Riding is an Ecstasy...

Some said.. 'you are stupid'.. Some called me crazy. Chennai to Bangalore and back.. and that too alone. Yep, everybody around me (except for my fellow Club riders - Madras Bulls) told me the same.. But I over heard them and all their considerate advices. I forwarded this idea to my club.. MadBulls, and the veterans out there shared with me their experiences and told me all Do's and Dont's of riding alone.

I got hold of a road map, prepared a check list, got my bike checked, got some necessary spare parts - clutch wire, spark plug, etc.. and with all preparations done I was finally set to leave for Bangalore. I started at 0500 hrs. Initially I maintained a decent 60-70 kmph, but once the day broke and the visibility improved I couldn't hold my temptation and then.. 70 - 80 - 90 and finally 100 kmph. One of my close friend gave me clear instruction before leaving that please keep in mind the speed limit of 80 kmph, and yes, I maintained the lower speed limit of 80kmph :D. I was elated to realize afterwards that on my way to Bangalore only two vehicles overtook me - one Santro and one Esteem (must have been real nerds otherwise who drives so fast ;) Well, after a long and lovely ride I safely reached Bangalore at 1130 hrs.. Voila!! I made it and was feeling great.. a sense of accomplishment.

I stayed back in Bangalore for 2 days. Had a great time on my Bull. Completed my work out there.. and was all set to come back. I planned to start early morning the following day, but, again I fell victim of my own craziness and decided to leave at night itself. And there I was.. I kick started my bike.. Gave some throttle.. and vroooom.. And somewhere in distant background I heard some clock banging 12 times. Yes, it was 12 at night. Driving at night is totally different kind of experience. I should admit, It is really hard to drive at night. You need your full concentration to keep yourself on the road. Specially, when there are no road lamps, no vehicles, no light and when it is complete dark. I was focussing completely on the divider line and was trying hard to maintain same line, and then, there were patches, where, there was no divider line. At such stretchs, your speed drops down and your eyes follow the low beam of your head light.. and nothing else is visible. I was back at home around 0800 in the morning.. Driving at night was a totally different kind of experience, though a bit tough. Well, I enjoyed every bit of it.

Riding is a different kind of experience, altogether. It is not just a test of endurance.. not even just a test of your craziness.. It is an ecstasy. It brings you to a different level. It gives you a sense of accomplishment, a sense of achievement. However small or insignificant this achievement might be for others.. or for that matter even for you, but, I believe that such small achivements add a lot to you.. and a lot more to your personality. It induces more confidence in you.. I chose to do this trip not just because I wanted to ride, but I also wanted to check my risk taking capability.. and yeah, that was the reason why I decided to come back at night, after trying the day riding. I wanted to test myself. Believe me such small events counts a lot.

Overall, this trip to Bangalore and back was Great. After this trip, I feel more confident, and now I trust my Beast (ThunderBird) even more. I am looking forward for more of such trips in future... and I promise that this rider will never stop...

Quote for Oskar Schindler

"Whoever saves one life, saves the world entire"

Schindler's List - I have seen this movie couple of times. A great movie.. an abode to a Great Man - Oscar Schindler.


'No one will ever know exactly what made this complex man do what no German had the courage to do. Oscar Schindler rose to the highest level of humanity, walked through the bloody mud of the Holocaust without soiling his respect for human life - and gave his Jews a second chance at life.' - Extract from website www.aushwithz.dk
To unfold.. visit: http://www.aushwitz.dk/lamus.htm

Quote of the Week

"People wish to be settled. Only as far as they are unsettled is there any hope for them" - Ralph Waldo Emerson

A dialogue with Self - Part 2

Something is terribly wrong... Something is dying... Only few days have passed.. Say, roughly one week that I've put in my efforts in this direction.. and within one week I am feeling exhausted.. How will it happen then?? I don't want to let it die so soon.. You were asking about the issues and concerns na.. this is the most critical one.

The energy dies out.. the focus fades away.. and it is very important to keep this fire alive.. otherwise.. the only outcome possible is… obliteration, and I don’t want that to happen.. So, I’ve to fight with myself.. I've to keep reminding myself of the promise that I've made.. and yes about the most important thing.. 'The Miles' (..and Miles to go before I sleep)

Sometimes we create all frenzy around our naive ideas.. We tend to think that these ideas have got great potential.. a big promise.. and we start working on it.. not gradually.. not in a planned way.. but infact we pounce upon the idea.. the idea of making our idea BIG.. and we start working on it without giving it any serious thought.. And then in due course of time we realize, that there was nothing big in that idea.. but we could have made it great.. if only we could have planned that in different way.. So, getting carried away by the idea is the second issue... leading to lack of planning, which is third..

Well... Top three issues are here.. and I've faced them all within just one week of my dreaming high.. I'll share more insights.. as and when I'll face them..

Hope to get some insights from you as well..

Hello.. Hello....... Where are you buddy??

Inspiring Quote: Paulo Coelho

Shekhar Gupta had an interview with Paulo Coelho (author of "The Alchemist" among other books). A quote: "there is only one thing I really treasure in a human being. You can have your fears, you can have your moments of doubt, but you can never be a coward. You have to face your fears, you have to overcome your moments of doubt, you have to believe that if you look for it there is always a solution. If you really want something, the whole universe is going to conspire to help you. But to do that, you have to be brave. Brave enough to fight for things that are meaningful to you. Not meaningful to A, B or C, but to you."

Think over it !!

A dialogue with Self - Part 1

'Is there something amiss??… That energy.. that enthu... was it for real ???… Yesterday, was I really up to something.. or, was that influence of spirit??.. Oh! Wait.. I remember now.. Nope.. I didn’t have any alcohol yesterday.. Then what??… ummm???… so, it must have been Real... Coool, Now what?? If that was for real then how should I feel.. exhilarated??… but the thing is that this is simply not possible… Within an hour I have to leave for office… have to go there and do all the work they pay me for.. and this is the only truth… what else??'


Alas! Okay tell me then what should I do now??

“Get up from the bed and get ready for the office buddy… u can’t lie down and think for eternity. Look ahead.. you have a job that assures you certainty.. regular income, that can accommodate your extravagant life-style, can help you in settling up your liabilities. Get up man and start moving… your workplace is waiting for you...”

But???… okay let me share with you a deep secret of mine.. Buddy.. I don’t like this job.. and I’m sure that I won’t like any other as well.. as long as I am working for someone else.. for someone else’s company I will not like it... I don’t want to do any routine job.. Do you really want to know what kind of work I find most interesting and what I would have loved to do???
I want my ideal work to be challenging.. New challenges every day… every moment.. so that every morning when I get up.. I can see a new challenge in front of me.. I want to own responsibility for every act of mine.. I want to own my work.. I wish to run my own company.

“Hey.. hey bugger.. stop it.. cut the crap…and start moving.. you have got a lot or work to do. Remember that document.. you have to freeze today..?? You can’t afford to waste your time thinking all this..”

Buddy.. look at me.. I am serious.. damn serious.. and you know what I have been doing for the last few days.. How seriously we are thinking about this thing.. and you are just shrugging this idea of mine… Please… please understand me.. and suggest me what to do? Yesterday I came across this article from entrepreneur Rajesh Jain, which said that you have to come out of the shell and stop looking back if you want to do something of this sort.. It said that if you have got an idea and wish to start up your own company.. then please.. quit the current job.. and don’t look back.. He also talked about N+1 factor i.e. Entrepreneurs often falls victim of this N+1 cycle which is nothing but waiting for one more year before starting a company of their own.. Article said that till the time a person has got an exit route he couldn’t put his heart and actions completely focused on new start up.... Until it is a do or die situation one can’t do justice to the amount of hard work and focus any start up requires.. Article also said that it is very demanding.. and challenging.. Well, I don’t know nothing.. I just want to go ahead and do it.. I wish to take it forward… It is surely worth giving a try.. and I am going to do it.. That’s for sure.

“Well.. well.. If you are so serious.. then I think we shall get into more details.. Tell me now what’s your prime concern??.. What is the main hurdle if you are so sure??”

There are plenty my friend… plenty… I will share every hitch and concern with you some other day.. as the list is too long.. But today I would like to tell you that… I can see what I am upto.. I have always wanted to start my company.. and I swear I won’t let this fire die… Come What May.

Wherever I may Roam

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take; but by the moments that take our breath away" So truly quoted in movie "Hitch".

I realised true sense of it on Sunday, 4th Dec. 2005. After 3 days of continuous and heavy rains when I finally saw sun shining down on Chennai, I could no longer refrain my inner urge of going for a long ride on my new ThunderBird. I called up few of my friends but everyone was hooked up with something or other. The urge was so strong that I decided to go alone. Anyways, it doesn't matter much as long as I am with my ThunderBird. So, I started all by myself (humming the song from Godsmack - I stand alone) from RA Puram around 1:00 PM and within no time I was on ECR.

I would like to share one more fact about myself before I take you forward with my experience. I had never been a bike enthusiast. I always preferred to drive a four-wheeler over motorbike. I never owned any bike before, and this is the first time I have got my own bike. Only after riding my ThunderBird, I realised that it is not just about necessity.. riding is an experience of its own kind.. and riding Enfield.. is a Statement.

Well.. back to the Sunday’s Trip. I was enjoying my ride on ECR.. I didn't know where I was heading to.. I was just on for a nice ride.. with no destination.. no aim.. no where in particular to go.. riding just like that.. remembering a song from Metallica’s Black Album - 'Wherever I may Roam
''the less I have the more I gain
off the beaten path I reign..
rover, wanderer, nomad, vagabond ..
call me what you will....'

It was only when I crossed the toll gate on ECR and saw one milestone stating Mahabalipuram as just 30 kms away that I thought of making it to Mahabalipuram.I was really enjoying my first ride out of Chennai.. with a long stretched road ahead.. sight of sea on my left.. a pleasant weather and feeling a cool breeze on my face..

I rode for another 20 odd kms. when 'The Thing' happened.. I spotted a group of around 10-12 Enfield riders.. who were standing just off the road and enjoying the site..Immediately it struck me.. that they might be from Madras Bulls. I was aware of this club and had applied for the membership as well, but was not formally inducted to the group.I turned my bike and headed towards the Group. I was greeted by Vinod and Abhijay and yup! They told me that they are from Madras Bulls. I introduced myself to the group and they extended me an offer to join them. And there I was.. no more alone.. And after that it was like living a dream..With 10 Enfields thumping and ruling the road, we rushed towards Mahabalipuram.. It was an amazing experience for me and awesome site for others..

It didn't take us long to reach our destination. All of us parked our bikes together and headed for a restaurant. There we had a grand gala time.. We talked about our experiences.. about upcoming events.. upcoming rides.. and what not.. Each and every person in the group was so friendly that they didn't let me feel as a newbie.. I felt like being a part of the Club from a long time..

After a couple of drinks and a lot of masti.. we finally rolled back towards Chennai around 5 PM. Again with 10 bikes roaring and thumping together.. 'Everyone gives way for Enfield' and I witnessed how true it is, while coming back to Chennai.. I was doing 60-70 when I saw Vinod far ahead on his Machismo at 100+. I too was tempted and that was the first time I touched 100. It was an awesome experience.. There was one more group riding some other machines.. they moved their bike towards one side of the road to make way for us.. and when one person of that group waved his hand in appreciation.. and I felt like being on top of the World.

Finally after a long and interesting ride we were back in Chennai. The only sad part of the whole trip was that I didn't get the chance to say Thanks to such a lovely group. We were supposed to meet at some food joint in Adyar, but while coming towards Adyar somewhere near Tiruvanmiyur I lost track of the group.. I tried for some time to find the group but could not find them. I had to see off one of my friend who was about to leave for Hyderabad, so I gave up the search and went straight to my friend's place. I am posting this story not only to share my experience but also to thank the group, which made yesterday one of the memorable days of my life. I know I will meet them again and will extend my thanks personally but I don't want to wait till then. Looking forward for more and more rides like this one..

Hail Madras Bulls!!!