Eventful Weekend

• On Saturday attended a job interview in a bigger company than mine and got the offer. But alas, the role was not what i was looking for.

• Had a gettogether of college friends at Shiok, the far eastern cuisine restaurant at Indranagar.Met many people whom i havent seen after college and also experimented with lots of new food.

• Sunday went to the office. While coming back i saw some watery substance on the road and applied brakes. Wrong judgement, the bike skidded and soon and i was sliding on the road for some distance before i was stopped by the divider. Thanks to the helmet, there were no head injuries. Got up by my own, it was paining like hell, some bystanders helped me with the bike and i drove back home. Both legs and hands were bloody, Amit applied Savlon on the wounds, insisting that i go to a hospital. We had a small fight on that and i finally had to lock myself up in my room, for fear of my roommies dragging this vulnerable soul out to the hospital. Called up sick the next day and for the rest of the week, walked or rather limped to the office. But now everything is back to normal. Lesson learned – Dont go to office on sundays.

Harthal

My friend’s marriage was at Ernakulam. Reached just in time there. And that means just before the lunch got over. When everyone parted it was 2.30pm. Everyone wanted to go home early, as it was declared that there will be a hartal(strike) from 3 to 6. As the guy who had to travel the furthest and that too using public transport, i was least bothered. And that was because of the reason given for hartal. ‘Saddam Husein was executed’. A hartal in kerala for a state execution happened in a far away country. People/News channels were praising Saddam like anything. Its funny how they forgot the scars of kuwait occupation. But the underlying anger is against US and they got a martyr for it.

Anyways, i managed to get into one of the overcrowded bus to my place before 3. But my joy was shortlived. The bus was stopped and streets barricaded around 12 kms before i was supposed to get down. The passenger’s appeal did not receive any empathy from the protesters. According to them, any vehicle can move only after 6pm. Instead of just sitting there till 6, i decided to walk. My rationale was, maybe some distance from here, there wont be any problem and i might get another bus. And hence i started walking. 2 kms from there i saw the road completely blocked by placing concrete slabs and wooden poles across the road. Another few kilometers, people have gathered in huge numbers, some with wooden sticks ready to bring down anyone who disobeys the hartal, but most as spectators.

On the way i also passed a march parade with slogans against George Bush, long stretch of blocked vehicles, couple of fights and indifferent police. In short, every few kms there were something new/exciting to see. I must have walked around 8 kms, people who was standing by the roadside and those sitting in their vehicles started asking me about the situation in the roads that i have passed. I assurred them that everywhere its the same situation and after 6 thing will become normal. But i wondered, how did they know that i was walking from that far. Some distance ahead, another set of people asked me the same questions. And when it happened a third time, i seriously checked my body to find if any sticker has been pasted saying ‘This idiot has been walking for the past 2 hours’. Anyways i reached my final detination, 12 kms from where i started in around 3 hrs. Celeberated this acheivement by drinking a lime juice from the nearby shop.

The ‘fun’ aside, i saw people suffering beacuse of hartal. I also saw people’s(including me) apathy who know this is a stupidity.