The festival of lights

I’ve successfully completed my practical exams without any bitter and traumatic experiences which sometimes accompany practical exams and now I have a cold. It’s a piece of luck really, that it didn’t hit till my last lab exam was safely out of the way.

I checked out Sparky’s yesterday. I liked the décor but the food is so-so and it is also kind of expensive. Anyway, the bottom line is, I won’t be going there again anytime soon. American cuisine is not my thing, I’ve discovered. I don’t think I’ll be having a lasting relationship with Sparky’s like I do with Creamy Inn and Cake Walk, alas. We shall both have to move on and mend our broken hearts as well as we can.

Anyway, about my cold, it’s a major pain in the you-know-where. I can’t remember the last time I had a cold. The feeling of misery, the throbbing headache, the runny nose, Waterbury's compound...colds are really not fun. Apparently there are 250 strains of cold viruses and the only way you can gain immunity to a strain is by catching it. So, the maximum number of times you can catch a cold in one lifetime is 250 times. Oh joy.

Oh yes, I almost forgot. Today India celebrates Diwali, the festival of lights and also of noise and pollution apparently. But I enjoyed last night, even with a cold. Standing on your terrace, watching the fireworks and the stars, listening to your favourite music and blowing your nose is really not a bad way to spend a night.

Firework prices have gone up, not surprisingly, so this time people didn’t start with the heavy stuff till the evening before Diwali. I remember times when I wouldn’t venture out alone for a whole week. There is a plus side to inflation!