Feeling one with everything is the goal. To that end, I can say it is hardest to achieve when doing mundane (or sometimes interesting) activities that happen daily - like work, commuting, shopping, reading, etc. That's when the mind is very much required to process details & be on high alert.
Being with nature like on a trek or on a wildlife tour is blissful because the mind just drops away. Then there is no limitation of being distinct from everything else. That’s been one of my main motivations for going on treks & trips!
White hill colour lord stands for Biligiri Rangaswamy – that’s right, I’d been to the Jungle Lodges resort at BR Hills with 2 other friends. We had 2 fun filled days (& nights!) out in the wild, all the while enjoying 5 start luxury. It is hard to believe – but there’s toilet paper in the toilets, hot water, electricity & even fewer mosquitoes & insects than in my own home in the city! All this comes at a steep price, but that’s the price you pay for wanting to get away, yet retain useless things. Being a wildlife sanctuary we sighted sambar (not of the rasam fame!), spotted deer, barking deer, wild boar, gaur, elephant, jungle fowl, bear & birds like serpent eagle (one of the most powerful birds of prey), white fishing eagle, 2 types of woodpeckers, Malabar whistling thrush (the male whistles beautifully to attract the female – perhaps humans took a cue from this?). We spotted most of these animals & birds both on the jeep safari & the treks, but being in close unguarded quarters with animals is a whole new experience. A lot of the crowd at JLR was composed of very noisy kids, noisy engineers & few like us too lazy to make noise. The disappointment was that we couldn’t see a tiger or leopard out in the wild – these are nocturnal, shy creatures not exactly people friendly. However, we did see 1 day old tiger shit & felt happy imagining seeing the tiger shitting in the wild!
One afternoon on the trip, I was feeling very active but my lazy friends were lying around on the bed doing nothing. There were plenty of butterflies doing the rounds in front of our hut. I felt attracted towards one particularly beautiful & exotic yellow butterfly with a green eye shaped design. I went out & stood silently. Wonder of wonders – the butterfly came & settled on my chappal clad foot! It was prettier from close quarters & I thought this was a one off incident. But gosh – it kept getting attracted to me so many times! Truly it was no coincidence, but love at first sight. Romancing the butterfly was much better than any human emotions…there were no words, no sense organs involved, nothing unnecessary…just pure love. I could even feel a sense of attachment, however slight & brief! All in all, an extremely touching experience :)
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Friday, May 20, 2005
ooDu Bengaluru...ooDU
Run Bangalore, run! The ads exhorted one to run. Run for your life, for your wife, to chase dreams, run from dogs, from troubles, run behind girls...I've added some of my own here, but this ad was one hell of a creative one! I had a couple of friends running & got plenty of tips from experts & enthu to participate.
Deciding not to hurt my poor knees & in keeping with my super-fit status, I decided to run the 'celebration run' for 7 km. With sufficient training & will power, I might've made it to the 21 km half-marathon. But like most things in my life, I just decided to celebrate, without stretching myself, without competing, without slogging for it, just for the fun of it!
On a hot, sultry Sunday morning, I turned up along with hordes of masses at Kanteerava Stadium. I even met some long lost friends & caught sight of strangely familiar & nameless people. The excitement & heat were at an all time high. Masses of apple & pear shaped corporate workers turned up proudly in company sponsored shorts, shoes, t-shirts & who knows what else :).
The run started off smoothly. It was an amazing experience running with so many people on the streets whose tar I've rarely seen in recent years - thanks to dense traffic jams!!! Like Forrest Gump says, I ran cause I just felt like it. Nothing more to it. I do many things that baffle people, just cause I feel like it. What can be easier or harder to understand? Lots of people sprinted, only to huff & puff & walk wearily...again sprinting like a deer! I paced myself, huffing & puffing all along, but always a runner, never a walker. The only competitor was myself - this might be more apparents in longer distances. Then, it was all over. The sweat drenched t-shirt, certificate, bib number & fond memories kept me company for a while!
I've been running atleast once/twice a week for about 3 km..or try to! I find running has the maximum benefit/time ratio. Just 15 minutes everyday can release oodles of endorphins. For me, all other activities like gymming created an instant distaste. Dependant on none but my own legs, it's one of the things that's kept me from bloating like a balloon! If any of you happen to read this, I urge you to participate in a marathon to have an unforgettable experience.
Deciding not to hurt my poor knees & in keeping with my super-fit status, I decided to run the 'celebration run' for 7 km. With sufficient training & will power, I might've made it to the 21 km half-marathon. But like most things in my life, I just decided to celebrate, without stretching myself, without competing, without slogging for it, just for the fun of it!
On a hot, sultry Sunday morning, I turned up along with hordes of masses at Kanteerava Stadium. I even met some long lost friends & caught sight of strangely familiar & nameless people. The excitement & heat were at an all time high. Masses of apple & pear shaped corporate workers turned up proudly in company sponsored shorts, shoes, t-shirts & who knows what else :).
The run started off smoothly. It was an amazing experience running with so many people on the streets whose tar I've rarely seen in recent years - thanks to dense traffic jams!!! Like Forrest Gump says, I ran cause I just felt like it. Nothing more to it. I do many things that baffle people, just cause I feel like it. What can be easier or harder to understand? Lots of people sprinted, only to huff & puff & walk wearily...again sprinting like a deer! I paced myself, huffing & puffing all along, but always a runner, never a walker. The only competitor was myself - this might be more apparents in longer distances. Then, it was all over. The sweat drenched t-shirt, certificate, bib number & fond memories kept me company for a while!
I've been running atleast once/twice a week for about 3 km..or try to! I find running has the maximum benefit/time ratio. Just 15 minutes everyday can release oodles of endorphins. For me, all other activities like gymming created an instant distaste. Dependant on none but my own legs, it's one of the things that's kept me from bloating like a balloon! If any of you happen to read this, I urge you to participate in a marathon to have an unforgettable experience.
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