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Not only my parents, Dr. Matsumura also knows that I used to sleep like Kumbhakarna.... not any more......
....... But I still travel by myself, alone......
Kumbhakarner Ghum: Power of God
If I were to say that GOD relives me from jobs whenever my employer offends me, the CIA would get copies of my handwriting from the xeroxed notes available with my students and conclude that I was born a narcissicist megalomeniac with God-like-complex. Saddam Hussain had the same problem; he was the big man, and I am a small petty guy. Saddam was the president of Iraq, and I remained a bokachoda!!
As you know, by definition, a bokachoda does not do any thing ---- much like Kumbhakarna in Ramayana, he likes to sleep. Not only my parents, Dr. Matsumura also knows that I loved to sleep like Kumbhakarna. At 45, I cannot afford any more!!!
I was amused to learn that there is place in the South that sounds like "KumbhKan"! While I was travelling by local bus to Anna Malai University, the bus driver dropped me near a big temple around Kumbhkan to catch the next bus. It was really a "god forsaken place" and I was shit scared!!
While waiting for bus at such places with no communication in local languages, ordinary people usually "hari naam jape" (utter the name of GOD Hari as many times as possible). Being educated in the west with leftist tradition I could not have done such things. I was only counting the number of times I faced, and eventually survived, similar ordeals!!
One time I was travelling in the night by local bus, and I did not know that I had to change bus around 3 am at a 'god forsaken place'. I pretended to sleep well on my seat; suddenly two of my local students got into the bus and told me that they are going to Bellary. They also told me that I had to change the bus at dead night at a bad spot. They also advised me to stay clam. I was shit scared!!!
Then my first adventure in Bangalore! I was to go towards GKVK, but got the bus going the round-about route. The bus conductor did not understand my English, one gentleman(passenger) wrote in a piece f paper in okannada that I had to get down at Mathikere, then had to go to Yelahanka and finally to GKVK by another bus. The bus conductor dropped me at Mathikere that night, the place appeared "too rural" as opposed to Malleshwaram and Majestic! I showed that piece of paper to several people and they asked me to wait for the bus. Finally one local tried to become friendly, he asked my name and asked where I stayed. Then he told me that I must be "VIP"; and I guessed that locals might call Ph.D.s VIP's! The stranger asked me to have trust; though his English was not good, I listened. Afterwards I believed that he could have been local IB (police). Of course I reached GKVK via Yelahanka and It was very late!! As if God told me that Bangalore was neither Bombay nor Chicago!!!
Stories in Chicago and Bombay and Delhi and Kharagpur were different. I used to take late night buses/trains; and I was never mugged!! you might not believe!! Though I had several problems in Kolkata bus, and I had some bad experiences in Chicago after I was becoming 'homeless' (after 1996)! Everytime that I had to walk up the stairs at the Racine St. El- stop (Chicago) after 11 pm(1990-1996), I used to promise myself not to be so late again! And everytime I was scared that a few guys with guns would be waiting just outside the turnstyle. I was the luckiest person in Chicago!!!
I also remebered my early years in Bangalore as a student. I liked the fly over in Majestic and the "crowded local market in City Market" (I still live in City Market); in addition to funny scene of traffic police controlling crowd with a rope. I kne with my family background, I would never get a job in Bangalore. But GOD proved me wrong. I became Assistant Professor in Bangalore and Mysore (though temporary) after Prof. Ramachandran and Prof. Bailey expired!!! I even became contract professor in Tumkur!!!
I had grown old and old and old. I still travel by myself and alone! I lost eveything in Chicago and I was still sleeping like Kumbhakarna. I lost everything in Kharagpur and I was still sleepin like Kumbhakarana. Now I am going to loose everything in Bangalore; am I still sleeping??
I believe I am waking up too late like Kubhakarna.
SG,
Bangalore,
May 1, 2009.
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