Old Vendor

Gunabai, a roadside old vendor was the perfect embodiment of age, happiness and contentment. She would sell vegetables and fruits such as berries, guavas, sweet corn, ginger, etc; sitting on a plastic stool and a wicker basket that would not have held more than four kgs of her ware. Her simple Maharashtrian sari with the pallu over her head would reveal her tanned and cracked skin that literally glowed with happiness on seeing known customers. I always made it a point some thing, just so that she could earn her living. 

One day, I saw big red raw dates in her basket. They were very tempting and I immediately enquired about their cost. "Very nice dates, dear; they are for Rs 40 for half a kilo", she said. 

I was surprised to know the cost of dates for the usual cost was around Rs 50 for the same quantity. I knew Gunabai and did not want her to be in any loss. I immediately told her, "why you are taking less amount ? Your fruit is much better than other vendors and still you are selling it cheap !"

"Oh ! what will I do by taking a higher cost ? I am happy that you like my dates."

Her response surprised me, knowing fully well that people fight tooth and nail to earn the extra buck. I gave her warm smile and purchased one kg of the fruit. Till this day, I am amazed by Gunabai's richness.

When Questions and Answers have Options ....

With the approaching examinations, the month of February and March, proved very taxing for Montu. The vastness of the syllabus and depth of the contents, were too much for him to feel confident for his common entrance test preparation for the Engineering degree. The mobile would provide him some solace but it would only make the cloud of study pressure, even more darker. Montu eventually called up his friend, his confidante, Abhi.

Abhi would be sure to help him out in sorting his doubts, his study schedule; everything.

"Hi Abhi, I am toh totally lost. This time I may not even clear the exam..." Montu's nervousness made him blurt out his tension before Abhi could even acknowledge the call.

"Oh, chill, oye. Me too in same deep water as you, but look I am enjoying. Just now reached my room after a game of hockey. Tell you my thumb hurts ." Abhi's casual approach and his mobile addiction for playing hockey, was not new to Montu.

"Tell me, should we join the Perfect Classes for the CET preparation ? My current class is way down the popularity charts", said Montu.

Abhi, being the more calm of the two, said very straight forward. "Oye, this class or that class, you need to sort out the junk in your glass. Try to understand the test pattern. First, there are sections in the test. Leave the difficult topic, either way, we don't stand a chance. Prepare the section that you like most. Second, try to work by elimination rather than calculation. Just look at the option answers every question has. Pick out the best that appeals to you. Didn't we work on eliminating questions based on our syllabus and later eliminating options based on our preference, till the 12th board examinations ? See where we are. We are preparing for the entrance test. I am sure we will get a decent score."

Montu tried to figure out the advice and more doubts cropped up. "Wait man, what about the time that I will take in the mathematical calculation. Do you even remember the formulas ? I sat the whole night trying to mug up everything."

"There you are, you dumb, I only think of some logical values, who is going to calculate the answers?" said Abhi.

The above conversation is quite common among the young generation. The examination may be any or at any level. But one thing is clear. The examination system has changed and incorporated the pattern of multiple choice questions, which is easy to evaluate through systems, in large quantity without any errors. Even school tests have objective and subjective answer pattern. The students try to select an answer from the given option, with guess work taking precedence and at times fetching good marks. Worst, our examination pattern forces a student to select questions that the student has to answer. When this scenario ie questions and answers having options comes to us, I have a few observations:

1. We cannot think out of the box as the habit of looking at options limits our thought process.
2. We do not prepare ourselves fully for the knowledge that we are supposed to have as there are options in questions themselves.
3. We do not focus on the process that goes into deriving that answer as the problem solving time is limited and a derivation would require more time
4. We do not give our 100% efforts in learning. We focus on getting marks or qualifying examinations not in learning.

Everybody dances to different music and  to different tunes and that too on different ground, but isn't it necessary to feel the music ? Same with education and examination.

The Hara Bhara Kabab

Visiting any restaurant, entails lots of planning, especially where kids are concerned. The ambiance has to be just perfect to keep the kid(s) engrossed in the food variety as well as the interior designs or props such as the commonly used fish tank. The amount of happiness of the parent is exactly proportional to child's engrossment in the dining area surroundings or the child's engagement with the food plate ! 

It was one such evening at one of The Kamat Hotel, that the three of us; my husband, our seven year old daughter and myself; that saw us looking at the menu card. The occasion was our eighth marriage anniversary and the choice of venue was unanimously decided. After answering umpteen questions posed by our daughter, related to the fishes kept in the fish tank, we were finally able to read the menu. One of the item was hara bhara kabab that my husband liked and ordered along with a few other items on the list. 

It was now a question of waiting for the waiter to bring our order. I was looking out towards the kitchen. At that instant, I saw a waiter carrying a plate of some unknown food with some glowing tomatoes. I was surprised at the nice, elegant and glowing tomatoes where a candle each had been placed in the carved out tomatoes. I was instinctively taken in by the dish and thought, "Wish we had ordered this dish ! It would have been perfect for our anniversary celebrations". I turned to face my family and could not resist speaking to my husband, "the lady is so lucky to have such a thoughtful husband". 

Lo and behold ! The waiter brought the dish with the brightly lit candles placed in the tomatoes and surrounded by the hara bhara kabab. I was speechless and my expression said it all. My husband had the biggest smile with his mouth full of his favorite, the 'Hara Bhara Kabab'.

Parle-G lock kar diya jaye !

Parle-G and biscuits are just as synonymous as Xerox is to photocopying. The need to satiate hunger with a packet of these popular and common biscuits is not uncommon. A get together at home followed by 'chai' and parle-g is very entertaining. And more so when we five friends were pursuing a degree in Physics during the early nineties when pocket money was minimal and the finest form of enjoyment meant the company of friends who would add on to the fun, discussion, comments etc with equal gusto. 

It was one such afternoon when we were done with our lectures and were waiting for the chemistry practical to begin; with two hours to spare. Some time was utilized in discussing our plans for the evening but then all vehemently agreed with Purvi for some biscuits. The canteen wala had run out of all biscuits and so we '5 star group' - that's what we called ourselves; decided to buy it from the shop across the street.

"Arey chalo, dhoop ho rahi hai" said Jalpa whose fair skin would have indeed lost the charm due to the tan. 

It is quite funny to see five head turning girls, cross the road; each having her pace and style of road crossing. Finally we all reached on the other side of the road and Sunayana quipped, "Hamein chemistry lab ke liye lock and key le jane hai, yaad hai?". "Mujhe toh nahi malum, meine suna nahi lagta hai",  I was always the absent minded types. "Chal oye, koi baat nahi", Appu was quick to get the group going. 

We asked a shopkeeper for the biscuits and he nodded his head negatively, we asked him for five locks and he gave only the two remaining ones. It suddenly dawned upon us that the whole class would have ransacked the market for so many locks. This was a panicky situation and called for desperate measures. We split in two groups and went in different directions to search for biscuits and three more locks. We found the required things and pooled in some money to buy them. There was a packet of biscuits for Rs 3 and locks for Rs 5 each. Now another problem arose, what if the other group also bought the same things in same quantity. (Mind you, there were no mobile phones to communicate !)

Purvi offered a solution, "toh kya hua, dukaanwale ko bole ke lock wapas kar denge !" Hurray, our job was done and off we went to look for the other group. I wondered if we had mentioned our common point of meeting each other, but I dared not speak. God laid my doubts to rest as I heard Jalpa say "woh rahe, wahan khade hai, chalo".

Within ten minutes we all were seated under the big ashoka tree of the garden at Faculty of Science, Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda. The extra packet of biscuits was no challenge for us and even to this day, I fondly remember the day when the parle-g biscuit was locked in our hearts, for life. 

When I was a ghost !

We moved to Pune from Hyderabad when our daughter was eighteen months old and luckily we found a rental apartment very near to a garden (Thorat Udyan). I was a full time mother and in the summer season, I would take my daughter to the garden which provided a play area, lawn, kittens and most of all the presence of so many children running and enjoying themselves.  

One particular hot day, I decided to go home by a rickshaw and so late in the evening, I stood holding my daughter's hand to hire a rick. My wait turned into quite a delay as none would oblige to take me home for such a short distance. I was losing my patience when suddenly a driver pulled up and I grabbed my opportunity. I first sat in the rick and then gave him directions. 

He started off slowly and within two minutes, I realized that the driver was totally drunk. I held my daughter close and asked him to stop. But poor me, the driver was too sloshed to hear me. He drove on slowly and I wondered whether we would reach home safely. 

The driver stopped at a signal and I had my opportunity. I mentioned that we were getting down at the signal and I kept a Rs 10 note ready in my hand. We both got down and I told the driver to take the money. But poor fellow was too drunk to hear anything and as soon as the signal turned green, he drove away. I heaved a sigh of relief and at the same time chuckled to myself that on stopping and remembering, the driver would obviously think that he had been hired by a ghost who disappeared some where. 

This incident happened fourteen years back and even to this day, I burst out laughing whenever it crosses my memory.

Dharamshala Triund Laka Glacier Trek

India is a beautiful country with variety in culture, people, geographical regions, travels and their modes, education, flora and fauna, foods, and so many things. My specific interest in traveling to a known location through a different way, fascinated me. My husband who has some experience of trekking to various locations in and around Mumbai; suggested the Dharamshala Triund Laka Glacier Trek. I had no experience in trekking as well as the fun and discipline that it involves. So with more of anticipation of the unknown, I confirmed my travel and together we made the reservations for the trek during the summer season. Preparations started as soon as the bookings were confirmed. Firstly, we both started going on practice walks on roads and hilly terrain. Secondly, we started planning our back pack and day pack which would have just the enough weight for us to carry and enough things to see us through the trek. This balance proved difficult to achieve and even more to carry.

The hot summer sun could not dim the gusto of the 12 trekkers and their leader. The two day train journey with fun and never ending rounds of eatables and cold water, finally saw all alight at the Nizamuddin railway station. A 5 minute walk on the melting asphalted Delhi road, saw us standing at the warm door of the AC volvo bus. All eagerly got in the bus and five minutes in the cool bus, rejuvenated everybody's sapped energy and after 30 minutes, we all arrived at the hotel for a refreshing bath and lunch that saw us off on our overnight journey from Delhi to Dharamshala. A quick 20 minute car ride in the cool fresh morning air, a contradiction of Delhi air; brought us to the Mac Leodganj Hotel, The Ashoka International Hotel.

Trek Day 1 : We had arrived at 2082 meters above sea level and our group was taken on a trial trek for acclimatization before noon. The short trip was enjoyed by all for it helped to stretch our legs, take in the beautiful view of valleys and mountains. It also made the entire group hungry and all finished the wonderful preparation in no time. In the evening, we all went to see the pagoda and the serenity of the place along with the contrasting temple decorations and offerings (biscuits and cold drinks included !), brought us to Dalai Lama's absolutely simple room. It dawned on us that beauty of nature combined with simple living, enriches the human mind beyond compare. The overcast sky; a result of approaching storm, was no dampener but it did induce sleep and all were snoring by 10 pm !

Trek Day 2 : Our instructions were quite clear and precise, 'Be ready by 7:00 am, take breakfast by 7:30 am, carry our days' supplies of water, poncho, a set of clothes, lunch bag that included a fruit, keep the main bag for the mules to carry'. Most important instruction "No bath for the next 4 days ??!!". At 8:00, we all started up the steep incline right after the hotel and I already began to wonder of my ability to go the entire trek. The cheering from us all, brightened me and off we all started step by step. My husband, perspired so much that his sweater got all wet and we wondered if there was a leak in the bottle of water ! We all were strictly instructed to keep moving and sip water from time to time and never to sit till the destination for the day had been reached ! By 11:30, we were too exhausted to be hungry, but thirsty ? - yes, all sipped on the fruit juice and ate the fruit with much relish. A short rest and we were off to our camp at Triund. In between, we were over taken by the mules carrying our belongings. They looked fresh after a distance exhausting to us ! Anyway, the trek does get difficult at times but the absence of vehicles and mobile networks, makes up for a life time experience. The Triund camp / cottage was situated high up at an altitude of 2850 m and we all sat in the sun for some time to catch our breath. Later we all enjoyed our lunch at 1:30 pm and were greeted by some drizzle. The drizzle turned into quite some rain and by night, after our dinner, it was decided to wait till the weather improved.

Trek Day 3 : The dark sky and incessant rain, made us stay put inside the cottage and we all bonded, a group of bubbling teenagers and effervesce-ting adults ! The hot cups of tea and hot food coupled with indoor games of cards and dumb charades, saw us through the day. At night, the rain fell on the cottage roof and its sound lulled us all to sleep.

Trek Day 4 : The morning brought sun rays and light and warmth and hope for we all trekkers. We all started at 9:00 in the morning to reach Laka Glacier. The previous days rest did us all good but it also meant extra miles for the day. The effort caused two groups, that of children and adults. My sister, though an adult, was among the children ! The trek to Laka Glacier tested our patience and strength, but one step at a time saw us overlooking the great Himalayan range. The beauty of nature is breathtaking. The greens, blues and whites with intermittent colors of reds, yellows, purple and pink; is a sight to behold. The clean environment, fresh air, ample sunlight and some fruit juice; were enough to walk us through a difficult incline spread with rocks. We were finally at Laka Glacier walking and climbing through the snow trying to beat the approaching dark clouds. (There was news that Delhi and parts of Rajasthan had witnessed a heavy dust storm followed by rains.) Our hastening steps on slippery ice and the drizzle of rain, both was a bad combination to move further. All of took shelter in a cave and waited for the rain to stop. A trekker even recollected stories of trekking expeditions in wild weather. Such is the impact of bad weather, that we all had to make an effort in staying calm inside the cave that was cold and dripping with water. We had no food supplies with us but could see them just 400 m away from us. After about 40 minutes, the rain slowed, the entire grass was covered in snow; it appeared that Laka Glacier came to meet us !! Our guide instructed us all to climb down and start for the tents camped a little away. The climb down was even more difficult cause the ground had become too slippery. Slowly we all reached our tents and were welcomed with some sunlight. That night, all had a snack of bread pakoda and hearty meal followed by a bonfire where all gathered to warm themselves up. Our chatting at the bonfire revealed Salil's birthday saw us all celebrating with a pancake that panditji (cook) prepared at a short notice. The star studded night sky added to the celebrations and all  and slept soundly in the teeth chattering cold.

Trek Day 5 : Our trek support was excellent, the food, camping services and route operator, were all experts and jovial. Even the mules carrying our luggage also felt our own in such a remote place. The morning felt fresh after a sound sleep and after having enjoyed the sun (remember, we had no bath since leaving MacLeod ganj), we all had a steep slope to climb down. The path down was scary and I was unsure of taking on the challenge. But as they say, 'birds of a feather flock together', we all trekkers, started one step at a time. The journey down from Laka Glacier to Triund and further down a different path, gave us a breathtaking view of all the landscape including the Dharamshala cricket stadium. Slowly and steadily we started for the village where our campsite had been planned. Along 2 hours into the walk, we were overtaken by the mules carrying our luggage. Their confidence and stability along with their coordination, surprised us, reassuring my belief that humans had a lot to learn from nature.

Along the way we met many French and Spanish citizens who were impressed with the terrain and beauty of our country. Few interactions with them brought us all together in our common objective and finally we all trekkers reached Mana village. The trek down had been exhausting compared to going up. My husband's shoes hurt his toes really bad; his nail probably got dislodged. At the campsite, all plopped down on the green grass unable to move or talk for a full 15 minutes. After some rest, we all drank 'electrol' water and regained our strength for some chit chat and games. All looked forward to sleeping at the hotel the next night, in a warm cozy bed after a refreshing bath.

Trek Day 6 : The morning brought with it an eagerness in our stride to reach the hotel after visiting a water fall - 'The Nag Falls'. The soreness of leg muscles and fatigue of the four days was overcome at the sight of clear cold gushing stream water. All trekkers joined in spraying water on each other. It was just not imaginable for me to get in the cold water as I sat on a rock soaking in the sun. An hour and a half and we started for our Ashoka International Hotel. We all were anticipating the road we had taken to visit the pagoda and I was trying to manage my energy for the road was quite long. But lo and behold ! we saw a market and there stood our hotel ! Just look at all the smiling faces ! All were so glad to know that the road was a different one and our destination had been reached with memories of hardships and fatigue all fading away and being replaced by hunger pangs and a warm bath. After a sumptuous lunch, we were horrified to look at our faces in the mirror, all had darkened beyond recognition. A hot bath and some rest was enough to rejuvenate us for exploring the local market and especially, the momos !

Trek Day 7 : A sight seeing trip to Dharamshala that included tea garden, botanical park, cricket stadium and in between stop overs at all street food joints. All enjoyed the local sight seeing.

Our return journey to Delhi and back to Pune was mostly spent in sleeping our weariness and tiredness off. The trekking experience provided an insight into our grit and determination. The serene and peaceful environment of Triund in the back drop of a heavy summer storm at Delhi, added to the contrasting adventure and it provided us all with life time memories.