Remember the sparrow? Once ubiquitous, they have come down to barely fleeting appearances these days. Always chirping away it seemed to be one long monologue when they were around. We had them for company in our house while we grew up. We loved feeding them, and though they wouldn’t venture too close to us they were gracious enough to feed of food we used to provide them.
It was a happy co-existence till the time we felt we grew up and decided to look for greener pastures. Bigger cities, even bigger apartments and more people meant that we don’t have a place for them sparrows anymore. They used the crooks and crevices around human habitations to build their nesting places but unfortunately modern cities don’t provide them that luxury anymore. They probably still are around in villages and smaller towns where finding grain and a place to nest aren’t yet difficult. Sadly, nobody seems to miss them at all. Perhaps we haven’t noticed; perhaps we don’t care or perhaps we just don’t know them well. But, I really miss waking up on lazy weekend morning knowing I need not get to school, ambling to my balcony and being greeted by these wonderfully energetic creatures. I dread the time my kids read about them in books, and ask me about them. I wonder where I will find one to show to them. Ah, what are we turning our planet into!
Friday, July 31, 2009
Friday, July 17, 2009
Finally a weekend sojourn - one long overdue
Warning - Unsually long post ahead. Best avoided :)
Finally, finally, as we promised to ourselves a trip plan to Srisailam worked out. We dragged ourselves out of bed at five in the morning on Saturday wanting to start early and avoid the city traffic as the day wore. Sita and I opted to play the good Samaritans by occupying the last row of our vehicle - that it was an Innova probably helped. Our conversations bordered on realistic to wildly insane. Planning regular weekend activities was an interesting topic, one I would classify as meaningful; using this trip to hunt for a place to setup our golf course was perhaps bordering on insanity.
We drove via the airport. I may sound preposterous but this was my first glimpse of Hyderabad city’s new airport. People had warned us that they weren’t too many places to eat along the way and we were advised to carry some food. By the time we had found a pit stop to have breakfast we were terribly hungry and the place didn’t really matter to us. A few dosas later, armed with some help on directions we were on our way to the Mallela Theertham waterfalls.
The drive was fantastic - acres and acres of land; surprisingly devoid of people. There would appear a few villages in between as if to provide an interlude. These were the only places for us to buy some water or a snack. The waterfall needed a diversion from the Srisailam route we were on; a winding mud road through a village which tested our spines. I couldn’t help notice how many of the houses had Sundirect hoisted on their rooftops; not surprising though. Perhaps it was the only way to access television in the town. The waterfall is reached by climbing down a stair of steps. About 350 in all, it all seemed so easy that were wondered why there were benches laid out midway for people to rest. We realized later that it making our way up was a different matter altogether!
The falls itself were exhilarating. Unmindful of the slippery rocks it looked like people were eager to get drenched. It needed a lot of coaxing from everybody for me to take the plunge though. A very bad fall years ago during such a trip has left my mind permanently scarred. However, I do try to overcome this every time though I might need to be pushed to do it. I don’t regret the fact this time though. After a few initial hesitant steps to feel the mood of the water we finally let go and allowed ourselves to be completely drenched – every nerve, each sinew. The water caught us breathless initially but then it all came back to us in a moment of ecstasy. I was enjoying being thoroughly rinsed when I realized that in my moment of haste I had left my cell phone in my pocket. That ended my fun under the waters because I had to take care of my communication equipment. Thankfully all was well. We sat back for over an hour feeling completely refreshed and recharged, suddenly realizing that we were hungry. A quick bite later we were on our way to Srisailam.
The journey was fascinating. Monkeys emerged from the forests on the road perhaps curious of the doings of human life. The ghat road provided breathtaking views of the dam which sadly was devoid of much water. We reached the temple town late in the afternoon. Munching a sumptuous lunch was our first priority after which we decided to catch a couple of hours rest before visiting the temple. It rained uninterrupted for two hours while we slept. Rain never seemed to relent completely but we decided we should make the visit to the temple on the same day. Walking barefoot towards the temple amongst puddles of water turned out to be pure bliss. The soul and the body seemed to connect with the earth and the feeling was enchanting. We never seem to pursue such things anymore though we yearn for them.
We departed for the night promising to one another that we would start early the next day but our tired limbs had other ideas. It was cold and rainy and seemed like any other Sunday but finally hunger pangs made us get out and get ready.
We took the ropeway down the hill and then a motor boat which was going to give a whirlwind trip down to the dam. It wasn’t as thrilling as some of the one’s I had before (the one at Lake Tahoe still tops, and by miles). The boat trip was breezy. Understandably people were excited. Not that the ride was worth it but because there is something about a trip on water which thrills us. Perhaps some inherent human psychology to not remain grounded – we are thrilled to fly or float. I couldn’t help notice though that the water was very unclean and not inviting at all. We could see the river wind down between mountain slopes towards possibly more interesting avenues (caves, existed there somebody said). But, since we were out of time we had to leave that for later.
Going on the safari during our return was planned and we didn’t want to forgo this plan. The thought of spotting a tiger was thrilling although I wasn’t sure if it would be very exciting if one of those species really decided to confront us. We decided to take the call of the wild though – the thought of a viewing point promised with breathtaking views clinched the deal. There was no tiger though, just a few deer and some peacocks. As we went along I became pretty sure that we wouldn’t see any tigers though. The state of the road seemed to suggest that it was pretty regularly used by people and a tiger wouldn’t really be interested to frequent especially considering their aversion to us humans. My want to witness the royal animal outside the realms of restriction stills remain unsatisfied. I wait for my next chance. The end point of the safari was really the icing on the cake. A view point towards the end of a cliff provided breathtaking views of the Nallamala forest range. The sun played hide and seek with the clouds and one could see the sun rays filtering in from amongst the clouds. The huge trees below looked like clusters of wedges of grass and one could see the shadows of the cloud shifting amongst them, perhaps playing a game of chess of their own. Standing there on the cliff we could feel the breeze beating against my face. We soaked this all in spending a heavenly thirty minutes before turning back to continue our journey.
Though we had lots of sleep to catch up over the next day or two, I realized the importance of taking time out from routine, experiencing the thrill of traveling and catching up with friends. It was perhaps a journey well begun with promises of more.
Finally, finally, as we promised to ourselves a trip plan to Srisailam worked out. We dragged ourselves out of bed at five in the morning on Saturday wanting to start early and avoid the city traffic as the day wore. Sita and I opted to play the good Samaritans by occupying the last row of our vehicle - that it was an Innova probably helped. Our conversations bordered on realistic to wildly insane. Planning regular weekend activities was an interesting topic, one I would classify as meaningful; using this trip to hunt for a place to setup our golf course was perhaps bordering on insanity.
We drove via the airport. I may sound preposterous but this was my first glimpse of Hyderabad city’s new airport. People had warned us that they weren’t too many places to eat along the way and we were advised to carry some food. By the time we had found a pit stop to have breakfast we were terribly hungry and the place didn’t really matter to us. A few dosas later, armed with some help on directions we were on our way to the Mallela Theertham waterfalls.
The drive was fantastic - acres and acres of land; surprisingly devoid of people. There would appear a few villages in between as if to provide an interlude. These were the only places for us to buy some water or a snack. The waterfall needed a diversion from the Srisailam route we were on; a winding mud road through a village which tested our spines. I couldn’t help notice how many of the houses had Sundirect hoisted on their rooftops; not surprising though. Perhaps it was the only way to access television in the town. The waterfall is reached by climbing down a stair of steps. About 350 in all, it all seemed so easy that were wondered why there were benches laid out midway for people to rest. We realized later that it making our way up was a different matter altogether!
The falls itself were exhilarating. Unmindful of the slippery rocks it looked like people were eager to get drenched. It needed a lot of coaxing from everybody for me to take the plunge though. A very bad fall years ago during such a trip has left my mind permanently scarred. However, I do try to overcome this every time though I might need to be pushed to do it. I don’t regret the fact this time though. After a few initial hesitant steps to feel the mood of the water we finally let go and allowed ourselves to be completely drenched – every nerve, each sinew. The water caught us breathless initially but then it all came back to us in a moment of ecstasy. I was enjoying being thoroughly rinsed when I realized that in my moment of haste I had left my cell phone in my pocket. That ended my fun under the waters because I had to take care of my communication equipment. Thankfully all was well. We sat back for over an hour feeling completely refreshed and recharged, suddenly realizing that we were hungry. A quick bite later we were on our way to Srisailam.
The journey was fascinating. Monkeys emerged from the forests on the road perhaps curious of the doings of human life. The ghat road provided breathtaking views of the dam which sadly was devoid of much water. We reached the temple town late in the afternoon. Munching a sumptuous lunch was our first priority after which we decided to catch a couple of hours rest before visiting the temple. It rained uninterrupted for two hours while we slept. Rain never seemed to relent completely but we decided we should make the visit to the temple on the same day. Walking barefoot towards the temple amongst puddles of water turned out to be pure bliss. The soul and the body seemed to connect with the earth and the feeling was enchanting. We never seem to pursue such things anymore though we yearn for them.
We departed for the night promising to one another that we would start early the next day but our tired limbs had other ideas. It was cold and rainy and seemed like any other Sunday but finally hunger pangs made us get out and get ready.
We took the ropeway down the hill and then a motor boat which was going to give a whirlwind trip down to the dam. It wasn’t as thrilling as some of the one’s I had before (the one at Lake Tahoe still tops, and by miles). The boat trip was breezy. Understandably people were excited. Not that the ride was worth it but because there is something about a trip on water which thrills us. Perhaps some inherent human psychology to not remain grounded – we are thrilled to fly or float. I couldn’t help notice though that the water was very unclean and not inviting at all. We could see the river wind down between mountain slopes towards possibly more interesting avenues (caves, existed there somebody said). But, since we were out of time we had to leave that for later.
Going on the safari during our return was planned and we didn’t want to forgo this plan. The thought of spotting a tiger was thrilling although I wasn’t sure if it would be very exciting if one of those species really decided to confront us. We decided to take the call of the wild though – the thought of a viewing point promised with breathtaking views clinched the deal. There was no tiger though, just a few deer and some peacocks. As we went along I became pretty sure that we wouldn’t see any tigers though. The state of the road seemed to suggest that it was pretty regularly used by people and a tiger wouldn’t really be interested to frequent especially considering their aversion to us humans. My want to witness the royal animal outside the realms of restriction stills remain unsatisfied. I wait for my next chance. The end point of the safari was really the icing on the cake. A view point towards the end of a cliff provided breathtaking views of the Nallamala forest range. The sun played hide and seek with the clouds and one could see the sun rays filtering in from amongst the clouds. The huge trees below looked like clusters of wedges of grass and one could see the shadows of the cloud shifting amongst them, perhaps playing a game of chess of their own. Standing there on the cliff we could feel the breeze beating against my face. We soaked this all in spending a heavenly thirty minutes before turning back to continue our journey.
Though we had lots of sleep to catch up over the next day or two, I realized the importance of taking time out from routine, experiencing the thrill of traveling and catching up with friends. It was perhaps a journey well begun with promises of more.
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Beautiful while I sleep
I’ve been thinking about this for a while but have been procrastinating. One of the joys for me towards the end of a day has been observing my wife’s elaborate preparations before she goes to bed. She makes it a point to have a nice relaxed bath and always look nattily dressed. It is as if she has to look like an angel in her dreams. It’s an absolute pleasure watching her go through this routine everyday. Although she’s been trying her best to drive in some of these good habits into me it hasn’t actually worked. I am usually catching up with some personal emails, reading a book or watching the idiot box at the end of the day following which the only thing I can think of is to sleep like a log; whatever state I am in. How I wish – I could be beautiful while I sleep.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Things I'd like to change
I state travel, reading as a hobby; something that I always looked forward to. Work has taken me to a few different places – in India and the USA and it’s been an enriching experience. The last couple of years however have been pretty barren - on both fronts. No major travel conquests to report and I’ve almost stopped my reading habit. I count two books I could barely complete in the last year. A couple of failed plans to Pune and Coorg over the past 6 months haven’t helped matters with weekend sojourns. It looks like a sort of inertia has stuck my being.
Inertia really, because though work takes up a big part of my time, I spent another major chunk of it sleeping! Required I know, but I should stop being a lazy bum and devote a little time to reading and writing. Started reading The Devil Wears Prada last week; also have The Hungry Tide lined up. God knows how many years I will take to finish these two. It makes me sad that I hardly devoted any time at all to reading since school. As good as crime in my parlance and it is something that I want to change in my life. Read a lot more and take to writing. Not sure how good I can be at it but I do not want to lose before I get started.
Better news on the travel front though; we have been able to get things moving. Plans for a weekend trip to Mallela Theertham and Srisailam are half-way there. Knowing how good we are at postponing trips I wouldn’t have committed this here but this time around we have done some accommodation reservations – so it is almost a point of no return for us. Here’s hoping things go according to plan and I can opine a travelogue pretty soon.
Inertia really, because though work takes up a big part of my time, I spent another major chunk of it sleeping! Required I know, but I should stop being a lazy bum and devote a little time to reading and writing. Started reading The Devil Wears Prada last week; also have The Hungry Tide lined up. God knows how many years I will take to finish these two. It makes me sad that I hardly devoted any time at all to reading since school. As good as crime in my parlance and it is something that I want to change in my life. Read a lot more and take to writing. Not sure how good I can be at it but I do not want to lose before I get started.
Better news on the travel front though; we have been able to get things moving. Plans for a weekend trip to Mallela Theertham and Srisailam are half-way there. Knowing how good we are at postponing trips I wouldn’t have committed this here but this time around we have done some accommodation reservations – so it is almost a point of no return for us. Here’s hoping things go according to plan and I can opine a travelogue pretty soon.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
To 'tip' or not...
The other day we went to a very famous (and very good) vegetarian restaurant in my city and enjoyed a wholesome meal. It isn't a very expensive restaurant, and the ambience is nothing to die for. In fact there is almost always such a very big crowd in there that it becomes difficult to find a place unless of course you are prepared to wait.
The food though is pretty good and that's a reason I usually end up frequenting the place. Being near my home is a good enough push too.
I paid the bill using my card and decided it's put in a part of my tip in the card to get my bill to a nicely rounded number (Rs 200 sounds better than a Rs 191 for me!). My server confronts me while I do this saying that I was not allowed to tip anything less than 10 rupees. That didn't go down well with me. A customer cannot be told a minimum amount to tip. I pay for the service, ambience and 'IF' I am happy. I later looked at my bill and found out that service charge was included as part of my bill. Now, I make it a point to check my bill before paying; always tip in cash; and never tip at a restaurant charging customers for their service.
The food though is pretty good and that's a reason I usually end up frequenting the place. Being near my home is a good enough push too.
I paid the bill using my card and decided it's put in a part of my tip in the card to get my bill to a nicely rounded number (Rs 200 sounds better than a Rs 191 for me!). My server confronts me while I do this saying that I was not allowed to tip anything less than 10 rupees. That didn't go down well with me. A customer cannot be told a minimum amount to tip. I pay for the service, ambience and 'IF' I am happy. I later looked at my bill and found out that service charge was included as part of my bill. Now, I make it a point to check my bill before paying; always tip in cash; and never tip at a restaurant charging customers for their service.
Monday, June 08, 2009
Vamos Federer
He probably waited for the 14th slam much more than anything else he won. It's our fault perhaps to estimate a time because he's been winning them like they are being held in his backyard. A true champion; his chest was perhaps incomplete without this one but there'll still be bricks thrown at this win I guess. He didn't win against the player who's competed best against him in this era. But for no mistake of his though - let's play it down folks.
I always got a feeling that he never quite played to potential against Rafa. Probably credit to the young man. I though was waiting for the day when this French expectation was lighter in Federer's mind. I am itching to see a hungrier Nadal playing against a more relaxed Federer. Wimbledon's round the corner and I can't resist the thought enough.
The two champions of the present era have given us enough thrills when they played one another. A grand slam final doesn't seem to be one without them playing in it. Brute force, adrenalin, the incredible energy and stamina that Nadal brings witted against silken grace, an almost nonchalant laziness, pure genius. Waiting for more gentlemen; bring the goose-bumps on!
I always got a feeling that he never quite played to potential against Rafa. Probably credit to the young man. I though was waiting for the day when this French expectation was lighter in Federer's mind. I am itching to see a hungrier Nadal playing against a more relaxed Federer. Wimbledon's round the corner and I can't resist the thought enough.
The two champions of the present era have given us enough thrills when they played one another. A grand slam final doesn't seem to be one without them playing in it. Brute force, adrenalin, the incredible energy and stamina that Nadal brings witted against silken grace, an almost nonchalant laziness, pure genius. Waiting for more gentlemen; bring the goose-bumps on!
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Bye bye Pakistan, and welcome to the maidens!!
A second upset on a single day. Ireland's grit got the better of a certain bunch of Pakistani cricketers. Sad for the World Cup stakes to see such an exciting team already headed home. Minnows alright, but winning the toss is becoming a huge advantage. I bet if this were in the subcontinent there would have been a big hue and cry over the pitches. But all's very fair and good for cricket when it happens outside of our place!!
Feel terribly agrieved that a player of Inzamam's stature took his last bow from World Cups in such a way. His exit has been as incredible as his entry was in '92. He deserved better but alas. Agree, all the conditions against them but Pakistan were poor like India were on the same day. And, you can't make two mistakes in such an early stage of the tournament.
Ireland showed a lot of grit and fantastic captaincy. They held their nerves, and cricket will only be richer with the spirit they showed yesterday. Looks like they have some decent players too. Super 8's will be richer with all the colors they bring in to the game. And it all looks much better with the pretty girls that follow them. I hope they keep winning ;)
Feel terribly agrieved that a player of Inzamam's stature took his last bow from World Cups in such a way. His exit has been as incredible as his entry was in '92. He deserved better but alas. Agree, all the conditions against them but Pakistan were poor like India were on the same day. And, you can't make two mistakes in such an early stage of the tournament.
Ireland showed a lot of grit and fantastic captaincy. They held their nerves, and cricket will only be richer with the spirit they showed yesterday. Looks like they have some decent players too. Super 8's will be richer with all the colors they bring in to the game. And it all looks much better with the pretty girls that follow them. I hope they keep winning ;)
Tigers vs Lambs
Father Losing, Son Winning - this was a placard held up by an enthusiastic Bangladeshi cricket fan at Queen's Park, Trinidad today. Bangladesh cricket is buzzing. If you have any doubts about this statement then go have a look at banglacricket.com. Their performance today makes a clear statement: they no more are minnows. For me, ICC and cricket was a winner because the tigers were simply brilliant today.
Disciplined bowling, electic fielding and stunning batting was on view. What more, the batsmen in question looked exuberant, classy and wily old foxes all put together in young 17 and 18 year olds. Tamim Iqbal's shimmy down the track to deposit Zaheer Khan in orbit created a superstar in cricket. He could be another Saeed Anwar in the making. Abdur Razzak beating Sachin in flight to get him caught behind was another sight of the day. Bangladesh didn't win today by luck. They outplayed the Indians.
A poor day at the office for the Indians. They looked the minnows!!
Agreed, the conditions were conducive to the bowlers. But I thought the batsmen weren't creative enough. Spinners were allowed to dictate, and they were too predictable when they attacked. Bangladesh exploited a lot of holes in India's lineup which are going to hurt as this Cup progresses. Well, that is if we are going to progress too far :)
All's not lost though because we have always been slow starters. But, today belonged to the Bangladeshis. Today was their day in the Sun. Take a bow folks. They just gave us a kick on the backside. The Tigers playing against the Lambs.
Disciplined bowling, electic fielding and stunning batting was on view. What more, the batsmen in question looked exuberant, classy and wily old foxes all put together in young 17 and 18 year olds. Tamim Iqbal's shimmy down the track to deposit Zaheer Khan in orbit created a superstar in cricket. He could be another Saeed Anwar in the making. Abdur Razzak beating Sachin in flight to get him caught behind was another sight of the day. Bangladesh didn't win today by luck. They outplayed the Indians.
A poor day at the office for the Indians. They looked the minnows!!
Agreed, the conditions were conducive to the bowlers. But I thought the batsmen weren't creative enough. Spinners were allowed to dictate, and they were too predictable when they attacked. Bangladesh exploited a lot of holes in India's lineup which are going to hurt as this Cup progresses. Well, that is if we are going to progress too far :)
All's not lost though because we have always been slow starters. But, today belonged to the Bangladeshis. Today was their day in the Sun. Take a bow folks. They just gave us a kick on the backside. The Tigers playing against the Lambs.
The Intelligent
We always chase the stars, always the ever elusive. We go on and on, working and solving problems (you bet, am a software geek working on what else - fixing bugs) for somebody we don't even know. But am I becoming so very intelligent, that I am starting to miss the obvious? Isn't this something to think about?
And yes, the pun with the headline is intended....
And yes, the pun with the headline is intended....
Saturday, March 17, 2007
World Cup – India and my dark horse.....
Cricket's greatest extravaganza and how can I resist not turning into a writer. These days we see predictions, team analysis and what not from almost everybody around. Maybe I am not the expert, but that does not stop me from jotting down my 2 cents of knowledge (or crap!!).The first week has already floated away and I don't think we are disappointed. We've already had a tie, and all the top players have been spectacular of the blocks. All that bodes for the best world cup ever. It's exciting when the world's very best are going to be in their top form when they do battle in 'the' premier tournament.
India kick-off on the morrow. Where do we stand? For once everything looks relaxed. Well, is it?
There is a sense of coldness developing in our performance these days. I see a constant effort to get the job done, which means we've cut of some frills associated with our game. We have a captain who accepts our shortcomings. Nobody as yet gives them us chance, but nobody can ever write down such a dangerous side. I find this good enough for our boys. But you know what – all the bicker is going to start from tomorrow (lol).
This is going to be a swansong for most of our big boys, so we should expect a feast from them. Do you expect Sehwag to do better? Well, I do. Expect a few surprises up the order too because I feel something's cooking in our dressing room. We can expect Saurav, Sachin and Dravid to be rock solid. Take away every else people. These folks are going to win us a few matches. Yuvi and Dhoni are our focus players and very important one's too, and for once we have a pace attack that people are looking up to. Well, I see a team I can look forward too...
Coming to my other favorite – The Black Caps. New Zealand are on a hot streak, that's as if today's performance wasn't testimony enough. They have the best captain (I think so, and believe me there are a few who say so), steady bowling, Bond – for sheer pace and almost everybody can bat. They are no more the dibly doblers of cricket. They are serious contenders now. I have a gut feeling that they are on a roll which is probably going to take them a long way and surprise a few teams along the way.
I cheer for India, I have a very strong feeling that it's the Black Caps this time. I would like to stick my neck out and say that I'd be happy if my favorite teams can make it to the semis. Well, wait and watch.
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