DAY-70, HASSI MESSAOUD, ALGERIA, 12TH SEPT' 09, 23.44 HRS

THE LONELINESS AT SAHARA

The characteristic of Sahara desert which changes its clime from hottest in the world to cooler in just few days is really amazing to experience.Gradually now mercury will start falling down and it will become more and more colder by the passing of days a great reprieve from a dry and hotter climate. Here rain is just 8mm in through out the year. Sahara is also famous for its sand storms.

As per my research thousands of years before Sahara was a very greener place but climate took its toll and now thousands and thousands kilometer stretches are just either Sand dunes or rock plates or different mountain ranges and few river, which run across Sahara out of them following are prominent ~ Nile and Niger river these are permanent and rest are seasonal where there is only dry river bed which may carry water for a brief period during uncommon waterfall.

I remember following lines by John Donne “No man is an island, entire of itself,” and this line holds true even to the most romantically challenged.

Loneliness, solitude, isolation whatever you say it always will be there in this Sahara desert.

The marvels of modern technology, however, have helped me obtain some relief, as small as it may be. I’m sure almost everyone reading my rant is familiar with Napster and its many variants. You have probably used it to share music and ripped copies of DVDs. Fortunately for you, you’ve never been forced by loneliness and desperation to seek a digital alternative to human companionship. I took my thoughts and indulge myself completely into something creative like playing games, doing workouts and blogging which help mine mental energy to face the loneliness.

Let me know your thoughts what you would have done if you would have been at my place….:)

With lots of love and good night….

MANOJ KUMAR OJHA

DAY-69, HASSI MESSAOUD, ALGERIA, 10TH SEPT' 09, 23.24 HRS

The leader

The Bhagwad Gita clearly states:“Behave with others as you would with yourself. Look upon all the living beings as your friends, for in all of them there resides ones soul. All are but a part of that universal soul. A person who believes that all are his soul-mates and loves them all alike, never feels lonely. Divine qualities of such a person such as forgiveness, compassion and services will make him lovable in the eyes of his associates. He will experience intense joy throughout his life.”

Have you ever tried to make it out when your company’s CEO or whom you say a good orator what they speaks. Have you even try to explore in details of the speech content. For your dismay Its an amazing fact and true to best of my knowledge that your body language is 60 per cent of what people remember of you; tone makes for 30 per cent, and content is only 10 per cent. "This means that, in key meetings and presentations, you need to present yourself as a leader with every part of yourself that's visible to others."

For instance, the classic hand position for leaders worldwide is the steeple - `a kind of relaxed prayer position, with your fingertips touching'. That way, you can control `unwanted gestures or nervous habits.

Go on guys it is believed by practising you may become a good orator.

Our Badminton practice session is on and very soon i.e.; from 12th Sept’ 09 we are going to Participate in Badminton Championship. Eyes already started blinking giving an indication to wrap up all and get sneaked into deep slumber. So, prior to texts should start getting appear in inebriated form I’ll take a leave.

With lots of love and warm regards,

MANOJ KUMAR OJHA

DAY-68, HASSI MESSAOUD, ALGERIA, 09-09-09, 22.48 HRS

09-09-09 and its Significance

Today is 09-09-09 which having special significance in Mathematics as the sum of digits of numbers derived from multiples of 9 are themselves always a multiple of 9. In Vedic scriptures the number 9 represents God and God times anything is always God.

According to Bible, 9 is the number of finality or judgment – the judgment of man and all his works. As per Bible 9 is 3X3 the product of divine completeness.

In Vedic scriptures, the number 108 (1 0 8=9) has a specific significance as it represents “whole of existence”. The number 9 thus represents wholeness. In vedic astrology there are nine planets which traverse through the 12 zodiacs (9X12=108).

Some Vedic literature also associates 9 with Lord Brahma – the Creator of the Universe.

Astrologically, on 9-9-09 Saturn is transiting from one zodiac to another thereby making this date a very significant one for all people.

Lot of people resort to buy home, car or movie producers launching their new movie or doing anything which can be easily rememberable.

A little research I did on yoga and found these facts~

Einstein’s famous equation, E=MC2 says it all about energy. Who can forget Nagasaki and Hiroshima? It is said that a brick contains so much energy that if released it may destroy million inhabitants of a town along with their properties of course. Prana (The life sustaining energy) is the most potent of all forms of energies, and every genotype carries it in equal measure and spends it regularly in differing measure, that’s how some live longer than others. In human form it resides at the base of the spine at Muladhara. It is released by two basic functions of the body, firstly by breathing and secondly by walking.

Let’s look around to find that animals which breathe slower live longer. For example a giant tortoise who breathes 4 to 5 times in a minutes, lives more than two hundred years and a dog which breathes about 50 times in a minutes, lives around 15 years only. So is the case with snakes, elephants and the slow breathing types who are known to have longevity than birds and rabbits and cats, who breathe relatively faster and live shorter life span.

Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity categorically states that each man carries his own time and his own space with him. Stephen Hawking makes it more interesting when he says; each man carries his own clock and to add one second to his life, one has to travel four million times around the world in an airliner. Bill Bryson, in ‘Short History of Nearly Everything’, muses, “Fly across the United State, and you will step from the plane a quinzillionth of a second, or something, younger than those you left behind.” It is therefore; scientifically safe to assume that it is possible to increase life span and each man grows older in his own space-time. For a human being the space-time continuum is his own breathing cycle.

Each second passing by and we know its not going to come back and slowly we are proceeding towards our ultimate journey ‘ Mahapranaayan’ even though we celebrate our birth dates.

On a lighter side….we concluded yesterday Billiard Championship at our base and since I am just a learner so obviously I had to lose…and I lost. From 12^th Sept’09 Saturday we are going to start Badminton Championship at our base.

Its really pleasure to spend a quality time with the extended family at Bigb’s blog we really feel that we are a family..no doubt yes we are but virtually…J

And here is the closing lines with a laugh~~~~~

I received funniest email which having a superlative suggestions for a Rakhi ka Swayamwar' sequel. It suggests 'Rakhi Ki Suhaagraat'. " To participate,contact NDTV IMAGINE. Hurry!! Limited beds."

With my love and regards,

MANOJ KUMAR OJHA

DAY-67, HASSI MESSAOUD, ALGERIA, 06TH SEP' 09, 21.24 HRS

INTERNAL SECURITY OF INDIA

Always bizarre thoughts sprout up, how come for a CM the most advanced India's largest search operation carried out and within 3 hours time ISRO's remote sensing aircraft, a Sukhoi, more than 8 helicopters, 5000 Jawans, Commandos, forest police and the paramilitary forces those who were trained in the Jungle terrain. Finally by an SMS signal of one of the passengers mobile accident site of helicopter was traced. YSR was on rise really high rise but this time 11yr old ill fated helicopter shattered and smithereens. Vitiated and vicious political climate in the country, that people willing to believe worst rumours which are going on either chopper was shot by naxals lurking in jungle or by Pilot's error.

Now the question comes why it took more than 11 hrs for Commandos to reach in 26/11 attack site where the whole bunch of search battalions reached in no time in the CM's search operation.

Moreover the complete media coverage was only for the VIP YSR and why other 4 passengers who died not covered by media as their life was not equally important. Same thing witnessed when 26/11 attack took place, all the media coverage was there. Is it due to the fact that attack was on rich and VIP's. Anyway it was good that people got united and voiced, But Where were everyone when plenty of people died in Rail and bus attacks?

Are we safe enough a million dollar question. When a person in metro like Mumbai goes in the morning to earn his bread and butter he prays that he should return safe. Always insecurity lurks back in mind. Now every common man is asking government what basic steps has been taken to instill trust that this kind of any terror atack will not happen. Why we are this much impotent that we can't secure by ourselves. See United States of America and learn something from there how seriously and efficiently they have contended the Terror strike after 9/11.

Why we are unable to do frisking of Angelina Jolie and like wise whereas our former President and other ministers and our national Indian cinema actors are not spared by security at US airports. It doesn't call for a real revamp of our system to incorporate more strict vigilance and screening at every vulnerable points in the country.

Please share your views...they will be most welcome...

With love.........

MANOJ KUMAR OJHA

DAY-66, HASSI MESSAOUD, ALGERIA, 05TH SEP' 09, 22.48 HRS

BE HAPPY KEEP SMILING ALWAYS... :)

Tried to list out some practical, down-to-earth actions that almost anyone can get started on at almost any time. I generally find that things occurring lower in the list (i.e., #1, 2, 3, etc) are more concrete and immediately useful while those further up the list require more effort, energy and awareness.

1 Smile. Feeling happy makes you smile. Keep always smiling which will make you feel happy.

2 Breathe Deeply. A relaxed state is less compatible with unhappy feelings.

3 Care For Your Body. A healthy body is the underpinning for emotional well being.

4 Don’t Rush. Living too fast may ruin your opportunities for happiness.

5 Act Happy. Fake it until you make it… you may be surprised to find that you really started feeling happier.

6 Look for Positive Things. Be optimistic. Look for the positive, otherwise negativity will find you.

7 Pause Before Reacting. Overreacting can make life needlessly complicated.

8 Banish Regrets. You can’t erase the past, but don’t let it dominate the present.

9 Live in the Present. Happiness is most fully experienced in the here and how.

10 Visualize Happiness. Prime yourself to experience happiness.

With love and regards….have a wonderful schweeet night…J

MANOJ KUMAR OJHA

DAY-65, HASSI MESSAOUD, ALGERIA, 02ND SEPT' 09, 15.28 HRS

Happy Onam to all of you !!!

Onam is the biggest and the most important festival of the state of Kerala. It is celebrated as a harvest festival and is celebrated with joy and enthusiasm all over the state by people of all communities. The best part of the festival is that it is a secular festival so people from different communities and religion can take part in it. According to a popular legend, the festival is celebrated to welcome King Mahabali, whose spirit is said to visit Kerala at the time of Onam.

Onasadya is served on banana leaves and people sit on a mat laid on the floor to have the meal. It showcase the unity among people. Another enchanting feature of Onam is Vallamkali, the Snake Boat Race, held on the river Pampa.

When I was working in Gulf almost in all companies half day holiday was observed since in most of the companies workforce belong to this God’s own country called Kerala. Company’s mess halls were decorated and Onasadya served by workforce to everyone. Its a festive atmosphere.

When came to Algeria missed visiting friends on this occasion.If everything goes fine I’ll be the part of this celebration from year 2010.

Regards,

MANOJ KUMAR OJHA