A Magical comeback

When just about everything was going wrong, YOU KNOW WHO rescued Skeety?
No prizes for guessing JKR did it.
The Tales of Beedle the Bard is the latest offering from the author who penned the 7 series Harry Potter stories. Skeety picked it up on Day 1, as per the ritual followed by all Potter fans (Skeety can never decide if she is a Potter fan or a Rowling fan) worldwide.
Rowling is back with this book containing five oh-so-lovely fairytales along with footnotes from none other than Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore.
Skeety has finished reading Chapter 1 so far. A confession- Skeety reads all Rowling books as slowly as she can, lest they are done with in a jiffy, and Skeety is left craving for more magic.
It is indeed a little cute and silly that Skeety keeps looking at, and touching the book whenever she happens to pass by it. The reason being the cover is as much a STUNNER in itself as are the contents.
Skeety found herself smiling for a good number of hours when she got this book :)
Here's a picture for you to oggle at :P
This book has played a crucial role in assisting Harry, Ron and Hermione, to wipe away Lord Voldemort.
The Tales of Beedle the Bard has been translated from the original runes by Hermione Granger. In 2007, JK Rowling came out with seven copies of The Tales of Beedle the Bard. Each was handwritten and illustrated on vellum, bound in brown morocco leather and mounted with different semi-precious stones (How Skeety wishes Rowling gave her one such book). Six of the books were given by the author to those most closely connected to the Harry Potter books over past 17 years; the seventh was given to Children's High Level Group and auctioned by the charity at Sotheby’s in London.
Life is getting better.

If Only

Rolls of laughter...

Leg pulling throughout the day...

Lots of love and warmth, you did spray...

You may have left us, your memories will never keep us away...

I'd even let you have your say, and call me a 'kid' in your very own special way...

If only God would let me have my way....
(In loving memory of a dear friend)

R.I.P. dear Kitty

There shall be light and...

a post SOON...

Updates, updates and more updates!!!
Skeets has been well...
Skeets been to Kasauli and is back to Delhi...
Skeets has a lot to share...
Skeets ain't suffering from no writer's block or whatever they call it...
Skeets is much busier than usual but does not see that as a reason not to update...
Skeets doesn't have access to the internet from home...
Skeets shall be fixing that VERY soon...
Skeets shall have this place all happy and chirpy...
Skeets misses writing here a lot...Till then...

Here's Skeety wishing a Happy Diwali, Happy Halloween and a joyous festive season to all her blog buddies :)

London through my Lens: ALL in a day

Dated June 24, 2008

She doesn't let me free,
Lest I flee
Or worse I go and drink a pan full of hot T... (T-pan..wink wink for those who know)

Ok ok this was not-so-funny.
But what was funny was that one fine day when Skeety was in London, she wanted to go about alone. And The Little One wouldn't let her go for the fear that Skeets might get lost or run into trouble.
Logic worked fine here. Skeets does run into funny situations but doesn't mean she can't take care. Infact, when she is alone, she is MORE wary of whatever is happening around her, than she is when accompanied by family or friends.
Anyway after all the catfight and more Skeets turned to be the winner and was free to go out and explore London on her own.
Bus Number 427 to Ealing and there onwards a tube to Central London (Little One are you listening? Skeety still remembers this route and all others :p )
Wasn't really a good day for Skeets mood-wise, but Skeets turned it into one of the best days she could give herself...
What Skeets likes best when she's on her own is:
*She can explore as much of the place she is in, as she wants...
*She doesn't feel bad about the other person (in this case The Little One) being tired but still having to bear with her...
*She is not answerable to anyone about any of her acts which might be deemed to be funny by others...
*Being on your own gives you a chance to explore your head like anything...pending thoughts that need pondering...pending talks with the self and so on...
*Best of all, Skeets loves her own company more than anyone else's...

Back to June 24...
Skeets' head full o' thoughts...went out in search of peace for the mind...
A three-four hour long walk through the greens and others colours of Hyde Park... a softy down... lots of questions answered by the self to the self... lots of pictures clicked of the self and all that surrounded...lovely leaves...huge trees...people enjoying a lazy afternoon...others working out...practising outdoor sports to achieve perfection...when one sees all this happening around...life sure does look beautiful...

Skeeter's next stop was St.Paul's Cathedral.
Situated in the heart of London is St.Paul's Cathedral, is the seat of the Bishop of London city. It is said to be situated on the same site where a church by the same name stood before it was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666.

This dome was inspired by St. Peter's Basilica in Rome:


Below is The Great West Door which is also the main entry to point of the Cathedral.

And last but not the least, as Skeets was returning home she was awarded a free summer show which took place just outside St.Paul's.

Phewww long post. Was long pending.
Adios till we meet again!

Murky trails...

While travelling to work the other day, Skeety saw this Ogre of a car swoosh past the water-clogged roads, as also an old man and other pedestrians walking down the footpath. This old man that Skeety writes of, was wearing a white Kurta Pyjama(an Indian dress). And as the owner of the Ogre car whizzed by, the colour of the white spotless Kurta Pyjama of the old man turned brown.

BASTARD!!! Skeets muttered.

The old man gazed at the car with little anger, and then carried on trudging in the same manner as he was previous to this incident. His gait reflected his unperturbed state of mind. As if this was a daily occurence. As if he had forgiven...

No preaching this, but requesting all car owners to mind their wheel. Owning a car doesn't buy you a license to be rude to others.

Ho shuru har din aise....

While away from Dilli Darling Skeets missed:
* People
* Gallis and kuchas of Old Dilli (no prizes for guessing this one, or any of these :P )

And then after THUDDING Dilli, Skeets hasn't had a chance to grace those lanes yet...
But, Skeets' love for the place is omnipresent...
While washing hands this morning, Skeets came across a bottle labelled:

Gulabsingh Johrimal,

1587, Dariba Kalan,

Delhi-110006

It was enough to bring a smile and some wonderful memories back to Skeets...
Ho shuru har din aise :)
For memories are made of these...
Have a Good Day!

The Tower Bridge Drama

Skeety's been out and about for a while now, and the time has come to share some or maybe all that was seen. So, Skeety chooses to share today the pictures of one of her favorite Victorian Gothic Style buildings, the Tower Bridge of London, which is also an engineering marvel. Skeety was lucky enough to capture the drama through her lens' eye while the bascules were closing after having allowed the river (Thames) traffic to pass by. Presenting the same:
More Information can be read HERE

Sankalp- The Vow

A resolve to fill lives with light,

A pledge to make futures bright,

A vow to set a few lives right...

In the city of brass - Moradabad of western Uttar Pradesh, await to be unleashed some untold tales of injustice, of childhood fading away, of hands that work with tough metals instead of holding soft toys, of diseased bodies and minds that need cleansing and soothing, of forgotten human values...

On one side of the river, are people who mercilessly involve children in the hazardous activity of brass manufacturing to make more and more money from cheap labour, and on other side of the same river are people who work for the betterment of these children.

These people are from Sankalp (Ask India's oath for child rights).Skeety's friend Prashant is doing some good work for which he needs a pat on his back and maybe some foodie points :p

To know more about Sankalp click HERE

To help Prashant in his noble gesture click HERE

Back after a hiatus...

Hola!
So Skeeter's been lying low. Eh?
Thanks Eastmancolor for your comments...They prompted me to update...
Skeety admits being partial to Delhi Foodies' Zone, hence it did get updated.
Skeets sooooo missed visiting the blogs of all her blogger friends...Tanu Blotter, Backpakker, Asha, Anita, Woody, Vanilla, and EVERYBODY!
She's been visiting a few though...
All this while, this was what was happening with Skeets:
Skeets went out and about to Kinaari Bazaar and the super squeezed lanes of Chandni Chowk to get some clicks. Skeets basically loves to get lost there. It is like a journey back in time. Simply surreal feeling. Balmy. Does a mental detox on Skeets. So much so, that when she come back to new Delhi, she feels as if she is a character from the Mughal era (some princess or the likes) who has stepped out of a history book. Try imagining that for real...hehehehe. (Drozzy, PUHLEASEEEE don't be cheeky.)

All this while, Skeety's been just running around trying to get life sorted (hehe yeah that was to avoid details :P ).
Skeety's laptop's display conked off. She's been terribly sad.
Skeets also chanced to visit the Mani Tungyur temple, which gave her a lot of peace and space from people.

Below is the Mani is carved with the Mantra Om Mani Padme Hum.It is the Mantra of Compassion, chanted by Buddhists. Om Mani Padme Hum is believed to be the mantra of Chenrezig, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, of whom the Dalai Lama is believed to be an incarnation. Believers circumvent the Mani, chanting the mantra to themselves...

That's the story so far.

Happiness.

The Delhi Diary

So fellas, enough of boring the self as well as friends who visit Skeets here with SAD stuff...
Life is about happiness, energy, sharing, and caring.
Caring, the word reminds me of the frequent abuses I get to hear about my Darling Dilli. Have been meaning to write a post on the same ever since, and finally found some motivation:


This signboard, Skeets read whilst on way to work and was happy to see 'My Delhi' written there. Skeeter almost jumped out of the car on seeing it. Then, she took out the camera and clicked instead. ;)
To all those who hurl abuses at Dilli... Dilli being this and Dilli being that, and the others who call us Delhiites names (ruthless, rude, insensitive and what not) I would like to say: crime is everywhere and bad people are omnipresent. Rather, if all the world were to be sane, what would be the fun living THAT sorta life?
Skeets is keen on sharing one of the many good moments in Delhi with some of the kindest people she's met. On two occasions, Skeets remembers visiting the famed Kuremal Mohan Lal Kulfi wala in Bazaar Sitaram, old Delhi (post on Delhi Foodies' Zone is pending). When Skeets visited the place for the first time, she asked a lady to give her the directions. The lady was kind enough to not only give Skeets the directions, but make sure (by keeping a stern eye) that Skeeter reached the place she desired to go. The second time also the same got repeated. Skeets knows the narration of this incident is not enough to calm your hot heads, if you've had bad experiences. Infact, dRoZzY, a Delhi-lover and a dear friend keeps forbidding Skeets (dramatising the consequences) from venturing to Old Delhi unaccompanied. And Skeets has had a hard time explaining to him that things are not bad there in that part of Dilli. And that reminds Skeeter of a pending tag.
dRoZzY and Ankur have tagged Skeets on a rather long questionnaire. And Skeets is in no mood to do a tag for now, so she thought of writing about these two fellas (which happens to be one of the questions in the tag). Skeets shall therefore be saved from the accusation of dishonouring a tag. Here goes it:
dRoZzY...One of the bestest friends (no no I am serious). Has the distinction of making Skeets lose her calm ONLY on one occasion (we are generally in harmony). Amazing sense of humour. Can easily pose as one's dad or dadaji for that matter, if you begin listening to his advise rather seriously (*bhaago*). Lazy bum, would get out of the house on a Sat/Sun only if he has to get his car repaired, take mom-dad somewhere (he charges for the same), or has to meet a gorgeous girl :P .
Is Skeety's crib sponge (soaks it all in and never says STOP CRIBBING or probably just pretends to listen :P) and gives some wonderful and intelligent advise. Always ready to help at the beep of the phone. Thinks he is Arnie's clone. Has a little diary in which the secrets of all Delhiites can be found. By the way, he knows more than half of the Delhiites. Can strike a bond with anyone (and when I say anyone I mean it) at an ease which is unique to him (quite commendable). Is one of the few people capable of making Skeets laugh when she is down. And these are the things we have in common: We love ourselves like crazy, love food, love Delhi (he only pretends he doesn't), are born detectives, are wicked. And yeah he writes well too, only when in the mood.
A gem of a person.
dRoZzY dear,
you can use the above bit to impress girls.
*giggles uncontrollably*
Skeets know your reply.

Ankur urf Anky Panky...Thinks of himself to be the Azeem o shaan Shehenshah of Delhi. If you come across a guy pointing to Hrithik Roshan's poster of Jodhaa Akbar and saying 'this is Ankur', don't think he is insane, you should immediately know it is Anky Panky. Deep thinker. Can solve all problems through logical reasoning. Loves to travel, can click some great pictures (only wish he clicks more), loves his food, loves Delhi. Very helpful. His mood swings make Skeets angry at times. Is Skeety's Partner (no we are not giving out our business plans here). Movie lover. Buzzes me everytime there is a great flick on TV (even though I end up watching only a few).
Besties Partner!

The Slumber

A few days ago, Skeety's personal space read: Misty boulevard strips, Crazy drives, Rain-kissed Delhi...
Long Crazy Drives.
Silence.
The sound of air.
The sound of the rain tapping on the metallic body of the car.
The music that is born when the rain drops fall on the windscreen...
These seem to lift up Skeety's spirits like none can.



So was the case with Him. His tale is different though. Thus it went:
She is madly in love with Him.
That day, She boarded the bus that would take her to Scotland.
That is where He lives.
Eager to see Him, She very restlessly spent those unending 'few' hours in the bus.
Before boarding the bus, She had received an SMS from him: Waiting for you Darling.
The journey finally ended, and she knew another one was about to begin: A short and sweet one.
The two days she would spend with him, would give her the strength to be away from him for the next two weeks.
She was proved wrong.
For He had gone.
Forever.
He had crashed Her world.
He had died of overspeeding, after SMSing Her.
Drive Safe.
Life is Precious.
These are not just words.
They can save the world of those, to whom you mean everything.
And Skeety doesn't care if she got repetitive here.
(P.S.: This is a true story)

Dilli Dilwalon Ki

Ok, Skeety's been acting weird of late.
Never has she written stuff in hindi.
And now, look at her...
Blame the Ghalib overdose for eeet ;D

Scroll down and see Dilli Darling (aka Skeety's royal skid)...
Rain-kissed, misty, full of life...
In love with Dilli forver...
Reety Skeety

Mausum khushnuma ye dekh ke, dil Dilli ke aur kareeb ho gaya hai...
Yahin raha hai, yahin kho gaya hai...
Har boond baarish ki, mitti mein kuch aisi milti hai...
Goonj ke dil se Dilli Dilli aah nikalti hai.

The Doomed Dorms

Speaking with Deepa is like digging up a treasure cove. Enticing stories, vivid perceptions and killer ideas come twittering out of the conversation like a swarm of butterflies throwing a riot of colours around.
The colours that came out and about this time, were, however, DARK as Deeps shared with me an account of her first visit (for work) to a women's jail.
Here's what she scribbled:

A deathly silence greets at the heavy concrete high walled prison in Meerut. Inside, the wind ruffles the quiet tree, the cold walls stare with bleak eyes, the peeled plaster bares grim realities, even as a lone squirrel strives to climb up the tender branches of a new plant. A stony, eerie claustrophobia grips in the dark, icy room. The chirping of the birds in the afternoon sun is a dull monotony that rises to a crescendo in a deafening, bone chilling rhythm. And yet, pink flowers blossom on a peach tree. Hope springs amidst gloom and fear...

And then, a small question (to someone else) from the restless question princess that resides in Reety Skeety led to the reaffirmation in her belief against taking up Law as a profession after spending three years studying the subject: Wrongly denying justice to someone brings in doom to that party and those around them. And to you, it brings upon the burden of having done a wrong which is even grave and unpardonable, if not in human eyes, then in the eyes of the greater force that rules the cosmos.
Anyway, these were the questions asked by Skeety and the answers that followed -
Q: A day (wrapped up) in jail is like:
A: A normal day where people get up ...use the dirty smelly washrooms cum kitchens, read newspapers ...play cards..excercise...make small talk...think...cook....have lunch n dinner ...joke around etc.. and finally sleep off.
Q: Is it the same as shown in flicks?
A: Flicks have it dramatised. Its more real. But yes...societies do exist there.

May justice deliver the innocent.

Engaging walks...

Went for a walk to Connaught Place.
I am now at least half-a-kilo lighter after the long walk ;)
Clicked like there's no tomorrow.
Went on to Sitaram Bazaar in Old Delhi.
Glided past some beautiful old houses.
In them, lies the real heritage of Delhi.

They can give the so-called posh houses of South Delhi, a beauty complex.
Saw a netaji ki rally. Pooh Pooh at that!
Ate some real good street food. Kuremal's Kulfi and Baburam's golgappe for the records.
Long Lovely Day.
Ended it with a warm water foot-soak, followed by a generous splash of refreshing peppermint spray on the tootsies.
So, this is how I celebrated Pea-NUT's birthday.
Notes to the self: Pliss walk more often. Pliss wear sneakers daily. Pliss Pliss Pliss.

Mela calling!

Hola!
Skeety's just arrived from the Surajkund Mela (Haryana). 'twas her maiden visit there. Have little to share in words, except that:

* It was FUN.


* Had buddhi ke baal aka candy floss after eons!

* Spent one day exclusively with mommy.

* Apart from the Mela, saw the Surajkund as well.


Notes: The Surajkund, as the name suggests is a water tank (now there's no water there), believed to have been constructed by Raja Suraj Pal of the Tomar dynasty. It dates back to the 10th Cnetury A.D. when sun worship was popular in India. The shape of the kund resembles that of the rising sun curving eastwards. This is due to the semicircular stepped stone. The bed of the kund is 130 metres in diameter.

* The Punjabis rock and will always do. Loved the folk songs.
It is on till tomorrow only. So, if any of you can manage. Runnnnnnn!
P.S.: This mela is held from February 1-15 every year :)

The little one...

She came, she saw, she conquered: me, us.
And then, she moved on, to conquer the world.

Starry eyes
dreaming skies.
Little hands
holding on tight
Oh, the way they fight (me).
Unruly hair
I used to tie them in a pony (fountain-style)
my little noneee :D
She sits somewhere there,
gazing out of her window, forlorn,
wishing we all were there (together).
Her chuckles,
they still reverberate through the walls of the house...
The naughty tricks,
How, together, we watched them, flicks.
I sit here (thinking her),
Only wishing she was near.

Happy Birthday to Nearly Headless Nick!
Love You!

Why...

...does this blog get more hits and comments than my other (and favourite) blog Delhi Foodies' Zone ?

Dilli Ki Sardi: An Ode

I

Hit the sack

With a hot water bag

Like a lazy hag :D

No fireplace to keep me warm on the no-sunshine day

My five-finger socks help keep the cold away.

Behold the legend!

The most enticing stories that I have heard, read and seen as a child come from The Mahabharata (one of the two great Indian epics).

One such story is about the Pandavas (read about them here) and their escape from the Lakshagrah (Lac Palace). And it only got better when I got to visit a place that bears testimony to the story of Lakshagrah.

A small town called Sardhana (near Meerut) is home to Mahadev temple, where the Pandavas are believed to have stayed and prayed enroute Lakshagrah.

The story goes like this (This version I tell you, from what I can recollect having read, written and seen):
Mahabharata ensued (sort of), when among the two heirs to the throne of Hastinapur, Dhritrashtra and Pandu, Pandu was installed to the throne; Dhritrashtra being blind. Later, after the death of Pandu, Dhritrashtra succeeded the throne.

Mahabharata was the war fought between the two sets of Chandravanshi (decendants of the Lunar Dynasty) brothers: The Pandavas (Five sons of Pandu) and Kauravas (100 sons of Dhritrashtra). The war, to install Yudhishthir (the eldest Pandav) on the throne of Hastinapur.

The story of Lakshagrah is of an abortive bid by the Kauravas to kill their Pandava brothers. And it goes thus:
Duryodhana (the eldest Kaurava prince) invited the Pandavas to Varnavrata (now called Barnawa) to join some festivities. Duryodhana alongwith his scheming maternal uncle Shakuni got built, a Lac Palace or Lakshagrah, for the Pandavas. This Palace was built of Shellac (highly combustible) and other combustible materials like wax, jute, fat etc.

Great meals were laid and other arrangements par-excellence were made to make the stay of the Pandavas luxurious and memorable.

The ghastly plan was to set the Lac Palace afire while the Pandavas were asleep.Kunti (mother of the first three sons of Pandu) was accompanying the Pandavas to the Lac Palace. They stopped at Sardhana enroute Varnavrata for a night's stay. There, Kunti had a dream that Duryondhana plotted to kill them at the palace they were headed to and that they should be weary of fire. In the dream, Kunti was told to establish a Shivlinga at Sardhana and pray there, so that the tragedy-to-be is averted.

The Pandavas accordingly prayed and established the Shivling at Sardhana before proceeding to Varnavrata. This Shivling can be seen at the Mahadeva temple. There exist great believers of the mystical powers of this Shivling. Efforts have been made in the past to lift this Shivling up, but everytime such an attempt was made, this Shivling slid beaneath the ground. Finally it was decided to let the Shivling be.

Below is the picture of the same Shivling. I chanced to visit the temple, thanks to my benevolent and charming hosts Deepa (who forced me to visit Meerut and then Sardhana), Shuchi Bhabi (who in turn forced Deepa to bring me there) and her family.I got to witness the place that bears testimony to the one of the most captivating stories from ancient India. Thank You soooo much!Story continued: When the Pandavas reached the Lakshagrah, they could see that the palace was made of combustible materials. While pretending to enjoy their stay at the Lakshagrah, the Pandavas secretly dug a tunnel which could lead them out of the Lakshagrah. They also figured out (with the help of Vidura, an uncle) that Purochana (a servant of the Kauravas) had been assigned the task of setting the palace afire.
One night, when the Pandavas were done digging the tunnel, they fled the Palace using it. Bhima, who was the last to come out of the tunnel, set the palace afire and Purochana was burnt alive while he was asleep. The Pandavas then travelled in disguise for some time, till they reached Hastinapur. But then, THAT is another story.
The remains of the Lac Palace can still be seen at Barnawa and I wish to visit the place sometime soon.
Deepa, are you listening?

Whoa, this is the longest post I've ever written, but, it could not be any shorter.

To the Fairy Land and back!

Scribbly Skeets went to the Fairy Land on the weekend.
She wanted to get lost there.
She did.
And now she is back.
Fresh.
SOFT.
Sparkling.
Grinning from ear to ear just like the Cheshire Cat.
She sprinkles some Fairy Dust on all of you.
Keep smiling and be happy.

Hey You!

Yes Yes YOU!

New Year greetings to all of YOU from Scribbly Skeeter :)

Skeety's feathery scribbler sweetheart

Skeety tags Mr. Missing Ankur, Miss Backpakker, Mr.Chaiwala Prashant, Mr. Lovely photocurry Deepak, Miss Sneaky Peeky Juhi, Mr.Khachaak Bobin James, Mr. Case gone S, Mr. Bohemia Subbu, Miss Host of the MAD MAD tea party Anita, Miss Cooking Mommy Asha, Miss Woodsmoke, Mr AC funny sheikh, Miss She is, and Mr. Gayab Talwar to put up on their respective blogs, a picture that they have clicked, which is -

Either: Very close to their heart.

Or: the best picture (according to the self) they have clicked till date.

Choice is yours guys and girls.
I am quite sure that you would enjoy the process of selecting that special picture for this special tag.
It is a happy tag by happy Skeeter :)
And yes I am putting up mine. Two actually.

Update: I am sending the following picture for Bee's Liquid event :) as recommended by Asha.

The Chaiwali's Cuppa (her style)

Keep Writing!
Keep smiling!