So today marks 1000 kilometers (kms) on my car, the Maruti Alto LXi number plater 6126. I’m off to get her serviced tomorrow.

May there be many more cleanups, and many more pleasurable rides. The first thousand kms have been great, and given me many memorable rides, including one with 6 people in the car (one guy was sitting on the gear.. and boy did I have a hard time shifting them.. ahem, i meant the gears)

All in all, a fun time

So the other day I visited a really down to earth mother’s cooking kinda place, called Simply Idlicious (‘Idli’ is a steamed pan cake like eatable, very soft and very yummy).

The food there is quite light on the tummy, yet makes you feel very content. The service is quick, and up to the mark. It’s a clean, simple, no frills place. Hey, the idea was to enjoy the meal

A quick pic:

So Rakesh, a friend from the good old IIT days visited me this weekend. He was interviewing for my company, and I asked him to extend his stay by a day so that we could catch up, and I’m so glad I did ask.

Friday he arrived in the morning at around 11:00 and had his interview at 11:30. Both me and him thought that it would be done in an hour or so. At around 2:00 pm, not having heard from him, I called up the person he was interviewing with and asked him as to where Rakesh was. The reply I got was, “usko shaam ko aake le jana” (come and collect him in the evening). I was like wow, is he being ragged or is he being ragged *grin*. It seems the interview went well overall.

So at around 6:30 I picked up him up and proceeded to grab some coffee and catch up. It was nice to meet someone from collegiate times, and for once be in a coffee shop with someone you know (hasn’t happened in a long long time). We discussed everything from investing to batchmates to friends to personal lives. At around 8 we proceeded to get tickets for a pretty interesting movie called Pyaar ke side effects (Side effects of love), and also grabbed some dinner.

The movie itself was quite interesting, but that’s for another post. We both got back home at around 1:30 and chatted up till about 2:30. We were so zonked that we finally woke up at around 11:30 in the morning and proceeded to have brunch.

That accomplished, we fetched another school friend of Rakesh’s and proceeded to yet another Barista (score!). At around 5:30 Rakhe was hungry yet again so inspite of having to reach the airport at around 6:20, we went out to grab some grub, oh and what a mistake that turned out to be.

We finished eating at 6:20 and I realised that his chances of catching the flight were nil if he took a cab, and I was to be his saviour in shining car (my brand new Alto) *grin*. We did make it to the airport with seconds to spare, and my confidence in my driving grew by leaps and bounds.

All in all, it was an adventurous 2 days

So we decided to go out yesterday, me and my cousin Rahul. Started out with a dinner plan and snowballed into something completely different. WE got dinner, me and him separately. Pray how, one might ask? He was busy helping his friend and I was hungry, so while I waited the half hour for him I had my dinner.

After he came and had his, we decided to go check out a movie. Since there was not one which evinced any real interest, we chose to go play Pool instead. We did do that, which ended in a draw with 4-4. I saw some kids playing Counter Strike, and thought that “Shotgun Shetty” should make his return. I started out without the shotgun, but seeing my ass being shot down so easily I reverted back to my trusted ally. After that there was no looking back as I ruled the roost (yeah baby)! We played for about an hour, and then spontaneously decided to go get cold coffee (at 12:00 am).

There weren’t too many options, but Durga was open and there was a student crowd of the kinds I had never seen before! I went in and was smatt enough to get four glasses (knowing neither of us was going home after just one). After relishing the coffee, we headed home only to find that my uncle and aunty were up watching a crappy Bobby Deol film. I ended up watching it too, after which me and Rahul were chatting and being online for a while. I conked off shortly thereafter, but not before Rahul got me to hear an amazing song – “Sutta na mila“: check out the lyrics on SMR’s blog. You all have to hear it!!

So it all started out with a phone call, which Shabbir made to me to tell me that PC (Pawan) was arriving in town, and that Vishal was already working in Pune.

Now this was new, considering that we would all be meeting in one place after about 9 years (11 if you include Pawan since he left in 8th grade). So we decided to make it happen, no matter what.

So that fated day, 18th of March, me and Shabbir met up a little in advance to catch up, and proceeded to watch Taxi 9211 is a fair copy of Changing Lanes. After the movie, we got a call from Pawan saying he was already in town. We raced out to pick him up, after which we proceeded over to my place to wait for Vishal to come along, since he was arriving after work.

Vishal came soon enough. Then began a roller coaster ride of memories, teachers, fellow classmates, and what not. A great time was had, and we went out for Pizza and then came back home and chatted up till about 3:00.

Sadly everyone had to be on their way by around 9:00 in the morning, so we had to cut the reunion short. I’m sure there will be another time in another place, when we have our day again.

You may want to see a picture of the reunion gang.

So it’s been a while since I’ve had time for myself and for some close ones. Work has been keeping everyone on their toes the last couple of weeks, including me especially.

But today I got back to doing some of the things I love:

• Read a couple of short stories at Crosswords (our local Barnes and Nobles). Discovered an amazing book called the Merck Manual of Medical Information. It’s a truly impressive storehouse of medical knowledge, and makes for interesting (and very long) reading!
   
• Had some good cold coffee, though I need some better!
   
• Came home to my friend, philosopher, guide – Manish. He isn’t doing all too well, which has kind of pissed me off. I have been running with him from doctor to doctor!
   
• Played with my baby sister Kavya, and there will be pictures soon. I know I need to upload pictures from my trip to Punjab also.. soon enough though.

Currently chilling in Mumbai, but will be back in pune tomorrow. In the mean time, what’s your story, morning glory?

.. I took my camera out for an outing of it’s own. Results in a day or two, as my hands are badly scrapped from a bike accident and I really can’t do much with them right now.

Though my creative drive has literally come to a standstill. I will try and take out my camera a little more from now on. It’s like I want to, but I don’t know where to being, though I’m very comfortable with the idea.

I walked across an empty land,
I knew the pathway like the back of my hand.
I felt the earth beneath my feet,
Sat by the river and it made me complete.
Oh, simple thing, where have you gone?
I’m getting old and I need something to rely on.
So tell me when you’re gonna let me in,
I’m getting tired and I need somewhere to begin.
                - Keane (Somewhere only we know)

Things I need to do this weekend:

- Clean and arrange my kitchen
- Clean and arrange my hall (change configuration, stash away the papers and empty abgs, etc)
- Clean my bathroom
- Get a hair cut
- Finish reading a book
- Get some coffee and good food (hmm what will it be: Le Meridian, what?)
- Go out and buy a steel almirah
- Hard wood ply for my table, so I can place my microwave on it

.. that I belong. I got these a couple of weeks ago but didn’t have my camera then.

I brought work home for the first time in my life this weekend. It wasn’t ugly, but it wasn’t the best. I guess you would know more about this Jaro *grin*? I had to make a report on a heuristic evaluation we (my boss and me) performed last week, and it had to be done pronto as it was to be sent to the head honcho in the US. Fun times!

That aside, I’ve kept up my reading streak. I read a book in the past week – Tuesdays with Morrie . Pretty darn good, though a little touchy feely. I guess it goes with the territory, considering that it was philosophical and talked about life and other things. Am currently reading Barrel Fever by David Sedaris (my favourite funny writer, thanks to Mayank).

I also saw a couple of movies in the last couple of weeks. Stealth was one of them, and Leon the other. Stealth was plain sad, but Leon is a different story all together. Brilliantly scripted, it delicately handles the story of a little girl falling in love with an older guy (broadly speaking). Watch it if you have the chance.