All posts tagged: holidays

You don’t need a red coat & white beard to be Santa.

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Christmas is the season of giving. We spend cold December mornings going over friend lists and looking for perfect gifts, and come Christmas day, we smile when we see our family & friends unwrap their gifts, and smile secretly as we unwrap ours. Remember the time when we were kids? We would snuggle up into our beds on Christmas eve, but never fall fast asleep until we saw what Santa had got us that year. They say Santa Claus is fake, but to me, the concept of Santa is at the core of humanity. I think Santa lives in each of us, not necessarily as a fat old man with a long beard, but as kindness, love and a desire to make others around us happy. When we were kids, our parents showed us what Santa was like. Now it’s our turn. Let’s play Secret Santa this year to kids who’ve never known why Christmas is merry and to families in need of some holiday cheer. Let’s volunteer and donate for a good cause. Christmas, …

Christmas Has Come Early.

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I’ve never felt so festive so early. Walking around Singapore in the evenings makes me wonder if it’s Christmas eve. All the sparkling (and not-so-sparkling) Christmas trees are up. All of Orchard is lit up in purple lights. Christmas songs are playing at Starbucks where I am now, and everywhere else. Christmas-special gifts, food, drinks, promotions, sales are all in full swing.   But that’s not quiet the reason I’m feeling festive. A few days back, I participated in AirAsia airlines’ Paris: The Postcards Love Challenge to celebrate their inaugural flights to Paris, and guess what? I won 2 flight tickets to Paris! Oh yeah 🙂 Bonjour Paris, merci beaucoup AirAsia! Shivya NathWelcome to my blog, The Shooting Star. I’ve been called a storyteller, writer, photographer, digital nomad, “sustainability influencer,” social entrepreneur, solo traveller, vegan, sustainable tourism consultant and environmentalist. But in my heart, I’m just a girl who believes that travel – if done right – has the power to change us and the world we live in.

V-day, yawn.

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This  mushy-gushy, pocket-bruising day must have Saint Valentine flipping in his grave. Check out some awesome anti-V day cards here. On the bright side, this Hallmark holiday is a powerful tribute to the power of marketing! Shivya NathWelcome to my blog, The Shooting Star. I’ve been called a storyteller, writer, photographer, digital nomad, “sustainability influencer,” social entrepreneur, solo traveller, vegan, sustainable tourism consultant and environmentalist. But in my heart, I’m just a girl who believes that travel – if done right – has the power to change us and the world we live in.

2009

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2009 has finally marched into our lives with dreams of peace, happiness and prosperity. Season’s greetings to everyone! After 3 weeks of living out of a suitcase, a Hong Kong trip, and a Rajasthani holiday, I am back in the blogosphere. My mind is throbbing with posts to be written, my google reader is overflowing, my supply of books has been refurbished, I am finally home and in winter mode, life is good. I am embracing 2009 with open arms. Resolutions, though, are already in tatters. 2008, in retrospect, has been a good year. I fell in love with blogging, graduated unofficially, rediscovered books. The others demand individual posts. Realizations ’08 There is such a thing as too much chocolate. The blogger’s bug shows up its scratchy head all the time. Travel, adventure, people, thoughts, all fight their way anti-laziness as potential posts. Silence is the second most wonderful thing. The sky is a spectacle in itself. Sun rise, sunset, stars, moon, all of it. B r e a k i n g n e …

Hong Kong!

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The Asian hub of lights and color, Hong Kong, welcomed my most spontaneous trip thus far. I was in India for less than 3 days when I was asked to fly out to HK for an assessment centre! Adventure in disguise. A colorful mix of India and Singapore, Hong Kong charmed me with its mountaineous landscape and windy winter. A refreshing blend of corporate city life and nature. After a day and a half of rigorous testing, I let my hair down and became a tourist. I stayed with some distant family at the palatial Park View Apartments, up in Hong Kong island, which is home to some incredible hiking trails. I ventured on one with a couple of friends who frequent such trails. Our aim was to conquer Mount Parker. After a relatively simple stretch of 45 minutes, we reached the base of the mountain. I had anticipated adventure, but not exactly the kind with a narrow, undefined, uphill climb amid rocks, mud and bushes. Did I mention deadly?! It struck me midway that …

December is here

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After a semester of randomness, fluctuating beliefs and occasional spontaneity, I am finally heading home to India for a (hopefully) predictable December. A winter of cold weather, chilly rose fragrance, warm blankets and hot samosas. The perfect time to lie couched at the foot of the Himalayan expanse and gaze at the infinite greens and blues, sprawl under the warm winter sun, read delectable stories of another land, breathe in the aroma of home-cooked food, befriend temptation. It’s finally snowing on my blog; a happy start to my late December. Violet hill, Coldplay, is the song of the hour. Winter tidings to all 😀 Shivya NathWelcome to my blog, The Shooting Star. I’ve been called a storyteller, writer, photographer, digital nomad, “sustainability influencer,” social entrepreneur, solo traveller, vegan, sustainable tourism consultant and environmentalist. But in my heart, I’m just a girl who believes that travel – if done right – has the power to change us and the world we live in.