The first luck happened when I woke up in the morning and saw that it was already 7:20 by the watch and I need to leave at 7:50 or else I will miss the office Bus. But can I get ready in 30 minutes. I need to pack the bag, get fresh, take a shower, shave, dress up and have breakfast and then shoot. Surely this is not all possible in 30 minutes. So eliminate the avoidable. Breakfast dumped. Kept two muffins in the bag to eat later. Rest Cumpulsory. OOPS... I have already 3 minutes in planning.. Only 27 minutes left... I beat James Bond in my speed of getting ready and at dot 7:50 am I am out of my room... Thank you IIT, you have taught me so many things ...
Then, I get to know that today I need to go alone as Angie shall come late. So I need to take the cab and that means saying the name of my bus stop in Mandarin to the cab driver. Tough one, somehow I manage it and I almost reach there, just in time. I think of buying some drink before boarding the bus, but then avoid it. There is still 4 minutes for the bus to leave. And I am thinking whether I should take a fruit drink or a water bottle. But then I dump the idea. I start eating one muffin at the moment and the moment I am finished, I feel like something stuck in my throat and I want some water. I think of getting down and buying one..but thanks to Murphy's law..the bus starts and the door closes. I know..had i bought the bottle, I wouldn't have felt like drinking, but since i didn't, i am feeling the need now. I abuse myself for this and sit back. After 30 minutes, I reach the office and gulped water like there was no tomorrow.
And then, something else started troubling. I had to pee some eight times in the day because of the gallons of water i had drank. Before the lunch too, I had to pee, so that I can concentrate on the food rather than on the osmotic pressure. Tried pork today. Tastes okay. Not much different from mutton, i guess. Post food, spent the entire day surfing the net and put some 2-3 hours just on google maps understanding the roads of India. The Grand Trunk Road, the roads that Abhimanyu took for his trip, and other roads that I might want to ride someday. Don't know if that will be possible ever. As of today, i can't even balance the two wheels for long. But, sochne mein paisa thode hi lagta hai...
I had thought that I shall go to Puding directly from office and check out the famous towers. But lucky me..i had left the camera at home and there was no point going without camera... i anyways thought once again to go..but saw it was raining. Thanked my luck with disgust and boarded the bus to get back home. I sat in the bus and kept sitting because the traffic was killing. And the driver, showing his creativity, changed routes to avoid traffic. But hello !!! there was only one road that I had memorized. If the bus ha staken some other route, how do i know where to get down. I got a little panicky but was soon relieved by a co-seater. Thankfully she undesrtood english. I got down where she got down. And then started walking in some direction hoping that I was right. Soon found a road sign that said Ruijin road. I remembered the Ruijin guesthouse that I had visited. So I was on that road. Yes..yes..i know how to get home from here. I wanted to shout like a schoolkid who first manages to ride the bicyle without any support... I happily walked back home.
Made some sandwiches with pineapple marmalade and some bananas. Had it with milk. Was quite full. The weekend is there already and I have to check out the Bund and the towers in Pudong on this weekend. Or else, my shanghai trip shall not be complete.
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