Me myself and the Universe

I have a dream....

2013-04-12T01:08:00.001-07:00

I have a dream. A dream fueled by my will to learn, influence, inspire and possibly educate. I am thankful to my parents who have let me pursue my dreams. They have supported me through everything. I have been fortunate. I have been fortunate to dream. Few have this luxury. Very few are born with silver spoons.

A young boy, hardly 20, works as a security guard at my office. You will know he is a kid, just by looking at him. His father is a security guard too. He had just finished his Technical training exams and was back in our office lobby after a month. So I offered to give him a book to read to pass his time. I was sure, he was not overburdened with work there. I got him Malgudi School Days by R K Narayan an easy & light read to start with. He was overjoyed, and for the next few days he zealously read the book. Every time I passed him, I got a beaming smile in return. It felt good.

Today though was different, the book, which had been lying on his desk every time of the day was no longer there. He called me towards his desk and told me with tears brimming in his eyes, that people don’t even like it that he is reading. He told me he wanted to get out of this place. He wanted to study, become an engineer. He would be quitting soon. I promised him that he could take any help he wanted from me for his studies.

I felt more fortunate at that instance, I saw myself in his tear filled eyes, I imagined what I would have done, if I was in his position. Life had been good to me. There wasn't anything to complain. My ambitions and aspirations might have grown, but I felt I had more to thank for. Things were not as bad as my mind made them to be. I had enough hope with me, enough for me to share it with those without it.

I hope this kid can quit, I hope he can get admission to his diploma. I hope he can live the life, of which I have a dream…..

The Sunflower...

2013-04-07T19:09:00.000-07:00

How long have we known each other? Not for long, is it?

But we have known each other well.

You have been a real friend to me.

The best one amongst the many I have had every day.

We have risen together every morning, you following my every move.

I must say, dedication like yours is rare.

We have spent drowsy evenings conversing with the air.

I have given a part of my life to you and you have given a part too.

Who would have thought this day would come?

Maybe the fault was partly mine…

Maybe I led you on.

But believe me, my heart is pure, and hurting you is not, for what I was here.

With a heavy heart I have let you go, knowing you may never know, I cared, and how.

It is sad it has come to this now..

As you shrivel now, with sadness or fulfillment I know not.

I can’t promise you, but I shall try my best to dry your tears and help you bury the past…

I hope one day you will let go, let my friend, the rain, nourish the seeds that we helped create.

I shall wait for the day when you shall be reborn once again like the phoenix from the very ground on which you lie today…

We shall be friends again that day and sway with the breeze, rise together, laugh off the past pain.

For whatever I might be to some, to you I will be a light for life.

The last supper...

2013-03-15T17:30:00.001-07:00

I climb the last flight of stairs, tired with the bike ride from my office. The traffic takes a toll on you. I find the door unlocked, my room mate seems to be in. Which is usually rare. He likes to spend his time in the campus once he gets back from his government job. Infact, he seems to spend more time in campus than his job actually!

I rap the door twice, our bell is never switched on, my roomie answers the door looking surprised. "Your Early", are his first words, which is true. Saying this he goes back to the kitchen. I follow him there, drawn by the aroma of dinner, almost ready. He has cooked his favorite dish today, Aloo Bhat ( a type of spiced steam rice with potatoes and veggies) and Pithla (a gravy -like dish made with gram flour). I will miss this dish, the last supper...

Bhushan Chambewar, painter, industrial planner turned urban planner, multiplex dozing, hard core Nagpurian who doesn't like oranges, almost a pure vegetarian, sugar dunking-pickle gobbling monster with a paunch-phobia whom I have known for the past 4 years is leaving and I don't believe it.

He has made me call this old dilapidated flat a home for the past 2 years, cooking up the most amazing food and at the same time cursing me when I most needed it. He has taught me to cook Nagpuri style and made me listen to the latest bollywood hits which I really didn't like to listen.

He is the 'mom' of the house which he absolutely hates being called. Now this kid is all left alone in the land of fafdas and khaman. But this post is not about me. Its about this great friend who has seen me through the crucial years of my very first job, my hobbies, my dreams. I wish him good luck in all his future endeavors his new job and a normal life back in his home town. Adieu dear friend and god bless!

Random Thoughts(resurrected)....

2013-03-07T11:39:00.002-08:00

As I sit in front of my computer browsing through my pictures, I wonder if there is some story in them. However, none seems to emerge. Are all my pictures just pictures or is there more to them? Usually when I come across some new hobby or even an idea, I am very eager to pursue it. But somehow I loose interest over some time in the classic "sour grapes case". I wonder if this picture addiction of mine will meet a similar fate!

The human brain is a strange thing. At times it will get you all excited, getting your adrenalin rushing and suddenly it will make you shrivel under pressure. This pressure, I wonder is it external? The fact that you feel weak in front of someone, or you always want to be someone and you fail trying. Who is at fault?

I relised this "external" force is not around us but within us. It is much easier to put the blame on someone but very difficult to accept our faults(clichéd but true!). Acceptance, that’s another funny word. How easily we accept what people say and turn a deaf ear to what our brain(or do we call it our conscience or its it our heart?).

I can hear the soft murmurings within(as opposed to extroverts who hear it loud!). These murmurings grow louder but still seem out of reach. I think I need a stethoscope. That’s what they call it right? Where will i get that?..the doctor? Maybe a friend can help me.....

Notes from a prison

2013-02-13T09:17:00.002-08:00

*Notes from a prison

One moment you’re calmly sitting in your cubicle sipping sugar saturated tea and then something hits you. Your soul leaves your body, floats above your head and scorns at yourself, mocking at what has become of you. Showing off its freedom ….“You can never be as free as me!”

“You are locked up forever in those crisp green papers that are handed over every month; no; wrapped around your legs to prevent you from running and binding your hands to prevent you from setting yourself free. They are your master, they are your prison. All that you hope and wish to accomplish, all comes down to how stronger this prison will be. You are young; there is your whole life in front of you to enjoy what you’re doing but now you have to build this prison, to protect yourself from this world”.

What a strange prison this is? It is created to protect the prisoner from this world. I want to break through this prison. I want to burn it down.

Then you feel like tearing-up these masks, these fakes, trying to cover-up everything, trying to make everything look wonderful, when it’s not. Why can’t I say whatever that is in my mind? Why can’t the world accept me as I am? Is there no end to this make believe. When do I actually start living and stop faking it?

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*Image created by overlapping two photographs made in twilight, Feb 2011

Recipe for a hero: Talking Lance Armstrong

2013-01-19T00:53:00.001-08:00

How many of us have seen real life heroes, or for that matter, heroic acts being performed by someone? Media, internet and social networking sites are creating new heroes every single day, but really how do your define the term hero?

Here are some definitions:

A man distinguished by exceptional courage and nobility and strength.

(In absence of these qualities in 'exceptional' quantities, it looks rather difficult to be called a hero!)

A man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities.

( Again here 'distinguished' is the key word! A hero must be expected to stand apart from the crowd. The word 'admired' used here is rather interesting as it brings in the question of acceptance, You might be a hero for some but you might be a villain for others!)

A person, typically a man, who is admired for courage or noble qualities.

(This definition reminded me that the word heroine must also be considered, else my blog will lose its precious female followers and will be a little more unbiased!)

(Please note that I am ignoring the definitions like 'lead character of a story or play etc...)

We have those that are constantly opposed by the powerful, who act defiantly in the face of adversity, facing the brutal challenges thrown at them with a single purpose that is- to overcome, to survive. This breed is rare. Their work acts as a inspiration to many and provides a guiding light to those who have been flung in the dark corners of the earth with little room to spare or measures to heal themselves.

I fondly recollect the days I used to cycle to school. I fondly recollect my dreams of cycling in the Tour de France. That school-boy's dream since has been lost in the humdrum of routine and the grind of an so called adult life. An inspiration to us, and even to those that have not followed the world of cycle racing, Lance Armstrong, is a surviving legend. Atleast till the day USADA charged him with doping( Read USADA Pro-cycling investigation) and finally the Union Cycliste International (UCI) stripped him of his Tour de France titles on October 22nd, 2012 (read more in CNN's complete coverage here). Now several hours have passed since Lance Armstrong has publicly accepted his participation in the doping scandal, that has shaken the world of Cycling (watch his interview with Oprah Winfrey). Lance is(or should I say 'was') a hero for the way he inspired people to succeed against all odds. Now as this image of Lance Armstrong is slowly peeled off exposing a vulnerable and should I dare to say a very human side of his, I wonder what really is the nature of heroism.

The story of Lance Armstrong is the story of the rise and fall of a public figure, fueled by the media and corporations that had cashed in on his rise to popularity(or should I say heroism?). These same people have now swiftly withdrawn their support when his (their?) lies were exposed. The media will still cash-in on his fall from grace (Read Armstrong interview pulls 3.2 million viewers in US ). The big corporations have enough heroes with them to do their endorsements, so it won't affect them in any way either.

Courtesy: the official website of Livestrong

A man lost his way, made a a few mistakes, encouraged by the nature of this world, climbed the pedestal, we built for him, several times, and finally got caught and questioned by the same people who put him on the pedestal in the first place. In just a few days the life saving work done for cancer patients and their families by him through his organisation Livestrong has been erased and might also be questioned. Livestrong has however come out with its statement on its official website.

Lance the hero, who represented the force that fought cancer, survived, and helped others out of their misery, won several sporting challenges, undoubtedly faced several hurdles on the way to the top, moved & influenced millions of old & young people to live was reduced to tears in front of the world. The world lost a hero that it once, looked up to. Like one of the famous dialogue from the movie The Dark Knight "You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself becoming the villain" (Aaron Eckhart - Harvey Dent/Two Face dialogue)

RIP the 'hero'- Lance Armstrong. Best wishes to Lance for his future ventures as one of us 'humans'.

Image courtesy: Official Lance Armstrong Website

Back on my feet again...

2013-01-18T14:09:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it just so happens that some wounds take time healing. No wonder how much ever you try, that piece of bone jutting out of your flesh refuses to give in. You have to deal with it. Eventually it will give in if you want it to. You will limp for a few days, but surely its just the warm-up for the run that follows. Much like this limping post I have written.

Its all about getting back on your feet. Letting the world know that I might be down, but I am not out. There is still a fight left in me. The world gives one blow after another and you keep taking it in... waiting. You wait for it to get tired and helpless, of watching you rise to your feet again(like Rocky Balboa ). That is when I will begin my attack. I will go under and surprise you with my blows, leave you thinking, from where I got all the energy. So let me limp today, I wont lay back and wait for my wounds to heal. Let me limp today and show the world, I still have enough of a fight left in me. I have enough to say and talk about.

To all young Suicides...

2012-11-21T23:02:00.001-08:00

How many of you have had the feeling that you just want to kill yourself? Quite a few of you , ain't it? It is really strange how normal things can trigger such extreme reactions in our minds.

Some hard facts about suicides in India:

1. Age group 15-24 yrs constitutes 16% of the population(Census of India 2001) & most suicides in India take place between 15-29 yrs age group according to a survey conducted for 2001-2003.

2. Suicide may soon become the leading cause of death in India, currently 2nd in number to Transportation accidents in men and maternal disorders in women.

3. According to Wikipedia out of half a million suicides happening in a year in the world, 20% take place from India, making it the suicide capital of the world.

The facts are just so upsetting. There is so much pressure both external and internal, that people, young and immature, are driven to take such drastic measures. Yes, competition has increased and we are just horses running behind that invisible dangling carrot, striding ahead and in the process trampling on our own dreams and wishes and aspirations blinded by society into believing that, only in this carrot lies our salvation. Often people lose track of why their running and what their running for, finally losing their purpose to live. So they end it. A cold blooded murder of themselves is what supposedly is going to set them free from their misery. Oh! what a terrible waste, if only people saw beyond that carrot.

[This post is inspired by It's Kind of a Funny Story, a movie about a 16 year-old American boy who upset by his life, decides to commit suicide but is stopped by a vision of his parents. He checks into a hospital, asking to be treated, is put into a adult psychiatric ward where he meets others with similar problems. Slowly he realises there are more reasons to live and the others in the ward are suffering from much serious issues in their life. A funny, touching and inspiring tale.]

References:

Summary- Report on Causes of Death (2001-03) in India (Page no. 4)

Selected socio-economic statistics, India,2011, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, GOI (Page no. 46)

Demographic Indicators, Census 2001 (Page no. 3)

Wikipedia: Suicides in India

Suicide second leading cause of death among young Indians

Young suicides major cause of deaths in India: Study

A boy and his butterfly..

2012-11-07T02:50:00.001-08:00

I remember asking my grandfather to catch some butterflies for me,

so that I can make them a pet and store them in a glass jar.
I remember him telling me to leave holes in the lid so that they can breathe.

I remember running around in in my neighbors' yard,
when I was not learning to make paper boats, from him.

I finally did capture one in a jar, but it didn't survive.

I don't remember having the courage to catch one again.

I imagined myself walking in a forest, with all these creatures peeking from the dense undergrowth.

Then suddenly a butterfly fluttering down on my shoulder and then on my outstretched palm.

In the palm of my hand, it looks like the prettiest thing on earth!

My mother planted a Curry leaves plant,

With it came a beautiful black-white and red butterfly.

I was surprised, thinking, what is it doing on a boring flowerless plant like this?

Then in a few days I noticed a pair of gooey green caterpillars resting under a leaf.
Night would knock them off their slumber and make them ferociously feed.
In the day they would snugly sleep under the half eaten tattered leaves.
I watched them grow night and day until they grew as fat as my fingers!

I remember taking them in a box to school in my science class,
Girls shrieking and boys feeling their velvety sides,
The caterpillars seemed to like it, I thought then!

As I touched them, two red horns would emerge from behind their heads..
The boys would entertain themselves thus playing with their new friends!
Then our biology teacher explained that these horns are meant to scare their predators..
They are not the tails that dogs wag when their gay!
She told me to put them back on the plant as the caterpillars seemed ready to cocoon!

I hurried back home and let the little fellows on the plant again....
But I kept one for myself on my desk, with a small branch of the plant for it to feed...
hoping that I get to meet that butterfly which emerges...
hoping that it will rest on my palm just like the one in my dreams!

And cocoon it did, but the wait for the butterfly was too long,
I hurried back home everyday to find the fellow asleep in his self-made bed!
On one such day when I was at school the butterfly emerged,
My father later told me how it fluttered about my room for a while until he let it free!

I cried then a little for life being so unfair...
I still wish someday I can meet that butterfly...
The one that will rest on my shoulder and then flutter down on my palm!

a double life

2012-10-15T23:43:00.000-07:00

It's not easy living a double life,

Within oneself it's like a strife....

It's hard to improve your situation

If you feel you lack the tools to do so...

It becomes easier to drag your body...

Being numb and moving with the crowd....

yet trying to find your way aimlessly.

So what if you don't want to be a cliche?

You are either alone or your one of them..

Either ways you are a stranger in the crowd.

You get into a monotonous rhythm...

it is difficult to break, difficult to escape,

It keeps rolling you in its swell...

The tide takes you in,

spins you around, takes you for a ride,

until you realise that you haven't moved an inch!

Trying to escape but making sure you don't...

There is nothing much you can do..

You either rise above or drown in the swell!

It is not easy living a double life...

An adventure in Abu !

2012-10-13T07:58:00.001-07:00

....lying down on a bench under a large fig, light filtered through the canopy on a mostly blue sky with faint wisps of clouds. The smell of rotis being fried in the air making me hungrier by the second. Our Obscure Abu trip with Bike N Hike was coming to an end. Only one adventure remained. In the past 36 hours we had trekked for more than 5 hours covering a distance of around 9-10 kms. This trip had totally shattered my myth about Mt. Abu!

Mt. Abu Wildlife Sanctuary is a 4 hrs drive from Ahmedabad. It is not really known as a Wildlife Sanctuary but a hill station with booze to commoners and ignorant fools like me. A chill in the air outside informed us that we were now far from the hot urban chaos of the Ahmedabad city, driving on winding hilly roads of Abu towards our campsite.

The campsite was a dream with a large fig making the roof for our dining and 'lounging area' on top of a ridge . It offered stunning views of the small houses and palm tree lined hills at a distance. We gaped at the mesmerising sunrise while hot aloo parathas were being served for breakfast. The morning couldn't have been more perfect! Oh and what tea! (I will take this ocassion to clarify that I am a complete foody. So don't be shy and do invite me for some good food.)

I absolutely love trekking and was treated with two long treks to amazingly diverse locations. On the first day we walked through dense jungles known to be ideal for bears and leopards Although we didn't spot any, they did leave some special signs for us to read! But our salvation lay in the amazing black tea made for us by nomadic cattle rearers. These amazing people live under rocks surrounded by rock lined walls designed for optimum utilization of natural light and a 24/7 natural air-conditioner. The calves stayed with them in these warm homely caves.

The night-trek later in the day brought me face to face with a beautiful Green Keelback and a civet(a mammal) which I have never seen in the wild.

As alcohol is injurious to health and I don't want to promote boozing on my blog. I will censor out the part about the amazing barbecue chicken prepared by Vipulbhai, the chinezze faried yaappuls (for some pineyaaappuls) with Black dog and '5 or none'-kingfisher's that got us all a bit 'tipsy'with happiness!

The next day started of with another yummy breakfast and a trek to the upper Kodra Dam, where we did a bit of caving. What is caving you ask? Ohh, we just crawl through a dark damp slit in a rock, without a torch, to reach the light at the other end! As we were resting by the shadow of this rock, we were treated with a wonderful raptor sighting, later IDed as an Eurasian Hobby. Sadly, couldn't get some good shots of the bird. But here's a Panoramic shot of the Kodra Dam site...

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At a distance Vipul Ramanuj, Catherene and Bijal Ma'am were readying the ropes & equipment on a cliff for the evening rappelling session. I made it to the top of the cliff eager to rappel, which I was doing just the second time. Vipul asked me if I want to do something more exciting and showed me a narrow gap between two large rocks which I can make use to climb up (known as a Chimneying by mountaineers) . I was reminded of the movie Lakshya and that scene of the soldiers climbing freehand through a gap.The climb was not hard or high but it was my first so all the more exciting. As I slowly skidded between the rock, using my back, arms and legs, pushing and slowly moving up, it felt great, no strings attached, free! Being at the top was just a incentive what mattered was, how I got there. It was all Gooohhhd!!

That evening, rappel, I did and that too not once but twice! I left Abu with a heavy heart loaded with warm memories and great new friends. A special thanks to Kshitish for sharing his wonderful knowledge about butterflies!

But my romance with the place has just begun thanks to Vipul Ramanuj and Bike N Hike!

A bad day...

2012-09-27T22:38:00.000-07:00

What makes a day bad? What are the essential ingredients, mixed in precise measured quantities under appropriate conditions of pressure and temperature, that are the recipe for a horrible day?I wouldn't know. I just know the feeling you get at the bottom of your stomach when you feel your little carved out security is jeopardized and things are slowly inching towards disaster making every moment worst than the one before. The feeling is even worse when your body starts showing signs of fatigue even though the day is just getting started.

A day starts off as normally as any other, giving no signs of the devastation lying minutes or hours away from that perfect morning. An e-mail (that you forgot to check yesterday) can trigger the dissent, or just a passing remark by a friend (that actually should't have affected you). The source of distress is most probably rooted in the workplace of your guilt ridden mind.

In such hours of misery, even the most harshest of human suffering seem less compared to the situation that you are in. Is it just me or the whole world gives so much time to thinking about or worrying about things that will hardly make a difference to his or her life?

The thought of escape is the first thing that enters the heads and drives us crazy. But, such situations often trigger the creative juices to flow, rupturing the barge of a creative block. The spontaneous outflow of such emotions is what I have captured in this post. If you felt this post made a difference then I am surprised, but for the majority who felt it is useless here are a few lines to help(self-help book style).

'I am down but not out. This day will be over and tomorrow I will be ready to make newer mistakes and face more challenges. Everyday is a brand new world. Learn to face adversity head-on'.

Looking forward to better days.....

I asked aloud in office, "How do you define a bad day?" and got this video as a reply!

Some misadventures and Thol!

2012-08-25T07:28:00.000-07:00

What a wonderfully eventful morning, it turned out to be today! I visited the Thol Bird Sanctuary after a long time. Started late from Ahmedabad and had to wait at a railway crossing for two trains to pass. I decided to do what I always wanted to! Take pictures of the moving train.

Took a 30 sec. exposure of the approaching train, would have come out well if there wasn't another train behind it. Anyways, the exciting part was when, after the trains passed, a police constable got hold of me and took me into a dingy room. He then went on to explain that it was illegal to take pictures of trains or railway bridges or railway stations or railways crossings. He then tried to find that particular rule in his rule book( Check this if your interested in the railway rules for photography: Pg 13-15)! Here I will take a pause and thank the lord that I am working in a Government Department. I flashed my ID card and he kind of mellowed down and started explaining that "Bharat mein aaj Kal aapko to pata hai, ki gatividhiyaan kitni badh gayein hain"- Activities(terrorist) in India have increased these days". We patiently heard him ramble upon how important railway is to the country and how I could possibly use my photograph to terrorize! I was, on the other hand, thanking my stars that he did not take me in his office and rape me(he just rapped me)!

Anyway, we missed the sunrise at Thol, but I spotted a couple of Pied Cukkoos and was greeted by a lone Sarus Crane(aah...I was delighted to see it!) in the paddy fields.

A couple of Whistling ducks and Lapwing followed my moves as I got down from a bike and got some shots from behind the bike, but scrammed as soon as I tried to get closer!

Near the entrance, found the ever common Plain Tiger butterfly, a Great Eggfly and loads of Globe Skimmer dragonflies.

The most dashing pictures of the day I got from a Juvenile Shikra perched near the edge of the water.

I'm thinking of going back tomorrow!

Cheerio mates!

____________________

Did not go to Thol on Sunday, but thanks to that my room is looking clean!

A monsoon trip to remember...

2012-08-22T01:22:00.003-07:00

Steve Irvin.....Austin Stevens.....Jeff Corwin....rings a bell?? All you 'Animal' (Planet) Fanatics out there, I am sure you would get an adrenalin rush just by listening to those names!! I am not lying when I say I had an action packed weekend! I have always wanted to experience wild creatures in their true habitat and I thank Vipul Ramanuj and his Bike N Hike team for making it possible.

What would you call a trip where spotting and photographing herps (reptiles & amphibians) is the topmost priority? I was really looking forward to this trip and I wasn’t disappointed! Oh! Did I mention crocodiles? Well alright, it was just a baby croc (hell ya!!). Apart from that the we spotted seven snakes, notably, a baby Spectacled cobra( No, that's not a typo, I really meant a COBRA!), Common Krait (one of the most dangerous snakes in India, to know more about the Big Four-Indian snakes read this) a wolf snake, common cat snake and the beautiful Checkered Keelback. We also spotted scores of bugs, beetles (a dung beetle that sadly was found out to be 'foot'-kill in the morning), butterflies and moths. At the end gruelling treks and relaxing baths in the pool, handy tips on photography and continuous little bits of interaction with fellow participants (that included excellent photographers and also learners), and my weekend was complete and full of excitement!

This weekend, unlike my other lethargic, lazy non-productive weekends, often spent in office, was one of the best one's I have had. I did something that I really loved – observing nature and photographing wildlife in their natural habitat without being scowled at by friends for not clicking enough of their portraits for Fb (To my friends reading the blog, no offence I do enjoy our little trips! How else will I get my profile pictures?). I have always been interested in nature photography. It helps me take a closer look at flowers, insects, birds and every other life form that is almost out of reach. Back in school I remember reading about dart frogs in the Amazon, utterly fascinated by their painted bodies and the deadly poison they carry, I got obsessed with frogs & toads. I dreamt (still do!) of walking on Gallapagos with its Giant tortoises or watching Komodo dragons going for the kill on the Komodo island. My favourite hang out during my school days was a quarry lake in Yeoor, Thane, Maharashtra, where my friends and I would often trek, even sometimes carrying our bicycles over our head. How I miss those treks!

Hiking in the Gir forest made me feel that I belonged there and I wished that such treks would go on forever. They awakened the dormant child in me, living a life that doesn’t know anything called fear and that has adventure staring in the face! Photos were secondary, what was important was the knowledge, the experience and the extraordinary manner in which the two days just got over with the blink of an eyelid. Of course the photos only complement my nostalgia. After a long time I have seen snakes at such close quarters and this trip definitely has triggered my curiosity and interest in reptiles. Often during the trip I felt like touching their beautifully textured skin and feeling them move on my hand! But then again I can still hear Vipul’s words echoing ‘Know your subject!’

The proudest moment for us in the workshop was when we received a certificate, which said that a sapling had been planted in our name! This was, as if, to remind us there is more to the world than what can be captured on our camera. Conservation is a cause that should be on the mind of every person. A forest for many maybe just a source of entertainment or a change of weather or an escape from the buzzing city life; but, we must understand that it might cease to exist in its current form if we don’t make an effort to conserve it!

This blog post goes out to Vipul, Amit, Farukh (our special guide for Gir) and the rest of the gang of 'Bike N Hike' who proved that it doesn't take a parselmouth to converse with snakes!

A handy tip: 'Know your subject before you know your camera!'

In this boring room.....

2012-08-15T12:24:00.001-07:00

Staring outside from this boring room...

I see the rain coming down, washing the earth below...

At a distance, the grass looks greener and trees more fresh...

All that I can imagine is this, sittin in this boring room....

People moving about, doing their work, oblivious to my state...

No one bothers as I stir from my slumber and walk towards the closed window...

I push open the window and peer out,

feeling the cool breeze and drops of water on my face...

Water trikles down my face, my arms outstretched, it runs down my spine...

Just as I am ready to climb up the ledge and fly away,on top these drops of rain....

I awaken from my slumber again, back in this boring room.....

(Now as I finish writing this, I realise, this kind of resembles the song Lemon tree by Fool's Garden)

Zindigi ki rahon mein aksar aisa hota hai........

2012-08-13T20:21:00.002-07:00

Zindigi ki rahon mein aksar aisa hota hai..
kuch lamhe dil ko chuu jaate hai.

Aksar ye lamhe rahan mein chav bankar aate hai ..
zindigi se dhup mita jate hai.

Par tum,inn lamhon ke sahare jeena chod do..

Zindagi inn lamhon ke bina bhi haseen hai,
jara haske dekhlo..

Zindigi inn lamhon se kayee badhkar hai,

usse nibhana sikhlon..

Aise pal to age bhi ayenge...
par unki rahaan dekhte, ye pal naah kho dena.

Rahon mein aage mile to haas dena,
naa mile to afsos naah karna...

Rahen sakth hojaye to in lamhon ko pairontale rakh kar chaldena...

Saath rahen ya na rahen,
inhin rahon par chalte rehna....

Zindigi ki rahon mein aksar aisa hota hai.....

Free your mind !

2012-08-07T13:35:00.000-07:00

A free mind is a brilliant thing. When at its peak, free thinking gives a adrenaline rush to the system. It's almost like floating in empty space with no apparent end, no visible horizon. Once you get addicted to it there is no looking back.

So now the question arises, what do you do to get a free mind? Can I get it from the counter no. X of the Y mall? You can try looking. These days, anyways, anything from diaper to cars is easily available and that too in installments at a mall near you!

Now, here's my guide to a free mind....just one word ....W A L K !!

It's the most brilliant activity that we so unconsciously indulge in everyday(or used to indulge in everyday, for some!) and yet, never realise its importance. Your feet move in a rhythm that synchronizes with your swaying arms, beating heart and pulsating veins. With every step our feet float above the ground weightless for a split second, as if to mock the gravity acting on them, but coming down to meet it, as if to say we are one with this earth! Your whole body breathes deeper and feels better as you walk longer

That doesn't mean the mind is without fear but rather its free to experience fear when it wants. A closed system which remains unaffected by external influences but at the same time which moulds itself into what it desires when it desires and the way it desires.

I'll be honest with you, I don't walk that much. A typical weekday starts with me walking(rather running) to the bus stop, taking the bus to office, walking again(rather slowly) towards the office, after I get down from the bus. This repeats in the evening, so I would say I walk for about an hour(make that 2, so I feel better) everyday. That's horrible! Wait, did I just make you realise, that you aren't any better than me?

Feeling heavy? Well, Take a walk!!

P.S: Now that you have mentally accepted the above post as the truth and decided to take a walk, tell me if you can find a safe place to walk in your city(the only place you can take a safe walk in Ahmedabad is in a car!).

Lets talk Nanotech!

2012-08-06T00:16:00.002-07:00

For a change, I have decided to write about a serious topic. Few people would believe that I am capable of such a thing, but prepare to be surprised! In any case I will keep this post brief.

Nano Technology is the next great leap for mankind. It is set to change healthcare, manufacturing and virtually every other industry known to man.

To start-off for those who are unaware of the term Nano Technology, (for my precious few geek readers) nano means a billionth or factor of 10⁻⁹ or 0.000000001 and for the rest of you (non-scientists) it means small. Basically Nano Technology (affectionately called Nanotech) involves the manipulation of matter at the molecular or atomic level(pasted from Wikipedia).

Just imagine what man can accomplish from this technology! It will be like magic, the kind we have read about in Harry Potter books. Materials and manufactured items will be so modular, even more advanced than those robots from the movie Transformers. Nano robots are said to be a revolution in the medical field where doctors can perform critical surgeries without touching the patient! Nano robots (some call them as nanobots) can be deployed in the most difficult environments. These can be used in war(to dismantle or malfunction enemy weapons without detection) or to even operate(mend tissues & make micro stitches) on our body!

Book cover courtesy: http://www.webidz.com

However, its threats to health and environment cannot be downplayed. The Nano particles if let lose in the environment can create unprecedented damage. For a more terrifying view of the problem read a novel called 'Prey' by Michael Crichton. Those who believe in reality rather than fiction read this article in Asian Age: Nano tech can poison man, environment (just browse through Wikipedia for additional links).

So the technology is indeed a great leap for mankind, but the picture is not as rosy as it looks. As an uncle of a great American superhero has said, 'With great power comes great responsibility'.

A letter undelivered....

2012-07-22T06:35:00.000-07:00

Years ago it started with a letter, or was it an innocent note, passed during a class?

It was back in those years of adolescence and innocent pain.

I cannot remember what we wrote about but then again we wrote about everything that was important to us then!

A little note from you, then a reply from me, it went on like this for some time.

It was within those few pieces of paper that we folded our entire world.

I remember flowing in the beautiful torrent of emotions as you gently guided me.

I remember my short replies to your long letters.
I remember sharing a piece of my life with you.

I remember the day I brought everything to a stop.

Your letter was the last and I never replied.

The last letter from me to you was left undelivered.

I remember burning those letters without a hint of emotion and later regretting it.

Although it might not make a difference to you now, I wish to write once to you and deliver this package of memories.

I wish to deliver that last letter that was left undelivered.

- signed Tortoise...

What is real?

2012-07-19T12:23:00.004-07:00

"What is real? How do you define real? If you're talking about what you can feel, what you can smell, what you can taste and see, then real is simply electrical signals interpreted by your brain"
-Morpheus in The Matrix(1999)

Setting sun in a rainy month

2012-07-18T09:44:00.001-07:00

Scene of the setting sun on a day in a rainy month is a sight to behold.
If your'e lucky then it doesn't rain and the clouds are just lined up on the horizon.

As the sun gets ready to dive, the clouds take their turn, one by one, playing the game of hide and seek. The soft rays of the sun join in, illuminating the soft cottony mass of clouds with warm light. The sun keeps peeking through the gaps of this cottony mass, blinding at times and at times soothing. The edges of these clouds get lit up with golden light and streaks of light filter through, bursting out from the seams.

The sun is dying out but not without a fight as the clouds try to calm him down and divert his energy. The sky slowly turns dull and the blue is replaced by the gray as large heavy clouds rumble into position as if to wake up the earth from a trance and drench it with much needed drops of life.

Practice makes the Dhobi!

2012-07-16T13:08:00.001-07:00

Ironing is an endless conflict almost like being in a relation with a girl(I'm straight so don't ask me about the other orientations)! Its not necessary that every time the same strategy (which starts with a Sorry and ends with an I love you) will work! There are a million other factors that come into play like, how long it took you to realise your mistake(how long the shirt was lying under a pile of other clothes?), or how sorry are you actually feeling( Is the iron hot enough?), or were you actually listening to her? (your eyes were following some skimpily clad creature) ? Finally you end up either burning yourself or your shirt!

If you have little ironing(dating) experience behind you(lets call you a novice) then you may even plot a graph of time required to iron(time spent with a girl) v/s quality of ironing(relationship). At first it may appear that both are directly related. So the novice will spend a good 10 minutes on a shirt which seems to have been run over by a herd of elephants! End result? Nada! Zilch! Zero!!!

Then it hits you, as you pass the Dhobi, in front of your society gate, you see him sprinkling water on on the dried clothes. That's the secret ingredient then huh? Next day you try it on other clothes(dates) and voila! The shirt is stiff in 5 minutes(pun not intended)! The novice looks at his work proudly and shows it off too! But wait, this story doesn't have a happy ending(Ironing/dating never does!).

I was lucky I didn't have to go through all this, my room mate explained a thing or two about ironing(not dating), and I still ended up with road-kills! All you novices don't lose heart cause at the end of the tunnel, there is always light! A light of hope called practice! So however cliched it may sound, practice makes perfectly ironed clothes!

In short practice makes the dhobi who he is!

Adieu dear friend.....

2012-07-15T07:39:00.001-07:00

Speed, Fast and the Furious, 2Fast2Furious(say it fast without a pause)- No I am not making a list of super-paced action flicks, but those of you who are from CEPT know who I'm talking about! For those of you who don't, let me give you an brief and swift introduction to this Casanova! Here goes.....

A sturdy and healthy looking lad from the hills (not too different from Funsook Wangdoo of Three Idiots) who we never call Neepjyoti Das (we will call him Neep here, but lets just say he is called by the name given to a certain body part that all mammals on this planet have!), has been my room mate for the past three years. And three years have gone by fast.

Why the obsession with speed? Well you could just say that Speed is Neep's middle name. He moves, talks, works, bathes, all as if, in a single breathe! Its as if he is carrying a ticking time bomb that he reprograms just before its about to blow! This Urban Planner is actually a Planner in literal terms! Planning everything in advance, not only for himself but even for others who are with him!

He's been responsible for the variety of meat I have consumed at some of the best eateries in the Old city(that's on the other side of the Sukhi nadi-Sabarmati!). He is also our very own Master Chef(My other room mate is the regular chef and I'm the well, the Intern!) dishing out the most amazing Dal, Paneer Matar, Chicken curry and the inventor of our very own Lemon Tea(strong with extra sugar and lemon for my other roomie!).

In a way he has been an inspiration, introducing me to new books, authors and brilliant movies that have helped me shape my opinions and choices. Always on a different track than everyone else in the room, his unmatched perspective and casual, practical intelligence never cease to impress me(Cool and hot in a single package!).

As I now write this, memories rush past me, memories of the time we spent in our hostel room; memories of our trip to Ladakh and more recently the one year spent after starting work in Ahmedabad.

Neep is now ready to leave many things behind and go back to his home in Assam, though not alone but engaged! I wish the couple good luck for this new journey and hope that all their dreams come true!

Finally a warning note to all the wild and domesticated animals of Assam, its time you migrated to a safer place (In short BHAGONN!!).

Cheers and God Bless!

My precious...

2012-07-13T15:52:00.000-07:00

You stand inclined in the corner, tempting me.

Your golden face shining in the dark.

I'm pulled towards you, incessant desire rising in my heart.

All I want to do is hold you close and get lost in your world.

You open up with ease, revealing the treasures within.

I want to drink you like wine, savour you.

You overwhelm my senses with your smell, intoxicating, soothing.

I run my fingers down your spine, tracing your curves, the texture.

And then the magic starts as you open up.

I can feel your grasp tightening on my soul, my mind.

I am lost in you, as if forever.

Now I can only recover when your'e done.

How I wish this feeling would last, but alas...

Though I leave you in the corner again, my mind never does.

That's how much I love you.......Ooh My Precious!

A phoney story of the poor...

2012-07-12T00:49:00.001-07:00

I have a ardent desire of owning the most sophisticated piece of machinery(a mobile communication device) at the cheapest price possible. It is obvious then that there is no such thing as a cheap sophisticated phone, cause I haven't bought one yet. Even if there is some phone that is close to the sophistication I require, it has had some feature that has put me off. Now don't worry, I am not going to ramble on about the various phones available in the market and what I like or dislike about each of them(geeks like me usually tend to act this way so let us be).

But seriously, doesn't this happen to everyone? Do we ever get exactly what we want? Our mind is in constant upheaval thinking, figuring out ways and reasons as to why we need to own a certain thing or disown it. Its a never ending battle between rational thinking and irrational desire. These materialistic aspirations are further fueled by good looking models, movie stars, cricketers; staring out at us from billboards, magazine covers, newspapers, television screens, websites. Everybody seems to be wanting to either sell something to us or promote someone. We are made out to be the deprived, miserable basically poor!

I looked up the word poor on the Internet and found this(and this is what came to my mind):

1. Deserving or inciting pity (Such a pity my current phone is not a dual core)

2. Having little money or few possessions (maybe I should sell my bike to buy the phone)

3. Lacking in specific resources, qualities or substances (my phone has only 10 apps compared to my friends I-phone/Android/BB)

5. Not sufficient to meet a need (A big screen phone will help me read the news on the move as I can't always read a newspaper)

6. Unsatisfactory( My phone has become outdated since the last month!)

7. People without possessions or wealth (considered as a group)(My friends have BBM I need a BB to BBM too!)

Happiness in 'phoney' things...

With so many reasons its hard not fall for temptation and imagine ourselves to be poor! It is as if we have put on dark glasses on our eyes that blind us from reality(like in the 1988 cult classic They live! ) or our senses have been hacked and our body placed in a cocoon which only allows us to dream but never lets us actually realise them-an alternative reality(like in 1999 American blockbuster-The Matrix).

I have stopped myself from buying the latest phone until now by equating its cost with either the amount of books that I can buy (around 1000) or the savings that I can make( you never know when I'll run out of those). But one thing is for certain- eventually I will crack, those pretty people on billboards will get to me, the need for the latest phone will surpass all logic and reason and become an ambition (like some want to own a Ferrari, or a bath tub, or an indoor swimming pool, or just a roof over their heads and a place for them to sleep in).

Eventually I too will act poor !