The new life

Typical day (read, every day) - Part 1

2009-12-15T12:27:00.000-08:00

Yeah, pretty much every day starts the same, except for the one odd Saturday, when my mind and body is way too exhausted for any sort of work, be it research or just studying for the very dreaded Qualifier exams. It all begins with the hope of getting tons of work done, the moment the dawn breaks. The beautiful Charles river, with tiny ripples, the glistening sunlight, the cackle of ducks (apparently you can hear them from the 13th floor, damn you acoustics!)...
Once reality hits, I check my email, hoping I haven't got an email from the one person who is the most important in my life right now, the one person around whom my life revolves, and I would do everything he says and wants, yep, my advisor. If I don't get an email, its a relief for the next couple of hours or so before he calls, else the day just got worse.
Well, sometimes its good, but mostly bad. It just means being ready with figures, plots, and basically trying to come up with ways to tell him that it isn't my fault that MATLAB is such a b****. So then the regular things we all humans do, poop, brush, shower (or in any other order), get ready, gobble some toast/cereal, and on days I'm feeling good about myself (that happens rarely), make scrambled egg. My office is 13 minutes by walk (yeah, there's nothing very creative you can do when you're walking in -7 C, if its warmer I speak to my mom. Infact its become so regular that when I don't call her, she calls back in a few hours asking if I went to office or not! Yeah mom I did, I just got an email from my baapuji this morning, and was preparing myself for the encounter.). So I walk, and I reach office, and make coffee, and surf Facebook, and finally get to work....

... to be continued (ps: gotta rush, this break from work is turning out to be too time consuming) :)

Finally!

2008-12-07T07:26:00.000-08:00

The first snowfall of my life is here. And it's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. I had always heard that snowfall always brought happiness and joy along with it. Today, I truly experienced it.

The blissful snowflakes make their way down to Earth,

Sprinkling the ground with a serene flavor,

So light, they fly around with the wind

This day is beautiful, this day I savor!

I wish to see more. And I hear its coming...

Viewpoint

2008-11-15T20:30:00.000-08:00

I think mental strength is much more important than physical strength.

You might get kicked once in a while, but you'll never get robbed of your life.

Apology

2008-10-31T13:47:00.000-07:00

Strong coffee breath smells like a cig. Yes, I just realized it. So I send in an apology to all those people I called smokers when all they did was to just get high on caffeine.

:)

:D

2008-10-28T07:43:00.001-07:00

Sometimes it take a really long time to realize that something or someone makes you truly happy.

I've realized it.

And I'm happy.

Truly.

Reaching new heights of bad luck - Part 2

2008-10-26T15:16:00.001-07:00

Clearly, my bad luck has a major crush on me. Its so freaking possessive, that I never get a chance to break up with it. Not that I don't love it or something, I do. But you know, it gets creepy at times. It follows me wherever I go. Stalking kinds. Poor thing has insecurity issues. Uh. I really think if I ever do break up with it, it will do something disastrous...

Nevertheless, continuing with my continuous crossroads with bad luck, this time its my Research work (whatever there is). So, there is this code that I need to run. And obviously, I was happy that there were over four computers available to get all knocked up with the code-running process. So I enthusiastically run the code for different conditions on all of them. And guess what, the bad luck steps in. Three of the four computers run out of memory! (apparently some mldivide problem in MATLAB). No worries, so now that one computer that didn't run out of memory (it has some kick ass memory, so I've heard), I was intent on running all my codes on that.

I run the code. It runs, runs, runs, keeps on running, keeps on running, keeps on running... And running. So I decide to head back home and come the next day to check on it. Obviously, that computer isn't that slow that it wouldn't stop running the next day. It did stop running. I jump to the upper orbital. I save the figure and clear. And run another code, wait for another day, process repeats. Then, then, I realise I needed some values from the first code I ran. Remember the clear, (it was on MATLAB). So all data gone. Nevertheless, I still stick on and run it again. Haah, but this time I'm smart. I save the necessary data. And process that data again for some other results. But I don't get the results I expected. I keep thinking where I made a mistake in the code, find a few, correct them, but again the results are strange. THEN, then I ask myself ,"You crazy ass, which all values did you save in the first place?". And guess what, by the end of this question, I'm slapping myself like crazy (It was looking crazy :P ). So in the end, I RAN that fuckin' code, waited for God knows how many hours, just to NOT save the data, AGAIN!!

:) This, my dear friends, is called being engaged to bad luck... But some call it Research.

(PS: I'm planning to do Post-doc too! I have this faith that my world will come crushing down then.)

Peanut Butter

2008-10-20T06:17:00.001-07:00

It's the best thing that man has ever created.

The chunky, creamy, mildly salty taste.

The crisp peanuts crunching between your teeth,

Releasing that impeccable buttery peanut flavor.

It touches your soul to a level which is beyond any bliss ever felt!

Plain butter just got an upgrade. :)

PS: Yes, I am a foodie.

The first one, in a long time.

2008-10-15T20:10:00.000-07:00

Yes, so the blog is active again. I'd been thinking of writing for a while now. But initially didn't have a laptop, and now I do, but no time. Actually I do have time. But never mind that!

Now that it has been a while since I practiced my typing skills, let me begin from the beginning. I graduated from IIT Madras and joined MIT for Graduate studies (Master's right now, and hopefully PhD in a couple of years!). Research field - Underwater Acoustics and Remote Sensing, very very different from what I though I wanted to join initially. But nevertheless, I'm here and everything is great. Perfect. In fact, perfect is an understatement.

Its 11.14 pm, and I just finished a PSet in 6.003. Its funny how lingos change. Back in insti, it would've corresponded to an Assignment in B slot! So essentially, its a problem set a.k.a homework a.k.a assignment in 6.003 a.k.a Signals and Systems, an undergrad course I've taken here. Too much pondering over a minor point, but thats what's a blog is all about! Moving on, I've super-graduated from a desktop to a Mac. Its different, its hot, its a beauty! And now that I'm introducing random topics, one more won't do any harm. Pens have become extinct in my life, and pencils have phoenix-ed. Most students I've seen around here write everything in pencil, from names to notes, PSets to post-its. Everything! Resulting in the leads taking a lead. It's actually pretty convenient, coz you can rub all you want! And re-do the crap you did 3.4 seconds back. And rub. And re-do.

So, the first set of Quizzes just got over, and for most of you, my mood is evident from my Facebook status. Yeah, facebook, that too, hmm. Another graduation from Orkut. Its better I'd say. And manages to take up a lot of time. But considering the fact that the machines in my lab have no memory for me to run codes, I think its a pretty good time-pass when I'm trying to run them again, knowing that they won't in the end. Oh oh, and the machines in my lab have funky names - Hydrophone, Dipole, Geoclutter. Very cool.

My head is empty. Literally. I've started comparing my life as depicted in PhD Comics. I think they are pretty true. Grad school does stuff to you. I've started cooking and doing laundry. I've become a psuedo-housewife. Although, thats not a bad thing. Now I know how difficult it is to make really awesome food, unless you have the blessing of serendipity in your kitchen.

The gyms are brilliant. The facilities rock. Free food is available a-hell-lot. Basically, I'm lovin' it. :D

Cheerio

I wish I were...

2008-05-29T04:35:00.001-07:00

This might seem the very old and familiar topic to write in a standard 5 English exam, nevertheless, dreams and aspirations never die out. Not even at the age of 3, nor at 21. So here is my I wish I were..., dedicated to the ones who've helped me travel this journey called life!

I wish I were a butterfly,
Soaring in the air, up and high,
Hopping free with each breeze,
These moments I'd long to seize.

I wish I were a turtle,
Could do without a pipe to snorkel,
Lethargy so intense to govern my life,
Where time is plenty and happiness, rife.

I wish I were a ladybird,
Colored red on yellow, unheard,
Beating the sunflower in glow,
Absorbing life, in sips, slow.

I wish I were...me,
But thats not happening to be,
'Coz I am me right now,
To all who made me me, I bow!

Reaching new heights of bad luck

2008-03-15T09:41:00.000-07:00

For those observant fellas who are on my Gtalk list, this was one of my status messages sometime back, and very truly so. The previous post I wrote was about my bad luck in my BTP, I think my bad luck charm in relation to the same has been working ever since I came back from holidays back in December. Considering the fact that I need my computer to work properly for this last semester, anything going wrong with it was like a crumpled piece of irritation thrown down by God!
So, the hard drive stops working. Then the RAM, hence the monitor. Then the SMPS. Sigh!
Four months. Just four months.
Four problems, FOUR problems!!
BTP. BTP!!
Sigh.
So I drag along a friend of mine with my CPU to the most trusted computer shop for all IITians out here - Devraj Computers. The owner of this place literally swims in the money earned by selling computers and laptops to us. Rich bugger.
The CPU was heavy.
Problems don't end.
Nope.
First, we don't have the change for Rs. 500/- to pay the auto-wala 70 bucks. After 15 minutes of bouncing off other shops saying no for any change requests unless I buy something from them (Argh!) I realise that there was a crisp 100 rupee note relaxing in between my SBI ATM receipts.
Okay, nothing bad happened for a little while.
We start back for the campus when the repair work is done.
The CPU was heavy.
We get an auto and after a little bit of bargaining, we convince him to take us back in Rs. 90/-. Loss of 20 bucks, but whatever!
There is a straight route from Devraj back to our campus, but the auto guy tries to act like a smart ass. Actually he ended up being just an ass. A big one. Real big. His auto stops working right in the middle of nowhere. Not a main road, not even a gali. Some deserted place in Chennai where the two of us had never been. Two stranded ladies. Okay, it wasn't that bad, I'm over dramatizing it. :)
So we get off and ask the auto wala to look for an auto for us. Now, as previously mentioned that he was trying to act as a smart ass, he again tried. Again cupped.
So obviously we got off and started looking for an auto for ourselves, on foot. The CPU was heavy. We finally find another auto and the driver refuses to come down from 55 bucks to 50. He had dropped his price from 80 earlier to 55. Argh.
So giving him the benefit of shit, we mutually agree on 55.
Campus gates welcome us. Grin. Nothing can possibly go wrong now. We had taken the auto till the hostel and not till the gate, and although the bus waiting for passengers at the gate, the thought of the comfort of an auto came over us. So we carried on in the auto taking the route where the bus doesn't run. 'Coz nothing could go wrong. But it did. Again.
The auto ran out of petrol. :D
No auto, no bus, 1.5km, CPU was heavy.
It was a Saturday. :D
Saturday=Movie at OAT=People coming from outside insti to watch it=Cars=LIFT!
Elation. But no car for some 10 minutes.
So we start walking. Soon, we manage to convince an uncleji and auntiji to drop us off at GC.
We thank them. We get off the car.
Thud. We drop the CPU.
Silence. Hysterical laughter for 4 minutes.
End.

So thats basically it. My computer is in good health and has shown no side effects of the fall. No mental derangement, although I still suffer from some damages.

Touchwood!

Tsk, Tsk..

2008-03-09T22:11:00.000-07:00

Yeah its been long, very long since I've blogged. Actually I had given up on the fact that blogging can be used to utilize time between codes that take hours to run. Not the point, I was chatting with a friend of mine, KVM, about a really trippy incident that took place and he encouraged me to write about it. So here goes.

The past two weeks have been good and bad in such a wide variety of ways that trying to fit it in one post will cost me not only my patience, but a hell lot of patience! So, I'll just mention the top ones. Good in the sense that I've been getting a lot of time for myself and my sleep. Bad in the sense that my BTP got stuck at a point like a 3-DOF hinge (I kept rotating about the same point, unable to move forward in any direction). And so my days over the past weeks turned gloomier. And then suddenly I had Mentos - Dimaag ki batti jala! (Ok, I had Polo but I think it had the same effect). I realised that in the formula of

where p=pressure, I=impulse, t=time of impact, A=area; I had been reading 'I' as '1' ! And what added to the whole stupidity is that I was confused as to how the guy has given no dimensions to an impulse term. Oh come on, everyone knows Force times Time is Impuse and should be 'Ns'. But no! I kept on getting elastic response for my plate with this pressure pulse. And why wouldn't I, when I later realised that I=31Ns!

I guess all's well that ends well is partially true. I'm happy to have resolved the problem, but not happy to have wasted so much time on a silly reading error.

Oh well!

Paradise!

2007-08-30T18:46:00.000-07:00

This may be a long time after I'm putting something up on this post. Unlike many bloggers, I usually wait for something to happen that is worth writing about. Though it completely contradicts the definition of blogging, it works for me just fine!

I love jogging, I truly do. And considering that fact that its my final year in this beautiful campus, I had decided long time back to spend more time around nature than elsewhere. So I've been jogging regularly for the past sometime I've been here, and as always, I get high after a 4 to 6 km run. The first time is a little painful, literally, because you suddenly get aware of the puny muscles you weren't cognizant of. Yes, awareness of form that restrains you from turning on you bed or getting up from the "poop" position (squatting, as many call it) is something I'd rather not have. Nevertheless, after a while, the pain alleviates, the muscles and tendons get back to their normal business, and life is good.

Today, as the title suggests, was a paradise for me. Or for most joggers so to say.
Cloudy sky, mild drizzle, fragrance of the wet soil, cool breeze giving those occasional goosebumps.....

A perfect milieu for joggers and nature lovers. And what added to the whole setting was the fact that one could spot a dozen of spotted deer and blackbucks, apart from the monkeys that looked kinda nice sitting with their babies and protecting them from the rain. I wonder why I detest them when they do the same outside my hostel room.

Its 7:40 AM right now, and I've been up for over an hour and a half.

I stink.

I need a bath.

What's in a name?!

2007-07-24T23:15:00.000-07:00

I was reviewing the pages of my little over 20 years of life and was suddenly struck by the fact that till now I've been given a lot of names. Contributors include parents and friends mostly. Yeah, thats about it I guess, still haven't got the names like "Jhappi" or "Sweety" 'coz thats one thing you don't get when you are single! :D
So here they are, just a reminder to all those who might have forgotten them. For me, these aren't merely names, but carry with themselves a soul which have gotten so attached to me that its difficult to pass a day without them!

Names in chronological order (in brackets are the people who coined them-time):-

1) Betu (Pa - before my birth)
2) Anku (Very common, Ma and Pa - post birth, till date)
3) Cikku/Chikki/Chikmangaloor/Chikda (Modified versions by Ma - till date)
4) Rani beti (Ma - when she has to get some work done!)
5) Chottu (First nick ever, Pushkar and then the whole class followed-school days around 3-4th standard)
6) Jerry mouse (Sumelika, a wonderful friend - 8-10th standard. I used to call her Tom)
7) DJ/ADJ/Deej (Whole class - 10th onwards and now its an official college nick)
8) Hanky/Monkeyta (Puchhu/Vij - 11-12th standard)
9) Shorty/ Syaaxy one (sexy pronounced in a very country fashion) (Kini bro - college)
10) Deeju (AJ - college)
11) Deeday (Aru - college)
12) Kita (Fufa - college)
13) Small wonder (GRV - college)
14) Smallie (Puchhu/CB - school/college)

Hmph, I guess thats all. Though I have this feeling that I'm missing out on a few. Well, well, if I remember I'll try and not get lazy to put them up in the next blog!

Cheers!

Perfect!

2007-07-21T12:40:00.000-07:00

A mild coconut aroma fills up the room. Its the oil my father had applied to my hair tonight that gives my room a very refreshing South-Indian flavor.
With the evening rains, temperature has dropped resulting in soft, cool zephyr giving me those occasional goosebumps you often long for in a place like Delhi.
The pleasant rustling of the leaves outside the window and the cacophonous noise of the traffic seem to be playing a tug-of-war, with one growing as the other subsides.
The clouds have parted. The sky is unusually mauve, more towards purplish-black, with a few twinkling stars making the sky absolutely enthralling.
All this garnished with a mint flavored lemonade.

Perfect!

Sometimes, senses give more than merely an awareness.
Together, they create a milieu for sixth one!

Of horoscope and its interesting connotations!

2007-07-17T00:44:00.000-07:00

I don't really know if I had bit myself that day or was hit hard on the head, but I had logged into some kinda horoscope service. Apparently, every time I read it, it tells me about the fortune I will have in the things/people that I really don't have and vice versa. For example:

Things I don't have:-
a) Boyfriend
b) Lover
c) Secret love affair (wtf!!!???)
d) Money and shares
e) Kids (hello!!!)
f) And for the finale: LUCK

Things I have:-
a) An excellent family excluding kids and, well, husband!
b) Friends
c) Future boyfriend (sigh!)
d) Brains!
e) Three very very crucial weeks
f) And for the finale: BADLUCK

Oh well! Lets see what fate and fortune and all that has in store for me in the future. For now, I'm doing good without it!

Best gear shift!

2007-07-03T21:04:00.000-07:00

Third to fourth!

:)

It has hit me!

2007-06-26T20:55:00.000-07:00

I always wondered why people driving cars go zooming past when there is no need for any kind of hurry, I mean sharp turns, sudden brakes etc. One of my friends had once told me that when you start driving you are way too cautions. As time passes, you become more reckless and rash! I didn't believe it untill this very moment!
My worst driving ever!
My worst decisions ever!
Had my father been beside me, he would have kicked me so hard that I would've remembered it all my life!
But nothing to worry, nothing bad happened, just a few sharp turns and sudden brakes.
I wish I was a little more careful, 'coz introspection is something that annoys me, more so 'coz I always do it!

Dum dum dum...

2007-06-11T07:05:00.000-07:00

And the God kicked my Bum!
:D

Not good

2007-06-07T21:05:00.000-07:00

Being optimistic by nature, I used to think that everything happening around me is good.
But now I can't take it anymore. Stuff happening to me is not really the kind I'd want anyone to go through. It's painful.
And I don't like it.
I really don't like it, knowing the fact that all I can do about it is brood and crib. Nothing more, nothing less.
It sucks.
Bigtime!

The wait, awfully long wait..

2007-06-05T10:43:00.000-07:00

I've never wanted these two months to go by any faster than this. That too when the holidays are going on. Holidays, as taught/learnt/experienced so far, are sometimes when one gets to relax and take all the time off the main course work. Somehow, thees holidays are doing everything thing to me except the things I just mentioned.
IITD, Germany, IITD, Germany..it feels like my life has been revolving around these words since I came over to Delhi. Oh yes! And GRE too. And passport, VISA, VFS, Immigration Office, Offer letter. In the most desperate way, my ears don't want any of these any more!
Last semester has been much of a roller coaster ride. The initial disappointment of not getting any good internship in any of the millions of universities, rejection letters filled with no funding, no time, no vacancy...Then the faint glint of hope all the way from Germany, then the initial confusion, exchange of a zillion mails...VISA submission, application form confusion, place confusion. I truly believe that that one form of mine was an exhaustive set of all sets of confusions possible! Funny as it may sound like, unfortunately, its nowhere even in the vicinity of being funny.
Well, there are times when I just feel nothing. Absolutely nothing. No happiness, no sadness, no anger, no satisfaction, no regret, nothing! Yet, I hope. I hope that something someday might happen which could change all of this. I wish I could feel happy/sad/angry, whatever, for just one brief moment without thinking about whats going to happen the moment I stop smiling, or screaming, or being gloomy as hell. Scoring probably the highest in the class has still somehow not given me the kick it always used to give. Maybe its the times, maybe its just me.
I wish it were only the times and nothing else, 'coz I'm still optimistic about them changing. But if its me, its more serious that this. Or maybe not. I don't want to do anything, I just don't feel like doing anything constructive. Yet, when I actually don't do anything, I start feeling bad about not doing what I could have done when I choose not to do it. Yeah, well, funny as it may sound (yet again!), its not!
What now!?
Bed or Comp?
We'll see..

True things

2007-05-20T23:56:00.000-07:00

Right now, someone is really sad and someone is really happy!
Yeah, everyone knows it, I'm just putting it into words. Apart from the fact that I'm bored.
Bahh..!

Funny!

2007-05-16T07:10:00.000-07:00

Few things always make me smile/laugh/giggle. And its not that its 'coz they've been told the first time, its just an every time thing! Three years into my precursor of an Engineering career, and my mother still thinks that I've got nut equivalents in my brain. Its kinda normal when you think of it. People close to you rarely admire you to the extent those who aren't close enough. Well I'm not the one dying for admiration or attention here but what I just said was absolute crap. I have no clue why I wrote that so as everyone can see, the summer heat is taking its toll on me. Damn the sun, damn the tripping a/c (well, literally, when it sees me shuffle between rooms to get some comfort!).
I'm in a brooding mood.

It's hot.
My mother says I have meagre chances of getting a good guy considering the fact that the ones already around me don't particulary create even a ripple!
I'm getting old, ok, almost old.
It's hot.
Germans are troubling me. Ok, not generalizing but I mean the Embassy guys.
Delhi water has too much Chlorine, my hair doesn't shine and bounce.
It's hot.

Ok, now the good things:
I'm hot.
It rained here, just now, mildish hairstorm.
I've got a cold but its fun irritating people around.
I'm hot.
Good food. Awesome food. Amazing food.
No TV so no headache!
Did I mention I'm hot! :D (I so love doing it!)

Thats it. By and large, my life's is just too good! Really. No sarcasm this time.

PS: I'm so sure I'll be getting comments like "Stop being such a narcissist!" and "Why brooding so much?".
:D Its fun when you can predict things, oh my, I really am bloody good!

:)

Definition of the very famous 'Royal Shove'

2007-04-12T08:30:00.000-07:00

1. Code doesn't work, infact gives values of the order of 601 for a 0.5 m wave!
2. You think you are getting enough money for one month to spend, but then you figure out that the sum was for 2 months total!
3. Prof gives you a chapter, so that you can read it and make notes for 'him' so that he can teach the next batch.
4. Prof screams at his assistant about leaving the windows open 'coz the room sticks of sweat! In your presence that is..
5. The prof whom you need to talk desperately regarding a very important issue is either busy/gone for lunch/in a seminar/in HOD's office..basically never available!
6. You always get interrupted when you are talking in terms of i's and j's on a staggered grid scheme with linearized shallow water equation.
7. You puke!
8. Bad hair day!
9. Bad head day for all that is.
10. You have to give a presentation on an unknown topic, for unknown time with some unknown guy.
11. You are jittery, and you don't know if its the hormones or the people around you. Both are irritating.
12. There is always a lot of work on the other side, the moment you go nearer, either you don't feel like doing it/or you just happily ignore its existence. And then suddenly before sleeping, you again realize how much work is left undone.
13. THERE ARE BLOODY 13 POINTS!!!!

cheers cheers!
:)

Change

2007-04-08T21:05:00.000-07:00

Yeah, well, I changed the title of my blog. From the highly introspective and philosophical tag-line to the simplest one that came to my head.
Who cares!?
I'm tired of running around, tired of having people around, tired of answering unnecessary questions that they ask.
The most difficult thing in this world today is not the things we think are. Its not achieving success, not falling in love, not being happy, but infact is being left alone when one wants to. My door is open, but its open for me to go out and come in, not for just anyone to walk in whenever they want. They should realise this. Unfortunately, what they are interested in is what I'm doing, whom I'm chatting with, what I'm chatting about, which books I'm reading!!
Just because I talk to them politely doesn't mean they take me for granted for everything.
The only thing thats holding me up, is the fact that I know I wont stick with these people for the rest of my life. And I know I'll end up forgetting them. So will they. Thats a fact no one wants to accept but they all know that deep inside.
A little self control at this point may be troublesome, but helpful for the long run.
I'm trying not to let my bubble burst!

Thud!

PS: I'm not depressed, I'm not in a pathetic state. Nothing's wrong with me. All I'm doing is thinking aloud. Its just a part of the normal introspection process. So please please, don't drop comments like "Hey, whats wrong?" etc etc.

Later..
:)

Final destination

2007-03-12T05:55:00.000-07:00

Today, I did what I had dreamed of doing from the time I began jogging.
GC-Main gate-GC-OED-Gurunath... Nonstop!
Phew, it didnt look that long when I was actually jogging! ;)

Great going, dj!

My deteriorating level

2007-02-26T02:42:00.000-08:00

One of my friends showed me a downloaded pic of Anna Kournikova. My first reaction was "why on Earth has he named a female's pic as Anna?" PS: I thought it was 'Anna' of Tamil language meaning Brother!

Note:

2007-02-13T08:16:00.000-08:00

The only good things happening in my life right now are that I am single and jogging regularly!
Isn't life great ?!?

For the previous post

2006-12-22T20:45:00.000-08:00

For some who want to know it all, the last post was a real-life experience!
I rarely make up stories for subjects which are closest to my heart!
(Or should I use another organ's name! Well, I'll leave it for a few creative minds)

Enjoy :)

I'm back!!

2006-12-07T01:25:00.000-08:00

Beware!
Don't read unless you know ME really well!

Okay, enough of warning..I'm kinda sick of giving them though!

So here I go!

Few facts about Shit and the process involved in doing it:-

1) It always comes when you are driving at 80kmph on a really amazing flyover at 7.15 am. You are 20 minutes away from home.
2) The moment you step into the house, its gone! (Sucked up by some inexplicable and uncontrollable force that has decided to punish you for a crime you committed the previous night, actually two nights back...mmm..well, I think its a mixture!)
3) When you are there in the proper position, it refuses to come out!
4) Once it comes out, the phone rings or there is someone at the door.
5) The moment you go out to get hold of the rascal trying to disturb you in the middle of your holy ceremony, it turns out that the rascal doesn't even know you (Either wrong number or a bunch of kids trying to have some fun with the door bell!!)
6) Coz its winters, by the time you are back, the seat is ice cold again!
7) It refuses to come out again! Gotta do something to please it out!
8) Again, as I said before, as it is winters, the water too is freezing!
9) Somehow, the toilet paper is finished!
10) Yes, I am obsessed. Yes, I gotta go..

Itsy coldy coldy, pappy!

2006-12-05T04:22:00.000-08:00

Okay okay, let me face the critics first! (Though I know not many people would be reading this, but just to be on the safe side..)
The title- Yes! I know its pathetic. The reason being that it was derived from my status msg on gtalk, which infact was derived from a spontaneous remark by yours truly when a icy gust of wind caught my face!
The tone- Yeah yeah, very very very very kiddish! Bah, who cares! (btw, pappy=father)

So coming back, today was a good day, great infact. I got up early in the morning and drove at around 80kmph at seven 0 clock in the morning. Sure, there were lots of other events in between my getting up and driving, but I chose not to give the details. For many, 80kmph is not a big deal! But considering the facts that I've not been driving for very long, I ususally never cross (read: not allowed to cross) 60kmph and that my father was sitting beside me in the car reading the newspaper (luckily), I felt rather surprised and satisfied after my odessey (big word for a small thing! Bah, who cares!).

Its cold, real cold, I mean real real cold! And my extremeties are rather sensitive and tend to go numb. By extremeties I mean fingers and toes. Temperatures dropping to over 5 degrees here in Delhi, its best not to come out of your socks and cap! Though I still cant see the fog, smog is everywhere! No sun at any time of the day and light wind blowing throughtout the day, enough to make a chic freeze!

Holy crap! I cant feel my toes, chaa, time to take my feet for a hot water n steam bath! :)

Coffee stirred Night

2006-11-30T22:59:00.000-08:00

Soemtimes, time really flies fast. It has never happened before but this semester has been the fastest semester of my life. Considering the fact that we've been kept busy with loads of assignments, lab reports, quizzes, and all the other stuff anyone could think of for an "engineering student", I really feel drained, drained as never before...So much so that now that I look back at the past 5 months, it looks like I've been slogging for ages, yet its a blink of an eye.

I am desperate.
Not desperate to eat.
Not desperate to drink.
Not desperate to go to bed.
I'm just desperate to live, and all I want at the end of the day is a few spare minutes alone...with myself, with life!

And yeah, I wanna go home!

So even though our exams and all that crap was supposed to get over on the last and final day of college ergo 30th of November, unofficially its still on..on, like it has always been over the past 5 months. We have 2 huge assignments to submit and there is just no motivation. I dont feel quite good when I write this coz I've been a preacher of "inner motivation" and stuff like that. But still, I do feel pathetic at times.

Yesterday was my last exam. And I was happy. I am happy. Handful of friends including myself, went out to a nearby eating joint and had some pure fun. Did crazy things, sucked on ice cubes numbing our gums so bad that we couldn't speak, drank dark coffee, decided to drink the thick concentrated Expresso 60mL shot the next time we come in coz the person giving the coffee scared us off by saying it was "real strong"..it was great and I've never felt so joyous in a long time now. I wanna feel that way, but somehow it just doesn't get there!

But while going back, just one thought was coming to me over and over again. How long? And I got my answer as soon as I entered my hostel- I had two more assignments to finish before I could sit and think about things that I wanted to think about. Assignements! A piece of filth for the taker and piece of filth for the giver. But its important filth, else we'll get filth in return! So we make filth and give filth. Thats all we do all our bloody lives! DEVIATION FROM THE TOPIC!

Anyways, I'm sitting in the department computer facility and writing this. I stayed up till 6.00am today and slept for about 3 hours in all. Its no big deal here, but the fact that its my third nightout since I've come here, its special. I dont know if I should call it Special Good or Special Bad..it just is! I did have a great time staying up when the world was sleeping, chatting with a friend of mine and cursing the prof who had given us this assignment, moreso agreed to accept the submission after the end semesters (couldn't he have just cancelled the submission!!!)

Right now, or to be specific, some hours back, it would be justified in my saying that I hated my life! But I dont feel it that way now. I dont know what has changed over the past few hours, apart from the fact that I submitted my assignmetns, but still, it doesn't feel that bad anymore. I am exhausted from a "no-sleep-no-food and assignment-submission" combination, my head hurts, my back hurts, my stomach hurts..but life doesn't anymore...and thats whats most important.

I am going home.. and I like it!

The Brain Trail

2006-11-23T23:46:00.000-08:00

Yeah yeah, I know its been pretty long since I set fingers on to my keyboard to be directed towards this blog of mine. But considering the fact that I'm in my third year now (which, my dear friends, is no where close to being busy, its actually Lt n->infinity {(very)^n} busy )
Okay, stopping the gibberish, the reason why I was reminded of my blog today was because I just returned from my C slot end semester exam ergo Ocean Wave Hydrodynamics. There cant be a better prof-subject combination that this. The prof is a great guy, i mean literally great and that leads to the subject being even better.
So, our man, in the last class before the 2nd Quiz says "Students, the quiz paper is tough, so please apply your brains and solve it. Once you get the hint, you'll be done with it in no time!" So, before the quiz day I fully brainstormed myself with a dish of arguments, counter arguments, peppered with extra thinking and finally a garnishing of "what if...!!"
Early morning, 8 o clock exam, and the prof hands me over the paper. The beauty of this subject is that the prof gives only one question to solve in one hour and three questions in three hours (ok, that was a redundant statement). Nevertheless, I happily start thriting and wrinking (thinking+writing). After 20 minutes into the paper, like a sudden flash of lightining, a concept strikes me. And it strikes me so hard that I almost jump up from my chair. And with a kilometer wide smile on my face, I complete my paper.
50 minutes down the line, everybody comes out of the exam hall. Like always I start discussing the answers and then suddenly figure out that what I did was way too extra for the problem. Conclusion: I followed exactly what the prof had said, and that too in an intensified manner, APPLIED BRAINS!
Anyways, I was hoping that I'd score less than 50% in that exam, but the prof, as i had mentioned earlier, is a great guy. So I end up scoring 85% and am truly happy.
And this whole story means something - I just gave the proof of something that people say very often: HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF!

Please pray for me!
:)

Heaven and the

2006-08-02T04:53:00.000-07:00

One footprint into the wet sand,
A couple more.
I walk beside the shining waters,
A heaven on Earth, the shore!

Moist, salty wind,
Sea mollusks scattered all around,
Some alive, souls of the rest,
I feel free, no longer bound!

Glistening waves, ruffling, rippling.
Touch of the cold bubbles,
Froth floating on twisting curls,
I forget all wordly troubles.

A path sewn to the yellow moon,
Threads of reflection,
The golden ray till eternity,
Is this reality or deception?

Competing with the Sun,
The Orange-yellow sphere of cold fire,
The Moon, rising, shining.
Mind going into a spire!

I spread my arms,
Trying to fly,
Close my eyes,
Giving out a soft cry!

A new wind blows past my face,
One of happiness and hope,
A hand grips mine,
My despair flows down the slope!

A conforting touch,
A cozy hug,
A friendly warmth,
Snug!

Two footprints into the wet sand,
Then four ,
We walk beside the shining waters,
This is reality, I ask for no more!

.........

2006-04-09T10:29:00.000-07:00

Mild yellow sunrays break though
the invisible barriers
of baige glass.

But the wind stays
out, making the leaves dance
in a silent chaos.

I can feel the heat, I can't see it
I can see the wind, I can't feel it

The bamboo shoot peeping
through the window,
I look back at it.

It pops back into place,
As if to take a glimpse
of me,
I know its the wind, I don't
want to believe it!

Again, I see it, I can't feel it!

Cotton clouds cover uncover
the sun,
swimming across the blue sky.
Slant rays, they are
Still have the heat, mild, dim

Again I feel it, I can't see it!

Elongating the shadows, moving the leaves
Stretching the limits, mobilising the thoughts.

I see it, I feel it !!

Too long..

2006-03-10T10:26:00.000-08:00

The bright red-golden Sun,
The glimmering light in the morning sky,
The white clouds playing hide and seek,
The rays, too long..too long..

The dew like diamonds on the leaves,
The morning wetness suspended in the air,
The delicate tulip still drowzy,
The grass, too long..too long..

The only footprint in the wet mud,
The catterpillar still digging into it,
The small ants walking in a line,
The path, too long..too long..

The walk across the damp woods,
The crush of dry leaves under my foot,
The darkeness creeping into the night,
The nights, too long..too long..

The lonliness settling in the wind,
The void deepening into a hollow,
The sound of silence filling my ears,
The wait, too long..too long..

Heaven and the Footprints

2006-03-04T07:40:00.000-08:00

Magical fingers..

2006-02-22T09:49:00.000-08:00

Many of us have always wanted to be close to our dreams. I always wanted to be invisible..my childhood dream, I still remember. But what if your dream is sitting right infront of you, and all you have to do is gather the determination and go ahead and capture it. Well, this post is dedicated to Ajit...one of my very close friends.
I, with a couple of my great buddies landed up at his place yesterday 'coz we had planned to eat out, go to the beach and have some fun. Well, I've been to his place before and everytime I enter his room, I invariably get hit by this radiating aura of music!! I call it 'hit' 'coz its too much for me to handle..Yeah, thats what his dream is..to be a part of a big band!!
And there, right to the left of his room..(the 'right' is not a direction, its more like "the book is right there"...you got it, right?...ok..let me not say any more rights now...NO NO...not the civil ones..!!! AARRGGGHHH...) Right, so where were we? Ahaan, his room. Yepp, so there in his room is this huge synthesizer, and trust me, no'man' has ever attracted me as strongly as this musical instrument has! Its huge, its techy, its got loads of functions...and man its so awesome!! And all I do when I enter his room is just look, look, look...and look....
This guy, Aji as I call him, is a true genius. He just places his fingers on the keys, and they move as if in a predecided pattern and when I ask him if he had this tune in mind, he gives me one of his smiles and says no! I mean, man...I'm just speechless!! I recall once when I was struggling to play the tune of "Mary had a little lamb" (yeah yeah, laugh off..I know thats what my level is!!) and I just couldn't figure out a note. He comes over me, places his magical fingers on the keyboard and plays the whole nursery rhyme! Whoa..I was just spell bound..seriously.
Tunes I've never heard before, music I've never found so soothing and smooth. His fingers are truely blessed...and so is his keyboard to be played by a fine musician like him.
Have faith in yourself Aji, you'll make it real big someday. All the best for everything!!

Speck-tacular!!

2006-02-12T07:33:00.000-08:00

Dharik, also known as Virgin/Dhanian, is a great friend of mine..
But unfortunately this creature has a real bad habit of clicking snaps for his cell camera. I think its time to show you guys something I found really funny and couldn't help putting up.

Looks all 'Wiper'-ed out..eh..??

'Paaaaaaaapi' - Phew!

I swear to God Almighty I didn't 'Spank' him...(maybe the Chicago Bulls did!)

Just wondering, whats so 'Mechanic'-al in all this?

Ahh...meet our tennis wizard - 'Sania' Vijayaraghavan

Somebody said a little too much...its revenge time now!! Muhuhaaaa...

A 'Nu-shi'-mmering star in the Literary space...or shall I say Secretary..??

And finally...

Still a 'Virgin'..?? I doubt it!! ;)

Just for your information...none of the above..except Spanky wear specks!! :)
Enjoy..

The kid in the yellow night-dress

2006-02-04T09:43:00.000-08:00

I have absolutely no idea why the Airtel people think that I am really really interested in the new towns added to Tamil Nadu! And some people out here reading my blog would be wondering whats that gotta do with the kid in the yello night-dress...Well, just hang on for a while, I'll come to it eventually...
Ya, so where was I? Yaah, Airtel...so I've been getting these 'new towns added to Tamil Nadu' messages, and lemme tell you guys..its pissing when you get a zillion of them in a day! But today I got a message I actually read..it was about this 1110 recharge on which you get 1007 talktime, and 6 months validity. Though, I still dont have a boyfriend whom I can call (and this is not written coz I want one, but just a passing comment!!) it looked like a fair deal. Apparently, today was the last day to get the recharge done. So I, with a couple of my buddies, cycled upto to gurunath to get the recharge done. (Now the kid comes into picture..)
So, while returning back I saw this little kid (maybe a few inches shorter than me...yippee!! there is someone here who is shorter than me!! ) who was with his dad (a prof..i guessed). A cute kid, maybe 4 yrs of age, jumping and hopping here and there, munching a cookie, dressed in a bright yellow night dress, a naughty twinkle in his eye...he reminded me of the kid whom I want to keep alive in me. Kids are just adoreable..giggly, innocent, sweet, charming. I never resist myself from socializing with any kid I come accross, so I happily went upto the kid, bent down a bit, ran my fingers through his soft hair, and said, "Hello, whats your name?" And to my joy, he replied, "Hello, my name is...brrushghh". Just in case you are wondering what his name was..well, I couldn't figure out myself. His mouth was stuffed with cookies..so it sounded a little bad. Nevertheless, not seeming dejected, a gave a wide smile to the kid, who smiled back at me and then to his dad. That done, I hopped my way back to my cycle!
My day was made!! I wanna be a kid again!! But then, I just was one a few minutes back...

Baahh..

2006-01-31T09:07:00.000-08:00

Saarang 2006 is over. My digestive juices are longer working 'coz five days on continuous hogging on junk has left my tummy crying and my room stinky...(sorry but I cant help but mention such stuff...come on..it's in me for heavens sake!!) Ya, so where were we..? Ahaan, the meals..okay lets pack that coz talking alot about the gross stuff has kind of given rise to loads of 'no comments' and loads of no comments!!
Anyways, quizzes starting in a couple of weeks and I have no clue how 'm gonna start planning my mug sessions. I've seen a bit of lib now but cant get over the fact that I stayed away from it for so long...5 freakin' days...DAMN..!! Anyways, time lost is lost...and time that is left is waiting to be lost...naaahh..bad attitude..should be like this..time lost was fun, the time that is left will be fun too..!!
But infact I'm kinda happy that Saarang is over (okay...please dont kill me for saying that!!) But the work that had been done for that left all of us exhausted. Less than a meal a day, 3-4 hours of sleep, working on ur knees for hours...I mean come on man, who wouldnt want the pleasure of a soft bed at the end of the day...with a soft toy..(ok, perverted minds stay out...I meant my purple soft toy donkey with which I sleep every night, the best night partner I've ever had!!! PS: I havent tried many though, there was once a cow, once a teddy and once a fish-a bright yellow and orange one!! )
Hah..again digressed off the track..thats fine...'m too used to myself!!
SO guys, hold on to ur books and notebooks (if u have any) coz the mug ride has started!!!
KABOOOMMM!!! (well..thats whats gonna happen in a couple of weeks from now!!)
All the best...

M(ost) U(nbelieving) C(atastrophe) U('d ever) S(ee)

2006-01-06T20:27:00.000-08:00

Yet another gross one..!!

It was 3.23 am by my watch. Everything was darkand I am all snuggled up in my white bedsheet. And there was a heavy traffic jam in my left nostrill. Yeah...I've got a really bad cold...The right one was very clear...but that too was creating a problem. Anyways, I got up and applied some Vicks Vaporub (Ek dava chhe asar!!). The best thing about it is that it clears the passage instantly and if you rub it on your forehead, throat and chest..its even better. So I do so..but I forgot to mention one important thing..rubbing it over ur eyes may cause irritation and even tears...But I like an idiot happily rub my eyes after applying it. (I still remember the day I made a pizza out of my eye by rubbing in paparika-ed and origano-ed fingers into my eyes..!!)

Okay, this is not good...tears flowing out of my eyes..I bet they looked like one mad man's.
To add to the fizz, the mucus of my nose "melted" away, resulting in a reduced viscosity and density...Stuff trickling down my eyes and nose...streaming towards my mouth and before I could dig in for my hanky...Shit!! Warm..Salty...mmm.. Holy crap!! I need a hanky!!...I need a bloody hanky!!...somebody gimme a hanky...pleeeezzzz...!! Suddenly out of nowhere I realise Ive caught hold of a hanky.. And I blow out with as much thrust I can into my hanky..AAAHHH...relief!!! The left was still blocked and the right giving way to cold hair hitting my inner nose like a chilly wind of -13.5 deg C...(okay, that was an exaggeration!!) But it was pretty painful..so I sleep on my right side to move the mucus to my right one so that there would be some relief to my poor little left one!! Its working..yea..its working..I could feel the mucus flowing from the left to the right side and a small miniature vaccum being created in the left one..man..!! This mucus is f****** thick, slimy...For a split second I felt cold air enter my left one..and it was heavenly..turst me..I smiled like a teenage kid being gifted a bike!! But..wait..no no..please don't go...this is impossible...NAAA...the mucus reversed its track and went back settling into the left one..blocking it again...My mucus just proved Newton wrong..I saw anti-gravity in my nose..Whoa!!!
And then again...it moved on to my right one..and I dunno for how long this juggling continued 'coz I guess that would've been the worrssht thing to concentrate on. Last thing I remember, before falling off to a snore, was that there was a thin film of mucus going up and down my left one as i breathed.

PS:The hanky i had caught hold of was infact my bed sheet!!! And I have put it for washing..may the mucus rest in peace...

The Ultimate pleasure of life (err…morning!!)

2006-01-03T02:10:00.000-08:00

PS:WARNING!! DANGER!! AAHH..ANYTHING TO WARD OFF READERS WITH EVEN SLIGHTLY WEAK STOMACHS...PLEASE DON'T READ THIS IF YOU FOUND THE 'ITCH' POST HORRID...THIS WILL KILL YOU THEN!! I know this is the grossest post I've ever written, but nevertheless I've enjoyed it the most till date. I am the way I am..so please excuse me!! Now you'll know why 'm called SHIT...enjoy reading... :)

Its 6.27 in the morning. I am on my bed, eyes wide open. Though my alarm is set for 6.30, I still have this urge to switch it off when it shrieks in my ear. But today’s kinda different. The air of the room does not feel that good. Reason, I have been farting like a cow who had a delicious dinner of fresh onions, garlics and turnips. And the bacteria have done their work, mind it ! Aaahh…its really relieving when that small gush of (not so pleasant) air comes out through that hole. Inference of the whole description, the morning air aint that fresh today !!!

I suddenly feel something in my tummy. Hmm…funky feeling!! Looks like something cooking in there…oh shit..!! I sprang up with a jerk, frantically looking for that white bottle of dettol hand wash. My room-mate knows, I am on my way!!

I have heard people say – ‘When a man has to go, he has to go’. Well, now I shall do some contribution to it – ‘When DJ has to go, she has to go’. This 25 meters to the bogs seems like 25 miles to me. I sprint wildly like Marion Jones, just hoping for it not to come out in the middle of my journey !!

Finally, I reach my destination – the bogs !! Aah..what a lovely place man has created for early-morning-tensed souls like me. I just love the guy who came up with the concept. Anywyas, I keep the bottle of dettol on the slab and make my way through to the second one from the left (Well, I like this one coz here is where I first donated when I came here). I pull down every piece of cloth below my waist and sit down in the usual position (Though I love experimenting with various ways to sit, today is not the day to do that). Nobody can ignore the one kilometer smile on my face when the first bit comes out. But considering the fact that I am alone in the toilet, nobody actually notices it. I giggle, my heart exhilarating with sudden gush of immense joy. My senses suddenly rise from slumber. I can smell it now. I can see its colour clearly. Huh…it feels so amazing !!

One of the only reasons I have dinner at the very famous Dhaaba is due to the potpourri of colours the food, and the ‘then’ food, has. I clearly remember, I had Palak Paneer and Paneer Butter masala. For salad, cucumbers and beet roots, pretty colorful. The first one piece of shit (literally, this time..) that comes out with a wet fart. It is green, dark olive green. Its slimy, embedded with light green bubbles. It’s a small blob of semi-solid, looks scary though ! What did the bloody bacteria in my stomach do the food, I wonder. Well, now its time for the second one. Holy shit…this one took a hell lot of time to come out, about 3 seconds. This one was purplish green, maybe due to the beet roots that I had eaten last night. But no bubbles this time. Just pieces of undigested cucumber and peas. Density seems lighter than water. Texture – perfect !! Eeueeu..!! Not very scintillating for my nose though. Smells gross, and as if reading my mind, it sheepishly slips into the pot-hole without even sticking to the shiny pot the maid had cleaned last night.

Hmm…slight pressure released. I am on the cloud nine. Feeling free like a person who has just made his way out of the public toilet. But here the case is kinda opposite. I wonder why people give me that gross look when I say that I like spending time in the bogs. I mean, every single time I go for a visit to the toilet, my room-mate invariably says, “See ya in 15 mins, or maybe more!!!(Giggle.. giggle!!)”. Well well, as far as I am concerned, I don’t really care about how much time I spend in there. Believe me, its worth the happiness and satisfaction !

Now, its getting hot, kinda burning. The Dhaaba’s food had lots of spices. After spending some 14 mins in here, its time to go back. Damn !! Its washing time now. My mom had always told me to wash it with my left hand, but I always used the right one. I switched hands when I came here, dunno why. I open the tap and let the water come out. I wait for the red bucket to get completely filled up. That’s a practice I usually follow. After it is filled up, I dip both my hands into it and then start the ritual. The blue mug is generally kept beside it, so I fill it up – three-quarters full. Then I pour a little water into my left hand that is in the shape of a cup, stretch it backwards and wipe it off. Its very funny why the Americans use tissue paper to wipe it off. That way they never get to know the density, texture and temperature of the shit. It’s a really nice feeling to wash it slowly and steadily, feeling each and every granule of the ‘food of the past’. And when I have diarrhoea, its even better !!

The work is done. I am content. Tummy’s great, heart’s elated. I open the latch with my right hand and shoot straight towards the wash basin. Washing my hands is another great thing. Once that I done, I hop towards my room, my face shining with the joy of glory!!

Floating Stars

2005-12-24T11:47:00.000-08:00

Deserted flyover. Gray-white fog till the end of my sight. Black moon-less night. Black Sky. Chilly breeze. Temperature of 7.7 degrees. And to top it all, orange road lights floating in mid air.
This is how I saw Delhi. Yes, my Delhi at 1 am in the morning. The theme tune of 'Bluffmaster' still ringing in my ears, I was sitting at the front seat of the Hyundai which my pa was driving. After attending a wedding of one of pa's friends, we planned to watch a movie at the well know PVR Naraina. While discussing this plan with one of my friends via sms, the factors that it was 24th of December, Saturday night, Christmas eve etc etc were directing us to the fact that we wont get any tickets. But well, where there are fog lights, there is a way...so we managed to get three tickets for our family.
The movie got over soon, unlike many of the Indian movies and there was no crying involved. And I walked out of the hall, happily smoking in the foggy night..err..well I wasn't smoking SMOKING...I was just blowing air...It indeed was really chilly and my body hair could literally break the glass (for those of you who seem to find this altered sentence familiar, I deliberately changed a word !!) Anyways, it was one of the most beautiful nights I've ever seen. As we started off, clouds of fogs came running into the windscreen. The orange-yellow road lights lit like clusters of stars lay burning, suspended in mid air. And the most fascinating thing was that this was the only thing visible for meters ahead! No cycles. No trucks. No cars. Nothing. Just us..gliding away into the mist.
Who says we go to heaven after death. I just experienced it...alive!
This, my friends, is the most beautiful night of Delhi!

The Itch..withougt a Hitch!!

2005-12-22T04:41:00.000-08:00

WARNING:THIS WRITE-UP MAY NOT BE APPLEALING TO SOME STRATA OF PEOPLE, SPECIALLY THE ONES WITH WEAK STOMACHS!!

Well, now that I have given the warning above, I can freely write whatever I want to. Apparently, thats what most Indian movies do. Anyways, Indian movies is a topic I am never ever going to discuss on my blog atleast an if I ever discuss it...it shall be to ridicule them...pure insults!!
Now itching by the dictionary definition says - An irresistable desire to scratch. Very true indeed...and why not..after all its what the dic says(ps:from now on dictionary will be referred to as dic, people with corrupt minds may think whatever they want to!). Human behavior has defintely evolved over generations and itching is a topic which interests and amazes me a lot. Itching can surely happen at lots of places in the human body but only some of them are worth the fun...be it for writing or as a treat(?) to the eyes. Being an engineering student, I've always been taught to categorise and divide information that I am supposed to discuss...so here are the 'strategic' sites of Itching and their varied human responses:

1) Nose: Now this is one of my favourites. Itching in nose may arise due to entangling of nostril hair(this is generally with people blessed with an extraordinary growth of hair at odd places, and I am one of the blessed!), a pair of insects looking of a dark and eerie and place to make out, or just a desire to remove out the muck in the nose(when the muck starts losing moisture, its volume decreases as a result the hair in which it is stuck get pulled creating the itch! I like being scientifically precise in most my discussions! We shall give due respect to the muck by calling it Pixie).
The human brain is a volcano of creativity, oozing out of everywhere. Ergo, we see people doing interesting things. The very civilized ones make their way into the nearby washroom or use a hankerchief. On the other hand, the desperate ones will use the easiest technique. The will use the multipurpose weapon - The Finger. Dig it in, baby!! This infact, reminds me of the Whirlpool advertisement which goes - Oopar niche, aagey pichey, up and down, round and round! Bingo!! Pixie out of the cave, giving way to a satisfied grin.

2) The Groin: One of the most scratched areas! There are two causes for itching in this area: The elastic line of the clothing humans wear(?) to protect their private parts from various external or internal influences (or in one word-underwear) and active Sudoriferous glands(or sweat glands...well, cant do anyting about it!) For the followers of Joey, the second one is 'the most' crucial issue!
The Fingers again play a significant role in this too. Some of them cover their groin with a bag or a newspaper, slip their hand in and go SCRATCH SCRATCH...While others use Itchguard.

3) The Butt-line: Before discussing the causes, I want to make a comment about the after affect of the response. This brings the most...please see...THE MOST satisfying smile on a person's face. Trust me, if you've ever had an itch 'there', you would know! The cause is just one, dryness, so I personally keep a box of White Petrolem Jelly only for this purpose. No dryness=No itch!
The multipurpose weapon jumps in again. Diving into the hyperbolic cavity like a sharp katana blade, it...scratches...and scratches...and yeah...yes...yess....SCRATCHES...!!! AAAAHHHHH... divine relief...!!!

Well, there are other good places to describe like the armpits and the earlobes but I, like all people, have favourites.
So...
Ah, really sorry...my multipurpose weapon was in use bringing the most satisfied smile on my face!!!

When..??

2005-12-19T06:41:00.000-08:00

Sitting through the darkness, still,
Waiting for life to pass,
Watching the shadows move,
What is it that I want to ask?

Failures surrounding me all around,
Nearing deep into the past,
Often breaking the confidence,
Am I too slow to be fast?

When is it that light will tresspass,
The evergrowing path of mistakes?
When is it that I will be aware,
Of the time one success takes?

Sweating out all as work,
Bleeding more than I can,
I still dont see the faint glint,
What is this, man!

When will I glow with brightness?
When will things go right?
Well, all I know for now is,
That it wont happen without the inner light!

The Chauvinist..male obviously

2005-12-17T06:49:00.000-08:00

Time:8.20 pm...but considering the accuracy of The Indian S(tretchable)tandard Time...I would rather not comment on the exact time...aahh well...does it matter..!!

Place:Stinky computer room, Sharavati Hostel...the reason for it being stinky is that the proud users of the computers here get so involved in changing their hairstyle while reading the letters by their sweethearts ( i hope thats what they are doing, coz most of them give a shy smile out of the blue..!!), that they forget that circulation of air is very important for the health of the computers..and the users. PS: I dont know about the others but I have farted quite a few times right here !!

Right, moving on..the main reason I am writing this post is a mild form of male chauvinism that i experienced today. It was around 3.35 pm when my poor little tummy suddenly started growling. It was hunger for sure. So I lifted up my ass, threw a ten ruppee note in my pocket and walked out to spot for a plate of maggi noodles. Right there was this dude standing...i believe he was either an Mtech or an MSc chap. Alongside was a female...supposedly his batch mate. They were talkin something about their project. Though, I dont have a habit of listening to others' conversations, it becomes a little difficult to ignore when people are screaming at about 100 decibles at a distance of 2 feet from your basiliar membrane (for those of you who dont know what the last two words mean, trust me you wont lose anything if u took it as the ear!)

So, out of the 23 odd sentences the couple spoke...27.6 were spoken by the dude and -4.6 by the dudette. The reasons being : The dude had a habit of cutting the lady in the middle of the second word of her sentence, repeating what she had said in a higher volume, and finishing it off half way (that accounts for the 0.6!) He literally snatched words out of the lady's mouth, fed himself with them...and puked them all over her face creating an utter mess! I mean come on man, if u had to puke, let it be yours..!!

Well, so those five minutes were kinda painful. But the inner me was waiting to do a few things which I obviously had to control myself from doing...

1) Take the dude by the collar, give him a nice punch in the eye and say the golden words...F^&% O#$!!

2) Owing to my height which is just about 5 feet, and owing to his, which must've been around 6 feet...all I wanted to do was to get in the head down bull position and ram my head against his "area". That, atleast, would shut him up, orally, for some time and, sexually, forever !!

3) Burn up the lady's hair coz they were troubling my nostrils..!!

Aaah, but damn the maggi which arrived just in time for me to kick off from that place. All I could do was to curse the maggi in my hand for being so bloody hot..!!

Ending the whole thing on a serious note, I found this lovely poem on the net...ps: I am not a feminist but this poem was too good not to be put up:

WOMAN

That woman is a success who loves lifeand lives it to the fullest;

Who has discovered and shared the strengths and talents that are uniquely her own;

Who puts her best into each task and leaves each situation better than she found it;

Who seeks and findsthat which is beautiful in all people and things;

Whose heart is full of love and warm with compassion;

Who has found joy in living and peace with herself.

-Barbara J Burrow

Essence of Life

2005-12-09T10:34:00.000-08:00

Its 11.30 in the night. I look outside my window. It has been raining for quite some time now. Its all dark and wet outside, and something inside me compels me to believe that somewhere inside me is a child crying out of desperation to free herself. Maybe its because of the fact that life being so much like a meandering river with no obstacles coming by that despite how much effort one puts in to make the water agitate, it becomes calm after a handful of seconds. And it continues to flow with the same serenity as it was earlier.
The background noises fade into a disturbing hum to which my mind has stopped responding. Brain is feeling really lethargic like a proud snail perched up on a slimy pebble near the beach, with small tiny waves hitting the pebble from time to time. A shiver runs down my spine as a sudden wave of cold moist breeze hits my face through the window. The noise of raindrops falling on the ground fills up the air. The chaotic disturbances in the wave patterns on the stagnant water accumulated in the puddle outside astonishes me. Life isn’t always that predictable. Though, one might feel that he can foresee what’s coming up, it rarely happens that way. Its all in the mind I say. I have an exam the day after tomorrow and I still am unsure of my preparation. The thought that I can visualize myself sitting in the examination hall and struggling to get the answer of a question scares me, I know that I still cant tell what’s the “Day” is going to be like.
At times we perceive what we want to perceive and at times its just coz of the people around us want us to perceive. Have we ever stopped for a moment in our busy lives and wondered how it would be like if we just wanted to do the things we do for satisfaction, and not because we are a part of the rat-race around? Well, what I am saying is all very idealistic, but yet we do have moments in life when we just want to leave everything aside and be with ourselves, just ourselves! And that is the time when we actually realize that the things we are doing now contribute minimal in our lives. As once somebody has said, that if I am what I am coz you are what u are, then I am what I am and you are what you are…but if it’s the other way round, then nobody knows himself. The essence of the above statement lies in the fact that how much time one spends being himself. We wear masks in our lives, smiling ones, laughing ones, angry ones…even when we are not in that emotional state. But when have we just been ourselves? Taken off that mask and thrown in away, to face the world when its “looking” into your “face” ? I bet most of us fear that, and that’s pretty normal, but way off from a ‘satisfying normal’ ! Stripping off ourselves from all kinds of worldly fears, be it fear of failure, be it fear of losing someone you love or be it the fear of getting lost in the crowd. Opening the doors to let thoughts and ideas flow in along with dangers and confusions. But that’s what life is all about, right?. A young energetic river with rapids and eddies, not a lazy snail on a pebble. A bright green grasshopper popping in and out of the grass, not a hippo idling its time in a grubby pond. It’s a journey on a roller coaster, letting down your hair, feeling the wind across your face….its an adventure and that too with extreme risks. But one realizes that when he looks outside the window!

The Drop

2005-12-07T20:06:00.001-08:00

A huge dark could thundering,
Overhead, I see,
Filling up the space with its roar,
Shaking the inner me.

From the grasp of the big one,
A tiny drop squeezes out,
Elated and joyous,
Excitement filling in throughout.

So it starts its journey,
Falling aimlessly through the sky,
Shivering with ignorance,
Wishing its family a goodbye.

But it carries on,
Increasing its pace every inch,
Trying to meet its goal,
The victory it wants to clinch.

Alas, it reaches,
To where it had been predestined,
The earth was what it had once craved for,
With mud, it intertwined.

With or without effort,
It has received its gift,
To belong where it belongs,
Evading the drift.

Me

2005-12-06T22:11:00.000-08:00

An open window,
Thoughts pouring in,
Blossoming into ideas,
Making brain a hot kiln.

Floating truth,
Suspended view,
Seeping freshness,
Everything looks anew.

Hazy horizon,
Target is a silhouette,
Aimlessly gliding,
Perfecting the imperfect.

Alas,
The settled dust blows,
Reality revealed,
As the mind flows.

There lies the target,
A mirror I see,
Staring back,
The reality is me!

tHE mORNING!!

2005-12-06T06:07:00.001-08:00

Well, this pleasant experience of mine started today morning, early morning to be precise. It was the second day of our exams getting over and we(me and a couple of my friends, my roommate and neighbour) had just returned from the movie ‘Flight Plan” at around 12.30 on Sunday, December 04, 2005. Rejuvenating ourselves, we thought of staying up all night coz my roommate had to leave at 5.20 am for her train to Delhi (departure:6.20 am) from Chennai Central. So, according to the ‘plan’, we started watching another movie on my comp, Momento. Lying down on the bed, we started. But there were a couple of little facts that we failed to consider.

1) My dear roommate, one of the early risers, had always seen the day from the other side (the one common to IITians only during desperate exam times)
2) My room neighbour had this extraordinary ability to start snoring the moment she hit the bed

So, basically, one hour into the movie, and I was the only one staring into the comp. Strangely, I had no idea why I was nowhere close to sleepy. But on the request of my roommate, I crashed off. The last thing I knew was that my roomie had put about 3 alarms to wake her up at 4.00 am. Period.

The next sound I heard was the banging at my door from my neighbour who woke both of us up at 4.56 am. Hang on a minute! 4.56 am?? Who am I…Where am I…(I am always disoriented after a nap!) Not a very good time to ask these questions….I shake my roomie up. We stare at each other in an emotion pretty indescribable. Again a couple of reasons,

1) We were woken up by a person whom we least expected to be woken up, coz as I had mentioned earlier, she rocked when it came to crashing.
2) My roomie, who could get up by the sound of the whiff of a blade 10 kms from her, didn’t get up even after setting 3 alarms…alarming..!!!

Anyways, we continued to stare till we realized that we had actually crashed as if we had passed out (ps: it was just a guess, I still haven’t taken a shot!) And then, all the normal things continued.

At 5.27 am, we bid her a goodbye and came back to our rooms. Now what? For the past few days, I’ve actually discovered a really nice friendship blossoming…and mind it..its true friendship and not ‘love’ or ‘crush’ or blah blah blah…as many people might have already started calling it. And I’ve been waking this friend of mind every morning (he is also a bit lousy in getting up!) Today, he has his busy routine of exercises starting at 6.00 am, and I knew he would really not expect me to get up and wake him up that early. So, I had this brainwave of not sleeping for some more time, and give him a pleasant surprise right in the morning…and pleasant it was, really pleasant!
So, its 6.14 now…and I am thinking…Should I go for a jog?

Happiness...

2005-12-06T05:58:00.000-08:00

How many times in a day does your heart pounce with true happiness? How many times do we genuinely giggle? How many times do we stand in the open drizzle and look up at the drops falling into our eyes? Hmm…shockingly, very less!!
Strangely, I’ve experienced a lot of these things…in fact I experience it every now and then. My friends out here call me a bubbly and energetic person, who is always full of enthusiasm and zeal. But at times I wonder what is it that keeps me going? Is it the weather…is it the nature…is it my group of friends? And every time I do this analysis, there is only one thing that comes to my mind…it’s a mixture of everything, to be frank…it’s the smallest things we overlook most of the time.
A warm hug of a close friend, long half an hour daily chats on the phone with a person you see and spend time with everyday, an affectionate pat on the back from a buddy, an open hearted laughter on the silliest jokes ever cracked, a rub on the arms when nights get cold, getting completely drenched from head to toe in the rain, observing the cuddled up puppies outside the hostel entrance, sitting at the beach and staring at the waves hitting the shore, eating an ice-cream during the shivering weather….

Ever wondered what real joy is? Where is lives? When it comes? I say, that life has its own subtle ways of giving joy…some we notice and others we don’t. But invariably they are all there around us. The ones who notice them, live, others just exist!