The Pursuit of Happ'Y'ness

Two decent movies in a month isn't bad at all. Vinod and I had gone to watch the movie, Namesake by Mira Nair, but being the lastminute.com we are, we didn't check the name of the theatre properly and ended up in the wrong one. So we decided to check on Will Smith's 'Pursuit of Happyness'. Well paced and intense. Some of the incidents and dialogues in the movie reminded so much about some of my experiences!

Water wasn't bad either. A bit artificial, especially when the lead roles come together. Definitely not a great movie, but compared to all the masala that comes out in Hindi feature films, these kind of movies are a relief. At the least, these days we have decent theatres (bit pricey though) to sit and enjoy these movies. Whether we have excellent infrastructure in terms of movie theatre or not, certain things haven't changed at all. Loud talking, continuous ringing of mobile phones etc. It is so annoying. One of those OTS moments!!

We might be able to change the infrastructure, but not the mindset of people!Probably this is one reason why I miss the movie going experiences in Europe.

Cochin © GP 2007

Foundation logo

The Foundation didn't have a logo at all for quite some time. It was only last year that we started thinking about a logo that represents our thoughts and objectives of the foundation. Instead of approaching a professional graphic designer, we decided to crack it one day while we were in our office in Bangalore. In twenty minutes flat, the scrap book was full of sketches, and we decided to go for the one that we are using now. The idea was to show case the relation of the river with the local language (Malayalam). Considered to be the father of Malayalam literature and author of Ramayanam in Malayalam, Thunjathu Ramanujan Ezhuthachan was born on the banks of the river in Tirur.

Many classics came from those writers who were born and brought up here. Many of us literally grew up on classics written by MT Vasudevan Nair and O.V Vijayan. Some of the other luminaries were G Sankara Kurup, Vyloppilli, P Kunhiraman Nair, Olappamanna, Edassery, Balamani Amma and master of sketches "Artist Namboodiri". We decided to show the connection of the river with the language by using calligraphy in Malayalam.

Then we wanted to show case the present status of the river as well as how we dream about it. So we thought of using the three letters to represent the river as if these were islands with no connection to the river it used to be. Without supported by the rich tributaries, our river is no longer showing any sign of a full fledged water source. By extending the river with waves in a single line, we thought this could be our dream. The river that flows as one source which basically came together from its rich tributaries.

By adding a small thoni(country boat) to it, the logo became more lively. For a river that weaves together traditions, culture and people, we couldn't think about any image better than our "thoni".The way we spread the lines and did the calligraphy, it reminded us of the romance that the river was always to us.

Couple of days later, when Anita saw my scrap book in office, she said,"Very simple and full of stories. Like our "puzha" and "thoni", Alley?" ("Isn't it" in Malayalam)

She added the last bit of orange colour to our thoni and it became our logo!

Bangalore © GP 2007

Puzha Malayalam

Like many other review meetings of the foundation, today's was not any different. Full of intensity!!Sujith and Jamal came from Thrissur to our village quite early in the day. Even though he had spent most of the night reading the proof for his magazine "Hygiene", Arun also came home by 8 to start the work. (BTW, Arun is also the Chief Editor of the widely circulated "inland" magazine. I guess, probably this magazine is the one of the few that reaches every nook and corner of Kerala through all the post offices)

Since our publication of "Puzha Malayalam" got delayed beyond its revised target date of 22nd of March 2007, we are working hard to concentrate only on the book and nothing else. ("Puzha (meaning river) Malayalam" is a publication on the status of rivers in Kerala which was commissioned by Nila Foundation three years before).

Solely supported by The Blue Yonder, this research work has given a lot of insights into our own backyard which we wouldn't have noticed otherwise. From unique farming traditions to legends and folklore related to the rivers of Kerala, the amount of material the small team has collected in the last three years is simply mind boggling and exciting. No wonder we are all impatient to see the final proof from Sujith and Uma (who are the main researchers).

The half day meeting was well focused on our work and the resources that is needed to take the movement forward in a way that makes this as participatory as it is possible.

Tirur © GP 2007

Calicut

I had skipped Calicut since I was shown my way out of my first relation. That was some eight years before. For many years thereafter, I avoided every chance that would take me through the city. I found it so difficult to go alone to a city that we went around together. For almost eight years, other than the campuses where we studied, it was the city that we 'got lost in our own beautiful world of love and growing up'.

When we grew apart, she told me that she wouldn't accompany me to the city any more. She had found her way and another partner.

It was all over.

Even after many years, tears would roll down my cheeks whenever I passed through the streets we walked together, heart missed a beat or two whenever I went to browse for books. It was here that we exchanged our "stolen kisses", it was here that we fell in love, enjoyed the magic and intensity of a wonderful relation.

I hardly went there all these years unless for stopovers during overnight bus journeys to Bangalore. It might be quite strange, but I never had spent another night in this city after we broke up. Irrespective of this, since my friendship with teachers in the campus were so special, I maintained the contact with some of them for quite some time after which it slowly died out.

Even though I had known JK quite closely since I am in the travel industry, it was hardly few months before that we found out that we studied in the same college. JK was working closely with the school and was part of the alumni network and dropped in my name to the old teachers of our department.

Long months of hospitalisation and frequent travel abroad didn't help much to visit them until today when JK sprung a surprise. I was so touched by the fact that Philip (Sir) took the effort and found time to drop in after JK told him that we were in the Beach Hotel. It was so good to see him and go back to the good memories of those days. Before leaving, he asked me if I would go to the campus some time soon and spend some time with his colleagues as well as with the post graduate students.

One more session of the 'inspirational lectures"!?

I just can't imagine how it would be to face students in the same class where I used to be a student some fifteen years before! What am I going to tell them? The fact that-- it was this campus that gave me strength to over come various sorts of crisis one after the other? Or that having a girl friend who believed in your strength and helped you realise that it is probably a far better option than attending some of the boring lessons by uninspired lecturers in the campus?

Certainly this is going to be a wonderful experience for me. Who would have thought that I would be running a unconventional travel company as a social entrepreneur and that I would be asked to share my experience on Responsible Tourism to post graduate students as a motivational factor in the same college itself?

Strange ways of life.

I still felt something hooked onto my heart when we drove by all those bus stops and shops where we spend time together. It is so strange to be back in this city without her. It would have been even stranger now to be in the city with her. Anyways, some old memories die hard. After the stint in Calicut this evening , I am certain that the decision not to go back for such a long time was probably a good one!

Calicut © GP 2007

Survey of surprises

Since I have been reflecting on the social conditions on Kerala, probably this might be something interesting.

A year or so before, around twenty of our friends were having some heated arguments sitting on the wall that had been the rendezvous for several years in the evenings in Tirur. Some one came up with the topic of sexual harassment and they were discussing sexual abuse by women in their family!

An informal survey amongst those present revealed that 80% of us were sexually abused between the ages of 8 and 12 by aunts or cousins(girls). For me the surprise was not the result of the survey, but the fact that none of them were surprised!

I really wonder how such a survey would come up if it is done on all Kerala basis?!

If some one is wondering why I am mentioning this in this blog, this is my answer to you. We are talking about "creating better places for people to live and for people to visit" as part of Responsible Tourism initiatives all around the world. If we can't understand the social dynamics of the places we operate, probably we wont be able to give the insights into the place and lives of people.

Tirur © GP 2007

A reality check on Kerala!

After three hours of sleeping every night in the last three days, finally we managed to sleep for longer hours today. In between preparing notes about the next shoot, discussing possibilities of interviews with farmers and moving from one place to another, (and also while looking for "teashops" for "ulli chammanthi" and "Palakkadan ghee roast"), Arun and I had a long discussion with Justin on the present day Kerala.

For someone who had been to Kovalam and the Backwaters some ten years, it was probably unbelievable to hear us talking about a Kerala that couldn't possibility exist for his ears. Like many other guests, he was kind of surprised to hear us talking about communal violence, militancy, sodomy,growing extra marital relations and the sexual frustrations..That definitely didn't sound much like the hyped wonderful God's own country.

Kerala model has become a hot topic for many development students and politicians. A state with less than few hundred dollars as GDP, showing a marvellous record of cent percent literacy (forget the fact that UN declares a person literate if she can read, write and sign her name!), higher female-male proportion (1048 female:1000 male), excellent track record on health, hardly any female infanticide, politically conscious electorate, secular tradition...

This sounds like a good story.

Except, that we still live in the ivory tower and refuses to get out of that "pseudo security of an intellectually perfect society", while ignoring the ground reality. Common man is becoming more and more violent, domestic violence is increasing along with the number of sexual abuses. Kerala records the maximum number of road accidents in India, and the farmer suicides have gone above 700 in a single year(a rough estimation from what is reported in the media)

With all the good Physical and Social indices being reflective of a well balanced society ( the above statistics might look like as if it is from a developed western state!), why do so many Malayalis commit suicides? These are not even suicides but homicides as they kills rest of the family including their own little innocent kids!

You ask a Malayalis if he drinks? (Alcohol) the first response would be, "Oh no, I don't!" but when you look at the statistics, Kerala consumes the maximum amount of alcohol in the whole of India!!! Probably we are just purchasing these drinks to spruce up the economy and draining it out in the gutter!

No one seems to be worried about the number of bride burning in Kerala for lack of dowry, and no concerns about the increasing number of suicides, nor do they seem to be caring about the increase in terrorism (oh yeah! they dont think an attack on a police station by a group of 300 armed people in Kottakkal the day before yesterday fits into the conventional definition of terrorism at all!). Not a single political party has condemned this until today!!!! Can you really believe that we still have a responsible civil society in this state any more?)

It is really disgusting to see that people don't own for this mess created. Even ten years before, when we had our informal discussions with friends, all these topics used to be discussed and we were quite concerned about where Kerala was moving towards.

Politicians talk about ISI(Pakistani Intelligence) interventions in Malappuram district. But our take is that one wouldn't need organisations like ISI to destabilise this country, you only need irresponsible politicians and similar organisations who would close their eyes to developments for the fear of loss of votes from the same people.

It might sound an irony for many that it is the same organisations that went out in public to support the left front in the just concluded elections to the state assembly, who are leading the communal riots. May be that is the reason for the silence even from left parties? While these parties and organisations were working together, some of our friends were sharing the stupidity of such tie-ups on a long term benefit.

Supporting Palestinian movement is one thing, but supporting militant organisations with pan Islamic terrorist agenda and closing our eyes to what is happening in our own front yard is another thing. If you take a ride through many districts in Kerala, you see posters of Saddam Hussein (a big surprise and shock for our foreign friends!). It makes sense to see his pictures with the amount of anti-American feelings around, but the sad part is that hardly any left politicians seems to realise that it was a communist leader that Saddam first had a go at, when he had his first gun!

If not for the main stream political parties, I hope at the least the common man will wake up to the reality of what Kerala is going through.

At least the warning signals are all here. "While bomb-hauls, seditious graffiti and the murder of moderates have become common occurrences, the day may not be far when such sporadic eruptions coalesce into a major terrorist event, says A Vinod Kumar, Associate Fellow at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, New Delhi. ".

The attack on Kottakal police station is just the beginning. Wonder what is in store for us!

Tirur © GP 2007

Different kind of horizon

"At The Blue Yonder,we will lead you away from all that you think is Kerala. Instead we will help you discover a horizon that is all yours, in ways you never thought possible before.

The Blue Yonder : Because we know different people need different kind of horizons."

The photograph in the above advert is from a tea shop when I went for location scouting three years before along the banks of River Nila. When we were looking for experiences that would excite our guests, this shop was the first thing that came to my mind. Without some "puttu", "pappadam" and "karingaali vellam"(warm herbal water) and ubiquitous newspapers, what is Kerala(m)!?

Today, as a mere coincidence, we ended up exactly in front of this "tea-shop" near Kudalur, while Justin got out of the car to shoot one huge house being built on the banks of the rivers.

We have been literally criss-crossing three districts of Malappuram, Palakkad and Thrissur, while looking for issues related to climate changes. It was becoming more and more obvious to us, that though climate changes like global warming and rise in the sea leves along the coastal villages of Kerala have started affecting the lifestyle of a Malayali, it is the human intervention (building of dams, sand mining and deforestation) that is causing more concerns in a short term.

To be in the middle of paddy field in Palakkad district and interviewing farmers when the temperature was shooting above 39 degree Celsius today wasn't probably the best idea of giving rest to the much tired body!

Tirur © GP 2007

Where butterflies come home to

R-in thinks that my blogs have become more like a reporting as if to let my friends know about my movements and some one else suggested that it has lots its character, personal touch and focus :) True true true and I am not even arguing.

Working in the sun for more than 12 hours scouting for drought prone villages and interviewing people who have lost their land on coastal areas because of rise in the ocean level in the last decade was an interesting experience, but definitely a tiring job in the soaring temperature!

One more day to go!

The above advert was placed to promote the destination Wayanad in North Kerala. It reads like this :

Wayanad

Where butterflies come home to

Allow us to present to you Wayanad, An entire district that is as good as a wildlife sanctuary. Where butterflies flock by the day and fireflies glow by the night. All this and so much more..

Trekking* Camping*Bamboo Rafting*Legend Trails*Birding*Safaris*Spice Tours*Mountain Biking* And the sheer pleasure of just being...
So which one is yours?

Tirur © GP 2007

How wild can you get?

How wild can you get?
Hear elephants trample through bamboo and see for yourself the pug marks of tigers. Listen to the dawn chorus of the birds and capture a firefly in your palm... From the little to larger than life, experience the wild-side of nature for real...

* wildlife safari*rain forest treks*camping*night patrol*bamboo rafting*birding
So which one is yours?

The above was another advert we designed for our campaigns..

Bangalore © GP 2007

Advert on Nila

The above was one of the ads we came up with for promoting River Nila as a destination in Kerala.

It reads:

River Nila - Where all that stands still is time!
Allow us to present to you an experience like you have never known before.

The River Nila.

A unique river valley civilisation that beckons with legends and tales; the soft breeze and a countless delights...

Bangalore © GP 2007

Rajiv Gandhi Assassination

It was while browsing through the bookshop in the airport for a political history book on ethnic conflicts that I chanced upon a book called "Triumph of Truth: The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination: The Investigation" by the two police officers, D.R. Karthikeyan and Radhavinod Raju, who were intimately connected with the Special Investigation Team (SIT).

From Colombo until I reached my office in Bangalore (yes, once again ended up in the office!), I didn't keep the book down. Even though it could have been a better edited book to avoid repetitions, there is no argument that it was simple gripping to go through the pages.

Bangalore © GP 2007

Blue Oceanic

It is even better to be in Negombo along the beach.

Two things that there commendable in the Blue Oceanic hotel lobby was a green space where the hotel is listing its participation in environment related activities and its strong policies against child sex tourism.

Often used by large travel companies like Thomas Cook, Kuoni, First Choice and many other European operators, the three star Blue Oceanic looked a bit miserable tyring to balance between the old and new. Definitely not my kind of place except for the beach front.

I had thought that the spine bending 'attention' to a white skin traveller was only the norm amongst some hoteliers and tour operators in India, but its disgustingly worse in Sri Lanka. Irrespective of where you are coming from or how wealthy you are, believe me, colour matters to some people. Especially if they are in a mood to 'please'!

Wonder how all the colonies developed this inferiority complex about their own skin colour!
Colombo © GP 2007

Kerala Tourism Road Show in Paris

Around 30 participants from Kerala and more than 100 buyers from in and around Paris. Brief and crisp presentation on Kerala Tourism by Dr Venu, two mohiniyattam performances by Corinne, who is now on one of the award winning print (ITB Berlin 2007) and online campaign of Kerala Tourism. Remaining 45 minutes of networking and how many buyers do you think we get to meet?
Those we knew already from the Paris came to say hello, we renewed our friendships and well, don't know how many of the others we met will be on the loop in terms of business.

Even before the show, we had requested the department to send us the database of those who are attending as buyers so that we can send them more details beforehand so that it is easy for the buyers also to meet those sellers that need to meet. Saves every one's time and makes the whole effort far productive. Since every thing is organised in the last minute, I wonder if anything more can be achieved than some pleasantries exchanged.

Still it was good to be at the show.

Colombo © GP 2007

Paris through my mobile phone

metro


view from Pauline's apartment in Gare de Lyon



While waiting for a friend.

Its good to be back in sunny Paris. Literally Paris is bathing in sun and thats a good break from grey and crowded Berlin. (crowded ITB).

Paris © GP 2007

Finale in Berlin

Couldn't have had a better finale to the trade fair in Berlin. Most of the players in the travel and tourism industry from Kerala got together in a restaurant along with the Minister of Kerala tourism. There were also some selected German tour operators and some Malayalis based in Berlin and Frankfurt promoting Kerala as a destination. A brief introduction of everyone was concluded by a small talk by the Minister, which later went on to a detailed discussion that later went on until midnight!

This evening is another proof why Kerala tourism is leading the travel experience in India. The government officials and the industry were brain storming various issues pertaining to the travel industry in Kerala, while rest of the participating states were probably out shopping in Berlin! The spirit of 'togetherness', 'not competing but complementing" each other was so obvious in the discussions.

The group was such an amazing mixture. Leading industry players to small operators, from owners of travel companies to junior marketing executives, they were all there in the hilarious but the most vibrant role plays that I have seen recently.

The craziest part was after everyone left, when Venu, Sanjay and I walked out in the rain looking for our Kaisserdam U Bhan with our torn and wet street map! Finally, we ended up in West End S bhan instead cursing the map makers, soaking wet in the cold!

An interesting evening. Excellent networking, lots of fun and great learning!
Looking forward to Paris now!
Berlin © GP 2007

Incredible India!

One of 'Incredible India' print campaigns

It is just India everywhere in Berlin. Right from the flight magazines , Airport, Buses, Cabs and streets, Its Incredible India campaign. Just landed and all knackered after the flight from London-Stansted.

Whethere you are here to attend the ITB Berlin or not, there is no way one can ignore that India as a partner country this year is ruling the show this time! The show begins tomorrow, but the buzz about India is simply amazing. The huge cut outs showing the print ads of Yoga in India was just covering the heights of some 20 flats all together near Tegel!

In an event organised by GTZ and Messe Berlin tomorrow, The Blue Yonder has been invited to speak on sustainable tourism in India for a ten minute presentation. The other speakers are Taj group of hotels, ITC Welcom Group and Ibex Expeditions.

It's been a surprise for many that we are exhibiting this year with Karnataka Tourism and not Kerala tourism. Considering the fact that we are expanding slowly to Karnataka Tourism and to rest of India, it makes sense to exhibit with them especially looking at what Kerala tourism charges their trade partners!

Berlin © GP 2007

One Life Exhibitions

Three days in the exhibition centre. Great to work with Sallie and Kate of People and Places. There weren't a single minute to spare for anything else and out stall was just crowded all the time. Just a quick note to say Hello :)

In London © GP 2007

Richard Alston Dance Company

Photo courtesey Chris Nash
It was quite a treat to leave Brighton after watching the performances of Richard Alston Dance Company at the Brighton Dome, which is a 19th century stable of the Prince of Wales that was later converted into a contemporary theatre.

Out of the four performances, what caught my attention was the last piece with Piano. "Devil in the Detail". As it is written in one of the reviews, "this was a light-hearted, light-footed celebration of sheer elegance and wit."

Absolutely!

Brighton © GP 2007