Long time no see!

Hi Blog
Long time no see!
Well I am just back from India after a one and a half month stay there. And it was a hectic but good visit.
Stayed ten days at Bangalore with Nona and Sachin and enjoyed with Suhani who is becoming more and more playful each day.Ashu being there for his training made my vacation perfect.
Back at Delhi and Anand Vihar was like old times. One really gets caught up in a flurry of activities there and time just flies.
There seemed so much to be done and so little time! The morning sessions with Papa ,all those people to meet and the phone calls to be made...bank, bills,shopping and so much else.
Atul and family came from USA in the last week of june and we all went together on a small holiday to Chakrata..a nice quiet place in Uttaranchal .We were sixteen of us and had a good time there but I did sometimes feel quite lost without Vipin.
Coming back to Libya was really like homecoming and I was so happy to see Vipin waiting at the airport...I suppose it is rightly said that home is where the heart is ..or may I say ..my husband is?
Till next time then..

Sabratha

Sabratha
On the 10th of February we visited Sabratha , the site of an ancient Roman city about 40km. from Tripoli on the coastal road to Zuara. This city is about 2000 years old and even today the plan of the city, magnificient tall pillars, the theatre building the mosaic work and the remains of oil presses used in those times stand testimomy to the glory that must have been. Standing there on the beach near the pillars which must have been the gates to the empire it is not difficult to imagine the arrival of the mighty Romans via the sea route to stake claim to this land. They must have been great builders...what they built then has been ravaged by nature through the centuries but still stands proudly nevertheless. There is a small museum too, which houses many sculptures and art work of those times. I enjoyed this visit thoroughly.

Tijee

More than a month has passed since I came here and very quickly too! Despite the misgivings of my friends and relatives who thought that I would not be able to survive this solitary life for many days, I find that I have settled down to a very comfortable routine.
And a solitary life it is too! There are no Indian families here and it is difficult to interact with the locals due to language problem….they speak only Arabic which I do not know. So I stay alone at home till Vipin comes home from work.
But I love our relaxed lazy mornings spent with glasses of refreshing Korean Ginseng tea with honey and lemon while watching the news on NDTV. As Vipin gets ready for office I wait happily for Ghosh..the mess helper who brings us a nice hot breakfast and tea. After vipin goes to office and Ghosh and the Sudani who comes to clean the house leave it is time to connect to the internet ,check my mails and find my online friends.
Nona and Suju of course are my regulars who make sure that I remain in touch with all that is happening back home . They give me all the news so that I do not feel that I am away from home . Seeing little Suhani on the webcam just thrills me. Ashu with his chanting of ma..meri ma…stays with me all the time and Googi keeps finding new sites for me to find games on. Swati finds time to keep me updated with her activities. Garima with her occassional ....bua this is Garima...makes me feel that she is nearby. Shyam keeps me updated with share market news...They and all the others who find time from their busy schedule to send mails to me and chat with me ensure that I have company and do not feel lonely.
Some reading and TV and it is time for lunch….we go to the mess for food . After a short break Vipin again goes to office .I take a walk in our garden and then settle down with a cup of tea and my knitting to watch my favourite TV serials . I The evening passes fast and soon after Vipin walks in with dinner.
To add to this are our almost weekly trips to Tripoli , where we spend our free time strolling along the beach, window shopping in the fancy markets and meeting Indian families living there.
So, where is the time to be lonely? Modern technology has ensured that we are never really away from our own people!

Year 2006 Begins!

Year 2006 has begun and one more year has been relegated to history!
A lot has happened in my life too....
31st Dec. 2005 brought endings and new beginnings for me. Does this sound like the reading of a tarot card? But truly this is how it has been!
It was on this very day that the uncertainties of the past six months ended and I finally landed in Libya to be with my husband . The ticket was booked for 29th and there was a last minute rush because the programme had been been finalised at a short notice. Savitri bhabhi and Bhai Sahab came to say bye and brought home made laddoos and mathris which we are enjoying now. Savita bhabhi came with them too. Lots of phone calls and good wishes later it was time to start. Sandhya,Vipul,Suju,Shyam and Divyam came to see me off at the airport.

The Journey....
The Royal Jordanian flight was to start at 6.30 am but was delayed by four hours due to fog in Delhi. Finally it was check in time and we queued up for our boarding passes. There was a lot of rush of Haj Piligrims at the airport but finally everything got sorted out and we were on board!
To my surprise I found that I had been given a seat in the executive class maybe due to the heavy booking....anyways I settled down for a very comfortable journey to Amman.
The flight reached late and as expected I missed the connecting flight to Tripoli. I had to spend two days there in hotel Aliaa, waiting for the next flight. The hotel was good and I had a good time meeting lots of people from different countries who were there in transit...waiting for their flights to various destinations. Finally on 31st I took off for Tripoli! All was well till I came to pick up my baggage....to my dismay it was nowhere to be seen. I lodged a complaint with the authorities and suffered some anxious moments before I got it on the 3rd on the third trip to the airport.

The Destination
From the airport we started straight for Ruwais...... the place where Vipin works and I got my first glimpse of the countryside. Ruwais is about 250 km from Tripoli towards the western mountains and it takes about 2 hours 15 minutes. there is little traffic once you leave the city and vehicles move fast. Tripoli is on the mediterranean sea and has a good climate. We saw a lot of orange trees laden with fruit on the way. As we move on, the terrain changes and we find ourselves in the desert somewhat like we find near Jaisalmer back in India. At last we reached the house in Tijee, a small town near Ruwais .....which will be our home for the next few months.