Inspiration

"Very often i must wait weeks and weeks for what you call 'inspiration' " by richard nordguist

I do believe in these words. But i waited not even weeks, but for months and haven’t found any yet to write an article in this blog…but still waiting for something to change the scene….

mumbai local.....

Train journeys are truly interesting ones. Being a non residential keralite, I made a number of such journeys on my way to Mumbai and back home. Journey in local trains is of another class. Fully packed vessels running 24 X 7, Real heartbeat of Mumbai. Being in a location where all the three major suburban routes meet, I prefer to travel via train. It’s also because of its easiness, less time consumption and wide route coverage.

In one such hurry travel; I and Sreekanth boarded the train from Matunga station which is just 10 mins away by walk from our hostel. We were heading to Mumbai central in order to attend a program. As there is no direct train, we need to have a switching from central railway to western railway in Dadar station. Actually we were running out of time. So as we reached Dadar station we ran towards the western suburban network platforms for the next connection train. But before a train in our platform, one for the same direction arrived in the next. Without a second thought both of us ran towards it by crossing the tracks and managed to get in some fraction of seconds. As it was on the same direction that we need to go, we haven’t checked the sign boards and all. After some time the train started moving, but in the opposite direction.. ! sree asked the fellow passenger about it and came to know that it was a Dadar ending local and now on its way back to the starting point, Virar. We jumped out of the train and got a safe landing in the platform. “Whatz next? “, I asked sree. “Next local” he replied. We moved to next platform, this time we used FOB to reach there.

While we were to next platform, the ticket checker asked us for our tickets. As we gave our tickets, he told us to stop. “This ticket is not valid in this platform” he said. We were amazed. I asked “why? We just took this ticket from Matunga and it’s clearly written via DADAR in it”. He was not at all ready to accept what we say and told us that only DADAR – VIRAR or VIRAR- DADAR ticket is valid in this platform and nothing else. Pay fine of Rs. 500 towards entry with invalid tickets, he added. We really got shocked. First, we were having tickets with us still he is stressing on the point Invalid ticket. Second, we were not having more than Rs 100 with us. We pretended not to give fine and told that being new to the city we don’t know about the system and more to that we are students and can’t bear this amount. He was not ready to leave us and took us to his office to meet his boss sitting there. We repeated the same story. After long conversation and clarification of our position, he gave us a “student’s concession” i.e. Reduced rate of RS 250. I told him that we are not having cash and can’t pay the fine at any cost. Sree gave his purse to the officer and asked him to take whatever he needs from it keeping in mind that only Rs 80 is left in it and we need to reach Mumbai central and back to hostel. Seems ticket checker was not convinced with sree’s dialogue. He started checking our pockets and finally found nothing. He was nothing left to claim, so turned us and said “Being students and new to the city this time I am leaving you people”. Don’t ever roam around Mumbai with an empty purse like this, he added…!

seasons change... do we ?

In recent times I started the habit of reading blogs by some well known bloggers. Most of the pages I found were a reflexion of the weeping hearts in the memories of their homeland. Yes, it was true for me too in all respects. In the struggle for existence race, I am also weeping inside about my home land. For some persons in my generation, itz the greatest sorrow that facing. Because most of us are in the new path opened up by the IT giants who were working outside kerala in 24 X 7 shifts. For most of us the environment is limited up to the next cubicle. Yes, the world is reducing to a small global village, surprisingly our thoughts and mind also reducing to the small cubicle that we are in, friendship is limited to the scraps in the orkut profile or the sms thatz being forwarded or maximum to the G Talk buddies.

Now it seems like a fairy tale to me, the childhood memories. The rains that we drenched, the muddy village roads that we used as our playgrounds, the big banyan tree that we used to gather in the evenings, the morning rush to collect flowers for the “pookkalam” during onam days, the “pooram” - the temple festival - that we loved to attend, the golden memories that might never come again…

The weekends that I used to spend with my grandfather and grandmother were awesome. The scenic beauty of the village house and surroundings attracted me a lot. They were the less explored villages by the modern amenities and extravaganzas till date. The river flowing nearby was crystal clear even in the monsoons, directly carrying the beauty of the forest that it hails from. The temple nearby the river and its surroundings remains as the unforgettable memories. The coldest mornings in the winter, the sunny days we like to have tender coconut in the midday, the monsoon rainy evenings I enjoyed. It was true that whenever I was living in my homeland I was not at all aware of the value of the surroundings I am having and how lucky I am. Now living in this concrete forest, running along with the city in the never ending race towards time, the purely artificial relationships that I am experiencing here, the abrupt monsoon that I see here, the crowded streets that I see every evening, make me think of the homeland.
Now changes are visible everywhere, and it is drastic. The festivals are changed to the celebration of television channels. The “Block Buster Films” are consuming most part of our festival days. Media has taken complete control of your routine life. I remember those days, were the morning radio programs worked as clock in the morning rush. They were coinciding with the daily routine. But now the program timings make you to finish work before it commences. The seasonal changes and traditions are now marketed by the multinationals. Recently in the month of “karkkidakam” where people refreshes themselves with the traditional medicinal plant and extracts. I happened to hear my friend asking his mother about the instant medicinal kit that available in the market under the label karkkidakam special. Yes, everything comes under the label instant and ready to mix. Life is changing….

Even though I am laughing outside, the life in the city I enjoy, the original “me” inside is weeping. But for my generation these are enjoyable as some childhood memories. For the coming generations they are more likely to be a fairy tale, which they never experienced… may be the one they never regret about….

dasvidaniya

Yesterday I saw the movie “Dasvidaniya” – a hindi flick starring Vinay phatak- which deals with a man and his ten last wishes. After watching the movie I was curious to write down some wishes that I am having. After writing, I felt it will be funny to share with you people. So thought of posting it here...

1. To have a full day ride over Mumbai in BEST bus.

2. A ride on a BMW.

3. Own a Mac Book from APPLE (even if it’s a Mac Book Air, I don’t mind J )

4. Meet the Music Maestro A.R.Rahman (at least attend a live concert of him)

5. Visit all places in India with an SLR Cam and an iPod in the kit.

6. Have a hot cappuccino from CCD (Café Coffee Day) on a rainy evening.

7. Travel Mumbai – Kerala route on bike…

8. Chase the Monsoon as Alexander Frater did…

9. Post an article on this blog on every weekend. ( J ).

10. 10^th wish is quite secret, I don’t want to reveal it here…()

life goes on as it never ends....

it was 2 months back i added a post here. after that i was not able to make anew thread to write till now. i dont know what happend. either the lack of ideas or the busy schedules in office -which is consuming much of my day- is keeping me away from this page. to become standstill and back on the track it takes time. so i dont know when i can fill this page with a new post here. but i made some new posts in my photo blog in between. but that too in a hibernation stage now. nyways hoping for the best..... i will be back soon.....