Wake Up And Smell The Cooum

The break from work is proving to be as slow as expected. What I didn't expect though was how fast these 4 weeks will proceed. No matter. Best get cracking sooner rather than later.

As far as day to day stuff is concerned, I hardly do squat. Eat, read, watch tv, eat some more, go for a walk and for physical fitness skip for 20 minutes. Not bunny rabbit style. I use a skipping rope, thank you very much.

Somewhere along the line I had plans to get up early every morning and spend some time at the beach but those plans are mostly on and off, i.e I wake up and then put the alarm off. Success!!!

Tomorrow I head back to Mangalore to spend the weekend with my brother. At his insistence, not mine. Something about him favouring free meals........

A few random photos from my home town here.....(Album is a work in progress.)

My last day at work after two and a half years has finally arrived.

From February 2005 to October 2007 I've worked as a Tech Support engineer with Computer Associates. I never started out looking to work in this field, rather it was an opportunity that presented itself to me.

I needed a job. This was the first (and last) interview I attended. The offer was too good to resist.

As with all things there were ups and downs. The biggest high came from getting a salary. Financial independence is addictive. Once you realise that you can get yourself whatever it is that you want, there is no turning back. On the not so good side the hours were odd and occasionally there were days of sheer frustration that work wasn’t really exciting anymore. That said the good stuff definitely outweighed the bad. The company treats it employees fairly and the benefits that it offers are in line with what the best in the industry offer. In retrospection I'd say the last two years have been a success, both professionally and personally.

After a while though, the realisation dawned that I needed something more. Simply getting a god pay wasn't going to be enough. I also realised that jumping to something new, simply because it was different was not going to be enough either. My next job would have to be something I knew I wanted. Just my luck then that it so turned out that way. More on the finer details of that later though.

I now have a month off to do as I please before I start working again. My immediate plans are mostly to relax, and get my system used to functioning during normal hours. Perhaps even to indulge in a few hobbies. My efforts at learning Portuguese have slowed down the last few days and I have this itching to explore Origami. Let's see how that goes....

The most cause for excitement however is going to be my first plan of action.

It involves two brothers, one bike, a common destination and no fixed plans.

Starting October 6th my brother (there Mush, I've mentioned you now) and I will be biking down from Mangalore to Goa for a week of relaxation by the beach. A bit of eating and loafing around is also on the cards.

Our journey will look a bit like this.....



Note : The map does not take into account the two of us staring at signboards, scratching our heads while wondering which direction to go in and swearing at other irresponsible drivers on the road at the same time.

Confusion is bound to reign given that I haven't (and won't get my license) in time and my brother will only get his on Friday. Or not.

Therefore, this is likely to be my last post for a while. Pics and updates will follow after I get back.

Please God don't let it rain......

After getting home on the 8th of July and spending time with relatives my brother and I trekeed across three states to get to Ooty for my school reunion.

The drive down to school still evokes the same feelings as when I was a student. The butterflies in your stomach go into overdrive when you sight the chapel building while on your way to the valley. The thought of seeing my old principal once more. He's still a large man even though I've grown bigger than him.



So with the reunion on we went around the campus reliving old memories.

In the evenings we pooled cash to buy booze.



Mostly, though the grass was green.......



....and the skies blue.



The 14th evening was spent at a banquet. I was high, so most of my photos are blurred. I did get a good piece of bust though.



On the 15th I turned 25.

Then it was all over and time to leave....

I miss school, and yet after seeing how things have changed there I wouldn't want to go back if ever I got the chance.

So after 10 days of bliss in the Andamans I'm back in the hustle and bustle of Chennai. Been diving, sleeping, reading and chatting and not much else. If ever I've had a good holiday this was it.

White sand, blue waters and not too many people around.

The pictures can do the talking.....

Andaman - Port Blair

Andaman - Havelock

Andaman - Sunset at Beach 7

The scuba diving was excellent. I'm now an SSI certified Advanced Open Water diver which means I can dive to a max depth of 30 metres. Seeing a turtle swimming over the edge of a reef was definitely a highlight as was seeing a huge school of Barracuda swimming close to our anchor line. Special mention also to the 2.5 metre grouper gliding through the water.

No sharks or rays but I can live with that.

Highlights from the trip include :

1. The beauty of the place as well as simplicity of the people there.
2. Listening to a vegan justifying not eating chicken eggs by saying they were "chicken abortion". Her words, not mine!!!
3. Trying to impress the scuba dive instructor by jumping into my wetsuit like Superman and realising that I'd put my leg through the sleeve....
4. The whole diving experience. Including the 'night dive' that ended up resembling a scene from one of the Police Academy movies.
5. Beach 7. There's a reason why Time Magazine called it the Best Beach in Asia. Do watch out for sand flies though.

All good things come to an end though. I hate having to be back at work....I miss Paradise!!!

Back after a long break. No mobile, no computer, no worries. Barely attended the wedding that I went for in the first place and then simply chilled out at home. Nothing to add.

For sheer ugliness made to look cute as hell, look no further....