Beautiful World

Someone who has tremendous knowledge, a good dressing sense, a great job, amazing salary and perks, a car and luxuries despite being humble and simple, unbelievable modesty, sensitivity and direction, humanity and patience… and an inferiority complex.

Someone who asks a million questions and appears funny and silly, and is still loved for who she is, and her honesty and forthrightness.

Someone who thinks he’s the alpha male, the most intelligent of them all, and acts like a prince even though he’s fake inside and outside, and people know it and see through his artificiality… and he’s still unconcerned and unaffected, regaling himself and exploiting others in his make-believe perfect world.

Someone who has a terrible destiny, and only one hand that can save, and he ends up biting the very hand that tries to pull him up from his deep grave… time and again.

Someone who thinks she is being used and abused, not aware of the fact that this “being used” is what gives her happiness and contentment... that without it, she would feel unneeded, unhappy and aimless.

Someone who can’t figure out why he is mistreated and ignored, and he behaves like he doesn’t care when he actually does. He isn’t strong enough to inquire or seek help, or to change even… but he still cares for those that mistreat and ignore him…

Someone who hides his insecurities by being mean to others, he dreams of being better than others by criticising and ridiculing the very people that love him…

Someone who has a pure heart and a fabulous sense of humour, he is smart as he is helpful, and yet his path is strewn with difficulties and setbacks. His tolerance and strength is tremendous... maybe the calm before the storm.

Someone who loves the sound of her own voice and has an opinion on everything, she is clueless about how she impacts others negatively, even as she carries a hundred gifts within her that get shrouded by her ugly words and tone…

Someone who has a deep understanding of people, relations and interactions… and yet can’t sustain a single relationship. Despite all his understanding and clarity of thought, he was alone. Not that he minded...

Someone who wants to be loved, appreciated, popular and idealized… and can’t unravel why she is forsaken as those lesser move ahead and achieve what for her appears unattainable.

Someone who abuses and insults people generously, his confidence and uncomplicated straightforwardness is often a slap in the face. How folks thought about him was not on the top 20 things he'd worry about. His goal was clear, his intentions were anything but tentative, and he revelled in his image - be it complimentary or the opposite. Commendable guts!!

It’s a beautiful world…

Made further gorgeous by many varied lovely people :-)

Like you and me!!

Look for the beauty around you. It abounds!!

Cheerio!
Princess

Wazzzup?!!

Hey there!

Thanks all you new and old readers who have taken the time to read my million thoughts and 400-odd compositions.

Thanks is also in order to you lovely, big-hearted people who have chosen to follow my blog and comment when a topic or emotion touches you…

To all you darlings, I’m highly grateful. Thank you!

What I’ve been up to recently? Well, I can explain that in one single word – WORK.

I’ve been immensely busy these last 3 weeks. Since the time I returned from vacation (Binsar, Uttarakhand – read more by clicking here), my life has been a roller coaster. At work, I have scarcely realised when one week began and the passing weekend ended. 10 hours seemed to flash by in 10 seconds as I was neck-deep in assignments, projects, tasks and meetings. I did manage to network with most people, but I can still think of a hundred things that need to be done… As they say, if it’s over, it’s not work!

(Well, who said it? I just did…)

But I can’t say it hasn’t been fun. I enjoy what I do. No complaints. I’d rather have no time for breaks than sit around doing nothing all day. Working gives me a chance to prove my potential and exploit my capabilities. What more can a dedicated professional ask for?

I can answer that – appropriate resources, collaborative and invigorating environment and supportive colleagues.

Touch wood, coz I’ve got them all. IBM rocks :-)

(At least for me… Which is why I completed a merry and fruitful year here not too long ago. Cheers!)

True, I’ve been unable to spare time for my friends and callers during the day. They keep calling and sms-ing, and I forget to respond despite my best intentions. I’m afraid they’ll think I’m avoiding them or appearing pricey, but believe you me, if you’re reading this, it’s not something I want to do. I do try to call them after work, or during a break, but more often than not, it skips my mind. Apologies. And thanks for understanding...

I've had a lot of friends and acquaintances coming and appreciating me for being lively, cheerful, fresh and smiling all the time. Well... thank you!! It's not easy, to say the least... but it's naturally me. And those closest to me know how difficult I can be to handle. Indebted to you :-) catch ya over the weekend...

Weekends – wait a minute, aren’t they the phenomenon when you can relax and do as you please?

Not for me. These last few weekends have been, if possible, busier than the weekdays. I had chores to finish, people to meet, things to buy and bills to pay. I've had no time to watch any new movies (apart from some on TV) or eat out at my fav restaurants. With most of the urgent to-do’s out of the way, I can now afford to take it easy and just chill out this coming weekend. Exactly what I need…

Come to think if it, it’s been more than a few years now that I have been planning to learn Spanish and Salsa. Just can’t seem to make it happen. I’ve been too busy, and the inclination hasn’t been that great. Looks like I’ll be doing either or both with my spouse. Yep! My parents are actively looking out for a match for me, and I don’t think they’re going to take it well now if I turn down prospective grooms due to trivial reasons and weird fantasies. So be it! I don’t mind postponing my already delayed hobby plans if it guarantees that I shall be tutored with a permanent partner than a temporary one. LOL.

But hey, there’s also another reason. A more important reason, if I might add…

I want to get my eye surgery done - the lasik that will free me from my glasses and help me see the world eye to eye, literally!

I’d have been specs-free in March, but the doc gave me the slip twice and then for other reasons my idea of this operation got canned. Come June and I shall plan and implement this once and for all. I’ve had glasses for almost 15 years now, high time I renounced my dependency and acquired normal vision.

Yes, I am aware of the things that can go wrong (the most serious of which is that I could have a slight power again, thank god nothing worse). As long as my prescription is less, and my eyesight doesn’t go altogether (which I’ve been assured it won’t), it’s absolutely worth it.

Besides, it’s no big deal. 90% of the population today has poor vision – a fact that is well hidden with contact lenses. And of these 90%, at least 40% have had their laser operations done completely or partially successfully. I’m all for it. And my manager’s got hers done recently. So, I’m all the more eager and excited. Of course, I will have to take care for a few weeks, but ta-da! No worries post that. A life without glasses… OH-MY-GOD!! Can’t wait…

Also want to colour my hair, and make them shorter. But the length is quite alluring right now, and I frankly see no festive occasion or cause to celebrate by spending a bomb on a makeover. All in good time. Maybe sometime in August.

Talking about August, I wonder when it will start raining in Pune. It’s already pouring up north and Pune is bearing the brunt by getting warm and windy. The met dept says end of May, but don’t we all know how much we can trust them…

What else am I up to? Ummm, I’m reading two books on and off. The first is Why Mars and Venus Collide by John Gray (the same guy who wrote the multi-million copy bestseller Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus). It’s quite a compelling read, talking about how the genders react differently to stress and how relationships suffer coz we fail to accept and adapt to these differences. Shall write about that soon, for you all to know and benefit… I certainly am getting more enlightened by the page…

The other novel is The Shakespeare Curse by a J.L. Carrell. The cover and brief appeared pretty interesting, but 90 pages down, the book isn’t gripping enough.

Updates over, time up for now!

Have a goooooooooood day, you!

- Princess

Things Fall Apart... And how...

I want you to miss me,
I want you to want me all the time;
To know that I’m the one and only for you,
I’d give my last and only dime.

I want to hear you sigh,
I want to listen to you say;
I made a difference like nobody never before,
That I was perfect for you in every way.

They tell me I ought to get over you,
The fools they know not the pain;
Even now when I see you looking at me,
It makes me blush, drives me insane.

As you strut around without a worry,
I yearn to sneak a peek at what’s inside;
I want to hope against hope it’s a mess,
That within me your peace and joy reside.

I want to know I was your pillar,
I seek to hear you made a blunder;
That you’d never find another like me coz I
Was meant to be your lifelong companion and lover.

Just how foolish could I be,
How naïve and injudicious;
To trust someone like you with my heart,
Was a move silly, lethal and capricious.

Fate’s but a funny thing,
For those that stand and watch;
For me, it was the harbinger of disappointment and dread,
When my sorrow climbed another notch.

I say I’m better off now,
With an uneasiness in my heart;
I know we could have been together,
But now we’re miles apart.

I have no one but me to blame,
And as I look for my gaffes and errs;
I look at you stalking other targets,
And my spirit’s about to burst.

Oh to be as brazen as you,
So phony and awfully devious;
And portray an image so hate-able,
Calm, manipulative and mischievous.

I wipe a silent tear,
As I teach my mind to beware;
I know daily zillion tears like mine are shed,
Coz a million of you lurk everywhere.

I wish I could say watch out,
The worst for you is yet to come;
But I know justice is a myth,
And hoping for it is dumb.

I say a sullen prayer,
Ridding my mind of hate and gloom,
Coz I see a garden void of deceit,
And flowers soon shall bloom.

Stay happy…

Princess

Vacation ... Part 3

Before I tell you more about water zorb-ing, here are the links to previous write-ups about my vacation...

Part 1: click here

Part 2: click here

And now... Zorb-ing...

Imagine this. You are asked to step into a ball-like thing made of plastic-like material and they blow it up with air till it’s well-rounded and bouncy. You are then velcrow-ed inside and pushed into a pool of water. And you’re challenged to stand up and walk on the water without falling down.

That’s water zorbing for you…

Wow is the first thing that comes to mind when I think of my ten minutes in the bouncing balloon on the water!

It looks uncomplicated, but trust me when I say, it’s tremendously arduous and tricky. Standing up inside the ball is laborious, staying that way for a few seconds and trying to walk is next to impossible. As the oxygen inside starts wearing out, you feel exhausted and can’t wait to get out.

I did manage to stand up several times, but the number of failed attempts were considerably greater. It’s almost like you’re on skates or a rolling board. The water is unstable, and the ball shakes with it. Each time you try to get up, the ball rolls over. Watching the way you shift your weight and maintaining balance are your watch-words as you try to slowly rise. And plop! There you go again…

All extremely fun to watch and laugh when you watch others zorbing, extremely gruelling when you’re doing it yourself!

Oh, and FYI, the one I did was in a pool of water. Zorbing is also done downhill in some places. Not something I’m dying to do. Call me sissy, but this one suited me just fine!

Wanna know more about this activity - check this and this.

Quite a lot of adventure for a week, right?

Apart from the treks I and mum randomly set off on. We discovered so many paths and shortcuts which would get us to a place in one-fourth the time it takes by car on a gravelled road. Quite convenient and essential for the local people, who I was told had no vehicles and walked almost 10 to 20 kms every single day. Whew! Hats off…

Umm… what else did we do? We played badminton and board games. We enjoyed sitting on the porch, balcony, garden and swing. We had pahari massages done with apricot oil almost daily, and played party games in the activity centre at the resort. I watched TV, listened to music, read and went for solitary walks within the campus.

Basically, I did everything I had planned on a relaxing holiday.

True, I missed swimming, but maybe it was foolish of me to desire a swimming pool in a place that has sporadic rain and snowfall and cool climate throughout the year.

Anyway, a vacation with mum had been on the cards for a while, so every minute was worth it. She’s such a crazy nut, and such a cute one at that! I have to keep reprimanding her for various reasons, given that she forgets her age and purpose more often than she should. But all in all, she’s my second favourite person in the world.

(The first is me. Duh!)

Seeing my brother after an interval was also nice. His power and authority was clearly impressive, and his staff was in awe of him. Proud of you, man… Keep it up!

A few other people who also deserve a mention – the most significant among them, Mr. Amit Sharma. A beautiful person at heart, and a lovable friend and caring companion. His humility and humor is marvellous, but his incessant chatter did drive me insane a few times. However, this holiday wouldn’t have been half the fun it was, had he not been there.

Also, Shweta Uppal – technically mum’s friend, but more my type than hers, so obviously we gel a lot better. And Nidhi, of course, who can very fairly be defined as Shweta’s un-forgettable and un-substitutable other half. Both very reliable, straightforward and thoughtful people, bless them.

Who else shall I remember… Mahipal the cutie, a sweet, young chap at the resort; Jack the fantastic, whose size belies his tremendous energy and passion while facilitating adventure sports; Tony the forgetful, who’d behave like he cared and yet forget half the orders we gave him during mealtimes; Nawab, who is a trainer with Club Mahindra and joined us on our Zero Point ride; Abhijeet the nut, who was extremely irritating and unlike-able in person, but who apparently was the source of many laughs for the staff... and last but not the least Golu, the most handsome pony I’ve ever seen, and our darling Bhoomik’s fantasy.

Long after I’ve returned and got back to routine in Pune, all these people and memories stay etched in my mind. A superb one week vacation, and memoirs for a lifetime.

That’s how vacations are supposed to be, ain’t it?!!

Catch the pictures on FB if you’re on my friends’ list… your comments and questions are most welcome :-)

Cheerio!
Princess

Vacation ... Part 2

(This is the second part of my travelogue. You can view the first part by clicking here)

Moving on to the details of our awesome holiday...
Here's more about the sightseeing stuff we did in Binsar, Uttarakhand.

Exploring the resort is a task in itself. There are beautiful flowers and pleasant viewing points to feast your eyes on the Himalayan ranges, among them Trishul, Kedarnath, Shivling and Nandadevi. You can see the same from Zero Point a short distance away which is situated in the Binsar Sanctuary that claims to have a variety of fauna, but doesn’t quite live up to the hype.

Most tourist locales are 25-70 kms from the resort, so they take anywhere between 1 to 4 hours by car one way. You can’t really drive any faster in the ghat, and the journey becomes soporific after a bit. (Having visited the more marvellous Manali and Darjeeling, valleys and rivers don’t stimulate me a great deal.)

Most sightseeing places boast of temples (chiefly Shiva or the local Golu Dev); among these we visited the temple at Bageshwar, Mallika Gananath and Jageshwar. The first was not really worthwhile, but the other two were fantastic. Gananath is as peaceful a place as can be, and Jageshwar has 125 lovely stone temples dedicated to lord Shankar and others. We also crossed Almora and Lakhudiyar on the way. The Bal mithai (sweet) at Almora is famous as are the (almost invisible and in my opinion, elementary) rock paintings at Lakhudiyar.

The Golu Devta Chittai temple is nothing less than magnificent, not for its looks but for the faith it commands. There are thousands of bells in the modest shrine, some attached with lengthy letters from devotees sharing their woes and wishes with the deity. Folklore says that for every fulfilled wish, a devotee ties a bell in the temple campus. Going by the number and size of the bells, Golu dev sure has been super busy working on the wishes of his disciples. Jai Golu Dev!

(I made a wish too, and tied a bell in advance. I’m not one to doubt the lord and his powers! Jai Golu Dev!)

I wanted to see Patal Bhuvaneshwar which has temples in caves and stuff like that. But it’s 120 kms away – a factor that substantially and sufficiently diminished my zeal. Who’d travel 12 hours to visit 65 underground temples? Not me… I’d have gone to Corbett as originally planned had I been that avid a ghat-drive-enthusiast.

There are other places, too, apart from the ones mentioned above. Do ping me or check online if you want more details. The above are all that I was eager to see in my tour.

Another place we managed to visit apart from the local sightseeing, was Nainital that lies on the way to Kathgodam - the closest train station to Binsar. Well, it's not really on the way, it's an hour detour from the actual route. Yet, it's quite worth it. The market is by no means a contender for the Shimla Mall Road, but the Naini Tal (lake) is prettier than words can describe. Especially at twilight.

Folklore says that the lake was named thus coz Goddess Parvati's eyes fell into the lake when her corpse was being transported by Shiva. I do not have the details, not having read this for myself. But it sure sounds interesting. We did visit Naina temple, that again is decorated, not by bells this time, but by red chunni's that are famous for Devi temples. I would have liked to spend some more time in the street/flea market, but we were running out of time, and would have missed our train to Delhi. Another time...

Well, on to our next topic...

Adventure sports.

Now that’s what was definitely the highlight of our holiday.


I did rock climbing, rappelling, valley crossing and water zorbing. And what’s even more awesome – mum did all these too. Damn, she’s a superwoman! Admire her spirit and passion, yaar! Touch wood.

(Muaaaahh, love you Maa. Happy Mother’s Day – you’re in Binsar today, away from me. Miss you.)

So, for the uninitiated, rock climbing is when you climb up a rock and no, the rope does nothing but dangle with you; you have to pull yourself up with the help of various holds on the rocky structure – something I didn’t know. I thought the rope eases your ascent by assisting in some way or that you pull the rope to bring yourself higher. Apparently, the purpose of the rope is just to ensure that you don’t fall down. Of course, it doesn’t save you from banging your head or any other body part… Bah!

Rappelling is the opposite – climbing down the rock. It is definitely more exciting than the climbing bit, and easier than it appears. Chances to break your nose and jaw still persist, so you gotta be careful. Once you get the technique, it’s exhilarating. You’ll want to do it forever, which you certainly can’t coz the rock ends sooner than you thought or wanted :-)

Rock climbing is harder and tiring than rappelling. Obviously, you have to follow instructions to the T and not mess around if you want to be safe and sound. Just trust the instructor and enjoy your experience! There shall be phases where you are keyed up and confident, then you give up out of the blue coz you just can’t seem to get it, then you are determined, scared, and finally victorious, self-assured and pleased! A must-do activity for everyone, young or old.

Valley crossing is the toughest of the lot. The fall is easy if you’re cruising downhill - your weight on the pulley carries you some distance. But after that, it’s a difficult journey. You have to keep pulling yourself semi-horizontally, and your own weight appears to break your back. It’s the simplest and most attractive thing to give up and say “get me off this”. But the crucial fact is, nobody can. You have to hoist yourself off the rope and that’s a herculean task in itself. I somehow survived it, but a few folks begged for assistance and were rescued midway. Not something I’d recommend for everybody – this is strictly not for the old, plump or frail.

And finally, water zorbing…

But let’s save that adventure for another day!

Don’t forget to come back!

Cheerio!
Princess

Vacation ... Finally!!

Gona divide my travelogue into 3 parts coz it's super huge :)

(What else do you expect knowing the way I rant and rave and elaborate and describe... LMAO)

Part 1

Yeah, u heard (read) right.

The travel gods finally smiled upon me, and took me up north to spend a terrific, unforgettable week with friends and family.

Where: Primarily Binsar, which is located ___ kms from Delhi and 40 from Almora in Uttarakhand. I also spent some time in Delhi and Nainital that fall enroute.

How long: I flew from Pune on the 20^th and returned on the 28^th; so exactly 6 nights and 7 days in the Club Mahindra Resort at Binsar (Basauli, actually).

Why Binsar: My brother is employed by Club Mahindra Holiday Resorts, and he is the resort manager at this particular site. Mum tends to miss him, and he tends to get home-sick, so we decided to go see him. An added incentive was that Binsar is a tourist spot that nestles in the Kumaon, and the resort is a luxurious and enticing holiday destination.

Having stated the basics, let me tell you that not knowing this place comes as no surprise. We’d never heard of it ourselves before Bhai went there. I mean there must be hundreds of such tiny hill stations situated all around the Himalayas. We knew Corbett and Almora, but Kathgodam and Binsar came as news to us. However, it sure is a beautiful place – valleys and all, and a place worth visiting if you love nature and adventure.

Surprisingly though, the resort was quite occupied and popular. Club Mahindra members sure leave no resort unvisited!

But let me describe things in their correct chronological order…

So, we took a Jet to Delhi, me and mum, and needless to say, the fun began long before we got into the flight. Mum’s younger than the tiniest tot, and her joie de vivre is infectious. She decided she wanted her name announced for boarding, and so we hung around at the terminal munching on popcorn much after the boarding call.

Her agenda was not completely achieved, as no announcement was made. As we sauntered to the designated gate, the attendant saw us coming and hurriedly ran to us saying, “Jet passengers to Delhi? Pls come this way, Ma’am…”

Mum looked at me. I winked. She grinned.

Mission complete. Partially. Not unacceptable.

Chortling, we followed the attendant who escorted us right up to the airline, giving a ‘thumbs-up’ sign to the attendant waiting to allow us inside. The moment we were seated, the flight’s PA system announced departure. LOL.

Oh, did you know Jet has no 13^th row? I noticed for the first time. Superstitions literally in the air.

We alighted 2 hours later, and spent time with mum’s friend in Delhi. After dinner at Eatopia, we caught the train to Kathgodam, the nearest station to Binsar. Post a 7 hour train ride and 4 hour car journey through the ghats abounding in pine and deodar trees and rhododendrons(“Boransh” that is used to make juices and squashes), we reached my brother’s current workplace.

It’s a divine place. And cool even in the midst of summer. What else can one ask for?

If you’re the resort manager’s mom and sister… a lot more.

In hotel lingo, we’re HWC guests… Handle With Care. We’re demanding, irritable and open about expressing our discomfort and displeasure. Ab jo hai so hai bhai…!! Haha.

Of course, we spare no praise if we get good service. Same and equal rules. We’re not biased or partial, you see.

So, what did we do? Apart from harassing the hotel staff, we travelled to close by sightseeing spots, enjoyed adventure sports and massages, played games and relaxed.

More on all of the above follows in the next few posts…

Be back with the details soon!

Cheerio!
Princess

Cope-Cab-Aana

This could be one very enthralling post for those of you that are familiar with the BPO world.

For those who aren’t, here’s some good to know info :-)

One of the perks of being in a call centre / BPO is the transport facility.

Note: I’m not saying it’s one of the “best” parts. If I did, I’d probably make front page headlines coz people would rant and rave and criticise me for spreading misconceptions leading to media abuse and social irresponsibility… Can’t risk it…

Anyhow… The point is, taking company transport daily to and from work makes for some very intriguing experiences.

The good part is definitely where you get to meet new people (if you’re the types that likes to meet new people, else it can be a tedious compulsion). Some become your friends, and others become topics of dialogue – the way they behave, the things they talk, their manner of dressing, etc.

Another obvious reason for taking the cab is that it saves you the trouble of driving on the crazy Pune roads amidst the crazier Pune traffic.

The bad parts, well these are more numerous.

One, you gotta walk to or from the nodal point, depending on company policies. This junction could well be a few minutes to a few miles away from your home, and walking before or after work is surely not on my must-do list. It’s tiring to say the least, and then to wait for the cab to arrive is another nuisance. Besides, you need to get ready quite earlier as compared to the time you’d take to get to work on your own.

(This would be based upon the total number of pick-ups and your serial number in that list. I’m not going to dispute this part of the routine coz I’m generally the first drop and last pick. Ward off evil eyes and jealous jerks!!)

But those are just some simple details… What’s remarkable are the co-passengers, the driver and the incidents that happen on the way…

I can’t possibly overlook the importance of the driver in this regard. He is, and mark my words, a VERY crucial element in this entire episode.

There are times when you will wonder if the cabs are a convenience provided for you to commute or for you to be left hanging. I seriously suspect that the drivers have standing instructions to NOT pick people up. If someone’s even a minute late, leave him. If someone’s phone is not reachable, leave her. If the cab reaches before time and the employee requests to wait, leave him nevertheless. Time, tide and cabs wait for no man (or woman; unless you’re the kinds that bawl and bellow if you’re wronged! Say hello to me, and contact me for tips if needed… Free of cost. My good deed for the day.)

And if you DO manage to board the cab, then you have to put up with the driver’s choice of music. I’d say you’re blessed if the driver plays the radio, preferably a youthful FM that plays Sheila ki Jawani and nice hummable tracks. On the other hand (and the more often hand, if I might be precise), drivers love turning the frequency to Vividh Bharti or some equally ancient USB drive.

Now don’t get me wrong here, I love all kinds of music, and I am not biased about singers youthful or old. The point is, I don’t know if the drivers themselves enjoy listening to those songs, or they turn up the volume to show the passengers who’s boss. What else can I say when I’ve spent 20 minutes with “Tum toh thehre pardesi saath kya nibhaoge” and “Mhara hiwda mein naache mor” blaring in my ears?!! Those are times when I miss cabs with no music systems…

And it doesn’t end there. If, thankfully for you, the cab driver plays some sane music at a sensible volume, you have the co-passengers singing along. If they were half as melodious as they thought they were, I wouldn’t complain…

There are also the types that are glued to their cell-phones yakking away to glory, some whispering out of concern for privacy (their own as well as the others’) and others screaming at the top of their lungs to make up for the poor network. (Get Idea… ahem!) And the icing on the cake is when they request other people to be silent or roll up the windows because they have trouble chatting up. The cheek!!

If there are known people on the route, it is a pain or a pleasure, depending on your mood. If you feel garrulous, then good. Yet there are times when you really wana think over something or just shut your eyes and enjoy the drive, and their screeching down your ears doesn’t help; you have to respond out of decency. (Unless you are the types that coolly care to hurt others.) There have been innumerable times when I’ve had to formally and forcefully laugh and chatter against my wishes just because some person in the cab was the undisputed leader of the glib gang. Poor, kind, martyr me!!

Oh, and in case you weren’t aware, the cabs could be any vehicle among an Indica, Sumo, Winger, Tempo Traveller or bus. And at least the ones I’ve seen are forbidden to switch on the air conditioner even if you’re melting in the heat. Melting’s not really that bad; what sucks is the touching shoulders and sweaty smells. But the lesser said, the better. Lack of hygiene is one of my pet peeves, and I don’t want to digress right now…

I know talking about the ugly stuff makes for some very interesting discussions. Yet, I must admit, it’s not all that bad. At least for me, things have been smooth and pleasant. Really depends on your attitude, if you ask me. I’ve befriended most of the transport desk at work, and I treat the drivers with dignity and cordiality. Even if I don’t often speak to unknown co-employees, I am genial if they need help. I crack jokes and I snap, based on my mood and the going-ons in the cab. But, I’m well-behaved on the route and disciplined about my roster.

Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, they say.

Enjoying your rides to work? ;-)

Cheerio!

- Princess