Back from the dust and bump....the need for infrastructure in Churachandpur

My annual repair for the Christmas season to Churachandpur, Manipur is indeed an eventful one. Got to meet lots of new friends and relatives.  Tons and tons of memorable events. 

The flight back to Kolkata via Aizawl is my first one through this route. Got a feeling the flight is flying comparatively low, can see those mountains from my seat. Once we landed at Lengpui airport ( Aizawl airport), the feeling is like that of war movies where an airport suddenly appears out of nowhere, something like a secret landing strip between the mountains. A bit disappointed though , thought i would get to see the spectacular Aizawl city on the way in or on the way out of the airport, i crane my neck here and there, all for nothing but mountains again, but no sight of zawlkhawpui, finally googled it , and the city is indeed very far and outside the flight path of the normal flight.

** my apologies for what's written in this post- in case i intentionally hurt the sentiments of some of the readers.

During my short stay there for about 12 days, i can't help but notice a few needs for this nascent and fast developing town...So many what ifs...

• what if there were no dust/ fewer dust - ( the dust in the town famously known as "Lamka Powder")  this will need a good road and regular sweeping/cleaning at least once a day by the town/municipal department. Our vehicles will last longer and the BUMP .... exciting and adventurous but nonetheless unnecessary. The road was good till the entry to the town ( Tuibuang), then the bump starts.
• what if there were regular supply of electricity, instead of the very normal load-shedding day, electricity day etc. This one is a far shot from where we stand right now. Some are optimistic with the introduction of the pre-paid electricity, regular supply of electricity is expected soon.
• what if there were regular supply of drinking water . We did subscribe the much publicized and expensive water supply line coming from the Khuga Dam, the water did come once or twice during those few days of my stay there, very irregularly regular.

If the district administration could ensure these three basic necessity i.e. good roads, regular electricity and water, then our very own Churachandpur would be very near to paradise here on earth. These three needs along with peace/security in the district will constitute the very basic needs, Abraham Maslow couldn't agree with me more.

The depleting underground water level is another concern here, in the absence of regular water supply coming through , the survival instincts of the citizens kicks  in and for this... most of those who can afford started digging wells . Ours at Beulah-lane is around 45 feet deep, with water level hardly 2 feet at the bottom. January has set in, till the rains come somewhere in March/April, this water shortage will continue.
The situation is indeed grim, in a few years, the underground water level will keep on depleting and will get deeper and deeper.
This underground water is one resource which will take years to restore or may never be possible at all.
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The level of corruption in Manipur is awesome, achieving an alarming rate of awesomeness...duh.. Here i will only highlight two instances
First Instance : 
Here is our new gas cylinder, see the sealing cap , you can just remove the cap without applying any pressure or the need for the use of knife/pliers never arises. Your free naked hand will do, indeed a free world . How and why it is sealed like this is one question nobody bothers to ask, can't imagine this happening in any parts of the country. The question of pilferage somewhere on the way cannot be ruled out.

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Second Instance : 

I went to visit some relatives right in the heart of the town, no need to mention the area.. you can see and judge for yourself the level of corruption that must have gone into this simple bridge construction.... the size of the wire-rod bar, the quality of cement etc... I don't have to be a civil engineer to know what's fundamentally wrong here, a little bit of steel and cement would have done the job here. The irony is that even those people whose life are directly affected by this doesn't do a thing about it, a bit of murmur and cursing here and there ... and then take the other road ( the long cut as the saying goes... instead of the short cut ) and that's it. Maybe we have become insensitive to seeing such things or maybe it's so normal 

But still there is hope, the Churachandpur citizens , inspite of all these, we have shown our resilience in the past and will continue to do so in the coming years. We can't help but notice time and time again the total collapse of the infrastructure development in the region. Let's hope the administration listens and do less corruption , less percentage... no corruption is a far cry . At least they can decrease their percentage for any contract and development funds.



Trekking ...

We've been planning this winter trekking for a while. Originally planned for 28th Dec 2012 but the date was shifted for 29th because of some other engagements - a cousin's tombstone opening ceremony and a friend's wedding on the same day .

We started around 8:45 in the early winter morning. One gypsy and a sumo and some 2-wheelers to one village Gelmol took around 20 minutes. From there we started our trekking. We took about 3 hours to reach the summit. It was tiring ... very very tiring and most of the times we have to grit our teeth and climb just a few more steps... which goes on and on..The feeling on reaching the summit, fresh cool air through your lungs  and the scenery - no feeling will ever be able to describe this.
The destination...(taken from Khuga Dam side)

This is where we started.. around 30 of us.

that one on the background is the target, gelmol village

a bit of monkeying around

fresh water from Lanva river

the summit, some say that we can see Silchar from this summit, if we go a bit left from where i am standing.

on the other side of the summit

view of Churachandpur from the top

when are you getting married!! (Ode to the bachelor life)

leeng-kuul/lêng-ṭûl - remain unmarried beyond the usual marriageable age.
In most cultures, once you crossed 30 years of age, you have officially become one, a stamp on your forehead certifying that you have become one.
I hope many of you can identify with this question, especially those who belong to this group of no-longer-young unmarried guys/girls. Your misery will be compounded if you are already working and already settled, and not yet married. The one question which can throw many of us to discomfort and a guaranteed conversation killer. In a few days time, I'll be home for this  winter break, prepping myself for lots of surprises.
   You know- we Indians are inquisitive in nature, asking personal questions and even digging deeper and deeper to the point where the other person feels uncomfortable . Not even hesitating to ask even very personal questions like - when are you getting married? whether you you have a girlfriend or not ? are you  engaged ? ... et cetera, there is no end to this. Maybe they also do this in other cultures but that's not the point of this blog for now.
   As a 32 year old bachelor, this question on marriage and when? has been thrown to me countless number of times. Initially, you feel you should give some answers , this and that. But as times goes on and you get older, the funny thing is that you get used to these type of questions to a point where you skin feels so thick that this question doesn't even have an effect on you.
   Few years back, I used to give this answer  "I am single and happy".
   Or some would even give those words of wisdom which only comes by experience and keen observation. What if you children are not yet settled by the time you retire ( 60 years is the retirement age as of now). Suppose you get married and have a child by age 35, your child will be 25 by the time you retire. You do the math, maybe they are right or they are wrong. There comes a time in a man's life where it hurts to do the math. Only time will tell. My cousin told me of his boss who's already a DGM( Deputy General Manager, takes about 21 yrs to become one in a Public Sector Co. ) who got married so late that his son is still in Std-IV, he's gonna retire in a few years and what will be the plight of his son once he retires, what about his son's higher educations etc.

    Another interesting point to seriously think about before getting married is "whether you'll be a good dad or not ?" Here's Calvin's Dad

 

Is she your elder sister? that's one question we sometimes ask when some parents came to visit
the boys hostel. Most probably their parents got married young or the age gap between their parents is so much that the mother still looks in her 30s. I rest my case here

I remember one conversation i had with a total stranger, one of the many
   Stranger : where are you working?
   Me : I'm working in this company.
   Stranger : That's good for you. How old are you?
   Me : a...around 31 ( this is getting unfortable now, can sense something weird is coming up)
   Stranger : Are you married or not?
   Me : no/not yet
   Stranger :  "Kyun?? Kya hua??" (emphatic high-pitched sound)
    (which made me wonder whether this guy is thinking that something is wrong with me that I am still not yet married)
   Me : It will happen soon in the coming few years, not so distant future.
   Stranger : ok with a nod and a weird face.
  It's not that I hate him for that,far from it, those questions most probably stem from his upbringing culture and sorroundings where people get married on time and have kids and they live happily after. Even in our culture, by the time a person crosses 21/22, he is either married and already with 2/3 kids and still another half-way on the way. Yes, we respect their choice to get married early and have kids.
   Some would ask me with this look of serious concern on their face, my favorite answer is " oh, I would love to tell you when I would be getting married, but even I don't know the answer to that, and will inform you ASAP when I know when".       
    My rediffmail account even get used to getting spam mails like
    - " mang, Marriage on your mind? " , "mang, the perfect match for you".  wow wow give me a break whoever is sending me these mails. These mails were coolly despatch to their doom and destruction.
    I nearly forgot to mention those colleagues and friends who have gotten married recently, they are so eager to get you married. No conversation is complete without touching this one topic on marriage. I will not mention names here, you know yourself. Thank you once again to all for you concern for my well-being. I will be soon joining your group once I get married and then scout for those batchmates who are unmarried and would love to try match-making for once. Not the victim for once. This is one particular funny quality I noticed in most of them , it's a wait and watch policy.
    On a serious note, I think generally young professionals get married late these days. Even if you want proof, I can count them, first with my fingers in both hand, then even start with my feet too, bet it would be enough. It's not common to find 30 plus, 35 plus working professionals who are not yet married ( by choice ), this includes women too. Everyone has their own reasons.
  Of course, everything will happen in God's own timing and purpose.
   Here's another one : translating hindi sms
     Patient : Doctor I'm happy . I sleep properly every night. I am focussed in whatever I do.
                   I never worry. Doctor, why is this happening?
     Doctor :  I can very see what your problem based on my prognosis.
                   You lack Vitamin "SHE" in your system.

Rose Par Rimtui

"A rose by any other name would smell as sweet" is a commonly quoted part of a dialogue in William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. 
Here I am, writing about roses, never in my wildest dream i would've imagined  this, me sissy- no... but appreciating beauty where it is due.  
I have googled a number of sites whether rose have smell or not, some have written that roses do have smell in the early morning, but this smell dissipates once the sun comes up and the day goes on. 
I did smell some of the roses below, but couldn't recognized any sweet fragrance leave alone any odor coming out from those roses. Even my civilized nose is clueless. Who knows the day is already late ( mid-afternoon), but will try it once again in the early morning. Many of us would've heard this mizo song "rose par rimtui" which would be translated as the sweet fragrance rose, i was thinking the second part of this word , the rimtui or the sweet smell. I rest my case here, maybe they indeed have smell or not, but the sheer beauty of this flower is worth the look.
**update: i did smell those roses early this morning, indeed they have this peculiar fragrance
 
Now's the season when the roses are in full bloom, see this spectacular sight in the little garden of mine, i feel i should immortalize this in a blog. These photos are taken today with my primitive DSC H50, not editing , presenting as it is. I chose the image option as Original, the pages overshoots. 

Let me end this with a note of  apology - It's been ages since i'm inactive in this blogsphere, am still waiting for the day when i would regularly blog new post like so many others., just letting you know that i'm trying to improve on this front

Love or Hate - Ode to the Football Fans

The EPL's gonna be decided in less than 24 hours, thank God it has come down to this, to the 38th game of this year long season. To most of the football fans out there who are fed up of  the domination by Man U or Barcelona( who have this habit of taking the much coveted tropyy again and again)  we need change ( President Obama would totally agree on this).

And change it is, the La Liga has already gone to a team other than Barcelona, the EPL's gonna follow suit unless disaster struck at the Etihad Stadium tomorrow against the lowly QPR.

You know, I belong to those group of football lovers who would love to see the EPL or La Liga goes to any team other than Man U or Barcelona. Of course, I'm an ardent supporter of Chelsea FC who are nowhere in the picture (will definitely be rooting for them on the 19th at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany )  , but  I hate to confess that I always end up supporting the other team that play against Man U... This might change in future, I could end up mutating into one of those Man U or Barcelona lovers in future.

This is definitely not love, more of the hate part.

Same with teams playing against Barcelona, I tend to end up supporting the other team.

Here is an interesting analysis, may be it has to do more with the hate rather than any other reason. Search for any group such as Man U Haters, you will find plenty out there. Same with Barcelona Hate Groups and their theatrical acting skills on the ground ( offence intended). Here's a bonus pics...oops

What sayest thou!! May the best team wins

Updation required.....The weight loss saga continues

It's been ages since i updated my blog, you know it do makes me feel guilty not being able to update this one piece, and really admire all those who are regularly updating this blog post. The last time this blog of mine got updated was on Sunday, February 21, 2010, ages ago... 

This summer i.e. before the end of July 2012, if the Almighty loving God give me good health, am planning to shed at least 3/4 kilos ( 6.6/8.8 lbs). A impossible proposition you would say, but i hope to post here an update of this sometime in early Aug 2012 that I've achieved this. Check out this recent one, my weight is around 76/77 kilos right now... This should be pointing to around 72/73 kilos very soon.

 

  

 

I know it's not easy, I've been playing badminton regularly almost every morning for the past four years ; and my weight is almost constant throughout, hovering somewhere around 77/78 kilos. That means i need to do something extra, eat lots and lots of rice ( no ) maybe do more of running after playing and most importantly, eat a little bit less of lunch and dinner et cetera.

Wish me luck and lots and lots of perseverance on this endless saga...

how fast is too fast

"Can you control your bike at 60 km/hr? 
What if  someone suddenly cut in or some animal
crosses the road?"
Dr. K quipped as I rushed to his clinic for emergency
first aid & a shot of painkiller for the bike accident
I had just been in!!Well,that was already few months
away; but this one pertinent question still lingers on
my mind whenever i'm driving. Yelp it's true, the
more I thought of it, the more I see the wisdom in
those words...  

Anyone who have worked in a hazardous industries
like steel,oil,chemicals etc. would've easily testified
how strictly  we adhere to  those safety standards
being dictated and they were carried out without
any question; wherein safety is not a matter of
choice, it is followed religiously which  otherwise
the headcount would've been much higher....  

Safety tag lines like
"Be safe, your family needs you!!"
      "Safety first!!" 
"If it cannot be done safely, it need
       not be done in unsafe way!!" 

The keyword here is SAFETY , and when you take
care of yourself first, then only you can take care
of your family.  Some questions worth asking
yourself whenever you are tempted to zoom past
other motorists, switching lanes as in your
favorite action movies, the thrill of overtaking
others and watching them slowly disappear from
you as you zoom past them ...
Well then is the appropriate time to think about 
those tag lines once again. 

Here are few scenarios  : 
1) be it 50 km/hr or 75 km/hr or more, will you
be able to control your bike/car if suddenly
something unexpected happens. Not that i have
mellowed down, but in hindsight it's worth
asking yourself this question every once in a
while. 
2) it's never worth it - once you have had
experienced being in an accident or have seen a
number of accident victims, it's never worth the
risk considering that searing pain and all the
time it takes for an accident wound to heal. 

3) don't be in a hurry - i still remember the
day i got my first bike and someone close to
me say "mang, don't be in a hurry". A bit funny
and sissy at that time but as the years passed
on, i certainly see the wisdom in those words

So, for the sake of yourself, your soul, your
close circle of friends and family and even for
those generations that you would brought forth...
hehe!!!  It's always to be safe than sorry.

Nobody can determine how fast you should
go, you decide.

Thanks