-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Despite my falling attendance level at college, i depart for my home state the day after tomorrow.I will be taking the train to Calicut, which lies at the northern tip of Kerala, then down to Kochi, and (thankfully) will be taking the flight back to Mumbai.I take this opportunity to express my heartfelt anger towards the airline industry, for having spoilt Indians like me with low airfares. There was a time in the recent past when i could make a 2 way trip home, all for the princely sum of Rs 5000, right now i would have to dish out about Rs 10,500 for the same privileges.In my first year at Mumbai, I had made so many trips home, that I had almost acquired the air of those bored, rich travelers that one sees at the airport, who hardly lift their heads while the plane is taking off, to take a look at the scene outside.

Needless to say, thanks to the recent fuel price hikes, it has been a long time since I've been in a plane, and in all probability, i will probably shove aside anyone who dares interrupt my view as the plane takes off. Its sad what poverty( and high prices) can do to you.:)

Which brings me back to why I'm going to Calicut in the first place. A very good friend of mine, again from my engineering days, is getting married on the 23rd of this month, and I am going in person to express my heartfelt condolences. ;P

Jokes apart, I'm sure everyone would agree, that a friend's wedding is the last thing that you would want to miss.Its also a great excuse to wear a Sari and dress up.

I think Orkut is a great invention.Its the only thing that keeps people who are as lazy as I am, in touch with everyone, and more importantly their relationship status. I am a firm believer in not getting married too soon, but i have to admit, I have spent too much time tracking down friends who have settled down and taking a look at their spouses through their albums.(Do I sound like a total Stalker?).

I don't know if this is a unique phenomenon of my state, but we have a culture of getting people married off very early in life. A girl's life can normally be summed up by the following formula: Education till 12th +Engg/Medical graduate+ put in your 2 years in a software firm( waiting for Mr. Right*)

*Mr.Right= can be best defined as a guy who has the perfect salary, education, job, family; only problem is that your parents decide that he is Mr. Right; and then you have about 5 minutes of 'interaction' with him to concur with your parents views .:P

Don't you guys think we are probably a more conformist generation than that of our parents'?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I, me, myself

Since I've taken all the trouble to start a blog and all, I think its only fair for me to introduce myself.I'm a Mallu, been around quite a lot; right now I'm doing my MBA at NMIMS in Mumbai.Around this time, I should be telling you that I feel intellectually superior after a year of being a student of management, and maybe I would want to say yes, but the answer is mostly no. :)
Right now I'm sitting on my bed, wondering how to make myself sound witty, intelligent and awesome all at the same time. Its not working, so I think I'm going to stop trying.lol
One thing i did manage to learn after coming to Mumbai is a little bit of Hindi.Now every self respecting Indian should know a bit of Hindi, but I've always been sheltered from any need or desire to learn the language.In my first year at Mumbai, I managed to pick up essentials like 'seedha chalo bhaiya' and "right lena boss" but all this changed after my summers. I had to travel to places like Pune, Nasik in Maharastra, and down south to Bangalore, Mandya, Chenpatna, Yehlanu and Dodlabur in Karnataka, and finally to my own home state, Kerala. The 2 months that i spent travelling could be best described as a crash course on India. Since I had to talk to Mechanics, spare parts retailers and wholesalers, the hindi had to be good.So i used to deliver the following speech to them:"Bhaiya, main south India se hoon, Mera Hinda acha nahin hain, kai pe galathi ho to aap bura math manna" :) its funny how fierce looking mechanics calm down visibly after a speech like this .
By the way, if anyone reading this blog is contemplating a business visit to Kerala, or is becoming an Area sales Manager there, be warned: it is not the best place to do business. Of all the places i visited, I got the worst treatment in God's own country. I was actually shouted at, told to 'get out' of a shop. People down south are generally very suspicious; even more so if you're a girl who knows the names of their suppliers,and the discounts he is getting/giving.
Enough about my summers.
Right now I'm still awake as today is the birthday of a very good friend of mine.Her name is Lynn, and along with another madcap called Renju, are my best frds and made life livable during my engineering days. I'm one of those people who are all psyched up about my close frds' b'days , but would forget at the very last minute, and end up not wishing them at 12. this time: I'm determined to wish her:)