Revisiting History

A couple of pics from the last weekend when we had gone down to Central London:

The Tower Bridge

Architectural Delight

Lean On

The Half Egg

The Husband

The Monument

Most of us know about the Tower Bridge (the 1st pic) which is one of the major landmarks of London, and we were lucky to witness the lifting of the Bridge which takes place whenever there's a ship/vessel which is too big to pass under it. The whole process takes around 10-15 mins and its an interesting experience to watch it. 

The other place we saw was The Monument to the Great Fire of London, more commonly known as The Monument which is a 202 ft tall stone Roman Doric column near the northern end of London Bridge. It stands at the junction of Monument Street and Fish Street Hill, 202 ft from where the Great Fire of London started in 1666. 

People interested in history please read here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monument_to_the_Great_Fire_of_London

We climbed up the 311 steps of The Monument to see a breathtaking view of the city skyline and got a certificate after we got down from there. It was one helluva cardio workout i must say, but i sure did enjoyed the whole experience! :) 

Ta-da *drum rolls*

The Couple

A Royal Fan camps outside Westminster Abbey

Products Promotion Galore

The Dress Rehearsal Underway

As the stage is set for the Royal Wedding which is to take place tomorrow morning at the Westminster Abbey, the whole of England is going into a tizzy. The pics above are only a mere indication of what's been happening around in the last couple of days. The British government has declared it a public holiday so that people can enjoy & celebrate the royal wedding along with the Royal family. 

There are sales and discounts going on all around for people to make the most of the long weekend that's coming up, 2nd's also a holiday so that makes it 4 days! Around 5,500 street parties are being organised all around England, and 2 billion is the estimated number of people who will be watching the wedding live on television. Also, Youtube has bagged the official rights to broadcast the wedding live.

We have got some gr8 plans lined up for the weekend. We'll be catching up with all the action happening at the Royal Wedding live, as huge screens are gonna be put up at places like the Trafalgar square & Hyde Park. We'll also get a feel of the street parties, experience the excitement of the Britons. Come Saturday and i'll be off to this place called Bournemouth which is an hr away from London.

So this is me signing off for now!! Happy Weekend guys n gals, cya around. :)

Good Friday...Literally

Happy Easter to all u guys n gals!! Had a long day today, went on the Thames River Cruise which gave us a spectacular view of the London skyline (see pics below). We then went to this mall called Westfield located in West London. Spent the rest of the evening there eating and shopping and got back home by late evening. I am off to bed now...its going to be a long weekend, 1 day down, 3 more days to go! Have fun all of you. :)

Love,

Here comes the Sun!

Awake, thou wintry earth,

Fling off thy sadness!

Fair vernal flowers, laugh forth,

Your ancient gladness!

~Thomas Blackburn

And Spring arose on the garden fair,

Like the Spirit of Love felt everywhere;

And each flower and herb on Earth's dark breast,

rose from the dreams of its wintry rest.

~Percy Bysshe Shelley

Yesterday the twig was brown and bare;

Today the glint of green is there;

Tomorrow will be leaflets spare;

I know nothing so wondrous fair,

No miracle so strangely rare.

I wonder what will next be there!

~L.H. Bailey

I am happy about the fact that I'll finally get to experience spring...a season i have loved since childhood, but never really got to witness it here, in India. Hubby says the weather out there is awesome at the moment. So spring, here i come. :) I can't believe that i''ll be flying out this Friday. The atmosphere at home is sombre, and i am just trying to spread some cheer! How is it going at your end? Hope Monday is treating you well.

Stayin' Alive

I am back, feels so good to be back to my own home sweet home!! The trip was a success, and the in-laws liked me, or so, i would like to believe. ;) Felt as if i was in a different world, everything looked so familiar yet it was different in some way or the other. After all every home has a different way of functioning. I am thankful though that the change wasn't that drastic, it was pretty manageable.

Mom-in-law made sure that i was fed well at all times, and his dad used to make tea for me (now isn't that so cute!). Got to relax a lot, that was when i was not assisting mom-in-law in the kitchen and other household chores. What i loved the most was to see her flaunting me, every time we met somebody she would quickly introduce me as her 'bahu' and that how i would be flying off to UK in a week's time.

Had a look at some of the old photo albums coz i wanted to know how hubby darling used to look as a child and damn i have fallen in love with Jr. K, he was oh so adorable as a kid (i have stolen a pic already)! Took the in-laws out for dinner at a nice place, liked the pleased look on their faces. Sang songs for them coz they had never heard me sing and they never knew that their 'bahu' sang so well (talk about modesty). :P

So all in all a noteworthy trip, hence this post goes out to them, my 2nd set of parents. Now who's going to give me a hug after reading this....who else but "The Husband" (now this one's due from your side baby)!! :D ;)


Love,

We are the World

I had missed the 1st WC coz i was only 2 days old when we had won it. But today i am proud to witness this moment and loving every bit of being an Indian!! "Men in Blue", you have made us very proud and this day (2nd April 2011) will remain etched in my minds forever.


Make way for the World Champions: We are the World!

A Doofus Weekend

What do you do when u have got nothing to do on a weekend like the one just passed by? Well, u spend half the day on facebook playing silly games and commenting on every other person's status updates and pics. You try to start packing for the long impending trip and give up soon enough coz u don't know how are you going to take the truckloads of stuff that u have bought over a period of 5 yrs.

U call up a few friends and try to make some plans to catch up with them, since u know that u r not gonna meet them for the next few years, only to realise that they are too busy with their own lives to meet u. Then u remember that there were a few clothes that were supposed to be given for dry cleaning, so u rush there without any further delay, only to find the damn shop closed!

Finally, u get back home and switch on the idiot box, settle down on the couch to watch the two supposedly super hit movies (the channels would like to claim so!), namely 'Action Replayy' & 'Robot'. I can't tell you which one was worse...and no i am not a Rajini fan so i hated Robot as much as i did Action Replayy. Both the movies seemed to have one thing in common, they dint make any "sense".

The only silver lining to this dark weekend were the long conversations that i had with hubby dear discussing life, the plans we have for each other and the things that i would like to do once i am there, and the fab dinner that i had with my parents at a uber cool restaurant yesterday (yep it was from my side). The dinner ended with a gooey chocolate cake which i had been craving for since long! :)

Note: Please say a little prayer for all the people of Japan who got a rude shock on Friday in the form of an earth quake of 8.8 intensity followed by a tsunami which left nothing that came in its way. Hope god gives them the strength to get back on their feet. Dear God, please be kind and reduce the sufferings of all mankind.

The Flipside

?For all the people who wanted to see the pics, here are 3 pics in their chronological order. The first one is on the day of wedding (9th Feb) when i had just arrived at the venue from the salon, after doing my hair n make up. The next one is of the two of us on the day of our reception (12th Feb) and the last one is from our honeymoon in Goa. :) Hope u like all the 3 of them just like me!

And now coming to the big news that i was expecting a day before...and that's about my visa. Yes, the wait is finally over...my visa has arrived (the wait lasted for only 2 weeks) !! :D I can't tell you guys how tensed i was, i think that was obvious from my previous posts. Now, i can finally book my tickets and start packing to take off to London. I have quit my job as well & will be relieved very soon.

I am so glad that everything has worked out as per the original plan. I am not too much of a planner, but this time we had a plan in place and we really wanted it to work. We are truly grateful to god for making things work for us. Feels strange in a way, to think of it my days here are numbered. I am going thru mixed emotions...i am happy that i am finally going to be with my hubby coz that's where i truly belong to...and i am sad to think of the fact that i wont be here with my parents for long. :( 

I don't know what more to say...i am tongue tied. Anyways, more later...till then hope all of you have a great weekend!!

Here It Is...

I finally get to unveil the tattoo that i'd got on my ankle, three weeks before the wedding. I couldn't put this pic up here before coz it was a surprise for my hubby. I loved his reaction on seeing it, needless to say he totally loved it and it's interpretation as well. Now people, tell me what do u think does it mean? Any guesses?

Meaning of the tattoo:
?? - Angel 
? - Devilish

Marital Bliss

Hi All,

This is me posting from Goa, its been absolutely blissful so far. Life is going good, and i am taking each day as it comes. I can't seem to be finding the right words to express myself so i am leaving u with this song from 'Anjaana Anjaani' which totally matches my state of mind at the moment: 

Teri meri teri meri kahaani, Ek daastan nayi puraani,

Chori chori yeh kahaani chali hai, Thehri thi jo tere aa jane tak (2)

Tere aane se maine jaana ke, Tu hi jeene ka hai bahana, 

And I don't know why....but I feel good

Tere aane se maine jaana ke, Har safar ho gaya suhana, 

And I don't know why....but I feel good...

Har disha, rasta naya, Har kahin raahein nayi,

Meri raahein tujhe paake tujh pe hi tham gayee,

Humsafar thi magar tu hi manzil ban gayee,

Teri meri teri meri kahaani yeh raastein likhte jaye bas...

Tere aane se maine jaana ke, Tu hi jeene ka hai bahana, 

And I don't know why....but I feel good

Tere aane se maine jaana ke, Har safar ho gaya suhana, 

And I don't know why....but I feel good...

Roshni aisi mili, Raat ka chehra khila yahaan,

Andhero se gile the jo maaf woh ho gaya,

The jo maile sheeshein dil ke saaf woh ho gaye,

Teri meri teri meri kahaani, Jaise raat ko subha mil jaye bas...

Tere aane se maine jaana ke, Tu hi jeene ka hai bahana, 

And I don't know why....but I feel good

Tere aane se maine jaana ke, Har safar ho gaya suhana, 

And I don't know why....but I feel good...

Much Love,

Destined to Be

Lost in a dreamlike state, where reality and illusion are hard to distinguish, 

my love grows fonder with every second that passes. 

Overjoyed in profound amusement, when light meets dark and all is new again, 

my heart beats faster and grows with intense passion unresolved. 

Vexed in ecstatic euphoria, where secrets unfold in sweet verse, 

my gaze deepens into the eyes of the soul of the one which captivates my being. 

Engulfed in magnificent bliss, when laughter succumbs a smile, 

my senses heighten the very pleasures of which I deny myself no more. 

- Anonymous

Love what i am feeling like right now, just a week to go before we become man and wife on this very day next week. We are trying hard not to see each other, but as the wait is getting lesser with each passing day we can't help but share the excitement with each other. We met for coffee today but not before gorging on lots of mouth watering pani puri which we both so absolutely love. He says that he already feels married to me! :) I love the fact that despite being a guy he is as excited and kicked as me about the wedding. 

Anyways, time to sleep. :) Goodnight everybody and sweet dreams!

It's Happening....

Yes i need to keep saying this to myself time and again coz its hard to believe that the d'day is just 8 days from today. K and me were discussing yesterday that although we will be man n wife a few days from now, it will take a while for the feeling to sink in. This could be coz we have been in a bf-gf stage for too long or mebbe coz its hard to believe that a dream that we have been seeing from such a  long time is finally coming true! :)

The last two days disappeared into thin air, literally. He came on Saturday, i was there to  pick him up at the airport....We reached home, spent some time with each other and then  we went off to shop. The last 2 days were totally dedicated to his shopping as it was not possible for him to do the same in London. We had made a list of things to be bought, just in case we forgot something. I have shopped so many times before, but this time it was different. 

By yesterday evening, we were done with the entire list of things which included a sherwani, a suit, shirts, ties, shoes, a watch for both of us, perfumes, cuff links (yes he has started wearing cuff links ever since he's gone to UK, and trust me he looks hot in them!), i have always felt that he looks really good in formals. :) We took some time off to blow the stress at a pub on Saturday night, and we also saw 127 hours on Sunday night (i know it wasn't a very good choice for a couple but i had heard a lot about the movie, so had to see it). Liked the movie even though it got a bit sanguine by the end. 

And here we are in Bhubaneswar, amidst the melee of people who are diligently working towards our wedding, it feels good n strange in a way. In fact when we were in the flight today, i was telling K how it still feels as if i am in a dream! But i know its not a dream...and all this is happening for real. 

So this is me, the bride to be signing off as of now. Will keep u all posted on all the events happening around me. :) I may or may not be able to read all your blogs, so please do excuse me for that.

Love,

Ria

Me is Lovin It!

I have never been so happy on a Monday morning....Yes i have to go on record to say this coz anybody who knows me would know, how much do i sulk about Mondays. But today seems to be a special day or at least it appears to be so for me. Let me tell u where does all this happiness stem from, I had a wonderfully awesome and eventful weekend.

First things first, i got X-tenso Moisturist done, well to put it in plain words (for all the men who don't know) its the latest treatment in hair straightening by Loreal. And the result, silky straight hair which looks so natural and shiny that i just can't stop touching my hair (psst...my hubby to be loves me with the straight hair look, so this is me for u baby!). *kisses*

And now coming to the 2nd and most exciting thing, i finally got a permanent tattoo yesterday. I am really sorry that i can't go into details coz i don't want my guy to know anything more than this (yes he reads my blog regularly). Its a surprise for him and even though he knows that i got a tattoo, he doesn't know where and what exactly it is. :)

Before anybody asks, let me tell you that it did hurt but not as much as i had expected it to. It's still in the healing phase and it needs to be bandaged for at least the 1st two days. I have been told that it will take around a week for it to heal completely. I must say that this time i have managed to surprise myself too by taking this decision, i was never that keen on getting a permanent tattoo.

Besides, i never really thought that it was worth the pain...but last week i got this discount voucher for a tattoo lounge which happened to be in the same area where i live. Something in me made me go and see the man who eventually managed to convince me to get one. And man was he good!

Not only is he into this line from the past 15 yrs, he's also a chemical engineer from University of Maryland, he's got a pharma factory, and he's also a trained psychologist! Talk about being multi-faceted, he could actually say what would look best on me based on my nature and behavior & he gave me a tattoo which i will cherish for a long time to come.

So this is a happy me signing off for now! *singing kaisa lagta hai, achcha lagta hai...from the Hindi film Baaghi*

I Dream Of....

I am a bit out of words for the day so i am expressing myself through these pics. Hope u like them. Wish you all a great week ahead. :)

Much Love,
Ria

All I Want for Christmas....

First of all, wish each one of you a very happy & blessed Christmas. I am on leave the whole of next week and i am pretty kicked about the fact, coz i have not taken an off for Christmas and New Year in the past 4 years! Anyways, i have some pretty interesting things lined up in the coming week. For starters i am going for a picnic tomorrow and will be out the whole day with my family. :)

Sunday will be spent mostly at home reading & relaxing (have got my hands on a Sidney Sheldon novel), come Monday and i am off to a private party to celebrate the ring exchanging ceremony of a dear friend. I'll be attending the Wedding & Reception of the same friend on Wednesday. And Friday has to be the best, as i'll be attending a Pool side Party to ring in the New Year.

Another cool thing to happen is that, i had participated in a contest at a friend's blog a couple of days back and had quite forgotten about the same. I was least expecting to win as there were many other impressive entries. But guess what? I just got a mail yesterday night that i am one of the two chosen winners!! :) The gift hamper is on it's way now. I think i have got more than my share of goodies and happiness, and i don't have anything more to ask for.

All of you have a gr8 weekend, full of fun and festivities! Just one question, what is it that you would like to ask from Santa this Christmas?

Wise Wednesday

Have a blissful week ahead!! I am so looking forward to the long weekend, and you?