[gabrielthomas]

Wow! is what i should say first and the next is "Thank You". I will definitely want to do this at least once in my life.

[skyrocket003]

This is a real Gem! I was sitting a my desk contemplating over my annual bonus and thinking why i did not pick that job last year. Kicking myself for being not so successful as i had wished. But then i read this one. What amazing pick of words! And matched by lovely photos! Made me go back in time and realize i m not doing too bad. Life is indeed, good.

[RevvMusic]

Originally Posted by jnpai

Revmusic:
The flock of birds photograph - I am at loss of words to describe the emotions it evoked in me.
Happiness for sure, yet there is a lump in my throat ...a feeling shared by another gentleman on the forum.
The dragonfly stands out for the sharp details. The simple and happy lifestyles....enviable!
The ethos of village life captured so vividly and brilliantly...thanks for sharing, and for creating the urge to set off on a similar journey soon.

Originally Posted by gabrielthomas

Wow! is what i should say first and the next is "Thank You". I will definitely want to do this at least once in my life.

Thanks to you all too sirs for going through the entire thing. This kind of appreciation from all of you will keep me going and post more of such experiences.
gabrielthomas sir, please do it not once, but over and over, whenever you wish to have a realization that life is good

Originally Posted by skyrocket003

This is a real Gem! I was sitting a my desk contemplating over my annual bonus and thinking why i did not pick that job last year. Kicking myself for being not so successful as i had wished. But then i read this one. What amazing pick of words! And matched by lovely photos! Made me go back in time and realize i m not doing too bad. Life is indeed, good.

I'm so glad that it could evoke such feelings in you. Happiness is indeed a choice we make. We have come onto earth empty handed, and will leave empty handed. So, why not just think of the good things that life has offered each one of us and live every moment to it's fullest, without worrying about the past or future. The present is all we have

[gadadhar]

Simply superb.. Innocent smile of the boy and his plea for note book will haunt me for long. You deserve 5 stars.

[RevvMusic]

Originally Posted by gadadhar

Simply superb.. Innocent smile of the boy and his plea for note book will haunt me for long. You deserve 5 stars.

His smile haunts me till date. I had another experience yesterday which made me ponder even more. Will share it with everyone through a separate post. Anyways, thanks a lot for the 5 stars.
God bless

[joe1980]

Just came across your post and the pictures of that rural village and people remind me of my village in Tamilnadu and I stand by every word of what you have described about that rural village you visited.

Me and my 5 year old daughter liked all the songs that we listened at your website. Excellent pleasing music!

[yaniv14]

Originally Posted by RevvMusic

Prologue :

In life, we happen to chase certain things and think that they would make us happy. Well, agreed that they would definitely make us happy, but for how long? Ok, if we ask ourselves a question, "Haven't I got bored of my new super-expensive smartphone just after it's upgraded version got released?" I bet you might have already got the answer by now. Finding a certain level of happiness in material things is ok, as we all live in a materialistic world, but aren't we forgetting the smallest units, those small things in life that we take for granted? Wondering what those "small granted things" might be? Well, lets take a stroll across them.

A thoughtful travelouge. What you have mentioned are absolutely true with respect to the materialistic things in our life that we value more than what nature offers in abundance, still we fail to appreciate the beauty of it.

Your photography is commendable and the pic with the kids on the bi-cycle just reminds me how mundane our life has become.

Thanks a ton for sharing.

Cheers,
Vinay

[arunu]

B.R.I.L.L.I.A.N.T is the word.
Super narration and equally superb images. This thread hits the right emotional chords in ones heart.

It took me back to my childhood days when I used to run away to my grandparent's place in semi-rural north Karnataka every school vacation.

Your composition of the sheep tied to the tractor and the old cycle is simply brilliant. If viewed stand-alone this image may look ordinary, but the way you have co-related your text with the image.... awesome.

Thanks for sharing and reiterating that SMALL things in life are very important and one needs to take time to appreciate those small things and be happy.

[RevvMusic]

Originally Posted by joe1980

Me and my 5 year old daughter liked all the songs that we listened at your website. Excellent pleasing music!

It so nice on your part to have listening to my music as well. Thank you so much.

Originally Posted by yaniv14

A thoughtful travelouge.
Your photography is commendable

Originally Posted by arunu

B.R.I.L.L.I.A.N.T is the word.
Super narration and equally superb images. This thread hits the right emotional chords in ones heart.

Your composition of the sheep tied to the tractor and the old cycle is simply brilliant. If viewed stand-alone this image may look ordinary, but the way you have co-related your text with the image.... awesome.

Thanks for sharing and reiterating that SMALL things in life are very important and one needs to take time to appreciate those small things and be happy.

I really just went with the flow, and thanks to all the responses that I have received, I feel that I have been able to convey my feelings appropriately. Feeling blessed

[Rintu]

Kudos for penning down such a btiful travelogue. Wonderful depiction of Life - in a different perspective.

When you normally read through a travelogue, especially in this forum, half of the time you are eager to know how the vehicle performed, how comfortable the journey was and so on and so forth. But this one is unique in the sense that after the first couple of photographs, I didn't even care whether you drove, rode or walked.

The highlight of the trip was definitely the "boy and the notebook". Keep traveling and keep up the good work.

[rav11stars]

I read and re-read the first post; the part about the job. It brought back memories of how hard I worked for the job I'm currently in and how restless(read "I get easily bored") I'm now.
The first pic-note of the bicycle, tractor and the sheep reiterates what I always say. The note following the pic is as important as the pic because it explains what the pic is all about.
This thread reminded of the lesson on Thoreau and his experiment of living in nature with what he knew. We, are now in a hypnotic state in which we're led to throw away things rather than mend or work on mending broken things (relations).

I'm glad that we have people in villages, pure at heart. How often do we talk with such a pure heart at work? All in all, I've read your thread at a very good time and it helped me. Thank you.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by rav11stars

I'm glad that we have people in villages, pure at heart. How often do we talk with such a pure heart at work?

Hmm, this is a myth often perpetrated by movies and books. Villagers are no more innocent than city dwellers. Don't let the slow pace of life or lack of sophistication or education fool you. I partly grew up around villages and now partly live in a village. I can assure that an average villager is shrewder than an average city dweller.

Villagers generally are more active in politics than city dwellers. They will know their MP/MLA, Jilla/Taluk/Gram panchayat members and vote everytime without fail. How many city dwellers know their representatives or vote regularly? Who do you think is more innocent here?

[ACM]

Thank you for sharing these snaps. It does make one reflect on how one is filling up ones time. Yes every one wants to be one with nature but rarely does something about it. We all feel we can do with less in life and yet want more.

It needs someone to actually pass a day or an hour or even a moment in such a manner and then share that moment with others to inspire many more.

[Alfa Romeo]

Bro, this is really an awesome way of rewinding a bit into "life". I normally browse forum during my lunch and read onto interesting travelogues. What i found after i started reading this one is, i haven't had a mouthful till the end. i was really appalled by many of your photos. Its not that i don't come across such things in life, but its just that what you want to learn of them! The only thing still stuck is if you could have got in touch with the boy's parents and got him sponsored for his education. I would be more than happy to do it.
Time and again such things connect you back to where you belong ..Thanks again bro!

[RevvMusic]

Originally Posted by Rintu

Wonderful depiction of Life - in a different perspective.
The highlight of the trip was definitely the "boy and the notebook". Keep traveling and keep up the good work.

Thanks for the appreciation

Originally Posted by rav11stars

I read and re-read the first post; the part about the job. It brought back memories of how hard I worked for the job I'm currently in and how restless(read "I get easily bored") I'm now.

You have hit the right chord with those words. Many of us get bored of things easily because in today's fast paced life, the one thing that lacks severely is meditation. Our minds have become intelligent, but we have lost the power of being the master of our own brains. And yes, +1 for the first job part. I myself have told this same thing to many a people when I see them down. After all, it's just one life, a few days, live it to the core. There is no time to make ourselves feel downtrodden.

Originally Posted by ACM

Yes every one wants to be one with nature but rarely does something about it. We all feel we can do with less in life and yet want more.

Yes, being amidst nature, owning less, giving more (happiness) to others, being the reason for someone's smile, healing someone, etc can give more mental satisfaction, sense of completion and happiness than even an iPhone6

Originally Posted by Alfa Romeo

What i found after i started reading this one is, i haven't had a mouthful till the end. i was really appalled by many of your photos.
The only thing still stuck is if you could have got in touch with the boy's parents and got him sponsored for his education. I would be more than happy to do it.

Thank you so much.
I wanted to actually meet his parents, but the serious language barrier between both of us played a terrible spoilsport. I would return soon with someone who knows the local language and could communicate on behalf of me. And I'm really happy to see your interest in volunteering to sponsor his education. God bless!