Travel With Me

January 24th, 2009 | Posted by sheetal ahlawat

Edinburgh roads ( mainly Princess street) are going a major revamp to give way to the tram. Today when I was returning from shopping at st. James’ center, I saw many barricades erected, in addition to the already existing ones. There were many traffic management vans and traffic people, to create new routes for buses and pedestrians.

Then there was the usual Farmers’ Market, although This is the first time I got there. They have some interesting stalls which sell organic foods.

Near the St. James shopping center some people from the socialist party were holding protest against the bombing of Gaza by Israel. When I returned from shopping I found Women in Black at the same place and they were there for the same cause. I signed a pettition to urge the government to intervene in the ongoing assult.

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January 19th, 2009 | Posted by sheetal ahlawat

Book lovers and art fans have a reason to be happy. A sale on books, art materials, Scottish souvenirs and cloths is currently going on in The Works at 63 Princess Street. I went there on Sunday and found two books that I bought. There were many other books worth buying, but I didn’t have money on me, so I decided to check next week if the sale is still on. The works conducts sale all year round on different products. I bought Embroidery Stitches by Mary Webb for 2.99 although the publisher’s price is 14.99. It is an incredible deal. I have been wanting this type of book for a long time. It will be a good part of my book collection. Though I don’t have many books. But I intend to make it an great collection of books.

The other book which I bought was, Infamous Scandals by Annie Williams and Vivian Head. Its original price was 6.99 and it cost me 1.99 bucks. The book investigates the real-life stories that have rocked our perception of moral behaviour. Bill Clinton, Anna Nicole Smith and Mike Tyson are just some of the scoundrels included in the book for any fan of the celebrity “Kiss and Tell”, which I certainly am.

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January 19th, 2009 | Posted by sheetal ahlawat

With the economy being hit so hard and pound taking a nose dive, people like us, who are cautious with what they spend, are heading towards car boot sales. Car boot sale in Edinburgh takes place in two areas. The better  known car boot sale in Edinburgh  is the Greenside car boot sale. It is very near to Princess street, opposite John Lewis showroom. The Greenside car boot sale is on every Sunday from 9 am to 1 pm.

Most of the items on sale there are decorative show pieces or clothes. If we had to live here permanently, I would have been the first to come here every Sunday. I can’t get enough of wooden, porcelain, beaded or any type of decorative pieces. And this market offers great variety. But we will be going back in September, so there is no use hording things which I can’t take with me.

You have to really scurry through all the heaps to get what you want. My treasure bargains were a tatting shuttle with hook for 20 pence and  a Next long coat for three pounds. My husband got himself a box which can connect the internet on your PC to the Television. The original price was 59 pounds and he got it for two pounds! He is going to install it today.

Another car boot sale in Edinburgh is at the corn exchange, but I haven’t been there yet. May be this weekend we will go there. Though there is nothing needed at home or for us, but its a good time pass to visit car boot sale once in a while.

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December 20th, 2008 | Posted by sheetal ahlawat

Holyrood Park: We lived close to Holyrood Palace for seven months before moving in to this area. The holyrood park was some fifty step from our house. Holyrood park is Edinburgh’s central park- the place where everyone goes. The park is stretched behind the Royal mile and spread in 650 acres. Holyrood Park was a hunting ground to kings and burial site for plague victims. Now its a place to walk, jog, climb and exercise the dog, picnic, feed the swans ( on one of the three lochs) and celebrate ( Arthur’s seat is scaled by revelers on May Day and Hogmanay).

Calton Hill: When we first came to Edinburgh as tourists, our friends took us to this landmark of Edinburgh. You can see the vast spread of Edinburgh from the top of this small hill. Rising from the east end of Princess street, its cluster of monuments and two hundred year old observatories create an atmosphere which is eccentric, not to say down right odd. The twelve columns of Edinburgh’s Disgrace ( Calton Hill was so called because of controversy over its completion), is a favorite for photo shoots. The hill’s rough terrain is regularly used for pageants and performances.

Bruntsfield Park: In the 18th century golf was invented in Scotland, and the deer and boar were shunted out to make way for several hallowed clubs. Today a short nine hole course and putting green  remains within the boundaries of a thirty acre park. Both park and course are chocka all year around and there’s a dog-free play area for small children.

Leith Links: It used to stretch all the way to Portobello, as seen duels and executions, and was also James VI’s favorite golf course. It now has fun play equipment, cricket and football pitches, putting and bowling and hosts the Leith Festival.

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December 14th, 2008 | Posted by sheetal ahlawat

The Eiffel tower could be a cliche but it isn’t. The powerful silhouette of Gustave Eiffel’s marvel of engineering still makes a stirring sight, especially at night, especially at night when its delicate, lace like iron structure comes to the fore. After dusk the tower sparkle for ten minutes every hour on the hour until 2 am.

Built in 1889, Eiffel tower was never intended to be a permanant structure. For years Parisians loathed this extravagant piece of architecture. Many opposed Eiffel tower on the ground that it will fall during high winds. But Gustave Eiffel’s genius was vindicated by the fact that it sways no more than 6-7 cm in high winds and remained world’s highest structure for forty years.

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June 2nd, 2008 | Posted by sheetal ahlawat

I read on Jatland that Delhi Jat Meet was very successful, which is an achievement( considering most of the jats on jatland spend their time in bickering and back-biting). The event was organised by satinder goyat and Jyoti Kohar of Vreehi Food Academy. I think this is the same Jyoti, whom we called Rinku. She used to be a very loud and assertive girl. I hear she has two girls, hope they have got their mother’s traits. Rinku was very jolly and straightforward. In the photo, she is the one in Black salwar Kameez and Red dupatta.
Jats are a rare breed of humans. They are aggressive, assertive,straightforward, honest, yet they are intolerably behind times. Most of the jats take pride in their tribal ways and their attitude towards women is simply unacceptable. Yet I have found some gems in jats. One of them is my father. Other is my husband. Then there is Jitender hooda, my brother, Navin Gulia and there are many more whom I have never met or heard of. If Jats learn to respect women, they will be the best race on this planet.

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May 17th, 2008 | Posted by sheetal ahlawat

Ganga hostel is the first hostel that you come across when you enter JNU campus from Munirka’s side. I stayed in room no. 20 in ganga hostel for three years. It is an old hostel with leaking toilets and smelly bathrooms. I used to be very proud of my hostel and always bragged about it at home. But when I went to meet my friend at HAU ( Haryana Agricultural University) Hisar, all my illusions about my hostel being the best were shattered. The hostel where my friend was staying, had clean, airy rooms, with spacious bathrooms and the girls had the option to choose a single room. Girls didn’t have to pay any big fee for the hostel here. And I thought only I was the lucky one to live in a cost friendly hostel!
Anyways back to Ganga Hostel. I used to study for my exam in the hostel mess, because my room mate wasn’t very fond of studying and she would go to sleep early.
The famous Ganga Dhaba opens around 4.30 pm. They maily serve bread roll, samosa and tea, but now they have started dinner too. Ganga Dhaba has been witness to many a political transformations that JNU has undergone in the past few years. I would so love to visit ganga hostel. Its been ten years since I last went there.

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March 14th, 2008 | Posted by sheetal ahlawat

When I started this blog about Delhi, the first thought that came across my mind was about JNU. Jawahar Lal University, is the one place which nurtured me into a better analyst and human being. You don’t go to an education institute with focus on these two things. Your aim is to get something out of the education system so that you are equipped to earn a decent living. But at JNU I learned that there are things more important. such as thinking about your country, the way it is being run today and the whole political conspiracy that you come across as a common man. JNU taught me not to treat politics as a dirty word, but to understand it and participate in the political debate. There is so much I want to share about this marvelous institution which is often called the bastion of the left. But I will take your leave today.

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