Long Time!

Its been more than a couple of years since I blogged and a lot has happened in that time! I got married...extravagant, colorful ceremonies in India! I finished my PhD, moved to Virginia, got a job as a research associate in UVA, bought a house... And traveled to many, many places :)

I was in NYC for the 2009 US open- It was quite exciting seeing Del Potro play! After that my travels took me to the Lurray caverns and Moticello in VA, beaches in FL, the island of Bermuda, college town of Madisson- WI, Minneapolis- MN and the fun city of New Orleans- LA.

We went to Germany, Vienna and Prague for our honeymoon in 2010. It was a spirited, six day rendezvous. Buses and trains, long walks and short rides. Breathtaking architectures, delicious cuisine and absolutely fantastic coffee! The tranquil bed and breakfasts, the elegant shops lining cobblestone pathways, the smell of freshly brewed espresso and the delightful taste of gelato...the memory of days spent there make me crave more travel escapades....

Since coming back, I have traveled extensively in mainland USA...both for business and pleasure. A Christmas time 5-day road trip to South Carolina included stops in towns, national parks and myrtle beach, while one during Memorial day weekend to West Virginia had me white water rafting, camping and visiting coal mines. Conferences have taken me to Austin- TX, Ventura- CA, Hilton Head- SC and Orlando- FL in less than a year. Weekend (and extended weekend) trips to Annapolis, North Carolina, Connecticut, Virginia Beach, Boston, Ski resorts in PA, Chicago, Cumberland, MD and Washington DC interspersed with other hiking/ camping/boating excursions have kept my travel bug semi-satisfied. And now, I am off to Las Vegas for the weekend! My husband has to attend a conference and I am tagging along :)

I will write some travel stories from my journeys this past year as and when I find time. In the meanwhile, I am busy making more travel plans!!!

Colors of Thailand!

Thailand! The next country on my hit list :)

The first thing that struck me was the color. Color of cabs. Pink, orange, purple, yellow. It was the rainbow and more!! The next thing that made a mark also involved cabs. When you want to go from point A to point B directly, the charges is at least four times the cost of going from point A to point B via point C. Why you ask. Why pay less when you are going less distance? (even if its slightly less)...Because this point C is usually a touristy store that rewards the cab drives with free gas if they bring customers to them!! Awesome business model isn't it?

Well...not that we are done with cabs...I can talk about the amazing beaches! Nothing like a dinner of fresh sea food a couple of feet from the water, on white sand! And rental scooter rides in an island :) We spent a day in Koh Samet and two days in Bangkok. Everything was dirt cheap. The temples were mesmerizing in gold. The Grand Palace just sooo 'gold'. And the best part- we did not get taken into custody at the airport!! - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8154497.stm

Temples in Malaysia

Its been a while since I wrote anything...I have traveled to two countries in that time and am about to embark on a weekend escapade to a third one!

Malaysia: I spent three days in Malaysia; two in Penang and one in Kuala Lampur...and the phrase Malaysia- Truly Asia has become engraved in my mind! In Malaysia, I got to partake in a traditional Malay wedding which was very beautiful. Malay weddings seem much simpler than traditional Desi weddings!

As a single woman wandering the streets of Penang, I got quite a few stares and 'wow, you are brave' comments from strangers and friends. Visiting traditional Thai and Burmese Buddhist temples and the temple of the million pagodas were some of the highlights...but again (like everywhere else in SE Asia), the food was the crowning jewel!! Street side fried stuff and weird fruit and seafood connotations...

KL was a like any other city in the region- bustling and hot! The Petronas twin towers were quite a sight but a visit to the nearby Batu caves was absolutely gorgeous! Hindu set among the stalactites are a must see if you are in the region...And definitely stop the central market if you want to but any kind of Malay handicraft or eat the last meal of Nasi Lemak before you leave the country!

Movie in Singapore

A couple of days ago, I decided it was time to explore the movie theaters in Singapore. Harry Potter had just been released, so I did not need much convincing!

The theaters in Singapore have an interesting way of doing things- everyone buys tickets with alloted seat numbers. So you better be in line first in order to make sure that you don't end up in a first row seat. So, this way, you actually have to buy your ticket on time and can stroll into the theaters in your leisure. Unlike the US (at least most of the theaters I have been to there), where you can buy your ticket last, but come early to grab the most wanted seat...Well..both have their 'charms' I suppose :)

So...going back to the movie..I did not like this Harry Potter as much. The Harry Potter series is the first and only time that I am seeing the movies without reading the books ( I just never succumbed to Potter book mania)...and so I had no idea as to what to expect in the sixth movie. I am not sure of the reason behind my lack of marvel at this movie...could be that it wasn't very well edited, could be that I felt 'sad' at the ending...could just be that I have 'grown' in the last few years :P Either ways, movie #3 remains my favorite...

Should I Risk It?

I am going to Malaysia in a couple of weeks to attend a friend's brother's wedding. I need a visa for that and so need to turn in my passport for a week or so. This is fine, except that I really wanted to travel to Indonesia/ Thailand at some point. And though they give visa on entry...they do need to see my passport!! Hence I spent an hour this morning trying to figure out the best flight and hotel deals and contemplating the right time to turn in my passport..

And then I came across this...
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/07/17/indonesia.hotels.explosions/index.html

My first reaction was obvious shock. But my follow up response almost surprised me. I realized that I was shocked because I could have been in the vicinity, not because such a thing 'could actually happen'. I have gotten so used to hearing about bomb blasts in tourist hotels/ trains/ crowded areas all over the world that I have become desensitized!! What kind of a world do we live in? Where its almost normal to 'expect' a 'terrorist' attack!

So, now the most important question ( of the moment)...should I risk these possibilities? Risk the happenings which we take for granted... read about them on the news and forget about them as soon as something else manages to capture the headlines...should I attempt to travel in South East Asia or should I play it safe and shelve those travels for some other time?

O Land of the Malls!

If Delhi gave me the impression of being the land of tombs, Singapore does a good job of coming across as the land of malls! And its not only Orchard Road...it everywhere. Its very rare that you wont get out at a MRT stop that is is connected to some form of a mall! And the big malls that boast designer labels are in abundance as well. So, while shopping and eating seems to be the prime hobbies of the folks here, the food is cheap and shopping relatively expensive [Singapore is on sale now...so that is cheap as well :)]

Most of the malls have free wireless access, but they require you to have a Singapore cell phone so that they can text (SMS) you the password! Texting is huge here- like in other parts of Asia and Africa. The best part about the malls is that you can get to some faraway place from the the MRT stop by just going in and out of several malls without having to see the light of day! I learned this when I went to see Raffles Hotel, a masterpiece in itself- a beautiful white exterior, fountains glistening in the dim lighting, extravagant chandeliers and Sikh doormen. Now, given the weather here...that commute is what I am grateful for!!

Budget Airlines...Tempting the Poor!

I have been thinking about visiting one other South East Asian country before I head back to the US in september...Thailand? Indonesia? Philippines? Anyways, I decided to look at airtickets to help me sort through options. Most of these places range around $200 round trip. Well..that was before someone mentioned Tiger Airways!! Round trip to Manila is only 80 SGD!!! Seriously?? Is something wrong with the airline or is it cheap just because its a budget airline?
http://www.tigerairways.com/sg/en/

Well...its very tempting to fly that and given that I am in a money saving phase, that may be my only option. Ummm...I wont be attempting this adventure till end of august...will keep you posted :)

For now its back to work...