Ahem

Since I'll have to do this sometime, I thought today should be as good as any other. Please get your popcorn, take your seat, make yourself comfortable and have the pleasure of watching me eat my words. This is going to take a while.

So like I said I would, I went to 'Bengaluru' for the weekend. Now, as most of you know, I'm not a big (or a small) fan of the city and have never been the one to actually understand what the mighty fuss was all about. This time though, in the two days that I was there, I caught a glimpse of the city I'd so blindly missed in all my previous trips there.

It was like I was seeing it for the first time; a completely different city emerging from the underneath the shadows of it's seemingly boring veneer. It had a pulse of its own that was almost throbbing in its intensity. Suddenly, I understood why they would despise, so fervently, every other place except their own. And why, they would find any other city, especially a one like Hyderabad, so lifeless.

Around four to five years ago, with my first trip to Mumbai, I had finished seeing every metro in the country. I decided then, that though I liked all of them equally, I'd never want to live in any of them. This trip changed that. For some reason, I could imagine living in that place, meeting 'the One' there, making it my home.

Of course, I squashed all these thoughts even before I could revel in 'em. Even as I'm writing it, my conscience is screaming bloody murder. I think I'll just stop here and move on to another track.

Yeah, so, the trip in itself was kickass fun. I did things I would never have thought myself capable of doing. We were on the streets the whole time we were there, shopping. Until I went broke. For the third time. Food was good. Ate goo at Koshy's, Momos at Tibetian and incredible hot fudge at Corner House. Bought grey market stuff at something-or-the-other plaza. Got seduced by the I Store and madly besotted with Blossoms. And missed going to Pecos!

But to give credit where its due, none of this would have been half as much fun if it hadn't been for Ha and Pink Panther. They were absolutely great. I couldn't have gotten better friends if I'd asked.

I can't wait to go again.

But before that, Chennai beckons. And so does my bed.

Sayonara.

A Holiday

Last week, I just packed my bags one day and decided to head out of town. Along the way, I knew I had to go to a place with a beach, so I chose Vizag. As it happened, I also went to my Mum's village - I beg your pardon - 'town' from there and then returned to Vizag for my flight back home.

The trip was in all interesting. I'll give it that. But did it, well, meet its objective? Hell No! I got neither some peace nor some quiet. So, Get them tattooed on your body Gajini style if you have to, but do NOT do any of the following while going on an impromptu vacation (***especially the lone female traveller):

1. Get a sleeper class train ticket.

I had to use considerable charm on the TC and pay him twice my ticket's worth to upgrade it to an AC one. I slept fitfully for the first time in weeks. Maybe excessive spending is what it takes to get to me sleep peacefully. A comforting thought, if there ever was one.

2. Go to a city where you have family.

For obvious reasons.

3. Go to a city like Vizag expecting it to be a real city.

Because it's not. It's a small town with villagers for people and decent stuff for food. Also, if you are modern female who looks the part, its very advisable to wear a Burkha at all times.

4. Go to any place with an overwhelmingly large Telugu population.

They are incapable of doing the one thing you want them to do - leave you alone. But what they are capable of doing is talk - loudly and endlessly until you are ready to let your ear drums explode rather than to listen to them.

5. Go to meet your Evil Grand Mom.

Now, there's something I will never retry doing. Ever. I should've finished her off when I had the chance. Hey, I tried! ( as a kid, I set her cot on fire.) But she stubbornly refuses to move on to a better place. Damn thing, that.

6. Hit on any guy you meet along the way.

The three guys that caught my attention were all tall, dark and gorgeous. And also (i) shady (ii) stupid and (iii) incompetent, respectively. The third deserves a special mention. He was the pilot of my flight. Thanks to his crash landing, I now have a concussion and a big bump to show for it as memorabilia.
It just has to be that way for me, the ending of all my trips - Memorable.