Bye bye

I am off to Kerala tomorrow. Back on thurs. Had to book a tatkal ticket as tickets for the next 2 months on all trains to Kerala are sold out thanks to the Sabarimala pilgrims and the holidaying crowd.
Railway Minister Laloo Prasad has decided to fleece passengers himself (instead of the TTE fleecing by demanding bribe from waitlisted passengers) by offering tatkal/emergency tickets at Rs 150 commission and expecting the traveller to book a ticket from the originating station to the terminating station. That is, even if I alight at Chengannur I have to book a ticket from Chennai to Trivandrum. Smart guy! Even if he is/was corruption personified, he has steered the loss-making Railways to a profit-making unit. Such a good businessman that he was invited to speak at IIM-Ahmedabad. http://in.rediff.com/money/2006/sep/18iim2.htm
Non stop rains today.
Went to look at upholstery material . Time to buy new curtains for the flat and replace the old. Luckily the flat just has 5 windows, including the kitchen, though the rooms are well (sun)-lit. Since one bedroom faces the east and the other the west, with the drawing dining area sandwiched between them, the sun bountifully (in summers, mercilessly) shines on them.

Shortlisted a few. Now the trend is to put 2 curtains, one thick and one thin (a sheer curtain) to let in light.