Dog Blogs Travel Trips

(... continued ) La Revolucion I visited a commune recently. I know you're thinking "Hippies!" here mom! It was exactly what my heart has craved every single time I've searched for this elusive clan. A small, two room house with a wide open veranda, crouched over a seasonal stream, with a wide, shady banyan tree with thick roots forming the main support against which leaned an old man, wearing impossibly thick glasses, peering into a computer. A little girl, lovingly bullied a puppy, as her father brewed fresh Italian coffee. The rooms were their workshop. The motley bunch from different parts of the world slept on simple mats, with cushions and patchwork sheets for comfort. They described to me how they have mastered reconverting plastic into fuel, all the while playing with the little girl, teaching her life's tough lessons about bullying, with love and refreshing honesty. Their home exuded the fresh, clean, simple love that the five inhabitants of the h...

A coal blackened board welcomes us as we drive through "Desh ki Koyla Rajdhani - Dhanbad". Coal and Capital. Our country's current obsession. Just a few people shy of complete coverage of human rights issues in all of Jharkhand's 24 districts, a colleague (at the time snoozing on the back seat) and I were Travel-Tripping across the state, reconnecting with the many friends and associates we have acquired in our many years of IndiaUnheard in Jharkhand. The road from Ranchi took us through Hazaribag, onto the broken roads of Bengal, past the "prestigious" Maithon dam (which by the way, displaced thousands of the native people, most of whom are still homeless migrants), right on through the steady, stoic hills of the Santhal Pargana, into Dumka. Dumka is one of many Coal Cities across Jharkhand, complete with its unique kind of inadequate infrastructure suffering from wave after wave of migrants. Every chai tapri at the main bus stop has filthy,...

So much love & power coming my way after my last post . I've been reading about  Kali, The Terrible One & how through her 12 manifestations She creates, maintains & destroys this universe. To quote Aljai, "You have been telling people that this is the Eleventh Hour, now you must go back and tell the people that this is the Hour." Kalyug or the Ultimate Downfall has begun. It time to allow Mahabhairava Kali to emerge. As the moon wanes out of her darkest phase, we have felt extreme grief & fear. It is time to look beyond Maya & to realize that the end is near. May this universe shake with the terrifying laughter of Bhairavi for she represents time, ever inclined to destroy this world, annihilate anything and all that is not worthy of keeping. And like Raktabija, the demons of this world shall be consumed by her tandava. It is time to invoke this Shakti who shall dance this world to destruction and from the ashes of mankind She shall prepare a ...

I've always been interested in stories. I guess it began with the bedtime stories snoozily crafted by Papa when we were kids. Stories of people who withstood scary Skeletors. Carefully personalized for children. So there was He-Man , running alongside the warrior goddess, Teela Radhika . Stories of Himalayan heroics by grandfathers. Growing up in Bengal meant the inevitable fascination for the Durga Ma, the Mother Goddess, gentle, nurturing & benevolent unless provoked. She has the potential to be a positive pain in the you-know-where for the bad guys. Batman came along much later. As we grew older we discovered our own stories. And scripted a few of our own. Over the last few years I've been out & about. Searching for something. Shakti. Soul. Shiva. Shanti. Whatever you wanna call it. I don't know yet. All I found were stories. Sad stories. Strange stories. Stories about strangers. Everyone has a story. You only gotta have the time to listen. I try to write th...

Apologies. I got sidelined for a few days because of deadlines I had to meet. Yes, I'm trying to get back into the 'normal' work life. (Note: Normal is supremely over rated.) Also I got distracted by Calvin & Hobbes, who as usual, tickled my imagination far too much to not share! Before I get distracted again, I'll finish what I started with .  I wish the world would understand what we look like the way the stars see us. A blimp in the blackness of the universe. A sole blazing sun supporting this delicately balanced eco-system. Perhaps we would then stop rampaging through this world & her resources without a care. We as a race completely fail to see the significance of anything beyond ourselves. What if we stopped buying love, as sold to us by these community wrecking companies which seek to train our minds in to thinking the way they want us to - to be singular individuals with the sole purpose of owning far too many commodities.What if we inst...

Another day, I feel the weight of the atmosphere's pressure And I can't escape I try to run, I try to find my feet, My soul is sticking to the street I was editing my 'Couchsurfing' profile a few days ago, and in the section 'Teach, Learn & Share'section describing what I could offer couchsurfers as part of the experience of chilling with me, I had written "culture, egg curry the Indian way (that's all i can cook!!) and how to enjoy life even when it's hellbent on giving you a hard time!". 'Contemplating' this statement (Deepu-style), I find Mom's exasperated expression in mind. The one she gets whenever I give her one of my languid, 'Chill Ma's. It's usually said as I'm sprawled across whatever available surface while gently bullying one of the dogs and in response to Mom rushing up to me with the next urgent thing she needs done N-O-W.  And yes, I'm very conveniently disregarding the fact that I...

A few days ago I shared a blog post which mentions the merits of being frank & opinionated about being attracted only to intelligent men. In response, a friend wrote me a private message warning me of the dangers of 'loving' intelligent men. After almost a decade of failed relationships, trance-dancing & fabulous friendships here are some of my observations for you. what is love.  love is...night blue skies Intense emotion for someone/thing. I guess. I'm not sure how to exactly describe love - I guess you know love when you see starry skies or monsoon nights. As you sink your teeth into that oh-so-perfect blueberry muffin. or your toes into oh-so-squishy sand. Love is owl-spotting & tree climbing. Tribal beats beneath the black black skies & inky seas. Boats dotting dark horizons like some stars fell outta the sky. Posters popping colours as wave after wave of trancers trip on Spongle by the sea. Soft green grass under my toes and purple skie...