My One Week Vacation

Vacation! What an interesting concept... or rather, should I say, an
alien concept!

It's been like four years now that I have taken a proper vacation.
Ever since joining engineering, I have spent my holidays either learning
a new language, or doing some project here or there.
Not even once in the past four years did I get time to wake up at like say ten
in the morning, order mom to serve breakfast, then ponder over the day's
newspaper and laze on my bed reading a novel or day-dreaming.
Instead, I chose to spend time in some obscure lab, either deciphering
protocols or designing them, or creating weird image editors and what
not!

However, this time, I got myself like a full week off from work, thanks
to a few people in the office. And I kind of needed it badly too. Recently
I had been seeing kernels compile and systems crash even in my dreams!!!

So I decided, I am going to relax like never before.
I took home with me my Thinkpad,and 2 novels - "Eragon" , and
"Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintainence" (ZATAOMM henceforth).
These were supposed to occupy all my attention for the next eight days.

Eragon was my first prey.Or rather, I fell prey to it!
It was Kripal who one day asked me - "Do you like fantasy?".
The exposure I've had to fantasy is like very limited.Other than grandma's
tales from Indian mythology and the three LOTR movies, I was a complete
fantasylliterate (to be pronounced as Fantasy-illiterate).
"I'd like to try",I blabbered.
"Then here's just the thing for you.",he said and handed over the copy of
Eragon.
"The author,Christoper Paolini is hardly twenty", he added.

I finished Eragon, and this is what I thought about it.

I got ZATAOMM as a gift a year ago. I've been trying to read the book for a
year now, but didn't quite succeed.
Even in these eight days, I managed to just get past the first 150 pages.
Not that it is verbose, but the material presented demands apt attention
and needs to be understood carefully if it is to be enjoyed.
However, I feel, this is the perfect time to read it.

Other than reading novels, I also visited my alma-mater , met the professors
there, got some offical work done, conducted a workshop on Introduction
to Linux Kernel Programming. Basically, had a lot of fun at the college.

I also got a chance to meet all my relatives. Had a party at my maternal
grandma's place. Grandma's prawn curry preparation was awesome.
I hogged till I was satisfied.
My appetite, has to be lauded though! I managed to hog so
much after a wonderful afternoon lunch. Diseal and Cherry's rock!
Anyway,we played cards that night, pulled each others legs and chatted till
wee hours.

Now that vacations are done, and I'm back, lemme get back to work!
I am missing it already!

PS: Next time, you see a guy carrying a Giordno Backpack,
and sporting a haircut akin to that of a ISKCON monk,
walking somewhere in the streets of Bangalore, shout (one of )my
(many) name(s) aloud!
I shall respond :)

Offer valid until the hair grows back ;)