Sights and Sounds of Nature

Image via Wikipedia (Map of India showing Uttarakhand - in red colour)

I usually stay with my in-laws whenever I visit Dehradun. They live in the cantonment which is thankfully green and peaceful (and a couple of degrees cooler) as compared to the madhouse that Dehradun has become ever since it was declared the capital of Uttarakhand. Going to the city on an errand has now become such a pain that one tends to postpone the chore unless it is an emergency. Negotiating the 4-5 odd kms now takes an eternity thanks to the phenomenon of traffic jams, ineffective policing and indisciplined and rash drivers who deserve a sound thrashing for all the choas they create on the road. (What a pleasure that would be if I were so empowered - the thrashing I mean !!)
Living in the cantonment, however, has its rewards - especially the area adjoining RIMC - which is green and abode to a wide variety of wildlife. One does not need an alarm clock to wake up early in the morning. The cacophony of the birds does that job very effectively. Living in concrete jungles most of the time I had forgotten the melodious sounds which emanate from the jungles in Uttarakhand. I have tried to record these sounds in the following video clip. Turn up the volume and try to decipher the songs of the mynahs, bulbuls, koels, parakeets, wild fowl, sparrows and ravens. This orchestra starts everyday at around 0500 hrs and I am lucky to have a ringside seat. Living with nature could never be better !

SS 25 Monopoly at RBI, New Delhi !!

I visited RBI, New Delhi on 20 May and met the newly posted (some of them posted back to Delhi !) guys at the Protocol & Security Cell. Another welcome change is that Balli is back at the helm of affairs after his recent promotion to DGM (P&S). The atmosphere was certainly better than the last time I had been to this office. Yet another happy instance I want to mention here is that guys from my course, SS-25, the 'Shorty Silvers', are literally monopolising RBI, New Delhi. Capt B.S.Jaswal and Capt Sudershan Kumar are in the P&S Cell and Capt Tapan Chakravorty is in the Foreign Exchange Dept. Here are some pics that bear testimony to this fact :

From 'L' to 'R' - Sudershan, self, Tapan and Jaswal
Balli holding 'Center Stage' with Shorty Silvers

Back to Basics !

I left Muscat on 05 May on a month's leave. This is not the ideal time of the year to plan one's leave considering the mercury levels prevailing in North India. I did not have a choice in the matter as I had to take my MA (Final) exams at Dehradun (yet another example of self inflicted injury). The first of the five papers began on 08 May and the exercise will end in the first week of June with viva - voce. Since there were generous gaps between the papers I have been shuttling between Dehradun, Noida and Delhi. This time was also utilised for last minute mugging up and preparation. During one such spell I was cribbing that the subject matter was just not registering in my mind (signs of old age !!) when my niece promptly remarked "now, do you realise how kids have to cope up with exam stress ?" The answer is 'yes'. Its back to school for me and hats off to kids !!

World's Largest Body & Paint Centre

The world's largest body and paint centre was recently unveiled by our company at Ghala, Muscat. It was inaugurated by Mr Akio Toyoda, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Corporation, the world's biggest automaker and third largest company overall. Mr Akio Toyoda is the grandson of Toyota Motor founder Kiichiro Toyoda. It is a massive facility having state of the art body repair and painting facilities. This is the latest addition to the humungous facilities as regards showrooms, service centres and warehouses possessed by the Saud Bahwan Group in Oman.