07/07/2007 unique date !!

The 7th of July 2007, proved to be a very exciting and fun filled day not just for my family but turns out that the entire world was celebrating in some way or the other.

First let me tell you what was happening in Singapore on this day. There were a record number of 777 weddings were solemnised on this unique date that appears once in a century !!

Not only was the date significant due to the three 7s but also that it was a very auspicious date as per the Chinese calender too.

Around the world, pop stars, politicians and Hollywood celebrities drummed home the dangers of global warming on the 7th in a series of "Live Earth" concerts spanning the globe and urging people to go green. This though was a musical concert, the message that was put across to every person on Earth was a very serious one. "Go Green"

Live Earth featured some 7,000 events in 129 countries, with a smaller concert staged in the Japanese city of Kyoto and an unusual performance by scientists-cum-rockers Nunatak in Antarctica, where temperatures have risen by nearly three degrees Celsius in the last 50 years.

To know more about the concert you can visit: http://www.liveearth.org/

At our family level we decided to complete a long standing commitment, which was to go fishing with friends. We had been putting off this plan for almost 2 months, but decided to do something special on the truly spectacular day (guess what it even rained thus bringing down the rising mercury !!).

We set off for Pasir Ris, where our friends stay and after a hurried lunch and after a bit of TV we headed towards the fishing pond. None of us had ever held a fishing rod in our hand so you can imagine what we were doing there. We had to ask the person issuing the rods and baits to teach us how to put the hook and attach the bait to the hook !!

Then we (my son and I) were sitting near the pond while the trio (my husband Amol, Anand & Ranjeeta) looked around us for much needed guidance and tutorials. Anand insisted on supervising the event so that meant that he would not touch the rod nor would he touch the fish once and if we caught one. I was 'in-charge' of my son; so that left Amol & Ranjeeta to take turns holding the rod in water with the bait.

They were very patient, and waited for the 'tug', all along watching a guy nearby catching one fish after another. On two instances the much awaited 'tug' was felt on the bait & rod and Amol & Ranjeeta tried to steer the fish out of water, but the fish (smart boy!!) just ate the bait and ran off (oops swam off).

We were lucky on the third 'tug', Amol after his previous two experiences, waited and played along as the fish tried to free itself and tugged harder at the line. The idea was to tire the fish as it tried to free itself, as it gets ready to give up it surfaces and that is when you are to fish it out. That is exactly what Amol did and Voila!! we had a 1.5Kg fish out of the pond.

What an achievement for first timers!! Wow we were all exhilarated and the tiniest member of our crew ran down from my arms and was ready to touch the fish. He said "Mumma..mumma ishhh ishh" running around the fish, looking at it with a curiosity that only a child can have.

We were to continue fishing as there was some time still left as per our ticket. So we again sat around the pond and tried again and again to get one more fish; but alas !! that was not to be. Much to my sons disappointment :(

We were very proud of our catch and took it to a small shop to de-scale and cut it. Actually that's where we came to know its weight. The lady there complimented us on the catch and suggested we make 'fish curry' with the fish.

The fish was finally fried, we watched a bit of the Ladies' Singles Final at Wimbledon as we ate.

Venus Williams won her fourth fourth Championship with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over France's Marion Bartoli.

What a day...everyone was doing something special in their own way !!