Once again....

It's been a while since I wrote anything here.....but here I am. Let me just try bringing up to speed.

2011 - I moved to Dubai...a new job in a company who expected me to live and breath it 24/7. Never have I been so stressed not knowing when I would get a call on the weekends to ask about the Brand that I was managing, about the sales & its performance and which store/mall I was personally overlooking to check all is well!

The silver lining was that I got to travel 2 new countries - United States of America and Italy! Even though it was a business trip I did manage to do some sight seeing and it was wonderful!

2012 - The year began with hectic business travel (Buying) to Frankfurt, Germany....just a day after my Birthday. Even though I had visited Germany way back in 1997, I hadn't been to Frankfurt. The early morning walk down by the River Main....down the bridge festooned with many love locks....it was lovely but at the same time felt it would have been much better if I was with a friend. I also climbed right up to the top of the winding stairs in Frankfurt Cathedral from where I too this shot. It was worth the climb!

During the EID holidays, took a road trip to Oman with an Irish man and a Singaporean lady. It was so much fun! Can't believe reaching a hotel middle of the night and that too a quaint one which was not that expensive only driving away as the Irish found it too expensive for his taste to spend for a few hours! But again...no complain. It was a blissful 3 days trip and I feel the other two too enjoyed the trip as much as I did!

Then in November taking advantage of the Al Hajra holiday just before the weekend booked myself for a Group Trip to Jordan a country I was eager to visit to see one of the Wonders of the World, Petra! I also got to see a friend and his family, a Jordanian who befriended us way back when we were college students in Delhi. It's always lovely to see a familiar face. Who would have thought that after all these years I would visit his country and see him and his family?!

I was also busy looking for another job even thinking of relocating to far flung places like Singapore!

2013 - This was a year of learning I can say on hindsight. In January, I got to travel to Lebanon, a country full of history and many civilisations. The Phoenicians were here and the Romans too. Earliest civilisation dates more than 7000 years back! The ruins of Baalbeck, Anjar, Byblos, Tyre, Sidon....were all so awesome!

Then I left my job. Couldn't take it anymore and by June I was finally out. This time I decided to do my own thing. And I decided to do it right here in the Middle East all by myself! The registration of a company and getting a new visa....the paperworks....I did it all! I also engaged a friend even though her charges were pretty high as I just like her creative side for getting my website done. It's been quite an experience. The website is still under construction as of today! 

I also travelled extensively in India visiting places that I have always wanted to go. First to the Andamans right after Cyclone Phailin passed by. I nearly cancelled my flight but thankfully the Cyclone passed away without much damage. The Andaman islands are still untouched. Out of about 532 islands or so, only a few are inhabited. I would love to go back again.

Finally in November I travelled to God's Own Country, Kerala. I travelled extensively using the public transport, the State Bus. It wasn't easy as I was lugging 2 suitcases filled to the brim and an equally heavy handbag on my shoulders! On one of my trips, the bus I was travelling in broke down and we were asked to get off and catch another one! Of course all buses passing by were packed and now you have us trying to climb in and finding space. I managed with great difficulty as someone was kind enough to lend a hand with my suitcases! It was a nightmare!

For future travelling....I plan to buy a good backpack and consciously pack accordingly! "Pack half the clothes and carry twice the money" I aim to follow this going forward.

Coming to Kerala, I landed in Kochi (Cochin) and was off to Palamatam straight away. After a few days caught a Bus for Munnar to see the lovely tea estates. Then to Thekkady and Periyar for a couple of days before proceeding to Alleppey and Kumarakom. Thereafter took a really long bus trip down to Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum). The Kovalam Beach was not exactly what I expected it to be like but I just wish I had spent more time looking around. From here I travelled back to Kochi to see the city, look at the Chinese nets (see photo below) and finally headed to Kozhikode from where I took a flight back home.

2014 - Just realised January seems to be a favoured month for travelling/leisure. Is it because it's my Birthday month?! Ha ha!

This January I travelled to Yemen the mainland as well as to Socotra an island quite isolated and a third of its life plant is found nowhere else in the world. Here I digress....just a day before I flew to Yemen I conducted my first meet up for my company. It was a start.....again no regrets. I have learnt quite a bit since.

And in April, I took my first group to Socotra. The trip was a success if I may say so. Everything went off well. Inshallah there will be many more!

My 6 months celebration to the day when things started happening....not much of a celebration celebration but just remembering the day....the evening in Starbucks in Ibn Batuta hosting my first meetup, the drive, furious packing for my travel to Yemen the next day....thought I had it all. Some food, a glass of wine, watching movies on the telly and then I got a rude awakening!

It's 13 days since. Waiting for visas to be sorted out.....should be soon. Looking forward to working in a nice place....getting good vibes from a recent contact.

How does it get better than this? What else is possible? What is right about this I am not getting? All of life comes to me with ease, joy and glory.

Life goes on.....