Things I'd like to share with you..

കുട്ടിച്ചാത്തൻ, അയ്യപ്പൻ, ശാസ്താവ്.

2019-04-03T00:28:00.001+05:30

ശബരിമലയിലെ അയ്യപ്പൻ സാക്ഷാൽ കുട്ടിച്ചാത്തൻ ആണെന്ന് പറയുമ്പോൾ തന്നെ നെറ്റിചുളിച്ചു “ഏഹ് എന്ത്?” എന്ന് ചോദിക്കുന്നവരായിരിക്കും നമ്മളിൽ പലരും . ഈ പുസ്തകം കിട്ടിയപ്പോള്‍ ഞാനും അതു തന്നെയാണല്ലോ ചെയ്തത്. ആർ. രാമാനദ് എഴുതിയിരിക്കുന്ന ഈ കൃതി വളരെയധികം ചർച്ചകൾക്കും വിശകലനത്തിനും വഴിയൊരുക്കേണ്ട ഒന്ന് തന്നെ ആണ്. വ്യക്തിപരമായി എനിക്കു യാതൊരു ചായിവും ഉള്ള വിഷയം അല്ല ഇത്. പക്ഷെ ചരിത്രപരമായി, നിഷ്പക്ഷമായ ഒരു നിലപാടിതിൽ എടുക്കെന്ടതുണ്ട് എന്ന് എനിക്ക് തോന്നുന്നു. കാരണം മറ്റോന്നുമല്ല, കഴിഞ്ഞ കുറച്ചു നാളായി നമ്മൾ മലയാളികൾക്കു തലയ്ക്കു തീ പിടിച്ചു നടക്കുകയാണല്ലോ – സ്ത്രീപ്രവേശനമെന്നും അശുദ്ധി എന്നും ആർത്തവം എന്നും പറഞ്ഞ് . തല്ലിയും തല്ലു കൊണ്ടും നടക്കുന്ന എല്ലാവരും ഇത് വായിച്ചാൽ നന്നായിരിക്കും എന്നതാണ് എന്റെ അഭിപ്രായം . ഒരു പക്ഷെ ഇപ്പറഞ്ഞ മലയാളി സമൂഹത്തിനെ നന്നായി അറിയാവുന്നതു കൊണ്ടാകും ഈ പുസ്തകത്തിന്റെ രചയിതാവ് ആമുഖത്തിൽ ഇങ്ങന്നെ എഴുതിയിരിക്കുന്നതു് –

“ഈ പുസ്തകം ഒരു പൊളിച്ചെഴുത്തോ വിഗ്രഹധ്വംസനമോ അല്ല. ഈ മണ്ണിൽ മൊട്ടിട്ടു വളർന്ന ഒരു സംസ്‌കൃതിയുടെ വേരുകൾ തേടാനുള്ള ഒരു എളിയ പരിശ്രമം മാത്രമാണ്. ഇതിൻെറ സത്യം പൂർണ്ണമായി അറിയാൻ ഇനിയുമെത്രെയോ അന്വേഷിക്കേണ്ടിയിരിക്കുന്ന്നു എന്ന പൂർണ്ണമായ ബോധ്യം ഉള്ളിൽ വെച്ച് കൊണ്ട് പറയട്ടെ , എഴുതിയ കാര്യങ്ങൾ എന്റെ ഉറച്ചു ബോധ്യമാണ്. യാതൊരു മുൻവിധിയോടും ഇതിനെ സമീപിക്കരുത് എന്നുമാത്രെമേ ഒരു അഭ്യർത്ഥനയുള്ളു. സ്വന്തം യുക്തിക്കു നിരക്കുന്നതാണെങ്കിൽ മാത്രം സ്വീകരിക്കുക, ഇല്ലെങ്കിൽ കരുണയില്ലാതെ തള്ളിക്കളയുക.”

നൂറു പുറങ്ങളിൽ കവിയാത്ത എഴുതിയിരിക്കുന്ന ഈ പുസ്തകം വളരെ നന്നായി തന്നെ ക്രമീകരിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു. നമ്മുടെ ഐതിഹ്യങ്ങളിൽ പരാമർശിക്കപ്പെട്ടിരിക്കുന്ന കുട്ടിച്ചാത്തൻ എങ്ങനെ അയ്യപ്പശാസ്താവ് ആയി എന്നതു രചയിതാവ് ചിട്ടയായി അവതരിപ്പിച്ചിട്ടുണ്ട്.

കോട്രവൈ അഥവാ കൊറ്റവൈ എന്ന യുദ്ധ ദേവതയെപ്പറ്റിയുള്ള പരാമർശങ്ങൾ സംഖകാല കൃതികളിൽ ഉണ്ട്. ഈ കോട്രവൈ തന്നെയാണ് നമ്മുടെ നാട്ടിൽ കരിനീലി എന്ന പേരിൽ ആരാധിക്കപ്പെട്ടിരുന്നത്. പിന്നീട് കരിനീലി എങ്ങനെ മാളികപ്പുറത്തമ്മയായി എന്നും ഇവിടെ തെളിവുകള്‍ സഹിതം വിശദീകരിച്ചിട്ടുണ്ട്.

അടുത്തതായി കുട്ടിച്ചാത്തൻ എന്ന കഥാപാത്രത്തെ കേരളത്തിൽ എങ്ങനെയൊക്കെ ആരാധിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു, കുട്ടിച്ചാത്തന്റെ ഐതിഹ്യം ദേശങ്ങൾ തോറും എങ്ങനെ മാറിയിരിക്കുന്നു, അവയ്ക്കു ശബരിമലയുമായി എങ്ങനെ ഒക്കെ സാമ്യം ഉണ്ട് ഇങ്ങനെ ഉള്ള കാര്യങ്ങൾ ചർച്ച ചെയ്യുന്നു.

എ. ഡി. ഒന്നാം നൂറ്റാണ്ടിൽ ബുദ്ധമതം വടക്കുനിന്ന് വ്യാപിച്ചു വന്നതിന്റെ ഫലമായി നമ്മുടെ നാട്ടിലും പ്രാദേശികമായി നിലനിന്ന ആചാരങ്ങളിൽ വളരെ ചെറുതെങ്കിലും പ്രകടമായ മാറ്റങ്ങൾ ഉണ്ടായിട്ടുണ്ട്. ബുദ്ധമതം രണ്ടു രീതിയിലാണ് വ്യാപിച്ചത്. ഗൗതമ ബുദ്ധൻ വെറും ഒരു മനുഷ്യൻ മാത്രം ആണെന്നും ദൈവീകമായ ഒന്നും ഇല്ലെന്നും ഒരുപക്ഷവും മറുപക്ഷത്തു ബുദ്ധന്റെ അമാനുഷികതയും, മനുഷ്യരുടെ പുനർജന്മവും സ്വർഗീയതയും. ഈ രണ്ടാമത് പറഞ്ഞ കൂട്ടരാണ് കേരളത്തിൽ എത്തിയതും അന്ന് നിലനിന്ന മത വ്യവസ്ഥിതികളിൽ അവരുടേതായ സ്വാധീനം ചെലുത്ത്തിനുള്ള തെളിവുകൾ ഇവിടെ നിരത്തികാട്ടുന്നു.

ശബരിമലയും അതിനെ ചുറ്റിപ്പറ്റിയുള്ള കഥകളും, അവിടുത്തെ ആദിവാസി സമൂഹവും ഗോത്ര വിഭാഗവും അവരുടെ ആരാധന ശൈലികളും ദ്രാവിദമാണെന്നും ഈ പുസ്തകം അടിവരയിടുന്നു. നാം എല്ലാം കേട്ടു പരിചിതമായ കഥകൾക്കും ആചാരങ്ങൾക്കും പിന്നിലെ സാധ്യതയുള്ള കുറച്ചു വസ്തുതകളെ പറ്റിയും പറയുന്നു. മകരവിളക്ക്, വെളിച്ചപ്പാട്, നാല്പത്തിഒന്നു ദിവസത്തെ വൃതം, മൃഗ ബലികൾ, പതിനെട്ടു പടി ഇതൊക്കെ പഴയ ഒരു അനുഷ്ടാന രീതിയുടെ ബാക്കിപത്രങ്ങൾ ആണെന്നത് നിഷേധിക്കാനാകില്ല.

ഇവിടെ ചർച്ച ചെയ്തിരിക്കുന്ന മിക്ക കാര്യങ്ങളും കേരളത്തിന്റെ എഴുതപെട്ട ചരിത്ര ഗ്രന്ഥങ്ങളില്‍ നിന്ന് ഉള്ള പരാമർശങ്ങളെ ആധാരമാക്കിയാണ്. അതിനാൽ തന്നെ എഴുത്തുകാരന്റെ വാദങ്ങൾക്കു ശക്തമായ പിൻബലം ഉണ്ട്. ആര്യവത്ക്കരണത്തിൽ പെട്ടു ‘ വ്യക്തിത്വം’ നഷ്ടപ്പെട്ട ദൈവങ്ങളാണ് നമ്മുടെ നാട്ടിൽ മിക്കവാറും ഉള്ളത്. ബ്രാഹ്മണാധിപത്യത്തിന്റെ ഇരകളാണ് കുട്ടിച്ചാത്തനും കോട്രവൈയും (കരിനീലി) എന്ന് അടിവരയിടുന്നു ഇവിടെ. യുഗങ്ങള്‍ തോറും വിശ്വാസങ്ങൾക്ക് ഉണ്ടാകുന്ന പരിണാമം എങ്ങനെ ഒരു ജനതയുടെ സാമൂഹിക വ്യവസ്ഥിതിക്കുണ്ടാകുന്ന മാറ്റങ്ങളുടെ നേർഫലം ആണെന്നും നമ്മുക്ക് ഈ പുസ്തകത്തിലൂടെ മനസിലാ

കും.

കേരളത്തിനെ സംബന്ധിച്ചിടത്തോളം നമ്മുടെ ചരിത്രത്തിന്റെ നല്ലൊരു ഭാഗം വായ്മൊഴിയായി മാത്രം നിലനിന്നു വന്നതാണ്. പ്രാചീന കൃതികളിൽ (പ്രത്യേകിച്ചും തമിഴ്) നമ്മുടെ നാടിന്റെ പറ്റിയുള്ള പരാമർശങ്ങളും, രാജ ശാസനകളും, ക്ഷേത്ര വിളംബരങ്ങളും , വീര കൃതികളും മാത്രമേ നമ്മുടെ ചരിത്രത്തിന്റെ പുനര്നിര്മിതിക്കു നമ്മുടെ പക്കൽ ഉള്ളു. അതുകൊണ്ടു തന്നെ ഒന്നും നമ്മുക്ക് തീർത്തു പറയാനോ വിശ്വസിക്കാനോ കഴിയില്ല .ഈ പുസ്തകത്തിനു എന്തെങ്കിലും കുറവ് ഉണ്ടെന്നു എനിക്ക് തോന്നിയിട്ടുണ്ടെങ്കിൽ അതു ഇതായിരിക്കും.അതിപ്പോൾ ശ്രീധരമേനോൻറെ കേരളചരിത്രം ആയാലും ലോഗന്റെ മലബാർ മാന്വൽ ആയാലും ഇത് തന്നെ പ്രശ്നം.

Kerala Literature Festival 2019 - Day 1

2019-01-10T02:02:00.000+05:30

I woke up really early, like around 5:00 am, was ready by 6:30, waiting for my 'fellow bloggers' to show up. We were supposed to have a briefing session by 8:30, which didn't really happen, to be precise. We reached the venue by 9:00 and went to attend our respective sessions. The first one that I sat for was by Amish Tripati - 'Immortal India: Young Country, Timeless Civilization which also happens to be the title of his new book. The others went to their respective sessions and I sat down with a notepad and took down whatever he was saying. It kinda made me wonder, am I a media person? Nope! But they did give me a media tag. Okay, but I'm not a news reporter, and I like to take it slow. So i took my time and did note down the important points. Each session is for an hour, at the 45 minute mark, the audience can ask questions, this is the format for all discussions, except for the fourth stage where each session was for 45 minutes only. This is one of the plus points I've noticed, all events started on time, and finished on time, no delay. To the minute!

As soon as Tripati's session was over (you can read about the whole session here) I walked over to where T. Padmanabhan was having his talk, and I met Joyce who was 'covering' it. I was never really a great fan of Malayalam novels (i plead guilty!), but however much I've read I owe it to that man, for I had to study his collection of short stories called 'Nalinakanthi' and it contained some of the best short stories I've ever read, and it nudged on the way of Malayalam works. Together we decided to go and meet him, maybe get an autograph too? For almost all of the writers who came to speak they had planend author signing sessions too, and we went to the designated spot after much deliberation and thought. Should we go and speak to him? Should we tell him we're fans? I think we must have looked like a bunch of weirdos who kept staring at him and talking to ourselves, just outside the pavilion, like fans who are dumbstruck after seeing their celebrity figures. After what was 5 minutes or so of discussion between us, we decided to go and get his autograph on our notepads, we didn't have any of his books on hand. As soon as we walked into the pavilion, still trying to figure out how to start talking to him, he got up, shook hands with the volunteers there and walked out by our side. We stepped aside to make way and let him pass. Yeah! He was gone, just like that. We consoled ourselves that we got to see him and hear him talk.

I was planning to attend a session called 'Lord Ayyappa and Untouchable Women' - but that was rescheduled to an earlier time. Missed it. Apparently there were some old schedules still being circulated around through the reception desk. Instead I went and sat for 'The Rhyme Bridge' - by H.S. Sivaprakash and Pratibha Nandakumar. These two Kannada poets were talking to us about the circumstances which resulted in their poems taking shape and ended up reading quite a few, and couple of them in Kannada too. Sivaprakash recited the English translation of his poem and insisted that the vocal tone of the poem can be best appreciated in it's native language even if we didn't understand the language. He was correct.

We decided to go and start writing about our respective sessions, but that was easier said than done. And people from the media team were under the impression that were were part of the news team, who were supposed to give updates. Uh-uh, no, I did not like that part one bit.
It's not my way of doing things, They clearly had no idea on how we were supposed to work. We cleared up the confusion and decided to take things slow. The book store was officially open for sales but it was too crowded that we were not able to even enter it. The inauguration ceremony was at 5:30. I sat for it and the agenda of the event was quite clear. To shed some light on the madness that has enveloped us, to knit back the fabric of our community that was torn apart by radical elements. We need an event like this, at a time like this when nothing seems to make sense. we need to sit down and listen and think for ourselves. The chief guest for the event was M.T. Vasudevan Nair. Representing this year's guest nation Wales - Alexandra Buchler lit the lamp and the festival director K. Satchidanandan addressed the gathering. There was quite a lot of people for the inauguration despite the fact that it was a weekday.

During the ceremony, my friend Vishnu had dropped by from NIT Calicut and we went together to see Mr. Ramachandra Guha who was talking on the 'Indian Road to Equality at Stage 2. I was hearing him speak for the first time and it was a powerful session. He commanded the audience with his strong voice and his knowledge. Yup and just like that day 1 was over. I heard Amish Triapti give his theory on Sabarimal issue, saw T. Padmanabhan, Benyamin, saw a whole bunch of writers at the Inaugration, heard Guha speak on Gandhi. It was an okay day. We took a look at the schedule for Day 2 and was hyped, we had some heavy hitters coming in.

To be continued...

All photos have been used from KLF official site.

Kerala Literature Festival 2019 (KLF)

2019-01-09T22:11:00.000+05:30

As with any blog post, I have been wondering how to start writing this one. Well it all started early in December when my friend shared a link asking me to apply for the post of official blogger for KLF. Skeptical at first as I hadn't written anything good apart from book reviews for over a year, I signed up in the end. Whether or not I got selected, the decision to attend the event had been made up, if not for the whole 4 days, I would be at the event on weekends. This was the fourth edition of KLF and since it's conception in the year 2016, it has come a long way and has now become the second largest literary festival in India. Held from 9th to 13th of January at Calicut Beach it saw a plethora of writers, poets and musicians. Coming back to my story, unexpectedly I got shortlisted on December 31 and as a final task, was asked to write another article from a set of three given topics. I received the confirmation on January 4th that I was selected.

Well for a guy who's looking for excuses to bump work, this was a blessing, sort of like winning the lottery. I'm currently working in Chennai and booked my tickets to leave on 8th evening, so as to reach there on the 9th as requested by the KLF team. It was around that time the All India Strike by the trade unions was announced, contrary to the popular and more common formats of 24 hrs or 12 hrs, this was a 48 hr strike. I guess when the government itself is experimenting on stupid projects and Tughlaqian schemes, why can't the opposition? Let them do it. Kudos!!

So with the a million (actually 10 or more) questions running in my head, I took the 5:00 PM Mangalore Express from Chennai Central Station and reached Calicut on the 9th at 4:30 AM. I waited for Joyce who was travelling with her father and would reach by 5:30. She was selected as one of the Malayalam bloggers. While waiting for them I checked online for cabs to the hotel. None. By 5:30 they arrived and we took a prepaid auto from the railway station entrance. After breakfast we decided to go checkout the venue and see all of the preparations. On reaching the beach, we could see three stages being erected and boards being put up. There was also a bookstall which, for us was the main attraction, and we were pretty sure that a good amount of money will be 'lost' there. A guy was painting a mural on a wall, and there was a small buzz, as a hint of things to come. The beach itself was calm, with morning joggers, walkers and people doing yoga with numerous groups playing football. Since it was day 2 of the strike and as we got an autorickshaw I was under the impression that maybe the strike isn't successful. It was not so. By 9 or 10 in the morning the supporters of the strike decided to block the roads and stop all taxis. So after visiting the venue we had to walk part of the way back to the hotel.

This made me wonder, will it affect the festival? Nah, I chided myself for thinking along those lines. People who love to be a part of events like these aren't fazed by strikes or bandhs. And that was the case in the next four days. By evening we met Neetha and Shilpa who were also invited as bloggers. So there were two English bloggers - myself and Neetha, and Joyce and Shilpa for Malayalam. We also met Riju who was taking care of things there and when asked about the preparations he admitted that they were sort of lagging behind due to the unavailability of workers in the past two days. He also told us that they will catch up on lost time and will finish all preparations before tomorrow morning.

The stages were erected on the north side of the beach and we learned that there were four in total named as - Ezhuthola, Aksharam, Thulika and Vaakku. There was a fifth room, where movies were screened - Vellithira, We were introduced to the media team which as well. From them we got to know of a Qawwali performance scheduled for the evening which would be a curtain raiser for the KLF. The stage was full and there were people crowded around it. We seated ourselves near the far right side by by the footpath. The performance was led by Ashraf Hydroz and it was magical (for lack of a more un-cliched word). The cool breeze from the sea, mingling with the music and accosted by the sound of waves created an evening to remember. He ended the performance with a rendition of 'Mast Kalandar' in which the crowd generously offered the chorus.

We went back with high hopes for Day 1

Kanyakumari - Part II

2018-02-07T08:56:00.002+05:30

Continued from Part I.

Inside the memorial there is a quote from Gandhi about Kanyakumari -

" I am writing this at the Cape, in front of the sea, where three waters meet and furnish a sight unequalled in the world. For this is no port of call for vessels. Like the goddess, the waters around are virgin."

At the center of the first floor there is a garnite pedestal like structure which marks the spot where the ashes of Gandhiji were placed before immersion.

From the ground floor there are stairs to the first floor, which has got a balcony and from there you can move on to the next floor as well. I was able to see most parts of the town and also far away I saw a watch tower. We decided that it would be our next stop. After taking some photos, we got down collected our footwear and proceeded towards the tower.

There was yet another ticket counter , the entrance fee was something like Rs.10 or so. I don't know why they were collecting money even for this place! To get to the top there was a spiral pathway built central to the structure. Even though the sunset was more than 1 hr away, the watch tower was almost half full, people already took up places where they thought they might get the best view. We found a spot for ourselves. Down below us lay the ocean, bathed in the red and gold hue of the setting sun. It was a sight to see. The sea was shimmering as the waves broke the surface as they traversed towards the shore and soon enough the pinkish hue of the horizon starting shifting towards a more deep red. And then the sun came out of the clouds. He was making one last final appearance before finally making his grand exit for the day. Hands down I'll admit that this was one of the best sunsets I've seen, the magnificence of it is indescribable. I was at a loss for words. There was nothing to do but soak in the moment. Enjoy one of the most played out drama's in the history of the world. The end of day and the start of the night.

Our next destination was an aquarium that we stumbled upon on our way back to the hotel. They had a notice board that said 'No Photography' and I was too naive to break that 'written rule'. Now when I think about I should have take some pics. What can I say about the place ? It was pretty cramped up and they was a very big queue leading into the place. The entrance fee was Rs.30 per person, but it's really worth it if you consider the variety of fishes on display. Here is a pic of some turtles inside the place, taken by my colleague who visited a few months later.

Moving on, the next place as a small park. The dilapidated state of the place might be the reason why so many were avoiding it. But when you've traveled 5 hrs on a crowded train to visit a place, when you are a 'tourist' you should suspend your judgment and get on with it, put your prejudices on hold. The main attraction of the place were some rides for kids, a fountain and an emu (yep, that's right, an Emu) . After some digging around on google I came to know that the name of the park was Tamil Annai Park - which can we roughly translated to 'Mother Tamil'. There were granite slabs inscribed with short verses from Thiruvalluvar's Tiruk kurals.

There was also a Museum which was closed, it was around 7:30 by now. And we started making our way back towards the room. Another place you should try and visit is the Tsunami memorial. As we got to the main road there was an exhibition based on Swami Vivekanada. It was called the Wandering Monk Exhibition. If you are not too fond of reading then avoid this place at all costs. The life and teachings of Swami Vivekanda are depicted in the numerous panels that adorn the walls. Each one with a detailed description about the sage. It makes for a really good read and the area was well maintained and clean. After dinner we decided to call it a day and head back. We had planned to see the sunrise tomorrow morning.

In love with the night.....

2017-12-30T01:47:00.001+05:30

The trains are always late. We've already established this fact. I don't blame anyone anymore but me. It is the day after Christmas. The office was pretty much empty. There was a DJ party organized as part of Christmas Celebrations, which I obviously did not attend.

It was 8:15 when the train finally found it's way onto platform number four. I started walking through the tracks. I was hungry. Hungry for a lot of things. The only thing i could satisfy at the moment was hunger for food. The rest would have to wait...

Delli Cafe was right around the corner. The thought of the curries and fresh rotis pulled me towards the general direction of the cafe like a magnet. I had made up my mind on the way that I'll be walking home. So I found myself at the heart of my town, Kollam, which we affectionately, and with a bit of pride call Quilon. Delli Cafe is on the Main Road. Yup that's the actual name of the road. It stretches from the town center and makes its way up to Kallupalam (Literally - Stone Bridge. I am yet to see any stones used in it's construction, been looking for stones ever since I came to know it's name). Here's a map of the main road, just to give you an idea.

I walked into the road from the side of the Grand and Prince Movie Theaters. There are numerous textile shops along the footpath. The mannequins are still on display, and beside them the workers rest, themselves looking like the plastic figures beside them. Had I been an hour early they would have shouted at the top of their voices and almost dragged me into their establishments. Now the day is done and so is their work. They are all taking a break and I am no longer the potential customer. Still I take no chances and keep my eyes on the road, fearing, that if they caught me looking at the merchandise, they might call out....The Main Road is the hub of all activity in Kollam. You can find almost everything here. It is like a major artery of my town, or it's spine if you will...

How often I have passed through this road. Oh almost forgot, it's a one way road towards Kollam Town Center. The first shop that catches your eye if you were to start walking from Kollam is Quilon Sports Land. I've been seeing that shop since my childhood days.The cricket bats and footballs, jerseys and those trophies.Take a few more steps, you'll notice General Bakery on the same side. It was still open. Whenever you pass by General Bakery, you'll be engulfed by the smell of banana chips. And today was not different. Even at 8:30 pm the smell of fresh chips hung in the air. The footpaths are practically empty. To the right there used to be an aquarium along with a nursery. Delli Cafe lies ahead.. As i walked on there was a small crowd of bengalis (forgive me, but i am lazy, it's the general term used for out-of-state laborers - for lack of a better/worse word?) From the aroma of fresh chips I am greeted to the smell of paan and beetel. The group I saw was just these guys swarming a paan wallah. It was as I expected, there was paan spittle on the footpath around the guy's portable shop. The tiles were stained red, as if in the aftermath of some great war. I stepped over these 'blood stains'. No sooner had I done that, than the realization came to me that the streets have unfathomable filth than just chewed paan, it was futile. I walked over the rest of it. No bothering to jump or side-step...

Some shops have closed. And when I pass them, the section of footpath in front of them are dark. Only the biggies are still open. (By biggies I mean the shops like Sports Land and Quilon Radios, which have always been there as landmarks) Past Azad Hotel with it's yellowish theme I walk on. In between there are narrow alleys that open into darkness...On the right side, the lights are still on at the "Baby Shop" - It was from there that I got quick dry sheets for Arun's baby. An occasional car passes in the opposite direction and almost always with it's high beam on, temporarily blinding me. After Azad hotel I came upon the alley that would take me to Delli Cafe on the other side of the road Sree Ayyappa Bhavan was also open. North and South both awaiting me, but tonight I chose north. This small bye-road has mobile shops on either side of it, and a warehouse. I walked into building. A staircase of red-oxide floored steps and blue walls took me to the first floor where the hotel was. The place was full and I settled into a table for four occupied by just another man. I ordered 3 roti and cashew nut masala and asked for some butter to smear on the rotis. I took my time enjoying the meal. Ordered buttermilk, which I gulped down. The bill came to Rs. 96 and I was on my way again.

Back on the main road, I came upon Dhanya SuperMarket - closed. A textile shop -closed, Bata showroom - closing. Hotel Guruprasad still had people walking out of it. Walking by I came upon three security guards sitting together. These sentinels of the night were guarding their respective shops and teamed up for a chat. They each had a chair and looks like they were gonna talk all through the night. As I passed them by, they all turned to look at me and started talking again. Hands in my pockets I took step after step,stomach cramps were causing a voice in my head to mutter " could have skipped the buttermilk..." Boots n Boots was still open, M S Book Depot was shut, beyond this the shops were mostly closed. The section of the road ahead was dark. There were people walking ahead of me. Old men, going home carrying plastic bags. They walk slowly but steadily. I overtook them with the haughtiness of youth .I came upon another security guard, having dinner. He was on chair facing the shop where he'll spend the night, his back against me. On a stool in front of him, there was an unwrapped meal. He was eating in the makeshift privacy that he could create. And I felt bad for taking a peek. Padma Cafe was next- old but still graceful. At the counter a customer was paying the bill. Waiters were carrying empty plates to and full ones from the kitchen. It was just a glimpse, a photograph and it's always the same. The same goes for Hotel Guruprasad as well. There were dogs on the side now. Some sleeping, some walking around. Wonder when they'll get violent and start attacking people...

Some people in a car was asking directions to a group of teens by the side of the hotel. A mobile showroom was being cleaned by it's three employees, they were dusting the carpets and I had to switch over to the right side of the road temporarily. I was nearing Hotel Fayalwan. Not what I had expected. The place was full. Ever since it's renovation I've lost some of my love for it. Bombay Dyeing, Fashion Textiles and Unnoonny and Sons Cycle Shop, shops pass me by, or rather, I pass by them.

I am now entering an entirely different section of the Main Road. It's what you could call market road. I am greeted by the sound of shutters being pulled down. Every now and then I hear a shutter drop. Some are close by, some far. There is that dusty smell of gunny bags and all things veggie. There are more dogs here. Some wake up from their sleep, lift their heads say "Hi" and go back into doggie dreams...or whatever it is that they dream of... (a home, a loving master.. i wonder...) The next thing I notice is an egg shop. Empty egg cartons stacked up. Vegetable shops are closing, and so are fruit stalls. The smell here is a mix of both, of vegetables and fruits, with every breath, one dominating the other....The gates to the market were thrown open. The are slaughterhouses inside, I know this. I've been there. No more meat is sold today. The blood must have dried on the cutting blocks... Hands still in my pockets I looked down and the streets are now strewn with waste from these shops...I reminded myself to look up to the sky. It was a half moon, waxing..

The smell of spices, permeating the thick cold night air was yet another indicator, that I've reached another section. It was both intoxicating and invigorating, sweet and strong at the same time. Another shop, this one was selling plastic plates. The smell of fried chicken was next. A fast food shop was still open. People waiting for their orders. More Rice shops. Trucks were parked on the side of the road. I had reached the end of Main Road. Quilon Tourist Home was still awaiting travelers to call it a day and take refuge in their comforts. I crossed Kallupalam to find the roadside Tapioca Chips Vendor, still frying... In the yellow glow of the petromax lamp, the fried chips looked to me like the glorious creation of a master of the craft. (I must be seriously high (I'm 6 foot three - pun not intended)) I bought some for Rs.10. I would have started eating were it not for the that buttermilk. Two people were sitting in front of an antique shop, talking. There was a new bakery with it's LED lights, bright spaces and posh seats. The dry cleaning center and the Shiva Sena Office gave way to the coffin shop. The last time I'd been there to get one for Mamma. Probably mine would also be from there. Crown Bakery was next on the line...

I was getting tired. But I told myself to stay on the white line by the side of the road and walk on. It reminded me of 'I walk the line' - a song by Johnny Cash.

I keep a close watch on this heart of mine

I keep my eyes wide open all the time

I keep the ends out for the tie that binds

Because you're mine, I walk the line

There was a fire, burning away the remains of the day, the smoke rising from it compensated the lack of fog on this December night. St. Aloysius School, St. Raphael's Seminary, Fathima Shrine and Trinity Lyceum School stood by with their lights thrown on the asphalt. I came to a crossroads and went straight. The road goes on. Another bend and I gaze upon Tangasseri Arch, home...

Street lights are scanty, but that's alright, the moon was still there. The sky is clear and the night has just begun. There are stars alight in the heavens and stars hung in homes. I am walking towards mine.

I am in pain, but I know the night takes all our pain heals them before morning comes...

I am plagued by sorrow, but the night takes every drop of it and wipes them off my face...

I am tired, and the night fills us with vigour for when the sun rises on a new day

I am in love, and in the dreams woven by the night,..she loves me back....

Trek to Ponmudi

2017-08-27T21:15:00.001+05:30

It began with plans for a team lunch, but we wanted something more. Brian was the one who suggested Paintball. It was a really good idea, since we don’t get an opportunity to shoot up our Manager and Team Lead every now and then. I was all up for it. I mean, haven’t we all at one point wanted to do it? But then the plan was dropped, I guess Manoj (our Project Manager) knew what we were up to J. Then I suggested that we visit Brimoor. And while checking online I stumbled upon a blog post about trekking to Ponmudi from Brimoor. So it was decided. We were going to a have a real team outing. Not the usual namesake lunch/dinner and group photo. This was going to be test of our physical limits.

So on Friday we met up at Brian’s house at Kannamoola. By 9:15 we left for Brimoor Estate in Manoj’s car. We were using google maps to navigate and after an initial hiccup (due to which we made a loop around Kerala University) we were on our way. The whole drive took around 1.5 hrs. There is a forest check point at Mankayam from where we paid the fees (800 rupees for a group of 5 members) and took our passes, a guide was also allocated to us. So from the check post at Mankayam the six of us (Myself, Brian, Manoj, Gireesh, Sreerag and Pappichayan, our guide) set out towards Brimoor Estate from where the trail starts. On the way we passed Mankayam water falls and since it was already late, we decided to jump into it on our way back. We parked where the trail starts took our backpacks and set out with enough water, supplements and other gear. The first thing that we did was getting hold of broken branches to be used as trekking sticks. Here's a map of how the trail would look. The portion marked in red is actual trail.

And thus we began, all fresh and pumped up, ready to walk, climb, crawl and do whatever it takes to make it through to the other side and back. The catch was that we would have to make it to the top and then walk back all the way because the car was parked at the beginning of the trail. The below pic is what you normally see at the start of a trek, eager, enthusiastic devil may care attitude.

Brian and Sreerag

The plan was simple, walk through the forest, climb some hills then walk some more and then make it to the top of Ponmudi and do it all again. But we were already at a disadvantage, it was almost 11 am, the sun will be out and we'll be tired even before we cover a single kilometer. A long as we're under forest cover, it won't be an issue, but out in the open we'll be fried. At that time, we weren't thinking much about this, we were just walking along..

Fast forward half and hour, we're still walking. We're starting to feel the exhaustion creeping up, like another trekker. Soon enough he'll catch up with all of us. We came out of the forest cover and started climbing a hill, which would be one of many that we'll climb on this day. The estate used to produce tea, but for a long time it hasn't been looked after properly and has fallen to ruin. Nowadays they rent out rooms (which used to be the quarters when the factory was still operational) to tourists. Along the way we saw people picking cloves using ladders. Manoj, our Guide and myself were walking on, and when I looked back I saw Sreerag, Brian and Gireesh opening up a gap between us. So i decided to wait for them.

Another half hour has passed, our time under the sun was horrific, even with caps and enough hydration we're sweating out and feeling tired. Thankfully the ordeal was over and once more we found ourselves inside the forest canopy. The trick with trekking is to forget about it all, and try to enjoy your time in the forest. Soon enough we came across broken trees and more chaos which is quite the normal order here.

After some more grueling climbs, we reached what was according to our guide the half way-point? So we stood and looked down at the path we came up, there was nothing to see except for trees and a lot of green. It was 12:45 pm, the peanuts, biscuits and water that we had was almost over. The only thing that was left were glucose tablets,which we were all taking after every 15 mins or so. We came upon another clearing which according to our guide was the last bit of the trail before it joined the main road towards Ponumdi. We were all so damn hungry, and upon hearing this, we picked up the pace. Because when it comes to food fatigue can be kept aside.. :)

This final stretch of the trail had tall grass on either side which we had to brush aside and in some sections it was completed closed off by the grass. The summer heat has turned it to a shade a yellow. Made me wonder how it would have been if we took this route during the rainy season. At least now we don't have to worry about leaches..

Grass, grass and more grass

Slow and Steady :)

And thus after two hours we found ourselves on the road again, amidst civilization. It was supposed to have made us happy, but only after we walked a bit did it dawn on us, that we still had a long way to go before we found any hotels. And to make matters worse, there was no more forest cover and on top of that we had to walk up hill. Maybe some of them might have thought paintball would have been a better option. From here on out, there's nothing much happening except for walking, Boulevard of Broken dreams would have been a good theme song for our current predicament.

Empty roads..

After Grass, grass and more grass, now it's Road, road and more road.

At-least the scenery was really cool. The hills covered in thin mist even at 1 pm in the afternoon, and a dreaded howling sound as the wind races between the trees. After a while, we came upon the penultimate bus-stop before you reach Ponmudi. There were two restaurants - one was by KTDC and the other was run the forest division (which was more of a canteen/mess). We checked into the latter and ordered lunch. We ate (more like gobbled) and then refilled our water bottles and sat outside the restaurant before setting out to complete the final stretch.

At our destination we collapsed onto the bamboo shelters. I decided to get some more snaps before we started on our way down. We were short on time and we also had that much awaited dip at the waterfall.

View from atop the observation tower.

Being a weekday, the place was practically empty. On new years eve the place was so crowded that there were no parking spots and the roads were pretty much shut down. As you can see here, there are a handful of vehicles and a KSRTC bus. That bus would take us back to the start of our trail where it joined the road. But where's the fun in that eh? We had tea from the small shop there, stocked up on snacks and water and were on our way down again. The descent was rather fast, but painful on the knees. We could see a mist descending on the hills. Our guide told us that it would be best to cross the forest before dark. So again we were racing against time. Our way back was uneventful, except for the constant reminder of fatigue on our legs, but we kept on moving, our minds focused on that waterfall, our only thought the cool water and how great it would be.

Another two hours and we made it back. We threw away our trusty trekking sticks,Sreerag however was too fond to let go of his. I thought we was gonna bring it back. After what seemed like a great deal of internal conflict he said goodbye and thank you to the stick and stashed it safely between a rock and a tree. All of us squeezed into the car and drove to the waterfall. We reached there just before 6 took a picture and jumped into the water.

The water was cold as ice, but it was awesome. After some 6 hrs of walking and climbing it was the most soothing experience ever. Even though the current wasn't that strong the pool was deep and had clear water and there were fishes too. Manoj was soon swimming around showcasing his techniques, while we were all just wading and sitting under water. Our guide, meanwhile told us to take our time, enjoy it and went off to smoke. (That guy was awesome, he walked the whole distance without flinching and must have been close to 60 years old).

By 7:00 we were back on the road and had dinner from Zam Zam, wheer again we gobbled up all the ordered food, no surprises there as well.

Until the next time....(Wonder where we'll go next...) :)

An ISL match - Kerala Blasters FC vs Delhi Dynamos

2016-10-16T22:53:00.000+05:30

Last weekend was a pretty long one. With long weekends usually there are plans of some kind. This time it was an ISL match at Kochi. Kerala Blasters FC was playing Delhi Dynamos FC and we thought we'd go see the game. The tickets were booked in advance. There were 7 of us in total. Vivek, Nithin, Amjad, Nithin's Friend and myself were the ones from Kollam. Deepak and Renjith would join us at Kochin.

Kerala Blasters FC are known more for their tremendous crowd support than for their game. Knowing this we decided it would be best if we made it to Kochi well in advance so as to avoid the last minute rush and traffic blocks leading to the stadium. Thus we found ourselves on the 11:10 MEMU train to Erankulam. Oddly enough, the train scheduled was a MEMU, but it turned out to be a normal Passenger. The total distance was 156 kms and we reached there by 3:45. So that almost 4.5 hrs, with an average speed of 36 kms/hr. Somehow we survived.

The general consensus was that lunch shouldn't be skipped. Because, we might not have the luxury of time to grab some dinner, and so better to eat now. We decided to get an auto from the station and eat something from the stadium. But the 'auto-guy' advised us it's better to have something from here and then go to the stadium, as there aren't many great places to eat there. So we headed to the nearest restaurant. After going through the simple menu multiple times and we ordered the new-found staple food of Keralites - Porotta. Given the possibility that we might skip dinner, this seemed the obvious choice.( If you know what I mean). And we topped it off with a tea! While chewing on those rubberized strips of flour we thought why not book an UBER taxi? Hmm.. Okay! And it was done. Within minutes our ride came and off we went.

The diver was a very pleasant guy and he was also very polite. He was also curious about the game and said that for the last home match time he got stuck in traffic with a customer. All along the way leading to the stadium we saw people wearing the yellow jerseys and carrying flags, and match time was still 2.5 hrs away.

The taxi fare amounted to Rs 50 or so!! Awesome right? Anyway, our gate of entry was 31. As we were about to enter, the team bus for KBFC arrived.

And all hell broke lose. People who were eager to enter the stadium, were thronging the fences trying to get a glimpse of the players. The players were all cheered on equally and they acknowledged the fans as well. Renjith, who was to join us was waiting for us. The only problem was Deepak, who was on the way and would take another 1.5hrs to get here. We unanimously decided to ditch Deepak for the time being (If you're reading this sorry Deepak!! ) and enter the stadium. The plan being that we'll try and set aside a seat for him, till he arrives. After checking our tickets and bags(yeah, they do check bags, and if you're carrying water or eatables, depending on the mood of the security, you might/might not be able to take it inside) we were permitted inside. According to our tickets we were allocated seats in E-block, which was near to one of the goal posts in the lowermost gallery. The first thing that caught my eye as soon as I entered was the vastness of the stadium, and the color yellow on the sections opposite to ours. Yes, let me rephrase - 'the color Yellow'. It started to rain and the soon a rainbow was painted across the sky, part of it visible from our seats.

The time was now close to 5 pm, but already there were chants going around most of which was for the 'God of Cricket'. There were drums here and there, and the general buzz of excitement in the air. People were displaying flags, flux boards and what not!! And the funny part is that there's another 2 hrs to go until the game gets underway. Sadly Tendulkar decided not to show up. But that was not gonna affect the crowd in any way. Slowly, but surely the our Block as well as the whole stadium was being filled. All this time we were occupying an extra seat for Mr.Deepak. Then the whole stadium decided it would be fun to hold up their phone's flashlights. Yeah, similar to how metal-heads would hold up cigarette lighters for rock ballads. The pic isn't that clear, but that's all I have. Soon enough the ground staff came on for their pre-match inspections. And the players also took the field for a slight warm up session. All this while there was a relentless buzz of 50,000 souls. A torrent of shouts, screams and chants in unison. Along with that the waves had also started.

Waiting for the match to begin

By 6:30 Deepak finally graced us with his presence. He took a seat next to me. From then on, the amount of sound falling on my left ear increased exponentially. It reached alarmingly high levels once he got hold of a whistle (I guess it cost Rs 20 or so). The game began at 7:00 and every time the ball came into possession of a Kerala player, the crowd would erupt in a satisfactory cheer. And as the ball advanced further and further into the opposition half, the cheers grew into a crescendo. The game itself was below-average and both teams were defensive. The better of the two defense was Kerala's. We were quite surprised when the half-time whistle was blown. Forty-Five minutes, gone, just like that!! The second half saw the Kerala team becoming more aggressive and attacking. Which resulted in some yellow cards and corners. But sadly, none of those could be converted into a goal. During on of these intrusions into the Delhi Half, Micheal Chopra (aka Rocky), netted the ball, and the whole stadium went mad. But it was an offside and thus no goal! Somehow the crowds behavior (mine included) reminded me of the gladiator death matches. I can now see why those were so popular back then.

The view from our seats. Pic courtesy : Deepak

Deepak enjoying on the bus

As the final whistle blew, the match concluded in a goalless draw, both teams taking 1 point each. We decided to catch a bus back home. The only problem was that the roads were all blocked because everyone was trying to get home. We stopped an auto jumped into it and reached Erankulam Bus Stand.There was a low-floor bus about to start it's trip. That was to be our ride back home. After a lot of confusion regarding reservation/booking of tickets we departed from the bus-stand at 10:00 pm. And I reached home by 1:30

B'day Wishes to Davis from Davis

2016-08-24T23:14:00.000+05:30

Let me start off this one by wishing myself a very happy birthday. A self-high five as well as a pat on the back are also in order. Now that I take a closer look at the title it seems awkward? Then again, what isn't? I have no clue as to how this blog entry is going to turn out, so please bear with me.

How was today? Well woke up, completed all the daily must-do stuff and reached office by 9:00 am. A few friends and family rang me up to send their wishes. Actually I can name them all and it's not gonna take up much space. Oh, and don't forget Google who was right on-spot with the cake and candles on their homepage. I liked it! Thanks guys. The first person to wish me in person today was Sreerag who was sitting next to me and he saw the google page and that was that! Of course, last year was different. There was a system generated mail on my birthday that was sent to my project manager who forwarded it to the whole team and they all ended up wishing me, and myself replying with the customary thank yous. This year the auto-generated mail was sent only to me. Ensuring that no-one else gets bothered. However, I ended up telling my Team lead as well, because our conversation went something like this :

"Hey Brian, I'm not too keen on staying back till 10 pm today, I'm leaving by 7. It's my birthday and if I do end up staying late, it'll be pathetic way to spend the day."

He was cool about it and wished me. Met Varun and Kalesh for lunch and they knew. Thanks guys, really appreciate it. Had lunch and back to work. Went for tea in the evening and left office by 6:45. Took a train and here I am at home. They say Home is where your WiFi connects automatically (borrowed from the internet). I hadn't gone online the whole day and WhatsApp was turning green like the hulk. Again thanks to all the wishers. I had hidden my birthday on facebook and still Biju ended up scribbling on my Facebook wall. Seriously if it weren't for Facebook people wouldn't know your birthday. (It's true in 95% of the cases). I don't know, somehow the idea of it doesn't seem too appealing. Here you are scrolling away through your news feed wasting your life and there it is :

Today is Abcde's birthday, make him feel special.

Whaaat ? Like really? Seriously? Let's all drop the shallow feelings of empathy, sympathy and all the other fake feelings because what we all (well most of us) really feel is apathy and antipathy, but we all suppress it don't we? I am not writing off all the facebook dwellers. I salute you the rare breed of saints among the sinners. I'm unnecessarily ranting about unnecessary matters. Now I know why I'm writing this. Years from now when I look back on this post, it might put a smile on my face.

I guess to me a birthday is a time to check up on what you've accomplished. To pause, look back, analyze, correct your course and move on. Be happy that you've lived on one more year. All the miles that you've traversed, all the pain that you've endured, all the things lost and gained. You're doing okay man. So far so good, brace yourself the journey to come. And here be dragons.

Good luck!

Climbing Solo at Chembra Peak

2016-07-24T20:27:00.000+05:30

There I was was walking along the snaking path, lush green tea gardens on either side of me. The valley below me laid out in an intricate pattern unique to tea plantations. Not a single person on the road. Then I remembered the following words (I was texting to a friend of mine telling her about my plans for a solo journey, and this is what she had to say) -

"There is no fun when we are alone. If we enjoy a solo journey, then it is not because of fun, it is something else" -

At that time I was adamant not to admit that its true in my case, at least partially. I hadn't intended to go alone, but since I couldn't find anyone to accompany me, I set out on my own. There was a sudden sense of urgency to travel, to go outside and explore places, meet and talk with people. The place that I chose was Chembra Peak in Wayanad.

On 14th of April I went to Kollam Bus Stand for a bus towards Kalpetta, where I had already booked a room. I had found a very good deal from RedBus. The bus that I had in mind was the Trivandrum -Mysore super fast which was to arrive at 19:40 hours. Whenever 'I' am waiting for a bus or train, the normally punctual vehicle will be definitely late. So I had expected this, and was not disappointed. The bus was indeed late by a whole hour. So by 20:40 the bus left Kollam towards Kalpetta While travelling towards Kalpetta, my thoughts raced back to those times when I took this bus to get to Mysore Infosys. It was almost 14 hours, at the end of which all the passengers walk out of the bus battered and drained. I also relieved that this time I'm travelling only till Kalpetta. I fell asleep a few times, and had short sleep intervals of 30 -45 mins. Each time I woke up, I was greeted with a new scenery. Finally at 5:30 in the morning I was woken up by a hard pull towards one side. The whole bus was swaying to one side and I new very well what this was. It was the start of the hair pin curves. There are a total of nine. Now that the climb had begun, sleep or rather any possibility of it became nil. All that's left to be done was to enjoy the scenery as the bus began the difficult ascent.

At 6:00 the bus was passing through Vythiri and then around 20 mins later, I saw shops with sign boards, that said that I was passing through Kalpetta. Then the bus stopped. I was dazed and confused, thinking that it was the main stop, I grabbed my bag and jumped out. That was mistake number one. No wait, I am not going to be numbering my mistakes, because there are quite a few of them, and its gonna get all boring and systematic with their listing. With a double bell, the bus was gone. I was standing on the side of the road, looking left and right and decided to walk in the direction in which the bus went. I walked for a good 20 mins before realizing that I had walked past the lodge. I re-traced my steps and found a deviation from the main road, which I had previously missed and found the lodge nestled away from the main road and hidden from view. The room was more than what I had bargained for. After taking a bath I switched into a fresh pair of clothes and went out.

Chembra peak is at Meppadi in Wayanad. I had lost my way trying to find the lodge and ended up near the bus station, where I had seen buses plying towards Meppadi. So there was no difficulty in getting a bus. It was a mini bus and was empty as it left from Kalpetta. Along the way it took on passengers and from Chundale junction it turned towards Meppadi. Tea and coffee estates wrap either side of the road. Each of the bus stops and the people boarding it gave off a rustic feeling. There was a calmness in the air, no rush, pushing or shoving inside the bus. I was not able to see the hectic daily races so very common in cities. After some time I reached the town and got off near a rather busy looking junction, which was the penultimate stop. The last stop is further away from the route towards Chembra peak, besides I was hungry and wanted to get something to eat. Found a place called Vanitha Mess and had 3 dosas and a tea. On second thought I had one extra dosa for the road. I struck up a conversation with the owner of the establishment to get a good idea about transportation facilities available. The news was disheartening. There's another 8 kms from my current location the start of the trek. And the only mode of transportation are private vehicles. He said that people normally come in groups and take an auto-rickshaw or hire a jeep. Both were out of the question in my case. I was travelling with my shadow and the voice in my head. I asked him whether it was a good idea to walk. He said its doable. From that point onward I was preparing myself mentally for the walk of 8 km. My plan was to complete those 8 km in 1 hour and still make it in time for the climb. This was crucial as I wanted to start climbing before the sun started his climb. I paid for my meal, thanked the old man and walked out to where the road begins. I got a bottle of water from a nearby shop and confirmed with the owner the actual distance till the start of the trail. He was amazed that I was going to walk that far. He advised me to get a shared auto. It was simple. But there was a catch. The auto will depart only when its full. The auto-driver was advising me that I'm running out of time and kept reminding that it's dangerous to climb during mid-day as I might get a sunstroke. He was trying to persuade me to travel alone and pay him the whole amount which was around Rs. 150 - 200. I smiled and said I'll wait. And it took another 30-40 minutes before the auto was full. There was an old man who took a seat along with the driver, a middle-aged guy, an older woman, 2 kids and yours truly. The road was poorly maintained and as promised he only took Rs. 20 from each of us. He dropped me off at a distance of 3 kms. I had 5 more km to go. But before that I had to buy the tickets for trekking from the forest office. I asked some locals where the office was and he said to walk . Which brings us to the start of this blog. The view to my right was truly spectacular and breathtaking. I clicked a pic and moved on.

Walking with my jeans was proving to be too much of a hassle. So I stopped and took out a pair of shorts and changed into them, then and there on the side of the road. As I was lacing up my shoes and folding the jeans I saw a bike coming towards me. I asked him whether he could drop me near the forest office, to which he readily agreed. After a km or so he stopped and said that his house is that way - pointing to a path that led off the road and the office was in the opposite direction just up the the road. I thanked him. He asked me to take the short cut through a small footpath etched into the hillside. I climbed up through the bushes and cut across some trees to land directly in front of the office. The road on the other hand goes straight and takes a hair pin turn to get to the office. The officer there said that the trekking fees was Rs.750 for a group, even if that group has only one person. I already knew this, so I agreed and paid the amount. I also asked him to provide me with a guide. (This turned out to be the only smart move from my part on that day). The name of the guide was Rajesh. From the office to the start of the trek was another 3 kms or so. I was starting to walk and the officer who gave me the ticket said that the guide will take you in his bike. Yay!! Finally! The bike was actually a Honda Activa Scooter, I am not complaining or anything. It was a great ride. The only real problem was the road. It was pathetic and I was afraid that the shocks might break because of the gutters. Rajesh explained that the whole area is owned by the Chembra Estate and they haven't handed over the roads to the government. So there is currently a dispute going on regarding the ownership and hence the roads aren't being repaired. After 10 more minutes of back breaking gutters we finally came to a stop near a check post. The ticket I took from the office was checked here. They will also checked your bags for alcohol and other prohibited materials. Since I had a guide with me they didn't bother to check my bags. You also have to pay a deposit for the plastic bottles that you carry up. You'll get the deposit back when you bring back the empty bottles. This is done to discourage littering (Again I was not made to pay this.)

From there we began what would turn out to be one the most grueling 45 minutes I've ever had. The trek starts out slow and steady. The path isn't much difficult to engage, but its very deceptive. The slow ascent is almost unnoticeable at first and too easy that you start to take it faster and end up tired before you know it. Rajesh had warned me about this, but being too excited I completely forgot to take it easy. The start of the trail looks somewhat like this. After some 100 meters or so the terrain starts to change and you can feel the ruggedness of the ground beneath you. Within another 10 minutes I was relying on the water i was carrying with me. Blame it on the sun and my bloody stubbornness to climb in the middle of the summer. Soon enough we broke through the trees and came into a clearing and I was looking back to a spectacular view.

Behind me far below is the tea estate through which I came. We were now above the canopy of trees and directly under the sun. The climb was starting to become a bit more difficult. I slowed down a bit and started taking more water breaks. I kept on asking how much more and Rajesh would always reply 'A bit more, just a bit more'. All along we kept overtaking other groups.So I guess we were still the fastest that day. Sometimes we would encounter some steep climbs and there would always be an alternative route which Rajesh would suggest. Often I was forced to climb on all fours and the dry ground would sometimes be slippery with the gravel. After climbing over yet another small hill the peak became more prominent.

The summit was shrouded in clouds and in was beyond another stupid hill. I was getting tired of these small hills. There seemed to be no end to them. The only solace amidst was the fact that I am actually doing this. Finally, we reached the final point of the trek. The heart-shaped lake. The peak still loomed above us waiting to be explored. But after the recent sighting of a rare species of bird the trek to the summit has been restricted. It was now time to relax and take in the sights. There was a cool breeze and the view was reward enough for the climb. From here once can view all the major parts of Wayanad. There were only two groups at the the top when we arrived. After some time other parties began to trickle in. And soon enough everyone started clicking away to Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and what not!! I guess a couple of pictures wont be enough. I'll never know. This was how the peak looked that day.

We had ran out of water and Rajesh said he'd go an get some from a nearby stream and asked me to wait here. Left all alone I was pondering about the sad state in which our forests and parks are reduced to. There is control on the amount of deforestation that's occurring and pretty soon more and more bald spots will appear amidst the greenery. If I were to come back here after 10 years there might not be much to see, i,e if the trend is left unchecked. We have a responsibility to the generation that comes after us. The forests, rivers and mountains that we inherited should be given to them in a better condition than when we first got it. Rajesh came back with a bottle full of fresh stream water. It was really cold and surprisingly clear and tasteless. I was not able to find a single speck of dirt in it. He said that they all use the very same water directly without any purification whatsoever. From the view point he showed places like Kalpetta, Vythiri etc. I don't exactly remember the whole list, besides it was a bit cloudy and hence I could make out very less of the places that were shown. I took some more pics of the peak as the clouds parted and decided that it was time to head back.

Getting down is as difficult as climbing. This is a fact that we all conveniently forget, until gravity starts shoving at your back. We descended at twice the pace and pretty soon we were half way down. On the way down I clicked more pics of the mountains that were on either side. Were were practically jumping and hopping down when I misjudged my landing and along with my current momentum I couldn't stop there. I started to run down so as not to fall down and yelled out to Rajesh, who was directly in front of me. He promptly stepped out of the way so that I wont collide into him and take him down with me. I was able to slow down and stop myself by grabbing hold of a branch. After this I became more cautious. All the while we could see new groups climbing up. After retrieving my bag from the watch tower we walked back to the parking area where the scooter was kept. Back at the ticket counter I had a hearty meal, which we had ordered in advance (before we started). After that Rajesh dropped me off at the auto stand from where I took another shared ride to Meppadi. On the way back to my hotel room I decided to visit Pookodu lake asI had enough time on my hands. I got off at Chundale Junction and took another bus, which dropped me off at Thalipuzha Bus Stand from where I walked for 10 mins and reached the lake. I've been here before a couple of times. But this is the first time just by myself. I've never been a fan of boating, so i skipped it. You have to pay 10 rupees for an entry ticket. Found an empty bench overlooking the lake. It was a clear sunny day and there are a lot of tourists. Some were trying their hand (read leg) at pedal boats, while others took the motor boats. After a while I decided to take a walk around the lake and return back to my room.

As you can see Wayanad, is a pretty vast area and it cannot be covered in a single day. My primary goal was to visit Chembra peak and I completed it. I'm sure the scenery would look much much better once the rains arrive. The hear shaped lake and the trail path would all be blanketed in greenery and even as I'm writing this I'm planning to take another trip after the rains. It is best to avoid trekking while the monsoon is at its peak. Also it' pretty disheartening that I was not able to trek all the way to the peak. I seriously doubt that they'll re-open it to the public.

Until next time :)

SHE : Ekla Cholo Re - Book Review #3

2016-04-24T15:50:00.001+05:30

Before I begin, I would like to thank Mr Santhosh for asking me to review his book and for sending a signed copy of the same. A correction, its not a novel, but rather a short story.Spanning just 50 pages it can be finished within an hour or so.

Mr. Santhosh is an alumnus from IISC Bangalore. I haven't had the opportunity to read any of his previous works. In his latest book titled SHE, the author tries to bring to light a topic that has been shunned and/or considered taboo especially, in the context of our Indian Society. The story revolves around a transgender, who narrates his/her life story. The protagonist was born a 'he'. But he was more inclined towards the feminine side. His struggles while growing up and the challenges that he faced from all angles of life make up the main content of the book. Social norms are what often dictates and draws the line when it comes to notions of right and wrong. And social norms in turn are born from one simple rule - majority is always right. The dogmas by which our civilized society operates on a daily bases when torn apart for a closer look seems mostly fragile and shaky.

Hats off to Santhosh for writing a book on such a controversial topic. Coming to a review of the book, there's not much to comment on. The story is solid, engaging and well written. The downside is that it is too short and before you know it, you are at the last page. The editing is a bit off, here and there, could have been improved. This could be overlooked given the fact that the book was written as more of a social message. The characters are likeable and do not stand out, rather they blend in seamlessly into it. Definitely this book is something more than the bullshit romantic novels being churned out by the Great Indian Romance Mill. I would have loved to see a full length novel emerge from this.

P.S. - Loved the ending!!

My verdict-

Kanyakumari - Part I

2016-04-09T23:52:00.000+05:30

The 2nd and 3rd of October 2014 were holidays for Infosys. And for a long long time, everyone has been looking forward to these two days because of the simple fact that it was a Thursday and a Friday. Couple that up with the normal weekend and you are left with 4 consecutive days to do whatever the hell you want. Erase from your mind that damn cubicle, those TL's, the ever annoying PM and the stupid formalities that you have to adhere to, even if its just to ask someone 'Hey, can I do this instead of that?'. Thank god they haven't laid down ground rules and policies for farting.

Driven nuts by various reasons, which I am not at liberty to discuss here, I decided to go on a trip. The only place close enough so that I can be back home the next day was Kanyakumari or Cape Comorin. Travelling along with me was my close friend Bichu and his brother Kichu. On the 2nd of October we took the 9:10 train (a MEMU) from Kollam To Kanyakumari.

The train was almost empty as we left Kollam Junction and after three or four stops it was gradually getting filled. It stopped at every station between here and Kanyakumari. After an hour or so, we started feeling down. We were looking at our watches, staring at people and just gazing outside the window. It was also the day when our PM had started the 'Swacch Bharath' initiative. All the railway stations were teeming with volunteers. Its kind of sad that we always need to put a label on things to give it more of an importance. Only when there is a name and some publicity attached to these things do we get into the groove of it. We had started wishing for the train to somehow reach our destination. The heat was also becoming a bit of a bother when it was noon. After Trivandrum Central Station, the views were all new to me. Half an hour later we passed into Tamil Nadu, the station names printed in Tamil confirmed this. After another grueling hour or so, we started seeing mountains on either side of the horizon.

We were nearing Nagercoil, which meant that we were getting close. On stopping at Nagercoil Town I was disappointed to see such a small station. But I was proved wrong when the train halted at the next station, the real Nagercoil. The place looked really good. Maybe next time I'll come here.

After some more time, and a couple more stations we halted at the Cape. Not a very busy station from the looks of it. Could be because the majority who come here are tourists. Besides it was almost 2 in the afternoon. Anyway we needed to find accommodation for the night. So we just walked into the station building and asked the first auto-rickashaw guy we saw, to take us to a lodge/inn. He was more than happy to help. And the only condition that we put-forth was that it should be as close to the town as possible. This way we could walk around the town and always make it back to our room. Had a short chat with the guy along the way. It turns out that his name is Michael, and it was no surprise that he could speak as well as understand Malayalam. After all, we were only just a couple of hours away from Trivandrum. There was this sloping path which went up from the main town center and on both sides of this path there were many lodgings. He first took us to a place run by some christian priests. But it was already at full capacity. And then it was another hotel, but the guy there tried to swindle us. Then finally as were coming downhill, there was a hotel where we didn't stop because Michael said that it was full. I just asked him to stop and said that I'll enquire anyway. By some weird stroke of luck it turned out that there was a party checking out and we grabbed the room right away, The guy there charged us Rs. 750 per day. It was a pretty good deal, and we were also not in a position to bargain. And we gave Rs.50 to Mr.Michael for his 'services'. This unprecedented rush was due to the long weekend and you could say that the town of Kanyakumari was at it maximum capacity.

Let me quickly describe the room. There were two beds, an attached bathroom and a washbasin. Sliding windows will sun-film coating were present on either two opposite walls and a ceiling fan were the air-conditioners present. A table and a chair were the only piece of furniture that I could notice. There was a TV which mostly had Tamil Channels and one or two Malayalam ones. After checking in we immediately went to have lunch. By then it was almost 2 pm. We found a decent looking place and ordered lunch for Bichu and myself and dosa for his brother. Afterwards we walked towards what seemed like the heart of the town. To be honest there were no plans in place. We just walked.

The first place that we went to was the most rated and touted as the number one to do thing in Kanyakumari - Vivekananda Rock Memorial. We didn;t have any difficulty finding the place, because the queue to the ferry service that takes you there was winding along through the streets. It was almost evening, around 3 pm and after a close look at how the queue was progressing and at the length of it, (which was increasing even while we were contemplating what to do) we decided that it was not gonna happen today. The main reason was that there was no guarantee that we were going to get that ferry, even if we stood in that queue for a full hour or so, because the ferry operated only till 4 in the evening. So there was a good chance that we might end up wasting a full hour doing nothing but moving in queue.

Instead we decided to explore the beach. We walked towards the temple which was clearly visible from where we stood and went through it to the other side which opened into the beach. There was a multitude there just loitering here and there, not really sure of what to see and do. I was expecting a huge beach with lots of sand, a place to sit down and stare at the sea. Always expect the unexpected, this is what I got instead. Rocks, rocks and very little 'beach'. Accustomed to the unending stretches of beaches in Kollam and Thirumullavaram this really disappointed me. However the view of Vivekanda Rock Memorial and Thiruvallavur Statue is quite imposing. Very close to the beach there's a Gandhi Memorial. Gandhi had visited Kanyakumari in 1925 and 1937. After his death in 1948, his ashes were brought here and kept for public to pay their respects. The memorial now stands where the ashes were kept before it was immersed into the sea. The memorial was completed in 1956. Entry is free, though you need to keep your footwear outside and that 2 rupees (Ha!!)

Pic taken from Wikipedia

The monument looks like this. The architecture seems to be inspired from the sun temple at Konark. It is designed in such a way that on 2nd October, the rays of the sun, through a hole in the roof fall exactly on the place where the urn was kept.( I didnt know this neat piece of fact when I visited the place, that too on the exact same date. If only I'd known this earlier, I could have clicked some photographs)

We went inside the monument....

To be continued in Part II.

False sympathies and delusions of compassion.

2016-04-04T22:29:00.000+05:30

So the other day I was on my way to the office. Took a bus to the railway station. In the sweltering heat and the constant humidity that has been plaguing us for the past few months, I was trying to find some relief by taking in the sights and sounds through the open window of the bus. Waiting at a signal at the town center, my eyes fell on the road side vendors. With their makeshift stalls, propped up wooden sheets over plastic crates, trying to make a living selling clothes, footwear and various other items. The take up half of the footpath with their items and if you think about it, yes its a nuisance.

I've had this habit of 'observing' people in their daily interactions. There was a shopkeeper engaged in a conversation with an old woman who had in her hands a pair of sandals. From the body language of the shopkeeper I could sense that he was adamant and that he's not going to budge on the price. From afar, on the opposite lane, sitting on a bus, I, comprehended the scene unfolding in front of me as I would a silent movie. The woman was passionately trying to get a bargain, the guy not to give one. People are passing by them, none of them paying them any mind, everyone busy with their own lives (Oh, no I'm not blaming them). I thought about the seller. My main query was how he's gonna close shop at the end of the day? The second was how he was surviving out there in the heat. The third was how much he was earning a day. What was he going to get if he makes that sale? How many people might be dependent on him? There was some weird sense of altruism taking over my mind. I looked at the other shopkeepers, "they are all trying to make a living" - a voice inside me said. The signal turned green, with a grunt, the engine roared and the bus lurched forward. And just like that the scene was gone, the shopkeeper, the bargaining lady and the people passing by them. I tore my eyes away from the road and to the inside of the bus......

Higginbothams at Quilon station (Pic courtesy - http://www.pksands.com)

On reaching the railway station, I looked at the white board where the trains were written. Train No 16649 Parashuram Express was late by 45 minutes. Its no big deal, nothing to be surprised about. Be happy that its late by only 45 minutes. As I walked out onto the platform, I saw an a friend of mine,on his way to Bangalore, taking a few days off, he said. After exchanging pleasantries we bid each other farewell. My train was to arrive on platform 1. Did you know that platform 1 of Quilon Junction is the second longest platform in India at - 1180.5 meters (First place goes to Gorakhpur - 1366 meters). Waiting for the train can be a real pain. And I am not every good with this whole waiting thing. I started walking around, just to kill time. A group of porters were taking a break, sitting on top of the cargo that they were carrying. There were a lot o f shops selling snacks and drinks. The benches were all full, there was a television, pouring out some nonsensical crappy advertisement about some jeweler. Everyone looks tired and half head, must be because of the heat, I thought to myself. On platform 2 separated by two tracks is the iconic Higgin Bothams store. It sticks out like something that doesn't belong there. An old relic of a bygone era. Who knows how long before it vanishes?

To the other side of platform one is the shorter platform 1A, where trains towards Punalur start their trip. Looking along the platform, i saw a patch of white moving over the tracks at a distance. I knew it was a dog. I took another look and confirmed that it was a puppy and walked towards it. There were no trains in 1A and there weren't many passengers either. So the platform was almost empty, save for a few people standing here and there. Standing on the platform I looked down at the creature below. I was looking down on him. His fur was white, but it had mud and dirt all over. Part of his face was discolored, mostly from some skin infection. Could hardly be 3 or 4 months old, frail and weak. I could clearly see his ribs and thin limbs. The hollow eyes were crying - 'HUNGER!'. Walking all over the tracks smelling here and there for something to fill his tummy. Trying to get something before the end of the day. He was accompanied by two crows as well. It was a sad sight and I asked to myself - "Should I?" And i heard that all familiar voice replying - "Do it!". Walked over to the nearest shop and looked for the smallest packet of biscuit. The smallest they had was Goodday for 10 rupees.The guy at the counter was counting coins. Apparently someone had brought him coins. So there he was counting, 50, 55,....60,...and I stood there waiting for him to finish. All this time, I was looking at tracks making sure the puppy was there. But I couldn't see him. On reaching 100 he took out a Rs.100 note and gave it to the person who brought the coins. He handed me the biscuit and I paid him. Took the biscuit and walked over to the place where I last saw him.Alas! From the platform's edge I saw the dog walking away, feebly, I was a tad late. I stood there, with the food in my hand, not quite sure what to do. Can I call him? Will he come over here again? I can't jump down and go after him, nope. The sad white ball of fur, skin and bones walked away ever so surely, step by step away from me. Over the tracks and beyond the MEMU shed, until finally, he disappeared behind the buildings. The biscuit was still in my hand, in a swift and deft motion I pocketed it. The voice that urged me to do it was silent.

The train came in another 30 minutes or so. I got a seat and started reading. At the next stop a guy walked into the compartment with a bag full of peanut candies. From my seat, I could see that there was definitely something wrong with him. It was due to the way he was looking at people. As he came closer I saw that he was blind. The guy was begging people to help him. A compartment has 108 seats in total all of it was occupied and some 10 passengers were standing. From among them just 2 people bought the candies. It was priced at 20 rupees per packet. Those who were kind enough to buy from him, gave him the money and took a piece each. He might be able to tell apart the currencies by touch. As he came near me, the voice was back - "Buy" it whispered inside my head. I closed my book, the blind man was near my seat and almost passed me by. I caught hold of his hand, stopped him and said

'I want one'.

'Twenty Rupees' - he said. I took two ten rupee notes and handed it to him,

'Take one sir'- saying this, he held out in his handful of sweets. I saw that he had peanut as well as sesame sweets. I took the peanut one and put in inside my bag. Somehow I felt good. The voice was whispering - "Well done!".

I got back to reading and soon enough, there came an old lady begging for alms. Someone up there is trying to mess with me today. I guess God is having some fun. She came to my seat and stretched out her hand in front of me. I kept my head down at the book, pretending to read. I didn't look at her not acknowledge her. The voice inside began -

"Give her someth--".

"Shut the hell up!! I've had enough of you for one day!". I silenced him for good.

The beggar went on forward. I started reading with a clear mind. I didn't think about her, nor was I sad for her pitiful condition. I guess I've had enough for the day. How convenient huh?

I continued reading till I reached Kazhakuttom.

The Year So Far

2016-02-14T19:45:00.002+05:30

So, yet again I find myself thinking about,what has been and what's going to be. It is February, and two months into the new year. Life is rolling along like an out of control vehicle that's lost its brakes. And I'm like the driver inside who is fighting with the steering wheel to avoid crashing onto something. Just hoping that I'll be able to bring this analogical vehicle to a stop. Get fixed up and start again. Lets wait and see.

What have I done in these 2 months? Well, I started writing my journal, again. Picked up on the weekend runs, began reading books - Completed four so far. The last one I finished was "For Whom The Bell Tolls" - by Ernest Hemingway. I traveled to Pondy and Mahabalipuram on the third week of January (Planning to write a detailed blog post on that). The only thing pending was blogging, but I guess when I publish this one I can tick it off my list.

A special note - Today is Feb 14th - Valentines day and also a Sunday, and my heart goes out to all the people working on this day. Yes I am in my office, monitoring logs, checking orders and learning Python, waiting for the so called incidents to occur. Not like it would've made much of a difference otherwise. (Who am I kidding?) I'm listening to The Cure as I'm composing this, and from this day forth I might make this a tradition. Listening to the following songs on 14th Feb every year -

A Letter to Elise
From the edge of the deep green sea
To Wish Impossible Things
Just Like Heaven
Pictures of You

Even though they are said to be the best breakup bands, masters of gloom and doom with Gothic vibes, I personally find their songs peaceful and easy on the ears. My relationship with their songs began during my first year of college. It was 'Pictures of you' that came to my mind and refused to leave me alone. The overall mood of their songs might be about loss, regret and sorrow, but the lyrics are some of the best. Period.

So , this is me signing off for now

Here's a valentines day special heart I made in python :

from turtle import *

def floatingRange(start,stop,step):

while (start != stop):

start = start + step

yield start

color ('red','red')

begin_fill()

left(140)

forward(120)

penup()

home()

pendown()

left(40)

forward(120)

for i in floatingRange(0.0,14.5,0.5):

forward(i)

left(i)

right(140)

for i in floatingRange(0.0,14.5,0.5):

forward(i)

left(i)

end_fill()

done()

And here's the output :

(I know it needs some modifications, but whatever)

Top 10 Melancholic songs (according to me)

2015-05-26T15:39:00.000+05:30

We're almost half way through the year and I was shocked to see that there were no new posts this year. Damn! I need to be more consistent. So today's topic( its more of a list) is Top 10 Melancholic songs. This list is made up of songs that I've heard over the past few years, and somehow even today when I think about some sad tunes, the lyrics from these enduring works pops-up inside my mind. Now for those of you who have heard more, or much better songs than the ones listed here, i please do feel free to share them here.

When I started writing this post, I just pinned down all the sad songs that came to my mind. As expected there were more than one song by the same artist/band. In order to span across multiple genres and create a more versatile list, I've limited this list to one song per artist. I haven't included any oldies. Maybe those songs are better off in a list of their own.

Also, these songs are not in any particular order. You can assign any rank you wish.

You're Beautiful - by James Blunt

James Blunt is always quite the melancholic, but with 'You're Beautiful' he has touched something deep within our hearts. The intro seeps with sorrow, the song itself is crying. The captain at his best. Here he meets this former lover at the subway with another man. He goes on to say that he wont lose no sleep on that, cause he's got a plan. The original music video is also worth watching. You cant help but start singing this one, (at least in your head) whenever you see a beautiful face irrelevant of the fact that you know them or not. I think I did this very recently while going to work.

Tears in Heaven - Eric Clapton

Would you know my name, if I saw in you in Heaven.
Would it be the same, if I saw in Heaven?
I must be strong and carry on,
Cause I know I don't belong, Here in Heaven....

I came to know later that this one was written following the death of his four year old son. But, you really don't need that piece of information to start crying when you hear this one. One thing that i find most fascinating about Clapton is the simplicity of his lyrics. But don't be fooled, its often simple words that reach out to us. A very good example of this is 'Wonderful Tonight'. Few songs do this as good as Tears in Heaven.

Hurt - Johnny Cash Version

The Nine Inch Nails really deserves credit for writing this song, but it was Johnny Cash's rendering of this piece that stole the show. Cash passed away shortly after recording the song and its music video. His distinctive voice brought out something more dark and hidden in the lyrics and gave the some more meaning. It was an fitting song for Johnny Cash, and the music video attempts to draw parallels from his turbulent past. What more can I say? Here's how the song goes..

What have I become,
My sweetest friend
Everyone I know goes away
In the end.
And You could have it all,
My empire of dirt
I will let you down
I will make you hurt....

Every Breath You Take - The Police

Do you want to learn how to rhyme? Then do listen to this one. It lesson 101 in rhyming. Nowadays we are made to sit through stupid crap that tortures your ears, because somebody wanted their lyrics to rhyme and the end result is some garbage words mixed together to make half-sentences and what not. I do believe that this one is the quintessential stalker song. The music video is too simple and shot in black and white which makes it even more endearing.

Creep - Radiohead

Creep is really a creepy song, with the longing to be recognized and accepted rather than be a nobody in the crowd. It's about how a person admires his lover and he describes himself as a just a creep compared to her, who's just perfect maybe too perfect for him. It begins with this line

"When you were here before, couldn't look you in the eye..."

But my favorite part is this one :

"I don't care if it hurts
I want to have control
I want a perfect body
I want a perfect soul
I want you to notice...
When I'm not around... "

Pictures of You - The Cure

This was 'the' song for me for a long long time. All of us, at some point or the other goes through a phase and during that time, we will hold on to song, day and night and make it our own personal anthem. Somehow I felt that Robert Smith had written this one, just for me. Its a powerful song, and the long intro sets you right in the mood for it. I strongly suggest that you don't skip the intro.

"I've been looking so long, at these pictures of you,
That I almost believe that they're real
I've been living so long, with these pictures of you
That I almost believe, that the pictures are all I can feel.. "

Heaven's Not Enough - Steve Conte (from Wolf's Rain)

I dont know what makes this song, so great, when I heard it for the first time on Wolf's Rain (an awesome anime series) I was lost in it. Ever since that day, it has always been on my playlist.

Once you finish watching the anime series, you need to play this song once again, that's when this song hits you hard, for the second time. From a slow start it picks up only to wind down again and then you go for the replay button, over and over and over...

Heaven's not enough

if when you get there..

just another blue

and heaven's not enough

you think you've found it

and it loses you

Mad World - Gary Jules

So I was watching Donnie Darko, and suddenly this song starts playing....

All around me are familiar faces
Worn out places, worn out faces
Bright and early for the daily races
Going nowhere, going nowhere...

It was Mad World. The song was originally composed by Tears for Fears, when Gary Jules made a cover, it became slow and agonizing. Compared to the fast paced original one, this version lingers on, emanating pain your head. My favorite part of this song :

....And I find it kind of funny
I find it kind of sad
The dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had...

Need I say more? I am not gonna write much about Mad World, except that I always like to hum it when I 'm at my office. Somehow it seems to describe my surroundings with utmost perfection.

The Scientist - Coldplay.

The music video to this song, is as depressing as the song itself. They've made good use of the piano and it adds to the somber mood .The video is played backwards, and finally we get to see what happened and why Chris Martin is singing his heart out. Coldplay has given us some really good songs like Clocks, Paradise, Viva la Vida, Fix You etc.But this one right here, with its haunting tune and melodious rendition of a lament about wanting to start over, and how he was sorry (for something) takes the spot. The mention of science in between is what resulted in the title - The Scientist.

"....I was just guessing at numbers and figures
pulling the puzzles apart,..questions of science, science and progress
do not speak as loud as my heart..."

Wake Me Up When September Ends - Green Day

Good Riddance by Green Day is also pretty depressing, but I feel this one here is their magnum opus, when it comes to sad stuff. 21 Guns is more of an anthem, so I wont consider it here. It follows the general anti-war theme prevalent in American Idiot. It's got one of the most recognizable opening chords. Even when the beat drops and the drums start pounding away, you'll feel pain. Trust me on this.

Wikipedia tells us that this song deals with the death of Billie Joe Armstrong's father when he was a kid.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
That's all folks, share your comments and let me know if you liked this post. Have a nice day...

Rainbow - Shades of Love (Book Review #2)

2014-10-04T22:28:00.000+05:30

Let me start off by saying a big 'Thank You' to Mr. Aman Jassal for asking me to write a review about his debut work and for sending me a signed copy. I haven't blogged anything new in almost a year. Your request through Goodreads asking me to write a review on my blog was unexpected and I was reminded of something that I love to do, but slowly, over time forgot about. Thanks again for the motivation.Now lets get to the review part.

Rainbow- Shades of Love by Aman Jassal.
This is the author's first book and is published by Teenage Publishers priced at 150 rupees .The synopsis of the novel is as follows :
_________________________________________________________________________________

This is not a book to teach you about love or how to get a beautiful girl to bed, rather it reveals how bad things can get if you don't set your priorities right. It's a story about the most explored life aspect ' Love' 'Sex'.

YUVI, a pleasure seeking boy, falls victim to the same notorious life facet called love. Simran's beauty sweeps him off from his feet and he leaves no stone unturned to seek her special attention.As he falls in love, he also sleeps around with all the erroneous girls, and when his fate threatens to take his love down, he promises himself to stop all of this and come out of the wreckage … But then, his past deeds come back to his present, and that tears his life apart.

What follows is an uneasy course of getting his love back on board.The story reveals the life of today's youth, their friendships, feelings, priorities, and ineptitude to handle relationships while not forgetting their turmoil between the two critical facets of life: LOVE & SEX.

Love makes the world go round … Or is it Sex? Based on real life experiences and tea time gossips. _________________________________________________________________________________

Too much details for a synopsis if you ask me. Could have trimmed it a bit and left out some details like his life getting torn apart. As written in the synopsis the main characters are Yuvi and the love of his life Simran, who happens to live right across his PG and by sheer coincidence also happens to be so damn beautiful. (What an opportunity!! The universe seems to plotting for you Mr.Yuvi). Its narrated as a flashback. Yuvi is an experienced Casanova kinda guy. He is well versed in the various techniques to get ladies. But for the first time, he feels something different, an he falls for this girl, Simran. He lies to her from the very beginning and doesn't come clean at all. The lies keep on piling like back-papers in B.Tech.

Amidst this he has the nerve to sleep with two other women and cheat on Simran. The author has tried to imply that Yuvi succumbed to the advances of the other two women rather than acting on his own accord, but thats not how I felt while reading. Its not that he forgot about Simran before jumping into bed with them, rather he remembered his love for her on both occasions before nailing the coffin shut on his relationship. How appalling! And we are supposed to feel sorry for such a guy? Sheesh!! Give me a break!

Things go south with Simran (as expected) and he finds himself in a crisis. The characters in this novel are kind of hollow. They dont leave a lasting impression on our minds, especially Simran. She is boring, annoying and to put it plainly I didn't like her at all. To me it felt like just another story, with all the familiar recipes found in today's Indian books - hero, heroine, friends, love, trust, betrayal , blah, blah ...blah!! There is little or no character development.

The story is simple and doesn't go in to explore the theme which is, to quote the author : "...the most explored life aspect 'Love' 'Sex'." One other thing that I found amiss was the title. It says rainbow and shades of love, but the story doesn't do justice to the title, or rather should I say the title doesn't do justice to the story? I am confused. I read the book, but that's just it, it's bland and feels somewhat hastily written.

However, considering that this is Aman's first book, I commend and congratulate him on the effort. Everyone has to start off somewhere. I hope to see more works of his and better ones at that. All the best.

My rating :

The Sea, the Lake and a whole lot of memories........

2014-09-28T17:21:00.000+05:30

So I came back home after two months in Mysore. And as always I visited my grandmother. However, first i went to the lake. And by 'Lake' I mean Ashtamudi Lake and more specifically, the piece of this lake which is near my grandfather's house. He passed away recently and I haven't been there since. Here the lake sweeps into the land in such a way that a small circular portion of it lies touching the road leading to the house.Its pretty shallow and calm in this area. Anyway, as I walking towards the house from the opposite shore, my head was filled with images. Random scenes started flashing through my mind. I used to stay here every year during my summer vacations for the annual feast of St.George which is held at our church. The gates were locked with a chain. I grabbed the bars of the old iron gate and stared into the compound through the bars. There I saw the house standing silent. Even the trees seemed to be in mourning. Dead leaves littered all over the ground. Only weeds seem to thrive here. Somehow I felt that the place was emanating sadness and despair. They say that home is where your heart is. If that's the case then a part of my heart lies here and I see myself justified if I call this my home.

I remembered my grandpa. They say that a man's worth is measured by the number of people who attend his funeral. He was a great man. And i say this not because of the multitude that was present for his funeral. I'll call him great because he fits the definition of greatness. A man can achieve only so much in a lifetime. My thoughts ran back in time to the days i spent there with Joe n' Ryan, Isabel, Ria and Annie and Anne. Isabel, Joe and the others were the late comers, they always showed up in the middle of the vacation.We used to get together for the summer vacations and did whatever kids used to do for vacations. We played and fought. We tried to do a bit fishing but soon learned that its not as easy as you see in the movies and comics. We ate mangoes, lots of it. Jack-fruit was another common item. I was the oldest among the group so I used to go for long walks to the north of our house along the lakeside. Skipping stones was another pastime. It was like a ritual that was to be performed twice a day , in the morning and in the evening, without fail. It was because they were staying outside Kerala. We used to go for early morning walks with grandpa. Along the way he would stop and talk with everyone and they all had time for him. As a kid I was always amazed how he knew so much people. Years later on a sad October morning I knew the answer to that. Its not that he knew them all, it was the other way around. They all knew him.

Slowly but surely the sun was going down. The watch is over. There's only melancholy here..

The next day I went to Tanagasseri Beach and the breakwaters. My favourite spot in the whole world. Just sat and stared at the sea. You'll never know how time flies. The sound of the waves breaking on the rocks have a rather hypnotic effect on you. There are people fishing here. Some are here for the view, others for exercise and I for the memories. I sat and saw the sun go down. After a minute or two the skies were painted in brilliant pink and in the dying hours of the day, I captured this on my camera. It's time to leave. My short vacation is almost over. Mysore and my work beckons...

Till we meet again...

(Originally written on March 2014)

Salaam Bombay! (Movie Review #4)

2013-10-06T21:47:00.000+05:30

Hello and welcome,to yet another movie review. Our movie under discussion today is Salaam Bombay! There are only a handful of movies which can truly leave a lasting impression on us as the credits start to roll. In my honest opinion there are only two types of movies in the world- the kind that i just said and all the rest. I don't know about you, but once in a blue moon when i see a movie, it stirs me up. Like i said the movies we watch either leaves a lasting impression or becomes just another flick in our list,so that when your friend asks:

"Hey,have you seen that movie ?"

You reply : "Yeah. I have. Its...ok,...watchable."

As for the ones that catch you by your self-pretentious 'i have seen it all' attitude and pulls you down to the ground, well my dear friend,those are the ones you have to watch and watch out for. The sheer intensity of emotions in them are so powerful and unrelenting that they'll break through our self made armour of belief that we cant be affected by pictures on a screen. Salaam Bombay! is that kind of a movie. For me the high-point of the film were the last 60 seconds before the screen fades to black. I came to know about this movie through Quora. Salaam Bombay! was directed by Mira Nair and released in 1988. It is a movie which focuses on the lives of people living in a red light district area. The protagonist is boy who is called Chaipau (tea guy). His real name is Krishna. In retaliation to his brother's bullying Krishna burns a scooter that his brother was repairing (Krishna's brother is a mechanic). So his mother takes Krishna to a circus manger and leaves him to work there. She places a condition that Krishna can return home when he has earned 500 rupees( for the burned scooter). But one day while packing up the circus manger asks Krishna to go into town an get him 3 tins of pan masala. Upon returning Krishna finds that the circus had left without waiting for him. So he goes to the railway station and takes a ticket to the nearest city- Bombay. On reaching Bombay he soon finds work as the delivery boy for a tea shop......I think i have revealed enough of the story. One by one all our characters are introduced- Chillum, Baba, Sola Saal, Manju, and so on..... Each of them somehow or the other effects the life of Chaipau. The scene with Irfan Khan was also good. It somehow acts as a hint to the oncoming tragedy. After watching the movie i checked out Wikipedia and came to know that the child actors were all children from the streets of Bombay. It seems that they were given dramatic training at a special workshop.Special mention goes to the sound track.The music at the end credits is exceptional and has an optimistic tune to it. It is so good that i had to put it in a loop in VLC player, and i am currently listening to it while writing this. The movie is not abound in violence or gore nor does it appeal for our sympathy, and it doesn't rely on any plot twists or anti-climax. Perhaps the reason why i was able to connect with the movie was due to its simplicity and predictability,and of course that is the beauty of this particular piece of art. Now with absolute clarity and reassurance i can say that Slumdog Millionaire is by all means an overrated movie catering to the masses who expect nothing but a 'feel good' film.

I have one request and only one- Please,just watch the damn movie and you can thank me later!

"Till The Last Breath'- by Durjoy Dattta (Book Review #1)

2013-09-16T18:05:00.001+05:30

'Till The Last Breath' is a romantic novel by Durjoy Dutta. Though this was my first book by the author, i wouldn't mind reading some more of his works. The book is gripping enough to be finished in a day or two. I liked the book, to be honest, but i also feel that it is below average on many aspects.

The plot for instance is all too familiar. At about the 30 % mark you can see the climax that's coming. On a personal note i always root for the unexpected to happen. So, when all the puzzle pieces fell together in place (like i knew it would) i was a bit disappointed. So if you are one of those people who like to have an unanticipated twist in the plot, or a shocker in the end that leaves you numb for a couple of days, then you might nor like this book very much. To be honest you don't have to get to the 30% mark to guess how the story will end. All you need is the prerequisite of having seen a handful of your typical Bollywood movies and the synopsis at the back. Yes this is pretty much like the script for your average Hindi movie.

The synopsis runs like this:

************************************************************

The death sentences of the patients in Room No. 509 have been written.

One of them is a brilliant nineteen-year-old medical student, suffering from an incurable, fatal disease hurtling her towards a slow, painful death. She counts every extra breath as a blessing. The other is a wasteful twenty-five-year-old drug addict whose every organ system is slowly shutting down. He can’t wait to get rid of his body--to him, the sooner the better.

Two reputed doctors, fighting their own demons from the past, try everything to keep these two patients alive, even putting their medical licenses at risk.

These last days in the hospital change the two patients, their doctors and all the other people around them in ways they had never fathomed.

Till the Last Breath is a heart-warming story about love, life and friendship that reminds us what it means to be alive.

******************************************************

Coming back to the book. Well as for the characters, i find that the author has given thought to character development. To me the main protagonist in the movie is the drunk guy in the room, not the chirpy little girl. This guy's mind is a blend of emotional frustration and addictions. Addiction not only alcohol and drugs but also to love. His strained relationships are portrayed perfectly. I can say with utmost confidence that Dushyant is much much better than the average Chetan Bhagat protagonist. Clearly a step or two ahead. The narration also deserves special mention. It was good to have a view of the story from different perspectives. This is all the good i can say about this book.

Now, as i was browsing through Flipkart looking at the reviews of this book, i found that it has been severely overrated. And can someone enlighten me as to why all the girls(most of them) are swooning after this book. Huh? What's the deal? Did i read something else or was there another version with extra material or something? You know like the post credits scene in every MARVEL movie. Here is a snapshot of some of the comments and what's annoyed me most is that they've given it 5 stars. WHAT THE HELL?

In most cases the reviewer says that she cried when she got to page so and so and that page is still wet with her tears. Bullshit. Yeah that's my answer. If you cry at such a simple story. Then i advise you not to watch 'The Boy in the Striped Pajamas' the only movie that almost made me cry.

As i have already said the book is good,not great. It's one of those books that you pick up to read only for the sake of passing time not for the reading per se. Yes the book is a great hit. But have you wondered why? This stuff is aimed at a particular age group say 14-27 and the author has succeeded in reaching out to them. Yes as an author Mr. Durjoy Dutta has done a good job. But at the end of the day it doesn't mean that he is a good author (case in point Stephenie Meyer).

My Verdict -

The end of what was B.Tech (or was it?)

2013-04-28T20:19:00.000+05:30

So i've officially reached the end of my B.tech Degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering. It took me four years. These four years are quite significant. Why? Well for starters, i grew out of my teen years and into the twenties. Another reason is that there's no more studying. (I mean if you choose to). If you want to go for M.tech well then you get to study for another two years. If not then within the next few months, you have to find yourself a job and start working. 'Working'- i am not too familiar with that concept, but i guess i have no choice but to get used to it.

Coming back to the topic, that is the end of my B.tech, well i have to say that i'm surprised that it ended so fast. I thought i would be happy when it ended, but now i miss college and my back bench in the middle row. I dont know who is destined to take that seat in my classroom. Whoever you are, i just want you to know that it's the best seat in the whole class.Why? You may ask. I have often said this to my friends but still here are the main reasons:
1.) Its the bloody back bench, how's that for a reason?
2.) My seat is exactly in the middle of the back bench so it gives a better field of vision of the entire class.
3.) Its in the middle of two ceiling fans so i get the right amount of breeze.
4.) There is also that sliding window behind me which helps me during power cuts, light and easy access to dispose off chewing gum and other stuff
5.) Since it is way back i get more reaction time to use phones or write assignments and stuff.
I wanted to draw a picture depicting these advantages, then i thought that i would rather spare you the torment.
*********
We wanted to organize a farewell at our college. So we approached our principal with this request. But that old hag being a person devoid of principles came up with the most impressive answer she could think of- "No!". Ha, she couldn't even consider the fact that we spent some of our best days walking in those classrooms, or in the grounds or in and around the campus. All she could come up with was a bloody "No!".
All this happened when our classes were ending. We celebrated holi in during our last day and had a small skirmish with the police. Which ended as the most unforgettable last day of any batch. If only she had allowed us to have a farewell day. Hmm. So after our exams we approached her once again and made the same request. You know what she said this time? "No..cant do that, you are no longer students of this college, i cant let you celebrate farewell day inside the campus." Thanks a lot ma'am.So we decided to organize it at a hotel at Quilon. Shame on you who calls yourself a principal. Shame on you!! You are not fit to occupy that room where people of great character and caliber once sat. I am not perfect, so i have no right to judge you but still i cant help but say that you are a disappointment.

Another source of sorrow was my discovery of the real faces of some of my friends, dont ask me who they are or what they did. Cause i'm not gonna tell. It is true that appearances can be deceptive. And i found out that only at the end of 4 years.. actually on the very last day..

Guys, i'm not gonna write my whole college life where cause in the very near future i'm gonna write a book. Go and buy it ok?
I am ending this post now..!

Christmas Cribs...

2013-01-09T09:23:00.000+05:30

Another Christmas has gone by, and like always it was celebrated with hopes of a better future, a brighter tomorrow. And lets us not forget those new year resolutions, some of which we do take up seriously and some of which are just conveniently forgotten.Nothing excites me as much as making the Christmas crib. And this year i thought why not go around and take some pictures of the various cribs made in the churches around my home and post it here. So without much talk here they are.

1.)St. Sebastian's Church Tuet, Kollam

2.) St. Mary's Cathedral, Ernakulam

3.) The crib at my house

4.)St. Casmir's Church Kadavoor-I

5.)St. Casmir's Church Kadavoor-II

6.) Infant Jesus Cathedral Tangasseri,Kollam

7.) St. Antony's Church Vaddy, Kollam

8.) Holy Cross Church Tangasseri, Kollam

Day 5 of Study Tour- Bangalore

2012-12-02T12:43:00.000+05:30

Bangalore- The garden city was our last stop before we left for home. I woke up and walked to a hotel nearby for the breakfast. I had the best masala dosa so far. The bus came by from the other hotel and we put our luggage and all in it. We stopped at Lal Bagh. You cant leave bangalore without visiting Lal Bagh can you? Everyone who's been to Bangalore have been there. Some really old trees and green houses and a lake are the main attractions

In the picture shown to the right, there's something really interesting happening in the direction where my thumb is pointing. Yup, you guessed it.

There was also this old tree fossil which is about 20 million years old(shown left). We walked around some more before finally coming back to the bus. After two hours in traffic we finally came to a street full of shops. Lunch was from KFC and the girls went on a shopping spree. I bought a small jute bag for my sister and some sweets. By 5:00 pm we got back on the bus and headed home. We should have reached the college by 10 am the next morning but as we found out, things dont always go as planned. We stopped for dinner at a hotel inside a gas station and after which i met my uncle by the roadside as previously arranged. He had a package of flowers that he wanted me to give to a church to be used in the holy mass the next evening. Everything was going according to plan until 5:30 am in the morning. We had reached Thrissur. The roads were so bad and there was a small bridge that had to crossed, in view of the risk, the vehicles were restricted resulting in a very long queue. In other words we were stuck. And it was hell. Nothing to do except sit on the bus waiting for the line to move. Moreover it was a rural area with only some small teashops and makeshift restaurants. We were going mad inside the bus. My uncle had also gifted me with a box full of sweets for the whole group,which we ate and we waited. We got some chappatis from a small hotel and after some 5 hours of waiting we finally got moving. And i reached home by 10:00 pm 12 hours late,than planned.

The long wait to get moving....

Even this tiny snag at the very end could not dull our spirits. Because of what happened, i am sure we will all never forget this particular journey and our experiences. We can forever cherish these memories and reminisce them long after we've gone our separate ways...

THE END.

Day 4 of Study Tour- Wonderla

2012-12-02T11:29:00.000+05:30

We said goodbye to Mysore and moved on towards Bangalore, cause the 4th day of our study tour is at an amusement park called Wonderla. I wasn't feeling so good that day and moreover i'm not too fond of amusement parks, so i decided to walk around the whole place with James and Harish. It is owned and run by V- Guard Industries. And its their second amusement park,after Veegaland (now renamed as Wonderla) in Cochin. If you have ever been to Veegaland at Cochin, then this one in Bangalore will surely be a disappointment for you. Its not as exciting as Veegaland. And the number of visitors were so low, that most of the rides were shut down. Too bad we have to waste a whole day in this place. But what can one do when majority rules. Anyway i walked around and took some snaps, ate a pizza and simply watched people who paid to get themselves scared. Come to think about it, arent we paying thes guys to make us scared and cause an adrenaline rush? Anyway here's some pics.

After this rather uneventful day, we left for Bangalore and went to a hotel called Grand Regency Inn. Now, the only thing grand about this place is the filth. I've seen worse so it wasn't much of a shock. But for a few of the light hearted people among us it was quite unbearable. So after dinner and an hour or so of heated discussion with the hotel manager, our tour coordinator Arun decided to find a new hotel for the girls alone. So he left with them while most of us opted to stay back. It was almost 10:30 pm and Binu and I decided to go for a walk. We walked past many intersections, a flyover, a petrol pump and we kept on walking until we came across two policemen. We decided to walk past them. But as we reached them, they stopped and asked us where we were going. I told him I was looking for a tea shop. He then wanted to know whether i was here on business.He went on taking some more in Kannada. I told him we were from Kerala and we didnt know his language. He then switched to Tamil. And Binu was like "Enikku koncham tamil theriyum". As if he had been waiting to hear this, the other policaman started speaking endlessly in tamil by the end of which Binu had to correct his earlier statement to:"I dont know Tamil". Soon enough we all switched back to english and i asked him whether it was ok for us to walk some more. But he told us that there were "bad people, people with knives, they take you purse and phone,so you go back to your hotel". Ok no problem, we said goodbye and walked all the way back to the not so Grand Regency Inn, which was closed!

By this time Arun called Binu and told him that he was at a hotel called Taj and asked us to come there if we could. Yeah whatever, so we walk towards the other side(the way opposite to that we just came from). After walking for a long time, we reach a dark,deserted road full of dogs.There's not a single person on the roads, except for animals, yeah, cats,dogs, mice and cows. Suddenly all those dogs(about 10, i didnt have the time to count)began to growl and they chased a cow away. I smelled trouble, Binu was skeptic and wanted to go forward. Soon these dogs turned at us, they started growling and barking at us. Not a single person anywhere. "Time to go" he said and that was what i have been waiting to hear. We turn back and walk away discreetly, but the dogs started to follow, we increased our speed, which they did too and before we could start running we saw a security guard in front of a hotel who wasn't there when we passed through earlier. We called out to him(actually it was more of a wail). On seeing another person somehow those things backed off. We decided it was enough for a day and headed back to the hotel. Since it was closed we thought we'd spend the night outside the hotel. But again, you wouldn't believe it,the dogs were back and this time, we could chase them away. We banged at the door and still no one opened it, there was a guy sleeping in the lobby, we couldn't wake him up. So we called James, who was asleep inside and brought him down to wake up the sleeping dude who had the keys and opened the door...

We went to the room and slept, knowing that we were this close to being mauled by dogs...

Tomorrow is the last day of this tour.......

(to be cont'd)......

Day 3 of Study tour- Mysore Part II

2012-12-01T23:38:00.000+05:30

After Chamundi Hills we came back to the city, for our industrial visit at Kaynes Technologies. After lunch, we had an extra 2 hours before thing at Kaynes. So we decided to go see the zoo. Yup you heard it right, the ZOO. Personally i dont like the idea of locking up animals in cages and fences and you pay money to see them. I do feel sorry for them, especially he birds. We can understand their sad plight only if our freedom was taken away. So i walked around looking at these sad fellows and occasionally i tell them i'm sorry and that there's nothing i can do, to help them. I tried not to take too many photos, because i somewhat felt that is was wrong to do so. Isn't it bad enough that they're in cages?? Why annoy them with my lens?
So here's some of the pictures that my classmates took.

We leave the zoo pretty quickly, to get to Kaynes. It seems like a pretty big company.As already instructed, you have to wear shirts and pants, anyone with jeans isn't allowed inside. So is anyone without and ID card. So a few among the group cant enter, and a few chose not to enter at all. You aren't allowed to take your camera or phones inside.We wait for half an hour inside the gates. Soon one of the staff comes over and instructs us to form 2 groups.She then assigned us both two guides, who will explain to us the various stuff thats going on there. The lady assigned to us was a Keralite. She led us to a big building were we took off our footwear,whereas the other group went off to another building.She started by giving a brief introduction about the firm. Kaynes was established in 1988 as an electronic contract manufacturing company. It is based in the United States and in Europe. Their main works include PCB assembling and transformer core assembly. She told us that they had lot of certificates, it was such a long list that i cant remember even one of those. And thy're not into consumer electronics,i.e they never meet the end customer.

So their manufacturing method is mainly of two types and the products will be a combination of the two

1. Surface Mount Technology

2. Through Hole.

And the following steps are involved in SURFACE MOUNT TECHNOLOGY :

a.) Screen printing c.) Reflow Soldering

b.) Pick n' place d.) AOI(Automatic Optical Inspection)

e.)VMS (Video Microscopic Inspection )

THROUGH HOLE ASSEMBLY has the following processes associated with it:

a.) Forming Bend Leads at 90 degrees

b.) Stuffing components on board

c.) LQC (Line Quality Check)

d.) Wave soldering

Here these guys use a machine called 8035 PCS to perform wave soldering. Wave soldering has 4 main steps involved

1. Applying Flux

2. Preheater

3. Solder Bath

4. Cooler

e.)Cleaning (done using Isopropyl alcohol)

f.)Manual Inspection/Touch up etc

g.)FCI (Final Component Inspection)

In-circuit testing is optional.

The next section is CLEARANCE:

The products manufactured here find applications in Railway signalling and Automobiles. There is an area under ROHS(Restriction of hazardous substances). A lot of people are busy soldering and our tour guide tells us that this particular room is free of lead and other chemicals that are hazardous. There is also a machine which can simulate environmental conditions to test and measure performance of products under actual conditions and compare it with expected levels of performance.(This is a soaking room for railway signal devices). They also perform an OQC (Outward Quality Check).

The next area is where transformers are manufactures. Its an assembly line, with four people each of them doing one of the following tasks:

Bobbin Winding: where the coil is wound around a bobbin.
Core insertion
Terminal Insertion
Gluing

In another section all finished products are tested after assembly.
So our whole tour of Kaynes Technologies was over in around in 90 minutes and we headed out towards

Brindavan Gardens.

It was almost 6:15 when we arrived at the gardens. The fading light was inadequate to capture vibrant colors of the garden,especially those of the flowers. But still we had some good snaps and a very nice walk around the place. There's nothing much to see except for a lot of fountains and gardens, and......nope,nothing but more fountains and gardens....and a big dam!

A thousand lights...

The twilight soon turned into dusk and the lights beneath the fountains were turned on, which caused the scenery to turn from black and white to a color picture.

We leave Brindavan after watching the musical fountain and on our way back to the hotel we stop for dinner. Back at the hotel, there was a party, if you know what i mean. And Anand got a bit carried away, if you want to know the details I suggest you ask Dayal,who was on the receiving end of this. Good gracious lord, i'll never forget what he did.After the party we all slept and tomorrow we go to Wonderla, an amusement park.

(to be continued........)

Day 3 of Study Tour- Mysore Part I

2012-12-01T23:34:00.000+05:30

We were all in deep sleep when our 'tour coordinator' Arun woke us up by banging on the door.He came by to make sure that we were up and ready on time, in fact he woke up everyone on that floor.Had this been an alarm, you could have just turned it off,but here, the only way to get rid of him was to open the door. Again we got ready and today is the day of our Industrial Visit. We have to carry our ID cards, and wear pants and shirts to enter the industry, you cant enter if you're wearing Jeans and /or T-Shirts...hmm seems pretty uptight to me..whatever, if they want pants and shirts,then pants and shirts is what they'll get.

St.Philomena's Cathedral, Mysore

Our first stop however is St. Philomena's Church. The last time I was in Mysore was when I was studying in 11th Standard. We came to Mysore and Bangalore for a 3 day tour from our school. And of course i have been to this church. It's mind blowing. All the detail and care that has gone into the making of this church is pretty hard to digest. As for me, it is the biggest church in terms of size, and the best in terms of architectural beauty that i have ever seen. (And I've seen my share of churches.) I am not an expert on architectural styles, but i do think that this one is built based on the famous Gothic style.

It has stained glass paintings and the aisle is wide enough for two rows of benches. His highness Maharaja of Mysore laid the foundation stone in 1933 and it was completed in 1941. the twin spires are 175 ft high. The structure produces a looming effect. And its pretty hard to get the whole thing in a single frame. It's dedicated to St. Philomena and it also has her relic, which is kept under the altar.

The underground catacomb.

You can see the holy remains by taking the stairs which start in front of the altar and goes down to a room, where it is kept for worship. This room leads to an underground catacomb.It seems that a lot,i mean a lot of people have been buried here. This chamber is like a narrow corridor which leads out to the church grounds.Its a very beautiful church and its a spot not to be missed if you're ever visiting Mysore.
After a group photograph in front of the church we went to a nearby hotel for breakfast.

ABOVE: Some demon guy(with his disciples?)
RIGHT: The temple>>

Our next stop was at Chamundi Hills. The way up there was breathtaking. As you're going up this winding road along the hill, stretching out far,even beyond the horizon, Mysore is feast for your eyes.Even with the rain clouds floating above it, the city seems to give you a sense of pure bliss. Too bad we have only one day here. I heard that there's a thousand steps leading to the top, but since we're short on time we go to the top via the bus route. There's this pretty little temple and a statue of this big guy with a sword and, must be some asura(demon). Sorry,my knowledge in Hinduism and its stories is limited. Anyway theres also this huge statue of a bull, which is called Nandi, the mount of Shiva.

Soon it started to rain and we ran for cover, my camera almost got wet and while i was wiping my lens clean i saw some monkeys trying to find cover from the rain. Click! and this is what i got. >

There's also this small alley which has got small shops on either side of it. Harish wanted to buy something for a certain somebody who couldnt make it to the tour. And I bought two small caps for my twin cousin sisters. Arun bought a ladies bag for our Head of Department, Mrs Ananda Resmi.

The many shops on the way back..

(to be cont'd.....)

Day 2 of Study Tour- Coorg Part II

2012-12-01T16:16:00.000+05:30

Ok, so it was another waterfall, and quite a big one too. The main attraction of Irupu falls is its fall height and the fact that its located inside the wildlife sanctuary. Getting there is quite hard and so is going back as we found out. The roads were so narrow and winding with hairpin curves,that we lost a considerable amount of time. And being a Sunday most of the restaurants were closed.So that meant no lunch for us. After some agonizing hours in the bus(during which i found out that i had a leech on my foot) we reached a town in Coorg. By now it was almost 4:30 pm and we ran to the nearest hotel.

The gates of the Nunnery

Our next stop was at NYINGMAPA NUNNERY a monastery for Buddhist monks. It was quite a wonderful place, with all the gardens,huge bells, gongs and sculptures, and monks with shaven heads walking around in saffron colored robes.....The gate to the nunnery looks like this(right >>>)

The main entrance....

The main entrance has got a huge photograph of some monk (must be some important guy..like a Lama?!) placed on top of a structure which has a wheel on the background.They have many buildings inside the monastery, like prayer rooms, hostel/boarding for the kids(i.e the young monks), a school for them and many more.To the left of this main entrance there's this huge prayer hall which is decorated with statues of small guardian lions on the steps. These steps lead towards three doors, the one in the center considerably larger than the other two. Inside this prayer hall we can see three large statues of Buddha.There's also some large benches put across the length of the hall which reminded me of the main hall at Hogwarts.Its a really sacred place for them and so around 6:30 the monks asked us politely to leave as it was time for their evening prayer.

Here's how the inside of this prayer hall looks like.....

The prayer hall

Oh i almost forgot about the paintings,yup the main highlight of this place was the intricate yet colorful and attractive paintings.Each of them were different from one another and we had no idea what they meant. So i decided to get one of the monks to explain the paintings to us. And in order for this to work i had to use Harish, because i cant speak or understand Hindi very well and those monks knew only Hindi.

Lundup and Sange....

We met two monks Lundup and Sange, from Bhutan, who were kind enough to explain to us the different paintings, and even more patient enough to answer all our stupid questions.We would tell our various queries in Malayalam to Harish who would in turn convey these to Lundup and Sange.They explained to us a lot about the four guardians of the four cardinal directions, about the various levels of hell and other stuff.Before leaving we asked for a photo together and they were only too happy to oblige...

Crash course in Buddhism....

7:45 pm and we are going back from this monastery. Harish had with him a Cadbury Rum and Raisins, which disappeared ' ' just like that,as soon as the wrapping was removed. And i found out that rum can also be eaten! Anand Raj, Harish and i thought seriously about joining the Buddhist Monastery, hell why not? Free food, schooling and accommodation and a life of peace..ah..yes! Harish seemed all pepped up and a bit more eager that the boht of us. He might go through with it.......

The road ahead leads to Mysore where our third day will be spent. But before that we'll have to stop for dinner. By the highway there were two hotels, Highway 18 and Hotel Monarch. Very few chose Highway 18. The majority of us the latter. The food in both the hotels were comparable, but there was a tiny problem with the Monarch, which we overlooked. We became aware of this small detail when the bill came. It was a three star hotel and they charged us about Rs.1200 as service tax. Oops...!

Anyway we check into a hotel and again my roommates are Pai, Binu, Akhil, and Biju.... Tomorrow also have an Industrial Visit, almost forgot about that part. Funny cause isnt that the reason why we have this (Study) tour?