Taking a break from online life and spending time in offline world is something that I really cherish. It has become sort of a new resolution of mine. Last time I took one week off and this time I was away for 2 weeks. It is fun to do such a thing and at the same time you get so many idea when you are away from your computer or laptop. We humans are not designed to think in front of a screen and I can vouch for that statement.
In the two weeks that I was away I read a lot, met friends, spent a lot of time with loved ones. For a week I also went on a backpacking trip to Himachal, spent some time in Delhi, also visited Dehradun.
Mumbai Vs Delhi:
I watched Singh is Kinng in Delhi and also in Mumbai and surprisingly the experience was starkly different in either city. Delhi crowd was going crazy while Mumbai crowd had more of a "WTH" feeling. I had a blast! May be the Delhi guy in me comes up sometimes.
Delhi Rains:
I witnessed the heaviest rains of Delhi and to be frank that was hardly a rain for Mumbai. The potholes on the roads were bigger than the ones on Mumbai roads. While everyone was grim I couldn't stop grinning. I guess the Mumbaikar in me takes over sometimes.
Dehradun:
Dehradun has improved a lot since my last visit. Bit modern and yet that coziness of a small valley town, that place gives a unique feeling. The only reason to crib I have is about the road from Delhi to Dehradun (which also takes you to Haridwar, Masoori). Inspite of being one of the most traveled roads of north India it's in terribly bad shape. I fail to understand why?
Himachal:
Himachal is really beautiful and in rains that place looks like heaven after a wash. The only colors I could see were the shades of Green and Brown. The clouds had shifted their home to the hills and the mistiness added to the whole divine experience. I was traveling some of the interior villages of Himachal, got to meet a lot of people talked with them about the life and challenges that they face. People are extremely friendly, they open up quickly, they accept you quickly. Something that we in cities should learn. Life is hard there, they can hardly do anything after it's dark (but they do so much during the day). Good Schools are rare. After schooling the choices of courses are very limited. Those who really want to do something have to travel to other states (not a bad thing) but the knowledge of what other universities can offer is again very low.
A Wedding in Himachal:
People live a very community oriented life there. I attended a wedding and more than an event of an individual family it was more of a community event. People from all over the villages dropped in to help, they chip in with all the necessary things like milk, vegetables, grains and most important of all their time and efforts. The marriages last for three to five days and it is more of a festival for the whole village than a family or person. Something starkly different from cities.
Coming Back Online:
Coming back online after a long break is not easy. There are so many things to catch up. It took me two days to read and reply to all the mails, three days to read blogs of my friends, one day to catch up on twitter and one for all other social networks. Pheww...
Things I am looking forward to:
Barcamp Pune is coming back and I am part of the planning team (interesting times ahead). Capgemini is waking up to the concept of Barcamp it is going to be an internal event but surely going to be interesting. I have a new photoblog (someone said the dark side of your blog, I say colorful side of my blog:)). The Business Analysis Blog is doing good, getting a lot of interaction going on but somehow BAs prefer mails over comments.
Tarun Chandel
Feeling refreshed after a break!
Showing posts with label nature. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nature. Show all posts
Leave a Trail Behind: Tarun's Thoughts on an Early Morning
Walking on the wet sand of the seashore, leaving behind a trail of steps thinking that others would know the path I took. Reaching a destination was never the target; to keep walking was always the motto. The sound of a returning wave has always given me an illusion of absolute silence. An illusion that lasts just for a few seconds till the next wave comes with its own music. The sand under my heels feels so good, I try to hold the sand with my toes but it slips. The harder I try the faster it vanishes. I choose to move on, may be that's the message the sand wants to give me. Nothing lasts forever no matter how much you want it to; as I turn back the trail of my footsteps is gone. May be nature wants everyone to explore and design their own trails? I see some lights at a distance, the more I walk the farther they get; may be someone wants me to change my direction. I see a fisherman trying to pull his boat through the silver waters. It's early morning and maybe he wants to see if the last night got him any catch. A boat full of fish or no fish at all; In any case he will be back-tomorrow morning. A thick moist breeze from the sea hits me, I look up and there are clouds in the sky. The warm morning has just got a gift of cool winds and the dark sky. The sea seems to be enjoying this and the waves dance with extra energy. I choose to walk a bit longer but now I maintain distance from the waves. Again, I can see the trail of my footsteps; I grin, as if I have outsmarted the waves. The birds are flying high in an attempt to touch the dark sky. The church bells are audible but only if you listen carefully. I close my eyes and spread my hands; I can feel the drops of water on my face. The heaven has opened its doors, as if it is responding to my stretched arms, as if it is looking at me and following my trail. Soon it starts pouring; the smell of freshly wet sand brings back the nostalgic memories. I walk away from the shore all wet and as I look back the trail of my footsteps is washed away...
Tarun Chandel
Keep Walking, Keep Thinking, keep Blogging
Tarun Chandel
Keep Walking, Keep Thinking, keep Blogging
Nashik Life
The dreams may well be far far away, someplace where I have never been before. But there is something that tells me from deep down inside me that they are reality somewhere. I don't know for sure whether to go there or not, but I was told that if I followed this path I will be there someday. This path merges with the horizon somewhere ahead, atleast that is what I can see. I have no one with me but my dreams, I am not sure what the destination is going to be like, still I want to move on as I believe that the journey is the reward!!!
The old market with old buildings. The business here still runs in the traditional ways, though sometimes I missed the ease of things that places like Mumbai and Delhi offer but it was really fun to move around in this market. The people were very friendly and as the place is small everyone knew each other. The treatment to an outsider is still that of a guest and that is something I learned from this trip.
As I moved through Nashik, I found a lot of classic traditional buildings and at the same time this town is fast gearing up for modernization.
Beautiful old villas can be seen at regular intervals. The human being in me tells me that I should live a life in such a place. The Business Analyst in me is telling me that the reality market is going to hot up in this place; all these Villas are going to make way for either big malls or high rises (something similar to Pune). Nashik sure has some really beautiful Villas with big and spacious living space and even bigger gardens around the place. If you want to live a lavish life at such a villa and have beautiful surroundings you should be in Nashik. You can get a Villa for less than what you will pay for an apartment in Mumbai.
Nashik is not just about traditional and old buildings. It is moving towards modernization that we all tend to measure with presence of malls and multiplexes. Nashik has its own share of these, just like any other place.
The best part about the life in Nashik is that you can get to live near, next or in the farms. There are plenty of lush green farms all around Nashik. It not only adds to the beauty of the place but also is a source of fresh air and fresh vegetables.
The greenery all around Nashik is something that I miss badly in Mumbai.
The wind in Nashik is really amazing. A cool breeze always keeps flowing across the place. May be the reason again is green fields all around. The one thing that I have started appreciating the most after moving to Mumbai is wind. There are very few days in Mumbai that can be categorized as pleasant and it gets even more difficult after a visit to beautiful places like Nashik that are hardly at any distance from Mumbai.
The burning desire. The trip to Nashik made me think a lot about what I am missing by staying in Mumbai. The sense of completeness of life is one thing that Nashik offers and the other is the healthy surroundings with excellent weather. Mumbai can never match all that...
The grilled chicken and it was delicious. I think the chicken and food overall (including vegetables) were far better tasting there.
Life in Nashik is just as beautiful, pure and pious as droplets of early morning dew on the petals of flower, something that cannot be expressed in words you need to experience it.
Journey is the reward
Pune Thoughts...
Pune has always been special. Staying outside Pune has made realize this even more. Last weekend I was in Pune and somehow, this trip was a lot different than my previous visits. This trip got me thinking about Pune a lot more than ever before.
May be someday I will be there...
The clouds are descending to meet the mountains, makes me feel as if the sky is within reach. Just want to run to the top of that hill and feel the clouds on my face. I have already done that 8 times if I do it again I will be on cloud number nine.
A view of the expressway through my window . The rains add the distortion but it still is beautiful.
Rain drops keep falling on my window. Though I can hardly see anything outside as the dark clouds have covered the whole area, but there is enough going on my window glass.
Cloud covered hills, beautiful green valley aren't these people staying in an absolutely heavenly place?
I sat on the road, I jumped on the road, I kicked the road and at last I got tired and asked the road; how can I reach my destination? The road smiled and said, just walk with me I will take you there.
I was sitting at one of the nicest spot in Pune, it had a beautiful panoramic view of the Pune City. The usual sweet drizzle of Pune was on. The beauty of Pune rain is that, it rarely pours and it rarely stops. The rain keeps floating in the air and that makes the whole amazingly beautiful.
Staring at the distant clouds I thought, may be they also love Pune. That's why once they come here they want to stay for the maximum time, so instead of pouring all the water they spend time hovering over the city and then just become part of the air.
Sitting there I thought, I am like those cloud. Visiting for a short time but just don't want to leave and trying to soak as much as possible in the short time. There, I had the difference between me and clouds. While I was trying to soak as much of Pune as possible, the clouds were giving to Pune as much as possible and in process they become part of Pune. I think, I should be like those clouds...
What the hell I was just thinking?? May be because, I was sitting there for along time. Then I decided to move from that corner to the opposite corner ...
The green Pune, may it stays the same forever! Isn't that a lovely sky over a beautiful city?
Pune city is on an expansion plan... I am sure soon the hills will disappear. Can you spot the massive construction just on the right of the hill?
A lot of new malls have opened in Pune and many more are under construction. The city has geared up to the challenges of more people coming in, with lot more houses, wider roads and sleek flyovers.
I got to visit the MG road at night and I was pleasantly surprised to see people enjoying the walking plaza. I remeber my last visit to MG road was on the first day of the walking plaza. Authorities had announced that no vehicles will be allowed on MG Road and all the shops went on a strike. That day only a handful of people were on that road. This time I got a feeling that whole of Pune was there.
Change takes time, thought that comes to mind after being on the walking plaza. The shopkeepers who were against the idea now actually wait for the walking plaza, as the sales are all time high. It is one of the most effective ways to save them from the malls that are surely eating a huge chunk of their customers. It took them time to understand this and now they have embraced this change.
There were road shows, cultural shows and children enjoying the evening out. Isn't that how one should spend a nice weekend evening? I had dinner with Rohit, Jamaal Raazi and his wife Sana Raazi (they make a lovely couple and I think the most techie couple I have ever met).
I got to visit the office of CYG2008, thanks to Rohit who is Director of technology there. They have a very vibrant office and it's buzzing with people all the time. It was a great feeling to see these people working so hard, to make the games possible. Jamal, Sana and Rohit are in the same team there and they work on Saturday as well as on Sunday. They later told me that it has been a while since they got a weekend off and the in coming days things are bound to get even more hectic. I never knew that so much goes behind pulling the games together.
It is always a pleasure to catch up with my classmates from SCIT. Got a chance t0 catch up with Varun Joshi, Saurabh Lokhande and Sudhanshu Sohoni (non symbi friend). They forced me to write about them on my blog, guys I have done this. So now can I move on to the next thing??? (Just kidding, it was really fun to catch up with you and remembering the good old days of Symbiosis life.) We had a very nice lunch at All Stir Fry, special thanks to Saurabh for that. I think I should also thank Mythili, Varun's wife, for letting Varun meet us... I think I should stop now else Varun may get in some trouble.
That's what Pune is - some natural beauty, some modernization, some growth, some friends, some culture and a lots of memories. May be someday I would come back to Pune and not on just another visit. I was reading the brochure of the IT BT Conference that is going to take place next week and it had a line, Pune has faced a reverse brain drain. Got me thinking... may be someday I will be there...
Tarun Chandel
Pune and I
May be someday I will be there...
On my way to Pune:
The clouds are descending to meet the mountains, makes me feel as if the sky is within reach. Just want to run to the top of that hill and feel the clouds on my face. I have already done that 8 times if I do it again I will be on cloud number nine.
A view of the expressway through my window . The rains add the distortion but it still is beautiful.
Rain drops keep falling on my window. Though I can hardly see anything outside as the dark clouds have covered the whole area, but there is enough going on my window glass.
Cloud covered hills, beautiful green valley aren't these people staying in an absolutely heavenly place?
I sat on the road, I jumped on the road, I kicked the road and at last I got tired and asked the road; how can I reach my destination? The road smiled and said, just walk with me I will take you there.
Pune Beautiful Pune
I was sitting at one of the nicest spot in Pune, it had a beautiful panoramic view of the Pune City. The usual sweet drizzle of Pune was on. The beauty of Pune rain is that, it rarely pours and it rarely stops. The rain keeps floating in the air and that makes the whole amazingly beautiful.
Staring at the distant clouds I thought, may be they also love Pune. That's why once they come here they want to stay for the maximum time, so instead of pouring all the water they spend time hovering over the city and then just become part of the air.
Sitting there I thought, I am like those cloud. Visiting for a short time but just don't want to leave and trying to soak as much as possible in the short time. There, I had the difference between me and clouds. While I was trying to soak as much of Pune as possible, the clouds were giving to Pune as much as possible and in process they become part of Pune. I think, I should be like those clouds...
What the hell I was just thinking?? May be because, I was sitting there for along time. Then I decided to move from that corner to the opposite corner ...
The green Pune, may it stays the same forever! Isn't that a lovely sky over a beautiful city?
Pune city is on an expansion plan... I am sure soon the hills will disappear. Can you spot the massive construction just on the right of the hill?
Pune has changed:
A lot of new malls have opened in Pune and many more are under construction. The city has geared up to the challenges of more people coming in, with lot more houses, wider roads and sleek flyovers.
I got to visit the MG road at night and I was pleasantly surprised to see people enjoying the walking plaza. I remeber my last visit to MG road was on the first day of the walking plaza. Authorities had announced that no vehicles will be allowed on MG Road and all the shops went on a strike. That day only a handful of people were on that road. This time I got a feeling that whole of Pune was there.
Change takes time, thought that comes to mind after being on the walking plaza. The shopkeepers who were against the idea now actually wait for the walking plaza, as the sales are all time high. It is one of the most effective ways to save them from the malls that are surely eating a huge chunk of their customers. It took them time to understand this and now they have embraced this change.
There were road shows, cultural shows and children enjoying the evening out. Isn't that how one should spend a nice weekend evening? I had dinner with Rohit, Jamaal Raazi and his wife Sana Raazi (they make a lovely couple and I think the most techie couple I have ever met).
CYG 2008 (Commonwealth Youth Games 2008)
I got to visit the office of CYG2008, thanks to Rohit who is Director of technology there. They have a very vibrant office and it's buzzing with people all the time. It was a great feeling to see these people working so hard, to make the games possible. Jamal, Sana and Rohit are in the same team there and they work on Saturday as well as on Sunday. They later told me that it has been a while since they got a weekend off and the in coming days things are bound to get even more hectic. I never knew that so much goes behind pulling the games together.
Meeting Symbi buddies
It is always a pleasure to catch up with my classmates from SCIT. Got a chance t0 catch up with Varun Joshi, Saurabh Lokhande and Sudhanshu Sohoni (non symbi friend). They forced me to write about them on my blog, guys I have done this. So now can I move on to the next thing??? (Just kidding, it was really fun to catch up with you and remembering the good old days of Symbiosis life.) We had a very nice lunch at All Stir Fry, special thanks to Saurabh for that. I think I should also thank Mythili, Varun's wife, for letting Varun meet us... I think I should stop now else Varun may get in some trouble.
Pune Dream
That's what Pune is - some natural beauty, some modernization, some growth, some friends, some culture and a lots of memories. May be someday I would come back to Pune and not on just another visit. I was reading the brochure of the IT BT Conference that is going to take place next week and it had a line, Pune has faced a reverse brain drain. Got me thinking... may be someday I will be there...
Tarun Chandel
Pune and I
Sky is getting dark again ...
Good to see some dark clouds in the sky. The beautiful rainy season is about to come.
Tarun Chandel
Waiting for the rains...
Somethings are best witnessed and experienced, but let me try
It was one of the quietest place I have ever been to. The hills in the background were a thick forest with melodious birds. The musical sound of birds was to echoing in the green surrounding. Even the wind was musical, I never knew that trees were such good music creators. The sound of leaves dancing with joy was taking me to a greater high. There was so much to listen yet it was so quiet, yet there was silence. I could hear my heartbeats, I could hear myself breathing and it somehow was sounding all musical to me. This never happened before, never ever. I never knew the music that I play all the while, may be because I never really could hear all this while I was in plains. This place was quiet, it helped me to connect with myself.
The valley in front of the hills was one of the most beautiful valley I have seen. May be it was because that day, the sky was covered in misty clouds till the horizon. It was such a beautiful sight. Being at a quiet place with an amazing view in front, I sat down there and chose to gaze at the horizon and listen to the most natural music and, at the same time enjoy the silence. I am finding it hard to express in words and I think you can notice that. Somethings are best witnessed and experienced.
I must have have been sitting at the same place for hours, though it never felt like that. The moon was out to venture in the cloudy sky and it was an amazing sight. It was all so simple yet so beautiful. It felt like as if there was someone up there who had planned all this so that I could witness this beauty. The quietness of hills, the music of wind, the mistiness of surroundings, the beautiful moon lit sky, all looked so designed. May be it was just my mind that has always been designed to look at everything with suspicion. Or may be it was designed so that I can change my behavior and it worked, I guess (again suspecting ;) so it may not have worked).It was the time when I realized that nature has so many gifts for us and we are busy chasing ... God knows what. It will be a good idea to stop someday to look around, spend sometime with yourself, cleanse your thoughts, cleanse your soul, cleanse your character and start afresh. May be we will be able to give a meaningful direction to our chase.
Tarun Chandel
Music of silence,
beauty of nature and
thoughts of a calm mind.
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