Day 4: i'm very busy relaxing!

Dhrafa trip was as great as any. I met a ton of people who've seen me crawl when i was little to now when I'm quarter century old. It is a very intriguing life that people live in the villages of our country. Its easy to generalize but so distinctly different in each geography. India is very aptly called "a country of countries". We attended a function at one of our farms hosted by a person who's been with our family since 3 generations now. Relationships build through ages, weathered and tested both by good & bad times, into strength and trust. Light hearted conversations regarding a lot of things in and around the world. Pre-conceived notions over-rule actual life. Simple life. Planting trees, farming crops, predicting prices and awaiting rain. Local celebrations and happenings dictate their life. Most of them don't know what credit crunch and global recession is, except the picture painted by local news-papers and that the situation is "grave". Such appreciable innocent life, impresses me by wonders.Their predictions of weather are based on factors like wind direction during special days, size-quantity-color-contours of clouds during special days, birds migrating, animals reacting differently. Immensely congruent to actual happenings. Observational skill applied to perfection. These things aren't new to us at all, just that I have a medium now to propagate.

The other thing that's strikingly different is the difference in the lives at work (i.e. at farms) & at home (in the village). The thought process, the talks and the expectations are poles apart. The different life styles and thinking of ladies who work in the field and who stay at home are subject of enormous psychological study. How demographics play a very important role in the decision making of so many people. Living impacts thinking and vice-versa. Innocence overflows from their lack of knowledge outside their world. Everyone accepts that time has changed, life has changed, people's thinking have changed. The only problem that I feel, is acceptance and agreeing to the validity of other cultures. There's no denying the fact that our culture is great, but that doesn't give us the right to look down upon any other culture. If I don't like western food or attires, I shouldn't be hating people who have a liking for the same. Swikar.

Its ironic because knowledge of things brings worries and pain. If we could wipe off all that we know from our brains, we would be living life much simply with lesser worries. Don't you feel? Discoveries & Inventions which were designed to ease life has complicated it immensely. The "Gods Must Be Crazy" initial clipping here and the narration comes to my mind right now.

Enjoying the very relaxed religious days passing by, talking to relatives over the phone, family meals over the table. Eating my favorite dishes away to weighted glory. The internet connection speed here bites me. I've mentioned this bit before, where I feel the traffic jams in Bangalore's Hosur Road were so bad, that we could compare them to slowly progressing progress bar of a large file over a slow internet connection. Bare with my weird sense of analogies.

Relaxed.

Day 1 - Home Sweet Home

After 259 days of roaming and loitering around, finally at home. Such a relief. Such a sweet feeling. Un-describable.

Left London last evening in a bit of a hurry. As usual, late packing and stuffing things into suitcases. Heathrow was at its usual best, with people overflowing everywhere. Reminded me of Love Actually movies, beginning and the end where they show many scenes wrapped into one place, where people greet and bid adieu.

Which also reminds me to mention and not completely authentic piece of trivia. Heathrow employs 80K people in whole - coming from a friend working there as well. But the figure is just amazing. Heathrow to Mumbai flight was comfortable. 8-9 degrees to 30 degrees. Touched base with the familiar atmosphere in a few minutes.

Thought of socializing with strangers as I had ample time before my next flight home. Requested a rickshaw-driver to share a cup of tea before dropping me to the domestic departure gate, which was a remote one because Reliance flights depart from the same run-way but the gate is into a naval base. Sonu (the rickshaw driver), normal charming smiling khakhi clad guy, was kind enough to take me to his favorite tea-stall. We shared a delightful cutting and interesting discussions. He was a bachelor from Gwalior, been in Mumbai since 7-8 years, supporting his nephew who studied there. Our discussions ranged extremes from Raj Thackeray's Marathi Manoos campaign to Philosophy of money not being everything.

He dropped me to the Kalina Gate, which was a very secluded area to my surprise. All that was there, were odd looking restaurants. As there was no waiting area, I decided to have an extended lunch at one of the nicely named restarants - "Swagat" (Welcome). As it co-incided with just the way I felt, around people who talked in local lingo. Even though its Hindi, I couldn't help but notice how different the Mumbaiyyya Hindi is. Every time you are in Mumbai, it grips you. The sheer pace at which the city works is amazing. Spending two hours at the restaurant relishing Chicken Biriyani was knowledgeable experience as well. The restaurant owner was complaining about local authorities watering the trees in the circle opposite his restaurant, only when some VIP is about to visit. I saw hoardings of the President being welcomed and guessed there had been a recent visit from her. While I was sipping away my Sprite, folks back home were worrying about me as my mobile hadn't caught the local carrier as yet.

The person who checked us in for the private flight, kindly lend me his phone to contact people back home. I was feeling uncomfortable with the amount of food that I had, hence was strolling in, caught up with a group of security guards there. One was behind a quadrand, aiming his automatic machine gun towards the gate. Three mid-forty ex-army guys discussing the current state of affairs. Its just amazing where people link their personal philosophies to things around them. Whether its just human, or the culture hardwired into all Indian brains, God only knows. Another knowledgable discussion, more or less a spectator there but participated with whatever I could. Socializing is great and I feel connected to strangers through it.

The flight from Mumbai to Jamnagar was great as well, another vegetarian snacks served aboard a 18 seater private jet made me feel special. Dad was picking me up from Jamnagar giving me his "Welcome Home Kid" smile. All in the family are at home. Lots of interesting discussions, well-wishers and relatives calling in to welcome, personal though. Amazing family dinner around the table, and plans of going to Dhrafa (my native) tomorrow. All exciting.

Jet lag not letting me sleep I believe, hence this blog.

Satisfying.

another great weekend in the memoirs

Its amazing when you look back at things that remain in your memories, its only a handful of days that you can claim to remember. Its extraordinary of what nonsense the brain remembers which is of no use, like movie songs and dialogues and trivia, but doesn’t register things that mean so much to us then. Inventions like photography help us retain such memories. The fun we had at the time of clicking those pictures, and for the camera shy people the awkwardness of facing a camera. We had an amazing break from the world, roaming around each and every beach of a tiny island called the Isle of Wight pictures here.

More later, for now counting down days to be home

4 Days

what a week!

The last few days have been very tumultuous on personal front. Lot of re-thinking, re-planning, re-structuring etc. Lot of re's basically. The previous post generated a lot of inquisitiveness about my mental sanity. :) I'm alright. Very well - in fact. Feeling freer. Feeling irresponsible. Feeling light. For me, that's the only way to live life optimistically.

London had the worst snow fall in the last 20 years. Last Monday it came to a stand-still. We made our first quite a descriptive snow-man, with biological accessories. Temperatures are still sub zero. Every morning while we literally scate our way out of the streets, it usually takes longer than before. Have moved in with a few close friends. Thankfully as I have always been, I'm again blessed with great people around with good culinary skills. Be it Vidhyanagar, Bangalore, Hyderabad or here.

Planning a trip next weekend to chill-out. Also, am looking forward to a trip home which is just round the corner as well. Am so excited, could have been better! One is bound my ones own priorities in life.

Do not feel like blabbering about personal things hence, wish to admit that a few posts henceforth might be short ones.

Just Human