I LOVE YOU CHRISTMAS....SIEMPRE...

    There is absolutely nothing that I do not love about Christmas , except not having the ones I love around..
So this year was no different...
I of course put up my Christmas tree on my sister Juliet's birthday 26th Nov..
Yup she is a Saggi..

And from then on...
It was impossible to let anything come in the way ...
So right from getting the letters written to Santa..
To getting my home cleaned..
To making peace with all issues I am struggling with. I walk into December with a big smile on my face..
It's also my birthday month you know...

My birthday lunch...

And so as Christmas got closer, I made and re-worked menus, invited and cancelled lunch...the usual..
Mercurial...that's what Jaya says I am , and she is probably right..
But I can vouch for my heart being in the right place, on the left and my ventricle's all gushing with love ha ha ha ...

And then suddenly in the middle of deciding that Zeke needs to study with me instead of going out , inspite of all the fights he has with me. to the tiny fingers he points at me , to Zene always smiling and winking at me ..
I suddenly out of the blue, get called for an ad_film test..

Gosh I hate tests, I hate being put under pressure to perform and also , the dates were 22-23 December..
Too close to Christmas..
So I was not too sure..
So I consulted with my voice of reason...Mini Mathur..
And she would have slapped me if she was in front of me, thank God she was not, she made sure I called and went for it ..

Well I got chosen, and as luck would have it, they were shooting the ad-film in far away Ooty..
Which means I come back only on the 24th evening, as the flight from Coimbatore is at 3pm..
So I cancelled Christmas at my place because it was impossible..

I decided to do a very small family celebration..
And started cooking with gusto..
22nd afternoon I left for Ooty, reached there in the night .
Could not sleep because I hate hotel rooms..
Ok ok I'm scared ..
And so I was keeping my self all right with happy thoughts and ignored Sandy who was sending me pictures of skeletons..ha ha ha juvenile friends I tell you ...I love her..

And so at some bizarre hour that night my impulses got the better of me, and I again decided to do...  A BIG CHRISTMAS LUNCH, and so started inviting everyone..
Thank God my friends know I'm crazy..
That saves me a lot of explaining ..
Then I put down a food prep and cook plan..

My Menu..

STARTER
Chicken liver pate and Melba toast
Mustard-honey chicken sausages
Winter salad

Main course
Mummy's prawn curry
Leg of Ham
Lamb shanks in red wine
Whole baked chicken
Chicken legs in rose and a mushroom sauce..
Feta aubergine salsa bake
Pesto pasta
Naan

DESSERT
Hazelnut-Chocolate rum pots
Strawberry cream filled hearts

So was awake till 3am, had a wake up at 5 am for make -up..
Don't know why I was woken up so early, when all they put on my face was a tinted moisturiser and powder and lip balm..
And then I went back to sleep...

7 am I was on set..

We started shooting by 9.30 am , I was put into the car and told to drive...
Ha ha ha not driven a geared car for really long, my Beetle s automatic..
So after composing myself, I shifted the gears in the hope that I do not cause any trouble,  smiled like the cat that licked the "low-fat" cream, and my first shot was done..
Ooty was beautifully cold..









I finished at 6pm..
And my crew was just amazing ..
Went to my hotel , picked up my bags, washed my face and left with three other guys who were driving to Bangalore..
Well I reached Bangalore at 2.30 am..
My flight was at 7am..
So we all sat chatted, yes I can talk also in my sleep..
And at 7 am I boarded my flight , and passed out..
Reached home by 9.30 am and got into full "Chef mode" ..
Thanks to Vijay my helper and Zoya..
We ordered , cut , chopped , sauteed , boiled , broiled , baked, chilled , fried , marinated , smeared, mixed , churned ...
My kitchen was a flurry of activity , just like I love it to be..
And by 8 pm..
I was done..
Then we all went for mid-night mass..
Came back opened the gifts under the tree and slept,,
6am the next day I was up and about..
I was done with all the cooking by 11.30am..
Pleased as punch..I decided to get into this very beautiful body hugging dress that my friend Tisca , gifted me..
Never got into it before , but it suddenly fit like a glove..
Ha ha ha thank you Santa...

The fun 5

And then everyone started trooping in..

 
The gifts for all our kids under the Christmas tree multiplied as everyone poured in, laughter took over the afternoon..
And it could not be a better day ..

Family corner

Mad cap corner

"What is that"

Dhoom

Gulab-gang smile

My mom says the grace amidst lotsa noise..

Before the madness..

Why do I love this day..
Well because it stands for Love..
It stands for new beginnings..
It stands for everything that is right ...

Baked Chicken

Rose Chicken with a mushroom sauce

Pesto Pasta

Rosemary potato gratins

Out of focus" lamb shanks"..who is the photographer?? ha ha

And so after a very prolonged lunch with all my friends who did come..
I finally called it a day ..

Every Christmas is so different for me, even though I do the same things...

And so on this day I reach out to the ones I love..
Whether or not they do..
I try and let go of pettiness..
I reinstall my faith in everything I lost faith in..
I start again from zero..
I thank God for all that he has given me ..
And leave the rest of what I want, upto him..
If its good for me, it will be..if not ..well too bad for me..

Chocolate pots and strawberry hearts...Pure unadulterated Addictive Love...

I wake up with hope and lots of love in my heart, say good bye to the fantastic year I had and start the New Year , with an open trusting and a loving heart..

I learnt a lot this past year..
I lost a lot..
I gained a lot..
I laughed a lot..
I cried a lot too...
I cooked a lot..
I ran a lot..
I talked a lot..
Had a lot of silent moments too..
I worked out a lot..
I binged a lot...
 Climbed the mountain I used to talk about a lot..

I guess I do not know how to, not to do things a lot.. ha ha ha ...

So good bye 2012, and thank you...

As for this New-Year..
Well it has started off really fantastically..

Zeke and me are fighting a little less..

Zene is waking up on time..

At the launch of "Jolly L.L.B Promo"

Warsi's Launch of his promo of Jolly L.L.B went off really well, and the response is really positive....


I got featured in the Vogue Jan issue..

I'm on a T.V.  advertisement after 12 long years..
Now all I have to do is concentrate and start writing and finishing my work that I love..
And start running ..

So I'm keeping my heart open and am welcoming all that 2013 has to bring for me with a smile ..
And will continue being in love with all whom and what I love ..
Crazily and as long as I can ...

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF YOU ..

LOVE and CALORIES ARE SO MUCH MORE FUN SHARED...

And thank you from the bottom of my heart for always visiting me here and always writing to me here..
I'm a little busy with work, so I may not be very regular, but this is where I'm staying ..
So do come and visit me..

This year I'm plunging into the known, the unknown and into the unknowable, with a knowing , that my heart will stay loved and smiling ...

There is a sun-rise for every sun-set...

KILIMANJARO-CLIMB : DAY 8

Day 8..23rd October 2012.
Millenium to Mweka gate.
Altitude : 3820m to 1640m  .
Hiking time : 5 hours
Distance : 9 km.
Terrain : Descend through, rocks, then big uneven steps of mud, through the rain forest.


Was up at 5, and then crawled out of my tent , and borrowed tooth-paste as usual..
Never found my tooth-paste the entire trek ..

Picked up a packed break-fast, half of which I devoured,before I left, because I cannot function without breakfast ...
And we all set off on our last walk down the rain-forest of the hugely handsome, rugged  and beautiful Kilimanjaro...

We walked, stopped for breakfast and also did a bit of filming along the way...
We again bumped into the Canadians who were filming in order to raise money for water purification in one of the  African countries..

After a bit of our own shoot wrapping up ......

It was Shallu, Shyamal, Vikram and me again walking, our last few hours down the rain- forest again...

Shyamal, Shallu and Vikram.....thank you for the awesome enlightening company..

Bid adieu to the black and white colobus monkeys and a few horn-bills..
Saw the prettiest flowers on my way out, it was like Mr. Kili, sent them specially for me with all his love, the wildest and the prettiest flowers ever..

We walked back at our own pace, with knees that hurt , but hearts filled with the most satiated smile...

We finally reached camp , to be greeted by  this big entourage of our porters, with a guitar , who welcomed us and congratulated us, for making it up and down the wondrous Mt. Kilimanjaro ...
We then had an amazing lunch, by Rashidi...

Rashidi's amazing lunch ...DEVOURED...

Anish on the guitar, and Chef Rashidi sings"Kuchi Kuchi hota hain"

The last one ..
And then we packed our self into a big bus..

And we did it ...we finally walked down ...

And ,made our way to Hotel Planet Lodge..
Well en route, there was lots of singing and revelry...

And in the middle of this ..
Tara and me were finding ways to go to the Masai bazaar , so that we could shop..
And so , that's what we did, without a shower...
What's another few hours ...ha ha ha
Compared to shopping...

Godlisten ,

The naughty Godlisten...

 took us girls , and smart boy that he is, left us there...
Well we had just about an hour and a half...
(Sorry no photos of that gorgeous Masai market, because was too busy looking and , zeroing down and bargaining)
But we managed to buy, slippers, salad bowls, jewellery, Masai blankets, tables and trinkets..
All a a great price ..
And proudly told everyone willing to listen , that we came straight down from their mountain straight to their market to shop ..
Without a bath ..
Well we gained brownie points and got good discounts...
Happy with our loot ...

We returned to the hotel ...






I had a looooong shower...


Never felt more beautiful...
My face is tanned..
My nose is burnt..
My toe is hurt..
My knees still paining ..
My finger-nails, finally clean..
My hair is soft and smells lovely..
I'm scrubbed clean...

Feel just like a wild-flower from Kilimanjaro...
With a dash of Kenzo..














We all went to our favourite place in Arusha, to have dinner and get our certificates...
It was a beautiful long evening..
Filled with mirth and laughter..

Came back , packed and slept...
Gosh on a bed, with pillows and clean sheets ...
This room is fit for a queen...

Our last sunrise from the foot-hills of Mt. Kilimanjaro...

Flying back home Tom...

Just had an amazing time ..
Could not have asked for a more blessed way to bring this year to an end..
Well two months more ..
So I'm sure , there will still be a few surprises and plenty of great times..
But till then ...

JAMBO - hello
JAMBO BWANA - hello mr
HABARI GANI - how are you .?
NZURI SANA - very fine !
WAGENI - visitors..
WAKARIBISHWA - welcome
KILIMANJARO -
HAKUNA MATATA- No worries..

Yudi, Shayamal, Me, Kabir, Tara, Shallu and Vikram....We took a walk above the clouds..

NOTE FROM SHYAMAL...
FOUNDER OUT_CAUSE....
 
The OutCause Kili Cancer Team is supporting the Karunshraya Cancer Hospice.
Karunsharya means 'a compassionate abode' and that is exactly what the hospice is. Its a sanctuary that's offers support when a patient loses the comfort and security of a hospital as no further treatment is possible. They serve to bring peace and dignity to the patients life when the inevitable is close at hand. This institution that operates solely off the generosity of patrons such as yourselves,  have managed to help more than 12000 patients since their inception.

I am writing to you to humbly request that you and your close circle of friends please join the cause and help in the fight against cancer. The OutCause Team has pledged to raise money for this hospice so that they can continue their unbelievable work. Please reach out to family and friends and request that they be generous. All monies raised will go directly to the Karunshraya Cancer Hospice.
 
Patrons can make cheques out to the:
Bangalore Hospice Trust. 

The address for Karunashraya is:

Karunashraya
Old Airport-Varthur Main Road
Marathahalli,
Kundalahalli Gate,
Bangalore
560 037

You can address it to Archana Ganesh from Karunshraya.
Would like to request you to please mark OutCause Kili Cancer on the back off the cheque along with your name, address & PAN number. 

You can also mail your cheques to :
Shayamal Vallabhjee,
126, Nibana Apartments-BBlock.
12th , floor, Pali Hill Road,
Bandra West,
Mumbai- 400050.
India

KILIMANJARO-CLIMB DAY 7

Day 7...22nd October 2012
OUT_CAUSE.. KILI-CANCER
Barafu to Millenium Camp
Altitude : 4673m to 3820 m
Hiking : 2 1/2 hrs
Distance : 4 1/2 km
Terrain : Descend through heavy scree and gravel.

After the summit ,

we had a long walk down..
What goes up must come down , that's the law of nature..
But this was actually more difficult than going up ..
We were told that we have to come down in the scree in a ski motion ...

Ha ha ha what's that ...

Anyway , all I can say is that , this walk down over rocks and scree, killed my knees..
They were abusing me..

Vikram leading the pack, and the stuffed black thing is me....

And I only continued because I was hungry and wanted to sleep ..
So walked and ski motioned down , with visions of my sleeping bag in my tent and Rashidi's food ...

When we reached "bribe-be-Barafu" ..there was no camp ..
We were told that , the camp had moved to Barafu ,that was further down , we could see the camp , from where we stood, and that we had to pack and continue down ...
Well I was thinking , God ..please infuse me with super-powers,because this was ridiculous...
Burnt faced and hungry , I continued ,like everyone else ,before and after me ...

So we have walked all night, we are still walking and by 10.30-11 am , we finally reach Barafu, and was greeted by Sistus and his broad smile and Samay and all the porters and was offered an orange drink ...
I gulped it down...
So all the porters knew that I cried because I thought my "fingers were falling off" ,,,,
Stop it guys, really, dont laugh, I was in serious pain...
But now, its really funny ha ha ha ...

I joined everyone already seated in the tent with a hungry look pasted on their face...
We laughed, talked about the climb,and how it was for each of us,laughed about the blizzard...

And then a few fell asleep right there on the chairs and the rest ..yakked...
Till some food was laid on the table..

We ate as fast as we could..
A better disappearing act I have not seen in a long time .....
And then we were told that we have a 1hr walk to Millenium camp..
We all got up and took off...

But after an hour we realised that this camp is nowhere in sight...
I just slowed down ..
I knew its going to be a long walk, my knees were begging for mercy..
Shallu, Shayamal and me just walked slowly ..
And then I stopped ..
I decided I will reach camp ,but I'm in no hurry ...
So I stopped along the way , just sat, said hello ,to the ones from other camps passing me by, took photographs of pretty flowers ..
And had conversations ,with the ones I have not talked to in a very long time ...
And by 2PM,  I think I reached camp ...

Tired ...
And my knees giving me bad-words, in a language I had yet to learn ha ha ha
I went into my tent, and just sat there...
Shallu had already reached ..

I had no intention of having a wet-tissue sponge, or changing my clothes..
That's it ..
I'm now a mountain -girl , and had come to terms with and was extremely happy with my hair that had not even been brushed for 8 days, not bathed 8 days, and today I did not want to change ..
Ha ha ha ...simple life .
It was cold, so there was no sweat, so happy with the lovely Kenzo on me ..
I proceeded to the eating tent,where I could hear chatting..
And it was wonderful, we sat there talking about food and slowly but surely, started eating up the , peanut butter , drinking up the milo..
Asked for bread ,that we devoured with chunks of butter and pickle..
We then asked Shallu to ask for food...
Because some how , we realised, our unruly bunch would be told , all supplies are over , and she would get cookies...so we made here ask for bread , and told her to tell them , she was very hungry and to please get lots...
So we called out to Sistus, and then Shallu in that soft sweet voice of hers, asked for bread, amidst us all saying , get lots , she is hungry, ha ha ha ...
Sistus just smiled , he did not believe this at all..
But after 15 minutes , there was bread on the table ...
That was jumped upon, while we talked about all the food we wanted to eat ...

We sat there at that table from 2.30 pm ,waiting for dinner that was going to be served at 6.30 ....ha ha h a
At 6 the cutlery started trickling in,with Sistus and Samay...
And finally dinner was served in candle light ....

I have never had a more fun enjoyable festive meal..
It could not have a better setting than at the feet of the mighty Kilimanjaro,that well finally made friends with...
Avocado with salsa...
Followed by a rice salad , and
Bananas and potatoes in a lovely gravy..
Banana fritters....

We devoured it all....
And had licked our lips like the cat who got the cream...
It was a happy meal ..
We were so happy for one another , and for ourselves that we all made it ..

We miss you Kabir..

We also decided that we are going to tell all our friends , that they all needed to do this, so that they could feel what we did..
All and everything...

So next morning we had a five hour walk to the gate ...
This is it ..
It's done ..
It's nearly over...
Think at around 8.30 most of us fell asleep  (dammit my kids don't sleep so early, No matter what I try)
Tom we wake up early to leave at 6 ...

Good night ...
I'm sleeping with a smile on my face , and immense love in my heart ...



NOTE FROM SHYAMAL...
FOUNDER OUT_CAUSE....
 
The OutCause Kili Cancer Team is supporting the Karunshraya Cancer Hospice.
Karunsharya means 'a compassionate abode' and that is exactly what the hospice is. Its a sanctuary that's offers support when a patient loses the comfort and security of a hospital as no further treatment is possible. They serve to bring peace and dignity to the patients life when the inevitable is close at hand. This institution that operates solely off the generosity of patrons such as yourselves,  have managed to help more than 12000 patients since their inception.

I am writing to you to humbly request that you and your close circle of friends please join the cause and help in the fight against cancer. The OutCause Team has pledged to raise money for this hospice so that they can continue their unbelievable work. Please reach out to family and friends and request that they be generous. All monies raised will go directly to the Karunshraya Cancer Hospice.
 
Patrons can make cheques out to the:
Bangalore Hospice Trust. 

The address for Karunashraya is:

Karunashraya
Old Airport-Varthur Main Road
Marathahalli,
Kundalahalli Gate,
Bangalore
560 037

You can address it to Archana Ganesh from Karunshraya.
Would like to request you to please mark OutCause Kili Cancer on the back off the cheque along with your name, address & PAN number.

THE SUMMIT...KILIMANJARO-CLIMB

THE SUMMIT

We said"YES".....

And after struggling to sleep post a lovely early dinner of mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables, on the 21st October
At 11pm, I finally sat up in my sleeping bag..
To listen to the continuous howling of the wind outside my tent...
If I did not know better..
I would be petrified of my tent flying off..

Shallu and me started getting ready for our final climb..
I had 4 layers of leggings of which two were thermals, and over that a snow pant that belonged to Rajeev, who is over 6 ft in height..
And had 5 layers of inners and polo necks etc , then a down jacket and then a rain jacket...
I had heated pads in my shoes and in my gloves...
Two warm caps , a warm muffler ...

And frankly each one of us , had put on nearly all we had ...
We all  gathered inside the dinner tent, had some porridge and we were shivering and excited and were raring to go ...

G-boy our guide or God-listen...that really is his name ..
Told us to stick together, listen to him and 'pole-pole' (slowly) walk up the beautiful Moonlit Kili ...
So we followed after him, Tara, Shallu,  Shayamal, Ram, Anish, Yudi ,the rock-star Vikram who stayed at the back ...
and me ..

And so started our 6 hour climb to the top of the world on the African continent , the highest free standing mountain in the world , the fourth highest summit amongst the 7 continents..
Well I put on my bravest face , and I'm thinking so did every body else, the winds were howling at about 20-40 mph and the temperature was anything between 0 to -10 degrees Celsius ...

After walking for a bit...
I just could not handle the warmth of all my layers and was completely breathless...
I just could not breathe and was gasping for air ..
I made g-boy stop...
I opened my jacket ..
The speed of the wind ..was making me feel like I could not inhale a single breath..
I was a mess...
I was sleepy ..
And I made a few stops , before , I finally opened up my jackets,freed my entire face of any covering and then started to walk...
Again all in a line with the head torches..
It felt surreal like I was in a Tim Burton script , that was being written as we walked ...
I was like in a sleep trance...
Just following Shallu's pant ..
Why, you must be wondering, well I broke my head -lamp and so it was stuck together by tape , so I could not adjust it ...
And so it shone on her pants instead of the path...
We could see nothing but where we walked and every time we looked up , we saw headlamps of climbers who were higher than us and then , some still higher..
God ..I was thinking , this is probably what sleep walking felt like ...
Then there were the gu-gel eating stops, maybe that helped too....

In my head I was just praying ...and continued to pray till I reached Stellar point ...
Prayed to Jesus, Mother Mary, St.Anthony, all the guardian Angels and all the saints...Because , I do believe that prayers do work miracles, and I needed a miracle ..

And also had Dorrie's voice from "Finding Nemo" saying 'just keep walking, just keep walking "Instead of swimming
Or like the Johnny Walker slogan .." just keep walking"..
Where the hell were the hip-flasks, or at least a cute St.Bernard....

We all walked ..
Was it difficult...bloody hell , yes very very very difficult...
At one point I was thinking , I would rather give birth to Zene all over again , without any epidural or drugs...
That felt far easier...
We drank freezing cold water, out of our camel-backs..
And ate gu-gel like it was a miracle food ...
I just wanted to stay awake ..
All of us did...
Everyone, just went on, like we we all had super powers that were taking some time to kick in..
And I know for sure that we all had our own personal battles that we were all fighting ..
Well I know I sure was ...

And in the middle of this, I would hear Vikram's chirpy full of life voice , filled with a broad smile saying "Jambo" ...
Oh my god how...how on earth does he do this...
He just stayed behind , and kept the spirit of the climb , positive and reinforcing a strength that we all needed..

At one point I was thinking, I'm completely crazy to have ever agreed to be part of this ...
Why would anyone in their right mind, start walking up a mountain at 12.30 am in freaking blistering cold, howling winds and head-lamps, when we could all have been sleeping happily in our own homes in our snug beds ...
But when I looked around me , I saw Shayamal, Yudi, Shallu, Tara, Vikram, Anish and Ram ...
All completely insanely sane people , walking , doing this together...
We were all on the right path ...
Kili-Cancer in all it's glory , with all the life we had in us..
This is what we were here for , to climb for @Out_Cause..
And that's exactly what we were all trying to do ..

It was a struggle..
Much more that I could have imagined...
And yes, none of us even once thought of going back ...
Though I'm sure at one point , we must have been wondering , what the HELL...

Our guides were fantastic, Morris or Mox

MOX-Thank you for everything ...

 as he is fondly called, just kept singing , so that I would keep awake...
And he just kept near me all the while ...

God-listen , bless him , was just amazing, he patiently tied my scarf around my head and fastened my warm cap over it, and looked at me and said, " Just stay close to me , or you are going to be in trouble"

 Good-love, Evans, Jackson and Daeo , all just hovered ,all around us, every step of the way..
Asking us if we are OK,encouraging us on...
And looking after us like angels in the dark ....

Incredible and life changing, is how I will , always remember this 6 hours, and filled with a sense of inner-strength, and single -minded focus to just reach the top ...
And not to forget Gu-gel breaks...
And Shayamal told me later , that every time I stopped because I needed to loosen a layer of clothing, some of them heaved a sigh of relief because they were tired or out of breath, and some , just felt that we needed to trod on, as they were getting cold ..

Nothing and I mean nothing could prepare me for this climb, this was "the real thing".
No amount of running up and down stairs,no amount of cross-fit, no amount of of anything , that I did .....
This was nature at its very best..
And all you can do is actually walk with the forces of nature with respect and thankfulness..
I learnt one thing for sure, when you are dealing with nature, " you BETTER obey all the rules, or you will MISS  all the fun"

I really do not know how we all walked up-hill for 6 whole hours in darkness with howling winds and sleep as our constant companion ...
Guess we were just feeding of each others energy and determination..
We "ARE" all going to summit ..
And that's that ..
And as morning broke into a faint light amidst a dark sky, we all panted and pulled ourselves up to Stellar point ..

At that point, as I saw sunshine, I felt a burst of energy, maybe it was the sun , or then the Gu-Gel...
I really do not know...
But I was up and raring to go further fresh and full of energy...
So unlike what I felt as I was climbing up-hill..
As we all climbed on, we came upon the most beautiful glaciers , right here on the roof of Africa..
They looked like , God had just poured tons of ice-cream on the mountains...
Was completely awe-struck at the beauty of the majestic glaciers ...

And from here, we trudged further to Uhuru Peak , which also means "Freedom"...
And that's exactly how I felt, terribly cold but free from all the shackles I had tied around my self, free from my own negative thoughts, my short comings..
Free from any kind of anything, that would ever drag my spirit down...

I walked with Vikram , who walked like he did not climb for 6 hours but was air-dropped on Mt. Kilimanjaro..
He was like the smiling sun...
I walked with him..
Not tired , not out of breath and grinning from ear to ear, full of boundless happiness...

And I'm going to make an honest confession, it felt great being one of the first few of us reaching Uhuru Peak...

These shoes were made for trekking...

When on all days I always reached camp right at the end..
I took "pole-pole" really seriously ..(slow-slow)
Think I was the incredible "sloth" ha ha ha

We were greeted by Ram , our cinematographer , who was there,for  some time now, ready to film us all summit the highest free standing mountain in the world and the 4th highest summit among the 7 on the continents...
Ram is something else, have not seen anyone run around , shoot and summit with ease like he did ...awesome is exactly what I would describe him as...

And as we all  hung around the peak , a blizzard broke out, so Yudi quickly, unfurled the Indian flag and in that biting cold, amidst the onslaught of wind and us all freezing, we managed to smile for camera, with chattering teeth..

And "WE" did it ....

And had to run away as fast as we could, because we were freezing, there were icicles on my eye-lashes and everyone had a thin sheet of ice on their jackets ...

Anish our sound engineer , got hit really badly by the altitude, and Tara and Ram, helped him , till the porters took him over, the porters then ran down with him.....

Breath-takingly eventful and full of gratitude and thanks-giving is how I would describe our summit...
I think we were there for just a bit of time..
We could not hang there because of the blizzard..

My last three fingers froze , because I wanted photos, and I pulled my gloves off, but my camera shut down in the extreme cold..
And I was just left with frozen fingers that hurt like crazy and I thought , they were going to break off...
I think I started crying, I don't know...
Mox just started rubbing my fingers ...
And I  was just shaking like a leaf ..
Actually now in retrospect , I'm sure ,it must have been funny to watch ...(Because Mox told all the guides I cried..feel a bit stupid)
But I was definitely not laughing..

We all reached the summit..
We felt on top of the world...we were on top of the world ... Dammit ...
It just could not get better...

We were all freezing, but our hearts were warm , filled with a joy and a sense of freedom and boundless love , that will always stay unexplainable , to anyone who was not there that 22nd Oct 2012 at 6.30 am ..

I was finally able to make friends with the ruggedly handsome Mt. Kilimanjaro, after a long struggle,
It was a slow , steady , single minded progress, I wooed him like no other, and knew he would finally fall for my crazy insane love for him and my laughter ...ha ha ha

I can proudly say I have a friend that opened his heart to me, and left the most beautiful flowers for me along the trail...
That I collected with a lot of love...
Quite a charmer this Mr. Kili is I must say..

Just the prettiest, I received

And a heart ...c'mon....

Every time I was just too tired to go any further, he wooed me with flowers and hearts, that he strategically placed so that , it caught my eye...

Completely romantic , strong, tough and ruggedly handsome and loving..
What more can a girl ask for ...













Well I sincerely hope our effort  to bring a small change towards the awareness and fight for cancer is going to build as raging as a forest fire ..

While climbing I was thinking of my mom and dad , who lived in and out of hospital for seven months, while my dad went through, chemo and all it entails..
My dad had to shave off his hair, well he looked as handsome as Yul Brynner , and he and my mum and us just never gave in...
He kept himself positive ..
So this 6 hours I dedicate to my mom and dad and , everyone who has been touched by Cancer, directly or indirectly ..

This 6 hour walk up to the summit on a cold , howling night ,is for "ALL OF YOU" ...

And before I end this I need to say


Shayamal -

to the guy, who kept his word and always walked two steps behind me, I thank you from the bottom of my heart, for always staying by my side like a pillar of strength ..
From the time we set foot on that incredible mountain, to the time we bid it adieu..
You are just an amazing soul , and I'm incredibly lucky to have you as my friend now..
Hope to walk up and down many mountains with you ...











Yudi-

thank you for being my dream-catcher, you just made one of my dreams come true, you are just too cute and for  always being "Yudiji" , for infusing a song and dance, on every road, it did not matter , how tough it was to climb, to always have a smile , even when you were troubled..
You please stay the "all heart happy Yudiji" always ..
And may life always be in love with you ...













Vikram -

for being , the most positive, encouraging and full of life person , pushing us on, even when we had no fuel left anymore...
For walking with me everyday, for always believing that I would be able to walk up..
To impart your knowledge about the flora and fauna ..
And for just being the infuser of "super-powers"











Anish-

for always having a smile on your face, whether we were freezing at Shira plateau or scampering up the Barranco wall,for laughing at my stupid jokes, like they were incredibly funny, to be so  unprepared and yet be so positive about climbing with us everyday, no matter what , with all the heavy equipment..
And for finally learning how to put sun-screen on your face, you metro-sexual , Ethiopia trotting guy... Ha ha ha










                                                                                                                                                            Ram -

well I can never quite understand, how on earth, you kept running all over the mountain side, and were never out of breath, and was always in a good mood..
It was a complete pleasure, getting to know you...and I have finally come to terms , with the fact , that you still do not trust me with your camera..ha ha ha ..
And I pray , that you get work that entwines you with nature, because think ,that's where you are happiest ..










Tara -

true to your name, you were the guiding star , each and everyday, you led the way to every camp, with your positive energy and exuberance, and could hear you sing or laugh as you just effortlessly , flitted from path to path with a smile and a beaming heart..
And I'm really really happy to have made one more insanely loving friend...
And thank you for the caffine gu-gel, I think that's what made me wake up...















Shallu -

 if you were not on this trip, I think I would have tried to run up the mountain and would have never acclimatised, but I saw in you a calm, silent, soft, but determined strength and I thank my stars that I followed you ...
Those crazy "diamox mid-night" walks in the freezing cold..
The insane laughter , where we thought , we were probably suffering from altitude edema..
You are such a beautiful lady mind , body , heart and soul..
And I will always cherish this for the rest of my life, our shivering conversations, filled with madness , in a tiny tent , that was our home for the 8 days we spent together, in sleeping bags that would slide down ....
May love always follow you where ever you go..

God-listen -

for being a good shepherd to a wayward herd of sheep ,for understanding , our strengths and our weaknesses..
For always pushing us more than we thought we were capable of..
To always encourage us with kind words and your naughty ,infectious smile ..
To take us shopping ..
To see that we all reached the summit..
Your royal highness, you are "Iron-man"...,




Kabir 

'YOU WERE MISSED"






















And to the entire team, Rashidi, Sistus, Samay , Quasim , Shadrock...
I'm horrible with names, I have forgotten most ..
Just want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart...
This trip would not ever be an incredible heart warming part of my life, if all of you did not make it so much fun and so comfortable for all of us ..
I saw nothing but big smiles, wherever I looked..
And kind words and helping hands ...

God bless you all...

And on a parting note , " IMPODODO" ...
Which means "fat-ass" ha ha ha ha ..



NOTE FROM SHYAMAL...
FOUNDER OUT_CAUSE....
 
The OutCause Kili Cancer Team is supporting the Karunshraya Cancer Hospice.
Karunsharya means 'a compassionate abode' and that is exactly what the hospice is. Its a sanctuary that's offers support when a patient loses the comfort and security of a hospital as no further treatment is possible. They serve to bring peace and dignity to the patients life when the inevitable is close at hand. This institution that operates solely off the generosity of patrons such as yourselves,  have managed to help more than 12000 patients since their inception.

I am writing to you to humbly request that you and your close circle of friends please join the cause and help in the fight against cancer. The OutCause Team has pledged to raise money for this hospice so that they can continue their unbelievable work. Please reach out to family and friends and request that they be generous. All monies raised will go directly to the Karunshraya Cancer Hospice.
 
Patrons can make cheques out to the:
Bangalore Hospice Trust. 

The address for Karunashraya is:

Karunashraya
Old Airport-Varthur Main Road
Marathahalli,
Kundalahalli Gate,
Bangalore
560 037

You can address it to Archana Ganesh from Karunshraya.
Would like to request you to please mark OutCause Kili Cancer on the back off the cheque along with your name, address & PAN number.

You can also mail your cheques to :
Shayamal Vallabhjee,
126, Nibana Apartments-BBlock.
12th , floor, Pali Hill Road,
Bandra West,
Mumbai- 400050.
India 

Facebook : http:/www.facebook.com/OutCause
Karunashrays website : http://www.karunashraya.org/NewSite/Index.html