World's Most Dangerous Race

Do you want to become a world renowned TV celebrity and represent your country?

Based in Africa, “The World’s Most Dangerous Race “ is a first season, 13-part reality TV Series challenge that will be a thriller of an event for viewers and challengers alike.

As a world-first feat – you and your partner will become the first representing team to make your country proud and leave a personal legacy behind.

There are always dangers for those who fear them. The question is, how far will you go to exterminate your fears?

A recent addition to extreme adventurer, Louie Greeff’s escapades, beckons fellow adrenaline filled adventurers with a penchant for danger and passion for living life on the edge to join him in the most exhilarating race ever conducted in the history of adventure sports.

Here’s presenting the world’s most dangerous race, a one stop destination, guaranteeing a menacing encounter with everything you ever feared,  classified as the Olympics of adventure racing!

A 13 week grueling journey commencing at Mwinilunga, the source of one of the most dreaded rivers in the world – the mighty Zambezi, will put the contestants through an adventurous journey, which will not only stretch their physical boundaries, but also put their mental strength through a test of fire.

For those who think land is a safe option, this show will challenge your staunch beliefs.

From biking on treacherous mountains, to 4×4 driving, experience a life on wheels on non-existent roads that were never meant to be treaded on.

Welcomed by wild-life at every turn, participants have to be alert every single moment during the race.

Challenge the gravity by bungi jumping and abseiling down 800 feet of sheer rock faces relying on only yourself and the thin rope connecting you to life. Rappelling, Flying Fox and Gorge swinging will re-define vertigo.

Zambezi’s notorious white waters that barely let you grab a breath with their undercurrents churning your body inside out, lay the most daunting challenge.

Canoeing, River rafting, and boarding on these waters, can compel the most formidable swimmers to pray for land! River gliding in midst of 14000 crocodiles, hippopotamus, Zambezi sharks and African elephants will take more than courage.

This race, also addresses social causes like malaria, cholera and land mines in Angola and Mozambique – the unseen predators with an impact more lethal and potent than some of the most toxic African snakes.

Five international teams, each with two active participants – one male and one female, accompanied by a third backup participant, will battle it out in the wilderness of Zambezi in a race against time.

Potential challengers will be chosen by Louie Greeff, one of the very few to conquer the menacing river, based on survival questionnaires filled in by the challengers.

Three years of research on this journey, complimented by an efficient team of medical officers, game rangers and crocodile hunters, will ensure safety of the chosen contestants.

Challengers are required to be physically fit and mentally equipped to handle the extreme discomfort they will be subjected to.

Here’s a preview of your 13 weeks of impending doom.

http://youtu.be/ppHIH6zFcX4

Are you ready to challenge yourself beyond the perceived boundaries of your abilities and your fears??

Are you ready for a life where your worst nightmares turn into reality?

Are you ready to become world famous and leave a legacy behind?

Interested candidates can register on www.beyondxtreme.co.za under the topic; DANGEROUS RACE CHALLENGE Registration.

Just like that...

In one of my earlier posts, I had mentioned " If you think life is unfair, then you are a racist." I guess I should have sugar coated my words. It would be easier to get them down my throat.

My hours and hours of travelling to and fro has made me a silent witness to a lot of incidents. Some pleasant, some painful and some that accentuate my learning curve. I was looking out of my window, watching the busy roads and trying to make sense of the senseless traffic around me. My eyes feel on a squirrel attempting to cross the road. Suddenly the signal turns green. Flurry of vehicles proceed in the direction of the squirrel. A car was fast approaching the squirrel, which makes it through one set of tyres. Just when I was about to breath a sigh of relief, the other set of tyre runs it over. I shriek. In matter of seconds several other tyres are making their away over its tiny body. As I feel the trickle of tears, I ponder how can life be this unfair? How can life be over in a blink of an eye? How can all the hopes be crushed in an instant? Just like that?

I know some really mean jack asses. They are leading a blissful life after drowning others in misery. They are alive! Hell, their in-your-face paunch showcase their over flowing wealth! I am not God, but I know for a fact that if this world is a happy place, it will be happier with certain suitable demises.

I was still in a state of despair when I found myself in another jam. I saw a man on a handicap tricycle make his away on the busy one way in the opposite direction. He was caught in midst nowhere when a skoda octavia comes face to face with him. Surrounded by traffic, riding in the wrong direction didn't seem to bother the man. He was busy yanking over the phone. Well, with all due respect to him, if I were caught in that situation with a pair of limbs that would not come to my defense, I would panic and look around for help in a jiffy! I was even more interested in his actions now. With all the traffic in the world in front my bus, I knew I wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. I guess he realized the same. He hung up. Taking control of his vehicle - one hand rotating the lever, the other maneuvering the handle, he took the front tyre of the tricycle on the pavement. The left tyre followed and right tyre balance itself on the road. He whizzed past skoda. I strained my neck to see him. But he had vanished. Just like that..

The answers to the questions I had previously asked, started falling in place. This time there were no tears, no sympathy, just deep respect for human spirit. Yes, life can be unfair. Really unfair. It can give you everything you ever dreamt off and take it away the next instant. It can spur up hopes in you but in a blink of an eye splash water on it. But that should never stop you from living. Fair or unfair, there's one life given to you. Whether you drown in the deluge of self pity or swim to the shore, its your call. There are times you feel helpless. But you need to realize that there will be times when you have no control over things. Holding on to things that need to be freed will make you a prisoner.  Learn to let go.

Jailhouse Rock

Have you ever been to a place and felt you belonged there? Hoped the world would come to a halt, clock would stop ticking and wished you could absorb all the beauty it had to offer? Have you ever left a part of you back in the place, hoping you would return someday, reunite with your lost self? Do you believe in losing yourself to find yourself?

If your answer is yes, then the above questions summarizes what I felt when I set my foot on the archipelago, known as much for its beauty as brutality. It's been more than a year since my trip to Andaman and need I say, I am still lost in its spectacular show of diversity.

For a sneak peek to Indian heritage and history we all are so proud of, please visit https://shubhaholla.wordpress.com/2011/12/04/andaman-times-jailhouse-rock/

P.S : Proud to be an Indian after all!

DOERS

I was surfing channels on a lazy evening, Bangalore weather just adding to my lethargy. I had reached a state where I had settled down to watching obese people on screen, boosting my “feel good factor” just coz I was lazy to even switch to the next channel! Then came the commercials. After a flurry of well known ads, came something catchy. Switching among some seriously off-beat people, I kept seeing the caption and hearing this phrase – DOERS.

The name gives away the identity of this clan. But I decided to hang on a tad bit longer to see the message they wanted to convey.  I guess it finally provided me the drive to write this post!

Doers are normal people like you and I. One thing that sets them apart from the crowd is the fact that their actions speak louder than words. The words “I wish I could do this” or “I am too busy” or in simple terms “excuses” are obsolete to them. With utmost focus, they act upon their plans. They design contingency plans, not afraid to implement them when required. When faced with failures, they pump their system with hope and start all over again. After all their name itself indicates - Do errs! Boredom is not an option, interest is not an excuse. To achieve one’s goals, one may have to tread paths which are covered with weeds of discomfort or non-interest.  The final call has to taken by the individual as to whether weeds precede the desire or desire paves the path.

Everyone experiences a certain calling from within at different points in their life. Some listen to them, respect them, pursue them, while most ridicule them and asphyxiate them under the cover of “doing the right thing”. 

“I can’t take up photography. Photos aren’t gonna pay the bills.”

“Writers earn less. Feeding my soul is still gonna keep my stomach hungry!”

Sounds familiar? There are many more of such instances. Not wanting to offend the human spirit, I am not giving away the list!

I know it’s a little too early for this, but I am a writer. My calling, was writing. Not knowing how I would fare at it, I kept pushing the urge to a point of no return. But it did return. Just like one of the prank callers who keep calling unless you pick up the receiver and ask him, what is your God Damned problem! I picked up the receiver. The voice at the other end seemed familiar – the kinds that you knew long time back but with time, faded into oblivion.

It was this voice that guided me to this place- the same voice that has been whispering for a few days now, urging me to play with words, pleading me to do justice with them. From what I have learnt, when you are really scared of something, go ahead and do it! End of the day, either you lose your fear or gain an experience! 

I have been so held up the past few days. Sleep seems to be my old neighbor, who hasn’t spoken to me for years!!! Every day I look at my blog and say “I am gonna be a travel writer someday”.  I probably have accidently stumbled upon my passion, still unsure, but that’s what it looks like! Then again, I turn around and say, I am too busy to do this. I am freaking kidding myself!!

Sometimes you get so held up in life that you have no time to think, am I happy doing what I am? Is this the sole purpose of my existence? Does the purpose have a soul? Or probably you already know answers to these but they are not lucrative enough to be considered! No shame admitting it. I do it ALL THE TIME!

Find time for things that bring a smile on your face. Make your living just don’t sell your soul while doing so.  There’s always a bigger purpose waiting for you. Don’t over look it. It might not be able to your bills, but it’ll ensure your never burdened under them! Address your calling in life. It might look trivial; it might even be a subject of laughter to people around but for its worth but it’s worth all your time! Answer the call before disconnecting; you might just have a surprise waiting for you!

P.S: One can live with a hungry stomach, but never with a hungry soul.

HOPE

Make up your mind, strengthen your belief, the closed doors shall open and set you free. Just when you are about to give up, something gives in. Give in to this "something" and you'll be surprised.. Shubha Holla

A few days back, these words swept across my mind like zephyr. Even then I knew the intensity of these random words that had come together to form a potent truth. It is said that when all the doors are shut, the super power above us, opens a window. If you give this passing statement a thought, you would realize the sanctity of it.

Earlier this month, I went through an excruciating incident which involved people advising me as to how I should "never divorce" my current field of work. The incident was not half as painful as its after math. It left me thinking, what next? What's my purpose on this earth? I am mediocre at what I do and I don't know what I excel in! It was almost like a dead end. A lot of tears accompanied by feeling of shame burdened my delicate shoulders. Just when I thought it was all over, something happened.

I can't really decide what my epiphany was. But it had me in the spot light. It was this moment that lead to my previous post. It was this moment that led to turn of events that may as well make my life sound awesome! Its said, when a student is ready, a teacher appears. When you embrace this philosophy, you see things start turning out the way you always wanted them to. You do things with the sole aim of satisfying yourself. They bring you results that astonish you and fill your heart with hope.

There are a certain times when we say, "this is it, I am giving up." But if your quest was truly earnest, a glimpse of hope appears just when you are about to hang your boots. I am not saying that your dream has come true. All I would say is that tiny glimmer of hope is a living proof of why you need to continue with your conquest. This hope can come in any form, a person you least expected or an event you wouldn't have even imagined. This is nothing but life dropping hints that you are on the right path, urging you to walk ahead, pleading you not to give up.

A lot of us are happy just by getting the glimpse of this hope. "At east we managed to get here.", "not many people have come this far". As always we misread what life is telling us and completely miscalculate every decision. Probably our dream was waiting to be lived by us. It had been waiting for a long time, not giving up on us even once, praying for our arrival. Where as we, on the other hand gave up on it, consoling ourselves with the hope.

Many times we are scared of the power of our prayers and hard-work. We see that our success is just a step away from us and we panic. "How could I do this?" "Is it for real?" "It feels like a dream!" Even though we really want a certain things in life, we are scared of what might happen if we get them. "Do I really deserve this?" "Am I worthy of it?", we ask ourselves. My friends, we are what we think we are. The main reason for you to dream is coz you can fulfill it. It is as real as the air you breathe. Don't be scared of living your dreams. Dreams wont come crashing down when you live them but can't say the same if you don't live them to the fullest!

P.S: Your dreams never give up on you; a good enough reason for you to not give up on them.