Sometimes even sensible ones need a reality check!!

One Reality Check for all...

Having a genius' brain is not the only thing!! Have a tender heart tooo... :)

Given to me by my darling DAD..

-Karan

What a July it WAS!!.

They say that, "Vacations are usually very short!!"... Well I am not going to oppose this statement AT ALL!! I had a holiday of around 5 weeks.. (When I told this to my fellow researchers here they said "WOW, LUCKY YOU!!"). But when I came back and realised that holiday time is over, I was not that happy!!! But Finland, Finland..What should I say!! It as usual welcomed me with all the warmth (in the literal sense as it was sunny.. :) ) and love. People at work were happy to see me back and were eager to know how did I spend my time in India. So this is what I told all of them........

It all began with one of my best friends marriage!! Yeah, in case u have read my earlier post you would have realised that Sarang, was gonna get married on June 30th.... Ohhh no no wait..thats tooo far.. Let me take you back to Narayan & Anusha's on 24th evening. It was an amazing day. Reason? Well of course I had a flight to India! It was some sort of tradition, we had to go to their house and have dinner and then leave for India from there.. :) Really very sweet of them. Well we had a wonderful dinner and then went to Kaukajarvi, pulled Deepa's leg (thats like breathing for me n Narayan now..) and then late night I left for my journey to India. It is really surprising, although I have been in India for more than 20 yrs, but still whenever I am boarding a plane to India, that SWADES song plays in my mind and I am all nostalgic and emotional.. But honestly speaking India is like that. It makes you feel special!

After reaching Mumbai, Chatrapati Sivaji International Airport, I was like yaayyyyy I am home!! After sometime got a flight to my own BARODA. I was sooooooo happy to see my MOM (I should say I no longer look like her son!! Its like she is my younger sister!!). The biggest surprise for me was my sweeeeet house.. It was renovated and looked like a palace!! Amazing work DAD & MOM.

Well, now we can get back to Sarang's marriage!! Yup, now I have one more bhabhi after Anusha, i.e. Pooja. It was amazing to meet her and have a talk with her. She is indeed Sarang's better half. Pune was amazing and Sarang's family was really like my own family. They gave me so much love and importance that I felt as if I was the main person there and not Sarang!! Anyway, the marriage went smoothly and rains didnt trouble us. I also met two of my verrrrrrry close friends there. Rahul and Subha. It was a pleasure to meet them and we relived some of our old memories.

After destination PUNE it was back to Baroda for a while and then once dad joined the party, we left for GOD's OWN COUNTRY.. First stop was Taj Resort, Kovalam.. It is simple amazing. I should say The Taj Group of Hotels is really place to be if you wanna enjoy the luxury!!

We had a real amazing time there.. Kerala has something in its air that makes you be there forever. Its just after this holiday that I decided in my mind, "Future is in Kerala!! ". The back waters, the coconut trees, the "FOOD", the sea....hmmm describing it makes me so nostalgic that I might book my ticket right away!! Anyway, work comes first..So here I am in Tampere, describing about my favourite destination!! So the next stop in Kerala was Irinjalkuda.. Thats the place where my grandparents live, my dad's house.. Family system in India is really one unique thing that I dont find it anywhere else!! When amongst family, although I donno malayalam (which s a pity) I was so much in them that while leaving it was terrible!!! I miss all my cousins, aunts, uncles and my achamma and achacha maximum...

After those wonderful moments with the whole MENON family we were back home and the vacation was nearing an end.. When I realised about it, I was boarding the flight back to Finland.. It was a month full of fun, love, enjoyment, FOOD & family...

Now, I am here with my 2nd family.. Yeah, my Finland.. But still when I think about July 2009, I smile and wish that next July comes sooon!!

Mom and Dad were the most special parts of this vacation.. I really miss them a lot this time around but its for my good that I am away from them.

Miss u and love u lots ma n pa..

Remembering the good times

Is like watching water flow down

A swift-flowing river

Without being able to stop it.

Remembering the good times

Takes us out of ourselves

Back to a place and time

That no longer exist.

Remembering the good times

Demands a price

That we have to pay

For remembering the good times.

- Karan