“Whatever it is you are seeking, it won’t come in the form you are expecting. “
Haruki Murakami
Let me start with a story. I have been reading a bit during this lockdown and while I have not read any of Murakami’s novels in the last few days, I have been fascinated by his journey and how he became a novelist. Murakami was in his late 20s when he was running a jazz bar and living life according to his terms. “I was young and in my prime, could listen to my favorite music all day long, and was the lord of my own little domain. I didn’t have to squeeze onto packed commuter trains, or attend mind-numbing meetings, or suck up to a boss who I disliked. Instead, I had the chance to meet all kinds of interesting people. “
But one day he decided to go watch a baseball match between the Yakult Swallows and Hiroshima Carp which changed the course of his destiny. I read this story in an article in Lithub, where he writes about the moment he became a novelist. As the Swallows player hit the ball across the Jingu Stadium amidst thundering applause, he had a sudden inspiration. “In that instant, for no reason and on no grounds whatsoever, the thought suddenly struck me: I think I can write a novel. “
And in his own words - “ I can still recall the exact sensation. It felt as if something had come fluttering down from the sky, and I had caught it cleanly in my hands. I had no idea why it had chanced to fall into my grasp. I didn’t know then, and I don’t know now. Whatever the reason, it had taken place. It was like a revelation. Or maybe epiphany is the closest word. All I can say is that my life was drastically and permanently altered in that instant.” The rest of course is history.
Hello and Welcome to the sixth issue of Journeys and Jottings. Murakami’s story got me thinking about how unexpected moments change the course of destiny. And I have had one of these moments as well, which I will share in a while. In the People Make Places section, we meet Hemant Soreng, a serial entrepreneur and a digital evangelist who also had a similar epiphany that made him change his career path as well. Hemant is an avid traveller and has established Rustik Travels with his friends. More on this later.
Murakami’s tips for writing
Murakami wrote his first “novella” Hear the Wind Sing and he describes his experience. ”Word processors and computers weren’t around back then, which meant we had to write everything by hand, one character at a time. The sensation of writing felt very fresh. I remember how thrilled I was. It had been such a long time since I had put fountain pen to paper.”
Pic Courtesy - Wikipedia - First Book Edition
“What’s needed is magic, “ he says and I agree. We do need some magical moments to transform our lives. But my favourite advice is how to create magic with words
Take the old words and make them new again.
“I often recall these words when I am writing, and I think to myself, “It’s true. There aren’t any new words. Our job is to give new meanings and special overtones to absolutely ordinary words.” I find the thought reassuring. It means that vast, unknown stretches still lie before us, fertile territories just waiting for us to cultivate them. “
Here are some tips that he shares in this article.
Opening the doors to a future that I had no idea about ..
In the autumn of 2007, I took a sabbatical from my media career. I had essentially quit my job and although my then boss told me to treat it as a sabbatical I knew I was not going back to my media career. I had invested over 15 years in media and although it had its highs and lows I had loved every moment of it. It was a passion. It was my identity. And yet I had this itch. I knew I had to move on. There were many reasons but mostly it was this intangible thing in my head telling me that I had to reinvent my life. It was not easy, to be honest. I was extremely ambitious at that phase in my life, I had grown up the ladder to a senior management position and was drawing a seven-digit salary. I had to give up my identity and my passion for something which I had no clue about. But I listened to that voice.
On my sabbatical, I aimlessly ambled into rustic Karnataka along Malenadu and explored a few Hoysala temples, including the famous Belur and Halebid. Curiosity got the better of me as my cousin and I went into the villages exploring and discovered hidden Hoysala temples. We were just two girls wandering in the villages. As we discovered new temples, we found new stories to share. And soon it became a passion and within days we had explored over 30 Hoysala temples in remote, lost villages.
Some which I opened the doors to. And at that time I didn’t know I was opening the doors to an unknown future. One thing led to another. I started writing, blogging, telling stories, took people on trails, and became a traveller and a storyteller for life.
Sometimes we don’t realize that a simple thing that we do innocuously will lead us down a path that we had never imagined. There are patterns and clues in the universe but we don’t really appreciate them. And that is why I trust my travellers instinct because we are all journeying on this planet. And something tells me that we will all emerge out of this pandemic too and find new doors to open and new paths to explore. Stay safe until then.
People Make Places
Meet Hemant Soreng. A serial entrepreuner, a digital evangelist, traveller, mountaineer, marathoner, diver and a podcaster. Hemant , along with his partners Rajesh Nair and Tapas Biala manage Rustik Travel, a sustainable experiential travel company that takes you on fascinating tours around the world. They have also created documentaries and they host Rustik Travel Podcast, featuring passionate travellers and here is a summary of the 30 episodes over the last six months I had a brief chat with him and here are the excerpts.
The story behind Rustik Travel - how did it begin?
I love to travel. I have been traveling over the last two decades in India and abroad. During my travels to places such as Turkey, Peru, Europe, and back home in Sikkim and Kerala I came across responsible tourism that was being practised in some of these places, that promoted sustainable travel focussed on social and economic impact locally.
All these experiences gave me the direction I was looking for, in life, that is, doing what I love the most (travel), which is meaningful and is impact-based. Later, I realised that it is actually very close to the concept of ikigai.
With no background in the business of travel, the idea and the calling was so strong that I decided to take the entrepreneurial plunge in the world of travel. So along with a couple of friends and like-minded travelers, Rajesh Nair and Tapas Biala, who were also on a similar journey of self-discovery, together we started Rustik Travel.
It is based on the philosophy of Sustainable Experiential Travel and Sustainable Living. Sustainability, in terms of creating livelihoods, protecting the environment and preserving culture.
2,Unique tours and trails that you would recommend
There are three special experiences that I would recommend:
1/ Meru Base Camp/Tapovan Trek (Uttarakhand):
This eight-day trek is an amazing mix of religion & spirituality (Gangotri Dham, pilgrims and saffron-clad sadhus), the surreal cow-mouth shaped Gaumukh Glacier (origin of River Bhagirathi that flows to form the Holy River Ganges), and the daunting but rewarding trek to the campsite in Tapovan that is surrounded by the magnificent peaks of Bhagirathi 1, 2 and 3, Shivling and Mount Meru.
2/ Hampta Pass Trek (Himachal Pradesh):
Hampta pass trek is a moderate-level trek that soaks in the majestic views of the Greater Himalayas, thick pine forest, beautiful meadows, some edgy river crossings, and of course the high altitude mountain pass known as Hampta pass.
The trek connects three valleys – Kullu, Lahaul, and Spiti, all of them have contrasting landscapes. Kullu is full of vegetation and greenery and, Lahaul valley is completely rocky and sandy with brown mountains with snow-clad peaks - Mt. Deo Tibba, Mt. Indrasan. The trek ends with a drive to the surreal Chandratal Lake in the cold desert of Spiti Valley.
3/ Ziro, Arunachal Pradesh:
Music is an integral part of North-East India. So it is not surprising that a music festival is organized in Ziro, a remote but beautiful part of Arunachal Pradesh. The Woodstock of India, Ziro Festival of Music is an annual event and a must for the music aficionados who haven’t been to Arunachal Pradesh. Against this melodic setting of music, one could experience the North East flavour and natural beauty, explore the beautiful countryside hiking, cycling, and immersing in the culture of the Apatani tribe. If this is not enough then follow it up exploring the scenic countryside, the mesmerizing Siang river, and of course take the spiritual path to the beautiful Tawang monastery.
3.People make places. Who has inspired you during your travels?
The best and the most memorable part of any travel is meeting new people, be it the locals or fellow travelers. In 2011, on the Everest Base Camp Trek in Nepal, I had such an encounter that had a lasting impact on me. I happened to meet Mr. Shailendra Kumar Upadhyay, an 82-year-old trekker, who was on his way not just to the base camp, but to the summit of Mt. Everest. During my lively chat with him I came to know that apart from being the oldest mountaineer to attempt climbing the highest peak in the world, Mr. Upadhyay was an Indian freedom fighter who had moved to Nepal early on. He later served as Nepal’s foreign minister as well.
After the trek I came back to India and went online to check about his progress, only to discover the tragic news of his death on the mountain due to acute altitude sickness.
It was very heartbreaking. But, he lived his life to the fullest and he died doing what he loved the most.
4.Tell us a bit more about the Rustik Travel Podcast
The Rustik Travel Podcast is a podcast from the passionate travelers for the passionate travelers by the passionate travelers. It is a travel podcast with multiple shows with different hosts that covers stories, journeys, interviews, conversations and experiences that are fun, adventurous, intriguing, interesting and inspiring, with a focus on sustainable and responsible travel.
Guests range from across age groups ( incl a 12-year-old girl visiting 88 countries) to students backpacking to some having traveled to almost all the countries in the world (179 countries) But all having one common passion that is travel
Note - I am very grateful that my husband Sharath Krishnamurthy has been featured as a guest in one of the episodes where he speaks about road trips and driving through Europe. I have also been featured in another episode where I have spoken about my journey as a traveller. Do tune in please.
5.A mantra to stay afloat during this period.
कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन । मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भुर्मा ते संगोऽस्त्वकर्मणि ॥
You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself to be the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty. - Bhagavad Gita, Chapter II, Verse 47
This is the mantra that I follow all the time, more so during this downturn due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This ensures that there are no disappointments as there is no expectation of rewards in terms of goals/targets, and you stay grounded. Further, the cumulative work that gets done keeps me in good stead and prepared for the future.
You can follow Rustik Travel on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and You Tube.
Support the artists and artisans
You can help these artists and performers and their families living around Madurai with your contributions.
Another request to support weavers who create magic with their fingers. Buy Ilkal and Khana handmade sarees and blouses online.
Stay at home and stay safe
I do hope that we will all overcome this phase together. Stay safe, stay at home, and get vaccinated at the earliest. Looking forward to your feedback as always. We are going to keep the flow of conversations going and I would really appreciate it if you will share my newsletter with your friends and family.
See you soon ! You can also read my travel stories on my blog and follow me on my social media
Blog - www.lakshmisharath.com
Twitter - www.twitter.com/lakshmisharath
Facebook - www.facebook.com/travelwithlakshmi
Instagram - www.instagram.com/lakshmisharath