Endless horizon decorated by the lush green graze land… cold wind muffling the air around. We explored the scenic beauty of Wagamon, ran over the graze lands, howled aloud so that even our voice was shivering in the cold….
Wagamon is a charming hill station in Kottayam-Idukki border. This is my second visit to Wagamon, both with my dear ones … The month of December is so special for me since I am from Kottayam… The entire town becomes so majestic due to Christmas and the winter cold… This December was more special for me… The trip was planned quickly, but was charted perfectly…. We escaped from our office one fine evening, went to our home and had an awesome home stay, then started in the early morning to Wagamon.
The mist of December welcomed us in the morning; we could see our car covered with the droplets of mist. Sipping warm cup of tea and hot steamed bananas, we planned to take traditional breakfast in Pala. To offer our prayers, we went to the Bharananganam Church. We could observe slight changes in the topography… small windings on road changed to big uphill turns, where the cold wind closed our ears making it difficult to listen to the soothing music by Strings played in Silly’s Sony stereo…! I didn’t feel I was travelling with my colleagues, I felt I was travelling with my bros and my sweet sis…
I don’t know what motivated us to have ice-creams in the cold weather of Wagamon… After spending the entire morning there, we headed to Paruthumpara, a more fascinating, thrilling, breathtaking sight… Looking down the barricades, we could feel that we are standing on top of the world, wind was too cold and strong…Ajith bhai took wonderful snaps…
Having our dinner in Bar-Be-Que , Kottayam, discussing about the trip and beautiful moments, it was hard to believe that a weekend has flown away like a split second… Night, we had the Christmas cake together – A nice weekend, an awesome trip, and handful of sweet memorable moments… I am so happy that you all came to my hometown… Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas and Happy 2011…!!!
"Yeah, obviously, it will rain today", my friends told me when I put forward the idea of spending an evening in the beach. They may be right because it’s too windy today; also the sky is darker than usual. I love this climate and I love to watch the sea now… more vigor, more lively, and I believe that this energy transfers to us when we stand there, watching the horizon. But that’s not the reason for me to go, I just love to be there now, and sea is just a few minute walk from our room.
I took a small notepad with me and a pencil, sometimes I like to scribble down when I sit alone in peace and calm. The music of waves is the only sound you hear when you sit in the beach now. Nobody will be there; they all like to watch the sea from their balconies, when it rains. There are lots of rocks on the beach. They make a good sea-wall (a form of hard and strong coastal defense constructed on the inland part of a coast to reduce the effects of strong waves). This means that the sea can sometimes be a little bit mischievous. I sat down on a big rock. The waves always caress some rocks in the front row, and they have become incredibly smooth and beautiful over time, they have green algae on them, giving a lovely color to the rocks. The waves are a bit high today (or I like to believe that they are). Wind is stronger today, which I am quite sure, and when the wind blows on you, it brings tiny droplets of sea water and sprinkles on you everywhere… In the distant horizon, you can see fish boats; they seemed to be so still in water. There are lots of seagulls and other birds near the beach; they fly all around making funny noise. I wanted to go a little bit into the waves. I tore a paper from my notepad and made a small paper boat. Just wrote a name on it, Jeffrey (It’s a childhood habit; I always name my paper boats. And this name… I don’t know how the name Jeffrey came to my mind…) I walked above the rocks and went into the water, with the paper boat in my hand. Oh man, the water was goddamn cold. I placed the boat in the water, it came back to the shore thrice… I went a little bit more far, I really wanted to see my boat ‘traveling’. And you know - it did.
It was a cute little boat, white paper with blue lines on it. On one side it was written ‘jeffrey’ with a pencil. As Jeffrey sailed by itself, I was looking at it with utmost happiness. Wind is now cooler and faster, in some distant cloud, I could clearly hear soft thunder."Yeah, obviously, it will rain today"
When I reached room, it started rain, it was a smooth downpour. Raindrops spatter on my windowpanes. I sat down on my bed with a warm coffee.
There is a sound right? When we throw pebbles in water, or when small waves break on the shore, maybe that’s the only sound Jeffrey can hear now, or he can hear the sound of wind that accelerates him, I don’t know if he is wet now, due to rain…
I wonder how it could be so sunny in the sea now, when it rains so heavily here. Jeffrey is really enjoying the climate, and he is sailing so fast. The wind really accelerates him; can’t believe that a small boat can sail in this speed. I am afraid if the salt water spoils his facade, but Jeffrey is so smart than I imagined…
It’s getting dark, and now the wind is cold… Jeffrey could see a small light in a distance which was getting closer to him. It was a gigantic cargo ship, it made huge waves. Jeffrey could hardly poise in water. The noise of the turbine was unbearable, it also made huge whirlpool around Jeffrey, and slowly he drowned and was sucked through the turbine. He was completely wet and crumbled between a huge bolt and nut. It was a terrible voyage for him, he could feel the change in taste of water. Several days and nights passed.
“Coast is 6 Nautical miles” somebody in the ship commanded. Jeffrey could feel the anchor cable loosening; he was released in a new world, where he is so wet to sail. But waves pushed him to a new land – Atlanta.
Atlanta is a beautiful coastal town. The seashore is covered with golden sand and small pebbles, kids running all around, playing with small plastic shovels and sand carts… It is so sunny in the beach so that it took less than 5 minutes for Jeffrey to dry up and take his original shape.
“Pappa, from where do all these ships come from?”
“Son, they come from a faraway place in the sea…”
“Really…? So where are they going pa, why are they sailing like this?”
“Son, ships love to see us, they are coming to see people, they sail to different places, they meet lot of people, they enjoy their voyage … in the sun, in the rain…”
“I didn’t know it Pa… why do they love us? Can I take a ship to our home…? ”
“Dear, look the ships are really huge” Father pointed towards a huge ship in the sea… Jeffrey was smiling; he could faintly hear the conversation between a father and his little son. The son had cute blue eyes, he always asks questions. His father finds joy in answering all of them too…
“Hey Big Boy, come over here… we have a pool in our home and I will give you my water ducks to you” The kid screamed running towards the sea. He was staring at a big cargo ship in the sea. While he ran his hair flew in the breeze…. “Come here Big Boy….”
Suddenly a wave wet his shoes, he laughed like anything… and when he bend down to touch the waves he got Jeffrey in his hand…, “Pappaaa look, I got a small one… perfect for our pool, he can sail with my water ducks” The kid screaming in joy...
“Come here, it’s getting late, and leave it there son, it may be of somebody else”
“Who told Pa, the Big Boy gave this to me, if not, how come my name is there on this boat?”
“Come on Jeff, we need to hurry, it’s getting late”
“Pa, I got a boat… Hurray… thank you Big Boyyy”
“Jeffrey, come on….”, father called him once again.
One loud thunder woke me up; rain was still so heavy… I got up and walked towards the window, I really didn’t have any idea, why I was smiling… :)
It was not just a job, not just an office, and all of them were not just colleagues.
It’s been more than a year, and I am lucky to join our small company in its growing phase. Now, when I look back, it was not just a long journey, it is simply memorable though…
How do you define experience? Things you have learnt?Projects you have undergone? People you managed? Certificates you earned? Appreciation you achieved? Credits…? Applause…? Challenges…? Hurdles…? Mistakes…? Failures…? I believe, Experience = (What you are now) – (What you were before), Experience is the change that has happened, it’s the transition in your Life. It includes everything in the list (professional exposure), plus, moments that took your breath away, stuffs you have smiled at, places you chilled out with your friends (colleagues?), screams and laughter in the office, small parties, departs, new employees, fights, music, games, films, snacks and sweets (yummieee)…
When I joined in Amrita E-Learning research Labs, I thought, life will become more serious. Now I understand a fact, we’ve to be sincere and simple, not matured. We have to be open and celebrate each and every moment in life. Life is too short to hate anyone, or sit in despair. This place was heaven, every day we had reasons to smile. We didn’t have great victories or pathetic failures. Our life was simple. But you know one thing…. Our product was launched by APJ Abdul Kalam. We have deployments in major parts of the country and our clients include professors in US too. Oh, by the way, we develop software for e-learning and e-conference. Leading institutions like IIT, PSG, IIIT etc are our national clients. We have funding from ISRO, MHRD, NME-ICT etc… In our office, we have developers, engineers, research people, managers, etc pretty interesting huh?
Now I sit in front of my Dell Precision, sounds of phone calls, discussions, keyboard strokes, chattering, and songs. I have opened couple of web pages, our application –A-VIEW, some excel sheets, and a project proposal document, I see around and I’ll tell myself – This is our office and I’ve been here a year…
(Friends, you see this video...Ajith ettan was testing the new upgradation in some video streaming technology (that’s how we were caught in the lens); it was a happy moment just because it was a fun day. Ashish ettan and I were practicing our new greeting style. Sethu sir was seriously working, Krishant was escaping and laughing at us, Varkkichayan and Swarnakka were wondering whatz happening, Sreejith bhai was trying to be the tuff guy, u see that smile on Ajith ettans face? He smiles this way when he captures rare videos, he has done it before too, right Swarnakka? And you know, Adarsh ettan edited the video, special thanks to you…)
(here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8DQ8Ydh-RE)
Even the memories of your departure tears apart my heart into cold bloodless pieces i try to smile, but i realize the roar of an ocean within i try to move around, but the chain of pain ties me tight
The fact that 'I can do nothing' kills me everyday I wish if time flies in a split second I wish for the day, when I can say You are not going...; We are going together...
To hold your palm to feel the warmth and walk through the clouds in dreams...
:) Just another crazy thought may be... but, I spend time in thinking such things. What happens if one day, the rotation and revolution stops...? Sounds like a light GD topic huh ? :)
The day: This is 6th of June 2013 (No... please, don't smile) World is busy as it is always. People going to office, huge traffic, kids playing, some going to school, birds chirping, flights, and all those movie stuffs... flowers, ocean, wind.... soft guitar strokes and orchestra... just imagine a typical day start... This is one side of Earth. On the other side.. People coming from the office, kids sleeping, couples in an evening restaurant, teenagers enjoying the dusk on the beach, birds flying across the red sky, metro rails, evening market, and a helicopter shot of a busy highway - vehicles moving...
4:00pm: Sound of wending machines in offices, the sun has gone a bit soft, kids playing in the park...
5:00pm: Its not getting cooler, kids tired and resting in the shade... Employees of Intel going to the evening canteen and wondering about the climate change, "look at the sun, its still hot in the evening... uff... this global warming". Radar signals in AirBus 380 has some transmission problems and had ordered for an emergency landing. Trans Atlantic Metro service - static. Common people looking at their watches and the sun... some smiling, some wondering...
6:30pm: "What the hell...?" Telephone rings in all parts of the world, networks jammed... CNBC reporting about a phenomenon... no one knows why the sun is not setting... People are afraid, speeding to their homes... hardly anyone is out in the streets, NYPD cars and helicopters, sound of police alerts and public announcement. Television signals very weak, all airways, metros jammed.. Out in the Pacific Ocean 'Queen Mary, The City in the Sea', huge cruise ship lost the direction... US Navy Communicates to the common people, The President appears in the TV - "Nothing to fear, the situation is under control...", signal lost. When there is a complete chaos in the Light Side... music faints...
[Scene: the Dark side]
4:00 am: Mumbai is still awake...! some teens going from the nightclubs, householders in deep sleep, Srinagar is still in soft mist of June, some temple chanting and church bells in Chennai ... Outsourcing companies having a tough time, don't know what, the employees are happy-shift cancelled... Another Recession???
5:00 am: All international flights from Delhi cancelled, Some problems regarding the internet and the telephone connections... "95481243355 is my home number, now they are telling, "Bienvenue à Tours Zaphire. Que pouvons-nous faire pour vous monsieur?"...!!!" not only Amar Singh is wondering... there is some problem regarding the whole network
6:30 am: NASA and ISRO communicating with weak signals. Indian Navy aircraft carriers INS Viraat and Vikrant urgently called back. All Atomic power units communicated Z level security. The problem is identified - EARTH STOPPED MOVING...!!!
One side of the Earth is lit by the sun, the other side is dark as charcoal. Why this happened? Nobody has answers. Everywhere there is a sort of faint noise, like distant thunder. Obviously this affected the life of every creature
The sea is still, no tides, no waves…! Seems like it’s a huge lake… My goodness… The common people didn’t know what happened. But now signals are strengthening, in the television we get only one or two channels and they are focusing on the phenomena. Even though flights service is getting back there are several restrictions to travel. There are lots of problems… but situations are somewhat different in the ‘Two Worlds’ - That’s what the media named the story: There are now Two Worlds on our Earth!
