Memorable quotes

Most people do not really want freedom, because freedom involves responsibility, and most people are frightened of responsibility – Sigmund Freud, Neurologist (HT301216)

No relationship is all sunshine but two people can share one umbrella and survive the storm together – Anon

You can have results or excuses. Not both – Arnold Schwarzenegger
True wisdom comes to each of us when we realize how little we understand about life, ourselves, and the world around us – Socrates (HT010217)
It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop – Confucius
A good laugh is sunshine in the house – William Thackeray
The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do – Thomas Jefferson, Former US President
I always like to look on the optimistic side of life. But I am realistic enough to know that life is a complex matter – Walt Disney
Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today – Malcolm X
My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some humour, some compassion, and some style – Maya Angelou
Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light – Helen Keller
Try not to become a man of success. But rather try to become a man of value – Albert Einstein

No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path – Buddha

The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively  –  Bob Marley

However difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at – Stephen Hawking

The world is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper – Bertrand Russell

The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing – Albert Einstein

Disobedience is the true foundation of liberty. The obedient must be slaves – Henry David Thoreau

A hero is someone who understands the responsibility that comes with his freedom – Bob Dylan (HT291116)

A creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others – AYN RAND (HT231116)

A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool – William Shakespeare                                            (Src: 25/10/16 HT)

Human history becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe – H G Wells

All the forces in the world are not so powerful as an idea whose time has come – Victor Hugo

Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose – Bill Gates

I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination. – Jimmy Dean

Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing – Abraham Lincoln

Words are like X-rays. If you use them properly – they’ll go through anything. You read and you’re pierced. – Aldous Huxley

Once writing has become your major vice and greatest pleasure, only death can stop it – Ernest Hemingway   (Src: HT 17/6/16)

It is not when truth is dirty but when it is shallow that the lover of knowledge is reluctant to step into its water – Friedrich Nietzsche

Our Knowledge can only be finite. While our ignorance must necessarily be infinite – Karl Popper.

I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, religion, in philosophy as cause for withdrawing from a friend – Thomas Jefferson

Every form of addiction is bad no matter whether the narcotic be alcohol or morphine or idealism – Carl Jung

The true adventurer goes forth aimless and un-calculating to meet and greet unknown fate – O. Henry

A democracy is a model of associated living. The roots of democracy are to be searched in social relationship, in terms of the associated life between the people who form the society – Dr. B. R. Ambedkar

When the world of books and its embedded wisdom opens its door for you, you’re never bereft of The Guiding Light – Subhajit Ghosh

A conversation

Overhead a conversation between two friends:

1st friend: “What does Ph.D. stand for?”

2nd friend: Someone who “Passed High School with difficulty.” 

The woods are lovely dark and deep

The Woods are Lovely Dark and Deep…

An escape to the hills is the obvious thing to do when temperatures are teetering close to 46 degrees. But then our five day’s trip to Dalhousie and Dharamshala was a carefully choreographed affair and an attempt to just switch off from the urban chaos. Personally, I wanted to break free, from the rigours of routine and pull out all the stops, sink into oblivion maybe, and let myself be. And here was my chance, to seek salvation from the humdrum.

Every travelogue has something new to offer, and mine too threw up quite a few surprises. To begin with, I relived the thrill of journeying by train and reclaimed, in a sense, my lost childhood. There were those ‘painted stations’ flitting past, and fields aglow in the morning sun. The New Delhi Railway Station was refreshingly clean and had received something of a facelift as I made a pitstop to one of its bookshops selling the latest in Indo Anglican writing. Some ‘rare treasures’ were unearthed as I immersed myself in Paul Cohelho’s philosophical take on life, his all too familiar ruminations in sync with my midlife dilemmas and doubts. The Station houses an art installation—a chai walla’s motley collection of kettles strung on a ramshackle bicycle and glasses that remind you of decadent old tea shops. Quite an ode to nostalgia in this age of espresso coffee! A railway souvenir shop further reinforced that old world charm, where you could pick up small miniature trains and quaint clocks that were more a collector’s item. I took the cheap way out, picking up a fridge magnet with colourful etchings.

We hit Pathankot in the early morning hours and were happy to drop anchor at Banikhet, a 6kms drive from Dalhousie, the colonial hill town. The journey, as it turned out, was prettier than the destination as the cascade of hills in splendid shades of grey, green and dust brown soothed our frenzied nerves. The Guest House where we put up, served up some sumptuous home cooked fare, complete with paranthas, pakoras, cumin spiced dals and subzees that included spinach, aloo matars and gourds—not quite gourmet stuff but wholesome, nonetheless. You could order vanilla ice-cream to satisfy your sweet tooth cravings. Not wanting to spend just another relaxed day doing nothing in particular, we went on a two hour’s drive to Lake Chamera, where one could spend hours gazing at its liquid jade waters, or better still, go boating, with the dam towering in the distance. The banks were a riot of blooms– roses in red, white, pink and peach; lilies, gladioli and oleander in wild profusion. If this wasn’t a miniature paradise, what was?

We city slickers are always in a tearing hurry, wanting to get the best deals, whether at work or at leisure. At the risk of a blink-and-you-miss kind of holiday at Dalhousie, our Sunday had a lineup of interesting sightseeing jaunts as we visited the St. Francis Church, a heritage site which had opened its doors to parishioners for Sunday Mass. Set at a slope, we were amazed at the wild roses and spring blossoms that crept from every patch of its courtyard. Further down, as the road winded its way through thick forest cover, we got what we were aching for: the snowclad Pir Panjal range! What a visual treat and that too at the height of summer! The thickly wooded Kalatop forest reserve was pristine and quiet as we hoped against hope to catch sight of a leopard or bear. The locals would rather avoid such “close encounters”, and just as well, since the animals are born wild. We had to make do with the kiosks that pointed to rare Himalayan animals and birds, marking their presence in a world where human habitation is rare.

I find my memories of Khajiar, the valley beneath the slopes, etched in green. It has earned the sobriquet of being the ‘mini Switzerland of India’ where the dense growth of wild conifers– what we call deodars, cedars and pines—draped the panoramic view. It’s the place to picnic though tourists can nibble on snacks at the small eateries dotting the undulating greens; the adventure freak can indulge in a spot of paragliding and there is scope too for horse riding and bouncies which can keep the kids happy. You might even get lucky and run into simple rustic folk playing the kajri (a percussion instrument) and rubani (a stringed instrument much like the mandolin) and listen to some lilting Kangra folk tunes.

At a glance, Khajiar seems more like a gigantic golf course, but commerce is yet to make much inroads in this verdant corner of the world.

The unspoilt beauty continues right up to Dharamshala which is around four hours drive from Dalhousie, but the serpentine bends give you a queasy feeling. The Abode of Dalai Lama and Tibetans in exile has a distinct character all its own and naturally the Buddhist element runs strong. The ‘Little Lhasa’ as Dharamshala is rightly called, has much to offer those bitten by wanderlust. It is a gourmet’s haven, where Bihari cooks ladle out rich Italian fare, Chinese and Tibetan dishes. We gorged on Lasagne, momos, ravioli and flat Tibetan noodles and thukpas. Even the cream laced pastries and yak cheese burgers, exotic breads and quiches were much too tempting to resist.

Shopaholics can pick up miniature Buddhas, prayer lamps, thangka paintings, neckpieces, crockeries, chappals and imported stuff. If you have a penchant for bargaining, well now is the time. The Tibetans are quite peace loving and friendly—they might lament the loss of their motherland through slogans in bags and t-shirts (with ‘Save Tibet’ chants)–but India seems more like a second home as they are suitably ensconced in its salubrious climes. Bookshops are a dime a dozen and there are book shelves in eateries too where foreigners come and donate books as part of a ‘read and pass it on culture’. There is also this growing tribe of women travelling in small groups either as family or friends as they go about choosing their sightseeing options, hotels and cabs with unusual flair.

Dharamshala has some interesting sightseeing options all of which are just a stone’s throwaway—the Bhagsunag Falls—which seems like a sinewy wisp in the distance– and temple, St John’s Church, the Dalai Lama Temple and Naddi Point (with the spectacular snow slathered Dhauladhars) are all within a few kilometers of each other. We kept walking for the most part, discovering sights and sounds that would fill whole albums. I remember watching a woody woodpecker chipping away at a bark just like a National Geographic footage in progress, a long tailed blue bird frisking from branch to branch and a large raven flying towards the dense foliage of woods—Himachal no doubt is a bird watcher’s paradise! The colonial St John’s Church with its stained glass Venetian window and a 100 year old cedar has all the vintage aura of bygone years. I felt transported to a whole new world where even the hotel where we put up had the romantic ‘Mistywoods’ name.

We decided to give the strenuous stretches a miss since the more adventurous among travelers could go for the famous Masrur rockcut temples which is a half day’s trip or check into one of the dwellings at the Dharamkot village (mostly foreign nationals hang out there). But then, what we saw and experienced, seemed enough to cast a web of enchantment. In recollection, they seem dreamlike, more like an impressionist painting whose mystery deepens with time.