A dream...

                             It was chaotic. Some kind of 'alien force' had struck on the city. It was dark. Buildings were falling down. A low mechanical wail could be heard at a distance. People were running for their lives. There was no family, no friends. All their hopes and dreams were shattered. There were no plans for future, no goals to be achieved. Nothing to occupy their minds and constantly worry about. Just running away en masse, to delay 'the end', for as long as possible...

A still from the movie 'Cloverfield',
this is the closest I could come up with that image

More movies!!

                                         With exams fast approaching, I've still managed to watch some movies that I really liked, in this past month. Cannot really suppress from doing what I truly love, can I? :) I'll try being more specific this time around, cannot do a full blog post on a movie, unless it is really special eheh. All these movies fit perfectly into my favorite genre of 'Feel-good movies' :) Listing them in the order I watched:

*Warning - NO spoilers ahead :)*

Life of Pi - Big budget, big-name director, 3-D and surprisingly, it delivers too. Had got my expectations low after movies like Avatar and Avengers had failed to fully satisfy me. Having not read the book worked. A great story of survival and the bond between living beings. Old favorite Irrfan Khan and new face Suraj Sharma were exceptional. The best 3-D movie I've watched. Pleasing to the eyes, mind and soul, altogether. Taiwanese director Ang Lee has made us Asians proud :)

English Vinglish - Watched this by co-incidence. Just seemed to be another phony bollywood flick trying to draw masses at first glance. Proved me wrong, totally. Just shows how difficult it is to pick the good stuff among all the rubbish in bollywood these days. Spectacular tale of a less educated Indian house-wife, standing up for herself, in her family and in a foreign land. The first-time director does a good job. Its music too  has been on my playlist lately, have become a fan of Amit Trivedi already :) What a comeback by yesteryear's screen icon Sridevi. Didn't seem she's past 40, really.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel - Just watched it yesterday. Was still thinking about it this morning. I've always liked British accent, and this movie was full of it eheh. Based on a book once again, wonder how many movies are made every year based on adapted screenplay. Story of a group of British old-timers, who are having difficulty coming to terms with old age, how they end up in a 'exotic hotel' in Rajasthan, India and finally feel good about themselves. Didn't know much about the director but he surely has done well. Dev Patel of Slumdog Millionaire is in a similar role but the stand-out performance was by Judi Dench, that old lady who's always seen bossing James Bond around :)

                                         

A glimmer of hope!!

                                        I'm sorry, this post is not about some noble piece of work that I recently did or witness :) This is more about my passion, passion for cricket and passion for the greatest batsman ever, Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar. I don't remember exactly when I started watching cricket. It was probably during the 1996 cricket world cup, held jointly in India/Pakistan/Sri Lanka. I still have faint memories of some matches back then. My love affair with Indian cricket team started from the beginning, largely due to my dad also being an Indian team fan. I still remember my late grandfather talking to me about cricket during those early days and I clearly remember him mentioning during the Australia-West Indies semi-final, that the West Indies great Brian Lara was a top batsman of that era. But as years passed, I realised that it was not Brian Lara, but a young Indian by the name of Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, who took that world cup by storm, until his failure led to the team's failure in the semi-final against eventual champions Sri Lanka, that was going to be my future hero :)

                                            I have always been an Indian cricket and Sachin Tendulkar fan since childhood. So much so, that sometimes it became difficult for me to chose one between the two. There have been instances when I have wished India losing all wickets and lose, after Tendulkar doesn't  bat well and is out cheaply. As I look back into all those memories now, I can only conclude that it was my love for the great man :) Known to be a media-shy, he  is so humble, polite and inspiring in the few interviews that he has ever given. His quote - 'Chase your dreams. Dreams do come true' that he said, after finally winning the 2011 world cup last year, hangs in my room on his poster :) Though at times biased, I have always rated him above other great contemporaries like Brian Lara, Rahul Dravid, Ricky Ponting or Jacques Kallis. I've heard the line 'Cricket is a gentleman's game' many times, during cricket commentaries and for me, no other batsman better exemplifies this than Sachin Tendulkar (Rahul Dravid, a close second :)) As far as my memory is correct, I don't remember Tendulkar getting involved in any on-field controversies, other than the 'ball-tampering' incident in South Africa, in the early 2000s. That is excusable, for a man that has played cricket for 23 long years, I guess :) The fact that he has to perform under the weight of expectations, of probably more than a billion fans like me, has always intrigued me. Though he is not successful all the time, but because of the times he is, he always gives jitters in our stomachs, when he is batting :) 

                                      Sachin Tendulkar is not having good times lately. He is the highest run-scorer in international cricket (Both test and ODI formats), has 100 centuries, has played the most number of matches and the world cup win last year, was the icing on the cake, in his long glittering career. He is 39 years old and is well past his prime. His 'glory days' are behind him. But he is still playing, 'I'll only think about retirement, when the love for the game, dies in me', he said recently. As a die-hard fan, I want him to play forever and I'm happy with his longevity. At the same time, being a realist, I'm hurt by the immense  criticism that he's facing, from some old *successful* cricketers due to his batting failures, in the past 1 year. He has not performed well in England, Australia and the home series  against West indies, New Zealand and England currently. His failures led me to believe that perhaps 'the end' is near. The retirement of Aussie batting great Ricky Ponting this week, the only other cricketer near to Tendulkar's records in the past decade, added to the effect. The pressure was increasing on me, let alone Tendulkar :) But today, in the first innings of the third test against England, played at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, he made a fighting 76 runs. He had already failed thrice in this series and more failures would have probably raised the pressure-bar to the maximum. I myself believed that he should retire at the end of this series. Today's innings has probably eased some of that pressure. Everyone saw how he fought for himself and the team today. There were some vintage off-drives, leg-flicks and the shot unique to him, the pedal sweep. He was out on a good ball that would have troubled many a good batsmen in their prime. So, it's been a day of happiness, for Sachin fans like me. By this knock, the 'master blaster' has given us fans, a glimmer of hope and made a statement that perhaps 'he is NOT finished yet' :) Ending another of my sports-related posts with a relevant quote, 'When the going gets tough, the tough get going.'

Leaving Microsoft to change the world

                                          This is by far, the best book I have ever read. I know I may sound impulsive claiming this, as I just finished reading it yesterday. It took me a whole 1 month to complete it and it was not boring or anything but because I got dragged into plenty of other things along the way. In retrospect, there's no doubt in me, the 1 month spent with the book were really fruitful :)

                                          It is the story of John Wood and how he quit his job at Microsoft, to establish an award-winning non-profit organisation called 'Room to read', narrated by himself. When I first bought this book, around 2 months back, I was kind of disappointed. The reason being that I saw the word 'entrepreneur' mentioned on the cover page and thought perhaps this book focused more on his entrepreneurship skills than say, his travels and adventures. But, after finally reading it, I can proudly say, the age-old dictum 'Don't judge a book by its cover' was proven right, once again.

                                          The stimulus to finally start reading it came, after I returned from my recent trek on the Manaslu circuit. I had heard about this book for a long time and also knew about its Nepali version, which was known as 'Microsoftdekhi Bahundandasamma'. While returning from the trek on the last day, we passed a sign-board on the way in Lamjung district (Between Dharapani and Besisahar) that read - 'Way to Bahundanda'. This was the sole reason why I started reading this book and I'm so glad that I did.

                                          Talking about the book itself, it is a wonderful tale of John Wood, who like most of us was not happy with his job (Though high-paying and luxurious in his case) and wanted to do something meaningful with his life. It is divided into 3 parts - 

1) Discovering Nepal, leaving Microsoft - It tells us about his first trek into the Annapurna region of Nepal, in the late nineties and how it led to the idea, for the birth of 'Room to read'. (I myself trekked into the Annapurna region, 2 years back and believe me, it is indeed, a life changing experience!! :))

2) Starting over - Deals with the early days in the life of 'Room to read' and how John Wood and his team utilized the tricks, that Wood learnt during his Microsoft days, to run a non-profit organisation. 

3) Hitting our stride - The last part is about the team expanding the organisation from Nepal to five other developing countries in Asia - (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, India and Sri Lanka) and how they secure funding from wealthy people, who are eager to help.  

                                          The book is full of interesting anecdotes, thorough description of the places and people like you would expect in a travelogue, some really insightful quotations, human drama, even some witty humor at times and of course lots of tips and tricks for aspiring entrepreneurs (which I so much detested in the beginning and regretted for it later :))

                                         On a personal level, this book has made me realize, how lucky I am to have got the opportunity to go to school and receive the life-long gift of education. In this busy world and our even busier lifestyle, it is true that we sometimes take this gift for granted. It also made me aware about the responsibility in each one of us, to contribute something from our side, which will bring a positive change in this world. Though it might not be practical for us to quit our job like Wood did, we can surely help in our own way, be it by donating a book to our local school library, encouraging girl children to go to school in our society and if possible, even giving money for charity. I would like to end this post with one of my favorite excerpts from the book:

'...Much of human advancement depends on overcoming setbacks and making progress despite obstacles and tragedy. My personal heroes are the doctors and journalists who throw themselves into war zones, famine-stricken  nations, and areas hit by natural disasters such as earthquakes. They are aware that they cannot control or change the past, but believe strongly that they can have an influence over the future. Rather than being paralyzed by tragedy, they are catalyzed into action.'

*Here's the link to the video, showing introduction of the book, by John Wood himself - http://youtu.be/qbcNuaatFRA

       

                                          

The last-minute winner!!

                                    There is probably no other sport with more twists and turns than a ninety-minute game of football. Witnessed a truly remarkable game between the English team Chelsea, whom I have been supporting whole-heartedly for the past 5-6 years and the Ukranian outfit, Shakthar Donetsk in the group stages of the UEFA Champions League (UCL) yesterday night. This game meant a lot for Chelsea, the reigning UCL champions, not just to qualify to the next round but also due to the off-field issue of 'racism' that had been plaguing the club for quite sometime now and had been bringing some unnecessary spotlight. Moreover, the same club S. Donetsk had outplayed them 2 weeks earlier at their home-ground. So being a home-tie for Chelsea, this was seen as a must-win game, to redeem themselves. 

                                      The start of November had activated the daylight saving time change in Europe. This meant Nepalese football fans like me had to wait till 1:30 AM for the game to kick-off instead of the usual 12:30. As I had done in the previous years, slept early at around 10 PM and woke up in time for the game. (Staying awake all the way was a bad idea, I knew from experience!! :)) 

                                   The game started brightly for Chelsea as we took the lead early through Fernando Torres. It was more than just an opening goal for us as Torres had performed only in bits and pieces since his big-money move last year and all Chelsea fans (including me!!) were praying for his consistency. (Goals, would be more specific!!) The joy was short-lived however, as Shakthar equalised within minutes. Our defence certainly looked fragile in the absence of the regular captain and centre-back John Terry. As the game went on, Shakthar increased their dominance and we were looking more and more vulnerable. But against the run of play, we took the lead again, this time through Oscar, and what a goal it was!! He took advantage of the goalkeeper's error and  volleyed the ball over him and into the net from around 30-35 yards. Just like the commmentators mentioned, it was a world class finish!! 

                                   Frustration grew as we squandered the lead again, at the start of the 2nd half. The same leaky defence, was at fault again. We started to play better in the 2nd half than the 1st. Created more chances, the goal looked inevitable but did not come. The game seemed to be heading to a 2-2 draw. I started thinking about how we had won this competition the previous year, for the first time in our history, against all the odds (It was the best moment of supporting Chelsea for me!!) and were now on the brink of elimination. We badly needed 3 points from this game but it looked gone now. It felt all gloomy in that early morning until 21-year old Victor Moses, out of nowhere, scored the headed winner for us in the last minute. He had entered as a sub in the 80th minute, it was the last minute of injury time (94th) and it was just too special!! I jumped up in joy, thought of screaming but held on considering all the people that were sleeping  in my new flat (I wouldn't want to upset the new landlord, would I??:)) It felt so good, it reminded of Chelsea legend Didier Drogba's equaliser for us in the UCL final last year. The 2 headed goals and the men who scored it looked identical as well. Moses sure is a future star at Chelsea, I had never doubted him, just hope he reaches the same height that Drogba reached for us.

                                 Had been hearing this line a lot, during cricket commentaries - 'It ain't over till the fat lady sings', (probably related with opera, google will tell) it was proven once again, this time in football!!... 

                                     

Walking, for health...

                                 Don't know whether it is my fascination with walking or the after-effects of the recent trek, I have started going on morning walks these days. The spare time (due to supplementary exams) helped as well!! :) I go around Attarkhel (where my flat/college is), Gokarna and Jorpati. It usually takes about 1 hour to complete the walk. I have always been a morning person. A sound 7-8 hours sleep is enough for me to stay charged up for the day. I have never been able to stay in bed for a long time after waking up. Not even the warmth of the blanket, in this fast approaching Kathmandu winter, can hold me into it. I love the silence, the foggy weather (devoid of all the dust), the rising sun and the sight of all the men and women starting off their day. Also read an article on the internet recently about the health benefits of walking. It said walking was 1 of the easiest and most efficient ways for weight reduction and preventing chronic illnesses like heart diseases, diabetes and stroke. Around 1 hour per day was enough. To add to it, read an article in the Himalayan Times, a local newspaper, yesterday mentioning that heart diseases killed more people every year than any other disease in recent times. It also helps to stay active for the rest of the day. So deciding to walk, seems to be a right choice I made. And I hope I can continue it...

Trek on the Manaslu circuit

“… See and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it, and you shall find rest for your souls.”

JEREMIAH 6:16

                     Just returned from the trek on the Manaslu circuit 2 days back. It lasted for 10 days from Arughat, Gorkha to Besisahar, Lamjung. This was the ancient route used by the legendary kingdom of Gorkha to trade with Tibet (The Tibet border was around 5 hrs walk from Samdo, it was closed in this time of the year). Feel rejuvenated and ready for a fresh start, to take on the hassles of everyday life :) Still not recovered from the sunburnt skin and the bodyache. On a positive note, lost 5 kilos due to the average daily walk of about 10 hrs.
                        As I had mentioned in my earlier post, I wrote a journal/travelogue everyday. Have to admit, it was exciting :) (Even wrote on top of the Larke la pass, 5108 m, as I had plenty of spare time waiting for friends, there were 4 of us) Will try to post something from the journal entries in my future posts. This was my fourth trek after Ghandruk, Goshainkunda and Thorong la pass. Was again spellbound by the awesome natural beauty that Nepal has to offer. Just like they said in the Nepal tourism year 2011, Nepal: Once is not enough :)
                       The first 5 days leading upto Samagaun were probably less exciting than the latter half of the trail. We mostly passed along Budhigandaki river (Upto Samdo, on day 7), hills and forests. After Samagaun (On day 6), we got the magnificent view of Mt. Manaslu (also known as the 'killer mountain' due to the difficulty in climbing it) and other snow capped mountains of the magical Himalayas. We also visited Birendra taal (lake), situated just above Samagaun, on the way to the Manaslu base camp. The local Tibetan/Buddhist people, their culture and friendliness was something we will always remember (Especially Yonten and Pema, 2 young boys temporarily teaching at the school in Samagaun,  who accompanied us upto Samagaun from Dyang, and kept us entertained with their funny gossips and anecdotes). We crossed the highest point on the trail, the Larke la pass, 5108 m on day 9. It was my second time going above 5000 m (After Thorong la). Larke la may be at a lesser altitude than Thorong la (5416 m) but it surely isn't less amazing. The views from the top of the Larke la were probably more awesome than Thorong la. More mountains, more snow and took us a bit longer, to cross the pass. The descent on the other side was more steep as well.
                      One downside on the day we crossed the Larke la was that we encountered a porter's death most likely due to AMS. It was quite a saddening experience, seeing such a young lad, probably a teenager, die carrying others' load. Poverty makes one do tough things to survive. Made me contemplate how lucky we were, trekking for pleasure up in the Himalayas and how unlucky he was, died earning his daily bread.
The lush green coniferous forest, on the other side of the pass (After Bhimtang, on day 10), was also a sight that is etched in my mind forever. Felt like deforestation was a phenomenon that didn't exist in that part of the world. How good it would have been, for all of mankind, if forests were left in such untouched condition, in other parts too. A mere wish! We ended up at Dharapani in Manang district on day 10. It is the place where the Manaslu trail joins the Annapurna trail. It was the end of our trek. The next day we rode a jeep back to Besisahar, Lamjung. It was amazing to see so many tourists (A lot more than we encountered on the entire Manaslu trail) starting their trek up the Annapurna. It's probably due to the reputation that Annapurna has maintained over all these years.
               On a personal note, after completing both circuits, I think Manaslu is easily as good as Annapurna, if not better. If the government decides to open it (The tourists have to pay more than Annapurna to enter Manaslu conservation area currently), it has the potential to replace the Annapurna circuit some day. The lodges are newer and fewer in Manaslu. It is a complete 'tea house trek' now i.e. you don't need to carry a tent and camp, there are lodges throughout the trail. The only trouble is at Dharmashala (Larke phedi), where there is only one lodge. It has a capacity for around 70. So make sure you find out about the number of people going up there from Samdo that day. We were extremely lucky, as in spite of going in the peak tourist season, the lodge owner there was kind enough to treat us as 'Nepali tourists' (A rare breed in that part, in that time of the year!!) and arranged for our lodging and food even though the place was flooded with foreigners/guides/porters. Due to the tourist boom, the people have become more money-minded and we had to bargain at most places to pay 'Nepali rates' for lodging and food.
                      It would be better to avoid the tourist season i.e. Oct. - Nov. and Mar. - Apr., for any Nepali planning to go there. Would recommend this trek to trekkers all over the world. It, for sure, is  a 'once in a lifetime' experience...

The Budhigandaki river, Arughat

Paddy fields, Lapubesi

Avishek sleeping early after a hard day's walk, Jagat

Chhorten?, Jagat

On the way to Sirdibas

On the way to Sirdibas

Wild fruit, on the way to Dyang

It's Dashain time after all :), Call break at Dyang (From L, Sankalpa dai, Bikalpa, Avishek and me)

Prayer flag, on the way to Ghap

Pema & Yonten, at our lunch stop in Ghap

Children in Lho

Early morning in Samagaun

Mt. Manaslu

Birendra taal


Kitchen in Samdo

On the way to Dharmashala

Our tent at Dharmashala, all the rooms were already full!!

Yak skull on a pole, warning signs??, on the way to Larke la

A frozen lake, on the way to Larke la

0 degrees, on the way to Larke la

We made it!!, on top of the Larke la pass

'It's not the mountains we conquer, but ourselves' - Bikalpa

Bikalpa getting his lens ready for the forests after Bhimtang

Look who's been following us!!, near Thonche

Dharapani, end of trek