Journey to Amritsar: Where the Road Unfolds

This is copilot rewritten version of the Original Post: ---

Reaching Our Destination

Our motley crew—my brother-in-law, two cousins, a close friend, and I—set out on a memorable adventure to Amritsar. The chemistry among us was electric; we were a perfect match for this escapade.

Under the star-studded Delhi sky, our trusty Maruti 800 revved up at 10:30 p.m. on that Saturday. The Amritsar Highway stretched ahead, its asphalt ribbon winding through the night. Trucks lumbered alongside, their headlights painting the road in streaks. We couldn't speed—too many trucks, too little space—but the thrill of the open road kept us going.

Around 12:15 a.m., Delhi's city lights faded behind us. The highway hummed, and our chatter blended with the engine's rhythm. Our first pit stop materialized after crossing Ludhiana—a humble roadside tea stall. There, in the pre-dawn chill, we sipped what could only be described as the world's best tea. Perhaps exhaustion heightened our senses, but that cuppa was pure magic. The cool breeze carried whispers of distant fields, and for a fleeting moment, we believed we'd stumbled upon heaven itself.

Revived and caffeinated, we resumed our journey. The sun peeked over the horizon, casting a golden hue on the landscape. Green fields stretched to infinity, and our spirits soared. We were explorers, adventurers, and seekers of the extraordinary. Half an hour later, we pushed forward, the scent of Aaloo & Gobhi Paranthas luring us toward our next stop—a roadside dhaba. Those stuffed flatbreads vanished like morning dew.

Finally, at 10:30 a.m., we arrived at our destination—the Golden Temple. Its gilded domes shimmered in the morning light, and the sacred pool beckoned. We stepped onto hallowed ground, our hearts echoing the centuries of devotion that had shaped this place. Amritsar had embraced us, and we were ready to unravel its secrets.


The Day of Reflection and Resonance

The sun had barely kissed the horizon when we dipped into the Sarovar—the sacred pool that cradled centuries of devotion. The Golden Temple stood before us, its marble and gold shimmering in the morning light. We stepped inside, our footsteps hushed by reverence. Breakfast at the Langar was more than a meal; it was a communion—a shared experience that transcended hunger.

By 12:30 p.m., we emerged from the temple's embrace and set our sights on another chapter of history—the infamous Jallianwala Bagh. The air thickened with emotion as we entered the memorial grounds. Here, the past whispered its secrets, and the earth bore witness to unspeakable cruelty.

The museum within Jallianwala Bagh unveiled names—names that history had forgotten or deliberately buried. Faces stared back at us, their stories etched in bullet holes. General Dyer's orders echoed through time: "Fire, but let the firing party be Indian." It wasn't just British cruelty; it was Indians turning against their own.

Bullet scars still mar the walls, a silent testament to the darkest chapter of our shared past. As we stood there, we felt the weight of history—a reminder that cruelty knows no borders, no nationality. And yet, hope lingered—the hope that remembrance would lead to healing.

An Evening at the Wagah Border: Where Flags Flutter and Hearts Soar

The Journey to Wagah Border: Our Amritsar adventure led us to the iconic Wagah Border—a mere 30 kilometers from the heart of the city. The clock struck 3 p.m. as we arrived, our excitement palpable. We anticipated an easy entry to the stadium, a prime spot to witness the grand parade scheduled for 5 p.m. Little did we know that hundreds of others shared our enthusiasm.

The Stadium Hustle: At 4 p.m., the gates swung open, and a sea of people surged forward. We jostled, ran, and claimed our seats—lucky to secure a vantage point. The atmosphere buzzed with anticipation. Dressed in an array of colors, the crowd mirrored the vibrant spirit of the occasion.

The Parade Unfolds: As the clock struck 5 p.m., the parade commenced. Our jawans—resolute and spirited—marched with precision. Their synchronized steps echoed the shared history of India and Pakistan. Flags fluttered, and hearts swelled. It was more than a parade; it was a celebration of resilience, a testament to the human spirit.

A Dance of Patriotism: Post-parade, the crowd converged at the center. Music blared, and 300+ Indians danced—their steps a fusion of joy and patriotism. The Wagah Border transformed into a stage where borders blurred, and humanity prevailed. The BSF managed the crowd, ensuring safety and order. As the sun dipped below the horizon, we savored snacks and memories. Our hearts carried the echoes of that evening—a dance of unity, a salute to courage. And so, at 7 p.m., we bid farewell to the border, our spirits soaring. Amritsar had etched itself into our souls, leaving us forever changed.

The Midnight Turn: A Tale of Survival

Journey Back to Delhi: An Unforgettable Event: The clock struck midnight, and our eyelids drooped. We were all bone-tired, but duty called—we had to be at work on Monday. So, we soldiered on, fueled by caffeine and determination.

The Road Unfolds: Jalandhar blurred past, and Ludhiana faded into the rearview mirror. The night enveloped us, and the highway hummed with the rhythm of tires. But fatigue gnawed at our edges, urging us to surrender to sleep.

A Stop at the Dhaba: Around 9 p.m., hunger tugged at our stomachs. We veered off the highway, drawn by the aroma of freshly cooked paranthas. The dhaba welcomed us—a haven of warmth and spices. Aaloo & Gobhi Paranthas vanished from our plates, and we savored every bite. As the clock neared 3:45 a.m., we crossed Ambala and headed toward Karnal. Our eyelids drooped, and the road blurred. And then it happened. Our friend Rahul, who had been battling sleep, lost the war. At 80-90 kmph, our car veered off the road, diving into the 12-foot-deep jungle. Silence enveloped us, broken only by our screams. We were frightened, disoriented, but alive. Luck had been our companion, and the jungle had released its grip.

A Midnight Escape: When Reality Hits Hard

The Unexpected: The night was thick with darkness, and our car sliced through it—a determined arrow on the Amritsar Highway. My friends and I, weary but spirited, had embarked on this journey. The clock read 3 a.m., and our eyelids drooped. But we had to reach Delhi by morning; work awaited us on Monday. And then it happened. My friend Prateek yanked the handbrake, and the car screeched to a halt. We blinked, disoriented. Where were we? What had just occurred? The truth unfolded before us—we had jumped the road, plummeting 12 feet down into the abyss. The car's headlights illuminated the chaos. We were safe, but our reality had shifted.

Lost in the Jungle: I stumbled out of the car, my eyes adjusting to the darkness. We were deep in the jungle, disoriented and afraid. The road was above us, unreachable. Reality sank in—we were stranded, and the silence was deafening. Our breaths hung in the air as we assessed our situation.

The Lucky Escape: We weren't alone. Trucks rumbled past, oblivious to our plight. We waved, shouted, but no one noticed. Until one trucker stopped—a savior in the night. With a sturdy rope, he pulled us back to the road. Our car groaned, battered but functional. We repaired it as best we could, and with the first light of morning, we set off again. At 9 a.m., we reached our Delhi homes—exhausted, shaken, but alive. Luck had been our companion, and the jungle had released its grip.

Learning: Do not drive two consecutive nights without sleep

75th Birthday of my father !!

On my father's 75th birthday, all friends and families poured wishes. See this video of the wishes, if you have not already seen it. Now, lets look at some interesting data. 

This video was amalgamation of approx. 65 different videos. Wishes were from 9 Indian Cities and 9 International Cities (outside of India) - 4 of these were in US:

List of Indian Cities:

1. Hyderabad
2. Delhi / NCR
3. Mustafabad
4. Yamunanagar (including Jagadhari)
5. Ambala
6. Lucknow
7. Zirakpur, near Chandigarh
8. Bangalore
9. Ludhiana

List of International Cities:

1. New Jersey, US
2. New York, US
3. Cincinati, Ohio, US
4. Virginia, US
5. Sydney, Australia
6. New Zealand
7. Dubai, UAE
8. London, UK
9. Toronto, Canada

Can you count no of Continents now?

Wanna understand CNN?

I read a very simplifying article on CNN. You don't need a lot of information on Maths and ML to understand this: 

Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) in the easiest way by Deep Patel 

https://link.medium.com/qTslIY1rc8

Are you smart enough?

“People Aren’t Born Smart. They Become Smart As A Result Of Doing This” by Nicolas Cole 

https://link.medium.com/D9NZozKdZ7

Above link has a list of very good tips which I liked. Best one being: “If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room.” Other tips of hard work, reading, learning from mistakes and knowledge everywhere are great ideas too!

Sleep !! If you don't, please read this.

This is an awesome article by cure.fit on sleep. I am amazed by the details and reasoning here. In fact, given that I don't sleep 8 hrs a day, I am slightly scared also.

https://medium.com/cure-fit/sleep-the-wake-up-call-you-need-76d211ef3bbc

All of us should start sleeping properly now onwards.

Names of people !!

Do you really know how was your name selected by your parents? In past several years, I have encountered very interesting ways in which folks name their child. Here is my collection:

1. Sept 1978: This is about my colleague 'Pralaypati' and his friend 'Toofaan'. The year 1978 was a year of floods in India. Major parts of North and East India were very badly affected. In the month of September, West Bengal faced one of the biggest floods ever. The whole area was drowned in water. The most significant day of destruction was 21st September. It was this day when two people were born in a Ibidpur, a village in West Bengal. The names of these two were attributed to the prevailing conditions there. They were named Pralaypati (Master of Natural Calamity, Lord Shiva) and Toofaan (The storm).
2. Jan 2005: We all know that Tsunami rocked Asian continent on 26th Dec, 2004. A couple in Nagercoil, South India on Jan 09, 2005 named their two-month-old son "Tsunami" after he survived the killer waves which lashed their beach side hamlet. In a similar tale of hope overcoming despair, a woman in Port Blair, capital of India's Andaman and Nicobar islands that were badly hit by the waves, also named her prematurely born boy Tsunami.
3. Evergreen: Many people in Europe and America have a name which is pronounced as 'S-H-A-U-N'. I have seen following multiple ways to spell this: (1) Shawn (2) Shaun (3) Shone (4) Sean
4. Dec 2014: I encountered one very long name - thanks to my team mamber Gaurav Mishra. Here is it: "panu ganti naga venkata satya bheemeshwara rama sharda sai kirna sharma"...
5. April 2015: Jonty Rhodes named his daughter 'India Jeanne Rhodes'. The couple Rhodes-Melanie' decided to come to India and have the baby because they felt facilities here are much better than what they have in South Africa. Also they like the culture in India. They were very extremely happy. They like the country and how everything went here in India.
6. July 2017: GST: In a bizarre instance, parents from Chhattisgarh have named their daughter 'GST' after the launch of India's biggest tax reform as she was born on July 1. The father of the girl child, Jagdish Prasad, said that the day Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Goods and Services Tax (GST) reform as a tax revolution on July 1, his daughter was born. So he could not hold his excitement and named her GST to make this day a memorable one.
7. Jan 2018: Brian Lara names his daughter Sydney - after the place where he hit his first century.
8. Sept 2018: A couple in sweden names their daughter after their favorite Mutual Fund 'MIRAE'. read here.
9. Nov 2018: A baby was named ABCDE (pronounced as 'Ab-see-dee'), name came to the light when southwest airline gate agent made fun of the name, airline apologized later though. read here.
10. Nov 2018: KFC awards ₹8 lakh (USD 11,000) to parents for naming baby (Colonel Harland Sander) after KFC Founder. read here
11. Oct 2018: Mothers in Odisha, India rush to name newborn babies after cyclone 'Titli'. read here
12. April 2019: In 2018, 109 babies were named 'Tesla' after a successful car brand. Isn't that cool? wanna read more, here it is.
13. May 2019: A baby was named 'Fani' after the cyclone that made landfall when the baby was born. Its in Odisha, India. read here.
14. May 2019: A muslim woman in UP, India named her baby 'Narendra Modi' after thrilling win in 2019 Lok Sabha elections in india. After family / public pressure, she renamed the baby to 'Mohd Modi'. The naming was significant since the muslims generally do not vote for Modi's party BJP. But, it seems that it is changing with time. read here

Managers - Your checklist

This is an awesome checklist and a reminder on what managers should take care of, in their work.

https://link.medium.com/OKBOejv3O7

This is more important in covid-19 times when we don't have in-person touch with our teams and visual cues are difficult to notice!!