The half year mark

Signing off for the month of June with one word- humid!
- Its been unbearably hot and humid in our part of the world. And its only the beginning of summer.....

Mantra for summer 2008 :
Eat healthy
Exercise regularly
Drink plenty of water

The enthusiasm to read has taken a sabbatical, so it seems.

The craving for a long drive seems to be increasing exponentially.

Watched Sarkar Raj. No great shakes compared to the first one. In all, appears to be a mish-mash of the AB family cast, lofty by-the-minute-dialogues and weak storyline(despite the gore, violence and annihilation of almost all characters) dwindling into a meaningless end.

So with that, we come to the half-year mark of 2008.

Elbow room and such other minor points to ponder

* On international flights, I usually opt for a window seat. Thats because 1. Except for occassional walk breaks I stay put in my seat. Which means I am not a bothersome passenger. 2. I prefer to not get bothered by sitting in the aisle seat and having to get up every time the window/middle seaters wish to step out. 3. Aisle seats mean you get poked in your elbow and shoulder by the carts, people and everyone that passes by rudely jolting you out of stupor. Now, I am not a big built person- I am short, slightly overweight and try to keep my elbows off the armrest so as to not inconvenience the neighbor. I've always had this question- how do you share armrests? Is there a undocumented rule on how long you can use the shared armrest before letting the neighbor use it? Any insights?

So this time around I was sitting next to a person from Ghana. Before I launch into this snippet, allow me to mention that I am a bad sleeper on international flights. I hardly get about 1-2 hrs of shut-eye if at all, since I have a huge sleep problem right in my own bed. In an economy class seat, its a miracle I even get this much. After initial pleasantries had been exchanged, the drinks cart had come and gone, special and regular meals served and it was time for some forceful shut-eye. I woke up an hour later with a sore neck to see my neighbour asleep with this head against the seat in front of me. You get the picture. He was diagonally positioned with a lot more than just his elbows against the armrest we shared, his head rested on the back of the seat in front of me, which means I had 1/3 less space and locked in my cramped position. I let out a small yelp, not wanting to wake up the rest of the junta who apparently had no issues drifting into slumber. For the next 15 mins, I tried varying decibels of a yelp. My right leg had decided to take a nap by then and was killing me. I needed a walk. No luck. Then some 30 mins later a stewardess passed by. I flailed my arms at her and requested she help me out by waking Mr Ghana up. She obliged, she patted him on his back hard enough and lo and behold he was awake. I made a hurried exit and hung out as a restroom door guard for considerable amount of time. When I did head back and was comfortably seated, he says "You could've woken me up yourself, you know?". "I did try, you were in deep sleep(I didnt mention the minor fact that he was sprawled all the way into my space, of course)". Any pointers on this elbow room issue? Anyone? Anyone at all?

* So, early in spring of this year I realised I had a dead tree in my front yard. The person that had come to mulch my garden pointed it out to me and kindly offered to have it removed, if I wanted. Well I did want to, but I had to check with the higher powers(aka the Home Owner Association, who have given me some grief when I wished to install a storm door. Now, I was ok getting permission from them for this, but what I didnt understand was why they needed for me to send pictures of how the storm door looks. Well anyway they've got the rules, who am I to question? So I let it be). When I called the officer assigned for this, she insisted she had to come down to "inspect" said tree. Since I was going to be out of the country, she agreed to send an email once she'd inspected to let me know what had to be done. When I got back, and I still hadnt seen any email from her, I called her up. As always she wasnt around and I had to leave a voicemail. 2 days later I received the promised email. It tells me she had come, she had seen and she had measured(there are different rules for tree with varying dimensions, btw, if you care enough to know). She says the tree trunk is more than 4 inches in diameter, the height is bla and bla inches bla bla and bla and I referred to our covenants guide and it says you need to submit an application for approval to get it removed.

"Please print this form out(a 5 page document), get approvals from the inhabitants of all the houses in your row, send us a copy of your house plan, send us pictures of the tree in question, tell us what you plan to plant in place of said dead tree, send us pics of the same, write off your first and second born and promise us you will stand on your head for 3 months till this approval comes through!"

* Why is it that your schoolmates are delighted to be in touch with you after all these years, are so keen on playing catch up on whats been happening in all the years you've been AWOL, check on you ever so often, care and concern pours out of every pore, but your collegemates make no attempts be in touch and what's worse, when you do have some chance encounters, pretend they dont know you and dont even bother to exchange contact information, and even if they do, never bother to call/email? The cherry on the icing is pretending they dont know you, or not divulging they met you. In short, they prefer to think the chance encounter never even happened! Weird, that!

Favorite literary characters

Over time, I have developed a natural dis-affinity for tags- but that was for tags that wanted me to list my quirks, and idiosyncracies, my likes and dislikes, my peeves and all and sundry- thus leaving me high and dry, pretty much. It seemed like a kind of soul searching that I didnt feel like launching into.

But these days, some of the tags have been really interesting, most of them literature related- a topic close to my heart. That would explain why I have been volunteering to take them up. Makes sense?

So when I saw this tag at Shruti's tag post on her list of favorite literary characters, there was no way I could resist such a delicious topic and tag. Also, her list includes nearly 50% of my favorites as well, that makes it a bigger challenge for me to come up with a decent list of 10 of my favorite literary characters. Before I begin, I would like to mention, my all-time favorites that she has included in her tag(in no particular order) would be Rhett Butler(of Gone with the wind fame), Mr. Darcy(Pride and Prejudice, of course), Mma Ramotswe, Atticus Finch and Miss Marple.

Alright, here I go with my list of 10 :

Lord Emsworth : In the PGWodehouse series. I love this absent-minded, scatterbrain of a character, never fails to have me in splits.

Lucy Van Pelt : Of the Peanuts fame. Bossy, opinionated, fussy, grouch- love her or hate her- you just cant ignore her!

Dona St Columb : from The Frenchman's Creek by Daphne Du Maurier. She, by far, is my favoritest character- her innate tendency to break away from convention, her wild spirit, her characteristic chutzpah in an age when conformity was the only option availabe.

Mrs de Winter : from Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier(hm, this makes it look like I am a big DDM fan, doesnt it?).

Atticus Finch : from 'To kill a Mocking Bird' by Harper Lee. Sorry Shruthi, no list of mine could be complete without a mention, so on this one, I'll HAVE to "copy". What a delightful dad he makes!

David Copperfield : from the novel of the same name by Charles Dickens. Touted to be his most autobiographical novel, David Copperfield's constant struggle to make wise decisions based on his experiences is endearing and powerful.

Sherlock Holmes : Who doesnt know of this detective from 221B, Baker Street by Arthur Conan Doyle? Brilliant, quirky, Bohemian- enough said!

Harrington Brande : from The Spanish Gardener by A J Cronin. British diplomat, a dark character, very possessive of his son, the subtle strings he pulls- the strength of this character lies in the subtility. A heart-wrenching narration, brings tears to my eyes every time I read this classic.

Scarlett OHara : from Gone with the wind by Margaret Mitchell. How can one not love this character? The lifelong rebel, the unconventionalist, a southern belle, selfish, brash, vain....the one reason I was always enamoured by the state of Georgia in the US.

Tess : from Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy. A complex character with liberal doses of good heart and sensitivity.

Special mention is due for Asterix of the series by the same name, William of the series of the same name by Richmal Crompton and Ramona by Beverly Cleary. All these are my all-time faves.

I thoroughly enjoyed playing this tag and the one person who I would be interested to hear from on this topic would be Munimma. Interested?
Edited to add : I think this is a good way to poke some sloths into action. Hence I also tag Pillpopper (aka Amma).

Of this, that and the advent of TV

* Spent a wonderful afternoon at Blossoms. By far, one of the best things to have happened to Bengaluru. Multiple storeys of used books- from Daphne Du Maurier, to AJCronin, to RKNarayan to Digital Photography guides. And the prices, are so enticing- yes I was almost tempted to stay back overnight, if they'd have me. If you're in this area, please to check this place out. Its not the swankiest of locations, but for book-lovers this is Ritz-Carlton for sure.

* Thursday morning found me with some extra dose of vigour and enthu. I went on a 7am vegetable shopping trip. I scurried around smelling the fresh scent of vegetables and fruits and flowers in the market and in tune with the rest of the early risers. I had showered early, made some temple stops along the way, I was so in sync with the early morning bustle thats characteristic of apna desh. While I was thus engaged I passed two cows grazing lazily as is wont in our bazaars. No wonder foreigners ask us if elephants roam our streets, even to this day! I hurried along to the "greens" vendor to buy some spinach. A scooter passed next to me, the rider stopped and a muffled voice spoke from behind a helmet. I looked at the apparition enquiringly. "Be careful, wearing red around these cows, they could attack". I was in a red salwar. I smiled weakly, thanked him and walked on. Errr, red goads bulls no? And I am a bull myself, I should know! Well perhaps that was his good deed for the day. Nonetheless he did make my day.

* Our first TV-black and white had been a Dyanora. We almost put it on a pedestal the day it arrived. We tiptoed around it and even watched Krishi Darshan faithfully just for the fact that it was being aired and it was our duty to watch it. Then some years later, color television launched. We found a good reason to own a color TV. Olympics and World Cup, of course. Those deserved to be watched in their true colors. Hence arrived a BPL brand wonder. We celebrated, we did our welcome jig, we cooked a spread, we pulled out our best silver, we served ourselves, sat down and watched the 9pm news on Doordarshan! Who cares about final exams the next day? Color TV was here to stay. This has really served us well, we had it for the longest time. What came next? Cable TV of course. I still remember the day we walked up to the start-up cable company in our neighbourhood. It was started by two newly minted graduates, Kiran and Shashi. They looked dapper seated in their dingy room that they had rented. The next day Shashi landed at our doorstep with complicated looking contraptions to fit our place with 1000s of channels. Little did we realise we were submitting to become slaves of the remote, soon. After about 45 mins, he was done. We turned our TV on and we were in channel utopia, in bright colors. "Yayyyyyyyyy" danced Seren and I. Amma emerged out of the kitchen with a plate of kaju kathli and offered it to Shashi. Appa had a Colgate-ad-ish grin and hugged and shook hands with him and paid him the advance and saw him off in royal style. Little did Shashi know of our celebratory methods! After all these years, I think I understand the quizzical expression that was plastered on his face all his way back to his office.
Today, it is the age of HDTV's and Plasma TV's, wide screens and advanced entertainment centers. But the joys of watching Bournivata Quiz shows with Siddharth Basu on Sundays on our old BPL TV comes with no price tag and lots of sweet memories. I say it again, the sweet smell thats in the air these days, is surely nostalgia.
I'm sure each of us has a tale to tell about our experiences as we turned the corner to the advent of TV in India. Do tell, what was YOUR first TV?

Compulsive chaat'ing

For normal people who come home from abroad, its usually jetlag that hits them the first few days after they land. Remember, I said - "for normal people". Second, for these aforesaid individuals, comes the nostalgia of homecoming. Probably their mom's filter kaapi or the familiar sights of their dads with the newspaper or their siblings setting off to work or studies, the maidservant, the newspaperman...so on and so forth.

So, what is it for me? Ha! Jet lag and I have lost touch with each other some years ago. The same insomnia that assails me across the seas, tags on like a leech out here as well. No issues on this. I am sleep-deprived there, that I am here as well. All is good on that front, we believe in consistency. Now, even before the euphoria of coming home sets in, there are two companions of mine that never fail to show up as a welcome sign. One would be an upset stomach and the second, dust allergy. Its a matter of hours after I land that I launch into a sneezing fit with a swollen/runny nose and an irritable throat. Around the same time the stomach decides to go for a toss. For the former, I am usually armed with a strong dosage of allergy medication from my doctor friend. OTC Claritin does nothing, not even helps me get some shut-eye. Big help, that!

Now for the stomach upset. This seemingly has been my bedside companion all my life. Amma has tried every kind of medicine possible-from antibiotics to Ayurveda, from homeopathy to yunani, from faith healing to getting my horoscope checked! Yes, therein we found our answer. Apparently some planet is in some key position-thus my stomach ailment will be my lifelong aide. There, we've solved that mystery.

The inevitability of such a situation only drives one to challenge it. Hence, stomach upset or not, I will be indulging in my favorite food of apna desh. Chaat!

Yes, this post is about my obsession with eating chaat. It is the single biggest ticket item I miss from back home(well maa-ke-haath-ka-khaana comes close, ok-they run neck to neck). There is not one chaat place worth its salt out there that comes close to serving some decent fare. I usually resort to bhel mixes from the Indian store to satisfy my cravings. Hence, whenever I am here, I make it a point to aggravate my tummy with a dose of chaat every evening.

Masala Puri. The quintessential chaat item of Bangalore. Pav Bhaji, Sev Puri, Bhel Puri, Kachori chaat, Pani Puri........sweet, medium, hot versions. Dowsed with a liberal dose of Cold badam milk or Chickoo milk shake or Pineapple juice.....be it Ganga Sagar, Shanti Sagar, Ice Thunder...the streets are littered with chaat places of every kind. Its a new item at a new place every day. Yes, this IS really the only thing I miss about being in the US. Easy access to chaat!

Tis the hour of twilight, as the cool breeze sets in like clockwork on the Bangalore skies a spoonful of a chaat item gets pushed into the mouth, followed by a gulp of cool badam milk.....what is a stomach upset, compared to the joys of such an indulgence?

The most popular boy in fiction

"We've not had television," said William triumphantly.

"Well, we couldn't have that."

"I bet we could," persisted William. "I've seen it an' it's only people's heads carryin' on-actin' an' suchlike-in a little hole. I bet we could easy make a little hole an' have our heards in it, actin' an' suchlike."

~Excerpt from the story 'A Question of Exchange' from "William, the Dictator" by Richmal Crompton.

:), Cute isnt it? Imagine a time when TV wasnt around. What did kids do to entertain themselves? Think of all the imaginative ways they devised to while time. And who better but the Outlaws to come up with innovative ideas?

What?? What have you come to Altoid?, you ask? Yes, the William series of books by Richmal Crompton is for young adults. Many years ago, a relative of ours, on one of her visits, bought me a couple and since then I have been hooked. Within the next few months I'd devoured every one of the 38 books written by this author. And after all these years, I can never say no to a re-read.

Whilst I am here, I seem to have lost my appetite for reading. I have tried to goad myself with some new releases, classics and the like. Finally I found my calling. Yes, re-reading the William series! With such a temperamental and mischeivous school boy as William and his band of staunch followers, together forming the Outlaws, their tales of excitement and adventure, their exploits, the trouble-making...what an endearing character! While I can never imagine the plight of parents with kids such as William, these books are a delightful read. The wonderful characters of the William books are thus : Violet Elizabeth, the girl with a lithp; Hubert Lane and his cohorts-adversaries to the Outlaws; Robert- Wiliam's older brother with a roving eye; Ethel- William's older sister, who'd much prefer to disown her kid brother; Archie-the scatterbrain adult in the neighbourhood, the only "adult" William can relate to...and the Outlaws themselves comprising of George, Henry, Douglas and of course, William.

Overheard!As I pack yet another William book into my bag to accompany Amma to the doctor's.

Amma - "Can you please not come out in public with a William book in your hand? Its weird to have a grown up daughter reading a children's book, people look at you strange!"

Me - :(

Footnote : I believe this was one of the reasons I used to frequent Usha's blog, cos some time ago, her blog header/template had a picture of William(isnt it, Usha?).

Apna desh, in this age

Then, now and forever
- Friendly neighborhood doodhwala first thing in the am.
- Fresh veggies on wheels right outside the front gate, first thing in the am.
- Long walk at Lalbagh. Then stop at a darshini, anytime in the morning, for some steaming hot idlis dunked in spicy chutney, topped with a tumbler/dabara of frothy filter kaapi. Throw in a crisp vada, if you're specially ravenous after a longer walk!
- A welcome smile of recognition from the florist in the market who affectionately adds an extra handful of your favorite flower(s) at no charge.

Dad's day special- It was Seren's idea that we should go to South Indies for a South Indian lunch buffet. Breakfast had been light and early, in eager anticipation. Chores were done in good time, and we all got ready and left. We reached there around 1:30. The restaurant, while full, was not overcrowded. We headed towards the buffet right away. And thus read the menu :

Pepper rasam, Mixed rice, Plain rice, drum stick sambar, Mixed greens sabji, Stuffed brinjal sabji, mixed vegetable kurma, olan, kosambri, raitha, papad and pickle. Hot appams and parathas get delivered to the table. Dessert was a pink colored(seemingly strawberry) icecream, fresh fruits and appi payasam. The cherry on top of the icing was a strong dose of frothy filter coffee at the end.

Verdict : The pepper rasam was totally worth the visit! The entire spread was tasty(and not overly spicy, so amma adds), the staff was courteous and the only item missing was paan at the end. Well, I mentioned that in their feedback form. Mukhwaas werent bad, but some vethilai/paaku would've completed the picture!
Here, feast your eyes while I digest the feast!

Post-lunch stop-over...at FabIndia. Picked up some dhurries and kurtis

In this age
We stopped a "foreigner" asking for directions and he was spot on! It was cute to watch him direct us in earnest, with a distinct accent.

Sighting

A "newly wed" car- its been a while since I've sighted these. You know, the ones where the car is all decked with solitary roses taped all over, with a heart sign with the couple's names and the very obvious "just married" thermocol logo? Couldnt pull out my camera in time for a quick pic. Well, my question is- whats the point? The car seemed packed with a lot of people, I cant believe it was just the couple. So...errr what's the point?

All in one

I'd had no intentions of checking out SATC the week it was released, but for a chance call from a friend who rounded up a bunch of others and before I knew it I was in the theater with popcorn and a drink.

I've watched the TV serial off and on, its hard for me to pick favorites, I like shades of all characters. Which is probably why the quiz tells me I am a mish-mash of all of them. Thats inconclusive, if you ask me, cos everyone has shades of varying qualities. Anyway, about the movie. Age-wise the characters grew from between the 40s and 50s. But the characters themselves haven't wizened with their age. I don't know, maybe that was the intention. But me thinks the transformation of a woman in that age group is quite dramatic and that was sorely lacking, perhaps to not disappoint the fans?

Now, on to the quiz. I volunteered to do the SATC quiz tag from rads. As you can see, it tells me I am a mix of all the characters. So thats that!

Sex and the City: The Four Women, the Four Elements

Your results are based on the four Elements of Astrology: Fire, Earth, Air and Water. Each Element has its own set of characteristics, and each of us displays some combination thereof, usually with a focus on one or two. Samantha, Miranda, Carrie and Charlotte each personify one of the Elements and its basic traits. Which Elements most strongly influence you?

Note: Scores are rounded to one decimal place and therefore may not total 100%

You scored 40% Miranda
You chose many of the same answers that Earth Sign-like Miranda, the cynical but pragmatic lawyer, might have chosen. Just like Miranda's had a tough time deciding whether to give in to the affections of Steve the Bartender, you don't give your heart up to just anyone. Miranda shies away from a relationship with Steve because he's 'just' a bartender, not something more conventionally ambitious or stable. Those with powerful Earth Sign qualities -- characteristics associated with Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn -- are cautious in love and seek stability and status over nearly anything else. Earth Signs provide a steady, realistic attitude and they can bring order out of chaos. A little-known Earth Sign fact: Incredibly sensual, you seethe beneath that smart, expensive business suit of yours, yearning for intimacy but hesitant to give up your material needs, your career ambitions or your responsibilities for a passionate moment that might not turn out the way you'd hope.


You scored 30% Charlotte
A romantic at heart, you chose the answers that demure Charlotte may have chosen. Strongly influenced by the intuitive, profound and sometimes naïve Water Signs -- Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces -- you're like a mother, a mystery and a poet all in one. Though on the surface you may seem innocent and all about seeking the good in people, beneath the surface, you hide secret yearnings for intimacy, for attachment and ideal love. You're seeking a knight in shining armor, a soul mate, someone who will complete you and tether you to the earth when you get carried away with your fantasies. You're super-sensitive, soaking up the moods of others; you emote freely, crying at commercials and sappy movies. You also provide a shoulder to cry on and open arms for hugs. Be careful that you're not so wide-eyed and trusting that you get taken in by some cunning wolf in sheep's clothing.


You scored 20% Samantha
You identify with Samantha's bold and liberated Fire Sign qualities, characteristics associated with the Signs of Aries, Leo and Sagittarius. You're strong, audacious and larger than life -- and you take what you want! Sometimes you can even be thoughtless and selfish, as you get so caught up in craving immediate gratification and excitement that you overlook someone's feelings. Your personal style likely reflects your desires: sleek, low-cut, revealing just a bit more than might be considered acceptable. Watch that you're not coming on too strong, though. You could scare potential suitors off with all your drama. If you seek so much attention, the more basic qualities of the Fire Signs could be burned right out of the picture. Show less skin or cleavage and more of your creativity, your vibrant leadership skills and courageous generosity!


You scored 10% Carrie
Your answers peg you as a Carrie-type, much influenced by the Air Sign qualities associated with Gemini, Libra and Aquarius. Like confident Carrie, a sex columnist, you're curious and perceptive, always seeking answers and never satisfied with the superficial. An Air Sign influence can lead to indecision and an avoidance of tough issues, like with Carrie and her on-again, off-again attachment to Mr. Big. Forward-thinking, incredibly intelligent and witty, you just exude quirky charm. You'd be utterly bored by someone who's just a pretty face or hot body -- though you don't mind looking and flirting! You're more turned on by an equally smart and funny mate, someone who challenges your mind and makes you laugh. You love to talk, so you need a good listener who's open to playful and eccentric ideas about love and lovemaking.

Full circle

Post 5th grade, my father got transferred quite a bit. Until then I had moved on year to year in the same school, to the same section, with the same set of "buddies". There were only about 20-25 students in a class- probably around 16 boys and 8-9 girls. And I was short. Invariably I was a first bencher. Now comes the interesting bit, there were two boys who were about my height as well. The seating configuration was thus. Me sandwiched between these two, year after year, without fail. Hence we became "best friends".

Lunch breaks, games, distractions, getting into trouble and all and sundry was always as a "Team". The two boys were only children to their parents and luckily lived right next door to the school. One of them had his mother handing over a hot lunch box at break time across the common wall that separated the school and his house!

The tiny tidbits of fun that ensued during these wonder years, predictably so, is worth being gold plated for posterity. Each of us have stored many incidents that draw out a chuckle, or a grin, or an irate retort or even a tiny smack! Once I left that school, as is wont at that age when childhood friendship isnt exactly a nostalgic tonic a teenager wants to soak up on, I moved on barely able to conceal my excitement at oncoming life and its challenges and merits. In all the years, I never gave half a thought to how those two boys had turned out. Degree completed, a career to be made, prospects to be explored...so much to do! Who has the time and patience to dwell on sentimentality?

2 years ago, as I was talking to my cousin(not a cousin I interact with regularly), he tells me that I should probably say Hi to someone I know from a long time ago and hands over this phone to said person. After initial pleasantries were exchanged, I discover its my school mate from eons ago. Yes, one of the two "buddies". There was so much catching up to do. We exchanged emails and then that was it. It was a pleasant surprise, and life goes on.

Six months ago, I received an email requesting me to join an e-group of this school. I joined in eager anticipation. For the past few months, its been a nostalgic ride, reconnecting with long lost friends, exchanging updates, posting about every little memory that we could jog out of our jaded cells.

Two days ago, I sent an email to these two asking if we could meet, since I was in town. It was around 7 in the evening. Within an hour, I was picked up by them and a few more they'd gathered en route and off we went for an impromptu dinner get-together. Another girl was also in town from abroad. 6 of us, it was really like good ol' times.......

The dinner outing began quite late in the evening... erm make that VERY late. We set off at 9pm. In a frenzy, amma hands me her cell phone. At 10:30 sharp, having rounded up 2 more long lost classmates, picked a restaurant open long enough for us to eat something decent, the cell rings.

Amma : "Do you plan on coming home tonight?"

Me : "Erm, yes I still live there. There are 6 of us, I am sure one of them will be kind enough to drop me back"

Amma : "Alright, come soon!"

Dinner turns into a loooooooooong guppa session(of course, if you're meeting schoolmates after 20+ years!). Pretty soon its midnight. The cell has rung 2 times by then. We decide to call it a day! As we drive towards my home, Amma calls again.

Amma : "Really, where are you?"

Me : "2 mins from home, be there soon"

I hang up and one of them asks with concern "Do you want us to come in and explain? She must be quite worried"

Erm, worried? Sigh!

Every evening I get a call, asking if I could meet for coffee, cos another classmate was available and wants to meet. I get picked up, dropped off within curfew limit times; they walk up and talk to Amma cos all the moms knew all the students(there were no school buses at that time, it was always parents picking up/dropping off). Some of them bring their kids along, we sit at any random coffee shop that catches our fancy and gossip while the kids play near the fountains.

While I am on my second sip of some Kalmane coffee, Amma calls...

"When do you plan on coming home?"

"Soon ma"

One of them goes "We'll leave in 15 mins ok? Tell your mom not to worry".

What the!!!???

Yes, suddenly....we've all become kids all over again!

Of cookers and make-shift labs

The Prestige showroom that sprung in our vicinity some years ago has turned out to be a Godsend. I was in town, coincidentally around the time it opened. We pounced on it and before long, a cooker set was packed in my mega suitcases that usually accompany me on my trips across the seas. Amma usually insists on packing enough spares for every part of every kitchen gadget that I take back. Over a period of time, the spares supply dwindles and I bring back all or parts of the said item for replenishments. Its also the time we gather all the related repair work long pending and off we go..with bag filled with a motley assortment of items in varying stages of repair.

Such was a trip 2 days ago. Some valves needed to be replaced, some gaskets replenished, some handles needed fixing etc etc till we came to one item.

Amma : "I bought this cooker last year and it has never worked since I took it out of the packing case. You've sold me a lemon........err a bad un!"

Salesguy : "Amma, whistle hodiyatta?(Does it whistle?)"

Amma : "No, it does nothing, it hasnt worked ever!"

Salesguy : "We have to test it ma'am. Can you wait for a few mins?"

Amma : "Sure"

Some 15 mins were spent waiting.(Well we were actually trying to figure out where and how exactly this "test" would happen.) Then,

Salesguy : "Ma'am, you can come see for yourself, it was a bad valve. Please follow me..."

Amma and I excitedly followed said individual in eager anticipation. He walked us through an alley beside the showroom to a shed. Erm, makeshift lab attached to the restroom! It had various cooker bottoms and lids and all and sundry items related to pressure cookers stacked randomly. And then there was a counter with a gas stove, with a cooker in action.

A cooker merrily whistled away....

Amma : "Did you use a new valve?"

Me : (sotto voce) "Ask him if dinner is done..."

Salesguy : "Yes ma'am, see, its working now, you had a bad valve."

Me : (sotto voce) "Does he follow the 3 whistle policy for rice as well? Do you know?"

Amma : (with a glare pointed in my direction) "I am sure you gave me a faulty valve to begin with. Please dont charge me for this replacement and draw up the bill?"

Me : (sotto voce) "You think he used the water from the rest room?(bleh)"

Amma : (gritting teeth) " Alright, lets head back to the showroom"

We now have a veritable spares collection. Enough to chug along for the next 4 yrs.

And they have a "lab".

Of dozing neighbors and surprise run-ins

Leg1 : US to some city in EU
- Insisting on window seats can be a boon and a bane, both at the same time. On this leg, neighbor 1 was a well-endowed rough-elbowed woman whose elbows stuck into my chest ever so often thus rendering a 7 hr trip filled with pokes. Books, music or the movie was of no help.
- Made it with almost no sleep but a full stomach, since I hadn't eaten all day.

Leg 2 : Some city in EU to Desh
- Window seat again. But this time, a very drowsy girl was bestowed as neighbor. Right from the time she got into the seat(which was 30 mins before takeoff) to the time she had no option but to disembark, she had the lucky feature of shut eye. Made me feel like a jerk having to wake her up every time I wanted to stretch my legs. Which I prefer to do often, my legs get real restless real soon. Sometimes makes me want to choose for an aisle seat, but then I hate being poked around by the drinks and food carts that keep making their rounds every few hours.

Freak coincidence?

Run-in with the Orchid family at Frankfurt airport. Met Uj, Orchid and of course little A. A is a delight! Orchid is oh well, Orchid! It was very nice having a fellow blogger on the same flight. Gave me a reason to walk up and chat.

New development
New airport in Bangalore. What can I say? Its new, it "looks" fancy, its big. But landing at odd hours in the night, taking the Volvo buses into the city(which takes about 45 mins to an hour at off-peak hours, not sure just how long it might take during the day), getting off at the designated locations, fending for transport from these points to get home....at 2am in the morning. I tell ya! Domestic travel, me thinks, just got overly complicated. I cant imagine taking 1.5 hrs by Volvo to get to the airport on weekdays, in peak hour traffic to fly the 45 min trip to Chennai. Probably a better idea to take Shatabdi...I don't know if this new airport really helps for all its hype. Gotta wait and watch how it all pans out.

Thats it for now.

Emerging out of a blog block

....with a tag. Thanks to Usha for this much needed nudge.

Whats the tag about?
"Pick up the nearest book." - ...hm that would be Amrita by Usha Rajagopalan(not the same Usha that tagged me, of course. Also I have just read 2 pages of the book)
"Open to page 123."- done
"Find the fifth sentence." - done
"Post the next three sentences." - Conveniently its the start of a new paragraph. Ha! Ok, here goes..

"In that house you don't do such things," she replied. "The ghosts of your ancestors would have been horrified. But this one doesnt have any past. You can start afresh, make your own practices, customs. I had always wanted to break some of them but didnt have the courage to do it, not in the house that had once belonged to your great grandfather, bestowed upon him by the Maharaja, no less."

You guessed right, I typed out the entire paragraph . Adds to the mystery, me thinks.

There, all done. Well, the last part goes of the rules go
"Tag five people, and acknowledge the person who tagged you."

Hm, dont know about five. Perhaps Seren and Pillpopper for now. Any other takers, please feel free to volunteer.

Next!

PS : I am tempted to start the alphabet series....just to get motivated to post.