Lake District - Pristine Beauty …

After 5 days of hectic work (not a joke, I am serious), I was wondering as to how to spend the weekend. While some guys had planned a 1-day trip to London, a few were planning to visit the Warwick Castle. I wasn’t interested in either of them. I have been to London so many numbers of times (my friends stay there and it was a weekly routine to visit them when I was in the UK last time) and have not had a great impression about the city. The trip to the castle was out of question as I have seen a few of them during my trip to Scotland.

So, I made up my mind (reluctantly) to stay back in Birmingham and roam around the Bull Ring (this is a huge shopping mall right in the center of the city. I guess the largest Selfridges store is in this mall) to finish off my shopping. That’s when the twist came. A colleague in the Manchester office called me up and asked me if I could make it to Manchester for the weekend. I jumped at the idea as I consider Atrium in Manchester as my home away from home. And in the next few minutes I was googling for travel sites to check for the cheapest fares for the travel to Manchester. After quite an effort, I finally booked the tickets at the coach station as the internet fares weren’t cheap.

The onward journey was at 4AM (yes, you read it right) on a rather pleasant Saturday morning. My excitement got the better of me and I didn’t sleep the whole night (read it as “fear that I might miss the bus”). I reached Manchester around 7.30AM and after catching up on updates, I stretched myself on the couch for a quick-nap. There was a BIG SURPRISE then when my colleague told that there was a plan to visit the Lake District and that we had to start immediately. So, I was off again with no time to catch a quick nap :( and was on the train to Windermere for the next couple of hours.

Lake District is a beautiful place and has got its name because of the fact of the large number of lakes that are present in the area. After a quick scan of the tourist brochures at the Windermere railway station, we decided to head to Lake Windermere (the largest of the lakes). A short taxi trip resulted in jaw-dropping awe of nature in its elements. We were in front of a huge lake surrounded by hillocks and snow-capped mountains with mist wafting through the ice-cold waters - a treat to the eyes for any nature lover.

Ferry rides are available to the small settlements at the extreme ends of the lake. Both of these settlements are extremely scenic and worth for some long walks. We decided to go to Ambleside, which is a very small settlement having a population of around 5000 people. The enthusiasm and the excitement meant that we all sat in the open part of the ferry. As the ferry gained speed, the wind-chill factor made us all shiver. I was in my elements (read insane) as the sun was out and hence, removed my protective jacket for the entire duration of the ride. The 30 minute ride was breath-taking as we rode through the mist (which was very thick at some places) to see some amazing natural scenes.

Once at Ambleside, we walked our way to the town centre through the narrow roads lined with lush green fields and occasional houses. The main attraction of Lake District (apart from the lakes, of course) are the long walk-ways. Each of these walks can take between 3 to 6 hours. It was a pity that we didn’t have so much time on our hands. But nevertheless, the walk from the lake side to the town side was an experience in itself. A cup of hot chocolate at one of the local stores added an extra special zing to the entire experience.

We left Ambleside pretty reluctantly as we had a train to catch. We were so impressed with what we had seen that we were discussing it throughout the duration of the return journey to Manchester. I am definitely going back the moment I get an opportunity.

Click here to get to know more about Lake Windermere and its surrounding areas.

NOTE: We returned to the railway station from the lake side on a FIAT SCUDO. What an amazing vehicle it was. It will take me another blog to describe about this amazing vehicle, but I am refraining from writing another lengthy blog ;)

Music Review - Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya (Updated) ...

Finally I have been able to write a few words on the music of Rahman's latest offering - Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya. This isn't a a music review as the title suggests, instead this is about my thoughts on what I felt while listening to the album. I have been listening to the songs in a repeat mode all the while I have been writing this post.

1. Omana Penne (Benny Dayal, Kalyani Menon)   ***** 
Benny Dayal teases you for about a minute and then croons "Omane Penne". No one dares to even try yoodling which was a trademark of late Kishore Kumar and everyone who tried failed. Benny makes a bold attempt to yoodle and I would say he hasn't let himself down. Your ears would find it indifferent the first time, but it becomes a huge attraction point. Kalyani Menon chips in with some classical stuff (like Thiruppavai) which reminds you of the bit in "Rakkama Kaiyya Thattu" from Thalapathi.

2. Anbil Avan (Devan Ekambaram, Chinmayi)   ****  (updated from ***1/2) 
After a long time, Chinmayi is back. And she sounds heavenly. Devan does a pretty decent job (given that he is paired with a seasoned campaigner). A peppy number that's going to be next "Love Theme" of today's youth (including me). I can equate this number to the "Mustafa Mustafa" track of Kadhal Desam for the cult status potential that this track has.

3. Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya (Karthik)   ***1/2 (updated from **1/2) 
The title track that has nothing special to write home about. This track is a big letdown.

4. Hosanna (Vijay Prakash, Blaaze, Suzanne)   ***** 
The rap part reminds me of a song (can't remember exactly which one, guess I am becoming older), but apart from that one glitch the song is a rocker. The lyrics are awesome and just sink into the music to create a mesmerizing effect. Blaaze breezes through the rap and boy, isn’t he good! Hosanna. Way to go. The best track of the album alongside Omana Penne.

5. Kannukkul Kannai (Naresh Iyer)   ****1/2 (updated from ****) 
Naresh Iyer. The name that rings a bell because of the sheer talent that this guy possesses. And he doesn't disappoint one bit. Though the song impresses me very much, I haven't been able to put in my thoughts in words. I guess I need to listen a few more times.

6. Mannippaaya (A.R. Rahman, Shreya Ghoshal)   **** (updated from ***1/2) 
A pathos with Shreya starting off with her lilting voice with the "Mozart of Madras" joining in later. A song wherein the couple accepts their mistakes and long for the love of their partner. This song is a magic potion for all those heart-broken love-birds to get back closer once again.

7. Aaromale (Alphonse)   ***** (updated from ****) 
A different start to the song, and then suddenly the chorus picks up on a Vedic like chant. The background music arrangement is extra-ordinary. It’s a pity that though I enjoyed this song, I couldn't understand the lyrics as they were in Malayalam (Haven't had the time to google for the meaning). Nevertheless, a wonderful example that music transcends the language barrier.

I don’t remember if I have ever heard about the singer before. He sounds different and has done justice to the song. I would compare him to Naresh Iyer who burst into the scene with a classic for Rahman.

---

On the whole, the album is EXCELLENT. As always with Rahman's compositions, the tracks take time to grow on you and have an intoxicating effect as time goes by.

I read somewhere on the internet that Rahman worked very hard on this album because Harris Jayaraj had created such magics for Gowtham Menon and that he did not want to disappoint the millions of Gowtham Menon's fans. All this from a man who has been churning out amazing music for the last two decades. This shows to prove that he doesn't rest on his laurels. And he has proved once again that he is amongst the BEST.

Overall:    ****1/2  

Virgin Trains - Nothing Special ...

This is the third time I am travelling to the UK. There was such much talk about the Pendolino, the service and a whole lot of stuff about Virgin Trains that I thought I had missed out on quite a few (I was a frequent traveler to London by National Express coach service as it was way too economical) wonderful experiences.

So, my curiosity got the better of me and the unpredictable weather conditions in the UK over the last few weeks, I decided to travel to London by Virgin made my decision a lot easier. I finally bought my tickets to travel to London by train for the very first time (paying double the amount than it would cost for a coach travel).

The onward journey was good, except for the pain that I felt in my ears quite frequently during most part of the travel. I suppose that was to do with the great speeds that the Pendolino achieved. The Pendolino are supposed to be the fastest trains in the UK. Another reason could be the lack of the proper air circulation within the train. But, I enjoyed the travel nevertheless and was as happy as a kid who had just been given a mega candy.

After spending a couple of days with my friend at London, it was time to get back to base (Birmingham). I reached Euston station pretty early and after an hour of staring at the monster-sized information boards that displayed information about departures, I headed towards the platform still having pleasant memories of my travel the day before.

And alas, this is where I realised the hard facts. The train's display boards were not functioning and I had no clue where my coach was. Luckily for me, I saw a rail official and he directed me towards my coach. I got into the train and settled onto the seat allocated to me. But, the display above the seat read "This seat is available". I was shocked. Have I let go 18GBP down the drain? I then realised that I had boarded the wrong compartment after the display within the train came to life (albeit temporarily).

Many of the co-passengers were still wondering if they had boarded the right compartment as well!! So, I wasn’t the only one who was confused.

Thanking the railway employee for (mis)directing me, and then thanking heavens for saving my money, I moved to the correct compartment. But my happiness was short-lived. The display under the seat I had booked had the same message - "This seat is available". I looked around and found that all the displays had the same message. So assuming that there was some technical glitch, I settled nicely in my seat which was opposite to a girl who was very pretty (so you know the reason why I settled nicely).

I didn’t know that there was another surprise (not only for me, but to all the passengers) just a couple of minutes before the departure. There was an announcement in the public address system that the train was departing to Wolverhampton. Now, where is that place? I decided that I would travel in that train, whatever be the destination (reason - keep guessing).

Confusion and commotion prevailed for a few seconds as another announcement followed and this time the destination was Birmingham. The train started off from Euston and I had my fingers crossed hoping to reach Birmingham without any further twists to the travel. After a journey of 1.5 hours, the train pulled along onto the platform in Birmingham. The train was late by 10 mins, but I was happy that I had reached my destination.

And now, I feel relieved that I didn’t travel by Virgin on the last few occasions and realised that "penny saved is penny earned".

Jimmy's Spices - Indian Food at Solihull ...

After having sambhar, rasam, rice, curd, chips, puliyogare rice, vathal kuzhambu and other readymade food for 2 weeks continuously, finally it was time to head to one of the Indian restaurant in Solihull. It was a last moment decision yesterday late in the evening. The guys were stressed out as they were working pretty late in the evenings (and given the weather here which becomes quite unbearable after 6PM) for the last few days and everyone longed for a break from the mundane task of cooking.

After getting some information from the local Asian junta, we (a gang of 10) all headed to Jimmy's Spice. I wouldn't say that the place is a typical Indian restaurant, but the place was highly rated by all and sundry. We were in for a pleasant surprise as the spread was awesome. (Around 50+ items which included very good options for vegetarians like me). There spread included dishes from India, US, Italy and Thailand.

From naan to noodles, butter chicken to chole and palak paneer, pizza to quesadillas, fruit chat to moong dal halwa, the spread had everything. Forgot to mention the Masala Dosai that was served hot from the tava along with coconut chutney and piping hot sambhar. We had a pretty tough time making up our minds on what we should eat.

I started off with brinjal and cauliflower bajji along with mint chutney, some French fries and spring roll. That was followed by with onion Veda and some vadam (would you believe that!!!). I opted for a few pieces of butter naan fresh baked from a tandoor along with chole and paalak paneer. Then came to my favourite item - curd rice. The desserts spread was mouth-watering, but having had loads of main course, I opted to play safe and ended up having a few slices of freshly cut pineapple, some moong dal halwa, fruit chat. Eating out is not complete if ice-cream isn't included. So I indulged myself in some deliciously thick and creamy vanilla ice-cream that was served in a cone. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to state that the food was very authentic.

All this for just GBP15, which according to me is pretty decent. The ambience is pretty good and the service staff very courteous. We didn’t have much time in our hands, and so we couldn’t devour all the items that were on display. But rest assured, I am going back someday with lot of time to spare just to enjoy the authentic food that is served at the restaurant.

P.S: You might feel that I have exaggerated a lot, but I haven't. You would need to experience to believe. So if you are in Solihull by any chance, do make it to Jimmy's Spices in Solihull Town Center.

Birmingham - Lord Balaji Temple ...

After slogging it out (read it as enjoying) during the weekdays in the office in sub-zero temperatures and just window-shopping in the Bullring whenever we could in the evenings, it was finally decided that we would have a darshan of Lord Balaji at the Tividale temple near here. The fact that it is inappropriate to go to Tirupathi now given the volatile situation in Andhra cos of the Telangana fiasco made the decision-making all the more easy. And so we headed straight to Tividale on a dark Sunday morning.

We took a bus from Bullring (we have a season ticket and so the travel was free!!) and after navigating through some pretty suburban areas of Birmingham, we reached the temple after about 40 mins. We made friends with a Telugu guy en route and he was our guide-designate.

The temple was completely covered in snow and we couldn't figure out anything. But for our guide, we would have been like kids lost in a carnival. The darshan was very good as there weren't any souls around. The hardest part was to remove the shoes and walk barefoot on the granite tiles spread across the temple with the temperature hovering around the -3degree mark.

After having some piping hot pongal as breakfast in the temple, we then indulged ourselves in a snow-fight for a good 20 minutes. It was fun playing in the snow and was enjoyable. It was once in a lifetime opportunity for someone like me who never even saw rain lasting for more than a few days at a stretch.

We then headed straight back to the apartment (including a quick bite at the Subway) after a thoroughly enjoyable day out. 
 
P.S: I would soon be uploading the photos and videos. So do watch out.

Birmingham - Cold, Very Cold ...

After a tiring and cramped 14 hour journey, I finally reached Birmingham pretty late in evening on a cold wintery Sunday. I was expecting some sunshine in the days to follow, but was PLEASANTLY SHOCKED to see the weather getting colder by the day. The temperature on Sunday night was -2, but today it is -5. It has been snowing very heavily for the last two days and the traffic in the whole country has come to a standstill.

Airports have been shut down, buses and trains have been cancelled, schools have been closed ...

Everything said and done, this is the time to ENJOY. The scenic beauty of the English countryside is breathtaking. But alas, here I am working in the office instead building snow-mans and having snow-ball fights ...

New Year, New Beginning ...

Another fresh new year is here . . .

Another year to live!

To banish worry, doubt, and fear,

To love and laugh and give!

This bright new year is given me

To live each day with zest . . .

To daily grow and try to be

My highest and my best!

I have the opportunity

Once more to right some wrongs,

To pray for peace, to plant a tree,

And sing more joyful songs!