Finding the Heroes of Apollo 11 in the Neighbourhood of Hollywood Stars

Standing at the southeast corner of Hollywood and Vine on a cold Sunday night I looked up into the bluish dark sky. This vast expanse has intrigued me since my childhood, much more than any material object. My enthusiastic eyes scanned the visible portion of that infinite canvas. The nearby buildings appeared as an imposing hindrance to my search. Wishing to get a glimpse of our silvery celestial neighbour I guided my gaze towards the Hollywood/Vine Station and found the full moon shining from above the Pantages Theatre. I devoured its eternal splendour that has inspired many sleepless nights and witnessed the composition of numerous beautiful poems through the ages.

Slowly and silently that familiar milky glow surrounded me. It grew thicker as it covered me completely. Sounds from the roads and sidewalks became faint and gradually silence prevailed. With my face planted skywards I welcomed the unprecedented magical occurrence and closed my eyes softly. An anxious shallow breath did not break the spell. In the next moment a sensation of weightlessness emanated from the bottom of my stomach and spread across my body with a surge. Stretching my arms like the wings of a bird I embarked on a seemingly aerial journey.

After an incomprehensible gap, which I cannot recall as a long one or short one, my body regained the gravitational pull and I slowed down. I landed on some sort of hard surface. My bare feet could feel its rough and dusty texture which was devoid of warmth. In that quiet atmosphere my heart skipped a beat. Putting my hands down I slowly lifted my eyelids. The same full moon had adorned the sky. But the nearby buildings were missing! The sky had become visibly wider. Looking around I was delighted to realize that it was my hometown, halfway around the globe from Los Angeles. Far away the twelve hills, called Baara Paahaad in local terms, were guarding the southwestern horizon. Much closer, in the western direction the railway station at Khetrajpur was claiming its location with its tall lampposts emitting bright amber light in the dark landscape of this hilly town.

I was standing alone in the common open space on the second floor of the building where my family stayed in the late 80s. Those were my primary schooldays. Whenever the power went off in the evenings we all the seven kids from the three families staying on that floor would assemble and this open space would transform into a grand stage for sharing our imaginations, experiences and ideas. Looking at my body I noticed that I was my 9-year-old self. I was thrilled to the idea of living my past.

A book was there in my left hand! I was in a short-sleeved light grey t-shirt and dark blue shorts. Early in the evening my father had brought me this new textbook which he got from a bookshop at Gole Bazaar - the main shopping area in my hometown. That evening will remain unforgettable till the end of my life.

As soon as my father showed me that book I grabbed it eagerly and entered our bedroom. It was my science textbook for Class IV. Lying in the bed I turned its colourful front cover. Fragrance of that crisp white pages filled the air. Everybody loves this smell. It invigorates the readers and tickles their grey cells. Human nose has a very special love affair with new books.

Source: nasa.gov

The fourth page after the table of contents carried three photos in shades of black and white and no text. In the photo on the top left side of the page a person was in a sophisticated bulky white suit. His face was hiding behind the dark glass of his large white helmet. Like a mirror that glass was reflecting the front scene vividly. A huge rectangular white rucksack was hanging from his shoulders. Only his gloves were not white. He was standing with his legs apart on a bumpy barren land against a pitch dark background.

Source: nasa.gov

The photo on the top right side had a person in a similar kind of white suit who was facing away from the camera and holding the bars of an inclined ladder attached to a never-seen-before enormous machine. In that nondescript lifeless terrain that massive structure had cast its shadow on him. Third photo displayed a desolate ground with no greenery and in the distant sky the shiny half moon was hanging alone.

A glance through the small paragraphs of Chapter 1 in the facing page informed me that those were the photos of the historic Apollo 11 moon landing and in the last photo it was actually our earth seen from the moon! I had heard unlearned discussions on this epoch-making lunar odyssey during informal social gatherings, but never before had I seen its images.

Source: nasa.gov

For me, then a 9-year-old school-going kid in the pre-Internet era those nonglossy bichrome pictures were the most precious possessions. My eyes remained glued to the testimonies of mankind's giant leap at Sea of Tranquility. Placing my forearms in an erect position my head rested in my palms and I tried to visualize that extraordinary moment of July 21, 1969.

Long before I started going to school my grandmother had introduced this only big object in the night sky to me as Janha Maamu. This lovely name literally translates into moon uncle. In those years I was wondering where does the moon go in the daytime. My friend Amiya used to say, "When the sun rises in the morning the moon jumps down and hides behind the Brooks Hill. At dusk he walks uphill, slowly climbs the rungs of the second tower, then flexes his muscles and flings himself into the dark mysterious sky."

Brooks Hill is located on the eastern outskirts of my hometown Sambalpur. Two towers are installed at the hilltop - the slender one on the left is a TV tower and the second one with a wide base is a microwave tower.

I read further and my textbook revealed that our beloved Janha Maamu is 384,400 km (238,855 miles) away from us! I was amazed to imagine the distance Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins had to travel to imprint the first footmark on the alluring lunar surface. After a thoughtful moment I picked my new book and spontaneously ran to the open space to view the enticing moon.

Standing at the same place since I landed there I was recalling all that had happened so far in the evening. Before I could think what to do next everything started shaking convulsively. Feeling dizzy I squeezed my eyes shut. I could hear my wife calling me. She shook me out from my distant past. I heaved a sigh of relief when I found myself standing at the same corner of Hollywood and Vine.

Heroes of Apollo 11 on Hollywood Walk of Fame

Some time back my wife and I had come out of the Hollywood/Vine Station and started walking towards the Hollywood & Highland Center. When we reached at this corner I was pleasantly surprised to find the heroes of Apollo 11 on this star-studded path.

Unlike the other occupants on Walk of Fame Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins are accorded moons! At each corner of Hollywood and Vine a full moon is decorated with their names. These four moons are brass-rimmed silver and grey terrazzo. This famous intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street is also known as Bob Hope Square.

A Lady from the Birthplace of Chewing Gum

She smiled. In this 21st century people have almost forgotten this beautiful language. Our office calendars demand all the 24 hours of the day. To-Do lists have become longer than the traffic. Stress has pervaded all the aspects of our society. But she is like an island, far away from the worldly worries. She must be in her forties. Her joyful demeanour can win a million hearts.

I had been to the Ralphs on N. San Fernando Blvd with my wife. We met this wonderful lady at counter number 6. She gave my wife an affectionate look. Ralphs is near to my apartment, so my wife gets vegetables from here always. She has seen my wife many times. When she was scanning the things we had brought to the counter she told me, "I was thinking your wife is a college student. She looks so young! That's why few days back I asked her if she was on vacation."

My wife blushed, covering her mouth with her palms. "No. Last year we got married." I said gladly.

"It's confusing - Here they call it a high school what we call a college." she said while putting our purchases in the plastic bags.

"Yeah."

I had the same confusion. It's a strange system for me too.

I swiped my credit card to pay and said, "We are from India. Where are you from?"

"I'm from Belize."

"I'm sorry. You are from?"

"Belize. In Central America. It's a small, but beautiful country."

To be sure I had to ask her twice. Never had I read or heard about that country. The world never stops surprising a quiz enthusiast.

Source: Wikipedia

"How do you spell it?"

She spelt the name clearly. We picked the plastic bags and said "good night" to her.

We were nearing the exit.  At that time I could hear her loving voice; she said bit loudly, "Tell her to keep looking beautiful."

That made me grin widely. I turned and said, "Sure."

We reached home in ten minutes. I was curious to read about Belize. It was not just my interest in quizzes. Sometimes few people cross our paths and their zest for life fascinates us, inspires us to learn new things, see things differently and think differently. I opened my laptop with excitement and searched on the Net.

Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official language. 70 k.m. (43.5 miles) off the coast of Belize City, the largest city in this country, lies an underwater cave in the Lighthouse Reef - It's the Great Blue Hole; ranked as the most amazing place on earth by Discovery Channel in 2012.

And now this interesting fact about Belize will 'stick' to your memory for ever - It's the birthplace of chewing gum!

A Gun that Doesn't Kill: Non-violence Sculpture (the Knotted Gun)

90 more minutes for the fabled show to start. My watch told me so. Standing outside the Grand Central on the East 42nd Street I looked at the Pershing Square Plaza. A group of people had gathered there. A young man from the group told me that they were shooting a scene for a Hollywood movie.

It was a beautiful sunny day. People were out on the streets. New York City was in weekend mood. A printout of the map of Manhattan was rolled in my hand. When I saw that map I discovered a famous landmark nearby - the United Nations headquarters. Without a second thought I followed the direction. I had printed it along with the online ticket for the show. 

A nearby traffic board on the pavement caught my attention.

The board said, "No standing. Except vehicles with Consul - C, Diplomat A & D license plates."

Oh, yes! I'm in the vicinity of an important location in the world - the U.N. headquarters. I've read about this building in my text books, I've seen it so many times on the TV channels and now I'm going to see it in person.

A lady told, "United Nations building is round this corner". I saw her few blocks before and had asked her the way to the U.N. office. We talked as we walked together.

"I'm going to see a Broadway musical today", I told.

"Oh, it must be quite expensive. Once upon a time I was watching those plays. Now most of the regular audience have stopped going there. The price of the ticket is increased a lot." She paused for a while as if she went back to those gone days and then asked, "Which one are you going to see?"

"Wicked. My colleague suggested me."

"How will you go to the theater from the U.N. building?"

"I'll take a taxi."

"Where are you from?"

"I'm from India and I stay in Stamford."

"Oh, you stay far away in California?"

"No... no. Not Stanford. It's Stamford in Connecticut." I have had to clarify this to many people since I relocated to this small city. I had repeated a similar explanation when I was in Chennai. People were mistaking my hometown Sambalpur for the infamous Chambal valley!

We reached at this traffic board. She took the nearby steps, but not before wishing me a good day. I thanked her, took this photo and turned at the next left. After walking for some meters I saw the back side of the U.N. headquarters. The building was being renovated. Few steps further I found the visitors' entrance. A security guard told me the visitor's pass must be purchased to see the front.

The long queue for the pass disappointed me. I turned back to go out and find a taxi. Why the queue is always long when we have less time! I walked few feet and stopped suddenly. There... in front of me was this very strange thing.

Non-Violence a.k.a. Knotted Gun

Quite unique and intriguing! It holds the whole history of human civilization in its twist. Violence has no role in the scheme of a new world order.

A gift from the Luxembourg government has got its well-deserved place. Artist Carl Fredrick Reuterswärd was very upset when he knew that his friend John Lennon was shot and killed. An artist expresses his emotions through his creations. To condemn this violence he started his 'Non-Violence Project'. And this thought-provoking 'Knotted Gun' was born. Its message is so profound that it has inspired my first blog post.

Non-Violence a.k.a. Knotted Gun

This gun immortalizes the artist whose name is etched on its pedestal. The name is visible in this second photo.

My watch reminded me that I had to go to the Gershwin theatre. I took a taxi. After half an hour the 'play-full' evening unfolded the world of imagination on the stage!