Another day, another category and another review! Some people do not change with time or with years...so here I am...writing in yet another wrong category on what I thought made sense ;-)*
Till 23 Dec*
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~Looking at the desk calendar and realizing that my leave has not been exhausted and can be taken- Priceless
~~Getting tickets done for a future trip to Hyderabad and Bangalore to meet close friends to exhaust the leave- Rs 2800
~ Informing the boss that I would be taking 10 days off and his smiling and saying- "You deserve it" ( I have that on email- for written proof!)- Priceless
~~Canceling the return tickets and trying for a flight booking to extend my leisure time with my friend- *Rs 2944 ( including Rs 100 as cancellation charges)
~MSians like Saint Paulose, First Bangalorean family ( Mayunk n Abha) and Daya Sir trying to fit me in their "mundane", not so free schedules- *Priceless
~~Informing my colleagues that I would not be checking my emails and would not "be in touch" - *Could have cost my job though...!
~Dad realizing that I shud be traveling through a faster train which is more comfortable( I was traveling by Dakshin Express earlier...switched to AP Express )- Rs 600 ( Cancellation charges)
~~ Getting the AP Express confirmed ( through VIP Quota!) last minute and managing to board the train only because it was 5 minutes late!!!- Priceless
~ Feeling of sleeping alone ( now don’t you start thinking!) on a railway berth with one hand on luggage and the other on the hand bag- Priceless
~~Realizing that more money would be spent on the breakfast next morning...and lunch too!- *Rs 50
~Trying to act intellectual with a book in one hand, specs on eyes and a coffee in the other hand- *Rs 6 ( Book was on rent, specs were paid for by parents. So only coffee charges!)
~~ Realizing that the words in the book were "gibberish" and the book was a BIG mistake- *Priceless
~Looking at the watch to realize that I was reaching Hyderabad ( 6 hours late !) finally-* Priceless
~~Realizing that the train is waiting on a "no man’s land" due to some anti social element’s idea of late night fun( The track was cut minutes before!)- *Would have cost someone’s life...!
~ Finally reaching Hyderabad and taking an auto to reach the desired destination- *Rs 75
~~Meeting a dear friend after months and gossiping till wee hours of the day...- Priceless
24 Dec- 25 Dec
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~ Waking up late on a strange new bed, the morning sun shining on your face and no shouting..."on how girls need to wake up early!- Priceless
~~ Heading for shopping straight after the brunch on a rickety state bus- Rs 15
~* Buying bed covers, pearls and earrings for myself and house ( bed covers for house and rest for me!)- Rs 600
~~ My friend getting an urgent call that she has to rush back to Delhi(!) since an emergency has come up- No Prices for guessing this one...it was priceless
~* Rushing to book tickets to Delhi on any available flights- Priceless
~~ Realizing that I too would need to organize immediate travel for Bangalore- Again Priceless!
~* Getting a last minute "quota" tickets in Rajdhani through someone’s someone’s someone- Rs 1000
~~Sitting in Rajdhani with no ticket(!) in hand and sounding upbeat/confused/depressed** all in one- Priceless
~ Reaching Bangalore on time(!) and getting a chauffeur driven car on arrival- Priceless ( Courtesy my dad’s friend)
~~Deciding on an inexpensive breakfast/lunch and dinner ( not to mention healthy too1)- *Rs 60
~ *Traveling all over Bangalore( what I think of Bangalore is another day, another thought!) by autos who don’t quiz you on where and why you want to go- *Rs 170
~~*Reaching home late at night ( 830pm) and realizing that dinner would be fresh bread(!) and cucumber(!)- *Priceless
26 Dec
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~*waking up early morning in a strange new bed (Yes! I am hoping from one to the other), cooking a meal...with no LPG around and realizing that it is a free day- *Priceless
~~* Calling up Saint and Abha and Saint again to fix up a date with both, either or anyone! ( Shyam, got that one?)- *Rs ... ( bill hasn’t come yet)
~ Meeting Saint in the evening, hitching a bike ride( first in my lifetime!) and reaching at Abha n Mayunk’s place in one piece with regular updates by Saint on Baba’s video reviews- It can only be Priceless
~~Buying a filter coffee maker (courtesy Paulose!) at a bargained price- Rs 60
~ Having a blissful dinner ( not cucumbers n pea nuts!) with the Bangalore MSians in Smoking Joes and chatting away to glory on who is sillier...we or WE? - Rs .... ( *I did’nt pay again...no one let me...ask them Shyam...it was’nt free lunches theory again!)
~~Talking about anything under the sun (here it would be the moon?) and just smiling, laughing, driving ( **Mayunk!), hugging, posing for last minute pics and finally saying goodbye to meet again- *Priceless
27 Dec
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~* Waking up at 530, bathing and leaving for Mysore trip, hoping that the day would be nice, warm and worthy-* Priceless
~~ *Having a great traveling day, with loads of nariyal pani and some cool snaps and hearty chats with my friend, getting news that I have finally tickets to go home- *Rs 450+ Rs 1500
28 Dec
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~ *Spending another lazy day at home, doing nothing, packing and sleeping with dreams of reaching home on 30 dec- *Priceless
~~Catching the train on time, train leaving on time, having tickets in my hand **( this time!) and finally saying good bye to Bangalore!!!- Priceless again
29 Dec
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~ Realizing train journeys can be bore, fun, sleepy, tiring and a lot of watching too!- Priceless
~~ Realizing train journeys can be paid breakfasts, lunches and dinners and breakfasts yet again-Rs 100
~ Getting a call mid night from someone close yet so far(!) to ask if I am ok, safe, not hungry and sleeping tight- Priceless
~~Coffee is not such a bad thing after all...and Masala tea is fun too!- Rs 25
Continued in comments!