Magical Run

One of the big breathing spaces and a place frequented by many joggers, walkers, lovers & dog owners in Bangalore is Cubbon Park. Situated next to MG Road, it’s guarded by bamboo trees which are along the wall and has large trees with lush green ground. There is a nursery, library, small shops selling fresh veggies / fruits etc early. People host yoga, meditation classes, someone teaches exercise which anyone is free to join & there are also Kabir sessions in this place. One such session introduced me to Kabir & Kabir Project and a group of friends who started running in Cubbon introduced me to Running - 7 years back. Since then, both have become my passion projects.

While in Mumbai I ran in Joggers Park which is essentially a track next to the sea and has a nice sea view and benches to sit and gaze. Like most things in Mumbai it is very well maintained but so tiny that it can fit in one corner of Cubbon Park.   

Thanks to an injury and COVID - we have been away from Cubbon for almost 3 years. So last Sunday after much deliberation I decided to go along with our one time ring leader and motivator  MD for our now defunct morning Cubbon run. 

The  Bangalore weather is the best suited for running and last Sunday it was no different from Kodaikanal or Ooty. It was almost dark and the morning light had just started spreading when we started to warm up. We ran on the beautiful roads circling the park. Our routine is to cover all gates which are located on the edges of the park and reach back after 1 round. The total distance is ~ 7+ Km.  

After the 3rd gate it started drizzling but raindrops were almost like snowflakes. This was my first experience of running in drizzle and I just loved it.It was magical to run in this kind of rain. It felt like shinrin-yoko - what the Japanese call tree bathing or taking in the forest with all your senses - but was more literal. 

 

After the run the only statement I made was - You just have to come once & you know you will come again and again and again.

Hidden Gem in Cubbon: https://bit.ly/3p7IIDc 

Day 33: 200 words/day challenge (377 words)

Sky Ladder

Riveting, Awestruck & Magical. I can go on but these were the only words which came to my mind when I saw ‘Sky Ladder' - The art of Cai Guo-Quiong on Netflix. It’s amazing what someone can do for creative expressions - in this case gunpowder. It was such a unique expression that when I saw some of the acts it was like a symphony of colours and at time lights. 

Growing up in China and being the son of an artist, I guess he inherited a lot of his creativity in his genes & hence was a natural painter which is what he started with. But he wanted to do something different - he grew up in a city which is famous for fireworks and hence he started experimenting with gunpowder on his paintings. How ? Can be only seen and not explained.

From paintings he moved to objects or a location where he would first decide on a there and then meticulously plan the display on how the same will look and then use gunpowder, bamboo sticks, some time a hot air balloon (which he used for sky ladder) meticulously plan the entire structure on which the gunpowder with different colours and timers so that the display is as he visualised. 

As his creative expression became popular and had a nature of spectacle to it. He started getting projects so he moved from China to Japan and finally to the US where the big money was. In one of the interviews given by an executive from his company we are told one of client gave them 2 million dollars and said do what you want. That’s the scale we are talking - The fireworks done during Beijing Olympics were his creation. 

The Sky Ladder project was his dream project where he wanted a 500 m ladder to be created from ground to the sky like a pathway from earth to heaven. He wanted to do it for his grandmother who was 100. After 3 failed attempts he finally did it and showed it to his grandma on his iphone. She died after 1 month of seeing the sky ladder and the documentary is dedicated to her.

Day 33: 200 words/day challenge (361 words)

Solo Journey

Vacation for me has always been with family or friends. But in recent years solo trips have become the de facto way of travel for many people and is seen as a process of discovery and spending time with self. This is not just adults but even teenagers who want to let go of their parent’s hands - rather their car / flights and do it on their own.

One such request came from our teenager and we had to say Yes. Technically it was just a train ride between 2 cities and then spending time with friends. But then it was a train journey - and about picking up from the station & dropping at the station and trains have more elements of chaos than a flight where you are sealed in an a/c chamber and get airborne and land in the same position.

My solo journey’s get created even when I am with family - When I sit next to the window and see the roads pass by or the scenery passing from a train window or the night sky. For me these are times of solitude and reflection - it comes automatically. Maybe it’s the movement of the road or train tracks which heightens the sense of passage of time. Solitude is a mix of solo & altitude which we all deeply desire but hardly have time to experience in our busy life and social media. It’s good that at a young age kids want to connect with themselves and discover the true meaning of life.. 

Visit to a railway station: We visited a railway station after 3 years and found that the station was less crowded than the airports, especially during the pre & post long weekend. Nothing else changed much. Buying a platform ticket was still a challenge with machines not working & the counter was located in a separate building. There were people sleeping in places & the platform was as dirty as it was 3 years back. 

But, that’s the real India & still brings a sense of nostalgia and makes me feel like making a long train journey, talking to unknown people, sharing your food / newspaper and sometimes toiletries with them. 

A friendship which is transient but still so much full of love and understanding which keeps aside the caste / religion / economic difference. On the train like in life - we are just travelers, solo or otherwise. 

Day 32: 200 words/day challenge (394 words)

Fear & Insecurity

In a recently concluded panel hosted at IIM Bangalore which had Bollywood perfectionist Aamir Khan participating in a panel discussion, this what Aamir had to say:

“Versatility and excellence are the hallmarks of your 30-year-old career. What keeps you going?” asked Prof. Vasanthi Srinivasan to which Aamir replied: “Fear”. Explaining, he said, fear and insecurity have their uses. “I don’t want anyone to see a weaker moment of mine as an actor. I am driven to entertain people in a better way. I am 57 years now but in my head I am still 18! However, I am constantly working to stay relevant to young people. That’s why I want to do films for children ever so often because when a five-year old loves your film, they will stay loyal to you for the next 15-20 years. That keeps me relevant to a younger audience.”

I don’t think anyone expected this answer but that’s true for all perfectionists as I have seen in my corporate life. There is a fine balance in using it to your positive advantage. Most people who fall in this category forget that there are others in the room who have a point of view and their solution is the best solution - because (of course) they are perfect. After some time the team just succumbs to the syndrome - Boss is always right.

Aamir is also known for his obsessiveness and trying to control all elements of the film so that the best product is out there, Steve Jobs is another perfectionist known for the same. So we all need a good cop in the team who will balance the perfectionist angst with some humour and bring the team back on track for a common good. 

Who wouldn’t want to be part of the Lagaan dream team or iphone team, well one has to be ready for the bumpy ride for a brief while - I guess the turbulence, angst and pain is worth if you one wants to bask in the glory of Oscar nomination or creating a revolutionary product. 

After all, why are we here on earth if you don’t leave at least 1 legacy behind if not more.

The choice is ours! 

Day 31: 200 words/day challenge (367 words)

Postscript: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc (one of those inspiring speeches by Steve)

Licorice Pizza: What’s in a name ?

 

That’s what was in my mind after I saw this multiple Oscar nominated movie which dropped in Amazon Prime last week. It was the director’s risk to name a film which brings in a kind of nostalgia of the 70's and 80's in his mind but none of us may be able to relate to it. It did create a curiosity in me & I am sure many others. Which is a good thing for the film. Click the link below. 

Movie was a kind of growing up film when a teenager - oversmart in a sweet way & chubby chubby guy named Gary Valentine falls in love with Alana who is almost 10 years senior to her and treats him like a kiddo. But slowly becomes enamoured by his charm and smart startup ideas and becomes her business partner and rest is the movie.

It reminded me of Almost Famous & the relationship between William & Penny. In Licorice Pizza both the actors were doing their first movie and were very fresh and brought out the bitter sweet relationship in a nice way. The setting was of course 70’s and hence had the colour tones and dresses / sets of that era which brought a sense of nostalgia. 

It was quite a contrast to Belfast which I saw before this and was a black & white, sombre (although it had happy and fun moments) compared to colourful and bubbly Licorice Pizza. 

Day 30: 200 words/day challenge(235 words)

Postscript:

https://www.distractify.com/p/why-is-it-called-licorice-pizza

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haim_(band) : Alana Haime is a lead vocalist in a band call Haim which she had formed with her sisters. Her albums have been nominated for Grammy.