Galt, you're the man!! i too had similar kind of harrowing yet worth remembrance experience when once i took a train from gorakhpur to bangalore (or is it bongluru in native language hehe)... seemed like i was on the train riding along with you while i was reading your anecdote. keep it up! you're my inspiration here. :) BTW, you went to rourkela for your engineering eh? i had gotten scholarship for the same place through indian embassy colombo plan, but later had to drop it due to my more ambitious plan i was looking to materialize...hehe..:) good to know you are in the same coterie (engineers) :) LooTe