Those good ol' days..... We are waiting for the bus at the stop.... A lean man comes on his scooter... Seeing him, all turn the other way in embarassment. The man stops in front of the group... hits a salaam, and goes his way... and.. why not.. my friends had made him enough business to last him and his heirs 3 generations down, a small fortune... Meet Ramu... the
local toddy shop owner... Not Scotch, not brandy, nor whisky... those are for the light hearted... used to say my chums... but toddy... was the real mardon ka drink... so much so that, it had become the order of the day.... One would not enter the classroom without visiting Ramu's shop once.... Halappa, our college peon, used to have a hell of a time convincing our lecturers that the stench that was emanating was not from the loo outside... but from the class within...


You might have noticed that my previous mails used to have helluva mistakes... blame it on the keyboard folks... it had never been cleaned after it had been bought.. that would be 3 years and upwards... so.. last weekend, my friend and I decided to do what we assumed would be a menial chore.... and you have to believe me when I say... you would not have found more dirt even if you picked the nose and ears of a 1000 men and women.... pollution bahoot bad gayeli hai re...


Had been to Goa for Christmas... Had a whale of a time...The pics came out good too... Will upload them soon as I find enough dough for them... Went like Kings.. and returned as paupers... booked a Qualis for the trip... just the 5 of us... Goa looked as if it was not in India... saw more foreigners than Indians... and saw a lot MORE of them... ;D stayed in a -ve 3 star hotel... played soccer on the beach... India(ians) vs. Italy(ians)... lost miserably... played water polo and almost got drowned.. went so out we could nearly have been shark biscuit.. got my skin tanned like a rhino... ate like a horse... slept like a log... sweat like a pig... 4 days... Dil Chahta Hai style... ended up losing 3 kgs... Had a whale of a time..


Kalhi ek picture dekha... no.. that's not the name of the movie.. watched a kannada one for a change... balcony tickets at the rate of the Gandhi class in hindi movies... empty theatres... the luxury of putting your feet up on the seat ahead... watching heroines with 38 inch waists gyrating their stuff.... and heroes who don't match up to the under of your shoe, running round trees..... butter popcorn during the interval that smell of vanaspati... coffee that tastes like water... and coke like Sprite... ads that age upto 1942.... fans 2 inches above your head...
moving so fast, that with fear you move onto the seat ahead... coir cushioned seats that tickle your bottom.... and overall..... 3 hours of emotionless entertainment... what more could one ask for??


Life has been Great !!!

It's that time of the year when even the polar bears cuddle up in their dens. It's very very chilly. It's that time of the day when even the crows haven't woken yet. Its 6 in the morning. It's time for me to wake up. I get up and come over to the hall; and see Raveena greet me with a smile and a seductive look. ( I've got a poster of her put on the wall. )

I freshen up and go out for a walk. Rather, am forced to... Have to read and know what is happening around the world; and also have my daily dose of Calvin... There are restaurants too many to list in and around Vijayanagar; however, if you want to have the special "Jersey" chai, then your destination is the small hand cart near the signal light. When he has catered to the other auto drivers he looks up handing me a piping hot cup of tea.

"Yeshtaaytu shishya??" ( How much? ) I ask. "Kevala yeradu rupai guru..." ( Only two rupees ) answers he with a beaming smile.

Sometimes, the best things in life come in such simple packages....