It has been quite a while since I wrote anything about the love of my life, my Ford Ikon. Yes, all this while we have been together, I never realized when the time and the miles flew away. I guess it was only a matter of time before she came out of her teenage and reached the important milestone of 20K.
I had always been fond of Ford vehicles and when Ikon hit the Indian markets a long time back, it was my immediate favorite. Since then I had a secret desire to own an Ikon at some point in my life and on that wonderful day of June the twenty-second I finally managed to realize my childhood dream.
Having driven my Car for so long, I have come to realize how it is not just a piece of machinery. I have realized how much like a human, can a car be. It is quite like another woman in your life, which takes amazing care of you if you keep her happy and can be painfully tough to handle when upset.
There definitely is this connection between you and the car that you own which cant be put into words. You just know when it is in the pink of its health and when it is down with a fever. It does not take you long to realize how your vehicle is feeling on any given day and you just learn to adjust with it automatically. You know which pothole can bruise your vehicle and which one's she can just glide over. It's the most amazing feeling to be in a relationship with someone when everything is understood implicitly without ever saying a word.
Yes, I know, I do sound like I m in love and to tell you the truth, I actually am. It was the sole reason that I took my sweetheart on a trip to Goa, to celebrate an important pitstop in the journey that we had embarked upon a long time back. I never know how can I ever let go of you....Thanks for being there with me....Always !!
Monday, October 27, 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Dark Side of the Moon
When life was beautiful,
You seemed so fresh.
When the mind was free,
No flaw I could see.
Everything you did,
Made me laugh.
And your cheerful smile,
Never revealed your guile.
Somewhere deep down I feared,
My conscience had warned me.
I kept ignoring the sign,
Assuming everything was just fine.
Slowly life began to change,
It started shedding its colors.
You did not seem as immaculate either,
When you lost your funny vigor.
I tried to forget and forgive,
Blamed everything on my fate.
I wanted to give you one more chance,
To help myself come out of the trance.
Then I chose to walk the walk,
Take the road to perdition.
I never wanted anyone alongside,
When I trod along the seaside.
And there you stood on the crossroads,
As lonely as a cloud.
You had lost all your wisdom,
Controlling you was gruesome.
Slowly life dragged on,
Like a never ending highway.
Every breath was fuelling my rage,
While I sat there like a sage.
I was face to face with reality,
As ugly as it looked.
I never knew this aspect of life,
It was like a never ending strife.
Now I have chosen to forgive,
Over time I will forget.
I don't know if I should stay,
Or into the distance I walk away.
You seemed so fresh.
When the mind was free,
No flaw I could see.
Everything you did,
Made me laugh.
And your cheerful smile,
Never revealed your guile.
Somewhere deep down I feared,
My conscience had warned me.
I kept ignoring the sign,
Assuming everything was just fine.
Slowly life began to change,
It started shedding its colors.
You did not seem as immaculate either,
When you lost your funny vigor.
I tried to forget and forgive,
Blamed everything on my fate.
I wanted to give you one more chance,
To help myself come out of the trance.
Then I chose to walk the walk,
Take the road to perdition.
I never wanted anyone alongside,
When I trod along the seaside.
And there you stood on the crossroads,
As lonely as a cloud.
You had lost all your wisdom,
Controlling you was gruesome.
Slowly life dragged on,
Like a never ending highway.
Every breath was fuelling my rage,
While I sat there like a sage.
I was face to face with reality,
As ugly as it looked.
I never knew this aspect of life,
It was like a never ending strife.
Now I have chosen to forgive,
Over time I will forget.
I don't know if I should stay,
Or into the distance I walk away.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Hyderabad-Goa Road Trip
Here is a gist of how to reach Goa from Hyderabad via road for all those driving enthusiasts who love to hit the highway.
These are the major routes to Goa from Hyderabad.
1. Hyderabad - NH9 - Sholapur - Kolhapur - NH4 - Belgaum - Londa - Panaji.
2. Hyderabad - NH9 - Sholapur - NH13 - Bijapur - Belgaum - Londa - Panaji.
3. Hyderabad - NH9 - Sholapur - Sangli - Kolhapur - Savantwadi - Mapuca - NH17 - Panaji.
4. Hyderabad - NH7 - Raichur - SH20 (K'taka) - Lingusur - Hungund - Bagalkot - Yergatti - Belgaum - Londa - Panaji.
I always prefer to take the 4th route mentioned because it is one of the shortest possible, also almost 80% of the times the road is empty and the condition of the roads is marvelous. The only blemish is the drive from Londa to Goa border where the road is in a pathetic condition thanks to all the dumpers and lorries plying those so-called highways (but then you would anyways have to encounter that road on 3 of the 4 options mentioned above).
The round trip mileage would definitely not be less than 1600KM leaving aside the travel in Goa which one can safely assume to be anywhere from a 20-50KM average a day if you like to roam around in Goa. Again, it totally depends on the enthusiasm the drivers show.
Have atleast 2 good drivers who have previous experience on highways with you with one backup driver who can drive on empty highways. An ideal scenario would be to have more than 3 good drivers because that way, you can get a lot of rest for each driver.
It takes anywhere from 14-17 hours of driving to reach Panaji from Hyderabad, and thats a lot. So you better get your vehicle serviced and in a good shape before you set off on the road. Also, be sure that you tank up at each petrol bunk that you see cause you never know when you might run out of fuel.
A word of caution, the ghat section is tricky and needs experience. So have your best drivers driving you through the ghats. Also make sure that anyone who is driving in the ghats has had a nice rest before that since it can be particularly tiring with all the clutch, gear-shifting, hair-pins, and traffic to avoid.
NEVER DRIVE AT NIGHT IN THE WESTERN GHATS. It is a total waste of time, since all the dumpers and lorries would be all over the roads and it would be foggy as well. It is just a waste of time. Dont be an idiot in trying to be brave. Be wise and hit the ghats only in broad daylight.
Hope you guys enjoyed reading this post. Do share your experiences if ever you take the road to Goa. It is a feeling quite unmatched by others.
These are the major routes to Goa from Hyderabad.
1. Hyderabad - NH9 - Sholapur - Kolhapur - NH4 - Belgaum - Londa - Panaji.
2. Hyderabad - NH9 - Sholapur - NH13 - Bijapur - Belgaum - Londa - Panaji.
3. Hyderabad - NH9 - Sholapur - Sangli - Kolhapur - Savantwadi - Mapuca - NH17 - Panaji.
4. Hyderabad - NH7 - Raichur - SH20 (K'taka) - Lingusur - Hungund - Bagalkot - Yergatti - Belgaum - Londa - Panaji.
I always prefer to take the 4th route mentioned because it is one of the shortest possible, also almost 80% of the times the road is empty and the condition of the roads is marvelous. The only blemish is the drive from Londa to Goa border where the road is in a pathetic condition thanks to all the dumpers and lorries plying those so-called highways (but then you would anyways have to encounter that road on 3 of the 4 options mentioned above).
The round trip mileage would definitely not be less than 1600KM leaving aside the travel in Goa which one can safely assume to be anywhere from a 20-50KM average a day if you like to roam around in Goa. Again, it totally depends on the enthusiasm the drivers show.
Have atleast 2 good drivers who have previous experience on highways with you with one backup driver who can drive on empty highways. An ideal scenario would be to have more than 3 good drivers because that way, you can get a lot of rest for each driver.
It takes anywhere from 14-17 hours of driving to reach Panaji from Hyderabad, and thats a lot. So you better get your vehicle serviced and in a good shape before you set off on the road. Also, be sure that you tank up at each petrol bunk that you see cause you never know when you might run out of fuel.
A word of caution, the ghat section is tricky and needs experience. So have your best drivers driving you through the ghats. Also make sure that anyone who is driving in the ghats has had a nice rest before that since it can be particularly tiring with all the clutch, gear-shifting, hair-pins, and traffic to avoid.
NEVER DRIVE AT NIGHT IN THE WESTERN GHATS. It is a total waste of time, since all the dumpers and lorries would be all over the roads and it would be foggy as well. It is just a waste of time. Dont be an idiot in trying to be brave. Be wise and hit the ghats only in broad daylight.
Hope you guys enjoyed reading this post. Do share your experiences if ever you take the road to Goa. It is a feeling quite unmatched by others.
Unreal Tournament
In times of uncertainty, you just cant trust anyone. Your outlook becomes overly cynical and life seems terribly unfair. Everyone out there seems to be conspiring against you. It is in testing times like these that your character truly evolves. The strength and the might of a ship can only be tested by a violent sea.
Keeping calm in a storm can be tough at times. You know that any act of haste can ruin more than what it can resolve and the temptation of destroying everything around you seems irresistible. When you are undergoing an inner turmoil and the world within is in a conflict with the world without, your mental strength undergoes a stress testing of sorts.
At times like these, it helps greatly to be able to think clearly, positively and judiciously. And for doing that you need to be able to talk to your inner self, your soul. You need to be able to ask questions to yourself and even be able to get the answers to those queries. After all who knows you better than your own self.
Your morals, ethics, nature and character are all put to a thorough test and you just have to come out good if you dont want to risk losing something important in your life. But then these are the times to find out who you really are, what limits you can stretch yourself to and what really is the X-factor within you.
Sometimes, life can be tough. Sometimes, life seems to be surreal. It seems to be running at such a fierce pace that you fail to catch up with your own self. You seem to be lost in the vast sea of uncertainity and cynicism. That is when you can truly find yourself. A little bit of introspection can help you find those dark corners within you, which you never knew even existed. So take it as a blessing in disguise the next time you are depressed because its only then that you get the time to hang out with yourself.
Keeping calm in a storm can be tough at times. You know that any act of haste can ruin more than what it can resolve and the temptation of destroying everything around you seems irresistible. When you are undergoing an inner turmoil and the world within is in a conflict with the world without, your mental strength undergoes a stress testing of sorts.
At times like these, it helps greatly to be able to think clearly, positively and judiciously. And for doing that you need to be able to talk to your inner self, your soul. You need to be able to ask questions to yourself and even be able to get the answers to those queries. After all who knows you better than your own self.
Your morals, ethics, nature and character are all put to a thorough test and you just have to come out good if you dont want to risk losing something important in your life. But then these are the times to find out who you really are, what limits you can stretch yourself to and what really is the X-factor within you.
Sometimes, life can be tough. Sometimes, life seems to be surreal. It seems to be running at such a fierce pace that you fail to catch up with your own self. You seem to be lost in the vast sea of uncertainity and cynicism. That is when you can truly find yourself. A little bit of introspection can help you find those dark corners within you, which you never knew even existed. So take it as a blessing in disguise the next time you are depressed because its only then that you get the time to hang out with yourself.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
The Drowsy Warrior
There he stood fighting the enemy,
There he stood holding his ground.
While his comrades were being ripped away,
He did not let his attention sway.
It was like fighting the phantom,
It was like shooting in the dark.
The warrior knew he never had a chance,
But he continued fighting with undettered stance.
No one ever doubted the outcome of the fight,
No one ever doubted the warrior's might.
It was just a question of how and when,
This gruesome affair was going to end.
He was trying to stop the wind from blowing,
He was trying to stop a raging river.
He fought on with marvelous fortitude,
Some divine force he seemed to exude.
It seemed that the end was closer,
It seemed that the feud would be over soon.
The warrior had been enervated,
The long fight had left him jaded.
Then came a blow like a flash in the sky,
Then came a blow from a scintillating sword.
The warrior fell to the ground gasping for breath,
He could fight anyone but his own death.
The warrior had seen this fight before,
The warrior had seen it in his dreams.
But when the plot had gone wrong somewhere,
The kid realized he had had a nightmare.
There he stood holding his ground.
While his comrades were being ripped away,
He did not let his attention sway.
It was like fighting the phantom,
It was like shooting in the dark.
The warrior knew he never had a chance,
But he continued fighting with undettered stance.
No one ever doubted the outcome of the fight,
No one ever doubted the warrior's might.
It was just a question of how and when,
This gruesome affair was going to end.
He was trying to stop the wind from blowing,
He was trying to stop a raging river.
He fought on with marvelous fortitude,
Some divine force he seemed to exude.
It seemed that the end was closer,
It seemed that the feud would be over soon.
The warrior had been enervated,
The long fight had left him jaded.
Then came a blow like a flash in the sky,
Then came a blow from a scintillating sword.
The warrior fell to the ground gasping for breath,
He could fight anyone but his own death.
The warrior had seen this fight before,
The warrior had seen it in his dreams.
But when the plot had gone wrong somewhere,
The kid realized he had had a nightmare.
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