Only in Delhi

Most people take their own cities for granted and I was no different until few days ago. Born and bred in Delhi and yet was unaware of it's great history. If you are expecting me to tell you the history of Delhi here, you are at the wrong place. This post isn't about the past, it is about the present. It is about the small things that will make you fall in love with Delhi. It is about the people, it is about the experience.

Not so long ago, on a Sunday morning, I was traveling in Metro and I saw a man in his late 30s (not very well dressed) traveling along with his six or seven year old son. He was answering all his son's questions about whatever he could see outside the metro's window. I still remember the joy on that kid's face looking outside. Besides a great transportation mode, I never expected Delhi metro to be beneficial like this and help a dad to bring a smile on his son's face.

I remember when my car broke down in mid way and I was waiting for the car helpline, meanwhile a tempo driver pulled along and helped me to get started and when I tried to pay the driver for his efforts, he refused and left with a smile. Well, I never expected that, at-least not in Delhi. It changed my perspective totally.

A city which is as modern as it is traditional, where beliefs and facts go hand in hand. Where historical monuments stand with pride along with high rise buildings.

A city where so many cultures exists together and all festivals are celebrated with joy and fun.  A city which looks lively each day. A city which has accommodated many cities in itself. Well, where else can it happen? Only in Delhi.

Horn OK Please

          

If you’ve ever driven on Indian highways, you’ll know two things are inevitable: potholes that could swallow small cars, and trucks decorated more colorfully than a Holi festival float. And at the back of almost every truck, you’ll spot the iconic words: “Horn OK Please.”

Now, you might think this is just a polite reminder to honk (as if Indians needed encouragement), but nope - it actually has a dramatic backstory. During World War II, army trucks ran on kerosene, which was basically the drama queen of fuels - one bump and BOOM! To avoid sudden fireworks on the road, drivers painted: “Horn Please, On Kerosene” Eventually, the “On Kerosene” bit retired, leaving us with “Horn OK Please,” which now confuses every tourist who thinks trucks are weirdly obsessed with grammar.

And just when you’ve processed that, another phrase zooms past you: “OK TATA BYE BYE.” Sounds like a cheesy breakup line, right? Actually, it’s genius. Since most trucks in India are made by TATA, and “Tata” also means goodbye in local slang, the phrase became the trucker’s version of “see ya later, alligator.” Quirky, efficient, and slightly emotional - like a Bollywood farewell scene painted in neon.

But my absolute favorite part? The random quotes and slogans splashed across trucks in bright reds, yellows, and greens. One will say “Use Dipper at Night” (which always makes foreigners wonder what kind of dip they’re talking about). Another might say “Speed is a Knife That Cuts Life” - painted on the very truck overtaking you at 100 km/h. And then there are the true gems: “Maa Ka Aashirwad” (Mother’s Blessings), “Buri Nazar Wale Tera Muh Kala” (Evil Eye, Go Paint Your Face Black) - basically mobile wisdom mixed with roadside sass.

Why all this? Well, some say it’s to entertain and keep spirits high on endless road trips. I like to think of it as India’s very own 'highway poetry slam', where every truck is both philosopher and comedian on wheels.

So next time you’re stuck behind a truck, don’t just fume at the traffic - read the back. You might just get life advice, comedy, and a bit of history… all for free!!

Into the Wild

      

  

Well, this post isn't actually something about me going into the wild literally, but given the current lifestyle and hectic schedule where you are worried about presentations and clients, going to a zoological park meant as much as visiting a wild life sanctuary to me. Though I had been there as a kid, but watching all these wild animals now as well really astonished me. I do feel bad as they are kind of stuck in their cages, but they also bring smile on lot of kids faces, but that is no excuse, is it? However, I am sure that authorities are taking good care of them. 

I flaunted my Canon digital camera like a costly DSLR and managed to capture some interesting pictures. No matter how bad photographer I am, but I always like my photographs on Facebook.

5 Things to Avoid While Traveling

There are two types of people in the world, those who love traveling, those who don't. Planning a trip, scheduling and packing might be difficult for the later ones. Well, there is nothing much we can do to make them fall in love with travel but, there are few things that can make a journey lot smoother.

There are five things that one must avoid while traveling:

1. Heavy Suitcase/Backpack: Carrying heavy luggage is a strict No. You don't want yourself to be taking care of too much stuff you brought along by just a thought of you might need it. Make sure to carry only those things that are important to you. To make a list of the important items, read this Travel Itinerary.
   
2. Heavy Food and Unhygienic Food: No matter how inviting it seems, be strong and avoid eating heavy food and unhygienic food as it might upset your stomach. I am not saying that you should not try other cuisine or street food, but make sure it is hygienic and quality is maintained.
   
3. Avoid Keeping All Your Cash Together: It is good to keep your cash at separate locations. This will help you in case of an emergency or theft.
   
4. Limit Your Talks with Strangers: This doesn't mean that do not mix up with the locals, but make sure you don't disclose too much about yourself to them. You never know who that person is.
   
5. Choose Your Hotel Wisely: There have been too many scams already, so make sure you choose your hotel properly. If you are on a planned vacation, make sure to read about the hotel, research about it before booking. TripAdvisor is the best source available. In case of an unplanned vacation, you have to be aware and must follow your instincts.

Keep exploring, keep traveling!

Surajkund Mela (Faridabad, Haryana) India

Surajkund Mela

Surajkund International Crafts Mela is one of the most popular and oldest fair that showcases finest art, handicrafts, handlooms and rich cuisines from India and from other countries. Various artists from all over the country and neighboring countries display their best crafts work in a rural ambience which will capture your heart. Surajkund is a delight for shopaholics  foodies, children and interior designers. 

If I have to put myself in any of the above mentioned categories, I will definitely fit best in foodies category. To be honest, that would be the only category I will fit in. As I entered, the first thing I noticed was the food court. If you are thinking I searched for the food court deliberately, let me make myself clear, I did not. I found it as I entered, trust me, it was planted there. Now that I was already in the food court, I tried few cuisines from Rajasthan, Karnataka, Gujarat and Delhi's stalls. 

Incredible India!

Every place has a tale to tell and it teaches us a lot. I looked at my photography journal and went back to those places virtually. Beautiful pictures of beautiful places and people, I am glad that I captured them in my canon so that I can hold them with me forever. Here is what I realized.

Rajasthan taught me to have a king size big warm heart. It also taught me to fight for our rights, for justice.

Rajasthan

Why I love Traveling?

As I continue to explore new places, I have realized that traveling is more than that, more than exploring places and more than just a journey. It is an amazing experience, it is a journey of self realization, it is a journey of self exploration. 

Traveling

Here are some of the best reasons why I love traveling.

• Traveling has taught me to be patient and take it easy as things do fall in place eventually.
• It has changed my attitude towards life and taught me to be calm even at most difficult times.
• It has taught me to respect others, I have realized a sense of grounding and looking beyond self.
• It has made me realize my strengths, my fears, my anxieties, my weaknesses and taught me how to deal with them.
• It has helped me to look at the world from a different perspective and changed my outlook towards life.
• It has also made me more confident, easy-going, more tolerant, humble, more flexible and open towards life.
• It has evoked a sixth sense in me to judge things little better. It has taught me to differentiate between good and bad. 
• It has helped me to think on my feet when dealing with certain situations.
• It has taught me a good lesson to not to assume things and not to just believe whatever people are saying. It has taught me to analyse better and to believe things as I see.
• It has helped me to polish my skills and I continue to improvise in my photography and to control my wife from shopping.

Keep exploring, keep traveling

Warm regards,
Being Traveler

Being Traveler

He was seven when his dad gifted him a camera and a roll
He didn't know what to do with it until he was told

‘It takes you places past, when memory doesn't last’, his dad said
‘Really?’ he asked with a doubt in his head

He never really used it back then
Until the day they moved to a new den

That’s when memories came knocking in his head
About all the days that he spent

Of the late nights in the courtyard
And of the days running around the fields and the fence

He took out the camera from the pouch
And gave it a nice rub like Aladdin did to his lamp

And took pictures of places and spaces
Of every little thing that he saw in hazes

With every picture that he took
His love for traveling grew like a brook

He thanked his dad for that beautiful gift
That let him be million places in a swift

He treasured that gift which he got at seven
And it was since that day in the distant past

That Being Traveler came to pass!

This is a guest post  written by Jincy "Speaking my mind". I personally love her poems and this has been written on a special request. Thanks Jincy for this lovely poem.

Neemrana Fort, Rajasthan

                        

What could be more perfect than to celebrate your birthday at your favorite place? I had always loved forts and this time, I decided to go to Neemrana with my wife to celebrate my birthday. 

Neemrana, Rajasthan is located at approx 120 kms from New Delhi on Delhi - Jaipur highway (NH8). I left at 8am from home with my two beauties, my wife and my car.

It was Sunday and road was quite empty until we crossed Gurgaon, Haryana. As soon as we reached Manesar, we were welcomed by road full of trucks. Car started to crawl and we started to yawn. To bring the excitement back, my wife asked me to cut the cake while we waited for the jam to clear. Cake was finished and I thanked my wife for the gifts she gave. After spending good 2 hours, we were still stuck in the jam. At one point we almost gave up and decided to return, but then sun smiled and God showed grace and we started to gain some speed and jam disappeared. I drove pretty fast to cover up the time we lost. At around 12pm, we reached Neemrana. 

A Traveler's Wife

She supports, cribs, helps, argues and takes care. She does it all to make a perfect planned vacation, a memorable one. She ensures to make every moment cheerful and creates a comfort zone no matter where we are. She leaves no stone un-turned to make me feel like home anywhere.

She cribs whenever approached to go to a new travel venture, but with few efforts, she becomes more than excited about the trip. She plans ahead and ensures every need is fulfilled during travel.

Are You a Traveler or a Tourist?

                       

Few of us may not know the difference between a traveler and a tourist, but there is a fine line which differentiates a traveler from a tourist. Even I didn't know the difference between the two sometime ago, until I experienced it.

I was traveling to a city and stopped outside a popular destination which looked quite average from it's first look. As I stepped into the building, a man in his late 30’s was stepping out of the building and was conversing with his group in loud voice. His words as I remember correctly were "We wasted our time getting to this place. This place is nothing special, it is waste of time and money". With these words, he rushed outside the building angrily. He was so loud that some of the other visitors who were about to enter the building got influenced by his words. Obviously, the rude man visited this place to see some beauty so that he can click some beautiful pictures to show to his family and friends back home. What he overlooked was the history of the place and the glory that was associated with this place. He overlooked the culture of the place and stories attached with it.

Udaipur - The City of Lakes



Udaipur 

After six months without a proper vacation, my wife and I decided it was high time to escape the chaos of Delhi and soak in some royalty—figuratively and literally—in Udaipur, Rajasthan. Known as the “City of Lakes”, Udaipur is famous for its shimmering waters, grand palaces, historic temples, and the kind of architecture that makes you question every building in your own city.

Located about 650 km from New Delhi, Udaipur is accessible via train, flight, or road. Since my wife loves trains and I had survived my last one eight years ago, we opted for an overnight train journey—because nothing says adventure like 12 hours of questionable sleeping positions and mysterious shaking, right?

Thailand - The Land of Tigers

First International Vacation: Excitement in the Air

Thailand was my first trip outside India, and I couldn’t wait to explore its beaches, markets, and culture. After months of planning, my wife and I were ready for an unforgettable anniversary getaway. Early morning flights from Delhi to Bangkok had us buzzing with excitement (and a little chaos thanks to a spilled breakfast container at the airport!).