tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49171113412071330222024-02-20T01:04:11.369+08:00Vivek's BlogThink, Share, Grow!Vivek Vaidyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266000504651216889noreply@blogger.comBlogger126125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4917111341207133022.post-20092515758354564712022-08-23T10:47:00.000+08:002022-08-23T10:47:07.027+08:00That Little Sack on your back! Recently, members of my trekking group completed three rather difficult treks successfully. Over the weekend, we had a small gathering to listen to their stories. One of them shared his story of how he suffered from fear of heights and how he struggled to navigate thru the challenging terrain. He was in the middle of nowhere with an Indonesian guide who hardly spoke any English. So there Vivek Vaidyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266000504651216889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4917111341207133022.post-74203266972880202122022-06-20T10:15:00.005+08:002022-06-20T10:15:33.385+08:00Drive away blues! How to drive away Monday Morning blues?We usually start our working day with some meetings and greetings. Usually the discussion goes this wayQ: How are you?A: Good. same old same old. Why don't you try this. Instead of asking "How are you?" ask "What is new?" see how the expression changes. There may be some who are dying to tell you what is new in their life. Some others would not have Vivek Vaidyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266000504651216889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4917111341207133022.post-66675078921014598462022-06-16T14:20:00.005+08:002022-06-16T14:46:21.118+08:00When was the last time you tried something for the first time? When was the last time you tried something for the first time?Usually I never miss an opportunity to do something new, something I haven't imagined before. I may or may not possess the required skills. I may or may not be able to learn it on the go. I may make a complete fool of myself. But this is what attracts me to the activity. I tell myself - It is ok to fail. It is ok to suck at it. Vivek Vaidyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266000504651216889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4917111341207133022.post-9676865190101020422019-01-03T09:31:00.000+08:002019-01-03T09:31:41.137+08:00Why are we so happy on Jan 1st?
It's a mass illusion. Hysteria of some sort. Come Jan 1st every year. all over the world, we all feel very happy. There is a spring in our stride. There is a smile on our face. The sky appears more blue, trees are greener and moon appears a little bigger.Trust me, it is all in our minds. Nothing has changed. The Sun and the Moon are blissfully unaware of what we are counting. They are just Vivek Vaidyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266000504651216889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4917111341207133022.post-36044905011199000212018-10-15T18:46:00.000+08:002018-10-15T18:46:10.033+08:00Elusive Mt. Fuji Part 6
Watching the sunrise at Mt Fuji wasn’t the end of our trek. The destination was reached but the journey was far from over. We still had to climb down 1700 mtr. This was a different challenge altogether.
From the summit of Mt. Fuji to our dormitory was simple 45 minute descend. The same queue that ascended was descending. But the mood was quite different. There was no competition, no Vivek Vaidyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266000504651216889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4917111341207133022.post-25308783169596138162018-10-08T18:41:00.000+08:002018-10-08T18:41:12.009+08:00Sunrise at Mt. Fuji
After all the hustle bustle we reached the top. Since it is volcanic mountain, the top of Mt. Fuji is quite unusual. There is a crater in the center and one can walk around the crater. So all the thousands of climbers could be accommodated easily. Offcourse vantage positions towards eastern edge were taken first. My fellow trekkers were faster than me, they went and blocked one such vantageVivek Vaidyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266000504651216889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4917111341207133022.post-32299317149664689362018-10-01T08:00:00.000+08:002018-10-01T08:00:00.486+08:00Elusive Mt Fuji Part 4 Rush hour @1:30 AM
We got up next day morning at 1:30am and got ready to summit Mt. Fuji. The temperature outside was in single digits and very windy. So we had put on 3 layers - cotton T shirt, down jacket and windcheater, hand gloves, woolen cap and most importantly the head torch. Luckily we didn’t have to carry our sack.
We were excited that long cherished dream was going to be realised.
Vivek Vaidyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266000504651216889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4917111341207133022.post-67891029599587814792018-09-24T08:00:00.000+08:002018-09-25T21:10:18.578+08:00Elusive Mt. Fuji Part 2
There are four trails to reach the top of Mt. Fuji. Yoshida is the most popular and highly congested trail. I heard that one has to stop and give way to oncoming human traffic on this trail. It didn’t sound very different than Japanese train station so I requested Yuriko-san our boss for the trek to find another option. So she chose Subashiri trail.
We were four of us Nitin, Yuriko, Georgia Vivek Vaidyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266000504651216889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4917111341207133022.post-50789675218813721292018-09-23T17:51:00.000+08:002018-09-23T18:56:57.500+08:00Elusive Mt. Fuji : Part 1
Mt. Fuji is the tallest mountain in Japan standing tall at 3776 m. The kanji depicting Mt Fuji also means wealth or abundance. I thought it is so befitting as Mt Fuji is as elusive as wealth or abundance is. It is open for climbing for just 68 days in a year. (July 1 - Sep 9). This season also coincides with typhoon season hence climbing Mt. Fuji and catching glimpse of rising sun requires a Vivek Vaidyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266000504651216889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4917111341207133022.post-3877697471392544332018-07-17T16:21:00.000+08:002018-07-17T16:21:41.205+08:00Simulation of Life
Trekking in many ways is short gamified version of life.
We prepare a lot to go for trek. We go to gym, go for hikes, stretch ourselves to simulate trek. In real life we go to school, take degrees and try to prepare ourselves for real life situations.
But soon enough, as we start tiring and breathing gets heavy we realise either we could have prepared better or probably no amount of Vivek Vaidyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266000504651216889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4917111341207133022.post-17604886440984686722018-01-22T23:00:00.000+08:002018-03-17T11:14:05.084+08:00Limitless human spirit
There were some moments in my trek, when I felt I was someone special to be at right place at right time.
We were slowly coming back from Everest Base Camp. It was very tiring. We ran out of breathe very often. But as soon as we reached the spot, it felt as if the body released some reserve energy. All of were happy, cheerful. Lot of high fives going around, everyone posing for photos. Thirty Vivek Vaidyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266000504651216889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4917111341207133022.post-69766297465325948372018-01-15T23:00:00.000+08:002018-02-19T23:04:56.081+08:00Never too late to start your life!
My surprises about remarkable people in trekking was far from over.
After successfully reaching Everest Base Camp, I was on my way back. Literally zipping down the slope, rushing towards higher oxygen, talking loudly. Thats when I noticed a lady walking very slowly, carrying a long stick in her hand and her nepali guide was offering hand at every step and she was refusing to take it. This Vivek Vaidyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266000504651216889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4917111341207133022.post-87903496733509588322018-01-08T23:00:00.000+08:002018-01-27T16:38:22.990+08:00Age is just a number!
I have completed 5 treks in last 15 months. 2 out of them were high altitude treks. My friends and colleagues tease me that my mid-life crisis is manifesting itself in resurgence of my old hobby. Trekking was rather easy in 20s, it was less tiring, more fun. I would walk up the slope singing, talking non-stop. Trekking in 40s is a different ball game altogether. Walking up the slope now needs Vivek Vaidyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266000504651216889noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4917111341207133022.post-847841320426509162017-12-19T13:36:00.000+08:002017-12-21T21:29:28.719+08:00Global Nomads
Another set of interesting people I met in my treks are backpackers. Somehow, I am fascinated by them. I always saw them in cities like Bangkok. I would be dressed in business suit, trying to wade my way through slow moving traffic and I would see backpackers fumbling with their maps, with their heavy backpacks, watching the world go by. I really envied them.
In my trek however, quite a few Vivek Vaidyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266000504651216889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4917111341207133022.post-54619072999330366562017-12-12T07:00:00.000+08:002017-12-12T07:47:33.329+08:00Why do we trek? part 2
Learn to keep weight down!
"Porter porter... give way" my guide called out.
I was breathless as I was climbing up the steep slope of Mount Kinabalu. I stopped readily, gave way to the porter. He was a lean man, carrying large sized cargo, walking much faster than me. I could only watch him in admiration as I was sweating and panting.
I was on my way to Laban Rata, our baseVivek Vaidyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266000504651216889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4917111341207133022.post-23423272229759101952017-11-04T20:44:00.000+08:002017-12-02T15:44:59.184+08:00Why do we trek?
In last 15 months, I completed 5 hikes in 5 different countries. I started off with Markha Valley in Leh, then Kota Kinabalu in East Malaysia - tallest peak in South East Asia. Then I went to Mount Rinjani on Lombok island in Indonesia. In August, I intended to go to Mount Fuji but bad weather forced us to change the destination and we went to Mt. Shibutsu instead. Finally, in the month of Vivek Vaidyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266000504651216889noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4917111341207133022.post-22023748670350606792017-09-26T23:24:00.000+08:002017-12-02T14:17:53.896+08:00Over-measured Life!
A few days back, someone gifted me a Fitbit. Without knowing much, I started using it. It was quite fascinating. It could measure everything I did – how many steps I took, what was my activity level per hour, how was my heart beating… Everything. I enjoyed watching how many calories I burnt, how well I slept and how my weight and BMI changed over a period of time. It was the best thing that Vivek Vaidyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266000504651216889noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4917111341207133022.post-13845892139723995852016-12-12T15:57:00.000+08:002017-12-02T13:30:48.732+08:00Is success tiring you?
Every success, whether big or small, has its own price to pay. Success brings limelight & recognition not without hard work and exhaustion. A few months back, I was re-discovering this the hard way. The success was sweet but I had to pay heavy price - my health. At work, I had started several projects to reach my goals. I wanted to be ahead of all others and wanted to leave no stone Vivek Vaidyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266000504651216889noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4917111341207133022.post-86032458847539160482016-09-04T19:02:00.000+08:002017-12-02T13:41:01.019+08:00Dichotomy of Krishna’s love
Last week I had a pleasure of watching a colorful, artistic, surreal, opera-like musical play - The Rajput Princess. It was a story of the divine love between Meera - the princess and Lord Krishna. Although, artists were amateur dancers and singers who weaved a magic around us for a couple hours. The play made a deep impression on my mind.
The play refreshed the story of Meera-Krishna inVivek Vaidyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266000504651216889noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4917111341207133022.post-33796681191204704282016-06-22T20:26:00.000+08:002017-12-11T09:53:41.600+08:00Romance in Umbrella
Well, let me start with a confession. Part of me is highly influenced by Bollywood films. I adore all the cliches, be it old movies or new. Like millions fellow Indians, I like to try out things that I see on screen, whenever I can.
Till that day, Walking with a girl in rains carrying one small umbrella was one such unfulfilled dream.
I was very young when I watched the song "Vivek Vaidyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266000504651216889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4917111341207133022.post-73443527222137213192016-05-26T20:39:00.000+08:002017-12-02T13:52:50.998+08:00The Great Lollypop Strategy
After a stressful day, I was at a toy shop waiting for my wife and son to arrive.
The stress was work related, arising out of fear of losing something after trying very hard. We were working with a client for past few months to develop the requirements, help them define KPIs and optimum action plan in the hope that we would bag a consulting project soon. We were quite close to winning it as we Vivek Vaidyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266000504651216889noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4917111341207133022.post-22702702842402754162016-03-26T21:00:00.000+08:002017-12-02T13:56:30.887+08:00Riding on impulse!
Jakarta traffic can be as unpredictable as London weather.
They were cruising along to Soekarno-Hatta airport in Jakarta well ahead of time, managed to reach the last mile 30 minutes ahead of schedule. The domestic terminal, the cargo terminal and the flights that were approaching the boarding gates were the familiar scenes that told them they had almost reached the airport. They had Vivek Vaidyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266000504651216889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4917111341207133022.post-12846303064796410732015-12-31T20:36:00.000+08:002017-12-02T10:08:19.855+08:00Calculus of LifeAs I sit on the eve of 31st Dec 2015, looking back on how the year went by, counting the moments of happiness, sadness and missed opportunities, comes a growing realization that life so clear in the hindsight. Now that I have gone past those moments I am able to recount and relive them and interpret them accurately. . Some moments were moments I would cherish for lifetime, there were some momentsVivek Vaidyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266000504651216889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4917111341207133022.post-40432504871193416282015-11-04T17:59:00.000+08:002017-12-02T10:08:19.649+08:00Why Do Indians Hate Biased Reporting? - An Open Letter to Rajdeep
SardesaiDear Rajdeep,How do you sleep in the night? What is your agenda? Do you think you can drive it blatantly when you are losing credibility every second? Yes, I am talking about intolerance reports about Shahrukh Khan!Just to clarify, I am not a die-hard SRK fan, nor am I a blind BJP voter. I have voted for congress when they made sense, supported TDP when they talked about better governance. Yes, Vivek Vaidyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266000504651216889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4917111341207133022.post-54015818520117642042015-09-30T08:05:00.000+08:002017-12-02T10:08:19.633+08:00The Path to Legendary SuccessLast weekend turned out to be the most musically charged weekend of my life so far. I went for two live musical concerts of two female singers back to back. Both of them were immensely talented, sang similar type of songs and managed to win our hearts in contrasting styles. Both concerts were quite similar and contrasting at the same time.First one was Asha Bhosale concert, the other one was Vivek Vaidyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266000504651216889noreply@blogger.com0