Foggy Morning

Winter is the most awaited season for 2 reasons, first it gives respite from the scorching summer and we can digest food more easily than other seasons. People like to eat more food especially parathas and chats during this season. Consumption of tea and coffee is very high during this season. Ginger tea is preferred more during this season.

Foggy morning is a spectacular view for the people, I love such mornings and stand in the balcony watching the beauty of nature. But foggy morning is not good for travelers many flights and trains either get delayed or canceled due to fog to evade accidents. Car drivers and biker also have their own share of problem driving in foggy season.

Since childhood I love foggy days because we can lit fire on charcoal in room and sit next to it. In northern part of India vessels made of mud and cow dung are available especially for burning charcoal in it.  We can use it safely in room without much smoke, provided one knows how to handle it. Here in Bangalore no such option is available, people prefer room heaters than any other mode.  

Despite my liking towards fog can’t enjoy the weather for long due to sinus problem. Still step out to balcony and enjoy it some time. Last year I did a crazy thing on a fog filled morning, went on a drive on bike without helmet or cap on head. After 20 minutes ride came back to room, by evening was suffering from severe headache and cold, accompanied by running nose. Luckily I was staying alone then, but now if I venture for such things my wife would stop it and ensure such adventures are banned for future as well.

I love to come out in fog after taking bath (preferably in hot water) it a wonderful feeling then. Today morning also did the same thing but didn’t stand for long in balcony fearing falling ill. Going out for jogging is also a viable option to enjoy the season to the fullest, will try it at the next available opportunity.

Most difficult thing during such days is getting out of bed and taking bath. Leaving bed is like battling with oneself and the warm blanket. Taking bath even in hot water is nothing less than a struggle especially changing clothes. Despite these small troubles, still love foggy day and wait eagerly for it.

Miraculous escape from a disastrous bus accident

Accidents are common these day but we feel it when our loved one is involved in it, otherwise we care little about it. Me and wife were coming back to Bangalore after attending my cousin’s wedding. Our ticket was booked for train earlier, since it was not confirmed we booked ticket by bus. It has been six years now that I have traveling by bus from Bangalore to Kerala and return. Bus tickets are easily available if you are a frequent traveler by any particular travels.

My dad use to book tickets and even this time he accompanied me to the travels because of his familiarity with travels. I prefer sleeper birth that also in the front row, knowing this the agent allotted us the seat in the first row after driver’s cabin.

My parent’s and in laws came to bus stop to wish us happy journey, we reached bus stop in our new car. My wife loves traveling by it. Bus came on time and left immediately. As bus parted we settled our self to the seat allotted to us. I called my brother in law to inform him about our departure.

At 7.30 pm bus stopped for us to have dinner, since we were carrying sandwich, we decided to have it. It was bus last stop before touching Bangalore. By 8 pm bus left the restaurant and lights were switched off. I was feeling tired so I slept but my wife was not getting sleep. She was changing position and used to wake up frequently.

At 5 in the morning my wife she held me tight and started calling me, followed by some strange sound and bus coming to halt. I was in deep sleep so couldn’t understand what was happened but soon I realized our bus has met with an accident. 

I got down from my seat to see what had happened. The moment I opened the door, first thing I could see was front glass of the bus was missing and the door was jammed. Somehow I got out of the bus and saw front portion fully smashed, couldn’t even image it was the same bus we boarded few hours ago. The moment I saw the wheels of the bus, I was shocked because had the bus not stopped then, it would have toppled down, since it wheels were too close to the divider.

Luckily none of the passengers were hurt, only the bus was damaged beyond recognition. We stayed back on our seat, as new bus was coming to ferry us to Bangalore. By 6 I called my brother in law to inform him about the accident and ask him not to come to bus stop to pick us. By 7 we called up our houses to inform them about the mishap.

The moment we called them, “first question was where have you reached?”.When we told them about the accident, they become extremely worried and started asking question about the incident. They wanted us to reach Bangalore at the earliest by any means. But we had to wait till the other bus comes and take us to Bangalore.

Bus came and we reached Bangalore, then home but throughout our journey phone kept on ringing.  Our parents are yet to recover from the shock of losing their kids to an accident. While lying on bed I was thinking, if we have been dead in that accident, nothing would have been lost. We met all our relatives and friends in the wedding. Our parents bid us goodbye, had lived our life till that moment to the fullest.

My cousin’s wedding

It was the most awaited wedding in our family. What made it more special was that, Deepak was our youngest cousin. Despite being the youngest among us, search for his bride began. Reason could be he was the only son of his parents. No sooner did he complete his studies, my sister started searching a girl of him. 

He had seen more girls than me and had motivated me and my other cousin to venture for marriage despite our fear towards it. When I landed at his house a day prior to wedding couldn’t believe, my naughty cousin is going to be a family man next day. We used to fight a lot for silly reason during our childhood days. Those fight’s has strengthen our relation to the extent that people are envy of it today.

 Guys had to sleep on floor while I took sofa but ensured Deepak to sleep next to me (didn’t want him to go away from me). We all got up in morning and tried to get ready, ensuring other to use washroom as the house was full with guests. Had our breakfast, I was entrusted the responsibility to dress Deepak for his big day.

Shirt and make up was taken up by me but “mundu” was not in my hands. That was taken care by a relative of ours. No sooner did he get ready, photographer came to start the photo shoot and Deepak had touch my feet as I was his only mama who could make it to the wedding.  It was an emotional moment for me as till date we were just like good friends who used to share all guys thing together.

We reached the wedding venue waited for the auspicious moment, I went to the mandap with him for facilitating things for my sister. With in moments he became a married man from my very dear cousin. I accompanied him back home with his wife.

By evening all wedding functions got over and it was time for me to say goodbye to him. Dad came to pick me, mom and my wife back home. Now I won’t be coming back home soon for any wedding, as all my other cousins are small and have some time left for them to enter into wedlock.

Tussle with an anti virus

I am not very good with technical but somehow manage things. Most installations on my lappy are done by friends who have through knowledge of things. Have never handed over my lappy to people for experimenting nor do I venture for it, unless left with no other option in hand.

Anti virus on my system got expired just thought of downloading one from internet for the time being till my friend gets me a new one, which he has installed himself on his system. After much research I downloaded one from internet but it was the biggest mistake I did. The moment I downloaded antivirus tried to install it on my lappy god know what went wrong, my system developed some major problem which I did face till date. None on my icons were working , when I try to turn off my system even that was not happening. 

I had to opt for forced turn off and when I turn on it won’t get started up. All this was happening at time when I wanted my lappy badly to complete an assigned. I asked my wife, who happens to be an MCA but even she couldn’t help me. In the mean while I was trying option to turn on the system and uninstall the antivirus.

Then I started my system in safemode than turn it onto normal mode, it worked. From their went to setting and uninstalled that software. All this process took more an 2 hours but I learned one thing never install things about which you are not sure and tuning system to safe mode can be beneficial to you.

Will their be an end to tatkal ticket woes?

Tatkal tickets were introduced to benefit passenger who opt for last moment travel due to some unforeseen necessity. Passengers have welcomed it with open heart. But railways keep changing the rule which is creating problem for the passengers to keep pace with.

Booking ticket through net is another big boon to people who find it difficult to reach station and book tickets. People working in IT sector are too happy about it because now they can book ticket from their office cubical. In the busy schedule of 9-6 IT professionals are left with little or no time to locate a railway booking centre. Most people opting for it are from IT industry or tech savvy people.

Even tatkal tickets could be booked through it if we do it with in the stipulated time. But logging into IRCTC at 8 am is a tough job, if we are can easily log in else will have to wait to decongest the traffic online.

Latest reform brought in tatkal ticket has not at all been welcomed by people like who have been addicted to IRCTC for booking tickets. Now in order to book tatkal ticket we need to be at the ticket window when it opens up at 8 in the morning. No idea why and for who’s benefit this plan has been incorporated. 

Now I will have find an agent who will help me in booking ticket in case of an emergency or opt for bus to travelling home.  Railway agents are the only person who have benefitted by the recent move of railway ministry.

If government wants us to go back to old day then the why was this modernization done and for whom? You can give somebody excellent quality service once and then they it back. I do accept the fact that their were few issues with tatkal ticket which forced ministry to take this decision but it could have been in dealt in more passenger friendly manner than being loop sided to agents.