Bendtherulz

Odd one out...

2011-04-02T05:23:00.000-07:00

........ when the entire nation seems to be crazy , and glued in front of TV.....watching cricket !!

Definitely feeling odd one out.... !!

I am working ......

2010-01-07T22:35:00.000-08:00

....................... on a dream, though sometime it feels so far away.
I am working on a dream, and I know it will be mine someday ....!!!
(Song by-Bruce Springsteen)

It's MAD world .......

2009-10-17T09:34:00.000-07:00

.
.
.
out there burning crackers......

Thanks God ........... 6

2009-04-03T01:21:00.000-07:00

.....for the friends and friendship !!!

*** I think I can't thank God enough for the wonderful friends I have in my life....,while roaming around a local fair, I saw these young guys and enjoying light hearted banter between them...I dont have a huge group of friends, just few -but meeting them, talking to them and bonding with them is sacred !!
I wish all - loads of friends and much bonding always ~~

Thank God ........5

2008-11-14T05:09:00.000-08:00

Pic taken in Mumbai !!!
........ for the wishes which can fly.....!!
*** I have been going through a phase of life, where I have just been busy and so much is happening that travelling (which I love the most) was put on hold....!! But thank god for this mind...which takes you to such numerous travels.
Finally, when I am starting my travel part with my friends ...again... this flying elephant comes handy in depicting my frame of mind :)
Wishing a great weekend to all of us ~~

Thank God........4

2008-06-20T05:05:00.000-07:00

for the connection/bonding.
** We travel ,we move , we meet and we connect with people, places, animals , birds...nature........and so on...!So happy weekend and happy connecting.

On all time High !!

2008-06-19T05:22:00.000-07:00

Life is rolling and its on all time HIGH :))

** Got to photograph a "Lifestyle Home store"....and hope to see my pics on page 3..... :) ,everybody in office is pulling my leg and there is just a general happiness floating around.

** Before I landed this "plum" unpaid assignment -I also made this startling discovery that- I can cut 1000 stems of tuberoses and fill them in partybucket ( 20 min flat) ....lol....or move furniture which is back breaking ...phew....but good ... ..... !~! And lastly I think under stress -performance is excellent ;)

Cheers !!!

Thank God.......3

2008-06-13T03:32:00.000-07:00

(Pic taken at Golden Temple -Amritsar)
For Faith......!!
** There has been times, when I have wandered aimlessly,trying to figure out and not able to. However I knew that things will work out . It has to. And actually it happened.
Faith is the bird that feels the light when the dawn is still dark.--Rabindranath Tagore

Thank God......2

2008-06-06T05:54:00.000-07:00

......for Roses...... ( all colors.....my fav is Pink)

** For a long time I ignored this flower......( as I never got it.....!!!!) anyways...I am now appreciating this flower. Though have to admit Merisi Roses are much beautiful then mine...*hrmmmmp*.... !!

Thank God......... 1

2008-05-30T07:17:00.000-07:00

For lovely sunsets in mountains .......!

How often you and I
Had tired the sun with talking
and sent him down the sky
(WJ Cory)

Up in hills....finally !!

2008-05-27T06:32:00.000-07:00

* Finally I made the trip to Mukteswar (where else but my second home- I always say -मुल्ला की दोड मस्जिद तक और मेरी मुक्ति तक ) this past weekend and it was such a relief to see the extended family and hug them and get loads of love and care in return. I feel quite rejuvenated and posting my fav pic from this trip.
Lets catch the golden pot at the end of rainbow..... :)..... Mountain Goat said ... and I said - hmmm ...let Pagan come as well and in November all of us can go in search of same !!!

May Peace Prevails in Pink City !!!

2008-05-14T05:10:00.000-07:00

*** I just cant come to the terms that somebody would try to harm this heritage city !! Its so beautiful and friendly .......!!!!!

** My offerings to all those who have got hurt.

*** Till midnight we were trying to call all our contacts ( we have huge contact base due to our work) and trying to check if they and theirs were all ok. We were fortunate to get reassuring news. And our hearts went for those who were not that fortunate.

*** Thanks "Lil Indian" for your concern- I am ok ( bit in shock though). This week I was not scheduled to go to Jaipur. Thx Again.

Jodhpur -The Blue City

2008-04-22T05:50:00.001-07:00

*** I had less then 6 hrs and my sis had extracted the promise that I will take them out to show the Fort of jodhpur and some part of city. So our first stop was Mehrangadh - I find this fort very imposing. May be because of its entrance.

*** When you enter the gates - there is a Royal welcome. People are not camera shy and would pose very eagerly and oblige you.

*** I made my sister climb stairs and pose in this Jharokha. Later she gave me a hug as it brought memories of when our father use to take pics of mom ( our family album is full of images where my mom would be either standing next to huge doorways/arches or these carved windows)

Though I am still trying to figure why its called as Bengal arch ??

*** No guesses - Right !! That's why Jodhpur is called as Blue City !!!

Fat Indian wedding

2008-04-21T06:22:00.000-07:00

*** Bride with her garland

** Reality bites !!

Travelling this time caused havoc with my life.So much happening and all the weekend just going away trying to time manage !! So from attending one cuz's wedding , and arranging their holiday stay and then to take out my sis and her husband dear for a day trip to Jodhpur. Later in March extended family from france visiting India and they wanted to see Agra/ Jaipur and Delhi....so there we go again. Then other friend circle from Spain wanted to see "Festival of Colors - Holi in India followed by Agra and Delhi trip !! So there I go again.

3rd time even Agra 's Taj Mahal had few chosen words to say when I entered the premises again with my clients inApril - I think I am ODied on Taj Mahal :))

Hope to update sooner then soon -Aameen !!

Bird Life @ Corbett

2008-02-28T03:12:00.000-08:00

** Shrike ( Thanks Arun for providing the info )

** Serpant Eagle

** Pheasant

- Well as I mentioned in my previous post that we never got any Tigers...so birdies for me and you..... :))

Fools Rush In..............

2008-02-13T23:35:00.000-08:00

** Another Happy Day !! And I am waiting so patiently for my dream partner to come along ;-) I know in this anonymous world and so many crusaders those who want to keep their identity as secret -may be posting my pic so openly might invite "Invitations Galore".....however when I have said NO to any situation.....!!
** Rulz Bender awaits patiently .... :))) with these words ~~
Flowers every night
Blossom in the sky;
Peace in the Infinite;
At peace am I.
Sighs a hundredfold
From my heart arise;
My heart, dark and cold,
Flames with my sighs.
(Rumi -The Mystic)
(ps - Hey swtheart thanks so much for this brilliant pose, i knew that you could see a kindered soul in me- I hope i didn't hurt your eyes too much -sometime when i pose that long it hurts - I am sorry and muwaaaah.....!)

Oh Dear ....No Tiger :(

2008-02-13T02:51:00.000-08:00

** Yup no Tiger/s for us...so many chases in the wild...yielded just the pugmarks :)) -if nothing else we all learnt how to make those pugmarks !!!However we saw a tuskers trunk.....lol (what an achievement!!)Well I have to admit bird life was amazing. With almost 400 species out there (that's what the brochure said) I manage to see only ...hmmmm 5....6...ok 7...!!

Hope to post those as well .....one day !!

Corbett - weekend hideaway

2007-12-17T05:30:00.000-08:00

* Dhikala is quite popular with more people opting, we stayed at Jhirna inside the forest.

* One of my fav moment in Forest - waiting for the Dawn to break.

* You can see our friends in open jeep safari.

* Shhhh...can you hear the whispering trees....!!!

More to come.....!

VOF -III

2007-11-19T22:30:00.000-08:00

* Marsh marigold

*Famour Himalayan blue poppy

* VOF -has the most wonderous wild flora. However I recall when I first visited this place - I thought I will be seeing Roses and what not....not these small florals some of them were as small as 1/2 cm :-)

** Thanks to all for your comments. I am just too swamped. Hope to post one more post on VOF......very soon !!

VOF - I

2007-10-10T06:51:00.000-07:00

* These friends were swaying way too much..... ( I think they were delirious to get our company ) ... * sigh* - delusions.....!!!

* These flowers were everywhere.....!

* They were so much in profusion that it was not possible to take a step and not crush some of the flowers... :-((

* A nymph...?? walks through....the valley....!

***** Thanks so much for your lovely comments friends and showing interest in pics of VOF....Enjoy !!!

Valley of Flowers

2007-09-21T04:20:00.000-07:00

We loved reading this notice and making more plans....

The memory of this pristine Paradiso still lingers.....! Entering this protected region - looking at the endless meadows filled with all these wild flowers - this visit was worth it...all my short breath, burning pain in calves....hunger, thirst ,cold - worth every efforts to be able to see VOF in this lifetime !!

Special Guest

2007-09-01T05:36:00.000-07:00

* If your team has lost a game so beside standing on the side and cheering other team - this is another way to kill time. Quite pleasurable ...ehan....!!

* I was told that this butterfly is " SPECIAL guest" @ Holmes Farms -Ranikhet :)

* No I am not in hiding, am well ( & pleasantly tired) just too much travelling these days. Been to Ranikhet then to Valley of Flowers up in mountains ( Yippie...done it done it !!) . Now again packing my bags ........!

Hope to be back with all of you soon & catch up.....!!

Stay well ...!

Nostalgia

2007-07-28T06:13:00.000-07:00

Kuch nayee manjeelon ki talash mein nikalna hai.....lekin yeah Dil Mange More..... :)

Off to Ranikhet for this long weekend !!

Pics around Mukti

2007-07-28T05:53:00.000-07:00

* Let me enter please !!

* हम किस गली जा रहे हैं ........!

* If you wait for another 5 min you get a pic devoid of human angle... (yikes...)

Last in series from my Mukteshwar trip.

So...what's next......nothing counting days....till 18th August !!

My first ever Butterfly series

2007-07-20T09:31:00.000-07:00

* This pic is my fav ***

My first ever butterfly pics, and I am quite happy , generally when I get closer to take these momentous pics - I get blobs/ out of focus... yikes :(

And this is the time for that "Old song" एक तितली अनेक तितलियाँ ...clap clap !!

Have a nice weekend !!

Roses for Merisi

2007-07-19T01:02:00.000-07:00

Not hiding , just picking some fragrant roses for you......( what !! You don't believe me... and I can see you rolling your eyes :-)

Too many things happening - am not complaining.....! Lots of stuff which I can share on blog later....( History walks and lectures on Buddhism and temple architecture, sushi cooking classes...off beat movies....and what not....lol.. and planning for next trek.

Hope you will like the flowers Merisi :)

ps - I still have to send you that song from India....

Don't Jump..... :-)

2007-07-09T06:59:00.000-07:00

what are you seeking lovely lady ... :-)

Walk

2007-06-25T08:15:00.000-07:00

* Some etching ...hmmm ( May be I can take on this job - I love aroma of pine ...lol)

* Twist in a tale....??

We took this walk in the woods ( it was approx 2 n 1/2 hr walk - down hill ) you just see taller then the sky trees....I just love these walks...you just find such surprise stuff - a shade of green , which you don't get in bottle for your painting..yikes... or some etching ......and more......to come....!!

Back up plan :-)

2007-06-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

* My back up plan.....( the day I get disenchanted....I call up my friend MountainGoat and ask for a job)

Its a very cool job - all you need to do is drop one seed/ grain at a time in the neat rows - and thats it - and you earn cool money. Rest of the time is all yours :-)

As per my friend - he gets approx 10 resume ( prospective people looking for job on his orchard) , 20 or so partnership offers and few more other similar type of offers......

That gave me super idea - he can give me all that information and I can start my data base company....lol....my friend ran away...... :)

Destination - Mukteshwar , Uttranchal

2007-06-21T08:32:00.000-07:00

* This time of the year - Mountains get lots of rains. You can see clouds hanging and floating....the scene is magical ....

* I like to stay in the cottage, reason if you look directly down from cottage - there is a small school . I see the entire proceeding of kids coming in using different mode of transport - some come walking/ some get dropped in a van or jeep...etc....and then they sing hymns/ prayers -all this makes me so nostalgic......

* View from the cottage ~

Moody Blues

2007-06-18T08:33:00.000-07:00

Back and already regretting and in denial mode... :(

Secondly, learnt how to sleep with eyes wide open....rofl.... :-)

My personal fav pics :-)

2007-06-07T08:42:00.000-07:00

* Blending with background :)

* Arch View ...rofl .... :-)

* Walking the ramp.... oh la la....!

Ending the series of heritage walk with these pics... ROFL.... thanks everyone for all your appreciation - shukraan !!

Finally - I am heading towards Himalaya for long weekend.....so all geared up (yippie...)! Hope all of you stay well and 'njoy your weekend !!

Some more pics

2007-06-07T08:34:00.000-07:00

* Close up of Qutab Minar!

* View of Minaret as seen through the arch of Dilkusha outer podium!

* Carving !!

Kamali ....???

2007-06-05T04:53:00.000-07:00

* Kamali - considering that city hosted the Nigah Queer fest( www.thequeerfest.com) last week - it seems strange coincidence that I am talking about Kamali. Not much has been written about this person and so much is shrouded in mystery. Some say that he was disciple of Jamali , other believe that he was brother.
Some also believe that he was partner of Jamali. Its not an unlikely assumption , Kamali's cenotaph side by side with Jamali - little bit lower platform and not centrally located though, confirms that K played a major part in life of J to get that type of notice.

I think its all about perspective and freedom of choice.

* This one for Lord Metcalfe - he was the first entrepreneur - who loved the Islamic buildings that he made his country residence from a "Tomb" which was originally made for Quli Khan ( Mughal Emperor Akbar's foster brother) and was also called as Dilkusha. Now seeing such beautiful building as residence - people must have started to invite themselves to such splendor - which might have not suited to Lord M - so he got the idea to build a Guesthouse and charge people.....now that I would call serious biz skills.....btw - this guesthouse also had the private pool as well.....!! Talk about Top class service provider.... :-)

* Lastly for Lord Loony ( sorry guys not sure of his full name will update later) and just in case you are sceptics that I am making this up - he was called as "Loony Saheb" - Talk about living life flamboyantly - Loony Saheb use to love walking wearing a very long Mughal robe ( as befits the emperor - with all the diamonds and jewels hanging....!!) and slaves would be bearing the hem of the robe....! Yeah Dilli ki galiyaan....!

And he had 13 Indian wives ( Rolling my eyes...)

PS - My companion commented that " oh how much I would love to be born in that era.....I said sure.....why ?? just to pluck those jewels..... :-)

Jamali Kamali complex

2007-06-01T02:24:00.000-07:00

This is the wall surrounding the Tomb of Jamali. In the first pic you can see the cenotaphs and beyond that...Qutab Minar....! One is not allowed to take the pics inside the Jamali tomb - however it was beautiful with persian art - inlay work and mirror inlay.

More later and Have a fun weekend...to all of you !!

Tk care and peace always ~

Jamali Kamali

2007-05-29T06:12:00.000-07:00

- This small arch with mantle apparently was used as a lighthouse , since this place is in the middle of nowhere , used as a place for prayer this high lamp post would have been an indicator during the night. On the main arch you can see the lotus buds - confluence of cultures.

This illusionary wall - another amazing pc of work of Early islamic architecture. Quoran verses are inscribed on the walls.

This mosque was built in 1528 - Court poet Jalal Khan was initiated into sufism by Shaikh Samauddin - and the story goes that - his teacher suggested that Jalali which was his pen name (which means - awe inspiring) if you change the word "Al" to "M" ( Jamali) - the word takes on a new meaning as ( Love Inspiring/loveable).

So who was Kamali ??? Later.......!!

The perfect dome !!

2007-05-28T03:29:00.000-07:00

Well almost perfect dome - in 1528 the mosque & tomb of Jamali Kamali's was built. And this shows the top portion where they were able to support the dome by adding extra quinches. If you see in between the top side arch and centre one there is an extra bar.

However with these mathematical quinches add ons( 8 /16/32) gave the shape of domes as ONION Tops.They were not perfectly round.

Building tombs - generally when we rest a body for final peace - they should have the open sky facing them, so why the tombs were built ?

Everyone gets succumbed to that feeling of " How to get to the level of Immortal stage" - architecture is one such way to inspire awe . However closed confines of a building would have meant going against the teachings of religion. So if you stand inside the tomb and see upwards -you do get the sense of vastness. Then they use to have star and moon crecent carved so it was like facing the open sky.

And last trivia - most of the tombs were started before their actual death... so basically these rulers were seeing their grave site being dug in front of them.... ( whow- at this my jaw dropped...) and on serious note - if some overzealous fan comes and tell you that he would like to build " Taj Mahal" for you - do not feel flattered :-)

Era of Sultan Balban

2007-05-23T06:56:00.000-07:00

Arches opening on all 4 side - leads to the ruins of Balban's Tomb.

Standing tall since 13th century - tomb of Sultan Balban

Thanks to INTACH Delhi Chapter ( The Indian National Trust for Arts and Cultural Heritage) - they organize these walks. Our leader was young enthusiast who loves to talk , and very categorically told us that this walk could become bit long........( How long.....??)

I really liked the way she explained on various aspect ( least on dates, I mean we got the century placed correct and thats it) However small things which she narrated in story mannerism was fun.

Like in this case what we know about the Sultan Balban was that he was quite stoic/ austere & frugal Moslem ruler. However some of the features on his tomb were so much in opposition to what has been believed about this ruler. Like the usage of red sandstone which would have costed him a lot and then the feature of tile work( quite frivolous....lol) ( which was less then 1/2' - poor guy people dissecting that as well)

Why this tomb lies in ruins - apparently the walls were not able to support the heavy stone work while making the dome on top of tomb.

Lil steps in past....

2007-05-22T03:33:00.000-07:00

Sometime we take so much for granted. Like living in a city which if all stories to be believed - was establised and restructured (amidst all the blood bath which ensued) 9 times....! You walk pass by certain monument every day ,not realizing that you are seeing a part of history passing by....!

So finally I took this walk in past starting from 12-13th century......

First fortification in Delhi
Early settlements of Rajputs ( warrior clan) or you can say last of them.
Arrival of Moslem rulers
And then British...!!

More to come.....!

Happy weekend

2007-05-18T07:21:00.000-07:00

This was my expression ( scowling) when I saw the money grabber trying to push the pup.

I am ok now and can laugh ( on the scenario) gosh this guy was shoving the pup really hard and when I scolded him he started patting ....and really trying to show as if he really cares. What a crackpot !! Though ,I don't blame him - I am sure it would be sort of beyond him why we are showering so much love / care and attention on street animal.

Lil one ( Ganu) is kk - I took him to vet and he said its normal for pups to puke ( like coliky maybe?) - when I shared the incident with Shiks she asked me what is pup doing - and I said he has dozed off...and she says -" Bandar" ( as in monkey)....lol...!

Thanks to all of you dear friends for cheering for lil pups. Will be posting on their updates soon next week.

Have a nice weekend ~

Cheers !!!

Lil' bundle of Joy

2007-05-16T07:54:00.000-07:00

Happy n Healthy ...thank GOD !

Baby what you are trying to do with Shiks hand...

This one is real naugthy ...right now playing.......

* x0x0.....

Dreaming away... :)

* These lil' babies are 27 days old. 6 in number - except two ( they are also recovering - finallyVet has declared them out of danger - Thank God !!) rest all 4 are really growing well and are looking so cute.....!

* So these days these are our new found love....lol..

* We have to find them home , new names...so lots of work....its worth it...every single minute spent with them & taking care of their need....!

Going Home

2007-05-11T09:05:00.000-07:00

* Clouds are hanging ...

* Need conveyance to run .....to home.....!

* Thank God....lets row...quickly.....!

- Very unexpected showers in our part of world...yesterday and today - we got thunder/ heavy rain.....hail.... (???)

- We became proud parents - my inclusion was recent......so will be doing whole story on my kids...! They are adorable.

Just send lil prayers please - as they are right now struggling for their survival. Thanks.

Have a happy weekend .....!

Why do I seek Bouquet ?? I can have branches full of flowers greeeting me every morning !!

2007-05-09T05:45:00.000-07:00

Pic taken from the balcony of our flat !!

On separate note -Soul searching and some conclusions -

I can be sarcastic ....( @ very unexpected places....)

I can be rude as well...( and ignorant of the fact as well....!!!)

I look very foolish when I realize those 2 above points......yikes...!

Fly away...birdie !!

2007-05-09T05:37:00.000-07:00

They were going home and I was also suppose to take the flight back home.......only difference I was on my own.

Sun going down

2007-05-07T07:37:00.000-07:00

This time of the day - some how....................................................not enough words ...........!!

A different life...

2007-05-02T04:42:00.000-07:00

- Church

- Loved the blue house tucked amidst all that greens!

- Well... we lost however the spirit has not died.....sport field is in between 2 lake tributary...which made me think what if your ball gets dropped into water....???

- House Boats ( All pics taken in Alleppy backwaters)

* This was different life and another lifetime....!

Reflection

2007-05-01T06:52:00.000-07:00

This was taken in Alleppy - Kerala , traditionally the boats resemble the ones in current pic. However ours was covered , had an airconditioner , 3 rooms/ one dining hall and a TV ...& was partly powered as well Whow talk of time change...and luxuries. I tried my hand on navigating the boat, however seeing the guy using a long oar.... and steering the boat...amazing...and for me oooff...nah...not possible ...something best to leave to experts !!

Tring Tring :-)))

2007-04-27T01:12:00.000-07:00

Pic taken @ Marrariculum - Kerala

* Our city is turning to be more friendly for bike riders and pedestrians ( keeping my fingers crossed), Govt is planning to make some more corridors & tracks around the city route and this would reduce the pollution, crazy driving, honking....and I am all for it. The day it happens I will actively take up my bike rides ( upto office...cheers !!)
* Thats one aspect of my childhood which I miss, till college I use to do biking like MAD. We came to city and frankly scant regard for pedestrians and bikers put me off this sport - relegating me to couch and watch "Tour de France" and cheering for Lance Armstrong. ( Not that I mind watching...however I like doing stuff on my own as well...)

And it was fun cycling in Kerala and seeing a different lifestyle , see villages and meet people....( look for a shop which would sell Banana chips and fresh Toddy...he he he ...)

Dare Devils...

2007-04-24T05:33:00.000-07:00

- We jumped into river from 50ft high cliff.....

- We climbed the cliff and rappel down....( and yeah descent is not always very smooth & stylish, you might end up hanging in mid air trying to get your position righted.....lol....we took some cruel pics....lol...)

- I slipped while climbing the waterfall ( boulder was too slippery)

- Power Game

- Oh oh...somebody needs to figure the right direction ( Kayaking)

These were the sports which we enjoyed in Rishikesh. ( Atleast the mentionable ones....lol...)

Kewl Kitty...

2007-04-16T01:19:00.000-07:00

I found a friend in this Kitty - her name is China ( pronounciation was like cheeena...) we fed her scrambled eggs and milk...I think she will miss us ! Though our hostess said we spoilt her dog and cat by giving so much attention.

Dog's name is " Masti" - Joi de vi-vre ( I am not kidding that would be translation...lol...)

( You can see the Ganges flowing in the background..)

Say it with flowers....!!

2007-04-11T05:58:00.000-07:00

Back and came to earth with thud....still I was smiling on Monday on pleasant memories and all the good fun we had. ( I think all of us were looking silly with grins stretching ear to ear :-)

More pics to come.... and very small recounting...!

Looooooong weekend.... :-)

2007-04-05T09:25:00.000-07:00

Breaking for long weekend "Chutti" ( Holiday) - Its Good Friday !! And after that no chutti for next few months...so looking forward to some unadulterated fun....this weekend!!

Me and my friends we are heading to Shivpuri ( Rishikesh) to flex our muscles...on the oars...and fight our way through River Ganges !!

Yup - White water rafting !!

Will share the pics...once I am back !!

Till then stay well and tk care ~

(photo courtsey - Wikipedia....again taking loan...till I get my own pics...lol...)

123.5x 2

2007-04-05T07:12:00.000-07:00

It was double whammy - just kidding... Tagged by 2 people this time...Observer & Cuckoo.

- If you want to know what this tag is all about - please refer to Observer & Cuckoo's pages and refer to the FAQ's over there. Its been done very nicely....and makes much better sense then me trying to do amazingly shoddy job.

- If you are looking for link to their site...please come back after 3 days...as I am hoping that they come back and pay a visit here and comment...so you will find the link...

- In fact I was actually leaving all of you with just a nice pic of these 2 books which I am currently reading...and if you are reading all this ...you can easily pick one of them in book shop...and read those pages...on your own...and please write me the content....( whow amazing idea....yeah I would not mind contributors...)

And with this my bright idea has been spent...and I didn't wanted to get HIT !!

THE WONDER OF THE CANDLES - Idries Shah
( Pg - 123)

Likewise it is reported that one day Moinuddin held a mystical audition-meeting to which he invited many dignitaries of the town. Each of these men brought large sized candles as their contribution to the illuminations of the meeting; and to the astonishment of all Moulana carried the smallest possible candles. None said anything, but side-glances of amazement were excanged; for some attributed the fact to miserliness, whilst others frankly thought that Moulana was mad. All this was not lost upon Moulana, who ultimately observed that his small candle was really the "Life sap" of all the giant candles brought by others. Those who were friendly to Moulana agreed with him, but many others dissented; whereupon Moulana said :
"If you do not believe what I say , you can have the proof' ; and saying that ' acting' ; for, lo, the whole hall was plunged into drakness - for Moulana had extinguished his own little candle. Then the Master lit his candle again, with the result that all other large candles came to life again automatically: to the utter bewilderment and amazement of all.
The Non -believers acknowledged their mistake and then the mystic audition swelled anew with great force; so that the meeting lasted the entire night - all the larger candles having been used up, the little candle of the Master still burned as before, losing none of its lustre or its substance.
Many became Moulana's disciples that day.

(BTW - there was no para...it was just one story)

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

THE PROPHET - Kahlil Gibran
(Pg -last one...)

" A little while, a moment of rest upon the wind, and another woman shall bear me."

( The para was of one line....)

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

I had a dream....!!

2007-04-05T06:54:00.000-07:00

I was tagged way back in Feb by Sigma to share 3 dreams ....I actually get Nightmares...so here we go...

1) While rappelling down a steep cliff , I think at some point I got stuck...some techincal fault on rope ( which never happens however in Nightmares...these things do happen..lol) so yeah I am stuck...in middle of nowhere literally...trying to tug at the rope...and so much raring to go down....and my impatience level is increasing......so ...so...so...no I didn't break the rope...being an ever & ever Optimistic person...I start ROCK climbing......like they say - yeh nahin to woh sahi....( if not this ..then that )......yeah however I recall my "Frustration" and I think I was really reaching my break point...when I turned the course of action to something else...!

2) Second one also gave me shivers...in our office we have this nice way to send off people when they quit...( I am not even going in direction where people are asked to leave....) so may be this was egged on by that event ...god knows...anyways...so when people quit - we throw a small get together and mostly people get nostalgic about their work and colleagues...afterall its " Work Marriage" relationship... and they talk about good experience...I am kinda shy...and most of my conversation starts with big...hmmmm or ummmm..( like Stage fright) - so I saw that I had quit....and since I knew the tradition - prepared a speech...( yeah yeah it's almost Oscar night !!) and at last moment...all the words got erased from my mind...and I am sorta fumbling in my pockets...for this speech...and not finding...and then you see "Out of Focus" people...and I saw many....Bloated....with bulging eyes..and then it sort of merged into water...like I am below the water surface and there are people on top....Yikes...!!

So when I got up....I shared this S***** dream....and everybody in my family thought...yeah...so ??? And I said ok decided- if I quit - I am not giving any speech......I will keep eating Samosa.....( Pig -oink oink.....lol....)

3) Last one...Phew....oh boy...and this one is deadliest....at its best...lol... I saw....I saw...actually it was trying to find words for this tag...might have started A REAL BAD NIGHTMARE...- so I saved myself...and wrote this pc...instead !!

Now to tag few people.....

-
-
- None ...nah...if anyone interested....and has lots of free time...please take on this Nightmare...oops...Dreams....!

Night Night :-)

Clock is ticking....

2007-04-05T01:09:00.000-07:00

Only 8 Hrs to go......................!!

Can't wait... :-)

COUNTDOWN BEGINS...YIPPIE :-)

2007-04-04T04:46:00.000-07:00

Only 1 and 1/4 day to...go through......!!

Khimsar Fort Palace - Rajasthan

2007-03-31T03:26:00.000-07:00

Last bit of pics from Khimsar fort .View was superb !!

( Will visit this place again...!!)

Luncheon with King

2007-03-30T06:06:00.000-07:00

- All pics taken at the property of - Fort Palace - Khimsar( Rajasthan)

Faces ....!!

2007-03-28T03:55:00.000-07:00

This guy was natural - he knew I was cliking his pic...and he readily agreed for a price ( 10 Rs...& my sibling gave him 50 Rs because he was getting all nostalgic ( jerk#$?) about Rajasthan .....I rolled my eyes...so much it went inside me and have refused to come back to their sockets...)
The framed pic in his hand is of a local saint " Ramdev Baba" ( No not the Yoga guru) from a place called as Ramdevra( near Jaisalmer). I remember the Big fair ( well I was very young ...so evrything use to look huge and big to me...lol) with lots of small canopied stalls. I use to love peeking into these stalls - though I was not allowed to touch or throw tantrums in front of these stalls...( Oh I hate when someone curbs my natural talent of drama...he he he..)
This year will be travelling that side as well to relive the past.... and yeah then can even comment on sz of the fair as well....if nothing else...!!

A shop on the way to Osiyan ( Jodhpur - Rajasthan)

Note - All the pics which I am posting these days are take from Osiyan/ Jodhpur and near by areas in Rajasthan.

Just 1 hr late...arghh...!!

2007-03-27T08:30:00.000-07:00

I love sunsets...and this time we were in such beautiful rustic setting...totally off beaten tracks in Rajasthan...( and just trying to find the perfect sanddunes - a prerequisite which our guide felt was necessary...OMG ) we just saw the sun dipping and vanish....??? while I kept on saying don't die ......!!!

In the end he kept on saying - Bana sa 1 ghanta late chalriyan hain....( We are just 1 hr late :(

Old Books and Book shop...

2007-03-24T07:19:00.000-07:00

The Attic

These were such clinchers @ 5 INR per pc. Yippie...these were the books which we use to term as contraband ( my parents use to call this stuff trash...lol...so it was so much fun to get these smuggled into home and reading at late night .....he he he)

Surprises which you find while scouring the place for old books...very interesting...on this book I found somebody's budget plan for Jaipur...!

One lovely memory of Jodhpur is visit to Book shop " Harish Book World" - this was at one time famous for second hand books ( Now the family has diversified into Modern shaped Book store @ Jalori Gate as well as publication on their own....)

However I just visit this place which is located near clock tower ( ghanta ghar) and you could smell the old books, touch the yellowed pages. There is something about hands down/ passed on old books...as if beside the books character they also have a story of their own ....totally unknown to the current holder.

I picked up Guy de Maupassant ( complete short stories)

I have few books from the author and I just love his writing ,however not the complete works so it was good to get this copy.

Kahlil Gibran ( Prophet 1983 edition - which makes it my 3rd copy - I have a extra copy which I was thinking of gifting , however that would have meant losing on original version...so it was good to get this version beside my travelling copy.

Charger for the Warriors...Destination Rajasthan!!

2007-03-23T09:04:00.000-07:00

- I love open jeeps..however only in Rajasthan you can think of travelling in this open top vehicle.

- Wind on your face, sun beating down on your head...sand dispersing underneath the tyres...this is truly amazing. During my growing up years , we were really use to do many outdorsy stuff...backpacking , camping ..sleeping in the desert...seriously its so much fun to sleep watching zillion of stars up above in sky....and trying to catch shooting stars....!!

- 3 day weekend stay in Rajasthan this past weekend and I am craving for more........

Small Recounting

2007-03-09T07:03:00.000-08:00

Well ..well...it was very gruelling trip...that goes without saying. Infact I would like to know which company sends you to have whale of time....( If anyone knows of such...let me know I need to send my resume' there - pronto , pronto.....lol...)

Few good highlights ( One always manage to get few....)

Shopping -

I am not a big shopper, not because I don't want to but its the case of never enough money....so I bought simple calligraphy pens and brushes and some nice ink pots with lovely colors.
Look at the picture below these are "Original Tibettan" brushes and they have jewels embedded on the grip. They cost roughly 200 $.
And just in case you are thinking I bought these...nah...please see above where I have clearly mentioned never enough mony to buy....! The one which I got costed me $4.00
( I am sure everyone is breathing normally by now...lol...)
Though these pens were dream....so if you can't buy it click it !!

Meeting my old school friend

I think now I know why people say "Old School Friend" I think all of us were in school long time back...just in case anyone wondering my age...I forgot counting at 16 :-)
So it was good reunion. I am glad I was able to spend some time with family.
And this pic is of my friends kid - He was Lil Monster. Very entertaining. I think most of the kids are...atleast at that stage.

Stop Over

Yup I had almost more then 14 hrs of stopover at Hong Kong. So I decided to venture out and do sight seeing....!
Hmmm ...altogther not bad !!
I will be posting the pics on my other blog - Gypsy feet !! Happy watching !

Back Home....!

2007-03-07T05:34:00.000-08:00

3 Things which I really look forward to when I am back home -

1) My Mom's cooking.

2) My brat of a niece giving me huge hug ( pls read strangulating me 1/2 to death) becos she is so happy to see me !

She is the only one !

3) Honking on the road....lol...well I have developed those nerve of steel ( buffalo) for what???

Dawn is breaking...

2007-02-28T19:45:00.002-08:00

Today ( hmmm midnight ...) I head back for home....after gruelling hours on road and neck burried under mound of paper and notes and lap top......I look up at sun and say -

"I soak up the sun.."

This city never lets a bad weather stay for long....we had such good spate of sunshine...all these 4 days. Such a change from a early week's grummy grey, demantarish weather....!
One of our friend picked us up for a ride to city.....which was so fun, we went to crazy crookesdest street...Harley store ( yeah such amazing mean machines they have), and then last stop to Artist shop to pick my supply of calligraphy pens/ brushes and lovely shades of inks.

Will post the pics of my purchase...very soon....as soon as I touch home!!
Till then Adio's !!

Madhushala......Mokurrer....!!

2007-02-28T19:45:00.001-08:00

Mein aur meri tanhayian aksar kuch batein karti hain......!!

Surprise for the day :-)

2007-02-20T05:29:00.000-08:00

- Last evening while coming back from work, on a busy road -I found this shot...it was so entertaining. The Buffalo had such serene expression ...guzzling away to glory...not paying any attention to stupid honking and vehicles whizzing from side....!
- I wish I could be like buffalo...not letting anything affect me....hein....!

Closed for Today ...

2007-02-14T04:42:00.000-08:00

Ahaan...(big loud sigh).....

On this V day......I am just getting ODied on all the mush stuff....!! All the bloggers are writing about this day.....and so much so even all the websites have showers of hearts......(?????) & last day for selling flowers....and ensuring guaranteed delivery.
I just sort of wrote a comment and guess what even the word verification was in "Red color" ( much brighter then usual Red which appears...swear m not making up this...)

Last year I was in "Original ideas" mood so I got CACTUS for my friend....seriously....I am still awaiting Thank You Note......( hmmm.....)

Its just tongue in cheek.... :-)

ps - Photo courtesy - Google

pps - This is just a loan...til I get my own pics of Cactus....lol.....

A day trip to Jaipur

2007-02-11T23:28:00.000-08:00

- I love this type of art which you find at the back of the trucks....( may be kitsch...) I try to imagine what goes in a mind of the owner when they want their trucks to have such bright scenes painted . Beside the painting...some of the sentences written are so corny....and one can deduce a lot about the people those who are travelling from Himalaya to Kanyakumari....
Are they born romantics, die hard survivors, missing their family....Nomads.....???

Would love to travel this way ( I have done but only for few hours....I think it will be a whole lot different if I have to live for few months....)

- Postcard pic.... love that shade of pink....( ...in flowers....)

- HollyHock - This varitey really grows very well in desert/arid area......when I took the close up I was chasing that bee ( on RHC floral of this pic...by the time I cliked bee was gone.....I am still looking .....lol.... :-)

I just love going to Jaipur....the sun, people and color...so tempting...I don't mind the hardships attached to these day trips....!

Rumblings....n nothing much...!

2007-02-02T06:57:00.000-08:00

As a rule I don't even like to talk about my work...and infact this rumbling is not about work...!

- I found this attachment very hilarious which was circulating in our work environ....these days. How apt - we are over with our appraisals. All ok its easy to fudge....so find "New Targets"
- However BEST news is I have 11 days left from my annual leave....OMG...OMG...I am jumping and can't contain my happiness....& I am suppose to spend all these 11 days before March end....Yippie....!
- Mountains / beaches....hold on....I am coming....!

ps - all of us have given out 2 months planning in advance....( this is the first ever in our work place....generally we are "Non Compliance regular flier"in that deptt....lol....

ON THE ROADS - 28/12/06 -01/04/07

2007-01-23T05:42:00.000-08:00

- This was in Chittor in evening when we were just checking out the town. I found this so cute "Banta" moving shop.

- There are some words which are typically from Rajasthan - "Joganiyan"- which roughly translates as " I don't care"

- Arms shop ( all decorative ones) before you enter Chittor.

- Before turning towards Jaipur-Ajmer highway , clicked these pics of far distand Aravali hills and pruned trees.....!

- Another shot.

- You find these unusual sights - our Road companions - 2 buffalo taking a ride in a truck.

More pics from Mountain trip

2007-01-22T06:24:00.000-08:00

- Some more pics from my trip way back in Dec 06. We saw some ancient temple ruins which are right now getting a face lift.

- Us around the bon fire and warming our feet.

- Our igloo shape home - I couldn't believe when I saw the pic - it really came nice.

- I loved that huge bell with all names etched.

OK done....!!

ANWAR

2007-01-06T04:36:00.000-08:00

Before leaving for my vacation I downloaded music from " Anwar".I just fell in love with songs. Full of sufism and soft lyrics with full bodied vocals.

- Maula mere maula

Very beautiful lyrics, start is really nice. Check out the number of instruments which has been played. They have used saarnagi with gunghroo and khartal....!

- Anwar instrumental

Very soft flute...with beats !

- Bangla Khula

This was sung with such gusto. Totally Nautanki style and with very deep meaning .

-Dilbar mera

Fusion styled & ok...this style is there for a long time...so ok!!

- Javeda Zindagi

Sad undertones in this song.

- Jo maine aas lagayi

To be truthful I haven't been able to find this song in my list till last week.

Incorrigible ain't I :-( Few lines but good ones.

Good pick for collection.

Jeep Safari in Kumaon region

2007-01-03T06:03:00.000-08:00

* Trishul Peak

* Hanging from the edge...lol...

* My erstwhilefrndz -Lobo/Burfili & Tipsy from L2R

* This was the dog who barked at me....

* Ammmm - they were so cute buying the toffee...

* Bangles

* Painting with switch ....????(see LHC)

* Majestic Deodar

*Bon Fire

* Autumn Leaves

Roughly our Itinerary looked liked this( 23rd Dec -26th Dec '06)

Nainital -Ranikhet Binsar(1700m) – Pandav Kholi(2550m) – Mukteshwar (2315m)

Day 1: Arrival at Nainital

(on bumpy /smelly/Night time Antakshri going on crowd State Bus),

Departure to Binsar Mahadev, near Ranikhet ( 96 km.).
o/n in tents near Binsar Mahadev.

* ( And you better hone your cooking abilities ....lol....just kidding we traveled in style with cooks and entourage' )

Day 2: To Pandav kholi ( 2550m.) 60 km. by road & then trek 3.5
Km. from kukuchina (one can meet Har singh ”shikari” here, who killed many
man eater tigers, leopards & panthers in this region.
o/n at Pandav kholi in tents.

*( I met the Grand Daughter of Shikari Har Singh - when I asked the kid if I could take her pic...she started crying , then I took the pic of dog without asking & he barked , barked...( silly Dog huh...) - I suppose it was not my day -whether I was polite or not...)

Day 3: Trek down 3.5 km. then drive 5 km. to Dunagiri temple, then 14 km.
drive to visit Dwarahat,& drive 122 km. to Mukteshwar.
o/n at Trishul Orchard Resort, Mukteshwar.

*( Tired Nah...however I really appreciated the modern technology which somtime I take so much for granted starting with very basic hot water and electricity & one more thing Bingo /Burfili/Lobo/Tipsy really stored my faith in me....)

Day 4: Near Mukteshwar practice your skills of Rock climbing, Rappelling , evening departure to your home.

( Dah ...back already.....yeah chuttiyan badi jaldi khatam ho jaati hain....but wait.....silver lining - off to some more vacation time.)

- Saathi - 4 shehar se +3 Pahadon se ( 4 from city and 3 from Native Mountain)

( Ajnabi jo saathi ban gaye - all of us met for the first time.....!!)

- Vahan - 4 pahiyon wali jeepwa ( Sumo )

PS - It was good to meet you Mountaingoat , I can't thank enough for making all the arrangements , so simply thanks a ton for your friendship!!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

2006-12-27T04:47:00.000-08:00

Lots of wishes to All and I hope and pray that Holidays are getting spent with loved ones !

Just came back from a hike trip carried out near Hiamalayan Range in Uttranchal over this long C'mas weekend.
Such good fun - camping/cooking/ meditation and all these in front of "Majestic Himalayan Range"
I am in city for a day to wrap up my work and hand over the load to team and tomorrow I am off again - this time to Rajasthan.

Will be posting the pics upon my return in New Year 2007 ......!!

Happy Blogging -

Luv and peace always -

Lansdowne - Place of Mist and Mystic

2006-12-18T00:16:00.000-08:00

-This spot was so charming, we were walking and suddenly we were enveloped in this mist, it looked as if we were transported to some fairy land with this mist and trees playing hide and seek with us.

- Shadows

- Dusk n darkness creeping in....very eerie !

- Lone Soldier

- This was shot from a moving car....(hmmm living on edge)

A Typical scene from Hills.

-Trip to Lansdowne last year. Very sleepy and small town in Uttranchal. Very well structured town with cobbled street. We really thought as if we were transported to some bygone era( very British colonial feel) .

- Not much to do , except eat hearty breakfast dripped in butter - take long walks - again gorge on scrumptious food - again take a long walk - come for the evening tea and Pakodas ( fried crispy) - walk in the nearby grounds , round up the evening with dinner and sleep...this was our routine for 4 days......!!

- Some + points of living in capital city - Hills are quite nearby and you don't waste much time in commuting to reach the destination.

Visa Power

2006-12-12T22:20:00.000-08:00

This incident was both hilarious as well as with quite undertones of sadness. From our offc 3 persons were asked to go for a "phoren trip". And as it happens all 3 of us are pretty funny bones so we were looking forward to our sojourn to foreign shore...so much so we extended our trip as well and made plans.

Next comes Visa - very unfortunately "S" got his visa ( not exactly declined...but on hold) despite the tenacity and preparation done by our offc.

Well his Visa has been granted after (5 months) so "S" is giving Samosa party ! This is the note which he has sent to all of us !!

It is just to update you that my name has been removed from the List of Terrorists maintained by the US Embassy. So you guys can relax & feel free at the office :-)
Few of my colleagues gun pointed to arrange for Samosas & Jalebi tomorrow. So with my weaker self exposed , I have to.
See you all at 5.00 pm for a few light moments.

With a lighter wallet,
S

ps- He is a great guy to have this carefree attitude - I was chatting to him and he was explaining to me how the lady who took his interview was so embarrassed to deny the same, he was actually thinking from the other side of the fence.....! I looked at him and said -dude you are really cool....I think in your place I would have been very upset!

I still can't get over his Non Challant attitude - would love to learn this.....!

Advent of cultural breeze..

2006-12-04T02:06:00.000-08:00

Last week was treat for all the cultural aficionados. Visual as well as soulful treat speard across the week ....and more to come....!

Somehow you see the spurt in cultural activities....concerts, dance shows, poetry recital, photo exhibition...lots and lots in store during the winter...and that makes me think of only one thing....
"Kambakht yeh sardiyan barah mahinee kyon nahin rahti.

Well I started with "Dance show from Russia - Yunost" - hmmm - ok, reminded me of Shiamak Dawar group. I wish only if they would have stuck to their own gig then adopting the entire world ( It was not bad them adopting Salsa/Moulin Rouge/Cowboy dance...etc...however there is so much more to know about Russian dances...?? So yeah I was baffled)

On top of that I kept on telling my friend that they are working around the "World theme" so they will eventually do "Indian Dance" - so in anticipation we kept on sitting...and went through the entire length of the show....alas....they didn't show "bhangra"....booohoooo :-(

Next was evening with Rehmat Fateh Ali Khan Saheb - Organizers were left scurrying around to get more bunches of floral arrangements as dignitaries outnumbered the bouquet....he he he !!

Thankfully for this performance they kept the introduction to mere 5 minutes and then we had some nice soulful music.

However I feel that true impact of this performance could have been 10 folds great - if it would have been done in some open space....somehow I felt the artist- trapped within the 4 walls of auditorium.

Last but not the least " My ever Fav Zohra Sehgal" - she recited some urdu poems from the likes of - Faiz/Ali Sardar Zafri/Kaifi Azmi/Javed Akhtar - Just penning down the poem (by Hafeez Jullundhary) which somehow epitomise the spirit of Zohraji in my eyes -

abhii to mai.n javaan huu.N

havaa bhi Khushagavaar hai, gulo.n pe bhii nikhaar hai

tarannume.n hazaar hai.n, bahaar purbahaar hai

kahaa.N chaalaa hai saaqiyaa, idhar to lauT idhar to aa

are ye dekhataa hai kyaa, uThaa subuu, subuu uThaa

subuu uThaa piyaalaa bhar, piyaalaa bhar ke de idhar

chaman kii simt kar nazar, samaa.N to dekh beKhabar

vo kaalii-kaalii badaliyaa.N, ufaq pe ho ga_ii ayaa.N

vo ik hajuum-e-maikashaa.N, hai suu-e-maikadaa ravaa.N

ye kyaa gumaa.N hai badagumaa.N, samajh na mujhako naatavaa.N

Khayaal-e-zohd abhii kahaa.N

abhi to mai.n javaan huu.N

* The way Zohraji renders this poem...it just leave you with a tingle up in your arm.....!

Dance like a Man

2006-11-27T03:38:00.000-08:00

- I have seen many performances ( hmmm - maestro's as well) so what set this one apart...these were students ( and part time giving performances in evenings) - Life is quite tough for these struggling artist. Fame beckons you from afar and when you are trying to reach for it....it turns into a Mirage ( Sunehri Mrig - Golden deer)

- We were quite taken by the performance and in the end...clicked quite a lot of pics...later on when I talked to them..I felt like a heel as the guy with green paint - his eyes were hurting...due to all that paint....and I am sure with all those flash lts....it would not have been easy on his eyes....I apologized.....and he said simply -

" I am used to this "

Quotes for the day ...!

2006-11-24T06:07:00.000-08:00

* Balance occurs naturally in the absence of attachment.

* It is only when your mind is still and your heart is open that you are truly free.

( I remember how I got hold of these quotes - I was working on a project for keeping quotes cards for a company - so when my client handed over these quotes to be printed / laminated and boxed in proper pack - I think there were 12 or so...so I asked her to lend me few cards for keepsake - I find the meaning very profound....)

Idle Shutterbug

2006-11-23T04:43:00.000-08:00

* My Fav pic and my companion named this as " Infinity Pool "

* Loved the shadows dancing in water....

* Dutch Palace courtyard

* By lane in Cochin !

* I envy this guy.....oblivious to world

Color me Greenz

2006-11-23T03:51:00.000-08:00

* With Pollution sticking on the leaves - I always grapple with colors of leaves....I love this shade a lot....but then tropic leaves are fresh.....unlike urban !

Spice Route !!

2006-11-22T04:00:00.000-08:00

* Cinnamon had such great flavor- Best buy beside Banana Chips ( deep fried...) sinfully yum !

* Spices getting sold on pavement ( I loved all those colorful containers in which the seller kept his spices - they are so vibrant.)

* While roaming in Cochin - we found this neat " spice shop" this was more uppity...thingy - however still had the character....loved those huge glass jars " martbaan's" - I remember my Gran using those for "Aam ka achar" ( Mango pickle) .

There were some other cute shapes of jars in smaller sz as well as handpainted ceramic pots....!

Dusky Skyline......

2006-11-20T06:15:00.000-08:00

* This shot was taken over the sand castle made by someone...!

* While retreating back to our place - just one last shot , somehow

you never get enough of these shots !!

Moonshine !!

2006-11-16T04:31:00.000-08:00

All night have the roses heard
The flute, violin, bassoon;
All night has the casement jessamine stirred
To the dancers dancing in tune;
Till a silence fell with the waking bird,
And a hush with the setting moon.

- Tennyson

* I am sort of facinated by the time when you can see moon as well as setting sun....!
This was perfect time for having fresh pineapple juice and Indian blk rum cocktail mix ( Not to try anywhere else...taste just doesn't get right )
I have been very fortunate to be on these trips with a client cum friend....and after a gruelling day of work - we use to look forward to sitting on the beach and watch sun go down and moon coming up.....!
Hey Suz ....this is for you....looking forward to our more trips together - amen !!!!

More on South Series...

2006-11-15T06:22:00.000-08:00

*** You take your pick from " Catch of the day" & hand over to the restaurant and they serve you just the way you like it on Banana leaf...bliss...and taste is yum....! You can't get authentic beyond this :-)

Truly Amazing colors.....!!!

2006-11-13T06:04:00.000-08:00

Assorted pics from coastal area around Mararikulam (Alleppey) Kerala

Annie's Song

2006-11-10T00:43:00.000-08:00

My all time fav song.....!

You fill up my senses
like a night in the forest
like the mountains in springtime,
like a walk in the rain
like a storm in the desert,
like a sleepy blue ocean
you fill up my senses,
come fill me again.

Come let me love you,
let me give my life to you
let me drown in your laughter,
let me die in your arms
let me lay down beside you,
let me always be with you
come let me love you,
come love me again.

let me give my life to you
come let me love you,
come love me again.
You fill up my senses
like a night in the forest
like the mountains in springtime,
like a walk in the rain
like a sleepy blue ocean
you fill up my senses,
come fill me again.

Crazy pics

2006-11-09T23:35:00.000-08:00

Face to face......

Langoor - this was at Pushkar Ghats ( Rajasthan)

Few .....?? Lots of Wishes....!

2006-11-08T05:44:00.000-08:00

All of us have wishes....Right !! Formally I started jotting down my list when I joined college....quite a lot I have accomplished in my journey.......I still remember my one wish.... when YANI concert was taking place......so that time that was " THE" thing for me . Short on money...made me and my friend hitch hike to Agra.....lol....!
So here goes my list ....which I keep adding....and sometime deleting...( In fact I do watch how much wish is my wish....to remain there in my heart....)

* Adopt a baby ( For this I am planning a lot....may be a post later...on same...)
* Travel to-
- Machu Pichu
- Bali, Java
- Lakshadweep
- Toledo
- Mansarovar lake
( Then there is whole 10 page list on Indian Destination... :-)
* Learn Scuba Diving ( so Lakshadweep and this will be covered in one go....)
* Learn Flamenco.....
* Take long sabbatical and do research on Textile ( Weaving/dyeing/printing....)
* Teach kids in Mountains

More to come........~!

Trek to Pindari Glacier

2006-11-06T22:31:00.000-08:00

A year later I am writing this post, made the trek to Pindari ( Uttranchal - Kumaon) in year 2005 in November.
Route which we took was -

Mukteshwar-Bageshwar-Song ( By road) - 2.5 km trek to Loharkhet.

* This was done almost when sun was set so quite eerie...and we met this drunk guy on the way....I always bump into drunks...in buses/ on flights...and on Treks...! We stayed at this rest house in Loharkhet .
In the morning 13 km Steep climb to Dhakuri. Views of Nandakot and Maiktoli range in the setting sun was worth all the pains and our new found muscles. We even found the nerve to do full 1 hr Yoga session as well....!!

Next morning left for Khati ( good lunch -piping hot dal & chawal and pickle) and made our night halt at Dwali.

* That evening I think we all felt some sort of friction within each other- fear of darkness....fear of coping ....fear of fear.... !! Yoga took a big jump in Pindari river :-) ....comforted each other....and by the time partook our dinner - were back to our normal self.

Destination Pindari ( almost 25 kms in a day ) as we were not staying back we started very early next day and by 12 noon we were there. Highlight of this day -met Pindari Baba - he is amazing personality. When we returned back from the " 0 point" he was waiting for us with Hot pooris and Chai. Such awesome welcome for the warriors !! We must have talked about varied range of topics - he has trove of tales and his fav subject is studies of Stars , his Ashram is sort of like a lab....!

We were quite reluctant to return back to our base camp. ( I know that all of us will retrace our path to that ashram again...its on the cards....For me this week(2006) could have become " my calling" - if not stuck up in city... thats another story...!!)

So from there on it was return Journey.... met another interesting person while trekking down !! Infact I would say that you do end up meeting such weird characters more on these off beaten path....and then you feel normal !!

Quick stops to Baijnath/ Bageshwar and PatalBhuvneshwar - First 2 places have some beautiful ancient Shiva temples and carved statues.....temples architiecture is something which leaves you breathless...how they got all those stone work put there. Cave at PatalBhuveneshwar is a MUST see....its sort of reminds of you as if you are slithering down inside a Huge Cobra.......all the stories are amazing pc of work......salute' to the writer who handed over such color ful tales to this generation that you start believing - one in particular which sort of sparked my adventure streak was - there is this hole and they say that if you crawl up in that tunnel it opens up at Badrinath ( its not allowed....:-(
There was this one more tale of that you are not suppose to pick or take anything from this cave...as it results in madness......that was enough impetus for us to scrub our feet of all that soot which we got while we were in that cave......! Did I mention that it would be better to wear sack cloth to enter this cave .....its full of black soot..... !!
It also left us wondering what happens to Mad people going one more time Mad...!
We headed back to Mukteshwar and time to hit back to our homes !

( ps - next time I need to write as soon as I am back from such trips....somehow there were so many highs/ lows to that trip.....and I have been able to write only meager few points....!)

Baffled.....underdogs or Non achievers??

2006-10-29T07:42:00.000-08:00

Are we as Indians love sub standard so much that we are championing anything....are we sort of so much in awe with underdogs or feel so much in common with non achivers that we are making them " Our champions" No offence to any artist - however the live shows like dance shows or the singing competition where we should be raising toast only to the " Top performer" we are letting the winner be so short of the requiste that its downright infuriating.....! I was so disappointed when recently I saw the winner of a dance show so much out of sync in all the performances and the lady who should be deserving the title got away with being ranked meager 2 nd place.

Just recently, I saw this movie " sea biscuit " again it was all about underdog coming cropper. However it was truly a very inspiring story however nowhere they showed as if it was not truly a feat of conquering all the odds stacked against both the horse and his rider.

It would have been so much nicer if only a true deserving artist would have bagged that series....after giving such brilliant performances in all the episodes.....I was left with a very sour taste that late evening...!

Moving on........

2006-10-20T08:48:00.000-07:00

We are moving to a new swanky work place....oh yeah...that's what we are told. But what if I love the place where I am right now....and this feeling is so much shared by my other colleagues. Oh no.....I am really p**** at this change.

The place we are right now - its so cool. It doesnot even look like as if it's a work place...seriously it is so fun to come to work. We do not see any of the crowd, its green all the way around us. We take coffee or sutta or angst /gossip breaks at this huge patio and see all the people those who are coming in/ out of the office......personally have advantage over others to have this huge window next to my work station - which just reflects only the long trees and clear sky. During monsoon the view is so breathtaking , somtime bunch of us will sit on top of the desk and look out , order some pakoda / samosa ( yum)....yeah crazy bunch..... and we dare since we are on top floor bit away from the Mgmt's eagle eyes....
I think since all of us spend almost like 1/2 of our adult life at work stations these are little pleasures which makes it so much easier to carry on the day and sometime...what not....you get on your platter....!

I think I am so much outdoory kind of a person that just to think that now I will be working all cooped up with no access to sunshine....bohooo.....will shrivel and die....!

Removing all the articles/ pics/ knick knacks....have this Sun God on a stand minitaure antq brass pc - it seems ( this is weird to even mention) - that has some ferocious expression on his face as if he is is not liking getting shifted from his coveted place......!

Only silverlining peeping through this is that we will be quite closer to some of the good foodie joints and lounges.....so I suppose we will be drowning our sorrows in evenings...... Cheers....!

Cool quotes around us....

2006-10-19T04:32:00.000-07:00

1. Nothing is permanent in this wicked world, not even our troubles.

2. Opportunities multiply as they are seized. ( By Sun Tzu)
* My take on this one.....trouble as well..... x.....!

3. Whatever you do don't wake up at 65 years old and think about you should have done with your life.

Dasht e' Tanhai....

2006-10-07T02:36:00.000-07:00

Dasht e' tanhai mein Ai jane jahan Larjan Hain
Teri aawaz ke sae, tere hotoin ke sarab
Dasht e' tanhai mein, doori ke khas aou khak tale'
Khil rahein hain tere pahalu ke saman aur gulab
Uth rahi hai kahin kurbat se tere saans ki aanch
Apni kushboo mein sulagti hui Madhaam madhaam
Door ufak paar chamakti hui katra katra
Gir rahi hai teri dildar nazar ki shabnam
Is kadar pyar se ai jane jahan rakha hai
Dil ke rukhsaar pe is waqt teri yaad ne haath
Yun guman hota hai garche hai abhi subahe phiraq
Dhal gaya hijra ka din aa bhi gayi vasl ki raat !!

This beautiful piece of poetry was written by Faiz Ahmed Faiz.
( May be I understood the meaning bit too late......)

Sunshine bring tears to my eyes....

2006-10-05T02:49:00.000-07:00

Sunshine bring tears to my eyes........
It plays with my hair and teases me... befriend the breeze and ask her to caress me.
My Hair blows in the wind....- hides my face ... smile plays around the corner! Mind you it is just a smile, it has come after a long time------- aeons ago it was always there , from my lips to my eyes to my heart.
These days only sometime it plays on the corner of the lips.... but never reaches my eyes!
Sunshine bring tears to my eyes........

Prescription for Peace

2006-10-05T01:50:00.000-07:00

Don’t try to save the world. Don’t try to save others. All that just adds to your job description.
You have sufficient challenge in your life just learning to embrace your own experience. Life has given you plenty to chew on.
Nobody comes into embodiment with an empty plate. Everyone has at least a scrap or two to digest (some have seven course meals! But I’m not going to point any fingers!)
Don’t be discouraged by this. Since each person must deal with what’s on his plate, let him deal with it as happily as he can.
Don’t interfere in the lives of others or you will have a second or a third helping to dispose of. Stay detached from what someone else does or does not do. Don’t even have an opinion about it. Just let it be.
Don’t borrow someone else’s experience. Don’t try to give someone else your experience.
Sleep in your own bed. Prepare your own food. Clean up after yourself. Practice taking care of yourself and let other do the same for themselves.
That is your job. You are not here to do for others what they must do for themselves. Your job is simply to be present in your experience as fully and as magnificently as you can.

_____ Credit for this pc goes to R from OZ_______________!!!

Tibetan philosophy

2006-10-04T05:19:00.000-07:00

Purifying the " MIND" is not easy . It takes a lot of time and hard work. But this is also true of any human enterprise. You need tremendous will power and determination right from the start.
No matter who we are or where we live, we all want happiness and dislike suffering.
The " KEY" to overcoming suffering and ensuring happiness is inner peace. If we have that we face difficulties with calmness and reason, while our inner happiness remains undisturbed.