Bored Blogger beats the Keyboard (He actually types a blog post)

Off late the race of TRPs and the sensationalization of the most trivial movement in the socio-political arena of the country has resulted in invention of a new set of jargon. Everyday I wake up to a new phrase scrolling over my TV screen with faces highlighted in split screens sometimes along with background music (if its a local vernacular channel). In the year 2010 there has been an overwhelming increase in my vocabulary of such terms, phrases and adjectives. First there were 'gates' like iplgate, radiagate, barkhagate. Then some wonderful inventions like spectrum raja, kargil for profit, 'tainted' Thomas, remove 'guv' campaign, 'rapist' mla, canteen scam, no one killed arushi? and so on. And at the bottom there are tiny spiced , judgemental, decisive, churned and cooked details like 'BCCI not a national body any more?' , 'Man in blue not to represent India?'. You see the phrase for the first time and remain in awe for a moment by the its sheer loudness but then it is played over and over and over till you get nauseatic at the mere mention of it. Later in the day or sometimes over couple of days you get serverd with a new adjective or a phrase.

It makes me imagine that how great a business would be of constructing new terms and phrases associated with every incident that takes place in the country. And given the rate with which the scams happen in our country I bet that these will sell like hot cakes. The loyalty would reap millions. What amazes me are the ingredients of such inventions which mainly comprise of a blurred observation, an exagerated calculation and a hurried conclusion. The result is no more than storytelling with a creativity which if utilized elsewhere can win accolades. Thus my imagination goes to an extent of organizing an award function for the best story churned out with the best phrases. Imagine the host shouting, 'And the award for the best sensational adjective invented goes to so-and-so news channel'.

An analogy to such wide sensationalization of a non-news may be an incident as mundane as a student forgetting his admit card to a college exam. The real incident would be just that the student forgot the admit card and went back to get it. But the canvas for this incident would be somewhat different so that catchy phrases can be constructed out and served hot. The three factors would be brought into play, blurred observation, exaggerated calculation and hurried conclusion. The story would be churned with a catchy adjective, something like 'the prodigal ungrateful son' (pardon my lack of creativity in construction) and the ticker would read 'Parents dream thwarted as son's carelessness can cause him to skip exam'. All parents get glued to the tv and curse their own kids. Another channel will scroll, 'Parental land stays with the bank as the child squanders the loan as he allegedly skips the exam'. And the mother in a distant suburb shouts at the son hogging the last noodle, 'this is what you will do too'. The poor chap looks on. A third will go to extent saying student sent back for trying unfair means(entry without admit card). While the reality would be that the poor fellow runs down 3 kms to get his admit card and then writes the exam in the end. But the news has already been flashed. Day's target for 6 phrases have been met so that these can be rotated every 4 hours next 24 hours.

These phrases look catchy and help in grabbing the attention. But at times they lose the essence of the real incident to the extent of appearing really silly. But no wonder the media drags on with them till the last drop is churned out. The memory of media is shortlived so are these phrases but having said that they succeed to register them with the viewers and that is what the target is for the poor fellow sitting in the corner of a tv studio churning out more and more adjectives. Here is the latest one he is churning out, 'Bored Blogger Blues' for this entry.

Gokarna Encounter

"Sun bath on the sand, a dash to the sea, a swim to the rocks, being thrown in water by best of buddies just when a bikini clad tourist came close and then after finding no luck being picked up again, a breather and again a dash, a huddle for photo, a climb on buddies' shoulders, what else one can ask from a get together."

It was January 07, 2011. Prashant from our college gang was in Hyderabad for some official work and I was taking him around the city to show places. We were having coffee at the Eat Street on Husain Sagar lake on that lazy afternoon, when my phone beeped. It was a message from an unknown number. It turned out that Sushant was back from Poland for a short while and was updating his number while in India. I immediately called him. He told me that he has some work in Bangalore and would be reaching there on Jan 12th and will stay there for sometime. Almost instantenously it struck me that I have a long weekend coming up from Jan 14 to Jan 16. Within few minutes and couple of phone calls to across the country to the gang, it was decided that the College group was finally going to meet up in Bangalore.

It would have been real fun with old friends in a cozy flat in Bangalore and may be a dinner and booze for few in some good pub. But we are different creatures. Gokarna beach was finalised as the final hideout for the group. Gokarna beach is in the Goa-Karnataka bordering district of Uttar Kannada in Karnataka around 480 Kms from Bangalore. Prashant was not sure whether his assignment will permit him but final he made it and we boarded the Bus to Bangalore on Thursday , Jan 13. We reached Bangalore around 0700 HRS. Rahul and Karan picked us up from there neighborhood. 3 of them had office on Friday and Shukla was to drop in from Mysore by 2200 HRS by which the cab would arrive to take us to Gokarna. We whiled the time playing some Table Tennis and swimming in the apartment club pool. Lunch was at a dhaba with Mooli Paranthas.

It was around 2345 HRS, Friday Jan 14th, 2011 that after having tea on the side lanes of Bammanhally due to delay in the replacement for the cab that was sent by the Travel guy as it could not seat all 7 of us. Finally all 7(Rahul (Shukla and Jain), Prashant, Sushant, Karan, Varun and I) set out on one of the most awaited reunion trip in last couple of years. We were still short of 5 more guys from our gang but they couldnt make it due to work assignments . We decided to take the route via Shimoga and an on the way a short break at the Jog Falls. It was real fun all the way stopping on dhabas for tea. Rahul and I had a trigger set for hogging every 2 hrs. As the dawn drew close it got colder. I and Shukla were sitting on the window sides of the middle seat of the Toyota Qualis. When people at the back started dozing off, we opened both the panes and the biting cold air gushed in. Rahul, Sushant and Varun at the back after few initial grunts took it head on, covered themselves with their jackets till head and started shouting wah ji wah (Wow!). The infectious laughter broke out and spilled all over the cab now moving in beautiful moonlight amid thick woods of western ghats.

We reached Jog Falls around 0900 HRS. Breakfast at a joint just in front of Jog was mainly Idli/Dosa/Wada. The fall is mostly dry at this time of the year. Earlier last evening we have bought similar Tees for all 7 of us. All of us autographed each of the Tees and wore them. Sun was perched high by now and descending the entire fall would have meant no time at all at Gokarna. So we decided to return half way, clicked few photos. We hit the road again around 1100 HRS. Again the frolic overflowed from our chariot of fire accompanied with intermittent cries of Aaayyee, Wah ji Wah, Achhhaaa and Sachi-Muchi. Lunch was at Kamat Hotel restaurant.

Gokarna has two beaches Om beach and the main Gokarna beach. Gokarna beach is smaller has more of a local flavor while Om beach is larger and has more firangi flavor. We spend few minutes and at Gokarna and then headed to Om beach another 7 Kms. There was a queue for parking which made us to switch to our swimming gears in the cab itself. After parking our belongings in the cab and the cab in the parking space we walked some 300 metres we realized that we were atop a hilly landscape and have to descend to reach the beach. The view of blue waters, sky and the horizon were breath-taking. The beach is demarcated into three parts by rocky landlines.

We went directly to the third and the last crescent of the beach. Almost ran our way into the sea like hooligans and unleashed the spirit that was building up for last few days. The energy oozed out and the fun spilled. Booze was special gift from Poland. Karan and I being on the other side of drinking fence settled for few colas and some snacks. Sun bath on the sand, a dash to the sea, a swim to the rocks, being thrown in water by best of buddies just when a bikini clad tourist came close and then after finding no luck being picked up again, a breather for booze, a huddle for photo, a climb on buddies'shoulders, what else one can ask from a get together. After noon slowly sulked into the dusk as the blue of the sky merged into vermillion of sunset. It was time for some adrenaline rush. Jet skiing was real fun and kept up the mood till we settled down on the rocks to see the beautiful evening unfold and vermillion gel into the dark. A wonderful evening with waves beating against the rocks, sitting with old friends chit chatting about times now and then.

Om beach has many beautifully lit shacks along the coast line. Most of them cater to the foreign tourists that arrive in great numbers to this beautiful beach. We sat down in front of a  shack just next to a foreign group and ordered few snacks for starters. A smooth drink for 5 of the group and again a cola for two of us, watching high tides. Water under the moonlit skies was setting the right chord. Waves kept up the spirit and the group moved inside a shack for dinner. Dinner was great and so was the tea and the photo and video session that followed.

At around 2130 HRS we boarded the cab. Bodies were tired, but the spirit was not satiated. Again frequent stops at tea stalls on the way followed with Aaayyees and Wah ji Wahs. On the way the driver stopped the cab in the middle of the jungle when he was just about to doze off to take a small nap. Moonlight covered the entire woods and a distant signboard read, 'Wild elephants on move'. A rooster crooned in a nearby village while we continued with our mindless discussions.

We reached Bangalore at aroung 1200 HRS on Sunday Jan 16, 2011 , exhausted, satiated yet joyous and ecstatic. Elation upon meeting the old friends after long, that too on a trip like this was evident from the spirits that were still high,as people started packing to head to their towns only to meet again. They say places strengthen the memories and memories strengthen the bonding. We parted with strong desire to meet often and along with rest of the friends who could not make it to the trip.