Lost ticket scare

This morning, I was losing my mind as I frantically searched for my train tickets for the East India vacay! How can someone lose five tickets being showed off at Skype just two nights before?! The answer: forgetfulness blamed on stress and lack of sleep!

Ok, ok. Erase the stress part. My stress levels, I believe, is gradually going down as I have completed most of my tasks for YUVA Urban and for VSO and I have already secured my tickets for the five inter-state trains spanning thousands of kilometers and tens of hours on a non-ac sleeper class triple bunk. As Amanda commented on the Indian Rail system, "I'm just so amazed that it works!"

I sooooo love bus commuting

Three hours after I left the centre, I am still sitting on a bus, traveling. In days like this, I miss the overcrowded and dilapidated killer buses ruling EDSA in Metro Manila. For the simple reason that they are available in multitudes, almost 24/7.

It was the first time that I have taken an AC bus from Kharghar to, well at least I though I was heading to, Dadar. After almost an hour's waiting at the train station for the CST-bound train that never arrived, I decided to catch the bus. I actually wanted to take the Thane-bound train then catch a fast rain to Dadar but was advised by colleagues not to do so.

The Agra Fort and Taj Mahal on Video

9 September 2012

It's really about Agra Fort and Taj Mahal. This sounds like "World's Funniest Home Video" to me but how else can I put it? :)

Here are some clips I took during my trip to Delhi and then to Agra and Taj Mahal. The playlist includes videos from Agra Fort, blog yet to be written, and several videos of Taj Mahal from the entrance to a bit of a close-up. Enjoy!

The Taj Mahal - Finally!

9 September 2012

Before coming to India, I only know a few things about this sub-continent and what stands out among these is the Taj Mahal. I barely know the story about Taj Mahal before I came here, only that it is a must-see monument, one of the seven wonders of the world.

Oh hello there!

Bodh Gaya: the journey to Nirvana

30 September 2012

Ok. Actually, I just can't think of an apt title at this moment that I am writing this. Hahaha :) But, yeah, you can pretty much say that this post indeed is about the journey of Buddha, not necessarily into Nirvana but in the achievement of enlightenment. Also, this will be about the journey of me, Juls and Amanda as we tried to understand what Buddhism is and how it has began here in India.

my favorite of the snaps at Bodh Gaya:
the "pilgrims" with the Giant Buddha

Stress Attack like five years back

While I was lying on the mat thrown over the conference room floor and everyone surrounding me while massaging my numbing limbs, feeding me biscuits and making me drink sweet an salty water all the while telling me to relax, all I can think about was the scene more than five years ago when I have suffered from the same, uhm, condition.

Back then, the stress and lack of sleep and a more or less blatant disregard for meal timings was due to an unfinished undergraduate thesis and woes of college and org life. Today, it was mainly due to worries about my tasks at hand, which I need to complete if I dared dream of a long Eastern holiday next week, coupled with tiredness from the almost daily 3-hour journey to an from my Mumbai office and my place in its neighboring twin city. Maybe it's also because of the hassle and also partly due to again, an almost blatant disregard for eating on time and healthily.

Vitamin C overload

Weather in Bombay has been very weird recently. From what was dubbed as the worst monsoon season to an abrupt change towards higher temp and humidity, everyone thought the rain's almost over.

I left Mumbai on a rather hot evening as I made my way to an even hotter Bihar morning 30 hours after. With the unforgiving heat in Bodh Gaya and a more understanding Varanasi weather, I thought my body will adjust well upon my return to a supposedly hot and humid Bombay. While on the way though through rural Maharashtra, the wind was cool and there was even mist from the rain that has just abated. While it was a pleasant train journey, what I was more concerned of is how my body would react. True enough,y fear was not unfounded as the next day, I started sneezing and coughing.

Well, actually, it wasn't just me. As the wearer has been erratic ie. rain then heat then more rain then hotter heat, pretty much half of the office are exchanging dry cough sounds. I guess coupled with a still weak immune system, I am more susceptible than the rest of the team.