The Albatross and his side kick

Long Beach
The Albatross and his acquired side kick; made strange companions, as they dive in the Pacific bay for their daily meal. As the Albatross would rise up and dive in to fish or skim along the waters seeking his prey; the much smaller side kick would cheer him on, and follow and dive along with him. It was a friendship of convenience; as whenever the albatross claimed a prize, the sidekick would nudge in and claim his piece of the treasure. A flock of teals (?) also arrive swimming up the estuary; and they dive for over twenty seconds each swimming under water, to claim their prize from the school of fish that they are following. The sea gulls cry out and dip in too, and then there are the white diving birds, that fly high and scoop into the water and claim their share. The Chinese fisherman casts his twin lines from the rocks on the shore; as the Los Angeles River flows into the ocean, under the overhead bridges. I walked along the shore and the ocean breeze seemed to talk to my very soul; as the Catalina express catamaran, takes the travelers for their pleaasure trip, to the nature preserve over the horizon.
The sail boats are out in the glorious sunshine and their white sails stand out against the blue horizon, as they are carried along by the wind to their destination. The waters are calm in the harbor and the sailing is just nudged by the motor boats plying the bay, and their wake leaves a trail and the waves spread out from their path. I look across the water and see the lighthouse standing tall over the marina, and the buildings and the palm trees line the shoreline view. It is warm enough to go swimming and I decide to take to the heated outdoor pool for a swim, at the hotel overlooking the beautiful view. Beyond the haze the mountains rise and beyond them lay the dry lands and then the dessert of Death Valley. My coworkers have driven off to Phoenix; and then to view the Grand Canyon and finally to sleep in sleepless Las Vegas, before returning back to Long Beach for the grind of the week ahead.
My restless spirit is not interested in the long road trips; as what I seek is not out there, but is somewhere here with me. Last night we were at Second Avenue enjoying some Sushi; as we waited for AT&T to have the time, for the acquisition of an iPhone for one of our group. There were some exotic cars and beautiful people, as after all this is California and the love of the automobile is best portrayed here in the convertibles; that lined the streets along the fancy restaurants. The display of tablets, phones and electronic gadgets is mesmerizing as the world is at your fingertips; if you can just afford the data plan and high resolution screens, which beam social media at you in an unending stream. I browse the Samsung’s, Apples , Windows and other phones and tablets; and am severely tempted by the instant access to all that is available, on today’s world wide web.
Information, Information everywhere, but not an iota of knowledge to think. Information, information everywhere and all the minds did shrink. I know not what I seek; but this overload of information will only divert me from my quest, so I pass on the two year plans and these devices that draw us in are left on the shelf, to beckon to another thirsty browser. In all the myriad data bases; with trillions of data bytes, is buried the mystery of this universe and life. The albatross of parting from this great opportunity on Dhanteeras; hangs heavy around my neck, as these are the vessels of our new age and what better time to buy one than today, as the GPS guides us back to our respective abodes. I feel that the albatross is the endless ocean of information stretching before me, and I am his side kick searching his scraps for knowledge. Facetime, Google hangouts, video chats all connect us now, and what’s up is not a phrase anymore; and my LA woman is immersed in her phone, and the Hollywood Bungalow is just another hot spot, to connect me to her fantasies.
It is just another Diwali in the City of Lights and I will celebrate it, as I know deep down that tomorrow will be a better day for all of us. I plan to go down to the Queen Mary; and watch the fire eaters and the fireworks on this fateful night when good will surely triumph over evil. The colored lights on the white walls of the Maya Resort will become the dispellers of darkness surrounding my soul, and the lights on the palm trees along the walkway will be the path of Ram returning to his rightful throne. Lakshmi will give freely to bless the needy, and Ganesh will bring felicitations and hope to the weary. I feel blessed even though I am alone for I know my family is safe, healthy and on their way to wealth. The festival of lights, in the city of lights, is a grand celebration this year; and my best wishes go out to all my near and dear ones, for hope still lives!

This entry was posted in Life is valuable, Nature, Technology by Rajiv Kapoor. Bookmark the permalink.

About Rajiv Kapoor

Rajiv Kapoor was born in New Delhi. He was educated by the Jesuits at St Xavier’s, and graduated with Honors, from The University of Delhi. Rajiv Kapoor did his MBA in International Business from Penn State and is now settled in the US. He has traveled across most states of India, when he was working on modernization of Rice Mills, and understands their diverse culture and history. This book is a historical fiction, dedicated to his city of birth. His extensive research dives deep into a critical moment, in India’s long history, for his latest Historical Thriller “The Peacock Throne Wars”..

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