Ward's Lake, Shillong

My hometown is a quiet, little place, well not so quiet politically but quiet because of nature, because of its beauty and serenity and because it is not so much known! Blame it on our tourism or blame it on yourself, now that you know there is a place which is quiet and serene, you must visit the Ward's Lake in Shillong!

Situated in the heart of Shillong, this one is an artificial lake is named after Sir William Ward, the then Chief Commissioner of Assam, who initiated the plan for the construction of this lake, which was later constructed by Colonel Hopkins in the year 1894, this lake is nature at its very best and  and houses the prettiest of lotuses.

The lake offers boating like another other lake in any hill station but the surrounding view is for your eyes to remember.

The bridge over the lake was its real charm but with years of wear and tear this one is getting repaired. That part of the lake seems to have lost a little of its charm but I can't wait to get there and see how the new bridge will look, will it be a replica of what was there or will it be more grand is for time to decide!

The adjacent park is a nice place to sit and relax, for children to play or to get a bit of the sunshine. You can also catch the most beautiful flowers and not just that you will see a natural and beautiful way the dustbins are placed. Well, that's my hometown! Welcome to some peace, quiet and some relaxation.

Just reach Shillong and anyone will tell you where the lake is! And yes, the entry fee is just so negligible!

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!

Luna Park Memories

Oh these rides do give you an amazing experience, to see the world from different angles, and rushing and gushing and at some point thinking that this is the end of the world.

My experience with rides almost all the time has been an initial fear, also kind of an assurance that I am locked up and so shall not fall, and when it's over, a relief, a sense of pride or achievement at having conquered the fear in me.

Back in India, I don't remember if I sat on a ride for a long time. May be I didn't get enough chances, may be I was plane scared or may be it was just too crowded! I am still thinking if I did take a ride on one of those 'melas' in Bangalore but I can't seem to remember clearly and will have to check with one of my friends when I talk to her next.

My real ride experiences happened outside though...the first one being in Luna Park, Sydney. Luna Park has created amazing memories for me in the sense that I don't remember how many times I have been there. The first one was when we walked from our office to the Park and crossed the Harbour Bridge by the evening when the lights were bright and the whole world seemed to be shining. What a memory that was, still fresh in my mind, to be walking with the stars and the cool breeze soothing you. I don't remember taking any rides that though but the experience was still great.

My next visit to Luna Park was also devoid of any rides but even then we had walked all the way from somewhere, where I can't remember well enough now.

But after that I don't know how amny times I have been there and opted for different rides at different point in time. The best one that I remember and probably the scariest one was the one which took you vertically up at 90 degrees and kept you suspended there for a while. You could see the sea from top and the buildings and all you could do was to hope the ride to end. Then they would suddenly drop you and you would think you are finished. We were in a group of 7 or 8 but only three of us dared the same. And initially I was shouting and screaming but later it went on and on and I just kept my eyes closed. What had given me the courage to go for it was the little children who enjoyed and I thought why not me?

I am trying to look up for the pics of that ride on the internet but cannot seem to find one; there is one called the Moon Ranger though which I think must be the improvised version of the one that I rode. Yes, I also remember that on my subsequent visits, this was under renovation or something and I could not probably find it.

The other rides were also good, there was one spider thing, a Tumble bug, and one Columbus ride if I remember right, some through the water and so on. Whatever it is Luna Park does hold a special space in my heart. And not just that I always remember watching with loving memories of the park whenever I was on the North Shore lane.

My other memories of the Luna Park are ofcourse the friends I have been with there and one occasion we did taste some delicious chicken which we could never find again...memories are but one-time specials...

Located at:  1 Olympic Dr  Milsons Point NSW 2061, Australia
How to reach: Just a few minutes walk from Milson's Point train station

The Dream Ride

Oh God, I do have the funniest of dreams. Last evening, I spoke of rides with a friend of mine and we talked of what we have done, what we can and what we will never do. We shared pics, analyzed those and talked about what we like, what scares us and what we had left undone. I will write something on that but first let me write about the dream I had last night.

Well, I saw my hometown, the bylanes and the street where I had spent my each growing day. And then I saw that just across the most happening place there in our colony, that is where the annual Pujas are held, where wedding and birthday celebrations take place, there was a ride, and it was like a long boat. Well well! I saw myself sitting there with some people I knew from my childhood, saw the steep slide downwards and knew it would be fun. I also could see some water bodies around. In reality that area does have a steep and I was mighty glad that they introduced something like this.

And when we rode down, it was fun, it was a great experience having something like this right in the middle of the small town and then the speed was just good for everyone's taste. I rode down and then got off when the ride was done with a sense of pride, the pride coming from the fact that I was kind of an expert with rides and this one was easy.

Then we got down a flight of steps, all too familiar as we had grown up there and followed the others just to get back. Oh but then this girl managed to climb through the stones and the rocks and I could see myself stranded there because I could not go up further, there was not enough space for me to climb. I waited as to what to do next when I woke up...and I smiled for I was not stranded and amazed at the power of my thoughts and dreams...

Temples around the world

Oh that's an email that has reached me from time to time and everytime I recieve one as a forward from someone, I look at it to see if I can strike off one from my list of to-see temples, the big ones around the world and specifically outside India. So this is one post which I will need to update from time to time and would love doing that, and may be feel proud and blessed.

Apparently most of these temples have been built for Lord Venkateswara and since I go by this email forward, I don't really know about other temples built for other Gods and Goddesses. Well, the other God who leaves his mark around is Swaminarayan. No offence meant, I am just analysing and I might well be wrong!

And many of these temples are in the US and this reminds me of a friend who asked me once  if I knew what USA stands for. According to him, it stands for 'United States of Andhra Pradesh'. Smiles.

I have also been to Sai baba temples but I think the list here precisely talks about the temple architecture, the build and beauty and the two Sai baba temples I have visited outside India have simple structures.

It's actually quite a list:

1. LordVenkateshwara Temple, Birmingham, United Kingdom - No no, not being to Birmingham even once.

2. MalibuHindu Temple, Malibu, California,US - It's just Tampa in US that I have visited and so no for this one as well.

3. Shiva-VishnuTemple, Livermore, California,US - No, no this one yet.

4. LordVishnu Temple, Angkor, Cambodia  - I haven't visited Cambodia either, seems like a lot of places around the world to go and visit and not so much time for the same.

5. Prambanan Shiva Temple, Central Java, Indonesia - Never been there too.

6. SriVenkateswara Swami Temple of Greater Chicago - Aurora, Illinois, United States - A 'No' again...Oh what have I seen. Nothing???

7. BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir - Toronto, Canada - Anytime soon, well I am hoping, hoping and hoping.

8. Sri Siva Vishnu Temple, Washington DC, United States  - No

9. BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London (Neasden Temple) - An 'yes' for this finally and this was my first weekend in London and yes it was after changing stations and a long walk too. And then some traditional Gujarati food followed. And when we were getting back it was so cold that we were almost freezing as we waited in the bus stop. Other than that, everything in London is centrally air-conditioned and it was fun even in Feb/March.

10. SriMurugan Temple “Batu Caves”, Penang, Malaysia - 'No' to this one as well, atleast I have said 'yes' to one place.

11. SriVenkateswara Temple, Bridgewater, NJ, US - No, but will I make it soon?

12. Mother Temple of Besakih, Bali, Indonesia - No

13. MuruganTemple, Sydney, Australia - Yes yes yes, on my first Sydney visit I went there and what a walk that was! So tiring! But getting there was such a great experience and yes beautifully constructed too. Memories!

14. Venkateswara Swami temple, Riverdale near Atlanta, Georgia, US - No

15. SriVenkateswara Swami Temple, Helensburgh, Sydney, Australia - Yes, to this one as well. Loved that day, very special it was.

16. VelmuruganGnana Muneeswarar Temple, Rivervale Crescent Sengkang,Singapore - I would love to visit Singapore someday, only the airport is what I have seen of Singapore.

17. Sri Meenakshi Devasthanam - Pearland, Texas, US - No

18. Ekta Mandir, Irving, Texas, US - No

19. SriVenkateshwara Temple - New Jersey - No

20. SriLakshmi Temple - Ashland, MA, US - No

21. SriVenkateswara Swami Temple, Pittsburgh, US - No

22. ShivaVishnu Temple of South Florida Inc, FL, US - No, but someday I might!

23. Shiva - Vishnu Temple of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia - Yes, with my friend and her husband and again a beautiful place to be at. I cherish my Melbourne visit, my friend and her husband did everything to make me feel happy.

24. SriMurugan Temple, London, UK - Now, how did I miss that? I spent 6 months in London and not been there. It's shame considering how well connected London is and I could have made it there easily.

25. QuadCity Hindu Temple , Rock Island, IL, US - no

26. SriPrasanna Venkateswara Swami Temple, Memphis, Tennessee, US - no, and now I don't mind saying 'No' since I have had a few 'Yes's.

27. Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple, Singapore - Singapore will happen one day am sure.

And I am going to add some from my list as well if you like:

1. Hindu Temple, Tampa - Just a short visit the other day and though the architecture of the temple much resembled the Venkateswara temples and yes it was a Vishnu temple, but seemed to be run by the Gujarati community.

If you wanted to visit, the address is 5509 Lynn Rd  Tampa, FL 33624. Have  a blessed time there.

Valentine's Park

That was just a little walk from where I lived in London and wasn't it amazing? And why do I write about it now? Well, I have been talking of walks in the recent past and that has dominated my thought process so much that I finally walked the Lettuce Lake park in Tampa. It was amazing for sure and big, but Valentine's park holds a special place in my mind, and oh no, its not because of the name of the park!

Valentine's park is big too, and green! I love the greenary in London, and specially after the rains, it looks all washed and cleaned and shining, shining brught green that is.

And there are so many different varietes of flowers there and whenever we went there we clicked pictures and pictures and pictures. It never seemed enough because every area in the part was worth a capture.
And they do organise shows there from time to time and I know it must be fun just to get there and enjoy a cool evening, just sit on those benches, get lost in some thoughts or read a book. And they have enough place to play, cycle and yes if I remember right, boating facility is also available. 

It has been 3 years now, I was there in 2010 but my visit to the Lettuce Lake park yesterday brought back memories afresh and just not that it was a coincidence that a friend I happened to know while in London called me up the same day and we spoke about our time there, memories created here and there, and still continuing with the journey.

That was just a little walk from where I lived in London and wasn't it amazing? And why do I write about it now? Well, I have been talking of walks in the recent past and that has dominated my thought process so much that I finally walked the Lettuce Lake park in Tampa. It was amazing for sure and big, but Valentine's park holds a special place in my mind, and oh no, its not because of the name of the park!
Valentine's park is big too, and green! I love the greenary in London, and specially after the rains, it looks all washed and cleaned and shining, shining brught green that is.

And there are so many different varietes of flowers there and whenever we went there we clicked pictures and pictures and pictures. It never seemed enough because every area in the part was worth a capture.
And they do organise shows there from time to time and I know it must be fun just to get there and enjoy a cool evening, just sit on those benches, get lost in some thoughts or read a book. And they have enough place to play, cycle and yes if I remember right, boating facility is also available. 

It has been 3 years now, I was there in 2010 but my visit to the Lettuce Lake park yesterday brought back memories afresh and just not that it was a coincidence that a friend I happened to know while in London called me up the same day and we spoke about our time there, memories created here and there, and still continuing with the journey.

The Walk

Only a couple of days back I was complaining that there are no places in Tampa where you could go for a long walk. And then suddenly I remembered why yes, there is the Lettuce Park. And so today, instead of just lazing around, I decided to go. And it was a lovely evening and I walked I could hear the birds chirping and the insects going tittar tatter. I did take my camera long so I could get a few pics to share with all.

It surprises me that the walk did not tire me inspite of my going for a walk after a long time and this pleases me and encourages me to venture out again, may be soon.

One day I would love to capture the sun rise in the Lettuce park, between the trees and the rays falling on the lake waters but I would need to give my lazy bones some real push.

So, if you have some time in the early morning or late evenings, go out there and walk your heart out. You will love it.  You could take your pets for a walk or your grandchildren for a swing ride or simply runa round the playground. Walk or run, you will love it.

My visits to Clearwater

I loved my first visit to Clearwater, I think simply because I didn't think it would have been possible in that short a span of time but sometimes there are people sent from heaven, there are angels who make it just happen. It was a clear sky and the water and the sky seemed to merge in blue, beautiful, pure beautiful blue.

So, when they now planned for the second trip, I didn't mind and I did love it again. But then there were people who would become friends, now they were already friendly but some of them were too worried about the right clothes they had or they did not have. I didn't mind at all, it was not about myself, it was about getting to know the place, enjoy the white sand under your feet and watch the sun set over the serene and what seemed calm waters. So forget teh turbulence inside just like the rush of water and enjoy the calm on the outside is what I meant to do.

And collecting shells on the shore has always been my favourite time pass and this time I collected it for my friend who asked me last time and this time I remembered to get some for her.

And yes I did capture some pics too, too cool and calm and clear just as the name suggests. A must visit I must say!

Sydney Memoirs - Pages from my notebook

Ah this is old, dates back to 2005! Some of it I have already written but I would still write it as how I jotted in my diary back then!!!

23/04/2005:
Working on Dec 25th wasn't something I liked but would have hardly known that four months from then I would be in Sydney.

Yes, life takes unexpected turns and I would be doing myself injustice if I didn't jot down my experiences of Sydney.

Coming to Sydney via Singapore and reaching Goldsbrough apartment happened so soon that there was hardly anytime to think of anything else. Knowing that a team mate would already be there to receive and keep dinner ready was actually a great relief, for someone coming to an unknown place, Dear Lord has been very kind to me to provide two people for my company in journey and another one to receive me.

First impression in the road and on the airport was nothing extraordinary; it felt just like another city and being a sunday, the traffic was less. The cab driver was Chinese, spoke English very well and seemed to be well informed. He spoke about the problems in Australia, he also knew that the North Easterns in India were like the Chinese and so on.

As my colleague took me to the 7th floor, I noticed the building was made of wood, the floors were of wooden plank and my first thought went back to Shillong houses, so much similar. And after dinner, we went to the nearby Darling Harbour. The place made me feel so comfortable that Sydney will always remind me of this. The cool air gave me a soothing feel and reminded me of the walk around KR Puram lake in Bangalore.

The climate too gave me a feeling of Shillong; you never know when it starts raining! People always carry their umbrellas along as we did in Shillong.

Walking past the Darling Harbor is an everyday experience. We also went to Luna Park the other day and I loved the walk across the bridge!

And Friday nights are special; people celebrate weekends like a festival and the scene at Darling Harbor is worth cherishing. Men, women of all ages are seen in the best of their attires, dancing , singing and drinking.

Went to Paddy's market just like the precious Saturday to buy the weekly grocery. It is a Chinese market and gave a feeling of any vegetable market in India except that such markets in India are in the open. Paddy's market is mostly dominated by the Chinese and being a north-eastern I did not quite feel out of the place. I found the vegeetable 'squash' which I never saw in Delhi but back in Shillong it grows in every home.

24/04/2005:
Our plans for Canberra got cancelled, so have to wait for it to happen some other day.

In the very first week, we had gone to the Botanical gardens and had our lunch there. It was a green place and something again gave me the feel of home, of Shillong. We went to the Hyde park as well. The reason I find the similarity between Shillong and Sydney may not just be the climate but also the lifestyle. We grew up speaking English and living in a cosmopolitan town, this is what attracts me. No doubt I liked Bangalore too.

I have been in Delhi for 3 years now and even though there are people from everywhere in Delhi, the basic culture is Punjabi. And there is so much of artificiality in Delhi. However I would still prefer Delhi to Kokata any day because life is Kolkata is not cosmopolitan in some sense of the term.

We went to the Star City Casino with our boss' boss last week and we found that it was dominated by the Chinese again. I was told that people with lots of money and no worry frequent this place to spend their time.

Today we watched 'Aliens of the Deep' at the IMAX. It was a documentary but loved the 3-D effect.

25/04/2005:
Today is Anzac day, a public holiday in Australia. Anzac was a soldier but sadly I know nothing more. I don't think I ever studied Australian history.

Yesterday while browsing through books in a book store glanced upon 'Da Vinci code'; it's a best seller no doubt!

26/04/2005:
There are blisters in my feet and in everyone else's too. But walking is not a problem for me. Anyways I never knew how to take care of my feet or to take care of myself in the sense that girls do.

27/04/2005:
George Street. Pitt Street. Hunter Street....these are the names of the streets in Sydney and all the roads seem almost the same. We have memorised the route from our hotel to office and it will take few more days to get used to it. Anyways walking on the streets of Sydney seems safer than walking on Delhi streets. Of course there are drug addicts and drunkards who might come and ask for money, but there aren't many covetous eyes who try to look through you.

30/4/2005
My roomie S left for India yesterday and today being a Saturday me and my other roomie N went to Paddy's to get the weekly grocery. I wanted to have eggs  so we got some eggs but perhaps left those at the payment counter. All the way to our hotel I was thinking that I had the eggs with me and might drop anytime because of the load we were carrying. But when we had almost reached our hotel, we were trying to rearrange and realized that the eggs were not there at all.

1/5/2005:

Went to ISKCON temple today. The temple here is comparatively smaller than that of Bangalore or Delhi and looks nothing like a temple, but I did feel good because this was the first time in last 3 weeks that I did pray properly. And we reached there at the right time of 'Aarti'. Satisfied.

4/5/2005:
Channel Seven broadcast a program today on the 'Secrets of the Da Vinci code'. This book is selling millions of copies everywhere.

8/5/2005:
It's slightly cold in the mornings and I can feel it as I wash my hands. There is a feeling of cool air as I stand on the balcony, but the sun is shining. This feeling is similar to that of Shillong whereas in Delhi it remains foggy in winters and the sun is hard to see.

15/05/2005:
We visited the Australian capital on 15th May, on a beautiful autumn morning. We went to quite a few places, it was a tour that we had taken. I clearly remember the Botany Bay, where Captain Cook had first landed.

Our first stop was a place called Berrima. Though nothing significant, the road was beautiful and we passed through trees with yellow and red leaves, the colours of autumn. The houses on the countryside looked cosy and again reminded me of Shillong.

We visited the Parliament house, the War Memorial and the Museum. Though we have much more historical places and sights in India the differentiator is the maintenance, the projections.

The best part of the trip was Ainstry hills from where we could see the whole of Canberra. Watching the sun-set there was one of the best experiences of the trip.

Canberra happens to be a well planned city and we did have an enjoyable trip.

5/6/2005:

Going to Paramatta in a ferry was really a good experience. It was as if I was visiting the Backwaters of Kerala which I had seen too often on TV.

Walking from Paramatta to Westmead was a task, my God, which I will remember for ever. We just didn't seem to get there but all the tiredness disappeared when we entered the Murugan temple.

11/06/2005

Blue Mountains and Jenolan Caves

The Blue Mountains acquired the name because of the blue haze produced by the scattering of the sun's rays striking dust particles and droplets of moisture in the atmosphere. The blue haze effect is magnified by the droplets of oil produced by the extensive population of eucalypt forest within the area.

The Three Sisters - Meekni, Wimlah and Gunedoo once lived with the Gundungurra people in the Janison valley. Tribal war forced the clever man to turn the sisters into stones. There are some stories about this and I will have to read more to know more about it.

Jenolan Caves was an hour's drive from Katoomba, with underground rivers and outstanding limestone formation. Lucas caves was named after John Lucas.

12/06/2005:
One place that was advised by many and me not particularly interested was Bondi beach but after the visit I was glad that I did. The plan was sudden and it is true that unexpected events bring more joy.

Beautiful place, warm day sunny people and blue waters are what I will carry as remembrance. What I enjoyed most was to walk through the big boulders of stones, climb on them, cross and jump over them, taking careful steps and then  getting to the bottom where the sea waves hit my naked feet. Blessing.

Tampa

My first visit to the US happens to be to Tampa, a name which I had not heard before unfortunately. But this name will bring back some memories henceforth.

As goes with me, I tend to compare everything from people to places. The first day on landing reminded me of the only time in Sydney when I had landed in the afternoon and my friend's cousin and her daughter were waiting for me at their apartment. The sea-view on the drive from the airport to the hotel again reminded me of Sydney. I think Sydney will always remain part of my memories like nothing else.

The Residence Inn again reminded me of Goldsbrough. This one is more well kept though. I have the room to myself and though I love the privacy at times, I do miss the Sydney bonding at Goldsbrough or Chatswood.  Okay, breakfast is good but having eggs and potatoes everyday might just turn me to a big round ball.

My biggest regret today is that I don't drive and I plan to add that to my list of to-do things when I am back. My fears need to be conquered.

The first Sunday was spent at the Gurudwara and the Swami Narayan temple. And this again reminded me of the Swami Narayan temple visit in London and how we had to walk and also bear the winter wind.

Clearwaters happened to be an amazing place and loved the drive and specially the crysal clear sand. The blue of the sky and the sea will ever be etched in my memory.

Rides in Busch Gardens again reminded me of Sydey, Luna gardens and the friends with whom I rode several times.

MOSI experience was great too. I liked the interactive games quite a bit and it's a nice place to spend your entire day and that too with children. Did the zip thing, watched the Hobbit at IMAX and had some nice chicken :-)

Three weeks passed almost and I am ready to fly back home. And with talks of apocalypse in the air, and me flying back on the 22nd Dec 2012, I am wondering if I will be thrown to a different world or if I get a greater and beautiful view of the space and outer world, I can tell only when I am home.
I enjoyed the stay and I think the team is great but btep was somehow the bestest!

London

A dream came true when I visited London...a dream to see the London bridge :-) The city never lived upto my Sydney expectations and proved to be a dull place climate wise but I did do a lot of shopping around and seeing places. The greenery definitely captivated me....

Years ago, when I was in school, I  had dreamed that I was having my lunch with the Queen and though that dream never actually came true, I got a chance to visit the castles and the palaces.

Sydney

Sydney! The name of it brings me smiles and sighs to some extent. I have endless memories belonging to the place and not sure may be the first impression is the one that remains forever! That might be the reason I love that place!

On my my first day me and my roomie had dinner cooked by her and then we went out for a walk. A walk to Darling Harbour, one of my favourite places on the earth. I don't know how many times I have walked the Pyrmont bridge and everytime I found it beautiful. I loved the cold wind blowing, I loved the setting sun and I simply loved to walk by the Harbour or sit still and watch the people!

Should I ever go there again I know that Darling harbour would always be on my list of places to go.

On my first visit to Sydney, a friend and I thought that we should go for morning walks. One such morning, we walked and talked, a couple of guys drunk said something like Indians girls being pretty and passed a comment that they ate fish and were good at ignoring. Gosh, I just controlled my laughter and then when they left us, I gave my laughing nerves full freedom.

There are so so many memories of Sydney that when I remember I update this. Random thoughts actually! One evening as I was returning from work with a friend, it started raining. We were to get off at the next station and I stood near the door. As the door opened, I took my head out to watch if it was still raining as though it was the door of my house and I would decide whether to venture out or not! My friend then reminded me that we had to get off and we quickly ran out. Once we were out, we could not help laughing at my absent-mindedness :-)

So many times I have played the guide and Luna Park was one such place where I visited don't know how many times. The rides and the fun was too good to ever forget. A friend of mine and I went to Luna Park once and the man at the gate was perhaps very happy to meet folks from his country that he did not swipe our tickets, allowed us the ride and asked us to enjoy another.

Another time we were a group fo 7 or 8 people visiting the park and none except three of us had the guts to ride the most dangerous one. I was scared too but seeing little children so much at ease made me think that I could do it too. For a while I screamed and shouted with the fellow riders and then I felt that it did not seem to end and I just closed my eyes and prayed for a safe landing!!!

I had my scary experiences too, the first one being me and my rommie waiting for a friend at Town Hall and I think it was almost 9 pm when someone approached us and demanded money. My roomie was so scared that she almost reached her purse when a couple passed by us and saved our day. They asked the intruder to get away and waited till he was out of sight and made us so comfortable that we felt safe.

On another occasion we were returning from Watson Bay if I remember right, and on the train I had just turned around and a lady took offence.I don't yet know what I had done to earn her dirty looks but that incident did scare me to hell. A similar incident repeated when a guy with long hair and shabby looks just sat near us and kept tapping his fingers on the window pane. And it took only a line in Hindi to my friend who was traveling with me, to make the guy angry and call us names. We both kept quiet and almost remained motionless until the time he got away.

I always think I will do Sydney once more in my lifetime and till then I will re-live the memories many more times.