Sixwordsaturday

Am I drifting away from WP

/ Rupali / 35 Comments

Getting back to WP is hard

Back from land of Gulmohor (Delonix regia – flamboyant display of orange-red flowers)  to snow cap mountains. You heard me right. I was away from WP for a couple of weeks as was visiting my mum and with so many things in hand I decided to stay away from social media to the highest degree possible.

Aerial view of Dubai as we were flying over at night
The cleanest city in India

We leave something of ourselves behind when we leave a place, we stay there, even though we go away. And there are things in us that we can find again only by going back there.~ Pascal Mercier

It was for the first time I got down with cough and cold during my India visit. Global warming signs were clearly visible making it hard to stay fit. The temperature twist was beyond expection from +2 °C -> 28 °C -> 40 °C -> 8 °C. When landed back here we were greeted by our usual gray and cold weather. It was such a relief. Also the early blooming pink rhododendron in our balcony was waiting for us.

The weather is changing and temperature is near 20 °C. I spent this past weekend in setting my balcony garden. A couple of roses, clematis, honeysuckle and azalea are set in pots. I love gardening as it gives me hope.

Plant seeds of happiness, hope, success, and love; it will all come back to you in abundance. This is the law of nature. ~Steve Maraboli 

Yesterday I went to bed before sunset and I know that this is my story for alteast until August.

Keep looking forward 😊

Lens artists photo challenge

Back on WP after a Week

/ Rupali / 26 Comments

Two social events and a lot of office work kept me at bay. The little free time in hand was happily spent in reading.

As I have mentioned in earlier posts I don’t use any of the special photography softwares as I do not have administrator rights for my pc. I use the basic editor available on machine to straighten the image or cropping etc. Here are some examples showing “before & after” images for lens artists photo challenge.

Do not indulge in dreams of having what you have not, but reckon up the chief of the blessings you do possess, and then thankfully remember how you would crave for them if they were not yours.~Marcus Aurelius

Think of the life you have lived until now as over and, as a dead man, see what’s left as a bonus and live it according to Nature. Love the hand that fate deals you and play it as your own, for what could be more fitting? ~Marcus Aurelius

Look well into thyself; there is a source of strength which will always spring up if thou wilt always look.~Marcus Aurelius

Every living organism is fulfilled when it follows the right path for its own nature.~Marcus Aurelius

Reading log continues

In Norway, women have the right to decide for themselves whether they wish to have an abortion during the first twelve weeks of their pregnancy. All women resident in Norway are entitled to have an abortion, either as an elective abortion or following consideration by a committee. After this 12-week time limit, a request must be submitted to a special medical assessment board that will determine whether an abortion will be granted. An excellent book, based on true stories/histories from over 200 women in Norway.

Our Lady of the Nile is set in a boarding school which offers Christian education to young girls from elite families in Rwanda.

It was a blind date with a book. I liked it. The Book begins with “In my childhood, I was known as the boy whose mother had run off with an Englishman“. I must confess it’s not a simple read but I liked the book.

I saw trailor of a movie with the same name. It was quite hilarious but didn’t get to see the movie. I saw the book (in Norwegian) in our local library and decided to read it. “Growing up brown in Norway is no picnic”. Mahmoud is a boy with buoyancy. Born in Norway, of Pakistani parents, and with a language that we rarely see expressed in Norwegian novels.

It is summer vacation and fifteen-year-old Mahmoud wants a relaxing summer when Uncle Ji comes to visit from Pakistan. He has to be responsible for being his Oslo guide, and little brother Ali has a secret that turns his whole life upside down. A very interesting read.

Do you think life is hard

/ Rupali / 46 Comments

If you see this post you are ( rather we are) fortunate in many ways. No life is without struggle but there are numerous reasons to be happy and grateful.

It’s interesting how one post takes shape. I had a vague idea in my mind for lens artists photo challenge with theme “people” and while going through archives I see images I have totally forgotten. Suddenly I decided to shift the point of interest.

The image which influnced my thinking was taken in Rome around 8 years ago.

When people don’t know any better they are mostly contended with whatever little they have. I talked to this elderly couple. He was complaining about life but she was all smiling.

India data – In terms of employment share the unorganised sector employs 83% of the work force and 17% in the organised sector. There are 92.4% informal workers (with no written contract, paid leave and other benefits) in the economy. There are also 9.8% informal workers in the organised sectors indicating the level of outsourcing.

Source – International Monetary Fund: https://www.imf.org/-/media/Files/Conferences/2019/7th-statistics-forum/session-ii-murthy.ashx#:~:text=In%20terms%20of%20employment%20share,indicating%20the%20level%20of%20outsourcing.

Be grateful for what you have and stop complaining – it bores everybody else, does you no good, and doesn’t solve any problems. Zig Ziglar

Six Word Saturday

Migrant labourers suffer exploitation in India’s sugar fields

Relax your body, Relax your mind

/ Rupali / 26 Comments
View from my room

After Trondheim next destination was a lovely hotel in a costal village. This last week was quite hectic. Almost everyday my calender and time sheet was marked with travel codes. Meeting new people, absorbing new ideas is not a leisure activity. One has to invest time and energy in such meetings unless they are planning to retire quite soon 😜

One day after long sessions I decided to take a walk along the beautiful fjords even though the hotel provides excellent indoor pool facilities. I wanted to be out in nature and feel the fresh air. We got some free time before official dinner.

Everything looks promising after a dull day. The weather god is sending puzzles on our way most of these days.

Calm mind brings inner strength and self-confidence, so that’s very important for good health. Dalai Lama 

The Dusk
This was taken during one of the breaks

From my Instagram page

Six Word Saturday

Jos Monday Walk

Spring: Time to recommit healthy habits

/ Rupali / 28 Comments

After a week or more of cold, gray, windy and wet days, we were surprised by a cold yet sunny weekend. Even our weather forecast department couldn’t not have clear words. Who could blame them when weather decides to play a prank on all of us.

Once the weekend chores were over I decided to pack a simple lunch and leave for a nice hike. And yes I changes my earlier plan. In this part of the world nature direct our plans, we obey 😊.

Everything was perfect until this point as I realized I was wearing regular Ecco gore-tex shoes and didn’t have spikes with me. I got little panic but decided to proceed with a thought to return back, just in case.

The trails on the south-west side of the mountains were mostly clear but not this way. I had to be cautious as I go upward for who knows what was waiting ahead.

Life is an adventure, it’s not a package tour. ~ Eckhart Tolle

I rested near this spot and ate my peanut butter sandwich. Also called my husband to show him what he missed. He was in his office. There were lot of people relaxing and having fun on the top of the mountain. The weather was ultimate.

Fortunately I managed the slippery sections on both the sides. Something I learned about myself, I can walk/slide on ice 😊. Point noted for future. In all I covered 13.5 km distance with 568 m elevation and used 970 calories.

Jos Monday Walk

I wanted to talk about the books I am reading but it’s already a long post. Rest in next.

Got our dose of sunshine today

/ Rupali / 49 Comments

“THE WEATHER OF LOVE”

Love
Has a way of wilting
Or blossoming
At the strangest,
Most unpredictable hour.
This is how love is,
An uncontrollable beast
In the form of a flower.
The sun does not always shine on it.
Nor does the rain always pour on it
Nor should it always get beaten by a storm.
Love does not always emit the sweetest scents,
And sometimes it can sting with its thorns.
Water it.
Give it plenty of sunlight.
Nurture it,
And the flower of love will
Outlive you.
Neglect it or keep dissecting it,
And its petals will quickly curl up and die.
This is how love is,
Perfection is a delusional vision.
So love the person who loves you
Unconditionally,
And abandon the one
Who only loves you
Under favorable
Conditions.
― Suzy Kassem, 

Differences we may have many but never when it comes to go out for a walk. My husband suggested an early walk today as sunshine was promised 😍 We started after having a little breakfast. We had a fantastic walk and were greeted by many fellow walkers. People not always notice others while shopping but on the mountains smiles are always exchanged. We came back in a happy mood after two hours. With lunch, I made cold coffee. My way of thanking my better half for a fanstastic walk.

Here is a short clip from the walk

Jos Monday walk

Six Word Saturday

Turning Ingredients into an Edible Gallery

/ Rupali / 49 Comments

A well-crafted dish is a symphony of flavors, an orchestra of taste.

Food art speaks to our senses and whispers to our souls.

Flavors dance, colors pop, and textures sing in food art.

Food art is a delightful conversation between the chef and the diner.

Laughter is brightest in the place where food is good ~Irish proverb

What a fantastic coincidence as in my earlier post I talked about silence and now it’s time for sound. I wanted to see how sound is associated with food, as food has been a fundamental part of human civilization since the beginning of recorded history.

Lens artists photo challenge

Six Word Saturday

A friendly note: I am totally aware of the fact that I haven’t mentioned the various sounds we hear in a restaurant, like background music, clinking of glasses, water pouring in a glass, plates clattering, etc. in the post 😀