The London Trip

Following my joining in the new company, I am made to travel London on business visa for 2 weeks. 

Trip starts on 23rd May, 2010 when I fly to London by a non-stop kingfisher flight. The journey is told to be of 9 hours. Plane after taking off at 1.30 PM IST lands at 6.10 PM, London time. After getting off,  I call home informing everyone about my safe reach. I move to the underground (metro) terminal 4 station to get an Oyster card (metro card) and take train to Holborn where I have booked a hotel for stay.

After 50 mins I check-in. Hotel Citadines is actually a Apart-hotel - a hotel that has apartments too.

Following morning I decide to take the 11 no bus (a walk) to office. On my way I get to see the beautiful view of St. Paul's Cathedral. This is the most famous cathedral in London and is daily open to tourists from  8.30 AM - 4.00 PM. It hosts various religious ceremonies including marriages of VVIPs.

The whole week I try to see as many places I can as the weekend and the following week are predicted to have bad weather. First is the Tower bridge which is often confused with London bridge. I wait for roughly 2.5 hours to click it in moon-light. But couldn't as weather turns bad.

Next is the Piccadilly circus, the DDLJ one in which Mr. Amrish Puri can be seen doing the famous aao-aao. This place reminds me of the Newyork's Times Square with big neon banners. 'Ripley's Believe it or not' further lifts up the square  

Close to this is the Trafalgar square with big fountain and church.

The London eye, costing around 22 pounds, with a cycle time of 30 mins,  gives an amazing view of London.

The famous houses of parliament and the Big Ben

The week 23-29 thus ends. I spend my weekend with friend Amit and Monday on shopping. The whole week 31-4 June is not much happening. weather is also not good. Amit says, here in London, it rains 10 out of 30 days normally and 20 out of 30 days in rainy season. His wife Ashwini reminds me that I have forgotten the Palace. I visit it on Thursday which comes as a sunny day.

The Buckingham Palace

Yet I am not able to visit the Lords and Greenwich. Let's see whether I would get another chance !

I take my flight back on Friday at 9.00 PM and land here on Saturday 10.00PM IST.

The no mind

This state can be referred by many notions - self awareness, the Samadhi, super consciousness, etc, but in a layman way it refers to the time when you have no thoughts enter in your mind.

Thoughts too can be broadly categorized as macro and micro. Macro thoughts are easy to identify - just close your eyes and you can realize them. However, micro thoughts are at more depth and are not easy to realize. When one goes deep in meditation only then he/ she gets a glimpse of micro thoughts. They are more like feelings and don't have dominant words that could be interpreted as a language.

Once getting into that depth, the very first glimpse of no mind appears. And it is said that in that state only we get the taste of ourselves. What happens next ? What are it's advantages ? I have no idea as I haven't experienced it. But one thing that I know is if ever a question pops up into your mind that - who are you exactly ? what are you doing here ? Is studying, marrying, earning money, reproducing, fulfilling your desires/ dreams, are the only meanings of life ?, then the answer can be found in no mind