“A calm and modest life brings more happiness than the pursuit of success combined with constant restlessness.”
In 1922, short off his Nobel prize in physics, Einstein traveled to Tokyo to deliver a 4-hour lecture at the Imperial Palace. But he also left someone an important message on happiness. Out of tip money at his hotel, Einstein instead gave his Japanese courier a nugget of wisdom: “A calm and modest life brings […]
Cooking is like a Painting. Just as there are so many colors, there are so many flavors – it’s how you combine them that sets you apart. – Wolfgang Puck
Onam is an annual festival, generally occurring in September, that is celebrated across Kerala (to the southwest of us) and everywhere the Malayali people of Kerala live. Happily, that includes right here in Bengaluru, so we got to experience this multi-day festival in a few different ways. It’s notable that we were each told the […]
“Work hard,
and you will earn good rewards.
Work smart,
and you will earn great rewards.
Work hard and work smart,
and you will earn extraordinary rewards.”
A great mentor once told me, “there is a hard way, and a smart way.” Unfortunately, rather than rewarding working smart, there is an unhealthy focus in today’s workplace on working ‘hard’ – even if it is less than efficient. Despite what is known about diminishing returns on hours worked after 50/week, common Industrial work cultures […]
Shirodhara is a form of Ayurvedic therapy used in Panchakarma. The gentle pressure and the soothing warms of the oil allow the body, mind and the nervous system experience a deep state of rest. To receive Shirodhara a client lies down on a massage table and 2 liters specially prepared warm herbal oil is poured […]
Written by by Ang Li and photo credits to Karen and Wong, friends made during our Lapland trip
Wrapped ourselves like penguin astronauts for the Husky Ride
Huskies are the most hardworking animals I know so far because they don’t even rest during Christmas. Husky safari is pricey – far beyond our budget. My best friend J and I became speechless at the Price, upon our arrival at the hostel reception desk in Ivalo, a small town within the arctic circle in Finland.
After a thorough Internet research on the quality and price of husky safaris worldwide, J and I made our biggest investment in life. The next day, we were picked up by the agency owner at 6am, and two hours later, we wrapped ourselves like penguin astronauts.
Husky Safari – Dreamy Lapland
With some basic instructions, we embarked on the amazing journey through dreamy Finnish forests with the most energetic huskies I have ever encountered. J was sitting in the “basket” while I was controlling the brake of the sled. Our six husky leaders rushed so fast that I had to constantly slow down their speed to avoid sled crash.
The freezing wind in December felt like blade cutting on my cheek, but the view was worth the hurt – what a surreal fairyland! While I was indulged in the immense excitement, I forgot to keep an eye on the huskies. Suddenly I spotted a sharp turn in front, but it was already too late to brake. Huskies were running like crazy and I was thrown into the air due to the inertia of their speed!
Immersed in immense excitement of Fairyland forgot to keep an eye on the huskies.
My mind went blank and the next thing I could remember was when I landed in the soft snow safe and sound. It was such a miracle that my body was still in one piece with no pain! Great, no medical expense incurred!
Then I saw J. Poor girl! The basket she was sitting in rolled over and the right side of her body splashed huge tides of snow. Needless to say, the huskies were still keeping their momentum to run with full force, as if they had some burning fires in their heart. Unstoppable!
Finally, our guide saved us from the sled accident. Luckily nobody got injured for God’s sake. J and I enjoyed the rest of the husky safari and we took a nice break at a camping site.
Nice break at a camping site.
Despite the little incident, J and I still madly loved our husky babies. And we laughed our ass off the whole day upon recalling the funny scene. Husky safari in Finland is absolutely a once-in-a-lifetime experience for us that we wouldn’t miss for the world.
Madly loved our husky babies
Thank you Ang-Li for sharing this post. Thank you for the pictures Karen and Wong and J. Ang-Li looking forward to more of your travel adventures articles around the world!! I am glad both of you survived the Sled accident and are ready for more adventures.
A thrilling experience, at a speedy pace through the breathtaking Lappish scenery Ivalo, Lapland, Finland .
Indians Abroad Desi Videsh Me 