[SmartCat]

Now, I am planning to put one of your sentences as my signature ( of course after making some customizations)

Now that should be interesting. Let me know when your signature is ready!

@Smartcat, Time to change your car

A few months back, I was offered Rs. 2.3 Lacs (original price Rs. 11.3 Lacs) for the Optra by an used car dealer. Fruits & vegetables depreciate at a lower pace! That's why I intend to use the car for 5 more years.

Anyway, most of the big expenses happened between 80,000 to 90,000 kms. After that, there have been no wear & tear maintenance expenses. Also, I have a new GM dealer close to home - and the service levels are good.

What the car needs is a new paint job (Rs. 40k) and a new set of alloys (Rs. 25k) to keep it chugging along for the next 5 years. This is how the car looked when it was NEW -



Go back to the previous page to see how it looks after 5.5 yrs! A new paint job is a good age-miracle treatment.

[SmartCat]

Coastal TN Kerala Trip Continued:

Pic 1 & 2: We walk around in the Meenakshi Temple, impressed by the architecture & sculptures on the walls.





Pic 3: Believe it or not, till recently, I did not know why most large temples in South India have this weighing machine.



Pic 4: When I created my profile on BharatMatrimony.com, I had put up pictures of myself on my roadtrips. This was one of the pictures - with Raahu, Kethu etc written in the background. My plan was to impress prospective brides & father-in-law's and get them to believe that I'm a god fearing olleya huduga (good man). This strategy has so worked well - that I'm considering applying for a patent.



Pic 5 & 6: We leave Madurai and head for Rameshwaram. Traffic is sparse, road is smooth & fairly wide and views of the sea and the breeze is wonderful.





Pic 7,8 & 9: Our entry into Rameshwaram via 2.5 km long Pamban Bridge.







Pic 10: Unlike many idiots who stop on a bridge (to take photos) and hence inconvenience others, we drove straight through without stopping anywhere.



Pic 11: When we were kids, we used to play with our toys & gadgets for a few hours and then take out the screwdriver to open it up to see what's inside. Now that we are adults, we drive across a bridge first and then we see what's underneath the bridge.



Pic 12: We just found a few fishermen down there with their boats. We get back on to the main road, after driving on this enbankment at a 45 degree angle.

[MX6]

As long as no one misconstrues you for Shani, seeing you with Rahu and Ketu. And Pamban snaps look dramatic. I've been wanting to drive on Pamban. I was lucky to drive over the 7 mile bridge atleast 6 times.

[StarVegabond]

Originally Posted by smartcat

Pic 3: Believe it or not, till recently, I did not know why most large temples in South India have this weighing machine.

It is meant for TULA BHARA seva, where in a person offers his own equivalent amount of Gold/Silver/Broze / Grains/ Rice / Sugar / Oil etc to the Temple and God.

Tula Bhara in Kannada means Maap tol (in Hindi)

Originally Posted by smartcat

Pic 4: When I created my profile on BharatMatrimony.com, I had put up pictures of myself on my roadtrips. This was one of the pictures - with Raahu, Kethu etc written in the background. My plan was to impress prospective brides & father-in-law's and get them to believe that I'm a god fearing olleya huduga (good man). This strategy has so worked well - that I'm considering applying for a patent.

What is the current status of this Olleya huduga perception ?

[Jaggu]

Originally Posted by smartcat

What the car needs is a new paint job (Rs. 40k) and a new set of alloys (Rs. 25k) to keep it chugging along for the next 5 years.

40K you already did this? If not, its a rip off for the kind of work your car needs!

[SmartCat]

Oh OK, I thought this Tula Bhara is a South Indian temple concept.

What is the current status of this Olleya huduga perception ?

After the knot is tied, why care about perceptions? It's time to show your true colours.

40K you already did this? If not, its a rip off for the kind of work your car needs!

That's the quote my Chevrolet dealer gave me for a new coat of paint. I haven't got it painted yet - probably will get it done next year.

I'm not very sure about unauthorized workshops. Sometime back, I got all the dents removed and painted by a local workshop - and the paint quality was very poor. So I've decided to use local workshops only for dent removal.

[rm_arjuna]

[quote=smartcat;1766790]
After the knot is tied, why care about perceptions? It's time to show your true colours.

really enjoyed reading your travelogue looking forward for more .

[MX6]

Originally Posted by smartcat

After the knot is tied, why care about perceptions? It's time to show your true colours.

How's my instant poem?

Once the knot is tied,
there's no colour that's true.
Get beaten black and blue,
will show only that hue.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by MX6

How's my instant poem?

Once the knot is tied,
there's no colour that's true.
Get beaten black and blue,
will show only that hue.

@Cat: Please patent it fast or this snap will lie in this forum, like the dead key board tray in our office which says: Patent Pending for the last 4 years.


@MX... Good one. To take that forward:

Once the knot is tied,
No bees to flock the hive,
So why wait for the toad,
As there is at least one for the road.

Of married men and roads.....
Forget the rest for eternity.
You can always entice one for a drive.

[SmartCat]

When I was a bachelor, I always wondered why men have made so many marriage/ wife jokes. I was like - it can't be that bad! But now I know, and can relate to alteast 50% of such jokes

But I still can't get why there are so many mother-in-law jokes. My MIL is very nice*










* My wife reads this thread too.

[Chevy_lover]

Nice pics of the Pamban bridge. I visited Meenakshi temple about 12 years back. I don't remember a thing now! Do you have more pics?

[MX6]

Originally Posted by Chevy_lover

Nice pics of the Pamban bridge. I visited Meenakshi temple about 12 years back. I don't remember a thing now! Do you have more pics?

More photos of Meenakshi temple? Move over to my travelogue

[Chevy_lover]

Originally Posted by MX6

More photos of Meenakshi temple? Move over to my travelogue

Sure MX6. I am still stuck in the middle of your log, admiring your cutie pie! I have to find some time to finish it soon!

[SmartCat]

Hmm. Yeah. I hate to admit such things publicly, but MX6 does have (a lot) better Meenakshi Temple pics on his Pune to Tirunelveli trip thread.

Other photos that I've taken of the Meenakshi Temple -

[recshenoy]

Originally Posted by smartcat

- Bangalore-Mangalore is the worst road!

ROTFL. very true dude.

Now i am finding jokes, poems in this thread

Your car hasn't got team bhp sticker! get one dude So that bhp-ians can spot you when you go on tour or inside Bangalore!