Mumbai Marathon 2009 - The spirit of Mumbai

Run Mumbai Run !!


Mumbai, yet again, showed the unflinching attitude of standing together in face of adversity. It has not been long when terror striked Mumbai. But Mumbai was in high spirits again on 18 Jan 2009 readying itself for Mumbai Marathon 2009. I too got the oppurtunity to run half marathon ( 21.097 kms)




Some were running for peace, some for health and some for various NGOs. And so was I- running for peace, for health, for the undying attitude of Mumbai !! For me, it was needed a long run. After all, what can you expect from someone who is used to walking just 1-2 kms per day !!


There is something that kept me moving till I reached the finish line. There were old people somewhere around their 70s who were ahead of me. There was support and cheer from crowd. There were thousands of volunteers who kept providing me water and ORS ( Oral rehydrastion solution) throughout my marathon. There were sweet little kids who were cheering 'Come on.. You can do it' and were offering biscuits and bananas..


Not only my own friends, but even I couldnt believe that I could complete the half marathon. The motivation to cross the finish line kept me moving throughout. What I learned from this marathon experience is that you can do much more than what you set for yourself. Initially I was targetting just 6-7 kms but challenging myself I ended up running 21 kms.



What I witnessed was also awesome. There were numerous NGOs in dream run. Lots of celebrities. Roads were too clean. Standard chartered and TCS billboards everywhere. 7 km, 18 km and other markings on the way. Kenyans who went ahead of me like a breeze !! Words would not be enough for me to describe my experiences. You ll have to be there to experience it yourself !!

For those who ran full marathon, I salute you ! It not only takes a lot of guts, but also perseverance and a lot of effort to keep one healthy after completing the full marathon. For those who are thinking of running next year, believe me it would be a great experience for you. But just keep in mind that you ll enjoy it more if you keep practising even 3-4 kms per day.

So what are you waiting for ? Get on your heels - Run Mumbai Run !!

Goa Trip: College Guys reunion after 4 years

Goa Trip with college buddies: 16 May-19 May 2008.


Planning for GOA:

It all started around mid April when one of my close friends, Lambu aka Pramod spread the virus of visiting Goa among us ( Me and my college buddies). Imagine college friends reunion, after almost 4 years ( we left college in 2004 and its 2008 now), that too in one of the most exciting, enthralling Tourist Spot in India- Goa.

After a long series of email exchange among my close buddy group, we finally decided to reach Goa on 16th May 2008 and leave on 19 May 2008. So now we were gearing up for a great blast at Goa !! Yeppie, even the thought of reunion was superb- thanks to Lambu for pushing all for the Trip.

Finally the D Day arrived. I left my room in Mumbai at 12.00 pm and reached Goa at 4.00 pm. Was getting too excited to meet lovely old college guys after 4 yrs. After waiting for almost 2 hrs at the airport, 4 guys ( Sud, Daju, Chinu n Daddu) who were coming from Banglore arrived. Well, i cant express my feelings in words now. It was amazing to see all 4 of them. One looked slim, another one looked bald and yet another gave a 'DevDas' look !!! It was around 5.30 pm now.Our other two friends ( Ankit aka Ganja, and Lambu) were expected at 7.15 pm. So we 5 headed towards Bosco, around 20 mins in Bus. We had some snacks there and came back to Airport at 7.15 to receive Ganja and Lambu.So now we were 7 people now.



Brief intro of crazy buddies:
Let me give a brief account about my crazy buddies to make this post interesting:




1. Lambu aka Pramod- You can easily make out when he talks that he's a businessman. He is the guy who, on one day, can convince you to buy a Nokia set claiming that Motorola sucks. On another day, he is the same guy who will convince you to buy Motorola ( becoz it is great in design, low cost, has more features- and he will say he is using it for 2 yrs) and will claim that Nokia sucks. He really is a decent guy. You'll notice his decency in one of the pics i have shown below.



2. Ganja aka Ankit- This guy was most excited after meeting all the old buddies. Well there's nothing new about it. He's always excited meeting Guys !! This guy can beat you in any race as he is most adventure-prone. He defeated every one in a GO-KARTING race. We believe that he takes care of his falling hair, more than his girlfriend ( if he cud ever make one !! ). Still the hair keeps falling every moment.

3. Sudd aka Sudhir- This guy keeps making faces and tries to copy me. I enjoy irritating him the most and will continue to do so !



4. Daju aka Servesh- Though this guy looks like a human being, he is not !! Well, do you think a normal human being can climb a coconut tree in just 30 secs and bring a coconut from the tree ??? He keeps entertaining you with his talks, which more you ask him to stop, more he continues !!

5. Daddu aka Satya- Dont know why this guy has become like a 'Devdas' ( Guy who has long beard, moustache and gives a saint look) ? Well, he seems to be most intellectual guy in the group. I mean yeah he is !

6. Chinu aka Chinmay - This guy is always smiling. You should see him while he is swimming- he makes weird faces while swimming- dont know why so ?



Finally, We got a room to stay:

We took a Chevrolet and headed for some place to stay. This was not the peak season so we expected somewhat decent rates, but the hotel rates were exorbitant. A hotel owner asked us 7500 for 3 night stay in a single room ( Was he kidding or had he gone mad ?). We left this place and moved to another hotel. As you know Lambu, he made us go from one hotel to another for almost 2 hrs and kept negotiating. Thanks again to "decent Lambu", whose negotiating skills have always been a saviour.
 His Marwari style convinced the owner to rent us two big rooms at just 1800 per night. So we paid a total of 3600 for our stay.


DAY 1:BAGA Beach( 16th night): Baga beach looks great at night. It was full moon night and the view of sea was simply superb.This beach is a must visit for anyone visiting Goa. It is located in North Goa.

DAY 2:WATER SPORTS, HUKKA, SNOOKER( BAGA BEACH: 17th May )

Enjoyed Parasailing, WaterScooter and Scary banana ride ( Scary becoz they will take you on a banana shaped boat, in the middle of the sea, and then the boat will be turned upside down). Banana ride and WaterScooter - I enjoyed the most. Parasailing was not that scary..


Here I am doing Parasailing( Courtesy: Ganja dear)


DAY 3:SOME FORTS,VAGATOR BEACH, GO KARTING ( 18th May)

Picture of decent Lambu, while staring a bikini-clad foreigner along with localites :))
Now you know why I call him decent !!


Look at this guy, Can a normal human being do this ?? Crazy Fellow- Daju.


Shameless Ganja- Behaving as a race winner of GOKARTING race- though he came fifth !!


DAY 4: ( 19 May) GOOD BYE GOA:


It was time to bid adieu to my buddies and to Goa ! We hired a Chevrolet and moved towards Railway station as 4 of the guys had to catch train at 3.15 pm. We all hugged each other and left the railway station at around 3.45. Then the three of us (Ganja, Lambu and me) left for Airport. Our flight was at 6.30.We kept roaming at Airport. As the clock ticked 6.30, i moved to catch the flight to Mumbai and Ganja n Lambu moved to catch flight to Delhi. With this, the Goa chapter comes to an end. Good bye Goa, We will come again some day. We had a great n memorable time here.

One more thing: The best time to visit goa is from dec to march. There is no point in visiting Goa during June to Sep, as it is Off-season.


Bookmark my post in case you ever plan to visit Goa.

How we celebrated New year at Niagara Falls

Hey People !!

I hope you had a great time on New year eve..
Here is how i started my new year with my friends !!

We 5 people started from Toronto at 6.45 pm on 31 Dec 2007 towards Niagara for celebrating the New years eve.
There was a huge crowd - almost 30,000 people arrived there. Most of the people were enjoying the concert.
Some Guy was singing something ( dont know what it was !! haha )

Here we are just outside the Casino at Niagara Falls

( Left to Right: Ankit, Farhan, Harsha, Kamna & Ravi )

It was too cool at Niagara and the night view of the Niagara falls was really amazing !!


We kept roaming here and there to enjoy the night view of Falls and the lightning around.
Finally, the wait was over ! It was just 10 seconds remaining for the beginning of New year !

Here is a 2 minute clip of the fireworks at Niagara Falls that i captured when the clock striked 12.00 !!!



It was pretty cold but the excitement of new year kept us moving.
Finally we had Tim hortons coffee and we started back to Toronto !

Overall we had a nice & chilly experience !

Happy New Year everyone !!

If you enjoyed reading this post, make sure you subscribe to this blog to keep enjoying along with me..

How to go Skiing ?

Hi Guys !!!

Did you ever thought of going Skiing ??
Does the thought of Skiing makes you nervous ?

Do you feel it takes a lot of Guts to learn Skiing ?

If your answer to any of these question is 'Yes' then I can help you in reversing your answer to a big 'NO'

I went for Skiing at Blue Mountains ( around 2 hours journey from Brampton, Canada ) on 15 Dec 2007 along with my relatives.

Precautions:
If you are in a group of 5-6, its great !! You never know when you need help !! So make sure you are not going alone.

How to get started ?
Simple !! just wear you Skii, your Gloves and make sure you have a good cap. You are ready for a big adventure !!!

How to Balance ?
If you know rollerblades, or ice skating- then balancing is not a big issue for you !!
Now if you dont know balancing also, well enjoy falling guys- no one can learn anything without falling !!
Just take care that you are not speeding up too much !!

How to Stop ?
There are two ways to stop that i generally use:
1. Spread your legs as much as u can, and bring your toes inside !! This really works for beginners !!
2. Another good way is to bring your right foot at around 90 degree angle compared to left one, or vice versa.
This way you will start moving horizontally instead of moving down the hill. And finally you will stop !!



Steep Slope or Bunny Hill ?
Well, if this is your first time, stay on bunny hill itself, till you fell you can start and stop at your convinience !!
If this is your 3rd or 4th time, i bet you wont even think about bunny hill !! For you its a child's play for sure !!


What i think i missed and would like to carry with me next time ?
I feel Goggles meant for skiing would have been very useful. Also if you already know Skiing and want to try a difficult slope, then wearing a Helmet is not a bad idea !!

Enjoy Skiing as and when you get a chance !!
For those of you who are still scared, well take my example Guys, I broke a pole on my first day of skiing and went into a Fence - i couldnt stop it !!
This is what my relatives said after i went into a fence ( as i couldnt stop while coming down hill )
"Hey Ankit, We just missed to shoot a really funny video man !! "

So People, Enjoy Skiing- you will fall in love with it !!

Thanks for reading and if you like reading my blog, please subscribe to it..

How to Moonwalk ?

Moonwalk - Whats that ?

I am talking about going on Moon and having a walk - No Way !!!!
Well MoonWalk is a kind of breakdance, which make the viewers believe as though you are walking in air without maintaining much contact with the Floor !!

I was watching some videos on youtube about Breakdance and thought- well this Moonwalk is something which seems quite easy and tried my hands on it..

Here is my 1 min video.. where i am practising it..




I dont feel that i can do it very well though, but i can bet - if you practice it 2-3 days, you can surely do it !!!

So people, if you feel you want to learn a different dance, and that too without spending too much time and Energy, then go for MoonWalk !!

Believe me, you will enjoy learning it !!!

How to go Kayaking ?

Kayaking is a real fun !!
I really enjoyed kayaking at Toronto Islands with my friends.

Though it was scary initially, but we quickly learned the ropes and found kayaking extremely adventorous !!

Its really very easy and a very adventorous activity !!

Along with my friends, i enjoyed it for 2 hours at Toronto Islands and i can say without doubt that you can learn it in two hours !!

The next time i did kayaking was at Mount Tremblant which is around 8-9 hours journey from Toronto.


And this time, I was much more comfortable and kayaking was really more enjoyable the second time !!

Here is a small clip that my friend Giri took while i was coming towards the shore:

Thanks Giri for the Clip !!

Since I am not a pro, but a beginner in Kayaking, so If you are a beginner like me, you may have a look at this video: How to Paddle a Kayak and Not Fall Out !! It discusses three simple steps for Beginners..

So Enjoy Kayaking !! And dont forget to wear your safety belt - atleast it boosts your confidence !!!

Algonquin Park - Most Adventourous Trip !!!

Hey people, today i will share some experiences of my life's most adventourous trip with all of you and why its so adventurous, lets see !!
We 5 people planned for a trip to Algonquin Park, which is around 7-8 hours journey from Toronto.
We had to catch the bus at 7.00 in morning. 3 of us( Me, Farhan & Amjath ) reached by 6.45 and there was absolutely no clue as to where the two others were..
The Bus arrived at 7.15 and we thought that only 3 of us are going for trip !!
And guess what - as the Bus started, our two lazy frends came rushing ( Sandeep & Sumit ) - my God there is a limit to being lazy !! anyway, so we started off smoothly.. After two hours our Bus stopped and we enjoyed Hot coffee at Tim Hortons. We had already started enjoying the Fall Colours !! The next stop of the Bus was "Honeymoon Lake" and one of our friends Farhan had some honeymoon making with the Lake !!
Actually, what happened - he was walking on the Wooden Board and asking Sumit to take his picture as he will be walking backwards. And suddenly, in a fraction of second, he was in Lake desperately looking for help !!
Now, on the other side, Amjath was busy taking my picture. But this guy Amjath is really so Cool..
Guess what, he calmly said to me," Hey Ankit, you know this guy Farhan, he just fell into lake "
And i was shocked !! A streamer was nearby which saved him.. Otherwise i was about to jump and save him ( now i am saying so, but at that time we were all afraid !!! )

After this we came back to Bus, and guess what everyone was asking this guy,"How was the water- Was is Cold ?"
One chinese guy asked," Hey man why you were swimming using back stroke ?"

Now we had something to talk about in bus and we enjoyed a lot with this guy !!

There were some more stops and we were enjoying the Fall colours..

.. All the leaves had gone yellow, orange it was amazing !!!




Well, only thing to complain was the movie that we had to watch in the Bus..
Well, you know why? it was a chinese tour bus and we indians didnt knew a single word in chinese !!! Anyway, we managed the torture !!!

Finally, we were about to reach our home in around 1 hour and as i already said that this was the most adventourous journey, so something strange happened again ! The bus driver left us at Missasagua instead of Toronto, and guess what - the tour travel Guide ( Frank) who was with us all-through the journey
went running away somewhere..
We 5 people were stranded in such a cold night and had to come to Toronto via Taxi Cab !!

Well it seems that the journey has finished, but wait, there is something which is to go wrong again..
We got down from Taxi at Union Station and took the train towards Bloor. I wanted to take a pic of all 5 of us in train and so, i set the timer and clicked the camera. its a 12 sec timer. Just at the 12th second, the train Halted, the camera Clicked !! and i just managed to Catch it from the place where i had kept it !!!

Well thats how we have an adventourous, exciting, Shall i say fearful for some- well, very funny journey !!

And guys, we paid 40$ for taxi but driver gave us a 50$ bill, so we had a 10$ party also !!!

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