Idea of a perfect holiday

Ever wondered what goes through the mind of a Chef who is about to make a perfect dish. Is it really the recipe or the ingredients? Or is it about the spices? 

You have got it wrong if you think the recipe is enough. It's the journey that matters at the end; the journey from the chopped vegetables to the final garnishing. The journey that can be described only by putting the whole process in perspective, by the amount of time the raw materials were put to heat, the variety of spices that were added, the stirring or the baking process that gave it the required texture. Only the chef understands this process. He can't simply write it down and get it replicated by someone else.

Similarly for a traveler the idea of a perfect holiday is something which stays at his core. There is lot of planning involved. And most of the planning happens in his mind. Whether he is able to execute exactly the same way he thought of is a different question altogether. In reality it can never happen. He can't control the nature, he can't control the journey. It's the journey that controls him. But he can definitely plan one.

I too have something in mind- although not as wild as Life of Pi or as unexpected as NH10. 

The destinations include an Arabian town and the famous city of pyramids. The fascination of these place has its origin in my childhood. The source of one lies in the tales of Arabian nights. The tales that wandered through the narrow lanes of city market watching people shout and selling fruits and dates and Alladin carrying out his mischief with Abu and Iago. The source of other lies in the curious stories of mummies wrapped up in white bandages walking dead inside the pyramids. Of-course these are just stories but the desire to experience the market filled with the visuals of people wearing tapered cones on the head and the sight of magnanimous ancient constructions is still there.

Though the journey is better when you have a partner who shares similar enthusiasm, I will prefer to go for this one rather alone. 

The journey shall begin from Kolkata, my hometown. There are quite a few direct flights to Madinah. And then there are quite a few from Madinah to Cairo. 

The first step is obviously to get my backpack and stuff it with everything I could think of. It might miss my clothes but dare it miss my camera and the charger. The passport is ready to get stamped on one of its pages. I'll of course take care of the Umrah Visa which is a must to visit the city. The whole itinerary would look something like this:

Day 1: Booking a flight ticket from one of the International Airlines for Kolkata to Madinah

Day 2: Finding a hotel/room, getting some rest and heading towards the famous old market of the city

Day 3: Visiting famous mosques (e.g. Quba Mosque) and other historical monuments trying to strike a balance between childhood fantasy and reality

Day 4: Camel ride in the dense of the desert in the first half followed by flight to Cairo.

Day 5: Finding a place to stay and a tour to the Pyramids of Giza

Day 6: Visit to Pharaonic Village in the morning followed by a visit to the Sufi dance performances in the evening.

Day 7: Booking the final ticket of the journey and getting one of the International Flights from Cairo to Kolkata

At the end all I can say is that just like the chef the fantasy is in the mind. I am not sure if I will ever be able to recreate it. But if I do, there will be pages to do justice to each and every moment of that fantasy.

Chikmaglur - the road less traveled

Going back to school after a tiring stint of corporate monotony is always refreshing. But this was no ordinary school; the future trajectory was based on the success of its launch. As potential future leaders we were expected to be ruthlessly sharp and focused. The beginning of the course was excruciating for most of the students. Term-1, although ended after a brief period of 6 weeks, was nothing less than equal to the semester of a sophomoric life. Needless to say it was extremely exciting as it pumped out the real passion resting inside us for so long. But the sudden death of term-1 created a huge vacuum in our all-time-occupied life, as if the busyness had become the new business of our life. The term gap was hardly a gap but it successfully started eating into our emptiness as the planned trip of our group got canceled. I had very little option then to choose from and fill the void. The only resort was to get along with other moving groups. Luckily, I found a group that was going to "Chikmaglur". And so just like that another exciting journey began.

The journey from Hyderabad to Chikmaglur was long but we chose the option of 4 wheelers to make it an everlasting memorable journey. The journey started at night. Six of us are sitting inside the car and it looks like I am the only one who is not well introduced to others. Naturally the initial hour went introducing each other and knowing each other more closely which was then followed by some useless and funny chitchats and gossips, thanks to the three ladies who kept the whole car journey very lively.

The next morning added to the adventure as we lost our way. And we were quite late to realize that. We had to check the navigation tool- our very own google maps to locate us and the destination.The choice was between two route- one crossing the Bangalore city and the other known to none of us. The Bangalore path was not so encouraging as we could imagine the magnanimity of the traffic that can potentially delay our trip. The obvious choice was the other route. Thankfully it turned out to be the right decision in the end, although we were still late by some margin.

The next 3 days were full of peppy mastikhori. Some exciting games that I had never heard of before. The most exciting part was of course the pool attached with the room. Initially there was no plan to enter the pool as I believe but once it was attacked there was no looking back. This was complemented by awesome mimicry of the professors by one of the dudes and game-chats full of non-sense. There was an opportunity to explore the coffee fields as well.

In summary this was a trip to be remembered for sure. I wish I could share everything from the trip but the best things are better to be kept a secret. 

This blog post is inspired by the blogging marathon hosted on IndiBlogger for the launch of the #Fantastico Zica from Tata Motors. You can apply for a test drive of the hatchback Zica today.

The story of a fantastico city- the diamond city

It astonishes me to see how this city has escaped the limelight of so many industries. The cities like Bangalore and Pune have embraced young population with their full heart but its astonishing to see the young population of Surat who are so complete in themselves are yet to create a roar. After spending time at almost all of these IT cities I am still wondering why do one feel more young in a city like Surat which is probably half the size of Bangalore.

The city may be known as the Diamond city for the existence of diamond business but in my opinion it does have a soul that sparks shiner than a diamond. It entails the perfect combination of a happening town and a lavishing city. What does one expect from a city? Good food? Good People? Good Conveyance? A healthy living standard? Clean environment? Land of opportunities? Surat has it all. 

Food- As far as food is concerned, I think it's a paradise for vegetarians. I literally yearn for the Khaman of this City. I tried Locho which was tasty as well. Then there is variety in frankies, golas, Paans and what not. Who would have thought there can exist something like Ice Paan? And those ice-golas are just lip smacking. 

Location- It's six in the morning and I thought the city would still be sleeping. But heyyy... the U-Turn is on roll. Can you imagine the youth of the whole city has stepped out on the roads to rock n roll with a crackling band? And just 10 kms outside the city is the Dumas beach. Although not the best of the beaches but decent enough to pull out crowds. 

Infrastructure- The city boasts of more than 100 flyovers. I am not sure if there are so many flyovers even in cities like Kolkata, lets not talk about Chennai. I literally traveled over flyovers when I had to reach the station. And the maintenance is so good that you sometimes don't feel that the city is being administered by an Indian Municipal body.

Living Standard- A major chunk of the city has migrated to the new part of the town which boasts of lavish societies with exclusive clubbing and related facilities within. And I literally got the shock that such apartments are available at a rate of as low as Rs. 2500/sq ft. What else would one want?

Land of opportunities- Being a city of Gujrat, it is needless to say that setting up a business is very smooth in here. Although it remains untouched by the industry that rules the country but it still offers numerous opportunities to make the best out of everything.

In the end all I would recommend is to give this city a visit. I would request the government to identify the potential of this city and bring it to the likes of Bangalore and Pune.

An adventurous ride from the past

I was nervous, I was pale

I was so worried about my tale

My heart was sinking, my brain was numb

But I had to be confident and not dumb

When the whole country was bathing in lights with every home celebrating the festival by lighting diyas or the modern fashionable bulbs, I returned to my hometown with the only desire to hug my family members. It happened that the work pressure was very high and it was near to impossible to return and join back the family for celebrations. But somehow I managed to book tickets for home for the weekends. Booked a ticket for the train which was scheduled to depart at 9:00 PM from Guwahati and it was the last train to the connecting station NJP for that day. I comfortably reached the station 30 minutes before the scheduled departure only to find that the train had been rescheduled to 2:00 AM. #FML. It meant that I would be missing the train from the connecting station and would not be able to reach home on time. But god had some other plans. The 8:30 train was late by 90 mins which meant that I still had chance to capture the next train. But I didn't have any confirmed ticket to take a ride. I didn't care for anything and just got up in the one of bogies of the train without any ticket. It was dangerous and was the first time I was doing something like that. But the thought of going back home helped me rode the train with ease. I had to remain standing the journey of 8 hours and it was super tiring. But I caught the train and reached home on time. The rest is history. I was able to spend wonderful time with the family which I'll never forget in my life. 

I sometimes wonder how the life would have been if I had not been a part of such experiences. It is these experiences that keep my life adventurous. The moments I didn't enjoy much in the past are very much part of my identity. It is these moments that made me learn coping with difficulties and sadness.

I am sure you must have experienced something very similar. I am eager to hear your stories. Keep me posted and do comment if you share similar story.

Ride with Renault Lodgy: Be Lodgycal

Recently I saw a ferry service hosting a party on its deck, randomly trotting from one river bank to another. It was the first time I was watching a party hosted on water and that too within the heart of the city. That image was some revelation for me and enough to titillate my creative brain. ‘I am going to host my best birthday party ever in a moving vehicle en route to Goa' was my first reaction off that visual. But then the very next moment brought me back to the world of reality and practicality.  How can someone throw a party inside a car? However it doesn’t hurt to be a bit imaginative in your life. And when there is Renault Lodgy to complement my scheme of imagination, where's the worry? Frankly, if I have to list down 5 things that I’ll carry in Renault Lodgy, it will be tough to choose between endless options but still, here it goes:

1. Tomorrow Land and Sun-Burn festival stage: Yes, if I am planning to a trip to Goa, how can I forget the best party makers in the world? And how can I, being the party planner, not think about the after-party preparation. So the party will be first hosted inside my Renault Lodgy only to be followed by a carnival like show in the dreamy land of GOA. And why should I worry about space? There are retractable 3rd row seats with 50:50 split & tumble fold enough to host everything.

2. Cheer leaders: No I am not planning to host any supplementary cricket match inside the car, in case you are wondering wild. But hey! I am not going to let go of the opportunity to experience the easy to operate MediaNAV multimedia system. And well! If there is music in the car, there’s got to be someone who can resonate with that sound. Isn't it?

3. Home-made wine: Now coming back to the realistic carriage of things inside the car, how should I utilize the 30L of actual storage space? The tastiest strawberry wine in the world is made at my home. Why should I not boast of such a thing to all the party hoppers?

4. Tons of awards: The plan is to end the party with an announcement of the people who would have helped taking the party a notch higher. It may not be awards like IIFA but who doesn’t like to be recognized even if it is for something like 'the best party man’.

5. Dignity and respect: The party will be hell lot of fun for sure. But whether it can be organized in a dignified manner must be the important question for many. Thanks to the style and features of Lodgy that it is cool enough to carry off everything with dignity and respect. Now that's what I call Lodgycal!

Now the list above may be a bit crazy, but I think you got what I am trying to say. Hop on guys, the newest model by Renault is just the thing you need to turn around your lifestyle.

cheers,
the crazy party planner

Btw, "I’m participating in the #LiveLodgycal contest with Renault in association with BlogAdda to get a chance to be a part of the #LiveLodgycal Drive in Goa"

Source of Images: Courseimage.com, bangingbeats.wordpress, vi.sualize

Voyage to Infinity

Welcome aboard!

You have been chosen for the bumpy exploration to the heavenly land of Sikkim. Submit your soul, hold your breadth and tighten your seat belt as we take you up to the most exciting journey of your life. Please nod off the speed traps as we crusade through the journey. Kindly ignore the buzzy sirens and listen to your inner shout for adventure, for the ultimate voyage

Let's start..

The stream down the hills is looking calm

The lovely boulevard is breathtaking.!!

 The twists and turns of the journey are unfolding as we gaze into the playful kids 

Stop for a moment..! Experience the dangerous yet beautiful side of nature

The hill tops alludes to something serious danger

 Some unknown creatures almost on the edge. Looks like humans.

 The sincere kids. Not sure which planet they belong to.

Ok. We are on the slope. Lets measure the angle of depression through the 'Shaktimaan' view

The path to salvation. Exploration never ends here.

Religion is everywhere..!!

Lets face back the slippery danger, travel to the vastness, feel the cold and what I call 'The Infinity'

We humans are everywhere, even at the infinity. I hope you enjoyed the journey. 

A Happy Traveler

Prepare yourself for almost similar responses before randomly asking people about their aim of life. Most of the time the answer would be one or another version of "Being happy and spreading happiness". But there is a great chaos in the definition of happiness, I feel. It can never be objective in nature while the perception always is. The concept is individualistic to the core, varies with taste and like of the individual. For some delicious food is happiness while for some even the access to food is.  Some wish to possess the rarest of rare stone while some prefer to stay away from silly worldly pleasures. Some look forward to a sound sleep while some prefer to play along with their restless soul. The range is astonishingly wide.

I think I belong to the category of a traveler and when I travel I call myself a happy traveler. My definition of happiness is in exploring. My life is meaningless if i am stopped or i am scared to step beyond, if i block myself from moving under the sun or fly with the clouds; if i don't travel the terrains. Happiness has no meaning to me if my soul is motionless and it gets filled with impurity like rested water. Have you ever heard about 'Behta Paani Nirmala'? Yes! Exactly!

The travel story that I'm going to share dates back to the summers of 69. Oops! I think wasn't born then. It must have been 2012 (the year, not the movie). I had dipped myself deep into the pond of daydreaming when suddenly my cell-phone rang and rocked me out of the pond. The manager is calling, most probably to know the status of the work. The brain slowly starts pushing itself back into the pond and starts wondering, "The deadline is near. It's very important to get the work done. Having achieved the last 3 deadlines consecutively, expectations from the team is high. I hate deadlines. Why is a deadline called a "dead"--"line"? What made people name it so? What if one crosses the line? How's the life after that?" Suddenly the phone started ringing again. 3 missed calls already. "Should I pick it? I don't have any such desire but it seems I have to." 

I: Hey!

PM: Good News! The work plan has been revised by the client and now there is enough time for the next deliverable. Enough time to breathe properly.
I: Great news. I think this is the perfect time to take a break and respond to nature's call.
PM: (Chuckles)! Enjoy Bud.

Who would have thought of something like this? Something unbelievable has just happened. No deadlines, no pseudo pressure and I am free to embark upon a random trip. The sheer realization filled my mind with fresh vigor. This was going to be special. And yes it was special.

The trip didn't start with any plan. I phoned some of my colleagues and managed to arrange some co-travelers.  We just packed our bags, took all the necessary stuffs for survival (including a toothpaste) and left for the journey. Journey to the wettest place of the world- Cherrapunji.

Let me begin my journey with a pic of a street dog on the way. We believe it was an early sign from the gods that this travel was going to be full of awesomeness.. ;)

My journey was photographic to say the least. So I'll let my pics speak more

The journey started with a darshan of the revered falls as we started our travel from Shillong- the scotland of the east.

The falls were followed by the majestic beauty of the perfectly carved valley. We had never seen such a perfect valley.

It looked so serene yet so powerful and dangerous. The slopes mesmerized our trigonometric minds.

The respite was when the sun showed his bossy attitude.

The aggression was followed by the cuddly nature of the clouds. We were literally over the clouds.

A broader view of the heavenly hills.

So we decided why not play when the nature itself want us to.

Suddenly the clouds went berserk. We forgot that it doesn't stay in a place for long. The whole area filled with clouds but we could now see the falls beneath. Scary to say the least.

Finally we reached the place that extracted maximum excitement from within. !The Caves! At this point we released our driver and decided to take a walk instead. An unforgettable walk, I must say.

Guess what we found an exit as well, though it was a dead end. 

And finally we decided to wrap up the cave mission only to begin our trek mission and witness the artistic beauty of nature - the root bridge.

Trust me! It was a difficult terrain to trek. We slipped so many times, fell to the edge. We stumbled but didn't stop as we strengthen along our bonding to an altogether different level.

The place was refreshingly peaceful and calm. You continuously hear the sound of insects and birds which was ecstatic. But we had to call it a day as we were in no mood to prove Tolkein wrong "Not all those who wander are lost". And as Tarry Pratchett has rightly remarked, "Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. Coming back to where you started is not the same as ever leaving".

Finally with the following final snap, I'd like to say thanks to you for reading through my journey. A place where I'd like to visit again and bring along my friends and family whom i couldn't accompany in this trip.