Must see Places in a lifetime

Who isn't here to make their ordinary lifetime experience Larger than Life ?
Enter - Destinations Unlimited :)

When we set out in search of a new destination to visit, we are seeking not just a new location but a connection to maintain forever. Constantly in need of revival to our mind, soul and body, we seek newer venues to explore, hoping to rewind our energies and restore some fast-losing balance to our steadily-aging lives.

This list is intended to be a growing list of all such larger than life places in different parts of our world which are not worth missing. Besides this splash of names and ideas, there are entire continents, regions, countries and little-explored expanses in both hemispheres of the earth.

Top 28 places in the World

Top 31 places in North America

Cities of a lifetime

These are just sights for leisure, rewinding and retreating. When you want to include a purpose with your travel plans, there is whole new territory of regions to be explored. With causes ranging from volunteering in developing nations to endangered species protection in natural reserve areas, you could do loads of fulfilling activities on a trip to lesser popular destinations. I will be researching these destinations as well.

In the meantime, take a peek into the Lonely Planet where we live!

Humorous Poem after watching the movie Chak De India(Hasya Kavita)

Last year, around August 15th, which is the Indian Independance Day, we went to the Asian theater in Manhattan to watch Chak De India (This movie explores sensitive topics of ethnic prejudices, sexism and cultural tolerance through the field sport of hockey in India).

It was a very memorable experience watching this movie and the patriotic instincts within our hearts came leaping back to our minds. I had then, put down some of these in a poem to capture the humorous side of this whole movie experience. Its in Hindi and goes as below:

Shabdon mein kaise kare koi zahir, swatantra divas ka yeh suhana ehsaas
Rang de Basanti ne chedha inquilab, toh Chak De India ne failadi jeet ki mithaas.

Ab Hum shayaraana mastano ko, rok sake to rok le zamaana ye,
Arey bacchke nahin ja payega koi, hum jaise Awaara Paagal Deewano se.

Dhoom machadi kal hum sab ne, Imaginasian theater ki chaukhat pe,
Toot padi thi hum sabki awaazein, "Silence please" kehnewaale American Desi pe.

Jaise jaise dikhati gayi Womens National Hockey team, Andaz Apna Apna,
Waise waise hum bhi gatein gaye, hamarein Swades ke naaron ka taraana.

Cinema se nikale to yaad aaya ki, hai toh hum US mein jahaan bharna hai 33% Lagaan,
Kya kare ab chale chalo Saathiya, basa diya hai humne to Pardes mein hi, hamara ashiyaan!!

My 2008 February trip back home to Mumbai, India

After months of delays, I will finally be traveling to Mumbai at the end of this week for my long due vacation. Excitement has always been an understatement to describe my feelings associated with this trip. It's always a whirlpool of emotions that get stirred up with visiting one's home, being received into the eager arms of your people, being greeted by the kind faces of your kin, seeing the familiar sights that date back to your childhood and feeling the warmth of being back in that place that you will always call your very own.

It's the journey you want to take back into time, hoping that it has stood still for your return :) And yet you know that time has flown by at the instance you lay your foot on the warm soils of your homeland. The people, their pace, the structures and all their collective energy will have acquired so many strange and different forms that they will be near unrecognizable to you, who had left them behind in what was probably a far more familiar state. And then you start wondering whether you can ever belong back to your homeland with same intimacy that you had half a dozen years ago.

Well, I get this feeling every time I return for my brief vacation. It takes me a good amount of time to get used to the overwhelm at first. There are so many sights and breaths to intake and get a hang of, yet you are left asking for more and more :) And then when I have gradually settled into a lukewarm pool of acceptance, familiarity and generosity, I find out that its time to return to where I came from.

The question I ask is, how many $$$ worth of separated years would I need to exchange in return for my own home. Whatever that figure maybe, someday I hope to have made it :)

With lots of nostalgia
-Michelle

Inside the insider

http://www.theinsider.com/nyc/

Its designed for the ones who want to know the inner roads in the city of New york, for the locals and the not-so-locals who want to grab a fair share of the great things taht NY has to offer. Grab a bite.

Wonderwall

Today is gonna be the day
That they're gonna throw it back to you
By now you should've somehow
Realized what you gotta do
I don't believe that anybody
Feels the way I do about you now

Backbeat the word was on the street
That the fire in your heart is out
I'm sure you've heard it all before
But you never really had a doubt
I don't believe that anybody feels
The way I do about you now


And all the roads we have to walk along are winding
And all the lights that lead us there are blinding
There are many things that I would Like to say to you
I don't know how

Because maybe
You're gonna be the one who saves me ?
And after all
You're my wonderwall
.
.
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I Said maybe You're gonna be the one that saves me
You're gonna be the one that saves me
You're gonna be the one that saves me


Oasis - Wonderwall lyrics

These are lyrics I have been humming ever since I can remember. Both, the tune and lyrics, are immortal in my mind and have a liberating effect on my inner self =)

...A few favorite lines from a frequently listened to song

Kyun Is Kadar Hairaan Tu
Mausam Ka Hai Mehmaan Tu
O, Duniya Sajee Tere Liye
Khud Ko Zara Pehchaan Tu

Tu Dhoop Hain Chan Se Bikhar
Tu Hai Nadee O Bekhabar
Beh Chal Kahin Ud Chal Kahin
Dil Khush Jahan...Teri Toh Manzil Hai Wahin


...extracted lyrics from "Kholo Kholo" from an extremely inspirational movie "Taare Zameen Par"

..ice-skating in Central Park

-taking time off your routine on a busy weekday to have a great time
-driving down any avenue in New York city with your buddies
-gazing at the dark, velvet sky, the lit-up architecture, while gliding on an open skating-rink
-finding that rare, free parking spot on crowded city streets
-raising a toast to everyone at the table
-warm nachos with melted cheddar cheese
-giant frozen, blue, yellow, margaritas
-crab cake(s)
-mashed potatoes with gravy
-ordering another refill of the same drink at the bar
-cooked wild rice
-raising another toast at the table
-moments of silence after an up roaring laughter
-a sweet waiter offering great service
-getting slightly tipsy when still trying to maintain some sense around you
-continuously laughing at crazy jokes("joks")
-talking about the newest person in line to getting hitched
-hearing that occasional, wild, pick-up line
-being the last customers of the evening to leave an initially packed restaurant
-upper-east side in New York city, any day, any time
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.
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...and these are a few of my favorite things!

SO, what are a few things that one can be happy about?

Over the past thousands of days of your existence, you must have lived through millions of things that came into and left your way. Some things just leave with no signs of repetitions, but many others keep coming back into our lives in several variant forms.

"...And these are a few of my favorite things" will be a continuous blog entry to note, cherish and re-live all these things that happiness is ultimately made of. I will be keeping a tab of these things in my head each day and will try to enter these regularly in this space..

And though I keep saying "a few things", please do remember that the count of these "happy" things can very well be infinite and it certainly isnt directly proportional to the count of the days in your life =)

******************************************
Here it goes :

-the smell of the fresh earth after the rains have arrived
-walking hand in hand with a loved one
-ginger bread
-wearing a pure, snow-white dress
-waking up to the early rays of dawn
-dreaming about going home
-doing home chores
-the jingle of the ice-cream truck
-smiling when you are walking along by yourself,
and even better when someone is noticing
-making yogurt at home
-New York city
-the farmers market
-wrapping presents
-a garage sale
-free food
-yelling "Happy Birthday" when entering the surprised one's home
-the "Sound of Music" musical
-the sound of music
-decorating a christmas tree
-the first signs of holiday lighting you spot on the streets
-red wrapping paper with a white ribbon tied across
-a new, trendy hair-cut
-a butterfly flying past and then circling your head once more,
-before it actually flys off
-a new-born baby
-kindergarten kids walking past you in a line led by their instructor
-a glass of pure, thick, creamy milk
-kids' imagination
-diner food with appetizer of your choice, potatoes, 2 sides and,
a drink
-Cadbury's Dairy Milk chocolate bar (kuch khas hai hum sabhi mein)...
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