and so it ended...

2 months of eternal tension, versions of SOPs, a Mumbai trip, an ITC holiday and an interview later... Its finally over. I came back happy elated and overwhelmed.

I am an Aditya Birla Scholar :)

The life at Hell

3 months into the place and finally free time. Time to watch movies, to do nothing explore the city and most importantly SLEEP.

Now a little bit more about my life:
From the day I entered Hell, I chose to keep myself busy.
committees, clubs, index, projects, proposals, CVs, Disha, HR Forms, Schols, Sports, Classes, Quizzes, KFC, Dominoes, Competitions were the only thing that I could hear.
Everyone here has got be an A++ personality. Now that means is -

• You run to your classes every day because you inevitably get up 4 minutes late
• You get up 4 minutes late because of you slept 30 mins late last night trying to meet the deadline for the economics project.
• You run to the mess so that you can finish food ultra fast so as not to waste time. Of course there are time when you manage to miss it all together because there is 'no time'.
• You always wash your clothes a week late because there was something or the other
• You miss your road trip as you were busy with meetings last week
• You try to do as much as possible in as little time

What I have essentially done after reaching this place is that I have shut myself from the world out there. I stopped thinking about anything else. About the world out there, about others, about those I love, about myself. Now this technique worked so long as I was busy. For the last one week, I was free, free enough to sleep 8 hours a day, free enough to let my mind wander beyond horizons, free enough to think of all those that I constantly endeavored to push out of my mind.

I know I am safe so long as I am here. But what next. I see no life. Not one which I associate with the word Happiness!! :)

Conquering the Chembra peak

One of the best aspects of the road trip to Kerala has been the trek up to the top of the Chembra peak, the highest peak of Wayanad district in Kerala. Located at 2100M above sea level, this is one of those moderate difficulty ones. Filled with scenic view of the Wayanad ghats and also with a heart shaped lake at the top of the hill, this trek is a must do for all those adventure lovers.

Cloud covered most of the time, the peak is a delight to watch. It took us a grueling 2 hours 15 minutes to reach the peak which included 4 liters of water among three of us and innumerable breaks on the way. The base of the trek starts through tea plantations and then proceeds through hills and plains that reminds of the scenes from Lord of the rings.

The top was cloud covered most of the time with a strong chill wind that blows. The top overlooks a valley to either of its sides and the Wayanad ghats to the other side. Owing to the slippery conditions, the descent was as tough as the ascent. The best time to do this trek though is Jan - Feb when people are actually allowed to camp. The charges for the trek is Rs 500 per group which can be upto 10.



Chembra peak is located about 7 kms off the road from Meppadi, which lies along the way from Sultan Bathery to Vythiri both which are hill stations in Wayanad. The climb to the ascent is another 4 kms from the base. One must be cautious with leeches that are common along the trek.

of bikes, roads and hills

2 bikes, 3 guys, 7 days, 40 towns, 100 liters and 2183 kms are the numbers involved in this grueling road trip. This road trip was the result of a whim at one of those lunch discussions. At the end of it all we consider this an achievement to do a bike trip from Hyderabad right to the heart of Kerala in a span of one week.

Hyderabad(0) - Jadcherla(93) - Kurnool(215) - Gooty(315) - Anantpur(367) - Chikballapur(515) - Nandi Hills(535) - Banglore(640) - Mysore(780) - Gundlupet(840) - Bandipur WLS(862) - Muthanga WLS(872) - Sultan Bathery(900) - Meppadi(960) - Vythiri(1020) - Chembra Peak(1040) - Lakkidi(1065) - Koyilandi(1120) - Mahe(1165) - Thalessary(1180) - Kannur(1205) - Bekal(1300) - Kasargod(1335) - Mangalore(1390) - Moodbidri(1420) - Karkala(1438) - Agumbe(1490) - Tirthahalli(1520) - Shimoga(1580) - Honhalli(1621) - Harihar(1665) - Harpanhalli(1705) - Hospet(1780) - Gangavati(1830) - Sindhnur(1875) - Manvi(1925) - Raichur(1970) - Mahbubnagar(2071) - Jadcherla(2090) - Hyderabad(2183)

That was the list of towns we passed and the odometer readings. We got a chance to watch some of the most amazing views, beautiful hill stations and some awesome roads. Like some of my previous trips, the objective was to spend as less as possible and do what we like. Most of our expenses obviously went towards fuel. We slept in Railway stations, tea plantations and once in a tree house. We climbed a 2100 M peak which is the highest peak of Wayanad District of Kerala. It took us about 2 hours to reach the top which was completely covered in clouds. It gave us some of the most breath taking views of the plains below.

Also check out the pics at http://picasaweb.google.com/sriram385/KeralaBikeTrip#

Unexplored AP - Tupilapalem

Tupilapalem, A beach along the coast of Nellore District, is a pristine beach where one can spot brown crabs crawling along the three Km stretch just off the village. Unlike the populous beaches of today, swarming with scores of people, This one is largely unknown. Apart from the occasional one or two, this is beach is home only to a few fishermen, dogs and crabs. The beach is dotted with multi colored sea shells of various shapes and sizes. Also on the beach is a bridge sort of thing that goes about 100 mts into the sea.

What to do around: There is nothing much to do here apart from lazing on the beach. Ideal for those looking to break away from the cacophony of the city and take a well deserved break. Walk along the 7 Km odd stretch from one end to the other. with serene blue waters on one side and a strech of greenery to the other, pamper yourself with solitude!
Those looking for some adventure, Walk underneath the bridge on the sea untill you reach the edge. What you get is a scenic view of the never ending beach exposing all its vastness and look towards the coast fills you up with pure joy. This however is a little dangerous and hence must be proceeded with caution.
This not-so-salty and shallow beach, is a great place to play in. With waves high enough, the water isn't too deep. We could walk in upto 50 mts into the sea and it was amazing.

Where to stay: There is a guest house in the village, which largely is empty. They charge around 150 per room. The rooms however are not well maintained. A better option would be to take your sleeping bags and hit the beach at night under thousands of stars. One can also ask the locals in the village and spend the night with them for a mere 50.

How to reach: Now comes the difficult part. There is a town called Nayudupet along National Highway 7, which is about 65 Kms from Nellore and 105 Kms from Chennai. From Nayudupet, there are busses that leave for Kota every half an hour or so. One can check up the bus timings near the bus stand. After an hour ride through the greenery of the country side in a rickety bus, we reached a small bustling town called Kota. From here the only way to the small village is to take a sharing auto who charges about 15 rs.

What to eat: Owing to the fact that this is a small village with hardly about 200 population, its advisable that you take your food along. There is a small shop near the village temple that sells some biscuits and the omni present colas. Apart from this you get a small hut that sells dosas and idlys for a rupee each in the mornings and bajjis to the end of the day. Yes! you read it right.. 1 rupee for each dosa.

Check out the pics here.

Thought for the day - March 21

Solitude shows us what should be; society shows us what we are ~RobertCecil

It is only in solitude that one can think clearly. Think without the influence of others thoughts, others opinions, others biases. That is when you will know what is right for you according you. It is in solitude that you can envision the utopian world as per your ideas and thoughts. Despite the general opinion, solitude is the best gift you can give yourself. The only way you can know self, the only way to know what you want.

The thoughts in solitude arise from self thinking, from within. These are the pristine thoughts without influences and biases, a truest way for self discovery. Solitude shows us our way of the world.

The minute the realm of solitude is broken, influences, restrictions and constraints automatically spring up. In the society most of us live as per the society demands. There are many instances where we do things because it is expected of us. It is almost impossible to break away from its clasps. There is a defined way to live as per the society and unfortunately, to be a part of it, to be accepted by it, we have to adhere to the norms set forward by the society.

So who sets these norms? Who dictates how we should conduct ourselves? Strangely, the answer to this is our own self. People have been following and so we follow too. No body tries to break away. When they do, they are considered to be maverick and unfit to live in. It is very difficult to actually do what we want. Society in general lays shackles to that freedom. Freedom to be what we could be, freedom to say no and more importantly, freedom to say yes!

At the end of the day each of us have subdued to the bonds set by the society and let it dictate our lives. It did show us what we are. What does it take to break free? What is the cost of that freedom?

Thought for the day - Feb 11th

Personality and personal identity are in some ways like co-ordinates on a street map drawn by our intersecting relationships - Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts

Personality is something that defines what we are. It is the collection of qualities that defines us. This statement took me quite some time to grasp and a lot more time to understand it in completeness. After a lot of thinking, I am still not sure of what Personal Identity is, and how it differs from Personality.

As far as Personality is concerned, this is a partially true statement as what we are, is definitely shaped by the relationships we have at least in the beginning stages of our life. At a time when we are young, we learn the ways of the world through various relationships that we have with parents, teachers, friends and many more. As we grow up, as we mature, we develop the ability to think on our own, attain the ability to differentiate good from bad, act on our own, take decisions on our own and also achieve the capability to make a choice. Hence we develop individuality and personality is shaped also by our actions. Relationships though still play a major role as we learn from the world around, its no longer the only guiding influence they once were.

Personality varies over time. It changes as we keep learning new things and learning and change are the only things that are always there. The extent to which a relationship influences a person also varies from person to person. It depends on the receptivity of a person.

Roadies: Hyd - Horsley Hills - Talakona - Hyd

Like most of my trips here was yet another out of the blue Road trip! We decided on the place just 2 days before and as usual turned out just terrific! Horsley Hills was our first destination and it was about 540 kms from Hyderabad. We started off Friday late night at 3.30 in the night, with Jatin on the wheels and me the navigator.

Hyderabad - Kurnool - Anantapur - Gooty - Horsley Hills was the route we chose.

With the early morning sun hitting our faces, and cruising at 140 was a different feel altogether. We reached Kurnool by 7 and Ananthapur by 9.30. We started the short 10 km ascent to the Horsley hill by 1 in the afternoon. The view from the hill was breathtaking. The terrain was all rocks and boulders. With the orange sun setting into the mountains and the whole sky turning scarlett is one of the best views to enjoy.

Horsley Hills is probably one of the tiniest hill stations with a total population of not more than 50 and about 10 buildings in all. Head for this hill station only if lazing around is among your primary goals. For the more adventurous, there is always hope. Rock climbing and exploring along the forests can get very interesting. As far as the food goes, the APTDC Haritha restaurant serves decent food. There are also a couple of stalls as soon as you enter the place which have chips, chai-biscuit and Spicy hot mirchi bajjis.

To take the best pleasure of the hill, we slept the night out on a hill under the stars, in sleeping bags. The Sky was adorned with millions of stars, a site you can never imagine seeing from the city. We woke up to the sunrise and headed to climb the hill overlooking the mountain to catch the sunrise at the east side. This pristine hill station, owing to the still largely unexplored status is a great weekend spot.

We started for Talakona waterfalls and were largely disappointed because of the huge crowds of people coming in. We decided to do our return trip along a different route and chose the following path

Talakona - Tirupati - Nayudupeta - Nellore - Addanki - Hyderabad

Hyderabad - Horsley hills : 550 Kms
Horsley Hills - Talakona : 150 kms
Talakona - Hyderabad : 650 Kms
We covered a total of 1350 kms exactly 48 hours. We reached Hyderabad at 3.30 Sunday late night.

You can check out the trip in pics here

Italy - The dream destination!

There aren't many countries that I would love to visit. Italy the country of castles, pasta, wine, mafia and cheese tops my list and here is why!

• Maranello - Reason Numero Uno! Home to Scuderia Ferrari.
  
• Vatican City - The smallest country in the world. Hell yeah!
  
• THE REASON - Pasta, cheese, Risotto, Wine and Pizza!! Authentic Italian food in Italy would be a dream come true!
  
• Venice - The city of rivers. This is probably the most enticing of all. Transportation on boats, It just cant get any better.
• San Marino & Monaco - The street circuits of F1 racing.
• Colosseum - Watched one too many movies to ignore it.
• Leaning Tower - Well, its one of the wonders after all.
• Home to a rich culture - The cultures of the Romans and the Greeks had a profound influence on Italy today. They have always fascinated me and pulled me. Paticularily after playing games like Caesar and Age of empires it is all but obvious.
• Mt Vesuvius & Pompeii - A city buried in the ashes of a volcanic mountain is a must see. Heard a lot about it, read about it. Definitely want to see it.
• Sicily - Home to greek and roman temples and covering vast streches of coutry side beauty is worth a watch!
• Alps and the Skiing - Adventure sports cannot get any better than at Alps.
• Milan - Last but not the least, The fashion capital of the world, The babes and Food!!
  

Latenight Perceptions

Day:2 Jan 09! Time : 1.00 AM Mode: SMS Place: Does it matter?

It started when the word truth came up in the discussion and suddenly it all took a 90 degree philosophical turn.

Me: Truth is a very abstract topic... It’s more of a perspective and mostly an adjustment or a self forced belief... Never absolute

Taruna: I disagree… perspective and truth are 2 different things all together.

Me: Some issues yes! But think closely.. What you think now that the earth is round was once thought of as squared a few years back. In your respective terms, both are right.. but the absolute truth is one.

Taruna: Truth is an end in itself where as perspective is a means to reach there

Me: Perspective is the vision of the truth as per YOU! when YOU come into the picture.. its definitely not the end as there are a million more YOUs

Taruna: truth may have multiple dimensions say time and perspective. But in the end it is still absolute. As in all complex perspectives can be broken down to the simplest absolute truth.

Me: That I completely agree.. But u know where the difficulty lies in this world? Its in finding the absolute truth and more importantly knowing that that’s the one! Agree?

Taruna: I agree that’s what is the complexity. Arent we all trying to find if not the same, at least similar answers?

Me: we begin with the pursuit of the absolute truth/answer and more often end up adjusting with something that we think is close/similar! Not every case of such pursuit is fought till the end. And the ones that are.. are remembered for ever!

Taruna: I totally agree but adjustments, time and perspectives are all variables. Whats constant is just the truth.

Me: perfectly said and I couldn’t agree more.. my only contention is that discovering that constant is the toughest part! Wait now i almost forgot what we are arguing on!

Taruna: I said truth and perspective are 2 different things. you said truth is nothing but a perspective

Me: even I agree they are obviously different.. but did you understand why I said that in a lots of cases its perspective.. because the absolute can never be ascertained easily.

That was one of the most abstract discussions I have ever had and more so because it was at 2 in the middle of the night!