How many cars does one need ?

A few years ago, I happened to read an article about the Tamil filmstar Sarath Kumar
owning 20 cars. My reaction was, this guy is either nuts or wants to show off or likes a
vulgar display of wealth.

Well, now I think differently. Is it wrong to have different cars that serve different purposes ?
Infact, isn't it better to have a car for a specific purpose, instead of having just one car that
is used for all purposes ? Lets take a guy who owns an SUV, which in most cases is a fuel
guzzler. Since he has only 1 car, he would use it for even short drives to the grocery shop
when a smaller car would have served the purpose well.

This led me to draw up a list of cars that I would like to own - the rationale being only their
usefulness and not snob value. Most people, when asked to name their dream car, would
invariably come up with names like Benz, Rolls-Royce, Porche etc. However, as much as
I admire these cars, I never have felt the need to own one of them.

My dream car list would look like below :

1. A Benz Smart-type car - For city driving for going to office etc.
Can take only max 2 persons with some space for a few bags in the rear. We do not have
such a car in India yet, but I am sure we will have one soon - priced around 1lac, around
400 - 500 cc and with fantastic mileage.

P.S. : Please note that I do not want the Benz-Smart itself, bcos it is too pricey. Given at 1lac,
I would surely take it. Yeah, I know, its one big dream. :-)

2. A Maruti Omni - For weekend outings with 6-7 friends and space for a few cases of beer,
food etc. Or when many relatives drop in at the same time and one car is not enough to take
them out.

3. A WagonR - For outings with the family (wife & kids). Compact, yet more than enough for
3-4 people.

4. Baleno - Finally a real sedan for those highway drives when you need speed and power.

That would be a dream line-up of cars.

Trip to Paradise

Took the Thursday/Friday off to have a long weekend in Kerala. Its June and the
monsoon has sort of set in. Well, it's raining almost all the year round in Kerala, but
June/July is special - heavy rains, kids start school, the heavenly smell of mangoes
and jackfruits in the air.

All you need is a comfy chair near the window, a nice book to read and hot steaming
cups of tea. The feeling is beyond words & just pure bliss. I can just sit there for hours
watching the rain and taking in the exotic fragnance of rain on dry ground. And, the
afternoon nap takes on a whole new dimension in the rainy season. Getting out of the
covers can be a challenge.

If you are the adventurous type and don't want to sit indoors, there are lots of options
for you too. Take out your digicam / videocam and try to absorb the beauty of nature
in its wet form. Or, spend a few rupees to buy a few fishing hooks and plastic wire. Cut
off a nice bamboo branch and you have a fishing rod ready. Walk to the nearest pond,
lake, river or sea (you will never be far from a water body in Kerala) and indulge all
you want in fishing.

Evenings can also be lots of fun. Get around a few friends, buy some nice liquor, grab
some Mallu food (kappa, fish, beef) and have a nice session. This is more fun outdoors
than inside the home. Again, the best place would be the bathing ghat of the river with
a solitary tubelight providing just enough light. A few rounds down and the place
reverberates with Mallu movie/folk songs.

Man, I miss Kerala.