Tripping points: A week of Lonavala & Mahabaleshwar

The mists of Lonavala

A lot of water has passed under the bridge since I last posted. For one thing, the month has changed – bringing me closer to my birthday. (Hey, do birthdays really get less exciting as you grow older? I don’t know yet…mine still looks enticing even from the distance of a whole month.)

Anyway, those of you who sent me ‘Bon Voyage’ vibes (can’t say ‘wished me’ for a post that got zero comments, can I?) after my last post, would be disappointed to know that the voyage didn’t materialize after all. Not that weekend, at any rate. Midnight saw me burning with fever; as a result, my kicks remained untouched all weekend.

Last week, though, was another story. I begged off work for 5 whole days. Add to that the weekends before & after and what I had were a respectable 9 days away from the desk. Not getting into details but here’s how all that time was spent:

• Shopping & eating out (2 days)
• Taking a quick trip with a friend (2 days)
• Another trip with family (4 days)
• Chilling out at home (the last remaining day)

The weather was cold and rainy, the conversations deep and thought-provoking, the walks long and wet…everything just the way I like it.

Panchgani monkeys huddling for warmth

And yes, I had two amazing animal experiences as well! But more on those in the next post. Need to wrap up early today – it’s Raksha Bandhan and I just don’t wanna miss the opportunity to go be with my cousins & extended family.

Suffer the dogs

Stray dog - Mumbai

It’s an awful awful sound, the yowling of an animal in pain. As my friend told me: “I can’t stand it.” And this is from a 6-foot-plus giant of a man who’s pretty much a ‘toughie’ on most counts that count.

But the municipal corporation has made up its mind. The animals are to suffer. Actually, little changes with this. ‘Suffer the animals’ was always the diktat. Even before the government publicly walked all over its old sterilization policy with feet shod in shoes soiled with shit.

 Don’t mind the language too much. I just happen to be boiling with rage.

Dogs, especially, are so obviously meant to be beaten, thrown acid upon, starved to caricature-ish skeletons & generally thrashed to death – or to a fate worse than death – that it amazes me how this simple fact seems to escape almost all the educated, intelligent people I do know. Or perhaps I only know the wrong kind of people.