It's been a while. But then, I've been enjoying another chapter of my rather fortunate life. A few wonderful things about it:

• The drivers, the localites, the policemen - they all complain about how painful the traffic in Hyderabad is getting lately. But as for me, I'm from Bangalore! To me, the word 'traffic' has a much more chaotic and frustrating image. As a consequence, the cab rides to work are a breeze.
  
• I found a cute little place in Banjara Hills, one of the posh(est) areas of Hyderabad. Well, the place sucks as far as daily amenities go, but then I love the look I get from people when they hear it. Hey, and Hyderabad Central ain't too far away.
  
• I have a brand new DELL Latitude 620! I'm taking good care of it, so that it has Longitude as well. Haha. There, my quota of bad jokes is up for today.
• I get a huge salary the first couple of months. I'm talking HUGE! Well, huge for the 5k p.m. impoverished grad student that I was, anyway.
• Team lunches. They say they will get rather boring in a couple of months, but right now, it's like getting free treats (atleast) once a week!
• Did I mention all that money???
• An ATM card! I've been dying to insert those fiesty little things into ATMs and press some buttons. Withdraw something, maybe check my balance just for the fun of it.
• Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai - all less than 12 hours away.
• Nice geeky crowd at work. I feel at home, or at IITK anyway.
• Oh, and the brand new wardrobe that comes alongwith a new job. Lookin' quite 'da man'. Of course, this is facilitated by the... oh yes, you got it. THE MONEY!

But really, one of the things I look forward to every day is speaking to people I care for. That's what keeps us going. It's sharing my happiness with them that makes the fire of my excitement a steady warm ember.

I've packed so many cartons for friends that they have advised me to consider joining the courier business. I've made up my mind a million times to throw away all those useless bills, letters and gifts, and then cheated myself by sneaking them into gaps that the other luggage wouldn't care too much about. Friends back home keep asking when I'll be back. My friends here are buying rations and borrowing electric kettles to cook for ourselves as a last attempt to do something fun. Ads for selling our computers have gone out on the newsgroup. Everyone tells me to write a last comic strip or two before I leave. Before I leave, huh? I'm leaving soon, and it's just starting to hit me!

Yesterday was particularly eventful. We realized we had to shift immediately, and had to pay a good amount to do so. Getting a gate pass for a friend's luggage turned into a unfruitful bureaucratic adventure. I found out that a company I was eyeing just decided to schedule their 7th technical interview with me! We sat, together yet alone, the two of us, realizing that the endless chatter and movie sound effects would not strike the walls of my room anymore.

And then it rained. Heavily. Too darn poetic, but it worked for me. Envigourated and glistening fresh in the rain, the grass seemed greener on the other side!

We finally met. Talk about bad karma. She was just as I thought she would be. I apparently wasn't. Oh well... no free silver jewellery for me!

People cried, "Come back, we really loved you! And while you're at it, make love to me!"

They said, "Man, if there was one thing I looked forward to reading every day, it was like your blog, man! You're like the best, man! Make love to me!"

Some even said, "You can't write for nuts, but please... make love to me!"

South Park's Randy Marsh can eat his heart out! And knowing the crazed creators of the series, he just might!

Well, God knows I'm back. So, bring on the love...