December 23, 2013

Not all those who wander are...



We just went west.
West because (despite two days of thinking), we couldn't lock upon a destination - none that would sum up the journey before the weekend died, yet take us considerably far, and not so touristy a place.

So we just headed west. Starting off on Saturday morning and returning back late Sunday night. 
700 kms in between.


There was no plan but to head west on Saturday and be back by monday morning, stopping at any and every place that had enough shade, enough food or anything remotely interesting. And there was lots to look around as we got out of Bangalore and rode through Ramanagar, Bidila, Channapatna, Mandya, Srirangapatnam, Mysore, Krishnarajsagar, Illaval, Hunsur, Periyapatna, Kushalnagar, Bylakuppe.
Madikeri was where we stopped for the night.
Arabian sea another 70 kms off.

Driving is still a skill I do not possess but I m glad to have had a bike trip under my belt. It did take its toll- a burnt face and a hardened posterior.
So there are things said and sung about the journey being greater than the destination. 
Take it literally and you will know that its a foolhardy step. Or maybe not.
Or it is just my internal rebellion to the life where your leaves are counted - so I drift hundreds of kilometers away at the first hint.

Koi Kaniyakumari chalega?

Rest of it (for me) was about pillion rider photography and back seat smart phone navigating.



















***************************************************************************
Rights to exaggeration and bragging reserved.
Its not how it happened; its how you remember it.
No characterisation intended.
Data and information may have been skewed to suit the storyline.
Everything is relative to your perspective.

November 26, 2013

Hic Habitat Felicitas


It takes me 4 songs to cover the walk from home to office.
It takes 3 songs to finish the breakfast.
It takes 1 song to judge someone.
And it takes 13** songs to find one good song.  (**don't ask why - heavy analytics involved)

But this weekend every great song I came across weren't spaced by 13** songs in between them.
They weren't spaced at all.
They were actually overlapped across 6 different stages. And dipped in the 'good shit'. And faceted with colorful wigs and masks. And 'rhythm'ed with foot-taps, cheers and head-bangs.

It takes 0.2342** songs to make you happy.
I think I found a whole lot more.
Hic habitat felicitas (here lies happiness) - read the entrance of the Bacardi NH7 Weekender.
True.

The drizzly beginning of day 1 of the festival escalated to a full blown downpour following a 'Fuck the rain' remark by the 'Inner Sanctum' lead growler. No sooner than he made that remark, the clouds began growling louder than he could manage.

It rained harder. But people stayed back. (Maybe because the venue was 50 odd kilometers outside Bangalore, so there wasn't really any place nearby to wait the rain out).

Rains aside, the Lucky Ali show began as scheduled, and I pushed my way right upto the front line. It helps when you are wearing an 'anonymous - Guy Fawkes' mask. You can push people aside as you make your way and you somehow wouldn't feel the need to feel sorry. Or you could choose to sport a rainbow wig (like Shanky did). Nothing goes better with the Pink Floyd spectrum tee. (Trust me, I saw drunk chicks poking him, wild camera men chasing him, random dudes offering 'the good shit' and sometimes (forcibly) pulling him in their photo frames).

The only more colorful sight that the drenched to the bone people saw that night was that of the 'Manganiyar Seduction' performing. Each of the 40 windows that opened ushered in utter mystical delight. You have to see it for yourself to know any better.

The rains kept coming down through whatever remained of the night's program. Tessaract was cancelled. Cold and drenched, the remaining energy was used up in explaining the cab driver how to arrive where we were.

It didn't rain on the second day. Not even a drop.
Our ears didn't meet the sound of silence that day. Not even a second.
Parvaaz - Fender Bender - Dry The River - Papon and the East India Company - Raghu Dixit Project - Karsh Kale and guests, involving Benny Dayal (not to be confused with Danny Boyle - says Wikipedia about him) and a somewhat 'bhund' Papon.
Too much awesomeness. There isn't much I can tell about what it is like. You most probably know or you have never wanted to know.



For over six hours at a stretch, I was so contented, (contented, yet I wouldn't have minded more of 'Dry the River' or 'Parvaaz'),still so contented, standing in front of these performers, letting those giant sound waves hit me one after the other.

Happiness.
Add to it a fan t-shirt tossed into the crowd by Papon (it was his birthday) and caught by Shanky which he gave to me.

The 50 kilometer ride back wasn't any bother anymore. Nor were the days to come for a long time.
I guess I have as many songs as it would need**. (**heavy analytics involved)

*****                                            *****                                            *****





The NH7 Weekender.
***************************************************************************

Rights to exaggeration and bragging reserved.
Its not how it happened; its how you remember it.
No characterisation intended.
Data and information may have been skewed to suit the storyline and images may have been photoshopped.
Everything is relative to your perspective.

November 20, 2013

36 Clicks

Remember the times when a camera phone in every hand, rather a phone in every hand was a rare sight. When you never thought of pointing the camera towards your own face and taking a selfie. When photography was left to photographers and to special occasions. When each of those 36 clicks were made to count. When each of those 36 clicks wouldn't guarantee you a FB profile pic, but surely a ton of memories.

Last weekend, as the 125th year reunion of Oak Grove School concluded, four of the hell boys (as we called ourselves back in school) set rolling our own train of memories. So much had changed, yet so little had changed. 
I usually find myself getting annoyed by over-worship of the school that some of my school mates so frequently indulge in. Not that I am not grateful to the institution where I completed better part of my education for a meagre 18k per annum (thank you Indian Railways!) and that too in a place like Mussoorie, but then if you know what I mean, you know if I said it, I will be killed. :P

Once I left after class 10th boards, I had never gone back...until last friday night. We were there, in spirit (or maybe it was the 'spirits' we gulped :D ). The 'spirits' put you out, but that night they couldn't - the memory-yarn was woven on and on until the sun was up. 
Back at my place I found myself recollecting those tales, more so, looking through various albums of my (sometimes annoying) school worshiping friends. Best of the moments in past had passed sans flashes of a camera, but whatever got captured tickles one memoir after another. 
Here I attempt to compile 36 of them. (36 being my cognizance to the dear old pre mega-pixel era camera rolls ).

The People...
Especially the 30 in the bunch, from April 21, 1999 to March 28, 2007.

1. Blankets in the classroom
2. Blazers, mufflers and overcoats
3. Party in the class
4. Farewell clicks
5. The one with the mad scientist (now the rocket scientist)
6. Of seniors and juniors
The Place...
The oaks, the mountains.

7. Misty mountain (very) cold
8. 'Kann bhala lag da sadkiyo ka ghum ji' <Garhwali for 'I love the twisting roads>
9. The cliff 
10. The Oaks
11. Clouds below Sun above
The Games...
Inter house rivalries, Inter-school clean sweeps, of the ball and the goal.

12. Batman and Robin <800m start line up>
13. The sweet victory (and the relay cake)
14. Like the spartans :P
15. So who came third? 
16. Tonite we shall dine in hell (and celebrate the goal in opponents' side :D )
17. To Alok, forever in our memories.
The Song and Dance...
Of a band called blue-alibi :P  ; and of themed dances.

18. When the camera flashes, dont forget to smile!
19. The blue alibi
20. Tribal dance
21. Since we woke up the mummy, lets dance :D
The school and unwritten rules...
Of each day that passed.

22. Remember the TID-BITS
23. Junior school dormitory - you could lose your bed!
24. Boys' School corridor
25. The valley
26. Junior school classroom
27. Front pitch
28. The pathway
Beyond the bounds...
The bunks to the places forbidden.

29. Ganji pahadi (bald mountain - literally)
30. Rolling on the top (instead of the deep for a change :D )
31.  Jharipani falls
32. And you thought I was kidding when I said my school had its own waterfall.
And everything else...
And everything else.

33. When it snowed
34. Snow-balling
35. Steal a ride
36. And the ever around langoors
***************************************************************************
Rights to exaggeration and bragging reserved.
Its not how it happened; its how you remember it.
No characterisation intended.
Data and information may have been skewed to suit the storyline.
Everything is relative to your perspective.