Travel Diaries: Leh Laddakh- Trip of a lifetime

Truly heaven on earth! This is probably one of the hardest travel posts to write, words really are hard to describe this place which has such contrasting and breathtaking landscapes. Be it tall mountains, vast plain lands, wide lakes or serene views, this place has it all.

I have to start by saying- we all flew in from all over the world to Delhi to take this one week family re-union and a trip. My parents, the four of us, my brother's family all 9 of us spent a week in Leh & Laddakh and definitely made memories of a life time.

We were guests of the Indian Army, a family friend is a Colonel of the Indian Army stationed in Leh & Laddakh. Thanks to him and his entire team, we had a great trip and above all found a respect for the Army which we as civilians really didn’t think about. A separate post on this ishere. Thank You Indian Army!!

Here was our Itinerary in short, and detailed posts will follow slowly but surely!!! Stay Tuned

Day 1: Just acclimatize

Day 2: AM: Choglamsar, Shanti Stupa; PM: Hall of Fame, Pathar Gurudwara, Magnetic Hill, Sangam

Day 3: Chang-La Pass, Pangong Lake

Day 4: Shey Palace, Rancho School, Thikse Monastery, Night stay at Chumthang (which might be hard for non-army visitors) so please look for either driving up to Karzok

Day 5: Karzok, Tso Moriri and surrounding

Day 6: Enjoying the drive back, Hemis Monastrey, double humped camel ride, local Leh Market

Day 7: Fly Back

Here is a quick glimpse of why you should be excited

They are back!

Without much fanfare and happily no crazy stories the kids and hubby are back. And I will be clichéd enough to say, I missed them while they were away and then am super-duper happy that they are all back.

The home is now complete with the two monkeys jumping off couches and the two adults trying to ensure things stay sane. Well at least they stay sane.

The changes, oh the changes.

Let me start with the Chatterbox. Miss V

Well, she is fluent in Hindi. Yes you read that correctly. The ' I am too shy to speak in Hindi' is fluent and has enforces rules around the house: Though shall only speak in Hindi. It's awesome. And yes, I get a punishment if I don’t speak in hindi, last night: Say Dinner in Hindi?? Anyone!

Next, she is more 'why?' 'Yes So' 'I don't care' 'So what?' Yes, my 6 and a half year old is getting to the phase of 'I KNOW EVERYTHING' and "I CAN ARGUE AWAY'.

I have been commanded by one and all to keep clam and endure this and be patient and that this is a phase and it shall pass. So o wise ones, I will listen to you all and TRY to keep a rational head and answer and be patient. Man, I can feel my energy slump already!

But on the positive side. She is full of stories, energy and the craziness that goes with her being back. She was excited to be back in her 'revamped room' Sumit and I spend hours re-arranging furniture, building new ones to have a room ready for an avid reader and a crafty girl. She loves every inch of it.

She is appreciative of all the hard work and is excited to be back in school and her friends. She is helpful and neater in her dealings around the house. She is still the little kid who will come and give you a hug just because, still negotiating her way around the candy, feed her little sister since no other one can get a morsel of food in her, smile and express her opinion.

And as usual the Chatterbox V is more independent and more self-reliant than before. Trust me; they are awesome qualities to have in a little kid.

And now the Little Lady. Miss S.

Interactive, Repeat mode: What we call- Rattu Tota = A parrot, and expressive. Oh man, the expressiveness. You ask her a question and she will be very clear in what she wants: It's a Yes or a vehement head shake saying no. Not just polite, vehement head shake. She is chatty, smile and now is developing a smile that you know, something fishy is coming up next.

For a 20 month old that is crazy. I know, I should resign to the fact that I have two highly opinionated and independent girls.

She is still relaxed, will spend hours playing with her toys. Will come in the middle to check in on you, and then go about back with her toys. It's adorable to see her carry a book, she calls 'boo'. She gets it to you, you read to her, She smiles and keeps 'reading'

The 'shoes' enthrall her. She brings her shoes to you and is ready to go 'bye bye' every single minute of the day. Oh yes, she is a traveler and from what I gather, she was ready with her shoes in India before you thought it.

She is however now a co-sleeper. Hmm. Now this one, this Little Lady never needed any training. She took to crib from Day 1 like her second home. No sleep training, no tantrums no nothing. By 6 months, she was in her room sleeping from 7 to 7. And yes, I am not exaggerating. It was perfect. I have friends who asked, how did you train her, I don’t know, she was just a good sleeper.

So now, I am in land of the unknown.

How do I sleep train an independent, expressive, know what I want 20 month old who thinks I am a toy!

Hmm

I am taking all suggestions at this point.

It feels complete

I keep calling her my baby, my munchkin, my coochie coo and all the terms of endearment that mean 'cutesy baby'

She reminds me politely  (most of the times) and generally with shrugged shoulders: I am not a baby anymore.

She thinks she is a Big Girl.

In all due honesty, with all her achievements in the past few months, she is a matured 5 year old. If I could say the two things in one line.

In the past few months, she has flown to and back from India ON HER OWN as an unaccompanied minor. She relaxed in her summer vacation of 6 weeks sans her parents in the amazing and nurturing company of her naana- naani. She has travelled through India meeting people, going to parties of my parents, playing with neighbors kids in the park, speaking in Hindi, learning Marwari, forming even more opinions and basically doing all this ON HER OWN.

And yes, I cannot say this enough 'I am proud of her'. The pilot on her return flight approached me in the arrivals lounge and said: "You have a wonderful daughter. She was so well behaved and fun to talk to. She had a good flight"

I was in tears- Happy Tears

She has been back a week and I still gush. I still go and give a peck on her cheek just because. I still manage to raise my voice on an unfinished glass of milk, to realize, gosh I missed this commotion. Her incessant 'Mummy why, mummy this, mummy that' feels like the new normal. And I say-  Gosh, I missed this.

I could see coloring books and pens strewn around the house. I could  see her stuffed animals left on our bed. I could see some hair-eating, I could see some tantrums. I could hear her non stop questions. I could hear the foot stomping when things are not going her way. I could see her being her!

But I dont.

I see a house lived in. I see a 5 year old who is wise beyond years but reminds me every other minute, I am still a five year old.

I see a family.  

But yes, I could use 5 minutes of silence from 'Mummy why?'

Not so random thoughts...

I read this article 'Why I left India(again)' recently and re-read this today. I know this article has made rounds over and over again. It has been commented/ criticised, appreciated and murdered.

For me, it felt very real. I hung onto each word and involuntarily shaking my head. I think I can relate to where the author was coming from.

I have been out of India for a decade now. My formative and impressionable years have been out of India. I have been teased as NRI (Not Required in India).

I go 'back home' on and off to meet family, eat at familiar joints, try out new places, relax in air conditioning and appreciate the help at home. I go back since my family is there, it’s my native country. But more often than not, towards the end of my trips, I crave to come back to my familiar grounds. Being in 'vacation mode' might have a lot to do with that.

Being expats in London now, I am often asked: Where are you from? I should respond @I am from India, but more often than not my response is 'I recently moved from Chicago.'

Why you ask?

I can relate to my life in US much more than I can relate to my life a decade ago in India.

It sucks to say that. But it’s true. It took me a lot of time and courage and guilt to come out and say: 'I don’t think I am returning to India anytime soon, barring any life changing/ family health emergencies, we are living outside India'

Once I said that out loud, I repeated it and made peace with myself. Yes, I get scornful looks, raised eyebrows, OMG how can you say that and best of all 'Traitor'

I am learning to develop a thick skin now.

My family life, professional obligations and daughter’s upbringing and education has made definitely made a huge contribution in our decision/ state of mind. But if I look in the mirror, its more to do with 'My View Today'.

India is my native country. No matter where I go in life, what I do, I always will be Indian, my passport has little to do with it. I don’t have to explain how great, developing and changing India’s temperament is today. Everyone knows it. And I can’t even do justice to it.

I adore going back to India. Its home in all sense of the word. But sadly my Life is not in India right now. I may or may not return to India. But I do know wherever I am and will be, I will be Indian.

 It’s not the type of food, the language, the colour, and the clothes you wear; where you live that make you more or less Indian. Your ethnicity makes the foundation of who you are. Period.

The feel good ones

Here's the thing about feel good movies, you can watch them over and over again and you always finish with a smile.

Top ones on my list are- Serendipity, P.S. I Love you, Hum Tum and  of course Something's gotta give.

Recently on a long flight,  no better thing than watching a movie you can never go wrong with. I watched 'something's gotta give' for the millionth time!

But some how this time when I watched it, I payed a lot more attention. The subtleties, the contrast, the difference but still the unity in the movie is brilliant.

She likes French music, he owns a hip hop record label. She considers herself older than she is, and he is the suave, makes you weak in the knees type of 63 years old. The house, she is all white, beach house and serene. And he is in the middle of the city, all black, exciting. Her sheets are white, his black. His floor is multi levelled, and hers single  storied. She is not scared of being in love and he cant even commit to sleeping on the same bed. And the best difference in them. She is a Mac and he a PC.

I mean seriously?

Brilliant movie, brilliant casting and this time after watching it, my love for the movie grew a tad bit more! Till next time!

I was Home

No not London but what was and will always be my true home-Mumbai.
I returned after what feels like a lifetime, or half a decade more realistically. Wow! There is something about the city one grows up in, no matter where you go in life, the familiar streets, the college joints, the bus numbers, the crowds, the humidity, the food, just feels natural.

Meeting friends whom one just resumes from where left off, bliss.Having your off spring give you confused look when you say, this is my school, bliss.
Planning the trip to the coffee house just because that's where you always met your friends,  bliss.
Driving past the building where you grew up, bliss.
Seeing the revised skyline, new land marks, revisiting the history, bliss.
Boo for being Home only for three days of which being bed ridden for more than 2.5 days due to health... big Booo!!!
So though I am Vada Paav, Bhel, Chit Chats and Sizzlers deprived.... I was HOME and that's what counts.


Bottom line, being in your true home, bliss.