Sunday, August 29, 2010

Joys of Tent Camping!



After a very long time this summer we had the opportunity to go tent camping. I experienced the joys of camping when I first came to this country as a student. From State College I went up to Buffalo, NY, and linked up with my older brother. We drove together to Niagara Falls, Toronto and Montreal. It was great for just the two of us to enjoy nature, talk about life in general and camp in various different state parks all along the way.

This summer when my brother and his wife came to visit us, I suggested that we go camping so my kids could also learn from the experience. We chose a state park near our house to camp. My brother brought a 4-persons tent for my family and we had a great time together. We bought a bundle of firewood and had a campfire that night. The kids learned to roast marshmallows and make smores. It was a clear sky and we sat around the fire and talked about all sorts of things. To me, the best part of camping is the campfire and the stories that people tell at night.

The next day we went swimming in the lake, had lunch and packed up and returned home. It was a short trip, but we enjoyed it immensely.

We liked the experience so much that we bought a large Red Canyon Tent (see above) from Amazon and went to another campsite two weeks later. It cost us less than $100 to camp out, but the experience has been very memorable. We do hope to camp out many more times in future!

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

NY Times Article on Happiness

One of the most emailed articles from the NY Times...

Learning points:

1. Downsize, live a simple life, and cut down your debt.
2. Consumption of material goods does not bring happiness.
3. Do not compete with Joneses: Neither of you will find happiness that way.
4. Money is good, but what is your strategy to get maximum bang (aka happiness) for your buck?
5. Seek a memorable experience instead of material goods.
Take several mini-vacations instead of one expensive trip.
Seek "that connection, the moment, the family, the experience.”
6. Being married improves your happiness.
7. Slow down your hedonistic adaptation: buy things that will give you happiness for a long time.
8. Dream about a possession (iPad?) for a long time before you actually buy it.

Read more...

"But Will it Make You Happy?"

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

In Pursuit of Ones Passion


I read this article in the Hindu and was truly impressed by Mr. Balakrishnan's ambition to pursue his passion and bring it back home. There is great satisfaction in going back in time and recreating ones fond memories. Please read this article and see what you think:

http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/metroplus/article562713.ece?homepage=true