Tales of this city

It has been over 3 months since I came to Lucknow for my project. It has not been the best of three months for me. I had to face a lot of hardships since December. So far 2011 is not turning out to be my best year. But optimistic as I always try to be, I know that things will get better. Everybody has their ups and downs...right now I am on my downs!!

Now back to this city!!! As always, when a North Indian sees a South Indian, they have this contemptuous smile on their face, which I so wanna wipe off. I am not being an anti North Indian or anything, but neither am I a big fan of them!!! Ah well, you get used to that contempt in a little while. The one plus point of me coming to U.P is that I actually learnt a lot of Hindi and people here find my Hindi bearable!!! Yey!! :)

Working as a project trainee in CDRI has been an experience, both good and bad. I find my instructor extremely bossy at times which makes me cry, literally!!!!! One thing I hate is being pushed over. Tell me something nicely and friendly, i would be happy to do it for you!! But again, you get used to it. Seniors boss around their juniors, that has been the pattern everywhere!!!

I am the quiet one in my lab. There is this communication gap for me. Even though I speak Hindi alright, I find it hard to understand the others speak. They speak so fast and their slang is different, that halfway through I loose track of what they say. So I normally don't have anything to contribute to the lively debate/conversation. *sigh*.

You know, when you are a South Indian amidst the Northies, you stand out. I have had a lot of people come up to me and ask me if I was a malayalee/bengali. Apparently Bengalis have similar features as us. But because of this, I also have had a couple of Malayalees come up to me and talk with me. When that happens, I get so excited and jabber on loud in Malayalam!!! Oh what a relief from all the non stop HINDI!!! :P

Lucknow is becoming the crime capitol of the nation. It is not very safe place at all. Take the newspaper and all you see are stories about murder and rape, like the London in the 1800s! People have no value of each others lives here! And what more you get local guns here in Lucknow that don't need any license. I read some really silly reasons over killing people, like a girl shot because she said no to a guy who was trying to woo her, or like 10th standard boys fighting over a cricket match, fight got out of control, boy ends up dead!!! Jesus Christ. These are just the tip of the ice berg. The roots lie within the corrupt government. That is a topic i would rather not touch!

And the road in Lucknow are beautifully tarred ones without a single pot hole like we find at MG road, Kochi! But what is the use, the people that drive car here follow no rules!!! I'd rather prefer the road of kochi to this horrible place. I have been almost hit several times. Now back at home, I would scream at that guy. But frankly, here, even I am scared that I might get shot at!!!! But luckily I am staying with my parents. What more could I ask for?

Now just barely one more month and I will be back home. You know, one truly appreciates the place where one comes from only when you are far away from that.

I miss Kochi, I miss being silly around my friends, being myself, I miss the vada, the ghee roast, most of all, I miss the people that I love the most!!! Going back home and seeing all of those particular people, would make the four months that I spent here worthwhile. So here is to getting back home...CHEERS!!!! :)