Words...

All the things you need.
Everything you want.
In her garden it waits.
A million miles away.

(paraphrasing from a movie I watched recently)

So what does that mean. And Why do words touch us sometimes even when we don't immediately know what they mean. Do we ever really know what they mean. Are they even supposed to mean a specific thing? These words I am writing now, why am I writing them? Coz I need to express something? Coz I need to organize my thoughts? Coz I have a point to make? But to whom? My words are never gonna mean the same to someone else. They are mine. They originate in my mind are written through my fingers and are fulfilling the foremost purpose of expression for me. But, I also feel the words I have paraphrased above are as much mine as the authors. They are a part of me once I have read them and they have created an effect in me. The author cannot claim to take that from me. He can't say, "Hey, that was not what I meant. Your interpretation is incorrect. Give it back. You have no right to write about it."

So, what was the question...???@#%@!*^

Yeah- what the hell does that mean? Why does it provoke me when I don't exactly know what it means. Well, aren't words just the most limited form of expression. I have so much in me, I could never get out on this piece of writing even if I was Rushdie. Yet, words seem to have something about them, something very important. What is that?

Every person has at sometime wanted to write poetry. Those who say its homosexual (reference to VB here) to write poetry know it is only because they have failed in doing so. Everybody has been influenced by a Ghalib or a Dinkar or a Voltaire or Wordsworth. But is there any guarantee that anyone has really ever understood what they were saying. Sure Wordsworth sounded beautiful and Dinkar's essays were provoking, but how can you be sure you understood it exactly the way it was intended. Did anyone?
Even a piece of writing which is not adulterated by the effects of time and the imperfections of language- can it ever communicate the state of the mind.
I wish to contend that it need not, it does something even better. nOW LETS HOPE i AM ABLE TO GET THIS ACROSS...

Ideas can be shared. But the mental states they arose from can never be recreated in the reader. A reader might say, "What a precise idea. I understand what the author means." He can hardly say, "I feel what he feels." He may say "This idea makes me feel such and such way."
The thing is if he felt the same way, that would be as far as the idea would go. But the idea in this
new mental environment creates a new idea thus creating a new state... and so the story continues. [If ideas could ever be formed and established uniformly in all minds, that would be the end of the human race. It is only the continuous cycling that ensures we always have somewhere new to go to, to ask new questions]

p.s. Another proposition since I have already wandered off so much-
This venturing to newer places, newer ideas sometimes lands the lucky ones to the Ultimate Truth as they say(If there is a Truth, someone knows it), but the best thing is that they can never really TELL anyone this Truth, coz the don't have a perfect medium. How beautiful is this construction...eh? :)

Do tell through mail/chat/comments what you think the above four lines mean :)

Kya Mausam Hai

क्या मौसम है, ऐ दीवाने दिल.
अरे चल कहीं दूर निकल जायें.

And now her eyes- glazed-blue- singing-dancing-swaying.
And now her nose-smiling-teasing . I take her hand and we
jump into the pages of a book. And now we are in a cartoon dream.
Running-running with Happy in the blood-running to the........

And now we are caught in a tornado-In Dorothy's dream we rise toward the clouds
Rotating upward in quenching embrace....

कोई हम्दम है, चाहत के काबिल...
किसलिए हम संभल जायें...

And now we swing and skip into the valley,
Descending gently on one foot in the middle
of an ice lake. Skaters whiz past....
We float and slide...angel feet above
the ice. Cold radiation on feet and
wind on face...nose cutting through
icy ether like knife separating the world
into left and right and now the ice melts-
sunshine-birds-red-apple-trees-butterfly
guiding us to huge-yellow-sunflower.
Hold my hand and leap. Slide along musky
yellow, landing in pollen and sneezing-laughing....
jumping.....falling.......falling....falling.....
Through the flower stem to the other end
space....floating...floating........
floating through space towards light
and hope of meaning...


खोए से हम, खोई सी मंजिल
अच्छा है संभल जायें

Tips for Ladakh

Here is some advice for travel in ladakh arising from my experience there.

1) If you are flying in - rest 48hrs. If you are coming in by road, rest 36 hours. Do not ignore this. Even if you feel fine, you are not. Use these two days to walk around town, browse through shops, and most importantly, get the inner line permit which you will be needing to go to Nubra and Pangong later. Make atleast 8 copies of this permit as it is to be handed over at various check points.

2) Guest Houses. There is no shortage of Guest Houses in Leh. I have personal reviews for the following.

Asia Guest House:
Rs. 600 for double room. Nice blankets, nice view, polite people(thats true all over ladakh)
Hot water 24 hrs, clean western toilets. A 15-20 mins walk from the main bazaar.
Distance and cost are the cons here.

Ti-Sei Guest House
In the alleys on the right of Jigmet Guest House(a famous one) is tucked away this new quiet place.
Rs. 400 for double room. Rooms are quite nice with huge windows, bathrooms clean, hot water at specific times of day(ask in advance) The people here are very nice too.
It is very quiet here and the place is 3-5 mins walk from main bazaaar.
This happens to be my recommendation. I loved this place.

Shanti guest house (near shanti stupa)
Rs 200-250 for single room. Hot water, private bath. According to sources this is the cheapest and best but it is about half hour walk from main bazaar.

3) Activities:

a) 2 Nights 3 Days Jeep Safari to Nubra Valley - Rs. 7000 for jeep for entire trip. Can be comfortably shared between 6 people (one with driver in front, three in middle row, 2 in back row)

Leh - Khardungla - Diskit - Hunder - Summur - Panamik - Leh

I recommend stay at Hunder first night and Summur the second night. Guest houses listed in Lonely Planet are usually full and also not as nice as some of the new ones. Just drive around a bit and try to find a new looking guest house. Try not to let the driver take you to wherever he wishes. Be firm on driving around a bit.

There is nothing much to do here except watch the awesome landscape and feel the silence. (And of course more GOmpas :) )Take walks. Im Summur we were dropped by jeep to the monastery but we walked on the way back. Enquire about availability of beer in guesthouses. The caretakers can usually bring it in from the market or from another guest house for you. ;)

b) Jeep safari / motorbike trip to Pangong Lake/ Tso Moriri Lake.
I hear the tso moriri is better but Pangong is closer. Pick your pick.

c) Rafting n Indus: The season had not started when we were there. If grade 3+ is not started yet, I would not recommend the lower grade. Try your luck

d) Day Trip to Hemis. We stopped in Thiksey Monastery on the way and it was awesome. I hear Shey is also good. On this trip, stop to eat at Karu ( just before hemis)

e) Mountain biking : You can rent mountain bikes at many places in Leh. There is also a place in the main square which oeganises downhill biking from Khardung La to Leh (Uphill journey on Jeep) for 700-900 Rs. per person.

f) Trekking: For people with more time lots of trekking options are available

4) Food:

World Garden Cafe - Above average pizzas. I hear the chicken tikka, esp the one with white gravy, is also good. ;)

KC bar and restaurant - look out for this happening place with live soccer. Music and comedy shows are also projected on the big screen. Fires are lit every night. Place starts to fill up by about 8:30. Grab a seat early. Kingfisher is available for Rs. 120. Food is good too. We liked the french fries(with beer) and the shahi paneer with naan. Other stuff on other peoples tables also looked good.

Himalayan Cafe - This sparkling new place in the farther side of main bazaar had excellent food. I had a veg burger which was great. Nutella pancake was also good.

Booklovers Retreat in Changspa - Just okay food, cakes when fresh(count the number of slices remaining) are good. Ambiance is nice. Isrealy b/f is good. Books for sale and to read.

Zen Garden Cafe - Nice atmosphere. Next to the stream. Passable thai food. Did not like the cannelloni.

Will add more as i remember and have the time :)