Three Things we did not do at #BNLF

Road to Dehradun, was to lead us to the #VOW and #BNLF-2 the feeling was like going to the platform 9 ¾ or some adventure.

The amazing experience at #BNLF1 evoked an amazing sense of anticipation, and excitement.

The menu also sounded interesting.

· The shivalik trek

· The blogger street

· Blog to book.

· Share the blog world

· Indiblogger awards.

· Keynote speeches.

When we did arrive of course it was fun, returning to the tribe. The Black T-shirt proclaiming our blogger status. As we registered, we were given our pouches, which had the brochure of the events and of course the coupons. The fact that we were not part of #VoW but we were co-valent event hit us on the face. The feeling was that we were on dole.

Of course indicrew did do lot of trouble shooting, which was nice. Dr,Shashidhar Sharma tried his best to make us comfortable. He was like the person undergoing Gothic torture in Asterix and the Goths. Remember the image where the horses pull a person in four different directions? We had overlooked that bureaucrats do not delegate and bloggers voice vocally.

We had to pitch to do the Keynote speech as brand ambassadors of blogging… a brand ambassador is a celebrity, who is paid to endorse or promote a particular company’s product or service. Which was the precise reason I had not pitched for it. I neither knew the audience or the exact product to be promoted, for me blogging is a passion.

Blogger street was listed, I was to keep books there. Thanks to the 15kgs ceiling for domestic flights I had to shelve the idea. Though why I did not think of having the books carted I do not know. Anyway, I was looking forward to this alley, or even a patli gali, where the bloggers would share their blogs to book stuff, and maybe other stuff too. unfortunately it was situated in Diagon Alley , and I, did not know the chant to open it. “Alohomora” did not work, the result was that we did not saunter in the blogger’s street.

Of course neither did we see the Tibetan dance, did you ask why well it was not performed.

Thankfully the Shivalik Trek was called off, else I wondered how I would do it with a limp. We were given a consolation prize the Rusty Walk… I call it consolation because we did see, closed building behind high walls, and closed doors. It was not like walking through Teen Murti Bhavan. Mr.Ohri our guide made it interesting with anecdotes from Ruskin Bond’s life. He actually got us the visual of Dehradun of the Raj days.

Again we were at loose ends till 8.30, somehow felt like when the cats are away the mice play.

Evening was the Indiblogger awards Mr.Sid Balakrishna I hope I got the name right was the only one who received his award. As for the many other catagories, the awards were not declared. Either that or I was too zoomed out to hear them. 2.am after a aborted profound discussion on astrology we returned.

I do not regret not doing any of the above, what I do regret is not accompanying Arvi when he went to the forest department museum or not going with Gautam to the Maggie point. oh! yes I absolutely missed clicking some wonderful pictures, of the blogger standee’s, the Mini Metro’s of Dehradun and the traditional rice processing at the way to the valley.

#Vow What a disenchantment.