Archive for the 'Sikkim' Category

Sikkim’s worst earthquake

Published on September 20, 2011 in Life as it happens and Sikkim. 1 Comment Tags: , .

It was a rainy sunday morning on the 18th and since we’d woken up late, we’d nearly put off our plans for sightseeing to Namchi’s Samdruptse and Solophok which is about two and a half hours from my place. We reached Namchi, South Sikkim about midday and spent the rest of the day there. We headed back home to Singtam in the evening when an earthquake of 6.8 richter scale hit our small state of Sikkim at around 6 pm. Ironically, we didnt really feel the quake since we were in the vehicle but we did see many people on the way running out of their homes in panic and several people outdoors along the highway. I assumed that a fight had broken out and we didnt bother to stop by and ask what was happening.

A few kilometres ahead, several vehicles came to a stand still and we had to stop because of the traffic jam. It was then terrified people all around us started talking about a huge earthquake that rocked the entire place and also caused a landslide right in the middle of the road. I could make out from the people’s petrified faces that they were really scared out of their wits and one lady even said that the quake had washed away her small wooden house in a landslide. The drivers of the vehicles ahead of us gathered the men and they ended up removing a small portion of the rocks which allowed us enough leeway to cross the road. We then proceeded our journey while I started frantically dialing our families to ensure they were ok.

Unfortunately, the mobile networks were totally jammed and none of us could get through to anyone. Then out of nowhere, my colleague got through my phone and said that the earthquake was so devastating that couple of buildings in Singtam had buckled down and that some people had succumbed to their deaths and several were injured who were being taken to the nearest hospitals. He also informed that the quake had hit Gangtok equally hard and that the devastation was state-wide.

I sent a silent prayer to god to keep our families safe and tried calling them again and again but to no avail. That was perhaps the darkest moment of our lives, when we didnt know if our loved ones were safe or not. It was only after about half an hour later that our phones started working and we talked with our families in Gangtok and were reassured that they were safe.

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30th All India Governor’s Gold Cup

Published on October 26, 2008 in Sikkim. 23 Comments Tags: , , .

Photograph by: Shital Pradhan

Sikkim’s all about football frenzy. Went to watch the final of the Governor’s Gold Cup yesterday where the match was scheduled between Army XI and Three Star Nepal. I’m not a football buff or anything neither did I watch the earlier games. But I missed last year’s final too so I wanted to watch this time for sure. 

The stadium was packed and the first thing that I thought was – God, I hope no one’s planted a bomb or anything. Yeah, I know I was being paranoid but couldnt help myself. After the cultural programme ended and the match was about to start and I was still alive, I relaxed a bit.

I wasnt paying much attention while the team announcements were made so when the match starts, I dont know which team is which. I nudge my aunt, sitting next to me (who’s The football buff) and she doesnt know either. I dont think she cared much; she was busy cheering most of the time and gossiping with the other lady sitting next to her anyway.

I wanted to ask the other people sitting around me but I think – what the heck, I’ll figure that soon enough once they start playing. And thats how by the time the match reaches near half time, I still dont know which is the Nepal team so I can cheer for them! By this time, its too late for me to ask other people for fear of appearing extremely stupid! I look closely at the blue team and catch the words ARMY on their jersey – then went, aahh… All this when the Nepal team was playing in its national flag colours of red and blue.

In the meantime, a kid sitting behind announces – Mama, I feel like going for toilet number two. I felt sorry for the poor mother who had to miss a most exciting start by obliging to her son’s bowel movements.

Somewhere behind me sat the most negative man in the world. He started cribbing when the Army XI players played very well in the first half of the game. He critisized the Nepal players for lack of ball control, slipping and falling on the grass a number of times, playing out long, drawn out injuries and wasting time and so on.

His best comment was – Surely this player doesnt have to run with the ball so much along the entire breadth of the field!

I was initially partial to the Nepal team, just like any other person there but ended up cheering for Army XI, which I felt was the better team except for one inopportune goal which led Nepal to victory. 

More photos of the match here: http://sikkim-himalayanreview.blogspot.com/2008/10/photo-features-of-30th-all-india.html

 

We were on a break

Published on October 9, 2008 in Sikkim and Wanderlust. 16 Comments Tags: , , .

I had eleven days off from work, thanks to puja vacations. I decided not to grow roots at home and travel with friends instead. And that is how we headed off into the sunrise, since we started early morning at 7 am.

The exit road from my house till the main road is a steep uphill. Now many may wonder how it is that we actually navigate the vehicles out without getting killed everyday. Those who live here, like me, do the same – but only once a week if you must know.

As my friend sped the vehicle uphill, I yelled BODY WEIGHT agay (front) and not surprisingly, no one understood what to do. Well, you see a few years back, we were on an adventurous horse back riding trip up the steep, slush-filled hill slopes of Kufri, which was some kilometres after Shimla.

The horse guide walking in front screamed: body weight agay – after which we had to lean ahead. The call downhill was – body weight peechay! (back) and we had to lean backwards accordingly.

It was either lean or die laughing at that point of time. I leaned all right. Then felt sorry for the poor horse afterwards.

The day turned out to be quite pleasant. I like this pic here cause the sun had just risen and the whole image has different shades of blue for all contemplation. The bridge leads all the way to The Avenue. This is my favourite spot throughout the journey. 

The moment we reached there, I turned and before I could speak, my fellow passenger says - I know, The Avenue – a road which is lined with trees. I thought the I know part was stressed a bit sarcastically but I was too caught up to respond.

I think I forgot to add the Feel free to click on the pics for a larger view part in the beginning. I know most of you are smart enough to know that without me having to tell you. If nothing else, I know that I run the risk of those people getting pissed and wondering if they should stop visiting my blog for the insult. 

It may come as a surprise but I’ve recently learnt the arts of Changing The Topic When Needed Most. LOOK AT THE PRETTY PIC BELOW!

P.S. All the pics were taken from a moving car so the blur you see (if any) isnt intentional and most certainly is not bad photography, how dare you. Good trip, with Tiger and especially Stan Marsh from South Park behaving extremely well for a change.

Singtam

Published on September 30, 2008 in Life as it happens and Sikkim. 18 Comments Tags: , , , .

You know, you live in a place for about 5 years and it finally and surprisingly grows on you. I know most people assume that I live in Gangtok since I blog from Sikkim. Nope. Gangtok is about an hour further up north from the place I live in, which is called Singtam. When I first joined work and saw, yes with my own two eyes, this… this dump of a place, the only thought I had was – how the hell do people live in a place like this???

The main market was infested with taxis and the temperature was soooo hot that I nearly melted. Gangtok, on the other hand has a divine climate that makes the entire place centrally air conditioned, as my dad used to say. Singtam, on the other hand was filled with vehicles passing through, villagers in their sunday best come out to do their weekly shopping, alleys filled with a peculiar stench that just wouldnt quit, with – ugh – little eating shacks right next to all the dirt. 

Whose number only preceded by uncountable number of booze shops, (to one of which some of us would be loyal customers for life) Maybe the worst piece of news I’d heard about this place was that it was a haven for crimes. Burglary, murder, take your pick. I had made up my mind then and there that I would commute from Gangtok rather than stay in such a place.

Stay, that I did. Made a lot of new friends and neighbours. Visited the police station on a regular basis. Once the institute bus had a major accident with a biker chap and since I was on the bus at that time, I was the witness by default. Another time, a burglary occurred at my new apartment although the theft was recovered the next day itself. So yes, I made a lot of friends at the police station. Psychologically, it made me feel more secure.  

Til date, I dont know a lot of people in town. The ones who know me as Rinchen mam, from XYZ Institute give me warm smiles which probably translates into – please pass my son/daughter/nephew/relative, good lady. I smile back at them and find it amusing that this is such a small place where everyone knows everyone else.

Two people who meet me in the market and dont let me leave are – my former sweeper, safaikarmachari as they’re called these days. Rawat bhaiya goes on and on relegating stories about bhabhi, mine – not his. I always know the next words coming out of his mouth will be – please give her some work in your office. 

The other guy’s the parking ticket collector. Previously I used to dodge such people in the hope of saving 5 bucks but when I found out that he’s my former maid’s brother, I offer him a little cash once in a while. He always wants me to go to his home and meet his sister and her little kid. Oh and he also doesnt give me a parking ticket anymore. Which is nice.

Then there’s my regular shopkeeper who’s always happy to see me. He probably sees dollar signs where I’m standing because he says things like – please come in, madam, come in. Please take anything you want. Its your own shop. His shop’s name is Fruit Shop. So is the next door’s and the remaining shops after that. I’ve never seen a sign board outside declaring the actual name. Strange.

I’ve also gotten used to the temperature by now. It doesnt seem so bad now and I have begun to hate Gangtok’s bitter wintry cold. Somehow Singtam feels more home to me than my actual home of Gangtok. Its not as advanced as the capital city but its a place where everyone knows my name. Thats reason enough for me. I’ve come to love the place I once could not stand. Stranger things have happened.

The great debate

Published on September 3, 2008 in No good and Sikkim. 361 Comments Tags: , .

I’ve recently been battling out the topic of stopping immigration in Sikkim in the forum of sikkimonline.info. The topic ranted about a Sikkimese being an alien in their own domain, being dominated or called chinkys, bahadur, etc. outside the state. This is how I responded:

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Lil girl sings Nepali song

Published on August 2, 2008 in Musings and Sikkim. 2 Comments Tags: .

Corny things

Published on July 27, 2008 in Good things and Sikkim. 2 Comments Tags: , , .

Things get very corny enroute to Gangtok and you can intercept the freshly roasted smell miles before you actually reach the place where they sell them. Thats my cook buying some roasted corns while we were on our way towards Gangtok. The corn fields line the highway and the village people make their living selling corns for 5 bucks a piece. Pretty cheap. And delicious too. I ought to probably say healthy too but I’m not entirely sure if it is indeed so.

I dont know how but nowadays they sell corn throughout the year along this stretch of the road. Earlier there used to be certain seasons for which people used to wait impatiently for the corn to ripen. Guess the villagers decided to make this a way of life. And looking at the large number of vehicles which stop and buy from them, I’d say people are really fond of this stuff.

Use of plastic bags are banned in Sikkim so we didnt get one. A small step towards reducing pollution and rightfully so. Therefore, as we continued our journey, the whole car started smelling like a corn field itself. Half an hour later, as I picked up a friend, the moment she sat in the car she exclaimed, You bought corn!!! Lets have some!!!

You know you’re from Darjeeling/Sikkim when

Published on April 29, 2008 in Sikkim. 14 Comments Tags: , .

Found this article in a friend’s inbox and HAD TO post it.

You greet your friends saying ‘Yess bro!!’ even though there seems to be no logical or grammatical justification to the phrase.

You can literally ask whether someone would like to ‘EAT WATER’!! (eg. Paani Khane??) or Booze!!! (Raksi khane??) or even a KICK (Laat khanu manparyo??)

You know what ‘ALOO DUM’ is and you have definitely tasted it!!

And you would rather stand outside in the cold and relish Aloo dum (which btw you think is the best potato delicacy in the universe) than to go in an air conditioned MacD’s right across the street and have burger & fries.

You try to look elsewhere when you see a pretty female heading ur way

99% of your friends sport one of the following hair styles: spikes, long hair or middle parting. The remaining 1% are bald.

You tend to take a bow whenever you shake hands with someone new. With both hands.

You will laugh when you read the following on a billboard: ‘Great Condo for sale in Palm Beach for you and your family’

3 out of ur 5 friends can play guitar… the remaining two have also given it a try at some point or the other.

The words ‘Maradona’ and ‘Pele’ were one of the first words you uttered since you learnt how to speak.

All your friends have an opinion on football.

The moment you’re a floor over the Ground Floor (preferably on a balcony) you tend to look down and SPIT

You look up when you hear an airplane.

You point with your lips.

Whenever you meet someone you ask, ‘Have you had your food?’ ( bhat khayou?)

You meet someone in a movie hall and ask, ‘ Have you come to watch a movie?’ (movie hernu ayeko?)

You call all action movies ‘ action pacck’

You think all festivals mean relatives playing cards and getting drunk…

You cannot drink without chicken chilly and momos…

You are crossing a one way street and you have to check both sides…( debre ani daine )

Your relatives give you money whenever you visit them… ( even when you are 40)

When you see a pair of slippers upside down (ulta chappal) you have to turn it around.

You don’t trim your nails at night. (Otherwise the devil might take you and your family)

You feel you haven’t eaten if you haven’t had Bhath (rice).

You laugh at everything on Nepali TV but you still watch it…

You have been dragged to a mandir on saraswati puja so that you will get good grades.

Your grand mum doesn’t let you whistle at night.

You cant date someone if you are not in love.

You Know who Humjayega is.

Although you have never met him.

You miss those mountains you used to see the moment you opened your eyes in the morning

You go out for lunch/ dinner/ whatever in a group and look at the menu for half an hour and order the following:

a. momo
b. chowmein
c. fried rice
d. chicken chilli

You think of titaura and your saliva glands go wild!!

You think Toyota Corrolla is the no..1 car in the world!

You miss wai wai, churpi and titaura almost any given day.

You are good at drunk driving, especially on motorcycles

Your conversation with anyone you just met, always ends up being an interview to unearth the degree of association with this person. (eh…Ghar ka hare?? gangtok? Tyeso bhaye timile xyz lai chinchhau??)

- 90% of the time you end up knowing someone who knows someone who knows the person.
- The remaining 10% of the time the person is your relative.
- you feel obligated to pay for everyone else when eating out with your friends.

Your American friends ask you if you have climbed Mount Everest.

You probably haven’t even seen mount Everest.

You love the pungent, fermented smell of pickled bamboo shoots (tama) and dried and aged vegetable leaves (gundruk) + you are drooling at the thought right now!

North Sikkim

Published on April 24, 2008 in Sikkim. 6 Comments

I had promised the photographer that I would steal these photos and put it on my blog ages back. These are glimpses of North Sikkim on a cold November month. Although normally, sane people venture to this really, really cold place in Spring or preferrably Summer most of the time.

I like this picture because the water gushing through the stream looks freezing cold. And the huge rocks in the middle sure give it ample company! Mandakini, the yesteryear’s actress once visited Sikkim and took a bath in a waterfall somewhere near Gangtok for a film. Good thing she wasnt made to take a bath in this stream…

See, you normally dont see this type of blue sky in a polluted, over populated city like the one I live in. The snow capped mountains adorn the skyline to a perfect T, needless to say.

This is my favourite picture of them all. I have never seen a golden mountain in real life, thats why. This picture was taken on the way to Lachung, North Sikkim at the crack of dawn. The sun’s rays glisten like gold and its a truly amazing sight (in all probability in real life)

Ah, yaks. Very polite animals. One of my dear friend and I had gone for a trip to Changu Lake, near Gangtok where we took a yak ride up the snow beaten path. As she dismounted her yak, she had this to say: I cant believe that was a yak between my legs. Haha. It sounded funnier then. And a lot more decent, for sure.

Lake Gurudongmar. What a fabulous sight! I’ve never been there so I cant describe the feeling but it sure looks like one hell of a place! Its supposed to be this cold desert with the lake at the end. And if you were me, the first thing you’d also think of is: What the hell’s a cold desert doing in North Sikkim? I dont know till now.

What preparation?

Published on March 31, 2008 in hopes & dreams and Sikkim. 10 Comments

I might as well tell what I’ve been upto.

The state government of Sikkim has finally (as in finally finally) declared the examination dates for the post of Under Secretary. Unfailingly, this always reminds me of Dolores Umbridge in the Potter books. Also I can safely say that about four or five thousand applicants are anxiously studying with all they got for 40 posts. Thats right, forty – F as in forty, O as in orty, R as in rty, T as in ty and Y as in – you bet the chances are slim, allright.

There’s the English and General Knowledge paper on 12th of April. Then I have additional subjects of Physics and Electrical Engineering whose syllabus looks more & more tougher day by day. Yes, my being an Electronics lecturer will help tremendously but it remains to be seen if it will finally save the day.

Almost all of my other colleagues have opted for their own engineering subject and Sociology as the additional subject. Apparently the syllabus for Sociology was only one paragraph so everyone thought they could nail it with minimum effort. I, on the other hand was either very wise or very stupid to opt for Physics, since I thought I could not risk going along with an entirely new subject.

Lets see how it goes. Oh, and also if I dont talk about this anymore in the months to come – cause thats how long it takes to get the result – I probably didnt make it and we’ll leave it at that.

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