Love bites: The Pre-marital Mangalsutra

The other day the topic of love bites on the neck came up.

A friend happened to remark that love bites are the pre-marital mangalsutra!

Firstly, I am sure many people will want to know what is a love bite?
Love bite is defined as:
A bite or bruise raised on the body of a sexual partner during love making. Also known as a hicky when visable on the neck

Why did my friend call it a pre-marital mangalsutra?
Because once made around the neck, it stays visible for a long time. It represents a certain kind of closeness between two people and almost marks ownership over each other!
Keeping the above in mind and also the fact that most couples wouldn't hesitate giving love bites before marriage (as opposed to full blown sex) my friend called them the 'pre-marital mangalsutra'.


By the way, please don't ask me who said this because I did not write this post to make fun of him/her, just to share a funny definition of a love bite!

:)

New Year Thinking!

The other day I was chatting with a friend about plans for New Year's eve.
He said that it is just another year and nothing but a change in number, why bother?

I disagree with him.

New Year is a chance to wipe clean the old things and start new. In fact the day you start thinking a bit different, doing something new or changing your life even one percent, that is the start of a New Year!

The key here is that you don't need a BIG change in life, just a small change.

Maybe next time you meet someone interesting, you can ask them for their number!
Next time you promise to keep in touch with someone, DO keep that promise and keep in touch!
Next time tell your best-buddies how much they mean to you!

Many times a small change in what you do or your response can lead to a major change in how you feel and think!

HAVE A GREAT 2008!

REMEMBER!

WHETHER 2008 IS JUST ANOTHER YEAR

OR

A YEAR YOU WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER

IS IN YOUR HANDS!

:)

Desperation at the Edge of Forever

As the new day is emerging from its sleeping place, I feel that I too am standing at the edge of something new and strange.

Things influence us as we go along our daily lives which we are not even aware of. The influence can be so subtle that it is only over time that we become aware of a fundamental change within ourselves. We wake when we are standing at the edge of forever.

That is when desperation strikes.

Ahead lies something that is unfamiliar. Behind is something quite familiar. The familiarity is seductive. It calls out, it wants you back. You also want to play it safe. Why step off the edge into unknown territory? Why not go back? Why not embrace what is familiar?

Or better yet, why not stay at the edge. That ways the motivation to move forward and the urge to go back is balanced.

You know if you move ahead into the unknown, many things will change. There will be endings and new beginnings.

This year (2007) has been one of the best years of my life. I needed this one year more than anything. This year will be burned in my memory forever.

Someone told me in January, that this year is going to be a tough year but a very good year for you. I never really understood what that person meant at that time. But now I know and I understand what was meant.

I did many things this year about which I could have only dreamt or thought about before. I did them with the greatest of ease when the time came to do them. I did them without thinking.

I experienced many things this year. Things that tested my sanity, things that made me smile and things that made me cry.

This year I fought the feeling of helplessness.

This year I made many new friends and developed deeper friendships with existing friends.

This year my thoughts were poisioned, by me. This year they were cleaned by friends. Whenever my heart would blacken with the thoughts of pain, anger, hate and grief there would be light. Therefore I thank all the people who stood by me, both here in Bristol and back in India. It made being laid up in bed for three months good fun! :D

You know who you people are!

In the end (or before the new beginning?) I would like to thank God for everything.

:)

The Progression of a Winters Day in December!

As I got up today morning, the weather clock was happily flashing a snow warning! I felt really happy seeing it! Outside the temperature was -1 degrees (C). So I quickly took out my S2-IS camera in anticipation of snow.

But sadly the snow never came. So instead I took photographs to show how the day progressed.

Here they are:

The First Shot taken at 1pm, 20th December 2007.

The Second Shot taken at 4pm, 20th December 2007.


The Final Shot taken at 4:40pm, 20th December 2007.

Thoughts on a winter's evening!

When you are all alone on a bus, coming home after a long day working and shopping, your thoughts can wander around.
Sometimes the wandering thoughts can lead you on to a deep insight about something. This is what happened to me earlier today.

The trigger was the fresh-bread shelf at Tesco Express. All the breads were looking quite tempting. But I didn't buy any since I already had some bread at home. While sitting on the bus I remembered a line from a very interesting book. The heroine says:

"We came to know the cost of a loaf of bread"

As this line popped into my head I said to myself:

"Mr. Machwe you need a girl like that, you need a girl who knows the price of a loaf of bread". "You have this habit of flying, you need a girl to ground you for a bit now and then".

This thought led to my thinking what a girl would say if I told her this! I realised that a girl would probably think I am recruiting her for a job or something.

That is when it hit me. The deepest insight of them all.

I realised managing me (a girl who is with me would have to do that!) is a full time job! It can be very easy or very difficult depending on the kind of person that you are.

That is why I can either tune with people very quickly or never tune with them at all.

:)

Back to UK, with a twist!

I just came back from India. The return journey was quite amazing. I was on a wheelchair for starters. Then the flight was delayed by 2 hours and finally I watched 3 movies on the flight! :)

IGI is being given a major facelift. The new bits that I saw did impress me, so I can't wait for the new airport to roll out! One amazing thing, I tried to give the guy who was handling my wheelchair a tip but he refused to take it. He said he could only take the tip in the toilets because there he wouldn't be seen by anyone! Usually people back home tend to get tip hungry but here it was the opposite. Someone had put the fear of god in them, which was quite refreshing to see! I always believe that one should never ask for a tip. If you ask for a tip then it is like begging.



The other thing that was amazing was I saw on the display boards that one of the flights was headed (of all the places in the world!) to Kabul, Afghanistan! The Kam Air flight was parked right next to our plane and I managed to get a good picture of it from my mobile. Take a look at the flight to Kabul!






Please notice the small hole in the skin of the aircraft near the tail, just to the left of the door! The plane actually departed as my aircraft was waiting for clearence. I just hope it arrived in one piece!

When I landed in London it was freezing outside. We were already 2 hours late and by the time I got out of the terminal it was 8.30pm. Being on a wheelchair gave a whole new twitst to the whole situation.

The yellow lights of Bristol were visible in the sky just a few hours later as my taxi drew closer to my home. Reaching home was an amazing experience. My friend was there to welcome me and again for the first time I just said 'hello' to him and crawled into bed (it was 11.30pm!) without airing my room or even changing the 2 month old bedsheets.

Dead bodies don't need fresh winding sheets when they return to the grave.

:)

Comments Please!

?One of the things, as a blogger, which brings a smile to my face, is a comment on a post!

Every blogger dreams of getting hundreds of comments on a post. Especially if the topic of the post is a bit controvercial or a matter of popular discussion. To see a debate starting up and people going at each other, bringing out the facts and giving their own views.
It really enhances a good post and puts the 'cherry on the icing'.

Every blogger also gets irritated with 'bot' placed comments which end up advertising some crap or point to some random link.
Then there are those 'friendly' comments which don't really mean anything yet encourage you to keep writing.
One of the best kind of comments are those which talk about the post and the impact it had on the person writing the comment. A personal story about the post so as to say. That really encourages you to keep writing!

Then you have the crazy comment posters who post as anonymous. They give their views and ask strange questions all the while not having the courage to even reveal their name! How funny is that? :)

2BHK+Bar

I have a three bedroom house with a hall and a kitchen. This would be represented as 3BHK in any real-estate advertisement or if someone were to ask me about my house.



While talking to a fellow alcoholic a thought came to my mind. Why not convert one room into a bar. That ways I can represent my house as: 2BHK + Bar!



With the night life in Delhi improving as it has been for the last few years one regularly comes across innovative and creative bar designs. There is something fascinating about the play of light on the different shapes and colours of the bottles.



Imagine lying on your bed in the darkness, with a huge bar in front of you. The interplay of light and colours! How soothing and relaxing!

The light blue of Bombay Sapphire gin, the rich earthy tones of whiskey (especially Balvenie and Black Label!). The clear glory of Vodka and the golden hues of white wine! The dark bottles of red wine and the rose hues of Rose. Then we have the wonderful creamy glint of Bailey's Irish Cream and the orange light of Cointreau!



I haven't even begun to talk about the innovative shapes and bottle styles!

:)

A Quote for a Special Person!

Sometimes the mirror of dreams gets covered with the fog of reality.
Therefore it is very important, from time to time, to wipe away the fog to
remain focussed on your dreams!

This quote is truly amazing. I don't know who said this but it is applicable to anyone caught in the rat-race. Life has become so busy and stressful that we hardly get time to relax and remember our dreams. Very few people realise that dreams start crumbling away if we don't remember and retain them.
Then one day when you clear away the fog, you find the mirror has cracked. Your dreams have crumbled into dust. That is when one gets dis-illusioned and depressed.
It is indeed a bad experience to see your dreams lying dead.

So people remember to keep your dreams alive by keeping them fresh and clear in your mind! Focus on them, take care of them like you would a child or a plant. They will mature and give you so much satisfaction when you realise them!

:)

Om Shanti Om: And the Search for a Story Continues!

When two people, who don't know each other, give you the same advice about a movie, you would be stupid not to listen and take that piece of advice.

When it came to Om Shanti Om, also known as OSO, three people gave me the same advice: "Go with your brain switched off"

Well I did switch off my brain and by GOD did I have a tough time getting it restarted after the movie! I think my brain had a near death experience of its own while I was watching OSO.

Let me first give out the positives:

1) Deepika Padukone: She has a very beautiful face. But I realised one can get bored of it real quick, because in the movie, every second scene has her face in close zoom or you see her dressed up in beautiful sarees and evening dresses. After a bit her face looses its charm.

2) SRK and his abs: One has to admire SRK for the effort he has put into rebuilding his body for this movie especially at his age!

3) The sets and the production quality: While some of the sets were lifted directly from West End stageshows and Broadway musicals the production quality and the feel of the movie is quite professional.

4) Om Shanti Om song: A great touch to bring in all the actors for a romp on the dance floor.

I won't concentrate a lot on the negatives because there are many. Obviously the story is weak, in fact one can say there is no story. It looks like a patchy mix of 3 or 4 different stories; starting with a romantic story, then in between action, then suspense and ending with horror. When are we going to get a movie which combines slick production with a good story?

Then we have the overacting in certain parts of the movie. Finally of course I couldn't help but note the background theme stolen from Constantine in the scene where Arjun Rampal arrives at the burntout studio for the muhurat and SRK exits the car.

All in all, the advice given to me still rings true: "Go with you brain switched off"

But I would like to add a line to that: "Only if you have nothing better to do"

:)

Delhi Gymkhana: The Elite Club of the Indian Raj

The Delhi Gymkhana was known as the Imperial Delhi Gymkhana Club before independence. It was setup for the British officers and officials who were, at that time, ruling over India. After independence the 'Imperial' tag was dropped from the name and 'Indians' took over the running of the club.

I used to enjoy going to the Gymkhana, as it is popularly known, till now. Having a medical disability has given me new insight on things. I realised today how the people there still cling on to the memories of the British Raj and how it has become more of a status symbol for people with the major advantage being the availability of cheap drinks.

Clinging on to old world habits, like a hand bell on each table to attract the waiter's attention, sounds like something right from the days of the Raj.

With the system of 'green cards' where by dependents get access to all the facilities, seems to encourage the idea that you can earn respect just because you are someones son or daughter. With respect to this I really like India Habitat Centre where dependents can only use a limited set of facilities and cannot use any of the Member's Only dining areas on their own. Every member therefore has to prove their worth.

Another thing which I could never understand is why they don't allow the use of cellphones in the bar? I mean it is so funny! People there, as it is, talk SO loudly that you would think you have entered a fish market. Yet you cannot talk on your cellphone. Or maybe they don't trust their members to talk in a normal or low voice when using a cell, which is weird for an elite club! But then again, with all the shouting going on inside, you would hardly be able to talk on the phone isn't it! :)

Abroad, yes I can understand why they have these rules. The people there actually speak in a normal voice instead of shouting at the top of their voice. So yes if someone speaks on a cell and even slightly raises their voice, it can disturb the people sitting nearby.

What we still haven't learned is that money and power does not make a good human being. Being the member or an offspring of a member of an elite club does not automatically make you an elite human being.

In fact if we were to think about it, most of the elite social clubs are nothing but a place where one can go and booze at a cheap price in relatively decent surroundings.

And I wonder what is so elite in that?

A Quote

I tired so hard to become what I ought to be, that I forgot what I am.

- Unknown

A Quote which I discovered written on a picture in my house.

Ever since we are born most of us try hard to become what other people expect of us. In the beginning we are influenced by our parents and family, then our friends and finally our spouse/love interests. Everyone around us has an image of what we should be like and often these images blur out the image that we have of ourselves. We end up loosing our own thoughts on what we ought to be.

Those who don't, the so called 'different thinkers' are sadly very few in number. Very few people actually get to do what they want to do in life. Life is quite practical and one has to live by its rules if one expects to 'settle down'.

So it is the old fight between exploration (stick out) vs exploitation (blend in) in the evolutionary sense.

This is dedicated to a friend who told me not to think; just write! :)

A Tip for a Successful Marriage!

Continuing with the posts on marriage.... I wish to share my knowledge on deciding when you are ready for marriage and who to get married with. I have seen my share of failed and failing marriages. While each failed/failing marriage has its share of unique environmental issues which are beyond the control of either the husband or the wife, there are certain things that are common.

I can understand the doubts and fears that creep into ones mind when one is thinking of getting married. Everyone is bit scared and apprehensive about taking one of the biggest steps in life. That is when, truly, you start living for someone else. That is when you have to start thinking in plural. This is where the issues start to creep in which end up becoming full blown problems after marriage.

There is a very simple way of figuring out whether you are ready for marriage or not...

Just think about a normal day for yourself. Think about all the things that you do to relax. Think of all the activities that are important to you.

THINK!

Then imagine doing them with someone around. Imagine NOT doing them because someone is around. Imagine delaying them because someone is around. Now imagine that someone is your spouse.

The question you are trying to answer is whether you can include someone in your life and handle a reduction of free 'personal time' and 'personal space'? Whether things in your life can accomodate a second person?

Remember: once you are married, you will never be alone.

To decide whether you are marrying the right person think about how well your single lives (which includes interests, habits and hobbies) intersect and overlap.

Greater the overlap more stable will be your bond and less isolated are you likely to feel.

Of course other aspects such as nature, upbringing and background of the people in question cannot be ignored since they are a major source of issues but if one realises, most of the above mentioned aspects are reflected in as well as shape a person's interests, daily routine, style of living, habits etc.

In fact many times background, upbringing etc. doesn't match but the interests, habits etc. match resulting in happily married life.

Images of Diwali 2007

Light through the bougainvillea.

Lights, camera... ACTION!

The 'hood.

Ahh what a happy home! :)

Pandit Ji after puja!

Rangoli @ home!

Pre-Marital Health Checkup

In today's world where marriages as it is breakup so easily one does not want any extra issues to crop up which can threaten the stability of the relation. Especially if those issues are related to health.

That is why it is important to get pre-marital health checkup done so that issues, if any, are clarified before the marriage takes place.

Keeping this in mind many hospitals in India provide a Pre-Marital Health Checkup.
One such hospital in Delhi is the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), one of the premier medical institutes of India.

Here is their site offering the full range of checkups (including Pre-Marital Health Checkup):
http://aimshospitals.net/health.htm

The Pre-Marital Health checkup consists of the following tests:

For the Bridegroom:
Price: Rs 700/-
Hb, CBC, ESR
Blood group
VDRL
HIV HBsAg
Urine Routine
Urine Microscopy
Semen Analysis
X-Ray Chest
Consultation by Surgeon

For the Bride:
Price: Rs. 1100/-
Hb,CBC,ESR
Blood group
VDRL
HIVHBs Ag
Urine Routine
Urine Microscopy
USG Full Abdomen
X-Ray Chest
Consultation by Gynecologist

The tests target specific issues (sometimes quite serious and life-threatening) which can cause problems after marriage. These include HIV screening, test for impotency, gynaecological tests and blood group compatibility.

Something to keep in mind before getting hitched?

Types of Hindu Marriages

To take cognizance of the start of the marriage season in India (Nov. - April.) here is a post about ancient Hindu marriages.

Manu in his Dharma-shastra describes eight types of Hindu marriages:
(Source:Law of Marriage and Divorce in India by B.P. Beri, 2nd Edition, Eastern Book Company)

Brahma
The highest form of marriage. In this form of marriage the father of a boy who has completed his studies (Brahmacharya) initiate the process to look for a suitable match for him. The girl's father voluntarily invites the grooms family to take his daughters hand in marriage. The girl is considered to be a 'gift' from her father to the boy and no dowry is given. This form of marriage elevates womanhood by making the groom search for his bride thus giving the bride more importance.

Daiva
This form of marriage occurs when the girl's family has waited a reasonable period of time for a boy to ask for their daughters hand. Then the girl's family goes out to find a suitable boy. Usually girl's were married to priests in this form of marriage. This marriage is considered to be lower than Brahma because it degrades womanhood by forcing the girl's family to look for a groom.

Arsha
In this form of marriage the girl is married to a sage (rishi) in exchange for two cows from the grooms side. This type of marriage occurs when the girl's family was not able to afford marriage at the right time. The exchange of two cows shows that the groom acknowledges that he is far from perfect. In this form of marriage nothing is given to the groom.

Prajapatya
In this form of marriage the groom, as a suitor, goes to the father of the girl and asks for her hand in marriage. This is a lower form of marriage than the Brahma form because in this case the father of the girl does not voluntarily invite the boy to marry his daughter.

Asura
This form of marriage involves the sale of the bride to the boy. In such a marriage the boy is not considered suitable for the girl. To compensate for this, the boy gives as much money and wealth as he can afford. This kind of marriage is looked upon because it is similar to selling the girl for a price.

Gandharba
This form of marriage is similar to the classical 'love marriage'. The bridge and groom marry without the knowledge of the parents. This is considered a low form of marriage because the parents have no part to play and is without their knowledge or permission.

Rakshasa
In this form of marriage the groom overcomes the girl's family and forcibly takes the girl away for marriage. This goes back to the days of open war where the winner came to control not only the lands of the losing side but also their wealth and women.

Paisacha
This is the lowest form of marriage possible. In this form the groom tricks the girl into marriage or the girl is married against her wishes.

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Living abroad: The 5 step process

After writing about the changes that have come about in the lives of a typical student going to UK for studies I started thinking about what I felt during those days. I wanted to form a step by step sequence of how my emotions changed as I left India and settled in UK.

Maybe it will help prepare future students and workers heading outside India for a significant amount of time for what they will feel.

Step 1: Denial

This is the first step. This occurs when the plans are being laid down for the course or job and the paperwork has started. Information is on a strictly need-to-know basis and everything is done with as little fuss as possible. One denies the fact that one would actually end up successfully getting all the paperwork done. This is done from the point of view of minimising the impact of failure (or at-least trying to minimise it!). This state of denial exists till the paperwork is completed and the visa is approved.

Step 2: Pride

This is the 'high' phase where you break the news to everyone around you (friends, family etc.) that you are going to be travelling abroad. Overnight you become the VVVVVIP in your friend and family circles. You also become a source of envy, inspiration and stupid examples given by other parents to their kids. People start treating you like some kind of a demi-God. All your close friends clear out their appointment books for the time ahead because 'you are leaving'. This phase pumps you up for the bad times ahead. You feel like a Warrior leading troops to war and all the people around you are cheering you on! This state lasts till one week before your departure date.

Step 3: Exile
One week before the day your leaving a feeling starts somewhere at the back of your mind which breaks through all the funfair around you. It makes you realise you are not a Warrior, more like an exiled prisoner whose family members and friends are actually mourning inside that you won't be here. But in the long it is not going to make any difference because friends and family will remain back home, their life will go on and things will continue. It is you who will be sitting in a strange country surrounded by strangers. Thus you start feeling like you are being exiled away from all that you know and love. You start asking yourself why the hell did you even think of going out and leaving your home. This is where you start falling. The last night at home is the toughest. You will feel every nerve in your body thrumming like a wire, absorbing home and thinking about where you will be in a few hours time. The bed feels like a funeral pyre as your emotions are burnt away into smoke. When you get up to get ready for airport you feel like a emotionless piece of flesh. You feel numb. This phase lasts till you are at the airport and are being seen off. That is when the Spike of Pain hits.

Step 4: Pain
The way a dead heart is revived using electric shock, the numbness of Exile is removed with the Spike of Pain. It is inserted in your heart as you realise that this is it. It maybe the last time you are meeting any of these people (Who knows where life takes you? Many people never come back!). The pain wakes you up. You get busy with the airport formalities and the Spike of Pain remains inside, throbbing, reminding you that you are human. Sometimes it gets overwhelming. You want to cry. But can't. Not in public! Wait for the flight. Yes when the passengers are sleeping, you can cry. The Spike of Pain drains itself by the time flight arrives and you complete the formalities at the arrivals. This is perhaps the lowest point of the entire journey.

Step 5: Rebirth
As you step out of the airport and the strange new sights, sounds, smells and sensations hit you, you feel reborn. You realise why you are here. You realise that this is a fresh new game with fresh new rules and fresh new players! Life is laid out in front of you like a buffet. And you are a man/woman hungry for experiences. The emotions and the pain are by now a distant memory. The brain starts working, planning, listing, sorting, remembering, thinking!

Then it strikes you.....you are here to do great things... your return will be celebrated.... you are indeed an exiled warrior.

Then you smile.

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Cellphones for 2008!

As another year draws to a close the gadget companies start revealing their product lines for the Christmas - New Year period. This year is no different with all the major players in the cellphone industry (Nokia, Samsung, Motorola etc.) have revealed the latest batch mobiles.

N81 Nokia is the new Nokia music phone fairly boring and standard design with the usual (YAWN!) features.
(check it out here: http://europe.nokia.com/A4494086)

Then there is the new LG Voyager phone with full QUERTY keyboard and a touch screen, this might just be my first LG phone!
(check out a review here: http://www.infosyncworld.com/news/n/8405.html)

The Samsung SCH-i760 is an upgraded version of the i730 with a massive screen running Windows Mobile.
(check it out here: http://www.samsung.com/us/consumer/detail/features.do?group=mobilephones&type=mobilephones&subtype=verizonwireless&model_cd=SCH-I760ZKAVZW)

The new Motorola Moto U9 is one of the most different looking phones out there! It has an external OLED touch screen (yes!) on a clamshell phone. It is basically a music phone with integrated 2mpx camera. I think this one is going to be another winner from Motorola!
(Here are more details and images: http://www.motorola.com/motoinfo/product/details.jsp?globalObjectId=212)

bus yaaron zindagi se to ek hi khwaish hai,

haat mein jaam aur bagal mein yaar ho,

dil mein pyaar aur labon pe uska naam ho

- before anyone asks I was NOT drunk when I thought up these lines, but was talking to my drinking buddy (Vibhore)!

Interesting Times

May you live in interesting times.

- Ancient Chinese curse and proverb

Interesting times usually means times of great changes and revolution in society, which may not be the happiest of times. That is why it is also called a 'curse'.
A similar saying goes: 'It is better to be a dog during days of peace than a man during days of war'.

But I find it quite fascinating. Interesting times are what we are living through. Interesting times are fun! :)

Pictures from India

Spot the Eligible Bachelor!

Welcome to Haryana: The 4x4 state!

(see both the pictures ;)

My sweet darling Balvenie!

The Host: 'Macho'

From Mom with Love!

Setup by my Mom to make me do my knee-extensions... ain't it cute?

An Encounter with ACER: Are ACER Stupid?

I own an ACER laptop.
A funny thing happened a few days ago. The power cord got cut from the inside (I don't know how!) and two wires shorted which led to the plastic sheath of the cable melting. Obviously the cord was now useless.

Before I proceed further I need to explain the construction of the power cord. It is made up of two parts.
The first part consists of the adaptor and the cable which plugs into the laptop. The second part consists of the power cord which connects the adaptor to the power socket. The two are separate because the power cord changes from country to country (depending on the pin shape) where as the adaptor remains the same.

Now the adaptor bit was working perfectly and I just needed a new power cord. Since I am an optimist, I started believing that ACER, which has a brand presence in India, would be able to solve my problem in a jiffy. Oh yeah! Good customer service HAD come to India. But something at the back of my mind told me 'Dude, you are in deep shit and you don't know about it!'.

Of-course had I been in UK when this happened, getting a replacement would have been almost boring. Just go online and buy the power cord.

Anyway, so I went online and found out the Delhi ACER office (in Okhla Phase I) number (+91-11-40568000, 40568001 / 2).
Called them up and they told me all these bits are sold by their shop (The ACER Mall opposite Home Saaz) in Lajpat Nagar (these days the Toughest Market to Shop at in Delhi, coz of the crazy traffic rules and HCBS/Metro construction).
So I called up the shop and asked them about the power cord. Well.. I don't have the words to describe what I was told, but I shall try my best!
They said that they only sell the adaptor (which I didn't need) and NOT the power cord. Furthermore they suggested that Nehru Place market would be the best placeto find a new power cord.

But the only thing in my mind was ARE ACER STUPID?

I mean who sells half the power supply? How idiotic is that?

Its like you damaging the cover of the headlight on your car and the car manufacturer saying that they can only supply you with the headlight case and not the headlight cover.

What good is half the power supply in any case? I wonder who all can go around Nehru Place looking for an ACER power cord. I am lucky that I live not very far from Nehru Place.

Looking at the brighter side, I am quite happy that the person answering the phone was able to point me towards Nehru Place and didn't leave me hanging without any info.

Brain on Vacation!

Arti: how is ur brain? is it on vacation? or it never existed

Azahar: you see I have given it to you on loan!

I am sure many girls would agree with Arti!

Some new things that people call me....

I have been called many things by many people! But here are two new ones that I came across while harrassing the women of India :P

U r a donkey!
- This is funny for SO many reasons, if only I could figure out why this person thought I am a donkey?

You are warped!
- Being a fan of Star Trek I really liked this one and all it took was a telephone call!


:D - atleast the women of india have gotten a bit creative and have moved beyond calling me 'mad' or 'crazy'!

Moving to England: 5 years later...

I went to England in January 2003 for my masters.
Five years later I am still there.
Five years later I am being forced to look back and think about those days.
The last days in India and the first few weeks in England; the things I learnt and felt as I was undergoing the transformation.

Many things have changed. Things have gotten so much more easier and at the same time, tougher.

While five years are not that long a period in terms of time, the changes that have come about are nothing short of amazing. The change have come also about at both ends, not just in India or UK.

A major change has come about in the first stage of the process itself.

• Five years ago, Internet was not as big a force as it is today in the application process. With the spread of broadband, both in India and UK, the prospectus can now be downloaded off the university website instead of waiting for it to arrive by post.
• Consultants and Universities now use emails and faxes within the admissions process for communication. The whole admissions procedure has been simplified as more and more Indian students go to UK for studies. The requirement for IELTS has now been relaxed by many Universities, for Indian students, as it has become quite clear that students from India, on the whole, speak quite decent English.
• On the whole UK Universities now are keen to welcome International Student Fee (approx. 3 times the UK/EU Student Fee) paying kids from India. In fact most Universities, now, aggressively target the Indian education market through consultants and direct presence during Education Fairs. The lower ranking ones, in a bid to make money, even give discounts (termed as 'scholarships' or 'bursaries') on the International Student Fee.
• The student visa application process has been made dead easy. When I went to UK, one had to que outside the British High Commission at the crack of dawn to get the entry token for the mandatory interview. Then you had to return in the afternoon to find out the status of your application and to collect the passport. Now all applications are accepted at the posh Nehru Place offices of VFS where the documents are varified and pre-processed before being handed over to the High Commission. The passports are returned within 48 hours. Most students are not even called for an interview. You don't need to apply in person and the passports can be couriered to your house! What a contrast! From ques outside the High Commission to couriered delivery of passports!

The second stage, the travel arrangements and infomation gathering (about the city/country you will be studying in) have been similarly affected.

• Now you can get really cheap tickets (18,000/-) and special 'student discounts' on several major airlines (with direct flights). Excess luggage offers are now quite common with carriers like Air India, for students traveling to UK for the first time. We had to settle for second rate carriers with stop-over flights (Kuwait Airways).
• With Google Earth and Google Maps it has become so easy to explore the city you will be travelling to right from the comfort of your home in India. For example using a mapping software I was able to locate my friend's University department and indicate the route from the bus station. I was also able to figure out the bus timings from Heathrow. With the maps a lot of local information was also easily available. Information regarding cheap eating places (such as McDonalds) and grocery shops in and around the campus. If you have the address of your accommodation then you can even explore the area you will be living in using Google Earth and understand the lay-of-the-land.

The third stage is the actual arrival in UK and travelling to the city where you will be studying at. This can often be the most difficult and tense period for both the traveller and the parents/relatives/friends back home. Unless you are lucky enough to have someone meeting you at the airport (from the University or otherwise) or if you have travelled to the city before, you will naturally be stressed out trying to figure out how to get to your city while managing your luggage, money and important documents. At the same time your relatives back home will be waiting for you to re-appear on the radar.

• With international roaming at reasonable rates and shops through which you can get a UK mobile connection from India itself you can re-appear on the radar as soon as you land! A working cell allows you to get in touch with any and all of your contacts in UK. Even if they cannot meet you at the airport they can always guide you from far or just provide helpful advice and a friendly voice to talk to! You can contact your friends and relatives back home and they can call you (facilitated by cheaper calling rates) so that everyone knows you have arrived and you are well! When I had gone there, international calling rates were sky high. We were lucky that someone came to collect us at the airport otherwise it would have been difficult to manage with the luggage and stuff! We got a drop direct to our houses.
  

The fourth stage is the arrival in the city where you will be living. This is the settling down stage where you get your room and start setting up your own space. This is the best stage of them all! By now you have passed through the 3 stages of hell - Exile, Pain and Loneliness. Now you can start relaxing, getting over the homesickness (as you set-up your new home!), get your schedule going, enjoy the new life, start making new friends, reconnect with old friends and get into your course. The amount of fun you have during this stage is dependent upon you!

• With things like broadband and mobile Internet you will always remain connected with friends and family back home. When I had gone there, broadband Internet was very expensive. So expensive that we were sharing a dial-up connection between five people! VoIP services like Vonage and Skype have blossomed and now allow low cost calls to anywhere in the world. In fact if your family members have a VoIP enabled handset in India you can talk to them for peanuts! Mobile Internet allows the use of Skype over mobile handsets! Calls for peanuts where-ever you are!
• When I had gone there we had to spend money buying calling cards from shops and then seek out phone booths to call home. Now you have Reliance India Call service providing a virtual calling card which can be recharged over the Internet and which offers excellent calling rates!
• It was also tough to get a mobile connection let alone use mobile Internet. With 3 mobile service you can now use unlimited mobile Internet for £5 a month! They also give great discount contracts to students. We were forced to use pay-as-you-go for 6 months before we could get a contract.
• Internet banking is another big thing to come up since that time. We were forced to start with crappy Natwest bank. To check bank statements and balances one had to seek out ATM machines or go and visit the bank branch. With HSBC and Lloyds accounts not only do you get the flexibility of a fully working Internet Banking account you can also get things done on phone or through email.
• The number of Indian students in UK universities has exploded in the last five years. You are bound to find students from India in your University. During our days, it was difficult to find a large number of students from India.
  
• India has also come a long way as a country in the last five years. Now more people are aware of India and Indian culture in UK. This makes it easier to make friends there!

Perhaps the BIGGEST change in the last five years, which should really encourage students to travel to UK for studies, is the recently introduced International Graduate Scheme (IGS). Under IGS one can work legally in England and Wales for a year after completing any degree course.

When I had gone to UK, our future beyond the first year, was bleak and uncertain. Getting a job was almost impossible because we were not allowed to work full time (under the student visa) and no company would apply for our work permit. Things looked bleak and without hope once the course was completed. Many students deferred their course and started working 40+ hours in a part time job to earn money. Now students have an incentive to quickly complete their studies so that they can legally work in UK full time through IGS!

The new HSMP rules (since December 2006) further brighten the prospects beyond the one year with IGS.

Probably the only thing that hasn't gotten easier is leaving your friends, family and home behind and moving to a strange country. All in all, things are quite good now and they look to become even better as time passes!

:)

Dedicated to a special friend.
Thank you for the memories!
Thank you for making me smile!
Hope you enjoy your time in England!

Thoughts on Special Ability

Recent months have been spent in quiet contemplation of life.
Due to my knee injury and subsequent immobilization of my left leg I was forced to use crutches to get about for approximately 2 months. Spending all that time in the house, not being able to move around normally got me thinking about people with permanent disabilities.

It showed me life from their point of view. I realised how difficult even small things can become and how easily we take a normal lifestyle for granted. Taking a bath means planing each move like a chess game, climbing stairs feels like climbing Mt. Everest.

In the end, I also realised that it is about what you think more than what you can do. Your actions are limited only by your thoughts. If you think you cannot do something, then most probably you will never be able to do it!

Then the other day I was listening to a program on Meow FM (104.8 FM - Delhi) and the presenter (Manisha) was talking about sensitising children towards people with disabilities. One of the callers happened to remark that 'everyone is disabled, no one is complete, no one has everything'. This made me feel really happy for some reason.

This basic fact made me realise that we should always keep pushing ourselves to achieve new things in life. Somewhere inside we all have disabilities to deal with. How well we can over-come them, that depends on us!

Radio Ga Ga - Queen

One of my all-time favourite songs! It has an amazing video which uses clips from the famous silent movie made way back in 1927 called Metropolis

The Funny McCoy's

Check out this funny bit. ...

Real McCoy's chips with flavours such as Roast Ham and Mustard are 'Suitable for Vegetarians' (see the pic!)! Funny isnt it? I wonder which vegetarian would enjoy the taste of Roast Ham. Would they even know/remember the taste of Roast Ham?

> In fact the main thing is... what does it mean to be a vegetarian now?

> Is vegetarianism just about not eating meat?

> Is it ok if synthetic compounds, tasting like meat, are used?

> Does that still come under vegetarianism?

From IP to HoIP

What is IP (Internet Protocol)?

- It is the protocol used to create the internet. In conjunction with TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) it forms the logical basis for the internet. This blog post is not about IP or its details. If your interested in IP check out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Protocol

Networking is defined by the famous OSI 7 layer stack.

IP is defined in the Network Layer (3rd layer). The entire stack uses a different set of protocols at each level. All the protocols taken together form the 'protocol stack' which defines how applications running on your PC communicate through the protocol stack over the network. Kind of like how the CEO of a company reveals long term strategy to senior managers who in turn assign specific goals to middle managers so that the goals can be attained. In turn middle managers break down goals into specific sub-tasks and assign them to different teams.

So when you click that send button in your chat window a whole series of activities occour up and down the protocol stack in micro-seconds before your message is sent across the network.

IP is quite old (late 1970s). It was used as the foundation for richer applications like HTTP - for web-pages and FTP - for file transfer. But all this also quite old (around mid 1990s).

Following up on this was the concept of transmitting voice over IP (VoIP). This allows for efficient transmission of voice over traditional network systems (all this by creating stacks of protocols). VoIP has come into its own since 2002 and more and more data traffic on the worlds network is VoIP related.

So if we look at a time scale it is something like this -

-30 years (approx) - Internet Protocol - low level usage.

-10 years (approx) - Applications over IP (AoIP) such as mail/web/file-transfer.

-3 years till current (2007) - Voice over IP (VoIP) - integration of voice communication with packet based networking technology as compared to traditional circuit based implementations of communication systems.

I was reading "The world is flat" by Thomas L. Friedman. He predicts that the next big thing is going to be Services over IP (SoIP). SoIP is about delivering services like TV, Radio, Telephony etc. over a single connection. Treating everything like a packet of data - be it TV signals or voice signals. Where the money is charged for the services being used and not the duration of their usage.

I agree with him, IPTV is already making waves. Streaming movies and video content are already popular (e.g. YouTube). The hardware is available along with the storage to run the mutlti-media content servers.

So over the next few years we would see a growth in SoIP. But what next? What is the next thing afrer SoIP?

I think after SoIP it is going to be HoIP.

Human over IP (HoIP)

Where two people will be connected through IP directly. As computers come closer to the human, the day of embedded computers talking to each other through IP is not far. Computer based interfaces are going to form a separate sense for humans and IP is going to be the foundation to achieve the interconnect at that level.

That would mean I can talk to ANYONE or SEE ANYONE on the Earth AT ANYTIME! Usually one can just talk to the people around you (through voice). For people further away one needs to use a phone. But what if human senses were converted to IP?

So if I wanted to SEE you, you could convert your image into a live video stream and send it directly to the computer interface for my eye and it would be shown within my eye. Same thing can happen with voice, touch, smell!

Digitization of voice is already possible. With a wi-fi connection I can talk to anyone in the world (through Skype)! Down the line the other senses will get digitized and all humans will be connected.

You're never going to keep me down!

I get knocked down.

But I get up again.

You're never going to keep me down!

- From the song I get knocked down by Chumbawamba

The above lines are really inspiring. We all get knocked down at-least once in our lives. By knocked down I mean we feel as if life couldn't get any worse. Whenever you feel that way remember those above lines. Realise that those who turn failure into success are the biggest winners.

Say to yourself:

'I will smash through all barriers that stand between me and what I want to achieve, like a tank through a brick wall.'

Give yourself a confidence boost. You KNOW you can do it!

Be a tank. Let nothing stand in your way. Make your path clear through the problems that surround you. Grind your problems into dust.

The Price of Dreams

The other day I was thinking about fulfiling our dreams and the price we pay to fulfil them.



Most dreams have a clear price that you can pay to fulfil them. For example a car enthusiast might dream about owning a particular car which will most certainly, have a clearly defined price.

Then there are dreams which do not have a fixed price. There is no upper limit to the price that one might have to pay to achieve those dreams. Dreams of fame and fortune, for example, have traditionally compelled people to pay a very heavy price.

One might have many dreams to go after but limited resources to use in their pursuit. Therefore in the end it is down to a kind of cost benefit analysis to select the dreams to pursue.

All the analysis cannot answer the one moral question that has plagued mankind since the beginning: What is the price you should be willing to pay for your dreams?

Is there anything like an 'excessive' price?

What are the moral implications of chasing your dreams?

Will the paying of the price and achievment of the dream benefit a single person or a large number of people?

These are some of the questions hidden behind the one moral question, which one must think about.

Things people have said about me...

You should be banned from sending emails to OFFICIAL EMAIL IDs (SK)

A thousand devils would have died before you were born (DU)

Ek sapna to pura karo (SS)

a tight slap for you! (VG)

SHUT UP OH PLEASE FOR GODS SAKE, SHUT UP! (TK) <-This was implied and never actually spoken!

ho gaye tumhari non-tareeke ki baten shuru? (AC)

God Is Love!

The Bible says God is Love!

Thinking about Love, I wonder if the readers know that the ONLY major religion not to have caused any bloodshed in its name is Buddhism!

Maybe we should give the teachings of Buddha a little more thought.

Peace and Love.. what else do you need in life?

And India HAVE DONE IT!

A bright and young Indian team, under the dynamic leadership of Dhoni have done it! The team for once did not have anything to loose and everything to gain! I am, like the rest of India, looking forward to the coming few months of cricket. India - Australia then India - Pakistan followed by India touring Australia.
Exciting winter of Cricket ahead!

INDIA IS IN THE FINALS OF THE 20/20 WORLD CUP!

Here are the highlights of the Australian Innings!
See the wickets fall. See the sexy fast bowling from the Indian Bowlers!

I LOVE it when our bowlers clean bowl the opposition batsmen. The ball is released, it swings through the air, in-between the bat and the pad, CLEAN BOWLED!
The MIDDLE STUMP TAKES A WALK! :D
Thats what happened to Gilchrist! That was a classic delivery.
It nearly gave me an erection (being an ex-student and fan of physics!).
Because of that one delivery I will forgive Shreesanth his (sometimes) idiotic behavior and (occassional) lack of control (both over the ball and his temper).

Hayden, lost his wicket to a wild slog shot (trying to intimidate Sreesanth) and that made me want to run naked through the streets of Bristol (Thank God I can't do anything like that now!)

The Pathan Delivery (the one that got us the match) to get rid of Symonds. Intelligent bowling. Tempt Symonds with the width and yet not throw it all that wide (so that it doesn't miss the stumps!). Great stuff from the experienced bowler. He needs to be back in the team now!

Then the Bhajji yorker, right in the block-hole with a bit of flight! SWEET! UMMMMMM

The icing on the cake was the on-the-sweetspot yorker from Sharma making the Leg Stump take a walk!

I heard a familiar song during the game, being played on the ground. It was being played during the Australian Onslaught. It is a song by Men At Work - The Land Down Under. But it should be used for India after their performance yesterday!

Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder? You better run, you better take cover!

:D

Land Down Under Lyrics
» Men At Work
Traveling in a fried-out combie
On a hippie trail, head full of zombie
I met a strange lady, she made me nervous
She took me in and gave me breakfast
And she said,

"Do you come from a land down under?
Where women glow and men plunder?
Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder?
You better run, you better take cover."

Buying bread from a man in Brussels
He was six foot four and full of muscles
I said, "Do you speak-a my language?"
He just smiled and gave me a vegemite sandwich
And he said,

"I come from a land down under
Where beer does flow and men chunder
Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder?
You better run, you better take cover."

Lying in a den in Bombay
With a slack jaw, and not much to say
I said to the man, "Are you trying to tempt me
Because I come from the land of plenty?"
And he said,

"Oh! Do you come from a land down under? (oh yeah yeah)
Where women glow and men plunder?
Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder?
You better run, you better take cover."

Oh and a final note:

The FIRST ICC MINI WORLD CUP was held in SA/Zimbabwe and India reached the Final after defeating both Australia AND South-Africa. Their Final match was against New Zealand which they lost.

This time for the FIRST ICC 20/20 WORLD CUP (again held in SA), India has reached the Final after defeating both Australia AND South-Africa. Their Final match WOULD have been against New Zealand but they lost to Pakistan.

Thus for the ICC 20/20 WC for the FIRST TIME, INDIA AND PAKISTAN are going to face off in the Finals of a MAJOR INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT.

The Triumph of Death

Bruegel, Pieter

The Triumph of Death

c. 1562

Oil on panel117 x 162 cm

Museo del Prado, Madrid

Keane - Bedshaped

Keane - Bedshaped



Many's the time I ran with you down

The rainy roads of our old town

Many the lives we lived in each day

And buried all together

Don't laugh at me

Don't look away



You'll follow me back (YOU ARE FOLLOWING ME BACK)

With the sun in your eyes

And on your own

Bedshaped and legs of stone

You'll knock on my door

And up we'll go

In white lightI don't think so

But what do I know?

What do I know?



I knowI know you think I'm holding you down

And I've fallen by the wayside now

And I don't understand the same things as you

But I do



Don't laugh at me

Don't look away



You'll follow me back

With the sun in your eyes

And on your own

Bedshaped, two legs of stone

You'll knock on my door

And up we'll go

In white lightI don't think so

But what do I know?

What do I know?

I know



ahahaa ahahaa ahahaa ahahaa(Choir)



ooooohhhhhhhh

And up we'll goIn white light

I don't think so

But what do I know?

What do I know?

I know



This is a VERY SPECIAL song for me. The video is what got me hooked to this song a long long time ago. Check it out. The video is just amazing!

This song is dedicated to a Very special friend in my life. The one who ended the night and bought a new dawn!

What do I know?
I know

:)

KC

A.

The Bible and its Prophecies...

Recently I was reading about the so called 'prophecies of the Bible'. The text talked about how the Bible predicts things. Some of which have come true and some are yet to come true.

It got me thinking about how we use religious texts. We use them mostly to push our own ideas. We interpret them in our own way and use them as a basis for spreading our own idealogy and proving or disproving theories. From justification of violence to creating false hope.

I think all religious texts tell us how to live. They are good for the here and now… they were good when they were written, they are good now, and shall remain so in the future.

The main reason for this is: these texts were written by humans for humans. The essential human nature has not changed. We still do many of the same things that we did back then. The method might have changed but the act hasn’t.

We still get up, go to work, come back home, sleep, eat, make love, produce babies and so on.
Our core emotions are still the same. We still love, hate, get embarrassed, get jealous etc.

What made us human back in the days of the Bible (or any other religious text) makes us human even today (and hopefully shall continue to make us human in the future!)

Therefore one should accept the Bible and OTHER religious texts not because they help us in prediction but because they help us understand ourselves.

The interpretive analysis of the Bible and connecting it with prophecies can be done with any religious text. But we should remember this, when we interpret something as complex as the Bible (or for that matter The Gita, The Ramayana, The Quran, The Torah etc.), we do end up putting our own knowledge and beliefs in the interpretation. No interpretation can be purely objective.

Therefore just accept the religious texts as a window into your soul and nature. Not as a guide to what is going to happen tomorrow.

Why?

Because your tomorrow, is largely in your hands!

Flowers of the Arctic

Posting some old pics I came across from my Yellowknife, Canada trip, thanks to a friend!
These pictures were taken using my Sony camera.

Nokia 6110 Navigator

NOKIA 6110 NAVIGATOR

The phone with the slider open.

The 6110 Navigator is the latest phone from Nokia. It is a slider phone as you can see above. The slider mechanism is quite solid and feels reliable. The screen is a 2.2inch QVGA high resolution one (just like the E65).

It is a 3.5G phone (supports HSDPA) and has a front facing camera for video calls. Just above the camera is the light sensor which modifies the brightness and keypad lights based on ambient light. This is quite useful and saves the battery life. So for example when you are in a well lit area the keypad buttons don't light up. But as soon as the lights go down (say when your in a movie theatre) the keypad lights come on.

This phone has 7 main interface buttons and a 5-way navigation/click key in the centre.

Two buttons below the screen (blue light) are for selecting the screen options. The green/red keys are for connecting/disconnecting calls with the red key doubling up as the power on/off key. There is the traditional 'Menu' key and a cancel 'C' key. The final key (in between the 'C' and Menu keys) activates the GPS application (yes the 6110 Navigator has in-build GPS!).

On the left side there is a programmable 'My Own Key' which you can set to any application you like for one click access. On the right there is a +/- key used for the camera and volume control along with the shutter key.

The 6110 compared with Sony Ericsson P990i.

Volume: 89 cc
Weight: 125 g with battery
Dimensions: 101 x 49 x 20 mm

As you can see the phone is not all that small (especially when you compare it to some of the Samsung sliders) but then again it has TONS of useful features. The metallic finish ensures that keys feel sturdy.

Top view, from L to R: Power connector, cradle connector, 2.5mm headphone jack.

The phone has quite a few different connectors all over the place. The top part of the phone contains the power, cradle and 2.5mm headphone jack (which makes it really easy to use your normal headphones with it!). On the left side it has a small-formfactor USB port which means you don't need a special data cable to connect it with your PC and a Memory Card slot (microSD - 512mb card comes free with the 6110 in UK).

The main screen with the Light Trails theme.

The interface is very well designed and the software really quick (especially when compared with some of the Sony Ericsson phones). The phone comes with Real Player, MP3Player and it also has built in FM-Radio. It comes with QuickOffice and PDFReader application and of course special GPS applications, maps and navigation software. Games are bit boring (just Snake and Marble).

The back view with the slider and camera shutter open, note the GPS antenna.

The main camera on the phone is a 2.0 Megapixel one with flash. It is protected with a shutter. In the above picture the stereo speakers can also be seen below the camera housing. These stereo speakers provide 3-D affect and allow the use of '3-D ringtones'. How useful that feature is, well that is up to you! With the slider open the GPS antenna can also be seen.

The Nokia Navigator map application, note the Navteq and Route 66 logo.

The mapping application uses Route66 software. The GPS is really powerful and was able to do a cold start within 2 minutes. Hot-fix is established equally quickely. The software application is surprisingly powerful for a small phone like this. 2-D/3-D views, landmarks, places of interest, pedestrian option, digital compass and many other features packed into the software. If your operator supports it, you can pass your location on to them and they will dynamically update 'places of interest' within the software, based on your location!

The top-view map with the GPS running.

It is a fairly feature packed phone. I think the phone would have been successful even without the GPS. But the GPS adds that extra punch to the list of features. With a large number of supported countries (with maps) this is the kind of phone which you would WANT to carry with you all over the world!

Without the GPS, the 6110 would have been just another 3.5G smartphone. But with the GPS it becomes much more than a phone.

The Negatives

Well I did not have many complaints with the phone. A minor complaint was a lack of good application software and the fact that a 3.2 megapixel camera would have really hit the spot. Perhaps, also, Nokia could have been a bit less lazy and made a slightly larger screen (rather than re-using the screen from E65!).

The Final Word

If you were looking out for a GPS receiver, you should instead go for this phone. Just think of it as a GPS receiver with a smartphone and camera built into it rather than a smartphone with GPS.

The Road - Thoughts of a Traveller.. through music!

The wide open road has lured many people. Some people take the road in search of fame, fortune or even a simple two square meals. Some take the road for adventure and the infinite possibilities it offers. Some take it because they are forced to use it on their way to work.

The concept of the road leading to my front door has always fascinated me. How if we start following it, who knows where we end up!

Tolkien reminds us:

The Road goes ever on and on

Down from the door where it began.

Now far ahead the Road has gone,

And I must follow, if I can,

Pursuing it with eager feet,

Until it joins some larger way

Where many paths and errands meet.

And whither then? I cannot say.

Similarly Robert Frost tells us:

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Frost also reminds us how important it is to decide which road to take. Tolkien on the other hand stresses on the need to explore and the eager spirit of the true traveller who travels not to reach a destination, but travels to keep follow the road as it bounds ahead of his feet.

As always the poet William Barnes shows us that we ALWAYS have a choice, in his poem Linden Lea:

I be free to go abroad,

Or take again the homeward road.

In the true spirit of the explorer I always used to be fascinated about how as you move away from your house things become less and less familiar.

How among a familiar road unfamiliar sites can be seen. A new secret discovered. A view seen from a different angle. The world changing depending on which road you were on. Different approaches to an intersection of roads.

As a child I used to travel around the highways of North India with my father in our car. I always used to sit in the front. I always used to be fascinated about how subtle the change was as the roads split and met. How first you left the colony, then the area and then finally the city.

The open highway with its small villages through which you would zip at 70-80 kmph, barely registering in your mind. Your attention always on the road ahead.

The slow change in the air, the weather, the smells and that noises. From the quite of the house to the mad rush and pollution of the city and then the wide open spaces of North India! To imagine all this at my doorstep! I just have to follow the road!

But the open road is not always a happy place. It is also a very lonely place. The Beatles have expressed this quite accurately through their song 'The Long and Winding Road':

The long and winding road

That leads to your door

Will never disappear

Ive seen that road before

It always leads me here

Lead me to your door

The wild and windy night

That the rain washed away

Has left a pool of tears

Crying for the day

Why leave me standing here

Let me know the way

The long open road can be a very lonely place. When you are travelling alone or when you loose your travelling companions. Or when the road ahead and behind is lost. When the road leading to your loved one is long behind you. When there is just you and the road.

The beautiful imagery of rain on an open road with a lonely traveller represents the pain of loneliness and a life without love. Where no one is there to show you the way home or to offer you shelter. Where you are alone.

:)