Wink Away!

Hello readers,
We bring you another edition of the wink. Its no better than the previous one, we solemnly say. (At this moment, you can take some time off to grumble about the same-ol-writers and same-ol-columns)
In our Chow-really-mean,we have Oye Amritsar. In the hop-scotch, we hop to Hampi. In our pretend-to-ha-ha, we have a Miss-Invention, badly mis-firing.
Our three primary columns are still Wine,Dine and Dance, Wanderlust and Funny Side Up. We just wrote different names to cheer you up a bit.

Happy reading.

Wine, Dine and Dance: Oye Amritsar!

Right in the heart of the eateries and pubs (Church Street), rests a piece of rural Punjab (I assume the “rural” part). Its on the roof top. But since I went there in broad day light, it seemed just like “rural punjab” to me. The story begins with Lassi. Drink as much as you want, if you can. But if you are a Jal Jeera fan, like me, drink in. Then the story takes its Punjabi note, serves really hot puris and other “authentic” eats. One thing is that in broad day-light, you cannot a-la-carte. You have to eat on the buffet and let me tell you, its not bad at all. In fact, its exactly what I recommend. The starters were things I liked the most. There is lots more on the menu – I'd ask you to pig out. The ambiance is very “typical” with one-liners that are “world famous in Amritsar”. The music is Bollywood and in that good. Its fun to eat while humming “Dard-e-Disco”. Totally Thumbs Up stuff, this.

Wanderlust: Hop to Hampi

Come, wear your shoes, take a skip and hop to Hampi. Get a map, read some history and you're good to go. Hampi is a magnificent ruin - from the Vijayanagar Empire. The nearest place to stay is Kamalapura. There are a lot of options to find roofs and one of it is the Mayura, a government undertaking. You can rent cycles out on hourly basis and cycle into Hampi and wander around. It has its usual pitfalls – the touts, the “travel-guides” and its wise to exercise caution. A Hampi ground survey can take you 3 days, easily. There are important things to see, the “inverted” mantapa, the akka-thangi rocks (although, this one is more story-gas than most others), the lotus mahal, the pushkarani (you'll see that many movies have been filmed there). Its wise to go to Hampi when its not summer. There is also the “purandara mantapa” across the river. Try the Vittale temple for some breath-catching architectural splendour (including the "musical pillars") There are cute little stores near the Virupaksha temple which are “lonely-planet-recommended”. Lots of old coin sellers and “photographers” around that area, along with stone carvers and general things-that-are-foreigner-centric. Try and “imagine” a little and Hampi rises from its tombs and looks like a palacial, wonderful ruin – something really that befits Royalty.

Funny Side Up - A Miss-Invention!

We invented the “gentleman”. Its our concept. He is “charming”. He opens heavy doors and lighter ones. He offers to carry our coats. He makes “polite” conversation. He puts his coat down on puddles so we don't have to step on slush. He never forgets to “thank” us. He laughs at all our jokes. And today, thanks to all the “women are equals” thing, our gentleman – the concept we developed, nurtured, nourished so we can flatter and fatten our ego, is gone. Gone are the days where the guy would open the door, instead he probably expects some to be opened for him. I can no longer wait for a bunch of roses at my door! There are no people that would come to my rescue when my car doesn't start (partly because I do not start it). There are no volunteers to carry books or laptops. Its become such a mean, man friendly world. I'm almost beginning to think that “equality” was a guy's answer to the “gentleman”. And they have succeeded, to gently put it.
What ever happened to getting the car-door opened? What happened to the ever caring gentleman? He has been replaced by one that well, oh, is tiresome. I found myself asking the same question. After the works of the the legendary women like "Jan Austen" who tried to keep the tradition of the gentleman alive (bless her soul), how could he disappear so suddenly! The men have gotten their vitamins and have been donning thinking cap.
Equality. Thats what killed our gentleman.

Welcome to the Wink

Hello Readers,
It is a pleasure to welcome you to the wink again ( ;) ;) ;) ) It has been raining and for some of us, it means clean vehicles, better looking rooftops and much greener trees. At the Wink, we've spent our time THINKING (now, isnt that productive?)
But here's something else we did - we wrote some nice columns (ahem) for you to read. Our regular columns - the Wine, Dine and Dance trying the copper chimney, the Wanderlust musing about Masinagudi and our Funny Side Up - where we're Joking again.
Thanks for writing to us. It keeps us motivated to write too. We look forward, as ever, to hear what you have to say. Send in a mail to welcometothewink@gmail.com with your comments.

Wine,Dine and Dance - Copper Chimney

When I went to Copper Chimney (and thats atop the Bangalore Central. If you don't know where that is, its near Garuda Mall. If you need directions to that, well,its best to ask someone) I half expected it to be a Chinese place. I blame it on intuition – and thats why people say, you mustn't trust intuition so much. (Or don't they say that?) Its quite a climb to that place (the elevator doesn't go all the way up). It is very chic. Sleek design of the place makes it look extremely “modern”. There is the balcony, where you can gaze down at Bangalore from. Its a view that one must definitely want to see – especially in the nights, when Bangalore glows. The food is very Indian, very niche though and not to mention, expensive. The Bar has the essentials and more. They also can rustle up lovely mocktails. It has all the ingredients for a relaxing meal – the right ambiance, the right music, lighting and food. The food can take some getting used to. They have Rotis in their Breads section of which I have never heard of (but that could also be attributed to my ignorance too) Some of them in the Rotis, were extremely different. Its definitely worth a try. If you have the taste for it, you might like it. I enjoyed the rich feel to the place. I liked the way the menu card looked. I liked the place, in general. Don't tell me I did not warn you, it makes your purse much lighter.

WanderLust - Misty Masinagudi

Wanderlust – Masinagudi

In the shadow of the Nilgiris, one could find Masinagudi – a home to resorts, forests and elephants. You could reach M from Bangalore, by going towards Mudumalai. I have always believed that if you see a place near the mountains, walk towards it. Go deeper towards the mountains and Masinagudi unfolds. Its numerous luxury resorts (each better than the other) and mist cast a spell (I spelt that right, didnt I?) Masinagudi attributes its name to a tiny little temple of “Masinamma” which is at the village. The village stretches for about two streets and phew, its pitch dark after six. The resorts are a little away from the village, more towards the mountains. And the taxis at the village would take you there for a Rs 50. Some resorts you could try are “Ombalan's” and “Bamboo Banks”. There are a lot of things you could do at Masinagudi – take a mountain walk and so on. The forests are very deceptive though and is very much real – with its tigers and elephants (Tuskers too) and bears. Masinagudi is a place to unwind with your latest buy from Crosswords. Its beautiful, mist-ical and very close to Ooty. You could take a look at close by places like Singara and so on. If you meet a tusker while you do so, convey my regards.

Funny Side Up - Just Joking!

I once told a joke aloud. Less than two people reacted to that and the reaction was a mild tilt of the upper lip and a polite nod. Born to a family of jokers (I mean, people with a good sense of humour) I was deeply offended. It shook my roots, which were in the funny pond. My great grandfather was a great story teller. I have heard stories about him, and I strongly believe thats what they are – “stories”. I hear that even today, in his village, when they think about his jokes, they laugh so loud that the others mistake it for another-loud-thing-thats-not-done-generally-by-most-sane-people. My father cracks me up with his funny questions (One common one being, “what do you intend to do the rest of your life? Watch television?”) My mother is even funnier. She says to him, “Of course not!” But I stand out. I said “I will work, of course” (Now, if that isn't a scream!) I always thought my brother was the funniest, he added, “Do as I did. Work hard”. Now, if that isnt our mantra!

Winking May Away

A very good May to you, readers. As hot as May May-Be, we enjoy the mangoes, the cricket and the heat and holidays, is it not? The writers have been busy this time, climbing up the hilly terrains in search of things to write about (that's what we call “High thinking” out here)
This time we take you to Tapovan in our search for truth in the wanderlust. We make a point by going to the Silly Point Cafe in our Wine, Dine and Dance. We sing praises of the Beatles in our Funny Side Up.
We welcome your thoughts on the Wink. Write in to us about what you think about it. If its befitting and flattering, we'll say thanks nicely (Just kidding!). Wink welcomes your ideas, no kidding.
Happy reading!

Wanderlust - Travelling to Tapovan (Our quest for Truth?)

I’ve always wanted to go to the Himalayas and I somehow managed to go really close to it. I landed in Tapovan. Chinmaya Tapovan is a modern day ashram situated at the foothills of the Dhauladhar ranges of the Himalayas. It is about 10 km from Dharamsala, in Himachal Pradesh (which is also called as the “little Lhasa”). Situated on the banks of Bindu Saras, the ashram was founded by late Swami Chimayananda. The ashram complex has a huge image of Lord Hanuman, a Ram temple, a meditation hall and a health and recreation center. Most people come here for getting a good feel of “peace and serenity”. One needs to book much in advance since the place has a lot of visitors. We were given a room that was right opposite the Himalayas. It was heaven. Really. In the night, we could see the brightly lit town of Dharamsala from the room. It was a nice curvy line of lights amidst the humungous patches of nothingness. We stayed there for 2 days (which caused a lot of sadness to the folks in the group. The booking was done for just 2 days. The guide was yelled at for assuming that we would probably like to visit other places rather than spending a week at a single place). We meditated, prayed, breathed fresh pristine air and prayed. This is one place one shouldn’t give a miss.

Funny Side Up - Beatle-ing it out

If you ever thought that you could stay without the popularity of the Beatles hitting you, you thought wrong. There comes a time in everyone's life where one has to acknowledge the Beatles and their songs. You cannot escape “hello goodbye” or “Let it Be”. Someone will sing you “and your bird can sing”. Though Great Britain is on the other side of the ocean, the sound carries.
I was sitting at the park when someone said “hello” (out of sheer courteousness, obviously) and the back ground score was “I am the Walrus”. He was, indeed. The potent easiness of the songs makes it so easy to hum. I never did realize that I was humming the “Good day Sunshine” on a rainy day. In my defense, John (Lennon) recommends it. When I lost out on winning the “Working Brain Award” (narrowly, of course) and an elderly graying woman won it, I had to sing “And your bird can sing”. Obviously, it was the wrong song to have chosen. The back ground music playing was that of “And my guitar gently weeps”.
When asked to describe myself on a social networking site, I choose to sing “Eleanor Rigby”. When walking down the aisle, I would recommend “When I'm 64”. Obviously, if you've listened to “Kabhi kabhi aditi” in the movie not titled that (surprising, for a Hindi flick) where a cat died and the guy gushes out the song, the Beatles would have played the “Let it Be”. I could hear it (“Oh don't you?”)
Asked for my address, I yelled “We all live in a Yellow submarine” On a rainy day, when the world seemed blue, I could hear “Isnt it a pity”. Of course, that's right what you read in the papers, under the “Believe it or Not”. In my funeral, I sang “Live and Let Die”.

Wine, Dine and Dance - Silly Point Cafe

Tucked away, stitched into the Laurel Lane in Richmond Town, Bangalore is the silent Silly Point Cafe. If you are a avid cricket watcher, you might want to check it out. Housed by the Bat and Ball Inn Home Stay (owned by the cricketers Robin Utthappa and Sreesanth) this place is a joy for cricket trivia folks. The cafe itself has a menu which seems impressive but is incredibly slow. What I mean is, there is a man (singular) running the cafe – who cooks, bills and serves. And its easily an hour before you get the simplest of the things on the menu like the french fries. The menu has an impressive look and feel with names “forward short leg” for the chow in it. The Inn houses a lot of cricket memorabilia, photographs, cartoons, funny-posters about cricket. Its the perfect food for the cricket fan who loves to talk cricket right from the Ranjit Singh era. The Silly Point cafe, however has limited seating area. There are sign boards which give you the distance in kilometers to cricket stadiums around the country. You'd be close to the Chinnaswamy stadium from Silly Point Cafe. The Silly Point is the perfect Cricket Cafe. The genre is more than just welcome.

Come May, Come Rain, Come Shine!

Hello Readers,
The sun is blazing away. Our writers have been furiously punching keys to bring you the Wink (ok, thats a white lie! not "furiously", just punching keys). They have also been telling us real good things about us, all that Ice-ing is sure to give us a cold! We hope you've all been holidaying this summer and are eagerly waiting to read the Wink (nice try, no?)
We bring you our regular columns, Funny Side up where man fights the wild, Wanderlust - traveling into Coonoor and a review of a grub-place in our Wine, Dine and Dance.
Write in. Tell us what you think (or don't think. We're okay with both). Happy Reading!

Wine, Dine and Dance: Heera Panna

Hidden opposite NASA, church street, is Heera Panna. One is welcomed by a gaudy décor, trying to resemble the Shah-Jehan era, green and white drapes all around, ornamental lights, people dressed in ethnic Mughal-wear. If you're impressed, then you're impressed (how profound). Ancient Hindi music plays in the back ground. So ancient, you'd think the dodos flew and mammoths walked the earth. I can report about the buffet. It takes quite a while to appear and when it does, its a huge rush of starters. The buffet lunch has a decent spread – spreads from Mughal-country or spreads just named that way. You wonder a lot about the spreads after this over priced meal. The surroundings change color due to varying color lamps. If its beautiful, then its beautiful. Heera Panna also boasts a drinks menu. Heera Panna is an interesting attempt to revoke a certain style, be it the décor or the food. One must try it if one misses watching Mughal-e-azam, or that genre of movies and badly wants to see them in color.

Wanderlust : Coonoor

If its beauty you are looking for, and tea, you'll find both in great abundance in Coonoor. One can reach Coonoor from Mettupalyam, and Ooty easily. There are a zillion buses that can help one do that. The Coonoor town looks like a tawdry piece of crumpled paper, in the beginning. Look ahead and move upwards towards Kotagiri – and one is surprised at the transformation. Tea estates begin to unfold, beautifully. The clouds waltz into the terrain all of a sudden and say a pleasant hello. The tea tastes wonderful. The Touristy places to go to are Lamb's rock, Dolphin's Nose, Sim's Park, Lady Canning's seat, Law's falls. Walk around, breathe in, and you'll bump into a number of nameless streams, beautiful cottages, lush-green spectacular landscapes and a celebrity or two that owns these estates. Coonoor town hasn't much grub to grab, but up in the hills, you'll find Tranquilitea (a tea lounge), and a couple of eateries near Sim's Park. The Pasteur Institute is renowned in Coonoor and you might want to take a look. The tea factories, Honey manufacturing and cheese are some other interesting things to check out while you're there. Wander around, for best results. You'll find a lot of places with a lot of interesting names “Adderly”,and so on. If photography is your hobby, time to harness it in Coonoor. Its a perfect picture postcard, this.

Funny Side Up : Man Vs Wild

Often sheltered by the urban lifestyle, man forgets to shake hands with nature. But of course, not all nature is shake-hand-able. Some of it is rather ferocious. In our urban world, retractable claws pose a serious threat. And of course, really fast running bandicoots. We don't need the lions and single horned rhinos for us to jump on the table and shiver. A little “mew” should about cover it.
I wonder sometimes how hunters manage to have menacing masks and remains of their hunts on their wall. And here's my argument: you'd feel the same emotions that i do, when you find a dead squirrel in your water tank and you have to clean it out. A wet, dead squirrel looks like a live cock drenched in rain, for the lack of a better vocabulary. Maybe minus its teeth made largely protrusive and prominent by the lack of live muscles that hold it behind, but we've got the idea covered, in the broad sense.
The removal of dead animal matter from an area involves holding the dead animal and moving it elsewhere. (I can hear you groan!) The stench that surrounds dead animals is far worse than the ones that surround live ones. It can make you feel like wanting to be in better surroundings with much better aromas and scents. Holding your breath while you go close to the remains of the dead animal certainly helps. You can put your hands towards it (of course, suitably insulated with a pair of gloves) and quickly throw it away – or you can turn back and take a deep breath and proceed to do the same.
Holding a dead animal is way worse than holding one alive. Though fat chance that you want to hold a live squirrel and fat chance at the squirrel presenting you with the opportunity. Your hand shivers, your insides tremble and there is the faint sound of your stomach groaning. A word of advice, do not look directly at the dead animal. Try wearing a pair of sun glasses, it certainly helps.
After all the fuss, if you do succeed in getting rid of the dead matter, pat yourself on the back. It is a rare feat, not often performed by the urban population. It is perfectly natural to sulk after the incident. An encounter with the wild is often an opportunity to look into your soul and discover the joy and beauty of life. After all, there is neither joy or beauty in the dead.

The Fortnightly Update

Hello readers,
Hope you all had a lovely april. Summer has descended on Bengaluru, loudly. Our writers are wandering about the hill stations, hoping the height gives them some bright ideas. Its holidays, anyway.Even the birds are packing their suitcases and taking a vacation. Well, with IPL and the elections, the summer is bound to be action packed and entertaining.
At wink, we bring you our regular columns - Wine, Dine and Dance - where our writer finds inspiration at a tea stall, Wanderlust - a trip into Ooty, and Funny Side Up - which goes musical this time.
Happy Reading!

Wanderlust - Ooty

Its just the place to go to when march begins. Ooty is the queen of the Nilgiris. And one can reach it from the Mysore or from Coimbature route. The bus that goes up to the hill from Coimbature is one of the slowest. It shall beep, bleep and cough, sneeze and make its way up. But its a beautiful ride, I realized, whenever that I managed to wake up and watch the scenery. Ooty was cold, take enough woolen clothing. A part of Ooty is very English, the club, the derby, the schools. I think you'll meet Charring Cross – an important land mark. Walk around the bazaar – for interesting food and yummy chocolates (which is “home made”. Whose Home, I wonder) and some local stories and lots of tea. Ooty is filled with tea, so much – that a regular tea drinker will switch to coffee after two days there, out of sheer excess. The regular things to see around Ooty are the Doddabetta peak (you have to climb this one! It's also the highest peak in south India and the confluence of the eastern and western ghats. And several confused people will try to show you the karnataka - TN borders from atop the place. Trust me, you will be confused, at the end of it) You'll see tea plantations all around, not to mention eucalyptus and a lot of pretty birds in many different colors . Its an experience, Dodda Betta. You'll have to see the botanical garden, the rose garden, the Ooty Lake if you are in Ooty. Also have a look at the Thread Garden. Ah, and mind you, you have to pay for the camera everywhere. A to-do is to take the Ooty-Mettupalayam heritage train. Its a little crowded (ok, ok, Very crowded), but worth the effort. There is lots of Nilgiris to see around Ooty – Conoor, Kotagiri and much much more. The native tribes are still an integral part of the NilGiris - the Todas and Kurumbas. Ah, talk about the High and Mighty - Ooty is definitely that.

Funny Side Up - A song and a story

At a recent classical concert that I went to, something interesting happened. It turned into a drama. And a musical one, at that. You should not expect too much activity at concerts, they are for the cultivation of the soul. The only movement is that of the sound waves causing wave-motion and reaching the pinna. The tranquility of the place was slightly altered by a little kid who ran upto the singing musician, yelling “thatha” loudly. The musician, probably embarrassed to be addressed as an old man, gave the kid a very “not-now-later” smile and proceeded to concentrate on his Bhairavi varanam (Well, I generally associate closing of the eyes as that in concerts). A frantic mother, calling out “Poonam” runs up to the stage to hold the child back and prevent its ascent to the podium. The musician was further annoyed with the proper noun being said aloud. He frantically signals the kid and its caretaker to take a seat somewhere. The kid bellows. The grand father-turned-musician or vice-versa takes note (his musical notes are ignored). Enter: kid's dad. He now takes charge of the situation. He carries the kid out for a walk around the open-air auditorium. More tantrums, more yelling, more notes going wrong. It was fun to watch. I, who was sitting with my eyes closed, all prepared for some intense Bhairavi, got up and took note. And then, I realised to my surprise, everyone was interestedly watching. The gentleman seated beside me even adjusted his glasses. I adjusted mine too. Too bad I did not take my hearing aid along.

Wine, Dine and Dance - Shruthi Stall!

My recent trip to Ootacamund and Conoor has left me with very little to say about the outside world. So, this handicap allows me to tell you about this tiny stall about 5kms from Dolphin’s nose in Conoor. If you have a vehicle of your own, the entire journey will be a 1-hour ordeal. You take the road that forks from the Sim’s park and at every step there will be a board guiding you through. We, on the other hand, decided to walk up. We were staying at the Blue Hills hotel in Conoor and it was about 16kms from there. The local authorities told us that there would be a bus at 6:45am, which we happened to miss. We assumed that the next bus that was 3 hours hence would pick us up on the way if we politely waved out. Alas!

Lesson learnt: Buses in Conoor DON’T stop! They just don’t!

We walked up. Tea everywhere, and not a drop to drink. After about 10kms we saw the Shruthi stall materializing amidst the mist. It was a tiny place that made tea and sold Tea, wholesale. The owner was there too at that time. We stood outside the stall looking down the hills. We were given binocular to aid vision. T’wasn’t must of a help, I should confess. After about 15 minutes of squinting, we realized that we were in desperate need of something hot to drink. We were invited cordially and asked for our choices in Tea. There was masala chai, earl green tea, lemon tea, chocolate tea, orange pekoe and what-not! We all made our pick and sipped on it, while the owner tried to sell some packets of it to us. We also got to know that the tea estate around the stall was owned by Mumtaz, the actress, who sadly, is dead. He also showed us an estate that belonged to a great Tamil actor, whose name I cannot recollect. But the tea definitely helped in the process of rejuvenation and we left to complete the next 6kms of the journey.

Shruthi stall – tea for one and all….

Ahoy April!

Ahoy, readers! Welcome to the April Edition of the Wink. We've gotten all our ice-trays re-filled and freezers stacked with ice creams back here. Our writers have been drinking more lemonade than ever! And we bet, so are you.. Summer is here, isnt it? Our writers are beginning to make noises about being too fatigued by the heat to write. And we're just giving them "COLD" stares, to help them beat the heat!
In the Wine, Dine and Dance, we "talk tea" in Tranquilitea. We wander to Jodigere in the Wanderlust and go "achhooo" (bless us!) in the Funny Side Up. We have received a size-able response to our previous edition. Keep writing in! Tell us what you are doing to beat the heat this summer, or about your hill-station vacation plans, or your new summer hobby (if there is such a thing as a summer-hobby). Happy reading folks!

Wine, Dine and Dance - Tranquilitea (Tea Lounge)

Hidden amidst the tea plantations in Coonoor, Tranquilitea is a niche Tea Lounge found in the Sim's Park Road. We found it on a wander walk from Sim's Park and it came to be a pleasant surprise. The ambiance is posh, relaxing and beautiful. One can sip tea and sit at the lawn, or enter the 100 year old house, beautifully built and experience the decor. Sandeep Subramani, the proud planter and also the owner of the Tranquility, explains that this is an experiment to provide tea connoisseurs with the best of tea to taste, and provide the commoners with a better understanding of tea. He patiently and enthusiastically explained the process of tea making, the different tea varieties and how tea tasting is close to an art form, as indulgent as wine tasting. We were thrilled to hear about the Silver Tip (And were equally thrilled to taste it!) - a tea that is picked before the bud opens up and a rare variety. We tried the Handmade tea, CTC tea, flavored tea and other varieties. We understood the Orange Pecko too (and that's +20 points to us!) Brought in cute transparent glasses, the tea tasting was seemed much more sophisticated and stylish than what we thought it would be. Tranquility also offers a selection of snacks to munch on – we tried the Waffles and scones, and they were good enough to melt the soul. Sandeep, the owner of the tea lounge, also made a wonderful host – charmed our way through the tea story. In the setting of the blue mountains, nothing is as natural as “talking about tea” in a Tea Lounge! And thankfully, we can continue to enhance our tea-story at Tranquilitea, Bangalore (in white field). You can have a look at this and get to know it better.

Wanderlust - Jodigere

A breathtaking experience at Jodigere - I wouldn't be surprised if you suspect the existance of such a place because I did so wheni first heard of it. We happened to accidentally stumble upon it when we were chalking out a trip to B R Hills near Mysore. First of all, getting there is an issue. One requires a written permission from the forest departmant to get there. This place is known to be the hiding place of the Sandalwood kingpin of Karnataka (I aint saying it aloud...) So obviously we were all excited to be there. We bokked 3 cottages, bought ration fo survival (and oh, you have to do all the cooking there yourself... this place is totally DIY) By 12 noon we got into the interiors. There was a guide along with us well equipped with a double barrel rifle (just in case). Geeting to the hill top in a Tata Sumo was an ordeal. Really. If you want to get there in a Marithi 800 or a Santro, then you can forget it. It takes huge power to get there with the terrain at 60 degrees to the horizontal. Once we reached the top we knew we had made th right decision. The place was heaven. On one side was Karnataka and the other, we could see the mudumalai range of Tamil Nadu. It was raining on a nearby hill and the wind blowing in our direction forced it to chase us into the watch tower for shelter. It was an inexplicable feeling. Absolute ecstacy. The journey back to the cottage which was 8km from the hill top was a different story altogether. But that's for another day! So stay tuned!

Funny Side Up - In Sickness and In Health

"Aacchoo!"
I had been to a wedding recently and in the common humdrum and chitter - chatter I fought to hear to the vows of the to-be-man-and-woman saying them all in a fit of emotion. I nodded at every line said. The man said "I shall love you for the rest of my life", and I thought "good for you". The woman said, "I shall bear your kids" and I said "Not too many, please". The man said, "I shall feed, shelter and clothe you" and I said, "You better!". The woman said " I shall take you in sickness and in health" and thats when I was hit. Hit hard. In health seemed fine. But the sickness part confused me. I thought, maybe the woman had a peg more of whisky during her bachelorette party the previous night or maybe she was blindly reciting something that some wedding planner had planned for her to speak. Why was I baffled? Well wouldn't you be? In sickness is so broad a term to commit oneself to. Sickness comes in various shapes, sizes and colours. Thickness too. Some make you go red, some blue and some yellow. What sort was she even talking about? The previous week I had caught flu, a terrible one and I was intolerable. I constantly puked, frequented the bathroom, vehemently spoke about death and slept for the majority of the day. Now having gone through all of that, would I be a position to promise, and promise in front of a priest that I'd stick by to watch all of this again happen to someone else? I guess not.... So I decided to write my own vows, just in case, and the last line says, "in health and health alone".

P.S : The flu persisted for over 4 days.

Marching into march...

Ola readers! Its lovely to be back again this fortnight. Summer has set in. Yup, we can feel it - with all the power cuts. Wink writers are giving out reasons not to write and always blame the power-cuts nowadays. Things we have to put up with here, so that you can get a decent fortnight's read!
We leave you with a Funny Side Up which has gotten a little pink this time (or white, you'd say!), Wine,Dine and Dance that waltzed into "Food street" for some "Street food" and Wanderlust where our writers wandered into Wayanad.
Hey, you had better read all this real quick. You never know when the power goes off. These are Dark-Times, indeed. Happy reading!

Wine, Dine and Dance - "Food Street"

Food street – VV Puram!

Bangalore South has a lot to offer the roadside eater (and deep down, we know we all subscribe to it, don't we?). The South Bangalorean's soul lifts high, soars and does an topple with nostalgia at the mention of its name. Take a walk at VV Puram's “Food street”. If you are a fan of the “roadside golgappa” and the “very much Indian chinese food – Gobimanchuri, noodles and chowmein etc” this is your paradise. Akki roti, “hot hot jamuns” (its a dish, trust me), roadside pakoda, capsicum bajjis – the list is endless. The street is house to the famous “VB Bakery” - which is a local favorite. Its full house, always. Try the “Bun Butter Congress” - a signature dish, that all relish. Take a look around, the aroma will fill you in. Either you love it, or hate it – but you cannot ignore it. Far from the sophistication, VV Puram is simplicity personified. You should definitely check out the capsicum dish – it has a capsicum bajji, cut into 4, sprayed with lemon, seasoned with onion and spices. Its one of a kind. Try “roadside” sweets – a million and half innovations to choose from. If you are looking for one evening of fun, where you really don't care and have let go, go ahead. This is your moment - “carpe diem”. Walk a little around VV Puram, you'll hit MTR (Mavalli Tiffin Rooms). If you find that as usual, you can never find the space to sit down, you'll be pleased to know they have a “sandwich” place right next to it. A beautiful walk at Lalbagh before all this activity would probably make you feel nice about the calories that you'll add onto yourself at the “Food Street”.

Wanderlust- Wandering into Wayanad

Incredible Wayanad: Nestled in north-east Kerala, Wayanad is the “green paradise” home to luxurious coffee estates, breath-taking waterfalls, wild life sanctuaries replete with scenic beauty. If you have a sense of aesthetics, this is your cup of tea (or should I say, “cup of spices”). I waded into Sultan Batteri (important town of Wayanad) at around 2 a.m. The place was really misty and I had a feeling that the vehicles that did help commute upto there were all driven by intuition on the part of the drivers. You can hear dew drops trickle down the leaves and then you know you're in Wayanad. But by morn 9, the mist is eaten up by the scorching sun – blazing down at you. If you are into Kerala breakfast, you'll be served the “puttu”. After having done that, we wandered into Kuruva island. This place is fantastic and inhabited by tribals, yet completely packaged for the “wild” tourist. You can spend a day in the island simply exploring it (surprisingly, you have Wi-Fi out there). More wandering in Wayanad can take you to “Chembra peak” (wow, really. You'll be jealous of rich film stars that can buy coffee estates at this place! Its beautiful to trek up the peak), “Soochipara waterfalls” “Meenmutty waterfalls” “Pookkal lake” and “edukkal caves”. Now, watch out for the waterfalls – there are still primitive and ridden with rocks that are slippery. Many have cracked a skull there (but most of them have it cracked anyway, don't you think?? hehe) Edukkal Caves are also quite a climb, from the peak of which (you can trek up the peak only before 4 pm, after which the place gets misty) you can see Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. I was thrilled to see a Mohiniyattam dance performance when we climbed down the caves. As a stray tourist, I was thrilled to eat the 'amla honey” which is available at almost all stores. Do check out the muthanga wild life sanctuary. Time flies at Wayanad. No wonder somethings are called “timeless”. Oh, while you are in and around, check out the array of spices that Wayanad stores offer! You'll be interested to know that I have something called the “pathimugam” that I randomly bought. This place can get addictive, I suppose. I'm already wanting to get back and take another look.

Funny Side-Up - "A White Valentine"

I'm asking the world a heartfelt question, “do you buy spotless white clothes?” As a matter of personal choice, like most things, I love them. But again, as a matter of personal sense, like most things, I stay away from them.
My first encounter with a spotless white shirt had me smitten. Expensively smitten. I wore it quite a few times in the same week. I felt blessed. I was happy, cheerful, beautiful (well) and i was in love. Love for the clothes has an effect of wanting to add onto it – in the form of matching foot wear and other accessories. As the love story blossomed, i was growing with inner joy, rather – glowing with it. With all this love, came security. I thought i would have the white clothes forever – it would last, until death did us apart, or too many washes in the washing machine – whichever came first.
I knew that with love came commitment. I was to be committed to keeping the white clothes well, protecting it from external factors like “wardrobe stealers”, “over sharp cloth hangers”, “fungus”, “bad ironers”, “harsh soap powders”. I did all of this and the saga continued. One thing that the mind skipped was protecting it from “external colors”. And as the lay reader, none of this makes sense to you. But look inside your washing buckets closely, some clothes lose color and some gain it from them. I had, in a moment of laziness, thrown all the clothes together into the same bucket, including the white shirt.
The next day brought with it heart break. My spotless white expensive shirt was now stained with yellow patches. In blind concern, I scrubbed it with the brush, put the “always trust so-and-so soap to remove stains” powder on it, let it soak. I cried, I begged for forgiveness, I asked the gods to be merciful. But nothing worked. I still am in the process of healing from this. Nothing seemed to make an impact. I asked for help from external quarters – dry cleaners. Nope, no amount of dry cleaning removed the stain.
Today, when I see plain white clothes, it reminds me of what I had and what I lost. I am devastated from the episode. All that taking care of, all the effort into the whole process seems a waste. I mean, one small mistake – and everything shatters. And whenever I hear Jennifer Lopez sing “Love don't cost a thing” - I beg to differ, having learnt from my recent experience. I say “love costs something and damage repair costs much more”.

Wish you a life of colorful clothing. May the whites wait for a period where we have better cleaning agents.

Wink-ing yet again

Hey there readers! Hope life has been rosy with all - with the Valentine week that passed by. That leaves us with a waning February, ushering with it the spring (but that's somehow not visible anywhere else in the city, but the Cubbon park-ish areas).Apart from that little irrelevant update, here's another - Wink writers are at their desks, for a change. They leave you this time with Dubare on Wanderlust, Spinning stories at the Funny Side Up and Chandni Chowk at the "grub" column.
We're looking for some Funny Valentine Stories. If you laughed a lot over some roses, let us know! Write in! We're all ears and pens - we'll listen to you and write it on Wink, if the stories made us laugh!

Wine, Dine and Dance - Chandi Chowk

(We hear this is our most popular section! I tell you, the world is full of foodies!)

The weekend came and I went looking for a place to dine. Had heard that Koramangala had a couple of “must-see” places and so I decided that I must see them. Drove around the place looking for a place so that parking wasn’t too much of a trouble. Went past the National Games Village and saw a brightly lit “Chandni Chowk”. A dhaba! One never sees dhabas in the middle of civilization I thought. Parking space was ample. So we parked easily and went in. The interiors were a huge surprise. All colourful and festive. We walked on gravel, treading cautiously to see that no uneven stone from the lot stabbed you on the heel. The seats were made of huge stone blocks covered with cushion (thank god for that!). The curtains were semi-transparent and were multi-coloured. Sequin work could be found everywhere. The walls were covered with pictures of the most popular stars from Bollywood. On look at the menu and you’d definitely see the Punjabi influence. There was “Beer-sheer” and “Wine-shine” for you to drink. “Lassi-vassi” was definitely good. I also had a large of “Vodka-shodka”. The starters had a lot of tasty panner, spicy and definitely to my liking, For the main course, we had an assorted roti basket with 6 rotis. And handi o go with it. The dal too tasted good. We were stuffed by then and decided to give a miss to the desserts which had a couple of Bengali sweets. Surprisingly there was no Gulab jamoon on the menu and when I asked the waiter he said there was! The waiters there are not too sure what’s on offer. It turned out that there was no Gulab jamoon after all.

Funny Side Up - Spinning tales...Talking Stories

There are million stories floating in the air. If one blinks, one misses a story. They gently move about – floating, sensing, feeling and sniffing for more stories. “Once upon a time, there lived a clerk. He woke up and never went to work” Stories pick up these lives, record them, write them down and replay them in the night. Sometimes I wonder if my story is being written down, taped for use later – when a little child refuses to eat without the accompaniment of a story.
The most interesting real life stories I have heard have been in the form of gossip over dinner table, when garrulous aunts talk their hearts out. How would you like to follow up on the cousin's neighbor who went out mysteriously in the nights, after dinner? On further investigation, the story turned a little lame – the neighbor went out to eat “paan” at the faraway “paan” store. How about the uncle who was a part of the army – and has been “out-there” and eaten snakes, out of sheer hunger (this is said in pride of course)? How about the valiant robbery that the grandmother prevented, by keeping jaggery at the door? (Oh, this one is a masterpiece)
But then, I have also seen some stories brew right in front of me. Poor Renuka, giving me a vehement “I don't like that guy”, poor mom calling to find out where her son is, poor son hating “upma” on breakfast bar! Phew! Poor street dogs menacing poor street cat, poor spider, poor fly. How about the story where the householder waits for “painters” to come in early, so she can rush to work?
But then, I have read that many more stories. Every three hours a writer is born somewhere, trying to force a story down someone's throat. The murders, the gory details of a war, the “flip side” to everything, the tale of a midget and a mouse, its the never ending list. Most often, the more unsaid the story, the better its told. A twinkle in someone's eye, a tear, a halo over someone's head, the sparks that fly – makes some interesting read.
And one starry night, when there is no one talking, one can look up at the sky – and one will know, that there a million stories, and then some more.

Wanderlust - Elephant camp at Dubare

Not many have heard of this place called "Dubare". Cradled in a secluded place in coorg. I got there by car. Quite some drive that was! Left early morning from Bangalore, had breakfast at Kamat on Mysore road and drove on... On and on... (6 hours on the road makes you say "On and on..." Phew!! And I wasn't even driving!) Once you reach coorg, you better be on the look out for that sign that says "Dubare. Go this Way--->", or you could spend a lot of time in coorg just looking for the place. We had booked cottages from Bangalore. The Jungle resorts' office on M G Road above the good ol' Indian Coffee House does all the work you need to assure you a great holiday. Once you get there you have to give a call to the agent there, who gets you a motor boat and takes you across the stream to your cottage. The cottages there are fantabulous. They really are. They look chic, well-equipped and are awfully comfortable. You go to the main hall for food, which was good too. Then we went to a game drive. Saw a lot of elephants and lot more of thier droppings. At 10, there was camp fire. Dancing around it, is what you are expected to do. At 12, it was black out. The next day was interaction session with the elephants. You get introduced to them, and later choose to bathe and feed them and can sit on its back for a joy ride(at your own risk actually, because our guide was given a couple of blows by a young one that was a li'l camera-shy). We left the place exactly 24 hours from the arrival time. We were taken back to our car by he same motor boat. The chap guiding the boat did a couple of stunts with it and we hopped around in the vessel for a bit till we reached the detination. Bangalore had to be reached. As I left, I decided that I'd go back to that place. As I write this in the car on the busy streets on Bangalore, I cannot but hope that that day would come soon. It sure was a "Bon Voyage".

Wanderlust - Baga, Goa

Baga – one of the most popular destinations of North Goa. Goa is an exotic destination – sun,sand, beaches and fenny. Nestled by the seaside is Baga, part of the Calangute Village Panchayat, but looking brighter than any Indian metropolis. The vibrant Baga is home to the Baga beach. Cute cafes, restaurants, goa-kind-of-stores selling colorful caps, bags and clothes, lights – all a dream come true for a shopper. English Breakfast and Portuguese tea, you name it you got it, all in a kilometer's distance. Baga is extremely multi-continental, with Indian store sellers who sell colorful hairbands speaking Russian and Spanish! You can rent an apartment, cottage, room at Baga – but beware, in the tourist season you can run out of every option. It is useful to book it beforehand. One of Baga's most entertaining lanes is the Tito's lane – house to the famous Tito's disc. It is definitely worth a visit. The day at Tito's typically begins at 10:30 pm and continues upto 4:00 am. Tito's lane is colorful, populated, noisy, bustling with life even at 2:00 am in the morning. You must definitely catch the night life at this place – its one of a kind. Tito's lane hosts many eateries, discotheques and coffee houses. Mambo's comes adjacent to Tito's. It leads to the beach, eventually – which host the beach parties (something really fun too!). I don't remember the street ever going silent. In spite of being a really small territory, Baga can keep people busy for several days, with hectic partying and heavy shopping. You can rent out bikes at Baga easily and zoom into the nearby areas – Calangute, Chapora, Anjuna. Baga in daylight is a lazy, extremely cute, exotic village – reeking charm. The laid back atmosphere in the air makes it feel like home. Its the ideal vacation location, providing every traveler an experience of a blend of cultures – the Indian and the rest of the world. Watching the sunrise from the beach, is the icing on the cake of the Perfect Baga Holiday.

Wine, Dine and Dance - Bardez

Bardez. A place in Goa. A spacious restaurant on the main road. Serves almost all that you've heard of. Continental, Mediterranean and of course, goan. Great reception. Good food, i must say. Thoroughly enjoyed it until we found a strand of an aluminum scrubber in the noodle bowl. The cleaner apparently had done a wonderful job. We had evidence. A drink called "Love in the afternoon" was transformed, with ease, to a more cheesy version by the oh-so-coquettish owner. "Phirang" crowd swarmed the place. They apparently gourmandize on the turkey there, i was told. Due to its proximity to the beach, clothing is optional (A full body tan can be acquired with little effort) Sea food is a must try for those who don't mind having sea food. Tiny prawns and fish, to be specific. Awfully snoopy waiters who want to know all about you, your family and neighbours. Ketchup will be provided in abundance. Not to worry. Friendly crowd. They smile at you, wink too and definitely wish you a "good afternoon". A fancy place altogether. Scrubber was found before consumption and we were not charged for it. All's well. Do visit it.

I beg your pah-don!

We've learnt all our sophisticated tricks from the Brits. Balancing a spoon, knife and fork simultaneously while pecking at the food, for example. All the civilized behavior, polite references to the weather, spice-less cooking, buttering the bread with the knife, and holding that stiff upper lip stature, we have lapped it all up. So much so, we've also tried to emulate their humor into our lives – we've laughed at the way we even bother to simulate the British in our lives and why and how!
I've picked up the “I'm fine, thankyou” so well, and have improvised so much on it that it almost sounds like an insult. “The talkies” - In Bangalore, you can always get to “Sanjeev Talkies” pronounced as “takiz” by the auto rickshaw drivers and not a Cinema Hall. The “Town Hall” and the Koshys are one of the better things that stayed behind, so much so I bet a lot of people would leave with the Koshys if it left!
In countries like India, where nothing is a forbidden topic – like your most distantly related aunt asking how much you earn in the most public forum she had been to – the polite English come across as rude. (But yes, aunts of course, are universally formidable creatures.) “I don't think so” “Not quite” “If you wish to” have been suitably contorted to mean mean things in India, where not wanting to reply to a question is considered rather rude. (Of late, what I plan to do with my life is the aunt-discussion topic)
Its impossible to throw out a colonial rule of a century from our country. Its idiosyncrasies have led to my grandfather knowing the Julius Caesar by heart, my grandmother knowing the Wren and Martin and me gaping in astonishment, while struggling to explain what the “past participle” is. (Seriously, what the heck is it?). Due to weird circumstances, I stand wearing a pair of socks when at home, using the apron while cooking and going “splendid!” when the culinary experiment turns out all right.
Its a “rather sunny day” and the weather is “just the day for fishing”, we can sail in the “Catamaran”. Its a “Mulligatawny” soup for “supp-her” and its always time for “high-tea”. The political rally had the politician acting as a “juggernaut” and Sachin Tendulkar is a “Mogul” of cricket. We have taken the cricket and made it our own, turned the game of hockey around – given them the polo.
The Bland English has so finely been blended into spicy Indian curry, that the cuisine comes served with a smile. And I have great reason to believe that one of the finest things that we got from the Brits, is “Carry on, Jeeves” and “Adventures of Sherlock Holmes”. But if you're asking me how much of Charles Dickens I have read, I'll have to say “I beg your pah-don!”

Wink - The Fortnightly Update!

Welcome to the wink again. We're nearing the Second Update of the Wink. Just thought we'll keep you informed. In our second complete update, we will leave you with our Funny Side Up column - which has gotten a little Brit, Our Wanderlust Column - with a trip to Baga, Goa. There's the Wine, Dine and Dance section - leaving you with something to eat. But we're going to add a little to this and introduce a "guest column" - with a "Guest" writing for us.
Keep a watch on this space. You never know with our writers, they brew up the strangest of things. Last I heard from one, the write-up was on how to keep leather fresh. We'll try our best to spare you that!

RD flower show!

With spring coming up in a while, Lalbagh flower show is a reason to whistle. I'm going to whistle soon - will keep you updated.

By the way, does anyone know the names of those yellow/pink/red flowered trees that are so common out here in Bangalore? I read them up today - but any guesses?

Sacre bleu!

(Watch out! Our Wink writer has ruffled feathers today.. Might bite, if asked to follow any rules!)

Protocols protocols and protocols! Life, suddenly seems way too monotonous. At work, there is this PROCEDURE that you gotta follow for everything. And to do so, there are a couple of steps, a gazillion IFs and BUTs, a couple of warnings interspersed with two errors. All need to be followed, and to the last word, mister! Im out booking a ticket for a trip to Goa and there come in another new set of rules. Stand in the line. Don't pinch the one in front. Don't fake regurgitation when you don't get the window seat, don't call you "loud-mouthed" co-passenger a bonehead. Im out on a walk, and a board says "Don't swim in the lake". Its not like you ever planned to do so, but the RULES get on my nerves. At home, im supposed to talk to all my aunts and their husbands, as per an unwritten law, an un-passed bill. Don't slurp, don't eat with your mouth open, don't get out of the house in pyjamas, don't walk off without an "Excuse me". Its tiring I tell you.

So I decided to not follow them anymore. NO, I said. It aint happening. I refuse to be guided all through by this invisible hand telling me what to do and what not. I din't follow procedures at work. I lost the job. I din't stick to the queue at the counter. I got the tickets faster. I feigned purging in the bus. I got the seat. The WINDOW seat, mind you. I called my co-passenger names. He shut up. I wanted to swim in the lake. Well, uh... The swimming pool was closer to home. I din't talk to any of my aunts. Nor their husbands. They think I'm busy with work and successful at it. I walk out with my pyjamas on. Its way more comfortable. At the end of it, I realized that some amount of randomness was necessary. Some. Just about that "Some".

Now, im out looking for a job. Any takers?

Wink FAQ

Q: Why are the posts so lengthy?
A: Hey, if you are lazy to read them, we are lazy to edit them. We just let them be. Did we all not subscribe to the fact that laziness is a virtue?

Q:What is the frequency at which wink will be updated?
A:Fortnightly. All the columns of wink - will be completely revamped once every fortnight. "Savvy?"

Q:So does one have reason to follow it in between updates?
A:Yeah, there will be "tit-bits" from the writers - where in, we'll keep the length of the posts short! (sounds good?)

Now we'll take some questions. Ask away, if you got a query. Else, if you are just saying how much you like the Wink, we'll take it. We'll negotiate with the criticism.
Write in!

Welcome!

Welcome to the Wink. Its extremely un-philosophical and very unhelpful - but by and large, entertaining. In this issue, we'll leave you with Our Funny Side Up columns, something to Eat in our Wine, Dine and Dance and some place to go in our WanderLust - at least, thats what the plan is. But it really depends on our writers, we don't pay them and hence have to put up with their mood swings. So, lets just hope they stick to the schedule. Else, we'll just have another "Note" coming up - to keep you informed about what they Did Write About.


We don't take questions. At least, Not Yet.
ps: This is considered as a Post. More like a "Note from the Editors", but yeah, if you are comfortable with this being just a post, So Be It.

Wine, Dine and Dance!

Wine, dine and dance - slurp slurp (Don't you like the sound of that, now?)

Wink writers believe that satisfying their palates is of paramont importance.
And most of our readers out there vigorously nod their heads in agreement. Having established that,its only fair that we have a column on places to go in the weekends (albeit, weekdays would also be just fine with me).
This week I had been to this place called "The Only Place" on Museum road.
Firstly, I like the way they've named it. It's like calling a production company "A very good production", or a consulting firm "Fantastic consultancy". The name itself says wonderful things about the place.I had heard that this place attracted a melange of "Phirang" crowd. And I saw that I had heard right.There were people from the west, the east and a couple of 'em who seemed to come from mozambique
or namibia or ethiopia. I cannot be precise on that. Apologies.

We were cordially received. The waiter there stared at us till we said "Table for three, please".Disoriented by the sun, we deduced. After being ushered in, we shifted places till we were satisfied with one at the corner. It was time to order.
The menu had a whole variety of dishes. Pasta, spaghetti, steaks, lasagna. The non-vegetarians have a much wider range to choose from. The most famous dish at this place, we were told, was the "Chateaubriand" ,made of beef. Cow meat at that point didn't seem very inviting (after a round of prayers at a local temple where a priestly man was smearing vermilion on a cow). So we settled for an Alfredo (the one that's bland,with a bland sauce), a chicken steak (nice and crisp) and some pasta. Garlic bread comes as a part of the deal. We also tried the barbequed and sombrero chicken that assured me that my day would go well.
We had had a scrumptious meal. We were happy. "Food happy". Truly happy.
It din't end there. We moved on to the last phase. Desserts. Ordered an apple pie. "Ugh", actually. Apple! really! But the cheese cakes were delicious. It was a great feel of the authentic continental food. Not too heavy on the purse either (specially not when you do a 1/3 of the total amount).
I thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience. The sort that I would definitely recommend.

Wanderlust - Yana

I've always been fond of hopping around. And this is the story of my hop-trips to Yana. Cushioned in the lap of the western ghats, Yana is a treat. If you've missed the green of your pots at home, its time to go get some green there. You can reach Yana from Sirsi or Kumta (Now lets get this right – both of them are cute little towns in coastal Karnataka) I traveled by the Kumta route. To get to Kumta is a task in itself. No trains from Bangalore stop at Kumta (though Kumta does have a railway station, conveniently, with trains running into Goa!) I took the VRL bus (But surprisingly, VRL has no buses to Goa! Else its veins reach into the darkest corners, thankfully) to Kumta. It leaves at around 9:30 pm at Bangalore and reaches Kumta by 7:30 ish in the morning.
If you think you'll like the Poornima Railotel, you just might. Ask around for that one at Kumta, they'll take you to that place.The rooms that I got were dirty, but sufficient enough. Its a comfortable establishment, beds and bathroom and a television set. But they could have been kept locked for a really long time, you might have to get the cleaner up to clean it for a bit before you unpack. I was in a room just opposite where trains would stop – ah, what music. Can keep you awake, amused and perhaps even entertained, if you did not have the television set.
Yana is a popular trek route – and the Kumta folks know it. They'll charge you for what you're worth and more, and you can bargain. I took an auto into Yana. It will sweep across Kumta and take you into the ghatsYou can choose to walk up from a distance of 13 kms – or take it to about 3-4 kms range, after which, from the Kumta route – you cannot drive. Its a beautiful walk, lush green, tall trees, tamed yet wild (its not so wild that you should expect a tiger to come and say hi to you. No, no, just watch out for the odd leach). It was the little streams that caught my attention. Beautiful little ones, if you walk off the path into the wild trying to spot a turtle. There's a plantation or two, owned by some folks with dogs that you'd see on the way. Puff puff houses and all, real cute sight. Since there is a temple at the Yana, the path to Yana has some modern facilities. You'd find a water-pump. But let me not unravel the whole plot, then there would be nothing for you to discover.
Watch out for the sign board “wines and chickens not allowed” and you'd know you aren't far from the rocks. Yana has huge limestone rocks, so huge I could not get them full length on my camera. ( but not that I'm very savvy with them!) You can explore interesting little caves, if you are interested, that is. There is a tuck-shop at Yana where you can get your Miranda. Its actually a relief to the tired soles when you reach the Bhairaveshwara rock. The famous kannada movie, “Nammoora mandara hoove” was shot there I hear. I haven't seen it, but its widely recommended. You can walk the way back discovering off-beat paths, depending on your disposition. I ran out of patience. My friends and I just aimed at getting back to the auto on our way back.
Ah, I forget, we checked out the Dhareshwar beach (8 kms from Railotel, we took the same auto). The beach is untouched by tourists, but fully littered by the fishermen. The fishermen use the beach as their drain and my sincere advise is not to step into the holes that they have dug out – they don't have a well constructed loo in their huts, it would seem. But Dhareshwar sunset is a feast to the eyes, you're left on your own to contemplate on the mysteries of life and enjoy the waters. I remember spending a considerable amount of time resting at the Dhareshwar beach, waiting for the sun to go down. Kumta by the night is eerie. Atleast, it was eerie to me, who is used to the brightly lit city lights. Kumta is dark by night, very dark. And very quiet, that I was whispering.
You'll be fed up with Railotel food service. Check into the Chic looking Panduranga International Hotel, which is a walk away, if you feel like eating some better food. I encountered a lot of weird people at Kumta, including one cleaner at the Railotel. He gives out glares while you are eating, like he is waiting for you finish, so he can pull the plate away and clean the table. If you do go into the Railotel and find him there still, you'll see that he'll be something to write about in a comedy movie script. You'll want to check out Kumta town life – walk around, it aint so wide that you can't go around it. The marker has cute, very tiny, colorful plastic pots. Nearby places to visit around Kumta are Bhatkal, Sirsi and most definitely Gokarna. Happy Yana!

One Up

Category : Misc.... (Some writers are so lame, they don't know what category their writings come under! Gosh!)

It’s about who gets the last word. It’s always about that. That’s when the argument is won. You may justify your stand by a million rational things, scientific graphs and unscientific caricatures drawn and designed in a fit of anger, but there’s no sure way of knowing you can win the battle. You could present a “presentation” (I like the way I put it! Am I clever or what!) really well, with power-point, added a little animation, some Shakespearean drama lines to explain a “technical” software and smirk at your opposition thinking you’ve one-upped them. But if your opposition sitting next you, comes very close to your range-of-hearing and says just-for-your-ears-only, “My! My!” – They’ve taken their hand and put it on top of yours. They have one-upped you, until you suitably reply, “yeah! Let’s wait and see” or find something unprintable or nasty (how ever irrelevant or kiddish) to say.
The most common “end” lines are “oh, just shut up!” and “shut up!” or “will you please shut up?” (Said by the more courteous ones!) These are the “ultimate” lines – any of the “You little hippopotamus” (God, the print media is really smudging my venomous streak – and making me say really mild things. But I respect the written word, since I have written them!), or probably the “ You blood sucking leech” (simply to make an ostentatious display of your knowledge in biology and of the members of the family ‘Hirudinae’). You have more nasty things to say, but you stay mum simply because your mother wouldn’t like you using those words and you are as conscientious as the Gods themselves. You know your not infallible but you make it appear so. Your theories suddenly become allegoric, so that nobody can question you on that. Why of course, they have a base. You have nothing more to say, but you wouldn’t give up. You continue it with a ”Oh so did they teach you that in school?” or pretend to enjoy a delectable morsel of croissant and say “ Well well, I guess we all have our own opinions” feeling cheated in retrospect, because you had none!!

You vow to fight. Fight tooth and nail (simultaneously thinking if that was the phrase you wanted to use), fight for the trophy (which of course would be the color draining off your opponent’s face), fight for that one last word that would end the battle, with you emerging as the winner and brandishing your unscathed ego! The going can surely get tough if your opponent is as worthy (or as stubborn) as you. An eye for an eye, and another sense organ for every one of the foe’s sense organ! You aren’t going to give up.

It’s a battle of wits, trial of knowledge, clash of egos and the test of time (well, not really). Contortions of the face and grimaces are not going to deter you in any manner. The goal is clear. The vision, lucid. Your worthy friend brings out his best tools. His mathematical and statistical skills are fabulous. You are left flabbergasted by his vast knowledge on the markets and the current affairs. He regurgitates all that he’s learnt from the time of his pre school. He’s made his point. He’s proved his worth. And most importantly, he’s got the last word. AND THE WINNER IS…
“Ahem…Ahem…Do you happen to have more biscuits??” Every pair of eyes turns to you. You’ve done it. You’ve hit the mark. You’ve stolen the last word. You’ve won, and that’s all that matters.

Funny Side Up

Funny Side Up - Bread and Breakfast!

Someone rightly said that the human race ought not to feel very disappointed early in the day. Life, said someone, gets better after breakfast. I am forced to nod my head in humble agreement. A day without breakfast is rather gloomy. Its not so much the deed as the thought of skipping breakfast. A soul that is used to this ritual in the morning, is a trained one. At precisely the breakfast time, that particular soul wanders around hoping to as usual, catch up on the ritual. There's nothing else to do at that time – its reserved, bought, sold to breakfast.

Sometimes one thinks its a mind block and that one ought to skip the morning meal for an early brunch. But as pointed out, there's nothing to do during breakfast time. Its marked on the calendar. You could take a walk, or talk to your dog during that time, but there's this uneasy feeling that you drowned your fish, voluntarily.

There's always the newspaper to read while break-fasting. Now, now – you know how that goes in. News is a supplement to the breakfast, its read absentmindedly, taken in slowly, one morsel at a time. And the breakfaster's sentiments regarding any sort of news in the paper is mostly neutral – it does not matter. So the ministers changed, the cricket team won, the farmers got smarter – it all feels the same, with bread on hand. The storm brewing, the volcano spewing – is all taken in, in equilibrium. Nature has bestowed man with the equilibrium of mind and emotion during breakfast times – who are we to fight it out? I once heard about a man that lost his breakfast and found his newspaper. I heard that he could not digest it well. He ended up crying over the cricket team so loud, his neighbors brought him grub!

There is the aroma – oh, almost certainly. The morning air smells of hope, good faith and a healthy, heavy, handsome breakfast (if not a handsome breakfaster!) You almost know what to expect. I understand that sometimes people hope to be surprised – but the regular breakfaster prefers that to happen a little later in the day. Breakfast knows no surprises. A breakfaster always wants, prefers a familiar breakfast. No Octopus, no strange culinary experiments go well with the breakfast. If one does experiment with breakfast, there is the odd chance that the experiment might not agree with the mind or soul. If that occurs, then be sure to watch out for an irritated beverage time. I once heard that a man was surprised with his breakfast and he didn't like it very much. I suggest we learn from his experience instead of trying the experiment out ourselves. Better breakfast than sorry (the breakfaster's version of the “better safe than sorry”).

The mind has not woken up during breakfast. Most of the cells are still trying to remember the alphabet. It takes the cells a while before they can come to “how to identify a pronoun” - and one ought to give them space and enough transition time before they face the world. I have often seen people eat breakfast in not-too-much-talk mode. No big thinking like, “what is the electron's anti-spin action” should be done during breakfast. It kills the passion of the mostly lazy brain cells and neurons of the average man, whose other cells don't want to hurry to work – but just have to as the situation demands it. And if one wants to cheer these brain cells a bit, wake them up, give them a pat – they pick a simple, enjoyable task that suits them. For some its the morning crossword (“nothing brings more joy than a familiar word” says a crossword enthusiast), some prefer the cartoon strip, some try the sudoku, some just turn on the radio and don't listen to it, some others do something similar too. Once you've woken these brain cells up, nothing like them to impress your manager at work, says someone. We'll just take his word for it.

But of course, there is the “i love mornings” people who wake their brain cells up by a morning exercise routine. I often suspect that the whole “lets get up and run” thing is to build up an appetite for the breakfast (But I definitely do endorse the exercise. It makes a lot of people look fit) Personally, I'm not too much of a fan of early morning runs – but thats because my brain cells get frightened by the mongrels on the street, whose brain cells are kind of ferocious.

I once heard of a man who didn't like his breakfast. I heard he lived a long, boring life. I also heard that he got promoted often. But that sort of a thing is a thing of chance. You ought not to take it seriously. Lets hence not follow his actions and imitate him. Its annoying to recollect that he was pretty easy on the eye and even, some say, witty. But yes, thats a fluke – a rare event. Lets not dwell too deeply on him. Lets talk about the breakfaster who loved his breakfast. He was loved by his wife. Old and young liked him alike (his wife was a middle-age example). Lets follow him instead. I hear he laughed and played and often got his bonuses. He was a jolly good fellow and did lots of things that others appreciated.

By the previous example, let us conclude that its a nice thing to have a nice breakfast rather than it being a nice thing not having a nice breakfast. Apart from its healing powers, it gives a soul something to do in the mornings, something to call a daily routine. For the lack of a punch line to finish off with, I shall borrow one. Someone said that one should never skip one's breakfast. Amen.