I know you won't come across such a title anywhere else. Read along and figure out yourself!
I left work yesterday a little later than usual, and ended up missing the office bus. Next option was public transport. I walked up to the bus stop and got into the Volvo that arrived almost immediately. As I was getting in, I suddenly remembered I had almost no cash in my wallet. I open it and see a single Rs.10 bill laughing at me. I scourged my bag for whatever change available, and found another fifteen rupees. Still Rs.10 short of Rs.35 needed to take me home.
After some quick thinking, I took a seat and asked for a ticket to Marathahalli. The plan was to at least cross the gigantic traffic jams at Marathahalli in comfort, and then take an ordinary bus, for which the money on me would have sufficed.
Our bus joined the long tail of vehicles near Kundalahalli gate when a brainwave flashed into me. As the bus made its way through the traffic in snail pace, I kept a watch on the surroundings. A few minutes after slowly moving forward, I found what I wanted. I jumped at the sight of first ATM and ran into it. It was luckily empty, and I had some money on me in two minutes. I ran back to see that the bus had not managed to move an inch forward, and happily got into it with some money in hand to pay for rest of the journey!
Many years of pondering, a few discussions, some strong words by a friend over the weekend, a few email exchanges in the last few weeks, some incidences in the last one month, a revisited plan and a will to sacrifice less important things in life. All things put together have lead to a simple and much needed decision. Now, it's time for more! 2008 will see more of everything, including(but not limited to)
* more travel * more photography * more books * more guitar * more commitment to service * more free time * more movies, more Rangashankara * more blog posts * and many more Mores!
And there will be time to learn many things that have been infinitely postponed - Spanish, for instance. All in all, it is time for more fun.
Every time I get a fat courier delivered home, I get curious. It is usually a copy of a mag where I have written in, or something equally exciting. Yesterday was one such day. When I came home in the evening, I saw a copy of a travel catalog and a cheque! The good folks at Mountain Travel Sobek had decided to use my image of Nanda Devi below, for their 2008 catalog to promote this tour.
October has been a month of being busy. At work that is, which is not very normal for me. In the meanwhile, made a wonderful trip to Melukote last weekend. Here is a picture to start with. As always, it will follow up with a report on India Travel Blog, but only after my busy days are over!
* by the fact that I always keep finding single socks in my pile of clothes every now and then, with the other one missing or hidden somewhere, never available when needed. * on the driving habits of Bangaloreans, and their incredible skill to cook up a traffic jam even at places where it is least likely to happen. * on discovering lipstick mark on the rear view mirror of my car! Why would someone(hopefully a pretty girl) target a mirror but not me instead! :p * on having to prove myself. I am told that I look younger than I am - something I am neither elated nor bothered about. But sometimes in peer groups(especially at work) I am meeting for first/second time, I get snubbed until I prove myself - a process I have started enjoying lately. * on discovering that there are a few more people who are like me, and who can understand my thought processes - something I did not really expect. * when people tell me that they wish they were like me, even when they don't seem to be of 'my type'. All the more intrigued that I seem to have some admirers, which I never seem to understand. * when people throw garbage all over the place and justify it by saying that they are only throwing bio-degradable stuff; pretentious friends of environment! Snobs and SOBs is what I would like to call them but I am cultured to be polite. I pity the education they have allowed to filter into their peanut brains. * Of the monstrous home loans. Self owned house is supposed to give you freedom; does it really give freedom of mind? * Of people who can't prioritize their own life.. Of those who run behind things that are supposed to be good instead of things that ARE good! * Of me! For acceding, to some degree, to the previous point.
Stretched the last weekend into a three day trip to Gokarna. Very beautiful place, and as it usually happens to me with such places, I am already thinking of when to head there again. Here is a picture, with a report soon to follow on India Travel Blog.
