Sai Vishram

A Chance encounter. A sudden stroke of luck. That's what I would call my brush with Sai vishram resort. I chanced upon their website randomly as I googled through resorts near mangalore. I read reviews. I browsed through their gallery... and I couldn't find one reason why I shouldnt be planning my holiday there. You wont find one disgruntled tourist, not one dissatisfied customer review. I just typed in my number in their talk to us column... and the next instant ( Trust me, I am not exaggerating) I got a call from them. I was a little spooked out, but the person on line was not pushy. He answered all my queries patiently and let me go when I said I will get back. I went back & intensified my search a little more.(You see, I don't make quick travel decisions) and I made up my mind. This was one place I had to see.

Sai Vishram openly boasts of being a non alcoholic vegetarian resort; reason enough for most to give it a skip. But look beyond your usual idea of letting your hair down... and there's a gold mine waiting for you. We reached by seven in the evening and met Siddharth, the super quick & super efficient asst marketing manager whose response I mentioned earlier. We were treated to a simple and delicious meal. Nothing over the top; But a perfect homely meal for a hungry twosome. They do not provide room service and like they mention in the website, they like their guests to interact with each other. Talking about the rooms, we stayed in the non ac tent, and we loved the experience. They are clean, basic & perfect. There's a private back yard and prepare to be surprised. :) pleasantly. It also has an array of water sports ; however dependent on the weather conditions. It was pouring when we were there. Yet, as soon as the sky cleared up, the jet ski was hoisted out & all the guests were on a roll. What makes them different from other resorts that offer water sports is that they are not hurried, charging you a bomb even before you realise that you are actually beginning to have fun. They let you savour in the moment. .. They let you do it at your own pace.... A good 10 minute ride. :) :)

What made the stay even more lovely, was the attitude of the staff. They are friendly and not out to burn a hole in your pocket. On the whole, we loved the experience and would love to go there again & again.Just the perfect getaway.

P.S : A big thank you to Siddharth & Adarsh.:)

Cooking Shooking.. Hai Rabba!!!

Now before you think this is a blog about how much I hate cooking.... well.... as plausible as it sounds, that's absolutely gibberish. I love cooking!!!! :) Unbelievable. I've totally surprised myself as well as people around me....:) To begin with, I would hate venturing into the kitchen. And yesterday Ive emerged triumphant with an insanely fussy husband actually taking 2 & 3 & 4 helpings. Now how on earth did I make that rapid transition?? I have no idea!!!

I possibly slipped into the image that was built about me. A career woman... always studying... knows nothing about the home & hearth. Even my husband teased that if we ever had our own kitchen, it would be stacked with MTR ready to eat meals. Today that same man begs me to eat outside just coz I spend too much time in the kitchen dishing out the recipe of the day!!! ;)

When I got married, I did not know how to make my staple food. rice!!! :) :)

Sometimes, you slip into moulds that people make for you. and then you get a chance to shake it off and move on. Grab it when that happens. I dint know there was a chef Mansi hiding inside me....Now that she has emerged, there's no stopping her. :) :) :) and what's my secret ingredient? " unpredictability" I am just not sure about the end result when I begin to cook! Cooking is not rocket science... but yes!! You sure can use a little bit of logic.. a little bit of experience.... and a whole lot of confidence!!!! :) You are the best cook in the world!! It doesn't matter if people are waiting to sneer at you that you are just this geeky lil monster who yanks out teeth for a living.

:) I've learnt that the more you pull yourself down, there will be twenty & more people willing to jump over you & push you deeper. So, perk up those shoulders , lift that chin up.... and walk with your head held high..;) and let the critics rest in peace. :)

Bon Appetit.

Capital Punishment - inhumane???

2 Women. Priyadarshini Mattoo & Pratibha Srikanth Murthy. Both of them met a gory end. Raped & Murdered. Violently.

What has happened to the monsters who committed the crime? Still alive... still breathing... still trying to get away.......

After years of waiting, finally the verdict is out.

Santosh Kumar Singh, the man who raped Priyadarshini Mattoo and smashed her face with a motorcycle helmet beyond recognition and then strangled her , has had his sentence reduced from a death penalty to a life sentence.

Shiva Kumar the cabbie who raped and murdered Pratibha has been finally convicted of his crime after 4 and half years of the crime. We actually need 4 and a half years to just prove that she was raped & murdered by him. He still needs to be sentenced. Her mother Gowramma laments that if she had died by an accident or other causes, she would have not been this upset. She sees the criminal who snatched her lone family member away from her dressed in trendy t shirts & jeans for the hearings and feels cheated a little more. Who would'nt? She says her daughter was found with not a scrap of cloth on her body dumped in the bushes. Is that the kind of death any human would be able to deal with??

Yet we still have to deal with this whole lobby against capital punishment. .

Yes, I have heard of the saying "an eye for an eye makes the whole world go blind." But I do not think we can apply it in every situation.

We need to send out strong messages out there. I, as a working woman, can understand what a terrible night that must have been for pratibha. The slow realization that something is amiss. Finally being convinced that your in major trouble, then slowly the events unfolding in a desolate place. I'm sure pratibha would have hoped to live through the ordeal. She would have also hoped that somebody would save her. As each shred of cloth would have been ripped off her body, she would have struggled to find hope. Her hope was killed. Now her mother's hope is also being toyed around with.

Accuse me of being extreme, But I want the death penalty for both Mattoo's & Pratibha's case....

May their souls rest in peace. And may shiva kumar & santosh singh rot in hell!