Sisters through thick & thin #29

I have put these pictures on FB already, so some of you have seen these, but not everybody who reads my blog is my FB friend... so here again.



I was looking through my pictures of India, the trip I made last year with Jasmine and Juliet and saw so many nice images. That trip was just amazing! They don't call it Incredible India for nothing!!



I really want to go back and explore more of India, I mean I have only seen Mumbai and Delhi... there is SO MUCH MORE!!

Then when I was looking through the pictures I noticed that Jasmine and Juliet often grab each others hand or touch each other in one way or the other. So good to see that close bond between the 2, hopefully that stays like that forever!




I know that siblings not always have a strong bond, like me and my brothers, there is not much bond going on. As a kid yes we played a lot together, but now as adults we hardly talk or hang out. Well... that part is also harder because I don't live in the Netherlands, but even if I would I probably would not hang out with them. We are just so different!




So I am hoping that JJ & Jezz will be always best friends and keep that strong bond. Probably it will... because I haven't read many stories of twins that are not good together, but you never know.

For now... let's enjoy these smiles, giggles, holding hands and having fun together...



And hopefully they don't want to kill each other in a few years, or not hang out with each other as much anymore. Because now these girls are joined at the hip. Which this momma likes :-).... a lot!!



BTW If you like to know how I got the effect on these pictures... I first turned them into Black & White and then went to PICNIC a free photo editing program from PICASA and added the 1960 tool to it, and it turns the pictures in this lovely pink hue and makes the corners round, just with one click of a button!

Nice or not??

Enjoy your Sunday!
Mireille xx

Bye Bye Incredible India!

... at least for now!



But I want to come back and see other regions and wonders like one of the Seven Wonders of the World; the Taj Mahal in Agra, which I didn't have time on this trip. But also Goa and her beautiful beaches. And then not to forget Gods Own Country; Kerala and the Himalaya's, these are just a few places out of the top of my head and Rajasthan I am also curious about. With its desert and temples... so much to see so little time!



We will be back, but for now this was my peek into Mumba with 13 posts and 122 pictures, spread out just over 4 days! And Delhi with 9 posts and 115 pictures, spread out over just 2,5 days! That means that in total I did 22 blog posts and 237 pictures!!

I hope you got a good impression about these intruiging cities, their people, food and culture. I mean I could write on and on about these locations, they are complex, full of life day and night, rich and poor... every spectrum on the universe is here. It is fascinating and I am so happy I made this trip!!

Put India on your bucket list, it is worth it!!

Thank You Charu, Ravi, Dhruv, Vidur, Kavita, Anil and Akshay for hosting me and showing me around! It was a true blessing to see you again!! And I hope you ALL come to South Africa!! SOON! I'll promise you I will treat you like Kings & Queens just like you did!!



Back to my normal life here in South Africa!
Ciao, Mireille xx

~ Qutab Minar ~ the World tallest brick minaret

I had printed out this top 10 to do lists for Delhi and Mumbai, and the Qutab Minar was one of the 10 things to see in Delhi. So on our last day in Delhi, we just had this monument left and another trip to the mall to get some last minute shopping and the food court for all the food that was left on the list... more abut that later.

Qutab Minar, is the tallest brick minaret in the world with a height of 72.5 meters (237.8 ft)! It is an incredible example of early Indo-Islamic architecture. It was buiilt in 1206... do you register that?? 1206!! But the reason remains a mystery... I like that :-) gives it that mystic.. nice when you walk around there, although for the girls it was just another monument that mommy had to see! LOL Later they will appreciate that they have seen so much of the world... I mean only THIS year the girls (and us of course) will be traveling on 5 continents!! Which other 8 year old can say that?!





Some believe that it was made to signify victory and the beginning of Muslim rule in India, while others say it was used to call the faithful to prayer. The tower has five distinct stories, and is covered with intricate carvings and verses from the holy Koran. It is surrounded by several other ancient and medieval structures and ruins, collectively known as Qutub complex.





As you can see by now I really LOVE LOVE those lacy windows, at every site I made the girls pose in front of it :-)



While we wandered around this gorgeous site, the girls were telling me they wanted to go into modeling again. They used to do some gigs in New York City and now they wanted to start again... so funny especially Jezz was into it today... you will see :-)
Too funny! (Jezz is wearing the yellow top, look at her poses, the feet, the hands, she is really into it, while JJ is just standing there a bit... trying to do her best, but not with the full motivation Jezz is doing it...)







































And after all these poses Jasmine gave it her best.... LOL, these girls are the funniest!! haha



Really incredible beautiful this site, worth going to when you are in Delhi!!
This was almost my last post... tomorrow the long awaited topic of my trip to Incredible India!

Are you seduced to go now??
Do it... you will like it as much as I do!
Ciao, Mireille xx

Just another girl...

2 posts today although I had this planned for Thursday but since it is International Day for Street Children today, I will get this out now... Raise your Voices for Street Children. See this link here as well. Help spread the word so that governments need to listen. Post it on your FB page or on your blog!

This hit home for me, because just on my trip to India I came across many street children, see my story below..

While we were done looking at the Humayun' tomb and going back home we were stuck in a traffic jam and this girl came so close to my window looking with these huge eyes at me and then she started to do tricks... in between all these cars, hardly any space but she did a cartwheel, and bending her body through this iron ring... like a snake girl. She was very bendy and JJ and Jezz were amazed with her flexibility.... suddenly they were NOT interested in their Nintendo DS but watching this girl doing tricks for money... I wonder how long it will take before the tricks and bending her body will change in some other body bending... :-(

She must have been only a year or 2 older than JJ and Jezz, and my heart felt heavy for her... so I opened my window and gave her some rupees. Immediately her brother or another little boy came to my window and also wanted to do some tricks for me... but then the car started moving again... and we lost sight.







Unfortunately there are too many of these street kids around in India... in the world for that matter!
I wish I could help them all!

Just another girl, but those eyes keep me haunting! sigh...
Help, do something to spread the word! Let's be LOUDER TOGETHER!!

Have a happy day,
Mireille xx

Humayun's Tomb ~ UNESCO world heritage

We went to another gorgeous site here in Delhi... I mean there is no ending to beautiful monuments here in this city! After being so giddy in the Lover's... uhh Lodi gardens the girls are now totally cheeky, making jokes and funny faces the whole time. They are probably soo bored with seeing these sites that mommy really wants to see and photograph that they kind of found something else to keep themselves occupied... Oh well, it is fine with me as long as they are still happy! LOL

(this picture is not mine, the rest are)


Humayun's tomb is known as the first example of the monumental scale that would characterize subsequent Mughal imperial architecture. Commissioned, it is believed, by Humayun's senior widow, Haji Begam, or by her son Akbar, the tomb is the first to mark the grave of a Mughal emperor; Humayun's father Babur, who founded the dynasty, had requested out of piety that he be buried in a garden. Humayun's Tomb is now one of the best-preserved Mughal monuments in Delhi.

If you think it looks a bit like the Taj Mahal in Agra, that's because it was the inspiration for the Taj Mahal's creation. The tomb was built in 1570, and houses the body of the second Mughal emperor, Humayun. The tomb is part of a greater complex that's set amongst beautiful gardens. Which you have to walk through before you see this magnificent tomb!









JJ and Jezz are totally in the mood to goof around, so I am snapping around to get some funny shots of them :-)
(BTW Wendy; The outfits are from Naartjie)







To make this picture less static I asked them to jump up and down, it brings more vibe to an otherwise such a formal picture.. they had no problem with that :-)





Inside the tomb now and everybody was kind of whispering and quite, since there are a few dead bodies laying there... the girls totally couldn't hold themselves together, but in a whisper tone they were making funny faces and joking around... these kids crack me up!







The gardens around the tomb were so beautiful, it was such a great monument!!



The grave of Emperor Humayun is located in the central mortuary room of the tomb. Apart from this, a number of other Mughal luminaries, such as Hamida Begum (Akbar's mother), Dara Shikoh (Shah Jahan's son) and Bahadur Shah II (last Mughal Emperor), were also buried herein.





I love how the light falls through the lace stonework..



Some local tourist enjoying the site as well... always so dressed up in those great colors!



And a last look back before we get out... and the girls can't stop being cheeky and jumping of joy... to leave this place haha!



I tried to be at each monument each day around sunset since the lighting is the best to take pictures, and indeed it did not disappoint me, the light in India is just amazing so soft and glowing, just Incredible!!

Try to do the same if you go to Delhi, hit the tombs, forts and minars in the afternoon. It will be a huge difference having the sun coming from an angle and have this golden light shine upon the sites instead of the 12'oclock bright and harsh lighting... the effect will be so different and not so magical!

Go and visit India you will not be disappointed!! And if you have been what was your favorite place of all?
Mireille xx