A window to my soul

A veiled smile

2008-08-04T16:00:00.002+01:00

Last week when I joined after my vacation, I was inside my blog for some modifications on the setup and I accidentally lost my blog, “A window to my soul”

I was able to recover most of my blog back intact, but sadly, I found that during the course of just one day, some kind of automated system has robbed my user name and what I could find was a new page with a lot of worthless advertisement.

I have a new blog URL now http://ahaplessoul.blogspot.com/

Please reset your browser with this URL.

Though I won’t be writing anything now, please don’t forget to peek in to my blog later.
Thanks

I am not in a mood to write or even smile…but I am compensating you with an ardent smile from this bunch of sparkling flowers, though a caterpillar has already started eating its silken petals and the black ants are having a merry go round with its honey..

Can you take a lesson from this smiling beauties ? …a smile even when you are being attacked !!!
Jac
**********
Current one is an old song : "This I promise you" by N Sync.

Wow ! She was clever!

2008-06-30T20:45:00.004+01:00

The other day, my dear friend Lionel was asking me if I would be writing continuations of my memoirs that I have written before. I answered him that I don’t like writing episodes, especially when my memoirs are flashbacks that prime my moods to put it in print.

Lionel is a handsome Malaysian engineer who is one of the few I respect, for his commitment to humanity. He doesn’t blog, but he is one of my new readers who have showed me that his handsomeness is not limited to his face but also in his heart.

So here is something that happened sometime back on my way to a work location called Bamboo.
I have often wondered why that place got that name because I haven’t seen any Bamboo trees around there and I presume that the name must be African slang.
My errand was to update some drawings by visiting the location and to mark the modifications that have been done and add it in the task book for trainees. It was not a hurry burry job and so I started from base camp at about 9AM in my pick up truck.

Bamboo is almost 25 km away from our camp and in worst seasons the road becomes a challenge to us, until it reaches the private road to the station.
I was almost half away in the private road leading to Bamboo station, when, for a second, there was nothing visible in front of my eyes…a total blackout.

When I opened my eyes I noticed that I was slightly off the road, neverthless not out of the road totally.
It was difficult for me to believe that for the first time in my life that I dozed off for a second, while driving.

That was close!!!!! Really really close!!!
If there was a vehicle around in front, the result would have been disastrous. I know very well what to do if you happen to doze while you drive.
I remembered the words of the instructor in my defensive driving course at Shell training centre long ago.
“Stop the car and get down and relax, walk around, if you have water in your vehicle splash it on the face and at worst case, take a nap at the driving seat for 5 or 10 minutes.”

I parked the truck properly on the right side near the shade of the small tree and got out of the truck and stretched myself, took a deep breath, splashed some water and walked around looking at the flock of white cranes that crowded around a nearby pool.

A few of them strolled away from the group but a bunch nearer to me, were watching me with their curious eyes.

I got in my car again and decided to take a small break by adjusting the alarm in cell phone for 5 minutes. I rolled down the window, adjusted the seat for a comfortable position and closed my eyes. Ten seconds might have passed as I heard the knock from some where.

Tuck! Tuck! Tuck! Tuck! Tuck!

I opened my eyes and looked at the windows…nothing!
Looked at my rear view mirror…nothing!
I straightened my seat and looked around…nothing!

I thought that may be it was just my senses playing with me. My cell phone will go in about another 5 minutes.
I closed my eyes again.

Tuck! Tuck Tuck Tuck
I got out of the truck…not a soul around the car. I walked around the truck.

The area was empty except a lone white bird standing underneath the truck pecking at insects from the mud. It didn’t even look at me.
A little away north was an oil well with its pumping accessories but no one was seen except those few pure white feathered birds.

Rinnnng… Riiiing…

The cell phone alarm went on in my pocket, freighting me; making me jump.
I cancelled the alarm and went in the pick up, opened the glove compartment, looking for a magazine.
Instead of magazine I found some left over of roasted sun flower seeds I brought from Khartoum. While Leaning back on the seat properly, I fingered the first striped black and white seeds from the small paper bag as I heard the unmistakable sound of knocks again; this time feeble but sharper.

I looked in the rear mirror and side mirror ….nothing there.
Turned my neck a 180 degrees and couldn’t find any a trace of any creature. All quite round me and the truck.
Tuck tuck….the knocking again!!!
I got out and did the same procedure…no body except the small pure white egret pecking at insects.
I looked at it with suspicion and it looked back at me with its small innocent eyes.
It is weird that no one was around yet somebody was knocking!

I got inside the car again and the knocking appeared from backside.
This time I waited for the next knock, looking at the side mirror and then I saw a flashy white movement through my side mirror.

It was the Egret knocking on the metallic bumper and the same time looking at the door and it waited for me to open the door to go underneath the car like an innocent baby.

I saw the mischievous bird moving in calmly under the car as I opened the door.

OMG! I couldn’t hide my laugh!
My laugh probably looked alarming to her, as it flew a few yards and sat staring curiously at me. (I don’t know if it is he or she but as it is so cute and me being male, I for the convenience will call it her)
I took out the packet of sunflower seeds and threw at it. Though freighted first, she came and pecked ate it, swallowing it one by one.

Now it was my turn to take a pic of this girlie!

I took out my camera and was ready in minutes. At the sight of the camera she got wise and went underneath the truck.
The moment I put my camera down on the seat, she came out to watch my moments.

Now I know it was playing with me
I took the camera out one more time, to make sure about her sequence. Yes, she jumped under the safety of the truck.
Now I know I need to take a pic of this naughty friend, no matter what!

I entered the car with the camera and I looked through the right side mirror, the little rascal was peeking out from the safety, with just its head out.

I kept quite and continued watching her through the clean mirror with out getting out. she slowly came out tiptoeing, all the while keeping her eyes on my driving side door.
I waited and watched. Now she seemed disappointed at my loss of interest and moved near the bumper and pecked it vigorously, and immediately jumped under the car again.
I didn’t move as I wanted her in my camera. I took my grey working gloves and slid it on my right hand.

Looking at the mirror I slid my camera out through the window with my right hand and positioned it towards the back of the car, my eyes focusing on the viewfinder through a reflection from the mirror. I adjusted the distance and exposure to make sure I get her clear without giving her a chance to see my hand. All done under 30 seconds, with just a hand and a finger resting on trigger and my gloves worked as a camouflage to fool her.

Now I saw her head coming out with caution.
A full minute she waited with just her yellow beak visible to me, looking intently at my door.
Seeing no moment, she came out fully away from the truck, with her neck leaning high to watch me in case I get out.

I pressed the trigger and got my first pic.

I thought she was going to will fly off; unsure … instead she moved further expecting me to come out any moment and I clicked again a second time.

I have her second pic here.

This time she heard the sound and in a second she was flying away from me and joined the group, far away near the pool.

I was sorry when she flew away.
She wanted to be friendly with me and I feel that I took advantage of her for a few pictures???

I think I am to blame!!!
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

BTW: I am taking a short break for 4 weeks. I may read you all, but I may not comment in your blogs, unless I have a post for you.
Who knows, I may post too !!!
Bye ! Bye !

Virus !

2008-06-27T08:00:00.003+01:00

Let me stay awhile here I say, I need
let me just see you enough, my need

times recent, I have this feeling that you are a virus
brimming happiness, vaulting barriers as in circus

a smile that forms in thee, here with you
something special gleaming in those eyes, I knew

this way, unlike others, I do love you my virus
be with me all day, rule me, my world; like great Cyrus

walking away as you do often, as you said you wanted
crazy I am; I just feel inside empty, my soul haunted

*********************

*******************

The image of the 'simian virus' is the courtesy of the internet.
The current song was played here once before. But I feel that it is worth playing one more time.

“Little wings” by the corrs.
Use a head phone if you really love music.

Astounding !

2008-06-23T16:54:00.002+01:00

Saturday was a fine sunny day until the early noon hours.

Then the clouds all of a sudden started to roll on like a crazy spinning wheel. They came from all over sky to join this exodus of a virtual vortex in the sky, darkening and covering the whole area like a black canopy
I reached before the rain and stood watching the clouds before entering by office with out putting down my back pack. As usual, where ever I go I carry my backpack.
It is a bit heavy, considering the not so small laptop and the camera I carry daily.

Haven’t you seen it here before? I have posted the picture some time ago.
Oh, come on! It is ridiculous if you say u can’t remember it. Well, not every one is smarter than me. LOL

If you haven’t seen it before, you can see it here.

Let me continue now.
I was standing in the balcony with this special second skin of mine… my one and only back- pack, the hard & cool voice of my friend and my laundryman Hamza, jolted me

“Hi jac” the large smiling man with lot off sparkling white teeth, beamed at me.
“Hi hamza” I answered shaking his hand but not averting my eyes from the sky.

“Tell me Jac, what is in your damn bag” he tried to frisk and patter my bag.

“I haven’t seen you with out it” he was now taking a dig at me “are you keeping all your savings here… may be in diamonds in this ? hahahahaha” he continued in his gruff voice.
“I am sure that you sleep with it too man!” he is now laughing loud.

I smiled looking at the clouds but not bothering to answer.
“Or else tell me really what you have in this” he was not going to leave me alone to watch the clouds.
So I thought I will answer him and get rid of him.

Before turning around and facing him, I tried to remember what was inside the bag.

My laptop, my camera and its lenses, my mobile charger and then I stopped….I didn’t know what else was there.

I thought it as ridiculous that I can’t remember what was in my own bag.
I turned around to tell him that I don’t know what is inside, and saw him walking away saying “Jac is day dreaming, Jac is day dreaming”

“Day dreaming… my foot” I swore at him under my breath.

I forgot all about the incident since I was busy correcting my trainee’s filled up task answer papers at my desk.
Back in my room at 7 PM, while I was placing the bag on top of the fridge, I remembered Hamza’s question about the contents of the bag.

With out changing my coverall, I cleaned my computer table that I normally use doing something with my laptop and empted my bag taking out all, one by one.

Take a look!
Gosh! I didn’t know that I carry so many things every day on my shoulder.

1 HP Pavilion 17'' lap top.
2 My camera.
3 Two lenses for the camera.
4 Two mobile phones, one with ear phone .
5 An mp3 player with earphones.
6 A mouse for the laptop, in case if I needed one.
7 My wallet .
8 My travel pouch with next vacation ticket, work permit and residence permit.
9 My 2 passports.
10 Pair of spare batteries for the camera.
11 A can of lens cleaner.
12 My leather key case.
13 My chap stick for my lips if it gets dry.
14 A tube of glue.
15 A roll of toilet tissue. (See I am Mr Clean ) .
16 A flash memory stick.
17 A Bluetooth adapter .
18 Half rapper polo mint.
19 Half used pack of Wrigley’s chewing gum.
20 17 office clips.
21 3 pens.
22 Half strip of pain killers.
23 One mobile phone charger .
24 My laptop charger.
25 An external hard disk of 160 Giga.
26 A brush to clean dust from laptop key board.
27 A comb (I don't know why I keep it, I am bald :D)
28 My sunglasses.
29 A mini tube of hand lotion.
30 A set of ear plugs.
31 My driving license.
32 A mobile tooth brush( I don’t know how it came in my bag)

If you carry a bag like mine or a hand bag or even a ladies bag, then check it out and see what an amazing array of small arms you are carrying !!!!

You think I am joking?

You do it now and see for yourself.

Come on lets do it now!!!!

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For the past 2-3 months our company server has been experimenting with softwares that prevents people from misusing official internet for downloading and listening music. It has affected my uploading of music in the site and to play. But I have ways to tunnel in dicreetly. But I can't hear any music playing in my blog. I get the feed back only from you.

Inserted music is Elton John singing "Dont let the sun go down on me"

Memories are not always made of roses....

2008-06-18T22:00:00.005+01:00

Prologue: My Parents are no more.

I could neither see the two small girls who were waiting with a bunch of neatly tied wild roses at the exit of the railway station, nor did I see a group of elders waiting along with the girls to receive me…............ instead I was looking at the changes that came in that old railway station since I last visited it, almost 7 years ago to attend Henry's funeral.

I was looking at the neatly painted wood and concrete fence, painted fresh with a cute white and pink on alternate pillars.
The old building that was the parcel container was replaced with a new concrete structure. The old building was donated by my mom and what was left of the building was a board with her name in faded chrome paint still shining in Congo red colour.

My eyes went beyond far end of the railway station, scanning for something so vivid. I saw what I was looking for, the huge old May flower tree still blooming with red and yellow flowers.

I remembered that the tree was older than me and my mom.
I used to play the soldier and robber with those buds of Mayflower with her while waiting for the train to arrive.
She would win easily, giving me a chance to watch her beautiful laughter of victory. She was the one who taught me how to play that game on one of our very few journeys together.

Though our tickets were always booked first class, she would refuse the guard’s request to use the VIP waiting room…instead she would lead me to the crude wooden bench beneath the tree with yellow and red flowers covering the earth all around us.

She was well known around this country, where she was born and brought up.
At those times while she was in her territory, she was a kid mostly, and acted like a wild butterfly.
A few minutes of the news of her arrival would bring a dozen young girls at her door.
She would play with young girls keeping an eye on me and winking wickedly at me.

With my Dad she would always politely refuse travelling by car when he tries to reson with her to use his car and driver, simply because she wanted to enjoy the country. What she would say to my dad was that the roads being bad and the train being safer.
I knew what was her likes and dislikes.
She was not woman at those times. In her country she was a girl fluent in her language, talking to the old grannies as if she is one of them, and also to the cute black skinned children like a bubbling kettle.

Some body touched my hand calling me ‘little master’.

I saw the black guard, who was standing on the platform looking at me at the door blocking the pathway.
I was still "little master" to him.
“There are all waiting for you at the gate Sir. We are about to go…just waiting for you to get down” He added and smiled.

He looked at me intently for a second and then added gravely “My respect to the late master… I always waited for him whenever he came by train”.
“I know Mickey" I answered looking elsewhere as I didnt want to look in to his mellow eyes.
"Thanks for remembering him” I answered to Michael the guard.... visualising in my mind, his surprise and wonderment in his face when he realised that I remember his pet name so well.

That was what my dad called him fondly…Mickey !!

I slowly got down from the first class cabin, as he ordered some one to take my luggage.
I shook my head and showed him my backpack, letting him know that it was my whole luggage.

I also wanted to tell him that I was here on a mission, and what I needed was just a pen, to sign a legal document that would be my last link with the place.
I was aware that I won't see this place again, but I just kept my mouth zipped.

I walked towards the exit gate nearby, waving to Mickey as he was whistling the train to go.
Just before the exit gate I had the urge to turn around, and I did, towards the platform and at the moving train, watching each and every compartment…each one flashing in my mind, gaining speed like a movie, spontaneously giving me glimpses of her and her laughing eyes.

I stood still with my tearful eyes a long minute, looking at the tail end of the train fading away like a big python, while I waited for the moisture in my eyes to subside.

I regained my posture and turned around facing the group and smiled. "Here I am" I said.

I accepted the bunch of flowers from two little black beauties...my late uncle's grandchildren. I looked beyond the group and saw a pair of dark and deep eyes behind the faces looking intently at me.

XXXXXXXXX

When it comes to music, I don’t have a language barrier.
I can enjoy music when I am in a happy mood or when it dips to the lowest too… provided that the music suits my mood.
Here is one of my favourite Arabic songs, a sentimental ballad by the famous Lebananee artist Hussein El Jasmi singing “Wallah ma yeshwa”

An unsure cowboy.

2008-06-12T21:00:00.000+01:00

An old cowboy sat down at Starbuck's and ordered a cup of coffee.

As he sat sipping his coffee, a young woman sat down next to him.
She turned to the cowboy and asked, "Are you a real cowboy?"

He replied, "Well, I've spent my whole life breaking colts, working cows, going to rodeos, fixing fences, pulling calves, bailing hay, doctoring calves, cleaning my barn, fixing flats, working on tractors, and feeding my hogs, so I guess I am a cowboy."

The old cowboy eyed the woman and asked ''what do you do young lady ?"

She said,
"I'm a lesbian."
"I spend my whole day thinking about women."
"As soon as I get up in the morning, I think about women. "
"When I shower, I think about women.
When I watch TV, I think about women. I even think about women when I eat. "
She continued with a gleam in her eyes, "It seems that everything makes me think of women."

The old cowboy looked surprised at first, but later nodded his head in agreement.
The two sat sipping in silence.

A little while later, a man entered and sat down on the other side of the old cowboy.
He surveyed around and finally his eyes lingered on the old cowboy. There was remarkable respect in his eyes.
He asked him with admiration , "Are you a real cowboy?"

The old cowboy hesitated a moment before replying, "I always thought I was, but I just found out that I'm a lesbian."

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Current music :- "Bye, bye traveling bues" by Merle Haggard

Tabescent...

2008-06-08T10:00:00.001+01:00

To know it remained soft in silk, too long like new
labels intact, each day polished to a shining hue
neither silver nor gold, it’s whitemetal so rare a few
hand made art, studded stones in red, yellow and blue

to know it now... it is no more a dream to boast
glanced with pity one more time, before it is lost
it is alive for you to look, time enough for a final toast
flung away it will stay, dazzle lost; stone cold as frost

Current song is Backstreet boys with their "show me the meaning" which is one of their all time favourite.

Occlude !

2008-05-05T15:00:00.004+01:00

I noticed it a month ago.

It was not so much visible then, but then I notice very minute things too…

It was one day I was coming from the diner that I noticed the green patch and a few flowers in them. I took a mild look thinking that it was some kind of wild plant.

I took a closer look, as it was growing in an impossible place….right in front of our classrooms with the concrete pathway running parallel to it; a place where it is impossible for a plant to survive.

After a week I suddenly noticed two tiny fruits, and the plant itself creeping wider and I took a closer look at the fruit and realized that it was edible watermelon. There was nothing else around that area to be called vegetation.
Around the melon plant the earth was dry and barren.

It must have sprouted from a seed, left over by a bird’s food or accidently fallen by a passerby who was eating a melon piece. He must have tried to chew up the seed.

I noticed it growing everyday, noticed the size of the melon swelling and the colour of the fruits changing from dark green to a mild silver-streaked light green shade, as the case with ripening fruits.
The length of the fruits were transforming to more round day by day and I took some pics.
It was about to ripen !!!

Yesterday, it was gone…lock, stock and barrel.

Bothe fruits and even the plant were gone.

Some one plucked the half ripe fruit and didn’t even bother to leave the plant alone to grow; the whole plant was plucked out with out a trace.

That’s too cruel, isn’t it?

***************

Current music is "I have a dream"

Brittania Vs Nescafe

2008-04-30T19:00:00.001+01:00

I am a Catholic by birth...brought up also as one.

I have studied in Catholic Schools where catechism was taught as a subject and I have the utmost respect for the church and the Pope, but that doesn't prevent me from enjoying this harmless joke.

With due respect to the Pope and the Church.

The top marketing director of Nescafe manages to arrange a meeting with the Pope at the Vatican.
After receiving the papal blessing, the Nescafe official whispers, "Your Eminence, I have some business to discuss. We at Nescafe have an offer for you. Nescafe is prepared to donate $100 million to the church if you change the Lord's Prayer from “give us this day our daily bread” to “give us this day our daily coffee'."

The Pope looks outraged and thunders, "That is impossible. The Prayer is the word of the Lord, It must not be changed.

" Well," says the Nescafe man somewhat chastened, "We anticipated your reluctance. For this reason, and the importance of the Lord's Prayer to all Catholics, we will increase our offer to $300 million. All we require is that you change the Lord's Prayer from 'Give us this day our daily bread' to Give us this day our daily coffee'."

Again, even more sternly, the Pope replies, "That, my son, is impossible. For the prayer is the word of the Lord and it must not be changed."

Finally, the Nescafe director says, "Your Holiness, we at Nescafe respect your adherence to your faith, we realize that tradition is essential to your beliefs, we fully understand the importance of the word of the Lord ................but we do have one final offer. Please discuss it with your cardinals. We will donate $500 million to the great Catholic church if you would only change the Lord's Prayer from 'Give us this day our daily bread' to 'give us this day our daily coffee'. Please, please consider it." And he leaves.

The next day the Pope convenes the College of Cardinals. "There is some Good news," he announces, "and some bad news” he stopped and looked around the tense faces.

“..... The good news is”, he continues to a hushed assembly, “that the Church will get $ 500 million."
"And what is the bad news, your Holiness?" asks a Cardinal.

"Sadly"........ says the Pope
..
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We would have to lose the Britannia Account............................

***Britannia is the world's most popular bread and biscuit maker

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Current music ‘Aicha’ is a French song, sung by Algerian artist Khaled written by the famous French singer-writer Jean Jacques Goldman
Aicha is the French version of the Arabic female name Aisha
He sings....

"So sweet, so beautiful
Everyday like a queen on her throne
Don’t nobody knows how she feels Aicha, Aicha
Lady one day it will be real
She moves... she moves like a breeze...."

The song's original lyrics are about a woman named Aicha, who is being wooed by a man. He promises her pearls, jewels, poems, and other luxuries and romantic things, to which she replies:
"Keep your treasures
I'm worth more than all that
A cage is a cage, even if it's made of gold
I want the same rights as you
And respect for each day
I don't want anything but love "

This is not included in this song version

Puerile.

2008-04-18T21:30:00.001+01:00

I meekly watched them all go, one by one
counting them all precisely, missing none

I counted the last with my ruptured frozen mind
then a sudden rustle, the sound of footsteps behind
I knew, it was your turn; I saw you as I turned around

those eyes, I couldn’t look, as I had to hold my tears
years of closeness I saw simply vaporize, thick in layers
all I did was love, and love you deep in all known colours
sorrows were shared, laughed and all faced it as pairs

my eyes fluttered a moment, sure I left nothing behind
I took a full minute to look at you with out a sound
I saw no love, hidden or else in those eyes so profound
with sudden vigour, like never before; I took my step ahead

Vishukani

2008-04-14T06:35:00.015+01:00

To the people of Kerala at the southern end of India, it is Vishu today. Vishu is the astronomical new year and harvest festival for the south Indians and very specially for the Keralites
The bright yellow flowers of Konna is everywhere.
They believe that today, the first sight at the early dawn decides the outcome of this whole year. So they open their eyes to beautiful, prearranged images and sights before the first rays of sun is out.
I don't have the bright yellow beauties of the Konna(Cassia Fistula) flowers here for you.
This you see here, is the peculiar flower of dagger beans tree(It is the name I have given but the actual name is Albizia Lebbek).
Feathery and funny, they looked very pretty to me, yet no one cares about these beauties here.

This is my Vishukani (sort of a token presentation) to my Keralite visitors and... for others, the pic is of a beautiful flower.

Today I have a song for Keralites in their own language from a peppy music director called Jazzy Gift.
I liked the song instantly as it was so refreshing from the normal songs. The lyrics as usual, is a man asking the woman, to reveal what is in her mind. LOL

histrionic

2008-03-11T11:30:00.003+01:00

times recent, there are these voices, I hear
could well be in my sleep, I fear
they are here and they sound so familiar
I know it is from far, yet I hear it so clear

reminds me, telling me about reality
takes me back years a few, to infinity
sound of music and sweet melodious intimacy
then the crash to the pit, to that negative ecstasy

clear sky, flowers, birds singing, I hear again
sunshine and smiles, a dream I thought, I regain

it is a common beach crab that I now see in my mind
its golden legs moving up and down, moving it around
so amazing they move; for every step they take forward
swift they are, but they move three steps backward

**********************

As my next vacation is due, I won't be blogging or replying to comments for some time. I thank you once again, for the kindhearted welcome extended to me after my long absence.

Current music:- "Steering me round and round" by Kitara.

Though the song is English, the background and the music culture is mostly Indian. I like it very much.

withered

2008-03-07T05:00:00.002+01:00

I want to apologise for not responding to any of you for last 4 months.

Many of you have sent me mails, visited this blog, and commented showing their concern and were worried why I am not here.
My special thanks to Janice.

With out telling any reason, I deeply regret and apologise for my equivocal and impolite behaviour and for my indifference to which no body was responsible.
I have replied now to each and veryone who were good enough to write comments here on my last post.
Today I am completing 4 months of my total indifference to blogging. I still have not written anything for all this period except scribbling a few words.

I don’t know if I will be writing again but if I do, I will make sure that you all know about it.

This few words you see here is not actually a poem but a few musings I have written on 9th Nov 07 about to be posted on 10th Nov.

Somehow I didn’t want to post it at that time and left it in the draft. I see no meaning in leaving it there to get rotten.

Those flowers you see in the pic were fallen withered from the same tree that you saw in my previous post.

Though I can post songs from my music album online, I can’t hear or see the player in the blog due to my Company using a software to prevent music downloading.

It is an Indian song in Tamil language.
I liked it with out knowing the meaning but later when I knew the meaning, I thought that the lyrics too were beautiful.

I understand that the meaning is something like 'with love, to stay closer to the chest… forgetting all pains.'

May be the young and talented blogger Vidya could tell me if the meaning is right in general. I prefer to call her twinkle toes. She call her blog Live don't just exist. Check her out. will you ?

The name of the song is "Nenjodu"

I don't even know if you can hear the song...let me know.

Fallen down the pathway withered
I took it, knowing it fallen
there were them, looking puzzled
asking, why picking a fallen
I said to them loud, fallen or withered
in my palm, a tinge of love given
this will turn as bright and golden
the smile, so happy, brawn gathered
stay warming my hand, as if born again

but all of a sudden, I saw them shriveled
as if my care and love was just a pun
I let them free, never was it tethered
I ponder… knowing not, if it was just a fun

The B's

2007-11-07T22:52:00.000+01:00

Have you ever been to the real wilderness. I mean stark wilderness ?

Have you ever been in real desert. I mean real desert ?

Have you seen wild animals at close range ? Have you ever encountered a wild elephant ?
Seen wild boars fighting for male supremacy in presence of a female who just watches curiously ? Have you ?

Have you seen the large open mouth of an African black mamba snake?… the mouth opened wide only when it feels threatened.
Have you seen a crocodile lazing with its mouth fully open waiting for a suitable prey ?
Have you seen the live mating of two intimate cobras ? They are unpredictably dangerous at this time.

I have seen and encountered all the above and I am not afraid any of this animals,
I am not afraid of snakes!
I am not scared of crocodiles!
I am not afraid of any of this fierce creatures !!! I am sure that you won’t believe any of my blah blahs.

What if I tell you that I am also human and I too fear certain things ?
Its true, but as usual you won’t believe me !
‘cause I am all blah blah !

Well, for a change, let me tell you that I am afraid of squirrels, which started with my vain attempt to catch one alive, when I was seventeen years.
I lost almost a pint of blood and a bonus of bite marks all over my right hand, the scars lasting almost 5 years.
A squirrel was the only thing in my hit list until recently… to be precise until almost 7 months ago.
So here I go with my next blah blah.

It happened with my routine visits to my trainees in the main oil processing facilities where there are two huge storage tanks that can store almost 3000000 barrels of oil each.
The roof of the tank is called a floating roof as the roof is designed to move up and down in tune with the level of oil.
I wont go in to technicalities of it, as you will stop reading this right away.
My trainees had two specific doubts regarding the roof that floats, and about the water disposal from the roof during the severe rains that prevails in southern Sudan.

Safety wise it needs a permit to climb over the tank and I got it by 10 AM and six Sudanese trainees and their hapless trainer (~Sigh~) was ready to climb the tank on a hot morning with safety helmets and harnesses.
Three of my agile trainees, took the lead and I was the fourth on the line with another three following me.
As I reached three quarter way up, my breathing has become faster as I put a fresh chewing gum in my mouth, lest what will my trainees think of me.
I heard some commotion up from the top of the ladder and swore “OMG” thinking that one of the trainee must have slipped the stairs and about to fall. But what I saw was a rush of my trainees coming down fast not caring about me or anyone. My trainee Abu Obeida came fast, pushing me sideways not caring about anything else.
Behind him was Yaser, like a rocket they flashed past me shouting something like ‘Nala’ which at that moment didn’t strike me as ‘Nahala’ (Bee in Arabic).
Ahmed who was a bit slow came panting down... behind him I heard something like the hum of an airplane.
Yea, it was exactly like a humming airplane coming so fast that I had no idea what it was until I got the first bite of the killer bee on my cheek.

Every one had helmets on and they were in full sleeved coveralls, yet they bit me at every exposed space in my body. I don’t know how I came down the steep stairs with out falling… all the time desperately trying to ward off the attacking bees.
They made me run for my life.

They were like a pack of dogs attacking with out mercy.
No one were spared, but Ahmed and I were badly bitten, till someone came with a spray or something.
Suddenly there was silence as they suddenly left me and I saw I was sitting on the ground.
There was burning sensation all over my exposed hand, neck and face. I touched my numb face with my swollen fingers and felt like touching a rock.
As I had my glasses on, my eyes were spared.

An ambulance came to pick us as I kept telling them that I don’t need an ambulance.
When I reached the clinic I casually looked at the mirror that was hanging on the wall. With face so much a swollen, even my Mom wouldn’t have recognized me.
The doc was my friend and he immediately checked the sting marks and took my blood pressure. I was surprised and asked the doc the reason for checking the BP, and he explained that these type of bees has a poison that affects the nervous system and seriousness of the poison directly affects the blood pressure.

He said I wont die with a smile and asked me if my rump is strong enough to take three shots , pointing to my butts. That was another pain in my ***
I had to stay put in the office for next three days and Ahmed was allowed to take rest at home for three days.
From here starts my fright of another creature called bees.
After the incident I think squirrels are much better.
So now you know what I am afraid of ! A brave African who is afraid of squirrels and bees.
Just out of my office, on the eastern balcony, beside the concrete pathway is a large tree, which always bear nice and beautiful yellow flowers. Unfortunately my web search for the name of the free failed get a correct one.

Yellow, being my favorite colour for a flower, I never miss looking at the tree which gives me the immense pleasure at all seasons except in rain, when the yellow flowers just wither off all over there, making a lovely yellow pathway.
You are wondering if I have really become a bit crazy, speaking about different subjects here.
First the squirrel, then the bees and now yellow flowers.
I am not crazy.
But I became almost crazy one day !
What bowled my mind on that day was this a large colony of killer bees in my favorite tree, hardly 20 meters away from where I stood.

Now you know what I did....

I ran with out looking back.

***************

Current music : MLTR singing 'Tell it to your heart'

Paradise not lost...

2007-11-04T22:01:00.000+01:00

While looking at this memorable blue of the ocean from the rear cliffs of Hotel Samudra, I thought how much unexpected was this journey at this time.
I recalled about the day before, when I had no idea I will travel and be here so soon

The previous day I stopped the car and stepped out in the fresh air and looked around the building where my travel agent Maya had her office. The guard asked me which floor I am to and helped me to the lift.
The old gentleman who just came out of the lift smiled at me. His face was familiar to me, though I couldn’t quite recall where I have seen him.
The receptionist was a middle aged woman with glasses, got up to wish me. Crisp and courteous, she was all efficiency.
When I told her that I have phoned her the previous evening, she recalled even my name and whisked me to the inner office where Maya, my travel agent took control from her, to offer me the convenience of the sofa instead of the usual chair.
She sat near me and discussed with me the plans and number of days that I wish to spend in Kovalam.
She showed me the colourful brochures of the 5 star Leela Kempensky hotels and showed me the pictures too of that hotel overlooking the blue green ocean.

I smiled and told Maya that I would like to stay in a KTDC (Kerala Tourism) 3 star Hotel Samudra which I already have seen once. She went on line and did the booking and came back to where I sat to ask about the travel arrangements.

Maya is known to me for the last couple of years due to frequent visits I make in the state of Kerala in south India and she has a keen understanding of my travel needs and knows my habits as well.
She merrily asked me to if I would have a driver to drive my car as she knows my passion to drive on my own… stopping at wherever I liked.
This time she cautioned me about the roads that are in pretty bad shape due to abnormal rains that delayed the annual repairs. I thought for a moment and asked her if she can get me train tickets on an AC two tier compartment.
She was surprised but was on her mobile phone a few minutes and came back to say that if I have to travel by train I would have to opt for a immediate morning one instead of two days later and there will be some changes in the day of travel. She said I have to travel the next day and she gave the hotel booking voucher and assured me that the train tickets will be delivered at my home in the evening it self.

As my plans were rescheduled for the next day I went around my bank and looked at the locations of the ATM’s I may use nearby.
My train tickets too arrived promptly in the evening by a courier and I was all set to go the next morning.
My doctor friend assured me a lift in his car till the railway station.
The train left punctually but the climate was a bit windy with mild showers here and there. The train took almost 6 hours to reach Trivandrum and I was picked up by the courtesy car from the hotel.

Hotel Samudra is a 3 star hotel, situated on a small but rocky cliff facing Arabian Sea.
The buildings were scattered in three locations making it look like three large houses rather than a hotel. I was given a room facing curved end with a beautiful view of the ocean. It was almost lunch time but I took a round and the sight was beautiful.

I plan to continue the travelogue in two or three episodes so that you all will not get bored of reading long stretches of my blah blahs and I am not going to serialise the episodes too.
I leave a few pictures of the place for you to watch.
Till then…
Chao
**********************
Current music : Marc Antony :- I need to know.

Stuart the mouse

2007-11-01T05:50:00.000+01:00

The other day I dreamed, a funny scene in fact
I thought it silly

flashed my hand to brush off, my foolish act
now I know I am not so silly

in dream I am a mouse, small, sharp and fast
but in front was a cat

its paws large, the body, towering like a mast
for it, I am a game so neat

it plays lame with me, knowing I won’t last
says I am its treat

knowing I am helpless, choking me as I am beat
it knows I am its meat

then I woke up, with my clothes soaking wet
I felt, I am mouse Stuart

*************************
Current music : Run...Lighthouse family.

She knows how to...

2007-10-30T06:45:00.000+01:00

The apologetic husband: 'When I get mad at you, you never fight back."
'I am amazed at your patience dear! How do you control your anger so easily?' the husband's words were all love and honey.

Wife: 'I clean the toilet ..'

The husband was perplexed: 'You must be kidding, how does that help?'

Wife: 'I use your toothbrush.'

***************
Current music : Try to listen to this lady who says " nothing impress her much '

A new room and a sleepless night

2007-10-27T05:54:00.000+01:00

Yea I am back after my vacation.

A part of the vacation was sad, as what you feel when some one who was dear to you leaves suddenly… and I was no exception.

I actually arrived on yesterday in the field.
When I arrived I was informed that I can have a brand new room in the new block which just got completed.
Who wouldn’t want to live in a new, clean atmosphere?

I was elated no doubt, though shifting my nick knacks from the old room was cumbersome.
I used my new key on the lock and the door opened to a large room more spacious, with a nice looking and inviting bed and a table and chair near it.

My smile widened as I saw two big wooden wardrobes and its ornamental handles. Then of course, the small table to fix my speakers and my tiny MP3 player and I can throw my keys and Ids carelessly there.

I opened the bathroom and looked at the cubicle shower and disliked it instantly. It was too small and the toilets, though brand new, were not proportionately positioned.

Well, I can’t have everything, I thought and chuckled myself.

I went in the bathroom to have my warm shower and opened the water mixer on low temperature and pressed the shower handles... closed my eyes and waited for the warm water to tickle me…
I was jolted numb, when ice cold water spurted from the shower. What the hell !!!
I closed the taps and checked again. No mistake this time. It didn’t make long for me to find out that the geyser is yet to be connected. So I had to be contended with a cold shower. The cubicle was so small that I had to be careful when I tried to soap myself, my hands hit the side walls. No space for my usual waltz when I shower.

The night crept in slowly, and I decided to turn in early in the new room. I sat on the bed and I felt uneasy as the cot was a bit taller than normal. I brushed my irritation off like a speck of dust.

I brushed my teeth rinsing with ice cold water which was extremely unpleasant.

Looking at the made up bed was enough for me to feel sleepy. I prayed a moment as usual and pulled up the sheets up to my neck and switched off lights.

Though I dozed of immediately for 10 minutes initially, the discomfort of the bed and an unusual strange feeling made me turn and toss in my bed, sleepless, until my alarm went off at four.

I switched on the lights and looked at the tiled floor. I saw a variety of small creeping beetles. The floor was clean just before I went to bed and the doors and windows were bolted, yet I still don’t know where they are coming from.
So here I am writing about my first sleepless night in my new room.

Seeya, until you are ready to hear another of my blah blahs.

***I have Coolio singing "CU when you are there" for the music lovers, not forgetting to remind you to use a headphone while you listen to it.

yet another tag and a bye !!

2007-09-25T00:10:00.000+01:00

This is my longest post I ever did in one stretch and you have to excuse me for that. You see, I am not going to give you anything for a month starting from tomorrow.

A young woman tagged me for my 8 random habits/facts.

I have never seen nor heard her but I know that she comes to read my blog.
I don’t take up tags the normal way. I try to make it into a story by spinning facts like a spider…and it takes time.
Time is that I don’t have here now.

In addition, I am leaving on my vacation for another 28 days during which I don’t intend to write or read blogs.
It will be sort of hibernation this time. I will just close my senses so tight, emotions bottled, dreams and wishes crushed, like a pearl hurdled in a shell.
I hope that I can survive.

So I come back to the person who tagged me.
She is kind to me as she accepted my terms on the rules. I can’t write eight facts/habits from my life with such short time. So I will do as much as I can for you and I won’t tag any, as usual.
It is a story that I came in to contact with this person.
One day I saw her in my blog with a comment. I became curious and peeped in her blog… in her pages I saw a lot of wisdom.
From there I learned that she is one of the persons who cherish humanity.
I believe that humanity is not completely lost and I believe in this quote by Mahatma Gandhi.

“You must not loose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if few drops of ocean is dirty, the whole ocean doesn’t become dirty”

For I consider humanity an asset to people in this world where the new generation lack a lot of that.
So in my life, I consider humanity as numero uno (number one) factor

So now I come back again to person who tagged me.
Her name is samrina and she is from Pakistan. I tried to find out the meaning of her name in Arabic…but in vein.
Well, she already stated in her blog that she is also called as Samira (Sameera) which in Arabic means companion. I am sure that with the humanity and wisdom and faith she has, she will be more than a companion to her partner. Let future fill up the gap.
Samrina wants me to write 8 things about my habits/facts

Read this from her post about her interests “I love to write, though initially I started writing poetries”
So we both have something in common… I love poetry so does this girl.
Some times I too write poems but I am not yet sure, if those can be called as poems.

For me... and Thomas Gray
“Poetry is thoughts that breathe and words that burn”

I don’t really love poems by Emily Dickenson but for ‘some reason’ these lines from her… I will always remember.

If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.

Now coming back to the tag, I am sort of a teacher by my present job. You can call me an Engineer turned teacher with a PG accreditation to teach.
I am called as a trainer in Oil Fields. I teach young National Engineers what they forgot to learn in universities. I take then on a two year long rigorous ‘On job’ training in the oilfields.
My company believes that

“Good teachers are costly but bad teachers cost more”~ Bob Talbert
So they hired me.

My motto about my profession is best expressed by Khalil Gibran
“A teacher, who is indeed wise, does not bid you to enter his wisdom but rather leads you to the threshold of your mind”

That is what I do.
I teach them, and in turn I learn many things from and about them.
I learn about their family, habits, weaknesses, traditions, last but not least, their love.
I am their partner in sorrows happiness’s, virtually a partner in crimes too. I know when their faces are sad and in five minutes, the reason too.

Oh No, I am going again off track.

This is my desk.
The pile of answer papers littered my table hither-wither.
My two darling miniature speakers were transferred underground, beneath my table to allow space for the files which contains the special bond papers printed in different colours.

The colours now made me puke, as I am getting exhausted with sitting and signing and verifying papers on every stage of their training, now to be sorted in individual files.
I thought I need a lovely secretary just to cheer me up every morning with a smile and a cup of tea, when I am exhausted.
They say it is not allowed…they say it is against the protocol to employ woman on that job in the field.
They say they can give me an old lady if I insist. LOL
They say it with a lewd smile on their lips.
They don’t know anything about woman and womanhood.
For them, woman should only be in the kitchen.
For them, it is better if the woman is illiterate.
For them, it is better if they don’t breathe fresh air.
For them, they are just an instrument of pleasure.
They don’t know of any other relation between a man and woman.

Oh Jesus! Where have I gone with my words and thoughts?
The matter is plain, that I needed to be out in the open… I need fresh air.
I got up from my desk, locked the door, stretched my muscles and went out on the blacony whistling an old Nat king Cole Number

The mild breeze caressed the coarse hairs on my exposed forearms and I felt pleasantly cold.
I looked beyond the walkway to the main office, towards the groomed guava trees, to the large may flower tree and stopped at the large thick greenish tree near the main security office.
I thought that the tree looked so beautiful.
What is so beautiful about that useless tree?

Listen to Martin Luther king
“God writes the Gospel not only in the Bible alone, but on trees and flowers and clouds and stars”
So you see; I love nature.
I love that tree, which for ordinary person is no beauty. It is full of those long beans, like daggers that contain its seeds.
I neither know the name of the tree or its beans but I call that the dagger beans because of its shape and it is coloured shining parrot green.
If it is pleasant colour that attracts me now, in summer it is the sizzling sound that it produces when the mild afternoon wind blows. I feel that it as music of the nature.
Again I need to say, that if you see that you may not see any beauty in it.
As Confucius once said
“ everything has beauty, but not every one sees it”
Take a look.

Don’t you see the beauty ?
Don’t you see beauty in the colour of that useless dagger beans ?
Oh ! God I am forgetting what I was planning to write.

I am still in the balcony of my office with a cold wind singing strange music

I stood watching there a moment and turned to my little chirping friends nearby.

A robin on the recess between the metallic supports and roofing sheets gave me an unpleasant look. I wondered why?
Sure it knows me well, as I feed them plenty of biscuits from my catering supply, as I don’t relish biscuits.
Another birdie now loomed up between the sheets moving beside him, speaking their language non stop.
Now I saw that he has become chirpy and displayed me his pleasure. I saw that he was really proud now sitting near her

When I came in here the first time before three years, I tried to decipher their chirping language and I think I was able to understand a bit. But now I lost it or, may be they don’t talk for me or they don’t want to me to hear.

I remember the howling sounds of the night birds when I was in my Mom’s house, lying in the large bed with her, as she showed me how to answer the call in the same way as they do. She could do the talking with any pets or animals we had.
She used to talk with them as soothingly as she talks to me and they seemed to react spontaneously.
She even taught me to talk to the brown stallion that William bought from the auctions especially for Dad.
It was a dooms day for her when it broke its hind leg during riding practice and writhed in pain until my Mom insisted on drugging him for a day.
She even went out with her maid in the middle of the night to the stable…where it was resting on slings.

I looked again at the Robins, the laughing pairs. I was listening intently but was unable to catch what they were chirping.
I pointed my thumb and the middle finger at the male Robin and said "Ahoy ! Damn you, if you don't want to chirp with me"

They were laughing and cooing, and that was music to me.

Good , that I remembered music now… as I am born with music in my ears.
If you want to understand the meaning of what I said, then you need to understand a bit of Africa.
We are a race that has music running through our veins.
We have songs and music when one is born and when one dies.
We dance at birth and death. We even have songs and dances when you need too be sad. Being a ‘kappiri (African mix) brada’… I love music.
I love music irrespective of the language, provided that it makes me close my eyes and relax…or makes me jump out of my bed and move around the room humming and moving with rhythmic steps.
I am like Buffy Sainte Maria who said that
“Music been my play mate, my lover and my crying towel”
Oh well, its time for me to go in now or else I wont finish the papers it 2 days before the trainees leave.

I forgot to tell you that I love traveling.
Every place I visit is an experience I treasure. In fact I am leaving for a voyage tomorrow. See. I am ready with what I have.

As good by is the saddest word, it is not easy for me to sing good bye…..and more over I don’t sing well.

I will let Celin Dion to do that.
Listen to her sad goodbye. That’s my good bye to you.

Flutterfly !

2007-09-21T23:30:00.000+01:00

I have a very moderate office and my two desks are even more moderate.
I can’t complain, as I am not the General Manager of the company.

I am just a trainer who does teach the new generation of National Engineers.

The trainees call me ‘Usthad’ (Sir) or Mr. Jac, and to others I am a muda-ras (teacher) or sometimes plain ‘mohandis jac’ (Engineer jac) as is the Arabic custom.

One way or other I don’t care what they call me. I teach damn well and I am proud of it. (‘Excuse my language, ahem !)

They give me a nice salary, a cabin not very moderate but with two desks, amenities, provide top class food in grade1 officers diner, 24x7 internet(slowest LAN in the whole world) free laundry, top class accommodation single( sorry, no woman allowed)

So you see, I have nothing to complain.
Give me a reason and I will.
In return I teach the new Engineers how to be self sufficient… how to run an oil facility with out problems.
Isn’t that good enough ?

Normally I am the last to leave the office and I leave my office in the late night locking the doors myself.
Yesterday too before locking all doors, I looked around to see if the AC is off, the power plugs isolated, lights in the balcony.
Nothing abnormal!
No smoky smell?
No body hiding anywhere?
Every thing was clear and I locked and left to my room nearby.

Now it is today.
As usual I am in the office at 5AM.
Switched on the desktop computer, spread my laptop on the side table and switched it on too. I am waiting for both the computers to load…and then I heard the sound of flutters.

I am sure that I locked the doors, so it can’t be bats.
There fluttering continued out side my cabin door. I got up and opened the door.

Flut…flut… flut…

The thing was inside my door before I could even wink.

Beside the fluorescent lights inside my office, fluttering around was a very large butterfly!!!!

I looked with interest and with keenness, my curiosity showed in my look

It was not a normal night butterfly and it was not very colorful too, but it has lovely designs showing on its wings and I remembered that this is not the season of butterflies.

Now, after so much fluttering, I saw that it was looking for a place to rest and then, it sat on the paper punch right on top of my cup board and I could see it looking at me with its large bulged eyes and rubbing its sensors.

I wanted to tell it that I am no honey and there are no flowers here.

As if guessing my thoughts, it started fluttering again here are there with out aim and finally landed on my laptop.

Now I had a closer look. It is quite large…to be precise, as large as my palm.

But I also noticed that it has lost a small piece of its wing…probably a bird tried to attack and it escaped death.
I took the camera out of my case slowly and checked the charge. Shot a pic with its wings at full span sitting on my laptop.

As if it was waiting for the pic to be taken, it fluttered from my lap to my shoulder, and from there landed right on my palm…stayed there put; won’t go away at all. LOL

I think that it liked the moist warmness of my palm.

I realised now that if it stayed there in the AC cabin, it may loose the ability to fly easily.
I took the soft silk creature reverently outside my office.

I raised my hand and there... it was gone fluttering to freedom……
************
Current music: MLTR:- album Blue Night

Hey ! you may !

2007-09-19T22:45:00.000+01:00

To those days that scares you with just a thought
like those black days, with out a reason, lips so tight

damn those days that you feel towed away,
feels the need to be alone… and you find a way

with the wind, to be blown away as you say
wouldn’t I have my say, to you; if I may?
‘nuf' of those dark days that splash, all over with gray
breaking in pieces, your tiny beads of love like clay

a hurt is mutual when hearts are spun like a string of hay
when hearts are afar, do you expect a magical ray?
that travels as fast as a witch’s wand, curing all dismay?

give your life a teeny weenie bit of colour; ‘least a day
then ask me, if you don’t, the meaning of love, if you may

******************

Current music : Little wings...the corrs.

A teeny weenie joke

2007-09-18T05:53:00.000+01:00

A kindergarten class had a homework assignment to find out about something exciting around their home or nearby places and relate it to the class the next day.

The next day, after the routine songs and rhymes they normally practice, the pretty teacher wanted to know from the kids, some innocent excitement that they witnessed around them.

When the time came to present what they'd found, the first little boy Jim, walked up to the front of the class made a small white dot on the blackboard and sat back down.

Puzzled, the teacher asked him

“Jim, what is that?”

"It's a period," said the little boy.

"Well, I can see that," she said, "but what is so exciting about a period?"

"Damned if I know," said the little boy, "but this morning my sister was missing one, Daddy had a heart attack, Mommy fainted, and the man next door shot himself."

Another tag 8-|

2007-09-14T18:40:00.000+01:00

I had no internet for a few days due to a fibre optic cable cut on the main lines of my company server and the area was flooded, preventing access for the repair crew

Now I have a lot of pending posts and more importantly, I have a pending tag.

geets has tagged me about the smells.

In fact I would say that she has tricked me…. Let me explain.

There is a saying that goes as that, if you suspect some body planning to ask you for a loan, the best way to prevent is to ask them first, before they get any chance to ask u.
I think it is a very clever strategy.

When I did the last tag for gazza, I was supposed to tag at least 3 persons…and the first name that came to mind was geets. I wrote her name as nominee, and then just before posting it, I took a peep at what is going on with my friend dot at her blog. I saw that dot has already tagged geets.
I am “kereem “( kind hearted, generous) to all those who wants to know , so when I saw geets being tagged some where else, I felt that she shouldn’t be overburdened hence I didn’t tag her.

Now, what I assume might have happened over the other end at geets is that, she being extremely intelligent (her IIT tenure being ample proof) somehow smelt my intentions and tagged me in advance to prevent me tagging her.

She is very clever indeed!!!

Anyways…tricks or no tricks, tags are tags and I will do it with pleasure for her. (Smile from ear to ear)

Let me remember what smell comes to me first, in the order of importance!

The first one I remember is the smell of smoke…the smell of wood smoke drifting from the long lane of thatched roof African huts.

African huts…made with reeds and grass.

When I was a kid, every morning I used to walk near the huts that workers from the plantation dwell with kids running around stark naked, to inhale the pleasant smell of wood smoke. I know smelling smoke is not good.

My attraction was nothing but the pleasant aroma, that spreads from a particular dry grass used along with the wood, to get the fire going.
The times has passed I don’t get a chance to see those houses often.

Second smell on my list is of lemon…not the smell of the lemon fruit that I like, but the smell of the leaves of the lemon tree.

Ya, I like it so much!
I know, that you people are laughing at my silliness!!

For you, the smell of the lemon and the lemon leaf are same.

But I tell you something??

Next time if you happen to be near a lemon tree, just pluck a lemon leaf, crush it with your fingers and smell it…
Pronto, let me know if I am wrong.

Keep on mocking at me until then.

Next one is a smell of food item.

I like the smell of freshly steamed garry.
Garry(or Eba) is the national food of Nigeria. It is made by steaming the pre- powdered cassava roots (Tapioca)
It has a delicious smell when it is taken out from the oven…that I will never forget.
It is normally consumed with an African fish cuisine called Egussi mellow.
My mom used to make the best Egussi mellow in the whole world, so how could I forget that.

I am now coming to smell number four which is a fragrance and not a smell.

I like the smell of my perfume that I use only while I am not on duty.
I use GIO (men) from Giorgio Armani.

You started laughing when I said "while I am not on duty"???

Though it looks odd, it is true that our company does not encourage the use perfumes during duty, due to purely safety reasons.

That brings in more cynical look from you ???

It is also true, as Africa is the place of wild bees. There is every chance that you will be followed and attached mercilessly by bees, if they are in a bad mood, and they can pick up scents and follow you easily.

Smell number five has two claimers.

I like the smell of flowers of Jasmine and Paala (Alstonia Schlolaris) Both are flowers but one is from flower garden and another is the flower of a wild tree called as Paala in which the yakshi (the beautiful disguised witch) dwells as per geets.

Paala is a tropical plant also known as white cheesewood or blackboard tree, is considered medicinal. Ancient times in Africa, the bitter bark of the tree was used for treating Malaria as a substitute for quinine.

The Paala flower blooms only at midnight and spreads an exotic smell, that is said to attract males to the tree (not me, but geets says so)

Geets knows better about it, as she nurtures one of that (or a look like) at her apartment.

I hope that geets feels happier with me for taking up this tag for her.

***********

Current music:- Freestyler-Bomfunk MC

Ready

2007-09-10T07:41:00.000+01:00

Words are now do’s and don’ts lurking one’s life
every day turns a countdown marked with knife

when an oasis turns a desert, marring none to survive
I lie cuddled in sand, stone-like, resisting life to revive
staring at sun, a soul made ready, shedding all reserve

Tag.

2007-09-06T15:43:00.000+01:00

I was tagged by my good friend gazza .

The first thing you have to do is post the rules. So, here they are:

1. You have to post these rules before you give the facts.

2. You must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of your middle name. If you don’t have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have had.

3. At the end of your blog post, you need to choose one person for each letter of your middle name to tag. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

I have decided to make the exception of tagging any. Anybody who is willing can take this up.

My middle name is jac. Ha! Ha! See, it is so convenient too !!!

Now the first letter of my name is J… and what I first remember as usual is my own name.
Now what am I going to write about my name ????

Let’s say that it is not only my name and that I have got something that comes to my mind from my childhood…a fall that should have killed me.
Here is the story of Jackfruit which start from the letter J

During the times on vacation I spent with my late valiammachy (my grandma) in a remote corner of Kerala, I was deprived of going alone anywhere with out her escorting me as she believed that I am a ‘kappiri themmadi chekkan( naughty African imp), bold enough to look and scare even lions, back at my home country.

Well, I didn’t tell her that I am also afraid of lions if a lion happen to look straight at me.

One day she showed me some very large green and fat thing hanging from a tree in her farm and told me that it is a fruit, and is one of sweetest fruits on earth. She told me that it is called chakka.
That was the biggest fruit I have ever seen.

I demanded to have it tasted immediatly and she refused saying that I have to wait a day or two to allow the tree to be dry, so that the coconut-plucker staying nearby can climb on it to fetch one of those sweet things for me to taste.

I am a spoiled brat and I was not happy with that attitude. I am an Aries kid.
I will get what I wanted by hook or crook.

While she was busy with servants in kitchen I was out looking over the tree with the numerous fruits on it.

I found her fears baseless, as the tree bark looked pretty dry and I decided to make a go for the tree, thinking that I will surprise my valiammachy with my African climbing skill.
I was on the first branch with a number of fruits hanging down, that I realized that I didn't think of a knife, to cut of the fruit from the tree as the fruit was firmly attached by a strong spine with the bark. I hesitated a moment, thinking if I should call out my valiammachy for help. But my pride won’t budge.

This little brave jac from Africa, firmly holding on to a branch with one hand, tried to snatch off the heavy fruit with the other hand.

I succeeded in sheering off the fruit but I was totally unaware of the weight of that damn thing and I lost my hold on the branch… off I go with the chakka, landing on my back, that took my breath away for a moment.

I was stunned till I heard my valiammachy’s voice almost pleading and crying “ente mone, ente ponnu mone” (my son! my dear son).

I was afraid to face her, but I got up very slowly making sure that my limps are ok, and managed a smile at my valiammachy.

Seeing my smile, I saw her facial muscles transforming from fear to anger.

She moved so fast for her age and caught both my hands in one hold with her ebony fingers and shouted “nintte appan enne kollum ariyamoda kappiri” ? (That time I didn’t know the meaning but it meant “you African imp, don’t you know that your dad will kill me ?)

I thought she was going to hit me and I closed my eyes... instead I felt her warm kisses on both my cheeks and tears were rolling non stop from her eyes.

My valiammachy later said that she heard only one heavy sound, not two… meaning that chakka might have fallen on me. LOL

So there my story ends !!!

The jackfruit is a huge, spined oval fruit that is believed to have been first cultivated in Indian rainforests.

I think that it is not true because there is mention of jackfruits described in minute detail from travelers of ancient times who passed through Zanzibar, Africa.

Any ways, it is largely grown in tropical or close to tropical climates. It still is found in many parts of India, as well as in most of Southeast Asia. In the Americas, the jackfruit is largely grown in Brazil. The northern parts of the US and all of Canada are generally too cold for young jackfruit trees.

The second letter on the list is A and I am relating it to some thing beautiful.
What about beautiful eyes?

But there again, the word ‘Eye’ doesn’t start with letter A. What about Almonds? It starts with letter A but it doesn't have any relation with eyes.

But yes, people say that a perfect eye will take the shape of an Almond.

I have been to many countries in the past.

But perfect almond shaped eyes that I have seen was from a place called Hilla in Iraq.

There you can tell if a woman is from Hilla, by just looking at her eyes. The female species from Hilla are graced with Almond shaped eyes.

Don’t mistake me please !

I know that all of you may have even more beautiful eyes than them, but I haven’t seen any of you !!!! Almonds are not strange to any of you.

Almonds are normally a favorite Mediterranean specialty.

But they are grown in many countries like Spain, Greece, Italy and Afghanistan Iran and even in California in the United States. But the most sought after almonds are considered to be from Iran.

Almonds are nutritionally dense – a quality emphasized in the government’s Dietary Guidelines. Independent analyses show that almonds are the most nutritionally dense nut, whether compared calorie per calorie or ounce per ounce. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 encourage Americans to choose nutritionally dense foods – that is, to get the most nutrition possible out of the calories you eat. A one-ounce, 160-calorie serving of almonds, or about a handful, is an excellent source of vitamin E and magnesium, and a good source of fiber. It also offers heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, protein, potassium, calcium, phosphorous and iron.

Eating a daily handful of almonds a day may lower LDL, or “bad” cholesterol. In a clinical trial published in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation, men and women who ate one daily ounce of almonds for a month lowered their LDL cholesterol by 4.4 percent. Those who ate two daily ounces of almonds lowered their LDL cholesterol even more – by 9.4 percent – and maintained their weight.

Eating almonds may help maintain or even lose weight. A 2003 study in the International Journal of Obesity found that adding a daily ration of almonds to a low-calorie diet enhanced weight loss, as well as significantly improved risk factors associated with heart disease, when compared to a low-fat, low-calorie diet. Researchers cited almonds’ heart-healthy monounsaturated fat as being very satiating, helping satisfy the appetite and prevent patients from overeating.

The last letter in the lot is C.

Here is the word Crystal.

I have a collection of crystals I cherish.

I like crystals because of its beauty of transparency and shining. I get a clean feeling when I look at a crystal

In chemistry a crystal is a solid made of atoms, molecules, or ions are packed in a regularly ordered, repeating pattern extending in all three spatial dimensions.

The word crystal originates from the Greek word "Krystallos" meaning clear ice, as it was thought to be an especially solid form of water. The word once referred particularly to quartz, or "rock crystal".

This pic was beyond my imagination !!

Here is a pic and its narration of something sensational that is difficult to believe.

This is the crystal cave of giants found in the Naica Mine, Chihuahua, Mexico. Those are Selenite crystals (gypsum) and are the largest crystals ever discovered.

They were 1000 feet down in a limestone host rock where they are mining for lead, zinc and silver.
These crystals were formed by hydrothermal fluids emanating from the magma chambers below. The miners had to drill through the Naica fault, that they were worried would flood the mine… and this is what they discovered.

Current music : Angel by Shaggy.

Am I ?

2007-09-03T00:10:00.000+01:00

I forgot to mention in my previous post that I am back at my training desk after 28 days vacation.

While landing in Khartoum airport, as usual, I looked out through the window to see the joining point of the both the Nile rivers at Omdurman…the white and blue Nile.
I couldn’t locate it as usual as I couldn’t find the rivers at all.
I could see a vast lake with no way to know which is what?
Instantly I remembered the previous days TV news coverage of floods in Sudan.
But it was not me who made the floods and cyclones.
Am I?

After landing, on the way to Hotel Meridian, picked up by my company driver, I saw an accident where two peoples died in front of me, before the Ambulance arrived.
Both were speeding in the opposite directions for every one to see.
I am not responsible for that.
Am I?

I had to take a ‘Fokker’ flight to the field where I was working, in the wee hours of the morning.
In the air, I looked down and I could see the roads broken in many places suspending all road traffic.
I am not the one who did all those damage.
Am I?

Some of the trainees were sick because of Malaria. With the rains and floods comes Malaria like a robber.
I am not the one who spread Malaria.
Am I?

Then why me ? Why was that scary fella targeting me? Of all the people, why me?

Says everybody that I am good…then why was it gunning at me?
just me !

Listen to this!!!

It was the second day of my arrival.
I had my shower after my work in cold, hot and cold again, James bond style.
Out of the room in a casual slip-on foot wear to ease of heaviness that lingers with my legs, due to the usage of the heavy mandatory safety boots.
I was at ease and stood a second on the platform looking at the deepening dusk and started descending the steps to the ground and then I stood still uneasily, as my sixth sense gave me an alarm. I had the very well known African feeling of someone or something watching me.
Slightly crouched, I looked around cautiously squinting my eyes, looking through the building shadows for a jackal or wolf.
I couldn’t see any moment and nothing moved around me. But I think I saw some moment on the ground a bit far away but I couldn’t see that again while I looked closely.
I eased my body and moved my legs just one step and I saw that creepy one looking at me …a tiny crab, a normal, harmless land crab. Probably out from its hole for his pray.

I took the next step and there it was, as fast as a snake on to my exposed skin of my right foot, in between the leather straps

Ouch!! That sharp pain was like an electric drill, while it enjoyed making me cry out with its scissor snipers clamping my skin.

As I bend to inspect my leg with my hand, it ran a few feet and started watching me with his bulged eyes. I took out my hankie from my pocket and caught it fast and took it to the cemented lighted platform of my residence block. My leg was bleeding slightly, which I washed and applied some Mercurochrome. But the bitten part was dark purple.

I put my friend down to see what else it has in store for me. As soon as I removed the hankie, it stood glaring at me in its attacking position with the two scissor arms extended and ready for another crimping.
It stood still, while I took this picture with the flash. The flash might have scared the fella, as the poor thing dashed behind the wooden frame of the building.
I let it go.

I did nothing against it or anybody, but why was it just waiting me ?

Now I ask you why it is me.
Did I make the floods that made it to come out of his hole?
Did some one pay it to crimp me?

Am I responsible for its miseries too?
Am I?
********
Current music : Lucille-Kenny Rogers.

tender !

2007-08-30T22:01:00.000+01:00

This picture was taken some time back.

Whenever I see this picture, I remember two different topics.

The first one is the name of the subject, which is “tender coconuts” and it brings me a real unique feeling of affection because of the word “tender” and eventually to tenderness.
It also takes me to the past…where a lot of faces passing through my mind, like a movie on slow motion…my child hood included.

If you have ever tasted a tender coconut, I need not say another word about it.
I would say that it tasted to me like a mom’s love.

The second topic that comes to me is that of a young blogger from Kerala in India with a blog name that resembles a coconut.
He is known as nariyal chutney which means chutney made with coconut. Nariyal is coconut in Hindi dialect.
Coconut chutney is a very famous south Indian delicacy.

Though I don’t know him in person, some how I like him. He was in my blog on August 15th after a long gap that made me remember this picture.

As keram means coconut in Keralite language, it is evident that the state of Kerala got the name Keralam or Kerala from its abundance in growing coconuts.

In this second picture, I tried to stitch two different photos together that is of the coconut trees and a beach both from Purakkad, a fishing village in Kerala.

If you want to see another common variety of coconut, click here

I know what you are going to say now NC, but listen, both the coconut pictures are not taken from Kerala.

******

Current music: Ain't nobody...Diana King.

It was so touchy !

2007-08-23T14:15:00.000+01:00

First of all, I want to thank lady luxie for another award extended to me in her blog. Thank you, luxie !
You are Kareem ! ( generous in Arabic) Thank you again !

I was supposed to post this long back as it happened almost a month ago.
The accommodation camp for my trainees has been temporarily shifted after the big fire in the company camp, and it was mandatory that I have to sign a register in the rented accommodation premises every day after verifying the trainee’s presence in the camp. The area was just a few kilometres located in middle of a small village that has accommodation facilities for different contracting companies.

That day while returning from inspection, I saw that sad scene…a jennet (a female donkey) was knocked down by a passing truck and its young foal (baby donkey) was standing guard beside in the stark rain. It was sniffing around it's mom and licking as if asking her to get up and feed her.

I was so sorry, as I saw that the foal was so very small and marks of tears were seen on both sides of its face.
I felt depressed at the sight, but I had to go on for my daily duties with out any further thinking that face.
I went through the same road the third day and the jennet and foal were still there.
The foal was in a pathetic condition being in the rain and it looked so week. The hair on its body was wet and dripping and the foal was shivering with cold. Its belly was seen empty and hollow, it was about to fall at any time and perish.
It was drizzling as I got down from my truck. I put on my coat and approached the small Sudanese shop owner nearby
“Salaam” I said politely.
He knew me from my frequent trips towards the area and he asked me what help I need. I asked him why he doesn’t ask the ‘Baladeeya’ (Municipality) the remove the carcass of the jennet and give the foal a shelter.

He said that no body care about a donkey and as usual, the body is for the Hawks and scavenger Eagles. He also explained that the foal refused water and food though he offered twice and added that it never left the body even for a second.
I explained that it is a health hazard but he doesn’t seem to understand.

So instead, I asked him where the Baladeeya office is and he showed me.
I took another look at the shivering foal and got in my truck to proceed to Baladeeya.
The man sitting behind the desk was reading something and he didn’t even sense my presence.
I cleared my throat and wished him “Salaam Alaikum”
He answered “Wa Alaikum Salaam” with out even caring to look up.

I cleared my throat again to make him look up... and this time he did look.

He looked at my official peacock blue uniform with the emblem my company and at my ID card hanging on my chest with the company embossed logo.

That was enough and he was on his feet asking excuse for not noticing me. His bored look gave way to courtesy and attention… Our company pays his salary. LOL

I explained about the donkey being dead for three days lying on the road and causing a health problem. He listened patiently but don’t see my point about the health hazard.
Finally he agreed that he will make arrangements to remove the carcass and called up a bunch of Khaki clad workers with crisp orders.
I thanked him and went next to the Rafiq’s provision store where I normally purchase my nick-knacks.
I had helped him once or twice when his children got sick that got them special attention from our company Doctors and another time when his son made an accident and I used my truck as an ambulance.

I asked him if he can take care of the foal for me as I knew that he owns a few donkeys that he uses for transporting his goods. At least the foal will be well fed.
He said that he will send his son immediately to fetch the foal and I knew he would take care.

Even after almost a month, I remember the face of the foal, standing guard to its mother expecting her to get up any time and fondly licking the baby.

Mom’s love has no match even if it is with animals.

When I started writing this journal, I had no idea what a female donkey or a baby donkey is called as…but now you see just a click in msn search and I had learned something I didn’t knew before.

Current music…Elton John on his Piano

Innocent Babaghai (Parrot)

2007-08-17T08:00:00.000+01:00

A woman went to a pet shop and immediately spotted a large beautiful parrot. There was a sign on the cage that said $50.00.

"Why so little," she asked the pet store owner.

The owner looked at her and said, "Look, I should tell you first that this bird used to live in a house of Prostitution, and sometimes it says some pretty vulgar stuff."

The woman thought about this and looked at the beautiful bird, but decided she had to have the bird anyway.

She took it home and hung the bird's cage up in her living room and waited for it to say something.
The bird looked around the room, then at her, and said, "New house, new madam."

The woman was a bit shocked at the implication, but then thought how and where the parrot had been raised.

When her two teenage daughters returned from school the bird saw them and said, "New house, new madam, new girls."

The girls and the woman were a bit offended but then began to laugh when explained about the situation and considering how and where the parrot had been raised.

Moments later, the woman's husband, Keith came home from work.

The bird looked at him and said, "Hi, Keith."
***********

Current music...shy guy-Diane King

Wishing you...

2007-08-15T05:34:00.000+01:00

Best wishes to all my readers of Indian Origin on their 60th Independence day...
This is to remind you that we are one...
irrespective of the colour of our flags, the difference in the way we dress, the variety of the way we speak or the mode of culture we inherited.

Let us stand together for peace and prosperity for all.

Saved !

2007-08-13T07:36:00.000+01:00

I was supposed to publish some of these posts before my vacation. Some how I was not able to do that then. I am using my vacation to post those, to compansate it.

I saw her on my left side almost fifty meters ahead of me, alone and aloof yet enjoying the strong drift of the muddy water. In fact I was seeing her almost three consecutive days…same place, almost same time.
I was on the look out for her today and I got lucky.

I cut my engine and eased the car silently on the bylane. She hesitated a moment and moved to the farther side.
These gray storks are very suspicious birds and I knew it well.

With out getting out of the car, I opened the side glass of my pick up and prepared my camera and checked my battery level because I didn’t want to miss this shot for any reason.

She stood still as I looked through the window with out batting an eyelid.

All off a sudden she relaxed and started to swim around. I breathed a sigh and looked through the view finder and clicked as she ignored me totally.
As minutes passed, she became confident and moved closer, occasionally dipping her head under water. But the odd angle of my pick up prevented me from taking a shot of her fishing skill. I had to satisfy me with this closer shot.

Aiming for a better shot, I opened the door slowly and eased out my leg towards the muddy bank. She looked up suddenly, probably due to the light reflected from my camera. She hesitated and moved to the shady side of the tree, among the green grass shoots rising above the muddy water.
She seemed to be trying to hide from me when I took this shot.

Suddenly she froze, as I heard the unmistaken sound of the gunshot.
I thought she was hurt but in an instant she took off like a bullet with her beautiful wings flapping a zigzag path, as a precaution.

I thanked God for sparing her life as I saw the culprit...a stale smiling face of the Sergeant in a camouflaged army attire from the bushes with his smoking gun.

As a forigner here, I can’t get angry with this barbarian, I thought myself. He was still smiling like an ape at me.

“You are a damn good shot sergeant” I said, eying the flying bird far away. His smile froze with my mockery, as he trod away angrily to the nearby check post.
********************
Current music...Freeek - George Michael

Rivirescence

2007-08-09T09:43:00.000+01:00

It was so silent out in the open,
serene, the clouds and sky at a stand still

with the rains gone, brighter the sun
a small crowd in garden is the Chinese roll call

I took a deep breath to freshen
in the bright foyer, I saw it, smiling like a pal

I forgot to mention to all that I am on my vacation. Sorry for going off with out a word.

Current music : Life for rent by Dido.

Wine !

2007-07-31T06:50:00.000+01:00

Grapes from vineyards
plucked as fresh and good
kept in wooden casks
matured to change with time
the name is sparkling wine !

Is love, like those grapes ?
held like prize of gold
kept in a warming heart
nurtured and cared with time
Could you change its name ?

yet another day !

2007-07-29T09:40:00.000+01:00

Picture courtesy internet

This is the end of the day as in every day
feeling the unknown heat of the bay each day
or watching sunset… be it any day, Monday to Friday
I have it all marked in a page a day, even today

This is about bubbles, tiny globes, that lives hardly a day
at times as pairs, twined like couples on a wedding day
flying high and low, drifting like balloons freed on a birthday
inside, are souls trapped, dreams withered, shrieking mayday

throw off that pin, sharp as a harpoon used on whale hunting day
It needs just a shake, to make them break and bring their doomsday
let those bubbles dream and live in moments of joy, yet another day

To tickle your humour cells

2007-07-28T06:00:00.000+01:00

An Irishman walks into a bar in Dublin and orders 3 pints of guinness and sits at the back of the room, drinking a sip out of each one in turn. When he was finished he came back to the bar and ordered 3 more.

The barman says, "You know a pint goes flat when I pull it, it would taste better if you bought one at a time"

The irishman replies, "Well you see I have two brothers, one lives in America, the other in Australia, and I am here in Dublin. When we left home we promised each other we would drink this way to remember the days we all drank together"

The barman admits that this is a nice custom and leaves it there.

The irishman becomes a regular at the bar and always drinks the same way. He orders 3 pints and drinks the 3 pints by taking drinks from each of them in turn.

One day he comes in and orders 2 pints. All the regulars in the bar notice and fall silent. When he comes back to the bar to order the second round the barman says

"I don’t want to intrude on your grief, I just want to offer my condolences on your great loss"

The irishman looks confused for a moment, then a light dawns in his eye and he laughs.

" Oh no”, he says, "Everyone is fine. It’s me. I’ve stopped drinking”.
*************************************

Have a nice laugh and here is my wishes for you to have a nice and pleasent week end.

That is not my muscle power !!

2007-07-25T20:30:00.000+01:00

Listen please !
This is not my show off muscle that you see here !!

I am surprised and out of speach about capcity who has graced me with an award of schmooze... which I understand means, an ability to make connections.

First of all let me thank capcity for choosing me as one among the five awarded. I am flattered with this ardent unexpected attention and kindness.

Though I don't know her very well, I find this sista' a woman of immense inner strength and I would say that she is a born leader.

Thank you, Cap !

The rule also says that I have to pass the award to five others which is a very testing job for me.
In fact, I don't want to do it, but then, I have to do it one way or other.

Now the difficult part of crowning another five individuals very very difficult.

So I am doing the easiest thing possible for me...choose five popular blogers that comes to my mind.

samuru, for her poem a day blog, which became a grand success, though is taking a temporary break at the moment.

janice with her communicating ability in any kind of writing, be it prose, verse or even through her own audio/video reproductions.

mindinside for her simple but evokingly expressive poems and her ability to be on top form to her readers if she wants.

velu for his ability to mermerise and tickle a large number of readers with his unique, little snippets coming through his popular blog.

mathew with his humourous way of writing in his blog has earned him a considerable(sigh) number of female readers. He has also manged to hypnotize and charm a large number of fans including me, with his gigantic moustache (meesa in his language)

Please check them out with out fail and you will see that they deserve it.

May I come in ?

2007-07-21T22:00:00.000+01:00

To kill means, to get killed by hanging

not to kill is, to get killed unarmed

either way you get killed

*******

****

Give me a couple of days to visit everyone of you... I did miss all your blogs.

If you do not enjoy the music here, you can switch off the player by double clicking the player, but if you enjoy music...use a good headphone.

2007-06-07T05:40:00.000+01:00

A full bloom of Taleh

2007-06-06T06:00:00.000+01:00

Last month while I was going to unity state through the forest short cut, I couldn’t believe my eyes, as I saw yellow every where.

For the first time in my life I saw the Taleh trees in bloom.

The spring has been favorable to this tree it seems.
Last year, I saw a bloom here there, but not in these dimensions.
Every nook and corner where the Taleh forest is visible was covered with small yellow flowers.

This is incredibly beautiful !!

This tree is a wonder tree for the people over here.
My old readers already know what it is. If they remember... Do I see a lewd smile on their faces?
Those readers who are new here and not heard about the tree, please take a look here.

Cochin

2007-06-05T05:15:00.000+01:00

I was in that cute boat on their previous round at Cochin backwaters. (The city of Cochin or Kochi, is at the southern end of India)

There was a group of woman from France in it when I entered.

They looked at me suspiciously while I stepped in, but after seeing my camera, they opened up again chattering in French, even one of them eying me from the corner of her eyes and asking the other if I was an Arab...unaware that I know a little French.

It was real cozy inside the boat with comfortable cushioned seats and very clean floormats.

In the background is the city of Cochin.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

They say, that a laugh is as good as sex... and sex is said to be healthy.
Enjoy the humor and rememeber to take it in good spirits.

Late on Friday afternoon a Banbury senior citizen drove his brand new BMW Z4 convertible out of the car salesroom.

Taking off down the motorway, he floored it to 90 mph, enjoying the wind blowing through what little hair he had left on his head.
"Amazing!" he thought as he flew down theM40, enjoying pushing the pedal to the metal even more.
Looking in his rear view mirror, he saw a police car behind him, blue lights flashing and siren blaring.
"I can get away from him - no problem!" thought the elderly nutcase as he floored it to 110mph, then 120, then 130mph.

Suddenly, he thought,"What on earth am I doing? I'm too old for this nonsense!"
So he pulled over to the side of the road and waited for the police car to catch up with him.

Pulling in behind him, the police officer walked up to the driver's side of the BMW, looked at his watch and said, "Sir, my shift ends in 10minutes. Today is Friday and I'm taking off for the weekend. If you can give me a reason why you were speeding like that, I've never heard or seen you before, I'll let you go."

The man, looked very seriously at the policeman, and replied, " Years ago," he paused a second before continuing " my wife ran off with a policeman. "

"I thought you were bringing her back." he said with out even a smiling.

"Have a good day, Sir," said the policeman. He raised his cap slightly as of a salute and left with a broad smile.

:P

2007-06-04T05:03:00.000+01:00

In deep slumber it came, a picture, crystal clear
array of colours so vivid, I felt her so near

eyes closed, I sensed, the image was you
holding hands, leaning... a cozy feeling anew

I felt your long fingers, touching my nose
moments, breath intense, moving so close

then, the shrill of beeps I heard from far, I felt
eyes wide, I saw my clock shrieking atop my quilt

A trapeze on the ground ???

2007-06-02T08:59:00.000+01:00

Last Wednesday was a day for safety awareness and there was a small exercise for the trainees as part of the training on the subject. It was just a matter of being with the trainees for 10 minutes. But the exercise was scheduled in a station almost 40 kilometers away.
I sent my trainees in the minivan with the driver and I proceeded after 10 minutes in my pick up.

After the exercise, I have allowed my trainees to go back early and I stayed behind to meet a few of my ex-trainees who has already become regular staff.

My return was delayed until 11AM and I have as usual, cruised at low speed enjoying sights around me.

The summer this year is abnormally hot and the pools were getting dry. There were very few migrating birds that day. There were a few showers which were simply not enough to wet the fertile land.

On the way I had to pass through many pools with muddy water that were actually dug for the shepherds and cattle...the only source of water to cater the animals.

While passing the third pool I saw movement in black and stopped.

I saw this bird doing a virtual dance near the pool.

First what I thought was that it somehow got hurt by some cactus thorns which are deadly to these birds when they are dry.
I knew I can’t help the poor thing, as the reef Herons are so much afraid of of us.

I stopped the pick up and decided to investigate.

When I was out of the car, I had a partial view of the pool and now, I clearly saw that it was doing a virtual waltz near the pool.

I thought that the bird was crazy.

Now I asked this question to myself
Does it happen ?

I didn't know if they become crazy some times?
I have never thought about this subject before ! I have to ask Abdulla or refer some books.

Who else in the hell want to do a waltz when the sun is on top of your head ?

Yes, that one was one crazy black Heron, was my thought.

While I was watching that peculiar dance of my friend in the sun, I noticed yet another moment nearby, which I couldn’t see before, due to the dry weeds that blocked my view.

I moved to get a clear view.

Now I knew what that cheeky fella was doing and the reason for his crazy dance.
A crazy Heron waltzing ?

geets ! .... Are you looking for a clue ?
Well ! you won't find any, this time.

Intead, take a look here

Current music is spice girls

Tagged by Kai

2007-06-01T11:35:00.000+01:00

The pic that you see was taken from Malayasia.
I tried to look for the pic of a live butterfly for kai but couldn't locate one good enough to be shared, as I know that she is great admirer of butterflies and poems.

Normally I dont take tags.
I was tagged by my young friend Princess Kai. I am unable to refuse her request. So here I am.

Rules are:

* each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.

* People who are tagged need to write posts in their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.

* At the end of your post, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.

I love to write; but I really know how good or how bad I am.

Once on a flight in a business class cabin, I surprised a famous film star who was my co passenger, just by pretending ignorance about his identity. He was offended very much that he asked the air hostess for another seat.

Unlike many males, I am very emotional. I cry when I feel bad, but so far only less than three persons have seen me crying. I don’t do it in public however sad I am.

When I am alone and doing something with utmost concentration, I do talk to myself.

I am not afraid of death, devil, snake or crocs but I am afraid of wild bees. I was attacked and bitten by them once.

I fight injustice irrespective of the country caste or creed or religion. My country is the most corrupt country in the world.

I was slapped once in my life and was shocked and numb for 3 days. Don't ask me why ?

I am not particular about where I write. I think the best place to write is in an aircraft. Many of my verse have originated in flights on unused vomit bags, as I couldn’t find any other paper to write. I loose many of them by misplacing it elsewhere.

*I do not tag any.

The song "that girl " is for you kai.

Filigree !

2007-05-31T09:45:00.000+01:00

The spider's web with the flowery background and the light reflection on the thin net it made, looked to me like an intricate but symitrical artwork on metal wires.

An artist unparalleled !!!

I had no uploading speed on my net server from yestrday to post as usual. Apologies to my regular visitors.

Here is joke to ease your facial muscles and to let you know that I have my little cells of humor too.

A man and his wife are awakened at 3 o'clock in the morning by a loud pounding on the door.

The man gets up and goes to the door where a drunken stranger, standing in the pouring rain, is asking for a push.

"Not a chance," says the husband, "it is 3 o'clock in the morning!"
He slams the door and returns to bed.

"Who was that?" asked his wife."Just some drunken guy asking for a push," he answers.

"Did you help him?" She asks

"No, I did not, it is 3 o'clock in the morning and it is pouring out there!" he tried to sneak back under the blankets.

"Well, you have a short memory," says his wife.

"Can't you remember, about three months ago when we broke down, and those two guys helped us?” she said with such conviction, making him feel guilty.

“I think you should help him, and you should be ashamed of yourself!"

The man does as he is told, gets dressed, and goes out into the pouring rain.

He calls out into the dark, "Hello, are you still there?"

"Yes" comes back the answer.

"Do you still need a push?”, calls out the husband.

"Yes, please!" another instant reply, from the dark.

"Where are you?" asks the husband.

"Over here... on the swing!", replies the drunk.

Peach.

2007-05-28T12:13:00.000+01:00

Make me a winter chill
that sweeps the greens, past that sleepy hill

teach me to love the arid sand
grows the trees, the nut of pistachio land

slow but certain I will grow
it’s my refuge, breathing your smell and snow

if not given hopes
where will I land in those slippery slopes?

from quietness that’s me
a shell in which I am in, to escape in to thee

oh no, leave me not here
hung threadlike, gripping with unknown fear

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

Written on Dec 23rd 06 in piece of paper while on a crowded flight, thought to be lost with tickets. I got it back while searching for an air tag among the old boarding passes in my old laptop bag. The pic was a gift from a wellwisher that came by mail. I liked it instantly and the credits for the photo are not mine.

Crepuscular

2007-05-27T05:03:00.000+01:00

Cotton candy or snow
how tempting my heart, you know ?

a moment my vision
flew out and had a total submission

Embaressed !

2007-05-25T23:25:00.000+01:00

I was really embarrassed the other day.
The place my travel agent arranged for me to stay previously was Casino Malabar in Cochin, India.
When I was received in Cochin he asked me if I would like to stay in serene location. I readily agreed as I had three more days for the wedding which was the event I was supposed to be there for.
He used his mobile phone for a moment while I placed my small backpack in the car. It was almost 16 kilometers away from the airport through teak forest. I like d it instantly as it was beside the river Periyar and there was ample space in the lawn to lie down and rest in the night if I wanted to.
I slept early as I had to visit the city in the morning to buy some presents. Morning was so nice with the resort.
As it was not open officially, very few people were staying there.

I have asked the reception not to call me early, but I was up at six looking at the slow flowing river. The place and river were isolated as the resort was inside the Government forest area.
By seven I strolling the river bank with my camera to take pot shots of the small robins that go around in the morning for their honey breakfast.
Now I thought it good idea to have dip in the cold water and so moved towards the river with my camera in hand.
I tested the water to see if it was cold, surprisingly finding it warm.
Then I noticed the lone man standing in knee deep water looking around down in the water.
I was suspicious as it was quite an odd time for a man to loiter around, dressed in khaki shirt and lungi (a piece of coloured cloth worn around the waste).
I waited as I suspected that the fella was trying to move towards the deeper side of the river for a suicide attempt. I brushed off the idea because he must have seen me standing on the bank taking pictures.

Suddenly I wanted to take a pic of the man over there in case he is on to some wickedness.
He was not facing me.

So I started the focusing sequence and suddenly, a grisly figure appeared near the man from the water.
Black and gruesome, I thought it was crocodile coming up to eat the standing man. I shouted at him to warn him as he was looking the other way and stopped short.

The man turned in surprise at my shout with a look of puzzlement or surprise.
He saw the creature and started to talk to it loudly.
I looked again embarrassed totally as the man started laughing and mocking at me.

I wanted to hide in the water until he is gone because of the total shame.

I have never seen a tame crocodile out side any zoo.

Want to see a tame crocodile? Try here.

Halcyon

2007-05-24T13:00:00.000+01:00

Due to fiber optic cable damage in our main server system, my network is functioning like a wounded cockroach from yesterday.
For this reason neither could I write a reply to your comments, which I enjoy normally, nor visit your pages and write a comment.

Though I am able to open and publish a post after several attempts, it just refuses to open when I try to comment in your posts. Finally I am giving up and biting my nails instead.

I request you to bear with me until my net is normal to make a comment in your blog or in mine.
I do apologize for this, and assure you that I will reciprocate the visits once my net is back to normal.

I will try to post as normal if network be favourable to me.

My flame yellow.

2007-05-23T12:52:00.000+01:00

This tropical wild beauty is seen in any nook and corner of Madagascar, African continent, Philippines, India , Bangladesh and Pakistan and may be a lot of other places.
Needing no fertilizer and with minimum water, it thrives in any territory except the deserts and it gives you flowers in an array of colors and mixed colors.

See this yellow beauty taken at twilight.

The sodium vapor lamp overhead fifty meters off the target gave me enough light to proceed without the flash and in a manual delayed exposure.

I don’t know if it is perfect.
See for yourself.

penance !

2007-05-21T04:52:00.000+01:00

When I call you a cherry, a merry strawberry
I used to feel your breath to ease my worry
to end the tuft of loneliness of years, I carry
here, today I consent, for I am now too weary

to fight a lone battle so silly, over a mere response
a sure defeat, hurt, unarmed, for nothing I suppose

here is my harmless way, my only way... my penance
dear !...I freeze my soul, my feelings too with patience
a quartz I am from now on, to keep a stony silence

jasmin

2007-05-20T07:07:00.000+01:00

In that moment, while sitting on the cold stone pillar painted with black, with the pale brightness of the moonlight, with no one around me, I should have felt alone and aloof.

But the fragrance caught me unaware!!
The delicate and titillating smell that was unmistakably of jasmine was coming from somewhere near.
I never noticed a jasmine around here recently.

I thought of taking the flashlight with me but the moon was clear and bright.
I peered once through the fence and traced the smell, like doggy just out of a leash.

As I passed the pathway paved with large pebbles, I stood still as the smell was strong here.
I looked around near the periwinkle beds that were decorated with white and pink flowers.

Off left to the pathway, I saw the lone bush jasmine that stood like a stranger, unsure of its position and I saw the blooming white flowers that were spreading the fragrance.

But what caught my eyes were not the flowers but a small bunch of buds just about to bloom, which stood, shy like a young girl in a crowd.

I went in and brought my camera to take a bright picture of this. But at the last moment I decided to have a go with out a flash…with only the natural moon light.

I don’t know if you could see what I saw here, but do you sense an exotic fragrance??

Take a look!

I am 77

2007-05-19T05:28:00.000+01:00

See how attentive they are !!!!

I tell them a-joke-a-day. Well, I don't know if you like to hear a joke.

I am not short of listeners.

But if you want to listen, here is a short one for you too.

An elderly man in Queensland had owned a large property for several years.

He had a dam in one of the lower paddocks where he had planted mango and avocado trees and they yielded well, giving him good returns.

The dam had been fixed up for swimming when it was built and he also had some picnic tables placed there in the shade of the fruit trees.

One evening the old farmer decided to go down to the dam to look it over, as he hadn't been there for a while.

He grabbed a ten litre bucket to bring back some fruit.

As he neared the dam, he heard voices shouting and laughing with glee.

As he came closer he saw that it was a bunch of young women skinny-dipping in his dam.

He made the women aware of his presence and they all went to the deep end.

One of the women shouted to him, "We're not coming out until you leave!"

The old man frowned, "I didn't come down here to watch you ladies swim naked or make you get out of the dam naked."

He paused a moment and cleared his throat with deep sympathy and glanced over the faces of the young women.

Holding the bucket up he said, "I'm here to feed the crocodiles."

Moral: Old men may walk slow, but they can still think fast.

chiaroscuro

2007-05-17T22:15:00.000+01:00

In life we strongly believe in many things.
As time goes by, one day it happens that you have to correct some of them.

Reality conquers your mind and it quenches the mild revolts that forms… mutinies are dealt and defeated by loyal soldiers of the soul.
My soul is no exception.
I had to bury many of my wishes just because it can’t be achieved with out shedding a drop of blood or a painful drop of tear.
Both I can’t stand if I see it.

Life is not what you wish it to be, but is about wishing only what life offers you.
The quest to explore diminishes every day.
Like a squeeze of lemon in salads… like a pinch of salt in the soup…a dash of gleam in my eyes remain, just to remind me of the glint I preserved there for so long.

This picture is taken from my balcony at the back of my office, from where I have taken hundreds of pics of sunsets with out a shadow obscuring my view.
But you see, this one will be the last that I will have with out something marring the beautiful sight.

Already you can see that construction equipment that had set in the background and a long fence separates me now from the buildings, as if someone is trying to keep me away from nature by force.

In place of the basketball court that we had cherished, are now six white, neatly built housing blocks where most of my trainees will stay after their training, when they will be absorbed as regular staff.

We never know what tomorrow brings to all of us, so with out any delay I share it with you.

I may not get another chance to shoot a sunset from the same place.

What is the point ?

2007-05-15T21:20:00.000+01:00

A friend of mine forwarded this to me.
I found the picture and the heading "what is the point ?" extremely funny.
Sharing it with you as my first post after my vacation.
Now I ask you the same.
What is the point ?

Ma Salama (Good bye)

2007-04-12T05:30:00.000+01:00

Over the mountain mist, I saw, their fleet
flapping their wings apart, I saw, their flight

studding the sky so blue, I saw they flew
the birds with feathers supple & soft, they glide

I stood laughing in awe, a statue but more than alive
to see this beauty, you know, I needn’t pay, a duty

my poems sad, but see, my cheeks rosy in smile
this is for you, who said before, my poems are sad

:(

2007-04-11T11:40:00.000+01:00

It is silent here today.

Silence itself has a language.

The language itself is silent !

So we can't hear it...nor can we see it.

The damn music is disturbing me today. So I am putting it off...so is my A/C, my scanner and printer.

Now it is pin drop silence. No whirrrrrrrrring to break the silence.

This is not what I wanted to write and this not what I wanted to post.

Today I don't feel myself in the best of my spirits.

Actually from yesterday, I think I was uneasy.

Well, it is said the the climatic changes can influence the mood of humans and animals.

This is to say that it is raining.
The first rain of the reason.
I have the smell of raw earth around here. I don't feel like taking a pic or I would have shown it to you.

Well, I should not be wasting your time.

I am so sorry that I cant write anything else today. I apologise.

Seeya tomorrow, if my moods doesn't play games with me.

Words been playing a trick on my soul

from deeds of mine foolish as a whole

my mind playing a game of roulette wheel

my soul in a crazy rollercoaster, I feel

Love or lust ?

2007-04-10T09:30:00.000+01:00

It was my first day in my uncle's home.
I was sitting in the varenda sipping a tea. Crosslegged and sleepy, I looked at his funny behaviour.
I was watching him for some time. He was having a very hard time there, trying to woo too many, but in vein.

Then I saw her, coming from far in a hurry towards him.
She was beautiful and well fed. She looked at him with out a care and jumped up to the parapet.

Unlike others, she looked timid facing him with out batting an eyelid.
He stood still as if he lost his gender.

I thought that some thing is going to happen as both of them faced each other readying for a fight from the look of the situation.

It appeared that the fella was shot and defeated, with his own gun.

I lost all my interest in him as he was about to turn around like a shy girl.

I looked around to see if any one was watching me...I am being a peeping tom ???
Thats all the story !

You all are annoyed and want to ask me what kind of post.

You have a lewd grin on your face now. For what ??
You thought there is going to be some sexy scenes here ?

No way !
I am a very decent man.
You wana know what happened then ??? hahahahaha

Just click here

Twins ?

2007-04-09T09:00:00.000+01:00

Not twins, but just look alike.

Both female.

I have just 3 days more for my vacation.

My company is trying to block all private uploading through their server. So I don't know how long I will be able to post here.

Today though the block was partially effectve, I have managed to sneak through it with my lap top wizard. That is why the post was delayed.

See you tomorrow if I can pass through the gateaway.
Seeya.

Smiles !!

2007-04-07T06:45:00.000+01:00

On these Festival days of Easter... smiles more than enough for all of you.

Tell me if it is not enough.

In case a smile refuse to appear in your lips, then read the story of the priceless curtain rods.

Dedicated for those who think that I have no sense of humour.

PRICELESS CURTAIN RODS

A woman, just got divorced by her husband, spent the first day packing her belongings into boxes, crates and suitcases.

On the second day, she had the movers come and collect her things.

On the third day, she sat down for the last time at their beautiful dining room table by candle-light, put on some soft background music, and feasted on a pound of shrimp, a jar of caviar, and a bottle of spring-water.

When she had finished, she went into each and every room and deposited a few half-eaten shrimp shells dipped in caviar into the inside tube of the curtain rods.

She then cleaned up the kitchen and left.

When the husband returned with his new girlfriend, all was bliss for the first few days.
Then slowly, the house began to smell.

They tried everything; cleaning, mopping and airing the place out.
Vents were checked for dead rodents and carpets were steam cleaned.

Air fresheners were hung everywhere.

Exterminators were brought in to set off gas canisters, during which they had to move out for a few days and in the end they even paid to replace the expensive wool carpeting.

Nothing worked.
People stopped coming over to visit.

Repairmen refused to work in the house.

The maid quit.

Finally, they could not take the stench any longer and decided to move.

A month later, even though they had cut their price in half, they couldnot find a buyer for their stinky house.

Word got out and eventually even the local realtors refused to return their calls.
Finally, they had to borrow a huge sum of money from the bank topurchase a new place.

The ex-wife called the man and asked how things were going.

He told her the saga of the rotting house.
She listened politely and said that she missed her old home terribly and would be willing to reduce her divorce settlement in exchange for getting the house back.

Knowing his ex-wife had no idea how bad the smell was, he agreed on a price that was about 1/10th of what the house had been worth, but only if she were to sign the papers that very day.

She agreed and within the hour, his lawyers delivered the paperwork.

A week later the man and his girlfriend stood smiling as they watched the moving company pack everything to take to their new home.........

...and to spite the ex-wife, they even took the curtain rods!!!!!!

Enjoy the weekend with a smile now. See you on Monday.

Lone fisherman

2007-04-06T05:30:00.000+01:00

This year, the summer seems to be very severe here.

The brackish streams that were a joy to the cattle, birds and fish has suddenly starting to dry up.

There is really no spring here. At the time of the spring in other places, it is severe rain here.

I know that the rains are not far away from the hurry-burry of the birds. They forsee the rain and make preperations to be safe in rain.

I see the cloudes geting darker in the evenings day by day, hence the heat in the day time become a torture.

When all who relished on the streams are unhappy...

the cat fish who thrive in the water is ready to die or prepare to go hybernating deep in the mud ...

the fishermen who used to relish on them is starting to drift away...

the shepherds and the cattle moving farther because they dont have enough green grass and water...

...this lone grey stork stand still in this water happily, as he is able to scan the shallow water and catch his small fishes with out anyone disturbing it.

I don’t know much about poetry, so for the same reason I don’t know much about tanka or haiga which I know as poetic forms.
I know that they are poetic words expressed in crisp, short and in an orderly form. The websites for this form of poetry has all that one would want to know about it.

I visit some of the blogs daily with tanka and haiga, some of them are immensely popular and one of them particularly has influenced me so much.

This picture is inspired by a pic I saw in pursuance of truth.
Janice is fine writer and her daily posts make me ponder a second. I suggest that you take a look at her blog.

Too Hot !!

2007-04-05T05:30:00.000+01:00

Relaxing at chest deep coolant in a hot summer.
This is also from Malayasia.

A peep from up

2007-04-04T07:35:00.000+01:00

Last year I took a quick tour to Malaysia.
One of the beautiful sights I had was the Petronas Twin Towers.

I showed a picture of the towers here in my blog. But this is a peep from the Petronas tower to the ground far below.

The sight was very beautiful !
Though an year old…while scrolling through my picture disk, I came across this one.

It is nothing compared to looking with your naked eyes. But...

I share it with those who have not visited.

Coming down from the tower, I wanted to walk around the streets alone and I told the company driver to scram for thirty minutes while I walk around.

He hesitated!
Though he had instructions to not to leave me alone in the streets, I convinced him that I am not going far and he relented.

I walked for five minutes and realised that I am hungry and stepped in the nearest restaurant.

To the chinese face in the counter, I asked in English to be served with some Chinese food.

The fella didn’t understand a word. I repeated slowly again.
No change in the facial expression.
So I motioned with my hand for the food. I saw a change in his facial muscles.

He smiled broadly and said something in Malay language... caught my hand and led me to the far corner of the restaurant and showed me this

Unaware !

2007-04-03T06:49:00.000+01:00

My Nepali driver Gourang was singing loud, yet...

Unaware of anything around it, thinking that the world is in its pocket, my friend here is in deep slumber...

Taken last year from Vijaypur, Madhya Pradesh, India.

Yesterday

2007-04-02T05:11:00.000+01:00

Some days I am a fierce cracking flame
other days, I know, I am just jac, a mere name

true, I stumble often, seldom finding my way
I realise the plain fact, I am lost far away

all the while I did was to preach
while it is me, that I should teach

I wish, He stops this vicious games with any
to me, it denies peaceful nights too many

when I shut off thoughts like fins too teeny
they seek me out, know not if reasons any

Bougainvillae

2007-03-31T07:50:00.000+01:00

Would you believe me, if I tell you that this is my favourite flower?

People normally laugh at me when I tell them this.

I had an affinity to this flower from my childhood. In my garden I keep several colours of this beautiful flower.

Botany says that this is not a flower but its leaves.

Whatever…

Out of all the colours, some how I like this twin colour.

Hey! Don’t mock at me please!!!

A dual

2007-03-30T08:20:00.000+01:00

Over wine or woman ?

Oh ! No. They don't drink wine.

Then...

Over food or women ?

Roosting

2007-03-29T07:00:00.000+01:00

The phone rang a number of times and I did not take it.
It was Tuesday and it was reports day. All reports should be sent to head office before the meeting time on Wednesday morning.

Meetings are about people discussing about something they don’t know. Some of them never visited us. But they know everything because my reports in figures and percentages are on their table. They are well prepared to present as if all work is done by them.
I don’t mind it or else I won’t be working here. I get my salary and a laugh too because if there is any doubt in the figures, they come running for my help.

So you see, I allowed the phone to ring for a few minutes and it stopped.
Now I smiled. Somebody got tired of calling me.

The phone started to ring again; I allowed it to ring twice and I took it this time and listened, to get an idea of the caller
I kept silent so that I can hear from the other end.

"Hello", An elderly voice. Suddenly I knew who it is. Abed, the old man from the far away station. I call him the weather man.
I felt a tinge of guilt seeping in me. I knew that he was about to retire in a few months as his extension is about to expire.

"Hi Abed" I replied

"hi teacher, you hiding ? Why cant to pick up the phone, he is the only one who refuse to accept that I am a trainer and calls me a teacher"
He always says that it is all same to him. It is theoritically right too.

I explained to Abed the reason for not taking the phone telling him about the reports and he was not fully convinced.
"Teacher I called you two or three times the previous s day but none picked up the phone."

"I was in field training, Abed "

"I have something to show you teacher "

"OMG ! "I said aloud.

I thought, not now… with all the reports pending!!

"You want to see something or not" he was aggressive now.
"Or have you lost your love for nature so easily in one year" he quipped.

I can’t let this man feel disappointed, I thought myself.

“When” I asked him

"Tomorrow morning" he said smiling broadly

"Time?" I asked

"You want to see something; you come to Abed at seven " I wanted to wring his neck .

"Hey ! I have the meetings and briefings for the trainees" my appeal.

"Oh ! come on teacher, they don’t die if you don’t brief them for one day"

"Ok Abed" I accepted and I put down the phone

I finished my report and told my trainees to be inside the class room for a special briefing. There was wonder in their eyes about the evening briefing.
I explained that I will not be here in the morning for briefing and assigned their training tasks, a day early.

Late in the evening I wondered what Abed wanted to show me. But I had no clue whatever.

In the morning I checked the pickup to make sure that I will not be stranded in the road.

Abed was ready in the door and he gave me directions to go east, we went through the narrow road in the slush area where only the dry grass was visible.
He told me to turn right from the creek and I saw a lone tree among the dry fields like a statue.
I thought first that the tree was covered with snow.
But that was impossible!!
We don’t have snow ever here.

He told me to stop the pickup five hundred metres away from the tree.
We got out and I still thought that the tree was covered in snow.

Now going closer, I found that it was not snow that was on the tree but hundreds and hundreds of birds in white and a few blacks too. The marshy cranes were roosting in the tree. There was no other tree anywhere near by.
I was mesmerised by the sight …a tree fully covered with marshy African cranes.

I motioned to Abed that I wanted to picture the sight.
He stopped me and told that they may fly away, if I pointed the camera.
He asked me to enjoy the sight and we can go with out taking a picture. I agreed and I watched the sight for about half hour.

I was disappointed that I can’t picture it, and it showed in my face while we were about to return to the car. He looked at my face and abruptly said

"Teacher, do you want to take a pic " I know now that I have won.

"Yes" I said with hope

"Ok try to do it slowly with not giving them any alarm. If they are alarmed most of them will fly away but you will find some of them still there" he advised

I opened the camera case and slowly raised the camera and prayed "Holy Mary Mother of God...
I did not finish the prayer but shockingly I heard the flap flap… up them go…
They got scared and flew away…hundreds of black & white cranes, flying in unison.

But I waited and looked through the few finder and saw that quite a number of them were still sitting there refusing to fly away.

And I clicked this picture.

I am sorry my readers. This is all I can share today.

When I turned to Abed with a big grin, I saw that he was grinning from ear to ear with an “I told you in the beginning” face.
Those of my readers who don't recall Abed and for new readers this is Abed here.
He is unique in all he does.

Muscut

2007-03-28T05:36:00.000+01:00

Recently I was stranded in Sultanate of Oman for a day due a flight cancellation.
I was not very happy with Gulf Air for that delay.
They hushed me up by accomodating me in a good hotel in the city itself.

On my way to the airport in the morning for my onward flight, though misty and hazy... I saw this beautful Mosque above and clear, as an architectural beauty surrounded by lush greenery and white flowers.

The Sultan Qaboos Mosque in Muscut, Sultanate of Oman.
Thought it worth sharing with all of you.

Sliver

2007-03-27T06:35:00.000+01:00

Sleep in me virtually tossing turning,
forever

heap of burden lies, there in my
anguished memoir

a weary wolf decide to become a saint,
if sudden

shelter denied by all, deducing
his true self
hidden

Tele Garden !!

2007-03-26T05:30:00.000+01:00

What do you do when you have no more space in your back yard ?

What if, the only vacant place left with out any vegetation is my bald and shiny head.

Take my cue. Plant it inside your television.

See these blooming flowers, coming out to seduce you.

I call this my Tele-Garden !!

Paradise not lost.

2007-03-24T05:15:00.000+01:00

This is Vypeen, in Kochi from Kerala, India.

You could sit out in the balcony and watch this beautiful scenery like I did on my vacation, while fishing trawlers move hither-wither, the sea gulls roaming above keeping their eyes zeroed on the fishnets down below the deck of the fishing boats.

The salty wind blowing on the chinese fishing nets making it flutter like skirts of girls in the wind...the occasional speedboats of the tourists with European women in colourful skirts sitting on the deckchairs of the boats.
The coconut palms swaying in the breeze making a whistling sound like the sound of the ancient wind wheels.
Away, in the front, I could see Panambukadu as they call it locally, a virtual island now with only coconut palms.
Once it was thickly populated only with Bamboo, hence the name Panambukadu. Panambu is Bamboo in the local tongue.

I had an eyeful...and another...and another...

On his knees !!

2007-03-23T05:17:00.000+01:00

When he accpted his fault and knelt down to apologise this way, I had no other alternative.

I excused him.

What would you do if you were in my position ?
Am I being too kind with him ?
:)))))))))

Affection !!!

2007-03-22T03:12:00.000+01:00

I am going back to my old template with modifications. Though I planned to change my blog totally, I realize that I prefer this template more. Your comments on the previous post is on my other blog here, which I plan to scrap later.
With thanks to shine for the help in setting this up, to my requirements. Apologies to readers for the inconvenience on the comments on previous posts.

To be in the place of that 7 days old darling, who is nourishing his Mom's love, I would exchange my freedom for life, and accept this cage as my home.

Spikes

2007-03-20T20:48:00.000+01:00

I won't daresay a word again, dear
as Cactus just don't grow in watery ground

whatever I do, my caresses too, I fear
a pity, it turns out as swords in a second

Plight of Africa

2007-03-19T20:54:00.000+01:00

A victim of the sad war.
An orphan in hand, another lost the year before.

"La"

2007-03-18T21:02:00.000+01:00

While passing the tent beside the road and the pool, I felt the stench and I saw some waving hands. I knew that a group of fisherman has camped there and the stench is from the fish being drying in the sun.
I had no time to stop to check if they are known to me as I had a mission.

While returning after two hours, I parked the car in the stark sun as there was no shade. A boy came running to welcome me and I held his hand. I took my camera and followed him to the shack.
The stench was now severe.
Fish being hanging everywhere in the wooden makeshift dryers.
There was nobody that I know from before. But their smile was welcome and I went around and gave them the two mineral water bottles.
The woman were also busily cleaning and skinning the fish for drying in the sun but they wished me.
I asked permission for a pic and both the men murmured something in between and one of them came forward with a smile.
“Fi filoos” he asked me, in Arabic a virtual demand for money for taking pictures.
“La “ that was a no and I was stern.
I started to close the camera because the demanded money from a fellow African.
He hesitated and asked me again.
“Abad ?” which means ‘nothing’ ??? Or was it their last resort ?

I closed the camera and turned around with a red face and walked to my car.
I heard their loud request to comeback but I did not turn around to look.
I heard footsteps behind me and then I felt the small hands of the boy holding my cloth and legs practically pleading with his eyes. I stopped and he motioned me to come back for the picture. Now the two men came running and smiling, pleading me to take pics of them.

Their smiles evaporated my anger.
“Fi filoos” it was my turn to ask them with a smile.
“La” the answer came instantly from both with surprise all over them.
“Abad?” I asked with smile.
“La” an instant reply as they understood and smiled wide at my mockery.

It was now my pleasure to take this picture.
They have live fish allover their hands as they were skinning them.

Rage !!

2007-03-17T21:19:00.000+01:00

I saw them sitting together cooing each other for almost 30 minutes through my bedroom window. I wanted to have a pic taken before it was dark so opened the door with out a sound and stepped out in the balcony.
They were very cool and calm until I felt the click of my camera. I don't know what made the female to fly off suddenly.

In a second, the male bird became so furious; it jumped down to the lower branch to show me how serious he is.
Look at the threat in his eyes.
How can I tell him that I am a harmless creature myself ?
I know when to be a coward!
I stepped in and closed the door

Charm!

2007-03-16T21:30:00.000+01:00

I never liked yellow dresses be it on a woman or man, but I have an unblmishable relation with yellow flowers.

It charms me. It makes me smile with out any prevocation.

It gives me immense pleasure to take pictures like this. This is right from outside my front door.

From Reader's Digest quotes...

'If you keep silence to please someone, then it means only two things. You are either harming them rather than loving, or else you are selfish and you won't accept that fact ever'

Sept 11

2007-03-15T21:32:00.000+01:00

While going through the photo archives, my eyes locked a moment at the date the pic was taken.

Memories of a disaterous day, while on that day, this poor fella sits without a care and eats up all the greens !!

Furious !!

2007-03-12T15:27:00.000+01:00

I wept in my dream, seeing your silent, furious eye

helpless, I prayed all night, till sunlight come by

when I call you my love; I realize, you made me breath again

with every day that pass, here, that breath feeble remain

go dear; I said crying, as you looked at me a last time

I breathed my last, as you turned and called his name

Good bye !!

2007-02-15T21:35:00.000+01:00

Once in a while, I pedal through the rocks

up to the valley of flying white storks

right through edges of razor thin roads

side by the path is the marsh full of toads

at last I reach at my land of silence

shrouded by dry weeds, a new ambience

how come the colour of the sky in the ground

my blue lagoon smiling with storks all around

what I do see, I will share it all with you

what I do feel, I can’t share it with you

all those birds, they know my words by heart

the rest, for keeps, I'll sew it in my heart

December '06 (4)

2007-02-03T05:00:00.000+01:00

I have to conclude the 'incident' business with this post, as all of you have now got bored and have a ‘to hell with it’ look on your faces.

Let me cap it with this “episode” with this last one, which happened on the 17th Dec, just before I went out of my vacation last time.

This was inside the living quarters, where most of my trainees were accommodated in three blocks. At least five rooms of the each block were occupied by trainees in general. In the day time, the rooms were all empty and all the staff went out to work and they seldom come inside their rooms other than in the lunch break.

It is hot in the day in this season and mildly cold in early mornings.

A week before that day, a passing room boy reported of a spark from the walls of one of the blocks. Electricity was immediately cut off and it was found to be a short circuit from the electrical junction box in the building.

We immediately visited the block as it concerns trainees generally. We forwarded a request for a through inspection of the electrical system and a transfer of accommodation for the trainees. The request was discussed in the safety meetings and an enquiry was ordered.

On 15th afternoon hours, in the adjacent block, one of the rooms suddenly caught fire from a short circuit of the electrical system. The fire brigade arrived quickly and it was extinguished. An immediate inspection was ordered for 18th December. The block was evacuated.

Some how, our dear friend fire, as if smelled the news about conducting an enquiry on the next day, decided to launch an attack on one of the blocks one day early, on 17th December.
See him in action with the fire trucks and safety having a futile attempt to quench it. The block was gutted in 45 minutes flat.
As it was late evening time when no one has returned from work, other than some property damage, none were hurt.

See what is left of the block in foc’z
On 18th the whole 3 blocks of accommodation were dismantled completely (which should have been done before a week) and trainees were given rooms elsewhere.

Thank for being patient with my blah blah.
I am tying this bundle of incidents for the year 2006 and... throwing it away.

December '06 (3)

2007-02-01T14:02:00.000+01:00

Sorry, I am late in posting again due to my personnel problems.

As I told you, the month of December was scary for more reasons.

The next incident happened on 10th of December if my memory is correct, and I was not directly involved with it.
The airport belongs to our company and there are no one traveling by air except the field staff and army personnel for security. It is so close to our living quarters and so it is close to our training center too.
If a plane crashed any where near, it is a safety risk to all in the camp.
The crew transfer is done in a "Fokker" plane that carries about 50 people and sometimes on a busy crew change day there are two flights and one or two cargo planes for bringing in the machineries and the spares for us.

We normally wait at the main gate of the camp during the morning flight landing, awaiting official papers that are couriered from our head office in Khartoum with prir information by phone. As I know a little more about these small aircrafts, I can pick up any abnormal landing from the gate as did on that day.
On 10th while the plane was landing, the pilot seems to have lost his judgment at touch down point.
I saw that the plane touched down beyond the place it was supposed to have and the jerk and shake were quite visible as the pilot also must have realized his mistake.... a bit late.

Though many people were witnessing the landing of the aircraft from the main gate, I was the only one who was tense, as I know that the pilot had to be careful when he reach the end of the runway due to the nasty touch down. I saw it reach the end of the runway as I noticed the deceleration of the aircraft before it reaches the end of the runway and I was about to have a sigh of relief, but then, I saw the plane hesitate for a moment and slanted to one side, one of the wheels going out of the runway to a lower level.
OMG!
I said aloud, as people started to look towards the aircraft with horror. The plane, normally in these cases faces a partial twisting action, which results in break up of one side wing and a subsequent rollover.
A rollover with half full fuel tank and the sparks from the wings would have been enough to make an inferno of bodies.
Instead the plane made a full U turn out of the tar mark, the lower side of the left engine getting stuck in the dry mud which prevented a roll over, and it stopped right there with a thud.

You can guess the rest. There were exactly 5 + 49 passengers, crew included.
None were seriously injured.
See the plane still there for you. Take a look at the two pics.
Beyond the aircraft, you can see part of the runway.

I have one last incident too in the list on 17th January

December 2006 (2)

2007-01-30T05:11:00.000+01:00

Two days after my close encounter with fire, a new oil rig on its first assignment capsized during the rig up.
You can see the mast of the rig resting down below...bend, disembered and vulnerable.

As it happend during a lunch-break for most of the ground crew, none were hurt. This huge but simple looking structure is a tecnological wonder which drills the earth surface and brings out the black gold called crude oil.

Nan would know all about the oil rigs from her association with 'Oil man' who is an expert on oil rigs. He is a driller by profession, who really does the major job.

He was 30 years old yesterday as per her post. Please check out the link above to her blog.

The rig as it turns out to be new, I made a request through the proper channel, for visiting that rig on the day of the incident with my trainees, giving them a chance to witness a rig up operation.

On that day morning of the planned visit, one of my trainees reported that he was shivering with fever. I took him to the hospital as I suspected that he has an attck of Maleria. After dropping him in the hospital for a blood test, we proceeded to the rig 45 minutes late and this is what we saw there.

Many would have lost their lifes under the huge structure.
This happened on December 5th.

December 2006.

2007-01-28T19:33:00.000+01:00

The year that has passed was like a bullet train.
It zoomed up and went away, with out giving me a chance to share what was happening here at the end of the year,

Or
Was it me who went off leaving my blog like a flash?

Hmmmm...Both are correct, with the same old question, who ?…the chicken or the egg, which one?

Now as I am already here and kicking, we need to put the past in a bundle, tie it up and throw in the sea.
But there are incidents that should be shared in between. I think that I will condense the matter in two or thee posts… some thing like, a post a day to save your time.

Will you come to read or should I stop my blah, blah ???

Giving due consideration to my ailing leg, I have come to a decision that from now on, I won’t be posting on my vacations. I think that it will give me enough time to relax, specially as I walk now like a crippled dog.

I promised starrynights that I will come and visit her on Christmas Eve as Santa, and to watch one with a limp.
I really tried to be Santa, I even begged.
None would give me chance to be Santa.

Which kid would have fun with a crippled limping Santa ?

Finally, miserably I had to give up my dream of being a Santa.

Poor starrynight !! she must be relieved now !

With her paining back, he no more have to waste her precious time with a crippled Santa to serve cake and cookies. hehehehe
All of you know her I am sure, if not check her link please ! You won't be sorry.

Back to the story again !!!

First half of 2006 has gone very sour, ending with fatalities of two of my trainees and 11 of my friends perishing in a tragic road accident.
I have shared it with you all and the sad memories are still in my mind.

Then the mid term went well with out any tragedies.

But the end of the year, the situation went grave again with many close encounters with the fate around here.
Let me go through just the month of December, when at one stage, my life also was threatened by fate.

Let me narrate it you one by one, with some illustrations.

It started with the trip to unity state on a training visit, to the field through treacherous roads made of mud and sand.
Going towards was easier, as it was morning and dust was about go up and the roads were some how visible.
It all happened on my way back.

It was Dec 3rd late afternoon, when there are strong winds which force the dust to fly upwards.

December was the season nomadic shepherds, cattle and sheep. I saw them moving in line every where.
The first thing they do when they pass the grass fields is to put fire to the dry desiccated grass, which at an instant goes up in flames so fast, that poor reptiles get no chance at all to escape and you can see the eagles and crows going around having the relish on their half burned prey.

A few wild animals escape due to its sheer speed. The smoke produced by the burning of grass both wet and dry, spreads around to near by roads where it threatens motoring in the roads difficult. The smoke suddenly covers motorists by the rapid change of the direction of the wind, causing accidents.

I asked one of the shepherds and he said that it is for the strong growth of grass in the next season.

I landed in one of this smoke screen and flames and escaped unhurt just short of scorching me live.
I saw the burning grass just in front of my pick-up, while I was taking the first picture you see below, of the fire spreading up.
In a flash, the fire and smoke reached me.

I managed to stop the car, open the door and run for my life with my crippled leg to the safer side of the road.
Watch these pics please. This was on 3rd of Dec.

This above picture was taken after my escape from the smoke and fire. My pick-up is behind the smoke screen and I have taken this picture from my safer side of the road.

Last two snaps are of my pick-up with minor paint damage, after the fire and smoke passed away.
You can see fresh smoke and ash rising up very close to the pick-up while in the background, the fire spreading far.

The beat of the clock

2007-01-23T19:10:00.000+01:00

Some one is there waiting for me as a rock
tick tuck tick tuck

The bitter chocolate coming to an end one by one
the bitter sweet taste of life lingers on
a few more days to witness the rising of sun

some one is there waiting for me as a rock
tick tuck tick tuck

at times crazy, showing a cold shoulder
other times crazier, tempting, acting bolder

tender, loving, voice closer, though she is far apart
doing magic, melting my heart

tick tuck tick tuck
some one is there waiting for me as a rock

Mea Culpa, Mea Culpa, Mea Maxima Culpa

2007-01-22T20:05:00.000+01:00

With due apologies to :-
starrynights, immigrant in canada, nan, rose, saroj, anali, mindinside, walker, andrew, unni, keshi, seema, mystic rose, white forest, samuru, wanderer, mathew, boo, othersideblue, pink ginger, lorna, cecilia, tiesha, neers, jay,chaotic serenity,cukoo, dotm, netnet4, susan, candytuft, hellbunny, cecilia, moodsandcolours, colleen,gel, mriganayani, sreejithkumar, zzz-writer, silence and marutham.
for not acknowledging to their comments.

Sincere gratitude to all the well wishers, with belated New Year greetings in plenty,

jac

My parting shot

2006-12-20T01:00:00.000+01:00

I like it now as the sunrise is here

Sunrise here brings in now the chirping of birds
my veins start thumbing as I see you in smiles
you leave & I feel then my heart is in shears
I make me work, like a slave till I tires

in desk, when I feel the curves of my board
the screen comes alive as you jump in onboard
tiring and weary, yet I still go forward
sunlight is fading as the sun goes downward

I do not like, but the sunset is here

With incoming dusk, I feel a sense of scared
a nightmare now starts & my soul is not spared
it starts with bees that just buzz in my head
making me lone like a nobody’s child

as lights are all off; I am thinking of you
a ghost in me says that ‘she no more loves you’
turning and tossing I spent all the night
my welcome song is the call of the birds

I like it now as the sunrise is here

This is my story as I wanted to tell
loneliness force you to be in a shell
I want to smile, and I want it in style
give me a hand and give me a smile

I am a bit sad but laughing with you
this is my time to say good bye again
God knows, I know not, if I see you again
sing with me plz! Come ondance with me plz
Merry Xmas! Merry Xmas!

Merry Xmas to ‘one’ and to all

xxxx

I do not like, but the sunset is here

OMG ! Another Tag ?

2006-12-18T05:42:00.000+01:00

Most of you know about my dislike on tags
I don’t like it because of the time factor. I just don’t have the time.
But shine is my friend for a long time and she had been with me from the beginning here and even responsible for the layout of this blog and possibly the next one too.
So when the tag is from her I can’t refuse.
Mind you that she is not a lamb as she seems to be. When gets angry, she is a fierce Chinese cracker.
My grandma would have called her a Karanampotti mulaku (literally meaning a cheek piercing chilly).

Oh GOD, now I have to tell you what it is.

On one of my vacations with my grandma in a place called as the gateway of the high-ranges of Kerala in India, she took me around her vegetable garden; a major portion being reserved for her various hot chilly plants.
She used to allow me to pluck all the ripe chilies in there telling me tenderly to wash my hands with soap right after plucking it.

One day she freightened me while I tried to pluck the rounded red chilly by preventing my hand from even touching it saying “kappiri kutta, vendada, ninte kundi vare eriyum (meaning “kappiri ! don’t do that, it will burn your anus too” and kappiri is the nick name for Africans)
I was offended for a while, as she explained that the chilly was so hot that you virtually feel the cheek as pierced after eating it.

I am coming back to shine. She will be fuming now after reading this...hot like a red chilly

Let me tell you something more about her. She is a magician. She vanishes like a wink and comes back like a flash from another place. I mean about her blogs. She is music maniac and loves good music.
She enjoys reading poetry as I know from the past, and says that she doesn’t have the knack to write poems.
But one day recently, I saw a poem here and I was surprised meaning that she can write a poem if she wants.

Let me do my task quickly for her. The task is to:-

1. Grab a book the closest to you.
2. Open to page 123, go down to the fifth sentence.
3. Post the next 3 sentences on your blog.
4. Name the book and the author.
5. Tag 3 people.

I can’t accept this tag fully as it involves other people too. So I don’t intend to tag anyone to swear at me.

The book nearest to me is English to Arabic translator. My laptop doesn’t support Arabic scripts. So there goes my first nearest book.

My next one near me is Hydrocarbon manual Amendment, which unfortunately does have only 110 pages. Even if it had the necessary pages, I can’t use it because any amendment reproduction in my blog is copyrighted subject to Anali’s First Amendment. You can check out to see the amendment conditions She is a practicing attorney and happens to be my cousin.

The next book near me is the dictionary of chemistry which I will use here.

At page 123, the 5th sentence is about hydrogen Sulfide. I quote the next 3 sentences here.

1) Hydrogen sulfide is prepared by reacting hydrochloric acid with Iron Sulfide.
2) It is tested for, by mixing with lead nitrate, with which it gives a black precipitate.
3) Its aqueous solution is weakly acidic.

The book is Dictionary of chemistry and the Author is John Daintith.

I am sorry that the sentences I quoted are not luscious to you in contend, but I am sure that, though it may not be useful to you, at least some one in your house will find it useful in their studies. LOL

Now, I need to take some rest.

Ending my blah blah for the day.

Finale...animal brain (Part 2)

2006-12-14T21:00:00.000+01:00

For a few days after hearing the news of the break out, the cheetahs were in my mind and then came my vacation again, and I was gone for a month.
I have received my orders to look after the Training programmes for a new batch of trainees and I had to stay in Khartoum for another 4 weeks and I was gone again for my vacation… along went all the thoughts of those cheetahs.
I returned to my field location only in November, that is, last month.
Again I was busy with the new trainees and another batch of existing trainees.

I saw that my official mail box is almost full and I had no time to empty the stuff for the next two weeks. But when the mail box started giving alert warning about no more mails, I decided to sit and sort out the mail and delete some of them or to send it to public achieve.
It was a hell of a job as I have no time to check the contents of the letter except the senders name to guess if it was important. I was half way doing the deleting when I saw an unfamiliar name Jon Kingly.
I don’t know any Jon kingly, so I was about to send it to the bin when it suddenly occurred to me that the name of the care taker of the unity garden and recreation facilities. I checked the sender location.
Bam!!! The mail was from unity
I stopped my cursor before I clicked delete. He had no special relation with me warranting a mail to me. I checked the date and found that it is 16 days old and I also saw another mail too from him, which was 10 days old .So I clicked open the second mail:

Jac
I am not sure if you will receive this mail as this is second mail that I am sending you
I tried to phone you many times and it kept on ringing. I knew that you were in Khartoum for some time and came to know that you will be in the field soon.
Please contact ASAP
rgrds
Jon

I checked his official telephone number from the company directory. Now it was my turn to wait for his mercy.
No answer.
Again I tried and no one picked the receiver
I got him on the phone finally in the evening.
I was busy to the neck, so I was crisp.
“Jon ! what is this ASAP ?”
“Hi jac, you becoming crazy with work ?”
“Yes Jon, sort of busy. Tell me if I can be of any help to you”
He started laughing first, then stopped to tell me
“I want to show you something jac.”
“Can u tell me what it is?”
“No” He cut the phone.
I was angry. I am angry when some one closes the phone with out a bye. I was restless and I had no time to play games with him, so I called him again
“Jon, come on, man ! You can tell me what it is ? “
“No” his curt answer.
“Is it very important …can you hold it for two days “

“For me it is not very important but for you…as far I know, is more important than your dear life” he was slow in answering but he was chuckling.

I was perplexed and prayed to God to give me strength not to get angry with the old man.
Well, instead of getting angry. I was relieved as he cut the phone again

I called Ali, my favorite driver and gave my key for the Toyota pick up, for checking it up so that I can leave early morning itself.
I was restless through out the evening, not knowing what it could be that he wants to show me. I didn’t sleep well.
I was ready only at 9 AM, after the morning meeting and roaster duties, sending drivers on different training locations with the trainees. I checked my bag for the usual things, by driving license, camera and two large bottles of water that I always carry for the shepherd boys.

The sun was already up and hot when I started. I tried to focus my attention on driving on the treacherous road, rather than on Jon.
It took me one and half hours of steady driving through the partly wooded road, stopping twice for taking pictures of white storks with scissor shaped beaks, locally called as 'lak-lak’ due to the ‘lak-lak’ sound it makes with their beaks while swimming in the pools

I went direct to the estate office where Jon has his office.
He was talking with some one on the phone when I knocked and entered. He dropped the phone and got up to greet me with a hearty smile. He seemed to ignore my annoyed face and shook hands beaming from ear to ear.
“Do you plan to leave immediately jac ?” His smile started to irritate me.
I controlled my anger with a long breath, counted seven and exhaled, now I smiled at Jon and found those twinkles of excitement in his eyes.

“Jac ! I know that you are trying to control your anger at me. I am going to show you something that will make you smile.” I was not impressed.
He took my hand and we exited through the back door of his office which is shortcut to the park. My shoulder was paining with weight of the bag and its contents.

Suddenly the thought stuck me !!
He knows my love to animals and birds; his smile was still wide and mischievous.
He must have some thing there in the park or in the cage… he must have got something in my absence.
A wounded antelope ??
An injured monkey ?
Nearer to the cage in the park, my nose sensed it...there was slight stench of a zoo.
But I never expected this.

I was spellbound ! !
I was overwhelmed with joy ! !
I could see Jon laughing with his eyes !!

Two cute babies who screeched when ever I came near the cage.
The Mama looked only once at me and then totally ignored me.

I took John’s hand and looked at his eyes. He was laughing all over.
“Jac, you happy now ?” he was about to dance with me, African style.
I just stood looking at them with awe.
Seeing my questioning eyes, Jon lead me to the cement chairs in the shade and explained.

“Its is the same one, jac” he said
I was astonished and I started looking in the cage again for the male.
“He is not there, buddy. He decided to stay out but he is around”
And he continued the rest of the tale.

Almost two months after the escape, they lost hope of their return. So the cage was cleaned and the topsoil was replaced and it was abandoned for good but no one cared to lock it.
Just after a series of rains, one fine morning, the gardener who opens the gate of the park saw a moment in the cage and looked.
The female cheetah was peacefully sleeping inside the cage and the male cheetah was lazing out side the cage.
When the he saw the gardener, he got up slowly, looked once at the sleeping one and walked off to the woods beyond.
She was pregnent with a large abdomen now and was nearer to deliver.

On the fifth day morning the they were born.
Two cuties, a male and a female.

He comes once in while at dusk and watch from far but never intends to come near the cage.
The cage now is never locked.
Every one knows that when the kitties are ready, all three will join him in the woods beyond.

Now tell me if they have brains ????

Currently playing:- HEVIA with his earthy music.

Prologue...animal brain

2006-12-12T01:00:00.000+01:00

What do you say when somebody commit a grave mistake??

We ask them at point blank “Are you an animal?”
Or we simply state that “You are worse than an animal”

Are they really worse than us just because they have a teeny-weeny brain?
Are they cruel because they eat fellow animals for their food?
But we do exactly the same thing.
Do we not kill our own people for no reason?

Well ! I object with tooth and nail about them having no brain.
This is not fantasy. This happened in front of me, right beside my nose.
This actually happened just like two parts of a movie and I want to tell you this, in two parts.

The first part actually happened when I was on a roller coaster ride and decided to quit writing… took a plunge from my writing.
That was about my long hiatus that lasted 38 days in August.
Those were the times that I was not worried about my writing or my blog, yet I took photographs during my field training programme.

I was on my one of the field trainee inspection and assessment prior to my monthly report.
After completing assessment of one of them, and as there was yet a half hour delay for my lunch, I wanted to sit in a shade or a place where it is calm.
I asked the guard at the gate if I have place to sit in the open for a few minutes. He directed me to the small but not so-well-cared park.
Well ! It was not a park at all, but there were some tall trees and a few concrete benches to sit…were all I needed.

That is were I met them first.
I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw them !!!
Two full grown, graceful Cheetahs in a make-shift cage looking curiously at me.

The sheen of their skin in gleaming yellowish brown with black dots made it excitingly beautiful !

The difference was that they seem to be at ease, showing no uneasiness of being caged.
I was not very happy about the caging of them but then, I have no authority to ask too. So I looked for the care taker of the garden, an old man named Jon Kingly to ask him about the pair.

He told me the story of the two Cheethas

The unity state is a wild area and the surroundings are full of trees and covered by tall grass in the rainy season.
In summer, when the grass becomes dry and brittle, the shepherds torch it to scare off wild animals. Many animals die in this process as the flames spread with the wind, faster than the fastest animals.
That summer…one a warm morning, the caretaker found two full grown cheetahs (a male and a female) inside that abandoned cage that used to keep sick cattle under medication. They door remained open and they refused to go out, accepting the meat that was supplied by the kind catering manger.
They knew that their life is at stake without the tall grass in the forest. Later, the company security allowed them to stay with an assurance that the cage will be strengthened and locked if they were to be kept in the camp.

To come to a camp full of human, and to feel safer than being out in the field where they will be hunted, needs brain with out a doubt.

I have not gone there for another two weeks. Knowing my craze with nature and animals, one of my trainees phoned one day to tell me that the Cheetahs escaped while the door was opened to serve them with dinner. LOL

While I was with them looked happy with me taking some pics of them.
See how graceful they are.
See for yourself.

At that time, as I was not posting anything in my blog, so I simply saved these precious pictures in my hard disk. Something happened later forced me to search for these pictures.
So that is the end of the first part of my story.

Read the very interesting, second part about them... the finale proof about their sharp brain, in three days.
Till then,
Chao ! !
***********

hope

2006-12-08T05:00:00.000+01:00

For seema...the young talent with hopes

hope… immortal, perpetual you say
blue skies, erasing your loneliness away
new avenues alluring, conjuring, seducing you to sway

beware the stubborn clouds,
beware them hopes, hidden shrouds

the 'lil' magic that leads you with a colourful spray
your fallen soul may never get enough time to pray
beware…before they turn your happiness ashtray
****************************

Motaz !

2006-12-05T06:29:00.000+01:00

I hope that I am not late in updating some of the things long pending on my personnel and blog front.

My leg seems to get better accepting a suggestion by the doc here in our clinic Dr Kamal, advising me to use a different type of safety boot.
Off I go to the Musthouda (warehouse) looking for a lighter, softer boot and now, though it is just one day, I have to say thanks to him.

Now, about the updates:

My readers who are with me for some time know about Ashri who is one of my close friends and the accommodation supervisor for our living quarters, who is also the only living person who calls me a ‘Professor’ teasingly.

For my newer readers, you can read about my ‘brada’ Ashri who speaks with a never fading smile and about his lovely wife Mihasin by clicking here.

At the time of writing that post about them, Mihasin was three months pregnant.
A boy was born to them on 23 rd May 2006.
He is named Motaz and in Arabic it means something like a proud one (not arrogance) that is as far as I can grasp with my feeble Arabic.

Due to Mihasin being away to her house and I, relocated on special assignment in Khartoum, which is a two hour flight from here, made it impossible for me to take a pic of the boy to share it with you.
Many readers were enquiring by mail about updating their present status.

But I made it only yesterday afternoon while I was returning from Unity production area where I had to visit one of my trainees.
I have spoken to Ashri my intentions and he was waiting by the road. Mihasin had no idea about a guest coming with Ashri.

I could see that she was very pleased to see me after a long time.
She shook my hand firmly with both her hands, which is very rare act by women, towards persons from the opposite sex, out side the family.

Mihasin though don’t speak a word in English… is a charming host.
She made me completely at ease by asking me if I need any pastries or eatables and forcing me to have some cake with her ‘yella ! yella’ in Arabic, a word similar to ‘come-on’ in English.

If they looked very happy in my previous post, now I saw them again with much happier and ‘made for each other’ mood.

All the best to Ashri & Mihasin, while not forgetting little Motaz

They are looking at these posts now and reading you. So give them a cheer.

Another of my update and blah blah follows soon.

A personality test

2006-12-02T09:00:00.000+01:00

This is a psychological personality test

I don't guaratee that is true for you. But it seems to be true for me more or less,,,, as far as I know.

When I was a kid, my mom used to say "hey ! don't do that "
It is considered a taboo to put your head directly in to the shower spray...says it is not healthy, but I do it one way or other.

So, my answer is hair...though I don't have much left on my head or what ever is left there. LOL

So here it is ! Take a self peronality test and let me know. If you are shy, then the best thing is, just smile.

When you step into a shower, which part of the body do you wash first?
a) Chest
b) Face
c) Armpits
d) Hair
e) Privates
f) Shoulders
g) Others

The following describes your character:

a) Chest - You are practical person. Straightforward and do not beat around the bush. To you, convenience is of paramount importance. You hate to be distracted when concentrating and are impatient with people who do not see things your way. You are a good sex partner and are willing to try new things. Your best partner in life will be those who chose d) hair.

b) Face - Money is important to you and you will do anything to get it. Integrity and dignity is not important. You feel that friends are there to be used and life is one big hassle. Other people find it hard to understand you but you are not concerned as to what they think. Very self-centred person. Average sex partner as you are too selfish and tend to be absorbed in self pleasure at the expense of your partner. Your best partner in life will be those who chose e) privates and g) others.

c) Armpits - You are a dependable and hard working person. Generally very popular person as you are very down to earth and willing to help others. Tend to get yourself into trouble as you cannot tell whether people are genuine towards you. Make very poor sex partners as you are the working type with average talent. Your best partner in life will be those who chose f) shoulders.

d) Hair - Artistic type. Daydreaming is your hobby but you can achieve what most other people cannot. Dedication is lacking but you will work tirelessly towards goals which are to your liking. Money is not important. Friends are but only intellectuals and fellow artistic types. Make the best sex partners as you are most willing to explore and please the other partner. Talent is your main strength. Your best partner in life will be those who chose a) chest and e) privates.

e) Privates - Shy type. You lack self confidence and tend to be bullied by others. You do not have lots of friends as others find you boring and unattractive. Perseverance is not your strength and you tend to give up easily and at the first opportunity. However, you make an above average sex partner. You are able to show your true emotions to very few people. Hence in sex, you find your inner strengths. Your best partner in life will be those who chose b) face and d) hair.

f) Shoulder - A born loser. You fail in everything that you do. People dislike you and you tend to spend your time alone. Your type have been known to be heavy gamblers and drinkers. You see the world as a living hell. Money and power is also important to you. But your luck will always fail you. You make a lousy sex partner. You will find it difficult to find a partner in life. Those who chose c) armpits are your only chance.

g) Others - You are a very average person. Undoubtedly, you have your inner strengths but people find it hard to see. You must learn to be a little bit more adventurous and sell your potential. Deep down, you are a very likeable person with very few faults. However, the key will be to make your strengths stand out and not just hide your weaknesses. You are an average sex partner. You have great fantasies about different techniques but unfortunately are not brave enough to try them out. Your best partner in life will be those who chose b) face.
************************

Khartoum

2006-11-29T22:15:00.000+01:00

My trainees pose for snap in front of R T C, Khartoum.

For the last three months I was not involved with field training in my organization.

Instead, I was politely asked to do a special job.
Though a training assignment, it was a partly desk job, organizing training and co-ordination of lectures to a batch of twenty trainees from a different oil company, where their organization doesn’t have any training facility.

Our company has obliged them by sparing me for the group… well ! for a price of course !

Though I didn’t get any monitory benefits out of it, I was allowed to have with supreme facilities for my food and accommodation at Hotel Le Meridian; not that I am very comfortable with it.

As the training progressed, where all of the trainees being Sudanese fresh graduates, I developed a wonderful rapport with each of them. Though it lasted only a month, I know most of their family memebers.

It was actually the Holy month of Ramadan. I was astonished when every day at the time of breaking their fast, they fought each other to give me a grand dinner at their homes.

But all these two months and even during my vacation for almost a month, I was faced with medical problems with one of my legs that developed slight calcium deposit. It was so painful that I had to be under medical care and that deprived me from enjoying a few days in one of the most beautiful hill stations.

After two long months now, I am again at my desk at the field training facility, which I come realize lately, that I missed so very dearly.
I was even practically out of touch with my backyard and the nature around me while I was on my vacation due to my leg being painful.

I am sharing two pictures of my group of trainees at Khartoum, the capital of Sudan.

Khartoum is a very old city where you have the famous twin rivers, Blue Nile and White Nile that joins at a place called Omdurman.

Omdurman is historically famous for the great Battle of Omdurman.

*******************************

Fast as a dart

2006-11-25T22:00:00.000+01:00

Days and months pass on… so crazy…so fast
with bullet like speed, as it goes on a feast

dreams aren’t swift, so I gave up all dreams
so harsh this life that I just gave up all whims

slow down I cry… Can't you slow down this cart ?

faster and swifter it leaps like a dart
so mean the driver; a devil from the start
heedless, he drives like a butcher at heart

A letter to the Doc

2006-11-22T05:00:00.000+01:00

Here is another tag

2006-11-16T18:30:00.000+01:00

I don’t like tags as a matter of fact because I am not a real writer like Mathew who can make us smile with every word he writes or like mindinside who can write a poem about anything under the sky as easily as you breathe.

I dislike them because they tagged me knowing that I don’t enjoy tags.

But then you see… I like them more than I dislike them, because I enjoy what they write.
So here, I am thanking them instead...not with a very happy face .LOL

Remembering the past is a joy for many. The glimpses of scenes of our childhood from the age of five, are some thing all cherish.
To some it brings in sad memories too

It goes a long way back when a baby boy was born at home, as was the custom and privilege of the rich and the powerful; with Doctors present all around him.
His mom refused all attempts to conduct a surgery when it was late, and he was out late for a day and a half.

Yes, that was a story of a hearsay.
What you need is about my childhood in my words.

Let me remember what I miss, what I missed and what I disliked those times.
Writing it by adding numbers or by priority doesn’t seem to work with me. So here it is :

What I miss

The long walks I used to do in the woods, with my mom’s strong hands clasping around my fingers, where as; she sings with her actions, to the river & plants around her.

The time I spend on her lap while she sits in the rocking chair in the verandah with flower shrubs smiling at me.

My grandma who taught me how to milk a cow with bare hands and I was delighted beyond words, when she told me to drink it direct, as it is hygienic with out a touch.

The lone mongoose that seemed to shun company but always promptly arrived at my window to eat the bread crumbs and boiled egg I kept there, and before leaving… shitting all over my window panes. Haha !
But I also killed it accidentally on a fine Sunday morning, while I sat on my chair in the portico…sitting right on top of my dear friend.
I got up in an instant, but it was too late. I couldn’t save him.

The tender mussels my mom used to make everyday when I was small.

My mom’s maid when she was small, and when she was my only companion (though she is alive, I don’t miss her now)

My dear friend Henry (he died in the bush war) who became husband to my mom’s maid.
He taught to me how to kill with bare hands in case I am cornered, taught me how to hunt and how to skin animals with bare hands and who made me an expert with African blow gun. He even taught me how to make one with wild reeds.

I miss, Igasususi mellow, an African fish curry, which is an all time Nigerian fish delicacy, taken along with Gary; the Nigerian national food made from Cassava (tapioca)

What I disliked

The loneliness I had in those times when I was protected against abduction… as I was allowed very very few friends

Though I liked to cry when I feel neglected, as a child, I disliked seeing someone else crying and I continue this as of today.

I hated the way black children were treated …even now.
I hated the colour of my skin when I realized that I am not dark skinned like my Mum.

I dislike the people who treat blacks like a piece of shit, after looting and enjoying their wealth and enslaving them with muscle power.
I felt that they even erased the history of the black people and I still feel this way.

I hated to go back to boarding school after the vacations, seeing my mom’s eyes full.

Is all I want to remember!
Is all I like to remember!

Breath

2006-11-10T04:13:00.000+01:00

With due apolagies to mathew for the delay in taking up his tag.

Deep set my thoughts, my love
so strong,
my mind chanting, your words alone
my song,

let your feelings echo stronger, harder
to steel
for it is my healing, the only
breathing
I feel

A gun is always a gun.

2006-10-31T04:42:00.000+01:00

I have a bad habit.
Oh! No!

It is not true…I have many bad habits.
One of them is that I trust people.

Some times it gives me a chance to learn lessons long forgotten. It also at times forces me in to very delicate situations.

I have a humble-simple house in which anybody can come and go as they like. I had a bit of repairs in the house and one of my friends was kind enough to help me repair it.
So I handed over my key to him. He helped me immensely with out a reward and we became more intimate friends. He had access to my house anytime and I never asked my key back. It was not important to me anymore. He had access to my armory too, but there were only some old guns lying around which were as old as me. You can’t even harm anyone with any of them.

One day when I arrived home, I found my door locked.
I used my key to open, but I found the lock has been replaced. I was perplexed and tried all methods to enter.
I don’t need to be a mathematician to know that I was locked out of my house by my dear friend who was the only one that has my spare key.
I kept calm as I know my friend is playing some kind a silly jock on me. I know that he is very sensitive person and so I waited knowing that he won’t harm me.
Finally he came out from the shadows, and I found some thing else.
A rusted gun which was pointed at me … taken from my own armory with which you can’t even kill a fly.
The gun was pointed at me and no one else.
I can understand and accept his wild theories as a reason for this, but the gun was a threat. I also knew that my fried is harmless and that the gun can’t fire a shot.

I don’t accept threat as I consider it terror.

I don’t accept threat of any kind…what ever the reason.
I told him to hand over my house which belongs to me. The house is mine and he is an intruder. I also told that I won’t listen to him until the threat is removed and the house is mine.
I got my house back now with out any damage.

I neither hate him nor was I scared… because I know a story.

I want to tell you that story today, a story as old as many of you.

Long long ago, there was a woman and her only small son residing in a wild but secured area in a mansion with a few woman labors in the house.
Except a vast courtyard and a single out-house for the timber workers a furlong away, there were no inhabitants nearby as it was timber country.
Her husband was away for most of the time on timber business for long intervals.

She loved her son very much and adored him.

One day on a June midnight, three men with guns sneaked in the building, drugging the lone watch man.

The woman and her son were sleeping in the upstairs rooms as her husband was away on business.

They crashed the door and busted in where they slept. A young maid was sleeping on the floor.

The woman got up in her robe and saw the men with the guns and held her son close with frightened eyes.
The boy was asleep but got up with the sounds of the door crashing and started to cry.

The maid was terrified and fainted on floor; they gagged, tied her up and locked her in bathroom.
The boy was mercilessly snatched away from the woman and gagged. One of the men held a knife loosely at the boy’s throat and demanded to the woman for the keys of the safe and her jewelry box.
Two men pointed guns at her at close range, one from the front and the other on the side.
She looked at the boy’s eyes a last time, and in that look, he saw helplessness and a good bye.
The face of the woman transformed to a mask; her eyes became cold, small and her thick lips became thin.

She faced the man in the front and told them in a local dialect, to point their guns from the front, and not from her side, as she dislike to get shot from the side.
They were now restless at her boldness, the man with the knife on the boy’s throat moved and held the knife closer but the woman did not even look at the boy; did not even turn her head but faced the men with the gun and told them, that if they want the key to her safe, they have to beg and people don’t beg with the guns.

The men suddenly looked ashen as she continued to tell them that they need her alive, to open the safe as it has a combination lock and told them to if they don’t remove the gun from her face, she is gonna push the old fashioned button that is connected to the big fire gong in the workmen huts, that announces a fire in the timber yard…an emergency push button.

She shouted at their stupid faces to beg and beg and beg… and walked straight to the button and pushed it with her left leg with the two gun barrels on her face.

The sound of the gong could be heard for miles in the night. All the three terrified men ran to the stairs, colliding with each other, pushing the gagged boy away.

They were terrified of her husband, as they already knew that he was ruthless with criminals and he wielded great muscle power.

She continued to shout at them to beg if they want, with crazy rage.
She suddenly woke up from her trance, turning and holding the boy, she started to cry.

Later the timber hands found the woman and the boy on the floor holding each other and unconscious.

I don’t know what happened to the intruders when the workmen caught them.

I happen to know this woman.
She is no more now.

Long after this story… once I had an opportunity to ask her... looking at those kind and soft eyes, why she was ruthless with the robbers, ignoring the safety of her loving son and even the threat of pointed guns.

She smiled and told me that a terrorist thrive on inducing terror on the victims and explained to me that she was sure that what ever she gave them at that time, she and her son were marked as dead, for they knew that her husband will trace and kill them if she is alive and remember their face. So she and her son were destined to be massacred in cold blood, what ever their mission.

She also added an advice to me smiling with her perfect white teeth, not to budge on threat of any sort if I can.

I remembered her when I was threatened, for I know her so well.

I followed that rule here and pondered what she might have done.

I learned another small lesson here.

I thought that I need to share this with you.