When your wishes come true

Yesterday while I was with the film crew at the Maqbool Sahib mosque a goat was being led into the grounds. The goat was going to be sacrificed because someone's wishes came true and this was their way of thanking allah. The meat was going to be distributed amongst worshippers. 

In between shooting for the film crew and waiting for them to return from a mens only zone I saw people running towards a man with a basket - it was the cut pieces of raw meat being brought out for distribution. People appeared out of no where to claim their share using women and children to gain sympathy votes.

Being in Kashmir during Ramadan...

... is a different thing altogether - beautiful & serene.

Everyone works like clockwork around the fasting and prayer rituals. Drivers and Boatmen will not leave for any place before 5.30am (their last meal for the day is at 4.30am before praying at the mosque until 5.25am), internet cafes, shops and such establishments close for half hour 5 times a day. Everything stops working, restaurants are empty or under renovation and when it's time to break the fast after sun down the roads are clear, the servers at restaurants are hunching behind counters waiting for the time so that they can have their first sip or bite of anything. Usually fasts are broken with the customary glass of seasoned milk.

It's a great time to be here and to be immersed in another way of living.

'No Internet. Sorry'

Living without being in touch with the real world can be quite daunting at first - however it has it's perks. Being on the road and having no internet takes a bit of getting used to, when even a little bit seems like luxury.

I am now checking in after 3 days. Hello.

Either it's the power or the internet itself - having one cafe in the entire neighborhood obviously doesn't help. No internet however ensures more sleep - quite different from pulling thru the 4am's thanks to facebook and other such 'important' distractions that 'must' be catered to. 

Life is good, sometimes without internet.

A beautiful morning

5.30am is when a small corner of the Dal Lake sees hectic activity.

It's the vegetable market! 

 

A little bit of an adrenaline rush (?)

Saturday in Srinagar was a day that the town was declared shut due to tension over the Prime Minister's speech. While Dar Yasin of the Associated Press gave David and me a walk about town we heard voices and Dar said get your cameras ready! It did turn out to be a bit of a hue and cry over nothing. Police reinforcements were brought in, tear gar was handed out, the police were ready for some heavy stone pelting action. What it really was, was a few kids playing the police - the mob dissolved before it actually became one. 

A first view - the Dal Lake

too scared to cough

The buzz in the air quite literally is the H1N1 Swine flu. Yesterday, I took the flight from New Delhi to Srinagar, Kashmir and there were many a masks in sight, people covering their mouths and in general the raise of an eyebrow at the sound of a tiny sniffle.

Let's just say that being on the backend of the flu (not swine), with a bottle of throat relievers and a pack of tissues in hand, I wasn't their favourite person.

Arrival in Srinagar ensured a different level of craziness. Everyone was in masks, people arriving were being videotaped with health forms and doctors galore.

I was trying hard to not cough, having clearly marked on the form and signed a declaration that I did NOT have fever, cold, throat problems etc in the last 10 days.

Lets just say that walking out of the airport was sweet relief and i'm really excited about this journey.

I am last minute mansi

To those who know me, 

you KNOW what I'm talking about!

On the eve of departure, I am usually always a mess... working with deadlines, getting my gear together, making plans (and yes, this is usually always on the night before I leave when I don't sleep). The sweetest relief is getting into the car, plane or train and saying 'woohoo' I made it.

Every time I travel, I think i'll do it differently, I'll be better planned... but meh, whats the fun working under no pressure? I thrive on it.

I'm leaving in a few hours and things are no different.

Lets go with the flow yes?