Saturday 29 March 2014

All In A Name's Game!

Top post on IndiBlogger.in, the community of Indian Bloggers

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Why, What's In A Name?

Quite A Lot, I'd Say!

For William Shakespeare rightly opined...

"What's In A Name?
That, Which We Call A Rose,
By Any Other Name,
Would Smell As Sweet!"


~~~

 A Person's Name Accompanies...
Life And After...

A Person's Name Identifies...
Life And After...

A Person's Name Distinguishes...
From The Crowd...

A Person's Name Keeps Company...
With The Individual...

~~~

This IndiSpiring Initiative By IndiB...

Makes Me Go Back...

A Golden Jubilee In Time...

~~~

The Episode Of My Naming Ceremony...

The First Ceremony Held For A New-Born In The Family...

~~~

The Fact That...

My Name Is Unique To Me...

My Name Is A Valuable Treasure...

And...

My Name Is As Resplendent...

As A Full Moon! :)

~~~
Poonam, The Full Moon On That Auspicious Night...
Occupying That Graceful Position In The Night Sky...
Ousting The Stars - The Full Moon Glows The Best...
Nearer Winter Chill - It's The Sharad Poonam Of Oct!
Ashwin, The Lunar Calendar Says, When I Was Born...
Moi - Born With That Advent Of Newness, Of Winter!

~~~


~~~

This post has been written as a part of the IndiSpire initiative launched by IndiBlogger.
The IndiSpiring thought was #WhatsInAName...

Wednesday 26 March 2014

~*A Gorgeously Glassy Affair...*~

Top post on IndiBlogger.in, the community of Indian Bloggers

~~~

Vincent Van Gogh rightly said...
"I Dream My Painting And Then I Paint My Dream"

The same ideology goes for Travel as well...

I Dream My Travel And Then I Travel My Dream!

How True This Feels!

There is a Traveler's Soul nestled in me, whose inquisitiveness, and instincts of exploration rise from their meditative posture, every now and then.

Momentos & Souvenirs are a very special part of the experience that a person takes with him/her from one of those priceless, dream travel sojourns...

~~~

My Travel Sojourns, too, are no different.

~~~

The Souvenir, The Most Memorable Momento From My Treasure Chest Is...

An Art...

From The Land Of Artists...

An Expression...

From The Land Of Enthusiasts...

An Inspiration...

From The Ones Who Inspire Themselves Anew...

Each Day...

~~~

Travel  Back In Time...

To March 16, 2004...

Travel  Back In Time...

To The Jewel Of The West...

~~~

Gujarat It Is!

~~~


~~~

March 16, 2004 - A day which marked my return, after a vacation, to Delhi from this land realm boasting of a plethora of cultures, traditions, geographic and historic richness as well!


March 16, my elder brother's birthday, and I had to reach in time for his day, albeit, not without his gift!

And, somehow, my heart did not settle on buying him a gift from such an artistic land.

I was resolute on adding a personal touch to my present for him.

~~~

The last stop in my Gujarat Chronicles for the day and for the trip as well, was Vadodara.

And Thus Came...

~~~

Magnificent As An Art, Magnificently It Is Portrayed...
Yielding Their Colors Onto Glass, The Beauty Sprayed!

Marvelous Is The Technique, I'm Glad To Have Witnessed...
Opaque Glass Turns Ornamental, Owing To Their Dedication!
Mixing Up The Gum, The Oil & The Color, They Produced...
Engraving Beauty On Glass, Their Articulation In My Heart!
Nestling Their Creativity In My Mind, I Jump In The Fray...
Transforming The Canvas There And Then, I Attempt To Paint Glass!
Oh My! I Craft This 'Masterpiece' For My Brother, As He Calls It!

~~~


~~~

This painting, which you see above is painted entirely on Glass, by the artisans and me - at Vadodara, the place most famous for its glass articulations in India.

This was made in a meticulous 3 hours, and I had taken help from one of the Chief Artisans, Mr. Kishore to achieve the feat of personalizing my elder brother's birthday gift!

This is his most cherished birthday gift, of 10 years, till date!

And, My Most Memorable Momento, as well!

~~~

"This post is my entry for the 'My Most Memorable Momento' contest conducted by My Yatra Diary Travel Blog & IndianCoupons."

I tag the following bloggers to share their memorable momentos with all of us...





~~~

Sunday 23 March 2014

When H And O Got Talking...


~~~


~~~

Top post on IndiBlogger.in, the community of Indian Bloggers

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This is a tale...

A tale revolving around the Chemistry of the fact...

Nah!

Not a Round Table Conference...

This is a Periodic Table Conference...


~~~

Where The Elements Had To Be Grouped Together...

Into Compounds For A Chemically Calm (And Composed) World...

~~~

First Things First...

In Periodicity...

~~~

Who Comes First, You Ask?

Why, Numero Uno - Hydrogen It Is...

~~~

So, Uno H had been called upon to try if it was 'philic' or 'phobic' to its comrades...

Turns out none of He, Li, Be, B, C or N were deserving of H's affinity...

~~~

Numero Ocho O - Oxygen had H bonding with it, with all its affinity...

Now, O was an attractive one...

So much so, one of H's comrades tagged along to pair up with O...

~~~

So now, there were two of the H's and one O...

And their Chemistry gave the world...

WATER!

Dihydrogen Monoxide...

~~~

However...

The Two H's Fought...

Fought For The O...

And O Wasn't Ready...

To Let Either Of The H's Go...

~~~
This fact affected their bond and strain developed...

So much so, that O distanced itself from the H's...

And, the H's were at loggerheads too...

See...


~~~

And then...

So much of activity brewed up a dynamic equilibrium...

The one of Solid Ice, Liquid Water & Vapor Steam...

~~~

All three states - Solid Liquid Gas - Three in One?

The Periodics were so amazed at this triple state equilibrium that...

Water was officially announced to be the most abundant compound on Earth!

~~~

And, so, we come to know of Water as it is, in its present state...

Tasteless...

Odorless...

Colorless...

Still, With A Hint Of Blue...

~~~

Hydrogen & Oxygen Teamed Up...

In That Periodic Table Conference...

To Give...

WATER...


~~~

The One Which Sustains All Life...

Be It Flora Or Fauna...

The Universal Solvent...

Hydrogen & Oxygen Paired Up For Eternity...

In A Two Is To One...



~~~

The One...

The Magical Compound...

The One - The Heart Of Existence...

Numero Uno & Numero Ocho...

Dihydrogen Monoxide!


~~~

This post is a part of Write Over The Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda.
BlogAdda gives out a creative writing theme each weekend for Indian bloggers.

Monday 17 March 2014

Standing 'Against' It When I Wanted To Stand 'For' It!

Top post on IndiBlogger.in, the community of Indian Bloggers
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'REWIND TO THE PAST' MODE

How does it feel like to be transported back in time...

To one of those eras of one's own life?

To one of those care-free, childlike times of one's own life...

School Time?

College Time?

~~~

With Co-Curricular Activities On Our Mind?

With Collegiate Societies On Our Mind?

Apart From Academics, Of Course!

~~~

It Sure Was Fun & Frolic Back Then, Wasn't It?

~~~

I  remember waiting eagerly for... 

The Debate Club at School...

And the Literature Society at College...

~~~

How avid one of those Debating - Interjecting Sessions used to be...

~~~

I always used to pick the harder to support side of an argument...

For instance...

If the motion was - 'Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely'...

It would be fairly easy to frame an argument agreeing to the above statement, in my opinion.

And...

It would be difficult to support the point that...

Absolute Power DOES NOT Corrupt Absolutely...

~~~

And I liked to take up the difficult part...

~~~

'FAST FORWARD TO THE PRESENT' MODE

How does it feel like to be reminded of one of those 'dear - to - the - heart' School or College memoirs by one of your own contemporaries...

The Friends & Co - Bloggers at Project 365 have done just that...

Put Up A Contentious Prompt, For The Day!

~~~

And as a matter of fact...

There's One Argument In My Mind, Perfectly Suited For This Prompt.

The Motion For The Day Is...

~~~

Bribery And Corruption - Stepping Stones To Fame And Prosperity...

Personally, I would've liked to take up the difficult part of supporting the motion...

Of saying that the wealthy Babus are actually prospering, if not getting famous, for one part.

But, since I'm Guest Authoring Project 365...

There's bound to be a twist!

And I have a feeling - this role reversal is going to be Great!

~~~

With That Said...

Here's Presenting Yours Truly - Against The Motion... 

That Bribery & Corruption Are Stepping Stones To Fame & Prosperity!

~~~


~~~

Ours Is A Democratic Republic.

Our Preamble starts with the words...

"WE, The People Of India".

WE.

Not I...

Not Me...

Not Myself...

Selfish interests have not been accounted in the least.
And to Bribe & to be Corrupt is essentially to be Selfish...

But, true fame and prosperity cannot go hand in hand with bribery and corruption...
Prosperity encompasses wealth, health and happiness.
To be famous is essentially to be honored.

सत्यमेव जयते। 

This is the truth, that cannot be negated.

At no point in his life will a dishonest person be able to free himself of the consequences of his action.
So, even if he gains the wealth of the whole world, he loses his soul and thus can never truly prosper.

Such wealth can only give one a false sense of security and complacence, i.e. we miss the wheat, for the chaff, which comes attractively packaged.

People who talk the language of bribery and corruption are often up for sale, themselves.
Greedy doctors perform unnecessary operations, lawyers bend the truth, accountants and secretaries falsify reports but when the bubble bursts, the corrupt find themselves standing amid the ruins of their own lives.

How can a guilty conscience field a strong character?
So, how can fame & prosperity be buttressed by spineless individuals?

By Hook Or By Crook...

Sounds pretty good...

Only That...

The Crook Ends Up Hanging From The Hook, Himself!

It is not just the end that's important but the means to reach that end.

We cannot progress by destroying the moral and social thread of the people.

If you believe that corruption and bribery define a way of life, you are casting yourself in the sorry state of the Devil's Advocate, Dear Friend...

Corruption takes away vigor from our arms, wisdom from our councils and every shadow of authority and credit from the most venerable parts of our being.

For, Bribery & Corruption can buy you an Existence but certainly not a Life.


~~~

This post is a part of the WordPress Daily Prompts : 365 Writing Prompts program where the aim is to post at least one post a day based on the day's prompt.

Today's Prompt was a 'Free Prompt' provided to all of us, Guest Authors.

The Prompt is, Bone Of Contention - 'Pick A Contentious Issue About Which You Care Deeply.
Write A Post Defending The Opposite Position And Then Reflect On How It Was Like To Do That.'

This is my Fifth Post as a guest author to Project 365 : We Post Daily!

Sunday 16 March 2014

~*Going Further To Step Closer...*~

Marriage Is One Of Those Relationships...

Which Is Based On Mutual Feelings...

Marriage Is One Of Those Relationships...

Which Never Holds Without A Balance...

~~~

On One Hand, Where Marriage Depends On  #MrAndMrs...

On The Other Hand, It Also Depends On The Family's Reminisces...

~~~

Familial Responsibilities Bind Both #MrAndMrs From The First Day Itself...

 And The Urge To Meet Each Family Member's Expectations Takes Precedence...

~~~

It Goes Unsaid...

Marriage Is A New & Unique Experience For Each Individual...

~~~

Such Is The Story Of Sumeet & Chetna...

A Heart Warming Story...

Where They...

Go Further To Get Closer!


~~~
A Touching Story...
Of How...
Sumeet realizes the presence of a void in their marital lives, to fill that void was a necessity...
Sumeet realizes Chetna's silent aspirations...
The ones she never proclaimed to him...
But the ones which were always there in her heart...
Sumeet listens to his heart and connects to Chetna's heart as well! :)
~~~
This Is Not One Of Your Mainstream Stories...
Which Details A Longing For That Fairy  - Tale Ending...
And Everything Goes Hunky - Dory In The End!
~~~
This Is One Of Those Unconventional Stories...
Wherein Each One Of Us Pictures Ourselves As Sumeet Or Chetna...
And Desire To Live This Story As A Reality...
With Our Spouses As Chetna Or Sumeet...
~~~
It Is One Of Those Stories Which Invoke A Sense Of Mirroring Emotions...
And Invoke A Sense Of Yearning For That Dream To Turn To Reality For Us Too...
~~~
It's All About...
How Far Would You Go...

To Get The Closest To Your Loved One?

~~~
In my opinion, it's the heart - connect that works wonders...
It's that realization of togetherness that works wonders...
Be it a marital relationship...
Or any other...
~~~

Fascinating Is The Bond Of Love, Culminating Into Matrimony...
Unifying Two Souls As One, Seven Vows Stand As Testimony...
Resonates That Necessity Of A Balance, It's Very Unavoidable...
Tailoring One's Aspiration - To Match That Of Thy Life Partner...
Heralding That Change In Life, Anew - That Itself's A Charmer...
Echoing The Voice Of Hearts - All It Takes Is Patient Listening...
Reverberates A Love, That Bond Is So Gradually Strengthening...

Transformation Is What It Brings With It - That Vivid Marital Bonding...
Occupies The Mind - Care & Love For One Another - It's Enchanting...

Culminating In That Bond There - Is An Understanding - Mutual...
Looking Beyond The Words - Listen To The Heart - It's Crucial!
Occasional Acts Of Caring, They Touch The Heart - It Is Divine...
Searching For Each Other's Joys - For 'Us' - Not 'Me' - We Shine!
Echoes This Fact - Far And Wide - We've Taken A Step Farther...
Remember, In Doing This, We Discover Ourselves & Come Closer!
~~~
This post is written as a part of 'Go Further To Get Closer' Contest organised by British Airways in association with IndiBlogger.
You can vote for it here.

Saturday 15 March 2014

The Tale Of The Jade, The Bake, And...

Top post on IndiBlogger.in, the community of Indian Bloggers
IndiStar!

BlogAdda's Mention!

~~~

"Mom!
Mom!

Where Are You?
Where Are You?"

This was Jhanvi, frantically searching the entire house for her Mother.

Dad, Grandpa, Grandma, even their pet cat, Daisy, seemed to have no clue!

It was her special day and the most special person in her life, her Mother was nowhere to be seen!

~~~

Just then it dawned upon her...

The one piece missing from the puzzle...

The Teen-ish Treasure Tracker as the Mother - Daughter duo, liked to call it, was a ritualistic game ever since Jhanvi's Thirteenth.

It was her Nineteeth today.

The Last Teen-ish Treasure Tracker for Jhanvi was here.

So, this game's rules struck Jhanvi for a while...

~~~

Mom! - Mom had combined that essence of Christmas Day with Jhanvi's Day...

In a game, which concealed her Birthday Present in its folds, each year...

There was only ONE Rule to the Game, followed by Mother - Daughter alike...

Mom! - Mom had stirred a surprise for the concluding Teen-ish Treasure Trove...

~~~

She'd bet her Mother's disappearance was a part of the surprise!

The Ultimate Rule Was...

The House Would Be Laid With Clues For The Day, which J had to reveal and connect.

But J had checked all rooms in search of Mom, and no clue was in sight!

All?

'My Own Room!' - J Exclaimed!

She dashed to her room, and reached out for the wardrobe.

In that small drawer, which had that star shaped key chain, lay the first clue.

Jhanvi's sixth sense was right.

The star held the clue.

The star had 9 edges and a Sun outlined ...

~~~

Jhanvi had been playing this game for the past six years!

'Think. Think.
9 Edges
Star
Sun


Nine - Time Maybe?
Star - A Star Shaped Clock In Her Room?
Sun - Morning!

Time On The Wall Clock!

It Was 8:50 AM.

Ten Minutes To Go...

9:00 AM.

~~~

'Jhanvi! See who's come early in the morn to meet you...' 

This was Dad, calling out to J, prompting her to run down the stairs...

On the door, stood her best friend, Himani!

Turns out she had come, not to wish her but to give her a wrapped box...

No, it could not be! Himani could not forget J's birthday!

But Himani just handed over that box and left.

'I have to unwrap that box this very moment!' - J thought to herself...

~~~

She ran back to her room, unwrapped the box, to find Grandma's favorite Jade ear-ring
But, where did the one for the right ear go?

It was only one ear-ring!

How did Himani get Grandma's ear-ring?
And where was the second of the pair?

~~~

'Jhanvi! Have you seen my Jadey?'

Jadey was how Grandma liked to call it...

J ran to Grandma's room, gave her the Jadey.

Turns out Grandma didn't have a clue about the connection with Himani.
Just that Grandma's Jadey's  were restored.

Before she left the room, J spotted a Visiting Card on the bed...

It said - 'The Baker's Brew!'

J's favorite bakery!

It read - 'Collection Time - 3 'o' clock.'

Second Clue?

Jhanvi was quick to comprehend - her birthday cake was due!

Mom, where ever she was, would surely turn up at the bakery for the cake.

She'd bet it was her favorite 'Icy Blue Cream Creation'!

Were Grandma's Jadey & Himani a part of Mom's plan?

~~~

Only 12 Noon by the clock?

Another Three Hours To Go?

J Couldn't Wait Anymore...

But Mom refused to even receive her call...

~~~

And, as she was passing by Grandpa's room, she heard Dad and Grandpa talk in whispers.

Third Clue, maybe?

She could hear Daisy's name and her own.

And, Grandpa called out to her...

'Jhanvi! Dear, could you please clear Daisy's litter box? It hasn't been cleared since last night.'
'Sure Grandpa!'

'And, could you please collect my spectacles from the Optician's?'
'Sure Grandpa!'

One thing for sure.

Dad & Grandpa were a part of Mom's Surprise.

~~~

Two Tasks...

The litter box was a 5-minute affair...

It was the to-and-fro travel to the Optician's and the rush at the shop that made the clock strike 2:30 PM!

By this time, J had a separate plan taking shape in her mind.

She made it a point to visit The Baker's Brew at 3:00 PM.

~~~

3 'o' clock at the Bakery...

Jhanvi noticed Mom's car outside the shop and drove home.

She was sure to find Mom, Dad, Grandpa, Grandma & Daisy geared up for her B'day Bash!

~~~

J reached home by 4 'o' clock, owing to the heavy traffic, of course.

To her surprise, three guests apart from family were there to welcome her.

~~~

First, Mom was back home. With her Icy Blue Cream Creation!

Second, J's maternal Uncle & Aunt had joined in!

Third, Himani was there too!

~~~

Jhanvi put together all the pieces.

~~~

Mom had disappeared for the day.

Himani had given her Grandma's Jade ear-ring, which led J to the visiting card.

Dad & Grandpa had planned to send J out of the house for a whole 4 hours!

~~~

'Mom!

Let's end this last Treasure Trove gracefully.

I've managed to figure that Himani, Grandma's Jadey and Dad & Grandpa have been with you, the whole day.

Let's just reveal my last Teen-ish present too, Pretty Please'.

~~~

Mom & Dad took centre - stage.

Attached to the Bakery Box's side was a small chit which proclaimed...

Jhanvi, you're a smart girl.

For You,

Here's your smarter companion...

~~~

As J finished reading it aloud, she found a Nokia Lumia 820 on the glass table!

~~~

And, that's how Jhanvi's 19th could be summed up as...

The Tale Of The Jade, The Bake...

The Curious Case Of The Lumia!

~~~


~~~

This post is a part of Write Over The Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda.
BlogAdda gives out a creative writing theme each weekend for Indian bloggers.

This is my second fiction attempt after The Mysterious Look, which had been penned for WOW! in the past.

~~~

Wednesday 5 March 2014

Stepping Into _ _ _ _ _ _'s Feet...

 Top post on IndiBlogger.in, the community of Indian Bloggers
~~~

Up At Half Past Six In The Morn...
That Way The Mornings Are Born...

A Watch Through Each Member's Rooms...
A Morn Tea Snack, The Eye  Lens  Zooms...

Next Comes That Newspaper - A Reverse View...
Followed By Breakfast - Bread 'n' Milk - Anew!

~~~

Time To Bid The Working Members A Happy Goodbye...
Wished To Have Them Home Early - Don't You Dare Deny!

And A Glance At The Wall Clock - I Am Alarmed...
Half Past Eleven - With The Remote, Who's Armed?

Telly Time On Now - Awaiting My Favorite Show...
Not Going To Miss It, Have To Watch It Any How!

~~~

Watching My Comrades On Telly, I Jump With Joy!
A Whole Hour's Up - Time Flies - Oh Boy! Oh Boy!

Winding Up With Telly, The Clock Strikes One!
Belly Calling, Go Boy - Very Tasty Chicken Bun!

Belly Full, With The Pastime Done...
Telly Watched, All Things But One!

~~~

Striking Two Is Nap Time, Strike Five And I'm Up!
Just In Time For Their Welcome, To Inquire - Sup?

The Members Back From Work, Yes They Are...
One Happy Family - Together For Tea, They Are!

I Get To Spend Time, With Each Individual...
Play Time Is Here - Till Six, It's Very Casual!

~~~

Quarter Past Six - An Extended Family Visits...
Having Guests Over - For Pleasurable Spirits!

Pampered By Everyone, I Am Treated Like A Prince...
Let Them Take Me To Their Place, They Do Convince!

My Active Outlook Appeals To Them So Much So...
Even I Love Them Inside,  Love Them So Much So...

~~~

Dinner Time With Them, They Have A Platter Complete...
While I, So Heartily, Feast On My Bread 'n' Egg's Treat...

The Clock, Meanwhile, Hastily Strikes Half Past Ten...
And Then I Know, This Long Day Closes Precisely Then!

I Proceed For The Day's Closure - It's Nap Time...
Read, Till This Last Moment, My Routine Rhyme...


~~~

This post is a part of the WordPress Daily Prompts : 365 Writing Prompts program where the aim is to post at least one post a day based on the day's prompt.

Today's Prompt was a 'Free Prompt' provided to all of us, Guest Authors.

The Prompt is, Perspective - 'Write About The Last Disagreement You Had With A Friend Or Family Member - From Their Perspective'

If You Haven't Guessed It Already, This Post Is Written From The Perspective Of A Four Legged Canine Friend & Family Member...

...Sans Any Disagreement. I've Modified The Prompt As One Cannot Possibly Disagree With Such An Adorable Being...

This is my Fourth Post as a guest author to Project 365 : We Post Daily!

~~~

Monday 3 March 2014

Not There, For Heaven's Sake!

Top post on IndiBlogger.in, the community of Indian Bloggers

~~~

Just as Humans constitute an entire Species...
So do Places constitute the entire Universe...

Humans...
All types of Humans...

Places...
All varieties of Places...

~~~

Places...

Places Worth Visiting...
Places Not Worth Visiting Too...

Hills...

Plains...

Beaches...

Plateaus...

~~~

OK.

This is not Geography Class...

Refrain!

~~~

Back To Places...

~~~

Beautiful Places...

Picturesque Places...

Cold Places...

Hot Places...

Even Scary Places...

~~~

With Holiday Season approaching,

Many of us plan a list of 'Want To Visit' Places...

What About 'Not To Visit' Places?

Puzzled?

~~~

What if you were asked, about a place in the world, you would never want to visit?

Well,

I have one place in mind...

But, in no way connected to Tourist Places...

~~~

A Bad Place...

Not Connected To Tourism...

A Place Which Spells Despair...

A Place Which Is Ominous...

~~~

Guess Please...

Are These Pointers Enough?

~~~

The One Place...

I Would Never, Ever...

Want To Visit...

In My Life...

~~~

A Cemetery Is A Place, I Dread!

~~~


C Spells A Dreaded Place, A Cemetery...
Emerges An Unpleasant, Dismal Imagery...
Mourn Over My Mother, I Visited In 2K9!
Entombed Her, I Pray, Everything Be Fine!
Terrorized I Stood - Infinitely Tragic Place...
Evoking Mournful Nostalgia, Straight Face...
Reminiscing A Demise, The Memory, Oh No!
Yearn To Ever Visit In The World, Never Go!

~~~

This post is dedicated to my mother, who left for her heavenly abode on September 30, 2009.
She'd died an early death at the age of 73 owing to a chain of illnesses.
Most of all, she was able to sustain with brain hemorrhage for a whole week!

This prompt came easy as it's not geographical places I would like to refuse to visit.
It's this one place, which weighed heavy on me emotionally and psychologically, as the whole instance was unexpected...
Nevertheless, I have posted my take and have carried it off with grace, in my opinion...

I would love to hear a word or two from my readers regarding my choice... :)

~~~

This post is a part of the WordPress Daily Prompts : 365 Writing Prompts program where the aim is to post at least one post a day based on the day's prompt.

Today's Prompt was a 'Free Prompt' provided to all of us, Guest Authors.

The Prompt is, No, Thanks - 'Is There A Place In The World You Never Want To Visit?
Where And Why Not?'

This is my Third Post as a guest author to Project 365 : We Post Daily!