Aotearoa – Long White Clouds

Nepal Musings

A tiny Shangri-La hidden in between the towering Himalayas and the gargantuan sub-continent, this is a land of friendly people, proud Sherpas, awe-inspiring mountain peaks, yaks and yetis. In Nepal the sounds of mantras in the remote monasteries bounce back playfully from the snow clad mountain peaks, drawing in seekers of spirituality to its mystical allure. Nepal is nirvana for the spiritual, the adventurous, the lonely souls in search of moksha. Wait, I mentioned tiny. The biggest conundrum when travelling in Nepal is how would you fit everything in?. I have met people who have been coming back to Nepal again and again, to explore the mighty Himalayas, the picturesque towns and sit around the bonfires on a chilly night with the smiling people. When you leave, the desire to be back again lingers... When I go back to Nepal this would have all changed. It was 25th April, 11:00 am. People slept unaware of...

The Demon King

You are greeted by his fearsome personality in the arrival lounge of Suvarnabhumi international airport. His blue green face, a snarling mouth, and curving tusk-like canine teeth makes you shudder. You meet him everywhere in Thailand, in form of Khon masks, souvenirs, paintings and as guardian of all major temples. Have you wondered about this fierce character? He is Ravana, or tosakanth in Thai, from the Indian epic Ramayana; its main protagonists are King Rama and his wife Sita and the antagonist, the dreaded evil personified, Ravana. Of course, the main theme, as in any classic drama, is the victory of good over evil. The saga began when besotted by Sita's beauty, Ravana, known for his weakness for beautiful women and virility, abducts and whisks her away to his kingdom. There are two significant encounters that would shape the course of Ramayana: Ravana molests Vedavati, the beautiful hermit and forcibly takes her; and, Vedavati prophesied, before killing herself in a pyre, tha...

The unofficial "National Drink" of India

Stepping out of my warm bed, I make my way to the kitchen. I fill the kettle with water. Bleakly, I wait for the water to boil. I add black tea leaves, crushed cardamom and cinnamon. The water comes to a full boil. My body, mind and senses start tingling as the smell of tea and spices waft from the kettle. To this dark decoction, I add generous amount of milk and sugar. I let the tea steep for a minute. I pour out a tall cup of the sweet tea, or Chai - an invigorating way to start my day. As I sip my Chai, my mind wanders back to my travel in India. Chai is the beverage that is the common thread that runs from the length and breadth of India - Kashmir to Kanyakumari, Surat to Patna - “unity in diversity.” The whole country is dotted with numerous Chai stalls and from dawn to dusk, thousands of people converge into these stalls (think about the squares in Europe) – office goers, laborers, philosophers, poets, writers and occasional tourists. Anytime is an occasion to have a cup of Chai....

Spices and Travel

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