Wanderlust

On the way to Heaven...Part 2

Fri, 08 Sep 2006 07:30:54 GMT

As I behold the promised land
My heart leaps with joy
My mind is blank
Drinking in the view

Gently rock me to sleep
Oh wind from the poseidon deep...

Hypnotic
Making
time
fly
From branch
to
branch
Till the heavens
start crying

Barefoot
Sand in between my toes
Come take me
Toss me
And throw me back
For I love this world too much
To leave it behind

A prison will be a prison
Even if disguised as a Ruby Red Palace
Made of blood red sand
Bringing back memories
of the glass palace
Shimmering
In lands far away

The fountain of youth
Can't help me
If you hold me prisoner
And kill my spirit
I can only look afar
At the harbor
Waiting for news
Of my Motherland

A majestic looking post
Standing tall
Against the ocean
Waiting
After dark
For fairy lights unbidden

The fairy lights come
Bringing with them barbs
Unbidden, but foreseen
They catch me dreaming
And I fall
Into the surf
Into the blue sea

The Old Man of the Mountains
waits by the path
Watching
Waiting for the One
To guide him
Across the heart of land

Meanwhile the brook rolls on
Tumbling
Changing shape
Not knowing that
The love of her life
Wont know her

Farewell sweet brook
You quenched my thirst
And my spirit
The things in your heart scared me
My breath nearly escaped
But now I am
On my way back

Take me home....
Country roads...

On the way to heaven...

Thu, 31 Aug 2006 06:14:25 GMT

Destination: Ganpatipule

When: August 11-15, 2006

Route: the famous Bombay to Goa NH 17 route

On the way out of the madness that is Mumbai...

The Gods give us their blessings...

The lone tower...

Half finished dreams, half a view
I watch over the sleeping valley

What secrets do I hide in the mist and in my heart...

Call of the siren...
Rest your weary feet and eyes
Be mesmerized
Linger
Never leaving
Granite souls...

Chhota sa ghar hoga badalon ki chhaon mein...

Innocent, I smile
At the stranger
I know she captures my soul
But i want to see
I want to experience
I will fly away one day

Come on to the secret path
That leads to the garden of eden
Come join me while i toil
Making food for the gods
Come help me carry the nectar
That shall quench their insatiable thirst

At last I reach the final path
The one that shall lead me to what i seek
The foaming waters below
And the fertile earth beside
Weave a perilous path
I tarry...
I soak...
Will i fulfill my quest?

Second installment of photographs with the next post..

To further Osama's cause...

Mon, 21 Aug 2006 05:28:14 GMT

Passengers are doing profiling of other passengers these days, deciding who can fly with them and who cannot according to a news report from The Daily Mail

Wonder how many such incidents it takes for a person to start believing in Osama's cause and cross over....

What is amazing is the number of highly educated and cultured people who think that such incidents are ok.
Their argument being "People do such things when they are afraid"..

What comes next? Special flights for all south asians?
Or maybe ships ahoy?

*Gah*

Promise...

Thu, 10 Aug 2006 06:09:49 GMT

There is a promise in the air

The wind beckons
Blowing, restless..
Leading the way

It speaks of
Places to be seen
Trails to be followed
Mountains to be climbed

It speaks of
The wind in my hair
Of azure blue seas
And white sands

It tells me about rains
Outside my window
A book in my hand
And a cup of tea

It promises warmth
A cozy hug
And some time away
From the madness

There is a promise in the air...

Flight...

Tue, 01 Aug 2006 12:15:38 GMT

I am weary
Of living in a cocoon
Where the silk
Is not mine

I want to fly now
I want to make my own wings

Vein by vein
Feather by feather
Color by color
Gossamer light
To lift me
My spirits

I want to fly now

Who knows

I may fly into a wall
Or into the bright blue sky
Who knows

I want to fly now...

Omkara

Thu, 27 Jul 2006 10:38:26 GMT

Had thought this day would never come...
When I would watch a Kareena Kapoor movie...that too in a theatre...

But, the lure of a Vishal Bharadwaj movie is too great...

The promos look promising...Saif looks positively devilish....
So, Omkara it is this Sunday....

A Prayer

Tue, 25 Jul 2006 10:33:57 GMT

Dear Elysia,

Thank you for all this effort to reach me..

I am safe until now..The situation is very difficult out here. We are
suffering on daily basis...Everything we need is so hard to find, and if you
find it its 10 times the initial price!

Bombings are really scary, we're not sleeping because of the noise..
what can I tell you..
Everything is destroyed, it's a disaster..It's making everybody sick.

We're living in fear..I am so angry at this but can't do anything about it.

Pray for us Elysia, because I feel that the worst is yet to come...

I hope you are doing better than I do. I'm still amazed that the internet is
working, phones are useless..

Keep in touch..

Got this mail from a friend of mine from Lebanon.
Had been trying to get in touch with her ever since the bombings started.

As i began typing a reply I realized I had no clue what she was going through...

I was full of hopeful words
Words of assuarance
Words of empathy
Memories of time spent
Connecting
Breaking free
Doing our own thing
Of crying our eyes out
When it was time to say goodbye

But

Devoid of connection
Devoid of words
That say

I
know
what
you
are
going
through

Today and everyday
Life will be the same
For a lot of us
Around the world

Other than my prayers for her and her family, I had nothing else I could offer...

Shopping

Fri, 21 Jul 2006 06:07:28 GMT

Been such a long time since I went Shopping...

Its strange...Used to hate going shopping alone earlier....
Would get so bored to go and buy a tube of toothpaste if I had to do it alone....

But ever since I started working....Shopping alone became my time away from the madness....
In fact, now I find myself squirming if I go with someone else....

Weekend here....Time to empty out my wallet!!

: )

Davey Jone's Locker

Tue, 18 Jul 2006 09:58:43 GMT

Am waiting desperately for the latest Pirates flick

According to reviews, the movie is not as interesting and a wee bit too long for comfort.

But for seasoned Hindi film viewers like me, who have sat through 3 hour long
Krishhs and Phir Hera Pheris, a 150 minute long will seem like a breeze....

And I can do anything to watch the ever so yummy Johnny Depp on screen...

So people, grab a seat...get a bag of popcorn and Ships Ahoy!!

Free

Mon, 17 Jul 2006 09:45:09 GMT

If you feel your attention wandering
In office, in the middle of the day
If you find yourself yearning and longing
To go outside and play in the rain
If you feel so uneasy and restless
That you think you are gonna die
And moreover you get the nagging feeling that
This way to go is not your style:

If you remember every speck of sand, every pebble
You ever saw along the ocean blue
If you can smell and taste the slice of Pizza
That you had in a Venetian square
If you get high just on memories of the
Wine and rajma dinners with friends
Or fall asleep planning long rainy weekend drives
With friends or without:

If you are ready to fly into the raging storm
With or without wings to hold you
If you can ride a bus or a first class airline seat
With the same style and splendour
If you want to climb every hill, mountain or tree
And splash in every puddle, sea or ocean
Yours is the path and the journey that comes with it
And - what is more - you will be free, my friend

Apathy

Fri, 07 Jul 2006 11:34:09 GMT

She keeps to herself...
Her sorrows, her pain...
I perceive, I recognize...

But I don't ask...
Don't reach out...

Which is the greater crime?

The silent pining...
Or the knowing apathy...

Singing in the Rain

Thu, 06 Jul 2006 10:36:26 GMT

Two rainy days...
Off from work...

Reading a book...
Taking a walk in the rain...
With the waves lashing at me...

Singing...Singing...
Till my throat hurt...

Wonderful mid-week experience...

PS: My sis tells me I should change the word "Parents" in the prvious post to "Family".
*chuckle*
Understand the spirit behind the post dear...
: )

The Balancing Act..

Thu, 29 Jun 2006 04:50:22 GMT

The great balancing act has begun....

Office--Friends--Personal life--Parents

(And I am not even counting relatives and all in this....
Just the bare minimum)

So many friends working 2 buildings away...
But don't meet them....
Coz I am too busy or too tired...

I hate making priorities...

A Day Off

Mon, 26 Jun 2006 08:55:52 GMT

Feel like curling up in the bed...
Under a nice warm blanket...

Book in hand...
By the window...
Chai and pakode for company...

*sigh*

Am in office instead...

Is it time?

Thu, 22 Jun 2006 06:46:16 GMT

Still have an unopened Bordeaux Red...
Memories of 3 bitter sweet months...
Names that were only words on the map before...

New experiences, new people...
The food...The wines...
A whole new world...

I fear that the bottle holds...
Sights, Sounds and the smells of places...
Places visited, places just passed by...

Don't think will open the Bordeaux yet...
Not ever...

The Sniffles

Thu, 22 Jun 2006 06:21:03 GMT

I have the sniffles...Millions of hot cups of coffee and tons of tissue later...Still feeling terrible....I dont wanna work today...Boo Hoooooo

Back to work...

Wed, 24 May 2006 05:13:10 GMT

Am back in an office after 2 long years....
Two long years of anything but monotony and schedule...
Back to a desk...this time by the window...
Back to earning a living...
Back to daily blogging....

: )

Hopefully...

Thu, 30 Mar 2006 20:28:06 GMT

Insomnia

Its my last night in the IIM Bangalore campus as a student. And I am ending it the way I started it.

With a night of insomnia...
Staring out of my window...
The clear night...
And the air heavy with summer's heaviness...

The moon looks so cold, welcoming and so distant...

The only difference being that I am not busy making a resume
: )

Fond memories, Strong bonds...
A promise...

Somehow not feeling as forlorn and bereft as I thought I would be...
Maybe its because i will be seeing many of the people from here again...very soon...

But its the very air of this place that I shall miss the most...

The freedom...the choices...
Right? Wrong?...
Who knows...
It is for me to find out...

Maybe I never shall...

Madness...Mayhem...Melodrama...

Wed, 01 Feb 2006 10:13:07 GMT

The mother of all cultural fests in the country – Unmaad 2006 is here. The annual cultural festival of IIM Bangalore with one of the biggest budgets ever begins on the 3rd of February and promises three days of pure unadulterated thrill. The festival begins with a bang - Grammy award winning band Jethro Tull, rocking the IIMB campus grounds tonight. There is more madness and passion lined up tomorrow with the “Unity” concert where Jal, India’s favorite band from the other side of the border will be performing live on stage with Shivamani, the most entertaining and modern percussionist India has produced.

The surprise theme at Unmaad 2006 is “Your five minutes of fame”. The idea behind this theme was to celebrate the winners and turn on the spotlights on them, giving them a chance to bask in the glory. Of course, the winners also get featured by Unmaad’s media partners who include the top national dailies like the Times of India and the Indian Express to other fun media channels like RadioCity, JAMMag and Yahoo. The events will also be covered on Zee News and by PVR Cinemas. Unmaad 2006 offers a chance to all and sundry to get their own 5 minutes of fame with celebrity meetings, mobile movie making to video footage.

For the participants from colleges across India, Unmaad promises all the excitement and thrill possible from February 3 to February 5. Events include dramatics, musicals, quizzes, fine arts, personality contests and performing arts. What do we get when we mix the theme –“5 minutes of fame” with a JAM session? A unique “Press Conference” to bring out the hidden celebrity in each and every participant. And our very own, Cyrus Broacha, the king of self deprecating humour will be there to carry the event to a new level.

This year’s special concept is “Bangalore’s Best College” – where IIMB invites colleges to do their own thing on the stage, and proving their mettle in front of other colleges of the city. The rock fans in the city have it big this year with the “B-school of Rock” event, which will be one of India’s biggest semi-professional rock competitions with more than Rs 2 lakh worth in prizes.

But undoubtedly the highlight of Unmaad 2006 will be the performance by Jethro Tull, the masters of progressive rock. The opening act is by Thermal and a Quarter. This is the first time Jethro Tull will be performing in Bangalore. The performance is expected to draw in fans from all over India. The band led by the ace flautist-cum-guitarist-cum-songwriter Ian Anderson is well known for their unique mix of hard rock, folk melodies, blues licks, and surreal and profound lyrics.

Passes for the Jethro Tull and “Unity” concerts are available at all Pizza Hut outlets in Bangalore, PVR Cinemas, the Forum Lobby and online at http://www.fabmall.com.

For more details, contact Gundeep Singh at 9880365780.

A Generation Awakes

Mon, 30 Jan 2006 20:41:42 GMT

What can I say about a movie that is disturbing and inspiring at the same time....

After the dark and brooding supernatural tale "Aks", Rakesh Mehra tells a story so refreshing and different that it will remain with you for some time, will make you think (which is a lot from an Indian mainstream movie)

Rang De Basanti has brilliant performances by

Aamir Khan - his age doesn not jar...the movie grips you and makes you forget Aamir's age.

Siddharth - A name to watch out for. Another brilliant and understated performance after Mani Ratnam's Aayitha Ezhuthu

Kunal Kapoor and Sharman Joshi are endearing and Kunal Kapoor with his long curly locks and an unkempt beard is absolutely yummy

Soha Ali Khan also impresses with her fiestiness, restraint and hysteria - thankfully in the right places

And the star of the movie is Alice Patten - she totally lives her role as the British documentary film maker who has made it her life's mission to tell the story of the Indian revolutionary heroes

Whatever the detractors might say - Preachy, does not set a good example, the same old rehashed freedom struggle, Aamir Khan is too old to play a college kid........The movie rises above all these things with a great music score, awesome dialogs,
breathtaking cinematography and shots that will remain long after the stardust settles down. And of course a truly original storyline...

With its ending shots inspired from "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" and "Gladiator", Rang De Basanti is a whole hearted, true attempt to make a generation sit up and take notice....

Blue Skies, White Sands

Mon, 05 Dec 2005 09:30:27 GMT

Cannes...

Straight from "The Lifestyle of the Rich and Famous", this beautiful small town on the French Riviera
has one of the most gorgeous beaches ever. Warm white sands, the azure blue mediterranean and the sun beaming down at you...
For others, there is lot of eye candy *ahem* sunbathing on the beaches....
The soft white sand was a welcome relief after days of walking on the Nice pebble beach....

And for the sailing enthusiasts, the gleaming white yatchs and boats are a delight to watch even if they are just anchored at the harbor...
In fact the Cote d'Azur has many more small relatively lesser known but beautiful villages with exciting names like Eze, Grasse, Cagnes sur Mer...You could spend days just lying on the beach in the sun.....
After spending a week in the snow, I now know why the Europeans love the sun so much...

Neither here nor there

Mon, 28 Nov 2005 13:49:23 GMT

Forgive me Chan for flicking the intro....
: )

Armed with

an Inspiron 6000....
an Olympus C 500....
a Nokia 2650....
a Lonely Planet guide to Western Europe....
an unlimited 2 month Eurail pass (and the wonderful timetable and maps that come along with it)....

I have started my European wanderings.

In the few days in between when I have to rest my weary bones...write exams and make presentations...I come home to Nice and attend college at EDHEC.

Had decided to update my blog after

every journey....
every new place I saw....
every new experience.....

Had decided to chronicle

every moment...
my entire existence ....
every feeling...
every wonderous occasion...

but thankfully...was so caught up with having a good time....that i pretty much ignored most of the above....
now that I have a month on my hand....and mostly because I am out of money to travel any more....
I plan to sit back and reminiscence...

The Floating Poem

Mon, 28 Nov 2005 13:48:22 GMT

It is easy to build
a poem in the air
all you need
are a few well-lit words
light-footed
light-fingered
light-minded words

And your breath is enough
to make them soar
and to keep them poised
transparently
hanging in the balance
floating mid-air
hovering
between life and death

A few words
lighter than air
will do
until the lights go out
and they sink
slowly
alighting
on the dark face
of the Earth

Nevermind
It is easy to build

- Hans Magnus Enzensberger

Had been to Swarowski Crystal Works in Innsbruck, Austria where I came across this installation by Hans Magnus Enzensberger.
The words along with the glittering chandelier suspended impossibly in mid air just take your breath away.

Swarovski has come up with a brilliant idea to leave the visitors spell bound and then make them buy their glittering products.

But I'm not complaining. Those earrings look rather nice on me.

:D

Mon, 28 Nov 2005 13:45:10 GMT

Cote de Azur

Literally translates into "The Blue Coast". And believe me it couldnt be truer.

I am in Nice, France and the Mediterannean sea is a beautiful shade of blue. I have never seen a more breathtaking view
of the ocean and the waves breaking onto the beach. I have now sat for hours on the beach, sleeping in the sun, doing nothing.

This city has the uncanny ability to turm even the most energetic hyperactive person into a laidback, beach boy or girl. Its a pity that we have arrived at a time when the beach season is ending. Am trying to make the best of the few days left before it gets too cold to venture out on the beach.

I guess bein born and brought up in Mumbai, I will always remain an ocean person. The sound of the sea, the smell and the breeze makes me feel home wherever I am.

We have managed to get an awesome deal for the house we are staying in. Its up on a hillside with a huge balcony facing the sea.
My favorite part of the house is the cane chair by the balcony. Once you sit on that, its difficult to gather the will to get up.

The city has been growing on me slowly and steadily. The best part about Europe are the installations and peices of art strewn
about in the city. When you least expect it, you come across something which is absolutely breathtaking and creative.

Old Nice is a rocking town with its winding alleys, full of restaurants and shops, its marketplace and the port.

More about Nice, Scandinavia, Spain, France and Italy coming up.

Au Revoir...

Finding Neverland

Mon, 28 Nov 2005 13:43:42 GMT

Finding Neverland

After hazaar arguments and discussions on where to go for the weekend, which went like:

Goa -
NB: "too less time yaar. How can we do Goa in like one and a half days?" But if we go I want to go to the Dil Chahta Hai fort"
GS: "Now that shouldnt take one and a half days should it?"
NB: "t*** m* k*"

Munnar - landslides and floods

Kodai -
GS: "too far away yaar. Im not driving so far. We will spend half the time traveling only"

Coorg - been there already

So it was a matter of elimination and a lot of fun before we decided on Ooty. And 11 of us set off to Ooty on the long, Independence day weekend, without making reservations of any kind. We have hired a minivan and thankfully a driver to go with it. So no one complains of having to drive. The driver by the way has a pseuder cell phone than all of us which he whips out from time to time and mumbles something into.

So alls going well. We are passing through the Mudumalai wildlife sanctury. Its pitch dark and foggy outside.

T: "What will happen if our tyres get punctured now? It will be so much fun."

Driver freaks out on hearing this and says something about bad omen and black tounges.Thankfully T's toungue turns to be pure white and nothing of the sort happens.But now that the sadism has been unleashed, some people get the idea of telling ghost stories. Some other people (including yours truly) freak out on listening to the idea and whole heartedly and very vocally oppose the plan. But the story telling proceeds. By the time we are out of Mudumalai I am shit scared and waiting for some signs of human civilization.

Its too late to reach Ooty so we decide to spend the night in Gudalur, in a small lodge, where we find rooms with much difficulty.The beds are damp and the place stinks but anything for a roof over the head. Though my vote was for sleeping in the van. The next day we reach Ooty, bright and early and then go ahead and spend 6 hours trying to look for accommodation. Any kind. Everywhere the same answer, "The whole of Ooty is booked sir." Finally we find a cottage. Right in the middle of an ashram, with temples on all sides. Hmmmmmmmmm. That could pose a teeny weeny problem for our party tonight.

The next day was spent looking around Ooty. The city is very commercial and touristy. Especially on holidays, the entire population of South India (including us this time) descends upon Ooty and nearby areas in their best clothes. The place looks suspiciously like Kumbh Mela what with candy floss, bucking broncos, boat rides and all that jazz. We decided to go to Doddabetta one of the so called "must do" place in Ooty. After 5 disappointing minutes we were on our way back to the van.

Luckily for us, we saw a small arrow pointing towards an unpaved road which said, enjoy your trek. We decided to ditch our van and trek our way down to the city. It was more of a nature walk than a trek. But the best part of it was that there was not a single soul on that trail. We had the entire way to ourselves and that was the best 2 hours we had in Ooty.

After the walk and a scrumptious lunch buffet at Holiday Inn we set off for Pykara where there is a waterfall. Again disappointing. It was too late by the time we got there. The place shut down within 15 mins and was nothing great either.

By this time we are too tired to even complain. The night outs, tha party and the roaming around was taking its toil. We just piled on into the bus and slept our way through to Bangalore. Back to the campus, exams, submissions and the same old grind. But just for a week more.

Im packing my bags again and am off to France for 3 months. More posts from Europe.

Till then Ciao.

Some snaps from the trip