As of Sunday (13th) 23h00 (yes, an hour before midnight), I moved to an apartment near office. It is just 10 min drive from office. But all other items will move later. I moved in with just the bare minimum.

I got sick the very next day. Bangalore is so dusty and cold. I was sleeping as I used to in Chennai (not going to get into details here 😉 ). I woke up the next day to have severe cold and sore throat. I still have.

And as of today, I’ve a Samsung x05 laptop from work. I desist taking work to home. But being a project manager, I got to give presentations and join in web meetings for which a laptop is handy. So my boss said, no way you get a laptop. So here I am posting this from laptop.

Despite all my concerns of driving in India, we had an awesome 6 hour drive to Bangalore. Until I rent an apartment, I’m staying in my sister’s house. Bangalore is dusty and cold. Will take sometime to get adjusted to it. With all the dispute going on between IT industry and state ruling party politicians, is it a wrong time to move to Bangalore?

I believe on intuition greatly. In the beginning of the year, even as I was in personal failure, I repeatedly felt that it is going to be a good year. So far it has been. Also when I rented a beach house, I told my mom quite a few times that it was temporary. She used to chide me for the nomadic mentality. But see what happened?

I’m still learning to differentiate between intuition and wishes and nightmares.

With heavy rains, we dropped the plan to go to Tuticorin. I’ll drive to Bangalore directly.

I’ve been packing these days. Almost for a week, I’ve been doing it and this weekend, I was fully into it. I’m amazed to know how much I have accumulated over the years. Can you believe, as a single guy, I’ve around 40 parcels (including TV/Fridge) to transport? Man that is too much, at least in my opinion. Out of these, six boxes are books. As most you know, I’m an avid reader. Next come garments. Simply said, I possess too much. My sister says, I’ve more clothes than she has. Once I am in Bangalore, I’m going to do something about it – may be donate to orphanage. I am ashamed that I possess so much of garments when people suffer for their daily bread. I didn’t know I had so much!

And I’m tired. Packing all by myself was terribly tiring. I felt lonely many times.

To top it all, today morning, car didn’t start. When it rains, it pours. No, I’m not talking about rain in Chennai! I wanted to come to office early and then leave early so that I could take some rest. But…

If all goes as per plan, I’ll be shipping all the parcels today. Hope all goes ok.

Only one more week to go and I’m pretty excited about the trip to my parent’s home, in Tuticorin. In May, I drove to Pondicherry which is around 150 km away from Madras. But now I’m going to drive around 500 km. In Europe I’ve driven much more than this in a single day. There it would’ve taken me 5 hrs for this. However, with the chaotic traffic and bumpy roads, it is risky here and the best estimate is that it is going to take 10 hrs to reach home. If it is risky, why do I want to drive? Come on, what is life without risks? And what is the purpose of buying a car, if I don’t park it in my parent’s house, who, despite all my naughtiness, have brought me up so far.

Here is how the trip is going to be: From Chennai to Trichy and then Trichy to Tuticorin. On Nov 1st, we will be driving from Tuticorin to Bangalore.

I’ve been expecting a change. 6 months passed by in this new firm, but I wasn’t utilized to my potential. I was becoming restless. I kept bugging the HR for a new project or an onsite opportunity. And I was expecting either of them. Neither of them happened. Rather, I quit. Yes, hold thy breath; I quit this firm in 6 months. It is surprising that I stayed with my earlier firm for 7 years and I quit here within 6 months. I didn’t expect this at all.

What is more surprising is that I am leaving Chennai, with which I’ve an association for around 11 years. I came here in ’94 and lived here until ’98, when I left abroad. I came back in 2003. I had my ups and downs – both officially and personally. Somehow I came to be cozy here, and now I’ve to go. I’ll surely miss Chennai.

Where am I going? That is another surprise. I’m going to Bangalore. One who has followed this blog might think that it was planned. No, not at all. Even when I went there two weeks back to see my flats, I had no idea. I was planning to discuss with the interior decorator to do it minimally, since it was going to be rented. Now it looks like, I’ll occupy it.

Bangalore has been calling me all these years. I resisted the calling. I should’ve gone there in ’94 itself. Then again in 2003. Do I regret staying in Chennai? Yes and No. Yes – because, I went through heart-aches and pain in these years. No – because I guess these experiences enriched me. There are areas in my life which need to be rectified, but in general, I go with satisfaction.

Last week, I was in Bangalore to visit my apartments. I went along with my sister and brother-in-law. It is coming up pretty well. Just two photos here.

Surprise! That too a pleasant one! ClickX magazine sent me a copy of their magazine with DVD where FOW is listed. Though FOW has already been listed in many other print magazines, no one sent me a copy. So it goes without saying that I’m thrilled to get this.

Just got a call from my brother-in-law who went to see my apartment in Bangalore. He said that the apartment is nearing its completion. Only painting needs to be done. That is fast. If it goes in this pace, I might have the apartment by end of this year itself. That is a good news indeed.