Books that Make Me Want to Pack My Bags

Reading, thinking, going...

"Not all who wander are lost," said JRR Tolkein and who better to say it than someone who had created an entire new world and filled it with magical creatures who inspire you to greatness.  

Since this post is about books that have made me want to go on voyages even if I do them in my dreams, I will get on to it with only a short preamble.

For those who don't know me, I have always lived surrounded by books. It's not a big deal since books have given me so much in return. Apart from stories and knowledge, books have opened my eyes to so many hobbies, cultures and understanding of human mind that I could possibly never have learnt otherwise.

As I adapt my mindset to write more, I keep returning to the books that I have read over the years. It is not such a bad thing to do actually because tried and tested is always a good idea - even when reading.

Here's a list of some of the books that have always fascinated me and called me back from the shelves in my home. But, most of all, they have pushed me to travel, pushed me to explore - even if it was my own city that I walked around in:

City of Djinns by William Dalrymple

Perhaps no one has loved Delhi so much before it became an Instagram phenomenon than William Dalrymple. A Scottish by birth Dalrymple has been living in India for several years now, hosts one of the most famous book gigs in the world, Jaipur Lit Fest and if you read the book then, there's no way that his love for the much-maligned an highly-polluted city will not rub-off on you.

The story of Delhi is very close to my heart and it's just not because I am a Delhi'ite myself. The story of the seven or as some insist, nine cities of Delhi are so full of blood, glory and intrigue that it feels like the life of a real living person like an epic hero.

Dalrymple, an outsider opened a door through this book that has stayed closed thanks to our history being rewritten by the British who had carefully wiped out every glorious narrative to prove the "white man's burden" myth.

City of Djinns is a series of chapters that open up a year of the then-young author's stay in the city that at once delighted and nauseated him. 

It made me long for Delhi for seven years when I was in Bombay and made me want to go walking around gathering stories, myths and mythologies that make Delhi.

Must read if you want to know Delhi beyond the Qutab Minar and Red Fort.   

Chasing the Monsoon by Alexander Frater

Sometimes it takes a great idea to write a great book which makes the reader want to follow your footsteps to pull equally crazy stunts. Frater does it with flair. He starts the book by sharing that he was born on a rainy day on a remote Pacific island. The first line of the book reads, "The first sound I ever heard of was falling rain."

And though I know many who are born on an overflowing rainy day including my own sister, there is only one man that I know of who made chasing the famed Indian Monsoon a successful book project. 

Monsoon does not come in a single strand. It comes from two directions and apart from India, it touches upon a few other neighboring countries. Frater jumps into the fray or should I say, rain, with a gutso, gets drenched in the local cultures on the way, makes friends on the go and does the madcap job of giving the Monsoon a run for its money.

It's pure adventure and unadulterated daring that the author pulls off the torrential rains, open gutters and a thrilling chase. One of the best travelogues I have read and it definitely goaded me into bringing out the umbrella and stepping out to explore every puddle when rains came splashing down in Bombay the year I read it the first time.

Kim by Rudyard Kipling

Yes I know that I quoted Kipling a few paragraphs back, without naming him, as a White supremacist, but, hey! I am ready to forgive and forget the Nobel Laureate because of this one book that turned me into a road tripper. I can never forget the extraordinary story of a little boy across the Grand Trunk Road that was first published in 1900.

It's pure romance when you are a teenager trapped at home during the scorching summer vacations in Delhi. It's so vivid and well written that it feels like you are a part of the team in search of the mystic river/ spy trail - whichever is your poison.

It's one of the best road trip books that I have ever read and no one does adventure the way Kim and his friends do. If road trip / spiritual journey / spy game is your cup of tea, please pack your bags, get the car ready and don't forget to carry a copy of Kim. Go, conquer the Himalayas.

I think, I will go back to it again after I finish this post. :)

A few for the road.

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

I was not in a very happy phase of my life when I first picked up this amazing, almost magical book about a woman's journey through three countries that change her life. But, reading it made my heart whole and hoping again - not exaggerating. 

Gilbert's story is true and she has given all the proofs needed to support this through her online presence over the years. Yet, the story almost reads like a self help book that could easily be fiction. 

It takes you on a journey through Italy (eat), India (pray) and Bali (love). The author explores each of the culture with particular focus on the aspect she wants to explore in each country. She eats her way through Italy that makes her happy, goes for spiritual upliftment to an ashram in India that leaves her confused and finally finds love in exotic Bali.

I can't think of anyone who after reading Elizabeth's narrative did not want to walk the same route that she had taken. That you will want to go back to it again and again is guaranteed.

Brick Lane by Monica Ali

When I read this book for the first time, it kind of bridged a gap somewhere in my head or heart - I am not sure. I had grown up listening to stories of our village that now lies across the border in Bangladesh and reading of the British who had ruled the country for 200 years and who a they parted split up the country and injured it's heart forever.

Monica Ali's Brick Lane brought me face-to-face with both, the Bangladeshi diaspora - people I have never met in real life - and a post-colonial London that was sitting on a tinderbox which has burst today in so many blasts. 

It was a story that traced my roots to a different world which was at once so familiar and yet not at all because, I am neither Bangladeshi, nor Muslim or British but, while reading this book, it made me believe that there was a link, a very strong link that makes me who I am today. A link that I need to figure out someday. And it made me believe that perhaps that trail leads somewhere in London where I think it will all fall in place. Not in Dhaka from where my family migrated, not Delhi where I was born and live in but, far away in wet and slippery London where everything seems to be hidden in full view. It needs reading and reading to understand the writer's portrayal of the various characters - the Bangladeshi diaspora that has made London its home. It's uncomfortable to read. The book was shortlisted for Man Booker but, panned by Bangladeshis who felt that it painted them as caricatures - as stupid villagers and religious bigots. 

But, for me, it went beyond the characters. It made me want to explore it find out more.

The Glass Palace by Amitav Ghosh

Amitav Ghosh is by far one of the best craftsmen of the written narrative. The reason why I have chosen this book is because it again resonates with the stories I grew up with. As a child I had heard and known many families that had moved back from Burma because the regime changed overnight. Many of them were very well-established Bengalis. It was like the partition nightmare all over again.

I didn't understand much except the fact that their ordeal was somewhat like my family's. Exodus and migration is never a happy topic to write on but, Ghosh manages it all very masterfully by crafting history and magnificence of Mandalay and the fall of the ruling dynasty into the narrative. 

It traces an epic journey through several countries and thousands of miles. It's got all the ingredients to keep you occupied, royal coup, history, exotic locations, great storytelling and perfect prose which is a hallmark of any of Ghosh's novels. It made a strong picture in my head and that is one place I want to go to one day soon.


So, these are some of my favorites. I assure you that my shelves have many more because, travel stories were told in caravan sarais and village addas much before printing was invented forget, Instagram. Because most humans probably come preset with the wanderlust gene. Travel is in our blood. 

Happy reading,  happy chasing your world of dreams. 

Image from the Internet

Beat Stress without Breaking Sweat

As circa 2017 rolls to an end, I am left wondering at the speed at which it flew. The roller-coaster ride has left me breathless and panting. As the days flew by all I was doing was running to catch-up on tasks. Stress has been my arch-enemy for years now and we are often found squaring each other up, looking in the eye and getting ready to fight. This year was no different from the last though over the years I have invented many old fashioned ways to beat stress, my arch-nemesis.

Stress, that dreaded six-letter word never leaves the modern person even for a minute. Whether you are committed to working for one organization or juggling work for a multiple, like I do these days, it keeps dogging your footsteps all the time. The only saving grace this year was the fact that I didn't have to travel as much as I was earlier in my full-time job holder avatar. But, working from home or even from one office for another can be equally tricky because the distractions or the lack of them are often enough to bring on their own set of issues.

Over the years I have found several easy and cost-effective ways to stay happy. I would like to believe that I am my own anti-stress ninja. So because I an feeling extremely generous today, I thought of sharing some here with anyone who'd care to read this post. 

Here's my list:

Meditation: I absolutely swear by it. If you can just sit is one space and count your breath and feel it going in and coming out for even 15 minutes in a day you will be able to face the day much easily.

Chanting: Chant anything that makes you feel good. It could be an ancient and holy mantra or something that you have made up yourself to give you a morale booster. For example, you can chant, "I shall overcome anything that comes my way" over and over right before you start your day and just see how it effects your psyche. You can chant anytime of the day and under any circumstance to overcome your latent fear, fatigue or worries. It always helps.

Deep Breathing: No. This is not a new-age fad. Deep breathing is actually helpful. If you are unable to make a choice or you have too much work that is all on priority, deep breathing will help you overcome any kind of panic. Close your eyes, take a deep breath. Hold it for a few seconds. Pass it out through your mouth. Repeat a few times till the palpitation in you heart has settled down and so has your brain. Don't let panic get the better of you. Never decide when your head and heart are in turmoil.

Walking: This is the best way to settle your mind though I don't walk so much these days as I used to earlier because of the high rate of pollution but, if you are in a deeply troubled state and need to clear your head, walking till you sweat really helps. In case you have trouble sleeping then, half an hour of brisk walking before you sit down for dinner really helps. It works up your appetite and tires you enough to make you fall into sleep on time. In case you have time to take longer walks, then do so by all means, walking is the best cardio exercise you can indulge yourself in. I walk alone but, you can also do it in a group however, see to it that the group should not be walking too slow. The walk that will help you overcome stress and help you sleep needs to be brisk and long. Hang out with your friends at leisure at some other time if they want a leisurely canter with lots of gossip thrown in.

Listen to other peoples' problems: This is a very useful therapy but, indulge only if you can be unbiased and can keep things to yourself. By just listening to other peoples' problems and suggesting solutions as a third party helps you to unplug your immediate worries and lets you think. This helps immensely because, it helps your head and heart to detach from your own sufferings and start thinking of solutions. However, do it ONLY if you can be unbiased and also if you can stay detached to be able to guide and help others without getting sucked into their problems and adding to your own.

Help Out: Do it purely as a physical activity that goes on to help others. It need not necessarily be for an NGO or in a slum. You can help someone ill in the neighborhood by cooking for their family or taking care of their infant or a pet. You could help your elderly neighbor by watering their plants or buying grocery for them when you go out to buy your own. This kind of neighborly volunteering helps you build relationships with real people who appreciate your help and it is not something you need to go out of your way to do either. It's like car pool. You pick up a few people to ride with you because there is space in your car and they are going your way. 

Adopt a Pet: It could be a tree that needs watering or a stray cat or dog or any other animal or bird that needs to be fed. You don't need to bring them home, just ensure that they are fed and happy wherever they are and run them to the neighborhood vet if they are not feeling well.

Start a Hobby: This is the best way to beat the blues. Pick up a hobby that doesn't need too much time or expense like, cooking or clicking pictures with your smartphone. You could also take up painting or singing if you have the time and a teacher nearby. Hobbies make you happy. They give you a sense of accomplishment. You could just get a bunch of underprivileged kids on your balcony and teach them the English alphabet if teaching is what you like. The sense of joy is immense.

Travel: Go away for a few days if you can. You could go solo or take that one dear friend with you who never badgers you. Taking a simple break is always a great therapy for a stressed mind. If time is a constrain then play tourist in your city. Instead of hitting the mall, go to a museum or for a painting exhibition. Walk around a famous monument, eat local food from authentic joints or do a picnic with your family on a Sunday. A change of scene is always a great detox. It will help you overcome your immediate problems and think clearly.

Sleep: This is my personal favorite though it is often only a short-term solution. If I don't know the answer to a problem, I sleep on it. Sleep refreshes the body and relaxes the mind. Usually, it is easier to find the solution to your problems when you wake up with an uncluttered mind. 

Smile: This is perhaps the most difficult to do than all the others that I have noted above. But, if you can crack a smile and think of a funny incident in the midst of a chaotic day, your stress levels will take a southwards plunge. A smile is like a personal cuddle. It warms you up from inside and immediately relaxes you. Personally, I think of the antics of my young niece whenever I feel stressed. It never fails to make me smile even on a really dark day of work. Whether sitting in a traffic jam or unable to prioritize work for the day despite multiple deadlines, a simple happy thought and the smile that it brings can relax you in seconds. So, keep the happy memories handy on a difficult day. Think of all the happy times you have had and smile a lot. 

These are a few things that I practice to de-clutter and reactivate my brains on stressful days and even when things are going great. The idea is to practice these things so that they become a part of your life and personality. With these simple things as a part of your life, you can breathe happy and stay stress-free all the time. 

(Images courtesy, the Internet)

Please Pack my Bags, I Want to Travel

'Travel is a rebellion and packing is a spoilsport.' This happens to be my personal adage. I love to run around the countryside and am equally happy whether on a ramshackle bus or a luxury train. But, what puts me off completely about travel is packing.

'How irritating', is the first thought I get when I realize I have to pack. The entire euphoria of going away goes spiraling downhill. I feel like cancelling the trip and get panic attacks if I realize that I have to pack clothes for a different season. For example, winter wear during Summer if headed for the hills.

Mostly, I am pretty efficient and till date have missed a flight just once because of an inefficient cabby. However, I HATE to pack and often leave it till the end. I sometimes worry that I will one day cancel trips only because I loathe to pack - it is indeed becoming a nightmare of sorts for me as I grow older and thus, more rooted in my ideas!

But, it would be a lie if I say that I loved it when I was younger. Even when in college, I loved travelling so much that my teachers had started calling me Gulliver after the much-traveled chronicler from literature. All this glory when I was always hiding my fear of packing from the world and putting on a brave front.

For me packing is like going on war. I have loved the American novel, Three Men on a Boat for a long time because not only do the friends love travelling and meeting adventures face-on, they also hated packing. The author dedicates a whole chapter on the art of packing where the protagonists get everything wrong. It makes me feel awfully good and connected. As if I was the one Jerome K Jerome was thinking of when writing the story. Sigh!

Anyhow, I have now hacked some parts of it and this is how I manage,

To-do Lists
Keep ready a to-do-list for packing. In fact, I have more than one. One for winter, one for summer, one for road trips yet another for flights and journey by train etc. For long trips, short ones and overnighters. Make as many as you think yo may need and keep them safe - please keep them all together in one place. I keep mine in an old biscuit tin on my work table.

Packing Cheats

Pre-Packed Suitcase
Keep your suitcase packed with clothes for the next season. This really helps. As I said, my worst fear is packing for a different season, therefore, I pack my going away luggage with clothes that are from another season. This way, I just have to add toiletries, slippers, shoes and towels and I am done! Hola!!!

Toiletries
I keep buying two of the things that I mostly use. For example, lipsticks and gloss, hand cream, lotion etc. These I keep in a small pouch that I carry with me everyday. When I have to go somewhere, I just add a toothbrush, paste and body wash to the mix and throw it in. Also, carry a clean comb and a nail cutter if going for a longer trip.

Bedding
Holidays should be for rejuvenation and not for adding to the fatigue. I always carry a light cover up - even the air condition in the car, train or flight can be a killer and a small pillow to keep the neck straight even if you doze off. Saves nursing a stiff neck on vacation.

Food and Water
If embarking on a road trip and even not, I'd suggest that you carry plenty of packaged water. Water and cold drinks from the roadside are often tampered with and can cause a whole lot of stomach and other ailments like, typhoid or even jaundice. Also, carry tetrapacks of fruit juices, butter milk and energy drinks. Avoid buying bottled drinks from railway stations and roadside vendors. Carry packs of ready-to-eat murmura, chiwda, chakli and biscuits that you like. All brands may not be available everywhere. Throw in some dry fruits and pop-corn if you have extra space. This will ensure that you never go without food or water. This saved my life once when I realized after boarding a night train to Jammu that Gharib Rath Express does not serve food or water nor bedding.

Extra Batteries and Chargers
Check all your electronic equipment a day or two before departure and charge the batteries - both working and extra. Try to carry less as these are the things that will not only weight you down but, also attract thieves. Don't carry stuff that you may not require while vacationing like, a laptop if you just want to check your emails. You can do that very well on your smartphone. Carry a torch and some extra batteries - just in case.

Napkins, Wipes and Sanitizer
Carry plenty of wipes, sanitizer, soaps and napkins because not everywhere you go may put cleanliness at the top of their charts. Carry them especially if you are on a family vacation with children and the elderly.

Medicines and First Aid
If you are on regular medication, chances are that you will carry the prescription and the medicines without a reminder but, if not, carry basic medicines that work for you in your luggage. Depending on your requirements and the season, carry medication for fever, stomach conditions, aches and pains and so on. Also, carry plenty of band-aids and medicines for cuts and wounds. You never know when you may need some.

Umbrella and Extra Shoes
It is always sensible to carry an umbrella and extra shoes because, there is no knowing when it may rain.

Tickets, Passport and ID Cards
Finally, ALWAYS check and put the tickets and ID cards or passport in one zip pocket of your purse. Check the dates and time a few days before the trip or mark them on a calendar on your desktop.

Cash and Cards
Keep cash with you because plenty of roadside joints on the highway and even at railway stations will not accept cards. Keep the cash distributed in different areas of the purse or better still wear it around your fanny. Saves a lot of trouble though you may not look chic but, your money will be safe.

Note: Though the hacks are all mine, the images are from Pinterest.

"Travel is Rebellion in its Purest Form"

I must tell you right up that I am  not rich or famous. Also, that I do not have a huge budget to spend on travels. So, if you say that I travel on a shoe string budget, then you will not be wrong.

I do.

I am also not a world wanderer but, I plan to start doing that someday soon.

I must also confess that I do not have an expensive camera to click earth shattering photos. But, what I do have are, a streak of rebellion against anything that smacks of discipline and an eye for beauty. That makes up for lack of expensive equipments.

You are right in thinking that I am not your usual safe job and still life kind of person. I like trying out new things. I am the person who tries taking a different route everyday to reach home.

Believe me. I actually do that.

Often, conservatives label me as a creative person - read quirky here. Their tone suggests that I maybe someone neck deep in debt and sponging off my folks. Believe me, they are actually very far from truth. I work. I work hard and live not very lavishly. But, I fend for myself and do okey!

So, I can safely say that I am a rebel against straight-jacketing. I hate to be put in a pile with others under a complacent label.

I believe that a few risks are necessary in life and one should take them. Travelling is perhaps the safest and the happiest risk that you can take.

I find that when a person is traveling they are different people.

When away from my city, I am not me.

I am free.

Free of any obligations towards anyone I already know. Free of any images or classifications that label me in my world.

I am an unknown and no one expects anything from me except perhaps a smile and some grace.

Whenever I go away from my usual life I feel a lightness of being that is almost physical.

I carry on even on a twisted ankle or with a slight fever.

Actually, I think I get a slight fever every time I plan a travel. I think it is the excitement that does it.

So, when anyone says, "let us go for a weekend trip." I would mostly say, "Yay!" Unless I am bone tired or flooded out.

Sometimes, I do pretend travel as well. Just go around the city I am in and behave like a tourist. I bet a lot of other people do that as well. But, a whole lot do not. And these are the disciplined, straight-laced people who are actually doing their best to save the world while, people like me and my ilk go around loitering and discovering.

Why am I writing this?

It was yesterday when I heard someone say, "travel is rebellion in its purest form!" in the middle of a boring speech, it popped open my sleepy eyes. Believe me before he'd said that, I was dozing on my feet like a horse!

So, that it what it was. Said my mind. Hmmm...

When out on the road, I eat anything, use public washrooms and forget all about sanitizing my hands!

I sing and break into a dance and walk to my heart's content.

I talk to strangers and smile at the locals.

I request strangers to pose for pictures and am often asked to handle unknown cameras to click those family photos of complete unknowns.

I try local food and practically live out of the box - literally and mentally as well.

It makes my heart soar. My adrenaline rush and lips smile involuntarily.

Since I am a self-confessed shoe string budget traveler, I do not have to worry too much about spending. So, that is an even bigger freedom.

The only thing I check is to see that the place I stay in or the road I travel on has enough safety checks. It works for me mostly though it may not for others.

Safety is the only thing that scares me so, I try moving in places that are not too far off the beaten track. A small compromise if you ask me.

I suggest travel as an antidote for most of you. Especially if you are out of stories to tell at parties and get together or just to yourself when you are down and out.

I suggest that you all go out on shoestring budgets if money is a bother and a hindrance just, go on small trips near your city or town. Search the Internet and see if it has the facilities like, safety for women and the elderly, food, doctors, accessibility to public transport, scenic spots that you can just walk up to for free and overall a happy ambiance.

Personally I prefer places not really frequented by tourists but, to each his/ her own. If you like crowds - so be it! But, go. Don't wait for money, right weather or children's long vacations...

Trust me, you will not regret going out. What you may regret is never doing it while you could.

Happy traveling folks!

By Road in India - A photojournal

In the last few years I have done several road trips thanks to a friend and brother who loves to drive and because of my own need to loiter and walk around. Another reason why I started traveling by road is the recent inability of my parents to use public transport due to advanced years.

I love to walk around on roads that have been traveled by a zillion before me. I can walk the length and breadth of the country and not feel too much fatigue unless it is peak Summer! :)

Luckily for me, I am in North India and near the mighty Himalayas.

I love to see sunsets and sunrise from myriad different roads and angles.

I truly believe that India is best traveled by road.

The green and the browns of the fields make up for the most beautiful tapestry.

It is more interesting than railway journeys because people have selectively encroached upon spaces next to the railway lines making them ugly extensions of your cities and their mess.

I am not much of a photographer because I do not possess any expensive cameras or camera phones. However, it does not matter because, India is incredible. I do not know how else to put it. Here a few moments that I wanted to share with the world that have been captured by me and my co-travellers over the last few years:

Jaipur by night

Jaipur at sunrise

Agra - Jahangir's bath tub at Agra Fort

Assembly building at Lucknow

On the Road, Delhi-Jaipur Highway

Chakala (Image courtesy: Barsha Chakraborty) 

Waiting for pizza at Pushkar (Image courtesy: Barsha Chakraborty)

Kangra

Taj Mahal from the Yamuna

Window from the Past, Delhi - Jamali Kamali

Kangra, Young girl

Sunset, Mussoorie (Image courtesy: Vikek Garg)

Monkey business, Lucknow

McLeodganj

Amritsar, Golden Temple

Bhangarh, Ghost Town

Bhangarh, ghost town

Jama Masjid, Delhi with a happy family (Image courtesy: William Buckner)

The momo lady, McLeodganj

Rishikesh, reclining meditation 

Rishikesh, Ganga

Sunrise @ McLeodganj

Mussoorie, Queen of the hills

Inside Bara Imambara, Lucknow

Lucknow evening on the road

Shimla

Taj Mahal, Agra (Image courtesy: Deepayan Basu)

Taj Mahal at dawn

Copyright: All images are personal clicks except for those mentioned in the caption.