Its been a forthnight since the DLF IPL has started in SA. I have been totaly sucked into it, late evenings have been spent in front of the telly entirely. Not all matches have been interesting though. The few which have rocked like the super over game between RR and KKR have made up for the rest.
My wife is as interested in cricket as the Americans are in Kabaddi. Hence she does not follow the IPL and she prefers watching the saas-bahu soaps. Now there is a clash in timings as these serials and IPL are both on prime time TV, and both of us want to watch our fav progs. Whenever I am able to watch an entire match without any interruptions from my wife for watching her daily dose of dramas, I consider that as a citi moment of success.
Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata has caught the imagination of many women and my wife is no exception. Last evening she could not watch it at 930pm thats when its telecast as I was watching the last few overs of the CSK innings. She got the news from somewhere that Naitik kisses his fiance Akshara(Ms.Khan) in that episode, hence she wanted to watch the repeat telecast at 11:30.Luckily for me RR did not show much of a fight as Yusuf got out early (he cannot do it everytime for RR)and the match was over by 11:15.Now to be frank even I wanted to watch what Naitik and Ms.Khan are upto. But to say I was disappointed is an understatement as the kiss turned out to be just a peck on the cheek(Munna u could do much better beta),but this was itself too much for Ms.Khan as she was all excited after experiencing her first kiss err peck rather!
There is another soap called Choti Bahu which my wife watches. This is at 730 hence this does not clash with IPL,if its a double header evening, as the first match finishes at 715 and the second starts at 8. But I have to miss the pre match show extraa innings T20 where Mandira after hosting cricket shows for so long cannot still distinguish Fine Leg and Long Leg. This serial Choti Bahu is such crap as it borders on soft porn, as the plot is that the protaganist loves the younger sister, long distance love as they have not met each other. Sends his marraige proposal to her, she cannot accept as her elder sister is yet to get married and she sacrifises her love and gets the elder sister married to the guy.phew phew!!!
The best part of IPL has been the blogs written by the Fake IPL player provinding inside info on the KKR team. If anyone of you have read his blog you will make out that this is not any player who is behind the blog but a pro journalist who is getting inside dope from players. Never the less its intresting read.
More on IPL and yeh rishta laters.
PS: We do have a second Tele in our lounge but that is under the control of our kids who watch hungama tv pogo and disney!!!!
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
The Serai
This blog is about my trip to The Serai Resort and Spa located near Chikmagalur in Karnataka.Chikmagalur is 250KMS west of Bangalore and from Chennai its 590KMS. Started from Chennai on Feb 15 2009 at 730am in Honda City. I took the PH Road which connects to the NH4 and the first stop was for Break fast at Motel Highway at Poonamalee.
From the second Toll Plaza I took the NH 46 which connects to the NH7 at Krishnagiri. Next stop was at Adyar Ananda Bhavan (A2B) at Chinnar which is 22 KMS after Krishnagiri on NH7. This is a good spacious restaurant attached to the BP outlet. This place offers good variety of veg food on the highway. Had some juice and was back on the road. Reached Bangalore at about 130PM. Took rest for the afternoon and went out for dinner at Khansama in UB city.
On Feb 16 2009 started from Bangalore at 630am. Took the inner ring road from Fraser Town and joined the NH 4. Got to drive till Nelmangala on NH4 and then take a left for the Man galore Road which is NH48. This road was under construction as it was being expanded into a four lane highway. There were quiet a few diversions up to Kunigal. After this town the road work has not started yet. I stopped at Cafe Coffee Day for breakfast. This outlet is exactly 100kms from Bangalore. Really liked the place as it was well stocked up with eatables and amazing coffee. After a break of an hour was back on the highway. The next town was Chenrayapatna and then Hassan. From here I took a right to Chikmagalur. Its a state highway but neatly maintained. The traffic was very less and road was smooth. Reached Chikmagalur at about 12noon. The resort which I had booked to stay was on the Mudigere Road about 8 kms from the town centre.
The Serai is a Coffee day Resort and Spa set in the midst of a coffee plantation. Its a luxury oasis of peace and tranquility that refreshes mind and body; a well deserved respite from modern day travails, trials and tribulations.
A very modern and splendid resort with 30 villas each consisting of a private pool with gazebo a spacious bedroom and bathroom having separate enclosures for Shower, Toilet and Bath Tub and an external shower too. There is an option for Jacuzzi Villas.
The Villa is done up with amazing interiors very contemporary and stylish furnishing. The landscaping of the resort is very well done. There is a restaurant called Odyssey offering multi cuisine food. The other facilities at the Resort are: OMA Spa, a lounge Bar, a library and Business centre ,Billiards Table and a curio shop. Cycles are available on request and there is a children's play area. The best part is the infinity pool.
For more details you may log on to theserai.in.
After a good stay of 2 nights and 3 days I was on my way back to Chennai on Feb 18 2009. Started from Chikmagalur at 2pm and took the same route. Stopped at Coffee day at about 445pm for Lunch. This time I had Chicken Briyani and Butter Chicken with parattas.Surprisingly the taste was good as coffee day is a place where one can least expect to have Briyani!!!
I reached the outskirts of Bangalore at about 645pm. As I was proceeding to Chennai I did not want to enter Bangalore City, hence I took the Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor(BMIC) which connects the NH4 with the Kanakpura Road Mysore Road Bannerghatta Road and the NH7 near Electronic City. This is a toll road. Six lane Highway. I lost my way near the Bannerghatta Exit as the BMIC is not completed fully. Here I lost an hour or so asking for directions and finally got onto the NH7 near Anekal at about 8pm. Stopped at the Renaissance Sarovar Park Hotel at Hosur for rest room break and then agian stopped for Dinner at A2B at Chinnar.
Reached Chennai at 2Am after a 12 hour Journey.
From the second Toll Plaza I took the NH 46 which connects to the NH7 at Krishnagiri. Next stop was at Adyar Ananda Bhavan (A2B) at Chinnar which is 22 KMS after Krishnagiri on NH7. This is a good spacious restaurant attached to the BP outlet. This place offers good variety of veg food on the highway. Had some juice and was back on the road. Reached Bangalore at about 130PM. Took rest for the afternoon and went out for dinner at Khansama in UB city.
On Feb 16 2009 started from Bangalore at 630am. Took the inner ring road from Fraser Town and joined the NH 4. Got to drive till Nelmangala on NH4 and then take a left for the Man galore Road which is NH48. This road was under construction as it was being expanded into a four lane highway. There were quiet a few diversions up to Kunigal. After this town the road work has not started yet. I stopped at Cafe Coffee Day for breakfast. This outlet is exactly 100kms from Bangalore. Really liked the place as it was well stocked up with eatables and amazing coffee. After a break of an hour was back on the highway. The next town was Chenrayapatna and then Hassan. From here I took a right to Chikmagalur. Its a state highway but neatly maintained. The traffic was very less and road was smooth. Reached Chikmagalur at about 12noon. The resort which I had booked to stay was on the Mudigere Road about 8 kms from the town centre.
The Serai is a Coffee day Resort and Spa set in the midst of a coffee plantation. Its a luxury oasis of peace and tranquility that refreshes mind and body; a well deserved respite from modern day travails, trials and tribulations.
A very modern and splendid resort with 30 villas each consisting of a private pool with gazebo a spacious bedroom and bathroom having separate enclosures for Shower, Toilet and Bath Tub and an external shower too. There is an option for Jacuzzi Villas.
The Villa is done up with amazing interiors very contemporary and stylish furnishing. The landscaping of the resort is very well done. There is a restaurant called Odyssey offering multi cuisine food. The other facilities at the Resort are: OMA Spa, a lounge Bar, a library and Business centre ,Billiards Table and a curio shop. Cycles are available on request and there is a children's play area. The best part is the infinity pool.
For more details you may log on to theserai.in.
After a good stay of 2 nights and 3 days I was on my way back to Chennai on Feb 18 2009. Started from Chikmagalur at 2pm and took the same route. Stopped at Coffee day at about 445pm for Lunch. This time I had Chicken Briyani and Butter Chicken with parattas.Surprisingly the taste was good as coffee day is a place where one can least expect to have Briyani!!!
I reached the outskirts of Bangalore at about 645pm. As I was proceeding to Chennai I did not want to enter Bangalore City, hence I took the Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor(BMIC) which connects the NH4 with the Kanakpura Road Mysore Road Bannerghatta Road and the NH7 near Electronic City. This is a toll road. Six lane Highway. I lost my way near the Bannerghatta Exit as the BMIC is not completed fully. Here I lost an hour or so asking for directions and finally got onto the NH7 near Anekal at about 8pm. Stopped at the Renaissance Sarovar Park Hotel at Hosur for rest room break and then agian stopped for Dinner at A2B at Chinnar.
Reached Chennai at 2Am after a 12 hour Journey.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Cars in my Life.
I love cars. Well this could be the most cliched statement to start a new blog!
Who does not love cars??? Everyone worth his salt does. I am no different.
My earliest childhood memories about the car my dad owned is of a Fiat Station Wagon. It was known as the Safari. We had a white color one and my dad had modified it quiet nicely. I remember him taking me to the seaside in that car.
In the mid-eighties Maruti 800 was launched and we were lucky enough to own one. I remember going with my dad to ABT for taking the delivery of Maruti 800.Our car was one among first 20 cars to hit the roads of Madras(Chennai now). So obviously it was the cynosure of all eyes.The Maruti 800 was the first modern car of India as previously it was just the Ambi and Fiat which were available in the market.
This white Maruti 800 was also the car which I learnt to drive, if my memory serves me right I was in my 5th standard then. Don't run your imagination wild ,I use to drive it inside the compound walls of my house!
From this time onwards it was the Maruti Suzuki's which my family bought for maybe the next 5-6 years. There was the new Model Maruti 800 then the Maruti Omni which was the first car I drove it on the city roads when I was in 9th.Its still etched in my mind the first time I drove the car in traffic. It was a Saturday I navigated the traffic pretty well and was adept in shifting gears too. My driver was sitting besides me, to be frank I was quiet good as I had 4 years of experience driving inside the compound walls of my home!
This Maruti Omni was also the first car I self-drove to school in 10th standard. Whenever the driver used to come late or he was on leave I use to take the Omni myself. It was green in color and as usual my dad had nicely done up the van with a lot of extra-fittings.
I use to feel proud of my self whenever I got a chance to take the car to school. I would drop off my bro at MCC and head to DB.Had to get permission from the HM to park the car inside the campus.
Around that time we also had the NE 118(peculiar name). It was a boxy car but quiet comfy which we used for long distance drives. This car became very popular among our community as almost every relation of ours had one NE 118!
There was this senior in school who used to have drags with me on our way back home.He had the NE 118 and me in my Maruti Omni. Once he overtook my car just before the undercarriage near my house and put his hand out and gestured towards me with his middle finger as if to say F*** You. Unfortunately I was being chauffeur driven that day. So I kept my emotions under control and waited for my turn. It did come after 15-20 days. I was returning from a dinner and spotted this guy driving in front of me. Now I thought this is my best chance to get the better of him. I overtook him, but he sped past me, finally near a sharp turn I overtook him again rolled the windows down and gestured him with my middle finger not once but thrice!!! What a thrilling moment it was. Now if I look back at that incident it looks silly but then I was about 16 at that time and such things were the most exciting to do.
Once I was in 11th class I used to regularly drive the car to school(M800). There were a lot of benefits of going self drive to school. I would be sent out on school work thus skipping the classes which I used to enjoy. I would be asked to take the teachers here and there and also given a lot of social work.All this because I had the car at my disposal.
For one of our cultural's our school had invited this Girl who was Miss Chennai at that time, to Judge a competition. She was a student of Ethiraj. Pretty looking(obviously as she was Miss Chennai).I was asked to drop her back to Ethiraj once the cultural's were over. I was elated to do the job. Took her in my car and dropped her back in her collage. I dint want to go alone so I picked up my buddy Yasir to accompany me in this endeavor, he was also delighted. Just because of this event we were the envy of many students in our School.
The first luxury car we owned was the Maruti Esteem. Now this car was a pleasure to drive. It was a 1300CC delivering 100BHP which at that time was phenomenal for Indian Roads. I experienced the thrill of speed in this car for the first time in my life. The initial pick-up was amazing and I use to clock 130KMPH in third gear!
Ten years back Spur Tank Road had very less traffic and I use to take the esteem for thrilling rides on this stretch.This was like a testing track with the road really straight.
One afternoon just after school hours I took the esteem from home went back to school(I was not allowed to self drive this car to school) to show off my prized possession. A few classmates were there playing basket ball. I picked them up and went on a drive. We started from DB on Casa major road through Pantheon road and then reached College road. Good Shepperd is located here and one of the guys in the car Manish asked me to take the car inside the Goodshe campus. I was like noways. He wanted to show off to his sister's friends!!!But me being the goody goody types said no way am driving it inside the girls school.
Incidentally my daughter is studying at Good Shepperd now and I go there often to drop n pick her :-)
The Esteem was the car in which I achieved my top speed of 150KMPH at that time. I have bettered that now by a big margin, read on to find out.
A year later we bought the Fiat UNO Petrol. This was the first European car we owned. European cars are built really strong and completely different from the Japanese ones.Though the UNO was a small car it gave me the feeling as If I'm driving a saloon. The Road grip was excellent and I used to feel really confident driving this car on the highways. The braking and power steering were very responsive.Top Speed 160KMPH.
Once I had a drag with a Merc C class. Me in my UNO!
The story goes like this. One night I was on my way to airport to pick up dad. Just after St.Thomas Mount a Merc overtook me. Now this stretch of GST Road from Mount to the Airport is a double lane one and neatly laid out. There was traffic and this worked to my advantage as on a straight line drag the Merc would leave my UNO behind 10 out of 10 times. But in traffic its a completely different story. Apparently the Merc was driven by a chauffeur who was also going to Airport to pick up his Boss.(I presumed).I really gave him a tough time as I could wiggle into small gaps too. But the Merc driver was also careless and drove very rashly.I did manage to keep the lead till we reached the airport. That really gave me a high.
After a year we traded the petrol UNO for a diesel one. This was also a good car with excellent mileage.This was the first car in which I fitted the Alloy Wheels. Pretty expensive then. I pestered my dad to get them from Srilanka.I had clocked nearly 50,000KMS before we sold this car.I was in my 2y BCOM then, though the UNO was not my personal car (I had the M800 new one of course)whenever my dad was out of city I would take this car to coll. I remember one day we bunked the college and went to ECR up to Mahabs. Kaf, Abiyaz, Mir, Faisal and Myself.(no long drives with girl friends for me,I told you earlier I was goody goody two shoes types :-).
On my 21st birthday we bought a Tata Indica Deisel Metallic Blue Color. I personally took the delivery of this car from VST Motors on Nov 18th my birthday. Birthday Gift Right? Wrong!
It so happened that it was just a coincidence that I took this car on the same day as my birthday.Just to make it spicy I started this para on those lines!!!!
The Tata Indica was a spacious car but not a pleasure to drive as the ride quality was not as good as the UNO.In fact it was very poor.Later on my bro modified this car like a Merc M class.He used to take it to Loyola.
The next luxury car was the Deawoo Cielo. This was a fuel guzzler.Very spacious and comfy.I wasn't a big fan of this car though.
My next car was the Skoda Octavia which I got as a gift in my wedding.Post-Wedding apart from my wife the best thing to happen to me is this car! I have clocked one hundred and twelve thousand kilometers in it. Have done innumerable drives criss crossing south India.Hyderabad Bangalore Mysore Coorg Ooty Kodai Munnar Palghat Bandipur Salem Coimbatore are some of the places which I have driven to from Chennai.The Top speed I have achieved is 190KMPH.I have driven countinously for 18 hours at a stretch, and once throughout the night too, which I shall elaborate in my next travel blog.
Hope you enjoyed reading.
Do leave your comments. Bouquets and Brickbats accepted.
Who does not love cars??? Everyone worth his salt does. I am no different.
My earliest childhood memories about the car my dad owned is of a Fiat Station Wagon. It was known as the Safari. We had a white color one and my dad had modified it quiet nicely. I remember him taking me to the seaside in that car.
In the mid-eighties Maruti 800 was launched and we were lucky enough to own one. I remember going with my dad to ABT for taking the delivery of Maruti 800.Our car was one among first 20 cars to hit the roads of Madras(Chennai now). So obviously it was the cynosure of all eyes.The Maruti 800 was the first modern car of India as previously it was just the Ambi and Fiat which were available in the market.
This white Maruti 800 was also the car which I learnt to drive, if my memory serves me right I was in my 5th standard then. Don't run your imagination wild ,I use to drive it inside the compound walls of my house!
From this time onwards it was the Maruti Suzuki's which my family bought for maybe the next 5-6 years. There was the new Model Maruti 800 then the Maruti Omni which was the first car I drove it on the city roads when I was in 9th.Its still etched in my mind the first time I drove the car in traffic. It was a Saturday I navigated the traffic pretty well and was adept in shifting gears too. My driver was sitting besides me, to be frank I was quiet good as I had 4 years of experience driving inside the compound walls of my home!
This Maruti Omni was also the first car I self-drove to school in 10th standard. Whenever the driver used to come late or he was on leave I use to take the Omni myself. It was green in color and as usual my dad had nicely done up the van with a lot of extra-fittings.
I use to feel proud of my self whenever I got a chance to take the car to school. I would drop off my bro at MCC and head to DB.Had to get permission from the HM to park the car inside the campus.
Around that time we also had the NE 118(peculiar name). It was a boxy car but quiet comfy which we used for long distance drives. This car became very popular among our community as almost every relation of ours had one NE 118!
There was this senior in school who used to have drags with me on our way back home.He had the NE 118 and me in my Maruti Omni. Once he overtook my car just before the undercarriage near my house and put his hand out and gestured towards me with his middle finger as if to say F*** You. Unfortunately I was being chauffeur driven that day. So I kept my emotions under control and waited for my turn. It did come after 15-20 days. I was returning from a dinner and spotted this guy driving in front of me. Now I thought this is my best chance to get the better of him. I overtook him, but he sped past me, finally near a sharp turn I overtook him again rolled the windows down and gestured him with my middle finger not once but thrice!!! What a thrilling moment it was. Now if I look back at that incident it looks silly but then I was about 16 at that time and such things were the most exciting to do.
Once I was in 11th class I used to regularly drive the car to school(M800). There were a lot of benefits of going self drive to school. I would be sent out on school work thus skipping the classes which I used to enjoy. I would be asked to take the teachers here and there and also given a lot of social work.All this because I had the car at my disposal.
For one of our cultural's our school had invited this Girl who was Miss Chennai at that time, to Judge a competition. She was a student of Ethiraj. Pretty looking(obviously as she was Miss Chennai).I was asked to drop her back to Ethiraj once the cultural's were over. I was elated to do the job. Took her in my car and dropped her back in her collage. I dint want to go alone so I picked up my buddy Yasir to accompany me in this endeavor, he was also delighted. Just because of this event we were the envy of many students in our School.
The first luxury car we owned was the Maruti Esteem. Now this car was a pleasure to drive. It was a 1300CC delivering 100BHP which at that time was phenomenal for Indian Roads. I experienced the thrill of speed in this car for the first time in my life. The initial pick-up was amazing and I use to clock 130KMPH in third gear!
Ten years back Spur Tank Road had very less traffic and I use to take the esteem for thrilling rides on this stretch.This was like a testing track with the road really straight.
One afternoon just after school hours I took the esteem from home went back to school(I was not allowed to self drive this car to school) to show off my prized possession. A few classmates were there playing basket ball. I picked them up and went on a drive. We started from DB on Casa major road through Pantheon road and then reached College road. Good Shepperd is located here and one of the guys in the car Manish asked me to take the car inside the Goodshe campus. I was like noways. He wanted to show off to his sister's friends!!!But me being the goody goody types said no way am driving it inside the girls school.
Incidentally my daughter is studying at Good Shepperd now and I go there often to drop n pick her :-)
The Esteem was the car in which I achieved my top speed of 150KMPH at that time. I have bettered that now by a big margin, read on to find out.
A year later we bought the Fiat UNO Petrol. This was the first European car we owned. European cars are built really strong and completely different from the Japanese ones.Though the UNO was a small car it gave me the feeling as If I'm driving a saloon. The Road grip was excellent and I used to feel really confident driving this car on the highways. The braking and power steering were very responsive.Top Speed 160KMPH.
Once I had a drag with a Merc C class. Me in my UNO!
The story goes like this. One night I was on my way to airport to pick up dad. Just after St.Thomas Mount a Merc overtook me. Now this stretch of GST Road from Mount to the Airport is a double lane one and neatly laid out. There was traffic and this worked to my advantage as on a straight line drag the Merc would leave my UNO behind 10 out of 10 times. But in traffic its a completely different story. Apparently the Merc was driven by a chauffeur who was also going to Airport to pick up his Boss.(I presumed).I really gave him a tough time as I could wiggle into small gaps too. But the Merc driver was also careless and drove very rashly.I did manage to keep the lead till we reached the airport. That really gave me a high.
After a year we traded the petrol UNO for a diesel one. This was also a good car with excellent mileage.This was the first car in which I fitted the Alloy Wheels. Pretty expensive then. I pestered my dad to get them from Srilanka.I had clocked nearly 50,000KMS before we sold this car.I was in my 2y BCOM then, though the UNO was not my personal car (I had the M800 new one of course)whenever my dad was out of city I would take this car to coll. I remember one day we bunked the college and went to ECR up to Mahabs. Kaf, Abiyaz, Mir, Faisal and Myself.(no long drives with girl friends for me,I told you earlier I was goody goody two shoes types :-).
On my 21st birthday we bought a Tata Indica Deisel Metallic Blue Color. I personally took the delivery of this car from VST Motors on Nov 18th my birthday. Birthday Gift Right? Wrong!
It so happened that it was just a coincidence that I took this car on the same day as my birthday.Just to make it spicy I started this para on those lines!!!!
The Tata Indica was a spacious car but not a pleasure to drive as the ride quality was not as good as the UNO.In fact it was very poor.Later on my bro modified this car like a Merc M class.He used to take it to Loyola.
The next luxury car was the Deawoo Cielo. This was a fuel guzzler.Very spacious and comfy.I wasn't a big fan of this car though.
My next car was the Skoda Octavia which I got as a gift in my wedding.Post-Wedding apart from my wife the best thing to happen to me is this car! I have clocked one hundred and twelve thousand kilometers in it. Have done innumerable drives criss crossing south India.Hyderabad Bangalore Mysore Coorg Ooty Kodai Munnar Palghat Bandipur Salem Coimbatore are some of the places which I have driven to from Chennai.The Top speed I have achieved is 190KMPH.I have driven countinously for 18 hours at a stretch, and once throughout the night too, which I shall elaborate in my next travel blog.
Hope you enjoyed reading.
Do leave your comments. Bouquets and Brickbats accepted.
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