Acts of Love - Vasu Plants 60 Trees for Us

Cut to a couple of years ago when I saw a video by the Guruji of Parmarth ashram in Rishikesh who urged everyone to plant one tree on their birthday. It was a beautiful message and I was inspired enough to share it with Vasu who loved the idea. We decided to plant 57 trees which is what we were then (we are separated by 11 days).

Then he brought out a book titled 'Trees of Delhi' by renowned film maker Pradeep Krishen and we spent most of a Sunday selecting the trees we wanted to plant. Then another day we went to his plot of land at Shamshabad and measured out the distance for 57 trees. 

Somehow it kept getting delayed. Year after year we would start and it would stop. Either the right place or fencing or water or caretakers. I gave up in my mind though Vasu kept telling me he would do it and get me to inaugurate the project. In his busy schedule it kept getting pushed. 

Until yesterday when he called me and said we should go to inaugurate the project. He took me to the same place but a little away, a for acre farm belonging to his friend, where he planted Avenue trees of six varieties - silver Oak, flame of forest, bakul, pongamia, patrajiva and badam. He told me he selected these varieties because they were native to the area and promoted biodiversity. He has then planted 20 feet apart in the evening in an L shaped road. Each plant was grown a bit since he didn't want them to die, had a grilled fencing and was getting water from a drip pipe.

Obviously a hell of a lot of work and he enlisted the help of the farm caretaker Ramakrishna who helped us. Vasu also wanted to surprise me so he kept me seated in a nice place while he went and stuck a small dedication, a note of love and friendship to me on the fence wishing me a great life ahead. Then he invited me to water the plant. I loved the gesture, the way he slowly made it mine, from what was our project. But it will remain our project only. I gave him a big hug. 

For sheer thoughtfulness and painstaking execution one can't beat Vasu. I loved the message he wrote for me. On our way back we were wondering how the ways of the universe are - where Guruji from Paramarth makes a video and where we get 60 trees in Shamshabad. So beautiful. 

One of the most unique gifts, one that i will cherish forever. I can't wait to see these trees grow in another ten years. But for now Vasu bhai, thank you so much for your gift.

One of the greatest acts of Love I've witnessed, not to me, but to August l society in general as well. 

Acts of Love - Stranger Walks up with a Note

I was having lunch at the Plaza the other day with Akhil, my book on the table, when an elderly steward came to me with a paper. 'You read books Sir,' he asked. I nodded. 

'You should visit this website sir,' he said. 'You get all kinds of books.' He told me he also reads a lot of books and that he was glad to see me carrying a book. I took the note from him and thanked him. 

It was really nice of him to approach me like that and share this info. What else but an act of love? 

Next time I'm there I'll speak a little more with him. Find out more. But for now, thanks sir.

Fractured Communities - Umar Khalid

Umar Khalid has been so much in the news and from whatever I have read about him, what's happening to him does not seem right. I have not had the courage to go deep into his story yet for some reason but the snatches of news I hear about him and his work and his situation make me feel like I should understand him and his story better. When I read Ramachandra Guha (who also wrote the foreword for the book) say that "this is one of the most accomplished doctoral dissertations that I have read" I made up my mind to buy the book. Not that I am an academic or can understand doctoral dissertations but simply as an act of support for the JNU scholar who has been rusticated from the University and has been in jail for six years on charges of sedition without bail and without trial (he completed his thesis from jail). 'Fractured Communities' is Umar Khalid's PhD thesis on the history of Adivasis in the Singhbhum region of Jharkhand.

The book documents the history of Singhbhum tribal societies under the British rule (the British fought the tribals for 100 years) and how the East India Company acquired military and administrative control over the region once they realised the forest and mineral wealth of the region. The British, in their attempts to control the area (for their commercial biases) found the going difficult because the region was not easy to access and was also populated by what were considered hostile aboriginal tribes. To counter that difficulty, the British brought in new legal frameworks, economic and political structures alien to the Adivasis. 

At the centre of the whole issue is the corporate scramble for land. 

At some point, after their initial attempts to use muscle power which resulted in the deaths of thousands of tribals, the British came up with land laws that protected the Adivasis identity to appease the tribals - the Chota Nagpur Tenancy Act (CNTA) and the Santhal Paraganas Tenancy Act (SPTA) after the Munda Ulgulan (1908) and Santhal Hool (1855) uprisings. Khalid writes that land is at the core of the tribal societies survival because as per the customs of the Munda and Santhal tribals, ownership of land belongs to all the families who cleared that land and made it cultivable. It is their way of providing identity to their people.

The tribals, considered as 'greedless people' (Arundhati Roy I think) have most of their conflicts with outsiders mainly to save their water, land and jungle (jal-jameen-jangal), from the government-money lender and landlord (sarkar-sahukar-zamindar) nexus. Khalid focuses on a tribal community called the Hos in the region of Kolehan and traces how the British took a policy of exception for tribal tracts to 'protect' the aborigines who cannot handle themselves. At some point the tribals were perceived as the lowest rung of civilisation and thus needed to be civilized and protected. Part of the attempts to control the area involved dividing the tribals where some got administrative posts and became part of the elite. In other ways the government promoted local armies to counter the Maoists and divided the community.

The land of commercial value has been alienated by law which is opposed by the tribals. The recent case of Niyamgiri Suraksha Samiti (NSS) where gram sabhas were held and the attempt of Vedanta Aluminium Ltd to make forays into the land for exploitation of mineral wealth halted, is heartening and gives hope to the communities of the area. The environmental degradation and the displacement of people, the change in structure of the societies are opposed by these tribal societies. Every now and then there is  a protest for a separate state or to go back to an old British rule that grants them separate status.

I am definitely better informed about the story of the tribal communities in the Singhbhum area after reading the book. It is clear that Umar Khalid has done immense research and fieldwork and put it across in a manner that even a layman like me can understand it (most academic works I don't get otherwise). He has received high praise from renowned academics like Ramachandra Guha and Nandini Sundar. 

Umar Khalid dedicates the book to Rohith Vemula and Gauri Lankesh 'who fought resolutely to the end and continue to inspire millions even today' - and you know he has made up his mind to follow them. Now I will do some more research on this author and hopefully understand a little more about his predicament. Makes you wonder - what are people like him doing in jail without trial for such years and why.     

Sunrise at Tank Bund

On a day when I and Tanhai did not expect to see the sunrise because of the clouds, the sun granted us a perfect peek before it disappeared. Good enough to make the morning visit to Tank Bund well worth it.

A small appearance. And then, this. 

And then the Sun disappeared after two minutes. 

Other sights of the day included a couple who were diligently collecting plastic to sell. 

A shot of the Buddha statue between these rocks.

A quiet morning. Lovely.

Anjali - Her First Article with her own Byline

Anjali did her internship with The Quint which was a great thing for her. But when she got an offer to pitch an idea, and the idea got approved, and she wrote a piece on DUSU elections and it finally got published today with her own byline - it was quite something else. 

Here's the piece. 

https://www.thequint.com/elections/jantar-mantar-effect-dusu-political-expectations

Good work A. And here's wishing you many more. 

The Art of Captaincy - Mike Brearley

It's the third edition. Some changes surely. Mike Brearley, is a respected psychoanalyst and author and one of England's finest captains. 

A captain's job involves holding contradictions in balance - indulging team mates yet keeping a tight leash, micro managing every dimension of team life yet with a light touch. It is about tweaking levers of influence and about planning right down to rest and pre-match warm up and training sessions. He needs to draw the balance between individual and group motivation and success, between planning and intuition, between discipline and freedom, between conscious thought and instinct, between intervention and letting be, between seeking opinion and being in command. He says the captain must know that no two lions (players) are alike. What I liked most was that he says that as he wrote the book, Brearley discovers that he badly wanted to win - which is perhaps what made him find the answers, go through the fear.

Clearly he says, the captain is responsible for results - specially losing. It's his job to get everyone together, keep the herd together. He should be flexible in his approach tactically and deploy whatever skills players have at their disposal. He has to get the best out of the team without suppressing flair and uniqueness. Each captain is different, so just be natural and find your own way.

A captain has to have the long term and short term perspective, understand tactical and psychological aspects of the game. No matter what, a captain should not panic whatever the situation. Don't be helpless, look for options. Take advise. Most importantly - don't be afraid to lose - don't be too defensive. A captain should also have a good memory to repeat patterns, find weaknesses and strengths. He should be alive to different possibilities of attack and defence, experiment and convention. He should give clear roles to his players and give clear directions while motivating his bowlers.

In choosing a captain, the old story of class vs charisma is long gone. One has to choose the best suited person in terms of leadership ability, skills to fit into the team, knowledge of the game, who brings tactical shrewdness, brings the best out of his players - and through all that delivers best results. 

The best players need not be the best captains. The qualities required of the captain are - courage, integrity, fairness, goal driven and who can take people along. He must care for his team, be a learner and a motivator and be good at planning ahead. The captain should avoid nepotism, class distinctions, elitism. He should be an avid reader of the game and its history. Most importantly he should not hesitate to take the unpopular stand.

A captain, once appointed, takes stock of his resources - assesses, plans and prepares. He understands the strengths and weaknesses of his team. He establishes his approach clearly - to win in whichever way he prefers. He plans for practice and coaching - pre-season and pre-match, fitness and net practice. He needs to be involved in building a successful side. He should have data such as videos of players at nets and matches to analyse and coach to improve. He needs to understand pitches, get information about them, have a sense of the injuries to players and how to manage them and have replacements ready. He should certainly be good enough to deal and discuss with other stake holders.

As a part of the selection committee he should have no cliques, no favorites, he should not be too close to the boys and maintain complete confidentiality. He should be able to take calls such as not changing  a winning side or picking horses for courses. Ideally pick the best wicket keeper, and have specialist bowlers to take wickets. Go with form where possible. Have clarity of goals like winning each game. Look for character in his players. 

A captain can insist on a time table for training and fielding practice where they practice close in and out field practice. He should get acquanited with ground conditions by talking to the groundsmen and others.

The captain must ensure a healthy dressing room atmosphere. He must get his team to behave like a team and help each other out in the middle and out side. He gives the example of how he and Randall once chased a huge total by putting a target of 15 minute segments and trying to survive the same. He should get his team to be supportive and encouraging, censure players who do not fit into the culture. Batting orders need not be changed unless necessary.

He gives the example of how Middlesex (his team) was playing against Surrey and after two days of rain they came out to play and got Surrey out for 40. Seeing the conditions they decided not to bat and played just one ball, declared, and put Surrey in again, got them out for 87 all out. By this time the pitch had eased out a bit and they scored 137 for 1. Hell of a gamble but makes immense sense.

Before he gets on the field the captain has to think ahead - get the players on the field together, set the right tone, set the right field,the right player in the right position, make eye contact. He has to be exact and exacting in his demands. He has to be aware of which bowler may do better from which end keeping the wind, the boundary, the type of bowler in mind. A captain should also encourage others to think from a tactical point of view, should encourage and motivate the others. He should clearly avoid favoritism and give everyone a fair chance.

While placing the field the captain should play on the batsman's mind - like leaving gaps to make the batsman commit mistakes. Typical fields are 5-4 (defensive), 6-3 (offensive) and 7-2 (in control fully). For a 7-2 field the bowler should have great skill -like Lillee who he mentions. The captain must know the range of the bowler (in fact of all players).

One of the best stories he tells is that of a lion keeper he meets who has had a 100% success rate and when asked how he manages to train lions so well he says - no two lions are alike. Brearley says its the same with people - no two people are alike and he must know how to handle each one differently and know what they respond to. He should have a general strategy, be flexible in approach as conditions change. He must constantly play on the batsman's mind and put pressure on them and serve up what they would least like to face. Most players do not know their strengths and weakness, what they are capable of. He should know if their strengths are strengths or weaknesses, if they like things a certain way. He can be innovative with fielding positions depending on conditions and batsmen. He should take advantage of the batsman's inner turmoils. Mostly, a captain should never give up. Also, trust your intuition.

Brearely is ruthless - he believes in bowling bouncers to get wickets as a psychological ploy. He says every player has their own sense of aggression - some need to be needled. For example Botham needed a stick and Willis needed a carrot and constant encouragement. He encourages the game to be played in the right spirit without cheating, sledging and so on.

While on averages he says we are all aware that some runs count more than others and averages do not tell the whole story. The classic dilemma of individual or team - he says one must play for the team success which is a product of individual success. He says groups tend to take a particular characteristic and the attitude of the group can affect the individual. It is the captain who influences his team and its character, and must nudge it in the right direction, overseeing the actions and behaviors. He should be clear, compassionate and insist on discipline. He should display courage and be ready for the impossible. He cites the case of a match when Marsh was captain and the opponent had only 78 to get and he told his team they will put up a good show. Lillee however did not buy that and said they are going to win and came back and bowled them out for 61 - a side that included Vivian Richards.

In team meetings he said its best to listen more. One can stir up the team with a ritual that is the team's own. Team meetings certainly helped he says as someone or the other brings some important insights. The captain must make everyone feel like they belong. He must also make it clear that the focus is on preparation and not the outcome. He must facilitate and encourage talks about the art and craft which helps them feel better. He must find the balance between discipline and creativity.

While on Stars and Others he says one must accept individual differences. However he says the captain can insist on punctuality, uniform, so the team looks organised. He says it might help to ask the team what they wanted from him. Definitely do not miss a chance to praise players when they do well. Also see who takes how to praise and give accordingly.

As captain he must also be aware that allotting rooms is important so players are comfortable and in a growing environment and not rub off on each other badly. He should set high standards and expect it. He has to earn respect by example and allow talent to flower. He must also understand that no one is perfect and the aim is to improve playing ability, character, mental make up. He has to be tough yet considerate, strict and indulgent, instill the will to win. He should ram home the advantage and cling desperately when losing it. He should be available to receive the emotional demands and pressures from those he is responsible for.

...

Such then is how a captain should be and its an art that can be refined by learning and practicing like all other skills. Keeping notes, having discussions etc will certainly go a long way in the making of a successful captain.      

As a Man Thinketh - James Allen

James Allen ((1864-1912) wrote this bestseller as his third book. It has some fundamental ideas that perhaps became the founding principles of many self-help programs - the idea of 100% ownership. You are responsible for everything, make it happen. Some of this ideas.

You are what you think. It's not fate, it's you. You are the master of your fate. Always believe that. When you're stuck seek answers and you will find them.

Thought and character are one - the outer can be found in the inner. Your external circumstances grow out of your thoughts. 

 You attract what you secretly harbour - what you love, fear.

Justice is exact - you get what you deserve (or secretly desire).

Your circumstances reveal you to yourself.

You attract what you are, not what you want.

You are fighting against an 'effect' on the outside while preserving the 'cause' inside. 

Suffering is always the effect of wrong thought in some direction when you are out of harmony with yourself.

Stop whining and understand the laws. Alter your thought and witness rapid change in your conditions. Your mind determines your health. Cheerful thoughts dissipate ills.

When we think thoughts with purpose there is intelligent achievement.

Conceive a legitimate purpose in your heart and accomplish it. 

Strength grows with purpose. Eliminate doubt and fear - thought allied fearlessly to purpose becomes a creative force.

He who has conquered weakness, and has put away all selfish thoughts, belongs neither to the oppressor nor the oppressed. He is free.

The higher you lift your thoughts the more manly, upright and righteous he becomes, the greater will be the achievement.

He who would accomplish little, must sacrifice little, he who would attain highly must sacrifice greatly.

The dreamers are the saviors of the world.

He who cherished a beautiful vision, a lofty ideal in his heart, will one day realise it.

There is no such thing as luck. 

The strength of the effort is the measure of the result. 

Calmness of the mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom.

The more tranquil a man becomes, the greater is his success, his influence, his power for good.

Calmness is power. Peace, be still. 

...

Simple, powerful and make immense sense,

Captaincy Talks Series - Talk 1

I was chatting with M, HT and MJ about captaincy the other day, and we discussed a few points which I believe can be used as guiding principles. 

Making the Journey Bearable to all - Taking Time to Mentor

1) The Captain Should Produce Results

The captain's main job is to deliver results - and he must do all he can to deliver wins. He is made captain because the team management feels that he is the best person to deliver results. He will be judged only by the results he produces and nothing else.

2) Credit to Team, Blame to Captain

All wins go to the team, all losses and blame comes to the captain - it's part of the deal. So be prepared and act accordingly. When things go wrong you are left holding the baby.

3) Play the Best Resources 

The captain must ensure that the best resources are playing - the best XI must play. Any compromise will compromise the team, the result, and the captaincy record. Even the slightest compromise under the mistaken notion that it can be covered up somehow will haunt you at a crucial time. It's sheer arrogance if any captain feels they can do with less than the best resources. 

4) Captain Must be Fair to Earn Trust and Loyalty of the Team 

Apart from being strategically poor, not playing the best players (normally out of bias) sends a signal to the entire team that the captain is not fair. Once the team feels that the captain is not fair, he loses respect. Players start playing for themselves, the team gets divided and the team loses the edge. One cannot win championships with such an atmosphere. On the other hand if the captain is fair and fights for what is fair, the team trusts him and backs him and fights as one for him and the team.

5) Get the best Out of Everyone 

Having ensured the best XI the captain must ensure he is getting the best out of everyone by using all their skills fully. To do this the captain must have an understanding of what each one brings in terms of skill and attitude, their strengths and weaknesses. The best way is to talk to them, talk to their team mates, coaches, watch them in different circumstances etc and make a mental note. Most players do not know their potential. A good captain can see it and helps them achieve it. Eg. Pinch hitters, part time bowlers. Sehwag as opener and off spinner.

6) Prepare for the Toss - It's Crucial

The best XI is followed by our decision to bat or bowl after the toss. Unless there's a clear advantage in the conditions for bowlers, it's best to put runs on the board and put pressure on the opponents. It gives tactical advantage. Enough thought must go into what the course of action should be after the toss.

7) Gain a Sliver of an Advantage and Drive it Home  

All of the above is to get a competitive advantage over the opponent as early as we can. The entire idea of winning is to grab the advantage and press it home ruthlessly. If we do not have the advantage we must hold on our position without slipping too far out of the game and try and get a foothold in the door and then come back. Eg. India -Australia at Calcutta, VVS Laxman's match

8) Be Ruthless

Winning is all about being ruthless. Practice being ruthless in every competition, in every game, every situation. Winning must become second nature. No relaxing. 

9) Don't Create Chances for Players out of Turn, Let Each one Earn Their Place

Ruthlessness extends to resources as well. Resources must earn their place and not be handed it out in an out-of-turn manner. This will not only hurt that resource, it will hurt the team and the captaincy record. When a resource is ready, the opportunity will create itself. The captain need not create chances. 

10) Poor, Good and Great Captains and How They Show

Under a poor captain, the entire team's performance goes down - even good players do not perform well. Under a good captain, all the main players perform and he will carry much of the load himself. But a great captain will get everyone to perform better than their expectations. Great captains normally show their belief in the fringe players and motivate them to give an extra 10-20% which adds up heavily to the final tally. It also eases the pressure off the main players.

To get that extra edge, our job will be to focus on getting a more out of the fringe players by believing in them, setting clear expectations, giving coaching inputs etc. Eg. All good captains - MSD.

11) Hope vs Faith

The good captain operates on faith which is very different from operating on hope. Hope implies there is no belief. Hope implies we are not sure and are taking a chance. Faith comes from a stronger space that translates into the player feeling trusted. The difference in hoping and trusting shows in the players performance. Eg.MSD - Joginder Singh

12) Learn the Art and Craft of the Game 

Much of cricketing knowledge or understanding passes on through deep discussions on craft, strategy, tactics, history and story telling. Mumbai cricket revels in that culture. To gain faster exposure, captains and aspiring captains must learn to engage actively, ask questions in all kinds of fora, more so with senior players, captains etc. Eg. Mumbai Cricket culture.

13) Great Players Do not Translate to Great Leaders

The best players need not be the best leaders. So giving your star player the burden of Captaincy may not always be right. It may affect negatively in two ways - one, that the star players performance gets affected and the team performance subsequently and two, sometimes the pressure a star performer brings on the team does not aid the others to perform. Unless the star is also a good leader who can get others to perform as well, it's better to look for a different captain so team performance is not affected. The star player can focus on his game and the leader can focus on the rest of the team. (Eg Tendulkar)

14) Don't Give the Opponent a Chance to Get Up

Every little change in the course of the game gives an opportunity to gain an advantage and seal the game - do not relax once you have the game fully under control. Finish it as soon as you can, by using your best resources, else things can go really bad if we let the opponent breathe. Eg. All games that were in our control and we let the opponents get away.

These are a few points that came out of the discussion. It was an excellent discussion and we hope to have more such.

The Feedback Series - S C

I love good feedback. When it comes unsolicited, even better. This came in today, most unexpectedly, from a student I taught last year at the Department of Dance, University of Hyderabad. Absolute treasure.

"Happy vinayaka chavithi sir 

Hope you are doing good 

S C here from MPA Bharatanatyam HCU 2026 passed out batch 

I got a job as dance coordinator in Christ university Bangalore with 8LPA

Arts management truly helped me in achieving it . I followed most of the concepts I have learned in arts management sincerely & here I am . 

I am truly greatfull to be part of the learning’s , couldn’t explain how it changed the way I see myself now , with more learning mindset , goal setting, feedback management, asking for help, wishing everyone each and everything moulding me into a better person day by day. 

I won’t stop here sir, I will crack UGC NET and try my best in securing seat as a PhD scholar in HCU again with the same learning’s that brought me till here today.

My heartfelt Thanks to you sir ."

Made my day. 

Thought for the Day - Difficult is a State of Mind

Anything difficult is a State of mind. If we label anything that seems unknown, uncomfortable, needs effort as difficult, it will get difficult and harder to achieve. 

By labelling it difficult we make it more difficult than it is, make it easier to give up, make it easier not to achieve. Your shoulders tighten, face grows long, body stiffens, heart grows heavier.

Stop labeling. Just do it. If you have up label it just say it's a breeze. It will be. Life is a State of mind.

Vinod Bhai and the Abids Second Hand Book Market

Vinod Bhai is the senior pro of the Abids Second Hand market. In the past four decades I suspect he has missed very few Sunday visits to his beloved market. To get an idea of his love for books and through them this beautiful market one must visit his blog vinodekbote@blogspot.com

Books, authors...my world expanded many times thanks to Vinod. He has gifted me several books, many I have borrowed from him, helped me buy or find some particular book I was searching for, takes my friends and guests for a tour of the market and every once in a while gives me these wonderful surprises - pictures of my books among many others.

One doesn't know if one should feel good about seeing your book in the second hand market - wondering who has discarded your masterpiece - or just feel good to see your book next to a Sydney Sheldon, Jeffrey Archer, Edward de Bono, Paulo Coelho and others. 

I think I will feel both and enjoy the moment. Thanks Vinod Bhai for spotting both 'If You Love Someone...' and 'This Way is Easier Dad' and sending me the pics.

The Phuket Diaries - Day 3

This being a day of light activity, a trip was planned to the some sights and then the Old Town in Phuket which was a quaint part of the town with a market and food and stuff. I didn't do any research this trip, being in some kind of a daze and just followed the others like Mary's little lamb. So the taxi van came at 10 and we got our breakfast done  by then and hopped on. It was a longish ride.

Wat Chalong temple

The place where they burst crackers after their wishes are fulfilled

The first stop was at the 19th century Wat Chalong temple complex (aka Wat Chaiyatthararam) which had many beautiful temples. It is Phuket's largest temple and most visited where people come to pay respects to several monks - chiefly two monks Luang Pho Chaem and Luang Pho Chuang who helped the citizens fight against the Chinese Rebellion in 1876 by helping out the injured with their knowledge of herbs and so on.

The 3 storied chedi

Ground floor

People come and pay respects to the monks in what I presumed was the main temple. There are signs that tell visitors to dress appropriately. I could not follow the rituals they did but it did look like they were praying. Outside there is a small enclosure where they burst fire crackers when their wishes are granted. 

Many Buddha statues

Paintings of Buddha's life on the walls and ceiling

3rd floor - where a splinter of the Buddha's bone are kept

The huge, most impressive building is called a 'chedi' which is three floors high. You can walk right up to the top floor. There are many statues of the Buddha, paintings of his life on the walls and the ceiling. As we go to the top floor, it has a glass enclosure which has a splinter of  the bone of the Buddha. From the top floor one can also see good views of the complex. There are many other buildings, all of them beautiful but we neither hired a guide nor knew enough so we headed out.

Khao Rang Hill

Khao Rang Hill City View Point

Next stop was some view point which was quite scenic - one can see the sea in the distance. Its green, quiet, a few monkeys around, one man playing some serene music like a DJ. We wandered around, got some pictures of the panaromic view, enjoyed the quiet and left. From there we could see the famous Big Buddha statue on a nearby hill and wondered if we had time to visit that and still go to the Old Town. But time was short and there was some heavy rain predicted so we looked at the Big Buddha from far and headed to Old Town.

Old Town Phuket

Old Town was beautiful. We entered it through a flea market which had all sorts of stuff - clothes, knick knacks and so on until we stepped out onto the main street in Old Town. It was really quaint with a lot of Sino Portuguese structures, many buildings that remind you of old British architecture or of some Goan buildings.

We shopped around a bit - I bought myself a toy scooter.

 Outside on the street Rajesh and I tried some interesting ice creams. One nice feature is that they serve chilled coconut water. I tried something which had ice apples in the mix. We wandered in and out of ships until we ended up in a restaurant that was suggested by our jovial taxi man Charlie. 

The food was great, beer chilled, service warm, decor quaint, so no complaints. There was an antique gramophone, type writer and many such. We finished our lunch and headed back. Rajesh and NisHa had some work back at the resort so the rest of us got off at the Premium outlet which has all brands. We shopped a bit and got a cab on their reliable app Grab. The heavens opened up on our lunch ride back home and it took an hour to get back. 

The restaurant - perfect

Indian shops

An evening of fun and stories and celebrations and we were done for the day. That pretty much ends the trip.

The Phuket Diaries - Day 2

Day 2 was an intense day. Rajesh booked a travel company for some package where we visit a few islands on a speed boat and generally get a hang of Thailand and its many islands. I am generally wary of water but then this seems to be my year of water. 

Off to the speed boat

Breakfast at the Coffee Club was brilliant - English Breakfast. Surprisingly they had a door that had sensors but it would open only if you pressed a part of it or waved a hand at it - not automatic like it claimed. I could as well turn a knob. So I stood before it for a while expecting it to open but it didn't and someone came and did that thing with their hand and all was well.

Limestone

Our ride came, that same huge 12 seater which was very comfortable, a very courteous driver who drove us for an hour across the island.  He drove very gently, taking utmost care to go slowly over the speed breakers, staying to a side when making a turn. nothing like our traffic here which is all about showing everyone who is strongest. Culture does show in traffic.

Canoes

We reached the jetty from where our speed boat was to take off and we were ushered politely into a small cafe by a very polite young man who smiled continuously (he smiled in a day more than i would in two months I reckon) , surrounded by greenery. We tried some country liquor, very strong, bought some flippers, caps (I got one with roses) and were all set to go. Our guide was Patrick which is the Irish name he says - looks like a film star and was a lot of energy and fun. He led us to the speedboat, told us not to litter stuff, gave us soft drinks and water, some do's and don'ts, the general itinerary and we were off zipping cross the Andaman sea to what I feel must have been the farthest point.

Green lagoons

After half an hour or so we stopped near a cove or a lagoon overhung by limestone karst formations - quite beautiful - some 60 kms away from Phuket. Then we went ahead to what was possibly Panak Island. I guess we were traversing the Phang Nga Bay from whatever literature I could read. The Phang Nga Bay has about 42 islet in a 400 sq km area, with Krabi being on the other side of the bay. 10000 years ago they say one could walk from Phuket to Krabi, now there's a sea.

Floating village

Next we went to a place which I think was Hong island (Hong apparently means room) and saw many speedboats stopping there. Soon as we stopped some canoes drew up along side and we stepped in, two per canoe, and the canoe chaps paddled us away into beautiful lagoons inside the island, sometimes we had to fully lean back horizontally because it was quite low. its called an emerald lagoon and was quite stunning.

Ice Cream - James Bond Island

The canoe guys were quite tuned in to Indians and started singing some Hindi songs and doing Shahrukh Khan gestures and even presented the women in the canoe with a ring made of some root. After about half an hour of this beautiful canoeing we headed back to the speed boat and hopped on.

Crazy rock formation

Onwards to the next island which if I remember right was the Koh Panyee village, which stands on stilts entirely. It was built in 1880 apparently by sea faring Muslim fishermen from Indonesia. About 360 families live on the village which has about 1600 people. There's a school  a mosque, even a floating soccer field (which I did not see). The main attraction for us was the restaurant where we were to have lunch and we had a nice lunch and checked out some shops and hopped back on the boat.

The clouds were getting a little darker on one side and we next headed to the James Bond island or Khao Phing Kan island where the Bond film 'The Man with the Golden Gun' was shot. it is quite spectacular with an ice cream cone shaped rock in the middle of the bay. On the island there is a great rock which I cannot describe, maybe you can see the picture and get an idea. 

While there on the island the weather suddenly changed in minutes and a crazy wind blew hard and we all ran for protection in the rocks else we would have been blown back to Phuket. It looked like it would blow everything away for a while and after about 30 minutes subsided. We got on to our speed boat and off we were.

Eerie cave

Patrick had us stop at an island which had some stalactites and stalagmites - but to see the more interesting ones we had to almost bend double and go into a big room full of bats. Apparently this was the cremation place for some really old visitors to the island and he showed some markings which indicated that. It was fun. Half of us went and the other half stayed back.

Not what you think

Limestone formations

From there we went to another island, popular for swimming, water sports, beer and some stuff like that. While some water-loving members of the party flung themselves into the sea I stayed back and enjoyed a cold beer. After about an hour we headed back.

The chilling island

The last stop for the day was Koh Phae island which Patrick says is the sunset island and calls it the Patrick island. On this island the water recedes in the evening and a 300 mete sand bar appears which leads to an uninhabited island. There were many water jet riders doing stunts near the island. We hung around and looked for the sunset which looked normal. It's the island that is the highlight here and not the sunset.

Koh Phae Island

Headed back to the jetty and then back to the resort. Tiring day. Cannabis is legal here so M bought a few sticks - beginners stuff they said he said. We chilled in the evening and settled down for a more relaxed day the next day.

          

The Phuket Diaries - Day 1

A sudden trip with friends, a decision to step out of comfort zone, and lo behold we were in Phuket. There's a direct flight from Bangalore that lands directly in Phuket after three and a half hours. Thanks to taking the flight from Bangalore I got a chance to check out the new terminal in Bangalore which has a less intimidating presence than most airports. Anyway, unlike most trips where I do some amount of research I fully went by what friend Rajesh decided. An easy holiday, one day out boating to some islands, a chilled day and back. Sounded nice enough. 

Day 1 mostly went into flying to Phuket and arriving to find a nice, clean, less crowded place. There were hardly any VISA formalities - just some document to be filled in electronically - TDAC or something. The cars or vans are normally 10-12 seaters and quite spacious. They are very courteous the Thais, bowing deep for their namaskars, wishing you in a melodious sing song voice that somehow makes it very friendly and welcoming. I can greet in a curt manner but not when I do it in a sing song manner which makes you automatically smile. 

The resort was nice but away from the town. The beach was hardly a few minutes away and we headed out there. Not a soul here because the beaches are mostly annexed to these hotel properties. To the delight of some of the party it was discovered than weed was legal in Thailand.

The property was nice. Apparently the sea here is called the Andaman Sea (India shares maritime border with Thailand). Thailand itself I discovered later, was known as Siam in the olden days before the Europeans landed - Portuguese first. So there's a lot of Sino Portuguese architecture in the old town area of Phuket.