Although I am not too much of an adventurer, I like travelling and visiting new places. People, cultures, languages fascinate me. I guess I would fit in snugly in most parts of India or for that matter, the world.

Below are some snippets of my recent trip to the twin cities of Hyderabad-Secunderabd

The Hyderabad Chronicle

- A prequisite for enjoying a new city (I have been there 4 times before, but its still unfamiliar) is some sane transport infrastructure and if possible, enthusiastic companions. Thankfully, I had access to a car and the latter is my cousin's family. That includes my 5 yr old cute and extremely naughty nephew, Siddharth, whom I endearingly call Pillu Popat (a kid parrot) because he enjoys imitating everyone in sight. This smart kid, also has a photographic memory and ever since this incident, he has not allowed me to touch his coloring books too. The one thing, his little brain just does not fathom, is why people go to office and not to school. Curiousity, thy name is definitely Siddharth

-We decided to watch a South Indian movie. At the VCD library, my sister asked for a movie that she pronounced Olooi Poyuthe - Bengal meets Tamil Nadu. The librarywalla was obviously confused and I corrected her with my limited Tamil gyan. Nope, no luck, he did not have it, the librarywallah then suggested a Telugu comedy titled Nuvvu Naaku Nachchaavu (Google zindabad, I hope this is the right one). On asking him the meaning, the hirsute, 5ft 11 inches, enormous bellied guy, was actually embarassed. He looked at my cousin's husband straight in the eye (there was no way he could have diverted his gaze, the latter was flanked by two ladies) and replied in heavily accented Hindi, "Meiin aapako pasanda karatha huun". It took me a lot of self-control, (I was/am a lady remember?! and my face is expressive at all the wrong times), not to burst into peals of laughter. Anyway the movie had English subtitles and turned out to be pretty good

-When in Andhra, do what the Maharashtrians, the Bengalis and but naturally what the Andhra-ites do. We had a Maharashtrian meal (my cousin was missing home) at a place called Jowar Bhakri, attended a Durga Puja fete, and had delicious sambar, curd rice, lemon rice, amongst other South Indian fare at a restaurant called Annalakshmi. Ethnic decor, Carnatic music, a typical South Indian ambience

-Long drives, filter coffee, malls, shopping, the bangle stores at Char Minar, sleeping at 2pm, waking up at 12 noon..the body clock had gone haywire.

-Drinking garam chai at a wayside dhaba at 12:30 at night and trying to figure out where exactly in India you are at the moment, is great fun.

Hmm, if this is a life très ordinaire, how is one that is not?