 By Samir Shukla
We are in the Canadian Rockies. It is mid-August. The paper maps of the national parks we are visiting, Banff and Jasper, give a sense of place that the GPS on our rented car simply can’t duplicate. Our love of national parks has brought us to western Canada for this summer trip. After exploring many areas and the stunning scenery of Banff, we are standing on a glacier in the Columbia Ice Fields near Jasper National Park, a twin park to the more famous Banff. It’s cold. The temperature is probably around 45 degrees but feels much colder as the wind is kicking, swooshing down the mountain, bouncing off the ice and making the air feel thinner. Just a half hour earlier, before the ride up here (on a tank-like ice explorer with giant wheels), we were about half a mile down the mountain in sunny 75 degrees.  By Samir Shukla
On a recent fall day, while pondering my place in the grand cosmos, sitting outside a fast-food joint munching on hot French Fries, I started thinking about the philosophical nature, the simple goodness and multi-purpose usage of that all-American vegetable. Ketchup. The ultimate flexible condiment. It goes with anything. We eat it with our sandwiches and fries and countless other foods as well as with some of our favorite Indian dishes. It is chutney when chutney is missing. Dip a piece of hot onion naan or dhokla or a samosa into ketchup and plop it into your mouth. The stars will look brighter.  By Samir Shukla
During an early November trip to the Florida Keys, while wading in knee-deep blue water, I gazed at the schools of tiny fish hovering around my legs, quickly swimming away at the slightest movement I made. In the distance I spotted a floppy pelican dive into the water and emerge with a mouth full of fish and salty water. I thought of the billions and billions, maybe trillions, of creatures lurking in the seas and bodies of waters around the globe. Of course, I’m only talking about those visible to our eyes, forget about the microscopic life forms. It is an unfathomable number.  By Samir Shukla
My brain is becoming a square sheet of paper trying to fit into the round holes of digital whirlwinds. It’s a slow-motion stroll battling the roller coasters of our mind-numbing digital world, continually held like some glowing priceless metal in the palms of our hands. This madness afflicts all. It spares no one. I have recently increased my efforts to imprint memories directly on my brain, rather than turning them into binary abstractions on a hand-held device. The endless collection of data, photos, videos, apps, is a runaway train looking to slow down  By Samir Shukla
I often wonder what drives people to run for political office. Some are idealistic, some are seeking power, some like the notoriety, while some genuinely want to help make a difference in people’s lives and help guide the direction of the country. People running for office can range from naively honest to pathological liars, with each candidate stacked somewhere in between those bookends. Extra thick skin is requisite for anyone even thinking about running for office. One thing is for sure. Many more good people would seek office via elections if the endeavor had not become so degrading. |
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