The Unruled Notebook

  The cheery bunch started off after having buttered raisin toast and piping hot mocha for brunch to Katoomba – The Blue mountains for a Sunday trip. Sunshine was seeping through the clouds as we made our way to the mountains... here is a glimpse of our day trip to the easily accessible, soothingly beautiful and a blue-y paradise near Sydney in New South Wales. "I am KAT and he is OOMBA" said the gentleman in green shirt. I don't know their real names but that moment is framed and kept safe in my memory attic and I am so glad they posed for me :)                             We were on our way to witness the beauty of the Blue Mountains and also to catch sight of the much talked about, legendary, 3 sisters . The mighty tall trees which almost gave shade to the next s...

  I know I have told you enough about the tantrums world throws on a vegetarian; but eating a spoonful of wasabi was just the beginning. Japan is a country I admire for things like perseverance, technology and innovation. One thing about Japan that makes me show a ‘monkey–face’ is food. When I say ‘Japanese Food’, what comes to you mind? When I landed in a foreign country, I had a very open mind , free of inhibitions . My friends were alike which made it all the more fun. We were a ‘foodie-gang’ who never hesitated to travel miles and miles to get a nice cup of coffee and banana bread. The German Bakery was one such. It wasn’t limited to coffee though; we wanted to try that one thing which people go gaga over, that one thing which is so popular around the world – Sushi . I was not certain there is a vegetarian version of Sushi until one of my friends mentioned it. She was so excited to tell me about Sushi and its health benefits and how yummy it tasted. She also ...

I hope you read about the crisis in my affairs when I had arrived in Sydney .   That was just the beginning!!!   ********************************************************* A random sense of excitement, anxiety and hunger struck me. I freshened up a bit. My 14 th floor serviced apartment in Meriton had a fascinating view from the living room. It was the first time I felt so high (Literally).   You couldn’t compare it with anything, Apart from the view; the apartment had a television-set, a cozy bed, and a furnished kitchen. All that sounds sophisticated but the only thing that I didn’t have at that time was money, to get some food. Nevertheless, I had thought, wouldn’t there be bread and butter for 30 dollars?! I wandered along the pavement of Kent Street, feeling very empty and small.   Sydney is a very friendly city, I must say. I was led to a T junction, and it was another street. In ten minutes, I knew George, Elizabeth, York, Clarence and Hunter....

After months of fervent anticipation, the day finally arrived. I packed my bags and left for the Chennai airport. Several hours later, the plane landed in Hong Kong. The neat looking stewardess from Cathay came in and said, "Welcome to Hong Kong." All my life I've dreamed of going to a different country. But there's been a change in the flight plan and my transit hours got extended by 4 hours which made a total of 22 hours of transit. Amazing! Some brilliant chap told me that the airline will cover the stay and food and conveyance. Well, Cathay had its own rules. They didn’t cover transit which is less than 24 hours; not even a minute. As wonderful as it sounds, this wasn’t supposed to be on the itinerary, yet!   I was on my own in the isolated airport for 22 hours. The child in me was excited though. It was a different place, I thought at first. When I started walking, I found the airport to be humongous to say the least. An ocean of shopping complexes...