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It all started in the first week of May . I went with few of my friends for "Thrissur Pooram" . It was not my first time , but it was the first fully planned trip. I wanted to know why people go into a trance , when listening to "ilanjithara melam" . The 'melam' was to start only at 2:30 pm but we reached the spot by 12 in the noon. That helped us in finding a spot nearest to the orchestra , yet under the shades to escape the sweltering heat of the summer sun. But soon the spot, actually meant for 5 people to stand , was getting crammed up. In no time , the heat and humidity won the battle with my linen shirt. I was sweating from all pores , that someone could have easily misunderstood me for a washed shirt left to dry in the open. Arun, my healthier friend, was definitely a water sprinkler in Subash park. It was that bad .
Yet, we didn't mind it . It was dream for us or atleast for me. My dream came true when melam started. The entire crowd went berserk and started dancing with the beats. It lasted for a good 2 hours and when it stopped the only sound I could hear was a bee humming inside my ears. We had to shout loudly for the nearest person to actually hear our words. Still it was worth all the efforts. Before walking off the temple ground , I thanked Lord Vadakkunathan for giving me the chance to experience something different. They say, a person grows with the experiences he gets. So, I too a moment out to pray to Lord , to give me a lot of new experiences in life. Personally , I don't like praying for some favours from God. I would be the last person to go to a temple before going for an examination or interview. I have a tough time managing my team in office, so I can easily imagine how difficult it would be for Him to manage all his creations. However, I do thank Him once in a while, especially when I get lucky, inside my mind. Infact, I rarely go to a temple. I guess, for the God, I'm a creation with 'least maintanence cost'. And that could also be the reason why he answers my prayers whenever I request it. He answered my prayers on that auspicious summer day too. There is a saying in hindi ...
'Uparwaala jab deta hai , chappar phad ke deta hain'
which when translated, roughly means
'Whenever God gives, he gives in abundance that the roof breaks'
From a really cool , complacent , laid back life I enjoyed ... I suddenly found myself seeing a different world altogether around me. Every day was a happening one . Be it a trip to Ramakkalmedu with my team and boss , or a camping trip to wilderness , life was happening everyday and every hour. In between, I got selected to speak in a conference, which made sure that I was running around to get my passport renewed.
Then a quick trip to Chennai to get Visa stamped . Even the Visa stamping experience was new. Last year , they grilled me for 20 minutes ... and this time only one question was asked .. "How did you wash your passport ?" . I was quick to answer, " 30 minutes in hot water and soap." Interviewer just smiled and said , "That shows you are a clean guy. Your visa is approved" . I was inside Embassy for 6 minutes ... just 6 minutes and that should tell you the efficiency of US Embassy and my washing..
A short stay in Banglore and finally back to Kochi for Corporate Championship League. Poornam participated in all the events possible. It was a nice break from regular games in office. We won a lot of prizes and a lot of hearts. I'm sure , we left our mark in couple of games, especially the "Paintball Competition" in which we were the champions. It was a proud moment for me personally, as it was the first time in life that I won an accolade for representing my institution ( be it the company, or college or school ). When I collected the certificate during the colorful award ceremony, I was delighted. That was until I saw the name written in it. It was for “Sajish” . Uh . One can ask, “whats in a name ?” ( sulk.. sulk.. )
July was the time for me start panicking. I went into a cocoon( read Amar's room), to sit and think creatively for the conference. After one month of planning and deep thinking, I understood what it means by "Writer's Block" . All I wanted was some creative slides and meaningful docs, but nothing came out. It was one of those rare months when God took a break and left me on my own. End of the month, I was more panicky than in the beginning. In the first week of Aug, I packed my bags. Evening before I got into the flight, friends took me to a beautiful restaurant in Kochi and bought me Chicken Biriyani . Tobby said , " Eat my friend, for you will never get such tasty food for another month". Tobby knows that whereever I go to , I will try eating local food and local drinks. I was mentally prepared for a month of bland food. I reached Washington , the next day evening , where my bosses were there to pick me from airport. Before even going to the hotel room, they took me straight to an Indian restaurant and ordered "Chicken Biriyani". I don't like to see that as a coincidence. It was definitely an act of God. Conference was tiring and our days were packed till late evenings for 3 days. We made the best of the moments by renting a car and driving around in the evening. I saw Capitol Building , Arlington National Cemetry and Pentagon ( twice ) while going round and round in down-town washington in search of an Indian restaurant. By the time we packed up , all three of us were dead tired. We were glad that we finally reached our home in Phoenix after missing a flight and getting stranded in a city we never planned for. As soon as we reached Phoenix, I jumped off the cliff . Yeah , I turned 30. To mark the solemn occasion , my local guardians and bosses took me out for a special dinner . The name of restaurant was “Kohinoor Cuisine of India” in Tempe. We travelled a lot during the 3 weeks of stay, mostly on business trips. Most days I woke up wondering which city it was and what was the task for the day. I also got to drive on the right side of the road for the first time in life. The best part of all trips were our desperate searching for Indian restaurants in the town.
On the way back from US, there was a stop in London for three days. Its definitely a romantic city and that could be the reason why I felt completely out of place. On the good side, a lot of historic places were there which was interesting and I also got a glimpse of Kohinoor Diamond & Tipu's sword.
Manu, my schoolmate was in the city. I was glad to meet a friend , in an otherwise lonely London stay. We decided to meet in a town called West Croydon and he took me straight to ( no marks for guessing this ) an Indian restaurant by the name "Taste of Kerala" . Didn't I tell you .. “ Jab bhi woh deta hain , chappar phadke deta hain.”
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Sojish posted!!!! 
