People generally don’t believe me when I say I love travelling by bus. The reason? My personal space, unchallenged by anyone else. No noise, no annoying beggars picking at my clothes. No unneccesary stops. No jolting awake every half-an-hour or so to check if the luggage is still in place. No smell from the loo infiltrating your consciousness. Just the soft drone of the bus, and maybe a B-Grade movie for 3 hours. But that’s ok, I can take that. Give me a bus journey anyday over one by train.
Almost missed the bus to Bangalore on Friday. I was standing at a place which was a corner away from the place the bus was supposed to be. Luckily enough, a kind samaritan ran to me and asked if I was waiting for the bus to Bangalore, and if I was, it was there, not here, and oh, yes, could he have a tenner for some chaai-paani. Kind samaritan, my foot!
The guy sitting next to me must have wondered what exactly I was doing reading all those printouts. Yeah, am not ashamed to say it, but I mugged the ppts inside out, that was (at that time) the only way I could boost my confidence. Stopped for dinner at some godforsaken dhaba somewhere, and discovered that my cellphone still worked when my father called me up. My poor parents never really have got used to my going off to assorted places without the slightest bit of pre-warning – right from the RECW random-cul-fest days. :-)
Met The Cimmerian. Hasn’t changed a bit.
Discovered the perils of travelling in an autorickshaw in Bangalore. I knew my office was paying for everything, but couldn’t help wincing as the meter ticked towards 99. This is so funny! I don’t hesitate spending so much when I am buying books, but paying an auto anything above 50 bucks – eeeeeeeyikes!
Man, Whitefield is a long way from MG Road.
The ITPL complex where IIIT-B is located is awesome. The one thing that really struck me was the serenity of the place, no pollution, no loud cars, even the music in the buildings was soft ( and lousy!) The complex has three large, beautifully designed and imposing-looking buildings called “Discoverer”, “Innovator” and “Creator” . Funny names, but suits the mood. Too many companies, so the security was really something!!!! I mean, this is the first time I saw 3-4 guards patrolling along the same corridor. Seems the security has tightened post-Iraq.
The lecture: was ok. Won’t boast too much, won’t undermine myself too much, but ok, I didn’t falter, I didn’t stammer, and I didn’t have too many butterflies in my tummy inspite of learning that the other person taking the same course (the .Net part ) was someone named Yeshwant Kanetkar. Have to admit that the IIIT people are more class-room-friendly than us RECians. I mean, most of us used to doze off once the class crossed the 45-minute mark., and sometimes even before that. But these guys not only stay wide-awake for three hours, they are also astute enought to ask the right questions, interpersed with some oddball ones, but that’s ok, I guess. !
The other highpoints:
madhavn, I love you. You know that already, right?
Planet M. The one music shop that manages to make me ashamed of being subjected to the Music World onslaught in Hyderabad THREE outlets, and no decent music! :-(( Kaadhalar Dinam, Jodi, Mudhalvan, Ratchagan – the latest ARR additions. I had the cassettes, then the mp3s, and now I own the cds. Hoo ah!!
My sis. Finally got around to meeting her.
Found some beautiful stuff at Blossom Book House. (Uddu, I love you for showing me that place). An autobiography of Lillian Gish, A biography of Kishore Kumar, Stephen King’s ‘Everything’s Eventual” and “The Green Mile”. And (drumroll) “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay” by Michael Chabon. It won the Pulitzer in 2001, and totally contradicts my no-prize-winning-critically-acclaimed-books rule. Umm, fact is, this one has a special storyline. (Eh heh heh heh)
And no, I didn’t gather no moss.
Come over more often ! My cd writer is still wondering what hit it ;-)
Now that would make The Godfather proud – an offer I can’t possibly refuse. :-P
You make me want to take a long bus ride soon.
….someone named Yeshwant Kanetkar… WOW!
madhavn, I love you. – Don’t we all!
One possible suggestion for a long bus ride would be – Mumbai to Hyderabad. ;-) Don’t forget to ring me up in advance.
And no, I didn’t gather no moss.
I can imagine you would’nt have had time for the concert. No offence intended, but seeing your favourite rockstars live, when they are 60+ years old does make them more human, and unlike your mental image of them. Happened to me at the Waters concert.
Man, you guys are having a ball there. I’m just biding my time. Without the company of friends my life is less than half of what it used to be.
i agree with ya…. :(
Umm, ok, I agree entirely!
but seeing your favourite rockstars live,
Yeah, I was busy though, but I could have gone if I wanted to, but I didn’t want to. So there.:-)
The fact is, I haven’t been too big a fan of the Rolling Stones, so can hardly call them “favourite” rockstars. I listened to them properly only after psasi got the Forty Licks cd, and then too, only their popular songs. So basically, I wasn’t too interested.
To each his own, hey?
shall we move away from the “each to his own” theme? :)
To each his own, plus whatever his friends are up to?
:-)) :-))
setenv “to each his own , plus what his friends are upto” There, we dont have to worry about it anymore.
No smell from the loo infiltrating your consciousness
On the other hand, no loo.
Man, Whitefield is a long way from MG Road
Hyuk, hyuk.
(Eh heh heh heh)
Eh heh heh heh.
On the other hand, no loo
All the better! You don’t keep eating oddball things on the way. Bus journeys promote healthier eating. :-P Also, the freeeeeeee feeling you get when you pee at 10 pm in the night, outside the dhaba, with a chilly wind blowing, and the thought that the bus might just leave without you….man! something else!!!!
“Hyuk hyuk” has a nice ring to it. Do you read Groo comics by any chance? :-)
This might interest you.
(Auto)mation?
Discovered the perils of travelling in an autorickshaw in Bangalore. I knew my office was paying for everything, but couldn’t help wincing as the meter ticked towards 99. This is so funny! I don’t hesitate spending so much when I am buying books, but paying an auto anything above 50 bucks – eeeeeeeyikes!
If you’d stayed in the rick for 5 more minutes, it’d have been cheaper to buy it (the rick!).
the other person taking the same course (the .Net part ) was someone named Yeshwant Kanetkar.
You taught guys with Yashwant Kanetkar? Wow!
Way to go, man :-)
Yeah, I like bus journeys too, especially the kind of privacy it gives you. But the bad part is that you can’t read in the bus :-(
Re: (Auto)mation?
If you’d stayed in the rick for 5 more minutes, it’d have been cheaper to buy it (the rick!).
:-))
Not exactly “with” Mr K. He takes the classes seperately, i think his part of the lectures is already over for this semester.
Umm, I learnt to read on buses when i was pretty young. The schoolbus ride every morning used to take forever…and the first couple of times gave me nausea – but now i can read quite comfily on planes, trains and automobiles.
Re: (Auto)mation?
Umm, I learnt to read on buses when i was pretty young.
What’s the power of your specs? ;-)
Re: (Auto)mation?
No specs!!!!!!
(By the power of Grayskullllllll……)
Re: (Auto)mation?
Oh, that was on TV this weekend (The movie)
And I was too tired to go change the channel ;-)
But I distinctly remember having enjoyed it when I was in the post toddler state…
Wow! Quite a nice trip you had! :) … Bus journeys can get very annoying when your co-passengers start snoring, & loudly at that!
You co-lectured along with Yeshwant Kanetkar?! Double Wow!!
you don’t have to listen to your co-passengers at all if u have a discman along.;-)
You co-lectured along with Yeshwant Kanetkar?!
ummm, not exactly “with”, it was just the same course, he’s handling his part seperately, i didnt meet him and all.
Maan, now that you mentioned YK, you’ll have to field the questions about him! A couple from me:
How does he look like? Does it look like he is getting adequate sex? No, I’m seriously concerned about the image of techies in society and people actually look down on us as “nerds”. If he’s even a spot good-looking, we should ask him to put up his photo in his books, like how they do with those Wrox red books.
At the least, that will encourage all those stupid bitches who got into engg. college due to 30% reservation to study “Let us C” with more interest, eh?