Pune trip--

I have a list of 'things to do' on the right hand side panel--things I should be accomplishing before I welcome the New Year. Hardly 50 days to go and am not anywhere close! But then, when have I EVER checked my list of things to do?? Perhaps that's one reason why I'm so stressed out at the end of the day. Not because of handling too many things but for not doing the things I should be doing. I always leave things unfinished, unsettled and that leaves me dissatisfied. 

However, to save me falling from graceland, and to keep me sane, I visited a new city! And that's one Checked!

Pune is a lovely city in Maharasthra-- a home for people from all over the world. I stayed with my friend who I was meeting after 10 long years—and in my four days stay; she had friends from Korea, Iran, U.S, and Nepal! Perhaps the acculturation of so many different cultures makes the city much more friendlier than most of the cities in India. I could at ease roam around in my shorts without inviting any awkward stares from people. No one came up to ask me if I was from China, or Japan. I noticed that people were least bothered and that was such a refreshing relief after all the ‘stares’ and ‘whistles’ we have to handle here in Hyder

abad.

I especially liked the shopping spree I went about, with so many choices and convenient location….an entire street of lovely clothes and shoes and bags! the sandals made of velvet and straw just for Rs. 50 was a real treat.

But commuting was such a pain, unless you have a car, life would be difficult. ALL the auto rickshaws (Taxis) have tampered meters and for a 500 meter ride you end up shelling out 30-50 rupees. That’s when I vowed to be nice to the auto drivers here in Hyderabad…yes, they are a pain in the ass sometimes esp. when they want to travel according to their convenience and not yours, but they are not rude and thanks to the digital meters, they don’t cheat you.

The best part of the trip was catching up with my dearest friend. There is something about childhood friends…there is so much to talk about…but 10 years is

 a long time to be apart and out of touch…I still have a lot of things to tell her…perhaps I’ll have to wait for her vacation to Hyderabad early next year.  Over all, I came back refreshed, recharged and a happier person.