A Reunion of Sorts !!!

I got to experience my very first reunion recently. It was to quote the name itself a 'Mega Alumni Meet' for all batches of my B school. So there were folks all the way back from batch 1,2,3,4 to the recently graduated folks from batches 14,15,16. The crowd wasn't so large as to suit the name 'Mega' but a fair number of people turned up from my batch and my junior batch. It was more like a reunion for these two batches.

Nostalgia definitely set as i walked into the college. The two years came rolling back into my mind. While we were there we cribbed and cursed and abused and complained and today we reminisce and laugh. The reunion brought me back in touch with those I called batch mates then and had minimal interaction with in college; on that day we shared a drink, shared updates on work and personal life. Everyone is on a different road, some married, some married with kids, some engaged, some shifted careers ... Who knew where we were heading two years now; who knows now ??? My college is not one of the top 10 - I am not that brainy. We did not have the best food, and facilities and probably even faculty; but we made it work. A walk through the hostel got us giggling about the cranky case warden and her eccentricities ( she doesn't work there anymore, praise the Lord), the horror that was the common bathrooms, the nights spent chatting away on the terrace. Our profs made for good stories too, each one with his own crazy qualities and those million classroom stories. As we walked the hall ways and past by the classes, we recalled how we shuddered at that insufferable method of sitting by roll no but that's how we became friends.

Our super juniors should be applauded for all the trouble they took to put this together. It is never easy coordinating any event with 100+ people. Our visit started with a welcome(back) speech by our President. As much as we thought, he was still the very same. I distinctly someone in the crowd remark "so do u guys know the GDP of India now ?? ". Context for all the non XIMEites - our President was obsessed with facts and figures and always asked 'ajeeb' questions - GDP of Finland, total no of engineering graduates in K'taka in a year etc. But he of course came to the agenda straight and mentioned placements. Placements, a gloomy topic in all B schools - how to better it, how to increase it, how was it last year etc.  So the elder children of the college (read alumni) were asked to help the younger children (read the current batch). Was it weird that he was so forthright about it .. No.. i guess its what experience does to you.. You always need t reach out to those currently in the field for assistance.. Joy that he finally realized that.

The rest of the day was fun. One of the highlights was drinking beer openly in the Presidents' backyard ( the lil garden behind the office). How thrilled we were that we were toasting to ourselves and laughing about the secret drinking stories from college times. The visit would n't be complete without a visit to our old rooms (a different one for the two years we were there). The residents were of course different but the feeling was the same. Books strewn all over the bed, table and floor, people lounging around in their PJs; laptops, chargers and USBs on the semi clean to unclean table. Cleanliness is an entity never invited to a hostel room and it continues the same way. As i walked into my rooms; err my former rooms, the familiarity came rushing back - "ohh my bed was there", " arree my table had so many more things", " oh god do u remember how dirty our room was " ... we ensured we visited each of our former rooms, irrespective of whether the current residents were there. We actually did enter an empty room and take pics too :) As the day dawned to an end, some of us also went to our fav eating joints around college ( dog bakery, hot n cool). It was necessary to go and pay our respects. After all, they provided us with what our canteen could not provide - FOOD !!!

It was now time to head back - some to Chennai, some to Hyderabad and some, back to various parts of Bangalore. We bid farewell, knowing not when we shall meet next but happy that this day was an extra memory given by XIME we will always carry along. 

A time to re-discover !!!

As a child watching Beauty & The Beast, I remember Belle while living in the Beast's mansion, was gifted a room full of books. Floor to ceiling lined with beautiful leather bound books, arranged immaculately in a great big sunshine filled room - the image just stuck in my mind and continues to stay with me. The above picture is not from my home, but that is the dream for a home i should own some day.

The reading habit grew on me as a kid when my mother told me stories. I believe she could not keep the schedule of reading night after night and I was always jumping to know what that funny scribbling under the beautiful pictures of my books meant. Reading came easily to me. It started like it would with any other kid; those classic fairy tales, to the 'very very recommended' Amar Chitra Katha', to the joy that was delivered every week with the news paper called 'Tinkle' and to ever popular 'Archies'. I remember sitting cross legged on the bed, a book in one hand and my plate of food in another - needless to say it took me a while to finish my meal. Nothing and noone could distract me during that time - bad light, guests at home and even fatigue. I got my punishment for ignoring bad light - my poor eyesight and the thick glasses. Books were usually a gift for me from very many people and from me to myself too. I sourced them from road side vendors to lavish book stores and even pinched them off other people who kept them but never read ( n no i don't feel bad about it). They were and continue to be my precious possessions and I expect all those who borrow from me to take utmost care.

I feel bad to say the habit slowly started getting left behind once I finished college and entered B school. The TV with all its offerings had managed to take over my mind. Friends, Full House, House, The Big Bang theory, Two n Half men, HIMYM and so many more had suddenly become so interesting. The wait for the new seasons of these TV shows pushed my books further away from me. There was a point of time where apart from my academic books, I refused to look up at any other bounded bunch of papers. 

But old habits die hard and my books fought tooth and nail and crawled back into my life. The credit should go to an online library I discovered while in Mumbai and even after I moved to Bangalore. I thought why not try, one book a month delivered at home and office and picked up is a super system. I pick my list of books online and they deliver one at a time. Oh joy.. yay !! it all came back to me. The feel of the paper in my hands ( I never got accustomed to e-books and the e-readers), the story so well woven to tickle my imagination and transport me to a place far far away. Autobiographies, history, politics, cinema, Indian fiction, self help (to some extent); i don't have any favorite category. Every genre has something to offer, the different views of the author, how I argue those statements in my head, how I am let down by the reality portrayed in life tragedies  the joy I discover when there is a happy ending. My collection of 5-6 books when I first moved to Bangalore has increased to about 30 ( not too big due to lack of space) but there is a new addition every I fly in and out. The airport book stores and Flipkart are my new haunts which add to my collection. 

So now, it is a lazy Saturday afternoon, and the drowsy weather of Bangalore makes a perfect setting for a hot cup of chai (masala, elaichi, adrak, green.. as you would want) and a book... A review you could expect !!! :)

A girlie for for every girl !!!

"Girlie" - I first came across this word as a kid in school (read girls convent school) waiting in line to buy snacks at the canteen and i heard someone say ' aye girlie why you are pushing men' .. From then all girls unknown to me were addressed as girlie .. ha ha !! Stupid .. "Girlie" - the new and improved version became known to me in the last few years away from home.

Huge difference between friends who are girls and girlies. We have million friends who are girls - from school, college, dance class, tuition, gym, first job, building, society and god only knows where else. Girlies are a damn special bunch - those incredible girlies around us who stayed with us no matter what. They saw us at our best and they saw us at our worst. There were times some guys took precedence and girlies were pushed into the backseat; but they didn't complain. Instead, when we go back to them crying about the same guy; they heard us complain and bitch with us too. What we don't understand at the start and come to realize is each of our girlies play sooo many roles in our lives - listener, advice giver, whiner, drinking buddy, bitching partner, miracle maker... Look at your own lives girls and i promise you will see the truth of what I say.

I owe so many of my best moments to my girlies. In college, it was those all nighters we pulled writing journals and reports, the nights they landed up home before a French exam ... Hostel had so many nights of head massages & talking, pedicures & talking and secret drinking & talking .. yeah we talk a lot and about everything - ourselves, parents, siblings, boyfriends, potential boyfriends, ex boyfriends, someone else's boyfriends, someone else's girlfriend, annoying room mates, latest sales, next vacation, empty bank accounts, upcoming exams, future jobs ... the conversation never finishes ... We are all built that way right; we can never steer ourselves away from a good, gossip filled and also a tad bit bitchy conversation.

Now that i have been away from home for a while now, I can't imagine how life would be without these girlies. We all love a big gang to hang out with and go party. But sometimes you need just 2-3 of your fav girlies, a relaxed lunch and a nice bottle of wine. For any guy, the random shopping plans, the spa visits, the rummaging through each other wardrobe even when we have more than enough choice for ourselves, the hours we take to get ready, long long conversation via BBM/ whatsapp seem unreal ( i have had guys tell me that)  - for me its my way of life. My girlies would be ones i know from before kinder garden days to those i met in B school and each one is so so special.

I could whine all the time, cry at the drop of a hat, laugh at the silliest thing, make the same mistake repeatedly and even lose touch with them for a while - but my girlies are mine and mine they will stay !!!!

The Thirsty Travellers Part 4: The Hangover

So destination 4 for us with bright and sunny Florida. It was our home stop half way through the trip. Home cooked food, homely atmosphere and a super time with my aunt and uncle. When you think of Florida, Disney is one of the few things that pops into your mind. Our Florida visit could not be complete without a visit of one of Disney's theme parks in Orlando; our choice for the trip - Disney's Animal Kingdom.How 4 days flew by we did not know but it was time to move along to one of the most anticipated part of our trip - Las Vegas. The weekend we visited Vegas was the official start to the Vegas party season. I was so informed by my big bro cousin and i saw evidence to that by the load of college goers on our flight whose excitement, dancing, singing etc could not be contained :)

As we drove to Planet Hollywood; our hotel stay while in Vegas, I was amazed by the concrete marvel that is Las Vegas city which is literally built on a desert. The Strip is of course the most famous part of Vegas, which has all the age old and famous hotels - Bellagio, Caesar's Palace, Paris, Venetian, New York New York and so many newer ones that have popped up. The sheer grandiosity of the place leaves you astonished, not to mention the number of people who are there to share and soak in the sights as well. Most of you would have heard the phrase 'anything goes' - well my friend; Vegas redefines that phrase. I saw quite a few things that made go - arre aisa bhi ho sakta hai... Bikini clad women shopping and sitting in restaurants grabbin' a bite, strapping on a big bottle/ canister full of margarita to your back and sipping away as you walk the Strip, people giving you flyer invitations for "Girls Girls Girls" ... Welcome to Las Vegas !!!! So among all that as you walk from one hotel to another; you also see a huge bunch of fellow tourists exploring the sites with you. Not surprisingly a whole lot are Indians - well we are over a billion people so we are everywhere. So the Kanjeevaram clad or salwar suit wearing aunties and sweater and sport shoes wearing uncles are spotted looking very pleased with themselves as they pose for snaps next to statues in Caesar's Palace or taking a boat ride (as in Venice) in the Venetian. The gambling lot you find in Vegas are of a whole different spectrum. They are unmoved and unfazed by everything around them. No wonder casinos keep it smart by having no clocks and no windows - noone knows what time of the day it is and how long they have been there. I in fact even saw a pole dancer in a cage right in between a poker table. It must have been high stakes coz the 10 odd men sitting there were not sparing a glance for the semi nude dancer in the cage.

Anyway, so we dressed up and headed out to experience the craziness that is Las Vegas. A warning - some of the upcoming events were not remembered by me but as told by my sister and cousins; need i mention why i don't remember. We did a few drinks in one place in the Bellagio before we headed to Pure - a night club in Caesar's Palace. Crowded doesn't begin to describe the club and reaching the washroom by battling the massive crowd of guys on the dance floor proved to be quite the task.The lights, music and alcohol were already beginning to entertain me but since when is little enough. Surely a few drinks and a few more and a few more later, I was very very  "entertained" so i decide my shoes are keeping me from all the fun so off went the shoes. Random conversations have happened with random guys, loads of photographs have happened - kinda shows you the before and after picture. Apparently I went missing for a good few minutes which got my very sober sister to go hunting for me in that very crowded club. She returned to our table to find me quietly sitting in the corner :D So when we girls were finally packed off to the hotel at 4 am, i walked, shoes in hand and very very happy. However our hotel security guard wasn't too happy to see me barefeet. Apparently he started by telling me, convincing me and finally yelling at me to wear my shoes :D.

Hangover welcomed me the next morning but who cares - what happens in vegas, stays in Vegas :) It was time to move on.. LA - here we come !!!

The Thirsty Travellers Part 3: In the President's backyard

After 5 days in NYC, A day and half in Boston was probably not enough to see the entire city. But Boston is a beautiful city. The is the perfect example of how history can be preserved and enjoyed. We sisters made our made through the Boston metro and found places we wanted to go see (read: Harvard University etc). We managed 3/4th of the Freedom Trail walk and in all our joy treated ourselves to the famous Mike's pastry. It was time to head out of Boston; a short flight later and we were in the capital of USA.

When a tourist thinks of Washington DC, there are a few standard images that come to mind - The White house, the Capitol building, Lincoln memorial, Smithsonian, Museum of Natural history.. We did all that and more, on our last trip with the parents. This time, with one big brother living in Washington DC, the experience was a whole different one. Kudos to my brother for all the trouble he took planning details of this trip; we did discover a lot of things we wouldn't have as mere tourists. A must visit in DC is the Newseum - a museum dedicated to the press,journalism and all things in the print media. you would find stories that have altered history that are displayed there and there is tons of reading material, visual and auditory aids to help you understand the story. You can pretend to be reading breaking news in their make shift studio while technology projects images on the green screen behind you. The Newseum salutes all contributions to the field of journalism and pays homage to all those reporters and their crew from the world over who have died/  been killed while they tried to bring the truth to light.  Don't miss this fascinating place; it takes the idea of a museum to a different level. The Georgetown river front was our next destination where we sat sipping on our drinks by the river watching the boats go by. A boat ride was booked for us too that got us a view of the Capitol building, Lincoln memorial etc.

One of the best experiences i had was watching a baseball game at the Nationals Baseball stadium where the home team Washington Nationals took on the Baltimore Orioles. If you have seen a baseball stadium, you would know the seats go way up high. We got the ones on the absolute last row which while being scary to climb up and down, gave us the most magnificent view of the game and the whole stadium. We understood the game bit by bit and loved the energy of the crowd. Keep in mind some very key differences in the way stadiums; there are clearly marked entrances and exits, enough space to manage a crowd with pushing and shoving, space for wheelchairs to be parked to view the game etc. A lot of curses came flying my way when i forgot to carry my passport (main ID proof) so we couldn't go to the beer games and concert outside :( Stupid Stupid me !!!

Our last morning in Washington DC we say bye bye to our big bro who would head to work and we would see after 5 days in Vegas. With a whole morning to kill, we headed off to check the much recommended Holocaust museum. Mother nature decided to surprise us with a little rain that morning. We had to hunt a bit before two police women pointed us to the museum - right across the road it was from where we were.. We decide to grab a bite before heading in and stopped at a hot dog stand right outside run by a Middle Eastern man. As i was fishing for cash to pay, the man asked Pooh if she would like mustard and swirled the bottle at her. The result - a spray of mustard on her face LOL. Now i wasn't looking so it took me a few seconds to realize what happened. It was only when the man started apologizing profusely (he probably thought we would yell and scream and sue him) that i saw what happened. It was beyond funny coz my sister kept saying no no its ok i am fine and wiped her face clean. I know on the inside she was fuming and cribbing going .. duddee what the hell :S:S:S ... As for me, i am shameless, i laughed all through :D

Once we were done with the museum we headed back and grabbed lunch - Sushi... we ate sooo much of it on this trip and we still crave for more. Packed and armed with our bags, it was time to head to the airport for destination no 4 - Florida !!!!

The Thirsty Travelers Part 2 : A bite of the Big Apple

After a halt at Zurich and a total of 17 hours, the sisters landed into JFK. Emotions were overflowing. The relief of finally getting out of the flight, the excitement to be in our favorite city in the world, a wee bit of anxiety to clear immigration smoothly and most of all, super happiness to see our friends Sue and Pete who were providers of our lodging and boarding in NYC.

Immigration took an hour and half to clear; well couldn't complain we were at one of the world's largest airports in passenger volumes. Once out, and in one of NY's famous yellow cabs, we started savoring all the sights that passed by us. NYC never looked better. The city invites you in to hear, observe and be part of its enchanting spirit. My friends' place was perfectly located in the heart of the city and everything was a walk away. Yes, one walks a lot in NYC. Its the best way to see all that the city has to offer with its street markets, the massive stores, super eateries etc. 

Sue was a doll who had a list of where we HAVE to eat and what we MUST see. The amount of food consumed in 5 days there was next to incredible. From Shake Shack burgers, to Magnolia Bakery, to Turkish food at Baba Ghanoush, classic American food at Big Nicks, Chipotle ( the one i miss the most), Gray's Papaya, Phebe's, Sbarro's and i forget the rest :D We had decided we did not want to do any major touristy things so Statue of Liberty, Rockefeller center were not on our list. Instead we went off to Coney island. So after a super lunch at Nathan's ( yes food again); it was time to explore the amusement park. Now when compared to the Disney theme parks, Coney Island may seem severely outdated. However there is a charm in visiting America's oldest amusement parks. The boardwalk, the beach and then the rides it was an awesome afternoon. One can get lost in the melange of people all there to spend a beautiful summery afternoon. 

NYC also meant shopping and one day was dedicated to that. We landed in the holy land of all shoe lovers - DSW. I think I could live there and be very content. We never realize how time flies (and money of course) in a shoe shop. So about an hour or so and 3 pairs of shoes later we emerged to do some more shopping. Nordstrom, Victoria's secret, Old Navy and many stores later we started formulating ideas of how we were going to fit it all in our suitcase. 

The 3 girls decided to do a girls' night out and what a night it was. A couple of shots and many drinks down and stories were pouring away. We can pretty much figure how our night went with all the pics we took too; starting with us sober to what am i doing here :D. We encountered some of our fellow drunken brothers and sisters; all of us at one pizza place to satisfy our hunger pangs. We were entertained by one's singing, and were invited to join another in an after party sorts. The night is always young in NYC they said, but we went home !!! Another fun place we visited was a speakeasy club called Milk and Honey. It is supposed one of those secret, non advertised, non fancy looking places where one enjoys exotic drinks. We loved the concept of the secrecy but it did take us a while to find. Somehow for all the ype we heard, it didn't quite live up to the expectation; an experience none the less. 

NYC was most about all the conversation we had; the chatting never ended. We reminisced college days, friends circle, how we have all changed over time, ex-bfs, what kind of losers we used to be, and those innumerable hilarious stories.The wine kept flowing and so did the stories. We have a million photographs capturing each place we visited - central park, hi line park, times square, chelsea market, Grand Central and so many more - each one with its own story to tell. 

5 superbly spent days later, it was time to move on to Boston !!! See you there ... 

The sisterhood of the thirsty travellers.. Part 1 of many to follow

Vacations in my house are painfully detailed and highly pre planned. We are not usually one of those "lets just  pack our bags and hop out of home and THEN decide where to go" types. Therefore the planning for recent vacation to USA started one year back; yes back back in May 2011. So my sister and I went through the entire ordeal of excitement, super excitement, informing all known people in the US of our future visit, planning how many days, where, when,WHY, whom to meet, what to wear ( face it, we are girls), anxiety (for our visa), super joy (on getting 10 year visa) etc etc.

This being the first vacation we sisters were doing together; we found out every painstaking detail for each city we were to visit. We had tons of help along the way; all of our excited friends and family did their bit too. Thousands of BBM/Whatsapp/FB messages and pictures were exchanged on "so we HAVE to go here", "ohh look look sale starting when we go here", "that looks sooo good, we have to EAT here" and many many more. If you think planning a trip is easy, you are sadly mistaken my friend. The route, the mode of travel, the PRICES, the hotels, the PRICES, the spots you want to see, the shops you just don't want to miss, the time to want to relax (coz you are on vacation after all); so many many details but the joy of seeing that final plan and actually  living the plan is spectacular.

Advice comes flying at you from every possibly direction; make sure you don't get knocked out cold with it. Parents always worry about money - don't overspend, don't waste, be careful with wallets. So my parents come up with the this wonderful plan to avoid being robbed at security check. The two of us stand a few people apart in the line; one person goes through and clears and then the second puts both bags in for screening. That way one person is standing on the other side to receive the bags and keeping an eye out for thieves. Did we do it; you've gotta be kidding me !!!! We laughed at the idea all the way through security check and no, nothing was stolen.

You would find all kinds of people at airports. Its quite the tapestry of human beings; from the loud, over excited ones, to the mushy, romantic newly weds; hyper active children to the down right stupid ones. Our encounter with the last kind happened when a man walked into the women's washroom, stands there for 3 seconds notices women there and says "yeh ladies hai kyaa???". And you think you have seen them all !!!

All international airports envision looting tourists even before they board their flights; that's why they have Duty Free stores. You will see all passengers going "Oh soo cheap", "Oh discount", "Arre one pe one"; my sister and I were strong; we walked through all the stores, checked out all prices, tried on every perfume we loved (don't scoff; i know you would do it too) and yeah also kept in mind what we wanted to buy on the way back (read alcohol). By the time we boarded the flight; the excitement had vanished and sleep was haunting us. After the 20-30 odd calls and sms to our parents about our baggage, our check in, our security check, how we are killing time, did we eat, have we boarded; the cell phone was switched, to be switched on a day later. Bags were stowed away safely and seat belts were buckled. It was time to say Bye Bye India for 3 weeks and Hello USA !!!!