tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-116854562024-03-19T08:28:07.774+05:30narcosynthesisStuff at the back of my mind, and stuff I do mind...iNFiNiteSaDNeSShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679456568464263312noreply@blogger.comBlogger119125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11685456.post-74151552089485745372011-09-07T14:26:00.000+05:302011-09-07T14:27:03.436+05:30We're Here Because We're Here<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjsYEE27LGBNGXInOP-a2HFWMIk8q1GFlY5QDw2Xz6CJVXAGo8pXQFCn5-E9SvZQYn1BaPAB1_SCs4kEzGtswF-mGKAY5Duex7YPhJsttBfKbeZMjlHl7QZ33x3pWJsCJKYW6xBA/s1600/thumb.anathema_full.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjsYEE27LGBNGXInOP-a2HFWMIk8q1GFlY5QDw2Xz6CJVXAGo8pXQFCn5-E9SvZQYn1BaPAB1_SCs4kEzGtswF-mGKAY5Duex7YPhJsttBfKbeZMjlHl7QZ33x3pWJsCJKYW6xBA/s1600/thumb.anathema_full.jpg" /></a>Am out of blogger-hibernation for a quick word recommending Anathema's new album - We're Here Because We're Here. Anathema has consistently evolved in their song-writing and their musical style has changed over the numerous albums. This melodic/atmospheric album is brilliant, and I keep making comparisons to Pain of Salvation's One Hour by the Concrete Lake. This album's a must-buy. Also keep an eye out for the next album - Falling Deeper, releasing soon.<br />
<br />iNFiNiteSaDNeSShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679456568464263312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11685456.post-59539938784386179162011-02-04T15:00:00.002+05:302011-02-04T18:37:24.020+05:30Pain of Salvation!If this were a competition, I believe IIT Madras is leading by a really large margin. After getting Opeth to perform at Saarang a couple years back, they had Pain of Salvation performing in Jan 2011. After the debacle of Katatonia at IIT Bombay last year, this concert was something I was really looking forward to, and it did not disappoint.<br /><br />Like my previous trip, Pavan and I planned a weekend trip to Chennai with the concert scheduled on Saturday, and a visit to Pondicherry planned for the second. The 1000-rupee tickets we booked online ensured we got "VIP passes", meaning we got reaaally close to the stage. We got to see one of the opening bands - Bicycle Days, which was quite good. PoS took the stage around 8.45, after a really long sound check. The set list was the standard they've been doing, with minor variations. Daniel Gildenlöw has a very good voice, and each of the songs were done quite quite brilliantly. A guitar mishap during the show didn't stop the show, and Daniel got the drummer to do a superb solo during the time it too to get the guitars back on. With great stage presence, Daniel is quite a Dickinson on stage, garnering lots of crowd participation, and performing antics like climbing the trusses to play a solo standing on the speakers.<br /><br />I didn't get any free T-shirts, and there was no PoS merchandise on sale, so I ended up returning empty handed. This trip turned out to be fully worth the bomb I spent flying to and from Chennai, and the overnight stay (and the awesome Chettinad chicken). Woohoo! Pain of Salvation rocks!<br /><br />Some pics from the show:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSUcwEYM5ypXuZOaSZHa9OrRxbRJTFQf12ViiADuJursVsO6vruco3FUhoiqDvghwhVQfhnzn89E3TJO-OHnIQ4JSXIYTxz8EzASVFbs2VxC-Bdn8fX6jyT7xXmXjpQ4x-s0r8Kg/s1600/IMAG0322.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSUcwEYM5ypXuZOaSZHa9OrRxbRJTFQf12ViiADuJursVsO6vruco3FUhoiqDvghwhVQfhnzn89E3TJO-OHnIQ4JSXIYTxz8EzASVFbs2VxC-Bdn8fX6jyT7xXmXjpQ4x-s0r8Kg/s320/IMAG0322.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569819954271673058" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7G1pvqiLps1J7iRacPAvCMws-uHbnQZHQ5Jla5FLp6YqOLq5Xl6upUpYcoIevORcBQ4RdL_pid8x-alFgIJ46h7ZSP9Na1y3RWOyn_MOET5PpXxla0fxWxJ47yM5PSGs5STWw_g/s1600/IMAG0320.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7G1pvqiLps1J7iRacPAvCMws-uHbnQZHQ5Jla5FLp6YqOLq5Xl6upUpYcoIevORcBQ4RdL_pid8x-alFgIJ46h7ZSP9Na1y3RWOyn_MOET5PpXxla0fxWxJ47yM5PSGs5STWw_g/s320/IMAG0320.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569819944424256482" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX5jCrzXQIhPGi9NAHJvGU1OrNKhHifolesqQodQo0ZQUFxY5M6IFATNhCKkctifNRbOnS-L-tdWrvYsERrXJIO-X2swNYMuZZ7mD5p5ZZHueZiMfad-POPDgeLtc6xuZJ3VoYbA/s1600/IMAG0316.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX5jCrzXQIhPGi9NAHJvGU1OrNKhHifolesqQodQo0ZQUFxY5M6IFATNhCKkctifNRbOnS-L-tdWrvYsERrXJIO-X2swNYMuZZ7mD5p5ZZHueZiMfad-POPDgeLtc6xuZJ3VoYbA/s320/IMAG0316.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569819941213040866" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg046poOpGeIs8toKIipNeYOd6n2t54I_TpdEzZJB8GrbsrDbSgdNLkf5aCYqs09-eLV7qXjmdYdCys5_SMYvhliZ3BfiVT6AqYy8z2D_I2_-2N7M5koTETrl3rEffRDqPrwnJH0g/s1600/IMAG0309.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg046poOpGeIs8toKIipNeYOd6n2t54I_TpdEzZJB8GrbsrDbSgdNLkf5aCYqs09-eLV7qXjmdYdCys5_SMYvhliZ3BfiVT6AqYy8z2D_I2_-2N7M5koTETrl3rEffRDqPrwnJH0g/s320/IMAG0309.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569819934920193858" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLCwwOtyfoQ25iuBQJlbCR76TD6mZXmpIg6BGAMZMRGq5zxtEqkCCyxxqQFDn8n940VXcMpbOpCr9rhlZZhNeKQ08avMZxtGelBznNW5oviBbSTTcpLq3yp1Cqj1f25As-nBrSsA/s1600/FxCam_1296318075901.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLCwwOtyfoQ25iuBQJlbCR76TD6mZXmpIg6BGAMZMRGq5zxtEqkCCyxxqQFDn8n940VXcMpbOpCr9rhlZZhNeKQ08avMZxtGelBznNW5oviBbSTTcpLq3yp1Cqj1f25As-nBrSsA/s320/FxCam_1296318075901.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569819930427484274" border="0" /></a>iNFiNiteSaDNeSShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679456568464263312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11685456.post-85275841854682473772010-12-24T12:13:00.002+05:302010-12-24T12:24:23.554+05:30Mood I and Katatonia<div>It took days of planning, following up, online purchase of tickets/passes, standing in line at 11 PM for pass collection, and skipping work half day for me to get IIT, Powai to see Katatonia perform live. What a waste!<div><br /></div><div>As good as they are in the studio, the live concert was unimpressive. But that could have been salvaged except that the people who turned up were, for want of a better adjective, stupendously terrible. Most people around me appeared like they were there for want of a better thing to do, and would have preferred Anu Malik or 'imesh on stage any day. And they shimmied instead of head-banging! Bah!</div><div><br /></div><div>Now need to get to Chennai with hopes that Pain of Salvation will erase this experience for me when they play at Saarang '10.</div><div><br /></div><div>Katatonia photos, again from my cellphone -</div><div><br /></div></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRi5nudLXiuJIbp0jZSaxKLHY4Un_7NCad5xrGe3OXB8-RMSkzSx8nSzWK986kEcfVDNZfdCZgzEJpLslxF1me3gIOMXvlzRKmd2lZx33CDB-JhQTnG90VMzyjuX-lNUKkqUOg7Q/s1600/IMAG0232.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRi5nudLXiuJIbp0jZSaxKLHY4Un_7NCad5xrGe3OXB8-RMSkzSx8nSzWK986kEcfVDNZfdCZgzEJpLslxF1me3gIOMXvlzRKmd2lZx33CDB-JhQTnG90VMzyjuX-lNUKkqUOg7Q/s320/IMAG0232.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5554138387679975522" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk02fCGepopuddXnpDLpF7dWux4TI7YXnflf2pqKe3ADyYL-2CZItkCQjmERugmWzpGDxw3m1K4nYZNarQnhoEy4e6JkmQAbn8c0zHmADoeOvjUniD2LjOe3s6JvRcgLkxFWWePw/s1600/IMAG0227.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk02fCGepopuddXnpDLpF7dWux4TI7YXnflf2pqKe3ADyYL-2CZItkCQjmERugmWzpGDxw3m1K4nYZNarQnhoEy4e6JkmQAbn8c0zHmADoeOvjUniD2LjOe3s6JvRcgLkxFWWePw/s320/IMAG0227.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5554138383466524594" /></a>iNFiNiteSaDNeSShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679456568464263312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11685456.post-77607221566831960702010-12-24T11:57:00.005+05:302011-02-04T15:00:06.655+05:30Year-end Metal<div>So the India metal-heads rejoice - we have now progressed from bringing over the fuddy-duddies of rock to newer, younger bands playing more varied styles of metal. The <a href="http://www.greatindianrock.com/">Great Indian Rock</a> event happened - in four locations in India. I was in Pune to see Meshuggah, Enslaved, Tesseract live and was totally blown away. Awesome, awesome performances! I had my doubts on how the Indian audiences would take to math core, and they were validated by a rather poor turnout. But those that turned up were great, and seemed to totally enjoy the performances. The moshing was almost violent, and there was weed in the air. Red Bull made a fair sale out of the event, and all ended up happy.<div>Here are some photos of the event from my cell phone -</div></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie5Jf8-RNP0YwqLgcchyEZsz4J6NcUSumTNOZ19TpGzn8hlaKOcYAGkENgX-4ZVSO2GUU80UnGawlCLUgK1hGnoym6iyVgY7E4qvEslNxAEhq61gM3PmRGmGzCQhF_3ek9a26qGg/s1600/164082_488781209704_543444704_5834835_858109_n.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie5Jf8-RNP0YwqLgcchyEZsz4J6NcUSumTNOZ19TpGzn8hlaKOcYAGkENgX-4ZVSO2GUU80UnGawlCLUgK1hGnoym6iyVgY7E4qvEslNxAEhq61gM3PmRGmGzCQhF_3ek9a26qGg/s320/164082_488781209704_543444704_5834835_858109_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5554135484684581602" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj_elKBf3fI9uaBqzev3WnUn_ezjrEeaNXr4DCtNVdSk6EMQo81WUiHHL4sap62wRW13OcfVMPheUPDpAScStg7aGvm6xh6942QraZf7Pz9PNmIe1hV2ALIioAwPQk_aBW-gDx1g/s1600/162945_488781354704_543444704_5834838_3211534_n.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj_elKBf3fI9uaBqzev3WnUn_ezjrEeaNXr4DCtNVdSk6EMQo81WUiHHL4sap62wRW13OcfVMPheUPDpAScStg7aGvm6xh6942QraZf7Pz9PNmIe1hV2ALIioAwPQk_aBW-gDx1g/s320/162945_488781354704_543444704_5834838_3211534_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5554135479631322594" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSMrg8-7C77MI-iJa-LXXMFZdce2_qdni2J-2n3omgjWF_zUwCUL8-nlZU6vcMJgSPbAhTL3rhS60aXcbn9Gp9Cq_bhNCtiK5yvta_kbemdmGywHruhttqdr1dd4o6tYxKrWByzQ/s1600/162839_488780939704_543444704_5834826_7845842_n.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSMrg8-7C77MI-iJa-LXXMFZdce2_qdni2J-2n3omgjWF_zUwCUL8-nlZU6vcMJgSPbAhTL3rhS60aXcbn9Gp9Cq_bhNCtiK5yvta_kbemdmGywHruhttqdr1dd4o6tYxKrWByzQ/s320/162839_488780939704_543444704_5834826_7845842_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5554135480661504114" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCCFEsZpGAJtLM8_7CnauDOZsmSTBABYqxGOZnnJB6Gvy6yxZlAxaahjrJLY8ovNJiWZjiobzNpvaTEtF8cwpGGnW_zPSDKhVNyEdHm-HzeX4Y6q8xTL7RMkJA757NXWQKNAgmuQ/s1600/68272_488779669704_543444704_5834810_4945419_n.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 229px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCCFEsZpGAJtLM8_7CnauDOZsmSTBABYqxGOZnnJB6Gvy6yxZlAxaahjrJLY8ovNJiWZjiobzNpvaTEtF8cwpGGnW_zPSDKhVNyEdHm-HzeX4Y6q8xTL7RMkJA757NXWQKNAgmuQ/s320/68272_488779669704_543444704_5834810_4945419_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5554135467714917202" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC0M4l9L4osOAyfwUHNjNQFtZTzjWhs7coleVfMczPdoqQiy9Ru01dhe4Id9DyoOSGyLW6sD9g0xr6ijgCBtdpSmt1I3CNjQ5TFg1P8ZPUBaTeGtr_Kq3T_QKu60-gLKWuYOJv1w/s1600/63667_488779624704_543444704_5834809_5667238_n.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 191px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC0M4l9L4osOAyfwUHNjNQFtZTzjWhs7coleVfMczPdoqQiy9Ru01dhe4Id9DyoOSGyLW6sD9g0xr6ijgCBtdpSmt1I3CNjQ5TFg1P8ZPUBaTeGtr_Kq3T_QKu60-gLKWuYOJv1w/s320/63667_488779624704_543444704_5834809_5667238_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5554135460789044914" border="0" /></a>iNFiNiteSaDNeSShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679456568464263312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11685456.post-69968667369356325202010-06-09T20:56:00.001+05:302010-06-09T21:09:32.276+05:30Trip to RanganathittuRanganathittu is a really small bird sanctuary close to Mysore, a few kilometers off the Bangalore-Mysore route. I had a chance to visit it recently when I was in Bangalore and had a day free. It took about 2.5 hours to reach in the rented Indica (cost me about 1.8 k for the entire day trip) in really hot weather. <div><br /></div><div>Ranganathittu is little more than a lake with multiple tiny islands on which multiple species of rare water birds nest every year. The safari consists of buying a ticket on a rowboat that takes you on a 20 minute trip around the islands so you can look at the birds up close. I thought it worthwhile and rented an entire boat for myself (and my mum, who accompanied me) and tipped the reluctant oarsman to give me a better, longer tour of the lake in an open boat (all other boats had a roof severely limiting the view).</div><div><br /></div><div>In spite of the time of day (it was mid-afternoon), I was able to see quite a few birds and their young ones in the open. The most prolific species appeared to be the open-billed storks and the painted storks, with the great egrets coming in a close third. Other interesting birds spotted included the ibis, night heron, the cattle egret, the moorhen, darter, and assorted kingfishers.</div><div><br /></div><div>All in all, it was an excellent experience being able to get so close to these beautiful birds. It'sa pretty nice place to visit when you're around Bangalore or Mysore. And be sure not to put your hand in the water when you're in the boat - there's a large number of marsh crocodiles in there.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/80587412@N00/sets/72157624174731426/">Photos from my trip on Flickr here...</a></div>iNFiNiteSaDNeSShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679456568464263312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11685456.post-74036034333347464522010-04-25T19:28:00.005+05:302010-06-09T20:56:17.283+05:30AbsurdGrass in purple,<br />and flowers in green<br />and the early evening dew<br />seen as a lovely sheen<br /><br />I walk on the water<br />wading through the reeds<br />And I measure my friends<br />By their deeds<br /><br /><div>The brownness of the time</div><div>on the wall that plays the chime</div><div>Is a cue for myself and only me</div><div>Reminding me of everyone else I could ever be</div>iNFiNiteSaDNeSShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679456568464263312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11685456.post-36093366355832624842010-01-17T23:56:00.002+05:302010-01-18T00:00:04.117+05:30Change..It's been a while. I've procrastinated. But hopefully, I should be able to update the blog regularly now. I have a new workplace; blogs are blocked in office. But with the supposed shorter work hours I should be able to write more often. There are are a few trips I made, and concerts I attended. Hopefully all this should be up next week. I could have started today, but I procrastinate.iNFiNiteSaDNeSShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679456568464263312noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11685456.post-80494600727946215332009-10-27T11:28:00.003+05:302009-10-27T11:41:07.093+05:30The Mars VoltaI'd been reading about this band called The Mars Volta for a long time but never really got around to listening to them, and suddenly Pavan messages me saying they are good. And since Pavan listens to good music when he's not watching interesting movies like Tara Rum Pum Pum, I took his word for it and started listening to them. <div><br /></div><div>Well, right enough, the band is brilliant. A very progressive rock/pop band, each of their albums is distinctly different. They've experimented with themes, and no themes, instrument layouts and more. As far as criticism goes, I can't really say the lyrics make a lot of sense to me, but then, I'm quite shallow.</div><div><br /></div><div>Of the albums I've heard, Amputechture (2006) and Octahedron (2009) are my favorites. They're more melancholy, slower, and for want of a better word, atmospheric. Bedlam in Goliath is a frantic, faster album, while Frances the Mute is a theme-based, slow album.</div><div><br /></div><div>Try it out - I'm giving The Mars Volta 2 thumbs up.</div>iNFiNiteSaDNeSShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679456568464263312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11685456.post-27764817680969314762009-10-23T19:27:00.001+05:302009-10-23T19:28:51.462+05:30iNFiNiteSaDNeSS<div>I want to create an island far far out at sea</div><div>Made entirely of all the sadness within me</div><div><br /></div><div>And without my sadness if I be</div><div>Will I have lost myself if that were the key?</div><div><br /></div>iNFiNiteSaDNeSShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679456568464263312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11685456.post-62698523448969127292009-09-17T16:10:00.004+05:302009-09-17T16:19:48.581+05:30Goa in AugustI think I'll make this sort of an annual pilgrimage - Goa at the end of the rains. The crowds have not come in yet, and the tourist places are just starting to spruce up in anticipation of the hordes of tourists expected. I stayed at a place called <a href="http://www.marbellagoa.com/">Marbella</a> , in Sinquerim, with 4 other friends.<div>Some photos -</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRdC4xcsq08fxQJNv2fFZePPoVBakrzBq3Fa3mkhhqJXDrRXR01MuQ_AzL8xl17mrRhoFw0q2zCRSbLaWedmH9ESeJkZFLYXz4q2ssGPinSFrV8eVf8ICKZg-29kelpyqEg6Eahg/s1600-h/3880079831_5553ccf477.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRdC4xcsq08fxQJNv2fFZePPoVBakrzBq3Fa3mkhhqJXDrRXR01MuQ_AzL8xl17mrRhoFw0q2zCRSbLaWedmH9ESeJkZFLYXz4q2ssGPinSFrV8eVf8ICKZg-29kelpyqEg6Eahg/s200/3880079831_5553ccf477.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382386642168961874" style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 133px; " /></a><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTycpq4Zgg6pJ3vOGS4-yVtwG4mnMKXgRu9jXRxvMf6T-cWwC0pyOuRFtkwkZGkLFj1pNyuWLrdrEJfXylGxzxCFHuC5StXk04w7Uozxjo9SlsWZyHixKooSqhdtEaXbpjs32g3w/s200/3880089183_d024305c0e.jpg" style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 133px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382386652259491810" /><div></div></div><div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/80587412@N00/sets/72157622213590006/">Click here for all photos</a>.</div></div>iNFiNiteSaDNeSShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679456568464263312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11685456.post-88971179536434859392009-09-08T20:19:00.006+05:302009-09-17T16:22:49.018+05:30MatheranHaving realized that Bombay was not receiving its due share of rains, I and my friends decided to head out of town for a weekend. Out of sheer laziness and lack of planning time, we picked Matheran as the destination. With great enthusiasm, I decided to take along my camera and tripod, with the intention of spotting and photographing a few interesting birds.<div><br />The evening before the trip turned out to be interesting, but not quite in a good way. I left office early Friday, intending to get to Rasayani , and then leaving for Matheran from there Saturday morning. Other than getting me a couple of extra hours of sleep Saturday morning, this was supposed to allow me to drop off loads of laundry and other assorted stuff home and take only the bare minimum – camera and tripod, on the trip. Quite unfortunately, Friday was also the last working day before day one of the Ganesh featival and all the intelligent citizens thought similarly (getting out of the city, not going to Matheran). I boarded an ST at 9.15 PM, and woke up a couple of hours later to find myself still in Chembur. The bus broke down at Deonar and I decided that it might be wiser to stay in Mumbai for the night. I took a cab from Chembur to Dadar, and the fare ensured that the cabbie’s family would have a new set of clothes, kids would get good schooling, and that he would have a decent pension for life.<br /><br />Saturday morning, I ended up at Dadar station at 6.30 AM with heavily loaded backpack, plus camera and tripod. I caught the 6.41 Karjat train and my friends joined en route. We reached Neral around 8.15 AM and rushed out to gobble up some hot vada pavs. We hired a taxi for 200 Rs. to take us to Dasturi. The weather was excellent - just like it was about to drizzle. We walked to Panorama point, which is a little way off the other places to visit, and is accessed by a mud road from Dasturi. As expected it was deserted and beautiful, with no one around except a local courting couple, which I expect, didn't have kind things to think about us for disturbing them.<div><br /></div><div>After a peaceful walk back to Dasturi, we headed into Matheran, spotting along the way, a blind snake. (pictures at the end). Most shops were closed on account of reduced tourist numbers (swine flu and Ganpati festival). Famished, we waited while a small restaurant owner in Bazaarpeth cooked lunch specially for us, and then proceeded to demolish the meals provided. We then walked to One-tree-hill, passing along the way, some very pretty old buildings, including the Sir Ratan Tata Convalescent Home -The Homestead. We walked in to have a quick look and found the beautiful building crumbling to pieces. We spent some quiet time at one-tree-hill, before some young tourists found the place. We then trekked to the Charlotte Lake, where we proceeded to have lukewarm tea in the company of two very friendly dogs.</div><div><br /></div><div>By this time, my shoulders were suggesting an early retirement, and considering the time, we trudged back to Dasturi Naka, to catch another cab back to Neral. We had some excellent Misal Pav at Neral, before catching trains back home. I reached home only about 8 PM, with my pleas to my mum for a shoulder massage following around 8.01 PM. </div><div>Matheran doesn't have too many visitors in the rains - definitely visit during the monsoons when the maddening crowds aren't around happily trying to figure out why their voice echoes at every 'point'.</div><div><br /></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgopeQegrkjclvczxBQZ91EIqCJ8yLwHtredb3k1bzraylC8DVwqW1Hk7jl_97xAMgSqAIvcoa5cxlairWi8B4r3tAEGB9FnfCXUbHXPnu_TjIf7PPFZoTB4To_FvSE5A8GKwM9/s200/Matheran_Mist_on_way_to_Panorma_Point.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382382870366958578" style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 133px; " /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpdAwPZoshwP1o0D5tdxf_X1mb8ike8omjhErof92jlK6aW_HRvfzij_7XP5b6-HowuQRLPO3WieSWcTrKM5YjTkzIeP_P3rwM9USj7DuVccddob6NdO4f8vdzSJFktM0gaq0C/s200/Matheran_Wild_Flowers_on_way_to_Panorama_Point.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382382881393377714" style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px; " /></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBwQKof7JFrHckpukP4l7rfD_RwlNtjl-VIRdJH2OhqpaizXKlg6bqe_pDT7E61LjgKu48KT3UVJmotBY29vKG8xEC_q8swCCd5wrNK13s5gukeSm2KoJshYxR2TdX4efSUNtt/s200/Matheran_Wildflowers_1.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382382883106975394" style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px; " /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj96fGTI5dvhHTZkeAAMtygU0HNqGGX_TggmDrpZOA2KnvqfVnS9H3MPjckAN7rPomrdKcejgpJq54V2gNVfQDV-qGmbzeIyvTkCz4p_6q6pYxdNxypRg2K3XBdzgwwhf9h6pSp/s200/DPP_0015.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382382864936951666" style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px; " /></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyFsuCQtVhnNDTLRSrTvzCAwOfpa1Iwg8D0C6KjA4O8RCejyH4CLRQf3B5CRQ65MWVCy05ocU76u3nsXPCmkYZprL9EBoyCCEyfmSM7NM3lRrZi0qm4a5I9NVewS8rIzp-oZIi/s200/Matheran_Charlotte_lake_dog.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382382895130132290" style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px; " /><div><div><br /></div></div></div></div>iNFiNiteSaDNeSShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679456568464263312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11685456.post-45169887494017076752009-08-18T12:47:00.001+05:302009-08-18T12:49:54.496+05:30En route<div>When I look in the mirror I see</div><div>not who I wanted to be</div><div>I don't know what to say,</div><div>I got distracted on the way</div><div>From me I became he</div>iNFiNiteSaDNeSShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679456568464263312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11685456.post-86895397488769044622009-07-19T20:24:00.003+05:302009-07-19T23:41:48.975+05:30An alternate take on 'Cry Wolf'This has been around for a while, but I came across this again when stumbling. An interesting point of view - "And why continue to trust him after the first lie? Or the second? Clearly he doesn't take the job seriously. If you didn't trust his call, why did you trust him to watch the flock?"<br /><br />The whole post here - <a href="http://www.thelastpsychiatrist.com/2009/02/the_boy_who_cried_wolf.html">The Boy Who Cried Wolf</a>iNFiNiteSaDNeSShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679456568464263312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11685456.post-38854080337650156232009-07-13T14:02:00.002+05:302009-07-13T14:08:05.453+05:30Ennui 1Ennui chases me in very peculiar ways<br />A sequence of motionless days<br />I crave for a change in the game<br />But every day is exactly the same.iNFiNiteSaDNeSShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679456568464263312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11685456.post-2624035128429518832009-04-27T20:03:00.004+05:302009-04-27T20:07:18.578+05:30Electronica Woo HooSo the Pet Shop Boys are back with a new album - Yes! This is one interesting band - they have the same sound but unique songs each time. The first track 'Love, etc.,' is getting loads of airplay, and the video is a back-to-the-the-eighties-and-arcade-games thing. Definitely worth a listen.iNFiNiteSaDNeSShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679456568464263312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11685456.post-88441863914176555482009-04-21T22:11:00.007+05:302009-04-22T13:12:25.235+05:30Black<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Have been listening to this extremely interesting album by Nachtmystium called Assassins - Black Meddle Pt. 1. Black death metal and Pink Floyd? Awesome combination. Or as one reviewer says - blackadelia.</span>iNFiNiteSaDNeSShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679456568464263312noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11685456.post-26961764291767621092009-01-28T12:11:00.009+05:302009-01-31T14:03:45.137+05:30Opeth!<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">It’s not like India features on every metal band’s list of places to visit, in fact we’re hard pressed to find a few that are willing to visit India AND are not getting on in years and trying to salvage failing popularities. We’ve had Maiden come in on a regular basis, but to tell the truth, having been to both the Bangalore and Mumbai concerts, I think the Bangalore one rocked, while the Mumbai one was ho-hum. Yeah, I love Maiden, LOVE them, but I’ve got to admit the last concert wasn’t all that great. Waters did a good show, and I missed Satriani. Tull was decent, but I’m not really one for his kind of music. So when in the midst of agonizing over why good bands didn’t visit India, a friend of mine commented on an earlier post with news that Opeth would be performing in India, I dismissed this as an especially sadistic rumour. But a little reading up online told me that they were indeed planning to perform in Chennai, and I was pretty hyper about it. But what I found most interesting was that while the big entertainment companies were trying to get the fuddy-duddies of metal/rock to India, Opeth was being invited by an educational institution – IIT Madras. (Just for that, you IITians are now way above in my list of esteemed people.)<br /><br />So Opeth was scheduled to perform on the 25th as part of the pro-nite at IIT, and I frantically tried to get my tickets. A few emails between me and the organizing committee established that tickets were to be available online but there had been a glitch, which caused a delay in the dates tickets became available. Pavan agreed to tag along, which was another surprise, because he is now married and more likely to be catching the opening show of ‘Tara rum pum pum’ than a metal concert. (I’m pretty sure A woke up in the morning to find P had disappeared, with probably a small note on the dresser saying he would be out of town for a couple of days on business.) Relatively cheap flight tickets on Cleartrip and concert tickets on Bookmyshow enabled me to plan without breaking the bank. </span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><br />The show:</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Rules required me to reach IIT in the morning of the 25th to exchange the e-tickets for physical ones, which I did. I caught up with Rohan and Ruchira (you guys are an awesome metal head couple) at the venue as we stood in line to get in. Arrangements seemed systematic; tight security equipped with breath analyzers frisking everyone; sadly, I had to let go of my comb and pen because they were deemed security hazards. </span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The open air theatre seats about 4000-5000 comfortably, and I figure it was totally full by the time Opeth came on stage. Demonic Resurrection was the opening act, with the lead singer ‘Demon Stealer’ taking pot-shots at other organizers for preferring ‘old, classic rock bands’ to open for big bands. After a few decent numbers, DR was off stage, making way for Mother Jane. MJ played some popular originals, and I admit they have talent. The band has brilliant timing, especially the drummer. While the guitarist was good, I felt he got a little repetitive with the solos, sort of bringing an amount of similarity to each song. </span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Originally scheduled for 8 PM, Opeth actually came on stage round 8.40. Quick sound checks and they started, and the crowd went wild. They did play gooood, and the crowd enjoyed every single moment about it. </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /></span><a style="" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyQh-grNyxvfpNW8_woIMntWMUEduhg7sfgOnLY9bQj2AksKvWQxVCiow5S0OBjUPUg01KVag-reRzwU1sWltBMN075BZmqgeSJbeJqy9LfaOTsbx-WIlLeRcCRlnM4pJ3EZEldw/s1600-h/IMAG0132.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyQh-grNyxvfpNW8_woIMntWMUEduhg7sfgOnLY9bQj2AksKvWQxVCiow5S0OBjUPUg01KVag-reRzwU1sWltBMN075BZmqgeSJbeJqy9LfaOTsbx-WIlLeRcCRlnM4pJ3EZEldw/s320/IMAG0132.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297072440662019170" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Set List – </span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />1. Heir Apparent</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />2. The Grand Conjuration</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />3. Godhead's Lament</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />4. Wreath</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />5. Hope leaves </span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />6. Lotus Eater</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />7. Bleak</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />8. Night and the Silent Water</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />9. Deliverance</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />10. Demon of the fall</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />Encore</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />11. Baying of the Hounds</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />12. Drapery Falls</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">[Thanks to <a href="http://wayfaerers-musings.blogspot.com/2009/01/opeth-in-chennai-review.html">KK</a> for the complete set list]</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">My special favourites – Wreath, Deliverance, Godhead’s Lament, Bleak, and Night and the Silent Water, especially Night and the Silent Water.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">There seemed to be some issues with the sound quality, but it could have been because I was in the ‘gallery’ to the left of the stage. Mikael had great stage presence, and a good sense of humour. He did seem to manage the Nokia mess at the end quite beautifully.<br /><br /></span> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrW5tsTN-ZZquAarSu0QVtk9s3frI7ChOkikah4844l2xRxIUh-VLhBz7BmfeBcyRnZj0p2DcutKDb-CwGApGHtBQ9IZGzpKKXhF0Ey8QhMkV9xsvWSeCikEYsFd-_F6_HKMsVfA/s1600-h/IMAG0131.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrW5tsTN-ZZquAarSu0QVtk9s3frI7ChOkikah4844l2xRxIUh-VLhBz7BmfeBcyRnZj0p2DcutKDb-CwGApGHtBQ9IZGzpKKXhF0Ey8QhMkV9xsvWSeCikEYsFd-_F6_HKMsVfA/s320/IMAG0131.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297072440301196258" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Highlights – </span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />1. Opeth!</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />2. Awesome set</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />3. Loud crowd</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />4. Opeth!</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />5. In India</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />6. Progressive death metal</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />7. Chicks at the concert – Yay! [There was an especially cute girl in a purple top to my</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> left]</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><br /><br /><br />Lowlights – </span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />1. Very few head bangers</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />2. Crowd seemed not to be able to handle prog – off timing</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />3. Seated older people with families in chairs in a special area</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />4. Shameless </span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=113241">Nokia plugs</a> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />5. A.R. Rehman in the middle of the concert?</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">6. “Free hugs” [You’re not going to see me going around hugging metal heads anytime soon]</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />7. “Touch Opeth, see Opeth, Play Opeth” WTF!</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />8. Sound quality</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />9. WTF was the crowd doing the hip-hop finger pointing thing instead of head banging?</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><br />All in all, an excellent concert! And a bonus - they played for 2 hours; I assumed they'd stop at 10 PM. A pre-booked call taxi ensured I got back safely early enough to visit a Chettinad restaurant for food before I went off to sleep.</span>iNFiNiteSaDNeSShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679456568464263312noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11685456.post-35810876637300712682008-12-23T13:08:00.000+05:302008-12-23T13:10:00.725+05:30Real<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">I slip in and out</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">of unconsciousness</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">or is it reality</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">that i glimpse occasionally?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">If only someone</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">could lie convincingly to me</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">that there was a difference</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">that just wasn't found</span>iNFiNiteSaDNeSShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679456568464263312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11685456.post-79896437137510016422008-12-19T17:06:00.001+05:302008-12-19T17:16:42.801+05:30Three<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Three times I think of you</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Everyday that I am</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">And a day is only relative</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Three times I think of you</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">And each instance is long</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Every second lasts forever</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">There's a time in my life</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">When I'll think of you no more</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Three times I'll say your name</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">And forget you for eternity</span>iNFiNiteSaDNeSShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679456568464263312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11685456.post-66022957046261348452008-10-29T18:47:00.003+05:302008-11-06T17:53:34.724+05:30Unsent Letter"You remind me of a paper kite on a power line - you see them all over the place, fluttering in place, some new and shiny and colourful, others tattered and shredded. But then you always said you were like a kite, born to fly high, 'buffeted by the winds, but taking strength from them nonetheless' (I remember your words exactly - as I remember everything else about you, and far too often, unfortunately). Yes, that's what you were like, as I remember you. Those were our better days, when you and could spend time together without getting into an argument, and saying things we would regret later (I don't know if you ever really regretted anything you said, but I did). There was a sort of contentedness then, a sense of being sated. So how did things change? When did I start holding you back? Your space? Was that what I was invading? Why would I hold you back? I didn't have the faintest until you said we were competing too much. So I became the metaphorical string that tied you down, kept you from your freedom, and I remained it. And when you demanded your freedom, I gave it to you, as if it were my treasure to give up. I didn't really weep, you know, because, I couldn't, and even if I could, I wouldn't have. Not for you.<br /><br />And my friends brought me news of your success, and your failures, and how you were a different person now. But I remained a passive listener, simply because you once were, and you aren't. I knew your new friends, or knew about them, to be exact. Your so-called success was interesting, but only in a very generic curiosity-inducing way.<br /><br />My friends still tell me about you, but I can't really say I sympathize. I am no longer the string, and you are no longer close to the ground. And yet, while you still are what you were, you are not free yet. For, if you are a kite, there will always be a string. And every time I see the kites fluttering around the power lines, I think of you.”iNFiNiteSaDNeSShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679456568464263312noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11685456.post-5288785065930538272008-10-03T13:50:00.005+05:302008-10-03T14:41:02.939+05:30Goa Trip<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Ennui, and stress forced me to take a short vacation in September. While I originally intended to travel some place remote, I realized I didn’t have enough time to plan it. So I ended up going to Goa instead, alone.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">While I've been to Goa several times in the past, most trips have been related to work, and followed a standard pattern - reach Goa early morning, meet up with clients/distributors, and catch the bus back to Mumbai in the evening. The other type of Goa trip involved hectic travel to cove as many beaches as possible in the shortest period of time (and the maximum number of temples and churches too). I intended this trip to be different - restful and without an agenda. I got delayed reaching Mapusa because roads were flooded on account of the heavy rains, and reached Baga only post noon. First thing I did even before I found a place to stay was plonk myself down at St. Anthony's beachfront restaurant and stuff myself. Wandering around for a bit allowed me to find a clean lodging place a short distance from the beach and a bit of bargaining got me a clean AC room for Rs.600 a day. It certainly helped that it was off-season, and prices were low and accommodation was easily available. Baga and Calangute are very close to each other and there are a large number of lodges and hotels along this stretch. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I spent the next 3 days lazing around on the beach, on the beach front, or on long walks around Baga. I relaxed stretched out on a comfortable chair on the beach with a good book in hand and good food and beer on a table beside me. I ate hearty breakfasts at Infantaria (the bananas with honey are excellent), lunched at random restaurants whenever I felt like it, and dined at St.Anthony's. I played pool at Mambo's (a popular nightspot with theme nights), tried pastries at Britto's, and watched a bunch of foreigners karaoke at St.Anthony's. I hired pilots (motorcycle taxis) to take me to Fort Aguada and the Chapora fort and watched the Brahminy kites and Indian vultures dive at each other in the clear blue sky.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I went to Panjim the last day of my stay and wandered around Patto for a while before catching a bus back to Mumbai. I did have to run around like crazy before I could reconfirm my 'already confirmed' bus tickets, but that's another story.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">But to all my friends and acquaintances that think it's a ridiculous idea travelling to Goa alone, do try it once; you might learn more - about Goa and about yourself, than you would otherwise would.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">[<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/80587412@N00/sets/72157607404429330/">Some photos on Flickr</a>]</span>iNFiNiteSaDNeSShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679456568464263312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11685456.post-9496071934369503842008-09-29T13:54:00.004+05:302008-09-29T14:14:38.250+05:30Good Music<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">It's tough having to explain to someone what progressive metal is; I'm pretty sure some of you have tried it, often leaving the other person in a daze wondering about classical influences and off-timings and experimental instruments. Since I've been listening to a lot of good lately, I thought I'd put up a list of my top 10 prog albums - this should give on - listeners a fair idea of what good prog's all about.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">In no particular order, and the newer ones remembered first -</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; color: rgb(102, 102, 0);">1. Porcupine Tree - Fear of a Blank Planet (2007)</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; color: rgb(102, 102, 0);">2. Sieges Even - Paramount (2007)</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; color: rgb(102, 102, 0);">3. Pain of Salvation -Scarsick (2007)</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; color: rgb(102, 102, 0);">4. Dead Soul Tribe - Lullaby for the Devil (2007)</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; color: rgb(102, 102, 0);">5. The Devin Townsend Band - Accelerated Evolution (2003)</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; color: rgb(102, 102, 0);">6. Threshold - Dead Reckoning (2007)</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; color: rgb(102, 102, 0);">7. Circus Maximus - The First Chapter (2005)</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; color: rgb(102, 102, 0);">8. Vanden Plas - Christ.0 (2006)</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; color: rgb(102, 102, 0);">9. Kamelot - The Black Halo (2005)</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; color: rgb(102, 102, 0);">10. Opeth - Deliverance (2002)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Yes, Dream Theater is not in the list, but then again they're always there, like a number zero.</span>iNFiNiteSaDNeSShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679456568464263312noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11685456.post-86389405626891142582008-09-29T12:58:00.000+05:302008-09-29T13:00:48.834+05:30Sporadic Blogging<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">These infrequent posts are actually a result of too many things to write about rather than being at a loss to write anything about. But I shall try to put my thoughts down on HTML; these may not be linear or chronological, but more like a scattered grouping of ideas/memories/reports as an when they edge into the largish part of my brain reserved for work-related computing. Over the next few days…</span>iNFiNiteSaDNeSShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679456568464263312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11685456.post-18138156694320558542008-06-11T19:32:00.004+05:302008-06-12T12:43:29.029+05:30Smell the Rain<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">It was almost dusk and the light was slowly oozing out of sight. He had some difficulty seeing though, and the dust in the air certainly didn't help. He could sense something moving around him, but it seemed too much of an effort to investigate. He was having difficulty concentrating, and his mind seemed unwilling to grant him that favour. There were things and people and events he wanted to remember; it would be a shame to have done so much and then forgotten all about it. Not that he could boast of having been through a lot - he was only 26. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">He tried to prioritise - there were things that were important and would need to be done now. What was it his teacher had said? "Put all your tasks into a 2x2 grid, with Urgency and Importance along the axes". Strange that he should be remembering this now. The weirdest memories kept coming back to him. Then there was the time long ago when he hid on the roof of the house on a rainy day - he could vividly remember how it felt to stand there while the rain bit into him. It was as if the raindrops were the first wave of the army, breaking down the defences, while the chill brought up the rear. His next memory was of waiting outside school, having missed the bus, thinking if he even wanted to go home where his mother would definitely yell at him for being careless about the bus timings. He even considered running away from home then, and it seemed to him funny now.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">But he really needed to get some things done now. It was getting really dark and it looked like it might rain. The first rains of the season were something he always looked forward to. They always made him feel different, think different. Of course he knew that it was just the change of weather – the change in temperature the rains brought was a pleasant interlude from the sweltering heat of the summer. He knew he had to move before it started raining, but it seemed too much of an effort.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">There was this nagging ache in his right ankle again, more an itch than an ache. He desperately wished for someone to scratch it for him. He looked around again, and it was so dark that he could barely see beyond a few feet. The car headlamps were broken and the smaller lamps didn’t help much. He tried looking up again, trying to figure out which way the road was. The wind was getting really strong now, and he could hardly keep his eyes open. Suddenly there was a bright light that passed by a few meters away, and he guessed it must have been another car. The road was a few meters away, and posed a decent climbing challenge for him and he wondered how he could do it. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">In the midst of the overpowering smell of petrol that permeated everything around him, he could now smell something different. The first of the raindrops had fallen quickly, there seemed to be less of the dust in the air now. He loved the smell of rain, the smell of wet earth after the first rains, to be precise. They brought back more memories, triggering a wave of nostalgia that overpowered him, completely immobilising him. Out of the corner of his eye he caught a glimpse of sparks around the car battery. Not much time, he told himself, he had to move now; there was very little time before the sparks hit the petrol. He couldn’t move his feet and tried to touch them, but it seemed odd to him that they weren’t where they were supposed to be. The sparks were more frequently visible now, and he tried to drag himself away. But what was it they called the smell of wet earth after the first rains? It had been a Word of the Day once; he clearly remembered that. He knew for sure it sounded like something that was used in laboratories, but it seemed to be infuriatingly out of reach. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Petrichor, he thought, as the first wave of the flame hit him.</span>iNFiNiteSaDNeSShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679456568464263312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11685456.post-62768326227222225442008-04-07T07:36:00.003+05:302008-07-08T19:51:28.169+05:30Bandhavgarh, Kanha, and Panchmarhi<p>I managed a much-needed break last month - after three months of planning and scheduling, me and my friends Mandar and Girish went on a 10-day trip to Madhya Pradesh. Our three planned destinations were Bandhavgarh, Kanha, and Panchmarhi. Now that I'm back, I realize I'm going to cherish this trip forever.</p> <p> </p> <p>You might know that Bandhavgarh and Kanha are Tiger reserves - while Bandhavgarh is a small place, Kanha is huge and spread over 1945 sq. kilometers. You'll realize these dimensions mean nothing when you're actually in there; it is actually possible to get lost in there and even face mortal peril from wild life. Tigers, leopards, jackals, wild dogs, bear, enough to never let you relax even in the relative comfort of your open jeep. It certainly does not make you feel better that nothing prevents the animals from walking over to your open vehicle and grabbing a bite of you, while the driver and guide are not even carrying sticks for protection. But,as I realized, the animals prefer their own, and seem to be least bothered by the human intervention. And for the tiger, well, 40 screeching jeeps carrying over 150 screaming people might just be another parakeet in a tree. S/he goes about routine tasks like there's no one around.</p> <p> </p> <p>We managed to spot a tigress both the days we were in Bandhavgarh. (Bad light and a frantic rush to take photographs, combined with amateur photography skills and the euphoria of the moment have ensured that none of the tiger photos are good). B2, the alpha male at Bandhavgarh, as well as leopards remained elusive. We spotted an adult male tiger on our last safari in Kanha as well.</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.google.com/vtorgal/R_kqKcx08uI/AAAAAAAAADY/BQFhCN1Py2c/IMG_2177_e%5B3%5D.jpg"><img style="border-width: 0px;" alt="IMG_2177_e" src="http://lh3.google.com/vtorgal/R_kqLcx08vI/AAAAAAAAADg/qwtcORZPtRQ/IMG_2177_e_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg" border="0" height="168" width="214" /></a><a href="http://lh4.google.com/vtorgal/R_kqVsx08wI/AAAAAAAAADo/AMRCS_lmg-A/IMG_2341_e%5B7%5D.jpg"><img style="border-width: 0px;" alt="IMG_2341_e" src="http://lh3.google.com/vtorgal/R_mBncx08xI/AAAAAAAAADw/ohS_31etxlA/IMG_2341_e_thumb6.jpg" border="0" height="168" width="215" /></a> </p> <p> </p> <p>Both locations are home to a large variety of birds, and we managed to make the most of it by spotting and identifying over 57 different ones. (Thanks go out to Tanya for lending me a pair of excellent binoculars and a copy of Salim Ali's definitive book on Indian birds.) [<a title="Bird Pictures" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/80587412@N00/tags/birds/">Some bird photos here.</a>]</p> <p> </p> <p>One highlight of the Bandhavgarh safari was being witness to a pack of wild dogs hunting. The dogs sort of lost interest in the hunt after a while and settled down on the road allowing us to take photographs to our heart's content.</p> <p> </p> <p>We ended the tour with Panchmarhi, a hill station that turned out to be a major disappointment. This place does not have much to offer, and what it has seems to be in very bad shape thanks to a combined effort by the government and vandals.</p> <p> </p> <p>[<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/80587412@N00/tags/madhyapradesh/">All photos here.</a>]</p> <p> </p> <p>Route: Mumbai - Katni - Bandhavgarh - Kanha - Panchmarhi (via Jabalpur) - Pipariya - Mumbai</p> <p> </p> <p>Tips: </p> <p>#Accommodation is easily available at both Bandhavgarh and Kanha. Most of these places come cheaper if you negotiate on the spot rather than call and book in advance. We stayed at Mowgli Jungle Resorts in Bandhavgarh (Excellent) and the MPT Dormitory in Kanha (desolate, scary, beautiful). </p> <p>#Nothing much to do other than admire the work of vandals in Panchmarhi. </p> <p>#Madhya Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation has good hotels in all these places, can't say much about catering though.</p>iNFiNiteSaDNeSShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16679456568464263312noreply@blogger.com3