Monday, August 14, 2006

An Eventful Week-end

Saturday August 12th, we went to Galveston a town near Houston.

First time in my life...

Gulf Of Mexico

I happened to see a sea [it's not a beach]. Very next to the sea there is a road.
It was a nice view. The sea was not as scary as I imagined.
It was just like a big lake with no boundary at the other side.
It was a like a up-ward slope of water at the end we see the sky.
For my eyes the horizon looked nearer than what I had picturized all these years.

Aaraj already informed me that the beach would be muddy and polluted with oil-industry wastes.
Yes, the water was not good enough to get in and play.
So I have not touched the sea yet. Taste the water? Yuck!!

I captured a nice video while we drove in Aaraj's BMW X5 along the beach.
It turned out to be an achievable private video because Aaraj and I were singing an on the spot developed X-rated parody of "Ruk Ruk Ruk...Arey Baba Ruk...Oh My Darling Give Me A ...k" and this was the background score for the video.
We bought the gear to swim in a better place a few miles away, but it was muddy there as well. But the beach was full of people playing in the dirty water.
Earlier I had a glance of the Areabian sea from the Air-India flight in Mumbai.

We entered a restaurant from there we had a nice view of the sea.
All ten of us occupied a big table and a question was asked to the waitress:
"Do you have some sea food for us?”
Everybody along with her burst out laughing.
That was Aaraj-mark-amusement.

First time in my life...
I tasted a dish made of oysters, cheese, spinach and a little bacon.
We visited an aquarium in Moody gardens.
In the restaurant a group was performing Hawaii dance. It was nice.

First time in my life...
I saw a few penguins. Captured a short video of their movement.
I happened to see a sea-horse.
Seahorse has a fan shaped back that makes a kind of interesting vertical movement.
Failed to get a nice photo of it.

It was an extremely humid and hot day. But fortunately it was breezy.
Reached home by the evening very tired.

Instead of sleeping I started writing in Unicode a few padyaalu, vachanaalu from the Panchama Aswaasam of DroNa Parvam of the Andhra Mahaa Bhaaratam till 4am that night and submitted them the next day to andhramahabharatam google-group.

Monday, August 07, 2006

One Can Be Rich Not Just By Money

Six years back that was a proud moment for me.
I was the one among my friend circle to get a useful rank in both Venkateswara and Osmania universities.
One of the first hundred BCA graduates who could secure a post graduation seat in Osmania University.

But this proud moment was turning to be a cruel one as the counseling date approached.
Reason is the same with many middleclass Andhrapradesh students -- insufficient money.
I had a lot of relatives, said to be my well-wishers; they end up giving unsolicited advices.

One of them, who did not advise me, got ready to give us some amount as a loan. I am always thankful to him.
But that amount was not enough. My dad and I were looking at the roof, in the relatives' place.
We were dried up of sources, in other words we need to compromise at our pride factor.

At that moment I found an option, my classmate, one of our friends from the close circle.
I just called him over phone, he appeared in front of me in just 20 minutes…
… all the way by bicycle in the scorching heat at 11 O'clock in the morning.
He said, "yes". By that evening I had enough money to join the course.

He had no proof of liability, no promissory note until my dad called him up for his signature.
He was not financially sound too; just another middle class Brahmin with a few responsibilities, who had to work real hard to make his life prosper.
He knew very well that I have no quick source to pay his money back.
All he had was a blind trust in me. What more do I need to regard a person as my friend!
At the age of just 20 years, with a lot of liabilities on my head, in such a poor situation I could generate money.

All this happened in the presence of my helpful relative, in his place.
He was impressed with the very small friend circle that I was a part of, in Kadapa.
That gained me a lot of respect and recognition and changed my reputation -- boy to man.

I gained a lot, I am gaining and learning a lot from the very small number of friends I have.
I am enriched by their support.
But I have done nothing so far except that I have this gratitude for them.

Thursday, August 03, 2006

Finally, At Last, However, At Length, Eventually ...

Things are happening and life is lively and lovely.

I passed written test to get temporary driving permit.
I am healthy and playing volleyball everyday.
Flight tickets booked for Seattle trip this week end.

It is an achievement to put on 6 kgs, my weight now has reached 60Kg (135lb).


I still am the same raw fellow; here is an observation:

Friday I worked hard all day and got things in order for boss.
Boss is regarded as a BIG guy in the office, he indeed is, physically too.
Got to ask the boss if he needs my assistance or can I leave home.

A teammate and I went to him, I said "DO you require us to be here?"
Boss looked bewildered,;I noticed "Do you need me stay here or can we leave?"
After uttering those dry words, I realized what I did.
My team mate lightened the air "How is every thing, is it working well?"
Boss smiled, then laughed and said "Yeah...ok....but...." etc.
As he was talking to us his phone rang and he siad, "I'm in office, will call you back."
Phone rang again, boss was still cool and said, "I am in office with a few people around. Later."
Turning to us he said "My wife, she is saying hey hey hey hey".

After five minutes it was known to us that all is well with our work.
Boss said "It's week end. I will now go home, teach one or two manners to my wife, (I said "oh..it's alright") and then we'll go to dinner. what about you?"
I responded immediately "Well, I do not have a wife to teach manners...."
Boss laughed out aloud as his big physique followed the vibrations; team-mate and I joined the laughs.

Had this light moment not happened, I would have been still thinking about my Raw Move, may be that is why people call me Raamooo...