Tag: The Bicycle Diaries (Page 3 of 4)

A Fire, Fish and Friendship

May 6, 2018 / Sreenath Sreenivasan / 0 Comments

Meandering through the maze of roads, I finally saw a shade of blue in the distance. I finally found my way to the beach right outside Phuket international airport.
The whole promenade was lined up with five star resorts. I felt a bit out of place riding along with most of my laundry hanging on my bicycle pannier bags.
I saw a few local boys in lifeguard uniforms at the beach.
I approached them and asked,
‘Camping here Okay?’

‘Sleep?’ one of them gestured with his palms making a pillow for his head to rest.

‘Yes Yes, Okay to sleep here?’

‘Yes sleep sleep no problem.’

Happy with the news I leaned my bike against a tree and reached into my bag to find bananas. I offered one to all the life guards there.
They accepted it readily. With further conversation I came to know they were all boys from the village nearby. The youngest one, Om,
was just 9 years old. He would just come with his village friends to the beach to have a good time.
Everyone had a fishing rod with them at all times. They would fish in hope of finding a fat one for dinner.

Over the afternoon, I walked around to find a nice spot to camp. Once I found one, I started setting up my tent. The sun was setting with effortless grace. The horizon, alive even in the final moments of the day’s demise.

Once I finished setting up the tent , I looked around to find Om standing right next to me.
He smiled shyly and muttered something in Thai.
‘Me, no Thai’ I gestured animatedly.

He quickly squatted down and rubbed his palms together and mimed a person warming himself up around a fire.

‘Oh you want to set up a bonfire! But no matches or lighter!’

He ran to his brother who was catching fish on the beach. He paced back happily with a lighter.
We collected kindling from around the place and soon we had a fire set up.

‘Fish, fish!’ he gestured with a stick in hand.
He wanted to barbecue fish !
Fuelled with excitement, he ran to the beach side and started to look for something.
I built on the fire meanwhile.
In a few minutes he came back with two tiny crabs. He poked them into a stick and put them to grill on our little fire.

The sun had sunk into the ocean. He saw his brother retrieve his fishing equipment and walk towards his motorcycle. As if on a deadline, he raced to his brother and whispered in his ear.

Soon I saw him back, right next to me with a big fish in hand.

‘Fish, Fish !’ he declared excitedly. He poked another stick into the fish and set it on top of the fire.
The joy in his spirit knew no bounds!

Soon his brother called his name out loud. He turned to me and waved ‘Bye Bye!’

‘Oh what about your fish Om?’

He pointed his finger at me and said
‘You You!’

He hopped onto motorcycle and sped away to his home in the village. He waved goodbye for as long as his eyes could meet mine.

It is raining at the moment. The fire we set up together has died out.
But the fire he set up in my heart, of a warm friendship, beyond all barriers,
Roars and flourishes with the mighty monsoon breeze.

Paving the way for youth

May 1, 2018 / Sreenath Sreenivasan / 0 Comments

Deep inside we all realise we could be in better physical shape. The modern lifestyle is designed in a way that we have to make time for fitness related activities. A few decades ago, the mostly physical nature of work made sure we got sufficient exercise during the course of the day. Fitness was integrated with life.

But times are changing and so is the nature of work. We earn much more than our ancestors per capita, but we are poor when it comes to affording the time to be physically fit.
To make matters worse, we have so many distractions that steer us from activity to passivity that fitness remains a distant dream, even for people in the prime of their youth.

Most people think that once they grow older, assume familial responsibilities, they can let go off the possibility of cultivating vigorous physical health.
As a consequence they grow older much earlier.

But today, as I biked with a 72 year old youth named ‘Phulong’ all day long, I realised something.
The older we get, the more power we have to inspire younger people.
When we see a physically active elder person, we feel motivated to sweat it out too and reach a better physical shape.
A forty year old marathon runner has great power to galvanise people younger than him that haven’t put on sports shoes in a few years. The older one gets, the more power of influence he has.
Phulong bicyled up the highest mountain in Thailand at age 68. He showed the way to the summit to an entire generation!

Ageing is inevitable. But our youth is in our hands.
And with preserving our youth through physical activity, we can create a fitness centric narrative for the younger generation.

The elder you get, the more responsibility you have. Not just of your own health but also of the health of the younger generation.

So remember,
when you choose to go out for a jog at the stroke of dawn,
You are paving the way for the younger community to tread along.

To smiles borne out of sweat.
To a youth that never ages.

The gift of gifting

April 30, 2018 / Sreenath Sreenivasan / 0 Comments

As a pure stroke of luck, I found myself in the midst of a few hundred Bicyclists today. We were all participating in a bicycle rally, a 25 kilometre ride along the coastline in Trang, South Thailand.
It is funny to confess that I still have no idea what the rally was about !
Everything was written and communicated in Thai and barely anyone spoke English.
I mimed my way into the rally much to the amusement of my fellow Thai cyclist friends.

Towards the end of the race, there was a freebie distribution session for all finishers. We had to choose a ball from an opaque pot containing balls of many colours. The ones who got a red ball went home with a bag, blue balls got key chains, green ones got pens and so on.

It was such fun to observe that everyone there could easily afford all these free things. And no one really felt the need of these extra things in life. Yet, the joy of getting something for free was much apparent on everybody’s faces. It was hilarious to see a 60 year old grandmother jump up and down as she got a free water cooler. I am quite sure it wasn’t the most pressing need of her life.
But oh the joy of getting something for free!
It cuts across all of humanity, location and culture notwithstanding.

Most often, sponsors use this vulnerability of participants by giving away things that can serve as a promotion tool for them. All bags would have their names on them, so would t-shirts and other accessories
A freebie costs the sponsor some money, but it provides an avenue for promotion, with avid participation from all.

No freebie is totally free.
While there is joy in giving, it comes at a cost.

I got thinking about the prospect experiencing the Joy of giving without a monetary cost per se.
And I thought about kids.
Just through their pure being,
Kids give out so much energy filled with joy and laughter at every moment!
In fact the whole community around a little child feels the happiness that it emanates through its existence.
What makes it ever more beautiful is that the child has no idea how profound a difference it makes in the life of everyone around. Just through the pure state of being, it acts as a true harbinger of joy. A true freebie, where everyone wins, and the smiles are much more lasting and meaningful.

If a human wishes to experience the joy of giving unconditionally, by all means he can. He just has to turn to a kid to learn how.
Expressing an unadulterated state of pure being, sharing one’s creative energy, or just even making people around feel good, is a profoundly meaningful gift to the community.

The best gifts is one which the receiver didn’t realise he needed so badly in life. All of us can use a source of good energy in our lives.

And gifting someone with constant nourishment of good energy also helps one cultivate his best self.
Both the giver and receiver benefit, with no ulterior motive, with no additional cost.
A true win-win situation.

Every human, no matter how poor or rich, is in a position to gift abundantly.
And it is the greatest feeling to spread love like a child, without even realising you are, through the pure state of being.

It is a choice,
That not surprisingly,
Is free for all.

On Harnessing Latent Smiles

April 25, 2018 / Sreenath Sreenivasan / 0 Comments

Passing through a little village nestled in the hillocks, I wished to reach my destination before sundown. The bicycle ride had been a long one, eight hours long to be precise. I was still an hour away from the destination.
I stopped for a moment to have a sip of water. An elderly village lady walked towards me in the meantime.
She started speaking to me in Thai quite avidly.
I couldn’t understand much of it.
I just told her , ‘Me, Ban Samoeng’
Ban Samoeng was the village I had to reach.
‘Ah, Ban Samoeng! ‘ she exclaimed.

As I got on my bicycle and started to pedal, I felt a gentle push.
I looked back to see that the old woman was pushing my bike forward intending to help me bicycle on.
Oh the carefree smile on her face!
‘Bye bye!’ she waved to me excitedly.

And from deep inside me, she summoned a latent smile on my face. I was tired from the days bicycling, and had no energy to do much. But her gesture proved me otherwise. She fueled me enough to reach my destination with a smiling face, right in time.

It got me wondering about the power a human being possesses. You might often have experienced a lull in your daily life. There might seem no apparent reason to smile. But a stranger smiles at you with such warmth that you find yourself smiling out of nowhere.
Kids have this power over the whole world that surrounds them. No matter how tiring the day has been, once the father is back at home, he has all the reasons to smile and feel grateful as he looks at his child.
Even a stranger cannot resist the smile that a baby springs up on his face.

Realising this influence over each other makes one feel empowered. And as they say, with great power, comes great responsibility.

We have the power to summon smiles on people’s faces like a sorcerer. We can, with a simple decision to smile, being forth a discerning change in the energy of the world around us.

And once we choose to do that,
We feel,
‘The world is suddenly a kinder place.’

As humans, as social engineers, at every opportunity,
We should trade smiles.
For in this business,
Everyone Profits,
Smilingly.

On Art and Identity

April 24, 2018 / Sreenath Sreenivasan / 0 Comments

Bicycling on undulating-hilly roads is full of ups and downs, both figuratively and literally. At one point you reach a comfortable summit from where you can breeze downhill for a kilometer without any effort. But you also find yourself face to face with a steep incline, much of which you traverse while pushing your bicycle up the hill.
Today, while pushing my bike uphill, I stopped to catch a breath. Amid the puffing and panting, I saw a consummately weaved spiderweb swaying with the breeze. A bright florescent spider rested at the center of the web, waiting patiently for prey.

Still entranced by the artistry, I wondered,
‘How does the spider know how wonderful its colour is? Most certainly there are no mirrors in its world.’
Yet, a spider works on, not wasting time thinking about what it looks like. Like an artist at work, it labours to leave his signature on its work of art. The web.
Quite the Karma-Yogi.

Even the trees all around me would never know how majestic they are. They just keep on expressing their creativity through their graceful growth, their gift of fruit and shade, free for all beings to enjoy.

Thinking about these beings of nature thriving in a mirror less realm, I couldn’t help but think about another spirit in our human world that displays similar traits.

The spirit of a mother.

While working hard to manage the day at home, she never has time to focus on her appearance. She solely focuses on doing the best job she can for the nourishment and comfort of her family. Most often she wears a disheveled look from all of the day’s work.
But can you think of one child who thinks that his mother is not beautiful?
To any kid, his mother is the most beautiful person on earth.
Why?
Because she speaks of her care through her dedicated work. By all means she is a true artist. Her beauty is beyond any mirror to testify.

I wondered why we are all so obsessed with our physical appearance in this day and age.
What transcends our physicality is our work, our art.
Like a spider weaving a spiderweb,
A tree bearing fruit,
Or a mother cooking with love,
If we choose to express our best selves with our work and derive our esteem from that,
Then we would no longer feel the need of mirrors
For,
We are what we create,
And life is decidedly,
Art.

Tidying up our home

April 20, 2018 / Sreenath Sreenivasan / 0 Comments

The sun shone feebly over the hills covered with morning mist. Alive with nature’s clarion call, the valley arose to greet the new day.
It was my first morning at the Mindful Farm Community. I awoke bright and early and savored the surprise of the magical dawn that unfolded.
Amid the calls of curious birds, I heard the clink and clank of kitchen utensils at a distance. I descended the stone stairway and made my way to the kitchen.
Pi Nan, the former monk turned farmer, the founder of the community, was cooking breakfast all by himself.
Brim with enthusiasm, he enjoyed each moment of involvement.

‘Can I help you Pi Nan?’ I asked.
‘Yes, of course. Can you cook something with Zuccinni? We have a lot from the farm but I don’t know how to cook it.’ he shared humbly.

‘No problem Pi Nan, I can do that ‘ I said and got to work.

I made a broth of Zucchini with lemongrass, fennel and mushroom sauce. At a wizardly pace, he made four dishes at the same time.
At 8 am, Pi Nan rang the breakfast bell. Everyone assembled and got themselves a plateful of food.
We sat facing the rising sun and enjoyed the meal in complete silence, mindfully.

Once we finished, I got up to wash the dishes. In the community people take turns to cook and clean. I chose to help my friends cleaning the dishes.
Down to the last dish to clean,
My fellow work-mate Rafa and I smiled at each other.

Just twelve hours ago, I was completely new to the community and now suddenly, I felt quite at home.
After a moment of thinking, I realised why.

‘You know, the easiest way to feel at home anywhere Rafa?

‘No, What is it?’

‘ The easiest way to feel home is by helping to clean up. Once you do that, you’re not a guest or a stranger anymore.
You’re part of the home, part of family.’

‘Oh yes ! I too feel the same ‘ said Rafa laughingly as we washed the last dish.

Breathing in the fresh mountain air, I wondered,
‘ Isn’t this beautiful planet we all share our home too?’

‘And if so,
Then are we tidying it up in the best way we can?’

The mist in the valley and in my mind, cleared up at this realization.

And with a clear mind, ready to act,
I picked up the broom,
And my spirit,
To do my part,
One choice at a time.

Farming Mindfully

April 19, 2018 / Sreenath Sreenivasan / 0 Comments

The morning drizzle had just stopped. A flurry of flirting clouds danced over the skyline obeying the wind’s choreography.
Determined to get back on the road again, I loaded up my bicycle and headed up north.

As much as I liked the fragrance of wet earth after a rain, today, I was wishing to ride away from it as fast as I could.
I was heading to volunteer at a farm 60 kms North of Chiang Mai city.
I had heard great things about the farm from fellow travellers. The focus area of the farm is to integrate Farming and mindful meditation. Quite aptly, it was named, ‘Mindful Farmers Community.’

Fascinated by the farm’s core values, I headed straight in its direction without thinking twice.

I would have been better off if I had thought about the terrain though. Even though it was only 60kms away, it was also at a constant 8 percent slope for half of the way. Traversing through a huge national park throughout, I could hear waterfalls all around me. After a point, I couldn’t bicycle anymore, the slope was such. For the next two hours, I was pushing my Bicycle uphill. Halfway up,
I could hear a thunderstorm brewing at a distance. I took shelter at a bus stop and waited for thick black clouds to condense.
The storm lasted for half an hour. Determined still, I kept pushing the bike uphill. I must have been possessed by something, else there was no way I could go on. What seemed like a simple 3 hour ride turned out to be an agonising 9 hour marathon. It was easily the most challenging thing I’ve done in my life.

But finally, I reached the destination at 6 pm. As I made my way into the community late in the evening, I was met with a friendly group of people. I was quickly escorted to my place in the dormitory, shown to the showers and then invited for meditation.
Following that I had a homely meal with all community members.
The place has a kind and accepting aura.
It is special indeed.

Sitting satiated after the sumptuous meal, as I reflect back on the day I wonder,

Notwithstanding where you are,
If you do what matters to you with all your heart,
People will even scale mountains,
Just to experience the deeply divine vibrations you set out into the world.

The wise monk who runs this farm,
Through his mindful work,
Led me all the way up this mighty hill.

And gave me a lesson,
Without speaking a word.

The Buddha’s Sermon

April 18, 2018 / Sreenath Sreenivasan / 0 Comments

Yesterday I went for a little hike up a hill in Chiang Mai. There is a nicely paved road leading all the way uphill to the sacred Temple ‘Wat Phra That Doi Suthep’
It’s a steep road with many bends and corners.

I chose to hike up about half the way to a temple called ‘Wat Pha Lad’ on the trail. It used to be the temple where monks would stop to rest in olden times as they hiked to the main temple uphill.
Slowly and steadily, walking afoot, I made my way to the temple.
On the road, just before the temple, there was a little shrine with a statue of the Buddha inside it.
I wondered why there was this little shrine on the road just before a major temple that stood a bit further from the road, inside the forest.
I looked into the eyes of the Buddha’s statue and prayed for the strength to find my own truth.

After visiting the breathtaking temple nestled in the forest, I started walking downhill, back home. I passed by the little shrine again. After being mesmerised by the ethereal beauty of the temple in the jungle, I wondered again, why this little shrine stands here after all!
And I continued on.

Today, I decided to cycle all the way uphill to ‘Wat Phra That Doi Suthep’. Within one kilometer of cycling I understood what I had gotten myself into.
The steep incline was going to last for 11 kilometers until I reached the temple. The weather was getting stormy by the second. I gasped deeper and deeper for breaths as my heart rate jumped to twice the normal. Drenched in sweat, I pedalled on in the lowest gear, heaving and panting constantly.
About half way up, thick black clouds started to condnese into raindrops. Huge blobs of water started hitting me like torpedoes.
I got a bit worried since I was going uphill and there was a forest all round me.
I could turn back and race downhill to save myself from getting drenched. But I wanted to go all the way up.
I was determined.
I saw a signboard at a distance as I approached it at an easy pace. In moments I could read what it said,
‘Wat Pha Lad 500 meters ahead’

I heaved a sigh, this time of relief.
I pedalled on quickly to reach the little shrine just ahead of the temple I’d been to yesterday.
I parked my bike and took all my stuff inside the shrine to find shelter.
The downpour lasted for half an hour.
In the meantime, I just sat in front of the Buddha’s statue. I saw what I failed to see yesterday. There was a roof on Buddha’s little shrine!
And it saved me from getting caught in heavy rain.

I tried to remember if there were any roofs in the magnificent forest temple I was so mesmerised by yesterday.
I couldn’t remember any.

Grateful for the roof, I understood why there are small shrines leading to all big temples.
I looked intointo Buddha’s eyes on the statue,
And he told me,
‘I am here only to remind you to pray.
Not to me.
But just to pray.’

‘When you face adversity as you undertake a big challenge,
Your prayers will manifest into the shelter you need to keep you going.’

After two hours of cycling uphill, I finally reached the main temple ‘Wat Phra That Doi Suthep’
On my way back downhill,
speeding past the little shrine,
I smiled,
And prayed.

And in my mind,
Full of belief,
I am ready for the next challenge,
The next ride,
Uphill.

The subtle art of making friends

April 17, 2018 / Sreenath Sreenivasan / 0 Comments

Late at night, I was working on my laptop in my hostel. There were other people around me busy with their own devices as well. The dark room was lit up by the faces of people staring on the screens of their phones. No one breathed a word.

Until a gregarious Irishman walked in through the door. He went on greeting everyone.

‘Hey, howya doin? ‘ Pretty good? Jolly good I bet eh? ‘

He took great care of each person in the room . He greeted everyone and asked them about their day.
He had such an affable energy that everyone felt connected to him instantly.
One conversation led to another and through eavesdropping, everyone got to know each other.
One of us was a competitive bicyclist, one a peripatetic traveler, one a Yachtsman and so on.
He got himself a beer from the little fridge and sat down across me. We had a good exchange of words. Soon he called up the peripatetic traveller to join him for a beer.
The three of us got talking and over the course of the next couple of hours we shared a lot of things close to our hearts.

As the night came to a close he shared his story.
‘A Yachtsman from Ireland, at age 74 he dreams of sailing across the Atlantic to go to the Caribbean. Then he wishes to cross the Panama canal and sail the Pacific like a roaring trade wind.’
His curiosity and childlike fascination about other people’s stories was inspiring to experience.
At a ripe old age, he personified the vitality and spirit of an young, adventurous sailor.

I was enlivened by his sharing.
As we got up to go to bed,
I thanked him for bringing us all together on one table and enabling the exchange of ideas. We were sitting like perfect strangers until he arrived. And now we all felt close to each other, as if we’d been friends for a long time.

‘Thank you Mr. Eugene!’ I said as I hugged him.

“Don’t thank me young man,’
He raised his glass and said,
‘I just chose to say Hello’

Whenever you can,
‘You should too.’

Wonder-struck, sleepless on my bed,
I cherished the most simple advice I’ve gotten to cultivate brotherhood.

‘Just say hello!’

So my dear friend, I ask you,
How are you doing :)?

When Ginger meets Galangal

April 15, 2018 / Sreenath Sreenivasan / 0 Comments

It would be appropriate to say that it was my taste buds that led me to Thailand.
I remember the day when I first tasted Thai Red Curry in a restaurant in Delhi.
The chef inside me had a culinary awakening.
The mild, citrus and exotic flavour of the Thai red curry, the lilting fragrance of the blend of herbs and coconut milk made my knees go weak.
The feeling was akin to finding a treasure by accident.
But since I had no idea about what spices constitute this scintillating flavour, I assumed it was not possible to cook it at home.

When I reached Thailand, I was expecting to be greeted by this flavor. Much to my disappointment, I never got to see it mentioned anywhere on the menu at street shops. Over the course of biking around for two weeks in Thailand, I felt a bit dejected inside and wished for Indian food instead.
But where would I find Indian food in rural Thailand?

Two days ago, I went to a bicycle shop in Chiang Mai to tune up my bike.
In passing, the shop owner mentioned that there was an Indian restaurant close by. My nose pointed to the direction of the restaurant like a compass. Soon I found myself sitting with a plate of Vegetable Pulao, Dal Makhani and a buttery-soft Naan.
The first bite felt like homecoming.
Oh the perfect blend of spices from home!
Cumin spluttered at the perfect temperature, the hint of ginger julliennes and flakes of Kasoori Methi bringing the Basmati rice to life. A dollop of cream on dal simmered slowly overnight garnished with coriander.
I ate with a joy I didn’t expect to emanate from me. Funnily enough, I found myself to be patriotic in that moment!
Disillusioned by the prospect of finding the Thai red curry, I was ready to make peace with our own diverse cooking style back home.
But the chef in me still clung on to hope.

That night I got biking around Chiang Mai to discover the city. To my delight, I found a local roadside eatery labelled as Vegetarian-Vegan Friendly.
I walked in, hoping to find what led me to the country in the first place.
I looked at the menu and there it was :
Thai red curry with brown rice: 60 Baht

I ordered and waited patiently.
As the food was served, I could already smell the flavor I had experienced in Delhi.
The first spoonful felt like arrival!
The melange of coconut milk with the perfectly compatible combination of Lemongrass, Kaffir Lime leaf and Galangal spiced to perfection with obliquely slit red chillies.
That was the moment when I truly felt,
‘I’m in the Thailand that I always dreamt of’
I ate with a smile all throughout. The three lady chefs behind the counter knew what a difference they’d made to my day!
‘Aroy!'(Delicious in Thai) I complimented from my table.
They accepted it with giggles and grace.

Sitting back at the hostel after the meal, I wondered about the unsolicited culinary delight the day had turned out to be.

India and Thailand have had historical connections that can be traced back into many millennia. They’re long lost brothers belonging to the same family in a sense.
Much like Ginger and Galangal.
Ginger is a staple spice in the Indian household. Its earthy, strong and spicy flavour lends many Indian dishes a distinctive taste.
While Galangal, from the same family as ginger, looks similar but has a completely contrasting flavor. A much used ingredient in Northern Thai cuisine, it has an aromatic and citrus flavor with a signature aftertaste.

Today, through food,
I found myself in India while being far away from home
But I also found myself right in the heart of Thailand, courtesy the Thai Red Curry.

Now, I wonder where am I,
At home or at the destination that I seeked far away from home?

Maybe,
I am at neither.
Maybe,
I am just,
at the right place!