Lost in Translation

Apy is on a roll. Every other day I do something, which makes me feel guilty and not just normal guilt, but a guilt that could take one’s life away. Today was another similar day. Damn! The more I think about it the worse I feel.

I have been looking for an apartment and today the HR lady, who arranged an apartment for me, called and told me that I need to see a lady at the Metro station near my office and she will show me the apartment. After reaching there, I found that she could not speak English. Well! There was nothing new in this as every day I face the same awkward language issue but today I was just hoping that we wouldn’t have to communicate much.

We would to walk to the place, take a look and return. Perfect plan!

She showed us the apartment and I decided to take it. After that, when we started to return she tried to show us the way back to station and started walking along with us to the station and just out of courtesy, I asked her, if she had to go in some other direction, she should carry on and we would manage to get back on our own. I tried to tell her the same in English but she didn’t understand a word. So, my great friend who knows Japanese slightly better than me came to the rescue. He told her, “Betsu Betsu ni, Aru-ite, Daijobu desuka?” She seemed to be a little shocked (a little hurt too). She turned, started walking and never looked back.

When she walked away, I asked my friend what he’d said, and the actual translation was “Is it okay if we walk separately?” After knowing the meaning of the sentence, I can’t even begin to describe how I felt.

Damn!!!!!!!!!!!

Once again, FK!! FK!! FK!!

I have been feeling miserable since then. The only thing I can’t tolerate is being rude especially when I don’t intend to.

Am I being ultra sensitive? Can’t help, I just am like that.

Pav Bhaji

I had been thinking about making Pav-Bhaji but was not able to find guinea pigs for my experiment until last weekend when I invited Bilbo and S for lunch. Both were happy to be a part of this experiment and I couldn’t wish for anything more. :P

But the experiment turned out to be a huge success (thankfully else I was dead). I was not sure about the recipe but ROS came to the rescue and mailed me the same. Using the recipe and some tips from Mom, the dish that was prepared was just awesome.

The pictures were taken by Bilbs.

Isn’t it tempting?

Sorry in advance for not posting the recipe. The recipe belongs to someone else and I cannot post it here. In case, you really need it, after reading the post you should have a fair idea whom to contact for the same. :P

Guilty! Guilty! Guilty!

“Excuse Me!”

I was as usual busy reading my novel on another 2 hour long office journey of mine and was startled when I heard this. I turned around to see who had addressed me so and saw a man staring back. He was tall, fair, square faced, blonde and definitely non Japanese. He was traveling with his wife and son.

“Could you tell me if this train will stop at Kanazawa Hakkei?” He asked.

I had no clue and I told him so. The station we were approaching was Kanazawa Bunko and the station where he wanted to get off at was the one next to it. Since it was a Limited Express train, he was not sure if it will stop at that station and since I was the only ‘non-Japanese’ around, he had asked me. I looked at the chart which had some details mentioned about the stops of the train but it was a generalized chart and it did not give details or may be I should say, I could not understand the chart and I could not tell whether this train will stop there or not.

So, as we reached Kanazawa Bunko, I saw a Local train standing on the other side of platform destined for Shinzushi. I told him that since that train was a local, I am pretty sure it would stop at the next station. So, they could take that train.

He thanked me and got out of the train with his family.

Suddenly, I noticed on the chart that, that train will take another track to go to Shinzushi. My stomach flipped and I shouted, “EXCUSE ME!!!” He did not hear me. I shouted again. By then every one had started staring at me. For once, I thought I should get off the train but my bag was on a shelf, out of my reach. The doors of the train had closed by then . He had already boarded that train.

I kept banging on the door out of regret. I think guilt would be more appropriate. But he did not even look in my direction. If he could just look once, I could ask him to get off that train and take some other train. Now the guilt had started to kill me. The train left the platform and I started moving randomly in that empty space, cursing myself, wondering where I had sent that family. The man had just asked me a simple question and I had no clue what I could do then. Poor man just wanted a simple help and I gave him nothing but trouble. “Damn you Apy!” As if this was not enough, the train stopped at Kanzawa Hakkei.

“FK! FK! FK!”

I tried to relax. People were still trying not to stare but could not help. I didn’t bother. I had just made the biggest Fk up of the day. I tried to call a friend but the train entered the subway and I entered a weird state of mind.

“Damn!”

What else could I do? I was just trying to help.
Oh yeah! You were a great help. In future, you better not help. Where ever he was trying to reach, I don’t think he will make it on time. All thanks to you.
But...
Shut up...

I got up and went to see that chart again. To analyze how bad the damage was.

Wait a minute! The train changed track from Kanazawa Hakkei. That means it will go to Kanazawa Hakkei and then it will go in a different direction, that means I did not put him on the wrong train, that means, well!! That means he won’t be abusing me at this moment.

I rejoiced, relaxed, sat down and smiled to myself.

Phew! What a start to the day!

Meri Bhains Ko Danda kyon Maara

I have been thinking about this post for quite a while but every time I sat down to write it, something or the other came up and I had to drop it. But today, in spite it of being Monday, I started it and I hope I will finish it.

I read a post some time back written by a blogger, whose name, I don’t think I will mention. But, I seriously did not find it funny. Not that it was supposed to be funny but the content outraged me.

This guy happens to be in US and some time back he saw an Indian guy make out with a girl in a train. This guy took it as a personal responsibility to make sure, that, that couple should feel uncomfortable and the means adopted were cheap staring. I am surprised that he had the balls to write a post about it and take pride in it. He also wanted to give this Indian guy a lecture on morality. My response to guys like these would be, “FK OFF!!!”

The guy totally forgot that he was not standing in some remote village. The people around him did not have any problems with it but this guy is “THE MAN”. They term this cheap mentality as Indian mentality forgetting that it’s the cheapness within that made him stare at that couple.
It isn’t just this one guy though. I was with a friend some time back and we were walking on the street. She was holding a bottle of beer in her hand. Some of the Indians who saw her gave her a look as if she had just killed someone. Why can’t people just mind their own business and leave others alone?

A few months back, a guy shuddered when he heard a friend of mine saying, “FK OFF” and, yes, he was a Desi. He looked as if some had slapped him hard on his face. I don’t understand why people who claim to be modern still carry on thinking like that. I mean, okay, if a person of a different generation reacts or behaves like that, I can still understand that but if some one in his twenties or early thirties does that, please tell me how I am supposed to react to that. Its not the general outlook of our country but since a majority behaves like that, it has started to become one.

I was planning to end this post, but then I remembered this incidence that happened some time back in India in Meerut. Police called it Operation ‘Romeo’ where couples were slapped by women constables. The worst part was that they slapped the girls too. The reason behind it was that they were holding hands and walking in a park. Incidents like these make me rethink if we are who we claim to be or may be we say we are open minded just for the heck of it.
There are a lot of guys who make sure that if a couple is having a good time together, they will spoil it. The means adopted are usually passing cheap comments or staring until the couple gets uncomfortable enough to walk out of that place. The question is why? Why can’t they let them be happy? Just because they don’t have someone to be with, do they have to act like this and play with someone else’s happiness? I still don’t know the reason. You can’t say that may be they are illiterate. GOD DAMN IT! The cases I am talking about occurred in US and Japan. They are not just educated; they are highly educated and may be working too. So, what next? Can we do anything about the mentality that these people are carrying? How can we make a difference? Do we do anything to make a difference? Or may be the question should be, do we wish to do anything about it?

I think it all happens as we grow up. It’s the way we evolve. May be I can’t do much to change anyone in the society but I will make sure that at least my kids know it right. The kids who are associated to me should know it right. That’s the least I expect myself to do.
I don’t and I repeat I DON’T say that those who don’t do it (public display of affection) are out dated or something like that. I just request to Please Mind Your OWN Business.

A Gurdwara in Tokyo

“There is a Gurdwara in Tokyo.”
“Whoa!! Really?” Those were the first two words that came out of my mind when some one told me about this.

This happened few months back before I went to India. I was at Roppongi which is famous for its night life. It was 2 am (I don’t know whether to call it morning or night). For me, it was still evening. I was with friends, pub hopping. That’s when I met this Indian guy. We started talking and then he told me about this Gurdwara in Tokyo. Well! I hope you don’t expect me to be sober at 2 am in Roppongi. So, me smart me, wrote down the number on my palm.

Next morning when I woke up, I realized, it was a mistake.

After I came back from India, one day another guy pinged me on messenger. He saw me on Orkut, knew I am in Japan and since he was also in Japan, he pinged me. We had a long chat and after a few days he told me that he knew about the Gurdwara in Tokyo. I was happy to hear that and this time I did not make the same mistake. He told me that it opened once a month.

So, we went to the Gurdwara on the date he had mentioned. It was so good to see fellow Indians after a long time. The place was amazing. I was surprised to see a Japanese guy playing Tabla and a lot of Japanese women dressed in Indian suits and at the end of the program they served Langar too. The word is ‘Awesome’







Some definitions for those who are not from India:

Gurdwara: A holy worship place of Sikhs in India.
Tabla: a musical instrument that is played while Kirtan (which is like singing devotional hymns)
Langar: Langar is the term used in the Sikh religion for the free, vegetarian-only food served in a Gurdwara and eaten by everyone sitting as equals.

Gosh! This was difficult in English. For more details please use Google and if someone in Tokyo is interested to go there, you can mail me at apysays@gmail.com

Update:
How to go to Gurudwara if you are in Tokyo, Japan:
The Gurudwara opens once a month. The date is not fixed as its usually announced one month before. But mostly, it’s the “Sangrand” or the first sunday that falls after 'sangrand'.

The name of the station is Myogadani. You can use the following link to find the route to Myogadani from your station
http://www.jorudan.co.jp/english/norikae/e-norikeyin.html
Once you are there, you need to get out of the station towards the main road. You will see Mc Donalds across and turn left and walk along the main road.
After 2 minutes of walk, (at a Y junction) you will see an Indian Restaurant 'Namaskar' across the road (on the right hand side). You will have to cross the road and again start walking in the same direction. Turn right at the first turning after the restaurant and you will see 'Nishan sahib' (Bright orange flag of Gurudwara) at the entrance of a building. Enter the building and use the stairs to go to basement.
You are there.

Some important email ids and phone numbers:

Gurudwara Phn number : 0081-80-5693-5541
email: bskhalsa_jp@yahoo.com

Mr. M. S. Sahni: sahni@vaishalitravels.com (You can mail him for more details. His phone number is: 0081-90-3909-5434)

Update: You may refer to this blog for more details: http://www.sikhjapanese.blogspot.com/

The Confession

As I entered my room, I saw her already there. I don’t know how she got in and for how long she had been there. But there she was, excited and naked. As soon as she saw me, an electric current ran through her. I was drunk and not interested and gave her a chilling look to let her know of the same but she didn’t seem to notice. She was excited and wanted attention which was annoying me all the more as it was quite late. I tried to tell her that I was not interested in the games she was willing to play but she had made up her mind.

I moved past her and started to change. Suddenly she jumped at me. I tried to push her away but she was desperate. Suddenly, I was fuming and I gave her one last warning but she thought I was kidding again. As she came towards me, I lost it and my hand was in the air. I missed. She was fast and I wasn’t sober. This annoyed me all the more. I moved towards her to complete what I intended to do the first time but this time she got the idea. She started to run away from me but there was not much space to run. Suddenly, she saw the bathroom door ajar and she slipped in. I locked her in.

I sat outside in my room, hands covering my face. I was still fuming. I just wanted a peaceful sleep but she had gone too far. The rules were clear and she was supposed to be aware of them. How dare she come in here in the middle of the night? I tried to calm myself and told myself to deal with her in morning but could not. Rules were rules. At last, I got up, determined to end this with as little pain as possible.

I entered the Bathroom quietly and saw her sitting there at a corner. She looked back. The night didn’t turn out the way she had planned. I moved towards her with a weapon in one hand behind me. She understood my intentions and tried to run again but this time I was prepared. I raised my hand and hit her hard on her head. She was down on the floor. I saw her for a few seconds and then bent to check if she still had life. She was gone.

Now the problem in front of me was where to hide the body. I covered my hands and dragged her out of there. I took her out of my room and left her there.

This was the true story of the ‘Fly’ that I killed last night. Well! The fly didn’t seem to know the basic rule of my room. It’s a “NO FLYING ZONE” and “Trespassers are executed”.

Roku

Roku is six in Japanese. I was tagged by Wbix some time back and I think its high time to complete it.

So here it goes:

Name six things/ behaviours / habits that bother you in a person:

1.) People who don’t really mean what they say. They comfort you and talk to you as if you mean a lot to them. However, they quit when ever ‘they’ feel like.
2.) People who live in a mess. Okay, even my room is a lil messy by the end of the week but trust me I have seen those who live in a total mess without cleaning for months. I mean you enter the room and there is this stink.. Yuckkk!!!
3.) People who don’t have ethics at all. Okay! You don’t have to set a record in ethics but I think if you don’t have some basic ethics, then you have nothing.
4.) People who cant take a stand for their actions. They talk a lot but when they see that something they said has back fired, they change their words.
5.) People who cant respect women.
6.) People who don’t value other person’s time or efforts.

Name six places you dream of visiting on a vacation:

1.) Sydney… my sweet cousin is there. Wish I could go n see her
2.) Philadelphia.. My two angels (my nieces) are there.. saw them a long time ago when they were jus a few months old.(Yeah I want to go to US just for that reason… crazy… that’s me!)
3.) France- I love the language there and of course!… women …(that’s a different story that I cant understand a bit but I like to hear it… lol)
4.) Kerala… Back waters
5.) Goa (again and again and again!!!)
6.) Singapore (was not there long enough when I went there last time…)

Name 6 things you would like to do/ accomplish by next year

1.) Would like to learn to speak fluent Japanese
2.) I am thinking of MBA… not sure if it’s gonna be next year or next to next year (if at all).
3.) I had fixed a target amount that I need to save till next year… I hope I am able to meet that target… (for that I need to cut down on a lot of parties :P)
4.) Visit as many places as possible in Japan (again that affects my point 3… lol)
5.) To be a better person (I know this sounds boring… but wtf…)
6.) Get an SLR (Again affects my point 3… Bilbs this wish is all your fault and you know why… lol)

Name six things people would be surprised to know about you:

1.) I am pretty obsessed with good food (mostly chicken)… eating to be precise… I like to cook but I prefer if some one else cooks and feeds me… lol
2.) At times, I could get as freaky about cleanliness in my room as ‘Monica’ in ‘FRIENDS’… Okay.. not as freaky as her but yeah pretty much like….
3.) I start dancing whenever a peppy number begins to play even when I am listening to my Ipod and have my headphones on… (This could be embarrassing when I am on train… lol). So, I try real hard to suppress this urge and end up tapping my feet.
4.) There are certain principles that I follow in my life and I am pretty strict to myself about those.
5.) I am a sentimental person. The amount of leg pulling and weird jokes that I play on my friends does not change that fact.
6.) I am pretty impulsive and can lose my temper easily if someone says something inappropriate. (am still working on improving this… :P)

Total Time Pass

A few days back, during my usual 2 hour travel home journey, this ‘Dude’ pinged me on Yahoo Messenger.(Now if you are thinking, how the hell was Apy on Internet in a train then I should tell you that I have a wireless internet card :P ). I was not exactly in a mood to chat but this guy seemed to belong to the same category as mentioned by Sayesha in this post. He thought he was talking to some female and I didn’t bother to correct him. As a matter of fact, I played along for a while. I had to guess most of the time what he was trying to say.

Following was my conversation with him or as I say, “Total Time-pass”.

Dude: (Some non sense smiley)
Me: Excuse me
Me: do i kno ya ?
Dude: i dont think so
Dude: just wont to say hi lol
Dude: (Another non sense smiley)
Me: well! hi
Dude: you are from iraq right ?
Me: yeah .. how did u guess?
Dude: im from iraq 2
Dude: (Another non sense smiley)
Dude: and you are from baghdad right ?
Me: hey .. yes ..
Dude: cool me 2

Dude: (Another non sense smiley)
Me: wow
Dude: whats your name?
Dude: im hussam
Dude: 23 years old
Me: i m angel
Me: 24
Dude: angel??
Me: yeah .. why ?
Dude: (Another non sense smiley)
Me: u dont like this name?
Dude: you mean malak??
Me: u r close...
Me: but i prefer angel
Me: lol
Dude: k
Dude: what you do for live ?
Me: work
Dude: good
Dude: what is your job?
Me: cant tell you that, if i tell u i ll have to kill u
Dude: (Another non sense smiley)
Dude: why is that?
Me: well .. thats top secret
Dude: (Another non sense smiley)
Dude: what is your religion?
Me: hmm...
Me: if i said .. i jus beleive in God.. will that work ?
Dude: nop
Me: well .. then thats not my problem ...
Me: lol
Dude: ok bye
Dude: (Another non sense smiley)
Me: byeeee
Me: i guess u judge people more with the religion they belong to
Dude: ya alil
Me: So i hope u will not waste my time in future
Me: Thanks in advance
Dude: i will not
Dude: by the way i have your ip address
Me: keep it.. there are a lot of losers on this planet.. u can distribute it

After 5 minutes...
Dude: I will tel you I wont like others
Me: I thought we were through....lol....
Dude: jist wont to kno.. how will you kill me if I come to kno ur job
Me: Great.. u r still trying to figure that out..wow.....lol
Dude: ok bye
Me: At last.....


I still don’t know what this guy was upto...... but it was fun.... Sometimes I get scared thinking that if I keep listening to this kind of stuff, may be I ll also start talking like this.. aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.....Relax Apy Relax......

That's meeeeee!!!

Phew!!!
At last .. I finished kathy's tag.... Now jus one Tag is pending.. Wbix's tag.... Dudette!! will finish that asap...
Here goes...
Tag About Me...
I am thinking about -------- getting those Bose speakers
I said---------------------Oh did I?? Mus be the Walker I was drinkin las night
I want------------------- A fleet of aircrafts, a few limos.. n Apy s Happy
I miss------------------Homeeeeeeeeeee...Delhi...
I wish------------------- I had a steady gal frnd..lol
I hear------------------- your complaints every day...
I wonder----------------- how I managed to get home las night..hehe
I regret---------------- I am still not the best (*makes a modest face*)
I am--------------------- I dunno.. Still trying to figure that out
I dance----------------- when ever I m in a good mood.. irrespective of where I am..
I sing------------------- to irritate neighbors
I cry-------------------- naah.. u weren’t there...I won’t tell ya...
I am---------------------hey that’s a repeat question.. u think u r too smart huh huh huh...???
I make with my hands------ anything for a friend....
I write----------------- utter non sense
I confuse---------------em when I cant convince ...
I need------------------- toilet paper.. jus checked... its gonna be over soon...lol
I should-----------------Shut up????
I start------------------ what you can’t finish
I finish----------------- when I like to.... usually when the pressure is unbearable....(jus like this tag.. too much pressure fom Kathy...) lol

N i m gonna Tag... Wbix, Bilbs... (As Denzel Washington says..Revenge is dish best had cold...lol)
and also Me n Alice...(I kno u ll hate me for this but wat the heck..lol...)

Apy cooked Chicken

Oh yeah! As promised, I am posting the pics of the chicken I cooked last week. I guess Apy can cook.. lol

As I always say, Apy and Chicken are Beshtesht friends.

The pictures were taken by P. Aint she good?
Check out her foodblog

 

Long time No see

It’s been a long time. Yes, I think so. My schedule these days is just like that. I don’t even have time to sleep, forget writing a post. I have got loads of pending stuff including Kathy’s tag. “O Sweets! I will do it soon”. (Again, Apy is trying to look busy, trying to hide his face behind documents and again trying to escape by giving a sad look…lol).

I have been keeping busy for a month now. I don’t think busy is the right word when you are as tied up as I’ve been but I wont push it and I wont whine. I have been asked to go to a different office temporarily. There is a Lab in that office where I need to do some testing. The sad part is that I have to travel everyday for 2 hours to reach there. Yes, it is insane and not to forget the 2 hours while returning. The good part is that I have resumed my novel reading habit and I am learning Japanese while commuting. So the time is not a total waste after all. Initially, I used to get sick by the end of the day but now, I guess, I am used to it. I kinda like it too. What hurts is the insane amount of money that I am spending while commuting. Crap! I hate that for sure.

Weekend was fun. Apy started partying on Friday night, slept at 6 on Saturday morning and my dear friend P called me at 11. She can get real nasty and J when she is up and someone else is sleeping. (..lol) She went home for a vacation and returned just a few days back. Not to forget, she came back with loads of movies and of course Besan Laddus and Gujiya. So, without wasting any time, Apy invited her over. Obviously, there were certain conditions attached with the invitation. For example, she was not allowed in the premises if she forgot to get movies, laddus and gujiya. Apy cooked chicken and for a change it turned out to be awesome (Well! Usually it’s just great and now Apy is boasting… lol). The pictures of chicken will be posted soon.

I saw Fanna yesterday. The print was pathetic. Yes, it was the pirated version. Stop staring at me like that. I had to see that movie, so managed with what ever I got. About the movie, well it was not that bad. The way everyone was talking about it, criticizing it and all. Yes, at times it got a little slow and I am not forgetting the thousand repetitions of *Har kaam akele nahi kiya jata* and some more dialogues but wtf, I liked it.

Another Monday, oh yes! I still hate this day.

An evening with Da Vinci

Or you can also say, my first movie in a theatre in Japan. It’s been 8 months since I got here and till date I have not been to a theatre to see a movie. Its not that I don’t like to watch movies but it’s just that I haven’t so far got company (or opportunity), good enough to watch a movie. So, when P told me that she was planning to see “The Da Vinci Code”, I couldn’t stop myself from asking her if she would like to go along with me. But, there was a bigger problem at hand. I had not yet finished reading the novel, which I had started a long time ago.

So, I asked her if she could give me some time to finish that novel. Else, I know myself. I would have never completed that novel if I had seen that movie first. As asked, I was granted some time to finish it up. I hurried through it and within 2 days I was done and ready to go for movie on Saturday (which happened to be yesterday).

The day was fun as it started with a call at 8 am in the morning from P. Once, I had told her that I am crazy about cars. So, when she saw some awesome looking cars on a ‘Saturday morning’ in her neighborhood, being a nice friend as she always has been, she called me immediately to tell me about it and then realized that it was a ‘Saturday morning’. I have no clue what I told her when she told me all this.

So, after 2 hours when I woke up, I was not sure about what conversation we had had and tried calling her up to check. She was busy in her lab so she didn’t answer the phone. I think I m suffering from short term memory loss, because when in the evening, she called me up after looking at the missed call, I had simply forgotten about the call and told her I hadn’t called. May be it’s the old age I am getting into.

So, we plan to meet at Shibuya but as soon as I step out, I realize it’s raining. I reach Shibuya and I see P already holding a coffee outside Starbucks. Well, it was raining so how could I not get one. I am not much of a tea or a coffee person but whenever I have it I like it sweet. I just added a tinge of sugar and P was after my life telling me I m nuts and all. Well, what’s the fun in having a sugarless Mocha at Starbucks? I don’t say that it’s not sweet. I just say it’s not sweet enough.

We start hunting for the theatre in rain. It was not easy at a place like Shibuya but we managed. We had one hour before the movie began so we thought of killing the time by trying to kill each other with our poor jokes (read Apy tried with his poor jokes). They gave us some brochures but since it was raining, we thought of making boats out of them. Apy started first but after a while realized that instead of making a boat I made an airplane :P. So, gave it another try and this time made something else. P got inspiration from me. After all, I give ideas for life. So after trying again and again and after a lot of (de) motivation, she was able to make one.

After one hour of blabbering, we entered the theatre only to come to know that the seats were taken on a first come first serve basis. ‘Holy crap’ was the only thing that came to our mind as the only seats available were in first 3 rows. If we had the slightest idea about this situation we would have gotten the best seats.

Anyways, the movie was okay. I won’t call it that bad but had a major deviation from the novel. I know a movie cannot possibly cover the contents of a novel well but still I had some high hopes from this.

By the time we came out, we were starving. So for a change, instead of looking for a restaurant we bought a doner kebab from a food cart and started looking for a place to eat. Found a desi place to sit, “The Stairs”. So we munched on those kebabs sitting there while people walked past us staring at us. By the time we finished we had got used to those stares and were busy yapping amongst ourselves. After this again a coffee was must. So, went to Starbucks again and got a Caramel this time and she ordered a Double Espresso for herself. Considering the size of her coffee cup and the expression on her face when she drank it, it looked more like a large Whisky peg than coffee. Again I added a tinge of sugar to my caramel, which according to P was an insane amount. I don’t know what is it with her and sugar. Again received the same old line, “You are nuts!!” (What a cliché!)

But it was fun. If I look at it from an over all day point of view. I had a good time. After a long time (complete 2 weeks), I went out and had some fun.

Can you feel it ???

Off late Apy has been whining a lot and that’s definitely not me. So, yesterday after office, instead of taking a train, I decided to walk back home. Don’t presume that Apy has gone crazy before knowing the distance between my hotel and my office. It’s just one station and now don’t you give me that *you need a train to cover that much distance* expression. Well! I do :P.

I have always associated places with either their fragrance or some music. Its not that I do it by choice but that’s the way it usually happens with me. So, last evening when I started walking down the street, I felt a cool breeze on my face and sensed the same fragrance that I did on my first day to office in Japan. That was 9 months ago and suddenly all that time of being new to this place flashed in front of me. May be it happened as it was summer then and now summer is approaching again. It’s just something in the air. I felt the same when I landed in Bangalore this time. It too has a distinct fragrance in air that reminds me of all the time I have spent there.

Similarly, air in Delhi has its own distinct aroma. May be that’s because that’s Home. No matter how long it’s been since I left Delhi, its still Home and always will be. Whenever I go to Delhi, irrespective of how much I crib about pollution, traffic and crime rate, at the end of the day, I am always happy to be there. May be that’s why I miss it so much.

Another thing that helps me to associate with places and reminds me of old times is music. There are some songs that remind me of the college time. The ones on which we used to dance like crazy at times of college festivals or those Jam sessions for weird reasons. Then those Ghazal audiocassettes that Dad used to buy, still remind me of the old time at home, listening to that tape recorder when I was kid. There are some songs which remind me of R, my buddy and my guide and in a way he too has got the same tendency. I came to know about it when I went back to Bangalore this time and he played all those songs on his new ‘Bose’ system and before playing each song, he reminded me of the memory with which it was associated to both of us. It touched me to the core. May be it had more effect as it was played on ‘Bose’. :P

So, yesterday when I switched my Nano on, the songs that went started playing were Nickelback’s “Rock star” followed by Greenday’s “Wake me up when September ends” and “Boulevard of broken dreams”. These are the same songs that I used to listen to again and again on my long weekend walks when I came to this place. So, a combination of old fragrance and its corresponding music was bliss.

Right now I am listening to “Don’t be shy” by Rouge after a long time. I listened to this song a zillion times when I was in Bangalore. It reminds me of all the fun I had with my roomie then. The list is endless. The good part is that this way I can remember and feel good as well as bad moments of my life.

So Far So Good

It all started 3 months back when I felt pain in the lower abdomen. I thought, it might be due to some eating disorder and I ignored it. But the pain persisted and I was left with no other option but to see a doctor. Gosh! I just hate to go to hospitals and see doctors (no offence meant to doctor friends of mine). They give me the creeps and scare the hell out of me. Meeting a doctor in Japan involved other apprehensions also like whether he will understand the problem that I am facing and will he be able to solve it? (Please do not forget the language issue with me)

Anyways, went to the hospital and what happened after that is history.

Visit1: My first meeting with the doctor. Luckily, he was able to speak English though I took a friend along with me who could speak good Japanese. He told me that I had an infection and gave me antibiotics accordingly.

I was happy to hear that nothing major was wrong and took that antibiotic course for 5 days. After 5 days, pain was still there and I was still sad. Nevertheless, I still went to see the doctor again.

Visit2: This time it was a different doctor and he said I had a stone. I was a little worried on hearing this but he assured me that it’s no big deal and we will dissolve the stone with medicines and remove it. In any case he asked me to get the basic tests done including sonography.

I obeyed like a good boy. Got all tests done and went to see doctor again

Visit3: A different doctor. “I don’t think you have stone, I think you have appendicitis.” My plain and simple reaction was “WHAT THE FUCK!!! Every time I come here, you scare me more and more. Why don’t you make up your mind first and then tell me what’s the matter with me”. Anyways, I didn’t say any of it to him coz he seemed to be trying to help me. He gave me some medicines and asked me to visit after 2 weeks.

I met him again after 2 weeks. He was not very sure about appendicitis and asked me to wait for some more time. He said, “I think it’s because of some eating disorder.” (Don’t even ask what my reaction was.)

2.5 months passed, spent around 500 USD but the pain was still hanging in there (Made for each other types) and my worries were at their best. At last, I begged my manager to let me go to India a week early than my scheduled trip so that I can see doc as soon as possible. The story with him is a different story altogether and I don’t even want to start with it, for now.

Reached India (Apy very Happy), and went to see the doctor (a General surgeon). I was again asked to go through all the same tests. I obeyed. I was happy to be back in the hands of good old Indian doc. My reports came out to be all normal. He ‘felt’ that I had appendicitis. He asked me if I had insurance, I affirmed. I was asked to get admitted and get a CT scan done. I obeyed. CT scan was also normal but he said he still had a ‘feeling’ that it was appendicitis. He said, “We could do a diagnostic laparoscopy (for those who don’t know, it is drilling a hole in your abdomen, sticking up a telescope in it and finding out what is wrong). In any case we will take out appendix.” I was not very sure about this. My dad was not at all in favor of cutting into, just for diagnosis. So, called another doctor (my friend’s uncle) for second opinion, told him the complete story and he too was not in favor of this diagnosis.

I was still admitted to hospital and nurse had put I.V. in. My parents were with me all the time and all of us were scared like hell. I got a little rude at times to them for which I feel sorry. “Sorry Mom! Sorry Dad!” I didn’t mean to hurt you, was just as scared as you and didn’t know how to react at times.

Even though I had come to hospital on my own, spending a night in that room made me say to myself, “Thakur to giyo!!"
Ah! I totally forgot to mention about the antibiotics that doctor had asked me to take when I met him the first time. The pain seemed to be subsiding.

It was D-day and doctor arrived. I made him talk to my doctor and he explained the complete story to him. After that, decision was left to me. I decided to not go for it. The pain subsided completely in the next few days and for a change I felt good.

I still don’t know whether I took the right decision or not but as per my belief, “Whatever happens, happens for good”; I have left it to God.

Thank you

I m Backkkkkkkkkkkkk
But first, I want to thank all of you. I could not write back or read your blogs during my stay in India but I was getting your comments constantly on my mail and trust me it was an amazing feeling whenever I read a comment from you.

Bilbo: Thank you so much for calling me in India and keeping a check on me. It was wonderful to talk to you. Your moral support relieved me from a lot of unnecessary tensions.

Kathy: Thanks for your wishes dear. Apy got well and is back in action. :-)

Wbix: Thanks and Sorry sweety! Could not keep you updated as never got a chance to sit and write. I was always in a hurry to get things done, running, usually to the hospital.

Keshi: Thank you so much. Your prayers worked. Thanks for praying for me and coming back again to see if I was doing fine. I am touched.

Alice: Thanks. Yep, I was in India when you wrote. Got your comment in mail. You made me smile.

Casa: Thanks a lot for your wishes. I guess they worked.
　
No matter how many times I write `Thanks`, I still cant express how much touched I am by this gesture of yours. I realized how much a “Get well soon” or “Take care” mean to someone who is not doing well. And ya, about my story in India, I am working on that post :-)

Leaving on a Jet plane...

Well! Just like John Denver, I am leaving on a Jet plane. For those who really wanted to know what was bothering me, here is the deal. I am supposed to leave for India (Bangalore) on April 16, 2006 (i.e. Sunday) for a week. The reason for anxiety was someone who was trying to make sure I do not travel on this date. But I just kept my fingers crossed. I had to travel urgently as Apy is not keeping well and doctors in Japan have given up. They just couldn’t cure him. So, that makes me all the more tense. I have no idea what’s wrong with me. May be Desi doctors could help me out. That’s the only hope I have.

Currently my state of mind is a combination of excitement and tension. My folks are planning to come all the way from Delhi to see me. Its been a long time since I saw them last (3 months is a long time :P). So, I am all tensed whether I will be able to reach India or am I going to get stuck with something. I know I am whining unnecessarily but a phenomenon runs in the family. If something is planned, it will never work out. What works out is something that’s spontaneous. Sounds weird? It keeps happening with me all the time. So that makes my worry number 2 valid.

May be I am a paranoid. When it comes to something that has been planned, I am usually like that. I ask everyone who knows about it, not to be confident of its happening until it has happened. It has happened with me a zillion times. I planned so it didn’t work out.

I am a strong believer of ‘What ever happens happens for good’. But then, at times, even I give up on my faith. Usually, when something like this is about to happen, I form my sentences very carefully. Those who know me will agree to this. Instead of saying, “I am coming”, I end up saying, “I might come”. So that makes it look like it’s not planned and it ‘may’ or ‘may not’ happen. It’s like cheating luck or you can say, cheating yourself. But at times it works. I don’t know how, but it does.

So here I am, waiting for Sunday. Keeping my fingers crossed, hoping that I reach India and get well soon.

Mission: Party Hard

Day: Saturday
Date: April 08, 2006
Time: 2200 hrs
Team: Apy, P and Shu
Rendezvous Point: Roppongi
Mission Name: Party Hard

This is the first time Apy went to a pub in Japan in last 8 months. Its not that I don’t like to party but in a way, things never materialized before.

Shu came up with the plan. He did his home work and prepared a list of all the pubs that played good music. (Roppongi is famous for its night life). So, Mr. Know-it-all got a map along and started leading us to the first pub in the list. We, Apy and P, obediently followed him. After a long walk from the station, Shu realizes that it’s a wrong direction. Apy and P have a smile on their faces. ABOUT TURN. We start moving in the opposite (/*the right*/) direction and pub hunt is ON. After a lot of lefts, rights, just-around-the-corners and just-a-lil-aheads, we are standing in front of a pub. But guess what? It’s closed. (Apy and P still smiling but its turning into laughter) ABOUT TURN. On our way, we saw a board which had nice words written all over it. It was a gentlemen’s club and Apy and Shu were on their knees pleading in front of P to wait out there for some time while they went in to get a lap dance. But P was in no mood to compromise. Darn! So, after more of marching and a lot of shady jokes, shady comments, threats to leave P out and go to that club, and laughing our lungs out, we end up at a place called Hideout.

Pub 1, Hideout: Good music and less crowded. P likes it as she is not very comfortable with crowd. We order drinks and get on with the music. Apy and Shu start swinging with the music while P is just smiling away to glory. Shu is getting real comfortable with Victoria (the waitress). Suddenly, DJ plays a Punjabi remix number. Apy is like WHAT THE …….!!!(First, its Japan… and second, It is JAPAN. People don’t use English here and a Punjabi number in a nightclub freaked us out). After a couple of Johnny walkers, we decided to check out some other place.

Pub 2, Motown: Apy likes it. Good music. Good crowd. We switched to Jack Daniel’s. After a while, P is on the floor. (To make it more clear, ‘on the floor’ as in she decides to dance and not lying on the floor drunk. :P). So Apy and P are swaying with the music while Shu is off hunting. 3 hours past, Shu is still hunting and all three are drunk like a skunk. It’s time to leave. (Wait a minute… leave the pub not for home… it was jus 3:30AM)

Pub3, Impulse: Nice place with black lights (ultraviolet lights which make your teeth and eyes look really weird). All three drunkards are laughing away to glory as they look at each other. Shu is in love with this place as a girl is hitting on him. P doesn’t like it here as the music is too loud for her. So, we head out. (Better luck next time Shu)

Pub4, The Dollar Lounge: Music not good. They seemed to have fucked up Nirvana’s “Smells like Teen spirit”. They were playing a remix of it. Apy didn’t like it here. So, Shu had one shot and we were out again.

The night was wonderful, sat roadside and the talks were endless. It was dawn and we were sober so thought of coffee. Starbucks was nearby and luckily it was open. We rushed just to know that they were closing in 10 minutes. (10 minutes was a lot of time for people as hungry as us.) Anyways, got coffee and some sandwiches, hogged within 10 minutes and were thrown out after that.

Still, it was 1 more hour to go before the first train. We had no option but to wait and it was not bad at all. We were having a good time together. That’s a different story that we were not able to keep our eyes open.

So, after an hour Apy is on a train back with a smile on his face, thinking of all the non sense things that they did the whole night at different places, the goof ups, the shady jokes. One heck of a night it was.

I am anxious. I m confused and I m nervous....

I don’t know what will happen. Is it going to work out or is it going to be a disaster?

This question has been haunting me for quite a while now. Only time has the answer. One week is all I have. In one week, my fate will be decided. I pray but still the fear of things not working out scares me to the core. Things are complicated but still I am hopeful. I hope that things work out the way they were planned. But as far as I remember, my planning has never been successful. How can it be this time? What can I do? I guess nothing.

Am I desperate? Yes, may be I am.

Sakura is all around me.. Its everywhere I go

Spring is here and so is Sakura, also known as Cherry Blossom. Last Saturday, a Sakura Bazaar was organized at Indian Embassy in Tokyo. The view near the embassy was breath taking and so was the crowd at embassy (by the end of the day, wasn’t left with much of breath). I have not seen as many Indians in last 8 months as I saw that day. So clicked a few pictures and have updated Phutoz with the same.

I should say that the Indian food that they served was awesome. Tried Chhole Bhature and Chat after ages and of course! Kingfisher (they called it Indo beer) was also there. :D. Since the crowd was huge, there was a lot of pushing. After a few beers and pushes, started feeling like home. :D. There was no space to move but kids were running all over the place. I kept wondering, how kids always found the required space to run. (Don’t forget I had had a few beers and I was in analytical mode then)

Japanese crowd was there. They too seemed to be having a good time. Some Japanese women were wearing saree. They surely did look cute. Some of them were trying out Henna. Tattoo kind of stuff.

It was a fun day for sure.