Fighting Fair [61/365]

See momma, I can throw as well as I can lie er.. argue

In the Bible, it is foretold that towards the end of days, you'll have sons fighting against fathers, daughters against their mothers. Absolute anarchy.

If the ruckus between the advocates of law and the police is anything to go by, this could it. But then many saw this coming. Advocates have been the unsavory butts of a million jokes. By virtue of their profession, they are stripped of the constitutional right to protest.

While the losses keep piling up, it is interesting to know how we got the rat and the mongoose at each others throat. Apparently, a cop did his job (for once) and showed the nerve to catch an advocate who violated a certain traffic law. While the cop has been accused of assaulting the violator what is interesting is how the city's lawyers decided to react. Instead of owning up to a clear case of violation, they've taken the moral high horse. What followed was a blockage that lasted 7 hours on a busy weekday across some of the busiest thoroughfares. (More dope on the chaos here)
The rest, as they say, is history.

Add to this heady concoction a bunch of kitschy journalists out for their daily scoop and you end up with a city where chaos rules.
Where is Robocop when you need him?

Just did Nothing [60/365]

Invited by Sameer, Linger! came highly recommended from a few people who'd stayed there.

The website was elegant and uncluttered, a real surprise considering how similar vacation homes are quite 'in-your-face'. Sameer, a biking buddy I met at TfN and co-founder, was incredibly detailed with what to expect and not.
Armed with just the directions to Linger, we rode the 350 odd kms in 12 hours. That's right!
Harish, the caretaker/concierge and overall good guy with an effortless smile was waiting for us. Infact, he was expecting us for lunch, while we reached in time for dinner. The cook prepared our dinner while we took that much needed shower. Detoxed, we were ready for some chicken curry that was perhaps the second most tastiest curry I've tasted (no marks for guessing the tastiest curry).

We were given the master Guest house, which was set amidst a positively idyllic courtyard just a stone's throw from a paddy field on the left and coffee on the right.

Maybe it was the weather, or maybe it was the lighting inside the rooms, or maybe it was the way the rooms were as rustic as they were spacious. We thought we just entered another dimension!

To ears that wake up with the sounds of loud neighbors, chatty crows, insensitive drivers and endless traffic, waking up at Linger was just what the physician prescribed. You can never seem to get enough of the million birds that chirp and tweet (no pun intended) through the day. This must be like how it is in heaven!

Harish is a wonderful concierge. Always around when you need him. Intuitive yet unobtrusive.
Girija, the cook stays close to Linger with her family, was always eager to cook for us. So whether it was chicken, or the legendary pandi curry or endless bajjis over coffee, she always had that smile on her face. No dish too big.

But Linger is not for all. You'll find much of the furniture and accessories very minimalistic, rustic yet appropriate.
So what exactly is Linger?!
Linger is that place you go to if you are Writer in search of some peace and quiet. Also works if you are simply looking to detox your creativity.

You'll get to rub shoulders with nature minus the nightmare.
A place where you should go to when you've had enough of the rat race and you want to slow down.
...and just do nothing.

Don't expect a swimming pool, newspapers or a television. And rightly so. While we had our reservations on how we could wean ourselves from our addictions to the TV and my daily dose of headlines, its amazing what a few days can at Linger can accomplish. We found our bodies and minds adapting to the cool crisp evening breeze and the timeless pace of nature faster than a duck to a pond.
While we were there, we lost track of time.

And before we knew it, it was time for us to return to an ordinary life.