A weekend to remember

Danielle, my neighbour at the Hall (hostel) I lived in last year was finishing her course and leaving on Saturday for Florida. So we were meeting for a drink on Friday evening. We met at a small Bar near the university and there were heaps of other friends, coursemates who had also come to bid her farewell. Nothing special happened (there was no drunk fist fighting or tongue-sucking in the nearby tables). I had"Sweet Cider" for the first time and unlike beer this was sweet (sweet cider will be sweet, right? grin...)and was palatable.

Then we went to the Hall where some other person (whom I didn't know) was having a farewell party in the Senior Common Room(But that doesn't matter, does it?). Made friends with friends of Danielle and shouted at the top of my voice in order to be heard in the ear-drum shattering loud music. The highlight of the party was that i saw the "Most" beautiful girl I have ever seen in my life. She was like a sculpture of gold come alive. I would do no justice to her beauty by even attempting to describe it. There is nothing in this world that could be compared to her beauty. Not the moon, not the lotus in bloom, not the peacock. Nothing. It was matchless.

Of course I felt a creature as heavenly as she would have nothing to do with me and stood at a reverential distance, gaped at her and made no effort to introduce myself or strike conversation.

This would have gone on with no end had we not have to leave. We left at 1:30 in the night and we were actually one of the early leavers.

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Saturday, as expected didn't wake up until 10 in the morn and even then spent a lazy morning. Cooked Vengaya Sambhar after a very very long time. It became too watery but tasted alright.

After working for a couple of hours on my research (where nothing much was accomplished) went to a friend's place and the whole lot of us went to "Madagascar" - an animated movie, from the makers of Shrek.

In spite of the occasional ridicule from family and friends about watching Animated "Kids" movies and how I need to grow-up, I would settle for a "Madagascar" to a, say "Mr.&Mrs.Smith" any day of the week. I could go on and give a lengthy review, but let me just say the movie was really good. Ben Stiller and Chris Rock as voices of the lead characters were rib-tickling funny and Hans Zimmer's music was brilliant. Undiluted, immaculate entertainment. For all.

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Sunday, was supposed to leave for Helensburg temple (outskirts of Sydney) early in the morning which ended up being 10 AM. Not my fault. I woke up at 6:30 and was ready by 7. Anywayz, we drove in a friend's Honda CR-V while a Toyota Avalon and a Toyota Camry (Why is it Indians always buy Toyotas or Hondas) followed us (more friends). We made a nice motorcade and reached Helensburg before 1. Had a splendid darshan of Chandramouleeswarar, Thirupurasundari and Valli,Devayanai samedha Shri Subramania Swamy. Also Prasanna Venkateshwarar (Thats the Saivite in me speaking).

Spent two hours savouring the atmosphere there and then left for Liverpool, a suburb of Sydney, where every other shop was either Indian groceries or an Indian restaurant. I did not feel like I was in Australia at all. Didn't even see one Caucasian there. Heaps n heaps of Indians everywhich side you turn.

We shopped for a while (which was like three hours and three hundred dollars - all thanks to one of the women in our entourage). Had dinner at Woodlands - South Indian Vegetarian Restaurant, with Kaapi in 'Dabara Tumbler' and water in eversilver glass. I had a thali - sambhar, rasam, appalam, getti thayir, oorugai, paayasam, urulai poriyal, keerai, rice and poori. Yummy!

Frankly, the food wasn't anything to write home about, but the fact that I was eating in a restaurant that reminds me of eating, lets say Ramanathapuram, makes it very special. Oh! the fate of people living far from home.

We were a group of 15, with four very small kids who made such a racket (and mess) that I am confident the hotel would never entertain us, if we were to return there. The kids were irrepressible and were getting on to my nerves but more on this later.

I reached home by 11:30 in the night totally spent. Phew! What a weekend.