Update

Back in chennai where its as sunny & as sultry as i left it almost like a fortnight or so before.

Am going to mylapore tonight to Dr.R's wedding reception - turns out there will be this huge crowd comprising of tw0 blokes from our batch going. (Krsh & I) - 2 or 3 others in town chickened out - inspite of reassurances that Dr.R wont remind them of their PIDC or PMS internal marks Or grades :)

I had a wonderful time yesterday at the crossword store - first buying my books, then redoing Asterix in Britain and then ending the trip with a snack at the coffee shop (more for my hapless cousin's benefit - who was already out of smses to send to his friends, while i was happing spending my hours reading)

-> I bought, and have already finished reading this very nice book by Pallavi Aiyar - Titled "Smoke and mirrors - An experience of Chindia" (sorry if the URL is lousy, its all i could locate)

Dunno how it will read for others - Ive been to china of course - as a tourist/observer/tag-along-guy and finally to actually do some meaningful business - to lots of places in the South - but not really to interior parts - ( in our company we even have a chinese speaking employee who works under me - for us in China - who has done a huge amount of travel in china)

To me it was such a wonderful read - validating several of my opinions, giving depth & perspective to several others - and more importantly teaching me - in the most lucid narratives possible - via interviews, anecdotes - how to actually look at china's culture/economics in a macro way, vis-a-vis - India, and vis-a-vis what china was like in 1996/98 etc. - More light on issues like Tibet, the Hui muslims and about life in today's china.

I highly recommend it to any1 even vaguely interested.

-> I also bought 'Measuring the world" By Daniel Kehlmann - one book often recommended to me. Didnt get through much yet.

-> For 30 bucks, at my regular chor book cart near panagal park, and quite a bargain it was too, i bought John Grisham's : Skipping christmas - tell you what - this guys an amazing writer - Any1 with no prior John Grisham experience should start with 'The Rain Maker'. Am on Skipping christmas now.

Good times ahead - atleast - until i run out of books & pocket money :)