Things that fill my days...

Happiness that a hall in XY hotel in faraway Ananthpur (AP) is available for booking on a Wednesday morning and hence I can book the same. yay!!

Outrage that YZ hotel in Karimnagar is the only one in the whole town and hence the hall rents are incredibly high

Contentment that all the 105 invited fertilizer outlet owners in Guntur turn out for the above mentioned meeting :)

Relief that the Central govt copped out and gave a very generic "we shall consider all parties' views" wala statement on the Telengana issue....aaahh!

Suspense that arises from racing to catch the only flight from Vijayawada. The delay completely my fault since I fall asleep in the hotel room. The driver rushes madly all worried that if I miss my flight, he might be blamed. I reach the airport for the 5.30 p.m. flight at 5.20 p.m. and try to beg my way through. Doesn't work, obviously. Am forced to take a normal overnight bus to Kurnool. I travel alone, very uncomfortable with the thought that there isn't even one other female in the bus. I manage to settle down and start watching the Telugu movie playing in the bus...without understanding a word. They stop for food at a brightly lit roadside eatery and I order 2 chapatis and sit alone at a table. I randomly remember the talk with Roomie a few days back where she mentioned that sometimes during her work travel she felt like she was in a movie. The chapatis arrive and then I realize that there is no way I can eat so much for dinner. Calling them chapatis is definitely a misrepresentation....now I get why the cashier gave me a very startled look when I bought the coupons. After a night's journey on a very bumpy road and repeated glances from the guy sitting in the opposite seat, I wake up around 4.30 am to chatter that the bus has reached Kurnool. Am straining hard to figure it out since we are supposed to reach the place at 8.30 am. I ask the conductor in broken Hindi, only to be assured in Telugu that this is Kurnool and I should get off asap. They dump me with my suitcases at some junction and I ask them to speak the driver over the phone. Only after they leave do I realize that I neither know the local lingo nor the addresses of where I am standing in the dark and the hotel I am supposed to check into. I look around hard, trying to find some clue of what area it is. There are only cute little handcarts around me, one of them named "Kentaki Chinese Chicken". After a good half an hour, the driver arrives and drops me at the hotel. Phew! pretty harsh punishment for missing the flight, indeed...

And of course, Love for the office canteen boy (in a generic way :P) The lowe since my present employer has an impeccable record of feeding us. I travel to different offices across states...what doesn't change is the constant stream of masala teas, cucumber sandwiches and fruit salads all the time...