Explorer of Experiences

This was my first published work for The Punekar . This website is a great resource for someone new to Pune and just about anyone who wants to make the most of their time in this lovely little city! I met Benedicte through some official work and we kept in touch. Her unassuming nature and simplicity is quite enduring and I really enjoyed presenting her story of settling into Pune being an expat. Hope you enjoy the read. Here is the link: http://www.thepunekar.com/in-conversation-with-benedicte-le-bris/2014/09/ A  kurta  over denims. That is not what I expected to see a French lady wearing when she walked into the café for our tete-a-tete. Say Hello to Benedicte Le Bris; simple-looking, comfortable in her skin, and blending in with the crowd – she is an atypical expat. Originally from Plaisir, a small suburban town, a 40-minute train journey from Paris, Benedicte’s tryst with Pune began in 2013 when she accompanied her husband, a Maharashtrian, to Pune from Londo...

My mind was set on a week-long solo trip to Leh-Ladakh. And then before I know it, I’m watching the Mumbai runway hide behind white clouds from ‘Asia’s Boutique Airline’ (Bangkok Airways, if you must know) flying its way to Thailand. Don't ask me how that happened! But I am not complaining; Leh-Ladakh can wait until next year.  Recounting my entire trip would make one very long blog post, hence there are three parts to my 'Seclusion and Shopping in Thailand' series. Bustling Bangkok was the first and this one is my second. QUIRKY THAILAND Thailand is quirky, Thailand is strange, its peculiarity is its speciality... There is so much this country has to offer. Some things you can make sense of and some which just do not fit into the puzzle. Some which amuse and some which bemuse. I am sharing these accounts which really struck me on my trip.  I loved every restroom I visited! No kidding. No matter where or in how remote a location I was, the loos I we...