And I Think To Myself...What a Wonderful World

Louis Armstrong sure got that right...What a wonderful world! Thats pretty much the first thought that comes across under the influence of sufficiently copious amounts of alcohol doesn't it?? I guess thats why they call it getting 'high' (so...er....geographically put in context by my pal as mentioned in the last post!). But then Louis Armstrong has more to do with this post than just that.

So going back in time again, to January this year; my school-time friend Nitin came over. I think by the time I'm done with this blog there'd hardly be a friend left for me or much worse I might make a very dangerous drinking companion! Anyway, back to the story...
We had great plans for the time ahead that day. We'd go to this brutally expensive pub (where my mum always wants me to have coffee, and the obedient son that I am, I go to an expensive pub and 'obey') which was a stone throw away from my house, listen to some good old rock and roll, drink some and come back. I've always been a believer in the power of music on one's emotions. I've often observed that things go straight to people's heads when the music is to their liking. For me, the sounds of Pearl Jam is that catalyst. Any and all of my friends who've seen my reaction to this one song called 'Black' in particular would testify to this phenomenon. And this is precisely the reason I love where we were going regardless of the fact that it often burns a hole in your pocket without getting you drunk enough to ignore it till the morning after! The music's good. Rephrase; great.
So as we set out on that Friday evening, all excited about what lay ahead, my mum of course laying down the coffee rule again, we never saw what was coming. Gleefully (unfortunately the only word that describes that feeling), we sought to enter the place when a tree-trunk arm came swinging across and a voice boomed, "Yes Sar" (The only way most bouncers know how to say "Yes sir"). I always thought this was a stupid thing. Why'd I want to go to a pub, but to drink and fraternize? Much the same, respecting the fact that this guy could pound the stuffing out of me at his whim, I told him why I was there and thats when the two most irritating words for any single man came out of his mouth, "Kappal Antry" (Bouncer for "Couple Entry") and of course suffixed with the "Sir" that he must mouth even if he doesn't mean it. Enter Manu Saxena's brief telepathic interlude. "This is where, SK, a girlfriend comes in handy." Thanks Manu, as if it wasn't bad enough already. I really don't get this whole concept of couple entry. Just because of a few lecherous old fags, every decent, single chap in town isn't allowed to have his share of fun during the weekend without paying an exorbitant amount. I vehemently oppose this barbaric practice.
Anyway, dejected and disappointed, we tried looking for other places to go to, to no avail. Our requirements were very specific. Rock music and walking distance. There were no other places nearby that met the first requirement, and worse still fell in remotely the same price band. And thats when we made the decision that was the sole reason why things went the way they did. We decided to go to the most cost-effective (polite for cheapest) watering hole (for it is but a shame to call it a 'pub'), the old faithful, Golden Dragon! The only requirement this met was that it was still walking distance and fell about a couple of price bands lower, so it allowed us to drown our disappointments! The story at Golden Dragon is short. They played Bryan Adams' 'Heaven' and quickly added insult to injury with 'Please Forgive Me'. Nothing against the old chap but two guys at Golden Dragon and Heaven, thats a little, how do you put it, gay. So we drank to the music (more to tolerate it) and drank it quick so we could get out quick...(To be continued)