If you are reading this, please read the following before reading this-
1) http://ajithessence.blogspot.com/2008/03/gelf-diaries-part-1.html
2) http://ajithessence.blogspot.com/2008/03/gelf-diaries-2-arabian-night.html
My second weekend is just about to get over. I was chatting with my good friend VP Singh on gtalk; his status quoted a line-
“It is 12.10 and it is now..Tomorrow at 3:00, it will be now. On my deathbed it will still be now...Since it will always be now, learning to respond to 'now' is the only thing there is to learn !!!”
This is so relevant in my life today… now.
I still do not know if my stay in Dubai will continue for a few more days, months or weeks. I’m dealing now with ‘now’.
Last few days have made me quite senti. My good friend and sis Shilpi says I’m a guy who lives in the past. She is right- even literally. I’m 90 minutes behind IST.
The ECS team here has been extremely friendly and supportive- much more than I would ever have thought. It is amazing to have good friends in colleagues. Touch wood!!
Social networking is very difficult here. Orkut is banned. I guess it will take time before you get to befriend people outside one’s official circle. I wonder if I’m gonna be in Dubai that long!!!
We stay in luxury. The hotel apartment is damn decent!! The first day we met, my flatmate Abhishek and I were discussing that even if we spent our time working for the next few years, we would not able to own a 2 BHK half as luxurious as this. Nobody has a small car here. A Camry seems to be the base car and that too, used as a taxi. The roads are big and perennially in a state of jam…or so it seems. Badi badi gaadiyaan… badi badi imaaratein…
There are as many taxis here as there are buses in gurgaon… ppl say, jannat naseeb ho jaati hai, par taxi nahi… there are as many buses here as there are helicopters in delhi…there are as many plants and trees here as there are buildings taller than 20 floors in delhi…
Still wonder if there is a motivator besides money for a man to come here voluntarily.
Its amazing though how these guys have created a city out of nothing…
Let us see what d future has in store…watch this space for more…
PS- My closest of friends have been telling me that this experience will do some good to make me stronger and wiser…
Even as I write this… an evergreen Dev Anand number plays in my mind…
Jo mil gaya usee ko muqaddar samajh liya… jo kho gaya main usko bhulaata chala gaya…
gham aur khushi mein farq na mahsoos ho jahaan… main dil ko us maqaam pe laata chala gaya….
I wish I could!!!
PPS- This one is dedicated 2 VP and Shilpi…
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Friday, March 21, 2008
gElf diaries 2- Arabian night
If you are reading this, please read http://ajithessence.blogspot.com/2008/03/gelf-diaries-part-1.html before reading this-
Its been a week now. Don’t’ know how long more it is going to be here- days/ weeks or months.
Started on a hectic note with work beginning from day-one. A long weekend made life easier for me.
I’m not yet able to digest the fact that Friday and Saturday would be weekend for me. I still find it difficult to cross roads- the thought that vehicles are coming in from my right has not yet registered in my mind. So I’m extra careful while crossing. The last days, I’ve had pulao for lunch. Nothing else is veg. One day I had to eat steamed rice and lettuce leaf.
I went on an overnight desert safari this weekend. Was amazing fun!! The safari began around 5 in the evening.
Started with a stunt ride on a land cruiser over the desert sands and the dunes. This lasted an hour. Was good fun, but a li’l over hyped.
The fun started after that. A model mehfil has been made in the desert, something like our own chokhi dhaani. You get to do some modern stuff like sand biking (which is exciting, yet, could be dangerous, as my friend and flatmate Abhishek learnt the hard way- his skin from his left thigh to the heel got burnt under the tyre). You also get to do some camel riding.
The loser that I’ve often been branded by friends often- I did neither. Took a walk around the desert- went to a no man’s land. I wondered what life would have been like- here in the desert a thousand years back. For some time, I felt like the protagonist in The Alchemist- wandering through the desert. As evening gave way to dusk and dusk to the night, I came back to the mehfil.
If you enjoy a few pegs- you get some stuff at a steep price. For the rest of us teetotalers, dates, Soft Drinks, food and tea were on the house. There were close to 150 tourists like me, under the open sky, a bright moonlit night and some catchy Arabic music.
The best part of the evening was reserved for the belly dance. The initial moments of the belly dance brought within me a sense of deep disgust at myself- here was a girl dancing in front of so many people- the sole aim seemed to be titillating the libido of spectators like me. A few minutes of self disdain (at watching the dance) later, I realized I was actually enjoying it. Before you take me otherwise, I think belly dance is an amazing art form. The costume may look scanty when you compare it with… say a Bharatnatyam. Besides the flexibility of the danseuse’ body, the grace of her movements and her ability to keep the audience engaged was beautiful.
Post the dance and the dinner (surprisingly, there is enough vegetarian fare for people like me), the crowd dispersed, ready to be taken back to their places of residence. 8 of us stayed put for the overnight experience. Four of us from ECS, a Norwegian couple and a Brit couple. The Arab music played on. The Norwegian couple joined us for a chat. It was fun.
The night was cold. The desert was lonely. The sky was beautiful. A faint sound of music from a distant camp added to the mysticism of the night. An interesting attendant by the name of Allah Bachaaya only added to the medieval feel.
Thanks to the two sleeping bags these guys had provided, my night in the tent was quite comfortable.
Sometime, I’ll visit the desert again- I may not go for the landcruiser ride though.
The night I spent there was one of contemplation for me. I was with friends and yet I was alone. I was alone and yet I could connect with so many near and dear ones I have known. It is an awesome experience walking in the desert a few minutes before sunrise.
One song that plays in my mind when I think of that night… Jagjit Singhing… Kal chaudhvi ki raat thi…. Na… I’ll not say more!!!
Its been a week now. Don’t’ know how long more it is going to be here- days/ weeks or months.
Started on a hectic note with work beginning from day-one. A long weekend made life easier for me.
I’m not yet able to digest the fact that Friday and Saturday would be weekend for me. I still find it difficult to cross roads- the thought that vehicles are coming in from my right has not yet registered in my mind. So I’m extra careful while crossing. The last days, I’ve had pulao for lunch. Nothing else is veg. One day I had to eat steamed rice and lettuce leaf.
I went on an overnight desert safari this weekend. Was amazing fun!! The safari began around 5 in the evening.
Started with a stunt ride on a land cruiser over the desert sands and the dunes. This lasted an hour. Was good fun, but a li’l over hyped.
The fun started after that. A model mehfil has been made in the desert, something like our own chokhi dhaani. You get to do some modern stuff like sand biking (which is exciting, yet, could be dangerous, as my friend and flatmate Abhishek learnt the hard way- his skin from his left thigh to the heel got burnt under the tyre). You also get to do some camel riding.
The loser that I’ve often been branded by friends often- I did neither. Took a walk around the desert- went to a no man’s land. I wondered what life would have been like- here in the desert a thousand years back. For some time, I felt like the protagonist in The Alchemist- wandering through the desert. As evening gave way to dusk and dusk to the night, I came back to the mehfil.
If you enjoy a few pegs- you get some stuff at a steep price. For the rest of us teetotalers, dates, Soft Drinks, food and tea were on the house. There were close to 150 tourists like me, under the open sky, a bright moonlit night and some catchy Arabic music.
The best part of the evening was reserved for the belly dance. The initial moments of the belly dance brought within me a sense of deep disgust at myself- here was a girl dancing in front of so many people- the sole aim seemed to be titillating the libido of spectators like me. A few minutes of self disdain (at watching the dance) later, I realized I was actually enjoying it. Before you take me otherwise, I think belly dance is an amazing art form. The costume may look scanty when you compare it with… say a Bharatnatyam. Besides the flexibility of the danseuse’ body, the grace of her movements and her ability to keep the audience engaged was beautiful.
Post the dance and the dinner (surprisingly, there is enough vegetarian fare for people like me), the crowd dispersed, ready to be taken back to their places of residence. 8 of us stayed put for the overnight experience. Four of us from ECS, a Norwegian couple and a Brit couple. The Arab music played on. The Norwegian couple joined us for a chat. It was fun.
The night was cold. The desert was lonely. The sky was beautiful. A faint sound of music from a distant camp added to the mysticism of the night. An interesting attendant by the name of Allah Bachaaya only added to the medieval feel.
Thanks to the two sleeping bags these guys had provided, my night in the tent was quite comfortable.
Sometime, I’ll visit the desert again- I may not go for the landcruiser ride though.
The night I spent there was one of contemplation for me. I was with friends and yet I was alone. I was alone and yet I could connect with so many near and dear ones I have known. It is an awesome experience walking in the desert a few minutes before sunrise.
One song that plays in my mind when I think of that night… Jagjit Singhing… Kal chaudhvi ki raat thi…. Na… I’ll not say more!!!
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
gElf diaries 1- ahlan Dubai
My first day away from the country…
Often I’ve asked myself if a man is driven by his destiny or if he creates his own destiny. In the more emotional and religious moods, I’ve gone by the former and in the more rhetoric times, I’ve gone with the latter.
The events in the last week again raised this question in my mind. This time, the answer seems clear.
I had great plans for this weekend- a rafting trip in Rishikesh, a visit to Siliserh in Rajasthan and was all set to travel to Hissar in Haryana next week.
I’m writing this sitting in a room in Dubai. I landed last night. The trip was not too very exciting. After the busy last 4 days trying to vacate my room, I was tired- and my body acting in mechanic motions. My mind has been rather blank and it has been as if I’m playing somebody else’s character in a play. Also, to anyone who is flying into Dubai, I strongly strongly recommend that you avoid Indian Airlines. Pathetic is an understatement.
Most of the significant happenings in my life- the good, bad and ugly , have happened without my asking for it. After a heartbreak, I was sitting with a mentor cum good friend and he quoted Ghalib and said, “Ishq par zor nahi, hai ye wo aatish Ghalib… jo jalaaye na jale, jo bujhaaye na bujhe”. I remember him also mentioning that that this is true not just of ishq, but of life in general. The more I think about it, the more I agree… and the more I think.
Since morning, the song, “ye jo des hai tera” has been playing in my mind and I know that I’m obviously not here to settle down; I am here only for a few months- and am not indulging in brain drain that I have been critical of through these 25 years. Nevertheless it is a strange feeling. I don’t know if my friends and readers will agree with me or understand me as I write this. But, “strange” is exactly how I feel.
I was just beginning to get used to Gurgaon. I was beginning to get used to the thought of having my dinner in a new outlet in a different mall every night. I was now getting used to sitting on the terrace every night, sipping a hot cuppa milk… looking into the night sky… singing a few songs… listening to some… chatting on the phone…
Gurgaon aint as bad a place to stay as I’ve been portraying to some of you. It has its spots which are worth living.
I’m more contemplative than usual today- the excitement of an overseas project indulging n a game of see-saw with the emotion of leaving India- more specifically, my beloved Delhi/ NCR.
In the days to come, I may write more of these musings from the Gulf. When I landed in dubai, I remembered the title music in a 70’s Sukumaran movie- it shows him landing in Dubai. It has amazing Arabic beats in the background.
This blog is dedicated to a friend I was having conversation with- till a few seconds before I boarded the aircraft. She once again told me, as she had in the past, that jo ek baar gaya videsh, wo fir waapas aane ka naam nahi leta.
This is also dedicated to the guy standing next to me in the loo at the Dubai airport, who asked me something, after which I lost all the anxiety of landing in a foreign land.
He asked, “saare, samayam ethra aayi?”
Cheers to the gElf Malayalee!!!
Often I’ve asked myself if a man is driven by his destiny or if he creates his own destiny. In the more emotional and religious moods, I’ve gone by the former and in the more rhetoric times, I’ve gone with the latter.
The events in the last week again raised this question in my mind. This time, the answer seems clear.
I had great plans for this weekend- a rafting trip in Rishikesh, a visit to Siliserh in Rajasthan and was all set to travel to Hissar in Haryana next week.
I’m writing this sitting in a room in Dubai. I landed last night. The trip was not too very exciting. After the busy last 4 days trying to vacate my room, I was tired- and my body acting in mechanic motions. My mind has been rather blank and it has been as if I’m playing somebody else’s character in a play. Also, to anyone who is flying into Dubai, I strongly strongly recommend that you avoid Indian Airlines. Pathetic is an understatement.
Most of the significant happenings in my life- the good, bad and ugly , have happened without my asking for it. After a heartbreak, I was sitting with a mentor cum good friend and he quoted Ghalib and said, “Ishq par zor nahi, hai ye wo aatish Ghalib… jo jalaaye na jale, jo bujhaaye na bujhe”. I remember him also mentioning that that this is true not just of ishq, but of life in general. The more I think about it, the more I agree… and the more I think.
Since morning, the song, “ye jo des hai tera” has been playing in my mind and I know that I’m obviously not here to settle down; I am here only for a few months- and am not indulging in brain drain that I have been critical of through these 25 years. Nevertheless it is a strange feeling. I don’t know if my friends and readers will agree with me or understand me as I write this. But, “strange” is exactly how I feel.
I was just beginning to get used to Gurgaon. I was beginning to get used to the thought of having my dinner in a new outlet in a different mall every night. I was now getting used to sitting on the terrace every night, sipping a hot cuppa milk… looking into the night sky… singing a few songs… listening to some… chatting on the phone…
Gurgaon aint as bad a place to stay as I’ve been portraying to some of you. It has its spots which are worth living.
I’m more contemplative than usual today- the excitement of an overseas project indulging n a game of see-saw with the emotion of leaving India- more specifically, my beloved Delhi/ NCR.
In the days to come, I may write more of these musings from the Gulf. When I landed in dubai, I remembered the title music in a 70’s Sukumaran movie- it shows him landing in Dubai. It has amazing Arabic beats in the background.
This blog is dedicated to a friend I was having conversation with- till a few seconds before I boarded the aircraft. She once again told me, as she had in the past, that jo ek baar gaya videsh, wo fir waapas aane ka naam nahi leta.
This is also dedicated to the guy standing next to me in the loo at the Dubai airport, who asked me something, after which I lost all the anxiety of landing in a foreign land.
He asked, “saare, samayam ethra aayi?”
Cheers to the gElf Malayalee!!!
Monday, March 3, 2008
Sach is life...
...Jab tu bada hoga na, tab bhi tere saath khel raha hoga woh...." And he laughed.
Y'day evening, after watching Sachin do what he did to the Aussies, I was taking a walk in the neighbourhood park. A kid was playing cricket with his brother and his Dad. I was in a mesmerized state y'day. I stood by to watch the family play. Once the game was over, the kid asked his Dad, "papa, tendu-laker world ka best batsman hai na...". This is when the Dad said, "Jab tu bada hoga na, tab bhi tere saath khel raha hoga woh...." And he laughed.
Circa late 80's and early 90's.
There was a boy who played cricket in a small non-descript village in Kerala. His dad often told him that when he grew up to be a cricketer, Sachin would be his captain. The boy could never fulfill his dream of being a cricketer; he went on to get into HR. But, Sachin was a name that spelt magic for him. And still spells magic for him.
What is it that makes Sachin Tendulkar the phenomenon that he is? What is it about that makes his nations, other cricket loving nations and even opponents drool over him? What makes Sachin... Sachin...
I'm sure, for those of us who grew up in the late 80's and 90's, Indian cricket has been synonymous with Sachin. Interestingly, for even the kids of this century, Sachin is still Indian cricket.
People say that cricket is their religion and Sachin their God. Each time he walks on to the field and each time he walks off it, look at the hysteria that is generated across the cricket loving public. Look at the way commentators struggle to find words of appreciation that justify his talent. I remember Ian Chappell was a person who was a fierce critic of his- not so long back, even suggesting that he should retire. Y'day he said, "A lot of us say a lot of things about him- the journalists, the experts and commentators. He doesn't bother about all that. He has his targets set and he has his standards. He would be his worst critic if he doesn't meet these standards."
There are many things that separate him from the rest of us mortals. In spite of all his achievements, his feet seem firmly on the ground. The ability to say, "I learn a lot of things from these juniors" speaks a lot about his persona. The way he let Rohit sharma bloom while batting with him exemplifies that that these are not merely high thoughts, but, he manifests these in his behaviours. The ability to adapt and change with changing times speaks so highly of him. He has been able to discern opportunities while the rest of the world perceived obstacles. There is Sachin, and there are the rest.
Look at the way he handled the aftermath of Lee's beamer y'day. Beautiful!!!
Not just a great sportsman, but a great human being and an ideal role model.
They say, commit your crimes when Sachin is batting. For when he bats, even the Lords would do nothing but watch him play...
Some time, like Kapil Dev, like Gavaskar and Lara, he too will retire. There will be a time, when for the kids growing up, Indian cricket may not be synonymous with Sachin. There will be a time when our future generations will ask us if we saw Sachin playing.
But, there shall never be a generation now when kids shall ask, "Sachin- who?". In the generations to come, the best batsman shall always be faced with the ominous possibility of being compared with HIM.
To the noblest cricketer that ever walked the earth, to the guy who made me feel even greater to be Indian... to the guy who repeatedly makes me realise that the greater you grow, the humbler you become... to the guy who's given me and a billion others, so many reasons to smile.... to the guy who has been the role model to so many many kids like me... Long Live Sachin... Long Live your Legend!!!
Y'day evening, after watching Sachin do what he did to the Aussies, I was taking a walk in the neighbourhood park. A kid was playing cricket with his brother and his Dad. I was in a mesmerized state y'day. I stood by to watch the family play. Once the game was over, the kid asked his Dad, "papa, tendu-laker world ka best batsman hai na...". This is when the Dad said, "Jab tu bada hoga na, tab bhi tere saath khel raha hoga woh...." And he laughed.
Circa late 80's and early 90's.
There was a boy who played cricket in a small non-descript village in Kerala. His dad often told him that when he grew up to be a cricketer, Sachin would be his captain. The boy could never fulfill his dream of being a cricketer; he went on to get into HR. But, Sachin was a name that spelt magic for him. And still spells magic for him.
What is it that makes Sachin Tendulkar the phenomenon that he is? What is it about that makes his nations, other cricket loving nations and even opponents drool over him? What makes Sachin... Sachin...
I'm sure, for those of us who grew up in the late 80's and 90's, Indian cricket has been synonymous with Sachin. Interestingly, for even the kids of this century, Sachin is still Indian cricket.
People say that cricket is their religion and Sachin their God. Each time he walks on to the field and each time he walks off it, look at the hysteria that is generated across the cricket loving public. Look at the way commentators struggle to find words of appreciation that justify his talent. I remember Ian Chappell was a person who was a fierce critic of his- not so long back, even suggesting that he should retire. Y'day he said, "A lot of us say a lot of things about him- the journalists, the experts and commentators. He doesn't bother about all that. He has his targets set and he has his standards. He would be his worst critic if he doesn't meet these standards."
There are many things that separate him from the rest of us mortals. In spite of all his achievements, his feet seem firmly on the ground. The ability to say, "I learn a lot of things from these juniors" speaks a lot about his persona. The way he let Rohit sharma bloom while batting with him exemplifies that that these are not merely high thoughts, but, he manifests these in his behaviours. The ability to adapt and change with changing times speaks so highly of him. He has been able to discern opportunities while the rest of the world perceived obstacles. There is Sachin, and there are the rest.
Look at the way he handled the aftermath of Lee's beamer y'day. Beautiful!!!
Not just a great sportsman, but a great human being and an ideal role model.
They say, commit your crimes when Sachin is batting. For when he bats, even the Lords would do nothing but watch him play...
Some time, like Kapil Dev, like Gavaskar and Lara, he too will retire. There will be a time, when for the kids growing up, Indian cricket may not be synonymous with Sachin. There will be a time when our future generations will ask us if we saw Sachin playing.
But, there shall never be a generation now when kids shall ask, "Sachin- who?". In the generations to come, the best batsman shall always be faced with the ominous possibility of being compared with HIM.
To the noblest cricketer that ever walked the earth, to the guy who made me feel even greater to be Indian... to the guy who repeatedly makes me realise that the greater you grow, the humbler you become... to the guy who's given me and a billion others, so many reasons to smile.... to the guy who has been the role model to so many many kids like me... Long Live Sachin... Long Live your Legend!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)