This is Spaaartttaaaaaa

Being a DJ, I get to travel on gigs outside Goa. I also have heaps of friends from different parts of the world visiting Goa throughout the year, so the routine isn’t as bad for me as people who have desk-jobs... but yes, at times there is a huge cloud of monotony hanging over my head!

So when a close friend from Bangalore dialed my digits early Saturday morning (1.28am to be precise) and offered to bring a little travel excitement into my life...it was hard to resist. A few more minutes into our conversation, he was putting before me ridiculous numbers, crazy deadlines and demanding for commitment!

Enter: Mitsubishi Cedia Great Driving Challenge.

This was no simple challenge. We had 5 days to pull off what most people started doing 20 days ago. 5 days to gather as many votes and testimonials as we could, put up pictures, come up with a travel plan, and jazz up our profile. 5 days of sleep deprivation, hundreds of SMS’, thousands of emails, updating Facebook status’ over 10 times a day, “pinging" friends, and their friends... and the friends of the friends of the friends whom we “pinged”. Yes. It ruled our lives! Yes, we made sure that people sat up and took notice. (It helped that we are both sweet, non-malicious people. Hehehe) And only because we decided to give this challenge our heart, and refused to give up without a fight.

These 5 days have also been emotional for me. I never realized people cared this much. This was no longer a challenge for just Roohshad and me. This was a challenge for everyone we came in contact with. From my parents and their friends, cousins all over the world and their friends, old colleagues, classmates, gym acquaintances, our 2800 facebook friends, the DJing community, Roohshad’s photography community.... We even managed votes from the World Health Organization in Geneva, a few employees of the United Nations in New York and the members of the European Union!! (I can’t tell you how I pulled that one off)

Friends from all over the world started sending out threatening emails and posting updates to their groups/fan pages/forums , updating their facebook status, and writing us some kick-ass testimonials. Facebook has been flooded with the link to our page, with everyone posting it everywhere. I was impressed. I knew I always chose the right friends, and they cared. But to this extent? I was in tears the first 3 days after reading every testimonial written (not literally crying...I’m one tough cookie you know)

I must also say that these 5 days have made us both better people. We’ve put aside our ego’s and even troubled people we barely knew and hardly interacted with, to vote for us. We’ve been saying our morning and night prayers religiously. And we’re both fasting today...The last day to collect votes. (You actually think I’m serious about the fasting? Hahahahha)

Yesterday, it actually hit us. We might just be doing everything right! Genuine votes and testimonials.......Check. Travel Plan....... Check. Travelogue....... Check. Test-drive the Cedia.....Check. Pictures...Check. Blog....Ohmigod! WE DON'T HAVE A BLOG!!! I do write for various publications on and off about people, events, everything and anything that interests me, but why have I never thought of having my own Blog? Then started the panic..panic..panic. I verbally abused myself a million times over and then decided to put up a blog.

I found two pieces I had written on Facebook sometime last year and copy-pasted it into my blog. 2 musings done....but is this what the judges would consider? A blog about how Pink Floyd changed my life and Traffic Frustration, for a travel contest that was about photography, blogging and driving? I think not. Why didn’t I ever write about my travel experiences? And why did we only just wake up to realize that our “profile is only 95% complete without the blog”!!

I now decided to keep myself open for Public Slapping. 6pm-9pm. Saturday and Sunday only. SMS me for appointment. Only one slap per person. Only on left cheek. Offer valid till the final 3 couples are chosen for the GDC, and after........ if we don’t make it to those top 3.

Or wait....one last attempt at being considered for the finals.... I’m off to rummage through my head and think and write about one of my most interesting Indian travels. Wish me Luck. God, be by my side. Ta!

P.S: God visited Roohshad and me this morning, put us on the front page of Goa Times, and told the world about our Great Driving Challenge!! :)