Amboseli National Park

The first thing that we notice as we approach the park are the 'amboselis'-dust devils that appear and move around before disappearing. I don't believe they are actually called amboselis (This is what Mo told me !). Wikipedia tells me that the name is actually derived from the word empusel - meaning salty and dusty place in Masai lingo.

After a rather bumpy ride in a safari jeep it was  a relief reaching our camp at Serena Safari Lodge.
Its a rather beautiful place with well appointed rooms and suites. 
The Masai art and murals are very interesting. This is indeed a room with a view - it overlooks a waterhole frequented by thirsty animals. 

The local monkeys drop in to check us out. A word of caution from the resort manager makes us latch all doors and windows.

Meanwhile, there is a steady influx of thirsty animals at the waterhole - giraffes, zebras, the baboons and even a herd of elephants. Giraffes have a funny way of drinking. They splay their forelegs and then bring their neck down all the way to the ground.



We leave the Lodge with our guide on a safari drive hoping to see lots of wildlife towards evening. We are rewarded by the sighting of a trio of Cheetahs - probably brothers. They seem to have taken a liking for the road-sign

Its time for a 'sundowner' and out comes the bottle of wine !

This is Mo of the 'amboseli' fame

The Dogs have gone

I had forgotten about the Blog I created several years ago. The recollection of something I wrote several years ago spurred me into searching for it. I had not saved it anywhere but had a feeling it was posted on my blog. So here I am, once again...Freely Flowing.

The Dogs are now gone. Scooby went first.....then Hedwig and finally in August 2013, Sirius Babu left.

Here is a picture of the three of them together

Before the was Oy, our German Spitz.I dont have a readily 'up-loadable' picture of him and will need to scan one from the old photo albums.

Losing the Dogs was a very very sad experience. So much that I am now afraid to have another one. They have all taken away parts of me.

Chalo...phir kabhi.

Living with old dogs

Scooby is now 14 years old - in human terms more than 90 years! Thats really old for a dog. Now whats happened is that he is a kind of grandpapa dog at home. Loves to eat and sleep...constantly looking for opportunities to eat...whatever is available. The rest of the time he sleeps. Doesnt want to go for long walks but only the very essential ones twice a day.

He used to be paranoid about Deepawali crackers, hiding in closets, whining. Now I think he is deaf and loud noises dont bother him much. But... the slightest crinkling sound of a toffee wrapper will bring him to attention even if he is in another room. Call him by name and he doesnt hear. Selective hearing loss I guess.

Incontinence... thats happening to him too.

Old age grumpiness... yes he barks without any reason.

Last night he had some discomfort in his left year..at 1.30 AM and we were wide awake till 3 AM ...finally he let us sleep.

Its winter in Chandigarh and Scooby sleeps on the sofa. We got him a brand new doggie coat, its bright red and has a rather jaunty collar. We have told him that he looks like Devanand... singing "Main zindagi ka saath nibhata chala gaya...har fiqr ko dhuen mein udata chala gaya..."

He will probably go to where doggies go in the next world in max one year...doggie heaven .

Chini Kam

Aadha Soda – Aadha Paani

 

Keh gaye sab sant aur gyani

Zindagi ki yahi kahani

Aadha soda – aadha paani

 

Kal raat mujhe mili ek ladki,

deewani

Jiski aankein thi mastaani

Boli Raja Jaani, beeti jaye jawaani

Kar lein thodi si be-imaani

Kya aani, kya jaani

Zindagi ki yahi kahani

Aadha soda- adha paani

 

Jab maine uski ek na maani

Gussa uska hua toofani

Boli, jail ko kara doongi ravaani

Daroga hain mere abba jaani

Darke maine socha –

Kya aani – kya jaani

Kar lete hain thodi si be-imaani

Zindagi ki yahi kahani

Aadha soda – adha paani

 

Biwi ko jab pata chali kahaani

Aadha soda – Aadha paani

Phad di usne meri…sherwani

Yaad dila di meri Naani, aur

Ho gai maaike ki ravaani

 

Subah jab neend se jaaga

Oopar the mere machhardani

Bahar baras raha tha Paani

Maine biwi se kaha – Bhagyawaani !

Jaldi se bana do nimbu-Paani

Kal raat ho gayi thi pareshaani !!!

Courtesy : Khushwant Singh

Forgotten Positives

There is this great website- A word a day- awad.com hosted by Anu Garg. If you subscribe you get a word a day in your mail. The theme for the week now past was -forgotten positives.

So we had words like- evitable,wieldy,exorable, gainly and corrigible which are known for their negatives but, are recognized words in their own right. We know inevitable,unwieldy,inexorable,ungainly and incorrigible but their positives are not used. Wonder why??

Here is a poem dedicated to the forgotten positive : 

A very Descript Man .... J H Parker

I am such a dolent man,
I eptly work each day;
My acts are all becilic,
I've just ane things to say.

My nerves are strung, my hair is kempt,
I'm gusting and I'm span:
I look with dain on everyone
And am a pudent man.

I travel cognito and make
A delible impression:
I overcome a slight chalance,
With gruntled self-possession.

My dignation would be great
If I should digent be:
I trust my vagance will bring
An astrous life for me

Canines in my life

We always had dogs at home. I remember a German Shepherd called Hubshy when we were at the Sagar University campus where my father was teaching. I remember him as my father's dog and the way he responded to my father's whistle. He once raided the chicken coop kept by one Dr Das and probably ate a few. My father probably got too tired of the complaints and took him away in his car to abandon him somewhere far away in Sagar. He came back after a few days !

Then there was another GSD called Tinka a female who came to our home in Sagar from our Rajendra Mamaji whose frequent army transfers were not conducive to keeping a highly strung GSD. So Tinka came to us and even moved with us to Jodhpur where my father took up a Professorship. Tinka was a gentle one and later in her life developed a painful rheumatic arthritis and had to be put to sleep to end her misery.

Then came Sooty a stupid black spaniel. Very silly dog after the GSDs we had earlier. She came as a result of my insistence despite my father's resistance. Sooty ran away and disappeared. 

My brother, Anu, got an Apso , black little guy who was quite a personality. His name was Phizo. A mate came for Phizo and was called Mizi! I think my brother took great care of the duo. Phizo died of rabies and I dont remember what happened to Mizi. I was away at college then, in hostel.

When I got married and moved to Lucknow. Oy, a german spitz came home one day to the utter surprize and joy of my wife, Surabhi. she is a dog lover too and Oy proved to be a great companion. He travelled with us from Lucknow to Chandigarh to Delhi and back to Chandigarh.

Our friends, the Lyalls (Bird and Mau) had a Golden retriever/Cocker spaniel mix called Scooby and when they were moving to Nairobi Scooby came to live with us in Chandigarh. 

Scooby and Oy, both males made a fragile peace with each other. Oy was the Grand Old Male and assumed senior alpha male stature, dominating Scooby in many ways. Scooby always has the underdog view of life!

A couple of years later we got Hedwig ( named by our daughter, Neehar who was reading HarryPotter those days), a pedigreed GSD from Anoopda, Leenadi and Abhishek who were breeding GSDs at Pantnagar.

Hedwig is an extremely well behaved, intelligent and great looking GSD. She went with us to Sangla valley when she was a puppy and has been on numerous trips with us. Oy was 14 when he passed away at Kaudiala where we had gone on a whitewater rafting camp. We bid a tearful farewell to him there at the banks of the Ganga.

Hedwig became a mother and lost all but one of her first litter. The survivor was named Sirius ( Harry Potter again!). 

So now we have a threesome- Scooby, Hedwig and Sirius. 

Something I wrote

Here is something I wrote as a New Year message to friends :

Dont get too hassled by some of the urdu words

 

 

 

Guzishta saal, guzarne ke liye hi  aaya tha,

so guzar gaya

Saal ke fakhat teen sau painsath din

par har din ke kambakth beinteha lamhe

Yaadein ban kar reh jayenge,

kuch meethi,  kuch haseen,

kuch dilkash, kuch dil fareb.

 

Quanoon-e-kainaat mein muquarrar hai

Duniya ka Sooraj se ek chakkar hai !

In chakkaron me guzar jaate kai saal

Kya rakha ha isme,

kyon hai insaaniyat , bequaraar, be-haal ?

Kyon ginen hum  yoon hi saal, dar-saal ?

 

Chand dinon me hoga

Ek aur Ailan-e-naya saal

Shayad shuru ho ek naya chakkar

Yeh kab khatam hua ? jo phir

Shuru ho ek naya chakkar, naya saal?

 

Par choriye, in baton ko, kya rakha hai.

Dil se dua karta hoon,

Naye Saal mein

Neend se aap jab jagein

Jamaal-e-dilfaroze aapko bakshe

Ek naya khush-haal daur 

Jiske aagaz mein ho hazir ,

Aapke aage - ek purnoor manzar

 

Saal-dar-saal

har naya saal ho be-misaal

 

Translation :

The year gone bye had to pass

So it has

A mere 365 days but each with

Limitless, infinite moments

Now only memories will remain

Sweet, beautiful, attractive and puzzling

 

The law of nature has decreed

That the earth has to go around the sun

Perhaps there is a kind of  an affair on

Years and eons pass in such revolutions

But let it not bother us, Why must we count ?

Lets ponder on why humanity is in such quandry.

 

In a few days

A new year shall be proclaimed

May be the earth begins another affair

With the sun. When did it end?

Why should a new one begin

 

Lets not give it too much thought.

Let me wish for you a great

Beginning

When you wake up in the new year

May the Eternal Graceful Benevolent  One

Present you with a world full of light

Happiness, Joy

 

May each year be unsurpassed in happiness