A trip to the Deep Waters

This is my annual travelogue. Last one was on a trek to Sumatra, Indonesia. This time it is my diving expedition! Read to share with the excitement of scuba diving....

The Charm of the Seas

I was always crazy about the sea. Her charm is almost mesmerizing; the cool breeze moist with salty vapours has a magical touch to soothe the mind and rejuvenate the body. When I was in Jakarta I got an opportunity to take up sailing and I jumped at it with all my heart. I used to explore the open seas in a single seater dinghy sail boat (laser) for hours together, sometimes drifting in light wind and sometimes clipping in tight winds. It gave a feeling of high and a feeling of calm, a two-in-one package from the Mother Nature.

I also joined my friends on their diving trips; but restricted myself to snorkelling around a few of the coral islands. It offered a glimpse to the world under the choppy waves, a wonderland with brilliant colours, shapes and textures. The coral reef with its wild hues and out-of-the-world designs had a vibrancy of its own. Schools of fishes with scintillating colours dancing around beckoned me to their world and I was convinced that I should take up scuba diving to be one with them for a few minutes and not limit to a birds-eye view from the top.

I decided that I would take up scuba diving only after my daughter was old enough to join me. And I was ready to wait. When she was twelve, though I was not actively looking around in Mumbai for a dive trainer, I bumped into Jurgen Van Duffel, a certified dive instructor, and I immediately signed up for Isabella and me. (His outfit is suitably named The Life Aquatic with Lacadives)

He is quite passionate about his profession and takes his role as an instructor quite seriously. He delivered a five hour lecture cum demonstration and then gave us a 300 page book which covered quite a lot of theoretical foundation on diving. This included what equipment to use, what are the best practices to follow, how to take care of the risks of air embolism, nitrogen narcosis, oxygen narcosis, decompression sickness, and the discipline and etiquette under the sea. He made it clear that we should go down as visitors and not as plunderers and the colourful artifacts are only to see and not to borrow for our sitting room.

Then he took us to a swimming pool and taught us how to handle the equipment and the made us practice various exercises that we are expected to be familiar with to handle occasional emergencies; what to do if I run out of air, what to do if the air supply cable (the regulator) comes off, how to handle a cramp, how to take of and put on the total dive gear in the sea both at the surface and down under. He made us do this in the pool and told us that we should repeat this in the sea, for him to be convinced that we were good enough to be let loose in open water. In many of the exercises which needed a flexible body, Isabella did better than I! And she was mighty thrilled about it.

Initially we planned to go to the Andamans or Mali or even Indonesia for the dive certification. Then we decided to complete the certification somewhere near and then go to the far away locations as pros :- )

Jurgen promised me that Murudeswar near Mangalore was a good place to start. So we started our annual Christmas holidays there.

Where history and Fables meet

A three hour drive from Mangalore airport brought us to RNS Residency which is the best hotel in Murudeswar. It is situated on a cliff overlooking the sea with most of the rooms offering a brilliant view of the sea. You can sit at the balcony sipping coffee and stare at the vast expanse of the open sea.

Murudeswar is another name of Lord Shiva (the Hindu God) and as per mythology it considered to be the place where the cloth covering the ‘atmalinga’ fell after Ravana the demon king of Ramayana flung it upon his realization that he had been cheated by the Gods [1]. Therefore this is one of the five holy places of Shiva.

The temple is situated on ‘Kanduka Hills’ surrounded on the three sides by Arabian Sea. The temple complex has the world’s largest Shiva idol (123 ft/ 37 mt) and a 20 storied tower (Raj Gopura which is 249 ft tall is supposed to be the world’s tallest Gupura).

The idol of the meditating Siva with a brilliant silver body and the golden snake around his neck gets sunlight all through the day, giving it a brilliant sparkle. The sculptors from Shimoga have captured the divine serenity of Shiva’s face very well.

A new fear to conquer

We were filled with anticipation about our first real dive and apprehension about how we could manage. Both father and daughter showed off how cool we felt; but the fear in our eyes was almost palpable.

The dive spot was near Netrani island about one and a half hour boat ride (about 20 kms) from the mainland. It is also called the ‘Pigeon Island”. The adjacent island is used by Indian Navy for target practice and one may see empty shells around Netrani too. Jurgen told me that in his previous trip he managed to see some unexploded torpedoes.

Netrani is a coral island and there are many exotic and endangered marine lives around. Out of the nine grouper fish species identified at the island, Cheilinus undulates (Humphead wrasse) was endangered and Rhincodon typus (whale shark) vulnerable. Netrani Island, which boasts two types of coral reefs, also has seven seaweed species, 12 jelly fish species, six sponge species, 92 finfish species, 17 crab species, four lobster species and three sea snake species, among others [2].

This island looks like an upturned boat from far and the steep cliff all around gives it the appearance of an imposing fort when you are near it.

Rawat who runs the local dive shop Dreamz Diving got all the necessary dive permits from the local police (After 26/11 there is strict requirement of permits for any diving or snorkelling in these locations).We loaded up our gear into a fisherman’s boat and started out to the dive spot at around 9 am. The sea was really choppy and the boat was getting tossed around. By the time we reached the dive spot, Isabella was really sea sick and surprisingly (considering the fact that I used to sail a lot) my stomach was also churning. We anchored near the island and the waves were really harsh. We decided to kit up in the water and jumped into the sea.

The waves were so high that at one point I saw the sick, puzzled and uneasy face of Isabella with strong traces of fear, when she was lifted up by a wave more than 5 feet high. With some difficulty and lot of help from Jurgen and Rawat both of us got into our diving gear. We were being thrown around like empty coconut shells. I threw up whatever was left in my stomach. I was thankful that I did it before I went down with the regulator in my mouth (Jurgen comforted me that the regulator is designed to allow the diver to vomit, if needed, without taking the regulator out; what a relief I should say!)

This also was un-nerving experience for Isa and she was shaken. But still she was ready to proceed. I went down first, slowly holding on to the line to about seven metres and waited for Isa to come down with Jurgen.

I was quite nervous and also worried about Isa. After about 25 minutes, Jurgen came down with the bad news. Isa appeared to have an infection in the ear that was hindering her equalization process as she descended and she had to abandon her dive.

I climbed back to the boat and found her sprawled in the bottom like a withering flower. So we abandoned the dive plan for the day. The sea was still rough and I had to reach out of the boat and vomit again. We were now on the way back to the hotel, dejected and almost wondering whether it was really our cup of tea.

We were tired and pooped and crashed out completely the whole afternoon; of course after a sumptuous lunch from Naveen restaurant which is the only decent non-vegetarian joint in town. This also belongs to RN Shetty who owns practically everything in town from hotel to hospital to school to colleges and the temple.

Anyway I decided to take written exam for my certification and the fact that I scored 90% was a morale booster; the only one for the day.

The next day morning we decided that Isa was still not ready for the plunge (ear problem) and I decided to do it alone. The weather was beautiful and the sea was calm. I did not want anything to deny me the excitement.

So I swallowed a tablet to prevent sea sickness.

We kitted up in the boat to avoid any waste of time and by the time we anchored we were ready for a back-flip, though I was a bit apprehensive about a back-flip fully kitted.

I released the air from the BCD and we were slowly sinking and Jurgen guided me down to eight meters and then lead me forward initially holding my hand. I was uncomfortable and not sure of the uncertain surrounding. Jurgen had promised that all the tests would only be in the next dive and helped me to get comfortable slowly.

With some trial and error, I got my neutral buoyancy right and drifted forward. The feeling of weightlessness with perfect buoyancy gave a heady feeling. I stopped being hassled and started feeling snug and secure in this new surroundings.

I started experimenting with this new freedom of multidirectional mobility; up, down, right, left, vertical, horizontal; a near approximation to zero G. Wow! Now that I was sure that I could survive and not too conscious about the apparatus that was strapped around me, I looked around to cherish the dazzling colours and varied shapes dancing, prancing and serenading around me, offering one of the best private performances; a one of a kind choreography of life that bring more variations than any maestro can dream of.

Then the pressure gauge reminded us that this was not our home turf and we needed get back to the boat for our air supply. I had almost started feeling at home here. Although the dive site was

next to the island, it was not possible to land there as there was no sandy beach; just an imposing wall of rock.

After the lunch, (consisting of a few biscuits and some juice) we were ready for the next dip. Jurgen wanted me to first finish my exercise before we drifted. I could do them all OK and then we moved forward with Jurgen leading the way. I was feeling quite at ease with buoyancy under control and was managing the dive quite well.

We moved along and the sight around was really beautiful. The rock structure around the island which at times formed meandering passages with rocky sidewalls was quite impressive; and offered a feeling of adventure. The fishes did not appear to be scared but were happy to move out of the way. Then came an angel fish to the centre stage like a prima donna; absolutely unconcerned

about the human company (or was she performing for the humans?). She did an aweso

me dance, flipping and flopping against the granite background that I was convinced that she had witnessed the shooting for ‘Blue Hindi movie’ or ‘Kites’ down under and watched the Bollywood models in action! This dive too lasted for about 50 minutes.

We saw a variety of fishes including Moray Eel, Parrot Fish, Snappers, Trigger Fish, Angel Fish, Butterfly Fish, Trevally and Puffer Fish. All these names and species were Greek and Latin for me and Jurgen gave me a crash course on nature appreciation. The fauna was great though flora was not much; at least where I have been. We also saw some patches of coral. (The diving enthusiasts may read a better written dive report by a more seasoned diver giving much better details)

I missed having Isa with me after all the extensive planning and she was heartbroken too. We promised ourselves to venture again in near future to make up for what we missed.

Winding Down with Water Sports

We decided to stay for a day more at Murudeswar after the dive to relax and enjoy the beautiful seashore. The sea was quite calm and shallow for quite a distance. The beaches were nice and sandy. There were a few jet skies and two inflatable bumper boats tied to a speed boat that tugged these bumpers quite fast on top of the waves. The boatman was good and made the whole ride quite exciting like a roller coaster with both the floats flinging all around and bumping into each other.

Isabella and I enjoyed this very much and kept going back to them. We also went for a ride in the boat to a small island nearby called honeymoon island. We were not lucky, like most of the tourists, to see any dolphins which were supposed to be there. Anand the operator of these rides was quite an enterprising person and was sharing with me his dreams of how he planned to make that place more interesting.

Adios to Murudaswar

The drive back to Mangalore airport with Ganesh our driver explaining the stories about everything on the way was an experience in itself. For a long stretch NH 17 passes between Arabian Sea and Souparnika River. We stopped at the roadside at Marawante where on one side of the road is the sea and on the other side the river. A boatman appeared from nowhere and offered to take us for a ride in the river and show us Padukone village , the native place of the famous Prakash Padukone. now more famous as the father of Deepika Padukone a noted Film Actress.

We stopped at the beach resort Turtle Bay which is about 110 Kms from Mangalore. Quite a nice place, with 14 cottages and pristine private beach and offers a variety of water sports including diving are. I met with Abraham Chacko who owns this place and realised that we were neighbours in Kerala. World is really a small place.

He has been here for about 20 years and enjoys life in sync with nature. The resort also offers exposure to yoga and appears to be a wonderful retreat. The food was quite tasty and was value for money.

Back to Mangalore Airport to take us to Kochi for our one week whirlwind tour to enjoy what the ‘God’s own country” can offer.

The only question Isabella and I have in our mind is, “when is our next dive trip?”

Reference

[1] The history of the Murudeshwara temple dates back to the period of Ramayana. Legend says that Ravana (the Lanka King), prayed Lord Shiva in a strong devotion to attain immortality by getting the AtmaLinga. Atma Linga is the divine Lingam of Shiva that gains immortality to the Hindu Gods. As a result of the worship by Ravana, Lord Shiva appeared before him and asked him for a boon. Ravana requested the AtmaLinga as his boon. Lord Shiva agreed to give him the boon but on a condition that the AtmaLinga should never be kept on the ground. It is believed that if the AtmaLinga was placed on the ground, all the powers would return to Lord Shiva. Ravana started back on his journey to Lanka with the AtmaLinga.

However, Sage Narada realized that Ravana may obtain immortality and create ruin on earth with the AtmaLinga. He approached Lord Ganesh to help him. When Ravana neared Gokarna, Lord Vishnu blocked the sun and made it as dusk. Ravana wanted to perform his evening rituals. He was worried because the AtmaLinga was in his hands and he would not be able to do his rituals. At that moment, Lord Ganesh came near him in the mask of a Brahmin boy. Ravana requested him to keep the AtmaLinga until he performed the rituals. He told the boy not to place it on the ground. But Lord Ganesh fixed a deal with him. He said he would call Ravana thrice, and if Ravana did not return, he would place the AtmaLinga on the ground. As decided, Ravana could not return all of a sudden and Ganesh placed the Atma-Linga on the ground. The angered Ravana tried to pull up the AtmaLinga and destroy it but failed. He threw the holder of the linga to a place called Sajjeshwara which is 23 miles away and the lid of the case to a place called Gunavanthe (earlier known as Guneshwara) and Dhareshwara, 10-12 miles away. At last, he threw the cloth covering the AtmaLinga to a place called Mrideshwara in Kanduka Hill (Kanduka-Giri). Mrideshwara is later renamed as Murudeshwara.

Source: http://www.hindudevotionalblog.com/2009/05/murudeshwar-shiva-temple-karnataka.html

[2]Source Govind D. Belgaumkar, reporting in Hindu May 25, 2008

Salute to Middle Class Morality

“How do you make a line shorter without rubbing of a part of it?”

“Draw a bigger line next to it”

This is a riddle as well as it teaches you how to compete like a gentleman. It teaches you that you should try to win by doing better than your competition and not by belittling and demeaning your opponent by spreading canards or through unethical means.

However, when we see the way many of our senior political & business leaders and bureaucrats behave, one wonders whether these lessons on values that are often preached are nothing but a way to build the ranks of the ‘middleclass’, the ‘common man’ enmeshed in the “middle class morality” as Eliza Doolittle’s father observes in “My Fair Lady”. Quoting Paul Samuelson, out of context, “The less of them who become sophisticated, the better for us happy few” [1] so that there are splendid opportunities to skim ‘alpha’ not just from the capital market but in many more segments.

Once you are playing a game of high stakes, whether in politics or in finance, nothing else other than self aggrandisement at whatever cost seems to be the norm. Even governance (corporate or otherwise) is often about how ‘not to get caught’ or how to become ‘too big to fail’.

The fourth estate also joins the melee and surrenders valuable real estate in the news papers that could be well used for more useful purposes. In fact, they happily join those who are looking for ways & means to denigrate and suppress people or institutions who are trying to make a difference; sometimes by mis-representing facts or by publishing one-sided or biased reports. Some even let themselves to be used to fight private wars and push private agendas.

Shashi Tharoor makes an innocuous remark on ‘cattle class’ then we see a barrage of criticism and moral posturing much more than warranted. Sachin Tendulkar makes a statement that Mumbai belong to India and there is protest from some quarters. (There are many more examples, but I have limited to the less controversial) But then these have news value

The irresponsible coverage, of the 26/11 siege, by many channels demonstrates what is there for sale in the fight for better visibility. Some of the television coverage would have provided the terrorists better support than they could have managed with their friends and well wishers out in the front!

On the other hand, many utterly reprehensible behaviour even in the parliament hall and the shameless looting of public funds to the extent of thousands of crore get easily suppressed quite fast.

This is the reality that every thinking person has to confront. Being true to yourself like Roark or be willing to renounce your conviction for expediency like Wynand in Ayn Rand’s “Fountainhead”.

If we do not build a bureaucratic machinery and elect political leadership which largely serve the public, have a judiciary that protects those who try and a responsible press that provides dispassionate and honest reporting, there is no doubt where the majority is going to be.

1. Capital Ideas Evolving; Peter L Bernstein

Of Intel Boxes & Intel People

I have many geek friends who are willing to help me be in the know of the new trends in the field of Information Technology (IT). One of the ideas that has caught my attention for some time is how to manage large and mission critical applications with commodity hardware which is often referred to as Intel Boxes.

Normally when we think about mission critical data centres, reliability and scalability takes precedence over cost. Then what come to our mind are high end servers and mainframe computers that cost oodles of money.

With everybody, industry, government, health et al looking for more and more data to crunch, conventional approaches to data centre management soon reaches its limit and explodes in cost. That is when smart geeks put together solutions that can manage this big number with arrays of commodity hardware.

The basic idea of software design in this paradigm is that any box in the array should be allowed to fail without affecting serviceability.

When a box fails the technician just walk across, pulls out the faulty piece and replaces it with a similar piece. With commodity hardware, it is not too costly to store enough spares. Important thing to take care of is, to use standard hardware and standard system software consistently across.

My friend Shuvam (who is one of the best techies in town) recently made a presentation on this, at our office. The key learning from his presentation were:-

When you are confronted with any problem which requires data crunching on millions of records (like Insurance premium, Interest calculations, MIS report generation, Searches through large data sets) or any transaction system which has a very high rate of transactions on unrelated records (like Trading systems, Settlement systems, Core banking system, Issuing Unique Id to Indian residents) the solution is to set up (i) A cluster of cheap servers with local disks with High-speed connectivity (Gigabit or faster) then (ii)Slice data horizontally, (iii) distribute among nodes, (iv) Send the query out to all nodes, so that each node can compute and send back answers, (v)Aggregate the results coming from the nodes, and (vi)Re-do logging for fault tolerance. Divide and Conquer!

In a layman’s language, it means that we learn to use lots of average people to do complex and large scale processes. This is what the Mumbai Dabbawalas have shown in human processes much before Google demonstrated in IT processes. A brilliant implementation with ‘common hardware’, none of them individually equipped with any training in logistics management or operations research, collectively manage a highly scalable and reliable service delivery with better than six sigma levels of quality.
What are the conceptual framework that is common to both Google data centre and Mumbai Dabbawala that is worth learning?

Process design that allows for any component to fail, i.e.; the processes should be as person independent as possible and it should be possible to scale by adding more components without adding to the complexity.

The key ingredients that one needs to take care of this are;

i) Ensure that the process flow is really smooth with no scope for inventory pile-ups
ii) Break down the job to clear and self contained modules that can be performed without waiting for instruction from the top
iii) Develop Crystal clear ‘standard operating procedures’
iv) Make sure that each member joining the team has this SOP embedded to his brain stem and not just uploaded to his brain
v) Have enough redundancies

This same idea is one of the core components of what Toyota people have popularised as the LEAN principle in manufacturing.

One of the big concerns that we often hear from the mangers is that they are unable to deliver and or scale because they can’t afford to have high quality people (sort of IBM mainframes and Sun Servers) for doing mundane things as smart people are costly and difficult to retain. The discussion above shows how you can scale with Intel Boxes and Intel People.

You don’t need such high-end hardware (human ware) in abundance to build
‘Teams that Scale' ; what you need is to have a leader who has a vision and a committed team of evangelists (Jesus Christ and his twelve disciples) who can build and motivate troops who are willing to build on their faith.