Summer - Such a warm and drowsy afternoon, the weather's making me really sleepy.
Monsoon - It's so cloudy and wet and gloomy, I feel like sleeping for a while just to get rid of the dullness that's enveloping me.
Winter - God, it's so cold and cozy, I just wish I could curl up in a nice blanket and go to sleep!
I realized a bit late that seasons change, but for me, sleep is constant.
Showing posts with label Nature Shit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nature Shit. Show all posts
Wednesday, 27 July 2011
Saturday, 10 July 2010
A Quaking Story
Date: December 26, 2004. Time: Crack of Dawn. Place: Ancient city of Cuttack.
"Stop shaking the bed! Stop it!"
"Me shaking the bed? What the heck is wrong with you, you stop shaking it first!"
Both of us were wide awake in an instant - me staring at the ceiling in awe expecting it to crash at any moment, and my Mom yelling for my Dad. He had returned from an early morning walk and fallen asleep in the hallway again.
"Daaaa-dddd-iieee! There's an earthquake happening!"
He opened his eyes briefly, mumbled, "Eh?" and started snoring.
A piercing scream from the guest room - my aunt was huddled up on the bed in a fetal position, mumbling about her dead mother-in-law.
"Maa-ji, mujhe akele chod di jiye, please! Bed ko aise mat hilaaiye! Aiiieeeee, bachaaao!" The bed was trembling as if it's life depended on it.
"Idiot, it's not a ghost, it's a quake. Get the hell out of the house!"
We ran out, hearts thudding.
Scene inside the house on the other side of the street -
Manisha Manjari AKA Mamuni, our pretty neighbor was asleep with a smile on her face, dreaming about her upcoming wedding. She was alone in the house with her mother - her Dad and brother were in different cities at the time.
It was pitch dark; they slept with every light off, and had no idea what time of the night it was. Mamuni sat up with a start. The bed was shaking violently, carrying promises of a vicious fiend underneath. Mamuni had an active imagination and imagined the worst. One leg on the bed, and another on the wall, she managed a sprint that only Olympic standard athletes could have managed.
Out in the hall in two beats, she had just begun to wring her hands to cry when she stopped, shell-shocked. A figure was propped up against the door, a frightening silhouette, half hidden behind the wall. She let out a wailing shriek that woke half the city up. The figure moved forward slowly, hands dangling by the sides. Mamuni was by now crying in earnest - the hand-wringing was on in full swing. The figure revealed itself as her mother, who had woken up for a drink and dozed off against the wall.
By this time the news trickled in that there had been a massive quake, affecting the entire coastal belt. It was only later in the day that the news of the tsunami reached us, leaving us awe-struck and counting our lucky stars.
Though at that time the events of the day seemed fearsome, as years passed they became a favorite topic of conversation, always starting with, "Remember the day when......", and ending with, "Yeah, I was so silly LOLOL..... I was absolutely fearless and.... Yeah, so was I.... Yeah RIGHT....!"
"Stop shaking the bed! Stop it!"
"Me shaking the bed? What the heck is wrong with you, you stop shaking it first!"
Both of us were wide awake in an instant - me staring at the ceiling in awe expecting it to crash at any moment, and my Mom yelling for my Dad. He had returned from an early morning walk and fallen asleep in the hallway again.
"Daaaa-dddd-iieee! There's an earthquake happening!"
He opened his eyes briefly, mumbled, "Eh?" and started snoring.
A piercing scream from the guest room - my aunt was huddled up on the bed in a fetal position, mumbling about her dead mother-in-law.
"Maa-ji, mujhe akele chod di jiye, please! Bed ko aise mat hilaaiye! Aiiieeeee, bachaaao!" The bed was trembling as if it's life depended on it.
"Idiot, it's not a ghost, it's a quake. Get the hell out of the house!"
We ran out, hearts thudding.
Scene inside the house on the other side of the street -
Manisha Manjari AKA Mamuni, our pretty neighbor was asleep with a smile on her face, dreaming about her upcoming wedding. She was alone in the house with her mother - her Dad and brother were in different cities at the time.
It was pitch dark; they slept with every light off, and had no idea what time of the night it was. Mamuni sat up with a start. The bed was shaking violently, carrying promises of a vicious fiend underneath. Mamuni had an active imagination and imagined the worst. One leg on the bed, and another on the wall, she managed a sprint that only Olympic standard athletes could have managed.
Out in the hall in two beats, she had just begun to wring her hands to cry when she stopped, shell-shocked. A figure was propped up against the door, a frightening silhouette, half hidden behind the wall. She let out a wailing shriek that woke half the city up. The figure moved forward slowly, hands dangling by the sides. Mamuni was by now crying in earnest - the hand-wringing was on in full swing. The figure revealed itself as her mother, who had woken up for a drink and dozed off against the wall.
By this time the news trickled in that there had been a massive quake, affecting the entire coastal belt. It was only later in the day that the news of the tsunami reached us, leaving us awe-struck and counting our lucky stars.
Though at that time the events of the day seemed fearsome, as years passed they became a favorite topic of conversation, always starting with, "Remember the day when......", and ending with, "Yeah, I was so silly LOLOL..... I was absolutely fearless and.... Yeah, so was I.... Yeah RIGHT....!"
Friday, 26 March 2010
Earth Hour 2010
The Earth Hour campaign, hosted by WWF, is on 27th March this year; and it's getting viral like nobody's business. Millions of households are expected to go dark tomorrow at 2030 hours, in an attempt to curb the menace of Global Warming.
The stats are impressive - Earth Hour 2009 had one billion participants, and this year is expected to cross that figure; 121 countries have counted themselves in, and a whopping 812 global landmarks are expected to turn off their lights for the occasion. The list includes biggies like the Eiffel Tower, Niagara Falls, The Leaning Tower of Pisa, and more. Closer home, we will see the Red Fort in darkness tomorrow. (Source: WIKI)
While all this is pretty awesome, wouldn't it be a lot simpler if the governments involved just cut off the power for that one hour? I know, it's forced participation that way, but c'mon, think how many participants the event would have! I certainly wouldn't mind a one-hour power cut, especially if it was in the interests of the global community!
So there, now that you know, try to use as less power as possible during that hour - at other times too, for that matter. If this means the day-time temperature is gonna drop by even 1 degree Celsius, I'm willing to try it out.
I hate Global Warming, and I know you do, too. On board, then!
The stats are impressive - Earth Hour 2009 had one billion participants, and this year is expected to cross that figure; 121 countries have counted themselves in, and a whopping 812 global landmarks are expected to turn off their lights for the occasion. The list includes biggies like the Eiffel Tower, Niagara Falls, The Leaning Tower of Pisa, and more. Closer home, we will see the Red Fort in darkness tomorrow. (Source: WIKI)
While all this is pretty awesome, wouldn't it be a lot simpler if the governments involved just cut off the power for that one hour? I know, it's forced participation that way, but c'mon, think how many participants the event would have! I certainly wouldn't mind a one-hour power cut, especially if it was in the interests of the global community!
So there, now that you know, try to use as less power as possible during that hour - at other times too, for that matter. If this means the day-time temperature is gonna drop by even 1 degree Celsius, I'm willing to try it out.
I hate Global Warming, and I know you do, too. On board, then!
Friday, 19 March 2010
KitKats and Orang-utans
Incredulous though it may seem, your eating Kitkats might ultimately lead to the extinction of one of nature's most loved primates - The Orang-utan. How?
Looks like Nestlé's palm oil providers destroy precious Indonesian rainforests to get those chocolates made. Not only will this lead to serious climate change, it's also going to result in the orang-utans getting wiped out from the face of the earth.
Going by the statement issued by the company, Nestlé has announced very graciously that they're going to keep using these killer methods till the year 2015, at the very least. After which they have a committment to start using "Certified Sustainable Palm Oil" once they're done with 5 more years of burning up the planet. You can read their complete statement here.
What with all the Global Warming and Climate Summits going on in full swing, it's time someone took note of this. And Greenpeace did.
Join Greenpeace in their campaign - "Nestlé Killer - Ask Nestlé to give rainforests a break!" The next time you feel like a break, maybe you might want to re-consider your options. I know I will.
Looks like Nestlé's palm oil providers destroy precious Indonesian rainforests to get those chocolates made. Not only will this lead to serious climate change, it's also going to result in the orang-utans getting wiped out from the face of the earth.
Going by the statement issued by the company, Nestlé has announced very graciously that they're going to keep using these killer methods till the year 2015, at the very least. After which they have a committment to start using "Certified Sustainable Palm Oil" once they're done with 5 more years of burning up the planet. You can read their complete statement here.
What with all the Global Warming and Climate Summits going on in full swing, it's time someone took note of this. And Greenpeace did.
Join Greenpeace in their campaign - "Nestlé Killer - Ask Nestlé to give rainforests a break!" The next time you feel like a break, maybe you might want to re-consider your options. I know I will.
Tuesday, 19 January 2010
Help! Haiti Campaign
The recent disastrous Haiti earthquake has left a lot of hapless people in its wake - and it is up to us to help them. The earthquake that claimed a staggering 200,000 lives has left more than 250,000 people injured, and around 1.5 million homeless. Though relief efforts are going on, adequate help hasn't reached the survivors yet.
SocialTwist has launched a Help Haiti campaign that enables your brand to donate funds to the quake victims. You can create your own Help! Haiti campaign, with SocialTwist bearing all the infrastructure costs. You can know more details and register for your campaign by clicking here. You can also request for more information by sending an email to helphaiti@socialtwist.com.
About SocialTwist - SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend is a world leader in referral marketing products. With a client list including the likes of Disney GAP, Barnes&Noble, Monster, NDTV, Intel, KLM, and many more, Tell-a-Friend is poised on the brink of bringing in a new era of referral marketing.
SocialTwist has launched a Help Haiti campaign that enables your brand to donate funds to the quake victims. You can create your own Help! Haiti campaign, with SocialTwist bearing all the infrastructure costs. You can know more details and register for your campaign by clicking here. You can also request for more information by sending an email to helphaiti@socialtwist.com.
About SocialTwist - SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend is a world leader in referral marketing products. With a client list including the likes of Disney GAP, Barnes&Noble, Monster, NDTV, Intel, KLM, and many more, Tell-a-Friend is poised on the brink of bringing in a new era of referral marketing.
Thursday, 18 June 2009
Smokey Smokersons
No, this is not some new hookah or cigar joint. Am talking about the dreaded smoke emitting, fume spitting, soot enveloped vehicles rampant on the streets of Hyderabad. God forbid that you get stuck behind one such monster during rush hour; you might end up choking, suffocating, and cursing your bike, due to which you are being made to endure such torture. It's a damn wonder why no action is ever, ever taken against these poisons. The traffic police obligingly st
op every other person on a bike and demand to see each and every document under the sun (including our insurance papers, dammit!) failing which they subtly ask for a couple of hundred bucks. Catch hold of these bozos, for a change!
My eyes are almost always red-rimmed by the time I reach office, triggering rumors that I might be a crybaby. Pssst, I bet she's the sort who's been crying since childhood about not going to school, college, and now, the office, heh. No, guys! Not me! Anyways, I have no idea whether such constant exposure to the smoke might affect my eyes; I know for sure it's affecting my nerves. I bite back all the dirty swears that rise to my lips when I get a gust of thick black smoke blown directly into my face. And go home fuming. No wonder I'm not able to get any fairer, heh. I wish to God there was some solution to this; sadly, apart from moving permanently to a village that knows only bullock carts, I dont see any light on the horizon.
op every other person on a bike and demand to see each and every document under the sun (including our insurance papers, dammit!) failing which they subtly ask for a couple of hundred bucks. Catch hold of these bozos, for a change!My eyes are almost always red-rimmed by the time I reach office, triggering rumors that I might be a crybaby. Pssst, I bet she's the sort who's been crying since childhood about not going to school, college, and now, the office, heh. No, guys! Not me! Anyways, I have no idea whether such constant exposure to the smoke might affect my eyes; I know for sure it's affecting my nerves. I bite back all the dirty swears that rise to my lips when I get a gust of thick black smoke blown directly into my face. And go home fuming. No wonder I'm not able to get any fairer, heh. I wish to God there was some solution to this; sadly, apart from moving permanently to a village that knows only bullock carts, I dont see any light on the horizon.
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