Marathon...

I'm feeling a sense of achievement, though there is also a feeling that my legs donot belong to me anymore. :)

I participated in a 5 km run yesterday.  It was organised by Running and Living which is an NGO started by this man named Nitin Varghese. He is an IIM A passout and worked in various MNCs for a couple of years before giving it all up for doing what he liked to do. The result was Running and Living which has the aim of making running a habit for atleast 200 million people.(For more details see ‘The Week May 9, 2009 issue’)

The run started at the Chandigarh Golf Range which lies just behind Sukhna. It was to start at 6 AM  which means I got up at 5…an achievement considering the fact that I had slept at 2. But I was determined to go…had been for quite some time. I reached at my friend’s place at 5:50 AM and then we started off together.

There were around 100 people of all age groups. And I was amazed by a really old uncle. He was running faster then most of us. My daily aerobics stood me in good stead and I was able to manage the first 2.5 km very well. Didn’t stop running at all while most of the people were already walking. After reaching the 2.5 km point, we were handed over a token which actually was a 3 day trial coupon of the Elementia gym at the Chandigarh Golf Club. 

Ok, now for the remaining 2.5 km of the run. Well, you could say I was dragging myself. Was stopping after every 10 minutes. Man, I need to further improve my stamina. But what struck me was how people were cheering others. What with complete strangers encouraging and bucking me up all the way, it felt really good.  

And I did manage to finish off my run, though I was doubtful at the beginning. There were no winners  or losers..just a sense of having done something worthwhile. Health, friendship, frolic was what it all about.  

PS: The one in the cream T-shirt in the above pic is me. :)

Wonder

Came across this piece today. It made me stop for a while and think.

"What would you say are the Seven Wonders of the world today? I admit
I am not sure what they are officially, but I would guess:

The Pyramids

The Great Wall of China

The twin towers in Kuala Lumpur

Mount Rushmore

The Panama Canal

The Taj Mahal

The Chunnel

I am sure there is plenty of room for adding certain great bridges
and churches and temples and towers, but here is how one schoolgirl
answered the question:

1. to see

2. to hear

3. to touch

4. to taste

5. to feel

6. to laugh

7. to love

It kind of makes you wonder, doesn't it?"

The Pic...

Hey, about the display picture... It is the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussorie. :)

My Chirpy Friend

Well, it started like this... It was a holiday and the sessionals were to begin the next day. I was sitting in my room studying, or rather trying to make sense of the classnotes I had just got photostat. Suddenly, there was a sweet melodious chirp all around. And sure enough, there was a bird, which I suppose had accidently found its way into my room. It was soon exploring the place, pecking at the windows, the cupboard and even at the books around. And, chirping its throat out. The sound soon brought my brother into the room, who on seeing the bird, was determined to drive it out. But it was he who was driven out, as now I wanted to observe the little creature. 

It was grey, with a big greenish patch on its tummy. There was nothing more pronounced about its appearance. First it flew in one direction along the wall, and as soon as it approached the door, it turned back. This happened several times and was accompanied by such a loud screeching that I was convinced the neighbours would come in to ask if we had a new pet. After some time, I was convinced that the birdie probably couldn't find it's way out. I wanted to look at it some more, but I thought probably the bird was scared now. So, I decided to help it out. I took a bed sheet and tried to direct the bird towards the door or the windows. But as soon as I got it closer to the exit, it turned back. This happened several times. I was getting irritated. Here I was trying to help it out, and the idiot creature was not even cooperating. Enough was enough. I gave up and sat down to study.  It would probably find the way out on its own. 

The bird now seemed at home with its new surroundings. The noise it was making stopped. It continued flying here and there and after some time it flew out through the door I was trying to help it find out. I heaved a sigh of relief as it flew in the open air. I didn't think I would see it again.

But it was back in the evening, again a melodious chirp signalling its arrival. And was out too before long. It now seemed familiar with the way in and out. The next few days saw more frequent visits by my guest, who was now always welcome in my abode. I grew fond of it and liked looking at it. I even kept a bowl of water for it.

 Its been more than two weeks now and it still turns up daily and has even fixed its visiting hours now, turns up at 5 in the morning without fail and starts pecking at the window from outside and sets up such a racket that even  manages to wake me up. I then have to open the window to let it in.  And, it has even started getting twigs, pieces of branches with it. Probably it wants to set up its nest here or something. Just look at the guts! However, as far as I am concerned, it's more than welcome, but my family members sure are going to object. 

But will deal with that later when they find out.  :)

India, a superpower...Really?

OK, this post is a reality check. While India is being heralded as the next superpower, what with the recent NSG waiver, the global takeovers by Indian companies, there are people dying of starvation in Bihar, of terror activities in our metros, of malnutrition in Vidarbha... As one of my teachers puts it, in India there are islands of prosperity amidst a sea of poverty. And we, sitting in Chandigarh, cannot ask for more. But sometimes a reality check is really needed to keep us firmly on the ground.

Well, there are 200 million children in India and 50 million donot go to School. And almost half of the child population in India is malnourished, nearly 50 million of whom are forced to work. 33% of all illiterates of the world live in India and 26% of the population still lives below the official poverty line. In the village areas of Orissa and Bihar, the poverty rates are worse than some of the poorest countries of Africa. 100 million people live in slums. And a few days back, a leading national daily reported India's emerging status as a cheap dumping ground for the toxic wastes of the west.

Is this the superpower we dream of, the India 2020 of some of our greatest leaders? Certianly not. There are a lot of challenges ahead which we need to face.We need to find out were we went wrong, where we are going wrong. And I think, this cannot be done without the participation of the country's youth, since all the work cannot be left to the government. The citizens have to be more sensitive to the needs of the nation. Rabindranath Tagore's words "Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection... Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake." cannot be more true.

An Inspiration

It was a holiday at college and my coaching institute today... It's Independence Day today. And like most of my countrymen, 15 August has come to mean as nothing more than a holiday to me. I grabbed this opportunity and took a well deserved break. After all, I had worked really hard for a test at the coaching yesterday and fared nicely in it. Like most of the people, I have been following Abhinav Bindra's news recently. And to say the least, I deeply appreciate the man's grit, focus and drive. I have been reading his blogs regularly, apart from Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam's site, whom I have always admired. I came across quite a few people crediting Mr. Abhinav's achievements to the fact that his father could afford to build a personal shooting range for him. Well, I always feel pity for such weaklings who say so. Are such people trying to cover up for their own inadequacies? Whatever... Many people have the resources, but only few have the focus and the discipline.
Something else that made me think was one of the statements that Abhinav Bindra made at an interview. When asked how he was feeling, about four days after his victory, his three words answer "It feels empty" surely seemed strange at first. But I think I can understand that feeling. Joy is in the actual journey itself and the destination then comes along as a pleasant surprise. Well, come to think of it, it's not a surprise exactly when you have slogged so hard for it. Reward, yes, that's the word. But after the "top of the world" feeling sinks in, the feeling which then comes in is "I did it. So, what next". So I think one must enjoy the journey well, even the challenges it throws up, knowing that it will soon be over. And only then one will be ready to receive and appreciate the gifts it would offer.

“In Pursuit of Happiness”

Searching high and low,
for something on which his heart can grow.
Running from pillar to post,
His frantic search just gets worse;
his search for bliss,
his pursuit of happiness…

Knee deep in his efforts,
he knows he’s inching closer to his ambitions.
Admired by many, envied by plenty.
Yet he wonders why true joy eludes him.
Why can’t he feel the ecstasy of being alive?
Why can’t he feel the divine connection?
He seems lost, lost in his way towards happiness.
Who is he?
He’s an expression of all, he’s an expression of me.

But something slowly changes.
He grows; he feels; he starts nurturing the divine.
Starts seeking joy in the ordinary.
He knows he’s unique.
He never was before, he never will be again.
He’s stardust, he’s golden.
He’s loved, he’s known.
Now it’s time for him to know himself.