I live in a house that doesn’t spring leaks. My first in six years of being associated with the Navy. My joy finds an outlet – mostly of the gloating and nodding sagely while others moan nature.
My cupboards are not soaked in three inches of water, I am not airing out clothes after a hard day’s work and best of all the walls are not crumbling cream cheese. North Andhra Pradesh is caught in the throes of a cyclone that beat's Mumbai's rains hollow any day of the year. Seriously. I lived in Mumbai for over 5 years and this is my first season in AP.
My half chewed pencil and Internet Radio (GOD BLESS VIRGIN CLASSIC ROCK) keep me company as I gaze at my computer screen waiting for the elusive muse to come knocking. Two deadlines, three story ideas and the germ of a book, that my friend says I ought to nurture lovingly (until it grows into a full blown virus) torment me. But it’s all good. Like fishing last weekend in turbid harbour waters from a barge. Ignoring the huge green board that says 'Anyone caught fishing will be prosecuted'. Four of us spotting fish that trail enticingly around our bait but refuse to fall for it. Bagging red worms from the localites and not catching a thing. Except for my friend who caught a paavum fish ...so paavam we had to let it go. Chatting about that camping trip to Araku now that the rains have set in.
Visions of holidays yet to be taken. Anandamans or Arunachal and getting more ambitious - Turkey or Italy? I want to go to Coorg again in December and I want to drive down the Konkan coast. Or perhaps go back to Dharamsala and of course Palolem in the spring, the rains, the summers!
Mundane, stick-in-the-mud good sense prevails - the bane of my existence. Will settle for a camping trip to Araku, 100 kms from here or another fishing expedition preferably in cleaner waters. Definitely month end. There are no takers besides one friend and Anand who really has no choice. Ashwini is leaving for France to learn wine-making. We had some good times - from Lakshadweep to Solang Valley, I will miss her.
As for the other Navy folk here - they give dishwater a complex. I miss Mumbai and the hordes of people I knew who were game for camping and trekking during the monsoons. I miss the ghats and the ghads.
9 comments:
Nice ..hope u enjoy your trek
=)
Mumbai really is unmatched
Know the feeling - trying to find like-minded people who share your idea of fun!
It takes time, and Ia m sure you will make some good friends in AP...
Thanks for dropping by my blog!
Hey Rama,
You sure make the mundane life here seem really animated n fun! Enjoyed the blog.
Leaving is getting tougher :(
Yesterday when I took my son to play football, it was raining very heavily and when we turned back and reached our house it stopped. He wanted to back but I refused and there was a big ruckus. Tricks all right.
You know you should try heading out on your own. Good company is overrated.
nice read ....
paavam fish :)
remembering days in the monsoons of ma state in june
Cya
Ash
hey, this blog made me nostalgic for all the camping trips i have never been to and I haven't been to even one :-(
waiting for you to revert to mumbai ASAP now that I am headed there.
I loved being here. Its an amalgam of sorts - a travelogue, a journal, a scribble pad, and much more - u name it and u have it here. Thats what i felt after having browsed thru ur archives.
Shall be back for more!
And thx for dropping by!
:)
velu said it just right, i must say. hope your muse has 'connected' with you; mine still AWOL. heh. cheers
Post a Comment