Riders on The Storm

                

              The blue crystalline sky's cheek turned red as her partner, the Sun, parted off with a flying kiss, as dusk fell upon us. I and Shash had been waiting all along the day to soak ourselves in the cool breeze of the moon by the side of a calm sea after having withstood the soaring heat of the hot summer. Little did we know that "Before the storm there lies a deathly calmness". Though the sky was star studded and hustled in joy but there was an underneath turbulence in the mind's eye warning us of the eventual danger. At distance we could see the light houses with their eye-piercing lights going off and on as to warn us of the eventuality instead of guiding the ships. We ignored all those "Warning Signs" and cold played(The famous Rock band) it.

            As usual it was Shash who broke the silence and started mellowing a song "Woo Shaam Kuch Ajeeb Thi, Yee Sham Bhi Ajeeb Hai". Shash is one of my close friends who for all his heroics in his life so far had mesmerized many a people and a new term was coined to honor his heroics -Shashmerize. Being shashemrized means having oneself completely immersed and treated to the wittiness of  Shash's inane ability to bowl over any one in his witted dialog/conversation over any topic covering whatsoever sphere of life. He had something unique in him to make us listen to him whenever he opens his book of imagination. He was truly J K Rowling of our peer group.

                This evening it was a bit different as we were in no mood to contemplate but to enjoy what is being offered to us. A souvenir scotch which was given to me as birthday gift by one of my friends was accompanying us.  I poured out the scotch and served Shash. We both took a shot each. It was from here that our thoughts went topsy turvy. Shash took in the reins of controlling the events which will eventually happen.  He just started with a preposition, "What if we imagine ourselves now being in the middle of a IPL match". Frankly came the unabated reply from me "What?". He continued, "Those stars in the sky smiling upon us look like the IPL Franchisee owners who in real life are stars representing their team, the roaring sea waves resembles the huge cry of the spectators cheering for their favorite team/player". For me it seemed to make sense as my logical brain was shutoff. I asked, "Where are the teams, players, I see none of them". Pat came the reply from Shash, "You can only see as much as you can imagine. You can't see beyond your imagination/thoughts". But he added indistinctively, "The distant light beacons resembles that of flood lights of the stadium, making the lit sea look a cricket ground".

                Shash was painting a picture in front of me which my mind too was well augmenting. I was able to see all the action alive as the narration went on. It was akin to listening to audio of a movie over a radio station and trying to picturaize things happening by the narration. "If narration is rewetting your eyes can behold the unforeseen". I was just falling pray for the witty web that Shash was laying. There was a white rectangular look-alike patch in the middle of the sea being lit by the silvery rays of the moon and flood lights. Anyone who could see that white patch could tell that the ambience conjures with that of a stadium with the patch resembling the pitch and the slightly lit region of the sea resembling the cricket playground. The dancing waves looked as if they are the fielders hustling all around the field.

                Waves advancing from bowler-end of the patch to the batsmen-end were considered as a ball being bowled to the batsmen and if those waves were reciprocated by the waves originated at the batsmen end of the patch then it was considered as the ball being batted. If there was a wave which came from batsmen's end all along the way to the sea shore with a ferociousness of a lion then it was deemed as 6.  The wave originated at the batsmen-end which had all the potential to reach the shore but was annulled by another wave was considered being caught. Likewise, If the wave coming from bowler's end to batsmen's overcame the wave from batsmen's end then it was deemed as being bowled out. The rules which Shash explained me were all making sense. I really started feeling like being in a center of the stadium abuzz with people.

                I helped myself with another shot, meanwhile Shash was continuing with his story. He started immediately saying - "Look, Look, Look over there! That huge tall wave; that is our Chris GaayLe from RCB".  Shash muttered "Gayle" in native UP accent which if it had to be understood in Hindi meant "take the cow" -- Gaay Le. It automatically tickled my laughing hormones and I had been rolling over the sand for comparing Gayle to a cow.

                 I vaguely asked "What is our weather forecast?". "Till Gayle is around there are huge chances of a tsunami or more precisely GaayLe Tsunami. So hold on to your ground, you never know when you will be swept off", Shash replied. I was compelled to imagine what Shash was narrating by correlating waves to sixes, fours, catch and what not. On that night I was just like blind Dhrutharashtra vizualizing what Sanjay was narrating about the happenings of the Mahabharatha battle ground. Shash had turned more better than Sanjay as he was able to overlay on my eyes fielders instead of hustling waves, sixes for ferocious wave, being caught out for the waves being annulled. All in all that was the night which I had stretched my vision beyond my thoughts. Shash's Sidduisms in between was just adding to the flavor of the ongoing event. Shash on that day was as effective as Siddu in making comparisons which created an everlasting impression in my mind.

                The on-coming wave –cricket shot from Gayle to be taken in proper sense- made us so oblivious to the surroundings that little did we realize that the huge wave which was splashing towards us was the actual, all devouring, all consuming TSUNAMI. It was the last blow that we received from Gayle after which we never WOKE UP and have gone into infinite loop never to return back!!!!!

Date with my Destiny

This day, 16th April 11, was one of those eventful days which I would like to behold in my mind's eye for years to come. I participated in the not-so-grueling 10 Kms marathon organized by our organization Samsung in Bangaluru and covered it with in 50 minutes thereby finishing 7th in the row. For a first-time runner who loves running coming 7th ain't a far cry. Since childhood, I have covered more distance walking and cycling than going by bus or bike which still keeps my adrenaline rushing no matter what hour of the day it is.


This day was transformational where running on tread-mill proved lackluster than running on the road. wishing the by-runners, by-walkers on the way, kissing the cool morning breeze at the break of the dawn and awakening to this old world with a new sense of purpose as the sun raised was truly cherish-able. For the first time the traffic signals, though red, seemed to be green as there was no time to stand still. This was amply supported by the traffic inspectors who were positioned apriori at key junctions along the marathon route to make our sojourn unhindered and unstopped.


The event was made a grand success as Samsun(g)ites turned up in large numbers. There were around 350-400 cheering marathoners all looking forward to don the cap of having run a marathon. The event was flagged off by M.D. of Samsung India Software Operations, aka SISO, at 6:30 AM in front of the SISO gate and no sooner the road which was so calm and deserted till then was unleashed with the wrath of a huge tsunami of marathoners. Putting their legs in tandem, thumping the ground with their heavy feet stole the sleep of the stray dogs and to the sound of the foot steps their howling had a psychedelic effect.


What followed then was running men/women turning into a beast and then to a machine which felt no fatigue no matter how long it runs. I started slow thinking that I would be exhausted if I sprint at the very beginning but this proved out to be a bouncer as I realized later while approaching the end of the marathon that I could run a few more kilometers but wouldn't be able to sprint to get in to a better standing. All along the way I have just taken two breaks of 30 secs where I walked which I feel cost me two positions in the standings. Apart from the standing points the very joy of overcoming a pre-judiced mind which always seeks to be lazy was the biggest win. I am more happy after the marathon because there is a new awakening that I am more controlled in my approaches to life.


The event finished around 8:15 AM and the top 10 male runners and top 5 female runners were felicitated by the M.D of Samsung operations. Standing on the podium alongside the M.D. was like standing next to a great celebrity.


Do's and Dont's for the first time runners.

Do's

• Never think, now matter how young you are, that you are too old for anything. One has to run to get the fun out of life.
• Warm up a bit before you start running. Stretching your knees would be ample.
• Plan your marathon completion by setting intermediary goals.
• Have some good carbo protein rich food not less than 3 hours to the marathon.
• If you feel exhausted during the run don't stop. Try concentrating on your breathing, the greenery or your by runners.
• Pick up the right shoes as it could make a lot of difference in the long run.

Dont's

• Don't consume water unless you are too de-hydrated along the run.
• Don't consume water or food just before the start of the marathon.
• Don't take bath just before the start of the marathon as outer body fat is lost.
• Don't try hard if you can't run all along the way. Keep your energy and enthu throughout the journey

Wish this blog would make a little, if not a big one, to the first time marathoners. Thousand cheers :)

FooTRiders Trekking - Donigal to Yedakumeri

It feels like heaven, ..!..ingly awesome. The ghats stretching from Donigal to Yedakumeri is a nature lovers hide-out, treacherous mountaines drapped in crispy yellow and green shades, dense yet silent valleys where even devils may feel afraid of making there own Ghoslas and in the midst of these lies a serpent like railway track which envelops the mountains like a much awaited prey. The train which chugs along this track cuts throught the tunnels with the vengence of a razor sharp blade, the mighty and tall bridges making a huge cry as if it were crushed by a mammoth whenever a train passes over it. All in all, it's a breath taking and beautiful view that one can behold as well as feel while trekking from Donigal to Yedakumeri which stretches for around 17Km. The joy of forming an human train and trekking along the green valley just can't be explained but can only be experienced. But there were still a lot of turns to our events that is worth mentioning.

Our group consited of 4 * 3!diots - altogether 12 !diots. The !diots were Anoop(Bhatta), Avinash(Kulli), Harish(Ketchup), Krishnakanth(KK), Mushtak Pasha(Malnad Bhai), Sunil(No one has dared yet to give him a nick name), Sri Hari(Potter), Varun(King Kong), Vikram(Devru), Vinay(Jetly), Vikas(He has many, the list is endless) and myself Phygics.

I would like to thank Vikas for his efforts in organizing this trek - planning, arranging for sleeping bags and tents from BMC and the like. The mail that he had sent as part of trekking plan was simply superb and this was the turning point for turning up idiots in such a huge number. We started from Bangalore to Sakalesphur which is 240 Km away on the night of 25th Dec 09 as per the plan. We were 11 from Bangalore and Bhai would join us later in Sakaleshpur the next morning from Shimoga. It was all along a laughing riot till Sakalesphur as Sunil and Kulli took turns in spilling out their laughing beans. Not even a single guy was spared by Sunil who stripped off each and everyone's pride and the fact that he was a bit overdose helped to this cause. The bus from Bangalore started at 22:50 and reached Sakalepshur by 4:50 the next morning, Bhai joined us in Sakaleshpur and from there and it was a matter of minutes to reach Donigal - our trek starting point. We, as do many of the trekkers, made the pocket of the conductor heavy and as soon as we did it the driver who happens to have over heard the conversation helped us in getting down at a point in Donigal where the railway track was just a foot step away. The joy of having seen the railway track was tremendous and it was like finding the key to a treasure and soon all we !diots shouted so heavily that even the wildest of wildest would have felt threatened.

We relaxed a bit on the railway track only to realize later that our track pants and 3/4ths had a black stripe on its back. It was as if an angry teacher has punished his pupil with a wipe on a butt of a black stick(chadi) leaving traces. The marks were due to the grease that was applied on the tracks by railway employees for the smooth running of train. We started taking photos and no sooner queries followed as to where we can upload and download. Though uploading could have happened in the wee hours of morning without brushing as we had food packed along with us where as there was a problem when it came to downloading part as there was no water sources nearby and most of them even hated the thought of using the tissue paper let alone using it. So the fire, which was right there in our belly as well as on our back, propelled us like a rocket and we cruised the first 1Km in 15 minutes while the moon was still hovering over the sky and stars smiling mysterioulsy as they do every time. We started at 50/600(Read it as 50 Km 600 m) and reached the first bridge from our starting point in no matter of time.

By this time dusk was breaking loose and the horizon had turned bluish-red. We crossed the first bridge that we encountered in a bit of hastiness as we could hear train approching directly behind us. The bridge was around 250m in length and it offered a charismatic view of a stream cutting through the valley and passing under the bridge. The morning raga and alapa of the birds were carassing to the ears and we were totally left dub founded after having become deaf to the horns of the mindless traffic in Bangalore. It was like Nirvana with the Sun shooting its first rays directly on us and the valley turning green and the tall blades of grass swinging gently as if it were playing hide and seek with the cool breeze of early morning. Kulli and Suni still had their laughing gas intact and would spill as required or sometimes even more than that so as to keep all of us on the edge. A strange thing happened around this time. Bhai who was ahead of me by few steps started looking towards the sky when infact he should have been looking on the un-evenly distanced sleepers so as to carefully place his next step. But his head was swinging in all directions and his hands were occupied, with a binocular on the one and his mobile on the other to record the sounds of the birds which were rejoycing and welcoming the golden, silk-like rays and setting out for the day as we !diots had decided to do for that day. Bhai has the amazing knack of identifying birds by just listening to their sounds and has very keen and sharp eyes as that of vulture's and can even spot any tiny movement in the shurbs and shades of the trees. He showed us a few with the help of his binoculars and most of them which we saw on that day were never seen before. The birds seen were Rocket Tailed Drongo, Red Vent, Malbar Trojan, Hill Myna, Common Iora, Paradise Flycatcher, Golden Oreal, Little Carmorand, Shaheen Falcon, Emerald dove, Bul Bul, Pond heron, Jordan Chlorpiessles, Purple Sun Bird and many.

We trekked for 3 more Km from the first bridge till we reahed a water stream and also as chance would have it there were few settlements of railway contract workers on the bank of this stream. We decided to take a break to finish our morning core activites and also we had our morning dose of refreshner in the only one tea shop available there. If it had not been for tea, then most of us would have had their breakfast there itself but tea pushed the break fast past 11 on that day. It was around 7:30 still and we had already trekked for 5 Km. There was also a paved road which was interesecting at right angles and after asking one of the localites there we got to know that the path would take one to Narenahalli which is 5Km away from this point. Now was the time for us to get into action. All of us brushed our teeth excepet for Vikas who also happened to be the only guy for not having brushed the teeth next day also. By the time a few could prepare themselves to get into the water to swim and bath a few more had other thoughts running in their mind and they vanished right away into the woods to manure it. The stream though dark green was good to swim and at some places was more than 8 feet deep. Most of us braved the chilling effect, held our nerves and made the stream water warm inturn. We spent around 1 hr here and again joined the track.

Only a few hundred mtrs away we could see the much awaited tunnel and it was numbered 1 with a span of 183 m. We felt like a lion entering its den and started roaring except for Ketchup whose singing harmones were triggered in the darkness and he started humming "Kaisen Batoon....., Tu kaise jane na.." to much of our amazement. Well you don't get to know people until you put them in total darkness is what was concluded out of it. As is mentioned in every other blog, there is an opening in the middle of the tunnel on the right hand side if you are happening to be trekking towards Yedakumeri. The view offered from this opening is that of a stream falling and kissing the green rocks and making a huge cry as if it were leaving parent's home to join the husband's. We snapped a few pictures here and the cam responded duely. From here onwards the path was getting more greener and denser with more long tunnels and bridges to cross. Also there is no tunnel numbered 2, tunnel which immedielty comes after tunnel number 1 is numberd as 3.

Jetly and Devru, both cousins, were always leading the pack and at the slightest opportunity gulped things whatever their hand caught of from their bags when we were still out of their sight. This is what I think was the factor which always kept them ahead of the rest. We trekked for 5 Km and decided to devour our chapatis with chatnipudi, pickle, ketchup and tomoto gojju. Devru's hand made gojju was liked by everyone for it tickled the taste buds. Instead of calling it a tomoto gojju I would call it as erulli(Onion) gojju as for every tomoto piece there were 5 onion pieces. Thanks to Jetly who assisted in preparing this by cutting onions. I don't know how many litres of eye water he would have shed to prepare such a wonderful delicacy. Even though my hand was dirty I licked my fingers to savour each and every bit of Gojju and so would have many but secrectly. Thanks to potter, KK, King Kong Varun for sharing us their rotis and Bhatta for making us eat chapatis with ketchup and I presume it would have been for the first time for most of them to try this combination. From this point we were 7Kms away from Yedakumari and the Sun was shining bright direclty on our head. For the next 2 hrs we were energetic and covered 4 Km enjoying the beauty and majesty of mother nature. We were the happiest just like a school kid who waits for the last ring of the school bell on every Saturday and rushes home not caring about anything, so were we rushing to the silence of mother nature, to its pristine eloquence and grandeur. It was around 14.00 with still 5 Km trek to Yedakumeri that we came across one of the highest bridge of the trek and also very curved. The gorgeous stream flowing below was one of the tributeries of Kempuhole river. Bhai helped me in spotting few more exotic and colorful birds. And also he was the one who ventured down the valley inspite of being steep and so did the rest of the heard after him.

Oh God, what a view it was from down hill. To appreciate the height and magnitude of the bridge which is as tall as an eight to ten storied building one has to go down and has to strain their neck while looking up. The white foam like rivelet was gushing down like a heavy artilery, potent enough to carry anyone along its path. As our shirts, 3/4ths and track pants were literally dripping out sweat we decided to take a dip in the water to cool off ourselves. The sunlight hitting the water directly created vivid hues of color which no Nerolac or Asian paints can ever color our living room. Though most of us sought refuge in the chilling effect of the water but Batta seemed to be in his own world and here I think he has captured nature in its total rawness and each pics he has taken here is definitly a contest winner. Bhatta you are good photographer man. It would be our pleasure to have you as a photographer in our marriage.

After cooling overselves we set out for the second round to fill our tank and having lunch on a lonely rock with water all around is a treasure worth thousand hours. we climbed back to the track and continued our remaining journey of 4 Km in 21/2 hrs and also crossing the longest tunnel in the way spanning 580 m. Devru, Jetly and I reached Yedakumeri around 17:30 and along the way we sang songs of Kishore da's, Rajkumar's. It was Jetly who sounded the bugle after having got the first glimpse of the railway station and it was very sweet to hear after having an exhausting yet memorable journey.