The Taj and the wonder

We visited St. Ann's this year, before it was going to be partly demolished. One thing that striked us pretty big was a notice on the black board in one of the class-rooms saying SMS "TAJ" to some number or login to some website and vote for TAJ. The mission: Ensure that the "Taj Mahal" was voted as one of the world's seven wonders. (Rahman asked us to do that too, when we attended his concert a while ago)

We were surprised. Truly. So much more awareness in kids. And so much more access to things that can actually make a difference. SMS and website names on black-boards. Wow!

With a billion in population, and an increasing number of this population gaining awareness by the minute, what better chance does any other monument have (except of course the "Great Wall of China"), of becoming a world wonder. The greatest match-fixing of all times;)

Wah Taj!

Back home and full steam!!

Landed in Mera Bharat (Mahan) on Saturday, June 30, as planned. Journey went off super smooth, even the Hong Kong part (I will write another post about my Hong Kong sight-seeing travails, Teju to please have patience!;) ).

Its a good season to be here, not too hot, but yeah very humid. I have so many things to do this trip and so many people to meet, I actually make a time table every morning and what is more, I have actually managed to stick to it!!! Whoa!!!

I still have a bunch of shopping to do and the Harry Potter movie to catch, but going by my superb organizing skills so far, I think I will do it. Got to meet a couple more friends as well!!

Right now sitting in a cramped cubicle at an Internet centre. Came here because my laptop at home went completely bonkers and refused to start. One may ask, why do I need to write a blog post of all the things if I don't have any time to do the things in my schedule. Very valid. But the reason is obvious. I am overwhelmed when I come here. I need to say all I feel about this place. Right now I am overwhelmed by our enterprising Janta who have an internet cafe in every galli.

Been driving our new Alto like crazy all over the city. People said I would hate it, they also said I ain't seen nothing, also to add, that its changed a lot, not like old times. I thought, I pitch my tent here ever so often (sometimes its been once in 6 months too), it cannot be all that bad. True, traffic is horrible, pollution has taken grip, but it isn't that worse than when I left India last. Still managing to drive around 9-9;)(AM to PM I mean)

So long...more when I get back to the land of opportunities!!

Ann's and the great tragedy..

I spent a good chunk of my life in Ann's. 12 years, from 1983 to 1995. St. Ann's Girls High School on SD Road in Secunderabad. That was the place to be:)

Last year MCH (Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad) said that the school buildings on SD Road were causing a lot of traffic problems (Yeah right! Like this was the only thing that was causing that:( ) and that they were going to demolish the buildings and give us some land outside the city (Yuck!). And the only buildings they were going to ditch were SSC ones:(( Waaaaaaaaaa!! (Ann's has both state and ICSE syllabus instructions in the same campus) We spent all our major time from V std to X std in this part of school:(

So anyway, Vandana and I decided to catch up on school before they fell it completely and gather whatever was left of memories. Thanks to Orkut, I was wired to Kavitha too and so our plan was made. For the evening of 3 July. We met up in school camera in hand. My sis accompanied me, she was three years my junior in Ann's and so did my cousin, who just joined Ann's the year that I graduated, in 1995. (Its been two years since she left school too, time just flies! tch..tch..tch..)

We met at 5 pm, so there were just a couple students waiting for someone to pick them up (I guessed) and Miss Mable. She is still there and still the same. She said something about digging up the field (we used to call our playground, the "field".) Vandana and Kavitha had not yet arrived so me and my sisters walked towards the field. Only to see this:(

Where is that magnificent sports field? :((










So now the SSC and ICSE buildings will sit bang next to each other. Wonder where they will hold the assembly now.