Bolton

This year I had the privilege to go to the UK for a vacation and this was the vacation that I have been referring to in my several posts this year. It was a nice 2 week vacation. My first stop during my vacation was Bolton, which is a suburb of Manchester. I visited my uncle and aunt here (actually my mother-in-law's sister and her husband). They were extremely hospitable and made me feel very comfortable. I will never forget their hospitality.

How I got there?

I took a flight from Bangalore to London and another one from London to Manchester.  The flight from London was extremely delayed and I was really glad when it took off finally. Uncle, aunt and my m-i-l who was already there for 2 months came to the airport to receive me. We then drove to Bolton. The most striking part of this drive was the uniformness of all the residential buildings- all same colour and look so similar. I couldn't tell them apart had it not been for the door numbers.

Things to See in Bolton

City Centre and Town Hall:

I really loved this area in Bolton. There is a lot of open space in the place and there are a lot of spots for people to hang out and just spend time. The day we went, there was a food and drink festival going on here along with a flea market. Though I did not purchase anything here, it was nice to look through the display.

Library and Aquarium:

The library had a nice reading room and to be honest, I did not spend too much time at the library. The aquarium was not very big but has an interesting collection of fish from around the world. Some pictures displayed below.

Took loads of pictures of the fish at the aquarium but I just loved the Neon Tetra a lot.

Shopping:

I went during the summer, so there was a lot of summer sale and we went shopping to several departmental stores- Debenhams, TK Max, Marks and Spencers etc. I also went to Primark but was not impressed with the quality of clothing there. I really like Marks and Spencers and all the stores in Debenhams. Bolton Market was another exciting place. I saw so many varieties of fruits and vegetables which are not easily available in India. I loved the fresh apricot fruits that were available. In India, we only find the dried apricots. The other thing which I loved is the inexpensive chocolates in a German supermarket called ALDI. I also liked the chocolates from UK's very own Thornton.

Ikea:
There was an Ikea which could be reached with a short drive. Ikea had not yet come to India when I left India for UK. It was a really nice place. I think we bought a spatula set and some lovely sheer curtains from there.

Knowsley Safari Park:
This is not really in Bolton but a short drive from it. It was kind of a drive-through safari where we can take our own vehicle and tour the safari park. We saw some animals in the safari. Most of them can be seen in India as well, except probably there Wildebeest. The safari was pretty ordinary to be honest. I think the Bannerghatta National Park safari is way better. The highlight for me was the sea-lion show.

Here is the link to a part of the Sea-Lion show- the finale!

Favourite Pictures of 2018

As we wind down with 2018, I thought of sharing some of my favourite pictures from 2018.  These are in no particular order and may be part of some of my other posts, Instagram etc.  Also, these are my favourite, not necessarily the ones shot the best.

So, let's begin.

Walk in the Park: I shot this during one of my morning walks in the park. These are the kind of sights which motivates me to get out of the bed, put on my shoes and march to the park. This is in the park, which is man-made- makes one believe that man is capable of creating beauty too.

Trekking at Puck's Glen: Puck's glen is really pleasant to the eye. I shot this during my picture during my trek there. The area is filled with so much beauty that the camera does not do enough justice to it.

Peering into the Atlantic: Well, it is the part of the Irish Sea which joins into the Atlantic. I love this picture as my family look out from the pier into the ocean. There is a sense of togetherness and calm.

Snapshot of the West Coast: This December, I visited my birth place and home town Mangalore after years. It was nice to be welcomed by beautifully lined coconut and palm trees. There are so many of them and they impart a sense of belonging.

The Prime Meridian: From here, the time and the world begins :-)

Palace of Westminster: Also, known as the British Parliament, this is a huge and magnificent building both inside and outside. I enjoyed the guided tour of the place thoroughly.

At the Temple Door: This beautifully ornate door/gate is from the Mangalore Sri Venkataramana temple. It is a classic door of any Sri Venkataramana temple in the South Canara district.

Chariot at Manjeshwar: I had the opportunity to visit Manjeshwar, in Kerala this year. This is a typical chariot in the South Canara district and adjoining areas but I love this picture in particular as this chariot really stood out as the sunlight fell on it directly during the afternoon and brought out the colours much more than any other.

Ikebana: This is a picture of one of the many Ikebanas, the traditional Japanese flower arrangements at Japan Habba this year. All of them were beautiful but I picked my favourite for this post.

Realistic Art: I love realistic art and this piece in particular. This was shot at Chitra Sante outside Chitrakala Parishat in Bangalore and while we were browsing through several paintings, this one, from a distance, looked so real. I actually thought, who could have got furniture from home at a place like this!

Work from home: I shot this picture on one of the days that I was working from home, towards the late afternoon, when I was taking a break and having a cup of something warm. I love this picture, as it reminds me of the stressful day on which it was shot and having something warm, instantly relaxed me. Also, as the sun streamed through our windows, the whole set-up seemed heart warming :-).

2018- End of Year Goals Update

Before I go into the specific goals, I would just like to quickly talk about my impressions of my 2018. I think overall, it has been a good year but not without a quarter or two of high stress. I know I could not meet all that I had set out to achieve in the beginning  of the year. After some reflection, I realise this is mainly due to how I chose to manage my time. I was working longer hours in the last 2 quarters of the year and ended up feeling too tired to work on anything else and also there have been some changes in my priorities. Professionally, I think it was a year of a lot of learning which helped me grow not only as a professional but also in my personal life. Though I may not have managed to achieve what I set out to do but I think I could achieve other things which I did not plan in the beginning of the year. So, I think I just replaced the activities in the time set out for working on my goals with other activities which were also quite important for my growth. I set goals to be a better version of myself and challenge myself to get out of my comfort zone. I think I have achieved this for sure.

Health: Keep up my daily exercise routine and ensure that I work-out atleast 5 days a week. Eat healthy meals every day- monthly once cheat day would be allowed. I would also go to bed at a pre-defined time and wake up everyday at the same time
Year end update: I started this year pretty strong, lost track somewhere in between but I did come back again pretty strong. I can still improve the number of hours that I put in but it is definitely much better than last year.

Sharpening My Culinary Skills: I have decided to not just cook regular homely meals but push myself to prepare more gourmet dishes. I have made some in 2017 as well but would like to take things to another level. I have decided to cook 10 gourmet savoury dishes and 10 gourmet sweet dishes in the year. I will be scheduling this in my monthly planner. It will take an effort to get the recipes and ingredients together. It is a little ambitious but I will do my best.

Year end Update: I started the actual work on this only in Q3 of the year and put an abrupt end to it half way through. However, when I now look back, I think I have exceeded my expectations compared to what I set out to do. When I look back, I did prepare over 10 gourmet dishes in each category. Also, the idea was to sharpen my culinary abilities which I have done, not only by preparing the dishes but also by pushing myself with respect to time. If you remember my mid-year update, I had mentioned, "In a span of 1 hour in the morning, I had to prepare an elaborate breakfast and a 3-4 course lunch for 3 whole months. I was amazed to find myself in the thick of planning and also rapid execution." I think, I should not ignore this dimension of my culinary ability.

Blogging: I have decided to blog once a week in 2018. I do not want to blog sporadically but keep to a schedule. I have been inspired by Mr. Vinod Ekbote who has been blogging for the last 10 years and has been posting every Friday on his blog without fail- click here to check out the blog. I just think I need to set time aside for it and do it every week. I have a diary that is full of things that I would like to put up on my blog but due to several reasons have not been able to do so. However, I am determined to do it in 2018.

Year end Update: I was hoping to have 52 blogs by today but that is not to be, unfortunately. I have been writing regularly but have not been able to publish many. I am happy that I am at least making the effort. I hope to be able to publish some today. I took 2 big breaks this year for travelling and I disconnected myself almost completely from the internet and I enjoyed myself thoroughly through these breaks. I do not regret not publishing all my writing. I also have been reading a bit about how people with full time jobs and working long hours manage to stick to a blogging routine. I have found some useful tips and hope to implement some of them in 2019.

Watercolour Art: I am enjoying learning watercolour art from various online resources. I would make at least 10 proper watercolour paintings in 2018. It just must be scheduled in my monthly planner.

Year end Update: I had mentioned in my mid-year that I have not focussed a lot. This is work in progress and I think I should be able to achieve it tonight :-)

Writing: in my journal everyday and at least one page a day. The goal I had in 2017 was to finish writing on all pages of the journal, which in the hindsight, did not make much sense. The goal for 2018 will not only ensure that I keep to my habit of writing, but also as a bonus, would help me finish writing on all the pages. I hope I will not get demotivated like 2017 and give up.

Year end Update: I have written consistently in the first half of the year but in the 3rd quarter, I just lost way. I must have written a couple of times and that is about it. I will be honest, I really did not focus on writing after mid-year. I really did not have anything to write about. I think, in 2019, I will focus on writing weekly probably. Daily, is quite unrealistic to be honest.

Reading: I have lowered the number of books to read in 2018 to 10. As you can see, there is a lot on my plate and I do not want to make the activity that I love so much to be one that induces stress. I would also like to read some good literature, and not just fun-light reading books. I think reading before bed works for me great and I think a good 15-30 minutes before bed would be great.

Year end Update: Though I have been on track and have been reading regularly and almost everyday, I was unable to finish all 10. This year though, for the very first time, I have read more non-fiction books compared to any of the previous years. I see that as a progress for myself as I always chose to read fiction. I have read non-fiction as well but I not anything like this year.

Travelling: It is my goal to travel to 5 different places in 2018. I better get started on my vacation planning soon.
Year end Update: I have definitely exceeded this goal this year. I took a vacation this year in August and went to several places in the UK and in my second vacation in December, I was able to go to my hometown in Mangalore, several places around it and also Goa :-)