tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-299400802024-03-07T01:11:27.386-08:00Here and NowShalinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05066451513065219378noreply@blogger.comBlogger383125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29940080.post-287141965904787762023-11-27T17:18:00.000-08:002023-11-27T17:18:30.626-08:00Right Now: A wiritng exercise<p><b>See</b>: I see a stack of book some half read, others waiting to be opened, patiently waiting on my night stand for their turn.</p><p><b>Hear</b>: I hear laughter from a television show trying its best to reach my ears above the constant hum of the air conditioner. I can't make out the words but can tell its a happy scene.</p><p><b>Smell</b>: I smell the leftover scent of sandalwood on the inner wrist from last night. The smell isn't strong but the memory of the evening is fresh and words on tip of my toungue ready to start another heartfelt conversation.</p><p><b>Taste</b>: All tastes are cleansed by the sensation of fresh toothpaste in my mouth. Taste has such a funny connection to brain, it seems without the taste and texture, my brain can't remember the food it ate, just the feeling of being satiated lingers.</p><p><b>Feel</b>: I feel on my skin a cozy fleece blanket announcing that winter season is here. This is the season to explore within rather than bring outside experiences in.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKw3IKHrBxU7lTsP-04txQRSUOgAM3cZgkgm4e8Apf24WhpD0sy2hcVhxl5Hirk7dgDBrvrSsl_GKfjvXZT0fDe1n5OEUv97xk2y2GW0qj_4J8E64tBdM0XcEwhZloGQe7TGl8_d-m5BPLuWNDqS2vzt5ukPeZ5o94y7GirBksrkDNdG0bBnOOBQ/s4032/IMG_6327%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKw3IKHrBxU7lTsP-04txQRSUOgAM3cZgkgm4e8Apf24WhpD0sy2hcVhxl5Hirk7dgDBrvrSsl_GKfjvXZT0fDe1n5OEUv97xk2y2GW0qj_4J8E64tBdM0XcEwhZloGQe7TGl8_d-m5BPLuWNDqS2vzt5ukPeZ5o94y7GirBksrkDNdG0bBnOOBQ/w552-h414/IMG_6327%5B1%5D.JPG" width="552" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Shalinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05066451513065219378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29940080.post-87645575120031111372020-01-03T17:42:00.000-08:002020-01-03T17:42:07.029-08:002020 word of the year – Aware!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I have been choosing guiding word for the year since 2007 and whether I consciously analyze it or not, in the hind sight it always seems to bring forth experiences in line with the intention I set for the year. </div>
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This year I’d want to be more aware about my existence on this earth. </div>
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Aware of how I spend my time, my money, my attention… </div>
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More aware of who grows my food and how. More aware of the choices I make when I choose to eat out and the hidden ingredients that seem to sneak in. More aware of how my meats are raised and how much of it am I consuming.</div>
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Aware of the clothes that I use and my actual need for them. The clothes that I do buy, who makes them, are the makers fairly compensated for it. What happens to the clothes that I decide to discard from my closet. </div>
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Aware of my thoughts and my actions. What is my motivation and what impact are my actions or reaction creating. </div>
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Last year's word for the year was connect. And although my hope was to connect more within the community, it was focused inwards and I realized all the things that I didn’t know before. Just sitting with yourself and your thoughts can create so much awareness and I hope to continue to do the same. </div>
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I don’t want to set out goals since I don’t yet know what I’m not aware of, but I guess the years forward will guided by this word. But I do have a rough process that I intend to follow. </div>
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•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I’d like to join a CSA (community supported Agriculture) for my and family’s need for fresh produce, so we can eat in season and support the sustainable farming methods. </div>
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•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I’d like to limit the number of clothes that I buy/acquire in the year to 12, and that includes everything from socks and undergarments to saris. </div>
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•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I’d like to limit my media consumption and enforce screen time usage on my phone and find more time to finish the books that I have started reading and never finished. </div>
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•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I’d like to maintain a food and health journal, so I can keep track of my migraines and health issues as well as my eating habits. </div>
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•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I’d like to continue my breathing and meditation practice and get in at least 300 – 10-minute sessions in the entire year. </div>
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•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I’d like to categorize and organize my crafting supplies and be more aware of the stuff I already have and map out a plan to complete projects that are still relevant. </div>
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With all that hopes and promises, Happy New Year! </div>
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Would love to hear about your intentions for the year! </div>
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Shalinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05066451513065219378noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29940080.post-62818186887003644352019-10-17T17:06:00.000-07:002019-10-17T17:06:11.579-07:00Intermittent Fasting and Whole30, continued discussion<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">My
experiment with Intermittent Fasting (IF) and Whole30 ended last week (actually, it was a few weeks ago but I missed pushing the publish </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">button</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> on this post) and since then
I have slowly reintroduced some food and I know some which are troublesome. If
you haven’t read my reasons for this experiment, please refer to the previous
post on this topic (</span><a href="https://shalinic.blogspot.com/2019/08/intermittent-fasting-and-whole-30.html" style="font-weight: normal;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-weight: normal;">).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">Here are
some of the salient points from the last 30 days and then at the end is the day
to day progression of thoughts as I adapted to the Whole30 approach of eating.</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-weight: normal;">If I were to do this combination of IF
and whole 30 again, I’ll like eliminate dinner and push the eating window
towards the early part of the day to better match my circadian rhythm.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight: normal;"> I’ll eliminate nuts and seeds from the meal as
well since they caused bloating and I relied too much on them for snack likely
upping my caloric intake</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight: normal;"> Whole30 is a western approach to
elimination diet and doesn’t truly match the understanding of eastern eating
philosophies and were often in conflict. For e.g. in Indian eating patterns/culture,
moong khichadi is Ayurveda approved and is considered a safe food that even
folks recovering from a disease can eat but according to Whole30, all legumes and
grains are restricted irrespective of their innate nature. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight: normal;">The diet didn’t tell me anything new
about my diet that I didn’t already knew, e.g., sensitivity to gluten,
processed food or extracted sugar. I Need more digestive power/ enzymes (herbs
and spices) to process high to digest foods. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight: normal;">After these 30 days, I might just have
given up artificial sweetener for life, I drink coffee black without sugar but
now I drink tea without sugar or stevia and I’m okay with that.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight: normal;">I’ll never go back to buying large
quantities of processed food for my pantry, there is rare times when I have to
lean of these shelf stable foods and if I don’t have them on hand I can
definitely do without them.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight: normal;">I’ll repeat this kind of elimination
diet and instead of Whole30 recommended elimination, might remove red meat, all
meat but include pulses and such. I think my gut biome favors the eastern style
of eating more than the western foods. I think seasonal eating is a better
approach for my body type.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight: normal;">I’m sensitive to gluten but I’ll
permit myself to eat gluten once a week and continue to work on my digestion to
be stronger rather than give up homemade food that I grew up with.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight: normal;">Whole30 is a diet approach for
awareness but it doesn’t fix any health issues. I’m still dealing with my
health issues with digestion, parasite infection and liver toxicity and need to
continue practicing alternative medicine to find optimum health.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight: normal;">I was hoping to lose 5 lbs. (weight
that I gained over summer travels) but I only lost about 2 pounds. But in my
friend’s case, she lost 12 pounds. I think it speaks more about my digestive
health and less about the merits of the diet.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight: normal;">I didn’t lose any inches that I can
notice, still wearing same clothes with about same fit. The flat belly doesn’t
last either, even on day when I just eat fruits and no grains or legumes.</span></li>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">Day-to-day
break down<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Day 1<span style="font-weight: normal;"> - Just
another day, feeling peachy<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Day 2<span style="font-weight: normal;"> - No
sugar craving, just habitual reaching out to sweets and retracting my hands<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Day 3<span style="font-weight: normal;"> - A
packets of spicy Cheetos with its guts laid bare tempted me but I reminded
myself that I will not feel as light and happy if I ate that stuff.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Day 4<span style="font-weight: normal;"> -
Krishna Janamashtami fasting, many other food restrictions to even worry about
Whole 30 approved food.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Day 5<span style="font-weight: normal;"> - Good
energy, clarity of thoughts. But at one time I had a strong craving for white
rice, sesame seeds, avocado and salt. I tried to diagnose what deficiency in my
body is making me crave it and if there is a whole 30 approved substitute for
the nutrients my body is craving. I drooled thinking about it and then the
moment passed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Day 6<span style="font-weight: normal;"> - I
was eating a banana and I really wanted some cold milk with it, but instead I
chose almond butter and I was over the hump. I'm realizing I need more sleep
because I'm still feeling the late afternoon slump.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Day 7<span style="font-weight: normal;"> - No
particular food cravings, good energy in the morning but afternoon slump is a
reality even today.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Day 8<span style="font-weight: normal;"> - It’s
hard to maintain Whole 30 when you are at your friends. A little bit of goat
cheese sneaked in my otherwise kosher salad dressing and I found out after I
had already eaten it. No, I'm not planning to restart the 30-day countdown.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">Guess what,
that afternoon slump was may be caused by too much fruit and not enough protein
for lunch/ afternoon snack. Forgot my fruits at home today and no afternoon
slump.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Day 9<span style="font-weight: normal;"> - It’s
hard to maintain whole 30 when going to a restaurant. Today a little bit of
mayo sneaked in my coconut and wasabi dressing with my poke salad. Also, if
there was a parasite that was responsible for my sugar cravings, it is dormant
or perhaps its muscle memory to forego sugar at this time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Day 10<span style="font-weight: normal;"> - I
feel some body re-composition happening, not necessarily better fitting clothes
but just different. I'm tempted to jump on the scale but trying to resist,
afraid that the transformation might not be reflected on a weighing machine
number.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Day 11<span style="font-weight: normal;"> –
Saturday is hard with all the sports activities and not being able to eat with
the rest of the family on the go.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Day 12<span style="font-weight: normal;"> – Ate
a protein style no cheese burger, that didn’t satiate my hunger.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Day 13<span style="font-weight: normal;"> -
Long weekend on Whole 30 when the rest of the family is not is very tough<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Day 14<span style="font-weight: normal;"> – We
are vegetarians on Tuesday and rely on legumes and beans for dinner protein,
needless to reiterate, it’s hard to adhere to a lot of limitations. Ate a
couple boiled eggs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Day 15<span style="font-weight: normal;"> - I
weighed myself, I know it’s against the rule, but I was looking for a quick
reinforcement that I’m on the right path. It was not a good idea, I have gained
a pound after 15 days on this elimination diet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Day 16<span style="font-weight: normal;"> - I
wanna give up this restricted way of life so bad. I'm fatigued, I just wanna
have some spicy miso soup with udon noodles and pork katsu.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Day 17<span style="font-weight: normal;"> –
Went to my friend’s son’s birthday party and had no issues saying no to
chocolate cake. Just drank water and it didn’t even once occur to me that I was
depriving myself. Small victory!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Day 18<span style="font-weight: normal;"> –
Just another day, so used to saying no to the snacks that the rest of the
family is eating and going for a fruit instead<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Day 19<span style="font-weight: normal;"> – My
fruit consumption has sky rocketed, I always eat a ton of veggies but so much
fruit is new for my body. My body has lost its insulin sensitivity, so this
amount of fruit might not be good in the long run.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Day 20<span style="font-weight: normal;"> –
Today is a turning point, I have energy and I burst into a jog when I was only
out for a walk<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Day 21<span style="font-weight: normal;"> –
Afternoon slump after lunch is still an ongoing issue, carbs/sugar from the
fruit could be adding to the sugar crash<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Day 22<span style="font-weight: normal;"> –
Eating too much of Almond butter, especially in the afternoon. Don’t need any
chocolate with it or any extracted/artificial sugar for that matter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Day 23<span style="font-weight: normal;"> – My
friend told me that she lost 12 pounds in 30 days on Whole30. It is giving me
cautious hope but there’s an end in sight to this restricted eating.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Day 24<span style="font-weight: normal;"> – I’m
feeling very light and not bloated at all but not sure if this feeling would
last if I deviate from the plan even for a single day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Day 25<span style="font-weight: normal;"> –
Very indifferent to the food choices now. My body and ‘mind’ have adapted to
this new way of eating and I can go on like this forever<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Day 26<span style="font-weight: normal;"> – The
rest of the family is very excited that I’ll be off this plan soon. They are
planning for me which food should they introduce back in my diet first<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Day 27<span style="font-weight: normal;"> – My
half marathon training is suffering since I don’t have the endurance to go past
5-6 miles on my long runs<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Day 28<span style="font-weight: normal;"> – If I
don’t have to push myself too hard physically, days go on like a breeze and I
don’t even notice the passage of time<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Day 29<span style="font-weight: normal;"> –
Didn’t realize that its already day 29th, I didn’t consider the 31st day of
August and assumed I still have a little longer to go.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Day 30<span style="font-weight: normal;"> –
Tomorrow I eat yogurt whether I have lost a pound or not</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">I'll talk about some of the holistic approach that I'm pursuing for my health and wellness in upcoming posts. Post a comment to share your interest or experience.</span></div>
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Shalinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05066451513065219378noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29940080.post-70437552935509859992019-09-17T18:06:00.000-07:002019-09-17T18:06:12.982-07:00Sankat Mochan Hanuman Mandir, Bay Area<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Hindu calendar is lunar based calendar and all of our festivals are celebrated according to the waxing and waning phases of moon.<br />
But Hindu culture is also very permissive and inclusive as well. We adopt things and put a label on it like nobody's business.<br />
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One such example is that each day of the week is devoted to a deity. The Weeks and Months are part of Gregorian Calendar and has nothing to do with Hindu Calendar but as we were accepting a foreign calendar in our country we were molding our rituals and traditions to continue to incorporate our religion and culture into our everyday life.<br />
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Today is Tuesday - Day of Hanuman ji, he is the monkey faced God and Son of Wind and also referred to as 'Pavan Putra (Son of wind). He represents ultimate strength and energy as well as unyielding devotion to Ram and selfless devotion to serving what is right and inherently good. He can get rid of all demons in your life. When he's on your side, nothing and nobody can harm you....<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLDxKvtyMB44mZvko4160UBbxiLzzlfB1-OcouhGRFT_RFpHbNgaZTAQUaIJBjrUEQ7Iaeu4D1D_xeWsVJme2mWsskJP4TfxllDJcaBdEXkpitIWUTTmvwSXAsrTpzPl89zPUJcg/s1600/IMG_E0016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLDxKvtyMB44mZvko4160UBbxiLzzlfB1-OcouhGRFT_RFpHbNgaZTAQUaIJBjrUEQ7Iaeu4D1D_xeWsVJme2mWsskJP4TfxllDJcaBdEXkpitIWUTTmvwSXAsrTpzPl89zPUJcg/s640/IMG_E0016.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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I think because of all the funny and inspiring stories built around the life of Hanuman ji, he is easily the first God that most kids connect with. I know I first connected with him because he was so silly and yet he was God. My grandma would tell me stories from Hanuman ji's childhood and life and later during one of her travels she brought me a story book with all stories of him.<br />
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Recently, we visited the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Mandir in the San Francisco Bay Area (picture above) and I decided there couldn't be a better day to share the pictures from the temple than a Tuesday. The temple is located at a hill top in the middle of a forest, it is a meditation and Ayurvedic center along with a Hanuman Temple. It's often known shows up as Mount Madonna in internet searches.<br />
Take a peak:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3gDRefsHJvydpoM-gcrjoBiQbIZky35BhAPvx8XfRNy9R_Gfk4ofZ2oBizGejj-VWzdsH8qQg2cCVB5asGvNJXaIA8FJR6delbpyNArA5X7Vp_kjvTRT2QNqNI8171fOXIkmAGw/s1600/IMG_E4656.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3gDRefsHJvydpoM-gcrjoBiQbIZky35BhAPvx8XfRNy9R_Gfk4ofZ2oBizGejj-VWzdsH8qQg2cCVB5asGvNJXaIA8FJR6delbpyNArA5X7Vp_kjvTRT2QNqNI8171fOXIkmAGw/s640/IMG_E4656.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful chandelier with Raag- Ragini</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX3aqh3uZczvmV33BePOSKWtJgd_C3xfziGXBr_oVS1RjaWOUAbYRhkabWI2udrVt809sFp6sfvLqyi-IjmZ2XERq3Eq7uYiYNaxehnX74cCBL3oNgXWGOBuNm3nBwpbwdGEEEgw/s1600/IMG_E4667.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX3aqh3uZczvmV33BePOSKWtJgd_C3xfziGXBr_oVS1RjaWOUAbYRhkabWI2udrVt809sFp6sfvLqyi-IjmZ2XERq3Eq7uYiYNaxehnX74cCBL3oNgXWGOBuNm3nBwpbwdGEEEgw/s640/IMG_E4667.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ornate column, looks like Tibetan inspired to my untrained eye</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhNnq8HYL2sFYvouvala1WLLmbLzulWaBD__t3nJIPWjgpUQ6O3D_ecklKibUwclVluRBJVE1qQFcvpZMimTjazAjbg2Dn2IbKg4-M1eC4BlrYbMqXbi6MmzAVKn65qAz4fWiOxw/s1600/IMG_E4657.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhNnq8HYL2sFYvouvala1WLLmbLzulWaBD__t3nJIPWjgpUQ6O3D_ecklKibUwclVluRBJVE1qQFcvpZMimTjazAjbg2Dn2IbKg4-M1eC4BlrYbMqXbi6MmzAVKn65qAz4fWiOxw/s640/IMG_E4657.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A hanging diya adorned with roses, interesting touch for day time decorations</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNigCYzHa01vJXWduT-VCyMTbWQmdvtEONxcWynU1zZ-oBrD6LAoBeHj50Y_LHoYpwJZmLgn56zV6jCjPIZWrLRU02jfpwuxeF7IDv-vaxJ8FKXYvFYXY-6bg81eU1FXzGSKlGgA/s1600/IMG_E4658.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNigCYzHa01vJXWduT-VCyMTbWQmdvtEONxcWynU1zZ-oBrD6LAoBeHj50Y_LHoYpwJZmLgn56zV6jCjPIZWrLRU02jfpwuxeF7IDv-vaxJ8FKXYvFYXY-6bg81eU1FXzGSKlGgA/s640/IMG_E4658.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loved this panel so much, I need this reminder often...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEzLzR4yBhQYYRTaoIxbFnBytcCWtypvn9dYstfeC1pRa9ZQ_EkBObd_rtdHAql3fx4DXUwF99pXrXd2gT4J27dWkHTrc7Ps5o67ceyGXpgppph6Ly30OTDivpMPC1ERPalwj20A/s1600/IMG_E4659.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEzLzR4yBhQYYRTaoIxbFnBytcCWtypvn9dYstfeC1pRa9ZQ_EkBObd_rtdHAql3fx4DXUwF99pXrXd2gT4J27dWkHTrc7Ps5o67ceyGXpgppph6Ly30OTDivpMPC1ERPalwj20A/s640/IMG_E4659.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Ganesh ji (elephant head God) panel</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKZffsyQ2vQ638OIW2oxyxzg0vpWFOcfsTX1a3kPEV7A6dmeu7hmNl2k5qU4dih-19bunHGhhy_n_Iw7fJ1LeLcvCky3F6bkg01JoEGinvUk4OD6i4rlXeFVhKQrhQFVzp3oaJZg/s1600/IMG_E4660.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKZffsyQ2vQ638OIW2oxyxzg0vpWFOcfsTX1a3kPEV7A6dmeu7hmNl2k5qU4dih-19bunHGhhy_n_Iw7fJ1LeLcvCky3F6bkg01JoEGinvUk4OD6i4rlXeFVhKQrhQFVzp3oaJZg/s640/IMG_E4660.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ganesh ji is the remover of all obstacles so he's prayed to first...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxYEMIcbGUrI4piOi1LVS5A7Ildp2bGJl2Kg7H6gcJ-VN2q3lA2jxKsYMydYzShI9hPzJVsAHmit-Fta__tVv4tFIAUPCNSC51YA161HZlSjUrFNVN9nI3sfI9rZ15kFoRTeYHlA/s1600/IMG_E4634.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxYEMIcbGUrI4piOi1LVS5A7Ildp2bGJl2Kg7H6gcJ-VN2q3lA2jxKsYMydYzShI9hPzJVsAHmit-Fta__tVv4tFIAUPCNSC51YA161HZlSjUrFNVN9nI3sfI9rZ15kFoRTeYHlA/s640/IMG_E4634.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Standing outside the main temple pavilion</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiswzVP2C8LGrtvYe7_5iZUpOgQ06KWr38WtDQNBG7eLvqwrcICJ8H7rC0SxPb4S2yp64Ol5G2_erLqDuOprJVb6lkPnTwo7jwgOkkMMxRkaN_qPthaDLjcJ0hpUtmRzuneVYWYlg/s1600/IMG_E4661.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiswzVP2C8LGrtvYe7_5iZUpOgQ06KWr38WtDQNBG7eLvqwrcICJ8H7rC0SxPb4S2yp64Ol5G2_erLqDuOprJVb6lkPnTwo7jwgOkkMMxRkaN_qPthaDLjcJ0hpUtmRzuneVYWYlg/s640/IMG_E4661.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another interesting Ganesh panel, he's rarely shown as blue so I found the color combination unusual </td></tr>
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Shalinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05066451513065219378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29940080.post-68239179831213131692019-09-13T04:58:00.000-07:002019-09-13T04:58:04.707-07:00Connect - Word of the year 2019 <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Three quarters of the year 2019 are almost behind us and it
seems like a little late to be introducing ‘Connect’ my word of the year. But
as they say, better late than never.<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Besides, there are things happening in my life and provoking
thoughts as a direct consequence of choosing this word that it seems like a
good time to talk about it. And perhaps, I have a perspective to share now that
might have been very different at the beginning of the year. <o:p></o:p></div>
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A bit of a general thought, I’ve been choosing Word of the
year since 2007 and even if I decide that I won’t choose a “word of the year”,
I invariably do. At the very least, it sets an intention for the year, makes
you aware of your thoughts, brings perspective to the abundance or lack of the
word (intention) in your own world (quite a mouthful there). <o:p></o:p></div>
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And for a believer like me, I think more than just bringing
my awareness to situations, the universe creates and attracts circumstances and
draws me closer to what I truly need with the intentions I set for the year. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
My intention for setting this intention was to build a
community, feel like I belong and feel more connected to fellow humans that I
share this journey with. Mostly the horizontal connections… I took a few
initiatives to feel more connected; I reached out to people with similar
interests, I went on more walks and more coffee dates. There were a couple initiatives that
I shared/ started on social media, both of them related to my fondness for the six-yard
unstitched fabric – the saree. I organized local meet ups for women who love to
wear sarees.<br />
<br />
And I started an Instagram group for building sisterhood around a
traveling saree very much based on the movie <b><i>‘The sisterhood of the traveling <s>pants</s>
saree’</i></b>. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ29fkNRQNpj7WIu9lUcpGzueoBMP-xgNMrGkGUgb1Yuhw5GC9w1XGz-2JvG5YWiT89mY1PqeG0eZj5R_5SuOwa4WLNItxxvzHhTqFdXO42PlULJBWBsldIDSWbI31bE_NzMfavg/s1600/ACS_0368.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1597" data-original-width="1600" height="636" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ29fkNRQNpj7WIu9lUcpGzueoBMP-xgNMrGkGUgb1Yuhw5GC9w1XGz-2JvG5YWiT89mY1PqeG0eZj5R_5SuOwa4WLNItxxvzHhTqFdXO42PlULJBWBsldIDSWbI31bE_NzMfavg/s640/ACS_0368.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here’s what I wrote on my Instagram post: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></i>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Have you seen the movie- the sisterhood of the traveling pants... it’s
about teen girls finding comfort and support in their friendships. I was
watching the movie and realized that the craving for sisterhood and support and
the longing to belong that the teens in the movie were seeking exists even when
we get older.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">With that intention, I decided to
share my saree and sisterhood strength with Ramya and all others who’d like to
join the sisterhood. #sisterhoodofthetravelingsaree<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The intention of the sisterhood is
that the collective feminine power will bring us what we desire and most need
at this juncture in life.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Please let me know if you’d like to
join and follow the tag to see who is contributing to the sisterhood before
you. If my saree is taking it too long to reach you please reach out to others
who might want to become your support system and start another
#sisterhoodofthetravelingsaree in your community, in your family, among your
friends (real or virtual). If you don’t wear saree, share a t-shirt, a dupatta,
a bracelet whatever binds you into sisterhood.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">And talking about sisterhood, why
leave the men out they probably need the support of the feminine energy the
most and an avenue to express their solidarity.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Whatever it takes, sisterhood,
brotherhood, a saree or a bracelet or just a prayer, please reach out, support
and be supported in turn, now is the time... Please tag
#sisterhoodofthetravelingsaree so we can follow you and see how you are bonding
and how your common intentions are bringing us all together. </span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Like I've said before, I set intentions, but I don’t get
to determine the path, often universe sends me what I need at the moment and
although my word ‘Connect’ was for my horizontal connections, strengthening
vertical connection was part of the divine plan. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I was thinking about doing a 100-day project, but I wasn’t
sure if the time was right to commit to something too time-consuming since my
plate was full and was going to get worse in May and June. The 100 Day project kicks
off in early April.<br />
So, I kept it simple and my target was, one month of self-care
through at least 5 minutes of daily meditation. I was easily able to manage that,
and I continued it for May and most of June as well. Most days my meditation
sessions were more than 10 minutes but there were days when I needed to squeeze
in my meditation in the car at a parking lot while waiting for kids at their
activities. I managed a 90+ day track record but then travel schedules upset it
and I didn’t quite make it to the 100<sup>th</sup> day, not a very good track
record there. <o:p></o:p><br />
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I came back from vacation and slowly settled into a routine
and I was missing meditation, and this time I knew that I wanted something
deeper, something more guided to continue on this journey. I joined a local
group for just that purpose, my vertical connection and my inward journey and
guess what, found a bunch of people on that exact same journey and a community
formed around our practice. I’ll talk more about the program once I’m a little
more experienced with it but needless to say, the word ‘Connect’ is leading me
on journeys that I didn’t plan for. And as soon as I think I have figured it
out, it changes again, just like life itself. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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So, the journey continues- inward, outward, vertical,
horizontal and sometimes it sits still within me and those are the most
precious of moments. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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And as I mentioned in the beginning about sharing about my
word in the 9<sup>th</sup> month of the year gives me a unique perspective that
I didn’t have at the beginning of the year, well, looking back at my list I
realized that I had chosen this word – ‘connect’ for 2014 as well and had I written about it at the beginning of the year, I would have been very tempted
to change it but I’m glad I didn’t and even though the word is a repeat the journey
is as different as day and night. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br /></div>
Shalinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05066451513065219378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29940080.post-79933098914877647192019-09-06T18:38:00.000-07:002019-09-06T18:38:00.452-07:00Is there a Whole30 friendly Latte?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
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I have been searching high and low for a milk style beverage-
coconut milk or almond milk for making lattes at home or even add some to my afternoon
coffees. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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All the non-diary beverages have soy lecithin, guar gum, carrageenan
or some other unpronounceable ingredient to make the consistency of the
beverage closest to that of milk. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I didn’t buy any of those to keep in my fridge but instead
told myself to make almond milk at home, in my own kitchen if I’m so inclined.
So far, my craving for a milk-like product hasn’t inspired me enough to put in
the extra work. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Are you wondering the purpose of this post yet? I'm not sure there is one.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I was having a rough day yesterday and needed a pick me up
in the afternoon. I decided that I’ll walk to the nearby Starbucks and get
myself a non-dairy latte made with all those unpronounceable ingredients even
if they are not Whole 30 approved. I asked my barista to make a tall (8oz)
non-dairy latte with unsweetened coconut milk. The beverage I got was a
little too sweet to be unsweetened. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I asked to check the box and found that both coconut milk
and almond milk had cane sugar in them along with all the other ingredients
that I possibly shouldn’t be eating. The box in big letters said “unflavored”
and the barista(s) (yes multiple baristas) took it as no sugar added and were annoyed
that I want to look at the ingredients and didn’t take their word on face
value. I stood at the counter for a solid 1 minute and it felt everything like
the 1-minute counter on the microwave when you are in a rush to get to the next
thing. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Yep! It was a very slow 1 minute. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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And then (insert climatic music of your choice), I decided
to take that coconut milk latte, walk to the park, sit on a bench and enjoy it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
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Am I going to do over the last 15 days, no I don’t think so.
<o:p></o:p></div>
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Am I going to give up on Whole 30, nope, nada! </div>
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Am I still looking for the perfect non-dairy beverage, you
betcha. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Do I know the first food I’d like to introduce back in my diet
at the end of 30 day, yes it would be dairy. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br /></div>
Shalinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05066451513065219378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29940080.post-77904971148801953702019-09-05T23:28:00.000-07:002019-09-05T23:28:04.293-07:00I'm Fine and Neither Are You by Camille Pagán - Book Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Writing a book review after a long time. </div>
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This book -' <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Im-Fine-Neither-Are-You-ebook/dp/B07GJYX3CM" target="_blank">I'm Fine and Neither Are You'</a> was part
of our book club read last month. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I think if the title was any clue to what lies ahead in the
chapters, you can practically predict that its written for most of us, who
carry on day to day saying ‘I’m fine’ without ever meaning to say it but in
most cases just the opposite. I could relate to the book on so many levels and
not just to one character but there were situations where I could see myself
playing several roles. <o:p></o:p></div>
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To summarize the book. It’s a story about a woman readying
herself to face the realities of her life and coming up with the realization
that she can’t do it all, let alone do it all on her own and make it look
effortless. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Sounds familiar? Yeah, me too. <o:p></o:p></div>
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She was jolted into looking deeper into her life after the
sudden demise of her best friend who seemed to have had everything together in
her life specially as she laid it out on her picture-perfect blog. The dead best
friend as you might have guessed had created a curated version of her life on
social media that others assumed was the whole reality including the main
character of the book.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The main character, a wife, a mother, a full-time employee
had a husband that didn’t work outside the house and didn’t do much to help in
the house either. And she never questioned his behavior or asked him to step up to
the needs of the family. Similarly, she had a high demanding job but never
stood up for her rights at work or to bring to attention of her superiors the
amount of effort she’s putting into her work. And guess what, the job wasn’t
her first choice she was just sticking to it since she was the sole bread
winner. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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You might question her behavior and think that’s unusual but
of course there’s back story and she was carrying her own baggage and fighting
her own insecurities. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You might think, oh! I now know the summary of the book and
don’t need to read it, but I think it’s not the story-line, it’s the way
situations make you think about your own action or reaction to the
circumstances. The book can make you cry and laugh at the same time. You can
imagine being on the toilet seat, in front of the dirty sink, behind the desk
on a boring task, frustrated by the lack of opportunities right alongside the
characters of the book, you’d mourn the loss of dreams that never took flight and
you’d hope for a happy ending on a porch swing watching a sunset, all within
the confines of these words. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Apart from the main character’s struggles, the facade that
her best friend lived with was also poignant. Not only did she portray a perfect
life on the blog for her readers but even her close friends believed that the
life she’s sharing publicly is the only life she’s got. It makes me ponder over
the facades that we live with in our own lives. Not just the curated posts for
the social media but also story that we share with others in real life. No one
can know everything about your life, they’d know only what you share and in
turn your partial story becomes who you are and many folks in your life might
believe that it’s the whole of you. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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So, after all these details it probably won’t come as a surprise,
but I’d really recommend this book. The story-line might seem a little cliched,
but the writing style is inspiring and the characters relate-able. I think we can
all drop a few facades and hope that we’ll be accepted for who we are rather
than what others expect us to be. <o:p></o:p></div>
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As for me I just hope to find it in me to say, “I’m Not Fine”
the next time I find myself struggling rather than putting up a brave face,
saying “I’m fine”, and continue with a disgruntled attitude. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br /></div>
Shalinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05066451513065219378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29940080.post-22803993177594692082019-08-30T04:30:00.000-07:002019-09-06T14:55:53.052-07:00Intermittent Fasting and Whole30 – Part II<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This brief post is to share the combination of the IF and
whole30 protocol that I’ll be follow during the 30-day experiment. If you don’t
know the reason why I’m following on this path, please read the first post of
the topic (<a href="https://shalinic.blogspot.com/2019/08/intermittent-fasting-and-whole-30.html" target="_blank">here</a>).<o:p></o:p></div>
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I have <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Whole30-30-Day-Guide-Health-Freedom/dp/0544609719/ref=asc_df_0544609719/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312178271755&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=3615929974995931314&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9032528&hvtargid=pla-450195540651&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=60258871377&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=312178271755&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=3615929974995931314&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9032528&hvtargid=pla-450195540651" target="_blank">Melissa Urban’s book</a> on my best side table and I looked
at the recommended food list and shopping list to decide how I want to follow
this plan. Since I’m eating in an 8-hour window on most days, I cannot follow
the time guidelines of eating within an hour of waking up and eat every 4-5-hour
pattern. I clean fast with just black coffee and water, no MCT oil or amino in
my coffee. <o:p></o:p></div>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Combined Intermittent Fasting and Whole 30 protocol<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span>Fast at least 16 hours in every 24 hours, eat within 8 hours window</h4>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Break fast with three stalks of celery blended
with a cup of water (in lieu of making celery juice and loosing the fiber)</li>
<li><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Drink black coffee as needed</li>
<li><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Eat a Whole30 approved light lunch/ afternoon
snack (that celery blend is going to fill you up)</li>
<li><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->No dairy makes it hard to drink chai in the
evening with family so if schedule permits, drink a cup of green tea and avoid
the tea time snacks</li>
<li><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Dinner is salad or grilled vegetables with lean
meat or fish, mostly grilled</li>
</ul>
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I have been following this for a week and so far, its been
working alright. I’ll share daily cravings, energy levels and overall changes
at the end of 30 days. Whole 30 requires that we put away the scale and tape measure
and don’t track it till the end of the program since it’s a health regimen and
not a weight loss plan.<br />
I forgot to take weight or measurement at the beginning
of this but have a general idea about where I stand and how my clothes feel so
at the end of the month it would probably be a qualitative assessment and not a
quantitative one. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br /></div>
Shalinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05066451513065219378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29940080.post-72096980958819977352019-08-25T23:57:00.000-07:002019-09-06T14:56:23.626-07:00Intermittent Fasting and Whole30 - together<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I have been doing Intermittent Fasting (IF) for about a year now and just decided
to combine it with Whole30; reasons coming up a little later in the post. When
I decided to take the Whole30 approach while doing IF, I didn’t come across
many concrete reasons for why I should or shouldn’t combine these two
approaches to eating food or any examples for that matter, so I decided to document
my eating journey to share some perspective; although with a sample size of
one, it would be anecdotal.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I gained an unexplained amount of weight during the process
of our potential move, at the time, to California within a short period of
time. Now looking back, I know it was stress and cortisol levels in the body
but bear with me as I walk you through my story.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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My first health checkup in California revealed that I’m
pre-diabetic with high cholesterol numbers and with BMI pushing me into Overweight
category. Not that I needed a doctor or any tests to tell me that latter diagnosis.
So, to make good use of my sabbatical, I revved up my exercise and coffee
routine to no avail. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I joined a health program recommended by the doctor to learn
how and what to eat that pretty much restricted me at 1200 kCal per day along
with a lousy telephone-based support system. After my six weeks on the program
when the needle on the scale didn’t move in the desired direction, I called the
support line and rediscovered they were pretty lousy – the female voice on the
other end of the line told me, I’m too impatient. I was so emotionally disturbed
to get that response from a fellow female and supposedly a nutritionist that I forgot
to call her names and yell at her before disconnecting the line. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I wasn’t ready to give up, so I decided to go for one of those basal metabolic rate test that required me to give up coffee, alcohol and
exercise for 24-48 hours. Basically, everything I was surviving on after the
phone conversation mentioned above. And if you are beginning to judge me, my alcohol
consumption was within the daily 1200 calories limit. The test told me that my
metabolic rate was so low that it was off the charts, the technician couldn’t
map it and had to extend the graph line to tell me that I only need 700-800 kCal
each day to survive. And so understandably, my 1200 kCal with three Zumba classes
a day was barely keeping me at a steady weight and if I decided to skip an exercise
class and go for a latte then all those liquid and well documented calories
stayed comfortably on my love handles. The only benefit of this test was to
confirm that, one, I wasn’t impatient and two, the ‘above-mentioned’ nutritionist
cheated on her certification exams. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Fast forward a couple months; with continued workouts, a Bollywood
dance class and a few episodes of emotional eating later - I was still at my heaviest
weight ever and that is counting those times when there was a baby growing
inside me. I stopped dancing and started running but that is a conversation for
a whole another post. I even dedicated an entire year to staying ‘Active’ – my word
of the year 2018, joined a running group, ran half-marathons, 5k and 10k but
situation didn’t improve significantly. <o:p></o:p></div>
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That is, until I came across this concept of ‘intermittent
fasting’. I started that last year August around this same time and for the
first time started seeing the needle move in the desired direction. I averaged
16 hour fasts and ate within an 8-hour window, some days the fasting window is
longer and a few days when I am traveling with family, the fasting window gets
shorter. I lost a few pounds and plateaued but being the patient person I am, I
continued with it. IF is a good program for insulin sensitivity, metabolic disorder, gut health issues, digestion but not so much for hormonal issues or for that matter parasites either. If there is an underlying issue that remains unaddressed,
its is very difficult to heal completely no matter how good a program might be.
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I saw my health deteriorate, possibly due to the toxins
being released in my body from the stored fat sources. My liver couldn’t
process the toxins, my adrenals were fatigued, I had a lot of water retention specially
after my long practice runs… overall indication, I had to change something. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I intuitively knew that gluten is not a friend but couldn’t
give up roti (whole wheat unleavened flat bread) although I did give up refined
flour, sugar and rice for the longest time , kidding that long time was only in
my mind; it wasn’t very long, only 2-3 months at a time with all the temptations
around. DH started making whole wheat sourdough bread at home, so I can still
eat bread. And then there was a new banh-mi sandwich place close to home that made
the most delicious after-hiking food. Also, there were Indian sweets to be
consumed and new recipes to be tried and parties to be hosted and festivals to
be celebrated. Long story short, I needed a regimented food elimination diet and
whole 30 fit the bill. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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So, here I am deciding to continue with IF protocol while
eating Whole 30 recommended foods. When I started documenting these thoughts,
it was meant to be a single post with short introduction followed by my 30-day
journey and a conclusion. Clearly, I’m not a woman with few words and the 30
days are yet to be documented. So, before I add many more words, let me just conclude
by saying - <o:p></o:p></div>
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To be continued… <o:p></o:p></div>
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Shalinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05066451513065219378noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29940080.post-69795635377449177622019-08-05T04:50:00.000-07:002019-08-05T04:50:07.900-07:00What motivates you?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Words, contemplation, hope and growth...</div>
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Stay focused, my friend!<br />
With each step, you are moving towards a future and as long as you keep stacking those bricks, you keep creating that future. We might not have a road-map for the journey ahead but we are just a small piece in this big puzzle, this world would be incomplete without us and at the same time we won't be able to make sense of our purpose until we figure out how we fit with the big picture, just they way we are, with all our quirks and rough edges... </div>
Shalinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05066451513065219378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29940080.post-19308472300067491202019-08-02T17:37:00.000-07:002019-08-02T17:37:07.262-07:00Be gentle with yourself<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Healing takes time... be gentle with yourself.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
They say you don't realize what you have until its gone. It's true to some extent but the contrary is true as well. You don't realize what you've gained unless you look back and reflect. </div>
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Every experience, every disappoint, every hurdle is contributing towards our growth. Sometimes it seems like with every step forward you are getting buried deeper into the darkness and then time passes, you look back and boom.... there was a sprout somewhere along the way and you feel a bloom inside of you.<br />
<br />
Have patience, with yourself, with universe, with process.<br />
Don't give up.<br />
Continue baby steps even if it seems waves are pushing you backwards<br />
Things take time<br />
Have faith<br />
Give it a chance<br />
Its not the end as long as you live<br />
And then, it continues in the next life form...<br />
<br /></div>
Shalinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05066451513065219378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29940080.post-11016664162139127692018-04-04T21:26:00.000-07:002018-04-04T23:31:35.128-07:00Memories in the making...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I must start this post with an apology, even though I have yet to type up my thoughts I know they are all tinged with personal stories and intimate victories, so unless you are a mother or a deeply empathetic person you might find it hard to relate to it... but I must express nonetheless.<br />
<br />
Today's morning started in a recovery mode from the cascading effect of the night before... to summarize, there were a series of articles linked with each other and I kept hopping from one to the next which ended up in a late night resulting in a morning alarm that was snoozed too many times. I was running late and trying to cover up ground when after breakfast my little one came around in her new 'marvel' T-shirt asking if I can make french braids today. It was a split second decision, do I disappoint my daughter or get ready to suffer the wrath of my manager... I decided to take a chance braided my daughters hair. While combing her hair I realized that she has gotten so tall that I had to ask her to sit down so I can braid her hair properly, where has the time flown, when did she become so tall. These years are passing in a flash and I was thankful that I followed my gut and decided to braid her hair, sounds like a small and insignificant decision but these are the moments that form the memories that we look back on.<br />
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Another special moment of the day came when my teenager came to me and said "Mom, I need your advice. I think you can help since you never give up on anything." Now if you have a tween or a teenager you might know how hard it is for them to ask for help let alone admit that you as a parent might actually know something. All I can say is that it was a 'Total victory moment'.<br />
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Side Story: <i>I have been going through some rough time in my career and in last couple months needed to make a decision, do I stay in the game, fight and push forward or do I retreat back to my comfort zone. I decided to throw a challenge at my brain to help me make a decision. I had to come up with one word that would define me once I leave... it was a conversation between my brain and I and the word that was unanimously decided among them was 'RESILIENT'. I am resilient and after I leave I'd want to be known for the one who got up every single time and not the one who never failed. Decision made, I stay and fight and prove it to myself that I'm not afraid of falling... </i><br />
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Fast forward to today, unaware of any of my struggles when I daughter saw me as a person who never gives up, it was the biggest validation I could ever imagine to get. And what they say about parents should lead with example, well I did it! at least this one time.<br />
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I guess two victories for the second day of memory keeping is pretty good odds. Upward and onward...</div>
Shalinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05066451513065219378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29940080.post-19264658721616276612018-04-03T21:51:00.000-07:002018-04-03T22:57:24.854-07:00Is blogging making a comeback?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In the past few months, I have seen some of my old blogging friends have started making small appearances via occasional posts on their sites and it is so heartening so see memories documented and deep thoughts shared again through this medium.<br />
Social media these has become a whole lot about pretty pictures and less about the emotions behind them and its hard to know through a 'like' or 'heart' button if they just like your pictures or they got the emotion you were trying to convey.<br />
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Anyways, the reason I started to type my thoughts today was that its the first day of the <a href="https://www.the100dayproject.org/" target="_blank">#HundredDayProject</a> and I have been thinking hard and deep about the things that I'd like to bring my focus back to in the next hundred days and there were quite a few things in my life at the moment that I can bring my attention to, there is a paper I'm working on and I can focus on its research; there is a certification that I'm trying to attain and I can focus on the study plan; I'm missing my fitness goals and I can bring them into the fore... the list goes on... But as with all social projects to be accountable they must be tangible enough to share and interesting enough for your fellow travelers to care about your journey.<br />
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After mulling over various details and complexity of the schedule that I foresee in the next few months I've decided that I'll focus on #100daysOfMemoryKeeping<br />
Ever since I moved to California more than two years ago, half of my scrapbooking supplies are still packed in boxes and I'd like to change that and I'd like to document more about life in general.<br />
I plan to make 100 memory pages/projects in the next hundred days and even though I won't be able to make one page per day I'd like to commit to devoting 15 minutes of memory keeping activity each day. Some of the things I plan to do are<br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>Sort, edit and print pictures. </li>
<li>Sort and categories scrapbooking supplies.</li>
<li>Print enlargements and frame pictures</li>
<li>Blog about previous and upcoming trips and share pictures</li>
<li>Make digital pages/books</li>
<li>Document my progress on the blog</li>
</ol>
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With those intentions and a picture of one of my dad's paintings... lets begin this 100 day journey!</div>
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Please leave a comment if you are pursuing a 100 day project so I can come check out your progress and encourage you on the way. </div>
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Shalinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05066451513065219378noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29940080.post-14755579007623131572018-01-01T22:00:00.000-08:002018-01-02T00:00:24.836-08:00Word of the year 2018 - Active...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It was incredible to usher in the new year 2018 on a Monday... the last weekend of the year was slow and contemplative and I am so thankful for it.<br />
As I looked back on the year 2017 and my word (phrase) - 'show up' for the year, my biggest take away is the persistence to keep following the plan despite the results. 2017 for me was not a year of results, it was about burning the midnight oil and keep plugging away even when nothing seems to be moving on the surface.<br />
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Another very important lesson was setting priorities... you'll achieve only what you make time for and even though I don't have sprouts to show for the hard work, I know in my conviction the seeds that have been sown.<br />
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After last few years of forging (2015), surrendering (2016) to the path that's in front of me and showing up (2017), it is time to take charge again and the word that I have chosen to set that intention is 'Active'... My commitment to staying active is for my body and for my mind.<br />
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For my body, I would like to eliminate extracted sugar from my diet and limit the consumption of high glycemic index foods to special occasions only. Also, a minimum of 10 minutes of activity each day and ideally a 30 minute work out. The goal is to cut out the crap and to move more...<br />
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For my mind, I would like to carve out time for contemplation and be more deliberate in my thinking for day to day tasks and yet, be more strategic towards long term career goals. Staying on top of current research in the field and carving out a detailed action plan would help keep my mind active and my knowledge relevant.<br />
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I'd write a more detailed post to wrap up 2017 but today being the first day of 2018, I wanted to usher in this new milestone in time with hope and a plan for the future...<br />
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'Wish you a happy 2018' <br />
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Shalinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05066451513065219378noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29940080.post-3346956676954847702017-08-30T19:42:00.000-07:002017-08-30T19:42:02.455-07:00Bacon and Butter<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Sharing another foodie escapade story, this time I went on the adventure with my husband. "Bacon and Butter" the name doesn't sound appetizing and was not on my list of restaurant to visit even though I see it often on my drive around town. My husband had heard good things about it and we were looking to try something different so we decided to stop by.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbn6_dAde21nixgeayLa5VbdTtjBi2cSxhM14fSpDy395stxgpzME6yk73-KgDbJy_nQWMUYMUUFTwiw9FeDLq0ZigmQV_jgslPaRbZgdxM6e8x5C4pBn_vlfVzhMC7TiXUnPjNw/s1600/IMG_1777.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbn6_dAde21nixgeayLa5VbdTtjBi2cSxhM14fSpDy395stxgpzME6yk73-KgDbJy_nQWMUYMUUFTwiw9FeDLq0ZigmQV_jgslPaRbZgdxM6e8x5C4pBn_vlfVzhMC7TiXUnPjNw/s640/IMG_1777.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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The décor was clean and industrial but not overtly so and even though it has the diner vibe to it, there is a very different energy in this place. There is a parking lot next to it and the wait wasn't too long.</div>
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The menu was single paged and from the dishes offered you could tell it was very seasonal. <br />
DH ordered Billy Club, chicken breast, jalapeno aioli, bacon, avocado, lettuce and mozzarella cheese along with fries, which was finger link potatoes sliced in half and cooked in fresh butter. I try to avoid white bread but after a bite of that sandwich and potato fries, I was ready to order a second lunch. There is something absolutely heavenly about butter and all things cooked in butter.<br />
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I ordered a very healthy seasonal greens salad with fresh sliced and grilled asparagus. It was served with poached egg and grilled cheese (possibly burrata cheese coated with parmesan). It was so fresh and delicious that I was convinced that it can not be as healthy as the other salads I have been eating all these while.</div>
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Needless to say, we were impressed by the freshness of ingredients and the unique preparations. We started talking to our server and was blown away. He was passionate about the food he served us, he knew the farms where our food grew, their locations and their owners. The way he conveyed all that information, you could tell its not a marketing tactic, he totally has bought into the farm to fork movement and takes great pride in it.<br />
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The last wind that blew us over the top was that the check was brought in an old book. What a wonderful reuse of these old books and best thing, you could totally browse the book while you wait for your server to process your check.<br />
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When I went in the restaurant, the name 'bacon and butter' conjured up an image in my mind and as I was leaving it, that image was completely changed. Such a great experience, wonderful fresh food and people who believe in sourcing and cooking from the best local ingredients. <br />
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Shalinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05066451513065219378noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29940080.post-7087076976462383922017-08-29T21:20:00.000-07:002017-08-29T21:20:00.174-07:00Let it be...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Its been almost two years since we moved to California and as I look back at all the decisions that brought me to this juncture in life, I struggle with the direction of a few of those decisions...<br />
All those what ifs in life, all those moments that seem so huge retrospectively but I had hardly paid attention to those moments and the over arching effects they will have on my life.<br />
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I think it would be unfair to say that I don't regret any of the decisions and yet I wouldn't have gotten here without those decisions. Life's precious moments seem to be constantly straddling this dilemma, hurting, analyzing and acknowledging the series of decisions that brought me here.<br />
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It seems this isn't an isolated phenomenon, others suffer from it as well and during a discussion on this topic with a friend, she introduced me to a new way of thinking about the things in life. She mentioned that often people say you have to 'Let it go' to come to terms with any loss but that's not true. If its hurting you can't let it go, you need to let it be.<br />
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One needs to acknowledge the loss, the pain and frustration that is hurting us. We need to look back and review those moments when we picked a path on the fork of life and closed the door on everything that was possible on the other path, acknowledge the fact that you can never go back to the dilemma again, the hurt that's lingering would likely stay there for a long time to come. One possibly needs to go through negative emotions to acknowledge it and express the anger and frustration through bad words and physical retaliation but don't feel guilty about your behavior. <br />
Guide books often guide you to feel zen and above the situation in order to achieve peace but to achieve the calm, your heart needs to agree, you can't just impose the logic of the brain and pretend like things aren't bothering you anymore. If you'd want your heart to come along, you do need to go through the pain, acknowledge its presence and 'Let it be'.<br />
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My mom quoted something from an article the other day, "if you want to understand life look to your past but if you want to build a life you need to look forward". I realized that every single moment I'm making a decision and I'm not even sure which one these moments with turn into those life changing events that I'll look back on and ponder over. I can only try and detach the emotions that I am acknowledging as a consequence of a previous decision, from the decision that I'll be making next. <br />
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Shalinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05066451513065219378noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29940080.post-70826891765460570442017-08-25T19:02:00.000-07:002017-08-25T19:02:00.190-07:00My first time trying El Salvadorian cuisine...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Birds of a feather...<br />
I'm so fortunate to be able to connect with my foodie co-workers, so here's sharing another food adventure story. I call myself an adventurous eater and have tried quite a variety of cuisine but every so often, I come across that I never knew existed and I'm humbled. I guess, I don't know what I don't know until I know about it...<br />
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One of my south American friend asked me if I'd be interested in trying El Salvadorian food. We had been working out on the field all morning so a sandwich and iced coffee in the shade of a tree would have been good but actual real food in an air-conditioned restaurant seemed like heaven and could not be refused.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi023i0W9bnfiQlR4prrYnrTkCdGia7u0QAHDBZRlScOg9e_HkW_X8vPzUpV0cSv0QscNJxQPuohOR9Dog_qYEFzDjiAT0jYTMw8kxsOcz0O147TDdtn5WI3U9lIxl2VONFrr1XEQ/s1600/IMG_2867.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi023i0W9bnfiQlR4prrYnrTkCdGia7u0QAHDBZRlScOg9e_HkW_X8vPzUpV0cSv0QscNJxQPuohOR9Dog_qYEFzDjiAT0jYTMw8kxsOcz0O147TDdtn5WI3U9lIxl2VONFrr1XEQ/s640/IMG_2867.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Platano's grill was off interstate I-5 along the frontage road in <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Lathrop,+CA/@37.8078252,-121.4082159,12z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x8090154e37133c43:0xb061c1d0c822c0e!8m2!3d37.8227046!4d-121.27661" target="_blank">Lathrop</a> in San Joaquin Valley. I'm pretty sure, I'd not have picked this place on my own but now that I know about it, I'll take my family there. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivDIHy2cvQxisgkLk_ebADcH9CIg_sbt-Pcu_TPQnOzlIUhWtQqzxx1ytFReLNIPza4YeIN0VgAm8nR67NzicMPcUKzE2h53g3CvYYuIT0sAgp8FDwaOMSMgVHyVATngLLISpuDw/s1600/IMG_2866.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivDIHy2cvQxisgkLk_ebADcH9CIg_sbt-Pcu_TPQnOzlIUhWtQqzxx1ytFReLNIPza4YeIN0VgAm8nR67NzicMPcUKzE2h53g3CvYYuIT0sAgp8FDwaOMSMgVHyVATngLLISpuDw/s640/IMG_2866.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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These in the picture above are Pastelitos our appetizer. It has a pastry dough shell, filled with chicken and veggies and is deep fried. Really yummy and even though I've had the combination of these ingredients, the flavor was very distinct. I'd recommend sharing as the amount of oil that was soaked in the shell was very evident.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6MhuMQh5j7QasZ0ZnR5MZtd7vQ6po8sV2_c5RoI98WfM3BhISIAbcXNPGEuLCNIOcIZFTWeGTa0jJMwGejpDXSKSOE96xTB_qi0oc4E85g9COX79RRXbBIUYCjbL-C4Wj6DURzw/s1600/IMG_2865.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6MhuMQh5j7QasZ0ZnR5MZtd7vQ6po8sV2_c5RoI98WfM3BhISIAbcXNPGEuLCNIOcIZFTWeGTa0jJMwGejpDXSKSOE96xTB_qi0oc4E85g9COX79RRXbBIUYCjbL-C4Wj6DURzw/s640/IMG_2865.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
This is what our main course looked like as we started to dig into our food. The small round stuffed bread are called Pupusa. It is flour dough bread cooked on a skillet and comes filled with a variety of flavors. We ordered Chicken and cheese, cheese and vegetable, cheese and beans and cheese and loroco (edible flower from Mexico). They were all extremely fresh and wonderful. I have tried pupusa before (not knowing that its el Salvadorian food) with corn flour dough and I liked those better for the nutty corn flavor but these were so fresh off the skillet that I didn't even remember the other kind till much later.<br />
The black rice dish is Casamiento which is black bean and rice dish and is close to flavor as the rice and (red) beans but the black beans were much firmer and held their distinct taste. <br />
One the on right is Platano (Plantain) served with sour table cream. The plantains were caramelized without any additional flavor and I really liked that. Usual flavoring of cinnamon and sugar makes it too artificial in taste, this was subtle flavor and went very well with the table sour cream.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzBRP4ECkADLQGnlDQ0FT7kk3CyYWvwLIPMV5DI0yEL5hh2F2MNVFBSDfJUmZEauvAHyNmK8GAl4_5uzLxz6HHsSkx3jZ8fgrd2RwyGtjHo623iEZ42Ew41Gh70WyW2pddXlfSKg/s1600/IMG_2862.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzBRP4ECkADLQGnlDQ0FT7kk3CyYWvwLIPMV5DI0yEL5hh2F2MNVFBSDfJUmZEauvAHyNmK8GAl4_5uzLxz6HHsSkx3jZ8fgrd2RwyGtjHo623iEZ42Ew41Gh70WyW2pddXlfSKg/s640/IMG_2862.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
The cabbage dish is called curtido, to me if felt like a cross between coleslaw and kimchi. Cabbage, carrots and onions are marinated in some vinegar based dressing and has a strong flavor of oregano but the veggies are still crisp and fresh. They served us a jar of it and we promptly gulped it down... one must eat their veggies, right?<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5P1ArP2zsmU5sULJdvyStp9lVTTQJ2rTGoO6j1S4pVOy5Igohs7mJcNxfagQ5edIQXr8WcA6ztAgEqrML0R7hu8NsVHo_6mtJ0C7zoePvUE8ppF8L7bOhwI3kcWFFrpuQfmISGQ/s1600/IMG_2863.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5P1ArP2zsmU5sULJdvyStp9lVTTQJ2rTGoO6j1S4pVOy5Igohs7mJcNxfagQ5edIQXr8WcA6ztAgEqrML0R7hu8NsVHo_6mtJ0C7zoePvUE8ppF8L7bOhwI3kcWFFrpuQfmISGQ/s640/IMG_2863.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
We loved their salsa as well. It has robust roasted pepper flavor and was very spicy.<br />
All in all, a wonderful food experience and even though it is a little out of the way from Sacramento, it would be a good family stop as you are heading into or out of town for vacation.</div>
Shalinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05066451513065219378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29940080.post-39338667228646389532017-08-24T18:04:00.000-07:002017-08-24T18:04:06.352-07:00SMART Rail Service... <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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SMART- Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit service starts tomorrow between San Rafael and Santa Rosa in Northern California. It is an exciting moment for all working in the transportation industry.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBl3XJ28W_a8TIMYuS16piFg7b1Fne5q30O1CryaSp6zNBs-wnDJZtbMNVgf647GBFM5tv5Qii4ef8_KwbqleqB0MWcoas0H3SoCU6OcgAuNq1kn5vBhKEmb-x3arW7SLGMFH5Yg/s1600/IMG_3269.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBl3XJ28W_a8TIMYuS16piFg7b1Fne5q30O1CryaSp6zNBs-wnDJZtbMNVgf647GBFM5tv5Qii4ef8_KwbqleqB0MWcoas0H3SoCU6OcgAuNq1kn5vBhKEmb-x3arW7SLGMFH5Yg/s640/IMG_3269.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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The first day of revenue service begins on Friday 25th August although if you are from the area you are probably already used to seeing the train running through its various test phases.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgekY-0mXqA1C9CBc-vtKakuNvAMAYZiblpF90OF7z_EXrpWwq7u9T3USmLpOTLqWTLpilXNtbuwDDAWS7Oddp6lc_agkq6edDr9GRbP3NFh1oSdemFbeUyXWhEh-dPuWtqzfkIZg/s1600/IMG_3262.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgekY-0mXqA1C9CBc-vtKakuNvAMAYZiblpF90OF7z_EXrpWwq7u9T3USmLpOTLqWTLpilXNtbuwDDAWS7Oddp6lc_agkq6edDr9GRbP3NFh1oSdemFbeUyXWhEh-dPuWtqzfkIZg/s640/IMG_3262.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
The first day of service is free for everyone to try and I'd highly recommend it. They are Clipper card only system so for anyone coming up from Bay area, it would be a breeze but for people new to this cashless ticketing system it would be a bit of learning curve. <br />
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I really like that their platforms are high and afford on level boarding rather than climbing into the coach car. Designers often think of level boarding as an accessibility issue for those who use wheel chair but I think it is good for all travelers specially moms, kids, elderly, people carrying luggage... so many reason to provide good accessibility. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7YC9gdcsY8-qv-aI7RDa-tXaqnL7vNrggC1Ze3DdR48VCyFXKXN8N3vDJdg9Il5eNHXQY-UwrEKd_cOjF5ESA1422Ax5qOI8VcENVEb2BivY34mLNANuDKnfqI2oqnPm8y-GLkQ/s1600/IMG_3271.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7YC9gdcsY8-qv-aI7RDa-tXaqnL7vNrggC1Ze3DdR48VCyFXKXN8N3vDJdg9Il5eNHXQY-UwrEKd_cOjF5ESA1422Ax5qOI8VcENVEb2BivY34mLNANuDKnfqI2oqnPm8y-GLkQ/s640/IMG_3271.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
After the first free day on Friday, the service is discounted 50% till the labor day weekend. So, if Friday is a working day for you and you can't make it up there, hit it over the weekend for all the wineries and breweries that scattered throughout the rail route. <br />
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The interior is very comfortable and equipped with a snack bar.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOENTnU8Jkkle5iOtiBsbUC5gV54jW84Sswlhf1PWRfcyBBJuHbgP0hs5yf30Nl7dK_CUltle3X3c-exnkwT_FkK-M2l9uio1fROBL6NZwxDNKIDlnmnlY1MikB1WoriVRkFb_8Q/s1600/IMG_3286.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOENTnU8Jkkle5iOtiBsbUC5gV54jW84Sswlhf1PWRfcyBBJuHbgP0hs5yf30Nl7dK_CUltle3X3c-exnkwT_FkK-M2l9uio1fROBL6NZwxDNKIDlnmnlY1MikB1WoriVRkFb_8Q/s640/IMG_3286.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
The views are breath taking and there are walking/biking trails along the train route that would be good for exploring the area.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh4bvB4ASDEdf1h3vjVWCqtiEWD2QgXoG294_tuogkMxWFkpQrAJ3oWy6WtyLXzoMSBts64Crh9liZFQcS2OX0lQt54djfLsbt6oJK4ZxrF9dQA7AD6H5rVyoIlm9qQp-QA8YSMQ/s1600/IMG_3294.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh4bvB4ASDEdf1h3vjVWCqtiEWD2QgXoG294_tuogkMxWFkpQrAJ3oWy6WtyLXzoMSBts64Crh9liZFQcS2OX0lQt54djfLsbt6oJK4ZxrF9dQA7AD6H5rVyoIlm9qQp-QA8YSMQ/s640/IMG_3294.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
Please keep your dogs on leashes and collect your trash after you. Its a beautiful setting and it would be a shame if humans with their negligence ruined it for the flora and fauna and of course all the future humans as well.<br />
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All these pictures are straight out of my camera phone, I didn't have the time to edit them and also share this post by the time SMART starts its service so timely sharing won over perfect pictures.<br />
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Hope you have a pleasant ride and next time you'd consider transit (train/bus) over highways for your family vacation.<br />
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Shalinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05066451513065219378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29940080.post-15888120344954596152017-08-14T23:02:00.001-07:002017-08-14T23:04:38.039-07:00Visiting Beijing in Winters...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Late last year, my husband casually asked me if I’d like to
go to Beijing for my birthday. It was winters, there was no tour available, we
don’t speak mandarin, and we had very short time to prepare but those are not
the kind of details over which you’d refuse a trip, right?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I asked friends who had lived in China, I perused over
travel articles, I read through blog posts but nothing much (positive anyways)
was said about traveling to China in winters but we (a family of four) went
anyways. It was much easier to travel in winters than to change my birthdate and
thus began the journey. I thought I’d share my experience for any future travelers
who’d like to explore China during winter holiday break.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The last organized tour to China was offered during the
first week of November and after that the tourism industry goes into
hibernation. That just means better travel deals and less tourists. We booked
our hotel and flight package through Expedia and chose to stay close to
Forbidden City rather than Olympic Village which was the other option in this
bundle and is a much modern area compared to the heart of old town.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeimdUrafxzS-J8U1sL8Or9ntpsqz8kRlqvZqbdarmSHDOhj5H-kAMCIQsAPpKUEwfVPbX_rTJXY5bGOF3W6Ub8EZTDGFU_4JfuZA-o_okvc7VObpDhsdSKzT1eTK0XDGZGCWtgg/s1600/D7K_4361e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="1600" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeimdUrafxzS-J8U1sL8Or9ntpsqz8kRlqvZqbdarmSHDOhj5H-kAMCIQsAPpKUEwfVPbX_rTJXY5bGOF3W6Ub8EZTDGFU_4JfuZA-o_okvc7VObpDhsdSKzT1eTK0XDGZGCWtgg/s640/D7K_4361e.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Since, it was low tourist season once we arrived at the
hotel, we got to pick between two very modern and beautiful suites after taking
the tour of each room and besides that our breakfast was included in the room price.
We like to find hotels which include breakfast during our vacations since it
sets us up for the day ahead for sightseeing/hiking as the case may be. The
breakfast room wasn’t crowded even though it was holiday season in the western
hemisphere and the chefs could easily entertain our requests for omelets and
soups. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Low tourist season meant that we could negotiate better deals
on local travel, we booked a package for visiting the Great Wall through our
hotel concierge. Before visiting Great wall, I had imagined it to be an overly
crowded section of an ancient, crumbling wall but thanks to our visit during
the winter season, we hardly had any folks with us on the wall. It is huge,
magnificent and beautifully restored. And best of all, no photo bombers in any
pictures. I could have sat and meditated there for hours before being disturbed
by any other visitor, and that is not the case in rest of the monuments that we
visited.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1rTEASm5dYQe3ZZ_G9wlOxgKSaDvFQ6u1zj6hC3zDLWtBG6MDQmMoqMsE24ORB0oNNFNUx1qyJe1DrU0ciEHNKmAvUb6SGP2KqUXKutAjFO1T8GhsWt3RtfH3KBgQt2C1V5HQNw/s1600/D7K_5384.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="1600" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1rTEASm5dYQe3ZZ_G9wlOxgKSaDvFQ6u1zj6hC3zDLWtBG6MDQmMoqMsE24ORB0oNNFNUx1qyJe1DrU0ciEHNKmAvUb6SGP2KqUXKutAjFO1T8GhsWt3RtfH3KBgQt2C1V5HQNw/s640/D7K_5384.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">One of the biggest threat that our friends’ warned us
against was cold. Well, we knew it won’t be a problem with us being from
Minnesota. Our key pieces of clothing were long underwear (a couple of sets)
and lots of layering. Malls, Taxis and Subways are all air-conditioned so you
need to take off a few layers when you are indoors. Also, lots of walking (for
us) meant that layers were mostly off and sometimes on. Scarves, hats and
gloves were big help after the sun went down and if there was a breeze. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhsZtNaVq1XXEt7kLcDNuMxAzZ2Br56G3Mw3MP9DMcMTI-XoC7E7pasrXsK98e5EwShQ5HGWZGZKayoic4tp16R9-h8wIMUN-ocAGl8EJStWvCvvTuCoL3FyvsknOS-1g5KNlbdg/s1600/D7K_4751.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="1600" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhsZtNaVq1XXEt7kLcDNuMxAzZ2Br56G3Mw3MP9DMcMTI-XoC7E7pasrXsK98e5EwShQ5HGWZGZKayoic4tp16R9-h8wIMUN-ocAGl8EJStWvCvvTuCoL3FyvsknOS-1g5KNlbdg/s640/D7K_4751.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">One big concern that DH had was the air quality. He
researched and found that air quality is bad during winters and smog lingers on
so he ordered these 3M masks from amazon to take us along the trip. They were
comfortable and we used it for the first couple days while walking on the road.
Most people tourists and locals alike wear masks so it wasn’t too awkward to
wear them all the time. But I took them out often since I didn’t want them in
all my pictures. Once we were inside a monument, building, I took them off completely.
On our third day in Beijing, there was a strong breeze that blew the smog away,
it made the air quality much better but the weather considerably chillier.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_jIosAYvOkZnXAM_80fIHP2p1y55qSgXULPhJpxZtB0cUhnnTQ99C6Y7REdSp4DZq1oFWVMF8jwLirc1xkLCpoVTJV4OLvZmAdhm9E0YtONJ797O3l2R_uR4_YT4j3kqYFrSkxQ/s1600/IMG_0052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_jIosAYvOkZnXAM_80fIHP2p1y55qSgXULPhJpxZtB0cUhnnTQ99C6Y7REdSp4DZq1oFWVMF8jwLirc1xkLCpoVTJV4OLvZmAdhm9E0YtONJ797O3l2R_uR4_YT4j3kqYFrSkxQ/s640/IMG_0052.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The best part about going on our own rather than being part
of a tour group was authentic Chinese food. The couple of bad food adventures we had
were when we were part of a tour (Great wall) or took a guide’s suggestion for
a restaurant (Xi’an), it was hugely overpriced, bad strip mall Chinese food. Otherwise
the food was excellent and local eateries are very helpful and would like to
serve you their best dishes. We had some very fun experiences when the locals
suggested to us the dishes we should order while at the restaurant. Will share those
in subsequent posts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzwX8c4LMG6El6VjN2MiJmcfxg-1TqdoBKAwt6NUKAeYff_CF_CQRzsv75ACHxVRWD2r8LI_jjdUHBx-Cs9qY7CgeEKKj5bC5WH_bkI3G_xXqPTwjtw559RlmHa6DqJKWxh-KEEA/s1600/IMG_0121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzwX8c4LMG6El6VjN2MiJmcfxg-1TqdoBKAwt6NUKAeYff_CF_CQRzsv75ACHxVRWD2r8LI_jjdUHBx-Cs9qY7CgeEKKj5bC5WH_bkI3G_xXqPTwjtw559RlmHa6DqJKWxh-KEEA/s640/IMG_0121.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">All my friends’ who have gone to China with a tour group complain
about the food, one experience that we can’t identify with. Food in Beijing was
excellent! The air quality issue persists during spring and summer as well, so
winter wasn’t really making it much worse. We also heard a lot from friends about
overcrowding and people rushing and pushing at all tourist places and not being
able to enjoy the sights because of that. Based on these inputs, we are glad we
went in winter and didn’t go with a tour group. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We made all our transportation bookings (High speed Rail and
sleeper rail) ourselves, there was always one window at the station ticket
counter where they spoke English. We mostly traveled in Subway train within town and
sometimes took Taxis. It was a great trip, where we were able to enjoy food,
sights and shopping at our own pace without any pressures and create some
wonderful family memories. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Please feel free to ask any specific questions if you are
planning a trip but I do plan to share pictures of all the sights we saw and
the experiences we had…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Shalinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05066451513065219378noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29940080.post-90372703436366906512017-08-11T22:46:00.000-07:002017-08-11T22:46:02.597-07:00Quintessential Indian Summer Pt 2 <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Shalinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05066451513065219378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29940080.post-63489611849771164582017-08-10T23:41:00.000-07:002017-08-11T00:42:57.045-07:00Quintessential Indian Summer Pt-1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Sharing a few glimpses from my recent Indian trip...</div>
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Shalinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05066451513065219378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29940080.post-59646418543096272972017-08-09T23:43:00.000-07:002017-08-10T23:46:12.913-07:00Most likely<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Left to my own devices in a new place, I'm most likely to:</div>
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<ul style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXFcZ32dVuRNp_06Nx3QhfbimlLoD-gAjQaAjlONcS2uHhs_gcbHz5C5ElV-eSAMmzF0Bh6P-KoUDXIpDISyCAC7t0hTt_bXrgphFHmkU4mgjk2jfCgpPK_ux6sVAZ0yl7tzGTzA/s1600/10153134070374084.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="396" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXFcZ32dVuRNp_06Nx3QhfbimlLoD-gAjQaAjlONcS2uHhs_gcbHz5C5ElV-eSAMmzF0Bh6P-KoUDXIpDISyCAC7t0hTt_bXrgphFHmkU4mgjk2jfCgpPK_ux6sVAZ0yl7tzGTzA/s320/10153134070374084.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="211" /></a>
<li>Order white wine (Chardonnay) at the bar</li>
<li>Share/offer appetizers with aquaintances</li>
<li>Walk around town to get familiar with it </li>
<li>Skip the ice cream shop</li>
<li>Carry out food from Whole Foods</li>
<li>Sip non caffeine warm tea with dinner</li>
<li>Look out the window till light fades away</li>
<li>Light a candle and enjoy a book</li>
<li>Eat breakfast bar for dessert</li>
<li>Take a bath instead of shower</li>
<li>Listen to 60-70s bollywood songs</li>
<li>Type random stuff while I wait for my family to call me</li>
<li>Sleep on left side of the bed, even when I'm the only person on the bed</li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Disclaimer: Observations based on average behavior during solo business trips… </i></span></div>
Shalinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05066451513065219378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29940080.post-72989831973145103612017-08-08T22:42:00.000-07:002017-08-08T22:42:49.985-07:00My Friend...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiriI0rtCd24t_a55F53OmhG0nF2jI2ceuVsuTGbB_OKIdgGRhuB8gKESCN69wQ2UH34CM8LUAJsztZSt6VouXbBx4SeaKzaRKd9Frr3B2LysdOARcNMWPrAJMo_1LTQuHmLRqciA/s1600/10152772726514084.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="501" data-original-width="700" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiriI0rtCd24t_a55F53OmhG0nF2jI2ceuVsuTGbB_OKIdgGRhuB8gKESCN69wQ2UH34CM8LUAJsztZSt6VouXbBx4SeaKzaRKd9Frr3B2LysdOARcNMWPrAJMo_1LTQuHmLRqciA/s640/10152772726514084.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Do not keep to yourself</div>
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the secret of your heart,</div>
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my friend.</div>
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Say it to me,</div>
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only to me, in secret.</div>
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You who smile so gently,</div>
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softly whisper,</div>
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my heart will hear it,</div>
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not my ears.</div>
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The night is deep,</div>
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the house is so silent,</div>
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the birds' nest are shrouded with sleep.</div>
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Speak to me through hesitating tears,</div>
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through faltering smiles,</div>
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through sweet shame and pain,</div>
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the secret of your heart!</div>
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Poetry by Tagore, translated by Gulzar</div>
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Shalinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05066451513065219378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29940080.post-49374833581204356952017-08-07T23:06:00.000-07:002017-08-08T00:07:36.467-07:00Happy Rakshabandhan...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Celebrated Rakshabandhan today, its a special festival for celebrating the bond between a brother and sister or as I like to celebrate it, its the celebration of bond between siblings…</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRhx404cCIYJrX0oAoPq3eP2SWWtmua4dWhq-j0udr7DI07-IdWt8Kzty_uhtWz19XtUZmwkWpVugEZE7qkZ9GFYEVvMtwmaxql03QUF0tFzptdWCpBdHe8v9FkbRgy51n1FPbvA/s1600/IMG_3131.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRhx404cCIYJrX0oAoPq3eP2SWWtmua4dWhq-j0udr7DI07-IdWt8Kzty_uhtWz19XtUZmwkWpVugEZE7qkZ9GFYEVvMtwmaxql03QUF0tFzptdWCpBdHe8v9FkbRgy51n1FPbvA/s640/IMG_3131.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I made these Rakhis with the help of my little one and was so happy and thankful for the technology that I was able to chat with my brother. It was the next best thing after celebrating in person.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz-Ogmst7ko86uSow-GYJjQwuhzWsNN-XGUrb23HhMNHUUh0vj7ewFm0i0EdyE7_RRY7LKkxxKZqjU6B2yKtVjdLnSi15HT_ggs18C5w-MWKUgFcdXVpWcOKnmPGun7wkdOIQXDg/s1600/FullSizeRender-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz-Ogmst7ko86uSow-GYJjQwuhzWsNN-XGUrb23HhMNHUUh0vj7ewFm0i0EdyE7_RRY7LKkxxKZqjU6B2yKtVjdLnSi15HT_ggs18C5w-MWKUgFcdXVpWcOKnmPGun7wkdOIQXDg/s640/FullSizeRender-12.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Shalinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05066451513065219378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29940080.post-73530564868861370212017-08-06T23:09:00.000-07:002017-08-07T09:47:09.443-07:00I am NOT Color Blind<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It is so important to acknowledge our differences in thinking, in approach and in perspective to appreciate the colors that this world was created with. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBAu-oqTOeo-gXTE3iWO_Q6p2H3vxANjBkh_ZLf4hLla9yqy2uMukZFqwe6sgmRHb5SYjYy3HE1VrK7TtQnPGc4bqS6cZrGQ3YJU9zxBnxwI_KDTkT-RCR2LowmB-emgKGSptr2A/s1600/color-blind-print.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBAu-oqTOeo-gXTE3iWO_Q6p2H3vxANjBkh_ZLf4hLla9yqy2uMukZFqwe6sgmRHb5SYjYy3HE1VrK7TtQnPGc4bqS6cZrGQ3YJU9zxBnxwI_KDTkT-RCR2LowmB-emgKGSptr2A/s1600/color-blind-print.jpg" width="478" /></a></div>
I think just saying that I'm color blind and I don't see differences is unfair and a bias. We need to see the colors that each of us bring to this world and acknowledge the differences to appreciate our uniqueness…<br />
I don't believe that we should not wish people 'Merry Christmas' and instead label is as Holidays so we don't hurt the sentiments of others who don't celebrate Christmas. I think we should care enough to find out when Diwali or when sukkot is being celebrated and wish people for what they are celebrating and not shun others for celebrating their festivals.<br />
In this fast changing world, we can't afford to be color-blind, we need to be artists and see colors and value them. </div>
Shalinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05066451513065219378noreply@blogger.com0