At a time when I’m already swamped with work, a colleague comes and says, ‘Can I ask you a favour?’

Not another of these, I groan. Within, of course.

I pull my earphones off my ears and smile. ‘Sure, what can I do?’

I periodically nod, and diligently take notes to make sure I don’t forget anything.

Why me, and why today, I wonder. I had been quite jobless the last 3 days at work. Today, I had planned to work on my university research project. And I’m piled with work.

Why not the new intern, I wonder. I had started doing all this work within days of starting the internship, and she’s already been here quite a while. And poor thing, is quite jobless as well. Why not her?

And I put my earphones back on, and ‘Alaipayuthey kanna’ plays.

‘Idhu thagumo, idhu muraiyo, idhu dharmam thaano,’ the song goes.

I burst out laughing, much to the surprise of the others in my cubicle.

As I started out on the new work, juggling it with the old, I know, I’ll survive as long as I manage to laugh for the silliest things on planet earth.

11 more working days.

words and music still keep you together!
In a whirlwind of a month, which saw happy, delightful, depressing, painful times, some things - very few things - didn't change!
An amazing trip to an island beach in Malaysia, the beach, the swing (oh, how much I miss the damn thing!!) hard and lovely moments at work, books, my dormant novel slowly coming to life in bits and pieces, surprises - great and nasty ones, bursts of enthusiasm, rage, brooding, angry resolutions, excessive need to be by myself, not to forget the 3 days of limping after the snorkeling (mis)adventure in Malaysia when I stubbornly refused to allow my weakness to overpower me - whoa, was all April was about.
I'm delighted to announce that in another month and 2 days, yours truly will leave this freakin' place to come to India for a good month and a half - and will land in Chennai! However short the stay in Chennai might be, I can't wait to go, soak in the warmth of the city, its people, its crowd, its dirty streets, and most importantly, the life, the life's spice. 25 more working days, they'll pass. They'll pass. It's time for me to meet sane people and get sane again! Counting the days, counting 'em...