With a bitter heart

I've a lot of traveling to do this year. A LOT of it. There is a fat chance I'd be going to US for a couple of interview this month. Then I go around half of Europe in May. Probably I'd go back to US for an internship in June, come back to India for a month in September and then go back to US again in October to join my first job.

I'm so looking forward to the Europe bit.

My first tattoo

Yes boys, I got my first tattoo last night. Its not a permanent tattoo - just a mic-testing-1-2-3 tattoo that should stay for around a week or so. Its an OM in red ink in between a black Trishul. I got it on my right arm. 

I should finally be getting a permanent tattoo soon enough :)

Jim Carrey on Letterman's Show

Okay, I love watching classics of Late Night Show with David Letterman. I've seen plenty of effin awesome episodes including the one with Johny Depp and the one with Al' Pacino. But none of them is tenth as funny as this one featuring Jim Carrey.

Don't watch it. You might die laughing.

When Stars Speak

I was in a shop called Dr Laptop in Nehru Place's computer market, pleading the very stubborn Sikh owner to give me some discount considering I was a student when my phone rang. It was Maa at the other side.

I felt kind of numb, mostly because I had slept around no more than three hours in last forty. Sleeplessness had manifested to the point of me sleeping in the metro and overshooting my destination station. I was kind of afraid too, for I hadn't spoken to my parents even once the day before which happened to be the Valentine's and I dint want them to form any opinions. I dont know why but I felt little guilty. I also felt really really greedy, I had spent so much in last week, I swear I would've fought the stubborn Sikh for 200 bucks, only if I had the energy.

Maa had a ring in her voice, the one I'm usually afraid of, but here I was too tired to even take notice. After the usual chit chat about how I was and how they were, the usual chit chat that lasted much shorter than the usual, I knew she had something that she wanted to tell me about. So I asked her - "Whats up maa, anything special today?" And before I could even complete this question, she started telling me about this famous pundit from Jharkhand who has become a good friend of dad's recently and how he comes daily on some news channel and how knowledgeable etc he is. My pupils, they were beginning to dilate already.

She quickly told me how they were talking this morning about me and he told a few things. And what she told me, by god, the whole ground slipped from underneath me. I'm getting married in 2013-2014. Yes, that is fucking 2 years from now. My mom was so so so manic distressed that her son is going to marry at an age of 23 years. For worse, pundit ji told them that it'd be a love marriage, of course out of caste and no matter how hard they try to stop me, I won't listen to none which was kind of easy to believe for my dad, given my usual adamant nature, despite me being a Virgo and him being a Taurus himself.

I felt like a freaking urgency - I need to find a girl to fall in love with and marry in 2 years. How about my date, who, still in hangover of "Gone with the wind" was texting me about her imminent break up with her boyfriend? No, she is Punjabi, not a Brahmin! Pundit ji predicted that it would probably be a Brahmin girl. My mom was distressed for all the different reasons, I hope I would be able to understand her when I'm older. Probably not.

Second thing he told about me was kind of a breather. My career was going to be faster and higher than wind herself (these were the exact words)  and I'd always continue moving around and would visit the whole world. Yes, that sounds more like me. What else mom? Oh he also said that your liver is weak and dad is going to talk to you about it. WTH!

Last thing I want is my dad asking me - "Do you consume alcohol? How often, how much?" or simply says - "Promise, won't consume alcohol ever" and is later disappointed with the knowledge of status quo that I would provide him with, if probed. When I spoke to my dad five minutes later, my hands were kind of trembling. I like to believe it was so because of lack of sleep. I told him I miss the old rational, skeptic, scientific, dis-approving, non-believer him.

PS : 

• I'm officially opening post of such a girlfriend who I can marry in a couple of years time. Hit me back, check out my email from "Contact Me" section above.
• I'm more shocked than disappointed with reaction of certain IIT girls. Somebody please go tell them that there are people who genuinely are interested in writing and aren't flirting with them when they try to open a friendly dialogue. 
• My blog is falling apart, rusting in old glory, I know bitch. Step off and watch daddy put it together again.
• Dad finally gave me his car to drive all day long. I think he has finally started believing the driver in me.

Small City Musings

I come from a small city called Bhiwani. When I'm in here, it appears bigger than a typical small city, when I'm in Delhi, it appears smaller than a typical small city, so on average I assume it is a typical small city. Indian small cities are quiet an ecosystem in themselves, everybody knows everybody, and no - there aren't eleven people in the city. People have a lot of time and boy, don't they love to talk?

Me and my dad at a spectacle shop -

Me   : I like larger frames, like really large. They offer better grip to ears
Dad : Yeah, that is indeed the most comfortable and best for vision. That is how they started until fashion changed them. The one who created would have put some thought, no?
Me  : Umm?
Shopkeeper Uncle : True, the one who created, he put all the mind. He wasn't dumb. People started copying and distorting his idea. None else puts any thought to it, only the one who created it. There is a reason he made it big and din't make it small and frameless.
Dad : Jee, bikul. Now you get it.
Uncle : I toh know everything, these kids only they run behind fashion. The simplest basic black colored grandpa frames are the best.

1. All except me smiling on this wonderful show of knowledge and argument skills
2. Its a different matter he later convinced my dad to buy frame worth 3500 bucks and lenses that cost 2 grand !


At a dry cleaning shop -

Dad : These are the three sarees of your aunty for dry cleaning.
Bhaiya (after looking at them for a moment) : South silk, this fabric is amazing. Its smooth but once it gets a stain, that sticks forever. And whole saree become unusable, and its so expensive.
(And now both men shake hands and laugh on stupidity of all females who wear south silk)
Bhaiya (Pointing at underarm section of a blouse) : See the effect of sweat. It has caused fading of the color. Batao, human sweat is so dangerous.
Dad : Beta, everything human is dangerous.
(And my dirty mind is thinking of various things already!)
Bhaiya : True, true. Isn't human the most dangerous animal on this earth?
Dad : Indeed. What shall happen to this planet, I wonder sometimes!
....

People in small cities, they like to talk. They are concerned with you. They offer help and advice, sometimes unsolicited too. They know you, they know your dad. Its a small world, and despite these tiny conversations bordering around insanity and innocence, I love living here.