August is the Sunday of summer

Upon my return from the trek, I got busy meeting a few friends, finishing my blog posts, and editing my vlog. I also managed to take a day out to trek in Shivagange, with Kush and Bhaskar Sir joining me. After that, I went into an “Engentado mode.” I stayed home, finished my writing, worked on my video edits, jogged regularly, and took my online classes. I didn’t feel like meeting anyone. It felt good to be on my own.

One weekend, my niece Deeksha came over. We cooked some of her favourite dishes and watched Odyssey. I really liked the film. It felt like a visual dissertation—a detailed character study and a film exploring themes such as loyalty, temptation, Xenia (the sacred code of hospitality), and the crushing weight of guilt.

I visited my sister in Mysore, where I was invited to judge the artwork at her school’s cultural event. During the session, watching the students organise the event and interacting with them, I felt a strange sense of FOMO. For a moment, I found myself wishing I could go back to school.

From Mysore, I drove to Surathkal. On the way, I stopped at my favourite café near Coorg, called Big Cup. I met a 52-year-old man named Anand there, and we got into a long and interesting conversation. What began as the usual talk about his son’s education gradually turned into a much more detailed conversation about his life and the choices he had made. Perhaps it was easier for him to open up to a stranger—someone he knew he would probably never meet again.

Once in Mangalore, the first thing I did was visit my uncle and aunt. I spent a few hours listening to them as they shared the events surrounding Anish’s final moments.

In Surathkal, I spent my birthday with my parents. My mother had arranged an elaborate lunch, while my sister Anu and niece Varsha got me a cake. It was a simple family affair, just as I wanted it. During the week I spent there, my parents and I went to a Malayalam film and ate at a few restaurants. Jogging on the beach became a regular part of my mornings.

One evening, I met a friend from my university days, who is now heading to the UK to pursue a PhD in philosophy. We visited a toddy lounge that serves some interesting flavoured toddy - the one that does not stink, thanks to controlled fermentation.

Upon my return to Bangalore, I got busy catching up with friends. I also reconnected with my French teacher, and we exchanged books. I seem to have got back into my reading mode. I finished reading (or should I say studying) Nietzsche’s Beyond Good and Evil. During one of our meet-ups, we visited the Blossom Book House, where I exchanged some of my old books for new ones. Ma’am suggested Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment, and I am thoroughly enjoying it. I had read about him in Nietzsche’s book as well. 

I met my school friends, ex-colleagues, and cousins. It was a wonderful time to reconnect with friends and relatives and spend some quality time talking and catching up with them before I head out again on another backpacking adventure.