Note to self: keep laptops fully charged on loadshedding days to avoid walking from room to room biting fingertips, racking your brains trying to think of something to do, eyes too tired to read but not enough to sleep.

So Vodafone messaged they had a special offer for me and I had to 'hurry and call 123 for more details.' Bored and the loyal customer that I am, I dialed and waited - 1 for Hindi, 2 for Marathi and then.. silence. What happened to English dude?!? You know, that language you texted me in?? Do you expect your entire customer base existing and potential to comprise of only localites in a cosmopolitan city such as this?

As I am now finally on par with Gossip Girl and needed to get my mind off the hedonistic Chuck Bass, I started Shogun. Apart from the excruciatingly slow first 40 minutes (which was the case with the book as well), the minute Rodrigo-san (bungling ole John Rhys Davies) enters, traipsing about mocking bows to the samurai, concealing insults in English to the 'bloody samas' in his poor Japanese, the entire mood lightens. Still too early to judge; it's a friggin' long series with a single episode lasting a little under 2.5 hours.

Spent the past two evenings with the sibling, wandering about in the inner lanes of KP, throwing admiring glances at the lovely villas, some gardens with lawns manicured while others with unkempt grasses running wild, creeper climbing through the cracks of walls with no restraint. All adding to the character of the place.

the long and winding queue

My spirits sank as I saw the mile long queue snaking around the building. With a heavy heart, I joined it. Atleast it wasn't raining.

Queues are great equalizers. If they're positioned in front of Pune University that is. No matter whether you've slogged in engineering or breezed through commerce, an under grad or post, how fabulous/pathetic your college is or how great your institute's placement scene is (or isn't) if your institution(aren't they all that) is affiliated to the city's university you have to stand in that damned queue for a minimum 2.5 hours with some 5000 people in front of you if you want that scrap of paper called a degree certificate to mark the end of youth and the end of the torturous existence of being a student. Unless of course you've got a jobless friend(baqra imo) who's willing to stand in line for you coz you've got way better things to do with your precious hours.

I didn't.

Shogun FINALLY downloaded! Been waiting for someone to put up the series for two years now. Watched the first episode of Pillars of the Earth last night. I haven't read the book though it's been strongly recommended to me. I tried alright! I couldn't go past the first page so I have no idea whether the series is faithful. But it does hold promise even if it is full of the usual Middle Ages England cliches - fight over throne, political instability, Church thirsting for power and manipulating for the same, scheming gentry, starving commoners, bitter winter.. same old same old. It's a bit reminiscent of Shogun (the book) surprisingly.

Glad I have some good stuff to look forward to. Gossip Girl was numbing my brain.

Today's revelation: It's painful to have pistachios if your nails are clipped short. Real short.