PEGU.IN

Author: Uttam Pegu

  • The day I forgot to buy a lottery ticket

    Yesterday, 17 Nov 2017 has been really lucky day for me.

    The morning started with check-in in a hotel in Mahipalpur, New Delhi at 2AM from a very troubled and hectic drive down from Shimla. Had a good discussion ( mostly I listened) about present Assam situation and went to sleep at 3AM.

    Got up at 7:15AM as 8 out of our 10 members had to take flight at 10AM to Guwahati. Everything went smoothly, the airport droppings arrived in time, hotel guys were very helpful in loading luggages in the car. Me and another team member went back to room and got a call from Guwahati bound team that one car did not take taxi fare from them. Wow!

    Then there were some pending works which needed my urgent attention as I was kind of holidaying in Himachal Pradesh. I checked for Wifi in hotel and found that they have a put a board about Wifi Details in the room. I connected to it and internet worked blazing fast! The twin problems which were pending for last one week got resolved in first attempt! Wow!

    I was about to call OLA cab and then received an SMS from OLA with a discount coupon of Rs. 80! I used that and reached Saket from Mahipalpur for just Rs. 50! Wow!

    In Saket, I slept for two hours and then went and got SMS that my wait listed (22) train ticket got confirmed, RAC! Wow!

    I went to Nizamuddin to board the train at 5:10PM and reached quickly at around 5:45PM, though I was afraid of bad Delhi traffic. I went to ComSun restaurant and was debating if I should buy coffee as I was left with Rs. 400 in my purse and I thought I should not draw cash from ATM. Then a girl came and asked if she could seat in the empty seat in front of me. I said yes. She sat, kept her luggage and asked me again if could watch over her luggage while she goes and gets some coffee. I said yes again. She came back with two cups of coffee and offered me one. She said, she is thankful for watching over her luggage so she thought of buying me coffee. I profoundly thanked her and accepted the coffee. Wow! ( No she was not traveling to Udaipur in the same train).

    I was carrying a bottle of Blenders Pride in my backpack and I was apprehensive if I will be stopped and asked to remove it in the luggage screening while entering to platform. I was the lone passenger getting the luggage screened and no, they did not stop me. They let me pass! Wow!

    I reached Platform 7 without any further event and found that the train is already parked in the platform at 6:20PM for the scheduled departure of 7PM! Wow!

    I knew the chart wont be pasted, so I went straight to meat RAC seat and sat their comfortably. I looked around and found few fat ladies, men from Punjab sitting their and talking to ( or at?) each other loudly as usual. I kept playing with my mobile while I was waiting for the second RAC passenger. No h/she did not come. I was kind of happy and secretly hopped that h/she should not come so that I get the berth to myself! But another fad lady came while train was about to leave and sat in my berth. She was Punjabi too and offered to inform me that she is part of some Yatri, going to Nathdwara on some religious trip along with many people from Rajpura, Bhatinda etc etc. I had no interest but still I was polite to act attentive and replied when needed like a good boy.

    After one hour, Railway TTE ( Traveling Ticket Examiner) came and asked for my ticket. I showed him my ID and told him my berth number. He looked at his chart and did not find my name and asked me to show the SMS, I showed him again. And I found that my ticket is actually booked from Udaipur to Nizamuddin on the same day, same train name but different Train number, and I was there at Nizamuddin boarding on the train to go to Udaipur! The TTE then said, ohh, then you must be a current reservation person, and the original owner of the guy who was on the chart must have cancelled as he was supposed toboard from Nizamuddin only. So he crossed his name, put my name, age and asked the PNR from me, asked me to occupy the berth and moved on! I was too ashamed, dazed for proper response and just sat there! Wow!
    ( I had just Rs. 400 in my purse)
    I was really afraid and thought the TTE would come back after realising his mistake and I would be in very embarrassing situation where I am travelling without ticket ( wrong ticket), used that wrong ticket brazenly to occupy a berth and keeping straight face about it! Then another fat lady, friend of the lady who was already sitting there, came and sat with us. After few mins, that lady asked me if I could exchange a upper berth seat with the one I was sitting which was side lower berth. I said sure then I asked her which one. She said, sleep on any of the upper berth in the adjacent seats. I told, then I would take up the side upper berth, she told no problem, they have many berths as they are in big group. Then she asked me if I had my food, I said no. She immediately said, ohh, then you must have our food, we got lot of food and immediately offered me a nicely packaged food without garlic and onion! I tried to refuse though I was aware of my cash position! Then whole of their team came urging me to eat, i mean at least 10 of them asked me to eat, and even started giving me sweets etc. Typical Punjabi hospitality! One lady got up giving space for me to eat! The food was really good! Wow!

    I went to my newly acquired side upper berth and slept their but still apprehensive that TTE might come looking for me after discovering his mistake or the original berth owner may pop up at Mathura! But none came and after another station, I slept peacefully! Wow!

    I got up at Mavli, now relaxed as I knew I can now manage with Rs. 400/- even if the TTE realises his mistake! Then I reached Udaipur City station, walked out, reached home, paid Rs. 70 to auto guy ( still left with Rs. 330 from original Rs. 400) and sate down to write this experience and thought, I forgot to buy a lottery ticket yesterday.

  • Fleecing Foreigners in India

    I am not a foreigner in India and I am very much Indian citizen, that too by birth and my ancestors have been in India long before Indian gained independence in 1947. I look more ‘Asian’ than ‘Indian’ and most probably, that is the reason I have been experiencing fleecing here in India in almost every city I have traveled to.
    But recently, I hosted a traveler from Philippines, Kenneth, who had shared his experience of fleecing in India which I found to be similar to my experience as well as reaction. Here is what he has to say about fleecing in India as he faced as a foreigner.
    ——————–
    I’m sitting in a general class train and this man in front of me asked how’s my experience of Khajuraho… and so I gladly told him…

    Khajuraho is a small town with small population but a really great place! I love how peaceful it is and learned a lot from why it is popular of. I have met amazing people as well but I’m so shocked that these villagers who deals with tourist and foreigners has become even worse than in the cities. A lot of small things have happened but I just let it pass because this is a touristy place after all but this day was like okay what the hell is wrong with these people?

    I was leaving the village and several (more than 10) tuktuks asked me for a price from 100 to 1000 rupees just to take me from the lakeside to the railway. Around 10-15kms I think? Was willing to go for the 100 because I’m running late already but I saw a shared tuktuk so I took that. I was speaking to them in broken Hindi but enough for conversations like this. I asked the driver how much, I understood him in Hindi and he showed a hand sign 5 like saying 50 because he can’t speak in English. Then it became 100 when I asked him to type the price in my calculator just to be really sure. So I asked why? Then I asked each passenger how much are they paying and these ladies and gentlemen said different prices while laughing at me. Then one local who speaks in English came and I asked him to translate this to them…

    “Is this Khajuraho and Indian culture to cheat and laugh at guests of this village and this bcountry?”

    They all stopped and eventually told me okay just 20 rupees.

    Then when I arrived at the railway station, these guys and other tuktuk drivers were asking me to just give all the one hundred rupees because none of them has change and the driver was a poor man. They speak in English so I said…

    “You know karma? You do good and good things happen to you. You do bad and bad things happen to you. It doesn’t matter if you’re poor or rich. God helps the poor who doesn’t cheat.”

    Then they gave me my change. Surprise! Wew. Then I saw the other passenger just paid 10 but I just let it pass because everyone and everything was already overwhelming me.

    Going back to the man in front of me… he laughed as well so I said… “It’s not funny because when I come back to my country and when I share my story about Khajuraho people do you think it’s good?” He put his earplugs again.

    A lot of people have been telling me that these people are uneducated and all so I should just understand but I don’t think education, religion and even the government has something to do with being a “human”. They’re proud that their civilization has been running for million/billions of years already but how come these people still act this way as if they still haven’t developed consciousness of a billion year old civilization? They know how to drive, know how to use mobile phones, know how to choose a nice sarees but why still like this?

    Lastly, the Couchsurfing for business here is very disappointing. They strike your emotions and worse charge you in the end before you leave. It didn’t happen to me but the people who sent me messages/offered to host me have these similar references and even my very own host attested to these kind of CS people.

    Kindly follow me…
    Telegram
    Telegram

    Instagram
    @crazyboyfrommanila
    @knetket_

    Website
    Under construction! I’m so excited! Hahaha!
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  • Indo-China Stand Off at Doklam and fear in North East India

    With news of Indo – China face-off at Doklam, near tri-junction of India , Bhutan and China border, Chinese media has been posting articles about possibility of war between India and China almost daily. And Indian media are also publishing them regularly.

    Chinese A300 Artillery System
    Chinese A300 Artillery System

    I have also been noticing in my Facebook and Twitter page about people posting update about how China can flood Assam by opening their dams they have built in Brahmaputra in Tibet (Yarlung Tsangpo). Specially as there is season of flood in Assam now days.

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  • Flood in Assam can not be solved, here is why!

    As usual, during monsoon, as soon as rain starts, flooding starts in at least 20 districts in Assam in its Brahmaputra Valley. Netizens from Assam starts flooding Twitter/Facebook complaining center or mainland India of ignoring flood in Assam.

    Also, they keep demanding solving flood problems permanently. Very good and noble demand indeed. And as the death toll in the flood rises, Central Govt normally sends few of its ministers for aerial survey and announce some fund being released for flood relief work. Then rain stops, flood stops, all quiet down. Netizens get back to other issues.

    This year, I somehow got irritated with this yearly drama, so I thought I should try to Google what is this flood all about. And I am reasonably convinced now that, flood in Assam can not solved without big dams for water resourvior in Arunachal Pradesh or River Linking projects where rivers in India would be interconnected.

    First look at the map of Assam, Here is Google Map URL : https://www.google.co.in/maps/@26.2774491,93.5105803,609771m/data=!3m1!1e3

    Here is screen shot :-

    Assam Map
    Assam Map

    Here are few facts :-

    1. The width of Brahmaputra valley is average 80KM. Its less in upper Assam than lower Assam. The length of Brahmapura River is approx 600KM from Sadia to Dhubri.

    2. Brahmaputra river occupies approx 5KM through out the vallye in the middle, as can be seen in the map. The breadth of Brahmaputra in upper Assam is more, its like 12-15KM and at places, it would be 20KM. Also, after 1950 earth quake, its depth has gone down.

    3. If one observes the map, one would notice that, Brahmaputra valley is like a huge drain, hills on the both sides.

    4. The Brahmaputra has more than 120 big/small tributaries. Some are really big like Subansiri, which supplies almost 10% of water to Brahmapura alone. Some are small. Some rivers flow only when it rains in Arunachal Pradesh, Bhutan or Nagaland, KArbi hills. Source.

    5. Rainfall in Assam per year is approx 2800mm and Arunachal Pradesh has 2700mm. While Nagaland, another river contributory to Brahmaputra valley gets 1800 while Meghalaya gets 2800mm a year. All these states are at the top of rainfall averages among states in Assam, only Andaman And Nicobar gets more rain then these tiny states. Source. I actually dont need source, I can guess, it really rains a lot in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

    With this kind of climate and geography, I am pretty sure, flood in Assam can not be solved, no matter how much Assamese netizens tweet. According to me, huge investment of money is needed ( either to build safe big dams or water resourvior), and most probably government simply can not afford to do that or simply can not prioritise such huge investment for some 3% of India’s population and 14 LokSabha, 6 Rajya Sabha seats. On top of it, Assam and whole of North East India falls under Seismic Zone V, highest earthquake probability.Also, Assam gets few earth quakes every year.

    With this kind of scenario, I do not think it is reasonable to expect any solution to flood in Assam. Best way is to live with flood. Like Misings people do. Personally, I have met many Mising from Jiadhal, Dhemaji district Assam, ( I have been there many times as many of my relatives live there) whom I asked about flood in Jiadhal. They have been living with flood for long time, never thought of shifting to other places. When I asked them reason, they told that, rice production is good after flood recedes, fish becomes easily available. Life is good. They live in ‘taleng ukum’ or Changghor, raised houses, so nromaly their houses dont go under water even if water sises 10 feet. And water level rises when it rains continuously for 2 days or more, so they become careful after one days of incessant rain. They seem to have have cracked the way of living with flood and they seem happy.

    Most probably, living with flood Mising way is the best option for time being for the people of Brahmaputra Valley.

  • 30 days without alcohol

    For the first time, I took a new year resolution in 2017 to quit alcohol and meat till I lose 10 KG weight or I reach below 60KGs. And today, on 31 Jan 2017, I completed 30 days without both.

    When I started the resolution, I weighed 70KGs and now I weigh, 68KGs. I did running of 57KM as per Runstatic App while Ia m assuming I must have run approx 70KM, much lower that targeted 100KM a month. I mjst have spent at least 15 hours in GYM doing some weight training as well as some other work outs.

    Few of my friends have reduced their visits to my home as I stopped alcohol and meat. I think that is fine. A peson who enjoys alcohol may not like a non drinking partner, specially who has been long term drinking partner.

    I have not experienced much change in my, except that, I think, my face looks little better or younger. Worst is, I could reduce just 2KGs, which is far below my expectation.

    I had faced many comments after I quit alcohol. One interesting, a typical North Indian comment is, a person who has been drinking alcohol is like a person who has been in jail once, even if he comes out of jail, he remains a jail bird. And alcoholic person is like that, even if he quits drinking, he is still considered alcoholic and can not redeem himself/herself in the society. I find it quite interesting, specially the analogy.

    90% people did not believe that I would stick to my resolution. But then I have been able to stick to my resolution so far. During this 30 days, I cooked chicken at home three times and I did not eat even once. I was eating fish though. I even ate fish worth Rupees 1000 at Karol Bagh in New Delhi.

    Here are few things I realised during this period:-
    1. Majority of my friends are alcohol drinkers.
    2. People normally doubt that one can quit alcohol.
    3. There is serious peer pressure to drink.
    4. Quitting alcohol is easier than quitting meat.
    5. Smell of cooked meat is more tempting that smell of alcohol.
    6. One may not lose weight automatically if one quits alcohol and meat.
    7. One looks younger when one quits alcohol.

    Thanks for reading this far. I will update more when I actually reach below 60KGs and if I get to hear more interesting comment/feedback from others.

  • Trek to Chandrashila to do a Sirsasana

    Last month I went for trekking in the Himalayas for the first time in my life from 19th Nov to 23 Nov 2016. It was a great experience, augmented by great personalities Agniswar Mitra and Sunil Jain.

    The plan for this trip started when Agniswar asked me if I would like to go for trekking in some place. I started training for this trek in Udaipur by walking 3KM a day carrying 22KGs weight in my backpack. I got many curious looks ( I am used to it) in the colony where I live.

    Mr. Sunil Jain, who is 62 years old also joined and he trekked both Tungnath from Chopta and Sari Village to Deoriya Taal in the same day. Respect for him.

    I started my journey for the trek from Udaipur on 17th Nov 2016 by Mewar Express. I have been travelling on this train so much that, the TTE did not bother to check my Identity, rather told me, “We dont need to check your ID, you seem to travel more on this train than I do.”. I agreed.

    When I reached Hazarat Nizamuddin next day, I went to stay with Kaushik Deka, senior journalist in India Today, at VasantKunj. There Agniswar Mitra joined me, who now days call himself Agni Da Mitra. I am still trying to find out why he does so.

    We then left for Haridwar by train from Hazarat Nizamuddin railway station at 9:10PM and reached Haridwar at 3:20AM on 19th Nov 2016. We went to bus stand nearby and found out that bus to Rudraprayag would start only at 6AM. So we went out after calling Mr. Sunil Jain, who was already in Chopta trekking up to Tungnath. As per his advise we took a shared Sumo to Rudrprayag at 5AM. We reached Rudraprayag at 10:10AM and negotiated for another shared Sumo for Rs. 1500 who dropped us at Sari Village at 1PM. It took approximately 2 hours from Rudraprayag to reach Sari Village.

    At Sari Village met up Sunil Jain, and started to trek up to Deoria Tal at 4:20PM and reached there by 6PM. I was trekking with weight of 17KGs on my back and Agniswar was carrying 12KGs. It was really tough for us, but then when we reached Deoriya Taal, we forgot all our hardships.

    We put up tent, took selfies and went for dinner at cottage house of Mr. Rakesh Negi. It was one of the best dinner we ever had around a bonfire where hunger was our main food. We met few fellow trekkers as well as group of students from IIT Roorkee.

    We slept really well after all the travel and trekking previous days inside the tent. The morning ritual was interesting as we had to go to the open, carrying chilled water bottle. The view of sunrise on CharBhuja, Kedar, Trishul peak was amazing experience!

    On 20th Nov 16, we went for birding walk around Deoriya tal. I saw birds like Black headed Joy, Hill Partridge, Chestnut headed Laughing Thrush, Great Barbet, Himalayan WoodPecker, redHeaded Bullfinch, Whiskered Yuhina, White Throated Thrush, White Collared Blackbird, Yellow Billed Blue Magpie.

    Next day ( 21 Nov 2016), we started trekking for Bhujgali at around 9:20AM with a guide Sandeep Bhatt. I carried approx 14KGs this time while Agniswar carried 8KGs. Our guide was kind enough to carry my camera and tent.
    It was not very difficult trekk, though the last 2KM trek was really tough, not only because it was steep, but also it was our 8th hour of trekking!

    We reached Bhujgali at 5:20PM and it felt like heaven! It was already cold at the height of approx 3000meter. We stayed the night with Mahaveer, a small tea seller with extra room.

    Next day,on 22 Nov 2016, started the trek to Chandrashila at 4:40AM and reached our summit at 6:30AM. I finally did the Sirsasana and came back at 8AM toBbhujgali, on way, I saw few Himalayan Monal. Reached Bhujgali at 10AM, rested for 2 hours and trekked down to Chopta. From chopta, took a hired taxi to Ukhimath and then reached Rudraprayag at 6:30PM, stayed the night there and next day took a bus to Haridwar from Rudraprayag and reached there by 1PM. Took Holi dip at Ganga and started to come back to Delhi by Shatabdi Exp at 6:10PM. Reached Delhi at 11PM and parked ourselves again at Kaushik Dekas house again.

  • My Lovestory that failed to take off

    Its just a story

    Many people ask me why I drink alcohol. Here is how I am trying to answer.

    Many people seem to enjoy drinking alcohol. I do not enjoy it all. I am just continuing drinking as I have nothing else to do anymore.

    Once I asked a girl to wait for me in the morning next day in a beach in the evening and enjoy sunrise together. But in the evening few of my friends came to my room with few bottles of alcohol ( RUM) and it was month of October. So I ended up drunk and slept well, forgetting about that girl altogether.

    Anse Lazio
    Anse Lazio

    I got up at around 11AM next day, sunrise was long past and I saw that girl at lunch time and remembered that I had asked her to come to the beach to enjoy sunrise together. I asked her if she had come, she said, she went there, waited for me and ended up enjoying the sunrise alone. I could not look at her eyes.

    I just said sorry. I was one of the dumbest persons to have ever walked on earth at that time.

    This could have been beginning of great love story of my life. But thanks to alcohol, it never took off and got ruined before it started. So I am just continuing drinking alcohol, as I have absolutely nothing else to do anymore.

    Next time when you drink alcohol, think about this story.

  • Roads of Gujarat and Rajasthan

    I have been living in Rajasthan, India for last 5 years and have traveled this state widely. I have also traveled Gujarat as its near.

    Roads in Gujarat and Rajasthan
    Roads in Gujarat and Rajasthan

    I know that roads in Rajasthan are good, and I know many would agree with me. It has fairly good road network in every places.
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  • Few days in rural Rajasthan – Amazing Experience

    Recently, I traveled in rural Rajasthan in Mewar region from 3rd Jun 2016 to 5th June 2016 and then again from 10th June to 12 Jun 2016 with my Dr. Durgesh Sharma.

    IMG_0371-polo-forest

    Like any other travel experience, this has been really interesting and amazing experience. We went to Kelwara via Kathar and stayed in a tent near Kumbhalgarh wildlife sanctuary. Then in night, we tried to capture “startrail” which Dr. Durgesh Sharma could capture successfully! Then we went inside Kumbhalgarh WLS the next day and spend the morning looking for interesting birds, animals etc.

    In the afternoon we went to Thandiberi, from Kelwara via Desuri and Ghanerao. These places were really interesting. At Ghanerao, we saw one veterinary which looks like an five start hotel. On inquiry, we found out that it was inaugurated by Chief Minister of Rajasthan State and is built and run by jain Community. Jain Community is a rich community in Mewar region and found all over the world. A shop owner informed us that every injured animal is treated by doctors in this hospital where one has to just call them up. The hospital people will come in an air conditioned ambulance, pick up the injured animal, treat them in the air conditioned veterinary hospital and the animal taken care of by them till its death! It was too amazing and almost rude where human hospitals are not as good as the veterinary hospital where poor tribal people get treatment!
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  • Best Love Stories I have heard

    There are classic love stories, best sellers, movies, legendary lovers etc. in all form of arts. Without love or romance, almost no art is complete, it seems. Even hardcore war movies, action movies seem to have some small love stories here and there.

    Dangri River
    Dangri River

    Most probably, many people have watched those movies, read those romantic novels. While I have also read many romantic novels, watched some romantic movies. But the best love stories I have heard or experienced is in a train from Chandigarh to Jaipur in Gareeb Rath, via Kota.
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