The Art of Holidaying

I don't claim to be an expert, nor am I prescribing ten best ways to holiday. I am just listing out different ways to do it- a Holiday Sutra, if you will.

1. Do nothing most of the time. Great for relaxing the grey cells that are taxed more than any IT dept will ever tax you.

2. Play Golf and don't look at the scores at the end, especially your scores. The second part increases happiness hundred-fold. Ask me!

3. Drive somewhere-anywhere. It can be a liberating experience. A Flight would do the exact opposite, with too many restrictions. Even a lovely smile from the stewardess can't compensate.

4. Eat well and often. Try local stuff too. At least you'll find out how bad it is-or not.

5. Do one unusual thing-whatever it might be. In a trip to Leh, we went to a local unbranded coffee store cum library that was educational.

6. Window-shop to find out what locals buy- it's cheaper than shopping, and has all the fun minus the expense!

7. Don't answer mails for a few days. No one will die, unless the mail is from a war-zone.

8. Do write about your experience, but only if you are the writing type- at least a few lines.

9. Take good pics, but don't die taking them- recent spine-chilling examples of selfie-martyrs are crazy!

10. Take a boat ride or a train ride if it is available. It brings out the child in you-in me, at least.

11. Try a new route to reach the same place.

But first and very important-take a holiday, as often as you can afford to.

Kevdeshwar Temple

There is an ancient temple I discovered on a short road-trip out of Indore yesterday. We had gone out hunting for a river (actually two) - Kshipra- at the closest possible site from the campus, due to a friend's time limitation.

Recently, the govt. has set up a meeting place for the Kshipra and the Narmada- two important rivers in the region, at a sangam (meeting point) near here. There is already a temple dedicated to Kshipra (deified version of the river) there. Pipelines bring in water from the two rivers and it flows through a ghat and out again.

On the way there, we found this ancient temple, Kevdeshwar, surrounded by huge banyan trees. A nice find. The green drive was also very enjoyable. Many of our attractions are hidden from the public, and one only discovers them serendipitously.

Mondha chairs

Not sure if they are called that, but we sat on them as kids in Kothagudem, A.P. while growing up. They are woven rope and cane chairs. Also available without a back as mondhas. I went on a drive outside the Indore IIM campus looking for some chairs, and there was a seller on the roadside-as if he'd guessed. I couldn't resist them, and bought a couple to do up my newly acquired and mostly empty house.

Drove to Mhow, a pleasant 12 kms. away, just to get acquainted with the surroundings. It is getting cold at night, so my ventures will mostly be daytime. Bought a pipe to water a huge lawn-cum-garden I have out in front. More later.

Drive

Where do we get the drive to do anything from? Some major motivation theorists say- affiliation, achievement and power are the three major drivers-motivators. But what does it mean in real terms? For instance, what power can one have in real life? When even a five-year-old refuses to listen to what you have to say,  teenagers think you are a fossil, spouses have their own viewpoint on every point, and subordinates (assuming you have some) are more into insubordination than obeying orders (that old-fashioned quality sometimes found in the military), what is power but maya (illusion)?

Affiliation could be a need. I understand facebook is built around this need. The need to gossip is fundamentally the same need. With some narcissism added, it becomes your facebook activity driver.

Achievement can be tangible or not. You may achieve a landmark, like a degree, or a salary level, or a designation that you covet. But still be driven to get more. Like Sachin and runs in cricket. I don't know if chilling out can be counted as an achievement, but I can see it motivates a lot of people.

By the way, 'drive' reminds me of a good PJ someone forwarded-
Math and Alcohol don't mix, so... PLEASE DON'T DRINK AND DERIVE