A bit of Personal Trivia: This is the second time, I am running out of money. I sold my last property at Pune to my sister, Taruna and the first instalment came a year back. The second instalment is expected next week sometime. Till then I have 5k to last me. Its gonna be a close shave, but I’ll scrape through. Brings a bit of stress, but its fun too. I am also planning to wrap up some of my old loans too in the coming year (From my savings). Btw, I got the dough and I am rich again (Latest update as of 30/5/2011).

Here are a few poems & blogs:

The Big Machine In India: http://loveandfearless.wordpress.com/2011/05/29/the-big-machine-in-india/ (History Lessons)

What is a Desalination Plant?: http://loveandfearless.wordpress.com/2011/05/26/what-is-a-desalination-plant/ (Science, mebbe SCI-FI)

The Terrorist, The Police & The Common Man: http://loveandfearless.wordpress.com/2011/05/30/the-terrorist-the-police-the-common-man/ (Nasty One!)

Btw, I had a very narrow escape at my life at Pali Hill with my car. An accident I think which I saw happening a second before, and avoided at the last moment. I was saved mostly due to my loved ones.

Here is a joke to cheer you up:

Tough Interview Questions at Various Companies across the World:

1. Infosys:
Can you search on Google?

2. Wipro:
Do you know how to copy? (Infosys)

3. Microsoft:
Do you know the difference between Gates & Windows?

4. Apple:
By any chance, do you know anything about farming?

5. Sony:
Can you hack? (To catch a thief, set a thief)

Spicy update: She is chewing on my shoes, books, money notes and more

Heard from Kiran that he is shifting his office to Goregaon. Are you folks shifting to Andheri too? Wassup otherwise with Kiran and Shivaan? Did you folks celebrate Kiran’s bday? I was hoping we all could meet up.

* **** *** *** **** ****** **** ***

Deepak
–
Keigu

Deepak
+91-9765089593
deicool@gmail.com
http://www.simtree.net

Skype: thumsupdeicool
Google talk: deicool
Blog: http://loveandfearless.wordpress.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/deicool

“Contribute to the world, environment and more : http://www.gridrepublic.org”

Sorry, this is gonna be my last update by email. I gave my sending of updates, a thought, and decided I should update online and you can check them whenever you like (I wanna refrain myself from intruding into your privacy although I like a lot to send the updates to you). Rest all remains same. Lemma know if its ok with you. Here is the link: http://letterstoss.wordpress.com/

Here are a few poems & blogs:

Life, A Struggle: http://loveandfearless.wordpress.com/2011/05/20/life-a-struggle/

Tuition in School n Colleges: http://loveandfearless.wordpress.com/2011/05/21/tuitions-in-school-n-colleges/

A bit of Personal Trivia: Got a new Nokia S60 after my last phone gave up on me. I might be also off to Pune for a day this coming week.

Here is a joke to cheer you up:

Mathematics to People Of Various Countries
: What is 1+1 = ?

Indian: Hold on, let me get a calculator

American: What do you want it to be, kid?

Japanese: If there is something in it for me, it is 10. Otherwise it is 0.

German: 2. (Thanks!)

Hope you have a fun week ahead full of party and a whole lot of fun. Wassup with Kiran and Shivaan?

* **** *** *** **** ****** **** ***

Deepak
–
Keigu

Deepak
+91-9765089593
deicool@gmail.com

http://www.simtree.net

Skype: thumsupdeicool
Google talk: deicool
Blog: http://loveandfearless.wordpress.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/deicool

“Contribute to the world, environment and more : http://www.gridrepublic.org”

I was thinking of all the love showered by you on me. Your gifts for me: T-shirts, Helmet (STM), Photograph (Of us in Leopold) and I lost all of them. Its a terrible thing i did, and there is probably no way out of this either. I am sorry once again.

Lots of Love
Deepak

The mind
fools it

The body
ignores

A few
years
back

My heart
struck a
chord

With a
lovely
lass

It still
beats

The same
tune

The eyes
weary

Looking
out for

A glimpse
of her

The ears
alert

For her
to shout
out

For me

I still
wake up

To her
hug

And smell
her presence

In my
arms

All of
my soul

Looking out
for a
way

There aint
no quickie

I have to
do my
time

Waiting
for her

Till we
meet
again

And ride
the wheel

Of Love
once again

The body
ignores

The mind
fools it

The heart
knows the
way

All the golden
moments we
shared

The fun we
had

Makes me
yell out

I love
you

We shared
a lot between
us

The Good times,
the bad ones
and the ugly

Never to lose
sight of each
other

I still think
of you

In my
dreams

And yell
out

I love
You

When I am
awake

And often
wonder

We can gang
up once
more

And do all
the things

Once again

I love
You

And will
always love
you

My first tryst with the dark side of money
——————————————
We were struggling into the city with money only in spurts. Our poor background and no pocket-money (I think) led me into my first theft (when I was 10 I think). A buck from my dad’s cupboard and into some chocolates from the general store next to our home. I soon learnt my lesson and from then on it has been a mostly clean life.

On the Wrong Side of Bed
————————

When I was a kid, we ran off to one of my cousins place into our past. My mom’s village which is a town now. I think i got on the wrong side of the bed (with a young girl) and then ashamed out of it and on to the ground.

Peeping Tom
———–

Beauty brings along lust and many vices into a man. At least it bought into me. I started as a peeping Tom very early. I think I was 7 then. Well, this was to be one of the most mildest of all naughty interactions of me and beautiful women.

Early Aggression
—————

I had some aggression into me, which is still left. As a teenage, I had a frail body but a lot of whackiness. I think I lost a match or something, and ended up one of my foot into one of my lane friends. He was quite in pain and we called off any further sports for that day. We did resume the next day, but off course, we always stayed at a distance from each other.

Too much off a Spy in me
————————
My eagerness for detective stories led me into trouble with few of my classmates. As I was a monitor, I planted wrong evidence and led some fellow class mates into trouble. They soon dropped out of my school and went on to join some other school. It did cause a hiccup in their life and a black mark in my background. Strange what a story book and an over eager mind (on the dark side) can do.

RD
–

Work gave me a lot of freedom and out of the clutches of my parents and this Society in general. This led me into a short-term relationship with a wife of another person (physical).

Loans
—–

I owe the World a lot of money. Mostly bank loans for family business of ours. It was a case of very poor planning of one’s finances, lack of individuality and recklessness. I still have a note of what I owe, and I do intend to pay them off someday soon.

Drunken Dude
————-

My teenage brought some vices to me as well. I started drinking beer, which got excessive during parties or with friends. I was out of control of my senses, and ran into all kinds of trouble. Mis-behaving with the people around me, spoiling parties-homes, and probably my self-esteem too. It is strange I always thought it was fun for my friends. However I realize it was a big mistake today.

Bangkok
——-

My teenage also led me into foreign land, Thailand. There again, my excessive drinking and the freedom of being away from your own people (and with your friends) led me again into the wrong parts of a women.

Zen and me
———-

My drunken behavior also bought some naughtiness into me with girls. I found my hands at the wrong place of one girl ( I was intending to kiss her when she was not ready). I have given up on liquor forever now. Saying all this, which might seem boring and unnecessary, my past has a lot of lessons for me. My present and future. Something which I might have to take into account for the rest of my life.

This is a personal struggle of my survival and some of the nuances of Society.

A Year in my hideout
—————————-
I had quit my job and was trying to build my business in the city of Pune, India. Half of my past family (Sis, Mom) was with me in the city and my friends in Mumbai. The business would take at least 5-10 years to take off with the current recession. Money would be hard to come by. Frugality would be the norm in the coming days with many waves of bankruptcy evident.

Personal Bankruptcy
————————–

My first bankruptcy came sooner than expected. My lifestyle and no planning for finances(that’s me!) led me into a hole. I ran out of money and i had to turn to friends, family and selling off assets for finance. With my pride and my past upbringing, I turned to selling off assets. I had two places, both on bank loans. However they would fetch me some money. Any capital asset transaction in India does take quite a bit of time with a lot of work. My decision to sell off one asset would take at least a year. There was an initial hiccup in selling the place as the first deal fell through. It was from within my personal contacts and gave my confidence quite a dent. Now I had to rejuvenate and start all over again. I started again looking out for an outside buyer.

Society Problems: Notice from the Society regarding Bachelors (Mostly Foreigners) Unfair Rule, Tenant nowhere to find
———————————————————————————

I had a tenant in the place i was trying to sell off. The tenant would pay me rent. I had to give an eviction notice to sell off the place. The tenant had gone to the native place and was not reachable by phone. Also there was a notice from the Society, which said i had to evict the tenant within a months time or face penalty and possible trouble in police or courts. The notice was to evict all the bachelors (mostly foreigners i think) from the Society as they were stirring up quite a bit of trouble in terms of nudity in swimming pool which caused trouble to other young kids. It seems the Society had got an approval from the police for the notice. I found it quite odd. A swimming pool would invite some form of nudity. Why have a swimming pool at all? And what about bachelors from India going abroad. Wouldnt they invite the same treatment we are dishing out to the foreigners out here? The whole thing seemed unbelievable to me.

Fight with the Society, Refusal to evict tenant
——————————————————-

I had to choose. On one side my survival ( i had to sell the place for money) and on the other side (the absurdity of the Society rule). And off course my tenant was nowhere in sight. I decided anyways not to evict the tenant and oppose the rule. Meantime i was looking out for other sources of money. I decided to sell off whatever else I had: computers, furniture. I also decided to go ahead with the deal to sell the place (through a broker) and keep it as an active option in case I run out of all my money and had nowhere to run.

Bank Balance: 1000 & decreasing
—————————————-

I got a beep from my cell. It was a reminder that my bank balance was well running just around a thousand bucks or so. I would be without food within a weeks time if I don’t turn to my friends and family for help.

Options: Friends, Family or the Hole, Work still a bit far away
—————————————————————————
With my pride intact and money from work a bit far away (possibly years), my blood started freezing and which left my limbs numb for hours. This was the first time I was facing bankruptcy since I was on my own. Off what I remember there were personal bankruptcies in my childhood, but off course I had my parents and sibling to turn too (as I was quite small).
The other option which I was looking at was to switch my life off slowly & naturally in case the deal didn’t get through.

Tenant comes home and out, Sell out
———————————————

When all this was going on, the tenant came back and decided to vacate the place. I guess the tenant understood the situation and decided it was best to let me sell the asset. The deal went through just in time ( a few days before I would be bankrupt). Off course it had quite a bit of hassles – broker problems, beauracracy, society and management problems. Anyways, the money came through and I would live for another few years at least.

This is an uncut & true version of my travel from Mumbai to Bangalore. This blog is only for future generations, and should be taken only holistically.

I started off my travel plans with looking out for hotels where Spicy (my dog would be allowed). It was the peak season of Christmas and New Year Time, so making any reservations for me was difficult let alone with Spicy. I started off searching on Google for Hotels where Spicy would be allowed on my travel route. I found a few and made reservations. For other places, I found an agency which would do the reservations. It was an agency which exclusively deals for
pet vacations. However I failed to click any deal with them. The options for hotels provided by them was more than my budget. I persisted on Google and other websites and completed all my hotel reservations just before the beginning of my trip. I collected maps, food for Spicy & me, clothes, water, utensils and some other stuff for my travel. We were all set for our trip. Our first into the interiors of the state. Our real motive for this trip is to find stark poverty – people with no food, shelter or clothes.

Mumbai-Bangalore: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF&msa=0&msid=204079662177606670965.0004980094542c4f97b3c

Bangalore-Mumbai: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF&msa=0&msid=204079662177606670965.00049800ca717f9cc83da

Mumbai Bangalore Plan Details: Bangalore

Saturday, Dec 25 2010 (Mumbai-Pune, Maharashtra)

It is winter time in Mumbai. There is a general chill and a bit of fog in the night. Mumbai is the financial capital but lacks any real infrastructure. The population is around 20 million with lots of crowded roads and pollution. There is a major need for restructuring and planning of the city to improve the standard of living. Most of the infrastructure which exist in Mumbai and most of India was laid out by the British.

We (Spicy & Me) started off from Mumbai to Pune. My Bro joined me for this leg of the trip. It was great to have someone along. We chatted generally about our old times together, the hardships we went through and other future plans. We stopped for some food and then made the journey in about 3 hours. I drove all along. The expressway is still well maintained making the journey a cake walk. We stopped for a day in Pune to celebrate Mom’s birthday. Dinner outside and some chit-chatting in the night.

Pune is an IT city adjoining Mumbai. It is again unplanned like Mumbai. It has grown over the last two decades. There was an opportunity to plan it better, which has been lost now.

Sunday, Dec 26 2010 (Pune-Koyna, Maharashtra)

The next morning, Spicy and me took of to Koyna near Satara. It’s like a resort where we would chill for 2 days and check out the neighborhood areas for poverty. The drive was pleasant. We stopped in between at a hut where we could see some women and kids. The women were cooking and the kids eating. A family belonging to a lower class and generally employed in the fields. They did not have any food problems but lacked any other amenities which the middle class and upper class of India do. I guess the next generation of this family would go on to be farmers or go to nearby towns for employment. Communication was a barrier with they speaking only Marathi and with my broken Marathi skills (I need to brush up on Marathi after my 10th standard success – that’s when I last saw Marathi).

I boarded the hotel i booked in Koyna, and was just starting to get unpacked. Due to a misunderstanding with the staff of the hotel, i decided to pack off and leave immediately. Now i was on the roads, without a hotel and 2 days to spend before i move on to my next destination. I called up the hotel of my next destination (Kudal) and preponed my hotel stay by a day. And decided to travel overnight to Kudal. I moved around during the day in Koyna. Most of the people
I found were unfriendly ( i guess due to the current global situation, maybe my attitude and maybe a bit of my past which shows on my face).

Monday, Dec 27 2010 (Koyna- Kudal, Maharashtra)

The sun was settling and I moved out of Koyna towards Kudal. It was about 350 kms drive in the night. My first inter-city drive in the night. I took a few wrong turns, asked for directions (although I had made the pledge – I would never ask for directions), took a few pit stops and drove into Kudal in the morning. I had to freshen up in the night with lots of food within my stomach. I stopped by the highway, went into the bushes and cleared my tummy. My first experience on the road. It was fun. It gave me freedom from hotels. I could now travel anywhere in India without staying in a hotel. Woa!

Most restaurants are shut in the night. So its difficult to find food or coffee on the road. Unlike USA, where you would always find a McDonald’s around. Nevertheless i had some food so it did last me for the entire trip. Whenever i felt sleepy, with no coffee around to keep me awake, i parked my car and caught a few winks. It’s always tricky to drive in the night without coffee and sleep. Directions on these roads is also sketchy and which can make any person without maps lose their way.

I reached the hotel in Kudal mid afternoon and checked into the hotel. The hotel was warm and the staff friendly. Spicy and me slept for a while, got fresh and ate a few bites before we went on to discover poverty in Kudal. We drove out of Kudal and about 50 km from the highway into the rain forest of the West.

On route we discovered lower and middle class people. There were schools, shops and other facilities. We stopped at a school and looked at some kids enjoying their recess period. It seems the government is pouring in money to restrain the people in this area from cutting the trees and maintaining the rain forest.

Tuesday, Dec 28 2010 (Kudal-Karwar, Maharashtra & Karnataka)

The plan was to stay for two days in Kudal. As we did not get to see any poverty in Kudal, i decided to take off to Karwar the next morning. We took off early morning to Karwar. We found GOA on route and did a stopover at the beach. Spicy moved around a bit, digging in the sand and then we took a round of the city. We also met one of my school friends and had lunch together. Having home cooked food was heaven after a long time. It made me warm. Spicy had to unfortunately wait in the car while i was enjoying the time with my friend.

We then took off to Karwar. I had to call the hotel in Karwar and again prepone my stay by a day. With the hotel booking confirmed, we again drove in the night and reached Karwar early morning. I had again cleared up my tummy in one of the bushes around the highway. We slept in the car for a few hours before we checked into the hotel. Aha, there was a surprise for us. The hotel took a U-turn that the dog cannot be allowed into the room. I was shocked, but decided to leave without much fuss. I visited one of my other school friend who had come over to his village for a marriage. I had lunch again (home cooked food) and Spicy had to again wait in the car. It was afternoon and the sun scorching which might have got Spicy a bit uncomfortable. Nevertheless we again moved on to Bangalore our final stop to meet my mentor.

Wednesday, Dec 29 2010 (Karwar-Bangalore, Karnataka)

The drive to Bangalore was mostly pleasant in the night. I lost my way a few times but then was on track again. We stopped over to eat at one of the restaurants midway. The hotel, staff and the food was very pleasant. we enjoyed the meal and then drove on.

A thought found home in me. I was wondering how would I contribute to the Indian Society after i travel places, check out poverty, learn about different customs and more. (Something which Che had done in South America and Gandhi in India. Both went on to join politics in some way. Is my destiny the same too?).

Anyways with this thought in my mind, we reached Bangalore Thursday morning.

Thursday, Dec 30 2010 (Bangalore, Karnataka)

My mentor had gone to his office and would return in the evening. we relaxed a bit, then took off into the city. We found some food, drove around the places which i had seen during my earlier stay in this city. The city is becoming more crowded by the day.

Most of the towns right from my travel from Mumbai to Bangalore were unplanned lacking any proper infrastructure roads, sanitation, directions, eating joints. There is a major need for urban planning across India. Otherwise most of the places would become like Mumbai- unplanned, overflowing with people, lack of sanitation.

My mentor returned in the evening. He took stock and we chit chatted about my travel. He then had to leave for dinner and we found food at Dominos. He returned in the night and we then were speaking about the World, this country and other stuff. Something which i enjoy a lot talking to him. I slept early to wake up early for my drive to Mumbai. My mentor had to adjust a bit due to my preponing of my trip by a day. I had also planned to meet my brother (who now
stays in Bangalore) and one of my earlier mentors too. However i skipped due to lack of time and decided to meet them next time.

Friday, Dec 31st 2010 (Bangalore-Mumbai, Karnataka & Maharashtra)

I was missing home and as there was less likelihood of finding any absolute poverty, we cancelled the rest of our trip (Kolhapur & Dharwad). I decided to travel from Bangalore to Mumbai in a shot. 1000 km in one day. It was going to be a tough ride with Spicy suffering the most. Nevertheless we stuck to the highway, stopped a few times in the fields along the way, ate a bit and reached Pune to find my mom again along with my sis. We collected some stuff from
Pune and took off immediately after eating at Dominos again. We reached Mumbai on the wee hours of 1st Morning, New Year. The city was in a festive mood and we could see all cars swarming around. We reached home in one piece. We unpacked and slept into the afternoon of the New Year.

It was quite a trip overall. I had learned to travel on my own in India by car along with Spicy. I can now stay and sleep on the roads which gives me the flexibility of packing my bags and travelling anytime throughout India. I had learned a bit more off India its people, its infrastructure and my tenacity.

My next trip is going to be in November where I plan to dwelve further into the interiors of India hoping to see stark poverty. So long. Till we meet again on the road.