This is where the fun bit begins – we have two sets of experiences to list out here Ladies First – This is probably the first and only time I have been both acknowledged as a ‘lady’ and given the associated privileges – thank you J I am the classic wanderlust – my parents bought me my first ‘bike’ a BSA SLR – and then, like they say, there was no turning back. I hit the road way back when I was about 12 – and I think in some ways – stayed right there. The cycle was replaced by a Kinetic Honda, an 800, and then a Santro; and I became the official driver of the family. This - when I was not ‘borrowing’ pulsars, accents, and jeeps. I am more likely to be caught with a copy of car and bike or better photography than the cosmopolitans and vogues of the world. Puri, Darjeeling, Goa, Penang, Queensland, Kerala (too many places too many times for me to count), the Tamil Nadu temple trail, Dandeli, Bandipur, Nagarhole, Bharatpur, Chail – and I have just about skimmed the surface. There is still so much more to see, to explore – and a lifetime to do so. ------------- Orkut http://www.orkut.co.in/Main#Profile.aspx?rl=ls&uid=15502391792902271728 ------------- Facebook http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/meera.raman?ref=profile ------------- Flikr http://www.flickr.com/photos/61072116@N00/ -------------- Blog http://meera-raman.blogspot.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AND NOW Gentlemen 2nd. I was born in Harayana, grew up in Madhya Pradesh, studied in Gujarat and now work in Mumbai. My formative years dictate the person I am now - A wanderer at heart who loves traveling and exploring new places, cultures, getting to know people and getting the ‘pulse’ of every place.As a designer I have a keen sense of observing and absorbing everything around me. As a young child in KYMORE(JABALPUR district MP), I would take my trusted cycle and take off on ‘exploratory’ trips to the nearby river and to the old Vijayaraghav Ghar Fort. I used my dad’s old AGFA (120mm) Black and white camera and INDU or ILFORD films to take my first few hundred pictures and spent all of my pocket money and more in indulging this hobby. Then in college (NID Ahmedabad ) my cycle was upgraded to a Yamaha RX100 and every weekend saw me making trips to Sarkhej ,Adalaj ( step wells) , Anand and Mount Abu. After Graduation I moved to Mumbai. ‘Outlooks 52 weekend getaways’ is one of my most prized possessions and it has led me to discover little known spots in Maharashtra. All of these wonderful places have been documented with innumerable pictures. My small Matiz that I got in 1998 has grown up to be a Honda City now. This wonderful car allows me to make longer road trips all around the country. In recent years my wanderlust has combined with my need to experience adventure sports. Paragliding in Kamshet, swimming in the virgin Beaches of Shrivardhan , Water rafting in the Kundalika river in Kolad and staying in a Treehouse in Dandeli which is built over a river are some of the very interesting trips I have made in recent times . My international experiences have been varied – from the historically and culturally rich Egypt, to the breathtakingly beautiful Norway, Isle of Wight and Scotland and from the travel ‘must dos’ London, Amsterdam, and the USA to the shopping paradise of the UAE. There’s lot more to be covered in this short visit to earth… Let this driving challenge be one more experience. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -------------------------------------------------- Pictures http://picasaweb.google.com/hsuthar/