the bliss of un-interrupted sleep

Caught up with news and episodes of Devils Advocate show which I admire a lot, as many as 10 episodes. Indian General Elections hovering over Indian media sites, Srilankan violence, British Budget lots of things happening all around. Weekend means delightful recipes with knowledgeable and skilful friends. Feel I’ve eaten much after every meal, so much so, that if we don’t say we’ve had too much today – that’s an exception. Video chatting at home is a routine weekend activity as well. It feels so soothingly different when you can see them, thanks to Technology.

I distinctly remember a conversation with my brother just after the Mumbai floods of 2005. Back in those days, he was just placed after his MBA with one of the ‘big’ Indian banks with lot of I’s in its name. He was stuck with a few of his friends in one of their cash deposit safe sites. All of them had to skip a meal as there was no rail/road connectivity during that time from the building. Although they slept on currency notes worth millions, but that couldn’t guarantee a good sleep. None of them could sleep because of hunger. How basic needs over-ride everything else even for sane people, forget the insane ones. If the biological needs are satisfied, one can sleep easily, happily.

What a relaxing feeling if you get up when you want to get up, without any un-expected interruptions, without any phone calls of friends wanting to “just catch up”. I used to get very irritated if I had to be interrupted in sleep. Often had arguments with friends during hostel & college days, even after that! Some of it has evaporated since a near distant past. Don’t know just ageing I guess. We had lot of funny discussions regarding sleep walking over lunch one of these days at work. Interesting reads and links to sleeping habits here. Sleep, they say spiritually - is a state of meditation. Funny snoring patterns define the state of the mind as well. Different stages of sleep have different functions biologically. Its I think the last stage of sleep where the events of the day which impacted us are written down to the permanent memory. That’s why we remember photo like flashes when we think of events or dates in the past.

I’m sure all of us have had our laughs when a neighbour in the bus/train is fast asleep and almosts falls down. I’m sure I’ve been at the “being watched” end a lot of times as well. Babies look so cute while they are sleep, some grown ups too. Definitely not all, some are just plain and simple - scary. Discovery & NGC I’m sure have given us enough funny moments of animals sleeping or dozing or surprized. The particular that comes to my mind is the mommy panda chewing half asleep ruffled by its baby’s sneeze. have a look.. Whether we accept it or no - nature is preparing all living beings for their final rest – as often as everyday – irrespective of being human or otherwise. We can realize this only if we awaken from routine life's

Slumber

in the flow of google

Just to fancy how many people visit this blog, I've enabled Google Analytics here. Hope you guys dont mind. Mind-blowing

Technology!

catching up - easter trip

What a fortnight its been!

We'd been roaming around western Europe over the Easter weekend. In the need of a desparate break from monotonous life of getting up, going to work, coming back and sleeping, Easter Loong Weekend was a welcome break for all of us. Nikunj, Ravi & I set out on the Friday dawn and crossed the English channel in the First ferry of the day. Many people having similar ideas made the ferry house-full, well almost. The infinity of the ocean has intrigued me always. We all know that the streach of the English channel isn't that great and people swim across, but when you actually come face to face with it, the blue ocean grows on you. As the ferry moves swiftly across, the wind on the deck was chilling.

Around at lunch time we reached Antwerp. The diamond capital of the world. Trendy people with Palm! The detachment to Alcohol & non-veg food still continued so couldn't try it. The decision still holds - hence happy. Anyways, moving along from Diamond Capital to the "freedom" capital of the world! I'Amsterdam. Netherlands - the home of ABN, ING A couple of friends were joining us from there. I've always been blessed with people who like to Roam/Eat/Drink. Amsterdam's canal walk was good - although a bit smelly. Don't know whether that was the pot freely selling around us or the red-lights. No wonder it gravitates artistic people from around the world.

We planned to see Deltawerken dams in the morning, which prevent the Dutchland from sea-floods. But somehow the TomTom didn't support our plans, it wasn't showing us the drive we expected. We ended up in Rotterdam. Euromast was good fun. Clean sky gave us a clear view of the largest port in Europe. The drive from Rotterdam to Dortmund didn't take too long - thanks to German motorways. Germany is quite aptly the home the best car manufacturers, that I could name. Driving at close to 200 kmph we were amazed by a couple of cars zooming past us. BMWs, Audis, Mercs !! Dortmunds night was good as it had just won a football match against Koln which we were visiting the next day. Koln cathedral and avoiding motorway drives were good. Luxembourg city was very quiet for us. The stupifyingly less number of people clearly surprised us. Tomtom again surprised us by taking us to the Old city with narrow roads. Heavy dinners all around.

The next morning was very foggy. All the way right upto Brussels. Atomium & Eurotrip for friends who hadn't been there. We waited outside had lunch with an Italian girl working at Atomium. Quite enlightening, working 10 days in a month just to support herself.

We were quite early to check-in for our ferry. The trip came to an end we cribbed about the holidays ending. Pics here

The office has been busy for these days. Weekend was busy as well as laundry was staring at me since a couple of weeks. Shed some perspiration in doing the garden - destruction more than trimming.

Walking home this evening - was staring at the clear blue sky. The frequency of flights taking off,landing and passing over London leave many trail-blaizing white streaks in the sky. They left me wondering whether those lines contain some encoded message in them. Could see some patterns - try it yourself and ..

Wonder

nothing i have is mine

Nothing I have is mine,
All I have is Thine,
What credit to me,
In presenting Thine to Thee

- Sant Kabir

Please exercise your right to vote!

The time has come to fore go our cribbings about the inability of the current government! Evercise your right to vote and play your part! Unless the educated Indian mass doesn't vote, we have no right to crib. Doesn't matter which party/person you vote, but vote!

Please

evaporation of innocence

So that I don't feel guilty about posting only in the weekend, am posting this deliberately on a Monday.

Weekend was getting together with family friends and attending the early birthday celebrations of two year old princess Naiara. I spent a couple of nights at our old place with Nikunj, remembering the splendid time entertaining ourselves. Movie marathon on Friday, couple of good movies and a disaster called Tasveer! I realised I’d been away from news, so touched base with G20 proceedings and cheeky Obama flirtations with an Indian reporter, showering accolades on our Prime minister. Well deserved?

Discussions over varying range from global warming & ecological footprints to challenges in everyone’s lives whether rich or poor, successful or struggling. I’ve had many such enlightening discussions with Nidhididi, Nikunj and ever so silent Saurabh-bhaiyya. Watching Naiara play with her friends, led me to think about what amazes us so much when we look and play with kids. Why do their innocent actions amaze and entertain us so much? Their simple games are so refreshing. May be we are reminded of our own childhood. May be we become very aware of the fact that we've lost that innocence over the period of "growth" and "maturing" phase of the civil society. Is this ageing worthy at the expense of innocent happiness! Is it the same reason why our closest friends are mostly from childhood?

Has the innocence evaporated from our thoughts and actions?

Realise