Rerouting for Biryani & The Great Driving Challenge

View Biryani quest in a larger map

We are rerouting our 3,000km trip for The great Driving Challenge so that it begins and ends in Bombay, a requirement by the organisers.

This route has been carefully chosen to include visits to a number of heritage sites which have been on my wish list for a long time as well as providing us with opportunities to sample different types of biryani.

Our Quest for Biryani and The Great driving Challenge has been noticed and we have been featured here and here.

You have until the 17th of July to vote for us if you haven't done so. ( There's a button on the side bar, you can click to vote) and we'd like to thank 412 of you who took the time to vote and passed on the request to family and friends. Some of you have had problems with the voting process and confirming your votes. All these issues are being resolved by the organisers of the challenge who have been overwhelmed by votes
which are pouring in for the participants.
I'd request you to try again after a couple of hours if you haven't been able to vote and for those who don't get a confirmation mail to complete the voting process please check your mail box in a day or two.
Thanks again, hope you have a great week ahead. Cheers!!

Journeys

3,000 km road trip
Getting up early gives me time to sip a hot cup of chai and indulge in some reflection.I've had a couple of such mornings this week and its all no doubt been prompted by The Great Driving Challenge.(TGDC)

The 3000 km road trip of a lifetime in quest of biryani got me thinking about all the other little journeys I'm making at this point.

Let's start with the Great Driving Challenge itself. Its interesting to see that the learning and experience gained from blogging over a year and a half is now connecting in a very significant manner with TGDC. Its also got me signed onto Facebook and Twitter. That's two different journeys there of reconnecting with people and discovering the journeys their lives are on.

Stitch Journeys
There are a couple of stitch journeys too.
Take a Stitch Tuesday on Stitchinfingers is starting up again after a couple of months of R&R which was also meant to be a time for tardy ones like me to catch-up and I'm happy to report I have. So TAST is a journey of creative exploration of embroidery stitches that's starting up again where it left off.If you are interested in joining in, read more about it here.

I have to complete the page for December for The Take It Further Challenge fibre book. Must complete that journey in the next two weeks.

Literary journey
I've been on a "high fibre" literary journey ever since R got back from the States with a little stack of books I had requested him to buy.I've read Knit Lit(too) and have begun on Knit Lit the Third.
My literary journey is taking a new turn with a book club that I'm trying to kick start with Priya's help.For women who are comfortable in their skin,aren't obsessive about counting calories and love the journey a good book provides. We're starting with Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert. Have you taken the Eat, Pray, Love trip? Would love to know what you have to say about it.

MiSh maSh

My journey with collages and cellphone images has been a sort of on and off thing but I've given them a more formal platform by creating Mish maSh and taking one of Shelley Klammer's online workshop's on Deepening Creativity. Thank-you Robyn.

The interlacements of the stitch journeys with blogging or Mish mash with The Great Driving Challenge or the interactions with friends and followers on Flickr, Twitter and Facebook are creating an interesting fabric of experiences and I'm loving every moment of it.You can follow me on Twitter, check it on my sidebar.
If you've read thus far you'll know that armchair travel is something I do plenty of but I am going to be taking a little trip to be with family. I'm not certain how much blogging I'll do but I'll be back in about two weeks with plenty to show and tell. Stay safe and happy journeys to you.

Take a little journey of three clicks of the mouse and vote for us on The Great Driving Challenge.Appreciate it, thanks.

The Great Driving Challenge

As of Wednesday I've gotten myself involved in The Great Driving Challenge and in the process got R involved as well because its for couples.

Organised by Mitsubishi, three lucky couples will enjoy an all expenses paid 12 day driving challenge in the new Mitsubishi Cedia Sports, and one couple wins 10lakh rupees (even half that would be a tidy sum to indulge ones fibre & bead cravings). Anyway the exciting bit for us is the 12 day drive which if we get to do will be fantastic.

We plan to drive from Bangalore to Leh and sample Biryani along the way and you'll get to witness it all right here. Our personal motto for the trip is "We Sverve, Reroute & Detour for Biryani". What's exciting, is the variety of biryani we're likely to encounter. The cultural landscape is going to change pretty dramatically which will have a direct impact on the biryani - the ingredients, method of cooking and flavours all waiting to tantalise the taste buds.

Which brings me to the part where your participation is going to make all the difference. We need your votes and we need names and addresses of places to sample all those fabulous biryanis between Bangalore and Leh.

To vote please follow this 3-step process. 1. Click on the link below 2. Once on the page, click 'Vote' and provide your email id 3.The actual vote is effective only once you've acknowledged it from a confirmation email which you will receive,Check your inbox and click on the confirmation link. Click here to vote.

Let me thank you in advance for taking the trouble to vote for us, can't tell you how much R & I appreciate it.

And the Winner is.......

The winner of the heart sampler I'm happy to announce is Chris Daly. R did the honours and picked the winner.

I'd like to thank all who left a comment and made this little giveaway a memorable one, its motivated me to have more givewaways. So there will be more opportunities to win and hopefully it will also be something you'll want to win!

Chris I'll be emailing you to get your mailing adress right after posting this on my blog so I can send the sampler across to you in Wisconsin.


Have a great week everyone.

MiSh-maSh

Documenting my day - drawing, collaging and snapping pictures with my cellphone.

Its all there in big pictures over on my new blog MISH MASH.



One day left to leave a comment and have a chance to win the heart sampler I'm giving away for my 125th post. Read about it and leave a comment here to win.

Giveaway for my 125th post

This is my 125th post and I decided to have a little giveaway to celebrate.
The hundredth post or a blog anniversary is more traditional occasions for giveaways but I couldn't think of anything for a giveaway at those points.
My current obsession with hearts helped to create this little cross-stitched sampler of hearts
and what a happy coincidence that its also my 125th post.
So if you'd like to win the heart sampler which measures 13.5"x 8.5" and is embroidered with cross-stitch on unbleached cotton, please leave a comment and make sure there's some way I can contact you. You have until Friday 19th June 5pm IST which translates to7.30am EST,12.30pm GMT, 7.30 pm in Hong Kong ,to leave a comment.

Let me take the opportunity to thank all those who subscribe to and follow this blog, as well as all those who visit and leave positive comments which I appreciate and thrive on.

Have a fantastic weekend.

TAST - French Knots

Not a terribly inspired sample of French Knots I'm afraid.
The weekend was great. Watched the movie Changeling. If you haven't seen it then please do. John Malkovich's effortless style rocks and over shadows Angelina Jolie if you ask me.
Met friends from college for lunch, this happens about once a year when one or more of the gang visits Bangalore also serves as an opportunity to check out a new restaurant. It was Caperberry this time and it didn't disappoint. The world of Facebook and plans for a decadent boat ride from Cochin to Kumarakom drinking arrack and stopping for prawns and other local fare were discussed over tenderloin with buttery mashed potatoes and pears stewed in red wine.

Have been working on a little something which is nearing completion and shall be revealed in my next post.So, you will come back won't you, round about this time next week ?