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Khatte-meethe phalse, kale-kale phalse,Thande-thande phalse, achche-achche phalse
Phalse-phalse kaleeey, kaleeeeey...

My first thought was that the rich, mahogany baritone resonating from the scorching street below my house was that of a snake-charmer or itinerant sadhu. Charlatan or not, the man’s voice was mesmerizing. I asked Mamta, our polio-afflicted maid, who the person was. After a brief moment of bewilderment, a smile spread across her face. (Only these phoren-people would wonder about something like that) In Bengalied Hindi, she told me that he was just a blackberry seller on his bicycle. With her traditional gait -- back-bent, hand upon knee -- she slowly limped out, still smiling. I looked out over the balcony and saw him, white-turbanned and tanned, slowly moving through the streets. This man, I thought, has made a rational decision about his attitude towards his chosen career. Like most other fruit sellers, he could sit quietly at a stand. Or he could cycle through the seats, shouting “Phalse!” in a shrill monotone.
Yet, he has chosen to sing.

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After my recent Western inundation, which consisted of a whirlwind of US cities combined with a taste of Oxfordian England, I debated taking up blogging again. Far-flung friendships revisited, I realized that it has been a good way to keep conversations going. So I’d like to give it a go again..

My apologies for being incommunicado for a while, have just been trying to get back into the swing of things here. A little on what I’m up to now.. For reasons involving a summer heat-induced household menagerie (I had the privilege of witnessing an epic lizard battle on my bedroom wall), general annoying apartment maintenance issues, and a growing sense of isolation in a family-oriented society, I’ve moved from Chennai to Delhi. I won’t bore you with the challenges of moving back in with the ‘rents since I’m sure you all know what I’m talking about. But I’m actually looking forward to hanging out with family and getting to know this part of the world better. As for the future...plans are still brewing, but my current thinking is to quit my job at the end of June. In the months after that, I plan to apply to grad schools, learn naturopathy, and make it over to Ahemedabad and Manav Sadhna for a couple of weeks. (Rahul, who fortuitously passed through Delhi en route to Thailand yesterday, has left me convinced that it’s the place to be). And as for my next job..am still thinking about it. Recent interviewing experience at a consulting company hasn’t convinced me that it’s the thing for me right now. I’m not sure what the future might hold, so I’m not ruling anything out at the moment. With some exploration, I hope I’ll chance upon something I enjoy. But for the moment, there seem to be too many mountains to climb, books to write, and sunsets to catch before I strap myself into another 9-5.

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As to this blog, I don’t know how often I’ll write, I’m going to see how things go. I’m hoping to use it as a forum for thoughts, ideas, and for profiling people/things that inspire me, so write in if you have something to say, would love to hear your thoughts. Lastly, a shoutout to friends across the globe who -- despite oceans, time, busy work/school schedules -- took the time out to meet with me, inspire me, scold me and shelter me at some point in the last few weeks...love you all!