Stories from a wanderer

Saryumousi passed away yesterday. After the last rites, "Petu" is nowhere to be seen. The relationship between Saryumousi and Petu is more than that of a mother-son. Their relationship was an example of affection and undiluted love.  There was a small hamlet in the low lying areas of the coastal Odisha. Most of its inhabitants were fishermen who made their leaving by fishing in the sea. Mr. Shashidhar Dash, headmaster of the village school lived there with his wife Saryudevi. Though god hadn't blessed her with a child, but Sarymousi loved the kids in their locality as her own. The couple lived happily with the paltry resources the headmaster could make from his job in the school. A small thatched hut was at one end of the village, slightly at a higher from ground. The story dates back to the time when the super cyclone struck the coast of Odisha. The sea like a demon gulped the nearby villages with mountains of water rushing in and washing away people with it. The h...

How literate are we, financially? Can you tell when was the first time you ever used a credit card or bought your first stock? I used a credit card for the first time when I was 28 and bought my first stock from the equity market when I was 32. In both cases I was late, very late. And I am sure there many like me who are already late in making important financial decisions in life. Let’s try to analyse the reason behind this problem. Education system We can surely consider ourselves to be educated. There would be people among us who were considered genius in college in subjects like mathematics or accounting. Many would have secured good numbers in these subjects. But there will be only few who would have carried these knowledge forward to utilise in their practical lives. What could be the reason? May be nobody taught us to do so. We only mastered these subjects just for the sake of getting good marks in the exams. Later we forgot all about them and undermined the fact tha...

Re-constructing "In Time" You remember the Justin Timberlake starrer movie “In time”? The concept of the movie caught my attention at once. In Time Picture Courtesy: www.imdb.com Let me refresh a little about the plot of the movie that moves around the “time-is-currency system”, which is established as a means of population control. But with advances in anti-aging processes, people were still surviving. Inflation and lower ‘wages’ were designed to keep the population in control. A person can stop ageing at 25, but after that one is genetically engineered to live only one year extra. Time is the medium of exchange to buy things and get paid at work. Once your time runs out, you are dead. The poor live in ghettos struggling for their daily share of time, while the rich in the New Greenwich zone are almost immortal with huge stock of time in their accounts. Though she was born in the richest family, Sylvia (lead actress of the movie) never got the chance ...

Kerala, one of the southern states in India is blessed by mother nature. The state boasts of a coastline almost running across its length, abundant green cover, hill stations with tea plantations and huge spread of backwaters. If you drive across the countryside, the roads are lined up with either the tea plantations or spice gardens. You can virtually smell the aroma of raw spices. Truly called as “ God’s own country ”. During a visit to Kerala few years back, we got the opportunity to stay onboard the houseboats. We started from  Kumarakom  which is famous for  backwater tourism . The houseboats are literally like a resort on water, equipped with all modern amenities. Houseboat on Vembanad Lake The floating Resort Houseboat: Cutting through the waters Our boat had 2 air-conditioned cabins for guests with all modern amenities, a dining area, kitchen and the best part was small cushioned sitting space along the edges of the boat. The ex...

Here is the story of the brave soldiers of Indian army, during the Indo-China war in 1962. The story is of gallantry, patriotism and dedication of a small platoon of Indian soliders who bravely fought a battalion of Chinese army with full artillery support. Thanks to  @Peacef_Warrior  and  @anilkohli54  for sharing the detailed account on Twitter.  Introduction Rezang La  was the site of the last stand of the 13 Kumaon, during the War in 1962 company led by Maj Shaitan Singh (Winner of  Param Vir Chakra ). On 18 November 1962, 114 Indian soldiers out of a total of 123 were killed killing 1300 Chinese soldiers in the battle. Rezang La memorial: In memory of those Unsung heroes (Photograph courtsey: wikimapia.org) Charlie Company of a battalion called 13 Kumaon was divided in several platoons on one ridge of two kilometres protecting the airfield of Chushul which was vital if India was to hold Ladakh. It was attacked on the mornin...

The Maestro of Odia Music Any discussion about the Odia music is incomplete without the mention of the great singer, Akshay Mohanty. Fondly called as "Khokha Bhai", he is known for his versatility in the world of music as a Lyricist, a composer & a singer.. He ruled the music industry for more than 3 decades and created some everlasting melodies. His creations have the local flavour, yet with a modern touch. Having seen the transformation of music in India, Khokha bhai always tried to impart some innovation into his music. During his tenure in Odia music industry, he composed music in more than 60 films and worked as a lyricist for more than 30 films (Source: imdb ). With the variety of music he has created, it will not be exaggeration to say he was the maestro of Odia music industry. On his death anniversary, we music lovers pay him a tribute. Khodabhai, no one can take your place. There is only one Akshay Mohanty. You will liver forever in the heart of every passio...

Light....        Shadow....           Mystery.......... Mystery is curiosity mixed with imaginations. Light and shadow effect (thanks to the app "Fotor" on App Store) changes the perception completely.  Here are two photographs of the same monument but creating two different perceptions. Only thing done here is playing with light and shadow. Basilica of Bam Jesus Old Goa, India Basilica of Bam Jesus Old Goa, India The monument is of  Basilica of Bam Jesus  in Old Goa, India. This beautiful church is also a UNESCO heritage site. You can find out more about the monument from the link to wiki above. The serenity and greenery in the surrounding area complement to the beauty of the church. Camera is a wonderful discovery by mankind. If the person behind the lens is artistic enough then magic is created. I am always impressed by renowned directors who have the eyes of a photographer. Predomin...

Planning a family trip to Singapore? Singapore is known to be one of the great shopping destinations in Asia. It is also a nice place for vacation where you might be thinking of going with your family or friends. I would like to leave a few tips here based on my experiences during a recent trip to Singapore. These tips might help you plan better and save a few dollars! Plan your trip The cardinal rule for a tourist is "Plan your trip well in advance". Holds good here too. You can get good deals in flight fares, hotel tariffs. My personal preference after the trip is to book hotel and flight tickets on your own in stead of going through travel portals like Thomas Cook or Makemytrip etc. I booked through Thomas Cook and had to face hiccups which could have been avoidable by the trip organiser. Flights There are many websites out there who will give you great deals on flight tickets. Return airfares on budget airlines are the best bet for early planners and budget ...

I had often heard stories people tell about their meeting with a stranger which changed their lives. Always thought they are little exaggerated until it happened with me one day. I met this stranger in one of the airport lounges. The flight was delayed by 3 hours from Mumbai airport, I had no option but wait for the next announcement. After a hectic day, a flight delay is a killer. Thought of killing the frustration and boredom over a cup of coffee in the CCD. Right on the opposite table, there was a foreigner gentleman dressed in a casual attire with a completely shaved head. The black frame glasses adding to the rustic look he had. At first I thought he's some writer or techie something. No he might be a businessman. Though I'm not a big extrovert, the curiosity compelled me to go and get introduced with the stranger. To my utter surprise, he was not from any of the fields I was thinking. He was an international business manager from a reputed MNC. After the fo...

After an early dinner at an Indian restaurant, myself and my boss decided to walk down the street to the hotel in Basel (Switzerland). We just were walking on the pavement while talking about wide range of topics except work! One of the topics immersed us so much in the discussion that we almost forgot we were walking. By the time we came back to our senses when we realised there was a car behind us running very slowly. We realised our mistake, apologised to the driver and gave him way. The car just zoomed past us in the next moment leaving us on the pavement. That was an uncommon experience for an Indian. The car was  quietly following us without even blinking the headlights or honking. Had been the case back home, we must have been cursed by the driver or subjected to incessant honking or even there was a chance of getting run over. Follow traffic rules After this experience, we thought of understanding the reason behind such discipline in people. There were variety of...