Chasing the Monsoons

In California. For 3 weeks.

Back to the same old grind. Memories flourish. Want to run away. But I won't.

Meeting old friends. Feels as good as having a perfect cappuccino.

Want to break free. Drove a car in the US for the first time. Took zero pictures so far. Hoping to change that. Bought a new Macintosh.

Work is good. Travel even better.

Sameer: Aisi baat nahin hai, hum cake khane kaheen bhi jaa sakte hain..

Aaaaaaaakaaaaash!!

Kaisa ajab yeh safar hai,
socho to har ek hi be khabar hai....
Usko jana kidhar hai
jo waqt aye, jaane, kya dikhaye..

Sameer: She's from Switzerland.. main sochta hoon ki agar main wahan chala jau.. to ek chotasa farm lekar shehar ki makhiya paalu...

Sameer: Haan haso haso.. arre tum se acha to woh truck driver tha jisne mujhe Bombay tak lift dee...

Heard this song on the radio the other day, and simply had to post it. It's from the movie Ek chaalis ki local. The lyrics as well as the name of the movie brought back a flood of memories... but then adaptation is the name of the game. :)

woh kehte hai na
jo hota hai achche ke liye hota hai
galat kehte hai

kismat ka khel hai saara
phirta tha main aawaara
yeh kya se kya ho gaya
chaar din ki zindagaani
har pal ek nayi kahaani
kya tha, main kya bana gaya
kya huva jo laaree chhooti
jivan ki gaadi looti
kwaab hai toh mujhko na jaga
zindagi ek pal mein saali

I've always wondered about the effect of music on the human condition.

I had read in the paper years ago about a doctor who believed in the power of music therapy. The hypothesis that he'd put forward stated that a person can consciously pull himself out of the strongest mood he is in (doesn't matter which mood) and into another one simply by listening to the right kind of music.

Was setting up my room (again) and came across all the photographs I had taken over a span of 4 years at IIT Kharagpur and in India. Found some old memories, some best forgotten and some to be cherished for ever.

I went back to the good old days when I had just entered IIT Kharagpur in the department on Electrical Engineering. I was in awe and all wet behind the ears. There on my first day in college, I had my chemistry practicals and we were assigned partners based on our roll numbers in class. My eyes were darting all across the room to see who it would be. My first instinct was to see if one of the girls would be the lucky ones to pair up with me (hehe) and then I realised I would be better off with one of the guys (as the non-males in the class did not measure up to being called female).

manik: "Disco It is " bhul gaaya
myself: hahahahahahahahahahahaha
manik: aur Indians kitne hai wohan pe
myself: yeah .. i forgot man...
myself: theek thak hain.. not too many
myself: but man i miss kgp
manik: oh really .I miss the time and friends yaar
myself: yeah man.. exactly!
myself: it was so much fun.. life kind of sucks compared to that
manik: How are ppl over there
manik: Why ???
manik: Got good friends. How do you chill out there ?
myself: arre bus yaar.. woh lab files likhna last minute ko, TP karna, raat raat ko chedis jana..
myself: baarish mein bhi class jana, exam last minute pe dena.. all of that man
myself: yeah friends are good here too.. but still
manik: haan yaar seriuosly ... Shall never forget those times. Those were the best days of our life..

And so started my day.

This past sunday I had the opportunity to talk to Som and Biswanath after a very long time. It was good to reminsce on the good old Kharagpur (affectionately known as KGP) days.

We discussed everything from the latest crappy movie we had seen, to the latest trend in school and business. We even had a big discussion on Quixtar and the never ending debate of Ph.D vs. M.S. advantage.

But just the fact that it was friends from KGP which got me going on a nostalgia trip. Been too long since I smelt the earth there, or ate at the horrible yet fun filled Harry's. Can remember very vividly the first and last time I went to Cheddis for a Maggi and a chai. Remember all the birthdays that were celebrated at eggies in the dead of the night.