Today I had had a lot to eat. A nice breakfast – three idlis, a vada and a coffee, a coffee at 11, lunch at 12.45-1.00, coffee and a samosa at 4, Samosa Channa and Choco Chikku (Chikku Shake with a scoop of chocolate ice cream on top) at 7.

Yes, too much. So I decided that I would go for a very light dinner. I should have skipped dinner, but I convinced myself that I might become hungry at 1 am. As if I will wake up, and as if I was hungry sunday night when I has a very early lunch, at 11, and still skipped dinner  – you don’t consider two packs of biscuits dinner, do you?)

So I went to the usual Vasanta Bavan in Tambaram, ordered a plate of idli and went to wash my hands. I generally place my order, then place my bag on the chair, (as if someone is going to occupy the seat), and then go wash my hands.

Today I was washing my hands and suddenly thought I should have ordered Sambhar Idli (actually Sambhar Vada, but at 10pm, you are sure that you will not get sambhar vada). I like sambhar idli ( though not as much as i love sambhar vada, but still), but without the ghee on the top. Ok, I thought, you have ordered, no option now. Sambhar idli for tomorrow.

I came back, and in a minute the waiter came with a plate of Sambhar Vada and placed it on my table.

(I asked him whether it was someone else’s order, but it was a meant for me, he had mistaken plain idli for sambhar idli)

hmm. perhaps the alchemist was true. (Yeah, yeah, i still remember the non alchemist)

(what you remember the non-alchemist? then you are a the non-alchemist? or you mean to say that you were the non-alchemist, but no more are?)

(…)

This reminds me of Brussels. Yes the good ol’ days. Once I was going to the infamous Indian store (the one near the Natural History Museum, where you get Priya pickles and Ponni rice). I thought I had the 10 trips jump card with some entries remaining. It turned out that there we no more entries (or was it that I had forgotten it at home?) I decided for the first time, and hope that it was the last time, that I go in the metro without a ticket. The possibilities of someone checking is near zero. (I had little change and had to use it for the bus after the metro. You cannot cheat in a bus where you get in directly in front of the driver, can you?).

And in the metro I realised that all bus, tram and metro travel was gratis for that one day in brussels. I don’t know why, even till today, and consider this as the reason: Nivas did not have change.

(Sambhar Vada for breakfast tomorrow)