Khardungla Calling........

When I started this blog the sole intention was to get some issues straightened out. Get some of my random thoughts a breath of fresh air and share some of my experiences. I have always thought of writing a travel diary on your blog to be cliche. But guess what, I am tempted to write mine too.
My b'day is just around the corner and mentally I have made a list of b'day gifts that I would like to have the most. Most of them are so unrealistic if you read them you would laugh your guts out. So over the next few days I plan to write some of my wishes (censored) right here. Offcourse, its not going to be the regular b'day cause one person will be missing from my life so much. So for that ONE person I borrow lyrics from Dolly Parton


I hope life treats you kind
And I hope you have all you dreamed of
And I wish you joy and happiness But above all this
I wish you love

some randon birthday wishes

• One hour chat with Nikhil Gandhi (Sea King), Prof Patel and Dilip Sanghvi
• Ice skating at Central Park
• Personally autographed copy of "Godfather" by Mario Puzo
• A happy photograph with all at the Pang gong Lake (including Namyal)
• Tandem paragliding at Kamshet
• Visit my brothers office desk.
• one hour face to face chat with Amartya Sen and Neil Armstrong
• Snorkelling at the Great Barrier Reef
• Life time subscription of Time Magazine
• To get published in Lonely Planet (visit GOA on a shoestring)

The approach to Khardungla is from Leh. For the uninitiated Khardungla is the world's highest motorable road. So? dude, a plane flies at 15000 mts and Khardungla pass is at 5802 mts. It is obviously a very cold place with its average temperature below zero degrees.

The final approach is via a steep climb from "pang" (lets call it Khardungla jr.) the pass connects Leh with many important army instilations on the Indo-China border. So, on one side of Leh you have the Leh Shrinagar highway, the same highway which has Kargil et all. And on the other side is the mighty Khardungla.

Just to step out at the peak and get your photo taken is a task on Khardungla because the air is so thin and breathing is very difficult. In case you going there I will give you a tip, tie a little bit of kapoor in a hanky, it works as a stimulant. Call it a desi shot of salbutamol inhaler. Just keep inhaling the fumes from the kapoor (it is called sublimation - process of solid turning to gas without going through the liquid stage). So, to be there even a few mins is a task. And, there are these brave army jawans who are there for six months at a shot. No breaks.

I was told that a posting at Sianchen glacier normally lasts for 2-3 years. What must be the average temperature at Siachen ?? Its -40 C the winter temperature is -300 C.

So thats all I wanted to write about my traverse from Leh to Nubra Valley via the Khardungla. If you have not been there, take some time out and salute the mighty men who protect us day and night at the cost of their health and life.

Soda, Mint and Go 92.5

Just as I get ready to head out of town for my business trips, its not my pet or my favourite bhelwala that I miss the most, its Go 92.5 fm (go925fm.com) that i miss the most.
You gotta be really lovin it (achha lagta hai) to be tuned to one station for the last 3 years. Go 92.5 fm for me has the typical metrosexual male flavour. It plays the "right" music, from Abba on sunday mornings to Strings on Friday nights.
I wanna share with you how I got hooked on to this station. The very first time I heard of this station I was at The Independence Rock 2002. They were one of the sponsorers and advertised themselfs as 92.5% music and the rest ads and RJ's. (well thoose days are all long gone).
The second event was when I casually tuned into the station and heard VJ Mallini introducing a song as "Bobby Deol getting hiccups" and you guessed it right she played "Gupt gupt yeh hai gupt gupt". RJ Mallini Agarwal is by far the most beautiful radio jockey on any station in India. Curious?? wanna see her pic?? read on I will not disappoint you.

"Last time I was sober and then I felt bad,
It took six Burgers and Choc all night, just to set me right"

Lastly, I want to tell you about the funniest and the hilarious of all, the badshah of comedy. More comic, then that godforsaken actor who played the lover in Pakistani stage shows (buddha ghar pe hai?) he is more funny then Sunil Pal and Eddie Murphy put together, friends I am talking about Jaggu (a.k.a ashish jagtiani) and Tarana. They team up every morning on Good Morning Mumbai.
You have to hear them to believe me, I have some sound bites from their show (available on request). Their web site is go925fm.com and yeah you wanna see Malini's pics log on to
www.aneeshbhasin.com
Wanna share your radio experience with moi?? write in at ashishsaraf@yahoo.com

you ain't swadeshi, just because you wear handloom..

yes there, the recent controversy about human bones being present in ayurvedic medicine is pretty disgusting. The last time I heard about bones and food was when a godman claimed that pan parag had lizard bones crushed in it.
Then and now, my stand has been very cliche. If there were lizard bones in pan parag there would be no way the manufacturer could retail it at as less as three rupees a pouch (10 cents).
Coming back to the ayurvedic medicines manufactured by swami ramdeo maharaj (Haridwar), a particular politician cum self proclaimed social worker "Vrinda Karat" claims that the medicines contain human bones! yeah, you heard it right human bones.
The damm medicines have not even been tested in any FDA approved lab for her to claim this and to add salt to injury the damm media is fulling her claim to no end. Harvard graduate, Mira Nair's, award winning film, Monsoon Wedding, (the movie was shot by a hand camera) featured a dialogue by Sunidhi Chauhan
" just because you wear handloom and talk in hindi, does not make you a swadeshi"
for whom this dialogue is more apt, I leave it for you to decide.

comments ? ashishsaraf@yahoo.com
watch this space for...... jaggu and tarana, yeah !!! go 92.5 fm

Foggy New Years Eve?

Tradionally, New Year's eve, is a time when the good guys head to the church and the bad guys head to the happening pub.
The Good guys go out with their spouse and be merry while the bad guys, go out, with any one but their spouse.
Me? I took the middle path, I headed straight out of the maddening city to a cosy adobe, a top a hill. Yeah! a cosy adobe, yeah!!! a atop a hill. Bang on the Khopoli -Pali highway, is Dr.'s Cottage. Complete with lush green lawns, a beautiful bulevard, a to be mango farm and the quenessential swimming pool. And how can I forget, lots and lots of clean air.
Our food (mostly veg) was typical Maharashtrian food minus the spices. There was a nip in the air and after a while it all dawned onto me...... My friends were not so enthusiastic about the long winding roads or the simple country side they wanted their dose of khamba (local name for alcohol).
So there we had it, as the lovely ladies sang and jived to Lionel Richie and Sophie Hawkins the men danced with the walls (these men I tell you such spoil sports). Pop, went the champagne at the strike of twelve as the bar tender sprayed it on the guests, my eyes were qued onto one single, simple lady. Just wanted to go up to her and tell her "you look wonderful tonight" but, tell you I just couldnt gather the courage.
Chatted briefly, with a North Indian keen to make a carrerr in Bombay (come on don't assume he wanted to make it in Bollywood) the revelieries went on into the night and got to hear about a powerful Shiv Sena leader.
Can you imagine getting up at 6:15 on the first day of the year?? well yours truly did. It was a beautiful morning complete with a generous dose of morning dew and the urge to get my hands on a freshly brewed coffee. The best way to nurse a hangover I tell you. I overheard some one say "ayye ghar mein bhi shadeswala" As the gang got up and got going, I felt that the party continued, some of them in the pool while some on the makeshift badminton court.
Couldn't have asked for more, a perfect way to start the new year, topped it all with a devil cares attitude downed two deep fried vada pau's on the way back. Talk about a foggy new years eve!!!

blogger by day, farmer by night

"say a little hi to my friend
just slip and slidding away"

just as I think of the sclerosis within, this blog is a mighty way of getting it out of my system. So, what is this blog going to be about? and who am I starting this blog for? well, the cats not out as yet and you have to be posted on this space to know more about me, my thoughts and perceptions.
So, hope to add an article (read as thought) at least once a week. In the mean while please do send in your comments to me on ashishsaraf@yahoo.com
Comments may be published but e-mail addresses shall be kept confidential.

Before writing ahead I would like to quote a old chinese saying

"who says that the sky is the limit?
there are footprints on the moon"
Thank you and god bless you all.