Frankthoughts

The last few months have been anything but normal for each of us. A tiny virus that is not seen or heard, has completely disrupted our lives and plans. The many weeks (in some cases months) of complete lockdown, loss of livelihoods, critical illnesses, and death, has shaken many of us to the core.  With the ‘Unlock’ rules came a bit of relief and a few of us started moving about, but our normal ways of existence have been reimagined in every way possible. Many of us moved out easily and adapted to this new normal. However, there are still many who are still coming to terms with this new way of life. They are probably Anxious as the virus is still continuing to spread; Angry about the way others are flouting the rules of social distancing and wearing of masks; Stressed about the new changes and adapting to a new normal; or, even Confused about why the rules have been relaxed and if they should follow the others as they move about. Post the complete lockdown, I have been bold eno...

With every passing year, one thinks of all the activities that they could / should have done to improve their overall fitness. I am no different, and with each passing year, as the inches around my waist grow, so does the intent to lose them! I am a National Cadet Corps 'C' certificate holder, so this would not be the first time that I would be pushing my physical limits. Those times though, seem almost like a lifetime back.  "Pushing myself physically" was hence one of the reasons I agreed to go on my first-ever high altitude trek with my brother in law. Snow dunes en route to the pass Since both of us were new to trekking, we decided to go on an organized trek, and after some research we decided on Rupin Pass with India Hikes . Once again the moderate to difficult level as indicated by the organizers was an important deciding factor. Let me put on record that while I was very excited, I was also very scared of the prior physical training required - being ...

"Let's go on a trek to the Himalayas!" , who knew these innocent words of my brother in law in April 2014 would land us in one of the most beautiful places on earth and give us some of the most memorable experiences of our lives a year later! Last month (May 22, 2015), he and I embarked on our first high-altitude trek in the Himalayas to Rupin Pass  - 15250ft above sea level, 60+ Kms over 8 days. It was a very well organized trek by India Hikes , one of the oldest trekking companies in India. While a detailed post on our experiences is due, I thought a list (to add to the many I see on my Facebook timeline) of things to remember / do as a first-time trekker might be useful. These are based on our experiences and learning, and is by no means a conclusive guide. The Climb up to the Upper Waterfall 1.  Physical Training before is an absolute must: Treks are physically demanding on the body which means you need to keep yourself in reasonably good shape before yo...

I bet we all have been in a situation when we have had to give directions to someone in a city that is new to us, where, the landmarks, roads, distances are unfamiliar. I was caught in one where all of the above was applicable with a slightly different twist...the names are pronounced slightly differently!  Well, here I was in Gurgaon trying to explain my location to a real estate agent (to meet)...who spoke broken English and that too with a 'unique' accent.  Let me further explain the 'unique' bit. In this side of the world, every English word is pronounced pretty much how it is spelt, so 'Bouquet' is 'Bou-ket'; 'Buffet' is 'Buf-fet'; 'Pepper' is 'Pee-per'; 'Pint' is 'Pin-t'...I hope you are getting the flow! My office is in a building called Orchid Center...so I first give the postal address, then the directions based on my limited knowledge of the city. After about 5 minutes of explanations and g...

Australia isn't all that bad! I have been here almost a month now, and am kind of getting used to the place. Before I came here, like any person moving to a new place, had my preconceived notions about how it would be here. I thought the people here would be uptight and unfriendly, I thought the food would be bland and insipid and I thought I would not be able to adjust completely. The journey to the land down-under was a long and tiring one. I was in transit for almost thirty hours, with a stop-over at Kuala Lampur. I came from a wet and humid Mumbai to a cold Melbourne. It was quite a drastic change in climate!  The first thing that struck me when I got out for the first time was the scenic beauty. One can see the horizon (actual land and not buildings appearing to touch the sky) almost all throughout the city suburbs.  The people here keep to themselves, but unlike my assumption, are extremely approachable and polite. I think it took me some time to get used to ...

In a suspected terror attack, 68 people, including some Pakistani nationals, were killed in explosions in two coaches of the Delhi-Attari special train Samjhauta Express for Lahore at Deewana near Panipat, about 100 km from Delhi.  Several people were also injured in the incident, which the Northern Railway (Indian Railways) said was a clear case of sabotage. The explosions in the train took place at 11.55 pm on Sunday night. The bi-weekly train left the Old Delhi railway station at 10.40 pm. Preliminary examination of the material found in the two charred coaches of the Samjhauta Express has revealed that a deadly mix of kerosene, sulphur and potassium nitrate (low grade) was used for the explosives, official sources said on Monday. These materials were packed in clothes and a timer device in suitcases, the sources said. A senior police officer said a Pakistani national has also given information to police regarding some explosive being planted on the train. Pakistan Pres...

Oh holy night the stars are brightly shining…this is the night of our dear saviour’s birth! Wishing one and all the peace and joy of Christ this Christmas season! Christmas is the time of giving and sharing, it is the time when our families forget their differences and come together to celebrate. When we decorate our houses, put up christmas trees and spend enormous sums of money on clothes and gifts for ourselves and our loved ones. But very often we forget why we are doing all this…why am I writing about it? Maybe, because I too, almost completely forgot the reason why I celebrate Christmas in the first place! As every year, this year too I went for the midnight service on Christmas eve to my church. I arrived fifteen minutes early, hoping to get a seat. But, to my surprise the church premises was overflowing with people, many of whom I had never seen before, not that I know everyone who comes there. But there were hawkers selling Santa Claus hats and balloons, children sc...

Scenes of a few Australian cricketers gesturing to the president of the Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI), Sharad Pawar to leave the podium after the ICC Champions Trophy presentation had been flashed across all media worldwide. Pawar declined initially from commenting on the issue and dismissed it as something trivial. He however later, asked for a formal apology from the Australian team, because, “If they apologise, it would be a good signal to the people of this country (read India)”, as he put it. As per reports, the Australian team captain sent his formal apology to Pawar and has even tried to contact him personally. All this is fine…but was the Australian demeanour just Aussie arrogance, as perceived by the host nation, or were they just eager to receive the award? If so, then is this freedom of expression universal? Are there any limits to it? Or is just a matter of perspective? Who decides this? Almost all democracies have signed the United Nations, Universal De...