I don’t often write blogs now days, but the staying away from music last night got me thinking that what I have got from a place like Mumbai, a dream city to every Indian. Finally parked my self in front of a computer. So here it goes. I shifted here 6 months back, leaving my heavenly hometown ‘Panchgani’, my parents, my pets or for a combined effect, the people that I could call my own. All by myself in Mumbai. This place is beautiful, even with the over crowded streets and thin stray dogs ( yes, I noticed ), if you could watch it through my hazel eyes, it really is. It was a real good feeling coming back to this place, where people remember me as Miss. Popular Sport. But this time minus the arrogance and the attitude and plus the over-confident and non-moldable ethics (see, I completely agree with you Keerti), out here, in this city, which people call the real world. Starting my day early in the morning, “Bhenchod, Yeh Alarm Clock Kisne Invent Kiya”. Watching the same faces in train and flashing a ‘Good Morning’ smile at them. Strange, isn’t it?? The people you don’t even know become a part of your life..!! And Ofcorse, staying somewhere without your family, is when your friends come in site. Friends with all the filmy dialogs, obsession about looks and dress ups, with a cocktail of attitudes, sailing through their teenage. Trying their best to keep my temper down and humor high. All in love with my weapons. Second face of the coin says that everything is temporary, as for human nature prevails in all. And this is what Mumbai has taught me. To identify people, because what they show is not what they are. I say this of my experience. Many to pen down actually. Proving the most primitive quote of our lives wrong, “A friend in need is a friend indeed”. I try my best being one, except my habit of forgetting birthdays, I’m pretty nice. And to forgive the people, intended in the above paragraph. Though revenge is sweet. Hehehe..!! Here your contacts show your strength that the muscle power, fluent English is just another name of livelihood, ignoring a bleeding person for scheduled train, using slangs more than ‘Thank you’ and repeating the Sholay-tankee suicide scenes I don’t know how many times. It’s just a different but a funny and cruel world. Suddenly, you wake up to realize that this place is now your, earning you a tag of Mumbaikar, and every bad thing doesn’t sting you anymore like it did before. But somehow, deep down, the human is still alive; I have seen people getting Goosebumps on hearing the national anthem and crying when they meet their old friends. So is a balanced equation (Too much Chemistry I have been studying lately, I tell you) So here I am, head high and heart strong, finally mature enough, following my ethics of ‘ Never Regret’ strong enough to prove myself right, even if I’m wrong, getting into fights everyday, as that’s the only entertainment I get and still boarding the wrong train when I am sleepy. Missing home like never before and glad that I’m Kanta, not The Shrikanta Pol (doesn’t mean that you can take me lightly, I’m still the best) Deeply in love with ‘Mumbai Meri Jaan’. P.S.: I still need to catch Sunkanya Singh’s finger when I cross the road, so the child in me is still alive. I won’t let anyone rest in peace so easily.

Score One for the Kind Policemen Against Paragliding

Panchgani- Harrison’s Folly is one of the best flying sites in India. People have been flying here since a decade or two. And no wonder it is loved by everybody. All the people who are engaged with flying know that it is an adventure sport; therefore they have their own safety kit. But it is very kind of the local policemen to care about the safety of the pilot and the surrounding dams which is the reason why they banned flying only from Harrison’s Folly. Strange that pilots have been flying here for so long, but the police recently realized that—
1) They should have a license and certificates.
2) They would drop a bomb on the dam.
3) People driving on the road get distracted because of gliders.
4) Someone died in Panchgani 5 years back hanging on a huge kite (that is what they call a glider).
Isn’t that ridiculous!!! I would have made better stories than that.
2011 ends with logging just one flight from Panchgani. This place’s bad luck is in full form that nor we can fly nor land. The farmers down in landing area had caught up with a fight with Russians last season, this complain was registered by the Russian Embassy against the owner of the landing area. So he has strictly warned that no parachute will land in his territory ever again.
So here we are, can’t fly because the police has a problem, and even if we do, can’t do a top landing because the police will be waiting for you with sticks and can’t do a bottom landing because the farmer’s also got a stick (a bigger one in fact). What could be worst…?? This is all for now. Happy New Year…!
PS: I WANT TO CHANGE MY NATIONALITY ANY COUNTRY INTERESTED PLZZ LET ME KNOW.

EXAMS FREAK ME OUT!!!

Exams are so much pain, this not just my opinion but of all the 10 million people who have attempted for it. Exams are ofcorse necessary but why to fear children with it? Now a days, children no more get scared of ghost dreams but of exams. Waking up early in the morning or studying late till night, wouldn’t that harm someone’s health? I have my exams going on now, but I have noticed that after my every exam finishes I yet feel that my exams are yet to come and I don’t often get sleep at nights. Something is wrong or not in the system?
It is very clear for 80% of the population what they want to become then why study anything which is not at all helpful for us in future. If someone wants to become a scientist, then all those chemical formulas are essential but for a person who wants to become an actor or photographer then how are molecules and atoms going to help? I am a paraglider pilot but I never say “oh! I guess there are some atoms quarrelling in the nylon of my wing which is leading to the sink rate because they ain’t listening to me.” I mean how silly is that?
Every person has his own taste. Studying is fun for me when I study geography or economics or political science and I always top in those. But I have to study the other subjects… How Thales or Pythagoras or Faraday is going to help me if I have a collapse in my glider or if something like that in 2012 happen?
I wonder how geeks manage to study the subjects they don’t like or maybe they don’t like any therefore have to study everything and hence are called geeks.
Exams make me think extra than needed. No, seriously not joking!!! When I see light I think of physics, when I see a frog I think of biology, these are just two examples if I tell you about others it may take an hour to read.
Why do children barely of 15 years of age have to visit ‘Manashanti Centers’ (mind peace) after exams? It makes me freak-out even if I close my book for a minute during exams and get tensed. Specially the CCE pattern introduced by the CBSE in India; the worst ever. You can’t miss any assignments nor can bunk schools or tuitions, the teachers can even cut your marks if you misbehave in the class. In India if you sleep in the class or ask permission for drinking water is called misbehaving. My school is situated on one of the best hill stations in the country and we sit in class and enjoy the chalk dust.
I just hope these exams get over as soon as possible!!! After all paragliding is what I am actually living for and not some stupid exams.

SIV WITH SEBASTIAN BOURQUIN IN NEPAL...

My intension of visiting Nepal was to do an SIV [safety incident vol] course with Sebastian Bourquin [French champion, no.4 European championship, no.4 World Champion, no.4 in world cup overall, test pilot for 12 years, 23 years experience, Inventor of big ears, B stall, death spirals, Waga flying, etc.] which is considered one of the most important for all levels of paragliding be it beginners or advanced.
I met Sebastian a day before this course would start and was actually not sure if he would be able to do this course with me alone but later agreed. That evening I had a briefing in the Paranova office were I came to know that it was not me alone but also this guy from Hungary named Batash to company me in this course. I was truly prepared for this course, not at all scared because it was gonna help me get over my fear for any type of accidents in air but not ground.
The course started on 15th of May sharp 8am at Paranova store room. We had to remove our cushions from the harness as they may get wet in case if we fall in water. Seriously in vacations I never get up before 12 in afternoon but that day I woke up at 5am as it was bright at that time in Nepal and thought that the alarm didn’t ring and woke my mom up so early in the morning I didn’t sleep after that, got off from the bed, got ready at 6am.
By 9, we were on the take off, our exercise to do some asymmetrical collapses that is to close one side of the glider purposely and get out of it. And followed by other three flights. Frankly, I was not used to instruction any more during flying and couldn’t get it so frequently none of Sebastian’s mistake. He said “right” at least 10 times and on the 11th time I turned right. But later I understood his instructions when he made his language a bit mathematical and that was “180° right” I don’t know how cause I hate maths.
And then followed by other exercises that day which continued till 4 in the evening and after that it was not yet over, we had a briefing on a video on what mistakes we did and what we were supposed to do.
The second day was the most interesting of all cause it consisted of height reducing exercise in short stunts, first stunt of my life without doing it by mistakenly. First flight exercise was a super big ear which was invented by Sebastian himself. In that we were supposed to keep just 30% of our glider open which gradually decreased our height by almost 500m in a few turns and it truly did. And after that followed by B stall and deep spirals. I don’t know what was wrong B stall, I was hanging to the B lines of my glider but it wasn’t coming down, not even a centimeter, the most embarrassing, I wasn’t scared at all cause I had made up my mind to fall down without any pressure in my glider, I guess my glider was extra safe for me or I was too small for it. And then came deep spirals the most exciting, more exciting than a roller coaster. While doing that I could feel my blood rush to different ends of my body because of the g force and ended it really close to water.
After that was stall to back fly, were I did my biggest mistake in this course, but I guess my glider was yet extra safe. When Sebastian was briefing the exercise it seemed the easiest of all even while doing it, but it was the matter of not releasing the break soon after the wing stalls, but it required a lot of strength to keep the break half way to let the glider go to the back fly position. On First and second try the glider didn’t make that big collapses but on the third try the wing made a massive frontal collapse but that was what I was taught on the first day to recover such collapses. I’ve heard stories of people falling into the glider while doing this exercise and I was almost about to make one. I saw on the video in the briefing time after the practical session and it was scary.
On the next day, I had to make the same stall again, and this time I did it though for a very short time, but correctly. And then followed the spin and recovery, right side was correct but left hand is not my form hand and couldn’t make that deep spins as I did on the right side. After that was the reserve throw, while driving up to the takeoff I had changed my shoes to floaters. As soon as I took off I went on the water cause this time I had to fall in the water. After I came to a certain height, I threw the reserve open and after that was actually a physical work, to not let the glider go under me and to make a stall. I started pulling the breaks and after that I saw up to my reserve and there it was besides my glider hanging straight up and my glider making a butterfly above my head. The force of the opening reserve made me hop out of my harness. And then it was at least 10secs with the reserve in the air and then SPLASH directly into water. The kayaks rushed to me but I was extremely fine but my legs had tangled in the lines I was floating till the main boat came I removed my harness, helmet, etc. and preferred to swim back to the shore to relax a bit. The course was not yet over I had to dry my wings and other equipments and repack it. My glider had no more Panchgani dust and it was really beautiful without it, just like a blue butterfly. But there it was what no one was expecting to come, the black clouds, heavily filled with water, our gliders were yet to dry and it started raining. I repacked my wing and reserve loose to not let it catch humidity. After that we drove to Paranova office in the town. And that was the end of the course.
It was really great having an SIV with Sebastian and his team. I feel very lucky that whatever things I have learned in Paragliding was taught by the best.

FLYING PARADISE- NEPAL!!!

Nepal; Whenever you think about this country, though you have visited it or not but you imagine about the highest range in world The Himalayas and why not the whole country is surrounded by it and I guess that must be one of the reasons that Britishers couldn’t enter this country. The birth place of Buddha and Mt.Everest are the major speciallity of this country. But I went there to see none of them; a very few people in this world do paragliding and let me tell you if you are one of them you have to visit this site in Pokhra that is Sarangkot that is what my main intention was to fly on the highest flying site in world which is situated in none other than Nepal.
First flight from Sarangkot was really awesome, before taking off I consulted the local pilots for knowing the weather conditions, thermals and landing area; and specially speaking about landing area I thought it would be a small piece of land as usually it is but here it was totally different, it was almost a 100 acre plain grassland divided in two by a narrow stream of water which met the lake the foot line of the huge mountain. And as soon as I took off, wow it was paradise, on one side huge mountains covered with snow, under me was a huge lake [at least huge for me] and on the other side it was endless range of Himalaya.[personally recommend you to fly there and have a wonderful experience]
This is a very interesting country; a smaller version of India a decade after independence. 95 days strike in a whole year and I saw two of it…. Really not pleasant. All the shops, schools, vehicles are closed by the different castes on different days, I really wonder how this country works with so many days off and including the weekends?? But it was a very nice opportunity to have a swimming break and it was really fun….. freezing cold water in the lake. This lake had a temple in the middle of it like an island and being a long distance swimmer how could I wait to reach there, I was there in 5 minutes to visit this temple and returned back swimming.
It was really a brief view of this country…..much more to come :)

First Time Flying Abroad…

After a journey of 5 years in paragliding, I got a chance to fly out of India. It’s really interesting to go for an SIV course in Nepal; I was not permitted by anyone to do an SIV course because I did not have much experience on my glider but it’s been five year & I’m ready for it. It’s a different experience to fly in foreign winds and on a mountain which is six times higher than my regular takeoff site, after all meeting new pilots flying with them and with new condition and area is going to be challenging.
From my childhood I have been dreaming about flying on best sites, with the world’s best pilots, with the best instructor and in best conditions for XC and if I am getting all the best of it then I have to take the advantage of it or I’ll be the biggest fool in the world. It’s my second step in paving way to my paragliding career.
I’m going to fly in Nepal for almost a month, next year is my 10th grade in school so it’s time to pay attention more on studies for the whole year which means less flying, so I’m just full filling the time which I’m going to miss while studying and one month will be quite enough for it.
It’s just me from my village who is visiting a foreign country, as a pilot; speak more than 5 languages, studying in the best school and the topper of it, very rare to get all things together.
Thanks to all the pilots around the world for helping me getting through the theory and practical of paragliding, to the one from whom I learned very minute but important things about flying. Whatever I achieve in my life, everyone has an equal share in it.
That’s the reason why I’m thinking at the age of 15 if my nationality is of India or the world.

BATTLE OF PANIPAT- A TRIBUTE TO MY ANCESTORS

14th January, 1761
A historical day for Indians, and today after 250 years it’s memorized for a lesson, pride, a battle – Panipat.
Panipat was the largest battle fought in 18th century; it was a synonym of disaster. The battle pitted the French-supplied artillery and cavalry of the Marathas against the heavy cavalry and mounted artillery (zamburak and jizail) of the Afghans led by Ahmad Shah Durrani, an ethnic Pashtun, also known as Ahmad Shah Abdali.
The decline of the Mughal Empire had led to territorial gains for the Maratha Confederacy because the Mughal Empire didn’t had the capacity to fight back their enemy and therefore had to take the support of Maratha Army. Ahmad Shah Abdali, amongst others, was unwilling to allow the Maratha’s gains to go unchecked. In 1759, he raised an army from the Pashtun tribes and made several gains against the smaller garrisons. The Marathas, under the command of Sadashivrao Bhau, responded by gathering an army of between 100,000-150,000 people with which they ransacked the Mughal capital of Delhi. There followed a series of skirmishes along the banks of the river Yamuna at Karnal and Kunjpura which eventually turned into a two-month-long siege led by Abdali against the Marathas.
The specific site of the battle itself is disputed by historians but most consider it to have occurred somewhere near modern day Kaalaa Aamb and Sanauli Road. The battle lasted for several days and involved over 225,000 men. Protracted skirmishes occurred, with losses and gains on both sides. The forces led by Ahmad Shah Durrani came out victorious after destroying several Maratha flanks. The extent of the losses on both sides is heavily disputed by historians, but it is believed that between 100,000+ were killed in fighting, while numbers of the injured and prisoners taken vary considerably. The main generals Sadashivrao Bhau and Vishwasrao Peshwa and 27 other officers were also killed .The result of the battle was the halting of the Maratha advances in the North. The people who were injured or were not willing to come back to their native place, stayed in Panipat and now are called RHODE MARATHAS.
These warriors are discriminated because they lost the battle, but the main thing is they fought, died, never showed their back to the coming terror of death. History is written by the winners, and the winners of this battle wrote that the Maratha warriors fought very bravely.
The reason why I am writing this is, in that battle at least one man from each house from a whole state [ Maharashtra] died, many of my ancestors also lost their lives in this battle and I am proud to pay a tribute to them.