Gypsynan

O bliss! How lovely to see the sun shine! we who live(d) south of the tropics never really appreciate the sun the way the Northerners do. But its nice. The sense of season is so strong here. for practical reasons - you do need a different set of clothes for all 4 seasons, but also because the brutality of the winter here makes the few pleasant days so precious. I now know why englishmen talk about the weather. Its a constantly changing thing. I went out for a walk.

This weekend we went to Quebec city. How lovely and touristy it is. I liked it though not like the Niagara which really is a horrible theme park, except when the water just roars over your head in the underground caves. Quebec is lovely and the boardwalk is an absolute delight. Snaking along hills above the St Lawrence...Canada is beautiful. One of those days when it felt as if coming here was worth it. It has been. Things are finally working out and the sun is shining. I have infinite patience now, well no, but almost there... life is really quite frantic back home... or was it just my younger self. I feel adulthood slowly spreading and rising through me and I like that. I am calmer and more in control and if there is no manic joy, there is no dark depression either. I finally feel that I can just be and breathe a little. I miss having a social life... but when I left Cairo it was like , been there done that. There is always something to miss. Plus I am not the easiest to get along person either, no?

It was beautifully overcast in Quebec city, grey, pregnant with the promise of rain . I always loved the monsoon. For years I saw no rain at all .SO I don't mind the rain. Always that nostalgia of ginger tea and a good book, sitting by the window and reading - those beautiful days in Navynagar. That was lovely. India is so beautiful and the quality of the light is different in every part of the country. The light in the west is dry and breezy and sandy and the east is intense and humid and a deeper gold. Navy nagar was at the tip of the island of Bombay and was very green and spread out with lovely colonial bungalaows with big gardens and lots of tall buildings named after a constellation of Apsaras. Old shady trees lined the roads, which were lined with boulders neatly painted white. Defence areas were always so clean and green that for us brats it was always hard to adjust to the squalor outside. But I always wanted to get out , see something else since I could remember. There was always the enchanting thought of something more interesting around the corner! I have gone round many corners, its not what lies behind, its the anticipation I am hooked on.

I loved the process of the blog, but am wondering if it is going to be what I wanted it to be. I wanted it to be a light a breezy account of my travels for friends and family, but once I started writing a few uncomfortable things came tumbling out. And I think its best to be honest to myself and have no readers- treat this as writing practice. Its been a while, many years since I consciously chose to be creative or simply free flowing... spontaneous is what I would like to be , but in the process of clinging on and inching up the corporate ladder, that is a side of me that I have completely (almost) eliminated. I like the in control me but an outlet would be nice.... help me see whether I could do something worth while if I let myself loose or would I just ramble pointlessly? Actually pointless is OK, a blog is a pointless exercise from a profit and loss point of view but who knows what the rewards would be?

This blog has been created to keep a record of our travels and let you know of our coordinates on a regular basis. The past 8 years have been a pretty wild ride through many countries and continents and now I / we are finally trying this strange new settling down thing - which takes some getting used to. But we are giving it our best shot... bought a house and a car, so greatly in debt and gingerly stepping into the world of responsibilities and mortgage paytments. Which feels weird because earlier there was always the feeling that if things got rough one could pack up and leave- we still can, except that the bank will have a warrant out! Ok that was NOT an auspicious start... happy thoughts, happy thoughts, focus on happy thoughts! Unhappiness is such a drag-my life is so much better once I decided to follow the just do it philosophy in life - no place for regrets, no half measures - do it or trash it, is my motto. It takes a while but once you have it in your system life is brighter and shinier and prettier. I used to write poetry in college and read the Russians. Now I read non fiction and listen to rap and crunch numbers for a living - I love numbers, they are so ... umm crunchy?!!. Its all a journey towards the mirage called sanity . See that old whiny bengali self sneaks in, be squashed and begone.