#debsaristories #desividesi #skylounge #skyhigh It’s a wrap. Another trip of memories fun new friends, family visits.. until next time. While in flight 30000ft high, relaxing in the Emirates sky lounge on the deck, recalling the last three weeks, how could I ever miss the opportunity to drape a saree (again over a dress). Things that don't change - traffic, the smell of rain sand and petrol, inflation, love of people, food! Mumbai Chat, Hyderabad biryani, Chennai filter coffee, Jammu kadhai paneer, Kolkata chicken roll... ice creams, sweets and everything yummy. My fav part if Swiggy! I am super happy about it, it enabled us explore different foods and restaurants even sitting in our hotel rooms! Things that need to change - traffic, cost of living, infrastructure for day to day life, caste reservations for education, ridiculous high amount of donations for school and colleges, lack of quality time to spend with family. Yup. I draped the saree in the flight washroom as usual in less than five mins :) As always every trip has learnings, new adventures, new lessons, some tears, lots of smiles and laughter. I want all of my dear ones to stay healthy and happy and I want to see them fit and fine so I can have more fun next trip

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#debsaristories #icecream Is it still the theme of the month? I am bad at two things. 1. Eating icecream. 2. Following theme of the month. Viola. Today I ended up doing both unplanned Yesterday I was buying sweets to take back for my colleagues and for ourselves. The lady standing next to me was talking in full accent, had semi blonde hair, long fake nails, bright lipstick, western outfit - ok yea you got the point! She was certainly trying to.make.a point, that she traveled from "The USA". She was picking and tasting and discussing and not buying much. I was there too. In my cotton saree, she gave me that oh you poor lady.I pity you Indians look, I smiled. I could guess what was going on her mind. She felt entitled visiting India from a developed country. She isnt the first one, and she wont be the last. I fail to understand what makes then feel entitled and even more, behave so. Migration for good fortune is just a normal animal behavior.
 For some it works out, for others it doesnt. I on the other hand, dont want to be seen or separated because I live outside my birth land. I am a part of this soil and will always be. No matter which passport I hold, anyone that sees me can easily tell what my origin and culture is, there is no faking that! Oh btw the shopkeepers struggled to keep up to the madame questions and doubts (what is the shelf life... and they were looking at each other "shelf ka bhi life hotha hai kya... Hume to nahi patha tha.."). She tried her English accent with the bhayya at the billing counter, who got confused.

Anyways meanwhile my one kg kaju pista roll, anjeer king roll, kaju katli, badam pista roll were ready and air sealed. I smiled and walked away, wishingnher luck and happiness with her videsi efforts. Apun ko kya, icecream khane ka, chill karne na, hai bidoo It's a block printed silk saree from a boutique in Kolkata, a repeat drape.

#debsaristories #SareeTwitter Oh Kolkata! Uff Kolkata!! Despite no rains, the sauna humidity and the chaos this city is a charm. Best part is the doe eyed neatly lined with kajal on both eyelids , glowing skin women. I dont know how many I have blindly stared at.. and couldn't take off my eyes. I almost made up my mind (once again) to limit exploring and collecting new sarees unless and until I do justice to the ones I already have accumulated. These days the wear time of saree is often limited by its social media presence. If its clicked and posted, then it's not soon repeated. Which I think has caused the reason to splurge for more .. good in a way but unfair for the existing sarees that sit quietly in the wadrobe waiting for their turn which sometimes could be couple of years or even more. I dont think our past generations have been like this. They dint care repeating a saree too often even in short gap. They didn't have the social (media) pressure! We all have limited resources including money, we all have several priorities including sarees, we all are smart and wise to pick our choices and most importantly not regret later on! So ladies please do more repeat saree posts and encourage the habit of reuse confidently so many can be motivated! Exchange sarees with friends, swap and wear for a day, need not own one all the time. Share karo, acha hai.

I enjoyed draping my floral printed organza which perfectly complimented the local weather

#debsaristories #desividesi #SareeTwitter Saree-in-a-handbag day Mumbai darshan today. My first visit to this city. My sil graciously took us all around the city. We walked, ate, and laughed. I think that's Aamchi Mumbai for all. And I knew I would be roaming in Jean and tee but how can I forget the most important part of me? Saree in my handbag. I always imagined a Gateway of India pic with kabootars (my bad luck tiday). Yup, I did that - took pics, enjoyed the view and then took the saree off too. Btw, Ma planted this seed in my mind and I can't help notice too, not many women saree these days in they daily life even in India, four cities seven day observation - in hotels, malls, streets we found very few women carrying a saree and managing their day. That also made me assume or rather conclude.. the women I see in sarees are most likely (undoubtedly) #sareespeak members. We inspire and carry sarees on body and in heart unlike the majority of the women who have tucked and out them away in rusting almirahs. Oh well, let's do what we are good at. #keepcalmandsareeon

#debsaristories Again back quickly! Traveling back to back and not missing any opportunity to saree (did you realize we have made saree a verb , an action and not just a noun) There are few things that annoy me during travel. People pushing from all directions and not follow the line! I kept reminding them that people stand in line for a reason. I had five boarding passes and suddenly I realized it became yaadon ki baraat situation as crowd pushed us apart to board the bus to flight. Huh. I ended up becoming line master wherever I go. Hubby kept smiling at my attempts and I wouldn’t give up. Airport bag check was another episode. The lady was super annoyed that I was carrying too many mobile phones. And her attitude was like I should know better. I absolutely appreciate her devotion to duty but there can always be a smile that can accompany it. If everything was perfect and everyone knows everything perfectly then her job wouldn’t exist! I agree standing there and dealing with so many difficult and different people isn’t easy but a smile definitely can help them too.. at the same time there were many others that helped new travelers sail through the processes seamlessly

 The drive from jammu to Katra was amazing. Stopped by roadside dhaba for chai pakode. It reminded me of days when each rupee mattered and some of the amenities and comforts we take for granted today was a wish. We had dreams and hopes and more importantly the will to work our way up. So thankful destiny felt us worthy of realizing them. Building our lives from scratch zero twice has been quite memorable and humbling. Jai Mata di. It’s a simple light bandhani georgette and again with same blouse, I am heavy believer of reuse.

#debsaristories I am back without a gap. Fully in namma madras mode. It's a silk cotton saree with jasmine flowers to adorn my hair. What is special about our des? Listen then.. me and amma were walking our road towards the temple to get flowers and then a house help from another household stepped out and said "kannu... (love).. your blouse back is very beautiful, but it seems to overturn. Stop for a min so I can fix it" I stopped and she out her safety pin from her thali chain (mangalsutra). Amma was nervous.. she dint want that unwanted attention on the road.. but I was like who cares. I gave that lady her own time to make sure she felt I looked good and then moved on.

Many of those homes were my childhood friends' and so all their moms and dads remember and adore me. I pretty much stopped at each house to meet greet and get their blessings. It happens only in India.


 I took the pics outside our home where this make shift hut was stood up to support some adjoining construction activity and I took advantage of it for.my background. Love is powerful from our own or from strangers and can fix a lot, wish people understood and accepted it. Let's keep trying

#debsaristories Visiting beach is definitely a must in Madras (yes it's always Madras for me, never Chennai) The weather was pleasant although humid as usual. The wild wind at the beach kept pulling my drape away, as I tried hard to remain modest. Phew. Then I remembered that I am just as wild as the wind too, so I should stop pretending to be the gentle breeze and then 💓💓 I Let it go! I be myself. Wild, unpredictable yet lovable. 💓💓

 This saree is something ma gifted amma one of the Durga pujas... a yearly ritual between our families. I wanted something comfortable to roam around temples, beaches, streets and malls (pretty much that order actually). Oh btw, after a long time I had time to watch TV this morning and I was embarrassed by the fair and lovely ads.. seriously we still preach this concept? Who even believes in it anymore and why the hell do they? I was of course a victim to fair and lovely and femina bleach too in college days, although I knew nothing changed (except that I would have looked weird I suppose with a facial skin tone that didn't match the rest of me !!). However I did appreciate the wisper sanitary napkin ad that showed how young girls can manage periods better.  As a kid it was the opposite! I would be embarrassed watching sanitary napkin ads but look awestruck at the fairness cream ads... how much we change (hopefully for right reasons) What actually made me "fair and lovely " was not the creams, but my character and confidence. Figured that out as I exited my teens. Sigh, its definitely tough to teach kids the right thing when there is so much negativity around. Mommies you are doing great if you are raising kids above and beyond all these ideas. You should be proud The good part? I am listening to few songs after perhaps twenty years or more but the lyrics flow out of my lips fluently like I learnt them yesterday :)