Feeling Grateful; Thank You 2015

2015 has been an eventful year for me, to be honest maybe a little more bad than good and so I am happy to say goodbye to the year. Don't get me wrong, I am also very thankful for this year - I learned a lot about myself this year and for that I owe 2015 a big one.

While a certain big life event didn't go down as planned, I watched as my family and I struggled to understand why this happened. We handled it our own way which was sometimes good and many times not. It's funny how we put on a brave face for those around and think no one will notice how it is bothering you. I tried that too, who wants to show that he/ she is hurt and troubled but my parents showed me strength and support that I couldn't imagine. Same stands for my extended family too For that among all the other million things that they gave me, I am so grateful.

This year, I managed to keep to one of my personal fundas of "visiting one new country" and ticked off Bhutan from my bucket list. It was one of my most memorable trips and I believe it will stay so for a long time.It was 10 days away from my laptop and with minimal internet and only being around nature in the most pristine state that I had probably seen it. I understood the idea of being happy regardless of how much you have from the Bhutanese and I am grateful to them for that.

As my sister and I made our way through Bhutan, I rediscovered my travel buddy in her. We were doing a trip together, just the two of us after 2012. We squabble, yell, laugh, eat, drink, argue, gossip and do so much together. Yes, there are times we do not want to see each other's face but we never stop planning our next trip. For that and all the memories coming up, I am very grateful.

2015 was the year when I stepped into the so called dreaded 30s. When I was still in school, I remember thinking of people who were 30 to be well, old for one and just belong to another planet I guess. Everyone around also puts you in the spotlight as the birthday approaches - when are you going to get married, what are you planning to do with your life etc - so many questions come flying your way. I am not one to care for age, it always was and continues to be a number for me. Let me tell you, it's been 3.5 months since the 30s came around; it feels no different. As I looked back over the 20s that I have left behind, I am grateful for the wonderful memories and the awesome people I have met - you know who you are.

This year has shown me what a massive support system I have in my bunch of friends. They may not be in the same city, hell they may not even be in the same country but they are always there. No, we do not talk everyday or every week and that's fine but when things were down, they were with me every step of the way. So very grateful for them!

So, in all yes the year has been bitter-sweet but the lessons are massive and here to stay. As we step into 2016, I am not sure of any resolutions I want to take up yet but one thing is for sure I am hoping for health, happiness, laughter, fun, madness, success, travel and so much more for all these beautiful people in my life.

Bhutan Diaries: Snippets from the Land of the Thunder Dragon

My annual holiday for 2015 has happened and so has one more tick on my wishlist of items. This was a vacation I had on my mind for a long, long time - I read up like crazy about it, hunted through every article on TripAdvisor, hounded every person who I knew had visited the place n got info; yes we get crazy like that and at last it was time to go - The land of happiness, Bhutan was calling. So a flight to Bagdogra and then a 5 hour drive got us to the border town of Phuentsholing and then began our adventure. One of the biggest advantages for Indians travelling here is that there is no visa needed - you enter with your passport or election card. We managed 5 cities/ towns in 10 days: Paro, Thimphu, Punakha, Bumthang and Phobjikha.

The border gate from Phuentsholing - Photo Credit: Pooja Pillai

So why is a country that borders India such a mystery and so intriguing ? Maybe because until a few years ago, very little was known about the country and its people; maybe because there is still an semi active monarchy which is loved and revered by the people, maybe because they take a lot of care with regard to modernization of the country while holding on to their tradition and more importantly preserving the environment making so damn pretty. We got to experience all of this first hand and there is no disappointment through any bit of the trip and these are my highlights:

- The whole country is pretty, period. No arguments, no however, nothing - everywhere you look, your eyes will first catch a vast patch of green, then perhaps a bit of mountain and then whatever else is there.
- The people are among some of the nicest I have come across - The men don't ogle at women walking on the street, people are willing to help you in case of anything and they genuinely want you to have a good time in their  country. They are also probably some of the only few left who genuinely adore Indians and India. They get a lot of help in terms of resources, food even military support from India. They do a damn good job of using it I have to say; wonder what stops us (stupid question, know the answer).
- Bhutan has a monarchy and the king and queen are adored by the public. I didn't hear one person say anything against them or complain about them. In fact, they were more than eager to tell us of all the wonderful things the royal couple does for the public - how they visit remote, far away villages and check on people, how they are accessible to the general public in case of any trouble, how they create and offer so many opportunities regarding education and jobs for their people. Working for the government is an extremely prestigious job there... imagine that!
- The food there is different from most others - cheese and chillies are the core ingredients in most of their dishes. Most Bhutanese enjoy raw chillies with their food. You can be a little daring and try that as well - really helps with the cold weather.
- The Bhutanese stick to their national dress; Gho for the men and Kira for the women. They are expected to wear this at all government offices and jobs. Once in a while, you will come across someone not following the dress code.
- I saw no beggars on the street, no jokes.
- There are no traffic signals in any city or town - again, no jokes
- The country is covered with prayer flags. Lundaar as it called in Dzongkha literally translated means wind flags. They say that flags are a way to spread good wishes and prayers - when someone puts up a flag in his/ her premises, the wind carries blessings and wishes to all those in the path of the wind and the owner in turn gets wishes in return.

Photo Credit: Pooja Pillai

The highlight of this trip for me (and therefore I will elaborate on this), that one place I was most looking forward to visit was Taktsang Lhakhang or the Tiger's Nest Monastery in Paro. Nestled high up in the mountains, it seems to be in another world by itself. We were advised to start early to avoid the harsh sun. A little past 8 am and we were at the base all ready to begin. The souvenirs stalls were still setting up and we saw a few others arriving at the parking lot too. We grabbed our walking sticks and set off - we were a party of 3; our driver cum guide Kinzang, my sister and I. The trail is rugged to begin with - it doesn't fool by being nice and easy at the start. I don't know what I should call it - a road, a trail, some what of a path ?? Simply put, it seems like some amount of rock was cut away from the mountain so people can walk up vs climb up. The road is muddy, uneven, rocky, winding and has different levels of incline - God help you if you are like me and shirked away from working out and building up stamina before your trip. 25 minutes into our walk and my sister had already started showing signs of turning back. I pushed her to continue but about half a km later, she decided to turn back and wait for me in the parking lot. No amount of senti worked so I continued with the guide (She did however meet us at the first view point later; she took a horse to reach there).

As we walked up further, we are in full range of the sun and it was bright and hot that day. Slowly the jackets came off and sweat start to appear. My energy levels were dropping and I had to slow down - I could feel my stomach churn and within minutes, my breakfast and tea was out at the side of the mountain. I think I was more embarrassed than sick at the point. However, the beauty of this place and this trek was that people around you seemed to understand the exertion your body is going through. As they walked by, some offered advice - sit down, relax, take it easy; some offered support - don't be worried, these things happen, you will make it, don't stop, it will be worth it; and some offered water. All gestures appreciated of course. Let me not get into the entire story but it took me 4 hours to reach up there and it was totally totally worth it. The view is extraordinary, the monastery fills you up with such peace and the pride you feel for yourself having made it so far is unbeatable.

Taktsang Lakhang - Photo Credit: Pooja Pillai

This country for me defined peace and tranquility; even in the capital city of Thimphu, where we saw "crowd" per say. Fair warning though - when and if you visit Phuentsholing, you will think you are still in India - the crowd is crazy, there are beggars in the streets, dirty roads etc so do not include that in your Bhutan experience. But step out of this city, a few kms into the country and a strange calmness comes over you and it stays with you throughout. One of the best things for me was the fact that I had no network on my phone through most of my trip and while, we had a Bhutanese SIM; we stuck to basic calling facilities. I managed well without internet and whatsapp and Facebook - I loved getting WiFi intermittently. I read a fair amount, wrote a bit and more than anything soaked in every breath of clean air my lungs could take in.

I now go around recommending Bhutan to any person who is half interested and I am going to do the same here. Bhutan should be on every person's list, at least before it becomes too crowded and commercial. It is a destination like no other and the experience leaves you wanting more - I know I want to go back; there's a lot left to be explored.

I am a 'didi' now

Such a long time since I put pen to paper, so to speak. Truth be told, writer's block hit me bad. I think I began functioning like a machine, doing my daily tasks as they came along, living out my social life as if it were a compulsion and "enjoying the moment" was not part of any of these. I feel bad that I let the last few months go by like that. But all is not lost. One good thing that I did in the last few months was sign myself up for a very interesting project. To give you a bit of background, I have been toying with the idea of signing up with an NGO for a few years now. So many NGOs out there taking up so many worthy causes and while each of them interested me; be it animal welfare or environmental conservation or even education, none of them really called out to me like this particular one.

It is called the Lighthouse Project and it is an initiative that connects educated urban youth with children from under resourced communities through one on one mentoring thus giving both parties an opportunities to explore a world outside their own. This initiative called out to me as it goes beyond just stepping into the class and teaching but works at showing kids the practicality of what they learn and how to use it. We get to share our experiences and all the training we went through with these kids and contribute our bit in their all round development. Look them up - www.lighthouseproject.in

I got a chance to meet my mentee a few days ago and it was better than I expected. I was pulled back into the world of a 9th grader - of cribbing about homework, school teachers and classroom "rivalry". Her stories were non stop - "that girl is my 'enemy', you shouldn't talk to her also didi"; "that boy is my best friend, sometimes he copies from me"; "i hate maths" - and in my mind I do a double back flip and praise the lord, I don't need to help her with that because you know math... yuccckkk.

However, I also saw another side of her; one that wanted to go beyond the school and the studies, one that was so curious of how an office works; how she loves playing football and she is the goal keeper for her school team; her three repetitions of her understanding of what I do for a living;   - all these conversations were in whispers while our project coordinators were briefing us. Yep, I wasn't one of those who talked when class was on; it was a flashback to college for me. I saw her get excited to learn about colleges, career options, learn about different countries and learn to speak super English as she put it. She was extremely insistent on me visiting her class as well and as I walked in, she points out to the first bench and says "Didi, I sit here; because I keep on talking na" - big grin!

The past Saturday marked day one of the start of us learning together. I already find myself constantly looking for interesting projects that we could do together; looking up suggestions how best to help her and more than often, thinking of ways of spending time together so she doesn't get bored in the first 10 minutes. Scary to feel the burden of responsibilities of a teacher without actually being one; wonder if our teachers from school & college felt it as much too. I can foresee some interesting incidents in the upcoming months; can't wait!

I walked into the school and I am greeted by her big, big smile - "I was waiting for you only didi" and thus it begins!