Trexperiences!

The Living Legacy

2012-02-11T12:41:00.000+04:00

Year 2003. The global software industry showed signs of post recession awakening after the dreadful World Trade Centre attack and the subsequent impact on the outsourcing businesses in general. We were stepping into our final year of Computer Application Masters course. The decisive year when we need to find a placement for ourselves so that we can contribute to the numerous bunch of brains that make this industry work.

This was the same year we had to do a project for couple of months at any of the IT companies and submit a report at the college. The need was to work on a live project so as to maximize our experience with the wonderful world of programming! I for one was not very keen from the beginning since I had strongly convinced my mind that programming is not my cup of tea. Nevertheless certain inevitabilities of life can’t be postponed forever!

The good thing about getting a project at Webstorm IT, a small time software development firm in Bangalore, was the comfortable work atmosphere offered. Add to this the fact that I’d my dearest cousin sister along with me made things all the more interesting. We were joined by three more souls in this journey towards finding our destiny!

Rajitha, the simple to the core but something much more girl, from the cultural capital of Kerala, Thrissur, was the other feminine presence among the group. The spoken words were far and few initially but she proved to be a chatter box down the line. There were many more surprises in store about her which we all discovered together.

Dennis, was nothing like a menace for sure! A harmless character but mostly lost in his wonderland perhaps planning for how to provide the algorithms a fitting place to be and flourish. He had a pair of legs that were destined to be pulled to the maximum during the days ahead.

Tina, my sweet sister was a true embodiment of free spirit. I adored for her trademark bubbly attitude and the genuine care she showered on me which could well be scooped out and showcased as to how a sister should be!

Jomy, the mighty one! If there is one word which can describe him, nothing other than this suits better: Life! That’s what he was. Full of life all the while. Having lived his life as a cross country race he was the best spoken and the biggest brat, both at the same time. Little did we know that by the end of project he’ll turn out to be the one who will be the closest to our hearts.

Jomy was the brightest among the whole bunch who had an appetite for making things work. Be it the syntax of the programs he coded or the weekend outing plans he arranged, he had it in him. A natural organizer and a tactful leader. He was born to win. Many a times I’ve stood at awe at his ability to handle a situation. His charisma definitely had a lot to do with making people listen to him. He being a natural charmer, there was no two ways about his ability to make the fairer sex attracted to him. I could only watch him with an impatient jealousy and keep reminding me that life’s not always fair...

He had this peculiar habit of munching something while programming. We being the lesser mortals who kept getting lost in the maze of the ‘ifs’ and ‘elses’ of the weird world of coding had only one sensible thing to do. Ensure the supply chain of goodies never gets choked. The programming genius in him was kept awake with the constant flow of snacks delivered at his desk.

During one of these days we got to know about the culinary expertise of the lady from Thrissur. The most natural thing followed. Jomy officially appointed her as the Master Chef of our project! While he cracked his brains to bring the binary numbers under his spell, she did the same with the spices and masalas of the world. She proved herself to be an excellent cook and the realization of the fact that we’ve a full time chef with us made us really happy, especially Jomy who was a connoisseur of excellence!

Time flew by and we all parted ways as life had to move on. We all presented the fruits of our labour to our respective colleges and complete the Post Graduation in flying colours. While I pursued my next Masters in Management, Jomy got an offer at Webstorm itself which he accepted and Dennis started with another firm. Tina got married in between and flew to the States. So did Rajitha a few months later, the wedding which Jomy and I attended and relived our memories of the good old days.

Being in Bangalore helped us being in touch though as years went by the frequency came down. We did make occasional phone calls and once a while met as well. I got busy with my further studies and the job that followed. After a few years I got married too. Priorities changed and people who used to be in the frequent contacts list got replaced with other names.

As was decided by the good God, I was meant to get the shocker of my life one day while preparing for our dinner at Dubai where to which I’d moved along with my family! Tina forwarded me a mail from Rajitha saying Jomy was admitted in Vellore hospital for cancer treatment and was in the secondary stage! A whole lot of pictures flashed by in my mind and the next thing I knew was tears rolling down my cheeks and I cried my heart out on my beloved’s shoulders. I couldn’t accept the fact that, the guy I knew as the one who loved to live life to the fullest is now battling for that. I prayed to God not to call him back so soon. He had not even started his life to say the least.

A month of prayers and thoughts passed by and another phone call from Tina made me realize that how much ever you plan, His will, will be done! He may not be seen anymore, but I feel his presence everyday when I see people complain about little things. My mind speaks to me that I once knew a guy who will fold his hands and face the issues with a steely determination that will melt away even the most gruesome of challenges that ever came up!

Your legacy lives on my dear friend...

The Balancing Act

2011-04-15T08:48:00.000+04:00

*** My article that was published in the monthly magazine of Bethlehem Matrimonial April 2011 edition. This is about maintaining a balance between professional and personal life along with coping up with the status change from Single to Married.

A couple of years ago there was a shuffling in my team in the company where I worked, which resulted in me reporting to two managers at a time. Both of them were pretty senior in the organization and had their respective families with kids as well. Soon did I realize the striking difference in their management style where one was totally process centric whereas the other was more of face-as-it-comes type!

Coffee time with my managers provided insights into their family lives as well. Office hours used to end only by 8 PM everyday for the former while the latter was very specific about leaving office on dot to spend time with his family. This does not mean the first guy was less affectionate as during our conversations I had always sensed how proud he is, being a father of two especially with the second child being a spastic one.

Years passed by and it was my turn to say aloha to my bachelorhood. I was blessed with the presence of these two managers during my wedding. Little did I know that learning from others is just the tip of an iceberg when it comes to leading a family life; the bigger part was buried under the deeper waters of life! Slowly I started to figure out the magnitude of what is facing me.

The Bible taught us about the origin of human kind and how they spent their life together. There are numerous lives detailed out in this Holy Book of Christians which speaks about family life. While these details do help, hardly have I seen relationships pictured in the backdrop of the balancing act between professional and personal life.

Relationships, I realize is an ongoing process. This holds good for all sorts of couples, the ones that have fallen in love or the ones who decided to fall in love. In the first case a stage is set in the beginning and the characters perform with ease. For some, the stage becomes too familiar after a while that the whole arrangement turns out to be mundane. The second case on the contrary is about those who need to build the stage itself even before they think of performing. This becomes even more challenging since their decision to fall in love needs to be justified with their actions.

Whichever Act you are part of, the fact remains pretty clear. Our relationships need to be nurtured with an investment in time and ideas. This is all the more important if we are a working couple. All of us agree that we need a source of income, be it from a job or business to sail through the waves of life. I strongly believe that we also need to agree that we work to live and not live to work.

Irrespective of the family background someone grew up or the social circle they had or the educational and professional experiences thereof, the need for being together is a basic factor for any couple. The word itself says so, you become a couple not to be single anymore. Of course it does pose its own challenges.

In most of the cases, more than a quarter of our lives were lived without having to negotiate with anyone in particular, of course within the constraints of our family. The moment we decide to say ‘Yes’ the status get changed. This is something we need to remind ourselves often so as to appreciate the necessity of investing in time and ideas in our lives.

Making time for each other is a much needed virtue for couples who have known each other before getting married or otherwise. I am pretty sure most of us have heard people saying they know all the preferences of their partner. I remember a statement from a friend of mine, ‘it is plain silliness to say I know everything about my partner, since it is inevitable that people change, so do their preferences’. That leads to the question, what can we do about it? The answer is quite simple, spent time with each other. The bigger question then will be, how do we do it? The answer is, it is up to us to figure out how, since each couple is unique and we need to design what suits us. All what others or books could tell us are their perspectives. Customizing those suggestions in our lives is the key.

One of my bosses used to have a firm policy that he shall not answer the office calls on his mobile phone after office hours. His thought was crisp and clear. The time spent in office is for office and the time spent with family is exclusively for them. Of course this may not suit all professions, hence the need of customization.

Another interesting aspect is the often repeated statement of ‘don’t bring office work home’. I guess this is one of the most vital elements in creating time for family and hence the fact that the statement still holds so much of value even after generations of use. This must not stop you from speaking to your partner about what happened at office that day. A small act like this helps each other get a picture of what you endure on a daily basis. Ensure that you don’t go beyond the limits that you have nothing else to discuss! It is all about maintaining a logical balance between what happens in your life at work and at home.

If you have noticed there was a second type of investment I mentioned in one of sections above. ‘Ideas’. It is a brilliant tool which enables us in this balancing act. Each one of us have been bestowed with this divine gift. The ability to think and be creative! Use this gift to generate simple, workable ideas in our minds to make those time spent with our partner more effective and meaningful.

Surprises are one of the best gifts with which you could make your sweetheart jump up with joy. The important thing to remember is that surprises need not be expensive always. Surprises could be anything ranging from a totally new dish prepared, a bunch of flowers, an early morning cup of coffee or a loving hug from behind when it was least expected! All these and more could make a huge difference in the quality of time spent amidst the maddening rush in our lives to make both the ends meet!

Tail End: If you ever thought something is unrealistic, think again. Everything in life can be made realistic, provided you yearn for it!

The Green Gaffe!

2010-10-21T17:37:00.000+04:00

I always thanked my dad for instilling the travel bug in me. The very fact that he was a bank employee gave him the option to avail Leave Travel Concession. This was one of the perks for which he was entitled every year. Instead of consuming it annually, our preference was a five year chunk so that we could cover the maximum distance and the most number of days.

One such trip was to explore Delhi, the national capital followed by erstwhile Bombay and finally Goa. We had a tried and tested strategy which obviously worked out to be very economical those days. It was to target those locations where we already had relatives. This naturally helped to cut down the cost of accommodation and also to some extent, food and local travel expenses. I must remember with utmost reverence that those were the times when people never showed faces of displeasure when they had guests at home. Due credit goes to dad's amazing networking skills!

There we were, one fine day at the most happening part of the country, the wonderful city of Bombay! Dad's uncle was staying at Bandra, one of the well-off suburban areas in the city. They gave us a warm welcome and we relished their spirit of hospitality.

One of those days, dad's cousin decided to take us around the place and show us the real Bombay. It was a morning that saw slight drizzle. We took to the streets of Bandra which was trying to hide itself from the skies that opened its eyes. Little puddles of rain water clothed the roads. The tarred surfaces appeared polished and so we began our tour-de-Bombay.

My teenage mind was all excited to see a new part of the country. I looked up to the skies and shouted to the falling drops, "You just can't dampen my spirit with this!" We had started early in the morning and soon our stomachs started to add to the noises around us. A decent looking restaurant was round the corner and we decided to break the fast there.

I really am unable to trace back the time from which I started disliking mint leaves aka pudina. I was never able to appreciate the odor of the leaves and the dishes prepared, with that as an ingredient. I became so averse to pudina that I even wondered if I was allergic to that! Dad knew this pudina-phobia of mine and had warned me that you may find quite a few of these up in the North. I managed to avoid having a food item which had pudina while in Delhi and I was pretty confident that I could repeat the feat in Bombay as well. I somehow had this notion that south Indian cuisine does not use much of pudina.

The menu at the restaurant was not very enticing as most of the options were North Indian and I dreaded the green devil that will accompany the dish! Pages turned, options evaluated and finally at a completely insignificant corner of the menu I discovered a gem! A food item that brought some respite to my eyes but more so to the mind. A south Indian delicacy which I was sure not to have any of the stuff I hate the most. None other than a jewel from the land of Nizam, The Hyderabad Biriyani!

While the rest of the folks were open to experiment with their taste buds, I was contented with the good ol' South Indian food out of the sheer fear of pudina! Moments passed by, chit chats were reaching its pinnacle and slowly the food we ordered started showing up. The flavors of Bombay did a colorful pageant right in front of us. Tantalizing aromas filled the air. The renowned Indian cuisine which has created plentiful gourmets around the world woke up the counterpart within us. Everything we asked reached us except the one I was awaiting the most, biriyani. Guess, Hestia, the Greek goddess of hearth who presided over baking of bread, planned to test my patience level!

Everyone at the table was courteous enough to wait for my dish. But as the wait grew longer I suggested the rest of the folks not to wait any further. It seemed as though the restaurant folks are awaiting the next locomotive from Hyderabad to bring the biriyani! After what seemed like hours, a steward clad in a black and white vest came with a silver tray with an item he proudly announced as Hyderabad Biriyani.

He placed in front of me, an intricately designed copper-finish bowl with contents full to the edge. This was accompanied by a silver plated spoon so as to make the person feel special for ordering something as exotic as this. All what it took was one look at the bowl and I was totally disillusioned from tip to toe!

There it was, the carefully ordered menu item artistically decorated with pudina leaves so as to make a bed of green inviting me to dive in and have a painful death!

Game of Trunk

2010-10-12T22:09:00.000+04:00

How unusual could names for games be?!! ‘Trunk’ was one such which used to generate so much of vigour, back when games meant more than PS3 and Xbox.

The mode of game was pretty simple, yet was one with a major impact on the players, literally and figuratively. A few stones, a ball and two teams were all that was needed. Those were the times when there was no dearth of getting kids from your neighbourhood to play along. I remember parents asking us to go out and play instead of being glued to the TV sets or video games which were just beginning to become a fad.

Back to the game, two teams will be formed. 7 pieces of stones will be made available. As in the case of any sport where decision making needs to be made, tossing a coin played a major role. The winning team gets to use the ball first. The pieces of stones have to be arranged one on top of the other. Aiming the ball at this stone pile follows. Each team gets three chances to hit the stack failing which the other team gets the turn.

All hell breaks loose as soon as at least one stone gets displaced! A totally irreverent melee follows! The team that played the ball runs for their life all the while looking at an opportunity to put the stack back in order. The most obvious action for the opposite team is to thwart that attempt at any cost.

One of the most exciting and painful sights of the game is to watch the ball fly at the speed of light with one of the poor souls trying to rearrange the pile as its target. Cries fill the air, pain fills the nerves, but the show must go on...

It was a game of exhilaration, sadistic pleasure and fraternity! One that taught team work, all the while reminding that you can achieve anything but of course with some pain!

Salute the good old days!

Buy Official Cricket and Football jerseys
online at
Myntra.com and visit the largest community of Indian
Bloggers at BlogAdda.com

A Basketful of Surprise!

2010-10-12T21:23:00.000+04:00

After a few considerations, my only Brother-in-law decided to take the plunge into the wonderland called 'Married Life'. Needless to say, he was soon in a state of delirium tying hard to figure out the difference between nights and days, thanks to the late night phone conversations with his soon-to-be-sweetheart. All this while there was one little soul who was totally busy figuring out the artistic details about the wedding. My darling devil she was!

In the traditional Catholic society, a married sister of the groom commands a kind of respect which is something short of royalty. The reverence becomes manifold if she happens to be the only sister! I need to be a little immodest here and add that a fair share of the attention is also received by the brother-in-law of the groom.

With a few months into married life ourselves, I was fortunate to realize one fascinating characteristic of my sweetheart. She has a distinctive talent to create a marvel out of the most insignificant looking material lying around! So there she was; trying to make her brother's wedding a fairy tale one with the resources she had access to.

I heard her speaking to mom a few weeks before the wedding about buying some sort of a basket made of cane. She was also talking about nets and ribbons to add to the set. Conversations were plenty about size of the basket and color of ribbons. It is a matter of fact that I was not a keen listener to these and so didn't make out what she was up to.

The evening before wedding, I saw her scooting to a room back home with a basket and some assortments. The curious cat inside me got jolted up and swiftly followed her to the room. But all what I saw was a basket, some clothes, ribbons and nets in different colors. The cat lost its interest and moved to further more interesting actions which a wedding eve is never deprived of.

Moments passed by and I was cruising past the chocolate brown glass topped table en route to kitchen to pick up something. As if gravity got the better of me, my legs refused to move an inch beyond a spot. There, perched on that glass table was a heavenly beauty residing in all its glory! The simple basket of cane had gone through such a transformation that it became an incredible example for a work of art!

A pure white piece of satin became the seat, lovely nets floated around the basket giving it a fairy touch and curly golden ribbons were shining as though to proclaim to the world that a new life has been instilled! To top it all, a pair of exquisite lemon yellow roses adorned the basket to complete the royal touch!

Presenting the little beauty in its entire splendor to you…

Gifting a Blunder!

2010-08-19T15:56:00.000+04:00

I had known my dad's cousin, for a few years, as the lady who chose to remain single amidst the traditional family she was part of. During family functions, she was a topic of discussion as the one who committed an act that is next to a cardinal sin! Though no one despised her at home, I always sensed a melancholic tone when people spoke about her.

Perennially our society has been one that strongly based itself upon the notion of matrimony for existence and procreation. Every child who is born into this system is raised with a constant reminder of the need for this age-old institution. This belief gets deep rooted so much that, anyone who dares to tread a path that is different is seen as an outcast. This nature of the public always remained a fascination right from the time I started decoding the algorithm of relationships in a family.

The chapters of my life flew by and one fine day I ended up at the doorsteps of the same lady. I was to stay there for a couple of months as part of completing my Post Graduation project in that city. My alternate agenda was to explore more on the psyche of a single woman on whom the society had attached a taboo.

Pages on the calendar were flipped twice and by that time I had my realization in place. I could figure out the discrimination, the so called civilization had shown on her. In fact I really admired her for resisting the act of bigotry for almost half a century! She was indeed happy being single and had no regrets whatsoever, unlike the concern people had for her. I could feel the sense of freedom she cherished and not to mention her own space she treasured!

Single or otherwise, maternal instincts form an inseparable part of the genetics that constitute the fairer sex. I experienced that with the care she extended towards my well being. I was truly thankful to her for making me comfortable during the couple of months I lived there. It was more like an eye-opener for me towards the definitions world had in store.

It was time to bid farewell to the wonderful camaraderie we shared. I thought of parting ways by gifting her something she valued. She being an avid reader, what else other than a book, could be the best gift? Hours were spent to fish out a befitting book that spoke volumes about living life to the fullest. Something that genuinely complimented her spirit of being single!

I got the book covered in a lovely gift wrapper and presented with a contented heart. Her naturally beautiful face glowed as I handed over the gift and soon enough she started unwrapping it. Till date I am not really sure of the sort of emotion that crossed her face, as she took a first look at the cover of the book!

It read, 'Who Will Cry When You Die?'

My Feminine Instincts

2010-08-04T10:59:00.003+04:00

While recently filling an application form we came across an all familiar section for title. The options included Mr, Mrs & Ms. All the male folks out there, you are united by these forms regardless of the fact that you said 'I do'. The fairer sexes, you are yet to be recognized independently. You need the support of either your parents or husband, so the form says!

We say, as a country, we've become independent more than half a century back. The world has seen the empowerment of women in many ways than one. We've had Presidents, Business Heads and the Power Houses for multiple strata of society from the female species. Do we still need a differentiation between married and unmarried women?

The world speaks so much about men and women, the fairness of gender wherein one is no more superior to the other. One more generation passes and it shall be a non-existent scene, where parents worry about marrying off their daughters. Young women are breaking free themselves from the clutches of the societal norms that sketch their destiny for future. Those days will soon appear in the pages of History books when a girl stood in silence while her parents decided the groom for her.

The modern day women must realize that this separation of their gender based on the marital status is nothing but the age old British political strategy of Divide & Rule. Why do you need a separation when a man can be 'Mr' irrespective of the status? What makes the men privileged to have the unique identification? This is a true case of planned attempt to create an identity crisis among the gender that once used to be the bear-all category of society!

The bigger question will be why do women need a separate qualifier to address the presence or absence of the other half in their life? What difference does it make if a girl is married or otherwise? The taboo associated with an unmarried woman is again an evolved evil from the yester years of the present society. Why should you let that create a division?!

Many religions speak about God creating the human race with man and woman being equal. Of course, God as an entity being considered male, is a totally different debate altogether. The thought here is if we were created equally, at what course of history did that become less equal?

Equality should not remain only as a topic of discussion. It needs to be a way of life, among the thoughts shared, the challenges faced and the decisions taken. The moment you learn to respect your co-species and accept that they are as much a part of the environment, you inherited from the previous generation which makes you equally superior as the rest; the distinction will cease to exist.

Who does not love a peaceful world?!!

The Red Firewall

2010-07-29T13:39:00.000+04:00

We were a bunch of half baked Management Grads back in 2005. It was time for our internship program and along with a friend of mine I kicked off a Market Research activity for an IT Firm. Our targets were CIOs [Chief Information Officer] of IT organizations. Figuring out the usage and scope for Network Security Products like Firewalls was to be our assignment.

And there we were, charting the longitude and latitude of the City of Bangalore, on a brand new bike knocking at the doors of every possible IT companies we could figure out. We'd to cover a minimum of ten firms a day. Our initial thought was ten is such a small number, but the facts of cold calls soon hit us real hard. Forget about meeting ten CIOs, getting an appointment a day became an event to celebrate! Many a times, we'd to split the areas between us to meet the target.

Destiny had it that two months of our lives were to continue in this fashion. It so happened that we were one short of our target on a promising Friday evening. All what we had to do was to finish off the last one and head back home. We were at one of the commercial hubs of South Bangalore and were sure to find an IT firm to fill our last slot.

Soon we found ourselves standing in front of a state-of-the-art building which had a pretty interesting name. Since we were in that part of the world where IT companies were giving competition to the population growth of the country itself, we were confident about our find. Walked we did, right through the front door and met an equally confident front desk assistant who welcomed us with a warm smile.

The usual drill was to ask for the CIO and push our chances for a short instant meeting. The receptionists usually oblige or politely deny. But this one proved to be a different animal altogether. She answered in negative to our query on CIO, but said they did have a Firewall. We found that interesting, though not surprising since there were many small IT firms without CIOs but one person handling multiple roles.

Our following question was about meeting the person who is in charge of the Firewall. Her answer baffled us. She said, "Sir, we don't have anyone like that. I manage it myself. In fact we got it only last week and installed". We were not sure if we should be confused or mighty impressed. Here's a receptionist who also doubles up as the Network Administrator! What a revelation?! All that and more were completely proved otherwise with her next statement. That totally pulled the rug from under our feet!

Her eyes twinkled and smile broadened when she said, "The best part is, it is Red in color and I love Red"!

We looked at each other and needless to say, were speechless. For a moment we even thought, perhaps there could be a brand new type of Firewall named in the likes of 'Bluetooth'! Sensing our confusion she asked us to follow her. Took us through a door besides the Front Office desk and blissfully pointed her finger at a direction and repeated those words, "That is our Red Firewall".

There it was, perched on a wall, laughing out loud, a Red colored Fire Extinguisher!!!

The Middle Line

2010-07-02T14:21:00.010+04:00

Till the time you start living together under the same roof, you won't know each other that well – A profound statement, isn't it?!

Of course believing is one and experiencing is another.

An interesting irony about being married is that, while the common interests become a pat-on-the-back, the differences may quite well be a slap on the face! Yes, we were no different a couple in matters that could call for a routine change in the way of life.

Ruby loved coffee and I was a hardcore tea guy. I'd tried my luck before wedding itself, with a pseudo-chauvinist act and told her that our home will have no coffee brewing. She being the smarter one, didn't of course commit anything and patiently waited for the day I reduced to my half and she filled the other.

Man! Was I not happy, the first few days, when the aroma of tea filled every corners of our sweet little home? Little did I know that she has a Masters in Ego Massage! It is truly commendable, the way with which the woman of the house brings in some changes in your life and you won't even know it.

Soon the aroma-adorned corners started dwindling. The fragrance of Coorg became a frequent visitor during our mornings. Fortunately evenings were blessed with flavors of Darjeeling*. This of course proved to be an interim peacemaker deal. It didn't take much time for us to realize, these places can't co-exist.

We perhaps required a Middle Line of Control. Thoughts and ideas came and went. The union of geographies seemed a distant reality. Many crusades were launched for Coorg; Darjeeling was never behind in that historical battle. Sparks lit up the skies, Guns were fired and finally the War of Taste Buds came to an end.

We now share a common love for Bournvita :)

* Coorg is known for Coffee & Darjeeling for Tea.

The Art of Love Making

2010-06-08T14:37:00.005+04:00

I remember reading a while ago that kitchen is one of the best places for trying out your experiments on love making, of course it comes with its own set of risks. Today, with all its genuineness I can testify that, with a stupendously successful attempt at it!

So here we are, one lovely Saturday after a really relaxed brunch. She was enjoying her siesta and me checking my long list of unopened emails since we got our net connection finally after a month of moving into the new house. I was diving deep into the endless list and almost got lost in that maze of binary digits making up alphabets, pictures, videos and of course a whole lot of junk too!

Pretty soon it was four in the evening and I could hear the soft voice of my sweetheart making its way through the bed room door. It never lost its way; a minute later I was standing besides the bed looking at my girl, comfortably covered in our crimson bed sheet, with half her eyes open, with a look that betrayed how much she needs it! Her eyes were getting intense with every passing moment and the sharp gaze illuminated her face with question marks written all over. I could hear them scream, when am I gonna make the move?

Being the proverbial devoted better half, make did I, all the right moves and presented her a completely unique experience. She was in total ecstasy! Her face was glowing and I could scoop out the happiness with a random swipe of my bare hand. I was duly rewarded with one of the most admiring glances I'd ever received. She was absolutely pleased and was in fact searching for a word to compliment the moment of joy.

All I did was living up to the age old saying, "Variety is the spice of life" and that's the reason why I added three spoons of milk while making the egg bhurji which I presented to her along with a bowl of noodles.

Cooking indeed is an art of love making! :)

The Sandwich Surprise!

2010-02-15T22:44:00.007+04:00

I've been keeping my back pain issue on the back burner for a while. I guess it had to wait till the time I got married since my darling wife was instrumental in finally getting me to the affirmative mode to meet the doc. We had to spend some time at the hospital campus and in between had some light snacks before we headed back home.

We reached home by afternoon and were not exactly hungry since the snacks had played a cameo to satiate the need for the hour. So we settled for the next best thing available; watch a movie with a bottle of Cranberry Breezer that was still there in our refrigerator. We shared the drink and soon my sweetheart started getting a strange feeling as the red color liquid traversed through her food pipe. It produced so much of a biological impact that soon she was screaming about the burning sensation. Being the more experienced among the two of us about the world of alcohol, I realized it is nothing but the effect of a not-so-full tummy having a tete-a-tete with the Breezer.

A powerful alarm went off and the romantic bugger inside me was pretty shaken up! An opportunity which I believe occurs only to newly married couples! Ten minutes is all what I asked my beloved, rushed to the fridge and to my pleasure discovered a portion of beef roast in there. The pan was heated up in no time; drops of oil kissed the vessel, onions chopped in a jiffy and the dish was spiced up by squeezing half a lemon which added a peculiar tangy flavor to the dish! Three slices of bread seemed ready to receive the limited edition delicacy which was garnished with tasty tomato ketchup.

The twins of those slices covered the top and then it was time for the magical touch of all! Three lovely smileys from the family of ketchup became the face of the creation. Lo and behold! The most beautiful sandwich in the entire world was right in front of the eyes of my dear one!

She was watching me all the while from our couch and it took a solid couple of seconds for her to realize what the whole drama was about. The sandwiches smiled at her and I was greeted with the loveliest of the expressions I'd ever seen!

This is what made my girl happy:

World of Negatives

2010-02-04T16:57:00.006+04:00

Have you ever come across people who can speak only negative about everything? I have and as a matter of fact I'm positively blessed to be with a few of these beings whom I meet every day in my life! I call that a blessing since these are the people who make me realize how simple my life is. Thank God for that.

Cribbing, Complaining, Crying... These are a few terms that could represent this very specific state of mind. Initially when I got to hear these cribs I was genuinely concerned about the well being of these discontented souls. As time proved, this wasn't exactly the outcome of an unhappy mind. It turned out to be an addiction that led to constant and repetitive sessions that in one way of other, I presume, gives a level of satisfaction which anything else could hardly provide.

Empathy gave way to sympathy. My attempts to sympathize with these lesser mortals took various shapes. Advices, sarcasm, anger and what not! The futility of my heart-felt attempts led to sheer pity for these people. Probably what they realize not is the fact that, more you are negative about something the least possible will that look. The reality of negative energy is such that it spreads like an epidemic across the omnipresent neurons. This leads to a situation where every other possible experience of a human mind gets corrupted with these cancerous thoughts!

The worst of all scenarios is when these dear little Children of God not realizing that they are treading a path which after a while will take them to the point of no return. They won't even realize the quick sand of emotional negativity into which they get sucked in. The power of negative thoughts is indeed one of the strongest. It is so easy to be caught in this without even the slightest of the effort. The once innocent psyche gets engulfed into the claws of this fieriest of the beasts world has always faced!

I honestly appeal to all those who realize or otherwise to sit and think. Are you stepping towards the destiny you create for yourself? Learn to live a life where you find the little joys and positive self. Nurture your happiness. It is just like any other living organism. You take care; it'll grow, flower and bear fruits. You feed it with toxic thoughts, die it will, a real painful death. And mind you, it'll take you along with it!!!

Be Positive!

How's Married Life?!!

2010-02-03T10:39:00.043+04:00

Act 1 Scene 1 – Marriageable Age

You really could feel it when you truly want to have someone to tag along to make your life more meaningful, so they say. If you don't, in the truly Indian way your relatives have a distinct, almost patentable technique of making you feel so! It is remarkable, I must say, the manner with which even a completely disinterested person is made to say, "Yes, marriage is the most important thing I wanted to get into".

End of Act 1 Scene 1

Act 1 Scene 2 – My Decision

Fortunately, my decision to get married was not so dramatized, at least not with the involvement of family so much. But I must admit that the mission to get married definitely was, with them having a major say. Arranged marriage in my case was a concept where I subjected my decisions to objective analysis by my dear ones including parents, siblings and friends.
End of Act 1 Scene 2

Act 2 Scene 1 – Their Response

People who knew me were obviously happy about my decision. I believe my levels of enthusiasm was way up North that some of them even took an unprecedented step of trying to bring back to ground realities of marriage. Knew I did, but the wait was too long for me to accept those facts just like that. I loved all the attention and even secretly admired the fact that I could tell them that I don't have time since I'm busy chatting with my girl!
End of Act 2 Scene 1

Act 2 Scene 2 – Pre-marriage days

I sat and thoughts started flowing in. Here are a few of those educated snippets…

I really have not come across anyone in my life who has not given a thought about getting married. It is there in our blood as a need or want and the laws of Economics make all possible sense when thinking about it. Yes, I was no exception. I really wanted to and in fact was desperate to get married. I longed for a companion and did all possible things within the purview of the 'arranged marriage'. The search was on for a long time and finally I found a girl. I was all excited, naturally!

End of Act 2 Scene 2

Pseudo Act

The days got closer and we got married after two months and sixteen days from our first meeting.

End of Pseudo Act

Act 3 Scene 1 - Post-marriage

"How's married life?!" I could think of only two reasons, why this remained the only question that came our way post the D-Day. Either the world around us is so eager to hear an answer which they expect or they forgot that there are other words in Webster's that could be coined to make questions! You've only one choice of giving a socially accepted answer. You say anything other than, "fantastic" or "good" being the least, you are doomed! You cannot be realistic and have to accept the world of Utopia around you.

I felt it was pretty funny. Being married does not guarantee all these adjectives to be part of your life as a direct output of the act. The absolute irony about the whole show is the fact that, people who ask you the last-standing-question in the world and expecting the age old answer also knew this.

End of Act 3 Scene 1

Act 3 Scene 2 – My Response

"It’s a Roller Coaster Ride"! People who have experienced it get the point. Others who perceive that to be a mean machine will do a Jim Carrey act of eyes bulging and all. Then starts the most bizarre act in the world of being concerned about the budding relationship and major gyan sessions will follow. They'll start giving you tonnes of advices on what can be done to make life more meaningful, again!

It takes me two types of an effort to pacify these people. First, to explain what exactly is a Roller Coaster. Second to reiterate the fact that it is in fact the thrill that is the whole point! A few get convinced, rest will remain prejudiced. God bless them!

End of Act 3 Scene 2

Tail End

Shakespeare said, "All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players". Somehow he missed the part where a few among the audience climbing on top of the stage and trying their best to make you do some part which they missed on their own stage!

Life's a Roller Coaster, dare not miss the thrill!

The Drama Continues…

Babies make you happy, even if they're …

2010-01-30T10:04:00.006+04:00

It was a lovely Saturday morning and winter was still playing around with the calendar sporting the last days of January. Even the Sun God seemed to be shy to fully rise and shine. While the weather was perfect to just cuddle up with my sweet heart on our lovely bed, unfortunately that was not the case to be! It was a working day for us in lieu of a compensatory off for one of the weekdays earlier that week.

As I got ready, leaving my girl to continue her engagement with the early morning dreams I was making some mental math about returning early from office in the evening. As if out of some reaction my better half suddenly decided to make a cup of coffee for me. Happy I was and I helped her with breaking a coconut so that she can make a proper breakfast, the caring husband I am!

I put on the jacket and picked up the book on Jinnah I've been reading off late and started off to the bus stop. Reached the stop and I saw none of the usual gang and then noticed the missed call on my phone. A colleague of mine tried to reach me to inform that the bus was early. I missed it! So much for the lovely winter morning, the shy Sun, the hot cup of coffee & the coconut! I was irritated was the least I could say and walked back home. Need to mention here that it is definitely a pain to miss our office bus since the travel time is almost an hour with close to 25 kilometers of distance to cover.

Reached home and with great restraint I told her that I missed my bus. The sweet little thing could make out the burning furnace behind the serene wallpaper pasted on my face then. I politely denied her offer for breakfast with a smile, the type which you get only when you are mighty pissed. I'd heard earlier that chocolates are really a stress reliever and it proved pretty much true with a Cadbury Crackle which we got the previous day disappearing in no time while I collected my helmet and got my bike to reach office.

I tried playing some songs en route that normally ease my mind in such situations, but didn't help much. A few minutes before reaching office I offered a ride to a hitchhiker who turned out to be a nursing student at a college nearby. Felt good. Reached office, parked the bike and walked towards my building. A couple of good morning wishes from the support staff whom I know made the day better. The 'furnace' didn't get switched off completely though.

Decided to take the elevator instead of the usual stairs and a wonderful sight welcomed me beyond the glass walls. A small family near the bamboo plants in our campus was busy with their breakfast. A couple of them had tiny little babies hanging on to their dad & mom and were trying to have their share of food! I forgot everything else. Watching those babies were nothing but sheer bliss! It was a lovely sight and I wished to be there forever! Acknowledging my wish or otherwise, the elevator took its own sweet time to reach my floor.

I always knew babies make you happy, realized today that it need not be humans always! I messaged my love that watching a couple of baby monkeys made me really happy for which she replied, "So now you know"!

Commando

2010-01-29T16:50:00.000+04:00

"Oh God! When will someone ever come?!!!" The Public Address System when it aired this heart-rending cry, I was more than sure that if at all someone is gonna help them, it is not the thousands who are ready, but me! There seems to be something so naturally connecting that cry, with my need to provide an answer for the same.

I got myself ready and reported to the Chief! Somehow he seemed to be cynical about my involvement. He cited the reason as ‘unprepared’ and deferred the plan. Impatience started to set in! I for sure, wanted badly to reach the spot and extend help and do whatever I could to ease their pain!

The clock kept on ticking, so did my annoyance… Finally the much awaited order came and I descended through a secured channel of transportation. I was all set to jump right into the scene and kick start the rescue mission. There, I faced my next line of defense! The message was to the tune that I’m not cleared to engage till the field is equipped. True to say, I never got it! Then again, the options were limited.

The progress was pretty slow. Nevertheless I appreciated the tactical preparation they gave me during this phase. The lessons included the various moves, guidance on how to face the harsh realities while being caught in a maze of so unreal a world and to top it all, the sheer fact that there will be no more shield to protect me!

I was geared up and finally was in the stand by mode, for the word ‘Go’! It came during the wee hours and there I was kicking and jutting my head towards the tiny opening which exposed the real world to me and believe me or not, they have a pretty funny name for the D-Day. They call it my Birthday!

In the company of solitude

2010-01-28T16:32:00.001+04:00

I know a lot of people who say they need company for everything. It could be for a movie, a coffee at office cafeteria or even a trip to the loo! These people can neither be anywhere nor do anything, if they don't have the presence of a known face along with them. The need may arise all of a sudden. It could be at times, planned too. That raises the question of who fits the bill for a specific need. Faces of people start doing circles and the short listing process begins. Once the list of candidates is ready, phone calls or messages or pinging on the office communicators take the role of messengers.

Many a times, friends who suddenly get the call may be in between an important task. Then again friendship is more important in a good majority of cases. Of course, once a while you face a denial that could result in the question moving ahead to the person next in the list. In the eventuality of all the people who got short listed answers in negative, panic sets in. The stage changes, roles get redefined; emotions do a fly by with the sonic boom at the highest possible decibels ever! A sudden rendezvous with solitude is undesirable for them. It is an unwarranted experience and never gets appreciated, as for most of them Solitude and Company can never be brothers-in-arms! It is nothing but fear of being with the self.

I love being in company too and perhaps have one of the widest ranges of friends among my bunch so much to the extent that I get surprised about my own personality once a while! But this does not stop me from appreciating something as beautiful as the other side of being in company, so to say.

I'm not sure when exactly was that I learned to appreciate solitude. Probably, one of those striking one-liners in a newspaper which told me the difference between Solitude and Loneliness or perhaps the knowledge that poets made them a subject of their classic works! I salute them both since I learned something so magical that I could say I fear not, the love of solitude!

Glimpses of Munnar…

2010-01-20T14:17:00.005+04:00

"Munnar?! But why?" Nine out of ten people exclaimed almost in a similar fashion when we told them about our honeymoon destination. We must say it was something short of a Herculean task to convey the thought to them that Ruby & I planned it as a trip for knowing each other rather than exploring the place! Not always did our efforts meet success and we're sure a bunch of them still think we made a wrong decision.

The convinced lot then had reservations about the time of year we planned to visit one of the most beautiful terrains in Southern part of India in the state known as God's own country. Mid December as per many was the most ridiculous time to visit Munnar. We heard them, but listening obviously does not come so naturally… :)

Kallada Travels, the transport service provider, promised to take us to Munnar but did a sly act of dropping us at Kattapana, a place two hours from Munnar. They arranged for a smaller vehicle to Munnar town from there. The unloading and loading was undoubtedly troublesome. Ruby being used to comfortable travelling couldn't endure much of the winding Ghats and an ominous picture of a hospital bed was looming large over our honeymoon dreams!

Finally, after a total travel time of twelve hours we reached the town of Munnar. The place we were heading was a resort named Camp Noel which was another forty kms from Munnar. It was in a village named 'Pazhathottam'. The resort people sent a vehicle to pick us up from the town and after an hour long drive we reached the location. Thirty kilometers stretch had proper roads and the remaining ten was virtually like climbing the hills on an SUV. In fact Camp Noel takes pride in advertising this in its website as an attraction. I'm sure it definitely is, to the hoards of foreign tourists who come visiting from a land where they've dictionaries without the word 'pothole' :)

All these and many other worries were totally wiped off, with smiling faces that received us at the entrance of the resort. The very first feeling was that these guys are smiling, not because they are trained, but they are genuine about that lovely gesture. Something unique, something different in the current world of extreme commercialization!

The weather was absolutely wonderful and we took a minute to appreciate the beauty of the entire place. Camp Noel is situated in the middle of a valley surrounded by hills on all sides. You can see layers of hills far and beyond which add to the beauty of the area. There was a club house which had the restaurant, a badminton court, a green house and the office. 8 cottages aesthetically placed with a well calculated distance that separated them made the picture perfect!

We were offered one of the most scenic cottages, which definitely added to our joy. Shortly after that we were escorted to our cottage. A refreshing bath followed by a lunch served in our room and a lovely nap made us feel fresh by evening. The 'hospital bed' was replaced by a warm and cozy bed, thankfully!

We did learn a lot about each other! The learning was so much that by the end of 3 days we learned the power of silence! :)

PS: The second place we visited was Tea Valley Resort. The website and their promise seemed out-of-the-world, but the place was so sad that I don't even feel like jotting down anything about it!

The Pictures

http://picasaweb.google.com/jerrymukkadan/GlimpsesOfMunnar?authkey=Gv1sRgCIa04d-Wq4CBYQ#

Useful links

http://www.campnoel.com/

http://www.teavalleyresort.com/

www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munnar

The Tiffin Box

2010-01-18T16:39:00.000+04:00

As part of a semi-pseudo health consciousness effort, we climb down the stairs of our office cafeteria every day, after breakfast. Usually there will be a bunch of friends who'll walk down together and by the time ground floor got really close to us, many would've said bye for the day. And there I was, after dropping off the last soul, continuing with my climb down. The 'Wildcraft' bag I carried started making a sound that was pretty distinct than usual. It was a day with a difference for, it was my first ever day in the Corporate life when I carried a tiffin box to office! Signs of a married man :)

Funny the way our mind takes us places. It didn't even take a fraction of a second for me to be back in a room with wooden benches and desks. Seated among a bunch of boys clad in white shirt and black trousers we were getting ready to pack our bags at the next possible moment. The atmosphere was a mixture of excitement and anxiety. The former with the thought that the bell was about to go anytime from now and soon we'll be home. The latter for fear of being caught by the teacher for closing the books before permitted! Certain risks were definitely worth taking!

Johny, the school attendant had the weird destiny of being revered & hated by the students at the same time. It is nothing but the fact that the school bell that was a big round shaped iron piece was struck using a large wooden hammer both signaling time to either enter or leave the class! Obviously we loved him when it was latter :)

When it was latter, all the while thanking Johny, it was truly unbelievable the speed with which we packed our school bags with the notebooks, instrument box and whatever stuff that were on the desk and we were out of the room in a flash! The Great Sprint followed! The faster one got out of the class the earlier he reached home. For the guys who stayed in the hostel, the rush was to reach the canteen and lay hands on the evening snacks and coffee! That 'sprint', with the bag hung on the shoulders used to create the same sound with the tiffin box and water bottle fighting for space along with the rest of the possessions inside.

The simple world of a student or the big bad corporate jungle, tiffin boxes continue to make sound. Sound that reminds you that you need to run faster to reach wherever you intend to reach, earlier the better!

Where do I fit this...!

2010-01-15T16:44:00.000+04:00

Ruby & I have been pretty busy off late setting up our home. Taking heed from a bunch of my married friends I'd got only very few stuff for the house before the wedding. The 1BHK we hired was almost empty when we walked into our home, together for the first time! We did take our baby steps and started getting the basic gear necessary to get things going.

We kept furniture shopping towards the end. With appliances and various paraphernalia related to kitchen getting removed from the mile long list we prepared, it was time for us to get into the business of making our home guest-worthy! Thus we started our visits to the street closer to our place which was sprinkled with furniture stores. We zeroed in on a dining table and a computer table from one of the shops. We found ourselves lucky at a larger store when we came across a piece of furniture which the Indians happily call sofa-cum-bed, as naughty as it sounds!

The first store defaulted at least six times in terms of delivering the items whereas the latter was too diligent in updating us about the delivery. This was in fact a pleasant surprise for us since the first store was a specialty one whereas the second was generic. While we were thoroughly disappointed with the service of the store one, the sheer customer delight with the second compensated for that. Our sofa-cum-bed was delivered as promised. They informed that the assembling will happen the next day. We were informed the next day that, unfortunately the technician who was supposed to help us, fell sick and hence there will be a delay of one more day. While we were sad for the technician, we felt happy again about the initiative they took to keep the customer informed about the change in schedule, unlike the store one where we'd to call them each time to know that there would be additional delay!

Jalandar, the technician arrived as informed and unpacked his tool kit. He looked really professional with all the required equipments being fished out of his bag. He took a look at the packed furniture box and we missed the slight concern that flashed over his face! His question, "Is it a sofa-cum-bed?" also did not sound odd then. The pack contained multiple pieces of wood, mattress, wheels and screws which soon started occupying our living room. We watched the expert getting to the seemingly simple task of assembling the furniture. We were sure that it must be a cake walk for him; after all he was a technician from a professional organization!

The first couple of pieces were assembled with much ease and we were thrilled to see our home soon becoming even more beautiful a place to live in! Jalandar started with the next set of pieces. A small question cloud suddenly popped up above our head when he continued to gaze at the remaining pieces. The typical blank stare that appear when you are lost, was painted all over his face! He suddenly started to search for something. When asked, he said he was looking for the assembling manual but unfortunately that never came along with the furniture pack. He tried to figure out the rest of the pieces and our question cloud got bigger.

We asked what the trouble was and he gave us an incredible answer which swept off the whole professional experience about which we were really proud till a few minutes back! He said, "Sir, I joined only a week back and I've no clue how to assemble this thing"! Being dumbstruck was the least we could say. Nevertheless, we started looking at the pieces together. All the jigsaw puzzles we played when we were young and the truly awesome experience of assembling an IKEA furniture for my boss while onsite helped big time!

We did manage to solve the jigsaw together and the lovely sofa-cum-bed was ready in no time! We were indeed happy about ourselves and took our time to stand back and appreciate the new addition to our home that is all ready to receive the guests. All the thoughts about team work and motivation crossed our minds and our joy was endless! We were contented and thanked the guy for all the help. This was nothing but a true case study and we even thought of publishing it to the store as the benefits of customer and the supplier getting to work together.

Jalandar packed his tool kit and was about to leave when we noticed a medium sized piece of wood and a bunch of screws lying behind! They seemed to be giving us a wicked smile and we'll probably need to learn multiple languages to express the mixed emotions that crossed our minds! So much for the instant customer-supplier partnership funda!

Footnote: The fellow agreed to check back with the store and fix the furniture at the earliest :)

Angel in the Train

2009-12-15T10:46:00.000+04:00

Dedicated to MRK, my friend for reminding me what compassion is!

We were a team of twenty, awaiting our return train to Bangalore that evening from Dandeli. The past couple of days were amidst the lush green habitat Mother Nature offered us at one of the blessed terrains in North Karnataka. It was drizzling by the time we reached the station and soon it gave way to the typical downpour that blanket the tropical rain forest region of that part of the world. A few guys among the group had made arrangements for the dinner. The stray dogs on the platform looked at us yearningly for the remains of the hot biriyani we devoured.

The wait didn't seem to be endless with my fiancée on the phone who was patiently listening to all the experiences and adventures in the jungle. Soon, the rails at the far end of the station twinkled with the powerful light from the locomotive. The train stopped at the station with a shrilling cry, probably annoyed with the cold weather it had to endure. Though the station was not crowded, the compartments painted a different picture altogether. The linoleum covered floor reminded me of the jungle trail we covered a few hours before, of course the only saving grace was lack of leaches!

There were a few berths allotted to us as per the ticket. The berth in my name had a middle-aged man sleeping peacefully along with a boy who seemed to be his son. I'd half a heart to let them continue there, though my tired body wanted to do otherwise. It was one of those moments when fatigue won over empathy! I'd to ask both of them to wake up and leave the space for me. I watched part in shame and part with indifference, while they moved across to the next cubicle and sat there.

The rest of the team also parked themselves at the seats they could find awaiting the Ticket Examiner to allot berths for all. The verdict soon came and berths were made available for all in the next compartment. I got up and passed right in front of the father-son duo with a deeper shade of apology written all over my face. In fact I did say a sorry to them, which I'm not sure they heard.

We reached the berths allotted to us and started settling down. Ironical enough, one of the berths again had a father and son, but this time with a difference, the kid was much smaller. He was wrapped in a characteristic red and pink sweater which we find on kids from average middle class families. His father had wrapped a muffler also around his head. The face of the kid radiated so much of tranquility that none of us really wanted to disrupt. Nevertheless the need to have the berth made us to ask them to vacate. It was obvious that the father was helpless and he asked us for some time. He wanted the kid not to be disturbed till the time he found an alternative. We told him to take his time and off he went in search of a place where the two can spent the night together.

The face of the child was so angelic that it put us all in deep pain as we tried to comprehend the fact that we asked the father to vacate the place along with the kid. Lo and behold! MRK, the man with an interesting package of emotions, among the group, realized that we indeed have a free berth with one person less travelling, than originally planned! The father came back with an option of moving to a non-confirmed seat. He seemed to be really at a loss. To much of his relief we broke the news to him that he need not worry about the berth as they can use the current one.

We settled down pretty soon and were all happy that we didn't frighten the sleeping angel. Chit chat sessions followed which revealed that the man is a small time government employee at one of the village offices near Tumkur. They both were on the way to Bangalore. Further probing made us all felt aghast, with him revealing the actual purpose of their visit. The hardly 3 year old kid needed a heart surgery and was scheduled at one of the hospitals in the city the very next day!

We were completely dumbstruck and searched for words that could be some sort of solace to the father. But the gravity of the situation was so deep that words made a dubious escape from our lexis. We learned more about the situation and got to know that it was a case of a hole in the heart that could be cured with the surgery.

Needless to say we were relieved to hear, it was a curable case though the sheer thought that the tiny little heart beating inside that small body will have a rendezvous with the surgical knife was more than what we wanted to envisage. The thought became even more painful with the reminder that we asked the kid to be disturbed from his peace for the sake of able-bodied men wanting to take rest!

Before we all hit the bed for the later part of the night, pray we did for the success of the surgery and the speedy recovery of the kid. That was the least we could to make the family feel a little at ease. As the reality sunk in, multiple pairs of eyes were on the kid. A sea of emotions went through each one of our minds.

As though from a deeper instinct of the little self, the petite angel was smiling in his sleep…

After all it is their life

2009-11-24T14:51:00.000+04:00

Getting married is one experience in your life during which you feel all possible emotions overflowing unlike anything before. You prepare yourself for the mental, emotional and physical presence of a new person in your life. The games played by your mind during this period is nothing but diabolic! At times you feel elated, at times totally question your decision and yet other times you are driven nuts by a variety of thoughts and concerns that run through your mind like in a sprint.

Invariably you turn to your friends and relatives for solace and many will offer a lot. Some will have the traditional wisdom and some the craziest and most bizarre of all ideas you would ever get in this world! This is a boon and a curse at the same time. You'll get so much of information about almost every other aspect of life, some you may not even utilize ever! Yet, you look forward to listen to them and see if it helps in any possible way.

Invitations will duly be sent to all these relatives and friends who had always told you that they are dying to attend your wedding. You prepare yourself to tie the knot in the presence of all these people who will be dressed up for the occasion and you happily await their wishes. These will be the same people to whom you would've cribbed over the last few years of not able to find the right girl. These will be the same people who would've advised you that everything has its own time and when that comes we'll be right beside you to see you tie the knot. These will be the same people who had promised to be part of the biggest day of your life!

As the countdown progresses, you start to see a strange phenomenon. You call up people to remind them about the date and confirm their presence. All advises and promises suddenly seem to take a back seat. All the intense emotions of dying-to-attend-your-wedding seem to be passé. Life seems to take its own course of action and priorities get redefined for many. Reasons that were insignificant till the day before suddenly take the front row of life and the rest all gets pushed to the oblivion.

The most important thought that runs in the mind will be, after all he is sensible and he will understand!

Understand I will, about the changing preferences, but not before inflicting a pain deeper in the heart that has been seasoned enough to have been conditioned to expect. What these very same people who mean the world to you don't realize is a simple fact. The presence and presence alone of these dearest ones, is what makes the biggest ever day in my life complete!

I believe I've the right to feel the pain, else my heart which is the store house of all the emotions will feel dejected with the feeling of injustice. The only saving grace perhaps is the thought that my mind keeps telling me, ' After all it is their life'…

Love as much as you can cos…

2009-11-19T16:39:00.005+04:00

She is one of the most loved among the cousins in my family and I distinctly remember mom being greatly affectionate about her and almost gave her the title of daughter of the family. An elder sister she was, in all respects. The one who had no qualms about giving you a whack when you were wrong and then hold you close to her and wipe off your tears that roll down your cheeks all the while telling you how much she loves you!

There was an instance when I literally walked out of her home for being scolded for some silly matter. To my surprise she didn't call me back though I was expecting her to do so. Nevertheless I did walk back and all she had to do was look at me and I broke down. I cried till my tear glands seem to have dried up, but she was the one who made me realize that day, the value of togetherness.

All this and more were destined to be part of someone else's life when she married a man whom I thought was the simplest of the guys I've ever met. My brother-in-law [BIL] was truly an uncomplicated person and I even wondered how he will ever survive with my sister! I was really young; perhaps around 12 or so when she got married. A few days after the wedding she came visiting us and I was surprised to see her almost ordering my BIL to give some money to us, cousins! Of course, I didn't even have a clue of what love means between a woman and her man.

I loved visiting our relatives and till date I'm pretty regular with that whenever I'm at my hometown. During the earlier times when I was put up there, one house which I loved to go was her 'new home'. I always felt wanted there and that made me feel even closer to them. I shared birthday with my BIL and that made it even more special. Time flew by and they were blessed with two little angels! My adorable nieces loved me just the way their mom and dad did. It was so obvious to know and to feel how to love and being loved when you are in a family that knows nothing but to love each other!

My sister, with her characteristic personality was the dominating self between them. Many a times I'd felt that he was practically insignificant; little did I know the depth of their relationship and the love for each other. She was dominant yet so practical. She was chirpy, bubbly and filled with life yet the one who completed him. He just loved her! I realize it today that the love they shared was a good lesson in its true spirit for young brats like me who needed to know what the chemistry of love is between a couple.

People say, a marriage without trials is not worth it and God made no exception in their lives too. They did come, big time! My simple & loveable BIL fell sick one day and had to be hospitalized immediately. He was diagnosed with a rare form of meningitis and the doctors broke the news without much delay. They said the case was almost closed and my sister with her two little girls, the younger one being just 6 years old, was destined to be a widow at an age of 35! We were taken by surprise seeing the courage with which she accepted the fact. But what even more astounding were, the faith which she had and the belief with which she said, "I'm not going to let him leave me, at least not so soon"!

And the least we could say was God didn't have a choice. The trial period did extend for a few more days, my BIL started showing signs of recovery and eventually he did make the medical practitioners believe in the power of Super Natural. He came back home, much to the respite and happiness of an entire family that was praying for him. He folded his hands in front of his better half who dared God himself with a steely determination of not letting her sweet heart go all the while reminding herself of the words, "To have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part".

Life did change for them after that incident. Their love knew no limits. They were so much more a complete couple and knew that they were given a second life. They thanked Him, appreciated and respected His will. Years passed by and the happy family they were, continued to live their life in all its glory. Just before one of the Onam [State festival of Kerala] holidays, the family of four had an awesome vacation trip to Goa. The sun and the sand was just perfect and they evidently had one of the best times of their life till date! Little did they know that life was going to change again, but this time for ever…

They returned from Goa to a grand Onam celebration with the extended family and that was one of the all time best family reunions ever. My otherwise calm and composed BIL was unbelievably cheerful that day and the pictures turned out to be the most jovial of all what were taken till date. They returned home that evening and the very next day proved to be the one that can be termed life-changing for my sister & the two girls.

He was home and felt a pain close to his left shoulder and asked my sister to get some hot water. She stepped away to get it from kitchen and returned to see him lying on his chest. The hand that held hers when they exchanged the wedding vows were almost frozen and all what she could do was let go an almost inaudible cry that would've been carried along with his soul to the Heavenly Father who decided it is time that the term for second life reached its end. A life filled with love and respect to each other did end there. The physical presence gave way to an eternal bonding with a spiritual existence.

I truly believe it is better to have some questions left unanswered. The one who created us with all His love and tender care is the same person who tells us, it is enough and get back to me. Parents who kill their own child! This could be one of the biggest ironies of life. Something perhaps we'll never comprehend.

All what I could think is, love as much as you can cos you'll never know when you'll be called…

The Garden of Gods

2009-11-13T15:16:00.000+04:00

Ever wondered what the connection is between leadership and a mythological, wish-fulfilling divine tree which finds a mentioning in the Rig Veda? Along with the Kamadhenu, or 'wish-giving cow', the Kalpavriksha originated during the Samudra manthan or "churning of the milk ocean", and the King of the gods, Indra returned with it to his paradise. While there is no attested Sanskrit source conclusively identifying this mythological tree with any real, known tree, Kalpavriksha can figuratively refer to a source of bounty because of its ability to amply provide for human needs. [Source: Wikipedia]

Let me take you to a beautiful garden in the Himalayas where the Gods have made a comfortable abode among the snow-clad peaks. Though there are no organized tours, people from across the world do flock-in and appreciate the lush green garden which by itself is a contrast among the white snow seen all around. The tourists tread across the vast expanse of the garden amidst the mighty Himalayas, taking in to their hearts everything that sustains there as a true epitome of eternal beauty! They come across a wide variety of fauna which even their dreams were not capable of churning out.

All the winding paths that adorn the garden lead the visitors to one specifically marked out area. The place radiates with a magnificently divine energy which has got no parallels to any experience the universe could ever offer! There amidst all the attention from the heavenly folks, stand the tree that is known over generations as the one which fulfills all possible wishes, The Kalpavriksha. People could literally feel the existence of life around the tree and it seems to enjoy an eternal bliss laced with a surrounding halo.

One question seems to be common in the minds of all the visitors which they promptly ask the Kalpavriksha. What makes you so special among the rest of the trees around you? The reply takes the shape of an elegant discourse and is always prompt. The leaves flutter, the branches straighten themselves, the trunk holds itself high, the ground reverberates with the roots reaching deeper into the earth & the bark of the tree fills itself with the much needed purest form of air for the treat that awaits the crowd!

The stage is set and the tree speaks. "The Kalpavriksha you are awed at is a created entity. I'm a product of a lovely combination of all of these who just greeted you in their own way. And here is how they perform and make me the special one as you call it…
§ There is this perennial romance between the Sun God and the leaves which provide me with the much needed nourishment. The leaves in turn form a shade for anyone who needs it.
§ The branches are designed to reach out and they do it ever so beautifully. They stretch themselves and help me grow in the directions I would love to.
§ The trunk offers me the mightiest of the support and does a wonderful job of balancing me from top to bottom.
§ The roots, I just love them for their unique combination of care and strength with which it endows me with the much needed support systems of water and other vital elements of life.
§ The bark offers me protection from the external world and forms a layer all around me and forms my Knight in the Armor forever.
…That my dear friends, makes me special. I'm nothing without each one them! I trust them for what they are and what they do. They perform with passion and that makes the whole difference."

The crowd remains stunned with the real life drama that got unfolded right in front of their eyes. They were dumb-struck with the intricate nuances of life and the nuggets of wisdom shared by the one tree that is revered even by the Gods! They looked around and watched this positive thought of shared leadership engulfing the Garden of Gods which every other living being around, accepting and acknowledging it graciously.

Let us bid adieu to the garden with the insight received from Kalpavriksha. Leadership is about Sharing & the result is Tranquility!

When I told the Indian High Commissioner to go away!

2009-11-13T15:00:00.001+04:00

A not so small question-mark with a bright halo formed right above my head when I got a call from Dats, my boss, one fine morning. He wanted me to come down to Phase 1 to Faculty room immediately! Though it had been two years after I passed out of college, this suddenly reminded me of the many occasions such calls came from professors in my department. Imagine my plight when Dats added the statement that Subroto wanted to meet me! My first ever personal encounter with the man who made MindTree!

It turned out to be a very interesting request from Subroto which I grabbed even before giving him an option to think again. The Indian High Commissioner to Malaysia was visiting West Campus along with his family and Subroto wanted me to give them a Campus-tour. He also told me about a leadership session he'll be involved in, till 5 PM and wanted me to bring the High Commissioner and family to him sharp at 5. I was all thrilled and made the necessary arrangements to welcome the high profile delegate and his family.

The hot afternoon sun gave way to a much pleasant weather. The High Commissioner arrived with his wife and two children. They were given a good reception and the Campus-walk plan was put into action. As it was usually done, we started at the Living Logo, proceeded to the History Wall and gave them a glimpse of what made MindTree as it stands today. They were further escorted to one of the most happening locations in the campus, The Orchard! I took them around to various other attractions in the campus all the while being conscious of the time limit which was soon approaching.

Quarter to 5 we were at the fag end of our campus-walk. With the successful completion of the visit I took them back to Kalpavriksha and reached there exactly at 5. Subroto seemed to be in his charismatic best having a bunch of top leaders as his audience. Since it didn't look like he was going to wind up the session any time soon, I decided to show up myself and informed that the High Commissioner and family was outside, waiting for him! He said something which I could not comprehend even with the remotest possible logical sense, at least at that moment! He just told me to ask them to go away! I stood there for a couple of seconds genuinely hoping that he would have an after thought. Neither did he have nor did he seem to be concerned about repeating the same words to me!

I got out and tried to mask all the embarrassment on my face and told the Indian High Commissioner to go away! I don't recollect even a single other instance in my life when I felt so weird. The feeling became all the more intense with the delegate and family taking it very lightly and thanked me for giving them a tour. We exchanged our cards and then they were gone.

While Subroto continued with his leadership-team session, I walked back with a bunch of much larger sized question-marks, minus the halo, all over my head. I met Sachin Joshi who earlier gave me some ideas on the campus-walk and told him about how it went and especially the dramatic ending. I still remember the smile he had in his face when he made a statement that made my initial embarrassment practically insignificant.

He said, "The High Commissioner is Subroto's brother-in-law"!

What can it be?

2009-11-13T14:48:00.000+04:00

This is almost one year old, something that was troubling me one morning...
----------------------------------
A message right in the morning, about the same old cribbing…
Or the thought about giving away a book before me even opening

The obvious loneliness for the next one week…
Or the decision with an afterthought

A desire which is undecided…
Or a space that was encroached

The feeling of a non-accomplishment…
Or a pain of creation

Whatever may it be?
The fact is as clear as the statement from a good old friend
Your mood swings are worse than our periods!

Am sure it’ll change and change it will, for good…
Till the time I let the next cycle of emotions
Sweep through my mind
To make people ask the question, ‘something somewhere is wrong’!

When I first realized…

2009-07-11T21:29:00.002+04:00

I was watching some TV show on a lazy Saturday morning, sitting on my couch at the hotel where I've been staying for a month now. Being abroad has its own good and bad sides as you could possibly think about anything else in life too. WalMart showed up in between with a very emotional ad featuring a mom helping her son set up his hostel room and letting him be his own soon after. It was pretty obvious that it was his first time away from home!

Isn't it kind of interesting the way your mind switches between the present and past? I must say, it didn't even take a fraction of a second for my mind to do that! It took me back to that courtyard right in front of my hostel room in Coimbatore. That was the very first time for me too. Needless to say my dad and mom were with me. I was concerned, so were they. Its not that I can't be away, but just that the first times are always difficult. The very thought that your kid is gonna be away from home must've been painful for them. For me, it was a new world, a new life and a new beginning. For them, they go back to their old world with one good thing lesser to be around.

I'm not sure if they realized then, but I guess they did eventually, that their son has grown up and the most natural thing for a parent to do is to let him go. They didn't fret, at least not in front of me. Might have cried to each other and I could visualize dad & mom telling each other, it is for his good!

I remember that day when they helped me buy some stuff needed for the hostel room. Carried them along with me to the place and helped set it up. I also recollect that mom didn't say much, though I could figure out how heavy her heart must've felt. I don't remember if she cried, but I'm sure she did once she started back. Dad never expressed much but I knew that, deep inside he loved me so much! They both just asked me to take care and left me to start my new life. They pretty much were aware of how important it is for me to get away from being taken care of. I need to learn. I need to live. It is gonna be my life!

Dad, mom, I don't know what made me so lucky to have you as my parents! Thank you for being there and thank God for joining us. I love you both so much!!!

A Journey of Thousand Clicks!

2009-06-12T06:50:00.001+04:00

I need to mention a bit about the late 80’s before I jump into what this ‘journey’ is all about. The time when I grew up as a kid. A couple of uncles and aunts of mine who are settled in the US, visited our home once a year, especially since we live in the ancestral home with our grandpa.
Their visits were always special since there was an aura to it. Other than being able to meet them, there was this thought that, they came from a place on the globe known as the ‘Land of Dreams’! It was even more interesting for me since these visits gave me an opportunity to go to the airport to pick up and later drop them back on their return. I guess my fascination towards anything to do with aircrafts started with these trips. Then of course, there always was those eager moments of opening of the huge travel bags which contained variety of unique things we get to see only once in a year!
All these experiences, I must say, created an out-of-the-world image about this place called The United States of America along with the fantasy of traveling on an aircraft. As a child I do remember running out of my house each time when I hear that distinct buzz of a plane and look up at the skies, spot the aircraft and watch it till it goes out of my sight… Those were wonderful moments of joy and I think even now, involuntarily, my head turns towards the sky when I hear that sound!
All these and more came to reality with my project team expected to visit Atlanta in the State of Georgia in the US! I was consciously trying hard, not to think much about it knowing how unpredictable travel plans in IT industry are. As the days neared, shopping done and bags ready, I must admit I was looking forward for experiencing my childhood dream coming true! In fact, I was more excited in the prospect of flying than visiting the US :)
It must be sheer irony that the first ever flight in my life, I was expected to take was Air France which just lost a flight after a lightning strike, with a couple of hundreds of passengers in the middle of Atlantic Ocean about a week before my designated date of travel! I didn’t feel nervous though, since I guess the excitement did override the concern.
The wait at the Bangalore Int’l airport exposed me to almost real time connectivity with the Wi-Fi available there. I promptly updated my status in Orkut and I loved the thought of my near and dear ones getting to know where I am almost at any given point of time :)
The class I flew was Economy and the itinerary was Bangalore-Paris-Atlanta with 2 hours of transit time at Paris. The experience of being seated in a flight was something which I felt was similar or even a bit less interesting than the local long distance buses which I take from Bangalore to Kerala! The only difference could be the presence of a small TV to your front and the regular supply of refreshments served by pretty flight attendants.
I loved the take off! The sudden increase in speed of the aircraft, once cleared to take off, pumps in so much of adrenalin that you seem to anticipate a mega event about to unveil right in front of yours eyes! The lift off and the climb added to the good feeling. I must say, compared to this experience, landing wasn’t that exciting.
The interim 2 hours of transit time at Paris exposed me to the ‘dry’ life of the Western World. In India we don’t get the feeling of being clean unless you use water. The rest room taught me one of the first lessons I need to learn for this short duration at least.
The flight above The Atlantic was magnificent! Cruise ships appeared as tiny spots in the ocean and the trail they left, reminded me of the jet trails we see while we look at the skies! At one point we were cruising at a height of above 40000 ft. The water drops that were on the window crystallized itself to ice and formed really interesting patterns. My camera, Canon A 590 IS, if she could speak, would’ve smothered me with her love for letting her capture every possible moment! :)

Finally after a combined flight of almost 22 hours we started our descent to the city of Atlanta in the state of Georgia, the World Head Quarters of Coca-Cola. As though the pilot wanted us to have a better view of the city, he went around in circles for a while before touching down. And there we were… In the Land of Dreams!!!

My Pictures
http://picasaweb.google.com/jerrymukkadan/AJourneyOfThousandClicks?authkey=Gv1sRgCICYuar72aq4xAE#

2009-05-19T20:00:00.001+04:00

Coorg Reloaded!

Genre: Multi-day trip

Bangalore to Coorg: Drive down – One of our friends’ Scorpio

Route: Bangalore – Srirangapatnam [via Mysore Road] - Hunsur [SH88] - Madikeri

Duration: 6 hours by Scropio

Accommodation

We stayed at WindCrest, a cottage on top of a beautiful hill which gets blanketed by the mist especially in the evenings, the kind you’ll see only in your dreams! The owner stays in a lovely cottage on the hill itself. There are two other cottages, one half-way down the valley and one almost in the valley. First one can accommodate 8 people and the second one probably 5. It is a standard 24 hours check out. Check the link for details.

We were 7 and took the first one. Rate was Rs 8000/- including two complimentary breakfasts. They’ll arrange for a camp fire on request with no extra amount. You can probably tip the guy who arranges it if you wish [I’m sure you will!].

A walk around the hill is one of the best recipes perhaps for almost every sort of people. Whether you badly need a break/vacation or you are with your guy/girl or you are recently married, the hill has something for all! As the evening sets in, the place indeed lives up to its name. The Gazebo on top of the hill provides you a view of the entire valley from where you can appreciate the hands of God that created this picturesque piece of land! You’ll be forced to relax, is the least I could say. All you need to do is yield to that heavenly bliss and let the cold misty breeze pamper you! I loved every moment of it!!!

Attractions/Locations

The drive is totally awesome with Mysore Road Highway till Srirangapatnam & State Highway 88 from Hunsur till Kushalnagar. There is a stretch of around 20 kms between Srirangapatnam & Hunsur which is not that good. The stretch from Kushalnagar till Madikeri is really bad.
We were fortunate to travel in this season with either side of the roads dressed up with fully blossomed trees proudly showing off their red, orange and yellow color flowers!
You may refer to one of my initial blogs named Charming Coorg to get further details. Just mentioning an additional place which we visited this time:
Dubare Elephant Camp - You cross a very serene river by stepping on the stones carefully to reach a small sized Elephant Camp. You can see the elephants, touch them and even join the mahouts in giving a bath to them. For people who’ve not been closely associated with these largest mammal on land, it could be a very ‘touching experience’!

My Pictureshttp://picasaweb.google.co.in/jerrymukkadan/CoorgReloaded?authkey=Gv1sRgCLXCvraXnYaJqAE#

Useful linkshttp://www.homestaykodagu.com/home_stay/windcrest.htm
http://www.windcrestacres.co.uk/location.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coorg
http://www.coorg.com/
http://www.travelcoorg.com/html/places_to_see.html
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-travel-queries/50243-best-route-coorg-bangalore.html

Aboard a Dredger!

2009-01-30T09:59:00.002+04:00

Genre: Out-of-the-world!

Duration: 3 hours

Some Facts/Details

Name of the Dredger: Nehru-Shatabdi

Home Port: Kochi

Specifics: Grab Hopper - 1992 built with 1500 m3 hopper capacity

The Process
The 4 cranes on the ship operate simultaneously carrying out the dredging process. The clam shell grab of the onboard cranes splashes itself into the water and collects the silt and other seabed material. It then majestically rises from the water with the catch which is nothing but a bucket full of dirt! It is a sight worth seeing!!! This is deposited into the large tank, called hopper, with a heavy mesh on top to block larger objects.

The process continues for almost 2 hours and once the tank is full to the level it should, the anchors are lifted and we’re game for one of the most memorable journeys! The ship travels to the outer sea in order to deposit the collected silt there. The entire sea-line of Kochi unveils itself in front of our eyes while we’re on our way! Goshree Bridge that enhanced the connectivity of multiple islands of Kochi with the mainland & International Container Trans-shipment Terminal at Vallarpadam gives us an idea of how Kochi is going to grow! It is big!!! The fishing boats that return after the day’s catch is another fascinating view which even reminds you of a fleet of frigates!

Another spectacular picture on the trip is the natural wonder that that awaits us of a clear-cut demarcation of the shallow & deep sea! You’ll be stunned to see a line that divides these two right in the middle of the sea!!! That is the pinnacle of the voyage!!!

Once the ship reaches the outer sea, the doors on either side of the hopper is opened alternatively to empty the contents. The ship will still be in motion and the whole process of emptying gets over in a matter of minutes and then it returns to the base.

My Pictureshttp://picasaweb.google.com/jerrymukkadan/TheDredger?authkey=EdIywAQhOWc#

Useful links http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dredging
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hopper_barge
http://www.vallarpadamterminal.com/
http://www.cochinport.com/index.php

Backwaters - A slice of God's own Country!

2009-01-17T08:48:00.001+04:00

Boat Trip from Changanacherry to Alappuzha [Dec 2008]

One of the activities during my X’mas vacation 2008, was a boat trip to Alappuzha from Changanacherry [my home town]. Sharing some details herewith… If you are expecting another bunch of pictures of a ‘house boat’ you are in for a surprise!

Genre: Half-day trip

Changanacherry – A small town in Kottayam district in Kerala
Alappuzha – The district in Kerala known as Venice of the East

Boat Service from Changanacherry Boat Jetty
Departure – 7:30, 13:00, 16:30

Duration – 2 hours 30 minutes

Some Facts/Details
This is not one of the exotic ‘House Boat’ experiences you would’ve heard!
The boat is owned by Kerala Water Transport Corporation and can be equated to buses which form part of the land transport. In places where backwaters are plenty, water is a pretty common mode of transport
The boat will take you through one of the most beautiful stretches of Kerala, the backwaters. This essentially is the route which any House Boat will take you through. Of course, this will be no frills :)
Both Changanacherry and Alappuzha are well connected with land with frequent bus services. You could reach out to other parts of Kerala from any of these Bus Stands managed by KSRTC [Kerala State Road Transport Corporation]
If you are looking for a private time with your family, this is not an option. But, if you are looking at an experience of economy travel as well as to know how people live and commute at these places, this is worth a try!
My Pictures
http://picasaweb.google.com/jerrymukkadan/BackwatersASliceOfGodsOwnCountry

Useful links http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Changanassery
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alappuzha

Sivasamudram & Talakad

2008-12-17T10:06:00.001+04:00

Sivasamudram & Talakad [Dec 2008]
Genre: One day trip

Distance From Bangalore: 140 kms

Reaching the place
Car, Bike (if you’ve a good one), Hire a cab, KSRTC
Ø Via Mysore Road. Will be taking a deviation in between post which roads are pathetic

Duration – 3 hours by cab

Water Falls at SivasamudramBharachukki
Gaganachukki
You could get into the water at Bharachukki, but not at Gaganachukki

At Talakad
Banks of the river Cauvery which is as good as a beach. You’ll be surprised to see the sort of sand which definitely will remind you of a beach!
Nearby, there is a temple that’s low lying and gets covered with the sand which as per the myth is a curse. The authorities try to excavate it, but each time the sand properly covers it again! Read more about it from the links. Interesting J

Other interesting factsIt’s a pretty remote area, a village by all means
Road-side vendors there sell refreshments. My personal choice: Tender coconut water and that is the best after the steep climb of steps back after you visit Bharachukki

My Pictures

http://picasaweb.google.com/jerrymukkadan/SivasamudramTalakad#

Useful linkshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sivasamudram#Waterfalls
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talakad http://www.ias.ac.in/currsci/dec102007/1495.pdf

Charming Coorg!

2008-12-16T23:27:00.001+04:00

Coorg [Dec 2008]
Genre: Multi-day trip

Bangalore to Coorg
Buses – KSRTC
Hire a cab

Duration – 6 hours by cab via Mysore Road

Places to Stay
There are multiple home stays available [Check the links for details]
We stayed at Palm Era Cottages. A two months old place with 3 cottages pretty well furnished. They’ll arrange for a camp fire also on request (Address: Sunnadakere Road, Kushalnagar, North Coorg, Email: palm_era@rediffmail.com, Phone: 97407 96989, Proprietor: Sachin T Soman)
Attractions/LocationsTibetan Monastery – One of the most beautiful temples I’ve ever seen! Seems as if they’ve used all the colors in the world and the ‘Golden’ statues standing tall at 60 feet inside the temple takes you to a different world altogether!
Abbi Falls – A small waterfall, 7 kms from Madikeri (Mercara), the largest town in Coorg. There is a suspended bridge facing the falls which, surprisingly is more beautiful than the falls itself J
Nagarhole/Rajiv Gandhi National Park – A reserved forest, but unfortunately not many animals to see and the road to the place is so pathetic that it took 4 hours for us to cover 90 kms!
Raja’s Seat – A high altitude place where you could appreciate the beauty of Coorg from top. There is a toy train there which will take you around a small hill. Also the road side vendors sell mouth watering mangoes and chaats!
There are a couple of other places too which you can visit, the details of which are available from the links below. But in general, the place is good for a relaxing sort of a trip, not much is in store for sight seeing.
My Pictures

http://picasaweb.google.com/jerrymukkadan/CharmingCoorg#

Useful linkshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coorg
http://www.coorg.com/
http://www.shunya.net/Pictures/South%20India/Coorg/Coorg.htm
http://www.gocoorg.com/kushalnagar.html
http://www.karnataka.com/tourism/coorg/
http://www.travelcoorg.com/html/places_to_see.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nagarhole_National_Park

Glorious Gokarna!

2008-11-26T16:03:00.001+04:00

Gokarna [Nov 2008]
Genre: Multi-day trip

Bangalore to Gokarna
Buses VRL/Sea Bird/KSRTC
Train – A station 6 kms from Gokarna
Ø Roads are really bad. If you plan in advance, take a train

Duration – 10 to 12 hours by bus

Local Travel – Auto – Expensive – You could bargain
Almost 10 kms from Gokarna town to Om Beach
BeachesOm Beach – Biggest with multiple cafes
Kudle Beach – Water is better
Half Moon Beach
Paradise

Places to Stay
Namaste Cafe – At Om Beach – Pretty nice bath attached rooms with electric power & good food – Rs 400 to 600 per day
Skylark Cafe –Solar powered Shacks – Common Bathroom – Rs 200 to 300 per day
There are many other cafes around (Dolphin Café, Sunrise Café)
If you prefer to stay at some luxury resorts, you do have some options for that too there.
Other interesting factsThere’s a German café on the Kudle beach
You could trek and reach the other beaches around, which is fun. Alternatively you could take the boats available which will cost you Rs 50 per head
Ensure that you’ve the usual beach wear stuff. An all-terrain-footwear will definitely help, especially while trekking. The trekking path has plants with thorns.
It’s a good place for 2-3 days trip
Weekdays will be better since it’ll be sparsely crowded. You’ll see more of foreigners than Indians on weekdays.
The place is a heaven for photography enthusiasts J [Trekking gives you lots more opportunities]

My Pictures

http://picasaweb.google.com/jerrymukkadan/GloriousGokarna?authkey=HyJfBmgoHDA#
Useful linkshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gokarna,_India
http://wikitravel.org/en/Gokarna
http://www.anitabora.com/blog/2005/10/03/sun-sand-surf-two-days-in-gokarna
http://www.travelchacha.com/hotels/gokarna_hotels.htm