...it's me again!

...well I didn't just drop off the face of the earth! It may have seemed that way but a little secret was kept from you. I guess I owe you an explanation!

I won't go into too much detail... a little storyboard will suffice...

hello... my name is luca joy!

Solar Power of God...

Hindu devotees observe a solar eclipse through specially-designed viewing glasses as they take holy dips in the Sangam, the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Sarawati River, in Allahabad, India

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

(AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

more photos here

Some People are Just Wise...

Be the Change You Want to See in the World...

I did it...

Erenia needed another $25 towards her agricultural loan... she can buy her vehicle now... 

Good Luck Erenia...

Thanks Kel for the inspiration...

You can do it too... It's easy... you can even pay by Paypal... and it's only a loan so you'll even get it back (if you want it) or you can use it again to help someone else...

Kiva

I'm Ready for a Holiday Now!...

Finally I have another quick chance to check in...

We have been rushing around recently trying to sort out furnishing our new apartment in Goa. We have spent a few weeks in Kerala with C's parents and now we are in Cochin staying with a friend before we take the train back to Goa tomorrow night.

Apart from not having anytime to relax and be peaceful... I'm really happy and enjoying the stress. I do however really miss catching up on my google reader. When I get back to Goa I'm going to spend sometime in a wireless cafe and just read and read...

I've noticed I've got a few new followers and commenters and I haven't even had time to think about new blogs, so to everyone who is keeping up with me I will be back soon! And to all my fellow bloggers, I hope you are all happy and I look forward to catching up with you all x


Angel, however has been having the time of her life!

Catching Up...

I'm loving it!

Very busy right now, but I'll be back as soon as I can get online again...

Thanks for all the comments x

Diyas and Rangoli...

Today the world I live in is celebrating the 'Festival of Lights'...

Diya's and Rangoli decorate the doorsteps of every Hindu, Sikh and Jain home on the eve of Diwali...

One of the most intriguing qualities that puts India in my dreams, is that no day goes by without flashes of patterns and colours that bring your senses and emotions to a split second standstill...

I guess it explains why I love photography so much too. To capture a moment of life that we rarely get a chance to savour in all the rushing around from here to there...

To sit and have the privilege of studying in detail the colour and depth of such minute detail in the never ending story of the busy world you are living in...

To take time to be grateful for what you have...

I find it beautiful that where money is scarce, the colours seems to become brighter, people surround themselves with beauty in a more passionate manner...

The senses are given more importance in life to enlighten and awaken the soul...

Colours are brighter, music and prayers are shared, food is sweeter and you are transported to memories past at every corner where a chai stall sends the smell of ginger and cardamom to your nose...

The fate of an Indian lies in Gods hands, the passion for their culture and religion is so alive in their hearts, it is hard for it to not rub of on you when you walk past..

Life is full of beauty when you take the time to look...

Happy Diwali to you all...

May the journey you are following be full of colour and light in every way...

***

Thanks Sharon... x

Bombay Bizarre...

Just a quick and sneaky post.. I'm at a friends in Bombay and he's got broadband!

I'm missing reading all my daily blogs sooo much, I'm doing a quick scan through on the reader, but it's not the same. To be honest it's nice to be away from the net, but I feel like I've lost touch with friends...

So a few 'must comment' messages...

a piece of wood... what can I say? I'm truly sorry... I've been thinking of you.

Jade... I'm jumping with joy too, but I'm sad you're not coming to India. I wish I could join you x

Jack... Just wonderful!  Simplicity is coming soon... 

notes from the frugal trenches... what a great idea, inspirational, I wish you all the luck in the world!

I was working on a post offline outlining the story so far, but to be honest it's just a mix of chilling and meeting friends and family, in between the bureaucratic, corrupted, duplicate and triplicate paperwork of India, long train journeys and wonderful rickshaw rides!

I'm pleased to say that I've seen many examples of India's move towards a 'greener' lifestyle. Very surprising, considering I didn't even think that the issue would have much importance here...

* Petrol billboards with 'It won't last forever' type slogans and 'think before you fill'

* Messages on water bottles stating the companies green mission

* News channel 'pledge to go green' for viewers by text and email

* City Metro line construction, advertising 'green environmentally friendly construction and a 'greener way to travel with less pollution'

Even with all the stress and hassle and long journeys, we are just happy to be here. We haven't even had an argument since our little disagreement over 'what is cheap whisky?' in the duty free!

I'm just enjoying the chaos and calm, the colours and smells and the disorganized way that everything seems to run so smoothly.

I'm putting my future in the hands of one of the many Gods and taking deep breaths of fire crackers, incense and the occasional whiff of rotting vegetables being snacked on by a holy cow!

For now all we can do is sit back, relax and celebrate Diwali in all it's glory!

India With Passion...

(Image my own, taken from 'India with Passion: Modern Regional Home Cooking' by Manju Malhi)

I won't be around for a while.

So I'm going to leave you with a photo for each day that goes by...

I won't leave you any captions, quotes or poetry,

Just a simple moment of my life, that has made me who I am today...

All of the photos will be my own,

All of them would have been taken in India,

All of them will be close to my heart,

All of them will show to you the beauty of 'Where We Belong...'

One question I get asked a lot, is:

"Why India?"

Well, This is my answer...

***

I will be back as soon as I can battle through the technological wonderland of Indian Cyberspace...

To ensure you don't miss out on any adventures, 

subscribe to my posts in a reader by clicking on this button in the sidebar...

or follow me by clicking 'Follow this blog' on the sidebar at the top of the page...

Please, please continue to leave comments for me too, it really makes my day and I'll be more than excited to read them in a hot and sweaty internet cafe with a squeaky fan and no air conditioning...

...'til next time,

I leave you with my love and thanks, for being there when I needed you...

emma x

Something for Everyone...

(photo)

I tend to sigh and get bored when I see a (yet another!) YouTube video to watch in an email or on a blog. 

I think 'Oh God, here we go again' ... something that's supposed to make me laugh, something that should bring a tear to my eye, something that is usually based upon a certain 'point of view' or 'sense of humour', something I usually skip past or 'delete to trash'.

I've got better things to do with my life than waste it away on Facebook and YouTube...

That is 'til now... This is one for everyone. I mean everyone. No age limits, no gender issues, no beliefs, no opinions. 

Just 3 minutes and 33 seconds of your life...

Something to 'ponder' or something to 'inspire', it's up to you...

To me it's just the truth.

(Oh and play it with the music, it enhances the suspense)

You can find out more here. If you want to.

You could even click here if you really wanted to. It's up to you. 2015 is not soon enough, for me.

Stop and Smell the Roses...

I'm taking your advice and taking it easy... 

relaxing...

being happy...

enjoying Autumn (with a scarf on)...

and foraging in the garden...

there are no more blackberries left now!

...And Then There Was Light

Diwali The Festival of Lights

Well... the bright lights of Leicester are all blinking behind us now. Which is a shame because it's Diwali soon and Leicester is supposed to have the biggest Diwali celebration in the UK... we are praying we will be in India by the 28th for Diwali celebrations big time!

The last few days have been a bizarre mix of calm and chaos. We are one step closer but still in limbo land. There is still no date set and emotions are being drowned in melancholy.

I've been lurking around my google reader and watching your lives move on 'business as usual', but feeling quite numb to the world of blogging. I'm leaving you all comments in my head (can you hear them?) but right now it's not that I don't have time (I have too much) but my energy has gone on holiday without me.

I read a book. I haven't read a book for a long time. If I start a book then I can't put it down until it's finished, so life gets put on hold. I only have one fiction book at the moment, so I read it again before I give it back. 

'A Thousand Splendid Suns' by Khaled Hosseini is a beautifully written book, just like his first, 'The Kite Runner'. It's books like this that bring my simple life into perspective. I'm lucky and I really have nothing to complain about. It's as simple as that.

Angel has a horrible cold, runny nose and is miserable.

C is outside working in the cold, helping my Dad lay a path, missing his family and is melancholic and miserable.

I have hurt my back either through lifting boxes or stress or both (I should have listened to you Jack) and I am miserable.

But we are safe, together, free and alive.

I'm grateful for that..

Diwali signifies the triumph of good over evil and it is also about new beginnings...

****

Kum ba ya my Lord, kum ba ya,
Oh Lord, kum ba ya

Someone's crying, Lord, kum ba ya,
Oh Lord, kum ba ya

Someone's singing, Lord, kum ba ya,
Oh Lord, kum ba ya

Someone's praying, Lord, kum ba ya,
Oh Lord, kum ba ya

Natural Cleaning the 'Naked' Guide...

 

In June of 2000, the World Health Organization warned that antibacterial products directly contribute to the rise in antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Bacteria and viruses, are naturally, everywhere we go. We can’t escape them and we shouldn’t want to…

Our bodies produce antibodies in response to exposure to bacteria. Those antibodies protect us in the future from the same germs. If there were no exposure to bacteria and viruses, how would we make antibodies?

Babies who are exposed to bacteria and viruses at an early age produce antibodies quicker than babies who are kept in virtually sterile environments. You only have to look at the increase in ‘sick’ babies over the years. Allergies, food intolerances; every ‘yummy mummies’ little precious has something wrong with them these days. What happened to all of the snotty nosed, knee scraped, mucky faced scallywags running around in the mud?

While staying germ-free can prevent the spread of disease and infections, leading a cleanlier lifestyle may be responsible for an increase in allergies among children.

“It’s called the hygiene hypothesis,” says Marc McMorris, M.D, a pediatric allergist at the University of Michigan Health System.

“We’ve developed a cleanlier lifestyle, and our bodies no longer need to fight germs as much as they did in the past. As a result, the immune system has shifted away from fighting infection to developing more allergic tendencies.” 

 'Science Daily'

So what is the answer?

Well the usual one that keeps coming up … lets go back to basics and take advice from the elders. Clean naturally. 

My ‘funda’ is: 

If it looks clean and it smells clean, then it probably is clean and if it isn’t it probably doesn’t matter anyway. So if you are on a mission to save the world from toxins, chemicals, pollution and plastic, then here is my basic guide to:

'Naked Cleaning'…

Most of the research I have done has brought results in the form of a million recipes for a million different things to clean. Now I get a bit impatient when it comes to recipes and my mind starts to wander. By the time the idea of logic has briefly entered my head I overload and end up sitting down for a cup of tea instead…

So simple and natural cleaning is all about understanding the ingredients and how they perform. If you know the basic chemistry of the product, then your common sense will lead you in the right direction without the need for a measuring jug...

So in no particular order, they are...

Lemon...

  
The number one in natural fruity freshness…
The citric acid in lemon juice makes it perfect for natural bleaching, disinfecting, deodourising and cutting through grease. Take a cut and squeezed leftover lemon, sprinkle it with bicarbonate of soda and use it to clean just about anything. Rinse the surface after a few minutes with a clean wet cloth.

Vinegar...

White distilled vinegar is mildly acidic and leaves no odour behind.
Use to shine windows, wiping away with scrunched up newspaper. As a fabric softener, one cup in the rinse cycle. To clean mineral and lime deposits from taps and ceramics, mix a paste of vinegar and bicarb, leave for a few minutes to work then rinse off thoroughly. Vinegar and water in a spray bottle makes a fantastic deodoriser spray. Vinegar on a damp cloth is great for dusting. Be careful not to use vinegar on marble surfaces.

Bicarbonate of Soda...

(aka baking soda/powder = bicarbonate of soda and cream of tartar/sodium bicarbonate)

Bicarbonate of soda is an alkaline, abrasive and a great deodoriser – it doesn’t just absorb odours but it also neutralises them as well, making it a great cleaner for the refrigerator. Shake and Vac carpets to remove nasty smells. For tea and coffee tannin stains, scrub with a little bicarb paste.

Olive oil...

Just the simple cheap stuff. Of course oil has great moisturising properties, so it makes a wonderful furniture polish. Mix with a little lemon juice or vinegar and buff on with a soft clean cloth. Use olive oil to keep your wicker baskets supple and your hands soft after all that washing up (no fairies round here!)

Salt...

Multi purpose cleaner, naturally anti bacterial, stain remover and abrasive. It’s also incredibly cheap.

Borax...

Borax, or sodium borate, is a naturally occurring alkaline mineral. It isn't toxic and it's safe for the environment. It cleans, deodorizes, disinfects and softens water. Used mainly for laundry it beats 'Daz' on whiteness. Be careful as it can irritate skin and of course don't eat it.

Castile Soap...

Made exclusively from vegetable oils, it should be 100% olive oil to be classed as ‘Castile’. It lathers up for use in washing up, washing and cleaning, in fact use it for just about anything that needs a good clean or heavy duty degreasing. Grating it makes it easier to use.

Water...

Don’t for get the main ingredient for cleaning. Cold water is best for anything stained, warm water helps to lather up soap, boiling water will kill all the nasties and make you a nice cup of tea too.

Weather...

Sunshine naturally kills off dust mites and mould and air-drying in good weather is quick and gives your laundry that wonderful sunny smell.

Plants...

Produce oxygen and purify the air from toxins. Top purifiers are Philodendrons, Spider plants, Palms, Ferns and Dracaenas.

Essential oils...

It is simple to choose your oils by how you feel when you smell each one. Fresh fruity citrus fragrances are good for cleaning, try lemon, lemongrass, orange or grapefruit. Medicinal fragrances are good for naturally disinfecting: rosemary, lavender, tea tree. Add to vinegar and water and spray on shower curtains and other mildew prone areas for a natural fungicide. Never underestimate the power of pure essential oils and always check the properties before use. Do not use undiluted and avoid contact with skin or plastics when neat.

Flowers...

The perfect finish to a good days spring-cleaning. Fresh flowers will make it all seem worthwhile. If you can pick them from you own garden or get someone else to buy them, then consider yourself extremely lucky!

Time...

A very often forgotten ingredient for cleaning. The 'power' of natural cleaning products, needs a little more time to work compared to commercial products. This gives you a well deserved few minutes to sit down, guilt free and savour your tea…

***

Thank you for the beautiful images...
(lemon)(cleaning kit)(vinegar)(bicarb)(borax)(washing line)(oil)(water)(salt)(soap)(essential oil)(plants)(tea)