Tag: travel

The other woman!

It all started with Apple! Siri was the root cause of all my problems! I never had been an apple fan (half my family is though!) particularly “the still in the teen” one. But from the time I was exposed to the I phones and macs I had a tendency to criticize all their limitations. The only product I liked was the I pad. To cut a long story short while the rest of the family dabbled in “Apple” I stubbornly stuck to my HP computers and Samsung phones. (I still do).

I must confess though, that I was intrigued with SIRI when it was introduced in 2011/12. I did grow up with the idea of robots and this interactive voice module was as close as possible to this. When I was alone I would ask all sort of silly questions and abuse Siri when she didn’t get it right! I always got a reprimand over using foul language but that was the fun in the whole exercise!

One thing I have always been very good at is remembering directions. I do have a virtual compass in my brain and could and can find my way anywhere. But this was an instinctive thing, unaided by gadgets. So once in a while it would fail. I called this “My GPS is unplugged phase” We would then ask the nearest available human, “bhai where is XYZ located?” and we would most of the time be directed through many right, left and straight and would reach our destination safely.


When we started travelling abroad, especially in non-English speaking countries ,it became a little difficult. My GPS did not have any feeds, though we had the printed maps and we did manage somehow. The dénouement entered our travelogues when Google maps was introduced into our phones! Life became so easy! We could drive anywhere on our own, we could find Indian restaurants along with feed backs (Staying for prolonged periods without Indian food is rather challenging!) The mobile bills were rather challenging too but we put it under travel expenses to erase the guilt!

In the convenience of the moment I allowed the “Camel” to poke its nose into my tent. I fed the snake with milk of kindness! My importance as an instrument of travel was slowly diminishing, I still was the family navigator- (go right after 100 meters)- awake and alert I directed everyone everywhere. I did not see the impending doom!

Soon after Siri, google introduced the voice direction on Google maps (hence my blaming Siri!) and my services were terminated! The phone was conveniently placed in its holder and it could go on giving directions without falling asleep or getting distracted by the cows in the meadows! I still had not been able to see the shadow of apocalypse, as this allowed me to nap when I was not driving and gave me good confidence when I was.

Lately I suddenly realized that this voice is omnipresent whenever we go out. We have been living in Mumbai for almost ten years. We have shifted to different localities, but this has only enhanced my map feeds and I know most of the alleys and shortcuts. The head of the family never had a head for directions! Most of the time he was dependent on me and this made me feel needed!

My eyes opened to a new development in our married life. My husband was in love! He confessed it to the children and indirectly to me. “I never go out without her!” he had said  this umpteen times before I realized that a third entity had entered the sacred portal of our marriage vows! Some experienced matron had advised me when I had got married – that never let an unmarried girl get too friendly with your husband and never invite them home! I had, after twenty-five years fallen into this trap!

The ‘she’ I realized is the female voice of the google maps! She had taken over my place for directing my non directional husband and he was wallowing in his new found freedom of not being dependent on me! The other woman had entered our lives not during the seven-year itch but during our silver year! I cannot compete with a live feed of millions of people and the satellite that google uses. But once in a while when the signal goes off or the dumb female speaks about some unpronounceable name of the road to confuse us, I have that smug look to comfort myself. I know that I am irreplaceable but this “other woman” is giving me a run for my money!

Gestational Growth!

Nine months of very tumultuous existence!  It was almost this time frame away that I wrote my last blog. It was about a milestone in my life. I thought that with my nest empty, I would feel empty, lonely and miserable; but life had other things in store for me! I have not had much time to brood, leave alone feel miserable and life has been far from empty!

Life, God or the omniscient- whatever you would like to call it, has catapulted me into a whirlpool of activity. I have been indulged with my favorite activity- Travel! The excitement of packing and planning, checking in (both at the airport and Facebook!) and the giddiness of reaching new places and exploring them at my own pace is what has made me go on despite the “empty nest” syndrome staring at my face.

I have had academic exposure, whirlwind sightseeing, peaceful living and settling in two children in different environments and squeezing in a romantic twenty-fifth anniversary (a surprise one) into these nine months.

It was awesome to be in school once again as a student. I learnt to listen, comprehend and participate. This time it was fun! I didn’t need to excel or impress, just assimilate and hopefully gather knowledge which I think, I might use later in life. It did wonders for my ego and self-esteem.  I have no regrets except the fact that I could have been less inhibited. I learnt that you need ideas to succeed, not money; I learnt that you need courage to win, not immaculate perfection; I also learnt that shooting from your heart can let you reach your targets faster than shooting from your brain. The most perfect planning can fall flat because of a tiny error.


The ten days of unplanned tourism that we indulged in exposed us to a new culture which has the greatest strength behind it- the strength of variety. Colorful, vibrant and enthusiastic is how I will describe the American culture. It is young and impetuous; it does not have the profound peace and strength of our ancient civilization, but hey! Who wants peace when one is young???? But we did find peace as we gazed at the Niagara Falls! It has spoilt me for any other falls in the world! I bore everyone with “Niagara Falls was so…..” The natural beauty of the huge country takes your breath away.
Poverty and crime are also here, pollution and garbage do abound, racism and insecurity are evident but it is the land of opportunity. I felt that justice and fair practice are more obvious here than anywhere in the world. It does not have the sophistication of Europe, neither does it have the grace and tradition of the ancient civilizations but it has charm, energy and raw beauty and power.

After the chilled out month at Houston which I spent time with my sis-in-law, I had a hectic fifteen days at Bloomington; setting up my little TT who is now my fledgling! I came back to the heat and dust of Mumbai. Longing for Indian food and just letting go …. But there was more travel and a stint at the hospital and then setting up house twice over and more travel.

I jumped into the Mauritian culture for my second honeymoon! What a contrast! Life there is so laid back, everyone is happy and the clock moves really slowly- blissful! The people there are easygoing. It is how I imagine paradise must have been.

Thank God, Eve ate the apple! I don’t think I would have endured paradise for too long! Walking in the forest and eating fruits all day long!

It’s been a long gestational period for me. Like the little baby, I have grown “mentally” in leaps and bounds. It’s been a “full on” (Excuse my Indian slang!) learning period- a period of growth and development as a person. I have become more patient and resilient. I have accepted negativity as a co-existence of positivity. I have acknowledged that I am not always right and that I am no “Miss-know-all”. 

I am able to stand in a line in the MTNL office and smile at the man trying to break in and say a “Thank you” to the Madam behind the counter! Don’t you think that’s growth?