Shimla

A trip I never wanted to make and if you ask me I have no real answers as the reviews I had heard were not good enough and that the hill station was now no longer a place of beauty but a commercial hub.

The trip was good thankfully to some amazing company and the horse ride at Kufri was a real experience! It was scary at times, exciting and at times just hoping the next turn, up or rise or the next step down would just be safe! That was the best part of the trip.

Mall Road, Shimla was nothing extraordinary and the experience was just all right.

Well, every turn reminded me of my home Shillong, every corner reminded me of a childhood tale. But Shillong is much much more beautiful, beyond words and not just because it's my home but compare Shillong and Shimla and anyone who has been to both the places will tell you!

May be I want to see the snowfall once and then describe how it feels like and I am still waiting for my first snow experience!

I miss you Shillong, dear Shillong!

Tea Halt

The other day a colleague came and reported that a new tea-joint had opened in the office campus and that it would be nice to go and give it a try. Well, why not? Besides they gave a discount equal to the outside temperature.

Ok, so we went to explore. A very small place but it felt good and specially when the world goes gaga over coffee, it was a welcome change. They offered Masala chai, Adrak sounf chai etc and also served pakoras and pizzas. Not too bad, except for the cost! The quantity was good enough and you really need to be an ardent tea fan to gulp all down.

What we thought! May be they should offer small cups and lessen the prices a bit. But a welcome change no doubt!

Theirs vs Ours

My office route at Tampa included numerous passing by Moffit Cancer Institute as Residence Inn where I stayed housed many Moffit patients and one of the complimentary services was a pick and drop.

So, most of the patients it seemed were traveling alone to the hospital or it seemed to be accompanied by their spouse. I rarely noticed anyone whose children accompanied them. There were occasional moments when the whole family was there but most of the time it pained me to see an old ailing man accompanied by his husband or wife, which was old herself/himself.  I wondered where the children were! At rare moments, it made me proud to think that they were independent and that they cared for each other so much.

In my country India, however, whenever I have accompanied by mum to a hospital, I did not fail to notice that that old people were mostly accompanied by their children.

I also never a fellow Australian colleague with contempt when I remember his conversation about how his mother disturbed him because she would walk around in her sleep and that he got a huge relief when he put her an old age home. Well, so much for all parents do for their children.

I am just an ordinary being and criticism is but a part of me! Cultural differences are always existent but I think love or respect for your parents should be an integral part of every culture.