Few minutes past midnight ...

I returned back home quite late yesterday. Actually, late has lost its meaning really, with me returing after 11 pm almost daily.

I was dead tired and all ready to just park my car, grab some dinner (or whatever you call something had at midnight ... a snack perhaps!) and crash. Just then my watchman's little (she would be barely 2) daughter came running along, insisting in her own way, as children do, that she wanted to be helped into the front seat. My tiredness notwithstanding, I couldn't refuse the little brat. So there she was, all chirpy at almost midnight, jumping around and testing out all the buttons in the dashboard. It was a delight to watch her play with the light switches, her face lighting up every time she saw the lights go on and off. Such simple joys ... that we have almost forgotten in our daily grind!

My thoughts almost went back to my childhood, when I would love to go for a drive in my uncle's car, a rickety old Premier Padmini. I would imagine myself driving a car, listening to music, changing gears ... :) And now when I drive, I just end up cursing the traffic, or the driver who overtook me!!! How we forget to get the joy out of the mundanest things now.

Going back to the little girl, my thoughts went to how she may also become the same like so many of us, hopefully she'll have a better life, earn well; and maybe even drive a car. And then probably forget to notice the small things that make us smile!?

Nah - Let her enjoy her childhood as long as it lasts, and let me enjoy that innocent laughter - so what if my dinner time is delayed by a few more minutes past midnight!!!

Home.....

The strange thing about returning home is that nothing has changed .... the sounds, smells ...

The only thing that's changed is you ....

back to campus!

I visited campus after a long time this week .... and what an amazing experience it was!!!

I keep visiting for downloads 'n all, but this time was different. Saarang was on and the atmosphere was just charged up .... and I finally managed to take that long walk around campus that I had been thinking of doing for so many months now.

And the visit to Jam .... it all seemed too good to be true ... a nice peaceful walk, Jam .... the rooms just the same; as if we have just vacated them yesterday! Nothing has changed ... nothing! It may seem cliched - but really nothing seems to have changed .... just some dust on the doors - but yeah; nothing else. I just wished all of us were together ... maybe a trip to Jam together would have been more fun - but this would have to do for today!!! :)

And the walk was just too good .... all the old haunts - Gurunath, SAC, the road along Sharav! ;) Com'on .... I wouldn't miss that Sharav road for anything!!! :D So many memories with that road!

And the Taramani guest house .... so many memories with that too! :D The guest house has gone thru' a makeover 'n is much more presentable now!!!!

Was good that I could make this trip finally ......... if nothing, just for old times sake!

One fine evening

This was one thought that continued to haunt him. The way he ended a beautiful relationship with her - how very childish, he would often wonder. All he needed was one last chance - to redeem himself. That she was married was something else that he needed to keep in mind.

He was back home for sometime. He knew she lived somewhere near - anyways distances did not bother him anymore. He called her, unsure if she would even pick up - recognize him after all these years. Would she remember him? Would she have still have his number stored?

She picked up, seemed preoccupied; she nevertheless had his number stored!

"Hey how are you?" I'm good .... "Been a long time - what are you upto? Still with H.....?" (She remembered) No, I left H..... some time back; now with C... "I'm going home tomorrow - till when are you here?" So typical of her to just say everything that was necessary! I'm here till next week - am on a holiday "Where do you stay?" Ch..... "Don't tell me! I stay there too - listen let's meet up today - I'll reach there in 20 mins" Sure...

He was still not sure if all this was happening for real! He could finally meet her - maybe even get a chance to apologize for what happened then.

He waited eagerly outside the station - still confused about how she may react when they finally met. Then he saw her - he tapped her on her back! A bright smile, the same warm hug! And then it was the same all over again. No need for any apologies, no need for saying anything at all. It was just like old times and they were just too happy meeting each other after so long.

I guess this is where this post better end .... sometimes it is better that we do not think too much about our relationships. True, relationships are precious - but we may just ruin them by thinking too much about how to maintain them! Just go ahead - you long lost friend is just around the corner!!!

We the people

I observe people quite a bit - now with no TV and a lil' more time in hand - I have started observing even more! And what I see of our people gives me the jitters.

I have grown up in a generation that was called the Gen X - youngsters - brash, yet with roots in Indian culture, etc. etc. But what I see of my generation now saddens me. And it is not thee brash, aggressive nature that worries me - it is the Indian culture! We have unfortunately imbibed many things that are not something we would be proud of!

Take for instance, breaking traffic rules - aren't they meant for our safety? Helmets have been made compulsory in most Indian cities, yet most of us will not wear them - the reason most often quoted being that in a hot country like ours, the helmet is a burden. Yeah right, the burden of being headless is better! The way people drive on Indian roads - with scant respect for traffic signals is well known. Somehow, I find this a much major problem in Chennai than I have seen in Mumbai. People have scant respect is not the word - they do not see traffic signals - if there is no one passing by - anyone can just drive past! The less said about the rickshaw drivers, the better. Sometimes I just wish I can stop and slap a few of these idiots! They are a danger to society.

I see many spitting on the roads - defacing walls - and the whole gamut of things! I used to think it is just other people who do it - we always hated such things - when we are grown up, we would do such things! I think I am wrong - every one thinks the same about his/ her generation. Have we lost our way again???

ToI is here ...

I finally got to writing something! Been a real loooong time. Many things have been happening - I have changed houses again! (My 4th house in a year in Chennai!!!) - on that note, I completed a year in Chennai - not counting the two wonderful years at DoMS ... the less said about this one year, the better! Chennai sucx ... big time! :)

Life in Citi is good - I enjoy the work I do - though it barely gives me time to do anything else. I just got confirmed and promoted - so it's good!

Another good thing to come to Chennai (finally!) was the Times of India!!! Yes, the paper I have grown up reading is finally available in Chennai. I still remember the days in IIT when we used to order a day old version of the ToI - just to read the ToI. The Hindu, and its publishers must have got a jolt when the D Day finally arrived!

For those who haven't done so, do try to get hold of a copy of the inaugural issue - a fantastic front page. The ToI hit at The Hindu, very very subtly. Just putting across the point that Chennaites were Hindu loyalists - but may not be so anymore!!!

They say that the best way to see if you have succeeded is to see the reaction of your competitor - and going by The Hindu's reaction - ToI certainly seems to have won round 1! The Hindu has started advertising big time - many bus stands now sport Hindu ads - the entire stretch of Anna Salai has lighted displays of the Hindu - stating things like "Chennai trusts only The Hindu" and "If its Chennai, it has to be The Hindu" A little too late in the day misters - I think it would be better if you improve the content of your newspaper! All in all, a very good battle in the offing - will be fun to see the outcome - my hunch is that ToI will bring in the NRS survey to Chennai to show its might! The Hindu - beware!

Schumi

Should have posted this sometime ago ... anyways, better late than never. An ode to the greatest F1 champ there ever was.

Something amiss
someone is missed
sadness engulfs
a sudden vacuum
the race is over
an era comes to an end
but time stands still
memories linger
some race, some corner we recall
some talk, some smile stays on
the racer, the driver hangs his boot
but the spirit,the man, his talent stands tall
To Schumi,
who made a difference,
who made me his fan,
who gave me something to cheer,
To you Schumi - I bow to thee.

Michael Forever!