Need For Speed

German Autobahn, No Speed limits , Audi 4 , Perfect 220 Kmph.

 

Gulmarg – Meadow Of Flowers

25th DEC 2007
We reached Gulmarg on 25th afternoon after catching a cab from srinagar.We met yasin, who booked for us a cottage(Rosewood).The cost was pretty nominal compared to the rest of the prices around and after reaching the cottage , we spent the rest of day talking to our host Ashraf, cook Kedar and the rest of the people there.
We also went out for a walk to the market and visited the Siva temple where the famous “jay jay sivasankar” song was filmed.We went around the market, were tricked to sit in a sledge for 50 rs and finally struggled back to our cottage in the dark.
We knew the next few days could be physically stressing as skiing was an intense activity and hence a good drink and a good sleep was essential.

First Time in Gulmarg – beautiful.

26th DEC 2007
The next day we reached Yasin’s shop at 10.After getting into our gear and settling with our skies , Mehmood took us to the zero point(called so since its the beginner’s point).The first day of skiing was not bad and though i did not fall much, i did not ski much either since the ski lift was not working and every time we had to carry our ski’s on our back to the top.After lunch we came back to the zero point , but the place was crowded with sledge runners and tourists.Unaware i was with the turns and ended up running into a few people and sledge guys.Enough was enough and as the crowd increased we called it a day.

27th DEC 2007
Today , Mushtaq bhai accompanied us as our instructor.He was apparently runners up in the national championship in Manali.He guided us as far as technique is concerned and after skiing for some time from the zero point, we went to another slope where he taught us how to turn.This again i was able to do comfortably but not conveniently and i was not sure how i managed it fine at times and not at others.

We discussed over the night if we would cut short skiing and do more sight seeing, but decided to give it one more try.Kiran was particularly a bit suspicious as it seemed that he was doing something wrong with the technique still.The evenings were spent in the cottage watching TV , drinking kashmiri chai(kawa).Kesar would prepare us delicious dinner and we would hog more than ever after the tiring day.

28th DEC 2007

Today mushtaq bhai further taught us how to turn with parallel skies, instead of snow ploughing.Kiran seemed to have mastered this better than me and was going great guns.I could pick it up end of the day though and the later part of afternoon , we went to a higher slop and skiied down from there , this time passing through the beginner’s point and successfully evading the tourists and sledgers alike.Confidence was sky high now.
This evening , over the kawa , discussions were based on if it was worth skipping srinagar for an extra day of skiing.WE were not falling any more of the ski’s and enjoying a lot more.

Bent body , projected knees , Super skier , Bari Hotness …

29th Dec 2007

We started off at the beginner’s slope at a higher point today and had to ski between sticks strategically placed by Mushtaq and Co.This was hardly a problem after the expert training we were provided with.Musthaq Bhai took us to the Army slope later this day.Called so because the army people practice from this slopes.It did look a bit threatening at first, but with the expert guidance of Musthaq who could precisely point out our shortcomings , we conquered this slope as well, though very slowly.
THe big headache was to carry our ski’s back to the top since there was no lift here as well and that tired us beyond bounds but it was more than made up for by our enthusiasm and Musthaq’s constant appraisal.
The later part of the day, we would o down the slope with parallel skies rather than Snow plough(read as faster),Kiran was doing this better than me,and i was snow ploughing still.In spite of my best attempts , i could not get the ski to stay parallel while turning.At times, i tried to bend my ski opposite side and it still used to plough and i would fall.Finally at the end of day, after lot of “Pitai” from Musthaq , i finally got a “Badai” from him and he said i had managed 80% parallel ski’s.

30 Dec 2007

Our last day of skiing and we decided that we would ski for the first half of the day here and spend the evening going to the top of the gondola.
Today both of us were able to ski comfortable and falling was not even the remotest of the possibilities.My ski’s were more or less parallel now and was when Musthaq told me that my ski’s were not racer ski’s as compared to kiran and lost their edges.I felt a bit light hearing that but Musthaq added that a good skier must not worry about such things.I was more confident now and we skiied right from the top and went down vertical instead of turning to reduce speeds.
When the session ended we had big smiles of having accomplished to learn something new quite well.Musthaq told us that if there was enough snow on the top , he would advised us to ski from the top of the mountain at 1st level.
We proceeded to the gondola and supposedly the highest gondola in asia , there were 2 levels to it.The second level called affrawat is 3.9Km above the sea level and we could see the army camps at the top.Musthaq showed me the LOC(border with pakistan) , but all i could see was white snow all around.To be 13 Km from LOC was a crazy thought but true at this moment.
After quite some photo moments we descended down the gondola and once the electricity went off and the gondola got stuck.We talked about hanging 3Km above ground level and how primitive the highest gondola in the world was.

 

On Affrawat , 13 Km from LOC

The night, my face red as a cherry because of sun burns was the centre of attraction.It was still a beaming one though.Next year , Gulmarg can look forward to one skier returning back at the least.

 

Fracture !! – a great singer who could not finish

Ya i guess you know what i mean.Someone with great talent and great voice but in the end just could not apply those finishing touches to make the good really great.

Court room dramas are always fun as long as they throw surprises.This movie has some inherent faults(or should i say questions), but the movie ends just when you thought it started.Thats my 2 cents anyway.

But the movie has enough to keep you on your seats all the while.

 

Liverpool FC in september!!!

If the porto game was one of the worst Liverpool performances i have seen , the game against Birmingham was just the old story of Liverpool not doing/creating enough.And slowly , now we are losing ground against the others.

Rafa can blame the international matches, injuries or match fixtures, but the truth is that he team still does not have the great mentality of its predecessors , who would always sneak a win in the dying minutes.Maybe it takes time, but this is not enough right now for EPL. Liverpool might still remain genuine contenders , but inability to put of teams like birmingham at home is surely a disappointment.

 

Swimming !! Continues

After drinking a lot of water in the beginner’s pool, my instructor thought it was the time to enter the bigger pool.

He said it was 15 deep and asked me jump and reach one end.Yes , It seemed like a joke and in my own sane way i ignored it. The shock was when he pushed me in the water and for once i saw only water all around and nothing else.My mind said the survival instincts are going to kick in and i was gonna swim!!! Alas , Its a well established theory on Dogs and not me .as i huffed and puffed my way , my instructor was happy and said ‘Good’ with a smile.

Bhaya oiytha ?? (Has the fear gone now ?) i choose not to answer, But what happened next was even worse , I was asked to dive in vertically and the dare devil that i am ,  i did.

I kept going down and almost to the bottom of the pool and then huffed and puffed my way up , but not to the other end.The instructor has to push me to finish my ordeal.

Ivaga oiytha ?? ( Is it gone now atleast ?)  , i laughed and he gleamed , but only one person really saw the light here.

Could not avoid but notice they were pouring in more water in the pool , once i had finished.