let your actions speak

I came across these few questions in context to India’s Independence Day this week. I found them interesting and I thought to share my answers through this post.

what are the rules I wish I didn’t have to follow?

I really can’t think of one at the moment. But I know there are many I don’t like. For example to agree to everything that my country does. It is an unsaid norm at the moment. If I say I don’t like where we are going as a country, I am termed anti national !

what is the one thing about my locality that disturbs me the most?

From 14th April to Ganpati and to every single marriage or some other function. The noise that is made, the mess the road is the next morning. It sucks to see that. I hate this part of my locality.

But there is something I love about my locality. Any day, even after 11pm, it is all buzz and I feel safe to walk home. It is rare and not something that happens when I visit to my friends’ places around Mumbai.

what language do I speak? what languages do I wish I knew?

English, Marathi, Hindi is all I can speak. I wish I knew Telegu and Malayalam. Each time I travel I observe at least one new aspect of either of these three languages. It just makes me smile to the fact of the richness my country has in this aspect.

which Indian states have you been to?

I have travelled to Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, Rajasthan, and have visited parts of Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka. I have been and will continue to explore mountain regions around Maharashtra.

how well do I know my neighbours?

I don’t know the family that lives next door. Yet I have seen them treat the girls in the house like maids. The guys are put on a pedestal for no reason. I haven’t had a word with them properly, but from afar I have seen things which have kept me away from them. Dad and son in the house sing funny. Both are unpaid entertainers in my life. They have made me smile when I least expected to. I don’t wish to know my neighbours, but I am glad the exist the way they do.

what would make my country a better place?

if we take parenting seriously, as a country we will shine.

what do I love most about my country?

there is a story everywhere. it is never bore. the people of this nation make it happening !

what to you is deshbhakti?

I think the concept is flawed. Nation is nation. No God to be a bhakht of. I have seen severals Deshbhakts throw trash on road. Actions speak louder than words like Deshbhakt.

when was the last time you felt patriotic?

when I was downloading music on phone and realized how diverse the music industry is. from Independence till now and beyond, the music scene in the country makes me feel good.

10years from now what do you wish changes for the better in the country?

I think if I have to rewind to 2009, I don’t think we were so accepting of LGBTQ. They were just a laughable element in movies. But today, ten years after, we have movies, events and so much more existing. I am not saying we have become more tolerant and better, but I think as a nation somewhere in this regard, we have grown.

I think, ten years from now the climate change doesn’t kill us all. If we are all alive I hope we are accepting of each other and more loving to mother earth.

I think what these questions made me do is think. Think how much I actually know myself, my neighborhood and my country at large. There is joke in the house that does the round of how well I know the places around and the people of the locality. I don’t. I hardly interact with anyone or roam around either. That’s how I am. Living happily in my little bubble.

These questions helped me peek out and look around. See, bigger problems and ways to deal with them to make this country a better place in years to come.

How can I do anything for the country at large? Are you thinking the same? Well, as the boring saying goes – charity begins at home. Be a good citizen, be a good person and a helpful neighbor and the country will prosper surely. Do your part and leave the rest, it will all fall into place.

August 21, 2019

The Konkan Kind – II

Konkan plain stretches approximately 530km and is almost 45-76km in width. I experienced only a tiny bit of the mighty Konkan and here is the second post in my series, hope you enjoy the read.

After a good sleep, we were all up on time and headed to explore Vijaydurg fort by 6:15am. As we reached the fort, we witnessed the Konkan kind of good morning. We saw the sun, rise above the horizon with its reflection flowing and reaching us. I clicked a few pictures and then stood still to embrace the moment.

The moment pumped me so much, I was overjoyed. And so the consequence had to happen. I couldn’t take my eyes off the mesmerizing sea and structure of the place and didn’t see a hole and got my right leg stuck in it.

There was terrible pain from the bone near the feet up till the knee. I couldn’t exactly figure where I was hit as it pained from the knee till my feet. I had a good friend beside me who witnessed my fall who asked me to check but I refused and kept walking.

I didn’t wish to miss out on exploring the most magnificent sea fort. I didn’t want the group to have any delay because of my stupid fall either. I needed water badly to gulp in my tears, but sadly we had forgotten to fill our bottles that morning.

Vijaydurg is a good place if you get hurt and wish to divert your mind. There is so much to know about. The older name being ‘Gheria’, this fort is among the only two forts where Shivaji personally hoisted the saffron flag, other being Torana.

It was a naval dock of the time and the entire construction of the fort is an architectural marvel, a good place for students of architecture and history. The fort is also known to be the place where French scientist, Jhonson took readings to detect that helium exists as one of the prime elements of the Sun.

In total awe for the fort we left and took bags from our rooms to catch the 9:15am bus to Jaitapur. As we were getting out bags, I checked my leg and it looked terrible. I gulped the fear of how I’ll deal with it and went down for the quick breakfast before we left.

I sat alone on the bus and looked outside the window. I spotted a few birds and saw many beautiful houses. I noticed a completely dry banyan tree which still, stood strong. It was as if telling me to ignore the pain in my leg and be strong for the day ahead.

We got down at Jaitapur hopped into the Sumo we had hired. It took us first to Yashwantgadh, a fort we missed the last time we had come to Ratnagiri. This fort was used for trade along with Ambolgadh.

The fort is divided into two parts, the plateau and the creek. The doorway has a Ganesh idol and lotus flowers carved. The fort has two storerooms. Patki family stays inside the fort premises and they even have a well outside their house.

dav — Three of us walking towards the entrance that has the Ganesh idol and the flower. Picture Credits – Sanish

On our way to the next place in mind, our tyre got punctured. One of the screws of the tyre was stuck, we oiled and tried everything, but the screw refused to move. After around half an hour with a fellow Sumo driver’s help, we got it fixed and began our journey again.

This half-hour was like a reality check. It gave a glimpse of all that had happened during the first time and how we sailed through it. It was time to thank some superpowers who helped us not have too much delay in the day and we got down at the beautiful Kanakaditya Temple.

It is a famous place for devotees of Sri Kanakaditya (name of Sun God). The five-day celebration of Ratha-Saptami receives many devotees from all parts of the country every year. The kirtans, pravachans and aarti done during the festival is quite an attraction.

Now we were on our way to Purnagadh when we decided to quickly visit the Kasheli point. The view from the top was breathtaking and I couldn’t wait to run down the steps to the point and see the heavenly scene.

I ran the first few steps and what a big mistake that was! My leg began to hurt so bad I thought it will rip off. The sound of the waves hitting the shore was so loud, it was as if my leg shouting out to me and please just stop and stand in one place.

No, I didn’t do that, slowly I walked down the steps to the spot. The shades of blue of the sea, the blurring of the horizon, the sound of the waves, the serenity of moment made my soul so happy, I could have actually danced! That would be asking too much from my leg so I just stood there drooling over the beauty of the place.

777 — How’s the pain in your leg? ‘I can’t feel the pain with such a pretty picture painted around me, it is all too dreamy to feel anything.’

Then, we reached Purnagadh, a small fort which can be viewed in one sight. It had a Hanumanji’s deity at the entrance. Some evidence suggests it was built by Shivaji Maharaj while some suggest it was built by Sakhoji Angre, son of Kanhoji Angre.

Now we headed to Thiba Palace, a lesser known place. It is a fine architecture and clearly gives a feel of old British era. Thiba hailed from Burma and one can dig into the history of his interesting life which made the existence of this marvellous palace possible in Konkan region.

My attention yet again was driven to something else, a tree. After exploring and knowing about the Thiba Palace, I climbed a tree outside the palace. It was so pretty, I couldn’t control climbing it. I could feel the happy hormones dancing in me to the tunes of ‘Sawar Loon’ that I sang.

Now, we headed to Bhatye beach. We reached in time before the sunset. I and a friend kept our shoes in the vehicle and ran to the sea. The feeling of the first wave kissing my leg is something I can’t put to words.

I and my friend walked to the calmer, fewer people end of the beach and spent time playing and doing everything that came to our mind. We observed the sun, its reflection, and the clouds on the opposite side, the waves, and the horizon. There wasn’t a single cell in our body that wasn’t overjoyed.

After a while, we walked back to our group and had fun with them. In some time we left to figure out our stay for the night. Life balances everything since the day had made me so happy, it was time for the night to show its darkest shade.

October 8, 2018

5 Travel Essentials

There can be many essentials to carry when traveling but the following are a pure no-no. If you ever went on a trip and didn’t enjoy, you probably need to take notes. There are my five travel essentials I tick mark surely before I leave.

1 No Guilt

There can be a whole big list of trips I have had with the guilt of missing something important. A friend’s birthday, family occasion, some interview and what not. Throughout these many guilt trips, I have had the evident company of sorrow with a toss of weird emotional state.

Back when I began trekking and having big vacations, I was in college and would only have weekends to spend time doing something else. And so there would be some family gatherings or a night out at a friend’s place or something planned for the weekend.

It was still manageable back then as I would meet these important people during the week and make up for not being there for the weekend and traveling instead. But now that all work, missing a weekend gathering gives a bigger guilt.

After ruining a few trips, I added this to my checklist before I leave. I spoke with two of closest friends and told them why traveling is important for me. They have a better backstory of my life and they got it. It gets difficult, but now they always know when I am heading out and all our night outs and meets are planned way ahead.

2 No Emotional Baggage

How are guilt and emotional baggage different? Well, here I mean, if there is something is bothering you real bad, it is sucking the life out of you, it can be anything, big or small, don’t let it be in the way of you having fun on a trip, instead use the trip as a way to let go of it and feel lighter.

I have a habit of overthinking and it sucks. I still remember years back, I had a small argument with a very close friend before I left for a trip and I didn’t enjoy the day at all. It was so bad I couldn’t stop whining about the fight to a few I was traveling with.

I realized instead of being there and enjoying with people I was with, I spread gloomy vibes. Only if I could go back and change that day, and be a better person, I would. But hey, that day gave me this pointer. If you are an emotional fool like me, make sure you don’t miss ticking this off.

3 No Responsibility

This is one a little more subjective than the ones above. I am a responsible head otherwise. I have taken charge of things, people and situations and have done well. But, when I travel, I love to be with myself.

It is purely my time, where I get all my thoughts out and just be me. Be amidst nature and feel the love around without a single thought about the real world back home.

Last week I had been to Gorakhgadh and I trekked it with an eleven-year-old girl. It was her first ever trek. I saw the entire fort through her eyes, her observations, her happiness, her care and concern for others, her idea of fun and laughter. It was beautiful.

But, the entire climb up and down with her, I was worried. For this trip, she was my kiddo, she was my responsibility. It was different and difficult. I am not good with kids in general who are big enough to speak. I get very awkward, shy, or I don’t know why very conscious. But this kiddo was different.

Among the many things I learned from her, I surely figured that I can’t travel with someone’s responsibility. It was a fun trip with her but it isn’t something I can do often. I can do such a trip once in a while but not too often.

4 No Health Issue

This is the most important one and you should definitely add this to your checklist. I have traveled with a cough cold and fever and managed. But, always listen to your body, it does tell you if you can or cannot do something.

Do not mix this with the feeling of fear. Feeling sick out of fear is normal, but if there is something severe, just don’t go. Oh, yes, I have traveled sick and that trip is one of the worst I ever had.

I just had to travel and so I head out. But that day I realized when you are sick you slow down the entire group. You aren’t able to enjoy much and you kind of spoil it for others too.

I don’t even let someone carry my bag even if it is extremely heavy and the climb extremely difficult. If I am not able to carry one bag, how would someone carry two? Don’t let your health issue or any sort of physical trouble spoil someone’s fun. Stay back home and if you head out, give it all you got.

5 No Virtual Presence

I have made it a habit for my mom now that on one-day trips I call her only once when I began my journey back home and on two-day trips, I call her twice. On bigger trips, I call her once in two days. This is because of a simple rule I follow that is to use my phone only to click pictures, take videos and call mom once.

My phone is full time on airplane mode to save battery too as I still own an old Moto phone. If you have read my previous travel posts and loved how I connect to nature and people around, add this to your checklist and make sure to do it. This will help you be more present in the place you are more than just physically.

There is not a single trip I had where I haven’t followed this rule since my first ever trek. And the results have been beautiful. If not always, try this on your next travel, do let me know how it works for you.

These are five travel essentials I check before I head out. It may or may not work for you as they are purely subjective to my travel experiences but hey, if you try any of these, or do follow any, I would love to know your story.

July 28, 2018

9 Weeks, 9 Words : Conscious

Living my last 9 weeks at my first job with a series of 9 posts that shall try to embrace every aspect learned from this job. Words mean more when stories are attached to it and in every sense I have learned the meaning of these 9 words. Read through the series and hopefully there is something in store for you too.

Conscious

The very reason to have this series is to be able to sail through the last few weeks. I have no reason why I should continue going to work as my admission for masters is sorted and I can focus on it. There is nothing but my conscious that stops me from doing so, and pulls me to work every day.

Other than my conscious I wanted another reason to go to work so I have started this series. And as explained above, conscious is the word I am relating stories to this week.

It could be the way my boss speaks or sometimes how my travel to work was or anything else, I tend to easily let it affect it with the kind of work we do. And when this happens my conscious kills me within. Now, after a lot of efforts I rarely let something affect my work, I work no matter what!

There are times when I had to choose between two things, being honest and going home on time. This decision was difficult as my inner self tells me it is wrong to lie at the same time; the same self doesn’t wish to be home late. At the end, I reached home late.

This is how strong my conscious is. I have cried in toilets of various places alone because I did something, said something I shouldn’t have and my conscious whipped me within.

At work, I have had days when I was given complete responsibility of something and I screwed it up. I was sorry for it and I was forgiven too but again, my conscious wasn’t done yet. It made sure I screwed up work of the next few days as well. And, of course I wasn’t forgiven this time.

This made me realize that I was harsh on myself, and when I thought more on it, it wasn’t the first time. I have been harsh on myself in past without realizing it. I haven’t yet but it is at the top of my learning list, to forgive myself.

I wish to give my best at what I am asked to do and even what I am not asked to do. I just have this strong urge to do things right always and when that doesn’t happen, I am disappointed, my conscious within is boiling, about to kill me. (Yup, this part of me is much of Monica from Friends)

I keep forgetting that I am only human and bound to make mistakes especially at a job which I have zero understanding of. Over time, I learned new things but I still can’t forget or forgive all the mistakes I have done since day 1. Hopefully, by the end of my last nine weeks I’ll forgive and forget.

Experimental series, feedback would help me improve.
DM @nishanavgire would love to hear from you!

Not continuing this series on purpose. Tried hard to, sorry for disappointing.
Hopefully I make up to you with rest of my articles. Thank You.

March 11, 2018