A look down the Aorta!

For people who know me well, know that I am passionately in love with Mussoorie. I just penned a few lines, may be some time back, but in between applying for jobs, which I did for most part of the day today, I did something that kept me going through the usual company profiles. Considering that I am running a slight temperature today, I am happy with what I did today, in terms of my work and more so, for I churned out some nice lines. Hope you all like it!



I can feel the sun, heating up the floor underneath my feet!
Soft warm winds with rays fighting the printed linen, to seep.

Trees on toes, in vain; not tall enough in standing!
Streets lengthened by a red lining, shadows straightening!
May be this is what is called 'lining up the broadway"!
To me, just another day in good old Mussoorie, quaint and gay.

The Quran's being opened yet again, enchanted in reverence.
Agarbattis fill the air with the ever so recognizable fragrance!
A sound that needs no voice, a smell little insecure.
The morning namaaz in sync with the temple prayer!
Allah meets Ram, 6000 feet above the ground.

Sherpas; steel bodies, benign expressions, circling town.
Breathing beedis. True to its last stretch, a constant grin.
NewYork, Paris, Mumbai,Tokyo?
Gun hill chalna hai saahab?

Winding paths, known yet unknown.
Daily nuances, mundane chores, still cause a rush of blood.
As I stroll down, steps beg to speed, eyes popped out,
Looking to see, seeking solace, for once the future is a reality.


Turn after turn, familiarity strikes, anticipation satiated.
Panditji's grocery store, Omi's sweets. I can guess it all!
A sense of security prevails, my hills intact.
People love change, I love the unchanged.


I follow water, down stream, trickling as it does.
Only it shares my exuberance, my passion, my love.
We communicate with our characteristic giggling,
holding virtual hands, it dodges its bumps, while I evade mine.
New waters, old friends, race to the finish this is, with two winners.

Eggs buoyant on boiling water, topped with salt and water when done,
Corn, coated in lime, honey and spices, freshly charcoaled, blackened.
I scuffle my coat, for a 2 rupee coin, Sun's beaming on Doon Valley.
Got to hurry up! For I know I have to bargain, before I catch a glimpse.
Telescopes don't rent out cheap, on a fine bright Summer morning.

Bauji, calls out the rifle shooting vendor. Haanji sir, yells the horse lender.
Authoritative in my voice, I reply with a chosen dismissive response, local.
Persistence vanishes into the thin air. The rest, as they say, is history.
I move on, with my hands in my pockets, city walk, amused, triumphant.

I realize relativity. No trace of speed of light around, but for my thoughts.
Engaging me in a seamless motion; stretching perspectives, contracting times.
The will to see the life in a second, and all you have is a bunch of emotions.
I assort them, frantically. Time's of essence, yet another life's to follow.

Stopping intermittently, smiling profusely, tapping the barricades,
I retrace my steps to 116 Landour bazaar, my ancestral home.
Bowing with folded against every alternate shop, is Kawarraj's puttar!
Sharing second glances, second greetings, but rejuvinated warmth.

Tandoor's awaits at its harshest temperatures to be fed yet again,
hands clapping against it, flours been cast into a holy shape yet again.
I totter my way up the steps, comforting my demanding stomach.
Engulfed in a flavor of maa ki daal, yelling "Beeji, Rajma chaul banaye ne ?"

One of my idols- Sir Chris Bonington

Calling Sir Chris Bonington so, gives me immense pleasure. He is one of the finest mountaineers that we have and will ever see. I can relate to his writings a lot since he looks at a mountain no different than I do. To me his writings are like a like ride in a 'top down' aircraft or 'I am in his sack' kinda feeling. Through his books and his descriptions of his adventures, I feel like I too was a part of them. I found something about him on the net....For all my fellow adventurers...Relish this post over a nice cup of coffee.

Born in Hampstead in 1934, Chris Bonington was educated at University College School, London and the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst. He was commissioned in the Royal Tank Regiment in 1956. He spent three years in North Germany in command of a troop of tanks and then two years at the Army Outward Bound School as a mountaineering instructor.It was during this period that he started climbing in the Alps, making the first British ascent of the South West Pillar of the Drus in 1958 and then the first ascent of the Central Pillar of Freney on the south side of Mont Blanc in 1961 with Don Whillans, Ian Clough and the Pole, Jan Dlugosz. At that time this was one of the most difficult climbs in the Alps and even today is considered one of the great classics of the Mont Blanc region.He made the first British ascent of the North Wall of the Eiger in 1962.
On leaving the Army in 1961 he joined Unilever as a Management Trainee but after nine months realised that he could never combine a conventional career with his love of mountaineering. Now married to Wendy, a freelance illustrator of children's books, Bonington made the decision to go freelance and since 1962 has followed a successful course as writer, photographer and mountaineer. They have two sons, Daniel and Rupert.
Having started climbing at the age of sixteen, Bonington reached a high standard of rock climbing while still in his teens. In 1960 he was invited to join the Joint British-Indian-Nepalese Services Expedition to Annapurna II (26,041 ft.), and reached the summit.
Other outstanding climbs followed until in 1966 he was given his first assignment by the Daily Telegraph Magazine to cover other expeditions - climbing the highest active volcano in the world, Sangay in Ecuador; caribou hunting with the Eskimos in Baffin Island; a story from Hunza.Bonington's fast-developing career as an adventure journalist and photographer reached a climax in 1968 when he accompanied an Army Expedition, led by the then Captain John Blashford-Snell, in their attempt to make the first ever descent of the Blue Nile. This proved to be Bonington's most exciting, and by far most dangerous, adventure yet and by the end of the expedition he knew he should get back to climbing, the activity he loved and thoroughly understood.
In the autumn of 1968 Bonington started planning an expedition to attempt the South Face of Annapurna. At this time no major Himalayan wall had been climbed and tackling this huge, 12,000 ft. wall was a step into the unknown since it involved climbing steep rock and ice at heights of over 24,000 feet. Careful choice of team members and logistical planning was rewarded by success when Dougal Haston and Don Whillans reached the summit on 27th May, 1970.

After the ascent of Annapurna, the 'last great problem' - the South West Face of Everest - was a logical follow-up. In 1972 he led the British Expedition which was defeated by the savage winds and intense cold of that autumn and winter. When the opportunity came for a further attempt, in the autumn of 1975, Bonington led the British Everest Expedition to success when Doug Scott and Dougal Haston reached the summit on 24th September.
Two years later he and Doug Scott made the first ascent of the Ogre (23,900 ft.) in the Karakoram Himalaya and had an epic six-day descent, aided by Mo Anthoine and Clive Rowland, through a blizzard, with Doug Scott crawling all the way as he had broken both his legs soon after leaving the summit. Bonington also had a fall and broke a rib, they ran out of food and when at last they reached Base Camp, starving and exhausted, it was only to find that their companions had given them up for lost and abandoned the camp.In 1978 Bonington led a small team to attempt the previously unclimbed formidable West Ridge of K2, which at 28,741 ft. is the second highest mountain in the world. This ended when, tragically, Nick Estcourt was engulfed by a huge avalanche which swept across part of their route. Then there was a break of two years spent researching and writing his book, QUEST FOR ADVENTURE, which became an immediate best seller and was on the Sunday Times Best Seller list for over ten weeks.
After that, as might be expected, he became involved in yet another 'first'.

In 1980 he, Dr. Michael Ward and Alan Rouse were among the first Europeans to visit China when they re-opened some of their mountain areas to foreign mountaineers. They made a reconnaissance of Mount Kongur, a remote unclimbed mountain in Western Xinjiang, and returned again in 1981 for the successful ascent of the 25,325 ft. peak accomplished by Bonington, Peter Boardman, Joe Tasker and Alan Rouse - which is graphically described in his book, KONGUR, CHINA'S ELUSIVE SUMMIT.In 1982 Bonington, together with Peter Boardman, Joe Tasker and Dick Renshaw, attempted the long unclimbed North East Ridge of Everest without oxygen. Renshaw had to retire when he suffered a mild stroke (diagnosed by Charles Clarke, the expedition's doctor) and Bonington decided that as he was moving so much slower than either Boardman or Tasker at high altitude, they should go for the top on their own. Tragically they both disappeared on what Bonington described as 'the happiest expedition any of us had been on' and it was abandoned.
1983 proved to be a full and successful year with the first ascent of the West Summit of Shivling (21,330 ft.), in the Gangotri Himalaya in India, climbed alpine-style in five days and then a fascinating expedition to Antarctica with an American team to climb Mount Vinson (l6,800 ft.), its highest peak. In temperatures down to -35C and with winds of over 50 miles an hour, the other members of the team turned back and Bonington reached the summit by himself. He then dropped back to support his companions in their successful attempt a few days later. This, therefore, is the only British ascent of this mountain.

In June of 1984, Bonington, together with Al Rouse and two Pakistani climbers, attempted the unclimbed 24,607 foot Karun Koh in the Karakoram Himalaya but was defeated by bad weather.
Bonington realised a life time's ambition when, in 1985 he reached the summit of Everest as a member of the Norwegian Everest Expedition.
In 1987 and 1988 he led an expedition to Menlungtse, 7150 metres, one of the most beautiful and technically difficult unclimbed peaks in the world. In 1988 the expedition made the first ascent of the West Peak of Menlungtse. In addition they searched for the legendary yeti and were accompanied by a BBC Natural History Unit film team who made a documentary of the search.

After two and a half years involved in the writing and production of a picture book, and a television series and book about the history of mountaineering, he joined forces with Robin Knox-Johnston on an expedition to Greenland. They sailed there in the yacht Suhaili, in which Knox-Johnston made the first non-stop, single-handed circumnavigation of the world, to attempt the previously unclimbed, 2660 metre Cathedral peak, in the remote Lemon Bjerge range.
In 1992 he led jointly with Harish Kapadia, an extremely successful Indian/British expedition to the remote Kumaon Himalaya in northern India. Several first ascents were made including the West Ridge of Panch Chuli II (6904m) by Bonington and Graham Little.
In July 1993, he joined Jim Lowther, Graham Little and Rob Ferguson on a return expedition to the Lemon Bjerge range in Greenland, this time flying into the Chisel Glacier and making three first ascents, a mixed route on the Chisel and two technically challenging rock routes on the Ivory Tower and the Needle.
In August he visited the Russian Caucasus, climbing Mount El'brus (5642m) - the highest peak in Europe - and the demanding North East Ridge of Ushba.
In 1994 he returned to one of the little explored areas of northern India and, together with Harish Kapadia, led another joint Indian/British expedition. Their objective was an unclimbed peak of 6553m in the upper reaches of the Tirung Gad in the Kinnaur Himalaya, a region previously unvisited by climbers The expedition succeeded in making the first ascent of this remote and beautiful peak, which they named Rangrik Rang, putting eight members of the team on the summit.
To celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the successful 1985 Norwegian Everest Expedition the team came together again, this time to attempt the first ascent of Drangnag-Ri, an unclimbed 6801m peak in the Rolwaling Himal, appropriately not far from Everest itself.
Once more the expedition was successful when on 30th April Bonington, Ralph Høibakk, Bjørn Myrer-Lund and Sherpas Pema Dorge and Lhakpa Gyalu reached the summit after some technically difficult and challenging climbing.

In 1996 Chris made a reconnaissance with Charles Clarke to North East Tibet to find the peak they had seen through a plane window in 12982 on their way to Lhasa in 1982. They found their mountain (Sepu Kangri 6950m) and in the spring 1997 made their first attempt to climb it. Jim Lowther, Jim Fotheringham, John Porter and Chris made up the climbing team, supported by Charles Clarke, Jim Curran (filming) and Duncan Sperry (Email and Internet technical support). This was the first time that Chris used satellite technology on an expedition to run a web site. The team were beaten by appalling weather and retreated having reached 6100 metres on the North East Face of Sepu Kangri.

Chris returned in the Autumn of 1998 with Victor Saunders, Graham Little, Elliot Robertson and Scott Muir (climbing team), Charles Clarke and a film crew comprising Jim Curran, Martin Belderson and Greg Cubitt from ITN. Clarke and Robertson set out a month early and explored a fresh approach to the mountain from the east but the main party were once again beaten by the weather. This time the team approached the summit by the "Western Cwm" of the mountain, making two attempts. Victor Saunders and Scott Muir reached a height of 6800 metres, very close to the summit and Graham Little made the first ascent of the Turquoise Flower (6650m), an outlying peak of Sepu Kangri.
In Spring 2000 Chris had a family trip to the Kanchenjunga region in Nepal making the first ascent of Danga II.. and later that summer climbed in South Greenland making several first ascents.
In 2001 he co-led an Indian, American, British expedition to the Arganglas range in Ladakh, NW India. He also made his first trip to Tafraute region of Morocco to join a group of rock legendary figures, including Joe Brown, Les Brown, Derek Walker and others who had been exploring and making new routes over a period of twelve years. He had a great time – see expeditions – and has been going annually ever since.
In 2003, another new development – he joined Harish Kapadia and a group of Indian and British friends in an enjoyable trek and climb in Kullu, the following year in Lahoul, and in 2005 in Kumaon. He also climbed Kilimanjaro for a second time with a group of Pentland executives.(Pentland own Berghaus, of which Chris is non executive Chairman.) and an attempt to sail once again into Kangelugsuaq to climb the Cathedral.

'Back' to the future!

This one comes after a long time. TO be honest, I was simply lazy till date. I think the past 6 weeks of my life would classify as the most exciting in the last 7 months of my stay here in the US. But, I dunno why, I am missing home a lot tonight.......infactI have been feeling so for the past 1 week. I can recall a few incidents that brought out these effects. For the most of you who I am sure don't know this, I have had this habit of visiting the websites of agents providing package tours to the Himalayas for ages now. I dunno what I was thinking today, I spent100 minutes prior to my typing attempt here, surfing the web....I know I shudn't have done se. To add to it, the music got on to me.......I have these moments in the US where in I start analyzing the reason of my decision to move to the US.....Silly me!Right now, I am in a phase, where in given a choice, I wud wanna go to the Himalayas and spend my life there....I guess I have been that way always, but tonite the feeling is overwhelming.....I guess the fact that I will be leaving for school the day after adds to the plight.....anyways, I am not down...just looking back yet again......I have gotten so much into the habit of doing so, I sometimes feel that I shud let my back face my future....Ironically, that way, I guess I wud infact look a lot more ahead...heheheeehe....Sharad, u moron, stop bugging these innocent souls.......go to sleep...sorry guys, I just have so many thoughts doing errands in my head, I don't know what to write and what not! BTW..I have some nice pics of my trips here and there...I will try uploading an album or something.....till then, take care! Have fun

Visionary Illusions-I linger on!

These were a few lines that I penned a few weeks back, when time was on my side. If my diary is to be believed, it was the night of 27th January;I was waiting for the college to open,for I was damn bored at home. Here it goes,I hope u enjoy it:

I wish you could see U through my eyes,
feel my pulse while I see U and the time flies.
Watching I watch, a face that is over,
reality bites, a phase that is over.

I linger on.

I wish you could see U through my eyes.
Fingers moving rhythm in the air,
black ripples here and there.
A glance shed, a spot ignited,
rolling of eyes, to seek an eye that is there.

I linger on.

Effervescence, a champagne uncorked,
Dilemma, never a poet sought.
Mystic, is that a glass or a diamond?
an embrace, a few souls are in heaven.

I linger on.

I wish you could see U through my eyes,
Sun beams, its just a spotlight.
Moon shrinks, its afraid they may realise.

I linger on.

Like ash to fire,
and death to a war.
Like a smirk to sarcasm,
and a storm to a thunder,

I linger on.

I wish you could see U through my eyes.

Spring Break and days so far!

This post comes after a long time. I have had a pretty hectic 2 months or so. There have been innumerable transitions. Some which I could embrace when they happened, some I might realise a few years down the line. I think this break(though only litreally!) will allow me to just relax a bit, reflect, contemplate and plan for the things to come ahead. One thing is for sure though; I have never felt like I deserved a break more than I do now in the past 4 years. This weekend was fun. We caught up on some Hindi movies. Though all of them turned out to be silly, I really relished the time that I spent with friends at home. We cooked elaborate meals, and spent hours; supplementing our meals with prolonged discussions.I shall try and update my invisible and (I hope not) imaginary readers.

February:
February was a month of vulnerability for me. There were times when everyone seemed right and then there were some when I felt the opposite. The first half was spent in finalising my courses. Like any other fresh incoming student, I had to fight many insecurities, overcome fears. Fear of being ridiculed, fear of uncceptability. I think I handled it pretty well. Mid-feb was more like a warm up zone. Since, I had my stuff sorted out, I just had to work. Being the begining of the sem and my added exuberence, I often felt that I wasn't putting in enough efforts as I was on the go, almost always.Valentine's day was a respite for me; as we went out for a night. Though nothing extravagant was done, but I enjoyed thoroughly.

March:
March was a month of extremities. I had multiple commitments. Being a new student here, I wanted to make sure that I wasn't recieved as a snob, for that I am not. So, I decided to take part in a duet dancing event for 'Indianite', which was scheduled for 10th March. It took quite some convincing and some gruelling wee hours of practice. My body cranked and rumbled, as I tried to move in sync for the most part of early March. I haven't danced in 6 years. To add to that, side-view now is more like my front view not to long ago. Nonetheless, we pulled off a decent performance,more of which has to be attributed to my dancing partner Aarti who inspite of being loaded with twice as much course work I am with, and also being a part of two other dances, gave a good performance. Paradise ended with advent of Sunday. For me, most part of Sunday was spent reminiscing and logginh on to Orkut. I din't want to let any 'congrats' unthanked. Sometimes these events get the kid out in you. Come Monday, and it was back to school, for I had a daunting Midterm staring at me on Tuesday. It went pretty well. It was followed by a midterm in the subject of Logistics. For the first time in my life I worked a straight 16 hrs, and I am proud of it.I never thought I could push myself so hard.

So there it is, my life through Feb and March, in a nutshell. Its really difficult to transcend the emotions attached with many of the actions that I narrated. It may seem a little bland, for many of aquaintances believe that life in the US revolves around visiting strip bars, getting drunk every weekend and getting lucky with local chicks. I don't blame them, I have had my days when I believed so myslef. I guess there is more to life here than that. Fine, u miss home, miss parents; I have had tears in my eyes at times when I had no one to sak me for food or cared to know how I was doing, in person. I can see myself to having grown from that situation, more independent, responsible and more aware of my own actions. Not that I wouldn't like to be pampered by my people when I return, but I guess they will recieve a lot more appreciation this time around, for I understand and value the efforts that go in to make someone feel like how I was made to feel, back home.

As for the Spring break, I plan to visit my cousin at New Jersey and I am sure its gonna be fun. Family,Worldcup, laughter, fun, good food and I hope some good liquor await me.
Cheers!

A pinch of salt!

Have you ever obeserved the little discrepancies that exist under our benevolent eyes? How an instant coffee is seldom instant or a Maggi never cooked in 2 minutes. As the title suggests, a pinch of salt is next to a trifle. I am not mad tonight, ladies and gentlemen. I am just pursuing my Masters. My rather inactive and sluggish medulla oblongata suffered a roller coaster ride in 5 degrees Fahrenheit today. No, I aint a Biology major neither am I being oversmart about my bio-skills. I searched the net for 15 agonising minutes to find that word. Coming to the point of discrepancies, I met a bald guy called Jim Forest. Now, for god's sake, there has got to be some relation between a man and his denotation. Nature's not far behind in affirming what my ego wants to disapprove of. The existence of a pond in the midst of a desert still astounds my rather feeble imagination.There are countless such rather subtle insinuations that surround us. Let me share the one responsible for this post. I was handed over something yesterday, which in the scientific world is known as a paper. I spent a whopping 7 hours, shared painfully between yesterday and today, devouring it, trying to make some sense out of it, understanding it. After all the efforts, I had just one query. Why is it called a paper? Definitely not in the physical sense, cos I held 4 separate sheets in my hand. I scratched my hair(thinking!), in an attempt to understand what the ink projected against the white backdrop, but in vain. To no one's surprise only a few hair and some....ahem. precious time was lost. So, there it is, one discrepancy that trigerred an investigation. I spent the whole day, thinking about it and trying not to think about it . It was fun though! The good thing is, that I thought!! and even better is that I have a meeting tomorrow with the man who gave it to me......So, I guess long hours of hard work will eventually pay off. Atleast I got one decent question to put forward..what say?

A Passionate Confession!!

I am here. What seemed like a distant dream not so long ago is a starking reality now. I walk out of my modest little bedroom into the Living area, to open the door and what lies in front of me, is what I now believe I was destined for. Everything around me seems alien. The windows, the light slipping through the neatly manufactured blinds, the floor underneath which my feet embrace for the majority of the hours on any given day. Much like an Imax dome screen pulled in front of my eyes while I wait for the reality to seep in from somewhere, anywhere. Its been the longest time in my life so far that I have been subjected to such isolation. I sit and wonder how this will transform me, possiblly forever. At the moment, I am more in a state of phase lag, where in I try to connect more with the past rather than being excited at the prospect of what lies ahead. I am looking forward, indeed but in a state of remorse for I know I can't fight the ineveitable. Change!!!! I hope I am a more complete individual when I graduate after 2 years or so and standing on that podium feel more like an enriched man rather than one who has been transformed by the incessant and the ever present surroundings. I hope I relish my first cup of tea in the morning made with my mom's chai masala as much as I might long for that Starbuck's coffee. I hope the most easily gettable burger does not take precedence over the road-side Vada Pav. The spices that built up my daily nutrition for 22 years suddenly do not seem like they were from Mars and never meant for my English tongue. I hope I walk through holding time, holding Sharad, and people who have known him, loved him, admired him, hated him while I embrace the new man who shall evolve after this self sought journey. I want to crawl not leap for I am scared that it might create a void in my life which is unexplainable to people who matter to me. I want them to understand and be a part of this endeavour, not because I fear surprises, I love surprises but more for the concern of human sensibility that they might not appreciate the reason as to why would I be where I will be eventually. I question the obvious, I question why a new venture has to be at the demise of another. I want my parents to hug their son and feel the same warmth and the grip which despite no words re-assured them that their son would be back, the next time I return. I often sit and think about the correctness of my decision to leave what I value most in search of something more. Worthless, I know. The perspective has to change. I convince myself that every change does not imply that the past was bitter or that one seeks more pleasure or solace in the times to come. I build my future to sustain my past. My life has been beautiful and I attribute the most of it to the people who have been around me. People who have been the reason for me to believe that god exists! I am here to learn more not forget what I have learnt and I hope it stays that way. I hope I fulfill all my promises that I made in the months that prior to my departure, most important one to my crying grandmother that I would meet her the next time I was India. I promise to spend that night out, drinking some good old Indian beer with my friends which I promised to them, I would. I promise my mom that I would attend her silliest of calls, just so she can hear me one more time( with the same tone of annoyance, if you insist!!!). Pardon me people if I step out of the Chatrapati spelling 'zee' for 'z' or talking with an accent as if I had spent the last 3 months in a call centre, catering to the ones oblivious to technology. I was, I am and will always be the same old Sharad Raj who brags about Mussoorie, talks of moral behaviour when he is most drunk, loves to love and as many say, an idealist-one who looks at life through roseate glasses. Love me, hate me, ignore me.........but do think about that guy who looked like someone with whom you might some time in your lives felt like associating with..Love and let love!