ode to a beautiful some1~~

She's so circumspect.. that in retrospect
there won't be much left to regret!!

when we go back home.. and she drives alone
she pulled the parachute and pressed eject!!

Safe but far from safety..
they worship her like a deity!

when the sun goes down in hollywood
she paints her eyes and is off to see red!

its not as horrible as it seems
but magnificence is over-rated!

when the dust settles and we call it quits
atleast she would have lived!

principld livin'

the 2 principles to live by in kolkata
1. money is no object
2. time is no issue
this was mostly his philosophy for kol... i'v contributed about 10% to this.. but its so brilliantly true :)

:)
when this is the basis of yr philosophy for life.. in a city... one wonders.. how much can there be to complain about in life.. :)


today... was a couple of very interesting learnings... from the weirdest of un-expected places...

part 1:in the show he mentioned... each one of us has a specific picture, which is from our past... running in our heads... when we talk about back home (india) mine is this, kolkata... since my folks are from here.
and this... was sucha profound statement... it holds so true... our reality of things is always a shade from our past... be it abt some experience... some city.. or some situation.. its worrying almost.. to think of all communication as chinese whisper.. and how its so easy... for 2 ppl to be constantly in touch and yet see the situation in 2 opp scenario's... cos they come from diff realities..

part 2: like we went to this all-night open dhaba place.. post the show... and the man serving on our table.. gave us all 3 the nod.. like we were regulars.. and we discussed... this was my first time in the place... he had come there after abt 2 yrs... and he was also very erratic at best....
but then we remarked.. that if any of us were with a girl right now.. n the waiter nodded.. v'd prolly nod back n say somethin.. to imply v'r regulars here... coz its prolly cool to be acknowledged n considerd a regular.. just about anywherE!

a boy named GOO

god... give me the strength.. to change.. what i feel is wrong... and the courage.. to accept... what i cannot change!

i... have lived thru the last 25 yrs.. with a lot of things... with a lot i'v let go... and too much that i'v experienced... sometimes... when i look back upon my life.. i feel.. these intensely complex relationships... are about the only thing i'v pulled... off... as an achievement in the last few yrs... my sense of strength of purpose.. on many other.. more valuable counts... is often... magnificently lacking... and then i hit days like this...

when... finally.. despite.. all my weariness.. all my strength or experience... i find myself... so vulnerable... so naked... so open... sucha... "sitting duck" for the lack of a better word... 

is it sucha bad thing... when you are so easily exposed. it is soemthing you should cover.. or find a mask for... the naked nature of your raw emotion?

should we... then.. be able to always maintain equilibrium & a straight face.. no matter where we come from??

i agree to dis-agree... but if i am on the fucking other pole... from where you are... is this just our individual choice of what we decide to call home??

its so intense sometimes... these casual encounters in my head... they can rip something alive within me... and tear it out of my flesh... and expose it naked... to a salty sea... with high winds blowing... which are eroding... my inners.... and the violence.... the clash... between my skin and my teeth... so beautiful... so beautifully painful... 

there is a lot of things in our lives... we think we can control... so much ... we can command over so conveniently... then... we chance upon our achilees heel!

the only real problem... in life... is not what we have to go through... no story is ever a fairy-tale... whatever we do... there is ALWAYS something one has to LEARN to live-with! 

its only about.... what can YOU do... to let me live with it? but mayb... as she says... why should one be protected... from ANYthing? 

why would i..make it ANY easier for you to live with your choices/ and then... after-all there is ALWAYS the escape-hatch that says... why don't you just... walk-away boy :)

hang-over of love...

there are these boys... ok i may be one of them sometimes..

but boys... who have been in relationships.. where the things ended.. pretty much.. when the men weren't exactly ready to let-go... and then suddenly... the women are gone... they don't talk much... they don't take their calls as often.. or are on a little trip of their own..

our boys... mean-while... are suddenly wondering.. how will the girl fend for herself... how will she survive in this big-bad world... how will she decide...how will she choose... which bag would go with this lip-stick!

the women... they are making their own way in the world.. they're on this trip of being independent..self-reliant.. fresh out of a r'ship.. and ready to chart out on their own.. and the boys are thinking of them as the damsels in distress.. that they'd become... while we were dating!

i think... the loud n clear msg... is to get over this hang-over... this residue... and this baggage that we carry on us so willing... and get on with our lives...

because.. it is SO MUCH more easier.. said than done... i'll leave it open to your conclusions... while i have shared my solution :)

independent travelogue~

its a 3 day weekend.... we can't be stuck in kolkata...

its a 3 day weekend what the hell will we do if we don't get out!!

so the darjeeling trip didn't quite work out.. .as the bus had left by 9... and sitting at 10:10 PM our fates seeemd sealed!

the flight to bagdogra was only in the late afternoon and the additional day would just get wasted in the preparation to travel...

and then.. .the grand prize of consumerism... browsing through the various travel websites... i stumbled upon some tickets to guwhati which were not that expensive... and the flight was early in the morning... thus saving the day to ourselves!

so thankfully by his phone-call we woke up at 3:45 after having slept only at 2:30 am... took our bags and were all set for the airport..

the cab thankfully was not the hardest thing to find even at 4 in the morning... finally reached the airport... with only a small cabin baggage in hand... only to discover that we would have to check our bags in ... as were flying by an ATR (one of those propeller planes?) which would not have enough cabin space to put the bag into the overhead thing... so we checked it in...


at about 5 we walked upto the airplane.. and i think this was after a good 8 odd yrs... that i flew in 1 of these tiny atr's... was quite fun... suddenly! it seemed like holiday with the little plane and what not... and we soon took off... the air-plane looked good & old... very non-indian interiors.. like they'd just imported it and changed nothing.. with green leather seats! :)

mid-way thru the flight... the pilot tells us... we are flying over bangladesh air-space now... quite fun... after about a 55 min flight... we were landing in guwhati... as we approached the air-field... all one could see was lush green mountains and fields... a drop of water there... a stray farm here.... quite beautiful... to say the le ast!


when we finally landed on the airport... there were exactly 2 planes there... check out the beauty... as compared to the hustle-bustle of the mumbai airport..

so... after landing... we walked out on to the deserted guwhati airport... asked our friendly guard.. how to get to shillong... only to walk-out and find... that the north-eastern way of celebrating independence day... is to declare a state-level bandh :D
so there is no-one on the road... the cabbies tell us... at best they can get us to guwahati city... but shillong the bandh is very strict.. and no vehicles would ply.... so... we're standing outside guwahati airport... at 7 in the morning.. on the first day of our 3 day vacation... wondering... what the fuck was our big idea.. and what will we do now! :)

anyway... we take one of those friendly neighborhood cabs to the city.. on our way we find out that... there is a possibility... that by 4-5 in the evening.. .cabs might take us to shillong.. so we reach a hotel.. tell our dear friend at the reception.. to give us a room... meanwhile... we request him to find us a cab to shillong... and then... since ther's nothing much to do.. we take off for a movie.. morning show of bachna aae haseno! in guwahati!

now whatever one may think.. i'v always been a big fan of watching movies in new cities... i think it gives a very good perspective about the culture of that city... when you see the theatre.. the kind of movie that's playing... the no of ppl who'd come.. and how they react... so guwahati.. in regular small-time fashion.. has ppl whistling when the movie is about to start.. .there are those upper stall tickets for rs. 25... god i miss having the G7 around as the only decent movie-multiplex! the yellow pop-corn... and samosa... sigh!

anyway... once we were out of the movie... it was already 2 pm.. .and finally the city seemed like it wasn't a curfew... right from landing at 7 in the morning, to when we went for the movie at 11... we saw the streets of guwahati.. empty & desolated! there were no ppl ... no celebrations... no tri-colors... no patriotic songs playing... finally when the city seemed a little more alive at 2 ... prasenjit cracks up... looks like they finally got over their independence day blues.. :)

and then.. we roam around the city... chk out some good lunch places.. blah blah blah... the day goes by... and we sleep... next morning... up at 5 again.. on our way to cherapunji! yay! the wettest place on earth!! something i always wanted to see!!! yay!!!!

on our way to shillong by road..... which is a very picturesque ride! btw... we suddenly wake-up to the realization... that we have no ... warm-clothes... and no rain-wear... and we are going to the wettest hills of north-east! hurrah!! any other ppl.. wud feel weighed down by the pressure and want to buy some warm clothes or turn-back! but we decided to take the bull by the horns... we bought a bottle of whisky... and some chakna... and i could feel my blood warming.. after the third sip :) god bless whisky!

so we did the touristy things of clicking pictures and visiting all the monuments... only to discover that the fog wouldn't let us see.. half the things we had come all the way for.. .there were anyway some very very good highlights... like the hill.. with about 10 graves.. in the middle of no-where.. on a foggy mountain.. one of the most peaceful places on earth.. i'd think....

like the rushing water-falls.. like the 300 mt chain of caves which was half-submerged under water and which our boy prasen had the toughest time passing through!

so anyway... after completing the whole cherapunji belt.. which btw.. is a terribly scantily populated... terribly romantic.. perfect coupling destination! we reached shillong by late afternoon...

other men may have stayed at any given hotel.. .by the way-side... through recommendations from well-connected friends... we found out about a tripura castle.. which was a 10 room resort.. which used to be the tripura king's summer home! so a touch of royalty... at affordable rateS! :)

and we checked into our castle. to find a wooden commode... a non-ac room.. which needed no ac... twin beds with twin blankets... and lots of lush-green gardens... how i am loving this vacation :)

so after chilling for the afternoon... in the royal retreat.. in the evening we set out on the streets of shillong.. now there's something so brilliant about the hill-station streets... and pavements.. they're always running up and down... curving and twisting... into all things nice... and i, as usual stumbled upon ancient book-stores.. which stack more than 10 yr old titles.. how of which would be out of print... or would be the original artwork on the cover.. (nothing more beautiful than a book with the original art-work).

i picked up .. coffee-table music books for him & her... a hard-back of everst hotel and man & superman by bernard shaw for myself :D how rich a shopping experiencE!

and then we shared a drink in cloud 9... with a good view of the hilly city.. turns out.. all the pubs shut down by 9.. due to the political situation... and the clubs.. have all been closed altogether!

so after not finding any khasi food in any of the local restaurants... we came back to our castle.. .and then ventured into the bar.. and stumbled upon the pool table!

ah.. pool... the game of our youths! after a good... 8 yrs!! and there we were.. playing on an hourly rate of Rs. 75... lp as they used to call it in good-old days...

so after playing 5 games of some really amazing pool.. only to discover that my game had improved by leaps and bounds.. by not playing for 5 yrs! i mean i played the best 5 games of my life.. and lost... only 1 of them :)

we had a good dinner... and a comfy sleep in our castle-bed!

the next morning we started back for guwhati... and somehow... it seemed like we were ttly coming back to the city-lifE! the cab we took this time was bigger.. the weather was hotter... and clearly.. the quaint little holiday had come to an end.. in true symbolism... the flight we took back to cal.. was also a regular jet-liner.. which was headed to bby... via.. cal! maybe there's a little msg for us to decipher in that also... :)

cheers to peers

Ants on Speed!

There haven’t been very many valiant battles I have been part of… or even witnessed… after all... there have to be some side-effects of being an alleged metro-sexual?
And then I moved into my home… at jodhpur park… to find ants….
Ants in my pants
Ants in my bed
Ants in my biscuits
Ants in my maggi
Ants in my salted-cashew-nuts
Ants in my garbage…
Hell.. ants… even in my laptop on a bad day…

these ants... had a queer quality about them... while they LOVE all the forementioned products.... they seemed to always ignore the obvious ones... they never reached my chocolates.... they never came for sugar.... they were ferocious with the savories and avoided the obvious... i gave them the liberty... after alll ants could have their own quirks? who doesn't.. around here anyway...

then i got organic sugar.. and that... really was that! organice sugar... and i see ants... drooling over it.. hell they broke through the defences of a pearl-pet bottle, ate through the plastic... and were on to the organic sugar... (in the past they've eaten thru a tupperware box... to reach the salted cashew nuts)...

so.. organic sugar.. and ant-attack... i.. anyway... got a new box... and then.. i thgt of having a little fun... so i put the bottle of sugar... in a wide bowl.. filled it with water... and the sugar was an island now... i figured... this'd stop the ants.... but then i woke up the next morning to find.... the ants have all lined up... at the edge of the bowl... at the water level and are salivating over the sugar... its like they wanted to hold my organic sugar on seige.... i sank a few ants with additional water... and figured maybe now this'll be over (at this point... i wonder how a certain gujju jain... who will read this post.. will feel about ths whole thing :P) .... a week has passed... i continue to tease the ants with the island of sugar... they relentlessly stay on the edge of the bowl.. every morning i see them all standing by the side... waiting patiently... sometimes.. somehow .. one of them i find has made it thru on to the other side... but then.. has no real way of swimming back.. with his booty..

attaching a little image for your visual treat.... these ants remind me of all things we refuse to be :)

You know I’ve been away from Mumbai for too long and stuck in beyond when –

The dhak-chik Mumbai rickshaws come as a pleasant… forgotten surprise to me.
When there are semi-tears of joy in my eyes… at the sight of a Crepe Station Express…. In a mall… food-court!
When mc donald’s is a luxury… and coffee chains… something I haven’t frequented in 6 months.
When I have no clue on what are the English movies that released last year…
When buying clothes seems futile cos you always feel well-dressed… or find no place to try and dress up for…
When you happen to catch yourself… absent mindedly actually checking out a well-dressed girl!
When you happen to catch yourself… absent mindedly actually checking out a non-ambassador car!
When it doesn’t seem weird anymore that you don’t have your car to take out for a late night drive.
When coffee’s and conversations… seem equally alien and point-less

the rat racer!

she said... "but can you afford me?"

N she said... "i'm doing alirght... but he's making good money.. so its easier to get married"

she told me... "there is a rush to make money vbv... there is so much to be done... mayb yr in cal.. so yr oblivious to it"


all of this is... so bby... afterall.. the city nvr sleeps... they're always in sucha hurry to do so much... and become something more... and make a difference.. or... err.. as he likes to put it... they always want to live a life.. 2 sizes bigger than their shoes.. with a bigger holiday.. a better car... a fancier dinner... and slightly more exclusive clothing...

and then you pan into kolkota...

with exactly 3 multiplexes.... (bby has tht many on the versova rd)

abt 5 fancy restaurants.. (kol has a million good restaurants… but who are we kidding.. its not abt eating good food… its abt going to a place which is worth dropping a name of… in a conversation J)

and a laid-back life-style that says.. work will happen one of these days… we’ve been working for a very long time… it’s not like we have managed to avoid breathing or eating… life continues as it is… so why not sit-back and enjoy the ride…

nothing… or no-one signifies this better than the editorials on those Telegraph pages… that greet us every morning.

On the day of Bengali new year.. I come across this article.. that traces the history of Bengali sweets… how the eating patterns have evolved over the last 200 yrs… and the main shops that have played a role in introducing new sweets… also how the culture has changed and now the bengali’s have a lesser taste for these things..

It’s amazing… cos this isn’t the only time something like this surfaced in the editorial pages… there were aricles about Pakistan… about cinema… about independence… which were all written in a similar vein.. the important characteristic to note here…

Is the sense of grasp on time… the ability to step back… and take a holistic view of a situation.. and then comment on it… in a third-person… is a charactheristic.. of a very mature culture… similar to what some developed nations & their ancient cities might exhibit.

When you are… surrounded by such grandeur… and greatness… and you see ppl in another city.. (which was yr city) striving to drive a 1.6 ltr car.. instead of a 1.4 ltr car… you wonder… exactly which one of us… has lost the plot on life J

I read an interview of rahul bose… where he said… manhattan… and kolkata were 2 of the most interesting places in the world for him.. somehow I wonder… was he thinking what I’m thinking?

question the intention

the skies... they cry my tears...
as your absence asserts itself..
the winds.. they chase down the city..
looking for traces of your fragrance..

its lonely out here..
so lonely within..

its not that you were here
for too long..
but your aura just influences things
a lil too much

a lazy sunday or
another manic monday..
will never quite be..
just the same again

anything... to every1? :)

So weak... I feel so strongly now!
Its easy... To see what can become
Tips of my fingers... Give me a funny vibe
Its dark inside.. While the sun shines bright

They'd warned me.. This is what'd become
I laughed back then.. They laugh at me now...
Atleast some1 laughs... All along
Did my actions actually.. Spread joy around

She looks so pretty.. When she's out of reach
Did he forget the time.. He made her cry
It was all fun & games back then
The only thing that continues.. Is now a disconnect!

Its in her smile.. That child like innocence
Which shines like.. "you had me @ hello"
With good-bye's.. Come good lucks.. Good nights..
GOOD GOD!!

!Citizen Kane!

LO & Behold... this may not be the annual key-note by Steve Jobs... or the launch of tata nano!!

but i bought a bike... and i'm mighty pleased about it...

the Hercules WOW n my bike is called KANE... what with the red color n the fancy grafix :))

anyway... after much random thinking... and all those meetings with bicycle guys all over india.. i got fascinated... and decided to buy one of my own :)

i've owned it merely 30 hrs... and i already have a tale to tell.. (this is the mark of a good purchase.. i say!)

so.. last night.. we took delivery of the bike.. and then went out for dinner drinks.. n blah... got back by some 3 AM... n i didnt quite feel like sleeping... so i took off at 3 am... and went over to their place.. (which is a good 8kms away..) we watched some tv.. bummed arnd 4 a bit... n generally chilled... course.. more importantly they all thgt.. it was a dead-stupid idea.. to be on the road at 3 am... but sometimes.. you just gotta do those things i guess?

so yeah.. the 18 geared beast completed that journey in 30 odd mins FLAT :)

the simplistic joy of riding... of having something at yr disposal... n not having to worry abt how u will manouver it in traffic.. or will there be parking.. when you reach the destination.. is quite divine... not to mention the fringe benefits... like its eco-friendly... and that... it is good exercise :)

anyway.. we spent the night there.. woke up late... lazed around... saw a movie... and decided to come back in the evening.... again a leisurely ride on the bike :))

i saved about 180 bucks of cab fare on this round trip... i say the tgt is to break-even on the bike in the next 6 months..

i dunno if its abt re-visiting yr childhood... or being plain silly... or taking ones job too seriously.. (lolz) but i don't think i've felt this excited about anything i've bought in the last couple of yrs... n tht cant be a bad thing :)

happy 2007

s so... we try to review a year... which started with breakfast at shiv sagar (juhu)?

funny... how much we take the familiar for granted... in our present tense :)

a year... which was all about change... a year.. maybe more significant.. than the 24 before it... that in itself.. loads the yr with so MUCH baggage.. .but then a stray thgt says.. these changes have just begun... and who know how much more will be different.. and how many more important yrs are to come by.. anyway.. to stop philosophising.. and start reviewing..

a yr that saw us get placed... in dear ol' retail... the roller-coaster... which ensured this.. is one i guess... which you had to experience to believe... but then.. there is something romantic about fulfilling a long cherished dream!

a yr tht saw us travel... with friends to goa... all of north & shimla... to shingapur.... to kolkata... to rest of north for work.... to china... and other such south east....
this... for a boy.. who was born n happily brought up... in the beautiful city of bby... who jst abt travelled north (home) and to gujarat 4 a yr... is quite a LOT to fathom!

a yr.. that saw us... setup a brand new home.. .for ourselves... in the city of kolkata... oh what a joy it is... to fall in love with a new city... and discover it with a new set of ppl...

a yr of work.. yr of responsibilities.. of all things new... oh so new.. so much freedom... and so many questions :)...
a yr of a car... tht almost was and was-not.... feels lucky now...
a yr... where i spent an afternoon with her... i think... more time... than in 8 long yrs.. heh

a yr of... 7 months away from home... and 7 trips home :P its almost like.. i may have moved.. but the umblical chord... has almost not snapped yet...

a yr tht ended.. in the only way... was appropriate... for sucha yr to end... in gurgaon... away from both home's... and with some old n new friends :)
(this mind you... would be the first new yrs eve.. i've spent out of bby city-limits... a fact tht even amazes me.. right now) :)

its hard to put a finger on how the yr was... how much we liked or hated it.. and how much we wished for it to pan out differently... but i guess... at the stroke of midnight... when 2007 began... nothing any1 wud have said.. .cud have prepared us for any of this...

Silenced by the Storm

so.... its sometime in december.... sometime in the evening on a full-moon night...
this being calcutta winters... anytime in the evening is very very dark :)

and... we walk aroudn streets.. feeling a lil cold n cosy.. in a jacket.. with an ipod...

after a lil bit... we hit the terrace of our beloved bldg...

sit on the ledge... balancing on the lil terrace wall... n listen to the ipod... staring at the full-moon....

and there is a quiet.... in a still city.. with a mild winter... and semi-lit roof-tops... and music streaming... a quiet and peace... un-paralleled... experienced... once before... on a beach... at the 2 am's.... with waves crashing against life.... and me being the only self in sight.... (this english seems too richaisque... sadly)

so anyway... amazing thgt.. tht peace... is only mildly experienced... when u hit the roof...

anyway.. all of this is coming off very badly.. i don't think i can write today... so fuck it :)

that's what She Said...

she said...

let's start a radio-show... you and i... and the aim-less banter which continues anyway...

this... after she'd said... how she genuinely liked my voice.. and how i should consider the option of becoming an emcee?

this... when i think of... how much she loved hearing me... how much she has heard my voice... and how much of a first impression it inverably makes :)

anyway... moving along... last night brought some interesting insights..

he said... think of the big-bang... and from every point there on... the universe and all things small.. that are a part of it.. try ... to complicate themselves... become more complex... its the state they try to achieve... i could ofcourse state his examples here.. and drive the point home... but then you would not think about this... almost like i did not.... but... i'll let you think this 1 for yrself..

and as i processed what was said... it reminded me of her... how complex she is... how complicated she loves to make her life... and she cud almost go any distance... to keep things.. not so simple? ...

food for thgt: is she so in line with the universe and its ways?...? and is this why she felt like my universe to me?? :) (what does she call it? the ironic smile?) :)

and it reminds me of my elegant quest to simplify my life... how he ridicules the idea and says.. i only talk of simplicity and dig for complexity...

moving back to kolkata talk (somehow.. too many posts seem to be mentioning cal... one ways or another?)

so yeah.. we were driving around... and then... wonder of wonders... a cat happened to cross our path... and he just stopped... bang in the middle of the road.. .in the right-most lane.. at 6pm... on a high-traffic rode.. until one of the cars over-took us.. and passed that pt :)

i think i have mentioned this once before also... but it is JUST as amazing.. JUST as amusing.. JUST as calcutta.. each time it happens..

truly... my city of JOY

There is a boss....

So... as the title tells the tale... this one is about work-man's woes....

moving along...

I have decided to quit my job... make a career in writing.... this is based on all the million comments left on my blog... and like she pointed out... HOW some blog's are sponsored... cos they're so good n so popular n so many ppl visit them n shit... and mine isn't... so it must mean... i'm some what like a cult-brand... very much an acquired taste.. and what not's :)

so yeah... coming back to writing... i will be introducing a whole new genre to books... (just this morning i was reading how jayasuriya was important to cricket.. cos he CHANGED the way openers bat...) I already feel important... thinking of myself as some-one who brought in a WHOLE NEW genre to writing...


So my genre's called... fRiction... NOTICE.. its NOT fiction... its fRiction...
fRiction... bascially fiction... based on people's lives... which rubs them the wrong way...

pretty novel idea I figured...

and the title of this post..... is the working title of this master-piece...

suddenly... i feel spent... like i'v already said all i had to... as usual.. the build-up is grand... and the end is abrupt :)

and i suddenly have nothing much left to say...

but well.. fRiction... awaits its first great master-piece.. some...day....


p.s. random trivia: i have not washed my hair in 4 days... cos of the ear infection... and its gotten so dirty... i almost feel like i am supporting some life.. through my hair... and some lil eco-system of filth must be developing up-there :)
i was always a giver ;)

so.. this would be the 100th post listed on this blog... its been a while.. since we started?

we've been through our fair-share of experiences... in these 2 yrs? when we started this journey.. around the time we were in manglore... who'd expected... to last this long.... or be here tonight?? in my personal 2bhk.. .as described in the previous blog :P

anyway.. this one is.. about my first love.... the city of JOY! ... and the reason that brought me here...

so all of you... may have heard the randomest of stories about the work-culture in kolkata... about how shops close in the afternoon for 3 hours... (so the shop-keeper can take a nap post lunch) or how they actually kick you out.. if you happen to be the last customer :)

now we shall try and share with you.. some 3-4... experiences... from organized setups... which make this experience... better.. more unique... and as usual.. very very spl..

1. so let's start at home right? our first floor office.. they actually shut-off all ac's at 6 PM!! goes without saying... ppl are not welcome to stay longer.. and those who are not efficient enough to finish their work in office hours... suffer ;)

2. our friendly neighbourhood office... gives employees a snack at 6ish.. so if you happen to stay THAT long at work... you feel sufficiently energized...

3. this one has been my favorite since a while ofcourse... about how at 4:40 one evening.. we were climbing up the stairs... after our daily dose of kulhad tea... and this man.. was leaving work... with bag et al.. and actually told her.. "Good night, i'll see you tmrw"

4. his office bldg lift... stops functioning post 7PM.. once again... to make those in-efficient... non-work-life-balance ppl.. suffer for their crimes!!

all of these... are made extra spl... when you factor in them cabbies... she says i'm ironic... but if a man can not even admire and laugh at the irony... of WORKing... in kolkata...

i think their sense of humor... had an unfortunate accident :)

a place called home...

so... last-night.. was the first night at home... this morning.. we woke up... fought with the cable guy... requested.. the geyser guy to come over... but this post is about pleasant things... so we start over :)

so last night was the first night at home... we sat up till about 4... arranging stuff... in the rooms...
opening up.. atleast the FMCG n toiletries.. even if the clothes are still lying around :)

then... we made up the bed... so we could sleep on it.. lol.. that's a first.. in 25 yrs....
so the bed was a lil stiff (we do need tht new mattress) it was a lil cold also.. we need to find out where them blankets are... the PILLOWS were missed... but this is home right? might not be perfect.. but its ours for keeps :P

then.. woke up by about 10.... and first.. put the curtains.. on the windows... to block that early morning sun...

so the bedroom got 3 curtains.. and the balcony got the only one left ...

then we made ourselves some hot tea.... good tea.. in our lovely.. home-trade coffee mugs... (will nostalgia ever quit?)

and then.. the tv is in the other bedroom.. which was much too far... so we ended up moving the tv.. till the door to that room.. blocking that room altogether... but making the tv visible from all places in the house.. :) :)

i think one of the coolest things about living alone is that one can actually watch VH1 24x7 without having to switch channels ;)


and... then.. we setup a little more in the house..
and then came the master-plan to power up the speakers :)
god bless music...

so we setup the woofer and the 2 speakers in the hall.. in a pyramid formation.. as they'd ONCE instructed... and plugged it into the laptop.. and as we sit on the stool.. typing this... gavin degraw croons...

I don't want to be

Anything other than what

I've been trying to be lately

All I have to do

Is think of me and I have peace of mind

I'm tired of looking 'round rooms

Wondering what I've got to do

Or who I'm supposed to be

I don't want to be anything other than me

something so symbolic.. about the song that played at that very moment? :)

and then we fixed ourselves ... a big bowl of cereal and milk (course.. now i'm regretting not having a clue.. how much wud become too much) but being the good-kid.. we shall finish it anyway...

the to-do's for today.. (wrt the house)

1. get geyser fixed

2. get pillows

3. get shoe brush

4. get pillows

5. get mattress....

i doubt i'll do more than 2 of these.. but like ajay said.. every morning we make our to-do list.. to priortize and finish our work? ;)

living alone seems like an interesting experiment from now... if all comes crashing down.. shreeni my friend.. yr room to the rescue :)

and while we're being polite hosts... almost all of you who may happen to read this post... are very much invited to come on over... the tv-trolley shall move.. to open the doors to yr spare room:)

interesting times...

so...

we met online n i went...

hey... i'm coming to bby... why don't we meet up this time.... and it struck me.... this'd be the third metro... in as many months... in which we both happened to be at the same time...

and this wud also be the third time... i'd actually asked her to catch up with me... something about it.. is probably sad.. but something about it... was also SO.. not me...

i mean.. i don't think its sucha BIG-DEAL for this to happen..

and then.. you put it against the backgrnd of her 25 yrs in bby... my 24 yrs in bby... n thtz abt 49 man yrs... ONLY spent in a single city.. n maybe you will see the irony... i feel abt us having sucha opportunity..



on another note.... though these 2 posts weren't supposed to be merged... but wht the hell?

so... LOST right... all of my loved ones.. love it.. swear by it.. blah blah blah..

i've seen all 3 seasons... (3.. right?) not under peer-pressure or anything.. but under the curiosity.. of what about it.. is it.. that moves them to bits... trashes their emotions.. and makes them feel... jack's pain... kate's love... and sawyer's... whatever it is sawyer feels...

so.. i went through 3 complete seasons.. happy.. maybe impressed at times... but never particularly moved.... UNTIL ... we came to the end of season 3... last episode... last 3 mins..

jack.. looks like some1 who doesn't believe in the power of the razor... or in the capability of a barber... a state very familiar to mine... in the last 5 odd yrs.. i guess??

and... then he says...
i've been flying a lot..
the golden pass that they gave us.. i've been using it..
every friday night.. i'd fly from LA to tokyo.. or singapore.. sydney.. and then i get off.. and i have a drink... and i fly home...

she asks.. why?
he says... because i want it to crash katie...

and it just STRUCK ME... at that very moment... of a very familiar feeling... i feel... each time i take a flight... how tired... i am... how content i'd be... if the damn thing just crashed... and it was over.... in that one moment... i almost feel like i'v lived too long now... seen too much.... much too much...

thgt for today

so... in this tryst with creativity... on this day... when i'm tired of living... i have come up with another gem...

i wish.... i could just cease to exist.... like a bug-ridden program from the matrix... who someone would pull a plug-on!
no repercussions... no explanations.. no residue... no feelings... no after-effects :)

so.. who all came last night?

so... it was saturday night at the "beach" again..

i came up with this very interesting 3-d view of a saturday
Dinner
Drinks &
Dancing? ;)

nifty?? don't you think??

so post-dinner... as we moved into drinks....

he was already there...
she dropped out at the last min..
she came with us...
she feigned a head-ache... sadly... she doesn't like us as much anymore i think sometimes...

he was there as usual...
he happened to come there..
he also came in to kill some time...
and wonder of wonders we met him at that place!!

so the motley-crew in itself was quite SOMEthing.. .and then there was all that alcohol.. :)
and then there was the BAND! playin blues.. now we didn't even know.. we liked blues.. and so much... until we sat thru their performancE!

and then... it just wasn't about what they were playing...

imagine the band.. all of them middle-aged guys..

the vocalist with a super-animated face and an extremely happy expression.. making us all wish.... WE COULD BE THAT HAPPY WHEN WE WERE WORKING... but then.. thats the beauty of being a performer i guess??

his bassist... another very competent artist... and providing some killer vocals to half the songs.. the guy has more gray hair... wore a white shirt and jeans.. and a beer belly :)

and his fingers were dancing.. walking on them strings... creating magic... and he had the most bored expression on his face... an expression that said.. yr 21.. yr enjoyin the music.. u think i'm doing something spl... i'm 42... i earn my wage like this... i'v been here.. done this.. .one-time too many.. .its not an expression of defeat.. or something whcih says that... i shud've been more in life.. its just something... which says... what u consider magic... is part of my job.. and a daily occurrence for me :)

ther's somethin so spl when u see that in a person.. we're a nation starved for heroes anyway.. and he may not be a national hero.. but he was my hero for last night :)

and then we followed the familiar route...
to the room with the best view of howrah at 3 am....
to a dark room where parachutes begin and end...
to a familiar place that friends call home...
to all things dear and worth living for....

sometimes i wondered if he'll die alone...
he said worry abt yrself sonny...
i'm atleast not uncomfortable being alone :)