Coupe-icare 2005

The world’s biggest free flight event in St Hilaire du Touvet was on for the weekend 24-25th Sep. The whole Indian gang with a few non-desi fellows went there.
There was an
# An aero-show
# 40 years after: a reconstitution of the first paraglider by David Barich - the below picture
# 1000 paper hot air balloons from Brazil launched simultaneously - this made me really wonder how its possible to make a paper balloon and fly it was amazing

C'est bon

These days I'm really enjoying my tram journey. Today I was traveling in the tram way back home. I was seated were in 4 people can sit if 2 people sat opposite, is like facing one another , I hope u get this picture. And now 4 of us are already sitting and there a guy & girl was standing beside us. Then at a particular tram stop 2 people got of who are facing diagonally, Then this guy & girl came to sit. It didn't strike to me how intimate they want to sit and do all possible things in tram, which is very common here. Me as a dumb not realizing this, was about to get up and was about to offer them a comfortable twin seat. Then that guy realized what I was about to do and said "C'est bon" , I understood what it was and went back to my seat. But I could not control my smile for close to 2-3 minutes. It was little embarrassing for me but I some-how took refuge in the book and was pretending to leave an impression it was more for the joke in the book was the reason for my smile. This picture was taken in Annecy when I went to the lake festival.

The Zahir

Yesterday evening I was standing at the Victor Hugo, this is spot were all partners in crime (including myself) meet for all activities done under sky, waiting for the tram. This stop needs a special mention as all the people take it for granted that it’s the place to get-together.

A few things to mention
# The only tram stop even at 2 am in the morning you can meet people
# The popular radio man is mostly found in that stop
# There a nice park around the corner
# All theaters are around this place
# All banks are there with ATM’s
# & last but not the least this is the city centre with Mc.D there ;-)

Now coming back to the topic where I started as I wanting for the tram, a lady on the pushchair come to me and starts talking to me in French, I was so engrossed in the book I didn’t bother saying hello to her even. Later she realizes that I didn’t give her attention she comes a bit close and asks have u read “Veronika Decides to Die". I still didn’t bother to respond to her. I’m not like this usually, this was more due to the book, I was feeling little lost. I was wanting to finish the book AEAP so was highly focused on the same then she says are you reading “The Zahir”
I nodded in a manner that prompted her to say “you don’t know Zahir”. These words really caught my mind and I grabbed the moment to give a glance as who was this saying to me with so much confidence, and I see a smiling face saying once again “you don’t know Zahir”, I just responded saying I’m still reading.

According to the Author What Zahir is?
PAULO COELHO: According to the writer Jorge Luis Borges, the idea of the Zahir comes from the Islamic tradition and probably arose in the eighteenth century. In Arabic “zahir” means “visible”, “present”, “incapable of going unnoticed”. It can refer to an object or a person, and that object or person gradually takes over our every thought, until we are unable to think of anything else. This could be considered a state of holiness or a state of madness.

What Similarminds tells u

I took up this interesting test on Similarminds

This is what they tell me about

What Classic Movie Are You?

Stockholm - Museum

It's not just in Stockholm in all Scandinavian countries there are a plenty of museums. If you are a museum buff then this is Stockholm is the Mecca for museums on earth - head on with the museum pass. I had been to the Vasa Museum, Skansen Open-Air Museum, Music museum, Army museum and the list goes on for 70+. I have mentioned a few, click here to know more about other places.

Let me start with the Vasa museum

This museum exhibits a beautifully preserved ship built in solid oak and pine with wood in 1628 and which sank on the maiden trip. It was salvaged in 1961 in a fabulous. "The Age of Vasa" is a journey in time to the country behind this ship, miniature of the Vasa ship

The history of Vasa can be read here

Skansen Open-Air Museum is one of Stockholm's most popular tourist attractions with some 150 houses and farmsteads from all over Sweden. Zoo, "Mini-Skansen", summer concerts are a few interesting things.

Music museum - Instruments from a 17th century tavern to the heyday of ABBA all under one roof. You can play many of the instruments here...

Aquaria Water Museum
Worth a visit even on virtual one that's provided in the official site.

mangroves, Living rainforest all beautifully created

A Boat Sightseeing is worth mentioning

Long/Short/Medium

People I need to tell u...in this part of the world having a haircut is some big tasks. This is one corner of this part of the world I live now. With what ever little language I know I some how manage to get an appointment with them and turn up on that day with a little delay every time. Then the big ordeal starts - long/short/medium. After this with lot of words exchanging not knowing what I want they jump into action. Some time I make it a point to take a picture in the digicam or a photo and let them know that this is how I need ... my god this 30 minutes wait in life to see the outcome of the finished product is something really great. After so many visits this is first time it came out the way I wanted. ...so this is the story of Venkat going for a haircut

Quality of Life

Got this fwd. from S, thanks for such a nice one. Not a zen story but worth studying this. Read on...

A group of working adults got together to visit their former university professor. The professor was pleased to see them, and after the students' chats about the old days and reminiscing was over, their conversation turned into complaints about their stresses in work and life.

The professor said nothing, he just smiled and went in his kitchen and brought back an assortment of cups on a tray - some were fine porcelain, some plastic, some glass, some plain-looking and some rather expensive and exquisite. He then asked if his former students were thirsty, and offered them the cups to get iced water for themselves.

When each student had a cup in hand, filled with iced water, the professor spoke:"If you noticed, all the nice-looking, expensive cups have been taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ordinary ones on the tray. While it is usual that you will only want the best for yourselves, that is the main source of your problems and stress... What all you really wanted was water, not the cup - but you unconsciously went for the better looking cups."

A silence followed, as the students digested this. The professor continued, "This is just like in life....If Life is water, then your jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are merely tools to hold and maintain life, but they will hardly change the intrinsic quality of Life. If we focus only on the cup, then we won't have time to taste and enjoy the water in it!"

"And also remember this: A RICH person is one who has a lot, while a HAPPY person is one who does not want a lot....The choice of which type of person you want to be is your own."

And the students thus got their most important lesson in life from their wise old teacher

Only For The Best

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Can't be better

This morning I shot this picture as I was heading to office, This is the reflection of the Bastille Mountain on the Grenoble-WTC complex. Many a times I get to spend time close to an hour both ways in the tram reading the book I want to finish. That’s how I get to finish a lot of books. Some time it’s a kind of sweet surprise to meet some one you know and get to chat with them the whole way. Today met T from Ukraine and then got introduced to some girl from Mexico. Then we discover that some girl was baking some nice cakes/cookies and taking then to office, now.. .. .. she has to offer us. Poor girl she unsealed the pack and offered some cookies, Now I discover it advantageous to meet in the tram some people whom u know, especially if they are carrying some thing to office. Then during the day and get a nice fwd like this ... Thanks Edu for the joke

Jim and Edna were both patients in a mental hospital. One day while they were walking past the hospital swimming pool, Jim suddenly jumped into the deep end. He sank to the bottom of the pool and stayed there. Edna promptly jumped in to save him. She swam to the bottom and pulled Jim out. When the hospital director became aware of Edna's heroic act she immediately ordered that Edna be discharged from the hospital because she now considered Edna to be mentally stable. The director went to Edna and said, "I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that you're being discharged because you responded so rationally to a crisis by jumping in the pool to save the life of another patient. Your action displays sound mindedness. The bad news is that Jim, the patient you saved, hung himself in the bathroom with his bathrobe belt right after you saved him. I am so sorry, but he's dead." Edna replied, "He didn't hang himself. I put him there to dry. How soon can I go home?"

Happy Ganesh Chaturthi

I was looking for the story that needs to be read as a part of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival, stumbled on this site which gives nice and crisp info on the Don't Look at the Moon;The Story Behind, Lord Ganesh's VehicleThe Mouse, The Legend ofOnly one Tusk!!!, Many names& there Meanings, Significance of his formand his Belongings - read on and Happy Ganesh Chaturthi

Caves at Sassenage with Stalagmite

The caves at Sassenage are with Stalagmite, there was this interesting one which was the shape of the Mexican hat. Here are some facts about the caves - 17th cty - first explorations was made.
1947 - 200m of the cave developed and opened to the public. These are the beautiful formations. In the whole cave there was just one made made path, everthing else was natural. There were lot of Stalagmite when u go deep inside the caves.
















The Cuves de Sassenage is known for a very long time. It is the resurgence of a cave river which comes from the famous Gouffre Berger, one of the deepest caves of the world. This is close to the entry point and you can see 2 waterfal out of 3 in the picture.

The cave tour includes a light show which tells the story of the elf Melusine. It goes like this, Every Saturday, this young girl swam in the water of the river, transformed partly into a fish by her mother. But one day her husband saw her and so the secret was discovered, and the charm became irreversible. So Melusine could not become human any more and she went into exile in the cave. Only when a member of the family of the lords of Berenger was about to die, she came back to predict the death. While sitting in the cave she waited for her husband to free her, but he never came. Her tears rolled into the river Furon and were transformed into stones, so called eye stones.

And do that how the weekend was.

This can only in France

It confirms that the figure in pedestrian signal is only a man ;-)

Stockholm - Overview

Let me start the trip with Stockholm. Stockholm is one of the most beautiful national capitals I have ever visited, Its scattered with close to 11 islands(main ones). A walk around the islands is really wonderful and walking around the city's waterways and parks is a glorious way to spend a week-long stretch of European summer. If u have to pass through Gamla Stan - the old town its particularly spectacular.
So my trip started with walk going around and understanding the places. Bought a Stockholm card and went around. The boat Stockholm-af Chapman & Skeppsholmen is a youth hostel which is located both in an old sailing ship & an building adjacent to the ship. I was lucky to get in the ship which you can see in the above picture. This city really a lovely one. I just feel in love with this city. More on other locations later.