Contrails are the white streak like clouds that seem to be emerging from jet aircraft .. Though not very long ones, my attention was first towards the contrails seen over thee glorious gold skyline as the Sun rose on a cold wintery morning!
Showing posts with label Touch the Sky with Glory. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Touch the Sky with Glory. Show all posts
30 January 2019
Contrails (Wordless Wednesday)
Contrails are the white streak like clouds that seem to be emerging from jet aircraft .. Though not very long ones, my attention was first towards the contrails seen over thee glorious gold skyline as the Sun rose on a cold wintery morning!
02 April 2018
B for Ball
We are with the 2018 April AtoZ Blogging challenge and its my fifth attempt. For those who missed it, here is the link to my Theme Reveal post. Do the alphabets still stand for the same things we learnt about in Nursery school?
Its day two and the alphabet is B
B is for Ball.
That is the time honoured object that a child relates the second alphabet to. Possibly among her (used the feminine pronoun only for convenience - can just as well be him) first toys as well. As she grows up, the nature of earliest soft round colourful structure changes and possibly only the round shape remains.
It can become either a football, cricket ball, tennis ball, table tennis ball and so on...
At my stage in life, ball only refers to a golf ball. Rather should I say, its the weird propensity crows on our golf course have found for golf balls.
I am sure you are scratching your heads in confusion.
Let me clarify... Whenever someone hits a shot, no sooner than the ball lands on the fairway (or bunker) than a waiting crow swoops down and picks it up and flies away. All this happens as fast as one can blink their eyelids. Golf balls are not cheap and losing them on a regular basis can become stressful especially when the player may lose a stroke for the loss. To add insult to injury, the crows invariably steal the ball after a particularly good shot wherein it has landed in a wonderful position for a possible birdie. Suddenly, that word (birdie) doesnt sound funny!
 |
| A good shot lands on the green.. now possibly being eyed by a feathered foe sitting on a branch... |
14 June 2017
15 February 2017
10 November 2016
Honouring Our Soldiers
It was quite a while ago, that I began a post about streets in my city named after women. That was inspired by a BBC article "Are our street names sexist?"
This idea sort of germinated into yet another one namely, finding out how many streets in my city and outside of its Cantonment are named after soldiers... Outside the Cantonment is the key as that is the area where most roads are named after soldiers...
Thus began my search and for now my list has only five names... I know there will be many more and this list will be updated as and when I learn about them. So those of you who do come across such street names do let me know...
The list is in no specific order...
Here goes:
1. Flying Officer Sudhir Pawar Path
2. Shaheed Colonel Prasanna Gore Path - in Sahakar Nagar
3. Capt Vishwasrao Himmatbahaddur Chavan Path - in Navi Peth
4. Sqn Ldr Sureshchandra Bhagwat Path - in Model Colony
5. Kai Col Suryakant Pandit Path - in Model Colony
6. Second Lieutenant Shrikant Rege Path - in Model Colony
7. Subhedar Namdev Jadhav Path - Ashok Nagar
Waiting to hear from you all!
Take care!
This idea sort of germinated into yet another one namely, finding out how many streets in my city and outside of its Cantonment are named after soldiers... Outside the Cantonment is the key as that is the area where most roads are named after soldiers...
Thus began my search and for now my list has only five names... I know there will be many more and this list will be updated as and when I learn about them. So those of you who do come across such street names do let me know...
The list is in no specific order...
Here goes:
1. Flying Officer Sudhir Pawar Path
2. Shaheed Colonel Prasanna Gore Path - in Sahakar Nagar
3. Capt Vishwasrao Himmatbahaddur Chavan Path - in Navi Peth
4. Sqn Ldr Sureshchandra Bhagwat Path - in Model Colony
5. Kai Col Suryakant Pandit Path - in Model Colony
6. Second Lieutenant Shrikant Rege Path - in Model Colony
7. Subhedar Namdev Jadhav Path - Ashok Nagar
Waiting to hear from you all!
Take care!
16 December 2015
16 September 2015
A Plateau of Flowers (Wordless Wednesday)
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| The Raireshwar Plateau has a carpet of the Indian Arrowroot flowers (Chavar in Marathi) during the monsoon |
13 April 2015
K is for KNP
KNP is the popular shortened name for Pune's Kamla Nehru Park. This is an 'old' park compared to other parks that the PMC looks after - ofcourse nowhere close to the Empress Garden. There are no records as to when this park was set up but many speculate it to be in the late 1930s or early years of the 1940s. Hence one can see fairly large and mature trees here and its a popular site for tree walks.
The KNP is a small stately neighbourhood park, very popular with both young and old alike. The park is the meeting point for many senior citizens many of whom are from different parts of the city. These meetings are a great way for them to 'let their hair down' and relax to get away from the humdrum issues that increasingly become predominant at this stage of life. Kids too seem to love this place judging from the number of parents and children I have seen here.
A vintage Marut aircraft of the Indian Air Force is on display here. I am sure many a young minds has been inspired to take up a career in flying just by looking at this aircraft. The Marut is the first fighter jet designed in India. In 1955 the country did not have infrastructure to build it yet the project did go ahead with ingenuity and perseverance. After the due phases of design, prototype, ground test program etc, the aircraft made its maiden sortie on 17 June 1961. (Source Bharat Rakshak). Do visit this link for the very interesting story about the life and times of this bird.
The KNP is a small stately neighbourhood park, very popular with both young and old alike. The park is the meeting point for many senior citizens many of whom are from different parts of the city. These meetings are a great way for them to 'let their hair down' and relax to get away from the humdrum issues that increasingly become predominant at this stage of life. Kids too seem to love this place judging from the number of parents and children I have seen here.
A vintage Marut aircraft of the Indian Air Force is on display here. I am sure many a young minds has been inspired to take up a career in flying just by looking at this aircraft. The Marut is the first fighter jet designed in India. In 1955 the country did not have infrastructure to build it yet the project did go ahead with ingenuity and perseverance. After the due phases of design, prototype, ground test program etc, the aircraft made its maiden sortie on 17 June 1961. (Source Bharat Rakshak). Do visit this link for the very interesting story about the life and times of this bird.
10 December 2014
31 January 2014
The Walls are Alive
Many years ago, when my husband was still serving in the Indian armed forces, the most important aspect when moving into the allocated MES accommodation was getting it painted -- ‘chuna’ was our brutally frank description of that process. The team of workers 'did' up the houses in a day, two days if we were lucky. All of us had uniform pale yellow walls with white ceilings. Just that layer of coloured water on the walls gave the homes a fresher feel and we happily settled in. The family was not separated, there was a Kendriya Vidyalaya for the children and we were happy. That's just how things were in our times.Decorating homes meant displaying mementos, paintings, embroidery, potted plants and so on. Paint as decor by itself was unheard of.
Out on civil street after my hubby had quit service, we were quite confused when it was time to paint our flat. We opted for the Asian Paints Home Solutions which meant the company took care of everything including the dreaded 'post paint' cleaning of the home.
05 October 2012
Air Force Day
08 October is celebrated as Air Force Day each year. Now as civilians we look upon with pride our tenure in service, never for a moment regretting our life therein or complaining about hardships we had to face (alright, we did crib occasionally) but remembering only the wonderful people who we were fortunate and privileged to have been with.
We lived without many so-called "city comforts", learnt to innovate with what we had, found 'new' uses for the same old things (fashionably called 'thinking out of the box' but a 'box' a.k.a trunk, was our treasured possession vital to transport our wordly belongings in our normadic existance), adopted a "live-and-let -live policy" with flying frogs, snakes, scorpions, monkeys and so on (our homes had a common habitat with theirs) and hopefully instilled the same never-say-die spirit in our children as well.
What we did have around us were strong, eternally optimistic, fearless soldiers who put their country and mission before their lives, who saw the lighter side of life in every situation and made a sure fire impression on every person they interacted with! We met wonderful people and developed friendships that survived several postings and learnt to stoically accept when Fate took away anyone from what was our extended family.
Life must go on, Impermanence is the very essence of Life...
Here is a recap from a couple of my older posts...
We lived without many so-called "city comforts", learnt to innovate with what we had, found 'new' uses for the same old things (fashionably called 'thinking out of the box' but a 'box' a.k.a trunk, was our treasured possession vital to transport our wordly belongings in our normadic existance), adopted a "live-and-let -live policy" with flying frogs, snakes, scorpions, monkeys and so on (our homes had a common habitat with theirs) and hopefully instilled the same never-say-die spirit in our children as well.
What we did have around us were strong, eternally optimistic, fearless soldiers who put their country and mission before their lives, who saw the lighter side of life in every situation and made a sure fire impression on every person they interacted with! We met wonderful people and developed friendships that survived several postings and learnt to stoically accept when Fate took away anyone from what was our extended family.
Life must go on, Impermanence is the very essence of Life...
Here is a recap from a couple of my older posts...
29 May 2012
Tiffin Tales
It has always been a mystery to me if a
school Tiffin box and its contents really inspired excitement in its target
consumer. From the hosts and expert cooks on TV cookery shows this certainly
seemed the case. This sent me back to my daily morning tussle to innovate and
put in something interesting (child’s requirement) and nutritious (my
requirement) in the box.
When my daughter was still in preschool,
it was pretty smooth sailing. A sandwich/ fruits/ laddus or any other
savoury stuff made (home or ready-made) sufficed. Once into full time school I
had to give something more substantial especially for the lunch break.
Obviously this meant some variety of roti (Indian flat bread) and subjee
(vegetables) either separately or in a roll (to be called ‘frankie’ in a bid to
glamorise the preparation) or all mixed and rolled together as a stuffed
paratha (a form of Indian bread). The end product required the food to be
kept dry or risk feeding books in the bag. Obviously it would be testing any
child’s patience to expect him/her to eat dry roti/subjee six days of the week
for years together so little ‘extras’ were always demanded. On days when the
unfortunate bhindi (ladies finger) or karela (bitter gourd) found
their way into the plastic box they had to be countered with ‘extras’ that were
rated at the other end (high) of the scale like chips/ French fries/
chocolates/ cola in the water bottle etc. This of course had the rider that the
vegetable could not be repeated for a couple of months AND needed a peace
offering of a pizza for dinner.
24 December 2010
Thumbs up for Fighter Pilots!
Fighter pilots are a breed into themselves. This is something that must be experienced and no amount of anecdotes can make you aware of this fact.
Superficially one sees the signature aviator glasses, dashing uniform and a dynamic personality immortalized by Tom Cruise in 'Top Gun'. No one can remain unimpressed when faced with such raw energy, charm and their sense of humour. Their ability 'to think on their feet' is something that all of us must try to imbibe.
Dig a little deeper and you will find that pilots in general tend to be different from other professionals, fighter pilots in particular. It could be because of the rigorous training they undergo combined with the very nature of their flying that can be unforgiving or close knit relationships they form in their flying units/squadrons.
Before I am accused of exaggeration, here is scientific proof of some of these differences:
A University College London study has found huge differences in brains of pilots of fighter aircraft in comparison to a control group. Researchers used cognitive tests and MRI scans for the study. It is not yet known if people are born with these differences or they are acquired later. (Read the study here or copy paste the following in a new browser: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/news-articles/1012/10121402)
In a country increasingly enamoured with fat pay checks and ivy league MBAs, such studies can help encourage youngsters to take up a career in military flying that is often only associated with low pay and dangers.
Happy Landings!!
Superficially one sees the signature aviator glasses, dashing uniform and a dynamic personality immortalized by Tom Cruise in 'Top Gun'. No one can remain unimpressed when faced with such raw energy, charm and their sense of humour. Their ability 'to think on their feet' is something that all of us must try to imbibe.
Dig a little deeper and you will find that pilots in general tend to be different from other professionals, fighter pilots in particular. It could be because of the rigorous training they undergo combined with the very nature of their flying that can be unforgiving or close knit relationships they form in their flying units/squadrons.
Before I am accused of exaggeration, here is scientific proof of some of these differences:
A University College London study has found huge differences in brains of pilots of fighter aircraft in comparison to a control group. Researchers used cognitive tests and MRI scans for the study. It is not yet known if people are born with these differences or they are acquired later. (Read the study here or copy paste the following in a new browser: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/news-articles/1012/10121402)
In a country increasingly enamoured with fat pay checks and ivy league MBAs, such studies can help encourage youngsters to take up a career in military flying that is often only associated with low pay and dangers.
Happy Landings!!
04 October 2009
The Men behind the flying machines
Fighter pilots are a rare breed of human beings. They lead intense lives fully appreciating each moment to its utmost. Up at the crack of dawn, they seem to have an endless store of energy even if called on to work 24X7. Flying over inhospitable terrain or unfriendly/enemy territory actually brings out their best.
One way to recognise a pilot away from his airbase, is from his characteristic Ray-ban Aviator sunglasses. This iconic brand is almost synonymous with pilots. Sunny or cloudy the weather conditions are immaterial...
The use of aeronautical jargon is often carried through into daily lives such as "what time do we leave?" is often replaced with "wheels roll time"; a sudden downpour is due to a CB (cumulonimbus cloud); all procedures need thorough SOPs (standard operating procedure) from making tea to emergencies like a hot water scald; a family picnic needs a 'briefing' for all members, each one is "detailed" for a duty (games in-charge, food i/c, tpt i/c)....
There are some other distinguishing personality traits that all of us from the IAF family have experienced. To name a few: attention to detail, a systematic manner of executing tasks (even its just buying subjee), a pathological disregard for inactivity, ready to take a joke about themselves...
Before you think I am prejudiced read these that were part of an email forwarded to me...
Jokes apart, we wouldn't want things any other way....
A: A jet engine stops whining when the plane shuts down.
08 October is celebrated as Air Force Day in the Indian Air Force.
Happy Landings!
One way to recognise a pilot away from his airbase, is from his characteristic Ray-ban Aviator sunglasses. This iconic brand is almost synonymous with pilots. Sunny or cloudy the weather conditions are immaterial...
The use of aeronautical jargon is often carried through into daily lives such as "what time do we leave?" is often replaced with "wheels roll time"; a sudden downpour is due to a CB (cumulonimbus cloud); all procedures need thorough SOPs (standard operating procedure) from making tea to emergencies like a hot water scald; a family picnic needs a 'briefing' for all members, each one is "detailed" for a duty (games in-charge, food i/c, tpt i/c)....
There are some other distinguishing personality traits that all of us from the IAF family have experienced. To name a few: attention to detail, a systematic manner of executing tasks (even its just buying subjee), a pathological disregard for inactivity, ready to take a joke about themselves...
Before you think I am prejudiced read these that were part of an email forwarded to me...
Jokes apart, we wouldn't want things any other way....
Q: How do you know if there is a fighter pilot at your party?
A: He'll tell you.
Q: What's the difference between God and fighter pilots?
A: God doesn't think he's a fighter pilot.
A: A jet engine stops whining when the plane shuts down.
08 October is celebrated as Air Force Day in the Indian Air Force.
Happy Landings!
05 October 2008
Baked Beans
Last night there was an unexpected “ farmaish” of ‘baked beans’ for dinner. Living out of the environs of an Air Force (AF) Station for over 4 years now, this request brought memories of our life there tumbling out.
Dining in the Officers Mess was always an option for all of us whether it was for an impromptu party or Tuesday lunch to savour ‘chole bhature’ or when the lady of the house decided she simply did not want to cook. Officers Messes in some AF stations boasted of such high standards of food that families regularly dined there.
However, by and large everyone agreed that food all places tasted the same. It was always a mystery to me how the cooks managed this feat with the tea, custard or the curries. All the vegetables were uniformly tasteless and we ladies being very finicky invariably found faults with the ‘rotis’. I always ordered ‘parathas’ on ‘extra messing’ which never disappointed.
As far as the vegetables went, ordering a tin of ‘baked beans’ or egg bhurjee (spicy scrambled eggs) again on ‘extra messing’ usually took care of that aspect of the menu. These humble preparations saved many a meal. Families awaiting accommodation had to dine in the Mess and they never complained at the monotony of these ‘extra dishes’. There were complaints galore for the freshly cooked subjees served…. I freely admit that I too have indulged in these inexplicable complaining sessions!
At one of our postings in the East, the ladies took an initiative and decided to help out the cooks in an attempt to improve the taste of the meals. That was the time I got an “insight” into the workings of mess kitchens. We came up with innovative spice combinations using ration issued condiments to help the cooks to prepare delicious preparations. Every lady lent her own special touch bringing a different personality to every meal menu. The ironic part was that most of us had never bothered to use the same innovation at our own homes, preferring instead to disdainfully away give the ration stuff to the maid and use the readymade packaged stuff instead!!!!!
On civil street today the privilege of dining in the Officers Mess in not available to me. The experience in the East had shown me the difficulties faced by the cooks and mess committees in catering and these were by and large same in most AF stations. This probably explained the uniformity in the taste. I however look at this aspect as a boon. At every posting the process of settling down at the new place is a testing one for the entire family. The comforting familiarity of the food makes the process that bit easier!
We have had the privilege of living in all parts of the country, interacting with some of the best people, bringing up our children in vast open spaces where the air was pure and fresh. Of course life was not easy – frequent postings, schooling that may not always be the best, limited professional opportunities for ladies - just to name a few, but given a second chance, I would not choose any other.
As we finished up the last of the beans and poured over old albums I mentally saluted the ‘baked beans’ for making the mess dining experience a memorable one!
Dining in the Officers Mess was always an option for all of us whether it was for an impromptu party or Tuesday lunch to savour ‘chole bhature’ or when the lady of the house decided she simply did not want to cook. Officers Messes in some AF stations boasted of such high standards of food that families regularly dined there.
However, by and large everyone agreed that food all places tasted the same. It was always a mystery to me how the cooks managed this feat with the tea, custard or the curries. All the vegetables were uniformly tasteless and we ladies being very finicky invariably found faults with the ‘rotis’. I always ordered ‘parathas’ on ‘extra messing’ which never disappointed.
As far as the vegetables went, ordering a tin of ‘baked beans’ or egg bhurjee (spicy scrambled eggs) again on ‘extra messing’ usually took care of that aspect of the menu. These humble preparations saved many a meal. Families awaiting accommodation had to dine in the Mess and they never complained at the monotony of these ‘extra dishes’. There were complaints galore for the freshly cooked subjees served…. I freely admit that I too have indulged in these inexplicable complaining sessions!
At one of our postings in the East, the ladies took an initiative and decided to help out the cooks in an attempt to improve the taste of the meals. That was the time I got an “insight” into the workings of mess kitchens. We came up with innovative spice combinations using ration issued condiments to help the cooks to prepare delicious preparations. Every lady lent her own special touch bringing a different personality to every meal menu. The ironic part was that most of us had never bothered to use the same innovation at our own homes, preferring instead to disdainfully away give the ration stuff to the maid and use the readymade packaged stuff instead!!!!!
On civil street today the privilege of dining in the Officers Mess in not available to me. The experience in the East had shown me the difficulties faced by the cooks and mess committees in catering and these were by and large same in most AF stations. This probably explained the uniformity in the taste. I however look at this aspect as a boon. At every posting the process of settling down at the new place is a testing one for the entire family. The comforting familiarity of the food makes the process that bit easier!
We have had the privilege of living in all parts of the country, interacting with some of the best people, bringing up our children in vast open spaces where the air was pure and fresh. Of course life was not easy – frequent postings, schooling that may not always be the best, limited professional opportunities for ladies - just to name a few, but given a second chance, I would not choose any other.
As we finished up the last of the beans and poured over old albums I mentally saluted the ‘baked beans’ for making the mess dining experience a memorable one!
Touch the Sky with Glory
8th October
Air Force Day
An important period for us a few years back as it meant weeks of hectic activities and preparations for this week that usually had several events.
The big one usually was the Officers Mess function. Ladies were kept busy preparing an entertainment program, decorations, food etc. All our postings were in far flung regions so outsourcing food to some hotel was never an option.
Its our cooks who did the honours and always came out shining. Ladies too put in their bit with special recipes or decor.
An important effort during the party was to look after 'veterans' who were invited to this annual do.
Today we are on the other side of the fence....
From my experience last year, this party is still carried out with the same zest as before only I looked at it from a different lens.
We had lived in dilapidated 'bashas', read freshly delivered 2-day old newspapers, stayed connected via trunk calls then STD PCOs, accepted snakes, leeches and scorpions....
We lived in clean fresh air, our kids had plenty of space to play... The friends we made are for life. The lessons we learnt still stand by us. The skills we gained come in handy even today in the urban jungle that is now our home.
All the very best to the Indian Air Force.
Happy Landings to all the men in blue.
Air Force Day
An important period for us a few years back as it meant weeks of hectic activities and preparations for this week that usually had several events.
The big one usually was the Officers Mess function. Ladies were kept busy preparing an entertainment program, decorations, food etc. All our postings were in far flung regions so outsourcing food to some hotel was never an option.
Its our cooks who did the honours and always came out shining. Ladies too put in their bit with special recipes or decor.
An important effort during the party was to look after 'veterans' who were invited to this annual do.
Today we are on the other side of the fence....
From my experience last year, this party is still carried out with the same zest as before only I looked at it from a different lens.
We had lived in dilapidated 'bashas', read freshly delivered 2-day old newspapers, stayed connected via trunk calls then STD PCOs, accepted snakes, leeches and scorpions....
We lived in clean fresh air, our kids had plenty of space to play... The friends we made are for life. The lessons we learnt still stand by us. The skills we gained come in handy even today in the urban jungle that is now our home.
All the very best to the Indian Air Force.
Happy Landings to all the men in blue.
07 October 2007
Touch the Sky with Glory !
8th October is the Air Force Day. As the Indian Air Force celebrates its Platinum Jubilee, we congratulate the men in blue and offer our best wishes for them to touch greater heights!
Let's pause for a moment and remember the contributions of all our brave soldiers especially those who are no longer amongst us. Every one of them has put nation before self to protect the nation.
Their families too happily and selflessly make several sacrifices.
Take a few minutes of your time and learn more about this service at :
http://indianairforce.nic.in/
Jai Hind!
Let's pause for a moment and remember the contributions of all our brave soldiers especially those who are no longer amongst us. Every one of them has put nation before self to protect the nation.
Their families too happily and selflessly make several sacrifices.
Take a few minutes of your time and learn more about this service at :
http://indianairforce.nic.in/
Jai Hind!
15 September 2007
Why Blue?
A very relevant question.
To me its the colour of the wide unending blue sky....
All covering, all protecting
yet instills fear that may fall down on our heads if anything goes drastically wrong!
Its also the uniform colour of our brave military pilots!
Yes the men (and women) flying the iron birds and doing such a wonderful job to protect our skies.
Most of us don't even recognise their existence except when some skirmishes begin with neighbouring countries. Some see them as rescue workers in case of floods or other natural calamities.
Yet we owe much of our feeling of security and comfort to the hard work they put in! The hardships they bear. The risks they take.
Think about it the next time you hear a fighter jet streaking past overhead, leaving behind a white trail just in case you failed to spot it on time!
Yes, A yen for blue!
Ciao,
Archana
To me its the colour of the wide unending blue sky....
All covering, all protecting
yet instills fear that may fall down on our heads if anything goes drastically wrong!
Its also the uniform colour of our brave military pilots!
Yes the men (and women) flying the iron birds and doing such a wonderful job to protect our skies.
Most of us don't even recognise their existence except when some skirmishes begin with neighbouring countries. Some see them as rescue workers in case of floods or other natural calamities.
Yet we owe much of our feeling of security and comfort to the hard work they put in! The hardships they bear. The risks they take.
Think about it the next time you hear a fighter jet streaking past overhead, leaving behind a white trail just in case you failed to spot it on time!
Yes, A yen for blue!
Ciao,
Archana
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