Make your own Luck

There’s an awesome story I came across in Andrew Matthews’ book ‘Follow your Heart’. There once lived a farmer. He had a son and a horse. One day the horse ran away and the neighbors came to the farmer to console him “What bad luck that your horse has run away!”

The farmer said “Who knows whether it’s good luck or bad luck?” “Of course it’s bad luck!” said the neighbors.

A few days later, the farmer’s horse came back – with twenty more wild horses! The neighbors came to celebrate this time. “What good luck”, said they, “that your horse has come back with another twenty!” “Who knows whether it’s good luck or bad luck?” replied the farmer.

And some of the neighbors, by now angry, said “Of course, it’s good luck, you silly old fool!” One day, while the farmer’s son was riding one of the wild horses, he fell down and broke his leg. The neighbors felt sorry for him and told the farmer “What bad luck!” And the farmer said “Who knows whether it’s good luck or bad luck?”

A couple of weeks later, the army came into their town and enlisted all the young men for a war in a distant land. All, except the farmer’s son thanks to his broken leg! The neighbours said “What good luck you have…” The farmer replied “Who knows!” We can spend the rest of our lives trying to debate whether we’ve had good luck or bad luck, when most of the time we have no clue what’s really in store for us!

Is there a need to label every unusual thing that happens in our lives as good luck or bad luck? Why not tell ourselves “My life is a series of events, happening in perfect order.” And better still, if you were to apply the law of attraction, you would say “Everything that happens in my life, everything, I ATTRACT into it. I create my life, as I go along. This luck thing is just an illusion.” I know this can be all very confusing.

There are people who are staunch believers in the luck factor. And there are those who aren’t. It really doesn’t matter what the world thinks. What matters is what you think! I used to wonder “How come some people are always very lucky?” HOW, is it possible? After years of thinking, I finally concluded. They make their own luck. And so can you. If you think you can!

A village visit! ಗಂಗ ರಾಜನ ಹಳ್ಳಿ... ಒಂದು ಕಿರು ಪಯಣ...

ಗಂಗ ರಾಜನ ಹಳ್ಳಿ... ಒಂದು ಕಿರು ಪಯಣ...  
January 26, 2010; republic day this year did not fall on a Friday or Monday. We, especially the ones working in IT sector will be waiting a year ahead for long weekend. So, this January 26th I did not go to my hometown and I was in Bangalore. Usually, spending a week day holiday will be like going to a mall in the evening or spending the day lazily at home, cooking, washing clothes and so on.

Gangarajanahalli, is the village where we landed after two hours of journey from Bangalore on January 26th. A serene place, free from pollution – those annoying noise of vehicles, replaced with chirping of birds, children playing – their cry, people's curiosity when we landed withbags and charts. The journey from Bangalore city to this village was tiring with scorching hot sun but worth visiting this place; ride from the nice road was ultimate.

We entered the village, where we reached a place where there were house on both the ends of the narrow roads. We spotted a very old house. In fact, most of the houses in that village were very old, which were more than hundred years old. Simple house, very old ones, looks amazing. If we ever compare those houses with the modern houses, houses built in the olden days are the best ones. Tiled houses, vintage designs but irreplaceable, the items used in these houses were more than hundred years old still capable of using another hundred more years.

I was still admiring the structure of that house when my friend started pulling out the pencils and chart papers. People from the nearby houses had surrounded us by then, curious of what’s going on. We sat in the veranda of one of the house and we received good hospitality, they started talking to us, gave a mat to sit down. My friend was busy with the sketches of the houses and I started clicking some pictures. I then felt awkward to click more pictures as people started gaping, which made them think what is she going to do with our pictures. I was then imaging if any strangers like this come to our house in Bangalore, would we treat them this way. Even, if a salesperson comes we would be scared to open the door and talk to him. But in the villages, it’s a carefree life.

After completing the sketch of one house, we walked little further where we found some more curious villagers asking who we are and why have we come. Even here we got good hospitality, they told us stories about the place, and they led us the way to a hill. When you pass through Rama Nagar near Mysore, on the opposite side you could see a big rock mountain. It’s called Aane Gundi Betta in kannada. This betta was walk able distance from this village. But we did not want to get into this betta as it was almost 4.00PM and it would get late. We then walked towards a field with one of the village boy. Few boys were chit chatting, waiting for their friends to join them to play cricket. A farmer was scattering the ragi grains from the dust particles. When we reached this spot, the boys started teasing asking the farmer to give a good posture, and we have come to shoot his pictures and draw his sketches. This remembered me of my school days, enjoying to the core with my cousins.

The farmer started telling stories about Aane Gundi Betta (It’s named after an Elephant fell from the top of the mountain), like he saw a bear standing very close to him one night, tigers come down to village once in a while and so on. He also picked and gave me some berries which were fallen from the trees. It was nice talking to them; they were nice people with good heart. We then had our lunch which we had packed while coming in the midst of the nature. I enjoyed my time there, clicking pictures, talking to people, holding cute lamb in my arms.

All villagers who came and spoke to us had one question in common. Why have we come to visit their village? Any project? Any news channels? And so on. We answered all their questions saying we have come for relaxing in a calm place and photography and art is our passion. They were very humble people, they had a heart to listen, curious about so many things. It’s a nice experience to experience different things. We felt relaxed, out from all city chaos. Feel good to stay in the villages, it’s kind of meditation. Hope there’ll be villages in ample in the coming days. Civilization has reached such a state that we hardly find hand counts of villages. We all are responsible to save trees, save atmosphere and save earth. In some or the other way, we need to put some effort in saving our planet. Please think twice, before you take a print!!!

All in all, it was a day so pleasant and relaxing.


Few images of the village visit..


An old house in the village..

Waiting for the wind...

                         

The farmer scattering the ragi grains..

View of Aane Gundi Betta..

The sketch of the old house.. 

Sketch with the Fountain pen..

I can work only if there is wind...

Sunset...

Trying it out myself...

Holding the cute lamb...

Chitra Santhe

Chitra Kala Parishath has been organizing Chitra Santhe in Bangalore for past few years and I got an opportunity to visit the Chitra Santhe for the first time. The entire kumara krupa road was decorated beautifully yesterday. The crowd was enormous. Chitra Santhe got a very good response from art appreciators to buyers. I was amazed to see the Kumara Krupa Road spilled with number of artists with their amazing collections. The best part of this art exhibition was, there were lot of people in Bangalore who were present to appreciate the art, buy, interact, spend their precious time for the artists.

Artists all over India were delighted to present Varity of paintings, which exhibited their creativity and their uniqueness.

I was happy to see people appreciating art and buy the paintings either of small range or bigger. This platform helped a lot of amateur artists as well as the professional artists to showcase their creativity and contribute towards art.

Their were number art stalls of the specially challenged artists exhibiting their art. They were indeed marvellous.

Lot of artists got an opportunity to buy Art Materials for 20% discount on this occasion. Bhaskar & Bhaskar also provided lucky coupons for purchase above Rs. 500. We were hoping for a prize and waited till the lucky draw results. But the result was not in our favour.

All in all it was a wonderful experience, enjoyed the day and had a relaxing Sunday.

Some thoughts about Bangalore Auto walas...

You wake up early in the morning, with a good feel, positive thoughts around and get out of the home hoping for a beautiful day. As you wait for an Auto and these auto wala's attitude towards people who work in Bangalore will spoil your entire day! The Auto wala's in Bangalore mint money specially from the youngsters and target the non bangaloreans.

We common people in Bangalore, who have come for work leaving our home town are pestered by the lousy good for nothing auto drivers. They do not even know how to behave with women. Without any guilt, they fix an amount. They are so rude and they'll claim 2 to 3 times charge. When it comes to short distance, no rikshaw wala will be ready to take you. If they agree then it'll be on a huge amount. And almost 80% of the auto wala's have a meter in their auto just as a toy. They won't use it as it may get spoilt. Almost all Auto drivers are having wrong meter and at night they charge 3 times of the rate.

Most of the auto wala's will blindly say some amount. I make sure that i follow the 'Walk Away' principle immediately without any negotiation. Most f the times they will come running behind to our expectation with meter charge. This rarely happens. You need to stand in the road and beg on these auto wala's pleading to drop at your destination. As if they are going to drop you free of charge at your destination.

If your house is near Jayadeva circle and you say you need to go to a place near Jayadeva circle. They'll stop the auto right in front of the circle as if anyone will build a house in the Circle.

Some auto wala's will get you into the auto with a wide smile and later while dropping they will not give back 25 rupees stating that he has only 100 rupee notes and does not have change or they will start pestering like while boarding the auto you never mentioned you need to get down at this place, you have got me to the interior, we don't get any customer's on our way back, you need to pay 20 rupees extra.

I have hell a lot of bad experiences with the Auto drivers.

But there are good and honest auto wala's as well with the perfect meter. They realize our intention by checking our sharp eyes on the meter while driving. They will give back the extra money even before we bargain for it. I used to feel pity and give some extra money to such auto wala's.

Note: Always make sure that the auto has the digital meter because the probability of tampered digital meter is very very less.