LIFE AS IT IS

I never went fishing in my life, not until May 2011. But for people who reside in the U.S. state of Minnesota, fishing is a favourite recreation. In a state where more than 10,000 lakes and the mighty Mississippi flow, it is only natural that people buy hooks and baits and drive to a lake or river to fish. We have been living in Minnesota for nearly three years now, so my husband and I thought it was perhaps time we too tried our luck in fishing. Our acquaintances also fuelled our interest by saying that few things are as delicious as pan-fried freshly caught fish. The first thing we needed was a fishing license, so we got one from the local Walmart store for $18. It is illegal to fish without a license! We purchased only one license, because I was not sure how much I would really enjoy fishing. I thought that I should perhaps begin with helping my husband as he angled. On one sunny afternoon of summer we went to the Mississippi River with our brand new fishing rod, white

Riding a car when nature's wrath is taking its toll can be ominous - one may fall into debilitating injuries or lose one's life even. But it is an amazing scene to behold when a tornado hits a town. One can fully realise how powerless one is to nature's fury. One can do nothing, nothing at all. Our car was on an interstate highway in Albertville, Minnesota when nature hid us under a grey lid. It was a shade I never beheld before. One could sense the looming tornado's rage from it. A straight white line ran across the sky - it seemed the heaven was waiting to crack open on us. We took the next available exit and parked the car in the compounds of a convenience store that also offered self-service gasoline. It felt safe there, although the sky by then had put on a deeper hue of grey. The sunny afternoon transformed into a menacing moonless night. The downpour began in less than a minute. Stuck inside a car, I looked outside the window. The torrential rain made my sur