तारे ज़मीन पर (stars on the earth)

That's the name of the movie that I intended to watch at the new Sterling Multiplex when wandering recently. However I only got around to watch it today.

New year was quite an eventful day. Left home at 0945 with the intention of continuing the engine change, but was definitely not in the mood for it. Seeing the hangover writ large on faces around made me crave for some excitement.

So, I asked the guys to pack up and headed to Inorbit for lunch and a movie. The theatre there was jampacked and same was the story with Rajdhani, the thali restaurant there. So, after a hearty meal at Pizza hut, off we went to Infiniti Mall in Andheri. A quick round at TGIF later, it was time for Aamir Khan's directorial debut.

One only needs to watch the movie to understand why he is labelled as the perfectionist of the Indian movie industry. He has extracted a sterling performance from the entire star cast, his own terrific role notwithstanding. The topic of Dyslexia has been researched well, and handled with the utmost sensitivity sans the traditional overdose of histrionics (except for the "Bam Bam Bole" song) that is so trademark of the Mumbai film industry.

I love to get involved in the movies that I watch, hence normally avoid the ones with shades of negativity. On the contrary, watching a movie that celebrates human spirit is one of those rare times, when I long for more than the usual gang of friends that I hang out with.

A group of guys will never call tears macho, although individual opinions will definitely differ.

The shocker of the day was left for the end when i reached for my wallet to pay off the Auto guy, and found that it had been stolen.

The Warrior!

Came across this excellent blog when i went surfing the web for Firefox bicycles: http://www.shreekumar.in/. He appears to be a pandit in long distance cycling, differentiating himself from the others with his ability to document all his activities in a simple and lucid tongue. His is a sterling example on how effective a blog can be in influencing public opinion. The guys from Firefox themselves are keeping an eye on his discussion threads, and hopefully, have taken a lot of positive input from him as well as all the folks who have commented on his site (that includes me!).

Blast from the past!

Today’s the last day of my week off from work. End of the year and lotsa leave in hand. The plan was to go trekking in Arunachal, but Vivek sprang a surprise by saying that he will be tying the knot on the 30th. Friends come first, so bye-bye Arunachal. Had a fairly good week though. That included my first overnight trek (check out Nitin’s ace photography on my picasa web album). Then a video games marathon and a whole day spent watching television.

Even had a leisurely walk around the whole of Churchgate, one evening. This was after being seduced by the vintage charm of Mumbai Central train station. I’d never seen the place before and imagining her grandeur in the days of the Raj comes easy now.

I decided to check out the refurbished Sterling theatre. One amusing fact is that they have still retained the old announcement board on their front façade. The Tata house adjacent to it looks regal. Deutshe Bank has done a wonderful job restoring the entire place. The chandelier sparkles invitingly through the giant glass windows, and the lawns look heavenly.

Finally gave into my desire to buy a high end bicycle, the Firefox Warrior. Have ridden it only twice, she’s got an aluminium alloy frame and double shock absorbers. Chose not to go for gears as that would mean extra maintenance as well as more to fear about from the vandals.

Met the ladies of “The Foundation” the day before yesterday. Quite a pleasant experience that was. Sure, I don’t know what I am getting into. This may be my last chance to actually put my money where my mouth is. God’s given me a lot, but there is still that urge to prove my true worth.

I never knew that I could stay awake all night before my mother fell ill. Nor that I could run the half marathon. Last year was my very first attempt. And run the whole distance I did. I did not stop even once, not even when my legs cramped up. This was one event which proved that I could accomplish anything if I put my mind to it. However, I have not gone on to further that example…yet.

There’s another summit that I wish to scale. Till date my El-Dorado has been the performing arts. Be it singing, music or most important of all dancing. Never have I wanted something more in my life.

Have finally got back to blogging. Uploaded a whole bunch of photos for the world to see. That works better than selecting individual snaps on the blog. The only ones that I miss are my pics in Switzerland. All of them were lost when my desktop harddisk crashed.

Next item on the agenda is aeromodelling. Now with news that there are aficionados who meet up at Gorai, I don’t see any obstacle to this ambition, except my own laziness.

The bad part is that I cannot go for Vivek's marriage because the PC-12 is due for her engine change tomorrow.

Dreamz Unlimited

‘tis been some time since I’ve spoken about my dreams, and like all things in life, my dreams have changed, or should I say, evolved? Like a clean river in my neighbourhood seems all set to remain just that; a dream.

Some kind of flying i must learn, whether it will be commercial or paragliding, only time will tell. Again, I’ve decided to take things one at a time rather than rushing into everything at once, as is my wont. Guitar involves a lot of commitment that will be possible only if I have time to spare. Trekking is surely one physical activity that I am comfortable with; pictures of the trek from Bhivpuri to Matheran (India Outdoors) will follow.

The Mumbai of my dreams....and reality

The ghettoism prevalent across the world is spreading it’s tentacles in Mumbai too. As a kid, inequality based on religion or race existed only in history textbooks, and not in real life. Mumbai never gave me an opportunity to see anything so despicable. All that changed with the riots in ’92-93. The Muslim families moved out from our neighborhoods and now, there is a distinct demarcation of communities all across the city.

All my life, I have lived in and loved this city. Where else can one find a full fledged national park thriving right in the midst of a metropolis? The throb of humanity evident on the streets at all times make all other places seem like ghost towns. But what had otherwise been an efficient machine churning out the much needed finances of this grand nation is now reduced to being the milch cow of a select few. There is no point pinning the blame on any one group, each and every individual who has come here to live their dreams is to be blamed.

In an ideal situation, there should be an efficient administration that lets the inhabitants do what they have come to this city to do….make money. But that is not so, and the few public initiatives that try to redress the problems are hampered by the larger public apathy. These organizations have to face red tape, a non co-operative administration, an indifferent community as well as ego clashes amongst their own torch bearers.

I can’t forget my recent misadventure with a local effort to clean up a dirty river. A corporator tried to stop my photographing the river on the grounds that I was not a resident of the locality! Then the local activist who never could stop complaining about the need for a good website to publicize the common cause did an about turn when I published a blog on the river. That my intention was to start a rudimentary blog and then hand over the reins to the senior members of the group was conveniently forgotten. My photos were never returned. That put an end to a childhood dream.

Development means learning from other's mistakes and not re-inventing the wheel. India is well poised to avoid the mistakes that the industrial nations committed in the past, but it is fast becoming evident that what is being projected as progress is merely an excuse for big multi-nationals to dump obsolete technologies in our backyard.

Why isn't even local initiatives in clean transportation being supported? You have more flyovers being built, whereas in the West they are shifting the flyovers of the 50s underground to make way for more green spaces above. Hybrids are the rage there, whereas even unadulterated petrol is a dream in India. Society encourages one to buy a car even if it is not a necessity. The whole concept of current day automobiles is obsolete. We have now to move on to an entirely different alternative in transport. The technology exists, but the will doesn't. But change is inevitable. Mankind will change, or else perish and pave the way for another species.

Of fairness creams and nation states

Fairness creams are a billion dollar industry pandering to the dreams of a populace obsessed with equating fair skin to beauty. This is a product that definitely does not work, but gifted marketers have succeeded in creating an audience out of gullible consumers.

Compare this with what is happening across the world right now and one finds that matters are much the same. A handful of terrorist attacks have resulted in an entire community being labeled as pro-anarchists. This situation has been perpetrated by wily politicians to convince the local populace that there is a war being waged against them by “outsiders”. That they have succeeded in most countries has encouraged more and more policy makers to toe the line. What people fail to realize is that it is the same marginalization of a specific community that provides fodder for the grisly cycle of affairs (take Great Britain, the latest recruitment ground for fundamentalists).

Thanks to the telecom revolution (the internet, to a large extent) it is no longer appropriate to divide society on the basis of national boundaries. Today’s youth relate to each other across race and language barriers, provided that their thoughts are not marred by the seeds of hatred. They share the same tastes in music and the arts. Hiphop is Hiphop, be it in English, Arabic or French.

There is so much of difference in language and race within people of the same nation, that it makes me wonder why should there be national boundaries anymore? There is no longer justification for a differentiation between “us” and “them”. If Germany can become one, if Europe can try to dissolve boundaries, then the time is ripe to make an attempt at starting the exercise on a larger scale. If the early 20th century saw the destruction of individual fiefdoms, then the 21st century should be the time to project ourselves as the “Human race”. It is definitely the next step in our evolution, and probably what any other intelligent life form out there is waiting for, before establishing contact with us.

It will not be easy, but a beginning has to be made…

mom's recipes

Semia Payasam

Ingredients:

Bombino Vermicelli – 250 gms.
Dry Kismis (raisins) - 25 gms.
Elaichi (cardamom) – 07 nos.
Cashew nuts – 25 gms.
Sugar – to taste.
Milk – 1 litre.
Ghee – enough to fry the vermicelli, cashews & raisins separately

Method:

Fry the vermicelli in a thick bottomed pan or “cheenichetti”.

Put the fried vermicelli in a dry plate.

Boil the milk in a vessel.

Add two glasses of water with milk.

When it boils, put the vermicelli in it in small quantities, stirring gradually till it cooks. Ensure no lumps are formed. The vermicelli should be soft enough to bite through.

Remove from the flame and add the sugar.

Fry the cashew and raisins separately in ghee, add to the payasam.

Powder the elaichi, and add to the brew.

Kadala Payasam

Chana dal (kadala parippu) – 250 gms.
Sabudana – 100 gms.
Dry fruits (raisins, cashew nuts, cardamom) – to taste
Jaggery – ½ kg.
Coconut milk or diary milk – ½ litre

Method:

Clean the chana dal well (twice), boil it in a pressure cooker.

Add jaggery to the cooked dal and mix it.

Add the sabudana. Keep stirring the broth continuously.

Add milk and boil it. Remove from the fire.

Then add the fried dry fruits and we are done!

dreams....

Listening to the Beatles as I write this. It’s a pretty large collection of their songs in MP3, picked it up at a friend’s place last week. Cassettes I had, but MP3s were what I was looking for. But tell you what, MP3s lack the quality of a cassette or CD. That's not doing justice to the Beatles.

Got my Pilatus PC-12 licence too. Looks like my traveling days are over, although a trip to Sri Lanka is a possibility if the AS 355 goes there. Then there is my cousin’s wedding which I want to attend in Kerala in August. Lots happening, after the dull phase last year. Dreams, plans, …..only time will tell how much will become a reality. Career plans include licenses on a couple of helicopters, the ATRs. Then learning the Guitar. Then there is the dream of picking up flying lessons, paragliding, and building up that aircraft model that’s been lying at home. Then furnishing my new apartment… ideas are welcome! The aeromodelling will, in all likelihood, have to wait till I can shift to my own pad with a proper working table; et al. Can’t believe that sacrificing that six figure airline package for a better quality of life would be so satisfying. More time to meet friends, more time to do everything, although time management is something that I have to work on. Still sticking to the workout schedule, and inshah allah, will put more effort into it. Paying dividends to the amount of energy I can pack in a day. But improvement to my physique is still a long way to go. But should suffice to say that I’m most likely to tie the knot in a year’s time. Wish that I had more time, but a year is all that I could wrangle out of my parents’ persistent nagging.

Not had enough, have you?

 

more Switzerland

 

Met some old friends from The Bombay Flying Club at Mehul’s marriage today. Amrita was looking wonderful as ever. Manoj was looking the typical married man an excellent best man he made. And after Shiraj and Mehul, me thinks that Ritesh is in line next.

Switzerland!!!

The visit to Switzerland was a pretty rushed affair, got back from Ranchi in the afternoon, collected my passport, visa, money, etc. Packing was total confusion and if it wasn’t for my family, I would have left behind more than just the warm clothes.

This was a wonderful visit, short and sweet. Great countryside, picture postcard settings and a fabulous aircraft to work on. I’ll let my photos do the talking.

My attempt at paragliding was pathetic to say the least; it only revealed how out of shape I am. It made my pocket lighter by a few hundred francs but all I got was a bruised bottom and a damaged ego. Fitness is my top priority now, but I have to go beyond words to prove it. Only time will show if I have something good to write about.

 

Lee, why?

Things moved quite fast after that. Multiple visits to Ranchi for engine change, a trip to Delhi for the ATR approval (finally!) and a hell of a lot of work and travel. Just the way I like it.

At Ranchi, I got the news about Lee……

I did visit Bangalore, but meeting his family was a terrible experience. Wish nobody has to go through such an experience…..ever.

Tirupati with Srikanth

Before leaving Bangalore, I traveled to Tirupati with Srikanth; rare to find an interesting chap like him nowadays. We went by foot from Tirupati to Tirumala, an arduous exercise no doubt, especially since we were not wearing any footwear. Unforgettable moments: picture postcard locales and our shaven torsos. Srikanth was aware of the most economical and practical way to get Darshan (entry to the sanctum sanctorum). Check out the pics on Picasa, the links in the sidebar!

Bangalore is great if you have good friends

But my shift back to Mumbai also meant that I had to leave behind some good friends. Life was sure getting interesting in Bangalore, thanks to my roomie and this bunch of College brats in the neighborhood. We went wandering together; these are some snaps from a place called Talkad. This is by far the best waterspot around Bangalore that I have visited. The river is clean flowing, has a sandy bed and the slope is gradual, but not too shallow. Then there are wonderful excavations of temples long submerged in sand. The main temple reminds me of the Sun Temple in Konark.
 

Janaki

I’ve got no snaps of my freaky outings with Janaki. It started with New Year's night, which was pretty low key in Bangalore thanks to the shootout at the IISc campus. As usual, most of the guys didn’t turn up and we two were the only blokes at a party on the outskirts of Yelahanka. Needless to say it wasn’t that fun anymore even after a few hours of getting completely drunk. Then on a spur, Janaki says, “Let’s go to Mysore”. So off we went on his 100 cc motorbike, in the middle of a cold night with a few warm clothes for comfort in the freezing cold . He drove almost 6 hours in the night with a dozing pillion rider, always at a steady speed with an occasional break for a hot cuppa or a smoke. Mysore was a good experience, with visits to the palaces and I managed to pick up a couple of really beautiful silk sarees from the Maharaja’s trademark collection for my Mom.

The second outing with him was also quite spur of the moment when I landed in Bangalore after a visit to Mumbai. There was a long weekend ahead with nothing planned. One phone call and Janaki lands up with a rented car and some cronies to head for Kabini. Not that we found any accommodation there, and the lake was covered in fog, but the drive through Nagarhole National Park in the early morning was quite an experience. There were packs of wild dogs (they're called dholes in the local lingo), and more wild fowl than I‘ve ever seen in my life. Not to mention, deer, but we narrowly missed sighting elephants. Then we headed for Cauvery fishing camp, where we spent some time fooling in the water.

Made for an altogether satisfying way to spend my weekend.

reasons....

Firstly, Mr. Ong (my manager) decided to quit. That, more or less, meant that all the effort that we had put in under his directions came to naught. Now there was precious little to do, and a hell lot of politics to deal with.

Then Lejohn, my pal, took the problems at work too hard and decided to call it quits from life. An absolute waste of a wonderful life….I still can’t figure out why he did it. He was a good looking guy, an excellent tennis player and had a wonderful family to support him. What else could a man ask for?

I'm back

‘Tis been a really long time since I updated the blog. Many excuses, starting from the fact that I have been rarely at home for the past year or so. After all the upheavals in Bangalore, I have now found peace (at least for the moment!) in Mumbai working most of the time in general aviation rather than in the airline. Sure, airlines mean more money and bigger, more complex aircrafts, but it is far too monotonous. So the best compromise that I could think of was to split time between general aviation and the airline.

My decisions were prompted by a lot of events…..

MyGrandfather

Some family snaps, my grandma and grandpa. They’ve been responsible for some of my sweetest childhood memories, so it really pains the see their health failing as the days go by. Grandpa’s an ex Navy Gunner, he saw action during World War 2. Granny’s been a housewife all her life. 

Party time!

This visit to Ranchi was short and sweet, work was hectic but satisfying and then we topped it off with a small get together bash. Life’s not gonna be the same again there, what with old friends being transferred to other bases and lots of new changes in the offing. The party was thrown by Babu, the guy getting transferred and Arvind, who’s getting a promotion, both at work and in life, what with his marriage being discussed.