Back Home....

After a long tour with some good memories.  This trip was much more tense and stressful than the previous ones.  This was more intense for me coz somehow I was feeling a little low this time and there was some tension in the mind which was not related to the assignment but had a huge impact on my concentration.  Anyway the assignment finished nicely and a smile was there on everyone's face who was a part of it in any direct or indirect matter.Thats the most relaxing thing I guess so in total I am :-).

 

So if you are following my blog on a regular basis, you know I left from my home at Ludhiana on 8th August to Delhi.There are 2 ways to go to Delhi,either by a train or by a bus.  Well I missed the first option coz I didn't have the booking for the train seat so I had to take the other option, right bus.  I didn't get any seat in the starting of the journey :-(.But after few minutes finally, the good conductor of the bus made me sit on a nice front seat.  My baggage was lying besides the seat of the driver and it was a bit far from me and my reach.  So I asked a nice looking middle aged person to take care of it.  He looked at me and said, don't I have my own baggage to look after?Quiet right!So I had no other option than to sit and just hope that my baggage will go with me to Delhi and wont leave me in between the way:-).In all this tension,bus stopped at Ambala for breakfast and suddenly the same mid aged guy came up to me and asked me that am I going abroad or have come back from there in the recent times?So as I was not going to abroad but to Hyderabad so I said no I am not but yes I did go to abroad some time back for some personal reasons that's right.  Why and when did I go abroad?I shall tell about it some other time( to tell you the truth I really doubt that I shall ever tell you about it ;-).Anyway that guy saw security check stickers on my baggage so he asked that.  Well than afterward he became a buddy as that he knew me from so long back.  He was almost double in the age from me but he was talking to me like we were of the same age.  He had brought "Barfi"(an Indian sweet dish) with him.  He offered me 2 pieces of it with tea.  He was carrying complete pack of lunch with him and he was very eager that we two must had it together but I generally don't like to have anything in the travel and especially not in the bus so I politely said no to that.  He told me about almost everything about him,his family, his job.  He was working for a Belgium based company which makes land on the oceans and was going to Belgium only.  He was working with that company from last 5 years and he was very much happy and satisfied from his work.  He told me all about it.  Besides that he also gave me so many advices and suggestions on some very important things that are going to happen at some point of time in my life.  I was just smiling all the while when he was telling me all that not coz I was not paying attention or what he was saying was wrong but his way was so hilarious that I just couldn't help it.  But I shall remember all what he said as his words were not just the quotes from the books but they all were the juice of his entire life's experience.  So that's a promise that I am going to remember all what he said and will try to follow also wherever and whenever I can.  So in this all chats and talks, we were there at Delhi.  He was going to stay in Delhi for one night but I had to catch my flight which was scheduled at 17.20, so we said goodbye to each other and I left for the airport from the bus stand.

 

It was the time of Independence Day and the security was so much tight in Delhi as being the capital of the country.  So the normal way through which I always used to go to airport was closed.  Than my auto driver took me from another way which was so much long than the normal one and also he charged nearly double than the normal fare too:-(.Had no other choice so said yes for that.  I was there at the airport exactly one and  half hour prior to my flight time. My flight was from Jet Airways .  I just rushed to the counter to do the check in and ask about the flight.  Guess what flight got delayed by 30 minutes:-(.The connecting flight got late.Great.Than there was nothing else to do after the check in.  I had 2 cups of tomatoes soup, than just was sitting for the security check to be announced.  After having a can of coke, watching people for some time and enjoyed their somewhat funny acts, finally I was ready for the security check.  Did that and entered the waiting lounge.  On the good side, flight was not announced to be more late.  As it wasn't an evening flight so dinner was not going to be there.  Never mind that when you already need a strict diet schedule:-).

 

Finally flight came, we boarded the buses,went to the aircraft and were welcomed by the cabin crew of Jet Airways.Airhostess were nice and friendly.  No I mean really nice and friendly trust me no pun intended this time :-). I didn't have to ask for my cotton buds three times ;-), snacks served were tasty.  Overall it was a nice flight if we leave that additional 30 minutes wait period but that's okay I guess this is the case in almost every part of the world with domestic flights.  So without any heart-breaking news from captain, I was there at Hyderabad.Now normally there is a pick up cab that is there for me but this time the guest house was changed and they didn't have the facility of pick up.  Not a problem, I had the address of them so I took a prepaid cab, gave the driver( who was interestingly the owner of that cab as well as 9 other cabs) Suresh instructions which he said that he got them completely and I was on my way for the new guesthouse,Lake View Guest House.After about 30 minutes drive, we were in that area but still we couldn't find that guesthouse.We asked a local person and he said that we have come far from the destination and we have to go back one road.  Great!When you are hungry,tired, don't know where your guest house is,it feels so "good" to hear that you are there but still not there.  You must say there is one thing that we know as cell phone.Didnt you have it?You bet I had it.  I always have it with me :-) but it has an integral component called battery too which requires recharge too.  You got what I mean?Good!Right, I pulled out my cell phone, battery low signal was right there to welcome and warn me but you never bother about that do you?So I dialed the number of the manager and started explaining where we were.  As soon as he started explaining where the guest house is,SHOCK!!Battery dead!Tried to restart the cell, it refused to do so.  Everyone has a limit to bear the torture.  Its okay.  Had no other choice but to go back where we were told to go.  We went there just to find out from another person from there that from where we had come, that was the right place only and we again have to go back:-(!So good!I asked a car accessory store manager to let me recharge my cell coz otherwise we would be making rounds in a circle only.  He was a nice guy so he let me do that.  I made a call to the manager, asked him to talk to my driver.  He told driver the complete location with detailed guidelines which the expressions on the face of the driver were saying that he got all of them.  So with a thanks to that car accessory store manager, we again were on the road.  No this time we didn't lose the track and were right there in front of the guesthouse.Finally!Dinner was ready.  Well what can I say about dinner?I had to eat it as there was no other choice.  Does that explain how it was?No?Well it wasn't something which I would like to eat at any cost but you cant complain when its complimentary can you?Right so I just had to eat it and make my self strong to eat the same for the next quiet a number of days too.  Welcome to Lake View Guest house!

 

Next day I was at my office.  I met my manager, took the instructions, told him that guest house is not good at all and finally started my assignment.  I met Fazal after a long time.  As usual with the same heartbreaking smile and a shine in eyes, its always a charm to meet him.  We talked for so long on so many things.  As much as I talked with him, more I came to know that he is so much nice and my opinion about him was correct.  Want to see Fazal?Why you didn't ask before?But just like one free gift with a best buy is always there whether you want/like it or not,I am also there with him so you have to bear it:-).Here is me and Fazal in Hyderabad office.  Have a look:

 

In all this I got some days off so I went to see one of the seven wonders of Hyderabad, Salarjung Museum . As they say,its really an unforgettable experience to see the museum.  Every piece of art over there is unique in its own kind and I don't know where else you can find so many best pieces of art from all over the world under one roof.  If you are coming to Hyderabad and are confused from where to start, start with Salarjung Museum.  Than afterwards the next day I went to see, now one of the most favorite temples of Andhra Pardesh, ChilkurBalaji temple. As it was so much far from my place and I was told, there would be a huge crowd in the morning only, so I took a cab and left at about 4am.It took me about an hour to be there.  It was such a nice and relaxing feeling there at the temple.  If you are going over there with an expectation that it will be something for tourist attraction than let me correct you that its actually not.  Its not the art work of the temple but the belief about it which attracts so many devotees both from the Andhra Pardesh and also all over India itself.  I  was there at about 5am and there were about 25/30 people which were already there.  By the time when I was leaving at about 6.30am, the toll was close to 150/180 people and it was going to increase only with the passage of the day.  I was lucky only that everything went so much fine and with such a smoothness for me there.  My manager and friend,Ritesh was also staying with me in the same guest house so we decided to visit a near by garden which is one of the best gardens not just only in Andhra Pardesh but also in India as well,ShilpaRamam Garden.  All I can say about it is that you must visit it to see the beauty of it.  I didn't have so much time coz my schedule was pretty tight so I left the other things for some other time.  But all of these places left an unforgettable mark on myself.  Oh yes I did a little shopping also for my sister from Lifestyle.So in  all this fun and light moments, work and its tension and pressure was there.  But at last everything finished lasting a smile on everyone's face.  All were happy and I guess that is the most important thing.

 

So I finished my assignment and I rushed to airport.  Flight was there at 19.45 and guess what it was on time!Great!So after a quick check in and getting my window seat,security check, I was once again waiting for my flight to come.  It came right on time.  When I asked for my seat, it was again an experience which I wont ever forget.  I wasn't allowed to put my handbag under my seat as I was given a seat next to the emergency exit door.  When the crew member came and explained me what to do with it,all I said to her at the end,I hope we are not going to use it anytime in our flight.  She smiled and said no we wont.  You can say/think whatever you want but it was the first time for me to sit next to emergency exit and I cant say that I was comfortable.  But as you are reading this, that means I landed safely in one piece:-).So finally after again going through the procedure of catching first cab then bus,at last I was at home at about 6am.Was I tired?Hmm when you don't sleep for 2 days,running with a bag full of about 20 books,a luggage from one place to another to catch cabs,buses,flights, I guess its not so much nice and appropriate question to be asked ;-).Oh I forgot to mention the "great" food we were served in our guest house:-).

 

So finally I am back home.  There are couple of things that I have to do and finish now.  There are 3 weddings of my friends coming in the next month,September.  So I have to assist them with their shoppings and all that.  When I am gonna shop for my own wedding?Ha ha not the right question to ask at the moment coz no plans are there and I seriously doubt if there ever will be too.  My friend Amandeep's birthday just passed the other day.  He would be leaving on 4th September back to London and I may go with him to see him off.  Also I have study to do too.  So things and schedule are quiet busy.Atleast it sounds that its so much busy ;-).So to make myself capable of coping with everything,I need some rest and sleep.  So I am going to sleep for the full day.  I have some ideas which are not getting furnished and finished about which I want to blog.  There are some music reviews that I have to do, write some abstract thoughts.  I shall try to finish them too as well in the coming days.  Okay so I am off to bed now.Aadios!!