Vacationing

I finally take a break later this week, I was supposed to go to Chennai for a friends wedding, but that fell through, so I am going to Bangalore instead. No idea why I am headed there, but I guess cheap beer and the fact that Wertti is there might play a part. People ask me why I'm not running to the hills, but Himachal is crawling with families with toddlers in tow and I can only take so many images of kids shitting on the sides of the roads. And I was in Dharamshala less than six months ago, and I don't feel like driving off. Even though I am keen to go to the Yamuna Valley sometime soon if I find the time, no particular reason, but a friend's stories of possessed priests and incredible beauty might play a part. Too hot for Rajasthan right now, though a trip to Jaisalmer, the only major city in the state I haven't seen, is way overdue.
Anyway, I figured out that journalists don't really end up taking much leave, at least the ones who are doing well, or the ones who are mortally scared that their beats will get taken over. I know someone who had 97 days of accumulated leave, (no, not in my office) because she was paranoid that a 'climber' in her office would take over her beat.
Thankfully, I'm not that paranoid but after four years at my current employers I have over 55 days of Privilege Leave, wasted tens of days of Casual Leave by letting them lapse and never taken Medical Leave, touch-wood. I don't know what it is about the profession but taking leave isn't exactly priority number one on the agenda. And we have to claim leave every year if we want our LTA, I've known of people 'officially' on leave but who come to work everyday during their leave just to be at work. And this at a time when people complain that offices are over-crowded. Oh well, I have a thought on that, but I won't elucidate on that over here, lest I be accused of being 'unfriendly' to the idiots among us.
Anyway, have lots of loose ends to close before I head off and not much time to finish them in.