aditya kumar's weblog

Few pictures taken while I travelled to Ratnagiri for a day. Some have been taken during the 6 hour train journey, some in the town vicinities. Your comments, as always, welcome.

…to everyone who reads this! May this festival of lights bring you joy, happiness and prosperity!

Meanwhile, I’ve reached Goa and I am still nursing my injured arm. Thank you for the comments in the last post, thank you for the emails…I am going to reply soon!

I always thought that since I hardly ever speed when I ride, I could stay away from accidents. But this is Bangalore. This careless pedestrian, a seemingly well educated man in his 20s, let me have this terrible accident that I have just had, rendering my right arm, well, unusable for at least a few days.

I fell on the road, upfront. By the impact with the pedestrian (who fortunately, got no injuries, but I hated when later he smiled to me and said ‘sorry’), my scooter went down before me. My body went on, came to a screeching halt on the rough road about two meters ahead of the point of impact. A matter of three seconds, and I was blinded with shock. I was unaware of everything, but it was not a void. I had seen a car coming from the opposite direction and at the end of the third second, when I realised what had happened, I had a feeling it was only a matter of a moment and this car could be, would be over me. Not a matter of if, but when. I tried to get up, but my body failed to respond.

The mob that had gathered helped me to come over it. People were talking to me and I can’t even recall the language they spoke. Someone pointed at the right arm, a part of it covered with blood. My mind failed to register the pain. The damn thing registers the pain now. and how.

I saw death today. Up, Close and trust me, very, very Personal.

I can’t even change my shirt. Another disadvantage of staying alone, but well, I guess, one more learning experience neverthless.

To the few readers I have, you have to excuse me for a few days. It might be a week or so before you hear from me again. But I’m alive and kicking.

This last weekend, the long weekend that just went by, I decided to check out digicams. Deepawali is around the corner, shopping has been on my mind. Since SonyWorld showroom happens to be next to my workplace, it was obviously first on my list.

Turned out, I am not eligible to buy a Sony Camera.

The reason being, of all things, my marital status.

Since I can’t afford to buy the camera by a single upfront cash payment, I have to consider buying it on EMI (Monthly installments). Usually the process takes two to three days for this to get approved, since you have to submit documentation like bank statements, rent agreement and sometimes even the employment letter. But the unsaid rule is that if you are a bachelor your application does not get approved, even though all the other prerequisites are met with.

Exactly my case. But why? Bachelors tend to move places a lot, something unhealthy for the creditors. I was told this by the Sony Executive. He told me not to even bother thinking about buying the product on the EMI option since I am a bachelor.

That was my cue. I had to leave the place!

So what is going on I wonder. A man who is not married can’t buy a Sony Product on installments? Is it so convenient for them to assume all bachelors behave in the same manner? All bachelors go to a Sony Showroom with bad intentions?

Let me put this straight, I think it was shitty.

The feeling that I had when I was leaving the showroom was this: I am NEVER going to buy a Sony again. MARRIED OR NOT.

“…The bathtub was another piece of abominable junk invented by the Europeans who bathed in the last Friday of the month, and then in the same water made filthy by the very dirt they tried to remove from their bodies.”

“…She discovered with great delight that one does not love one’s children just because they are one’s children but because of the friendship formed while raising them.”

“Love becomes greater and nobler in calamity.”

and the best…

“…Always remember that the most important thing in a good marriage is not happiness, but stability.”

Some of the quotes from this wonderful book I have just finished reading.

I have visited Chennai twice in the past 14 months (and all my life) without visiting the beach. The Marina beach, the famous coastline that extends a massive 12 kms. I have regretted, not walking on those sands but most people tell me that I have not missed much. Especially if you happen to be a west coast guy (which I am). And especially if you happen to be a Goa-westcoast guy (which, again, I invariably, am –you may say, such a spoiled child, I am)

I have travelled on the streets of Mumbai and a little in Chennai too. What I miss the most is the sea. Here you are, in cities that happen to be next to oceans but sadly and to my dismay, the sea does not makes its presence realise. You keep wandering around the city and no where does the sea come into picture. For all the roads I travelled, I could not even sense the feeling that I was near the ocean. Not even close to it. Yes, sweating could be a sign but then is that the kind of sign I am looking for?

So, for Mumbai it is the Marine Drive and for Chennai, I guess, it is the east coast road that shows you the sea. I could be wrong about Chennai since I have hardly spent time there. So I may have missed a big clue, maybe a long stretch that takes me along the sides of the water, within the vicinities of the city.

Why I look for these big clues is because I have spent so much time in Goa. Right from the moment I enter into the state, the ocean comes and goes, almost flirting with my sight. Seven years in Goa and I have been treated to exquisite beauty that no other place has had to offer.

Having dinner on the sand overlooking the sea, watching the boat’s lights in the night till it fades away while the lighthouse does its best, even when the navigation equipment nowadays ceases the need for a light tower — for me, it’s wonderful to even think about the place.

In Chennai for a day and I was missing the ongoing DLF Cup in Malaysia, as India took on Australia on a lazy saturday afternoon.

What Australia did to India and what India did to themselves became an altogether different matter though. The same rain gods that were blamed for denying India a victory two days back against the West Indies were thanked, for tonight they saved India the blushes.

Rahul Dravid should not open the innings. These (failed?) experiments have gone too far now. And we have heard so much about Raina and seen so little. Why can’t he be sent up the order? Not a chance worth taking? And why not?

Not taking the credit away from Johnson, Indians played some sloppy cricket. Dravid tried to start the onslaught a bit too early and paid the price. Irfan got out to a beauty that, it appeared, woke him from a sleep. Sehwag, what can be said (Sirjee, why do we get confused?). Yuvraj. He has been living on the edge so long now, he has started giving those to the slip squadron.

Meanwhile in Chennai, met up with Dilip and Kiruba, two people I have admired since long. It was fun to meet up, worth coming all the way from Bangalore.

The weather’s cool by the local standards but hot as ever, for a guy from Bangalore. Tell you what, Bangalores weather pampers you, spoils you.