~@i~

Friday, November 17, 2006

'Time'

'We ain't good for nothing... we were part of crowd then and we will be always...' I can hear someone whispering these words time and again...

It was around this time last year when we started thinking of taking that extra leap and of doing something Big of our own. We spent some good time on thinking and few extremely good ideas (not an exaggeration) clicked as well. But, we did nothing about them and we kept sleeping on them, just to witness other people building empires on them. Ideas, on which we were banking on yesterday but unfortunately didn't do anything about, are foundation of some companies today. It leaves you with mixed feelings – Bloated! That our ideas were really worth few dimes and that we were able to think and see the potential, but at the same time it is sad that we didn't execute them and now others are cashing on that first mover's advantage. Our ideas never moved over half a page of scribbled thoughts and we were not able to execute anything.

We always lived in whims and fancies, dreaming that within one year we will be having something of our own. Now, as I look back I see myself standing exactly where I was one year back, may be just some toddler steps ahead, but not worth a mention. I am still standing there, as if waiting for someone to show us the way, with no movement, no business plan, no research, and no ground work. Just standing with some 'raw' ideas and keeping me occupied with urgent & important of day to day life and finding no time to live my dreams, to build my ideas...

Well, no one to blame, I think that is what makes us a crowd, many people can have great ideas. Just let your mind free and you can visualize miracles happening.. but, when it comes to execution only few succeed. And there ain’t no guru mantra for being successful - all you need is some plan, focus and 'extreme execution', but no wonder these words are far beyond jotted alphabets. Everyone knows the mantra but following is a challenge.. to keep yourself on the track is difficult and to keep moving on that track is the only thing that counts. We keep thinking and dreaming and others Execute.. then we move on, in search of next idea.. Bingo! We get one and again we only dream, and again someone else Executes..

No doubt we were having some very promising ideas but we were never consistent in our thinking and we were never 'focused' in our approach. Our lethargy and delusion of 'urgent' & 'important' killed us and we are dying every day to it.. giving our last bit of flesh to the most lethal & extreme executioner (& assassin) in time - 'Time'

‘Yeah, we ain’t good for nothing…’

- Silent Saint

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Dedicating a song from Pink Floyd that suits every bit to our situation.
‘Time’ – Pink Floyd

Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day

You fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way.

Kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town

Waiting for someone or something to show you the way.

Tired of lying in the sunshine staying home to watch the rain.

You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today.

And then one day you find ten years have got behind you.

No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun.

So you run and you run to catch up with the sun but it's sinking

Racing around to come up behind you again.

The sun is the same in a relative way but you're older,

Shorter of breath and one day closer to death.

Every year is getting shorter never seem to find the time.

Plans that either come to nought or half a page of scribbled lines

Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way

The time is gone, the song is over,

Thought I'd something more to say.

Home, home again.

I like to be here when I can.

When I come home cold and tired

It's good to warm my bones beside the fire.

Far away across the field

The tolling of the iron bell

Calls the faithful to their knees

To hear the softly spoken magic spells.

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Monday, November 13, 2006

The Green Mile...

Yesterday I saw this movie ‘The Green Mile’ and last few minutes of it touches you completely. John Coffey (Michael Clark Duncan) who has got the powers of faith healing is on a death sentence for the crime which he has not done. He is blessed with powers of faith healing and can help people to come out of pain they are suffering from. Towards the end, Paul Edgecomb (Tom Hanks) – a prison guard on Death row, asks him whether he can do anything for John, and John asks him to give up all the worries about him. Here is the conversation which they had in movie in this touching sequence –

Paul Edgecomb: On the day of my judgment, when I stand before God, and He asks me why did I kill one of his true miracles, what am I gonna say? That is was my job? My job?
John Coffey: You tell God the Father it was a kindness you done. I know you hurtin' and worryin', I can feel it on you, but you oughta quit on it now. Because I want it over and done. I do. I'm tired, boss. Tired of bein' on the road, lonely as a sparrow in the rain. Tired of not ever having me a buddy to be with, or tell me where we's coming from or going to, or why. Mostly I'm tired of people being ugly to each other. I'm tired of all the pain I feel and hear in the world everyday. There's too much of it. It's like pieces of glass in my head all the time. Can you understand?
Paul Edgecomb: Yes, John. I think I can

Movie is certainly worth a watch...

And she made me cry...

It was on 12th Nov. '06, Sunday morning, when she came around 11AM and at that time I was organizing few things at my home. She started cleaning the house then she might have felt something.. She asked me to prepare some tea for myself. I told her, 'Paal ille' (I don't have milk). She said, 'Okay, give me money and I will get it'.. Then she asked me whether I have got anything to cook and if I would like to have Maggi as well.. I thought for a while.. ‘Hmm.. Okay’ and handed over some money to her. I was bit surprised and was thinking why she is doing all that. She got all the things from local kirana shop and when she was leaving around 11.30 she told me to go and have tea and maggi. She said, ‘It's already 11.30 and you haven't had anything.. 'po.. po' (Go) and with these two words she left. And it was only after 2 minutes of numbness when I realized that I was still standing at door.. surprised and overwhelmed. Sometimes we don't value their worth and crib when they don't come to work and when they ask for Diwali bonus, but I was moved to see such a generous & motherly gesture.. These small things make difference. She cared for me when some of my so called close friends don't even have time & will to ask whether I am 'Dead' or 'Alive'.

Monday, October 30, 2006

My Solo Ride to Munnar / Kerala

My Solo Ride to Munnar / Kerala - A brief

And I was left alone in Chennai… with most of my friends leaving the town for some better opportunities elsewhere. As I am also moving to Mumbai in December, I had a trip to Kerala in my mind for a long time, but somehow it was getting delayed every time. This was on 24th Oct ‘06 when I was sitting in my office and it was a holiday on 25th Oct, Wednesday. It was this time when I decided instantly of doing my so long awaited Kerala trip. I thought of taking leave of two days i.e. 26th, Thursday and 27th, Friday and clubbing it with weekend. So, I was effectively having 5 days to explore Kerala. And there Iwas, all set for solo ride to Kerala. After all, all you need to have is a good camera, willpower and your Beast (ThunderBird 2005 model). And with all the trust in my Beast I started next day.

Day 1 – 25th Oct ’06, Wednesday – I started around 5AM from Chennai to reach Trichy by 10 AM. (320 kms). There I met Simrit(A fellow member of my motorcycling club - Madras Bulls Motorcycling Club) and had a great lunch at his place. Thanks mate! Started again around 2PM and finally reached Munnar by 7.30 PM. It was the simplest day of my four day trip.

Final Trip Meter reading – Day 1 – 620 kms.

Day 2 – 26th Oct ’06, Thrusday– I decided to look around some places near Munnar, so started for Top Station (35kms from Munnar). It was when I was riding back from Top Station when I had a small fall at one of the curves, mainly because of the overconfidence that might have crept in after doing around 100kms of ghats. I was doing 60-70 on curves when this happened and I swear, after that my speed reduced to max of 40 throughout on hills. I was not wearing gloves at that time so left palm got brushed and bruised. Finally I reached back Munnar around 4PM, and thought of taking rest. So, I relaxed in my room and planned the next day’s move. I slept after finalizing Munnar –170kms - Komarokam – 120 kms - Thekkady for Day 3.

Final Trip Meter reading – Day 2 – 696 kms.

Day 3 – 27th Oct ’06, Friday – I started around 9AM towards Komarokam (170 kms). I underestimated Kerala’s uncertain weather (rather certain rains) and did not provide cushion for Kerala kind of roads (all curves). Well, driving there was all together a different kind of experience but at the same time I was not able to stick to my naïve schedule. I was unable to come out of last day’s trauma and was not able to do 70-80 on curves. I took a break for lunch some 70 kms before Komarokam in Kothamangalam around 2.00 PM and it started raining heavily. I was trapped there helpless.. waiting for rain to stop but all in vain. Looking at the heavy rain I decided to skip Komarokam and move on directly to Thekkady. I enquired about the way and distance and understood that Thekkady is around 80 kms from there via Pala. I waited some time for rains to stop, but it did not. So, I thought of continue riding sharing same trust with my Beast which I always had. I started again from Kothamangalam around 3.30 PM. I kept driving in the suggested direction, crossed Pala and around 5.0 PM I stopped by a road side bakery as it started raining cats and dogs. Here again I enquired the distance to Thekkady and they told me 82 more kms. Damn! I’d been driving for last 1.30 hrs and still 82 kms. I started immediately without wasting time any further and then the tough time began. It was raining heavily and I was able to match 30-40.. By 6 PM it was complete dark and I was drenched to the soul. Shivering in cold but still driving. Some time later I entered into the ‘zero-visibility zone’. Thick fog, drizzling, complete dark, freezing cold, shivering and speedometer showing 15kph. I was not moving.. I was indeed crawling. But, I decided not to stop and I kept moving.. but somewhere around 15kms before Thekkady and 8 in evening I gave up. Even my bones were freezed at that time and as soon as I saw ‘Hotel, Restaurant & Bar’ neon signboard I moved in. First question – Is there any room available?.. Second – Do they have geyser/hot water?.. All affirmative and I checked in. I don’t even remember the name of the place.

Final Trip Meter reading – Day 3 – 922 kms.

Day 4 – 28th Oct ’06, Saturday – I started from whatever that place was to Thekkady around 8AM. Thought of covering Periyar and touching plains before 2PM as somebody told me that every day it rains heavily after noon and riding in rain was last thing that I could have considered after tasting enough of it the last day. I reached Thekkady/Periyar around 8.30 AM. Next boat ride on Periyar lake was scheduled at 9.30 AM and after that 11.30. I checked and came to know that 9.30 boat was full. Frustration that started to build up last day, now was becoming dominant and prominent. I sat there on a rock for few minutes, with my head down and trying to compose myself. Then I gave it some serious thinking. 11.30 boat ride will get over by 1.30 PM, implying no way of touching home the same day, that in turn leads to one extra day of frustration. Damn it! Then I remember seeing a milestone reading out load Theni – 70 kms. So, may be there is a way to touch Theni, and once I reach Theni I was sure that I could reach Chennai the same day.I took just two snaps of Periyar lake and decided to explore it some other time. Anyway, even if I would have stayed I would not have enjoyed it much with that feeling of frustration and emptiness which by that time crept deep inside me. So, I decided to move on with only one target in mind – to reach home.I started from Periyar around 9.30 AM and was in Theni around 11 AM. Had my brunch there and again started at 11.30AM. Now the road looked familiar and I ripped (Though, my ripping is touching 90.. lol) Touched Trichy around 2.30 when I saw clouds building up. So, decided not to stopover at Trichy and so I kept moving. And 50 kms after Trichy it started again - Rain (no! not again). I did not stop, thinking that atleast after 10-20 kms it will not be raining. It was 3.15 PM at that time. I kept moving and moving and moving trying to cover as much as possible during day time itself. I did not stop anywhere for lunch. I was not able to catch speed, but I kept moving. 5.45 PM and it was dark when I reached Villipuram. I stopped there to treat my rain soaked and empty stomach. Again started at 6.15 and now it was even more difficult. It was raining heavily, with no street lights, road with unexpected potholes and above all I was unable to use visor of my helmet. It was a real tough ride throughout but atleast after Tindivanam toll road helped a bit and I was able to maintain 60. Stopped only once for tea and was at home around 10 PM.

Final Trip Meter reading – Day 4 – 1545 kms.

Overall it was a tough and hence a GREAT ride! I was not able to take many photographs due to rains, as my camera was double packed.

Looking back I think the best part of this ride was the trust that I shared with my Beast and it surely lived upto that. It gave me confidence to move on and on… 4 days of rough terrain and bad climatic conditions & 1545 kms without any break down or hold up. Hats off!! Even after the fall, when I got bruised the person who helped me with first aid (a gentleman cab driver) asked me whether I will be able to ride? I said yes, then he asked is your bike okay? I said ‘it must be okay’. He asked me to check it… and single kick… Vrooooom!!! There I was… on the road again…

Overall Trip – 4 days/ 1545 kms.

Experience – Regression testing / Spine chilling

Photographs – http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=zyux3qd.2buuribp&x=0&y=2fw41r