Swades

I saw Swades last December. It was a touching movie and it did kindle passion in me for my country, My motherland, My Home...yes Mera Bharat Mahan! A year passed by before I got a chance to visit India. Each day seemed to drag by. Not one day passed without remembering good old India. Each passing day made it harder to control my emotions. Each month seemed like a year. I was dying to get back to Mumbai. Torn between my duties and the love for my country I carried on. Then on December 10th 2005, exactly one year after I saw Swades, I was on the threshold of embarking upon my maiden voyage to India. I felt exactly the same as the character in Swades felt. Its an emotion which cannot be described, it can only be felt. Its overwhelming and makes you feel euphoric. Finally after sixteen months away from home, I would meet my parents, my friends, my relatives and see my Mumbai.

The moment I stepped on the British Airways flight to Mumbai from Philadelphia, my entire 21 years of life in Mumbai flashed by. It was an emotion I had never felt before. I was feeling on seventh heaven. An interesting thing was I was bridging the distance between two countries USA and India, once ruled by the country of the serving airline, the UK. Trivial you might say; but nevertheless very interesting.

The flight passed by in a blur. Eighteen long hours whizzed by. I felt only one thing throughout the entire flight duration, yes, I was bored. But the moment the airhostess announced that we were half an hour away from landing at Mumbai's International airport, all the boredom vanished, all the tiredness disappeared, all I felt was an overwhelming sense of pride. I felt so wonderful, as if life had come a full circle. I felt like shouting on top of my voice, "India, here I come!" The last half an hour felt like an entire lifetime. I was dying to hear the airhostess announce, "Ladies and gentlemen, please tie your seat belts, we'll be shortly landing at Mumbai's Chatrapati International Airport, on behalf of the captain and the entire british airlines crew, we thank you for flying with us and hope you had a wonderful flight" and she did.

I was dying to get out of the plane and step onto my home soil. The first breath I took after getting out of the plane left me breathless (not because of the pollution!) It felt exhilarating. I was jubilant and the moment I stepped out of the airport I spotted my family waiting for me, dying to meet me and see me. Though I'll have many more trips to Mumbai, this first experience I wont forget ever.

The stay in mumbai got over no sooner than it began. There I was standing at the same spot as I landed over a month ago, but it seemed to me that the trip had just begun. I will come back again!

The Last Train

On 14th Dec 2005, two days after I landed in Mumbai, I was sucked into an adventure of the urban kind. One of my VJTI classmate, R, had come down to mumbai. Me, M, A and T (all vjti classmates) picked R up from the airport and decided to go to Bandra and spend rest of the evening. Sizzlers at Kobe was followed by a stroll on bandstand and then the tired band trooped into Cafe Coffee Day. Catching up on old times and new over endless cups of coffee made us all forget about time. A casual glance at R's wrist watch was enough to make us jump out of our skins. It was already 11:30pm. I had to reach Vashi, A had to go to Thane, R was to be dropped at Chakala and M had to come back to Bandra. Stirred into action we hopped into M's car and decided to drop R first. Finding R's friends place in middle of nowhere aided with directions like Near Hotel S, 3 blocks from a deserted milk booth, beside Angel Apartments, in Divine apartments, seemed like one of the tasks in Amazing Race. Finally at 12:00 we managed to located her place of stay and bid adieu. Three musketeers in Chakala with each one headed in different directions. M dropped me and A off at a rickshaw stand in SakiNaka. After a bus, cab and a car we took another mode of transport to Ghatkopar Station. A got off to get onto the train to Thane leaving myself to reach my destination, Vashi. Vashi never seemed so far as it did on this fateful night. I asked the rickshaw driver to drop me at Ghatkopar Bus Depot. Reached there and to my dismay I found the Bus depot completely deserted. I thought I made it in time to catch the last bus, but the bus was long gone and the depot was closed for operations. Now panicking I had only one more option and that was to catch the last harbour line local from Mankhurd to Vashi. I hopped into the auto yet again this time I was reassured by the auto driver that we would make it in time. Crossing my fingers and hoping against hope I reached Mankhurd Station. I was greeted by an empty platform, no indicators to display the time of arrival and one lone person behind a single lit ticket window. Now fear gripped my heart and praying to god, if ever he existed,I went to the window and thrust a Rs 10 note and asked for a ticket to Vashi. I was overjoyed when I heard him say that you just made it in time for the last train. I thanked my lucky stars and no sooner than I turned towards the platform, I heard the whistle of an approaching train. It sounded like music. I reached home at 1:30am. I was so relieved to be back home.Though I had to face music of the other kind from my half asleep dad. It happens only in Mumbai. Just the thought of the possibility of spending the night in some godforsaken place with no shelter on my head sends chills down my spine. God actually exists and helps only if you pray hard.

Flight To Mumbai (Philadelphia-London-Mumbai)

10 Dec 2005

2:30 pm load bags into airport shuttle (damn excited about going back)
3:30pm reach airport, unload bags (hoping bags dont exceed the weight)
4:00pm bags checked in, marathon three hour wait to board the flight (look wistfully through duty free shops and finally pick up chocolates, only affordable item)
5:00pm hope the flight departs on time (damn hungry and very excited)
6:00pm boarding begins (damn! these first class passengers always get to go first)
6:15pm in my designated seat and flight awaiting permission to take off (yipee! finally we are about to be airborne and on our way)
6:30pm bad news, flight has been delayed by half an hour due to inclement weather and we are 10th in line to take off (now I doze off)
7:15pm feeling damn impatient and cant wait any longer (still dozing, wait, did I hear the whirring of engines?)
7:30pm pushed back in the seat and wide awake (adrenalin pumping throught the veins, finally we are airborne and we'll be in mumbai 19 hours later)
8:30pm dinner served (yummy asian veg meal rounded off with gulab jamun)
9:00pm-11:00pm wedding crashers (watched it for the first time...awesome movie)
11:00pm-1:00am drift off to sleep (only time I slept)

11 Dec 2005

1:00am breakfast served (jesus christ! what in the merlin's name)
1:01am realise that we are gonna land at london heathrow in one hour (rush through breakfast and coffee)
1:31am cabin crew getting ready for landing (whoa its 6:30am in London)
6:45am land at london airport in heavy fog (brrrr...its -3 deg celcius)
7:00am realise that this is the time when you would be blissfully in bed under a comforter (for god sake, its 2:00am in Philadelphia)
7:15 am in a queue for security check (looks like a long winding queue and end up spending an hour in there half standing half dozing in a daze)
8:15am in a queue (not again) (this time its for freshening up....i hate queues)
9:00am finally manage to shrug off sleep with a cup of strong english coffee (damn i paid almost 2 pounds)
9:30am still an hour to board the flight to mumbai (call up mom and dad and tell them about your whereabouts)
10:15am at the boarding gate (its all mayhem...no announcements...people in a mad rush to get on board....remember scenes at the ST depot in Mumbai)
11:15am flight is already half an hour late (I can see people following the indian standard tie already)
11:30am all strapped up and we are on our way (hurray! just 8 hours more and I'll be in aamchi mumbai)
1:00pm lunch served (doesnt seem interesting anymore...still eat it)
1:30pm try to sleep (damn I left my sleep in philadelphia...the wine doesnt seem to work either)
2:00pm still trying to sleep (Assure myself that I'll get plenty of sleep in mumbai)
2:00pm-4:00pm catch up another movie (somethings got to give...awesome movie)
4:00pm again try to sleep (no use)
4:30pm idle talk with the passenger next seat (do I hear snoring...I was talkin to a sleeping passenger)
5:00pm seriously sleep deprived
6:00pm give up trying to sleep (snacks served)
6:30pm nth glass of apple juice (I hate appple juice)
7:00pm arouse one friend from deep sleep and walk like zombies up and down the aisle)
7:10pm booted out from the first class section (curse the airhostess under my breath)
7:30pm realize that its half an hour for destination (wide awake and all excited)
7:45pm Ladies and gentlemenn please tie your seat belts, we'll be shortly landing at Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport (nothing sounds more pleasing)
8:00pm(london)-1:30am (Myumbai) This is your captain speaking..we'll begin our final landing descent...the weather out there is a warm 26 deg cel...it was a pleasure flying with you (stop talking and get the plane down)

12 Dec 2005

1:45 am look out of the window and gaze at the lights of mumbai (its amazing)
2:00am step out and stand on motherland after a year and half (no words can explain this feeling)
3:00am finally meet an eagerly awaiting family (its so good to be back...collapse in the back seat and crash)

Back Home

01:10 am 12th Dec 2005 Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai

Back to mumbai after a year and five months. Its so good to be back home

Lets see what adventures await me in aamchi Mumbai. Keep a lookout for this space

Two days to go

In exactly two days I board the flight to mumbai. I cant control my excitement any more and wish that these two days just fly off. On 10th Dec 2005 at this time I'll be at Philadelphia International Airport all set for my maiden voyage back to India. My motherland. I feel like singing "Mere des ki dharti..." or "Ye ho des hain tera...." I am dying to hear the air hostess announce; "Ladies and gentlemen pleases tie your seat belts. We'll be shortly landing at Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport. The local time in Mumbai is 00:40 and the weather out there is clear and at a pleasant 20 C. Its been a pleasure flying with you......"

Tag: 20 random things about me

Nupur's Tag got me thinking and here are 20 random things about me

1. I am not Maharashtrian, contrary to the popular belief (because I speak marathi at home)
2. I love reading books
3. I hate heavy metal or anything to do with similar kind of music
4. I sometimes keep thinking what am I? why am I here? what is my role in this matrix of life
5. I dont get dreams. Even if I do, I dont remember any.
6. I hate karela (bitter gourd)
7. I am a diehard gadget freak
8. I love driving cars.
9. I write a blog. Incidentally it happens to be this very blog.
10. I love tandoori chicken
11. I am a grad student pursuing PhD
12. I am 23 soon to be 24.
13. I hate hypocrisy.
14. I love tea.
15. I want to learn to speak fluently in kannada.Why? Read point #1
16. I am vetti enough to write twenty random things about me
17. I love sitting at the window and staring into vast open spaces.
18. I love photography.
19. I have never been to my native place, 'Kalghatgi'
20. I took 2 days to write 20 random things about me.

I tag

Arun (probably the only one who would take time out to write 20 random things about himself)

My new iPod

In September 2005, when Steve Jobs unveiled the new iPod video, along with millions of other iPod enthusiasts I vowed to lay my hands on one as soon as possible. Now I am admiring the sleek black model in my hand, yes my new iPod. Its awesome. Its even smaller than the palm of my hand, but can hold much more than my closed fist. I am now one of millions of music freaks enjoying listening to music on an iPod. How did this all happen. Read on
A complete gadget freak, I couldn't imagine myself without the new iPod. After debating in my mind the feasibility of going in for the new iPod vis-a-vis my meager PhD stipend, finally I decided to order the new iPod with a custom engraving and Apple informed me that my iPod would be shipped within two weeks. In a few days I got an email telling me my iPod has been shipped and I could track its status via FedEx. What a wonderful world it is. I click a mouse somewhere,bits fly through fiber optics, go to some unknown destination, money electronically changes hands and then atoms in useful arrangements are flown in airplanes and hand carried to my doorstep. This is sort of miraculous.
Then I wonder where my new iPod is. Can I expect it tomorrow, or will I have to wait for the next week? I am surprised to discover from FedEx that my new iPod is in a pick up station in Shanghai, China and just missed the pick up deadline. Well seems like I am going to have to wait for a while.
Two days later there is new tracking information from FedEx. My iPod is on the move, but now it is in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. I have to look this up to find where it is, and I discover it is marginally closer to Philadlephia than it was in Shanghai. I am resentful. What is my iPod doing in Uzbekistan?
A few days later my iPod reaches London. I know where this is, and I am encouraged. Still later I get good tidings that my iPod has reached Memphis,Tenn.-the center of FedEx's universe. In my mind I see the plane landing and unloading its contents and one of them being my iPod. It is practically home.

After two days of limbo, I am delighted to find that my iPod is in a truck 8 miles away. Within an hour my iPod is on my doorstep.

Now I am admiring my new iPod and realizing that in the new world economy the earth is truly flat. In Philadelphia I order an iPod from a California based company, but it is assembled in China. Some of the integrated circuits are probably fabricated there, too,while other chips might have come form Japan, Korea or Taiwan. A lot of design must have been done in California by brilliant American, European and South Asian engineers.

But where did the ideas come from which made this machine possible? Just consider some of the brilliant and complex concepts that are embedded in this little box. It can play music, screen videos, display pictures, organize contacts and calendars and store tons of gigabytes of data. It must have been made possible by the millions of lines of code, computer-aided design tools for the integrated circuits, and by sheer brilliance of some technically advanced minds from all over the world.

This iPod epitomizes the world of technology today-designed by brilliant minds, ordered electronically, assembled with worldwide parts, delivered via a sophisticated logistics system and replete with ingenious ideas. Yet in a world of commodity products, this brilliance is largely unappreciated. And if this iPod dies on me one day, I'll stop appreciating it too.

Masala Dosa

Living in Mumbai for my entire life, I knew my decision to study in USA would involve many sacrifices. First and most important, no mummy's food, no family to support and care for you, no close friends to share your joys and sorrow. But the sacrifice which I unknowingly made surfaced one year later when I had a frozen masala dosa(thin pancake stuffed with potatoes). That was I first time I had a masala dosa since coming to USA. I suddenly realized how I missed the dosas served with steaming sambar(curry) and chutney(spicy sauce) back home in Mumbai udipi restaurants. The frozen dosas are nothing as compared to dosas prepared in some parts of India, but something is better than nothing. Ever since I haven't missed any oppurtinity to hog on dosas. There are so many other things which I miss. Do you have such things which you miss?

What feelings come to your mind looking at this snap. Calm, peaceful, lonely, blissful. Aint it beautiful? 

55 word story

Tagged by nupur

I attempt to write a 55 words story. Read on

"On a dark freezing night, tethered on the brink of losing his sanity a lone heartbroken soldier staggered in a drunken stupor. The cold wind revived his senses stirring painful memories for which he had long suffered. A lost war, a doomed nation and a forgotten love, he only had the open skies for solace."

I tag

Sriraj,

Arun,

Sushanth,

Manish.