funscopic view of life

 The primary aim of this trip was to attend a marriage in Udupi and we used it as an excuse to make an elaborate trip along the western Ghats. We landed in Goa- the state where 'Feni' flows freely. We engaged a cab who would drive us around for the next few days. We kept checking in and out of several hotels in sequence. Sometimes I had a doubt whether I was packing or unpacking a suitcase. I felt like the character Phil Connors in the film 'Groundhog Day'- each morning and evening giving me a 'Deja vu' feeling. Since the orientation of the hotel rooms in terms of location of the washrooms, balcony, restaurants etc are different in each hotel, I was spending the first half of the day to get acclimatised. By the time I am comfortable, we shift to another hotel and start all over again. The taps near wash basin work on the principle of 'all or none' phenomenon. We turn the tap slowly- nothing happens- turn a little more- nothing happens- now the tension bu...

I was born in a factory in Shanghai and airdropped to India on the orders of a wealthy owner. I am proud of my shining skin, my powerful headlamps, my posh interiors, and of course my powerful eyes (cameras) and ears (ultra sound sensors and radars). I feel embarrassed to talk about my brain that is able to synthesise information from all these sources and makes split second decisions to enable safe and efficient transportation for my master. My master is a well-dressed man but portly and well-rounded and squeezes himself into the seat. I adjust my suspensions each time he sits so that I am on level. I must remind him to put on his seat belt every time since he is almost always on a phone call while entering the car and forgets the simplest of the acts to protect oneself.  The first day I took him out was a good experience. It was a holiday with not much traffic on the road. The destination he chose was a straight road to a posh club and back. Barring a few bumps on the road that s...

 'Running' is a natural reaction built into all animals including humans. The emotions associated with this act vary whether one is running towards (fight) or away (flight) from the subject of interest or when 'running' itself becomes the subject of interest. For most average built men (physically and mentally), the reaction in case of an impending danger is one of flight ('l' included) and not fight.  'Running away' is probably a more apt description of this 'flight' reaction. However, in modern day's society, the necessity to run away from physical danger is far less than in the era of hunter-gatherers. More of than not, one 'runs away' figuratively- a concept aptly summarised by the word - 'escapism'.  When my wife repeatedly accused me of being an escapist and running away from taking decisions- I decided to 'run away' for a few minutes every day from home. During those minutes, I was my own boss- listening to my h...

The following is a work of fiction and any resemblance to drivers living, dead or yet to be born is purely coincidental.  In India, driving personality is believed to be genetic in origin and perhaps under the influence of heritable and acquired genetic mutations with some epi genetics also involved. In a large study (Lingamson Gopalangelo et al) of whole genome sequencing of a cross section of Indian drivers, the following mutations were identified.  1. The Auto Rikshaw driver mutation (ARDM): This is a dominant mutation with high degree of expression. The mutant protein subdues the impulses for legal driving. The affected persons get confused between road and foot path; red and green light; entry and no entry signs etc. At traffic junctions, they often stop on the extreme left in order to turn right. Signs like 'no entry', 'no right turn', 'no U turn' etc trigger an immediate message in their brain- ' Ignore and proceed '. They strive to get maximum ju...

I never understood why Australia is called 'Down under' as if north pole means top of the earth and south pole the bottom as we see in the models of globes displayed in schools. Australians should protest and model globes should be placed the other way around in Australia and they should call Norway and Canada as 'down under'. I somehow resent the unnecessary use of the words 'down and under'. Words like 'downtrodden' and 'underdog' immediately bring to mind 'injustice' and 'relative incapability'.  Corals of the reef- here we come. So saying we packed the sunscreen (reef safe), sunglasses, cap, swim suit (although I cannot swim) and shorts. We practiced some Australian accent. The cab driver in Brisbane asked us 'Did you come to Australia to- die (today)'. I blurted out that I have no such intention and wish to go back alive and kicking. Our trip to the reef started by a boat to the pontoon. According to the tour guide, t...

Who is a vegetarian?- If the definition is 'inclusive' such as 'anyone who eats vegetables'- then it applies to everybody and not just to 'rabbits' among us. Conventionally of course the term is more 'exclusive'- to indicate those who eat only vegetables. A more generous definition would include those who eat eggs and perhaps those who occasionally indulge in chicken/meat-eating on the sly. God has denied canines to 'Rabbits' but gave incisors in addition to canines to the carnivorous animals- apparently even the big cats need the incisors to scrape the meat off the bones. By virtue of possessing both incisors and canines, man is equipped to be a meat or a vegetable eater. So it it appears to be a matter of choice to stick to only vegetarian food- a rather personal choice. I was born in a traditional vegetarian family and stuck to vegetarianism throughout. I had of course many relations who on the sly or openly indulge in meat eating. I must say ...