Goa: part 2

I think we managed to surprise a lot of people- friends, acquaintances, and other people who showed general interest in our Goa trip- when we told them that we wouldn’t be having alcohol at all. I don’t understand why Goa is synonymous with alcohol. I say this after having been there, because I realized Goa is so much more than just alcohol, because seriously that’s not the only liquid available there; there’s sea water too, you know! (Which is obviously not edible, but it helps you drown all your emotions in it, just try staring at the endless stretch of oscillating water, could be a great alternative to liquor). Because that’s what I’ve associated Goa with- Beaches and sea! But wait, there’s more too- for Eg: restaurants that are shut during lunch time. I’m not joking. That was the first thing we encountered when we actually got out of our rooms and because we had reached around lunch time, we decided to have lunch first and then walk towards the nearest beach- Anjuna. Little did we know that we would be having lunch that afternoon at the beach itself! We kept walking past closed restaurants only to find ourselves at a “cafe” which overlooked the sea. “Cafe Liliput” the sign board read, an arrow pointing towards the right which we followed and entered into the gate from where the sea was visible, the sound of which was heard from a distance already. It looked like the perfect place to have lunch, and it was! For all the time we were there, I couldn’t make my mind as to whether I should be devouring the amazing food or the mesmerizing sight of the sea that seemed to have changed its colour to a darker shade of blue at a distance from the shore. That moment, I knew why they say that everything happens for a reason (often good); Now when I look back, I feel good about the fact that all of the nearby restaurants were shut, which is what made us walk up to the cafe at the beach, though the walk was terrible because of the heat and our hungry stomachs; which also led to another good thing- a realization that we HAD to rent scooters as soon as possible, for the sake of convenience! And good for us, there was a bike rental right next to the hostel we were staying in. We got for ourselves two scooters, and decided that we’d be travelling around the nearby areas on them: double seat on one and triple seat on the other!
   Also, if you’re wondering whether the word “hostel” written in the previous sentence was a typo, instead of which I should’ve written “hotel”, you’re wrong! Hostels, dormitories is not something that everyone opts for when on a vacation, it’s something some people opt for when they wish to save money- a LOT of money. I feel no shame in revealing the fact that my Goa trip was so cheap that if I plan for another cheap trip, I can execute it in approximately the same amount that I needed for Goa. And this is the biggest advantage of planning inexpensive trips- because you save a lot of money on one outing; it allows you to travel more. This, of course, is for the travel junkies. This is one major reason I would encourage travelling cheap; and why not, you don’t have to compromise on comfort, safety or anything that you would get in a pricey hotel (except for a feeling of luxury, which is not really needed  as long as you are granted enough comfort).
   So after a lot of hunting on the internet we came across this one particular Roadhouse hostel in Anjuna, of which the basic details available on the website pleased us enough to make further enquiries and shortly after, we fixed our stay at this hostel and I do not regret one bit- we got everything that we were looking for: A six bed air-conditioned dormitory and free Wi-Fi and good ambience. In fact, I feel glad that we opted for a dormitory because that way all of us could be together.
   So according to the plan, the first two days we visited the vagator beach, Baga beach and fort Aguada. The beaches were good, no doubt; Aguada was the best (for me). But more than all these places, the real fun lied in the journey: the way we kept looking and asking for directions, the way we stopped every time we saw the traffic police because, well, triple seat was not allowed; hence every time we came across the police, we stopped, both my friends on the other scooter got off, walked past the police as we waited ahead, got back on the scooter and continued. We did this every single time. And yes, the most unforgettable part being how lonesome the narrow streets, without any streetlight, became even at seven or eight in the evening that we feared losing our way back to the hostel; And once we were close to losing our way when we happened to take a single wrong turn and after roaming a lot, we happened to reach the same place. Thankfully we were in the vicinity of our hostel and from a distance we could see the “Cafe Liliput” light- the guiding light. Losing your way is fun sometimes! So that’s how we travelled to the nearby places. The fourth and the fifth day we visited the Calangute and the Candolim beach (Candolim beach was the cleanest and the least crowded of all of them), and the Mapusa market.
However, the third day we had planned to visit Old Goa and hence we had to hire a car. After having visited the Temples and Churches, we were left with Dona Paula beach, and I had the best time there because of the weather- it had started raining and there’s nothing like a combination of rain and sea.
    Time and again, I have come across experiences that have led me to believe that local people are the best part of a place. The driver, Harish, was a friendly person whose mannerisms made us believe that he had taken the responsibility of making sure that we had fun and that we reached back to our hostel safely. But we were glad that was not the last time we’d be dropped back safely. The last day, we hired the same car to reach Thivim station, from where we were to board our train to Mumbai. And Harish, who was accompanied by the shop owner from where we had hired the car, had come to drop us at the station. When we reached the station, they told us to let them know that we had reached home and we saw them waving at us as we walked away until we were out of their sight.
   Goa had welcomed us on a good note and Goa had bid adieu to us on an equally good note; which is why it will always be etched as good memory in my mind. I have bought souvenirs from Goa, but nothing can match up to that one souvenir that I call the experience.

Goa- Part 1

I have never been as much enchanted by the sea as I have been by the mountains. Hence, I never looked at Goa as a place that could gratify my wanderlust. But Goa as a vacation spot with friends is, no doubt, a very thrilling idea. Blame it on a few Bollywood movies we’ve been watching while growing up, which for once were entertaining and had good content too! They’ve kind of imbibed the idea within every person who’s grown up watching them that Goa is the ultimate hip destination, and hence so perfect for a vacation with friends. So as with everyone else who belongs to our generation, we’ve been victims of this trend too and hence my group of friends had been planning a vacation to Goa, apparently since four-five years; that is since the time I wasn’t even a part of this group. And when I did happen to become friends with them, eventually they asked me if I would join too and obviously I said yes, because well, it’s a sin to say No to vacations, travelling, adventures or anything alike. The trip was planned and we were set to leave when our final, very last exams of the graduation course had ended. It was as though we wanted to complete our graduation not for the sake of a degree but because we knew that once it was over, there lied a marvellous time ahead- a time of beaches, of drives along a road that overlooked the sea; but most importantly a time of being with friends only and a time of making memories that would last a lifetime. Be it just for a short span of Five days, but we were looking forward to the time we could be carefree before we returned and began with a much more responsible life by virtue of being a graduate.
        The trip was planned, our tickets and stay were booked, our bags packed, and us waiting with our luggage at the railway station an hour prior to the train arrival. The train arrived; we looked for our seats and had made ourselves comfortable by the time the train left. And yes we also posted on Facebook that we were leaving for Goa- because, mandatory! Formality completed! To add to it the Indian Railways made sure we had a good beginning to our trip by upgrading our bookings from three tier AC to two tier. The next morning we woke up to an expected news- that the train was late by about an hour; but it didn’t bother us; why would it- we had ample amount of craziness within us that would help kill time and we did not realize when we decided to disturb the rest of the passengers by singing songs- a typical part of every journey without which the journey is incomplete. We continued our indulgence in such time-killing activities and it yielded success because in no time we realized that our destination was just about 15-20 minutes away and we were all geared up to greet Goa at long last. We set our foot at the platform of Thivim station, where a rainy, misty climate welcomed us. We were in Goa in the first week of June- a time when monsoon had already made its presence felt and I couldn’t wait more for a gripping experience of Goa during off-season.

Where's the Real World?

Just two days. I was off Facebook for just two days. The next day, though, when I checked Facebook, my “news” feed was almost filled with just one single post. Every alternate post that I saw was just about this one video. Now that I have mentioned a “video”, I’m sure you can already guess which video I’m talking about. But if you haven’t, here’s the answer- I’m talking about Deepika Padukone’s video called “My Choice”.

Well, I do not intend to give any more attention to the video by expressing my views and opinions about it and the issue that the video deals with. It has already received enough unnecessary attention from people. Here, I just want to ask a few questions, to all the “feminists”, “misogynists” and the “equalitarian” people out there on Facebook, Whatsapp, Twitter, Instagram, and what not! And every time I came across the video, these questions just kept coming in my mind:

    Why does some Deepika Padukone need to tell you what feminism is or what women empowerment is? Or why does she need to remind you that depression is an illness? Didn’t we already know that?

   Why do these videos bother people so much that just within two to three days of this video going "viral", there’s another response video going equally "viral"? Do these videos really deserve the kind of attention that they’ve been attracting?

    Why is it necessary for almost everyone to share these videos with a caption which is like a “pick-up” line from the video itself followed by a few hash tags?

    Do people really believe that sharing these videos is actually going to make this “world” a better place?

    Do people believe that the “world” is on the Internet?

    To all those people who believe so, just a reminder: THE WORLD IS NOT ON THE INTERNET!

There is a world beyond the internet. And only when we’ll be willing to explore this world beyond the internet, we’ll be able to decide whether the “real” world is a much better place to live in or not. Only then will we realize that the “real” problems, that this world beyond the internet is facing, are not just women empowerment and a need for gender equality, but something much bigger than these.

And we, being the “educated” people should be willing to take the responsibility of helping the “real” world face their problems. If only we’re willing to take some time off the internet and contribute in the least possible way to make this “real” world a really good place to live in, because certainly, just sharing a few videos and hitting the like button may only change the virtual world that we’re living in.

 Well, that only keeps me wondering whether the internet and the technology IS doing us any good or not? Or maybe, the technology is not to be blamed! It’s probably just us who’re unable to handle the big responsibility that the social media is! But we need to know our limits; we need to mark a boundary. We need to make a wiser use of the social media. Let the internet not manipulate us. Let it be the other way round.

Being Little

It’s not been too many years. But just a few years ago, 14^th of November was all about excitement, was all about joyous celebrations in school as we dressed fancily for those programs organized by our very dear school teachers for us children. But much to my disappointment, all this WAS.

    Yes, 14^th November is even today celebrated as Children’s Day. But it seems like all that excitement (for dressing up, just because it was one of those few days of the academic year when we didn't have to wear those then-boring school uniform), all that ecstasy of Children’s Day was left behind when we left school. I still remember the school farewell day, the only day sarees became an obsession for us then and our school principal addressed us as “young ladies”, which was then followed by a question, “or children?”. And we responded in chorus- “Children”. How we craved for being children ever since!

     And all those years of growing up had made me forget that 14^th November was Children’s Day, until somebody reminded today!

  And to add to it all, me and my friend, on my way back home from college today, passed a school that lies on the way, and as I watched those little kids running towards their school bus to get a window seat, it made me reminisce my own school days, when we used to do the same. At that very moment, we realized that these same kids would be dressed up in their best little frocks and shirts, because it was their day.

  But then, why would it be just their day? And why can't it be our day as well? Why can’t we, at least for a day, get rid of all those petty issues that keep bothering us, and celebrate being a child once again? And after all, we’re surely going to get back to our pretentious behavior of being an adult, and that child is yet again going to be caged somewhere! 

Monsoon and Food!

Oh yes! I do have monsoon plans. I have a list of places to visit, if not in this monsoon, maybe the next. But most importantly, I have a list of food items that I’m not going to miss, and the rains are only going to add the fun of having these food items (mostly street food).

      So, the “birth” of this ‘Monsoon Food Plan’ can be traced back to a time long back, when me and a friend of mine were discussing about all the amazing street food in and around our college. The plan goes such: on a day when it’s raining heavily, we walk a little from our college towards Matunga Station. Exactly opposite the Station, there stands a “Pani Puri” stall (it’s called “New Pankaj”). What’s special about the mouth-watering pani-puri here? Well, unlike the usual pani-puri, which is filled with hot ragda, this one conatins some normal filling, but what makes it delicious is the ice-cold, tasty Paani. I shouldn’t be talking more about this, now. My mouth has started watering, literally.

     So, next, we walk back towards our college and on the way lies our favorite sandwich stall, Subhash Uncle’s sandwich. The chocolate sandwich there (with extra chocolate) is just something one can’t resist because as soon as you pick up a piece of sandwich to eat, you realize that the chocolate is melting already! But the chocolate sandwich is not the only sandwich on the menu, rather, in monsoons, I would prefer having an ordinary sandwich with extra-ordinary taste.

    So by the time we’re done with the sandwich, we’re half full and with immense enthusiasm, we march towards our beloved ‘Ruia College Canteen’ and order for a plate, or two, of Bread Pakodas with some delicious chutney and sauce and when the plate is clean after having eaten every bit in it, there comes a loud sound, in chorus- BURRRPP!!!

   We’re full and we realize that we can’t eat anymore, so we simply move out of college and have some tea from a nearby tea stall. With the last sip of tea, we realize that it’s time to go home. But wait! We’re still not done with the list, so all we can do is wait for another rainy day.

      And now that this ‘another rainy day’ has arrived, we, in full determination of completing this list of food items, walk outside the college and halt before a vada-pav stall (the stall earlier stood outside the I.E.S school nearby, so we call it the “I.E.S vada-pav. But it has now been shifted near our college, much convenient for us, anyhow!). And after eating the vada-pav, we enter “Mani’s”- the very famous South-Indian food joint, just a few steps away from our college. We have the “garma-garam Dosa or Idli”, along with the extremely yummy chutney.

      Our previous list was supposed to end with the vada-pav, but we realized that without including “Mani’s”, the list was simply incomplete! A very significant addition, indeed!

      So this monsoon, this is something that I and my friends are certainly going to enjoy. Well anyway! Happy Monsoon! 

The Music Called Laughter

The long, fun-filled day had sort of come to an end as we boarded the train to come back home. Usually, train journeys are about me plugging in my earphones and enjoying the music- the music that I intentionally listen to, from my phone, and the music that is created by the trains (oh yes! After having traveled by the Mumbai Locals for more than three years, the sound of the trains does become music, not a pleasant one, but neither an unpleasant one). But today’s journey was not the usual one. Today’s journey was pretty much about me gazing through the window as the train passed through several stations. Today’s journey was pretty much about listening to a music that was being echoed in my ears- that was the music called “Laughter”.

      A few of my friends have told me that I laugh like a monster, uncontrollably and really loud- so loud that the sound might disturb people even at a distance (by the way, they call it the “khatarnaak vaali hasi”). But even then, what is it that makes me say that these echoes of laughter sound like music to me? I wonder! It’s probably the smile that appears on my face as this music of laughter plays itself, or it’s probably the realization which dawns upon me that it is this laughter that makes me forget the world around me. It’s probably just the happiness that I experience as I listen to these echoes of laughter, or it’s simply the fact that it is this laughter that has given me an opportunity to write something after almost A MONTH.

       Whatever it is, this music called laughter is very special to me and no LOL, no ROFL, or no WhatsApp “emoji” can ever define it. And yes, I truly believe that laughter is the best medicine. So don’t keep smiling, KEEP LAUGHING- as loud as possible! 

Revisiting Childhood

I had no clue what I was going to do the entire day. It was a Saturday and I was at home, jobless! I didn't want it to be like a usual Saturday when I would just wake up late, spend some time here and there, have lunch, take a nap and somehow spend the rest of the day waiting for Monday. And I just wasn't in the mood to read anything at all. Hence, I took a brave step and switched on the television with the hope of finding something worth watching. And luck did favor me.
I was glued to the couch, totally engrossed in the television, just like my childhood days when I used to switch on the television just to watch my favourite cartoon. Luck did favor me, for that day I revisited my childhood, as i watched 'The Lion King'.

The Lion King- that movie just makes me drift towards those memories of my childhood days. Those childhood days when Simba, Scooby-Doo, Dexter, Tom & Jerry, Popeye, Powerpuff Girls and many, many other cartoons were an integral part of our life then, because these were not just cartoons. All these were more like friends because we almost lived with them. It was, and still is, so difficult to pick up one and name it the best.
I wonder why people complain about not getting their childhood days back. Well, of course, you won't get them back. But who ever said you can't revisit them? And for me, watching my favourite cartoons all over again was and is the best way to revisit my childhood. Each day of childhood that never ended without watching Popeye eat spinach and gain so much strength, watching  Scooby-Doo and his gang unmask the monsters and find the real culprit, watching Tom & Jerry run after each other for no reason, watching Simba roar royally and become the Lion King.
I would still smile throughout the episodes of Scooby-Doo and tears still roll down my eyes when I watch The Lion KIng. I would still laugh while watching Tom & Jerry and I would still switch on the television only to watch these cartoons, if they were still being aired. And the fact that I'm most glad about is that the child-like demeanor is still present and I would never want to lose it. Because watching these cartoons and getting engrossed in them is possibly the best way of getting away from all my worries- small or big. Because it was Lion King that taught me 'hakuna matata'- no worries for the rest of your days. It was Tom & Jerry that taught me real friendship. It was Scooby-Doo that taught me that cruelty can not last long.
I had always thought that television provided the least of entertainment, for there was nothing good being aired. But i have realized that the idiot-box could sometimes act as a vehicle to take you back to your childhood.