Serendipitous moment

A morning walk. Fog rising off the cold waters of a lake in the Carolinas as the morning sun stirred the surface. Mesmerizing to watch. But a blog by a dear cousin having visited a tea estate in India recently triggered another memory.

It reminded me of my early childhood visiting the Nilgiri (blue hills) mounts of southern India. We were amidst the tea gardens of Ooty. Arriving by cog rail it was nothing like Bombay, a bustling metro even back in the 70s.

Ooty or Udhagamandalam as it is locally known was/is a hamlet that got popular with the arrival of British 150 years ago. With peaks at 7,000 feet or so it was foggy most of the day only clearing around mid afternoon to reveal lush green gardens and forests.

Today it is still quaint I think. Funny how back in the day we traveled without any devices to record the moments except to store it in our hippocampus for archival access later in life.

Today in the days of ubiquitous cameras watching everything could we be losing something in return?

Comments

Of chocolates

I like chocolates. Godiva Dark with Almonds - not sure of the naked woman on the horse to be the icon of some choice cocoa based products but tastes good. Started in Belgium but now owned by some Turks. Cadburys - Fruit and Nut Milk Bars - awesome combination of dried fruit pieces along with a medley of nuts makes your toungue dance - started by a Brit now owen by Kraft USA. Lindt Hazelnut spheres - made by a Swiss confectioner are divine balls that melt in your mouth with a lingering nutty taste Ghirardelli Milk Crisp Squares - crunchy and light these milk squares are easy on the palate but pack some serious calories - all good I say! Originally founded by an Italian who moved around till he landed in SF Bay today also owned by the Swiss Lindt empire.

Columbia SC

The Palmetto state. One of the confederate kinds. History dating couple centuries back. We visited the capital yet again this time to take in the SC State Museum. Occupying the former digs (literally remodeled) of an erstwhile cotton mill this structure is an amazing piece of reimagination. Four floors of excitement for kids and young at heart alike. Located on the shores of the Congaree River formed when the Broad meets up with the Saluda River, this edifice is approx. 60 years old. The front of the building has a more modern planetarium that was added about a decade ago. The museum itself has different areas of interest segregated on each of its four floors. The first floor has gift shop and a diorama of some of the local geography including the swamps and the state beaches with audio guides to help understand what fauna thrives locally. The second floor is all about natural history and showcases animal kingdom that may have survived on this latitud...

Gab about Gaps

There are a number of news stories these days where conversation inevitably turns to discussing some sort of GAP - Gap between rich and poor is growing Gap is losing market share to other clothiers The Dow is Gapping Down (so is the NASDAQ) and the dollar is Gapping Up The guy who advised British public over the PA on dangers of tube travel with the phrase 'MIND THE GAP' has died There is a frightening Gap between our Debts and Savings Gap between Executive pay and Average worker salary is at an all time high All I am doing is listening to all this unfold with my mouth aGAPe. What me worry?

Brown Motion

Search This Blog