(This article was originally published at Fiddling with data and code, and syndicated at StatsBlogs.)
It happened on 6th October 2005, during Kolkata -Chennai trip. After two year of my post graduation, Good Bye to Kolkata. I got a job in Chennai. This time I got the company of prof. joseph. He is a mathematics faculty in ISI and we know each other from the last two years. We used to go church every Sunday inEsplanade Church.
* * *
“Wake up Vinu. It is 8 o’clock” Professor called me. I woke up and brushed.
I have moved to Professor’s berth. He got Side Lower and it was after 2 cabins from my berth (Mine is as usual Upper berth). We had our morning tea.
There was a family on the other side. A little girl, around 7 year old. Her brother 4 years old then their parents. They seemed to me like Bengalis.
Sometimes I hate to travel with kids.( s1). They do unexpected alarms.. They cry.. they spoil my sleep.
I didn’t have good impression of them. I felt the guy is a lazy. He was just obeying his wife. And the kids were like imps. They ran over all through cabins. And the boy fell down while he tried to climb the upper berth.. and started crying….I had expected this. The husband should be a stupid, can’t control his kids.
Professor was reading the newspaper. He completed the one round and started his hobby. solving crosswords. I glanced on the newspaper and as usual I spent time on sports, movie pages and Calvin and hobbes strip.
I swam on Kolkata memories. I missed the pooja celebration in Kolkata. And the last 50 days was training in my new job. And it was a wonderful experience. There was a sequence of sweet events.
“Tell me the name of 5 letter European country…..”. Professor got stuck in one crossword question.“It may be SPAIN or ITALY” I answered.
“Those are not matching. I got it .. It is MALTA” Professor was very happy to got his answer.
I learned one more European country on that day. Then we talked about personal matters, bit mathematics, Harmonic analysis,…, etc.
Our Train passed Vijayawada. Kids were playing a some kind of throw ball. The ball came to our side. Professor pass the ball to them. Then the game between Professor and kids.
I interrupted the game and asked her “Thomar Naam Ki?”
She said “ Resham”.. Then I talked her few things about her name and school.
I have a conversation with her father. They are from Gujarat and working in a manufacturing firm in Kolkata.
Resham and I became friends. She wanted to sit near the window in our side. Because the other side sunshine was there. She sat on my lap.
“What is your name?” She asked me.
“Richie” I said.She didn’t believed that and she again asked my name.
“I am Popoye… You are Richie rich…” she exclaimed
Then we have discussion about Cartoons..
I got amazed… these kids know all the programs in Cartoon network.. At what time the program is.. the characters.. She was very smart.. and her mother was asking some questions and she answered correctly. Both the kids are very active.
I love kids .. smart kids like these.( s2)I looked at other cabins. I saw a south Indian girl.. must be 8. she was not doing anything. In the last three four hours she was just observing this kids. May be her parents not allow to do anything. I thought of comparing the situations and thought of myself. My cousins say about my childhood that I was very serious( but now they are not saying this) and not smart. So childhood doesn’t matter in future.Right?
Train was running in its pace. Professor has completed the crossword. I had a chat with Resham’s father. He was a hard working man and had interest in IT. He had asked few question about web development and Linux stuff. He asked about beautiful places of south India. They were planning for a vacation in south India. They were planning for first Madhura( Not UP one).. then Ooty. We have suggested Idukki and Munnar. His wife also joined for some time in our discussion. And all my initial conception were gone. I felt very happy when I reached Chennai. I don’t know the reason. What I know is.. I love to see happy people, happy life and happy ending.
Note:
1) s1 and s2 are contradictory.. these are the emotions in different points.
2) ISI: Indian statistical Institute 3) crossword discussion was different in the real story.
4) Thomar Naam Ki? (Bengali) : what is your name?
The post Coramandal Express (Continued) appeared first on Fiddling with data and code.
Please comment on the article here: Fiddling with data and code
