Thoughts > Feb 2008

Um, my apologies, i cant think about naming this post :)

Other thoughts are probably holding up a pretty significant fraction of my, already poor, imagination.

The hectic run at work continues - visits & trade fairs & seminars & trips. Loads of info gathered, some leads followed up, a lot of it needs more follow up to make it all worthwhile. Ive been going through a bit of a roughish patch the last month actually - hopping from airports to train stations to bus stations - too much of the good life - as id like to think of it - all travel, meeting, handshakes, scheming/wheeling/dealing.

Bombay, Coimbatore, Sivakasi, Madras, Bangalore last month and a possible Hyderabad in the next 10 days.

Because i am a bit fed up of it all - I am giving this week's proposed trip to china a miss - the others will go on in - il work from India on the project - my trusty computer & skype will aid me im sure.

Some things that I have understood in the past 2-3 weeks - the inner workings, strengths, weaknesses, pros/cons and potential - of our largest business unit :) I am pretty sanguine (if the words right - soberly optimistic - is the meaning i am attempting) - about my prospects with this line of work

More:

Now that i am running 24 years of age - I am officially now a full fledged member of the 'Mama' league - ive stopped yelling at the neighbors kid who refers me to as 'Mama' [ 'Anna solluda madaiya' ] - and its taking a while for the whole scenario to actually sink in - and fuck, its hard to take, really.

I overhear my mom at my cousin's wedding ** telling an assorted bunch of maamis and athais that shes going to get me married in 2009 - now that im 'settled down'. She picks a fight with me on the long drive back home and pulls my dad into the discussion and tries to have a 'serious talk' with me on this damned subject (all highlighted pharases are hers not mine) - I accelerated dangerously and managed to distract them both into lecturing me on keeping below 100 kmph on Indian Highways.

I dont know what in heaven's name made her think that im 'settled down'.

Somehow i feel that my mom & dad really arent obsessed with all the crazy info i bring to them after all of my trips - he makes this / that - my dad just says - slow & steady - do what you can with whats already around - one easy step at a time - Hell, maybe he has more than he can ever possibly spend, yeah, my mom too - all theyre worried about as i see it is that - if i sober up enough to 'Settle down' & and just do ok - afterall - theres a lot to build on here.

My mom's already confessed to me that she doesnt want to work too much after a few years, you know, just feed the old man & maybe manage to henpeck him into travelling with her or something - The old mans complicated though - but both are holding fast to this concept of my 'settling down'

I am toying with the idea of telling them that i am applying with my old scores to Dartmouth College again - but hey, i guess they now know that i am too involved with some of our new work to even consider a break :)

Settle down .. Indeed!

May the Gods grant me the strength & Wisdom :)

[ ** My Sister, a maternal cousin, born 2-3 months before i was, got hitched last week in my mom's home town near Palghat. There was a huge amount of speculation/debate/excitement because of suspected trouble my sister was apparently giving her parents the last month - i was pretty keyed up too, a boyfriend maybe? - but whatever was the issue - we sure didnt get a whiff of it - but the sister and her mom stopped talking to each other as the rumors predicted before. Shes now 'settled down', i guess ]