Boss, Dosth, Psst Psst or Rosario !!!

After a long time, I had an interesting time yesterday. A colleague had come home in the evening and we ended up having dinner together. This was the first time I had actually bonded with someone outside office (in my current workplace) and it was really good.

We spoke about a lot of healthy (literally healthy) stuff. It was a long wait at the restaurant and finally when we got a place to sit, I was really hungry. When the waiter came to take our order, the first thing my colleague asked him was his name. I raised my eyebrows, wondering why he was doing that. And thereafter he addressed the waiter by his name "Rosario".

He explained that anyway these people are not treated properly. This is something that he could do from his end. He also told me that he has quite a few friends who are pursuing Hotel Management and how they feel when they are addressed as "shhhh" or "Boss".

Although I have always thanked them whenever they served me something, this was one small thing I had never thought of. A true learning for the day.

And the service to our table was really quick, for I could see the Rosario was also quite happy and smiling. Although we did not leave a generous tip (40 odd rupees), he thanked us and the smile was truly genuine. It sure warmed my heart and my colleague rose up a few notches in my mind.

Wats wid de english?

Ah.. I am sure most of you would relate to the subject line. I just wonder why people cannot type the complete words when they are chatting / emailing. I do understand when it is an SMS when you are running short of the number of characters you are allowed to type.

English has taken a whole new avatar, with the advent of the SMS lingo. Now, all I can see is people saying they will "cum"to lunch, oh how much my friend and I laughed. I am not sure if they use it on purpose or it is just a "habit", but then, meaning of such sentences are sure to evoke laughter and many a time, start a thought process.

I do know someone who buzzes me on chat to tell me "cum to me". Eh ! cum to me? No I dont want to cum to you.. please.... what kind of statement is that? If you want me there, you can as well say "Can you please come here?"

I got this email yesterday "v hav r bus @ 6:30. dats y v stay bk till thn". I just wondered if this was meant to be typed as an SMS or an email. I had a tough time typing this out here, for I think spelling a word in its correct form is easier than using the weird lingo.

Someone said the other day "I dun think dis s crct". I, for a second, read that as something discreet. Eh, so much for short forms.

Looks like this form of English is here to stay, but am sorry, I cannot accept and understand this. Request all of you who email me / chat with me, to write proper English...

I dun thnk I cn say nethng else. :P

Reliance Fresh - Cheating??

I am regular shopper in the Reliance Fresh store in Dhole Patil Road, Pune. I must have shopped there for over a 50 times. I normally do not check the bill except to see if all items that I have bought have been billed and any extra item has not been added. I do not check the total amount.

Recently, when I went to the Subiksha store in Nigidi, my aunt and I realized the bill amount was something like Rs 105.50 while he charged us Rs 106. So we went back and got the change. After that, I had decided to check my bills in the Reliance store too and I was shocked to see that everytime, the bill had amounted Rs. XXX. 50 and they had always charged me a round figure (something like 150, 147 and so on).

Now calculate for yourself, I must have shopped there atleast 50 times and if each time, they swindled my 50p, then it totalled to Rs. 25 just from me. Assuming there are about 200 customers a day, (which is a hypothetical number.. I am sure there are more people because it is always crowded), and they looted 50p from each, that s about Rs. 100 a day, and about Rs. 3000 a month and Rs. 36000 an year. That certainly is not a small amount.

Even when I offered to pay 50p and asked the guy in the cash counter to give me Re. 1, he said he did not have Re. 1. What a blatant lie :O

Looks like all these guys need an "anniyan" to come and screw their happiness. And wonder why most of them dont raise this issue.. either they think 50p is too small an amount at a particular point of time, or they dont care or they just dont want to create a scene with these goondas.

Wonder if this will reach the management and they do something about it? I will be sending an email to the feedback cell, with the contents of this blog. Please pass this on to as many people as you can.

I have henceforth decided that I d pay these guys exact change, like what happened yesterday. The guy said the total was Rs. 148, I asked him if it was 147.50 or 148. Now he did not have a choice as I tendered the exact change. Wonder why they dont price their items such that it never tallies to 50p in the end, or the government should stop the 50p in circulation to prevent these guys from looting.

Laaga Chunari mein Daag

I aint going to waste precious space here. And for those of you who havent watched this film, please dont waste your time and money !! That s all there is to it...

The oxymoron called -public figures and private lives-

It is not often that one comes across a news paper that publishes relevant news. Now, that depends up on what you identify as news.

I am sure the reporters today are being trained in such a way, they are able to collect very "valid" information about their nation. Oh yes, if you don't believe me, pick up a copy of today's Times of India, Pune Edition. The front page talks in detail about how Sachin Tendulkar has bought property worth 40 cr in Bandra, Mumbai. Isnt this of national importance, taking precedence over N-deal?

Even newspapers like DNA that launched with much fanfare, strive to provide such news article, in an effort to stay in competition.

Midday shot to fame, posting pictures of Shahid-Kareena episode. Princess Diana was killed in a vain effort to ward off paparazzi. Newspapers are running short of "valid" news, so they are creating news everyday. Saif-Kareena-Shahid-Amrita-John-Bipasha and now currently Deepika-Dhoni..whew the list never ends.

What frustrates me more is websites like rediff have chosen to play along the same lines. Articles like "who is more hot in a bikini - Bips or Amu" evoke super public response and have the most number of comments. It is certainly okay to talk about their career, Cinema , politics and also a bit about their personal live to spice it up.

But what has happened is the spice has become the main ingredient with the rest all taking a back seat.

So why is media behind the private lives of these public figures? Just to get TRP, more hits and increase sales.. crap... Princess Diana has been dead for over a decade now. Let her atleast stay that way in peace. For heaven's sake, stop hounding her soul. Yes, justice should be done to her, but not this way please.

I still remember an incident where were a couple of army guys who fought against some terrorists and laid their lives for India, but the so called Breaking news and Flash news on all the Indian channels read "Abhishek proposes to Aishwarya, she says yes. Bollywood's first family to announce engagement soon".

BBC happened to relay the news on the Indian soldiers.

It is extremely sad that what should be a total private affair has come under public scrutiny, while all the other issues of national and world importance have been thrown to the dogs.

There have been articles like Sandeep Soparkar adopting a kid.. - Good job on that one but how many such articles do you see everyday?

I would not be surprised, if one day there is article that describes how Mr. ABC shit in the loo for 15 minutes in the morning, while reading some book on biography, with a Marlboro cigarette and whether he used brand A tissue or brand B (the brands will capitalize on this and make Mr. ABC their brand ambassador).

All you public figures out there, check your loos for bugs.

And would someone teach media how to behave?

For all you book lovers out there...

Hyderabad is known for its biriyani.. Now there s something else to look forward to... http://www.rediff.com/getahead/2007/aug/21book.htm Read this to know more about the Hyderabad Sunday Book Market.

Hit the city over a weekend, gorge on those mouth-watering biriyanis, and grab a good collection for your bookcase.

I know it s been long....

Hell, I know it s been a long hiatus... watch out for new style and more of me....

So long....

Life in a METRO...

I spent Rs 50 on a ticket to watch this movie at Inox (for a 10 am show). Worth it ;-)

The movie boasts of a big (!!!) star cast - Shilpa Shetty (super figure..), Kay Kay Menon (over acting, rather did he act at all?), Irrffan Khan, Konkona Sen Sharma, Sharman Joshi, Kangana Ranaut (why s she there in the film?), Shiney Ahuja (a loser.. he s getting stereotyped..), Nafisa Ali, Dharmendra and not but not the least, Pritam and his troupe (who appear almost seamlessly in the film, irritating you to no end...)

The story: (figure out for yourself after reading below:)

Shilpa Shetty and Kay Kay Menon are married for 9 years (or something like that), they have a child. Kay Kay is Sharman Joshi and Kangana Ranaut's boss. Sharman lets out his flat to colleagues would d like to screw around with women (a quick way to gain promotion and make money !!) Eventually, he had to let out his flat to KK and Kangana. Albeit, Sharman is in love with (eh!) Kangana.

Shilpa starts seeing Shiney, who proves to be a good company. Nafisa Ali's long lost love, Dharamji is back from USA to spend his last days in the comforting arms of his loved one.

Konkona (Shilpa's sis) and Kangana are roomies. Konkona meets Irrfan (courtesy: Shaadi.com) but she rejects him because he stares at her assets !! She starts dating a guy at work but soon finds out he s gay.

Shilpa almost loses herself to Shiney, but being the responsible wife and mom she is, frees herself from him and returns home, only to find hubby KK confiding (eh!!) that he has an affair. When she also confides, he calls her a bitch and goes out to live with Kangana.. Whoo...(just a couple of scenes earlier he tells Kangana that there was no emotional bonding. And because of this Kangana attempts suicide. Sharman saves her, (oh he loves her.. you know))

Irrfan and Konkona share a beautiful friendship which blossoms into love and Konkona tells him that on the day of his marriage to someone else. The one liners and comedy dialogues from this couple is the highlight of the film.

Finally, Kangana realizes that Sharman is the one for her and leaves KK midway. Poor KK had to go back to Shilpa, while she s just about to go to Shiney..... And there is Shiney waiting for Shilpa in the railway station. She just comes in the nick of the moment to tell him that he s not a loser (eh !!) and goes back home to KK.

Amidst all this, Pritam and his gang start singing in the middle of a scene / road for no rhyme or reason and is f*** irritating.

Bottomline: Life in a metro is full of confusions, craziness, some hot steaming sex and a little bit of love strewn here n there !!

Enjoy !!!

The Voice of Silence...

When you are silent, silence will speak to you - in its various forms, in various languages, in various dialects, in its own special way.

Over the last few days, silence has been speaking a lot to me. I am enjoying every moment of my conversations with my new found friend - Silence. The early mornings and the late evenings, when I spend time with Silence, have profound implications.

Right now, when I am writing this, sitting in a so-called sound proof cabin, I am still able to hear the koo-koo of the bird sitting outside. That s how Silence speaks to me.

I enjoy the time when I come to work first, because the whole place is filled with Silence. It supports me and helps me sift through what I need to do for the day.

Of late, I have begun to see my friend, even in the most noisiest of places, including the crazy Pune traffic jam. I guess, I have learnt the ancient trick of creating a silent zone around me and be able to enjoy the sounds, hitherto unheard of by many mortals.

"Silence is an understanding too delicate to limit by words" - (A little twisted to suit the context here... Quote from Fountain Head - Ayn Rand). While talking about this, let me also make a note here that Ayn Rand has had a terrific impact on me. Her influence is amazing, and that s how I am hearing / listening to silence.

When silence is with me, she talks to me through the "plop" of the water drop from my tap. She talks to me through the rustle of the leaves because of the ever-so-slight breeze, through the koo-koo, ki-ki-ki of the birds, through the soft "pisssshhhhk" of the shoe on the wet grass, through the "ding...cling" of the temple bell, through the "thak" of the dried leaf falling from a high tree, through the "whoosh whooosh" of the wind, through the "tak-tak-tak" of the rain slashing against my glass window.

When there are 10 people in a room and 8 of them talk, it s easier to understand the two people who are silent.

And I am sure all of you would have noticed, there is a quiet before and after a storm.. Silence always prevails.

When the mind is quiet, it really doesn't matter where you are. You will find a best friend in silence. And yes...

Silence speaks.....

And when everything else in this world comes to an end,
it is Silence that will remain undefeated...

Meant to be....

Title courtesy: A friend. I dont know if I can call him so.. He s much more than an aquaintance, and a friend to me, but am I the same to him? Only time can tell rather he can tell ! ;-) ...

PS: Names withheld to protect interests (!!) of parties concerned...


When people meet, there can be a dozen relationships formed - some for life, some for that moment, some for a short period of time, some none at all..

So what happens when such relationships are formed? Obvious answers include heartaches, fights, happy-forever, friends-foreaver, bhai-bhai and what not.. but looking beyond the obvious, we can see some strange feelings and emotions.

Love, lust and emotions form an integral part in any relationship. Love need not always mean the "shaadi-wala pyar". Love has its various dimensions, something like loving your mom, dad, sis, bro, friend et al.

But we wont be discussing that here. We'll talk about that love that proclaims to bind two people in a life long relationship, thereby causing enormous amount of heartache and devilish thoughts in the mind.

When two people say "I do.. " do they really mean what they say? When the words "I love you" are uttered, is the inherent meaning understood?

Why is it that when A loves B, B happens to love C, and C happens to love someone else and finally the circle never ends. And when C breaks up with that someone else and realizes that B would have been a better choice, B has already gotten over C and moved on in life. (sounds funny eh.. but yes, this is the bitter truth).

But what happens, when two people love each other, let's name them A and B. After a few years, they realize they are not compatible. What made them tick / click in the first place? Or let s say, A and C love each other, and at some point, A let go of C and C never came back. Or in another case, A loves D but never puts his thought across. Yet another case, where E loves A, but A doesnt?

What makes one love the other? There can be a 1000 reasons, but that love that comes without reason, without a second thought, usually an ephiphany, is what, yours truly thinks, is true love.

That love is unconditional, does not think twice to say something, is always wanting the happiness of the other, is always willing to sacrifice, is always there for you no matter what, encourages you in everything, is at your side when you fall, is at your side when you laugh, will understand your hangovers or PMS, will let you go out with your girl friends / men friends, will let you have your space, yet fill your void, will be sunshine in your life, will be the moonlight in your darkness, will be everything yet nothing, will be something and anything, will bring out the child in you, will play with you, will fight with you, will kiss you, will make love to you, will read to you, will cook for you, will take care of you when sick, will grab even the slightest chance possible to spend time with you, is honest with you, will watch cartoon network with you, will pamper you, yet chide you when you do something wrong, is never bored with you.. all this and much more.

If you feel this way towards someone, then yes, my friend, you are in love. But, does the other person also feel this way towards you? If the answer is yes again, then Congratulations.. else.. better luck with the next one !!

As it is said, failures are the stepping stones to success. Just because we meet a few people who give us the illusion of being in love, it does not mean that love itself is a farce. And it is only because of this emotion called Love that this whole world still manages to look beautiful despite its odds.

When two people are meant to be, all this happens and when all this happens, you know you are meant to be.

There is one soul mate for every person born. and You ll know who he / she is when the time is ripe.. The wait is always worth it..

Love you all..

Cheers!

GNSD

I waited for you to wish me good night...
stayed awake so that I can sleep tight...
I waited for you to wish me sweet dreams...
stayed awake till the sun streamed...

Finally, sleep I did not but
Dream of you, I did....

Good Night and Sweet Dreams !!

Arz hai - 2

Aah phir kuch kami hai tere bagair
na rang hai na roshni hai tere bagair
waqt apni raftaar se chal raha hai...
bus dhadkan thami hai tere bagair...

The void...

Today, she felt extremely lonely. A sense of loneliness that washed over her wave after wave, and bathed her in the shower of depression. As tears flooded her eyes, she gave in to a little bit of self pity and started mulling over her life.

He was also in a similar mind set. He was sitting in a remote city, with no family around. A business trip had ensured that he had the best of facilities, but what is life without a real person to speak to?. Although there were colleagues and friends, there was a need for something more... A soul mate..

Finally, by turn of events, which need no mention here, they met. A formal introduction happened over telephone, because of mutual friends. They developed an instant liking to each other and promised to keep in touch.

She would await his phone call everyday. A bond developed between them, a bond which blossomed into a nameless relationship. A friendship so pure, that it crossed all boundaries of love and sex. An ocean of emotions surged between them, however, not a single emotion burst out.

Finally, after a few weeks, when he returned to the city, they promised to meet. And meet they did, at her home. He dropped in straight from the airport to meet the new person in his life. She was by far the best thing that happened to him.

She had invited him for lunch, so that they can spend some quiet quality time at home, away from the noise and pollution. Lunch gave way to the evening tea. They spent some time shopping as well. It was too late by the time they got back, and he decided to stay the night.

It was an intense restless night for both of them. They were quite unsure of their relationship, and no words could describe how they felt. As they sat talking about a lot many things, they discovered that they shared similar tastes and thought processes. They fell asleep in each others arms, in the wee hours of the morning, only to wake up as soon as they slept. The constant chirping of the birds and the sweet smell of the garden flowers woke them up. They played games on his laptop, listened to some soul searching music, sang with the beats, and again slept post lunch. This time they slept fitfully, without feeling listless as they had built a comfort zone around them.

He had planned a candle light dinner for her. And she was extremely surprised by his impeccable table manners and the way in which he treated his lady ! When they were alone, they have always been cribbing about time moving as slow as a tortoise. They were surprised as to how soon the clock ticked its way, leading to a beautiful full moon night. Dinner was wonderful with a full four course meal.

He dropped her home. The weekend was over. She expected that he would say good-bye in a way that would tell her that she would be missed. But he seemed extremely cordial. He came upstairs, picked up his laptop and suitcase, headed out the door, and waved a good-bye. She stood by the window and watched him drive away... As she turned back in, she could smell him everywhere, in her kitchen, on her pillows, in the couch....


He d left a big void in her life.. A void that can never be filled. A relationship that goes beyond friendship, but would never reach the stage where they spend their lives with each other... A weekend of fragrant memories would remain as memories for years to come.

Hum hain iss pal yahan, Jaane ho kal kahan
Hum miley na miley, Hum rahey na rahey
Rahegi sadaa yahan, Pyar ki ye dastan
Sunenge sadaa jise,Yeh Zameen asmaan... (courtesy: movie Kisna)

Fone-Spiration...

After a long time, my dream came true today.. To learn to play the violin.. As I was scouting around the city for someone to teach me, that s when I found Janardhan Iyer (http://www.orkut.com/Profile.aspx?uid=1367026201828358252). He offered to teach me and I was esctasic.

But why learn violin? I dont know.. but I ve been wanting to learn the violin for a looooong time, and somehow it never happened. But then, a few days ago, my friend Sriram called me when I totally down and out.. He played the keyboard for me and made my day..I felt much better. That s when he told me that I should definitely learn to play some instrument.

And let me say, I was inspired by the way he played his keyboard and I started searching for a tutor seriously.

This post is dedicated to Sriram (http://www.orkut.com/Profile.aspx?uid=13840878014188169219) for not only making my day but also inspiring me in a big way..

Thank you Sriram... :-)

More SMS...

Some more SMS.. Check out...

1. One day God asked me, for how long do you need this friend along with you? I just cried and dropped a tear of sorrow into the ocean and said "Until you find this..."
2. Moon said to me, "If your friend is not talking to you, when dont you leave her?" I looked at the moon and said "Does your sky ever leave you when you dont shine?"
3. Each person represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive and it s only by this meeting that a new world is born.
4. What is love? It s when you hide tears and still care for them, It s when they ignore you and you still love them, it s when they begin to love someone else and you pray for them...
5. The beauty of life is like this: Just when we think we get all the answers of life, life changes the question...
6. If you want something you ve never had, do something you ve never done...

Arz Hai....

I receive lots of SMSes every day, some of them are worth keeping. Here they go....

1. Dooriyo ki parwah na kijiye
Dil jab bhi chahe bula lijiye
hum jyada door nahi hai aapse
bas apni aankhon ko palko se mila lijiye....

2. Nakaam ki koshish karte hai
hum unse pyar kiya karte hain
takdeer mein ek tuta taara nahi likha
aur hum hai chaand ki aarzoo kiya karte hai...

3. Apne haathon ki lakeero ko kya dekhthe ho
Naseeb to unke bhi hote hai..
jinke naseeb mein haat nahi hote..

4. Din ke saat raat nahi hoti
sitaron se dil ki baat nahi hoti
jin dosto ko chahte hai hum,
khuda jaane kyon unse roz mulakat nahi hoti...

Will keep adding to this.. :-)

A spring in my step...

A spring in my step
A smile on my lips

As the Sun shines,
and my eyes brighten

As the light breeze
caresses my face

There is...

A spring in my step
A smile on my lips

As the rain drops,
and my heart leaps

As the moon rises,
so do my spirits

And

There is...

A spring in my step
A smile on my lips

I dont exist....I live...

If you have made your absence noticeable, then you ve succeeded in making your presence felt. That s when you live, not merely exist.

So many thoughts flowing in, but nothing stays still. The mind is reeling at the rate of 100 frames per second. But, I am enjoying every moment of it. After a hard week, many people would like to party hard. But I would like to spend my weekend in a quiet manner. I hate anything that comes in the way of my weekend. Those 2 days are the days I look forward to, to spend with myself and rejuvenate my soul. I loathe parties. I loathe the artificial atmosphere. I loathe the way the whole place is filled with smoke and sweat (added: 25th Apr: and the innuendos - courtesy The Practical Idealist).

I have learnt to live every moment of life. Today, this moment, is not going to come back. So, isnt it better to enjoy it while it is there?

I have woken up to the sound of birds chirping away and inhaled the sweet smell of flowers in my garden. I have spent a weekend with family (after saying No to a party). I have looked at myself in the mirror and felt a sense of satisfaction. I have enjoyed getting wet in the rain. I have felt the smell of the earth just before it rains. I have the time to enjoy the smallest of things in life.

I have looked over my shoulder to see what I have been and what I am now. Definitely, a much better person. I have friends who are friends in the real sense of the word. I have a partner who loves me much more than anything else. I am able to love him unconditionally. I have a life which I want to live. All this because, I am living my moments, not just existing.

If you want to live, then, let nothing else prevent you... after all, it is your life... :-) Enjoy !!!

Love strikes...

When I saw a couple this morning on a bike, whispering sweet nothings, a lump formed in my throat. I shrugged it off, and moved on to work. The day was extremely frustrating and when a friend said "Oh am gonna go home and crash", my eyes welled up. Swallowed the tears that threatened to burst out anytime and managed to get home in one piece. As the day progressed, I was chatting with my dear brother. I almost cried to him and said "being alone kills me. The mind is thinking all nonsense.." He immediately quipped "as long as the mind knows it is nonsense, it is fine..". Whoa.. I immediately sat up. I am not losing it after all...

Hard days at work take a toll.. That s when you find that friends are great support.. small words of patience and wisdom take me a long way..Just like today someone said "dont get all worked up. You anyway cant do anything about it now..Just relax" It may have been a simple sentence but at that point, it meant the world to me. While another friend, today, was sweet enough to tell me that he d play the piano for me to wave off the frustration..My my..i really do have some awesome friends...

But... despite all this, why is it that when I listened to this soft ghazal, I just smiled to myself, at the same time felt a tiny bit of moisture in my eyes... Why is it that when I turn over in bed, my hand automatically goes to the other side to feel that part of bed.. knowing very well it is empty... Why is it that when I come back home everyday, I expect to see someone, who I know, is not going to be there.. Why is it that when I cook, I always look over my shoulder expecting a soft kiss on my neck... Why is it that whenever the doorbell rings I open it with a smile expecting to see someone?

Jeena..tere bina jeena.. mauth lage... How does MTV know what song to play for me.. :-)

When I know very well, that he is not going to come back for atleast a month now, why is it that this stupid heart of mine aches?

Of infidelity, attempted suicides and broken marriages...

Why is there so much talk on relationships? I ve always wondered.. Now everyday in the newspapers, magazines, radio and tv (in short.. the media), there are articles written on relationships. How to mend broken relationships, how to get over a break up, how to carry on life after a divorce... and range of such topics... The catch here is.. who writes / talks on these topics? If you think, it s a marriage counsellor or a psychiatrist, stop.. think again. There are these VJs and RJs and a hoard of other people who have started to talk / write on relationships. There is Dr. Love on Radio Mirchi and a whole big platoon of other skimpily dressed VJs on Zoom / SS Music and what not.. who offer "free advice" on relationships. Funnily enough, there are people, calling and asking these people.. "My boy friend is going around with another girl.. what should I do" (or the vice versa).

Dont you think that s dumb? If you arent mature enough to make your own decisions, then why ever even have a boy friend? If your boy friend is going around with another girl, then either you arent smart enough, or he isnt worth you. Why ever even bother? If he s your boy friend and this is your relationship, then YOU should make the decision and not someone else who doesnt even know you.

Every relationship is different (obviously because every person is different), every problem is different and there can never ever be a generic solution.

There can be a thousand reasons for infidelity, but life doesnt stop with one person. If there is a break up, there are chances that they may get together. Friends and relatives can offer support, but it is upto the couple to decide their lives.

To attempt suicide is probably the most stupid thing that someone can ever do. It is said that it requires a lot of courage to commit suicide, but I think a coward is the one to do that, because to be alive and prove yourself, it requires even more courage. So, if there is a break up, suicide is not the solution. Life doesnt begin and end with one person. (For all those reading this.. I am not a counsellor.. I am not offering free advice..These are just my thoughts after being in the lives of a few of my friends who have gone through some emotional trauma) Yes it will be disheartening, it will be hurting.. but at the end of it all, we need to emerge brave and strong.

A few of my friends have been amazing through their struggle and I am proud of them. I have never known them to have asked a 3rd person (pls read: media queries) for assistance. They have fought it out on their own, friends have supported them.

The bottom line is.. Cry your heart out, pound that pillow but never ask anyone for advice. Sort out the mess on your own, because it is your life. :-)

Back at my birth place...

After lot of confusion / debates / arguments, Sid and I finally decided that Madras was not the place for us. Coming back from Bombay was probably a big mistake, we felt. Although both of us have spent a major part of our lives in Madras, the Bombay life attracted us. And for me, getting a job in Bombay did not seem feasible as I did not want to commute long hours by train / bus and spend half my life commuting to work. So, then we decided we d go to Pune - a place that s always attracted me primarily because it is my birth place.

Sid would not find it difficult to go to Bombay whenever work demanded and I would eventually find something in Pune.

Pune, which is the oldest place in Maharashtra, has a pleasant climate all through the year. All along in Madras, I have seen only one season in different variations - Hot, Hotter and Hottest (sounds like the name of a program in SS Music.. :-) Pune promises all the seasons - Summer Winter Autumn and Spring and of course, Monsoons.

I miss Madras, no doubt.. because that s where all my people are. But I guess, eventually, I need to stay in a place that I enjoy living in.

So, after we landed here at my granny's house, we started house hunting and found one too. The only problem here is that of the estate agents who demand a huge sum as brokerage. We were lucky enough to find a nice apartment in the heart of the city without the help of any estate agent (although it took about 10 days).

A lazy city by all standards - shops open quite late and shut down early. In between they also break for lunch for about 4 hours. :-) Night life is also not that happening as compared to Bombay, but atleast, it s better than Madras.

We stay quite close to the station and walkable distance from Le Meridian, Mainland China, Taj Blue Diamond, Sun n Sand, INOX theater, Pune Central, Ruby Hall Clinic. I am sure the couch surfers will find this an interesting place to stay (Couchsurfers.. you are most welcome... :-)

I really havent roamed around the city much.. but I know there is a lot to see in and around this place. Will update on all those as and when I get to travel and click.

I do get to eat awesome vada pavs and misal here which I really missed in Madras. There is also one Shekhar from Tirunelveli, who makes awesome dosas in a roadside stall in Rastapet. The best dosa I ve ever had..(Saravana Bhavan.. well.. watch out..). The chutney and sambar is also too good. And, there is an Annachi who makes the best rava upma and vada. He starts by 6:30 am and all the upma is over by 9 am. Hot and tasty, this makes the best breakfast.

Will keep updating.. For now... Adios.. :-)