Jan Journals

Can't find a more apt title! 

My lil birdies have started Diary Writing. The 8-Year-old writes her own, 5-year-old makes me write hers. Basically, 3 out of 4 people in our family are taking notes...

14th Jan marked the usual pleasant pause.  
To recap the sail that was set 18 Years back..

Navigating work, Anchoring nautical milestones
Here is a Toast....To the Tides, To the Coasts and the Sealines. #WorkAnniversary

This Pongal we harvested books. 

After the customary Rice+Milk Boil,we went to Chennai Book fair to binge buy books. This time, more diligently. Father-Daughter Duo made a list of Sudha Murthy collection we have at home. So we bought titles we didn't own. Diary of a Wimpy Kid was added to our cart, after several rounds of negotiation.  From "lets buy it online", to "lets buy it now", we finally settled for let's buy it now. Gen Z wins! [ My 8 year old says, she is Gen Alpha & not Gen Z. I checked it & she is right. Readers pls read it as Gen Alpha wins.]

The annual Bhagvat Gita event, kept the tone for the month. 

For "All about Art" series at school, 

we designed, a 1 min game, got shortlisted for the same. 

On the other end of this Art series, 

we quick penned a poetry, to describe our laced pottery. 

And finally, tiny flowers showed up in our balcony garden. They bloomed in the morning, faded by the evening. We learnt a lesson, that some flowers last, just for a day. #Morning Glory.

#Blog on the Go-Deoghar Day 10

Penultimate day before heading back to the warmth of Chennai. 2025 started with Deoghar trip & ends with it. So, tomorrow signing off from this city for the 2nd time, in the same year.

Today was more of an office day. Finishing touches to what we started on my Day 1.

Removed a large chunk of redundant data. Added some new files to Drive & some new routines to the team

In between all this, came a plate of Litte Chouka. Another colleague gifted a box of Laddu. An Amla ka Acchar was also making my way, but I refused saying, no pickle lovers at home.

I am determined to head back with same count of luggage that I started my trip with. My 2 trolley cases nod in attendance.

Thank you, Jharkhand, till we meet again. & Deoghar, you have 11 posts dedicated to you on this blog. Maximum coverage, that any city has ever got on Vyo's World!  

Footnotes

Deoghar Series- Part 2  

Deoghar Diaries- Part 1 - 

#Blog on the Go- Deoghar Day 9- Sunday Treats

If you have read the previous post, you know, Team outing was a toss between Movie or Mini Trek. We chose the latter.

But what if Movie also happens? And it happened today. 1.50 PM show-Dhurandhar. Before Dhurandhar started, it was Border 2- Trailer. 

I asked my colleague, "Border Movie Dekhi hai"
Colleague-  Nahi, kab release hui?
Me - 1997

I was surprised I could recall the year so correctly. I had watched Border with my parents and family friends in Aurangabad's Goldie or Nupur Cinemas. It was a Matinee show. 

Present Day Deoghar, a Matinee show again @ Eyelex Cimena. Dhurandhar followed by Pizza treat. A few selfies and with more hunger pangs left, we reached a Thelawala (roadside vendor) for Momos. 

Not to forget, my day started with Pav Bhaji for breakfast and by Evening 6.30, Pizza and Momos were added to my food chart.

So, if I were to rank todays visual and edible treats together, it will go like this..

1 Thelawala's Momos
2 Aditya Dhar's Dhurandhar 
2.5 JP Dutta's Border 2 Trailer
3 Narayan's Pav Bhaji [ chef @ home]
4  xxx Outlet's Pizza

#Blog on the Go- Deoghar Day 7 & 8 - Cooking at Banka

A large chunk of Day 7 in office, went in planning for, Saturday-Day 8. Team outing - Movie or Mini Trek, was the question? Latter won the votes, and we pinned the outing location as Odni Dam - Banka. 

Starting from Deoghar we crossed Jasidih, Katuria and reached Banka in Bihar. 🚘

The Green Dot Eaters 🟢had restaurant ordered food. Red Dots lovers 🔴 went for Venue cooking feel. It was interesting to watch a Ship Broking team come equipped with modest cooking kit. Almost 12.30 PM, a Black Coal based stove & Barbeque grills were set. Never had I imagined a lighter could be used ignite cooking fire. Winter winds posed a big challenge. 

Our driver, an old village man was the Chef of the Day. He shunned the barbeque plates, and borrowed a "Handi" from local fishermen, and cooked the marinated foods on it. What was initially planned as a Mini trek, turned out to be Mini Kitchen & Destination cooking experience. The long 2 hour drive, up and down Banka, definitely worth it.  

• Chat in the Car Footnotes
• Chatt Pooja and Kaadhu Rice eating ritual associated with it.
• Saathu seems to be a Superfood of Bihar/Jharkand. Ate at home, but understood today that its deeply ingrained in their food culture. Satthu Paratha to Litti and even Sharbat.
• Kheera is a common reference to Cucumbers here.

#Blog on the Go- Deoghar Day 6

Christmas, 2 years back, we were at roof top restaurant in Pondicherry. Waiting patiently for the waiter to take our orders. With Long waiting, less staff and limited tables, a lopsided attenders vs guest ratio was also on the menu that day.

Fast forward 2025, here I am in Deoghar, cozily tucked in my room. Its 11 degrees by the night and 14 degrees by the day. Sun plays peek a boo somewhere between 11 & 1 PM.  

With Dahi Chura for breakfast, started my sun walk.Took the opposite side this time, got familiar with a nameboards on the other end, so I know my way back. Halfway through, took a Toto to Smart Baazar Mall. Same Rs 30/- fare, even though this is farther than the usual V-Mart frequent.

Enter mall premises, and we can forget the city we are in. All malls dress alike for Christmas- Santa, Xmas tree take centre stage. People also react the same way, taking Selfies by the tree. Random, incoherent, light weight shopping to appease my school going audience back home. 

Then diligently joined the long Christmas queue for payments. Locals were getting impatient, with slow billing & limited counters. But for Deoghar visitors like me, it's no pressing hurry! Merry Christmas🎅

#Blog on the Go -Deoghar Day 5

As I enter Day 5, I realize, it's a serious disservice to not write about my earlier travels and just keep updating Deoghar diaries. 

Coorg's Dubare Elephant Camp definitely needs a mention. An experience of wading through knee deep waters, forming a human chain to witness the Mighty Elephants was a spectacular treat.

Compare this, to the 2 chirpy birds here, making more noise than 4 honking vehicles. Not a moment of quietness dwells. 

6 helping hands pace through corridors setting the house in motion, even as, the Owner-Grandparents tune in to their unhurried routine.

Their tableware displays Crockery of the 90s, Frames on the walls speak of 3 generations. 

A compact kitchen, a store cubicle, a verandah, stairs leading to the terrace... all this paraphernalia has become a part of my homestay at Deoghar.

#Blog on the Go - Deoghar Day 4- Driver's Wisdom

 A deeper dive into the local milieu of Deoghar. Williams Town to Manikpur is a 14 km , says the Driver. Simply put, this is a distance from my homestay to office.    

This driver's wisdom spreads from Dhandabad's Coal fields to Bokaro's steel plant. Dhandabad's air quality is poor and dust particles black, due to Coal, he says. Landlocked Rajasthan is finding its way to Sea. 

Even before I could marvel at this new info, he speaks of a protest & a mob attack in vicinity. That was too fast a derailment of enlightenment, for me.

Before he derails further, I nudge. Did Jharkhand's split from Bihar make an impact? He gives full marks to this separation. Deoghar in his list, is next to Ranchi.. while Bihar still has only Patna to speak off... 

#Blog on the Go- Deoghar Day 3 - Devils Advocate in Angel's Cloak

Done with breakfast by 8.30 AM, started for office by 9. 

After a gap of 10 months, meeting the same Team, in the same office but with an elevated purpose. A team, that was once learning to swim was now diving in Maritime waters. Having watched this progress from the warmth of Chennai, here I am, braving the winters of Deoghar.

• This trip isn't about telling them what they didn't do. Its about reminding them, it had to be done.  
• We spoke of the hits, we spoke to misses. 
• More importantly we spoke of daily deviations leading to fragmented team efforts.

And a lot of observations coming from the team itself!!  I never knew, playing a Devil's Advocate in an Angel's Cloak- can make so much  of a difference.😀😀

#Blog on the Go- Deoghar Day 1 & 2

Landing on time with Domestic Transfers is a great starter. My second, 10- day stint at Deoghar, kicks off on a weekend.

A Sunday morning is greeted with hot Chura-Dahi & Chai. (Puffed Rice & Tea). Brisk enough to get me walking through the streets of Rani Kothi. Visit the same place for the 2nd time and a whiff of familiarity sets the tone. By lanes of Williams Town, now resonate better. 

A straight walk to Ramakrishna Hall, followed by a Toto Ride ( Auto) to V Mart. On the way back a thoughtful stop at Raj Stationery. As this humble shop crossed my path, a thought crossed my mind. World map outlines could make way to some games with the team. Ships- Ports- and the World- go in hand in hand..

Back home (Yes, its a homestay on official visit).Here I relish simple meals and play audience to 2 chirping parrots, in well spread-out garden lawn. 

Octogenarian Grandparents, owners of house, now have someone to talk to. They call me out for tea, which, during my earlier stay was delivered to my room. Like any grandparents they have stories to share, about their work, their family, & mainly their neighborhood. Sitamarhi, a place I had seen on Bihar-Jharkhand map, is relatable. Bhagalpur, a native whose name kept cropping up in Mumbai office, finds its place in every conversation here...

No work and just play, makes Jack a dull boy? 🤔🤔 A weekend work alarm rang. A quick call from boss, for a brain-storming session to discuss my agenda with the team. Before typing this post, I sent out my 1st draft there...

Its 9.15 PM- time to wind up & gear up for my next working day. Paratha for dinner was delectable.