He could not have been luckier

He could not have been luckier.

He used to jog religiously, every morning; had set the alarm for 04:00 am, waking him up from his deep slumber, frustratingly every single day. Now the alarm arouses him no more, he just lies on messy bed,staring up at the white ceiling of his cluttered bedroom; his bony fingers reaching out for the half-burnt cigarette occasionally. His room smells of foul odor and the air is so thick that you could almost touch it, Glen has been staring at the ceiling all morning. His phone rings somewhere beneath the pile of clothes and trash in the dark, damp room. Glen continues to stare at the ceiling. “Is she coming again tonight?”

Although, Glen always wanted to slip back into his warm blanket and forget about all the toil he had to endure while jogging, but he had his motivation. It was not the lame jokes that his colleagues passed around the office about his bulge, the unfitting clothes that burst at the seams making him look muddled, his boss treating him like a door mat; he could have taken all these silently, ignoring everyone who made him realize his oddity all the time. Well, this month was out of the ordinary as the guys stopped passing their stupid comments, whenever Glen passed by their cubicles the ladies were always whispering to each other, jealousy evident on their grumpy faces.There was a buzz in the office about the new girl, who stunned the guys and mortified the opposites.

It was June when Aisha joined the office as a Public relations officer; she was perfect. Glen had not even noticed her until one day when she entered the elevator; they exchanged pleasantries. Glen was awestruck by her beauty and intelligence, the way she carried herself was simply enlivening.He didn’t have a hint on what she thought about or felt for him, pity or whatever he didn’t care. The daily elevator ride with an angel was the most anticipated moment for Glen every morning, he was falling for her and he found it very hard to ignore this fact. She was the only one in the entire office who had not ridiculed him, she always made him feel comfortable, eyed him with utmost diligence.

On Friday morning he mustered up enough courage and as soon as Aisha entered the elevator, he blurted out, “How about dinner tonight?” Aisha looked at him for brief moment; smiled and replied “I would love to, How about your place at 08:00?” Glen was transfixed he didn’t even hear what he said. The entire day in the office was trapped in slow motion; he felt he was floating with a silly smile stuck to his face. He could not have been luckier.

Glen was on the seventh heaven, although discreet about his everyday rendezvous with the angel, he had set certain goals to impress his new found love. Losing that entire bulge was his urgency, jogging seemed to be very effective; he was losing weight fast, in fact very fast.

He no longer goes jogging really; he cannot even get up from his bed, last week he received a letter from his boss, stating that his services were no longer required. Now, Glen weighs only a quarter of his original weight, his hands are bony and the shape of his ribs stick out of his chest, he looks pale, very pale. He scratches the bite marks on his neck and wonders when she will be coming.

 To his horror, he  just could not have been luckier.

Arrested Development

“Khayakkkk Thuuu”!! How often do you hear it? Disgusting, annoying, exasperating, infuriating and downright outrageous, well, the list goes on. Why does this gross act have to be so audible amongst our fellowmen?  Is it so right for us to desecrate our streets, walls, sidewalk and other public places, with our filthy mucus’s? It is not only dreadful, but totally sickening.

Of course!  It is not wrong to excrete your waste, but it is not a good thing to illustrate this deterring act publicly as well.  In case you haven’t noticed, just take a casual walk around the streets of our bustling city; and you are sure to come across some Harke dai, Raju Bhai and even Shanta didi, who brazenly sputter around like air-blocked faucets. The depressing part is that our people enjoy conducting this heinous act quite vociferously.

Very heartbreaking indeed!  We put in every effort to modernize and we joyously revere the ways of the west. Let’s ponder on why the western countries (preferably: – Developed nations) are still look down upon us as an underdeveloped one. Yes, we lack behind on a lot of things, right from our unplanned and poorly managed city infrastructure to extremely low per capita income. Are these the only rationale that has permanently branded us as models of poor etiquette?

Of all the reasoning, we must admit that we still lack way behind in terms of good decorum. We tend to care less for things that are outside our domain, and we certainly possess the “it’s not mine,” attitude, which is at large, the major culprit here. Let us take a moment and ponder over our transgressions!  To begin with; have we ever thought twice before dumping that plastic full of putrid waste on the roadside? Or even felt a hint of indignity before relieving (in these case MEN! Of all shapes and sizes) ourselves in public view in broad daylight (we even beat our canine friends on this part).  Well, the fact is that we do not even ask our kids to pick up the plastic candy wrapper and dump it in the trash can, after they relish the goodies and casually throw the wrapper and empty packets on the ground. Well, “it’s not ours, so why bother?” attitude comes into play and we tend to overlook all the misdemeanors that should be so urgently corrected. The virtues which could be so easily instilled in the little minds of our children are so easily overlooked. And that’s how we are rearing our “Gen Next” right!

Traveling anywhere even within our city limits, seems so hazardous these days. I know this because I m one of the unfortunate individuals to tour around our city in a two-wheeler (got to work, harder for two more wheels). I can simply encapsulate the state our city streets, as close to an evacuation process after a big catastrophe. Everywhere you go you see throngs of people treading anywhere and everywhere, jam-packed streets with vehicles of every shape and size, grimy truckers and taxi drivers swearing at a drop of a hat (experience road rage at its best), speed maniacs on multicolored two- wheels and scores of animals right in the middle of the street (in this case man’s best friend and of course indolent herbivores).

And you do not need a better reason to start a street pandemonium, anything will do. Somebody gets his face smacked and the streets are packed with people, carrying banners and shouting slogans and everything comes to a grinding halt, bringing with it the adverse aftereffects. Black smoke, black flags, flying bricks, police batons, several split heads, ghastly gashes, tear gas canisters and broken bones; you will see it all in the streets. Buddha the figure, who denoted peace and non-violence, would definitely wish he was never born here if he were here now.

And damn right that everyone has the liberty to speak their minds in this detestable nation. Politicians speak only to blame each other; a Nepalese ridicules another because the latter does not belong to this clan. And what more! We even get free lessons on developing terminology, if you ever walk by a group of youngsters; the amount of profanity mixed in their conversation would even make the devil cover up his ears.  So that’s how we have learned to speak so far.

The aspiration for a better tomorrow seems grim and unreachable, let us hope that realization and the burning desire to change gets the better of us, before our nation is doomed forever. Until then let us start with just by quitting our bad habits that illustrates our negligence, it is hope that keeps mankind going and hope will lead us there, we can and will make a difference. Let us free ourselves from this arrested development. 

The Overthrown queen of Hills

Up on the North Eastern side of India, lies my beloved home town, a place I grew up in. A place where love and understanding reigns in every mind, where concern and willingness to help one another resides in every mind. Where ever I m I cannot forget this place, where I used to walk around watching smiling faces looking back at me from every corner.
Times have changed, moments have passed by, faces have changed yet this little place has provided a safe abode to everyone. I love this place and I shall ever cherish its existence. Darjeeling I love U!

The yearning to travel.

Man has always yearned to explore and visit new places. Traveling helps us learn and acquire knowledge, experience novel cultures and see new places. We all love to travel don’t we? Maybe pack our bags and visit some exotic islands or take a hike up the mountains.

Planning is a must, every trip needs proper arrangement for smoother execution; an unplanned trip can be demoralizing or worse you may not even enjoy it. Pre arranging of all necessary requirements for traveling anywhere should be delved into; before you head out of the door.

There are many ways in which you can make your trip safe and enjoyable; it is a good idea to opt for plastic money, rather than hard cash this ensures that your money will not be stolen. Of course! You will need some amount of cash for petty expenses, but keep it minimal.

Clothing is another important matter that has to be considered seriously. A bit of “Google” to know about the weather of your destination will help you determine the right sort of clothes; you can pack up for this trip.

It is also very important to stay connected to your family and friends, we now have enough innovations in communication, it is amazing to think how small the world has shrunk to in terms of connecting electronically. Staying in touch and updating your family and friends about your daily whereabouts, will also be of immense help, if you are lost or in emergency. So do apply for roaming facility for your mobile phone, before setting off.

It also helps to be a little affable; this approach can earn you goodwill from the locals of the place you are visiting. You need all the assistance you can, in a place which is alien to you so be friendly, outspoken and charismatic, but do keep your limitations as being over-friendly also has its downsides.

Also travel light, carrying lighter loads will give you more mobility and will ensure fewer hassles at airports, carry only the essentials. There are other ways in which you can make your trip hassle-free and pleasurable. So the next time you are planning for an excursion, make it worth the time and money you are investing on it. BonVoyage!

Mirror in my room

The space between me and the image in the mirror seemed only a few millimeters.

I woke up that morning, feeling slightly lightheaded the only thing I remembered was the freefall down towards and endless vortex of flashing lights; after that I could not remember anything. This morning was peculiar; I rubbed my eyes, until it adjusted to the faint light pouring into the room from the window……. on the left “Is that right?’. This wasn’t right! The window was on the right yesterday, before that or as long as I can remember. I jumped up and looked around, the entire room looked different, ‘all the things which should have been on the right side were now to my left’!

I could hear mom calling me downstairs for breakfast, I got out of bed and headed to the door on the left, smack! I hit the wall! I looked back, shocked to see that the door was on the right. “What is happening”? “The mirror” I was looking at the mirror before I fell asleep yesterday! I moved across the room and stared at the mirror and saw my image smiling back at me, though I wasn’t smiling. “Is this for real?” Was I dreaming?Was I trapped in his world forever? To my horror it was true…

He could not have been luckier

He could not have been luckier.

He used to jog religiously, every morning; had set the alarm for 04:00 am, waking him up from his deep slumber, frustratingly every single day. Now the alarm arouses him no more, he just lies on messy bed, staring up at the white ceiling of his cluttered bedroom; his bony fingers reaching out for the half-burnt cigarette occasionally. His room smells of foul odor and the air is so thick that you could almost touch it, Glen has been staring at the ceiling all morning. His phone rings somewhere beneath the pile of clothes and trash in the dark, damp room. Glen continues to stare at the ceiling. “Is she coming again tonight?”

Although, Glen always wanted to slip back into his warm blanket and forget about all the toil he had to endure while jogging, but he had his motivation. It was not the lame jokes that his colleagues passed around the office about his bulge, the unfitting clothes that burst at the seams making him look muddled, his boss treating him like a door mat; he could have taken all these silently, ignoring everyone who made him realize his oddity all the time. Well, this month was out of the ordinary as the guys stopped passing their stupid comments, whenever Glen passed by their cubicles the ladies were always whispering to each other, jealousy evident on their grumpy faces. There was a buzz in the office about the new girl, who stunned the guys and mortified the opposites.

It was June when Aisha joined the office as a Public relations officer; she was perfect. Glen had not even noticed her until one day when she entered the elevator; they exchanged pleasantries. Glen was awestruck by her beauty and intelligence, the way she carried herself was simply enlivening. He didn’t have a hint on what she thought about or felt for him, pity or whatever he didn’t care. The daily elevator ride with an angel was the most anticipated moment for Glen every morning, he was falling for her and he found it very hard to ignore this fact. She was the only one in the entire office who had not ridiculed him, she always made him feel comfortable, eyed him with utmost diligence.

On Friday morning he mustered up enough courage and as soon as Aisha entered the elevator, he blurted out, “How about dinner tonight?” Aisha looked at him for brief moment; smiled and replied “I would love to, How about your place at 08:00?” Glen was transfixed he didn’t even hear what he said. The entire day in the office was trapped in slow motion; he felt he was floating with a silly smile stuck to his face. He could not have been luckier.

Glen was on the seventh heaven, although discreet about his everyday rendezvous with the angel, he had set certain goals to impress his new found love. Losing that entire bulge was his urgency, jogging seemed to be very effective; he was losing weight fast, in fact very fast.

He no longer goes jogging really; he cannot even get up from his bed, last week he received a letter from his boss, stating that his services were no longer required. Now, Glen weighs only a quarter of his original weight, his hands are bony and the shape of his ribs stick out of his chest, he looks pale, very pale. He scratches the bite marks on his neck and wonders when she will be coming.

He could not have been luckier.

Biking in winter months

Hi Bikers

Well, winter is here and the chill is in the air, so get ready for your winter ride. The cold whether may try it’s best to deter us from doing what we do best; it is not going to stop us from swinging our legs over our two-wheeled beauties. In fact winter is the season that I prefer to ride, no rain, no ditches and potholes filled with dirty water, no catching cold and no more soggy rides. So zip up your leather jackets and get those riding boots on, the road beckons.

In my opinion a good leather jacket is vital for any biker during winter months. Leather protects us from direct wind and acts as a good insulator against the chill, well I have my black leather bomber jacket ready, How about you?? Boots are another important requirement in the cold season, it not only keeps your feet warm but also protects them in case of spills. I also recommend gloves as an important addition to your winter biking session, a lot of fancy gloves are readily available in the market, pick one of them; as for me my simple black leather gloves will surely keep my fingers warm and functional. As for the dust and smoke chocking kathmnadu valley, it will be foolish not to go out without proper protection to the eyes, also wear nose and mouth mask which will at least keep out some amount of dust and smoke, if not all. Helmets are the most important additions, in fact compulsory. Please do not ride without proper protection to the head, I have invested generously in getting the best helmet available.

Well, with all the protection in place, time to hit the road guys. I m thinking of riding up to Dolpa this winter; but I don’t think I will be riding up there in my old bullet (fuel issues). Instead I will be riding my uncle’s off-road Moto x styled Apollo Rx for this purpose. I m sure my ride is going to be adrenaline pumping and fun, of course, safety will be my 1st concern. We are five of us raring to go, eagerly waiting for December 26 for the commencement of this trip.

I m aware that the terrain will be rough and challenging, but that is exactly what I want….challenge to explore the biker in me, to get the experiencing riding on the trails, never ridden before. Mud trails, stone trails, river crossings, rickety bridges and nose-scraping up trails I m ready for all these, I m sure this trip will change my perception on how I view life itself, I ll be a changed man. The cold and uncertain trails are beckoning.. there I must go…See you for now.. will post the pics..if I come back alive..haha

amitd1: Bike Rides

amitd1: Bike Rides: “It was as though that the rain gods were out to ruin every little fun. The rain may be a deterrent to long nature rides, but it does not dis…”

Bike Rides

It was as though that the rain gods were out to ruin every little fun. The rain may be a deterrent to long nature rides, but it does not dishearten us to swing a leg over our metal horses. The weather may be damp but our spirits are sunny…