flat hunting

It may be one of my many quirks, which I think many would relate too, but personalizing for me lands somewhere between an obsession and a fetish. So short of any fender benders, which would be honest mistakes, everything around me gradually ends up with either a red-yellow S sign or a red devil crest. It may come out as an OCD at times, a mildly severe one that too, but there isn't any room for judging out here; I really think there is a tiny personalizer in all of us.

When it comes down to your own space, I think its the most one can do. Yes, cars and other vehicles do give one quite the freedom to go wild with personalizing it, space still takes the gold. For me, I was naturally gifted with an elder brother, who was more of a tyrant and an unconditional bully about everything that happened in the space we shared at home. I was obviously ecstatic when he decided to shift to Mumbai around 3 years back. It was independence after a tyranny which lasted for the better part of my childhood. I had promised myself then that whatever happens I will never ever end up in a situation where I've to share space with him; but of course, irony and destiny can't let go off their pranks. I had also promised myself that I will never end up in Mumbai but agrhh... thats an all together different blog story anyways.

Contrary to what many would think, flat hunting was pretty exciting. In spite of it involving roaming around on a scooty with my brother (I wish I could upload a picture of both of us on that vehicle... I'm dead sure it'll be hilarious), it was a thrill I always got to see with people around, but never experienced myself. Though I joined my brother in our flat hunt a week later, after visiting the first of a few prospective flats my brother had been surprisingly pro active enough to short list, I instantly started imagining how I would personalize my room and/or whatever space the tyrant will allow me to have.

To make things even better, we ended up going to super market after our hunt and I got to feel another part of life here. It was a thrill in its own, may be not close to the one of having my own space, but a thrill indeed.

So whether we end up selecting a 1 BHK with a hall and one bedroom or a 1 BHK with 2 separate rooms, I'm still pretty pumped about the move in. Yes, it may be tiring, mildly pocket draining and would imply more adjustment time; it may also be that the thrill is very short lived and loses steam as soon as we enter the new place, but I'm still eager; sorta impatient as well... and excited for the tyrant to just decide on a place soon. Till then, I won't want to cease fascinating about how my space would end up looking. Even if I end up pulling out 30% of my elaborate plans of fancy alcohol bottles and expensive movie posters in my room, I'm pretty sure it'll still be a pretty damn super bachelor's pad :D.

P.S. - Houseparty updates to follow soon ;)

mumbai

So its been awhile since I last scribbled here. Procrastination scaled new heights this time; such high ones that would put even the organizing committee of the Delhi Commonwealth to shame. Speaking about CWG 2010, quite a lot of drama going on in Delhi. Its funny how a few corrupt politicians down here can make the queen express her disgust... yeay! to 63 years of Independence!!!

So I'm here in Mumbai now, been here for 46 odd days. The last 3 months have gone in a frenzy and though its nowhere near an excuse for not keeping arbit arti updated, it was slightly (very slightly) responsible for the hiatus.

A 2 month internship bought me to the place I loathed. But as it was only 2 months and an important break into a career I dreamt about all the time... not to mention the efforts I had put in to get it. So after a few adjustments, some shopping and a wee bit of packing I arrived in Mumbai for what was supposed to be a short internship. After being settled at one place for a month, faith intervened and I had to move out to stay with my brother... and his 4 room mates. Sharing a 2 bedroom with 5 people is not at all an easy task, but it helps when the company around is so varied and entertaining; and besides it was only supposed to be for another month. But a phone call changed it all; one from my boss, telling me that my internship can be converted into a job if I want; and of course I wanted it.

I'm still getting used to the city. I won't be cocky and suggest or even assume that I've got even a fair idea about Mumbai. It takes time and it'll take a lot of time from where I'm standing to do that. But I've seen a bit in a month and a lot of it still seems pretty alien. For one, I really don't understand the ever-existing desire for people to party. I'm not really criticizing this trait, but I fail to understand, even after numerous attempts, the thirst for alcohol many exhibit here. Not that I don't have my own quirks, I do. Between my very seldom bouts of tee-totaling and random de-tox sprees, I end up giving in to certain intoxicants. Now whether it is because I want to have fun or because I do actually consider them as working placebos, I still haven't figured. I do know I like to have fun, sometimes even extended joy, but the need for being around intoxicants to do so, goes through me.

It may not be a move from Smallville to Metropolis; I still like to think of it being somewhere similar to moving from Ahmedabad to Mumbai. I'm the guy from the small town of Ahmedabad, where distances are minimum, alcohol is banned and where traffic jams end before you start complaining about them. Here, after 10 hour working days, 3 hour travelling sprees and in between bouts of homesickness when with damp eyes, I miss Smokey and I miss home, I can't help but question my decision to take-up the job offer. But the feeling generally passes after spending a few moments with my room mates, after seeing Smokey's pictures and videos that dad keeps sending across, after talking to the few special ones and after considering the promise future holds. I'd like to think that faith didn't fiddle here and it were rather my super awesome efforts during the first month that landed the job offer in my hands.

My mother was always very vocal about how she had a gut that I'll end up in Mumbai and that I will live with my brother. Though it is quite freaky how they're always right, ironically, I never refrained from hiding my dislike for either.