Whatever-ing :-)

*Posted a day later*
One, I am not too happy with a recent development. (read: not-too-happy means this= X-( ) – updates on the blog soon.
Two, I have got to travel day after tomorrow. And god, I am dreading it. I HATE travel, I loathe it. I cherish my room, my space, my place.. everything, so much, I HATE to be dislocated from it, at all. Even if it’s for just a couple of days. Now that I think about it, the last time (2 weeks back) when I was suddenly asked to pack my bags for some campus recruitments procedure, I fell sick with Gastroenteritis. No! no feigning sickness. I actually *did* fall sick: puking, and all that jazz. But I strongly suspect that it may have been my body’s subconscious defense (avoidance) mechanism- in response to the threat of travel.
But of course I can’t do this dodging all the time. It’s been long since I traveled like crazy- almost a month and a half, and that’s very abnormal for a citizen of the sub(-versive? :P)-world that I have come to inhabit since June.

This time of course, apart from being majorly upset with development no. 1 (referred to, at the outset of this post) and traveling with companions with whom I have little intention of striking a friendly note ( or vice versa), I am not looking forward to enjoying this trip at all. Oh, all but one companion, who is GOOD! (the other two suck bigtime.. and if they had done their homework properly in the first place, we wouldn’t be making this silly trip NOW!)

I can’t even fake polite conversations with them (these people are: a vendor- who bites-off-more-than-he-can-chew, in terms of volumes of business he takes up, and his new –hitherto undisclosed-sidekick).

Sample this dreadful, hypothetical convo:

Sucker Co- Traveler/ Vendor (SCT): So, the train’s running 2 minutes behind schedule, eh? (over-enthusiastic smile that lights up the eye- in a manic sort of way- giving it excessive glint, and no warmth)

Me (sensing that these 2 minutes are going to add somewhere on his excuse-list of why-the-project-is-still-stuck-at-my-end; at my tackiest, driest best.): Yeah, we will skip the Maggi we were planning to eat for breakfast though. That should take care of it.

SCT: Ha ha haa .. haa haa… (his signature act: suck-up-to-the-client-by- ego massaging-their-lowly-sense of humor – works for him, with Senior Momo ;) ) Yeah, that really should take care of it.

Me: Really, SCT? (Having grown pretty cheeky by now, having gotten over the initially inhibitive fact that he is more than twice my age- and thrice my weight). Will we have finished it THIS time? All creases ironed out before we go back? (read: Is it like technically, humanly, scientifically POSSIBLE for you!)

SCT: (suddenly realizing the waste of all his ego-massage laughter-and noticing how the ego of someone like me in the command chain, not even the size of a button- is not even worthy of notice, let alone allotting special care):I don’t see why we should have any problem this time.

Me: Seeing that we can’t afford it anymore, I hope there isn’t. (Throwing a final gauntlet at SCT, in the vain hope of some verbal, non verbal assurance/ commitment of ‘no problemo’ from his side.

SCT:: Let’s Hope!!
(breaking my heart as usual, doing the useless sidey-doc act from-70’s movies, ‘ab inko dawa ki nahi, dua ki zaroorat hai’)
*again, flashing the same extra-enthusiastic grin, minus the warmth of laughter in the eye*

Erm .. I dunno SCT, if people were paid to simply HOPE on their jobs, Indians would die pretty rich. Though, it does look like, so will you. Die rich, I mean.

Cheers to Hope? Not really, Nope!

Good night.