Shifting from Windows-gaming to console-gaming negated the need for such a huge piece of hardware. Add to this the system becoming progressively slower with time (mostly as a result of installing more applications, which Windows 7 still can’t handle even with 4gigs RAM), I had virtually reached a point where I just wanted to toss it out of the window. Most regular Windows users will agree. A Mac hence seemed the most viable (though expensive) option.

What I needed now was a lighter and faster machine while keeping the transition costs minimal. Deciding on the 13 MBP was pretty much a no-brainer, given my stretched budget. Something I always suggest people is when you get new hardware pay the premium to get the best within your budget instead of saving a few bucks. I took my last windows machine and got it duly replaced with the MBP paying a premium of $500 over my old machine.

Truth be told, I was hugely skeptical, new OS and all. Using a few Apple gizmos along the years as well as seeing friends with MBPs kind of made the shift easier.

Still more to come!!!

Talking about bureaucratic incompetence is easily one of the major talking points across friend and family circles across dinner tables and bar counters.

Yes, the Kochi episode still fresh in mind I reached the Thiruvananthapuram airport. Boy, have I ever been surprised before. If COK was a madhouse then TRV is where they got this insanity. The airport hands down would win the title of the worst airport in the world, or at least in India. You’d be forgiven for asking yourself if it’s an airport at all. There are several check-in counters (6 to be precise) with elegant non-working digital displays or were they merely for show. The counters were staffed by pretty 60 somethings in faded sarees and grey hair. The guys who lift the suitcases could be coolies at Ernakulam South but less healthier. And don’t let me start about the cleanliness. Evidently many parts of the airport have not seen a broom in the last decade.

The half bald, fully mad guy at the immigration counter stole a precious 15 minutes of my life with his useless questions. WTF man, I’ve flown more over the last year than you have in the 65 years of your damned existence. I don’t need to tell you that I didn’t eat breakfast or that you smell like Armani Code (if they had a scent for incompetent sweaty paper-pushers). No thank you , Kerala police!

There’s a waiting area and a blink-and-you’ll-miss duty free shop. I bet they haven’t sold anything since they’ve been there.

People complain about the stringent security checks at airports world over. They really don’t know how good they have it. TRV is a traveler’s nightmare. The security staff don’t speak English and I won’t speak Hindi. Way to go. Those CISF nincompoops gave me a torrid time. But yes, I swore at their past and future generations and verbally abused the pricks to my hearts content earning the ire of fellow passengers. You tend to do it if these faggots don’t follow a queue system or make you wait for half an hour to check your bag and then tell you it’s all good. Funny story: Ugly middle aged woman is forced to empty her half gallon water bottle, and only option, she has to drink it. Yeah, they made a lot of people do that. Another funny speaking woman tries to use her ‘influence’ to speed up the process. She’s like “Your big boss stays at my place when he lands in TRV” to the security staff. Your guess is as good as mine as to the reason. Damn, woman, your husband’s standing right there, totally emasculated.

Oh yeah and they send me back to get a tag for the cabin baggage.

I hear there’s a new airport terminal coming up in a few weeks. But it’s going to be the same people who run the ship. And you get to pay Rs750 for the inconvenience you are forced to bear.

Now I’m beginning to like COK a lot more.

P.S. TRV is Thiruvananthapuram and COK is Kochi airports.
Caution: Do not fly to TRV!

This would possibly sound like me being wasted or dead drunk or something, which I ain’t. Its from the Super8 and Tab track ‘Empire’ which as of now is my favorite song. I love my headphones. I love this song and I breathe trance!

I have pretty much confined myself to an offline existence. My blog must miss me so bad.

Check out the track. Right now I’m happy that Barca are losing at home against a newly promoted Hercules CF and yeah, there’s still a half left. JM and RM, one deadly combo??? End of season reviews will come up if the season pans out well! And yes, I can’t thank my friends in Boston enough for my Spain 2010 away jersey. Venky, Vishwa, Lo and Sap -> they rock and have made Boston home!

Oh yeah, Spain won the friggin’ World Cup. This is what happens when you have God between the goal posts and players who play in the goddamn best football league in the world. WTF were English fans thinking? I’m not even going to start about the Argies ft. Maradona. Oh, where was their Messiah? However hats off to Germany, for their several new ‘fans’, yeah the one’s who started following them from the start of the WC. And my vote for Sneijder for the Ballon’ d’Or and FIFA world player, no one deserves it better. 5 WC goals, a treble + final’s appearance. Beat that Messi!
Oh, I’m at work. Watch this space.

Soundtrack of my life: You Look better When You’re Drunk by The White Tie Affair

There’s been a lot going on that I need to write on, but just don’t have enough time to put in the effort. Boston has been awesome, as far as friends are concerned, and thankfully I’ve made a handful who I can really say I’m getting close to.

The US experience has been phenomenal, even life-changing. This is the third country I’ve stayed in for an extended period of time, and yes, it’s growing on me.

I haven’t read a book (neither a text nor a novel), other than that Chetan Bhagat book. Saw that single big movie 3 Idiots which for all purposes would have been a better movie sans music (c’mon, Gimme sunshine? WTF?). I don’t even have to gush about how awesome a movie Avatar in 3D is. Winter and I’ve been pretty much working, gaming and sleeping. Call of Duty, Modern Warfare 2 happened, and was the best 8hr straight gaming experience I’ve ever had, and not even the pure fun factor of taunting friends while playing Wii Sports can beat that. I still suck at pool or any other sport that involves rolling balls, except soccer.

So, why am I posting all this random stuff. The genius inside me, jailbroke my iPod touch and now I don’t have anything to listen to music on.

Have been doing a bit of travelling, ok, a lot in fact. Walking all over Boston isn’t a small matter with the heat. But thanks to the T and some ‘desi ingenuity’ our gang’s pretty much traveled cheap. Have been to both MIT and Harvard having seen both campuses extensively (while I still haven’t been around the entirety of my own campus). I’m loving the food (breakfast Burger King, lunch Wendy’s and dinner Subway). Been to the India day thingie celebrating independence day, last weekend.

I still haven’t gotten a phone connection. Any one using an ATT prepaid, and in Boston, kindly help me take a prepaid cell.

The timings are still weird here.  T

Thank god, for the internet