Colours of Spring

Yellows in my Garden

Spilling over from Makar Sankranti (which was on Jan. 14) toBasant Panchami which just passed on Jan. 28th, these festivals in India mark the change of season, the withdrawal of winter and the beginning of spring. It is harvest time, yellow mustard fields in full sway with the colour of the season.  Happiness everywhere, yellow clothing pulled out and worn, pujas performed, kite festivals organized, and much, much more.

But some of us living in cities or abroad may be oblivious to or not celebrate these festivals, or even feel the relevance of such auspicious periods in our busy lives.

Here in Dubai where the winter season is itself like spring, hardly a winter, where day temperatures normally come down to a very pleasant 20 degrees, these festivals seem not so relevant.  Yet there is a good deal of buzz everywhere, it’s the tourist season with the shopping festival, etc.  The International Kite Festival organized in Dubai had colourful kites in various shapes and sizes soaring into the sky.  It was only many days later I realised this coincided with the Indian harvest festival of Sankranti.

I do believe that such celestial and seasonal changes influence us in some way, and my lovely flowers reminded me of this by presenting me their bouquet.  The yellow of the marigolds in my garden are symbolic, a joyous reminder of Basant, with the other flowers pitching in with their colour.

We enjoyed some real cool weather in Dubai this time (16 degrees C), but with the ‘winter’ at an end, can the summer be far behind? One tries to make the most of the cooler months, one more road-trip squeezed in here, a quick BBQ evening there …

Kite festival at Outlet Mall, Dubai

Jonathan Livingston Seagull

This seagull was in the process of crossing the road (on foot!) and nearly got run over by our car.  We had to stop completely and wait till it got back onto the side-walk ... thank goodness it didn't go the other way because it was a busy main road.

Was the bird hurt?  Unable to fly?  Or was he exploring the surroundings? Why alone and not with his flock? Was he ‘the one’ trying to be more adventurous, getting away from the mundane, aiming for something higher in life, determined to be beyond ordinary seagull? And as a result, outcast from his flock?

Later the same day we watched a flock of seagulls at the water-front at the Festival City. The two events reminded me of the story of 'Jonathan Livingston Seagull' by Richard Bach, about a seagull who learned that the joy of life is not just scrounging and squabbling for food but passion for flying and reaching higher, ultimately returning to his flock to forgive and share his knowledge with them. I must have read the story a number of times, it took me a while to realise its full implications.

 Some excerpts from the book :

…Most gulls don’t bother to learn more than the simplest flight – how to get from shore to food and back again. For most gulls, it is not flying that matters, but eating. For this gull, it was not eating that mattered, but flight. More than anything else, Jonathan Livingston Seagull loved to fly.

…Jonathan Seagull discovered that boredom and fear and anger are the reasons that a gull’s life is so short, and with these gone from his thought, he lived a long fine life indeed.

…’How you manage to love a mob of birds that has just tried to kill you?’ ‘Oh, you don’t love that! You don’t love hatred and evil, of course. You have to practice and see the real gull, the good in every one of them, and to help them see it in themselves. That’s what I mean by love.’

This story is so true for people.  It's for the people who live by their own rules to make life better, and believe in doing something well, even if it’s for themselves. It is for people who believe there is more to this life than meets the eye.

Sand Castle

We’ve been in the UAE for the last four years but have hardly explored the country, except for a few odd trips here and there, and some on our trips to Dubai in previous years when we were just visiting, more as tourists. Being a small country (with good roads) one can actually cover the length and breadth of it in a few hours.

Two weekends ago we accompanied my brother and sister-in-law to the Emirate of Fujairah. It was their wedding anniversary, and what better way to spend it than go for a long drive .... we being the kebab me haddis!

We didn't plan anything beforehand, except that we’d try out the shorter route, a new road to this Emirate.  Driving out, in about half-an-hour we left the sandy landscape and approached the foot-hills towards the mountains. The Hajar mountains (rock mountains) as these are called demarcate Fujairah from the other emirates. The drive through the mountains was lovely, the different hues of the rugged landscape in the background and the light and shadow making it quite picturesque.

As we approached Fujairah we saw a sign saying ‘Al Hayl Castle’. Since we’d saved some time on the new route we decided check out the castle before lunch.  We followed the road, which seemed to be taking us nowhere into the hills till we arrived at a wadi (river-bed). This is a water-catchment area similar to an oasis, but unfortunately it was totally dry.  We heard that during the occasional rains these fill up real fast and flood, and bathers can get caught unawares and drown. We continued further and a date plantation appeared which was a relief to the rocky landscape.

We finally arrived at the castle (though it looked more like a fort). Considered as the headquarters for ruling family, the historic castle was established more than 250 years ago, and has been used for surveillance, patrolling and to defend the area. Surely must have felt like a King to reside in such serenity surrounded by nature.

The architectural simplicity was evident.  A watch-tower and small room-like structures enclosed by plastered walls was all that there was to this castle. Built of mud-brick, it has undergone considerable restoration work. We climbed up to the tower to get a better view of the surroundings.

After this we turned back and drove towards Kalba, another township near the sea. The drive along the water (the Gulf of Oman) was lovely … Just enjoyed staring into the blue sea.  Then on towards Fujairah to stop at the Hilton for lunch. Very relaxing, on the deck next to the beach.

Being the last day of 2011, it was a day well-spent. We returned home happily exhausted, looking forward to a good beginning to the next day, the New Year.

The surrounding mountains

The Castle

Climbing up to the Watch Tower 

The Watch Tower

Drive along the Sea