New York City - Another post in pictures

I loved NYC!! Like although I was quite mad at the Scientist for having brought me to a concrete jungle after what I felt was insufficient time at the Niagra, I still fell in love with NYC. Even though all the building looked the same, I loved NYC. The speed of life, the subway, the lack of parking space, the crowds, the food.. it was a great experience.

 

Even though we were there for a short span of about 3-4 days, I felt as if I was so familiar with the City. The shops were so good and we even peeked into Tiffanys though I really did not have the budget for anything from there. The super brands made me feel very special, even though I did not really buy anything from one of those, high end stores. The cosmetics stores in the US really made me feel as though we at India are missing out big time. The aisles and aisles of make up made even me - a complete lazy bum feel the need to buy something and use!

 

Then the food - the cheese, the pizza, the ice cream, cup cakes, giant sized cookies and fro-yo - made me further fall in love with the place. We missed picturing many moments, but still I leave you with these:

Chittu at his naughtiest - while Amma was shopping in NYC! I found clothes that fit me! And I was a normal sized person by American standards!

That was a one mile walk in the rain to the ferry ride!I was glad that I was in great physical form!And oh! The Manhattan Skyline in th back ground!

Thats the ferry ride to the Statue of Liberty. We never got off because it was pouring!

Chittu having fun at the pla area in the apartment. I loved the facilities that were available for kids there!

Times square baby! Amen!

Dessert at a restaurant in Little Italy, NYC. That was well dserved for all the walking we did!

Trying the hats. The Scientist was really pushing me to buy one. But I'm not a hat person, you know!

At Central Park, NYC. I wished I lived in that city, so I could go running in the park every morning. The facilities available for those who want to be fit, is simply mind blowing!

At NYC, since we were travelling with a baby, we did not make fixed plans. Moreover, I was not exactly interested in much of American history, since I don't really connect. Like for example, we did not go up close to the Liberty Lady! We also missed the Empire State Building. We did try to walk the Brooklyn Bridge, but were so tired, that we saw it from a idstance, and figured that should be good enough. We also tried to find the Great Bull of Wall Street, but lost our way, and I got distracted with  shopping! But we were able see some flea markets, and that was really cool! We bought some interesting arty stuff, which I have not actually pictured, yet!

 

So that was the NYC trip after which we headed to Atlanta to meet family and I went crazy shopping. All that, and more later. Stay tuned!

The holiday weight gain and other reflections

Yesterday, still being in the high of my "holiday" I went to meet my Dance teacher. Our dance school is celebrating the annual day shortly, and is gearing up for a performing a dance ballet. I was not a part of the stage performance, because I was holidaying in the US while the rest of the group was sweating it out.

The choreography was in progress when I entered, and I waited in the back till it was over. Much later I realised I propbably had a sloppy posture. Then after the class was over, I think I must have dawdled like a duck from the back of the class to meet my dance teacher. Her first reaction was to point at my tires of fat  and rather candidly inquire as to what it was all about? "Too much cheese" she asked? "Also ice cream" I added.

But I cringed on the bike ride back home and even almost ran into an autorickshaw! I was muttering to myself under the helmet and terribly embarrassed about what  had just happened. Being a dancer, one is expected to take care of shape, but seriously, I did not expect my 2-3 kg weight gain to show up so badly. Obviously my posture and gait just brought my body image come tumbling down in my guru's eyes!

I'm kind of thankful I'm not going to be on stage shortly. But I know I must get rid of the excess weight very very soon!

Does 2-3 kg look so awful on me? I was 100 kilos two years ago! Anyway, that also brings me to my totally messed up ways of eating.

I eat food and cheese and sweets and sugar and pizzas and pastries and all such other yummy food, merely because it tastes so good. I feel so tempted. I can't say no. I cannot control portion size. Ieat food because I love to eat. Not because I have a bad life going or because of stress at work or home. I . love.food. Period. And I cannot contain myself from eating cheesecakes when I am at the Cheesecake Factory. Obviously I am overweight. And obviously its really hard to say no. Ask me?
 

Part 1 of week 3 - Niagra!

Ok I think if I begin to write about the rest of my US trip, I might just write a book. When the Scientist asked me to choose a place of my choice that I certainly wanted to visit, I said Niagra without thinking. It was my birthday month, and my wish was answered. Since I don't know to write without being verbose, and there are really no appropriate words to describe the splendour of the Niagra,  I will let some pictures do the talking.

The upper rapids at Niagra... this is not even the tip of the ice berg

Clicked on the boat ride to view the falls - "Maid of the mist"

Oh my God!!! The best moments of my lige.. don't miss the rainbow :)

Standing under the fall. Humbling. Meditative. Awesome.

Blogging from Amreeka - Week 1 - The beginning, Jet lag and Santa Monica

Our flight was delayed by a total of eight hours. Four hours at Mumbai and four hours at Newark. Needless to ask, the toddler and I were desperate to reach a place we could call home, and change out of the clothes we had been wearing. Also the washroom on the flight really scared the toddler and we were in a need of a proper bathroom as well :)

24 or morehours of international air travel, sounds so fancy. But ugh! Really? The food on the flight is bad. Economy travel is not the greatest pleasure in life and  oh my god add a toddler to the equation and you might just end up with an explosion! Then theres customs and immigration, and the possibility of smuggling a bomb aboard the flight! Like really?

We arrived at Los Angeles airport to be greeted by the Husband, collected our baggage, which to my surprise had all reached safe and climbed into the car. The toddler was petrified at the speed at which the Scientist was driving and kept asking him to slow down!

I however, dozed off through most of the drive, and hit the shower the moment I got home. The needful calls were made to convey to  people that we had arrived in good shape, and the husband set the cooker with rice so that we could have a decent hot meal.

I cannot remember what exactly I did on day 1. Oh yes we went to an Indian store to get some cooking essentials. Since the apartment was fully furnished with an microwave, toaster, blender, refrigerator et al I have been able to cook meals when necessary! Coming back to the Indian store, I was kind of annoyed by the look of it and the Hindi hymn that was playing in the background!

On friday, we went to a local mall, where I was hungry and crabby and ended up buying body cream from the body shop! One, namely the Organge cream  got taken during the security check at the airport and I have not yet finished mourning over its loss!

Saturday, we went to the Getty centre which was a museum of art. Honestly, we would have enjoyed it better without the toddler, but we did not really have much of a choice. Luckily we did not as I expected, get thrown out by the museum people for the toddler running all over the place like he was on a sugar high! We left after eating some overpriced ice cream on one of the beautiful lawns in the Getty!

We then headed to the Santa Monica beach and third street Promenade. The propspects of shopping made me more attracted to the Promenade than the beach. After coffee at Star Bucks, where I fell in love with the Chai Latte, Chittu began to cry out of being jet lagged, Indian food craving and basically being annoyed with his parents for strutting around a foreign city with no regard to his baby needs :( His wailing lead us to get the hell out of there and back home, and my shopping dreams for the day came crashing down but  after 2 pairs of pretty looking footwear in my size :)

Blogging from Amreeka - Part 2 & Happy birthday to me!

Happy birthday to me! My 28th. My first ever trip outside the country, and the whole month of August is a birthday everyday. I wake without the pressure of having to work out (duh!thats not good for me, but still), don't have to go to office and many times wake up with the excitement of being a tourist. I must confess this feels so good. Too good, to be true, in fact.

I must also confess, that I have given up on weight loss for the moment, and shall revert to my good ol life once I get back. I shall try to give you an overview of my sights and activities so far. I shall do that in multiple posts, because I cannot do it all once. 

I am sorry about the sporadic blogging, because though I intend better, this blog simply reminds me that I have not made it to my goal weight by goal date.  So I guess I got hard work to do this coming year ahead. I shall begin with the 10k run of the Kaveri Trail Marathon. I am doubtful if I will do in fact, because I might just be part of a Dance recital on 21st September. Honestly, I decided to shoot a try. Thats the only way I will rededicate myself to healthy eating and working out after this month long vacation. I am freaking out as I type this, but I am going to try my best!

I shall  leave you with a latest picture of the overweight me :

I 

Blogging from Amreekka! -Part 1

Yea baby!!!

After what felt like the longest and most dreary travel I have EVER encountered, Chittu and I reached Los Angeles airport to be reunited with the Scientist. We were both severely jet lagged after roughly a total delay of 7 hours - about 3 hours at Mumbai and 4 hours at Newark, New Jersey. By the time we reached home, I was nursing a sore throat and running a fever, falling asleep standing up and dying for a hot shower.

So, I quickly showered, got the little fellow fresh and fell asleep while calculating the total length of our flying time! The Scientist took the task of announcing to family that the both of us had reached, safe and sound, and Chittu refused to let go of his Dad. Very cute.

I was craving for a home cooked meal, and readily agreed to the Scientists offer of eating plain rice with yogurt and pickle. Bliss, I tell ya!

Breakfast today was a slice of buttered brown bread  with strawberry yogurt for the little guy, while I made myself a sanwich with tomatoes, baby spinach and hummus and proceeded to finish of the yummy yogurt. While the Scientist has already headed to work, I will be a stay at home mom for this month :)

The little guy is watching "Tangled" on the ipad as I type this out. I shall cook lunch soon - cauliflower subzi and dal is what I plan. And we shall generally chill in the apartment!

So updates will follow, and I hope I will be able to keep up with the healthy eating :) even though I ate total trash on the flight!

Some awesome-ly fun news from me!

Now that my passport is stamped and the tickets are booked, I am going to cross all my fingers and my toes and touch the hardest piece of wood in my house and say this:

I am going to the US on a month long vacation. I am going to fly out from Bangalore to Mumbai early wednesday evening and will take a late night flight from there to the USA.

Ahhh Finally. Its hard to keep a secret from my blog :)
As you can tell from the tone of this post, I am excited. I have never been to another country before, and am totally looking forward! And what better way than to coincide with my birthday! My 28th birthday, dearies!

Obviously, I shall endeavour to atleast not gain weight over the following month although I am totally planning to enjoy cup cakes, american pizza and fro-yo! I am also planning to exercise and run and generally be very active. But plans can always be grand? Yes?

This was the reason that was giving me a lot of stress, as I managed to get the visa only on my second interview. I was predictably nervous and anxious and that was possibly leading my stomach to produce Hydrochloric acid by the gallon!

Oh yes, if there is anyone out there willing to meet me, I am going to be in California and also in New York for a short time! So any of my secret fans in that part of world???? Do let me know and I will be more than willing to meet up and be pompous about my weight loss journey this far! That apart, just in case the said fan is not Indian, I will also be kind enough to discuss the elephants and camels of my country!


Yes, I am hoping to be able to update this blog regularly, just to ensure that little voice of weight loss in my head stays alive!