some times ... life just shits on so bad and you still have no choice to take it and laugh. or have to, but still if there werent these love it or hate it times life wont be worth living would it.
hey so here's another story, as promised,
It was five in the evening but it was still hot, but he liked cycling in the summer heat in the fickle shadow of the Neem and the Peeple trees down the busy market streets, well school had just got over and the school had arranged special classes for the childern of St. Paul's School and St. Patrick's School to get special discounted lessons in BASICS, LOTUS, WordStar and other latest computer tech. he cycled to JCS and went to register him self. he met his tutor and sat in class the same batch contained other from his class and a few from Pats(Patrick's)then Melody entered the class she was the prettiest girl he had ever seen she was slim, almost frail extremely so and wore this light blue sun dress that fell to just above her knees. she was pale and she had this shy smile for every one, she sat next to Rashi, a friend of His cousin Julie. Sunny, Rashi, and Melody were assigned to the same batch and assigned one system. they worked on there system during LAB hours and then went their separate ways. The next day they sat together as it was the logical thing to do, well he told them it was the logical thing to do.
On the fifth day Sunny came out of class earlier and let air out of his Street Cat's front wheel, when Rashi and Julie came out he told them to go ahead as he had a puncture and will ahve to get it repaired. he walked in the other direction with Melody and he said "Hi" and she replied with one of her "drives-me-crazy-and up-the-wall" shy smiles and then they walked on in silence out side her home 1 Km away they said good bye and went their own way with him looking for a cycle pump for air.
They learned as a group, played computer games, and made numeric pyramids in BASIC and then the summer ended. it was time to go back to school, the boys and girls headed their separate ways. Sunny took back memories of his first crush in his first teen year and thats how life went on for the next four years, every summer they would meet with different batch mates but they would end up in the same batch some how year after year. since they knew each other they made the same team every summer, while the third partner kept changing, learn different and newer computer programs and then they would go their separate ways many would become inseparable friends but some how Sunny never got the courage to ask for her Phone No.
The first day of high school Sunny was running full tilt so that he didn't miss class. he reached the class door just as Mrs. Davids was closing the doors and he bustled in to see melody sitting in the front row, later when the class was arranged according to their height, sunny ended up in the seat next to melody. they picked up where they had left more than two years ago. the same banter and friendly tricks and ease. but this time they flirted too she would flush bright red when Sunny teased her or flirted with her. they had the same tuitions, and since St. Patrick's and St. Paul's had combined classes for 11th and 12th standard they were in the same classes they made many more friends on the way and then Ashish told Sunny that he liked Melody and then the three of them became good friend, this went on for two years until it was time to pick schools, Melody opted for engineering, Sunny for Media Studies, and Ashish for Medicine in an out of state collage. they went their separate ways again. this time there was a difference Sunny had her no. but never called her cause her conservative parents wouldnt have like him calling her.
Over the next four years they met at random, inter-collage meets and fests, petrol pumps at mutual friends homes, they were always together for such short time that conversation never went beyond how are you these days? then they were always with someone and the time never seemed right then in their fourth year they lost touch with each other completely.
Sunny went on to do his MBA and Corporate law honors from a prestigious University and in his second year he went to intern at RKS-BBDO the prestigious Advertising firm in Bombay. One of his close friend from school was doing his MBA from NITIE Powai and they wen to a party at IIT Bombay next door from NITIE. It was summers so those that were staying in the hostels were those who were interning in Mumbai or had come from other places and were using the rooms for the two months, every one was relaxing and dancing and letting their hair down, Sunny stood in a corner and looked on as his friend danced with an attractive girl then he drifted towards the balcony and their he found Melody standing and looking out over the city lights. they swapped stories and filled holes in their career paths, she was doing her Mtech. from IIT and was interning their in Mumbai had another year to go. they met every weekend and when the internships ended they stayed in touch over orkut, phone and emails for the next one year. when she came back to her home town, he told her the way he felt about her then one day over coffee at Cafe Coffee Day. how he had felt for her from the first day he had seen her, told her that she was his first crush, that summer they were back, it was like all the intervening years had never happened, then she went to Cornell to get her PhD. they faithfully called each other at least once a month and stayed together over 13000 miles from each other.
But as things happen they broke up during the Christmas of that year because the relationship was straining their studies, life went back to normal or sort off with them emailing each other from time to time, both Sunny and Melody didn't want to give up tier friendship and worked it some how.
two years passed then Sunny heard his phone ring one day early morning, it was a weekend and he didn't want to get up, but when it wouldn't stop ringing he picked it up, it was Melody and she had called him to tell him that she was getting married, two months later as he sat in the church aisle ad saw her walking down, all he could see was the frail geeky girl, in the blue summer dress. and he was happy and in love
Contd ...
It was night, the doctors looked grim the north Indian summer was just peaking. The hospital fan creaked slowly around trying vainly to deliver some relief. Shaun could feel the sweat pool under him, the bed sheet was already soaking wet, oh and it hurt well basically it had been hurting for the last two days now, every time some one brushed against the huge four poster bed it hurt like a bed of nails. Shaun lay awake and stared at the fan in its vain attempt, he knew it was not good the doctors his doctor mom looked at him like it was over , they told him that they only way to attempt to save his life was a surgery technique that was very rarely tried. Basically they would ct him open down his front and go thru all the layers and viscera between his front and his vertebrae and then try and relieve the pressure on his spinal chord.
they had told him earlier that day that even if they were successful it was likely that he was going to be most likely bed ridden for the rest of his life, he was never going to walk again for sure. He turned his head to see who was there and realised, that his sister had fallen asleep in the chair next to the bed. he felt like killing him self, but that wasn't going to happen was it, he thought ironically. The NDA the army was never going to happen, heck school senior year looked distant let alone every thing else. he had talked to his sister earlier that night and she had cried for two hours until is mother returned from home. this was going to get real sorry.
He kept drifting in and out of drowsy sleep, suddenly his whole body went into a mass of pain waking him up he looked around and saw the cleaning lady was bumping against the bed. he asked her to move away and not do that again. his mother came in with his aunt both looked tired and had dark circles under their eyes. he had CT scans scheduled for today and so they piled him into another ambulance and took him to the new city hospital the ride being a miasma of pain which bordered on unbearable, the day passed by with his friends visiting him and every one discussing what subjects they would take when schools started in 4 weeks, they told him the next day was counseling and they will know then what the cutoff was going to be then.
life was moving for them and it was unsure for him. then aunty came in a told every one that she had got the medical board to recommend that he be shifted to Bombay for better treatment. things decided it was decided that Shaun's Aunt and his dad would travel with him. then they packed him into a ambulance and drove to Jaipur as all flights, 2 each day, out of Jodhpur were booked for the next one week. so any way the three hundred kms journey was done in 12 hours as every time the van hit a bump Shaun would go into a spasm of pain. well they got their for the evening flight and the airlines removed 9 seats to strap the stretcher down. it was 12 when he reached Sion hospital in Bombay to which he was referred to.
it was six when he woke up thirsty and really really hurting, but for some reason he was alone in his room his dad who was supposed to be in the room by him, had been by his side for the entire night while aunt slept in the hotel, was no where to be seen. he waited two hours till his father came in with his aunt who was fuming, the hospital staff had thrown his dad out on the pretext of cleaning the room and left him alone for three hours.
Aunt left again to get dates for an MRI and after she left my dad couldn't find their luggage. when the doctor came for rounds they couldn't find his records and hence a fresh round of CT's and X-Rays were ordered. they wheeled him thru hospital galleries and lifts for the tests. When they came back they had a message waiting for them and it said that the operation was scheduled for the next day, they had scheduled the operation without taking a look at one document. when Shaun's aunt heard this she exploded and wanted to get him discharged out.
fortunately after a lot of arguing they agreed and he was discharged and transfered to Bombay hospital where the Administrator was her friend from Med School. it was Firday night. the fall occurred on Monday. it had been five days with Shaun on his back five different cities and a world of pain. saturday dawned and he looked out of his window to see a tower and blue skies framed in it the tower belonged to Liberty Cinema in Bombay. they wheeled a Portable Xray Machine took fresh X rays and then then wheeled the entire bed to the MRI center and then took an MRI. and this bustling man with three young doctors in tow comes in and asked Shaun, if there was any thing he could do for him? Shanu told him get me to walk and climb again and he would be happy. that Doctor told him that would be a cinch, things would get better. Sunday dawned with his aunt waking him up for a little soup and she had taken to sleeping next to him to prevent any other mishaps.
It was night, the doctors looked grim the north Indian summer was just peaking. The hospital fan creaked slowly around trying vainly to deliver some relief. Shaun could feel the sweat pool under him, the bed sheet was already soaking wet, oh and it hurt well basically it had been hurting for the last two days now, every time some one brushed against the huge four poster bed it hurt like a bed of nails. Shaun lay awake and stared at the fan in its vain attempt, he knew it was not good the doctors his doctor mom looked at him like it was over , they told him that they only way to attempt to save his life was a surgery technique that was very rarely tried. Basically they would ct him open down his front and go thru all the layers and viscera between his front and his vertebrae and then try and relieve the pressure on his spinal chord.
they had told him earlier that day that even if they were successful it was likely that he was going to be most likely bed ridden for the rest of his life, he was never going to walk again for sure. He turned his head to see who was there and realised, that his sister had fallen asleep in the chair next to the bed. he felt like killing him self, but that wasn't going to happen was it, he thought ironically. The NDA the army was never going to happen, heck school senior year looked distant let alone every thing else. he had talked to his sister earlier that night and she had cried for two hours until is mother returned from home. this was going to get real sorry.
He kept drifting in and out of drowsy sleep, suddenly his whole body went into a mass of pain waking him up he looked around and saw the cleaning lady was bumping against the bed. he asked her to move away and not do that again. his mother came in with his aunt both looked tired and had dark circles under their eyes. he had CT scans scheduled for today and so they piled him into another ambulance and took him to the new city hospital the ride being a miasma of pain which bordered on unbearable, the day passed by with his friends visiting him and every one discussing what subjects they would take when schools started in 4 weeks, they told him the next day was counseling and they will know then what the cutoff was going to be then.
life was moving for them and it was unsure for him. then aunty came in a told every one that she had got the medical board to recommend that he be shifted to Bombay for better treatment. things decided it was decided that Shaun's Aunt and his dad would travel with him. then they packed him into a ambulance and drove to Jaipur as all flights, 2 each day, out of Jodhpur were booked for the next one week. so any way the three hundred kms journey was done in 12 hours as every time the van hit a bump Shaun would go into a spasm of pain. well they got their for the evening flight and the airlines removed 9 seats to strap the stretcher down. it was 12 when he reached Sion hospital in Bombay to which he was referred to.
it was six when he woke up thirsty and really really hurting, but for some reason he was alone in his room his dad who was supposed to be in the room by him, had been by his side for the entire night while aunt slept in the hotel, was no where to be seen. he waited two hours till his father came in with his aunt who was fuming, the hospital staff had thrown his dad out on the pretext of cleaning the room and left him alone for three hours.
Aunt left again to get dates for an MRI and after she left my dad couldn't find their luggage. when the doctor came for rounds they couldn't find his records and hence a fresh round of CT's and X-Rays were ordered. they wheeled him thru hospital galleries and lifts for the tests. When they came back they had a message waiting for them and it said that the operation was scheduled for the next day, they had scheduled the operation without taking a look at one document. when Shaun's aunt heard this she exploded and wanted to get him discharged out.
fortunately after a lot of arguing they agreed and he was discharged and transfered to Bombay hospital where the Administrator was her friend from Med School. it was Firday night. the fall occurred on Monday. it had been five days with Shaun on his back five different cities and a world of pain. saturday dawned and he looked out of his window to see a tower and blue skies framed in it the tower belonged to Liberty Cinema in Bombay. they wheeled a Portable Xray Machine took fresh X rays and then then wheeled the entire bed to the MRI center and then took an MRI. and this bustling man with three young doctors in tow comes in and asked Shaun, if there was any thing he could do for him? Shanu told him get me to walk and climb again and he would be happy. that Doctor told him that would be a cinch, things would get better. Sunday dawned with his aunt waking him up for a little soup and she had taken to sleeping next to him to prevent any other mishaps.
Veens Tagged me so here goes
The rules of the game are:
---write 10 things u hate about the opposite sex
---at the end of the tag, tag 5 random bloggers to take up the Tag
well ok here goes, well for a guy who recently stated that he falls in love with a new girl every day this is going to sound down right two faced and the things im going to write are going to get me beat up. but here goes
1. Make up. yeah from where i stand god made women so beautiful at least almost all of them and for the small negligible percentage that don't look good any amount of goo on your face is not going to help you. it generally detracts from your true looks and makes you all feel like wanna=be's.
2. Fashion look dressing up is fine, and i don't have a problem with low waists, tank tops, short skirts and hot pants but for god's sakes look in the mirror before you step out of the house oh and if you are so uncomfortable in the clothes that u have to keep tugging them down or up then don't wear them, and tight clothes make you look desperate and insecure, especially of you wear them all the time and are not comfortable in them.
3. fake accents and mannerisms put me off i mean be who you are, don't pretend.
4. When you want some thing say it out loud. its been ages guys don't understand the sublime signals that you send them. for them they are tone deaf so tell them what you mean or need by saying it out loud. giving subtle signs is a waste of your time as well as ours.
5. i hate all the squeaky squeally tone that girls effect when they pretend to be excited about some thing.
6. gossip. what is it with girls and gossip?. why cant they keep their noses clean and mind their own business
7. Oh and PMSing is not a excuse to be rude. i mean we understand your in a bad place, may be we cant empathize but we do understand. but it still isn't and excuse to get rude.
8. i went shopping with a friend of mine, it was during my graduation i had time to kill in the evenings and she lived right next to college, so i crashed at her place most days. so i took her shopping too when she needed, i don't mind shopping and frankly don't understand the horror stories other guys have of taking women shopping. but this day she wanted to go makeup shopping and took me to a Lo' real store and promptly took the back of my hand and scratched me with like 10 different shades of brown. then she asked my opinion on which one was better.i don't mind shopping and i don't mind bungling time when i have it but brown's brown and red's red i don't get the difference between (courtesy amazon) south peach, west palm peach and manila peach. read the names tell me that u don't find them funny.
9. why do you ask questions that you want us to answer un truthfully and still ask us to tell you the truth always.
10 finally boys will be boys and they like sports, fast cars and bikes. if you like boys then make the effort to know about their interest and spend some time doing what they like because you like doing it too. so learn about cricket, football or formula 1 for a change and sit and watch the odd match or race with them. boys do a lot of things to please the girls they like is this asking too much.
ok now to make up for what i have said before.
1. Love the way you smile, when you see me.
2. love the way you blush at a compliment and the look in your eyes when you get a compliment.
3. love it when the girl becomes a woman when things get rough, love it when you take charge and then tell every one what to do.
4. love it when you are scared when you watch horror movies and cling on to our arms even when the movie is over.
5. love it when you are in dresses and saris they just look so elegant.
6. Love the way you smell. even if its just shampoo, its like nothing else
any one who is interested can pick up the tag
Perfect lives are made of imperfect starts. it is up to us to take those peices and put them together and make the masterpiece our lives our. some succeed some fail. but then thats life.
Smriti Tagged me with this tag so here goes
1) Have you been on a date in the last month?
A. Nope. but i hope it happens in the near future
2) What was your dream growing up?
A. To be a jet pilot
3) What talent do you wish you had?
A. paint
4) If I bought you a drink what would it be?
A. Headbanger (vodka with pineapple juice and lime) or Screw driver (vodka with orange juice )
5) Favorite vegetable?
A. potato
6) What was the last book you read?
A. the Tipping point
7) What zodiac sign are you?
A. Aries
8) Any Tattoos and/or Piercings? Explain where.
A. Nope not unless u count the hundred or so stitches i carry from various injuries
9) Worst Habit?
A. Impulsiveness and stubbornness
10) If you saw me walking down the street would you offer me a ride?
A. Ofcourse
11) What is your favorite sport?
A. FORMULA ONE, Moto gp, soccer, Basketball
12) Do you have a Negative or Optimistic attitude?
A. Both... optimistic for the world Negative when it comes to me
13) What would you do if you were stuck in an elevator with me?
A. talk make pathetic pj's .
14) Worst thing to ever happen to you?
A. Losing Zodiac .
15) Tell me one weird fact about you.
A. I swing between a obsessive cleanliness and blatant disregard for mess .
16) Do you have any pets? Four dogs .
17) What if i showed up at your house unexpectedly?
A. welcome u warmly plop you on one of the bean bags and offer tea or coffee (both black)
18) What was your first impression of me? (hmmm...careful!)
A. Smart, spirited and awesome temprament
19) Do you think clowns are cute or scary?
A. Scary
20) If you could change one thing about how you look, what would it be?
A. Hmmm nothing i guess may be my broken nose or better yet make it out of titanium or steel so that it dosent break again
21) Would you be my crime partner or my conscience?
A. Partenrs in crime. i believe in the adage when it comes to friends if you are right i will fight for you if you are wrong i will fight with you
22) What color eyes do you have?
A.Dark Brown
23) Ever been arrested?
A. Not yet.
24) Bottle or can soda?
A. bottle
25) If you won $10,000 today, what would you do with it?
A. Give the Down Payment on a YAmaha R1
27) What's your favorite place to hang at?
A. on top of Merangarh fort, jodhpur. the city just looks awesome from there.
28) Do you believe in ghosts?
A. No.
29) Favorite thing to do in your spare time?
A. Read or ride .
30) Do you swear a lot?
A. Na. not much
31) Biggest pet peeve?
A. animal cruelty. and casteism
32) In one word, how would you describe yourself?
A. complicated
33) Do you believe/appreciate romance?
A. YES. but it never happens to me
35) Do you believe in God?
A. yeah.
36) Will you repost this so I can fill it out and do the same for you?
A. funny .. question
im too tierd to tag any one pick up if u want to do this
On Sunday, a friend of mine told me that, according to Hindu Mythology when pets die, they do so because they intercept the bad karma meant for some one in the family. i really don't know if thats true or not, or weather he was saying that to cheer me up, but i would like to think that its true because zodiac was that kind of soul, he was a peaceful, playful and really caring soul. for some reason i do believe that he was protecting some one in the family. where ever you are .....thanx baby. u will always have a corner in our hearts.
Zodiac (2001 - 2008)
When i first saw him he was about 4 weeks old, living in a cardboard box and had his own Urine and feces drying in his hair. His soft white hair was a dirty yellow color and when ever some one approached him he used to cower and whimper. He was from the last litter of two black Poms my friend had and he had been taken by two kids who were finding it difficult to care for him. So they put him in a box and forgot about him when my friend heard this she wanted to give him to some one else and asked if i could just take him in for a "Few Days". my friend drove my bike and i cradled him all the way to my house which was at the other end of town on the out skirts we took him to college and he was so small and furry and cuddly that in spite of his dirty state every one wanted to play with him . he whimpered through out the entire ride home and was really scared. the moment we got home he took two steps in his rolling gait and promptly squatted down to pee on my mom freshly cleaned and shinning marble floor.
the few days turned into months and few pee spots became chewed chair legs, destroyed Sandals, torn bed covers and pillows, but in spite of all that he squirmed his way into all our hearts. he took an instant liking to my mom, and promptly anointed her as his personal guardian and him as her only child. i remember once my mom was sitting on the steps and my brother was lying in her lap and Zodiac got into moms lap and tried to push him away. Mom was his and only his. he was so cowardly but if u threaten mom or say "Meri Mummy" he will go ballistic. and he was peace loving, no argument with raised voices could happen in our house because Zodiac would get in between and scold every one for fighting. or arguing. if all of us were leaving home he would be very sad and would go and sit in a corner and look at every one very sadly.
he would follow mom every where and once, while following her, got his leg caught up in some metal stairs and before any one could do any thing he tried to jump breaking his right hind leg. he loved my mom so much that he wouldn't eat if she hadn't served him food and he was always there if i was in a bad mood, he would sit there patiently or walk with me while i ranted about the world. he was always so patients with my sisters kids who adored him enuff to sit around and feed him by hand and play with him.
once when he was about 6 months old, he chewed on my brothers new Nike Sandals and when my brother got angry he crawled under the bed in fear into 3 inches of space. he used to do it earlier too when he was smaller but he hadnt been able to do that in quiet some time but this time in fear he crawled under and a little later started to cry when he couldnt get out. Ultimately me and my brother ahd to lift the bed to help him get out.
He had been sick for the past few days, and a couple of days ago stopped eating we tried every thing we and modern Vet medicine was capable of and fed him through tubes but he left us all today afternoon, I am not going to be able to go see him but he will always be with me.
I will Miss you A lot Zodiac. little fellow, love u lots.
the few days turned into months and few pee spots became chewed chair legs, destroyed Sandals, torn bed covers and pillows, but in spite of all that he squirmed his way into all our hearts. he took an instant liking to my mom, and promptly anointed her as his personal guardian and him as her only child. i remember once my mom was sitting on the steps and my brother was lying in her lap and Zodiac got into moms lap and tried to push him away. Mom was his and only his. he was so cowardly but if u threaten mom or say "Meri Mummy" he will go ballistic. and he was peace loving, no argument with raised voices could happen in our house because Zodiac would get in between and scold every one for fighting. or arguing. if all of us were leaving home he would be very sad and would go and sit in a corner and look at every one very sadly.
he would follow mom every where and once, while following her, got his leg caught up in some metal stairs and before any one could do any thing he tried to jump breaking his right hind leg. he loved my mom so much that he wouldn't eat if she hadn't served him food and he was always there if i was in a bad mood, he would sit there patiently or walk with me while i ranted about the world. he was always so patients with my sisters kids who adored him enuff to sit around and feed him by hand and play with him.
once when he was about 6 months old, he chewed on my brothers new Nike Sandals and when my brother got angry he crawled under the bed in fear into 3 inches of space. he used to do it earlier too when he was smaller but he hadnt been able to do that in quiet some time but this time in fear he crawled under and a little later started to cry when he couldnt get out. Ultimately me and my brother ahd to lift the bed to help him get out.
He had been sick for the past few days, and a couple of days ago stopped eating we tried every thing we and modern Vet medicine was capable of and fed him through tubes but he left us all today afternoon, I am not going to be able to go see him but he will always be with me.
I will Miss you A lot Zodiac. little fellow, love u lots.
It was June 5th 1996, the three month holiday was coming to an end. CBSE Tenth board results were coming today. It was a Fun Holiday and they had seen and done a lot of things that they had never dreamed of. Ankit woke up early and looked out of the tent, the sun had risen but wasnt high enough to light the valley they were in. It was going to be a bright cloudless day and it was going to be perfect for what they had planned. they hills were a myriad shade of brown just before the rains and they were out climbing in the Aravali's. the height provided some respite from the hot Rajasthan summers, but it was still tough going and although they had packed a lot of water the day before when they set off from Mount Abu it was still going to be close by the end of the day.
Hearing a noise behind him Ankit turned around and saw Shaun crawl out of the tent and getting ready for his morning run. They both laced up there shoes and went for their morning run. when they came back to see that every one was still curled up in their sleeping bags against the early morning chill. They set about making coffee and tea and people started to roll over in the strong caffeine smell by eight every one was out of the bed and ready for a hard days climb.
After Brakefast every one was ready and checking the gear for faults, once that was done they set their sights on the 120 foot cliff that was going to be their last climb for the holidays. shaun took the lead and started up the wall belaying the rope as he went, Amita was second and Ankit was third. Ankit looked up and realised that Shaun was going real fast up the wall and Amita was still stuck at the bottom, some how she was finding the going slower or she was pacing herself better. Amita reached 10 feet and Ankit Started up the rock face after her, at barely five feet of the ground he heard the rope tug and looked up to see Shaun come of the wall at 35 feet and saw gravit take over, he had a very bad taste in his mouth.
Ankit let go of the wall and he and Shaun hit the ground at the same time Shaun some how landed on his feet and then fell over back wards. When Ankit got to him he was trying to sit up but some how his lower body wasnt responding to what he was trying to do and he looked to be in pain. Shaun said he had broken his hip and it looked bad, amita came of the wall and every one corwded around, Ankit taking charge got them in line to get Shaun out of there, they used wood to imbobilize the hip and used a sleeping bag as a stretcher and took him to the van they were using.
The drive to Jodhpur was long and it was apparent that Shaun was in a great deal of pain. Every time they hit a bump his face grimaced and the fact that he was on the floor of the van between the seats wasnt helping either.
that night at the hospital even after three x rays the break in his hips was not visible, the doctors thought it was a muscle rupture or tear and hence it was not showing then Amita suggested why dont you X ray the whole body and then they found the fracture, the T 12 vertebrae had broken and was the break was pressing into his Spinal chord. the bad just got worse.
Hearing a noise behind him Ankit turned around and saw Shaun crawl out of the tent and getting ready for his morning run. They both laced up there shoes and went for their morning run. when they came back to see that every one was still curled up in their sleeping bags against the early morning chill. They set about making coffee and tea and people started to roll over in the strong caffeine smell by eight every one was out of the bed and ready for a hard days climb.
After Brakefast every one was ready and checking the gear for faults, once that was done they set their sights on the 120 foot cliff that was going to be their last climb for the holidays. shaun took the lead and started up the wall belaying the rope as he went, Amita was second and Ankit was third. Ankit looked up and realised that Shaun was going real fast up the wall and Amita was still stuck at the bottom, some how she was finding the going slower or she was pacing herself better. Amita reached 10 feet and Ankit Started up the rock face after her, at barely five feet of the ground he heard the rope tug and looked up to see Shaun come of the wall at 35 feet and saw gravit take over, he had a very bad taste in his mouth.
Ankit let go of the wall and he and Shaun hit the ground at the same time Shaun some how landed on his feet and then fell over back wards. When Ankit got to him he was trying to sit up but some how his lower body wasnt responding to what he was trying to do and he looked to be in pain. Shaun said he had broken his hip and it looked bad, amita came of the wall and every one corwded around, Ankit taking charge got them in line to get Shaun out of there, they used wood to imbobilize the hip and used a sleeping bag as a stretcher and took him to the van they were using.
The drive to Jodhpur was long and it was apparent that Shaun was in a great deal of pain. Every time they hit a bump his face grimaced and the fact that he was on the floor of the van between the seats wasnt helping either.
that night at the hospital even after three x rays the break in his hips was not visible, the doctors thought it was a muscle rupture or tear and hence it was not showing then Amita suggested why dont you X ray the whole body and then they found the fracture, the T 12 vertebrae had broken and was the break was pressing into his Spinal chord. the bad just got worse.
You know about all those useless studies that go around the world, studies that come up with really stupid results that any one on the street with an iota of common sense already knew about after years of wasted time and money. Well, i heard about a similar study recently where a bunch of swiss scientists came up with a study as to why people speed. Well to cut it short it says young men speed when they hear masculine words. Words like Muscle and beard and people slow down when they hear a feminine word like lipstick and pink.
So i mean if ure going round a corner and listening to nirvana or thinking about going to a service center to get your car repaired or even after you have seen the "Top Gun" you will end up getting a ticket or in a ditch beside the road. Well may be not "Top Gun" its like a little gay isn't it. i know I'm going to get shot for that. any way so you if you're driving along peacefully well under the speed limit and u see this great fat swiss chef with a big beard smiling at you from a billboard you are certainly going to get into trouble. and it must be really really difficult during Christmas time i mean that fat old coot in a big red jacket with white trimmings and a great big beard is all over the place and in every one heads.
funnier still if you really believe the study all you need to slow down warm blooded young men is to put pictures of commly young woman wearing pink lipstick and every one would be driving at sober speeds and there wont be any accidents. I mean if you want to cause a pile up on the express way with a bus up your back side all you have to do is yell "bra" and people hearing that would stop dead where ever they are with every one who hadn't heard the word piling up behind them. Come to think of it that is what happens we are surrounded with commly young women in skimpy clothes on every billboard and it never helps a tinge. people still drive too fast and too rash to do any one any good.
i think it all comes down to education temperament and empathy for fellow human beings and the ot blood that flows through us human beings, i mean how else could u explain that India with its road conditions and some of the slowest traffic speeds still manages to kill more people in road accidents than the rest of the world combined.
i read some where that a lot of people were concerned that the launch of Tata Nano will cause bigger traffic problem, snarling jams, and will push the fuel prices through the roof and thus the car should be taxed to the extremes. i don't think a cheap, affordable car is going to cause more accidents or traffic snarls, in fact i think it would save lives by getting people of two wheeled buses that most Indian families seem to ride. T only way we can make the world safer is by educating people and inculcating empathy for fellow humans and by spending the money wasted on these stupid studies to improve our road conditions.
So i mean if ure going round a corner and listening to nirvana or thinking about going to a service center to get your car repaired or even after you have seen the "Top Gun" you will end up getting a ticket or in a ditch beside the road. Well may be not "Top Gun" its like a little gay isn't it. i know I'm going to get shot for that. any way so you if you're driving along peacefully well under the speed limit and u see this great fat swiss chef with a big beard smiling at you from a billboard you are certainly going to get into trouble. and it must be really really difficult during Christmas time i mean that fat old coot in a big red jacket with white trimmings and a great big beard is all over the place and in every one heads.
funnier still if you really believe the study all you need to slow down warm blooded young men is to put pictures of commly young woman wearing pink lipstick and every one would be driving at sober speeds and there wont be any accidents. I mean if you want to cause a pile up on the express way with a bus up your back side all you have to do is yell "bra" and people hearing that would stop dead where ever they are with every one who hadn't heard the word piling up behind them. Come to think of it that is what happens we are surrounded with commly young women in skimpy clothes on every billboard and it never helps a tinge. people still drive too fast and too rash to do any one any good.
i think it all comes down to education temperament and empathy for fellow human beings and the ot blood that flows through us human beings, i mean how else could u explain that India with its road conditions and some of the slowest traffic speeds still manages to kill more people in road accidents than the rest of the world combined.
i read some where that a lot of people were concerned that the launch of Tata Nano will cause bigger traffic problem, snarling jams, and will push the fuel prices through the roof and thus the car should be taxed to the extremes. i don't think a cheap, affordable car is going to cause more accidents or traffic snarls, in fact i think it would save lives by getting people of two wheeled buses that most Indian families seem to ride. T only way we can make the world safer is by educating people and inculcating empathy for fellow humans and by spending the money wasted on these stupid studies to improve our road conditions.
we did an ice cream shoot for Gelatissimo on CMH road it was reall ahrd work but these are some of the best results we had.
The Worst Part of Working with Ice Cream : it melts
The Best Part of Working With Ice Cream : It Melts
You have to work fast cause it melts and then u have to eat it, make a new one and then start all over again. its tough job but some one has to do it :D
olive (dining hall)
olive county
Olive county
Olive County
Olive County (lunch day2)
Jeep 4*4
Foggy mornings
Lunch Any one
Irupu Falls
Stairway to Heaven
Is this what heaven look like
Color me Lilly
Lilly Pond
Take me To heaven
Road Trip
Hosts
Music For My Soul
Brakefast
Did you hear that
Red Brick Wall
dosent taste just quite right
moss tree
coffee coffee every where and not a drop to drink
The tents mine
Dinner Hall
we look drunk dont we
This one tells If ure drunk
Little Tree In a Big Tree
Coffee County (Cottage in heaven)
Carpet Coffee
Dinner time
Road to HeavenEverybody knows about Valentine's Day but its origins are shrouded in mystery. According to University of Notre Dame Professor Lawrence Cunninghame, scholars have two main theories to explain how Feb. 14 became synonymous with romance:
Roman Feast of Lupercalia
This ancient pagan fertility celebration, which honored Juno, queen of the Roman gods and goddesses and goddess of women and marriage, was held on Feb 14th, the day before the feast began. During festival time, women would write love letters, also known as billets, and leave them in a large urn. The men of Rome would then draw a note from the urn and ardently pursue the woman who wrote the message they had chosen.
Apparently, the custom of lottery drawings to select valentines continued into the 18th century, coming to an end when people decided they'd rather choose (sight seen!) their valentines.
The Birds and the Bees?
In the Middle Ages, people began to send love letters on Valentine's Day. Medieval Europeans believed that birds began to mate on Feb. 14.
Saint Valentine
There's also some controversy regarding Saint Valentine, for whom the famous day is named. Archaeologists, who unearthed a Roman catacomb and an ancient church dedicated to St. Valentine, are not sure if there was one Valentine or more! Today, the Catholic Church recognises at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred on Feb 14th, (at least two of those in Italy during the 3rd century.)
The most popular candidate for St. Valentine was a 3rd century Roman priest who practised Christianity and performed secret marriages against direct orders from Emperor Claudius II, who believed single soldiers were more likely to join his army. Legend has it that Valentine sent a friend (the jailer's daughter) a note signed "From Your Valentine" before he was executed on Feb. 14 in 270 A.D. That phrase is still used prominently on today's cards!
Early Christians were happier with the idea of a holiday honouring the saint of romantic causes than with one recognising a pagan festival. In 496 A.D., Pope Gelasius named Feb 14th in honour of St. Valentine as the patron saint of lovers. In 1969, Pope Paul VI dropped it from the calendar. However, the blend of Roman festival and Christian martyrdom had caught on and Valentine's Day was here to stay!
Verbal and singing valentines began to be replaced by written missives in Europe in the 15th century. The first written valentine is usually attributed to the imprisoned Charles, Duke of Orleans, in 1415. He reportedly passed the time by writing romantic verses for his wife. By the 16th century, written valentines were commonplace.
Valentine's cards
Early valentines were made by hand, using coloured paper, watercolours and coloured inks. These valentine styles, some still made today, included:
i) Pinprick valentines, made by pricking tiny holes in paper with a pin to resemble the look of lace
ii) Cutout valentines, lace-look cards made by folding paper several times and cutting out a lace design with small, sharp scissors.
iii) Acrostic valentines, which had verses in which the first letters in the lines spelled out the beloved's name
iv) Rebus valentines, verses in which small pictures took the place of some of the words (For example, an 'eye' instead of 'I')
Cards decorated with black and white pictures painted by factory workers began to be created in the early 1800s. By the end of the century, valentines were being made entirely by machine. Sociologists theorise that printed cards began to take the place of letters, particularly in Great Britain, because they were an easy way for people to express their feelings in a time when direct expression of emotions was not fashionable.
Manufactured cards notwithstanding, increasingly beautiful handmade Valentines were often small works of art, richly decorated with silk, satin or lace, flowers or feathers and even gold leaf. And many featured Cupid, the cherubic, be-winged son of Venus, and a natural Valentine's Day "mascot."
Some of the more unusual valentines were created by lonely sailors during the Victorian era, they used seashells of various sizes to create hearts, flowers and other designs or to cover heart-shaped boxes.
The Heart
It's not difficult to figure out the connection between the heart and Valentine's Day. The heart, after all, was thought in ancient times to be the source of all emotions. It later came to be associated only with the emotion of love. (Today, we know that the heart is, basically, the pump that keeps blood flowing through our bodies!)
It's not clear when the valentine heart shape became the symbol for the heart (we all know the heart isn't really shaped like that). Some scholars speculate that the heart symbol as we use it to signify romance or love came from early attempts by people to draw an organ they'd never seen.
Other symbols of love
i) Red roses were said to be the favourite flower of Venus, the Roman goddess of love; also, red is a colour that signifies strong feelings.
ii) Lace has long been used to make women's handkerchiefs. Hundreds of years ago, if a woman dropped her handkerchief, a man might pick it up for her. Sometimes, if she had her eye on the right man, a woman might intentionally drop her handkerchief to encourage him. So, people began to think of romance when they thought of lace.
iii) Love knots have series of winding and interlacing loops with no beginning and no end. A symbol of everlasting love, love knots were made from ribbon or drawn on paper.
iv) Lovebirds, colourful birds found in Africa, are so named because they sit closely together in pairs, like sweethearts do! Doves are symbols of loyalty and love, because they mate for life and share the care of their babies.
X - the kiss
How about the "X" sign representing the kiss? This tradition started with the Medieval practice of allowing those who could not write to sign documents with an "X". This was done before witnesses, and the signer placed a kiss upon the "X" to show sincerity. This is how the kiss came to be synonymous with the letter "X", and how the "X" came to be commonly used at the end of letters as kiss symbols. (Some believed "X" was chosen as a variation on the cross symbol, while others believe it might have been a pledge in the name of Christ, since the "X" or Chi symbol, is the second letter of the Greek alphabet and has been used in church history to represent Christ.)
It became easier to mail valentines in the mid 1800s, when the modern postal service implemented the penny post. Until then, postage was so pricey that most cards were delivered by hand.
Traditions
A variety of interesting Valentine's Day traditions developed over time. For example, hundreds of years ago in England, children dressed up as adults on Valentine's Day and went singing holiday verses from door to door.
In Wales, wooden love spoons, carved with key, keyhole and heart designs, were given as gifts.
The gift of flowers on Valentine's Day (along with Mother's Day, the busiest floral holiday of the year) probably dates to the early 1700s when Charles II of Sweden brought the Persian poetical art called "the language of flowers" to Europe. The rose, representing love, is probably the only flower with a meaning that is universally understood. The red rose remains the most popular flower bought by men for their sweethearts. In more recent years, people have sent their sweethearts their favourite flowers, rather than automatically opting for roses. Also making the list of valentine favourites are tulips, lilies, daisies and carnations.
More gifts
Among early valentine gifts were sweets, usually chocolates, in heart-shaped boxes. Apparently, gifts of chocolates and flowers haven't replaced carefully chosen cards on Valentine's Day. The modern valentine card has become increasingly sophisticated, keeping pace with popular technological advances. For example, there are cards that let you record a romantic message, "scratch-and-sniff" cards (chocolate smells would be nice!) and cards that play romantic music.
And of course, you can send e-mail valentines. Some sites even offer free personal use of their illustrations or cards. Other technology allows you to send a romantic fax or videotape with a personal valentine message. But choose your valentine carefully, some people find fax and e-mail missives too impersonal and not private enough for this holiday of love!
Sometimes the best ideas are the simplest!
Article by Paul Denton http://www.pauldenton.co.uk
This ancient pagan fertility celebration, which honored Juno, queen of the Roman gods and goddesses and goddess of women and marriage, was held on Feb 14th, the day before the feast began. During festival time, women would write love letters, also known as billets, and leave them in a large urn. The men of Rome would then draw a note from the urn and ardently pursue the woman who wrote the message they had chosen.
Apparently, the custom of lottery drawings to select valentines continued into the 18th century, coming to an end when people decided they'd rather choose (sight seen!) their valentines.
The Birds and the Bees?
In the Middle Ages, people began to send love letters on Valentine's Day. Medieval Europeans believed that birds began to mate on Feb. 14.
Saint Valentine
There's also some controversy regarding Saint Valentine, for whom the famous day is named. Archaeologists, who unearthed a Roman catacomb and an ancient church dedicated to St. Valentine, are not sure if there was one Valentine or more! Today, the Catholic Church recognises at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred on Feb 14th, (at least two of those in Italy during the 3rd century.)
The most popular candidate for St. Valentine was a 3rd century Roman priest who practised Christianity and performed secret marriages against direct orders from Emperor Claudius II, who believed single soldiers were more likely to join his army. Legend has it that Valentine sent a friend (the jailer's daughter) a note signed "From Your Valentine" before he was executed on Feb. 14 in 270 A.D. That phrase is still used prominently on today's cards!
Early Christians were happier with the idea of a holiday honouring the saint of romantic causes than with one recognising a pagan festival. In 496 A.D., Pope Gelasius named Feb 14th in honour of St. Valentine as the patron saint of lovers. In 1969, Pope Paul VI dropped it from the calendar. However, the blend of Roman festival and Christian martyrdom had caught on and Valentine's Day was here to stay!
Verbal and singing valentines began to be replaced by written missives in Europe in the 15th century. The first written valentine is usually attributed to the imprisoned Charles, Duke of Orleans, in 1415. He reportedly passed the time by writing romantic verses for his wife. By the 16th century, written valentines were commonplace.
Valentine's cards
Early valentines were made by hand, using coloured paper, watercolours and coloured inks. These valentine styles, some still made today, included:
i) Pinprick valentines, made by pricking tiny holes in paper with a pin to resemble the look of lace
ii) Cutout valentines, lace-look cards made by folding paper several times and cutting out a lace design with small, sharp scissors.
iii) Acrostic valentines, which had verses in which the first letters in the lines spelled out the beloved's name
iv) Rebus valentines, verses in which small pictures took the place of some of the words (For example, an 'eye' instead of 'I')
Cards decorated with black and white pictures painted by factory workers began to be created in the early 1800s. By the end of the century, valentines were being made entirely by machine. Sociologists theorise that printed cards began to take the place of letters, particularly in Great Britain, because they were an easy way for people to express their feelings in a time when direct expression of emotions was not fashionable.
Manufactured cards notwithstanding, increasingly beautiful handmade Valentines were often small works of art, richly decorated with silk, satin or lace, flowers or feathers and even gold leaf. And many featured Cupid, the cherubic, be-winged son of Venus, and a natural Valentine's Day "mascot."
Some of the more unusual valentines were created by lonely sailors during the Victorian era, they used seashells of various sizes to create hearts, flowers and other designs or to cover heart-shaped boxes.
The Heart
It's not difficult to figure out the connection between the heart and Valentine's Day. The heart, after all, was thought in ancient times to be the source of all emotions. It later came to be associated only with the emotion of love. (Today, we know that the heart is, basically, the pump that keeps blood flowing through our bodies!)
It's not clear when the valentine heart shape became the symbol for the heart (we all know the heart isn't really shaped like that). Some scholars speculate that the heart symbol as we use it to signify romance or love came from early attempts by people to draw an organ they'd never seen.
Other symbols of love
i) Red roses were said to be the favourite flower of Venus, the Roman goddess of love; also, red is a colour that signifies strong feelings.
ii) Lace has long been used to make women's handkerchiefs. Hundreds of years ago, if a woman dropped her handkerchief, a man might pick it up for her. Sometimes, if she had her eye on the right man, a woman might intentionally drop her handkerchief to encourage him. So, people began to think of romance when they thought of lace.
iii) Love knots have series of winding and interlacing loops with no beginning and no end. A symbol of everlasting love, love knots were made from ribbon or drawn on paper.
iv) Lovebirds, colourful birds found in Africa, are so named because they sit closely together in pairs, like sweethearts do! Doves are symbols of loyalty and love, because they mate for life and share the care of their babies.
X - the kiss
How about the "X" sign representing the kiss? This tradition started with the Medieval practice of allowing those who could not write to sign documents with an "X". This was done before witnesses, and the signer placed a kiss upon the "X" to show sincerity. This is how the kiss came to be synonymous with the letter "X", and how the "X" came to be commonly used at the end of letters as kiss symbols. (Some believed "X" was chosen as a variation on the cross symbol, while others believe it might have been a pledge in the name of Christ, since the "X" or Chi symbol, is the second letter of the Greek alphabet and has been used in church history to represent Christ.)
It became easier to mail valentines in the mid 1800s, when the modern postal service implemented the penny post. Until then, postage was so pricey that most cards were delivered by hand.
Traditions
A variety of interesting Valentine's Day traditions developed over time. For example, hundreds of years ago in England, children dressed up as adults on Valentine's Day and went singing holiday verses from door to door.
In Wales, wooden love spoons, carved with key, keyhole and heart designs, were given as gifts.
The gift of flowers on Valentine's Day (along with Mother's Day, the busiest floral holiday of the year) probably dates to the early 1700s when Charles II of Sweden brought the Persian poetical art called "the language of flowers" to Europe. The rose, representing love, is probably the only flower with a meaning that is universally understood. The red rose remains the most popular flower bought by men for their sweethearts. In more recent years, people have sent their sweethearts their favourite flowers, rather than automatically opting for roses. Also making the list of valentine favourites are tulips, lilies, daisies and carnations.
More gifts
Among early valentine gifts were sweets, usually chocolates, in heart-shaped boxes. Apparently, gifts of chocolates and flowers haven't replaced carefully chosen cards on Valentine's Day. The modern valentine card has become increasingly sophisticated, keeping pace with popular technological advances. For example, there are cards that let you record a romantic message, "scratch-and-sniff" cards (chocolate smells would be nice!) and cards that play romantic music.
And of course, you can send e-mail valentines. Some sites even offer free personal use of their illustrations or cards. Other technology allows you to send a romantic fax or videotape with a personal valentine message. But choose your valentine carefully, some people find fax and e-mail missives too impersonal and not private enough for this holiday of love!
Sometimes the best ideas are the simplest!
Article by Paul Denton http://www.pauldenton.co.uk
With V day coming up i thought i would do some research on it so we start here with flirting.
I saw this on another blog loved it so much that i copied it
Humans observed in a natural mating habitat exhibit nearly all the najor flirting behaviors, whether or not they're flirting at all. Here is a guide for recognizing or, for the seasoned flirts, overviewing some flirting techniques:
OPEN BODY POSITION This come-and-get-me stance suggests the man is neither about to flee nor fight.
RAISED EYEBROWS Upon first seeing a potential mate, both men and women often briefly raise their eyebrows.
HEAD CANT Women frequently tilt their head to one side, exposing their neck, and sometimes flick their hair at the same time.
SUSTAINED EYE CONTACT Men and women both hold the gaze of someone they're interested in for longer than feels quite confortable.
LEANING FORWARD Perhaps not as obviously as the enthusiastic girl above, but both genders tend to lean in toward people they're atracted to. Sometimes they'll unconsciously point to them too, even if they're across the room.
LEADING QUESTIONS A man will often ask a woman questions that allow her to show off her most atractive features.
SIDEWAYS GLANCES Often followed by a glance away or down and a shy smile, these coy looks are a classic flirting behavior for both sexes.
