If you can't beat them join them

Started from Kozhikode for Guruvayur at 2.30pm; I thought 110 KM on NH17 shouldn't take more than 2 hours tops...wrrooong. It took us almost 4 hours and along with it came a few insights about Kerala.

The twisty NH17 should have made for a fun drive if the traffic had been a little less dense. Kerala especially the coastal plains are so densely populated (3+ times more dense than the rest of India) there is scarcely a break in habitation along the highway. The density of traffic never drops with the almost constant presence of slow moving 2 & 3 wheelers on the road. Result was average speeds of 40 KMPH and a drop in fuel economy of about 15-20%

As if this that wasn't enough the roads in Kerala are populated by a special breed of super aggressive drivers bent on going down with all horns blazing. It didn't matter if that was a blind corner coming up or another maniac heading towards you indulging in his own version of who blinks first, they just went for it.

Every overtaking maneuver I did turned out to be a disguised suicide mission... down shift, floor accelerator, pray and keep the horn pressed just in case God was busy elsewhere.

Moral of the story, for those used to the golden quadrilateral Kerala is truly a journey to the wild west.

Kappad Beach

Kappad Beach… where Vasco da Gama landed and probably started what would end in the colonization of India…

I guess I owe my English to the Portuguese

Kozhikode

20^th Sep 2009

Started forty minutes late; no plane to catch so that was ok. Accident on Mysore Road near Kamat Lokaruchi, traffic jam adds another 20Min's. Was getting restless, but then I saw the wreck, reminded myself there were no deadlines to meet... Slowed right down…

Dense forests, switched the air conditioner off, rolled the windows down and let the air in. Bandipur became Muthanga, Karnataka became Kerala… nothing outside changed other than the names.

Sultan Bathery, Kalpetta, the newer houses doused in bright purple, electric blue, orange, PINK yelled out their presence while the old houses with moss covered tiled roofs nearly disappeared into surrounding foliage.

As we descended from the mountains we were suddenly surrounded by thick mist with visibility down to about 30 meters. The adventure into the unknown has truly started.

Lands end beckons

Less than a week to go for the much anticipated drive through god's own country to lands end.

If god is the one doing the tempting is it ok to indulge a teeny tiny bit :-)

After the rains

We got lucky last evening, first the rains came pelting down - 30 minutes of downpour chased away by the last dying rays of the sun.

The grey clouds turned into gold, the sky this amazing shade of blue. 5 minutes of wonder on a crazy day.

Taking Flight

This monday was a little different from the usual, there we were in a packed plane eager to get to our destination and the work that lay ahead. To the jaded air traveller that I had become, the safety announcement was just background noise that was to be tolerated till the flight took off. So when the plane finally started taxing towards the run away I heaved a sigh of relief and settled down with the inflight magazine. 

The turbo prop we were taking to Hyderabad shuddered down the runway, bringing back memories of BMTC buses speeding down Bangalore's potholed roads. The plane eventually took off and this everyday event was greeted by a loud 'whoooooooooyeaaaaaahh' from a kid couple of rows behind me. The kid's whoop of joy brought on a smile accompanied by memories of my first ever flight way back in time... and because of that reason this flight was a little special from all the rest.  

Life is good...

Sustaining Change (I get by with a little help from my friends)

While the debate on sustainability rages on in the public domain, my attempts at making a contribution can at best be described as good intentions lacking both in focus and determination. 

People tell me there are a 100 different ways to contribute, starting from switching off the lights when not needed to taking the bus to work. No wonder I was confused trying to do everything and not doing anything well, thankfully my research on the internet led me to this very helpful hint - "find yourself a personal sustainability project" http://blogs.intel.com/csr/2009/03/do_you_have_a_psp.php

So here is mine, I'll try and avoid paper cups for water, tea, coffee.  

Having said that how can I make sure that this project doesn't go the same way as my previous attempts? How do I convert good intentions into sustained good behaviour? Anybody who has tried to lose weight or persist with a exercise program will agree that it takes more than good intentions to succeed, it takes the help of a support system consisting of friends and family to keep you on the long & difficult path to change.  So if you see me regress, a gentle reminder would be much appreciated :-)