BRAToSPHERE

Category: TIMEPASS

  • Home – A Magic!

    I have been consistently on the move the last couple of weeks.

    June 26th,Delhi, in a morning evening official trip. I like such trips, they are so very convenient.

    7th July, Saturday, morning 9:45 flight to Tirupati via Hyderabad. Mom, dad and Jatin are there, and it is more of meeting them than the real purpose anyone heads to the religious abode.

    I land in Tirupati at 1pm on Saturday, and straight head to the hilltop. Mom, dad and Jatin have reached in the morning itself.

    Nice two days, I spend the with them. Sunday evening, I have my return flight from Tirupati at 6:45pm , again via Hyderabad. This time it is a longer flight, as I have to deplane and then board another connecting flight. I reach Mumbai at 11:20 pm in the night. Nice weekend it was.

    11th July, Wednesday, I am again in Delhi for a morning evening official trip. The early morning 6am flight, and return in the last flight out. Reach Mumbai at 11pm. Now this is getting hectic. I still like it.

    Travel is fun, but it completely takes your regular schedule off the track. To start with, the eating goes for a toss. I joined a gym recently, and had only decided that I would go regularly that these trips take that promise off, and the next trip completely derails it.

    Off to Vizag!

    13th July and 14th July, Saturday night, I am awake again till 2am. I had to go out with everyone, and meet up with everybody. Such short trips back home make it all the more hectic.

    15th July, Sunday, I am in the plane at 7:30pm on the way back to Mumbai. Again, it is a via Hyderabad flight(Why can there not be a direct flight at a convenient time, to Mumbai?), and I reach Mumbai only at 11:30 pm. I am awake till 2am! I am in two minds whether I should sleep at all, but then cannot resist the temptation, or should I say I just gave in. I fell asleep at about 2:15 am, with an alarm clock set for 3am.

    4:45 am, i luckily wake up, and look at the clock and freak! I have a flight at 5:55am, and I am still on the bed. Not packed yet, unshaven, Unkempt, and it is an official trip. I just dump clothes into the suitcase and dash out. I have not even web checked in.

    I reach the airport just in time, to board the flight. I am in Delhi at 8am. Thankfully the morning is free, and I head straight to the hotel to freshen up.

    16th July, Monday night, we have an official team dinner in Gurgaon and I am there till 10:30 pm. After that I head to south Delhi, to meet up with a friend who happened to be in Delhi, also on an official trip. I reach there at 11:15pm, and we start again. It was fun catching up with Delhi folks. we were all staying together in Delhi, three years back, at the beginning of our careers. Life has come a long way since then!

    At about 3:15 am, I am totally zoned out, tired, groggy and decently sloshed when I get into a radio cab, to head back to gurgaon. The session starts at 9:30 am the next day morning, and I have to be on the hotel so that I can catch up with some sleep, and be on time to office. I sleep at 4:15am.

    17th July, Tuesday night, I am groggy all day in office, but still have the energy to head to CP in Delhi to meet up with a friend. How can I be in Gurgaon, and not make a visit to CP? it is like my favourite place in Delhi.

    After that, me and my friend head to south Delhi to meet some other friends, and 5 of us have dinner together in a plush Punjabi restaurant, with some liquids, in south Delhi.

    One of my friend, who is getting married in two weeks time, comes down with me to the hotel in Gurgaon. The party is not yet over. Actually, we had a lot of catching up to do. We reach the hotel at about 12 midnight, and chat for a long time. I sleep at about 2am.

    18th July, wednesday, I am up at 7 itself, as my friend wanted to leave, and I wanted be on time to office. I also pack my bags, and check out, as I am scheduled to fly back to mumbai tonight. Finally, I think. I have actually started missing mumbai.

    In office, I am told, I have to stay back for one more day. Great. I reschedule my flight for tomorrow, and head back to the same hotel and check in again. I am sick, tired, limbs paining, eyes red and totally zoned out. I thought I would sleep early and make up for some lost sleep. But I had important things to handle, and once again I sleep only at 1am.

    19th July, thursday, after a day long meeting, here I am in the flight headed to Mumbai back. After 6 long days being spent outside, I have actually started missing home.

    No wonder, as they say, home is always home.

    I am actually looking forward to the weekend, after being out of town for the previous two weekends.  I don’t have any plans, but the sheer thought of being at home for the weekend makes me feel happy.

    I stay alone in a 1 bhk, so I don’t really have anyone back home waiting for me, but still I am happy to get back home.

    This, I guess, is the magical thing about home!

    p.s.: Wrote this in the flight back to Mumbai, last Thursday.

    p.p.s : I am off to Delhi again tomorrow. Such is life. and it is fun!

  • 2012 – A new Year, a new beginning?

    Been long and I have no words or explanations for that. I know, I have used most of the excuses, and even the excuse no. 69. (Been caught up) does not explain this long hiatus.

    There was a time, when I took out time to blog. I still remember those days in the Computer lab during engineering, where I used to frequent the internet center during recess time to write. And now? I literally need to be pushed, and reminded umpteen times, that I should be writing something.

    What was it? I didn’t have anything to write? NO! Loads to write, Loads I want to tell you. Just the time!

    The last couple of months have been completely hectic if anything. And little pleasures like reading, writing, watching movies have all been on the backseat. Yes, thankfully being in marketing, I still get to travel!

    Talking about travel, have been traveling all across north India in the last couple of months, and it has been wonderful to say the least. Will soon come up with a separate tab on Traveling on this blog. Very much required, for the new found interest. (Now you know the reason for those lonely planet magazines piled up on my bedside)

    In another update, have started reviewing books on this blog, and about 5 books have been sent to me and are waiting to be reviewed here (They still need to be read.) it should soon be up. Promise.

    In the other world, there have been developments everywhere. Mom and Dad were here in Mumbai last month, and we had a fun time. We also went to Nashik/ Shirdi for two days. The New Year has been a good beginning and hope it continues the same way, and becomes a landmark year in many ways. (you know what I am referring to! )

    Writing this on a Sunday evening, after completing the daily (or weekly chores) since morning, and somehow keeping myself awake. It is a long weekend after long (tomorrow is Shiv ratri and hence a holiday!) and am completely enjoying it. So wanted this break from long, and it would be long before I get the next one.

    So, on to get my next coffee (you get the drift right!), till then Cheers!

  • Ola..

    Ola..Well the spanish bug has bitten me too, and am dying to go to bunol to the La Tomatina festival.

    Well, it has been real long that I have scribbled something here, and in spite of all my promises to be regular, this time it just got too delayed. Reasons?? Well, no reason can justify this, but well I would like to make an attempt and take this opportunity in updating the happenings around me.

    After that fateful morning in the last week of September last year, life has been one roller coaster ride. Little did I realize at that point of time that one phone call, communicating one decision, could be a beginning to quite a wonderful self-introspecting journey.

    The nine months have been like the most thoughtful time that I have spent, and got to learn so many new things, and so much about behaviors, triggers and the society in large. Those nine months would forever be etched in my mind, and would sure serve as a point of reference to all my doings and my behavior for a long time to come I am sure. It sure will bear an impact to the way I conduct am sure.

    Well, without getting too much into detail, the general update is, I have joined Coca Cola India as an assistant marketing manager, and have moved to the city of dreams – Mumbai. After all the initial brouhaha, have started settling down in this metropolis, and getting used to the way of living here and getting to know more about the city with every passing day.

    One thing, Mumbai never ceases to surprise me every day. Will come back soon with more details about life here, and the people around. Till then adios!

  • India vs. Pakistan – National Holiday!

    Tomorrow is a national holiday. WHY?? Tomorrow is just a normal working Wednesday, 30th march 2011. Gandhi was not born on this day.

    Ah! I know, I don’t need to explain. The Indian cricket team has made it into the semifinals of the world cup, and the match is against Pakistan. THE MOTHER OF ALL MATCHES.

    The match would be beaming over a billion TV’s across the world, and people would all be glued to it not wanting to go for a pee break too, in spite of the bottles of beer creating a ruckus in the belly.

    Hope, we get to see more of the match and not the ads. (The broadcasting channels are making a killing, obviously!)

    Hope, the electricity department does not play a spoil sport.

    Hope, the rain Gods do not come in the way to wash it out. (Btw, having the CM named baadal, this cannot be ruled out, in spite of the summers!)

    Hope everything goes on well, and everyone gets a HAPPY chance to make Mr. mallya a little more rich. ( Win or loss, liquor would anyways flow!)

    And lastly, hope we get to see the match and not be stuck in office!

    Imagine. India vs. Pakistan. A world cup semifinal. In Mohali, Punjab (people are the most expressive there!) and it is a month end of a year end. Can it get any better?? You would be balancing the sheets, and writing reports on what went well and what did not? Well, if you are doing that, your personal life is sure not doing well!

    All my friends, across industries, generations, age and sex are just talking about one thing – how do I get a leave tomorrow? Why a leave? Most of the offices are anyways arranging a screening in their offices itself? “I want to watch it with my friends over loads of beer and pizza, and not with a group of grumpy old people”, says Akansha, an IT professional.

    “I want to be discussing the statistics of the match and not about how many soaps were sold last month”, says uday, working for a FMCG major.

    “Ah! I am just going to pelo maal in the morning, and head home by 1:30PM max. This would be the fastest month end closing I would have ever done”, Says Dinesh, who works for a minor FNCG company. Right, the cheque bounces can be taken care of later!

    Well, need a good reason to bunk your office tomorrow?

    DO NOT ASK FOR A HALF DAY LEAVE DIRECTLY, the boss could just reply,  “Okay, take it in the first half tomorrow morning!”

    It would be tough to believe that you are down with viral flu tomorrow, unless you consume a lot of virus tonight, and actually puke at your boss!

    Maybe you can try the “SENTI FORMULA”.

    “Boss, last time india won against Pakistan, I was at with my girlfriend on the bed, and watching it. Need to do this much for the country boss!”

    “yeah right. Have you already taken permission from the husband and two kids of your then girlfriend?. good luck needs to be replicated my boy!”, your boss would howl!

    Maybe you can try this.

    “boss, I need a leave tomorrow”

    “You F%&^% want to see the match while closing?”, your boss screams.

    “What match? Is there a match today? Who is playing? I have an appointment with the dentist!”

    Not working? Your boss just assumes that all your dentures are perfectly fine?

    Try this.

    “Boss, tomorrow is my Charity day. I would do my compulsory CSR activity tomorrow”

    “And how would that be?”

    “For every ball that I watch, my wife has agreed to donate a bone of mine to the dogs!”

    Well, would not work!

    Truly speaking, nothing would work tomorrow. Even if you meet with an accident on the way to your office, and everybody knows that you are not much of a cricket buff, they would still assume that you purposefully banged your bike into the auto.

    So totally unfair. Even the PM, and his coterie are taking a holiday tomorrow in the name of diplomacy. Inviting Zardari and Gilani to the match is the best anti terrorism insurance they could think of!

    So, forget the reason, just bunk the office ( jo hoga, dekha jaega!), stock up a case of beer and enjoy the show. Aise mauke baar baar nahi aate!

    I am off to get my case of Kingfisher premium. A case of 24 pints! nothing less would do!