Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Snapshots of life...an year apart

Bangalore, Dec 2011 -

Deserted streets, cold winds, gloomy yellow lights, withered branches,
unsmiling couples, ugly machines, melancholic songs and a barren sky wait to devour.

Silent mornings, sleepy afternoons, uninspiring evenings and lonely nights don't help
inner turmoils, repressed emotions, hesitant steps and inchoate thoughts.

Mahabalipuram, Dec 2010 -

Bustling corridor, clean fresh air, cheerful white lights, ripe branches,
coy couples, pristine nature, nostalgic songs and a moonlit sky wait to embrace.

Pleasant mornings, busy afternoons, candor-filled evenings, garrulous nights inspire
creative flights, bold emotions, confident steps and well-rounded perspectives.

Our memories play strange games, games in which a sudden trigger unleashes a torrent of thoughts. Life over the past one month has been a roller coaster, a seesaw of emotions.

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Touched, moved and inspired by her...

Listening to instrumental music on this cold winter evening, my thoughts went back to her...

Unpretentious, humble, innocent, guileless, simple, childlike, pure, pristine, angelic,  elegant, pretty, empathetic, straight forward, passionate and genuine, she lives life on her own terms and doesn't care two hoots about what the world thinks of her. Such unadulterated existence in a corrupted world -  in a world full of shallowness, one-upmanship, buffoonery, lies, petty fights, envy and ugliness - is a rarity. No, it is not because she does not know the ways of the world. She is fully aware, yet she retains enough of a childish spirit to welcome all that the world throws at her with both hands.

About people who are ordinary mortals, one can go on and on, for their lives are multicolored. To get to their true selves in a matter of a few sentences is well nigh impossible! With her though, it is easier. She is simply an extraordinary human being. Wish her all the best in her life and pray that she stays as she is...glad that our paths crossed! 

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Cinnamon Gardens - Among the very best of fiction!

What is the raft of "Will" and "Wont"
  Against love's raging waters?
           - The Tirukkural, verse 1134
 Tirukkural will always remain Tamil literature's towering contribution to the world. Every chapter of Shyam Selvadurai's Cinnamon Gardens begins with one pertinent verse from Tirukkural. When I smelled and leafed through the pages of this book at the library, as I usually do, I instinctively felt I should read it. 

After a long time, this novel captured my interest and held me spellbound. The amount of research that has gone into this work is admirable and deserves special mention. Set in erstwhile Ceylon in the 1920s, Shyam has managed to capture that epoch exceedingly well. 

In every period in history, there are customs and traditions that are sacrosanct and inevitably in every period, there are people who dare to defy these customs. By their acts and deeds, these men and women come to exemplify the battle between the old and the new, the conservative and the liberal, the tolerant and the intolerant and the subservient and the rebellious! Cinnamon Gardens is the story of some of these men and women, how, life to them, is claustrophobic and constraining, how, they struggle to express their feelings in an environment that views them as outcast for who they are! 

The caste system, woman's rights, questions of nationality, labor rights, infidelity, the Sinhalese-Tamil equation and simmering tensions, gay rights - all these - set in a upper class suburb of Colombo, with the Sea serving as the backdrop - come to life through characters sketched with the skill of a master craftsman. I kept turning the pages in feverish haste and not even a single instant, I was disappointed. One's heart would immediately warm up to the characters of Annalukshmi and Balendran.

The scale of imagination, the simple, but powerful language and the attention to minute details together result in a hugely rewarding read. A must-buy for lovers of literature, fiction and history! One review summed it up best here - " Sensual, perceptive, and wise, Cinnamon Gardens is a novel of exceptional achievement – an exquisite tapestry of lives."

Picture courtesy -  http://www.mcclelland.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780771079566

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Cold Calling Experiences

This is what transpired during one of my calls -  

Me: Hello, Good Morning!
Receptionist:  Good morning Sir
Me: I am Sivaraman calling from company - Y
Receptionist: Okay...
Me: Can I please talk to Mr. X?
Receptionist:I would need his badge number
Me: I am sorry. What is that?
Receptionist: All our employees have a badge number Sir. You have to give me that
Me: Sorry, I don't know Mr.X's badge number. Can you look him up in the extension directory please?
Receptionist: Let me see...(a min later) Sorry Sir, I cannot find him
Me: Can you please find Mr. W then?
Receptionist: Mr. W? This is regarding?
Me: This is regarding a business meeting
Receptionist: What business Sir?
Me: Can I please talk to him directly about it? (ending with a smile)
Receptionist: Hmm...I am putting him through. Please hold
Me: Thank you! 
W: Hello, W speaking, who is this?
Me: Good morning Sir! I am Sivaraman calling from Y. I got your reference from ____. Is it a good time to talk to you? Can I have 5 minutes of your time?
W: (a little hesitating) Yes...What is this regarding? 
Me: Sir, this is regarding....blah blah..

This is one experience where I got to handle 3 objections and got rewarded ultimately. When making calls, it is important to handle certain objections, especially if we are calling the board number and talking to a receptionist. 

Objection: Mr. X does not work here/Mr. X is in a meeting/business trip/on vacation
Counter: Can I talk to Mr. W then?
Objection: He is not available today/He is not at his desk
Counter: Is he on vacation?/Is he in a meeting?/When can I call again?/Can I have his extension number?/Can I have his email id please?

  • The idea is to get as much information as possible in a single call. It can get really annoying to a receptionist if we assume a rigid/matter-of-fact tone. One has to respect the time of a receptionist.
  • When we get to the person we want to talk to, we ideally get a maximum of 5 minutes, so, we should get to the objective of the call as quickly as possible. 
  • Homework before calling is paramount. 
The success rate of cold calling is not very high. Hence, it pays to be persistent and methodical. Cold calling should always be complemented by direct mailing and follow-ups to be effective. 

Here are some articles of interest if you would want to read further -  

Statistics and tips
Dilbert Comic
Mail or call

Pros and cons
Tactics
Benefits of cold calling

You are welcome to share your experiences...

PS: This is the first work related post I am making in my blog. More to come... For this post, thanks to the sales professional and friend who taught me how to handle objections...

Monday, October 31, 2011

A transformational experience!

"To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing." - William Shakespeare, Macbeth Act 5, scene 5, 19–28.

The last 3 days of my life have been the most significant and trans-formative ever. I attended the Landmark Education Forum in Bangalore along with 220 0ther people. Though the impact of the forum is different for different people, without any shred of doubt, I can say that it leaves a person completely different. (The Landmark Forum is the first of the 3 courses of the landmark curriculum and Mahesh Nambiar, our coach was extraordinarily effective with us every moment he interacted with us)

My request to anyone reading this post is to mail me and get more details about the forum for no amount of "description" can completely communicate the real possibilities that will emerge after one does the course. Captured below are some views that would change our perspective towards life forever -


When we know the distinction between facts and opinions, we begin living
When we stop complaining to justify our current predicament, we start taking actions and our performance is directly proportional to our actions
When we stop doing things to "Look good" and instead lead a life of "integrity", we start realizing our potential
When we unravel the hidden context in our lives, we begin seeing multiple perspectives
When we listen without relating what we hear to something in our past, we are receptive
Life always happens on the court and never in the stands. Every day we keep waiting, we spend one more day in the stands!

Life is empty and meaningless. Life is nothing. Only the present moment matters, not the past, not the future. Life is "Right now"


It is possible to experience fear and be courageous in the face of fear. Many of us think, we are scared of others. What if others also think the same!

Our strengths become our identities. All of us are struck with our strengths and sometimes they can constrain our views 

When we realize the various complaints we have in life, we begin seeing the costs associated with them 


It is a joke that our strengths and complaints drive our lives! 


When we realize what our choices in life are, we don't resist them. When we don't resist them, our career and relationships begin to operate at an entirely different plane!




All of us have lived life merely chasing one thing after the other and continuously reacting, never creating! Toys, Parents' affection, bicycles, marks/grades, vacations, engineering/medical seats, career/experience, post graduation seats, career/experience, cars, houses, international vacations, money, companionship, etc..we have chased them all and we continue to...when we see the joke, we can see the possibility of living in the current moment and being happy! When the current moment is taken care of, the subsequent moment will take care of itself!


Who am I? I am my word. I am what I commit. I am not my profession, gender, religion, caste, nationality etc

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Malenaadu Magic with Cycling and More...

Andrew S Grove, Co-founder and ex-CEO of Intel, writes in his memoir, ‘Swimming across’, “When my singing went well, it made me feel better about everything, even if things at school were tough. I thought I had made an important discovery. I realized that it’s good to have at least two interests in your life. If you have only one interest and that goes sour, there’s nothing to act as a counterbalance to lift your mood. But if you have more than one interest, chances are something will always go okay.” I read this book quite some time back; yet, I find that so many times in my life I have remembered it since then. In our lives, we labor and we labor hard. Some of us are fortunate enough to see those hours spent laboring bearing fruit immediately while for some others, it takes its time coming. If one has interests that are diverse, then chances are, as Grove opines, one could always find solace in any one of them and tide over testing times. 

During a short break

The road, the villager, the cyclist and the poetic scenery


Cycling, trekking or for that matter any activity that is physically exerting and at the same time refreshing, unclogs the mind. In making us admire the present and the now, these activities free us from our prejudices, preoccupations and countless other inanities that cloud our minds normally. “Dude (try pronouncing it “duooode”!), during all these descents, my mind just goes completely blank”, said Sanjana when we were cycling together for a brief period on Saturday. She couldn’t have expressed the feeling better. As one turns a bend and one’s bike gathers momentum on its own, if I say that one gets to experience “nothingness”, albeit, for a few moments, I would not be exaggerating at all. 

The route was Hornad – Kelaguru – Kottigehaara – Mudigere – Hanbal – Sakleshpur. What do we all long for? Serenity and beauty! It was present along the entire route for us to partake. We stopped to take short breaks numerous times and these became occasions to click pictures and exchange a few words here and there with fellow riders. Fierce determination, intensity, tiredness, happiness, bemusement, expectation and curiosity – we wore all these expressions thanks to the route and its surprises. 


Whoever lives in these houses, they are blessed!


Day 1 was relatively easier compared to day 2 partly because the Sun was gentle on day 1. Special mention about the resort we had lunch at on day 1: Balur Estate – the building had class written all over with immaculate furnishing, dream interiors and an amazing ambience! 

Balur Estate

Balur Estate - cozy up with a book here and one can forget the World!


Some of the sights, memories and sounds - streams of water along winding stretches, children, shy and demure waiting at a bus stop and sometimes waving to us in all fervor, women carrying firewood, insects lazily crossing the road, bike chains creaking, old men squinting to get a good view, riding alongside a fellow cyclist and listening to his/her life stories, lush green fields as far as the eye can see, mist clearing to reveal beautiful mountains and the hospitality showered on us – I’d carry from this ride would be priceless.

Any travel experience is incomplete without a few words about the people who are part of it! A soft skills trainer, my college Junior, a girl working with a NGO, a video editor, a dentist and her professor – these are some of the wonderful people, I could get acquainted with. Evidently, some of them dared take the road not taken and they were proud and passionate as they recounted their stories. Brian, Ramesh, Sanjana, Revathi, Amol, Vinay, Yashodara and Archana made for great company during the course of the ride! 

Jump #1

Jump #2


My curiosity got the better of me and with some of them, I kept shooting one question after another…”TV journalism has become way too sensational whereas in documentaries, one gets to exercise more control over what one does. The content and the quality is better”, said Yashodara, who is a video editor. To me, ever curious and interested in all things to do about journalism, it was a precious nugget!

With the waterfall in the background

Return Journey - Dumb Charades in Progress

As we neared the end of the ride on day 2, Vinay found a waterfall. Hidden from view, it was a perfect full stop to an exacting morning! Our enthusiasm did not wean one bit even during the return journey. We played dumb charades with teams getting movies like Roxanne, frequently asked questions about time travel and lesbian vampire killers to act out. That all these movies could be acted out and identified by the teams says something about the whole group!

As all good things come to an end, this one too did. This, being my second ride with Cycling and More, honestly speaking, I found the whole experience more rewarding and satisfying compared to the first time. Major credit should go to Manohar and Vishy, our coordinators… Malenaadu Magic, it certainly was!

Friday, September 30, 2011

Kodachadri trek - 24, 25 Sept 2011

Different moments during the trek 

A vast expanse of blue, dotted with slithering flakes of white and embellished all across with shades of the purest orange; Greenery as far as the eye can see, with clouds sweeping across, as if white curtains are billowing in tandem with the direction of the wind, allowing very little sunlight to seep through - just some examples of the treat that nature bestowed on 25 odd trekkers at Kodachadri over the last weekend. For this treat, all the 25 of us are indeed indebted.
Organized by the Bangalore Mountaineering club, this trek would take its place rightfully among the best travel experiences in my life. What does a nature traveler or a trekker for that matter, seek? An escape and a communion; escape from monotony, dullness, vulgarity, trivial obsessions, watches and the whole paraphernalia that exemplifies madness; communion with beauty, clean air, variety and all the little sounds and faint smells that only the all-embracing generosity of silence can help manifest. 

Kodachadri, 380 kms from Bangalore, in Shimoga district, is 1343 meters above sea level. We left Bangalore on Friday night, a little after 10 in two tempo travelers. As one by one, people boarded the tempo, my mind was engaged in feverish activity, heightened by a curiosity that every new face provoked - a curiosity that can only be fed by free flowing conversations entailing an uninhibited exchange of thoughts and carrying the instantly recognizable tone of sincerity and genuineness!

We reached Shimoga at 3.30 AM and stopped to stretch our legs; some people were in deep slumber while some others gathered outside the tempo to sip hot tea. The second tempo joined us much later and after a nearly 45 min break, we resumed. The winds had become chilly and the road ahead, winding and narrow. 


We reached hallimane home stay a little before 7 AM. We had just enough time to complete our morning ablutions. Homemade coffee and rice bath awaited us for breakfast. Willem, our fellow trekker from South Africa relished the simple food and was keen to know the ingredients of every item served. I am sure he would end up finding food unpalatable back home, having had a taste of the spices here. He admitted as much.

The home stay, in typical old fashion, had a certain charm to it. The rooms with simple flooring were cozy after the long tempo journey. But soon, it was time to start the trek. Kiran, one of our two guides, briefed us. I remember Abhinav, the 6 year old kid (this was his 15th trek!) examining all our faces during that small briefing with a scientist-like expression.



Idlumane falls - Water has never tasted so pure and so sweet or looked so welcoming before!
At the sight of Idlumane falls, like 10 year olds with no qualms and shame, almost all the guys were frolicking carelessly in the water with gay abandon in no time at all. The water was chilly but soon our bodies got acclimatized. This also gave some time for all of us to reflect on our blood donation to the leeches until then. After an exact 30 mins, as if there was a wall clock chiming somewhere nearby to remind us of the journey ahead, we changed into fresh clothes and resumed.
 

With fellow trekkers 
To trek is to breathe clean air, cherish every step towards the horizon, share camaraderie with fellow trekkers, test the endurance levels of one's bones and muscles and above all experience a wave of thrill running through one's veins. One crosses logs, steps aside blood thirsty leeches, clears branches obstructing the path, feels pricking thorns, encounters gushing streams and listens to numerous stories from fellow trekkers. I doubt if there is a better alternative to building bonhomie and breaking ice. These extractions on the physique heightens all our senses and mentally, results in a stimulation that is hard to describe.  


Nature toying with mother earth and draping herself in different attires

 
The trek was challenging as the terrain was unforgiving and slippery in patches. One can never predict with certainty, the flora and fauna, the next 100 meters in a typical trek would reveal and this one was no different. This readiness to embrace uncertainty and endure a pleasant hardship, perhaps, prepares the mind to be receptive unleashing creativity in the process.


As late afternoon approached, we hit the jeep track. The forest department guest house was visible in the far distance and we were surrounded on all sides by mountains draped in lush green. I found myself walking alongside fellow trekkers in groups of twos and threes, catching nuggets of conversations, sneaking in and out of them, pitching in with a few remarks, but mostly happy just listening in. 


We reached the guest house around 4 PM and had a late lunch of sambar rice, rasam rice and butter milk. The facilities were basic but none of us were looking for comforts anyway. After tea, armed with torches and decked in warm clothes, we climbed further towards the sunset point. Alas, mist did not let us take in the complete beauty of the surroundings. Adi Shankaracharya is believed to have meditated at the temple near the sunset point. Philosophically and quite poignantly, the temple had a certain disquieting eeriness about it, with gentle winds ringing in darkness and dangerously plunging depths just a few feet from its perimeter.

The sole of my shoe gave away and I was beginning to get worried about the rest of  the trek, but fortunately, I was able to pull on. With the torches lighting our way down to the guest house, we descended. We had more than an hour to go before dinner and so we listened to a few songs, fooled around pointing torches at one another and at the sky to spot constellations and planets. 

Even in the absence of electricity, we felt perfectly happy admiring all the stars which appeared to suddenly advertise their huge numbers. In the city, one rarely has time to pause and admire the night sky and moon light, but here, far removed from the hustle and bustle, we realized how powerful even reflected light could be! 

Stepping into the house, we found Pravin narrating stories of snakes, cobras in particular. In rapt attention, we listened.  The room was lit by two wicks with the flames flickering slowly to the gentle breeze. 

Post dinner, some chose to sleep indoors while some others (including yours truly) opted for tents. Snuggling inside the tent, loving the warmth and coziness, I listened to Hemacharan talking about work, love and the broader challenges of everyday existence. Before I realized, it was 4.45 AM and I could hear sounds outside the tent. People were waking up to catch the sunrise. 

                                     Sunrise - To catch sight of this is to experience bliss


The sunrise I was fortunate enough to behold that morning is one of the most beautiful things I have laid my eyes on. As layers of white clouds on the horizon arranged and rearranged themselves against subtle shades of blue, an orange ball propped itself up from behind the brown and green vegetation of the mountains. Such a powerful and revered thing, it looked so insignificant and powerless for a few moments! We clicked numerous pictures, unable to believe our good fortune! 


Back at the base camp, we got ready for the day ahead. By 7.30 AM, we started the climb down via the jeep track. At regular intervals, we stopped to munch sundry things that each of us had. Dry fruits, buns, biscuits, energy drinks, chocolate bars, Glucon - D packets - we shared them all. Abhilash and I found ourselves interviewing Rakesh, the city editor of Bangalore mirror. He patiently answered all our questions, in the process, giving us a sneak preview into the behind-the-scenes happenings of the media industry. Reporters, stories, deadlines, common sense, networking, page 3, civic issues - the more we talked, the more I came to envy Rakesh! 


As we neared our destination, We found a stream just a km before the home stay and gladly jumped in again to cavort a second time in as many days. 


Shivvapanika fort @ Nagara
On the way back to Bangalore, after a late breakfast at the home stay, we reached Shivvapanika fort around 1 PM. At the entrance to the fort, we spotted a cobra and soon, we were milling around it trying to capture its each and every move on lens. Pravin patiently held it for us to click and touch. With Willem's help, we thought, he almost trapped it inside a sleeping bag but the next second, it emerged out slithering rapidly towards the village kids who had gathered about. The drama reached its zenith when Pravin ran behind it and in a flash, had it again in his control! 


Tryst with a cobra at the entrance to the fort
The fort, massive in its expanse, was every bit picturesque, with a view of a lake, dense greenery, grazing cows and distant villages. 

Our tempo driver drove as if there was no tomorrow and for a good 10 minutes, we raced with a two wheeler. 

After a heavy lunch at Shimoga, Abhilash suggested that we play Antakshari. Sindhu kicked off the fun with her sweet rendition of a classic. Sathya, Sandeep and Sundeep, along with Kiran pitched in while Yousuf and Shantanu took part too adding to the fun quotient. When we exhausted all the typical Antakshari songs, Abhilash, Sandeep and Rakesh talked about affairs of the heart. As the others gathered around them, the tempo with its yellow light provided a perfect poetic backdrop. 


A brief drama ensued with a technical problem in one of the tempos.  It gave an opportunity for all of us to come together one last time to tell our goodbyes. Most of us got emotional for it is certainly rare when an intense and warm bonding in a large and diverse group develops just in 2 days.  

Hoping that I keep running into all these wonderful people I met for the first time in these two days. In a socially connected world, it is quite possible for most of us to go on to become good friends...!

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Cycling in nature's backyard - 2 days of ethereal experience!

"Don't aim at success - the more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued" - Viktor Frankl in Man's search for meaning. 
 
In our everyday lives, we are continuously chasing something. Now, whether we admit it or not, this chase, this running around, takes its own toll on our health and mental well being. Most of us chase success or happiness, which we believe is a consequence of success. If only it were true or if only success or happiness can be chased and obtained! What this running around does to us is that it makes us preoccupied and we forget to appreciate the beauty, the present can bring can bring to our lives. 


But, if we choose to remove ourselves from the context or the setting - our workplaces, the routes to our workplace, in other words, the whole routine with all its dull details around it - we are certainly able to transform ourselves into different beings altogether. What if we get onto a cycle and decide to drive for 130 odd kilometers amidst lush greenery and dense forests with intermittent showers and the perennial sound of running water? Our true, original, unblemished, childlike self breaks through, in all its curiosity to experience LIFE. 


A group of 35 youngsters, thanks to cycling and more, came together over the last weekend (10th and 11th September, 2011). The purpose was to have fun whilst cycling in nature's backyard - God's own country! Spread over two days, with food and accommodation arranged by the organizers, all that the participants had to do was to enjoy cycling. 

During the overnight journey from Bangalore (we started from the hockey grounds at Shanti Nagar), I was seated next to Alfonso, a Mexican. We talked of sundry things - his experience working for Wipro, living in Bangalore and Chennai, embedded software, Latin American literature...The convoy was made up of 3 vehicles - one ferrying the participants and 2 vans (canters) carrying the cycles.

Day 1 - Saturday


We reached Bhagamandala, 8 kms from Tala cauvery at a quarter-to-5 in the morning. We got a good 3 hours to get ready, have breakfast and assemble with our bikes. (some of the junta had got their own bikes while the majority, including yours truly opted for a rented one) The Great Lakes gang (Purnendu, Sakthi, Satya, Omkar, Vinod, Ashwin and me) together with Karthik soon came to be known to the other riders as the Chennai gang. Catching up with fellow gladiators as part of something like a cycling expedition - I had never even dreamed of, so I was thrilled no end!

 The ride started at 8.15. It was drizzling slightly. With imported cycles, track pants/shorts/cycling shorts, T-shirts and helmets, the 35 of us - we made quite a sight to the onlookers, the locals. We had maximum fun during the first few kilometers; tiredness had not crept in, the views along the route were breathtaking and the feel of one's shoes against the pedals, blissful! There were numerous mini waterfalls dotting the route - water gushing through boulders and crevices on the mountains lining the narrow road.






Till Panathur, the cycling entailed no effort at all, except braking at the right moments during the sharp turns. The road was sloping down and there was hardly any traffic. We met a few kids on their way to school. They smiled and waved to us and we enjoyed the attention. We encountered signboards informing us that we were close to wildlife. The density of the trees and the sound of water together gave us the feeling of riding through lush greenery in a wall paper.



At Panathur, we entered the panathur-kanhangad road, SH 56 and with that, we had set foot or rather cycles in God's own country. The route became a little more challenging and demanding. A lot of autos and two-wheelers, kids in groups, all smiling and giggling, locals on foot in search of firewood, people waiting patiently at bus stops, old men with walking sticks, lone womenfolk washing, occasionally, a bus brimming with people, people reclining on comfortable chairs on house verandas overlooking the highway, bored shopkeepers manning petty shops  - this is what Kerala threw at us; we lapped it up all and our hunger increased even as lunch time was drawing near. The rains that gave us company every now and then added to the fun element.


Suddenly we took a turn to behold a function right by the roadside. Men and women in traditional Kerala attire were dancing to a melodious tune that sounded otherworldly to the ears that had got used to meaningless bollywood fare. A small crowd had gathered to watch the spectacle. We stopped to click pictures. I caught up with two fellow riders - Sulaiman Khwaja and Rekha Goel - whom I would religiously follow later in the day.

For lunch, we stopped at Odayanchal at 12.45 - We had covered nearly 50 kms crossing Rajapuram, another large town after Panathur. The rice bath and curd rice with pickle and dry chilli, that was our lunch, tasted delicious. At 13.15, we were back to pedaling. The first 3 kms was strenuous. It required all our effort to pedal as the altitude was on the higher side. I soon caught up with Rekha and Sulaiman and then struck to a simple goal, I set myself - trailing them. When they slowed down, I slowed down; when they stopped for short breaks, I did the same. It was sheer fun, asking for routes from locals and riding through potholes as evening approached. 



Barely a few kms before Bekal fort, my chain gave away and it took 5 minutes of intense concentration to fix it. Sporting a wide smile, I made it to Bekal fort - 83 kms in 8 hours!  

At the fort, I quenched my thirst with 2 glasses of butter milk and 2 glasses of lemon soda; God bless that lady! With the whereabouts of Satya and his friend remaining mysterious, there were a few tense moments. The fort, spread over a large tract of land was breathtaking and the view of the beach with the waves dashing with an astonishing ferocity against the rocks, disconcerting and awe-inspiring at the same time!   

The Chennai gang decided to make its own way to Kasaragod. It was a backbreaking journey - with 8 people packed inside an auto, you can imagine very well, the state we were in, when we disembarked at speedway inn. A hot water bath after such an exhausting day resulted in a sound, deep, dreamless slumber. 


Day 2 - Sunday 




We started from Kasaragod at 7.30 on Sunday towards Jalsoor, 48 kms away on the border between Karnataka and Kerala. The 7.5 km stretch towards Cherakala warmed up our muscles and later, we regrouped briefly thinking we had crossed the breakfast point. After clarifications, we continued to Bovikanam. The breakfast of hot idlis and vada provided just the right amount of energy to traverse the most difficult 5 kms of the whole expedition. Very steep, we had to walk a good distance to cover that stretch. 

The fact that I had company this time around too helped. Omkar, Sanjay, Aravind, Jagadeesh and Alfonso happened to lead and trail me in turns. The sun was out and with considerable effort we continued. Even though it was tiring, the dynamics of the group kept us going. A smile, a nod, a twinkle of the eye, a thumbs-up sign from a stranger - these kept us going. 


5 kms before Jalsoor, we came across a most beautiful hanging bridge. Alfonso and Jagadeesh rode their bikes across the length of the bridge while we rapidly clicked pictures. In a scene straight out of a movie, two kids - a boy and a girl, must have been less than 10 years old - holding each other's hand and smiling ear-to-ear, crossed the bridge. It would be one sight that I would never forget for some time. It is a pity that I don't have that picture with me!




At Jalsoor, we waited for the other riders to arrive, clicked a lot of pictures and boarded the bus to Sulya. After lunch at Sulya, it was time to hop on for the longer journey back to Bangalore. 


If it was one thing that this expedition taught me, it was not to give up. Many a time, we get so close to our goals, but give up. It is important then to forget the goal momentarily and instead enjoy the journey. The goal itself becomes a side-effect then. As Viktor Frankl said, it would ensue eventually! 


PS: If my mobile had escaped the deft hands of a pick-pocket-er, I could have shared some pics that I myself took but none of them would have matched Purnendu's magic! All pics courtesy - Purnendu! You can also read his account here

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Lonely existence

Whoever would wish to wallow in the waves of loneliness?

In the midst of family, friends, relatives and acquaintances, 
to feel no appetite, no energy and no life around, to remain
uninspired by the pleasant weather...Indeed,

When the pleasant weather appears to revel in sadistic glee, 
when the smile of the kid next door seems plastic,
when the absence of any rustle of the leaves looks 
a grave premonition of an impending gloom, when all 
the nice things around, appear drifting and momentary, 
when no amount of running away seems to bring inner peace,
when cheerful friends are tested by an unforgiving fate, 
when everyone one turns to carries a demon - silent and 
lurking, bidding its time to unleash its wrath - limbs lose energy,
hunger gets bottled up, eyelids begin to droop, one begins to
yearn for a long sleep - hoping that sleep will wash away
the pangs of one's lonely existence! 
Alas, sleep decides to wreak its own vengeance for all the 
happy hours of yesteryear - it digs up
memories long forgotten. A dull pain takes over, numbing 
the senses into inaction...the only cozy retreat is a strained silence!

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Bol - disrobes reality, shocks, angers, stuns, numbs and...

Bol by Shoaib Mansoor, the critically acclaimed director of Khuda Kay Liye, is brutally hard-hitting cinema. When movie makers choose to depict societal evils, they have a choice - either they can pay lip service and make the depiction an insignificant sidetrack or they can choose to take the bull by the horns - that is when they do real justice to their craft!

What is cinema without storytelling? When the story entertains, we appreciate it because we want to escape reality. In living our fantasies through our cinematic idols, we revel in their exploits, dance steps, riches, conquests and triumphs! When the story is closer home in its grounding, we tend to sometimes brush it aside, choosing to label it, 'not for the faint hearted/weak hearted'/ 'bold'/'hard-hitting'/'art cinema' etc. By categorizing movies as mass entertainers, we have started committing a grave injustice, injustice to the intellect of the masses. 

Set in Pakistan, in a quasi-urban landscape,Bol is the story of a single family's travails and tribulations. Hakim Saab (Manzar Sehbai) in his quest for a male child ends up with seven daughters and a hermaphrodite. The most rebellious and vociferous in the household, the eldest daughter, Zainab (Humaima Malick) confronts her father every time his ego and male chauvinism shackles the household. Child sexual abuse, the perils of growing up as a girl child in an ultra conservative and feudal environment, corruption in police ranks, prostitution, societal attitude towards hermaphrodites, their humiliations, Shia-Sunni divide, all compounded by a single man's egoism and chauvinism - this is Bol! 

Ayesha (Mahirah Khan Askari) is lucky enough to be charmed by Mustafa (Atif Aslam), the boy next door. She falls in love with him and among Zainab's many crimes in the eyes of her father, giving Ayesha's hand to Mustafa is also one. Humaima and Manzar are both excellent, the former in her restrained anger and agony, verbal barbs and jibes and the latter in his seething hatred of his eldest daughter and his inability to reconcile with his conscience. Atif gets to emote little, Mahirah is just OK and the other girls end up as helpless spectators of a charged battle. The movie disrobes reality,shocks, angers, stuns, numbs and in the end, leaves us with a flicker of hope - a hope that is beautiful in its potential to transform lives.

Cinematography in the song 'Hona tha pyar' is awesome. It manages to juxtapose the natural beauty of the landscape alongside the frail existence of Mustafa and Ayesha. Among other songs, Dil Janiya is my favorite. Mumkin hai is the very voice of hope! Shoaib Mansoor, hats off, hope this serves as an inspiration to other talented craftsmen in the sub continent.

Perhaps, it is high time, the masses too start asking themselves - do we want movies that are escapist or do we want movies that question accepted norms and ask uncomfortable questions? With the World in turmoil - debt crisis, austerity measures, Arab dissent and frustration with farcical democracies - isn't it time for cinema to become a vehicle of the collective and for the collective, in articulating their real voices for a change? The scope and potential is huge, who has the guts to take the plunge?