Monday, March 30, 2009

I loved footboard travelling :)

I was returning from office @ 7pm in the evening, the buses were so crowded and specially on mondays it will be overcrowded as there is a weekly market @that place. I was waiting for the bus, all the buses were so crowded that I cant even step into it.I missed 2 buses and was waiting patiently, then another bus came which was also crowded, but this time I decided to get into that bus. Somehow I managed to get into the bus, but I was standing in the last step, the conductor and copassengers told me to stand carefully.First it was bit difficult to stand, but after 2 minutes I managed to stand very comfortably.I really enjoyed the 5 minutes travel, now I understand why boys prefer footboarding, its really a nice experience, getting cool breeze with no thallumullu from the co-passengers! Now I give preference to get into crowded buses for the awesome footboard travel!

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Elephant's chase

That was a summer early morning, I was ready to go into the forest for my field work, and I was following my field assistant. He is a tribe and he knows about the elephants or any other wild animal’s arrival by the sound and the smell. The peacock call welcomed us to the forest; there were various hues and smells of flowers which easily divert once attention. As usual I was counting the birds and recording them and also noted the plants for the flower and fruit production. My field work was over by 10.30 am. We both had our breakfast near a river and was ready to go back home. Suddenly I got an idea, to go more into the forest which we never explored. The assistant said lets go for 3 or 4 kilometres and come back, I nodded my head and said no, no anna, lets walk till 10 kms. He also finally agreed and we went inside exploring various butterflies, birds, huge trees and some wild flowers. We would have walked more than 6 kms, anna said enough Aruna, we should stop here and lets go back. I was over excited and said I can hear a creek, lets go and there and sit near the creek and go back, he said no its dangerous there may be wild elephants in that area, but I consoled him somehow and we started walking. After 10 minutes suddenly he stopped me by action, his eyes said that there is some danger very near. He whispered me; there is an elephant nearby, lets run. I really didn’t understand the seriousness and I was not tensed, suddenly there was a trumpet, I was really afraid and I saw the tusker within 15metres. I didn’t know what to do, anna said let’s run. We started running and the tusker also saw us and it started chasing us. We reached our starting place and didn’t even turn back to see whether he still chases us. Fortunately he didn’t, he left us half way and went back. Believe it or not, we reached that place within 20 minutes, but while going it took 3 hours to walk, but now we came running so fast to save our lives. From that time I obeyed anna’s words and I successfully completed that field work.

Saddest moment for the crow

As usual with a hurry in the morning I was getting ready to go to the institute, I started walking in the road, i would have stepped 30 or 40 steps, suddenly there was a bursting sound, every one was stopped a moment by this sound, when I looked at the place from where the sound came, there was a crow, found dead. The feathers would have touched the electric wire and it died, it fell on the main road and there were many vehicles going in that road, but no one was bothered to take it and put it aside, Tears rolled upon my cheek, i couldnt control crying, I went there and took the crow, i was shocked to see it, the head was injured and it was open, but the eyes was still open, i couldnt believe that the crow is dead. I didnt know where to keep that, so after a couple of minutes i placed it near a garbage and went to the bus stop to catch my bus. This incident took place 4 months before, even then every time i cross that place, I remember that sad crow!!