Fenced - A Short Story

Manas would not witness the heaps of white paper flying across the fenced Desert Dunes on his routine trip.

Yet, for some strange reason, this time he took out his Binoculars hurriedly, rattling the water bottle and story book in the backpack on its way.

With a longer vision and a shorter breath, he could catch hold of one of the many letters and a glimpse of the old man in streaking dead white and a crown of red turban over.

‘For the bread and the barter, my owed loans against the daughter;

There is an oasis so deep, in my heart when I weep;

If you could forgive me hence, and just for once travel across the fence;

The eyes die to see you flesh, and relieve the fenced soul of this mesh;

Your father is an old man now, suddenly life can betray, you know how;

My moustache no more black, but your doll still on the rack;

Stubborn I wouldn’t die in this life, for won’t forever live in death’s strife;

If you could Travel for my soul, and boundaries with no role;

To see the tears that roll often and the wrinkles that they soften;

Had this front not been  fenced, my death would not be chanced; 

Being sand, to become the sand, the body’s matter till its end,

Can’t the sand of its portion, flow me across and live this notion;

Pity our sights that share the glance, but am jealous for this air with no fence;  

For the men they apart, there are souls that cannot depart,  

For the men they apart, there are a few souls that could not depart.... ’,

as Manas read this through the white paper, he glanced that Hasrat, a young woman, perhaps the daughter, was on her knees and in tears on the other side of fence.

There were men, and well..... there are fences, Manas thought.

This post has been written and shared for the series 'Five Sentence Fiction'.

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Looking forward to your comments and feedback.

Mark Hartman | Bole So Nihal...

Photo © Mark Hartman-All Rights Reserved

You must be wondering what does 'Bole So Nihal..." mean? Well, it's part of the traditional greeting used by the followers of the Sikh religion, and a call to action or duty. In Punjabi it essentially means "Whoever utters, shall be fulfilled.")

According to Wikipedia, it's a popular mode of expressing ebullient religious fervor and an integral part of Sikh liturgy. It is said at the end of Sikh prayers and holy congregations.

I was pleased to have been referred by PDN to photographer Mark Hartman's Bole So Nihal wonderful photo essay, consisting of over 30 square color photographs of Nihang Sikhs. He spent most of March and April 2014 in India working on personal projects, which include these terrific photographs.

Sikhism is a monotheistic religion founded during the 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, by Guru Nanak. Sikhs do not have a gender for God, nor do they believe God takes a human form. All human beings are considered equal regardless of their religion, sex or race.

The Nihang are an armed Sikh order, and their distinctive dress consists of blue robes, bracelets of iron, and steel rings tied in their lofty conical blue turbans, along with the traditional sword carried by all baptized Sikhs.

Mark tells us in the PDN article that he was granted access to the Nihang while traveling in Amirtsar and Anandpursahib in Punjab, and that he decided to photograph them is a posed formal way because he hadn't seen anyone set up on-location portraits of the Nihang Sikhs before.

Mark Hartman is a New York City based photographer. He studied photography at Rochester Institute of Technology. He has shown work his work internationally. His work has been featured and published in Esquire, Monocle, Communication Arts, PDN, CNN, British Journal of Photography and others. In 2012, he was named a photographer to watch by Photo District News.

Travel Forum or Travel Blog : WHAT works and WHEN ?

Glancing through my travel folder on the laptop, I suddenly realized that there had been a lot of background research that had undergone in my trip to Italy and later to Prague. As a corollary, it was realized that the sources for these information could either be classified in those collected from travel forums like Wikitravel, Tripadvisor, Fodors etc. and the others those from the travel blogs.  Just a few days back, one of my readers had queried about the perennial questions travelers across  the world face !

When it comes to planning a trip,

what works ?

Travel Forum or a Travel Blog

and importantly, 

When  to use a Travel Forum and when a Travel Blog?

I'm sure many readers would jump the gun the moment the thoughts boil down to planning. They'd opine, that there is no need for planning for the travel anyways ! So, this post is about them who would assign a sense of priority to planning beforehand.

The maverick in the hamlet may be rested for now.

Photo Courtesy : Here

The post is for those who care to plan and would like to plan.

The crux : DO plan, it helps!

First things first, this post is not about endorsing any particular travel forum. Well, I do have my set of favorites, but then that list could figure in some other post. Secondly, there are certain niche blogs. that are more informative than the travel forums, so the thin grey line is overstepped.

We begin with keeping those niche blogs away.

When planning a trip, Begin with a Travel Forum add on with a Travel Blog and then close it again with a Travel Forum !

That's the short part of the long story. When it comes to doing research for the trip, the broader information, like which airports to chose, the classic itinerary to build, the days to accommodate, the hotels in a particular price band and a service quality are all best sourced from the Travel Forums. Add to them many to one reviews etc. are really helpful. There may be discussions within the group members who wish to answer. They are more like the FAQs. They have the answers for questions like the cities to cover in the 10 day Italy trip or when in Rome, what would be the best airport etc.. But then their weakness lay exactly in their strength.

Travel Forums contain many posts that are very generic in nature. If you wish to seek specific answers for things to do in a 3 Day trip to Rome, then head on to a Travel Blog. There are again phenomenal travel blogs that would capture the minute details with useful information. So travel blogs would connect those dots left open by the forums in the first place.

Once done with the specific information, you may head back to a forum for unique queries like getting a cab in the particular hour of the day. Which stop to alight from the train, Is there a construction activity around the hotel you plan  to stay, When does a mall open etc..

Both of them works and in the order as below.

Travel Forums --> Travel Blogs --> Travel Forums

The final brushings and the planning for the picture perfect travel is complete !

Photo Courtesy : Here

A Life With Leica | Thorsten von Overgaard

ZITE has introduced me to a multitude of interesting articles on photography and otherwise, including this short documentary featuring a Danish photographer named Thorsten von Overgaard.

As a preamble, let me say that although I own a Leica M9 and have the utmost regard for its capabilities as a tool, I'm far from being a Leica fanboy, realizing (and grudgingly accepting) its shortcomings, and periodically ranting at Leica's blatant ostentatious marketing and pricing.

Nonetheless, I have just returned from leading a photographic expedition-workshop to Viet Nam where I used the M9 (with a Voigtlander 40mm) on a number of occasions during street photography jaunts in Ha Noi and Hoi An, and readily confirm that (1) its images (whether monochrome or color) have a distinct 'feel' to them, and (2) its ergonomics are just right.

This is a lovely documentary filmed in Rome with Thorsten who shares his photographic 'philosphy' with us. I found myself in full agreement with him on most of his points of view...which ranged from "there's always stuff happening" in the streets, that each one of us has a unique visual viewpoint, that cameras (whether Leica or otherwise) are just tools and that he never photographs people unless to show them off in the best of lights. The latter also echos Sebastião Salgado's philosophy.

A minor point: I was surprised to see Thorsten resting his Leicas on their lenses instead of on their bottom plates. I do that as well. Weird.

Blog's 2nd Anniversary - And The Second Year Sailed By !

Just as effortless as it could be, the second year for the Blog simply sailed by !

As new learnings await their share, some golden moments of the second year also hold their virtue.

The feeling of having a loving audience as you is simply wonderful. Thanks !

The Year In Vignettes !

Some blog contests won, (check the Accolades section) !, An affiliate program was approved and loads of motivating responses from the readers.

Keep Dropping By.

This Blog is all about your affection !

Travel For Soul. Simply Travel !!

Ueli Steck and Simon Anthamatten Claim 2009 Piolet d'Or

The Hardwear Sessions, official blog of Mountain Hardwear, is reporting that that Ueli Steck and Simon Anthamatten have won one of three 2009 Piolet d'Or awards, given out annually for outstanding accomplishments in mountaineering. The amazing duo took home their prize for their first ascent, in Alpine Style, of the North Face of Tengkampoche, a 6500m peak in the Khumbu Valley.

Upon winning the award, Ueli released the following statement:

I

t is a great honour for me to receive the "Piolets d'Or 2009" award. This award is given away by mountaineers who know what alpinism is all about. This prize should also be trendsetting. Therefore it is a great confirmation that Simon and I are on the right track. Alpinism is not comparable. First of all it is a matter of personal experience and personal challenge. That's why it is important to be able to follow some rules. With today's modern technique everything is achievable. Every mountain can be climbed. But the mountain is no longer the determining link between success and failure. Personally this is exactly what most matters: that the alpinist is the most important element between success and failure and not primarily the technical means. Thanks to all my sponsors, which have been supporting me during all these years and who give me the opportunity to realise such idealistic goals.

Thank you also to Simon: this was one of the most beautiful expeditions I could experience.

Although this prize was for 2009 I am proud of all my ascents. And we do not have to forget: it's not over yet, it will go on. I am totally consumed by my projects. And the next one is closer than we might think."

Ueli and Simon are a class act both on the mountain and off, and everyone already knows their part in the Inaki Ochoa incident last year on Annapurna. Obviously this award is well deserved, as they exemplify everything that the spirit of mountaineering is all about.

The other two winners of the Piolet d'Or include Japanese climbers Kazuya Hiraide and Kei Taniguchi completing the first ascent of the South-West face of Kamet and Fumitaka Ichimura, Yusuke Sato and Kazuki Amano, also of Japan, opening a new route on the North Face of Kalanka. Both climbs were completed in Alpine Style.

Congrats to all the winners.