A weekend trip to Alibaug!!!

Bags packed, Snacks wrapped and all geared for having a great time away from the busy city life... Alibaug! A place of which I had heard a lot but never really took the time to visit. I was excited to know that my colleagues were planning to have a team outing to Alibaug. It just got better when they informed that I could bring along Anu and Jaedon along with me.

The plan was leave Friday (4th Feb 2012) evening in a bus and return next day by night. I went to office as usual and Anu and Jaedon arrived at 3:30 PM. We all boarded the bus at around 4:30 - 5:00 PM and headed towards Alibaug.

We reached  The Paradise (Villas & Resorts) by 9:00 PM freshened up and headed towards the town to have dinner by 10:00 PM. We halted at Sanman restaurant to have dinner. They had great varieties of sea food but seems like the vegetarians didn't get any great options but we had no option since it was already late and it was closing time for the restaurants around Alibaug. We returned to the resort by 11:00 and the ladies went to the respective rooms while the guys spent time around a bonfire till 1:00 AM.

It was a beautiful morning and I had a stroll around the resort taking pictures. The ambiance was superb except for the swimming pool. The swimming pool was dirty and not good enough to have a swim. This was a real disappointment for us who were planning to have a swim that morning. We had to spend the morning just walking around the resort and few played caroms. We had poha and bread butter jam for breakfast. We then freshened up and headed for the Kihim beach.

Kihim Beach, the shallowest sea shore I have ever seen. Quite different than the usual sea shores we have seen. Jaedon was super excited to see the sea and started playing on the beach. There was para-sailing, water sports and horse carts and refreshing tender coconuts. We were back at the resort for our lunch after which we relaxed in the park area of the resort.

We boarded the bus at around 5:00PM to head towards Mumbai. The trip indeed left everyone exhausted but rejuvenated!

Merry Christmas and Prosperous New Year 2011-2012.

It's Christmas and New Year!!! That heart warming feeling is up in the air. A time to pause and have a look at the year that went by and the anticipation of entering into a New Year.

Preparation and Celebrating Christmas

We started our Christmas by celebrating Jaedon's Birthday when he completed 2 years on 23rd December. It all started by decorating the house with crepe, stars and balloons. We assembled the newly bought Christmas tree and crib. There couldn't be a better finish to the decorations that a shining star at the window.

Christmas and New Year Plans

Not much plans for Christmas. Just spend quality time with my wife and kid!!! Hoping that the New Year would be a prosperous and a happy one.

To all my friends and family. I wish you a very merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year. May every Day of the 2012 glow with good cheer & happiness for you and your family.

My pick of 2011's Top 10 News

1. Launch of Google+
2. Anna Hazare and the Indian Anti-Corruption Movement
3. India wining Cricket World Cup 2011
4. Death of Steve Jobs and Dennis Ritchie
5. Mullaperiyar Dam Issue
6. 2011 Indian Grand Prix
7. Japan Earthquake
8. Osama bin Laden killed
9. Launch of Samsung Galaxy S II and Samsung Galaxy Note.
10. Withdrawal of US Military Forces from Iraq.

Many things happened during the year. These are 10 events in the order I remembered them first.

Happy Diwali 2011.

Diwali - "The festival of lights". A festival that brings joy and goodness in the form of light. 

Diyas on the door steps, serial lights hanging in the window, the sound of firecrackers, mesmerizing rockets, sweets and lots of smiles around us. A wonderful time like any other festival. 

Wishing all my friends and loved ones a glowing and safe festival.

HAPPY DIWALI 2011 !!!

Jaedon's Art.. :D

My son Jaedon Janeve's painting on the wall.. :D

Celebrating Onam 2011

ഓര്‍മ്മകള്‍ മാത്രം കൂട്ടുള്ള ജീവിത നൌകയില്‍ നമുക്ക് ഓര്‍ത്തിരിക്കാന്‍ ഒരുപാട് ഓര്‍മ്മകള്‍ ഈ ഓണവും നല്‍കട്ടെ

HAPPY ONAM 2011

It is only appropriate to send Onam wishes to all my friends in Malayalam.

Onam is the largest festival in Kerala. It marks the homecoming of the legendary Emperor Mahabali and also is the harvest festival. In Kerala, streets will be filled with special onam markets and malayalees all around the world celebrates this day grandly. It's the season for new cloths, great sadya, payasam, and many authentic onam games.

Last years Onam was great and it was Jaedon's first onam, but this year it was better. It all started from a weeks preparation. We purchased all the groceries and order flowers for the pookkalam couple of days before.

Onam celebrations were in traditional Kerala style. Anu was busy the whole day preparing onasadya. Have to say, it was a tremendous effort by her. Meanwhile I took care of Jaedon, brought flowers that we had ordered and in between tried to help Anu with kitchen stuff. After preparing the onamsadya, Anu joined me to make the pookkalam. Jaedon was naughty in between trying to pick flowers from here and there.

After setting the pookkalam we all freshened up and put on our traditional attire and had onasadya. It was indeed a wonderful onam. Hope you all had a great one too...