school kid…It is far from it. … The highest peak in Britain.<br />
Ben Nevis is situated in fort William. So innocent it certainly is, but a little primary school kid??? It is definitely not…<br />
I could see many tourists here; some of them with the help of guides were busy trekking. There were cable cars here.<br />
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There is the single Jacobite steam engine train; I am told we get precious stones along the banks of rivers here. The bursting, bustling river, little wooden stone bridges, the scent of wild flowers are all making me feel intoxicated.<br />
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The tall peaks and the pine trees competing, attempting to outgrow each other, they are all taking a second off to welcome us as we move along.<br />
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The view here is like what we see only on picture postcards or wall hangings with a motivating message printed on them or in the calendars in India.<br />
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The views are like a painter painting this with brilliant imagination and stunning colours. I rub my eyes is this a dream or is it for real???<br />
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Today we were going to biggest island in Scotland Isle of Skye. Our journey commenced at 7 in the morning. I would always feel we are four of us, but I realised how wrong I was, how could I not recognise our little tom tom. Sitting pretty next to the drivers seat our talkative little fellow. Our tiny little satellite navigator, I am told the whole map of United Kingdom is fed into it. all we need to do is enter the postcode and our little fella will take the mantle on himself to ensure we reach our destination.<br />
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First part of our trip is the undersea glass bottom boat trip. What happens in this, do we get to see the seabed? Inside the sea, the soil on which the seawater rests.<br />
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My husband and me have a habit of watching the discovery channel back home. I was watching discovery channel today too but not on a television screen, I was watching it all live in person.<br />
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It is amazing how far humans have come. The prophet Noah (P.B.U.H) was first to travel on sea by his first handmade ship, an achievement in its time and now man can dive right through the sea, deep into the sea like the prophet Moses (P.B.U.H) and the children of Israel.<br />
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The inside of sea is like a bon of jewels, jewels scattered around. The sand inside the sea is pure white with huge number of fish swimming. All the fish glittered like gold when the light from sun fell on then.<br />
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Different kind of grasses, leaves, aquatic plants,,,,, the guide tells me the Japanese use them in their salads .he goes on to add it is also used in making cosmetics, lipsticks etc. May be that is why they have wrinkle free, smooth flawless skin, I silently thought to my self.<br />
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Boat journey then came to an end. The guide was very nice. The captain exhibited the best Scottish hospitality by personally coming down to us and seeing us off, with a big smile on his face.<br />
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My verdict?? Full marks to the guide, captain and Scottish hospitality.<br />
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We had so far spent the day under sea next we travel over the sea via Skye bridge to reach the very famous “Isle of Skye” and visited its capital Portree a very beautiful place.<br />
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I can hardly spot anyone here. Very scarcely populated with people, very densely populated with tall, strong silent cliffs though!!<br />
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We visited the kilt rock; it’s a huge cliff and stands over an enormous deep blue sea.<br />
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Next we saw the old man of storr, it’s a tall sea rock in the middle of sea 60 meter in height.<br />
There is also a huge harbour on this Island.<br />
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The people still live here in Gallic tradition and give a lot of importance to their ancestral culture. We saw the homes and belongings of the ancient islanders in a museum.<br />
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People chasing peace and quite in busy cities can take my advice and live their entire lives here. The sky is enormous and clean over our heads as is the earth beneath our feet, people here know nothing about noise or air pollution.<br />
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Houses enveloped in flowers as are the roads, you would be lucky to find more than a couple of people on the long peaceful silent roads.<br />
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It is such a place that a person with writing instincts will discover Charles dickens in him and with poetic inclinations will find a William Wordsworth hidden inside him and a person with painting instincts will become Michael Angelo. In such serenity did we finish sighting the complete island.<br />
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Resumed our return journey at 6.00 p.m. Ocean all around us, you see yourself surrounded all over by water. Only colour we knew was blue, I almost got a feeling we were heading only towards the awaiting sea every minute, there is no end to the road the only end is deep blue water ahead. And at the nth moment road curves around giving me more hope and then I feel we are headed right into the cliffs and the suddenly there is another curve and more hope and then I felt we are headed into the river and water streams next, trempling in fear I realised more and more curves rescued us each time I lost hope. I almost felt there are no people here only us, our car and the awaiting sea, creepy at times.<br />
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The light would not fade even as late as 21:00 in the night and the street lights lit and gave us the extra courage most needed now in the absence of people. Son-in-law deserves an award for the concentration he showed. Unwavering focus, very much appreciative. We were applauding as we reached the city limits of Inverness and had our dinner at Mc Donald’s. Quite literally a happy meal.<br />
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Today’s day was dull, very cloudy, full of mist, low in visibility but my daughter was very happy.<br />
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Reason; she ‘s going to go fishing today. Fishing has interested her for a very long time and today she is getting the opportunity to do it and also because we were going to visit the snow capped mountains.<br />
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We first visited Cairngorms National Park situated in Aviemore; it has many attractions for kids and grown-ups alike.<br />
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The thing I enjoyed the best here was watching the little kids on their tiny sledges over the white snow. They looked like the little stuffed dolls on the while snow.<br />
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My daughter and her hubby were looking forward for skiing but due to heavy snowfall the previous night they weren’t allowing today. They looked quite disappointed but not for long. We decided to climb the mountain by foot, climbed a hundred feet was a lot of fun but it can get very slippery mind you. Everywhere we looked we only see huge expanse of sharp white snow. And the snow was very bright, to the extent that it hurts your eyes. It shone like it were formed of heaps and heaps of glittering diamonds.<br />
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The sky and mountaintop were one. The clouds in the air and the huge snow balls were one, the sky and earth were one, I felt I was in a different world, different universe one that is all has a universal colour…White.<br />
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A very memorable experience it was. Our next destination was river Insh. My eyes remained open unable to close my eyelids at the serene beauty in front of me. There has been a heavy snowfall here too.. Wherever you look whichever way you see there is beauty all around. The kind of beauty, which shouts out aloud of its existence, which flows like the flow of water. We the people living in this era of manmade creations when we come across such breath taking spectacles can’t even describe it.<br />
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My heart truly, truly praised the lord who created this beauty and chose us to witness it.<br />
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Our next stop was river spee. They have built a commando memorial near the bridge of this river in memory of the martyrs of World War II. It is said they were trained on the foot of mountains right here. Their memories have been immortalised here by their teacups, guns, caps and such things they had used here during training along with huge bouquet of flowers in respect of their contribution.<br />
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My heart churned when I saw the cap of 21 year old his photograph besides it. His eyes told me they hadn’t seen much but had a very resigned look in them as if saying they had seen enough and hadn’t liked what they had seen.<br />
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In spite of my mind resisting my heart felt what his mother would have gone through and I cringed in fear. Was 21 years all you were destined to live dear boy? I asked the cap, the photograph half expecting the answer.<br />
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Why do people fight? I can understand people fighting over their differences but why do nations fight?? Something’s I am utterly incapable of understanding…<br />
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I left the place with a heavy heart but my sad face suddenly burst in to a smile when I saw my baby all geared up, with an ear-to-ear grin on her face and a fishing rod in her hands. She must have grown but in her excitement she didn’t look much older than a six year old to me.<br />
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16:00 hrs and she was ready for a mission …mission fishing. She was very excited but I didn’t understand what was all this fuss about fishing .she wasn’t the only one there. There were others, who shared her enthusiasm,<br />
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Fishing I am told is a popular weekend activity here. Well thanks to the fishing we had a fresh trout on our dinner plates today.<br />
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I was terrified looking at the sea at 6:00 the following morning. There was something different, too misty and we could not see the seashore at all. The water had come until the footpath until the wall.<br />
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None of us showed any interest in getting off the beds. had tea once hoping to shrug off the laziness ,,had another cup of tea still didn’t move until 9:00 hrs.<br />
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We had to keep up our appointment with the intelligent mammals on earth .The Dolphins.<br />
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We reached Moray Firth on time. Absolutely chilling air constantly blowing at us leaving me shivering, but the cold wind never stopped blowing all day. They made us wear blue colour jackets and we set off sailing into the North Sea. We sailed very far but our friends never seemed to turn up. The captain took us quite far in their search still no signs of Dolphins It became quite apparent that our friends hadn’t kept their appointment but sailing in the sea in a speedboat was an amazing trip in itself.<br />
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Though we were based in Inverness we were quite busy covering the other cities. Today our idea was to explore the beautiful Inverness.<br />
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The northern most city of Scotland. This was very beautiful and attractive city. It houses a big university and a small airport. Population is very less here. You can see old monuments and churches from far off distances. We saw St.Columba church. St.Columba came here in 521 A.D to the highlands. a very important personality in this part of the world, St.Columba belonged to the royal family of Ireland. He brought the Christianity to the picts here and to a large extent responsible for the widespread following of Christianity here.<br />
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There are malls on one side and 1500-year-old churches on other side. It is like modernity looking into the mirror and finding antiquity on the other side. River ness flows through the centre of the city hence the name Inverness. These cities are the synonyms of cleanliness and peacefulness.<br />
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Now we decided to visit the countryside of this part of the world where we had halted so far dolphin bay suite. The glittering towns through our balcony had always excited me and invited me always. In the back of my mind I always knew we would go there. As we got nearer I got a feeling they might be celebrating Easter. I could feel the festive spirit in the air. I could see the colours of Easter spreading on the evening sky.<br />
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There were thick lush green fields; there were heaps of fresh corn and carrots along the roads. The herds of lovely sheep and hen were running around the village. Little kids played noisily on one end innocently. The streets were adorned with lovely streetlights .I don’t know why I watched the village with great love and affection like it was my own. It felt in strange sense home coming to me, best part is my folks were as happy as I was, they didn’t feel much different than me about the village.<br />
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We decided to return to the bay suite and our return journey gets better when we were reaching back. Seals were for some reason I don’t know were swimming very close to our shore, People were getting their binoculars out .We watched all this with excitement. There was something about today’s weather that got them here or might be they were sailing here to say us good-bye. Good-bye to you as well seals.<br />
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This brings our journey to an end. My best journey to any place on earth till date. The thought of our return journey. The thought of leaving Inverness is looming in my heart making my heart heavy.<br />
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I didn’t want to leave this place. I would never leave it if it were in my control. It had such a captivating effect on me.<br />
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I don’t know what the travellers to this place had felt before but let me pen in a few lines the thoughts that crossed my mind.<br />
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We were here only for a few days but I some how get a feeling of having lived a lifetime here with my family and the best part is this lifetime seems a day to me.<br />
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Confusing thoughts, lovely memories captured my mind.<br />
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The Stuart castle standing in front of us, the old church on the street behind, those tall pine trees, the pine fallen on their feet, its fragnance, the evening walks along the seas of Scottish ladies and gentlemen, the many conversations ness held with me, the many stories she told, her melancholy she shared at Urquhart, her childish excitement she shared at Eilean Castle….<br />
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How could I leave her behind, but was I really leaving her behind was I leaving anything behind at all??<br />
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Wasn’t I carrying these memories with me back to London?? back to India?? Forever in my life…has it not become an inseparable part of my life? Later in my life when I look back, Scotland would spring to life again and I would relive my days here again in those huge castles. I would visit ness every day of my life here on, live in my memories, and sit on her banks <br />
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And then I suddenly felt much better, After all I wasn’t leaving mystic highlands behind, I was taking her with me, I was taking ness with me.<br />
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My mind was suddenly tired after all this thinking. Tired but relieved and now my hands our tired after all this writing. Tired but relieved …<br />
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I feel excited about penning down my whole experience, to share with you, to relive and to cherish forever.<br />
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Thank you dolphin bay suite ,thank you Inverness ,thank you to wonderful people of Scotland, thank you my family who made it happen and who made me take this much needed vacation ,thank you daughter darling for all these lovely memories. And finally thank you dear god for giving me this lovely daughter.<br />
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This brings to end one of the most beautiful 10 days of my mom's life..... please do not mistake this peace of writing to be mine..... i am merely the translator... mine was not the heart that felt these feelings first hand..... it is a work of my mom's.... so full credit to her....<br />
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i consider myself lucky to be her son... and consider myself lucky to have had the honour of putting it into a language we all understand ....<br />
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By Asmath Sabira<br />
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(with amazing and significant inputs from my sister.... and some not so amazing and insignificant and generally turned down, negligible inputs from me too :) )faiyazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02256942766559155989noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7078914302369140821.post-65088049116046685002010-08-27T10:22:00.000-07:002010-08-27T10:22:07.277-07:00precrastination v2.0<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><b>edit; the first post went all wrong ... didn't find time to edit it ( can you believe that??) so i'v just tried to refine it a bit more before posting ... good luck before reading it ... you'll need it </b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><b>procrastination</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> - the act of procrastinating; putting off or delaying or defering an action to a later time the act of delaying; inactivity resulting in something being put off until a later time</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">ohh woww ..what a start.. just when i take a deep breath ... smiling ... holding my cup of hot coffee and tell myself triumphantly ''well done faiyaz .... you have finally named and started your blog in spite of yourself'' ... my cell phone rings ... i try to pick it up through the clumsy wires hanging form my head phones ... the wires are strained and before i know my coffee cup falls onto my lap spillin the coffee all over my ... well lets not go too much into detail ... but wait ... that isn't all , the phone which i wanted to recieve gets cut right at the moment i'm about to pick it and when i 'm thinking i actually picked it i here its ringing on the other end and i hear my friend's voice ... ''how're things brother ??? '' </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">i tell its all the usual ... more worried about my zero balance now then the hot coffee clinging on to me ....</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">makes me almost wonder if the spirit of murphy lives with me with the only intention of showing me practically how immaculately perfect his laws are ... the one he's whispering into my ear now is </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">''if anything just cannot go wrong, it will anyway''.... i can almost hear it .... .</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">well i was initially intending to type how fitting it is that i start my blog with the definition of procrastination butu now i 'm convinced nothing could be more fitting then the coffee spilling incident to describe me as i finally finally start my blog</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">coming back to procrastination.....again.... how fitting that i start with this word..... my very first blog !!!!<br />
this word has been a one word definition of my life (and countless other lives i assume)random thoughts , excitement and a bit of guilt accompany me as i type my first blog entry ..... before i bore you to death (which i inevitably will, but in the first entry at least ) let me write about something ith a sense of direction ..... it'll take a very big effort form me because i have been a drifter pretty much most of my life ....<br />
drifting from one interest to other ... from pop music to rap music .... to gripping novels to mysticism .... but nothing has gripped me more then writing (well reading actually) ... i have been waiting all these days to write and i dont know what to write about .... words and thoughts are escaping my mind so i'll do what i do best .... just let it drift .....</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">another murphy's law comes into my head ''</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">Everything takes longer than you think.''</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">that kind of justifies me putting off my starts to a later time ... doesn't it ???</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">well it doesn' justify anything actually because here i have mr murphy reminding me another of hjis gems ''Left to themselves, things tend to go from bad to worse'' and worse they became thanks to my perennially laid back approach to life ... </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">so no more delaying and here i am with my first entry into the world of bloggers ... i welcome me ... i hope you do too :) </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">i realise how supremely stupid this post has turned out to be... but its only the beginning .. wait till it gets worse .... (hope not )</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">on a more serious note i'd try my best to keep the future entrie more meaningfull deep and thought provoking... thank you very much for reading it through patiently ... you are far too kind</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;"></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">please dont forget to leave a comment pls ... i'll come back to continue with my posts ... babye for now ... do take care</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">lots of love and hugs</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">faiyaz</span></span>faiyazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02256942766559155989noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7078914302369140821.post-73591719472910033792010-08-27T09:27:00.000-07:002010-08-27T09:27:38.610-07:00unknown dimensions: procrastination - the act of procrastinating; putt...<a href="http://livesandlifetimes.blogspot.com/2010/08/procrastination-act-of-procrastinating.html?spref=bl">unknown dimensions: procrastination - the act of procrastinating; putt...</a>: "procrastination - the act of procrastinating; putting off or delaying or defering an action to a later time the act of delaying; inactivity ..."faiyazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02256942766559155989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7078914302369140821.post-30665138694801648422010-08-27T07:35:00.000-07:002010-08-27T07:35:56.121-07:00<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><b>procrastination</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> - the act of procrastinating; putting off or delaying or defering an action to a later time the act of delaying; inactivity resulting in something being put off until a later time</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">ohh woww .... just when i take a deep breath ... smiling ... holding my cup of hot coffee and tell myself triumphantly ''well done faiyaz .... you have finally named and started your blog in spite of yourself'' ... my cell phone rings ... i try to pick it up through the clumsy wires hanging form my head phones ... the wires are strained and before i know my coffee cup falls onto my lap spillin the coffee all over my ... well lets not go too much into detail ... but wait ... that isn't all , the phone which i wanted to recieve gets cut right at the moment i'm about to pick it and when i 'm thinking i actually picked it i here its ringing on the other end and i hear my friend's voice ... ''how're things brother ??? '' </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">makes me almost wonder if the spirit of murphy lives with me with the only intention of showing me practically how immaculately perfect his laws are ... the one he's whispering into my ear now is </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">i tell its all the usual ... more worried about my zero balance now then the hot coffee clinging on to me ....</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">If anything just cannot go wrong, it will anyway.... i can almost hear it .... .</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">well i was initially intending to type how fitting it is that i start my blog with the definition of procrastination butu now i 'm convinced nothing could be more fitting then the coffee spilling incident to describe me as i finally finally start my blog</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">coming back to procrastination..... how fitting that i start with this word..... my very first blog !!!!<br />
this word has been a one word definition of my life (and countless other lives i assume)random thoughts , excitement and a bit of guilt accompany me as i type my first blog entry ..... before i bore you to death (which i inevitably will, but in the first entry at least ) let me write about something ith a sense of direction ..... it'll take a very big effort form me because i have been a drifter pretty much most of my life ....<br />
drifting from one interest to other ... from pop music to rap music .... to gripping novels to mysticism .... but nothing has gripped me more then writing (well reading actually) ... i have been waiting all these days to write and i dont know what to write about .... words and thoughts are escaping my mind so i'll do what i do best .... just let it drift .....</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">another murphy's law coming into my head now is ''</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">Everything takes longer than you think.''</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">that kind of justifies me putting off my starts to a later time ... doesn't it ???</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">well it doesn' justify anything actually because here i have mr murphy reminding me another of hjis gems ''Left to themselves, things tend to go from bad to worse'' and worse they became thanks to my perennially laid back approach to life ... </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">sp no more delaying and here i am with my first entry into the world of bloggers ... i welcome me ... i hope you do too :) </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">please dont forget to leave a comment pls ... i'll come back to continue with my posts ... babye for now ... do take care</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;"><br />
</span></span>faiyazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02256942766559155989noreply@blogger.com4