Footprints on the Mountainside

Just as I was sad about how I missed the regional event and how it would be expensive to now go for a National event, I got the newsletter from ISABS that announces a new regional event that is IN Mumbai, very low budget and coming up soon.

I guess my ISABS journey is destined to go on without delays.

For folks in Mumbai, this is an unparalleled opportunity. The Umang 2007 event is from the 10th Oct to the 14th Oct 2007 and takes place in Malad - Aksa beach and overcomes one of the major hurdles for the common man to participate - money. Accommodation is dormitory type, but that is what brings it within reach.

So, where I was planning to go, my husband is also planning to join me this time with his BLHP.

Seriously folks, don’t miss this one. For more information, go the the ISABS website.

Go on, ask - why would someone who does this regularly find it an adventure? Its all in the logistics.

On the first September, which is last week (I’m always late with these things) Raka and I accompanied a group from Cleartrip.com that we were sending for a day’s outing on the river Kundalika, and the region around Nagothane.

Considering that the booking numbers fluctuated all the time, and we had multiple pick up points, I just had one of those feelings. Raka and I were due for a break anyway, so we went along for the ride.

The morning pickups were predictably a nightmare and we managed to get out of Mumbai at a record breaking 6:30 with me praying constantly that the water held. White water for the rafting is really a matter of being at the right place and right time, as the Rafting depends on the release of water from the Bhire Dam, further up the valley in the direction of the Tamhini Ghat.

The group was excited and quick on their nerves and it was a mission to keep people moving fast (like it always is with high energy groups). With a few pick ups and some miscommunication, we caught the tail end of the water and I heaved a sigh of relief to see the participants depart on their rafts at the starting point.

This is when I really stopped worrying and caught up with the moment. As always, this region is a pleasure to be in, and it was my trip to catch up with people. I was visiting the Kamath Residency resort after quite a few months, my rafting field staff after even more, and to top it all, I happened to run into Brig. Sushil Bhasin of Empower Camps right there near the rafting equipment, as he drove by with some guests.

For a moment, I wondered idly, if Raka and I should simply hijack one of the vehicles and go ahead to visit Garudmachi - the High Places campsite - who knew who else we could meet out there? Instead, we chose to arrive at the ending point of the river run early and wait for the group to arrive and spent a nice hour watching the tiny fish nibble at the banks and clouds doing their best to impress us with added impressions of peace.

A couple of groups who had left earlier arrived, and I met yet another old friend - a rafting instructor I used to know as Kumar when he was a straggly youth figuring out this job, when we did the pilot run for this route 3 years ago. Now, he looks totally classy with a low ponytail and all that. Honestly, i hadn’t recognized him at all until he came up and shook hands.

Soon, out group came, and it was time to go back to the resort for a well deserved lunch and some lazing around.

Then, we left for a waterfall nearby, and managed to get thoroughly confused by the route and our own mismanaged communications, and out hike to the waterfall turned into quite an adventurous and highly enjoyable hike in the area of the waterfall. It was good fun. Particularly considering that the rain at lunch time had made all the flowing water too muddy to appeal in any case.

On the way back, we hooked up with an online friend of mine - Abhijit Rao and we went over to his place to continue into a weekend celebration that didn’t end until Monday evening.

All in all, one of my not-smooth bits of management, but a fun day even then. And yes, I’m planning to upload pictures, and it isn’t my usual “one day” scenario either. The thing is, I’m waiting for some pictures from Ameya Salvi. Its a new excuse this time.

Update: Some photos from my mobile are up, and can be found here. Ameya is also planning to upload his photos here (one fine day)

How dumb of me. I’d completely forgotten about the annual monsoon event ISABS usually has. I wanted to attend, but sigh! It already began on the 4th September. I’d completely forgotten about them, and whn I remembered and rushed to visit their site, I found that the event had already started. I’ll probably go for the next event. I was hoping for this Mumbai regional one - it works out cheaper than the national events.

I rarely write about this, so the posts are probably buried among others. For the curious, my previous posts about my ISABS journey were about improving myself after my BLHP - Basic Lab in Human Processes, and then when I was just back from my ALHP and when I went all sentimental about my journey continuing.

For those who are clueless about what I am going on and on about, ISABS is the Indian Society of Applied Behavioural Sciences. They conduct a variety of laboratories (as they are euphemistically called I guess - they are anything but impersonal) oriented toward self-discovery and interpersonal skills including facilitation skills with groups. The series of programmes are collectively referred to as a journey in the sense of self-discovery and improvement.

I honestly recommend these programmes to anyone interested in self-improvement.

Its time for my sporadic obsession with the website. These days I’m trying to spruce up the entire place. I fiddled around and learned new stuff. I found this thing AjaxWP and installed it on the site. It requires a little fiddling around with the theme, but once that is done, it makes the site run much faster, as no doubt regulars here will have noticed.

Its a really neat modification, though I’d have appreciated a little more clear instructions. Newbies to code have a duty to mess up everything we touch, and I take that seriously

It took me a while to figure out that I have to create versions of my theme files for the ajax, and rename them and keep them in the same folder as the rest of the stuff. Now that I’ve figured it out, it seems kind of obvious, but until I arrived at enlightenment, I tried replacing the files, creating a separate folder, sub-folder….. you name it, I done it - all except the very obvious - just let them be where they are

Other than that, I’m reworking almost the entire site now. Trying to generally tweak things around to make them prettier, faster, read better, etc. I’m at a stage where I’m totally confused, but there seems to be emerging some kind of path through the chaos.

I’m in a somewhat “overreaching” kind of mood as usual, so I’d appreciate any comments, suggestions, complaints, etc that can help me toward better webdesign. Pleeeeease don’t wait for me to revamp the whole thing and then show some major glitch I’ve created somewhere. My abilities are rather limited.

The difficulty I faced in my ALHP has helped me face some needs I have in terms of emotions and insecurities.

Coming back from the programme, it was easy to just let go and return to my old ways of vague, supressed dissatisfactions, but I’m surprising myself with my eagerness to actually deal with my needs and care for myself. I’m trying to be aware of the motivations behind my actions, and seeing patterns in my own behaviour.

Don’t know where this is taking me, but right now, it feels like I’m an onion, with layers and layers and layers. The inner layers also have a greater tendency to bring tears I’m meeting myself for the first time and I like it.

Relationships are very important to me - is a new discovery I’m making. I like to connect with people. Perhaps this is why, rather than have a business website, Wide Aware has this massive informal place with pictures and discussions and articles which will never ever sell anything. I want adventurers to feel comfortable here. I want to connect with people.

Another thing I’m discovering is that I am very fast, and I tend to make people feel pressurised when I expect them to cope at my speed. By fast, I’m not speaking of actions, but of thoughts. It tends to alienate people when I do that, because it makes them feel inferior. It hurts me too, because I want them with me. I am now consciously trying to take my time and be sure that I am actually communicating, rather than assuming that people understand because of familarity, and I find that it is helping me be more connected with them.

There are other things too. I tend to focus intensely on things and tune out all distractions, which makes me lose touch with other things that are happening. I’m trying to maintain regular awareness of things I care about.

That’s it folks for now. Thanks for bearing with this rambling session, but it feels good to admit it, and acknowledge that I am also doing something to make things better. Hopefully, Nirvana is round the corner. Its more likely to be new discoveries round the corner.