A year of fate....

It was a year that filled promises of change for the pilgrims of Mayflower,
It wrenched the children of the Promised Land in to strife, joy a fruitless endeavour.

A year which humbled the Bull, disinterred sharks of agony and shook pillars to crumble,
The year inflicted carnage impious (at a heritage) and, made millions of hearts stutter and stumble.

It wielded powers to a mad man, ruining an erstwhile British Colony -hastening a destined fall,
It also buoyed the Greek Lords to scale the Great Wall.

It fulminated and roared in angst, made the earth tremble and winds humble,
It also conjured evils of the sea and also submitted great powers to bungle.

A year of hope, A year of learning, A year of despair, A year of change and A year of fate,
As the Age of Aquarius segues in to another dawn, dusk shall never settle on the year of 2008.

A pattern of stories untold

Saunter did I, in the paths traced seldom,
Ensconced in chirps, in tranquility and in the verdant fiefdom.

The coy rays flirting with the leaves of tropics, anticipating frolic and fun.
The wet land, below, tossing in the caress of the sun.

And then, basking in the morning beam, I did behold,
A house of love, an abode of labour and, a pattern of stories untold.

There it stood, in vigour and in boast, and in a musical oeuvre,
A zephyr tickling and a playful sun stroking this magical gossamer.

I could not resist penning this poem. I did saunter through Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and found this intricate beauty. Fortunately, the light conditions were perfect and I could capture...

Truly Asia - Part 2

As we hopped off KL tower we hopped on to ‘Hop on Hop off’ bus for a spin around the town. The concept of this bus is very appealing – pay a fixed sum and gain unlimited rides with as many hop-ons and hop-offs for duration of twenty four hours. With four buses serving a fixed route, this mode of transport seemed a capital proposition (in comparison to cabs). However, as we found out, bus drivers are liable to their whims and fancies, sauntering away for lunch, drink or whatever their fancies may proclaim leaving behind much harrowed passengers waiting in puzzlement.

After squeezing our way through the cramped and choked streets of KL (in the air-conditioned comforts of the bus of course) we decided to give in to the cravings of our gastric juices as we descended at the Indian portion of the city – Masjid India. Streets lined with sari shops, loud blaring music and a waft of a familiar scent – the aroma of what I call -home. In this magical scent lies - Sangeeta (Franchise of the branch in Chennai) and herein we discovered ecstasy. I discovered love – love for Kuzhi Paniyaram – for the uninitiated this ambrosia is concocted by frying dosa-type batter and molding in to a rotund shape. And the glee, that adorned my mom’s face as she savoured the frothing filter coffee served in the traditional davarah- tumbler, fails to be framed in mere words.










Post-lunch was a quick pit stop at the Merdeka Square and gaze of awe at the Sultan Abdul Samad Building.









The evening breezed in, and post dinner; we decided to head for the twins - blazing in all glory in the still of the late evening. After some camera posture experimentations and trying very hard to break my back and strain my neck – it was time for the eyelids to take over.










The third and final day witnessed my enthusiasm towards procuring tickets for access to the 41st floor bridge(sky bridge) across the twins – however as I reached(pretty early) the Petronas towers I was greeted by an already burgeoning queue(tickets are free) with some members who seemed to have packed their sleeping gears for the wait they foresaw and/or had witnessed – and I realized to give-up is not always to be frowned upon. Instead the day saw more of Merdeka Square, Gardens and yes, Masjid India. Hibiscus, which Malaysia boasts in plenty is also the National Flower -







6 PM and we were launching back towards Singapore. My mom promised to come back and visit Batu Caves. She had only one condition – the ascent of 272 steps to be replaced by an elevator. Her request will be forwarded to the concerned authorities.

Truly Asia - Part 1

The journey commenced during the wee hours of a still-sleeping Friday morning from Harbour Front Centre. Anticipation daubed my mom’s countenance as our double-decker bus, a fully loaded bus serviced by Aeroline, segued over the Straits of Johor(separating Singapore and Malaysia) and soon we were zooming along the 6 –Lane express way, heading towards Kuala Lampur. Bedecked with lush green landscape on either sides, the expressway was also a window towards one of the drivers of Malaysian economy – Palm Oil. Landscape dotted with palm trees and nothing else, absolutely nothing else.

Lunch was served during the journey. A peek in to the offerings and I thought my dad’s eyebrow raised 1/8th of an inch (Jeeves would have been proud). Presenting themselves to the raised eyebrow were green noodles very artistically strewn with tofu, broccoli and other unrecognizable items of presumably edible properties. And for a fleeting moment, I saw my mom radiate an all-knowing beam for having packed a very sumptuous lunch.

Kuala Lampur soon beckoned and we were safely ensconced in our hotel room. After being lost for sometime in the abyss of translation errors, from the bottom of which I was shouting ‘ I need a third bed in my room’, we were on our way for a bit of a saunter in the evening.

The saunter began through Bukit Bintang, dotted with innumerable shops, eateries and ah yes – massage centers – each of them having a provision for a plastic stool, outside, which is occupied mostly by skimpily clad girls offering pamphlets(which market the offerings of the centers. Some of the centers seemed true to their businesses, for the rest, I am not an expert to opine on). On the other hand this picture was clicked later just outside Petronas Twin Towers – Truly Asia.










The saunter ended at the Twin Towers.













The lines that you notice across the above picture are streams of water flowing from a fountain near-by.The posture which the picture demanded from me, goes with out saying, is indescribable.

As the bustling evening drew to a close we had a sumptuous grub at Sri Rekha restaurant catering Chettinad delicacies and sleep soon followed.

The next day started early with a cab trip. On that note cab drivers in KL have a knack of recognizing locals from tourist and thereby offering differential pricing schemes and with a not-open-for-bargain option of not turning on the meter. The KL Tower or Menara KL – the fifth tallest of its kind at 421 m – lords over the concrete jungles with panoramic views(with a beautiful view of the Twins) to as far as Batu Caves at the outskirts of the city. The vertical journey was traversed in 58 seconds.



















Post the KL Tower was a time for bit of hopping around the city.

Let not doubts accumulate

Here, have this – said a man, hands doddering and countenance reflecting, lines of age,
Shock and doubt dismayed my face, as eyes discerned a bottle of water offering to assuage.

Sweat bedecks your brow and simplicity reflects through your soul,
Have some water and proffer me a smile, for your body seems to have taken a toll.

Thanks, but how much? – said I perplexed and fumbling for words,
Eyes wandered and mind pondered, over the easy beam that on my tired spirit conferred.

An easy tone answered, money shall not tantamount the joys that, here, encapsulate,
Spread joy and diffuse fears, and let not doubts accumulate.