Journal

A sneak peak into my journal and my thoughts and reflections.

  • The sweet spot in Kerala

    The sweet spot in Kerala

    On our last trip to Kerala, India, my hubby took me to a popular street in his home town, Kozhikode named Sweet Meat Street also called as S.M. Street which is the literal translation of the Malayalam name Mittai Theruvu. The street derives its name from the time it was lined with sweetmeat and halvah stalls. Now, you’ll find the streets lined with stores that sell sweets to spices, clothes to electronics, or handlooms, textiles, and jewelry. It is reputedly the busiest street in the town. Since we visited during the festival season of Onam/Eid the street was exceptionally packed. There was also some major renovation work going on and that added to the noise and din.

    Are there any popular streets in your home town where you take your visitors for a stroll?

  • Life in the mexican beach towns

    Life in the mexican beach towns

    When we took the 7-day Norweigian Cruise along the Pacific coast, we had three one day stopovers in three different Mexican beach towns – Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Cabos. In Los Cabos, we took a boat ride to see the iconic rock formations. Of all the three, my favorite was Mazatlan for its old-world charm, golden beach, and the delicious seafood. We found a Mexican restaurant with a deck/patio facing the beach. It was so relaxing to devour the Shrimp and other seafood delicacies while enjoying the ocean view and watch the locals and tourists bargaining.

    What’s your favorite part of beach towns?

  • The delights inside a cruise ship

    The delights inside a cruise ship

    In December, my family and I went on a cruise around the coast of Mexico for 7 days, with a few of our close friends. We embarked from the LA port in a luxurious Norweigian Jewel Cruiseliner. For the next 7 days, we were in the waters of the Pacific Ocean with day stopovers in three Mexican towns – Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Cabos. If you’ve been on a cruise before, you know there is never a shortage of food. What amazed me more than the sumptuous food was the incredible fruit and vegetable art and how meticulously everything was laid out in the restaurants.


    Have you been on a cruise ship? What was your favorite part?

  • Glassmaking in Cabos

    Glassmaking in Cabos

    We visited a glass factory in Cabos during our day stopover on the Norwegian cruise. The factory had a separate glassblowing area with kilns and such and a shop with all of their glass products for sale. The building itself was a work of art, decorated with colored glass. One part of the glass factory had beautiful glass mosaic floors with a fountain in the center and a glass spiraled dome roof. The shop was filled with beautiful glass ornaments, vases, light fixtures, and more. We watched a fun glass blowing demonstration where they showed us how to make a turtle sculpture. It was pretty cool to watch how the glassblowers work with the hot products, add colors to the glass and shape the glass into beautiful pieces so easily.

    Have you visited the glass factory in Cabos? What was your favorite part of the tour?

  • The shades of Cancun

    The shades of Cancun

    Last December we took a trip to Playa Del Carmen with our friends and stayed in an all-inclusive resort for 7 days. From the exquisite line up of restaurants, the beautiful blue waters, the vibrant streets lined up with shops and vendors, a day trip to the Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza(named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World), snorkelling and fun activities for the kids, we had a memorable time. Here are some of my favorite shots.

    Have you visited Cancun? What was your favorite part of the trip?

  • The life-changing magic of tidying up

    The life-changing magic of tidying up

    Book Author : Marie Kondō

    This book is an introduction to the KonMari Method, a storage and tidying method advocated by Marie Kondo, a Japanese organizing consultant.

    The premise of her process is to tackle by categories, not rooms, get rid of items that don’t ‘Spark Joy’, appreciate your possessions, the mega fold technique that makes every item in your closet easy to spot and thus fall in love with your tidy home and rediscover bliss.

    I’ve been known among my friends as the queen of keeping my home organized and clutter-free. But this book took my skills to the next level!

    Marie’s belief that an orderly space positively affects all the other aspects of our lives is something I wholeheartedly agree with.

    I read the book right after it was released in 2014 and went on a purging spree. I can assure you that the tidying transformed my life and put me in a better state of mind. The time I spend at home is more enjoyable too.