Magical Spell

Memorial day weekend was a much awaited holiday. Excited planning for this long weekend started almost a month back.After going through many options of places to visit, we decided to treat the "child" in us with a Disney Vacation.The Road trip to Orlando, Florida was long winding, entering the state we noticed the landscape was sparsely green, the roads were smoother and when we halted to take a break in a small town, we met a Tamil speaking guy!.

In the two days that followed, it felt like we were transported to dream world by a time machine. When entered the "Magic Kingdom", the whole place was alive and buzzing with fanfare, kids spinning the hoops, vibrant balloons, quaint looking shops selling pastries and ice creams, people of diverse origin engaging in loud chit- chat,on the whole presenting a picture perfect Fairytale World , where nothing could go wrong. Standing tall and dominant, the castle was a cynosure of all eyes, it seemed to further endorse the happy, cheerful mood of the Magical World. The parades and shows beckoned every kid and adult alike to follow our dreams and to fulfill our rightful desires. Fire works were a big feast to our eyes. Technology is put to use, in unimaginable ways in the rides and the experience is truly out of the world. Every nook and corner of the Park is developed with careful attention to detail and every place was worth watching. Encouraging us to be imaginative and to think out of the box, Walt Disney's World enthralls everyone regardless of the age, leaving pleasant memories to cherish for ages

Celebrating "May"- Nostalgic Rewind

Holidays,sweltering summer,ice creams,curd rice-pickles and visiting grandparents, all best portray the month of May for me. As a kid my summer holidays were never complete, without visiting my patti and thatha's place. Growing up as a single kid, the prospect of seeing my uncles,aunts and cousins kept me eager and excited. Days were packed with lot of indoor and outdoor activities. TV watching was sporadic and internet was unheard of in those days. Grandpa encouraged us to play carom and chess, grandma had her own tricks to keep us occupied.She ensured we recited our daily prayers, taught us to draw kolams and always kept our tummies happy, with her delicious cooking.The sounds of banter, sharp hum of the carom striker,trying to keep up with my grandpa's passion to "clear" the board , recurrent creaking of the gate signalling the arrival of a visitor, lingering aroma of the day's lunch, humid afternoons had a remarkable way a of working its magic and often lulled me to sleep.However long i spent my holidays here, it was never enough. The longer i stayed, the more difficult it was for me to return home and my parents had a tough time with that. I was so smitten with the place and people, i literally had to be dragged out of the house.

Though there is a lot that has changed, the charm and appeal of this place has never faded, it has lived with me while i traversed various stages of my life and now into my adulthood. Reminiscing my past, i cant help feel a bit of nostalgia and also wonder what makes this place so special until this day..Is it the people, the house itself or simply the memories..Well, whatever it is, it has never failed to make the month of "May" memorable.