bangalore bikes!

shameless plug for arun's "bangalore walks" outfit.

shameless because:
1) commercialisation! free advertisement! hands upflung in horror!
2) i was on a test-run, so went free. and it's still taken me months to get around to writing it up. ingrate! leech! free rider!

the set up:
the horsemen and horsewomen of the light cavalry meet arun his 2-i-c at barton centre and proceed to cubbon park where our trusty steeds await us. being metallic (BSAs) and not equine, there is less snorting, hoof-stamping and horse-pooing than usual.

we ride through broad leafy glades that the brits had laid out. and the narrow twisty formerly plague ridden areas reserved for the natives, one of them called "blackpalli".

after doing the rounds of churches, sappers, lakes and statues*, we return to the park, surrender our hosses and waddle over to 13th floor at barton centre for beer, mocktails and sandwiches. we and the vidhan souda are all lit up and the sunset is lovely.

good thing the raj is over, cos we would've otherwise gone straight from evening to pitch darkness. the sun never sets on the british empire, in'it?

* item 1- queen victoria, empress of india in cubbon. rather large and hideous, i say, what?

item 2- near ulsoor lake is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma, where
riddle= statue of tiruvalluvar, the tamil poet
mystery= sheets of black polythene
enigma= overgrown trees and shrubs

churchill, madi!

why do birds..

suddenly appear
everytime
you are near?

just like me
they are silly
pidgies

why do stars
fall down from the sky
everytime
you walk by

just like me
they didnt study
enough physics

on the day that you were born
the engels and marxes got together
and decided to create a dream come true
so they sprinkled stardust in your hair
and other filmy magazines coochiepoo

that is why
all the girls in town
follow you
all around

just like me
they long to be
crazy stalker chicky

i always suspected this..

What Famous Leader Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

thanks for this, srin.

the new name..

is Orcaella brevirostris
just like die Nadel, it has a link to my real name.
but that's not going to make me run around stabbing people..

..or is it?

the naming gnome

favourite new names:
tutul
minty auchterlonie

evergreen favourites:
curtly ambrose
cho ramamswamy (cho wassup?)
gangubai hangal

hard to take a stand on:
shilpi
hetal
senthil
manjunath

À la recherche du temps perdu

remember the leeches in coorg?
here are some from god's own country.
this time there were no tears or anger. ruthlessly, i peeled them off and flicked them into the lilyponds. in a few generations the fish will mutate into god's own pirahnas.
(muaahhahaha)

À l'ombre des jeunes filles en fleurs
remember the charming lil uns in the train to pune? this time round, a 4 year old asked me my name and then loudly whispered to her mum "kiti funny naav aahe!" well your boat's kinda weird too, i muttered.
round two went to her too, i had the headphones on, so pretended i couldn't hear the comments about about me. but the ears turned deep pink.
she finished her dinner before the railways gave me mine and did a little victory dance, cos she was first and i was last. that was when i opened my orange pudding and slowly spooned it in. *she* hadn't had any pudding. and here i was, toying with a whole bowlfull of orange glutinous stuff under her very nose.
the battle ended right there. she tottered away and i slept in peace.
i grow more like mr bean every day.

apocalpsye now: redux
i love the smell of barood in the mornings.

spent diwali night as a conscientous objector. wouldn't stop anyone from bursting crackers, but wouldn't join in either. dodged rockets, helicopters, snakes, atom bums, anars, chakras and chaklis.

Du Côté de chez Swann
actually, make that schezwan. hold the garlic, garçon!