Season's Greetings

Great ideas, it has been said,
come into the world as gently as doves....
Perhaps then, if we listen attentively,
we shall hear amid the uproar of empires and nations,
a faint flutter of wings,
the gentle stirring of life and hope.

-Albert Camus

Utah - Life elevated

I had an amazing Thanksgiving weekend. We wanted to go for a long road trip. After considerable debate on the destination, we decided to visit the famous National parks in Utah. We rented a 12-seater and it was fun traveling in it. We started our road trip from Los Angeles and visited 3 National parks in 3 days. On our way back, we even managed to do some Thanksgiving shopping near Las Vegas. So, it was the perfect Thanksgiving break for me and my friends. The first stop on our road trip was Zion National park.

Zion National park is Utah's oldest national park and the most visited. We drove all night and entered Zion in the morning. The closer we got to Zion National Park, the more spectacular the scenery became. The prominent feature of this park is the the Zion canyon, cut through the reddish and tan-colored Navajo Sandstone by the North Fork of the Virgin River. It's hard to imagine such a small river carving out this huge canyon. Zion is an ancient Hebrew word meaning a place of refuge or sanctuary and it is definitely a place where you can find solitude. This park is full of red and white sandstone cliffs ranging in from cream, to pink, to red. I think the best way to see Zion is take a trail. Whichever trail you pick at Zion, you're in for a treat. We did couple of medium trails in Zion. I liked the Riverside Walk trail, a nice paved trail which follows the Virgin River along the bottom of a narrow canyon. We stayed at the beautiful Zion Ponderosa Ranch and Resort which is nested away from civilization, overlooking the magnificence of deep red rock canyons and towering Ponderosa Pines. It was a different and nice experience staying in a cabin. We even had a taste of modern adventure by going on a guided ATV tour around the resort.

The next day, we started to Bryce Canyon National park which is a short drive from Zion. Bryce is at a much higher elevation than nearby parks and it was very cold when we went there. Hence, we ditched the idea of hiking in Bryce and just decided to go around the park by road and just stop at the numerous vista points. Bryce Canyon is not actually a canyon, but rather a giant natural amphitheater created by erosion. The first thing you notice in Bryce is the uniqueness of the rocks. The park is full of famous spires, called "hoodoos". Hoodoos are pillars of rock left by erosion. Hoodoo means to cast a spell. The fantastic shapes of these rocks at Bryce Canyon are accurately known to cast a spell on every visitor. the view of these Hoodoos from Bryce point and Inspiration point was awesome. No wonder, the early ranchers used to describe Bryce as "a helluva place to lose a cow". We spend few hours in Bryce and continued our road trip to our final destination, Arches National park.

Zion is good, Bryce is fantastic, but Arches is simply superb. Arches is my favourite national park in Utah because of its beauty and grandeur. The landscape there was surreal. It's full of amazing rock formations: massive boulders perched precariously on mere spindles of rock, arches of every shape, vast expanses of deep red, stone formations, and old petroglyphs. There are some jaw dropping views including natural sandstone arches galore. We did the popular hike there to see the Utah’s most famous icon, the Delicate Arch. It was a 3-mile round trip, moderate hike to the Delicate Arch. You see images of Delicate Arch everywhere in Utah: on magazine covers, computer screen savers and license plates. But photos do not adequately convey the stunning beauty that hits you as you come over the ridge and see the arch in person for the first time. It's just an amazing feeling to stand under it with the arch towering above your head, slick rock canyons falling away below you and the snow-covered La Sal Mountains in the distance. It is a spectacular sight and its worth the whole trip. Later, we drove around the park seeing the numerous arches in the windows section and did some small hike to see the second best arch there, the Landscape Arch.

The state of Utah is unique. Within this region are canyons, mesas, winding rivers, mountain ranges, prehistoric sites, vast expanses of open space and national parks. The land is so exceptional that you're sure to discover splashes of natural color and unique formations in every turn. Utah surprises you with variety and it is a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts. On the whole, it was really a memorable experience for me and my gang.

Utah is Nature’s Munificent Masterpiece and it inspires even the non-photographer to pick a camera and capture the beauty. No wonder we took some 7GB of photos.

Three Great Essentials

"The three great essentials to achieving anything worthwhile are: first, hard work, second, stick-to-it-iveness, and third, common sense."

- Thomas Edison

W "O" W

"O" is Cirque du Soleil's first aquatic show and it plays at Bellagio, Las Vegas. "O" is inspired by the concept of infinity and the elegance of water’s pure form. The name of this production, "O" sounds like the French word "eau", meaning water, the show's theme. Like all other Cirque du Soleil's shows, performers are the heart of this show too. Basic elements of water, earth, fire, and air are mixed and mingled in a variety of spectacular performances of dancing, swimming, acrobatics, and clowning. It's hard to describe the seemingly indescribable wonder and artistry of Cirque du Soleil's shows. You have to see, to experience it. But, I will give it a try.

As soon as you walk into the theater, you know that you are in for a treat. The theater is designed in the style of a European opera house. The stage Cirque du Soleil created for "O" could almost be numbered among the show's stars. The whole show takes place in, on, around, and above a breath taking 1.5-million-gallon pool. The vast stage is first an empty lake, then a distant shore, and then a tiny pool. The set & the theater alone were worth the price of admission, let alone the talent, the costumes, the live music & the ingenuity/creativity. The amazing feature of "O" stage is that it turns dry or wet in a matter of seconds. You see someone jumping into water and the next moment, you find someone walk across the stage as if he were walking on the surface of water. "O" pays tribute to the magic of the theater - from the simplest street performance to the most lavish of operas - where anything is possible and where the drama of life plays itself out before our very eyes.

"O" is an amazing show with lots of Acts. An international cast of 81 artists(acrobats, swimmers, contortionists, dancers and iceberg-bound clowns) perform these acts. The various acts range from Fire, Synchronized swimming, Russian Swing to High Dive and Aerial Hoops. My favorite was the Russian Swing act where the performers swung back and forth till they jumped off into the pool below. The other Act which stands apart is the Contortion. In this, four Mongolian girls create various forms with their graceful body language and movements. There are couple of Trapeze acts where aerialists perform their dance in the air with the trapeze. Most of the acts are gymnastically challenging and they are spectacular.At the heart of the production, the swimmers provide the necessary link between the elements of fire, earth, air and water.

Cirque du Soleil is always awesome and "O" is no doubt a great show. But, you can always point out some minor points, again, based on your expectation and preference. There is no story in "O" unlike other shows. I do agree with other reviewers who state that there could have been a story line because it seemed to be just a series of "acts" to me, rather than a linked story. The clown Acts are occasionally funny and not that great. If you're looking for death defying stunts you won't find them in this show. For that you would need to see Ka or Mystere. But if you're looking for a beautiful tapestry of music, some acrobatics, and a truly surreal and artistic display, this is the show for you.

All in all, "O" is visually stunning and impressively athletic. On the one hand, it tests our concepts of what "theater" is supposed to be, and on the other hand, it does what theater is meant to do--inspire our imaginations and touch our hearts. The hard work and dedication that goes into preparing for these shows are unbelievable. I think most of the people are little apprehensive about paying so much for their seats. But after the show, I can guarantee that they will have no regrets.

Thoughts

We are what our thoughts have made us;
so take care about what you think.
Words are secondary.
Thoughts live; they travel far.

- Swami Vivekananda

Chakde India

Miracles do happen!

Young Indian team scored a sensational victory over the arch-rival Pakistan to win the inaugural Twenty-Twenty(TT) World Cup. I was one of the million fans who jumped with ecstasy when Dhoni lifted the World Cup, reminiscent of India's famous ODI World Cup victory in 1983. I have always been an ardent cricket fan. But, after India's dismal perfomances in last few finals, I too lost interest. After the early exit for the Worldcup few months back, it is nice to see Indian cricket redeeming itself by winning the TT world cup. No one gave them a chance and they proved everyone wrong, including me.

Twenty-Twenty is an interesting concept. No one took this format seriously, but after the stupendous success of this world cup, we can expect many more TT matches. India came to the TT worldcup tournament without experience, coach and expectations. It's like a fairy tale for Team India. In front of a frenzied crowd at the Wanderers on Monday, they played out perhaps the best final ever seen in a major tournament. Pakistan gave them a real fight and in the end, India was lucky to escape with the win. The final over was crazy and I have never been so tensed in my life. It could have gone wither way and I was really glad that it went India's way in spite of heroic effort from Misbah.

Indian always used to win matches on Individual brilliances and that too mostly from Batsmen. Its been a while since we won a match because of bowling. This young team is quite a relevation. They have no fear and they won the matches by team effort. The batting, bowling and fielding all dazzled, and there were few faults you could find in any department. Even more than the actual results perhaps, what was so refreshingly different was the manner in which they played the game. There was a fearlessness to their approach which can only come from self-belief; there were clear signs that they were enjoying the game and each other's successes. Most importantly, it was special because the team managed to hold its nerve in a crucial knockout games. What the Indians have shown, though, is that they have the skill and the hunger to mix it with the best. The challenge now is to maintain that hunger and drive season after season.

I was barely out of my nappies when India won the 1983 world cup. This time around, I got a chance to watch the matches live and enjoy the success. It's an unforgettable moment not only for the players but also for all the Indians like me. Indian cricket fans are starved of victories and this one is very special.

A dream final. A dream match up. A Dream Win!

Quote of the month

All beings are born to delusion..overcome by the
dualities which arise from wish and hate...But
those men of virtuous deeds in whom sin has come
to an end, freed from the delusion of dualities,
worship Me steadfast in their vows.

- Bhagawad Gita