Travel Chronicles

What is it with flights and me? Does Joe Pesci want me to give up on flying and just take a walk instead? First time when I had traveled to US, the date was shortly after 26th July. For folks in Mumbai, that date is as notorious 11th September. Thus my flight got canceled and I had to reschedule. Next time there was that whole visa issue and I had to extend my vacation by two weeks. This time the flight gets canceled, I get stranded in Amsterdam (Amsterdamn seems more appropriate), and get routed to Mumbai via AMS-KWI-MCT-AMD-BOM. Four different countries, five different airport. Curses, nwa.

Then while coming back they lose my bag. Agreed it is on the way and I will get it tomorrow, but you know one gets frustrated with these kind of things.

Had it not for those wonderful 6 days between these two flights and had I not been looking forward to actually flying again in a few months time, I'd have accepted your suggestion of giving up on flying. :-) Maybe some day.

signing off,

Bhaiyya Sehwag!

I am a Tendulkar guy. Contrary to what I say, I tend to get disappointed, however little it might be, when he gets out. Now I know this person who is undoubtedly Sehwag guy. He has unabashedly supported Sehwag throughout the years I have known him. I remember when we were in Chennai earlier this decade (boy, the time has surely flown) and cricket and pay-raises were the only things that brought our otherwise diverse group of folks from all over India to the passionate round tables; he used to be the only one supporting Sehwag. Now I don't mean that rest of us did not enjoy his huge six over the midwicket or cracking square cut backwards of point. But he was the one who said big things about Sehwag where rest of us just more or less agreed that probably Sehwag was a one-match wonder.

Today I cannot help but remember him and how he must be content with himself. I can almost hear him boisterously cheer Sehwag in his own typically Delhite accent, "Sehwag, bhaiyya, Sehwag! $%#$ di South Africa $%@#*@$%^!!"

Cheers to that mate! Cheers!!

signing off!

With Sugar on Top

As Colbert would say, "WE DID IT!" With all shouting, sound effects and whistling!

To Mr Ponting and his minions, please treat this as a personal offensive gesture to derive that we are not gracious winners. Frankly, who's listening to you?

signing off,

Arranged Marriage

"I have heard arranged marriages are big in India." My colleague (American) had said just a few weeks prior to my vacation. "I find it interesting. Your parents choose your match and you simply follow. Does is not sound like you are taking risk with your life?" I began formulating the answer even I did not know and have always dreaded. "But then even here our marriages can and do fail after people choose their life partner themselves. So I guess it all depends on each person and his or her ability to adjust in life", she had answered herself after contemplating for a few minutes.

Yes. Adjust. Compromise. It did sound scary initially. What if she does not like rock music? What if she does not like sandwiches? What if she does not enjoy rain? What if she does everything by consulting her astrologer? What if she is sick of traveling? What if she makes me watch 'Kyon ki saans bhi kabhi bahu thi' type serials? What if she does not like kids? What if she is not flexible? What if she does not like Ducktales? Horror!!

Jokes apart, for 99% of us mortals, marriage is the single biggest decision in our life, and thus one of the most difficult decisions. I mean, if one has to stay with her for about 40-50 years (clearly I am not being pessimistic, just realistic), share nitty-gritty of his life, raise a family, manage emotions in good and bad times, maintain good relations between all stakeholders without sacrificing too many of his personal interests, how in the world does finding the correct life partner sound like an easy task which can be achieved over a four week vacation? And then how can I be so sure that my elders know the best for me? I mean, they are my elders and all that. But to add to complications I am here across the seven seas. How well do they know my conditions to make an informed decision? Or would they rely on outdated memories and telephonic conversations to arrive at hasty judgment that I will be forced to follow for rest of my life? Furthermore, marriage is not just between her and I, but it will be union of our entire families. How can I know that I or for that matter she will be accepted in the 'other' family as readily? There are hundreds of such questions. How and where does one search for the answers?

I didn't know answer to a single question posed. But maybe I was not required to. So in that moment so unlike me, I said yes and I got engaged a couple of days later to P. And when I look back and think about it now just after a week, I feel I am so ready for my arranged marriage. :-)

signing off,

Bizarre, Bizarre World

Mummy, can I send "her" a Valentine'’s Day card?

No babboo, they don't want you to get spoiled by the Western Culture.

Mummy, can I write about how I won today's race on my blog?

No babboo, they don't want you to write anything which might be used by the anti-national elements.

Mummy, can I climb on the top of our society's "dahi-handi"?

No babboo, they don't want you to fall down and hurt yourself.

Mummy, can I watch Seinfeld?

No babboo, they don't want you to watch adult serials on English channel. You can watch DD1.

Mummy, what in the frigging world is the frigging problem with them?

Watch your tongue babboo, they don't want you to speak like that.

signing off,