Impromptu Vacation

It started out as just another weekend with lotsa activities planned..And then as usual it flopped as one of the 'E Street Band' (ahem!) had to go to work and so we cancelled the entire trip. Then, on an impulse (more like we did not want to waste a day), we hastily started Plan B - actually it's the only other plan - and then proceeded with the vigour and enthusiasm we always seem to possess on such trips. The Journey was uneventful till Pollachi albeit a few showers here and there. After the first checkpost, the traffic was almost nil and the scenery was breathtaking. Being so close to nature was overwhelming and the smell and the sound of the jungle all around us was simply too inviting to step out and take a stroll. The road was not as bad as it had been in earlier trips (like 'The Amazing Race'), in fact it was quite good !A few wild animals here and there made it more interesting. Though a couple of my friends ran helter skelter on seeing a few wild pigs is a totally different issue here. ;)...And finally we arrived at TopSlip. It was as magnificent as people had explained, complete with its famous wood house and the lush green meadows and the small museum of some kind. It even included an eco shop where you get posters and other stuff - which we bought. Then off we started again...

After another round of checkposts and our guide accompanying us (as it was compulsory), we entered the road to Parambikulam which is incidentally the second dam for Kerala. The road to the dam was a 'twisty turny' one with the numerous view points, lakes and the occasional peeks from the wild animals. A few cups of Tea at the dam, a look here and a look there completed our trip as we were running out of time. At the Kerala checkpost, heard from the car in front of us that, we had missed the Elephants by barely a minute. Sigh...Bad luck. But we had no choice but to return to topslip and on that road we saw something which made us sit up and admire. A huge Indian Gaur (a.k.a the Bison) was leisurely grazing at the side of the road. Every muscle was pronounced and it did not even give a damn about anything - not even the thicket. After a few more minutes of grazing, it just walked into the thick jungle as if it were just a screen. Thought the Bison left, it left memories and pictures (of course!) for us to cherish forever.

Animal Sightings:-
Wild Rabbit - Immediately after the first checkpost
Peacock - Somewhere in between the first checkpost and topslip
Wild Pigs - Top slip, near the high houses
Hanuman Langur - Top slip, on the roofs and the trees
Alligator (in the distance) - Parambikulam Dam
Peahen - On the way back to the Kerala chekpost from Parambikulam
Kingfisher - As above Bison (The Indian Gaur) - Just before Topslip.

Apart from these, we did see a host of dogs, cows, hens and what not! But I didn't have the heart to include them in the list ;)....And also a few panthers and a tiger - though they were stuffed and were sitting in a museum is another story :D

This was one heck of a trip and I (goes for everyone, I guess) enjoyed it immensely. It was really worth the time and money! The Memories of the trip are at Impromptu Vacation. After a really good trip, we have already started planning for the next one! Here we go again...

Bang...here come the Smiths.

When does a movie become bad?
The answer is when it's either downright boring or the people around you make you regret it! For me, the latter happened. Ok..Off to the movies...The title scrolls down with Pitt and Jolie talking about their tempestuous marriage... My friends and I were getting ready to enjoy 'Mr & Mrs Smith' when in came a group of people and slowly settled down into the row in front of me. Then came an old lady (in the same group) who needed two people to help her walk the aisle and get into her seat. (I know am gonna be old one day, but that's for another day!). OK. Now to add more spice to it, in comes a lady with a baby and settles into the final last empty seat. Wow! What a group. A bit more into the movie, and the baby starts crying!. Maybe Jolie was not looking that good, but can't somebody make the baby happy? Give him something to eat or anything to make him happy. After a few irritated chants from people, the lady takes the baby for a walk!. Phew! Now back to the screens again. That is when I started to realise that there was this girl (should I say female!) with her boyfriend - I presume - who must have been from Oz! She was the echo for the movie. A word by Pitt, a repeat by the above said girl, then Jolie, then the girl...So on and so forth!. Please lady!, I understand English and Italian!

Forgetting all that...The movie was quite nice, with Pitt and Jolie(You mustave guessed it by now) as Mr and Mrs Pitt. It revolves around their lives, their profession and some bond style fighting and gimmicks make up the rest of the movie. No raunchy stuff from Jolie and though Pitt is not the man he was five or six years ago (pun intended), but still has the same qualities that made him so strong in this genre. The ending could have been a bit better as it ends rather abruptly and maybe certain scenes are a little overboard - for instance, when Jolie and Pitt come out with guns blazing and take on almost a truck load of agents sent to kill them and manage it without even a graze from a stray bullet, all the while waltzing is a bit a far fetched but on the whole it's worth the watch. A decent movie for all!

Love my way!

Just a playlist! Selected songs from...
Van Halen, Toto, REM, Pat Benatar, The Outfield, Mike & The Mechanics, The Hooters, Genesis, Men at Work, Duran Duran, When In Rome, Don Henley, Soft Cell, Psychedelic Furs!

This list just keeps on playing on my machine!...The 80's are the best!!!

It's nice to listen to stuff you like..just anything...without thinking twice about it.

"Back to the rhythm that we all came from
Voices of Babylon, streets of London "

Bowl 'em over.

Finally had some fun this weekend! Though it was shopping with my friend till noon (I certainly did not mean that as fun!), then it was on to Megabowl, where all the fun started. Games and goodies to eat and then finally the bowling lanes were free. Let the games begin!!

As usual, I started out brightly - with a Gutter ball! Then things started to roll on rather smoothly and soon I was in the lead! YAY! And after a few more gutters from my friends (especially elle), the game looked like it was all wrapped up. I was cruising to the finish line when on the penultimate round, somehow things turned against me. Got a 2 low scores and to add to that Shriram got a strike.! And I lost :(. Shriram won :(. Sigh...it's always so near yet so far for me. Atleast we were able to crown elle as the 'Queen of the Gutters!"

Now, all that is the past, and Monday morning is here and that means work:( ...

...Looking forward for more fun during the weekend.