Roohshad & Zinaida's Ramblings!

WEeeee houR ATTENTION HOES!

2009-08-05T09:40:00.001+05:30

We love attention! We’ve told you that again and again and again. That’s why pimping the Cedia across Mumbai wasn’t too much of a task for us. And boy, did we get attention!!! From little street children, to policemen, to taxi drivers, to hawkers, to some pretty chica’s at a 5 star (made Roohshad’s day)…….. everyone seemed to have read our blog post before we left, coz when told them to “smile and look pretty”, that’s exactly what they did. LOL.

The pictures speak for themselves. People going about their normal routine on a regular day, still manage the time to “smile and wave” when a Cedia passes by…..or…..it’s probably us. No, no……. the Cedia did the trick. Hehe it was actually my driving! *nudge nudge Roohshad and Aadil* But who cares?! We got the attention we went out to get, didn’t we??

The world had seen the Cedia and the two Hedgehogs in it…….. and acknowledged it! Mission One accomplished. Amen.

Modern Marvel meets Modern Marvel

2009-08-05T09:28:00.005+05:30

I had heard about the Bandra-Worli sea link a while ago, and when I found out we were oh-so-close to it, I begged and pleaded with Zinaida for us to hit the 4 lane wonder and pop the Sports edition Cedia’s speed cherry, since the AutoTrack system wasnt activated yet and they wouldnt know how fast we were going (NOT THAT IM SAYING WE WENT FAST OR ANYTHING, OH NO NO DEAR JUDGES!).

The bridge is one big mama, she stands magnificently peering into the clouds, with her flowing cables gloriously reaching out. Thanks to her, you can now get from Bandra to town in 7 minutes as compared to the earlier 45 minutes!! Here you can see all that you usually skip….

The bridge gets a whopping 25000 vehicles a day when it isnt even fully ready yet. I cant imagine those numbers when all 4 lanes are ready and open. Its an absolute thrill driving down this road, I could tell from the smile pasted on Zinaida’s face all through the way, which vanished like clock work as we exited.

When you do get to check it out, let us know what you think. Alas we cant share with you at this time the video we made, the 5D Mark2 makes video in HD format and I just found out that this high a resolution cant be handled by the windows movie maker *sigh*

#$%%^&$#@*^!!!

2009-07-26T03:04:00.006+05:30

And why am I irritable???

It's probably because I woke up this morning.... with only one thing on my mind. SLEEEEEEEPP!! Why do i feel like I've not been sleeping enough of late?? What a stupid question! Like DUH! Because I haven't been sleeping enough. Period.

And my super genius mind has figured out why I haven't been sleeping enough. I go off to bed in the wee hours of morning. A couple of hours later...my youngest brother is banging Coldplay on the Piano. I open my eyes and its obviously bright. All I want to do then (as much as I want to stay in bed), is run and switch on my computer....... check the numbers on our facebook group......... check whats new with the blog...... check everyone's posts on the main TGDC page. Hhahhahhahha. Dammit!! This thing is addictive!

Between breaks, I'm sorting my music........ downloading new tunes......... making sets for next gigs....... burning CDs. Having totally neglected my music for the past 10 days (with the whole excitement of catching up in the GDC race), there is just soooooooooo much work to be done!!

I know Roohshad has been super busy with the Fashion Week too, but that doesn't stop me from interrupting him at least 8 times a day with the most annoying question of all times (for him)...... "Whats new?" Hehehehe.

And since our new blog wasn't totally up yet, we took this as an opportunity to finish up all our pending jobs......only to come back and realize that the blog is up and running and everybody's been on a blogging spree!! Pictures.. team names... backgrounds... blogs.... followers........ its all there!!

So tomorrow (today actually...coz its already 3.50am and the next morning; again!!), we're gonna have to catch up with the race.

And we will :) See you in the morning!!

G'nite yo!!

Whataday!!

2009-07-25T04:29:00.013+05:30

Woke up this morning (well last morning since its 4.36am and a new day)...realizing that this wasn't a dream! We had really made it to the next round of the Mitusbishi Cedia Great Driving Challenge. All excited about our new blog....I decided to check it out, but the damn electricity refused to behave with me. It slept on me......for like a whole day! And the inverter wouldn't co-operate as well.

So all I did today... was relive those exciting moments of yesterday.

I was at the Bangalore airport at 11.40pm yesterday, just checked in to take my flight to Goa. I couldn't stop looking at my watch, waiting for 12pm....waiting for somebody.......anybody......to call and tell me, we had made it to the TOP 12.

At 12.02pm, I couldn't take it any longer. I called Roohshad and insisted on staying on line till the page loaded....and till he clicked on every box.

It was the sweetest words I had ever heard anybody ever say...."We're in!!"

All I heard next were excited screams. In my own voice. And Roohshad's ______ (I'm still trying to figure what he was saying/chanting (?)/ singing. That's Rooh for you. Can never find a justifiable word to describe his "lost-for-a-word-again" ) Oh...........and I was totally oblivious of the 100 and something people at the airport lounge. I was flying....somewhere over the rainbow! This was our moment. I couldn't be bothered about anything else. WE MADE IT!!

The gentleman sitting 3 chairs away from me...frowned at me, I had ruined his little nap. I couldn't help but grin at him. Yes, he probably thought I had lost it!!

The flight back home seemed to last forever! After switching on my phone when I landed, my phone beeped continuously. Apparently the whole world (my whole world at least) had been online checking to see if we made it.... and couldn't wait to congratulate us.

I haven't known such joy in a long while. Roohshad and me had made a lot of people proud!!

The warm welcome I received at the Goa airport from family and friends was surprising and touching! Wow!! They actually took the trouble to come all the way to the airport to congratulate me??!!!

This Challenge has turned out to be much bigger than I expected. It not only meant a lot to me and Roohshad, but to all our friends and family too...... who eagerly wanted to know how they could help in the next stage.

For now...all I can do is thank TGDC and their judges for giving us the chance to go forward in this journey..... and letting us experience this wonderful feeling of making our peeps proud!!

This is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity...and we will go all out to make it till the end.

Watch out for us ;-)

TOP 12!

2009-07-23T18:47:00.012+05:30

WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT!WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT! WE MADE IT!

We are speechless right now! Let it just sink in.

WE MADE IT!!

My wishlist!

2009-07-23T00:38:00.010+05:30

Two things I have to....JUST HAVE TO DO and I' will do.... before I get old. Jeez! Im 27 already and those greys are gonna come peeping out soon!!!

1. Buy my own Mini Cooper :)

Look at it!!!!!! (OK so somebody photoshopped it) But that doesn't make it any less vibrant! It's exuberant personality just wins you over. Especially when you watch it coming towards you, smiling happily! You just can't resist owning that pooch! Too bad India hasn't decided to bring 'em over!! :(

For now, I'm excited about the Cedia! The Cedia will do. No.....it will sooooooooooooooo do!!!!! :)

2. Go extreme-mountain driving!!

Can you even imagine the adrenaline rush doing something like that??? Of course, doesn't have to be exactly like this. My blood's running cold just looking at this shot. But....something similar (less dangerous) I'll be cautious obviously....... not put my life at risk, and only do something that I'm sure of doing............but Hello!!!! who doesn't wanna try something close to this!!

I'm game for it baby......Just let me know when and where!! ;-)

Monsoon Driving

2009-07-22T22:26:00.029+05:30

Driving in the rains is not for the weak-hearted and not for new drivers.....especially not in the monsoons, and definitely not on the highways! There is soooooooooo much you have to deal with! Rains can be unforgiving and harsh. Lightening can be disorientating. And the most common situation faced by commuters are skidding and aquaplaning.

But don't let the monsoons intimidate you. Monsoon driving can also be relaxing, refreshing and breath-taking. All you have to do.....is stick to the guidelines.

I've put together 10 commandments that 9 years of driving has taught me, may it be a short drive to the next city or a long drive across the country. All you GDC participants...this should help! (irrespective of whether you make it to the drive or not)

1. Monsoon-ize your car. Change tyres....check all liquid levels....check brakes.....make sure wipers can fullfill their main function, clean your windshield and check your lights. Oh...and please make sure your car papers are in order. You don't want to have unnecessary trouble with the cops. Licence?? Don't leave home without it!

2. Keep a first aid kit handy. Maybe two if its a long drive. Also make sure you throw in a warm blanket, a flashlight, some easy-listening CDs and a map.

3. Strap that seat-belt on. Do I really need to explain this further??!!

4. Is your gas tank full? Start looking for a fuel station, once the level drops below the half-tank mark.

5. Always keep safe distance. It takes far longer for your brakes to take effect in the rains. Also if you're following buses/trucks., the spray from the wheels can reduce visibility.

6. Drive at a comfortable, constant speed, so you don't have to use those brakes too often. Take your foot off the accelerator if you need to slow down gradually. Turn on your hazard lights, in case of emmergency braking.

7. Night driving requires skill. The glare of on-coming vehicles gets amplified by rain and can blind you for seconds. So does lightening. You'll also come across vehicles with one or both faulty lights. Be alert constantly. Also, turn on your lights during heavy fog or rains. You do know there's something called 'fog lights' yea??

8. Never drive through accumulated/moving water. If you cannot see the road or ground through the water, do not take a guess at its depth. If the water is deeper than the bottom of your doors, tuen around. The force of the water maybe more than the weight of your car. Make sure you're revving your engine. Vroooooooooom!

9. Turn up the heat in your car, and direct the airflow to 'defrost', if you're windows get fogged due to high humidity. If you don't have an AC, roll down the windows a bit, so there's some circulation of air.

10. Keep an eye on your car tyres. Tyres with thick tread provide traction. So replace you're tyres immediately if you realize they're balding.

P.S: I don't have to tell you not to drink and drive, or talk on your cellphone / SMS friends while driving. Remember...... rash and negligent driving might not always take your life, but could handicap you or someone else for life.

Drive safe!!!

HAPPY DRIVING!!! :)

Jab We Met...

2009-07-22T17:21:00.016+05:30

One Saturday night....................... at a Retro party in Goa. Everyone was dressed to the theme. Flowery 70s prints, bell-bottoms, scarfs, platform shoes, long sideburns...Everyone shakin' their booty to 'That thing you do'.................and in the middle of it all, this 'sombeody' with his huge camera, getting the world to flirt with his lens..... cracking those not-so-funny one liners (ok fine....they were funny, I just don't wanna admit it now), oozing charm, and fitting in pretty well for 'a new face on the block'.

Yes. I noticed him! But pretended to ignore. You know how we women are.... don't pay too much attention to the men, no matter how much you want to strike a conversation with them. Let them come to you.

And soon enough we were introduced. Roohshad Garda, ace photographer from Bangalore. Within minutes of talking to him, he complimented me on my hair and skin and said I looked like a 'cookie'. I blushed. Then he turned one of those huge pedestal fans towards me, my hair flying with the breeze....and I knew I wanted to be his model. I forgot all about putting up my price and being a b*#&h, and was grinning like a schoolgirl...... smiling at his camera :)

Here......this is proof:

The rest............is history! We discovered we're both free-spirited, wild-children on the loose, looking for trouble, and waiting for adventure to come knocking at our doors. Distance isn't too much of a barrier. We are still 2 peas in a pod.

Vote for Hitler!

2009-07-22T16:23:00.003+05:30

You voted for me? That's just great, Bye!!!!

"Hey Hans, what's that voting thing they keep talking about???"

Adolf Hitler

Somewhere between Heaven and Earth

2009-07-22T14:32:00.027+05:30

The first time I visited Kerala was ages ago when I was about 9, on a school trip to Kovalam beach. Though I remember doing a little sightseeing and spotting jellyfish on the beach... the only memory that remained crystal clear with me, was the image of a man jumping in front of our train and ending his life. Scarred by that incident, everything else was blank.

My frequent trips to Cochin on gigs also did not do justice to my visit, as I used to only spend one night in the city.

And then came one long weekend. We decided to go surprise an old friend who had moved to Thekkady, to manage a beautiful resort. Seeing pictures that she posted of the place, we knew we HAD to make this trip by road. And what better time to experience Kerala, than in the rains!

We headed from Goa down South, along the coast, sticking to NH17, via Karwar, Mangalore, Cannonore, Kozhikode, we wanted to stop at Thrissur, but later decided to drive past it, straight down to Cochin. The funniest is when we were reaching Kozhikode. I didn't realize that Kozhikode was Calicut, so I kept looking for the 'Calicut' milestone, till way after we past it. (Seriously, sometimes I'm embarassed and laugh at my own ignorance)

The drive to Kerala is to die for! Besides the lashing winds and slashing rain.... I was simply blown away by the beauty. Brochures and guides won't tell you about........

these majestic sweeps of forested mountains, tempered with miles of flowering meadows ....

huge estates calling out to you to walk through them........

gushing waterfalls that intimdate you....

little pathways urging you to follow them.....

Busy spiders going about their day's work, totally oblivious to how much they amaze mankind....

Harmless snakes who won't give a care about you....as long as you don't threaten their environment.................

And my most favorite picture that Roohshad so brilliantly captured. The perfect spot to sit and connect with that force above. Stone seats in the middle of nowhere!

We hear about these in books, watch them on National Geographic, but to experience it yourself is incomparable! It was sooooooo worth our weekend. Too bad we didn't have too much time to stop by the fishing boats, laze by the sea, explore little towns.... all we did was drive...drive...drive. But we found it so hard to complain about, because this is one drive... I will defintiely do again and again and again!

Here is a peek into the resort we stayed at. It's a step closer to heaven. Literally!

The reception..................

The way to our room.....

If it weren't for our busy schedules and restricted timelines, it would have been a treat to explore every little town and village, explore pockets of unspoiled bushland, say hello to the birds at the Bird Sanctuary in Thekkady, relax on the backwaters, visit the historic sites.

But this trip...had a personal agenda. We were here for a friend. There's always next time :-)

It's over...and yet it's only the beginning!

2009-07-21T23:36:00.008+05:30

So....we've passed the 'rush rush' stage. Put up a blog in the last 48 hours before closing time.... spent sleepless nights wondering what to write about.........so much pressure! What if we blog about something they don't want to hear. An interesting travel should help! So i start writing about my road trip to Bhutan that I did about 8 years ago with Dad.... but where the hell are the pictures? Tried rummaging through an old shoe-box that stored plenty of negatives...but no! couldn't find those damn negatives of the Bhutan trip. So I let it be.

A few friends offered to let me copy-paste their travel experiences into our blog. But come on....what use is it! Yes...we definitely want to win. But we want this to be a fair game. It's not that we haven't traveled (and trust me when I say this...we HAVE traveled extensively!), but we just never penned down any of those experiences. Maybe no one would know if we had copy-pasted, but my conscience wouldn't allow it. (Told you I was an angel of the Lord...........didn't I?? ) ;-)

Now that I think of those last 8 hours before voting closed....it was simply hilarious! Friends texting/calling/mailing to ask how many more votes needed. Roohshad trying to figure out if we mapped our route correctly. Me trying to find something....anything to blog about! "Mom.... don't ask again! No dinner till after 12" was all the words that I managed to get out of my mouth in the last 2 hours.

But............boy o boy! What an experience this has been! It was worth every moment of it. We made it to the TOP 100! I would be surprised if we hadn't, honestly. I know everyone's worked really hard to make it to that list, but I personally believe...for Roohshad and me, it's been one helluva journey! And you know what else? I think this is just the beginnning!

I actually love the whole blogging bit, too. I'm a new SLASH amateur blogger...but Im kinda enjoying it. No pressure now. So it makes it easier. Still trying to figure this out...but I'm sure I'll get there soon :-)

Stay tuned. I'm gonna be rambling a lot more in the days to come! In the meantime, keep your fingers crossed, Thursday noon we'll know if we made it to the TOP 9!

Sketch(y) travel plan for our Great Driving Challenge :)

2009-07-18T00:15:00.010+05:30

We looked hard at the map of India, and woah is she one BIG MAMA!! With only a 3000 odd kilometer leash, we needed to figure out which route to take, to encompass and cover it all -- I want to show you breath-taking landscapes, heartwarming smiles with ugly brown teeth, beautiful tiny birds on wires, worn out sandals, gigantic treelines and picturesque beaches. From the towers of palaces to the random elephants on the highways. EVERYTHING!

If there is one thing i discovered during my travels through India (and one of my biggest regrets in life is that I wasn't a photographer then) is that India has just sooo much to offer, and although that's a little cliché to say, Im really looking forward to showing you what I mean with my pictures, to show you that this diversity you don't see everywhere, the kinds of contrasting images one wouldn't have fathomed, atleast if you live in a city :P

We head north from Mumbai through Gujarat, Ive only heard praises of the roadways in Gujarat. I cant wait to be heavy-footed a bit on those roads (so long as Zinaida doesn't yelp again!!). We plan to go see the biggest of ships (breaking) yards, the houses of Moo (Read: indians biggest dairy), the beautiful coastlines being kissed by the monsoon, and Im gonna get to practice my Parsee Gujarati and annoy all the locals :D
Im not sure if we'll have time, but Daman and Dui would be a treat. It would be awesome to drive the Portuguese girl to another Portuguese settlement, apart from the fact that there are some gorgeous houses and landscapes awaiting us!

Rajasthan, oh my heart is here!!! Im a people-enthusiast, and the faces you see here DO TELL a thousand stories. I love them cause of their character, each one of them looking like he has atleast one story to tell. And need I even mention the Palaces!! It has been my dream to do the Palace on Wheels tour for a long time (i loved the Golden Charriot trip i didnt last year), and i guess Im gonna be doing something a little similar now, just, my wheels will be made of rubber :) The deserts have a charm of their own, there is something very grand in its simplicity. You can really pull out emotion in spaces such as these, I'll show you what i mean, soon enough :) I wonder if those enterprising folks have figured a way to take our car on a camel safari too! NOW WOULDN'T THAT BE FUN! I cant wait to go through all the little villages and towns, the vividly colourful towns, and did i mention we're doing a tiger reserve :)

We're gonna play peekaboo with Uttar Pradesh, Agra is what were after, after all, if this a GREAT challenge then how can we not take the CHALLENGE to something truly great! (ok, i think that line sounded a little better in my head!!!) Anywhat, someone tell them to scrub under the nails too, Taj, WE'RE COMING.

Soon after we dash further south though some of the most beautiful country sides, if you haven't already heard about Madhya Pradesh in the monsoons then I would strongly urge you to have a look. There are several little towns on the route, we probably wont spend too much time there, just enough for us to be spotted ;) (Yes, we love attention) and we'll spend more time on the gorgeous roads, until we get to Kajaraho! (Insert: big smirk). The last time i was there was on a 535cc Enfield Lightning that i bought from a stranger in Gangtok (which i still don't have legal papers for even after riding it all the way from Sikkim to Bangalore -- well -- almost all the way) The drive then on through the jungles and reserves are absolutely mesmerising, THE WORSE ROADS YOU CAN IMAGINE but absolutely breath-taking landscapes. Don't tell Zinaida, but im gonna make her drive the whole of this part, I'll be too busy with my camera out the window!! :) My dad was born in Jabalpur and I've got all the little tit bits from him on the secret places to go, and why would i tell you about it now and spoil the surprise right!? There is alot going on in that area, from rocks to rivers, to temples and caves, forest stretches to wide open fields.

And then its back to Maharashtra, driving straight through another gorgeous reserve, all the way to the beautiful landscapes around Nagpur, before breaking west through all the beautiful little villages and towns off the highway. There are a lot of beautiful wide open spaces along the drive, and I'm told the roads through the villages are quite good too! Were headed to the Nashik Valley via Aurangabad and we'll show you the famous Ajanta and Elora caves and even a lesser known gorgeous lake, more about that later, its another one of our secrets :) Most people know Nashik for their vineyards, and forget to check out the beautiful hills and forests that surround it. Im very curious to stop off at a small tribal village i know of through friends, but alas since were driving, were gonna have to skip what they are most famous for :) (but we shall carry empty bottles, promise :P) And then down to Pune, not without passing through all the lovely little townships on the way, the pretty girls in colourful, shiny, ethnic dresses and and all the lovely fruit orchards everywhere. After i give my cousin in Pune a big kissy for all the lovely stuff she keeps bringing me, we head to Lonavala and Khandala (aatie kya?) through the picturesque hillstations that need no introduction and then our final approach to Mumbai via the runway, i mean, Express way :) (I already know from testdriving the Cedia yesterday, that this baby can fly!!! Thanks Zac).

A walk around Chorla

2009-07-17T22:51:00.005+05:30

After one helluva Saturday night, a bunch of friends and me decide that we are gonna meet in 3 hours and go explore a near-by abandoned viillage. So after hovering around one laptop, in a cramped car, parked at a fuel station in the Capital of Goa...... we decided to 'Google Earth' abandoned villages around Goa.

And we found the perfect one.... or so we thought! Chorla Ghats are about a 50kms drive from Panaji. I (as usual) decided to self-appoint myself as 'driver'. Totally unprepared for this trip, but very excited about the spontaniety of it... we took off to the mountains.

The drive to Chorla was a refreshing change. It being the monsoons, everything was so green and grogeous! We stopped on the way to drink water..... trickling down from a stream. I tripped on one of the rocks..... but that is usually the story of my life.

The drive up the Ghats was only to complain about. My friends weren't too happy about the rock-a-bye-baby moves the car was throwing at us. We were driving on imaginary asphalt and craters larger than those on the moon, and I was doing my best to make sure my hungover pals were comfortable. Nature of course (and our Government) had different plans for us. At times like these, you have to look up at the beautiful sky, and thank god for Grease Lightening!

We reached our destination, parked and were all charged up to explore the abonded village. The locals told us it would be a 4 km walk and we should not miss checking out the ruins of a fort.

So we walked, and walked and walked and walked and walked further up the montain, only to get bitten by leeches. I shrieked of course and woke up the jungle, till someone threw salt on the tiny creature(s) and its failed attempts to suck on my blood. (I was happily surprised that someone actually had the sense to carry salt!)

After another 45 minutes of walking, we were sure we did not 'Google Map' right. We had actually walked right through civilization! Another village called Surla, with people and schools. Where on Earth were the ruins? Speaking to locals again, we realized we had just walked 12 kms!! We were waaaayyyyy off our mark. Was there a way to get back without having to walk through the mountains? No!! the nearest bus station was another 2kms away, and they weren't even sure when the next bus was!

So, we started our climb up again. Said hello to a dozen of leeches and walked back another 12 kms. Disappointed that we didn't get to see the ruins, but thrilled and ecstatic about the beautiful streams, the heavenly fog, the mesmerizing forests that we were blessed to witness.

Who knew we had it in us to walk 24 kms at a stretch! Thank God for small mercies in life.

Press Coverage - Deccan Chronicle

2009-07-17T20:27:00.001+05:30

Rooh got a mention in the Deccan Chronicle, a newspaper published from Bangalore.

Press Coverage!

2009-07-17T20:23:00.005+05:30

So I got a mention in today's Goa Times!

This is Spaaartttaaaaaa

2009-07-17T17:30:00.000+05:30

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!! :)

Traffic Frustration !!

2009-07-15T17:20:00.000+05:30

You would think that in a country with such narrow roads and such a high urban population density as India....people would have developed better road sense.

But you would be wrong!!! Anarchy rules....(and no....i'm not exaggerating....i'm being DEAD serious here)

Which is funny, because it’s such a simple algorithm (me thinks)....which I present here in the interests of making the world a better place :)

>STAY LEFT.

>THE SLOWER YOU ARE....THE LEFTER YOU STAY.

Anyone who doesnt understand that, is either under-age and shouldnt be driving, a drunk %^&$#%, a retard or just out there to test my tolerance levels!!and might i add...just plain simple 'blonde'!!

But having nothing but disregard for the rules of the road or basic common sense......does seem to be primarily an Indian phenomenon! It's as if they have some invincible belief that it's everyone else's responsibility to avoid them, which i must add.....i am pretty good at.....*i love the adrenaline rush* (but thats beside the point)

And bicylists.............pedalling away against the flow of traffic! This might be understandable....even tolerable, if they were only going a few yards.....but these guys will complete their entire journey on the wrong side of the road!!

Now doesnt that make u wanna get outta ur car and beat the sh*t outta them???? They don't stop....or even slow down, much less look around them.......before pulling out into the main road against the flow of cars and other morons like them.
Its like.......If you give all of the your attention to the murderous traffic coming from your right, you are going to get blindsided by a wrong-way-bicycle!!

Oh....and pedestrians walking like they own the road.......It’s a recipe for extreme mental fatigue..........as you constantly negotiate how to pass the endless streams of kids talking on cell phones....drivers talking on cell phones....cyclists talking on cell phones....and little old ladies with shopping baskets.....who, funnily enough......are not often seen talking on cell phones!
(thank god) :P

It’s possible I simply haven't woken up to an indigenous form of street entertainment...........but somehow I doubt it!

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*wow....i've vented out all my anger....without much abuses*
is this progress or what!!!!

(LOL......i'm having a very bad ROAD day.....so thats why all the cribbing......................... and NO....its not that time of the month!!!)l