Twenty past Three

Okay, It's exactly twenty three days before I turn twenty three. And it is time for the customary Birthday Post!! So I've ranted about not wanting to turn old in when I Turned Twenty . At Twenty One , I wished for dreams that actually did come true...at least the practical ones! And then at Twenty Two , I went back to ranting about my age and how I should not be legally allowed to act it.

(Note: The title says Twenty past Three and not Three Past twenty solely because I'm only actually three years old, with twenty years of experience!)

So this year, I'll celebrate my age. So what if I'm turning 23? It's been a pretty fabulous roller-coaster ride so far, I might as well celebrate the age and look forward to growing wiser! So this year, I'll tell you (the two and a half people who manage to find time and read my blog), twenty three fabulous things of being old!

1) My book will be taken more seriously - Yes, I am writing a book (Read: A titled, nicely decorated word document that's been languishing in a secret folder for the past couple of months.) So the older I get, the likelihood of my finding out marvelous secrets about mankind and revealing them to the world increases.

2) I have stilettos. Okay, so I've been shouting out to the whole wide world that I have stilettos. But that *is* a big deal, if you haven't read my turning twenty post already and not figured out that I can never walk in high heels. But now, I can. Without tripping or ripping clothes with the hypodermic needle.

3) I can cuss, drive and swerve to avoid random people who've sent their brains grazing in the middle of Delhi roads. I can also hijack parking spaces, glare at others when it is my fault and use the horn to give a fire alarm an inferiority complex. While it has nothing to do with age, and more with road-rage, I've realized that people actually take me seriously and make way in awe. Or fear (since I still have the "L" board stuck on the car, nice and bright). Hm. Must. Take. Off. "L".

4) I can eat alone in a cafe without feeling awkward. If you've known me from school, I used to be this really clingy person who wouldn't even visit the loo without a friend accompanying me to the two minute walk down the corridor. I just *had* to chat with someone till there and back. But now, I roam free and alone through Delhi, stopping for a bite, without feeling like oh no there's no one to talk to what will I do sitting all alone here for the next five minutes. That's a big deal. (especially since the last time I tried to act all world-savvy and ordered myself a caramel-mocha in a cafe, I had a violent allergic reaction to coffee and had to frantically call my dad to come pick me up. So Cafe, yes. Coffee, no.)

5) I can cook. 'Nuf said. I have graduated from burning water to making Kadi Chawal and really good cheese omelettes. Next mission: Oreo Cookie Cheesecake.

6) I haven't stuffed my head inside pillows out of fear during the last horror movie I watched. But then again, that was Paranormal Activity. And I was almost half asleep, and since all they did in the movie was also sleep, I didn't really understand much of the door-slamming rituals.

7) I have graduated from wanting to marry Harry Potter or Ranbir Kapoor to Ted Mosby, from How I Met Your Mother. (What? Don't snicker. It *is* a big deal, ok? There was a time when I wanted to marry a certain doctor from a Hindi serial. I've really matured with sitcoms.)

8) Bargaining! They always take you seriously if you're old and bargaining. They consider you as the worldly-wise, well traveled arty woman who knows how much she should pay for any article of purchase. It's no wonder I love going to Sarojini Nagar and Dilli Haat these days!

9) I've retired from Facestalking. Yes, I've finally grown tired of Facebook. I haven't facestalked anyone since...well, yesterday, but that was only because my friend asked me to see that one picture and tell........oh well, you get the point. One entire day without facestalking is a HUGE improvement from the churlish compulsive voyeur I used to be.

10) A-Rated Movies! This time around, no one questioned my age when I went to watch No One Killed Jessica. Unlike the last time when I was taken *out* of the line and asked to show my ID over ten times to prove I was over 18. For The Da Vinci Code, of all the movies (which threw A ratings out of the museum and came on national television a year later anyway.)

11) Ordering weird sounding food in fancy restaurants! The servers actually think you've tasted it before and give you a look of respect. As a kid, they'd always give me a wary look thinking I'd ordered it just because I could spell it right. So, Penne Bolongaise, anyone?

12) I haven't torn one single pair of chappals since 2010 January. That is a HUGE deal, dude. Of course, I've pretty much lived in sneakers and converse shoes since then...but you know, sometimes I stare and they tear.

13) I don't care about the number thirteen being unlucky anymore! (Which is probably why I'm not writing down anything here for the fear it will get reversed or come perversely true or whatever.)

14) I'm addicted to Green Tea! I've graduated from the bournvita-fetish to better brewed, healthier and savvier options like Green Tea. (Uh, also because I'm allergic to coffee so I didn't have much choice.)

15) I can *finally* cut a lemon/orange/tomato the right way. (If you're wondering why that should be recorded here, why don't you go try cutting them and figure out which side you're supposed to cut so the maximum juice can be retained. Hah. Mortals.)

16) I can create scenes! Recently, this little girl tried to pickpocket me in the bus...not only did I catch her hand inside my bag, I even yelled at her mother loud enough to send them both scampering out of the bus. (and then felt guilty for days after because I had stopped the 'livelihood' of a young child by preventing her from stealing all my money and cards. Oh dear.)

17) What number are we on? How many more do I have to go? Is my memory already dwindling? Oh...next time I'll remember to forget incident 16.

18) Parents trust me with their babies! Okay, this has been happening since last summer, because I work with little kids anyway. But not only do parents *not* mind me carrying and playing with their kids, the older ones actually call me "doctor"... (well, that was after I put my foot down and refused to be addressed as 'nurse', 'sister' and 'behenji'.) :D

19) Alcohol doesn't affect me as much as it does other people! BIG deal about being old, I tell you. (Although, if I had tried it earlier, I would've still found this out.) But still, being tolerant to vodka gives me a strange power to watch others dwindling like silly-tunns around me and watching them wisely.

20) Yes, I've tried Alcohol. (If you're still gasping at 19 and wondering where that little kid who irritatingly resembled that other little kid from Kuch Kuch Hota Hai went.) And while it is something that I'm not exactly enamoured with (because it has, like *no* effect on me, dude.), I will still stick to my endless supply of Aerated water to keep me high. (I think my makers up in heaven got a lil bit confused and cross-wired my addiction connections.) Oh, and yes. My parents know. No room for blackmail.

21) I can, in fact, live by myself and not starve, burn the house, flood it, break things or, you know sell it accidentally. It's not like I've done these things before, but now the grown-ups trust me not to do it.

22) I can message fast! Almost as fast as I can type (which is fast dude, so much so that I ditched the idea of writing all this in my diary and put it up here instead, because I'd save time.) That's a big improvement, coming from someone who doesn't know, or really care, where her phone is half the time.

and finally....

23) It's good to be old because I'm ok with growing old! After attaining the wise age of 23, I will have post graduated. So move over, Beeyay Vaishnavi, Hello Yemmay, Vaishnavi! (ok. I'll keep this one in the sidelines until after I'm done with my dissertation, you know. Just in case.)

So here are twenty three reasons why I think it's cool I'm twenty three! *Finally* an attitude change about my age!

Two Arms

Two Arms were gifted to help me out

To keep me safe from harm

To keep my smile from going south

And fill my life with charm

Twenty four years, it doesn't seem

Only yesterday it could be

When these two arms entered this dream

And now, share it with me

If one arm taught me how to drive

The other gave me the car

Together, they strove to make me strive

And encouraged me to fly afar

I'm called the apple of their eye

Their pear and orange too

And with each day that goes by

I live more and more like you

The arms have stood by me all through

To be my beacon and wings

To repay them, all I can do

Is to fill joy in each day life brings

Happy twenty fourth wedding anniversary, Amma and Appa. :) I know I don't say it often enough, but you are everything to me. Thank you.

P.S. You are allowed to read my blog now. But only for this post.

A Zappy New Year!! =)

Remember what I said about the month of December being Magical? There's something in the air and the weather that makes you want to....just go out. There is no way such beautiful weather could curtail me from sitting inside a closed room and writing blog posts.

*Pauses*

*Thaws fingers out of the frozen keyboard*

Right, moving on. Delhi is frozen. No, really. It is one big misty block of frozen traffic, colourful winter wear and smoky shacks at every corner. Last year, inspired by the weather, I had written this poem - Winter Frost . It was probably my first (and so far, best) attempt at poignant poetry. So as I sit down today to recreate that frosty magic, I seem to be at a loss of words.

The weather is really beautiful, I concede. Honestly, when the flight was about to land, I was terrified (what's new?). I could only see a thick creamy blanket of fog with no visible land and the plane kept losing altitude rapidly. As I bizarrely began to wonder if fog could insulate us against the fire that would probably break out due to a crash landing, I saw the runway about 10 metres from the ground....and the plane finally went thud thud thud...vroooom on it. Phew. Of course, when the stewardess announced that the temperature outside was 6 degrees, (this was at noon, mind you.) woolens started popping out of cabin baggage like magic. So yes, this season is truly magical.

Poetry will follow sometime soon, but now, dissertation and term papers await. So here's a quick update of my fabulous Christmas break before I delve into windows with 'better' views (read: Google Scholar)

It all began with the flight, like it always does. The humongous T3 terminal in Delhi made me feel like a liliput in Gulliver's land. And being the posh airport that it is, the attendant at the bookshop pursed his lips in polite consternation when I asked for my only therapy for aerophobia (A Mills and Boon book, remember?). Salvaging my dignity somehow, I trooped away and found a rather interesting book instead and walked off towards my gate.

Home was awesome, to say the least. This is the first time I've truly been at peace, without worrying about which entrance exam I have to write or which direction I have to go in the next couple of months (uh..not like these worries don't exist. I've just given them a raincheck for the summer.) So the blissful bournvita-filled days passed by me like a Delhi metro train, and before I knew it, I was packing to come back. (With 4 kgs over the baggage allowance and tonnes of good memories.)

Good memories, you ask? Because this time in Bangalore was special. :) convincing two of the best BFFs you can ever have to take a day off work and roaming all over the city (or at least all over one part of the city) can only result in good memories. From that fancy dinner in fancy clothes to the funny auto-bhaiya who insisted on charging us, like, half the normal fare at 9 in the night, the pajama party began with a bang.

Of course, staying up most of the night and watching mindless movies, only to wake up after a few desperate hours of sleep was just as entertaining too. The heavy breakfast at Maiyyas (I want Masala Dosa. NOW!) and walking ALL around Jayanagar made up for all the lack of exercise I have (or don't). Eating golguppas (Yes, in Bangalore. I've become a tainted Delhite, eating and bragging about paani puris outside of my ultimate food paradise) and just spending all that time together somehow made up for the fact that I don't see them as often as I could have, had I been at home.

But it's ok. I'll be back soon, and we'll go where we've been planning since forever but couldn't make it this time! (And no Sneha, that does NOT give you the right to crib about my grand-motherly lack of energy after a long day's hard work of walking for over 10 kms.)

And yes, reunions of other kinds happened as well, which was great fun too. But my loopy friends stole the limelight for these holidays. Thank you for a brilliant time and for treating me like a completely pampered baby. Thank you for the superb gift that I will wear and show off to everyone I know (I think I've already covered about 50% of that.) But most importantly, thank you for taking time off your super-busy schedules and spending a wonderful weekday-night-day with me.

Why does this sound eerily like I'm being forced to give a vote of thanks after a conference at school? Anyway, the point is, Thank you for YOU. And rest assured that my god children will be supplied with endless stories of our stupidity when I babysit them (in that solitary house atop the hills of Mussorie) and you guys holiday in far off destinations. (Unless, of course, you keep your word and give me that promised birthday gift!)

So a brilliant start to a New Year. There are 11 months and 27 days to go, but something tells me that the finale of 2010 has given 2011 something to seriously worry about, if it has to be upped!

A Score and Two More

This has now become a tradition, hasn't it? I may not write other posts (which, FYI, are pending in my edited posts list, waiting to be finished and packed off to adorn this blog) but I will never deter from religiously writing my birthday posts! It's about 22 days before I turn 22 (and Sneha, I have now turned immune to your taunty aunty comments!) and I have found 22 habits that doubt my actual qualifications of being 22. nevertheless, I shall consciously resolve to work on them to make my 22nd as successful as my 21st! (Which I have to admit, has been a brilliant year for me!) Warning, HIGHLY narcissistic post coming up! Read This and This for further reference!

22 things I should keep in mind before going forth and acting crazy --

1) Hurrring pigeons: (you know, shooing them away in a filmy style) I promise that the next time I visit Connaught place, I resolve to restrain myself from hurring them pigeons out of little nooks where they nibble on seeds and sunbathe in tranquility. My devious deeds have been caught by the pigeons and they now follow me home just to bless my car with their digestive confetti immediately after I choose to hurr them away!

2) Taking shorter and Narrower U Turns: Ahem, if you were in class the day I recited this incident (with diagrams and drama) about almost ramming sidelong into a poor unsuspecting Santro just because I thought the road was my red carpet and I could turn wherever, then you would know why this figures right at the top of this list. I still need to apologize to all the unsuspecting passengers who sit in my car, little knowing that their journey may actually beat the scariest roller coaster invented by man, machine or fiction.

3) Thinking before talking: This again applies to the millions of faux pas I have committed in college just because I end up sounding like a seedy person when all my conversations seem to have a double entendre to them. That would probably explain why my theory on disposable lens became the most talked about expletive for almost a week on facebook. And honestly? I still don't get the drift! I am naive ok? And no, I did not mean what I said in a dirty way. It's not my tongue that's dirty, it's your mind.

4) Cutting down on Samosas: Okay, so they're available at an irresistibly low price of Rs.3! But really, that cannot mean that I can gorge on them until I begin to resemble one. Beginning with my twenty second year, I resolve to drastically reduce eating Sammys (sigh, we have a pet name for the delicious piece of heaven too!) and utilize my beautiful, serene campus for walking, not binging.

5) Singing Notes while Washing Clothes: Yeah, this is a rare disorder that only occurs to people who do not get a good enough platform for showcasing their nightingale notes to the world. It began at Google, where the maids at our apartment would gather to watch my performance silently every Sunday morning as I belted out number after outdated and mushy number. But that hasn't stopped me from continuing the habit. If you're in the vicinity and you hear a distorted voice that is singing out lyrics all wrong (mostly made up by my creatively insane mind -- and ALWAYS rhyming), you know I'm in my own washing machine!

6) Traveling in public transport in solitude and bragging about it to everyone: The first part of this habit is good. I have always traveled in public transport in Bangalore and never had anyone to commend me about it. But traveling alone in the Metro/Auto or Bus in Delhi makes me feel like I've won the National Championship for, well, Traveling Alone or whatever. It's crazy, but I always get this feeling of having achieved something...and I look around with a smug expression often thinking 'Hah to all you suckers who think it's boring to travel alone'.

7) Laughing at the ignorance of North Indians when it comes to South Indian Cuisine: For the last time, it's Sambaaaaar. Not Sambur. And it is often taken with Idly and Chutney. NOT samosas, for crying out loud! I know it's fun to be innovative, but really? This innovative? And chutney is just chutney. Not 'nariyal ki chutney', 'white chutney' or even worse 'pista wala chutney'. They've all been used. Believe me. Also, while I'm at it, we are Tamilians, Kannadigas and Malayalis. Not people who speak 'South Indian'. There are 4 states south of the Vindhyas. Kindly look up the political map (google it) and then come talk to me about my home town. Oh, and also, I can speak Kannada (which is a language, not a restaurant), and not Karnatak (which, if spelt correctly, is a form of classical music.) Oh well. I'll stop now.

8) Laughing at my Mother's Hindi (or any other South Indian's Hindi): It ain't an easy language to learn my friend. The river is a female, but a lake is male. A mispronounced syllable converts a food item into profanity. Really, when I used to point and laugh at my mother struggling with Hindi numbers, little did I realize that it will all come back to me as I try in vain to figure out what 'dedh' and 'dhai' is. (I think dhai is 1 and a half. Or is that dedh?)

9) Telling everyone about my book: Okay. So someday I want to write a book. But SOMEDAY. Not today as soon as I rush back from college or whatever. Hence, it makes zero sense in telling the whole world about what a fantastically popular author I intend to become (Ha ha - it almost sounds like I'm plagiarising Chetan Bhagat's thoughts here.). First, I shall seek out adventure in life. Then it shall seek me. Then we'll sit and write about it. Till then, the only book I need to go near is my textbook...where did that go again?

10) Squealing and Pointing at Aloo Chat: So it was the greatest dish invented by the Delhite. Honestly, Aloo Chat should be made our national dish. The bleak ray of warmth that emerges from a spicy and chatpata Aloo Chaat on a cold winter morning can kick away even the worst of Seasonal Depressive Disorders....speaking of which...

11) Cribbing about the Weather: It's called Extreme temperature. Summers - Very Hot. Winters - Very Cold. Spring - Very..well..Springy (One drive around Chanakyapuri and you'll be covered with blossoms of a million hues!) and Autumn - Very windy. There is no such thing as a 24 degree life (Ah, How I miss you, my perfectly weathered Bangalore!) Really. Just when I start living in this city, it has to record the highest temperature in Summer, the most rainfall and the coldest temperature in winter - ALL in one freakin year! :-( Why are you people still using plastic? Don't you see the ghastly effects of global warming happening in this city?

12) Staring into Space: I've mentioned this before, yes. But this time I really need to curb the habit. I'm twenty two. When the space is replaced by people, I end up staring at them. People will now wonder why I am staring at them so seriously and start taking wrong hints. Especially that bus driver of 724 (What? I was seeing your speedometer and imagining myself driving such a gigantic but dilapidated bus, you moron!)

13) Liking all movies: Isn't it about time I started to find my own niche in movies and prefer one genre over another? Okay, so I'm all for Armageddon type outer space action and What's Your Rashee type slapstick comedy. I just like all movies. And I'm the world's worst review machine possible. Rajeev Masand, take a bow. And all my friends out there who are waiting in line to beat me up for having recommended Pyaar Impossible (It was a nice movie, ok?), take heart. I'm trying sincerely to change that habit.

14) Diversify Literature: Ladybird Series: Check. Roald Dahl:Check Enid Blyton: Check. Chicken Soup/John Grisham/Jefferey Archer/Robert Ludlum/Arthur Hailey: Check Sweet Valley/Baby Sitter's Club/Bridget Jones/and all the other Chick-Lit that I am addicted to: Chick! Mary Higgins Clark: Check. Classics: Check Urgh. I've read every type of fiction possible. I really need to find another author to devour or I'll go mad with repetition! Stephen King, anyone? Fits the mood, doesn't it?

15) Try to anatomically stop my face from turning RED: It gives me away, and I think Rudolf will come looking for me sometime soon to substitute for him. It begins with my ears, and then my nose....and finally my cheeks. I'm brown, and if my face turns red, it ain't a pretty picture. But if a teacher asks me a question, if I'm driving, if everyone is staring at me suddenly, if I'm lying.....IT ALWAYS GIVES ME AWAY! :-( Maybe I'll grow out of it this 22nd?

16) Stop being an Oreo Cookie fanatic: OC (yes, it has a nickname too - oh well, at least it's better than calling that teenage depressive manic serial OC). So anyway, OC doughnuts, OC milkshake, OC with cream, OC with Ice Cream. OC with EVERYTHING! Give me a meal of Aloo Chat and Oreo cookies, and you've earned a fan for life! :-D Oh...right. The idea was to give up the fanaticism. Oh well. Okay, maybe just one teeny tiny cookie......

18) Flinching at Profanity: The whole world swears. And although I personally think that the people who dabble with profanity honestly don't have a good vocabulary and hence are substituting syntax with f words and the like. But I still cant stop flinching every time someone uses the words. Someone in my mind goes Ushhooo...that was a bad word! I've tried real hard not to react when people have tennis matches with verbal expletives. But dude, it just doesn't work! I feel like telling them all to go read a dictionary!

19) Seeing silly reality shows on television for the mere purpose of dissing them later: This is a really serious one. I should stop watching reality shows. Period. And switch over to Aastha Channel or somewhat if I really want some catharsis. This overt voyeuristic habit has turned me into a cynic of reality. I almost expect someone to step inside my house and tell me that they won't vote for me if I don't clean my room or something!

20) Bugging people to go to museums/art galleries/book fairs/historical monuments and 'exploring' the city: I love all of that dude! I mean, Historical Monuments are the coolest things that happened to Delhi since the Mughals...or even earlier. It is but natural to want to see them all, no? Who needs to go to a blatantly commercialized building that reeks of materialism and extravagant consumerism? (Uh, I mean a mall). I think my purpose in life now has one more propagandist agenda (My most favorite one being 'Yelling at people who waste food by reminding them of the plight of the Sub-Saharan African children.) I will now encourage people to visit the National Museum. It is one of the best museums I've seen in a long time, and I don't see why people cant spend more time there, and learn about the country while..........okay...time to stop, I guess :-)

21) Fooling Around by writing posts like this when exams are a cat's whiskers away: Yeah. But don't blame me for having a birthday in exam-ridden March! After years of school exams, bored exams and semester exams, I've discovered my favorite mode of passing time between studying for subjects. So I guess I'll just continue doing this every year. (Oh dear, I'll have to start being more creative though. I mean, it's not like my reasons will get any lesser with each year right?)

22) Actually following all of these....who am I kidding? I'd probably read through conscientiously the first couple of months, and then this post becomes archived while my habits get revived! :-D

Yay!! Now that the craziness is purged out of me - Happpy Birthday!!! :-) (To me only!)

Nibbles of Nostalgia

I'm twenty one now. I should stop using these blasted alliterated titles, REALLY. People generally write a post, and then spend hours together finding a suitable title. I, however, decide to write a post based on a good title.

Moving on, don't you think rain somewhat clears the sinuses in your memory and makes you remember so many gorgeous moments you've had? This post is one of those sorts.....some fun times I've had in the rains, which needed to be recorded somewhere...so I can clear that slate and start over the next time it rains. (and Ms.Nature forgets to turn off the taps when it rains in Delhi.)

The sun has finally decided to play peek-a-boo and has warmed up the soggy city.....and these past rainy days transported me to so many recent memories of rain...all of which included the same three of us and ice cream, incidentally! So you guys, if this post wont make you want to bunk your college and hang out with me when I get there, NOTHING will!

Hmm....the first time was Reenu's birthday. (Yes, I got your message last night...about the 'anniversary' of discovering a certain food item and it got me thinking!) After making her open those twenty wacky presents, we whisked her off to Cream and Fudge Factory in the rain! The ice cream is sort of vaguely present in my mind (it involved a lot of sprinkles) but the impromptu decision of eating that roadside Gobi Manchurian in the rain is etched ever so clearly! And then riding back with the cold biting wind and frozen drops of drizzle on Hosur Road!

Then came Sneha's college fest! Aaah..that was such a memory! After spending the entire day judging events (sigh, it was such hard work! ), the rock concert was generously given a washing down! I know, Sneha went around running from pillar to post (quite literally you know) trying to prevent the stage from collapsing on Avial, but Reenu and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience! (okay, before you include it in your comments, I'll concede that I needed some convincing to get my new shirt wet in the rain..but I did in the end you know!) Including all that slush and mush on the sneakers that weighed down on us so heavily! After getting so completely drenched, we trekked back onto Hosur Road to catch that bus back home. We waited under that bridge with some shady characters...wondering if we should just camp in the college for the night! When we got onto some bus and reached the Silk Board Junction, we had to swim our way through to the next bus stop! And I mean swim! We managed to get up on some broken wall and walked on it precariously as if we were practicing for Miss India (they would've been proud of us though...one tiny slip and we'd be Miss Kichad instead!). After actually touching real, solid ground, wet with only the rainwater, we ran towards another bus that would finally take us home. When we reached home, it began raining again...I don't know why, but I never felt the need to run for shelter....even that late at night, we walked as if it was a bright sunny day and reached home so merrily, my family wondered if I had caught a severe form of head cold that had affected my sensibility!

The last memory is recent...when we went to see that movie at Inox near home. Yeah yeah, so it rained inside the theatre for different reasons...but once we got out, it was actually raining. This time again, we just walked so lazily in the drizzle and ate that scrumptious ice cream in the Fake Corner House. (I'm the biggest fan of Corner house but the ambiance of the Fake one takes the Cake..and the whipped cream on it!) I remember as we walked back, people kept giving us weird looks about how three carefree girls can just waddle in the rain when people run towards cover.....somehow it never affected us....we roamed all around Jayanagar that day, not even realizing that rain is supposed to be a hindrance! If that wasn't enough, we actually rode triples on a bike in the rain!

These three things have happened at different times of the year...not really in the monsoon, and still somehow every time we meet, it rains! I dunno...there is something about our meeting and the rain playing host! And there's something intoxicating about Bangalore rains...sort of makes you want to go out right away and eat ice-cream! Do you think the monsoons will be generous enough to extend themselves for three more weeks?

Fairytale Friendships

A mush-fest is about to start. This week was like a whirlwind. It came, swept me off my feet and has deposited me several inches above the ground. I don't feel like stepping down on the uneven ground again. Ever. If only the week could copy-paste itself 52 times so that the entire year would be the same and things like Future Planning, Exams, Practicals would slip away unnoticed into oblivion. 

But.....life isn't a fairytale. Although my friends are characters from those. Really, the non-stepsistery but more like perfect quality type characters. For someone who has never celebrated her birthday on the birth day (thanks to Bored exams, final exams, every other exam that books it's place in March) , this birthday was AWESOME!!! So here's a tribute to those angels who decided to sacrifice a holiday and shared their day with me instead. 

(Sorry dudes, I really wanted to write a poem and live up to the title Gyaan Guru Rhyme Shuru .....but my mind is clogged with random essays on African Education, Paranoid Schizophrenia and Exit Polls...so I shall do that some other time) :) 

So I'll begin in the order of their appearance in my life. Sneha and Reenu, I really wont miss you. That's because we're the only three who are giving outdated social networking sites any business at all by constantly writing mundane little notes to each other. I know it will continue....so I'm totally at peace thinking I'll always stay in touch with you. ( I really cant help myself...you both are contagious!) 

My google buddies - Naya, Bihari Bahurani, Resh and Maddy..... I didn't know you guys before Google happened and I sincerely believed that we wouldn't really keep in touch at college after Google either. But the fact that we still act like three year olds when we greet each other, and share the same Googly vibes nearly a year after the internship shows that the internship did nothing much except to catalyse our friendship. We were meant to be friends...internship or not. And the very fact is proven by how much fun we've had outside of Google as well. I hope this friendship continues even as you all strut off to work and I settle down with my books! :) P.S. You all can take turns in treating me - after all, you'll be earning! :-P 

My college pals! My college life is defined by you all. I don't think I would've enjoyed even half of what I did if I was in any other Combination. PyEJ is not a class, it's an identity. A personality trait ingrained in all of us. You guys have been the best! And the only bit of that looooong graduation address I caught was "You will make many friends in your life but the college friends are those you keep forever".

Repstar - This swamiji of yours has totally become your disciple in learning how to let go and have fun. I'll miss your warmth and compassion towards us and that right-out-of-a-shampoo-ad hair! 

Sirchi Mirchi - We've made everyone deaf by our melodious rendition of Livin' in my OUWN world! E-mail will never let us down as we discuss the technicoloured lives of Hayavadana and our cutie from MJTH!!! 

Foo Foo Princess - We've had Chats, Chit Chats and you've managed to get me to try that raw mango with toxic green lethal chutney also! My life has been sprinkled with spice thanks to you..and we'll definitely continue our tradition of violating birthday cakes even in our Backpacking trip! 

Sauce wali red! - I still have that first e-mail you wrote me! I'm probably preserving it to show your kids how reluctantly shy you were at first....and now? The word isn't Shy. It's Sigh. How DO we get you to shut up? :-P You've redefined red! 

J Lo with Twinkle Toes - The ONLY person who's even attempted in getting me to shake a leg. Clearly, I'm not meant to do it. But you still dance with me! I'll kidnap you from Dubai just to take you shopping....so that I look more like a normal college girl and less like a pre-teen wannabe fresh out of Weekender Kids. 

Techie Tingu!! We've had a looooong connection...from the crow to maaaaaam to front and back! Really, Sanskrit classes wouldn't have been this memorable..in fact, I really don't remember what we've studied..but I remember how we've studied them! We'll be in touch until our bled stays red. :-P 

Register ki Rani - My cute little anda who's so mature and dignified now! Your perfect attendance has meant that you've lit up my life every single day of college! Just remember to close your windows during sandstorms and give the Internet some good exercise by constantly staying in touch! 

Pingu Penguin, Scandalized, Rasam Kali.....a big big hug to you all....for that 1000 watt smile, the tales in your house and the chubby chubby hands. 

No matter which direction we all disperse in, whether we stay in touch or not, you guys will always be 'The guys'. It's really hard to find new friends after you all have set such high standards! Looks like I'll be coming away from college with that Snooty Carmelite attitude after all. It is not going to be easy settling in a new place after leaving this home.....but your memories, experiences and idiosyncrasies are going to make it like cake-walk. (and in my line of study, if someone glances at my glazed daydreaming expression, they might end up classifying me into Axis I disorders!- but it's worth taking that risk!)  

If THIS big post of self praise I've meted out to you all wont get you to read my blog, seriously, NOTHING will! 

A very very humble thank you. :-) 

Two Decades and a Dozen Months

It has been a year since I cribbed about turning twenty. This time however, I shall not rant. I shall instead, wish for a couple (okay, much more than a couple) of things that can possibly make me forget the fact that I am indeed turning twenty one. 

So here come the twenty one wishes (in random order) that can positively make my twenty first year a joyride. (quite literally, in one case.) 

1) Nigella Lawson!! Will someone please gag her, shove her and her larder in a big gunny sack and export her to Bangalore? Pretty please? Every time I watch her show, I drool so much that Pavlov and his dog must be giving me a standing ovation from up there. 

2) A customized BMTC bus that will appear miraculously in front of my college every time I think about going home. That way, I don't have to reach home in a grumpy mood after having broken my thigh bone by an 8 year old who decides my lap is more fun to dance on than maybe.....the floor of the bus? Most of the times, I love traveling by buses. It's one of these rare instances that completely spoil that joyride for me.

3) Delhi in Bangalore. I WANT Delhi in Bangalore. I miss Delhi so much, I can picture Evergreen ka chaatwalla in my dreams on particularly hungry nights....and days even. Bangalore is home, but Delhi is where a part of my heart still remains. Why cant I mix the two cities like that horribly sexist Axe ad?

4) Websites that don't give you the preview of an essay-that will be very useful for your English exam research-only to wait for you to scroll down and then scream out 'YOU CAN BUY THE FULL ESSAY FOR $8.59 ONLY!!!!' Really, computers are supposed to be the storehouse of knowledge, not a warehouse. 

5) Unlimited supply of Lay's Magic Masala. You know, the type that will not make you puke even if you crunch down 7-8 packs at a time. I can only go past one. The second one makes me queasy and the final one brings out the other two. :-( 

6) A Mindwriter. When I'm not yapping (on rare rare occasions), my mind is constantly yapping inside, if you get what I mean. I could probably write a really funny book with the kinda stuff I think...but I forget it all very fast. I wish I could have something that writes down everything that goes on in my mind only to read on a grey day.  Also, I wouldn't need to type this out so meticulously after forming grammatically correct sentences. 

7) A book wishing spell. It's like I really wish I have this book and POOF! It turns up! And if I get bored halfway (which sadly happened to a certain Russian Classic writer I was reading) then by wishing so, the entire book should be read without my knowledge. Just in case I need to show off that I've read the book, and quote a line or two, then it would be cool! 

8) Water bottles that don't get opened by anyone other than me. I'm stingy with water OK? I hate sharing water and believe it must be a fundamental duty of every citizen to bring their own freakin bottles to college so that my bottle doesn't get passed around like some purple toy. 

9) A Pizza cake. Has anyone ever made that? It would be nice though...with a pizza-ish filling and a crumbly crust with cheese as icing and olives as the sugar balls. 

10) A pair of Self-exercising shoes. I've given up trying to exercise a long time ago. Maybe I can get a pair of shoes that will promptly start exercising the moment they're worn. By me, that is. Or if someone can invent a wireless connection wherein other people exercising can burn my calories, then that would be perfectly alright. 

11) A security alarm for my Psychology notes and record. Something that will blare out if they have been displaced from my bag. Or maybe I should get them insured somewhere. 

12) A brand new memory! Something that will remember every face, book, movie, textbook and experience of my life. I've been getting rather cold looks from people I cannot place. Wait now, what is the mineral responsible for good memory? Is it Iron? 

13) People who laugh at my superstitions must be jinxed to immediately babble out one deep dark embarrassing secret of theirs. So I have a lucky (fine...and unlucky) song. And I believe in the 'One for sorrow Two for joy' crow thingy. It's worked for twenty years. I think that's good enough evidence to justify its miraculous powers, thanks. 

14) A backpack that can hold everything and still appear tiny. Hermione, are you listening? 

15) Contact lenses that scream out in agony when I try to put them in old solution. At least that way, I'll remember to change the solution every day. It really is tough with my memory and all. Honest. 

16) A mini planner executive person thingy in my mind that goes Go now to room 15, you have class there or Today is the last day of the extended version of your extended deadline to submit English assignment. FINISH it. It really would help. Most of the times, I seem to be floating in a parallel world with a dazed expression. Except, I am not romantic film heroine thinking of dream sequences with hero. I am generally thinking of what to eat next, or which notes haven't been completed, or something equally intriguing. 

17) An age changing potion. So that sometimes, when I feel I want to be pampered like a five year old by my family, I can go back to that age. Or if I want to watch TV like a 70 year old granny, then I can go forward in time. 

18) A mini chaat stall at home. I love chaat. Everyone should have chaat stalls at home. Its a pity the home made chaat never tastes like chaat. It just tastes...well...like its been made at home. 

19) An alarm clock that will alter the Greenwich Mean Time if I want to oversleep. That way, I'll never feel guilty for being late to any place. They're running on my time anyway. 

20) One of those mini retort books that will immediately tell me which smart ass comment I am supposed to make if I am rebuked by someone. In most situations, I end up standing befuddled and the person just walks away. I need to make a witty retort at that moment, not in my diary three hours later, or even worse, in my memory for at least 5 months. 

and finally, my twenty first wish for my twenty first birthday is -

21) To have all of this come true. Can it? Do you see that mail van anywhere? 

A deja vu-too good to be true!

I went back to my favorit-est city of this year-Hyderabad. Before going, I wondered if this was really worth all the trouble. I mean, I'd already been there and done that. Still, this journey was mind blowing. If someone were to ask me right now (that's rather unlikely but here goes anyway) if I preferred the May trip to this one, then I'd have to stay undecided. Both were fantastic in their own ways and I'm really feeling lucky (the Google pun intended) to have had the chance to visit the same place twice and have contrasting but equally exciting experiences! :-) 

So where should I begin from really? I'm too lazy right now to sit and type out every single detail of the trip. Go on, heave that sigh of relief! I'll probably sketch out a rather rough picture of my entire trip. Good enough for me to read later and get lost in reverie. (I still believe only a handful people read this blog thingy when they have nothing else to do so I'm writing with only my later intentions in mind.) 

The train ride: How long has it been since I last stepped into a 2nd class compartment of a train anyway? This one was bereft of the paan-pichku which adorned the walls of Karnataka Express, AC coaches et al. It had nice mica-type sparkly flooring and clean, very clean, berths. Clearly my inexperience in a night journey by train shone through when I bumped my head on the overhead berth rod and cut and bruised myself by almost falling off! But the games, the birthday celebration, the supposed midnight feast (which we ravenous pigs finished by 10 only) and the early morning chat were all worth it! 

The City- Hussain Sagar lake has never looked so mystical draped in the blanket of smog. The hotel, although situated in a rather congested area was amazingly delightful inside. Our room especially! Food was lip smacking, and the industry we visited..well...ahem...was interesting too. Now moving on to other things! The Snow world adventure- a deja vous with a twist-or rather, a fall. After landing squat on my posterior twice in that ridiculously cruel snow, I have resolved to stay in warm climates forever. Golconda fort however, was beautiful. It's the one place I want to go back again and again. It's eerie, but the last time I went there, I promised myself I'd be back. Soon. And it worked. Maybe it has the charm of that Roman Fountain. Contrary to many of my friends I was spellbound by the Sound and Light Show. It was so cool I wanted to go back and live during the times of the Kakatiyas and Bahamanis! 

Film City was interesting too. It just erased that line between illusion and reality. It also taught me that camera does the work of a make-up artist. The sets looked quite fake, to be honest, but cameras really do a splendid job of making hospitals and airports look authentic. The Mona Lisa portrait was a laugh riot, as were the various Movie Myaaagik shows we were compelled to watch. But our lunch at Gunsmoke-the Wild West Restaurant was one-of-a-kind. How often do you eat good ol burgers the size of a palm? With lots of crispy french fries thrown in? And coleslaw to top it all off? After McDonalds has arrived, not so often, my friend. The entire day was spent in discovering new things there. It was like a Pandora's box for us. 

10 Downing Street was an interesting experience as well. I must confess, I am not really those clubbing-pubbing-dancing type people. I'm perfectly content with a good book on a sofa. But my first experience was not so bad after all. Not only did I dance like a roller coaster gone haywire, I got to witness a few tunn classmates at their charming best! A rather classy place it was, where the DJ and the other guests kept serenading us 'Bangalore Girls' with lots of praise. We were 67 of us after all! 

Last day- it was spent in that usual frenzy of shopping for biscuits, bangles and biryani - something most tourists do. All three were fun, and Char Minar has now begun to grow on me, I liked it a tad better than last time. Otherwise the last day went off in a jiffy. Before we knew it, we were back to the train with our usual banter and attention seeking habit of high pitched laughter and lame antics! 

Things that MUST be documented, but I'm too lazy to do so in my diary: 

1. Pri's animal farm game! :-) 

2. Blespaul's Naxalite threat! (I kid you not, we all closed window shutters, flattened ourselves on the berths and whispered for over 15 minutes before realising it was a hoax!) 

3. Sigh, that horrendous roomie. She didn't leave us alone even this time. Anyway, this is only being documented to renew a fresh surge of indifference the next time I read it. She has crossed even limits of hatred and vile feelings. But we didn't let her spoil the trip at all! 

4. Pepsiiiiiiiiiii Uuuuuuuuuumaaaaaaaa!!! Dear ol Quashy! What could we DO without you? :-) 

5. Our industry visit. I'm only documenting this because I'm supposed to do a PPT on it soon. :-(

 

6. Snow World! And that cruel cruel snow which seemed to attract me from all sides, especially     below. Something else that attracted me was The Sound and Light Show. Breathtakingly marvellous. Amitabh Bachchan's voice has never sounded this majestic. It is still reverberating in my mind. It's turned me into a History Freak! 

7. Food, in general: From that yummy chocolate cake in the train with rolls and chips to pineapple juice at breakfast in the hotel to that spicy gongura chutney during lunch and spici-ergobi at dinner, to the HUGE burgers and Dabal Ka Meetha and Paradise Biryani and that interestingly tasty Paan to that crappy dinner in the train. All was memorable. 

8. Ramoji Film City- the pretend game that it is, and those tattoos that we all got, that crazy ride we went on, the stunt show, the bus ride to and fro-with our dear teachers compering an impromptu punny fashion show in the bus! 

9. Ten Downing Street- just for the place. And the way we all danced forever. And brought the house down with our enthu-sober version of being High! 

10. And of course, how can I ever forget A, B and C? And our villain D? How often do you find blackberry using, fair-and-lovely guys who are trained pilots studying to be fashion designers? Our topic of interest that sustained throughout the return trip!! :-) :-) 

Only 10 this time, there are a million memories that are floating like an unedited movie in my mind. But dinner beckons, and so do a lot more things in life. So I shall refrain from falling prey to staying back in my past like I did the last time, and move on with these splendid technicoloured memories. Plus, I think my fingers have begun to cramp after all this typing dude. I love you Hydera-baaaaaaaad! All over again! :-) 

 

The Role Model.

We've all written essays at school about our role models. I used to switch between Mark Twain (for being left-handed and a writer) and my Grandad (for being just the coolest Thata ever). But only recently did I understand the meaning of a Role Model. Someone you dont just admire, but respect. Someone who isn't imitated, but emulated. And it is then, that I found my true role model. You, my Friend. I don't need to mention the name, or the reason why I've made you my role model. You've taught me a lot (and that includes parts of maths and sanskrit, apart from just lessons of life.)

I've lived most of my life in a candyfloss environment. You've taught me that if life does decide to change tracks, and I lose complete control, it's okay. It eventually does settle down on a new track. It's up to me to build a new environment of candyfloss around it.
When sad things happen, you've taught me that I needn't always react like television soap actors, but accept events with a lot of calmness, courage and strength.
Most of all, there is nothing that can redeem the joy I get by waking up to a brand new day. You've taught me to respect the value of each and every day. Both good ones and bad ones.

These are perhaps small, even insignificant things in most people's lives. They might read this and wonder why on earth am I realising these things this late. But the fact remains that you've shown me a new perspective to life and to living every moment to the best of my capabilities. I wont make cliched remarks of 'always being there for you', but if ever you need someone to hang out with, share a couple of laughs...tears even, then you'll see my irritatingly bubbly self hovering around somewhere. Your strength redefines the word 'strength'. And today, I put you ahead of all the role models that I have ever admired. Thank you, Friend.

Googled Part II :)

The google-mania continues as I put up another post related to it! J Sigh….I don’t think I’ll ever get over this now, will I? But these are the 150 things that will keep transporting me back to those 6 weeks…..there are much much much more than just 150 of course, but I decided to spare the reader a bit and just jot down the most memorable ones…..

A special special thanks to Iysh ….from whose blog I shamelessly copy pasted this…. with a few changes :-) But hey! We all came up with this list as a collaborative effort so I figured that by spreading the knowledge, it’s no harm really ;-) So here it begins….be prepared for a really long…and sometimes not very coherent…list!
1. PHOTOGRAPHS!
2. Ganne ka juice...!
3. FOOSBALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
4. Divya's laughter! :D
5. "Go jump into the Approval Bin!"
6. Sub-Saharan African children
7. The "Terrace" talks!
8. THE TEAM OFFSITE!
9. The intellectual game that led to raunchy dares! :P
10. "Old city.. New city... Great city... I love you hyderabad!"
11. Golconda fort! :D
12. Weekend breakfast conversations at the guest house!
13. Naya's camera! (A very special thanks to you Naya, without your camera we wouldnt be having so many memoirs to take back home! )
14. SAKKATH!!! :)
15. KABAAB ME HADDI!!!
16. Hyderabad buses
17.*Ding Ding*
18. Chipkali :D
19. Google food!!!
20. Coffee/ Tea/ Hot chocolate breaks that lasted forever!
21. The swimming pool...!
22. Hari's singing... "Pehli nazar mein"
23. "Certain Googlers!"
24. Ragging our trainers - Sundeep and Khalid!
25. Google terrace... our heaven!
26. A'bis' 'cakes' (We'll really miss u a lot Abhisek….or maybe just your ever open wallet!)
27. Snow world!
28. Rajasthani Dhaba…and the yummy lassi there! :-)
29. Singing and dancing at the terrace in the middle of the night! And playing musical chairs!
30. Staying up throughout the night at the terrace to watch the sun rise in the morning! :-)
31. Paradise Biriyani
32. The double rainbow.. :-)
33. Say CHEESE!!! :P
34. 6'4.2"...or was it 6'4.3"?? - Uyarndha manidhan!
35. "Katal karna jurm hai par sahi waqt par katal karna rajniti!"
36. METALLICA!
37. IPL finals! :-D...and our own rendition of cricket in the basement!
38. OMEGA, 2ND FLOOR! :-)
39. "You suuuuuuuuuuuuck!!!"
40. Watching cartoons in telugu!
41. George's b'day video!
42. Iysh's Birthday...the Rum Cake!! :-D
43. Sex and the city!! Watching the Night show and returning at 2 AM! The weird clothes they wore! ;)
44. Slam books! :-D
45. Team lunches! :-)
46. THE GOOGLE T-SHIRTS! :-D
47. Google goodies! :-)
48. Learning to wash clothes! :-)
49. Cornettoes! :D
50. "Follow the noise...!"
51. Beanbags, Balls and massage chairs.. :-)
52. Lava lamps!
53. The elevators and ID cards....especially the retractors!
54. OKRs and scary times at work!
55. 12 people in one tiny share auto! :-D
56. Headphones, but LOUD music!
57. The FREEZE zone a.k.a Monet!
58. Air guitaring, air drumming and head banging!
59. Inuyasha!!
60. "Freaks of nature!"
61. Charminar and Chudi Bazaar!
62. BOATING!!! :-D
63. Chili Cheese mushroom spread + Alu Bhujiya + Butter + Ketchup Sandwiches! :-)
64. Cab rides!
65. Divya-Uma duets!
66. MOMA pictures!
67. The "Sling" guy! ;-)
68. Mutual embarrassment!
69. Georgina! :P
70. The Towel Dance...Jab se tere naina...... :-D
71. Ooma's graduation story!
72. The dangerous dance moves! - Sylvian. :P
73. Ma... (couretsy : Madhuri)
74. Pa... (courtesy : hari)
75. Ra.... (courtesy : Uma)
76. Arey wah! :-) (Courtesy : Rahul)
77. Bin watch! :P
78. The Team Metal Mug! :-) :-) :-)
79. Deli9!
80. Tiramisu :-)
81. 'Laila' college
82. Ctrl C + Ctrl V.
83. "Backspace" :-(
84. Vaishu matha, Iyshu papa... :-
85. Kim's "I'm in love with you - Joy Williams"
86. *Ping*
87. Chaaand! The beeeyoootiful moon! :) And the khakras!
88. L.O.V.E - Frank Sinatra
89. Kavya's sarcasm!
90. Divya's foot massage :)
91. TGIFs!! All of them…especially the green day food!!
92. "Mike" Preeti! :P
93. Phone booths!
94. The "Zombie" :-)
95. Am I the only one...? :P
96. 127 K
97. "Bhaiyya"
98. Happy b'day Abhisek! :-)
99. Shilpa Ramam…and the million pictures we posed for there!
100. Sundeep's retractor rotation!
101. Sundeep's "A" dollar! :P
102. Dub dub dub!
103. Porn porn porn!
104. Chechi! :P
105. Crushes.....sigh!
106. Lightbulbs ;-)
107. Pumpkin at Google entrance..!
108. P.S I love you! :-)
109. Chelsea ManU finals! :-)
110. Table tennis and Pool!
111. McDonalds!
112. Hussain Sagar lake...
113. Lumbini park laser show!
114. Eat street
115. Divya's daily gyan!
116. Burnt popcorn :-)
117. Birla mandir
118. Secret lake!
119. Hum bane tum bane ek tujhe je liye...
120. "Special" objects in the lake!
121. Tum to tehre pardesi!
122. The story of the girl eating a hand!
123. Pink shirt, blue jeans, long hair... :P
124. Jiggy! :-)
125. The plate, the shake and the straw!
126. Birthday buddies!!! :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)
127. Tum choosthe ho!
128. Ol McDonald song... :P
129. HOT SEAT!
130. Massage rooms!
131. Dessert nook! :D
132. Benny lava!
133. Blue day, Yellow day, Desi Day :-)
134. The swings, see saw and slide at the guesthouse…and the ENORMOUS lizard there! :-P
135. Ma and pa... :-)
136. Paradsise bill payment!
137. Getting soaked in the rain at the offsite…and cycling in the rain too!
138. Sollai man! And the powepuff girls song we changed to suit the sollai man!!
139. Pilfering! :P
140. Sexy thing - Tube top!
141. Preeti's "Kajra re"
142. Madhuri's tamil!
143. Chance pe dance!
144. The "living" statue at Shilpa ramam! The Swing!!
145. 27 Dresses! :-) The hero of 27 dresses- :-) :-)
146. The Gulab Jamuns and Rasgullas piled up on shake's plate!
147. She's the man...!
148. The never ending goodbye hugs! :-(
149. Hyderabad Airport!! :-O
150. And US - the wackiest, crazy, irritatingly loud and most fun group ever to have graced this planet!! All 29 of us rocked!! :-D

Googled! :) :)

The utopic vacation has ended. But the memories remain afresh in the mind, vying against each other to take prominence. So it was about time I got my nostalgic butt off the floors of Google and documented the whole thing while it stays in the forefront. So here begins the journey of a twenty year old teenager from her very pink room to the colourful office of Google and back to that very pink room.

The Beginning: The flight to Hyderabad: An absolutely normal flight journey with no hijacking/turbulence/lost luggage/lost interns made up the beginning of the journey. We landed in the very glassy airport and I was so awestruck by the enormous glass marvel that I almost forgot to gloat over the cabbie standing near the arrivals holding a sign with my name and the Google logo! I was wondering if he would give me that sheet, but he took one look at my luggage and gave me a huge frown so I politely changed my mind.

Week one was characterized by training and acquainting ourselves with the office. We felt at home the moment we got our IDs. That gave us the freedom and access to every nook and corner of the office! And the fact that most of us photographed really well for the ID made us show them off all the more! We gelled really well and would stay up chatting beyond midnight from the very first day. Before we knew it, the weekend arrived and we decided to go to Salarjung Museum. We walked very confidently into the office to take cabs but were greeted by an empty basement instead. So our brilliant alternative came in the form of 127K, our equivalent of Cinderella’s Chariot for the rest of the internship. We got off at the last stop and took a share auto till the museum. 12 of us were piled into the same auto…which is probably slightly bigger than a normal auto! We were literally falling out when we got caught by the cops as well! A while and a bribe later we reached the museum, just by paying 7 bucks per person! By far the cheapest and most adventurous mode of transport!
The museum was magnificent. The veiled Rebecca is still imprinted in my mind..the delicate carving and attention paid to detailing the statues transports one to another world altogether. The only thing that interested me in museums were the overpriced canteens and Mughal exhibits. But this museum captivated my attention for most rooms, right from the renaissance art to glassware and watch works. Our return trip was courtesy the Knight-in-not-so-shining-armour bus, 127 K.

Sunday brought with it a plethora of possibilities. A whole new city was waiting to be explored and we had 5 more weeks to do it. We decided to go where most tourists go in Hyderabad. Not Char Minar, but Snow World! This exceedingly popular place is actually filled with artificial snow and has people queuing up just to pelt each other with snow! We were pretty skeptical to begin with and walked in rather delicately after adorning ghastly and oversized coats, boots and gloves. We were blinded by the whiteness of everything and suddenly became little kids by pelting snow at each other! We had snow wars, danced in the snow, played basketball and finally went on a sleigh-go-round in the snow! We then formed a huge train and went all around the area hooting! Once we were literally thrown out, we warmed ourselves with the most welcoming cup of coffee. Once out, we realized it was 9 and we were starving. So we began the trek to Eat street, on the banks of Hussain sagar lake. Once we were done with satisfying our bottomless pits, it was 11! The task of finding autos for 25 of us at that time was quite an interesting experience. But we finally reached home, late and exhausted, to begin a week of work.

Week 2 was characterized by work and only work. The weekend was welcomed like a gust of the cool breeze that suddenly envelops you in Hyderabad. We lazed around most of the Saturday, deciding to finally use the pool. We tried playing a rather funny game of catching and tossing a cricket ball by sitting on the edge of the pool.
We then showered and after a gulping of lunch, we went to Shilparamam, this heritage place very close to the guest house. It was quite nice, actually. Although there isn’t much for a large gang like ours to do there, except maybe shop. But we were one enthusiastic bunch with 3 cameras so we made the most of the picturesque surroundings and turned models for the most hilarious snaps! Before we knew it, the sun had set and lights were switched on for a concert where the lady was wailing for dear life. After mocking her for quite a while, we decided it would be polite to walk out instead of being unceremoniously thrown out for disturbing the aura of fine music!

The Sunday was more promising than the Saturday. We decided to cover more of Hyderabad that day. Sure enough, we set off quite early (which would be 11, by the IST – Intern Standard Time) to go to Birla Mandir. We just made it as the doors were closing. we were rewarded with a final glimpse of god and blistered feet after walking on heated marble at noon! even glasses of ganna juice that we downed after this scorching pilgrimage didn’t help! We lunched at Sukha Sagara (only for the air conditioning though!) and set off to Char Minar. Char Minar was….a huge disappointment. The hype around it, the beautiful pictures shown on television and newspapers had us painting a beautiful picture of it. Char Minar, standalone, is quite breathtaking. But you hold your breath in disgust when you see people messily eating right inside it and littering it. We went around it and then walked right into Chudi Bazaar. We were greeted by the most gorgeous colours and shimmery sparkly bangles all around us. After over two hours of shopping, we finally left the place to get back home. We dined at this nice Rajasthani dhaba, a stone’s throw away from Home. We hit the bed right after reaching home to wake up to another week filled with exciting events.

Week 3 went off in a tizzy of work, projects, meetings and sessions with the various Googlers. So before we knew it, the weekend descended very benevolently on us. We spent most of Saturday morning sleeping. Late afternoon we decided to go to Golconda Fort. Complying by our usual IST, we actually made to the fort by 4. There we began the trek upwards, stopping for a dozen pictures at every nook and corner! The view from the top was breathtaking! The atmosphere seemed so serene despite the crowds thronging there. For a split second (or perhaps longer), I forgot the existence of everything else and just took in that splendid view. But we were jerked out of our reverie as we had to get back early to catch the IPL semifinals (The Chennai crowd was the majority amongst us). So we ditched the sound and light show and went back by autos and bus. After a hurried dinner at the Rajasthani dhaba, we went just in time to see the Chennai Superkings win the match. Since they were in the finals, the program for the next day was already decided. Sitting at home and watching the match.

So Sunday began on an extremely lazy note. It was pool time again so we went down to play that tennis ball game, along with tossing a coin to let the guys find it. The game was going on rather peacefully until the guys decided it would be a hilarious joke to dive in right beside us and shower us with chlorinated water. Joke was on us until we got hold of their clothes and tossed them just as precisely as they tossed themselves in! Aah, the cry of horror at seeing their clothes flying in the air towards the pool was one of the most melodious sounds I have heard!! :D Morning soon gave way to noon and we ate a late lunch and lazed around until we decided to get into the spirit of cricket earlier than the match. We got hold of a bat and a ball and played cricket at the basement. The most hilarious game of cricket since half of us didn’t know how to hold the bat and the other half didn’t know how to bowl! We somehow managed to collect a few runs apiece and decided to just go out for a walk after the game. After the walk, we returned for the match. The match seemed tailor-made for us! It had a lot of excitement and suspense until the last ball. Despite the unfortunate loss, we proudly wore the Chennai Yellow on the next working day! :)

Week 4 was a long weekend because of the Hyderabad bundh. Friday was spent in the office playing foosball and TT. Saturday was a little more productive as we went to Paradise (Hyderabad’s answer to Biryani). It is a building filled with Biryani! For us veggies, the options are only limited Veg biryani, but that didn’t dampen the spirits of teasing those who turned carnivorous! After several impromptu renditions of Happy Birthday Abhiskeks (in the eternal hope that the Paradise people may give us cake) and a slo-oo-oow lunch, we were literally and not so politely escorted outside! After this we decided to spread a little more of our intern sunshine and joy in Hyderabad and went to Lumbini Park for the laser show. Half of us decided to walk the 5 km distance ( 2 kms of which is around the Hussain Sagar lake). It was the most refreshing walk that burnt calories and the guilt of pigging out too much at the office! After reaching the venue, we scoffed at the more delicate ones who chose not to walk. But we didn’t push it because they had the tickets to the show! After another round of photography, we went in and watched the show. The laser show was quite spectacular and the musical fountain was well timed and choreographed (if that’s what it is called). We came out of the show singing one of the songs played there. It became our anthem henceforth and we would burst into the song every now and then to break the long pauses at office, outside or at home.

Our song went like this: Old Citeeeeee………old citeeeee (echo)
New Citeeeee………new citeeee (echo)
Great Citeeee……….great citeee (echo)
I love you Hyderaabaaaaaad!!!!!!

The mozarts within us awakened and we gladly performed a rendition of the song to everyone who asked us how our weekend was!

The Sunday morning was spent in debating whether or not to go to Ramoji Film City. We decided against it as it was already a late start to the day. We went instead to Sarkaar Raj, the movie. 3 hours later, we emerged with Govinda Govinda resonating in our heads! The movie was nice, but the whole experience of having watched it with such a huge crowd was nicer. The rest of the Sunday was spent playing the same games at office and we decided to see what our terrace looks like. The sight was a marvel! Not only did it drizzle lightly, we got the fortune to see two rainbows! We were awestruck by the sight and spent most of the evening at the terrace clicking a million pictures of the rainbow and us with the rainbows.

Week 5 was payback time. To compensate for our Friday holiday, we had to work on the following Saturday! :( So the entire day was lost in work. The Sunday however, was our last Sunday at Hyd. So we decided to spend it in a place called Secret Lake (a small unknown lake tucked away in the interiors of Hi tech city). We went trekking there, boating (both motor boating and peddle boating) and played the most hilarious game of Chain Chain! We kept giggling and breaking the chain and falling on the ground. It was the best possible way of spending a Sunday! We ended the day with dinner at this really nice place called Ginger Court.

Week 6 descended upon us with an air of melancholy as it was our last week. We had a desi day. Went out to watch Sex and the City, late night show. Went shopping. And finally made it to the Friday which was mostly spent in trying to mentally capture every moment of the stay. Saturday came as fast as the 127 K bus and we indulged in good byes and group hugs and tears of both joy (at having met such special people) and sorrow (of having to leave them all).

The internship lasted six weeks. While we were living those six weeks, the days went past slowly and we savoured every moment. But when I look back on it now, it all seems to have gone past before I could say ‘Google’! All of us are back home, back into the usual routines of college, assignments and other activities. But those six weeks were like a dream come true for everyone. I’ve made some great friends in the trip. I’ve done the craziest things, played the craziest games and worked like crazy as well. Although I am extremely Google-sick right now and don’t want to wake up into reality, I also want to create more memories with these marvelous people. I hope that we stay in touch and continue to be as close as we became in such a short duration. Cheers to Google, Hyderabad, and the most wonderful set of people I have come across! :)

I'm tagged. Finally.

Blog Tag.

Last movie seen in a theatre: Jodha Akbar, I think. It seems ages ago. The last movie I saw on DVD was John Tucker Must Die. Interesting movie. Very interesting hero! ;)

What book are you reading? P.S.-I Love You.So far, it's been delightful...cant wait to get a copy of the movie.

Favourite board game: Snakes and Ladders. A bit primitive, compared to the fundoo Computer games now but nothing beats the joy of landing on a ladder!

Favourite magazine:The only thing I have managed to read so far is the menu in the Google Cafeteria. I shall proceed to more intellectually challenging topics once I get back to my oh-so-interesting life at Bangalore.

Favourite smells: The smell of butter that lingers on the fingers after a Benne dosa, Hot Apple Pie, shampooed hair, Johnson and Johnson's baby cologne, Heavenly!

Favourite sounds: Wind chimes in a mild breeze, the 'ping' in Gtalk, listening to my own self jabbering away endlessly.

Worst feeling in the world: Stomach Ache :( and Lonliness which are often connected.

What is the first thing you think of when you wake up? What's for breakfast?? ;)

Favourite fast food place: McDonalds, The Google Cafe (technically , it isnt fast food because we waste hours lingering there....but the food still rocks!), This benne masala place in NR Colony and Sugarcane juice stalls in the dirtiest streets of Hyderabad!

Future child’s name: Anything that doesnt begin with a V. All my life I've come right at the end in the roll call. No child of mine will suffer the same fate.

Finish this statement, “If I had a lot of money I’d… go backpacking across Europe in style. (Since backpacking would save a lot more money, I'd spend the remaining on an Island off the coast of Australia.)

Do you drive fast? I have won a slow cycling race at School once, do you think I would classify in the 'Fast Drivers' category? but on a more serious note, I have driven fast a couple of times, when I accidentally pressed the Accelerator instead of the Brakes! ;)

Do you sleep with a stuffed animal? Yes I do. And two of them. For the past twenty years. So sue me. :P

Storms - Are a lot of fun to watch on TV where houses fall like a pack of cards. They are fun to be in when you are stuck with a nice company in a deserted house by the Sea (this fantasy is yet to come true though.) And they are fun to listen to when it's dark and the only company you have is backstreet boys music. (this has, sadly, come ture several times).

Do you eat the stems on broccoli? I still cant spell broccoli if you throw the word randomly at me. Do you think I would eat it then? I am a desi vegetable person.

If you could dye your hair any colour, what would be your choice? I like my hair just the way it is. Thankyouverymuch.

Name all the different cities/towns you have lived in: Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai and currently Hyderabad.

Favourite sports to watch:Tennis. Only when Roger Federer is playing. And winning. And offlate, I've begun to love playing and watching Foosbal. is a good friend.

One nice thing about the person who sent this to you: PS - he gives me a fresh perspective to things in life, and for the first time, I have actually begun listening to an opinion different from mine. And of course, he's always there online for me to bore.

What’s under your bed?I haven't really bothered looking under the bed in my room. I go to sleep only at unearthly hours everyday so the top of the bed looks way more inviting than under it. But since this behaviour will only last till June 21st, I'm very content with my sleeping habits. (Or the lack of it).

Would you like to be born as yourself again? I dont really mind. I guess then I have another life to act upon the ambition of being a successful and gorgeous neuro-surgeon in LA! :P (Yes, I know I watch too many medical soaps on TV)

Morning person or night owl?Morning Person. We are a rare species but we do exist :)

Over easy or sunny side up? neither. I like ruining my plans of a 'perfect diet' by choosing Cheese Omelettes everyday at work.

Favourite place to relax: The washing 'katte' behind my house. My room, anytime and off late, the Google Office, but that's where I've been practically living.

Favourite pie:Apple, Pineapple (Mcdonalds used to make amazing Pineapple Pies...they've stopped them now) :(

Favourite ice cream flavour: Mint Milk Chocolate Chip, and anything with a hint of toffee :)

You pass this tag to – Blesy, Varun , Poorva , Iyshwarya
Of all the people you tagged this to, who’s most likely to respond first? The last two. But that's because I sit next to them at work and will make sure they pass on the tag if it's the last thing they do.