LIFE IN A MACHINE (XXXII)

Today I went to hospital for my routine tests and follow up. Every time I enter that MRI machine a different set of thoughts run through my mind. It is a big giant machine, like a huge cave where they tie me up with a log-like bed and I am not allowed to move at all. They slowly put me into that cave and I could hear all sort of different sounds as if wild animals are howling at me. For those 40 minutes I lose my freedom of movement but my freedom of thoughts take all together a different turn. I don't think about anything else except me. All kinds of thoughts capture my mind- What would be the result of this test, will it be negative or positive, remembering rather revising my whole past life, remembering all the good times and the bad times, thinking about all the people I have encountered in my life, recalling all the books I have read and recollecting all the memories of the trips I had, imagining my life if the result is positive and knowing my life if it is negative. Well! Medical tests are the only tests where 'positive' result is actually 'negative' and 'negative' results are 'positive'.

The most interesting part is that there is always a drum music playing on in the background. When I asked the doctor about it he said "This is for the patients to enjoy.' I laughed at this irony and the doctor laughed with me. When I am into the machine that is the only time when I would feel all kind of tickling and itching. Life tests your patience when you least have it.

By the time they pull me out of that machine I am half asleep and it seems that someone is waking me up from my dreams. I say thank you to the doctor and the doctor passes a smile at me. Every time I ask him whether the reports are fine and he would say "You will come to know about it tomorrow at nine." With that suspense in my mind I reach home waiting for that tomorrow to come early this time. 

            

VIBRANT AND COLOURFUL- RAAHGIRI, CONNAUGHT PLACE (XXXI)

14th June, 2015

Raahgiri Day, meaning a day for passengers. I was hearing about this since long and today finally I got the chance to be there. It was 7 O' clock in morning when I entered Connaught Place, Delhi. Raahgiri is organised in inner circle of Connaught Place and outer circle is for parking. It was raining cats and dogs and to my amazement there was no parking space in outer circle. Seeing the parking I got to know that this place has something in it- something which attracted people even in that weather.

I finally parked my car, carried my umbrella and entered Inner Circle. I saw people all drenched in water, only few of them carrying umbrellas - dancing and walking, laughing, singing, cycling, playing, music coming from all directions. It was so vibrant and so colourful. I folded my umbrella and opened myself to the rains.

People playing football

Some spiritual music and dance

Colours

I haven't imagined Connaught Place, or I would say Delhi like this before. This is the place where different music forms and different dance forms exist, a place where all kind of people are present,  a place where existing love could flourish and new love could be found, a place where everyone is high- high on LIFE.

Chai Wala 

Jam session by Djembefola United and my friend Tushar playing Congo Bongo on extreme left 

Tushar 

Tag line of Raahgiri is "Apni Raahein. Apni Azaadi"- a line which truly suits this place where everyone is FREE. 

A WALK IN THE FOREST- SANJAY VAN

7th June, 2015

It was one fine day that one of my friends Vishal sent me a link on Facebook which states " A Walk in the Forest with I Say Organic and Swechha India". Facebook these days has become a great source for information. Though the event seemed to be very interesting but I was sceptical at getting up at 5.00 o'clock on Sunday morning and reaching the destination (Sanjay Van, Lado Sarai near Qutub Minar) by 6.15 am. I finally made up my mind and registered for the event. I put 4 alarms and kept my mobile in a glass so that there is no way out except getting up and finally I reached my destination on time. 

There was a group of around 40 people, all fresh, excited and some still sleepy. We were introduced to Dr Ahmad, an environmentalist, who was our guide for the tour. Some facts which he told us were quite amazing and astonishing. I was bewildered to listen to all that. Some were actually eye-openers.Here I am sharing some of those wonderful facts:

A squirrel's nest

- I have always wondered that why peacock is so beautiful and peahen is not. Then somebody told me that peacocks are beautiful so that they could attract peahens. To this Mr Ahmad laughed and told us that peacocks, rather all male birds are beautiful for protection and not for attraction. They are beautiful so that they could divert the attention of the predators from their eggs and female counterparts . Female birds are usually dark in colour so that they could easily camouflaged with the surroundings and breed and protect the eggs.

- Peepal is an only tree which gives oxygen at night also. Why Gautam Buddha chose peepal and not neem? Because peepal is a tree which emits positive vibes.

- In  India earlier the population of vultures was 8.5 crores and now it is just 3300 approx. This is because of diclofenac, a veterinary drug which is used in cows, dogs etc. And when vultures eat their carcasses they die. This took 10 years of research to know as to why are vultures are getting endangered..

-   Keekar trees which makes approx 80% of Delhi's green belt are actually very harmful and do not allow others tress and shrubs to grow in their vicinity. They release harmful toxins. So why does the government grow them and is not banning them? Keekar grows very  quickly and is a faster way to provide green cover, though Delhi government is now taking steps to prevent its growth.

- All leaves on trees are initially of red colour which are harmful to eat. It's a red signal to herbivores not to eat those leaves.They gradually turn into yellow and then finally into green colour.

-We got to know minute details of birds, their voices, their colours and their breeding methods- 7 sister birds who are always found in group of 7 with 2 males and 5 females,  Cicabird whose larval stage is 17 years and they make loud noises- There is silent valley in Kerala which got its name because there is no clamour of Cicada birds there, Woodshrike birds which put their food (insects) on each thorn of Desi Babool tree and prepare their barbecue.

Berries

Anjeer- this contains both flower and the fruit inside it and is used in many Indian dishes

We visited lake in Sanjay Van and found spot-bill ducks, cattle egrets birds and water hyacinth, a water plant popularly known as Terrorist of Bangladesh in India as it initially came from Bangladesh as ornamental plant and now is widespread in all water bodies and is of no use.

Water hyacinth

Sanjay Van lake

There were so many stories and so many more interesting facts that this two hour walk was not enough. There were so many scientific names which were difficult for me to decipher and so many technical and minute details about which I had no idea before. The walk was followed by organic breakfast- healthy and delicious. It was the Sunday well spent.

I remembered a poem which I wrote in my childhood:

Life on earth is in danger of extinction
Ozone depletion, population and pollution
Strangling her and no solution

Man O man! O selfish man!
Why are you cutting trees and shortening the earth's life span
Awake! Awake! Awake!Awake!
and do endeavours for God's sake

This is the time for you to act
Otherwise it's a sheer fact

That nothing will remain
And nothing to say
And there will come a doomsday!

      


A Walk In The Forest With I Say Organic & Swechha India

A Walk In The Forest With I Say Organic & Swechha India