Weary

You are but what I am,

Comprenez-vous?

Making wishes since very long,

Saw them all disappear behind moist eyes.

Like the feeling you get in a train,

Watching the landscape fly past,

And you yearn for that one glimpse, 

That one elusive nameless something.

Drowning is imminent,

No drinks, no pot, 

Just a lot of mundane routines,

I still hear your sounds, 

But you never gave me that one look.

You never gave me that one smile,

It's reserved for someone special, I'd say.

And I craved like a fool looking for the riches.

Persistent-pessimist, someone calls me,

The sun is tired, and so am I.

Lets Kill All the Lies

Brutal honesty is no balm, 

And little did I know

That the gospel would shatter my calm.

Collecting the scarred fragments of the heart,

I will seal it, but it weighs the mind down.

Lessons have always been tough,

And I'm a reluctant learner.

But now I know,

The light at the end of the rainbow had faded a long time ago.

The dream had died, and the warmth had burnt itself out.

But I refused to buy any doubt.

I always liked to play make-believe, 

And now I wish I could tell the child

Its better not to grow up, the world is teeming with thieves.

A cruel glance, a flick of the chin.

That will be enough to let you know.

That it was ever so easy,

To make me let go.

A gulp, and the tears are swallowed,

And nobody's the wiser because none saw and no one heard.

Are you against Corruption? Really?

When my fellow Indians are united in their show of support to Mr Anna Hazare, I am now wondering what cause are they exactly supporting. Is it merely being reduced to a show of status messages on Facebook or is it really a fight against corruption or now as it is being called- India's second struggle for independence. Really now, this is bordering on the corny.

Corruption as being understood now is narrowly construed as being involved in bribery but what about the corruption that we blatantly and willingly do when we refuse to exercise our right to vote. Just supporting Hazare's cause and believing that it is time to bring about a change is foolhardy. When words have to be translated to action, very few stand up to be counted.

I have become increasingly disillusioned by Anna Hazare's campaign of India against corruption. Here is a man who was initially known for changing the face of Ralegaon Siddhi and also the recipient of the Padma Bhushan. But hunt for the stories behind this and you will find a dangerously authoritarian man who preaches Gandhi but doesn't blink an eye while endorsing public flogging. People in the village are not permitted to listen or view films, television programs, they aren't allowed to consume meat because it is unbrahminical to do so. People are only allowed to listen to religious music. People acquiesce to these decision due to fear. So is this the kind of democracy that Hazare is rooting for?

By not supporting Hazare's crusade against corruption doesn't make me a supporter of UPA, the opposition or any other political party. I do not subscribe to any political ideology but this disenchantment is harder to ignore by the day. The government's charges against Hazare exposing his 'corruption' is certainly laughable and just goes to show how the hapless government is now jumping on any opportunity to discredit Hazare and his creed. To call it a circus also doesn't do justice to the kind of rigmarole playing out on our television sets.

The very middle class who is miffed at the abstract notion of black money is in support of the movement which has fast yet again turned into an elitist middle class event. Where is this middle class when it comes to paying a wee little bit of money to speed up their work or to escape the clutches of the traffic policeman? What people are actually doing is registering their disdain for an utterly incompetent government. It is quite clear that Hazare's movement is a way to vent their frustration against our hapless government.

Corruption has reached such alarming proportions due to wicked policies that are always anti-people. Cleverly disguised under words such as development and liberalisation, all our resources of land and water have been siphoned off while our people have become refugees 10 times over. How many of us know that Medha Patkar is fasting against the eviction of people from the slums in Mumbai? Irom Sharmila has completed 11 years of fasting now. Aren't they all too fighting against apathetic instititutions? Are their fasts going to just be in vain? I wish there was a way to get rid of the government, pull them down. But what are the other options? The opposition seems to be grappling with its own internal problems. It's akin to being caught between the devil and the deep sea.

This is not a critique of Hazare or the Government (though the government deserves a more violent diatribe) nor am I self-styling myself to be a saint. If there is a chance self introspection take it. I end with a small incident. Recently, late at night I was headed back home. Just the fact that it is the night doesn't give one the right to speed through one-way stretches. If I wouldn't have braked and swerved in the nick of time, it would have been catastrophic. Isn't that too being corrupt too? How in the world does the other person get the authority to play with my life? Corruption as I see it is not just about exchange of bribes. Corruption transcends all these perceptions and in the end rests at moral corruption. And in the end who is to know whether the committee created by the Jan Lok Pal Bill will be devoid of corruption. Who is to say that this committee will be totally free of being dishonest. Who watches over them? What justifies resting so much power in the committee?

Power corrupts, doesn't it? In the meantime, the hunt for an all encompassing solution continues. But that is being too optimistic, isn't it

Wings on the Feet

Cities have a strange way of growing on you. All the exploring to do gives me a high- figuring out the ways, asking for directions and inevitably, also the getting lost in strange streets. Having spent 23 years of my life in my home city Pune, moving out to Bangalore was a dream come true. The freedom along with the responsibility was something that I managed very smoothly. There were no growing up pains and I quite enjoyed living alone. I would wait eagerly for the weekends wherein I would escape into a different part of the town every time. One day there was the old part of Malleshwaram to explore while another time it was the Russel Market in Shivajinagar. Armed with a camera and loads of water, I played the part of an enthralled tourist to perfection. Curiously, I did not miss my home town at all. Agreed, Pune has its own charm but it had got kind of tiresome roaming around the same places and meeting the same set of people.

Having spent 5 months in Bangalore, I then did another month-long stint in Delhi. Again the same kind of excitement and joyousness swept over me. Delhi was a place that I had always longed to go to- a peculiar longing mixed with romantic notions that were never to be. But keeping that aside, Delhi was all that I wanted it to be and much more. June is one of the most nasty months to be in Delhi. But I certainly couldn't care less. All the rivers of sweat notwithstanding, I still feel that I left a part of me over there. The jostling around on the streets, navigating the crowds while keeping in mind the many warnings about the unsafe nature of Delhi...all of them are now relegated to a special corner of my memory bank. Now keeping the memories safe for another day when I can go back to savour all those moments once again. Cities are because of its people and this is what I enjoy the most.

All this travelling around makes me feel very light. Now that I am back home, I can't wait to pack my bags and set off again on some new road once again. I wish I had wings on my feet. Places entice and I sigh.

Cities touch. Cities ignite.

Delhi Diaries

One day old in Delhi. I cannot believe it that I am finally here. Previous plans to Delhi  have always got cancelled. But this time, things fell into place and finally I am here!

I am here for a month long sojourn attending a course. The course was just a reason for me to visit Delhi and my primary aim is to jaunt around the city as much as possible. Besides, my friend too is doing the course with me, so loneliness is also kept at bay.

The Metro

Our first stop was the Akshardham Temple. Now I am no temple tourist and never willingly visit temples unless I feel a pull. But this was different. A new city needs explored and for me any place will do. Plus there was the added attraction of travelling in the metro which for some unknown made me feel cool, snooty and clever. I also felt like clapping my hands and jumping up each time metro reached a station.

From the Metro Station

Cars taking darshan

So Akshardham wasn't all that great. I just felt it to be a religious gimmick thriving on people's faith and money. We didn't get tickets for the exhibition, the boat ride and the robotic shows (Each ticket Rs. 200) but I didn't feel as if I missed much.  Instead we sat through the fountain show- (Each ticket priced at Rs. 30 and attended by scores of people). Other than being a dance of light, water and smoke this too isn't as spectacular as much as the hype that was created. Or am I missing something here? 

I just saw a lot of money being taken from people and just felt that religion is an extremely profitable business. So much for being the largest Hindu temple in the world. I still don't get the point. The best part about Akshardham was the number of languages that fell on our ears. Right from punjabi, gujrati, marathi, bengali, tamil and a number of others. People flock here just about from everywhere.

Moving on, we ended up making friends with a cycle-rickshawala. Got talking to him and came to know that they make an honest hard day's work. Cycling on bad roads, being bullied by the six-seater rickshaws and the worst I felt was the uphill cycling. I felt bad bargaining with them about the fare but that's how it is.

Crossing into U.P. on and off...being greeted by Mayawati 

Connaught Place was yet again a different story. It is daunting for a first timer to venture out there alone. The directions at the metro station (Rajiv Chowk) are very good and precise-only if you know where you have to go. We, having no fixed agenda just decided to amble along the inner ring road.  Most of the shops were just starting to open up (this at 11.30 in the morning!), found a ear-ring seller and bought a couple of pairs (people who know my fetish for ear-rings, it's obvious what I would do first!), found PVR Plaza where we am going for a film festival on Thursday and discovered a quaint little shop that serves awesome milkshakes in huge bottles all for 40 bucks.

The ubiquitous waterwallas dotted all over the city

 

CP  :)

Newspapers from La Francaise, Deutchland...all March editions.

No tobacco for under 18

English Dairy- Serves only North Indian cuisine

My meal

Palika Bazaar beckoned enticingly but my hosts had warned us against going there because of a crude crowd. It's not that we were fearful in going there but we reckoned that it's in our own interest that we stay away from unpleasant situations.

Coming back we found the same rickshawala and he dropped us back home. Today we are shifting from Vasundhara Enclave to our hostel at Sainik Farms. More to see, more to take in.

Cheers to exploring!

This is not a diatribe

I protest. Strongly. A low comedy played out today and it was too absurd even to evict any emotion resembling laughter. Our final presentations were scheduled today and a person no less than our very own HOD walked in to evaluate the students. After months of intense hard work I was looking forward to the presentations because I was looking for feedback on my work and it was an opportunity to share my experiences with my classmates.

My presentation was the first one that she evaluated. I was expecting a fair and critical analysis from the evaluators with concrete suggestions that we could incorporate in our work in the future. But what transpired was very different from my expectations.

It all started because I had essentially carried out research in the social sciences and the HOD has a chemistry background fortified by the rigors of laboratory work and being buried under piles of unnecessary paper work.

But that shouldn't make a difference, should it? Inspite of being from a pure science background, she could have been more open to the fact that research in social science is possible. She refused to believe that data in social science is generated by talking to people, by taking into account people's perceptions and relying on independent observations. Why else would it be called a 'social' science then? Her eyebrows were in danger of disappearing into her hair when I informed her that I generated primary data by interviewing people. Why else would it be called primary data?

She expressed extreme surprise, astonishment and dismissed my entire work because I spent only 21 days doing field work. How could I explain to her that I encountered conditions where I had to eat food infested with rat shit and cockroaches and that some nights I went without food as I was too disgusted to eat the crap anymore? But I am digressing here. Why does the number of days that I spend on field matter as long as I collect data that is reliable and proves my hypothesis right? It is immaterial whether I spend 10 days or 30 days. All the days of walking for 10 kms everyday for long hours in the sun boiled down to this. The quality of the time spent should matter and not the quantity.

She was also disbelieving of the fact that I conducted 50 interviews and that each interview consisted of nearly 200 closed and open ended questions. She expected me to list all the questions on the slides that I had prepared. Really now, come on!

According to her, I spending 21 days on field for my work is very less because a period of 6 months is granted to us. Just to make it clear- we are granted only 4 months out of which the major chunk is spent in conducting a literature review, working out and managing the logistics of the field visit, scheduling interviews, framing relevant questions to be included in the questionnaire and analysing data.

Another problematic area was the classification of my respondents. I had used the standard method of classification where respondents are grouped in categories based on the amount of land that they possess.

Large Farmers: >10 acres

Medium Farmers: 5-10 acres

Small Farmers: 0.01-5 acres

Herders

Landless

This is the protocol followed in my field of interest (watershed development). She said that this kind of classification is wrong because a farmer cannot be large, medium or small in the real sense. Really madam, your quibbling over semantics exposed your pettiness and your scientific approach. Pray,  where is the logic?

And it is not just about me. When another student gave her presentation, our HOD was disbelieving that Self Help Groups are formed by NGOs in areas where watershed development projects are carried out to bring the community together. Her ignorance can be forgiven but not her arrogance.

She was keen to drive home the point that conducting a thesis out of the University is an exercise in futility as students end up having a gala time outside their homes. Sorry, this did not hold true in majority of my classmates. We got an opportunity to step out of the hallowed precincts of our department and explore the world outside. Unfortunately she sees that as a waste of time and now has scrapped this system for our juniors who will be expected to conduct their projects under faculty (which is virtually non-existent and the few that are there are incompetent) who are all from the chemistry background. They will be expected to perfect their skills in titration, BOD and COD estimation, chromatography and the like. Now I don't have anything against laboratory work. I myself come from a pure science background and I just discovered my calling pulling me in another direction. But I believe that our HOD needs to wake and understand that research in pure science and social science is complementary to each other. Research is but not limited to sitting for long hours in the laboratory where one has to prepare chemicals and medium, autoclave and sterilize instruments, incubate microorganisms, etc. She dismissed the fields of anthropology, history and ethnography in a wave of her hand. She believes that what people say is not does not come under the realm of hard and verifiable facts. Of course she doesn't know that there are certain methods used in social science to verify what people say. Like I said, her ignorance can be forgiven.

To be fair, there was another evaluator who despite being an ecologist asked me fair and pertinent questions about my work. She was neither judgmental nor did she have any preconceived biases against the social sciences. She interrogated me in a way that could be called real defense. My close friend gave her presentation before mine in which the HOD was not present and even she had conducted her research in the domain of the social sciences. This evaluator was fair to her too and asked very pointed and relevant questions. 

This is not a personal vendetta against our HOD. It is just a ranting by a frustrated student who is caught is the grasp of people who come from a peculiar mindset that looks down upon the social sciences. It speaks volumes about the encouragement the department provides when people try to do something other than spending time in the closed and controlled conditions of the laboratory.

I will be giving a seminar shortly where I work and I believe that this will be where that I will be truly evaluated. The faculty here come from varied backgrounds but they are not dismissive about other fields. They listen and understand and encourage research from all fields. It is progressive while my department seems to be stepping into the middle ages with their initiatives of scrapping the policy of conducting projects outside Pune. She thinks that we have wasted our time having 'fun'. Stepping out of my department have opened up new avenues for me. I have learnt what it means to work in the field of academics and it was like a breath of fresh air after the unnecessary hurdles of slow and lumbering pace of work of our department.

And this wasn't true only for me. I being from a city decided to spend 4 months of my time someplace else all because of the opportunities that open up when one is out of one's comfort zone. There are some people in my class who come from rural Maharashtra and they worked in institutes like ISRO and it has done wonders for their confidence.

However, our HOD is quite determined to believe otherwise.

All is not all right in this world and the injustice rankles. I wish that I could proudly state that I have done my Masters from this department. But even I am determined to believe otherwise.

And so I rest my case.

Fliey and Spidey

Dangles the spider in the air,

The flies buzz around without a care.

Lands the spider on the ground,

Now with excitement, the flies jump around.

Evil thoughts in Mr. Spidey's head,

Flies equals food, it's appettite's whet.

The flies unaware show-off their jazz,

Oh flies have a care! But they just say, “Shut up, you ass!”

Bold little Fliey gets very close

to bad tempered Mr. Spidey's nose.

Spidey's gone without food for more than a day,

And here is this juicy fly popping right into his way!

Pleased Mr. Spidey doesn't move a hair,

No sign of a twitch, this gives Fliey some more dare.

It itches to touch Mr. Spidey's back,

It lunges forward, it's head must have a crack.

Mr. Spidey bids his chance.

Readies himself without a second glance.

Fly and Spider in mid air meet,

And that's how they for the first time greet.

Little Fliey gets an inking of fear.

“Please!”, it cries out, “Spidey be a dear”.

But evil Spidey opens wide his mouth,

And the other flies stand as still as dead trouts.

Fliey in Spidey's grip!

The other flies scarper helter-skelter,

Now scared, they tumble over each other.

Spidey looks at them with glee,

He's so happy that he wants to pee!

A song the flies sing, an ode to their friend of bold.

Little Fliey's bravery will never go untold.

Though he was brave, it's a lesson for the rest,

Never mess with Spidey, that's what would be best.

Fliey being digested by Spidey! YYUM YUM!

Spidey with his cunning running strong,

He turns and thinks that he can do no wrong.

Just then a human foot alights,

And that's the end of Mr. Spidey's life

Poof-Off Again!

I am going back to my field area again (Basavakalyan) :)

I am going all alone with no one to guide me this time :(

It has always been my dream to travel in the heart of rural India alone :)

The temperature in Basavakalyan is going to hit 40 :(

I am eager to meet the children at the orphanage and also Malgudi type uncle-Kishan Kaka :)

My trip got planned after a lot of anxious moments as I couldn't find a field assistant :(

I have now found 3 field assistants and I hope I get along with them :)

My bags are yet to be packed, I have to make photocopies of my questionnaires, I have to have one last discussion with my advisor and I don't know the pick up point of my bus :(

But I know that the journey is more that 13 hours and I don't have my berth on the wheel this time :)

Though I am leaving in a rush, I still feel that I am much better prepared than last time :)

Children in an Indian Village

Place- Sastapur Village,
Basavakalyan Taluka,
Bidar District,
Karnataka, India

I have been meaning to pen down my thoughts about my time spent in my study area since a very long time but somehow the words wouldn't flow out straight. I saw a lot of things and and it somehow confused me. I went down to field with no pre-conceived notions. My advisor had warned me innumerable number of times to get rid of any biases that I may possess.

Happy..Simple joys

The NGO that hosts me also runs an orphanage. This is not any 'ordinary' orphanage in the real sense of the term. The children who live here are either school dropouts, or children who work as labour on farms or children who are just too poor enough to afford going to school. And these children are around 25 boys ranging from 5 years to 14 years. The NGO trains them for a year and then helps them with admissions into primary schools. Girls still don't have the privilege to be a part of such an institution as it is difficult to convince the parents that girls also need to study. It is indeed a luxury to go to school when one can rather contribute by earning wages by working on the fields. 

The day begins for them at 5 am. They get up with a lot of clamour as all children do and start rushing off to start the day's work. They have to clean the compounds, bring in the vegetables, wash the rice (in a huge cauldron like vessel), wash their clothes and then take a bath at the community tap. Then at 8 they start their breakfast after a quick prayer to Annadatta. It's time for studies after this which continues till lunch time.

Bathing!

After lunch they have some respite from the rigor of their studies and they sit around trying to complete some sums or just 'read'. It sure was fun to watch them play kabaddi one evening. By 5 it's again back to studies till 10 in the night with a short break for dinner. The kids are a disciplined lot. They obey their master who doesn't refrain from using his cane liberally. They fear their elders and flinch when spoken to. 

Prayers before dinner

I looked at the kids hard for 2 days before I ventured out to speak and play with them. I could only think that city kids are such a privileged lot and I was so thankful that I was lucky enough to receive the 'benefits' of living in a city and well, not a life like these kids.

On my last night I was invited to teach the children some English so that it would inspire them to keep trying to learn it. The logic being that an outsider would have greater impact on the kids rather than someone close harping about its importance day in and day out. I hesitated at first thinking that I didn't in any way want to play a part in already burdening the children but after some insistence I gave in and went.

It was 10 pm. The kids looked dead sleepy to me. A bunch of 5 kids were made to sit upfront because they were 'better' in English that the rest of the class. I mulled over what to teach such a lot because I was sure that hardly anything would make sense to them when all they wanted to do was sleep. Having no choice I started by telling them about seasons. The response was overwhelming. I could see no trace of their sleepiness and they were just so eager to soak in any bit of knowledge that came their way. Maybe the night was playing games with me.

In the classroom

The kids were very willing to sing songs so we started with Jack and Jill and Hum honge kaamyaab. And they just loved it. They followed the tone of my voice and the actions of Jack and Jill sent them into thrills.

Song singing-still looking fearful

Before leaving one boy who was 'better' at English asked me, "Tumchya sarka English bolayla kay karava lagta?" That is the point when a lot of conflicting emotions hit me-I was so touched and glad they they have the hunger to learn and yet saddened by the fact that though the hunger exists, the opportunities were not going to be easy to come by.

I say this because they previous day in one of the villages I saw one kid in his uniform roaming in the village while the rest of the children were in school. I asked him why he wasn't in school. Pat came the reply, ''Today I had to go on the field to work with my parents''.

Though these kids will be sent to school in June, there is no guarantee that they will remain in school. For most it will be back to the fields. 

The Story of the Garbage and Open Sewers | iJanaagraha

The Story of the Garbage and Open Sewers | iJanaagraha

A piece that I wrote. Check the link.

The Forest People

My interest in knowing the lives of field assistants began in December when I met Karan in the Annamalai Wildlife Sanctuary a.k.a Indira Gandhi Wildlife Park. Karan is a forest guard and also doubles up as a guide and a field assistant according to demand. He is adept at guiding people and helping them spot wildlife. He knows the roosting spots of birds, the time a particular bird is expected to  give out it's call and thus is of tremendous help to visitors and scientists who come to study and learn about the forest. We started conversing when I had to play translator for our group leader who would speak in English and Karan who would speak in Tamil. He was very surprised by the fact that I was born in Maharashtra and yet could speak Tamil.

In conversation with Karan

Karan is as dark as the night as his teeth are yellow and betel stained. He has an air of pride about himself and a quiet confidence. Pride because his years spent in the forests has made him indispensable to the many scientists and students that come to the forest for research and wildlife trails. He could 'hear' sounds before any of us could even sense the presence of any movement. He could spot birds so well camouflaged with his old but sharp eyes. We got talking eventually and he told me that visitors are so impressed with his skills that they most of them have present him with bird books, binoculars and other paraphernalia when they leave. These people have respected him. He said that though he cannot read or write English he has picked up enough from the visitors and now he has even taught himself to read so that he could make use of the Bird books. Karan was born and brought up in the Annamalai Forest and he knows every inch of the forest like the back of his hand.

He has made sure that his 2 children are well educated. He takes great pride in the fact that his elder daughter has completed her B.Ed and his younger son studies 'properly' in school. He is also happy with his life. He doesn't ever want to leave the forest he says but he also doesn't want his son to end up like him. He wants a better job and future for his son and daughter.

Once he came with us into the interior of the Forest to the Elephant Camp and then back again to our camp site in the bus. Night had set in by then and the forest took on a scary and mysterious appearance. Shadows seemed longer, menacing and threatening. Annamalai was playing up to its reputation of being the dark forest that it was, abiding with hidden secrets. He then told me that now he has to again go back to the camp on foot. The distance was more than 10 kms and then night seemed deadly cold. He said that he will enjoy the walk back and all I could think was how brave he was!

Karan also made sure to train his juniors who accompanied with him. He would teach them to hear calls and would also scold them in a fatherly manner if they wouldn't walk lightly like him. It was evident that they were not from the forest like him. He would then crack jokes with them and they all would listen when he would speak. 

People like him are indispensable for researchers and people who come on nature trails. Scores of dissertations are completed because of them. Their income also depends on research projects which again are time-bound. I wondered how they supplement their meagre income when projects wind-up and finish. They deserve much more recognition than a fluctuating supply of cash and a passing reference in the acknowledgements section.

The day we left Karan wasn't around and so I couldn't tell him goodbye. I wanted to tell him that I was really grateful for the time he spent with us. He had given me a lot to think about and I realised that the forests speak to us through them..and thus we learn.

3 weeks in Bangalore and counting

Nothing can be more exciting than moving to a new city. The 3 S's (sights, sounds and smells) have to be imbibed all over again. I set off on my new city mission just a couple of days into the new year so moving into a new city was doubly exciting. Too much new stuff.
As I journeyed from Bangalore City Railway Station to Shrirampur I was thrilled by the bustling in the city. I was eager to dump all my luggage and jump off and go exploring. All the new routes to be learnt, quaint shops to be chanced upon, favourite places to be discovered. Aaah each thought set me up on a high.
My weekdays are very busy here. Every morning my roomie and me set off at 9.00 am to catch our shuttle bus for work. It makes us feel very important because we both are playing adults now. From buying our groceries, cooking, going for work and all in all we are carrying an important air about us. Smug really. I too have gotten more responsible. I can't seem to find trace of the lazy bum that I left home. I get up early, prepare my breakfast, clean my room and am always ready on time. My mum's efficiency has left it's mark on me. Thanks mum.
The weekends are a different story all together. The days are spent roaming the length and breadth of some place till my legs give way. The first weekend my friend and me had a leisurely brunch at the IISc Prakurthi Canteen and watched some monkeys play haovoc with food. Later we ambled all over Malleshwaram. We found a second hand bookstore and I bought a Wodehouse and English, August for myself-something that I had been waiting to read since a very long time. We ate yummy apple cakes and bought Moong Dal Halwa from Asha Sweets (Yum Yum!).  And later we rested in Sankey Tank looking at the water and the birds and gossiping after a very long time. My day was made.
The next weekend my roomie and I set off to Shivajinagar. Here too we roamed all over Commercial Street, Brigade Road and Chuch Road in search of the elusive Blossoms Bookstore. We tired out eventually with no luck and then we chanced upon Russel Market. I couldn't resist and plunged inside. And we again out on our adult demeanours to shop and bargain for some veggies. The day was awesome all in all.
And yesterday I finally met my sister. Co-incidentally we both got to work in the same city for the same time period. Real Sisters ??? :) She took care of me like always and I became her baby sister again. Now once again I'm off to be wrapped up under her wing again. Sisters are the best darlings in the world. Nothing comes close.