Mehandi lagake rakh na, doli saja ke rakh na!
Picture of the Week #55
Walkeshwar - A quiet retreat in the heart of Mumbai. If maintained properly, this place has the potential of becoming an attractive spot for spending a quiet evening. However, the cleanliness here leaves much to be desired.
Serengeti Migration - A Daily Phenomenon?
Who says one needs to go to Africa to see the Serengeti migration? Every city has its very own migration that occurs twice daily. In the morning I’m a witness to, and indeed a part of, the thousands of people who spill out from the train and subway stations and rush to their offices in one of the tall office buildings. Herds of people make their way to their offices in the morning and then back to the train and subway stations in the evening - it's like the Circular Migration of the Serengeti that we see on the Discovery Channel.
Replace the wildbeests of the Serengeti plains with people and you will wonder why such a phenomenon is called “one of the ten natural travel wonders of the world”. Are people not natural? Is going to the office not “natural”? Such a migration has become a staple of the developed world where everyone has a herd mentality.
The entire phenomenon is quite amusing if you think about it. Men in dark suits holding their briefcases and Blackberry's rushing to their offices; high-heeled women in shirts, skirts, trousers and heavy make-up who walk alongside their male counterparts; the occasional person in a t-shirt, jeans and sneakers who seems out of place… it’s quite an elaborate, yet amusing show to watch.
Normally, I don’t even notice the people as I’m “going-with-the-flow”. However, there is no better way to physically “experience” going-against-the-flow than to head to the train station in the morning when the throngs are heading out of it. I can feel the crowd’s resistance, and it gives me some degree of satisfaction knowing that I'm going against the crowd. This feeling, I think, is a prerequisite to accomplishing something meaningful.
I did this in September 2008 when I quit my permanent full-time job to see the world and have some truly amazing experiences. It was the best decision of my life, as it eventually led to me meeting my soon-to-be-wife.
So, as you sit in your little cubicle drinking office coffee and wondering if you should execute that idea that you have been thinking about for quite some time, then ask yourself if you want to be a part of the "Circular Migration" for the rest of your life - and just do it!
Picture of the Week #54
The beautiful Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai. Can you believe it that this building was on fire in November 2008?
Picture of the Week #53
A dilapidated Chinese-made truck that are seen all over Burma. These are so cheap that it doesn't even have a cover over the engine!
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