From Thames to Thamirabharani

Title credit 🏆 to my dear Aunt, Bhanumati! Couldn't have named it better!

1 Month, 2 countries, 3 states and 6 cities - All showed 1 thing in common. Each takes pride in their local milieu.

Scotland's schools and nameboards use Gaelic as a language, akin to Indian Schools teaching Sanskrit. London takes pride in its age old Libraries and Museums. And so does the 1300 year Nellaiappar temple in Tirunelveli for its architecture. Aurangabad (Maharashtra) was renamed Sambhajinagar, a few years back. Locals here, give you a friendly nudge if you call it by the old name. It's their way of honoring the Maratha history.

Civilizations flourished, culture shocks happened, modernization accommodated, and still, they all stand on common platform, when it comes to preserving a thing or two of their past.

This May, a lot of learnings and a few un-learnings. 

Continental breakfast sounds fancier than it tastes (especially for the vegetarians). Hashbrowns are saviors. Here on, you will never hear from us, "Who eats boiled/shredded potatoes for breakfast". We did for 10-12 days!😉 . Subway for dinner, Pizzas for Lunch- anything with No Meat, No Pork, No Egg, made its way to our plates in London-Scotland tour. In contrast, Ambasamudram's Udupi Restaurant, showed us, how cone shaped Dosas & warm Idlis patiently wait for Sambhar bucket to arrive. This steel bucket never arrives in style. After serving 5-6 tables, it will come to us, only to stay there, until the next calling comes. But we were not complaining. As it was a food we could relate and a meal that fit the time.

With familiarity in vicinity, Continuity can't be far. Ambassador Hotel, Aurangabad continues to stand tall and iconic alongside its famed neighbor Rama International.  School reunion gave its good share of notable moments. Didn't know, our Principal, whose perfume spoke louder than words, had a penchant for Shaayari. From statue bell to house board decorations practices inside school premises stay continued...

But step out of school, to find busier streets and more people. Is this city shrinking? Aurangabad voiced, what London reiterated a week later- "Space Constraint is not our problem, increasing footfalls is". Dubai, on the other end with swanky architecture, broader roads feels like Gen Alpha singing K Pop.

Now fast read this below para, without skipping names...that's how quickly our Month of May moved...

Dune bashing in Dubai, cruising the Thames and bathing in  Thamirabarani River stay inked in our diaries & memories. Witnessing longer days and shorter nights, in London- Scotland made Day light saving relatable. Years back, Aurangabad had a fine dining restaurant called Windsor Castle. We now witnessed the grandeur of this name. A cab driver in Tirunelvelli speaks of Zoho campus in this district , with the same enthusiasm as the Tour operator in Scotland speaks about Falkirk Wheel.

Nestled home, I am still taking notes of commonalities than differences. I highlight them, so when I revisit this post later, they wave back to me in unison with smile..

Kitchen rules & the Strait of Hormuz

I had inducted my Induction stove on a Contract basis.  

After our house warming, it stayed on the bench.

But when, the Strait of Hormuz closed

Induction became a billable resource.

The Microwave remained a Work from Home employee, punching hours for reheating only.  With Hormuz closed, I trusted it with some potatoes to boil. A half baked job it did, putting my plans to foil.

On the payroll, has been Mixer Grinder, ever ready with services to render.  

A dedicated work space, a permanent plug in.
But then the Strait of Hormuz closed, Shared work-space rules got bold.
The grinder now shares it's space, with an Oven on the right, and a Kettle to face.

In the delaying LPG Supply market, new dinner ideas were brought to the table. We recruited a Swanky Sandwich maker, mainly for its Grilled experience. Few kitchens are taking in Air Fryers I heard, but that doesn't fit to our skill set yet.

Come 2027, how does the appraisal for all these look? 
Well, that depends on how many shipments the Strait of Hormuz books...

Wordless Wednesday

 

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.

Wrap Up 2025

A quick year end note. In the descending order of recall.

• Travels get a Thumbs Up for Variety. 👍
• Celebrations showed up in well-spaced manner. 🗹
• Not to forget multiple birthday invites, where we played the role of Pick & Drop parents
• 
  School Events top the Leader Board. 📣 
• Building an Aqua City was exciting + winning. 🏅
• Making a 4.5-year-old learn, a 3 stanza Carnatic song, was happily draining and finally rewarding. 🏆
• Blogging reappeared. True to its inconsistent nature 😏- it showed up, went to slumber, then raised its head again. 
• Highlight of Year- We became PLANT PARENTS.🪴 I Love this term. Seedling tray became a part of daily vocabulary. Watering Coir tablets gave a botany lab feel. Watching seeds sprout, seed leaves grow, became a refreshing new routine.

& the Misses, which get into the "To Do List" for the Next year.

• Having a bookshelf at arms distance, and not a finished book. 👎Reading Stays Red on the Chart.
• Pick up more Non-Digital hobbies. Owning 2B, 4B, 2H, 4H Pencil set but no sketching done, is an injustice to the beautiful pencil collection. 🖉🖉🖉🖉🖉
• Redesign & Reuse- Implement DIY. A note to self - You are good at it. Make time for it! 

See you 2026!

#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