Stop & look down.

This post is not an advertisement for Crocs or Dr. Scholls' sandals.

It is also not an attempt to show my 'not so beautiful feet'.

at Universal Studio...

Animal pugmarks at Universal Studio...

It is just a small dedication to the act of walking!

While holidaying in Singapore, we covered lot of area on foot. We did a lot of walking and enjoyed it. We came across some amazing scenes, graphics and patterns.

Beautiful flowers at the mid-autumn festival at Bugis Village...

At the underwater world...

Sunlight patterns through a tree at Jurong Bird Park...

Singapore: Through the eyes of a foodie...

This year while planning our Dusshera vacations, we decided we would not do our usual offbeat vacation, but holiday like true blue tourists in a foreign land.

We zeroed in on Singapore. A bustling country with multicultural population and modern economy. With a diverse population consisting of Chinese, Malays, Indians and many more, there was a medley of food for me to view and capture.

Here are some frames of various edibles captured during our holiday.

Let's start with Starbucks' Cafe Latte. In the absence of a good mug of Masala Chai, we had to make do with this;-)

Our very own Ananda Bhavan's Filter Kaapi in Little India wasn't bad either...

Savouries at Ananda Bhavan...

Cookies beautiful displayed at Little India, Singapore.

We tried some traditional Chinese dessert at China Town...

A delicious dessert made out of shaved Mango icecream served with fresh mangoes...

Colourful, exotic tropical fruits...

Melons, kiwi fruits, apples, coconuts...

...and dragon fruit too!

Baked goodies in abundance...

Fruit tarts, custard tarts...

At the end of every day we would pickup a small bag of fruits from the vendor near our hotel to taste some of the exotic fruits.

One day we saw this gigantic Guava at the fruit shop. I being a die-hard guava fan had to try it out. We learnt that it was a hybrid guava, the next day there was an article in the paper about the demands for such hybrid varieties in Singapore.

We did eat it, but I would stick to our home-grown local variety of guava , that might be small but full of taste:-)

...and then they bloomed.

One of the most delightful things about a garden is the anticipation it provides.

~W.E. Johns

We have mostly perennials in our terrace, but this year we decided we would have few pots aside for seasonal flowers that would paint our little terrace garden with their vibrant colours every season.

We picked up some Zinnia seeds from the Lalbagh Flower Show in August this year and were thrilled with the prospect of having bright Zinnias blooming as the first of the seasonal flowers...

Every morning, with a chai mug in my hand, I would step out to inspect the pots for some activity and would be super excited to find a new leaf or a new bud.

We didn't have a clue what colour palette the Zinnias had in store for us...

Seems like they read my mind....:-)

a blushing palette of pinks, magentas, purples, mauves and peach.

I wish you life...

"Observe the wonders as they occur around you.

Don't claim them.

Feel the artistry moving through and be silent."

~ Rumi

I discovered Rumi a few years ago and ever since my heart hasn't been the same...

yes, the artistry....

the mynas' have returned. I can hear their oh-so-uplifting chirps.

i offer them my balcony to build their nests again.

i see my aloe vera plants multiplying and i help them propagate.

the satisfying joy of trying something new~ Granola

patience is not a great word when the zinnias are just a few days away from blooming.

a haunting tune that is playing on repeat in my mind.

a jug of water with whole lemons submerged in it.

dreaming of baking artisan breads everyday. (yeah dreaming;-)

life is sublime.

i wish you all life today.

through my rose-tinted glasses...

...come see a season in transition...

Warm pink seems to be my 'fall' colour:-)

A mus(t)seenagudi...

Last weekend we, along with friends decided to drive down to Masinagudi, nestled amidst the verdant foothills of the Nilgiris in Tamilnadu.

It was a pleasant break that involved...

* driving through the lush Bandipur and Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary.

* spotting some spotted deer.

* watching the cotton like clouds descend on the mountains.

* sleeping to the sound of steady rain outside.

* eating fresh ripe guava before the Malabar giant squirrel gets to it.

* exploring the wilderness hand in hand.

* finding a gurgling hill stream.

* picking up some pebbles for my succulents back home;-)

* becoming kids again when we saw a wild hare hop right before us and straight into the darkness.

* suddenly becoming quiet when we saw the bulbuls chirping in the morning on the evergreen tree.

* identifying the birds and the bees( oops, the moths)

* tasting some delicious locally grown gooseberry, jamun, bilberry jams

* devouring some sinfully delicious desserts.

* drinking cups of chai.

*taking in the colour green.

* enjoying every moment of the day.

* re-living those simple but beautiful moments through this post:-)

my friends' little daughter...

silver oak leaf...

gurgling stream...

The beautiful place where we stayed...

our charming cottage...

morning after the rains...

our wildlife and nature enthusiast friend helping us identify a bird...

sitting pretty on our window...

breakfast time was divine...

(images by Arch)