Pongal Nalvazhuthugal (if that is how it is spelt!)

Am in Chennai right now. The train reached at an unearthly hour of 4:46. I rubbed my eyes, jumped out of the cosy blanket that the AS1 attendants had provided and quickly disembarked. Everything seems to be happening in a flurry.

Just yesterday I was facing flak at work, what with His Highness reverting every half hour with changes. Jayasree rao got well and truly bugged. Add to this the fiasco of the salary, the courier duties and the fleecing by the auto driver and you have a shaken and stirred prakup at the station dazed and ready to go!

A couple on berth 16 kept me awake through the night with their heavy cootchie-cooing and god knows what else! The man actually slid onto her berth after all the lights were dimmed and I was tossing and turning and trying to sleep. And after that, not a chance. They finally ceased their amourous activities by around three and I finally managed to get some shut eye.

4:46 and Chennai happened. I got out, looked for the waiting room, found it shut and took a local train to Tambaram.

Whay Tambaram you ask? Well, let's just say I wanted to look up my alma mater of over 6 years ago. Made it to MCC, got into Thomas's. Checked out a locked room C - 54. Took a languid stroll aroung the departmental blocks. Walked into Selaiyur Hall. Conversed with a garderner there to find out thet Eng Litt classes are now held in Heber. Took another stroll back to Thomas's. And walked out.

The outside has changed drastically. Francis's Beef Kadai is all gone. Muthu's tea stall has sprouted a facade and some gory plastic furniture. Nair is going great guns with his lottery stall. (He actually recognised me!) And rendezvous seems to be on it's last leg. The station remains the same though, except for a sprakling new reservation complex that has come up.

Santosh, Rajesh, Sreeni, Willy, Nicholas, Anit, Shweta, Pamela, Maxyn, Naga, Fabian, Lakshmi, Dawa, Vinod... and all the others I remeber by face.... Miss you all!