Survival lessons – The cheemu way

Back in Bombay, when we were doing our internships, money was scarce. We (cheemu, guji & myself) therefore were holed up in a pigeon hole that was no bigger than a closet. We also didn’t go for extravagant outings during weekends; mainly because we were lazy to venture out. So we stayed at home. I was so lazy to walk to restaurants to eat that I collected all telephone numbers of eateries around the place so I could call them and place orders for home delivery whenever I was hungry. Cheemu was a step further than I was; or anyone I can fathom. Come Friday night, he picked up his telephone and placed orders; one after another, meticulously, for the entire weekend (!) with the time he wanted his meals. That is something we can all try to emulate!

Full Meals - Starters

I have lived away from home for a long time now. I was at a boarding school for a substantial period of my schooling and then at a residential college during my undergrad days. During all those years I have had innumerable friends who grunted at anything and everything edible at the dining halls. To them, mom's recipes were always the best. Me too! My mum makes some of the best dishes I have ever tasted. But I don’t really remember making a fuss out of the food at the hostel. Food was important. I loved to eat the best that was available but I never really cribbed over bad food. Curd rice took care of me when nothing else was available. I was way better than some of my insatiable friends to whom nothing but a full-meals would satiate their appetite.

But life is never the same once you are out by yourself in the real world. It is cruel and dangerous. The bell in my ever-growing belly rang mercilessly at 7 A.M. and 7 P.M. everyday. But there never once was a table of steaming food at the thought of it. It is I who will have to set out in search of sources of food. This search opened up a new world – A world of restaurants, road side eateries, my own experiments at the kitchen and other means of survival.

I plan to post some of those experiences from time to time in honour of my fellow brothers for their valiant struggle against the ringing bell.

dude, where is my...

kiran: prazhandhae, where is my underwear? are you wearing it?

love bite

2 A.M., Thursday morning.

kiran: (jostling a snoring prashanth) Eda prazhandhae, ennika da (prashanth, wake up)
prashanth: Endha da (what is it?)
kiran: If one were to finish B.Sc., what age should she be?
prashanth: tyondy one
kiran: If she did an M.Sc with it?
prashanth: tyondy three

kiran let out a satisfied smile and went back to sleep while prashanth spent the rest of the night watching America's dummest criminals.

Call taxi

I had a chance to speak to a call taxi driver sometime back and this is what he had to say about the operating model of the call taxi company he worked for.

The driver owns the taxi and bears the cost of running it. He has a contract with the taxi company whereby he pays a flat Rs. 4500 a month for the services of the company.The company inturn directs drivers to customers who call for taxis through telephone. Requests for taxis to drivers and the availability of taxis are communicated through radio.