I was floating through cyberspace today and ... you know how you tend to start at one site and then before you know what's happening and quite how it happened you find yourself somewhere else entirely? Well, pretty much the same way I found myself on the teenshealth site ... now I'm not really a teenager any more so I technically had no business being there but then I figured, you know, since I intend to write books for them it would probably be a good idea to see what teenagers nowadays are saying. ... and I find they're pretty much the same things we were talking about only vastly different in magnitude already. And I really liked the site ... so, I thought I'd provide a link here to it.

Now, if you happen to come across it ... I know it's basically an American site and if you're in India or some other part of South Asia you're probably thinking this is not for Indian kids! These things don't happen here! I assure you, they do. May be not at the same rate as in America and may be they're not such widespread social phenomena, but it does happen. Heck, it happened when I was a kid and I'm watching it happen to a lot of kids nowadays. And just saying that it's 'aping the west' etc. doesn't take away from the basic issue either. So, if you know a teenager who needs help or just somebody to talk to please refer them to the site. ... inspite of your misgivings you might be doing somebody a favour ...

The most incredible....

My last post gave me this idea of compiling a list of the most incredible experiences of my___ I must admit, woefully short, and some would say, extremely inexperienced ___ life. But what the heck! it sounded like a good idea so ... here goes nothing ...

CAVEAT: Please ignore if you consider it woefully inadequate ... or not

1. Watching Avatar... (I did warn you!)

2. Snorkelling in the Andaman sea

3. Visiting the Cellular Jail and the other erstwhile prisons more famously known as the 'sazaa- i- kalapaani' ... the once-upon-a-time dread of the Indian colonies.

4. Visiting the Tibetan plateau which is a sight to behold with its tiered many coloured sands.

5. Seeing the Kanchenjunga peak

6. Seeing a frozen waterfall ... now this one was many years back and it was such a fantastic sight that I find myself unable to say with any certainty if it was actually frozen on the way to the ground but ... well, that's how I remember it so that's how it shall stay.

7. Watching the sun rise from behind the 'sleeping Buddha' which is how the Himalayan ranges look from a certain part of Sikkim.

8. Travelling through the barren and breathtaking beauty of Ladakh (I will never forget the pink mountains and the clear blue waters...!)

Avatar

Watching Avatar just knocked off snorkelling in the Andaman seas as the most incredible experience of my life!

Director James Cameron’s next had long been touted as the revolution that awaits cinema. As far as I’m concerned it has been that and much more. ... I have often heard people talk of experiences that cannot be described in words. Me ... I’ve never had that problem ... until now.

From almost the first scene and definitely from the time they welcome you to Pandora, the movie draws you into a world you have never even imagined. And through the next (intermission-less) 2-and-a-half hours it makes you a part of people who look... well, like humans that took a turn-off somewhere along evolution. It makes you a part of their yearnings, their strange rituals, and their fight against the “sky people”. And after watching the movie calling them even remotely ‘human’ sounds like an insult.

Without once showing images of a man-destroyed earth ... or, indeed, of earth at all ... the movie manages to send out a powerful message and a very lucid image of what we’re doing to our planet. And will probably do to anything that comes our way.

But that apart, for those who haven’t seen the movie or so far haven’t yet intended to ... watch it ... for an experience that transcends mere movie-watching ... and for something that is nothing short of an experience.

This is from an e mail I received...while I do not take responsibility for the source or authenticity of the claims it is a pretty shocking story....

Denmark is a big shame.

The sea is stained in red and it’s not because of the climate effects of nature.

It's because of the cruelty that the human beings (apparently civilised) kill hundreds of the famous and intelligent Calderon dolphins.

This happens every year in Feroe iland in Denmark . In this slaughter the main participants are young teens. WHY?
To show that they are adults and mature....!!!

In this big celebration, nothing is missing for the fun. Everyone is participating in one way or the other, killing or looking at the cruelty “supporting like a spectator”

Is it necessary to mention that the dolphin calderon, like all the other species of dolphins, it’s near instinction and they get near men to play and interact. In a way of PURE friendship

They don’t die instantly; they are cut 1, 2 or 3 times with thick hocks. And at that time the dolphins produce a grim extremely compatible with the cry of a new born child.

But he suffers and there’s no compassion till this sweet being slowly dies in its own blood

Take care of the world, it is your home!

Bet Denmark doesn't mention this on their tourism website. There is an official petition you can sign against this, by the way...just GOOGLE it or you can find the link in the 'mad medley' section here.

How long before somebody actually listens I wonder...