Happy Birthday, Mariam…

There’s a thrill to life when you make a major change and land up in an alien environment. You don’t know how things are going to be, you don’t even know if you will deal with them. I was always told that people around you give you the strength to work through that uncertainty. They [...]

Woh 7 Weeks: End of a holiday

Past 7 weeks have been pure bliss; ups and downs included. Quality sister time, unique relationship insight (how I love my older friends!), a dash of disappointment, blistered feet, emptied bank balances, crazy credit card bills, tons of food, serving portions I can only dream of finishing, jeans feeling a bit too snug, not fretting [...]

Straight From The Art

Art used to be complex. If you loved it, you were fancy. I’d spend time in front of a portrait, clueless to what the brush strokes were or what the colours were or how revolutionary the painting itself was. I was clueless. Until 3 years ago, when I hit The National Gallery and took an [...]

Living a Dream

A day in the life of Shakti Salgaokar: The day that felt too good to be true. The day that was filmy.
A van pulls up in the building. Two girls walk out to the van and hug tight. One of them is dressed a little too much for Miami. Jeans, tshirt and woollen jacket get her [...]

Bonds and Memories

Day 13&14, Tuesday 1st&2nd October, 2009
I am sorry. I just can’t fit these two days in a blog post. It’s just so close to my heart, this trip. The story of these two days will be something me and Nani will pakao our grandkids with. Be it the Jurassic Park ride, or missing Ross Geller [...]

You, Me, Hum, Tum, Majja

Day 11, Tuesday 29th September, 2009
The fat cat stared me in my face. I woke expecting the purring to be the dainty Mulayam, but here was Tipper, in all his magnificence, staring me in the face to let him out. Damn, I should have been up two hours ago to make it on time for [...]

Sunday Bloody Sunday

Day 9, Sunday 27th September, 2009
Sundays are meant to be lazy. But today was going to be anything but lazy. We woke up and wished each other happy Dussra. “Arey yesterday papa said na, it was Navami? Today is Dussra. Let’s be veg!” Yes, my brilliant idea.
So no eggs, just some sev and a slice [...]

I Dream Of New York

Day 8, Saturday September 26th, 2009
Wake up Shakti, it’s Saturday! Friday night grocery shopping meant that we had ingredients and we had a kitchen. Yaay! Cooking day! A week after we left home, we made ourselves a hot breakfast! Eggs, sunny side up with toast. Yum yum yum. Nani brewed her special Girnar Royal Cup chai [...]

Friday, I’m in love!

Day 7, Friday 25th September, 2009
Location: Miami
A girl lying in a comfortable bed in a hotel room wakes up. She reaches for the mobile phone and gets sulky. Its 5 am and she doesn’t want to be up so early. She tries to sleep, but she is tempted to check her email. She reaches for [...]

Ghar Mil Gaya!

Day 5
5 am! Again I’m up before the sun. And I woke with sore calf muscles. The walking! The walking was not going to happen today. No no no. The only thing worse than achy breaky legs, is a hungry hungry stomach.
But until Nani woke up, it was just me, alone in bed, my iphone [...]