create your own visited country map or write about it on the open travel guide

Thursday, July 31, 2003

BTW, blogger has re-invented itself again. And I hate this format even more than the previous change, which, by the way, was a come down from the format on which I started blogging.

And they say things can't get any worse!

PCB Rules!!!

Finally have my FREE DACafe mail ID with 52.4 MB of space! And I have to thank the Caliph for this. Henceforth, I can also be contacted on prakup@dacafe.com

Of other things, Lux is doing well. Met up with him today and got to hear all the gossip about those in town. Will be meeting up with a few more people by the close of this day.

Which reminds me that I need to go and get my tickets booked for the promised land. Even with enough advance preperation the journey turns out to be revolting. So I must rush and do the deed before I get waitlisted again.

Not that it is going to make any difference to the kind of people I have to travel with, but why tempt fate AND the Indian Railways?

Thought about something brilliant to pen last night. Now that I finally reached Virus, have clean forgotten about it!

Maybe next time.

Wednesday, July 30, 2003

Okay then!

This is really getting to me. Three different cities (one unknown) in as many weeks. At this rate I might as well apply for permanent residence in the Indian Railways.

What is it with me that I perpetually end-up having miserable train journeys? Whether I book my ticket a day before or even a month in advance, whether I'm carting an entire library along or making do with minimal luggage, whether I have company or not - train journeys always end up getting the better of me.

This time was no different.

Yup, khadoos was travelling with me, but we only had RAC bookings. So I stayed awake for the best part of the journey. Had these two MBA types sitting across, who kept discussing, of all things this. Of all the dim-witted, done-to-death, miserable work of prose in the garb of management gyan! They droned on and on for a good part of the journey and the mewling infants killed any hope of restful slumber! Add to this the fact that close to mid night, some horny man and his wife had to get into the train to make out near the loo, which by the way, was just 2 feet away from where I was curled up and ready to die!

After that, I just wished I had.

Of better things, the last day in Bangalore went off pretty well. Made my way to the watering hole and waited to say my goodbyes to those who mattered. Fortunately I caught most of them. Later in evening caught up with baney and chow mein. Also met the future mrs. chow mein. She's kind of nice but then....

Packing still remains intimidating. I AM a paper devil. Have close to a ton (literally!) of books and carting them along to the promised land is going to prove to be a financial and logistical nightmare. But I am loathe to leave them behind. Same is the case with the rest of the gadgetry that makes life liveable. But I guess there is no choice

Spent a lot of time with the cat here at home. Feels nice. Bonding and all that. Will stay here a while and gather enough strength to tackle the next gruelling trip.

Saturday, July 26, 2003

The caliph is doing well in the oil land. He sent across a mail.

Liebchen has finally found a friend in Cyber Den.

Chow mien is getting married, and I am to meet him today.

And the countdown begins..........

Wednesday, July 16, 2003

So I'm back! The trip was, needless to mention, horrible! Hate the place and the people even more. But I guess I really have no choice!

On other things, this was sent by a friend.... if we haven't so far, we need to learn these in order to understand present day newspaper-speak!

Subject: definitions in the new world order

What do you call a person who explodes a suicide bomb in a residential area and kills innocent people?
A terrorist.

What do you call someone who drops a bomb from a plane and kills innocent people?
A brave American pilot.

What do you call it when a Palestinian uses violence against the Jews who have illegally occupied his land?
A terrorist attack.

What do you call it when an Israeli helicopter fires rockets at Palestinian youths armed with stones?
Self-defense.

What do you call it when a group of people take the law into their own hands and kill people without a fair trial?
A lynching.

What do you call it when the US takes the law into its own hands and kills people without a fair trial?
Operation Enduring Freedom.

What do you call a weapon that can kill thousands of people?
A weapon of mass destruction.

What do you call a weapon that has killed 1.5 million Iraqis, including more than 500,000 children?
Sanctions.

What do you call an army that will fight for whoever pays the most money?
Mercenaries.

What do you call an army in Afghanistan that will fight for whoever pays the most money?
The Northern Alliance (or United Front).

What do you call an attack on the Pentagon, a command and control center in the US?
A cowardly attack on American freedom and democracy.

What do you call the destruction of an Afghan village by US bombs?
An attack on a Taliban command and control center.

What do you call it when just over 3 thousand people were killed in the September 11 attack on the US?
An atrocity.

What do you call it when nearly 5 million people were killed in the Vietnam war?
A mistake.

What do you call it when very rich people exploit poor people?
Greed and selfishness.

What do you call it when very rich countries exploit poor countries?
Globalization.

What do you call the extermination of a people?
Genocide.

What do you call the extermination of native Americans in the US?
Glorious American history.

What do you call someone who stands up in front of a crowd and tells
stories?
An entertainer.

What do you call someone who stands up in front of a crowd at the Pentagon and tells stories?
Donald Rumsfeld.

What do you call a television station that broadcasts only the government's views?
A propaganda station.

What do you call the BBC, CNN, Fox when the World News consists mainly of half an hour of a Pentagon briefing?
Impartial objective world class media.