Stagnancy

Legends die. Infants are born. Wars break. New countries make. People fall in love. They fall out of it. Friends are formed, enemies faster. Rain drops. Sun shines. Wind blows. Humidity overtakes. But life, it thrives. It is static, not different from the hour before, not better or worse than the day before.

Each day I look forward to attend classes, because that is the only thing to look forward to of late and all we don’t have nowadays are classes. Friends have drifted; love is yet to come across. The college fest fever is driving everyone crazy, but I feel emotionless, bored, empty inside. Neither do I have any interest in studying nor chatting up with someone. Even my unending zeal for food has died a little due to a recent bout of food-poisoning. Basketball doesn’t entice me; I have no company agreeing to an adventure. I finished a book in a day, one of my fastest reads probably- “Delhi is not far” by Ruskin Bond. I was utterly disappointed for the first time with Ruskin Bond. Now, I don’t fancy reading another book. I sit, staring at the thousand pictures that my roommate has pasted on the wall facing me. I study the intricate patterns of my bed sheet. A strong breeze outside is swaying away all the dustbins along the corridor of the hostel. Leaves fly in whirlpool-like pattern. Dust hazes my vision as I step on to the verandah to enjoy the storm coming. But the wind subdues and all I observe is a lull and clouds hovering above.

For a moment, I consider photography as I glance at the bright red Simul trees at a distance. But I think, “Oh well!” as everything else seems so unattractive. A dilapidated bus below, the scrawny trees with their dry leaves, the smoke from a remote chimney polluting the environment all seem not so ‘capture-worthy’, if that’s a word. It’s raining now and I’m in a very pessimistic mood. All my hopes for discarding warm clothes in anticipation for a dying winter are down the drain. The cold creeps in again.

Aritar - the hidden paradise

Despite residing in Sikkim for more than five years, I was completely unaware that there resided a place heavenlier than many other places practically in the midst of us. Well, not exactly! But this is comparatively much nearer to the far-off places such as Namchi and North Sikkim that we had earlier decided for the department picnic to be held. After one whole year of contemplation, we finally agreed to go to this place called 'Aritar' which I had only heard of in NDTV Good Times' "India's Most Haunted". But we booked an abnormally priced cab anyway and the journey began.

Initially the empty winding road (Could it even be called a road?)and the idea about a haunted house with a spooky-looking caretaker present near the picnic spot brought an apprehension in everyone's mind. But the view of the river, the quaint houses with pink cherry blossom trees in full bloom in the backyards and bright sunshine lightened everyone's moods. After an hour of many twists and turns, we finally reached there.

Immediately after disembarking the bus started every amateur photographer's venture of making thousand memories by capturing thousand instants, souls and objects; especially mine. We posed with the abnormally large goat, the really friendly but lame white dog, in front of the haystack and also in the midst of a mustard field perched on a tiny hillock. Ahead of us lay the most popular attraction of Aritar, the Lampokhari Lake. The lake was otherwise barren except three geese wading in a perfect straight line across the lake. The lake was on all sides surrounded by coniferous trees, colourful flowering plants, a temple-cum-monastery in one corner, our grassy picnic spot on one side and a trekking route to Lungchok Valley on another. The lake had white Buddhist prayer flags dug into the ground in its surrounding.

Since we had hired a cook, the cook would only 'cook'. In other words, making the dough for the puris, cutting, peeling, grating vegetables, serving was all our jobs. But who am I to complain? I did nothing other than de-stringing the peapods. But I did help in collecting the used plates of the boisterous people who had dumped it in the open. But before a breakfast of Puri and Channa ki Sabzi (At 2PM), we had gone trekking in the Lungchok Valley.

It was a steep but short climb to a hilltop from where the view of the lake, Gangtok and above all Kanchenjunga was horribly good. The climb itself was incredible since with each step, Kanchenjunga got nearer and the daisies on the walls got more in number. At the top, were many viewpoints, an orchid cultivation, pretty houses and a lodge under construction where we peeped and realised that it wouldn't be a bad idea to come and reside there for a few days in future.

Well we returned to our picnic spot, had a pretty good brunch, played some throwball and some went for paddle-boating in the lake. After that we danced some. Then we again ate (this time lunch at 4:30PM) a meal of rice and chicken curry which overstuffed my stomach. Some friends helped in tea-making, some in batter-making for the Pakoras which were to be consumed on the bus on our journey back to hostel.

By the time we boarded the bus it was 5PM and as all winter evenings, pretty dark already. As soon as the picnic ended, an adventure started. The bus broke down within 20minutes, not literally, but it was giving lot of steering problems so we got off and started walking. Many individuals fell - some sprained their foot, some bruised their knees and one had her ligament torn since she was 'texting' and walking in heels on moonless night on a hill road.A drunk guy from our class almost tripped and fell since a queer-looking lady was crying and sitting on the middle of the path. The experience, though extremely tiring, was thrilling and exciting in its own way. The far-off lights from Gangtok and Rangpo and the sky sparkling with million stars were worth the sight. The college was informed about the bus-failing scenario and the director personally sent 3 college vehicles to bring us back to the hostel after the bus somehow reached us halfway.

On arriving the college we were all petrified since we had reached almost 2hours later than the in-time ie. 7PM. We anticipated a lot of scolding and insults from the teachers, wardens and higher authorities. But nothing of the sort happened. They just told us 'Don't forget to inform us before you leave the next time'. I hope there is a next time.

All in all it was a good trip.

70 Indian dishes you must eat before you die (My list)

1. Chicken Tandoori
2. Mutton Biryani with Mirchi ka Salan
3. Chicken/Mutton Rezala
4. Mutton Rogan Josh
5. Sheekh Kebab
6. Chicken Tikka Masala
7. Chicken Bharta
8. Double ka meetha
9. Goshtaba
10. Moghlai Paratha
11. Mutton Chap
12. Fish Kabiraji
13. Prawn Malai Curry
12. Bhapa Hilsa
13. Loochi with Maangsher Ghooghni
14. Kachuri with Aloo Dum
15. Rasgulla/Rasmalai
16. Nalen Gurer Sandesh
17. Mishti Doi
18. Pithay/malpua/paatishapta
19. Keema matar
20. Malai Kofta
21. Palak corn/Palak paneer
22. Navratan Korma
23. Butter Chicken
24. Makki ki roti with sarso ka saag
25. Gobi musallam
26. Dal tarka with/without egg
27. Dal baati churma
28. Gatte ki sabzi
29. Curry Chawal
30. Dhokla
31. Paneer/Cheese Pakora
32. Brinjal/pumpkin/pumpkin flower/cucumber/potato deep fried in besan batter
33. Chilla/Vegetarian Omlette
34. Khaandvi
35. Khakra/Papad with Kachumber Salad
36. Boondi/Aloo/Mixed Raita
37. Aloo/Gobi/Methi/Dal/Matar/Sattu/Egg/Piyaj/Paneer/any filling Paratha
38. Litti Chokha
39. Pani puri/golgappa/phuchka
40. Bhel puri
41. Chaat
42. Jhaal muri
43. Pao bhaji/vada pao
44. Samosa/kachori
45. Aloo kabuli
46. Channa Zor garam
47. Shya Phalay
48. Chicken Momo
49. Aalu ko achaar
50. Aalu pitikand
51. Tenga Maas
52. Santula
53. Chicken chettinad
54. Fish moilee
55. Appam with chicken curry/sweetened milk
56. Masala dosa
57. Cheese Uttapam
58. Rava idli
59. Bread Upma
60. Sewai (sweet/salty)
61. Payesh/kheer/paisam
62. North Indian Sweetmeats
63. Kulfi
64. Bagaaray Baingan
65. Kulcha
66. Kesar Pista Ice-cream
67. Khumb matar makhani
68. Paneer Pasanda
69. Fish kaalia
70. Saunf (it's actually not a dish, but important for every meal.)

Off to a foreign land

For the first time in the 21 years of my lifetime, I went sight-seeing to a foreign country without parental guidance and surprisingly everything went smoothly as well. 'Surprisingly' I say because when it comes to doing something independently, I in simple words 'suck'. Of course, the trip was not taken alone. My best friend, Shiwangi was with me and she's the smart one when it comes to the 'travelling on your own' business. It was one the most incredible trips that I have ever taken.
We flew from Kuala Lumpur (LCCT) to Changi International Airport, Singapore; got our currencies exchanged to Singaporean Dollars and reached the hotel in the van Luxury Tours and Travels had arranged to receive us. The view during landing was so spectacular (with the view of various islands in the middle of the sea-green Singapore Strait) that we hardly paid attention to the outside world on the way to the hotel, Hotel RELC International. Besides, we were extremely hungry. After reaching hotel, we went out to look for food and swiftly entered the first restaurant in site since we were starving. The food was excellent but we spent a whooping 20dollars per head for a meal and ended up feeling guilty about it and searching for restaurants with a fairly decent range of prices. With that excuse, we did some window-shopping on Orchard Road as well. The afternoon passed and we went back to the hotel. We had just enough time to lay our heads in bed for two minutes, when it was time to get ready for the night safari. When we reached the lobby, the receptionist scolded us for not being punctual and that our vehicle had left, though we had reached there 10 minutes prior to the pick-up time. Realising that he was highly mistaken, we ignored him and got on to our vehicle which took us to the main Luxury office from where we changed buses and travelled to the Night Zoo with a lady named 'Dawn' as our guide.
The tram ride in the night zoo was extraordinary. Though everything was staged, with the animals probably being trained to stand in their designated places, I got to see various creatures that I've never seen before such as the Malayan Tahr, the bongo and several other bovine animals and predators and numerous known fauna such as lions, tigers, elephants, foxes, deer, hyenas, etc. When the tram ride came to an end, it started pouring, so the fire show by the aborigines was cancelled. Highly dissapointed, with the dinner coupon in hand, we went for dinner. After dinner, when we reached the venue for the fire show, the rain had stopped and the 10minute show had already almost ended. Soon it was time for us to leave. We were the last ones to be dropped off to our hotel. All in all, it was not a very good day. We were chided at, disappointed and exhausted. We went off to bed, hoping that "tomorrow will be a better day".
Our wishes came true, not only for the next day, but for two days in a row. The next day the half day city tour covered the Merlion at Marina Bay, Singapore Chocolate Gallery, Mount Faber Park, Thian Hock Keng Chinese Temple, Jewellery Gallery and a trip past the Istana and various Cathedrals, Chinese and Hindu temples and through Raffles Quay, Suntec City and Orchard Road. Our guide Chin was very friendly and energetic, unlike our previous guide Dawn. We had a one hor lunch break and then the Sentosa Twilight tour commenced, with again Chin as our guide but different co-passengers. This tour included reaching Sentosa Islands by cable car, which was 'magnifique' with the view of the ocean below and the ships and islands in between(The cheaper way to reach Sentosa Islands is by bus or taxi or of course, walking and Sentosa is derived from the hindi word Santosh which means tranquillity), underwater world along with the sea-lion and pink and grey dolphin show, butterfly and insect park, 'Pirates of the Caribbean' 4D Show,'Images of Singapore' museum tour, Merlion Walk which let us view the Merlion in Sentosa Islands in closer proximity and the Laser Show which was the best part of the tour and Singapore as a whole.
The following day too was lovely as we spent it in the Universal Studios. Though it was not as grand as I had speculated it to be, some of the rides such as Revenge of The Mummy and Battleship Galactica literally took my breath away. We couldn't take the newly opened Transformers- The Ride due to the unending queue and I had not expected us to make it either. Slightly upset about it, we buckled up for the other shows which were pretty good, too. With that, our trip ended on a bitter-sweet note and I realised that though the people of Singapore are fake and everything we had come to 'sight-see' was artificial, whatever we saw even though sugar-coated was attractive or entertaining and that's what we had come for- to have fun and to be entertained. The following day was our flight back to K.L. We bid a final goodbye to Singapore and flew back home, with no further disappointment, difficulty or discomfort.

Cherish

I cherish the time when I first met you,
You seemed benign, amiable and sweet.
I cherish the time we became friends,
You were one of the best I ever would meet.
I cherish the long gone days,
When we laughed till we cried,
Gossiped till we were tired.
I cherish the time when we first fought,
We were but an idiot lot.
I cherish that we were not just comrades,
We were closer than sisters ever will be.
I cherish you, dear friend-turned-nothing,
I cherish the memories that you've left behind,
What I don't cherish is the melancholy that you left with it.

Life without chicken is death!!

Oxygen and chicken are the exact same thing for a non-vegetarian. They are both indispensable and life without both are impossible. The idea of killing bird after bird for someone's evening snack might sound crude for the vegans. But I guess tasting is the new 'believing'. My best friend's family is strictly vegetarian or so she claims. But when she first tasted chicken upon my insisting, she flew straight to cloud9. Since then she has never looked back. Though consuming chicken only in my company, she doesn't seem to mind the eating at all. Chicken in any form is sheer bliss- whether it's cooked in Chinese, Indian or Continental style; whether its main course or an appetiser; whether its boiled for a stew or shredded for a sandwich; as long as it's cooked, it ethereal. I ate chicken in many forms for lunch yesterday after a long time and it made my day. :D

Aftermath

The earthquake rocked the most pristine place in the country on 18.09.2011 and ruined its placidity in seconds. It filled the minds of millions with trepidation. It killed, crippled, disrupted and demolished. Hundreds were injured and several faced the death penalty. It was probably the most horrifying experience in my life. The main tremor started at 6:15PM, lasting for about 45 seconds and shook several parts of the country - Sikkim, Bihar, West Bengal, Delhi, Rajasthan and even Nepal, since the epicentre was in Sikkim-Nepal border, just few hundred kilometres from our college; followed by several minor aftershocks continuing up to the next day. It affected around 100,000 buildings. Water supply and electricity was at standstill and still so in many regions. The quake also brought with it several landslides which caused roadblocks on both the North Sikkim highway and the Gangtok-Siliguri stretch of the NH-31.

Back in our college, the roof of the boys' hostel collapsed. Tiles, bricks, lights, walls broke everywhere. Quite a number of individuals were injured, luckily none were serious(even though a helicopter flew into our college the next day and took away few who needed medical attention and everyone was fascinated for obvious reasons). These are just the physical effects it brought. The amount of mental dilemma and nervousness is several times as much. We hardly slept that night, pledged to spend the night on the open ground, it was raining unfortunately. Due to congestion in the mobile network, we were unreachable by our family. The next morning, those friends and family who never usually called, called. There was no bound to everyone's tension.

Nowadays, every time I go to bed, my heart beats faster than ever in fear of a bigger tremor. Rumours, false alarms, fake predictions add to the stress. A minor earthquake hit Sikkim again yesterday. Tourism is down the drain as Sikkim will be the last choice among the list of general public's holiday hotspots. Software companies for placement of jobs are hesitating to visit our college, anticipating future tremors. North Sikkim, a region known for its scenic beauty, will now be known for the hard-hitting damages by the quake. Daily life has been hampered. Students and workers from other states are desperate to flee the state. It's going to take quite a while to bring back everything to normalcy.