What have you been up to?

'But what have you been doing all these years? Where have you been?'
I felt then as if I had been called upon to justify the entirety of my existence, to account for the years I had spent here.

-Excerpt from Amitav Ghosh's The Hungry Tide.

The reason I keep low these days mostly on social networking sites is because more often than not people ask me the same question; 'What have you been up to?'. And I feel exactly the same way the author describes in that passage. That people want me to justify the time I've spent. Don't get me wrong, I am always asking people the same question as a conversation starter but when I am asked this its not so much that person wants to know what I have been up to but mostly why I haven't been doing things people my age should be doing. Maybe I am reading too much into this, maybe I am disappointed with the answers I come up with, maybe I am really not happy with what I have been up to, what ever it is, it is one question that I have begun to dread.

What I'd really like my answers to be like when someone asks me next :

I have been touring the Bahamas.

I have been busy with research work for my PhD.

I have been busy signing a deal with umm [insert rich business tycoon/celebrity name]

I have been working on a script for a new television show.

I have been preparing for my speech that I'll be giving at [insert prestigious university name].

You get the point.

Anyhoo, to deviate from the topic I have always been very prejudiced when it came to Indian authors. I have avoided them on the pretext that most write unnecessarily complicated, long and boring books. The last book I liked was Shashi Tharoor's Riot (This was before people knew him and it was okay to say you liked him in public). The Hungry tide has changed my opinion, I am now shopping for more of Amitav Ghosh's books and will also catch up with other good authors whose books I have missed.

So what have you been up to?

Golkonda Fort

Lastly set of pics of my favorite place, the Golkonda fort.

Chudi Bazaar

I love bangles. Just the sight of it makes me happy.

Hyderabad, one more time.

Back from an eventful trip. Pictures for now.




Charminar from a weird angle.


The four minars.
Bhagyalakshmi temple at charminar.


Orange and Green.

Fashion Advice

At the bus stop a girl aged around 12 years takes an interest in me and this is the conversation that ensued.

Girl : Why do you wear pant and shirt, I think you look good in chudidhars.
Me : Erm, have you seen me before?
Girl : No this is the first time I'm seeing you.
Me : But this is a kurta, not a shirt.
Girl : I still think you'll look good in chudidhaars.

Sigh. Fashion police everywhere. At least she didn't say I looked bad in what I was wearing.