This weekend I saw myself in the water for hours together. Had gone for white-water rafting to Byasi (25 kms from Rishikesh).
The experience was amazing! Me says, one who hasn't experienced this has not done anything in constructive in life.
We were 13 people, most of us din know each other, but the trip got us together and we ended up planning for other such adventure trips! And not to forget the sudden Punjabi we started talking in..everybody calling each other as 'paaji' :)
The journey started on Thursday night. We reached Byasi on Friday morning and everybody was just in awe of the scenic beauty..the water was looking just so amazing..one has to see that to know how amazingly nice it was! The fact that most of us dinno how to swim did not matter much :)
After keeping our luggage in our respective tents and having breakfast. Wearing our life-jackets and safety-helmets, got ready for the adventurous rafting. The initial hitch was taken care of when the instructor Garry poured water on us and pushed us inside the water. The feeling of just let go! and just enjoy whatever was happening was amazing! And whatever fear was left was taken away by the first rapid. Sure, at times there wud b a slight fear of falling into the water..but then following the instructor's commands "Paddle fast" "Stop" "Relax" "All left" etc. and making up my mind "that no matter wat..I am not losing my balance" tuk care of everything. And well, all the bruises we got were all worth the experience..actually they added to our enjoyement :)
Loads of masti followed during the rafting, being in the water was just so amazing. All the rapids had something or the other spl about them..apart from the names of course :) Finally our stretch ended up a lil short of Lakshman Jhula in Rishikesh. We helped with lifting the raft and taking it to uphill so that it cud b wrapped up. I was in the front and had to support the raft on my back. Without even knowing whr I was walking..I just followed the instructor "towards left" "straight" "towards right" "stop". Thereon, we changed and headed back to the camp. All of us were so damn tired and hungry. I cudn't imagine that I ate so much!! :-p After having our tummies filled we were all set to hit the beds, we slept so hard that none of us felt anything during our sleep it was as if all of us were dead for that time. But then, the evening saw us all pumped up with energy.
Our masti continued with the campfire..singing songs, cracking jokes, general chit-chatting, and oh yes..we did talk about the famous and inevitable topic 'ghosts' :)
I guess no one can ever prevent himself from talking on this line, esply with such amazing surroundings. The moonlight was so bright, we din have to use the lanterns that were provided to us by the camp authorities n neither did we use the flashlights that we wr carrying..except for in our tents and the loo. Well, talking of the loo..I must mention here that the loo's were really interesting. They were western-style dry-loo's ;-) and the only 'flush' u cud use to get rid of the droppings was the sand!!
The next morning saw us all playing volleyball/collecting pebbles n stones/clicking pics and rappelling. Though we had planned for another stretch of rafting but it was cancelled given the condition of both us n the water. The water on those stretches was really violent and we were as it is quite tired. After all those activities we had food and started our way back home. Well the trek that we had to take to climb uphill to reach our cabs took out whatever energy we had gained :) but that was all worth it!!
The journey back I think was more exciting..we just sang, sang n sang on our way back...frm ghazals to pop to slow to fast to item numbers to cheap songs we sang 'em all!!
Here goes a mail from Shaweta 'te' Anand, where she wrote something for all the 12 people.
1.bhoot bhoot around the bonfire- Omen. n this man wasn't rowing and the ladies on the raft had to lead the raft for a while! he sometimes didn't listen to garry promptly and i wanted to jump out of the raft before he got us all drowned! he looked very funny while eating ganna in the cab on the return journey. the black dirt of the ganna got planted on his right cheek n nothing toojk it off, even though he tried licking it off! yuck!! n he dirtied the whole cab n sang vulgar songs ....ok i am lying, not completely though!
2.joke 57 for monga singh the manmeet, the night where all dimwits like us had to surrender to monga's relax 'singh' charms. this man should be called the 'funny(serious) man of the millennium'.
3.coming down from the cliff while thinking about the next trip to leh and another pass sheetal would want me to remember. his ashtaang yoga info sure was very inspiring. along with some biking tips by the mountanous paths.
4.a red bucket with a hole reminds me of neeraj. his attempts to wet us all on the raft, including the raft. wonder whatever would hv happened to him had he done that on the beach!!!n he was a little uptight about getting everything done well. he did manage that! 3 cheers for him n shew! he surely ensured a laxman jhula on a ram jhula though! but what the hell! koi bhi jhula ho, khandaan toh ek hi hai na!
5.i wanna esp. thank 'the' lovely SAM for keeping me amused with insane inputs, colorful pebbles, 'cheepar songs' and initiating beautiful reiki experiences for me. of course gaurav and monga ji made it even better.
6.i wanna thank my dear dear sister pooja. she made this trip possible. she gv our parents no reason to to object to out FIRST trip out TOGETHER since one century! love u n thank u pooja!
7.the pretty ladies monika and swapna.apart from the pretty poses monika made for her photographs, she is one of the very few people who quit yoga because it made her thin! swapna n shew are the 'ladies pride' for jumping off the cliff n later cooling it off burried in the sand n exploring some caves (for shew)! thanks sam for bringing shew back...:) aisa ladki phir kahan se laenge???
8. gaurav n asit ...humm! the men looked cute all burried n nude!!! though asit later gave a good cabaret show by roaming around 'just like that' on the beach for all to see!!! of course he was wearing his 'humm' but should hv clicked him going pink when he took off his shirt for the first time!! pheww!i am glad THAT NO LADIES MISSED THAT EXCEPT PERHAPS MONIKA. chalo never mind!
9. the shew. i wanna thank her for being the woman that she is. right from college, she has been this lady 'with a punch' and has always had a dangerous sense for adventure. all i wanna say to her is thanks for everything.
10. yogi se uske favourite songs in the cab yaad aate hain. sorry to him coz the moment he began singing, we ended up highjacking his songs!
11.saade bandaana driver saab bade rash si. i will never forget how he took the ropes n climbed up n down the cliff without safety ropes till the guide panicked n ordered him to glue his ass to teh rocks below him! n garry ji main kya bless him for saving us on the raft hit by OMEN! hahaha!
If till now you haven't got bored of this..wait till i come back from another such exciting trip ;-)
Sunday, March 27, 2005
Friday, February 25, 2005
Masala movie = my life
There are too many things happening at the same time..just too many.
Its like a masala movie where things are included for some extra punch. Well, I think I should admit that I am getting that extra punch in life but at the same time I am a bit worried too. This worry is because I just hope to sort all of them before they get out of control!
No one wants to have himself in a soup, but all these things are so important that I need to and have to give equal attention to each and every one of them.
Its like a masala movie where things are included for some extra punch. Well, I think I should admit that I am getting that extra punch in life but at the same time I am a bit worried too. This worry is because I just hope to sort all of them before they get out of control!
No one wants to have himself in a soup, but all these things are so important that I need to and have to give equal attention to each and every one of them.
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
Happy n Chirpy
Till y'day I was hoping that with a new day I could feel something better. Well, I think even if I would have asked for something else I would have got that too, because with a new day today I am feeling a lot better. Things have been sorted out and I'm almost like my old chirpy self.
:)
:)
...
Well, few days back I was speechless and now i'm Numb. I don't know how to I react to certain things that are being told to me. I hope with tomorrow I can feel something better.
Movie script or a real life story...?
6 people take up a journey to Vaishno Devi. Well to be precise..2 moms and 4 kids. I would like to call them kids coz evn if they are somewat grownups they still behave like kids.
These 6 people board the train from Delhi to Jammu. They are all happy, giggling and joking. They are enjoying each other's company esplecially coz they are all together after a long time..almost two years. They reach Jammu. It is raining. They take up a local cab and reach Katra, rest for a while in a hotel room and dress up to start their Yatra for the Holy Shrine. It is cold and raining. But they are still in their jovial moods and continue with the jokes and PJ's. They take raincoats on hire from a local shop, buy the Yatra tickets, have food and start with the Yatra. Everything is going fine, just as they expected to be. Except for the rain, which they are not much bothered about. Just when they start their Yatra they hear that it has started snowing at the peak of the mountain, where they have to go. They all get really excited and look forward for hitting snowballs on each other, click pictures on the snow beds and have an adventurours trip.
Well, they do have an adventureous trip. Chanting 'Jai Mata Di', they walk up the steep mountain. They click pictures, hit each other with snowballs, check if the water tank has ice or water and many such silly things. Then they reach the Bhawan. They keep their belongings (raincoats, shoes etc.) in the cloack room. They are feeling really cold barefeet but they think that once they enter the line for the Darshan it is going to be ok. They walk of the snow barefeet to reach that point only to stand for 45 minutes on snow because the Aarti is going on and no Darshan is allowed. One-by-one all of them start to feel uncomfortabe because of the cold and chill under their feet, but still they continue to struggle with all this. Just when they are about to gather some courage to stand with the chill, one of the kids observes that there is something wrong with her mom. She rushes to her mom and start to rub her legs to give her some warmth. After sometime, she sees there is something else happening now. Now, the mother was getting unconcious. The kid is scared and calls for the other 4 for help. Even the people standing next to them in the line help them keep the mother's body warm. They help the 5 people rub her. The youngest seeing her aunt in such a condition started crying, another kid tries to take care of her. The eldest trying his best to give warmth to his mother and seeing her like that burst out crying. Seeing this, the last kid who was trying to control her tears and was trying to act as couragoues as possible losses all courage and some tears do fall. But nothing could stop these kids from getting their mother back to normal. With someone rubbing her feet/back/hands, one kid was continously chanting 'Jai Mata Di' in her ears to make sure she doesnt slip into unconsiousness. Just when the darshan were opened again for the public after the aarti, the mother was feeling better. It was difficult but they did it. The kids couldn't stop thanking god for giving their mom back to them. All of them taking care of each other and one kid chanting 'Jai Mata Di' on top of her voice enter the Holy Shrine for the darshan. They finally get to have a nice darshan, which makes them feel so much better and fulfilled. They come out of the Shrine, visit a dispensary, take some medicines for the mother and whoever was feeling a bit uneasy, and the kids decide that they will stay there overnight and start the Yatra for Katra not before sunrise. They have their food, and heavy snowfall starts. Their plan is ruined and they have to start their Yatra back at that moment coz they know that the Yatra would be closed with such a heavy snowfall and if they stop they would be stuck for nobody knows how many days.
Again, chanting 'Jai Mata Di' they start their Yatra. They are not much worried coz they know that it is more difficult climbing up the mountain, which they have already done but they don't knw what awaits ahead. They make a good balance of walking on ice and they get used to the grip they need to have. After sometime, they are at a very steep slope, there occurs a thunder-lightining just above their head and the lights went off. All the people present there are scared. It is pitch dark and one can't evn see the person standing just one step ahead. Everybody present there holds each other's hands and again start their Yatra.
Just when they think that it is gonna be all fine now, they reach a point where they experience snow blizzards. Luckily, there is a govt. hospital and they take shelter there. 20-30 people inside one room waiting for the weather to calm down. There was a lot of body warmth in the room which made everyone very comfortable in the room. Slowly the blizzard calmed down, some people leave but these 6 with 2 men accompanying them continue to take shelter. They decide that they will not leave before sunrise but just then one of the hospital authorities comes and says there are 2 dead bodies on their way to this hospital. They died due to cold and they would be put in the same room as they were seated in. These 8 people then decide to leave. The blizzard was not very calm but still they gather the courage and cross that area. They were led by one of the men who were accompanying them, he told them where there was a steep turn or where there was water. Whoever he was, but he was their gaurdian angel coz he led them through the difficult areas and parted ways when they could manage on their own.
Now these 7 people telling each other where to step and where not to step reach half-way. They have tea, and start their remaining Yatra. They thought that now the worst is over since now there was no snow it was only rain. They walk some distance and then they experience a rain-storm. They again take shelter in a coffee-shop which was closed. There were already some people sitting there. They wait there for an hour or something. But this time they were not comfortable, coz the room was windy and cold. Finally, they leave that place praying for their well-being. They walk the remaining distance, they were scared but still they walked boldly giving each other courage.
Finally, they reach Katra, reach their hotel room. They take rest but when they get up and they reflect on whatever they had experienced they realise that they were the blessed ones to have reached all fit-n-fine in that kind of weather, especially when the localites said that this was the worst weather in 20-25 years and that now the Yatra has been closed. They reach back Delhi and have started with their day-to-day life they can't forget what they experienced.
Well, this is what I experienced and I can assure you that this is not a movie script but a real life story. But I'm sure a movie can be made out of it!
These 6 people board the train from Delhi to Jammu. They are all happy, giggling and joking. They are enjoying each other's company esplecially coz they are all together after a long time..almost two years. They reach Jammu. It is raining. They take up a local cab and reach Katra, rest for a while in a hotel room and dress up to start their Yatra for the Holy Shrine. It is cold and raining. But they are still in their jovial moods and continue with the jokes and PJ's. They take raincoats on hire from a local shop, buy the Yatra tickets, have food and start with the Yatra. Everything is going fine, just as they expected to be. Except for the rain, which they are not much bothered about. Just when they start their Yatra they hear that it has started snowing at the peak of the mountain, where they have to go. They all get really excited and look forward for hitting snowballs on each other, click pictures on the snow beds and have an adventurours trip.
Well, they do have an adventureous trip. Chanting 'Jai Mata Di', they walk up the steep mountain. They click pictures, hit each other with snowballs, check if the water tank has ice or water and many such silly things. Then they reach the Bhawan. They keep their belongings (raincoats, shoes etc.) in the cloack room. They are feeling really cold barefeet but they think that once they enter the line for the Darshan it is going to be ok. They walk of the snow barefeet to reach that point only to stand for 45 minutes on snow because the Aarti is going on and no Darshan is allowed. One-by-one all of them start to feel uncomfortabe because of the cold and chill under their feet, but still they continue to struggle with all this. Just when they are about to gather some courage to stand with the chill, one of the kids observes that there is something wrong with her mom. She rushes to her mom and start to rub her legs to give her some warmth. After sometime, she sees there is something else happening now. Now, the mother was getting unconcious. The kid is scared and calls for the other 4 for help. Even the people standing next to them in the line help them keep the mother's body warm. They help the 5 people rub her. The youngest seeing her aunt in such a condition started crying, another kid tries to take care of her. The eldest trying his best to give warmth to his mother and seeing her like that burst out crying. Seeing this, the last kid who was trying to control her tears and was trying to act as couragoues as possible losses all courage and some tears do fall. But nothing could stop these kids from getting their mother back to normal. With someone rubbing her feet/back/hands, one kid was continously chanting 'Jai Mata Di' in her ears to make sure she doesnt slip into unconsiousness. Just when the darshan were opened again for the public after the aarti, the mother was feeling better. It was difficult but they did it. The kids couldn't stop thanking god for giving their mom back to them. All of them taking care of each other and one kid chanting 'Jai Mata Di' on top of her voice enter the Holy Shrine for the darshan. They finally get to have a nice darshan, which makes them feel so much better and fulfilled. They come out of the Shrine, visit a dispensary, take some medicines for the mother and whoever was feeling a bit uneasy, and the kids decide that they will stay there overnight and start the Yatra for Katra not before sunrise. They have their food, and heavy snowfall starts. Their plan is ruined and they have to start their Yatra back at that moment coz they know that the Yatra would be closed with such a heavy snowfall and if they stop they would be stuck for nobody knows how many days.
Again, chanting 'Jai Mata Di' they start their Yatra. They are not much worried coz they know that it is more difficult climbing up the mountain, which they have already done but they don't knw what awaits ahead. They make a good balance of walking on ice and they get used to the grip they need to have. After sometime, they are at a very steep slope, there occurs a thunder-lightining just above their head and the lights went off. All the people present there are scared. It is pitch dark and one can't evn see the person standing just one step ahead. Everybody present there holds each other's hands and again start their Yatra.
Just when they think that it is gonna be all fine now, they reach a point where they experience snow blizzards. Luckily, there is a govt. hospital and they take shelter there. 20-30 people inside one room waiting for the weather to calm down. There was a lot of body warmth in the room which made everyone very comfortable in the room. Slowly the blizzard calmed down, some people leave but these 6 with 2 men accompanying them continue to take shelter. They decide that they will not leave before sunrise but just then one of the hospital authorities comes and says there are 2 dead bodies on their way to this hospital. They died due to cold and they would be put in the same room as they were seated in. These 8 people then decide to leave. The blizzard was not very calm but still they gather the courage and cross that area. They were led by one of the men who were accompanying them, he told them where there was a steep turn or where there was water. Whoever he was, but he was their gaurdian angel coz he led them through the difficult areas and parted ways when they could manage on their own.
Now these 7 people telling each other where to step and where not to step reach half-way. They have tea, and start their remaining Yatra. They thought that now the worst is over since now there was no snow it was only rain. They walk some distance and then they experience a rain-storm. They again take shelter in a coffee-shop which was closed. There were already some people sitting there. They wait there for an hour or something. But this time they were not comfortable, coz the room was windy and cold. Finally, they leave that place praying for their well-being. They walk the remaining distance, they were scared but still they walked boldly giving each other courage.
Finally, they reach Katra, reach their hotel room. They take rest but when they get up and they reflect on whatever they had experienced they realise that they were the blessed ones to have reached all fit-n-fine in that kind of weather, especially when the localites said that this was the worst weather in 20-25 years and that now the Yatra has been closed. They reach back Delhi and have started with their day-to-day life they can't forget what they experienced.
Well, this is what I experienced and I can assure you that this is not a movie script but a real life story. But I'm sure a movie can be made out of it!
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
Monday, February 14, 2005
Black
Saw Black y'day. Awesome movie.
Black makes you experience and realise the art of making a sensible film. It is evident that Sanjay Leela Bansali is way ahead of any other director in the art of story telling. Each character has his own substance and one can feel that he has really made them work hard t o deliver what we are seeing and appreciating.
The movie is simple yet lavish. Bansali has extracted master performances from all the actors, be it Amitabh or Rani; everyone’s performances is spectacular. But the li'l kid who plays young Rani takes the cake away! Amitabh after a long time did some meaningful role rather than playing a rich businessman with some traditional values to his credit.
The movie left me completely speechless. It is so flawless that even if one wants to find a loophole wouldn't be able to do so.
The only word that can describe this movie is Beautiful.
Black makes you experience and realise the art of making a sensible film. It is evident that Sanjay Leela Bansali is way ahead of any other director in the art of story telling. Each character has his own substance and one can feel that he has really made them work hard t o deliver what we are seeing and appreciating.
The movie is simple yet lavish. Bansali has extracted master performances from all the actors, be it Amitabh or Rani; everyone’s performances is spectacular. But the li'l kid who plays young Rani takes the cake away! Amitabh after a long time did some meaningful role rather than playing a rich businessman with some traditional values to his credit.
The movie left me completely speechless. It is so flawless that even if one wants to find a loophole wouldn't be able to do so.
The only word that can describe this movie is Beautiful.
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