Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Pittsburgh and Beyond

Almost forgot I had a blog. Don’t get stupid notions that the city is keeping me busy with its charms. Actually it’s the other way around. My charms seem to work on no one here. Not that I can claim it ever did in the past. But you get the drift. With Pi out of town for a whole month, and my office consisting of furniture and a front desk lady who doesn’t pick up the phone (coz she is at home), I am desperate for people to talk to. I have to talk to someone who can respond. My plants are stooping over with my incessant chatter and my bathroom mirror shattered when I asked the obligatory ‘Mirror mirror on the wall’ question.

So I smile, say hello to random strangers hoping they would smile and hand me over their horoscope and family medical history. I invited the bank ATM lady home for dinner when she said ‘Have a nice day.’ She is my best friend in Pittsburgh! I lost one friend the minute I got to know him. The Indian grocer. I asked him if there was a better Indian grocery store around and he took it personally.

Gym is a good place to pick up friends. It’ll freak you out to know that I am going to the gym more than ever now. All along I realized I was burning calories by tripping over sheer guilt of never going to the gym. The only humans I see there are Ray Romano if I go at the right time or Susan Lucci (the fifty year old who sells microdermabrasion kits) if I go at the wrong time. The fact that I bought one of those kits by ordering it while I was on the treadmill proves my miserable existence and why Susan Lucci is getting that glow on her skin. Because of all that money she is making from poor suckers like me who’d call and order a 40 dollar kit just to talk to another human voice. Fine, I will agree that my derma layer was having serious desires to get microabrased by sponge rotors dipped in suspicious looking goo. All this gym time hopefully lets me eat all the Belgian chocolates I want and still keep me in the 20 Most Sexiest Women Alive list. If you haven’t noticed, Pittsburgh has surely hasn't taken away my objectivity.

Moving on to my Europe trip... the reason behind this post. Now the people who didn’t even reach this far wouldn’t even know why I was writing what I was all along. What a pity!

Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany (maybe Luxemborg), Austria and Netherlands. I was hoping you wouldn’t notice the repeat. Parmanu, Aggressively yours Colours and Hardu were kind enough to let me stay with them for three whole days while in Germany (This might actually come as a shock to them. Since I was a little worried about dejection on the phone, I am resorting to this method). If they are still friends with me, please do not judge them. You’ve gotta love this blog; not only has it brought me closer to wonderful people whom I can stay for free, it will also make them strive to be wonderful hosts so that they can be written about gloriously after the trip. Sigh!

This trip planning has brought my cool factor to the abyss and my Patel factor to the top. I started off wanting to go alone, backpacking in Europe, meeting strangers and connecting with people (as you noticed Pittsburgh was my practice arena), taking in the sights unhindered by a set agenda.

See, that’s what I mean by cool. A cool that would get my grandchildren writing books about me. I was all set when in a weak moment, I invited a good friend. We found ourselves reserving hotels to stay. And yesterday while I was packing I realized that we are really not backpacking, much to my utter shock and dismay. We knew exactly where we would be and when. I had to shed my pride and my unwieldy backpack to reach out to my stroller suitcase. Ashamed as I am to admit it, I have to say, the clothes fit in perfectly with extra space for souvenirs. Heck, while I am at it, I might even take my camcorder and rice cooker (with seed for curds, of course!).

13 comments:

rads said...

*giggling at the rice cooker packing* - hey we did it on a 4 day trip to Canada. Never mind my parents went along tho'.

Benelux [as it was fondly called years ago] is an awesome place. Enjoy!

anantha said...

So when are you leaving? :O

Anonymous said...

He he he. Hey, will give you a call before you leave. Have to fix up on the time you reach my place so that I know when to come to the station. ;)

Also, now that you have mentioned me in your post, I should probably write something nice in my blog to attract the ones who visit it. :P

Sheeba said...

Have fun! And bring back some chocolate for me from belgium! (and diamond earings while u r at it. i'll pay for the chocolate!) :D

Red-sandalwood- Thats the secret to her glowing skin everyone! (not the microderma thing!!!) heheheheh

Anonymous said...

Nonsense!!! I cannot play host to people who do not visit the country I am staying in :).

On another note I still do not know whether I can come to Germany unless you contribute to the fundraising activity I am involved in (which actually means that if I am in Germany, I will charge you for board however smitten Parmanu might be with you).

and Colors is someone else's blogtypename.

AmitL said...

Hi,Twin...great to know u had a nice Europe trip.A big LOL at the comment'it will also make them strive to be wonderful hosts so that they can be written about gloriously after the trip. Sigh!.'Amen to that...err,so when do u visit Dubai,with advance warning?

Alpha said...

rads, Will enjoy thanks!

anti: soon da..don't panic!

hardu: I will call you today..

rationale: count yourself among the lucky if you do get chocolates. i might have eaten them..hence diamonds looks like the only thing you might have to deal with. but then, i know you aren't that materialistic (even though you come across that way to many people including me), so i'll pass on that too..how does your hiking pants (once I am thru with Europe) sound?

colours: i was told specifically that you wont be there in Germany while I am around... and I'll kill that person if it isn't true!
ermm...you are welcome of course..it being your house and all. I also noticed that you did use this opportunity to get all my readers to check out the fund raising opportunity in Argentina...so in essence I have done my part! Free boarding, here I come.

On a side note: Be there, or else!

AmitL: sure man. Dubai is next. Make sure you leave town by then..or else be ready to be inflicted unceremoniously.

Anonymous said...

Lol at the Indian grocer.

While you are packing the rice cooker, you may also think about packing pi along. Someone has to cook the rice, no ?

Alpha said...

who going to freaking cook rice . I want to eat all the bread, crepes, french pizzas, german mattar panner I can... rice cooker is just to increase my patel factor a notch..so that MIL will be proud.

Sheeba said...

No chocolates! Hmmph! X-( And who said I'm NOT materialistic! I love my materials- usually made of chocolate.

Also covet my sport shoes (all one of them!), tennis racket, bike (the one your bro gave me for bday in gainesville) and ring! :D

Hey I'm not kidding, u BETTER get me the chocolates!!!

anantha said...

Rationale: It's all good, as long as you don't covet that ill-fated pair of hiking pants! Then..Ewww only!

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