So... Have not posted lately... the days are just slipping by!!
It is Mango season again... and they are so delicious! Mango salsa, Mango milk shake, Mango with ice cream, Mango with cereal..... it is the best!!
It is also now officially Monsoon season... everyday it rains. But this this the evening rain that cools everything off!! The days are warm and sunny!!
The weekend is here and we are going to just chill out!! Have a good weekend!
Friday, April 30, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Pictures from Taco Bell
Yes, I know, this is a little past due... but better late then never...
Here are the pics from the trip to Taco Bell. This was the 4 hour adventure that we made right when it opened... We have not been back since!! Going 4 hours for taco bell just does not seem right...
Here are the pics from the trip to Taco Bell. This was the 4 hour adventure that we made right when it opened... We have not been back since!! Going 4 hours for taco bell just does not seem right...
Monday, April 19, 2010
April 17
Anyone know the significance of that day???
Yep.... Vim's half birthday!! But more importantly, it is Milan's Birthday.... This year my baby turned 7. He truly is growing up to be a big boy. The other day he said to me that he can not cuddle with me anymore because he is getting big now!! I almost cried!!
His birthday festivities were spread out over the entire weekend. Friday, it was a trip to the mall food court (yes, that is actually exciting for us... don't knock it!!). On the way home, a pit stop at Baskin Robbins for some 'take-away' ice cream and once we were home I baked some brownies... doesn't get much better than that!!
Saturday was the actual birthday. We woke up and gave the birthday boy his presents. All he asked for was a light for his bike and an Ipod Nano. The second one was just a wish, he was trying to see if he could get lucky like Mira did for her birthday!! Unfortunately, he was not so lucky.... He did get the bike light and he LOVED it! It brought in big smiles!! The irony of it... his bike broke on Friday and he has not been able to test out the 'bike light'. He was really bummed, but a trooper about it!! He also got a Ben-10 Watch... again, he was really happy. Next was birthday lunch... it was off to the Hard Rock Cafe (yes, those of you loyal readers that have a good memory might remember that we went there last year for his birthday too!). Lunch was great. A few errands on the way home and then it was a chill out evening at home.
Sunday was the party!! 20+ kids ranging from 5-8... mostly boys... thank goodness I decided to have the party outside the house!! We went to the Italian restaurant at the mall. They do a B-day party theme where the kids make there own pizzas, decorate cupcakes, have cake, drink soda.... and they do all the work!! It was great!! The kids had a great time... I realized one thing... the amount of energy that was flowing with all the kids running around was insane!! I suppose all the sugar did not help!! The boys at that age are really a handful!!! Party was from 4-6... we were home in time for Sunday bedtime routine... Which concluded the b-day weekend!!
Yep.... Vim's half birthday!! But more importantly, it is Milan's Birthday.... This year my baby turned 7. He truly is growing up to be a big boy. The other day he said to me that he can not cuddle with me anymore because he is getting big now!! I almost cried!!
His birthday festivities were spread out over the entire weekend. Friday, it was a trip to the mall food court (yes, that is actually exciting for us... don't knock it!!). On the way home, a pit stop at Baskin Robbins for some 'take-away' ice cream and once we were home I baked some brownies... doesn't get much better than that!!
Saturday was the actual birthday. We woke up and gave the birthday boy his presents. All he asked for was a light for his bike and an Ipod Nano. The second one was just a wish, he was trying to see if he could get lucky like Mira did for her birthday!! Unfortunately, he was not so lucky.... He did get the bike light and he LOVED it! It brought in big smiles!! The irony of it... his bike broke on Friday and he has not been able to test out the 'bike light'. He was really bummed, but a trooper about it!! He also got a Ben-10 Watch... again, he was really happy. Next was birthday lunch... it was off to the Hard Rock Cafe (yes, those of you loyal readers that have a good memory might remember that we went there last year for his birthday too!). Lunch was great. A few errands on the way home and then it was a chill out evening at home.
Sunday was the party!! 20+ kids ranging from 5-8... mostly boys... thank goodness I decided to have the party outside the house!! We went to the Italian restaurant at the mall. They do a B-day party theme where the kids make there own pizzas, decorate cupcakes, have cake, drink soda.... and they do all the work!! It was great!! The kids had a great time... I realized one thing... the amount of energy that was flowing with all the kids running around was insane!! I suppose all the sugar did not help!! The boys at that age are really a handful!!! Party was from 4-6... we were home in time for Sunday bedtime routine... Which concluded the b-day weekend!!
China Re-Cap
Just a few things before we close out on China....
Did you know that Mira and Milan was photographed by so many locals.... why? Because they thought they were cute kids... seriously... They especially took a liking to Milan... His cute looks worked wonders when we were negotiating a discount at the markets... work that charm!
We were able to enjoy all the things we did on the trip because of our tour company... This is the first time that we have actually done the 'pre-packaged-tour-thing'. It worked out really well... Here is a plug for our company we used - ChinaTravelGuide.com We had our own mini-van, driver and tour guide with us where ever we went... seeing as the locals don't speak English, and we don't speak Chinese, this worked out really well!
Even if I had to, I could not pick a favorite... Each city had its own charm and character... Beijing - the Great Wall, Xian - The Warriors, Lhasa - The Buddhist history, and Shanghai - the SHOPPING!!!
Great trip... a lot packed into 10 days. You know that the family has been traveling a lot when the kids pretend to play airport and know the drill of getting boarding passes, checking in bags and clearing security and they can recite the safety protocol that is mentioned at the start of each flight!!
Did you know that Mira and Milan was photographed by so many locals.... why? Because they thought they were cute kids... seriously... They especially took a liking to Milan... His cute looks worked wonders when we were negotiating a discount at the markets... work that charm!
We were able to enjoy all the things we did on the trip because of our tour company... This is the first time that we have actually done the 'pre-packaged-tour-thing'. It worked out really well... Here is a plug for our company we used - ChinaTravelGuide.com We had our own mini-van, driver and tour guide with us where ever we went... seeing as the locals don't speak English, and we don't speak Chinese, this worked out really well!
Even if I had to, I could not pick a favorite... Each city had its own charm and character... Beijing - the Great Wall, Xian - The Warriors, Lhasa - The Buddhist history, and Shanghai - the SHOPPING!!!
Great trip... a lot packed into 10 days. You know that the family has been traveling a lot when the kids pretend to play airport and know the drill of getting boarding passes, checking in bags and clearing security and they can recite the safety protocol that is mentioned at the start of each flight!!
Shanghai - Stop #4
Stop number 4 started on day #7 of our trip.
We left Lhasa at 3:30 in the afternoon, a day earlier than the original plan. 2 Nights in Lhasa was enough... and we were tired of the cold... Yes, our threshold for cold has severely dropped after being exposed to the beautiful Bangalore weather for the last 2 winters....
The flight did not get us into Shanghai until almost 10pm... We were tired.... A good nights rest was what we needed!
Day 8 we started with a day of sightseeing. First stop was the top of the Jin Mao tower. This used to be the tallest building in the world until 2007, when right next to it they built the Shanghai World Financial Center. This is the building that looks like a bottle opener. Now the Burj in Dubai surpasses them all..... The views were amazing.
After this we went to Yuyaun Garden. It is essentially a cute little garden in the middle of the 'old' city. It was established in 1559 and is considered one of the most elaborate gardens in town... in my opinion it was OK... nothing too fab... There was a shopping area that was around the garden where we were able to pick up some things... this was fun!!
Then we went to the Shanghai Museum. At this point, we were museumed-out! We opted to forgo our prepaid tickets and just chill out and enjoy the fresh air. It was considerably warmer than Tibet, the Cherry Blossoms were in bloom. It was like spring back in Mich.... Next it was a boat cruise on the Huangpu River... this was a nice way to see the skyline...
Then it was a nice dinner and off to see the Shanghai Acrobatic show. Dinner was very good... nice Chinese food and then the show was really amazing... trapeze artists, jugglers, amazing flexibility and control... A great way to end a very packed day!
Day 9 - we were on our own today, since this was the 'extra-day' we got from leaving Tibet a day early. We decided to use this day to do some shopping. It was off to the knock off market... ohhh we were all so excited. We left with many goodies.... North Face jackets, Channel and Prada Purses, Designer Sunglasses, Converse High tops, backpacks, pashminas..... it was so fun. We took a break from shopping and had McDonalds for lunch... come on, you knew we had to squeeze that in!! After a day of shopping, we went to hotel and rested. We went to dinner with some friends that were kind of on the same tour as us... A nice pizza dinner....
Day 10 - A quick trip to do some more shopping.... a few last minute things that we thought of and then we had to head to the airport.....Yes, we on our way back home... at this point we were ready!!
The flight left from Shanghai at 5pm about an hour late. We had a 2 hour connection in Kuala Lampur, so we were not worried. But something happened en route... typically they are supposed to make up time in flight... but we were further delayed.... We arrived in KL at the same time our flight was due to take off, they held the plane for us, and we had to sprint to our gate to catch our connection! It was crazy... Milan was crying because he was left behind.... Needless to say, we made it!! Once we got on the plane we saw class mates of Mira and Milan!! They were sitting right by us....
And this wraps up Shanghai!!
We left Lhasa at 3:30 in the afternoon, a day earlier than the original plan. 2 Nights in Lhasa was enough... and we were tired of the cold... Yes, our threshold for cold has severely dropped after being exposed to the beautiful Bangalore weather for the last 2 winters....
The flight did not get us into Shanghai until almost 10pm... We were tired.... A good nights rest was what we needed!
Day 8 we started with a day of sightseeing. First stop was the top of the Jin Mao tower. This used to be the tallest building in the world until 2007, when right next to it they built the Shanghai World Financial Center. This is the building that looks like a bottle opener. Now the Burj in Dubai surpasses them all..... The views were amazing.
After this we went to Yuyaun Garden. It is essentially a cute little garden in the middle of the 'old' city. It was established in 1559 and is considered one of the most elaborate gardens in town... in my opinion it was OK... nothing too fab... There was a shopping area that was around the garden where we were able to pick up some things... this was fun!!
Then we went to the Shanghai Museum. At this point, we were museumed-out! We opted to forgo our prepaid tickets and just chill out and enjoy the fresh air. It was considerably warmer than Tibet, the Cherry Blossoms were in bloom. It was like spring back in Mich.... Next it was a boat cruise on the Huangpu River... this was a nice way to see the skyline...
Then it was a nice dinner and off to see the Shanghai Acrobatic show. Dinner was very good... nice Chinese food and then the show was really amazing... trapeze artists, jugglers, amazing flexibility and control... A great way to end a very packed day!
Day 9 - we were on our own today, since this was the 'extra-day' we got from leaving Tibet a day early. We decided to use this day to do some shopping. It was off to the knock off market... ohhh we were all so excited. We left with many goodies.... North Face jackets, Channel and Prada Purses, Designer Sunglasses, Converse High tops, backpacks, pashminas..... it was so fun. We took a break from shopping and had McDonalds for lunch... come on, you knew we had to squeeze that in!! After a day of shopping, we went to hotel and rested. We went to dinner with some friends that were kind of on the same tour as us... A nice pizza dinner....
Day 10 - A quick trip to do some more shopping.... a few last minute things that we thought of and then we had to head to the airport.....Yes, we on our way back home... at this point we were ready!!
The flight left from Shanghai at 5pm about an hour late. We had a 2 hour connection in Kuala Lampur, so we were not worried. But something happened en route... typically they are supposed to make up time in flight... but we were further delayed.... We arrived in KL at the same time our flight was due to take off, they held the plane for us, and we had to sprint to our gate to catch our connection! It was crazy... Milan was crying because he was left behind.... Needless to say, we made it!! Once we got on the plane we saw class mates of Mira and Milan!! They were sitting right by us....
And this wraps up Shanghai!!
 |
| On Top of Jin Mao Tower |
 |
| The 'Bottle Opener' Building |
 |
| Jin Mao Tower.... It is sooo tall |
 |
| Notice what we are eating!! |
 |
| The Shanghai Skyline |
Friday, April 16, 2010
Tibet - Real Life Under Chinese Rule
This is a post from Vim.
An extract from "Friends of Tibet"
Before the Chinese Army Invasion:
Tibet, one of the happiest lands on the Earth, has been traditionally ruled by the Dalai Lamas, the highest institution of reincarnation in the whole of Central Asia. It was always an independent, peaceful state until the invasion by the People's Liberation Army of China in 1949. But to the outside world, Lhasa, the Tibetan capital, was always a Forbidden City. "For many Tibetans material life was hard, but they were not the victims of desire; and in simplicity and poverty among our mountains, perhaps there was more peace of mind than there is in most of the cities of the world," Dalai Lama quotes in his autobiography, My Land and My People.
After the Chinese Army Invasion:
The Chinese occupation of Tibet has entirely changed the life and lifestyles of the Tibetans for the worse. During its invasion, the Chinese army imprisoned hundreds of Tibetans for their political and religious activities, while monks and nuns were tortured and killed for dreaming of an Independent Tibet and for aligning with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Today, political prisoners are being routinely attacked and nuns being raped at Chinese prisons. There is no freedom; even the Dalai Lama's photographs are banned. According to a UN report, "The Chinese occupation of Tibet has been characterized by acts of murder, rape and arbitrary imprisonment; torture and cruel, inhuman and degraded treatment of Tibetans on a large scale. The number of Tibetans killed after the Chinese occupation -- a period marked by torture and starvation -- now exceeds a million. More than 6,000 monasteries, their belongings -- the priceless jewels of Tibetan culture, precious Thangka paintings and other valuable documents were destroyed by the Chinese army."
Once a peaceful buffer state between India and China, Tibet has now been transformed into a strong military base with 17 secret radar stations, 14 military airfields, 5 missile bases situated near the Indian border and a secret nuclear power station near Lake Ko-Ko Nor. Of late, China has launched a 'Final Solution' — a systematic state-sponsored movement and encouragement of ethnic Chinese into Tibet — to overwhelm and expunge the Tibetan nation. Besides, it has embarked upon a three-year mission to promote atheism among Tibetan Buddhists as "the key to economic progress". China's sustained, brutal attacks have resulted in a mass exodus of Tibetans to India. Over the years, thousands of Tibetans have taken dangerous, heart-breaking journeys over the Himalayas to enter India where they see a ray of hope. They dream of a more meaningful life and free education on their country, its culture, language and religion.
Today they all have only one hope, one dream and one voice. A free, independent Tibet.
"Friends of Tibet"
Vim: "Our recent visit to Tibet - we were lucky to get a special visa to travel to Tibet. Typically visa's to Tibet are strictly monitored and given. When we arrived to Lhasa you could see allot of military pressence in and around the airport. Not very welcoming at first when you truly take in the majestic views around you. Our guide 'Po-Po' made it very clear after the welcoming/introductions NOT TO TAKE PICTURES of the police/army/swat/undercover teams patrolling the streets, monasteries and open areas in Lhasa. I could not resist. It was the first thing I did once we got to the hotel from a 3rd floor hallway window without anyone knowing. Yes it was stupid and if caught I would have had sever consequences to face - but its me Vim (those of you who know me). The pictures I took below highlight the statement above from 'Friends of Tibet'. Even talking with our Guide 'Po-Po' you could clearly see the sadness in his discussion with us, and feel the deep cries from the tone of his voice".
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