Iyer to Eire

In a couple of days time, I'll be taking a flight out with the ultimate destination of Dublin, Ireland. Ireland isn't the traditional venue for software engineers, but I will be heading there anyway. Things have changed around, but the travelling monkey hasn't really got off my back. I'm never too enthused about travelling in general, but in the last 8 months, I've travelled to 6 cities and now this. For a lot of software types, going abroad is a huge incentive and they expect a visit soon in their short professional careers. That, sadly, doesn't apply in my case: I can always find a few things to worry about and get upset that it spoils whatever plans I've been making for the next two months. It has never mattered to me that I've not gone abroad unlike many others.

The litany of woes (okay, I'm being unnecessarily miserable and fussy, but that's who I am: I prefer the smaller pleasures of daily life rather than the grand ocassions) includes my apprehensions about the climate. It is likely to be extremely cold right now and my long, chequered career with sniffles is likely to be faced with its most challenging phase. That really worries me and I don't know how I'll cope with that. Food isn't that big a worry, I'm not a fussy eater and will hopefully manage. I can only hope there will be some channel that shows the cricket World Cup, otherwise it will be Rugby for me. Three weeks means that, inshallah, I will be back by the semis & final. Will be missing my classes at COEP (Nikhil has a bigger burden), my quizzing, especially Chakravyuh (I desperately wanted to try and win this time) and the this and that of daily life that still keeps me sane. Hopefully will get the opportunity to blog.

Plan to carry The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich so that in the absence of any competing literature, I should be able to complete it. Will also carry the first 4 parts of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy in case I need some light and reliable fare. I should probably take Ulysses or Dubliners to make it all very appropriate, but I want to read for fun not for display.

Am trying to think of all the things I need to take to keep me feeling fine. Am sure to miss a few, but let's see. Seeing that it took a series of extremely well-timed coincidences to set me on this trip, I'll wait for some more of the same.