I chanced up on a magazine while I was waiting in the Saloon. As I flipped through the pages I spotted the photograph of a gentle old man who seemed to be in his late fifties or early sixties. He was Sanjit Roy better known as Bunker Roy. He had done schooling in the great Doon School and had his advanced studies in the St.Stephen’s College, Delhi. He was educated to be a diplomat and was offered many prestigious positions after the College. But the profession he had chosen was to work as a Well digger in the rural India. His mother could not digest it while his brother was a Pilot in the Air force.

The feature says, as he became more of a benefactor of the rural folks he founded Social Work and Research Center (SWRC) , better known as Barefoot College in Tilonia, a rural village in Rajasthan in 1972. The incumbent should not have a formal education to get enrolled in to this college. Here the teacher is a learner and the learners are the teachers. Through his program he pools the resources of the rural work force and imparts training to make them engineers and architects with out a degree but with real quality.

Further interested I searched him in Google and knew more about his organization.

Following part is noted from Wikipedia.

He was influenced by the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi, one of the key principles being sustainable development. He said: There is a mistaken belief that illiteracy is a barrier to the rural poor developing themselves with skills of their own. In other words a rural poor farmer, weaver, potter, leather worker, black smith and other artisans, because they have never been through a formal education system are not capable of producing high quality products with a marvelous eye for aesthetics and form. In the rural areas of India today, for instance, there are endless examples or rainwater harvesting structures for drinking water and sanitation still being used today that are hundreds of years old – constructed when there were no architects and engineers.

To know more about this distinguished institution please follow the link.

www.barefootcollege.org

As I finished reading about him there was a question in my mind,

What is my contribution to India? The same question I asked my self when I watched the movie Swades.

The taste of failure

Failure is a word we fear most, at least in my life I was afraid to confront with failure and I took only those options where I could have a sure win. That means not even a moderate risk taker!

Accepting challenges, small or big, evokes fear and the fear is about a failure and getting embarrassed in front of others. So we tend to remain in the comfort zone always. But I experienced more distress avoiding failures and fears. It means avoiding failure can not assure a happy life both in professional and personal life.

It was my close talk with one of my friends I realized more about failures. The incredible power of failure to fuel long run to success. When we fear we retreat from doing something new and make our self comfortable being in the comfort zone. Comfort zone means our daily actions with which we are familiar and least bothered about a set back.

But only when we stretch our comfort zone to an uncomfortable area we meet with success in life. And on doing that we may meet with failures but consistent effort will sure win the best for us. After realizing this I changed my attitude to failure and accepted it as a stepping stone to success. I got motivated from my friends talk and tried every new thing possible where I suspected a chance to win. Of course failure happened in many of them but I never quit. I started tasting the sweet of success from the bitterness of failures. I realized success could give us more satisfaction when we take a risk of failure and not take it for granted.

break fast

He was waiting for her out side the college canteen sitting in the rail buckling his leg down on the iron pipe for a support. He looked far sipped from his cup and enjoyed the taste of coffee. The canteen was a little far from the main college building and one has to climb up the small hilly ground to reach the place. The canteen had a fascia surrounded by iron railings where one could hold and stand enjoying the greenery far down the place. He was quite comfortably dressed in blue wrangler jeans stolen from his room mate’s ward robe and a white linen shirt of his own. He did not feel impatient waiting for her as it gave him more excitement than meeting up with her.

Who is she to him? a lover? a friend? of course a lover could be a friend also. When asked him about that, he smiled…and said, he would not like to define it. Or he simply avoided it, may be he was still reluctant to admit that as his inner mind still filled the memories of a bygone love.

After sometime the college bus arrived at the entrance and his face was seen delighted. He was looking at the exit of the bus and found the girl dressed in a rose wood color salwar kameez. She walked slowly up to him and gave him a warm smile as she took the steps to reach him.  She looked at him and he got thrilled as their sights locked together. They walked in to the canteen and took chairs near to the window. She kept her bag near to him and moved to the counter to bring the break fast. He opened  her bag and took the pen then started drawing some thing on her bag. It was shaped in to a clown and he wrote her name and waited her to come. She returned with a single plate with three idlis and some chutney spread over it. Seeing her he had a little worry as she held two forks in her left hand. She placed the plate on the table in the middle of them and smiled at him.

“I got something to show you; sure, you would like it”

“What’s that?” she was curious.

He pushed the bag to her side and pointed to his sketch. For a moment she didn’t say any thing and then he found her eyes becoming furious. She moved her hand slowly over him and seconds later he felt a piercing feeling. She mocked at him as she released her thumb nail. He felt the pain but he had no complaints.

They took nearly half hour to finish the three idlis and when they finished eating he felt no more pain in his hands and she had no more worries about the bag.

They strolled down the road talking and laughing. He looked beyond and admired the beauty of the sky and then the greenery of his surroundings He felt the whole thing more beautiful as he walked with her.

We stood staring each other

Silence built a wall

But I knew we talking by heart

Your eyes felt deep

I failed to fathom

Had a thousand questions to ask

But none came up

As there was millions of looks

I missed many years on you.

I was compensating it

Not taking off my eyes from you

Had more worries about you

But heart now overwhelming

Still no merry but a pain in the bottom of heart

As I knew you and I belong to others now.

say good bye to it all...

This guy was next to my room where I lived during my college. He was handsome and had long hair. Though I admired guys with long hair I had a bad perception about him since the very beginning I met him. He had sleepy eyes and found always under sedation and at times under the influence of alcohol. He never disturbed me except for one night when he came drunken and slapped at my doors shouting to open.

My days passed normal and it was going to be one month since I started staying there. My mindset about the guy remained the same, until one night, when I understood the guy was a talented one. It was a serene night and I heard the strings of his guitar breaking the silence of the night.  He was playing the song Hotel California. I listened to the song until it was finished. I wondered my self how well and impeccably he played it! It was the first time I heard him striking the strings. The song was one of my favorite and that evoked a sense of admiration about him in my mind.

After this when I saw him I tried to grin at him but he was least bothered. I had a feeling to talk to him and know more about him. I was a little reluctant to take an initiative and postponed for another time. But God wished it would never happen. One evening I was returning after the class and got surprised to see that the premise was occupied by Cops, and to my horror I heard the bad news, the guy found dead in his room. It was not a suicide. The night before he was excessively drunken and had an over dosage of drug as well. It was not a shock to me but it was something that disturbed me most. I thought of him and the song. Because the song meant more to me as I heard it from him.

Record says the song was a major hit since its release in 1976 and it touched on many themes, including innocence, addiction in general and to drugs, death, the dangers, temptation and transient nature of fame, shallow relationships, divorce and loss of love.

I felt the guy was giving a message from his experience with drugs, as the song ended,

“You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave…”

SAY NO TO DRUGS!

20 minutes walk………….

A daily walk can rejuvenate our muscles and its essential for a healthy body too. Some start the practice of walking after a cardiac arrest. Till then these folks were literally least bothered about their physical fitness. Some do this to make their body fit and they are more conscious about the athletic appearance. And these people would not be striding but take a slow pace of running. And I fall to another category of walkers, walk to feel physically active and mentally vibrant. I feel that a walk in the morning would keep the mind and body healthy. This may not always work out as the practice gets shifted to the evening time because of the days scheduling.

I do not feel ashamed to walk when I find that guys of my age are working on Tread Mills and heavy machines in Health Club. When I just accompany friends to these places I am afraid that the places are adorned with well built muscle guys and think in astonishment it’s their muscles that work for them and not their brains!

 I opted walking because a swift movement would not go in tandem with the thought process as I make use of the walking time to think as well about the universe. Still I care to walk stretching the hands and legs with long strides.

Among the places I used to walk the one I admire most is my home town. I have a common root along with the water side road and the other side occupied with ancient buildings. This time give enough opportunity to have concern over our surroundings and fellow beings. As we grow more selfish and tied up with tight schedule these moments give a real thinking of who we are and what we are for.

The morning time gives you an understanding of how people take up their days. Majority may be sleeping in their cozy beds at that point of time but a good number of people are active neglecting the vicissitudes of the climatic conditions. Some are speeding off to catch their train in the eleventh hour and you have to care yourself not to get in front of them. Labors go their work places and seen with their tools. I notice they comb their hair wet, look energetic and clad up neatly. Other group who won my heart is the news paper guys. They really worth appreciation for the dedication to spruce up our days with the news paper to go with the tea. When they are late we can not condone that, even if it is winter or its torrential raining.

Every one is welcoming a new dawn and expects a good day

And when the walk is finished I get boosted up with a fresh mind and body to take up the day.

And about the title, 20 minutes walk looks more catchy than a 45 minutes walk!

@ the coffee shop..

It’s a relief to have a cup of Coffee just after the work and unwind after the day’s cumbersome work. For some it’s a life style and for others it’s a habit. Coffee shops give an ambience that is truly unique. It’s a good place to hang out with friends and also a good spot where you could mull over unlimited.

I don’t know when I started having a fascination to the Coffee shop culture. But I liked to sip a cup of coffee alone after the days work in the calm ambience of the Coffee shop near to my office. Some time it served as a place to work out plans and ideas.

In the weekends it was funnier to visit the place and sit in a corner and watch the people visiting the Mall.  People from different walks of life, continents, and culture. You can immerse yourself in thoughts about the variety of the people and their cultural background you see around. So sometimes it is not the Coffee but the Coffee shop that give a good time.

I am not sure, tea or coffee, which is more consumed. But I presume the latter has got much acceptance and it has been taken as a life style as well.

Coffee shops have under gone revolutionary changes. Even you get customized coffee mug inscribed with your name kept aside to serve exclusively for you.

We have good number of Coffee Shop chain in India. Even when we talk about top notch brands we can not set aside the Indian Coffee House. I feel it has more privilige that has been blessed with the Baby boomers, Generation X and now the Generation Next. What truly unique to ICH is its accessibility to common people as well. It was the first coffee place I visited and it was during my schooling. That was with my elder cousin who took me to join his friends there. I still have memory of that wonderful time and how I enjoyed taking part in the group.

One of the factors that make drinking Coffee interesting is the history behind it. It is one thing that has been imbibed by the so called advanced people from the socially less. The legends say that the Ethiopian Galla tribe explored the use of Coffee when they observed the goats having good vitality. Upon trying the berries that were eaten by the goats they experienced the same vitality. Later it had been traded to Arabian region. Though Arabs were active in Coffee beans trade in the tenth century the credit of setting up the first Coffee shop goes to the Turkey. It was in Turkey in the year 1475 the first Coffee shop took shape. If my memory serves me right it was branded as – “KIVA HAN”. Decades later interestingly Edward’s Lloyd’s Coffee which was opened in England was frequented by the merchants and maritime insurance agents. Eventually it became “Lloyds of London” the best known insurance Company.

So next time you sip a coffee remember that you become part of the history.

When the first rose blossomed in my garden

I wished it remain forever

As days passed it was torn by wind

When winter came I wished stay cool with nature

Its true spring brings happiness but parting with winter was painful

When we first talked I wished the moment never ends

But you moved off waving your hands

The evening was lovely with Coffee shop chat with friends

But night came demanding a move, just another loss of the day

Weekends were filled with funs and going places

And then it was time to move with the heat.

But we accept change, albeit the pain

Because change is inevitable

Echoes reverberating, life takes it turns

Mysteries raveled and deviations unknown

You learn more to master life, maneuver better in turbulences.

You succeed yet you fail more.

Ever you settled to ask yourself where you head.

The cart is not pulled by a single horse

But many that tied in directions different

So where you think the cart would take you?

Lift yourself up, see from the heaven

You see more in wide perspective

Let the heaven guide you in the labyrinth

Never fail to the demons of the world

Because you are born to make the way

Guide a generation to eternal success

Memoir

“Make sure we move with you “– a caption quite known to ‘Reader’s Digest’ readers to inform the customer service of the new address while shifting residence. For me I thought this would never be applicable. Because the home I lived was a part of my life and I could not think of moving from that, the circumstances too were not demanding that.

For me, my home was the best place on earth .The house had a courtyard flourished with two big mango trees. Though it had not had a garden of extravaganza the lush greenery in the corners were very nice in appearance. My room in the home was a place where I used to unwind worries of a day with my fantasies and dreams. The window in my room looked over to the far end of the sky where I could see the top of a beautiful Silver Oak tree.

Reader’s Digest was my favorite companion. It brings a unity in the cultural diversity of the world and every anecdote opened a new world to me. It was at this time just like a story from the RD we had a guest in the early morning in the door step waiting to enter the home. It was a smart looking cute kitten with a furry tail. One could not resist looking at it because of the charm it adored. Mom was delighted to receive the new guest but I was a little reluctant to open my heart for him. Mom christened him with a short tag, “Tattoo”

Couple of years passed, Tattoo grown big and he finally won my heart as well. Along with RD he became another good companion to me.

Life’s mystery is about taking place the unexpected. At a point of time when it was unexpected we had to move from my home town to a place far off. We had not got time to have a thorough planning with the house shifting. We made arrangement for a good shifting, albeit in a hurry. We had constraints to take Tattoo with us and mom found a way out for the issue. She found my aunt who lived nearby a prospective care taker for Tattoo.

New world and new experience, it was difficult to cope with the new surroundings. Sensed the feeling of being lost from a place I cherished, the walls of my room which absorbed my whispers, all seemed far off. I felt how painful it is to leave belongings. But I made sure RD moved with me and it was a thread to get connected to a world of my own. The experience finally helped me to see the world from a different perspective, accept changes and to grow. We received tidings about Tattoo on a continuous basis and we were happy to see he was fine. But it was a devastating blow to us on a Friday of November when we had a call from Aunt telling Tattoo was vanished. Aunt was disturbed and she was literally lost to tell us the sad news.

Two years were over and we returned to our home town, once again a fresh breath from the land of my own. Things were getting settled gradually and we got accustomed to life as before with daily activities. But a quest was started from the very beginning since we set our foot on the home town once again. I looked for Tattoo wherever I went and Mom never forgot to remind Aunty for a possible retrieval of the pet. But it remained as a mere expectation. Mom wished sometimes while opening the door in morning to see Tattoo waiting impatient. I too thought of a moment welcoming Tattoo. I imagined how he looked, after a long time and wished to take him in my hands to pat his worries off.

We can not make sure every time that life stand perfect for us.