I had to sacrifice my sleep at a time when it is at its best – 5 in the morning. But, it was worth it!

A quick stroll to the Mylapore Temple Tank and I was on. It took a while for everyone to come and we were all set for the 7th Chennai Photowalk.

We were met with some stares, some hostile and some obliging poses all the way from Mylapore to San Thome.

Met some interesting people like Chandru (the chief of this tribe) Subhash, one of the editors in The Hindu, Mihir, Gautham, Shillika, Shaam, Anand, Dilip and many more. Saw PlaneMad for the first time though we knew each other through our respective blogs. He claimed to be named Arun Ganesh – I prefer to call him PlaneMad. Infact, I had and still have trouble calling him Arun.

All this means more additions to my blogroll as most of these people have interesting blogs.

All the Photowalk pics can be seen here.

In other news, the Pichavaram trip with Gapp, PlaneMad, Vetti and Dilip was not that great as we expected it to be. It was good though and we had fun. Again met new people – Vetti and Dilip. Cant write a detailed post on the Pichavaram trip here as I have promised Ram of findnearyou.com that I would write the travelogue for his website. The pics can be seen here.

Also, Shankar Ganesh’s three SugarSync Annual Subscriptions are up for grabs. All you have to do is to visit the link here and write a catchy comment on why you need a $49.99 worth SugarSync subscription and how you’ll use it.

Hurry!

Update on May 17th – While I thought that I, along with Gapp was pulling PlaneMad’s leg throughout the trip, it finally turned out that it was my leg that was being pulled. All along.

Right now, three people are laughing away like hyenas in Chennai. Bad.

Mera number aayega! Hope so.

Anyone interested?

Details here.

I am giving out hosted and pre-installed WordPress blogs for a considerably lesser price than normal hosting.

If you would like the sound of this, drop in a mail at mail@sathyanarain.com or call me at 91-988-443-6508 and we can get talking.

Not for marketing, but I really say one must get a hosted WordPress blog if he/she wants to experience the depth of WordPress. I have been writing on a hosted blog just for the past few days and the amount of gyaan I obtained was simply awesome! Not a marketing gimmick. You ask any person who is into hosted WordPress blogs and you will know!

After the 2 PM to 5 PM exam, we spent the next one hour sitting at all our favorite hangouts of college.

First it was the famed cement benches (mechanical marathadi) After a session of photographs there, we moved to the OAT and spent the remaining time there.

It was nostalgic and many of the guys broke down – surprisingly, I didn’t feel like crying! I was enjoying my day! Even the lateral entry guys who are over six feet and weigh above 90 kilos with a mush and beard that would put Ved Vyas to shame cried! Maybe, I am just a heartless joker!

Thinking of the bygone four years, I am reminded of a few incidents that were simply awesome!

The first incident dates back to the first year of college when I had gone to Sanjay’s place for some work.

He picked me up from the bus-stop on his bike and while going to his place, we were flagged down by a traffic cop. I got down and the bleddy beggard Sanjay took off in full throttle!

The cop turned to me and said in a bored voice: “Thambi. Vandi la yeru pa.”

(Sonny. Get into the waiting police jeep)

Me: ???

Cop: Vandi yeru thambi. Station ku polam!

(Get into the jeep. We will go to the station)

Me: WTF! ?%$&

Cop: Yenna?

(What?)

Me: Saar Saar Saar Saar! Naa decent family Saar.

This conversation continued for more than twenty minutes and finally he left me off with a warning leaving me poorer by fifty bucks.

And a parting advice by the cop,”Saettu pasanga koda serada pa! Avanga ipdi thaan!”

(Dont mingle with merchant boys! They are like this only!)

Yes. Merchant boy!

I am yet to give it back to Sanjay!

The second incident was a small brawl in college that left me with a broken nose! Naanum rowdy! Naanum rowdy! Naanum rowdy!

There are more incidents. But most of them are situational jokes and insiders jokes. So no point posting them over here.

Anyway, talking of nostalgia and stuff, I dont think there’s much to fuss about. We have got mobile phones, orkut, blogs and mainly bikes!

Even next week, we will be meeting up for Sanjay’s birthday. Yes. The same dawg!

Talking about birthdays, there’s one more rambling.

My birthday falls on the 16th of November (Guys, take the hint and note it down!) and that unfortunately is the date when the odd semester exams start for Asia’s largest technical university! As a result, people never turn up for my birthday with cakes and gifts. I, being the ‘nallavan-vallavan’ of the college always make it a point to visit people on their birthdays along with the others taking cakes and gifts. Fine, leave out visiting me! People dont even call me to wish me! Most people call up a week later and wish me 358 days in advance for my birthday!

I have no qualms if they dont visit me or wish me. My only qualm is I have wasted thousands of rupees over buying gifts, cakes and other stuff for everybody in college for the past four years! Call me cheap, disgusting or even stone-hearted joker as already mentioned.

Enough for now. All of you, please take the hint and make it a point to wish me on my birthday starting this year and if possible drop in with gifts. Cash also accepted.

He (or she! I didn’t find out the sex!) was skeptical at first; but later placed his confidence in me and totoally enjoyed the photo-shoot.