Insomnia

Two cups of caffeine-laced black liquid

But that's not the only thing keeping me awake

Already a pitiful 6 in the morning

An hour and half of toil knowing I could never win

Against this miserable companion of an insomnia

Visiting Ladakh

I still remember once while I was in my 2^nd year of college, I stood in queue at the airport behind a group of friends who were checking-in to go to Leh, Ladakh. I remember feeling jealous and the urge to change my ticket to ‘destination - Leh’ instead of going back home to Aizawl. But I didn’t. Ever since that moment (that was around 2008 end or 2009 beginning), I’ve always wanted to visit the place but never found time. I’ve seen pictures, I’ve heard tales, and finally this second last weekend of July, I stepped into the enchantingly beautiful world of mountains, rocks and snow - Ladakh.

View from the plane: Since our flight was early morning, I took a nap during the flight as best as I could! When I opened my eyes, this was the first sight I saw; it’s so beautiful I couldn’t resist snapping a few shots from my phone cam.

Day-1: Although we didn’t take the warning given to us by the kind policeman at the airport seriously, we grudgingly slept for about 3 hours to ‘apparently’ help our body adjust to the altitude change. After the nap, we went for a drive way up to Khardung-La (world’s highest motorable road at 18400 feet above mean sea level). That’s when we realised the sleep thingy was really necessary; even after we slept we all felt light-headed and dizzy when we stepped out of the car, so ummm delete the word ‘apparently’ up there 4 lines above! On our way to the top, I began noticing the beauty of the dry rocky mountains with their snow-caps towering above the valleys where there existed a few greeneries and where most of the settlements are (except the monasteries – I really really wonder they’re always built so high up!). I especially love the trench-like structure of the mountains with white glistening snows embedded.

Day-2: Remember back in 2009, an Indian movie called ‘3 idiots’ made a hit, with an uncommon concept to those of most Indian movies, of ridiculing/belittling the Indian education system (which by the way, I totally relate to)? I normally don’t watch Hindi/Indian films but this I watched with gusto. Well, there was that ending scene where the hero (!) and heroine (!!) met again after abruptly parting ways in an earlier scene. Noticed that beautiful enchanting place with the high mountains, white sands and blue waters? Yup, Pangong Lake...that’s where I was standing after a 5 hour dusty bumpy drive but it was so worth it; beautiful beautiful beautiful...sigh! The pictures don’t really do justice to it:

The water was really cold!!!

And this was taken on our way back, another 5 hour drive, on one beautiful valley we drove past:

I'm proud of this picture I took of a horse..hehe!

Day-3: River-rafting! Woo-hoooo!! :D About 2 and half hours in the raft tossed around by rapids and whirlpools...I love it!! But yeah I was relieved the raft didn’t capsize since the water was freezing, and it wouldn’t do much good to be immersed in it especially in the whirlpools. No future :/. I had chances to look around, where the ‘Zanskar’ river calmed, at the mountains on the sides, the caves, mainly the whole towering scenery around me; I’d use the word ‘breath-taking’. [PS - couldn't take pictures while being tossed around like we're insects!]

We were to disembark where the rivers Zanskar and Indus meet, and as I looked around again for the umpteenth time and probably for the last time I was struck again by the beauty of my surroundings. The massive walls of the mountains changing colours from black to purple then to light pinkish hues as the sun’s rays fell on them. I wish I had my camera but it’s in the dry-bag and I couldn’t take them out before we were out of the raft; I’ll always remember that majestic view in my mind’s eye.

End: I wanted to do so much more...camping, trekking, hiking, cycling, etc. but they all required about 4 - 20 days’ investment, and we had just the weekend to stay. So sadly, we left on the 4^th morning. But before I end this post, I just want to share one thought I had when we arrived in Leh which remains with me till today; these mountains, how they worship their creator the Lord just by standing still and forever portraying how creative and powerful He is.

Ka sawi chak tlat, Mizo tawnga thu ziah thiam lo hle mah ila Mizo tawng ngeiin kan sawi lawk, “Heng tlang sang pui puite nghet taka an ding ringawt hian Lalpa I ropuina leh thiltihtheihna an van han tlangaupui nasa em.”

A peek inside a closed book

Right, let's get cranking again. After the Manchester trip, 'twas time for me to go back to India for a summer internship and so right now I'm blogging from New Delhi again. Good ol' Delhi; the moment I stepped out of the terminal, I got that feeling I get every time I come to this place - it's hard to explain but it's like the city has a heart of its own unrelentingly thumping away oblivious to the plights of its array of inhabitants and travelers. I once was the former, I now am the latter. It's been a lil' over a year since I left but I already feel like...an outsider, a visitor, an observer perhaps. Many a times this vibrant city was the theme of my nostalgia but after a mere 2 weeks' stay, all I want to do is get out. Well yeah, the weather's cruelty is an added reason to flee - mind!

Writer's block after one paragraph, the heat must really be getting to me! >_<

Nonetheless, I'll push on. At least that's one new thing I've learned these past few weeks; thanks P for that, you and your weird contradicting mind.

Although everyone keeps telling me I'm still young and that I have the time and capabilities to do whatever I want to do in life, believe me it's no walk in the park trying to believe in myself while all I do is fall short in my aspirations. 'Smiling for the world to see, while a saddened subdued soul lurks in darkness inside.' It's not like I broke down and went all depression-like on my worldviews, let's just say it was a very low point in my life which usually don't happen. Period. I do have occasional moody moments, but they go away easily enough. This time's a lil' bit different; I have my few close friends to thank for their ever staunch belief in me, and my parents for their unwitting support and larger-than-life love for me.

(I have this habit of telling my friends that my parents are 'cool' and they really are! Not in that punked sort or so-called attitude wielding or the materialistic cool sense the contemporary culture has associated it with. I meant the understanding, open and broad-mindedness they've always shown towards me no matter what idiosyncrasies my peculiarity plants in my head; I thankfully couldn't ask for better parents.)

Anyway, getting back to what I was talking about, I've had had a lot of self-realisation after a long long reflection plus making a Balance Sheet of myself. I still don't know what I wanna do with my life but it helped, trust me; gave me perspective of where I'm standing at present, if I really want to be in this rat-race of a business world after all and most importantly, where I'd like to be 3-5 years from now. I need some more time to figure this last one out, so stay tuned :)

While my head was blowing up in jumbles of confusing thoughts punctuated by debates with my-altered-ego/myself, I did find some time to enjoy my old city albeit I found out nothing much has changed. For one, mosquitoes continue to leave marks on my now scar-free-legs!

I've never had big or minor accidents in all the years I stayed in New Delhi, but this time it welcomed me in a way worthy of its twisted sense of humour. I was travelling in one of those rickety rickshaws to work (the internship); I use them a lot because they're cheap and kind of fun. I've loved them since I was 2 years old! Apprehensive though I was since the path was uneven and muddy, I didn't protest when the driver took a short cut. I remember it happening like a slow-motion of some sort ditto in the movies - the rickshaw tipped over on its side; I promptly fell down on the road and ended up reaching the office covered in mud!! I was ever so grateful right there that India isn't so developed as to put cameras in every nook and cranny.

I don't want strange things happening to me anymore but I'm guessing a lot more surprises await me during my stay here so it probably wouldn't hurt to ready myself - mentally prepared reinforced with positive attitude! Bring it on!! :D

A story...

A story unpretentiously told;

Simple how things start,
Strange how they progress,
Weird how they affect lucidity,
Funny how things end up,

Unassuming when you start,
Diabolical under darkness,
Testing with cues still rickety,
Amusing when you own up.

Visiting Old Trafford, Manchester, UK

Due to pressures from some of my friends (who are obviously fans of Manchester United), I have compiled this blog post with all the perseverance I could muster and have finally produced a readable story-like account of the trip I took on 18^th June, 2011. I was going to do a short quick briefing with just few pictures but like I said, some friends can be nagging. No offence! Was kidding. It's a bit longer than my other usual posts, but I do hope its entertaining and worth while; I put a lot of waiting-for-the-pictures-to-upload time into it!

Considering how much I was looking forward to this trip (mainly due to boredom from not travelling for a long time now), I certainly didn’t start the day in a way I would’ve preferred - the alarm I set on my phone didn’t go off in the morning 'cause turns out my phone died during the night (low bat), so when I suddenly awoke at around 7:30am, which usually doesn’t happen very often (I should be really happy I did this morning), I panicked; I’ve never dressed so fast in my life plus I ran all the way to HUBS (the Student Union building) since the meeting time was 7:45am and the coach was going to leave at 8:00am. So yeah, I had reason enough to be thoroughly panicked! I’m more than 2 decades old, why is getting up early still so hard for me??!

My friend had a laugh when she saw me all freaking out with a flabbergasted expression and ummm caffeine-deprived haggardness! The ride to Manchester was only about an hour, and the first place we went to was Old Trafford. Alright, just to set the record straight before I start my discourse on the whole exploring-the-stadium-experience, I am NOT a Manchester United fan; never been a fan of any specific football club in my life ever and I intend to keep it that way. Period. There, now I feel better hehe...no hard feelings alright if you’re a fan and you’re reading this :)

We had a tour guide who was really really helpful since most of the places we saw were not understood by any of us; the only specific location we actually understood by ourselves was the Changing Room and the field area. So as we walked around the whole area/rooms of the stadium (which was massive albeit the field was smaller than I expected), he just kept on explaining about all the various stands inside the stadium and how much they cost to build, club history, manager's seat in the stadium stands (I tried it out :D), VIP lounge, players' lounge, press conference room, the Munich air disaster 1958 memorial, museum tour, etc. He let us in on some of the club’s secrets too, but then again maybe not so secret if he’d just give them away to tourists like us...I suddenly don’t feel so special :(

So anyway, let me break down the tour as short as I can with the help of some pictures. Here we go...

All set for the tour with my badge cum ticket on my neck:-

The stadium from outside:-

The tour guide:- A gentleman with a quirky sense of humour; made the tour even more exciting. I tried but I really can't remember his name.

The field and stands:- Grasses on renewal process, so it wasn't very green.

These seats were covered for now, but during matches the cover's off and they're where the manager and officials usually sit.

The sponsors board right nearby the field where whoever's important enough (I supposed) give short comments after matches:-

Press Conference room:-

The board which was put up on the wall of the player's lounge (no visiting teams allowed in!!) :- Listed are the names of Manchester United players who have played for UK.

VIP lounge:- Well ummm just the mirror hehe :]

Manchester United players' changing room:- We didn't go into the visiting team's changing room.

The Museum:- There were lots of stuff in here but I didn't take pictures of everything, but here are some of them.

In case of misconception, this 'is' the real trophy - life size. I'm just having some fun with it from outside the glass case.

Munich air disaster memorial:- For explanation, click link.

Ceiling:- These are actually really big! I zoomed the camera so it doesn't seem big; they were in the corner of the ceiling and massive.

I enjoyed the tour a lot but the highlight of the tour, at least according to me, was when the tour guide got us out into this outdoor corridor of some sort. He told us to form two lines; one line of Manchester United fans and the another line for the rest, and yes I was in the latter line hehe. There were about 30 people in the tour group, and we pretty much separated in half. He wouldn't tell us anything and just stood there at the front looking very serious. Suddenly this blaring music came on the speaker and then the voice of a commentator followed, announcing the past glories of Manchester United, then finally presenting both the teams. And then just like real players....we walked out onto the stadium!! It was amazing; the excitement I felt, the adrenaline rush I got even though I knew it was all fake. Right there I think I got a glimpse of how players (of any team) would probably feel before matches, especially important ones. Here's a picture of the tour guide shaking hands with me before the match while the announcer was speaking (he went round and shook hands with everyone) :-

We also went to the Megastore where they have loads and loads of souvenirs and Manchester United merchandises. Unfortunately I forgot to take pictures there :(

Almost done with the post now whew. After about 3 hours in Old Trafford alone, we finally made our way into the main city area of Manchester. But there wasn't really much to see, almost same as any other city; we just kept walking around the City Centre and checked out shops. Then we searched for about half an hour for a nice place to have lunch - we were positively starved and by the end of 40 minutes and going into 2 restaurants then getting out again, passing about 6 pubs, turning down Burger King, almost getting lost once, we ended up eating from the road-side! Haha! We took that long to search 'cause we wanted local food and not some fast-food or restaurant chain, I mean, anyone can get that kinda food almost anywhere in the world; I follow the 'eat local wherever you go' policy.

Last pictures:- On our way back to Sheffield in the evening from Manchester.

And finally, that ends this blog post. Groan...I'm going straight off to bed now. So..oooh...tired! (I worked 8 hours today on non-bloggy stuff).