New Orleans!!!

 New Orleans was a fabulous place to visit, with so much history and in so many books.The boat of course, means to us the Mississipi

 And jazz! there was a music festival going on in memory of Louis Armstrong

 with people casually gathered to listen

The French Quarter was lovely

 Cafe le monde  world famous for coffee and french doughnuts  - beignets

 Selvi looking as good as ever

 Shop for voodoo and witchraft!

Hattiesburg

 Walking into Aunty's house at Hattiesburg is like a trip in nostalgia - all the summer holidays at Montieth lane come rushing back. It is totally comfort zone. You can put up your feet wherever you want, eat when you want, whatever you want, watch movies, hang out in the garden with the dogs and plants, talk, sleep, eat, read.. its a total holiday place. Unfortunately dont have pics of Aunty's fabulous Cadillac

 Aunty's collections of all that is cute fill the house

 Selvi took us to lunch at the Hilton. Oysters !, cooked over coal - rather nice if one can get over the mental block

 Meeting up with Selvi after more than 13 years. She still looks the same, but is much more bright and confident.

 Selva has the muscle of a body builder and has grown so much more mature and caring.

 Hasini - we spent just a day with her.

the land of the outsized. Dessert of a wonderful brownie and cream

Dallas

 The entry to Thambi and Vidya's fabulous home

 Vidya cooking as usual.

 Bro and sis - joined at the hip !

 Thambi did a great job of looking after Appa

Ramya with Surya. Arun and Ramya came for Thambi's 50th bday party. Unfortunately these are all the snaps I have on my phone.

HI people

Check out previous post. From Doctors without borders, we are going to Flying Doctors. Check out a member of the family doing service in Jordan.
hint watch closely around minute 2.

Medical Mission for Syrian Refugees in Jordan June 2014

Twelfth is over!

Happy birthday Dhachu Akka and Saroj Anna :)

I fiiinally got my marks!
I've applied for both engineering and medicine. Really hoping to get CMC or PSG!
My cut off is 198.25
I chose medicine over engineering because I've always wanted to join doctors without borders.

NANDHIKA R    ( 256730 )
Subject	Theory	Practical	Total
LANGUAGE			196
ENGLISH			188
PHYSICS	150	050	200
CHEMISTRY	149	050	199
BIOLOGY	147	050	197
MATHEMATICS	192		192
TOTAL			1172
RESULT	PASS

I've been rather AWOL from the internet recently, but for that my dad is to be blamed! Internet privileges do not come easy when you're in twelfth, I have now realised.

On an unrelated note, this is one of the poems I wrote recently! Please let me know what you think. It was for Medhas birthday :)

You're a tyrant, you're annoying, 

In all the ways there are, you're absurd, 

And Ill keep pictures to show you one day, 

What a crazy little girl you were. 

You're mentally deranged, retarded too,

Limits are simply not your thing, 

And I'm sorry you think you can, 

But I'm afraid you really, really can't sing :P 

You're a useless lump of fat;

You take up too much space; 

And by the way, your obsession with Chota Bheem, 

Well, I'm praying its just a phase. 

You scream, you sulk, you cry, 

But you know just what to say, 

Well aware; that that gap toothed smile, 

Will always help you get your way.

Somewhere in those 20kgs of evil, 

I suppose there's something nice, 

And later when you're faced with choices, 

I hope you do what's right. 

From the day that you were born, 

I knew things would never be the same,

But for not realising it would be the best thing that's happened to me, 

I guess I'm the one to blame. 

So one day you'll grow up, 

And things will stop making sense, 

What was once black and white and heaven, 

Will turns to shades of grey and Hell.

I hope you know ill be there, 

Watching over you every step of the way, 

And if a guy ever has the nerve to break your heart,

I might just break his face :P

As for me, I'm annoying, I'm protective, 

I scream much more than I should, 

And all the harsh words I've said over time; 

Id take back if I could. 

Days will pass and things will change,

But There's just one thing that I know,

You'll always be my little sister, 

No matter where you are, or how old you grow.

And wherever I am.. Is a place you can call home.

The wonderful Dal Lake, Srinagar

Living room of the houseboat. Richly carved throughout

People come to sell you everything - from flowers, seeds, shawls, woodwork, photos... even icecream and tea

Appa found it tough to get into and out of the little boat which takes you to the shore - so he sat where the boatman sits

What is Kashmir without flowers?

The Queen!

Shopping on the Lake - shops on all sides