A little history here to get things into perspective- Why did I need one?.

You see, my parents were smart people to realise that a passport is one of the 100 million identification documents to you will need eventually in life in India. But unfortunately being an early adopter in this regard is not the greatest idea as the validity of an Indian passport is as equal to the average execution time  of a 5 year Plan, ie, 10 years.  I was  8 when I had taken it and if my math serves me well, expired just as I had become a legal adult aka 18. Perhaps my parents were under the impression that I would suddenly become a medical child prodigy say like Doogie Howser at 14 or  a chess prodigy like Kasparov and go all over the world displaying my God given genius. Unfortunately, my biggest medical breakthrough was biting off my toenails without infecting them and my  biggest chess achievement would be figuring out that the horse is the only unit that can jump over other units.

Normal Vs Tatkal Mode

Ever since everyone in my family, and my extended family , some Centenarians and even animals have been abroad with a valid passport. So, now weather  there is a reason or not, I needed to obtain one.  But , recalling the  trouble & time I had with getting my drivers licence, I realize that getting a passport would be akin to cutting the guardians knot.

As I logged on to the passport website https://passport.gov.in/,  going through the application form and the number of annexures  and sub annexures  required , it reminded me of the first time that I saw the periodic table being explained to me by my chemistry professor.

Apparently there is the tatkal system even in getting passports , a system which I thought existed only in the railways. Tatkal is a term I never understood, but closest understanding of the same is when people go for ‘tatkal’ , its like the last resort, no turning back option. All tickets sold out in the train? No problem. Tatkal it and lo!, a seat magically comes out of the heavens for you.  Some poor $#@$@ was either thrown out or they decided to do with 1 less railway official.  Need that new Apple IPAD that you’ve been waiting for like 2 months, but its sold out? No problem, just get it through tatkal. Steve Jobs will personally ensure 1 more is shipped out for you. I never could figure out how it happened.

But the pitfall of going for the tatkal scheme is that you will need every government authorized legal certificate issued since the day you were legally born. From you birth certificate , to your failed report card , your ATM receipt taken from any SBI bank to even your probable death certificate and a written letter stamped and signed b y the entire batch of IAS officers from the year of your birth  , the list is endless. Much to the dismay of my agent, I told him that I would like to take the non tatkal aka normal route of getting the passport.  He grimly informed me that not only would this entail a loss of over Rs 2000 in ‘agency commission’ aka the bribe to be paid to the respective officers at the passport office , but would ensure that I would go through bureaucracy  hell in the passport office before I came out successfully. Being not the one to be intimidated by a small time agent, I put up a brave face and told him to inform the passport office to bring their worst. They did.

Final Destination- The Passport Office

As I was headed towards the  Passport Seva (Ironic huh ?) in the auto, I was thoroughly  lost. As I kept asking random pedestrians the way to my destination, I could see the sympathy and pity in their eyes as they pointed towards to my final destination.

Now, to be fair, the office looked pretty modernized with its clean floors and organized seating arrangement.

To sum up the entire process of getting the passport, once has to go through the reception>counter A>Counter B > Counter C > EXIT. Every round is an elimination round.

I have summed up the entire process with the help of  a simple  Flowchart.

A clip from Asterix at the 12 tasks where he has to get a Permit- Form 38 A from a Govt office.

Lifes Like that

I guess it was destiny when it gave out and Starcraft II was released. I must be the only guy who would get a new laptop – good enough to run a PC game not the other way around ;P

Ive also got mixed feelings – Why? after 3 days trying to install the cracked version of Starcraft II (apologies blizzard) – but this time even the wiliest of hackers couldnt get through Starcraft II’s anti crack software. I was up for 2 nights trying to tie the gaurdian knot. I realized that for a game like Starcraft II, I would dishonour it if I did not buy the original version, which I did later – under a timespan of 2 minutes. 59.99 $ was the price and,hell its worth every single penny.

Initial thoughts-
Graphics are amazing, destroying the environment has never been so much fun. Campaign is a bit RPG’ish, missions are very fun and hopefully will lead up to continue the great epic left from Brood War. I am a bit disappointed that the terran music has not be fully retailed from SC1, but the 1 song retained and remixed is something that will give you goosebumps.

Have a list of games I want to try, but seems like after inaugurating SC II, everything else will be treated with a jaundiced eye!

Thats just the geeky part. Im not getting into other stuff.

Man, if growing up with her was a giving me an inferiority complex, I hate to think what you are gonna go through.

Lucky son of a gun.

Cant wait.

Played the beta, not too impressive honestly (50% due to playing it on an outdated PC), half the game is the graphics. Reviews are not too positive, gamers have slammed it for no LAN option along with just the terran campaign in WoL. Frankly, that is a terrible thing to do, considering the fact that it was the very same storyline between the Terran, Zerg and Protoss that has given fans so much to adore about the game. Splitting and releasing it as separate options is just not cool.

Will be some time before I get to play this, as I dont even think my home PC will have the engine to run this baby. And frankly, am in no hurry to upgrade. I hope I change my mind!

Here are the 2 clippings to refresh your memory and lend visual support to my outrageous claims:

BSNL 3g Phone Advert :                 

Karthick Calling Karthick Trailer:

And now, here are the similarities..

Physical Appearance

1. BSNL’s Rahul-       A nerdy loser with glasses, checked shirt, lanky build
2. KCK’s Karthick –  A nerdy loser with glasses, checked shirt, lanky build

Social Plight

1. BSNL’s Rahul : Boss screws him, friends screw him over, cant screw his girlfriend
2. KCK’s Karthick : Boss screws him, friends screw him over, cant screw his girlfriend (not applicable)

The all important Phone

1. BSNL’s Rahul gets a Phone and transforms into a winner overnight. Impresses the boss, friends and gets the girl. Brand: BSNL
2. KCK’s Karthick  gets a Phone and transforms into a winner overnight. Impresses the boss, friends and gets the girl. Brand : Some random Malaysian model.

Deepika Pudokone

1. BSNL-  She looks hot
2. KCK –   She looks very hot

Oh yea, she is the heroine of both the ad & movie.

From a marketing point of view, it would have done wonders for BSNL had it had know KCK was going to rip them off (i guess BSNL was 1st) and ensure that it was a BSNL phone in the movie too. Now that’s some killer product placement, from advert to a successful movie!

I think I need more work.

 I decided to stock up for my night journey from Malda to Kolkata  ( 6 hours) by stopping at the local paper stand – getting my 2 English papers and 1 James Hadley Chase Novel. I could also noticed the shifty eyed customers leering at the scantily clad Bengali babes splashed over the cover of the best selling gossip rags. I, though moved on to me next objective. Getting my mineral bottle water from the Railway Catering Stand.

 Now let me tell you who exactly you can find in an the Malda Stations IRCTC Railways catering stand:

 1. Delivery Boy– Horizontally challenged and possibly partly mentally challenged. Quite flexible, useful in moving around the limited 3×4 cell space to pick up the various condiments from the stall and deftly hand them over to the customer in a flash. Practices FMFO and FIFO at a near 6 sigma level. Probably one project away from his green belt certification.

 2. Cashier : Will have a cash register that would be the envy of the Swiss bank – not in terms of absolute quantity, but can break even a thousand rupee note, if the total transaction cost is 12 rs and 75 paise. Change returned : Rs 987.25 . With a missing tooth smile to boot.

 3.  Cook/Chef from Hell- Burly, unshaven and foul mouthed gentlemen whose bathing frequency would be akin to the Hockey World cup frequency – once in four years. Probably an ex-con, who is doing parole now by giving back to society what he took from them- badly cooked food a good chance for a stomach upset.

 One quick scan at the worse-than-college mess food that seems to be displayed and decorated cunningly to tempt the weak willed consumer, I clearly reach for my goal, my aquatic treasure and my company for the night, my mineral water bottle. Alas, if my task was that simple. One can forget getting known brands like Bisleri/Kinely etc. For you drinking pleasure are brands such as ‘ Pure Water ’ ( obviously not the brightest marketing team , mixing up the attribute & the brand and ‘Klear’  (Not really, if you look at the contents inside the bottle).

 Before I could decide between the devil and the deep blue see, I could see someone else who seemed to be having bigger issues of life and death to deal with.

A foreigner, probably Australian, on the wrong side of 30 and probably on the wrong side of the equator was having trouble deciding what to have for dinner. Being the good Samaritan that I am, and for some bizarre reason, I enjoy helping the White Devils when they land up in our Snake Charmer Land. I seem to be under the impression that the white man will think I am the only one who can help them with the ‘local tongue’ since they might mistake me for one of their kind – A Cisco T-Shirt and my Ipod would surely make me affable

 Me : Hey, can I help you there buddy?

 Firang : Hey thanks, Geez, me and my mate want to have some dinner , what do you think would we should get?

 Me: Well, for starters,  you might wanna lose that (point to a very suspect Aloo Bonda that he has picked from the lot of goodies).  That baby there will set you back 30 minutes in the moving loo. That ain’t gonna be fun.

 Firang: Oh? (seems shocked and shoots a nasty glance at the chef). What’d ya think is good then?

 Chef : Shoots a nastier glance to me, convinces firang in Bengali that the bondas are’ eek dum’ & awesome & infact goes best with Fosters Beer. I could even hear a ‘fata-fati’ thrown in there for good measure – which means out of the world. Im sure it was.

 Firang: Blank Look.

Me : Blank Look

Chef:  Trying to understand why we are blanking looks.

Firang : Points to Dried up Samosa that used as a showpiece made from diesel when priced at Rs 10 per litre.

 Me : Desperately looks around for something to appease Mr Firang and more importantly Mr Chef.  This should be ok. Hand over Britannia’s Cup Cake cream thing.

 Firang: Yea? Oh great, so, Ill take like 10 packs of them , that should suffice for the night?

 Me: Now realized why Australians are competing with Americans in the Per Capita Obesity &  Stupidity scale.  Umm..sure. Could feel the stare of the Iron Chef burn into the side of my head had I dare suggest a lower quantity.

 Firang shakes my hand in appreciation for my kind gesture then clamps the retailers for doling out Kings Meal and gives him  a look that a UNESCO Aid Worker operating in Sundan would envy. 

 I then realize that its almost time for my train to depart and quickly hop on and finally after much huffing and puffig, get on to my customary upper bearth with the bedding in place and my Chase paperback in hand ready for the night.

 That’s when I realized that I did not even buy my precious water bottle in all the tamasha that just happened.

 Laziness overpowered my fear of death from thirst and I convinced myself that getting back to the platform would be as painful as a hernia check up with your physician. Just when I thought being a good Samaritan does not pay off, LO!, a vendor in a pushcart of water and other goodies seductively offers me my lovely curved bottle of water for just Rs 12. As luck would have it, the closest I had was a Rs 20 note which I handed over to the God sent water boy. He took the note from me and said he would break the

Change as he did not have any on him. I watched as he coolly pocketed the note, took his wares, got out off the train just as a the train started on its slow painful journey back to Kolkata. I watched stupidly as he grinned at me from the platform , with my money in his crudely made change box.

 That’s when I realized that I did not even get my precious water bottle in all the tamasha that just happened. And, I was gypped of Rs 20.

What was that poem? Water Water everywhere..not a drop to drink?

You damn right. 

1. Stairway To Heaven – Led Zep : Tried forever to get it as my ringtone. The guitar riff by page/plant is to die for at the end. Responsible for 2 decades of Air guitar for every teenager at home

 2. Owner of a Lonely Heart- Yes : Heard this sweet alternative in T.C , Delhi and feel in love with music

3. Be Yourself – AudioSlave : My current head banger, the lyrics is something that I feel deeply about. Be yourself!

 4. Boulevard of Broken Dreams: Green Day : Heard it first on Yahoo! Radio, played it like 100 times the same day. Perfect for long road trips

5. Elenor Rigby : Beatles : Very weird lyrics and unlike the normal psychedelic rock of the Beatles. But I guess that’s what makes it so awesome.

6. What if God was One of Us : Joan Osborne – Heard it as a kid… nostalgic memories and a fabulous song

 7. Rock you like a hurricane: Scorpions : The best head banger song in Some Place else!!

8. Money for Nothing: Dire Straits: Was my caller tune for 3 months..so..must be awesome. It is.

9. Coming Back to Life: Floyd : Would be an outcaste if no floyd..but yea, this one is as good as High Hopes.

10. Other Side: RHCP : Probably the only group that has stuck with me since I was in school. The entire album of Californication was unreal.

Special mention to MJ,Madonna..your too good to be listed ;P

Hashim Amla:
“Nothing bad can happen to us if we’re on a plane in India with Sachin
Tendulkar on it.”
Hashim Amla, the South African batsman, reassures himself as he boards a
flight

Yaseer Hameed:
“Sometimes you get so engrossed in watching batsmen like Rahul Dravid and
Sachin Tendulkar that you lose focus on your job.”

“To Sachin, the man we all want to be”
– What Andrew Symonds wrote on an aussie t-shirt he autographed specially
for Sachin

BBC on Sachin:
Beneath the helmet, under that unruly curly hair, inside the cranium, there
is something we don’t know, something beyond scientific measure. Something
that allows him to soar, to roam a territory of sport that, forget us, even
those who are gifted enough to play alongside him cannot even fathom. When
he goes out to bat, people switch on their TV sets and switch off their
lives ”

“But the finest compliment must be that bookmakers would not fix the odds –
or a game – until Tendulkar was out.”

“Tuzhe pata hai tune kiska catch chhoda hai?” Wasim Akram to Abdul Razzaq
when the latter dropped Sachin’s catch.

Brian Charles Lara:
“Sachin is a genius. I’m a mere mortal.”

Mark Taylor:
“We did not lose to a team called India…we lost to a man called Sachin” –
Mark Taylor, during the test match in Chennai (1997)

M. L. Jaisimha:
“The more I see of him the more confused I’m getting to which is his best
knock.”

Glenn McGrath:
“The joy he brings to the millions of his countrymen, the grace with which
he handles all the adulation and the expectations and his innate humility –
all make for a one-in-a-billion individual,”

Anjali
“I can be hundred per cent sure that Sachin will not play for a minute
longer when he is not enjoying himself. He is still so eager to go out
there and play. He will play as long as he feels he can play,”

Matt HAYDEN:
“I HAVE SEEN GOD, HE BATS AT NO.4 FOR INDIA”

“Even my father’s name is Sachin Tendulkar.”
— Tendulkar’s daughter, Sara, tells her class her father’s name after the
teacher informs them of a restaurant of the same name in Mumbai

KUMBLE:
“I am fortunate that I’ve to bowl at him only in the nets!”

Shahrukh (quoting Shahrukh from an interview)
“Que: Who do you think as most important celebrity ?
Shahrukh: There was a big party where stars from bollywood and cricket were
invited. Suddenly, there was a big noise, all wanted to see approaching Amitabh Bachhan.
Then Sachin entered the hall and Amitabh was leading the queue to get a grab of the GENIUS!!”

Navjot Singh Sidhu:
“India me aap PrimeMinister ko ek Baar Katghare me khada kar sakte hain..Par
Sachin Tendulkar par Ungli nahi utha Sakte..”

Waqar Younis
“He can play that leg glance with a walking stick also.”

A banner once said-‘ I WILL SEE GOD WHEN I DIE BUT TILL THEN I WILL SEE
SACHIN ‘ that quiet defines Sachin-The greatest.

Allan Donald:
“Sachin Tendulkar has often reminded me of a veteran army colonel who has
many medals on his chest to show how he has conquered bowlers all over the
world”

And i remember reading in one of Allan Donald’s interview.
This interview was in Cricket Talk 7-8 yrs ago.

“I was bowling to Sachin and he hit me for two fours in a row. One from
point and the other in between point and gully. That was the last two balls of the over and the
over after that we (SA) took a wicket and during the group meeting i told Jonty (Rhodes) to
be alert and i know a way to pin Sachin. And i delivered the first ball of my next over
and it was a fuller length delevery outside offstump. And i shouted catch. To my
astonishment the ball was hit to the cover boundary. Such was the brilliance of Sachin.
His reflex time is the best I have ever seen. Its like 1/20th of a sec.
To get his wicket better not prepare. Atleast u wont regret if he hits you for boundaries.”

Peter Rebouck, Aussie journalist
“On a train from Shimla to Delhi, there was a halt in one of the stations.
The train stopped by for few minutes as usual. Sachin was nearing century, batting on 98. The passengers, railway officials, everyone on the train waited for Sachin to complete the century.
This Genius can stop time in India!!”

NKP Salve, former Union Minister (This was when he was accused of ball tempering)
“Sachin cannot cheat. He is to cricket what (Mahatma) Gandhiji was to
politics. It’s clear discrimination. ”

Andy Flower:
“There are 2 kind of batsmen in the world. One Sachin Tendulkar. Two all the
others.

This brought a tear ..its easy to get caught in the hype and the halo effect and all..but seeing is believing! This are the tributes when he is still playing for India. I shudder to think what will happen if he quits. Not just cricket.

I picked up 2 states…by Chetan Bhagat (5 point someone fame) from Ambience Mall in Delhi for a good flight book back to hell (kolkata). Normally I would kid myself telling me I would read books on a flight to make even the two hours count like Im some kind of big shot businessman who uses every minute to be productive. I can safely say that pretending to do that was one of the best decisions Ive made 20,000 ft in the air. The book has a very simple premise as mentioned in the blurb. Boy loves Girl, Girl loves boy, they get married, but in India the boy+girl+families from both sides gotta love everyone else remotely connected for it to work out. CB has played out the characters smartly with a role reversal ( Boy is from North –punjab & girl is Tam Bram) which well seems to be the opposite in most cases in reality (mine for example . From the meeting in a B School to juggling high flying corporate careers and weird families, this book is sure to immerse several couples into its 270 pages of wonderful narrative style. I really was not able to place the time period of the book though, seemed a little dated (probably early 90’s ) going by the ‘jaw dropping’ salary( 4 lacs p.a.!!) offered by the MNC joined by the protagonist. Reading about the blatant and exaggerated stereotyping of South Indians was a little insulting and amusing at the same time. I couldn’t help but agree with the observations made – ‘Knowledge is what Tam Brams seek/Education is the highest honour’ to ‘ Dark and Mustached and Rajini worshipping’. The scenes of a punjabi struggling in chennai – autos/no non veg/no beer + ultra conservative had me smiling the entire time. There is a scene in Ratna Stores – the beloved wholesale utlity store thrown in to complete the Chennai experience!

There has been an excess family drama thrown in for good measure, Im guessing to empathies with the hundreds of couples whose North-South Chasm is widened by such narrow minded families, but a harsh reality mentioned candidly by the author.  Guilt Trips glaore – mother vs girlfriend will make the concerend reader squirm endlessly. I will not complain about my family no more  

The romance between the two is brought out very neatly with of course the physical intimacy teasingly left to the readers imagination. Girls would melt on antics don by the protagonist to win over the family of the his girlfriend.. Guys would be up the entire night having to listen to their girlfriends on the above. Boy takes tuitions for girls brother for IIT coaching at 5 in the morning..man what some guys do to get a girl..Id sacrifice 5 years of my life rather than getting up at 5 in the morning unless there was a Counter Strike Tournament or something! I am so gonna get screwed btw. The part where the boy has to choose between Delhi and Chennai as his job location preference brought me out into a cold sweat, as if I had been a subject in CB’s preliminary research for the book! I deliberately don’t want to give away the plot, its fairly simple, but wish to highlight that this book will closely connect to so many people out here in India who face the same issue that the couple face in the book. The beauty of the book is the way it is handled and the empathy that will be evoked from the reader. I actually found myself looking for clues on how to deal with such issues from the book like im sure a lot of guys in the boys place would..

Highly engrossing and very lump-in-throat, this book is a winner from the page 1. Would make a great gift to your someone special and a good hint hint book too  

Highly Recommended Reading.  Dedicated to everyone who went through what Krish and Anaya went through Need I say more? There, you’re here in the blogs again!!

 Authors Note: Hell, if there is Krusty the Klown & if not can be Knot..then why can’t I?!

 Back home, a well earned leave-took the train from Chennai to Karikudi for a friend’s marriage. A couple of years back I would have thought going to a  ‘rural’ location would be something of a tourist attraction but after you’ve walked a mile in my shoes(a.k.a seeing Bengal at all its mighty), this really did not flap my feathers

 Kariakudi- is considered to be quite famous for its cuisine(chettinad Im told) and is a semi-touristy location due its magnificent cum ancient houses that resemble mini palaces..jaipur eat your heart out!

Natures Beauty!

 We landed up at the station at dead 1 am in the morning and everyone around us seemed to be looking for what we were too..a ride to our hotel. Fortunately/Unfortunately there were just 2 of them in the entire town and no one had heard of our hotel. After about 20 mins, I started eyeing the best place outside the ticket counter where I could crash for the night. I liked the counter minus the dogs and conmen , aka, counter 2B.   Finally reached the haunted looking hotel where I slept like a log inspite of the female company I had ( mosquitoes…what else?)

 Next morning bright and early ( I mean 9ish), we headed out to explore the town to grab them grub. I was as excited as a kid seeing santa claus as there were so many south Indian restaurants tempting me with their 17×22 ad boards of steaming delicious idlies, vadas, dosas..the list was endless as was my appetite after being starved of south Indian food in Bengal. 

The French Connection

I was stunned out of my mind to see a France inspired menu on pasted on the hotel bill board-  and if I can recall my French , apparently the hotel has an open garden(ouvrez le jardin), a meeting hall and some kinda play pen for the kids to bawl their eyes out instead of being an embarrassment. Let the parents have 1 damn meal in peace!

Arun’s Icecream and Bonbons?

Anyways, had a delicious relaxed breakfast which consisted of (surprise surprise) steamed idlis and sambhar vada, I decided that it would be incomplete without a steaming tumbler of filter kaapi!

KariaKudi Kaapi!

Trying to aarithify (for non tams it refers to the expert way of pouring the coffee from the tumbler to the dabara(the base vessel) in a feeble attempt to allow the cool air of karikudi do its magic. After 3 such clumsy attempts, the following were the outcomes of my science-experiments-you-should-not-try-at-home :

1. Third degree burns on my tongue
2. 30% of the coffee spread all across the table
3. Managed to spread my stupidity in remote corners of South India(when it was just restricted to Eastern India for the last 6 months)

 Post my meal and faux pas, I had to clean up, but a stealthy look at the wash basin which seemed to be straight out of the set of a B grade tamil prision flick, I decided that a set of 5 tissues would be an apposite replacement for the same. On requesting the same, the waiter gave me a blank look that made me reminisce myself when I looked at my 9^th standard Physics final paper. I was confident in spite of protests from my friend who gently suggested to use the means used by the cattle class/common man. I was confident that my waiter would not let me down, but alas , he returned with what seemed to be 8×4 cms of cut out Tamil newspapers from Dina Malar- a local tamil daily. He infact gave them to me quite smugly thinking that he had surpassed himself in the hurculean task assigned by me. Necessary is the Mother of Invention they say. I believe it.

Paper Tissues

 We headed out to the marriage hall of my friend (M) and met up with the rest of my batch mates. Was glad to meet them, well most of them atleast I was awestruck at the size and scale of the function, it seemed that M was the local headman of the that village and he had invited the whos who(by that I mean the entire county). Im sure the local political hotshots can take a cue from M and try to pull stunts like this before the local elections!  After catching up with the guys over a scrumptious and very traditional meal, we decided it was time to part ways.

Nikil, Solanki, Babu, Sid, REC Prashant, Raghav -me!(L to R)

Headed back to the hotel room and hit the sack for a good 3 hours post which we checked out to catch the bus to Tiruchy( a 3 hour journey from Kariakudi). The bus stand in Kkudi was enormous with buses zipping across in an around with a reputation like the Blue Lines of Bombay ( Sue me, its Bombay). The buses interestingly were boarding passengers based on not who came first to the seat but on the orders of a very imposing looking Village Elder/Local Thug of the Bustand who kept barking out orders. He seemed to be of atleast 50 years with an imposing mustache and a the whitest shirt and lungi with a  burning yellowish angavastram. He certainly looked & played his part. 

His peon who held an umbrella over his head seemed to be in awe of his master like the tourists who gaped open mouthed at the way things were being run. Not wanting to disturb the set processes or question the legality/sanity of the proceedings, I decided to get his attention so that he would decide that I was ticket worthy in his vast network of bus hooliganism in Kirundi. I guess either I was transparent or no important enough, for over 15 minutes we were pretty much stranded. The rebel in me came out and decided that enough was enough, we had to get a bus before we were picked up for an possible Cast member for LOST: Karikudi. A LO, a bus that was empty came screaming across and we ran alongside it, threw our bangs into the seat through the window thereby *claiming* our seats. It was a tipping point, we could see scores of travelers follow suite and throw whatever they could into the bus hoping it would land on the seat meant for them- be it bags, bottles or babies. Mission get a bus was a success!

 The bus was packed like sardines in a can but the long trip was quite enjoyable due to the driver’s good taste in classic tamil music which I was very glad I could second guess most of them within the first 5 seconds. Naan orru Pacchi Tamilzhan!

Reached Trichy, had a quick dosa-idli combo and caught the A/c fancy Volvo to Chennai for an overnighter. For once, the movie played in a Volvo bus was something to my fancy – a new tamil movie called Vennila kabbadi Kudu. Highly recommended. If I see Golmaal or No Entry one more time like I’d been forced to see in my in-numerable trips in Bengal I would have perhaps done a rerun of Speed- I (being a bad guy of course!)