yet again ... getting lost ... then enjoying self-discovery ...

From Heaven Lake Travels through Sinkiang and Tibet Vikram Seth A Penguin Book Non-Fiction / Travel ~ ~  Many a line in the book is stunning, share some below  Some of these stayed with me without telling me why, Some had me think if I think and / or could think on these lines, Some made me wonder how he wrote - as in - put these sets of words together, Some had me react “ of course this is it ” ~ * The status of a ‘ foreign friend’ or ‘ foreign guest’ in China is an interesting if unnatural one. Officialdom treats the foreigner as one would a valuable panda given to fits of mischief. On no account must any harm come to the animal. On the other hand, it must be closely watched at all times so that it does not see too much, do too much on its own, or influence the behaivour of the local inhabitants. * John would make, I think, an ideal travelling partner, with his practical manner and his sound core of madness. * I recall dri...

Che in Paona Bazaar Tales of Exile and Belonging from India’s North-east Kishalay Bhattacharjee Macmillan 2013 Question Answers Does author know the place well? Yes. Is the book crisp and interesting? No. Is the book critical of actions in the state? Yes. Would I recommend the book? No. Books on similar lines   Highway39 – Journeys through a fractured land. Acrossthe chicken neck – Travels in Northeast India. Some (unconnected) snippets from the book "Ironically, HIV became a source of livelihood for several people in Manipur and the north-east. International funding was channeled into the drug money nexus and a percentage of that went directly to militant outfits. The failure of the government at every level has allowed the militia to gain control. But if the government has failed to provide, the militants have hardly done any better. Their stringent tax collection bleeds every family, rich or poor." ...

Started getting Mint on Saturdays on a friend’s suggestion and read a piece by Ananda Banerjee ‘ The dhole remains an enigma, even as it struggles for survival’ on 19th April 2014. More than happy on coming across a non-tiger piece on the front-page and positively agree on the species being an enigma. Dictionary.com refers to enigma as ‘ puzzling or inexplicable occurrence or situation’ and ‘ a person of puzzling or contradictory character ’.   However, by the time I folded-up the paper, some questions had propped up. v ‘ It was last seen in north India a full 10 years ago, at Ranthambore in Rajasthan ’ ~ does this refer to tourists? Locals? Published literature? Or else? v ‘ After 35 years of my study there are still lingering questions ’ ~ Would not questions ever exist for each species given the dynamic socio-economic-ecological-climate situation in the landscapes today? v What about the people who share the landscapes with the species? Their views on and...

I love bikes and was keen to get one when we moved to Hyderabad. However, what little I saw of the traffic in the initial days ensures that I am still, 3 odd years down the line, without one. Saiha, my previous base – where people were happy to see other vehicles on the road, and I woke up to clouds coming in through the windows, could also have a role to play in the decision. All this, however, has not come in way of moving around the twin cities. Range of these meanderings makes me glad today. Long walks at the Osmania University Campus with its rocks, trees and that beauty of the ‘unmanaged and untempered’ or along the Hussain Sagar with occasional sprays from the fountain and seemingly unending stream of people clicking images with their phones. Occasional walks along the lanes of Old City and Banjara Hills with many a surprise before and after the bends; these goal-less walks brought forth vivid characters these spaces espouse. Local food pilgrimages – irani chai and sweet r...