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Saturday, July 19, 2008

Adventures are Injurious to My Health


My friend Sagar, when he was jobless, used to be an enthusiastic rappeller. Rappeling, I found out from him, is the activity of scrabbling over huge rocks for no discernable reason.
My friend Kiran has discovered and unleashed the mountain biker in himself.Earlier, he restricted himself to football and the occasional clandestine fishing boat excursion off the coasts of his native Kerala. Now he saddles his bike and vrooms off to Leh from Delhi every other weekend. He also rafts and does various other scary things.
My jeej is an experienced para-glider/ bungee-jumper/ air-floater/ something of the sort that requires you to fall miles through the air. He is also tattoed all over.
My brother spent the previous month in a series of god-forsaken tiny villages in MP, voluntarily working for an NGO. He lived without electricity, toilets, phones/ network coverage, and in constant threat from naxalites, hostile tribals, and wild boars. On his way back, he bathed in the very dangerous Allahabad sangam, with half charred dead bodies from nearby cremation grounds floating past.

When I talk to these people, I hear them tell me how they nearly (always nearly) lost their lives, how they saved somebody else, how they enjoyed the most spectacular views, and how they are going back next week for more. Then they ask if I’ve done anything interesting lately, and I say “ I… ummm…. I…. oh, I’m reading a new book.”
If these people wrote blogs, such blogs would be full of cliff hanging, breath taking, soul chilling adventures, not boring home-office-friends posts. But of course they have much better things to do than write blogs. Go snorkeling for instance.

Actually, no. I do get my share of adventures sometimes. Some mornings, I accidentally get off my bus while it is still moving (!!). And once, not many weeks ago, a mad person chased me across the street a couple of yards with a brick in his hand (then he saw a foreigner and lost interest in me).

But there must be something wrong with me, because I do not tie ropes to myself and clamber over boulders, I don’t swim around in diving gear hoping to meet sharks, I do not jump into extremely unsafe looking rafts/ rope-cars/ skis, and I DO NOT jump out of airplanes, no way. Not only do I not do these things, I do not crave to do them. That must make me sub-normal. Maybe I am missing a hormone or an enzyme that drives these people to their insane hobbies. Yes, I would like the lovely views and stuff, but I’d rather spend my holiday in bed, thank you, and see the views on my computer when my friends send me the photos.

PS: What drove me to write all this in the first place? My colleague asked me this morning if I’d like to go rollerblading with her on Sunday(that’s tomorrow).

I said “ummmm, I’d love to but I have a book to finish.”

11 paper boats came floating back to me:

Unknown said...

nice template...
OF course for you...the adventure is in books.. :)

Amritorupa Kanjilal said...

yah, and who has ever heard of someone dying from reading a book, right?

Mon said...

So are you afraid of death, little girl? I admit, all the adventures mentioned by you are not everyone's cup of tea, but dont we face adventure almost everyday in our daily lives? for example, when we run after and ultimately catch a moving bus, when we race every morning in our, dodging killer vehicles of every shapes and sizes in our way and when we climb up slippery stairs of an overbridge in order to catcha train? (ask me, I just encountered the slimy thing). Books provide us with mental adventures. We get into an adventure by walking down the labyrinth of the ordeals faced by the characters of the book. Is that less than a physical adventure? I dont think so, for we get the same reactions while facing the adventures, albeit it is imaginary. But it haunts you all the same.Just now I am reading Scarlet Pimpernal, and the adventures of the hero is haunting me even after I close the book down. Conclusion, therefore, is that adventure is not totally banned from your life, my dear, whether you face it physically or through books.

buno mainak said...

etta sokto dekhe dori hobe go
amr to lyajer fuel ses

btw,bes antel antel hyechhe blog ta background ta bes sundor
ekta mosaic form achhe
joy guru
-bokom

Unknown said...

Have been thinking about this lately! Do our hobbies really talk aloud about the people we are inside? Atleast I think the reason you take to a hobby should be known to you! I love adventures and indulge into the thrill whenever have an opportunity and definitely do crave for them! Reading, for me is a greater, more pragmatic kind of love..! u can have 2 or more loves in life..what say?

Abhinandan said...

fear of death.....foooooo....
lyaddddddddddddd........
lekhataaye khuuuuuuuub lyad.......
chaaliye jaao.........

Anik. said...

Tumi j mone monei Tistar pare ghure berao...
Tumi to chokh bhujhei Cha bagaber dhar ghesa Kanchanjangar dike rowna hao..........

Tomar asober dorkar ki Shonai

laddu said...

its thrilling wen u do such things..have experienced few things in college....dats how i started writing abt my MISadventures....

Al Walling said...

but what does this post have to do with the northeast?

workhard said...

LOL, why did someone run behind you with a brick.. That must be some adventure... Nice write up.. I guess everyone has different views of adventure.. But if i go bungee jumping or paragliding. i wd have my stomach in my mouth...

ShantanuDas said...

Seems Little girl has not seen these comments.. bcs she never replied to the latter comments .. hmm
but really a NICE post.. made me laugh also.. and some comments here are also real funny.. like Mainak..!!
then poetic like anik...
philosophical like heena
Confusing like Al Walling-- I missed why he askd that question.
Good reading all,

But little Girl if you are listening.. I think it is okay.. let them do wha they are doing.. if they were not doing wht they are doing then whom will we watch and enjoy?? The world Needs them!!