Big Bang - ver.2.0

(This is an entry for the vodafone contest "internet is fun" , please follow them at  www.vodafone.in/fun )

The evolution of our Universe was brought up by the Big bang , a continuous expanding matter like an inflated balloon, producing protons , electrons and  neutrons . This atom grew in size  and  introduced us to the new address , the address of the future : www.specsbuffy.blogspot.com ,millions across the world swear by this digital language and the journey to an equal number of sites begin with a single click!

Welcome to the Big Bang version 2.0 , the ‘internetomania’ – compulsive addiction to the World Wide Web (W3), what started as a bubble by the path breaking invention of the ‘telephone’
   by Graham Bell , the wheels of invention have been vigorously turning , churning out new contraptions by the minute taking the world by storm. The bubble has grown in size, stature and dimension – it is so very huge and powerful now that for many , it has become an absolute substitute for life!

If the Harappans left behind the “clay tablet” as proof of their high quality of living, archaeologists of the future would unearth “digital tablets” with entertainment guaranteed to last a lifetime! The medium of communication which  in its rudiments, simply answered the question : ‘HOW’ does ‘WHO’ communicate ‘WHAT’ to ‘WHOM’ and ‘WHY’ & ‘WHEN’ and ‘WHERE’, has become an economy in itself and the seller of wireless telephony needs just two eyes  to produce an array of gadgets whereas the gullible user, even with as many as a hundred eyes, is still left high and dry, figuring our the interface and its applications! It is the magnificent rule of the ‘thumb’ and fortunately the homo sapiens have  been abundantly endowed with ten fingers ,( probably the creator did have a foresight on things that were coming,) which move at will at the whims and fancies of the maker ,who knows “nothing is stronger than habit”!

Extrapolating the birth of our Universe , which roughly took place 13.75 billion years ago, the Earth has evolved itself in a billion ways and still moving at breakneck speed , unstoppable . Now death  of mankind can occur on three counts- ‘heart dead’, ‘brain dead’ and ‘network dead’, life would surely come to a virtual standstill if the third  category were to happen! The maxim ‘born with a silver spoon ‘has to be rewritten as ‘born with a mobile phone  ‘ as these gadgets and gizmos cater to all levels and ages of society .The lifecycle of man starts with the time he is born, recorded by the digital almanac , he gets his name from the baby names directory on the web, the ‘fone’ maybe his first words uttered, the alphabet song taught to him by the media player, games galore  starting with the simple  matching puzzles and culminating in the GTA ,by which time they become masters of the gaming universe! All sports shrunk to about six inches to play from the cool comforts of their favourite armchair, then the texting, messaging, chatting and here I recall the lovely quote of Carl Sandburg , who said “Slang is a language that takes off its coat , spits on its hands and goes to work!” On “YOUFACETWIT”, life gets a twist and we get terribly excited when  someone ‘follows’ but in real life , this lurking shadow behind us would scare us out of  our wits !


 The  cosmos began with a bang       
    outcome of a lone quantum
       blowing the balloon, we sang
           the chorus of W3,orchestrated by the atom

 Browsing texts, images, videos of pages
    navigating the chartered hyperlinks
      world at our fingertips , sensation of rages
          Human history born, as we may think

 Now on a handheld, smart phone or a tablet               
   weaving the web platform through  application
      tethering with 2G 3Gon the gadgets
        supporting a repository of device description

  An everyday phenomenon , sing away the blues
    games on different dimensions ,movies at an
                                                                  easy scroll
      adolescents fall hook,line and sinker, on their
                                                                             toes                 
        hawkers, traders marking their bullion toll

  You tube, face book .twitter, a multilayer notepad
    a forum to speak their heart and soul
      cool mobile slang making everybody LOL ,glad
          here a smiley, there a smiley, server never
                                                         crying foul

 Life made simple , easy and fun on the go
  all and sundry at the touch of an  android 

                                                                          screen
   messaging, chatting, dating and matchmaking
                                                                   in full flow
     surfing the net , fitting perfectly into the
                                                             banking mean

 The inception of the universe by a single nucleus
   an assembly , operating system for any situation
     exploding matter and energy superfluous
         transforming from 1.0  to 2.0 version  ….

Well  folks , if you are “hooked” on mobile internet, help is just a “scroll” away !!!        

          

An unborn rider

 This essay is for the contest "what motorcycling means to the Indian motorcyclist" powered by Castrol power 1 . Please follow them @ www.facebook.com/CastrolBiking

        My 60 km ride suddenly turned bumpy, windy, dusty and yes, adventurous. The comforts of travelling in the 4 wheeler had gone for a toss after a ceased engine and it ended up cooling its heels in the garage. Like the baby bump on my mom’s tummy , the everyday rides too turned bumpy as the ‘three’ of us headed for work on the glistening red Kinetic Honda – the first motored vehicle without gear and clutch to enter the Indian market – the 1990s saw the advent of many new inventions and discoveries and this was one of them !
         Cocooned in the deep interiors of my mother’s womb, swelling with pride at her maternal instincts , securely fastened to the umbilical cord, snuggled cozily in the comforts of my ten month home, I could feel the romance of the rally ride from Bangalore to Hosur . We would start early at the crack of dawn , more often than not ,I making my presence felt by giving anxious nauseating moments to the bearer of this bundle of joy. But the journey had to start on time and it was a sight to behold for the passers by as well as fellow motorists, some of whom gaped, glared, gritted and guffawed at the erudite scholar with his over burdened pedagogical belongings in the luggage carrier and at his feet the hot  aromatic lunch packs , nutritious , healthy and packed with affection  for the voracious glutton in my mom’s belly!
          Two handbags strapped on the shoulder of the “backseat” driver carried all  and sundry- from medicines to tissues to balms to what not…The 100 cc never complained , groaned , creaked or guzzled but just kept going like a faithful canine , keeping its tryst with time ,never letting us down with any major breakdowns ,but we did have the occasional flat tyres , invariably happening in front of those ‘puncher’ shops on the highway which got fixed in a jiffy!
            Within city limits ,Bangalore lived upto its pseudonym ‘garden city’ and traffic snarls were few and far in between – no maddening , mayhem, maneuvering but once on the highway , with the 4 lane construction underway , my begetter had to show his manipulative skills to the fullest. The 18 wheel monsters on the road took pity on us more so for the rotund luggage at the back seat and gently gave way!
            The steady throttled jaunt rocked me to  naps and this little  driver would apply brakes in tandem with the motorist and the navigator going on a real high with this ‘kick’!!Destination reached on time every time for nearly  a month , this interstate safari  for “an unborn” 7 month old baby was the first riding lessons on  a bike ……rollicking, audacious, daring and quixotic!!!

( This piece is written from my son’s perspective, hibernating in my abdomen , while the steadfast scooter took me and my husband to work , commuting a distance of 60 kms.) 

                           The journey called life

Prologue….

  Every trip or travel for business, pleasure or otherwise has its share of unforgettable moments, some that bring a smile on our faces and some that send shivers down our spine.
                   The year 1975, my father suffering from a rare congenital heart disease had to necessarily undergo surgery at a foreign location, as successive surgeries in India had failed. My brother was born that year and me blissfully unaware of the trauma that was engulfing our house. Soon the decision to get the surgery done at London under Dr. Magdi yacoub was taken and my maternal uncle braving all odds, accompanied him on this emergency medical trip. The innumerable stumbling blocks in the guise of finances, papers, visa, PP and  a prolonged train journey from Cochin to Bombay lasting for more than three days due to the derailment of a goods train en route,  were all overcome with help pouring in from dad’s employers, relatives, friends, medical fraternity in London. On the day of the journey, my mom’s household was a sight to behold, in one corner, grandma invoking all the gods and goddesses,  grandpa doing all the packing and all other family members doing their bit with both hand and tongue. The luggage was loaded onto a taxi and to make it comfortable for my dad ,my uncle brought his ‘Standard Gazel ‘and all of us were huddled into the vintage beauty. As we neared the airport, my dad realized that the most important briefcase containing all papers and travel documents was left behind at home and time was indeed running out. My uncle informed the airport authorities of the emergency and the need to get back home to bring the “black box”, to which the authorities willingly delayed the departure of the airline. My uncle in his magnificient 70s classic  maneuvered the Mumbai mayhem and returned with the most precious piece of luggage much to the relief of all. For the elders in the family, this was a ‘vighnam’ moment and Lord Ganesha had paved the way and removed all future obstacles, needless to say a dozen coconuts were broken at Siddhi Vinayak temple- surprisingly his stay, surgery and post recovery was smooth as silk, went without a hitch and he did return with a fresh lease of life, infused with Pakistani blood, (transfused from a Pak Donor).Surgery was performed by the eminent Egyptian Doctor and his distinguished team. This trip gave life to my dad and all of us a new beginning!
           My dad (on the right) with           his saviour after 34 years  

 Harefield hospital in London where Dr. Magdi Yacoub is currently working.

 

                       After a decade or so, in the mid eighties as  Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir were in turmoil and on the troubled map of India ,reeling under “operation bluestar” and terrorists, taking the lives of innocent Indians by the day in these states respectively ,we boldly decided to vacation at Kashmir as my Army Doctor uncle was posted at the LOC. The train travel (the longest I believe) from Kanyakumari to Kashmir cutting across different states and cultures was indeed a fairy tale journey. As we neared Amritsar, we were told to securely lock all doors and windows of the coupe for the Pro Khalistanis showed no mercy ! The train chugged along and eventually pulled into the Jammu Tawi station with no untoward incident and as we disembarked ,I breathed in the salubrious air of the paradise on Earth for the very first time. The army camp was located close to the Pakistan border and for one fleeting moment , I could not distinguish between Indian bhoomi and Pakistani soil , only the wired ,barbed fence some distance away was the grim reminder of this Geographical insanity…The lovely aroma of the luscious green apples precariously hanging from the apple orchards was indeed a sight to behold.   


 For nearly a week ,my uncle played the perfect host despite his undying commitment to the country because of the troubles from across the border. His Man Friday dutifully packed hot parathas with aloo sabji which made our sight seeing more pleasurable. We were enchanted by the Nishat e bagh , the lovely Mughal gardens , snow capped peaks at Gulmohar the breath taking view from atop the ropeway , the pony ride on the snowy slopes putting the poor animals to burden and to top it all the serene icy waters of the Dal lake with beautiful shikaras full of multihued flowers and fresh vegetables. Water skiing was still at a primitive stage but the love for real adventure , at the peril of risk, daring my instincts to have a go at it on the lake . The take off was crude but all the same I was surfing holding on to a rope tied from a steam boat, I enjoyed the foamy icy water of the Dal with the wind blowing on my face not giving a thought about the landing. Well, the idea was that the boat would slow down and from the jetty ,the boatmen would simply haul me up – it sounded pretty simple but went awfully wrong as I missed the catch and soon ended in the deep, weedy waters of the Dal. My family shell shocked , stood in mute silence for those agonizing moments while other fellow wannabe surfers just slipped back into their clothes  . My swimming lessons did not prove futile, came to the fore and fortunately did not fail me at the most wanted time and soon enough I was back on the surface, emerging from the dark fathoms, albeit with weeds all over my face like a protective gear .I saw for the very first time , the looks of despair and helplessness writ large on my mother’s face, turning into sheer joy and ecstasy. Undoubtedly, this “surfing” experience has gone down in memory and proved that life is like the frothy bubbles of the Dal lake.
                     Our Scorpio VLX AT was cruising at over 100 KMPH  , in the cool November month of 2010 on the newly laid stunning expressway between Bangalore and Coimbatore . As we neared the city of cottons, our ride was reduced to a crawl because of traffic snarls and the never ending construction activity . Just before a traffic signal, a car in front of us took a right turn and my hubby who was at the wheel had to de accelerate to almost zero , within seconds there was a thud sound from behind and glass and splinter flew all over the place onto the road. To our shocking disbelief, an old fashioned truck had rammed us from behind and even as we were recovering from the rude shock and checking on the wellbeing of mother and kids who were occupying the rear seats, a gentleman appearing out of nowhere ,managed not to allow the lorry and its crew from  making an escape. He also thrust me a paper containing the telephone numbers of the local traffic police and  as we were inspecting the “tail” of horror, that angel in disguise simply vanished from the scene and I was hopelessly cursing myself for not even offering a word of thanks! Fortunately as our vehicle was not in motion, the impact of the hit was restricted to the rear of the SUV , the tail lights and the diesel tank bearing the brunt, also the left rear door was jammed , the rear wind shield was shattered but the design of the frame had been such that the entire glass was catapulted outward and not a piece fell inside saving our mother and kids who escaped unscathed. Meanwhile ,gathering our wits , I called Mahindra’s toll free on road service number , who immediately directed me to the local Mahindra service centre via tele conferencing and even though it was a Sunday, the breakdown and pick up facility arrived in a jiffy . The front portion of the truck, made of cast iron , was badly damaged and subsequently, we understood that it was the ‘cleaner’ who was driving and not the licensed driver! The Mahindra people helped us to lodge an official complaint  with the police station and the issue was sorted out  within couple of hours and the lorry crew was charged with a hefty fine for gross negligence. An alternate vehicle was arranged for us to resume our journey to our relative’s house and our sturdy M Hawk was taken to the body shop . the damages were assessed and all the necessary paper work for Insurance claims was taken care of by the M&M officials. A few days later it was delivered to us in prim and proper shape and our dream vehicle was gleaming like never before!
                           The takeaways of this unforeseen incident – 1) The old fashioned truck has been nicknamed as “ mookulla lorry” meaning nosy truck and my hubby ,whenever sees one of these colouful trucks , moves miles away J 2) the miracle man who did not allow the truck and its people to make a getaway and who gave the precious piece of paper – what do we call him? An incarnation of God , beyond doubt! 3) Thankfully our vehicle was not in rapid motion , otherwise the consequences would have been disastrous to say the least and 4) the timely reaction of the entire Mahindra team who swung into action and left no stone unturned  to make us comfortable and not feel the post mishap blues!!!                                          
                                                    
Epilogue….

These three incidents in three different years spanning over  three decades have moulded me and my immediate family as newer and better human beings , enjoying life with all its pleasantries relishing the great moments  and surmounting hardships by overcoming hurdles and obstacles, for life itself is an incredible journey with lot of twists and turns.


Tags and labels:
Dr. Magdi yacoub – Egyptian surgeon practicing in the United Kingdom
PP- passport
Standard Gazel- The vintage car of the 70’s manufactured by Standard motor co.
Vighnam- means obstacle in Sanskrit language
Siddhi Vinayak temple- the famous temple dedicated to Lord Ganesha  located at Mumbai
Operation bluestar- code name for flushing out armed militants holed up in the Golden temple at Amritsar by our army.
Khalistan- the militant outfit who demanded a separate state for themselves
Parathas- rotis made of wheat flour
Aloo Sabji- curry made of potatoes
Jetty- wharf or quay
Scorpio VLX AT- the sports utility vehicle manufactured by Mahindra and Mahindra
M hawk – the name of the engine in the scorpio.