Bye Bye 2014.....

2014 has been a roller coaster with deep plunging drops, unexpected turns and superb highs.

• Family and friends visited and stayed with us in Singapore. We played hosts and we all rocked the party.
• We had such wonderfully happy times with our dear friends in Singapore. At home and outdoors. Totally cherish the friendships and the memorable moments.
• My best friend came over and we spent 3 magical days together. One of our best breaks, time just flew by.
• I haven't painted as much this year. But I did paint a couple for my parents and my brother, totally fulfilling :)
• We moved home. From one continent to another, across the pacific. It's been tough on all of us as a family. But we have survived. We are slowly settling and working at getting our lives back.
• The new life has also brought along a lot of new friends. It's been overwhelming to be accepted wholeheartedly by so many people and get piping hot samosas for breakfast and missal pav for lunch.
• I am learning to drive. Something I haven't felt the need to do in all these years. From feeling absolute helplessness, I have now moved to complete comfort behind the wheels. I hope to soon get my license. Freedom awaits me :)
• I met two of my cousins with whom I have spent many summers as a child. Even after almost 15+ years, it seemed just like yesterday.
• We have spent the last four days seeing San Francisco. From the bustling city to the quiet wine country it has been breathtaking. 

We are embracing a new life with lots of plans to see the vast expanse of the new country we are in. I have set a few personal goals for myself in 2015. I am hoping to achieve more for myself in the coming year.

Good health, new aspirations, high dreams to all in 2015.... Stay blessed !!!

Ramblings

Walking a known path in life is comfortable and convenient. There is a routine that feels good. And then there is us, me and H, who sometimes like to be super adventurous. We like turning our comfortable, predictable lives upside down :) We like to see how far we can push ourselves out of our comfort zones. That was just what we did when we decided to move our home across continents and time zones. 

It's been two months since we left one home and are still trying to set it all up in another part of the world. When we are awake, all our loved ones are asleep in the other part of this world !!! All of you who I have not called after promising to, please blame the damn time difference.

Ok, life is not that bad. We are not facing anything that we hadn't anticipated. We have already made one couple friend who will be with us for life.

I am going to list the things I am most looking forward to :

1. Get my Driver's License. 

2. Paint like never before.

3. Blog more often.

4. Visit my cousin who I haven't met in close to 14 years. Our kids need to meet and bond too.

5. Meet friends we couldn't have met if not for being here.

6. Grand Canyon.

7. Niagara Falls.

8. Universal Studios / Disneyland.

9. San Francisco / New York / Las Vegas.

10. Trail-walks and Camping.

There is so much more that I look forward to. Oh yes, I will also be complaining and cribbing, some days are tough with all the cleaning and cooking, but I will also be smiling - at the thrill of being able to see the sights that I have only seen pictures of. 

Waiting for Friday when our shipment will hopefully be at our door step. The thrill of seeing all our familiar things around us has kept our spirits up the last few days. The mixer to make the dosa batter, my paintings to put up on the bare walls, carefully collected knick knacks waiting to be displayed, my favourite shirt, the Legos to be built again, the books waiting to be read...... 

So much to look forward to :)

A Trans Continental Move

Home is where the heart is and Singapore was where our heart has been the last three years. We made some great friends and had some absolutely memorable times. But like all things, this too was destined to change.

The husband spoke of a change of location, to the United States of America, for his career. After the initial resentment and anger, lots and lots of deliberations with friends and family, we finally decided to take the plunge. Then began the long journey to plan such a big move. We had not just ourselves to prepare, but also the children. My older one, who is almost 8, was totally against it. My 4 year old also followed suit. After a lot of convincing and dangling Disneyland and Universal Studios, we managed to at least get the constant disagreement to stop.

Then came the Herculean task of packing the home. What to ship and what not to !!! It is at such moments that we realize how much of unnecessary stuff we accumulate. Appalling !!! It was a back-breaking task but it finally did get all done. 

I can't even thank my friends enough for all their help in the last few days, from making sure we had meals to eat and entertaining the kids. I feel bad at not being able to meet everyone and say my goodbyes in the last minute rush. Maybe there is another reason, (I would like to believe that), that we will meet again soon :)

Finally we were at Changi Airport. A beginning of another long tedious journey..... The long long flights with two children. First halt at Narita Airport and then a direct flight to Minneapolis. Thankfully the kids were well behaved and we also managed to get some sleep. Then came the shocker... A long queue at the immigration counter and we missed our connecting flight to our final destination, Bentonville, in Arkansas. A blessing in disguise, it was a well needed break for us. We were exhausted and the kids were more than us. We were impressed with the airline and airport staff for going out of their way to help us out and get us checked into a hotel for the night.

Finally, the next morning we flew into Bentonville via Atlanta. Bright sunshine greeted us. The vast expanse of this country amazed the kids and me. It was a different experience altogether for us to have strangers just stop and chat with us :)

A new country, a new home, a new life all over again. There are a multitude of challenges we need to overcome, but we are looking forward to it. Family and friends have rallied around to help us get settled. It's been two weeks now, we have had our moments when we have questioned our decision to leave the luxuries of Singapore to move here with the kids, but I am sure this country will treat us well. We will build a whole lot of new memories for ourselves and for the children. 

Cheers to another new beginning for us :)

2013 - The Magical Year that flew by.

The year 2013 seems to have flown past. So much has happened that has filled my life with lots of happiness and given it a completely new meaning.

1. I picked up my paints and brushes this year again, after almost 15 odd years. It's been a very colour-full year. I completed close to 20 paintings. I made my first 'made to order' painting. I know I have a very long way to go, but I am happy with the tiny baby steps I have taken.

2. I finally started blogging. I baked like never before. I have a long list of recipes to tick off in this coming year. So much more to try and learn.

3. My friends have been my life line. They have criticized, praised, pushed me on to do more and do better. I cannot image a day without my chats and emails exchanged with them. Thank you all for the faith you show in me.

4. I am amazed at how fast my children are growing. There are moments I wish where I could just shrink them back a little and hold them forever in my arms.

5. We holidayed and indulged in a lot of out door activities as a family this year. It has been loads of fun.

6. I crossed a milestone in my life, where life has begun all over again for me. I am just raring to go :)

7. I had the chance to share many happy family moments. They were some of the best of the year. The laughter, joy, feeling of being loved unconditionally is just unparalleled. 

8. I got inked. Painful while it was being done, but I now cherish it. Maybe another one in the coming year, who knows. I have always been known to be impulsive :)

9. And I sat beside a tiger and touched it. The 'awesome-est' thing I did during the year !!!

A few not so happy times too, but all these happy moments have helped me to tide over them.

Thank you all for your love and support in 2013. I look forward to 2014 with a lot of energy. I also promise to be more visible in this space.

Eat well, sleep well and laugh more :)

India Break

Nothing feels as good to me as being back in my own country. Being a total hard-core desi and Bombayite, makes me revel in the familiar sights, fragrances and madness that the city has to offer. Spending time in the midst of family and friends has its own thrills. We spent three weeks filled with all of this. From catching up with old friends, to being pampered by family, taking the kids sight seeing, it's been nostalgic, as always.

We spent the first week in Bangalore. With lots of sibling bonding for me and my kids, we had a fabulous time. Got wet in the rains, ate lots of food and met a close friend after ages. We took the kids to a fire station and to a farm. They had a blast. It was sheer pleasure for them to be able to touch animals and feed them. 

The sunset views from my brother's apartment are sheer poetry. A picture cannot capture their beauty, but I still tried.

Beyond the family time, some of our most special moments captured:

The Bandra-Worli Sealink:

The Gateway of India:

The Taj:

The view across from Nariman Point:

In Singapore now, happy but craving for more, as always !!! The kids have brought back some awesome memories. I look forward to get back into my painting and cooking up some new yummy dishes :)

See you all soon on this space again.

India Calling !!!

The kids begin their 5 week summer break this weekend. We are off to India to spend loads of family time..... with grand parents, uncles, aunts and cousins. A time for the children to bond with their cousins and make lasting memories.

It's been more than two years since the kids have been to Bombay. We have made lots of plans to make sure they get to see the city we love so much. The city that will always mean 'home' to me :)

I am going to be off this space for a while. I will be back with lots of pictures, shopping, memories and recipes very soon.

Till then, have fun, be good and stay safe :)

The Sun

The Sun to me depicts life, brightness, joy, happiness, cheerfulness. It means that there will always be hope, that good things will always happen eventually.  

This picture inspired me to add colour to it along with a few design changes.

10.5" x 8.5", acrylic on canvas.

I would love to hear your comments on my attempt.

First Strokes - The Tree of Life

I have disappeared from this space for the last three weeks because something else has taken complete priority in my life. Two months of juggling it with all my other activities has finally borne fruit. The painting I started hesitantly is finally complete and ready to be framed.

What started out as a dream is now a passion. The need to keep filling a plain white canvas with colours is very strong. It feels like I have rediscovered another part of me, a part that gets completely mesmerized and lost in the world of colours. 

A big thank you to my teacher, Swati, for her guidance and encouragement. This would not have been possible without her help. Also my dearest friends who have been after me to complete it. And a special mention of my son - he has been so involved in it all along. He actually kissed the painting when he saw it complete. He surely makes me want to do more.

So, people, order one quickly, you never know how long you may have to wait to own an original one of your own ;)

Things to do before I die !!!

They say life begins at 40. But mine began a few years before 40 all over again.

Somewhere, when I had my children, I felt a part of me came to a stand still. All that kept moving was the mother. The Aruna had stopped still. As my children started getting older, I started feeling the need to get some of my life back.

I took my first trip out with my girl friends in 2011. It was such a liberating experience. It also set a trend for me. I decided to do it ever year and have been able to follow it up last year too. For 2013 too, my trips are already planned.

I finally started to blog this year and it has been so satisfying.

I picked up my paint brush and colours again. With the help of a wonderful lady I have been able to start one painting. I am so looking forward to completing it and seeing it framed up on my living room wall.... a proud display of a new emerging me.

This is my current list ( in random order ) of all that I wish to accomplish in my lifetime. I hope that this list keep getting ticked off and also grows at the same time.

• Travel Europe
• Make one painting each for all my loved ones
• Learn to swim
• Learn the salsa
• Do one trek
• Visit Ladakh
• Run a marathon
• Bungee jump - get over my fear of heights
• Visit New Zealand - Just for 'The Lord of the Rings'
• Get myself a job - to teach my children that I can do more than cook and keep home :)
• Learn more about Photography
• Get myself a tattoo
• Stand atop the Burj Khalifa - this one is with you, My Santa Claus :)
• Write a story
• Show my children the 'Incredible India'
• Make one perfectly frosted cake
• Visit NE India
• Learn to sew
• Make a Quilt
• Open my restaurant
• Go on a road trip
• Have an exhibition of my art work
• Sell my art work
• Make one trip to Vaishno Devi - with you, JS, my soul sister :)
• Eat butta at Marine Drive, with you my once lost friend, but shall never ever loose you again :)

Do you also have a wish list ? Make one, its never too late :) It can give your life a whole new meaning and direction.

So much to do, so little time - as a dear friend of mine says :)