A regular guy.. Or may be not !!!

I commute to office on my vehicle.. Hence a regular victim of all the traffic snarls, crowded junctions, maddening crowd, Blaring horns etc. Almost every day I take around 45 min to cover a distance of 10 KMs, which is not that bad considering the other Metro Standards..

Well the reason behind this post is definitely not the traffic jams I come across, but One dedicated individual who manages it. There happens to be a busy junction which needs to be crossed for entering to my office complex. There was this traffic cop who always used to GUARD that particular junction. This guy was never like the regular traffic cop that one usually sees on the roads. He was always well dressed, with neatly pressed white shirt and Khakhi trousers, Well polished brown shoes, and a very prominent gold framed Shades which used to be in stark contrast with his dark complexion. His stern face was graced by a thick moustache which kind of gave a strong message to the world as to who is in Command !

This guy was extremely strict, used to keep every road user on their toes. When he is in command, no vehicle is supposed to cross the yellow line before the signal, (which invariably is crossed by every single vehicle owner ), No Vehicle is supposed to honk, pedestrians are supposed to cross only using the zebra crossing, no one is allowed to just run across the road etc etc.. All those things which every Indian thinks is his / her birth right, were forbidden when he was around. Even though I have been using the route for almost a year, I happened to notice this chap only when he actually screwed my happiness in front of the entire public.

I was as usual waiting impatiently at the signal willing to zoom by as soon as the signal turns green. Suddenly I see this cop rushing towards me with all the vigor and he shouted at me. It was then I realized that I had crossed the yellow line next to the signal by a few feet. I did so without thinking as there were several other vehicles also ahead of the line. Though I was fuming at him at that time later I realized he was doing the right thing of making the crazy Indian roads a safer place to be. So, after this incidence, I always used to notice him at the signal. He was just the same to everybody who breaks the rules regardless of the fact if he is a pedestrian, a car, a two wheeler, a Bus or even if it’s a COP CAR. Yes I have seen him screaming his lungs out at a police car driver for jumping the signal.

I used to respect him for what he does. Neither the soaring temperatures of the Chennai summers used to burn his spirit nor the heavy rains could manage to dampen his motivation. He was always there at his best possible foot forward.

Off late something has been bothering me. For the past 1 week I haven’t seen him at his post. There was some other cop managing the junction, and the chaos was definitely not manageable by the new guy. At least I feel so. Initially I thought he wasn’t keeping well. Then I thought he might have been relocated to some other place. Gradually this thought just slipped my mind. And everyone including me was back to their usual self, I mean in terms of crossing the line, Jumping the signals etc..

A few days pass by then suddenly I see our cop back at his post. I wished he recognized me, because I wanted to pass on a Hi to him and say how glad was I to see him back on Job. Unfortunately I noticed something different. He seemed to have lost the characteristic sternness on his face. His shirt was half out and was full of creases, He was unshaven, his thick moustache had lot of grey hair peeping out, He wasn’t wearing his shades and to top it all, I didn’t see the vigor in him in handling the flow. Pedestrians were running across the road, Vehicles were jumping signals, bikers were cutting in form the wrong side of the road and to all this our cop was just a silent spectator. Had it been an isolated situation like for a day or so, It wouldn’t have bothered me. But this has been happening for the past one week.

I seriously wish that he gets back to his form and vigor and takes control of what I feel belonged to him. He would have been just another shabby traffic cop for me had I not known how he was, had I not seen how he used to command and get respect from all the road users alike. This is exactly the reason that was bothering me.

I have no idea what he is going through, what is bothering him, but whatever it is I just hope he comes out of it. May be, there isn’t anything that is bothering him, but just that his current state reminds me a bit of myself when I had lost track of life… And believe me its not a pleasant phase to go through!

I hope everything gets back to normal soon…

Cheers

Kash!!!

Experiences of an Oriental World - Hanoi, Vietnam

I have been fortunate enough to visit Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore etc. But I wasn’t ready for what I had in store in Hanoi, Vietnam. I am dedicating this post specifically to this ever welcoming country mainly because it has risen like a dragon after all the sufferings and troubles. I have used this phrase because Hanoi is called as the "The City of the Soaring Dragon"

I landed in Hanoi on a cold Sunday morning when the temperatures were an all time low during the year. It was around 8 Degrees Celsius. An me being me had carefully packed all my pullovers and jackets safely inside the check in Luggage. Man it was teeth shattering cold all over. To add to my woes, it started drizzling. Here I landed in a Non – English speaking country with my thermal wear neatly locked inside my check in Luggage (The keys of which I had conveniently misplaced), my International calling card wasn’t activated and to my Horror I had lost the tiny bit of paper where I had jotted down the address of the guest house ! Yikes… What a start.. !

Suddenly I recollected I had the address in my Notes inbox. Had to access it somehow. Boy was I lucky.. I just thanked my stars for what happened next.

I just tried accessing the WI-FI available at the Airport and for some stupid reason it wasn’tconnecting to the network. Finally I blew my lid and shouted what the F..!, without realizing how loud I was. There was an astonishingly pretty female next to me. I became all red faced and apologized to her, but the beautiful New Zealander could relate to my feelings very well. She was sweet enough to offer her laptop which was already connected to the network. I pulled out the address only to find out her hotel was just three blocks away from my guest house. I couldn’t believe this was happening. (Trust me such a thing has never happened to me !I mean eeeevvvvveeeer ! J) So we shared the cab, and some chats and also spend some time at the café in her hotel.. Man, I have never been so thankful for using the F word in my life..

I loved Vietnam from the very first day itself… Wow !

Hanoi – Imagine a city where the exotic chic of old Asia blends with the dynamic face of New Asia. Where the medieval and modern co-exist. Hanoi is where imagination becomes a reality. A mass of motor bikes swarms through the tangled web of streets and that is the Old Quarter, which is the best place to check out the Pulse of this resurgent city. The hustle bustle of a regular metro, the calmness of a fantastic countryside, the architectural marvels of ancient pagodas (temples), the Vivid reminders of the past like the war monuments and museums and the ever vibrant night markets and the exuberant night life with more than 1000 night clubs and pubs reveal the spread of this fabulous city.

The more time I spent in this beautiful city, the more I started liking the city. The day starts very early for the people here. All the shops, and Offices are up and running by 8 AM in the morning. The days are really busy for the locals here. The most interesting part is the the lunch break is a solid 2 hours which includes a good lunch and an hour long Nap. Yes, they do take a nap in the office itself.. Neat huh?

The variety of food available here is just out of this world. If you are an individual appreciating N.Veg, then you would be flooded with options. You get Chicken, Mutton, Beef, Squid, Octopus, Snake Meat, Dog meat, Shrimps, Sea Horses, just to name a few. Of these, I did try out Snake meat, Snake Venom wine (One of the most deadliest wine I have ever tasted), and DOG meat !Beat that…

The Hoan Kiem Lake which decorates the centre of the city is the best place to laze around in the evening. It is the epicenter of multiple markets which sell anything from local snacks to watches to shoes to Gold. Apart from this the Ho-Chi-Minh museum, the presidential Palace, the one pillar Pagoda, the Ho-Chi-Minh Mausoleum etc are places that definitely draws the attention of the tourists and locals alike. And it definitely didn’t fail to pull me as well.

For all the while I spent in Hanoi, I was just appreciative of this city which had come up with a vengeance considering its troubled rather ravaged history. I developed a particular liking for the country which has a very strong background it its present state which also reveals the strong fighting spirit of the people who dwell in this country.

A few pictures dedicated to the beauty of this wonderful City...

The snap below was taken at the Ho-Chi-Minh Mausoleum, one of the major landmarks in the city of Hanoi

The snap below is the Presidential Palace of Ho-Chi Minh, where he lived on and off from 1958-69. It is an upmarket interpretation of the traditional rural living and has been preserved just the way "Ho" left it...

The following pic is that of the Army museum and the Museum of Vietnamese revolution displaying the Soviet and Chinese equipment alongside French and US-made weapons captured during years of War fare..

I do have plenty of pictures to be shared. I would pass on the Picasa link for all those who are interested to know further.. I have deliberately not written about one of the best places I have visited in Vietnam - Halong Bay. This was deliberate coz just a plain mention of that wonderful place wouldn't have done justice to it.. Hence contemplating on the idea of Dedicating an enitre post describing the umpteen number of breath taking places i got to see...

Till then.. Ciao Folks..

Cheers..

Kash !

Tag Along......

I would like to thank Shas for tagging me into this.. I have made an attempt to be as honest as possible...

RULES: Respond and rework – answer these questions on your blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your own, and add one more question to the list.

1. What is your current obsession? Attempts at understanding What I want?
2. What are you wearing today? Cargo Shorts and a Sleeveless Tee
3. What’s for dinner? Whatever is available on the menu in the near by Dhaba.. J
4. What’s the last thing you bought? Let me make it last Things .. Two Bottles of Jack Daniel’s premium scotch Whiskey, A Watch for myself and Loads of Chocolates …
5. What are you listening to right now? Always the last to Know – Del Amitri
6. What do you think about the person who tagged you? A fantastic Blogger.. Someone whose blog is so vibrant and full of action that it doesn’t fail to generate an excitement every time I visit it. This is basically coz the posts are exactly a mirror image of her thoughts without any adulteration.. Her interests in Trekking and Photography reveal her love for nature and an eye to appreciate the same..Hey BTW, would love to see your work of art through your camera as well, coz I share a similar interest in capturing beautiful moments through the lens.. J
7. If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be? A Bunglow at Munnar, Kerala
8. What are your must-have pieces for summer? My Ipod, My Shades, and of course, My Bike
9. If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go? To the top of Alps, Switzerland
10. Which language do you want to learn? There is something very classy about Spanish. So Spanish it is…
11. What’s your favourite quote? “Of all the things I have lost, I miss my mind the most.” – Read it on a T-shirt, but just loved it !! J
12. Who do you want to meet right now? Someone who was and still is very special to my heart !
13. What is your favorite color? Black
14. What is your favorite piece of clothing in your own closet? A faded navy blue slim fit jeans.
15. What is your dream job? To travel around the world, meet all types of people..
16. What’s your favourite magazines? Overdrive, Autocar, Readers’ Digest, The Economist
17. If you had $100 now, what would you spend it on? Another one of those expensive Watches
18. What do you consider a fashion faux pas? Women in Platform heals.. Yikes !!!
19. Who according to you is the most over-rated style icon? Gauri Khan (wife of SRK) (I stick with your answer Shas.. J)
20. What kind of haircut do you prefer? Jus the regular trimming..
21. What are you going to do after this? Work.. Loads of office work to be completed.. Naa.. Doze off !!
22. Who is your favourite sport star? Lewis Hamilton, F1, Mclaren Mercedes.
23. What are three cosmetic/makeup/perfume products that you can't live without? My Perfume, Hair gel, Moisturizer. Can’t believe I just said that….
24. What inspires you? My past..
25. Give us three styling tips that always work for you: Blue Denim and White shirt, A Cap and My attitude..
26. What do you do when you “have nothing to wear” (even though your closet’s packed)? I make a compromise and settle for something
27. Coffee or tea? Coffee it is..
28. What do you do when you are feeling low or terribly depressed? Music.. love it..
29. What is your nickname? Ash ,Ashu, Akki.. That’s it.. you cant trick me into revealing everything here....No way…
30. Which other blogs do you love visiting? The Midnight Sun, Whrahoolz Ramblings, I am Here to stay the list just goes on and on..
31. Favorite Dessert/Sweet? Chocolate Ice cream..
32. Favorite Season? Winter..
33. If I come to your house now, what would u cook for me? I am a very bad Chef, but stil you get a very nice warm cup of Coffee and a fantastic Plate of Hot Maggi Noodles.. That’s what I was actually about to prepare.. Wink wink.
34. What is the right way to avoid people who purposefully hurt you? Forget about their existence in this world !
35. What are you afraid of the most? Reliving the past.
36. If you could undo any one of your past actions or acts which would be that? Would have never said YES !
37. My Question: What does one have to do to live a Care free life forever?

Bierut.. A Delightful Surprise.. !

A Perfect Middle Eastern evening settles over the Mediterranean and the Palm lined Boulevards of Central Beirut comes alive with the lights and the Sizzle of the traffic. Scruffy guys in suits exchange the city's ubiquitous English-Arabic-French greeting -"Hey-kifak-ca-va" ? (How are you?), and fashionista babes adding all the glamour that is needed to the most vibrant street in Central Beirut - Monot Street !

Watching the bubbly flows, the radiating smiles, the vibrant and excited levels of energy the easy going, carefree attitude, I could not suppress the insistent question : My God.. Is this really Beirut?

This question popped into my head mainly coz of the flutter that was created the day it was known that I was supposed to go to Beirut, Lebanon, for a customer visit. There were loads of people giving me all sorts of information download about the country's history, the rigidity of the place, the hostile conditions etc.. But their concern was justified...

Only 3 years ago, the city was under assault. And just one year ago, Lebanon was struggling to choose a President. As it finally emerged from all the chaos and conflict, the image of Beirut was tarnished and demoralised. But today, the atmosphere in this wonderful city - a place that much of the world still associates with civil wars, Sectarian strife and Political Assassinations - is remarkably upbeat and 100% charged up !

The fact that the New York Times has named Beirut as the top travel destination for 2009 stays as a record to the statement that the city is on a major comeback ! The city is on its way for reclaiming its title as the "Paris of the Middle-East" !

And boy was I in for a pleasant surprise. Because of the opinions I heard from lots of people before travelling, I had already made up an image about the city, and believe me it wasn't pretty. This whole thing made the entire trip so exciting, basically because any place I visited on my 3 day trip was just hell bent on proving my assumptions wrong about the City..

Be it the all night long beach clubs that line the coast, or the never ending rows of French Cafes, restaurants and eateries, or the very famous Lebanese food, nothing failed to amuse me, and I was just loving every single moment of it. There wasn't anything typical of Middle East associated with Beirut..

I mean, first of all the Primary Language is not Arabic. French is also a widely accepted language. The USD is a widely accepted currency than the Lebanese Pound. The weather is amazingly lovely and finally, one look at the babes and you will know Na --ah ! This place is definitely not part of the Middle East !

All I have to say is that never make an opinion based on what people around you say. Had I backed out thinking that it would be unsafe to visit Lebanon, I would have missed one of the most wonderful experiences of my life....

More on that later... I leave the rest to you guys to decide.. :)

Cheers..

Kash

Guilty or Innocent ?

I owe a major one to Amrit… I am really sorry for the long delay in completing the tag buddy.. But its better late than never ryt??

So here is it goes and the tag name is Innocent..or Guilty? Please read the rules carefully!

RULE 1- You can only say Guilty or Innocent.

RULE 2- You are not allowed to explain anything unless someone messages you and asks!

RULE 3- Copy and paste this into your notes, delete my answers, type in your answers and tag to your friends..

• Asked someone to marry you? Guilty
• Ever kissed someone of the same sex? Innocent..
• Danced on a table in a bar? Innocent
• Ever told a lie? Guilty …No survival without this.. J
• Had feelings for someone whom you can’t have back? Guilty
• Kissed a picture? Guilty
• Slept in until 5 PM? Innocent.. 2PM is the limit… J
• Fallen asleep at work/school? Guilty
• Held a snake? Guilty
• Been suspended from school? Innocent
• Worked at a fast food restaurant? Innocent
• Stolen from a store? Innocent
• Been fired from a job? Innocent.. uuh… Not yet I believe.. ;)
• Done something you regret? Guilty L
• Laughed until something you were drinking came out your nose? Innocent.. Yuck…
• Caught a snowflake on your tongue? Innocent.. Never got a chance till date in 25 years.. Can you beat that???
• Kissed in the rain? Guilty… It was awesome :) …
• Sat on a roof top? Guilty
• Kissed someone you shouldn’t? Guilty.. Still cant believe it happened..
• Sang in the shower? Guilty.. Always..
• Been pushed into a pool with all your clothes on? Innocent.. Was in my Shorts.. ;)
• Shaved your head? Guilty
• Had a boxing membership? Innocent.. (Hey Amrit, Did u Add this question???)
• Made a girlfriend cry? Guilty
• Been in a band? Innocent
• Shot a gun? Guilty
• Donated Blood? Guilty..
• Eaten alligator meat? Innocent
• Eaten cheesecake? Guilty
• Still love someone you shouldn’t? Guilty
• Have/had a tattoo? Innocent
• Liked someone, but will never tell who? Guilty
• Been too honest? Guilty
• Ruined a surprise? Guilty
• Ate in a restaurant and got really bloated that you couldn’t walk afterward? Guilty
• Erased someone in your friends list? Guilty
• Dressed in a woman’s clothes (if you’re a guy) or man’s clothes (if you’re a girl)? Guilty…
• Joined a pageant? Innocent
• Been told that you’re handsome or beautiful by someone who totally meant what they said? Guilty
• Had communication with your ex? Guilty….
• Got totally drunk on the night before exam? Guilty
• Got totally angry that you cried so hard? Guilty

Wow.. I have scored 26…. Now that’s a pretty decent score I believe.. J

My Apologies...

My Sincere apologies to all those people, who might have visited my blog only to find that its as dead as before... [Not that many people would have visited, but just to keep my self motivation high, lets assume there has been a huge traffic to my blog... :-)]

The reason being Travelling and loads of it... Some domestic, some International... etc.. I have been longing to share my experiences on the same, but unfortunately never could spare the time for the creative self to get in action..

I am currently in Hanoi, Vietnam juggling around between enormous work related pressures plus enjoying the unexplored patterns of this side of the world....

I would love to share my experiences as soon as I get some time out. But to get myself started, I am completing a tag by Amrit, the only guy who frequently visits my blog and encourages me to continue..... :)

An Ode to Homemakers....

Have you ever felt that you are carrying the whole weight of the world onyour shoulder? Why is it that only you have to do everything to keep thethings moving? Why should only you struggle to make your house a home?

Well these questions were pondering in my mind on a Friday evening. It wasraining heavily and I was completely drenched on the way to my home fromoffice. The first thing I wanted was a nice hot cup of Ginger Tea, Coz no matter what, there is no combination better than heavy rain and hot tea. Irushed to the kitchen only to find that the Fridge didn’t have any milk in it. I braved the rain, went to the nearest departmental store and purchaseda packet of milk. I went back to the kitchen, all excited with the thoughtof having a hot tea. But things were not going my way. I found out that theGas cylinder was empty. No matter how much I try and extract the last bitof LPG from the cylinder, the burner wouldn’t budge. I was pissed, butthere was nothing I could do for a cup of tea. I mumbled a bit but thenrealised the best thing to do is accept the fact. So I decided to watchTV..

The hunt was on for the remote amongst the stack of magazines, CDs, andnewspapers and finally the remote. Switched on the TV, tuned in to themovie category only to be welcomed by a blank screen. There was a messagefrom Tata Sky – “ Dear subscriber, Your services have been temporarilywithdrawn for non-payment of the monthly subscription charges. Please makethe payment immediately to resume your services..” OH craap !! I forgot topay the charges.. Bloody hell !! No TV, and that too its a weekend !! Nooo !!

It was a good Friday evening. Our plans for a party had to be cancelled cozof the heavy rains. So I thought of spending some quality time at home allby myself as my roomie had also left for his hometown. But little did iknow what was in store for me!

All pissed and irritated, I finally decided to catch up with my friendsonline and I barged into the bedroom to grab my laptop. By the time thelappy was booting up, I had somehow managed to calm myself down. I clickedon the Mozilla browser, and by default hit the Facebook URL. You won’tbelieve, I was again welcomed by an alert message. – “Dear Airtel Customer,Please pay the current month outstanding amount to enjoy uninterruptedservices”.. I was spell bound. Have never felt so frustrated in life. I waslike wondering, why is it that only I have to do everything. Why aren’t myroommates concerned at all? But what is the point.With nothing working in favour of me and left with no choices, I decided toread a novel. Still feeling irritated, Pissed and helpless somehow byaround 12.30, I slept off.

But unfortunately, it was not over yet. I had to wake up the very next day,early in the morning as the maid had already come. Still groggy, somehowmanaged to get up, opened the door and went back to sleep, only to be wokenup by the maid, as there was no detergent powder and she couldn’t wash the clothes. I just could not believe it was happening to me. There are so many things to be taken care of in the house. I somehow told the maid to washthe clothes the next day, and finally just managed to doze off again.The door bell goes off again. It was the cook. Yes ! We have a cook. Abachelor’s boon. But not necessarily mine. She enters the kitchen andshouts out a list of things not available ranging from vegetables to atta and so on.. Man I had to finally pay her extra 50 bucks to go buy it andthen prepare brunch for me !! Add to it the additional effort of makingher understand how to prepapre the normal roti – sabji without adding herown favourite masalas.. My God !! No one can ever dare to taste itagain... he he...

This was the time when i truly missed my Mom.. It is only now that Irealise how difficult it would have been for her to manage me, my sis, Dadthe maid, the cable wala, the newspaper wala, the household shopping etcetc etc.. the list goes on and on and on.... She never ever made any of usuncomfortable. Whatever we wanted was always available. She used to solely manage the entire household with such great perfection that I had almosttaken it for granted. It is now when I have to personally manage thesethings that I realise the difficulty.

I want to take this opportunity to salute all wonderful homemakers who havebeen making houses as homes for so many years and meeting the needs of theentire family....

I salute u Ma...

Cheers..Kash !

A Reason to Celebrate...

It was a regular day in Office.. The same old Client presentations, the same old pretending to be busy etc etc.. Somehow spent 11 hours in office and reached home.. As expected out of a typical Bachelor, the first thing I did was to turn on the Television.

I love the company of some good music especially when I am alone at home. So the obvious choice was VH1. Made myself a cup of tea all the while enjoying the latest number from Lady Gaga. Finally I freshened up and decided to watch a beautiful series on Discovery Channel – TIME WARP.. ( A Genuine statement to people who have not watched it.. you are missing something).. And so I was watching Time Warp and enjoying every bit of it till the inevitable ad break..

I was just staring at the screen when suddenly one ad caught my attention… My Hero, My Daughter… Celebrate Daughters’ day on 27th September, with Archies Cards.. I was like.. Duh.. WTF… Daughters’ Day. Hey... I am not against the Fairer sex or anything like that. I am just amused by the way these Greeting card companies make regular calendar days something really important.. I mean, no one ever celebrated these kinda stuff had these Greeting Card companies not made cards on Mothers’ Day, Fathers’ Day, Teachers’ Day even Valentine’s Day. I mean there is nothing wrong in it, but somewhere I feel the emotional value is getting lost... (I am bound to find plety of differences in opinion in this context)

But now , somehow I feel there has to be a limit somewhere. There is nothing wrong in Celebrating a day specially for someone, but there has to be a history behind it. There is a specific reason why Valentine’s day is celebrated, why Teachers; Day is celebrated and so on. But Daughters’ Day – on what context.. May be I am ignorant or unaware, but I don’t think the significance of an Intense relationship between a Father, Mother and their children should intensify on a particular day! It is something to be celebrated throughout ones’ life…

May Be I am thinking too much.. May be it would be better if I set my mind at rest and enjoy the next episode of Time Warp…

Disclaimer -- I have nothing against the celebration of any day, Just that I personally feel that the significance of certain relationships are lost into thin air behind the marketing gimmicks by a few companies..

Cheers.. I sign off...

Destination Unknown….

“Kabhi Kissi Anjaan sheher keliye ticket kata ke dekho”… Be Born Again….. these words said by Amir Khan in the latest Titan ad were echoing in my head all the while I was travelling in the Bus…

Everything started with a wedding invite that I received from a very good friend of mine. The D day was on 23rd of August and the venue was a small village somewhere in Tamil Nadu. Well that was the only information I had… Along with a mandate that no matter what I was supposed to attend the wedding at any cost ! However I was assured by my friend that he will ensure I land up safely at the right venue.. :)
You will not believe, I had no clue where this village was till the final date of travel as the tickets were booked by another one of our friends who was travelling along with me to the wedding. Finally, after loads of struggle, I somehow managed to find out the destination. It was close to Tanjore, the haven of traditional art forms paintings and the ever famous Tanjore temple. But still this wasn’t the exact location. But at least I knew where I was headed to – Close to Tanjore… he he..

So we boarded the bus on Friday night and reached the location on Saturday morning 7.30. It was finally when I got out of the bus (No Volvos or AC buses to the destination… Only an old rickety bus, which is probably meant to run only on country sides….) that I realised that I actually am in one of the remotest place in Tamil Nadu that I have ever visited. Apparently the ‘close to Tanjore' was an eye wash made by my friend who probably didn’t want to take the pains to explain where the hell we were off to. I realised that we were around 170 KM away from Tanjore and 380 KM away from Chennai...

Well the name of the Village or rather hamlet was ‘PATTUKOTTAI’. If translated literally into English, meant SILK FORT. It was altogether a different feeling. No hustle bustle of Automobiles, no blaring horns, no busy people running around. There were no Auto rickshaws. Only Govt buses were the means of transportation. That too one bus every 5 hours. One can slightly get a feeling as to what kind of place it would be.

But what changed my perception was the Tanjore – Pattukottai bus trip. I could experience the real beauty of the unspoilt, unpolluted countryside... Long winding (surprisingly well maintained) roads through acres or rather hectares of lush green Paddy fields on both sides dancing to glory to the tunes of the wind. The roads were rarely occupied by vehicles. Cows, Buffaloes, and occasionally the tractors used to crowd the roads near small towns. It was a beautiful experience all in all.

I was feeling totally out of place in a plain Blue Denim and Grey Tee. The rest of the Junta were in the traditional White Dhotis and White Shirt. I could feel as though the entire village was staring at me with amusement. And finally, after a two and a half hour long journey we finally reached the marriage venue.


The entire family was there to welcome us. It was a royal treatment that we got. I was taken aback by the warmth and the affection being showered on us. Suddenly, the feeling that – Oh my God, where on earth have I landed, just disappeared. I was feeling really great.

The marriage was purely traditional with the entire village attending the ceremony. It was a fantastic experience. The way the people of the village were taking pride in being part of the wedding was just too good. Small kids to young men had taken the responsibility to handle the function, from arranging the tables and chairs, serving the lunch etc. The females had taken up welcoming of the guests and collecting the gifts, ensuring that each one of the guests were well taken care of etc..

This made me realise how distinct is the culture with in one state itself. It was a great feeling to be part of the entire function. Pattukottai and the wonderful people will remain etched in my mind for a long time..

Image Source: http://wallpaper4god.com/wallpapers/destination-unknown_299_1024x768.jpg