We reached my hometown four days ago after taking an overnight train from Bangalore. It is great to see mom and dad and spend some quality time with them.
We enjoy the most delicious food during our stay. Perhaps it has something to do with the vegetables grown there, but it is simply the best. Even femme admits that it is better than the food her mom cooks and it is hard to get her to admit such a thing.
Our routine each day has been to get up late, eat, take an afternoon nap, have tea followed by early dinner. It's the most relaxed I have been all year. How I wish life were like this in the States. You'll have to win the lottery if you want it like this back in the States, says femme.
At the local management institute, the director is a former student of dad's. He asks me to come and speak to first year management students. I talk to them about open source software and take questions. This is something I enjoy doing. Starting this year every student has a laptop - factored into the admission fee - and the institute has broadband connection. Assignments are submitted online and everyone has email. This is progress, I think.
Femme left a couple of days ago and headed to her hometown. I'll follow tonight.
In the train, I share a compartment with three other folks - a couple traveling with an elderly woman. I say hi and ask them where they are headed. "Pune" they respond. It's the same place I am going. I leave them alone and try concentrating on the book that I still haven't finished, but I can't help overhear their conversation. The couple live abroad and are visiting on vacation just like me. I wonder if they are from California. I catch little snippets of conversation and before long I learn they live in Dubai. A big chunk of their conversation is devoted to a missing toy car that was to be gifted to a relative. They wonder what became of it and whether they accidentally gave the gift to the wrong relative.
At 8:30 p.m. I have my dinner and climb up to the top berth ready to call it a night. We'll reach Pune at 3:30 a.m. in the morning and I have my alarm set.
Femme's dad is there to receive me at the station and we head home where I promptly fall asleep again.
No comments:
Post a Comment