Nice place...huh?

Sometimes it feels like things aren't happening in life. At least not the things you are waiting for to happen, at the pace you would have liked.

But imagine the people during World Wars. All they hoped was for peace. For the world to be restored to a place where young people can fall in love, children can play around, men and women could go to back to their regular jobs and lives, where all the world hoped was for the usual stuff to happen. There were people in those times who hoped against all odds that the world would go back to what it once was, despite the wars, the holocaust, concentration camps, nuclear bombs...

And the world went back to being peaceful, although it took years of human misery and suffering before the wars finally ended.

And today most people think and wonder if the world is becoming a far less nicer place to be in. Life may not be kind or easy. May be it never was, so no reason it may soon become otherwise..
But people never gave up, either on themselves or on love and peace. So hang in there, things take a while to get better. :)

Thoughts...

What scares people? I think it is the fear of being hurt. The fear.

You love someone, what if they don’t love you back?

You love something, what if you lose it?

You want to try something interesting, what if it does not pay off in ways you expect it to?

You want to be happy, but wonder is that really possible?

You want something, you wish you knew if you could want it and still act cool like you don’t care? Is it ok to want something real bad?

Questions, questions and more questions. Doubts. Thoughts that go in loops. End result – Paralysis, worry and “what if”s.

Life is like candy crush, there are some rules to play by, but there is magic too.

It is difficult to be clear about what you want. But unless you can really see where things are headed, you can’t help bumping into obstacles.

Just be. Its ok to go wrong, it is ok to fail, it is ok to take time to figure things out. It is ok to be.

There are times when I wish someone had told me some things - that growing older is ok. You don’t need someone to “complete” you. No matter what life goes on. Stop wishing for something else, instead enjoy what you have, plan in small ways to change in big ways and find ways to be happier. Happiness is not some place to go. It is someplace to be, right now, right where you are.

The TUT message today (from www.tut.com) was as follows:

----Message-----

Pratibha, next time you feel really hurt, really angry, or really, really upset, and you're sure that even I have been violated, shaken, and humbled, quick, check and see if the sky is any less blue, the sun any less radiant, the birds have stopped singing, or the flowers have lost their scent. 

I'll wager you'll find that life has gone on much as before. Too consumed by the powers of now and the inevitabilities of love, understanding, and eternal life to have even missed a beat. 

Oh-wee-oh,
    The Universe

-----

So wonderful, isn’t it? J

One more beautiful Gtalk status message from a good friend read...

----

Dis age is never gonna come back..... So fall in love, if u cant, hv a new crush everyday..... Dream... Imagine... B impulsive... Go crazy... ... Flirt... Get ur heart broken... .... Dance madly... Click crazy poses... Talk constantly... Laugh loudly... Speak abusing words... Sing fav song... Shout... Wander late night... Take chances... Break d rules.... Make ur own philosophy... Smile & make others smile... Go 4 it... Feel it... Get over wid it... Live dis age!! Cz things r gonna b difficult tomorrow.

-----

Cant stop smiling, isnt it? :)

Fear...

I came across this very beautiful thought, lines from a poem  -

"Fear is the cheapest room in the house.
I would like to see you living
In better conditions.
-Hafiz"

Life and the check lists...

I was channel surfing and caught a scene from "Yeh Jawaani, hey dewani" movie where Deepika's character tells Ranbir's character something like "No matter how much we try, we are going to miss somethings in life, so why not enjoy the present moment when we can". Instead of running around the place they have come to visit, they sit there enjoying the sunset in each other's company.

It got me thinking. Looks like all of us are happy in our own ways. I don't need what you have to make me happy. And other peoples' happiness, is but a perception. Our accomplishments are unique, our struggles are unique, our aspirations are unique. It is so foolish to compare. We find what we seek, and how can we compare each other when no two of us seek the same things in the same way. So life is not about having a check list and ticking it all. Even ticking it all does not guarantee happiness. Smell the roses and enjoy the sunsets. Chill. Am told we already have all that we need to be happy. So just be.

Expect less. Work hard.  Don't take yourself too seriously. Things will happen when they are meant to. Enjoy the moment. Breathe. Relax. And that is pretty much it. 

Some adventure on a weekday!...

What did I do today?
Kayaking, rafting, rappelling, aerial rope slide and even tried my hand at swimming(given that I only learnt swimming during a summer vacation as a kid and then never tried to check if I had learnt anything at all).

While rappelling, I was very nervous to even come close to the instructor as I was scared to look down. I asked him to first tie the rope and then speak to me, so that I can pay attention to the instructions! And after this, midway I felt so confident, I was giving instructions to the girl next to me about the right posture! The instructor told me politely to focus on what I am doing(and stop giving fundas to people) :P

Am I such a water baby or what!? I was in a small raft all by myself for a long time watching other people kayak, raft, swim and rope slide. Drifting idly on water and changing direction only when I was out of the shaded area or too close to a leaning branch from a near by tree. It was just amazing, idling on the water i.e.

During a conversation, I felt a strong desire to try and feel what it feels like for a non swimmer to attempt swimming. In a moment of inspiration, got into water. I kept my limbs up and it felt good to be afloat and then suddenly I realised I was quite far and panicked! Then I had a feeling am drowning. See how thinking and feeling and actually what happens are all connected. A moment ago, I was a supremely confident floating being and in a moment of doubt, I had a feeling of drowning despite the life jacket! Most of these are mind games to be won inside the head before you actually even attempt to try these!

How was the experience?
Wow, enjoyed a great deal.
Where?
At an adventure club about 50kms from Bangalore.
Would I want to do all these again?
YES, of course!

Life lessons from Leh...

When I look back at my cycling adventure in Leh,Ladhak I have the greatest memories. But everyday cycling about 40 kms for 5 days was not vanilla fun as I can distinctly remember my thoughts of those time, while I was actually doing it. The mornings were wonderful to cycle, but if it was uphill it was a struggle. The high altitude was not helping. The scorching heat of the afternoon sun, the shade-less stretches of NH1, the chilly winds of early evenings making you want to wear a thin jacket - and ofcourse the fatigue that comes with physical exercise in extreme conditions - every evening I would wonder if I could cycle the next day. And the next morning I would wake up all fresh and would have the enthusiasm like it was my first day of cycling. In spite of all the things that were not easy, the trip is easily one of the best things I have done in life.

So what was so wonderful about it? Here I am, days after turning 31, realizing my dream of being able to explore Leh which I have wanted to do for so long. I love cycling and cycling in the mountains is so awesome. I was not sure if I had the physical stamina to do such things. I wanted to check. And I did it, and quite impressive indeed. I seem the happiest I have ever in past few years going by the pictures taken in Leh! The sense of accomplishment is immense.

That is my bike! :)

Very importantly I learnt a few life lessons:
1. To conquer the mountains you need to be in good shape, more so mentally. It is so tough to believe when going gets tough. But thats pretty much the only way to do it - believing that you can.
2. If you have chosen to explore the mountains with a mountain bike, well knowing that the fuel would be your energy and it takes greater time and effort to cover the given distance compared to a motor bike - you would have put in a deal of thought and chosen the trip for yourself. Believe it. Dont wonder why do you even do such things to yourself. It mostly seems stupid midway. May be on the way, exhaustion sometimes gets the better of you and there are low times when you wonder what the heck you are doing in the middle of nowhere in that hot sun, gulping glucose water like crazy and cycling so slow that a rock at the distance is your reference for a whole hour. Think well about what you want to do before doing it. Questioning your decision after starting or mid way is a bad idea. Drop the doubts. Stick to the decision, if you thought you could do it, you mostly likely can. So, just do it.
3. Journeys are about exploring yourself, as much as they are about exploring places. Enjoy. Take your time to smell the roses, soak in the warmth of the sun, breathe, meditate, day dream, share, care. Experience. Life is but a journey!
4. Uphills are tough. But if you wanted a view, you would have to climb the mountains. Thats why you are there to begin with. If you reduce the resistance by keeping the gears at their lowest, all you need is patience and persistence to get there. Uphills are there for a reason. And a little bit of practice and right perception can get you wonderful views that you will cherish all your life. So, hang in there, and go 1-1, 1-1, 1-1 (thats the gears!) and keep at it.
5. Downhills are fun, but they last a few mins! "Fun" in life cannot be forever. "Forever" fun may not be so much fun. But to get that fun feeling - of feeling the wind in your hair and cycling like the brakes had failed and singing at the top of your lungs and being so happy - you got to climb uphill. So it is just a part of the road, you cannot have downhill all the time, if you weren't pedaling enough why even cycle. You could put yourself in a drum and role down the road or something like that! Dont expect every piece of road to be downhill. Fun journeys are not made of that stuff.
6. Interesting people add to the joy of journeys. Choose whom you go with carefully. Although cycling is a very personal journey, there are times when having someone look out for you gives a nice feeling. When you take breaks to have lunch or to energise it is nice to have people who believe in the same things as you do, and say a kind word or give you motivation or just a knowing smile. The energy drink can re-energise your body, these other things energise your spirit. And tough terrains test your spirit more than your physical stamina. You need the right kind of people around to have your batteries charged, else it may just be a tough terrain struggle you signed up for.
7. The bigger picture is what you get when you have completed it. So wait. You cannot have those great abs, toned arms and legs till you complete it. You cannot understand what you have achieved bypassing anything on the way. You have to beat the heat, climb all the uphills, enjoy all the downhill rides, take in the great views, stop and enjoy the scenarios, click snaps initially at every beautiful sight and then get tired of doing it - there is a great scenery around every corner - so instead just stop enjoy the view and then cycle on, you have to keep focusing on that next peddle when you are totally exhausted and until you can find that shade and then wonder why you are here! :P You have to do it all. Only then you know what the whole deal is. So if you havent got the big picture yet, "picture abhi baaki hey dost!" :P
8. As it turns out, when you look back you carry only the memories of the good stuff, not so nice stuff erases gradually. Tough people last, no one can take away the sense of accomplishment from you. Only you know what you are doing, because no one else can understand you and tell you what you would enjoy doing the most. 

Apricots!

This was a pic I had taken after having a bite of one of those yummmm juicy fresh apricots in Leh, Ladhak. I love that yellow color and their taste is fresh in my memory!

Ladhak memories make me smile from ear to ear. In the office elevator recently, I saw this man wearing a T-shirt that had "Juley" written on it("Juley" is "hello"/greeting in Ladhaki)  and something like "Heaven on earth - Ladhak" written below. I dint know the person, but I just started smiling uncontrollably at the person, and he must have wondered why! :)

I am just so happy I got to see this heaven on earth - the natural beauty of the Ladhak region with Indus, the dust/sand mountains, the rocky landscape, the azure skies and all of it. It had been a long cherished dream to explore Leh, Ladhak and am so happy I could do it this year, feeling blessed. :)

Cleansing...

After watching “Gravity”, I am wondering about “letting go”…

I let go of a couple of “materials” that were bothering me when I looked at them. I cleansed – my room I mean – and metaphorically on some level the cleansing seemed of a few things in my mind as well. I want to let go of a few more things, some irritations I have, by writing them down I want to get them out of my system. Here they go –

1.      If you are watching a movie with me, please don’t make unnecessary comments, I am hoping for the movie to entertain me, so you don’t take the trouble please. Moreover, I enjoy watching movies, so back off J

2.      If I buy something from your retail store, don’t charge me Rs.500 on my credit card and give me a bill for Rs. 499. If you want that 1 more rupee, put that on the bill. If you cannot, then key in 499 instead of 500 on your POS machine! Don’t cheez me off.

3.      Don’t give me fashion advice if you don’t know me too well(in other words if you do not matter to me so much). a) I buy what I like b) I wear what I buy. c) if I don’t care for you, what makes you believe I will care for your advice. I wear what makes me feel good, I aim to please myself, not you. Sorry if that was blunt!

4.      Please don’t make jokes about people because of their gender, ethnicity, age or background, you may do it with people who are very familiar with you, excuse me.

5.      Don’t act overly familiar with me, if you were, there was no need to act.

P.S: The below are not applicable to close friends, as they would already know these by now and in case they forget, I can comfortably express my displeasure!
P.P.S : And I heard from a good friend, that it is a good day to cleanse.. :)

Lemons and lemonades!

Office bus came 30 minutes late due to some technical issues. Once we(another person who gets in the bus along with me at the same stop) got to know that, we went to a near by darshini, had an idly, vada and by-2 coffee! Then came back to the bus stop and enjoyed a nice ride to office.

Well, so what does one do when life gives you lemons? Chill. Enjoy fish biryani with lime soda in the company of friends! What else? :)

Mountain biking....

I was on a holiday to Leh, Ladhak, Jammu and Kashmir for the last 11 days or so.  What was I doing? Well I was on a mountain biking trip J How cool is that! The bikes aka the geared cycles were extremely good for the terrain and it was a wonderful experience. The best part of biking in the mountains is the meditative aspect. The terrains are tough and the weather in Leh is ruthless to the extent of literally sucking up all the moisture your body dares to expose. If you breathe through your mouth instead of the nose, the food pipe dries up! The dehydration left to itself can cause depression is what I heard, so even to keep oneself sane, one needs to hydrate as often! The early mornings and late evenings are chilly and the late mornings and noons are unbearably hot(for a Bangalorean i.e) and dryness is irrespective of day or night. Given the fact that I had all the time in the world, I became very aware of the body and mind. Any physical activity under extreme weather conditions is a mind game to begin with. 

The first day of the trail run(it was about 25kms!) I just wondered what on earth made me enroll for this, it felt very tough and I felt very unfit. The next day I was far more comfortable and by the fifth day the bike and me were almost so much in sync it was difficult not to believe I hadn’t done mountain biking before in my life. I learnt to synchronize breathing patterns with pedaling the bike, handle the steepness of the mountains with the bike, learnt to negotiate the hair pin bends. 

The roads - the roads in Ladhak deserve a special mention. They are extremely good, better than the roads in metros may be! The biking experience in Leh can be said to be of supremely high quality because of the excellent roads! Three cheers to the roads! :)

The azure skies provide a sense of calm that can only be experienced.

And the sense of accomplishment is so awesome. Imagine climbing mountains with your raw physical power for a fuel, what in the world can match that! The travel and the adventure add to the fun. The whole ride was on NH1 and most of the route was next to the Indus river! Scenic. Fantastic. Breath-takingly beautiful. I would highly recommend the experience. It is a doer’s delight. At the end of it all, you not only get a sense of accomplishment, you also get a toned body – that is a big bonus now, isn’t it!

Beauty and the wrath - in the beautiful lands...

Have been reading reports of the floods in Uttarakhand over the past 15-20 days. I had been there last August and a week or two before I went there were flash floods. But I never imagined the magnitude of floods to be as it is now.

While I was there I had seen land slides, fallen bridges, the tar of the roads swept away by rains make the rides bumpy. Had experienced the perils of driving in the rainy weather on the winding narrow roads sitting next to the driver in a small bus. On one side was a mountainous “wall”, that could give way anytime and rain boulders, stones, pebbles and soil, and anything that the loosened earth from the rains had in it, which was just yielding to gravity. On the other side were the deep valleys, beautiful for an onlooker but if the vehicle lost control, hardly anything recognizable could be retrieved.

Can you spot the road there?!

Rubble from a land slide...

Life there is not easy like in the plains, everyday is an adventure if you think about it. The most beautiful picturesque river can wash everything in the way if the rains persist. I remember so distinctly sitting on the banks of river Ganga in Haridwar, just keeping my legs in the water sitting on the steps – that itself kind of scared me, because the current of the river was so strong and just the immersion of a few centimeters of myself was enough to make me feel like being carried away by the mighty river. I am talking of the calmer times of the river when the river was flowing well within the danger limits. Imagining the ferocity of the river during the floods is plain scary.

A bridge view of civilization on the banks... 

Some say the calamity is man-made, deforestation loosens the soil, the washed away soil increases the level of the water in rivers, the rivers gets ruthless almost to the extent of wiping out the very civilization it had created around the banks.

My sincere wish is to preserve the forests, rivers, valleys, lakes and mountains of Uttarakhand, it is the land of a lot of the most beautiful places on earth. 

Engulfing beauty - a blissful feeling!

I have had spiritual experiences just looking at the wonderful natural wonders here. May peace and green prevail.

Picturesque journeys, happy memories! 

A deluge...

Why are they missed?
When they were, were they cherished?
Why are changes resisted?
Why are unknowns feared?

Why are pasts regretted?
Why are futures fretted?
Why are people blamed?
Why are those dreams tamed?

Why are there only questions?
Would life be any better with answers?

Life and Candy floss problems...

There is this thing about life. Problems are sometimes like candy floss. They appear big and too much to handle. But if you try to bite there is hardly anything. So basically you need to have the courage to sooner or later attempt to take a bite and get a taste of what that "big" problem is even to figure out the magnitude. And if it turns out to be candy-floss-big, just be thankfully surprised and enjoy the discovery. And yes, move on.