Leh'd Forever... :)

Julley!!! ( pronounced Ju-leyy)

You might be in midst of exploring some of the countless palaces or monasteries or trekking somewhere in the wilderness or enjoying a solitary walk in the lanes of some village, and suddenly you will find yourself being greeted by the musical sound of this traditional ladakhi welcome greeting by a perfect stranger, followed by an irresistible heart warming smile, which in an instant will have touched and won your heart and you will no longer feel like a stranger in some distant land. 

For 8 days, disconnected from the rest of the world 9 people wandered around the lanes of Srinagar and the valleys of Ladakh.The experience included trekking the valley's of Kashmir, exploring villages of Leh and in the the process discovering hidden gems of beauties, enjoying random encounters and conversations with locals and travelers, feeling stunned by the vast enormity and diversity of this treasure trove of landscapes.
 

 The land of Ladakh is situated in the shadow area of the Himalayan Mountains in the beautiful state of Jammu and Kashmir. Ladakh is fondly known as the cold desert. The main attractions of the Leh Ladakh tour are its snow kissed peaks and panoramic views which act as the captivating factor for myriad tourists each year.Leh which is the capital of Ladakh is located at an altitude of 11,500 feet above the level of the sea. The region is surrounded by the alpine desert and beautiful landscapes.The imposing bewitching beauty of the region certainly offers a feast for the eyes. The presence of the Himalayan Mountains in the backdrop which are snow capped truly makes the sight worth appreciating.The entire region of Leh and Ladakh is all about the breathtaking landscapes, presence of beautiful green oasis and a lot of places which have a scenic significance. The quaint hamlets and monasteries are a common phenomenon in this region. While strolling through the various locations in the region, one can find a perfect blend of flora and fauna.

We rarely spend long enough in any place on our travels. Without the luxury of  being able to take an indefinite trip, our itineraries inevitably involve plenty of compromise and the list of places in a country we’d like to visit has to be ruthlessly cut down to fit the limited time allowed. However much we have enjoyed our visit I know that when we’re planning that next trip, the very fact that we have been to a place before will be held massively against it.So no matter which place, it is the company of these 8 beings that I most eagerly look forward to. Apart from being surrounded by beautiful landscape it was those "inside" jokes, pathetic jokes, crackling one-liner's, the never ending teasing, the photography mania, the singing, the braying and not to miss "The dumb charade's" that made this trip an unforgettable experience! :)
 

Before I sign off, here are all the funny "BRO" (Border Road Organization) road signs that we came across throughout our journey :D :
-Peep Peep...Don't Sleep
-More you speed...More you skid
-Drive like hell...You will be there
-If Married...Divorce Speed
-Be soft on my curves
-Lower your gear...Curve is near
-Drive,don't fly
-Hurry makes worry
-Be Mr.Late that Late Mr.
-This is highway, not runway
-Fast won't last
-Alert today...Alive tomorrow
-All will wait...Better be late

"W a r"-rior ;)

After a lot of effort, it was one fateful day; I won the war-of-words with BH. He is extremely witty and hence funny most of the times. Winning the war-of-words with him is like winning a world level debate competition for me. And all of it happened on the same day! :)

Kissing the trophy and holding it in my hand, let me present you the 3 episodes which led me to the victory!

Episode1 - The Begining:
I was extremely upset with his joyful comment on a sensitive topic and then…

BH: Why do you take things seriously?
Me: I can’t be light hearted all the time.
BH: Oh yea right! Women after marriage become heavy, so does the heart..
Me: He he...Very funny!
BH: LOL.. LOL.. Even you agreed when you laughed. You should have laughed saying ‘She-She’ why did you choose ‘He-He’?
Me: That’s because the joke was bad! (*Monstrous laughter*)

Episode 2 - Almost there :
Rarely does he brag. But, this was one of the rarest of the times..

BH: People like me wherever I go. Everyone in college knew me. I had quite a  fan following also. People came to me; in fact they still come to me with their problems, I could solve their problem just like that.
Me: Okay. Okay. Cool. Sit down. Go back to your memories of third standard science lessons. The earth revolves round the sun, not you! (*Huhahaha*)

Episode 3 - The Final Jab :
Back from office, after a hectic day, both of us had missed out on the day's happenings. We switched on the news channel to know the news. And after few minutes,

BH: This paid media! Never give the exact news, they give their opinions. All of them are biased!
Me: Hmm.. I was just wondering.. Isn’t everyone bi-ass-ed? (*Fist pumps*)

With ROARING applause in the background, I humbly utter :

                                 “Thank you, Thank you!” :D

Arrgghh - uments

Arguments - The unwritten rule in the life of people who live together under the same roof. Arguments can ignite because of one small action/inaction, word/no-words or frustration. Over months of marriage, I observed some solutions which have worked for me in wriggling out of or avoiding arguments. There may be many more, I will learn them eventually :)

RESPOND. DON'T REACT.
There is a big difference. Reaction comes with zero-thinking unlike response. When he says something which cuts through your ego and it brings up equally hurting words is when you have to drown them down your mouth. Take a deep breath. Step back. Listen carefully. If you feel situation is just blowing your head-off. Choose some corner of the house. Refuse to argue, even if the person comes behind you shouting all the way. Switch on mute mode. Take refuge in a place where you can cool yourself. Take your time. Choose your words. Give it back in a nice but firm manner when things are cool. ;)

ACCEPT MANUFACTURING DEFECTS
In the initial days of living together, there will be many frustrating things, which you may not like.  You tend to pick up battles on that. Shout. Argue. Sob. But, you see somethings are inherent. They do not change over time. Wet towel will still find its place over the bed, wrapper of the new toothpaste on the wash-basin etc... :P Consider them to be manufacturing defects of that human being and accept that gracefully. And more importantly remember, you are also accepted with some such defects. Relationships are too valuable to fight over petty matters. Arguing over the same matter again and again is insane. It is like doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting different results.


AGREE TO DISAGREE
Watching wildlife programmes has been an irritating issue for me. For BH, it is as enjoyable as those few minutes of a nail-biting finish. He tried explaining to me many a times, on how good the show is, why it interests him etc. Finally, he understood, that I just cannot see through his perspective. Then he stopped explaining. Sometimes he gives in and sometimes he watches while I do something else. We just agreed to disagree.

 

POINTS TO REMEMBER
    Arguments may augment tension if not transformed into a discussion.
    Let go of ego.
    Ensure discussions do not become diss-cuss-sessions.

 

WEAKPOINT
Don't use tears as a weapon in the arguments. It will be an unfair game when your partner is in the ring unarmed. ;)

 

Wrote this post as I was thinking about ways of ending an argument I had with BH for not calling me or messaging me when I was at my parents place! And there beeped my cell-phone :

    "I now understand how empty God's house must have been, when he dropped you into your mother's womb. Missing you dear."

THERE! I realized. I missed an important point to end arguments - "LOVE"

D h i s h u m D h i s h u m ;)

** Disclaimer **

All characters mentioned in this post are entirely fictional..The incident mentioned is purely co-incidental;) Please do not try this "stunt" at home:P

A married man left from work early one Friday afternoon. Instead of going home, however, he squandered the weekend (and his salary) partying with the boys.When he finally returned home on Sunday night, he ran into a barrage of abuse from his wife. After a couple of hours of nagging and berating, his wife asked “How would you like it if you didn’t see me for a couple of days?”

“That would suit me just fine!!!” the man said.

Monday went by, and the man didn’t see his wife.
Tuesday went by with the same result. 

Wednesday went by with the same result.

Thursday, the swelling went down a bit and he could see her a little, just out of the corner of his left eye!