An outing with my teams

With the economic crisis supposedly changing directions, my company has resumed the provisioning of our quarterly project party budgets. I decided to utilise the same before they change their mind and so, yesterday, my teams had our project party.

This was in fact the first party for quite a few of my team members and also the first one for all us in this account.

We pooled in sponsors for the event in the form of funding from our team members at onsite, one person who was leaving and also treats from select few who had their birthdays in the recent past.

We first went Karting at a center along the ECR. After a really good time on the track (I drove twice, with the second round witnessing me bump out two karts who didn't allow me to pass), we went to a resort near the Mahabalipuram Shore Temple.

We had a good lunch, but must admit that we've had better ones. The dessert in the form of Gulab Jamun and Strawberry Ice Cream, was however, quite good. I must have had 3 helpings I think.

After lunch, we spent the afternoon playing the usual silly party games and when the patience of the crowd was reaching testing levels, we headed outdoors. The guys started playing cricket as usual and also as usual, the girls moved a little far away to play Antakshari! If this is not a fundamental genetic difference, I don't know what else is.

We rounded off the day with bajjis and tea and left the venue by 6 PM.

The effect of spending 10 minutes on the ridiculous contraption called the Kart and the one hour I spent playing cricket in the hot sun, has left me a little exhausted. Also, feeling a little pain in some regions of the body that I cant see! Hopefully, a good sleep should help me "recover"!

Karting

Finally had my first experience of Karting. It was quite good. The best part was that Karting was not planned when my friends and I set out this evening. We wanted to see "Cars" and at the Mayajaal ticket counter we didn't tickets, only a highly impersonal 'house full saar' comment.

Then I suggested to my friends that we go bowling. Everyone agreed. But that was only until I made the enquiry about the financial implications of indulging in that westernised and glorified game of our local golee. Apparently, the charges levied were acceptable to my companions only if it was my treat. Since that was not going to be the case, we decided to get out of that place.

And after the usual dilly-dallying we finally decided to drive down ECR for some more distance to the south and then return when we were bored. It was decided en route to go boating on Muthukadu lake but that too didn't materialise due to the density of population around the boating zone. One of us mentioned Kovalam beach and we all agreed.

This beach, like most of its counterparts across the globe, had sea water on one side and sand on the other. Only a bit dirtier. And inhabited in large numbers by cheaters of varying skills - those who read ur palm, those who use the intellect of a parrot to help identify your destiny etc.So after spending an excrutiating 15 mns there, we started our trip back home and head out for dinner.

On the way, I suddenly remembered that there was a Karting track. I told the crew 'Here is one more idea to be shot down. Lets go karting.'. Surprisingly, everyone agreed. And we actually did enter the area. After much deliberation two of us - the vakkeel and me - decided to enter the track itself. Actually, cost-wise, Karting is much more expensive on a time basis, when compared to the bowling option discussed earlier. But then my intellectual peers decided on the net ruppee amount leaving the wallet.

I had a good time with the kart. It felt so nice to be able to drive like crazy and actually bump into the people who drive like complete nincompoops. I cant ever do that on the real roads and this track gave me a good chance to vent my anger on stupid drivers. And I was presented the chance and by Thor, I used it.

While I was enjoying the drive around the track at good speed, I noticed that I didn't see my friend who started off with me. I did remember him and his kart taking a liking to the rubber tires after the first round, but I just didn't see him after that. Only after I returned to the pit at the end of my time limit, I realised that the dude had actually crashed badly near the pit in his second round. Apparently, everyone had a good time watching a speeding object veer away from its intended path and crash. The other friend of mine who limited himself to spending quality time with his better half, did try capturing it on video, but the human side of him peeped its ugly head out and made him go help the crasher.

Luckily all is well with everyone, but I cant say the same of that Kart.

Finally, we reached home and then checked up all the decent restaurants around my house to be informed of either a long wait, or limited menu or a closed shop. We did manage to find a good place with a 5 minute wait and had a good dinner. We had some post prandial walk to a good ice-cream parlor and enjoyed it there as well.

So all in all, a good way to end a hectic week.

p.s: there is a good chance that some spelling mistakes are present in this posting, but am too tired to do a spell check and verify it.