The perennial problem

Scene 1

Year: 2000. 

Age: 18. 

Location: IIT Madras. 

Life-stage: vela, 'fighter' college freshman.

There are only 2 'status symbols' at IIT Madras - a 9-point-plus CGPA, or a girlfriend. Since relative grading ensures no more than 10% can have the former, everyone wants the latter.

The month is Jan. Saarang is on. The air is thick with rumors of hotties from the local Stella Maris College and the 'pseud' Mount Carmel (Bangalore) being on campus, and 'available'. There is a flood of testosterone at the IIT boys hostels. 

Silo and Moma Singh are sitting out on the balcony at Mandakini Hostel, 3rd floor, surrounded by hajaar other freshie junta. Moma, wearing a tight, plain white t-shirt, and imported bright, yellow shorts with a large black smiley (:)) printed on it, gets up and proclaims 'Yaar, bandi chahiye'. He says it very earnestly, with a huge smile and a million dreams visible in his eyes...

Scene 2

Year: 2006. 

Age: 24. 

Location: Happening bachelor pad in NGV, Bangalore. 

Life-stage: young, single, stressed-out professional.

DaKatalyst (DK) is lying on the 'Diwan-i-khaas' and Silo on 'Le Lounge' in their living/party hall. It's late on a Saturday afternoon. Both are stressed, having survived yet another tough week on their jobs.

Silo: Kya plan hai?

DK: Athena chalte hain

Silo: Fight hai

DK: Kya, couple entry?

Silo: Yep. 1k per couple. Can enter as group with more guys. Will hafta pay 1k per couple or guy. Stags not allowed otherwise.

DK: Yaar, kya ch****p hai. Phone lagao...

(30 min later)

Silo: Spoke to Redskin. She's meeting some old friend. Dante has gone to Dharwad. Sirf Kilkari hai. Hum 4 hain. Bakiyon ko kata bhi dein - 2 of us and 1 girl will be weird.

DK: Abbe yaaaaar! Aur bandiyaan dhoondo...

Scene 3

Year: 2008. 

Age: 26. 

Location: Large, empty bachelor pad in low-rents, no-life nook of Bangalore. 

Life-stage: Professionally stable, dead bored single guys facing an early mid-life crisis.

Most friends have got married or moved on from Bangalore. Silo and Donnie-boy have moved into a flat where no pizza chain delivers! Now they're facing something they've come to dread recently - a 3-day weekend! Fack! So much time. Absolutely nothing to do. After 2 sessions of ping-pong (all equipment is set up at home), hours of aimless browsing, watching the latest episode of Splitsvilla, and cracking many many lewd jokes, the following converastion (inevitably) ensues:

Silo: I'm BORED. Let's go out

Donnie: Main aur tum?

(still more lewd/gay jokes follow)

Silo: Pak gaya hoon main. I need to get a life

Donnie: You need to get a WIFE. Shaadi kar leni chahiye ab

Silo: I'd like to. Koi mile to

Donnie: Single bandiyaan hain hi nahi...

Conclusion

Location, life-stage, time sab badalta hai... saali ek haqeeqat nahi badalti...

Footnotes

1. Officially, the gender ratio in India is ~900 females per 1000 male (in cities). Logically, only around 10% of all guys should be single. The real number is statistically significantly higher.

2. Silo did find partners shortly after scenes 1 and 2. Both were great. But, both didn't work out after all.

3. Scene 3 is very recent. I hope Silo manages to hook up 'soon after' again. Though it's gonna be tougher this time as opportunities are few and far between. However, this time, it will probably be the 'happily ever after' kind.

4. Actually, Silo believes he has found the Ritegal. Ritegal, however does not seem interested at all, and has masterfully been playing the 'worm effect' on him, pushing him close to his wits' end. Though it doesn't appear likely, I hope they manage to work things out

Thaa kar ke...

Just d/l-ed the soundtrack of the upcoming movie - Golmaal Returns. The main track has lyrics that go thus:

Lag ja gale se mere thaa kar ke,
Haan thaa kar ke, haan thaa kar ke
Saari duniya se ishq bayaan kar ke
Haan haan kar ke, na na kar ke...

Sounds terribly silly, i know, but somehow its very very catchy. Check it out! I tip this one to become a chart-topper, and extremely popular at 'bollywood nights' at the clubs, very soon!

SGP review

Yep. I was there. The first-ever F1 night-race at Singapore. Everytime I purchased anything (tickets, water bottles...), the organizers "thanked me for being a part of history being created"

The experience was truly awesome. With the incredible noise and blurred images of Formula 1 cars (see below), the backdrop of the Mandarian Oriental Hotel, the Bay Waterfront and the Singapore CBD skyline by night, and organization of the kind that only Singapore can manage, there was no way it could be anything but awesome!

We explored the circuit, tried out local food, and watched the support races on Friday. Saturday and Sunday - we just got there 2 hours before the F1 main events, and parked ourselves in a small spot between turns 16 and 17. As this was a street circuit, you couldn't see more than a short stretch from any one point. And we found that viewing alongside a straight was completely pointless, 'coz you could not really see the cars. Where we stood, we could not just see the cars, but also recognize the drivers by the colors of their helmets! We witnessed a few spins at turn 16 during practice, but no incidents during Qualifying or the race. By the way, Piquet crashed just after exiting turn 17 (we could only see it on the big screen).

Our view, and Lewis zomming past!

The race as such was disappointing in terms of the result. I don't like Alonso, and it was bloody frustrating to watch everyone else being held up by the 1-stoppers. Before Piquet's crash, it was shaping up so well. We first saw (and I don't mean on the screen) Lewis trail Massa by a bit, followed by Kimi a good while later. After about a dozen laps, we could make out Massa was ahead, and Kimi was had almost caught up with Lewis, and seemed much quicker. Kimi behaved strangely through the weekend - he seemed to be asleep most of the time. But when he did wake up (occasionally), he was visibly fast & furious!

Though I didn't like that Alonso had won the 'historic' race, I was pleased to see Lewis consolidate his lead at the top with a podium finish, while the Ferraris - yet again - screwed up big-time. This was a difficult circuit to drive, and offered no chances to those who made mistakes. So there was a great sense of relief (I'd been tense since Q2 - where Lewis almost failed to make the cut into the top 10 grid positions)

Anyone who plans to watch one of these live - feel free to ask for pointers, esp. about Singapore. I, personally, wouldn't wanna watch a race here again - only because I don't like the slow, narrow, unforgiving nature of the track and fortuitous nature of the SGP overall. I will, surely, watch more races live though - it's an awesome feeling. At least one of Sepang, Sakhir or Abu Dhabi next season. And Europe as soon as I can afford it!