My Birthday

I haven’t been writing in for sometime now, I confess I was too busy feeling supremely content and happy. My birthday passed and I had a three day celebration!! Three days, you ask, well the first day was my nakshatra bday which this year happened to fall 2 days prior to my actual date of birth, the second day evening was the dinner party and cake cutting session for the 12 o clock its going to be your birthday now time and finally the third day my actual date of birth. :)A wonderful year I must say and I hope it continues to stay so.

My husband beyond doubt proved he knew me for he gifted me with things I cherish – flowers, a handwritten letter and travel. On my birthday he took off from work and took us on a day tour to the highlands. It was awesome. In return as a show of my affection I gifted him with a small wall hanging that said – “If I had to choose again I would choose you.” However, since I am after all unemployed and not earning, I graciously allowed him to pay for my gift. :)

Precious of all however, I received a bday card and letter from my brother via post. So all these days of diligently checking my post box and clearing out all the election campaigning leaflets, finally paid off! :)

My cake cutting was a humble affair with just Shaiwal and me and the cake being a chocolate roll and the knife almost as big as the cake itself! :)

The highland tour took us through places called Pitlochry, Lochness, Glencoe and Stirling. I remained indifferent to the names not however to the scenic beauty my eyes were treated to. It truly felt as if I was on a voyage series inside one of those documentaries in discovery channel. A little inconsequential perhaps but along with the flora and fauna I also saw some local animal species like sheep and the highland cows. My first time on both counts and looking at those sheep I felt like going up to them and hugging them to just know how the feel of wool is.

I am not so adept in writing as to presume that I shall be able to describe the beauty of the highlands and so I shall not attempt it. Such moving sights need to experienced to be believed.

During our highland tour we also did a cruise over the Lochness, Loch here in Scotland means lake and there are four major Loch’s of which the Lochness is the most famous. After all I am sure that at least some of us have heard of the Lochness monster, haven’t we? As per our guide, the entire world population can be fitted thrice into the Lochness and still there would be space left!!

The movie Braveheart perhaps made it right to the top of the list of movies which are far removed from historical truth but it serves its purpose as a reference point in these highland tours. Our guide kept referring to William Wallace (character played by Mel Gibson) and the wars he fought. We even had the opportunity to see the statue of William Wallace during our travel. He is far taller than Mel Gibson and still continues to be the hero of the Scots.

I felt proud of India and sympathy for Scotland for the fact that we received our independence more than half a century back and they still haven’t.