Well over 10 days and I decide to take up the proverbial pen again. I guess procrastination and I are really best friends for life!
So, I realized today that pushing the limits while fun, could mean different things to different people. It's not just about uprooting yourself and then deriving a strange satisfaction from injecting yourself into cultures that are pretty different from yours. It could be about pushing boundaries in art, about challenging the limits that you can see but ofcourse, need to transcend. It could of course mean something completely different too. Things that I couldn't be bothered to think of right now :)
Life's been on a rollercoaster the last few weeks. And that's another thing that I have discovered. While clearly on the unsettling side, rollercoasters are fun. They throw you into situations that you never thought you would be in, like being suspended hundreds of feet above the ground with some firm straps between you and near death. While you are thinking about how this isn't the moment that you would choose to die in, the machine kicks in and you are sent through some of the most nerve wracking experiences of your life. And you do come out. Alive. With a deep sense of unreality and the need of the addict to do it again. Even as you know that you are completely terrified and would run given the chance. But you don't give yourself that chance. I wonder why.
A little more than two more weeks of semester to go. And like I mentioned to somebody yesterday, I don't know whether to be happy it's done or scared that I don't have a page of my proposal written. Another 'if' in my life that's completely structured on that wonderfully stable word :)
More later...
Tuesday, 17 November 2009
Wednesday, 4 November 2009
That itch again
I don't feel like writing about places today. I don't feel like doing any of what I officially started out to do on this blog.
Today, I just want to write.
About that glove that I lost last winter, the one that set me free. About the feeling of ineptitude when I stare into blank faces week after week, trying to convince myself that what I say, makes a connection somewhere. I try, before the bubble bursts. Right in my face. About roads that I have lost to the past. Some by choice, and some perforce. About roads that I see stretch out ahead. That I wonder if I have the strength to traverse.
About human connections. That light up in the most unexpected places. And the ones that collapse unexpectedly. About friends that I make and try my best, to keep. And those that I lose. And the pointlessness of ruing that loss. And in the most annoying academic way, the pointlessness of the pointlessness of ruing that loss. Ha! (Girl Interrupted?)
I want to write about the joy of finding people, places and adventures. Of building from scratch. And then that ever present need to move on. To force closure where none was ever required. I want to write crazy today. Like I said, to stop being official and become the rebel I (never) was (though Ma may disagree :) To forsake routine and go back to Hampi, to Goa, to other frontiers that I haven't touched yet. Soon! If nowhere else, it will be back to the craziness of NYC.
Today, I just want to write.
About that glove that I lost last winter, the one that set me free. About the feeling of ineptitude when I stare into blank faces week after week, trying to convince myself that what I say, makes a connection somewhere. I try, before the bubble bursts. Right in my face. About roads that I have lost to the past. Some by choice, and some perforce. About roads that I see stretch out ahead. That I wonder if I have the strength to traverse.
About human connections. That light up in the most unexpected places. And the ones that collapse unexpectedly. About friends that I make and try my best, to keep. And those that I lose. And the pointlessness of ruing that loss. And in the most annoying academic way, the pointlessness of the pointlessness of ruing that loss. Ha! (Girl Interrupted?)
I want to write about the joy of finding people, places and adventures. Of building from scratch. And then that ever present need to move on. To force closure where none was ever required. I want to write crazy today. Like I said, to stop being official and become the rebel I (never) was (though Ma may disagree :) To forsake routine and go back to Hampi, to Goa, to other frontiers that I haven't touched yet. Soon! If nowhere else, it will be back to the craziness of NYC.
Sunday, 25 October 2009
To Wisconsin instead
So, I want to take a break from recapping Egypt. I'll head over to Wisconsin instead, the last place I was at.
A weekend that coincides with Diwali and we decide to pack our bags and set off to (what else) take pictures of the awesome fall colours of the Midwest. I am hoping that we find at least a church that has candles out--I mean Diwali is the festival of lights, right?
So we set off, an hour or two late but never mind, it's a mini vacation :) And we really set off--I mean it was miles and miles (sounds better than kilometres and is probably what the eccentric Americans measure distances in ;) of farmland and quiet. I still can't get over how different travelling in the countryside is in India and the US. I mean, there is not a soul in sight here--no little kids waving to you from the sides of the highway. Just quiet. I don't know how I feel about that--just doesn't seem right. (I think it's homesickness again). But here you travel in a car and could go by without any contact with humanity unless you need the inevitable pit stop at a gas station (read petrol pump). No second class train compartment where you grab seats and protect them from the general category ;)
After about four hours of driving, we reached Waterford, WI, the cheapest hotel town closest to the Kettle Moraine National Park. And instead of a hotel, the GPS (one of the staples here) takes us to a deserted airfield! I think I do that--the only time we went to Springfield (Illinois' state capital and more farmland than town), we got lost! Anyway, went down Church Street and found the hotel. abrupt end but more tomorrow :)
A weekend that coincides with Diwali and we decide to pack our bags and set off to (what else) take pictures of the awesome fall colours of the Midwest. I am hoping that we find at least a church that has candles out--I mean Diwali is the festival of lights, right?
So we set off, an hour or two late but never mind, it's a mini vacation :) And we really set off--I mean it was miles and miles (sounds better than kilometres and is probably what the eccentric Americans measure distances in ;) of farmland and quiet. I still can't get over how different travelling in the countryside is in India and the US. I mean, there is not a soul in sight here--no little kids waving to you from the sides of the highway. Just quiet. I don't know how I feel about that--just doesn't seem right. (I think it's homesickness again). But here you travel in a car and could go by without any contact with humanity unless you need the inevitable pit stop at a gas station (read petrol pump). No second class train compartment where you grab seats and protect them from the general category ;)
After about four hours of driving, we reached Waterford, WI, the cheapest hotel town closest to the Kettle Moraine National Park. And instead of a hotel, the GPS (one of the staples here) takes us to a deserted airfield! I think I do that--the only time we went to Springfield (Illinois' state capital and more farmland than town), we got lost! Anyway, went down Church Street and found the hotel. abrupt end but more tomorrow :)
Wednesday, 21 October 2009
Les Pyramids
Back after yet another week. The high level of punctuality's probably becoming a regular feature of this blog!
Anyway, so there we were in Giza, next door to Cairo, in the Hotel Les 3 Pyramids. Probably not on the Top 10 list in Trip Advisor but a decent place, nevertheless. Finally, we would get to see the remains of the Pharaohs, and get a glimpse of everything that history books had shoved down our throats ;)
But then, good things always take their own sweet time. We were first taken to the museum of Ramses 2. The guy was so confused, he ended up marrying one of his daughters! I guess all that does deserve a museum of honour ;) The next stop was the step pyramid in Saqquara--the precursor to the Great Pyramids. A little bit like the rough architect's sketch before the final building goes up. A slight detour at a carpet shop and then finally, the pyramids!
One of the biggest names on the Greatest Wonders list, the first is the Pyramid of Cheops, the second, of Khefru, and the third, of Macarenas (sounds very familiar). While our parents very wisely decided not to enter the belly of the beast, my sister and I had the spirit of the explorers upon us. So we went down a steep ramp, just about ready to slip every few steps, pretty sure that we would end up with broken limbs, or die of suffocation in the Pyramid of Macarenas.The scary trek was worth it. Though it's been a few years, I still remember the sense of awe that we felt when we could finally walk around this ancient burial site.
Unfortunately, the Sphinx had closed its doors for the day and we ended up getting pictures of it only from the outside. But then we were never ones to give up early. A bit of sauntering around the shops, and then we were back for the Son et lumière, as the Sphinx came alive to tell us the story of the Pyramids and the Egypt of yore. It was a fascinating show, with the light from the stars above and the mesmerizing voice coming together to take us back into one of the richest periods in the world's history.
More later...
Anyway, so there we were in Giza, next door to Cairo, in the Hotel Les 3 Pyramids. Probably not on the Top 10 list in Trip Advisor but a decent place, nevertheless. Finally, we would get to see the remains of the Pharaohs, and get a glimpse of everything that history books had shoved down our throats ;)
But then, good things always take their own sweet time. We were first taken to the museum of Ramses 2. The guy was so confused, he ended up marrying one of his daughters! I guess all that does deserve a museum of honour ;) The next stop was the step pyramid in Saqquara--the precursor to the Great Pyramids. A little bit like the rough architect's sketch before the final building goes up. A slight detour at a carpet shop and then finally, the pyramids!
One of the biggest names on the Greatest Wonders list, the first is the Pyramid of Cheops, the second, of Khefru, and the third, of Macarenas (sounds very familiar). While our parents very wisely decided not to enter the belly of the beast, my sister and I had the spirit of the explorers upon us. So we went down a steep ramp, just about ready to slip every few steps, pretty sure that we would end up with broken limbs, or die of suffocation in the Pyramid of Macarenas.The scary trek was worth it. Though it's been a few years, I still remember the sense of awe that we felt when we could finally walk around this ancient burial site.
Unfortunately, the Sphinx had closed its doors for the day and we ended up getting pictures of it only from the outside. But then we were never ones to give up early. A bit of sauntering around the shops, and then we were back for the Son et lumière, as the Sphinx came alive to tell us the story of the Pyramids and the Egypt of yore. It was a fascinating show, with the light from the stars above and the mesmerizing voice coming together to take us back into one of the richest periods in the world's history.
More later...
Tuesday, 13 October 2009
A Post-it
Just so I don't forget. A friend set me thinking about how it makes perfect economic sense to deny yourself the big bucks and create employment instead. Specially in the Indian context. More later.
Aswan finally!
So two days later and we get to Aswan. Well, it takes two days on the blog. It is just an overnight cruise from Etna to the Dam really. As an aside, I tried researching the Cleopatra reference from my earlier post and well, it's just too confusing! Too many ladies with the same name, marrying their uncles, brothers and so on. Too confusing, so I will let sleeping dogs lie.
Sorry for wandering off... Back to Aswan. The Dam is impressive--I think the closest in India may be the Bhakra Nangal. I mean it feels like a whole big stretch of road which also doubles to harness water power into electricity. I am sure one of those World Bank and other 'global' organization aided miracles in the developing world! (Cynicism courtesy recent reading of World Bank criticism)
Anyway, the point is, the whole structure was huge. Certainly did not feel like something that would simply hold back water. But then, dams are certainly accomplished multi-taskers. Or definitely meant to be. Plus, this one had a special commemorative seal marking USSR-Egypt friendship. I forget but I think the sign included an olive branch (you get the drift...).
Up next was a charming experience--a visit to a Nubian village. Well, charming if you reside in the developed world and quite like the slums back home, if you don't. We took a boat from the modern splendour of the dam to a place, that I can only describe as the exact opposite--home to archaic lifestyles and obvious squalor. The houses resembled the poor houses in the little towns in Haryana and UP that one sees by the side of the highway, while speeding from one city to another. Grimy inhabitants, the purpose of whose existence seemed to be 'being on display'. Far from being citizens with quaint practices, like the century old houses in the Swiss Alps; these Nubians (upper Egyptians who have greater cultural similarities with Sudan than Egypt). Upper and Lower Egypt is nomenclature for ancient Egypt. While Upper corresponds to modern day Egypt south of Cairo, Lower refers to the part north of Cairo!
The grimy village tour done, we were whisked off to dine on Nubian delicacies. Apologies for being one of those pessimists, but I doubt if too many of the Nubian village denizens had ever tasted their 'own' delicacies! As my father pointed out the other day, while foreigners relish Ethiopian food, a huge chunk of that country's population starves.
Before we knew it, our day at Aswan was over. We barely had time to saunter through an Egyptian souk, before we had to board our train back to Giza (Cairo's twin city). Hopefully that comes up tomorrow!
Sorry for wandering off... Back to Aswan. The Dam is impressive--I think the closest in India may be the Bhakra Nangal. I mean it feels like a whole big stretch of road which also doubles to harness water power into electricity. I am sure one of those World Bank and other 'global' organization aided miracles in the developing world! (Cynicism courtesy recent reading of World Bank criticism)
Anyway, the point is, the whole structure was huge. Certainly did not feel like something that would simply hold back water. But then, dams are certainly accomplished multi-taskers. Or definitely meant to be. Plus, this one had a special commemorative seal marking USSR-Egypt friendship. I forget but I think the sign included an olive branch (you get the drift...).
Up next was a charming experience--a visit to a Nubian village. Well, charming if you reside in the developed world and quite like the slums back home, if you don't. We took a boat from the modern splendour of the dam to a place, that I can only describe as the exact opposite--home to archaic lifestyles and obvious squalor. The houses resembled the poor houses in the little towns in Haryana and UP that one sees by the side of the highway, while speeding from one city to another. Grimy inhabitants, the purpose of whose existence seemed to be 'being on display'. Far from being citizens with quaint practices, like the century old houses in the Swiss Alps; these Nubians (upper Egyptians who have greater cultural similarities with Sudan than Egypt). Upper and Lower Egypt is nomenclature for ancient Egypt. While Upper corresponds to modern day Egypt south of Cairo, Lower refers to the part north of Cairo!
The grimy village tour done, we were whisked off to dine on Nubian delicacies. Apologies for being one of those pessimists, but I doubt if too many of the Nubian village denizens had ever tasted their 'own' delicacies! As my father pointed out the other day, while foreigners relish Ethiopian food, a huge chunk of that country's population starves.
Before we knew it, our day at Aswan was over. We barely had time to saunter through an Egyptian souk, before we had to board our train back to Giza (Cairo's twin city). Hopefully that comes up tomorrow!
Saturday, 10 October 2009
Where Cleopatra visited Egypt
Yes, that's Esna. A small but historically significant town on the cruise route from Luxor to the Aswan Dam. After crossing the barrage named after the town, we made a halt at the town itself. The walk from the pier to the Temple of Esna meandered through tourist targeted 'ethnic' markets. As usual, I have a visual from India to compare it to. Think of the markets in Hampi and you have the spitting image of the markets of Esna. Ofcourse for those of you who have not been to Hampi, tough luck ;)
The temple itself is still an archaeological excavation site. The parts that have been excavated, are like all things Egyptian, awe inspiring. The pillars that support and constitute the remains of the temple seem to soar into the sky, only to be capped by a massive roof. I don't clearly remember which, but either the roof or the pillars have inscriptions on them that tell the story of the temple. Even though I was pretending to pay attention, I am not very sure what exactly the story of the temple is. I THINK it talks about Queen Cleopatra arriving in ancient Egypt with her consort of that time. Well sorry, but I never volunteered a history lesson though I admit it would have made things more interesting :)
After Esna, the ship cruised along overnight till we landed at Aswan Dam. I will try to get there tomorrow :) No promises that I may break!
The temple itself is still an archaeological excavation site. The parts that have been excavated, are like all things Egyptian, awe inspiring. The pillars that support and constitute the remains of the temple seem to soar into the sky, only to be capped by a massive roof. I don't clearly remember which, but either the roof or the pillars have inscriptions on them that tell the story of the temple. Even though I was pretending to pay attention, I am not very sure what exactly the story of the temple is. I THINK it talks about Queen Cleopatra arriving in ancient Egypt with her consort of that time. Well sorry, but I never volunteered a history lesson though I admit it would have made things more interesting :)
After Esna, the ship cruised along overnight till we landed at Aswan Dam. I will try to get there tomorrow :) No promises that I may break!
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