I traveled a lot. Mostly by bus. With Volvo and a/c buses, long distance travel has now become much comfortable. Still, I avoided to travel by sleeper bus. Although, I really loved to travel by sleeper coach of the train, I remained prejudiced to take sleeper bus for any of my tours. I never liked the idea to travel by sleeper bus. Few of my friends recommended me to travel by sleeper bus on few occasions. They were all in praise for the comfort they experienced during their travel. I always laughed at the idea, sometimes ridiculed it. I felt the idea to travel sleeping on sleeper –seat with some unknown co-traveler lying next to me, very funny. I could not consume the idea. But, last week I had to travel the way I disliked.
I had to rush to Aurangbad to attend a meeting. Only linking bus available from Kolhapur was sleeper coach! I reserved a seat reluctantly.
It departed from kolhapur at around 9.30 p.m.. Till midnight I just sitting on the seat with window fully open. My co- traveler was telling about the comfort of the sleeper seat. When he found me uneasy, he offered me his mobile handset so I could listen to songs on FM radio. His efforts were to make me at ease. Finally, I did lie on the seat. I was restless initially for few moments. Then I felt it comforting. Rest of journey was beautiful. When I alighted form the bus, I was feeling totally fresh; no sign of wakefulness. I blamed myself for depriving me of such comforting journey earlier.I returned same night. I was so fascinated with the journey earlier night, I tried to get sleeper coach for my travel back home. No sleeper coach was available. I traveled back by Volvo bus. I was thinking during my return journey, why I was so averse to travel by a sleeper coach earlier? Why I was so prejudiced to that?
Really, I do not have any answer how the prejudice was formed and why I nurtured it? This could be a minor thing. But there are many other things, we find ourselves prejudiced to, many a times, without any valid reason or for no reason. Why? It is a mystery.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Tale of `untimely` rain…
Life is not like Maths we learn in school. We may score 100 % in Maths , but life does always not go 2+2 = 4 way. It has its own Mathematics, different from what we learn in our school books. That is evident every now and then, in minor or major events and process of learning this Mathematics of life is unending…
It was very sunny morning when I set off from home to pursue itinerary for the day. All of a sudden, I was caught in the heavy rain, unguarded, which upset my whole itinerary , left me fuming for few moments.
There were no signs of the rain till I reached the ferry ramp. The moment I boarded the ferry to cross the river, it started raining. I did not mind it, as departure time was 15 minutes later. The ferry usually takes 10 minutes to cross the river. I had to face, these 25 minutes, idly. I was mentally prepared for that expecting the rain would stop by the time I reach the other bank of the river. These showers in Bhadrapada are usually not long lasting. But the rain this time failed me. It receded when ferry reached the other bank. I pushed through the thin showers only to face it going dense gradually. I was all wet and there was nothing around where I could take shelter. After driving for about 5 kilometers, I found a restaurant. I stopped. The moment I entered the restaurant, raining was also stopped. I ordered for a tea. There was no rain at all. Intimating my friend of my getting late to reach the destination and requesting him to adjust the schedule accordingly, I restarted my journey.
I would have covered hardly few yards from the cafeteria, the rain resumed. I stopped at a bus shelter, it also stopped. I took off and it started raining again. This time very heavily. It made me much difficult to drive the bike. I stopped at milk collection center, fuming over the untimely rain. I was about to curse and abuse the rain for spoiling my day`s programme. Suddenly, something from inside resisted the potential outburst….
This year, we, in Goa , are witnessing heavy showers continuously for last few days, including days of Ganesh Chaturthy, that dampened the enthusiasm for the festival. I have heard people blaming and abusing the rain for its`untimely` appearances. I remembered it. That made me mute. The next moment I was telling myself, for last five momsoons, I had not been using umbrella or raincoat. It was my conscious decision. I told my friends that I would rather get wet in the rain. I have been doing this for last five seasons. So, I have no right to blame the rain and I also do not wish to fall in line with others who blame the rain for its untimely appearances.
I remember, during my childhood days 30 years back and even until recently till 25-26 years back, raining during the Ganesh Chaturthy was not uncommon phenomenon. Certain festivals like Vasantotsav (sometime in May ) certain Jatras like one at Shirgao (of Lairai ) always marked by mild or heavy rains. In the event of non occurrence of the rain, it was felt we missed something. We received monsoon showers till the end of October and witnessed floods at least 6 to 7 times during the monsoons.The phenomenon has changed during last about 25 years. ` `Irregularity` of monsoon has become so regular that the people take it as `regularity` of the monsoon! Change in that is now not acceptable to them. Even monsoon is, if found reverting to its regular pattern or cycle, it will be tagged `corrupt`. We are now living in pattern of `irregularities`. So, originality has become `untimely`. What a phenomenon!
I do not wish to subscribe to it!
It was very sunny morning when I set off from home to pursue itinerary for the day. All of a sudden, I was caught in the heavy rain, unguarded, which upset my whole itinerary , left me fuming for few moments.
There were no signs of the rain till I reached the ferry ramp. The moment I boarded the ferry to cross the river, it started raining. I did not mind it, as departure time was 15 minutes later. The ferry usually takes 10 minutes to cross the river. I had to face, these 25 minutes, idly. I was mentally prepared for that expecting the rain would stop by the time I reach the other bank of the river. These showers in Bhadrapada are usually not long lasting. But the rain this time failed me. It receded when ferry reached the other bank. I pushed through the thin showers only to face it going dense gradually. I was all wet and there was nothing around where I could take shelter. After driving for about 5 kilometers, I found a restaurant. I stopped. The moment I entered the restaurant, raining was also stopped. I ordered for a tea. There was no rain at all. Intimating my friend of my getting late to reach the destination and requesting him to adjust the schedule accordingly, I restarted my journey.
I would have covered hardly few yards from the cafeteria, the rain resumed. I stopped at a bus shelter, it also stopped. I took off and it started raining again. This time very heavily. It made me much difficult to drive the bike. I stopped at milk collection center, fuming over the untimely rain. I was about to curse and abuse the rain for spoiling my day`s programme. Suddenly, something from inside resisted the potential outburst….
This year, we, in Goa , are witnessing heavy showers continuously for last few days, including days of Ganesh Chaturthy, that dampened the enthusiasm for the festival. I have heard people blaming and abusing the rain for its`untimely` appearances. I remembered it. That made me mute. The next moment I was telling myself, for last five momsoons, I had not been using umbrella or raincoat. It was my conscious decision. I told my friends that I would rather get wet in the rain. I have been doing this for last five seasons. So, I have no right to blame the rain and I also do not wish to fall in line with others who blame the rain for its untimely appearances.
I remember, during my childhood days 30 years back and even until recently till 25-26 years back, raining during the Ganesh Chaturthy was not uncommon phenomenon. Certain festivals like Vasantotsav (sometime in May ) certain Jatras like one at Shirgao (of Lairai ) always marked by mild or heavy rains. In the event of non occurrence of the rain, it was felt we missed something. We received monsoon showers till the end of October and witnessed floods at least 6 to 7 times during the monsoons.The phenomenon has changed during last about 25 years. ` `Irregularity` of monsoon has become so regular that the people take it as `regularity` of the monsoon! Change in that is now not acceptable to them. Even monsoon is, if found reverting to its regular pattern or cycle, it will be tagged `corrupt`. We are now living in pattern of `irregularities`. So, originality has become `untimely`. What a phenomenon!
I do not wish to subscribe to it!
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Brave at the beginning?
Long back I started this blog with an intention to venture into new world or new media of expression. I could not contribute regularly. Actually, after few entries at the beginning, it went blank. I am not brave at beginning type of person. In fact, it takes me considerably long time to start any new thing, project. Even, in case of my routine work, I can not get started instantly. I require little more time to take off, more than one may need to settle down or that generally defined as breathing time. But, once I start, I do not stop till the task at the hand is accomplished. That has been my nature. Many a times, I not only decided, but determined to change my habit, to change my style. Then, I experienced and realized the truth in the saying, `habits die hard`. I explored into this phenomena, why I am late at the beginning type of person. I found many reasons behind it. At the face, it does not carry a good image, and all the reasons are not justifiable, especially when certain issues relate to other persons, kins and friends; few aspects are really positive. Now, again these words are not being posted here to justify my absence on my blog, because absence is absence. One may have so many reasons to stay off, that dose not undo the happened. Facts may lead someone to paint an impression about me deviated from real me. It is my fault. If I want to be known as what I am, it is my responsibility to be shown and seen and experienced in the expressions what I am. That matters at the end. So, I will be writing about me and my Goa, henceforth, regularly.
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