Very important things

• Drink water
• Meet old friends
• Take care of oneself
• Be happy
• Write
• Sing
• Play
• Read
• Eat good food
• Do new things
• Eat dessert
• Travel to the hills
• Bake
• Make friends with many many many animals
• Sleep under the stars
• Go home

That's all for now! 

Much love, 
Jengs

Sunday Sulkings

A rather contradictory post after the last one where I spoke about inspiration; but I can’t help how I am feeling at the moment.

I like to say that I do most things for myself, that I am the most important person in my life and how it is important to put myself before all others, it is not at all like that. I find myself seeking approval from people – parents, family, friends, colleagues, people on the road who I don’t know, even random strays. I want them to love me. I want them to need me. I want them to find me useful. 

It’s sad really; I feel like I have lost my way once again. Things haven’t been spectacular in a long, long time – and I want it to get there. I miss being a star at everything I did. I miss the exhilaration of my life. I miss the adoration. I have become a lazy, mostly uninspired person and with it, I've stopped inspiring people. 

I want to be inspired and inspire once again.  

Inspiration from the mountains

At Turtuk, I saw a headstone. One meant for a soldier who had died while laying the roads in a place so desolate and unconnected to the rest of India. It called out, "Here great fortitude and courage is the norm". Such a beautiful dedication to the person who had laid down his life. I wish there was a way in which he could know the magnitude of what he has achieved. For silly old me, being able to reach a place so beautiful and inspiring, helped me find direction when I was lost. I now know for sure that I want to do something that holds value, not just for me, but for others as well. 

Great fortitude and courage is the new norm for me! 

Dangerous curves ahead...

Seems like the person who was assigned the task of coming up with catchy phrases for the road signs through the Ladakh region did a fabulous job. Not only are you fascinated by the scenery through the drive - majestic mountains, the blue, blue sky, the never ending stream of water; you also get solid entertainment in the form of road signs. Some of the messages are downright sleazy, some funny and some others thought provoking; all of them however do drive home the point - road safety!



Here's a list of some of them, in no particular order. 

- Don't lose your nerves, when you see curves. 
- The enemy of the road - speed, liquor and overload.
- Speed is like a knife that cuts life. 
- Feel the curves, do not test them. 
- Feel the curves, don't hug them. 
- I am curvaceous. Be slow. 
- Driving faster can cause disaster. 
- Be soft on my curves. 
- I love you, but not so fast. 
- A spill, a slip, a hospital trip. 
- If married, divorce speed.
- If engaged, go steady. 
- If single, watch for curves. 

Oneandhaff is sometimes justified.

Oneandhaff is the standard response while engaging in conversation with an auto driver in Bangalore. While it typically irks me and I respond with a "You only go!", or "Have you lost your mind?” there are some trips made that make it worth the oneandhaff. 

A couple of weeks back I sat in an auto that a certain Mr. Waseem rode (Do you drive or ride an auto?). It was one of those pimped up rickshaws with flashing blue and green lights, a music system with speakers that belted out Bollywood music (you could hear it before you could see it) and a small book shelf! The man itself seemed delighted at the prospect of transporting yet another passenger, with whom he could share his personal taste in music and interior decoration. And he was quick and mostly irreverent - THIS IS MY ROAD is what his auto screamed out as it inched its way through traffic. 

On a regular day I would politely ask the aforementioned Waseem Bhai to reduce the volume, so I could listen to music or hear myself think over the cacophony of sounds. On that day however, I couldn't help but note that I was bobbing my head and tapping my feet to the music. For somebody who typically requires several hot drinks to do the needful while standing on two feet, this was certainly a new, never before felt feeling. It was almost as if Mr. Waseem had planned it all, designed his rickshaw so people could dance to his tunes. 

Life lesson learnt - If you can’t beat them, join them... it guarantees ample fun!

So the next time you hear someone tell you "Oneandhaff", please look inside the auto to see if it has pretty lights, music and a book shelf, and a certain Mr. Waseem at the helm, before you scoff, say something nasty and walk away. 

Image Courtesy: http://iyermatter.wordpress.com/2009/07/15/indian-transformers-autorickshawbot/

Animalia

One of the things I really enjoyed doing on my trip to Kashmir was taking pictures of all the animals that we came across. From majestic horses to pot-bellied marmots to birds I couldn't identify to random strays, I was in awe of everything. Here are some of the beauties I met. 

Gulab and Mehendi - Gulmarg

Horses - Gulmarg

Ducks in the water - Nagin Lake, Srinagar

Dog at Tibetan Market - Leh

Oneandaf horned domestic cow - Leh

Goat - Turtuk

Magpies on a wire - Turtuk 

Bactrian Camel - Nubra Valley

Himalayan Marmots - Near Pangong Lake 

Horses - Near Pangong Lake

Duck - Pangong Lake

Surprised Cat - Jalianwalla Bagh, Amritsar

Prelude to Ladakh

When Mark Twain wrote "cheer in every face and a spring in every step", I am certain he not only meant the glorious Sunday that Tom Sawyer and his boys were out to have, but also the feeling when he set out on a journey, long dreamt of, leaving everything else behind. This is exactly how I am feeling at this very moment. 

So after three years of planning and going elsewhere, our Ladakh trip has finally materialised. My girls and I are only a couple of hours away from having to pull out our jackets and caps. Brrrr... the excitement is chilling me! (For those who don't get the pun, it's an old MTV reference). 

So we didn't really have to pull out our jackets and caps for a good part of the holiday. It was bloody hot. 

Here is a picture of Drass. 

It must have been about 30 degrees the day we were there. So much for the warm clothes!