Conversations over chai #6

Chai and pakodas in the US

Hello readers!

It’s a quiet Saturday evening my side. While I have house chores to finish, I want to spend some time with you over chai. I know what you are thinking. The same thought clouds my mind too. I am back here in this space after three months. Interesting part? Our conversations have been on my mind.

If we were having chai together, I would tell you that today is a festival in India. It’s called Ganesh Chaturthi. In some time I will go to meet people who are celebrating and be a part of their festivities. The roads are free of traffic today and most people are spending time with family at their homes.

If we were having chai together, I would tell you that the two weeks I spent in the US this July has impacted my health. I am heavier and some of my blood tests showed I am not as healthy as I thought I was. So since last month, I have been working on myself. I am trying to workout, walk regularly, eat healthy food and avoid sugar. I am watching my stress levels and staying in control of my mental health.

If we were having chai together, I would remind you to be grateful for what you have in life. Everyone is fighting a battle no one knows about. Sometimes it’s taking care of a child as a single parent and sometimes it’s emotional support for aging parents. Life is not always the easiest and one has to play with the cards they are dealt.

If we were having chai together, I would tell you that when I was flying to Minneapolis, I got caught in the global storm of Crowdstrike. That story is yet to be written but can you imagine that I reached the United States after a delay of 72 hours? Technology is power and our dependence on it when it fails, results in unimaginable outcomes. I was stuck in Amsterdam, Salt Lake City and finally reached Minneapolis after flying from Seattle.

If we were having chai together, I would tell you that I would like to go back to Salt Lake City and travel the state by road. The mountains and the skies I saw there are etched forever. If this weren’t a travel fiasco, I would have sure hiked up or sat by the lake that gives the city its name.

If we were having chai together, I would tell you that during July, I was lucky to see many rainbows from my balcony. Whenever I would look outside after rain and if it was sunny, I would see one. I felt fortunate and blessed. When I was growing up, I do not remember seeing one so now when I see, I become a kid. I call VT to come have a look, I click pictures and send to my team and what not. Little joys, isn’t it?

If we were having chai together, I would tell you there are a few grocery delivery companies in India that deliver essentials like dairy and vegetables in less than 15 minutes when ordered via their app. One of these companies is BlinkIt. When it was raining heavily in Bangalore during August, I spotted the delivery men from BlinkIt wearing good quality branded raincoats and working hard at their jobs. You are doing good by thinking of your workforce, team Blinkit! These are the humans that are your asset.

If we were having chai together, what would you tell me?


Conversations over chai is my take on sharing a bit of life, reflections, learnings and gratitude with you. By now, you all know that chai is my favorite beverage and I hope we get to have chai together one day.

So join me by sharing something that you can and let’s talk.


6 thoughts on “Conversations over chai #6

  1. Hope you had a wonderful Ganapati celebration. Pune is transformed during these ten days. The processions, specially the drummers with only-women squads are amazing even though of late I find the noise a bit much. But the excitement is infectious. Have you had ukadiche modaks? They’re out of this world.
    Rainbows get me excited and you’re right I too never saw one as a child. Maybe we have a better view from our highrises. I love your chai posts Parul. It’s like getting a friendly life-update. Will wait for your next.

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  2. Hey Parul, so nice to hear from you! Oh dear you got stuck in the crowdstrike downtime. Here, the banks, supermarkets and most companies were in total chaos that day. Your description of salt lake city makes me want to visit it.

    Take care of your health. I too got my yearly blood test done recently. They make me as nervous as getting a report card from school.

    Also chai and pakoda with a slice of orange looks awesome. 😄

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  3. Oh no, 72 hours delay is terrible. That’s quite an experience. My husband’s first travel to the US also met with a 72 hour delay due to snow storm in Chicago. That was 18 years ago when internet was not a thing and communicating from overseas took multiple steps and was way too expensive.

    Sometimes the sky blesses us with rainbows just like that. It’s so wonderful to spot a rainbow from your window.

    Take care of your health, Parul. I have been skipping my workouts a great deal in the recent past and I can feel the sluggishness wearing me down. But it’s on me. I need to get back in control of my health.

    It’s nice to read your chai update, Parul. Have a wonderful month ahead! 🙂

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