Revenge (A Short Story) - Part 2

Vijay is a MBBS student aspiring to be a neurosurgeon. He has been dating Kavitha for the last three years. Vijay wants to marry Kavitha soon but Kavitha's parents want him to become a doctor first. They have been going to the restaurants and parks a couple of times a week as part of their dating. While Kavitha is content with holding hands and chatting, Vijay wants more out of this relationship physically. So whenever he gets a chance, he will try to kiss her or caress her. And these things always make Kavitha uncomfortable as she is a traditional person who thinks that only married couples can have physical contact and that too, not in public.

As always, Vijay was trying to get as far as he could with Kavitha in the park that Ganesh walked into. Vijay was trying to kiss Kavitha and she was resisting it playfully in the beginning. Vijay should have stopped there but he did not that day. He continued with his efforts while Kavitha's resistance grew louder and stronger. When Ganesh saw them, Kavitha was lying on the floor yelling "no, no" and Vijay was on top of her trying to calm her.

This was the spark that ignited Ganesh's mind. He assumed that what happened to his sister was happening to another girl and then that girl was replaced in his mind by his sister. So he felt like he was actually watching his sister getting raped. He was so angry that his body started to shiver. He was incapable of thinking at that point, and he lunged towards the couple on the ground. He ripped Vijay off of Kavitha and started wrestling with him. Vijay was saying that they both were just playing and Kavitha was standing next to them helplessly. While they were wrestling, Ganesh applied undue pressure on Vijay's neck and snapped it. In a moment, Vijay was dead. It took a while for Ganesh to realize what he has done. He just looked at Vijay's body in shock and then looked at Kavitha to see that this was not his sister. Kavitha started screaming and running towards the park gates.

Ganesh wondered about what he had done. How could he have taken somebody's life? How does this compensate for what happened to his sister? Why did he do that? While there was remorse, there was an ugly satisfaction as well. There has been a bad act and Ganesh has done something about it and he justified it by saying that Vijay might have done the same thing to Kavitha. He slowly started walking towards the road. Only he knows whether he is going to the cops or his home.

(The End)

Revenge (A Short Story) - Part 1

He was walking down the street completely lost in his thoughts. His name is Ganesh and he works as a regional manager in a bank. This is what happened to his sister earlier that night.

His sister, Poornima, is doing her MBA and has been dating one of her classmates for the last five years. They both plan to get married once Poornima finishes her MBA. Normally, Poornima goes to college in her moped but since it broke down, she took the bus that day. She had to stay late to get one of her assignments done in the library that day and was waiting at the bus depot to come home around 9 pm that night. Ganesh or her boyfriend would have given her a ride but one was busy at work and the other one was out of town. So she had to wait for the bus that late in the night. The bus depot was deserted and that was making Poornima a little anxious. But the bus should be here any minute, she kept thinking.

Instead of the bus, a guy in his mid-thirties walked by. He looked the usual kind but his eyes were intensely angry. Poornima always notices people's eyes as she thinks that they are the windows to a person's soul. She did not want to chit-chat and so she did not make any eye contact.

The guy who walked by Poornima is Anand who has been dumped by her fiancee just today. She had said that he was not daring enough (man enough) for her. He could not take this very well and was just wandering around when he saw Poornima.

Seeing Poornima, who reminded him very much of his fiancee, made him angrier - both at himself and at his fiancee. He wanted to do something to take out his anger. And so he did the unthinkable.

He went and stood by Poornima and kept inching closer to her when she started moving away. Small steps became a walk and then a run and Anand kept chasing her. Poornima made the mistake of going into a back alley that was mostly dark and completely deserted. She was so scared that she didn't even think about calling somebody on her cellphone. Once they got into the alley, he picked up his speed and came very close to her.

He pushed himself against her and she could feel his hardness. Now she was really scared. She tried to get out of his hold and that didn't work as he was quite strong. She tried to bite him but that was not effective either. Now he was unzipping his pants and thrusting himself against her and she could not take it anymore. She had tried everything she could and did not know what else to do but she was so angry, so sad and so lost now. He did what he wanted to do like an animal and when he was done, there was that one second when they made eye contact. She looked at him like he was the worst creature on the face of the earth and he looked at her like he had accomplished something. Then he left.

She just laid there for about 15 minutes. She was thinking that the author who wrote that if a woman ever finds herself being raped, she should try to enjoy it, was a moron. She did not know what to do but got up slowly after some time and walked up to the main road and looked around for an auto or taxi. There were a few people walking around that gave her a suspicious look as she was still disheveled, in spite of her best efforts to clean up. Luckily, an auto came soon and she got on it. The auto driver gave her a cheap look but she didn't care.

She reached home in 10 minutes and she kept thinking how different it would have been if she had just taken the auto in the first place instead of waiting for the bus. All this to save 20 rupees. Her mom was in the kitchen and so Poornima just ran into her room and locked it. She usually likes a little alone time when she gets home and so her mother wouldn't think anything about it. She laid down on her bed and kept staring at the ceiling. There were too many incoherent thoughts going through her mind and her head started to ache. She removed her clothes and threw them in the trash as she did not want anything to do with that guy and went to the shower. She took a long shower and came into the kitchen. When she saw her mother, she had to muster all her strength not to cry. But she went and hugged her mother, which was unusual and her mother teased her about it.

Her boyfriend called after some time and she managed to chit chat with him quite effectively. She was surprised at her own resilience but she did not want to give in. She kept telling herself that she should not let this unfortunate incident ruin her whole life. As her boy friend was very tired, the phone conversation was short. Then her brother Ganesh came and he immediately knew that there was something wrong. They both have shared a special relationship and are best friends. When they got a moment alone, Ganesh asked her what was going on. Her immediate reaction was to lie but she decided to tell everything to her brother as she wanted so badly to share it with someone.

Ganesh listened to the whole story in a deafening silence. When she came to the end, he asked her if she knew who it was. She said no. Then he asked her what she was going to do about it. And she kept staring at the wall and then said (after what seemed like a very long time) "nothing". This infuriated Ganesh who kept shouting "how can you not do anything and let him get away with it". She said that she didn't want everybody around her to get hurt because of this and also that she might not even be able to identify the perpetrator. Their mom called them for dinner and so they both calmed down and went to the kitchen.

This is why Ganesh was so lost in his thoughts. He was quite impressed at how his sister was handling this, which was quite different from the character in that book he recently read, who wanted to commit suicide after getting raped. He had a lot of anger in him and wanted to do something about it but did not know what. He realized that his sister has to move on with her life and can't throw away her life because of a single event (no matter how big an event it was). But still, there needs to be some consequence for an act like this, right? Ganesh thought so as he entered the neighborhood park.

(To be continued)

Dreaming while Awake

If you are ever feeling great about your vocabulary in a language, you just need to try translating a song (assuming you are bilingual), and that experience will humble you. I used to be a big fan of the Tamizh author Baalakumaaran (the reason for "used to" is a post in itself) and have thought of translating his novels into English, so that more people could read him. But I have never done it and may never do it after this. But then maybe translating a novel is easier than a song...maybe.

One of the recent songs that I very much like is "suttum vizhi chudarae" from the movie Ghajini. I can listen to it five or six times in a row, much to the chagrin of my co-listeners. One day, I happened to be listening to this song with some of my friends who don't know Tamizh and so I translated some of the sentences for them. As a credit to this song, even my not-Tamizh-knowing friends liked the song (or so they said!) and figured out that it was romantic (maybe because it was a duet?!) . This, combined with wanting to translate for some time, prompted me to translate this song from Tamizh to English. But now I wonder what got into me to want to do that.

First of all, translating a song is difficult. You realize that it is hard to find words in another language even if you understand what it means in the original language. I like languages, especially Tamizh and English (the ones I know) and Spanish and Italian (which I don't know but like to hear them anyway), but now I have better appreciation for the nuances in different languages. These two languages are so different that it is a wonder that I can speak both :-)

Without much more rambling, here is the translated song in English.

Male:
Light from bright eyes
Light from bright eyes
My world revolves around you.
Your photo in my shirt pocket
Is touching me and
My heart is on fire.
I fall in your sight and
Fly in space.
I dream while I am awake
Because of you
I dream while I am awake.

I saw softness on your chest
Hardness in your sight
Searched for the in between
But didn't find it.

Female:
I blabbered in my sleep
Stood in the drizzle
And thought of you
When I sneezed.

Male:
Are there black and white flowers?
I saw them in your eyes. Your eyes
are flowers that eat the bees. Your eyes
are flowers that eat the bees.

Female: (Light from bright eyes)
A certain wood pecker
Snatched my heart and
I gave my body and soul.

Male:
With neither fire nor wick
That bodies would burn
I realized only today.

Female:
Is rain more beautiful? Or sunshine?
When you flirt, rain is beautiful.
When you are angry, sunshine is beautiful.
When you are angry, sunshine is beautiful.

(Light from burning eyes)




Notes on the translation:

The translation does not do much justice to the beauty of this song and so one is better off listening to the song either at Raaga (original version) or at Swarasthaanam (a beautiful rendition by Meera and Jo). "Light from bright eyes" does not come close to expressing all that is in Bharathiyaar's phrase "suttum vizhi chudarae" (I could not translate "suttum vizhi chudarae" and had to ask a friend for help and I don't mean to discredit the friend's translation but just want to emphasize the difference in the beauties between languages). I still don't know how to translate "mellinam" and "vallinam" into english and have went with substitutes like "softness" and "hardness".

The biggest challenge in translating is to choose between the literal translation and taking some liberty so as to convey the message. I think the above translation has both, as and when convenient for me! Regardless of the fact that the English version is not as mellifluous as the Tamizh version, it was a new and enjoyable experience.

Thanks to Selvaraj for helping me with the translation. If you have a better translation for any of the words/phrases in the song, let me know through the comments.

And folks, try to dream while you are awake as well (not the same as day dreaming!).

Mumbai Train Tragedy

A heinous crime was committed in Mumbai on July 11 and about 200 innocent civilians returning from work lost their lives. The tragedy and the Mumbai pride have been expressed very well by Amit, Gaurav and Uma. In addition to posting updates on their blogs, these three and some others, did a terrific job at Mumbai Help trying to get in touch with stranded folks in Mumbai and keeping their loved ones updated on the internet. Now, that is useful blogging and one of the best uses of the technology, that I have seen. Thankfully, the city of Mumbai returned to normal (as normal as possible) the next day and there was no follow-up violence. Violence can never be the answer to violence and it surely doesn't help reach a solution. What happened to Mumbai train passengers can be compared to what happened in New York City in 2001, but still the coverage in the world press has been minimal.

I have been to Mumbai only once and spent only a few days there, but still I was sad for what happened there on July 11 (and it is not 7/11 but 11/7, according to the Indian style of writing dates) and at the same time proud to read about so many humanitarian acts towards strangers. The folks at Mumbai Help stayed up till the wee hours of the morning giving hopes to the ones in different continents about their loved ones and trying to contact them quite frequently. It was a day/night when both the best and worst of humanity was exhibited. Unfortunately, the worst took a toll of several lives.

The one thing I keep wondering (whenever a terrorist attack takes place) is what message do the terrorists want to send by killing normal working class people. Are they trying to threaten that they have the capability to cause damage and more might follow? Or is it just a senseless act on their part that we can't reason out? Why don't they want to sit and talk, like humans are supposed to resolve conflicts? What purpose can they be serving that needs 200 lives? I just don't get it.

Bombings seem to be continually happening in Mumbai. The previous big one was in 1993 and the culprit on that one is still at large. So the first and foremost thing to do would be to identify the responsible set of people for this one and bring them to justice. Only then can the common person feel safe in Mumbai. One can only wish that politics and money don't influence this in anyway. And then, security measures will have to be beefed up in the train stations and other transportation areas. Also, intelligence measures will have to improved (a cabinet minister said that there was some intelligence information on some activity but he did not know when or where, which is ridiculous as even I can say that). Providing safety for its residents is one of the most important duties of a Government and no amount of economic progress can substitute for that.

In the meantime, this incident illustrates the fragility and transience of life. So enjoy every day and don't worry much about the past or the future. Try to be nice to people and if not, stay away from such people. If there is nothing good to say about somebody, don't say anything. Perform random acts of kindness and spend a lot of quality time with your loved ones. Don't bicker about who is better than whom, as in the end, everybody is treated the same. And let us hope the people who died on the 11th rest in peace. And let us hope for peace.

Wow!!!!!!!!

It is not very often that I am speechless in wonder. But that happened twice in the span of two weeks. First, when Bill Gates announced that he is going to leave day to day operations at Microsoft to spend more time managing the Gates foundation. Then, a week or so after that, Warren Buffett announces that he is going to give away about $30 billion to the Gates foundation. Wow! is the only thing I could say about that. At least, till now.

I have been a big fan of both these guys for about 10 years now. I used to admire Warren a lot when I started looking at investing in shares and mutual funds. It was inspiring to learn that here is a guy who made billions of dollars through his prudent investing. There used to be a time when I had hopes of attaining a bit of what he accomplished in the stock market. Not anymore. Now I will be glad to own at least a share of Berkshire Hathaway A fund. But after some time, I stopped admiring Warren as much as he was not big on charity and I used to wonder what could he possibly do with so many billions of dollars. But that was his choice and so I respected that.

Bill is another story though. Just like everybody, I learnt about him and his ruthless and overly aggressive manners in Microsoft related activities. I was neutral about him as quite a few businessmen behave in such a way and sometimes a little bit of it is even necessary to survive in the cut throat environment. But then came news about Bill and Melinda Gates foundation (it is awesome that the foundation is named after both of them, I think). And then, there would be pictures of Bill and/or Melinda spending time in India or Africa with HIV infected kids. This made me start admiring Bill and it just kept growing the more I learnt about his foundation.

Last year, when I was in India, Bill and Melinda visited India and that gave me an idea of how much they are influencing (in a positive way) the downtrodden. They were everywhere in the media and were treated almost like a country's President. Now with this announcement, it is clear that he is planning on spending his second half of life (with his wife) doing a much more noble thing that running a business (even if it is one of the leading businesses). Just the fact that a college dropout created a company like Microsoft is impressive. But then, after amassing a significant amount of wealth, he creates a foundation and puts a lot of thought into making it effective is even more impressive. It takes a big heart to give away money and it takes a bigger heart to spend your own time and life in making sure the money is spent on worthwhile necessities. This is what Bill seems to be doing and this is why he is on the top of my most admired list.

It seems to me that Warren has had a change of heart as regards to giving away his wealth. And that is a welcome decision. I cannot help think that this change is due to Bill (at least partly) as they both are pretty good pals (how cool is that?!). So while I admire Warren more now, I credit Bill for leading by example. It is not very often that one gets to hear news as good as this and so let us savor this for some time. Check out the Gates Foundation to find out more about what they are doing. I did it last week to see if I can volunteer but the site says that they do not need any (sigh). It appears that they are running the foundation like a business and since they are successful businessmen and woman, this will be a success story as well. So once again, kudos to Bill, Melinda and Warren. That is a terrific trio that is bound to affect a lot of people's lives in a very positive way.

Simple Pleasures

It is important in life to be able to appreciate the simple pleasures. After all, the big ones like winning the lottery (I keep wishing!) or getting married only happen rarely. But the simple pleasures are all around us, if we only pay attention and take things easy. One such simple pleasure in life for almost everybody (I have not seen an exception to this yet) is ice cream. And especially mango ice cream (ooh la la!). Sorry to disappoint anybody who was expecting something more profound (go have an ice cream and you will forget the disappointment).


A few weeks ago, I was at a restaurant where they had a buffet that included mango ice cream. I was sitting facing the buffet table (of course) and so soon after we sat down, I noticed that people kept crowding near the mango ice cream. I am trying not to eat much sweets and so I was hesitant to go near the ice cream, but tried a spoonful and realized why the ice cream was so popular.

I got ready to get my own share of the heavenly delight (the first spoon was just a taste) but unfortunately they were out of cups. And there was only one piece of it left (the ice cream was on a big baking tray). Here I am waiting anxiously for the cup (a cup, actually) but lo and behold, someone else comes with a cup (definitely seconds) and scoops off the ice cream. My heart sinks (just like there are a lot of small pleasures, there are a lot of small disappointments as well).

So now I wait patiently for the new tray and so do several others. Aah, here comes another tray fully laden with frozen ice cream. Someone else got to it before I did and so I was the second person to take a stab (literally, as it was quite frozen and hence hard) at it. I kept stabbing it till I got some and left wanting more but too lazy to stab any longer.

And then things got (more) interesting. Everybody who came to get ice cream seemed to have their own technique in getting the frozen delight off the tray into their cup. Some would try to dig it while others would try to stab from the sides. In the meantime, the scoop fell on the floor (due to the heavy hitting perhaps) and was not replaced promptly. During that time, it was saddening to see everybody's faces that came to get their share, only to find that they can't have something that is so close. The best part was when one guy tried to get this frozen mass by breaking it with a papad. It was hilarious to watch as the papad kept breaking and falling on the ice cream but he kept at it, till he realized that it is a lost cause and people might be looking. The scoop was replaced and the invasion of the ice cream snatchers started again.

During all this, I had finished off what was in my cup and was contemplating if I should go for it again. But feeling guilty enough for eating a lot at the buffet, I decided not to. I was also giving a running commentary of the gala show by the ice cream tray to the ones at my table who had their back to the buffet and they were roaring with laughter. So we decided to leave before getting kicked out.

Moral of the story is to get your ice cream first!

Cruelty in Sri Lanka

Last thursday, the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) brutally killed a family of 4 in the Sri Lankan town of Vankalai. The news item can be read in detail at TamilNet ( warning: there are some very graphic pictures from the massacre site here). Thanks to Selvaraj and Gilli for writing about this (both of them are Tamil blogs). There is no justification for this heinous act and this family could have done nothing to deserve this. This kind of incident makes me feel guilty for the innumerable pleasures and comforts I have in my life, but this is not about me.

There has been a struggle going on between Tamils and Sri Lankan government for a long time now. And there are the Tamil militants/terrorists/freedom fighters that are called LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam). But now the SLA (which is part of the democratically elected Sri Lankan government) is on a rampage and killing innocent folks. For a native perspective on this, check this blog.

There are a lot of questions that come to mind about this.

1. What kind of democratic government would resort to such killings? Why haven't the citizens of Sri Lanka done something about this? I saw an excellent movie called Judgment at Nuremberg recently in which quite a few Germans claim ignorance at all the atrocities committed by the Nazis. This makes me wonder if it is like that. Finally, one guy has the nerve to tell all those Germans not to pretend that way. Powerful stuff.

2. Why isn't India doing something about it? After all, India is the closest country geographically to Sri Lanka and the people being killed are Tamils, who are originally from India. Is this the kind of protection the largest democratic country provides its natives? Makes me very proud to be an Indian! And then, where are the international human rights watchdogs?

3. Why is the media not covering this in more detail? The mainstream media in India is not even bothering with this, and I am not sure what they are afraid of. The Indian blog world (other than a few Tamil blogs) is not paying attention to this either as they are busy with Rakhi Sawant and Mika's party kissing (which is interesting, by the way). I have to admit that I came across this only because I am Tamil and visit some of these blogs but still this is much more than a regional issue.

The international media and agencies know how things can get worse when nothing is done about such violent acts, as we just witnessed it in Darfur in Sudan. These kind of abonimable acts need to be curtailed as early as possible as they have the tendency to take way too many innocent lives. And nobody has the right to take somebody else's life.

Other than write about it, I don't know what else to do. So now I go back to my comfortable world while innocent people like Mary Medaline, Moorthy Martin, Ann Nilxon and Ann Luxica die. But they will be in my thoughts for a while.

Munich: After-thoughts

I saw the movie Munich a few weeks ago and found it moderately interesting. The first half of the movie was a very fast riveting thriller but the second half was more like a slow drama. The change in pace and actions in the movie made the second half seem like a let down compared to the first half and hence the moderately interesting comment. But the movie accomplished something (for me) that not many movies do and that is to make me think and discuss about it for a few days after that.

Simply put, the movie is about taking revenge for a bunch of unnecessary killings of the Israeli Olympic athletes during the 1972 Olympics in Munich, Germany. During the first half of the movie, the athletes get killed and Golda Meier appoints our hero to get revenge. The hero is so sure of what he needs to do and sets about doing it. But after a few revenge-killings, things start becoming gray. The hero (and his small group) wonders about the purpose they are serving and what they are accomplishing, and that is when my thoughts start racing too.

Although this is something I have thought about several times, I always seem to stop with no conclusion. The fundamental question is if it is ever alright for one person to kill another person. In Munich, what the killers did to the athletes is unjustifiable and the athletes did not do anything to deserve that. But is killing the murderers for that justified? I am not sure. The follow-up question is what is the right punishment for an act like that. I have to admit that I can't come up with any that even I can buy. There are options - some practical and some impractical. The practical one is putting them in jail for life but then the public will have to pay for a murderer and that does not seem fair to the public. The impractical option is to send all murderers to a remote island and have them work for their living expenses and do whatever. But this is not feasible as some might get killed in the island or escape and would just lead to more issues. I do realize that if murderers do not get punished adequately, then they could take advantage of it, but I still can't bring myself to say that they deserve to die.

If there is one thing I can't even begin to understand, it is how anybody can take somebody else's life, regardless of the cause.

Natural & Person-Made

We went on a trip to Las Vegas and Utah a couple of weeks ago. We wanted to go to Las Vegas but did not want to be there for our whole vacation and so decided to combine them. We flew into Las Vegas and spent a night there and drove to Bryce Canyon, Utah the following morning. This is my second trip to Las Vegas and I really liked it the first time. It felt like Las Vegas was the epitome of capitalism and represents America in all its glory and pitfalls. But it just did not have that appeal this time. It was very surprising to me that I did not want to go gamble or even look at any casino that first night. Everything seemed too big and too much – just too much.

So after a good night’s rest, we started on our 4-hour drive to Bryce Canyon, Utah. Once you leave Las Vegas, there is nothing and there is more of nothing. Somewhere in Utah, we picked a restaurant called Gimme Sum mainly by its name (I am a sucker for interesting book or movie or restaurant or drink names) and the food did not disappoint us either. As we went closer to Bryce Canyon, it got considerably cooler and more beautiful. This is my second trip to Utah (the first one was to Salt Lake City) and so I am going to generalize and say that Utah is a clean and beautiful state.

Bryce Canyon is the opposite of Las Vegas. There were only a couple of restaurants around and they close at 9 pm. Only a few places were open as the season begins only in May there. And it was very very cold. We got ready to go see the canyons and take some hikes bright and not so early the following morning. It was too cold to hike but we wanted to get the most of the trip.

Our first long stop was Kodachrome Forest where there were some interesting rock formations. We stopped at some lookout points to take pictures or just wander. It was nice to do that in the serene environment. We walked on a few short trails and then decided to head to Bryce Canyon after lunch.

Bryce Canyon is absolutely beautiful. I have seen Grand Canyon but Bryce is much more complex formation and just more beautiful. What it lacks in size, it makes up for in beauty. The tall rounded structures (called hoodoos) are everywhere.





We saw deer as were driving by and some of them just stood and stared at us. It felt like the whole place has been kept very close to nature, without being commercialized. And that was a good feeling. We walked on a few hikes amongst which one of them was a difficult one (for me). And so I was proud at having walked through the distance and height.

We went back to our hotel for a brief rest and came back to the canyon with dinner to see the sunset and the night sky. But it was too cold and so I did not last more than a few minutes on the canyon. I like to see sunset and all but not when it is biting cold and when I don’t have the proper attire for that. So it was sunset from the hotel!

On our way back to Las Vegas we took the scenic route from Bryce Canyon to Zion National Park. Zion is more rock formations but they are much bigger and less complex than Bryce. We went through a mile and a half long tunnel (we were the first ones leading an entourage in the tunnel….ooh…..scary) and that was exciting. This tunnel is built through the mountains and there are some holes inside the tunnel (like windows) and you can see the vast mountain range as you drive through the tunnel. This made the tunnel drive more interesting. As always, some people were honking while driving through the tunnel, the reason for which I will never understand.

We spent longer than planned in Zion as it was hard to leave such a beautiful relaxing place. But then we hit the road to get back to Las Vegas. We got into Las Vegas one Sunday evening and it took us more than an hour to get to our hotel in the “Strip”. That would have to be one of the most frustrating things during this trip and the moral is not to drive in Las Vegas, and especially on the Strip. We checked into our hotel after wading through the crowds and learnt that 1300 groups have checked in and 1300 groups have checked out that day (just in that hotel). And it was Easter Sunday, for crying out loud. Whatever happened to the religious right, I wonder?!

We found a new Indian restaurant called Tamba (or is it Tabla?) between MGM Grand and Aladdin and decided to eat dinner there. It was surprising to see an Indian restaurant in an area famous for its culinary greats, and so I was curious as to how this place would be. Interestingly, the place was quite full – never mind that 80% of the patrons looked Indian. The dinner started off with a lychee martini (it is very good) and ended with carrot halwa (mm..mm..good). Overall, the restaurant got thumbs up from us.

After dinner, it was time to hit the blackjack tables. I decided to play single deck blackjack thinking that it would be easier. But then I lost interest as the folks before and after me were hitting blackjack and I was busting. So we played for a little while and headed back to our room. Came back home the following day to a blistering heat. But still it was good to be home.

This trip combined one of the man-made wonders and natural wonder. And nature won hands down.

Next trip will be to Seattle end of May, and so watch out for travel writing again then. I have been lackadaisical in updating my blog due to a variety of reasons but thanks to those who have been subtly and not-so-subtly prompting me. I tend to go into some philosophical pondering as to why I need to write and what it matters for, but I will just have to do it.

Enjoy the summer, everybody.

One Year with Kutti

Today is the completion of one year since we brought Kutti home. So, today is her birthday as far as we are concerned. It is hard to imagine life without her now. Just like with a human being, I have developed a pattern with her. When I come to the living room in the morning, she knows that it is time to go out and she will wait by the door. When I am ready to leave for work, she would wait by the door for her treat. Once she gets the treat, she will move away from the door so that I can close it. Then she will wait by the fence to make sure I am really leaving and then she goes about her business.

She is bilingual too. She will come (most of the times) when I say "come" in English and “inga vaa” in Tamil – how amazing is that?! She knows that she is in trouble when I raise my voice and will just go into her most vulnerable position as a way of apologizing. It is just so touching that I forget what I was upset with her for.

The latest accomplishment with Kutti is walking her (in parks) without a leash. It is interesting that when she is on a leash she will try to pull but when she is not on a leash, she will just walk a few feet from us and then either wait for us or move on after making sure we are coming. I have come a long way with Kutti in this one year, and it has been a wonderful experience. In the first few days after coming to our place; she tried to run when we had the front door open for just a minute. Now, she just roams around the front yard when we are doing yard work or washing the car. There are still a few lapses when she sees that daring rabbit or squirrel, but our home is her home now.

Here is one photo of Kutti by herself and another one of her playing with one of our friend's dogs.

It's March Madness, Baby!

March is my favorite sports month. I am not a big sports fan but like college basketball. And the best part of that is the tournament that takes place in March every year. The March Madness this year started today and so I thought I would write something about it (can’t write a whole lot as I will miss the games then :-)).

A committee picks the 64/65 teams that play in this tournament and there is always a debate over some teams that got in and the rankings of some teams. Finally resigning to the fact that I can’t possibly agree with the committee on the whole bracket, I have told myself (which I needed to be reminded of sometimes) that the ranking does not matter in the end. A team that can win will win, regardless of whether it is ranked #4 or #9.

Here are some things I like most about this tournament. There are always upsets and it is so heartening to see the underdogs win. These kids (oh man, that makes me feel old!) give their all to win and that is their only objective for the forty minutes of the game. Yes, there are contracts to sign and money to make but those come after the games.

The other interesting thing is to watch the courtside demeanor of the coaches. There are some coaches who would be yelling at their players even when their team has a comfortable lead and then there are some who won’t be saying much even when the game is within a few points. The theatrics can’t be scripted to be this dramatic.

I have been filling out brackets for the last few years just for the thrill of it. And it makes the tournament more exciting to keep track of my teams – the ones I have going to the Final Four. I have to say that I got lucky last year and won the office pool and that was an easily earned few hundred dollars. This is sheer luck as there were other people who knew much more about the teams and the sport than I did. But then that is the beauty of any sport, isn’t it? One can’t say that this is the better team and hence this team will win, as there is always the possibility that the underdog could play better and win. It is 50-50 chance for either team.

Some years ago, the tournament brackets were filled on paper and the pool coordinator would be checking them after each round and posting the results. But now, lots of sites have pools that can be managed online and this makes it so very convenient to participate in pools with friends (regardless of where they are).

For anybody that is interested, here is (one of) my brackets for this year’s tournament.




Root for my teams, if you haven’t filled out a bracket :-)

Eating Healthy

Just like a lot of people, I would like to lose a few pounds and get in shape. But this is one of the hardest things to do. If not, why would there be a zillion commercials and products related to weight loss. The thing that I find very interesting in these weight loss commercials are the before and after pictures. The before picture is of someone very fat (of course) and sad whereas the after picture is of someone extremely attractive and joyful. These before and after pictures crack me up whenever I see them.

I am trying to "eat healthy" these days by watching what I eat. While I was trying to pick a way to lose weight, I read about the different diets. Atkins was out of the question as it does not allow carbohydrates. How can I survive with no rice and bread? Finally it dawned on me that it is the calories that I should watch for. So now I try to limit the number of calories and especially the ones from fat, to keep it simple. Of course, then they say there are some good fats and some bad fats and that one should eat less fat but still eat good fat. And that makes the whole thing very confusing. Of course, I give in once in a while. How can one resist when they bring the dessert tray to your table after the entree? But so far, it seems to be working somewhat - could be better but could be worse as well!

Of course, when I go to India, all bets are off. The justification is that the next chance will be a year or two away and so I have to eat all of my favorites. Here is how a typical day goes in India. Wake up and have coffee and some breakfast. Then we go shopping and the first place we see is a fast food place and so we have to try out that latest snack they have. We do that and then go to a store that we planned on going and then we stop by a juice shop to drink something. Then we go to a couple of other stores and then stop by a restaurant (mostly Saravana Bhavan) for lunch. Then we go to a few more stores and then stop by another restaurant for a light snack and to pick up something for the ones at home. Then we head home. There we have tea and some more snacks. Then it is time for dinner, which may sometimes be preceded by a snack as well. After dinner, we eat some fruits before going to bed. Yes, there is some exaggeration involved here, but you get the idea. Inspite of all this, I do not gain weight in India as there is a lot of walking involved, I think.

I noticed several health conscious efforts going on in India as well. But the Ananda Bhavans and Hot Chips don't help them in anyway. But that is where all the good things are! So Enjoy, but in moderation.

Blank Noise Project

Blank Noise Project is an endeavor by a few people in India to recognize eve teasing as a sexual crime and make it unacceptable. It is a very laudable effort as this is not a topic that is discussed openly in India, let alone protested against.

Here are my two cents on sexual harassment in the Indian context.

Just like most girls growing up in Chennai, I have been subject to sexual harassment - the groping, the rubbing, the pressing etc., mainly in crowded buses, but also on the streets and inside some houses as well (curiously Blank Noise does not have a group in Chennai, which is one of the four biggest cities in India). In spite of these happening very long ago and my being more mature and open now, I am not ready to talk about the details for various reasons.

Here are some things that I think could be done to alleviate this issue.

1. Raise awareness among young girls that this is a common problem and that it is not their fault that they have to go through this. Encourage them to talk about it with anybody they feel comfortable with. Impress upon them to retaliate. I attended a self defense course a few years ago where they told me that the best offense against a guy is twist-grab-pull (you know what), and I wish I had thought of that then and had the guts to implement it (you got to give it to them where it hurts). At the least, raise a shout so that they would be too embarrassed and move away.

2. Introduce a sex education class in schools so that everybody is aware at a young age what it is all about so that they don't covet it secretly. Hopefully, this will also encourage open dialogue about sex and related matters. It is a normal thing and everybody is doing it, and so what is wrong in talking about it?

3. Make it a crime, as this hurts the woman - both emotionally and physically. Publish stories and photos in the media so that those guys know that they are being watched.

Yes, all of these are easier said than done, and much easier said online and from outside India. But for my part, when I go to India, I wear what I want to wear (in spite of the stares I get on the roads) and vocally admonish when some stranger touches me. However from now on, I will be more conscious of this around me, and raise a voice even when I see it happening to somebody else.

Things I can Learn from Kutti

For those who don't know, Kutti is our pet dog. Here she is (can't miss an opportunity to show her, can I?).

I keep thinking that there is a lot to be learnt from her. If I could, I would write a book called "All I Really Need to Learn, I Learnt from Kutti". But since that is a tall task, here are some things that I think are impressive. Now, if only I could actually apply them!

1. Always express love: She always shows her affection towards me, either by wagging her tail (sometimes really really fast), or by licking my face or by just collapsing when I pet her.

2. Be ready to play: No matter what time of the day (or night) it is, she will be ready to play (mostly fetch). This seems like an excellent way to keep oneself active and healthy. Sometimes, for no particular reason (that I can think of), she would run and run around the yard and that gives her the much needed aerobic exercise.

3. Live in the present: She has no memory of what happened just a few minutes ago but is always living at that moment. Of course, she remembers some big things. One time, we scolded her for jumping on us while eating pasta (it is hard enough as it is!) and so from then on, she knows not to do that while we are eating. But then, everytime the vacuum cleaner or blender goes on, she just goes crazy and starts chasing her own tail.

4. Never hold a grudge: This is an extension of the previous one. Even if we leave her alone for 12 hours (it does not matter whether it is 2 or 12 hours), she would be waiting by the door when we get in the house, and express the same kind of welcome.

5. Show happiness: We tend to not express our happiness sometimes, but she will always show it by wagging her tail (is the speed of tail wagging directly proportional to the happiness level, the engineer in me can't help wondering?!).

Of course, there are a few things like not to lick and sniff everything that she can learn from me, but I don't think she would. I think we would all be better off if we learnt some things from dogs. And I truly hope there are dogs in heaven, if there is one.

Life is Good....Still

Seems like there is bad news everywhere these days. The only good piece of news that I have heard in the last month or so is that of the eight co-workers who won the $365 million powerball. Good for them. I feel happy for them, even though I wouldn't mind being the ninth member in the group :-)

But all the other stuff around us in the world seems not so good. There is the guy Entwistle who has allegedly killed his wife and nine month old baby, which if true is abominable. And then there is the U.S. VP shooting a co-hunter by mistake; come on, give me a break. And of course, there is the ongoing killing and rampage in Iraq, where they say a civil war could start anytime. Then there are the cartoon protests and killings, the DUI-ed coach who wouldn't resign, the doping athletes at the Torino Olympics, so on and so forth. For its part, in India, there is the omnipresent moral police who want to take us back to the 18th century. Then there is the big hoopla about an article on celebrity pets. And some serious issues such as killing infant girls and dowry related deaths.

I have had enough of the bad news, and so I don't even want to watch or read the news anymore. Sometimes, it can get hard to maintain a positive outlook when all one hears is bad things. What do I do then? I go deeper into my own little world where there are only good company, good coffee, good books (not magazines though) and good blogs. It helps to do things that don't involve lot of thinking - like walking the dog, watching sitcoms on TV, listening to music (sappy romantic songs would help a lot), and cooking some good spicy Indian food. These are the times when good friends and close family members seem invaluable.

In spite of all the bad news around us, we need to remember that life is good, as there are still small wonders all around us, if we take the time to pay attention. It is easy to get bogged down with work, everyday chores and the bad-news-hungry media. But then there is that occasional phone call or email from a long lost friend. There is the letter I can write to another long lost friend. There is the weekday get-together with friends like I had last night. There are those times when I laugh so hard (at something that is really not that funny) that I have tears in my eyes and my stomach hurts, but I can't stop.

So, life is good....still, in spite of everything. What good does it do us or others if we are miserable, in addition to all the bad stuff around?

On a different note, check out this very thought provoking post by Amit Varma, Do not draw my unicorn.

But You Talk Like a Man

It happened again yesterday and so I want to vent here this time. I want to go on top of a building and shout that I am not a man. But that will only make it worse for me. Keep reading and you will understand what I am talking about.

I know that my voice is not as sweet as Norah Jones or S. Janaki or Lata Mangeshkar, but if it were, I would be a professional singer, right? But still, it is a little too much when people assume that I am a man (especially since I am not one), just because I sound like one on the phone. Yeah yeah, I realize it is not their fault for thinking that way, but look at it from my perspective. People in USA can't figure out from my name whether I am a man or woman. And my name is used for both men and women in India and so that doesn't help either.

This has been happening for quite sometime over the years now. The first few times, I made the effort to correct them, only to wonder who is the more embarrassed party - me or the person (I am not going to run the risk of assuming it is a man or woman) on the other end. And then, I stopped telling them, as long as it is an one time conversation and/or we won't be meeting face to face. A few times, even someone I know, would think it is my husband when I pick up the phone (oh boy!) and then I have to tell them it is me, which will be followed by profuse apologies. Most of the time I am able to laugh it off but there are a few instances like the one below that makes me mad.

I called my brokerage service one time to place an order (as their online service was not working that day) and the representative I talked to said that according to my account I am a female but that I don't sound like one. So he (yeah, I am pretty sure about it) thought that I was trying to impersonate (myself?) and would not let me place the order. Needless to say, I was upset about it and told him that it is not my fault that I sound like this and that he can ask me all the security questions they have. He asked me a few of those and I answered them correctly but still he said that once they get suspicious, they can't let any activity in the account till I fax them a copy of my driver's license. I was furious at this partly due to the confusion because of my voice and partly because I could not place the order (after all it is my money) and wanted to talk to his supervisor. The supervisor assured me that they take all these precautions for the safety of their custormers' money and tried to convince me that it is all for some good. Then I had no choice but to accept their decision and fax my driver's licence. But still the whole episode left a bad taste in my mouth (about my voice?!).

This happened again yesterday. I was talking to someone on the phone and they referred to me as a guy. At that point, I had to point out that I was not (only because I may meet them one day). And the response I got was, "but you talk like a man". I had no way of responding to that. But then, I got to thinking that we all tend to identify patterns in things and people as it makes it easy to comprehend and remember. Taking it too far makes us stereotype. Although I try not to stereotype, I still can't avoid it all the time.

So there is a pattern in people's minds about voices and since mine is not shrill enough, they think I am a man. Some other common assumptions are that a man should earn more than a woman and that a man should be older than a woman, in a relationship. When there is an aberration to the pattern, some of us can understand and accept it easily. Some of us can't understand it but will still accept it. Some diehards will have nothing to do with those people (these are the scary ones).

This takes me down memory lane to when I was growing up in India. I liked to sing along with the songs on the radio but was always told not to as it was not a womanly thing to do. Once I was even told that I needed to change the way I walk to look more feminine. Needless to say, I abided by those at that time (at least tried), as I did not know better or have the nerve to talk back. When I wanted to go to a different city to do my engineering degree, one of my relatives asked my parents why a girl needs an engineering degree. The other thing in India is it is ok for guys to smoke but not for girls (at least that is how it was when I was growing up). I think that smoking is harmful, period. But how is it that the society accepts men who smoke but not women? Based on these examples, do not think that I was oppressed in India. Regardless of what people will say, I still had the freedom to choose. The point I am trying to make is that the scales are not balanced right when it comes to women and men.

All I can say is that I am not assuming someone is a guy or a gal based on how they sound, after all this. Will you?

Homebrew

It all started when I visited Portland, Oregon during 2004 Labor Day Weekend. Well, you could say that it all started when I had my first beer (which was when, I don't remember). But regardless of when it started, I am a homebrewer now.

I had started to develop a taste for beer (yes, it is an acquired taste) some years ago and have been toying with the idea of making some. I have heard that Full Sail is an employee owned brewery and liked their beer and so included a visit to Full Sail Brewing Company during the Portland trip. Full Sail is in a place called Hood River and there is a strategically located homebrew store right next door to the brewery. The atmosphere was cheerful inside the brewery as they had a pub (have you noticed how people get happy (or peaceful) after a few beers?). Even the employees were very happy - maybe because they own a piece of the place?!

I went on a tour of the brewery and the tour guide was very informative and interesting. While I walked through the brewery, I thought that making beer is like part being in the kitchen and part being in a chemistry lab. Since I like both of those most of the times, it looked like something worth trying. So I asked our tour guide how to get started, and he suggested that I read a book called "The Complete Joy of Homebrewing" by Charlie Papazian. He also encouraged me by saying that it is not difficult and that several people do it. So, off I went to Powell's Books (another swell place in Portland) and got that book. As I am notorious for starting something enthusiastically, and losing interest after a while, I wasn't even sure I was going to read the book.

But surprisingly I read the book and still thought that it is possible to make beer at home. The book is very good at making things sound very simple and mistake proof. If anybody is even remotely thinking of homebrewing, I would highly recommend reading this book. So, I still wanted to brew after reading the book. The more I learnt about brewing, the more I wanted to try it, and that is a very good sign that something was actually going to happen.

After some searching on the internet, found a homebrew store nearby that has a starter's kit. With the help of a few enthusiastic friends, I managed to get there and buy it. The starter's kit comes with a 5-gallon fermenter (which is just a plastic bucket with a spigot and lid), hygrometer (to measure the density), capper for the bottle caps and some other miscellaneous things. We have made 3 batches so far and they have been well consumed. All of my friends seem to like it, and some of them really do know their beer. And so, I managed to brew the fourth batch two weekends ago.

This time, decided to try German Oktoberfest beer. I wanted to make it last October but did not get to it. One of these days, I want to make beer from a recipe and not a kit, but for this one, kit it is. The brewing process itself is relatively simple - put the different ingredients at different times and stir once in a while. The key thing about brewing is to make sure the containers are clean - cleaning them takes much more time than actually making the beer.




Once the brewing is done, the "wort" (which is the brewed liquid shown above) is mixed with some water and allowed to ferment in an air tight container for a few days. The recipe specifies a certain density before and after fermentation, but ours has never matched them, but still our beer has turned out good. Once the fermentation is over (you will know that when the bubbling stops), it is ready to be bottled. Some homebrewers I know don't bottle their beers but keep them in airtight containers but bottling seems to work well for us. The back breaking activity is cleaning all the bottles before putting some cerveza in it. We collected some empty bottles from here and there and it was interesting to see how some bottles are easy and some are difficult to cap (the resident capping expert thinks Corona is the best). It took a first hand experience of filling to realize that dark colored bottles are difficult to see through - one just doesn't think about these things before hand, duh! We have a highly technical method of putting a tube into a bottle and one person watching the bottle level and the other person having a hand on the spigot (fancy word for faucet?). When the level reaches a certain point, the hand holding the spigot needs to close it immediately. That is when you appreciate the consistency in the bottles of beer you buy.

Anyway, after the bottling process, the bottles will have to be stored in a dark place (accomplished by covering with a blanket) for 2 weeks and then allowed to age for about 3 weeks. Then fresh tasting, one of a kind, homebrew is ready to be savored. We are now 2 weeks into the waiting process and have 3 more weeks to go before we can try this batch, but we can feast our eyes till then (see below).



It is an interesting hobby and a very productive one as well, that will get you lots of friends! It is mainly due to the support and encouragement from some friends (you all know who you are) that I am continuing it. There is an extra bit of bitterness in our homebrews so far that I don't care for. Hey, that is why I have a different day job, right? For now, the plans are to keep brewing in 5-gallon quantities as and when the mood hits. But there is a dream - to have a microbrewery one day. Who knows, it could very well happen!

After reading this, if you are wondering about the name of this beer, you will have to keep wondering as we don't have a name yet. There have been some suggestions but none that have stood out and captured the essence of it. So, if you have any ideas, shoot - it may one day be known world wide when we open our brewery. Or at least, go try a microbrew instead of a Bud or Coors (ok ok, I couldn't help it!).

Yes, Guinness is one of my favorite beers. I am waiting for the day I can go try one in Ireland, and say BRILLIANT!

But for now, Cheers!

Yet another Love Story - Chapter 4

They both met with his sister the following week in a restaurant. It was a bit awkward in the beginning but they had a nice meal. She thought that considering the occasion, it went well.

The following day, he called her in the evening after work.

“Hi” she says, “What did you think about last night’s dinner?”

“It was not bad” he said without much enthusiasm.

“Not bad? I was patient the whole time in spite of your sister’s probing questions.”

“I appreciate that, but ….”

“But what? What did your sister say?” she was losing her patience now.

“She said that you were alright, but that she has some reservations”.

“What? Let us remember that I met with her for you even though I was not keen on it. And now I am being treated like some student taking an exam.”

“I understand, but I am not willing to commit to anything until my sister is fine with you.”

“I love you, and not your sister and your sister need not love me. Out of curiosity, what are her reservations about me?”

“Firstly, she did not like the fact that you drink. Secondly, she said that you are too independent and so she is not sure how well you will adjust to married life”.

“Well, do you agree with her?”

“I don’t mind your drinking and I think that the more we get to know one another, the easier it will be for us to compromise and live together.”

“I agree. So why are you still hesitant to commit?”

“I told you already. I got burnt quite a few times in relationships where I tried to make all the decisions by myself.”

“So, what do you want to do now?” she asks.

“I want you and my sister to get to know one another better. Why don’t you two spend some time shopping and going places?”

“Let me remind you that this relationship is between you and me” she said angrily.

“Yes, but I want my sister’s buy in as well”.

“Why? Why are you afraid to take responsibility and make decisions?”

“Because my decisions have not worked in the past. Also, remember that arranged marriages work very well in our culture.”

“Yes, but arranged marriage is not for me. I want to know the person I am marrying before I marry. Not after I marry.”

“Then we are not on the same page. As I think it is better if more than two people are involved in making a decision about a relationship. After all, we don’t know everything.”

“We are not on the same page? Looks like we are not even in the same book”.

“Just remember that most of the marriages where people know one another before the marriage do end up in divorce.”

“I am not going to live my life based on statistics. I am going to live my life based on my feelings.”

“I think that we do need the odds to work in our favor. Listen, I like you. But I just can’t marry you. I need some more time and input into this.”

“You can get all the inputs you want for some other girl. As I am not going to sit here while different people evaluate me”.

“Will you reconsider?”

“No, I have done some things already that I don’t agree with, and I don’t want to keep doing them. So, it is good bye then.”

“Good bye. And good luck.”

“Same to you.” She says and hangs up the phone.

She wonders what is going on with the current generation. Aren’t we supposed to be more independent and progressive? Did she make the right decision? Was she too hasty in making up her mind? She told herself that she did the right thing as she does not want to live with someone who can’t make up his mind. She switched on the TV and started watching a rerun of Friends.

He could not believe he had lost her. But he knew that this was the right thing to do as otherwise he would be in love and get hurt more when the girl rejects him. Now at least his sister will understand his plight. He picks up the phone and dials his sister's number.

- The End

Yet Another Love Story - Chapter 3

Over the next three months, they go to lunch or for coffee/drinks after work, at least a couple of times a week.

Once during lunch, “Are you free this friday night?” he asks.

“Yeah, I think so” she says.

“Would you like to go to a friend’s birthday party with me?”

“Sure. Who is the party for?”

“An old college friend of mine. I keep in touch with him sporadically. But he is in the same town and so I thought it would be nice to go to his party.”

“I am game. We can do that” she says.

So friday comes, and they both go to the party. There are about 20 people there but he didn’t know anybody other than his friend and she didn’t know anybody other than him. So they find themselves talking to one another most of the time. After a few drinks, she decides to bring up THE topic.

“uh um, I have been meaning to tell you something” she says, almost like a whisper.

“What is it?” he asks, gently (as if he knew what was coming).

“I really like spending time with you. The more time we spend, the more time I want with you. Does that make sense?”

“Well, it doesn’t make sense, but I understand” he says teasingly.

“I think I am in love with you” she says with lot of emotion and expectation in her voice.

“Thanks. I like you as well, but don’t you think it is too early?”

“I can’t really time my feelings, can I?”

“No, you can’t. But I think that I could fall in love with you eventually but would like to get to know you more. Right now, I like you, and that is it.”

“That is a start, I guess”, she says, somewhat disappointed.

“I haven’t told you this but I got burnt pretty badly in my last two relationships. So I am taking things very slowly” he says.

“I can appreciate that. As long as we keep moving in the same direction, I am alright”.

“Also, I want you to meet my sister”.

“I can, but I don’t understand what that has to do with our conversation here”.

“Since my last breakup, I am not so sure about my judgments when it comes to girls. I used to be sure but not since the last two breakups. So I talked to my sister a lot about it and she has volunteered to help me with my relationships.”

She could not believe what she was hearing. But she wasn’t going to act rashly, at this point.

So she said “If you want to discuss with your sister about me, that is your thing. But what do you expect me to do with her?”

“I want you two to spend some time together. That is all. Her opinion of you would help me a lot.”

“I am not sure I understand this” she says, a bit angrily. “I believe that we should take control of our lives, as much as we can, and not let others run it for us.”

“I used to be like that, till I went through relationship after relationship that did not work”.

“But all relationships are not the same. I am a totally different person than any of your previous relationships. How can you use the same yardstick without even giving us a chance?”

“I am giving us a chance, right? That is why we are sitting here talking and spending all the time together” he says.

“Ok, so what is it that you want me to do?”

“I would like us to meet with my sister and then I would like you to spend some time with her by yourself.”

“So you want me to spend time with someone I don’t know at all!” she says incredulously.

“It won’t be too bad, as she is my sister”.

“Ok, even though I don’t understand why you want this, I will give it a try, as I want to give us a chance.”

“Thanks. I appreciate it” he says.

“Shall we go now?” she says, a little impatiently, as she wants to stop this and go home and lie on her favorite couch to do some thinking.

- To be continued

Yet another Love Story: Chapter 2

This place is not bad, she thinks as they walk in to Everest Coffee Company. There is a nice aroma of coffee and there are lots of cartoon posters on the walls. The girl at the counter seems to recognize him and even knows his name. He does some small talk with her and smiles the whole time. She is not sure she likes that, but what can she do, she has just known him for a week.

They both order their coffees – she gets a cappuccino and he gets a mocha with a double shot of espresso (she notes that he likes his coffee strong), and go find a table for two. He offers to pay for the coffees and she likes that and also that he says that she can get it the next time. She is glad that he likes her too and wants to go out with her again.

“How do you like this company?” he asks.

“So far so good, but then this is my first job out of school”.

“Oh really, where did you go to school?”

“University of Chicago. And you?” she asks.

“Not to such a good school. I went to Rice.”

“It doesn’t matter now, does it? We are both working in the same company” she says, trying not to sound condescending.

He laughs and says “Well, that is a consolation. But I’ll take it”.

She really likes that he smiles often.

They talk about where they are from and their immediate families, but those things don’t have to do anything in this love story. At least, not yet.

“So, what do you do in your spare time?” she asks.

He says that he likes to bike, listen to music and go on hikes. And he has a dog (a chocolate Labrador) that he likes to spend time with.

“And what about you?” he asks, taking a sip of his coffee. She has finished her coffee by now and is thinking that he likes to take things slowly, at least when he is drinking coffee.

“I like to read a lot. I am trying to learn to play violin. I am also learning Spanish” she says.

“It is pretty cool that you are learning different things. I am impressed” he says with genuine appreciation in his voice.

“Also, I have a German shepherd at home. His name is Rocky. Maybe we should have a play date for our dogs, huh?”

“Yeah, that would be nice” he agrees.

They spend another twenty minutes at the coffee place talking about the most recent political scandal. They both seem to be of the same opinion on what the right thing to do is and how strange the whole scandal is.

As they are leaving, she says “It was nice having coffee and talking with you. We should do it again sometime” and he says that he had a good time as well and would like that. They both part ways after saying their goodbyes.

As she is going back home, she is thinking about how unreasonable and illogical it is to feel so strongly about someone that she met only recently. She thinks that she is in love and feels weird about the feeling, as this is the first time she has felt that way. She has several good friends who are guys, contrary to what people say about a guy and a girl not being able to have a platonic relationship. But then she has never worried much about what other people think or talk about her. She has always tried to do things that make her happy as long as it doesn’t hurt anybody else. She wonders if she should tell him about how she feels, but decides to wait for some more time as this is too early.

As he is driving home, he thinks that it is nice to spend time with her. He is glad that they have so much to talk about and have some common ideas. But he reminds himself that he does not want to go too deep into this relationship because of his previous experiences. He has had two girl friends in the last six months and they both did not end well (of course, no breakups would go well). He is a very sensitive person who was hurt by these breakups, especially the most recent one as he had thought that things were going well and liked her a lot. Coming back to the present, he decided to not get too carried away with her.

- To be Continued