T.I.A

I know I promised to write about Africa/ Jo’burg a long time ago. I guess my mind has been pre-occupied with stuff and just couldn’t get down to writing. I’ve had a series of weird things happening to me in the past couple of months. First the terrible, unexplainable backache, and when that got better a sprain in the neck mixed with a fainting spell and then a couple of days back a weird dislocation in the jaw. Let’s just say that I’ve been keeping the doctors happy! They say that everything bad happens in threes. I hope this is the end of bad stuff and the beginning of good things… Do good things also happen in threes?

Back to the blog. South Africa (SA) is similar to India in a lot of ways. They have the same sense of diversity with a lot of national languages which make English the most commonly spoken language. They wear a lot of color and thank God for that. I was dreading this would be the repeat of black, white and grey of Sweden. And there is as much noise and chatter in a public place. The economic disparity among people is also present. There is a super-rich class, rich, middle and then the poor class.

But there is a lot that we take for granted in India, which you cannot even dream of doing here. Walking on the road for instance is almost unthinkable here. Try and imagine not being able to walk for even the shortest distances. Here if you go for an evening walk on the road, you can be sure some people looking back from their cars and wondering if you are crazy. Imagine living in a place with alarmed response security, electric-fenced gates and security guards and still looking over your shoulder to make sure all is ok. People tell me that one gets used to it. But as of now, I feel as if I am caged. My day-dreaming while walking days are over for sure :-(…..

It’s been 15 years since apartheid ended, yet they have black areas and white areas. And for some strange reason the visual difference is stark. Not just that, even the new developments end up having the un-official tag of “white” and black areas. The real estate prices also vary depending on this tag. I wonder who is to blame now.

In India the necessities are cheaper than luxury items. You don’t need to shell out a lot of money for education, doctors, medicines etc. However it’s quite the opposite here. Diamonds go on a discount, BMWs and mercs are the order of the day and yet good private education and good doctors can wipe your savings account out!!

The “under-privileged” here are given free houses, water, electricity and education. They get sponsored by companies to study if they wish to. They also get reservations for jobs. All they need to do is study and they almost never do that. They don’t mind resorting to theft of all sorts to get what they what. But never do they put the same effort to try and get a decent education.

The difference between India and this place is that in India each generation learnt from mistakes of their parents and did better. Here they never learn and end up repeating the same old mistakes. That’s the reason why you here you would find a teenage mother whose parents dies of AIDS. That’s probably the reason why the country is far from progressing. You have the infrastructure here but no will to do anything. No wonder my husband’s reply to my amazement is always T.I.A.

Something to remember when travelling to SA

- Robots mean traffic lights. I wonder what in a traffic light resembles a robot.
- Garage is a petrol station. I remember an Indian travelling here told me she hunted for a garage for an hour before realizing what it means here :-)
- “Shap Shap” means ok.. I wonder in which of the 12 languages though
- Always start a conversation with anyone you meet with a “ How are u doing?” no matter how artificial. I still haven’t mastered that art and get the dirty glares from A :-)
- Never ever hitch hike and I mean Never

Read more...

Out of my comfort zone

The title is from the book of a cricketer I really admire. It’s the first thing that came to my mind when I thought of writing – perfectly describes what I am going through right now. I got here a month back and thought of taking time to settle down before writing about it…however, settling down is taking more time than usual, so here goes…

What does one think of, when you first say Africa – Wildlife, forests, wilderness, etc etc. Well Johannesburg at least is very different from all that – it’s a city alright (for the benefit of all my friends who thought I was going to live in a jungle resort). The infrastructure is like any developed country – wide roads (though they still have traffic jams), huge shopping malls, clean surroundings (at least the places I have been to). Basically all of the infrastructure woes we suffer from in India are taken care of. I, however am taking time to settle down.

I strongly believe that for us to grow as people, we all need to experience new things, be in new situations and meet new people. And because of this belief, I have never shied away from anything that’s new. This time around, I am truly out of my comfort zone. I don’t remember the person I was before I started working. Work, for me was my security blanket. It was there in my happiest times and there for me in my lowest hours. I counted on work to keep me going for the longest. So not working is taking time to sink in. The idea of not working was appealing. But now being officially unemployed for over two months and not seeing any work in the line of sight scares me crazy sometimes. I have hated being dependent on anyone for travel. I never needed to learn to drive in India since I love walking on the streets, and taking ricks. In Sweden, I could take a bus and walk. Here however, walking on the streets is a strict no-no and with no safe public transport to speak of, maybe its time to start driving. I never picturized myself as a typical “house-wife”. And that’s exactly what I am now. I cook, I clean… I take care of the house…

Let me be honest here…I don’t really have any right to crib…I am really lucky to be married to a really nice guy… A loves cleaning the place and does more than his share of the work… I am very lucky that way… A irons clothes, cleans the place since I am allergic to dust and washes up the dishes too!! He is extremely patient when I hyperventilate about finding work, or go paranoid about vegetating at home, and drives me around anywhere I want to go without a murmur…What more could a girl ask for :-)…I still feel unsettled….I guess some people (read me) are never satisfied and want it all!! Maybe this experience will ease out the control freak in me and I will learn to take life as it comes… I just hope this lesson in life is a small one and doesn't extend beyond my patience level :-)

PS: I realized that I haven’t written much about Jo’burg and my impressions of this place… I promise to do so in my next blog…

Read more...

From a long time ago….

I was sorting out my stuff at home today and came across some stuff I had written when I was 15/16… just thought of putting it up here….

Life according to me…
It seems like a deep ocean, so deep and vast, with mysteries of its own. I know not what lies in store for me. Its like a challenge which I would love to accept. Its like a dream that I would wish for, to come true and joy I would love to share. To me its been both good and bad and at 16 I have so much more to see. Life is full of surprises; some good, some bad. To me, life is calm, quiet, deep, on the move and so very mysterious.
----------
Curious are his ways
Curious are his ways – the one who is above us all, and whose puppets we are. He sometimes gives us joy, much more than we can handle and then suddenly puts us to test by giving us all the sorrows of the world. He makes some so rich that they don’t have account of their money and some so poor that they do not have any money to keep account of. Sometimes we feel that he has spoilt our lives, and then by the same bad things we are saved from the worst of worst. He knows us in and out and knows our every need. But still many of them remain unfulfilled. Yet we call him God – the one who loves us all!! He wishes for us to pray for favours and thank him for all that he has does for us. So isn’t it recognition that he wants? Isn’t he as human as us?? That’s why I say… curious are his ways
-------------------
The Journey
Life, as someone said, is a road. It can be rough, it can be smooth. Its both – at different times. The journey that we make, we make all alone. We do have company for short periods though – families and friends are just part of this journey. Its us, who actually faces the sorrows and the joys, all alone. Its is alone that we need to cross the hurdles of this difficult yet beautiful road. People come and people go. Our lives may be affected by them, but nothing changes us completely. It is finally us who make all our choices our self, not making a choice is choice too. It is us who face the consequences and us who finally live through the choices we make. So lets break the shackles created by others and finally learn to live life the way we want to live it. Listen to others, but take your own decisions – good or bad. After all, even if it’s a bad choice, its your choice! Remember this journey that we make, we make all alone…

Read more...

Its that time again…

…when I need to pack up from the place I am comfortable with and know too well and move to a completely new place that I know nothing of. I should be a pro at it by now. I have never lived in any place beyond 3 years, and the record still stands

My biggest fear is being stuck in a place too long. I do not understand phrases like “settle down” or “permanently move” someplace. Even now when I am asked if I am moving for good, my answer is 3-4 years and not more. No matter how good any city is, beyond a point I want a change. I love change... I thrive on change. For me the more different the place is and newer the people, the better it is. It’s the sense of adventure in a new place that keeps me going.

I have always believed that distances do not spoil friendships… almost all of my close friends do not live in the same city as me, and yet I remain the closest with them. I haven’t seen one of my best-friends in years and we still seem to have loads to talk about every time we talk…So change of place never bothered me…

Why is it then, that it’s hitting me much more now? Why is there this sad, unexplainable feeling I am going through right now? A feeling that things will change and I will never be the same again… or that all the relationships I share with my friends will change forever… And while I say my good byes to friends, colleagues, acquaintances in this last week here, I feel sad, scared and I wonder whether all will be same again…Whether I will meet these people again… Whether we will still share the connection we share right now… I wonder how will I be able to pack so many memories – the good and the bad s in one tiny suitcase and take it with me to an unknown land….

This is not the me I know… I am known to be stone hearted… I never feel bad, I never cry… and I for sure never wonder about change…Don’t know if it’s a late reaction to shaadi… or my true Taurean self has finally emerged and the thought of change is scaring me…whatever it is… just want my friends to know that this one post is dedicated to you all… I am bad at expressing emotions and hence this post …Thanks a ton for being there through thick and thin and never ever giving up on me….I love you guys and will miss you lots and I hope once again that things don’t change……

Read more...

The Great Indian Tamasha

Various news channels have given various names for the count down to the elections. I choose to call it this….
Politicians amuse me :-)…I think they are better than any reality, or saas bahu show coming on the idiot box… Think about it, which reality show will give you as much entertainment? And as the elections come closer I think they are loosing whatever little sense they had.
So now we have vague/ weird polictical parties who have no ideology in common (if they know what it means) coming together and making the 3rd , 4th or is it the umpteenth front. I somehow do not understand the point of all these fronts being formed. Even if they come to power, they never seem to last beyond say 6 months. Didn’t we all see it during the VP Singh, Deve Gowda and God knows who time… Ahh I understand – they want their names in the list of prime ministers, even if it be for a few days… I pity school children though. The poor things need to cram the whole list.
Then we have some politicians whose only claim to fame is inflammatory speeches against different communities, threatening police officers for doing their job or banning Valentines Day and attacking women as if these were the priority problems that India had – whatever gets publicity right!
We also have betrayals and all of the “you stabbed my back” drama as well. Parties moving out of coalitions, friends turning foes. Not just that, they also call each other names. I wonder how opinion changes so soon, especially when the same political party formed the crux of their coalition. Its amazing to see the so called leaders of our country bargain for seats to contest in the elections. Its almost as if they are bargaining for vegetables with a local vendor.
I wonder where people like Mr. Nehru, Mr. Patel etc have disappeared.. I wonder how these idiots have come to rule our country… I wonder whether the jaago re, lead India sort of campaigns will work and our educated class along with the “youngistan” will vote…. I wonder whether the votes will actually make a difference since it’s a case of one worse than the other…

Read more...

12 hours of music and much more

What started out as a quest to experience something new, ended up being a magical night that I would remember for a long long time. The heady cocktail of different kinds of music, the ambience and the crowd is nothing short of being unforgettable.

The all night music festival is an annual event conducted by fire flies international. They have a theme every year and this year’s was, working towards a greener planet. I thought the idea of reaching out to the youngsters for a much greater cause, in a language they would understand was just brilliant. The event is conducted every year at the fire flies ashram. The ashram is in a village far away from the city, which helps retreat from all the harsh realities of the world to touch something much deeper in your soul….

An old banyan tree was the focal point of all the “happenings” of the night. And it glowed with all the attention it so aptly received. It was surrounded by an amphitheatre with sitting of not so even, unpolished stone - it just added to the beauty of the place. We were welcomed with some classical Kannada music which I couldn’t understand. To be honest I didn’t listen to much of it, since we were busy hunting for a place to plonk ourselves for the evening. We finally found a place from where the view of the stage was good after some five shifts. We decided that all of us would just be content with what we had rather than move around anymore. The decision came at a right time, since next on the list was a classical performance with a twist.

The group incorporated an Indonesian instrument called the Angklung. It’s made of bamboo and needs to be played with two other bamboo sticks. It was nice to see the use of this Indonesian instrument with pure Indian classical music. In fact, most of the night was confluence diverse cultures in the form of their music, whether it be this classical piece, or the dohas from Kabir so beautifully put together in Sufi music by Shabnam Virmani or the folk rock by Swaratma.

Swaratma… hmmm.. they took like a good 30 minutes to set up their system with constant request to someone called Dinkar to “up”or “down” or “cut out” either the violin or the guitar. They were a crazily dressed bunch though, completely living up to their “rock band” image. They sang in hindi and mixed some nice messages with rock music. My friend tells me, they sang the same songs last year too.. a tad disappointing for her, but not for me…

Shabnam Virmani is someone who I will not be able to forget in a long time. She mesmerized the audience with her voice and her compositions of the dohas. You could make out that she was a favourite by gauging the reaction of the audience. Her connect to the audience was brilliant and what helped even more was her explanation of the dohas.

How can I not mention this person called Prakash Sontakke. His group played fusion music with the Hawaiian guitar, tabla, mridangam and the drums coming together to create music. What struck all of us however was his attitude. He started of playing this beautiful piece of music and when the audience applauded said that it was played to show he was tired!! His one-liners mixed with dry wit and sarcasm were amazing, not to mention his almost pleading the audience to send some pictures of the performance to his email id. I am sure all of us remember the id even now.
I also heard this highly enthusiastic and energetic group from Kerala perform. They are supposed to be India’s only bamboo band. Their enthusiasm got the already “high on music and ….” crowd to its feet, despite none of us understanding what they were singing.

A group of just singers came on the stage. The highlight of that group was this one guy who would take out drum beats from his mouth. So they had no musical instruments but some amazing song and music. After initially booing down the group since it had softer music, the crowd begged for more from that one guy. He actually played out a DJ mix without any instrument. Some effort that would be!!

Speaking of the crowd, I was impressed by the younger Bangaloreans wanting to hear anything other that club music. The place was crowded with people prepared for an all nighter. I saw people who’d come with pillows, mattresses, sheets, blankets and even emergency lights!! And for some the motivation was alcohol and cigarettes. We had these two guys sitting in front of us well stocked with whiskey, soda, water and a never ending supply of cigarettes. One of them didn’t move an inch through the night :-)

Coming back to music, they also had Qawalli which I was disappointed with. The group missed the energy which is required for qawalli. Or maybe it was the expectations that were set, since last year the qawalli was supposed to be really good.

That’s when we realized that we’d been sitting for close to 8 hrs and needed a walk. We went around the stalls to look at some really good jewellery (girls yes!!) and had some strong tea to give us some warmth. We welcomed the dawn with some soulful fusion of the Veena, mouth organ and the guitar. And though the musical strings pulled us to stay back a little longer, we knew it was time to get back to reality and head to the city….

It’s an experience for which words are few and needs to be experienced to understand the connect it has with you. I can’t thank my friend enough for the 12 hrs of music she introduced me to.

PS: Fire flies does not publicize the event and its spread through word of mouth. You can however visit the website http://pipaltree.org.in/ for details.

Read more...

Blue, Blue and more Blue…..

Lakshadweep’s been on my list of places to visit for a very long time and going there for my honeymoon just happened to be an added bonus (thanks A). It’s been 3 weeks after I have come back and the hang over still continues!!

My first impression of Lakshadweep was – Wow!! I have been to a lot of beaches, but have never seen something like it before (for once the travel brochures weren’t wrong). The white sand beaches with crystal clear blue water just took my breath away. Speaking of blue, my definition of “sea blue” has undergone a change now. There can be so many types of sea blue – the light/sky blue, the greenish blue, royal blue, ink blue, etc. I got to see all of those colors in the water there- all in a span of a 2 km radius!!

Let me keep the raving for later and start from the start :-). We stayed at the Agatti resorts which is govt. run and the only resort on the island. Agatti has the highest population among the island (of about 8000 people). It’s also the only island with an air strip. Statistics apart, it’s a beautiful place. The beauty of the island hits you while walking from the airport and just the feeling of awe just stays with you for days to come. We started the trip with what the rest of the tourists were doing – sun bathing!! I cannot imagine having so much fun lazing around in the sun and doing nothing but stare at the water and the turtles in it. To my surprise I enjoyed it; maybe it was the rest from the constant mode of doing something, whatever it was, the rest and the remote place worked for me. Apart from all the lazing around and being total beach bums, we also went coral reef watching and spotting turtles. It was really nice to see such an amalgamation of colour in the reef and the fishes. We saw all types of colored fishes (I thought they existed only in aquariums). After the first day of learning to spot turtles, I saw so many of them swimming/eating very close to the shore. The highlight of my trip was to see them not being afraid of human beings. It was also good to see that us human beings respected them and left them alone.

The other highlight of my holiday was the visit to Bangaram. Bangaram is one of the 35 islands in Lakshadweep and has only a private resort. So why visit it? Its one of the most beautiful places I have seen till now (and I have seen many). It’s breathtaking!! That’s the only way to describe the place. The waters that surround the island have so many different shades of blue due to the varying depth of water. During low tide you can even walk from one island to the other with water just touching your ankles. The place is a vision, but the highlight of the trip was the boat ride to Bangaram. We went in a small fishing trawler crossing the high seas in the opposite direction of the winds, when it was very windy. Well, the less said the better, but at one stage I thought we would topple over. What bugged me was the boatmen and A enjoying looking at the worried look on my face. A especially since he doesn’t even know to swim. I wasn’t scared of drowning (I know how to swim) and neither was I scared that A would drown. There was enough supply of life jackets to save him till help came and the water wasn’t cold either. I was scared for my camera. I knew toppling over would mean death of my buddy (yeah I am in love with my camera). Anyways, nothing happened apart from me being the butt of jokes!!

The good thing about my vacation was that I got a chance to visit the village in Agatti, even if it was in the pretext of visiting the hospital. It was very quaint with coconut strewn all over. We got to know that the auto we went in was the only auto on the island! I also met a German couple who ran the diving school in Agatti. For 9 months in a year, they stay in India and the rest monsoon months in Germany. They’ve been here for more than 10 years and that’s the job – scuba diving and teaching people to scuba dive. I was so envious. I wish I had a cool job where I could actually make money out of a hobby!!

Tips:
# You can go to Lakshadweep by ship. However incase you plan to travel by ship, make sure you are flexible with your travel dates. The ship schedule is most likely to change last minute.
# Always plan to either visit or stay in Bangaram. Bangaram is much more expensive than Agatti. However it’s completely worth staying there at least for a day.
# Alcohol is prohibited in Agatti. Another reason to visit Bangaram :-).
# Be prepared to get used to salt water. Its in the sea and your bathrooms.
# If you know Malayalam, use all of it there. Since most of the tourists are foreigners, the locals completely like Indian tourists and if you are Mallu you are adored!

Read more...