The Day Of The Laundry

Posting everyday seemed excessive (for me and you), so I decided to at least try and post at least three times a week; not too tall an order, is it?

I won't say a lot has happened, even though some significant things have. The first batch of laundry went out today with Puttan Bhaiya (I'm not sure I heard the name correctly, I have resolved to call him Bhaiya and not mention the name till further clarity has been got)! Nothing too exciting, I know, but for a guy who has never had to manage such a thing as laundry payments, this is an event. I have set up a system. A special mention must be made regarding the system for the person whom I have seen using a scaled up (some would even say, more inclusive) version of the system. My mother has had a laundry-tracking system in place that I don't think anyone knows the origins of. I guess all mothers have a system of some kind (that's what they do), but I obviously cannot quote the systems of other mothers. I won't explain the system; first, because it's a little complicated (surprise, surprise) and second, I want to save some vestige of dignity for myself. So enamoured I am by the system, that I cannot help but look at that piece of paper stuck to the wall destined to record laundry dealings. It should also be mentioned that due to my previous brushes with any kind of system being so terribly disastrous, I am hoping that public proclamation of the system will help me stick to it. Sadly enough, I doubt it.

There is more to say (when isn't there?) but I shall refrain myself (yeah, right).
I consider this the first post of the week, so hold your breaths and hearts for at least two more. In case I don't deliver, your death or serious injury is legally not my fault... or so I have been led to believe.

Good Day

The fact that it has been exactly a month was not planned by me, but it's strange that I should find this day to post.

A lot of things have happened, as they always do.

Waking up at something like 8.45 am (saying nothing about when I went to sleep), I realized it is my first weekend in this new place. The breakfast was a not-bad south indian affair of slightly saltless masala dosas. I did something I haven't done in a long time and I don't know whether to be ashamed that I did it or not. I had a half glass(compared to glass size back home) of milk with two spoons of Cadbury Bournvita and one of sugar. It's a drink I have abstained from for nearly 6 years now. It feels strange to think that six full years have passed since I left school as a school-boy in all senses of the word(s). I did a lot of reminiscing and I smiled some of the times and remembered the times I had hoped to forget too. It's the birthday of a school friend actually, coincidence again.

It has been one and a half years since I started doing something, not exactly but apporximation is fine by me. I have changed a lot in the past few years, more than I thought possible.

Sometime in the afternoon, the sky was overcast and the wind picked up. I could hear an open window banging against it's frame as it was pushed continually into it by the wind. Everything else was silent. Except for the rhythmic bangs and the rustling of leaves everything remained completely quiet; or maybe I just didn't notice anything else. I opened the door to my room and before I could think of stepping out the wind, which was taking its toll on the open window, came in to greet me. I realized then how much I missed it. The artificially generated wind from the ceiling-fan pales in comparison with the fresh, cool breeze that I was now enjoying. Maybe it was this breeze, the cloudy atmosphere, the silence or just my will to procrastinate from studies that caused it, but I decided to take a bike ride right then. The bike ride took place on my newly purchased bicycle. Riding a bicycle is also something I haven't done in a very long time.

Now, I generally consider myself to have a kind of ESP when it comes to telling whether it's going to rain or not. I must say I didn't anticipate it this time as it had eluded this place for quite some time now, but still I attribute my decision to take the bike ride as a direct consequence of me subconsciously knowing that it was about to rain. Too much? Yes, I thought so too.

So, I left for the bike ride. It was windy for some part, but then the wind died down. Of course, at that point it hardly mattered as a person on a fast bicycle creates his own breeze. Another song from the player got over and I felt a small drop of rain on my face. I smiled, again. I decided to stay out longer; maybe I could actually get a shot at real rain. I wasn't disappointed. The sun was now showing through the clouds, but the tiny droplets had transformed into fatter drops. It wasn't the torrential rainfall I used to know and love, but it was still rain and that was enough for me. I stayed out longer; not really getting wet but just letting the rain fall on me.

I came back parked the bicycle and just strolled in the rain, smelling the scent of the soil as the rain kicked it up. I missed a lot of things while I stood there watching the rain.

All-in-all a nice day. A day that definitely helped.

so close...

Been in this country for about two weeks now, in a completely different city with completely different people. I am eagerly awaiting going back; I have loads to do and much less time to do it in. Everything generally works out in the end, or at least I hope it does. A big decision is rearing its ugly head and the fact that I don't want to take it even though it is the most logical and correct option must mean something is wrong with the way I'm approaching it. As always I will delay it till the very last of moments and then when it's too late and when I have no other choice and no other excuse I will make a split-second decision.

Something like that is obviously not a good thing to do.

happenings

It's amazing how one day you're doing something and the very next day you're doing something that's so completely different...

It shouldn't take only a day to reach far-away countries. There should always be more time taken so that there is a journey involved and not just an inconvenience. A place on the other side of earth should be quite different from the one at home, and it is. It's nice, something everyone should experience if only to broaden their horizons and realize that the world exists, full of over six billion people and that disregard for the for your world and surrounding is the most foolish thing to do.

I'm here for some time, but I doubt that time will really be that much. Already I'm worried about going back home, I don't know if that's a good thing or bad. Maybe I shouldn't have to care about things like that. Acclimatization is humanity's greatest asset, fitting themselves into almost any setting presented to them. It's strange that all it needs is a bit will power.

INTELligent

Saw the new Intel ad, bloody cool:
A room full of american geeks stand and swoon over this middle-aged indian guy as he goes cooling it up to the coffee machine...
the expressions on the faces are so freaking amazing.

The last few days have not been the fountain of useful activity I had expected, that was not unexpected.

I have managed to make the decision to postpone the decision-making for later. It's a sad thing really. An application and an interview lie in wait, they must be tended to in due time.

I mostly hate summers, especially Mumbai summers with their 90%+ humidity and the very irritating non-presence of breeze. The only thing worth liking about the summer is the mango. The most orangy, sweet and comforting fruit, I could eat these things all day everyday, if given the chance. I am so eagerly awaiting the rains and the worst part is I may actually not be here to see them come and if I go to Kanpur then I won't see Mumbai rains for quite some time, unless it's on TV. Nooooo!

I have to post pics of the recent trip on the net, but keep procrastinating (unsurprisingly enough). I'm also looking for the e-book of Mahabharat ever since I saw the show on TV, it's a really cool story, very well written. The search is on.

But now, it's time for mangoes! Everything else comes later.

The End?

Never.

It's only a bit of a rest, the real fun is about to start.

The only thing I hope is that I don't repeat the mistakes of the past.

I need to focus on the right things, to ignore the wrong ones and to recognize which is which.

There will be a lot more posts, soon.

Another exam gone and suddenly there's only one left...

Only ten days ago I had finished writing my first paper, time didn't fly the papers did.

I know my sighs of relief have increased over the past few days. I'm waiting for the last one before I can start heartily worrying again. It's not like I'm not in a constant state of worry already, but it just doesn't feel like proper worrying. I almost reached that level today morning. It was a state involving inaction and nothing but staring blankly into space. That kind of state is fun when you already have nothing to do. It's not that fun when you have an exam in a few hours' time.

The worry of choice seems to have passed for now. For Now. It'll be back soon enough.

I'm supposed to be worried about my the constructive use of my free time. I don't even consider that a serious statement and will let it pass unnoticed though not untyped.

Two months and a completely different life will begin. (Hopefully)

It's not as far away as it sounds. It doesn't even sound that far away. I've had sem exams lasting two months or more in the past. I know how small an amount two months can be when you want them to pass and not pass all at the same time. When you want to get it over it and still savor every second of it.

I've got things to do, hopefully I'll do them. Right now, I have some work to do.