One Rainy monday

Monday morning A- was walking to office in the weirdest ensemble imaginable. He had on a neatly pressed light blue shirt and the company tag was peeping out of his left pocket… so far so good… But he was also wearing a pair of shorts and was completely barefooted!!!

You guessed it! The recent rains have left behind ankle deep water on the lane outside A’s house. Poor A- was left to navigate the water-logged stretch with his trousers in one hand and shoes in the other.

On safely crossing the treacherous lane, A- quickly found a lonely corner and pulled his trousers over his shorts, dried his feet and wore his shoes. Feeling mightily pleased with himself, A- proceeded to office.

Once in office his phone started ringing, A- realized he his cell was in the pocket of his shorts!!

Rainwalking.

The sky is the gloomiest shade of gray and the air is humid. The road is a constant stream of muddy water carrying the filth of the city to the sea. There is the sweat trickling down my forehead as if it’s the middle of a particularly hot summer noon.

I do not feel tempted to fling away my umbrella so that I’d feel the raindrops on my face… nor do I want to jump in the puddle like I was 4 again!

And even when it stops raining the trees don’t look freshly painted and the birds don’t sing. And the air isn’t dizzy with a deliciously earthy smell. There are no paper boats floating gently amidst the laughter of little children.

All we are left with is an overwhelming stench of decay and a swarm of filthy water with no where to go.

My pretty-shining purple umbrella with glossy laces is broken.

Rains are so different in Chennai, my heart aches for home.

60.11

I have been sitting in front of the laptop for the past two hours willing myself to write. But I just can’t seem to put together two coherent sentences. And this is despite the fact that I have so many ideas doodled in my notepad.

Today I am just not meant to post a thing!

Just for that I am gonna post this thing I am typing out of sheer annoyance. *wink*

And also, there is this one thing that I’d like to share. I wrote my last module test for my training today. *Yipee!*

I got a 60.11 … that’s 0.11 more than the pass mark! And even though my average has taken a royal nose dive, I have never been happier… Go figure! … I am just so so happy.

It’s finally over. Yay!

But … yup! I always have a but … I still have two more presentations and an entire project to do before I am released from the academy… I still have my fingers crossed.

Tangerine, thy name is procrastination

I am procrastinating on:

1. Studying for my P&Q test.
2. Reviewing the story that has been sitting in my inbox for a month now.
3. Coming up with a passably good blog post.

And you?

Fly away home.

Sometimes Swine Flu is a blessing in disguise.
No, I don’t have the flu…And I have not lost my mind either… Just read on, ok?

Actually, a few of our colleagues had the misfortune of contracting the diseases a few weeks ago. Don’t worry, they are all up and running now. So the rest of us got leave for ten whole days!!! Most of the people took the opportunity and went home. And so did I.

The vacation was memorable… lots of laughter, tons of shopping and of course delicious home cooked food!

But it was the journey which was even more memorable.

Firstly, because it was the first time I have traveled alone. And I felt terribly grown up!! If you think it’s the stupidest thing for a 23 year old to say. Oh! Boy! You know nothing about me *grin*

And secondly because of the people I met! Hello! No romantic implications here… Just comedy ones !!
In Kolkata airport, I met an old man who owns a fire work factory in Delhi. We had a simulating conversation about fireworks, weddings and Chennai. Well! It was more of a monologue … All I did was look interested… Which I think I did very badly…. because soon, he switched to asking questions about me. Whats my name? Where I am from? What I do?... etc etc etc… ALSO, He wanted to know exactly what my parents farmed back in Assam!!! You should have seen the look in his face when I told him my parents are doctors. Poor old man! He was speechless!!!

Then, in Chennai airport, there was this French couple. They were so intrigued by the crows in the airport, they couldn’t keep their eyes off the birds, exclaiming delightfully whenever a crow swooped down to catch and insect or something. God! I swear even the crows were showing off for them.

Oh!
And one major reason why the journey was memorable -- it cost me eighteen thousand in flight fare. Actually, I missed my Kolkata-Chennai flight and so the totally is a pretty twenty five thousand. Yes, people… that’s more than I had earned so far!

Btw, that JCL VSAM exam… I passed.
But then again, I have Cobol coming Thursday. *Sigh*

An afternoon in Chennai

Scene 1: An extremely hot Sunday afternoon, middle of a road to God-only-knows-where … I sort of got lost while shopping … ssshh!…
After walking for ages, I finally find an auto.

Me: T--?

Autowallah: Shakes head.

Me: J- Foundations?

Autowallah: Shakes head, again.

Me: How much?

Autowallah: A hundred fifty.

Me: No… Fifty.

Autowallah*looking at me like I am an alien* : Hundred.

Me: *too tired to argue* OK.
Got into the auto.

Scene 2: Highway near my flat.

Me: Uncle … No, I haven’t got around to calling them Anna yet! … Pliz take left.

Autowallah: *Tamil*

Me: Uncle, J- Foundations, left.

Autowallah: *More Tamil*
and stops auto

Me: *gesturing wildly* J- Foundations, left.

Autowallah: *Even more Tamil*
Aggravated, I got down from the auto and gave him a fifty rupee note.

Autowallah: *taking the note* Hundred.

Me: *give him my most confused look and start walking*

Autowallah: Madam, you said hundred

Me: And you said you will drop me to J- Foundations. *triumphantly*

Needless to say, he dropped me to my flat.

It's rainning in Chennai

Last week I arrived back to my flat wet to the bone coz I was caught in a sudden downpour. There was no shelter nearby and when I found one, the rain had come down to a drizzle. By the time I was home I looked as though I had gonna swimming fully clothed! My clothes were ruined… my freshly shampooed hair was plastered to my skull… and I had to hang my notes to dry!
But guess what the worst part was!?!
As soon as I opened my handbag to pullout the door key, right on top lay my lovely silken purple umbrella merrily laughing at me!

Gosh! It feels fabulous to get back to Bloggerville.

I know my intermission has developed into a movie but I finally have an internet connection at home. So, hopefully I am gonna be around more often. After all I have a lot to right about… Chennai… the beaches… my office… my colleagues… the auto wallas… and the list is endless!
But right now, I am deep into JCL VSAM but I will get cracking on commenting this weekend.