Going Guerilla

Aside
A bunch of my friends and I went out to Khopoli (a place about 50 km away from Mumbai) to a friend's farmhouse last Saturday.

It was beautiful! Cool, surrounded by lush greenery and the bungalow was on the banks of a smallish river.

After we loaded up on vada paos and poha, we got ourselves our favourite drinks, mine is a vodka tonic loaded with ice, and goofed around in the bungalow.

Then we went swimming in the river! It was so much fun!!! Rocky, strong current, slippery and mossy, shallow. We had get down on all fours to get through some parts. There was this one moment when I got swept away by the current and took another friend down with me. I swear, we could've died if our heads had hit one of those rocks at that speed. But we came away almost unscathed, with a few cuts and bruises. One of THE scariest experiences of my life. I thought I was gone for a second. I guess that wasn't to be, I'm here writing this post. :)

In other news, I've started playing football again. Went to join my buddies this morning and it was just superb being out there, running in the muck and rain, shouting and screaming... I felt like I was back in school. I think that's one of the small reasons that keeps me going back. We're not like a professional or even amateur team or anything. We practice and play for the love of the game and to stay fit. The coach and the gang we happy to have me back. It felt like going back to family. Fabulous!

Main Story:
Besides football, I've been crazy busy getting my little company going. Thinking of names, logos, bank accounts, meeting potential clients and doing a bit of running around to get it off the ground. I might have to hire a couple writers soon. Let's see.

I already have a project I'm working on and it's quite exciting. So I'm enjoying that.

Going independent has been a great experience until now. I just feel like I'm able to express myself through my work so so much more. It's like breaking the shackles. Honest to god, I don't know how this venture will shape up. But I'm dedicating my effort to Papa who sadly isn't with us, Amma, my grandparents and to another special person.

I'm going to give this everything I've got, my best and will leave the rest to destiny. I'm not scared of not making it. If there's anything I'm scared of, it's not giving my best.

I'm going guerilla.

Back to Mumbai

Yup. Back in Mumbai after a hectic trip. Some highlights of the holiday...

• Lying in a hammock by the Kerala backwaters reading a book for hours.
• Checking out Opus in Bangalore with cousins to bring in a birthday. Went there on a... what was it... yeah, Wednesday night. There was some karaoke competition on and it was pretty good! Good music, good fun! Thanks Haathi! :)
• The boat ride through the canals in Kumarakom, Kerala.
• Dancing to a Daler Mehendi CD on repeat in Thrissur with inebriated uncles, aunts, cousins and oldies. The night ended with some disco Mallu music!
• An evening swim in Kerala alone in the pool. Therapeutic. I don't remember the last time I swam and it felt great to get some exercise during the holiday. I need to start swimming!
• Dealing with travel decisions where everyone in the family would suggest something different and everyone would end up annoyed. *Rolls eyes* It's funny looking back, but trust me, I had to do a LOT of deep, controlled breathing to stay calm :)
• Travelling with kids can be a pain in the ass.
• Visiting the beautiful temple in Thrissur. What a relief to go to a clean, well-maintained temple!
• Stopping by Kaladi. The birth place of Sri Adi Shankaracharya, one of the greatest minds India has ever produced. The place had such a beautiful vibe. The temple bells, the running river, the chanting of the shlokas... felt blessed to have been there.

All in all, a very good holiday and wonder of wonders, I'm actually glad to be back at work. I hope some good projects come my way. Here's to a happy summer holiday season! :)

A Wedding and a Holiday

I'm off to Kerala and Bangalore tomorrow for a week and won't be blogging until I'm back. It's going to be part wedding (in the family) and part holiday.

I'm not really looking forward to the wedding bit. Technically, my uncle is getting married but he's more like a cousin, just a couple years older. He's a really nice guy and we get on well, and honestly, that's why I'm going for it. But I find family weddings a bit intimidating for the following reasons:
1. Lots of people. I don't like crowds. Nor do I fancy having people's asses on my shoulder when I'm seated on a chair trying to balance a plateful of food in one hand and eat with the other.

2. Lots of people who know you, but you don't know them. Primarily because you were crapping in your diapers when they saw you last.

3. Aforementioned people coming up to you with wide smile and asking if you remember them. Having to respond with fake smile. Painful.

4. Middle-aged women (or older) shiftily looking at you and evaluating you because you are now at a "marriageable age". Whatever that means.

5. People asking you when you're getting married. Having to respond with fake smile, again.

6. Having to dress up in ridiculous outfits in the oppressive heat resulting in sweat patches all over you making you look like you've stepped out of a workout, which incidentally I would prefer.

7. The mother of all pains, a bad shehnai player at the wedding. It makes you want to weep.

Thus, it is with great trepidation that I pack my bags and embark on this journey. I'm counting on the Kumarakom holiday and Bangalore to be the saving graces. Nonetheless, I shall face my challenges (and randomly smiling relatives) with courage.

Goa '07 - Part 1

I don't remember blogging about my Goa trip of October 2007 so I'm going to try and remember parts of it in 3 phases. Why 3 phases? We spent 9 days there.

The first three days were at this place called Anjuna Villa. (Yes, it was near Anjuna beach.)

Phase 1 features two of my school buddies and me. We reach Anjuna Villa around 11 am. Settle into the room. And before I can say 'What are we doing...', out come the rizzlas, the maal and roaches and they're smoking their first Goa joint. I hadn't tried smoking a joint before then, and for the first time, I agreed to experiment when they offered it to me. I think they were as surprised as I was when I took them up on the offer. It's one of those spur of the moment decisions you make in life. And I wouldn't regret it. I stayed stoned for 8 out of the 9 days.

Phase 1 Routine:

1. Wake-n-Bake: Translated, smoke a joint as soon as you wake up. That would be around 8.30 or 9 am usually.

2. Head to the beach, jump into the sea, swim and float for hours until you realise you're super hungry.

3. Wade out of the water, flop on a recliner at a shack on the beach and order eggs, omlettes, french toast and chocolate milkshake. Probably our biggest meal of the day.

4. Another joint with beer as we looked out onto the ocean. I have no words to describe what I felt. Peace would be the best word, maybe. Sand, the beautiful sea, the sound of the waves crashing onto the rocks... bliss.

5. Head back into the sea and swim/float for another hour or two. Time passes really fast when you're baked.

6. Lunch @ Munches. Multiple helpings of hummus and pita. Really yummy, slurpy juices. We missed the grape juice though. Apparently it's very good.

7. Oh man!!! How could I forget?!?! We rode everywhere on our Honda Activas. Wussy? Maybe. But I don't fancy bikes. Riding around Goa on those things was a rush. I want to buy an Activa for myself, but it wouldn't be the same in Mumbai. I think I'll just save that Activa feeling for Goa.

8. Move to another beach, swim more, evening snack, bake.

9. Go to Curlies on Anjuna. Pick a table up front where we can see the sea. Drink King's beer. Bake yet again and sit for hours as we watched the sun set, the beautiful purply orange haze in the sky, kids playing on the beach, good music and, of course, the sound of the sea. Bliss out again.

10. Grab a bite at Curlies or Munches (not Munchies as one of my friends insisted on calling it!!!), back to Anjuna Villa, hot shower and sleep like a baby.

11. Sometimes go out for a night bike ride to Baga. (and get busted by cops for not having licences once)

All this X 3 days. The beaches changed. Morjim, Anjuna, Vagator (Chota and Bada).

That's pretty much how phase 1 of Goa '07 went. It changed my life. I don't quite know how, but it did. For the better.

P.S. Before you think I'm a pothead, which may not be such a bad thing, I am not. Goa was the first time I tried smoking it (I don't even smoke) and I don't know if I'll ever do it again. But you know what they say, never say never.