Vedasri Siddamsetty

The Notre Dame in Paris met with a rather fiery end as its roof burnt down just four years ago. But it’s exact replica built over seven hundred years later lives on in the once French occupied territories of Quebec in the city of Montréal, though without the picturesque Seine running by its side. Instead perched on the Place de Armes this building is yet furnished with the famous rose windows and the gothic arches that it’s predecessor was famous for. Today a beautiful show in stunning light, sound and visuals is presented with the insides of the Notre Dame as the backdrop. When light is accompanied by sound the effect is multifold. As Jesus is born the world hears his heart beat, the seasons change, fire is replaced by water, the winds blow out the fall leaves and finally the heavens descend. The sight is one to behold. As the candles are lit and the ominous stage set, one is welcomed to experience the part of Christianity that seeks to elevate the soul. A tremendous feat in the 1100s, but one that was again repeated across the Atlantic in the 1800s and that is the beauty of faith, the faith in Notre Dame.

The Notre Dame was to house 8000 worshippers and be the most beautiful church in North America, it sure still is. And in a location covered in snow for half the year, the construction of the church was completed in a record 35 months! And interestingly the architect chosen was a Protestant who converted to Catholicism by the end of the church’s construction. The entire space is the gothic cathedral, exactly like the one that shot up in flames in Paris, but captures its essence extremely well. The beautiful cathedral is all goth in a time that is not goth at all. And though it’s bearings are from a dark time of the past, its present is very much alive and real, much like the beauty of today, wearing it’s past very very lightly. The interiors are guilded and remind one of the renaissance, while the light and sound show with winning lasers on the murals and the Christ orchestrated along with the music transport one into the heavens and back. The candles are lit, we still pay and pray or rather pay to pray, yet sitting in front of the enactments from the Bible are gorgeous never the less.

Niagara Falls and as it does it rises it’s beholder to heights unparalleled. It offers views like no place else on the world and feels like little else. From the Canadian side the falls seem like just another place, seem so incidental but while walking up the Bridal Veil falls present themselves first up and lead one onto the Horse shoe falls curvy and splendid. The sights on the American side then seem like little when the whole deal is seen on the other side. The sound of water is deeply relaxing and a water fall could well be a scene of utter delight if not simply a matter of calm senses. On the Canadian side of the falls there is the viewing deck that takes one up close to watch the falls from the side and front while portals behind the falls bring one really up close to the backside of the falls where the mist dances about and give one a beautiful sight that is both unforgettable and deeply moving. Like all natural beauty, it incites undoubtedly a feeling like nothing else.

If Niagara Falls and the whirlpool is a beauty, the town Niagara-on-the-lake is a spectacle. The city that is surrounded by wineries and grape farms, seems turned back in time with its architecture, it’s theatre and its shops. Cows the ice cream shop was serving up delicious ice creams and it’s neighbor the Hat shop had be pretty amused with its array of hats, the Niagara apothecary though shut when we visited was the first pharmacy in Canada. It’s leanings towards the essential oils hence the essentials of life are unmistakable. The clock tower and the administrative buildings swathed in brick and wrought iron cut pretty pictures that are well balanced by the trees on fire in the fall. The fall fairy was working her magic in full swing bestowing us with bewitching views. The views of the city of Toronto amidst the clouds are a winning feature of the Niagara-on-the-lake.

Living in full tech, but so close to nature and in proximity to the historical neighbourhoods makes the town very popular for bnbs that facilitate one to enjoy the times gone by. As history has it, the entire town was burnt down in fire and in the 1850s, it rose like a phoenix out of its ashes and has been maintained thus since. A stunning piece of man-made beauty amidst all of Nature’s glory. A walk in the park, a lick of some ice cream, a hat on the head, a theatrical show for the senses, and one has all the ingredients one needs for being touched by beauty. The falls are never shut and they uplift one plenty with their being and their surrounding. All that we wish and pray for, much manifest at our very best, yet we can never be a visionary to what nature at its best can bring forth for us. All we can do is hope to be inspired and surprised by nature, by the universe, by life and enjoy the newness of people and of experiences. Our imagination can be vastly triumphed by our faith, if only we let it. And while advancement may be a recipe for the future, being still in the moment may well be all we need, for the moment is our life and only when we let it be we be.

Tucked away in the Northern Hemisphere, on one of the Great Lakes, Lake Ontario is the city that boasts of towering skyscraper, ample alleys, generous sidewalks and parks for every age. While the people seem to adore peace and quiet in general, I couldn’t help adoring the pretty dogs that came out for a walk every other turn, all manicures and styled no less. The city that is hinged on parallel roads and bustling intersections comes alive mostly when the sun is out and the weather warm, else the only places one may bump into people is a warm Tim Hortons right around every corner. The towering feature visible from every turn though is the CN tower that towers over the city and offers 360 degree panoramic views across the city. The old is vastly enveloped by the new and brick has long been eclipsed by the glint and gleam of steel and glass. Yet the most striking feature of Toronto is its cleanliness. It’s only much later when I was met with by homeless people at the Toronto public library carrying their entire belongings in a pushcart and sitting reading on the computers at the Toronto commons that a little filth of the city showed up. Poverty is inescapable even in first world countries.

While there is much to do in Toronto, summer boasts of its range of activities, while fall has one witness a spectacle and winter comes with its own charms, weather is serious business in the city and it dons different hats in its very many seasons. The Nathan Philips square is testament to all the activities the city has up its sleeve. While Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were said to have been spotted on Yonge street and Bloor streets during their dating days, the shops that line these streets have their A-game on and bring high street fashion onto the street quite literally. Condominium living and working downtown have their perks with walking to work very much a possibility if not the plethora of options that include the street car or trams, subways and the good old bus. A very immigrant friendly city, the potpourri of cultures is very much visible. More so in the University part of the city, the parts of the colleges in the city, much a part of the main city, a walk away from downtown at times. The fun university vibes are then felt in the climes. Outdoor activities are not just appreciated it seems vastly cherished, ofcourse when the weather permits!

The greater Toronto area that include precincts like Brampton and other suburbs is not as glitzy but so endearing, the suburbs with their brick building, stone facades and expansive lawns bring forth the country living feels bring one yet so close to the happenings of a major city. The mighty Costco also finds its way into the suburbs where cost and value meet with pride. The city has its ballet, it’s sport, it’s art, it’s culture while the suburbs quietly power the city working in the background but ever so delightfully that the city never loses its shine. As Indians, finding food, finding our tribe and our fit was not hard at all in a city that is a lot like New York but ofcourse not New York. The suburbs have some beautiful homes all fitted with everything the owners could ever dream of in a dream house. While the gardening lovers would have a few pots in their downtown homes, the lovers of the greens could literally have a slice of the woods in their backyard. Perhaps even a bite of the fall colors in their home. Toronto’s Billy Bishop airport in downtown is greeted by ferries and a tunnel for access, adds to the diversity in the views downtown. On the 37th floor of one of the beautiful condominiums one could simply watch away in a meditative trance as the CN towers dances in colour as the sun shuts shop for the day. While most of the American sitcoms are shot in Toronto that pass off for a New York setting, the vibe may well be quite similar, with the sun high up in the sky and brighter than ever!

Now, now, now, I heard that fashion boosts confidence, at times the environment, most often the GDP, but would one ever think that fashion holds the potential of boosting health? Thats pretty much a tall claim to make and as fast fashion or even haute couture brands use the swishiest of fabrics, to make uber stylish clothes we are not to blame to be literally swished off our feet. But here’s a fact, science for sure. Every body has a frequency, for healthy humans the frequency is at 100 mHz, for the diseased a lot less and for the ill at health the value rests at lower than 100. And apparently, apparel has frequencies too. Anything above the frequency of our body’s brings peace, harmony and healing and anything less is just the thing for lowering our frequency.

So on that note, presenting to you the work of the Jewish scientist Heidi Yellen,

• Linen, made from flax – 5000 mHz
• Wool – 5000 mHz
• Organic cotton –  70 to 110 mHz
• Non-organic cotton, bleached and/or dyed – 40 to 70 mHz
• Rayon, made of wood pulp, including bamboo – up to 15
• Polyester, made from petroleum – up to 10
• Spandex, Lycra, and elastane, made from polyurethane synthetics – up to 15
• nylon, synthetic polymers – up to 15
• Silk – up to 15.  Made from silkworms just after they’ve spun themselves into a cocoon to transition into a silk moth.  Cocoons are boiled (with worms in) to unravel the fibers. 

While we are at it, here are the frequencies of emotions that are worth considering too!

• Enlightenment – 700+ Hz
• Peace – 600 Hz
• Joy – 540 Hz
• Love – 500 Hz
• Reason – 400 Hz
• Acceptance – 350 Hz
• Willingness – 310 Hz
• Neutrality – 250 Hz
• Courage – 200 Hz
• Pride – 175 Hz
• Anger – 150 Hz
• Desire – 125 Hz
• Fear – 100 Hz
• Grief – 75 Hz
• Apathy – 50 Hz
• Guilt – 30 Hz
• Shame 20 Hz

So could that equate to Linen = Enlightenment or even joy? I’d have to test this science for myself.

Delving further I did some research on our surroundings and here are the frequencies of construction materials:

• Wood – 1100 Hz
• Stone – granite is 6900 Hz while Sandstone is 8700 Hz
• Glass – 20-200 Hz
• Stainless steel – 100-200 Hz

Nature’s frequency combined is about 432Hz a frequency that when we are surrounded by helps one relax. The musical instruments at that vibrating frequency are said to be healing.

If harmony and calm float your boat, these may be points worth considering. Well even in the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna extols the virtue of a calm mind. A calm temperament is the true measure of success, or as my Grandfather puts it, if you are calm you win. And when in nature you are calm and hence you win, there is a thing about nature and that is you are one of it!

All the greatest contributors to society have a routine I am told, just as I go flitting about my day full of chaos, I believe that time blocking is of the essence, also the fact that none of the self-made billionaires of merit seem to be fond of wearing watches and with that very gesture “own” their own time. Also add to that quirk the nature of avoiding any sort of decision fatigue that may arise as such from deciding on what to eat and what to wear on a daily basis. I would mostly go on my whim, or rank from the vegetable most in need of eating to decide the menu, but well that hasnt been on my plate thus far. Yet time and again we find that time blocking actually makes one more prone to getting the best out of their day. No worries I am not advocating the 5 am club, Mark Zuckerberg wakes at 8 and so do many others so waking up to me merits the sound of bird song more that the productivity bias, yet there is such a thing as circadian rhythms unless ofcourse one descends from the wolf, and that is a subject of much other discussions.

So time blocking is to set a particular time lets peg it at 30 minutes for the sake of discussion and keeping to one task in hand for all those minutes, it works on a physical basis too if not just psychological as one then can step and stretch every 30 minutes. This time blocking puts an end of time to the task and the proclivity of one finishing the task with an end time in mind really works wonders. What if the task cannot be completed in 30 minutes, like writing a novel or so, one would then be advised to break the task into bite-sized components, spread over many a day and that works too. Time blocking with a timer works best but just in case one does not want to yield to instruments of oppression a heightened awareness of one’s physical being helps in not getting just too absorbed in a task. When I would work as a full time architect or even now when I sit with drafting softwares like AutoCAD I find time literally melt away as the mode of meditation kicks in. Drafting can be super meditative just like writing this blog could be.

But for a creature of non-habit, settling down on a routine is caging and sometimes devastating. I could literally swear that my creativity comes from chaos, in my schedule, in the world, in my home or even in my head. It really helps me to not have a schedule, though research clearly suggests otherwise. Non-routine is my preferred state though years of education, and now again getting back on the treadmill of education for my son, there certainly is a routine that I have to honour time and again. However much I settle into a routine, I promptly find an excuse to shake things up a bit. This afternoon after a meeting at 3 pm shortly after lunch I realise that some time blocking is actually fantastic. For me solitary mornings with music and nature, followed by a family breakfast, site visit mornings, meeting in the afternoons, winding up with sketches and moodboards at work and then nature evenings followed by hours of reading before catching in those laboriously deep snoozes work best. What about you??

Whatever age you are and a lover of Barbie or not, the Barbie movie that has taken the world by storm is worth every dialogue in it in gold. Yes it’s a pretty world, it’s perfect and ofcourse it’s imaginary. Not to say thank goodness it replaced the baby dolls that preceded it. When the narrator says Barbie means to be whatever she wants to be it is true, that’s what the doll is all about. In a skewed world, it tries to make sense.

Greta Garwigs dialogues are so on point, shake up the imagination and whips up so much cheer that made my cheeks hurt in the first part of the movie. Barbie is a doll, she’s not a human, far from being a woman, and yes she is imaginary for she is an idea, an idea that could inspire several other ideas for generations to come. I had a field day with my Barbie dolls, her bubble bath, her long hair, her fancy clothes and her dream house. I do not know how relevant she is, I have a son so I haven’t been arm-twisted to buy dolls but I have to say that the movie is very much relevant.

The dressing is on point, the style is on point, yet the films heart is on point. When Barbie says you are beautiful to an old woman at the bus stop by 5 year old exclaimed, she should be telling her, the other way is happening. We don’t need to condition but we could know that beauty is beauty and it is alluring, yet there is heart, and when that shines skin deep matters none. There are a few dialogues from the movie, more like quotes which are a treasure, not to forget the song by Dua Lipa, Dance the Night, and Aquas remix version by Nicky Minaj which revisit the very popular numbers that we literally grew up with. My favourite color is pink, all shades of it but mostly the Barbie ones, and I perhaps maybe biased to the pink world, but Barbie has many other colors up her sleeve and so much reality that would make even the cynic-est cynic nod.

Here are some lines I loved!

Since the beginning of time, since the first little girl ever existed, there have been dolls. But the dolls were always and forever baby dolls…Which can be fun… for a while, anyway. Ask your mother. -Narrator

Humans only have one ending. Ideas live forever. -Ruth

She was discounted by Mattel because a pregnant doll was just too weird. -Narrator

It is the best day ever. So was yesterday, and so is tomorrow, and every day from now until forever. – Barbie

Barbie has a great day every day, but Ken only has a great day if Barbie looks at him. -Narrator

Yeah, because actually my job, it’s just Beach. -Ken

I would never wear heels if my feet were shaped like this. -Barbie

To be honest, when I found out the patriarchy wasn’t about horses I lost interest. -Ken

I’m a Barbie Girl, now and forever, and Thank God for that!

Also I must say, well played Mattel!

All heart and soul!

This beautiful living room made its way into the heart and soul of the city, Indiranagar. Trendy yet timeless, classy and plush, the soft ethereal appeal of the space is powdered to perfection with hues of light, a sprinkle of cinnamon tones, a sturdy Sabyasachi backing that heralds the romanticism of Indian mythology, it’s sublime ethos, soft furnishings with the gloriest of thread-counts, the dash of paint in line with the character of the home, a stoke of texture that livens up in all vivacity, wall panelling that is fluted akin the Corinthian columns in Ancient Rome, balanced by modern nouveau proportions, sofas of the finest craftsmanship, by the Italian maestros themselves, the numen of luxury interior design, the coffee tables alight with the brilliant touch and God-level detail of the Etruscan master smiths, shipped ala the dolce vita manner, in their own sweet time!

💡 Lighting-Aura Illumination @aura.illumination

🗝️ Hardware-The Town Hardware Stores @townhardwarestores

⚜️ Soft Furnishing-Decorons @decoronstrinity

🛋️ Furniture-Ventura Interiors @ventura_gallery

🔨 Fixed Furniture-Inder woodworks

Recently I was at a luncheon where the ladies miffing each other said, what is a life of only partying, what kind of a life is it to not have a purpose. And then I was left mulling over the question of purpose. My best friend from school, Vishwa, a bright scientist in her own right, kept asking us this question a bunch of years back. Ofcourse though she asked a lot many diverse people across different professions and the like, no one answered her up to her mark and now apparently she has abandoned the question.

So here are my two cents about the subject.

Blessed are those who do not feel the need to have a purpose. It then certainly means they are doing something purposeful. Everything has a purpose and knowingly or unknowingly serves a purpose, so living unquestioningly about your time here may well be the best way to live. That said even more blessed are those who dont spend time questioning and criticizing other people’s purpose. Do you, and do you well and perhaps the purpose dilemma is solved. But if you are one who is wondering what your purpose is in life, no I am not guiding you to a test, I’d rather just prod you to think, preferably on a beautiful outdoor walk and the answer will come to you. But after my years on this planet, I really think not everything has to have a purpose that satisfies you, some people and some activities are purposeless, but they offer buffer to the extremely purposeful and lend some balance to life! That said, life is a wheel to keep up, it has to keep moving, time seems to know that and hence it works for us!!

Forgiveness means different things to different people, but mostly it involves an intentional decision to let go of anger and resentment. Its also something that cannot be voluntary or so I have devised, its totally involuntary and employing forgiveness is literally like putting down a huge grandfather clock that was carried on the shoulder. Its brilliant, it restores one to lightness and utter happiness, just forgiving also means not keeping score, in other words not remembering. So a daft memory is really an upside for those who chase happiness. But what it does not have to mean is reconciliation. There needs to be no reason to burn one’s hands with fire, again, that would really be sheer stupidity. There is no doubt that forgiveness is great for anyone, after all, why would one want anyone to live in their mind space allowing past hurts to be replayed.

There are many reasons one forgives, maybe the end is near and conflict in any form is not desired while giving up life, perhaps because it has been held on for too long. What if the offender is a serial offender, harboring insane levels of jealousy or the mind just works like that, like a work of art, whose every behavior defies logic? Well then, putting it all on karma works best in that case. I’ve asked for it, is a way to put it. Everything is so much easier if one believes in the fairness of life or the fairness of the universe. But to put it out there, the universe is not fair, it’s not even square, and there’s no symmetry but all one can then hope is that the universe favors you! But then there is the joy in a loss too, maybe that joy when found makes forgiveness come a tad bit too easily. There are reasons for spite that goes beyond one’s comprehension, the best thing to avoid hate, or being hated is to remove oneself from the situation, far and wide. And once bitten, twice shy, and third time probably dead. Again depends on what the biting ;D. Letting go and getting away is what a good person does, the bad person simply adds to more situations building more fodder for even more attacks.

Here’s hoping the true spirit of forgiveness is understood by all and everyone lets things be, and lets things go instead of force-fitting pieces that don’t fit together in the first place. There is so much maturity and ease in allowing existence than forcing existence. Hard work or working on things is not always the right thing to do. That I feel for sure. Force-fitting pieces together is the worst thing that can be. Why the insistence, why the force, why can’t like jive with like and let the unlike be! The fish may climb the tree upon firm insistence but what a pity it will be when it forgets to swim.

That’s the thing about forgiveness it cannot be forced and therein lies its merit.

I do not want to be a disapointment I heard myself say, obviously shocking myself in the process. I obviously do not know where that came from and apparently, deep down in my consciousness, I wanted others to be delighted with me, by me. No wonder the crusade to be light and to delight, delight is my favorite word in the English language, it just has the right ring to it I think. Now while I could choose to be delighted, by me, I soon seem to have forgotten the concept of boundaries and no matter what one does (or does not do to delight) the subject of the audience is always subjective and that is an opinion one needs to learn to appreciate and accept or the ticket to forlorn-hood or forlornity if you may please is a given.

With that I am readying myself to disappoint and to be disappointed in equal measure. No I am not a people pleaser or perhaps I am, and that’s the root of this journey to disappoint or not to disappoint! And people pleasers are what we definitely should not be, not at the cost of becoming a person-disappointed with the person being you! So here we go, while everything cannot be controlled, the disappointment may well be embraced just as playfully as we may. Delighting in disappointment may well be the need of the hour. While I go on and make peace with my ability to disappoint, what fear or un-want of yours are you going to embrace today?

Life may well be in the living and swallowing a bitter pill or two, the aftertaste of bitter is always sweet, so says science and I attest it! (You can too, after popping a karela or an amla into those fancy tastebuds ;)) Oh well! Chasing delight never seems to end 😁

The archipelago of Indonesia is a treasure in itself, from hosting over 170 million islands (taxi guy facts) to enclosing the Indian Ocean, to a plethora of tribes and now finally a world-class destination that comes forth as a result of a culmination of races from literally all over the world, Bali is a lot more than its country Indonesia. It is another world by itself. And then there is Lombok, another island that goes beyond its country. Jakarta too isnt half as engrossing or life-changing as Bali, it’s just another city, probably like the rest of Indonesia. Braving an 8-hour layover in Singapore, Bali is two flights away from India yet it is a lot like India! I could imagine the Cholas spreading their territory all across the Indian Ocean setting sail from Nagapattinam in current-day Tamil Nadu and reaching Srivijaya spreading Hinduism in its many forms across South East Asia. They went for trade, for conquering territory, today we travel along the route in a much faster route for the benefit of their trade, our learning and discovering chasing a sense of wonder. Bali is now the most Instagrammed place on this planet and I can only see why. Travel has lost its meaning over the years, with everything out there, every restaurant reviewed, every spot covered, it feels like we’ve been there and done that even when we go somewhere for the first time. And I have come to feel that the best moments have always been missed being captured, they slip with time. The moments that are truly filled with a sense of wonder are the ones that aren’t pre-empted and mostly aren’t planned. Whether it was chancing upon the crescent at Bath or the spectacular Indian Ocean from the throes of the Alila Vilas Uluwatu, the moments of wonder that come unannounced inspire and fill one with a magnificent sense of wonder. A picture tells a thousand words, yet the noveau experience leaves one speechless!

Our visit to Bali, the Hindu Kingdom of Indonesia which now straddles the climes of spirituality along with being super Hindu, a yoga capital of the world -outside of India, the party centre, a surfers paradise and a foodie’s haven was a lot to take in, over a week, with travellers at every corner, the seeing and the to see, get merged ever so often. Every other person we met in Bali were either entrepreneurs in the wellness sector, or yoga teachers, developers of apps on wellness, or designers of clothes, buildings or experiences, why there was an Instagram tour where one would be led to all the Instagram spots around with a photographer who assured one of brilliant pictures or reels ready for Insta! What a tourism incentive! It is an island of concentrated wellness. And the concept sells!

Getting into Bali, I was greeted with an immigration officer who quite plainly asked me for a bribe, the visa is on arrival and hence a perfect opportunity to milk the tourist for some extra bucks right at the beginning. What a grand welcome I surmised. Apparently a lot many immigration officers in other countries too do that. Our stay in Nusa Dua, with its quiet time, a lot of beach fringed cycling, the water-blow point, fancy locales kept us out of the way of tourists and allowed us to engage with the beach unabashedly. Uluwatu was a revelation with its upmarket places and a hotel that we learnt about in architecture school, one that we finally got to experience. The Alila Vilas frames nature so very poetically and in that it is a win, totally. WOHA and their attention to detail is atrociously splendid. Between Nusa Dua and Uluwatu, we got to experience a high point of the island one that would soon be overshadowed by the fabulous Gilli Trawangan that the locals lovingly call Gilli T. Now Gilli T is like no other island, not just because of the fabulous organised party scene but because of its coral beaches that come up close. Such a pity that most of the corals are dead due to global warming and a host of other climatic conditions. One can reach Gilli T through a ferry, it is a part of the island of Lombok that is so pristine and beautiful, the Oberoi in Lombok is splendid. The ferry ride in itself is an experience, on the way one can spot Mt Batur one of the few active volcanoes that arent so active that makes them scalable. Our trek up and down was sheer delight. While the climb up could be a bit tricky due to the loose gravel, the walk down would be a nightmare for anyone with tears in their knees! But slow and steady always does it. Having Koreans for company was too good. What a country and what people! There’s absolutely nothing not to love! The sunrise was beautiful, but ofcourse sighting a sunrise is a rareity with a curtain of clouds on most days.

Gilli T allows no motors and has horse-drawn carriages, bicycles that are rentable and walkways that inspire moon-lit traversing. It is lovely to have no motors, except for those of the ferry that fetch people there. The perimeter of the island can be covered in about an hour by the bicycle though some stretches with its beachy sand may need the bicycle to be carried! The sunsets are a delight on the western part of the island. The peace I felt here, amidst all the cycling, the swimming, watching the corals, snorkelling, the massages, the partying and all the eating was unparalleled. Not only did I kick off the not sleeping habit (that was actually a boon during my red-eye flight) but I felt absolutely relaxed for as long as we were on the island, and no I did not eat the mushrooms that guaranteed my audience with God. But the environment was happy inducing, ofcourse staying in a hotel that was all pink helped, wish the world could be so pink, maybe it’s just time I started wearing rose-tinted glasses! And it was here that I keenly felt that the universe has my back. I do live on another plane, most of the time, okay well always, and the universe has accounted, had by back over many instances, everytime, every single time, and here in Gilli T, it just felt more pronounced. I couldnt manage without the all-encompassing universe looking out for me, for sure. While the one and only captures magnificent pictures, he himself found a brand new hobby, one that we was no doubt very good at and had a flair for ever since the beginning, and got shots that are really drool-worthy. More on his page, again a start in Gilli T. On the island one place highlights itself every day of the week, while all the other bars step back allowing it to have its moment to shine. What a stellar concept, one in which everyone wins. Ofcourse all over the last order for food is 10 pm and having dining out of the way, the undistracted attention is on partying, partying and how! We obviously did not make it to the early morning yoga, which is the one Bali thing which we didnt get to do in Bali. How many yoga teachers and academies there are there, it would put Rishikesh to shame!

While we did Ubud in passing, we did Seminyak in full, from the thrashy yet snazzy Potato Head Beach club, to the world’s best Finns and finally the La favella that took us by storm when casual eating suddenly transformed into table dancing, Bali felt like Goa into a 100. The parties do end here, there is no dancing all night, its good-bye go home at 1 am, but then the party starts at 7 am, following the circadian rhythm of sane men. While the monkeys of Uluwatu stole my sunglasses, the priests of the temple stuck rice grains on my forehead, the endless views of the Indian Ocean, the Nasi Goreng and the unabashed leaning in to the vegetarian and vegan fare, again food choices based on whats good for us, spiritually and the environment sustainably, what I truly enjoyed in Bali is the wind in my hair, the sand at my feet, swimming, surfing, cycling, trekking and looking at marvellous architecture, so neat and detailed, being is nature, watching both sunrises and sunsets, in the same day, possible only on smaller islands, meeting all the people of the world and no doubt sleeping with no sign of insomnia! Thankfully my return flight, again a 10 hour layover in Singapore was not red-eye, perhaps it is the universe making sure I got home in time for bed. And for that I am insanely grateful. Bali showed me where I stand and why, what the universe does and how. Perhaps I might just go listen to Abraham Hicks, a Mom-reccomend by the swimming pool. Bali I am grateful for all the joy, the good times, mainly the sleep and the relaxation. (anyone who lay in bed wide-eyed all night could vouch for that) No wonder it is so crowded and popular. There’s a beeline (always) to everything good. Mainstream may well be the new alternate!