Having become a comic-strip addict, I wonder if these characters make us laugh or are they indeed laughing at us?
66 Degrees North - Almost!
Iceland is not a country one can visit again mainly because of its astronomical prices, but our recent holiday to this country was simply the most memorable! It is not a popular destination for the brown skin and when I say that, I mean it literally - validated by the fact that A and I were almost the only two 'brownies' in this land of fire and ice. Nestled alone in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, this land provides some of the most stunning landscapes - with active geothermal springs, Glacier Mountains, waterfalls, black-sand beaches and an extremely vibrant remoteness to existence. It boasts of the world's oldest functioning parliament (established in 930), midnight sun in the summers, northern lights in the winters and most importantly, its 'Icelandic' way of life. Of course, it is a misnomer that due to its economic crisis, the country is ‘affordable’, nevertheless, our visit for a week was simply the most amazing! What better way to relive every moment of the trip than by sorting pictures and essaying on them –
Blue Lagoon
Since this is close to the airport, it made practical sense to begin our trip with this site. The Lagoon is a geo-thermal spa, man-made by accident, thanks to the water from the geo-thermal power plant in close proximity.
The water that was run off the filter from the plant was assumed to have been absorbed in the nearby grounds but it actually got collected in the surrounding lava and thus formed a Lagoon – an amazing aqua-blue color created due to the mix of algae/silica formed in the geothermal water.
The lagoon is surrounded by a misty landscape and lava fields abound.
Maintaining this backdrop, the building is a low-key standpoint close to the plant that seems like a star-trek satellite base of sorts. One of the main touristic destinations turned out to be the most under-rated! The lagoon itself is considered to have curative properties typically, this experience involved slopping into the warm 30C water and grab hand ful of silica – from around the pool area – give yourself a scrub and then let it run through under an enormously hard waterfall - a natural form of ‘swedish massage’ one can ever get!
Maintaining this backdrop, the building is a low-key standpoint close to the plant that seems like a star-trek satellite base of sorts. One of the main touristic destinations turned out to be the most under-rated! The lagoon itself is considered to have curative properties typically, this experience involved slopping into the warm 30C water and grab hand ful of silica – from around the pool area – give yourself a scrub and then let it run through under an enormously hard waterfall - a natural form of ‘swedish massage’ one can ever get!
Golden Circle
We took a day-trip around the Golden Circle – mere collection of splendid wonders and historical sites and called golden because of the region being encircled with the most vegetation in the country. Also ironic is the fact that this site is a park where continents have met and collided to form fire and solidify into ice!
Silfra - We started off by taking a ‘dry-suited’ snorkeling ‘tour’ (thanks to Tobias from Dive.is) of the Silfra – the crack between Eurasian and North American tectonic plates visible in this glacier, clear-transparent and purest form of water.
The sensation of snorkeling, at first intimidating, was the most impressive especially since the water current literally swayed us through the two ‘continents’ in 2C water. This clearly was the highlight of our trip!
Thingvellir National Park - Apart from being considered as the site ‘in-between two continents’, this is also the world’s first Parliament (930). We took in its various elements – the visible fault line where the plates meet in the form of a long ridge. We walked partly through the ridge with stunning views of the Althing.
Geysir - At first, this site let out an awful smell – the likes of ammonium peroxide in a chemistry lab. After a while, you get used to it especially when seeing Geysir Strokkur erupt every 7-8 minutes or so, a precision of super-hot water that shoots right into the air from a hole in the ground.
A stated that these are caused by hot water colliding with the cool one and thus thrusting towards the surface!
You would think this place would be quite touristic and lots of people strolling around – surely so, if existed in the vicinity of North American territories – long queues, with least proximity to the actual site and ushers flagging ‘no-entry’ zones, screaming crazily! Thankfully, this place had a café, souvenir shop and beautiful landscape, untouched by crazy-flocking brochure-driven industry. Gulfoss (Golden Falls) - Same was true here where there were absolutely no security measures stopping us from going to the edge of the falls – and the experience was oh-so breathtaking!
There are two sets of these falls – each as magnificent (as Niagara) yet the wind and water with the stunning backdrop made it memorable.
Snaefellsnes Peninsula
We drove to the Snaefellsnes Peninsula – west of Iceland ridged by extinct volcanoes, landscape of glaciers, open beaches and sandy shoreline. It was this place that was referenced as ‘The Journey to the Center of the Earth’ by Jules Verne.
Budir - Visit to Snaefellsnes would not have been complete without a stay in Budir, 28-room hotel, set amidst a visceral surrounding with unspoilt view in all directions – lava fields, snow-capped Snaefekksnesjokull glacier and a wooden black chapel.
It is also one of the most romantic hotels with fancy food and to reiterate, a location to die for.
Glacier - The Snaefekksnesjokull Glacier offers some of the best hiking trails and while we nearly missed out on snowmobiling (the off-road driving on the glacier that was to lead us to the site became one of the scariest but wildest experience ever),
the view from the top was stunning!
the view from the top was stunning!
Rural Iceland – About 20 minutes from Budir, is Arnarstapi, a small village of collective dozen homes with a tiny harbor – typical fishing community –
offers a quaint feel with rock formations at the seashore, caves carved in the cliffs with amazing arches and bird cliffs galore.
Another similar town is Hellnar that offers one of the prettiest restaurants on the base of the cliff, overlooking the ocean. These towns share similar impression in that, there are lego-typed homes nestled at decent proximity to each other with remote access to civilization (except for regular tourists flocking around) and yet, savvy with the Internet. Here we got to ride on the Icelandic horses – more so as a pleasure-ride through the sandy beaches and river streams.
It was strange in such a harsh land to see sheep in flocks including the black sheep of the family.
Reykjavik (Reh-Kah-Vikh)
We never got the pronunciation of this city right, until we got there. Nearly 60% of the country's population resides in its capital and a trip to Iceland does call for getting a flavor of its 'urban' lifestyle by staying in the capital. Apart from exploring the ‘wild’ side of the country, we also got a taste of the world’s northern-most capital. The city had a pretty look-and-feel with narrow streets opening up to the harbor, upcoming high-rises and buildings painted in shades of blue, yellow, red.
These streets are popular for the graffiti art that adorn walls of the small buildings.
At the center of the city and standing tall is the Hallgrimskirkja Church gifted by the US to the country honoring the 1000th anniversary of the Althing. Unfortunately, we were unable to go inside or enjoy this site due to the on-going scaffolding work. A statue of Leif Ericson (the first explorer to visit Iceland) stands in front of the Church and offers a pretty view of the city in the background.
Then there is a mock-up version of a Viking Ship that at first looks like a multi-legged insect!
Another site further away from downtown city – Perlan (The Pearl) –a glass dome structure consisting of museum, art gallery, revolving restaurant and an observatory with a stunning view of the city and far beyond.
The main shopping streets in downtown Reykjavik - Laugarvegur and Skolavoroustigur – with boutique stores, souvenir shops and cafeterias galore. We frequented one of the popular retaurants – A Naestu Grosum (meaning First Vegetarian) – that provides a plethora of vegan meals, mess-like food but amazingly delicious and fresh. And how can Indians miss out on Indian food - so visiting the northern most Indian restaurant in the world was a must – visited the Austur Indiafjelagio literally meaning The East India Company for some delicious desi khaana. One of the weirdest things we experienced is the concept of water – drinking and otherwise. Hot water from the tap smells of sulphur and egg mixed together BUT the cold water is the purest form of water one can ever get. So the first piece of advice we got as tourists was to NOT buy bottled water in Iceland.
Overall, Iceland has a wonderful blend of luxury and adventure which, thanks to DTW, we were able to experience both. The sights it offers do tend to take the breath away and the remote existence was extremely romantic.
So would we visit this country again? To see the Northern Lights, most definitely!
Power of Prayers
I have always believed in the power of prayers. Somehow, in the daily chores, it is not easy to keep reminding oneself of this and every year around this time during Paryushana, the feeling is reiterated in many ways through reflection and reading.
Religion is and has been a sensitive issue for centuries the world over and especially in the current environment we live in, it is hard to find that deep sense of devotion and divinity. However, born and raised in a devout Jain family and the influence of Initiatives of Change has played a key role in fostering spiritual, if not religious, principles and ideologies. So effortlessly, I have grown-up believing in the influence of prayers and the overall concept of God – that resides in me and the fact that one’s main goal is to merge with the force that exists inside us.
While organized form of religion is not my cup of tea, as kids our parents would advice us to form a ‘habit’ of praying – "..not as means of desire or for self-fulfilling prophecies", they would explain, "but as a form of atonement". It may have started out initially as consenting to their advice without truly understanding its essence; now I call it a weapon deeply rooted and a ‘dial-up modem’ used to ‘connect’ to the force within.
Each of us have our own unique definition of prayers. Some recite verses, some meditate, some talk, others listen. On the other hand, there are people who doubt the very existence of such phenomenon. True, there is this agnostic side to all of us, in some more reinforced than in the other. But then don't we all go through that phase at some point, and hopefully, outgrow? Or do people remain in denial of such experiences? I do not have an answer to those who simply refute such faith but I do know that doubting the beliefs has never helped me in challenging situations; on the contrary, that hope and sense of deep faith has facilitated in overcoming such difficult circumstances. Furthermore, to answer the question how prayers help in such cases, I am not sure. Maybe they do, maybe they do not. It is not quite a reflex action of ‘prayers-versus-wishes’ but a form of discipline, a practice that surely bears fruits in some form.
My mentor at Initiatives of Change used to exemplify quite simply that the power of prayers is like that of gravity. We can never truly fathom how such a force like gravity acts in our lives and yet, at a micro level, it keeps us from falling.
Think about it….
Religion is and has been a sensitive issue for centuries the world over and especially in the current environment we live in, it is hard to find that deep sense of devotion and divinity. However, born and raised in a devout Jain family and the influence of Initiatives of Change has played a key role in fostering spiritual, if not religious, principles and ideologies. So effortlessly, I have grown-up believing in the influence of prayers and the overall concept of God – that resides in me and the fact that one’s main goal is to merge with the force that exists inside us.
While organized form of religion is not my cup of tea, as kids our parents would advice us to form a ‘habit’ of praying – "..not as means of desire or for self-fulfilling prophecies", they would explain, "but as a form of atonement". It may have started out initially as consenting to their advice without truly understanding its essence; now I call it a weapon deeply rooted and a ‘dial-up modem’ used to ‘connect’ to the force within.
Each of us have our own unique definition of prayers. Some recite verses, some meditate, some talk, others listen. On the other hand, there are people who doubt the very existence of such phenomenon. True, there is this agnostic side to all of us, in some more reinforced than in the other. But then don't we all go through that phase at some point, and hopefully, outgrow? Or do people remain in denial of such experiences? I do not have an answer to those who simply refute such faith but I do know that doubting the beliefs has never helped me in challenging situations; on the contrary, that hope and sense of deep faith has facilitated in overcoming such difficult circumstances. Furthermore, to answer the question how prayers help in such cases, I am not sure. Maybe they do, maybe they do not. It is not quite a reflex action of ‘prayers-versus-wishes’ but a form of discipline, a practice that surely bears fruits in some form.
My mentor at Initiatives of Change used to exemplify quite simply that the power of prayers is like that of gravity. We can never truly fathom how such a force like gravity acts in our lives and yet, at a micro level, it keeps us from falling.
Think about it….
Eye Test?
I have my first 'ever' eye exam to go for and sure apprehensive of the same!
(First ever?? What were you doing all your life?; you NEVER felt the need to show to an eye doctor?; whats the problem now?) - ya ya that I am prepared for however, what I am not, is what I came across in today's Bizarro -
(First ever?? What were you doing all your life?; you NEVER felt the need to show to an eye doctor?; whats the problem now?) - ya ya that I am prepared for however, what I am not, is what I came across in today's Bizarro -
Happy Friday!
Think Outside the Bun
Its been a while since I blogged and did not think that after this break, an entity like Taco Bell would indeed make me pen down my thoughts! So what got me to do so was during last night’s indulgence of TB’s classic Mexican pizza when I read its catchline - Think Outside the Bun!
What a cliché, I thought at first glance – I mean, seriously, what’s the big deal about thinking outside of the bun (For one, there would be no Mexican Pizzas to relish!)? I have heard it ever so often – think outside the box; think different; think big – so this play of words seemed just another sort of well-advertised substitute. Although an age-old creativity slogan, in hindsight, I did like this caption - a clever way to inform people to go beyond the bun and try something different. But more than that, fostering the very concept to think beyond limits no matter how commercial it may sound.
It's easy to get sucked into our daily burger lifestyle and those buns that we live for. We do things in a certain manner because ‘that’s how they are done’; or ‘someone else has been doing it and hence we ought to continue that’ or ‘I was told to do it’. Often, it also feels like we are so ‘stuck inside the box’ that there is hardly any room to ‘think outside of it’. I mean, realistically speaking, even if I wanted to think outside of what I do, it requires quite a bit of effort – mentally and otherwise. Who wants to move out of that comfort zone? On the other hand, that’s where the challenge usually lies – being constantly aware of thinking and doing things beyond the norm even if it means starting with the mundane tasks. It is not about breaking away from the traditions but to question the very assumptions on which such traditional practices lie and to see if that can be altered. Of course, this requires understanding the fundamental principle behind the box i.e. what is inside the box , whether there is a need to go beyond and so on. After all, only once did Neo understand the Matrix in its totality did he gain control over it in order to come out of it/fight it.
While this is an issue left to individual decision-making and thought-process, this short video by Joseph Pelling provides a humorous illustration, that kinda goes 'outside the box' - literally!!
Enjoy -
What a cliché, I thought at first glance – I mean, seriously, what’s the big deal about thinking outside of the bun (For one, there would be no Mexican Pizzas to relish!)? I have heard it ever so often – think outside the box; think different; think big – so this play of words seemed just another sort of well-advertised substitute. Although an age-old creativity slogan, in hindsight, I did like this caption - a clever way to inform people to go beyond the bun and try something different. But more than that, fostering the very concept to think beyond limits no matter how commercial it may sound.
It's easy to get sucked into our daily burger lifestyle and those buns that we live for. We do things in a certain manner because ‘that’s how they are done’; or ‘someone else has been doing it and hence we ought to continue that’ or ‘I was told to do it’. Often, it also feels like we are so ‘stuck inside the box’ that there is hardly any room to ‘think outside of it’. I mean, realistically speaking, even if I wanted to think outside of what I do, it requires quite a bit of effort – mentally and otherwise. Who wants to move out of that comfort zone? On the other hand, that’s where the challenge usually lies – being constantly aware of thinking and doing things beyond the norm even if it means starting with the mundane tasks. It is not about breaking away from the traditions but to question the very assumptions on which such traditional practices lie and to see if that can be altered. Of course, this requires understanding the fundamental principle behind the box i.e. what is inside the box , whether there is a need to go beyond and so on. After all, only once did Neo understand the Matrix in its totality did he gain control over it in order to come out of it/fight it.
While this is an issue left to individual decision-making and thought-process, this short video by Joseph Pelling provides a humorous illustration, that kinda goes 'outside the box' - literally!!
Enjoy -
outside the box from joseph Pelling on Vimeo.
Twitter Effect
First there were the newspapers, then came emails, google, facebook and just when you are settling into the zone of quick-reads, is the next big thing on the block – the Twitter Effect. There is no denying that this has become the most popular social media tool – the so-called high muckamucks who use it to describe their up-to-the-minute endeavors in 140 characters. Students, Professors, Politicians, Corporate honchos - they all have a (fan) following to the extent that ‘I twittered’ has become a popular jargon among many a few ‘twitterers’. Not too long ago, my organization had a brown bag lunch on twitting as a low-cost media tool – sure thing! While we may have already been late entrants into this arena, it did not take too long to figure out how the functionality gets executed minute by minute. I am not a twitterer and while I do have a presence there (curiosity after all, DID kill the cat), my dear A is the only follower in there. So what is the point of all this?
I haven’t yet gotten myself to recognize the power (is there?) that rests in there and especially after having heard this to be the next contagious disease, I feel it best to get immunized. But is it really something to care for? A friend’s recent facebook status was ‘I have 250 followers on my Twitter’ – now what does that mean to a layperson like me? Does that make him celebrity personified? Its great to see what people/places are upto but updates-on-the-go can be quite intimidating.
While on one hand I am quite excited about using this tool – I see its usefulness in the kind of work I do, or simply introducing this technology to my professional role – however, on a personal note, I am yet to determine. There are some really ‘cool’ applications in here that I recently learnt at work – something called a vision thing that provides updates on what is happening in the twit region from across the world or that an application that keeps you informed about your friends on-the-go and not-on-the-go. But somehow, I do not get it. I mean, what would happen to it next? Is it just another fad that will die down or would it evolve into a revolution of sorts? The cacophony created is enough for one to expect some great things for the future rather than knowing who is eating what and where and with whom. Would there be more beyond this mundane-ness or would it lead to the dullest blog feature?
A couple of months ago, there was an eruption of hacking and phishing among twitter accounts so if you really think you are following tweets by me, think again; and dear A, if you wonder why I am not following your tweet, think again :-))
Image from http://www.seattlepi.com/fun/bizarro.asp
I haven’t yet gotten myself to recognize the power (is there?) that rests in there and especially after having heard this to be the next contagious disease, I feel it best to get immunized. But is it really something to care for? A friend’s recent facebook status was ‘I have 250 followers on my Twitter’ – now what does that mean to a layperson like me? Does that make him celebrity personified? Its great to see what people/places are upto but updates-on-the-go can be quite intimidating.
While on one hand I am quite excited about using this tool – I see its usefulness in the kind of work I do, or simply introducing this technology to my professional role – however, on a personal note, I am yet to determine. There are some really ‘cool’ applications in here that I recently learnt at work – something called a vision thing that provides updates on what is happening in the twit region from across the world or that an application that keeps you informed about your friends on-the-go and not-on-the-go. But somehow, I do not get it. I mean, what would happen to it next? Is it just another fad that will die down or would it evolve into a revolution of sorts? The cacophony created is enough for one to expect some great things for the future rather than knowing who is eating what and where and with whom. Would there be more beyond this mundane-ness or would it lead to the dullest blog feature?
A couple of months ago, there was an eruption of hacking and phishing among twitter accounts so if you really think you are following tweets by me, think again; and dear A, if you wonder why I am not following your tweet, think again :-))
Image from http://www.seattlepi.com/fun/bizarro.asp
The 'Do-Re-Mi' Spirit
There is something about this video, released quite a while ago, that made me smile on a manic Monday like today - it has surely made my day and would be totally thrilling to be part of such a free-spirited act. If you have not already seen it, turn on your speaker volume and enjoy how people broke the norm from their daily routine and had some real fun!
Happy Monday!
Tis Grad Time
This and the past couple of weeks have been all about graduation and commencement speeches. Facebook has photos of friends graduating while emails galore with the transcript of several speeches by the oh-so-popular celebrities – Jobs, Page, Bush, Oprah, Schmidt, Clinton, the First Lady and POTUS himself. It’s a moment of pride and exhilaration, a day to laugh and to revel in all the adulation the graduands receive from their families, professors, friends to the speaker of the day.It has been quite some time since I graduated and while I can barely recall the commencement address given at my graduation, I quite enjoy reading what varied orators have to say on that day year after year. Sometimes it is the typical cheesy stuff about growth and change while some with a few funny anecdotes thrown around but most with utmost sincerity, good food for thought and a path stirrer. Baz Luherman did a good job with his sunscreen sequence, in my opinion, of providing snippets from retrospection and thanks to the musical note, is something one can easily remember. There are some inspirational statements which I can almost never remember but one gets the gist, or so I assume.
However, do these speeches do any good, I still wonder. For one, they provide the media with a tool to hammer the speakers about what they ‘said’, why they said what they said and what they support/do not support. They are also considered as fillers to the overall handing-out ceremony. My parents really enjoyed the speech given during my brother’s graduation ceremony years ago so that did some good there. Other than that, they become items to forward around, motivating quotes to quote, some for future reference et al. But otherwise, wonder if they are merely transcripts archived in the books of yesteryears.
Seriously though, there are way too many distractions in the Hall/Lawn to be focused on the prose being delivered – be it the outfit, the weather, those shoes, the lighting or the heartthrob. My colleague mentioned that a good commencement speech is one which makes a statement with “…if you could remember one thing from my speech that would be…..”
So a day considered to be a momentous occasion, with newest possible ideas out in the open still remains fragmented with tit-bits of time. Is that what it takes to be a Graduate?
Stir the World?
Someone wise once told me that God has a purpose for each of us for which he has already prepared us. I know that more often than not, I have gone astray from my purpose and from the path that I set out on. At times, I feel I am living in a matrix and there would never be a way out. Or that, I simply do not want to venture out; after all this is comforting enough. Yet, there are times where my ideological inclinations are strong enough and that itself lead me to the feeling of actually being outside the matrix. So as I switch in and out of this so-called virtual reality, I do so assuming that I am not alone. Often, this issue of purpose, journey et al figure in my conversations with friends who think that the odyssey of our lives take their own course but there is always a particular 'something' that guides us, directs us and leads us on. Frank Buchman used the North Star as an interesting metaphor in describing IofC's (formerly, Moral Re-Armament) overarching objectives of being the change in the world in that, "We may never reach the North Star but it always guides our path".
In this day and age, it is easy to be carried away with what goes on in our daily routine and take comfort in what we seek around us. However, once in a while we come across instances - what we see, experience, something we reflect on, a complete 'deja vu', or just an act of being - that remind us of our paths, of where we belong, and of where we are set out to be. A video I came across recently has stirred my path, to remind me where I ought to be. I share this with you hoping that you too would be reminded of yours -
In this day and age, it is easy to be carried away with what goes on in our daily routine and take comfort in what we seek around us. However, once in a while we come across instances - what we see, experience, something we reflect on, a complete 'deja vu', or just an act of being - that remind us of our paths, of where we belong, and of where we are set out to be. A video I came across recently has stirred my path, to remind me where I ought to be. I share this with you hoping that you too would be reminded of yours -
Much ado about gifts
They say that it is not the gift that matters but indeed the thought that counts! Clearly, this would be an easy way out in my never-ending plight to hunt for a (decent if not perfect) gift for A. But then a serious problem arises when there is a greater mismatch between the thoughts and the gifts per se. I mean, if this were true then I could really just express what I ‘thought’ of gifting him – saving myself the trouble of the larger issue. Or simpler still, thanks to the virtual realities we live in, use the Facebook gifts option (oh gosh, that would be terrible indeed!). So I wonder if it is merely the ‘thought’ of the gift or the entire package – the thought, the intention, the actual gift.
Now do not get me wrong here. I love to gift; love the ‘thought’ of gifting and the entire process involved right from ‘shopping’ around town (or better still, creating something from sctrach), making sure it is the right match, to the funky wrapping, ensuring there is enough gag-ness to it and the works. HOWEVER, the problem lies when deciding what to get especially with the D-Day fast approaching. So as I near the deadline, the struggle currently lies in whether to gift something:
1. that is top-of-the-line product one is sure to like (boring?)
2. I 'know' he wants (quite predictable)
3. I 'think' he needs (dangerous)
4. I 'know' he needs (boring again)
5. I like and hence he may like it too (assumptions are not healthy)
Or 6. I like and hence get it so I could use it too (perfect)
While this dilemma is endless, the question really is whether the thought matters more than the gift. I would say the thought is as important as the gift. In a way, we humans live in a cycle of give-and-take and are genetically programmed to be touched by receiving gifts - irrespective of occasions - to love, cherish and enjoy.
I mean, seriously, the element of pleasure and surprises we revel in when someone showers us with gift, no matter what the occasion, is priceless as opposed to when someone told you I 'thought' of getting 'x' for you but could not do so which may be sweet but not as exciting. Also, age must have something to do with the way we perceive gifting. As a kid, the concept of gifts (both, receiving and giving) was much much much more thrilling and sort of intellectually stimulating as opposed to the brain-dead that exists as we move out of childhood (that would be my present status). Yet, somewhere deep down there do exist those 'memories' of gifts in the past where the thought indeed mattered and it is those moments that naturally trigger our innate being. So the intermix of thought, love and 'action' is what goes into a gift and that matters most to me when gift-hunting. But my search to gift A still continues...
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