How does it feel to be at the very edge of the country, staring into miles and miles of nothingness, feeling the great landmass of the continent behind you falling away beneath your feet, the ignominy hidden under the chaotic blue-brown waters lapping gently at your feet… You reach out to touch the crystal clear cloudless sky, you feel the gentle zephyr ruffle every strand of your hair and every thread of clothing, you dig in with your feet and feel the cold, wet sand envelope your feet, carrying you away to another world… Your hands fall back slowly to your sides, and your right arm brushes against your right hip pocket, and the whole beautiful world comes crashing down with the realization that there’s not a single penny in the bulky wallet… How does it feel to be stuck in the middle of a picturesque nowhere with no money?
I guess I found out the hard way over the past three days in Manipal. It is a strange feeling – I haven’t felt that for a long time now, and being the end of the month, I was flat broke, with just enough money to return home. Budgeting my beer intake, making sure I walk rather than take the auto, sticking to a strict regiment of cigarette rationing, and other petty little things we do once a month when we fall below the poverty line.
But the event was a great success – I was given the Best Speaker award, which was a shock to me, because there were a lot of other speakers better than me. But I guess, I made quite an impression on the judges. Now that I’m back to being a boring old fart, I think I’ll restart my blog, reclaim my distorted life, and reorient myself to being a workaholic and drown my sorrows in coffee, tea, beer, blog posts and comments. Cheers! 🙂
Welcome back. I should have put you in the list too in my latest post. 😉
Ah, welcome back, dear best speaker!! 🙂
@ Anshul
LOL 🙂
best speaker award ?? coool man !! congrats !
Wow, awesome.. do write about the whole experience.. i hope i get invited next year and finally manage to go for it!! atleast once!!! sigh!!
Hey congrats.. you are lucky I didn’t make it 😉
jus kidding!
You were there for all the three days?
Nice job! Both with the best speaker and this post!
@Anshul
As I said, I feel very sheepish! 😀
@Sakhi
Thank you thank you! 🙂
@Dinu
Thanks dude! 😀
@Aaarti
Yeah, you should go next time… It’ll be fun! 🙂
@Balu
Yeah man, all three days! 🙂
And yes, you should’ve come… It was fun, and you could’ve given me a run for my money! 😀
@Amreekandesi
Thanks dude! 🙂
Kudos dude 🙂 Pretty neat, huh! Happy you had some fun 😀 You should collected some sea shells and played with your creativity, sold them off and made some money for your frolic? 😉 No?!
Picts?
-Pi
@Pi
Thanks!! 🙂
Ah, he sells sea shells on the sea shore, eh? 😀
congrats!
Well you can do all that and still have an online life 🙂
Congrrrraaatzzzz!!!
Best Speaker Award!! and I thought you were just awesome in writing… 😉
But no man…u r multi talented…Congrats…
n your pseudo broke feeling stuff was great…I can really empathize with as once even I was in a similar situtation in the port town of Mundra (if you have heard of it.) even i escaped from there without much wear n “tear” 😉
…the feeling was really good that time.
Cool man…good work…congrats again
congrats!! did u get a video?
Congrats! Congrats! Congrats on getting the award!!
Keep Blogging!!
Now that you did not tell. I mean during mail exchanges. Being modest eh??? Hehe.. Congratulations buddy!!!
Congratss bud ! Did you cook for those judges??? 😀
Congrats!! Was fun reading this post. 🙂
@La Vida Loca
Hehe, yeah! Its so cool, no? 😀
@Bedazzled
Thanks!! 🙂
@Dev
Hey thanks a lot, dude! 🙂
Yeah it’s an awesome feeling when broke! 🙂
@Reema
Thanks! 🙂
And yes, I did… I’ll mail you the links… 🙂
@Biju
Thanks man! 😀
@Vee
Hehehe! 😀
Thanks man! 🙂
@Vimal
Uh… No, sweetheart 😉
@Laksh
Hehe! Thanks! 😀
Congrats man! 😀
I m sure, you deserved that! 🙂
hahaha…!!!
Best speaker award!! wohaaa! congrats! 🙂
welcome back n we dont need a boring old fart
Great writing as well, Nikhil. Loved the first para.
And congratulations on the award. You should have asked them for a cash prize! 🙂
Cheers,
Quirky Indian
Welcome back.
best speaker….. and join the club.. But i’m eternally broke
And febi… It is a name that i used when i had my other blog, which i had deleted and thats cos bcos am born in the month of february!!!
Nothing so official about it…
@Chiranjib
Thanks man! 🙂
@Rekha
Hehehe! I’ll try my best not to be one! 😀
@Quirky
Thanks man! 🙂
Hehe! 😀
@Barath
LOL… Thanks man! 😀
And Febi… Hmmm… Maybe I should be called Aug! 😀
Best Speaker award , three cheers 🙂
@Chirag
Thanks man! Hic, Hic, Hurray! 😉
Congratulations, buddy~
New month has started, I guess now you have jumped out of your self-inflicted poverty line? 😛
Oops, that was me Poonam. Delete the comment till I use my login.
Welcome back and congrats for the best speaker award! I hope I’ll get to see you presentation / read your paper here 🙂
congrats.. 🙂
U hafta see the tattoo on ur, oops, errr…. vimmuuu’s arm.. it is gorgeous!!! 😉
My reactions…
1st 4 lines – Wow..what lovely place that should be
2nd 4 lines – Wow hes gt into serious travelogues..and see instead of the expected __pocket – he hs mentioned hip pockets ;P
2nd para – Oh i knw ths situation perfectly well by now
3rd para beginning – Wow..Awesome…but how come he jst dnt use the normal fart atleast?
3rd para end – now you knw ;P
Congratulations on the award.
Awesome first para. Then, reality!
Best speaker! You can make it into lot of best lists 🙂
Congratulations and welcome back!!!
Congratulations dude… 😀
and oh that wallet is pretty hideous… 😛
@Nikhil
No ya my aunt wasn’t well so had to go to Kerala.. meanwhile I suck at public speaking
Welcome back…Congrats on the best Speaker award!! 🙂 Where is the party?
Hey… congratulationssss..!!! 🙂 You deserve it really… I don’t think anyone else would have been better than u !
welcome back bro…and a nice home you have found for your blog…
Hey aug!!!!
congrats for getting the best speaker award. I am sure you deserved it as people who write well often speak well too! btw, that header photo is awesome!