Delhi as a prospect for the future

Just a couple of days back, Delhi received a hell lot of rainfall. I'm sure most of u know all about it. It was there for all to see. Even the news channels increased their ratings because of it. During those hours of epic rainfall, I was on my way back to my room in vijaynagar from Nehru Place. Needless to say, there was a huge traffic jam and the roads were flooded. In fact i was wondering if the Yamuna shifted its course and encroached upon then Ring Road. Well, no mater what the govt. says, we as indians know that self help is the best help. I have an idea. We should carry a boat...no a raft - you know the ones that can be inflated and deflated at will, with us whenever heavy rains are predicted. At this rate delhi, kolkata and mumbai will be no different from Venice in the coming years. It might even help to promote tourism. We can have Gondolas for those who are romantically and artistically inclined and rafting and kayaking for the sporty ones.
So, dear MCD stop making false promises about improving drainage and all that nonsense. Do something about water transport. There is a lot more moolah in here!

Classes: the greatest source of creativity

It was the last period going on in college today. Our beloved teacher, Mr Manish Sharma was going hammer and tongs on the subject of conscious and subconscious. Just then, my mind crossed the barriers of consciousness and reached the realm of subconsciousness and the result is down for you all to read. May be it can be read as a dramatic monologue too...i remember him talking about it too in class today.

Demons in the Sun
Now my dear unwanted friend,
Have you followed me here, so far?
I thought I had chased you
Far behind those huge castles
Whose gates I knew you couldn’t cross.
Now once more you creep up from the shadows,
Whispering into my mind from the dark side of light.
Why have you chosen this useless wretched creature?
What am I to service you with?
For you are not one that can be thrown into oblivion.
Come here my ghostly friend,
Face me just once before I request you to be a ghost to me.

The Discovery in English Hons.

The content of this piece reflects the findings and opinions of me alone (and may be a friend or two). Therefore I need to mention that those who do not share my opinion need not be offended. I have all the respect your views deserve.
I have come to the conclusion that the only way to read a literary text is through discrimination (it is believed to be present in all forms in all texts). The primary task is to identify the form of discrimination present in each text. Once this is accomplished, you will need to realise that there are four “discriminatory ways” of reading texts. They are:
1. Marxist Reading
2. Feminist Reading
3. Colonial/Post colonial Reading, and
4. Psychoanalytical Reading
Marxist reading deals with the discrimination between classes. Feminist reading deals with the discrimination between genders. Colonial/Post-colonial reading deals with the discrimination between the rulers and the ruled. Psychoanalytical reading involves discrimination over the author. It deals not with what is apparently conveyed by the author, but with what some self righteous analysts think what (s)he was “actually” trying to say.
Therefore for one to be a literary scholar, one must be thoroughly acquainted with these forms of discriminatory readings and must be prepared to go to all lengths to enforce them in all texts that (s)he comes across. Otherwise, in all probability, literary criticism will continue to be a distant dream and nothing more.
However, as with all cases and theories, there are and will be a few (remember only a few) works which may continue to elude the hands of such “discriminators.” I am now beginning a search for some books. The real purpose of me writing this is to request you to give me the names of such books if you do come across any of them. I am eagerly looking forward to your cooperation in this endeavour of mine.

La Revista: 21st May ’09, Delhi, 11.45pm

Whew! I made my longest journey by road, without rest. On the day before yesterday, the car came to pick us up at 4.30 in the evening from our hotel. The car was the promised Scorpio and it was as comfortable as expected. Shared our goodbye-hugs with Wolf and the two the two hotel-boys with whom we had become good friends (they claimed that we were very warm and friendly and that they enjoyed serving us. Actually it was we who enjoyed their efficient service.).
We reached Kargil by midnight. By then, as you must’ve guessed, I was fast asleep (this time in a much comfortable middle seat). I woke early yesterday morning before dawn, to find ourselves at Dras. Then, I learnt that we had been there since two in the morning. The route ahead had been blocked due to bad weather. We made use of this time by drinking “chai” and eating boiled eggs which made our breakfast, and clicking some even more beautiful photos of the snow peaked mountains which were just a stone’s throw away. We even heard rumours about the roads remaining closed for the rest of the day. Yet something deep within me told me that we would reach Delhi by the next day (i.e. today). Yes, the route was thrown open for vehicles at eight in the morning and we carried on with our journey.

If you think that by now we had seen all the good sceneries that were there to be seen (and clicked all their photos), then you could never be more mistaken. There was snow all around us except on the road on which we were travelling. And, the snow was slowly melting into water which often flowed over the road, to join the river which flowed alongside the road. We were crossing the Zoji la pass. I felt like as if we were travelling through a glacier. The route was dangerous, but I had one of the most exciting journeys till date.

We reached Srinagar late in the afternoon (after 2pm). After another hour of so, we were sitting in a car bound for Jammu. For the first time ever, I paid fifty bucks for a plate of “rajma-chawal” when we stopped for dinner at a road side “dhaba” at night (there was nothing else available). I slept while we travelled the rest of the way to Jammu. Travels by cars have the effect of sleeping pills on me. I realised that we reached Jammu when Palzer poked me to wake me up. It was well past midnight. (Oh! The car had also had a flat tyre along the way.). Luckily, we found a bus at that unearthly hour, and I went back to sleep again inside the bus. We reached Ludhiana early this morning, where we changed buses (into one bound for Delhi). As the day progressed, it began to get hotter and more humid. It felt like stepping out from a refrigerator into a frying pan. I could see from his face that Palzer’s condition was miserable. My case was not too different either. Both of us looked like as if we were retuning from a hard day’s labour inside coalmines. We reached Delhi at around two in the afternoon. We had been on the road continuously for more than forty five hours!
I don’t know when I will get another chance to go back to Ladakh. I rue the fact that I could not trek there. The trip may have gotten over, but the blue skies (and they actually appear blue), the crystal clear waters, the refreshing air and the warm-hearted people of those places will keep calling me back for the remaining portion of my life.

La Revista: 19th May ’09, 1.40pm, Leh

Determined to have breakfast at the hotel, we woke up a little early (or rather, earlier than usual). Booked two seats in a Scorpio that will take us to Srinagar. It is supposed to pick us up from the hotel at five this evening.
Having finished these necessary activities, we went down to the main market to buy a thing or two for some friends. Much as I would love to return empty handed, I am afraid of getting murdered if I do so. Kenny left early this morning when we were sleeping. We had already said our “goodbyes” last night. Got Wolf’s email address. Even though we have known him only for a few days, we have become good friends with him. Our ways part this evening – that’s life, isn’t it? It reminds me of the time I parted from all my friends from school a couple of years back.
I realised that during this trip, I had been subconsciously looking for something I have no idea about. I can’t say I have found it, nor can I say otherwise. I travelled this far, searching for mystery. Now I return back with an empty head, a great experience, some breathtaking photographs and a couple of hilarious videos of Palzer dancing to the tunes of a guitar (played by Wolf).

La Revista: 18th May ’09, 11.00pm, Leh

Got up from bed later than usual. There was no breakfast available at the hotel. We had to go outside. We actually had breakfast at noon. It was too late to go to Hemis by cycle. After making a few calculations regarding our travel, we decided that we have to leave tomorrow. So, there was no way Palzer and I were going to waste the rest of the day wandering in the market.

After a late breakfast, Palzer, Wolf and I hired some cycles and went mountain-biking to Stok which is around 15kms from here. Kenny decided to stay back and surf the internet (which he claimed he had not done for ages). Today was the first time I rode a cycle with gears. The first 6kms of the way went downhill (and it was quite steep). Irrespective of the traffic, we raced down at a breakneck speed (for a cycle). I was lucky to escape without breaking my neck! The rest of the way to Stok went uphill, though it was not as steep. It was an experience that cannot be described – cycling through the picturesque mountainside. Those reading this will have a better idea of what I’m trying to say if they went through our photos of this trip. Yes, photos – Palzer was busy, shamelessly capturing all these memorable moments inside the magic box called the camera.

We reached Stok palace sometime in the evening. Had a nice time glancing over the items in the museum inside the palace. The palace was not a grand one like the others in other regions of the country, but I found it impressive. I would definitely have enjoyed staying there, inside those cosy walls. After our inspection of the ancient place, we sat on top of the palace gates and shared some light hearted moments together. The scenery around a place seems so much better when you have to work hard and tire yourself to get there. It is like, “Harder the work, sweeter the success.”

The way back seemed much shorter now that we were going downhill. Within half an hour, we were sitting on the banks of the Indus River. We had taken hours to cover the same distance while going uphill. It was around 5.30 in the evening when we sat down on the banks of this historic river and had our ‘lunch,’ which consisted of biscuits, chips, uncooked noodles (which were ready-to-eat) and cold drinks. It was one of the most beautiful spots I have ‘dined’ in. from the Indus, Leh was still 6kms away. It was uphill all the way and the road was steep. I found it quite tough to ride uphill along this road even though I was in the first gear. My thighs were screaming for mercy and I obliged. I got down from the cycle and walked with it beside me nearly all the way up to Leh. I didn’t mind walking at all. In fact, I enjoyed it thoroughly. I love to walk especially in the hilly regions. Palzer and Wolf didn’t seem to have a problem cycling uphill at all. I was quite content to follow them on foot from a distance. I was glad to have two things squeezed into this short trip – mountain-biking and a short hike.

We returned back to Leh by eight in the evening. On reaching the hotel, a cup of hot tea and a hot bath sent me to heaven, if only for a few minutes. I must mention that so far I have been touched by the warmth and kindness of the people in this part of the country. Sometimes I really wonder if I am still in India!

For dinner, the food was the same as the one we had had yesterday, and it was just as delicious. Kenny has a flight to catch early tomorrow morning. He has gone to bed early. Palzer is teaching Wolf a Nepali song. Now as I write, Wolf is singing in Nepali and singing quite well for a foreigner. The music has created a beautiful atmosphere for me to write. I must stop now so that I can listen to him more intently.

La Revista: 17th May ’09, 11.58pm, Leh

Here is some remarkable news – I had breakfast today for the second day on the trot. After breakfast, we decided to go mountain biking to Hemis, Stok and other places along that route. Unfortunately, three of the four cycles we hired had some sort of a problem with the gears. The people at the shop tried to repair it while more than an hour passed by. Soon, even before we knew it, it was one-thirty in the afternoon. It was perhaps a bit too late for the cycling trip we had in mind. We had no option but to cancel this plan of ours for the day.

We all unanimously decided to visit the Shanti Stupa (which we had given a miss yesterday). After a short walk from our hotel, we arrived at the base of the rocky cliffs on which the Stupa was situated. The only way to reach up there seemed to be a number of hundreds of steps lined up together in a zigzag fashion. They appeared to be long, boring and monotonous right from a distance. Kenny and Palzer were content to go up the steps while Wolf and I decided to make our way up through the rocks. The climb was not as dangerous as it looked, except during the last part of the climb where things did get a little tricky as there were not many regions to hold on to, and the presence of sand made the rocks slippery. You must have guessed – we made it safely. Later, Wolf and I joked that if we did fall from that height, then we would never fall again in our entire lives.

The majestic Stupa stood like a giant on top of the hill, and it also had a lot of sculptures on its walls inside. The view from there was amazing. (You must be fed up of reading about great sceneries that we see everyday here. But every sight is amazing in Ladakh.). We parked our bases in one quiet place up there and munched on chips and sipped mango juice while we enjoyed the beauty around us. There was a small place of worship, with an idol of Buddha a little below the Stupa (though in the same complex). It was a very peaceful place and I enjoyed the luxury of a few minutes of meditation there and came out feeling tipsy.

On our way back, we had lunch at the K.C. Garden. Kenny was not feeling well and decided to return to the hotel (to my relief). The quality of the food was quite unimpressive. After our lunch, we saw a donkey on the road. Wolf swiftly went up to it and held it by its mane. The donkey resisted and tried to run away. But with Wolf in action, the donkey never had a chance. Within a matter of seconds, Wolf was riding the donkey while it tried to run away. It was one of the most hilarious sights I have seen in ages. After walking for a few steps, we came across another donkey. Wolf seemed determined to ride this one too. This time, his tactics were a little different. He went up to the poor animal and patted it on the neck. Just when it seemed to be enjoying all the attention, Wolf grabbed it by its mane and sprang on top of it. We could clearly see that the poor beast was caught off guard. It began to run frantically while Wolf enjoyed another short ride. Then just as we were outside our hotel, we came across a third donkey. The donkeys seemed to have had an outing today. By now, Wolf had lost his interest in donkeys. However, Palzer went up to it, patted it and climbed on its back. Surprisingly, this donkey offered no resistance to the gentle guy. It stood completely still with Palzer on top of it. I had all the time to get the camera out and look for a suitable angle before I could take a snap.

Then we went back to our room and had more music. It was so much better with the Motor-mouth fast asleep in the other room. In the evening, we went to the main market to loiter about for the umpteenth time. Visited a couple of bookstores. Gifted Palzer the Dhammapada. I knew he would be glad, but I also had selfish reasons. If the book was with him, I could read it anytime without having the responsibility of taking care of another sacred text.

Had a nice meal of rice, dal, chapatis and chicken for dinner. The food cooked in the hotel is much better than the food we get in the restaurants outside in the market. Woke Kenny up in time for him to have dinner with us. This time he didn’t seem so irritating. May be it was because we had not had a dose of him the entire afternoon. We had some tea in our room after dinner, immediately after which Kenny went to bed. This definitely seems to augur well for tomorrow.