Festival of lights

Yesterday night Melbourne celebrated Diwali at the Federation Square in the city and we were overjoyed to be a part of it. It was the first time we witnessed people gathering in such huge numbers for any celebration!

The event was organised by the 'Celebrate India' group and began with a fusion dance on the popular folk songs from the different states of India followed by the performance of a pop band 'Stereo Nation'.

The organisers had set up stalls of henna tattos, jewellery and snacks to give the celebration an Indian touch. The place was soo vibrant and filled with excitment that it felt as if we were roaming in a funfair! The event marked its end with everyone's favorite fireworks show for which people had come from all distant suburbs.

The surrounding festivity gave us a feel of being in India and was a good start to get us geared up for Diwali!

How true!

Me and Praveen just loved this as it was the exact reflection of what we are and how our relationship is!

Classical Dance

With lots of free time in hand just as I have finished exams and university, I feel the days are really long! Each day I take an effort to learn something new and do something creative so that I use this valuable time to the fullest capacity. I thought of practicing classical dance 'Kathak' yesterday which I have learnt for 17 years. I started when I was just five and still recall the days when my mom use to sit there in class till I was done! This continued till I got acquainted with my teacher and the surroundings. It took me while to catch-up and I gradually started enjoying it. Since then my parents always encouraged me to participate in cultural programs or social gatherings so that I overcome stage fear. I found out a old pic of me performing at a ceremony!

As I picked up the steps, postures and footwork my teacher enrolled me for the first exam. I still remember how tensed I was on appearing for a dance exam at the age of eight! Look at this:

Every year our dance class organised an annual gathering for which we used to start practicing at least three months in advance so that we attain perfection on what we perform. Those practice sessions were my favorite as they used to be accompanied by live tabla and harmonium professionals. 

I feel myself fortunate to have inculcated this art in me since my childhood which today has taken the form of a hobby that gives me soo much positive energy to live life to the fullest!

Rainy Day

Since yesterday evening it has been raining continuously and is expected to rain all day. With the constant rains, there is nothing much to do other than sipping hot tea and spending time reading or watching something on the laptop.

The rains today made me nostalgic of the treks that I used to go on, when I was in Pune! It used to be the same weather and a bunch of freaky friends who used to make random plans to explore new places in the rainy season. We used to pack and carry some light snacks and start-off early morning by the public transport that's convenient and centrally located to all. We used to reach the trekking site pretty early with an intention of covering most of the places nearby. It used to be an absolute pleasure to the eyes to see the lush green farms that we used to pass by. It used to be fun to get drenched in the heavy showers as we climbed and walked. Just to overcome the chill, we would often have a cup of tea when we spot a "tapri" (a small tea house). On reaching the destination, there used to be nothing more to relish than the variety of eatables that all of us used to carry. After a lots of roaming around and rejoicing we used to start our return journey.

Each trip gave us new experiences and innumerable teachings of combating unexpected situations and reacting smartly to those keeping aside our fears. I truly cherish those moments not only because they were good lessons in life but because their remembrance still binds me strongly with my friends!  

Porcupine

We met a spiny rodent yesterday while heading to one of the beaches in Nepean National Park. Yes, a Porcupine!

 

It was a creepy creature busy digging the sand to find some food. I had heard that Porcupines have a coat of sharp spines to fight its predators but got to experience this fact only yesterday! 

We were surprised to meet this little fellow exactly at the same place as we returned after our site seeing. Maybe he was down on luck yesterday!

Point Nepean National Park

Today we spent our day in one of Victoria's most beautiful landscapes called Point Nepean. We had planned this outing just to enjoy the natural beauty of the surrounding region but the visit was much more interesting than we thought because of its historical significance! This park covered a total area of 560 hectares and was located at the southern most tip of Melbourne city with an outstanding coastal scenery. The park had military forts and tunnels with its rich history dating back to the 1880's.

The first spot that we visited after reaching the national park was the observatory point where we took a beach walk enjoying the blue shades of the Pacific. The sight was simply refreshing!

We took a hop on hop off shuttle service to explore the different points in the national park.

We went to Fort Nepean which gave a stunning view of Port Phillip and Bass Strait. The fort had a number of rooms which were bomb proof and it was impressive to see the gun emplacements and the firing mechanisms that were used in the World War I. We also saw the place from where allied shots were fired for both World War I and II.    

We then visited the Cheviot Hill and the Harold Holt Memorial. The Cheviot Hill was the park's highest point and gave a breathtaking view of the ocean. It overlooked the Cheviot Beach from where the former Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt disappeared while he was swimming and no traces of him were found even after a continued search which lasted for 3 days!  

On our way back, we saw the London Bridge (which is basically a eroded rock structure amidst the ocean waters). 

It was a hectic one day trip with lots of points to visit but undoubtedly rich in scenic beauty and history!

Funday Sunday!

We had our friends Anusha and Vishwesh come over to our house to enjoy the weekend. It was fun to catch up after a long time followed by a delicious lunch of Pav Bhaji(our all time favorite) and some side dishes.

In the evening we went for a nice walk on the Yarra Scenic Trail. Following the winding track along the river we noticed the call of parrots and few other birds which felt soo soothing. People had set off for kayaking to enjoy the perfect weather!

We all had a good time and planned for  outings that we could go on with lots of exciting activities and festivals around the corner!