Closures and Beginnings

It's today that exactly 6 months ago I had set my foot first time in the United States of America!

But what makes me write a post about it? Well, my heart is holding a baggage of emotions that may start affecting my cerebral cortex and before it does so, I decided to share these thoughts by scribbling on my keyboard. 

PART-1:

I am a person who believes in the power of dreams. Dreams give me the courage to give my best for any challenge that life throws at me. May be that's how many people hailing from small towns and cities in India feed on- their powerful, magical and even cynical dreams!! During our initial conversations,  Ankit and I were bounded by the mystical halo of our dreams that we were able to see with each other. It was serendipity that I found my soulmate in Ankit! One of the dreams that we saw together was Nature Buddy- a dream that gave wings to my passion for having something of my own. 

To me, Nature Buddy was like my first child. I was super enthusiastic, energetic, possessive or I would say obsessive about it! I felt that tremendous energy to face all the challenges that each day would throw up. From managing labour, balancing finances, establishing customer relationships or brainstorming marketing strategies, the journey of Nature Buddy lasted for more than 1.5 years. It was unexpectedly short but a phenomenal journey for me. I think I will not be able to put into words the happiness and excitement of building something from scratch gives. A token of appreciation from a customer used to infuse tons of energy while there were many days where the question of survival was at the forefront. The journey had some feats of accomplishments but it wasn't without its share of mistakes committed, uncertainty faced, financial instability experienced. We tried each bit of ourselves to live it through but we were thrown into the big question of survival! We were pressed for some very hard decisions and couldn't continue Nature Buddy. 

As much as I learned through this entrepreneurial journey, the guilt of not being successful and more so, abandoning it made me question myself. A part of me felt incomplete and diffident. Instead of giving myself some credence for having the courage to fulfill my dream, I started wiping out the prints of this valuable journey. I decided to turn my focus on the other unfinished tasks- the biggest was completing PhD in this very life (thankfully its done and dusted...)!

But somehow I never got a closure that I needed for Nature Buddy.....

PART-2:

America is a land of opportunities- especially for people like me coming from developing countries. Since childhood, I have heard stories about the prosperity of some distant relative's extended family after they moved to US. To be honest, since my world view increased and I came to know about the names of Harvard, Stanford, Yale or MIT,  I have been enamored by the best universities that this country has. I have been curious, amazed and awed by the opportunities offered by these centers of knowledge. 

For the dreamers that Ankit & I are, we have no dearth of dreams! Another one that we harbored since our childhood and shared during our initial conversations was the fascination of 'Ivy League'. We again took insane amount of risk in uprooting a somehow seemingly stable life after going through a period of struggles & efforts. Parents and well wishers tried to talk us through reason but after Ankit was admitted to Harvard, we came to Cambridge in mid of August 2018. 

PART-3:

Fast Forward 6 months to this day.... 

Selected from a competitive pool of more than 400 start-ups, Nature Buddy has been shortlisted as one of the semi-finalists at the prestigious Harvard President's Innovation Challenge and accepted to 12 week long Spring Venture Incubation Program (VIP). 

I am unsure of what lies ahead or how far we will make it. But I feel some beginnings give closures that are much needed!!

Hola! from Mexico

With 2018 coming to a close, I decided to break the spell of procrastination and let my thoughts be strewn into words on paper. Ok, not paper, but white screen- thanks to the tech era we are in! I am bit old school who still loves writing with pen in her diary, but then that is difficult to share with all the other beautiful souls around me. While sharing amplifies the joy of writing for me!

With 15 days away, 2018 will be a year gone by! Such a roller coaster ride it has been for me. I was relieved from the strenuous pressure of PhD while doing a marathon between Delhi and Bangalore, extended my travel list to beautiful countries of Sri Lanka and Maldives and moved to USA with my husband. It was not all easy or joyful. There were moments of frustration and bouts of temper but each of these events have left me with lifelong learning.  I think they deserve individual posts and I will be sharing my rants in the upcoming posts! As of now, this post is just to break the spell of inertia ingrained in me right now.

And what a better way to end this year while doing what I love most- travel! With my best companion- Mr. Kumar, we are currently travelling in Mexico (Yucatan region) for two weeks and loving every bit of it (more of it to follow-up in my subsequent posts).

Sharing with you a beautiful sunset in Playa del Carmen (Yucatan, Mexico), because every sunset is a reminder of a beautiful morning that is on its way...

December is my favorite month, not just because it is a holiday season. This is a month that reminds me of new beginnings, more adventure that the coming new year will unfold! It is time to create new year resolutions, refresh our bucket list and make new resolves. What is on your plate this year? Are you hatching some travel plans? What are your those places you want to explore? Would you love to share?

Why SVALBARD should be your next travel destination

Ever felt that itching desire to unravel the mysteries of the faraway lands and their unknown habitants! And what if you find a crazy head like you in your life partner? Well, then you take out the world map and point your finger to a desolate piece of land in Arctic ocean! That is how we chose Svalbard as our honeymoon destination, fascinated by the idea of being closest to the North Pole!

About Svalbard:

The region between 74 degree to 81 degree north and 10 degree to 35 degree east, constitutes the Svalbard archipelago. It consists of many large and small islands with Spitzbergen, Nordaustlandet, Edgeoya, Barentsoya and Prins Karls Forland being the largest. The archipelago covers 61,000 sq kms (larger than Denmark). We chose Longyearbyen, a small mining town on Spitzbergen Island on Norway’s Svalbard archipelago, and stayed for 4 days. The distance from Longyearbyen to the North Pole is  appx 1300 kms. Millions of years ago, archipelago of Svalbard was a fertile land inhabited by the dinosaurs on the land and marine reptiles in the sea. But now the landscape is barren and appears as if at the end of an ice age. More than half of the area is covered with glaciers. Ice has eroded the landscape but at some places the coal deposits have exposed on the surface. Discovery of coal has acted as the catalyst for the development of the communities in Svalbard.

      

Been there, I can vouch that the wilderness, beauty and mystery of this Arctic region will let you make an innate relation with Nature that is beyond human reasoning. 

So for all my friends who love to travel, here is why Svalbard should be on your bucket list-

1. Closest habitat to North Pole

When only the thought of being on one corner of the Earth is so adventurous, imagine the reality of setting your foot on this land. Being at Latitude 78 degrees North is indeed special.

First visual realization of being at 78 degrees North

 2. Spectacular views from the flight

One can take flight from Oslo or Tromso to reach Longyearbyen. Svalbard lufthan Longyear is the main airport serving Svalbard in Norway and is the northernmost airport in the world with public scheduled flights. Flight takes you above the snow covered mountains and offers mystical views, where you will see mountains engulfed by thick white sheet.

Top view of Glaciers that can be enjoyed 

Spectacular views from the plane

3.  Glaciers

Nearly 60% of land of Svalbard is covered by ice. The serenity and wilderness of Svalbard is enhanced with the innumerable small and large glaciers found here. We took a day trip to Russian mining town Barentsburg and were enthralled by the close beautiful views of Esmark Glacier.

At the face of the glacier, Barentsburg Sea

Majestic views of Esmark Glacier

Chunks of ice floating in the sea quite close to our ship

Our ship halted for few minutes, for us to capture the view in our camera and earn lifetime memories

Bird cliffs along the abandoned Russian settlements at Coles Bay

One can spot the flock of Arctic birds while passing through Coles Bay

At Russian mining town Barentsburg

Colourful buildings at Barentsburg

Group at 'PolarGirl' Ship that went to see Glacier. 

 

Souvenir shop at Barentsburg

4. Hiking, Fossil Hunting, Dog Sledges, Snow Scooters

One can indulge in guided tours of fossil-hunting or can do small hikes to enjoy the spectacular views from the top. Do make sure you carry good shoes (unlike mine L..; was lucky that a kind Norwegian lady from the group came to my rescue!!) that don’t let you trample on the snow. Small half day excursions can be taken from Longyearbyen.

Thanks to the Norwegian lady behind me who helped me in our hike!

Climbing down with the group

Lovely views after the hike

Fossil-hunting

Some more serious fossil-hunting!!

The hiking group with whom we did the excursion of fossil-hunting. And yes, we were the youngest couple :)

In winters, one can enjoy these snow scooters

 

 5. Svalbard Museum at Longyearbyen

To douse the inquisitiveness about this Arctic region, visit Svalbard Museum. The Museum exhibits authentic artefacts in a reconstructed environment and takes you on a journey about the history of Svalbard – from the first whalers in the 17th century through Russian Pomors, Norwegian trapping, arctic expeditions and mineral extraction to the present-day society based on modern mining, research and tourism.

Entrance to Svalbard Museum

Geological  and cultural History of Svalbard can be seen through vivid picture and simulated models 

Inside the Museum

Symbol of Arctic wilderness

Well, we weren’t lucky enough to see Polar Bear in real, but the danger sign “to beware: polar bear region” was ubiquitous

 For anyone who loves adventure and wish to indulge in the vastness and wilderness of Nature, Svalbard has lot to offer. You can choose to visit it in winters or summers. Winters at Svalbard are characterized by long dark days of chill  that can extend upto months So if you are packing your bags, for any specific details or help with itinerary, I will be more than happy to help :)

For the love of Travel, Cheers!!

3D Principle from a Principal

Lectures are mostly boring, but if some words inspire, they stick for life!

I was only in 10th Std when my school principal, Rev Fr. Thomas, once shared 3D mantra of success in an early morning school assembly- Determination, Dedication and Discipline!

Determination- phase of mind
Dedication- phase of mind and body
Discipline- phase of mind and body

However determined and dedicated you are, without discipline, success will elude.

I keep this 3D principle from my Principal close to my heart and try constantly to imbibe it in all my physical and mental capacity !!

NEERJA- a story of courage and humanity

I never write movie reviews, but watching NEERJA last night just made me attempt writing one. Director Ram Madhvani has done a fabulous job bringing out this real story of courage and humanity shown by Neerja Bhanot and making her known amongst grateful Indians. It's a poignant story of mother-daughter relationship which is definite to leave one teary eyed at many moments. Shabana Azmi is an actress beyond par but in her role as a mother, she just doesn't let you off even for a milisecond. As for Sonam Kapoor, I think its her best performance till date. I have liked her always but this performance will be etched forever, Sonam!

Amidst present JNU controversy stuck with rationals, nationals, liberals or anit-nationals, Neerja Bhanot's story is an epitome of courage and gumption of human spirit. Movie starts with connecting us slowly with Neerja- a lively, full of life girl coming tired from work, mother patting her and checking if she ate anything- like your most often conversation with your mom. Neerja loves her job- she is diligent and passionate about what she does. We often catch morning flights with half open eyes, get irritated if the flight is delayed, hate going through umpteen security checks but as a flight attendant/ crew, you have to look good, fresh, polite and cheerful. A challenge indeed!

Life is unpredictable, no one boarding PanAm 73 in 1986 would have ever imagined such a horrifying and traumatic experience. It brings on the frugality of life and I loved Rajesh Khanna's punchline used ofetn in the movie- "Zindagi lambi nahi, badi honi chaiye!" Ever imagined how dreadful a moment can be when a decision has to be taken in a quick second while you have a gun pointed towards your head! During the whole movie you will be glued to your seat, in every scene you kind of reflect yourself and the people you love. Helplessness and fear abound, and you earn for clinging to a single ray of hope. In the tough times, hope and courage can come from anything- be it your survival in your past, a lesson from your parent or a phone conversation (as happens in the movie). Towards the end, you will feel so connected to Neerja and her mother Rama (played by Shabana Azmi) that her loss will make you feel losing someone of your own.

Putting a real life incident on a canvas as big as cinema is a colossal task. Credit goes to director Ram Madhvani and his team for bringing Neerja Bhanot's story and making us know this braveheart. This weekend don't miss out watching this movie carrying a beautiful story of a mother & daughter. With current times embroiled in selfishness, hatred, meaningless debates, socialist, capitalist or communist theories, this film will sure reaffirm your belief in one thing which is above any theory - and that is, courage and humanity!

 

Power of Dream

Dreams are those that don't let you sleep! Dreams are those that give you energy!
Dream On until your dream become true!

Only one who has the audacity to dream can feel its power. It's magical. It's infectious. It keeps you afloat amidst highs and lows. Your actions become an extension of your dreams. Actions will generate Reactions. Reactions will help to shape dreams. Dreams then turn to reality.

I have been feeding on my dreams- day and night, awake or asleep. No one said the road will be easy. But confidence to build dreams gets it going. Keep on chasing.

Keep on dreaming!

ये पेड़

It feels good to stumble upon one's own old and lost creation....I found this poem handwritten on a piece of paper and tucked silently between the pages of an old diary. I read it and thought to imprint this in my digital diary, before it gets dissolved in the past.
Here:-


हवा के झोंको से मदमस्त हो
लहलहाता है ये पेड़,
बारिश की उन छोटी छोटी बूंदो को
अपने ही पत्तों पाकर
इतराता है ये पेड़ ।

मज़बूत तने के बल पर
विशालकाय हो खड़ा
स्वाबलंबन दर्शाता है ये पेड़ ।

अपनी असंख्य शाखाओं पर
अनगिनत पक्षियों के घरोंदे संभाले
मदद  के भाव को जगाता है ये पेड़ ।

हर ऋतु के साथ बदलकर
बीतते हुए वक़्त में भी
बदलाव को बाहें खोल अपनाता है ये पेड़ ।

भंवरों की गुंजन
नव शिशु पक्षियों का क्रंदन
सभी का साया बना है ये पेड़ ।

हवा के झोंको से या
तूफानों के थपेड़े से
निस्तब्ध हो सब सहकर
सहिष्णुता का अबोध ज्ञान दे जाता है ये पेड़ ॥

Photo Credits: fotosearch.com