Author Archive for MDG – Page 2

Guest Blog Post #1, Love and Heartbreak: Lijo John and Noreen

Dear Readers,

What you are about to read is a love story between Lijo John and Noreen. Their initial meeting is described in Noreen's own words. The personal letters that follow are real letters exchanged between the two after Lijo went on to break Noreen's heart by marrying an Indian woman to please his family. Because of full anonymity, (names have been changed), Noreen felt comfortable sharing such intimate details with readers. For her it was a helpful way to heal. Still, it is a tough decision to share your personal love life with the world. Because of this I ask you to please be respectable in your comments. I appreciate Noreen being so open and honest with her experiences. Perhaps it will help others on whatever path they may be on in love.

MDG

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House Hunters International: Urban Homes in Bangalore, India

I was excited to catch a new episode of House Hunters International last night - this time taking place in Bangalore, India, the place I called home in the summer of 2010. I now realize the show is very staged (which saddens me greatly!) but I still can't help watching. I like learning about the house hunters, in this case Indians Malika and Vir, a couple who families hail from north India but grew up in the states and were residing in the East Village of NYC before their move to India.

Malika and Vir had a large budget and therefore were looking at grand homes and condos I never got glimpses of during my own house hunting experience there. The very first home they looked at was in the suburbs of Bangalore. It was large and beautiful and came complete with their very own gardener and his family. When they noticed the gardener's home in their back yard and asked, "what's that house, it's pretty close by," the camera scanned to a dilapidated shed and a man roaming around in only a white sheet of cloth.

It was then that the realtor said, "That's the place where the gardener and his family stays. He comes with the house".

I almost died at such a statement! Never in my life, unless perhaps referring to a pet or animal, have I heard the words: he comes with the house.

Milika, the house hunter replies, "I don't know if I want a gardener because the way I understand it here is that you have to be responsible for their well-being. I think it would be too much because we're just moving." Later in the show she remarks to Vir on the gardener again; "I don't know about having a gardener and his family because you and I need a space of our own."

It was a reminder of just how closely the rich and very poor reside in India. I can't fathom working on a grand home each day to return to your shack each evening and how it must make someone feel as a human being. What would it feel like to know you "come with the house" as if you were a piece of furniture or wall hanging??

 

Store: New Items

Newly added to the store page: Indian style Curtains and Drapes!

One of my favorite items in my Indian home were the curtains. I loved the romantic Indian design and the way they retained privacy but allowed the sunlight and breeze to come through. Take a look for yourselves below and happy shopping!

Curtains at my home in India.

The Seven Week Road Trip

Our seven week trip across the country (Ohio to Ohio) has come to an end. While I couldn't wait for some R&R back home and a big wet smack-a-roo from my dog, Faith, completing the trip was sad for sure. There's nothing like a road trip to experience complete freedom, adventure, and detachment, while also learning so much about yourself (and if you're traveling with someone like I did, you learn so much about that other person, too!) I hope to never forget the experiences, the people, places, and faces. Below are a collection of my favorite photos taken on the trip. I hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I enjoyed being there taking them!
nashvilleweenie

Our first stop along the way was Nashville, TN, my one time home and home to many country music stars. I loved this hot dog stand and the fun slogan, "I Dream of Weenie".

Memphis2

Three hours from Nashville is another music hub, better known for its blues and Elvis Presley; Memphis, TN. This turned out to be one of our all time favorite stops on the trip, with some of the best live blues music I've ever heard and the best food I've ever had.

desert

Jumping shots somewhere along the way became my "thing". They're so much fun to do and trying to snap the photo at exactly the right time makes for one giant giggling event. This is somewhere along the road in the deserts of New Mexico.

madrid

This jewel of a town is known as Madrid, NM and was an unexpected stop along the way. We ended up roaming around for a couple hours going into all the art galleries and jewelry shops and also grabbing a yummy milkshake at an old fashion styled soda fountain.

santafe1

Santa Fe, New Mexico, another great stop on the way. The town happened to be having their weekly outdoor festival so we were able to eat cheap burritos from a small stand and listen to some live local music in the town square.

grand

Ah, the gorgeous Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona. We spent two days here. Can't believe I braved this shot after browsing through the shocking book titled Over the Edge: Death in Grand Canyon.

hooverdam

After hitting up Las Vegas, NV for a few days we then explored the Hoover Dam.

santamonica

We were able to drive a bit on the Historic Route 66 during our trip and once we arrived on the Santa Monica, Pier in CA, we were overjoyed to see we had hit the end of it! (We also got to see the sign declaring the start of it in Chicago much later on!)

highway1

A beautiful spot among beautiful spots along California State Route 1.

amish

An Amish family enjoying the beach along The Pacific Coast Highway - a rare sight to see indeed!

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Pacific Coast Highway in Oregon.

astoria

The little city of Astoria, Oregon at nightfall from atop the Astoria Column. I loved this little town so much- another great spot for good food and beer. Also, it has an amazing bridge and is the filming location for my favorite 80's movie The Goonies and many others. If I had to live in any tiny town, I think it'd be this one!

yellowstone

Yellowstone National Park, which is so big it spans three states, Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho! We spent two days here and there's so much variety to the park from geysers to sparkling lakes and waterfalls to wildlife. Highly, highly recommend a visit here.

Other stops along the way: Albuquerque, NM, Los Angeles, CA, San Francisco, CA, Portland, OR, Seattle, WA, Roslyn, WA, Boulder, CO, Denver, CO, Chicago, IL.

California State Route 1

If you are not familiar with California's State Route 1, it's one of the most beautiful winding roads along the coast of the Pacific Ocean. I am still on my road trip across the country and about to enter into Oregon on our way to Portland. We just left the wonderful city of San Francisco. Below is a photo shot from the route. Still having a great time!!
stateroute1

Traveling Across the Country

I was recently asked what happened to me as I haven't posted in awhile.

grand

You see, I am currently traveling the country by car! Above is a photo from the beautiful Grand Canyon in Arizona. Here are the other places I have been so far (in order of visit) :

Nashville, Tennessee

Memphis, Tennessee

Houston, Texas

Austin, Texas

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Santa Fe, New Mexico

Four Corners

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

(and currently) Las Vegas, Nevada!

Los Angeles is next up and I hope to stay for about a month or so.

So there you have it. It's been a wonderful experience so far. Traveling is always good for the soul.

Have any of you been to these places? If so, what do you think?

 

Summer Strawberries

For as long as I can remember, every summer during my childhood my family drove out into the country to a local farm to pick strawberries. The tradition still carries on today. Below are photos from the most recent picking:

baby

hand

straw

The strawberries go on top of our breakfast cereals, covered with sugar and eaten from a bowl (dad's favorite), or into my mom's strawberry pie. It's one of my favorite summer activities!

The Love Ring

Today a small brown square package arrived at my door.
Inside the package was bright pink bubble wrap.
pink

Inside the bright pink bubble wrap was a tiny box.
box

Inside the tiny box was a tiny ring.
love

The ring displayed a tiny word: Love
faith

14 karat gold filled: Love
paw

Handmade: Love
nose

It was a perfect fit.
hand

Get your very own Love Ring!

Looking For Your Personal Stories

I started My Indian Love as a personal relationship blog and even though my relationship with My Indian Love has ended, I put a lot of work into this site and still greatly enjoy blogging and hearing from readers. So the decision to keep it up and running was an easy one. But, to keep it exciting and new, I'm going to need your help!

I'm looking for personal stories to share as your very own blog posts. If you're open to sharing and looking to discuss with readers, contact me with your story and become a guest blogger!

I'm hoping My Indian Love can evolve into a unique one-stop blog where you can find and share relationship advice, shop for all your Indian goodies, and form a community in the forums. Though I will continue sharing my own personal stories when the feeling moves me, I really want this blog to function much on it's own and with enough reader's contributions, it could work! Let's do this!

Bridal Shower

A few months before leaving for the ship, I played a little matchmaker and set two friends of mine up on a blind date together. Fast forward to now, and they are engaged to be married August 13th of this year! I couldn't be more happy for them and they really make a great couple. The bridal shower was yesterday evening at a local library and I brought along my Nikon D-80 to capture the moment. I'm still trying to master this baby ever since it was gifted to me by MIM's uncle. Thought I'd share a few photos I shot below.

party

First Indian Restaurant in Town

That's right, we've finally gotten our very own Indian restaurant here in town. No more driving an hour into the city to feast on delectable Indian food and lassi, no more buying frozen Indian meals from the grocery store and heating them up in the microwave.

Yup, after three long years doing the above just for a taste of Indian cuisine, after our breakup an Indian restaurant moves in - to rub it in our faces? To spite us? We will never know. But what I do know is, I have no one to go with anymore!!!

bombay star

New Indian Restaurant in Town: Bombay Star

Well, Raj, the partial owner, doesn't look that friendly anyway!

Changes

Hey all! You probably can tell that there have been many changes to My Indian Love. We switched to a new theme which is taking some getting used to. You may come across some kinks or things that may seem a bit off aesthetically but don't worry - it will all come together in time! Thanks for being patient!

On the other hand, the store is coming along nicely! Check it out if you haven't already. It's brand new to the site.

MDG