What a life!

Tuesday 13 September 2011

The Hong Kong sojourn

Recently, I took the plunge and made a trip to Hong Kong. It was an experience that left me with memories that I cherish. Not everything was positive and hunky-dory, but certainly there were so many highlights, that this account may only do short justice to them. This account will be in series, as there is way too much to recount and I do not want to keep you away from whatever else you are engaged in, for that long (at least I would like to think what I write is engaging enough).

Pre-travel perception

Hong Kong. Meaning 'fragrant harbour'. Marketed as Asia's World City. And it is. No doubts about that. At all. My perception about Hong Kong was based on a few Jackie Chan, Chow Yun Fat and Michelle Yeoh flicks and more recently based on my interaction with colleagues who were from this pulsating city/state.

Being an intrepid traveller, after hearing so much about the city from my former colleagues, it was a rather natural choice to go and directly experience the place. And one short week, has left me with a taste for want more. Much more.

The flight experience

Departure Terminal 3, IGI Airport, Delhi

Even from Kerala, that is so well connected by airlines to the Gulf countries, rather than other parts of the world, due to the significant population working in the Middle Eastern countries, with technological advances I was able to book my trip tickets on line and get to Hong Kong. It did involve rather tedious waiting periods at the new glitzy IGI airport in Delhi, however since this was my first trip out of India through Delhi in recent times, it was memorable.

I also found it interesting that the local airline, I used is still on the learning curve as far as international travel is concerned. One of the key points being that for most international airlines, if a stop on the way to the destination lasts for more than 8 hours, usually the traveller is offered a hotel room to rest - absolutely not the case here! Spending a night sitting on one of the modern benches at the Delhi airport leaves you feeling rather bleary and with a crick in the neck. But having made the decision to go, I suppose it is part of the experience. Would I repeat it? No. We learn from our experiences, don't we? I would rather take an airline that gives me more comforts, for the price that I pay, to go long distance.

The first view

Travelling to a place that is time-wise ahead of India is always fraught with the chances of being bleary eyed and woolly headed, given the time difference with my body clock. But the excitement of the first time, usually makes it bearable.

Hong Kong, first view from air

And if the flight arrives early morning at the destination, it is more than made up by the fantastic vistas one gets to see from the aircraft window, thanks to the morning sun light.

To me, it is also a reminder that however much, I view images or read about a place on line , nothing beats being there and experiencing it first hand.

The first peeks through the clouds start getting the heart pumping a bit faster. Yes! made it, is the usual thought.

I have been repeatedly told that Hong Kong is a congested place, given that only 20% of the available land mass is used for human occupation versus the sheer density of the population residing there. Sounds similar to India, would it be? Not quite, as I discovered.

Immigration is an unusually smooth process for me. I am an Indian. I am not used to being given visas (and that too free!) on arrival in any country. At this point, bubbles a thought in my head - I really do not understand why the Indian government cannot have a reciprocal on arrival visa arrangement with at least the top 40 countries that Indians generally travel or have visitors arrive from. But that is another blog post for later.

Having gone through the smooth stamping of the passport process, picked up the luggage and freshened up at the airport itself. When everything is clean, neat, organised and sign posted, it is such a relief! Met my close friend, who had very kindly agreed to be my guide for this trip.

Double deck bus at the HK international airport

It was agreed that taking the City Bus A11, departing from the airport and arriving finally at the North Point ferry terminus, is a good option, as we were supposed to get down at Wan Chai. Turned out otherwise, though. It was a modern double deck bus that came up to the bus station just outside the terminus.

Going in, understood that while I could keep my small backpack with me, the one medium sized luggage I had, was too large for the steps to the upper deck, so had to leave it on the luggage rack near the entrance. And as this was the first views on land, I was keen to go and sit on the upper deck, as it would afford great views. So modern are these buses, that there are video cameras and small LCD screens that show the interior of the bus, allowing you to keep an eye out for the luggage as well. Unfortunately, the bus we got in, the camera had fogged up due to the humidity and the visibility was very low on the LCD screen. The only stop in the next one hour that it took for us to reach Wan Chai, was at the Macau ferry terminus, Sheung Wan. Many people got off the bus, as I guess they were travelling to Macau or getting off at Sheung Wan.

So excited I was sitting on top and enjoying the views as well as catching up with my friend, I didn't notice anything else. Came down at the Wan Chai bus stop and received a hard mental blow! My luggage was no longer there. Somebody had taken it, when leaving the bus as the stop about 20 minutes back. First time ever this has happened to me, in all my world travels. A surreal feeling. It slowly registers in my head that I have actually lost all my clothes, gifts, toiletries, etc. Luckily, I had all my important documents and the camera with me in the back pack.

Got off the bus. My friend and I were dismayed. But nothing much that we could do at that point of time. Meantime, the stomach has started growling like crazy. So first stop, feed the stomach. Rest will follow. Off to a nearby Yoshinoya - a Japanese food chain that serves pretty good quality food at reasonable prices. Lovely bowl of beef noodles with hot tea, and the stomach had quietened down. What next?

North Point bus terminus

The first thing we did was to go to the Wan Chai Police Station and register the loss/theft of luggage. Then we visited the North Point ferry terminus - the last stop for the A11. We found a bag there with the terminus official, left by another Indian traveller from Delhi to Hong Kong via an Air India flight. The immediate thought was, ok maybe it is just a mix up. The bag was not exactly similar to mine, but at a quick glance it was possible - same colour and all that. So there was hope that maybe this is all just a mix up and that when the person realises his mistake, the bag will be exchanged through City Bus.

Sadly, despite the many follow ups by my friend, various calls and emails to City Bus offices, the Macau Ferry company and the HK Police, my luggage was never located. Thus started my trip. But hold on.

It was not a write off. Not at all. Many more interesting experiences were going to happen. This was only a small blip in the other wise beautiful experience. And yet another lesson learnt.

The rest of the experience continues in the next post.

Saturday 10 September 2011

The great Indian democracy

Once again, as my mind has been a bit focussed on what is happening in this lovely nation, I came across this beautiful article. As I do not know, from where it has really originated or who composed it, I am unable to give any credits. But I can say for sure, that it is a must read insight into the great Indian democracy and its continued survival.

"HINDU WISDOM

The beauty of being a Hindu lies in your freedom to be who you want to be. Nobody can tell you what to do, or what not to do. There is no central authority, no single leader of the faith. No one can pass an order to excommunicate you, or like in some countries, pass a decree that orders your death by stoning for walking with a strange man.

We don’t appreciate our freedom because we can’t feel the plight of others who aren’t free. Many religions have a central authority with awesome power over the individual. They have a clear chain of command, from the lowliest local priest to the highest central leader. Hinduism somehow escaped from such central authority, and the Hindu has miraculously managed to hold on to his freedom through the ages. How did this happen?

Vedanta is the answer. When the writers of Vedanta emerged, around 1500 BC, they faced an organised religion of orthodox Hinduism. This was the post Vedic age, where ritualism was practiced, and the masses had no choice but to follow. It was a coercive atmosphere.

The writers of Vedanta rebelled against this authority and moved away from society into forests. This was how the ‘Aranyakas’ were written, literally meaning ‘writings from the forest’. These later paved the way for the Upanishads, and Vedanta eventually caught the imagination of the masses. It emerged triumphant, bearing with it the clear voice of personal freedom.

This democracy of religious thought, so intrinsic to Vedantic intelligence, sank into the mindset of every Indian.

Most couldn’t fathom the deep wisdom it contained, but this much was very clear. They understood that faith was an expression of personal freedom, and one could believe at will.
That’s why Hinduism saw an explosion of Gods. There was a God for every need and every creed. If you wanted to build your muscles, you worshiped a God with fabulous muscles. If you wanted to pursue education, there was a Goddess of Learning. If it was wealth you were looking for, then you looked up to the Goddess of wealth — with gold coins coming out of her hands.

If you wanted to live happily as a family, you worshiped Gods who specially blessed families. When you grew old and faced oncoming death, you spent time in contemplating a God whose business it was to dissolve everything — from an individual to the entire Universe.

Everywhere, divinity appeared in the manner and form you wanted it to appear, and when its use was over, you quietly discarded that form of divinity and looked at new forms of the divine that was currently of use to you. ‘Yad Bhavam, tad Bhavati’… what you choose to believe becomes your personal truth, and freedom to believe is always more important than belief itself.

Behind all this — was the silent Vedantic wisdom that Gods are but figments of human imagination. As the Kena Upanishad says, “Brahma ha devebhyo vijigye…” — All Gods are mere subjects of the Self. It implies that it is far better that God serves Man than Men serve God. Because Men never really serve God — they only obey the dictates of a religious head who speaks for that God, who can turn them into slaves in God’s name.

Hindus have therefore never tried to convert anyone. Never waged war in the name of religion. The average Hindu happily makes Gods serve him as per his needs. He discards Gods when he has no use for them. And new Gods emerge all the time — in response to market needs. In this tumult, no central authority could survive. No single prophet could emerge and hold sway, no chain of command could be established.

Vedanta had injected an organised chaos into Hinduism, and that’s the way it has been from the last thirty five centuries. Vedanta is also responsible, by default, for sustaining democracy. When the British left India, it was assumed that the nation would soon break up. Nothing of that kind has happened.

The pundits of doom forgot that the Indian had been used to religious freedom from thousands of years. When he got political freedom, he grabbed it naturally. After all, when you can discard Gods why can’t you discard leaders?

Leaders like Gods are completely expendable to the Indian mindset. They are tolerated as long as they serve the people, and are replaced when needs change. It’s the triumph of people over their leaders, and in this tumult, no dictator can ever take over and rule us. Strange how the thoughts of a few men living in forests, thirty five centuries ago, can echo inside the heart of every Indian. That’s a tribute to the resurgent power of India, and the fearlessness of its free thinking people.

Fact still remains that as a people, we are far more open minded on many aspects and equally close minded on many others. This confuses the hell out of anybody who is not really an Indian. Given that change is a fact of nature, it is also the case that Indians may have roots that may not change, but their reaction and action to external events may. With this country emerging as one of the top 3 countries in the world within the next two decades, will mean significant chaos and change across the board at political and psychological levels. Of course, it remains to be seen how it eventually works out.

Friday 9 September 2011

Delhi shaken, but not stirred

It is the weekend. I think back as to what was the highlight of the week, and no surprises - 'D day' is what comes to my mind. The day when Delhi was shaken by both man and nature. Yet what continues to surprise me is the sort of stupor in which our great leaders continue to remain in.

Apart from a few and rather drowned out calls about national security, nothing was new. Investigations and 'pre-emptive security tightening' measures are taken up after the deed has been done by cowards who don't believe in a democratic way to air their grievances.

The USA today spends more than a few billions of dollars under the name of Homeland Security. And while I am not stating that it is the best thing to do, there has resulted some sense of security for their citizens. Yet, our India government only talks about how secure our borders and citizens are! Really? Are we? Not attempting to be paranoid here. But when unsecured, unmanned large ships can be cast away and land on the beach of India's financial nerve centre, the reason given is gaps in our radar system. Why do we have these gaps? We can afford to send space missions, afford to be one of the biggest buyers of defence systems, yet we have gaps? Something doesn't quite ring right here, don't you think so?

In my previous post, I asked a few questions directly to the elected representatives of this amazing country. A month down the line (yes, I have not been particularly prolific in posting), there is hardly a discernible sense of anything being put into action that could potential improve the safety and security of Indian citizens.

Today is that day when the USA woke up to a vulnerability. It is a large country. It can protect itself from external aggression. But from the inside, there was nothing that could stop the planes from hurtling into the New York World Trade Centres. And the result, in a decade of war on terror, much has been done.

When India can claim to be racing to the world top spot on economic grounds, yet factually remains way below in terms of what it does for its citizens - be it protection from terror or hunger, the question is for how long and how many more deaths would it take for us to change?

I will be among the first to state, that there is a lot of good things that have happened since 60 years of independence, but there is a much longer way to go to make India into what was dreamt by the founding mothers and fathers of this nation.

As a democracy, I do have the right of speech. I am exercising it now. In the hope that somebody on top of the pecking order on the Indian political food chain, is listening and just maybe interested enough to do something about it on the scale required.

Thursday 14 July 2011

Blasted! again and again

Today, I write this with a feeling that is anything but normal. But I am going to exactly express, what I feel. And if any of you who read this, feel the same way and choose to do something...anything, whatever you can, then it is one more step taken in the right direction.

Yesterday, once again Mumbai was shaken by multiple deadly 'Improvised Explosive Device' blasts. Once again the TV channels were running around showing repeated footage of the terrible event. Police were trying to figure out what was going on. Hospitals were trying to save lives. And many others rushed to see what is it like to be blasted! Newspapers have carried the ghastly images bringing them in printed color formats to the numbed senses of millions.

There are many of us out here, who feel a complete sense of outrage. A sense of being uncared for by the very people and the system which we subjugate to, every working minute, the Indian government leadership.

Terrorism of any sort is abominable! How many times do the citizens of India have to take these deadly intrusions into their lives? How many mothers have to cry? How many children have to be orphaned? How many fathers have to bleed in their hearts?

Safety and Security are not some optional check box on the list of living conditions in India. It is a necessity. It is a right.

Why is it that this right, this necessity is not being delivered by our leaders? A friend suggested that they are all corrupted and will not do anything beyond the immediate action of conducting press conferences.

Yes, the usual action of professing sympathy, displaying solemn grief with the victims is all fine. But what are our leaders doing to prevent this farce of security and safety to remain?

I agree that Indian civilians are courageous and continue to live despite the odds. However, our beloved leaders tread the path of indifference, making these very civilians ordinary and insecure and scared and living with the cudgels of fear around their minds.

The American, British, Australian, and more more other country leaders will go to war over its extraordinary citizens. They do not and will not accept that it is okay for their citizens to be targeted repeatedly by cowards who hide behind a the cloak of 'jihad' or 'injustice' or 'religious morals' or whatever it is that they subscribe to.

We all know that no activity takes place without a set of people teaming up. That includes Indian who are support and enabling other Indians and non-Indians to conduct this shameful and sad act of cowardice - killing regular Indians from a distance and more importantly - repeatedly showing how weak and ineffective our systems are in rebutting their attempts.

The point is, what are the Indian leaders going to do???

Do You Have It in you to take on the responsibility of securing our lives?

Do You Have It in you to go after those who commit these dastardly acts and bring them to our courts or deliver justice in any other manner?

Do you?

Tuesday 21 June 2011

Hope

We humans have many flaws. No doubt on that. Equally redeeming enough, there are many strengths - one of which I feel is hope. Fact is though, it is not limited to humans alone.

It is that one factor that leads us to perform everyday acts to miraculous activities. To lose hope is to do oneself the greatest disservice. On the other hand, it is the mere sliver of hope that often keeps us going way beyond what could be considered mortally possible.

Image: Danilo Rizzuti

And this holds true for almost all mammals. Ever so often, I see an act that showcases how amazing nature is in having created a myriad of creatures who conform to this feeling called hope.

There was a winged creature, looked like a cross between a grasshopper and a cockroach, which chanced to come into the house. As is the norm, the first objective was to shoo it away. Success for me. However, for the winged creature, it resulted in the sad loss of its ability to use its hind legs, as it attempted to escape from the demoniacal human creature trying to shoo it away. A rather common occurrence isn't it? However, something else happened that stopped me in my tracks and has led to this post.

The creature now with just its, two front legs and two middle legs, was grounded. It was able to move fast, but not at usual speed. Strangely it did not try to fly off. It was now on the ground outside the house. And lo and behold! An army of ants descended upon the creature.

Image: hinnamsaisuy

Flight or fight is the normal reaction that we all creatures have. However, this one decided that flight is better but the disability of having lost its hind legs meant it could not bring itself to speed to take off, nor could it jump long distances.

And then started the process of moving. Initially it moved pretty fast. But as it moved, the ants didn't let up. More and more of the ant army were converging, as if one of the ants had broadcast a group SMS stating that a nice juicy piece of food was waiting for all of them to come and partake in.

The poor creature tried outrunning the hordes. And in the infinite wisdom of nature, sought refuge in a plant that normally the ants avoided. However, the obstacle was to cross the roots of the plant and get itself on one of the stems so that the clamoring hordes were deprived the chance of taking its life.

And so the battle began. It attempted to cross the tangled roots. But every time it managed to move a bit, the hordes would relentlessly pull it down. The loss of the hind legs meant, it didn't have the normal ability to leap, but it tried. This battle lasted for nearly 15 minutes. Heart wrenching as it was to watch, it showed to me that hope is never lost until you are dead! And oh boy, did the fellow fight till the end.

Of course, the superior numbers of the ant army resulted in the winged creature falling down repeatedly. Yet it persisted in its attempts to get out of the situation. This was nature showcasing how beautiful yet cruel it can be. Not that nature was attempting to be beautiful and cruel. It is just what it is.

After numerous attempts, and the smart ants deciding that attacking the head of the creature will lead to its defeat, launched waves of attempts at doing just that. And succeeded. The ant army ensured that it was fed very well that day. Despite the big fat drops of water that was falling from the heavens. Despite the winds that tugged relentlessly at their tiny bodies. Eventually the horde succeeded in pinning their enemy, now turned into food, down.

Even as I write this, my eyes cloud over. Maybe if I hadn't tried to shoo it out, it may not have been in this precarious and finally deadly position. Maybe it was meant to be. I don't know, really. Maybe it was meant that I would get to silently observe this act of nature and then express it here for anyone out there who cares to read this.

What it did teach me though, is that success is a ephemeral and temporary flight of fancy, in as much as it is hope that is the harbinger of success, even if not always. In this battle, the larger creature lost, but the smaller creatures won the right to live for another day. And this is true life on earth. Everyday, is a battle. We seem oblivious to it. Our comfort zones keep us in an isolated sense of well being, but the earth and nature is never still, never silent, ever so dangerous. If we do not learn to coexist, nature will ensure that it re-balances the very scale which allows us currently to live in a realm of dreams in our minds. There is reality. And then there is the reality. Let hope be a guide, not the destination.