A weekend in truly God’s own Country

It’s now been a few months in Kerala – God’s own country and Rekha and I have visited a few places, the same I have blogged earlier. The last trip we did was to the Travancore Heritage a resort about 30 Kms from Trivandrum.

Let me start saying ‘WOW’ – what a wonderful and blissful experience it was. First the rates we paid were off –season and then got a corporate rate as well and it was still expensive in my terms. But got to give to the resort, that the price tag was just peanuts for the solace and bliss we got out just being out there for a day and night. To give a bit of the resort – it is perched on a 50 metre high cliff and you would need to take the elevator, which is within the cliff to go down to hit the beach.

We reached Travancore Heritage at about 4 p.m. on Saturday afternoon (we had booked for a late check in and out) to be welcomed with some, Kerala style Tender coconut. You may feel, so what ?, but what got my attention was the way they had cut the coconut, its bottom, basically that the coconut could rest on the table. A first time view of such a creative way to cut a tender coconut. Then we were escorted to our cottage – I had especially asked for one facing the ocean. I was stunned immediately as we reached out cottage, for, the view of the ocean was not only breath taking but truly out of this world, absolutely spectacular.

Usually, my experience of resorts have been such that, there is nature all around you, but the cottage or your logout you lodge into is pretty posh and in tune with the luxury. But this resort and their cottages are different. The cottages are truly built and furnished to ensure the interiors are in sync with the nature and the environment that you are in. The best about the cottage I liked was the bathroom. A quarter of it is open, allowing the sun to penetrate into the toilet, keeping it fresh, thanks to the wind and the sun. The best part is that, when it rains you can shower under the best water available in this planet.

We checked in, refreshed and hit the beach to feel the ocean waters. The sea was rough and waves high, but we really enjoyed ourselves for about an hour. We returned to our cottage and spent the evening sitting out on the verandah facing the sea and watching the sunset and the high waves splashing the shores. The sound of the waves, the noises the insects were making and the absolute still silence in the resort truly moved us closer to nature. This spell of a few hours, surely rejuvenated me from the hectic work life I was going through the last few weeks and am sure as for Rekha, helped her to throw out her frustration of being lonely at home by being one with nature. We proceeded for dinner and as in all resorts the buffet spread was lavish. We indulged into the spread and hit the sack to the comfort of a noisy air-conditioner.

The next day was a stroll around the resort, enjoy the environment, take a few snaps and then the lunch, which in my opinion was better than the dinner and that we missed the breakfast, the food was really melting into our mouths. We then rested ourselves onto the hammocks, like how a python would do after its meal. Just being still on the hammock with the noise of the waves and the cool green surrounding, I wanted this experience to continue non stop. But as all things come to an end, we had to check out and drive home. We reached our lovely home close to dusk to end a wonderful weekend. I would say this probably has been the best experience so far, that I have had in Kerala.

the Photos of the trip can be accessed from this link http://picasaweb.google.com/askpriyesh/TravancoreHeritage18July09#

Frisking of Kalam – Is it a ‘Salam’ or an ‘Alarm’

This blog has been sometime coming thanks to the overload of work suddenly.

Let me build the context, which most of you would have already read about in the Newspaper’s or seen it on television – today, all the news channel just need ‘any’ story to run through a week of programs. The news channels are really becoming an absolute no brainer, with dead stories. Mr. Abdul Kalam, the erstwhile President of our country was frisked by an American Airline on Indian Shores.

So what – this is one of way looking at this issue. He is like any other traveller for the airline and as per the norms of the airline they frisked him. But for god damn – he was the ‘President’ of this country, the highest office in the country, though we all know it’s just a rubber stamp, so what ? I would have not bothered if it was any other Babu in his place, but lets give it to Mr. Kalam as everyone knows, how different he was / is to all the other Babu’s who run our country. This man is a genius and what has he not done for this country’s scientific movement and this is the reason for me write about him and the issue into a blog.

In India, if we receive a head of a state of any other country we drive through into the tarmac to receive them. So is it not basic to underestimate the treatment Kalam received. Also, lets be realistic to the fact that, the airline was just being American in their approach – so rigid and do not care attitude that they posses, that they feel there exists no other country apart from the states. Man !, he was escorted by jawans and is that not evident that he is a VIP in this country. Also please explain to the world the ignorance of the staff in the airline not only, in not identifying the VIP (Cause all Babu’s have this clout – will even give this to the airline) but not identifying the ex president, who sports a rock star hair style which is so identifiable or Kalam – able.

Having said all this, what was the aviation ministry doing about it – did not disclose this issue for more than a few months after the incident had happened. Then it woke up to ‘SALAM’, ‘Kalam’ and Babu’s on the issue and created a huge furore. The timing of this furore has been perfect, especially looking at the restructuring of the national carrier and the bail out issue of 20000 crores hanging like the Damocles sword over the ministry. Praful Patel has always been a shrewd player, and his timing on this one has been perfect. The public suddenly have turned their attention to the Kalam issue and we only see Praful delivering interviews on this issue and the TV channels have forgotten about Air India. The choice to ‘Salam’ was brilliantly executed.

Over and above all this, there is an underlying issue which the media certainly have not picked up in detail. Sitaram Yechury made a statement in the parliament – ‘he stated that Kalam’s name resembles one of a Muslim and that could be a reason for his frisking’. A very valid point considering the fear with which the Americans live with respect to the Muslim world. Irrespective of Obama embracing the Muslim world through his speeches across and in the Middle East this fear will linger long. The American airline could have very well done the frisking on the same basis, the basis called fear. If this is the case --- then we are in real trouble in India.

The simple fact that India boasts more Muslim’s in a country outside the Islamic world and the instance of frisking every Muslim traveller is astonishingly idiotic.

This certainly is the ‘ALARM’ India needs to wake up to and look at this issue with a microscopic eye and dig into the context of the airline frisking Kalam.

Whatever said and done and written by me, this fiasco is a certain grey mark on the aviation industry and more on the aviation ministry.

Please for heaven’s sake give some respect the seal of the country, the head of the nation and the seat called the ‘President of India’.