Biking in a cold desert

There are few themes that are always on a writer's mind but sometimes these refuse to come in the form of writing when we want. There are situations that suddenly force those hidden thoughts out and then the outcome is in the form of an incredible story. 

I am going to narrate one such story, of my husband (Yd) who had a wonderful experience. He narrated to me this experience, which he calls as the landmark event in his life. It made him rise above his fears.  The moment I read on Indiblogger about the campaign on "Rise above fear!" promoted by https://www.facebook.com/mountaindewindia , I wanted to write about his most memorable experience. 

In Yd's words............

The plans of my road trip to Ladakh which is the mecca for bikers started about an year ago. Finally after a lot of background preparations, We- A group of Royal Enfield bikers decided to go on a road trip to Ladakh. The dates were fixed from mid of June 2012 to early week of July 2012.

We reached by train from Bangalore to Delhi . Our bikes were transported to Delhi. From Delhi our actual ride would start. 

The route: Delhi - Chandigarh - Manali -Keylong - Leh - Khardung La - Nubra - Tso-moriri - Kargil - Zanskar Valley - Dras - Srinagar - Jammu.

Preparation of  the trip had started. I wanted to start preparing three months before and wanted to get started with my bike. I had to purchase all the necessary gears. 

One of those days, I went to a buy a tire/tyre - ironically not a tire for my bike but a tire like ring cushion to sit on. I was diagnosed with coccyx bone injury just weeks before my dream Ladakh Road trip. (One day at office I fell down while playing TT and unknowingly my tail bone(coccyx) got injured and I had ignored it initially)

All my dreams were shattered,"Will I be able to do it?" I couldn't sit continuously for more than five minutes on any goddamn surface including soft cushions - the only thing I could sit on was that tire.

After consulting with multiple specialists(who expressed no hope of recovery in anything less than two years), I finally went to my family doctor; and she strongly advised me not to go on a bike trip which was about 3400 kms on crazy terrain. In fact she told me that I should stop riding my bike for about an year. That was earth-shattering for me to hear - I was really hoping to recover in a month and get back on the bike. I explained to her about my passion towards riding a bike and also about my dream trip. She was still not convinced.

"At this age coccyx injury? You have got a life to live. I won't allow you to go on this bike ride," she said angrily. I convinced her somehow and she decided to put me on the strongest pain killers for the duration of 3 weeks. I knew the consequences but decided to take my chances - My marriage was a about an year away and everybody including my girlfriend's family(now my in-laws) were very worried about me.

Hence after an entire month of convincing my family members I decided that I have to go for this trip no matter what!

We arrived in Delhi, and found our bikes waiting there at the blue-dart godown - after quickly assembling the mirrors, loading the bike with all the luggage and filling up our petrol tanks, we headed to Chandigarh - I'd not taken the Pain Killer just to gauge how bad the injury really was - but quickly had to take it on reaching Chandigarh - In addition to the Pain-Killer, I also was advised to take another antacid to counter the effect of it - In addition to this, plan was to take another altitude-sickness tablet every single day when we start riding on the hills.

From Chandigarh, we marched on to Manali, spent a day there - I was enjoying every bit of it - then on to Keylong, spent a day there before the craziness of the legendary Manali - Leh highway started. By now I'd made it a habit to pop those pills early in the morning because under no circumstances I wanted to screw this trip. The biking was strenuous and tiring as much as it was amazing. Crazy roads, crazy waterfalls in the middle of ridges (caused by the melting ice) were dangerously fun. I realized, I made the right choice - So what if I had this pain?? I'd at least be contented with what I'd done in my life. After Keylong, there were Gata loops and some of the most remote and desolate places I'd ever seen - no mobile network, no petrol, no trees, no people for about a hundred kilometers. It gets you to see into your soul.

After crossing the HP border, we entered J&K and it became a little more remote - stayed up in high-altitude Pang before making our way to the Morrey Plains - Driving through sand took the craziness to a different level. Then came some of the most beautiful villages I'd ever seen in my life and the Buddhism angle kicks in before viewing the first glimpse of the legendary Indus river - the river that gave life to the Indus Valley Civilization - some of the oldest and advanced civilizations in history.

That valley opens up to the Ladakh area and Leh was now only a few kilometers away. I was beaming all through this route that was filled up with heavy Army presence (China's close-by). After reaching the hotel (that surprisingly had a Ladhaki man speaking Kannada).We rested our body and souls for a day before heading to the highest motorable road in the whole world - Khardung-La - at a crazy height of 18380 feet, it was dauntingly high. But the kick that I got there was unbelievable.

After conquering the highest pass, we headed on to one of the more legendary valleys, Nubra - an exquisite valley on the bed of an ancient river - stayed there for a night and rode on camels (!) - the snow, the ice, the sand, the camels - my senses went hay-wire. From there we returned back to Leh before attempting the Tso-Moriri - another remote high-altitude lake. This two day trip was absolutely crazy and tested my endurance and hope to a large extent. From riding in the valley surrounded by high-altitude peaks on all sides, to going in paths which we were not sure of in the middle of the night - with absolutely no sign-boards or people or trees or any kind of light anywhere, this was absolutely crazy. We heaved a sense of relief on reaching the ITP checkpost in chilling weather before taking a tent in the village of Tso-Moriri. The lake in the morning was a pure beauty. Scintillating colors with beautiful clouds and hills were a treat to the eyes.

From Tso-Moriri, we headed back to Leh and from there we bid Leh goodbye and headed on to Kargil .The plan was to max the trip by going to the remote Zanskar Valley - a valley ridden by absolute bad roads for about 250 kilometers. This was my worst nightmare. I remembered my injury and thought about this journey probably a thousand times if I really wanted to do it - but then I finally decided to do it. The route was crazy, pathetic roads but amazing views - we crossed the 'drang-drung' glacier and some very high passes (Pang-La) before reaching Padum. This was also a time I'd lost connectivity with my family and they were very worried about my status. Padum was an old town with some old kingdoms and palaces - extremely remote. Next day we started back to Kargil (Leh to Zanskar road route does not exist, a trek exists though, called 'safed chadar' trek) . In Kargil, we felt deeply patriotic especially when we saw the sign on NH1 that read - "warning - you are under enemy observation" - felt even more patriotic after we visited the Kargil War museum and Dras sector. After Dras, came one of the craziest and most dangerous passes ever - the Zozi-La - breathtaking roads at crazy inclines that lead to Gulmarg, Kashmir. We travelled through Kashmir, reached Srinagar - by now the legendary views were almost complete and the road ahead was plain boring, so we stopped at Jammu and parceled our bikes from there - took a bus back to Delhi and took a flight from there to Bangalore.

The legendary trip was complete, but I still had a long way to go. Only after I reached Bangalore did I stop taking the pain-killers and then all that pain came back double-whammy. Physically I was crying (back to sitting on the tire) but mentally I was at peace, I was contented and it was worth it.

I had to leave biking for another year and few months before I got married and luckily all's well now The injury healed all by itself after an excruciating pain that lasted for an year and a half.

That's my story.

If you have experience to share just as it is shown in this video, please do, because we need to triumph over our fears someday. Kyunki..... Dar ke aage Jeet hai!!!

Prevent accidents- Save a life!

Our safety lies in our hands first and then with destiny. No matter how much we try to be safe while driving, accidents happen once or the other, not because we didn't follow traffic rules or have good driving ethics, it was because, someone else on the road did not follow them.

Driving carefully on the road doesn't mean we just stick to our lane while driving and follow our own path forgetting that there are other commuters on the road. They can be commuters who are driving and also pedestrians. Present day situation is such that the roads are not expanding but traffic keeps increasing on the roads along with a population burst. No matter how much we increase the various modes of transport like introduction of the Metro, local trains; traffic on the road will not decrease. Everyone above poverty line and who earns basic wages today is capable of owning a vehicle because banks have made it easy by giving the citizens the options of loan and flexible EMI. When so many vehicles are on the road and considering that the drivers are of different ages, there is no uniformity in driving. In such a situation even if one person does not follow driving rules it can cause trouble not only for them but also for the others who might not be at fault. Rash driving, overtaking, changing lanes without giving an indicator, applying brakes suddenly without an indication to the drivers behind, not following traffic signal rules, not wearing helmet, not putting seat belt, trying to squeeze through two vehicles without estimating the space between them are such unforgivable blunders on the road that can play with lives. 

Considering the way the roads are in India any driver needs to take care of the situation and abide by driving ethics. Driving rules first start from the way we need to drive. All should abide by a set of standard rules that is laid by the traffic police and not create once own rules. Focus should be completely on driving and not anything other activity while driving. The most frequent cause of road accidents now is using mobile phones while driving. This disturbs the concentration of the person who is driving leading to problems for the others. Once the driver looses concentration on the road he/she will not be able to foresee any vehicle movement around him. So one must not attend phone calls while driving. In case an important call is to be attended, then with proper indication the vehicle should be parked towards a corner so that no one is affected. Traffic should not pile up if vehicle is halted in the middle of the road suddenly. 

Breaking rules at a traffic signal can cause worst problems not only for the person who is driving but also for the pedestrians who might be crossing then, unaware of the fact that a vehicle can come suddenly. The vehicles coming from the other side where signal would be free would also not anticipate that the rule would be broken by someone thus leading to an accident. This doesn't mean that everyone meets with an accident. Such things happens daily, the person driving has to be extra careful these days thus increasing stress. Unnecessary honking also is ill manners on the road while leads to extreme noise pollution and is enough to destroy the concentration of the other people driving along. Rash driving with no control of speed can cause untoward incidents. One must follow traffic signals strictly and give way to pedestrians. Driving is meant for the roads and not on the footpath. That space should not be intruded.  

Driving ethics should be followed so that the other commuters are not caught unaware of our actions on the road. Indicators to be flashed when required and overtaking should be avoided when there is no space to move forward. 

"Do Not Drink and Drive"- this is a motto that everyone has been emphasizing. There is nothing good resulting from drinking and driving. Many lives can be put at stake if the driver is drunk. Every life is precious then why play with it. 

Wearing seat belts while driving car and wearing helmet while driving a two wheeler should be a mandatory rule followed by everyone irrespective of any rules being imposed. Every time traffic police will not be there to monitor . They should be a system such that no one is required to monitor our driving. It could all happen by just an online control. We are used to being monitored and punished. Some, follow traffic rules only because they fear being caught by the police. The attitude must change. Following discipline while driving should come from within. It should strike even before one plans to buy a vehicle. 

Rash driving should be avoided. Speed gives a thrill only for sometime but everyone should know that speed kills. It one needs to have a thrill of speed then they should try a hand on F1 racing. 

Maintaining distance between two vehicles while driving as well as stopping at a signal. This allows space for movement preventing vehicles from dashing against each other. 

The bright and high intensity beam in the cars and bikes can blind the sight of anyone who is coming from opposite. So it is better to keep it with medium intensity so that the others do not have a problem. 

Put the rear view mirror to the right use in order to know what the rider behind might be deciding to do. 

While driving behind a car, a two wheeler should not follow the same path of the car in front but instead try going little to the right or left of the car just to prevent going into a pot hole that might have come under the car and might have gone unnoticed by a two wheeler. 

A day should come when no one is required to monitor us. Only then can our country be accident free. Please join the The Nissan Safety Driving Forum to know more and keep yourself updated on road driving ethics.

Dreams of a clean India

Cleanliness begins at home. Only when we keep our home clean can we can extend that cleanliness to our surroundings. If each individual follows this policy, only then can an area be cleaned. Once  every locality is cleaned , the city/town will be cleaned. In the same way , districts will be cleaned and all districts combined together will help in keeping a state clean. Once all states are cleaned and they are all following the same protocol for maintaining cleanliness, an entire nation is clean. One attempt combined with a 1.27 billion population combined together will create an ocean of cleanliness around. Diseases will be at bay that arise due to unhygienic environment. Each individuals' efforts will multiply.

We can create a revolution by maintaining a clean environment and by following hygienic practices . This can act as an inspiration for the others as well as our own family members. In a country like India , where the population is on the rise constantly, it is difficult for the government to keep monitoring each area for cleanliness. The municipality employs workers to keep the area clean but this efforts goes into vain when they have to keep cleaning the same area again and again and keep removing the same accumulated garbage. If educated citizens like us try to throw garbage in a designated area it will become easy for the sweepers to clear off the garbage. Their work pressure will decrease. In this way they will be able to do more productive work in  a single man hour instead of cleaning just one small area. Only when we educated individuals behave in the right way can we create awareness among those who are not aware of the importance of maintaining cleanliness and sanitation around.

The question everyone would have is how to begin? It is a small step . There was a major step taken by the BBMP( Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike) in Bangalore late in the year 2012 when they insisted that everyone should separate wet waste and dry waste generated each day . There should be separate dustbins and wet waste, sanitary waste will be disposed daily whereas dry waste will be taken once in a week. No body was ready to follow it properly. BBMP went to the extent that if garbage is not disposed off according to these rules, the  garbage clearing people of the municipality will not pick up garbage. Eventually , the garbage started piling and the people living around got fed up. Finally there were social activists who along with some responsible citizens of the city started creating awareness. They taught people in the near by locality and asked everyone to spread the message. Slowly there was an improvement. BBMP started clearing garbage then. Everyone followed for a short while but slowly this weaned off. Now there isn't 100% compliance but there are people who are following this waste segregation method.

How long will a municipality monitor ???? The question here is that, why can't this initiative come from within?? That's when my husband and I decided to keep following this practice in our family whether anyone follows it or not. We have instructed our maid also to clear wet waste daily which we keep in a disposable cover in a closed dustbin. Our maid is also well aware of the cleanliness measures. She in turn helps in keeping the entire building clean. If we have someone to clean our house that doesn't mean we are at a liberty to keep the house dirty. We make sure we discard waste properly, keep no stagnated water in the house, use disinfectants to clean the floor and washrooms so that infection doesn't spread in the house. The regular domestic waste that is generated from each house in our apartment is kept stacked outside in dustbin covers with their mouth tied and handed over to the garbage picker. Just in case he is not available for the day, the building maid makes sure she disposes it off in the nearest garbage accumulation area where BBMP van can come and pick up the garbage daily. If no one is there to do this we ourselves do this job. Any kind of food waste is disposed off daily so that it doesn't attract mosquitoes. The staircase is cleaned once in a week and my neighbours have taught their children not to dirty them too .

I observed on one occasion that my neighbour's children were playing with the building maid's children. They were using rubber bands and plastic cups . After playing each one of them threw the crushed cups and rubber bands in the dustbin. Education in this form is commendable. One doesn't need to be highly qualified to follow such small measures. One must learn and spread the knowledge.

Hospital and hazardous waste should also be segregated accordingly so that those who clean them up do not contract an communicable infectious disease. Improper management of wastes generated in health care facilities can have direct health impacts on the community, the personnel working in health-care facilities, and on the environment. This can lead to people contracting diseases such as HBV, HCV and HIV.

In the same way, I made sure I teach some good habits to my maid's children who are going to school but because no one at home is well aware of cleanliness measures much they do not follow them always. I educated her too on the same. In this way she can maintain good hygienic practices at home as well as where she goes to work. The children of today are the future of tomorrow. They will be growing at the time when India will progress a lot. Their role is extremely important in making India a developed country which every country looks up to. They should be taught habits like washing hands before and after meals, before touching food and also when they come home after school so that they do not contract any infections. Children must be educated to use washrooms properly and to flush toilets after use. These are responsibilities of every individual, be it a child or a grown up. If we teach good to our children and ensure they practice the same, we can think of a good future.

Anyone who cooks in the kitchen should wash hands before and after cooking and also while serving food. Keeping the house dust free by wiping surfaces regularly so that the same dust does not stay in our hands and we do not contaminate others. Taking bath regularly , wearing clean clothes and washing them. In this way if everyone is maintaining overall personal hygiene it will spread cleanliness around. This should be done without wasting water because with the increasing population and decreasing water table level it is required to conserve the natural resource.

These are practices of hygiene that we follow at home, the same should reciprocate when we go out. We should not litter the surroundings also . So many times it has been noted the same person who is a cleanliness freak throws a used coffee cup or a chips wrapper from a moving bus on the road, throws on the sides of the road where pedestrians walk, throw paper and fruit peels on the footpath, spit in corners, urinate on walls, throw half eaten food on the road side just to feed the stray dogs. This attracts all kinds of friends like stray animals, mosquitoes, insects that are vectors of bacteria and viruses that can contaminate the food and water we consume from the same street. So, the infection that we give comes back to us in some way or the other. If every citizen starts feeling that the street where they are walking is just like their home, no one will dare to dirty the locality. 

In the same way, in some places the government has made free toilets for men and women- Sulabh Shauchalay and Pay and Use toilets also. They should be used for what they are meant. Even the Pay and Use toilets are not kept clean. At times, the staff there do not do their duty properly and sometimes it is 'WE'- the general public who dirty every place that is built for us. People do not flush, they spit around. We should think of one day , what if the government starts penalizing everyone who doesn't follow rules?? Just like other countries where citizens fear to break rules because the fine imposed is more than they can even afford. 

The economic status of the citizens here is not even up to the level to be imposed with a fine. All we can think of is creating awareness, educating and teaching citizens in a way where everyone works amiably towards the growth of a clean and developed nation. 

Practices as these should be carried out because environment polluted by inadequate treatment of waste can also cause indirect health effects to the community. The municipality has a major role in it. One such instance happened when I went for a walk with my husband to BTM Lake, Bangalore which is near our house. It is maintained by the municipality and also by Madiwala Lake association who help in providing boating as a recreational activity there. We were just amazed to see the way in which the lake had been maintained. We had to pay Rs 10/- per head for entering the walking track around the lake. There was a not a speck of dirt that was seen around. There were workers constantly involved in clearing off the waste accumulated by dried leaves and also clearing the dustbins. It is open for public on all days with specific timings. There is a small playground for children, there are seats made for people to sit. Eateries are also available and it is expected for people there to put the food waste into the dustbins. While we were enjoying the scenic beauty and also feeling proud of the fact that the municipality had taken the efforts to maintain such a beautiful lake, something happened that shattered all hopes. A so called "good looking educated Indian" came and suddenly threw a plastic cover full of dried flowers into this beautiful lake. He threw two plastics in succession. My husband went forward and asked him politely, " Why are you doing this? This is such a beautiful lake. Why are you spoiling it?"

He replied," They are puja(sacred ritual) flowers and need to be thrown in water. No one's feet should touch them."

"Even if they are flowers from a puja you could have put them in a corner of the tree and covered with mud. At least the soil will have some organic matter as a fertilizer why thrown them, that too with plastic into the clean lake," my husband asked him.

There was no reply from him for a moment. He said abashedly ," I won't do it again." 

Saying this, he walked as fast as he could. 

We looked around in order to inform some officials and get that plastic removed but it had floated quite far from our reach.Citizens like these are preventing our country from having a clean environment. 

BTM LAKE, Bangalore ( before the incident)

                                              BTM LAKE, Bangalore ( after the incident)

When there are citizens like these there are also organizations like the The Ugly Indians (TUI) , who are an anonymous group of motivated volunteers who clean Indian streets. Anyone can join them as a volunteer. No one reveals their identity outside. They just help in keeping the city clean. Their motto is "Kaam chalu mooh bandh. Stop Talking, Start Doing." 

They say : "If you want to Be the change you want to See, you need to first See the change you want to Be." 

We should all be that Ugly Indian who wants to keep his/her city/country clean. 

Blaming the system, blaming corrupt officials , blaming poverty,illiteracy will not do but it is an individuals' attitude that will make the difference. If we behave as responsible citizens by not throwing garbage on the footpath (just because it is outside our house), by not littering the roads, by not urinating in public, by maintaining hygienic practices at home and in the surrounding, educating others and creating a system without blame game, where there is only scope for improvement only then will our nation prosper.

Only when we do this can a government's attempt be successful to help build more toilets, help installing more dustbins, help employing workers so that waste gets cleared off easily, increases the birth rate and survival rate leading to reduced mortality rate. Diseases like diarrhoea, cholera, dengue, hepatitis will be kept at bay. This will automatically give rise to a healthy nation. When people are healthy and educated, they can help in making our country's economy strong. There will be no wealth drain only to cure infections. There will be more concentration on novel methods of technology advancements leading to more research and development. The entire nation will become strong. We will have more important aspects to deal with rather than mulling over topics like maintaining cleanliness. 

The system is bad but we can't keep expecting someone else to do the job when we are ourselves not in the right path.  Talking about the government, progress is happening. Change is slow but it will take place. All government officials responsible for ensuring sanitation and cleanliness around the city are slowing getting motivated to do their work properly.

Let us all join hands in welcoming and bringing about this change. It will be for our future where we can expect to stay back in our country instead of emigrating to other countries in search for cleanliness and hygiene. 

Let us all join the Cleanathon and fulfill our dreams of a Swachh Bharat : http://swachhindia.ndtv.com/

Living in our dreams

There have been so many instances that we have had dreams and we have not been able to realize how these dreams have come to us in the first place. We feel that we have been transported into some foreign land. They are just an extension of our imagination. We always dream of a wonderful house where we could just sit back and relax and have fun but when we are getting a chance through Airbnb, why say NO???

There are places which we want to visit and locations that we love but for some reason we cannot live there. Mainly economical constraints are problematic for us. We try to choose something that people provide. Their home, which is beautifully decked and still doesn't feel like a hotel. It feels like our home. It is a platform where one can meet different people and stay in unique places. So here goes my Whislist for staying in different parts of the country :

https://www.airbnb.co.in/wishlists/46572775

1.  Tree house, charming hideaway... North Kuta, bali, Indonesia

Who would not love to live in a tree house. The top among my wish list. I have never visited Bali but when I would visit I would prefer in staying in a tree house there and also enjoy the beaches and culture of Bali. The aesthetic look and also the wooden architecture has made this my favourite. The rooms are beautifully done and the upholstery is amazing. The wooden furniture , the beautifully designed pool, cozy bedroom with adequate greenery would be the most amazing place to have a romantic stay with my husband. 

2. ADVENTURE IN THE SNOW - Igloo Night ...... Kühtai, Tirol, Austria

It has always been my husband's dream to stay in a place where it would snow. He always wanted to live for years together in a place like Alaska or Iceland. Staying in a Igloo always fascinated him. When I looked up this place in Austria I was totally over bowled. It seems like the perfect place where I could stay with my husband and also fulfill his dream. The romantic seating inside. We would be feeling the actual cold around. It would be like living a life of the Eskimos. Snow skiing and enjoying some warm food cooked in a cold surrounding. This would make me feel out of the world. Never have I seen such a beautiful place to stay. 

3. Treehouse in lovely farm setting............SHELBURNE FLS, MA, United States

I am really in love with tree houses. It is a small and a cozy house. A warm appeal when I look at it. Simple interiors and also great designs. It has been made keeping in mind the warmth that it wants to extend to the people staying there. I loved it to the core . Just out of the fairy tales . It would be the most homely approach to living in the US.

4.  Valley Hideaway with Mountain Views........Gibbston, Otago, New Zealand

New Zealand would be the next honeymoon destination for us. The meadows and the beautiful green mountains and grasslands. This would be the place where I would love to go with my husband. A great honeymoon. There cannot be anything better than getting a place like this to stay. The name itself is so alluring and creative. The house is made of woods and also stone. The interiors and simple yet exquisite. The whole feel is beautiful. I can imagine how relaxing and how amazing the sight would be to wake up and see those high mountains from the glass door. I can't ask for more. The colours used are pleasant and appealing. I would choose this as a gift for me and my husband. 

5.  Beautiful Studio,BTS Silom and MRT.........Bangkok, Thailand   

A very bright and colourful house in Thailand. It could lift up the mood. The colours used are just perfect. The use of bright colours has made it very lively. I would love to stay here. 

So, what are you waiting for ?? Click here to invite your friends too :)  

It is never too late to speak up!

Do we all need to speak up only when there are campaigns? It is like questioning our own morals that we inculcated all this while. 

All that was needed was a small push in the form of an initiative taken by #Strepsils, Facebook, Twitter to make this very innovative website  http://www.abmontubolega.com/ , where anyone could give their opinion on different issues that are of concern these days. These issues have been prevailing in our social and political system for a long time. Some are in a dormant state and some are half activated. We do not have the courage to face the consequences being a normal working class citizen of the country.

This is mainly because the mentality of the general public is not able to bring about a change. For instance, if one person stands up to go against injustice; say female trafficking, there is someone out there to oppose it just to keep himself out of the legal muddle. Media has become aware and is portraying such social issues on television and in movies, but practically all social issues are not being addressed. The current government headed by our Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi has started taking some positive steps, which is why organizations are coming up with positive ideas because they know that someone out there in the government is there to help them sort issues and show them a ray of hope. Nonetheless, whether government helps 100% or not the voice of the general public that constitutes a nation is the most powerful. When one person stands against a cause no one will care, but when a nation stands for this cause, everyone cares. These can involve the  educated who have access to the Internet and are aware of the social calamities that are prevailing for ages.

In order to prevent our democratic system from rotting #AbMontuBolega have made an attempt to give a voice to everyone's thoughts. Those thoughts which have been stuck in the throat like bacteria, thus  preventing us from speaking up. We just need to gulp down a Strepsil and clear our throat in order to make ourselves heard. We are relieved of the so called congestion in our thoughts and mind. The fear of speaking up should go; just as a throat irritation can be soothed by taking Strepsils. 

It takes a lot of courage and creativity to bring out a campaign like this where one can talk about  #Make in India, #SwachhBharatAbhiyan, #ISL, # ShameGame etc. 

So, we all are those Montu's who keep listening to others advice and never have the courage to follow what our heart says and what is right. It is high time we spoke up what was in our mind. Anything that is even close to injustice should be voiced out and discussed so that a solution can be given. All we need to do is just get to this website and put down our thoughts. The more the number of ideas, the more will be options to provide a solution. It is we who know what are those issues which prevail in our area and if we out it out on public everyone gets to know the issues.

Let us take the example of the #SwachhBharat campaign. We have to retrospect whether we want our future generation to live in a clean India that progresses as a developed country to bring it down to a sham. A clean India will give rise to a healthy India. Healthy is  the only wealth that is going to ours forever.

When there can be cleanliness in a few places, why can’t it be maintained uniformly all over?

Why only the so called upper class gets the opportunity to live in a clean place? Why the under privileged needs to suffer? We need one Prime Minister and his team to instill these thoughts in us.

We are the future of our country. If there is hardly any cleanliness, mortality rate increases and a country which could progress so much starts having its slow downfall. We all want to breath fresh air, eat and drink  fresh food and water. It is only possible if we maintain a clean environment. A clean environment is a green environment. Disposing waste properly, recycling waste, building a proper drainage facility, sewage treatment and clean sanitation facilities can make our country a better place to live in.

Citizens will not try emigrating to other countries. This is something in which we can participate easily. Giving our 1% contribution also matters for 100% results. We have to maintain cleanliness in our surroundings and our home first and then talk about the locality.

Let  us all help build a beautiful nation. 

Connecting people connecting lives

Lufthansa has brought in better options for Indians by introducing the world's largest passenger aircraft  A380 #LufthansaA380. In the recent years people have started travelling more and technology has advanced so much that booking a flight ticket from Frankfurt to nine (9) international cities ( Delhi, New York, Miami, Shanghai, Houston,Johannesburg, Beijing, San Francisco,Singapore) has become very easy .

The ease which which anyone can travel from Delhi, India to Frankfurt and back is commendable. Daily flight introduction has made commute easier for people. Travel and tourism industry is benefited, employment increases, people can travel in luxury, it can also help improve trade, meeting relatives and friends will not be a long lost dream where one has to wait for days and pass through the long passenger queues to reach Germany or India. Both ways, people are going to be happy. India will have more travellers from other countries. Indians who are working in Germany and other European countries have a easy access to travel to India. They don't have to wait for specific days to book tickets. Introduction of the airlines for India makes any communications related to India easy. One can go to the Lufthansa's office and clear their queries.

 There are different modes of seating. One can take an economy class also and get to travel to a different country. They have Economy, Business and First class.  This was the much required aircraft for our country because the travellers from other countries were having a lot of problems going back home or coming to India. It has improved the tourism industry a lot. Delhi, being the capital of India is the place where maximum passengers travel to and fro from different countries. Anyone can reach Delhi airport easily from any part of India and get connected to reach Frankfurt. The flight bookings have become hassle free and also daily flights help in reducing one time rush. Now it is affordable for different class of crowd in India and they can gain a lot from it. It saves money, time and energy for any traveller instead of hopping from one city to the other. More the number of seats, more the number of people travel at the same time. There is more scope for Indians to visit their international destinations. Now travellers will save time and reach the destination easily. No last minute rush or anxiety for not getting the tickets. Reaching our loved ones has become easy. Daily flights will help bridge the gap created by distance. One can meet folks back home in India by booking tickets anytime. 

In recent times, India has become more advanced and aware , when it comes to travel. More and more people want to explore international locations or take long vacation breaks. The food served is Indian. The aircraft has been made in such a way that it will match the Indian taste also. Travelling with family will no longer be an issue. Indians can also get a taste of royal and comfortable travelling.

The long waiting hours to reach any place abroad has reduced. These are direct flights without taking any major breaks . This will be helpful in providing comfort and easy travel solution for Indians. Gone are those days where Indians hesitated to travel to international locations for a tour. It was confined to only business trips. Now with increasing economical status of the Indians, many try to take vacations at least once to an international location. The ones who can afford to travel are blessed with this. The number of passengers from India will be more because the population is more. It will also become easy for citizens of Europe to come to India easily. They would land in the country's capital, New Delhi. The more the number of passengers , more will be the income. We can welcome people from different cultures here. Indians employed in the aviation industry also have an extra option for employment. As the number of airlines increase, more will be the number of employees working for the aviation industry.

Political connect will improve, trade will get a boost, tourism industry will improve in both countries and Indians can enjoy travel without any restriction. It is going to be best suited for the future considering the increasing population of our country. Overall, a wonderful experience.  

So, if you want to travel to Germany or any European country then you should check the Lufthansa India website and also have a look at A380 Timelapse video .

Post by Lufthansa India.

Pessimism

A terrible state of mind, 
A deep sense of anxiety and insecurity,
In that deep-deep darkness that I dwell ,
That makes my heart full of sorrow swell;
Unfaithfulness at it's best, lest I regret, 
I know to talk, to share to ask to cry, to be emotional,
I stay put at one place doing nothing but thinking,
I go in that deep well and think my life has become a hell;
Dejection, rejection, jealousy everything comes in at the same time.
'I' am - Pessimism !