Goodbyes and New Adventures

Photograph: Mood for Reflection by Priyanka Nayar

It is time for us to move again. Yes, I know, seems too soon to me too. We're all packed and ready to push off to Porbandar for our next adventure. It's been a good first stint in Kerala. The people, the food, the beaches and the wildlife have made their excellent first impressions.


It's been just over a year since we came here, but we've travelled away from home so often, that we haven't seen everything that there is to see and experience. We'll be back some day. Maybe to another part of the state.


This has been the kind of sabbatical from normal life that only very few lucky people can manage. It has spoilt me, for now, wherever I go, I will miss the lush greens. The place where we lived afforded us a view of the Arabian Sea on one hand, and the beautiful backwaters that Kerala is famous for on the other. Will be hard to find something to beat that.


Am one fourth Keralite, but have been to Kerala only once, over two decades ago. I've learnt some local cuisine, picked up a few words of Malayalam, and bought my first 'set saree'! It's been wonderful getting introduced to my roots. I've floated through most of my life not belonging to a particular part of the country, I surely will continue to do that for the rest of my life too. But now I know a little more about where my grandfather came from, and perhaps a little about why I am a fan of curry leaves.


There are still a bunch of things that are on my bucket list - am yet to take a cruise on a house boat, live in floating houses and watch a Kathakali performance. I haven't had a whole host of dishes that I dream about, haven't caught a glimpse of Periyar, Thekkady, Kumarakom or Munnar and not even had fresh seafood by the sea in Cochin. So I am far from satiated and my heart wants to come back and complete the journey.


Au revoir Kerala and my lovely friends here. Unfortunately, I've had to use the farewell cards I designed a short while back. But like the card says, it's goodbyes only until we meet again.


The picture above captures my thoughts as I sign off, and prepare for the train journey tomorrow morning. If you'd like to see the art print for this and other pictures by me, you can find them at my store. Some of them are available as ipad and iphone skins too.


I may not be able to write again until we're well and settled in Porbandar. But my head is all abuzz with ideas for DIY projects and cozying up the nest there. And I've been busy pinning inspiration on my Pinterest boards. So when am back in full swing, there will be loads to share. On our way to our new home, we're spending a few days in Mumbai, I should also have some stories to share of my time at markets, old haunts and with dear old friends.


Have a super weekend yourself, and an even better week ahead. xoxo, Sunny Nomad me.

Everyday Inspiration: Blue Buddy

The life of a nomad means I often stay away from all that is cozy and comfortable for long stretches of time. We have been away from our home in Kerala since early February. This little birdie has added to my sense of feeling at home on several occasions.

No matter where I am, I have always managed to spot my blue buddy - the white throated, blue winged Kingfisher. Am fascinated by this fisherman and have spotted him everywhere - in Mumbai, Delhi, Diu, Goa and Istanbul. A pretty little one visits us often in our backyard in Kerala. 

Back in Mumbai, I saw one almost everyday, on my way to work on a bursting-at-its-seams local train. I looked forward to that part of my journey and spotting one meant this was going to be a good day. Yeah, a little cuckoo maybe, but it was my way of holding on to hope. 

Once, while on a research trip to Delhi, I was lost in a maze of roads and traffic. I looked up, out the window, and there, perched on an electric wire was this harbinger of comfort. I smiled to myself and thought, if this little guy (his size is barely 28 centimeters while am 172 centimeters tall) can survive this city, so can I.

The several shades of the Kingfisher's blue feathers inspire me. The idea that we all have wings (metaphorically speaking) and a chance at freedom if we spread those wings, lifts up my spirits no matter how tough the going gets. Am drawn to nature and all things blue, so this one fits the bill perfectly. 

I've tried to capture the lovely creature through my shutter whenever possible, but like all winged ones, he's pretty flighty. I will continue my quest for a perfect shot, but until then, whenever am missing the blue one, these keep me happy.

Shutter Love: Thinking of Cochin

Last November, I was in Cochin for the first time. Over the years, I'd heard so much about it, I was dying to experience it. Since I know am going back sometime soon, I didn't lug my camera around everywhere, I wanted to actually absorb everything sans the viewfinder. Am like that about places, shy about using my camera at first brush. I prefer to see with the human eye, find something that arrests my attention, introduces me to the city, and only then think of using the camera to capture it. Sometimes, I let beautiful things go, not wanting to freeze them in time. Sometimes I regret the decision, most times am happy to have actually seen it.

The sloping roofed houses I saw on Willingdon Island warmed me up to the place. Here are two clicks I liked from my short trip to the beautiful city. Hope you like them too. Tell me, how do you like to remember a city?

Drenched

We were driving back from a roadtrip. We stopped to take in the view of a dam. And to make some bhel, no real picnic is complete without this lip-smacking snack. As I chopped some red onions, tomatoes and chillies on the hood of our car, N wandered off with the camera.

He has a keen eye for detail. He spots stuff before I do, always. He sees a change of colour in a cluster of grass stalks and discovers a ladybug. All from a distance of a few feet. Am inspired by his way of looking at things and creatures. Am delighted by his love for beautiful things, both in nature and man-made. Though music is his first artistic expression, he dabbles in photography long enough to capture a few treasures.

Here's the one from that roadtrip.

Fly, soar, just touch the sky...

I live in this unique part of Kerala. It's in the Malabar region,with hills, the sea and backwaters all calmly co-existing with the huge hoardings, bright pink buses in a tearing hurry and Theyyam - a powerful dance form indigenous to these parts. I feel blessed to be surrounded by so much beauty - trees, flowers, animals, sands, birds and the blue blue sea.

Some Sundays when we're not feeling too lazy, me and N head out for a long walk down to the beach. It is a long, long walk taking about an hour to get there and then a little over an hour back. When we get to the beach, we just walk about aimlessly, collecting shells for some fish tank, enjoying the sound of the waves lapping against the shore.It's like a shot of soul nourishing music.

But this Sunday, we had a special treat waiting to be discovered. Seagulls - lining the entire shore...there must have been a hundred at least! We just sat across from the shore, at a vantage point, just looking at them come and go and come back again. Swooping low for fish, paddling on the waves, simply spreading their wings and stretching. The last time I saw gulls was in Istanbul in September, I hope to see them again soon.