There is flattery in friendship.

Not my words, this is what the Bard observed.

So this post is not about Shimla, or about its author whose not-so-occasional rambles readers have been so tolerant of. I just want to talk about my friends and the wonderful ideas they're thinking up and sharing with the world. Here they are:

Meet SdS, she writes a great little blog Grant Me Bookshelves. Book-mad noone quite reads books the way she does, her perspective is always amazing and her impressions and insights deep and astounding.

Asha has only just begun to work on Self Leadership. I look forward to being with her on this journey of examining beliefs and values related to leadership.

Autar Mota is a deeply sensitive, poetic soul. His photographs and words on Chinar Shade sear the reader and leave you numb and joyous by turn.

Imran's a seeker. He may choose to describe himself differently, but I am yet to come across a person like him who combines his sense of adventure with his spirituality with such grace and felicity. Imran's pictures, worth more than a thousand words can be seen on his photoblog Imran The Trekker on Flickr.

Ranjani has been a healer and empath for as long as I can remember. In her blog Reiki Rhapsody, Ranjani is trying to help us, her readers, regain and hold on to the precious rhythm of life through music.

Kaushik is young. His perspective, fresh and innocent like his mind. Looking at his photographs, I just know it in my bones that this young lad will go very far in life.

Vinayak's take on things, like his blog At The Edge, is sharp and sapient. Just when my ideas begin to feel stale, I go look at his blog and am blown away once again.

GP is witty, wicked and utterly irreverent. I totally wouldn't like to be at the receiving end of the bon mots he comes with on Noise Of India which claims to, and succeeds in, "putting the mock back in democracy".

Varsha is my wellness Guru. Through her blog, Wholesome Options, as also through fortuitous personal acquaintance, I have picked many easy tips and tricks and have had many a health myth shattered.

Thank you, each one of you, for sharing your perspectives and insights. My life, as indeed that of all those who visit your blogs, is richer because of you.

A vote of thanks

Greenhorns in my workplace learn one thing very quickly. It is called "Proposing A Vote Of Thanks". We are taught, early in life, how to stand up in public and express gratitude, not necessarily heartfelt, even if so stated. But this is an admirable practice, a throwback to older, more gracious times and one which, no matter how much I may joke, I respect and do my bit to continue. It enables us to articulate our feelings of indebtedness to those who even momentarily graced and improved our life.
I would therefore like to propose a vote of thanks to the following bloggers who make me smile, enrich my life with their insights and ideas, their words and/or photographs, give me a pause to think, who provoke and delight the mind.

Varsha says "Fitness is not about the way you look but the way you live". Talking to her and reading her posts teaches me more about wellness in an hour than many gurus could in weeks, or even months. To me, the best thing about Varsha and her blog is her no-nonsense approach.

Imran loves climbing and trekking, and has the most breath-taking collection of photographs of the northern regions of Pakistan. Seeing his almost poetic photographs has an instantly calming, and mood-elevating effect.

Shankari's writing defies compartments. To slot her into any category would be unfair to her silvery, sweet-as-jalebi and deeply joyous writing.

Nityin is passionate about all things related to Himachal Pradesh, and a lot of others that aren't! He has, on the last count, three blogs, all of which are extremely readable.

Vinayak has a blog that I visit when my mind's feeling stale and dull.- which happens about once a day! Hence, discovering his writing was serendipitous, really. His ideas are delightful, entertaining and enriching beyond compare. Having had the good fortune of growing up in Kashmir in days more peaceful than the present, I visit also go to his blog on Kashmir for my nostalgia fix!

Beth and I met online many many years ago. I'm yet to "meet" her, but count on her sagacity , keen intellect and gentle sense of humour to give me another "take" on life. (Beth, did you notice the apposite use of take vis a vis your line of work?)

Autar Mota writes a blog on Kashmir. His blog allows me to wallow in reminiscence and at the same time keeps me up to date on the state of affairs in that wonderful region.

Cookie feeds my soul with her really fantastic recipes. She has that rare talent of making tough cooking look simple and this does wonders for one's self-esteem! Her philosophy is summed up best in the title of latest post: "If life hands you lemons, make lemon-pie".

Thank you, each one of you for the joy and the learning you bring. May your blogging bloom and grow!

Spreading the love.

My intention, when I started this blog, was to speak about Shimla. It was a simple, desultory thought: let me talk about my love for Shimla, show others the Shimla I see. Somewhere along the way, this blog took on a life of its own. Over the years and also while working on this blog, I visited other sites, and met some wonderful people.
I'd like to dedicate today's post to some of these wonderful people whose writing and/or photographs inspire me, offer me solace, galvanise my thinking, make me laugh and direct me to other perspectives which help to broaden my mental and sentient horizons.

• Scribbler is one of the most creative people I have met in my entire life. More than that, she is a very intelligent and compassionate person with a wonderful sense of humour. Her writing reveals a very wise head on young shoulders. I am filled with awe whenever I read anything she writes, because it is usually deeply insightful.


• Little Atoorva is my Alice in the bureaucratic wonderland. Her innocence, unspoilt by the nonsense that passes of as reality, constantly refreshes her readers. Her world is populated by beauty. By enchantment of thoughts, of ideas, of images.
  

• Ann lives in the wonderful town of Sydney. Her meanderings in her town help me to explore a city which I have not visited so far, but would like to, now that I have seen it through her eyes!

• I met Subrat in the course of work many, many years ago. I was (and still am) struck by his wisdom and his warmth. In today's world, where people have turned into emotional and professional cannibals, Subrat's remains a lone voice of sanity. Pity he doesn't write often enough.
  


• Melanie is an old soul in Jimmy Choo shoes. Her posts on her life and loves are genial and deeply astute. She is very observant and has on more than one occasion, revealed great perspicacity about life's ticklish issues.
  


• Mahanandi defies description. On the face of it, it's a food blog. Its author, Indira, shares recipes and photographs that would convert the most ardent anorexic into a foodie!What a great ambassador for Indian and Andhra food.
  


• Dick Richards is my spiritual guru. I do not remember when or where or how I stumbled upon his writing. I sometimes feel as though I am the Eklavya to his Dronacharya! I keep going back to his words and finding new lessons in each thing he says. Wise, gentle and very, very humane. A great teacher.
  

Thank you, each one of you. You have made my life richer. Those of you reading this blog, please take some time to visit each one of these people in cyberspace and be prepared to be amazed.