Breakfast in Punjab, lunch in Delhi and dinner in Mumbai. :)
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
Saturday, May 28, 2016
Happiness decoded
The following post is slightly technical and mathematical and may feel ridiculous to most. There is nothing in this post that you already don't know about. So it may probably be a waste of time. Hence proceed at your own risk!
Problem statement:
Why do we lose the spark as we age? Why don't we laugh as freely as a child? Why don't we feel as happy as we were 20 years back?
The following is my analysis:
Symptoms and analysis:
Consider an empty glass to be your overall emotional capacity. There is a small hole at the bottom of the glass. Now based on whatever goes on in your life two types of things fill up the glass:
1. Happy memories: Consider these as liquid in nature (represented by water in the snap)
2. Sad/bad memories: Consider these as solid in nature (represented by dirt in the snap)
So we can derive the following equation:
Overall experience = good moments or memories(water) + bad moments or memories(dirt)
The third factor in the above equation is the size of the hole at the bottom of the glass. The bigger the hole, the better it is for the following reasons:
1. Low chances of dirt to accumulate in the glass.
2. Faster recycling of the water and dirt within the glass.
Lets call the size of the hole as time. So our equation now becomes:
Overall emotional balance = (good memories(water) + bad memories(dirt)) / size of the hole(time)
The emotional memory span of a child is lesser than an adult. Hence the recycling of good and bad memories within the glass is extremely quick. Ever seen a child who stopped talking to his/her best friend for life due to a quarrel? Ever seen a child being upset with his parents for a month on being scolded? Nope..
Second interesting point is the force with which the the happy/sad moments enter the glass. The force is much higher in a child. Due to this force, the bigger chunks of dirt (bad memories) don't accumulate in the glass. Consider the fluid coming into the glass like a waterfall. Ever seen a child dancing in the rain? Ever seen their reaction on getting a gift that they like?
Now that we understand this, lets see what happens as we grow up:
1. Every bad memory or experience starts getting bigger in size and starts getting deposited in the glass. The hole starts getting smaller and smaller. Slowly the dirt gets deposited in the glass without an outlet. That major heartbreak! The death of a loved one! That big financial loss! Oh.. how we love holding on to these memories!. Due to the clogging of the hole, the outlet is only a trickle for most of us. Hence these memories get stuck in the mind for longer. This has two side effects:
a. It reduces the intensity of your emotions: Every time you get a happy moment, since the glass is already filled with dirt and water and the outlet is slow, the amount of water that the glass can accommodate is lesser. So the thrill or enjoyment that you feel is less. Remember, how you felt when you got your first job? Well, it didn't pay much, but it gave you immense happiness. Now compare that to how you felt when you last changed your job. How did it feel?
a. It reduces the intensity of your emotions: Every time you get a happy moment, since the glass is already filled with dirt and water and the outlet is slow, the amount of water that the glass can accommodate is lesser. So the thrill or enjoyment that you feel is less. Remember, how you felt when you got your first job? Well, it didn't pay much, but it gave you immense happiness. Now compare that to how you felt when you last changed your job. How did it feel?
b: It reduces the frequency of being happy: Since your glass is already clogged and you are holding tightly on to the contents withing the glass, you actually spend a lot of time thinking about them. This actually prevents you from spending time in creating new memories. You are very likely to say "no" to a lot of fun opportunities that come your way.
So what do we do? Is there a way out?
Probable Solution:
Since it is impossible for a grown up to shorten his/her emotional memory span, one can try the following:
1. Stay immature. Maturity kills happiness.
2. Do at least one thing in a day that makes you happy. Dance, play a prank, eat that pizza!
3. Do things today! Do not keep things for tomorrow. Act on it at as early as possible. Take that vacation you have been thinking about since a year, visit that restaurant you have been eyeing for a while, make amends with a close friend with whom you fought with years back! Do it today!
And do all the above with such force that the hole gets unclogged.
If you find a better way, do let me know!
Friday, May 27, 2016
Good movies
Good ones:
The Hateful Eight
Neerja
Everest
Paper planes
Zootopia
Bad ones:
Azhar
Baaghi
The Hateful Eight
Neerja
Everest
Paper planes
Zootopia
Bad ones:
Azhar
Baaghi
Ranga Re - Fitoor
Fitoor has some amazing songs...and comes very close to Ashiqui-2 in terms of soul and depth.
My favorite song from Fitoor is Ranga Re.
Ranga Re has two versions: an English version sung by Caralisa Monteiro and
a Hindi version sung by Sunidhi Chauhan.
While they are the same song, they are poles apart! That is the magic of Amit Trivedi!
To feel the difference, you have to hear it!
Ranga Re:
On the floor getting down tonight
To tell you how I feel
So much love I cannot fight back no more
I feel you burning inside of me
Leaving me in this misery
Give me a sign at your **
You make me feel so **
Every time we touch
I wanna know how you feel right now
I need you hold me for the **
Sweetest kiss I ever knew
Give me a sign that you’re mine
Tujhe naseebon se main chura loon
Tujhe apni saanson mein main jagaah doon
Teri rag rag mein aaj beh ke
Main mere fun ko jhila doon, main jhila doon
Hoke teri jhulfon se utre raat
Rok loon ye lamha
Ke tere honthon se chhu ke aaj
Chhu loon aag
Main rangaa re
O haan main rangaa re
Tere rang rangaa re
Tere jism mein main ghul gaya
My favorite song from Fitoor is Ranga Re.
Ranga Re has two versions: an English version sung by Caralisa Monteiro and
a Hindi version sung by Sunidhi Chauhan.
While they are the same song, they are poles apart! That is the magic of Amit Trivedi!
To feel the difference, you have to hear it!
Ranga Re:
On the floor getting down tonight
To tell you how I feel
So much love I cannot fight back no more
I feel you burning inside of me
Leaving me in this misery
Give me a sign at your **
You make me feel so **
Every time we touch
I wanna know how you feel right now
I need you hold me for the **
Sweetest kiss I ever knew
Give me a sign that you’re mine
Tujhe naseebon se main chura loon
Tujhe apni saanson mein main jagaah doon
Teri rag rag mein aaj beh ke
Main mere fun ko jhila doon, main jhila doon
Hoke teri jhulfon se utre raat
Rok loon ye lamha
Ke tere honthon se chhu ke aaj
Chhu loon aag
Main rangaa re
O haan main rangaa re
Tere rang rangaa re
Tere jism mein main ghul gaya
Saturday, May 21, 2016
Bhaag...bhai..bhaag
I was overweight in 2008, not by much though. I needed to be 65 but was 80. Most of these 15 kgs were the effect of moving to a new city and surviving on outside food..almost all of it junk. Those were the days when the thing missed most was food cooked by mom. The weight gain was gradual and I never realized it till one day someone very close to me called me "mota".
I made a resolution never to be overweight again. I started brisk walking sessions and cut down on junk food. No burgers, no pizza,no samosas! I had sprouts for dinner every night for the next 3 months. Also cut down my calorie intake to half. One of my very good friends who is supremely fit told me " mate, it is not about eating less, it is about burning more calories than you intake. Go workout or play some sport." I didn't pay any heed and stuck to walking. There were nights when I couldn't sleep properly due to hunger, but I persisted. The results were great. I was 67 kg within 4 months. My next target was to maintain this weight for life.
Years passed and I never crossed 68 kgs. But somehow it didn't feel right. The same close friend joked about my bulging tummy one day and I realized that though I wasn't overweight, I wasn't fit either. Luckily within the same week Bhaag Milkha Bhaag happened.
It inspired me, helped me remove my mental block about running. I still remember my first day on the treadmill. I was out of breath and panting within 3 mins of jogging. After a jog-walk-jog-walk kinda workout for 30 mins when I stepped down the treadmill, the world around me was spinning and my legs were feeling like rubber. However I had managed to cover 2.75 kms and that gave me a high. Within the next few months cardio-workout regime every alternate day coupled with healthy food was the mantra. My weight was down to 63 and I was doing 3.75 kms in 30 mins when I quit the gym.
A year went by and I was back to 67 and back to my old ways when the office organized a mini marathon. We had to cover 3.5 kms and I saw an opportunity to get back to running. I finished the marathon in 30 mins, but by the time I crossed the finish line my heart was in my mouth and my chest was on fire. I decided to make running a habit on that day. My close friend came 5th and I finished 51st in that race.
It's been a year since that day and due to regular practise, I can do 5 kms in 30 mins now. I eat what I want and am still able to maintain my fitness and weight. I run atleast twice a week, do weights atleast once a week and swim atleast twice month.
The key to fitness is to beat your previous limits and strive for better every time you hit the road or the gym. It is also extremely important to find and inspiration that will keep you going. I am thankful to my good friends Nikhil and Vivek for being my inspiration.
I made a resolution never to be overweight again. I started brisk walking sessions and cut down on junk food. No burgers, no pizza,no samosas! I had sprouts for dinner every night for the next 3 months. Also cut down my calorie intake to half. One of my very good friends who is supremely fit told me " mate, it is not about eating less, it is about burning more calories than you intake. Go workout or play some sport." I didn't pay any heed and stuck to walking. There were nights when I couldn't sleep properly due to hunger, but I persisted. The results were great. I was 67 kg within 4 months. My next target was to maintain this weight for life.
Years passed and I never crossed 68 kgs. But somehow it didn't feel right. The same close friend joked about my bulging tummy one day and I realized that though I wasn't overweight, I wasn't fit either. Luckily within the same week Bhaag Milkha Bhaag happened.
It inspired me, helped me remove my mental block about running. I still remember my first day on the treadmill. I was out of breath and panting within 3 mins of jogging. After a jog-walk-jog-walk kinda workout for 30 mins when I stepped down the treadmill, the world around me was spinning and my legs were feeling like rubber. However I had managed to cover 2.75 kms and that gave me a high. Within the next few months cardio-workout regime every alternate day coupled with healthy food was the mantra. My weight was down to 63 and I was doing 3.75 kms in 30 mins when I quit the gym.
A year went by and I was back to 67 and back to my old ways when the office organized a mini marathon. We had to cover 3.5 kms and I saw an opportunity to get back to running. I finished the marathon in 30 mins, but by the time I crossed the finish line my heart was in my mouth and my chest was on fire. I decided to make running a habit on that day. My close friend came 5th and I finished 51st in that race.
It's been a year since that day and due to regular practise, I can do 5 kms in 30 mins now. I eat what I want and am still able to maintain my fitness and weight. I run atleast twice a week, do weights atleast once a week and swim atleast twice month.
The key to fitness is to beat your previous limits and strive for better every time you hit the road or the gym. It is also extremely important to find and inspiration that will keep you going. I am thankful to my good friends Nikhil and Vivek for being my inspiration.
Sunday, May 8, 2016
The joy of networking
I suck at networking. It is a fact that I am not proud of, but I am comfortable with it. It takes a lot for me to step out from the comfort of my home to meet a friend. However there are times when I make exceptions.
When Shraddha expressed interest to meet Butts and me, I decided to go for it without any second thoughts. Powai, 7th may for lunch it was! After some online research, we zeroed in on Cafe Mangii. The menu looked good and the reviews were positive. Some back up options were also discussed, in case we didn’t get seats in Mangii. Butts also ensured that we reserve a table in advance, which we did.
I hitched a ride with Butts and we reached the place 10 minutes before time. Shraddha was running late, which wasn't a surprise. So in went the boys to checkout the ambience (crowd) and to kill time. First impressions weren’t great. The place was not well maintained, the china on our table was old and unclean and temperature in the restaurant was on the higher side (and this wasn’t due to to crowd ;)). Luckily, the table next to ours was occupied by two good looking ladies. During such times, Butts starts showing off. He started talking about water issues in India and the reasons behind the debacle. I too chipped in with few questions to keep the conversation going. By the look of it, the gals were getting impressed.
I didn’t want to drink alcohol during the day as I had another evening plan lined up. Butts decided to go for peach iced tea and I picked a cooler (before ordering I didn’t know why it was called she is a peach. It was a mix of peach, apricot, apple and orange). When the drinks arrived, it became evident why it was named so. I have never had such a sissy looking drink ever. To make it worse it tasted like shit. To top that up, the ladies seemed no longer interested in us (a guy having tall, slender, decorated glasses with orangish pink liquid isn’t exactly what a girl desires). Butts’s iced tea was not good as well and we started having second thoughts about the place. This is when Shraddha walked in. She looked gorgeous and fit at the same time, which I feel is an extremely difficult thing to pull off! Pleasantries were exchanged and after another disappointing drink, we decided to move out of Cafe Mangii. Its time they named it Cafe Bhangii.
Shraddha suggested Pizza Express which was close by and we were there within 10 minutes. We ordered two salads and one pizza (Butts took 15 minutes to select the pizza, and I made a mental note to use this sometime later). The food arrived quickly and disappeared even faster. The salads were great and the pizza was fantastic. Our conversations were hovering around current lifestyles, job schedules, responsibilities and chores. Everyone seemed to be in the same boat w.r.t. professional lives. We had jobs that were paying us well, but the sense of accomplishment was missing from our professional lives. Soon we started discussing folks from college. Shraddha started taking names of random folks and I was at a loss of words as I didn’t even recollect most of them. She seemed well connected to many people and had managed to stay in touch with them over Facebook. Butts recollected all the girls that Shard named and it for me this wasn’t a surprise. Butts has always been a ladies man and has a long list of admirers (some of them imaginary though) from college.
We discussed college events, fun incidents, professors and the gala time we had during college. I could sense discomfort as both of them tried not to steer the conversations towards a specific person. That is what good friends do, they lookout for you, but its been a long time and I am OK with it.
The discussions actually brought forth tons of memories that were locked up in the deep corners of my mind which I thought I had forgotten about. That is what such meetings with close friends do. They help you reconnect with your past. And there is so much joy in doing so. We laughed a lot, gossiped and also did the usual gyaan throwing at each other. It was as if, we were back in college and life was only about fun. Where the worries were restricted to passing or failing in exams. Aah..such good times!
It amazes me the distance Shard has covered in the last 15 years. From a naive fresher in college to a successful professional and the mother of a child. The best part is that she hasn’t changed a bit in all these years. How difficult is that!
This is how I network. And believe me, there is so much joy in personal networking!
Facebook can kiss my ass.
Monday, April 25, 2016
Pune-Kerala Road trip Day 6: Shimoga to Pune: 665 kms + Epilogue
Woke up at 7 am and stepped down for a cup of local tea along with Vj. It was pleasant outside and the tea tasted OK. Came back to the hotel, took bath and was ready by 8:30 am. But surprisingly the other folks were not ready yet. Usually, I am the last one to get ready. Started writing about the previous day’s events by the time these guys took bath.
We stepped down for breakfast at 9:30 am and before having breakfast dude ensured that he met Madhu and worked his charm. She was all smiles and was blushing:such is the effect of our friend: effortless for him.
Rice Bowl had a decent spread: idli, wada, puri bhaji, tomato rice, toast, fresh fruits and water melon juice. Though the options were limited, the idli-wada was the best we had tasted in the whole trip.
Finally we checked out at around 10:30 am and started our day long journey back to Pune. Butts was doing the driving and the morning was more or less uneventful, except for a quick bio break in a papaya field. Most of the plateau was green on both sides with lots of paddy farms, banana and papaya orchards and few coconut trees. Butts commented on how large our country is and how self sufficient we are and I couldn’t agree more.
We reached NH4 by 12 pm and the roads got much better than SH25. Hubli was 1 hour 45 mins away and we decided that it would be a perfect place to break for lunch. There was a KFC in Hubli and it seemed to be a good option considering that our lunch break needed to be quick. We reached the Urban Oasis Mall which housed the KFC at 2 pm. The service at KFC was extremely slow and by the time we left Hubli after buying some Dharwad Pedha from Mishra Sweets shop, it was already 3:15 pm.
Dude took the wheel for the next stretch till Kolhapur and ride was smooth. I went to sleep in the car and managed to surprise myself again. Around 6 pm , we stopped at Vitthal Kamat restaurant on NH4 roughly 5 kms after Sai International Hotel. Vj asked me if I was still waiting for a miracle:)). We had seen good Kamats and bad Kamats, but I can tell without any second thought that this Kamat was the worst of all. The dosa was burnt, the wada was stinking and the missal was shitty. Thankfully the tea was ok.
Finally we started the last stretch of our journey. Pune was 190 kms away and Butts promised that we would be there before 9:30. Guess what, we were in Shivar Restaurant in Pimple Saudagar at 9:25 pm.
...Epilogue:
Between drinks and dinner we reminisced the experiences of the last 6 days and had a few hearty laughs.
Turns out that I was wrong about the miracle. Miracles do happen. This 6 day trip itself was one! We had driven for more than 40 hours in 5 and a half days and covered 2240 Kms spread across 3 states!!
Amazing videos created by Vivek that capture the essence of the trip!
We stepped down for breakfast at 9:30 am and before having breakfast dude ensured that he met Madhu and worked his charm. She was all smiles and was blushing:such is the effect of our friend: effortless for him.
 |
| Just before leaving Shimoga |
 |
| Just before leaving Shimoga |
 |
| Route for the day |
Rice Bowl had a decent spread: idli, wada, puri bhaji, tomato rice, toast, fresh fruits and water melon juice. Though the options were limited, the idli-wada was the best we had tasted in the whole trip.
Finally we checked out at around 10:30 am and started our day long journey back to Pune. Butts was doing the driving and the morning was more or less uneventful, except for a quick bio break in a papaya field. Most of the plateau was green on both sides with lots of paddy farms, banana and papaya orchards and few coconut trees. Butts commented on how large our country is and how self sufficient we are and I couldn’t agree more.
We reached NH4 by 12 pm and the roads got much better than SH25. Hubli was 1 hour 45 mins away and we decided that it would be a perfect place to break for lunch. There was a KFC in Hubli and it seemed to be a good option considering that our lunch break needed to be quick. We reached the Urban Oasis Mall which housed the KFC at 2 pm. The service at KFC was extremely slow and by the time we left Hubli after buying some Dharwad Pedha from Mishra Sweets shop, it was already 3:15 pm.
 |
| Urban oasis Mall, Hubli |
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| KFC, Hubli |
Dude took the wheel for the next stretch till Kolhapur and ride was smooth. I went to sleep in the car and managed to surprise myself again. Around 6 pm , we stopped at Vitthal Kamat restaurant on NH4 roughly 5 kms after Sai International Hotel. Vj asked me if I was still waiting for a miracle:)). We had seen good Kamats and bad Kamats, but I can tell without any second thought that this Kamat was the worst of all. The dosa was burnt, the wada was stinking and the missal was shitty. Thankfully the tea was ok.
Finally we started the last stretch of our journey. Pune was 190 kms away and Butts promised that we would be there before 9:30. Guess what, we were in Shivar Restaurant in Pimple Saudagar at 9:25 pm.
...Epilogue:
Between drinks and dinner we reminisced the experiences of the last 6 days and had a few hearty laughs.
Turns out that I was wrong about the miracle. Miracles do happen. This 6 day trip itself was one! We had driven for more than 40 hours in 5 and a half days and covered 2240 Kms spread across 3 states!!
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| Route map for the whole trip |
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| Koi Shak? |
Amazing videos created by Vivek that capture the essence of the trip!
Tuesday, April 19, 2016
Pune-Kerala Road trip Day 3: Kasargod to Wayanad: 200 kms.
Didn't sleep well again. Woke up at 6 a.m. and went down for tea with Vj. Almost all shops were closed, but there was a lot of hustle bustle already. Vehicles and people were scurrying around even at this early hour which was surprising for a small town like Kasargod.
Breakfast at Highway castle set the tone for the day. Though the spread was simple, it was delicious, especially after the low standards set by dinner the previous night. Idli, dosa, puttu and kadala curry along with hot tea...aha!! Vivek ordered omelet for himself as he doesn't like south indian food too much.
Vivek took the wheel for a change and we started off around 10:30 am. Our first target was Bekal fort which was just 15 kms away and we reached there within 30 mins. To be frank the fort looked very ordinary from outside and I wasn't expecting much, but as soon as I stepped inside, the vastness of the place took me by surprise. Bekal fort is a national heritage site and is very well maintained. There were well manicured gardens and lawns inside. The experience got even better when we walked up one of the ramparts. The view was breathtaking: a lovely Bekal beach lay to the left and the ocean on the right. It was a mesmerizing scene and we spent a good amount of time soaking it in despite the heat. After spending a good hour within the fort in which a lot of pictures were clicked, we decided to leave for Wayanad, which was 6 hours away.
Vivek was driving well and we following all traffic rules written in the book. This is when I started writing about the previous days events and all of us got into the groove of enjoying today to the fullest. Vj recommended Mascot beach resort in Kannur for lunch for which had to take a detour. Everyone was craving for good local food and I was the most skeptical as usual about Vj's selection of the place. But Butts stood by him and we finally reach Mascot around 1:30 pm. The last dialogue before heading for lunch was by Vj "I will not take the blame if the food is not good".
The location of the resort was amazing and having lunch at a place overlooking the ocean is something that everyone was looking forward to. The lunch buffet had only traditional Kerala dishes and let me tell you that it was one of the best lunches of my life. Lentil soup, Sambhar, rasam, morucurry, pappadam, varuval, pachadi, boiled rice and payasam: every dish was perfect! Again Vivek stuck to north indian food: paneer masala and dal fry which was good too. We overate, especially Vj!! After lunch we clicked a few snaps and soaked in the beauty of the place. Let me tell you, it doesn't get more beautiful than this. The day was progressing very well..and our fingers were crossed.
After lunch, Butts took the wheel and we were back on our way to Wayanad. After an hour of driving, we started moving uphill and the weather started cooling down. In a matter of 5 hairpin bends, the temperature changed from 35 degrees to 28 degrees. Kerala is definitely God's own country: it is lush green and blessed with a superb climate. Even the trees adjoining the roads are full of fruits and flowers!! There were tea estates, rubber and spice plantations all around us. The quality of roads could get better though. Butts, Dude and Vj got into a deep conversation about religious conversions in Kerala. Many incidents and few names like AR Rahman were discussed and forgotten as soon as we hit Wayanad at 6 pm. The next hour was wasted as we searched for Hotels: the good ones didn't have rooms available, few others didn't respond to our phone calls and some were just too expensive. Finally we decided to go for Banasura Hill resort though it was a little expensive. The reviews said " amazing place with bad approach roads". We have had our share of bad roads in life and this wasn't going to stop us, so we went ahead on the narrow, bumpy off-road track till we were suddenly stopped by a local guy just 3 kms before the resort. He warned us about the bad state of the road ahead and asked us to turn back and take a different road which was safer for the car. As usual, we are super smart folks, so we thanked him for his advice, but decided to move ahead on the same path.
What happened next was something that we'll remember for the rest of our lives. The road was non existent, full of huge bumps and sharp rocks and there was very less chance of us moving ahead without scratching the sides or the bottom on the car. To make things worse, there was a small stream which wasn't too deep but had a steep incline on both sides of it. We had to go downhill for 20 meters, cross the stream and then go uphill for 20 meters. It looked nearly impossible that we could cross it without damaging the car even during day time, and it was pitch dark then. This is when team work kicked in: Vivek and I got down from the car to guide Butts through; Vijay also contributed just by stepping out of the car and making it lighter for the climb once the stream was crossed. It was going to require controlled aggression and precision to pull this through. Butts expertly maneuvered the car foot by foot avoiding the dangerous rocks and potholes and managed to reach the stream. The next step was to rev the engine in first gear for the car to climb the steep incline. Butts did just that, the car lunged forward, tires screeching, searching for contact; it moved inches ahead but couldn't find the momentum and slid back. Second attempt: same result! We decided to back the car off a little to find the momentum required to make the climb. Attempt three: All eyes on the car, it lunged, screeched and rocked on the potholes, dangerously close to the sides of the roads and inches away from getting scratched. There was a moment when it got stuck at the exact same position as the previous attempts and it felt like it wasn't going to make it. That was the moment to capitalize on. Vivek and I prayed, God listened, Butts floored the accelerator and the car jumped ahead. We were out!! Kudos to Butts!! While we were shouting with joy, Vijay came out from behind a tree where he was silently watering the plants and said "Wow..perfect timing!!"
We were all pumped up now! Thankfully the roads got a tad better and we reached Banasura hill resort around 8 pm. The resort looked, smelt and felt awesome! We decided to get an earth room with 2 extra mattresses as it was more economical than taking 2 separate rooms. The rooms were awesome and so was the buffet dinner! North indian food: chicken kadhai,dum aloo lahori,paneer mirch masala with a nice salad and hot rotis. And yes there were veg bullets too. God knows what they were made of but they were tasty!
Finally after some random conversations we decided to hit the sack! What a day it had been!! What a fcukin awesome day!!
Quotes:
1. You dont have a sensitive palette, you have a fucked palette.
2. Butts, teri g**** me bahut keeda hai, khali road dikha nahi ki bhagana shuru ho jaata hai.
3. Do you guys know that the origin of the word mascot is from muscat, so its gonna be a mulla restaurant.
4. When I drive, there are no cows.
5. To ek kaam karte hai, Nirvana me jaake poochte hai ki kal rooms tha ki nahi, phir teri g**** maarenge.
Breakfast at Highway castle set the tone for the day. Though the spread was simple, it was delicious, especially after the low standards set by dinner the previous night. Idli, dosa, puttu and kadala curry along with hot tea...aha!! Vivek ordered omelet for himself as he doesn't like south indian food too much.
 |
| Route for the day |
Vivek took the wheel for a change and we started off around 10:30 am. Our first target was Bekal fort which was just 15 kms away and we reached there within 30 mins. To be frank the fort looked very ordinary from outside and I wasn't expecting much, but as soon as I stepped inside, the vastness of the place took me by surprise. Bekal fort is a national heritage site and is very well maintained. There were well manicured gardens and lawns inside. The experience got even better when we walked up one of the ramparts. The view was breathtaking: a lovely Bekal beach lay to the left and the ocean on the right. It was a mesmerizing scene and we spent a good amount of time soaking it in despite the heat. After spending a good hour within the fort in which a lot of pictures were clicked, we decided to leave for Wayanad, which was 6 hours away.
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| Bekal Fort |
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| Entrance to Bekal Fort |
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| Bekal Fort |
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| Bekal Fort gate |
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| Inside the Bekal Fort |
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| View from the rampart |
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| View from the rampart |
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| the charlatans |
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| at the Bekal fort |
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| That is a boat |
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| Inside Bekal fort |
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Vivek was driving well and we following all traffic rules written in the book. This is when I started writing about the previous days events and all of us got into the groove of enjoying today to the fullest. Vj recommended Mascot beach resort in Kannur for lunch for which had to take a detour. Everyone was craving for good local food and I was the most skeptical as usual about Vj's selection of the place. But Butts stood by him and we finally reach Mascot around 1:30 pm. The last dialogue before heading for lunch was by Vj "I will not take the blame if the food is not good".
The location of the resort was amazing and having lunch at a place overlooking the ocean is something that everyone was looking forward to. The lunch buffet had only traditional Kerala dishes and let me tell you that it was one of the best lunches of my life. Lentil soup, Sambhar, rasam, morucurry, pappadam, varuval, pachadi, boiled rice and payasam: every dish was perfect! Again Vivek stuck to north indian food: paneer masala and dal fry which was good too. We overate, especially Vj!! After lunch we clicked a few snaps and soaked in the beauty of the place. Let me tell you, it doesn't get more beautiful than this. The day was progressing very well..and our fingers were crossed.
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| Mascot Beach Resort, Kannur |
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| Mascot Beach Resort, Kannur |
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| Mascot Beach Resort, Kannur |
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| Mascot Beach Resort, Kannur |
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| Lunch at Mascot |
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| Food for the soul..priceless! |
After lunch, Butts took the wheel and we were back on our way to Wayanad. After an hour of driving, we started moving uphill and the weather started cooling down. In a matter of 5 hairpin bends, the temperature changed from 35 degrees to 28 degrees. Kerala is definitely God's own country: it is lush green and blessed with a superb climate. Even the trees adjoining the roads are full of fruits and flowers!! There were tea estates, rubber and spice plantations all around us. The quality of roads could get better though. Butts, Dude and Vj got into a deep conversation about religious conversions in Kerala. Many incidents and few names like AR Rahman were discussed and forgotten as soon as we hit Wayanad at 6 pm. The next hour was wasted as we searched for Hotels: the good ones didn't have rooms available, few others didn't respond to our phone calls and some were just too expensive. Finally we decided to go for Banasura Hill resort though it was a little expensive. The reviews said " amazing place with bad approach roads". We have had our share of bad roads in life and this wasn't going to stop us, so we went ahead on the narrow, bumpy off-road track till we were suddenly stopped by a local guy just 3 kms before the resort. He warned us about the bad state of the road ahead and asked us to turn back and take a different road which was safer for the car. As usual, we are super smart folks, so we thanked him for his advice, but decided to move ahead on the same path.
What happened next was something that we'll remember for the rest of our lives. The road was non existent, full of huge bumps and sharp rocks and there was very less chance of us moving ahead without scratching the sides or the bottom on the car. To make things worse, there was a small stream which wasn't too deep but had a steep incline on both sides of it. We had to go downhill for 20 meters, cross the stream and then go uphill for 20 meters. It looked nearly impossible that we could cross it without damaging the car even during day time, and it was pitch dark then. This is when team work kicked in: Vivek and I got down from the car to guide Butts through; Vijay also contributed just by stepping out of the car and making it lighter for the climb once the stream was crossed. It was going to require controlled aggression and precision to pull this through. Butts expertly maneuvered the car foot by foot avoiding the dangerous rocks and potholes and managed to reach the stream. The next step was to rev the engine in first gear for the car to climb the steep incline. Butts did just that, the car lunged forward, tires screeching, searching for contact; it moved inches ahead but couldn't find the momentum and slid back. Second attempt: same result! We decided to back the car off a little to find the momentum required to make the climb. Attempt three: All eyes on the car, it lunged, screeched and rocked on the potholes, dangerously close to the sides of the roads and inches away from getting scratched. There was a moment when it got stuck at the exact same position as the previous attempts and it felt like it wasn't going to make it. That was the moment to capitalize on. Vivek and I prayed, God listened, Butts floored the accelerator and the car jumped ahead. We were out!! Kudos to Butts!! While we were shouting with joy, Vijay came out from behind a tree where he was silently watering the plants and said "Wow..perfect timing!!"
We were all pumped up now! Thankfully the roads got a tad better and we reached Banasura hill resort around 8 pm. The resort looked, smelt and felt awesome! We decided to get an earth room with 2 extra mattresses as it was more economical than taking 2 separate rooms. The rooms were awesome and so was the buffet dinner! North indian food: chicken kadhai,dum aloo lahori,paneer mirch masala with a nice salad and hot rotis. And yes there were veg bullets too. God knows what they were made of but they were tasty!
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| Banasura Hill resort |
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| Banasura Hill resort |
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| Restaurant at the resort |
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| View from the restaurant |
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| Inside the Banasura Hill resort |
Finally after some random conversations we decided to hit the sack! What a day it had been!! What a fcukin awesome day!!
Quotes:
1. You dont have a sensitive palette, you have a fucked palette.
2. Butts, teri g**** me bahut keeda hai, khali road dikha nahi ki bhagana shuru ho jaata hai.
3. Do you guys know that the origin of the word mascot is from muscat, so its gonna be a mulla restaurant.
4. When I drive, there are no cows.
5. To ek kaam karte hai, Nirvana me jaake poochte hai ki kal rooms tha ki nahi, phir teri g**** maarenge.
Pune-Kerala Road trip Day 2: Kolhapur to Kasargod: 650 kms.
Didn't sleep well, was up by 6 am. Stepped down for tea with Vj. The weather was perfect. It was pleasant and the air was fresh due to the rains last night.
The tea was better than the weather.
After quick bath, we were ready to have breakfast and start our journey for the day. It was going to be a long one. We had to cover 650 kms to reach Bekal by night. Breakfast was great. Butts and Vivek had misal pav, I had idli and toast butter and Vj had his protein bar. Finally we left at 8:30 am with Butts at the wheel.
The roads were really good and we made excellent progress and reached the Karnataka border faster than expected. The roads got better in Karnataka and we experienced dag---dag---dag---dag--dag--dag--dag--dag-dag-dag-dag-dagdagdag :). The discussions were mostly about what music to play and everyone had comments on every song played. At one point Vj said "if we were all eggs in a basket we would probably be from different birds". Made perfect sense.
Around 2.5 hours from Kolhapur, we took a right from NH4 to join SH1 at Dharwad. SH1 was going to take us to NH17 near Ankola. SH1 took us uphill. The roads started winding too often and so did our moods. I guess it was hunger. I asked them to stop at a small shop to taste the local chikki and chakli. Had 2 chikkis for 2 rupees, skipped the chalki as it looked dangerous and had a banana instead. The chikki was awesome. I had trouble deciphering the language and accent of the shopkeeper, which made me realize that I was far from home. Few kilometers ahead, Butts suddenly braked hard and I noticed that it was a cop who had stopped us. He looked more scared than us as he felt that butts was going to ram into him. He indicated something and asked us to park at the side of the road. On further questioning we came to know that there were 2 huge trailers coming from the opposite side with windmill blades and we would have blocked them on the hairpin bends that lay ahead of us. It was good to see them doing their jobs well. Jai Ho!
Most of the journey on SH1 was through small villages nestled within a forest. After watching a small shrine in the middle of nowhere butts commented that he was amazed how religion had penetrated so deeply in our country. Religion isn't about places, it is about people. There were debates on when and where to break for lunch when a Kamat Hotel-7kms away signboard popped up. I was hungry and was making a fuss about it and sadly we didn't have any snickers. We decided to check it out and stop if it looked ok. SH1 ended finally and we took a left on NH17. Another km down the road lay Kamat. The place looked good and so did the menu. The worst dish on the table was surprisingly the South Indian thali. :)) The winner was North Indian thali and mixed raita. Also let me tell you they don't serve by two. We had another 350 kms to go and a lot would depend upon the traffic and road conditions if we had to make it to Bekal on time.
Though the quality of road on NH17 was not great, we hit upon some beautiful scenery along the highway. There were rivers, beaches, backwaters adjoining the highway. We also took a slight detour to stop by at Murudeshwar Shiva Temple.
It all started going downhill after that. NH17 was not as good as NH4. There was lot of construction work going on in patches and our progress was slow. It only got worse as the traffic started getting heavy as well. By evening we had covered lesser miles than expected and our real personalities started becoming more pronounced. It is said that true test of character is only when things aren't going your way. It was evident that if we wanted to reach Bekal, it wouldn't be before 9:30-10 pm. Slowly everyone started having an opinion about where we should halt for the night. We never realized that we had stopped enjoying the journey and all we were doing was worry about the destination. Vj actually started looking for flights back home. :(( After Kundapura, the roads got better and progress was faster, but it was already dark and driving was difficult. We passed by Udipi, but I have seen more of Udipi in Mumbai than in Udipi. There was not a single coffee shop on the highway and the coffee lovers in the car were thoroughly disappointed. We passed by Mangalore but it was too dark to notice anything. We finally entered Kerala around 8:30 pm.
The first thing that hit us in kerala was the overpowering presence of Muslims. Every shop or restaurant was either an Arabian Night or Al Khalifa. Finally after multiple rounds of discussion and evaluating many options we decided to stay back in Kasargod for the night. Vj made a good suggestion to worry about dinner first and lodging second. As per him we were running out of options every passing hour and our chance to get decent veg food would disappear completely after 10 pm as everything would shut down in Kasargod. On his recommendation we decided to try out Indian Coffee House as everything else was a Shalimar or a Noor Jahan. I have been a huge fan of mughalai food and have visited all the good mughalai restaurants in mumbai and pune, however I was in for a shock. As soon as we entered the place, an overpowering smell of meat hit us. The waiter said that they had only paneer and green peas masala available in veg. We were fcukin hungry and decided to order whatever was available. The service was good and the food arrived early. However let me tell you, I am never going to Indian Coffee house ever again. :) I have a sensitive palate and the taste and smell of the food in ICH scarred it. I am going to take that smell and taste to my grave! Everyone else managed to gobble down some parotas, but I had a tough time. The food wasn't bad, but it was different.
We hurriedly paid the bill and started hunting for Hotel Highway Castle. Luckily it was close by and the restaurant was open when we reached. I ordered dal roti and Butts ordered fruit salad with ice-cream. The food was much better, but I had already lost my appetite and didn't enjoy it. Vj got us a good discount at the hotel and he also managed to find beers for us, but unfortunately they turned out to be KF premiere instead of KF premium. They tasted like piss and my day ended at a real low. Dude also taught us how to remove glycerol from beer, but that it a story in itself. It may change my life. While all this happened, we had discussions about skipping going to Munnar as it was a good 11 hours away and we would have to spend most of the day on the road as well. We decided to pick destinations which were 5-6 hours away so that we could take time off the road and do some sightseeing. Tentative destinations that were discussed were Wayanad, Coorg and Ooty.
Is tomorrow going to be a better day?
Quotes of the day:
1. Butts, this is the end of civilization in Kasargod. Beyond this point you wont get any vegetarian food here.
2. "If we were all eggs in a basket we would probably be from different birds
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| Sunrise from Hotel Sai International |
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| Sunrise from Hotel Sai International |
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| Sunrise from Hotel Sai International |
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| Splendid view from Hotel Sai International |
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| Splendid view from Hotel Sai International |
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| Splendid view from Hotel Sai International |
The tea was better than the weather.
After quick bath, we were ready to have breakfast and start our journey for the day. It was going to be a long one. We had to cover 650 kms to reach Bekal by night. Breakfast was great. Butts and Vivek had misal pav, I had idli and toast butter and Vj had his protein bar. Finally we left at 8:30 am with Butts at the wheel.
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| Breakfast at Sai Fast food court |
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| Breakfast at Sai Fast food court |
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| Route for the day |
The roads were really good and we made excellent progress and reached the Karnataka border faster than expected. The roads got better in Karnataka and we experienced dag---dag---dag---dag--dag--dag--dag--dag-dag-dag-dag-dagdagdag :). The discussions were mostly about what music to play and everyone had comments on every song played. At one point Vj said "if we were all eggs in a basket we would probably be from different birds". Made perfect sense.
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| Butts at the wheel |
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| Dude poses while I write |
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| At the Maharashtra-Karnataka Border |
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| At the Maharashtra-Karnataka Border |
Most of the journey on SH1 was through small villages nestled within a forest. After watching a small shrine in the middle of nowhere butts commented that he was amazed how religion had penetrated so deeply in our country. Religion isn't about places, it is about people. There were debates on when and where to break for lunch when a Kamat Hotel-7kms away signboard popped up. I was hungry and was making a fuss about it and sadly we didn't have any snickers. We decided to check it out and stop if it looked ok. SH1 ended finally and we took a left on NH17. Another km down the road lay Kamat. The place looked good and so did the menu. The worst dish on the table was surprisingly the South Indian thali. :)) The winner was North Indian thali and mixed raita. Also let me tell you they don't serve by two. We had another 350 kms to go and a lot would depend upon the traffic and road conditions if we had to make it to Bekal on time.
Though the quality of road on NH17 was not great, we hit upon some beautiful scenery along the highway. There were rivers, beaches, backwaters adjoining the highway. We also took a slight detour to stop by at Murudeshwar Shiva Temple.
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| Lunch at Kamat, Ankola |
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| Lunch at Kamat, Ankola |
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| Lunch at Kamat, Ankola |
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| Lunch at Kamat, Ankola |
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| River on NH17 |
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| River on NH17 |
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| Bridge on NH17 |
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| Beach adjoining NH17 |
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| Temple across the beach |
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| Beach adjoining NH17 |
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| Backwaters adjoining NH17 |
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| Beach adjoining NH17 |
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| Beach adjoining NH17 |
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| Beach adjoining NH17 |
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| Murudeshwar Shiva Temple |
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| Murudeshwar Shiva Temple |
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| Beach next to the temple |
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| Murudeshwar Shiva Temple |
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| Murudeshwar Shiva Temple |
It all started going downhill after that. NH17 was not as good as NH4. There was lot of construction work going on in patches and our progress was slow. It only got worse as the traffic started getting heavy as well. By evening we had covered lesser miles than expected and our real personalities started becoming more pronounced. It is said that true test of character is only when things aren't going your way. It was evident that if we wanted to reach Bekal, it wouldn't be before 9:30-10 pm. Slowly everyone started having an opinion about where we should halt for the night. We never realized that we had stopped enjoying the journey and all we were doing was worry about the destination. Vj actually started looking for flights back home. :(( After Kundapura, the roads got better and progress was faster, but it was already dark and driving was difficult. We passed by Udipi, but I have seen more of Udipi in Mumbai than in Udipi. There was not a single coffee shop on the highway and the coffee lovers in the car were thoroughly disappointed. We passed by Mangalore but it was too dark to notice anything. We finally entered Kerala around 8:30 pm.
The first thing that hit us in kerala was the overpowering presence of Muslims. Every shop or restaurant was either an Arabian Night or Al Khalifa. Finally after multiple rounds of discussion and evaluating many options we decided to stay back in Kasargod for the night. Vj made a good suggestion to worry about dinner first and lodging second. As per him we were running out of options every passing hour and our chance to get decent veg food would disappear completely after 10 pm as everything would shut down in Kasargod. On his recommendation we decided to try out Indian Coffee House as everything else was a Shalimar or a Noor Jahan. I have been a huge fan of mughalai food and have visited all the good mughalai restaurants in mumbai and pune, however I was in for a shock. As soon as we entered the place, an overpowering smell of meat hit us. The waiter said that they had only paneer and green peas masala available in veg. We were fcukin hungry and decided to order whatever was available. The service was good and the food arrived early. However let me tell you, I am never going to Indian Coffee house ever again. :) I have a sensitive palate and the taste and smell of the food in ICH scarred it. I am going to take that smell and taste to my grave! Everyone else managed to gobble down some parotas, but I had a tough time. The food wasn't bad, but it was different.
We hurriedly paid the bill and started hunting for Hotel Highway Castle. Luckily it was close by and the restaurant was open when we reached. I ordered dal roti and Butts ordered fruit salad with ice-cream. The food was much better, but I had already lost my appetite and didn't enjoy it. Vj got us a good discount at the hotel and he also managed to find beers for us, but unfortunately they turned out to be KF premiere instead of KF premium. They tasted like piss and my day ended at a real low. Dude also taught us how to remove glycerol from beer, but that it a story in itself. It may change my life. While all this happened, we had discussions about skipping going to Munnar as it was a good 11 hours away and we would have to spend most of the day on the road as well. We decided to pick destinations which were 5-6 hours away so that we could take time off the road and do some sightseeing. Tentative destinations that were discussed were Wayanad, Coorg and Ooty.
Is tomorrow going to be a better day?
Quotes of the day:
1. Butts, this is the end of civilization in Kasargod. Beyond this point you wont get any vegetarian food here.
2. "If we were all eggs in a basket we would probably be from different birds
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