The much awaited Matheran update

so, it goes...i sign up for our company's summer getaway weekend trip amidst strangers and employees.i knew faces but not people. the only other person that i could somewhat bank was my IT POC, Luqman.

asking for a half day leave from my manager and team lead was the lastest and the latest thing i did on the 3rd of August 2007!! i did try persuading some, including my manager,no luck!! work!!work!!work!! not that i worked any less ;)

i took the cab to the Begumpet station with 3 others, C .Anooradha,Vardhman and another sweet Googler who reminded me so much of a friend in Delhi.ahem, please pardon my amnesia...i met her today in the Christmas choir practice, just can't remember her name, so due apologies ;(
we travelled for 10mins or so with none of us volunteering to break ice, anyway, the two ladies had mutual conversation...always the first among equals, probably i had some random loud soliloquy and that's about it, we spoke, asked the usual where from and what else besides name...well, all in all..tried to be Googly, quite successful, i must say!!
we alighted at the station, and surprisingly, the 4 of us stuck by and stood as a group, initial bonding, you see and small conversation!!and, i tolerated the uh-oh presence of another Googler(read Ram, a friend now) just behind me.i did try to catch familiar faces :)

flashback!!! i just had a nightmare of sorts when i was signing up for the rooms ala 4girls in a each room kinds!!for the 1st time, i hated my name, its unisex nature rebuffed all females and probably scared them and most of my female travelling companions must be wondering my liberal impudence to share the room with them :(
i was pushed from quite a few rooms and better still, clubbed with some guys ;) ewwwwww!!
finally , i took refuge in a room wic had 3 girls already, emailed them to tell them that they better not kick me out of their room sign-up and bla bla...whew!! i met them at the station finally, saw them , relieved!!

the routine announcements and in 20 mins we boarded the train, sleeper class and lot of activity,bartering seats,shuffling,berths and all that,omigod!!i was in the middle of absolute chaod and corny jokes, wic would take me 3 years to laugh!! i dreaded my worst nightmare was coming true, why the hell did i come!!!!

Luqman came to the rescue, asked me to join his gang of techy travelling companions, i find among others Vardhman and also, Ram and Krishna,the others being Mallik and Gowtham. the routine hi hellos, Mallik had unruly hair and a braided hair slide to keep his clinic all clear locks in place, don't know if that was fashion, style or laziness!!ok, this dude is a reckoning chatterbox, wont comment much but he did try to ruffle feathers by trying to play cute,Gowtham was following a close second with all the not asked for comments.Luqman saw all the colours of the rainbow and Krishna hugged his bag of Google goodies and Ram was flashing his how many memory cards Olympus camera, Vardhman was laughing in the new found familiarity.There was a bearded old guy in the aisle seat, he was totally enjoying the young blood around. yes, wat was yours truly doing??

to be continued...