The begining ... :) :)

There is a first time to everything :) this post is on the first attempt I made @ writing a story :) I wrote this when I was in college :) I was DE-cluttering my inbox today when I came across this.
 here we go :) my first piece of writing ... :) I should warn you though that it is a bit high on drama! :) :)

      

…….8 kms to munnar, the board on the highway read. This was our second industrial visit. It was a three day tour to Cochin and munnar. We were on our way back to munnar after a long and tiresome day. Earlier this evening we went for a  trek uphill. The breath taking natural beauty of this wonderful hill station enthralled all of us. We were spellbound by the beautiful landscape. We wanted to trek more. In spite of the pouring rain and the freezing weather we remained unabated. Now the mood in the bus was very different. All of us were tired and frazzled by the long trek. We were all dozing off into a blissful sleep unaware of what awaited us. We were a group of 13 people travelling by this van. The remaining 52 were far ahead of us in a deluxe bus. By the time we reached our destination it was pouring. Two of my classmates were waiting for our van to arrive. They held out umbrellas and helped us out. We climbed out of the bus happily chatting about our trek that day. But the look on the two friends  told a different story, something was wrong. They refused to comment on anything. They accompanied us to the hotel lobby. Upon reaching there everything became clear, we could understand the glum look on their face. About 15 of my classmates had taken ill suddenly. It was total anarchy out there at the lobby . People were running in all possible directions to help the needy ones. One of my classmates and the tour manager rushed to us. They were allocating rooms for our stay. Finally the tour manager  ‘insisted’ we occupy the first room on the ground floor, we gave in. We got ready quickly and started to help our friends. About 7 of them were bitten by leach and about 5 of them suffered from severe vomiting and fever. One classmate of mine blacked out all of a sudden and he was carried by 5 boys to the transport vehicle to a nearby hospital. There were many others who suffered breathing difficulties and developed wheezing problem. Medical facilities near the hotel were very poor. There were no doctors in the vicinity. We finally managed to contact a local doctor. A vehicle was arranged to transport the affected ones. After about an hour and a half of utter chaos things slowly began to settle down. The fear in me started soaring. There were strong rumours that the classmate of mine fainted seeing something horrible. An eerie feeling stated to develop. Suddenly the hotel felt deserted. People were asked to stay in their respective rooms. There was power failure  every ten minutes. The entire area went into pitch darkness. Fear started creeping in. ours was the first room on the ground floor. The only room with a balcony. Once the power was restored I decided to step out into the balcony to breathe some fresh air. I unbolted the door. It opened into complete darkness. There was a faint source of light. It was too dark to make out what the balcony opened into. But one thing was sure it opened into an uninhabited area. It was too silent for half past eight in the night. I was afraid to step out so I decided to stay back at the room. When I tried to bolt the door I noticed that the lock was not proper. It could be  easily broken. Another fear added to my already growing fear list. But somehow I fastened the door and stepped out. Staying back at the room did not make me feel any better. So I decided to wait in the lobby. Once I stepped out into the lobby I noticed a bunch of drunken men checking into the hotel. Frightened by it I went back to my room and joined 3 of my friends there. I told them what I saw at the lobby and expressed my fear. They were equally frightened. We decided to support each other and stay calm. After sometime I started to lose the calmness of my mind. I decided to call my mother. I spoke with her for about twenty minutes. By the time I  ended the call tears were steaming down my eyes. For the first time ever I cried out of fear of what I myself did not know of. Gradually fear became panic. There were so many questions buzzing on my head, Why did the travel manager insist we take the first room on the ground floor, Why wasn’t  the balcony door not proper, Why was there frequent power failure, drunken men all around the hotel, what was it that my classmate saw that drove him to such a state of shock, was there something supernatural… It was too much for me to take. I broke down. My friends came rushing to me and enquired what happened. I explained  my fears, they consoled me and said they would make sure things were fine. I felt better after that. Finally the people who went to the hospital were back. They were all treated and were provided with proper medical treatment. We then went into the dinning hall for dinner. After dinner we all decided to sleep early. The fear still persisted in me. Finally we decided  to switch rooms with the guys. They were willing to take our room on the ground floor and we shifted to their room on the first floor. I had left my umbrella at the balcony but was frightened to go and get it. One of my friends offered to collect it for me. She was the stronger one in my group and was less fearless. Suddenly everything seemed to get back to normal. The new room felt much safer. There was no balcony to fear about. I felt much safer. My fears sometime back seemed so baseless. Finally we all  went into a peaceful sleep. The next morning when I woke up sun was shining brightly and was descending down our room through the window. The memories about the previous night were fading out. I felt much happier and safe. Finally all of us woke up. We all sat around the bed and were sipping coffee enjoying the morning weather. Then one of my friends spoke up she had been waiting so say this since last night. Last night when she went out to fetch the umbrella, she saw something there which she wanted to tell us. There was a stone steps leading up to the balcony. Ours was the only room with a balcony, the balcony door never locked properly and there was this stone steps  from the basement of the hotel leading up to the balcony. A chill ran down my spine………………….   

  Cheers,

Sanz :) 

Bride series ... :) :) - Planner pictures

Planner pictures :) :)

Bride series.... :) :) - Sarees and more

Sarees and more :) :)

Inevitably the most important item of purchase for  south Indian weddings are "sarees" :) And, especially a south Indian Brahmin wedding is never in short of occasions for that :) And I don't have to dwell much if you are the bride :) at least 7 Sarees have to be purchased for the bride on a minimum scale :) So, that gives you lots of space to try and experiment with different styles :)

Chennai is fast emerging to be one of the best places in south for saree shopping with specific emphasis on wedding sarees.

 With enough and plenty options to confuse anybody I hope this post will bring some clarity for new buyers :) :) I am not going to give a detailed description  on each of the stores , I will just give a list of must try shops and a short note for each one of these :)

1. Pothys , T. Nagar:

Pothys is almost synonymous with wedding shopping. It boasts of one of the widest range of sarees in the city. It caters to all categories of people :)

Bottom line : value for money :)

2. RMKV , T. Nagar :

RMKV was one of the first silk stores to introduce the idea of        "concept sarees". RMKV is also abundant in collection and variety :)  The wedding sarees are a bit on the expensive end here, but sometimes a wedding saree is worth the " extravagance" :)

Bottom line : Good collection but  a bit high on the pricing.

 Note :

RMKV has a low price range of silk sarees. If not a choice for the brides, a wedding involves buying sarees for a lot of people as well, so, this could be a good bargain for mid range sarees which are not only affordable but silk as well , so some of the " specials " on the guest list can be pampered with such buys :)

3. Kumaran Silks , T. Nagar :

 On a personal note I have always felt Kumarn silks caters to the non-bride category of people.The sarees are wonderful indeed but not exactly " bridal types". The "9 yards " saree collection in Kumaran is splendid . They not only have variety in terms of materials , but they also have a wide  variety in terms of colors and patterns. Starting from the traditional silk 9 yards to the silk cotton 9 yards it boasts of the best 9 yards saree collection in the city :) 

Bottom Line : One of the best stops for 9 yards :)

4. Sundari silks , T. Nagar:

Famous for its exquisite silk designs, Sundari silks is one of the most visited outlets for Bridal shopping. The collection is elaborate and stunning. Though it comes on the list of high end budget shopping , Sundari silks is a must visit :)

Bottom Line : Wonderful collection but very high on pricing :)

5. Palam silks  , T. Nagar :

A joint venture by 2 famous silk giants, Palam silks has lived up to the dream of every bride. There are a lot of occasions in  a wedding were the bride is expected to dress in a mild demeanor and Palam silk specialises in this style. The pricing also comes @ a nominal level. Simple yet rich in elegance and grace is the genre of this store. Mostly specialising in unique pieces of work it is not only a must place to visit but a Saree from Palam is a must as well :)

Bottom Line : thumps up! :) Must visit :)

6. Sarangi , T. Nagar :

What captures you first about this store is the ambiance. Gives you a feeling that you are probably in a plush bungalow rather than a saree shop :) Sarangi is a very high end saree store in the city. The collection is good indeed but the pricing does make one wonder if it is worth spending so much after all . It does have some of those rare special colours, so you could check this store if you are looking for something out of the box :)

Bottom Line : strictly only for those willing to spend a lot!! :)  

7. Old Nalli/New Nalli , T. Nagar : 

  

 I was saving my favourite for the end :) Nalli is a must stop for most Chennai-ites This shop has been there for decades and is one of Chennai city's all time favorites :) Nalli holds a " sentimental" place in most of the households and is considered a "good charm" to buy from for weddings :)  I don't have to elaborate on the saree section here, but ,what really keeps pulling me back here is the wonderful material rolls collection. I have no words to describe  the splendid collection they have, I would love to write more on this in a separate post :)  I ll come back soon with that post :)

Bottom Line : Must go!! and must buy!! :) and off course parking is never a problem in Nalli :) 

Above mentioned is the list of silk saree stores :)  A list of other stores specialising in other types will be up in my next post shortly :) :) 

Cheers,

Sanz :)

Bride series... :) :) - Lets get started

Lets get started !! :)

Now that we have charted out a planner and have categorised and identified the important tasks , lets get started!! 

Before that , let me give you a heads up about something.

There is no end to what you can buy and how much you can spend when it comes to wedding shopping. We have to draw a line somewhere.So, if you happen to share my idea of being an " economical Bride" without burning a hole in your dad's pocket, then, let me tell you a little secret,   in being an "economical bride" you are not giving up anything or living your dream of being a perfect bride any less ,instead, you are just discovering the best ways to do it economically :) In short you are going to be a "smart shopper" .

Before the actual shopping it is always best to do a through research on all the options available :) Remember what I told about "satisfied buying" in my very first post :) . So, list out all the shops you would like to visit , and add the other stores and suggestions made by friends and families. Take a considerable time in researching each one of these stores :) Check all the collections they have to offer, make a note on the various pricing and the choices available in each of the stores :) Do not be in a hurry to buy. Even if you come across one of those " I have been waiting all my life to buy this saree" you have to learn to restrain yourself from doing that impulsive buying,  trust me, you will find yourself doing that more than often:) 

If there is a Saree you simply love in that case you can always ask the store to keep that piece away for you to come back :) most of the shops offer that service these days :) 

After the research there are a few places which you would have made a mental note to go back and check :) start your shopping with these stores :) and be ruthless in discarding the ones which failed to impress you, don't fall prey to " they might get better collections " next week or next month. Better options are always available and we cant keep waiting for it :) so don't think too hard :) just get started :) 

And one of the most important aspects when you begin your shopping is keeping the " shoppers spirit alive" . A wedding shopping is no joke, it takes a lot of physical and mental effort not to mention the financial blow .So be in your " best moods" when you shop :) a good mood reflects on your shopping a lot :) It is a long and tedious process, so prepare yourself for it :)

Keep your stomach full before you set out on your quest :) we do not want , hunger and problems like acidity,headache to damper the shopping spirit :) Never forget your water bottle, umbrella, cap, sun tan lotion, your priceless "wedding planner " and off course your wallet :) and  last but not the least don't leave your smile behind :) We want to look our best when we shop for the big day of our life :)

Now with everything in place , lets not wait any further :) lets get started !! :) :)

Cheers

Sanz :)

PS : list of saree stores will be up in the next post :) 

Bride series ..... :) :) - charting out

Charting out :) :) :)

I promised a fortnightly series and now I have disappeared for weeks! phew! * apologies*. Now, without further ado let me get started :)
So where do I begin ?...
Hmm.....
Going by my love for organizers and sticky notes naturally the first thing I did was to create a wedding planner for myself : I didn't want just any book to be converted into a wedding planner :) I decided the  book should be something special :) I didn't have to think hard, I had this book I always carried around with me. It was my book of favourites, as I called it. It had everything that I always wanted. Everything!!Pictures,quotes,graffiti, pictures of stuff I wished to own, pictures of how I would like to decorate my house ,one liners from movies, the innumerable to do and to be accomplished lists and so on..
The first step towards creating a planner is to decide on the various categories :) For example you could create a page for each member in your family , and in the respective page you could indicate the pending task for each person :)you could also mention on what task you have completed so that you are well aware of what is done and what is not :) The main idea behind the planner is to keep you updated on where you are with respect to the wedding preparation. There is no hard and fast rule to create a planner . It should just contain all the important facts and information like due dates for clothes from tailor, parlour appointments , completed shopping list, the to be completed list,invitees list,important delivery dates and so on.You could also have a page for new ideas and options to try out :)  Let your imagination run wild while creating your wedding planner :) after all its your wedding planner and you would want it to be the best:) so bring out all the notes and memos and lets get started with charting out  the work :)

cheers
Sanz :)

PS: will share my planner pictures shortly :) :) :) :) :)