Thursday, September 13, 2007
Me, Myself and My Interviews...
When doubts starting clogging the mind, never dispel them. Let them clog it to a state where one cannot even think. Question yourself, tear your own self to pieces mercilessly and come to a point where you've realized you're just a bag of sh*t that's as unimportant to the world as a parked car is to a dog. Unwanted and despised. Maybe once all your pretensions, all the baggage has been dropped and you realize your worthlessness, you will begin to learn. Learn to think . Maybe, maybe it would lead oneself to something more worthwhile...
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Spicks and Specks!
One more... Their first hit...
Where is the sun
That shone on my head
The sun in my life
It is dead
it is dead
Where is the light
That would play
In my streets
And where are the friends
I could meet
I could meet
Where are the girls
I left all behind
The spicks and the specks
Of the girls on my mind
Where is the sun
That shone on my head
The sun in my life
It is dead
it is dead
Where are the girls
I left all behind
The spicks and the specks
Of the girls on my mind
Where is the girl I loved
all along
The girl that I loved
she's gone
she's gone
All of my life
I call yesterday
The spicks and the specks
of my life've gone away
All of my life
I call yesterday
The spicks and the specks
of my life 've gone away
Spicks and Specks!
That shone on my head
The sun in my life
It is dead
it is dead
Where is the light
That would play
In my streets
And where are the friends
I could meet
I could meet
Where are the girls
I left all behind
The spicks and the specks
Of the girls on my mind
Where is the sun
That shone on my head
The sun in my life
It is dead
it is dead
Where are the girls
I left all behind
The spicks and the specks
Of the girls on my mind
Where is the girl I loved
all along
The girl that I loved
she's gone
she's gone
All of my life
I call yesterday
The spicks and the specks
of my life've gone away
All of my life
I call yesterday
The spicks and the specks
of my life 've gone away
Spicks and Specks!
The Brothers Gibb...
Been listening to so much of them lately... If I were to put up lyrics with every passing song, I'd have to keep doing it the rest of my time... Out of this world... Just out of this world...
For Whom The Bell Tolls (Bee Gees)
Another beautiful, beautiful track...
I stumble in the night
Never really knew what it would've been like
You're no longer there to
Break my fall.
The heartache over you
I gave it everything but I couldn't get through
I never saw the signs
You're the last to know when love is blind
All the tears and the turbulent years
When I would not wait for no one
I didn't stop, take a look at myself
And see me losing you.
When the lonely heart breaks
It's the one that forsakes
It's the dream that we stole.
And I'm missing you more
And the fire that will roar
There's a hole in my soul.
For you it's goodbye
And for me it's to cry
For whom the bell tolls.
Seen you in a magazine
A picture at a party
Where you shouldn't have been
Hangin' on the arm of someone else
I'm still in love with you
Won't you come back to your little boy blue
I've come to feel inside
This precious love was never mine.
Now I know but a little too late
That I could not live without you
In the dark of the broad daylight
I promise I'll be there.
When the lonely heart breaks
It's the one that forsakes
It's the dream that we stole.
And I'm missing you more
And the fire that will roar
There's a hole in my soul.
For you it's goodbye
And for me it's to cry
For whom the bell tolls.
I never knew there'd be times like this
When I couldn't reach out to no one
Am I never gonna find someone
That knows me like you do.
Are you leaving me a helpless child
When it took so long to save me
Fight the devil and the deep blue sea
I'll follow you anywhere
I promise I'll be there.
When the lonely heart breaks
It's the one that forsakes
It's the dream that we stole
And I'm missing you more
And the fire that will roar
There's a hole in my soul
For you it's goodbye
And for me it's to cry
For whom the bell tolls
(FADE)
Never really knew what it would've been like
You're no longer there to
Break my fall.
The heartache over you
I gave it everything but I couldn't get through
I never saw the signs
You're the last to know when love is blind
All the tears and the turbulent years
When I would not wait for no one
I didn't stop, take a look at myself
And see me losing you.
When the lonely heart breaks
It's the one that forsakes
It's the dream that we stole.
And I'm missing you more
And the fire that will roar
There's a hole in my soul.
For you it's goodbye
And for me it's to cry
For whom the bell tolls.
Seen you in a magazine
A picture at a party
Where you shouldn't have been
Hangin' on the arm of someone else
I'm still in love with you
Won't you come back to your little boy blue
I've come to feel inside
This precious love was never mine.
Now I know but a little too late
That I could not live without you
In the dark of the broad daylight
I promise I'll be there.
When the lonely heart breaks
It's the one that forsakes
It's the dream that we stole.
And I'm missing you more
And the fire that will roar
There's a hole in my soul.
For you it's goodbye
And for me it's to cry
For whom the bell tolls.
I never knew there'd be times like this
When I couldn't reach out to no one
Am I never gonna find someone
That knows me like you do.
Are you leaving me a helpless child
When it took so long to save me
Fight the devil and the deep blue sea
I'll follow you anywhere
I promise I'll be there.
When the lonely heart breaks
It's the one that forsakes
It's the dream that we stole
And I'm missing you more
And the fire that will roar
There's a hole in my soul
For you it's goodbye
And for me it's to cry
For whom the bell tolls
(FADE)
Barry, Robin and Maurice... *Salute...*
Ordinary Lives... (Bee Gees)
This song is such a relief... such a relief... One for us ordinary people...
There'll be one small light all over the world tonight.
The search will go on for the one.
It was love with no name
And we glowed in the sun.
There was one small dream,
Incredible highs and lows,
What little we knew living ordinary lives (lives).
Made a dream for you, living ordinary lives (lives).
Ordinary people living ordinary lives.
Ordinary people living ordinary lives.
We were ordinary people living ordinary lives.
We were ordinary people living ordinary lives.
The clock on the wall keeps moving,
Time stands still,
No matter how the dice may fall,
Someone else always gets to call the number.
Say goodbye cruel world.
No pity no pain tonight.
Whatever the cost all is lost.
If this is love with no name,
Then it's all in the stars.
Whether it's wrong (wrong) or right,
There's no one to blame no (no) lies.
What else could we do
Living ordinary lives (lives)?
Made a dream for you,
Living ordinary lives (lives).
Oh, oh. We were ordinary people living ordinary lives.
We were ordinary people living ordinary lives.
We were ordinary people.
What else could we do,
Living ordinary lives (lives)?
Made a dream for you,
Living ordinary lives (lives).
Oh, oh. We were ordinary people living ordinary lives.
We were ordinary people living ordinary lives.
We were ordinary people living ordinary lives.
We were ordinary people living ordinary lives.
The search will go on for the one.
It was love with no name
And we glowed in the sun.
There was one small dream,
Incredible highs and lows,
What little we knew living ordinary lives (lives).
Made a dream for you, living ordinary lives (lives).
Ordinary people living ordinary lives.
Ordinary people living ordinary lives.
We were ordinary people living ordinary lives.
We were ordinary people living ordinary lives.
The clock on the wall keeps moving,
Time stands still,
No matter how the dice may fall,
Someone else always gets to call the number.
Say goodbye cruel world.
No pity no pain tonight.
Whatever the cost all is lost.
If this is love with no name,
Then it's all in the stars.
Whether it's wrong (wrong) or right,
There's no one to blame no (no) lies.
What else could we do
Living ordinary lives (lives)?
Made a dream for you,
Living ordinary lives (lives).
Oh, oh. We were ordinary people living ordinary lives.
We were ordinary people living ordinary lives.
We were ordinary people.
What else could we do,
Living ordinary lives (lives)?
Made a dream for you,
Living ordinary lives (lives).
Oh, oh. We were ordinary people living ordinary lives.
We were ordinary people living ordinary lives.
We were ordinary people living ordinary lives.
We were ordinary people living ordinary lives.
Simple lyrics and beautifully rendered by the immortal Bee Gees....
"The clock on the wall keeps moving,
Time stands still,
No matter how the dice may fall,
Someone else always gets to call the number." My word!!!
"The clock on the wall keeps moving,
Time stands still,
No matter how the dice may fall,
Someone else always gets to call the number." My word!!!
Friday, August 31, 2007
Hope...
It must be the most vain of feelings... When all is lost, we still clutch at a last imaginary straw. In the midst of all our helplessness, it seems to give some meaning to our torment. And every moment, as the struggle goes on, as conflicts increase, that feeling seems to be the only solace. A chance in an otherwise unforgiving life... It's called hope...
Sunday, July 15, 2007
The part that never happened... :-(
I never could compose the third and final part of our trip... I guess I'll stop it at that too... Been too long now... :-(
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
A Trip Together... A Joy Forever... (contd.)
Part II - Meenmutty Falls
Having made the trek b
ack towards our TT from Soochippara falls, we were now ready to continue our journey. The braver lot having tasted blood... I mean water, from right below the falls, they were looking for a chance to dive into the second waterfall. Meenmutty beckoned. We couldn't wait to get there. Any delays made everyone restless. A bottle of Sprite later, we were o
n our way. The route was again capturing our imagination. The curves, the tea plantations, the little houses atop the little hillocks were a pleasing sight. The welcome change from the concrete and glass jungles in the city seemed to make everyone fresh. Everybody had a whale of a time laughing, joking... all in good spirit. In this vein we made it to Meenmutty via Meppadi and Vaduvanchal towns. The place was very sombre. It had a quiet about it. It wasn't exactly by the nearest main road or town and it showed. There was just a house there and a few jeeps parked. We asked about and a friendly local gave us directions.
He told us that it was a kilometer walk along a fairly even (relatively) road... then a slightly steep descent towards the falls. We asked if it was possible to get into the water. He, being polite, didn't laugh us off. There was an offer to get us a jeep. But the walk was what everyone was there for. We walked on. The road was a little marshy. But it was ok generally. We made our way towards the tougher part of the journey knowing not what lay ahead. And not a lot later, the descent started. It was comfortable to start off with. Just a curving small path, with place to walk one at a time. Piece of cake. Well... it went on... and on... and on... We couldn't hear water yet, so we knew we had a while to walk. Then we saw people on their way up. A polite inquiry and the responses were like... "5 kms more... very steep... to dangerous." "Nothing there at all... just a small opening to see some water falling." Well a waterfall is basically that, why complain? And people were really panting. Hands on knees, some unable to move.
We looked at each other. A smirk and a grin later, we were on our way again. The path though got increasingly steeper and more difficult. It started to get a little slippery at places. But sticking together was a great thing. We just guided each other along and things went well. Then, after a while the path was more imagination and less visible. You see, now were well and truly into the jungle.
Welcome to the Jungle... Welcome to the Jungle...
The path now on was between and below trees, with roots of other trees as foothold and branches of some other trees as support. Whew! But no one wanted to stop. It was one experience no one wanted to miss. It was tough. It was dangerous. But if you were careful, it could be done. And we did. After a while, the sound of water falling became clearer and louder. That only made us want to reach there more. We really didn't know how long, how far or what lay in store. People we met every 10 minutes kept telling us it was another 20 minutes. So we stopped asking. And as the water got louder and we knew we were almost there, we got our second wind. It was pretty tiring at times. But the fact that we were close drove us on. One of our dearest pals, KB as we call him had a tough time. His shoes simply wouldn't let him carry on. He thought it best to rest and we found him a nice ledge to wait for the Cobras to turn up. :-) About 10 minutes more and the water was visible. It was a short climb down now. It still was risky, but no more than we'd been through.
And then we were there. This sight took the weariness out of us in an instant. The water gushing down in a torrent, the sound, the forest around... Heaven in the midst of a jungle...
The sight by the fall was no less majestic. Nature and her beauty. Wish I could show it in its entirety. No camera could capture it. None whatsoever. We had a few nice shots with the falls in the background. The place to stand was only a little ledge. We took our snaps and then slowly trudged back. The entire walk downwards had taken about 50 minutes. It was an uphill task getting back now. LITERALLY!!!
At around 3.45 pm, I think, we started the climb back. It was tough on the body. But less risky. The uphill climb meant lots more of support and lesser chance of falling. So slowly again we made our way up. We reached KB and his ledge soon and made our way upwards. The climb was less adventurous. It was pretty tiring though. Second uphill journey of the day and it was taking its toll.
It seems a law of nature. The beginning of a climb is always the hardest. Once you settle into a rhythm you just get used to it. Doesn't make it any easier, but it's a lot more manageable. And that way, we made it higher up till there was wayside shop with buttermilk. "Mor" as is the term in Malayalam. With pants ringing, "Yeh Dil Mange Mor", we all went into the little shelter. Had a glass or two of the refreshing drink. And then 10 minutes later, we were on the road proper. Now it was no problem and we reached
out TT in another 15 minutes.
The little house at the corner of the road had a well. And everyone quenched his thirst with the spring water. Cold and fresh.
That was end of the adventure for the day. It was 4 p.m. and we started back towards Kalpetta town. To put our feet up and get some rest.
We hadn't had lunch. So we stopped on the way back at Meppadi's Hotel Taj, had a bite to quieten growling stomachs and then we were on our way back again. There was an idea to visit Pookode lake, which offered people boating and some fun in general. But we could reach there only by 6, which was closing time. So, Pookode had to be shelved. And it was back to PPS, Kalpetta - our shelter.
We got there at around 7. All I wanted to, was to lie down. There was also the group dinner at the restaurant below, planned for 9 p.m. So we just freshened up. And waited for everyone to assemble. The dinner was the only sad part of the trip. The meals were served late, the waiter got on everybody's nerves, and it was such a mess, we were glad once we managed to get out. I wouldn't want to elaborate. I can't live through the episode again.
Then it was back to the rooms again. 6 in a room. We played Dumb Charades in our room for a while, 6 of us. We chose the hardest ways to represent simple stuff and an hour went by with more laughter and fun. Then all I remember about the day is that I switched off the lights. The next thing I remember is Sunday morning, approx. 7 a.m. People already dressed ready for the long day ahead.
Having made the trek b
ack towards our TT from Soochippara falls, we were now ready to continue our journey. The braver lot having tasted blood... I mean water, from right below the falls, they were looking for a chance to dive into the second waterfall. Meenmutty beckoned. We couldn't wait to get there. Any delays made everyone restless. A bottle of Sprite later, we were o
n our way. The route was again capturing our imagination. The curves, the tea plantations, the little houses atop the little hillocks were a pleasing sight. The welcome change from the concrete and glass jungles in the city seemed to make everyone fresh. Everybody had a whale of a time laughing, joking... all in good spirit. In this vein we made it to Meenmutty via Meppadi and Vaduvanchal towns. The place was very sombre. It had a quiet about it. It wasn't exactly by the nearest main road or town and it showed. There was just a house there and a few jeeps parked. We asked about and a friendly local gave us directions.He told us that it was a kilometer walk along a fairly even (relatively) road... then a slightly steep descent towards the falls. We asked if it was possible to get into the water. He, being polite, didn't laugh us off. There was an offer to get us a jeep. But the walk was what everyone was there for. We walked on. The road was a little marshy. But it was ok generally. We made our way towards the tougher part of the journey knowing not what lay ahead. And not a lot later, the descent started. It was comfortable to start off with. Just a curving small path, with place to walk one at a time. Piece of cake. Well... it went on... and on... and on... We couldn't hear water yet, so we knew we had a while to walk. Then we saw people on their way up. A polite inquiry and the responses were like... "5 kms more... very steep... to dangerous." "Nothing there at all... just a small opening to see some water falling." Well a waterfall is basically that, why complain? And people were really panting. Hands on knees, some unable to move.
We looked at each other. A smirk and a grin later, we were on our way again. The path though got increasingly steeper and more difficult. It started to get a little slippery at places. But sticking together was a great thing. We just guided each other along and things went well. Then, after a while the path was more imagination and less visible. You see, now were well and truly into the jungle.
Welcome to the Jungle... Welcome to the Jungle...
The path now on was between and below trees, with roots of other trees as foothold and branches of some other trees as support. Whew! But no one wanted to stop. It was one experience no one wanted to miss. It was tough. It was dangerous. But if you were careful, it could be done. And we did. After a while, the sound of water falling became clearer and louder. That only made us want to reach there more. We really didn't know how long, how far or what lay in store. People we met every 10 minutes kept telling us it was another 20 minutes. So we stopped asking. And as the water got louder and we knew we were almost there, we got our second wind. It was pretty tiring at times. But the fact that we were close drove us on. One of our dearest pals, KB as we call him had a tough time. His shoes simply wouldn't let him carry on. He thought it best to rest and we found him a nice ledge to wait for the Cobras to turn up. :-) About 10 minutes more and the water was visible. It was a short climb down now. It still was risky, but no more than we'd been through.
And then we were there. This sight took the weariness out of us in an instant. The water gushing down in a torrent, the sound, the forest around... Heaven in the midst of a jungle...
The sight by the fall was no less majestic. Nature and her beauty. Wish I could show it in its entirety. No camera could capture it. None whatsoever. We had a few nice shots with the falls in the background. The place to stand was only a little ledge. We took our snaps and then slowly trudged back. The entire walk downwards had taken about 50 minutes. It was an uphill task getting back now. LITERALLY!!!
At around 3.45 pm, I think, we started the climb back. It was tough on the body. But less risky. The uphill climb meant lots more of support and lesser chance of falling. So slowly again we made our way up. We reached KB and his ledge soon and made our way upwards. The climb was less adventurous. It was pretty tiring though. Second uphill journey of the day and it was taking its toll.
It seems a law of nature. The beginning of a climb is always the hardest. Once you settle into a rhythm you just get used to it. Doesn't make it any easier, but it's a lot more manageable. And that way, we made it higher up till there was wayside shop with buttermilk. "Mor" as is the term in Malayalam. With pants ringing, "Yeh Dil Mange Mor", we all went into the little shelter. Had a glass or two of the refreshing drink. And then 10 minutes later, we were on the road proper. Now it was no problem and we reached
out TT in another 15 minutes.The little house at the corner of the road had a well. And everyone quenched his thirst with the spring water. Cold and fresh.
That was end of the adventure for the day. It was 4 p.m. and we started back towards Kalpetta town. To put our feet up and get some rest.
We hadn't had lunch. So we stopped on the way back at Meppadi's Hotel Taj, had a bite to quieten growling stomachs and then we were on our way back again. There was an idea to visit Pookode lake, which offered people boating and some fun in general. But we could reach there only by 6, which was closing time. So, Pookode had to be shelved. And it was back to PPS, Kalpetta - our shelter.
We got there at around 7. All I wanted to, was to lie down. There was also the group dinner at the restaurant below, planned for 9 p.m. So we just freshened up. And waited for everyone to assemble. The dinner was the only sad part of the trip. The meals were served late, the waiter got on everybody's nerves, and it was such a mess, we were glad once we managed to get out. I wouldn't want to elaborate. I can't live through the episode again.
Then it was back to the rooms again. 6 in a room. We played Dumb Charades in our room for a while, 6 of us. We chose the hardest ways to represent simple stuff and an hour went by with more laughter and fun. Then all I remember about the day is that I switched off the lights. The next thing I remember is Sunday morning, approx. 7 a.m. People already dressed ready for the long day ahead.
Monday, May 28, 2007
A Trip Together... A Joy Forever...
Wayanad... An unkn
own to me... atleast till Saturday last... It's a place that's often been in the news and mostly for the wrong reasons. The issue (at Muthanga) between the tribal populace and the government had taken such an ugly turn that it shook the very base of the ruling Govt. at that point in time. There were also lots of people visiting the place. The mountains and the natural settings of the place offered many people time in peace away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. It also offered the adventurous a chance to stretch their legs and go on energy-sapping treks and rock-climbing expeditions. But all this was still only hearsay to me... and I'd daresay to most of our gang that chose Wayanad as the place to go for a trip together, before we went our ways. Most of them had got fabulous opportunities to pursue their higher education in some of the better universities abroad/here. Some had got opportunities to work on-site for their firms. Some of us like me had nothing happening, but this was a chance to spend some quality time with all these fellas who had become very close friends.
We, i.e. the 12 of us, left Bangalore on the night of Friday, 25 May. We had booked for a Tempo Traveler (TT) and that was a decision that offered us a lot of convenience and time. The journey was fun - unlimited. Atleast till everyone decided to put up their legs and close their eyes. It all started at Kids Kemp on MG Road, the first pick up point, where most of us assembled. Then we picked up the rest of the gang on the way to Mysore Road. And then started the journey. We stopped first at a temple on the way to Mysore, people offering prayers to ensure a safe trip and then we got on our way again.
The first pit-stop came at the magnificent Mysore Palace. We must be the rare ones who chose to visit it at 1 a.m. The palace with all the lighting and the golden shimmer looked beautiful. We stopped, admired the beauty of the place snapped up a few moments. Then we went on. Away from Mysore. Via Gundalpet, Bandipur and then the historic Sultan Bathery. By the time we'd gone past Gundalpet, most of our boys had decided to shut shop. All were preparing mentally for the treks that lay ahead, I believe :-). Bandipur didn't throw up any of the resources it holds to our waiting eyes, apart from a herd of deer... That itself was a scene remarkably beautiful. Their grace and movement... Aaah... Simply regal!!!
The night went with one more stop for tea in some cold place. The name I can't recollect. But the hot tea, I can't forget. By around 6, we'd reached Kalpetta... The driver, though, suggested that we go another 10 - 15 kms ahead... he talked about a view-point. He had a glint in his eye as he talked about it. We knew we simply had to go there. Now getting off the TT at 6.30 a.m. and looking down from those heights... Whattay sight!!! It was like we had landed straight into paradise... first thing in the morning. From then we all had a positivity about us. We knew this trip would be special.
The place has a remarkable beauty to it. Be it the stunning waterfalls or the beautiful peaks; the curving roads or the opulent tea gardens; the place has beauty that is natural and, like with most of nature's creations, mesmerizing. We tried capturing the beauty of the sight on our cameras. But the pictures will never tell the whole story. You must have imagination and use it to imagine a sight that is a gazillion times more magical than what the images convey. From here, having seen this beauty of a sight, we set off, back towards Kalpetta town. PPS Tourist home, where we had booked rooms, awaited us. As we reached the town, people guided us to the place and we were there, in no time. As we checked in, we realized we didn't have all the rooms we booked for. We'd asked for 4. We had only 2. That proved a blessing in disguise. We needed the rooms only to sleep in. And 4 beds in a room were good enough to house 6.
I hadn't slept all night. The journey was beautiful. Night journeys always are. The enveloping darkness fondles you in her arms and cajoles so much distress away, light finds you a changed man. This journey through the night was no different. But at times no sleep can leave you weary. But the bath in ice-cold water was such a lifter. Everyone was getting ready and by about 10 we left the place to find ourselves some breakfast. After a decent meal, and having made inquiries and a plan, we left to our first destination - Soochippara falls.
Every one was in high spirits. We were all looking forward
to the trek and the waterfall at the end of it. We reached the vehicle park at around 12, I think. The curving roads, the high mountains, the clouds and the tea-estate all made for a fabulous sight. The journey to Soochippara was close to 25 kms from Kalpetta town, I think. But the sights around made it an absolute pleasure. We reached the place at around 12 noon, I think. From the vehicle park, it is a 1.5 - 2 k.m. walk down to the actual falls. The path though is neatly covered with stone slabs that makes it a lot easier for more people to make it to the falls with less risk. A few snaps of the road and some attempts at heroism later, we were 
making the walk down to the falls. It was not too difficult and we reached the falls in about 20 minutes. The sight that greeted us was beautiful again. Water falling from a great height always is a pleasure to see. This was no different.
The slightly more adventurous chose to venture in to the water. At places it was really slippery with all the water making the rocks soft and the algal growth not helping our cause either. A few really brave ones got under the water fall. And from their reactions, I could gather that it was an experience. They enjoyed their time under the sun... water rather. I tried capturing a video of them in there, shouting at the to
p of their voices. Slightly less adventurous people [ ;-) ] chose to wet their feet in the cold water and return. We took as many photos as we could, shot a few videos and then decided to bit adieu to the place. Nothing worse than saying goodbye to places as beautiful as these. But our journey had to go on. And so it did. Packing our bags, we embarked on the long trek upwards. Now this was no piece of cake. Going up is always a strain on the knees and back, atleast mine. And after a while, it started hurting. I kept going (not that I had a choice :-), but still) and after a while the climb eased out. I still was at the rear end of the team. That though was good. I stopped by the side for some minted lime juice. Two glasses later, i was fresh again. Now there was not much left back to where our TT was. So once we made it there, it was time to get into the comfort of the TT and onto our next stop. Meenmutty falls. Now atleast to the onlooker like me, Soochippara was a walk in the park. Meenmutty is where it all began.
(to be contd....)
own to me... atleast till Saturday last... It's a place that's often been in the news and mostly for the wrong reasons. The issue (at Muthanga) between the tribal populace and the government had taken such an ugly turn that it shook the very base of the ruling Govt. at that point in time. There were also lots of people visiting the place. The mountains and the natural settings of the place offered many people time in peace away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. It also offered the adventurous a chance to stretch their legs and go on energy-sapping treks and rock-climbing expeditions. But all this was still only hearsay to me... and I'd daresay to most of our gang that chose Wayanad as the place to go for a trip together, before we went our ways. Most of them had got fabulous opportunities to pursue their higher education in some of the better universities abroad/here. Some had got opportunities to work on-site for their firms. Some of us like me had nothing happening, but this was a chance to spend some quality time with all these fellas who had become very close friends.
We, i.e. the 12 of us, left Bangalore on the night of Friday, 25 May. We had booked for a Tempo Traveler (TT) and that was a decision that offered us a lot of convenience and time. The journey was fun - unlimited. Atleast till everyone decided to put up their legs and close their eyes. It all started at Kids Kemp on MG Road, the first pick up point, where most of us assembled. Then we picked up the rest of the gang on the way to Mysore Road. And then started the journey. We stopped first at a temple on the way to Mysore, people offering prayers to ensure a safe trip and then we got on our way again.
The first pit-stop came at the magnificent Mysore Palace. We must be the rare ones who chose to visit it at 1 a.m. The palace with all the lighting and the golden shimmer looked beautiful. We stopped, admired the beauty of the place snapped up a few moments. Then we went on. Away from Mysore. Via Gundalpet, Bandipur and then the historic Sultan Bathery. By the time we'd gone past Gundalpet, most of our boys had decided to shut shop. All were preparing mentally for the treks that lay ahead, I believe :-). Bandipur didn't throw up any of the resources it holds to our waiting eyes, apart from a herd of deer... That itself was a scene remarkably beautiful. Their grace and movement... Aaah... Simply regal!!!
The night went with one more stop for tea in some cold place. The name I can't recollect. But the hot tea, I can't forget. By around 6, we'd reached Kalpetta... The driver, though, suggested that we go another 10 - 15 kms ahead... he talked about a view-point. He had a glint in his eye as he talked about it. We knew we simply had to go there. Now getting off the TT at 6.30 a.m. and looking down from those heights... Whattay sight!!! It was like we had landed straight into paradise... first thing in the morning. From then we all had a positivity about us. We knew this trip would be special.
The place has a remarkable beauty to it. Be it the stunning waterfalls or the beautiful peaks; the curving roads or the opulent tea gardens; the place has beauty that is natural and, like with most of nature's creations, mesmerizing. We tried capturing the beauty of the sight on our cameras. But the pictures will never tell the whole story. You must have imagination and use it to imagine a sight that is a gazillion times more magical than what the images convey. From here, having seen this beauty of a sight, we set off, back towards Kalpetta town. PPS Tourist home, where we had booked rooms, awaited us. As we reached the town, people guided us to the place and we were there, in no time. As we checked in, we realized we didn't have all the rooms we booked for. We'd asked for 4. We had only 2. That proved a blessing in disguise. We needed the rooms only to sleep in. And 4 beds in a room were good enough to house 6.
I hadn't slept all night. The journey was beautiful. Night journeys always are. The enveloping darkness fondles you in her arms and cajoles so much distress away, light finds you a changed man. This journey through the night was no different. But at times no sleep can leave you weary. But the bath in ice-cold water was such a lifter. Everyone was getting ready and by about 10 we left the place to find ourselves some breakfast. After a decent meal, and having made inquiries and a plan, we left to our first destination - Soochippara falls.
Every one was in high spirits. We were all looking forward
to the trek and the waterfall at the end of it. We reached the vehicle park at around 12, I think. The curving roads, the high mountains, the clouds and the tea-estate all made for a fabulous sight. The journey to Soochippara was close to 25 kms from Kalpetta town, I think. But the sights around made it an absolute pleasure. We reached the place at around 12 noon, I think. From the vehicle park, it is a 1.5 - 2 k.m. walk down to the actual falls. The path though is neatly covered with stone slabs that makes it a lot easier for more people to make it to the falls with less risk. A few snaps of the road and some attempts at heroism later, we were 
making the walk down to the falls. It was not too difficult and we reached the falls in about 20 minutes. The sight that greeted us was beautiful again. Water falling from a great height always is a pleasure to see. This was no different.The slightly more adventurous chose to venture in to the water. At places it was really slippery with all the water making the rocks soft and the algal growth not helping our cause either. A few really brave ones got under the water fall. And from their reactions, I could gather that it was an experience. They enjoyed their time under the sun... water rather. I tried capturing a video of them in there, shouting at the to
p of their voices. Slightly less adventurous people [ ;-) ] chose to wet their feet in the cold water and return. We took as many photos as we could, shot a few videos and then decided to bit adieu to the place. Nothing worse than saying goodbye to places as beautiful as these. But our journey had to go on. And so it did. Packing our bags, we embarked on the long trek upwards. Now this was no piece of cake. Going up is always a strain on the knees and back, atleast mine. And after a while, it started hurting. I kept going (not that I had a choice :-), but still) and after a while the climb eased out. I still was at the rear end of the team. That though was good. I stopped by the side for some minted lime juice. Two glasses later, i was fresh again. Now there was not much left back to where our TT was. So once we made it there, it was time to get into the comfort of the TT and onto our next stop. Meenmutty falls. Now atleast to the onlooker like me, Soochippara was a walk in the park. Meenmutty is where it all began.(to be contd....)
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Lost In Time...
At times even here it's frustrating...
LOST…
Someplace, somehow lost in time,
Finding my feet in a world not mine,
Everybody seems such a stranger here,
Lives are lived governed by fear.
Fear of failure, fear of criticism,
Everything here smeared with cynicism
There are no people, just moving objects,
Slick tongues are masters, the rest abject subjects.
Processes and systems are all I hear,
Man-machines burning blood and tears,
All in a day’s work, for a morsel, for a grain
Is it worth the strain, the drain, the pain?
Where is the charm, the romance, the flair
In matters of life, of heart and brain?
Why do we live this life not ours,
Cheating our own selves for a cause not even ours.
Throw it all away and walk a man, a free man
Free to live a life you can.
Write your poems which no one reads,
Think your thoughts and pen those tales,
And see the new heights your soul scales.
And then when you will depart one moment,
In poverty, yet with strange contentment.
The Last Straw...
Here goes another piece.... Manifestation of my times in Chennai where I got really lonely and only could find solace with myself and my limited imagination...
Clutching at that last strand of straw,
I looked up to see,
The heights I had traversed,
To reach such a low.
The strand lookin’ at me smiled and I couldn't read,
That look was eerie, and I asked of it,
“I'd give you anything you wanted if only you would not break now”,
That smile turned to peals of diabolic laughter.
And like the sands of time running down a clock,
The grains of the strand started falling,
And as I closed my eyes, waiting for the last straw to break,
Thought maybe now I'll rest in peace.
But a long while later, I still realized,
That straw held firm, I was still alive,
There were now not one but a clutch of them,
Entwining themselves into a bunch.
I watched in amazement and equal despair,
Wondering what on earth was going on,
The straws got stronger, the bunch turned into rope now,
I could still make no sense.
Looking down now, that straw barked,
"What more need I do dear man?,
You've a rope and all you need is to pull yourself up again,
Can't you do that even, to live?"
As if out of slumber I awoke then,
Still not knowing what was goin’ on,
Pulling myself up, up, up and over,
I got myself over the edge again
As I lay down on the grass, wondering what had happened,
I heard the straws quietly muttering,
"Well done fellas, we've done atleast our bit,
The last bit of action for us albeit
The sheep of the man'll be here again tomorrow,
To chomp us off till the last bit"
I still was dazed, but I got up and walked away,
Not knowing what to do or what to say.
On the way I heard a cry of anguish and pain,
As I saw a knife stabbed into someone's heart.
That was from a fellow-man and as the victim bled to death,
All I did was to watch on.
Man'll always be man, superior and gifted,
He'll find out new things no one's ever done,
But he'll never understand, never ever understand,
The smile he got from the last straw.
I never quite managed to poetically word these lines... Guess I wasn't too inclined to the aesthetics of poetry when I worte them...
Kiran
Friday, May 11, 2007
Lone Furrow...
I tend to write whatever comes to my head at times... and this post is probably a result of that disease...
When there’s no one beside you to pull life’s yarn,
There seems to be only one bull in the cold barn,
You know you aren’t thinking right,
You don’t trust your sight,
The sight of that comrade seems a hallucination,
Support and love seem a mere illusion,
Trust me you’re wrong.
No one ever ploughs a lone furrow,
Maybe there’s no one to wipe that sweat of the brow,
Maybe there’s no shoulder to rest your weary head on,
And no lap to lie uninhibitedly in,
But your love will always be there.
Maybe she’s gone and you think you’re alone,
The thought of her face makes you more forlorn,
The redness of lips, the brightness of smile,
Seem like they’re away more than a thousand mile.
But still you know, it’s only that that’s keepin’ you alive,
That distant glimpse, that memory when at five,
You used to meet her to share your day’s happenings,
And comfort her when she told you of her mishappenings,
It’s those memories, those dreams,
Those are the beams,
Which keep you standing on your feet.
Never mind the loneliness, the weariness, the pain,
From criticizing the world you’ll always refrain…
And when you toil and the sweat wets your brow,
Know that you aren’t ploughing a lone furrow,
You’ve got the love of her steadfast in your heart,
Takes you so far above those with mere pretence,
And life’ll always love you with one sentence,
You loved…
Monday, May 7, 2007
Lost Somewhere in Time...
A lost feeling has always been around, no matter which the place. It's always been with me, more faithful than my shadow, and totally invisible to the world outside of me. Well, more than my shadow, I suppose. Shadows, I've heard, exist only when there's light. That is so much unlike this feeling, which manifests itself in the form of darkness - haunting, disturbing and at times fondling.
I wonder if it's also a feeling of having been born 2 decades too late. The feeling gets to the extent of being nauseating in the midst of sophistication. Not technical sophistication, no, not the gadget kind. Sophistication of minds, sophistication of values... and trying to sophisticate something as wild as the mind could not be anything short of Apocalypse.
But again, nobody seems affected. Are they or aren't they? Not even "they" can tell... Everybody seem to have developed a natural skill to fabricate themselves into the same pattern. The few that don't are outlawed and ridiculed as no-gooders. Now, this whole idea of good and bad can be trashed over several volumes, but never mind. We'll let the terms stay.
This whole idea - that of trying to mould oneself into a conventional pattern and present oneself in that way to the world while not quite knowing why - seems to spring from competition. Competition for what, I'm never quite sure, but people are competing. There was a time, long back, when people all over were fighting one another. That was for food, for a day of life. Sustenance. That's what it was.
But today, somehow, the whole game has changed. The fight to survive has long since become insignificant. Dominance. Ah yes, that's keyword now. The buzzword. People, now having learnt to sustain, want to dominate. Whom? Fellow beings perhaps? The world? Maybe! Countries wanting the world on their side is not unheard of.
And somehow it seems the right thing to do. There are lots of people wanting to dominate. There are also lots who don't. And, I suppose, those are the very people who bear the brunt. Often tagged meek and losers, they're subject to mental vandalism by the "respected" bunch with power.
I've probably gone a little off track, but it's hard not to mention what you see. The change has come about in the last 2 decades or so. Where the focus seems to've shifted from enjoying life to maximizing the benefits out of life. And if 20 years I could lie on my bed listening to Rafi Saab and be deemed a romantic, something similar now and I'm termed national waste. Of course, I'm not contributing to the per capita income. I'm not writing source codes in some alien programming language and showing myself off to be a good developer and an awful engineer.
You can never understate your self, you've got to market yourself well. Oh I must stop! All this is just too much to take. I never will be able to appreciate this way of life. Where individuality is taken away to be replaced by a multitude of processes. And where the essence of life is replaced by a lifeless mechanical system. The heartbeat by a pacer. And we're all morons for not living our lives that way!
I detest it... I detest it so much, I wanna give it all up and walk out on this existence. Atleast for the peace of having done one thing with all my heart.
I wonder if it's also a feeling of having been born 2 decades too late. The feeling gets to the extent of being nauseating in the midst of sophistication. Not technical sophistication, no, not the gadget kind. Sophistication of minds, sophistication of values... and trying to sophisticate something as wild as the mind could not be anything short of Apocalypse.
But again, nobody seems affected. Are they or aren't they? Not even "they" can tell... Everybody seem to have developed a natural skill to fabricate themselves into the same pattern. The few that don't are outlawed and ridiculed as no-gooders. Now, this whole idea of good and bad can be trashed over several volumes, but never mind. We'll let the terms stay.
This whole idea - that of trying to mould oneself into a conventional pattern and present oneself in that way to the world while not quite knowing why - seems to spring from competition. Competition for what, I'm never quite sure, but people are competing. There was a time, long back, when people all over were fighting one another. That was for food, for a day of life. Sustenance. That's what it was.
But today, somehow, the whole game has changed. The fight to survive has long since become insignificant. Dominance. Ah yes, that's keyword now. The buzzword. People, now having learnt to sustain, want to dominate. Whom? Fellow beings perhaps? The world? Maybe! Countries wanting the world on their side is not unheard of.
And somehow it seems the right thing to do. There are lots of people wanting to dominate. There are also lots who don't. And, I suppose, those are the very people who bear the brunt. Often tagged meek and losers, they're subject to mental vandalism by the "respected" bunch with power.
I've probably gone a little off track, but it's hard not to mention what you see. The change has come about in the last 2 decades or so. Where the focus seems to've shifted from enjoying life to maximizing the benefits out of life. And if 20 years I could lie on my bed listening to Rafi Saab and be deemed a romantic, something similar now and I'm termed national waste. Of course, I'm not contributing to the per capita income. I'm not writing source codes in some alien programming language and showing myself off to be a good developer and an awful engineer.
You can never understate your self, you've got to market yourself well. Oh I must stop! All this is just too much to take. I never will be able to appreciate this way of life. Where individuality is taken away to be replaced by a multitude of processes. And where the essence of life is replaced by a lifeless mechanical system. The heartbeat by a pacer. And we're all morons for not living our lives that way!
I detest it... I detest it so much, I wanna give it all up and walk out on this existence. Atleast for the peace of having done one thing with all my heart.
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