Car...The 4-wheeled dream crusher

It had been there since my childhood, but it all started to take a serious turn around 4 years back, when I started earning well enough to be able to afford a car. Yes, I am talking about my obsession of the 4-wheeled horseless Chariot( sounds a bit too dramatic and out of the Mythologies, but thats how the first mechanized cars were known to be). The dreams had always showed me nothing less than the Bentleys, Maybachs and The Rolls. But the practical mind first started to figure out a parking place for a Maruti 800 at my rented house, which didn't have a proper garage.

Time advanced, I shifted into an apartment which boasted of individual car parking areas, but my car-buying plan got postponed, with my finances finding their way out of my pocket to realize a variety of dreams, except for the one that flashed the car. But dreams also grew bolder by the day. Maruti 800 was replaced with a high end Maruti Alto. And by the end of 2 years of serious dreaming about owning a car, I had already upgraded to a WagonR......ofcourse in my dreams!

The 3rd year saw me deep down in a pool of high budget hatchbacks like the Palios and Fabias. Ofcourse, before the Fabia I had already upgraded from the WagonR to Zen Estillo which looked quite sleek in a vibrant red.......mind you! all upgrades have happened in my dreams only! There were even some low-budget sedans like the Indigo CS, Ford Ikons and Hyundai Accents etc doing cameos in my dreams during the last part of the 3rd year of my car dreams.

Enter 4th year, and I am still stagnant with my practical mind being stuck at the 5 lakh budgeted cars...but you have no idea how far my imaginations have flown. Driving in 5 different cars( all being either a Bugati, a Lamborghini, Porsche or a Ferrari orLotus) to office and getting the "oomph factor" glances from everybody have now become a main course in my dreams. And so, the practical mind has also grown out of its bugdet and proportion.

There's a jingle for Fiat Linea these days "am stuck...at the sight of you"....well so am I...not with Linea, but with the latest generation of Honda City. Its sleek and sporty look has stolen my heart..and its out-of-range pric(around 9.5 lakhs) has stolen my sleep. Am trying to get some of my sleep back by consoling myself that Honda City will have to wait........but again its smarter sibling, the Honda Jazz has made my dreams quite jazzy.....

So if you see a guy sleep-walking with his eyes wide open.....and a set of 4-wheels twinkling in his eyes....please don't mind....he would take some time to get down to earth and stare at reality..........

Until then.............

Golf...and its new admirer

After almost a week of inquiries into the game, its requirements and exhorbitant expenses, I was there at the Golf range one fine Saturday morning. My neatly tucked Tee and sport shoes gave the impression that I was a regular on the course. Immediately after I parked my bike, the security guard showed me the way to the Driving range. I had an appointment fixed with a Golf Instructor. At 500 bucks an hour it was a pricey appointment indeed! Peter(instructor) was already there and busy giving tips to another Golfer. He signalled me to wait and that he would be with me in a few minutes. This gave me chance to get a peak into the golf store housed inside the Administrative office. I browsed through all the irons and woods as if I were a serious prospective buyer, but the time I left the store without even opening my purse, you should have seen the store boy's face.

Meanwhile, Peter had finished his session and was waiting for me. "Good morning Harish! How are you ?  So what do you know about Golf ?" These questions were expected, and yet unexpected. All I had been thinking, I would go on the range, pick a club and start hitting around. But being a true instructor that he was, Peter started testing my knowledge abt the game and my physical and mental abilities. It was quite a while before I wielded a #8 Club and was ready to start hitting my first ever bucket of Golf balls. Though it always looked easy on the television, I really got tired by the time I took out the 11 ball for a strike. Peter smiled, "I have given you graphite clubs for practice since you are a beginner. The steels are more heavier and you would be out of energy even before you run out of Golf balls."

"Yeah! I guess I underestimated the effort for this", I quipped, while positioning myself for the next shot. It was after around 15 drives when I heard "good shot" from Peter. I had a good stance and a good connection, and the 15th ball really went quite a long distance. And in the 5o balls session I could hear more of Peter's comments about shots. I was exhausted and so was my bucket of balls. I paid up at the office for the Instructor sessions and headed straight for the coffee house. After all, I had the right to a nice cup of coffee after an hour's hard work!!

That was the only Instructor session I have had so far. I have not really found time to go onto the greens and play a full game. But I do frequent the course, my target being the driving range, where I can hone on my driving skills before I get on to play on the greens. Golf still remains expensive for me. I don't see a reason behind splurging on a Golf set and painstakingly carry it on the bike when I take on to the game only 2-3 times a month. So renting a kit on the course serves my needs. Someday, I am sure, I will own a car. And then I can afford to buy my own golf kit and carry it around in my car.

Till then..............