Mysore

Hallo, Friends...

After TDP-Mumbai, I am in Mysore since last five days and exploring the historical city after the sessions at evenings. I am finding the city very quiet and peaceful, no traffic inside the city as all major companies and industrial units have situated outside of the city. The noon is very hot and morning and evening’s environment is pleasant. 

I am at National Institute of Engineering-College (NIE) and delivering various sessions on IT and Software to NGO people of Mysore. Met new people once again and happy to interact with them. Having Karnataka style food in Lunch every day, I have tasted tomato rice, yellow rice, curd rice, besi beli baath etc. which is common food in lunch over here.

On Wednesday, I experienced season’s first rain in Mysore early morning and rain made weather too very cold. I have completed 4 days in Connect IT workshop here and leaving Mysore for Delhi tonight for another  connect IT workshop over there from next Tuesday. I’m hoping for great time in Delhi as well.

In Mysore I have visited so many restaurants, hotels & snack shops with colleague Mr. Shubhrajyoti Bhowmik-Program Manager of Nasscom foundation Delhi. We visited RRR-The Andhra style food, Biryani paradise, Downtown etc. We also tasted Mysore’s popular street food-paratha and kurma. Last night we went at ‘Fish land’ the highway hotel and had our dinner over there, but while returning back didn’t get any auto and we had to walk for 2 kms to find the auto. I enjoyed my Mysore trip and successfully completed the workshop. Thank U God...

Now, planning to visit Mysore palace and having train at 8 pm as well…

Bye-Bye Mysore…

Intellectual Ride Resumes

Hi friends, Session series is going to begin on various topics and with various people from 13th May, 2011 onwards. After 10 days of holiday at home, now going to Chitrawad-Gujarat for 2 days seminar with youth and then going to Mumbai-Maharashtra for workshop with teachers. After completing it having series of ConnectIT workshops in Karnataka & Delhi last week of current month... This year also will celebrate my birthday far away from home...!

Yaadein

Rajkot TDP Group

Hallo Friends, Once again I am here with sharing of my journey experience. Yesterday evening I came back home after completing the Teachers Development Program at Rajkot. As I have shared with you earlier that TDP is the program where I most like to serve and interact with people. Every year I spare time for this event and I got the time for this year as well. I was in religious environment for 10 days and interacted with almost 40 teachers in various 4 sessions.

While I was travelling towards Rajkot on 20^th Evening, I was thinking about my colleagues who are not coming Rajkot this time with whom I am working since 2007 and was hoping for best to work with new faculties. At last I am happy to work with new people who have great intelligence in various fields; here I would like to admire those people with whom I have worked very first time and I am impressed with their work, Creativity and nature. New people like Shaheen, Rozmin and Sahil had shared session with me and I can’t forget Farah and Afzal as well who were with me since eve of the TDP! They all did their best and the other side I had company of experienced people like KG, Shirin, Nargis and Meghna with whom I have started my TDP journey. Overall it was great team to work. I had great time throughout the TDP and blessed to visit two more Jamatkhanas of Rajkot, Akashdeep and Raiya Road with my group.

Regarding my group, we were 10 members in our group and everybody was having good and calm nature. I am thankful to them for their respect and honour. I have seen the emotion and feelings when I left the group at the end of program. I value their feelings once again I thank them for care and love. I felt like my family being in group and was surrounded by group mates like my family members. I shall never forget these days. The memorable time in Rajkot was to roam with colleagues and get together with teachers formally or informally.

During these days I had all kind of food-cuisines like Gujarati, Punjabi, South Indian and Chinese at Hotel Kavery. The very worst time of program was departure when everybody was sank into emotions and made many people cry. I know this is the special bond which made us unique. After living from the camp I reached to Rajkot railway station and came to know that train was running two hours late and I cancelled my ticket and rushed towards bus station. It was my luck and God wish that the Bus of my village was at the platform and it had more 15 minutes to depart. I got into the bus and got call from Afzal that he is near bus station area and coming to meet me as I had not met him when I depart. At last he and Sahil came and met me and then I depart for my home. While travelling I got couple of messages from my group mates to farewell me and one of the them was from Mitul bhai which was saying Miss U Sir…

Really it was the best camp in my history! I also miss you all… Inshaallah will meet soon… Amen. Take Care

Rajkot Tour Begins

Rajkot tour begins from next Wednesday, 20^th April, 2011. This time travelling Rajkot for Agakhan NGO and going to attend TDP-Teachers Development Program where I am supposed to deliver sessions toward new teachers apart IT. This will be my fifth TDP of my career and first program for Agakhan NGO in the beginning of my 11^th year of service. I have just completed 10 years of volunteering in Agakhan NGO in previous month.

I have been asked to attend the program prior two months and had given my confirmation as well but that time I was not too sure to attend it or not as my Mysore-Karnataka ConnectIT workshop’s dates was crossing with TDP dates and it was decided to go Mysore but on 15^th evening I got information from Mr. Vikas-Nasscom foundation that Mysore ConnectIT is called off and then I came to a decision that Finally going Rajkot.

Planning to reach Rajkot on 20^th Evening and then will have 10 days of interaction with the participants who are in the process to become teachers. There are so many memories connected with TDPs and if I will have to choose best TDP then I will go with TDP May-2008, Ritz Inn Ahmedabad. It was my first TDP as a faculty and had great knowledgeable experience with fun during those days. Every time come in contact with so many new people who have different type of capacities, skills and creativities. This is the time to meet past colleagues and willing to see them  once again but don't know how many among of them attending the camp but hoping for best time in TDP. Inshaallah...

I don’t know whether I will be able to post my experience on air during my Rajkot stays or not? B'coz there will be whole day sessions and have to study in free time as my exam follows in May first week! I will share my travel and stay experience whenever possible for me. Stay Tuned @ Suhana Safar.

Thank You…

Scheduled Engagements & Exam Time...

Now days, I am busy with my studies apart my tours. My exam has been scheduled in the month of May. After completing Karnataka-second round I have started the preparation for my exam but the journeys are ON and will be continued and at the other side having expected ConnectIT tours and sessions with NGO professionals at Mysore and Gulbarga (Karnataka) as well as also having Tentative tours and sessions for Agakhan NGO at Rajkot and Dhandhuka (Gujarat).

I am interacting with people via my IT Blog and sharing IT skills. I will continue to do this during off tours also. So, I will get back on this blog  with new updates and sharing when I will resume my tours. 

Happy and pleasant summer all of you...

Musafir Hoon Yaaron…

Hallo friends, Holi greetings from Karim

I have come back again with new sharing, experiences from my journey. One more connectIT workshop has been completed at Bangalore on 18^th. It was second workshop in Bangalore and 4^th in Karnataka. It was nice to be again in IT city Bangalore after 2 months. This time we were at Domlur at Amarjyoti layout. We (Me and Mr. Vikas) stayed at service apartment ‘Serenity INN’ which we found like the home stay as we were getting food like home and this stay made us enable to get simple roti, sabji and dal, chawal. It is difficult to find food like this at outside of home. We avoided go out for dinner in different hotel after completion of day as well but we had various varieties of south in our lunch at training centre.  It was our fortune to had training centre at the opposite side of our stay, so there was not needed to wake up early and travel towards training centre in mornings. This time also I met new people and interact with them four days. I have been interacting with people of Karnataka since January and I must say the people of Karnataka are having kind hearts and helping nature as I have personally experienced. I would like to thank Mr. Anish Kumar for the valuable gifted book. 

Few sharing from return journey:

I had train on 18^th at 8:10PM from Bangalore city railway station. Station was at the distance of 8.5 KMs from our stay and I had to leave before 2 hours of train as heavy traffic in middle of the city. I left stay at 5:30 PM and passed the traffic and reached Bangalore city railway station before time and packed my dinners and snacks for next day and got into the train. As I was tired, I slept early after dinner and woke up at 8:00AM at Wadi station and spent my whole day in the train. After reaching Mumbai caught train for Navsari and reached there at midnight. This way I completed my trip of Karnataka.

Looking forward to celebrate NAVROZ with Family.

Feel Like Home?

It’s not possible for anybody to feel like home at other’s place… Home is unique place for everybody and all like their own home though they stay in someone’s beautiful bungalow for few days as well as all like food of their own home whether they used to visit various cuisines. Same feel which I’m having…

As I always being in travelling I used to have food outside of home but always I miss the food of my home. Sometimes we have to have food in hotels as there is no other option is available! I am travelling for ConnectIT programs and have to take meal in hotels or in service apartments, but missing the home made food. Today I have reached at Bangalore and I had my breakfast and lunch where we are staying. After Delhi stay I found food taste and quality like home at SERENITY INN. Hoping the same quality for next 5 days.

But, I am missing my home food yet!

Hubli Experience

I remember the time 21:30 IST on 6^th March when I was supposed to catch the train ‘Chalukya Express’ from Dadar station’s central line for Hubli and till 21:28 I hadn’t reached on platform no 8 as I was travelling from Vasai (Western line) in Church gate local  of 20:15. When I got off from local train at Dadar at 21:22, it became more complicated for me to change the line western to central and find the platform no. 8 in very short time as there were not any sign boards, markings! I was in hurry and moving fastly towards the platform where train already had been arrived as Salima was prompting me! Once I thought that “I’ll miss train tonight” but suddenly I saw sign board which was indicating platform direction and ran towards it. I saw the train and reached there. Train was going to depart within next 2 minutes and I had to reach coach no. A1 besides the engine but I was not in position to cross all coaches i.e. general followed by 8 sleepers and 2 third ACs! As I was feeling tired after rushed to platform no. 8 and  I forgot to bring water bottle in hurry as well So, I thought to get in into S1 and walk towards to coach A1 into the train. At last I reached A1 and slept until Hubli arrived next day.

As I have shared my journey experience above, I reached Hubli after struggling to catch the train. But it was pleasant stay at Ananth Executive-Hubli and enjoyed taking sessions at B.V. Bhoomarradi engineering college with NGO professionals and also visited Deshpande foundation and got overview of their programs and activities.

During the stay, I had various cuisine foods including Karnataka’s traditional food as well. There was mix whether which I had experienced, very hot at noon and felt cool at nights. Thank You Sanjiv for tasting us the famous Thakur Pedha of Dharwad-Hubli.

This way I completed my 9^th ConnectIT and reached at Bangalore Once Again…

Arrival at Hubli

Hallo, Today noon, I have reached at Hubli-Karnataka for ConnectIT workshop after visiting family and relatives at Navsari-Surat. There are so many things to share with you regarding my this going on journey. I will back soon with with my sharing but right now only one thing to say... "Missing my dear one" See you...

Leher Experience

Tonight, I returned back from Rajkot after attending LEHER seminar and one more intellectual ride came to the end. As I had shared with you in my previous post that it was seminar which I was waiting for long time and by the grace of god I got chance to fulfill my wish in Rajkot. I attended the seminar as a student and really LEHER trip memories will be considered and added as most memorable moments in my journeys. This trip was fruitful as it has increased the understandings of so many things which I had learnt in the past. The experience as a student was entertaining. I enjoyed seminar with my past colleagues and recalled my previous days which I had spent with them. It was also a platform to meet those people whom I hadn’t met since 2008. Some of them also amazed to see me in center.

This was a group journey so; it reminded me my trips which I had with them while I was working with AKDN. We started on Thursday evening from Veraval and caught the train for Rajkot. It was filled with fun and entertainment. When we were crossing Junagadh, we decided to order the Junagadh’s famous Samosas outside from the station through one of the friend and we did so! After reaching Junagadh we got the packed parcel of hot & spicy Samosas and cold drinks and we had Samosas when train started to move for Rajkot. You know we get this type of moments very rarely in life so it is advisable to utilize such like moments. We reached Rajkot at night and departed for our hotels where we were supposed to live next 3 days.Very next day seminar began and had knowledgeable 3 days.

Today noon I started return journey once again with same group by bus. Very hardly we got the bus form Rajkot to Junagadh. Generally non-stop buses take less than 2 hours to reach Junagadh from Rajkot, but it had taken almost 2 hours 30 minutes for the same. At last we got off from the bus at Junagadh bus station and started to search the bus for Talala. It was our bad luck that there were not any buses! I came to know that the Bhavnath Mela (Fair) is being going on in Girnar and the buses was engaged for the fair. We waited for some time and fortunately we got private vehicle and rushed to home. Almost mobiles were engaged to see the live score for Ind-Eng cricket match of WC 2011. As India had bat well so I thought to rush home quickly to see IInd innings but everybody knows the tragedy, drama of the match! Match ended into tie.

This way one more intellectual journey came to end… I will have rest for 2 days and will leave Sangodra for Navsari on Wednesday Inshaallah and will continue my journeys toward ConnecIT Karnataka.

LEHER-Rajkot

Hi friends, Today visiting Rajkot for a training purpose. This time's journey is having different  purpose as I am attending this program as a student not as a faculty! I am getting the opportunity to attend any seminar to learn something after almost 3 years! Very eager for this program as I am going to meet my past colleagues and friends once again with  learning environment. This is the program for which I was waiting for long time, in past I have missed the opportunity to attend same program in Mumbai as was engrossed in ConnectIT Workshop in Ahmedabad and thank god to make me enable to attend the program in my holidays. Hoping for best discussions in LEHER and inshaallah will have good time for next 3 days in Rajkot. Will back with travel sharing very soon...