Life - or something like it

Its been a Journey of Self Discovery since I moved to UK from India. After the hurried and Busy life back home where my schedule was overflowing with to-do's and pending jobs.Moving here was a blessing in disguise.. Back home...meeting friends was a hurried meal in a noisy Restaurant...with thoughts already on the chores for the next day.Spending quality time with my husband Aniruddha..was a mirage...it was always on our way to work that we could have time to ourselves... Pursuing hobbies and having actual conversations was a thing of the past.Also the only time you could be with your own thoughts was when you were not well and were allowed a sick leave from work.I am sure people in India will understand what I am talking about... Life on the Lancaster University campus has been wonderful...after recovering from the initial shock of "What do I do now that I have so much of time?" I realized that life is just passing me by when I am busy doing something else... I got in to

Whew!! Finally Summer is here..... I moved recently to UK from India....it was like coming from a boiling pot to a freezer... I landed here in September when you could still call a day a day and night a night....so it was not too tough to settle down...Weatherwise too it was mild then and quite a bit like India in the beginning of winters.. As winter approached and trees turned bare...the days started becoming shorter and the cold fierce... To top it all the University campus is away from the city on a hillock...with breathtaking views of meadows and rolling grasslands... Being so used to seeing the sun rise and set at certain times...at first it was weird to see the sun rising at 9 am and setting at 3pm. Even though I prefer cold to any other weather it was bone numbing...and the famous british rain...which can pour down at any given time... After surviving the first british winter I am definitely looking forward to the summer.... The hint of summer is already here....the days are now

Last week I made a new friend called Harriet and we met up for Coffee at Pizzetta..a cafe in the University... I had expected for the chat to be brief...since what could a Swede and Indian talk about... Harriet is a very interesting person........Outspoken, direct and full of fun. We met at 3 pm and were still chatting after 3.5 hours...given a chance we would have gone on.... All my pre conceived notions about our cultural differences vanished... Inspite of being brought up in such different backgrounds....it became evident that these differences is what makes people so interesting.... Our converstion moved freely from topics wide and varied....from Tolkiens "Lord of the Rings" to Free Masonry...in which Harriet plans to do her Ph D to families and husbands... It felt so great cause we connected so well... religious and cultural differences were forgotten in this journey towards friendship..

Everyday on my way to work...I pass by a park....where I see people exercising their Dogs... I see dogs of all types...frolicking away and I suddenly start missing my Dog " Buddy ". He is a brown bundle of Energy....who loves to play fetch...Hide N seek and what not... I still remember the Day we had brought him Home in Ahmedabad...a curious little fur ball of 2.5 Months.... We fell in love with him.The first few months were tough as we never had a pet earlier.... He was with us for nearly 3 years....we had to give him up to a family friend as we moved to UK for a year.... He is doing great in his new home and has adjusted well....but heart in heart I want him to miss us as we miss him...this makes me wonder whether dogs think...or associate FOOD= LOVE... Buddy is a fantastic dog...albeit a thoroughly spoilt one...who loves food of any type...he can eat anything from Oranges....to Dry Dog food.... His intelligence reflects through his green eyes...and is always ready for a G