visited a blog yesterday..whose blog ? how does it matter??... and yet it did matter to me enuf to record it here..
it is (or was?) the blog of somebody whom i have never shared any comment with, never visited before. i chanced upon it while checking out other blogs. she is no more..she died few days back.
i dunno y but i felt hollow and empty after reading her last post.. n i dunno what made me even post a comment there which would never be read by her!!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Hitch
"Wear Short Skirts, Hitch Hike, Save Fuel.. Start Something New" -- a recent hoarding of Shoppers' Stop read.. the ad made me nostalgic..flashback to those years in DU... (sigh!!)
i and two of my pals were on the lookout of "prospective" cars whenever (read 'always' :D) we wanted to have a free ride.. n i must bow down in acknowledgement that not for once were we disappointed. sometimes a cool guy trying to impress, sometimes a sophisticated 40 yr old offering fag b4 lighting his and sometimes unsuspecting unclejis.
Once an uncleji driving a Honda City stopped near us, with ''erected'' hopes :p, expecting that one of the girls wud sit next to him.. aahh :-D.. He asked us our destination n we sweetly said 'Patel Nagar'.. But he cud never imagine that 2 boys wud jump out from behind the girls and sit in the front !! (we were five - we three girls sat at the back) After just 5 mins he suddenly remembered that he's got an urgent job n wud have to go another way!!
Our day was made !!
i and two of my pals were on the lookout of "prospective" cars whenever (read 'always' :D) we wanted to have a free ride.. n i must bow down in acknowledgement that not for once were we disappointed. sometimes a cool guy trying to impress, sometimes a sophisticated 40 yr old offering fag b4 lighting his and sometimes unsuspecting unclejis.
Once an uncleji driving a Honda City stopped near us, with ''erected'' hopes :p, expecting that one of the girls wud sit next to him.. aahh :-D.. He asked us our destination n we sweetly said 'Patel Nagar'.. But he cud never imagine that 2 boys wud jump out from behind the girls and sit in the front !! (we were five - we three girls sat at the back) After just 5 mins he suddenly remembered that he's got an urgent job n wud have to go another way!!
Our day was made !!
Friday, April 25, 2008
Ginger's First Trek
It's been 7 months since I posted my last blog.. have been reading other posts though, n giving ocassional comments (as anon). So thought what better way to come back than with a post on my 1st ever trek! So here the story goes...
Name of Trek : Sandakphu
Altitude : About 12000 ft ; highest pt. in West Bengal
View : Kanchendzonga, Everest, Makalu & Lhotse......... and HEAVEN !! :-)
The first lap from Maneybhanjang to Chitre was like Oooh Aaah Ouch !! 2 hours' uphill walk on a 70 degree gradient path could be what else ??? i cudn't believe that i reached Chitre in the usual time ..it seemed i wud take AT LEAST double the time. [A group of guys was behind me and as I was sticking my tougue out (cuz i was breathless, u dirty mind !), one of them tried to be pally n said "it's tiresome, na?" .. pat came ginger's reply "well ya, that's what u r here for"! .. he din't show me his face again :-D]
From Chitre, after trekking to a place called Tumling, we halted for the night at a trekkers' hut. what lovely people and what hospitality!!.. i HAVE to mention our host's name here.. Tilak Taaju (Taaju meaning big B).. the food, the room, the fireplace...everything oozed warmth there..and we tasted wine prepared from the flower Rhododendron..it was good.
But a more refreshing drink was the Tumba, which we had at our next halt the day after- Kalapokhri (Kala : Black ; Pokhri : Lake) . The drink is prepared by adding warm water to millet seeds (a locally fermented crop) and is served in a unique wooden container. U need to let the water settle down for 5-10 mins and then sip the drink slowly with a wooden pipe.. the effect of the drink is very soothing..it instantly relaxes you without making you feel drowsy or sleepy.. but the best part of it is that u can have it 3-4 times from the same serving!! .. just need to add some more warm water, let it settle down and then sip it. and yes, the drink should not be stirred.. the seeds should always rest at the bottom of the container.
But no description of Kalapokhri is complete without the mention of our hostess' two daughters (aged between 18-20 yrs). It was cold outside and with electricity only in the kitchen n dining room, we went inside their kitchen and were immediately offered a comfortable corner with a coal fire in front us. For the good two hours we sat there, we kept watching the two girls in complete awe !! they were working at jet speed, literally. running once to serve food to the guests.. again back to the oven to watch over the dal n subzi... and again next moment washing the utensils...and their mother kept on instructing them while making chappatis. And even in the midst of all this , it din't escape the elder one's notice that our fire was going off.. she immediately filled it up with fresh hot charcoal.. both of them are so pretty n so fashionable..in fact, most of the hill persons that side are 'with it'. they may not afford xpnsv clothes, but their sense of fashion is in tune with the times..even the elderly ladies..
so far so good! after a very comfortable night and a simple but sumptuous breakfast of alu parantha with dried ginger-n-carrot pickle, we started off for the last lap to Sandakphu.. I dared not carry my rucksack that day, as the 2 hour climb is really really steep !! when i finally saw the milestone reading 'Sandakphu - 1 km', i was like Yoooohoooo !!! we settled down, had tea n noodle soup, n roamed around for a while.. could not see the peaks cuz it was very cloudy.. met a young Danish couple who had saved money for 3 years to visit India...n i thought only i m always short of money!
next morning woke up at 5.00 am to see the sunrise..but the clouds kept hanging and v cudnt c anything...thankfully, we had seen the rise at Tumling two days back.. here is the pic
at around 7, the sky got clearer and we could quite clearly see the peaks.. definitely closer than at Tumling..Everest, though, far away. the range is also called 'Sleeping Buddha' (look from left to right.. it indeed looks like a sleeping person)..i am not posting any picture cuz the internet is full of many more beautiful pictures of view from Sandakphu..
i would rather post pictures of our trek to Molley where we reached at around 2.00 pm after 6 hours' trek from Sandakphu the same day...
It was a mystical valley which we walked through !!...
Molley is surrounded by jungle from all sides and has only one trekkers' hut and a few paramilitary camps..that's it. Apart from a German guy (who was my age but looked like an old haggard), we were the only trekkers there..this is the hut we stayed at..
our uphill trek finally ended here.
next morning, it was downhill walk all along through the forests to Srikhola. By god ! i never knew downhill trekking cud be so taxing..toe nails were paining as if they were broken, heels were burning, and calf muscles.. Ahaha !! but srikhola is just the right place to unwind after completing your trek... very picturesque..like the ones you see in posters..
next day we started for Rimbick where we finally ended our trek and took a jeep to take us back to the town..it was a lovely experience without doubts..but came back with the realisation that one needs a stronger back and stronger limbs and of course a gr8 pair of lungs to enjoy a trek more !
P.S. Two noteworthy points....
a) a team member forgot his mobile at Tumling n realised it only after reaching Kalapokhri.. Tilak Taaju could not be contacted over phone..so a message was sent through a driver.. we got the mobile on our way back, at Siliguri, without even having to go again to Tumling. Amazing way of communication and amazingly trustworthy people !!
b) the same team member got separated from us in the jungle..couple of hours later we were united..Amazingly hopeless !!
Phew ! what a long post (epic?) I have written..
Name of Trek : Sandakphu
Altitude : About 12000 ft ; highest pt. in West Bengal
View : Kanchendzonga, Everest, Makalu & Lhotse......... and HEAVEN !! :-)
The first lap from Maneybhanjang to Chitre was like Oooh Aaah Ouch !! 2 hours' uphill walk on a 70 degree gradient path could be what else ??? i cudn't believe that i reached Chitre in the usual time ..it seemed i wud take AT LEAST double the time. [A group of guys was behind me and as I was sticking my tougue out (cuz i was breathless, u dirty mind !), one of them tried to be pally n said "it's tiresome, na?" .. pat came ginger's reply "well ya, that's what u r here for"! .. he din't show me his face again :-D]
From Chitre, after trekking to a place called Tumling, we halted for the night at a trekkers' hut. what lovely people and what hospitality!!.. i HAVE to mention our host's name here.. Tilak Taaju (Taaju meaning big B).. the food, the room, the fireplace...everything oozed warmth there..and we tasted wine prepared from the flower Rhododendron..it was good.
But a more refreshing drink was the Tumba, which we had at our next halt the day after- Kalapokhri (Kala : Black ; Pokhri : Lake) . The drink is prepared by adding warm water to millet seeds (a locally fermented crop) and is served in a unique wooden container. U need to let the water settle down for 5-10 mins and then sip the drink slowly with a wooden pipe.. the effect of the drink is very soothing..it instantly relaxes you without making you feel drowsy or sleepy.. but the best part of it is that u can have it 3-4 times from the same serving!! .. just need to add some more warm water, let it settle down and then sip it. and yes, the drink should not be stirred.. the seeds should always rest at the bottom of the container.
But no description of Kalapokhri is complete without the mention of our hostess' two daughters (aged between 18-20 yrs). It was cold outside and with electricity only in the kitchen n dining room, we went inside their kitchen and were immediately offered a comfortable corner with a coal fire in front us. For the good two hours we sat there, we kept watching the two girls in complete awe !! they were working at jet speed, literally. running once to serve food to the guests.. again back to the oven to watch over the dal n subzi... and again next moment washing the utensils...and their mother kept on instructing them while making chappatis. And even in the midst of all this , it din't escape the elder one's notice that our fire was going off.. she immediately filled it up with fresh hot charcoal.. both of them are so pretty n so fashionable..in fact, most of the hill persons that side are 'with it'. they may not afford xpnsv clothes, but their sense of fashion is in tune with the times..even the elderly ladies..
so far so good! after a very comfortable night and a simple but sumptuous breakfast of alu parantha with dried ginger-n-carrot pickle, we started off for the last lap to Sandakphu.. I dared not carry my rucksack that day, as the 2 hour climb is really really steep !! when i finally saw the milestone reading 'Sandakphu - 1 km', i was like Yoooohoooo !!! we settled down, had tea n noodle soup, n roamed around for a while.. could not see the peaks cuz it was very cloudy.. met a young Danish couple who had saved money for 3 years to visit India...n i thought only i m always short of money!
next morning woke up at 5.00 am to see the sunrise..but the clouds kept hanging and v cudnt c anything...thankfully, we had seen the rise at Tumling two days back.. here is the pic
at around 7, the sky got clearer and we could quite clearly see the peaks.. definitely closer than at Tumling..Everest, though, far away. the range is also called 'Sleeping Buddha' (look from left to right.. it indeed looks like a sleeping person)..i am not posting any picture cuz the internet is full of many more beautiful pictures of view from Sandakphu..i would rather post pictures of our trek to Molley where we reached at around 2.00 pm after 6 hours' trek from Sandakphu the same day...
It was a mystical valley which we walked through !!...
Molley is surrounded by jungle from all sides and has only one trekkers' hut and a few paramilitary camps..that's it. Apart from a German guy (who was my age but looked like an old haggard), we were the only trekkers there..this is the hut we stayed at..
our uphill trek finally ended here.next morning, it was downhill walk all along through the forests to Srikhola. By god ! i never knew downhill trekking cud be so taxing..toe nails were paining as if they were broken, heels were burning, and calf muscles.. Ahaha !! but srikhola is just the right place to unwind after completing your trek... very picturesque..like the ones you see in posters..
next day we started for Rimbick where we finally ended our trek and took a jeep to take us back to the town..it was a lovely experience without doubts..but came back with the realisation that one needs a stronger back and stronger limbs and of course a gr8 pair of lungs to enjoy a trek more !P.S. Two noteworthy points....
a) a team member forgot his mobile at Tumling n realised it only after reaching Kalapokhri.. Tilak Taaju could not be contacted over phone..so a message was sent through a driver.. we got the mobile on our way back, at Siliguri, without even having to go again to Tumling. Amazing way of communication and amazingly trustworthy people !!
b) the same team member got separated from us in the jungle..couple of hours later we were united..Amazingly hopeless !!
Phew ! what a long post (epic?) I have written..
Thursday, September 6, 2007
A Love Story
A couple of weeks back, I was going through this small piece of news about the top ten love stories of the world.. and was delighted to see my all time favourite topping the list. It is 'Wuthering Heights' written by Emily Bronte, the only novel written by her. I was at once compelled to read the novel all over again...wow, what a story !
Heathcliff, the protagonist, seems so surreal yet his character makes one think beyond one's known territories.. i just loved the brutality and passion with which he loved Catherine !!
Was wondering why they haven't yet made a movie on this masterpiece ??? maybe the spunky Catherine be played by Catherine herself (Zeta Jones, that is) .. but who can play the tall,dark and ugly Heathcliff ?... i am still thinking.....
any suggestions ???
Heathcliff, the protagonist, seems so surreal yet his character makes one think beyond one's known territories.. i just loved the brutality and passion with which he loved Catherine !!
Was wondering why they haven't yet made a movie on this masterpiece ??? maybe the spunky Catherine be played by Catherine herself (Zeta Jones, that is) .. but who can play the tall,dark and ugly Heathcliff ?... i am still thinking.....
any suggestions ???
Monday, August 27, 2007
Road to Sainthood
The recent revelation of letters of Mother Teresa may have raised questions about her canonisation, but it has increased my respect towards her manyfold. She had "doubt" about God from the very moment she came to Kolkata and yet could devote her entire life for the cause of the underprivileged... what a courageous woman !!
Last year I was associated with the Mother House in Kolkata for a very bried period.. And I still remember when I first stepped inside, I could feel a thrill down my spine... just the thought that she had walked and talked there.. it may sound cliched but I really felt I was so close to her. The senior sister asked me what I would like to do and on knowing my desire, she gave me the address of a small school for the street children, run by the nuns..
I had taught there only for a month or so. It was definitely an enriching experience but what troubled me a lot was the fact that there was not a single volunteer from Kolkata, leave alone from other parts of India. I only met foreigners who came and taught the kids, inspite of the huge language barrier.
We talk so much about our reverence for Mother Teresa, but how much do we actually do to contribute to her cause??.. and I include myself as well..
Last year I was associated with the Mother House in Kolkata for a very bried period.. And I still remember when I first stepped inside, I could feel a thrill down my spine... just the thought that she had walked and talked there.. it may sound cliched but I really felt I was so close to her. The senior sister asked me what I would like to do and on knowing my desire, she gave me the address of a small school for the street children, run by the nuns..
I had taught there only for a month or so. It was definitely an enriching experience but what troubled me a lot was the fact that there was not a single volunteer from Kolkata, leave alone from other parts of India. I only met foreigners who came and taught the kids, inspite of the huge language barrier.
We talk so much about our reverence for Mother Teresa, but how much do we actually do to contribute to her cause??.. and I include myself as well..
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