So here I am at last!
.
.
Well actually it's not been that long. At all.
I found out about TBHP fairly recently. Just a few months back to be more accurate. I was on the lookout for a car (Tata Xenon XT) and couldn't find any useful reviews out there till I stumbled on TBHP. And man was it good!
I mean, I have been on the lookout for a TBHP like site for years. Years! But the Indian Automotive Scene around me had always been.. well dull! But then the might gods of the interweb arose. They saw the atheist in me and were determined to correct that fallacy so using their powers of magic (and by that I mean Google search) they directed me to the Mecca of Automobile enthusiasts. And so here I am. A humble worshiper at the altar of the foundation of the modern world - the Automobile.
Anyways, now a little about myself. While my handle says Vikram Patel, that is not my real name. That is just a pseudonym I use to write. And yes, I am a writer. I freelance for different blogs and journals. And I teach workshops on Creative Writing and English.
I am a 22 year old guy from a small and quaint town of Ambala. Many of you probably wouldn't even have heard of it and that's alright. It's not that exciting or interesting. but to put things in perspective, I am 45 km away from Chandigarh and exactly 200 km away from New Delhi. While I have spent the majority of my life in this little town, I was for the past 4 years studying in Switzerland in a Liberal Arts college (Franklin University Switzerland) and before that I spent 4 years in Amity University Noida. So while I am a small town boy, I am not a stranger to the ocean around me.
As for cars, I had always been in love with cars. And not just the young boy stereotype of 'ohh! that's a coll car I bet it would drive fast' way but actually in love. The physics, the technicality, the space, the movement. Anything car was my love. I am still not as in love with driving as I am enthralled by the concept of a car. It was and always has been love at first sight. And I guess it's genetic. Both my father and y grandfather love cars. In my house we have had all three of the classics - Amby, Standard and Padmini. Then we had the evergreen 800. Apart from that we have owned a Van, Indica, Sumo, Esteem, Qualis, Innova, Santro, Lancer, City, Swift, Vento, Ertiga, Micra, and the latest acquisition, Tata Xenon XT. I remember steering cars sitting in the lap of my father. I remember road trip where we would be constantly on the road for 16 hours. Hell even my first proper word was 'caaaar' when I saw a bright red standard on the way to Shimla. I have missed exams to go buy cars and only dated girls who know how to drive a manual (many Americans don't unfortunately).
But unfortunately I am not well versed with the technicalities of a car. Whatever I know is from personal experience and the interweb. Since I never got an engineering degree I feel I will be mostly useless in the technical divisions of this forum where fairly anointed names in the automotive industry sit. Either ways I'll try my best.
Anyhow, I think I have rambled on long enough. I am super excited to get to know you peeps. See you on the forums!