Holy Cows

With their supporters in power, even cows seem to have got bolder these days. With the already shrunken footpath, imagine having a huge jersey cow blocking your path! I had to get down from the footpath and somehow manage myself on the road itself.

Lull Before the Storm

Disappointment hangs heavily in the air. I'm not talking about Brazil but our new salary numbers which got announced yesterday. Unlike last year, somehow rumors were highly optimistic but what has come out is highly disappointing to majority, though people like me have no reasons to complain. Today at 10:30 in the morning it feels as if I'm working on a Saturday; you can count the people with 10 fingers on my side of the floor. As if even when people are not there, you can somehow feel their anguish and mute rebellion around. I doubt if anything will come out of it though. 

Praised and Flattered

A lot of compliments coming my way, of late. To begin with, the security ladies are all my fans. One told me that I was her favourite employee because I don't throw tantrums to get my bag checked. :-) And then another told me she liked me the best because I never used any make up.

Recently an outgoing colleague of mine(26 year-old girl) called me 'very pretty' during her farewell speech(!!) and embarrassed me in front of everyone. My hair of course has been getting attention as usual and a pantry maid stopped me to admire it and I blamed it totally on heredity and pointed my grey hair but she said what mattered was the amount of hair. I had to finally thank her and accept. But the worst in this department was a cab driver. I was walking to office and he slowed his cab and yelled at me asking if I was wearing false hair and sped off before I could say no!

But it was my boss who made me quite happy recently saying, "It would take some of us ages to reach the level of analysis that you do"!!. I for a moment was dumbstruck but recovered to be modest and say something consolatory. And finally, on Friday I got a certificate from a bank we support for 'my contribution towards the implementation"!!! I was very happy. I've supported many over these eight years but this is the first time I was getting something of this kind.

Nandavara Bridge, one of the earliest from my Cannon SLR.

For a Change

My boss is getting a new boss and I'm a little excited and a little nervous too. I have no reasons for being either, coming to think of it. I'm looking forward to the would-be meeting.

This view is from BedruguDDe, taken about ten years ago. I somehow used to think that I should keep taking pictures from there and over the years compare the changes around. Now it turns out that most changes have happened on BedruguDDe itself. One part of it is gone completely and everytime I look at it from our terrace, I feel an urgency to go there lest I find it vanished totally some day. The hillock you see in the picture - KursuguDDe or Cross Hill - has reduced too.

Going Home

Going both sides a week each, starting Saturday. Children are very excited and I'm anxious, as usual. Trips are no more fun, are they?

The other day Rajani and I were having one of these debates and I was countering her arguments that Bangalore has taken much more from us than given. I said while we all love to hate this place and would forever harp on how good our native places are, - though when we go there most of us come back shortening our trips or crib, citing the bad weather - we stay here all our lives and in the process, give nothing back to the city and make living worse for the original inhabitants. She said most of them had become richer. I said she was richer too but that didn't necessarily make her happier.

Actually my fear is that my place will no longer be the same the time I decide to return there.

Anu and her Maanu Dada

Prime Time

Today power outage in our area - in fact from sometime in the middle of the night itself - and I had a cold bath. Reminded me of my Hyderabad days when I used to take cold water baths mercilessly even in the deepest winter. And feel proud of it too! Must be the arrogance of youth, when you feel special just because you are young.

It's been more than 10 years since I left that place but I remember all the three houses very well, every room of them. Hyderabad will always remain very special to me, with so many fond memories.

Arlington Heights

Another place with 'different' memories, shall I put it? Good, of course.

Small Mercies

I finished "Mercy among the Children" and was disappointed in the end. It was as if the writer went out of his way to make life tough for the protagonist.

S seems to have turned a writer! He sent me some short stories in Kannada and they are nice.