 The title of this post is delusory (like most of my other titles). Not that I’m confused; it’s just that I’m bad when it comes to making the choices. So the bear with me-This has nothing to do with flirting with danger.
It was a lazy Sunday afternoon. And just like all lazy Sunday afternoons – Nothing was going right! The Sunday was ageing fast; I wasn’t feeling like moving a muscle & yet was cribbing about another wasted Sunday. Just then the communicator on the Laptop buzzed. I was expecting a Yahoo! But this turned out to be the Office Communicator. Ab kya phat gaya! Was the obvious (& usual) first-thought.
However- It turned out to be my Director. She was like – "Sorry to disturb you, I need to talk to you on something urgent" By this time, my mind had already thought of what things could possibly have gone wrong for me to deserve a direct (& unscheduled) confrontation with my Director. So while I had started cogitating the ‘saving-my-ass’ speech, I was informed that I’m required to travel to the US for a quick Client Session. The topic of interest was the place – She’d just mentioned Hollywood! (Probably just for the affect - Managers always know how to bait the juniors)
So – Overnight preparations happened (anyyyyything for Hollywood), the presentations were made & the bag was packed. 3 of us were supposed to go. My Sr. Manager – An uber-kewl Jamaican guy, myself – the quintessential ‘brown’ nerd & a bubbly peer (who could’ve opted for modeling but chose to ruin her life in software). The lady was supposed to pick me up from my place for the early morning flight – And boy! Did she do a good job at it? I literally woke up by her call (2 hrs. ahead of the flight time & early in the morning) She was ready to reach my place in 10 mins. And me, like most other good guys, was too much of a nerd to admit I was hardly ready. Anyways – I got ready in 15 mins. & that included a forced nature’s call, proper shampoo bath, two coats of shave, last minute packing & dressing up (Deos, chapstick n all). After all I was going to have great company. So I finally got off & headed to the airport in hugger-mugger. Things were smooth after then – The only itch was that after reaching the airport, when I searched for the camera to capture a moment – I realized that I left it behind! I was completely shattered assuming the opportunities that I would miss. Being in Hollywood & without having captured a moment – That sounds like a curse! [Coming to think of it as a reconsideration – Little did I knew at this time that I would not get a chance to visit any locales – That should’ve reduced some disappointment]
We went straight to the client office from the airport. And the next two days passed by in a flash. It was only Hotel to Client office & back, naturally enough, the sight seeing was limited to the roads & the sidewalks. The hotel suite was good (It was Sheraton after all).The only other place to boast of, was the Universal Studios complex where we dined once. It was lively, well-lit & crowded with all kinda tourists – from kids to grampas & from couples to officials (like us). We’d decided to try some good Mexican food, and minutes later – It was ascertained as SHIT.
Well, that’s almost all of it. All that I know about Los Angeles/California/Hollywood/Universal City is that: - It’s hotter than most other places in the US/Canada (and the HOTness is not just in terms of just the temperatures. You’ll need to see the babes to gauge the heat ;-))
- The traffic is no less chaotic than India (Bangalore?)
- When you’re passing through the roads, you get a feeling of déjà-vu. (You must’ve seen these places in some Hollywood movie or the other)
- The HOLLYWOOD sign on the hills is more glamorous live than what we see in images. (Sadly – I got a glimpse of it only when the flight was ascending on our way back).
Throughout my stay, I was wondering how I would get to see the HOLLYWOOD written across the hill. And ironical as it may sound – I got the view from my flight while returning. There it was, all across the hill, almost teasing me. Well – God responds at times. You just need to pray long enough. Thanks god for answering my prayers & being so kind to me! |
