The Nilgiris Mountain Railway

It's been long since I have written a blog, infact written anything at all. To get rid of the feeling of being annoyed with myself about not updating, here's my attempt to get back to something I loved doing- Blogging!!!!

Last November, I had been to Ooty. It was a desperate effort to make a journey to some place near/far and get away from the basic routine. Ooty is a hot favourite for most Bangaloreans as it is the nearest hill station to the city. So, without thinking twice, I proceeded with my plan. The only thing, I looked forward was to do something different this time around, at Ooty.

Keeping this in mind, I headed to take one of the most coveted journeys in the Indian terrain.....to take a train journey from Ooty to Coonoor...to travel by the "Nilgiris Mountain Railway". The ‘Nilgiris toy train’ connects Ooty to mettupalayam, a town at the foot of the Nilgiris.

It's an awesome experience. I got to enjoy some breathtaking sceneries, it's a ride in the clouds with fresh air surrounding you.

















































The train paces only at about 10kms an hour, passing through tunnels, bridges, tea plantations, the nilgiris trees, small towns....it's a scene which you wouldn't forget for years to come.




























I would say, it's worth going on this tour-a very different experience, very refreshing feeling. Next time, I would like to take the complete tour. Check out more -

Lingual botherations...

Strange are the ways these days.....I am talking specifically about people around me, people whom I have come across and interact and may be myself!!!

We have been noticing the boom in IT industry all over India; mainly focusing on the very obvious scene in Bangalore.

Firstly, with the growing IT industries, huge opportunities, people from all places around move into the Software Capital. It is very nice to see all forms of societies, cultures meeting up at one place and living harmoniously. The facilities for living have improved, there are talks about infrastructure taking better curves, there is a whole new outlook to life in such a vast environment.

But, on the other hand the loser here is the Language. It's losing it's significance in the name of cosmopolitan and sophistication. It's lost its usage in the hands of it's own people.

How often we see two Kannadiga's talking in the most popular foreign language here. It would be quite sometime before they realize that they have a common language between them. A more sorry state is that even upon knowing that the person is a kannadiga people converse in another language....is it styles, a status quo?

I can relate to this with myself. A good friend of mine and me at work never spoke to each other in Kannada, though we knew that each other know the language well. It's such a sad situation.

We made it a point to work on it.... and now, we converse in Kannada....it feels much better..... we have become more friendlier than before.

Nevertheless, it's better to be cognizant of the fact and work upon it by nature.

Dire Straits

Who stays by you through the Dire Straits of your life? ..........Family, Friends, Acquaintances....no one at all or just yourself?

A phase in the walks of life where in everything seems void, an emptiness prevails around oneself, A time when nothing seems to be going right, a channel when darkness remains your only companion.

This period or phase of life is probably the toughest for any individual. The feeling is misery, terrible thoughts rule you, loneliness envelopes you, you call out for someone and no one hears you. One would not want to stay in "here" for long, this would be one place you would not want to visit again.....also, would not want anybody else to visit. It feels like you are a target for unpleasant things and it keeps hitting you one by one.

It needs to be learnt that these 'Dire Straits' in one's life is just a passing grey cloud....would not stay with you forever. Each strait would just be crossed by you the same way it as it came across to you making you stronger, teaching you something new and unknowingly preparing you for another.....Dire Strait.

….it reminds me of the song "When the going gets tough.....the tough gets going"....

Sorry for the disappointment: This is no post on the Music group Dire Straits who are... as a matter of fact favorites of millions :)

Palatial Experience

Mysore has been a place that I have visited many times, but would still love to get there. Several things about the place annoy me so much, but still there's something special about the place .....it's grandeur, it's simple outlook, it's broad roads, the Palace, the Brindavan gardens, St.Philomena's church, Chamundi Hills, the Temple.....also those places surrounding Mysore are a tourist's delight!

This November, mom and I went to Mysore and Ooty. It was basically not the season or as they term it.. it was off-season for a travel. Very few tourists, cold weather, rains every now and then all became a part of the small tour we took. Though we had seen most of the places, we saw it all over again with a new perspective.

I was in awe with the Mysore Palace... the interiors,the painted corridors, the main halls, the gardens, every detail of it is so wonderful.........take a look......

Solitude

What is all this about being alone???? Or is it about being Lonely??? Aren’t they two similar things, but with a sea of difference between them.

Of late, it's been a nice feeling getting to spend time…. alone........so many things to think of, so many things to do...that at the end of it all there is a shortage of time and I'd want more of it. There is some kind of a satisfaction when one spends time thinking of the little things, those times spent doing the things you would love to do, just enjoying the way you are.

There is happiness being alone....but is it there being lonely???? The synonyms of all these words would be the same.....but isn't being alone a choice that you make and a time you enjoy being that way.... on the other hand isn't being lonely a phase of life which you did not choose but are just going through whether you like it or not.

Well….. Where I am heading to writing all this!!!....an abrupt ending this time.... but will promise to be back soon.

The Joy of Finding Things!!!!!!!

A few days back I was on leave for a couple of days. I thought it's high time I do some good to my cupboard drawer...poor thing wasn't cleaned in years.... this section of my cupboard was like a treasure (as I call it!!!)...had many things..... but didn't know what it actually contained.

As I started doing the cleaning, the only thing I had in mind was to dispose off all the unnecessary things, all the junk I have been collecting for ages!!! But what actually happened was quite different....I found so many things which are such a sweet remembrance of school days, college days, times spent with friends, cousins. It took me down the memory lane and I saw myself going back and re-living each incident.... every small detail of it!!!!

Isn't it lovely to find things like this??? Small things.... it brings back the smile on your face. As I went digging through my little treasure......I found a whole bundle of surprises...be it the autograph book where all our school teachers have left a note for us as we leave school and step into a new world, be it that autograph book which contains the signatures of our favourite Cricket fans/movie stars, the movie tickets-which happened to be the first movie I watched with friends way back when at school, or the pencil sketch which I had got done at some exhibition, a caricature of myself!, the old chocolate wrappers, some money in the old wallet that was used long back, all the ink pens, the phone book, the birthday greeting cards, well…........the list would go on.... each one of this brought with it a pleasant memory and recalling them brings so much joy!!!!

..... One who would have come so far reading this might wonder why have I put it all up here?!!??

.............It's just the excitement in me that just couldn't stop me from penning it down......all the fun I had as I discovered each piece from my den...

Time - a Healer

This is something I have been hearing for a long time now. "Time
would heal", "Time is the healer", "Leave it to time".

Does Time heal? ....... I believe it does. Time plays its role in
so many aspects. Be it some injury, time definitely heals it. Some
incident that a person wants to forget ... time makes one forget it.
Things not going your way..... Leave it to time, this is just a
passing phase, a bad patch...... everything will be alright.

At 'times' it makes me wonder, is this phrase used because it
actually works?! Or is it the most appropriate thing to say at those
instances when nothing else can be said and silence is killing.

As this thought came by... I remembered a friend of mine
saying something so contradictory about Time being a healer. "Yes,
Time does heal.... but then it's too late, it's a Operation Success,
Patient Dead situation"........does this hold good? This might be
true at times as it is frustration when someone waits for time to
take over and act upon and one has to just wait.

There are something’s that are not in one's hands....and we
have to just leave it to time..... After all, it does change things!

I remember this song ..... Time Changer of seasons.....by Boney M

Kick Start to a New Year!!!!!!

Yes... this title was inspired by my previous post... lemme explain this ->
"What a kick start to my New Year!!!"

It's a very common question asked to someone who's broken their leg! -> Who did your try to kick??? Isn't it? I was one who always used to wonder how something as strong and hard as a bone can break.....now I know!

It just takes 2-3 seconds and lots of bad luck. The other "not-so-important" facts include flat slippers, pot holes/uneven ground and assumption that nothing can go wrong when you are just walking along!!!!

Just 4 days into the New Year and this invitation came in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Fracture in my leg.....now, it's just a month long wait to get rid of the awful thing

Coming back soon.....

Caffeine Kick!!!!!

Coffee has been something which I have loved as a drink. My
day doesn't start without a cup of coffee. Whether it is morning or
noon, or evening as you sit together with a friend at a coffee
joint, the caffeine kick works at all times.

I cannot spend a day without having coffee:)....well, I do
admire the people who can go on without having coffee at all....
something about it is not good.... too bitter, too strong, the
smell, something about it is not liked by them.....
.....but, I am sure.... everything about it is liked by me!

These snaps were taken by me when I had been to Chickmagalur (
the Land of Coffee) with my friends -> its Coffee all the way.