Alexander at 8 weeks :-D

How time flies and dogs grow! 

3 weeks back he has just a little more then a hand full and today he is a snapping biting little Tasmanian Devil!

He used to insist on sleeping on the carpet next to my bed and now he sleeps outside in the dieffenbachia flower bed by his own will at night. 

How fast they evolve is almost amazing. 

He's on his Honeymoon right now. Disciplinary classes and behaviour management will start once he's 3 months old. 

Freak out till then buddy!

100th!

Well, well, well, never thought that I will come this far. And was surprised to note that there are 99 of these with this being the hundredth one. 

I moved away in between for a year or so but with the advent of smart phones was back at blogging. 

Someday I will sit back and analyse my blogs. I am sure there will be pointers somewhere. 

So here's to a hundred more and counting.......

Board of Boredom (Studies)

All these years while in academics you hear about Board of Studies this, Board of Studies that. The principal hypes it up, makes it sound like a 3 chaired bench at the Supreme Court!

And then a quirk of fate makes you land up at the University as the college representative on "The" Board of Studies and you realise what a sham it is. 

The principals from the different dental colleges are left to fend for themselves. Pushed away in a dark dingy corner of a delapitated board room. Huddled in a corner, arguing about the external examiners list and requesting (begging?) repeatedly for tea from the University peons. 

They finally get bad tasting, lukewarm tea in disposable plastic cups which are smaller then tequila shots!

That is notched up as a big achievement. 

The only highlight of the trip were the mustard, very Yash Raj-ish fields, newly laid 6 lane highway and bread pakora at a road side dhaba on the way back. 

That is another item "to-do" in academics struck down. 

Alex - Day 4

First night of peaceful though I had slept at 9:30, in anticipation of a long night. 

Got up at 4:30am, totally fresh & awake. 

Went to check on Alex and found him asleep like a baby on my Ts! I guess the extra t-shirt helped. 

He has started running around now and also comes into the main house. Slept under my bed in the afternoon. This is pretty rapid development in 4 days. 

Alex - day 3

So here we go again!
Alex is here. Alex cause thats the name given by the breeder on his pedigree sheet. Jane's elder brothers name is Alex, so will have to keep this Alex or his name hidden from her for as long as possible.
One month and 4 days old today, 3rd day with us, he is taking a toll on me. I am too old for this, or atleast feel so. Its just like having another kid, with late in the night/early morning crying for food/attention. And of course the bed wetting and assorted accidents.
This is the first of my "licensed" pet. I had always gone for keeping pets for the fun of it. This one comes with a pedigree sheet and a "micro chip" to boot!
But he has a calm personality and is at peace till the time he knows I am around somwhere.

TTEs on a Train (to be sung like Riders On The Storm)

What do TTEs talk about when they gang up on a train?

I had a whole gang of 8 with me alongwith their chief.

They talk about trains and train crossing and train timing. That's but so obvious. 

Then to add some excitement to the dead conversation there was a chain pulling in S2 on this Kathgar bridge on Ramganga. The beauty of all this is no one can get off here and neither can it be fixed. So they called up the commercial control to rectify it. 

And then like most desis they talk about cells, apps and Whatsapp! Whatsapp seems to be the national pass time now days.  They do talk elections but with the highly charged up political atmosphere they pussy foot around it. Then there is the unifying factor: a hated senior or a bully colleague, we had a bully colleague in this scenario, who as luck would have it got the chain pulling episode rectified and afterward came charging in blaming everyone for not assisting him. Even the chief seemed to be wary of this guy. Hardworking kind, but who never let anyone forget that.

Moving on, I used to love these type of iron bridges as a kid. While travelling in a non-AC compartment you could make out the change of noise the train usually makes while passing through such bridge. It used to bhi the standard "khat khat, khat khat" and then something like "khat khat, woosh, khat khat, woosh..." while passing through a bridge with these A shaped girders (or is it beams?). Even at night with my eyes closed, I could tell that we were on a bridge. And the sightl of the beams passing by on a fast train was a visual delight!

Morning mist, Meerut & mit jayaega saara gila....

Chodo sanam
Kahae ka gam
Hastae raho
Khiltae raho

Mit jayaega
Saara gila
Humsei galae miltae raho.... :-D

On a morning train after ages in winters. All stuffed and rounded like a snowman. Either the seats in Shatabdi have shrunk or I am overstuffed!
Just reached Meerut station and it looks pretty respectable as compared to the crappy town it is.
Just love red bougainvillea blooming at the platform. One sight you hardly seen on railway stations. 
Everytime I have come to this city I have lost my way. For some reason this city reminds me of strife, rudeness and disorder. Kind of a western UP counter part of Cawnpoor!
I saw first half of Dhoom 2 here, stayed for a night in some hotel, got stuck in a huge traffic jam, came for an univ inspection, and got lost once, no twice, while driving through it.
Maybe someday I will have something good to say about Meerut.
That day has yet to come.