whether pigs have wings

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2010-05-02T22:45:00.001+05:30

This blog has moved to
http://namratab.wordpress.com/

Laws of Driving in Mumbai

2009-10-08T17:16:00.003+05:30

Enough has been written about the driving skills (or lack thereof) of people in Mumbai (those in delhi are in a different league altogether, beyond description). This is my form of ranting about the same thing - better than road rage, right? usually I ignore most of the random behaviour but every once in a while, it can get to you. Hence this post.

Laws of Light

1. Headlights are to be used full beam on well lighted roads to blind oncoming traffic.
Corollary: if you own a black and yellow taxi, you will never use the headlights at anytime, as you fear getting a whopping bill from Reliance Energy.
2. Indicators are only to be used when parked in no-parking zones, as distress lights. You don't need to use them to indicate which way you are turning.
3. Traffic will magically move faster if you keep flashing the car headlights at the vehicle which is 6 inches ahead of you.

Laws of Speed

1. The faster you change lanes, the faster you will reach your destination.
2. Bursting out of a small lane onto a main road at full speed will ensure all other cars are magically scattered away from you.
3. If you scrape past cars at full speed cutting from one lane to the next, you will become Superman.
4. If you have an SUV behind you, you will lose speed instantly. Because it will run you off the road.

Laws of Sound

1. Unless you start honking at the very instant a traffic light turns green, you will never reach your destination.
2. The longer you lean on the horn, the faster the car ahead of you will move, even in bumper to bumper traffic.

Is it always about 'size zero'?

2009-09-21T21:42:00.002+05:30

Was reading a movie review in the Times of India just over a week ago.
It was of a movie called 'Ruslaan' - presumably a flop since it has no
pre or post release buzz. But what i remember from the review is this
line - 'debutant abcd speaks faster than Basanti and reminds you of
the healthy-looking leading ladies of the same era'.

I can understand the part about speaking too fast, that makes sense to
put into a review. But the next point? How is that related to acting
calibre? Does one have to be slim to act? Even to be the female lead?
Is someone not worthy of being an actress if they are not as slim as
Kareena Kapoor? Why would a supposedly progressive newspaper like the
TOI (they certainly are proud of their lead India teach India
initiatives) print something like that, thereby endorsing the view?
Why is this not even recognised as being prejudicial?

Well, its not just the TOI alone. A few days later, saw a small
segment on 'Chicks on Flicks' where they were discussing The Ugly
Truth. I haven't seen it but here's the thing- after discussing the
storyline and what they felt about the film, one of the show anchors
says she didn't like the film all that much and that 'Gerard Butler
looks so bloated in the film'.

Again, relevance? Sure, a review is the personal opinion of an
appointed film critic, but where does one draw the line?

Trip to Bhutan - May 2009 - Punakha again & back to Paro

2009-08-01T23:40:00.008+05:30

Leaving Wangdi we felt even sadder. Stopped en route to heading back towards Paro to visit a temple at the border of Thimphu, Punakha & Wangdue Phodrang - Chimi Lhakhang - built in the 15th century in honour of 'the divine madman' Lama Drukpa Kinley, a revered saint who taught through jokes and fun and was known for his sexual conquests. its usually visited for children, either to pray for their protection, or to pray for a child. in honour of the divine madman, phalluses are painted on many of the houses. its about a 20 min walk through the rice fields of the village of sosokha to the temple. it was a perfect day, and we enjoyed the walk.

after this we retraced much of our earlier route, stopped at Thimphu for lunch - where the friend finally got the peanut butter and chocolate pastry again (that she had been fantasising about, i have to say the pastry was excellent), that we had at Art Cafe, we also did a little more shopping, and then headed back to Paro, taking the shorter 1.5 hour route this time. it was raining & absolutely dreamy weather. the clouds were even lower than before, and the prospect of catching a plane the next morning was not appealing. but no choice there, so driving through the Paro streets for the last time, all we could do was to take everything in and commit to memory.

the people were calm, good natured and friendly, our guide also had a great sense of humour, all the quaint places and unique culture make this a must visit, and not just once. there's more to see further east, but needs a longer trip. since the airport is only in Paro, and all the travel in the country is by road, the further away you go, you need as much time to get back.

will leave you with a sign i saw on the back of a truck - words of wisdom:

"reach (sic - rich) man never too old for young girls"

Trip to Bhutan - May 2009 - Punakha & Wangdi

2009-08-01T22:21:00.014+05:30

After all the shopping, sightseeing and wandering around the streets of Thimphu, we felt a bit sad that we had to leave, but little did we know how amazing the next set of places was! Friend was back to being sick (I don't want to move, I can't get out of the car, Go see everything without me, Sorry face etc) so when we reached Punakha, it was upto me again. its a small town, on the banks of a river. known chiefly for the Punakha Dzong, one of the oldest in Bhutan, built in the 17th century & without a doubt the prettiest one i saw. right from the approach bridge, to the giant white stupa and bodhi tree in the courtyard, to the beautiful jacaranda trees in full bloom by the river side, it was breathtaking. i could have sat there for a lot longer!

from here, we went onto Wangdi, or Wangdue Phodrang, an area in the mountains, though our resort (Kichu Wangdi Resort, sister of the one in Paro) was about 7 Kms away from the village and quite literally in the middle of nowhere. situated at the banks of a gushing river, too dangerous for white water rafting even, with densely forested mountains on both sides. felt the closest to nature here, the rooms overlook the river, and you hear it all night. quote unquote friend "it sounds like a noisy AC" - trust an urban dweller to say that!

this place is highly recommended, but be warned, it is not for those who want 'action', there is very little cell coverage, only in certain spots, no internet, no TV (and no meat, surprisingly the one all veg resort we found - cos there is a rinpoche in the family of owners). if you expect all that, this is not the place to be! but if you want to visit a memorable, beautiful, exotic place, put this in your itinerary. it also seems to be frequented by the glitterati of Bhutan. during our stay, a group of 10 americans, guests of the king, stopped for lunch, and the health minister stopped for tea.

Trip to Bhutan - May 2009 - Thimphu

2009-07-14T20:24:00.014+05:30

Thimphu is one of the prettiest capitals i have seen! it also helped that we had an amazing view from our hotel - Hotel River View. we could see the whole city from one side of the river. with mountains, low hanging clouds and a very pretty promenade, it had a charm to it and we could have stayed on for a few more days. its the more modern face of Bhutan, where everyone does not wear the traditional clothes, also has expat population. but the stupas, the palace and the government building don't let you forget that it is Bhutan after all.

our 2 days in Thimphu were spent exploring everything including the monasteries, the national animal, Takin, said to have the head of a goat on the bones of a cow! there are very few left of this unique animal.

apart from all the exploration, can city girls do without the bars and cafes? no, we can't! Om Cafe and Om Bar (opposite each other) provided the perfect place to relax in the evening, they even had free wifi! our first internet access in several days. with equally great food & ambience, Art cafe also turned out to be a great place for lunch.

Thimphu also had the best place to shop for curios and artefacts. while there are many shops in the main market, we found that the shop attached to the National School for Art and Painting had lovely work, and we felt more confident of the quality here. this is the place we pretty much spent all our money at, only realising later how much packing we would have to do!

at this point, we were excited to see more of Bhutan, so Punakha and Wangdi, next on the list, belied all our expectations by literally turning out to be 'saving the best for last'.

Trip to Bhutan - May 2009 - Paro - The Climb to Tiger's Nest & The Road Trip to Haa Valley

2009-06-21T21:47:00.018+05:30

i was looking forward to the second day at Paro, cos it involved climbing to Taktshang Monastery, also called Tiger's Nest, since it was apparently created when a holy man flew to the location on the back of a tiger! its impossibly perched on the edge of a mountain, and i was told that the climb would take around one and a half hours, this meant i would take 2! i was ready for the challenge tho, i had been wanting to climb up mountain paths, especially in that glorious weather. my friend couldn't handle it too well tho, since the height also meant lesser oxygen than one is used to at sea level, so i pretty much did this on my own, just followed the path, it was quite easy. you can see it in this photo taken at the start of the climb, the white structure in the distance.

since i was not used to climbing, and the air a bit more rarified, i had to keep stopping each time there was a particularly steep section. there were other tourists doing the climb, one group of malaysians even had an old couple who used a walking stick and had guides holding an arm, but they were unfazed and continued to climb. once i reached the top and could see the monastery straight across, i hadn't bargained for the steps! stone steps cut into the hillside run round the cliff to the monastery and after that climb, make your legs feel like they are in a torture chamber. in most parts the steps don't have any safety railing, and there's just enough room for one person to pass through. i was a bit jittery in this section, wondering if i would fall off the cliff without anyone knowing! until a group of Indian army jawans came up behind me, and they made it look so easy, that i made the rest of the steps with renewed effort.

on reaching the monastery, i was asked for a permit by the armed guard. i didn't have any! the guide was still with my friend, i had gone on ahead and i didn't even know about this. he looked flummoxed at my answer and said, 'pati kidhar hai, baccha kidhar hai' and i had to try hard to not laugh - what kind of a qs is that! after some persuasion, and emotional lines like, 'i walked for so long', he let me in so i got to see . the monastery was lovely, explored some parts of it, wondered how the monks who live here go up and down constantly, had a talk with the jawans who were stationed in Bhutan for training for a few months... and then headed down. overall this was the best day of the trip!

we set off for Thimphu the next day, it's actually only about an hour and a half from Paro, but we were taking a different route. its a detour to Haa Valley, a not so known part towards the south that we got to via the Chele La, the highest motorable road in Bhutan. had loved the trip to KhardungLa in Ladakh, so wanted to see this. well, it wasn't quite as scenic as that, but pretty all the same. there's nothing to do at the top except stop for the view, which is lovely. There's no rest stop or anything. prayer flags adorn the hills and on clear days (usually in winter) the Himalayas are in full view. my friend was sick through the trip, the winding roads didn't agree with her. at one point we were about 100 kms to the Indian border at Phuentosholing, so i suggested she make a run for it! but she said knowing her luck she would land in naxal territory and get caught, strangely clairvoyant in a way considering what's happened in Bengal lately. along the route we also saw all the destruction caused by the Aila cyclone, the rivers had washed away some bridges and parts of the road. Haa itself is a very small town, some parts of which we could not see as the roads were blocked by rocks, that happened during the cyclone too. this trip took about 5 hours to Thimphu, and i loved every minute of it. also saw a yak for the first time! if you don't want to spend so much time on the road, there's the shorter Paro Thimphu route.

Trip to Bhutan - May 2009 - Exploring Paro

2009-06-21T20:36:00.020+05:30

Paro - i loved it from the minute we set off from the airport. the mountains, the forests, the fields, the quiet roads... it was all picturesque, and so peaceful. we spent the day exploring various places, the museum - which turned out to be much bigger on the inside than it looked, the paro dzong - that's basically a fortress and houses both a monastery with the religious head and the administrative head and the courts.

there's one in every district, all with their distinctive architecture - a wide expanse of courtyard, surrounded by the main buildings in traditional style. the traditional bhutanese clothes make everyone look graceful and well dressed.

we also got to see an archery competition! this was great fun, watching 2 teams trying to hit the mark, and when an archer hit bulls-eye, his team-mates did this little song and jig. the crowd was totally engrossed. i was quite impressed with the bows, they looked so sophisticated.

the evening we spent exploring the market! i couldn't resist taking a photo of these 2 dogs, so happily asleep. such places as always make one wonder about the dogged corporate life, the time spent on needless chasing of deadlines, while there's so much beauty out there to see; so this was no exception.

Trip to Bhutan - May 2009 - Getting There

2009-06-13T20:48:00.011+05:30

have been meaning to do this for a while! had an amazing trip to Bhutan, though i didn't get a chance to write all about it. it still has an old world charm, and the interiors are relatively untouched by typical modern trappings, so it was a lovely experience to drive through the forest covered mountains with crisp, cool air.

to begin at the beginning though, Bhutan as a destination has been in my head for about a year(after i visited Ladakh last year) and i had one failed attempt in March, couldn't get any flight tickets and planning it without a travel agent, in the middle of a busy work schedule proved to be virtually impossible. so i had to let go, but managed to plan it all a few months later, with the help of the very efficient Odyssey Travels based in Pune.

unlike my solo trip to Ladakh, i was visiting Bhutan with a friend and we were excited at the prospect, though i am more of the mountain lover than she is. the flight to Bhutan (to the city Paro) was early morning from Cal so we had to fly in the previous night, and spend the night at the airport. when we landed at Cal tho, we found out that the airport has a women's dorm with 8 beds - and we were surprised at how clean it was!

so after quite a comfortable night, we headed off to the intl airport (5 mins walk round the corner) . Bhutan operates it own national airline, Druk, and that's the only way to go there. it's always full since there are limited flights, so booking in advance is an absolute must. you also need seats on the left of the aircraft to see the himalayas, and this plane had free seating! people cued up even before they made the boarding announcement! luckily i managed to get a middle seat on the left. soon enough we were landing in Paro! it's just a 50 min flight.

the airport is one of the prettiest ones i have ever seen! with traditional buildings and all the airport officials wearing the traditional Bhutanese dress, the Gho, it made for a pretty sight. after the testing for the H1N1, we were out to be greeted by the guide and the driver, our companions for the next week. never travelled with a guide before, but i realised that here it was helpful.

The latest perk - Sandwich with the boss!

2009-05-04T22:15:00.000+05:30

As read in The Economist may 2-8 issue: new strategies for hiring during recession in the US - lucrative bonuses are no longer the way to market one's firm to prospects. the new selling points are (yes, its true) sandwiches with the boss, deferred start dates for new hires, say after a year (giving them an opportunity to travel - i would not have minded that!) and opportunities for advancement.

Wonder if that can catch on in India. Chilly cheese corn sandwich with me, anyone? Enough to sign the offer letter?!

what a crazy four months!

2009-04-29T22:06:00.005+05:30

so much for posting more often and doing things i've always wanted to do! The past 4 months have been so crazy that i have had no time except for work, work and more work! Weekends have chiefly been about vegetating for whatever time i could snatch away from errands. so where am i on my list of things to do?

1. travel to a new destination - yes, it's happening in May!
2. lesser stress at work - no chance there!
3. spending more time on writing, which i have only been threatening to do - continuing to threaten
4. learning a new skill - hmmm, is getting actively onto twitter a new skill?
5. meeting more of my close friends - yes, am getting there, if you are a close friend reading this and have no idea what i am talking about... oops!

not too bad, its only been 4 months. expect dramatic stuff in the next 8.

I did end up writing a diary since jan tho! Very old school and something i have not done since i was in school. But it ended up being a lot like bridget jones' diary, obsessing about weight, what i have eaten, work stress and being single. It's just a woman thing, i suppose! so many women after reading bridget jones diary and then seeing the film, would have said, dammit! why didn't i publish mine. i am certainly part of that club - the Should Have Beaten Helen Fielding To It Club. but then "a professional writer is an amateur who didn't quit".

so what's in my diary?
1. i know exactly what i ate on 2nd, 3rd and 4th March 09.
2. i know when i saw Dev D.
3. i know how many books i bought in a span of 7 days.

and other such enlightening material. and some that shall not find its way to this blog!

i think my blog is back!

first post of 2009

2009-01-01T23:06:00.004+05:30

as usual, been a while since i posted. the last time was not a happy time... and i don't think we have quite recovered yet - and i doubt we will. i got a news alert today about blasts in assam, and thought, will this ever end? it won't. i know that too. don't know in which lifetime it will, but probably not in mine or ours. living with terror. no solution in sight.

as for the new year, had no plans this time and in fact was at home... drinking some red wine and watching a good movie on DVD... to be reminded by a friend today that its probably official that i am now old. sigh. no, am not! vehemently going to deny that even if & when i am 70! just didn't have much enthusiasm this time even to meet friends. 2009 will hopefully be different.

the one question that was even posed to me today is " when are you getting married" - what's interesting is that the question has been asked by 4 different men in the past few weeks, all married. wonder why that is. the women, well, i have many single women friends, and none of us ever talk about that. though we might still talk about the biological clock and babies. & the married ones don't ask either.

the answer for anyone reading this who still wants to know: your guess is as good as mine.

as for 2009, here's what i am looking forward to, things i could not satisfactorily accomplish in 2008.

1. travel to a new destination... itching to do that soon!
2. lesser stress at work - though that currently looks improbable.
3. spending more time on writing, which i have only been threatening to do.
4. learning a new skill - about time i learnt something new and completely different.
5. meeting more of my close friends. really suck at that lately!

not exactly resolutions, just things i would like to do. resolutions have an odd clinical ring to them that probably incites us to break them.

some decidedly strange reslolutions posted by people on Yahoo Answers - "Stop trying to kill things Go to a phychologist" ??? and other equally weird stuff. and apparently a good one on twitter - "(I've) thought long and hard, and decided on my New Year's resolution. 1024x768."

not making resolutions seems better.

Celebrity Terrorism?

2008-11-30T20:16:00.004+05:30

Read this article on the BBC website:

The age of 'celebrity terrorism'
By Paul Cornish Chairman, Chatham House's International Security Programme

am quoting some excerpts here:

But, for all the horror of the Mumbai attack, there might have been much less to it than first met the eye, and a hasty and exaggerated response might have played more of a part, and given more meaning to the attack than it should.
Nobody appears to have heard of the Deccan Mujahideen - perhaps because they have never existed.
Perhaps it was not so difficult after all to plan and execute this attack: small arms and hand grenades are not hard to find, boats are scarcely specialised equipment, and Mumbai is a vast, open city with more than enough soft targets
Perhaps we do not know enough about where the perpetrators are from, because they could have come from almost anywhere?
The terrorists were willing to show their faces on CCTV. Was this suicide for martyrdom - as in New York and Washington in 2001, and London in 2005 - or suicide for celebrity, as in Columbine in 1999 and Virginia Tech in 2007?
And perhaps so little is known of the terrorists' cause, because they simply did not feel the need to have one.
...
In a novel twist, the Mumbai terrorists might have embarked on propaganda of the deed without the propaganda in the confident expectation that the rationalisation for the attack - the narrative - would be provided by politicians, the media and terrorism analysts.
If so, then Mumbai could represent something rather different in the history of terrorism, and possibly something far more disturbing even than global jihad.
Perhaps we have come to the point where casually self-radicalised, sociopathic individuals can form a loose organisation, acquire sufficient weapons and equipment for a few thousand dollars, make a basic plan of action and indulge in a violent expression of their generalised disaffection and anomie.
These individuals indulge in terrorism simply because they can, while their audience concocts a rationale on their behalf.
Welcome to the age of celebrity terrorism.
The invitation to the world's D-list malcontents reads as follows: No matter how corrupt your moral sense, how contorted your view of the world, how vapid and inarticulate your ideas, how talentless you are and how exaggerated your grievance, an obsessive audience will watch your every move and turn you into what you most want to be, just before your death.

certainly a line of thought worth pursuing, and very, very scary. if like the rebel without a cause, we now have the terrorist without a cause... how do we stop him? perhaps terrorism has taken on a course that the original perpetrators didn't think of, perhaps the years and years of terrorism have bred people who simply see it as a way of life, not a symbol of any protest. and if you remove the protest and cause which are the reason for dialogue, debate and negotiation, what do the rest of us have left that can quell this?

Barkha Dutt & more of her ilk

2008-11-29T17:21:00.000+05:30

many news channels covering the mumbai terror attacks seemed to have lost sense of right & wrong. the tendency to ask insensitive questions that can't possibly be answered continued. barkha dutt asking a middle-aged woman who's husband was stuck in Taj with no news of whether he was even alive: "how does it feel?" the poor lady was barely able to speak & honestly, what did ms dutt expect her to say? the lady said, i am trying to be brave, my friends are being a great support to me... did ms dutt need to know that? i thought at this point, given her state, ms dutt would stop asking her questions. but no, next qs: "i understand you have children - how are they feeling right now?"

if someone were falling off a cliff, ms dutt would be asking them "how does it feel?" instead of doing something to rescue them!!

equally idiotic were journalists asking Ratan Tata if he knew how many terrorists were inside the hotel & if he knew the extent of damage. this when the entire operation was in process and took many more hours to complete.

ms dutt, in fact, decided to reveal all kinds of information that really shouldn't have been on the news at all. a husband who mentioned which room his wife was last in, was broadcast at a time when terrorists were still inside! whereas the BBC when on the line with a British national inside the Trident, said, "we understand that you should not tell us which room you are located in, for your own safety". later, when there were reports that the govt has said they will not negotiate with terrorists, she says, she has it on record from a senior diplomat that attempts to negotiate are on! even if that was the case, surely the official sources did not want to reveal information and broadcasting it to the general public helped no one, maybe caused some damage that we would never know about.

as for the other channels, zee news, headlines today, india TV, star news... were all horrific, playing out the entire 50 odd hours with high pitched voices, melodramatic voice-overs and haunting music, that did absolutely nothing to prevent the spread of panic. am quoting a friend here who sent a mail about Star News & Kishore Ajwani

"Was this a serious news guy or a pimp, peddling his wares all dressed up in garish tones? The screaming voice sounded like gleeful auctioneer raising the bids higher and higher "aur yeh 1945 ka behterin.... ..." though in his case the script would have probably read “Aaj ki taaza khabar, pachaas TRPs ke liye pesh hai Star News exclusive, yeh aatank ka khaufnak khel."
Yes all news anchors were hyper, but then there is a difference between a sense of urgency and the style of delivery that Mr Ajwani used. We all know the cut-throat race for TRPs, but did you, Mr. Ajwani even stop to think that this was also a human story, a tragedy involving real people."

BBC & CNN were predictably biased, especially since there were reports that british and american nationals were targeted. their reports only covered that, forgetting that a high number of those injured or killed were in fact, indians.

Times Now had some of the best coverage though even they tended to border on hyperbole at times. but overall, their coverage was impressive and they made an effort to distinguish between official statements and unsubstantiated reports, repeatedly mentioning which ones were not confirmed. however at times, arnab goswami went into the "exclusively on times now" "only on times now" hyperbole... was it essential to continue plugging your channel during the time of the crises?

there were channels showing the arrival of the NSG, the number of teams that had arrived, where they were located. how is it that not one of them realised that making this information public could harm the operation?

constant predictions of when it would end, asking a journalist standing outside Nariman House to imagine was happening in armed combat inside (!!), "the end game" - a phrase i have come to hate - being bandied about since friday morning, when it took a full 24 hours more for the Taj to be safe. how can one refer to this as "the end game"? its not a video game, its a real operation with real people and spreading constant misinformation that the operation is in its last legs and will soon be over helped no one - not even the families waiting for info about people inside. every interview with an army officer said, "please don't quantify time, its not possible to do that" and yet all the journalists were interested in was predicting that it would end soon.

imagine there was no 24 hours news - would it have been possible for the entire operation to have been more efficient and controlled? i don't think it was brave of journalists to be on their stomachs outside the Taj trying to provide sound bytes of what was happening. i think it was ridiculous that the blow by blow account was being provided even to the supporters of these terrorists so that they could plan their next move. yes, news is essential. but at what cost?

mumbai terror attacks nov 2008

2008-11-28T21:55:00.000+05:30

haven't posted on this blog in 3.5 months. combination of work, life, not enough motivation and what have you. the past 2 days have made me want to post. i am thankful that various friends and their families made it safely through. but there are so many people who have lost their lives or been traumatised for life. the damage done is way too much. whatever happens, and whether we rebuild our lives and 'move on', i don't think any of us can feel the same way as we did, 48 hours before this. of course, mumbaikars are resilient and we pick up our lives and get back to our daily routines... and we have done that blast after blast, riot after riot, flood after flood.

but most of us have not been exposed to this kind of serious violent conflict with weaponry used in wars that goes on for hours and days. and no, its not because it was "south bombay" and the "elite" who suffered. CST was not full of the elite, nor were the hospitals and the most of the staff at any of the hotels were certainly not of the same strata as the people they served.

despite everything, we have been a privileged lot, we have not been surrounded by the constant sound of gunfire, explosions and of course, death, the way kashmiris have or of course, people in any other region who live amidst constant conflict. 48 hours have seemed like an eternity in our lives, but there are people in many conflict zones who have known no other life. and i can't imagine how they live.

any vestige of innocence or naivety i have had earlier (its debatable how much of it one would have after the age of 30 anyway, but whatever there is), has vanished completely. i can never be the same person that i was 48 hours before. it doesn't mean that i am going to be depressed for the rest of my life or anything like that, and in fact it may not be apparent from the outside at all, but something has changed in me, i know it, and its never going back.

thoughts in no particular order:

1. the most sickening: political parties espousing the supposed "aamchi mumbai" cause who actually don't care about mumbai or its people at all, who want to be on the front page of every newspaper just because of their strong arm tactics - and put that against the NSG, none of whom wanted to even show their faces in front of the cameras but have been instrumental in saving lives and the city. where were the so-called fighters for the maharashtrian cause, why are they hiding now? i can't even describe how disgusted this makes me feel, knowing full well that such parties can still win seats in the elections - for all our jaagores, we may not be able to prevent it.

2. equally sickening: news channels that will go back to covering ridiculous stories such as celeb break-ups as "breaking news" - and put that against something like this... isn't it apparent what breaking news is supposed to be? its not about cricketers flying kites or celebrities losing their dogs. when are the channels going to cover news that matters and force everyone to think about it... whether its kashmir or naxal insurgencies or geniune cases of wrongdoing. when are we going to demand it & want to know about it, instead of watching drivel?

3. the indifference: various indian agencies blaming each other for the lack of Intelligence on this but not making any effort to improve their standards simply because they don't need to. we can't make them accountable if we don't care what's happening in our country, and we don't. we prefer to know abou Saif & Kareena not about Dalits being tortured, babies being killed or builders tied up with mafia. think back to the last meaningful conversation you had about any genuine, real issue. its not that easy to remember, because we are absorbed in the job, the night out, the party, the new car, the new cell phone... should we not think about these things too? of course, we should. but why do we forget about the reality of the environment we live in? awareness is the first step.

4. the big question: a parliament that doesn't meet for the number of days they should, they are paid because of our taxes, but they don't see it fit to work for a living, because after all, they get all their salaries and perks without any expectation of performance. why should such people be in control of a nation of a billion people, why do a billion people put their trust into any of these leaders? why do we even educated people believe in factions and divisions and think about our communities first... how can this change?

5. the un-understandable: there are 20 year olds incited and brainwashed into wanting to kill as many people as possible before being killed themselves... and the more that die, the more that take their place. how is this happening, how are they brainwashed into thinking this is their purpose in life? i cannot fathom what can make someone believe that killing hundreds of innocent people and then killing themselves is going to further the cause of a religion. what values are these and how do people turn into killing machines? what can we do to prevent it? it doesn't matter what country they come from there has to be a way to prevent children from growing up to be machines.

6. why don't we live by the principle of doing the right thing? why don't we think about that the next time we shove people in trains, cut lanes & jump signals in traffic, bribe cops, buy something in the 'grey market', smoke in a no-smoking zone, drink & drive... we are not going to become terrorists tomorrow, but think about the fact that if we did the small things right, the chain of subsequent events would be different. after all every action is linked, and priding ourselves in how we get away while breaking rules isn't helping. its not about being "goody-two-shoes" its about thinking back to principles that actually mean something, that should be more part of our life than the race for that fat pay cheque or the new acquisition. that we shouldn't support wrong doing in any form.

7. while all the groups on facebook and orkut are fine, its more important for us to introspect than react. we react first and then react again, but doesn't the thinking get left behind? we lurch from one event to the next, only reacting. but everything is driven by personal growth, and personal growth is impossible without introspection. i don't think this is some esoteric principle, i think it should be part of each and everyone of us. maybe if our politicians did the same, we would be in a different place.

8. to some extent i feel trapped, as i am sure many of us do, trapped in a country that we know can be a different place but is actually held hostage by its political heritage that only deserves to be wiped out. criminals have become netas and are MPs; how do we prevent this from happening when many, many parts of the country filled with poor and uneducated people are forced to vote for these people? there is not a single politician one can respect, at least not the ones we see as 'national leaders'. even if i exercise my right not to vote, how can these people be prevented from holding the country hostage?

9. we have seen that we have amongst us people who help others at risk to their own lives, soldiers who answer the call of duty so bravely that they make us proud, we all believe in the India shining. we are happy to be living in this country at the time of its rise from the "third world" though we all know we have a long, long way to go. how do we do our bit, and become pro-active and aware citizens?

good to listen to

2008-08-10T19:34:00.001+05:30

was watching 'The Invisible' on Star Movies, pretty average as a film but has a great soundtrack. here are some of the tracks:

Body Urge - The Great Fiction

Open Your Eyes - Snow Patrol

Fashionably Uninvited - Mellowdrone

keep off the grass

2008-08-10T13:07:00.000+05:30

just finished reading 'Keep off the grass' by Karan Bajaj. its an interesting read, definitely worth a one time effort, though it isn't in the league of the author's personal favorite, 'English, August'.

honestly, i don't read that much of 'Indian writing in english', i don't quite agree with that phrase either. why should there be such category when there isn't a 'Spanish writing in english' or anything else? The categorisation is meaningless. however, the reason why i don't read much of it is that i usually get tired of descriptions of India, hindi words in italics... they always seem to make me feel like a tourist than a reader. am sure the writer's have their reasons (primarily that the core market is not India but the rest of the world), but they just don't make it a pleasurable read for me. There are some that i like, of course, English, August being one, also, Malgudi Days, and Shadow Lines.

i picked up this one because i remembered reading out about in the paper sometime back, and to be honest, when i read the intro about the author being an MBA & a management consultant, i was sceptical about what kind of book it would end up being. so i was fully prepared to find it trying too hard. but thankfully, it wasn't. it's a good read, you can read it straight through in a few hours, and i definitely wanted to know how it would end. it's funny, has some fairly good descriptions & even though i haven't been to IIM, i can understand the author's point of view on the relentless, brutal competitive environment.

(on another note, for all of us well educated post grads, here's an article that challenges some of our conventional notions: the disadvantages of an elite education)

back to the book, added to all that is the indian from america angle, all of which makes for a good story. some excerpts:

"at least Sarkar, was getting something out of business school, i thought, he seemed to have mastered the entire supply chain, distribution & marketing of marijuana in India."
"I wasn't enough of a risk-taker, or for that matter, engaged enough in life to be bothered about leaving a legacy. I was content to muddle along, dream of glory but not act on it, read books of greatness but never be inspired enough to be the subject of one."
"You are afflicted by the Superman Syndrome. have you ever seen Superman pause to think? Of course not. Thinking is a distraction to his goal of keeping forever busy. Result, he spends as much energy saving the world, as he spends chasing penny thieves. No prioritisation time, no thinking time. That's the Superman Syndrome. Just keep moving, fill every second of your day with activity, meaningful or not, to delude yourself into believing you are being productive."

unfortunately, to my mind, it falls short of being a great novel because everything seems just enough to gloss over but nothing gets into the depth where you would feel that you are living the life of the character, that you get the kind of experience that changes perspective. the glossing over helps to keep the pace going, but leaves the novel as not memorable enough, not enough to draw you in and have you thinking about it for days afterward. that was disappointing. Karan Bajaj says in his foreword, "if my book can touch even one person the way English, August or Delhi is Not Far touched me, the number of trees felled to print this would be justified somehow!". doesn't quite get there. but to have written & successfully published a novel of this kind before the age of 30, that's something definitely commendable.

am now onto Oscar & Lucinda - Peter Carey.

12 random facts

2008-07-19T21:52:00.000+05:30

got this from a friend who blogs at Quip Pro Quo & at Travelbytes. i have been tagged and need to write 12 random facts/ habits about myself. so here goes.
1. i love starting my day with good music & spending it with a good book.
2. i really really want a dog but a mumbai city apartment life is not fair for the dog, so i have put that off until i go live somewhere more pet friendly.
3. i love the rain & i love visiting places with natural beauty.
4. someday i want to live on a mountain.
5. my favourite foods are fruit and chocolate.
6. i feel guilty when i don't exercise.
7. i believe in being true to myself & to having integrity at all times.
8. i am a sucker for a good romantic film (without cliches).
9. i am not afraid.
10. i giggle.
11. i look for the quirky and the strange and the funny in everyday life.
12. 2 other professions i want to pursue sometime in the future: travel writing and photography.

those are my 12 (that i can declare in public anyway!).
i have to tag 2 more people, but am throwing this out for anyone who wants to do this. do drop me the link!

hare & thare

2008-07-14T19:54:00.000+05:30

ok, this one i have got to ask in all earnestness... why do people from up north say "hare" for "here"? was there a formal change in pronunciation in that region that the rest of us in india don't know about? i don't mean to be prejudiced! its an honest question! the moment someone goes, "hare it is" or "what i am trying to say hare" or "hare we have tried to", its like a bright flash of light... and i can only think, hmmm, probably from delhi or somewhere up north. and its true! anyone backing me up on this?!

girl effect!

2008-07-09T17:16:00.000+05:30

check out this great site by an NGO, so well done and so absorbing!
http://www.girleffect.org/

i honestly wish i could reach out to all the families in Punjab, UP etc that are busy killing baby girls & tell them to get rid of their lunatic notions.

on another note, it seems to be girl season... 3 of my friends who have had babies in the past 2 months have had girls. and in general, over the past year, most of my friends have had girls - and its presumably not by design! just happened.

maybe nature's ensuring more girls are born due to all the girl child killings in this part of the world? now that sounds like something out of an m. night shyamalan movie. but who knows... it might be true.

randomness

2008-07-07T21:50:00.000+05:30

it's been almost 6 weeks since my last post. a combination of writer's block (doesn't that sound grand), lack of time and a short trip to singapore. however, i do have a quote of the month - which pretty much beats 'we have no branch' as well as the great Border Roads Organisation. the photo is courtesy Google Search, the caption is from an actual sign - i am not making this up!

i know they need to be creative, but this creative? how did they come up with a line like that? yeah the writer could have been eating a watermelon when he went... now wait a minute... red, green, but... idea! and maybe it was the same guy who wrote the BRO signs, switched jobs & decided that the city also needed his genius. there's no-holds barred talent for you. eitherway, its a stunner.

the trip to Singapore ensured that i spent tons of money on what basically amounted to 3 pairs of shoes, 2 bags & some chocolates. when its Lindt Dark Chocolate with Whole Hazelnut, its of course money well spent! Haagen Dazs was the other beneficiary of my wanton spending. but then, chocolate is the answer to everything (even though many people might not agree with me) so I am not complaining. the rational effects of that shopping mania are just hitting me!

when i told a friend that i had shopped quite a lot, i was asked, was it anything useful? so i asked what do you mean by useful. smart ass reply: as a woman, you may not understand the difference between accessories and essentials, but just in case you do, that's what i meant. all i could say was, hah (writer's block continued).

the visiting card

2008-05-28T19:24:00.000+05:30

since i spend more time at the workplace than i do at home, and since any aspect of my personal life has to live from weekend to weekend, i have been thinking lately about individual identity vs work identity. me as a person vs me at work. what's scary is how much the two are inter-linked. it all boils down to... do i have an identity without a visiting card?

yes, i could get all philosophical about it and begin the question, what is identity, does anyone have a self etc. but am choosing not to dwell on that!

working women are still not the norm in our country, even our city, though most women in our friends circle would be working (certainly in mine). there are enough women who are extremely successful in their careers so its not essential that women would run into the 'glass ceiling'. but more than that, its about who you are.

when i take a solo trip or spend sometime in meditation, i do experience a defining sense of self. its hard to express in words, but the experience is definitely there. but at the workplace, i cannot distinguish between the two.

so could i ever be a stay at home person? its actually a tougher call than most people might think. that visiting card is still important for me.

will need to head to the hills for a few months to re-orient the brain.

travelling alone

2008-05-24T11:31:00.000+05:30

last evening i attended a talk by Yossi Ghinsberg - for about an hour he spoke about his travels, his outlook on life, love for nature and of course his experience in the Bolivian Amazon where he was lost for nearly 3 weeks in completely uncharted territory. it was interesting to listen to a 'motivational speaker' - i have usually stayed away from such events previously i.e. those by motivational speakers. why? because i feel the best insights come from introspection and not from listening to someone else and trying to apply their views to your life. i went to this one specifically because he is a traveler and he was going to talk about his rainforest experience.

to be frank i didn't know much about him until i got on invite from a website - holidayiq. they are planning to organise more such meets with travelers and that's what really got me interested. he's definitely a good story teller and he peppers the stories with his own insights. he spoke about traveling alone and how it's the best thing because you make new friends, which you would never do if you were traveling with another person. that immediately struck home because of my last trip, which was not my first solo trip, but certainly the first where i made an effort to meet new people. it was so refreshing that i am quite hooked onto the solo travel concept.

of course, yossi ghinsberg spoke about many other things - his way of going to new places - he reads the lonely planet, and if a place is covered, he doesn't go there. he wants to go to truly uncharted places. he lives in Byron Bay in Australia - inside the rainforest. his story of how he went to the Bolivian rainforest , his companions, his struggle for survival, was a gripping story with all the elements of a good story, suspense, drama, unexpected twists - and it was a pity that the organisers cut him short a little too soon. he was quite willing to continue. it was an inspiring story and of course made even better by the way he told it.

extreme and rugged nature of his travel may not be for everyone, but its certainly inspiring enough to make me want to travel more and continue to see the more "off-beat" places rather than the done to death tourist hot spots.

was thinking about all the various reactions from people on my Ladakh trip.

'gutsy' - nothing gutsy about it quite frankly, especially in the context of uncharted rainforests!
'alone????' - in utter and complete shock, complete disbelief that one would want to go alone on a holiday, and one person actually asked me the alone qs three more times in the same conversation and then went so far as to ask if i am married. when i said no, he said, oh that's why, being married its really not possible to do this (a little regretfully)
'but why?' - and not quite understanding when i said i like to travel and the place is more important than who you go with
'hats off to you! wish i could do that' - this is mostly from other women who i don't think would be able to travel alone

they need to listen to Yossi!

networking & relationships

2008-05-11T11:18:00.000+05:30

all the excitement about social networking, and connecting up with friends on facebook, orkut, myspace etc etc seems to leave out one very important fact. if you don't keep in touch with that person in real life, you are unlikely to do so on a social network & the people you are in touch with regularly in real life, are the ones you will exchange posts with on the social network. think about it, you probably have a 100 friends on your list, people from school, college, post grad, various workplaces, people you met randomly, people who you just know virtually... and yet, how many of these people do you exchange posts with and know what's changing on their pages?

it's going to come back to people you would anyway be in touch with real life. the website has only made it an easier platform to exchange information without the necessity of emailing the events and happenings of your life. has it added to your network of friends? not really. because the other 50 people who are on your friend list, are just there, on your list, but no more on your mind than they would be otherwise.

quite frankly beyond receiving dozens of application invites, there's really nothing else going on to make you interact with those 50. sure, you got in touch with someone you haven't seen in years, but then what? its one of those things that's nice, but doesn't have a significant impact on your life.

has social networking really changed human behaviour? nope.

phone stalkers

2008-04-20T12:26:00.000+05:30

for sometime last year, i was getting missed calls by an unknown number. the deliberate kind of missed calls where the person disconnects after a ring and a half, and if its done everyday for almost a month, its quite certainly not a mistake.

this year, it happened again, with a different number. it went on for over a month and half (i never called back at anytime), until one day i finally decided i had to know who it was and so i called back immediately. got no answer. an hour later i got this message (quote unquote):

"Dear Nam tho u r younger but in looks i m youger than u. I wish 2 make on appro priat way friend ship with hope u agreed. Pl sms ur email id. After wards i sh'll pass on u my email add. I await ur fastest response. "

so whoever it is knows my name, though i have no idea who it is. certainly needs lessons in grammar and spelling! i messaged back, "who is this" and got a reply after a while:

"An honest one human being who never give hurt 2 anybody. Still any qurry ?"

so i messaged back saying i am not interested, please don't call me etc. thankfully no response. the missed calls stopped for a couple of days, and then began again. i messaged again that didn't you understand what i said the first time... stop calling me. so it stopped, but last night i got one more missed call, this time from a different number. but i can't help wondering if its the same person. stalking doesn't get women to respond!! why don't the creeps get it. i think we also need a creep registry!

"we have no branch"

2008-04-20T12:18:00.000+05:30

a pretty ubiquitous message routinely seen in shop fronts. however has anyone seen it at the front of a baraat? i have! this baraat organiser in delhi clearly thought of a unique way to promote his services. since i was part of the "girl's side", we were standing out watching them come to the gate, and there was this guy, right at the front of the baraat holding up the sign.

smart marketing or what?

solo trip to Ladakh - random thoughts

2008-04-14T22:41:00.000+05:30

1. the funniest signs in Ladakh are the road signs dissuading speeding. i didn't take pictures because i would have been stopping the driver every few hundred metres! but they were hilarious. i can only imagine what a job it must be for the copywriter. anyone want to apply? i did note them down though:

"love thy neighbour, but not while driving" in the middle of nowhere, on a kuccha road, leading towards the nubra valley sand dunes, yes i can see that the urge would strike!
"be Mr Late than late Mr" clever punning designed to cause accidents as the driver tries to figure out what it says
"if married, divorce speed" creative
"don't drive and drunk" a test! if you are sober, you will spot the grammatical error
"धीरे चलाओ, प्राकृतिक सौंदर्य का आनंद उठाओ"
& "lower your gear, curve is near" yes, rhyming works
"be gentle on my curves" ok now the writer is fantasising!
"if you overtake, you will undertake" really scared now!
"darling, i love you, but not so fast" really getting into the groove
"traffic jam, yellow tape, parent crying" painted on a rock, an inexplicable haiku
"don't be a gama in the land of the lama" vasco de gama?

2. the people are amazingly friendly and warm, not cynical or judgemental, and hat was refreshing. i was a little apprehensive about going alone as a woman, but i had no problems whatsoever. the people were nice and the family in the Leh guesthouse especially, took really good care of me. their friendly greeting of julley! covers everything from hello to goodbye, good morning to good night. the black tea with herbs was the best thing for winter.

3. the altitude creates a record out of everything : world's highest tennis court (in Leh), world's highest airfield (Leh), of course, top 3 highest motorable roads in the world, unfortunately also the world's highest battlefield. having been to Ladakh during the slowing down of winter, i can't imagine what the army goes through at Siachen and all over Ladakh. i don't think anyone can gauge the extremely tough physical conditions & even a small experience made me realise that patrolling everyday in the peak of winters when temperatures drop to as low as -30 is a challenge beyond most of us. am not getting into the political angle of whether the army presence is justified or not, just the fact that they are there, 365 days of the year.

4. some of the things i missed out and will do on the next trip:

a trip to Dah-Hanu - towards the Kargil border, this is a tribe of Aryans, different in look from the rest of the Ladakhis
any of the treks off Lamayuru & the Luang La further down from Lamayuru- there are several that one can do in summer and definitely would be worth it & the Luang La even beyond lamayuru is supposed to be a beautiful drive
if i was into mountain climbing, then climbing Stok Kangri - its 20,000 feet but i think the max altitude for trekking is around 17, 000 feet
spending more time even in Leh, just walking around and doing nothing in particular... it's a lovely environment
go back in summer so i can even stay out at night and watch the stars, this time it got a little too cold to manage

5. i am so glad i got to do this trip, after planning it for 4 years and i do intend to go back again in a few years. so... why exactly do people go to Switzerland?! see Ladakh to believe its beauty.

solo trip to Ladakh - Pangong Lake

2008-04-14T22:07:00.001+05:30

after the hectic trip to Nubra Valley and back to Leh, we left the next morning for Pangong Tso - a lake that's 130 kms long, 75% of which is in Tibet, just 25% within the Indian border. we were excited about this too as we had heard the entire lake was frozen. its supposed to have seven beautiful colours in summer and all the photos i have seen show the amazing blue. so seeing it frozen would be some experience!

Pangong is in a completely different direction from Nubra & can be done as a day trip from Leh - though that's quite hectic. its a 6 hour trip one way and we had to leave really early. we would have stayed at Pangong overnight if there were places open. but most of them are camping grounds and the other places are not open yet. the trip to Pangong took us through Chang La, the 3rd highest pass at 17,800 ft. descending from Chang La, the road runs next to a river that was completely frozen but still looked like it was in motion. in fact it had spilled over onto the road and frozen right there. eventually we saw in the distance, a whitish patch surrounded by mountains. it was the frozen lake! we were at one end, and as far as the eye could see, it was frozen. in the distance, lay the Tibetan mountains. we walked on the lake for a while, with no fear of it the ice cracking, it was that solid. for me, this is the one of the most memorable parts of the trip. (of course, its intrinsically linked with the memory of how badly i wanted to pee since we had driven out from Leh early morning, reached here past noon, with no loo in sight! even the loos are shut in off season).

we headed toward Spangmik village, the last village tourists can visit before the China border, which is another 60 kkms away, locals can go all the way. the village looked quite charming, situated as it is on the edge of the lake.

we headed back from here to Tangtse Valley and Tangtse village. as we headed away from Pangong, there were some funny signs, a good insight into consumer behaviour tho "you have left the famous Pangong souvenir shop "x" kms behind" right from 1 to around 10 kms away. Tangtse houses the Tangtse Metro, and of course, given all the newspaper reports in Bombay and Delhi, for a minute i thought of trains! but it turned out to be a cinema theatre for the army. it could be the world's highest movie hall. they run movies here when they have 30 people. it also houses a bakery that's guarded more than the theatre!

i also had the best soup ever in Tangtse Village at a local joint - a spicy concoction with pasta pieces. it was just the right thing to combat the cold, and i wish i had taken down the recipe because it was mouth watering. i still remember the soup.

back through Chang La to Leh, we were tired but loving every minute of the journey. Ladakh has a hypnotic effect, and i could have looked at the mountains for hours, at their fascinating colours and almost pristine beauty.

solo trip to ladakh – Nubra Valley

2008-04-14T19:57:00.000+05:30

Erik, Shozeb and I set off on our 2 day trip to the Nubra Valley early the next morning - around 7 am. Nubra means green and its a very fertile valley. it was to be a 4-5 hour drive going all the way up to Khardung La- the highest motorable road in the world - then down to the Valley. we were all excited about it. you need a permit to go to most places from Leh, there are a couple of checkpoints along the way. Erik's permit showed him traveling with 1 swedish person and 2 canadians! i guess they don't read these things too closely. the permits are organised by the taxi guys.

i had heard so much about Khardung La that i couldn't wait to get there. we set off driving up a mountain, quite slowly as the narrow road encircling the mountain began to get lined with snow. what makes this journey treacherous in winter is that the snow makes the tires slip. most of traffic at this time consisted of trucks, regular and plenty of army ones. it was good we left early or we would have been stuck behind lots of traffic as most of the trucks begin to slip and cannot cover the incline easily. despite that, we had our fair share of stopping as vehicles kept stalling along the way. our own vehicle swung 40 degrees to the left i.e. the edge of the road at one point due to the slush and since i was sitting in front, it was scary! chains on tires are a must. throughout the climb, we could feel the air getting thinner and the temperature dropping. the bends are all hairpin but thankfully traffic flows one way on one day and the opposite way on the next.

ultimately we reached the top! from 11,000 feet (Leh) to 18,380 feet, Khardung La (La means pass) is snow covered and the temperature that morning must have been zero or just below zero! even i couldn't resist having a glass of hot chai - that's all one get there in an army run canteen. the souvenir shop + museum (yes, there was a shed with a sign) was closed since it was off season. i did envy the army guys their snow boots, cos i slipped and fell flat on my butt at one point. after spending 10 odd minutes there (since its basically a pass, there isn't anything to do there), we began the descent to head to the valley.

the landscape changed, and soon we were out of the snow, heading towards the valley just below, passing along the shyok river. we stopped at khalsar village for lunch - a small village surrounded by mountains. driving down into the valley, we were now on a huge river bed that had dried up many many years ago.

the river does flow, but not as wide as the bed is. there are actually 2 rivers, Nubra and Shyok. and soon enough, there we were, at the sand dunes! yes, Nubra Valley has sand dunes, and double humped camels - though we didn't see any at the time. the mini desert has camel safaris in summer. it was quite a view, snow capped mountains around and the wide expanse of the valley with the sand dunes & seabuck thorn bushes. if it wasn't for the snowy mountains, you could believe you were in Rajasthan.

from here we headed to our stay for the night, Hotel Yarob Tso in Tiggur village in Nubra Valley. highly recommended, its a lovely place, the family lives in an extension of the guest house and we had dinner and breakfast the next morning in their beautiful living room.

before heading Yarob Tso though, we stopped off at the Deskit monastery - the oldest & largest in this area - built in 1420 AD. we also headed to Panamik, near Tiggur, for the hot water springs. they have 2 bathing rooms into which the hot water has been channeled. the 2 'boys' headed off for their natural water shower. i didn't do this, i know the water is hot, but its still very cold outside! we even walked over the hill to see the other side of the hot water spring, where its much hotter and according to Rigzin, one can boil eggs in that water.

after heading back to the hotel, Shozeb and I went for a walk, Erik was in his room meditating (yes, he has learnt it). we tried unsuccessfully to find a) a bottle of mineral water b) a packet of Lays. most of the smaller towns and villages don't stock mineral water in winter as the water freezes and the bottle bursts.

we all stayed up late, chatting about everything from Dalrymple to Tibet to scientific research (Shozeb is a doctor involved in cancer research in England, Erik is a) a tree planter b) he works in parks c) he also works in a cemetery - all in Canada, his home). it was quite refreshing, especially since both of them had very different points of view.

the next morning, we set off at 6 am to see a monastery that Shozeb had spotted - Shozeb is also writing a book on monasteries so he is really interested in seeing them all and taking tons of photos. this particular monastery in Charasa village has almost been abandoned. its situated on a rock across the river bed, and in several places the river is frozen but in the places where its flowing, the locals have constructed make shift bridges made of twigs. and they begin to shake as soon as you step on them, its quite a balancing act! i needed help from the locals both to and fro as the swaying got to me. while the water isn't that deep, its extremely cold and i didn't fancy death by hypothermia.

the monastery itself had an old world charm, and like the older monasteries, it blended with its surroundings as it was predominantly beige and white. the newer ones shout out yellow and red and don't quite have the same charm. driving back through charasa village, i also took what i thought was the best photo of the entire trip, a villager out with his herd in the morning, the animals kicking up dust and catching the sun rays.

from there it was back to Leh, via Khardungla. more trucks stalling and slipping, some needing to be pushed, and eventually we arrived back safely. the driver was extremely calm through all the winding roads and the slipping tyres, must say we were lucky to have him.

solo trip to Ladakh - Lamayuru and Alchi

2008-04-13T18:45:00.000+05:30

the next day, i went on a trip out - to see 2 old monasteries, lamayuru and alchi. it took around 3-4 hours to reach lamayuru, and along the way the views were spectacular. the indus river, the zanskar river, the meeting point of both, numerous mountains along the way in different hues on their rock composition... from purple to green to brown, it was amazing how the colours changed. passed numerous villages along the way, nimmo, khaltsi...

the lamayuru monastery is from the 11th century and is located on the steep & rocky side of a mountain. it has beautiful wall paintings and the view from the roof is also lovely.

went to lunch to a local place at khaltsi... you basically get tons of rice with basic veggies and dal. the only problem i encountered was that there was no loo for miles! finally had no choice but to go to a local one by the side of the road, its just a shed with hole on the floor, rocks below! i think everyone from people to animals had been there! if you have any illusions about finding comfy toilets, lose the thought. it'll be great to just find a loo in the first place!

the one with the open door - that's for the ladies.

after lamayuru, it was time for alchi and this remained my favourite monastery overall. built in 1000 ad, its a protected heritage site. its a beautiful monastery, predominantly white, with low doorways, takes you back to another era. i saw some of the most beautiful wall paintings here, but no photography allowed inside the prayer rooms here, because of how old and precious the paintings are.

solo trip to Ladakh - Leh and beyond

2008-04-12T12:26:00.000+05:30

the flight to Leh is spectacular as the plane flies through the mountains and onto the runway. the announcement "बाहर का तापमान २ डिग्री सल्सिउस है" (it was around 930am) was enough to bring out the cap, scarf and sweatshirt. was received at the airport by Rigzin, the driver + guide for the rest of the trip. my main contact here was a person called Dawa Jora. he organised everything. i was to stay at Mahey Guesthouse, which turned out to be run by his in-laws. its a basic guesthouse and the family lives right next to it. my room had a lovely view of snow covered mountains, one of which i know was Stok kangri.

i discovered then that there was no running water! there was a bucket of water in the bathroom, ice cold. since it was winter, most places didn't have that since the water would freeze in the pipes. but the family was really nice and they gave me a bucket of hot water whenever needed.

didn't do anything on the first day, had been advised by lots of people to give myself 1-2 days to acclimatise to the high altitude. in fact i caught up on the much needed sleep that day given my air travel annoyance. but i didn't have any effects due to the altitude, no headaches, no nausea, no neck pain, nothing at all. i didn't feel any different. that was great because i had heard numerous horror stories of people not being able to adjust to the altitude.

the first day evening, someone knocked on my door. it was my neighbour at the guest house - Erik, we were the only 2 people there! Erik is Canadian and he had with him Shozeb, an Indian from England, whom he had met on the flight in. both of them had come in a day before me. they asked if we could do some of the trips together - to Nubra Valley and Pangong Lake. it would definitely save us a lot of money as taxis are the main mode of transport and both the areas were far away. they both seemed like nice guys, and i didn't mind meeting new people! so i said yes. they asked me if i wanted to go with them to one of the monasteries in Leh the next day at 6 am. but i was still adjusting to the cold so i decided against it. went back into the room, got some lovely home cooked food, sat next to the gas heater and enjoyed the whole experience.

the next day i went to some monasteries around Leh. they are all so quiet, peaceful and largely simple, nothing ostentatious about them... and the soothing colours, maroon, beige, made me want to spend more time in each one. i especially liked Thikse and Hemis. Hemis is located away from Leh and nestled in the mountains. its a very beautiful place and the drive is lovely.

i followed this up in the eve with a visit to the Leh palace and the Shanti Stupa. i bought myself a winter jacket before that! because despite the layers, i didn't have anything really warm. its a good thing that i did because Shanti Stupa is at a height and its extremely windy and cold there. the stupa itself is primarily white in colour and has some beautiful wall paintings. it overlooks most of Leh.

so quite an eventful day for me, headed home in the evening looking forward to another home cooked meal. Erik asked me if i wanted to accompany him to the market to meet Shozeb for dinner, but i didn't feel like walking in the cold.

solo trip to Ladakh - the beginning

2008-04-12T00:24:00.000+05:30

been almost 2 months since i posted anything... was drowning in work, as always, until i took a week off and went to Ladakh on a solo trip. was the best decision i ever made! have been thinking about going there for about 4 years, and every year as i missed the 'season' of jul/ aug, i thought to myself, oh well, next year. somehow it never seemed to happen. almost didn't, even for this trip. i wanted to go to Bhutan, but all tickets were booked when i wanted to go.

tried Lakshadweep, again, ticket issues plus the fares were really expensive. thought of Cambodia, but by that time, the date i was to go on leave was approaching so it seemed doubtful i would manage all the paperwork. then someone suggested i should go to ladakh. since its still winter there, arranging the trip wasn't a problem. so 5 days before i was to go on leave, i booked myself on the flights - first to Delhi and from there to Leh. (what has surprised me since i came back is the number of people asking - oh, Leh has an airport?!!)

i knew it was still winter and i should carry enough warm clothing. living in mumbai, its obvious i would be under equipped! so i stopped off in Delhi at my friend anku's - she lent me her sweatshirt to add as an extra layer, thank god for that! it therefore played a starring role in several photos! of course the trip to Delhi itself was not uneventful. after boarding the flight on time, listening to yana and all yada, we sat on the runway for almost an hour until they announced that the AC wasn't working (no kidding, we could figure that out ourselves) and we had to deplane and get on a new one.

needless to say, by my usual luck, i had a snoring man and a wailing baby very close to me to ensure i don't get too comfortable. by the time i got to anku's it was 8 hours since i had left home and i was exhausted. the Leh flight was early morning so i didn't get much sleep at all. not exactly the way to head to a holiday! but nothing could take away from my excitement at finally going to a place i have only thought about for so long.

for all you ignorant ones, let me tell you that Ladakh is part of Jammu & Kashmir and shares its border with China or should i say Tibet. the Vodafone call centre chap, when asked if Vodafone network was available there, asked, " is Ladakh in Nepal?"

the do not hire registry!

2008-02-16T14:29:00.000+05:30

every company seems to be plagued with a severe shortage of good people (as is the case everywhere in the marketing/ advertising/ media industry), as is my workplace. in my personal efforts at recruitment over many years i have seen everything (at least i think so, don't really know what's left!).

i firmly recommend a 'do not hire' registry given the alarming number of unprofessional people i have come across. banks have credit ratings of customers... why can't the industry have ratings of so-called professionals on basic parameters like competence and ethics? i am sure it would save a whole lot of trouble for many companies if they only knew what sort of people they were hiring.

its become commonplace to experience things such as...

recruits simply not turning up on their joining date and not bothering to take calls so one is left wondering why they confirmed their joining in the first place - one such person claimed they had a new "lifetime opportunity" with another company- which they quit in less than a year thereafter - some lifetime that was
recruits accepting offer letters, making the company wait for 5 weeks to join, and then calling 1 or 2 days prior saying their present company is "not letting them go" or that they have sudden "personal/ medical reasons" that prevent them from joining. of course, those problems vanish when they join someplace else in the same instant.
people just vanishing one day, simply not turning up to work with no provocation or reason whatsoever... making sure they are untraceable by not answering the phone & making you wonder what kind of person was working here for so long.
people deciding they want to drop work in an instant and be relieved of their duties & not even having the professional courtesy of serving some kind of notice period - just taking off saying they are done & actually having the gall to say, "i will be in touch with you" - do they expect some kind of warm and fuzzy reunion?
people who quit stating they don't like the work but towards the end of the notice period ask if they can stay on for a few months more because they have not found another job!

am i being old fashioned by expecting people to have some sense of ethics? it certainly seems so. makes me wonder if these are all misguided notions that should only exist in text books because tons of people don't seem to have even 10% of it. would it be so hard to be professional about your job? of course, it could be a pathetic place to work and you could be awfully underpaid and have awful bosses - but quite frankly that has not been the case. every company has its share of bad points. but in all the cases above, the behaviour was totally unwarranted. in a way, its great that the bad apples are gotten rid off... but a registry of something as basic as "reliability" would save time and effort of so many people in their recruitment efforts.

given how networked the industry is these days, people who lie and quit or not join are always found out at some point. makes me wonder why they think they can get away with it... and why they care so little about their reputation. sure, its not public knowledge, but tarnishing your name amongst some people in the same industry is bound to have an impact at some point. the same set of people will move around and you could bump into them again... wouldn't you want to leave on a positive note? why is it so difficult to be honest about intentions? there's no criminal intent here, its just a job change. surely it can be handled with more finesse!

yup, i sound more and more old fashioned. no, i have no grey hair and won't have any for a long, long, long time. perhaps i will pay the price for such "unfashionable" ideas!

manufacturing consent, the indian way

2008-01-20T19:01:00.000+05:30

20 years after noam chomsky & edward herman wrote manufacturing consent, the model is alive, kicking and increasingly more successful in India.

"If you want to understand how a particular society works, you have to understand who makes the decisions that determine the way a society functions. In the -----, the major decisions over what happens in a society (investment, production, distribution, etc.) are in the hands of a relatively concentrated network of major corporations, conglomerates, and investment firms. They're also the ones who staff the major executive positions in the government, and they're the ones who own the media, and are the ones who are in the position to make decisions. They have an overwhelmingly dominant role in the way life happens, what's done in this society."

have blanked out the name of the country in the second sentence, but if we put "India" there, would it not seem right? yes, chomsky was talking about the US. but its not so far removed from reality here. think about the Times Private Treaties. what is it? its a part of the Times Group, owners of the largest dailies & a multitude of newspapers and magazines. what does the Treaties division do? it invests in small & medium companies which are fast growing. i think they already have over a 100 companies in which they have invested (including the future group, gitanjali jewels, zicom, air deccan, percept pictures and many more). these companies then advertise in the times group of publications, ensuring reach and visibility that they did not have the marketing budgets for earlier. many of these companies could be planning IPOs (the latest rage) or have large projects that need publicity.

sure, the times doesn't say they will give them any editorial coverage... but if they invest their own money in these companies, wouldn't positive publicity be of essence rather than anything negative? and considering there don't seem to be any standards to journalism these days, its a bit hard to imagine that something really negative would be written about any of the companies in which the times group has a stake. and none of us will really know the effects of something like this, but in a booming stock market, am sure more and more companies will want this kind of deal.

the nano effect

2008-01-20T18:27:00.000+05:30

the 1 lakh tata nano is finally here... but living in mumbai and dealing with traffic everyday has only made me sceptical and worried about this car. will it now take double the time than it already takes (which is already 3 times the time it should logically take), will parking spaces now be found miles away from the intended venue, will all auto drivers (who seem to drive as if under the influence of ecstacy) now buy nanos as their personal vehicles of choice ? can anyone who faces mumbai traffic actually be happy about this car? yes, the people who don't have cars will be, but once they are on the road in that car, will they wish they went back to the motorcycle & BEST bus? and will all the 'privileged' who own cars be forced to give them up?

sure india is growing, the economy is booming, india is the future super power, but all this brouhaha over a car that will only add to road congestion, lead to huge petrol bills in terms of import and add to our polluted environment... is it justified? yes a 1 lakh car is a great engineering feat but is it something future generations will marvel at or will it be a termed as the cause of many subsequent ills?

who knows what the nano effect will bring. i am not its most ardent supporter myself. i do feel that adding to our over burdened road infrastructure isn't going to achieve anything beyond jams and more jams.

got some cartoons on that recently, which are hilarious, especially the one about reservations for the underprivileged in parking spaces.

and then!

2008-01-12T23:10:00.000+05:30

its been over 3 months since i last posted something. to be honest, i just didn't feel like it. work has been a real killer and enough to do at home as well. when i did get time, i felt like vegetating. and that's pretty much what i did if i had a chance to chill. hence this blog was thoroughly neglected.

however what i did gather was my own collection of the 'one tight slap' awards...

1. people who walk through when you hold the door open to enter or exit, without so much as a smile or thank you... do they think you look like the doorman?
2. people stuck in traffic jams leaning on the horn as if wishing it was the accelerator, where do they think they are going if all they progress is an extra 2 inches?
3. people at work who show how busy they are by following up with you on your job list even though they have nothing to do with it... do they think it fools anyone that they can't keep up with their own?
4. people who are just acquaintances who want to add you as friends on facebook... if they haven't got to know you in real life, what makes them think the internet is going to change anything?
5. people who want to enter the elevator before the people inside can get out... do they think its a local train?

Regret

2007-09-23T21:29:00.000+05:30

have caught myself thinking 'i regret...' often lately... and have been wondering why it is that there are so many regrets one accumulates in life, much like prizes or scars or stamps even. what we regret actually says more about us than what we actually do. for instance, i regret...

1. not being in a field related to the arts for that's actually closest to my heart
2. not being adventurous enough... in the sense of experimenting (yes, despite my love of traveling and going to new places by myself)
3. thinking and analysing too much about situations/ decisions
4. not dating enough!
5. not exploring many parts of India as yet
6. not learning to play a musical instrument
7. being too lazy to learn how to cook well
8. being under confident of my appearance
9. many things i have said at home when under pressure
10. regretting so many things!

well, many more on the list but what's important is to be able to do something about some of them, if not all. fewer regrets = fewer moments of unhappiness. going to check back on this list in a few months to see if anything can be taken off the list!

The Best of SPAM

2007-09-21T10:43:00.000+05:30

there's no doubt that while spam email is annoying, its also probably the most entertaining time you're going to have. aside from the usual, want a longer xxxxxxxx or what are you doing tonight... there's a whole lot more that ranges from the hilarious to the bizarre.

1. colon cleanse support - Flush up to 20 Excess Pounds out of your Colon! uggghhhh

2. Derrick - Be Always Ready the yoda speaketh

3. :::::::::::: Be a man of her dreams with Cl@li.$ $oft T(a_)bs or V | /*\ g r @! buster. ::::::::::::
.....................
Did you know that Americans and Russians _________________________________

have SE>< more often than any nation in the world?

They do it approximately 130 times a year.

you can do it 365 times a year

and 366 when it's a leap year!
how long did it take to come up with that?!

4. Maxim - Don't manicure the man am not even trying!

you know you're from mumbai when...

2007-09-20T22:48:00.000+05:30

a post after a month... not doing too good at this!

having lived in mumbai most of my life, and also having lived in a hostel in a neighbouring state, in a small village, which was infested with mosquitoes & every other kind of insect imaginable... it has taken me until now to get... yes... malaria. and add to that, jaundice. double whammy of a different kind. probably finally proving that i belong to mumbai.

can't have lived here and not have had malaria, jaundice or typhoid now, can one? as a result i have had lots of helpful advice from lots of people on what not to do. seems like everyone has had it at some point, or knows someone who does. maybe this was the final baptism. i could have done without it, but am afraid there's no going back now.

forced to sit at home, had some random thoughts... kinda like this really old post.

1. you know you're from mumbai when... (just a few more of them!)
- being at home, sick and therefore missing out on the commute during the bandra fair and ganesh visarjan actually makes you happy.
- hearing the sound of a loud auto-rickshaw everyday doesn't make you get used to it, you want to throw a rock at it every single time.
- your mobile phone rings constantly and your bedroom becomes your true home - your office

2. TV advertising has to be at its all time low on quality. so many betas and their papas hawking everything from insurance to detergent to cellular services... where's the idea?! but the most annoying ad has to be "what's on your eyes?" said with a slap worthy pout. spectacles with brand mark... ideas with ZERO spark. same difference.

3. the desire to read a good paperback thriller lasts only as long as you actually buy the book.

4. you can get hooked to random american mainstream populist serials (whew!) really easily. and perceive a distinct drop in IQ at the end of it. i haven't lost weight due to illness, my brain has shrunk!

5. eating food with no oil & giving up anything remotely sinful is akin to achieving nirvana.

6. visits from friends and relatives are better at getting you up and about than all those meds.

7. one of the most intelligent things i learned, were the lyrics to an old song sent by a friend - lyrics that i had completely forgotten (sorry, it really is funny, can't resist going back to that topic!).

i want to play the game of love
i want you in the name of love
aye come here
not here up there in the sky
come with me i want to fly
don't stop let the whole world know
come fast come fast don't be slow

in the mumbai, all over india we are the bhai

2007-08-19T12:04:00.000+05:30

like the title of this post, from one of the latest hit songs, ganpat, have been assaulted by so many songs over the years that make me cringe, that i decided to do a post purely on inane indian film songs. all these songs have been hits, making me wonder who writes this stuff and why people listen to it!

sample yet another latest hit song from a movie called aawaarapan... how and why did someone come up with this?

i wish u could see yourself the way i see ya
you shine just like a star mahia
cuz your my only pyar mahia

mahia u r i set ma soul on fire (???)
i felt just like a rose mahia
when i was in your arms mahia

why don't u tell me mahia
put ma mind at ease
how do u wish to see the loyalty in me
appnee wafa ka iqrar kya karoon
mar jaoon kudh ko jo tujh say juda karoon

Watch it here

and if that wasn't enough to numb the brain, an earlier sample from karan johar's amazing movies

Wanna naach all night (2)
Do you feel alright
Wanna naach all night
Dance with me baby, wont you dance with me all night
Won’t you party party party, wont you run the floor all night

Watch it here

but here's an old classic from a south indian film... waaazzaaatt??

If you come today, its too early
If you come tomorrow, its too late
You pick the time,
Tick tick tick a Tick tick tick
Tick tick tick a Tick tick tick
Daarrlliiiinnnng

Watch it here

And here's an old song from Julie (maybe this started it all!)
 
(My heart is beating, keeps on repeating
I' m waiting for you) - 2
My love encloses a plot of roses
And when shall be then our next meeting
Cause love you know
That time is fleeting, time is fleeting
Time is fleeting 

Spring is the season That drops the reason of lovers who are truly true 
Young birds are mating (???)
While I am waiting, waiting for you

Watch it here

yes, indeed. the birds are mating. i am hating. i am wanting. an end to the madness, in the
mumbai, all over india.

independence

2007-08-15T19:33:00.000+05:30

haven't written a post in 2 months, and considering my last post was in a way about Gandhi and Tagore, it seems fitting that this one is on India's 60th independence day. i don't think i have thought about the significance of the day much... and i feel sad about it. my parents came over during the partition and were amongst the millions affected by the events surrounding India's freedom. my father had played a small part in the freedom struggle even though he was barely a teenager then. have i imbibed any of this?

well i do love my country, am not one to constantly crib about what's wrong with it and look to developed nations as the beacons of all that is right. but do i really think about what it means to be independent? i think i am part of the billions that take it for granted. we tend to forget that at 60 years young, we can't possibly accomplish what developed nations have taken hundreds of years to achieve, that too at the expense of other countries, deriving much of their wealth and power through conquests. its remarkable that in a few decades we have at least established our expertise in so many domains, and are consistently rated the country to watch out for.

does my father like the state of this country today? no he doesn't... but he says politicians have always been corrupt and nothing better can be expected of them. but he does say one thing... this is a country of tenacious people and we will not let go... even if we are now more self driven than driven by social needs, its our tenacity that keeps us going. its made him re-build his entire life, after he came here with nothing, no assets, no earnings, no livelihood, no legacy. all of that was left behind in Sindh. its admirable that today he has a comfortable life, that it's a life he has built from scratch at an age when many of us today are cushioned in B-schools.

that's the true story of India's freedom. if nothing else, it has made a nation of people who can build their lives through hard work and who revel in their own self-reliance.

Forgotten Poem

2007-06-18T00:14:00.000+05:30

was watching The Actor's Studio on Pix. had an interview with Charlie Sheen... though i didn't see the interview but did watched the Q&A session at the end. he said some remarkably touching things... like the time he was asked to cry his heart out for a scene in a TV series based on Nixon... and his father had died a few month's earlier, but he had not had a chance to mourn his death. so when he was asked to do that scene, he decided to mourn his father. he wrote Ramon Estevez on a sheet of paper, looked at it and then cried & cried & cried for the scene. Ramon is Charlie Sheen's real name and the person who called him Ramon his entire life, was his father.

after that he went on to talk about Gandhi (and how it was huge in Hollywood, everyone wanted to be liked Gandhi - thin, tanned and moral)... and how he came to learn a famous poem by Rabindranath Tagore... where the mind is without fear. suddenly i was transported years and years back... into school. i could not believe i had forgotten the poem. it's so beautiful, and this time i won't forget it.

where the mind is without fear and the head is held high
where knowledge is free
where the world has not been broken up into fragments
by narrow domestic walls
where words come out from the depth of truth
where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection,
where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
in the dreary desert sand of dead habit
where the mind is lead forward by thee
into ever-widening thought and action
into that heaven of freedom, my father, let my country awake.

of course, one can't help but think that if only he knew what the country had become...

Sometimes this city can be beautiful

2007-06-16T13:18:00.000+05:30

the past few days have seen Mumbai at its best... cosy sunlight, not the blinding variety we have been subjected to for so many months, everything bathed in a soft glow, flowing breeze and the gulmohars out it in all glory. standing out in the balcony watching the trees sway in the wind, i actually had such a good time that it was hard to believe i was in the same place with same traffic, same water issues, same everything... i felt refreshed and happy. maybe these photos don't do justice because there's still the concrete jungle all around... but just the trees are enough to break the monotony.

am i losing my cynical touch, i wonder! maybe its a sign of growing old! sigh. cross 30 and the journey towards 40 suddenly becomes a gallop instead of a languid stroll.

life just goes on whether you pay attention to it or not. there is greater ease in not paying attention. but then its devoid of richness & pathos.

Girl Gangs & Driving Trips

2007-06-02T22:17:00.000+05:30

drove down to Panchgani with the girl gang last weekend... had never driven down to anyplace further than a cojuple of hours away... so this was fantastic! with ipod, itrip, snacks, water & fuel all organised we were set for a great trip, and super excited. the roads are superb and i loved it so much that i pretty much hogged the wheel. after the expressway, the road gets better, much more scenic with beautiful gulmohar trees dotted along the way. the drive itself is quite easy now that the golden quadrilateral section has been built along the entire distance.

apart from driving around panchgani & mahableshwar, we had a strawberry overdose, it was practically death by strawberry - strawberry with cream, with ice cream, strawberry juice, just strawberry, strawberry ice-cream... you get the drift. we also went go karting with a little bit of sight seeing thrown in... captured some great examples of indian english :)

enthused enough to want to go for more such trips. who needs chauffeurs? driving yourself is much more fun... maybe its time for me to upgrade from the baby zen to an adult car.

i think the drive was the best part, the road is the destination as someone once said to me, wholly convinced that i wouldn't understand!! well i understand now!

i have all these dreams of setting off on the weekend, not knowing the final destination, cos there isn't one. who wants to join me?

Girl Gangs & Scrabble Sessions

2007-05-13T21:12:00.000+05:30

Was out with my girl gang this afternoon. I love how as women we can draw on so much from each other, feel so happy just hanging out with the girls, chatting, discussing everything from serious issues to mundane ones... fight over scrabble scores... and leave feeling like we've been in a therapeutic session. One of them is married, the other one engaged and the rest of us single (and some of us lovin't it). So we can cover the whole gamut of what any woman can go thru, less than loving in-laws, strangely unloving parents, parents pressurising about marriage, not finding the right guy, biological clock ticking, being gloriously single... honestly who needs a sex and the city! Its right here in our lives, we are living it everyday.

But one common thread that's always there... losing and putting on weight! Somehow, there can never be a conversation without that. If all of us women actually discussed a social issue all the time that we spent talking about weight, i think the world would be a better place. But women wouldn't be women then.

I know someone who's first comment is always about whether you have put on weight or lost weight... she's your personal talking weighing scale and if you meet her often enough, you never have to worry about neglecting your body. She will make sure you always know! But she is rather sweet so i won't dis her anymore.

I Love Penguins!

2007-05-12T18:51:00.000+05:30

My first brush with eco tourism was in Australia, at the Phillip Island Penguin Parade and it was the best part of the trip! Every evening, Little Penguins swim up to the shore and waddle up to their nests on the island. Much like cricket stadium stands, there are stands erected on the beach where people sit and wait for the Penguins to come home. No photography allowed. The idea is to keep it as natural as possible so that you get to see the Penguins in their own environment. The first sight, of white specks all together in a bunch, coming closer, and finally seeing the penguins can't be described in words. Its amazing. Its sad that humans kill other species so brutally for parts of their body, when seeing any creature in its natural habitat is such a beautiful experience.

Visit http://www.penguins.org.au for more info on this unique activity.

The Great Ocean Road - doesn't that sound like heaven?

2007-03-03T18:30:00.000+05:30

i have no idea why i haven't put up a post in 2 months! started this then, completing it now...

The real highlight of my trip to Australia was the road trip down the Great Ocean Road. Stretching more than 400 kilometres, it passes through numerous beaches, quaint towns & landmark scenery from Geelong to Nelson - kicking off near Melbourne. We rented a car and drove through most of it leading to the Grampians National Park and then back to Melbourne.

Highlights of the trip

1. The typical Mumbai city road signs... No Entry, One Way, No Stopping... the typical Australian country road signs... Drive on left in Australia (for those who have never lived in a former British colony!), Kangaroos next 50 kms, Koalas next 10 kms, Ducks Crossing.
2. At night there are so many stars, and the expanse of sky means that you can actually see the milky way!
3. Driving 50-80 kms in a national park in pitch dark in an area full of roos is not a good idea! we were driving upto the Grampians National Park at about 9 pm as we had booked a YHA there for the night, and we spent it on tenterhooks watching out for the kangaroos cos we definitely didn't want to run over one. and we spotted 7! one of them was bounding across the road when the headlights lit up that section. thankfully we were still some distance away! and there was no other vehicle on the road the entire time.
3. My friend, T forgot her undies so her husband J created a special song while we were roo spotting - roo, roo, where is your chaddooo! - so while we were all watching out for the roos, he was also singing this song in hip hop style.
4. Nothing can prepare you for the expanse of the ocean and its sea green colour... and being on a deserted beach with perfect sand and translucent water is as close to heaven as it sounds like!
5. A road trip has a way of making you one with the road, where the road is the destination. It has a way of cutting out all surround noise, worries, frills... of getting right down to the basics.
6. When travelling with 3 other people, its very important not only that you like them, but that you can also tolerate all idiosyncrasies! do those have a way of surprising you! whatever you think you know about your friends, if you haven't been in close proximity with them (meaning spending hours and days together in a car), be prepared. very prepared!
7. A road trip makes it all memorable.... flying from point A to point B doesn't quite have the same effect. And with a coastline like that, driving is the ONLY choice.

Down Under is aaaah-sum!

2007-03-03T17:20:00.000+05:30

had a fantastic trip to Australia, visiting some friends who live in Sydney at a fantastic location in the eastern suburbs. 30 secs to Clovelly beach from the house... and a beautiful coastal walk across the major eastern beaches to Bondi and beyond. Coogee, Clovelly, Bronte, Tamarama, Bondi and more... an awesome experience to be able to wake up in the morning and see the sun rise here within walking distance!

there are a few things that strike you about Sydney

1. rubber chappals are almost the official footwear... but they call them thongs. so if chappals are called thongs, what are thongs called? no one has given me an answer to that one as yet!
2. the number of people wearing indian clothes and kolhapuris make you wonder if you are in Australia!
3. for Sydneysiders, even bread is bee-yoo-tiful. everything is gorgeous or beautiful, sourdough bread included!
4. yeah so the typical sign off is "see you lai-ter, maite" but hearing indians say "see you latter, met" is not good. no, no. just not good.
5. with such spectacular beaches & parks, its no wonder most people stop working at 5 pm. after all, isn't getting stuck in traffic on mahim causeway motivation to spend some more time at work?!
6. while london has its "mind the gap" from the underground rail network sydney has "swim between the flags" from the beach lifeguards - a clear sign of the difference in lifestyle!
7. why doesn't anyone have a paunch?! in the eastern suburbs, even the daddies look hot. and yes, so do the mummies. people run at all odd hours. 36 degrees or cold and windy, they run.
8. yes, the water does run the other way in the southern hemisphere

the art of vegetating

2006-12-17T19:44:00.000+05:30

regardless of how this may sound, i do not do this all the time! well, i can't with a hectic job. but every once in a while i stay home all weekend and do nothing productive, nothing thought provoking even. i watch random TV shows, laze around, procrastinate all work and in general behave not like a grown up thinking individual but a numb teenager.

of course, at the end of the sunday, i feel guilty about having wasted time, knowing i could have done so much with it. it's the wastage of time that has kept me from pursuing many hobbies, things that i could have attained mastery in over the years. sometimes i blame the workplace... after all the hectic work during the week, is it unnatural to be in a numb state all weekend? the absence of balance can induce extreme behaviour.

it's the guilt that's the toughest to deal with. it's that voice inside egging you on and saying how could you spend all this time doing nothing. and yet, a few weekends later it's back to vegetating. it's amazing the number of things we do knowing that we could do better. if one were to actually calculate all the time spent on such activities, am sure it would end being a few years of our lives. frightening. mortality comes at such a heavy price. nothing in the world can replace wasted time and we know it. it's the only thing we can't fight against with all the money in the world. and yet, we are awfully good at wasting it!

one can accomplish so much by doing one simple task. switching off the TV. nothing good comes of watching it, sure its entertainment, but there are so many ways to get entertained. i genuinely believe (having wasted several hours of weekends in front of the TV) that if there were no TV, we would accomplish a lot more and have more time to help those around us, invest our energies in something useful. but am i going to turn off that TV? yes, i think i am. it's wieghing on my mind so much now. starting tomorrow, i am going to make a conscious effort not to watch TV. and let's see what comes out of it.

Reactions to Single in the city

2006-12-16T22:38:00.000+05:30

the previous post was a piece i wrote that was published in the Hindustan Times, Mumbai. Not the most widely circulated paper in this city, so i was surprised that people i knew actually spotted it. But i did ensure that others read this after i told 'em about it!

got some interesting reactions. i didn't think i was being pro singlehood or anti marriage... i just believe that singles do not need to be constantly seen as biding their time before marriage. anyway... one relative called me to say that she disagreed, i must get married and must keep looking for "a boy" and that her daughter has the same issue but that we are wrong. marriage is a must. yes, aunty.

most friends said they thought it was well articulated (could they really tell me if it wasn't?! not sure). one friend said i should "have looked at the 'exciting affairs' angle a bit more deeply........coz that's where the most angst is generated due to misconceptions about sexual freedom & preferences; to the extent of being considered "must be an easy lay" or "must be gay". Second area I've personally been intrigued about is 'Why fulfilling relationships are always defined so unidimensionally - as u finding the perfect partner to get hitched with, have kids & spend the rest of your life with'???"

Yes, that's a good point. more food for thought for future columns (dream, baby, dream).

Single in the city

2006-12-16T22:33:00.000+05:30

Single in the city

After Sex and The City and Bridget Jones's diary, there's been a buzz about life as a single woman. The idea of single womanhood is now much more glorified, commented on & written about than that of single men. What is it about single women that everyone is so curious about? It's assumed that we have glamorous lifestyles, plenty of freedom and exciting affairs.

But yes, eternal questions like "do you have someone in your life?", "you've been hanging out with him a lot off late, is something going on?", "have you found someone yet?" never seem to stop. Somehow the search for that "someone" seems to be perceived as the defining experience of your life. Despite the newfound openness about single women, the acceptance of this breed and the enviousness of many married women who remember their earlier days, the question of that "someone" still commands attention.

On the one hand, people talk about how much fun your life must be, and on the other, offer to set you up, ask the inevitable question: "are you too choosy?" & then secretly assume that must be the case – why else would you be single? What's exasperating is that people who were single a short while ago begin to ask that question as soon as they "change camps".

Having been through the typical arranged marriage scenario of meeting "boys" and then the online matrimonial experience of email exchanges followed by coffee meets, I can say that I am choosy only about one thing: not having to make another uneasy conversation with a stranger about our likes, our hobbies, our favourite movie, book, song, colour, shampoo, toothpaste, blah blah blah. If I meet someone, get to know them and see something more permanent, am all for it. Otherwise, I am happy where I am, I love my career and I like being single. Yes, it's hard sometimes.

Some weekends you sit in the house and suffer from bouts of wallowing. You wonder if you are meant to be alone, if you are, in fact, too choosy, if this is as good as it's going to be, if you will regret this once that famous biological clock is done ticking. But that probably stops the moment you sit next to a wailing baby on a 2 hour plane journey!

And you think about the good life, about being able to travel at a moment's notice, about a city that lets you be you, about never feeling like you can't move around alone, and about not having to necessarily define yourself in terms of a relationship… and you think to yourself… yes, a deep relationship would be fantastic but there's so much more to do and experience.

Life is not about being in the married or single category... it's about being at peace with who you are.

Random Thoughts 2

2005-12-04T16:48:00.000+05:30

i took a break from work (do i do this often?!) in jan 2005... went to snowy nainital & bright and sunny goa. some thoughts.

from nainital to goa

1. nature has a way of making you re-think everything about yourself, your place in the universe, and how trivial most of your 'life crisis' issues reallyare - in the presence of such effortless beauty.

2. if you don't feel happy at work, quit & spend some time with nature. it's the only 'natural' 'rejuvenation' process.

3. to quote a famous song - if i could give one piece of advice - sunscreen would be it. oh, how true it is!

4. friendly dogs can make you realise how much love you have inside to share.

5. leching jerks can make you realise how capable of violence you are.

6. the experience of being in a thick forest with no sounds except those of birds and animals is next to nothing else. why does one inflict nightclubs on oneself?

7. books are the only exercise for the mind. and the only way to stop moping about life.

8. cold weather makes you appreciate hot food.

9. lying afloat in the water, moving with the waves, eyes shut... pity you have to wake up and feel the effects of gravity (and all those kilos of weight!) all over again.

10. majestic snow peaks vs the blue ocean waters.
snow peaks 10 ocean 7
game to resume next season

Random Thoughts

2005-12-04T16:41:00.000+05:30

i had taken a break from work in nov - dec 2002... and penned a few thoughts. just came across these again in old mails... and thought this is a good place for them.

pls note: all references are strictly coincidental and bear tremendous resemblance to the writer's life. wherever 'one' is referred to, it is in fact a reference to the writer herself.

1. sitting at home for a month or more and (on the face of it) doing nothing, is the most calming phase of one's life. read. eat. sleep. drive. think. relax. one could get used to this. pity that we try and fill every minute of our time with activity.

2. one can do without people for the most part. and one can stay silent for the most part. this proves one's theory that socialising is a developed skill that need not be developed at all. (as long as mommy cooks and looks out for you:))

3. a good book is all the companion one needs. but sometimes two/ three-timing isn't so bad either. especially when reading diverse books at once viz. the joyluck club - amy tan, siddhartha - herman hesse, bridget jones's diary -whoever.

4. all radio FM channels have about 60 songs. they play these every few hours. radio is not a place to look for refreshing music. also, listeners, for the most part, make asses of themselves when they call in. this includes the writer in question.

5. office can never live without you. beware. it's not an ego-boost. its tentacles are trying to suck you back in.

6. one can never have enough clothes for a wedding. anyone's wedding.

7. waking up at one's regular time even when on holiday is the only way one won't go to seed.

8. living in the present is the best way to stop thinking about the future.and, even better, it's glorious.

9. trying to study basic math again is one of the toughest tasks of life andrequires supreme effort of will (which breaks down in front of a good book).

10. driving in mumbai is now for the intellectually challenged. they are the only ones who can understand why wanton breaking of rules makes the world a better place. nothing can beat sitting in office till 8 30 pm and beating traffic. except for the fact that one has to sit in office.

11. regardless of being on holiday, movies will be missed. it's not about having time, it's about one's karma from the previous life.

A River Runs Through It

2005-12-04T16:13:00.000+05:30

went to bangalore on work, stayed back on the weekend and went to a charming resort run by the tourism corp.

mayura river view is located on the banks of the river and is close to the bird sanctuary. the serene setting is beautifully captured in this photo. the water here is part of the cauvery river.

the resort itself has just about 6 rooms - making sure it stays secluded most of the time. if you come here with friends, as i did, you love it even more. sitting by the river side, chatting, having the odd drink and just taking it all in. ahhh. heaven. especially for beleagured 9-to-9ers.

the bird sanctuary nearby is nicely set wth bamboo growing all around and the lake forming the centre of all activity. but i think we spotted more crocs than birds! monday morning didn't hit me as badly as i still had this picture perfect setting in my head.

the 2 hour drive from bangalore was pretty good too... passing through the countryside where 'sholay' was shot. chill madi. in true bangalooroo style!

Thai Sunsets

2005-12-04T16:05:00.000+05:30

after much debate on where to go for a holiday, and getting enticed by everything from bhutan to cambodia, I finally made it to thailand.a holiday that fit the budget, the dates and the desire to relax.

i was determined to avoid the touristy, commercial & bustling part of the country and so, despite landing in phuket, went straight to krabi - to ao nang - a tiny little beach town with one stretch of main road and a narrow beach. stayed at a charming place called phra nang inn.the gorgeous sunsets, blue-green waters and the many smiling faces made me wish i was staying longer.

around ao nang there are many islands with white sand & the water is greener and clearer than the mainland. the most striking elements are the many limestone rock formations that have led to the creation of the islands. i just couldn't stop taking pictures... everything looked tooo good.the food was amazing... not too many choices since i am vegeterian... but i had delicious green curry/ red curry/ yellow curry with lots of vegetables and the wide flat noodles.

the days were spent exploring the islands and the nearby jungles. a basic elephant trek takes you through some of the jungle area about an hour away. full of limestone rocks and mountains, the trek through the forest was more like lunch time for the elephants. they spent the entire time pulling down leaves by the dozen and swallowing them in great big gulps. considering they consume a few hundred kilos of leaves per day, this was probably just a snack. the mahouts had a tough time keeping them on track. we kept wandering off paths into green leafy areas... and i kept thinking... am i glad i don't eat so much!

the adventurous me decided to try out kayaking... even though i have never done it before. and i never realised what an effort it was. i managed to go in the opposite direction each and every time... and trailed the group from start through finish. but going through the mangrove forest was a wonderful experience... even though i did manage to get the kayak stuck between rocks that were so close that i had to navigate small water paths . the one and half hours of rowing was more energy consuming than any gym workout! even the guides got a bit tired of me at the end... and tied my kayak to their's when the going got tricky. kayak lessons needed.after a morning like that, some R&R was sorely (pun intended) needed.

so off i went to chicken island... what beautiful waters! evenings were spent in some quaint restros and pubs... the drinks here are more potent than normal. made for some happy moments!

i flew into bangkok for less than 20 hours... my only agenda being to shop... and the night market was truly worth it. miles and miles of little shops with everything from handicrafts to clothes. did i go wild shopping!the week just flew... and coming back to the hot and humid mumbai wasn't much fun. alas... one has to earn a living to be able to travel!

What am i doing here?

2005-04-30T20:53:00.000+05:30

a blog. hmmm. something that lets me rave and rant without actually knowing who's reading this! well, it can't hurt. it could be a great stress reliever given that i work in the action packed ad industry where there's never a dull moment. you work your butt off and then you work your butt off and then you party your butt off and then you work your butt off some more. and before you know it, you are 29, single, and wondering where your life is heading.

but i love my work right now - have just moved from a huge agency to a start - up in the online & wireless planning space. and it's exhilarating. winning new business, facing the downside, stratgesing, and yes, having fun. that's what work should be like, shouldn't it?

as for the title of this page, no, that's not my alter-ego! just the title of a cavin & hobbes comic book. i thought it had a nice ring to it!