Tentative Travel plans for this Summer

The first stop this summer seems to be Oxford in June for about a week, and no the visa god's judgment is yet to be pronounced. Visa gods willing, this time I will try punting, take a walking tour and go on top of the church in Radcliffe Square at Oxford. I will eat at the Noodle Bar again. Before going I will also revisit the Lonely Planet guide and look at Oxford again, it should make some sense this time.

Oxford City

There could be a one day trip to Leeds too. I know it would be damn hectic but this is for work and has to be done. I am not at all sure if I can try and look at anything new in Leeds.

Leeds City Center

But the best part is what I am planning in June. I thought hard where to go after all the suggestions I got on the previous post. But the problem is time. Then I hit upon this idea. I want to take the Shatabdi Express train to the most picturesque spot I can find and it would take just half a day to reach somewhere. Then venture a little further and stay there for a day or two, then take the Shatabdi back. I can think of Kalka Shatabdi and Dehradun Shatabdi but if I am missing on some toher better spot do let me know. What are good spots around Kalka and Dehradun?

Near Abby Falls Coorg

Spotted this 'Danger Spot' board near Abby Falls in Coorg. I wonder what was the danger that this board was warning us about.

One completely unrelated danger that I can see is that if I am not careful, my travel plans for 2008 are in real danger. I mean it is May and I have gone out only once, to Lansdowne.

Make a Suggestion

(Picture Taken at Spitok, Ladakh)

In an ideal world this summer I would like to visit Ladakh again.

Look at the picture at the left, can you blame me if I yearn to be there again?

But when all I can manage is two to three days of leave, tell me where should I go?

I do not wish to take a flight, ideal journey would be by bus (but willing to take a train too) and I know I can't reach much further than Rishikesh or something like that, give my time frame.

So if you know of any places around that (I have already been to Rajaji National Park) region or anything else, do let me know.

I definitely need to travel and soon.

Or else my head will burst.

And 'death by grading' is over, finally.

Why Do We Run to the Mountains?

Mountains on the Kuari Pass Trek, Uttrakhand

At the first opportunity, Sesha and I head to the mountains. And winters are no exception. Recently it was my husband's birthday and hesulks and cribs if taken through the restaurant and movie routine. However, as his birthday came squarely in the middle of the week there was no way we could travel. So, this time around it had to be the restaurant and movie routine or nothing. As soon as we entered one of numerous malls that have mushroomed in Gurgaon, he told me, "You know what? I never feel relaxed at this place." And by this place he meant malls in general. I had to agree with him. I think that is why we run to the hills, it is very different there, quiet, peaceful and relaxing.

One of these days, a colleague of mine was also joking, "Why do you have to walk all day to feel relaxed, I mean I need all the creature comforts to have a good vacation." I agree, on a trek creature comforts are actually missing but then that is the only time I when I try to think about things that are of earth shattering importance to me :) With a big flat rock and miles of serenity I manage to think better, in fact that is the only time I manage to think and gain some perspective :) That is another reason why I long for treks and mountains.

And this is part nostalgia and part crib too, as I said after five long years it has happened that I am not sure if I am trekking this summer or not. I better manage it somehow or I will die with envy when others come back from some trek and show me the pictures.

No Trekking Plans for Sure this Summer!

Ladakh- The Food Place Near Pangong Lake

Since 2003, every summer we have trekked or at least tried to trek. Tried as in we went trekking but could not complete the Markha Valley Trek in Ladakh, as I took ill.

In the summer of 2003 it was Saar Pass

In the summer of 2004 it was Har Ki Doon

In the summer of 2005 it was the unfinished trek in Ladakh

In the summer of 2006 it was Kuari Pass

In the summer of 2007 it was Spiti

So, of course, I feel quite like a fish out of water as I am not sure whether I will be able to trek this summer or not. I mean there could be some work related travel (but this one is with a big 'maybe'). Of course, my family merrily told me that if I am not coming they are trekking on their own and anyway my nephews are much better trekkers than me, Sesha only likes to think so! I am keeping my figures crossed. I mean I don't know which one I want more.

Hotel Hunting in Lansdowne

Mayur Lodge, Lansdowne (The Building with the Flags)

It feels like ages since we visited Lansdowne and not just the last month. The best part was that we had as usual showed up without a hotel booking in town. The good folks at Indiamike had warned me that there are just three to four hotels in Lansdowne and at times one can't find even a single room vacant.

From our research at Indiamike we knew that the Fairydale was supposed to be the best place in Lansdowne. We asked for directions and started walking that way. On the way we also saw the GMVN accommodations. On reaching the Fairydale property we found that it was completely booked. We decided to try our luck at the next best place, the GMVN. The caretaker at the GMVN told us that the same group that was staying at Fairydale had taken the rooms at GMVN too and it was booked solid. So we were left with no options but try our luck at the Mayur Lodge that was suggested as the last option at Indiamike. Of course, we got a room there and they too charged us Rs. 500 for the room, knowing that everything else was booked. Apart from these two, a new one has come up by the name of Blue Pine but it is 3-4 kilometers away from the main city and we did not want to walk that much with the Avomine still taking its toll on us. At Indiamike people also say another resort is coming up 3-4 kilometers away in the other direction, but we came to know about this only after coming back.

Did we learn our lesson from this and pre-book our next trip? You bet not! But the problem is that I really can't see a next trip (I know this happens so rarely). And how I need it!

The Lover's Lane Saga- Lansdowne

Fast Asleep- Lover's Lane Lansdowne

Sesha and I reached Lansdowne on Saturday morning and after dumping our luggage in Mayur Lodge (shabby place, hotel hunting is another tale to share about this trip) we as usual started walking around the town. We reached a small shade where a young girl (college going) was standing alone admiring the view. She started chatting with us, asking where were we from etc. After a while we decided to walk ahead, saw the sign the lover's lane and decided to explore it. After walking for about five minutes Sesha decided that he was still quite zonked on Avomine, found a sunny patch and decided to catch up on sleep (the picture above is the proof). I too was zonked but not as bad as him and I told him I am walking in the lane. He asked me to come back in around half an hour.

I walked ahead and found the view quite soothing. Walking on narrow twisting kaccha rasta (mud path) with just my thoughts for company is always a refreshing change from trying to cram 100 things in a day in my city life. OK, it may not be 100 things in a day actually but at times it feels just like that.

Soon enough I found the young girl whom I met near the shade with a young guy walking from the opposite side. She refused to catch my eye this time and I must say they made a cute pair. I continued on my walk and returned after an hour or so to find Sesha still peacefully sleeping at the same spot.

That Morning Cup of Tea!

Welcome to Lansdowne, Bus Stop .5 Km away, that is what the board in Hindi

We visited Lansdowne, a small hill station in Uttrakhand around February 10. The nearest railway station to Lansdowne is Kotdwar. Mussoorie Express is the train we took from Old Delhi Railway Station. And this time for a change instead of hiring a taxi to the Old Delhi Railway Station we hired one just up to Dwarka Metro Station. From there we took the metro to the Old Delhi Railway Station. This was our first metro ride in Delhi and I must say 'please mind the gap' was a constant here too. I liked the metro ride for the simple reason that it goes in a straight line, rather than a taxi that has to break, honk and swerve through the traffic.

For a change, we were traveling in AC III (Sesha loves the sleeper class) and the train deposited us at Kotdwar right in the morning, when it was not even daybreak. In fact, the Kotdwar station is so small that for a few minutes we did not know the train has actually stopped at the platform.

And then we got down, zonked and sleepy because we took the Avomine before, thinking it may wear off soon if we took it the night before instead of taking it just before the jeep ride from Kotdwar to Lansdowne. And I anyway wakeup like a fish out of water in the morning.

And that is when that morning cup of tea is all that you can think of. We headed out of the station looking for the tea and were immediately surrounded by shared taxi drivers heading to Lansdowne. We promised one of them that we were coming back after a cup of tea. Ten meters outside the station, there was the chaiwala and we headed straight to his thela. Then the ritual started. There were three other people waiting for their morning cup of tea. The chaiwala poured already hot water in the pan. Then came his own masala (and I believe it is this that makes every corner tea shop different from the other) that would go into the tea. A little milk and tea leaves and the magic drink was ready. As I started sipping it, the day also started breaking over. As I finished the tea, I had started feeling almost human once again. And soon enough we were inside the taxi, heading to Lansdowne.

Back from Lansdowne

Lover's Lane- Lansdowne (No I have no clue why it is called Lover's Lane)

We took a short, Avomine filled break to Lansdowne. Ideally we would have liked to spend a few days more, but when given a choice between a hectic short break and not taking a break at all we would choose a short hectic one every time. I will have to say I have been to more scenic places but then a break is a break and it was wonderful.

Time to Head Out Again

Que (rhymes with Queue) A Dish from Spiti

No, of course I am not heading to Spiti but I am heading out soon and how I am yearning for it. We realized that in the entire 2007 we never took a train (apart from coming back from New Jalpaiguri, from Sikkim). So we are not going to make the same mistake again. We take a train and head out to Uttrakhand this time.

Last few months it seems have been work, work and more work. However much I try, something remains. I have been carrying work home almost daily. I can see things being extremely hectic till the semester ends. So while we are heading out I know as soon as I come back, I will be swamped with work, work and even more work. And even now I have so much unfinished work that it is going to give me nightmares even on vacation. But as Sesha is so fond of saying ... "This too shall pass." I mean I am really tired.

I have Been Wondering!

For quite sometime now, I have been wondering if I should mix some of my academic stuff on this blog. You see, I have started using data from travel Internet Message Boards for academic purposes. And it has been a fascinating exercise. I mean I get to spend time on the internet reading about travel and do some research too! I think I will write more on this.

Sticky Post: My Photo with Credit to Someone Else- Is it Time to Ping Again

This post is sticky for a few more days, regular posts continue below. I made it unsticky today (30/01/2008)

Compensation!

Remember that post-

Yesterday I took a flight from Delhi to Bangalore. I picked up the flight magazine (December Issue). I found that in their feature article they have taken a picture of mine with a credit to someone else. And of course there is no question of asking my permission as the credit is given to someone else. I am mad.

Well, I was promised a correction in the next issue and compensation too. Now I have not heard from then in a long while. This mishap happened in the December issue and I agree their January issue must have been in the press by the time we got talking. But now it must be time for the February issue and I have not heard from anyone. Should I wait or should I bother the editor again?

PS. This time the post remains sticky till the matter is settled.

Update (27/01/2008)- I wrote to the editor and asked what was the compensation amount.

He replied that they pay Rs. 500 per photograph normally. To me they would offer Rs. 1000. I am OK with that. I have been updating this at Indiamike too. I really liked this quote by Shakti (see message 85) when I posted the same there-

There is a much larger issue here in that corporations are becoming very casual about stealing imagery from unsuspecting photographers. If the penalty for getting caught is posting a clarification on the source and perhaps a token payment to the original photographer then there's zero incentive for them to change their practices.

So I sent it across to the editor too. Oh, well after reading the quote (I had quoted the source to the editor), the editor went mad and basically tried telling me that I was too small for them to buy pictures from me (I have no issues with that but still they ended up using one of my pictures and I thought I was the wronged party).

By this time I too was running think on patience and I told him it is probably time that I name the magazine and the airline on my blog and at Indiamike.

You would not have believed the complete change of tone in the next email from the editor. Of course, they appreciated that I did not name the magazine. Of course, they would mail me a check in a day or two. Of course, they were interested in my postal address and of course they would send me a copy of the February issue.

All I can say is THANK GOD FOR THE INTERNET. That gives an option to mere mortals like me to write.

Update (29/01/2008) Got that check for 1000 rupees, as promised, on time. The magazine has been promised after 2nd February. Thanks a lot for all your support.

How Does Jim Corbett Sound as a Destination?

We are thinking of heading to the Jim Corbett national Park later in Feb. The major factor is the amount of leave available to me (another new semester has started) and we do not want to go too far. If you have been there do let me know how did you find the place.

Lands End Lighthouse Luggage from Lands' End- This Review is Long Overdue

Lighthouse Luggage courtesy Lands' End

Long time back (in fact, now when I look at the date of the conversation, it was my birthday!) I got a mail from a good lady from Lands' End. They asked if I would be interested in receiving a carry on bag from them (free of cost) as they plan to put it in the hands of some frequent travelers?

In reply, I asked the good lady if she had any idea that I live in India and they would have to ship it all this way? She replied that it would be no problem. And sure enough after a few days I had it!

But then when we travel within India we generally rough it out. So, the bag was not used for quite some time. The first time I used it was for my trip to Nainital (another coincidence! sponsored bag for a sponsored trip) but then didn't got around writing about the bag episode then. I took this to UK and I must say I liked the stuff. It is much more sturdy than my VIP skybag (but then this one weighs more, though it is OK as I don't have to carry it) and doesn't feel flimsy. I like the top pockets as I am one of those who need to keep things till the last moment that miraculously appear in my hand out of nowhere. Also the handle push button is more conveniently located at the top rather than requiring you to bend to operate it. Another good feature the possibility of stuffing a few things extra because of the design that lets it expand a bit when really stuffed (discovered this while coming back from UK).

And what I liked best about the episode? I am quite wary of blogging about stuff that I get free without disclosing the fact that it is a gift. So, before saying yes, I asked if I could mention that this was a gift. The reply was yes of course and I need not blog about it till I felt like it. So, that is what I have done. Now that I have used this quite a few number of times, I am comfortable talking about it.

In Search of a Wash Room at Dubare!

Dubare Elephant Camp, Coorg

I remember the trip to the Dubare Elephant Camp for many reasons. One, I am afraid of animals (I know bad of me but that is how it is) and I was wondering how would I the trip go. I did not go near the Elephants but otherwise quite liked the place and watching the giants from far. Actually I took an elephant ride too, I am not so afraid if I do not touch the animal.

Also, in the picture above you can see the Nariyal Paani (coconut water) stall where Sudhir and I struggled to buy the coconut water.

But I remember it for another reason. This was one of those trips where I miscalculated the water intake and needed to use a wash room. Those of you have traveled in India know that wash room at times becomes a luxury at various spots and one has to keenly look at the intake of water on road trips.

I asked our Club Mahindra friend Joy if there was a loo on the premises. He said, "No madam. But I know a lady here and she would let you use her wash room." I was quite apologetic but agreed to inconvenience the lady. I am quite thankful that she let me use her facility but that too was just a makeshift thing.

But even more than this what stands out in my mind is her kindness. I consulted Joy if I should pay her money. He told me, "She won't take money, so why don't you buy something from her shop?" I was quite OK with that and took a chocolate. To my horror she refused to take money, and however much I would plead, she refused to budge. At last I conceded defeat and with a lot of guilt took the chocolate too!

Saltaire- An Article for Gonomad

I was lucky to visit Saltaire, an UNESCO world heritage site on the trip to UK in October 2007. Actually, it was included in the conference program that I attended at Leeds.
I remember I was attending a session (thankfully my talk was over in the morning) when an announcement was made, "The next trip to Saltaire would leave in 10 minutes." My SLR was lying in the hotel room, I only had the smaller camera in my purse.

The Picturesque Street in Front of the Pub 'Don't Tell Titus' at Saltaire

I ran to my hotel (Park Plaza, Leeds, just 2 minuets away from the conference venue but the room was on the 15th floor) in my business suit and formal shoes and ran back to join the group with a few minutes to spare with the SLR.

Another View of Saltaire, UK

This was one of the few visits where I managed to see a place with our guides and I must say they did a wonderful job.

My detailed article about this visit to Saltaire is now up at Gonomad.

My Travels in 2007- May We all Travel More in 2008

Kanchanjanga- Pelling, Sikkim

I guess I liked 2007 a lot and would not change too many things. 2007 started on the right note as we spent the new year eve in the train coming back from Sikkim.

Shringi, Himachal Pradesh

Then in February we went to Shringi Vatika in Himachal Pradesh. I went along with my younger nephew there in March again to retrieve my cell phone from Shringi.

Prashar Lake, Himachal Pradesh

Then in May we visited Prashar Lake again in Himachal Pradesh. Both Sesha and I consider it as one of our best trips in 2007.

Magnificent Spiti, Himachal Pradesh

June was time for heading to trek in the magnificent Spiti with Sesha and my elder nephew.

Naini Lake, Nainital, Uttrakhand

In September I headed to Nanital with my younger nephew and the trip was sponsored by the Shervani Hilltop Resorts. This was the first sponsored trip that happened to me because of my blog.

Tower Bridge, London

Then in October end November beginning I was in UK and though this was related to work I did manage to roam around a lot and thoroughly enjoyed the trip.

Dubare Elephant Camp, Coorg

And then came the Club Mahindra Travel Blogger's Coorg trip. This was another sponsored trip and I guess I got extremely lucky this year.

MAY WE ALL TRAVEL MORE IN 2008!

Club Mahindra, Coorg- The Trip

When I heard from Arun Nair of Club Mahindra about a proposed trip to Coorg for bloggers at their expense, I of course was delighted and said yes. The bestest part was they were taking care of the Delhi-Bangalore and back, flight too.

When I boarded the plane I was seriously wondering how the trip would turn out to be. This is because I hardly knew anyone in the group and my usual holidays are never spent in a resort. To complicate the matters further, I am the kind of person as Dev described me at the end of the trip, "You are rather reserved and I couldn't figure you out." I mean I really am reserved and difficult to figure out.

The first worry after arrival at Bangalore was how to figure out where would Arun be as he was our contact person. But then cell phones come in handy in such situations, however we may curse them otherwise. He called me and asked me to get out of the airport. Then he asked if I was the one with the black luggage and there we were shaking hands. That was the end of all my worries on this trip.

Later, Anil remarked about Arun, "While listening to you on the phone it felt as if we were talking to an elderly person. One could never guess you would be so young." I agree wholeheartedly.

After a while Kiruba joined us, he is supposed to be the mastermind behind this trip. Then Dev came, we were on the same flight but we had not met. Next to join us were Dhruva and Srinidhi. Last to come were people from Bombay. And the Bombay flight brought Apurva Pandit (remember him? He beat me at the oktatabyebye original travel contest) and he is closely associated with that super site pagalguy.com. Then I met Anil. I must say I have been a fan of his blog and I did not know he too would be on this trip.

On the way we picked up Anita and Amogha. And the group was complete. Or wait, am I forgetting anyone? How can I forget Sudhir, he is from Chennai and is quite capable of making his presence felt! This makes the gang complete.

So, we boarded the Ganesha and headed to Coorg. The journey in itself was eventful and a lot of talking took place. Soon Dev with his pizza gyan was holding the center stage and I think he retained that position for the entire duration of the trip. The lunch at Kamath's was wonderful and I dozed off in the van after it but not before agreeing to a game of TT once we reached. I managed to survive without Avomine (anti-nausea medicine) on this stretch.

The Welcome at Club Mahindra- Coorg

The resort is what to be expected of resorts, splendid (but then they come at a price, don't they?). The welcome was grand, the food the highlight of the trip and the employees, particularly Joy, a real treat. But then for me the central event on day one was TT. I know I have blogged about it before but can't help bragging again. One of the Club Mahindra employee played doubles with us and the next day Joy started calling me 'TT madam.'

The next day was devoted to a trip to Talacauvery and later in the evening to the city of Madikeri. Talacuvery is the birth place of the river Cauvery and I think it was Apurva who remarked, "It is difficult to believe that Tamil Nadu and Karnataka fight so much over this!"

Talacuvery temple complex is lovely and the walk to the Brahamgiri Hill all the more enjoyable. Sadly the mere twisting roads give me motion sickness and for this journey, mid way I took an Avomine and then only survived the journey. Same was true for the second day trip to Dubare Elephant Camp.

Abbey Waterfalls, Coorg

Later a few of us visited the Abbey Waterfalls followed by a trip to Omkareswar Temple and musical fountain. On our own, I think many us would have given the musical fountain a miss but then I discovered there is fun in doing 'regular touristy things' too. Sadly, on day 2 no one invited me to play TT :)

Dubare Elephant Camp, Coorg

The next day's highlight was a visit to the Dubare Elephant Camp. The place is huge, and if you are a brave soul (which I am not) you can give a bath to the elephant. Again did a routine thing, took an elephant ride! But most fun was watching the elephant take food. The people at the camp make giant balls of food stuff and feed it to the elephants. The elephant in the picture above is waiting for his food.

The evening was devoted to walking around the coffee plantation on the Club Mahindra premises with Joy as our guide. I knew a little bit about Arabica and Robusta coffee beans but Joy really knew about them. On return we tried some of the adventure stuff on the premises. I had a mildly sprained foot (that is still giving me some trouble) so I tried 'the river crossing' where I was using my hands primarily and I definitely enjoyed it.

The Legendary Sweet Dishes

But if you ask for the highlight of this trip I would say food, sweet dishes in particular. And that is really surprising, because I am usually know to say, "Well, don't ask me, I am pretty indifferent to food." The buffet at Club Mahindra was sumptuous beyond belief. On the first day I was a bit late for the breakfast (but this was the regular role of Sudhir) and I remember telling Kiruba, "I wish I had more time to do some justice to this breakfast." It is a wonder that I have still managed not to gain weight after this trip, I mean at every lunch and dinner I was demolishing plateful of sweet dishes. What a bliss it was.

So, to sum it up this was a trip that was not my regular cup of tea in so many ways. I traveled with a bunch I didn't know (I usually travel only with family) did things I don't do like visiting local 'touristy' sights (our trips consist only of walking) stayed at a resort (budget hotels are our way and it will remain so unless another sponsored trip happens :) enjoyed food (I am pretty indifferent as I said, 10 years of hostel food is capable of killing all those taste buds) and yet it was a fabulous trip! I guess it was the people who made all the difference!

When You See a Picture Taken by You in an In Flight Magazine with a Credit to Someone Else!

Note: This Post is sticky for the time being. The regular posts continue below. I will be updating this post as and when I get some new information.

Update (27/12/2007): I have made this post unsticky in honor of these pictures from Prashar Lake in December (pictures courtesy Anil, my colleague).

Yesterday I took a flight from Delhi to Bangalore. I picked up the flight magazine (December Issue). I found that in their feature article they have taken a picture of mine with a credit to someone else. And of course there is no question of asking my permission as the credit is given to someone else. I am mad.

After consulting a lot of people through mail and putting the same question at Indiamike, I have written to the airline but this being end of the year I doubt I will hear back soon. I will wait for a decent period of time (say January 15 or should I wait longer?) before putting a post with the name of the airline.

Update 1 (24/12/2007): I heard from the airline and the editor who handles the work for the airline. I must say they are prompt. I wrote them over on the weekend and by Monday morning I got the reply. The editor says they got the picture from the person who they have attributed it to. According to the editor the person is one of the top travel writers in India. The editor has asked for one week's time to get back to me. So far so good.

Update 2 (25/12/2007): I had googled the author to whom the picture was attributed and I wrote a mail to him asking if he had any idea how he got the credit for the picture? I got a reply. He says he was away and an assistant sent the pictures. When one of his was not opening, the assistant simply downloaded a picture from the internet and sent it to the magazine editor that turned out to be mine. He admits there has been a mistake and says he is willing to write to the editor and also pay me out of his own pocket. I agreed to writing to the editor but of course not to paying out of pocket. Looks like the thing will settled quickly? I will now wait to hear from the editor and the airline again.

Update 3 (26/12/2007): Heard from the editor again. He says they will print a correction in the next issue and pay me for the picture. Also said they would try to put a system in place so that such incidents can be minimized. I asked if I could get a copy of the issue in which the clarification occurs. I hope I will! The editor didn't mention what they would pay I didn't ask. But I think this should be the end of the matter.

I will make this un-sticky only when I see the correction. The worst part in this whole episode is the role of chance. Had I not taken that flight with the particular airline , I would have never known about this whole stuff.

Club Mahindra- Table Tennis Tales

Table Tennis Table- Picture from Kiruba's Blog

It all started with an email from Arun Nair of Club Mahindra. He asked if I would be interested in visiting Coorg on their expense? Can I ever resist such trips? The only catch in my mind was the flight from Delhi to Bangalore, but he agreed to take care of that too. Now what more could I ask!

While planning the trip, Arun and I talked on the phone sometimes. He mentioned that Kiruba was the person who suggested my name. I of course knew of his blog but I was not sure how he knew about mine. Anyway, I hopped over and saw the picture of TT table on his blog. So, I wrote a few lines to him, thanking him for including me on this trip and asked if I should carry my TT bat on the trip? He replied quite enthusiastically and said we could definitely try it out.

Kiruba told me during the bus journey (Bangalore to Coorg) itself that no matter what we would play TT once we reached and I should not say I am too tired, etc. Sudhir and Amogha also wanted to play. The three of them played singles with me and to cut a long story short I will quote them about what they said afterwards-

This is what Sudhir wrote to me in an email-

Am also working on my T.T game, so the next time we meet - you should expect a much tougher match :)

And this is what Sudhir wrote on his blog-

It was quite clear that she had primarily 2 great interests, Travel and T.T. The latter of which she was so menacing in, that soon enough but for the wall, she had noone to play with.

Amogha told me this while leaving and I am paraphrasing-

You say you can play with your own bat! Next time I will practice, and come with my own band baja, my cheer girls and what not and then let us see what happens!

While I was playing with Kiruba, the ball went quite far away on my side and he offered me to bring it. I said, "No I am used to it. I play daily with my colleagues and they offer me no concessions, in fact they play quite aggressively and I often beat them!" After the game he said, "I perfectly well understand how your colleagues feel."

OK we were playing games of 21 and they all managed single digit scores, though over 5 :)

And did I say we bullied Arun into getting the TT hall open after 9.00 and they were sport enough to comply!

To Coorg with Club Mahindra!

Went on a trip to Coorg that was sponsored by Club Mahindra for travel bloggers (will update on the gang soon). As of now swamped with work.

And even though I am no foodie, the highlight of this trip was the wonderful food that was served. I actually polished off all the sweet dishes you can see in this picture. I am sure I will gain at least 3 kg because of this trip.

Off Tomorrow!

I am taking a mini break and actually traveling to the south. After all that grading (the necessary evil of an academic job) I am really looking forward to it. You see, because when I come back, I have still more copies to grade. Have you heard about death by grading?