Tourism and Goa

 Goa occupies a unique spot in our psyche out here in India. Its tropical beaches stretch for miles, and give you an opportunity to swim or bathe in the sea almost any time of the year, except when it is raining heavily. Very few beaches in the world can compare. 

But more than this, it's an idea. Just the mention of Goa brings a smile to anyone's face. Stories of plans made to go there tumble out, many of which went unfinished. Some who actually made it want to do more of it. I have rarely met a person who does not wish to holiday in Goa, in all these years. It's almost a magical land.

Maybe, at a psychological level, it's a place where you can BE. Try and discover yourself, your limits. Not just the drinking limits, but in forgetting your routines, and immersing yourself-figuratively, in the sea. Enjoying the present, without a care of the past or the future.

Having been there about 8-10 times now, probably more, I can vouch for that feeling. You feel bad when you leave. Viva la Goa!

My First Snowfall

A first view of snow was in Gulmarg, Kashmir, in 1978, I think, but my first actual snowfall was in the U.S. at Clemson. And boy, it was exciting- for about an hour, maybe two. We did all the crazy things that one does, usually. Here, I was bewitched-

Clemson not being used to much snow, did not have equipment to clear it. So we were pretty much stranded as far as using cars went, and we walked as much as we could. But mostly, we chilled (literally) at home. It was like the Mumbai rain holidays.

The beauty of a snow-clad view was in two places- Leh recently, and Grand Canyon in the U.S. The night we visited one Thanksgiving Weekend, we found there was heavy snowfall. The next morning, there were amazing views (this place remains one of my favourites in the U.S., apart from Yellowstone).

Leh with snow-women.-

Financial Year Ends

Academic year too, but the March 31st year-end blues are usually accounting related. Some of the questions that stare you in the face-

Did I save enough to get all the tax breaks I could? Only a CA or a know-all can answer that question, so I don't worry too much about it. In July, at the time of filing returns, I will have to document all that anyhow, so why not postpone it till then?

What if I have to file for bankruptcy? Since Indian law does not allow an individual to do so (to the best of what I know), once again, I don't worry about this.

The most torturous question actually is this- where do we go to vacation this year in the summer? You can fix the following criteria for making this decision-

Destination should be facebook-friendly.

It should have a net connection.

More than enjoying the destination, you bask in the after-glory anyway, so the place does not really matter.

Happy holidaying- or thinking about it. In May or June or whenever you are ready with the leap into the unknown. May you be able to check out an item on your bucket list.

Garden in Thailand

The botanical garden called Noong Nooch near Pattaya. It is huge, and you can spend a day there just wandering around. Nice, imaginatively designed. The cropping of trees and shrubs is great. There are artificially created giraffes, and many more creatures. Live cultural shows and elephant shows are a part of the setup.

Malwada Days

If this sounds similar to Malgudi days, it was intended. Only, this was a lot quieter. We went, around 15 of us-cousins and family- to a place known as Malwada, off the Ahmedabad highway from Mumbai. It is in Thane district, and generally not known to anyone. That’s because Thane district is much bigger than the suburban station everybody knows. Sort of like New York City and the state of New York.

Anyway, what happens there is remarkable-nothing. And therefore, it is an ideal place to get away to. You can walk, or hear the birds twitter, or take even longer walks. A river dip is a possibility, with one nearby  (I think the river is called Pinjal, though I wouldn’t swear to it). Otherwise, you have your own company. 

The views are magnificient (it was a friend’s bungalow, on a small hill), and the soul feels refreshed. Sunrises, moonrises, and the corresponding 'sets' create excitement, and so do the clear views of the stars. Before you think I am raving (crazy), let me stop by saying, we had a great time. There was also a garden containing some vegetables, for us to potter around in, and eat fresh stuff from. There were a few pakodas from the weekly market to add to the variety on the menu, and some fresh-looking fish that we also fried. Of course, there was singing and telling of jokes to keep the late evenings engaging.

Not having lived in such idyllic surroundings for a decade or two, we were naturally thrilled. A tractor ride of the huge surrounding property was an added attraction. We stopped to watch the threshing of rice in progress, and some kids joined in to get a first-hand experience.

Malwada days, edition 2012, came to an end with the weekend, but now we have some good memories to carry forward into 2013. And we could always return.

Why a Bandh is Socially Relevant

Rather provocative thought, eh? Well, I gave it a thought, and the conclusion was inescapable- that bandhs are socially relevant in our country. Not only that, they take you forward. Now for the people unfamiliar with this concept, it is this. Bandh means closed. The entire nation decides that it will shut down. This achieves many things. It brings into sharp focus that you were not doing anything useful on all the other days when you were ostensibly working- and getting paid. So now the employers can take a call on whether to retain you. And reduce their (corporate India's) losses.

Politically, it is like a jam session in the boxing rink. It separates the men from the boys. The number of buses burnt can be tallied like a cricket batsman's score, or maybe the older head hunter's score (we are not talking human resources here, but the old sword tricks). And the top scorers can hope to win the next election, unless there are better scores from others.

For the normal, harried human, this is his golden chance to go on a long drive with his family, his beloved or whoever he wants to drive with. Even alone, it is a pleasure. Avoid unruly mobs though.

The economy can take a breath and come back refreshed. Banks can take a break from incessant demands for cash and other services. Don't we need a holiday once in a while? Then the nation deserves one too, once in  away. Now if only mobile phones learnt to do so....