McDonalds Drive Thru @ Kasturba Road

These stones tell you many stories…

After an exhausting evening at Avenue Road, on our way back we stopped at McDonalds at Kasturba Road for a quick bite. Being 10.30 at night we thought McDonalds would be a convenient option. As usual, we grabbed our meals and headed upstairs. The best thing here is the usage of pebbles as part of the restaurant interiors. Whoever gets in here, have something or the other to pen in these pebbles. Their feelings, emotions, friendship, love, fun, illustrations, graphics and so on. You get to read many stories from these pebbles.

Imagination has always been a favorite hobby or pastime for me. It is somewhat interesting observing these pebbles and imagining the stories from the engraved illustrations or names. Some scribble about their emotions to their partners, the depth of friendship with their names engraved in blue, red ballpoint pens or even using a permanent marker. Creative thinkers would scribble or illustrate creative graphics on them. Its like, when you pick each pebble from the box, you get to imagine a story behind that. 
 

At times, I get back to my college days where we used to have such fun when with friends. A couple of year back, I had come to the same McDonalds and my friend had done a portrait on the pebble. I remembered that and I was trying to find that particular pebble. After few minutes search, I found that pebble and I started laughing looking at the pebble. My friend had drawn a girl’s portrait and someone had added a mustache on that. That was funny! Things will not remain the same when you next find them. This is what I thought at that moment.
 

I love to visit this place always, cherishing my memories and creating stories from someone else’s memories.

Here is the link to the pictures taken at the McDonalds drive thru… https://plus.google.com/photos/107767421120953479303/albums/5680325651489142209

P.S: All the images here are copyright protected to Prashant Bhandare. Anyone who wants to publish or use these images for any purpose, please contact the concerned for permission.

Nicholas Sparks –The author I admire

Every time I step into ‘Sapna Book House’ I just can’t walk out without visiting novel section. And every time I find a Novel by Nicholas Sparks, I’ll pick each of his books and think whether to buy and so. I always have a passion for reading, especially true love stories and Nicholas Sparks knows exactly how to tug at a reader’s heartstring. One day I wish to have a small library of my own at my home and all of Sparks collection will definitely be there.

I first read ‘The Notebook’ his first published novel. This has been one of the most romantic stories that I have read! A very special love and relationship that not many people find these days. It’s about true love story, entire book tells you about true love story, the most beautiful description of a boy meets a girl, and loses her, again find her, then loses her again. Its exactly how every person wants to be loved one day. This book inspired me not only about Sparks writing but inspired me to know what true love feels like. I definitely recommend this book to all and I’ve made my friends read this book.

‘Dear John’ is the second book by Sparks which I read. Not everyone who reads this story will like. But I liked this story, its light and it may not be enjoyable to read. This book has a tragic ending, which makes us think not all love stories will have a happy ending. The father and the son relationship is described so beautifully in the novel, it makes one cry. Love changes us forever is what Sparks has conveyed through this book.

This New Year when we played secret angel game, my friends and myself played a lot of pranks. At the end, I was gifted with this sweet story ‘Message in a Bottle’ by my secret angel, my best friend. This book is extremely romantic, very beautifully written and this book truly touched my heart. I loved reading the letters in this novel. I have read the letters in this novel again and again. In this IT era, I don’t find anyone valuing the letters. I definitely long for a letter from the love of my life (when I find my true love) to write me this kind of beautiful letter with all his feelings to me :P.

The letters written by Garrett with all his feelings to his wife Catherine, whose dead; are sealed in a bottle and tossed in the ocean. Inside the letter that opens with:

“My dearest Catherine, I miss you my darling, as I always do, but today is particularly hard because the ocean has been singing to me, and the song is that our life together…”

This book is wonderful, it will make you laugh to glory, cry, and long for love like this. You read this book and you’ll never regret.

‘A Walk to Remember’ – This book I started reading on a Friday night and next day morning I was done with the reading. It’s a neat book, true love story. When I brought this book, somehow I had a feeling that this book may not be great. But when I read, it’s amazing. The story is about a 17 year old boy and girl despite the difference of their personality. Fate brings two hearts together. When I was reading this book I was just wondering how powerful love can be!

And now whenever I go to Sapna Book House, I have to debate on how many books I should buy in a month. I have limited to buy only 2 books per month and I’ve already got 2 books for this month. One Book I’ve already finished reading ‘At First Sight’. It’s a nice story but not that great story too. It has a tragic ending, a man finds his true love at first sight. Somewhere in the middle of the story, I found myself in place of Jeremy where he gets so frustrated, unable to concentrate on what he's supposed to do, but then when he realizes his priorities in life, he gets back to normal. Sometimes, you just need to speak your heart out with someone who'll sit and just listen.

And the other book, I’ve started reading. ‘The Lucky One’ It’s the new addition by Nicholas Sparks, published in 2008 and it’s a thick book. So it’s a big story, so lots to learn from this story ;-)

I read lot of other books by other authors also. Recently I read a novel by Indian authors ‘Of course I love you… until I find someone better’ by Durjoy Dutta and Maanvi Ahuja. Simple nice story about college life which gives a message to move on in life. Its good to read good books, it gives lot of life lessons. “Jay ho” – Nicholas Sparks!!!