Vivid memories - Tales of Andaman - I

At every given spare moment my heart flashes the memories of sharp shimmering sun lite splashing into my eyes...and i sweep back into memories of swinging on the cozy bamboo chair hanging from tree's branch right on the beach that beautiful morning.

I have never before heard the sound of silence that deep. There were friends around me..talking, laughing, running around....yet, I couldn't consciously hear or see anything. It was a moment when time halted. It was absolute serene.

I have seen few beaches earlier but none like this. Beautiful white sands, tranquil clear waters just about feet or two deep for a mile. A beach along dense green forest(if I can say that). Ah....what a view it was. It was more than what eyes could see, ears hear and my heart could hold.

The bright sun shimmered brighter, throwing its golden sparkles all around. Wind ran teasingly to the shore and back into the woods. Water that rushed hushhhhly to shore to tickle feet that walked along. Ah..what a view it was.

Being somebody who always liked speed ...I was thrilled to be in love with the 'halt'. For once I did realized the magnitude of nature's power.

 ----Nostalgic about Beach 5, Havelock, Andaman, India

Longing...as always

I remember sitting next to half stained window glass on a cold winter afternoon in the remote part of Jammu and Kashmir(In India) gazing in to the skies and longing for whats not there. We were living in wooden house constructed on the hill, among think long pine trees. It had just been 6 months that I left corporate life and I was longing to get back to work. Leisure was as empty as it can be. Its not that I didn't make friends there. I did, I had 4 friends, with whom I went for morning, afternoon and evening walks, we played shuttle, we visited river bed at the foot of the valley and we shared moments of fun. In fact there were 4 families living in that 4 block wooden house and all of them were newly married like we were. But that was the only block which had any families living. Rest of the area was maintained by Armed Forces.

The lush green wetlands, clouds that passed through windows, the musical sound of water from the rushing river at the foot of the valley, bright colored flower all around, slight sways of tall pine wood trees...nothing seemed to amuse me after a while. I wanted to get back to the busy life I once had.

8yrs from then, today again I sit next to window, but this time its a huge crystal clear glass window behind my cubicle in 6th floor of my posh office. Today again I gaze in to drizzling skies and long for whats not there. I now long for long vacations, I now long to trip into those lands where grass is wet and green, wind is fresh, mountains are white and huge, rivers rush and there silence in the air. Now I long to sit on the cliff and gaze into the never ending world.


BTW...am I longing or intensely cherishing the moments of past :-)

Time just flew by

Its been 2 years that I last blogged and time just flew by.


Many a times I wanted to come back here and had quite few things to write too... but time just flew by.

Life changed quite a bit. With me changing the work places, quite a few people came in to life. Few just came by and few stayed back. Few bought wonderful memories with them and few bought lessons for life and I didnt realise when time flew by.   Life had been a race...every morning...the whilst blew and every night there was a short halt to pull the socks up again and get ready for race. But I must agree the view along had been amazing so I never knew while time flew by.   Now when I halt and look back, I look at the most fruitful years. Though time just flew by...I knew each moment of it. I am gald that I haven't missed life when time rushed by.

Where is the Indian?

Found an intresting article...here its for you all..

A reality with a meaning
An American visited India and went back to America where he met his Indian friend and asked how did you find my country, the American said it is a great country with solid ancient history and immense rich with natural resources.
The Indian friend then asked, how did you find Indians?
Indians? Who Indians?
I did not find or met single Indian in India.
Who nonsense? Who else could you meet in india then?
The American then said ...
In Kashmir....I met a Kashmiri
In Panjab .... I met a Panjabi
In Bihar...Maharastra....Rajasthan...Bengal...Tamilnadu...Kerala...I met Bihari, Marathi, Marwadi, Bengali, Tamilian, Mallu...
In AP... I found Andhra & Telengana.....

Then I met
A Hindu
A Muslim
A Chirstian
A Jain
and many more... but not a single Indian did I meet.
-------
Think guys
The day would not be far when indeed we would become a collection of nation states as some regional anti-national politicians want.
--------
Remember... We are Indians first....We are Indians at last.

One Planet - Together We - Loving Each other

It was republic day and shops are closed, roads are deserted and the whole city is in additional security mode. Ironical. On the days which represent Freedom we fear attacks. On the days which meant for celebrations...we are advised to stay back at home. I find it so stupid and hard to get convinced that we are attacking each other in the name of religion, caste, race, Region, State, Country and what not. Wouldn't world be a better place if there are no boundaries. Probably then we would never have to deal with Telanga issue, kashmir issue, Northeast Issue, Tamil Tigers(Srilanka) issue, Gorkaland issue, Vidarbha(Maharastra) Issue, Palestina Issue, Iraq Issue and we would have never gone through World Wars. Instead of working together towards prosperity, we are competing with each other to be better than others from Individual level to religion level to country level. Do we need to identify another planet where there are humans to be called we are from (one planet)earth?

Seasons in the sun

Things were so different few years back. Back, when I am in school and Jr. College I always enjoyed rainy season. Friends, Wet school bags, Paper boats, playing with kids in the street, rainbows were all associated with rains.
Traffic jams, Pot holes, Stagnant Water, Viral Fevers and Cold n Cough are things that are associated with rains now. Have the things changed or have I grown up so much that I stopped enjoying rain.
There were so many evening, we (friends) enjoyed with out a penny in hand. Now all of us have money to spend but we don’t have time now.
Every morning was a fresh start. Excitement of going to school and meeting friends woke me up. Now the very idea of a going to work on a Monday morning puts me off.
There was only 1 channel, yet it was so entertaining. Now we have 400+ channels yet I don’t stop switching between channels to find something more entertaining.
Summers were so special with visits to grandparents place, swimming in ponds, eating raw mangoes with salt and chilly powder in the fields.
No 1 or 2 month holidays now. It’s just a leave here and there. Summers are no different now.
Hmmm…where are those days?

CSR(Coperate Social Responsibility)

And finally we have started CSR team in organsation.
I havn't ever enjoyed anything more than being a part of this team. We kick started by organising a blood donation drive which was a huge sucess. In the process of planning for our next event I happened to meet somebody from CRY (Child Rights and You). I am quite impressed to know thier holistic approach. It works at a complete different level.
They don't runs Schools, hospitals and orphanages nor they separate deprived and abused children from thier homes to put them under cover. They deal with the root cause of the problem. Thier projects mobilise affected communities, and equip them to struggle for their own rights as well as their children’s rights, and secure them without outside intervention. Thus making them self sustainable . They efforts towards advocacy with government bodies in influencing policy framing and implementation has bought in many a result.
Look at these figures of just 2008 -09
Number of children covered through intervention 7,61,167
Villages & Slums Reached 6,702
100% enrolment in education programs (villages/slums) 1,197
100% child labour free villages/slums (up to 14 years) 481
No of children covered in health check up programs 63,936
No. of new children’s collectives formed or activated 1,634
No of children mainstreamed into Govt. primary schools 38,169
Govt. schools reactivated 1,376
If you are wondering these numbers are huge......then..let me tell you, there still lakhs and lakhs of children who are deprived of thier rights by thier own parents and society. Very sad.