Why Do Israelis and Arabs Fight? A Look at the History of the Levant (Part I)

Israelis and Arabs have been fighting over Palestine even before the formation of Israel in 1948. This blog series looks into the historical origins of the international conflict that has disturbed the stability of the Middle East ever since.


As the Middle East crisis intensifies with the latest conflict between Israel and Gaza, many of us are raising a common question - Why is all this happening? Sitting in the comfort of our homes, we are watching people die in hundreds on the news and are unable to understand the reason behind all the fighting.

Rockets exploding over Gaza on 20-21 July 2014

Often, conflicts in the Middle East take place on four types of issues:
Land,
Oil,
Political/Financial Power or
Ideology.

Israel is a small country about the size of Meghalaya or Mizoram (if not smaller). Until recently, it depended on imports from surrounding Arab countries like Egypt for energy. There are only two oil fields in the whole states producing only 0.39 barrels of crude per day. In comparison, Ecuador, the smallest oil producer among the OPEC countries, produces more than 5 million barrels per day. It is only with the discovery of substantial natural gas reserves in the Mediterranean Sea  in 2009-10 that Israel is hoping to become more self sufficient in energy generation. However, even these new-found fields are not extraordinarily large - just enough to support the country only for the next 20-30 years.

The red spot is Israel in the midst of Arab nations shown in green. The small piece of land has been the centre of violent conflicts since millennia.

This small speck of a country does not even have any natural resources that may attract the attention of invaders. Its economy has grown on the talents of its countrymen. From high technology products to diamond processing, Israel has gained leadership in the industrial sector because of its human resource.

So what is it about this piece of land that has made it the focus of the Arab-Israel conflict since the 1940's?

I was as curious about the causes of this conflict as many others following the latest updates on the Israel-Gaza news. The internet is bounding with explanations on the entire conflict - some biased and some secular. My quest to understand the problem took me to many articles and videos. However, most of them started the story from the formation of the Israeli state for Jews. While these did tell me a lot about the current conflict, I was still wondering why the formation of Israel was so highly opposed? Why couldn't a small Jewish country exist in the midst of 24 Arab states?

The search for the answer led me to the depths of history and I realized that to understand the problem in its entirety, we need to look into the history of the first civilizations themselves! And that is exactly what I did, which has helped me draw a more complete picture of the Arab-Israeli conflict and the general hatred against Jews.

In this blog series, I will attempt to explain the situation - as I see it - right from its roots: the origin of the major Western religions.

Judaism - The Birth of The Jews

Once upon a time, so the Old Testament says, there lived a man named Abram.

(Although the Old Testament places him in the Bronze Age, about 2,000 BC, archaeological evidence dates the described events to the 1st millennium BC (1,000 BC) in the Iron Age.)

Abram lived in the city of Ur on the shores of the Euphrates River. The city, located in modern-day Iraq, was an important city in the Fertile Crescent of the Middle East. At the time, the predominant cultures of the region followed a pantheon of gods and deities. Abram, however, developed the thought of One God and seemed to enter into a personal conversation with the One God, Yahweh. Apparently God promised Abram of a great nation in the land of Canaan. In search of the Promised Land, Abram, his wife Sarai and his nephew Lot migrated from Ur to Canaan via the city of Haran. Whether he and his people formed the community of cattle herders in Canaan or they joined an existing community is a debatable point. This tribe of cattle herders came to be known as Hebrews, meaning nomads or wanderers.

The Fertile Crescent in 2,000 BC to 1,000 BC. Abram migrated from Ur to Canaan via Haran. 

In Canaan (pronounced k'ná'an in Hebrew), Abram had two sons. The elder son, Ishmael, was born to Abram's second wife Hagar. The younger son, Isaac, was born to his first wife, Sarai at a very late age. Abram was given several tests by God, including the sacrifice of his youngest son, Isaac. When he passed these tests, God renamed him Abraham, 'the Exalted Father of Many Nations', and promised him numerous descendants and prosperity.

Isaac, Abraham's younger son, carried forward his father's legacy and never left Canaan in the 180 years of his life. He had twin sons, Jacob and Esau. Esau gave up his birthright as primary heir to Jacob. Jacob was named Israel by an angel or God and was the father to 12 sons and a daughter. These sons were the first Children of Israel and formed the 12 tribes of Israel, the ancestors of the Jewish people.

The Children of Israel formed 12 Hebrew tribes, who collectively controlled the Canaan region.

Some Hebrews are said to have settled in Egypt, where they were despised as foreigners. Over centuries, they began to be enslaved in Egypt. Moses is said to have rescued the Hebrews from Egypt and brought them back to Canaan, the Land of Israel. However there is no historical or archaeological evidence of Moses or the Exodus from Egypt.

Enter the Palestinians

The Jewish tribes thrived in the Land of Israel in Canaan. Then, around 1200 BC, began a major migration of Indo-Europeans that pushed some seafaring people into Mesopotamia and Anatolia/Asia Minor. Threatened by the invasion, the Egyptian Pharaoh Merneptah drove back the 'Sea People' as they called them. However, as the invasions continued, his successor Pharaoh Ramses III captured the whole region of Canaan up to the Plain of Jazreel in 1177 BC.

By 1100 BC, the Egyptian rule over Canaan ended and the Sea People were limited to five states - Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Gath and Ekron. These people came to be known as 'Philistine', a word that stood for people belonging to non-Hebrew tribes. The region inhabited by them was called Philistia - the precursor to modern Palestine.

The Philistines adopted the local culture of Canaan. Inter-marriages with Canaanites and diffusion of cultures took place till even their religions melded.

Philistia in Canaan comprised of five city-states (Pentapolis) - Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Gath and Ekron. Barring a brief Egyptian rule, the rest of the Canaan region was home to the 12 tribes of Israel. 

So Who Were the Philistines?

Where did the Philistines come from? After inspecting their language and scripts, historians believe that they were Greeks from the Aegean region - the mainland of Greece, Cyprus and Crete. They were driven from their lands with the collapse of the Mycenaean Civilization.

The Mycenaean Greece is where the Philistines are believed to have come from. After struggles against the Egyptians, they settled in five cities in Canaan. Their region was called Philistia, which became modern day Palestine. 

Now Begin the Israeli-Philistine Conflicts

Soon the Philistines started expanding their territories and tried to capture the homeland of Hebrew tribes. They drove the Hebrew tribe of Dan to the north. In 1050 BC, after a period of much strife, the Hebrew tribes, for the first time, joined forces and fought against the Philistines. They lost two consecutive battles and the Philistines threatened to take over their entire area. In this period of crisis, the Hebrew tribes chose a monarch to lead them all in battle. This leader was Saul, who forced the Philistines to withdraw from Hebrew territories in at least three battles.

But the star of Saul's battles was David, a court musician and shield bearer, who showed excellence and bravery on the battlefield. The story of David vs Goliath brought such fame to David that Saul started feeling threatened by him and conspired to kill him. David fled with his followers to the wilderness near Hebron in southern Canaan.

When David, the Hebrew shepherd, fought and killed the giant Philistine, Goliath, his fame rose higher than the King's. 

The Philistines attacked the Hebrews again, which led to a massive defeat of the Hebrews. Three sons of Saul were killed and Saul himself chose death by his own hand over capture by his enemies. Philistines took over the majority of Canaan.

The surviving fourth son of Saul, Eshbaal, battled with David to gain rule over the remaining Canaanite region. But David defeated him and became the king of Israel in 1050 BC. King David started his conquest and defeated even the Philistines. By the end of his rule in 965 BC, his empire is believed to have stretched to the Euphrates River.

King David of the Hebrews conquered the Philistines and created a large kingdom over the entire Canaan region and beyond.

David is said to have brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. It was a chest holding the Tablets of Stone with the Ten Commandments, held sacred by the Hebrews. His desire to build a temple housing the Ark was fulfilled by his son Solomon, who succeeded the throne. The Solomon Temple on Mount Zion became the centre of Jewish worship and led to strengthening of Judaism as a religion.

Wait... Philistines were not Muslims? Where was Islam then?

Islam does not enter the picture till the Middle Ages. We are still discussing ancient history, when Islam had not reached the status of a major religion yet. However, its story does begin at the same time as Judaism. Remember Ishmael, the elder son of Abraham? He was born to Hagar, the second wife of Abraham.

When Ishmael was 14 years old, Isaac was born to Sarah, Abraham's first wife. In order to ensure Isaac as the heir, Sarah urged Abraham to send Ishmael and Hagar away. The distressed Abraham was reassured by God that Ishmael would also make a nation. The next day, he left the two to roam in the wilderness of Beer-Sheba. Finally they settled in the Desert of Paran (said to be in the Kingdom of Hejaz around Mecca), where Hagar found an Egyptian bride for Ishmael. Ishmael had 12 sons, who became tribal chiefs and controlled the area from Assyria to the border of Egypt. They are believed to be the ancestors of the Arabs. Prophet Muhammad is also believed to be a direct descendant of Ishmael.

The attributed location of the Desert of Paran, where Ishmael and Hagar had settled.

But there was no known conflict between the Jews and Muslims of ancient times. Jews have had to face the persecution of rulers since before the Islamic conquest. [1]

Persecution? Hadn't the Jews just created a large kingdom?

After Solomon, King of the Jews, built the Temple of Jerusalem, Judaism and Jewish people prospered. But the good times were short-lived. Political differences developed among the people. Upon the death of Solomon in 931 BC, ten of the twelve tribes refused to accept the son of Solomon as their king. As a result, the kingdom was split into two parts. The northern part was called the Kingdom of Israel. The southern part was formed by the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, who remained loyal to the House of David and had the son of Solomon, Rehoboam, as the King. It was called the Kingdom of Judah/Judea.

About 200 years later, in 721-22 BC, the Kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Assyrians and the ten tribes of Israel were lost among the wave of Median (modern north-western Iran and south-east Turkey) and Persian (ancient Iranian) people brought into the captured region by the Assyrians.

The Assyrian Empire, at its height, stretched from Persia to Egypt. The Kingdom of Israel was taken over by the Assyrians as well. 

The Kingdom of Judea became a vassal state of Assyria and had to pay tributes. However, the Assyrian Empire was declining and Judea was made a vassal of Egypt with a puppet-ruler at Jerusalem. At the same time, the city of Babylon under the Akkadian Empire was rising in strength. In 612 BC, Nabopolassar of Babylon fought with the Assyrians for two years, which led to the end of the Assyrian Empire at the battleground in Haran. Judea started paying tribute to Babylon but soon revolted. This led to a Babylonian invasion under Nebuchadnezzar II (of the Hanging Gardens fame) in 605 BC. Jerusalem was besieged and many Hebrews were taken as hostages to Babylon.

The city of Babylon and the Hanging Gardens in the time of Nebuchadnezzar II, the greatest ruler of the Akkadian Empire, became the centre of civilization after the fall of the Assyrian Empire. 

In 586 BC, when Judea revolted again, Nebuchadnezzar II again attacked and besieged Jerusalem. This time, they completely burned and destroyed the city and the Temple. Not only that, he killed all the sons of the King of Judea, Zedekiah, and took him as prisoner along with thousands of Jewish hostages to Babylon. This was the end of the Kingdom of Judea as an independent country.

Thousands of Jews were exiled to Babylon. Many escaped to Egypt and other surrounding countries like Moab, Ammon and Edom. [2] 

After the destruction of Jerusalem, the capital of the Kingdom of Judea, thousands of Jews were taken as hostages to Babylon. 

The Babylonian Exile is a major event in the history of the Jews as it shaped much of the thinking and philosophy of Judaism. It is the start of the Jewish Diaspora - the trend of Jews living away from their native land.

The momentous event has been remembered in numerous songs since then. For an example, let's take Boney M, the famous music band of the disco era (Daddy Cool, Rasputin, Nightflight to Venus). Their song Rivers of Babylon, one of the few pop songs whose lyrics come directly from the Bible, was based on the Babylonian Exile of Jews. Listen to the song here. (Zion is another name for Jerusalem, derived from Mount Zion.)

Coming Up Next

The next part of this blog series will show the Jews returning to Jerusalem and entering into another conflict with Palestinians in a new avatar. The story will continue to the restoration of the Temple, the Roman and Islamic conquests, the Holy Crusades and Antisemitism in the modern world - all crucial events that lead to the formation of the State of Israel in 1948.

Read Part II... (coming soon)

gOLDen Charm

High adrenaline action. Heavy drama. Intense emotions. Power packed dialogues. Mind-boggling plots. Unexpected twists. Realistic CGI effects. An invincible hero. A sexy herione. All the ingredients of a blockbuster flick, isnt it?

But, you know, there used to be a time when movies could be simpler and yet be capable of touching our hearts. That was the time of the black-and-white and, later, the techicolor movies. That was the time when the same story could be re-packaged in different wrappers and still feel charming.

Yesterday I saw Singing in the Rain. This 1940's dance-musical starring Gene Kelly has inspires these thoughts in my mind again. These musical oldies, they are not technically advanced compared with today's digitally enhanced movies. You can easily recognise the fake trees in the set and the sunset painted in the background. Also the expressions of the actors could sometimes be over the top. Romance is overrated and over-performed. The fight sequences have obviously super-imposed punch sounds.

But it is the simplicity of these films that I find absolutely delightful. One look at Gene Kelly with his 100 watt smile, tilted hat and that glow on his face while dancing, it puts a smile on your face. And the music makes your spirits soar.

Why I Like Old Movies Reason#1: Gene Kelly's 100 watt smile

Yes, there definitely were movies that had a strong story line and plot. Like To Kill a Mocking Bird. Even without Gregory Peck's stellar performance, the movie would have gained appreciation for its story. Or drama ruled as in A Streetcar Named Desire or 12 Angry Men.

Why I Like Old Movies Reason#2: Strong story lines and intense drama 

But usually the movies had the same basic story line. (Still do!) In these movies, it was the actors who pulled the attention and admiration of the crowds. Bollywood is also a veteran in this. The emphasis is on the facial expressions and body language. The actors could hold the camera on their faces for lengthy dialogues and deliver all the emotion with just a flick of the eyebrows or a half smile. The shawl draped Gurudutt in Pyaasa just turning his head slowly tells you everything about the character's state of mind. In fact, whole songs could be filmed with the characters moving minimally. I remember Asha Parekh in a B/W movie, singing "Mann mera naache thirak thirak" and not moving from her place at all! No need for awesome dance moves, flashy costumes or dramatic locations. It seemed that some movies were made only for the songs. Like Kashmir Ki Kali, a song in every five minutes. Or the Elvis Presley movies. Some might even feel slow and dragged out. 

Why I Like Old Movies Reason#3: Emphasis on emotions

Speaking of slow movies, some people find the Western cowboys movies very slow, although I love this genre. There are a few minutes of just plain scenery. Desert and mountains. Slowly from far away come the sounds of horses' hooves. they come nearer and nearer. And they keep on coming. Then suddenly a single shot is fired. Tishhkeeaun! The sound echoes multiple times. Another shot is fired in return and a horse-riding guy is dead. Then comes The Man With No Name squinting under his hat and he ekes out a  signature line from the corner of his mouth. It is not the story but the attitude of this guy that is appealing.

Why I Like Old Movies Reason#4: Attitude of the heroes

In those times, it was also easier to make people laugh. The silly antics of the Tramp, Charlie Chaplin, left the crowd in splits. Although often the story felt like just a series of disjointed comic scenes as in Modern Times, there were some good ones too like The Circus. Some were masterpieces like The Great Dictator, handling serious issues with a pinch of simple slapstick humor. However, these movies might not inspire laughter in today's audience, who will wonder what is so funny in a guy falling headfirst into a barrel again and again. 

Why I Like Old Movies Reason#5: Simple comedies

I am not saying that today's movies are not good. They are good, and very much so. But they are a different story altogether. After all, they do say that Old is Gold. I will not refuse to watch a high-quality heart-racing action movie or an elaborately spun romantic drama. But when I want to have a smile on my face, I will switch on one of the oldies and just go singin' in the rain!

Pune

22nd March

An Alarming Holiday

My first foray into sci-fi adventure....

An Alarming Holiday

Monday was a holiday at office and it was raining heavily. That is what my TSR (Temporal Sleep Regulator) said. Although it is much more nowadays, sometimes I still call it my 'alarm clock'.

I waved my hand across it and it read my gesture to stop its ringing sound. Being a holiday, it had given me half an hour of extra sleep. I stretched myself and spoke out loud.
“Good morning everybody”

I was expecting a number of replies but was met with complete silence. That woke me up faster than the TSR. Something's wrong! 

Then I realized my earphones had fallen off. I quickly put them back on and was relieved to hear the familiar sound of radio static in my ears. I tuned them with soft touches to the right ear piece.  AD's voice greeted me.
“Wake up, sleepyhead!”
“Already am, buddy” I answered back into my collar mike.

I quickly put on my protective suit and checked the gauge for the oxygen levels outside. 
“Are they going to leave the oxygen blowers on the whole day today?” I asked AD on the mic. 
“Yeah, dude! Holidays are rare!”
“Awesome! Today is going to be legendary!” 

I carelessly flung the oxygen tube across my shoulders. Without putting on the oxygen mask, I pressed a switch beside my bed. A section of the front wall slid aside and I stepped out of my small oval chamber. I took a deep breath of air. Around me, people were coming out of their chambers without their oxygen masks too. We greeted each other over our mikes and I realized how fresh everybody felt today.

AD spotted me and waved. Soon, among the multitude, I could make out other friends of mine. Normally we would have moved toward the exit of our residential complex and trudged on our way to the office complex. But today was a holiday.

It’s not that I don’t like my office. I like my job of monitoring the temperatures, pressures and humidity levels of all the complexes. It is a very important job and the safety of nearly half the human population on this planet rests on my skills to fine tune the internal atmospheric conditions. But it is also a stressful job. A slight human error on my part could, in the worst case, cause a whole complex to explode! A holiday is much welcome once in a while. Today a substitute was doing my job while I spent a day cooling off. And I planned to spend the day at the activity complex.

The distance between our residential complex and the activity complex was hardly 500m. Along the way we also crossed the smaller complexes, each for different purposes. Farther off, I could see the personal residential complexes for the Governor of the Martian Colony and lower officials. But it took us much longer than usual to cross the distance because of the heavy acid rains. We covered ourselves fully with the protective suit to save ourselves from the rain as well as the naked radiation of the Sun. 

Farther off, I could see the personal residential complexes for the Governor of the Martian Colony and lower officials.

***

There had been a time when we had had no need for suits, masks and the domed complexes. That was when our race used to live on Earth, so long ago, that it was almost a myth. But it had been nearly 300 years since we had had to relocate to Mars. Earth was no longer able to support us. Our energy demands were escalating with the population and there was nothing we could do to reverse the effects of pollution and deforestation. All other species had already died out about 100 years before we had to move out. But the decision to relocate was not sudden. It took the loss of more than 80% of our entire population to persuade the remaining to finally use their technology for their own survival. They left behind their dying planet and built a new home here on Mars, the nearest rocky planet. 

Earth was no longer able to support us.

They built huge domed complexes within which they tried to recreate the same conditions as on Earth. And this time they were careful not to repeat their mistakes. Now all energy usage is recorded and regulated to avoid it from increasing. Population growth rate is so strictly controlled that for the last decade it has been almost zero. We have not been able to grow plants till now but artificial foods are serving us quite satisfactorily. We are the descendants of the survivors from the dead planet. We are living proof that humans can prevail in all conditions.

***

We entered the activity complex huffing from the short walk. After the customary antiseptic shower, we could remove our suits and masks and enjoy our time at the complex freely.

I was feeling hungry and so was AD. So we made a beeline for the Eatery. Breakfast was served from the automatic voice activated food dispensers. We gave our biometrics at one of the dispensers for our artificially created breakfast.

While eating the colored porridge-like stuff, we talked about what we could do next. I was all for jet-packing after seeing the number of people somersaulting in mid air over our heads. But AD wanted to watch the latest 4D movie. Just then a kid stumbled on our table while running over to the virtual playground on the other side. His parents ran behind him urging him to go slow. A group of teenagers from the next table rose and made their way noisily to the gaming zone. Some people were sitting relaxed on the benches in the virtual park.

We were still arguing when I felt the ground shake. At first I thought it was my imagination. But the shaking continued. AD felt it too. Soon the noise in the complex became hushed as everybody felt the shaking strengthen.

I knew what was happening. It was a Martian quake! Suddenly everybody started screaming and running around. AD and I tried to calm them down. The dome complex was designed to be able to withstand Martian quakes up to a Richter scale of 15. I was not at all worried about the dome’s structural stability. What I was worried about was my substitute at my place in the office. He was a young guy. He could be easily unnerved by such a quake, maybe enough to forget his training on how to manipulate the atmosphere so that it augments the dome’s strength.

Quickly I tuned my earphones to connect me to the substitute and shouted his name into the mike. But before he could reply, I heard an echoing sound that spread a chill to my heart. It was sound of the dome straining to hold itself while the quake increased in intensity. I looked up and around and could easily see the whole structure trembling. A nameless terror gripped me.

Just then the substitute’s voice filled my ears. He was literally screaming with panic and sounded on the verge of crying. My last fears were confirmed.

“I am sorry! I am so sorry! It was a mistake. I got scared and made a mistake in the settings. The pressure in all the complexes has dropped down. I didn’t mean it! It was just a difference of 0.02 atm! I am so sorry!

I didn’t say anything. I looked at AD and from his face, I knew that he had also heard what I had heard. The pressure is too low! The complex will not be able to stand this quake! The whole structure is going to implode upon us!

The warning sirens started ringing loudly and filled my ears. Around me, all I could see was all the people screaming, running and trying to get out of the complex at the same time. I looked up and I saw the spherical dome curving slowly inwards. The sirens continued to ring in my ears. Darkness spread around my eyes and I could see no more. All I could do was listen to the blasting sound of the sirens.

***

Trrrrriiinnng Trrrriiinnng Trrrriiinnng

I woke up with a frightened start. My alarm clock was ringing.

It took me few moments to realize that I had been dreaming. I was still on Earth!

Apparently I had fallen asleep, leaving all the lights and fans in my room switched on, the TV on, my laptop beside me with a Facebook chat window still blinking on it and the AC running. I silenced the alarm clock and looked at my phone. It was Monday and a holiday in office today. I pushed apart the window curtains slightly and saw that it was raining heavily. A happy smile spread on my face as I realized how rare such a day is. I yawned deeply, fluffed up my pillow and went back to sleep.

A happy smile spread on my face as I realized how rare such a day is.

-- Pune, August 31, 2011

Do You Believe in Miracles? - Part IV

I couldnt believe it! The impossible had just happened!

About two weeks ago, I had lost my wonderful Xperia to the crafty hands of a
thief. And here I was, standing in the light draizzle at twilight, holding my
Xperia in my trembling hands.

For a couple of moments, my mind went blank as I simply stared at the phone
encased in the leather cover. I slowly removed the phone from the case and
all the questions started flooding my brain. Finally managing to sort them
out, I asked the guy,
'K-kahan se mila?'

And the man told me the incredible story of some guy, apparently an unknown
colloegue of mine, who took my unattended phone from my desk with all the
good intentions of returning it back to me the next day. But for some
reasons, he couldn't come to office itself. And today, he was leaving the
company. So he gave the phone to this fellow standing in front of me and
told him to give it to me.

Now, as I think back, I can say that this story was phony without a doubt.
Just looking at guy's face as he narrrated this fictional account, I should
have realised that.

But I wasn't looking at his face. I was still staring at my phone, turning
it around this way and that. And I wasn't even listening to him properly. My
brain was too busy checking out the phone and determining that it really was
my very own Xperia.

Just then a piece of paper fell out of the leather cover. I picked it up and
unfolded it. Inside was written a small note.
'Aapne jo FIR ki hai, wo wapis le lijiye please'
A mobile number followed.

I asked the man a few more questions without really following the answers
and then thanked him and let him go. I too continued on my way to the bus
bay.

But now it felt I was walking in a dream!  I held my precious Xperia in my
hand gingerly as though it were a delicate ice crystal that would soon melt
away. A wondrous smile spread on my face. My step was light and springy.
As I sat in my bus, I felt like shouting out to the fellow passengers with
delight,
'Hallelujah! It's a miracle, folks!'


EPILOGUE:

My Xperia was returned without a scratch but the memory card was missing and
there were signs of it having been used by the thief.

The mobile number written in the note turned out to belong to a member of
the Pune Crime Branch, who informed me that the thief was from the
housekeeping staff in our office.

-- Pune, July 8, 2011

Do You Believe in Miracles - Part III

It had been more than two weeks since my unfortunate incident. Filing FIRs and contacting people claiming to track my stolen Xperia X10 Mini Pro were already things of the past. Having lost almost all hopes of holding my beautiful phone again, I had tried drowning my grief in the deluge of work.

It was my hope that time will remain true to its fame and will leave me with
only a vague memory of the brief moments I spent in the glory of my Xperia.

It was one such evening when I was walking back to the bus bay after swiping
out 9.15 hours of my day to the service of my company. Minding my own
business, lost in my own distracted thoughts, contemplating on all matters
under the sun except my Xperia, I had almost reached the bus bay.

Suddenly, a voice broke through my hazy thoughts.
'Madam!'

Now the voice could have been addressing anybody in the milling crowd around
me. But it is an interesting instinct in people to answer to a general
address. And so I looked back to see the origin of the voice.

And I saw a man.

It was clear that he was a staff member. I looked at him questioningly. He
said,
'Madam, aapka phone.'

And just like that, out of the utter blue, I suddenly found my precious
Xperia in my hands!

--Pune, July 8, 2011

Do You Believe in Miracles? (Part II)

Do you know how it feels when you lose your phone?

It feels as though you are marooned on a lost island in the middle of an ocean. No way to talk to people. Out of touch with civilization. Away from technological conveniences.

It feels as though you have been apparated to an unknown land all of a sudden. One moment you are talking to family and friends, and suddenly you are so far from them. The distances become real and every kilometer makes its presence felt.

It feels as though you are stuck in traffic. The frustration of wanting to do something, but being unable to. The urge to do something with your hands while waiting but having nothing for it.

It feels like when you forgot your wallet at home. You have to depend on others’ phones to make important calls.

It feels as though you are marooned on a lost island in the middle of an ocean.

Do you know what it is to lose your Android smartphone?

You have gotten used to the 24 hour internet access. The regular FB updates. Being online and available all the time. The dozen apps to pass the time when there’s nothing to do.

It feels like suddenly pulling the brakes down hard while speeding down the expressway.

Without the phone, you are feeling the strongest emotions of loss, sorrow, anger and frustration. A genuine moment for a FB status update. But you can’t do that.

You want to look something up urgently. You want to check your mail. But you can’t do that.

You need to talk to somebody and think of catching them online at that time. But you can’t do that.

You are at a new place and not sure of where to go. You want to use the navigation tool to direct you. But you can’t do that.

It feels like suddenly pulling the brakes down hard while speeding down the expressway.

Do you know how it feels to lose a birthday gift from home?

It feels as though your guts are being wrenched out. It feels like when you accidentally stepped on your favorite toy. Sad, guilty, angry at yourself. You want to blame somebody and beat that person up. But that somebody is none other than you. Your insides writhe as strong sentiments rage under your chest. Your mind is in turmoil.

It feels like when you accidentally stepped on your favorite toy.

Add all these up together and you will know how it feels to lose your Xperia Andriod smartphone gifted to you by your parents and sister.

Do You Believe in Miracles? (Part III)

-- Pune, June 5, 2011

Do You Believe in Miracles? (Part I)

A tragedy had befallen me! A calamity so grave that it undermined the misfortunes any ten people in the world might face in their lifetimes! A mishap that plunged me into the dark shadows where voices are silenced and words don’t travel far!

My phone was stolen!

And it was not just a phone… It was Sony Xperia X10 Mini Pro! My first Android smartphone with a smooth touch feature, qwerty keypad and an awesome 5MP camera.

And it was not just any Xperia… It was a birthday gift from home! A beautiful amazing cool phone!

 It was not just a phone… It was Sony Xperia X10 Mini Pro!

This was the phone that was stolen right from my office desk. My office desk! From my cubicle left empty when I was working late, my Xperia was gone! Gone, vanished, disappeared, lost, STOLEN!

Whoever first talked about Monday blues must have been through the same!!

-- Pune, June 3, 2011