I spent exactly 2 hours in a bus after work, stuck in the CTE. Crawl..? shamble? dwadle? To be honest I can't think of a word to describe the seemingly interminable ride. As the bus inched, I imagine how the same traffic in Bangalore must have had everyone honk, somehow with a conviction that, louder the wail, faster the traffic in front evaporates. This, I mention to Chandni, who is also with me in the bus. She is on her way to catch the last day of the show - My Fair Lady at the local cultural center. She had booked ticket earlier this afternoon after hours of both mental and vocal delibration on the choices. The choices being MFL, El Divo and Hoobastank. She sort my advice ofcourse but regretted it. I adviced her against such frivolous spendings.
"If you sort true entertainment then you should spend it on true stars! Like me.", I explained.
The bus drove us crazy. It is 18:40 hours and the show begins at 20:00 hours. It has been over 30 mins since we boarded it - on a normal day by this time we should have reached the cultural center. Chandni is sceptical that she would make it on time. I am baffled at her concern and ask her to be more optimistic. I try and distract her but she's busy making calls to find out if she can cancel her reservations. The lady on the other end sounds cheerful.
"Yes, how can I be of help, Madam?" she chrips.
"I have been stuck in traffic for the past hour or so. Can I have my reservation cancelled please?" Chandni explains.
"No, sorry. It is against our policy. We never cancel reservations once the are made"The lady retorts.
"But that's ridiculous! I will not be able to attend the show. Why would I want to pay for the show when I am unable to attend it?
"You can attend the second half of the show if you are late"
"Will I then need to pay just half the price?"
"No, you will still need to pay the full price."
"Can you please cancel it? I don't think I can make it on time. It is awful as it is that I am going to have to miss it"
"You could get off the bus and take a cab"
"I am on the highway!"
"Then wait for the next busstop"
"I am in BUS that hasnt moved in 20 minutes!. Can you please cancel my reservation?
"No I can't."
"Then can I speak to someone else who can?"
"Please hold."
and with some audacity she hangs up! A infuriated Chandni calls back again. No response.
I explain to her that she is panicing for no reason. She reminds me to check my watch. I do. It is 19:10 hours and we must have moved some 20 metres. I am still optimistic. A new lady on the other side of the line this time, out of huge consideration, plays Beethoven for Chandni instead of hanging up on her. The clock for no reason reads 19:40 hours and we seem to have passed another street light. It dawns on me that she won't be there on time. After several controversies, sweet-talk, mockery and cajoling Chandni manages to get her 160 dollar ticket cancelled.
She is still upset. I bid her goodbye and get off the bus at my stop partially guilty for having kept her waiting for me unnecessarily at work before we had left. I was meeting Gun and Naidu for gift shopping for our friends' wedding. Gun has several other purchases to make. Somehow, confusing me to notepad he rattles out the things he needs to buy. Shoe laces, souvenirs, battery for his watch, shaving cream,....
"I need sunflower seeds" interrupts Naidu. Apparently, his trainer has adviced him so. I remind them that they were here to shop for their friends. With my amazing time management skills and some curses from the other shoppers (whose directions we solely depended on in that huge mall), we manage a gold coin, sunflower seeds, cheese, shoe lace and souvenirs. We also, in the process, somehow manage to loose Gun. With a compulsion in our minds that we could not possibly miss such a huge mass of body, we dont use our handphones to call him to find out where he was. I even say this aloud, only to
walk right into him. He makes a face and ignores my lewd remark.
The lace he was looking for were out of stock. Gun decides to check some shoes instead. Naidu thinks its' time to leave and says "Lets hussle"
Gun says,"Why?"
Loud music in the background of some 70s Hindi songs.
I say,"Since its late"
Gun says,"So why whistle?"
I say,"Hussle! Not whistle!"
Naidu says, "That is what I said!"
I say, "Thats enough! Yes, now lets go!"
There is this lady with her mate behind us in the crowd trying to move out as well. Naidu thinks she is the prettiest he has seen in the mall.
We overhear her say to her friend,"My aunt was here na? She doesn't know English. So..."
I whisper to Naidu,"I think shes mistaken 'English' to be a person.....I tell you shes pretty but is super dudds"
Naidu, obviously smitten must have surely heard, "Sunflower seeds"
Friday, January 19
Sunday, January 14
Sunday's surprise turns sour
Jan14th, my dear friend's birthday!
We hadnt any plan to meet or sort and I wanted to surprise him by showing up at his with cake and all, early in the morning. So, following my little plan, I take an hour's ride to his, blow a balloon, light a candle and knock on his door and am all ready to sing.,...
No response. Try again...nothing. The bell doesnt seem to work either. So I try calling him. I cant hear his phone ring!! Grrrrrr! Several knocks....in vain.
So I leave the gift and the lone balloon by his door and return. On returning home I get a call from him. Apparently he felt the need to put his phone on silent mode such that he wouldnt disturbed by his mates in Oz who owing to the time difference might have called him too early. Evidently, my dear friend wanted his beauty sleep the day he turned 30.
I promised to catch up with him over the week. Sleep deprived, owing to early rise for the flop show - I snuggle up under my sheets. Strangely, the time got fast-forwarded to noon and my flatmates wanted to cook lunch.
Gunn suggests that Naidu and I do the dishes and start cutting vegetables. I am still half-asleep and do the dishes. Naidu attempts to organise and gets on with the cutting. After 2 hours of serious cutting, mixing, washing and tossing we managed a daal, pulao, raita and kats' special (which really didnt have a name as it had all the left over cut vegetables put together, mixed and fried with goat cheese, prego and milk). No, dont cringe, it actually got a 7 out of 10. (Rating done by our guest, Golds) whilst the other prepared dishes (scripted and repeated several times) got a max of just 5!
Had a short nap and watched a movie - 'Another country', which made me feel sorry. Then dinner at Pizza Hut with Jez, for which he was late. The cabbie, it seems wouldnt listen to him. I announce to him how I have given up alchol and how he has lost a drink buddy this year. He adviced that if my aim was indeed to give up alcohol this year then why not I push it to the end of this year instead of giving up now it self. He did have a point there..
Anyhow, apart from several other world-saving subjects we argued on how the pizaa that was served wasnt actually a 6 incher, why Rupert Everert is only cast for ga y roles, how cricket represents colonism in several ways, why the French are hated so much by the English and how Englsih language doesn't belong to the English anymore.
The rest of my evening was spent watching the BBC - 'Have your say'. The debate being, if Bush was right sending 20K more troops to Iraq. Right! As if Bush is all up waiting to hear me have my say and swirl to it!
This followed by 'The Apprentice'. I am beginning to question my telly watching habits.
We hadnt any plan to meet or sort and I wanted to surprise him by showing up at his with cake and all, early in the morning. So, following my little plan, I take an hour's ride to his, blow a balloon, light a candle and knock on his door and am all ready to sing.,...
No response. Try again...nothing. The bell doesnt seem to work either. So I try calling him. I cant hear his phone ring!! Grrrrrr! Several knocks....in vain.
So I leave the gift and the lone balloon by his door and return. On returning home I get a call from him. Apparently he felt the need to put his phone on silent mode such that he wouldnt disturbed by his mates in Oz who owing to the time difference might have called him too early. Evidently, my dear friend wanted his beauty sleep the day he turned 30.
I promised to catch up with him over the week. Sleep deprived, owing to early rise for the flop show - I snuggle up under my sheets. Strangely, the time got fast-forwarded to noon and my flatmates wanted to cook lunch.
Gunn suggests that Naidu and I do the dishes and start cutting vegetables. I am still half-asleep and do the dishes. Naidu attempts to organise and gets on with the cutting. After 2 hours of serious cutting, mixing, washing and tossing we managed a daal, pulao, raita and kats' special (which really didnt have a name as it had all the left over cut vegetables put together, mixed and fried with goat cheese, prego and milk). No, dont cringe, it actually got a 7 out of 10. (Rating done by our guest, Golds) whilst the other prepared dishes (scripted and repeated several times) got a max of just 5!
Had a short nap and watched a movie - 'Another country', which made me feel sorry. Then dinner at Pizza Hut with Jez, for which he was late. The cabbie, it seems wouldnt listen to him. I announce to him how I have given up alchol and how he has lost a drink buddy this year. He adviced that if my aim was indeed to give up alcohol this year then why not I push it to the end of this year instead of giving up now it self. He did have a point there..
Anyhow, apart from several other world-saving subjects we argued on how the pizaa that was served wasnt actually a 6 incher, why Rupert Everert is only cast for ga y roles, how cricket represents colonism in several ways, why the French are hated so much by the English and how Englsih language doesn't belong to the English anymore.
The rest of my evening was spent watching the BBC - 'Have your say'. The debate being, if Bush was right sending 20K more troops to Iraq. Right! As if Bush is all up waiting to hear me have my say and swirl to it!
This followed by 'The Apprentice'. I am beginning to question my telly watching habits.
Steve's sojourn
"Just arrived and am at e airport", the SMS came while I was trying to wrap up and have an early evening at work. I quickly texted Steve back asking him to take a train to Bugis where I would meet him.
All excited, and half hoping that Steve's arrival would somehow miraculously end the mad avalanche of cloudburst which has hyjacked Singapore for the past month or so, I bravely step out of office with equipped umbrella, to catch the train.
I am almost at Bugis when Steve texts enquiring if he is in the right direction after having passed Expo station twice! Half-annoyed that I couldnt pick him up from the airport myself - I ask him to get out of the train and text me which station he is on for me to come and pick him up.
No response from him....After 5 mins, abandoning Bugis, I am on my way to the airport. Still no message frm Steve. Finally, I managed to get his text which read, "Sorry was on my iPOD so missed your message." Show off!
I am reminded of how I had wanted to get one for myself but kept waiting for a much more respectable version of gizmo defining the current generation. Earlier this year, I had made up my mind to quit the wait and get one for myself by the first quarter. I even set aside a budget for it ......when Jobs decides to screw my plans again! Why should be come up with an iPhone now?! Now I am torn between getting an iPOD and the latest fashion accessory - an iPhone which probably has everything that one needs, but, I think I will wait for a better version of it that spits out as money as it costs.
With a mere 10 or so, more text messages exchanged between us, Steve and I manage to overcome the minor miscommunication and finally meet. The confusion didnt end there though...once I saw Steve waiting for me on the other side of the platform we had decided on meeting ..I waved and waved and waved and with all the excitement mimed that I would meet him at his platform. I got there only to find him on mine!
Phew!
Anyhow, it was such a delight to meet him after almost 4 years! We were esctatic to find out from each other how much more younger we looked after all these years! Mind you, Steve is soon turning 50 again and didnt appreciate being called a baby-boomer.
The modest hotel I had recommeneded had this lady at the reception whose first question was, "So whats your budget like?" She was probably new. Her kind and generous gesture couldnt be missed.
The room was cosy and surprisingly had most appliances in working condition. We had a quick dinner and visited a local bar where Steve found everybody anorexic. I left him to that.
We decide to meet again the next morning. It dawns at 11:30 for us. Steve announces his new dietary regime of skipping lunch and his craving for freshly brewed coffee.
I take him to an Indian restaurant where the coffee was ridiculed and Steve claimed it to be a 'Nescafe'.I shamelessly hog whilst he watches me sipping on his accused hot-coffee-water. Later we get in and out of several shops to get his 4 item-long shopping list covered. After a solid 4 hours we managed to get our hands loaded with bags. Unsatisfied and the 4 items still left unpurchased, I begin to worry since Steve's flight back is early next day.
Steve still needs that coffee.
With only a few hours left, lady drizzle's grace, some arguments over how there were so many Matthew-look-alikes (Matthew is one of our friends) in the mall, a few phone calls made to confirm that Matthew is not indeed in Singapore and some confusion over credit cards, we equip ourselves and manage to find all the items in the list.
Content, Steve suggests we have that coffee. I am not surprised. I suggest pasta. With a freshly brewed coffee (much to Steve's contention, and mine - to have found the Coffebean that he has been looking for) and a couple of books that we picked at a store we get to the pasta place only to find it closed!
We get back to the cafe we were at first and enjoy the rest of the evening. Having chatted for a long time, sharing our memories of good old days over a few glasses of wine, somehow, the Queen become the subject of our conversation. She was quickly repalced by Hugo Chavez, followed by Gordon Brown...then Cherie Blair.
We questioned our sobriety and thought it was in our best interest to get some sleep before Steve catches his flight back. I promised Steve to be at the airport 5 in the morning. I get a call in the middle of the night. It was Steve calling from the airport just before boarding to say goodbye.
All excited, and half hoping that Steve's arrival would somehow miraculously end the mad avalanche of cloudburst which has hyjacked Singapore for the past month or so, I bravely step out of office with equipped umbrella, to catch the train.
I am almost at Bugis when Steve texts enquiring if he is in the right direction after having passed Expo station twice! Half-annoyed that I couldnt pick him up from the airport myself - I ask him to get out of the train and text me which station he is on for me to come and pick him up.
No response from him....After 5 mins, abandoning Bugis, I am on my way to the airport. Still no message frm Steve. Finally, I managed to get his text which read, "Sorry was on my iPOD so missed your message." Show off!
I am reminded of how I had wanted to get one for myself but kept waiting for a much more respectable version of gizmo defining the current generation. Earlier this year, I had made up my mind to quit the wait and get one for myself by the first quarter. I even set aside a budget for it ......when Jobs decides to screw my plans again! Why should be come up with an iPhone now?! Now I am torn between getting an iPOD and the latest fashion accessory - an iPhone which probably has everything that one needs, but, I think I will wait for a better version of it that spits out as money as it costs.
With a mere 10 or so, more text messages exchanged between us, Steve and I manage to overcome the minor miscommunication and finally meet. The confusion didnt end there though...once I saw Steve waiting for me on the other side of the platform we had decided on meeting ..I waved and waved and waved and with all the excitement mimed that I would meet him at his platform. I got there only to find him on mine!
Phew!
Anyhow, it was such a delight to meet him after almost 4 years! We were esctatic to find out from each other how much more younger we looked after all these years! Mind you, Steve is soon turning 50 again and didnt appreciate being called a baby-boomer.
The modest hotel I had recommeneded had this lady at the reception whose first question was, "So whats your budget like?" She was probably new. Her kind and generous gesture couldnt be missed.
The room was cosy and surprisingly had most appliances in working condition. We had a quick dinner and visited a local bar where Steve found everybody anorexic. I left him to that.
We decide to meet again the next morning. It dawns at 11:30 for us. Steve announces his new dietary regime of skipping lunch and his craving for freshly brewed coffee.
I take him to an Indian restaurant where the coffee was ridiculed and Steve claimed it to be a 'Nescafe'.I shamelessly hog whilst he watches me sipping on his accused hot-coffee-water. Later we get in and out of several shops to get his 4 item-long shopping list covered. After a solid 4 hours we managed to get our hands loaded with bags. Unsatisfied and the 4 items still left unpurchased, I begin to worry since Steve's flight back is early next day.
Steve still needs that coffee.
With only a few hours left, lady drizzle's grace, some arguments over how there were so many Matthew-look-alikes (Matthew is one of our friends) in the mall, a few phone calls made to confirm that Matthew is not indeed in Singapore and some confusion over credit cards, we equip ourselves and manage to find all the items in the list.
Content, Steve suggests we have that coffee. I am not surprised. I suggest pasta. With a freshly brewed coffee (much to Steve's contention, and mine - to have found the Coffebean that he has been looking for) and a couple of books that we picked at a store we get to the pasta place only to find it closed!
We get back to the cafe we were at first and enjoy the rest of the evening. Having chatted for a long time, sharing our memories of good old days over a few glasses of wine, somehow, the Queen become the subject of our conversation. She was quickly repalced by Hugo Chavez, followed by Gordon Brown...then Cherie Blair.
We questioned our sobriety and thought it was in our best interest to get some sleep before Steve catches his flight back. I promised Steve to be at the airport 5 in the morning. I get a call in the middle of the night. It was Steve calling from the airport just before boarding to say goodbye.
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