Mind Blogging. Mind Boggling.

GaPa is a hiking paradise. Plenty hikes to choose from, across difficulty levels. All trails well marked. Plenty stay options in traditional Bavarian cottages, range of cuisines in multiple restaurants, including vegetarian. Good shopping. Bavarian town experience, with murals decorating the cottages, with cottages themselves in standard Bavarian style. Beautiful natural scenery: gurgling streams & rivers, meadows, alpine flowers, gorges. Valley town GaPa surrounded 360 degrees by massive mountains, including Germany’s highest- Zugspitze.  

Upon arriving at GaPa (R Bahn train from Munich), walking from the train station to the hotel, I witnessed the usual race-ending scenes of onlookers cheering, runners trudging 1 km away from the end but towards the last 200 meters turning on the afterburners. It was the end of the Zugsptize Ultra trail marathon. I learnt later that this is Germany’s largest trail running event. This was a great introduction served up by GaPa to me, informing me about its stature as the premier hiking town of Germany. 

Hiking options

1. Kramerplateau and chapel, 2 hours hiking round trip from Garmisch center: Easy warm up is to explore the ‘Kramerplateau;’ – a pleateau midway up Kramer mountain (one of the towering mountains around Garmisch). It is replete with hiking paths. I went to a nice viewpoint, a chapel (Kriegerdachtniskapelle). The path and the viewpoint offered nice views of Garmisch town and Zugspitze. The path is gravelly with gentle undulations- comfortable and easy to walk.  Exploring Kramer plateau set the stage for my hike of Pflegersee the next day. 

Pflegresee and Schmolzersee lakes, 3 hours hiking round trip from Garmisch center: ‘See’ means lake in German. I started smoothly, using my knowledge of Kramer plateau from the previous day. The path was more undulating, rough and unstructured compared to previous. There were patches of thick forest, at one of which I got up close and personal with a big jungle squirrel. Blackbirds and other chirpers were aplenty. Pflegersee was a beautiful lake, with the Königsstand mountain looming just over it and the reflection being covered entirely in the lake. There were just 5 other people enjoying the beautiful view, making it quiet and peaceful. I chatted with one of them, a Berliner, who gave me important advice : do not go to Partnach-klamm today (Sunday) – too crowded. Go to Elb-see. Which I followed to the T. On the way back, I also walked to the equally beautiful Schmolzer-see lake. It was smaller then Pflegersee. It has beautiful yellow and pink lillies; pink bloomed and yellow shut-eye. 

Partnach-klamm gorge  + Graseck meadows- beautiful natural confluence of light, sound, water, rock; and later - green grass punctuated by alpine flowers: Partnach is a stream running all along Partenkirchen, with roots up there in Zugspitze. Klamm is gorge in German. The walk from the bus stop to the entry to the gorge runs along the green-white waters of the Partnach. Once you enter the gorge, it’s a 600 m walk thru rocky tunnels you have to duck and weave through. The water roars, the rock walls are lofty verticals, through the gap on top rays of light stream and trickles of water fall. All very enervating. I waited at a spot and had a mystic experience, also related to my current meditation journey on the app -The Way: I felt connected deeply to the natural elements: earth, light, warmth, water. On the way back, I walked up to Graseck, which has wonderful ‘hummocky meadows’ bedecked with a carpet of white-yellow-violet alpine flowers. The way back involved a 32 degree decline for 300 m, which was punishingly enjoyable for the legs. I saw plenty of picnickers heading for the gorge as I sat sipping a coffee at the exit, so I was glad that I had entered early, enjoying my solitude. 

Elbsee lake- a global legend among emerald lakes. In a remarkable serendipity, just as I was going to show pics of Elbsee to Sw and Ap back home in Bengaluru, Windows popped up on its rotating wallpaper show Elbsee with Zug and Alp looming over it. Took the narrow gauge Zupspitze rail from near main station, got off at the Elbsee station. The lake is an emerald gem, with the Zug and Alp towering over it. Lots of friendly (and hungry!) ducks floating and waddling around. However, my own circumstances here were less than ideal- I was zonked by the time I was here (having hiked Parnach-Graseck in the morn), I had less time, the clouds meant that Zug and Alp were covered, I had gone thru some work messages so my mind was there. So, to shake it up, I ran 5 km around the lake, which is in keeping with lakes being the main running venues for me back home. I was carrying my pack too, so I went thud thud thud.  

Apart from all these hikes, there is the tough ‘Kandahar’ route to Zugsptize, Koningstand starting from Kramer plateau, all-day hikes to Wank mountain, Alpsptize and Eckbauer. Lots to choose from!  

Dining : good continental veggie fare

My top 3 were Max café, Berge café and La Baita pizza. La Baita had excellent vegetarian pizza and was packed to the gills, and was dinner on Day 1. I spent 3-4 hours at Max café after the Pflegersee hike for brunch and coffees, while I did some creative writing. Their playlist was pleasant and I now have it on Spotify. Café Berge had some great brunch set menus. Apart from this, I ate Donner one day, some cake from a bakery, waffles, ice cream, and pasta at a much advertised place called Maroni's. Those were regular fare.  

Hotel Aschenbrenner: too hot for comfort in the weather, but a gem nevertheless. 

Stay was at Hotel Aschenbrenner in Garmisch. Charming place , wooden upholstery per usual Bavaria standards, replete with alpine blooms at the lobby and the beautiful garden lawn. Excellent location right on a gurgling stream, which I later learnt to be the Loisach river. The proprietor and staff were friendly and helpful. Breakfast was excellent. The one challenge which is to be expected in this part of the world is that during summer when temperatures hit 37 degrees plus in the day, it can get real uncomfortable coz they don’t have ACs or fans. Thankfully, because of the altitude, the heat produced thunderstorms in the evening (like it happens in Bengaluru) and it became pleasant outdoors. However, inside was still uncomfortably warm most times. It produced an unexpected gem, though: right next door is the Aschenbrenner museum, which has a spectacular collection of intricate porcelain figurines and life-like dolls. 

And those are the specifics, especially written for those of you who want to plan a trip yourself.  The below sections are more details and context on GaPa, and the treks undertaken by my mind independent of those undertaken by my body. The rambling begins:  

Context on GaPa

It may be tempting to call it just Garmisch but then Garmisch (more cosmopolitan)  has a very different vibe from Partenkirschen (shops open only 9 30 – 11 30 AM on the Monday I was there). So I will call it GaPa. Maybe I sing Ga-Pa the way it sounds on Indian classical music scale. I can say Garmisch when I am talking about the Garmisch side, which is where I stayed put my first 1.5 days. Ga and Pa are separated by the Hauptbahnof (main train station), and also by the narrow-gauge Zugsptize railway that originates at GaPa.

GaPa is a small town surrounded 360 degrees by massive mountains which loom all around it. I read that while the absolute height of these mountains , 2000-3000 m, pales in comparison to some of the world’s bigger peaks, they are dramatic in Gapa because they rise up steeply.  While Zugspitze is the largest, the Alpsitze, also a German top 5, looms larger over GaPa since its closer. Aplspitze and Zugspitze are part of the same range, when viewed from Gapa seem neighbors, and I learnt later are connected by a technical and challenging “Jubilee ridge walk”. 

Trip plan was not as clean as it seems above: Emotional ups and downs in the mountains: 

This was my first solo hiking adventure; earlier, I’ve gone with groups of strangers but never alone. Big thanks for the German Alpine Club (DAV) for maintaining the trails so well. It’s the world’s largest climbing association. Their logo is a beautiful Edelweiss, of which I now sport a lapel pin on my backpack.  

Easy to say now that options were plenty, but when I was there by myself I was struck with good amount of analysis paralysis, fomo, anxiety, regret, and other psychological perils. Here are some questions that weighed on my mind: 

• It’s so hot (day 1 afternoon)- what if I am unable to sleep the entire night! How will I hike in this weather?
• If I go to Pflegersee today (day 2), will I miss the legendary Partnachklamm?
• Day 1: Should I go to Zupgsptize? Came all the way but did not go to the highest point of Germany? But wait, I’ve come hiking. I should not take cable cars. 
• All days: If I hike too much I will be too tired for creative writing or reading
• Thunderstorm! I should not be in the open hiking when thunder strikes (day 2)
• This rain jacket is too warm. Instead of one jacket fits all (warm + wind + rain), I should have brought my simple rain jacket. Damn. 
• How will I keep this umbrella from the hotel when I go for long hikes? (in the end, I figured out a clean way to keep my trekking pole and umbrella- tucked into my bag’s waist belt)
• I should have brought two trekkling poles from home; not only 1 . 
• I’m getting late to buy souvenirs – stores will close! (And that’s when I ran the 5k around Elbsee, which was critical in terms of giving me some time to shop)
• Need to buy something for the kiddo since Germany has good toys. What!!
• Germany has good optical shops, could buy a spectacle frame for myself. Which shop do I go to? 
• Should I go to Wank mountain, or Pflegersee? Will Wank mountain be too challenging? Will Pflegrsee be too easy? (and I read a couple of blog posts on Wank mountain climbs)
• Will my thigh injury flare up- will my leg hold up? 
• Will I miss breakfast all 3 days at the hotel? Breakfast-inclusive-fare was one of the USPs of Hotel Aschenbrenner.  

Options, options

• Choice is not only stress but also excitement and freedom. In the end, most choices will turn out fine, so relax when picking between equally good options. 
• Felt confidence in my problem solving abilities- in the end, (with some luck- such as the improved weather) , will be able to work things out. 
• With my work involving lot of people interaction, sitting in an open plan office with regular din, I enjoy quiet and solitude during holidays and weekends. 
• I went to Munich after this (just half a day) and saw a huge distinction between such a hiking holiday and a big-city holiday. Both have their own charm, but are very different from one another. 
• Cross body bags are amazing during hikes- pack essentials (snack, maps) in them

Smile this way or that!

Enjoyable sidebar activities:

• Poring over the maps given to me by the hotel
• Figuring out the public transport 

To dos: 

• Hiking is a key desired part of my vacations, so plan accordingly! 
• Make those flower pots at home, like commonly seen in houses in GaPa

Labels: Travellog

# posted by Ashwin Ravikumar @ 11:39 AM 0 Comments

I enjoyed reading Jony Ive: The genius behind Apple's greatest products. It engaged with multiple diverse themes and captured the zeitgeist of the most successful company of the 2000-2020 period. It engaged multiple interests of mine.  

1. Design and art. Talked about the finishes and designs of various products from Jony Ive's stable, even from before Apple. For example, the customer centric design aspect of adding a 'fiddle factor' to products coz customers like to fiddle. 

2. Deep engineering and manufacturing. For example, the scaled up use of CNC in apple manufacturing. Adopting a 'bespoke' kind of process at scale. During my engineering at 2004-08, CNC was a key upcoming technology, integrating cutting edge IT with age-old manufacturing. Learnt about 'machining' process which Apple pioneered to enable the superb finish on its products. 

3. The familiar milieu of the corporate atmosphere. Pressure of deadlines, conference rooms smelling of pizzas

4. Content new enough to excite yet a old enough to get rich content. The author got a bird's eye view of the subject, talking to enough number of sources. 

5. Phones during 2005-20 changed dramatically and was my passion: Apple's biggest hit during this period was phones and I was quite passionately into phones during this period ; 2005-2020. I was early adopter with Sony Walkman, Nokia N series, 3 x Google Nexus. In fact, I avoided Apple because of the prices and also suspicion of walled-garden ecosystem. However, it was clear that Apple broke new ground with the iphone. Also, during this period, phone moved from being revolutionary (capacitive touch screen, app ecosystem, music player built in) to routine (latest iphones are evolutionary rather than revolutionary)

6. Apple was glamorous during this period, and the book goes underneath the hood of that luxury car. It depicts many glamorous moments ; for eg relationship between Apple and Foxconn.  

7. I've owned a bunch of Apple devices during this period, and the book talks about the processes that went into it. Starting with Shuffle (won at a competition in undergrad). iPod Nano bought at a best buy at NYC. iPad and Macbook air during B School days. Moved to iPhone around in 2021 after being a long time Android user.  And latest being the Air Pods Pro 2, which sure are a game changer. Evokes nostalgia! Of course, often been late to the Apple party- never snapped up one immediately on release. Also

8. Jony Ive's approach to customer centricity, embracing the 'emotions' which the devices activate in the user. A radical shift from the previous approach of just numbers and specs.

9. Wired has always been good for tech topics over the years , and the writer is a former Wired journalist. 

10. Apple is highly secretive, so this book seems like the secret is being revealed. 

11. Apple is now moving jobs to India en masse in a big moment for Indian manufacturing, especially important at a time when AI is likely to take away many service jobs. So was interesting to see how the Apple-Foxconn relationship developed and also how Foxconn works.

12. The book packs a few learnings for my work environment and the space we operate in.    

While Walter Isaacson's book was a lot about Steve Jobs the person and less about Apple the company and products, this book is indepth about the company and products.  

Labels: Books

# posted by Ashwin Ravikumar @ 4:19 PM 0 Comments

The concept of India has been questioned in culture. Especially in the late 80s when the country was in doldrums economically. The question arose from time to time in my mind, too. India's diversity, its strength, could also be its weakness. People from different regions can be suspicious of each other. Stereotypes abound. A military veteran told me that India is the only country that has its army's divisions named after communities (eg: Jat regiment, Gorkha regiment). He added that many soldiers do their gallant acts more for glory in their community, to be feted when their village, than from dedication to the country. India features a dizzying array of cuisines, languages, religions, traditions and behaviours, which often create schisms on their basis. Conflicting narratives on history. Just this year which is 5 months young, there has been Karnataka - Maharashtra friction, friction between south and north on tax revenues and delimitation, big debates on caste census. 'Small is beautiful', was the title of a popular economics book I was influenced by at age 19 ; is India too big to govern? Is it Indian union, like the European union?  

One can define something not just as what it is, but also as what it is not. War can serve this purpose. It helps define the country not just by itself but also as an opposite of the adversary. That may sound negative, but that negative perspective can be a starting point for clarifying something positive. It makes one appreciate the positive aspects of the concept. Like the guiding principle behind gratitude meditation: you start with one or two aspects you are grateful for, and then others come tumbling out. 

In my mind, that dynamic certainly played out. To the extent that I will be putting up a lapel pin on my bag (inspired by ApRa), and a small yet visible flag on my desk. So after the bloody events of the past month, here are some tenets of the concept that came out in sharp relief for me. As I write, they get further clarified for me. Their sure are flaws in the way the tenets are executed on ground in the country, but conceptually, this is the dominant narrative: 

Lovely symbolism of the press briefings of Operation Sindoor demonstrated points 1 and 2;   

1. Women on the same footing as men. No misogyny, crashing glass ceilings. Wing Commander Vyomika won a case against armed forces tribunal to secure permanent commission. What a perfect serendipity that in the ruling in her favor, the SC quoted the exemplary performance in the army of none other than Col Sofia Qureshi. I am gladdened by how the widely viewed briefings would have a positive effect on the many misogynists still out there in the country.   

2.  All religions on same footing, with the two spokespersons belonging to two different religions. In the final post-ceasefire press briefing by the PM, he mentions that the day of May 12th is Buddha Purnima, referring to both the symbolism of peace and yet again bringing to mind the diversity.  

3. Hopeful. Lots to lose in an all out war, as opposed to an enemy who had nothing to lose with economy in doldrums, IMF begging bowl in hand. It was worrying whether India would find this delicate balance- how to be harsh, yet at the same time not provoke all out war. Just the previous week, there was news about how majority of iphones going forward were to be manufactured in India. A country with hopes for a brighter future, like in all those Pew surveys. Don't want to endanger that. 

Some other tenets: 

3. Syncretic globally. Technologies from Russia (S 400, Su 30), Israel (Harup) and France (Rafale) coming together- showing India's default friendly countenance towards the world, nature of not cultivating enemies. Equipment origin list not dominated by one country. Independent enough to decide as per situation.          

4. Developing indigenous muscle, in the form of Akash and SAMAR missile systems.

5. A functioning democracy, with elected lawmakers being the top decision makers, 'calling the shots'. At the same time, top military generals with authority, eloquence and presence. The calm authority of Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai, the controlled aggression of Air Marshall AK Bharti, clear words of Vice Admiral AN Pramod. All with the signature eloquence of people from the armed forces. 

6. Rational behaviour and precise tools to enable it: wherewithal to plan a mission against precise terrorist locations, and successfully execute it. Then build a policy of 'retaliation only' - only when the enemy triggered did India respond. A credible riposte despite bandying about of the nuclear blackmail, by the enemy. Precision to avoid the civilian plan which the enemy used as cover. If you've landed a robot on the moon, then you gotto have the precision built in.   

7. Multi-language diversity. The final presser had quite a few questions in Hindi. A twitter video I watched was from Rajasthan, where the drones were visible and someone said something in a language which I don't understand, with a voice of excitement at seeing the enemy drones, ending with Jai Hind, which I did. At the same time- more sensitivity required. Modi's final speech should have had english subtitles; for example, MIL was watching , she's not that good with Hindi; and she was faced with PM's impressive utterances. I had to google Fauladi (means steely)  and gloss over some other incomprehensible words.   

8. A status quo power and not a revisionist power, in terms of geographical aspirations. 

9.  An increasingly bold power with the firmness to stay the course, independent of global commentary. If the same act of terrorism had struck US citizens, one can guess what the outcomes would have been. As PM said, a new normal has been set. After Mumbai and Parliament attacks, the consequences were not this clear.    

10. Strategic regional depth in terms of distance and diversity. The entire South, Center East seemed safe and BAU. Whereas the enemy seemed to be short of it, considering the deep strikes by India and the fact that their west is also conflict torn- not quite a harbor of safety. The three generals from 3 different parts of the country. Chandrababu Naidu posting the eulogy for a soldier from Andhra who passed away during the war.      

11. Cricket as a unifying factor. Much brouhaha about IPL being paused. Gen Ghai referring to Virat Kohli and Australian test bowlers. 'Ashes to Ashes, dust to dust, if  Thommo don't get you, Lillee must' . Ahh. Class. Also relates to #5 signature eloquence. (link)

Apart from all these points, I also experienced for the first time the 'fog of war', when it's hard to discern the truth, and separate fact from fiction. Which led me to believe that India has a way to go in terms of narrative building, especially in the western media. Some of the coverage in CNN and NYT left me and my friends fuming. It also shows how the press can damage a country's prospects, with incendiary comments and lies. Press should be held to account for mentioning complete untruths. At the same time, there should not be too much proscribing power in the hands of the government. RR had an interesting comment, when i was trying to ferret out the truth- he said, how is it benefiting the country if you learn the truth? It made me focus more on official briefings. I was releived that there were open press interactions in the briefings by Chiefs of the armed forces.   

Subsequent edit : Apparently PM speech was broadcast in 14 langauges. But that should have been a caption in the broadcast that other languages are available; i did not know. 

# posted by Ashwin Ravikumar @ 10:45 PM 0 Comments

PSW is written in 2009 by Alain de Botton, a modern-day philosopher. It ruminates at length about how, why and where we work, by way of delving deep into a wide range of professions, covering transmission tower (pylon) laying to biscuit manufacturing to career counselling and much more. These ten diverse gallivants speak to something I’ve felt: there is a mind boggling range of professions and job-roles, each fascinating in its own way. However, certain professions (eg: Sports, politics, movie actors) and certain roles (eg: CEO, Prime Minister) hog most of the limelight. This book follows the lives of ‘ordinary’ workers, not superstars.

It’s written beautifully (‘river banks gnawed by jetties and warehouses’). PSW is imbued with flashes of sparkling imagination (an abandoned warehouse is ‘evocative of a primeval past and a dystopian future, a place where one half expects that a brontosaurus might emerge from behind the shell of a burnt out factory’). The observations and the accompanying ruminations offer unique perspectives (‘the origins and travels of our purchases remain matters of indifference, although, to the more imaginative, an obscure code printed along a computer cable may hint at process of manufacture, storage and transport nobler and more mysterious, more worthy of wonder and study, than the very goods themselves’).

It’s written in a philosophical bent of mind. Sometimes, the philosophical interludes are deep enough to produce goosebumps. He comments on various conflicts inherent in modern work: veneration of technology, specialization at the cost of understanding the bigger picture, odd behaviours at workplace which become a norm. He asks various deep questions – why indulge in art? Why work? Why do some professions get the limelight? The book is so interesting because while it does its philosophical meanderings, it also gets very real in terms of descriptions of jobs and people. After all, looking at ‘work’ from a magnifying glass has to be as real or ‘tangible’- can’t just be flights of fancy. It’s this conflict and contrast that was at the heart of what made the read appealing for me.  

PSW is imbued with wit (‘we were driven to a hangar not much smaller than Reims cathedral where we caught our first glimpse of the satellite in a powerful white light, being ministered to by a congregation of engineers in gowns, hairnets and slippers’). While the author’s base is England, where many stories are set, PSW does take you globe trotting to some extent. Overall, it’s a classic piece of journalism, for the author probes deep into each subject, interviewing and following the lives of many characters involved.

At times PSW becomes a bit cynical and melancholy. Cynical because the at times the author gets into a mode of saying that the professionals are in the midst of a mind-numbing charade which in the big picture does not mean anything. Melancholy for the same reason- he hints at the pointlessness of it all, especially in the long run.  

Net-net, I found it a fascinating read. There are pictures to accompany the prose, so after reading the book on the Kindle app on my Boox tablet, I bought a hard copy to adorn my bookshelf at home, and two more, to gift.

Labels: Books

# posted by Ashwin Ravikumar @ 12:51 PM 0 Comments

I played pickleball twice over a three -week duration. During this same period, I have continued to be regular in badminton and played Tennis for the first time in 7 long years. As someone who has played a lot of Badminton and Tennis in life, and at my height, pickleball does not work.

The ball bounces so low that it makes hitting fast shots difficult- there has to be a ‘lifting’ movement so that the ball rises over the net. In Tennis, I often contact the ball at an altitude higher than the net, allowing me to hit the shot downwards with force, and focus on the aim. Same is the case with Badminton, where I can smash, or aim. In pickleball, due to the low bounce, contact happens at a point below the net. So I have to plan a projectile motion: up and down.

And because the ball bounces low- I have to bend a lot. The extra bending compared to B& T is annoying. In B&T, I have to bend only for a few shots and if I move fast enough, I can contact the ball at a comfortable height and don’t even need to bend. I always used to wonder that height provides a significant advantage in tennis and badminton; so maybe someone not tall would enjoy pickleball. I will ask around and comment below.

The pickleball ball looks like an infant’s toy. If the ball were to have some small steel balls inside, it would sound like the baby’s rattle - I have a baby at home so this analogy comes easily. The sound of the ball hitting the bat makes a dissatisfactory plasticky sound which reminds me of my makeshift ‘squash’ played uptil standard 3 in the guest bedroom. The whippy swishes of the B&T racquets sound much better. There is no grip on Pickleball racquet–feels cheap to touch vs the plush grips on the B&T racquets.

Badminton demands agility and Tennis demands running speed, sometimes at full pelt. Pickleball seems to have neither to those extents. Singles pickleball can be demanding, but so is lugging back the week’s groceries from the neighborhood store. B&T and squash seem to me to be demanding in a better way.

For the developer, pickleball is a dream. Badminton requires a wooden floor with a synthetic mat on top. Tennis requires synthetic which requires maintenance. Lacs of rupees of expenditure. Whereas pickleball can be played just on a concrete surface. One could even play on regular road which has been ‘white topped’ by BBMP. More and more pickleball courts are coming up across the city. I hope that it’s not at the cost of badminton or tennis.

For non-regular sports players, Pickle is easy to pick up. Non-marking shoes are not required. Tennis required me 5-6 hours to build an understanding between the force I put and the direction the ball went ; amateur pickle takes 5 minutes to get a hang of. The Pickleball set up I went to in HAL Old airport road had music in the background, a coffee bar and lounge seats. First time I’ve played a sport with lounge music in the background! This compares favorably to the stuffy and sweaty smell of an indoor Badminton facility. I love the outdoorsy ness of tennis, which pickleball can also replicate.  Pickleball can be a good gateway sport- for those who’ve played less sport in their lives. Once they get hooked, they can graduate to B&T. We played Pickle after a big meeting with a partner, at work. To play, we did not even need to change- we continued in our trousers and tees. So, Pickle is amenable to ‘light’ plans with less preparation.

Among these new age games Pickle and Padel, Padel seems more intense. It’s a lot like squash, which I’ve played little of compared to B&T. While Pickle seems a mix of TT and tennis while Padel seems to be a mix of Squash and Tennis.

In conclusion, at the sport bar, I would order the B&T. And I don’t want a pickled olive in it.

# posted by Ashwin Ravikumar @ 12:13 PM 0 Comments

'Awareness' is wisdom-packed and humorous. A book I hope to keep returning to. 

It was written in the late 80s by Antony De Mello, an Indian spiritual figure, officially a Christian Pastor. In summary, the book advocates being clear-eyed about reality, not distorting it with our various filters and moods. A short 180-page book, it consists of 3-8 page essays on specific themes (spoiler section SS for more) linked to the broad message. The author wants the reader to think of the reading experiences as a 'spiritual retreat'. Most essays are imbued with entertaining jokes relevant to the thrust of the essay(sample in SS). With its infusion of humour, it's like the book which got me into meditation: 'Joy on Demand', where every concept came along with its own comic panel. Despite being levity-packed, 'Awareness' is not a quick read because each of the essays are thoughtful, requiring one to stop and ponder. Some essays provide challenging new perspectives (sample in SS). He quotes from religions, philosophers and history from across the world.     

Spirituality books such as Awareness thrive on and demonstrate the power of analogy. One of my favorites (not from this book) is the story of the 'Zen farmer and his horse'. (link) The Zen farmer's story is also, in a nutshell, the story of the book 'Finite and Infinite Games' (FIG), another spiritual book I read last month. In FIG, the author Robert Carse (another Christian pastor!) links my favorite topic, Sport, to spirituality and life. Thesis being that sport is often played with the motive of getting to a conclusive result and ending the game, but a good life is played with the spirit of 'continuing' the game. A and S, to who I read out parts of the book, found the analogies of the book too contrived; i.e. a simple concept made complex by an analogy. While there is some merit in there argument, I found that book to have some lustrous ideas.    

Strong Spoiler-laden Section SSS 

One of my favorite themes and a central theme in the book:  That of 'Beginner's mind'. It particularly stood out because it is a key part of my experience as a new father. The book repeatedly mentions the child being spiritually advanced because (s)he does not know labels and approaches everything with curiosity.  

The book quotes J Krishnamurthy: "the day you teach the child the name of a bird, the child will never see the bird again". It refers to the child's 'beginner's mind' appreciation of the bird - the color and the sun shining off it, the flutter of its wings, the bird call, etc.  And how it can go away once we supply a 'label' to the child. Once we label things, there is a risk of us ceasing to appreciate the beauty of it. 

A memorable joke from the book, on this topic of labels: : When they were drawing up the Russian-Finnish border, a farmer had to decide whether he wanted to be in Russia or Finland. After a long time, he said he wanted to be in Finland, but he didn't want to offend the Russian officials. When the officials visit, the farmer said to them: "It has always been my desire to live in Mother Russia, but at my age I wouldn't be able to survive another Russian winter"

Analogies in Awareness with two recent spiritual reads (some weak spoilers in there) 

There were some analogies between some of the themes of Awareness and FIG that gave me goosebumps (like good analogies always give me).   

Awareness talks about the concept being different from reality, as mentioned in-depth in the spoiler section. Awareness says 'a concept is static but reality is in flux'. These themes are the very essence of FIG. 'Infinite players continue their play with the expectation of being surprised....it's a triumph of future over the past'. Infinite players do not regard the past as having an outcome  ' (the author is contrasting it with finite games, where the game ends with a definite outcome of a winner and loser) . The 'I' vs 'me' concept of Awareness also finds parallels in the Infinite player playing finite games. 

I recently wrote passionately on this blog, about how the word 'love' is distorted in Bollywood, referring more broadly to the modern day and age. (link) Awareness talks about love in the same vein, saying modern languages have 'desecrated the word love'. Awareness, in its messages on 'love', also has analogies to my top spiritual read of 2024, 'How to be an adult in relationships' by David Richo. Contrary to the title, it's a read with a spiritual bent of mind.  

Labels: Books

# posted by Ashwin Ravikumar @ 1:50 PM 0 Comments

We had 10 days in Ceylon. It was the first trip with Baby-A, and the three adults on the trip me, S and A, had to all pull their weight in terms of baby-tending duties. However, Baby-A was generally co operative and mostly predictable, a key contributor to making it a good trip. The planning constraint was to minimize shuttling between hotels- so that we could spread out the clothes and other paraphernalia and not bother to pack 'em all up often. We had a cab with a driver - a large-ish Toyota sedan - through the trip. We needed all the boot space, with the bags + portable stroller often spilling over into the back seat. 

Itinerary 

We landed at Colombo on Friday evening. After a stay at a hotel near the airport (Spicepeek Boutique), we set off early the next day after breakfast south towards Galle and its friendly neighborhood beach, Unawatuna. Unawatuna proper is quite commercialized, think Baga of Goa, so we stayed near a beach called Thalpe which was 5-6 km from Unawatuna's main drag. Beach hopping, SL vs Aus cricket match at Galle stadium, tea plantation tour, turtle conservation center, leisurely grazing at numerous good restaurants, bird-watching, walk through a non-touristy Sri Lankan town (Thalpe), walking Galle fort and beholding panaromic views it offered, cafe hopping in Galle fort, and shopping in Ceylon Spa - these were the memorable and pleasant highlights. On Wednesday morning, we set off towards the hill country town of Ella. Hike to Little Adam's peak (Little A going to Little A!) was enjoyable. The trip to Buddhist Pagoda atop a hill was not remarkable. We ate hearty meals at numerous restaurants in close proximity to each other, at Ella. We got back to Colombo for a crammed Saturday. Went on a tour of legendary architect Geoffrey Bawa's house, grazed at a cafe, the best showers of the trip at the Cinnamon Red (part of the famous Sri Lanka Cinnamon chain of hotels) and light dinner at the Cricket Club restaurant, browsing the stunning cricket memorabilia donning the walls. Sunday morning in the hotel gym, and an afternoon flight back to BLR.     

Thalpe/Unawatuna + Galle

We were concerned when we discovered that our hotel Serenity Boutique was around 2 km inland from the main road from which all the beaches originated. However, it was a blessing in disguise- firstly we were able to see 5-6 Sri lankan endemic birds in the verdant green surroundings, and secondly the neighborhood was less commercial - pretty much jungle and farms. Baby-A woke up at 6 every morning, too early for any tourism, so one memorable morning A and I carried him and walked for a good 2 km through rustic Sri Lanka sceneries. 

Most of our meals were in the main Unawatuna drag which did not dissapoint even once- we twice ate at Koha Surf lounge (international cuisine) , once at Hideout Mexican restaurant, and once at Wasantha Sri Lankan cuisine (fantastic local food - rice with 5 curries). The other restaurants near Thalpe we enjoyed were Wijaya- the breakfast was nothing to write home about but we saw huge sea turtles swimming in shallow waters near the sea, being fed by tourists, mostly Russian. Wijaya famously has a wood fired oven, whose pizzas we did not eat. Shanti Shanti cafe was on the beachfront with excellent relaxing ambience and lip smacking food. I'd say ambience-wise my favorite restaurant on the trip. Food wise, Wasantha was #2, the numero uno coming up later in Ella. We also heard from Wasantha herself about the story of her restaurant. From her, and other interactions, we realized how Sri Lanka was upended by the tsunami. 

Thalpe beach was enjoyable from the sense that it had multiple lagoons where you could settle down into. The sand was a bit coarse, which is not to S's liking. There was a small Angel beach between Thalpe and Unawatuna where we spent firsbee throwing time. It had fine sand which I enjoyed but it was sinky as per S so again not to her liking. On our way to Ella, we stopped at Welligama, which is a popular and massive beach full of surfers. We breakfast-ed at After Surf rooftop cafe, which can get crowded but we were lucky with seats. It commanded a great view of Weligama. The highlight from the roaming the historic streets of Galle fort , laden with cafes and shopping, were Cafe 82's ice-coffee and coconut ice cream, chitchat with the proprietor's son, and Kothu rice at Anod's lounge. The cashew ice cream at talked-about Dairy King was not great. Plenty of fine dining options at Galle fort, which we engaged with at lunch- Italian at Aqua Forte. Nothing spectacular. 

We bought various types of aromatic products (perfumes, room mist, soaps) at Ceylon Spa - Sri Lanka's Forest Essentials. Teas, and spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg were purchased. A loves the colors of Sri lanka's flag, so she bought a crickety-cap embellised with the flag.

We stumbled into quite the moment when, in the middle of our pleasant walk along the ramparts of Galle fort in the orange-yellow-light of dusk, two military folks along with trumped drew down on the flag at the Galle fort. The views of the stadium was great. The 4th day of the test we watched was also memorable. Easy to get into and get good seats at Galle, compared to Indian venues. Labuschagne's wristy straight drive against spin, played almost with a horizontal bat, was the standout shot. I read about Galle being a 'fortress' (literally and metaphorically) for SL cricket pre pandemic. It was spin friendly, and with their riches of Murali and Herath and Ajantha-Mendis and the like, they would bamboozle opponents. However, with the flattening spin playing abilities with the emergence of IPL, and lessening of the sheen of their own spinners, SL cricket can no longer call it their fortress. 

I enjoyed savoring the range of 15-16 teas we got to taste at the end of our tea plantation tour at Handunugoda tea estate. The weather that day - our most outdoor day of the trip including Thalpe beach and tea estate, was very co-operative: sun was mostly hidden behind clouds and it was breezy. We chanced upon the Koggala turtle conservation center. It was fascinating to get up close and personal with 4 types of sea turtles, including the vegetarian Green Sea turtle who we could touch, the aggressive looking Hawksbill, the sedate Loggerhead and our Indian friend, Olive Ridley.      

Ella:

Being more of a mountain person, I am glad we were able to go to the hills and it wasn't entirely a beach trip. Our hotel Little Folly was slightly cosier than optimal, but overall nice- it was a log cabin. Weather was quite cool. Just 100 m from our hotel we discovered AK Ristoro, an international cuisine restaurant with excellent live music. Jiving to Abba played on the live violin, we enjoyed Japanese dishes. The best food of the trip was at Matey Hut in Ella. Basic chairs and restaurant, but the curries were lip smacking. The view was gritty but great- overlooking a main road and a rail track. Little Adam's peak hike was around 2.5 hours up and down and not demanding. Views were nice. We missed the free meditation at our trip to the Buddhist Pagoda, without which the trip there was not quite memorable, for me. 

Colombo:

After riding back Ella via the same 'Southern Highway', stopping at the same restaurant complex for lunch, we reached Colombo with exactly 24 hours to play with. We stayed in the fairly upmarket Cinnamon Red (albeit not the more high end Cinnamon Grand) . The Bawa house tour was interesting, and inspires me to mindfully collect art at home, telling the story of my travels. I was also uncomfortable, because it was full of architects and people deep into the Bawa story, which I was not. We missed the famous Kumbuk cafe, which shuts at 6 pm. We ate at Cafe Coco verandah cafe instead- nothing to write home about. After enjoying material comforts of the best shower of the trip, we set off for a light dinner nearby- The cricket club cafe. They had eye popping signed cricket memorabilia adorning the walls, and the food was decent. The waiter was a massive India cricket fan.   

News and Geopolitics

There was a nationwide power cut when we were there, and the news coverage of that in their newspaper made for interesting reading. It was interesting to read the main paper of the country as it always is during travels - talked about how the economy is still in trouble and there are strict IMF norms which the country needs to adhere to. Was surprised by the lack of locals frequenting the restaurants and tourist spots we went to - mostly caucasian tourists thronging. Also read up a bit about India's complex relationship with SL especially given the sad Tamil war of the 80s and 90s. I remembered how the word 'Serendipity' is drawn from Sri Lanka, with the other name for Sri Lanka being Serendib. 

Appendix

• We were eggetarians, therefore all the restaurants listed above are to be viewed that way. 
• Trip Credits: T for the cab, F for the portable stroller which was invaluable for Baby A's trip and CSS-S for brainstorming. Lonely Planet on kindle, as always, for restaurant, hotel and itinerary suggestions. 
• Cafe Shanti Shanti had a flyer which mentioned all the events happening that month. 
• First night hotel near Colombo airport: Spicepeek boutique: rooms are fine, location great, food and service nothing to write home about (NWHA)  

Labels: Travellog

# posted by Ashwin Ravikumar @ 8:14 PM 0 Comments