[StarVegabond]

Kuch Khatta Kuch Meetha

for my non hindi speaking audience, the title reads "Something Bitter, Sweet Somethings"

I was wondering whether i should write this at all ?. The thinking process took the entire summer anyway. Now another about 2 weeks left for the summer to end officially atleast in southern part India where i live. So while eating a mongo after the dinner i atlast made up my mind. Here i go..

First of all, it will be different.

Some of these are so called "rumblings" in private, but named as "thoughts" in dignified world.

Some of these are the real life experience which we go through casually, but they make us stop and ponder.

Some of these are moments of immense joy and happiness, but some could be the moments of sorrow as well.

This is not entirely a travelogue. The purists here might report this to the mods, but i will try to keep them happy with couple of trip details, both domestic and foreign, business as well as vacation and some photographs thrown in between.

In fact this is a collection of thoughts, actions and events happened since start some of summer this year i.e time in March 2010 till end of May 2010. Some of the events that are going to be written are yet to happen.

I will be on away from work from friday evening this week till end of may. I will try to complete this story before i start working again.

The purpose is to record one of the longest summer (pun intended) i am having in last couple of decades. If you like it or not, please let me know.

Tonight i am going for a long sleep so that i can recollect all that happened since begining of March.

Stay with me..

[akbaree]

It feels good that so many people are inspired (including me) to write.

A good start and looking forward to Barbeque Summer.

[laluks]

Hey star, now You are the one whom I have to follow. Waiting eagerly for the story.

[jjains]

Go ahead Star! Your khata meetha BBQed stories seems enticing!

Only question is if we start identifying ourselves in your "rumblings" / "thoughts", and may want to contribute with our own stories, this thread would run a risk of getting hijacked. That's what it happens when you have very tasty cake and call for a party, you end up getting only a piece

(Alright, I meant all of it as a compliment and I hope you will keep all of us glued to this thread.)

[StarVegabond]

I will be celebrating my 10th aniversary of what we call "marriage" some time next year. End of bachelorhood is what i call it.

For many of us it means being in love, being responsible, more disciplined, stable blah..blah. For rest among us, it is end of freedom, no late evening hanging out with friends at will, the list goes on.

From the Day 0, We too had a written rule in between us. Yes, a written one. in fact atleast few of them. Most important among them was..

Thou shall enjoy bachelorhood for two months in a year, and also let me enjoy it the way i want it.

I think, this rule was proposed by my wife, and i had more or less reluctantly agreed to this one too. We have played by this rule since last 8 years, this year was also no exception.

Preparations for executing this starts as early as february. That is the time when my wife starts calling her friends enquiring about their vacation plans, important question would be, when you would be in Pune ?

Typically i have seen that the girls are much more excited about going to their maika (=mother's home) than the boys getting happy about going back to theirs. My girl is no different.

The excitement results in repeated and periodic announcements everyone around that she would go to Pune immediately after the child's school is over. More over, it also results in a list of do's and don'ts for me to follow while i am enjoying my bachelorhood. Girls do not realize the bachelorhood is not about rules, it is about stretching them, sometimes breaking them.

This year was no exception, the plan was to leave on 10th April afternoon once my daughter's school exam results get anounced in the forenoon.

I kept telling her that she should not actually implement the 2 months period strictly. She keeps insisting that "okay 60 days then".

I was also looking forward for this MBA period, being Married but Bachelor Again.

Fortunately period of being MBA coincides with the hot, salty summer.

[lordofgondor]

Originally Posted by StarVegabond

I was also looking forward for this MBA period, being Married but Bachelor Again.

Wow Star, man that is one nice way of doing things. I like the way your thoughts are going. Waiting for more!

[StarVegabond]

Date : 26th March 2010, Time just before midnight

It was a very long (appeared to be) romantic night for me and my wife.

Before you jump to conclusions, let me say that we are on our way to Mumbai on our first whole night drive. The ANHC ICE was playing some soft songs sung by legendary Mukesh. We were cruising at 90 KMPH some where between Belgaum and Kolhapur. My mind was thinking about the day's proceedings.

This has been a trip decided couple of days before for me to go to Vashi for completing the house lease formailities with a new tenent for our house, but later on changed to a drive trip as both my wife and daughter wanted to join when they heard about a dear aunt who was suffering from blood cancer was being hospitalized.

The plan was i would return to my yearly 2months MBA program in a week's time once my work got over in mumbai and they would proceed on thier fun filled holidays.

My daughter's exams at school had ended just couple of days before, so we sent a leave note asking the principal to grant her leave from March 29th till April 10th (result day). I picked up my daughter from the school a bit early at 1 PM, generally school closes 3 PM, had quick lunch at home and started off at 2:10 PM. Drive from Bangalore till Belgaum was un-eventfull with a tea break at Chitradurga.

I am attaching couple of snaps taken on the way

#1 Highway washing Service: I do not know how much water remained in the tanker at the destination.


#2 Sun, center of our universe, no words to describe.


#3 Sun playing hide and seek behind the trees


We reached Hotel Sankam at 9:50 PM, having left Bangalore North(Yelahanka) at 2:10 PM. We had a great dinner there. We have been a great fan of this resturant since last 2+ years. It was a long hour dinner starting with soups till deserts.

IPL Match was being showcased on couple of LCD TVs in the resturantrest of the diners and hotel staff were busy observing the match, Service levels in the resturant were of considerably lower standard due to these matches.One can't blame the poor waiters, That is the magic of cricket in India. Everything can stop for Cricket (and Politicians). Sub Gunhe maaf (=all crimes pardoned). Fortunately for us the chef was not watching the match. the food was as great as it was always.

1hour 40 minutes break at Hotel Sankam was utilized for dinner, watching IPL match, checking and replying Office e-mails, returning some calls, visits to rest rooms and getting refreshed, refueling the vehicle and cheking the tyres/headlights/water etc.

So we were back on the road by 11:30, but soon my daughter slipped into sweet dreams on the rear seat as it has been a long day for her.

On our road trips, the rear seat has been her home be it Palio or now ANHC. The seat has been upgraded considering the fact that she has been growing up. One thing i would like to share here is this photograph taken at Sankam.

#4 Chocolate ice creams and daughters are made for each other


#5 My daughter's room on the move


The free flowing thoughts were broken by my wife's words....

[LongDrive lover]

Originally Posted by StarVegabond

The free flowing thoughts were broken by my wife's words....

This is quite common . Excellent start Star, you write differently, it sounds more like a literary piece! enjoyed your earlier write up too. Glued for more here..

[jacs]

Ha ha, this sounds interesting Star. Subscribing to this thread

[StarVegabond]

My thoughts were broken by my wife's words.

Wife: If you are feeling sleepy please stop, it is about half an hour since we left Sankam.
Me : No am not at all sleepy. The tea at Sankam has done the trick.
Wife: How much time will it take from here to Mumbai ?
Me : About 5 hours, we might reach vashi by 5 AM +/- half an hour
Wife: I do not want to wake up my sister and family that early, we can go bit slow, if required we can stop
Me : Anyway we will take couple of tea breaks on the way that would kill the time
Wife: Ok, it is 12 o clock now, please pull aside, i have some work
Me : Work ?, What happened ? here out of no where !!!

Wife: Pull over, to the side, that patch of the road looks good, please stop

I was amused, bit irritated as well because i did not wanted to stop so early. But one can not win arguments here. So pulled aside, put the hazard lights on.

Wife: I want you to come out with me
Me : Don't worry, no one is there, just finish your work and come back fast
Wife: No I want you to come out with me
Me : Okay, i am stepping out

I step out, stretch my legs, back, shoulders. Pass a yawn, I watch the vehicles passing by. But this girl is not yet out.

Me : Kya Hua ?
Wife: Wait !! coming

I wait for couple of more minutes, but still no sign of this girl outside the vehicle.

Again I open the door and peep in....What did i see ?

[ampere]

Shocked to see the driver's seat taken?

[MX6]

Look at the two extremely different expressions on your daughter. Happiness and energy, in the photo with the ice cream. Tiredness and exhaustion in the snap below that!

And what's all the talk about marriage and bachelorhood?


Mine and my wife's concept is clear. Initially we were bachelors living separately, now we live like two bachelors together.
Family concepts come in only in matters regarding our daughter!

[gadadhar]

I am hooked to this, waiting for the next episode.

[ranjith.rajaram]

I bet it should be gift to StarVegabond ...

[lordofgondor]

Originally Posted by StarVegabond

Again I open the door and peep in....What did i see ?

Ummm... I'll make a guess. Was it a cake?