Misty Mountains and Gaonwalon
4 PM on a friday and 4 more holidays to go!
Bangkok or Leh or Mussorie? Well, it was not to be so.
To the wily beguiles of the pretty Naini we fell prey
In mosquito infested Gurgaon we agreed to call it a day.
“Gaonwalon” – we met each other on that fateful day
A memorable encounter on the delhi moradabad highway
The onward journey was peaceful – our “Lord of Fort” said so
Traversing from Pothole 1 to Pothole 2 at Gajraula
I say Chaps!! I don’t think so.
Rampur was invaded without any mishap & thankfully no more potholes too
We did not stop to collect the famous Rampuri knife & quickly passed GO.
Tucked in a simple sumptuous feast at Haldwani
Aage suno hamari kahani.
To see the pretty dainty Naini we set off in earnest;
Knapsacks were quickly dumped in our temporary nest.
To circumnavigate Naini, we city slickers decided
Attempts to stop us by the jealous Misty Marauder (who loved Naini) were thwarted.
We saw them come together & dance
And we Gaonwalon – we enjoyed this very special chance.
Next day we left early to meet the Taals of Naukuchia & Bheem
The Land lubbers tried rowing till their muscles screamed.
At Pandegaon we set off for a hike
Instead of a hiring a cab every Gaonwalon wished we had hired a bike!
The quaint Ranikhet we visited for a brief sojourn
then Gaonwalon, we bid adieu to India’s Lake District with a sad moan.
Naini & her Misty Marauder came to wave goodbye
And Gaonwalon, weren’t we glad we had stopped by?!
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Saturday, January 21, 2006
Monsoon '98 - Lucknow
“Poor Rain”, the Met Office, announced.
Farmers tut-tutted and frowned.
Summer was hot intense and dry.
For water the land seemed to cry.
Monsoon ’98 came in torrents;
Washed away Met Office’s ominous comments.
The downpour endlessly continued
People everywhere sat subdued.
Most rivers were in spate;Flood victims bemoaned their fate.
Vehicles were stranded on roads
Our house was invaded by water, earthworms and toads
Life was by and large disrupted
Communication channels were interrupted.
In the Hills, they were landslides galore;
This raised quite a furor
My trip to Doon was cut short by the rain
Which deceptively washed away the track for the train.
Out of homes few ventured outside
While inch by damp inch water seeped inside
I was fated to get wet whether I went out or stayed in.
Unmercifully continued the loud din on roofs of tin
Wading in water knee deep,
I make a promise I plan to keep.
When the monsoons come next year,
Of getting wet, I won’t fear.
’Cause I ’ll be visiting the sands of TharWhere monsoon squalls seldom show their power.
“Poor Rain”, the Met Office, announced.
Farmers tut-tutted and frowned.
Summer was hot intense and dry.
For water the land seemed to cry.
Monsoon ’98 came in torrents;
Washed away Met Office’s ominous comments.
The downpour endlessly continued
People everywhere sat subdued.
Most rivers were in spate;Flood victims bemoaned their fate.
Vehicles were stranded on roads
Our house was invaded by water, earthworms and toads
Life was by and large disrupted
Communication channels were interrupted.
In the Hills, they were landslides galore;
This raised quite a furor
My trip to Doon was cut short by the rain
Which deceptively washed away the track for the train.
Out of homes few ventured outside
While inch by damp inch water seeped inside
I was fated to get wet whether I went out or stayed in.
Unmercifully continued the loud din on roofs of tin
Wading in water knee deep,
I make a promise I plan to keep.
When the monsoons come next year,
Of getting wet, I won’t fear.
’Cause I ’ll be visiting the sands of TharWhere monsoon squalls seldom show their power.
Monday, January 16, 2006
60 saal ke buddhe ya 60 saal ke jawan
It was New Years Eve & most people were getting ready to welcome 2005. My colleagues & I were slogging away in the office till 7 PM in our Kolkata office. We came home by 8 and by 10:30 PM we had dropped off to sleep. We were woken up around 1:30 AM when our Landlords came back from their New Year bash.
Our landlord is a retired Calcutta High Court judge & his wife had retired as a college lecturer. The elderly couples are all in their late 70s & celebrate each New Year with their classmates!! Whether outside India or any location in India each year they would all get together, have a potluck dinner & party the New Year in.
Did you ever get the feeling that despite having no TV/radio/cable your grandparents generation may have had the last laugh? They got the unique opportunity to fight for the country’s independence, chart the future for the country and still have time to play, party & have fun. With our jet setting lifestyle, long working hours sometimes I feel that life is sadly passing us by. Never before had I felt that these few lines of a poem I learnt in the fourth grade were more applicable to me:
What is this life, so full of care?
We have no time to stand and stare
It was New Years Eve & most people were getting ready to welcome 2005. My colleagues & I were slogging away in the office till 7 PM in our Kolkata office. We came home by 8 and by 10:30 PM we had dropped off to sleep. We were woken up around 1:30 AM when our Landlords came back from their New Year bash.
Our landlord is a retired Calcutta High Court judge & his wife had retired as a college lecturer. The elderly couples are all in their late 70s & celebrate each New Year with their classmates!! Whether outside India or any location in India each year they would all get together, have a potluck dinner & party the New Year in.
Did you ever get the feeling that despite having no TV/radio/cable your grandparents generation may have had the last laugh? They got the unique opportunity to fight for the country’s independence, chart the future for the country and still have time to play, party & have fun. With our jet setting lifestyle, long working hours sometimes I feel that life is sadly passing us by. Never before had I felt that these few lines of a poem I learnt in the fourth grade were more applicable to me:
What is this life, so full of care?
We have no time to stand and stare
When I Fell in Love
I was carrying a pile of books that day,
Couldn’t see those steps in my way.
I fell. Books and all;
At the feet of a gorgeous stranger standing tall.
Mumbling my apologies I picked up my books
My poor frazzled nerves on tenterhooks.
Feeling foolish I dumped my load in the library
Rushed to my Chemistry class in the laboratory.
Concentrating on my experiment I failed to see,
That gorgeous stranger-standing-tall approaching me
I looked up & the world stood still.
Beckoned & I moved without a will.
Noticed an Identity card
Tried unsuccessfully to read.
On closer inspection read “PRINCIPAL”
And sank ten feet deep!!!
I was carrying a pile of books that day,
Couldn’t see those steps in my way.
I fell. Books and all;
At the feet of a gorgeous stranger standing tall.
Mumbling my apologies I picked up my books
My poor frazzled nerves on tenterhooks.
Feeling foolish I dumped my load in the library
Rushed to my Chemistry class in the laboratory.
Concentrating on my experiment I failed to see,
That gorgeous stranger-standing-tall approaching me
I looked up & the world stood still.
Beckoned & I moved without a will.
Noticed an Identity card
Tried unsuccessfully to read.
On closer inspection read “PRINCIPAL”
And sank ten feet deep!!!
When Algebra Ran Off with Geometry
Today Algebra ran off with Geometry
While we in class, were studying trigonometry.
BODMAS was called to solve this deep mystery.
Circles and Triangles discussed this strange affinity.
Their chances of taking the most probable route,
We did mange to permute.
In order to trap them we did combine,
For they were moving in a simple straight line
With the help of Infinity & Naught,
Those two lovebirds were soon caught.
Multiplication demanded a compound interest;
Subtraction refused this request.
Soon chaos reigned supreme;
Calculus had pleasure at the success of his scheme.
Mr Mathematical Induction was called to end the feud;
For he had been known to be very shrewd.
But Alas! It came to be disclosed,
For the same reason he too had been indisposed.
Today Algebra ran off with Geometry
While we in class, were studying trigonometry.
BODMAS was called to solve this deep mystery.
Circles and Triangles discussed this strange affinity.
Their chances of taking the most probable route,
We did mange to permute.
In order to trap them we did combine,
For they were moving in a simple straight line
With the help of Infinity & Naught,
Those two lovebirds were soon caught.
Multiplication demanded a compound interest;
Subtraction refused this request.
Soon chaos reigned supreme;
Calculus had pleasure at the success of his scheme.
Mr Mathematical Induction was called to end the feud;
For he had been known to be very shrewd.
But Alas! It came to be disclosed,
For the same reason he too had been indisposed.
Anchors away…
When it comes to singing, dancing, swimming I am the black sheep of my family. I would probably drown in 4 feet of god old H2O. Despite that my overworked Guardian Angel & Lady Luck have had their hands full as I have had the unique opportunity to row, sail, raft, paddle boat & motor boat!!
For a non-swimmer the chlorinated waters of the shallow end of a swimming pool are as intimidating as the vast expanse of an ocean. It does not help when wee babes emitting high-pitched shrieks jump in & out fearlessly, effortlessly & (with much envy I confess) enthusiastically. As a child I was forever cajoled, bribed or dragged (not necessarily in that order) to take up swimming. All I ended up achieving was six-sigma certification in the technique of how not to swim.
But as they say fools rush in where angels fear to tread so there I was a lean gangly newly myopic teenager all set for a 15-day camp for sailing. It was the summer of 1992, when I had the wonderful chance to take up sailing. It’s been an unwritten law in our family to take summer vacations in Delhi, Bhatinda, Ferozpur, Lucknow, Bareily.
So there I was in Bhatinda taking part in the sailing camp organized by some officers who had been part of the Trishna expedition (for the uninformed the Trishna was an all round the world sailing expedition organized by the Indian Army). The Generation Previous felt that they had to shield us from the new invasion of Cable TV & more importantly MTV. Well they succeeded in a way. We were kept so busy by the morning & evening sessions that we barely had energy or the inclination to while away the time watching the idiot box.
Day 1 we were apprised about the jargon used in sailing, the rules for safety, interpretation of flags, buoys & kinds of boats. I was more focused on how to wear the life jacket & my true learning for that day was to differentiate between port & starboard.
Legend has that once a great naval captain retired & his crew was eager to see the contents of his log box, which he had carried with him always. He had stated that in event of emergency that box had to be rescued at all costs. On opening the log box they found a piece of paper on which the great man had scribbled: Port-Left, Starboard –Right.
Subsequently we learnt how to man the jib sail and the main sail, row, and operate the paddleboat and motorboat. I realized then that I was a speed fiend (I am unable to ride even a bicycle). My instructors felt that in the interest of all mankind I should not be allowed to operate the motorboat. To think today I would have been the equivalent of Narain Karthikeyan (at least in motorboat racing).
If paddle boating was fun & not to exhausting rowing was the exact opposite. It made me realize that I had some very irate muscles after the deed was done. The God of Wind had deserted us; leaving us stuck in the middle of the lake and we had no option but to take up the paddle and row. Despite my first few attempts the boat did not budge an inch.
Row harder or else you will be stuck here all alone for always came the curt order. My instructor who knew how to swim told me he would leave me stranded in the boat. I am sure he had probably never heard of Maslow or McClelland but his motivation technique did get me moving or rather rowing. Finally after an exhausting excruciating forty-five minutes we did manage to get back to the jetty. I was dead tired & could not feel anything in my shoulders (the muscles were so stiff) but I felt 10 feet tall.
Sailing is an excellent example of how we can approach life. Head out the boat not in to the wind instead gently maneuver it so that the breeze pushes you ahead instead of toppling you. Simply put it’s viewing an obstacle not negatively but as an opportunity. Tack in time or change according the direction of the favourable wind & move on. Change is inevitable but change for the better is what will make us grow. Sailing teaches you to rely on your instincts, helps you to work in coordination with you fellow crewmember & adjust to an external change agent (the wind) which is completely out of your control.
Hey all the gyan aside, most importantly sailing is fun. You are still reading?? Go sail! Have fun.
When it comes to singing, dancing, swimming I am the black sheep of my family. I would probably drown in 4 feet of god old H2O. Despite that my overworked Guardian Angel & Lady Luck have had their hands full as I have had the unique opportunity to row, sail, raft, paddle boat & motor boat!!
For a non-swimmer the chlorinated waters of the shallow end of a swimming pool are as intimidating as the vast expanse of an ocean. It does not help when wee babes emitting high-pitched shrieks jump in & out fearlessly, effortlessly & (with much envy I confess) enthusiastically. As a child I was forever cajoled, bribed or dragged (not necessarily in that order) to take up swimming. All I ended up achieving was six-sigma certification in the technique of how not to swim.
But as they say fools rush in where angels fear to tread so there I was a lean gangly newly myopic teenager all set for a 15-day camp for sailing. It was the summer of 1992, when I had the wonderful chance to take up sailing. It’s been an unwritten law in our family to take summer vacations in Delhi, Bhatinda, Ferozpur, Lucknow, Bareily.
So there I was in Bhatinda taking part in the sailing camp organized by some officers who had been part of the Trishna expedition (for the uninformed the Trishna was an all round the world sailing expedition organized by the Indian Army). The Generation Previous felt that they had to shield us from the new invasion of Cable TV & more importantly MTV. Well they succeeded in a way. We were kept so busy by the morning & evening sessions that we barely had energy or the inclination to while away the time watching the idiot box.
Day 1 we were apprised about the jargon used in sailing, the rules for safety, interpretation of flags, buoys & kinds of boats. I was more focused on how to wear the life jacket & my true learning for that day was to differentiate between port & starboard.
Legend has that once a great naval captain retired & his crew was eager to see the contents of his log box, which he had carried with him always. He had stated that in event of emergency that box had to be rescued at all costs. On opening the log box they found a piece of paper on which the great man had scribbled: Port-Left, Starboard –Right.
Subsequently we learnt how to man the jib sail and the main sail, row, and operate the paddleboat and motorboat. I realized then that I was a speed fiend (I am unable to ride even a bicycle). My instructors felt that in the interest of all mankind I should not be allowed to operate the motorboat. To think today I would have been the equivalent of Narain Karthikeyan (at least in motorboat racing).
If paddle boating was fun & not to exhausting rowing was the exact opposite. It made me realize that I had some very irate muscles after the deed was done. The God of Wind had deserted us; leaving us stuck in the middle of the lake and we had no option but to take up the paddle and row. Despite my first few attempts the boat did not budge an inch.
Row harder or else you will be stuck here all alone for always came the curt order. My instructor who knew how to swim told me he would leave me stranded in the boat. I am sure he had probably never heard of Maslow or McClelland but his motivation technique did get me moving or rather rowing. Finally after an exhausting excruciating forty-five minutes we did manage to get back to the jetty. I was dead tired & could not feel anything in my shoulders (the muscles were so stiff) but I felt 10 feet tall.
Sailing is an excellent example of how we can approach life. Head out the boat not in to the wind instead gently maneuver it so that the breeze pushes you ahead instead of toppling you. Simply put it’s viewing an obstacle not negatively but as an opportunity. Tack in time or change according the direction of the favourable wind & move on. Change is inevitable but change for the better is what will make us grow. Sailing teaches you to rely on your instincts, helps you to work in coordination with you fellow crewmember & adjust to an external change agent (the wind) which is completely out of your control.
Hey all the gyan aside, most importantly sailing is fun. You are still reading?? Go sail! Have fun.
- From beavers bees should learn to mend their ways. A bee just works, a beaver works & plays!!
- What matters in life are not the cards you hold in your hand but how you play them
- Life is the art of drawing without an eraser
- When you reach for the stars you may not quite get one but you never come up with a handful of mud either
- Yeh jeena bhi koi jeena hai lallu?
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