Chennai Charisma

Tamil Nadu is a place which for some reason fascinates me.
Infact I haven't come across any other non-Tamilian who is as fond of Chennai as I am.
Sun-rain, humidity-heat I've seen it in all forms and still yearn to go there over and over again. Went to Chennai a couple of years back during December as my annual conference was being held at Le Meridian. Had taken my brother's Thunderbird then and ridden all the way from Bangalore to Chennai and back with Daya as my co-rider.
The irony of that trip was the fact that I was more comfortable there as compare to Daya who being a Kannadiga was very wary and had started the journey after full prayers and a big tikka on his forehead. As if he was not going to Tamil Nadu but Pakistan!
Got an opportunity of ride around Chennai on the bike and that really was the best part of the trip. Went to Spencer plaza for lunch & shopping with Shaleen and Marina beach with Daya at night.
First time around I was taken around Chennai by Vennila so my initiation to the city was pretty impressive. We came there by the spectacular East Coast road connecting Pondicherry to Chennai. Exploring the city with a Tamilian has it's own charm and advantage. We had gone to Marina beach and the freshly caught sea food fried there and then on the beach was the best fish I ever had. I must've tried 5-6 types of fish of all shapes and sizes including fish eggs!
Next time around it was Ayush's PG convention and we put up at Saveetha DC guest house thanks to Iram. Took a Fast Track cab then and went to all the famous landmarks and hot spots of Chennai.
We will we be going to Pondicherry in December for a family outing. Given an opportunity I would love to visit Chennai again.
Let me see what I can do.

4:42 a.m.

Monday morning 4:42 a.m.

Is it normal to get up so early to finish a book you have been reading?
Was in the midst of Haruki Murakami's "Sputnik Sweetheart" when I slept, rather early, at 11 last night. Woke up all of a sudden at dawn, or was it pre-dawn?, and straight away took the book from my bedside and was engrossed in the mystic world of words within minutes.
Finished it finally at around 7am, just before leaving for the gym.
The book was spellbinding needless to say. Short, sweet and a standard Murakami.
Later on it made me think. Is there anything else in this whole wide world that would make me get up so early and eagerly?
No, I guess not. I couldn't think of anything.
Isn't this weird?
But then being normal was my forte.

Only in Lucknow.....

KFC opened it's outlet in Sahara Ganj recently.

Had to go there to purchase some furniture from the Home Store on Sunday. Reached there around 7pm and was my way up when I saw KFC outlet practically empty. Seeing my good luck went in and had a mini meal which by the usual KFC standard was pretty OK- no thick, crunchy masala, no boiled, bland chicken pieces. The chicken pieces were large and well done with just the right amount of flavouring.

While relishing my meal thought about all the times I had been to KFC in Delhi & Bangalore and how I had to wait in queue to place my order, had to search for a place to sit with food trays in my hands and how people used to hover overhead waiting for me to finish so that they can occupy my seat.

Compared to all that this was pure bliss. Instant service, choice of places to sit and finishing the meal at your own easy pace. Things which can only be enjoyed and appreciated in a small city like Lucknow.

My thoughts exactly!

Few paragraphs in literature come close to what you would write if ever got a chance to describe yourself. This is one of my favourite.

"Idling always has been my strong point.

I take no credit to myself in that matter - it is a gift. Few posses it.
There are plenty of lazy people around and plenty of slow coaches, but a genuine idler is a rarity. He is not a man who slouches about with his hands in his pockets. On the contrary, his most startling characteristic is that he is always intensely busy.

It is impossible to enjoy idling thoroughly unless one has plenty of work to do. There is no fun in doing nothing when you have nothing to do. Wasting time is merely an occupation then, and a most exhausting one.

Idleness like kisses, to be sweet must be stolen."

-quoted from "The idle thoughts of an idle fellow"
by Jerome K Jerome

Haze

22nd November.
The Chamber.
Haze is the word which comes to my mind if I had to describe the state I am in. Everything around is bright and clear.
Atleast all the physical things.
I can analyse. I can converse. I took a detailed, extempore class.
But mentally I seem to be far, far away.
I can feel myself breathing. Which is not a good thing when it means every single breath.
Floating would be the second word which comes to my mind if I had to describe my mental state right now. Swimming is good most of the times but you can also float once in a while and let the currents guide you.

"After the slumber of the year
The woodland violets reappear;
All things revive in field or grove
And sky and sea, but two, which move
And form all others, life and love."
- Shelley

Ticker Truths

A couple of weeks back, early morning around 7, was working out in the gym.
I was in a bad mood, full grumpy and grumbling to myself. In between sets was taking a breather by gazing at some song playing on the TV monitors placed all over. Sometime then I noticed the ticker running at the bottom of the screen on MTV.
That day they were running the daily horoscope as one liners on colleges i.e. students, profs and canteen. Like for Leo it was something like "Attend coll today, take up your attendance by 0.0001%" or for Pisces "You bunked college and no one noticed". That caught my interest and I wondered what was the one liner they had for Scorpio.
Missed it a couple of time between sets. Finally landed up on the tread mill still all grumpy and pissed. Still musing about the events of the day gone.
At that very point Scorpio's ticker came on screen. Just three words.
"Stop being juvenile"
For some reason that really caught me unaware. I wasn't expecting this. This had nothing to do with college life. And at my present state of mind it wasn't even funny.
But it did get into my head like a bad cold refusing to go. Found myself thinking about it at sometime or the other throughout the day. And by night I was convinced of the truth behind it though I knew it was just a random sentence.
I was being juvenile. I did need to straighten up my thought process.
My conclusion has now been further reinforced cause I don't even have the vaguest clue why I was pissed that day.
Hence, MTV is not always Fully Faltu.

Full Circle

I had a clean slate in my academic life of almost 25 years.
Was never hauled up for anything by my teachers.
Was never caught cheating or was frisked for chits by the exam squad from the University.
On the 12th of November 2008 I was caught cheating and ordered to be expelled from the examination hall by the Controller of Examinations from RML University.
The irony behind all this was that I was the invigilator for that hall!
General Surgery examination was on and the poor students were floundering with a couple of tough short notes and I did what anyone with even an iota of compassion would have done in my place. This situation would not have arise if anyone had taken the trouble to teach them surgery in the first place.
The controller from the University caught me once- twice- thrice. I guess this is what happens when you don't have good, solid experience of cheating from your student days. On top of all this the students were also pits as far as cheating was concerned. I had to literally go and whisper the points in around 102 ears. No wonder I got caught repeatedly!
I did what I had to do and have no regrets. Given an opportunity would do the same again.
So I finally came a full circle and can now claim to have been caught cheating and being expelled from the examination!