The day I landed in Delhi, I slept 5 hours and was off to see the newest blockbuster release "Don" with my nephew Aditya. There's nothing to beat the dream machine called bollywood. When I sit down on a comfortable seat in the theatre, I close the doors to the outside world, and become part of the screen, the story ... I live the movie. The colors of life, the song and dance, the emotions and dramas, the people, the places, I live it all, and I live a different life each time... I laugh, I cry, I feel the joy, the sorrow, the pain.
And this is what I call this machinery that transforms my life for those 3 hours - The Magic of India. The movies from the last month - Don, Apna Sapna Money Money, Dhoom-2, Vivah. There are a dozen from the last year that I have to catch up on, and a dozen movies lined up for release in the coming months.

There's more magic to India than the movies. I spent a week in Gurgaon, and didn't regret it one moment. After 8 months, I got to lay my hands on some of the best street food ever. Daal-roti, paav-bhaji, idli-dosa, paani puri, you name it. And the best chai I've ever sipped in my life. Where on this planet can you get to eat a stomach full of daal and tandoori roti, topped off by super tasting masala chai, all for less than Rs.20? For the interested, Rupees 20 is about Canadian $0.50 - 50 cents only! Compare that to a McDonalds burger that doesn't fill half my stomach, doesn't taste good, isn't half as nutritious, and costs $2.50! Can life get any better? Yes it can. When you have a friend in the bay. Tahir came to Gurgaon as well, and we shared a room for the week. A totally enjoyable one. From my little experience, I can say that there aren't too many 20 year olds who are as mature as this boy. Gurgaon is now a major IT and BPO hub, and construction everywhere is leaving so much dust, it was sometimes difficult to walk without covering my face. If you're allergic to dust, then Gurgaon is one place you should avoid. And beware of the people who give out rooms in shared houses. They'll fleece you all the way. This guy I dealt with, for the first few days, he was such a good guy, he promised to give several facilities in the house, but gave nothing, and when I was leaving, he turned wolf.

Hey. There's still more magic. What's the most obvious thing that can happen when you come home after a long trip? I don't know about others, but I overeat. Home made food is irresistible. While I've been controlling my ingestion for a year now, it's beyond me at this time. And it shows, in under a month. Have to get back to my proper ways and push myself to the gym. While I was not really homesick, being home and in the presence of family and old friends now is a different feeling. I don't know how to describe this, I'm sure everybody knows it though. Unfortunately, this time around, I'm unable to sleep in my own room. And while I rarely had dreams, now I often wake up with the feeling that I was watching a full length feature film, and the thought in my head is "what the hell was that?!". Mom says that's because I'm not as active as I was in Canada. So it's time to get moving, some amount of physical activity is necessary now. If for nothing else, at least for that peaceful sleep.

Cheers
Mayur Poddar