Sandhosh Kumar - An adventurer, who did not exist for me until today...

Monday, June 14, 2010 11 Comments



There are few channels, I would love to watch, when Mom/Ani/Suresh have the heart to unglue themselves from the television set and hand over the remote control to me. Today was one such day, when I got to watch NDTV Hindu.  The reporter/journalist hidden inside me, loves Jennifer Arul and her shows.

Jeniffer is one step above her peers.  With her warm smile and easy to talk to nature, she is an expert in bringing out the best from anyone. A keen listener, she picks her questions from the answers of the person whom she interviews.  The continuity is simply amazing.  When you complete watching her show, you can be assured of knowing the celebrity inside out.  What more! Her's is always a honest show, artificiality never creeps in.

Today, I watched her in NDTV Hindu, "We Connect". Jennifer met Sandhosh Kumar, an adventurer, who was born in Pondicherry, did his schooling in Chennai and currently living in Singapore.  He gave up his lucrative career as a Banker, for taking up the challenge of climbing Mt. Everest, with a noble cause attached to it.

In his words, "I attempt to reach the highest point in the world to raise funds and awareness for the prevention of child sex abuse in India." Child sex abuse, prevalent widely is not taken very seriously in India, is what Sandhosh feels.

He shared the challenges he faced while climbing, Mt. Everest and on how he overcame them.  His love for mountains is obvious and very infectious.

Now! There! something Viji and Sandhosh share. It's love for Tibet :)

Ah! there is another thing, though I don't have anyone in my family who climbed Mt. Everest, my dad is an artist and his first caricature was on Mt. Everest.  When my Dad was 14, (the year is 1953) he drew a cartoon on Hillary and Tenzing's successful mission on climbing the Mt. Everest.

The joke got published in a Tamil Magazine, where a Woman, standing at the bottom of the stairs, calls out to her husband, who was sitting on the first floor, to share the news.

Wife: "Darling, Hillary and Tenzing succeeded in climbing Mt.Everest.
Husband: Hey! Common let me read the news too... pass on the newspaper, please...
Wife: Sorry, Dear! I can't climb the stairs.

A clean joke, from a 14 year old boy.  When I read it now, am not sure if it's a great joke, but when he sketched it again for me it was funny and I loved it.

It would be really great, if we can support the cause too.  Try out the links and if you are convinced, then extend your helping hands.

A very practical and down to earth guy, he told Jennifer, that mountaineering is not a career for him.  He loves it as a sport and being quite an expensive hobby, he would want to work and also pursue his dreams on doing his MBA from the prestigious Kelloggs University in the US.

Congrats! Sandhosh. All the very best to you!

All the best to me too! My dream is to go to Tibet and trust me when I say that, I try hard to equip myself in achieving this goal of mine by climbing three flight of stairs every day to go to Atlas - my office gym, exercise for 15 mts and I climb down the stairs, on my way back too.  That's what I would call an inclination and zest to achieve things. Bravo! Viji... You will do it, one day or other!

Viji

Some say he’s half man half fish, others say he’s more of a seventy/thirty split. Either way he’s a fishy bastard. Google

11 Candles:

Opaque said...

Thanks for sharing this.

Viji said...

My pleasure, Ajey... thanks to you too.

Sandhosh said...

Thanks for the nice post and Good luck with your pursuit to go to Tibet.

Please visit www.millionpledges.com and take your pledge against child sexual abuse. Keep spreading the word.

Thanks

Unknown said...

thanks viji...interviewing Sandhosh was most interesting. Appreciate your comments too.
jennifer arul

Harsha said...

c'mon Viji.. u can do it.. u can climb Mt. Everest.. u r just short of 20260 ft. from the Atlas gym..

Viji said...

@ Sandhosh Thanks for dropping in... I will definitely take pledge against child sex abuse and would definitely do, what best I can.
@Jennifer :) simply adore you... think you know that already :) Yes! he is a great guy!

Viji said...

@ Harsha ha ha....I am not talking about climbing to Tibet, planning to commute. Common! I do know my limitations! But, I will definitely go there, want to be there for a month minimum. I even have a friend who is willing to go with me. Will do it. Definitely do it.

Hey gud to hear that this person is from pondy(me too from pondy)...

Why dont u scan ur dad's cartoons and treat us visually..

Then forget about atlas or volleyball, u r going to remain the same as always -:)

Viji said...

@Devs As I told you, my dad stopped doing caricatures/cartoons long back... he does sketches, paintings. will scan and add them soon. Trust me, they are precious... too good to be true.. am damn proud of him :) check out my FB photos section, for his sketches in Ramayana.

Hari said...

That was really a very good joke from your dad! Not characteristic of a 14 yr old boy. Very matured and subtle. Thanks for the joke.

Viji said...

thanks hari :)

wisdom comes with experience

At one, I learnt crawling was fun. At forty one, I still feel crawling is fun #blamemykneesnotme