Opulence @ its best

Malls malls and more malls. That's all i could see on my way to Gurgaon from Delhi. 1st was the beautiful Delhi-Gurgaon expressway, where even with just 10-15 mts between each vehicle, the average speed was touching 90-100 kmph. It was despite the fact that only the previous day a 7 year old was killed while trying to cross the road. I wonder which idiot left that kid to cross a busy road like this where even if a full sized Mac truck wouldn't stop the incoming traffic, let alone a kid.

Enroute we see the IG International Airport. Its another splendid sight in this route. The highway is a 6 lane with amazing surface. Leaving all this behind, lets come to the point. I reached Gurgaon and easily located my training centre and hostel. After having put up all my baggage, i decided to go out for a stroll @ 10 in the night with my friends @ work.

Just a stone's throw away is the mall road(don't know what's the exact name, but we guys used to call it so coz it had about 8-10 HUGE shopping malls on either side of it, with around same number under construction. The one's that caught my eye were:

Sahara Mall

City Centre

The Metropolitan(Chivas coz of the logo)

DLF's Ambience Mall- This is India's LARGEST shopping mall, with 8 stories and each one kilometer long(yeah u read that right)

So as we were strolling, we saw the Mc Donalds', the Pizza Corners' and etc etc. All the major brand names, one's that i'd heard and seen only in FTV, CNBC and all; like Dior, GUCCI etc. While walking a poster of National Treasure 2 caught my eye and i thought, i should see the film. Now i'd never seen a film in a MULTIPLEX and wanted to know what's the experience like, so we went to The Metropolitan mall which had 7 or 8 screens and was having the film in one of them. At first, the ticket prices alone made me go back. One movie for Rs 175, all for a bit better sound and a cozy chair. I could see 4 movies and still have spare change for popcorn back in my home town of Trivandrum.

Anyways i had stepped in and so we two (by now just 2 of had the INTEREST to watch the movie, others had better things to do; like watching all the good looking gals in the malls) went ahead and took the tickets. A cool 350 bucks were emptied from our pockets. Still i didn't learn my lesson and did the mistake of going and ordering a pop corn bowl and 2 pepsi's. They came to Rs 165. Total 350+165=515 for havin comitted the SIN of watching a movie in a MALL's multiplex.

After all this the lesson that i learnt was that, if i were to be posted in Delhi or for that matter any other metro, my salary of 20k will be vanished in a single day. I'm happy with my rural Orissa for a change, than enjoy the girls and the HAPPENING life in a METRO.

Changes..........

I had read long back that CHANGE is the only constant thing in the world. I believe that's what's happening to me, and my life. Changes are happening in things that i assumed will never change! I had never thought that i'll be walking 3-4 kilometers a day, never did i think i'll be missing home like this, never did i think i'll be spending my time writing notes even after grueling 16 long years of education.

But here i am thinking about all those nice times i had when i was in college, days when MOP was Master of Puppets, DAP used to be the download accelerator and SAP used to be a software company. Now MOP is Muriate of Potash, DAP is Di-Ammonium Phosphate and SAP is Sulphuric Acid Plant. What else do i say about my job profile. I just wish i could enjoy those lovely days under the trees once again!

Now a discussion from me not talking about FOOD is not a proper one, isn't it! I hadn't thought that i'll be drinking oil mixed with some spices as RASAM and potatoes cut and sambar powder mixed with water as SAMBAR. But then here i am missing those nice dishes that my mom used to make. I still remember how i hated to have food at home. "Ippo thonnunu veetil poyi enthelum thinnnal mathi ennu"