An unexpected visit for the second time

So this happened last December (2013) that I had to travel to Bangalore from Coimbatore. I had never travelled in a AC sleeper bus on an overnight trip. The scheduled arrival time for the bus was 5 am, so I promptly kept the alarm at 4 30 and slept off. The occasion was that Kurukshetra's Xceed was happening at Bangalore and I was going to help host a quiz.

But it so happened that, the bus ended up reaching half an hour earlier, and by the time the bus had gone past all the alighting points, past Majestic and to the shed, I was sound asleep. That being the last set of beds in the bus, the conductor didn't notice me as well. He was irate and gave me a good bunch of appreciative words as Suprabatham, waking me up at the shed. I got down and it was cold, very cold! I reached the main road at around 4 10 and took an auto to IIM-B. Never really managed to find out where that shed was or how long I had overshot Majestic.

A couple of days back, my cab driver took an alternate route and I found myself crossing a familiar temple to a road under a bridge. Then I remembered this incident. The area was Chamrajpet.

Fun times. If you never failed,  overslept, you never lived.

GoIbibo: broadcasting travel plans since God knows when!

I have GoIbibo app installed on my phone. Never having used it is another story, but today a notification on my locked screen alarmed me!

Who the fish is Rahul? I have had some problems in the recent past because of the previous owner of my current phone number not having updated his number at all online locations, but that was someone called Victor, Rahul was a new name. I was curious; so I went to the Account page and saw this.

Good, so nobody was signed in. Anyhow, let me just click on "My Bookings" anyway. And, to my shock and surprise, there are 2 bookings.

I click on one and I see this: an itinerary for 3 people.

Who these people are, I have no idea. Why is their account appearing on my phone also I have no idea. I think it is a problem with user bookings from Guest accounts on GoIbibo. Well done on privacy and security domains, *massive applause*.


If you are using this app, uninstall it. Who knows, which random person is seeing your flight details?

Counting Stars

It's been a while since I've written anything at all, so I thought I'd let me guilty feelings take a small break by writing a small piece today. We went to Hogenakkal for the weekend, since it was a 3 day weekend (Bless Republic Day for falling on a Monday).

It has been quite a few years since I had been to a falls and taken a bath at a natural waterfall (6-7 years? I don't even remember the last time, it was with Grandpa at Kutralam I think. Kishkintha doesn't qualify.) But the most enjoyable part of the trip was stargazing.

Chennai and Bangalore are too polluted to see anything in the sky at all, but the sky above the Forest Officers' guest house at Hogenakkal was crystal clear. So many stars visible that I almost cried. I am not a big fan of identifying constellations (in fact, I don't know if I am-- I haven't done it much during my childhood) but identifying Orion constellation was overjoying. The inner kid in me was awakened. I was also able to identify Canis Major with the help of an image that I was able to Google up which showed constellations in their relative positions. It isn't much, but it was fun. I should try picking this up as a hobby.

Also writing. Must write more often. That's all for now. 

New things every day!

I hate this platform. Blogger sucks these days. But it would be such a pity to let this blog die, so I thought I would write something here, now and then. Does anyone even read personal blogs these days? Medium is a wonderful platform, but one doesn't get the feeling of ownership there. Nothing like, "This is my space!".

So, it has been 2 full weeks since I have come to Bangalore. Yaay me. This exact time 14 days back, I was starting from home to the airport. Wow, time runs fast and slow at the same time. You know the thing about which people say? The one where they find money in their clothes and feel happy? Lol, at first I thought how does one even forget putting money in their own pockets. But after coming here, I realize it does happen. And, I also realize that that shit happens only when you wash and fold your own clothes. I found 20 rupees in my pocket today. And, believe me, its more of a relief feeling than a happy feeling. Every day is fun :D

A Short Story

Two little kids playing tug of war.
Much enthusiasm, much fun, unaware of the strength of the rope.
If it broke, both of them would fall.
If one let go, the other would fall.

How to reach TP-Link Service Centre in Chennai

For a change, I thought I'd write something useful. I went to the TP-Link Service Centre in West Manbalam, it was quite an ordeal finding that place that I decided to write a post with the route so that someone else looking for it, might find it easier in the future.

Its located in a small dead-end street(what do they call it, cul-de-sac?) called Swamynathan Street. Its not listed on Google maps. If you are going from Mambalam railway station, take an auto, or be prepared to walk for a while.
From the station:
1. Get down the West Mambalam side(not the Ranganathan street side).
2. Find Station Road(which is the one that you'll find as soon as you come out the station and turn left).
3. Go straight through Station Road till you reach an intersection with Lakeview Road. Turn right here.
4. The first left from Lakeview road will be Jubilee road. Take that left and keep walking. There's a small S-bend. Keep walking past it.

5. You'll reach the end of that road, past Anjugham school. Take a right there.
6. The first left again, will be a street called Raju street. Keep walking till you find the 2nd right. That is Swamynathan street.
7. Almost the end of the street, on the left, is a small building called E-caps, which is the TP-Link service centre.

The map is as follows.

Of course, there are parallel streets that you can use.

Isn't it simple?

"You know I just realized." 

"Realized what?" 

"That its so simple." 

"What's so simple? " 

"We need only remember to board the bus." 

"Umm, do you need a doctor?" 

"Haha, no. Wait, let me explain." 

"Listening." 

"We're standing in a bus stop. Listening to music. Like usual, like always. Someone comes by, and starts a conversation and you take off one ear of the headphones." 

"Okay?" 

"Its usually boring. So we go back to listening to music after a while. But sometimes, the conversation gets really interesting. You are enjoying it." 

"What does this have to do with the bus?" 

"The point is, after a while, that person boards the bus and leaves." 

"So?" 

"So we must board a bus as well. Not one that the person before boarded, but the one we were originally supposed to." 

"What if I forget that during the course of conversation? You said its so interesting and all that." 

"Yes precisely. That is why we must always remember to board the bus." 

The bus came. They boarded it.