Well it had been like a month nearly since I had laid my plans on project Sikkim. The only thing that was confirmed till date was the air tickets & the number of people who were boarding the flights with me. Other than that we didn’t have a plan (only a rough outline of a plan was available) neither did we have any tickets from Kolkata towards Gangtok nor an inkling of a clue as in where we would be put up. So after weeks of smoking more cigarettes & sleeping & continuing with my ever so beautiful routine, it clicked like Archimedes’ Eureka theory (except for the nudity of course) & I thought of hooking up with some travel agent.
Contrary to urban legends, not all travel agents are people who sponge you out from all your wealth & make even a small trek sound like a walk in Himalaya. Well for our luck I ran into one Mr. Baichung Bhutia (I added the bhutia tag just because it was more snazzy & famous too). I offered him my rough outline & after weeks of speculation & calls flying here & there he came out with an itinerary that had covered me & my troupe from the time we alighted at New Jalpaigudi till the penultimate day when we were supposed to board from the same station.
He even offered me a Scorpio to cover us through the entire travel. So far so good - and the best part was that it wasn’t that expensive. And considering the fact that this was my first time in planning a trip of this proportion (well I did do some small plans earlier which were miniature versions of the Titanic going down), the final outcome was pretty neat, at least to the naked eye. So all left now was for the D-Day & for the ensuing weeks which would put our scheduled plan to the test. Till then I was having more than just my fingers crossed.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
The Ensemble
Team work has been a way of life for most of us, being the fact that we have been working in teams, groups & blah. So it wasn’t outrageous when I decided to rope in some blokes/babes to form a team for this outing. Here’s a small gist of my troupe who would be entertaining me for the coming days.
Vineet Kumar a.k.a Chottu (he’s 6 feet 2inches tall). The ladies’ man & the perfect
gentleman - Other than the fact that we joined our company at the same time we have been project mates, roomies & a lot more (reading between the lines is left for you people). After doing some string of international traveling Chottu was pretty much bugged up that he had not emulated his international feats back in India. So when he came to know about this trip thing, he was all game for it. The only fear I had was that at the end he would get his call of duty (onsite call) & would have had to been a last minute omission from the plan. So I am still keeping my fingers crossed.
Prakash Mathew a.k.a Suzy (don’t ask me how). Suzy & I go way back to college. He had
been my junior in Chennai & then when he got his present job in Hyderabad, we were re-acquainted. Booze is one of the factors that have bound us from our college days, & so it was going to be again. Suzy was there in the initial plan which I had conveniently backed out from & somehow managed to pry him away from it (though no effort was required for this). Suzy was also longing for a long trip from his hectic schedule (he’s still shocked over the 1 week leave we are supposed to be taking), & had no so hesitation in nodding for this. Throw in the ultimate seductive of free booze & bang we were on.
Anukulya Panda a.k.a The Panda (no whatsoever resemblanc
e however). This self proclaimed dusky beauty is one hell of an entertainer. Ever since I struck a rapport with her in the office, there has never been much of a dull moment. She can be outrageously funny & irritating with panache. Usually goes on blabbering gibberish half the time, but there have been times when she’s shown that she is a gem of a darling. Had been whining about doing a long trip for like ages, & so when the opportunity came, all I had to do was knock at her door. And with her nod I confirmed that out trip was so going to be animated!
Yajushi Marella a.k.a Shrinky (had majored in psychology). The only surprise package in the trip – with everyone else I had like a 95 percent assurance that
they would be all game for the Gangtok expedition. But with Shrinky, I did have a major doubt. I met her through a common friend way back, and had just got to know her real well over the last year or so. She’s been dubbed as Ms. Smiley in Orkut & is one of those workaholics. So when she said that I was supposed to meet her mom to convince her that she would get back in one piece I did have my doubts. But all of those were laid to rest precisely 24 hours after I had met Shrinky & her mom, when she send over her sanctioned leave letter.
Finally coming to me, I think you all must have pictured a vivid image of me from the last chapter. As always it has been in my case, this time round too I am the black sheep of the group.
But yeah come to think of it, I did manage to group up some really different characters with an urge for some fun, relaxation & just maybe some sightseeing after all. Hopefully over the entire week, the only team leaders we get to see would be the ones that herd over a flock of domesticated animals.
Vineet Kumar a.k.a Chottu (he’s 6 feet 2inches tall). The ladies’ man & the perfect
gentleman - Other than the fact that we joined our company at the same time we have been project mates, roomies & a lot more (reading between the lines is left for you people). After doing some string of international traveling Chottu was pretty much bugged up that he had not emulated his international feats back in India. So when he came to know about this trip thing, he was all game for it. The only fear I had was that at the end he would get his call of duty (onsite call) & would have had to been a last minute omission from the plan. So I am still keeping my fingers crossed.Prakash Mathew a.k.a Suzy (don’t ask me how). Suzy & I go way back to college. He had
been my junior in Chennai & then when he got his present job in Hyderabad, we were re-acquainted. Booze is one of the factors that have bound us from our college days, & so it was going to be again. Suzy was there in the initial plan which I had conveniently backed out from & somehow managed to pry him away from it (though no effort was required for this). Suzy was also longing for a long trip from his hectic schedule (he’s still shocked over the 1 week leave we are supposed to be taking), & had no so hesitation in nodding for this. Throw in the ultimate seductive of free booze & bang we were on.Anukulya Panda a.k.a The Panda (no whatsoever resemblanc
e however). This self proclaimed dusky beauty is one hell of an entertainer. Ever since I struck a rapport with her in the office, there has never been much of a dull moment. She can be outrageously funny & irritating with panache. Usually goes on blabbering gibberish half the time, but there have been times when she’s shown that she is a gem of a darling. Had been whining about doing a long trip for like ages, & so when the opportunity came, all I had to do was knock at her door. And with her nod I confirmed that out trip was so going to be animated!Yajushi Marella a.k.a Shrinky (had majored in psychology). The only surprise package in the trip – with everyone else I had like a 95 percent assurance that
they would be all game for the Gangtok expedition. But with Shrinky, I did have a major doubt. I met her through a common friend way back, and had just got to know her real well over the last year or so. She’s been dubbed as Ms. Smiley in Orkut & is one of those workaholics. So when she said that I was supposed to meet her mom to convince her that she would get back in one piece I did have my doubts. But all of those were laid to rest precisely 24 hours after I had met Shrinky & her mom, when she send over her sanctioned leave letter.Finally coming to me, I think you all must have pictured a vivid image of me from the last chapter. As always it has been in my case, this time round too I am the black sheep of the group.
But yeah come to think of it, I did manage to group up some really different characters with an urge for some fun, relaxation & just maybe some sightseeing after all. Hopefully over the entire week, the only team leaders we get to see would be the ones that herd over a flock of domesticated animals.
The Beginning
Well I never did figure that an 80’s song titled “One night in Bangkok” would have inspired me to give a title for my latest blog. But I guess having Gangtok sounding like Bangkok does help you at times. Let me introduce myself to you. My name is Ashish Rahulan Eyyani (pretty long name eh) & I happen to be a lazy couch potato most of the times. And then there are these rare bursts when I decide to go over visiting places & chilling out with friends.
So it didn’t require me to think for more than 2 seconds, when my pal had called up and asked me whether I would join him for a trip to Gangtok, to say “Yes” for the proposition. Well it’s another fact that I did back out from that plan after having booked my tickets. This I owe to the egoistical prick of my character. Bonnie, Nigel if you guys are reading this, I am real sorry mates for craw fishing out on you guys.
So then I went around assembling a motley crew of my own & planned a different schedule for the same destination. And that’s how One Night In Gangtok was born. As with any trip, a plan was formulated & many probabilities were zeroed in & somehow or the other we all decided to finally embark on this trip. What we were up for only time would be able to tell, but till then I went around sipping my vodka & being the very couch potato I am.
So it didn’t require me to think for more than 2 seconds, when my pal had called up and asked me whether I would join him for a trip to Gangtok, to say “Yes” for the proposition. Well it’s another fact that I did back out from that plan after having booked my tickets. This I owe to the egoistical prick of my character. Bonnie, Nigel if you guys are reading this, I am real sorry mates for craw fishing out on you guys.
So then I went around assembling a motley crew of my own & planned a different schedule for the same destination. And that’s how One Night In Gangtok was born. As with any trip, a plan was formulated & many probabilities were zeroed in & somehow or the other we all decided to finally embark on this trip. What we were up for only time would be able to tell, but till then I went around sipping my vodka & being the very couch potato I am.
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