The drudgeries of life

Dearest M, D & S,

Happy now?! :)

Don't know about you folks, but I toh am! :)

Dear AC, SP, MP et al,

As promised, I'm coming! F-awesome!!! :D

Dear AS, PB and SR, 

Thanks a bunch :)

Dear VK and VT,

Will miss our MT bakar :((

Hang in there!

Dear SG,

It's been what, over two years?! Must meet :)

Dear HK,

Sooo happy for you! No matter how busy you are, mademoiselle, one Sunday of yours in 2011 is mine ;)

Dear AS, TM and GJ,

So long, roomies... take care of Uncle :p

Dear Megz,

Life is cruel, kid... I know exactly what you're going through. 

Wish I could explain it to you, but I've been lost for words for quite some time now...

You'll survive :)

I have never seen a single episode of yours, but someone told me that people's lives are being prevented from heading towards eventual doom, courtesy your ilk...

Keep exposing!

Dear Dehli Winters,

You're way too cool *brrr*

Be it the bike rides on your chilly nights; the long walks at ungodly hours through the fog; those late night cuppa noodles and hot chocolate sessions; the early mornings spent inside the blanket refusing to wake up for either placement drills, classes or office; or that warm sunny afternoon spent on the lawns of one Heritage site... loved it all... :)

Packing,

I hate you!! Or make that 'doing you'?! :D

Dear JY and RY,

Sorry for thinking that you were wrong all along, and for typecasting you two as typical specimens of your clan. My bad. Can't blame you a bit for your mindset... 

Loads of good luck!

Dear dc,

I know it's you all along (and you know that I know), but why do you have to Google search for me at all?!

Sighs.

Dearest Pune,

Here I come! :)))))

Dear 2010,

You shouldn't have ever happened... but you just did! Sighs

Dear 2011,

Come fast! And override your predecessor...

2010 has somehow managed to take a toll on my love for social networking... something to do with even numbered years, I guess.

Anyway, I'll cya when I cya...

Do well, people! And have a fantastic holiday season :)

Cheers!

All of a sudden, the Dilli winters have set in! 

It is bitterly cold, yes! Brrr

Hence the need to be doing a bunch of things to keep warm...

Tomorrow, Khurana and I had planned to run yet another marathon, early in the morning (Yeah, we're nuts!) But the dude's not keeping well, so that's that.

Then comes The Harley Rock Riders - Grand Finale! Some head-banging is definitely called for \m/

Also, the IMT Alum Meet - Delhi-NCR Chapter is scheduled for tomorrow evening... wow!

And that's when realization dawned that I'm all set for a longer than long day at office tomorrow!

So much for all the fiesta :'(

Why does darkness set in so early during Winter season?! 

Time to get back to work... sighs

With all the hoopla surrounding the advent of the new age and modernization, it's probably easy to ignore its naysayers. Sometimes I feel that the latter do have a valid point.

While not being an opponent of modernization per se, I hate the prospect of it ruining the heritage and history of a place.

Take Calcutta for instance. 

Three days ago, when I disembarked at Howrah Station after 5 long years, with lots of luggage in tow, all I wanted to do was roam around the beautiful city of Cal on foot (baggages and burdens be damned!); revisit the places that my parents, my sister and I had been to almost every single December in the past decade, and relive memories; last but not the least, make a serious attempt to capture in pixels Cal's undefinable beauty, mysterious charm, the constant hubbub yet the ironical calm!

And walk I did...

Five years ago, when I last visited the place, I remember having witnessed the emergence of malls, and a few branded shops at the ancient (to me, at least!) New Market. At that point of time, I thought nothing of it save for the fact that they were measly eyesores that would not last long...

This time round, it was simply impossible to ignore the way gaudily colored hoardings were eerily masquerading atop the once beautiful colonial buildings, how superficial malls were breaching the privacy of traditional markets, how swept up open parking spaces gave an artificial look to the once crowded yet somewhat charming surroundings.

Probably having grown up side-by-side with the advancement of modernization, the gradual changes in the surroundings didn't affect me much earlier.

But what I witnessed in Cal was contrast at it's best - a VLCC style before-and-after picture. And believe me, I didn't find it one bit rosy!

I dare say modernization if stretched beyond limits is like cancer... it slowly by slowly eats into the rich heritage of a place... it's akin to rape that violates modesty... damn! It's outrightly blasphemous.

Phew! A surge of emotion. Apologies. 

I belong to the old times?! Yep, I know :p

Thankfully Calcutta has still managed to retains it's old charm... How long will it last? Search me.

It was a pleasure walking and walking, then fetching a bus ride, resuming walking, then traveling via a Cal-style rickshaw, walking again, and finally settling for one of the ubiquitous yellow cabs!

From the Howrah Bridge to New Market, the colorful cluster of flower vendors under a bridge, the winding streets, the myriad of alleyways, the lazy trams, the sea of yellow cabs, the queue of poor people awaiting their turn to bathe under a road-side tap, the rickety bus, the lake in the belly of the city, famous skyscrapers (or at least the Indian versions of the lot!), street-side hawkers, a plethora of shops, Nauhoms and its yummy goodies (can't resist a *slurrrrpppp*, sorry :p), Nizam's, the cuppa tea served in a earthen cup, the one-of-a-kind rickshaw ride, Chowringhee Lane, Kyd Street, Hotel East End (now Sofia Continental :( ), Park Street, St. Thomas Church, Planet M, Flurys, and lots more.

That's when I had to take off for Salt Lake City. And I was glad that I had decided to travel in this state (straight off the train, minus a bath, with luggage in tow)... I knew I wasn't coming back with such little time at hand.

What ensued were 2 very busy days! 

What topped the list was meeting Shruthee at her college (W. B. National University Of Juridical Sciences) and spending a good time there! Played Sassywoody (her Guitar!), clicked pics, walked around her neat campus listening to her kahanis,  had maggi and omelette-pav (her usual meal, I suppose :| ), shared gyaan with her! She sure loved my company... given that it was exam season, I was a better choice over law books!

Next up, meeting Raj at his huuuge research facility, discussing robots and robotics! Man oh man, I was impressed \m/

Then came Ankur's Bachelor Party and the frenzy (:p)! I better not say much...

Next morning, accompanied A to some nostalgia-inducing places in Salt Lake City itself... 

Phew! Managed to meet the big man Chirag too! Dhanya ho gaye hum, sirji :D

Met Parinita after 8 long years at Infinity Towers, Sector 5... awesome reunion! :) Nupur, I'm going to kill you for not being there! Grrrr

Then the last minute shopping... and meeting Sharma after 4 years!

Finally the loooong marriage ceremony that stretched into the wee hours of the next morning! And my relentless *click*, dance, *click*, munch, *click* till everyone called it quits... loved it all!
Before we knew it, Ankur had bitten the dust! :p

Loads of luck and best wishes for a wonderful life together, Kirti and Ankur :)

That was that!
Couldn't manage as much shopping on Esplanade as I would've liked. Time's such a scarce resource.
Back in Delhi now... for a while!
Back to the drudgeries of life... (pun intended, for a very stupid donkey)
Bon nuit!

Oh well! What difference does a few days' delay make to a couple who has lovingly spent the last 27 years of their lives together?!

I know how the above line makes the Wish on Blog ritual seem like a formality, but I must do what I've been doing :p

Happy Anniversary, Mumma and Dada! I know it would've been awesome had I been with you both on your special day, but that's coming up soon... anyway, isn't each and everyday that I get to spend with you guys special in its own way?! ;)
That I chose to attend the marriage ceremony of a beautiful couple, the foundation of whose love story is much like yours, and who in fact tied the knot on the same day as you both did almost 3 decades ago, gave me the feeling that I didn't miss a thing! Add to that, the bonanza of reliving old memories of our times spent in good ol' Cal... really wish you three were there with me...

Sentiments apart, going strong, folks! Very proud of you two... the way you both are surging ahead, a golden jubilee and a diamond jubilee seem like ordinary milestones down the road that you'll simply breeze past :)
Some example you guys have set in terms of commitment, dedication et al... in today's world, everything pales in comparison to it! If any such terms do exist in today's date, their definitions have either been mellowed down or do not exist... except probably in the rarest of rare cases!

If I ever write a book, I'm sure I'd do great business if I start off with your Love Story... totally out of this world it is! :)
Happy Anniversary again!!

Loads of love, hugs, kisses and best wishes,
Appu