The Yarn Factory

17 hours in Hong Kong

2010-01-12T09:10:00.003-06:00

Cathay Pacific gave me a gift over the Christmas holidays - a 17-hour stopover in Hong Kong. That's right, 17 long hours!! I landed in Hong Kong at 5:40 in the morning and my flight home to Bangalore was scheduled at 10:40 in the night. God forbid that it be late!! I had researched Hong Kong prior to the flight, and this being my first visit to Hong Kong, I determined that it was best to stick to

Happy New Year

2010-01-01T10:30:00.000-06:00

A post on new year's day was planned much in advance, positioned as an excellent occassion to rejuvenate sagging blogging spirits. What was not planned was the sombre note on which that post was to be penned. What sombre note, you ask? Read on to know.The new decade started as expected, at 00:00 hours. Was inundated with phone calls from friends and family and chat messages from acquaintances

The Mysore Chronicles - I

2009-08-10T13:34:00.003-05:00

If you thought that the Mysore Chronicles began in Mysore, you can't be more mistaken. The Mysore chronicles in fact began in Bangalore, almost a year and a half before I actually landed in Mysore. In March of 2005 I was among the last to join the Great Indian Rat Race, patronized by the thousands of engineer-rats spewed forth by the uncountable engineering colleges around the country. The race

Series, anyone?

2009-08-08T13:24:00.002-05:00

Ok. I have officially given up on hunting around for things to write about. Things are happening just too slowly for my taste. That gives me an idea. Why not condense happenings of a few months past and write a post on the "condensed happenings"?Friends, The Mysore Chronicles launches tomorrow(or whenever I get around to finishing the first post)!!Hope you will like it.. Stay tuned!!

25 years old? Young?

2009-08-05T19:10:00.004-05:00

Well, depends on how you look at it, right? I am the eternal optimist(even in my moments of pessimism), but I'm unable to think of myself as 25 years young. I'm feeling ancient. It's been a quarter of a century since I landed on earth. For the first time in my life, I tried to postpone away my birthday. I felt no mirth and joy of being another year older. What a contrast to the time I was

Happy Friendship Day!!

2009-08-02T09:59:00.004-05:00

There were a couple of posts brewing about my new shiny black iPod touch, violin, etc. but they will have to remain in the pipeline just yet. For, friendship day is here. Friendship day was never in the grand scheme of things. By never, I mean never. Therefore, justified that I did not even keep track of the comings and goings of Friendship day. But the triennial inundation of my gmail inbox has

Loooong hiatus.. I know!!

2009-07-28T10:33:00.003-05:00

I have fallen asleep at the dashboard of my blog for too long. Open threats from my handful of readers have finally found effect. I have woken up from hibernation, am shaking off the snow as we speak, cranking up the creative engine(not a 2000cc engine like the rest of you. Mine is only 50cc) and getting ready to let the juices flow. Much has happened since the last post(including a deleted post)

A tale of beverages

2009-07-19T09:37:00.003-05:00

It was late at night on a sultry Friday. Monsoon clouds hung low in the sky. The sky was a menacing hue of red. Lightning flashed off to the east, answered by low rumbles of thunder. The storm was still some distance away, but would be here soon. The air was still, but deliciously cool. Silence hung like a blanket, broken only by the crunch of the gravel under their shoes. Wait a minute. Did I

We're here, at the San Diego county fair!!

2009-06-20T21:47:00.003-05:00

We had been meaning to go out somewhere for quite some time now, what with the weekdays being all drab and monotonous. Sis suggested that we go visit the San Diego county fair by the ocean. Now, I have visited my share of fairs in India. We were regular visitors to "Great India Annual Consumer Fair", "Megha India Consumer Exhibition" and "Punjab-Haryana Handloom Fair" in our childhood. Most of

Me me and only Me

2009-06-19T01:18:00.002-05:00

The unspeakable has happened. This has happened never before, atleast to me. Since it was totally unexpected, I had no idea how to react. I was in the throes of this serious medical condition, when this happened. Fortunately, it seems to be a respite from the anathema. Yes, gentle

One heck of a challenge..

2009-06-07T20:41:00.004-05:00

I've been looking for newer and more intense yoga sessions to try out. Sis has been telling me about the Bikram Yoga sessions that she goes to, and as with everything else that she tries, I wanted to try this one too. Bikram Yoga is a specific sequence of 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises. Each posture is held for a long time, typically half a minute or a full minute. The entire sequence

Blowing my own trumpet..

2009-06-06T23:52:00.004-05:00

The last three posts didn't sound like me, right? Right. I wasn't all that idle this past week.Divya asked me to write an entry for the Express Yourself Contest on Sulekha. Honestly, I didn't want to, but decided to write anyway, just to humor Divya ;). But things just got so interesting and addictive, that I wrote not just one, but three entries. I have cross-posted those entries below(There.

Thanking you, yours formally

2009-06-06T23:49:00.001-05:00

I was very shy and quiet as a child. Like any other child, I too used to get into violent fights and brawls, but only with those kids who were very close to me. The outside world would see me as a docile young kitten with a mild temperament and impeccable manners. So much so that when Mom told others of the thrashings sis was subjected to at my hands, they thought Mom was a habitual liar(Mom

Embarrassed on the train

2009-06-06T23:47:00.000-05:00

Embarrassments seem to follow me around. Most of these situations are my doings – situations that I create out of my own naivety, stupidity or carelessness. I curse myself when I fall into such situations, but who do I blame when embarrassments are gifted by those around me!! Case in point. Couple of years back, my uncle used to stay and work abroad. Aunt used to attend college in Bangalore,

Dangerous embarrassments

2009-06-06T23:22:00.002-05:00

Embarrassments happen to me on an hourly basis. When embarrassments happen in the company of strangers, in most cases, you could attempt to save face by putting on a nonchalant expression as if to say “This is no big embarrassment, I infact intended it this way”, whereas there is no scope for such maneuvering when embarrassments happen in the company of friends and family. Could embarrassing

Alive and singing

2009-06-02T12:03:00.005-05:00

Good news first. I am still alive. Excited by the inactivity on the blog, people have been giving me up for dead. I even saw some scraps on Orkut and scribblings on Facebook referring to me in the past tense(for ex., Sreejith was a lousy fellow, Sreejith was easy to cheat, etc). Unable to believe the news, people have been emailing and calling me up, only to have me reply(Oh no, I knew the news

Driving woes

2009-05-21T13:11:00.005-05:00

Ever since I took my driving test, Abhi has been badgering me to write a post on my experiences. I seriously doubt that the request comes from a genuine desire to know, but here goes, all the same.Dad had made it amply clear to me that I would graduate from washing the car to driving it, only once I turned 18 AND gotten atleast a learner's license. Eager to take him up on his word, I went to the

Time-pass at 45000 ft..

2009-05-12T13:21:00.005-05:00

Yesterday was yet another of those cross-country trips. Thankfully, this time, I don't need to rush back. Whopper of a 24-week vacation, complete with a thrilled niece, chechi, chettan and parents. So it was in that jolly mood that I got on to the flight yesterday. Nothing could dampen my spirits. There was the jolly old lady ahead of me in the boarding line who kept dropping her carry-on on my

What's with the world??

2009-05-12T09:46:00.003-05:00

The yarn factory is decked in black again. I don't like this at all. My friends running away from me one by one.God's will is one thing, your will is another. God's will you could do nothing about, but your will, well, that's something we all could have done something about.Here you leave us to ponder over the times we all spent together; painful memories with jagged ends.Ever the comedian, you

Happy Mother's Day!!

2009-05-09T18:44:00.005-05:00

I swear to God we need to have more of these days. No, I didn't mean we need Mother's day every month. You know, in addition to Father's day, brother's day and all that, we need to have more days like younger sister's day, elder cousin sister's day, neighbour's married sister's younger child's day, and well, you get the drift. Then I would not have to wander the blogosphere searching for

Random ramblings..

2009-05-01T09:28:00.006-05:00

A friend(hereafter referred to as P) asked me to write a story for a cause. "Maaaaaan", she said in that southie-displaced-in-the-north-cluelessly accent, "for once do something good". She has given up a lucrative career in the Philips-Siemens-LG-etc-world to further the cause of eradicating child labour. They do this by helping young children get adopted by humane families who give them a good

An apple a day didn't keep the doctor away..

2009-04-28T18:43:00.004-05:00

Exams are on, it's raining cats and dogs outside, and I've grown tired of both. Been a dreary week with projects, presentations and exams, and we are not done with the week yet(or rather, the week is not done with me yet). Sigh. And yet, I find the time to blog and tell-all. How, you ask? Well, I looked at the blog after a long time, and it looked so forlorn, like a neglected(No, not that one.

Colors of change

2009-04-24T11:18:00.002-05:00

The time has come to shake off the sombreness of the past week. The dark template is out. Until I finally get myself to sit down AND work on designing a new template, I have decided to keep rotating through blogger's offerings. I like this template because it doesn't make a long post look like an intricately carved pillar. Yes, until I get tired of this one and say "I want something that makes my

Acts of God know no questions..

2009-04-20T22:46:00.003-05:00

The change in the template is temporary. Yes, I know black is the color of mourning, and that is precisely the reason behind the new color. I never imagined I would do something like this on The Yarn Factory ever. But then, acts of God, as always, know no questions. This is the least I can do by way of paying a tribute to a dear dear friend.Why, was 24 years justifiable enough to snuff out a

The dance of democracy

2009-04-20T16:19:00.005-05:00

For me, elections in India have always been happy times. During school and college days, elections were eagerly awaited for the holiday on the day of election, another on the day of counting, and yet another for some other reason. When I was working, if the elections did not give me a long weekend, I would take off all the days in between the holiday and the weekend, and go on a jaunt with my

Vishu.. Wishing for prosperity..

2009-04-14T09:50:00.003-05:00

Today is the Malayalam new year. Across the world, Malayalee families begin the new year on this day by viewing the Vishu Kani, and I wanted you all to begin this year viewing the kani too(The photo has been shamelessly lifted from the net(this is not a tradition). There is another tradition of presenting money to the people you love the most. Does anybody want my account number?). The kani

Botched India trips and other stories..

2009-04-11T16:47:00.006-05:00

It's official. My India plan has been called off. But I don't know why I am feeling as if I have lost something forever. Another plan will be made in less than 10 month's time. I don't know why I am feeling this way. I will continue to bless weddings and birthdays over email, talk to friends and families over VoIP, and generally maintain a regular online presence. But I will miss a lot. Among

Unexplained eccentricities..

2009-04-09T09:30:00.006-05:00

Disclaimer: The events described in this post are not fictitious, but real. Any similarity to any person is true. If my description of the said persons/events sounds fictitious to you, that is merely coincidental. I assume no responsibility for it. Why should I??I was walking home last night after a puzzling encounter with a professor. He seems to be suffering from Multiple Personality Disorder

Important updates

2009-04-07T09:24:00.006-05:00

Now I know who is influencing my writing style. Not that I have any, but still. Yeah, you said it. Microsoft's message writers. But more about that in another post. I plonked myself in front of the screen right now, just to give some updates on promises I made in the past. Yes, I did say that last week’s happening would be up soon. I had also threatened to put up the second story of the pentology

Secrets, secrets!!

2009-04-06T07:50:00.003-05:00

Now that I have your attention, please lay down your pens, put down your coffee mugs, minimize your excel sheets and pause Winamp. No No, this is not the new program installation message that I have written for Microsoft. This is just a preface to the many secrets that I am going to lay bare today. Some readers who are too secretive prefer to send emails rather than post comments; I have also

Talkers turn stalkers!?!!

2009-04-03T22:10:00.005-05:00

This post is dedicated to weird behaviour on gtalk. Some are funny, but some very irritating at times. Each type displays a different dimension to online behaviour; however, it should be noted that the vast majority of my contacts are "normal". It's ironic that I have to dedicate a whole post to a lame minority, but then exceptional behaviour warrants accolades, so here we go..Type-1. A gtalk

Comments enabled..

2009-04-03T12:04:00.003-05:00

Din't know comments weren't working, just thought noone was reading :) Comments are enabled now, though I have to work on it a lil more to tune it to my liking. If you're reading, I'd love to hear from you, so go ahead and send me your bouquets and brickbats!! Thanks Divya, both for trying to comment, and for letting me know!!

My world - last week

2009-03-30T20:52:00.003-05:00

Been waiting forever for the spring break. BIG relief from the biting cold, snow, glares and the heavy winter wear. I do not have to look like an eskimo anymore. I need not slip on the ice and make a spectacle of myself. It's goodbye to static on door-knobs and handles. Greenery is back in town, and so are the flowers. On Monday I flew out to spend the week with Chechi, Chettan and my niece. Took

Air

2009-03-27T17:39:00.006-05:00

Loud argument echoed off the walls of the magistrate court and the village office. Groups of people gesticulated wildly at each other. There were no curious bystanders - everyone, including the tailor, the grocer, the cowherd, the vegetable vendor, the woodcutter - aligned themselves to one or the other of the arguing groups. Since the scene is set in a queer village in Kerala, one might easily

My Family

2009-03-22T20:07:00.006-05:00

Well, here's to the next post coming right up. Am actually pretty pleased with myself, no no, not for the springtime-blossoming of topics to blog about, but for managing a return to blogosphere within 24 hours. This time around, the post is dedicated to the people that matter most to me in this whole, wide, wide, crazy, roller-coaster world.AchanThat's what we call our dad. Sissy and me. In very

An Indian student in the US..

2009-03-22T19:45:00.000-05:00

As an Indian student in the US, I:Enquired about on-campus jobs even before I found a place to stay.Am a pro at currency conversions(only rupee - dollar and dollar - rupee, though. Not rupee - dirham, rupee - dinar, rupee - riyal like every schoolgoing Malayalee kid).Am a pro at time-zone conversions.Rely solely on the local church volunteer group for everything ranging from grocery shopping to

First Post

2009-03-22T13:55:00.003-05:00

This is my first post here at blogger. I maintain a blog at Wordpress, but decided that I want to move to blogger for the following reasons:blogspot.com sounds better to me than wordpress.comI wanted to access my blog, email and orkut without having to log on 100 times. No, I'm very very rarely on Facebook.I'm a big google fan and love to associate myself with anything even remotely Google-ic.I

Summer Vacation 2008

2009-03-21T17:07:00.005-05:00

Vacations today are nothing like when we were kids - in school, the word vacations encompassed months, in college, months shrunk to weeks, and in corporate lingo, vacations better be expressed in single-digit days!! I am extensive traveller, thanks to my manager's superb self-control when I turn up at his desk to beg for a leave :D . Well, most of these travels are with friends, and lately, I was

Good Friday

2009-03-21T17:07:00.004-05:00

It was a superb Friday, if you ask me. Almost two years out of Engineering college, and many of us had not met each other since leaving college. Vineeth, as usual, brought up the idea of a one-day trip over the long weekend. Almost 14 of us had tentatively agreed, but till late at night on thursday, things looked doubtful. Some of us, infact, thought that the trip was cancelled.. :D . The onus of

Snake in the grass

2009-03-21T17:06:00.003-05:00

It all began with the shriek of the train. It probably masked out the shrieks of warning that I'm sure the Gods above were crying out to me. As the train left the lonely outback siding and headed out into the sinister night ahead, I felt an icy feeling slowly spreading over my body. The lightning revealed the landscape outside in slideshow-fashion. It was as though the deafening thunder was

The monsoon

2009-03-21T17:05:00.003-05:00

She took one look at his resume, threw her head back and laughed heartily. He wasn't offended though, for that was what he had intended for his resume to do - he had written it in a deeply humorous style, hoping to make an impression on the interviewer's mind. Mahesh was at an interview, and the girl in question was the interview facilitator. At first sight, Mahesh had a deep sense of recognition