A day in the life of LIFE

Ok. This might not be the best of titles that I've ever thought of, but there's actually nothing more to write about, than what is mentioned in the title.. Or atleast that's what I think as I begin to write.

The week was eventful. Even as India continued to whitewash the Englishmen,the internship placements almost drew to a close at IIM.

And as is the tradition here that no one gets away without treating the rest of the junta for any small event that is branded as "celebratable" (Oxford Dictionary please pardon me for plundering the language); tuesday last was my turn.

The "gang" ambushed me from my room with the pretense of seeking my assistance in helping HR choose accessories for himself and his girl. The ignorant me never even got a hint of what lay ahead, despite being very well aware of the fact that my shopping skills were as evolved as Inzamam's running between the wickets.

It was only when the 6 of us got into a Maruti cab (don't ask how we got in - must have been the same way we got out..) on our way to Bhutia Market to help HR in Mission Impossible 5(not sure if MI 4 has been made so am taking the safe way out in naming it MI 5) that I realized that I was the Channel V Chosen One for the day. And that's a very bad state to be in. Coz the person so designated is privileged to sponsor the gang's expenses ranging from chaat to champagne.

My attempts to get out of the moving taxi went in vain since I was sandwiched between KHM and SK. My cries for help were drowned in the sinister laughter of MKJ.

Even as we reached central Shillong, my first bill - the cab fare set the cash registers ringing (for the cabbie; not for me!). Our next pit stop was Bhutia Market - not sure if Baichung practised here when he was a kid.

Bhutia market in Shillong is one of those places where you get cool local stuff at unbeatable prices - from shoes to jackets, you name it and it's there. Even as JJ helped HR in his quest to pick up the right stuff for his gal, SK helped MKJ in selecting a pull over which MKJ was made to feel good about. KHM was playing the devil's advocate each time JJ picked up something and attracted her wrath for his mistimed comments.

In the melee, I found a cozy chair belonging to a salesman, into which I slouched and started snoring immediately. Limited sleep during the night finds weird ways of getting compensated.

With eyes half open, I could see the gang run from one shop to another, in the quest for the right bargain, almost like the folks on the "World's Amazing Race" do. I was eventually woken up to certify that the goods purchased by the gang were indeed praiseworthy - which I did.

The long shopping (sleeping) experience had made us hungry enough to head straight to Bombay Bites for some yummy pizza, Chinese Bhel (you must try this one for sure), Indian Bread, Burgers etc. etc. etc. (no prizes for guessing who was footing the bill). Eventually the junta stopped since the restaurant ran out of crockery to serve us food in.

The swipe of my card coincided with the not so nice buzz of my cell phone with an sms indicating the debit to my account.

We left for the hostel, not before munching on some crispy cornetto cones and MKJ using Nutties as a substitute for Sweety Supari along the journey.

The trip reminded me of the team treat at Tangerine at one of my previous companies which had played out almost exactly the way that it had, here.

As SK entertained us with his not so melodious vocals, the chilly wintry night had the rest of us running for cover. People say SK stopped only when the neighbors threatened to hand him over to the zoo keepers. The rest they say is "A good night's sleep"....

Wait a minute - Oh No, it's SK again, crooning from his room at 1 in the morning.....

Pictures below -

1)The "Free Tibet" Cause - On the walls of the market



2)The shoe alley in Bhutia Market; Maybe George Bush can find a good pair...