Weekend

Yesterday was a slow day. Woke up at 4 pm, got ready for a get together at 5 am. Turns out to be one guy's birthday. Went to Juhu chowpatty. Saw a lot of 'couples' sitting at the end of the beach and 'doing some stuff.' Then, waited for this guy nicknamed 'kid' to meet us up, for over 45 minutes. Then, went to this supposedy Italian restaurant in 7 Bungalows area. Got the best pizza I've ever eaten - with sausage and chicken. Chain restaurants like pizza hut or pizza corner or domino's can't even stand before that quaint little restaurant. Also served my favourite dish - fish an chips, but was not as good.

Today, started early to go to a redlight area nearby, as a part of an AIDS awareness campaign conducted by an NGO. Was warned that I would become queasy about that place - supposed to be very dirty and filthy. It was just like another slum in Mumbai and another low income area in Chennai. A lot of first times for me today - visited the first police outpost/station in my life (to get permission to conduct that program), entered the first proper slum, the first red light area, first time in Eastern Bombay. I don't know why such areas are called red light areas, did not see a single red light anywhere, I wonder if there are proper lights atleast. Also did not see muchw women, but a lot of eunuchs. Distributed a lot of condoms and soaps. They tell me that many men in Mumbai actually prefer eunuchs to women. Was interviewed by an afternoon paper which comes out in the morning (again, first). This will be first time for a newspaper, but had made a radio appearance on my last day in Chennai.

Still got half a day before me to kill.

Disgusting Morons

Today from morning till now, my sights and senses have been assaulted
by uncouth idiots (sex no bar) who have been doing disgusting things
all day.
The first thing I see every morning at the bus stop is the guy who
keeps ice blocks to be used in juices and cool drinks covered with a
dirty sack over a gutter, which has frothing dirty water.
Today I went to the washroom in the office and there I see one filthy
bugger come out of the toilet and went out without washing his hands.
Next, I come out and see one guy who just cleaned his nose reach out
and shake the hand of another guy. In the evening, I come to the bus
stop and was very unfortunate to stand behind this moron who was
coughing all the time, spewing water particles over the ladies standing
next to him and in front of him. Not only that, he hacks and spits all
over the place in the bus stop. I get into the same bus with him and I
go to the far end from where he is standing. More misfortune - I sit
next to a dog who digs his nose upto his knuckles and uses the same
hand to hand over the cash to the conductor. I have seen similar things
even in my 'prestigious b-school.' I was made to sit next to this moron
who kept on digging his nose, for one full year. If that was bad, the
guy sitting left and behind me had the habit of doing the same but I
always gagged when I saw him have a 'little snack' after that.
This is not just in Mumbai, even my room mates do it, but not such
things. They constantly take the glass from the rack, wipe the bottom
on their shirt and dunk the whole thing into the container of boiled
water. So much hygiene that I reheat some water and store it in a
bottle, for myself.
Yuck!

getting kicked out

I am getting kicked out of my flat. I am now staying with Mr. J and Mr. Sun. It is actually Mr. J's flat and Mr. Sun stays with him. He was allotted living quarters which he rejected because 'he can't stay alone'. Earlier there was a fight between Mr. J and Mr. Sun about letting Mr. J's neighbour at Salem staying with him for some time. He was angry that he was not consulted on that matter. Mr. Sun said there won't be 'privacy'. What privacy? It is a two bedroom flat, with one room lying unused. They kept the whole place dirty, except one bedroom which they shared. When Star-dude and I moved in, we cleaned up that room, which was worse than a city dump. Now, Mr. Sun is bringing in one of his old co-workers. Now, Mr. J is angry because he was not consulted and it was his place. But Mr. J has gone home on a vacation. Now, Mr. Sun wants me to move out because it will be 'difficult to cook for four people.'

I had decided to sublet one of my colleague's flat which is available from the 15th of May. Mr. Sun says '15th is too far away. If you can get a place even far away, you take that and move out.' At the same time, he has reapplied for living quarters (must be the fourth or fifth time), and might be moving out by 20th May, or perhaps even before that. For those many days, he has told me to get a place before the end of this month (that is within 5 days) and move out.

Meanwhile, I try to call up some of my co-workers to find emergency accommodation. I call up this guy at 9.30 pm and he doesn’t pick up the phone. The moron returns my call at midnight trying to find out who it was! He calls me up and demands to know who it was. Groggy, and disturbed from sleep, I tell him it is he who called now, and he has to identify himself. He then tells me he received a missed call from my number and wants to know who it was. He then thinks it is I and asks if it was I. He then abruptly hangs up. Idiot!

successful cousin

My most successful cousin is going to Hong Kong for some convention and says will get me an ipod. He wants 15% of my salary for all the things he had done me as a child. I found out he was as jealous of me as I was of him :) Our jealousy is immortal, and congenital. I still remember him pushing me out of 'his chair' when I was 3 years old and remind him about whenever I see him :D

Three day weekend

Ah! My last three-day weekend for the next four months has gone at last.

So, this guy named ‘tomato’ in college pays this city a visit on Friday for some interview and I play host. Not having seen him for almost three years, he hasn’t changed much – the same man-boobs, the same beer belly, the same hairstyle, etc. I took him to Nariman Point, where his interview is and saw it was buzzing with activity even on a holiday. My return journey was not so peaceful. I just saw the train pulling out of Churchgate station when I ran and jumped into the nearest bogie. I was surprised to find it ‘cleaner’ and with no crowd- only three women in the whole compartment. I was just getting settled when one guy at the next station calls me and tells it is the ladies compartment. I could feel the blood drain down from my face. One of my nightmares was coming true. When the train pulled into the next station, I jumped out even before it stopped, and ran as fast as my short legs could carry my jelly belly and jumped into the next compartment. My father had warned me about such things, I should have listened to him.

With one roomy already at home, and the second just leaving for his home, the flat was available to me for two whole days. What did I do? Nothing but sleep. Also took care of the work I took home. No use doing some job at the office when you can browse the Internet at work, and finish the work much faster at home. However, you run the risk of being seen idle in the office. Hmm!