External ultrasound-assisted liposuction (XUAL or EUAL)

One way or the other, you just have to get it out. While the rich can afford External ultrasound-assisted liposuction (XUAL or EUAL)or some such fancy sounding method, the poor blogger in me could only think as far as making up his mind to sit down and blog on this day, come what may. While May came and went, the only excuse I can think of was that I was waiting for it to rain again in Bangalore!

While I hope to post regularly from now on, with more organized and ordered posts, here's all that was added to that Word Document named May 8 Blog Post. Mein yeh hope karta hoon ki May there be no more such May 8 Blog Post drafts. Have I missed adding a May/mein/main somewhere?

Yes, I have been in hibernation for some time. Not that I’ve been living in a house named hibernation, a considerable time has passed since my last post. This of course, is without taking into account, the time I lost when I misplaced my watch for a few days. I was afraid I’d lose all the time in the world as I lost my watch. One of my confusions is now solved. I used to wonder what people meant when they said – ‘You can take your own sweet time’. Now I know. They meant - look at your watch and work accordingly. And probably keep licking it if they find it sweet. Ironic isn’t it? I did not have a watch and still took my sweet own time in writing this post. And by the way, I live in a house named Infant Cottage, which makes me feel more of a child under Jesus’s care. And why not? When there is Jesus Loves You written over the walls. Not all over, at three places to be precise. Thank You Jesus.

Bangalore has been fun. It’s been a little more than four months since I came here and I’m beginning to like Bangalore all the more as time passes by. Yes, you’ll have the young cool, hip, lip and such junta talking about pollution, the traffic and what was that – yes, the crumbling infrastructure! Where did you hear that? Some dumb newsreader would have said that or a screaming RJ maybe. For all the problems that it has, and which I completely accept there are, Bangalore is a nice place. One may not absolutely love the place, you can definitely not not like it. It doesn’t bring out extreme emotions like Mumbai does. For example – I absolutely love Mumbai, but I like Bangalore or I hate Mumbai, but Bangalore’s OK or some such thing. In my case, the former is true.

Why I like Bangalore is because there are places like Domlur, where Jesus protects me every night. It’s close to all the hustle and bustle of the city, yet far removed from the noise and related pains of a city. Vegetable sellers sell door to door in their carts, hearing their pitch is such a pleasure; the temples have their fairs, taking me back by many years; kids play cricket on the street during the day and badminton under the halogen lamps by the night. Not sure how many saw these knife-sharpeners in your natives, they come here in Domlur!

And of course, with Ankush around, there’s never a dull moment . Be it the sessions at Alibi, or the trip to Hyderabad that never happened, or the trip to Nandi Hills that happened, he’ll make sure it’s always happening, or make it indeed happening by not making things happen. And yes, it’s such fun when you have to ask him to keep looking at his feet while walking on Brigade Road and Picasso Street. There’s nothing like Picasso Street in Bangalore though, it’s the street on which Pecos is located. Pandit coined the name in one of his amazing moments of realization. Harsha, while all this was happening, was, well, quiet. Harsha did speak once, while we were at the air show during Aero India when he said Squadron Leader Mohit Shishodia deserves a hats-off.


Pandit and Harsha know why Squadron Leader Mohit Shishodia deserves a hats-off. The Aero Show was indeed a thrilling experience, especially the Akash Ganga formations and maneuvers and of course, Squadron Leader Mohit Shishodia brilliant dives and take-offs. One just had to be there along with Harsha, Pandit and me to know why Squadron Leader Mohit Shishodia indeed deserves a hats-off.

Hang-outs at M G Road and Brigade Road happened with Seth, Venki, Ram and Baka dropping into the city at different points of time. I’m really scared of Brigade Road though, having hallucinations that everyone on that might suddenly start beating me up. There are too many people on that road for my comfort. Church Street on the other hand is far safer. With Premier Bookstore, Blossoms Bookstore, Alibi, Ganesh Juice Center on it, and Koshy’s located at the end of it, which makes it more the kind of place I’d like to hang out. Movie watching with Pandit has definitely been fun, Apocalypto, with character names like Turtles Run, Smoke Frog, Jaguar Paw, Flint Sky and funniest of all – Ball Breath was a wonderful beginning. It continued weekly with 300, The Last King of Scotland, Shakalaka Boom Boom, Namastey London, The Namesake. Watched Anwar and Loose Change on DVD. And yes, Bharath is in Bangalore too, reminding me of this by turning up at Airport Road one fine evening. The dinner at Bombay Post was followed by a movie session at IISc - under the stars, under the watchful eyes of J N Tata, when we watched The Pursuit of Happyness.

The Iron Maiden concert was more funny than fun. With people having arrived from far and wide, from as far as Noida and Nepal, to as wide as Surat, the concert was really disappointing even for a true Maiden fan. With Chinsi and Vinzu around, we sure had our share of fun, ducking when Eddie came on stage with a gun in his hand, fearing that he may actually fire or cracking stupid jokes that the show wrapped up early because the Pandalwallah had an important marriage to set up his pandal the next day. We were also wondering if 666 was mre pronounced while The Number of the Beast was being performed because Sehwag perhaps was hitting them against Bangladesh that day. The truth as we all know now was something else. Less said the better about that. No, I will say something about it soon. But Cricket perhaps deserves more justice than just a passing mention in this post.


Between many near-life experiences,
Movies
300
Apocalypto
Namsatey London
The Namesake
Shakalaka Boom Boom
The Last King of Scotland
Anwar
Loose Change
Pursuit of Happyness – Bharath and Radhika in IISc.

A Movie A Day week

Dor – Imaan ki Chhalaang
Life in a Metro
Lage Raho Munnabhai
Parzania
Black Friday
Shootout At Lokhandwala


Books

Once Upon a Time Zone - Neelesh Mishra – husband of Nidhi Razdan.
Black Friday
My Friend Leonard
a million little pieces
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Transmission
The Red Carpet
Ludmila’s Broken English

Currently reading

Alchemy of Desire


Travel

Home, Mangalore, Bommanahalli, Home, Home, Home.


Other things – writing long letters!

Quizzing –Bangalore quizzing is funny. Thank God for Tom Swifities, buying The Undercover Economist with the prize money!

Bangalore – enough of Dr. Raj, M G Road and Brigade Road. Hate those RJs whose tribute is mocking actually. And yuppies who make fun of him – If you come today. No chai in Bangalore.

Church Street and Picasso Street are fun.

Meeting Venki, Hitesh, Baka and Ram.

Embarrassing Ankush during the swimming session! Mohit Shishodia – Air Trip
Iron Maiden - Vinzu!

Domlur is an amazing place!

BMS and PES Fest – trying to shake off the cynical feeling, of them being ‘kids’ etc.

Visits to IISc campus. Feeling of wanting to get back to studies.


Less is more - City and Blinding Lights and Snow. Stipebhai.

Nandi Hills trip. Riding downhill at 60 kmph with the engine off, overtaking three cars is not an achievement.

Mahaquizzer and World Quizzing Championship

Shootout at Lokhandwala, Life in a Metro and the auto ride back.

Kitchen, cooking. Return to Maggi.

Radio characters, sensible fun place on the internet.