Weekend Story

Travelogue

Last weekend along with a couple of friends Ananth & Mihir, we had driven down to a quaint place 150 Kms from Pune. Mahabaleswar and Panchgani are probably nice places to go to during summer, but mid November wasn't a bad time either. Aside from two road hogs, the onward journey was uneventful. But then we left at 7:00 AM and there was hardly any traffic. We even took a tea break at a wayside stall. We arrived by 9:00 AM in Panchgani to be greeted by a chilly morning wind.

After a delicious breakfast of Poha and another round of tea, we set about exploring the place on foot. There wasn't a whole lot to do given the early hour and it being the off-season, but all the same it was liberating to be away from the maddening city crowds. By the time we drove on to Mahabaleswar, sun was up and it was a relief. There is this market street which at first seemed to be made of only Strawberry and souvenir vendors. We spent an enjoyable hour walking up and down the place.

Mihir had only two things on his mind ever since we chalked out the plan for this getaway - Strawberry shake with fresh cream in Mahabaleswar and Sandwiches at Mapro. We set about fulfilling his first wish at a place called Bagicha. It was so scrumptious and filling that we decided to skip lunch and head straight to Mapro. It was a bustling place with lot of weekenders like us, but we were grateful for the lack of large crowds. We soon settled in a cozy corner with our Sandwiches and Pizza.

Having spent the good part of two hours lounging there playing scrabble (where Ananth & Mihir suffered a drubbing :) at our hands), we decided to head back before sundown. The drive back was equally blasé, a heavier traffic notwithstanding. All in all, it was one of those pleasant ways to wind down after a hectic week. Must do it some time again. Some pics here of the trip.

A tale of few pities

Governmented

Its not a coincidence that the title sounds like a parody of Charles Dickens' historical novel. While the classic story chronicled the battles between the aristocracy and working class, in my case it was one way oppression by the bureaucracy. 

I woke up this morning hoping to watch the India - England match under the pretext of working from home, oblivious to the fact that fate had other plans. I brushed, bathed and clothed in record time. With a bowl of cornflakes, I was settling in front of the TV when blip went the power. Scheduled load-shedding, only no one knows what the schedule is.

Cursing my luck I set out wanting to wind up the two things I had been postponing for a while. The reluctance was partly due to laziness and mostly due to my skepticism for government run offices. The first was simple. I had to go to the bank, correct my surname, collect my ATM card PIN, update my passbook and request for a second ATM card. Sounded like a 15 minute job to me, but was sure it would be anything but. In fact Amudha was so sure, she made plans to go to office with another colleague despite my promise we'll be only slightly later than normal. I did manage to finish all those chores in 10  minutes !

Feeling smug at this pleasant surprise, I ignored Murphy's law and went about the second task. In my opinion this was the lesser of the two evils. I just had to renew my car's insurance policy. The only complication was that the previous policy had expired a month ago, so the officer would have wanted to see the car first. 

The first signs came when I couldn't find a parking place close to the insurance office. Having parked almost a kilometer away, I trundled in, only to be told that the car needs to be brought in. I tried pleading that their office was in a no parking zone so couldn't keep my car there, but had to finally risk it so that the officer could verify for himself.

Now comes the part which justifies the revulsion people have for government offices. My application was sent to at least 5 different desks and in one case the lady called the office boy at the other end to pass the document to the person sitting right across her. I was determined to finish the job today, but was unprepared for further testing of my resolve.

Having realized that I was short of the premium amount by a thousand and knowing that the ATM was hardly a stone's throw away, I promised the cashier I would be back in a minute. To my horror, a sign board stating that the ATM was shifted to the other end of the road greeted me. I had no option but to trudge up and down in the hot sun for another 2 kms before I could conclude the business.

By now I was sick of running from pillar to post and was yearning for a few creature comforts like my ac office and a sip of cool lime juice. As I sped into my office premises, the parking attendant threw his hands up in the air and declared that the parking is full. Some days ...

Anatomy of a song

Ode to everybody

As we embark on this verse, a heading is obviously the first.
Hair-raising isn't its essence, lest it faces strong dissonance.
Churches and temples are no-nos, so as no one wrinkles their nose.
Keep your eyes and ears open then, for this is going to be fun.

I considered something tongue-in-cheek, but it sounded way too weak.
May be a little about cheese dips, to get people smacking their lips ?
What about tales of the tooth fairy, or would it sound too airy ?
These ideas are going down south, and its time to shut my mouth.

Must keep going with my chin up, and resist asking for outside help.
An Emotional and touching quote, to raise a lump in the throat ?
"Armed bandits under hoods, waiting in the neck of the woods" ?
Time to stop and ponder, giving these titles a cold-shoulder.

This is fast becoming a quest, to be gotten off my chest.
I sure have the stomach for the fight, in getting the title just right.
I should relax and sit back, and give this test a proper crack.
Hands down this effort tops all, previous idiocies big and small.

My fingers are in pain, and my patience is on the wane.
I got to somehow nail this, or blow it a long hard good-bye kiss.
Motivation is on its last legs, but must not settle for the dregs.
This has been no mean feat, to think for so long on my feet.

As all this comes to an end, I can't help but not pretend.
Every stanza except this, did quite a lot of justice.
If you don't know what I mean, take a closer look to glean.
If your mind is by now numb, and you are still struck dumb,

I just described the human body from top to bottom :)

A silent prayer

Last wish

With each rapid cyclic motion of dip, scoop and gulp, I was wondering when will it be my turn. Not that I had too many expectations or aspirations of escaping certain death, but the waxing and waning of anticipation with each dip and subsequent slip was beginning to get onto my nerves. The rhythmic actions were only going to last so long and eventually it would be my time to go.

The events of the past few days flashed in front of my eyes. The heavenly aroma of the bakery where it all started, the warped plastic tray, the jostling for space and the claustrophobia caused by cramped quarters, the smell of plastic covers. I was just lying there awaiting my turn and hoping someone would be kind enough to ask for my opinion before they decide my fate.

I must have dozed off because the next thing I remember is being thrown onto the cold floor of this receptacle along with a few others. Before we could so much as look around, we were doused in hot water. And then began the ritual. With each dip, I was hoping it would be someone else, giving me precious extra seconds of life. But as I saw our numbers dwindle and my brethren vanish one after the other, I resigned myself to the inevitable fate.

A few minutes later, I was the only one left and knew someone was saving me for the end. I smiled wryly at the irony of that statement. How would it feel to be lifted so far above the ground ? How fast will I slide down the huge slimy dark alley. What chance do I have of escape once inside ? I tried not to imagine myself doused in acids. Even as I was contemplating other horrors, I was lifted off the ground. As I saw the entrance to my hell, my last thoughts were ... never to be born as a bread crumb and be in a soup again.