Vegas, Baby!

As soon as we arrived in LAX, we promptly went out and did the American thing - we went out and promptly hired a minivan! Child 1 thought he'd died and gone to heaven!! LAX wasn't the place where we were staying back, though. We we driving down to Vegas, Baby!

The drive to Vegas. We could get used to those open roads

Yup. Roller Coaster. In the middle of nowhere. Just because!

The afternoon we'd arrived, we decided to hit the strip - but not before Child 1 and the husband decided when in Vegas, they needed to check out a shooting range. With real guns. Not just tiny, fit-in-your-holster kinds either. The Mother-of-all-hell-I'm-Rambo kinds.

This was at a petrol station. Where you could buy a gun to go with your coffee. 

yup. These ones. With your choice of targets.
Pic Courtesy: Arun Kumar Krishnamurthy

No really. You can pick and choose. I chose... to stay at home.
Pic courtesy: Arun Kumar Krishnamurthy

Vegas was unabashedly loud, bright and commercial, and I loved it!

oversized everything. Including Christmas baubles.

...through the looking glass. 

The walk along the strip was predictably neck-craning and mouth-gawping and we were happy just soaking it all in. 

The funkiest coffee shop ever!

The only thing we did go to, was the New York, New York coaster. By we, of course, I mean Child 1 and the husband. Me? I was roaming the arcade with Child 2, while she was busy playing arcade games to collect more useless trinkets. 

This was clearly a favourite with the kids. Child 1 totally loves the music too. 

We're starting a band. We'll call it 'the Wannabes'. 

The next day was for the kids - of all ages. we spent the day at Circus Circus, and boy was it fun! From roller coasters to LaserTag to 4D movies... there was much to see and do. 

mad coaster fun.
Pic courtesy: Arun Kumar Krishnamurthy

we're going to beat you hollow at Laser Tag!
Pic courtesy: Arun Kumar Krishnamurthy

Apparently this little froggie didn't jump high enough for my little monkey.
Pic courtesy: Arun Kumar Krishnamurthy

That evening was my pick of activity,and I wanted to catch a show- and I was spoilt for choice. I chose Cirque Du Soliel's longest running show- Mystère. It was definitely the highlight of the Vegas trip for me.

Every minute of the Cirque show was entertaining with clowns having us in splits to trapeze artists having us gasping to entertaining acrobats and a spectacular sound and light show. There were several times during the show when I made a mental note to myself to get the soundtrack on my phone. it was fabulous. 

what an unforgettable experience

Surprisingly I wasn't to keen on doing the one thing Vegas was famous for - the Casinos. Of course, the kids were allowed within 15 feet of the tables, but I wasn't that keen to visit them either. The blinking lights and noises just made it annoying and head-ache inducing.

That didn't stop us from hitting the bar though. Several times.
Pic courtesy: Arun Kumar Krishnamurthy

Child 1's dream drum kit
Pic courtesy: Arun Kumar Krishnamurthy

We would return to Vegas shortly, but tomorrow, we were off to the Grand Canyon. A rather long-ish drive, but a trip we couldn't not do, having come this far. 

Oh we were most definitely in Trump's America

Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna

I have some vacation time coming. It's been long overdue. So I decided to utilise my two weeks vacationing in China. Reactions at work went thus:
Boss
Sense: Boss, I'd like a holiday
Boss: no.
S: But Boss...
B:Are you nuts? This is peak season. This is no time to take a couple of days off to go gallavanting!
S: Erm... I was thinking more along the lines of a couple of weeks.
B: Ha! the work must be getting to me. I though I just heard you say something about weeks...
S: actually I did. Two weeks to be precise.
B: (after some hysterical laughter) ah Sense! you crack me up!

Co worker
S: I'm off for two weeks.
CW: really? and your boss let you? no way!
S: yeah, so listen, could you like, erm handle a few things for me? I'm in the midst of it and... it's just taking it ahead. no sweat really.
CW: (breaking into a sweat) You say that now. wait till the whole thing goes pear- shaped. Then who's caught holding the bag!
S (rolling my eyes): relax! Nothing that drastic is going to happen.
CW :(now seriously beginning to freak me out by doing an eeerily accurate imitation of Gollum) Nothing drastic she says. we know better don't we? She just has to turn her back, and we know it's all going to go bad. Baaad! Baad, I tell you.

Friend in the next department:
friend: so it's true then? they Actually let you go?
S: erm yeah... so far.
F: (with awe) wow. So where are you off to?
S: China.
F: eh? China? The country? like in the Olympics and 'Free Tibet'?
S: I didn't know there were options. Are there any other Chinas that you know of?
F: Ah. K. Well... don't forget to get me ... erm - what do you get in China?
S: Everything that you get here. just cheaper.
F: well, then - get me something. a fake Rolex or whatevva.

So my voicemail now goes:
'HI this is Sense here and I'm off for two weeks (short pause to let that filter past incredulity and sink in) For any queries, please contact Boss or Co-worker. Of course, they've instructed me not to pass on their number to Anyone, so I guess unless you're psychic, you'll have to wait til I'm back and can really clean up the nuclear fall- out caused by my Vacation. Have a nice day!

Weekend Getaway

I spent last weekend in Matheran. I had no clue I'd be anywhere near there. In fact I'd happily made plans with Smithy to be her date at a Halloween Bash (three whole hours with no Baby or Hubby! wheee!). Then come friday, Hubby lands me with the Matheran Plan. On asking why it's taken him this long to bother informing me, he say in all earnestness, 'but honey, it wouldn't be a surprise then, would it?' Bah. Sorry Smithy, I can't argue with that!

So, off we went, with Pickwick in tow. Here are a few excerpts from the weekend:

Cottage No.13

Yeah, that's right, that was our home for the weekend. A British-era Cottage with the number 13. And nothing remotely eerie to report! (damn!)

It's a tree...it's a stump... it's...it's a dustbin!

Male Bonding

One of my favourite father-son moments during the trip
(that and Pickwick swinging his undies in the air a la Saurav).

Here Comes the Son!

I know! Corny! still, that's what i feel like singing everytime i see this picture.

NO Clue what existed below the vines.

Cool Pool
No, Really. the water was Frigid! Hubby bravely strolled out of the cottage in a towel and swimming trunks, only to return 3 minutes later, after having dipped his toe into the pool and retracting it with a howl!

P.S. By the way, i strongly recommend 'Sakville's' for all your foody needs- he may be no gourmet, but he's given us better service than I've seen at star restaurants. besides, you also get to catch all the hubub of the market place from his place!

True Vacation

Last week, we were in Goa doing what you should truly do in Goa- no, not living it up. You have Mumbai for that, for crying out loud. We were there to hibernate. Relax. Pig out. And not move a muscle. Well, we did all of the above. Almost all. There only so much inaction your six-month old will permit you.

The weather was crap. It was raining all night- and most days. Which suited us just fine. All we needed was a bit of sunshine so we could hit the pool (which was just outside out room) and the beach (which was just beyond the pool). Pickwick loved both. The beach had him a tad confused, with what the waves and the ground beneath his feet literally slipping away. He didn’t like that. No one does, I guess. The pool was more his scene. He was basking. In the sunshine and the mini admiration society which seemed to have formed around him as soon as he stepped into the pool. So naturally he wants to show off for his fans and tried to float. To our utter amazement he actually succeeded! He even got so bold as to venture a few Kicks. Sigh! The things one has to do to please people!

The food was especially good. I pigged out on sea food while poor hubby stoically held back his urge to puke. I guess he thought it’s the least he could do for the woman who’s bravely decided to spawn his offspring (Yes, I’m going to hold that over his poor head for another eighteen years!). Having this scandalized three generations of the iyer khaandaan, I decided to reserve my second tattoo plans for another day. We don’t want to kill the poor fellow, do we?

Our return journey was another adventure altogether. After having raced to the station to narrowly make the train (thanks to a forgotten jacket in the lobby of the hotel whose pockets held a mobile phone and tickets to the very train we were about to board…), we board the one compartment in the train that is bursting at the seams with kids. You should have seen the night sleeping routine. 35 mums trying to put 40-odd hyperactive kids to bed. Sometimes, even now, when I let my guard down, I hear “Shhh! Look at that nice boy. He’s not troubling his mummy.”

So, it’s no wonder I took so long to write this post. I needed a vacation to recover from my vacation!