Travelling in Era’s – Back then and Now

Have you ever thought if we lost some amazing technological advancements to time?

Airplane (Vimana) back in that era

There is a strong belief that, we have had more amazing technology back then (may be few era’s back), we have lost all in time and trying to re-discover it. For instance, airplane, space crafts, ability to travel between various planets in galaxy or travelling to desired location within a split second, nuclear technology for better or worse, transforming physical body into anything one wishes, cloning 100 kids from one fetus of an human and those face time  chats back in that era. I am quoting all these from “so called” Mythological history of ancient India – Mahabharata and Ramayana.

Bridge between India and Srilanka

For instance, researchers are still trying to find the bridge that was constructed between Srilanka and India during ‘Ramayana’ Era to get Sita who is Lord Rama’s wife been abducted by Devil Ravana and kept in an island “Lanka”. It could be true they might have had it but due to Pangaea it might have shrunken with this small island started drifting apart and India is moving up towards north increasing the height of highest mountain Mount Everest in Himalayas.

Since there is very little evidence of such great epic, it is hard to convince people. This creativity is more or less can be compared to Star Wars movies. They call it all an exaggeration but truly, when Wright Brothers initially expressed their intentions to construct a flight to fly in the air, they were only laughed at that concept. Now, after more than 100 years of their initial experimentation, we have come so far as to.. not only we could travel practically anywhere on the earth but also to nearest Planets.  Such is the Innovation. As we speak about it, they recently posted another idea of high speed transportation from NY to LA, 3000 miles apart would take just 45 minutes only (current flight time is 6 hrs).. This still is in Conceptual stage but I believe it could be a reality one day.

Elon Musk, founder of Tesla Motors, Paypal and SpaceX products, his idea of travelling from New York to Los Angeles (approx. 3000 miles apart) in just 45 minutes (yes, yes.. you heard it right) has been featured in CNN (Click here) and ever since it only increased my curiosity. I wish if I understood dynamics behind this concept.. unfortunately, I was not even remotely decent with physics.

Boarding into capsule like transportation

Brief excerpt from CNN: A massive vacuum tube — mounted either above ground or even under water — would be combined with a magnetic levitation system used on conventional bullet trains. That means no friction, no wind resistance, no chance of collisions, and insanely high speeds. 

Infrastructure – above or below the ground

Here is Elon Musk for you to view.

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Beautiful Thoughts

If you are surrounded by positive thoughts with beautiful images, places, situations and energetic people who generates positive vibes…. Soon enough, you will see only great things happening to you. No matter what situation you are in right now, the “hope” for better will always make you content and drives you with euphoric energy to get there.

(source: Google image search)

Some acquaintance of mine told me that if a person meditates just for 3 minutes a day imagining beautiful surroundings or locations (yes, yes minus your friends, family etc etc.. you do not want to clog your beautiful thoughts by thinking about them or any unpleasant conversations… and it’s not meditation at all), the brain will process good things, what you sow, so will be reaped.. Isn’t?  She says, giving that space to brain really heals any other malfunctioning in the body. After all brain is the CPU.. isn’t? And did I not mention.. she is a Dr. and practicing Pediatrician.

Did I do it? Well, I’ve been planning to do this for years now and thought at least my blog readers might get benefited and which is why I am throwing this idea out in open there.  Grab it, Grab it, Grab it

Let me know if you have done it already? And how do you feel about it?

Paintings by Thomas Kinkade

If only, I could paint…

That’s a wish, perhaps may be not.. I was decently good in drawing and painting when I was a kid, but studies took over and ended up working in IT industry. I often think about taking painting classes and living in NYC does provide me plethora of choices.

Yes, looking back, with as much fervor I take up things, I give up as soon as I start. Thankfully, my interest in arts some how motivated my cousins to take it up seriously and they did what I was good at growing up and with their constant practice, they have become really good at it. I am secretly proud of them.

I do look at paintings and appreciate the talent by admiring it. Yes, not the way you think of purchasing them. Here is one such painter of this era whose paintings caught my eye.. it’s Thomas Kinkade.

Hills

Paintings here.. who knows you might get some inspiration from them. They are absolutely beautiful.

Winter – painting..

Winter

Do you know any such artist’s works that I can look at? If you do.. please share it over here.

Facebook Time

How many times have you looked at facebook messages, comments, likes, posts, pictures of friends and unknown people and browsing your time away?

Time is Precious
(Courtesy – Google Images Search)

I bet facebook is very addictive and to an extent that you make least effort to meet people in person or at least speak on phone.  And yes, the messages in facebook propagates much faster than news now-a-days, rather let’s name any social media options  like twitter, pintrest, myspace, linkedin, google plus and their seamless integration and cross posts have reached masses more than ever before.

I like this virtual connectivity, bringing people much closer and giving you the breadth and width of required information, meeting long lost friends, providing a platform to express your opinions out loud to the world, helping entrepreneurs market and sell their products providing employment to many by making life and business much simpler.

Social Media
(Courtesy – Google Images Search)

With good comes bad, if not used properly.. all of your time would be washed away browsing  facebook, pintrest or any other social media sites. Anything extreme is not good. I have had my share of fun connecting with my friends, family and knowing what they are unto and spending hours reading random posts by  unknown people, friends activity history or family pictures by being a silent spectator and impulse to reply immediately when some one messages me. Thanks to smart phones that will always let you connect with people.. well really?  I, like many other addicts would simply go onto facebook on mobile and spend time as if that is my ONLY job.

People always show best of them on Facebook and so am I.. everyone is under illusion that every one is having great time and it bothers you more when you are in down time. In fact, statistics shows that people who browse facebook often are more depressed when they see other people being happy.  Irrespective of any of it, as long as you use it in limited fashion.. it is a great tool to connect with people.

I decided to part away with it until I control the urge to constantly open it. It has been 3 months and I used “Facebook time” for better purpose of “Reading books” and working on “Changing my life Style for better”. I might consider myself to be getting better at reading more books and read almost 14 books in 3-months which is quite an achievement for me and still working on the later one. And now, I rather call up my close family/friends than staying connected over facebook.

Dear facebook, I love you but not so much that it overtakes my life.

What do you think about facebook?

Kahlil Gibran – Poet of essence

Lately, I started taking liking towards poetry. Earlier, I never quite understood poems and wondered why people wrote or appreciated in the first place. But only lately did I started understanding the essence of it and the depths it can take you to (well.. may be if the poems are simple and I’ve had hard time getting right meaning of complex poems). Bundle of emotions, stories and more can be expressed greatly in poems.

Here is one that particularly attracted me while browsing through Khalil Gibran’s quotes online. The perspective is quite interesting and if you think about it, don’t you think they indeed make some sense? may be they just lessen your expectations from life in general.

“Your children are not your children.
They are sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself. 
They come through you but not from you.
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For thir souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the make upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer’s hand be for gladness.
For even as He loves the arrow that flies, so He also loves the bow that is stable.”
― Kahlil Gibran

And another one here ..

“We choose our joys and sorrows long before we experience them.” 
― Kahlil Gibran

Really?  What do you think?

Desi’s abroad

Life of a Desi
(Courtesy: Google images)

I am an Indian staying abroad.. the term coiled to represent people like “us” as “Desi’s”.  Just like how chinese people addressed as “Chinki’s”.. No offense but that is a most common terminology to address the race.

Recently, I’ve had my parents visited me for a brief period of time and it was great to have them around. Obviously, I was busy planning their outings and had almost no time for blogging. Well yeah, a good excuse.  For every beginning there is an End, some times it ends as we would have anticipated and most of the times we detour and often the path is painful but with good ending. Again it sounds like a “Cliche” from movies, part of it could be me watching too many dramatic movies.

All said, parting does bring pain. Their visitation ended with beautiful memories and now I am left with gloomy clouds.  As much as I sounded excited while sending-them-off, only later did those clouds melted and rain poured down.. oh yes, like every other human being I cried. No matter how much hard one tries to understand the reasoning behind those tears, there is truly something about being part of family, those relationships, emotions, affection are something that keeps you grounded. Yes, we have had our share of fun times, non-forgettable-great times, hard times, dis-agreements, opinion clashes, petty jealousies, arguments and so on so forth, but no matter what I love them and I dearly miss them.

These are the times where I end up introspecting and start wondering about “What if’s” , “If only’s” etc etc and torn between thoughts of life in United States vs India.  Life is truly an adventure with “good” , “bad”, “okay”,”great”,”worst” , “not so bad” times and yet you move forward with most exciting spirit and “Hope” to reach your destination. What is destination after all? As much as I do not want to get philosophical about life purpose, aims, plans, deviations etc etc.. I try to believe destination is an ever changing target we chase through out our life and I have made peace with myself that “Change is the only Constant thing in life”.

At the end, it’s your story..and no one but you write.

One of my dearest friend always says: “We always know next few minutes ahead of what is going to happen” and yet it is challenging to be positive or hopeful all the time.  There is nothing to lose in thinking great about yourself or life in general. Don’t you think so?

You have yourself to blame

Often, when things go bad we’ll blame everything, be it situations, circumstances, people around you and escape from the reality and I am no exception. Instead, if only we take the responsibility then it could be a learning experience to not repeat those mistakes and we’ll be at peace with ourselves.

And this poem narrated in Dr.Ben Carson’s book states it all and decided to share with you all.

Why do we fault others?

If things go bad for you
And make you a bit ashamed
Often you will find out that
You have yourself to blame

Swiftly we ran to mischief
And then the bad luck came
Why do we fault others?
We have ourselves to blame

Whatever happens to us,
Here is what we say
“Had it not been for so-and-so
Things wouldn’t have gone that way.”

And if you are short of friends,
I’ll tell you what to do
Make an examination,
You’ll find the faults in you…

You’re the captain of your ship,
So agree with the same
If you travel downward
You have yourself to blame

Source: From a auto-biography of a famous neuro-surgeon Dr. Ben Carson’s book Gifted Hands.