Serendipity

Metamorphosis (Part II)

2011-01-09T17:33:00.001-08:00

Metamorphosis (Part II)

2010-11-27T13:48:00.000-08:00

The car turned into the gate; she stared at the shimmering canopy of lights. She could hear the loud thumping music at a distance and feel the festive joy in the air. She did NOT want to be there. She was all dressed up in her green salwar, an emerald choker around her neck. She pushed her hair off her brow and tucked it behind her ear and touched the emerald earrings that adorned them- her grandmother's.

The car came to a halt in front of a huge archway made of white roses. She stepped out into this temporary phase of razzle-dazzle, dreading every minute of the fake smiles and hugs and the meaningless small talk that was to ensue. The music got louder with every step that she took, she took a deep breath and kept walking..

She stepped on the stage with her mother, to go and wish the bride and groom and stood for the customary picture when suddenly a laugh distracted her. She looked to see where the sound had come from and that is when she saw him. Dressed in a white kurta, with the sleeves rolled up, hands in his pocket, talking to an elderly woman and charming her with his dimpled smile. She wondered who he was. 'Thank you!', the photographer called out. She hugged the bride again and followed her mother off the stage.

Having unwillingly completed the ordeal of exchanging the usual pleasantries, she excused herself and walked out of the hall, away from the high-pitched laughter, away from those ridiculous air-kisses and away from the plastic smiles. The sound of the sea was something she had always loved, she listened intently ignoring the din from the party. She spotted a vacant swing and decided to sit there a while. The salty breeze blew gently on her face as she dug her feet deeper into the sand. She finally felt real again.

Her eyes fixed on the full moon above, she started humming a tune that had been stuck in her head all evenings. Gently swinging back and forth, she thought of the summers she had spent at her grandparent's place, trying out dare devil feats on the swing by the mango tree. Such a long time ago that seemed like.

"Hey"

Naina snapped back into reality.

"Aren't you a little old to be on the swing?"

She frowned. "I'm sorry, I didn't know there was an age limit", she said sarcastically as she slipped her shoes back on.

"Ha ha ha oh god, I was just kidding you know."

"Never mind, I had to go anyway". She adjusted her drape and looked up.

Her skin, glowing under the moonlight and the breeze moving through her hair, her surreal beauty left him speechless.She turned around to walk away, back towards the party.

"Hey hey I'm sorry, did you take offence?"

She turned back, " Don't worry about it."

He raced up ahead of her. "Oi, listen, I was kidding yaar."

Naina smiled. "I know. And it's ok. Yaar."

"Those are really pretty earrings by the way."

"Thanks."

"Ummm I'm Rithvik."

"Nice meeting you Rithvik."

She walked away, and he watched on, listening to the clinking of her bangles. He slapped the back of his head. "Douchebag," he said to himself.

Her mom was still busy talking when she stepped back into the hall, she decided to just show her face and walk away before she got stuck in the pretencious talk again. All the 'kids' her age were in the disco in the basement. She decided to go have a look, atleast that would be better than listening to old ladies gossip. Soon she was also swaying and shaking to the latest 'bollywood' songs with a group of girls her age whom she had just befriended.Jumping and dancing to the beats, she let her dislike for her dad's family go. She was finally having fun.

"Sajna ji vaari vaari....."

"Ow!"

"I'm so so sorry, I didn't mean to do that".

She had stepped on someone's foot, she looked up to see who it was.

"Haha, no worries yaar. My punishment for the earlier comment."

" I really am very sorry, are you ok?"

"Well, you're wearing what looks like a 4 inch long pencil heel, what do you think?", he pointed at his toes and wiggled them.

Naina smiled.

"Why did you stop? Dance no", he pulled her hand and dragged her into the crowd again.

He was studying to be a doctor,he loved his bike and his two dogs and he would not shut up. She laughed at his silly stories as they continued dancing. She'd forgotten when she had had so much fun.

Metamorphosis (Part I)

2010-07-15T22:27:00.000-07:00

The rolling of the sea waves is said to be one of the most relaxing sounds, and yet every time a wave hits the sandy shore, it echoes voices from the past. With every receding wave, I seem to be pulled into the dark closet of memories. They say when you look at a full moon, you see the face of the one you love and yet somehow no matter how much i gaze, the moon too disappoints me.. Even mother nature seems to be punishing me for the change..

As I walk across the study to replace a book, i glance at the reflection in the mirror. The silver grey strands that fell over her shoulders and unto her knees. The once bronze toned skin which shone in the summer sun, now pale, translucent and almost lifeless. Her oval face now lined with wrinkles hardly resembled the face that had made hundreds of men catch their breath. Those ruby lips now thin trembling lines, and lost, sorrowful hazel eyes..

I almost gasped when I saw her in the mirror, I stepped closer to the ivory frame to have a closer look at the reflection..

A pale trembling hand stretching out to me,I looked up, our eyes met..

I-Spy

2010-04-12T02:30:00.000-07:00

I open the door to fetch the paper in the morning and i notice that they're already there.. As usual, sitting in the corner near the staircase. They look up when they see me and fall silent. I interrupted their gossiping session yet again..They continue giving me those hostile stares until i walk away..Thats just the first encounter for the day...

There're always snooping around.. no matter where i go, they're always there.. it is as though they're spying on me.. it's stupid i try telling myself.. or is it now??

I get done with breakfast and get ready to leave.. Drawing the curtains in the hall i look outside to see if my friend has come, and i see them again.. Peering from the open window.. Their eyes meet mine and they quickly move away.. One of them turns back to check if i'm still looking.. I am.. they move more quickly..

They're most definitely up to something i think but my phone buzzes just in time and i leave..

X****************************************************X

I've had a long day and the last thing i want is a pesky spy.. I look around.. not a sight of them Whew..

Maybe i'll go for a drive to the beach. I walk towards the car and there they are. A satisfied smirk on their face. Their job is done. Ugh!

I drive away quickly before they can do anything else.. A nice drive ought to relax me..

X****************************************************X

Ah! the sound of the sea, how peaceful, unlike their constant murmurs.. I pick up food and head home hoping i don't have to see them again at least for the day..

I park the car.. Not sign of them.. I walk up the stairs.. Not the slightest whimper..

I open the door and step in.. AH!! peace!!

I leave the food packet on the table and walk in to my room.. I feel something move behind me. I turn quickly.. Noone..

I shut the door and pull a shirt out of my cupboard.. I hear a murmur.. I step back into the dinning room and quickly turn the lights on.. i notice the open window.. Too late!! They're taken by surprise and come flying at me..

X****************************************************X

The door bell rings, i open the door. My mother's jaw drops when she sees the ransacked room..

"WHAT on earth happened here?"

" We had visitors", i shrug and point to the window.

"OH GOD!!! The pigeons again!!"

Habit!

2010-03-28T00:50:00.000-07:00

Ever wondered how many people one meets in one's life? And I mean meet.. like exchanging at least two lines of conversation..

Let's assume I've met 2 new people everyday.. So thats 2 x 365 people in a year..

So in all my life, it should be 20 x 365 x 2 people..

ok ok i know i haven't taken into account leap years, but it's not a mathematical theory that i'm trying to prove here..

What i'm saying is, each one of us happen to meet so many people everyday. But how many of these people do you continue to talk to after that first meeting? How many of them stick on and make a mark in your life? How many of them become a habit?

I've waited all this time

Counting minutes as they pass

Searching for a sign
Wishing for the best
And just when my hopes were wearing thin
You turned my heart to love again

Like a miracle out of the blue
You rescued me like the angels do
You shook the heavens and cracked the sky
When you walked...when you walked into my life

When you appeared
Like sight to the blind
Like music to my ears
Like a reason to a rhyme
And just when I thought my chance was gone
Love came to me with open arms

You search all your life looking for the perfect one, and when you least expect it, they walk into your life and turn your world around..

And hey, it's not just the 'arrow pierces heart' kind of love that i'm talking about here, I mean friends too..

People whom you may have known for quite a while, but never been close to (because of your notions of what you want in a friend) are the ones who end up being closest to for a long long time..
You start seeing things differently, start enjoying every ounce of life and well, 'welcome love with open arms'

Slowly, without you even realizing, they become a part of your routine and going a day without speaking to them just feels so excruciatingly painful!!! Gah!!

I could be a total cliche and say ' I don't have words to pen down how much i love you and how much you mean to me'. But that just isn't me. I believe that man invented language to satisfy his deep need to complain. And that's exactly what i intend to do.. COMPLAIN!!!

I'll come clean, shed my ego and honestly tell you that my day seems incomplete without you.
It feels odd not to see your name flash on my phone at least once everyday. Your stupid smile flashes in front of my eyes, and i miss hearing that familiar voice..
I know I keep pushing you away, but it's only so that you hold me closer.. Ever so often i stay silent when we speak, it's not because i have nothing to say to you, it's because i want you to understand the unsaid.

I'm not the most expressive person on the planet, and i don't say it often enough, but you mean the world to me!

I know people move, times change, but that doesn't mean we should.. and no matter where we are, i want the bond between us to always stay the same..

I can't go any further then this
I want you so badly, it's my biggest wish

I spent my time just thinkin thinkin thinkin bout you
Every single day yes, i'm really missin' missin' you
And all those things we use to use to use to do

Meet me halfway, right at the boarderline
That's where i'm gonna wait, for you
I'll be lookin out, night n'day
Took my heart to the limit, and this is where i'll stay

I'll travel round the world and even sail the seven seas
Across the universe I'll go to other galexies
Just tell me where you want, just tell me where you wanna to meet
I'll navigate myself myself to take me where you'll be
I wanna to have you around like every single day
I love you always..way

(Sigh!!! It does feel good to vent out.. Come Back Already you 'royal' pain.. I Miss you)

We are each our own devil, and we make this world our hell.

2010-01-15T05:16:00.000-08:00

They look at me and they know I'm different, they know I'm not one of them and perhaps i never will be..

They love the sun and welcome it with open arms, i cringe away from the blazing sol.. They bring out their silly little umbrella's when the heaven's roar, while i come out from behind the shadows and acknowledge the deluge and 'bask' in the flurry..

They seem to be ignorant to that 'scent'.. That scent that exudes from their skin, from every molecule that makes them, that scent that flows in them and with them, while I can smell it from miles away.. Every time that pungent odour hits me, i feel like 'going for their throat'...

They fumble while carrying the lightest of bags and stare at me as i stride past them with my 30 kg backpack without flinching even once.. They comment about my strength.. Little do they know..

They stare as my eyes glisten in the light, the shade of a smoked topaz perhaps.. They check in the mirror at their own..

They loudly slurp down fish and rice, and wait for me to do the same.. I get quizzical looks as i push my plate away.. Little do they know about my own 'special little diet'

They observe my strong jaw line as compared to their round faces.. My long fingers as compared to their short stumpy appendages.. My sharp distinct features as compared to their stereotypes.. They know i do not belong in their world..

I hear their constant buzzing, somethings they say, some things they don't and i still hear.. I laugh at their 'loud thoughts' and they stare at me again.. Looking at my teeth that are framed by my scarlet lips, they gasp as the light twinkles off the tip of my canines..

They wonder who i am.. They wonder why i'm different..

They look, they stare,

to themselves my features they compare..

They think, they ponder

and still look back with wonder..

they'll never solve the mystery that is me..

I am neither good, nor bad, neither angel nor devil, I am a man, I am a vampire.

(Ok ok i'm not a vampire, but i do feel like one with the weird looks i get every time i'm back 'home'.. I don't look like them, neither do i speak like them and this irritates them... They keep trying to figure me out as i switch my speech from one language to the other, from one accent to the next.. I can't stand eating fish and i'm not a big fan of rice, but what i do like is confusing those several people who stare at me and wonder where i came from, Being an enigma can be fun..Being a fraud mallu can be fun )

The penn pens down her puns! (Part 1)

2009-12-30T22:25:00.000-08:00

I just realized how much i like penning down my thoughts and now that i'm quite literally 'penning' it down, it makes for a good pun.

Now now, don't get frightened by the title and the opening sentence. No matter how 'punny' i might be, i don't intend to make your eyes and ears bleed (or lets atleast hope not)

Talking about making ears bleed, you know why i luvvv ( emphasis on the 'v'.. this is a new obsession i picked up from someone) travelling?? OK, there are a LOT of reasons, but one of them is the amazing conversations that you get to overhear. Some you may directly be a part of, some you over hear.

I'm more of a silent observer so i end up hearing more 'interesting' conversations than being a part of them. Come now, don't give me that eye-roll and brand me as an eavesdropper. You can't blame me if people around me decide to speak really loudly in languages i'm familiar with can you ;)

It's as if fate wants me to document these guffaw worthy conversations.. and thats exactly what i intend to do..

(In an hilariously interesting order, here goes)

#1 You're my honey-bunch, sugarplum, pumpy-umpy-umpkin!

Everyone has their first crush at a different age.. I've seen my friends go gaga over Hrithik Roshan post 'Kaho Na Pyaar Hai' ( and that was like nearly 10 years back). I've seen my friends write 'love letters' out to a guy in my class as early as the 3rd standard.. And i've even heard of some friends having an innocent crush on their kindergarten teachers.. Me? well i had my first crush just a few months back.. Yes, i AM romantically challenged..

So this was a conversation i heard on a bus from the Kochi to Guruvayur, between the teo 'young ladies' who were sittinng in front of me. Now before i start with their actual conversation, let me describe them for you..

The first one, lets call her Riya was all of 4 feet. Dressed in denim capris teamed with a white shirt with Hannah Montana's face on it, she sure was in touch with the current fashion for an 8 year old.

Her friend/ cousin, who looked slightly older, lets call her Priya looked far more simpler than our uber modern Riya unless ofcourse you were more observant. Priya had obviously sneaked into her mother's vanity case and had tried on some blue eyeshadow (to go with her outfit ofcourse) and had a different nail color on every nail.. Which brings us back to our conversation..

Riya: You're wearing eye-shadow va?

Priya: Ammaam, first i thought i'd wear my new green dress but my green eyeshadow is over, so i thought i'd wear blue itself.

Riya: Cha! so lucky you are, my amma doesn't let me touch her makeup. But why are you wearing different colored nail polish on each finger?

Priya: It's couture!!

Riya: Oh couture is a new brand uh? i wear only lakme

Priya: No No. Couture means 'Style'

Riya: oh apdiya? But if i wear like this and all, my boy friend won't like it.

*Deepti falls of her seat*

Priya: What?? you have a boy friend uh??

Riya: Ya, this is my third boyfriend.. Why? You don't have uh??

Priya: Ofcourse i have * VERY defensive tone* but i'm fighting with him now.. um.. so what's your boy friend's name?

Riya: His name is Swaadhistan, but i call him Swadoo *blush*

*Deepti thinks she's going to puke*

Priya: oh oh ok.. So you love him uh?

Riya: Ya ya.. look *points at plastic 'tweety' ring* He gave me this.

Priya: That's cute, but my boy friend gives me real jewelry *points at her chain which has heart locket on it* MY boyfriend gave me this for my birthday.

*Deepti searches for hard object to bang her head against*

Riya: Do you think you'll marry your boyfriend?

Priya: Let's see ya.. right now i'm having a fight with him because i saw him holding hands with his ex.. she sits in the bench next to his, so they get to talk during classes also. I've to sit in the front row cos of my height.. If they get back together, then that's all

* Deepti decides to jump off bus, but thankfully Riya's mom comes to check on them and the girls hush up*

Ah! young love, so naive, so immature, so .. so.. so.. BARF-WORTHY!!

#2 Love love me do.. How do i propose, if only i knew..

This i heard in the waiting lounge at the Kochin airport. There's this thing about Mallus.. they talk a lot.. and i mean, a LOT!! and they don't mind being overheard, infact sometimes they want to be.

So there i was, looking as Maru as possible with all my shiny bling and mehendi adorned hands (hey, I had an engagement to attend), one out of the three occupants of the lounge.. The other two, were these two mallus, airport helpers,lets call them meesai1 and meesai2

(the convo which was originally in mallu has been translated, not cos yu don't know mallu but cos i don't know mallu pronunciations :P)

Messai 1: Dude, look at that north-indian sitting there.. looks our age only..

Messai2: huh? hmm..

Messai1: What's with you dude? Things bad with shajeena?

Messai2: hmm..No.. thing is, things are getting serious.

Messai1: Serious? what're you talking bout bro?

Messai2 * pulls out a ring* i'm thinking of proposing to her

Messai1: WOAH!!!

Messai2: Thats all you're gonna say?

Messai1: Well what else did yu expect me to.. its suicide dude

Messai2: But i really love her.. tell me.. how do i propose

Messai1: Get down on your knees and shove the ring in her face... If she says NO, run for it before she changes her mind, if she says yes, jump from the nearest building.

Messai2: NOT funny!

Messai1: OK, hmm whats her favourite flower?

Messai2: I don't know

Messai1: OK, whats her favourite chocolate?

Messai2: I don't know

Messai1: What DO yu know bout her?

Messai 2: that i'm in love with her.. * laughs*

Messai 1: oh please.. ok where did yu meet her for the first time?

Messai2 : On a bus.

Messai1: That's it then

Messai2: What's it.

Messai1; ask her out on a bus.

Messai2: er? on a bus??

Messai1: yea dude.. when she passes money for the ticket, pass her a ring back with the ticket

Messai2: if i'm with her, why wud i make her buy the ticket?

Messai1: OK, make the conductor give her the ring.

Messai2: Then she'll think the conductor is proposing to her.

Messai1: Point.. Take her on a long bus trip and get her groundnuts

Messai2: How will that help?

Messai1: Shove the ring into her cone of groundnuts..

Unfortunately, that is when i had to leave.. So i'm still wondering how that guy asked his girlfriend out.. I mean i've heard of many a 'nutty' proposal, but this sure beats them all.. ;P

The 'Saal Ka Last With a Blast' Series

2009-12-22T23:28:00.000-08:00

Most people are known to take resolutions in the new year, ( and give it up two weeks into the year) but I'm thinking, why not change traditions a bit??

I mean when you give up your traditions so early in the year you're loomed with a sense of guilt (for a while at least), so why not adopt a technique where you can try something new, and give it up before you get bored of it..

Presenting, the 'Saal ka last with a Blast' plan..

Well, every year you start off with ambitious dreams of what you want that year to be like and you'd have barely done anything on this list of yours by the end of the year.. I know that's true for me.. For instance, i wanted to start swimming again this year..( I went for precisely one week, caught a cold and gave up).

I wanted to bell the CAT this year (hehehehe hahahaha hohohohoh.. OK I'm not even gonna start on that)

I wanted to make more time for my friends( Considering i haven't met my best friend who lives like 3 kilometers away in over 2 months, THAT resolution clearly didn't happen)

But but but, the saal ka last with a blast ( phew it's a task to type that every time, let's just call it sklwab) is not about reminiscing(?!) the past, but kicking ass in the future..

So here's the plan, there's a week to new years and I'm gonna squeeze in as much of my resolutions into this one week..

Starting with writing more often ( considering i might have to disappear to mallu land where the Internet is slower than a pregnant snail, this might be tough. But i can always write out posts the old school way and publish online later.. muahahaha that way, i can even cheat :P )

Get back to swimming ( THIS is VERY achievable..yay!! )

Read all the books I'd picked up this year.

Staying connected with my friends ( errrr again a toughie since i wont be in town.. but the three days to new years are full on dedicated to them)

And the list probably goes on and on and on.. i mean after all it's not just for new years that we make resolutions..

So there it is.. my BIG PLAN.. wish me luck!!

The Saga Continues..(Part 2)

2009-11-27T04:46:00.000-08:00

After a happy family dinner, we were back home.. I wondered how to spend the last few hours of my 'teenage' life.. I decided to pull down all the photo albums and the diaries from the years gone by.. There's something about going through ones old photos that livens up one's spirits.. you can't help but smile when you see a picture of yourself in a funny costume that you had to wear for a school play or a picture of you making funny faces at the camera on your first excursion outside the state.. I was enjoying the company of the 'ghost of the birthdays past'..

The sweet smell of vanilla mixed with the seductive scent of chocolate floated through the air... Lost in the downpour of memories, i had forgotten to check on my parents.. I had assumed they were asleep.. I listened, but all i could hear was muffled whispers.. i stepped out of my room, the entire house was dark except for a lone candle in the drawing room.. I took timid steps towards the candle.. I thought i heard a giggle..

Confetti flew in the air and the lights came on..

All the people i'd been looking at in my photo albums, stood in front of me now, all of them wearing a party hat and singing for me.. There was giggling, there was teasing but mostly there were just warm tight hugs..

So you think a picture is worth a thousand words?? Well, a hug is worth all the memories and the love associated with each of those memories that these simple words describe..

I was finally 20.. and i was loving every minute of my new life!!

The Saga Continues..(Part1)

2009-11-22T11:04:00.000-08:00

( OK, i know this post is like a month overdue, but like i always say, better late than never :) )

I've always been scared of commitments of any form and quite frankly, i HATE change.... Changing schools, taking decisions, making new friends- its always been scary for me.. Call me a gutless mallu, but that's just how i am. And thus i find birthdays scary..

Confused? Well as you grow older, you have more responsibilities. and you need to be committed enough to these new responsibilities to do a half decent job.. NIGHTMARE!!!!

I'd been thinking of this very same nightmare for a while now and the daily birthday countdowns that my friends were giving me, the cards that were coming in and the constant birthday discussions were just making things work..

It's the last year of college, and maybe I'll be working the next year or perhaps I'll be doing my PG.. My head'd been spinning thinking about the responsibilities that were to fall on my head soon and the change that I'd have to encounter.. Every message that came in reminding me about my birthday felt like the loud ticking of a time bomb about to burst.. No matter how much my friends tried to show me the brighter side, my brain refused to accept there was anything good about growing older..

Dad'd just come back from a really long tour, and i was moping around oblivious to everything other than the loud ticking of 'the time-bomb'. We decided to go out for dinner, hoping that that would change my mood, at least temporarily.. I decided to drive:- grown up act #1..

My parents were talking about grad school.. but (thankfully) there was enough traffic to distract me..

A bunch of hooligans overtook suddenly from the right..My mum noticed the 'cute' guys in the car.. Dad commented on their 'uber sexy' tyres... I swore loudly, cursing the mindless brats( much to my dad's amusement and ma's shock):- grown up act #2..

We reached besant nagar ; i fussed about the lack of parking space and frowned at a skimpily dressed teenager.. :-grown up act #3..

My phone buzzed.. "yet another reminder", i thought as i crossed the road.. And thats when my dad took my hand.. He wrapped his fingers around mine, like he always did when i was little and pulled me along as he crossed the road..When we reached the other side, he patted my head and smiled. "No matter how old you are, you'll always be my little girl"

I looked at my phone to check the message.. it was F.O.F..

"Age is an issue of mind over matter, if you don't mind, it doesn't matter".

That's when it struck me, it didn't matter if i was turning 20 or 70. I would always be my daddy's little girl, i would always have the love of my friends... I could do whatever i wanted to do and be whoever i wanted to be.. no matter how old i was cos I'd always have people i could fall back on and who make every day of my existence a wonderful experience..

Somehow, the countdown didn't seem threatening now..

" Tick tock tick tock..4 more hours left of your teens" read the next message..

I smiled.. "four more hours before the start of a new adventure"

Guess who's back!

2009-11-10T10:26:00.000-08:00

I was watchin Julie and Julia yesterday and watching Julie Powell's eyes light up every time she had a new recipe to blog about reminded me about how much i loved narrating funny happenings or venting my frustration through my blog.

Things've been coming up one after the other and I've found no time to write.. something that i adore. Its not that there hasn't been much to write about.. trust me there's lots.. Its just that I've not been finding time.. rather I've not made an effort to make time for it..

Writing a sarcastic love letter will not help me this time, but i know i need to pursue my passions and writing is one of them..

if i could quote a line from the movie to describe my blog:

" you are the butterto my bread and the breath to my life"

well actually i reckon that quote works well for all my passions, and so here's hoping, i find more time to pursue all that i love!

The one on nicknames

2009-09-26T23:40:00.000-07:00

(This was supposed to be written instead of the previous post, but wats a good story without a prologue right? )

Now nicknames are very interesting, cos there're memories behind each nickname a person has. And each story is just as goofy and just as interesting as the other.. And your true identity is always hidden in your nickname ( or so at least i like to believe)

F.O.F ( new comers look at previous posts to find out who F.O.F is) and I were having another of our random conversations in the middle of the night when we came to the topic of nicknames.. Now he's got a very nice name, but its boring ( and a tad bit formal) to use a person's name in every conversation.. Nicknames are somehow more personal and a whole lot more fun. Thus began a night long conversation on suitable nicknames for each other.. Now as always i shall start with another story and come back to the interesting conversation i had ( what can i say, i love the air of suspense.. told yu i could be a drama queen)

So here's the story of my first nickname..

You know how kids pick up words ending with vowels more easily.. and most times they're repeated vowels.. for instance words like 'tata' and 'mumma' and the likes.. Well i was no exception.. Though my mum had tonnes of mallu names to call me by (read molu), i decided to coin an all new word of my own- 'Dappa' ( pronounced the same way as 'cuppa')

What logic went behind the invention of this name i know not.. But ever since i could speak, i called myself dappa.. and anything around me had to be prefixed with dappa.. for instance instead of jus askin for chocolate, i'd say 'dappa choco give' or instead of saying ' i don't want to go to school', i'd say 'dappa school no'.. Now everyone thought that it was incredibly cute ( Not jus the name, but the way i associated everything to the name/word dappa) and so the name stuck on..

And over the years, several other 'names' have emerged from this simple name.. Such as 'Double-u' ( coined by my mom's brother, after the weird way in which i can twist my eyebrows)

'Dappu' ( come on, its the comman cliche' right, the ending with 'u' name)

'Dapp'

So thats bout the 'name' i gave myself ( and as boring as this post might be to you, i'm having incredible fun walkin down memory lane or should i say 'funny name' lane)

Then there were the series of 'Deep' related names, like Deepu, Deep and what not.. But one of my all time favourites is 'Dips'.. Somethin my dad gave me.. and incidentally its also wat F.O.F has started calling me..

These were the 'normal' names, and now for the silly ones..

Lets go in order shall we..

Enter 4th grade, there comes a guy (Kumaresh i think his name was)

You know the whole ' the boy teases yu cos he secretly likes yu' story right, well apparently this guy DID like me, but i sure din like him for the weird nickname he gave me.. I'd jus come bak from Delhi, and no matter how mallu my family is, we prefer eating roti to rice.. So paranthas were a usual lunch..

And thus the boy decides to call me- *wait for it*- 'CHAPPATI!!!! Apparently it rhymes with Deepti.. So all through primary and middle school this guy and his 'gang' call me chappati.. (Till 8th when i finally realized i could do something about it and ended up punching the guy)

Next.. We're in 9th and guys have started lookin beyond 'Pokemon' and started discovering girls.. Now i was this tall, THIN thing in school and most guys were too shy to come and speak to me ( it could've also been the fact that most of them were afraid to talk to the 'teacher's daughter')

Now i'm the 9th grader's definition of 'hot' and nothing describes me better than a matchstick, so there yu have it, they started calling me ' THEEPETTI' ( which means match stick, or rather match box)

Next stop, 11th grade.. I'm the nerdy dancer/ artist who keeps to herself but when let lose, cracks crazy jokes and is basically fun to hang out with.. Then starts a fad, i started scribbling the initials 'dp' wherever i go.. On benches, on the floor, in all the text books, i write it EVERYWHERE in different styles.. The trend setter that i am, suddenly everyone starts spellin their name this way.. Divi (short for Divya) became DV.. Vaish (short for Vaishnavi) became YC and so on.. And so, for my kooky trends, i was christened Dippy ( or dp)

College was next.. Nothin interesting happened till my second year, when finally the triplets were formed!! Now i'd taken an oath of sorts to stop swearing.. Hence everytime i wanted to curse someone, i'd refer to them as a bumboola or a bumboo or jus plain bum.. Thus the name bumboo stuck to me( Vedha apparently yawns like a cat, hence she became Billi and supri who jus cant seem to keep her mouth shut became Blabber)

Those were all the names i have and like, and you never know, i might gain more as life moves on..And someday when I'm all old and grey and I'm signing some voucher at office, I'll think of all the names i have/ had and I'll have somethin to laugh about..

Love,

Bumboo/ Dips/ Dippy/ Theepetti/ Chappati

Ps. I forgot to tell yu what i called F.O.F... apparently the guy is 'slightly' scared of crossing roads and the first time we hung out, he literally sprinted across an empty road, so i named him 'road runner' or R.R. for short.. he loves the name, i love his company, all is good in the world \m/

What's in a name??

2009-09-21T08:05:00.000-07:00

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell just as sweet."

One of the most popular quotes in the world, any bum who's not even heard of Shakespeare would still know this quote.. Which brings us to the topic of names.. What IS in a name?

They give a person an identity (erm ok but what do you do if your name is Shruthi and you're in a class filled with 7 other Shruthi's.. 2 with the same initial even?)

They speak about the person you are (again lets take the name Shruthi.. I know a couple who are absolutely tone deaf.. so much for maintaining 'Shruthi')

Everyone has a story behind their name (or nameS as most people I know have 'house names' and 'school names'.. yea I've never really figured that out myself)

One can be named after the star you were born under, after a much loved deceased relative, after one's favourite actor, or worst.. after an old flame..

Some families follow the letter obsession. You know, having all the children named with the same letter ( Classic example, a friend of my Dad called Gurumurthy, married Ganga and they decided to call their kids Gautham and Gowri.. Now that makes it easier for us cos we jus refer to them as the 'G's)

I have a story behind my name as well, before which i shall tell you what i was *shudder* almost named..

I was born a few months after my great grand mother's demise ( and she much like my grandfather had predicted that the child to be born-me!! would be a girl)

And when i was born they saw that i resembled her ( well yea, i was born bald like a lot of babies are and since she was dying of cancer, she din have much on her head towards her end.. and the baby wrinkles and the toothlessness contributed to my uncanny 'resemblance')

Hence some old kook (one of my mum's many uncles) decided i should be called 'PadmavathyKuttiAmma' after my great grandma..

My dad who was in Bahrain that time flew down just in time to save me!!

So then it was (thankfully) up to my parents to name me..

Mum wanted me to be named Shruthi ( now you know why i used that as an example :) )

Reason being she 'knew' I'd have a nice voice and well she wanted my name to begin with an 'S' as well since my brother's did.

Dad had better plans.. He wanted me to be called Deepti- one who brings light.. He gave everyone a 2 hour discourse on how this child- me!!! had brought in happiness into every one's otherwise grey existence..

People who'd been brooding over two recent deaths, now had something to smile about.. 'The birth of a new life'

He had just got promoted, and my brother (who always came second in class, losing by a few points to a sindhi girl) had finally come in first. So i was obviously the bearer of good news, the one who one who brought a 'glow' onto faces with my toothless baby yawns.. the one who brought 'warmth' to their dark cold days..

(Long story short my dad bull crapped for two hours cos he wanted me to be named after some form of light as well. His name's Pradeep, my brother is Sandeep.. My cousins are Divya, Diya and Deepak. And well he wanted another "deep" in the family)

So that's how i became Deepti.. and from this name came a hoard of nicknames. some interesting, some confusing and some just plain hilarious..But more on that in the next post..

The drumroll

2009-09-12T04:09:00.000-07:00

Ever noticed how the most random yet the most interesting conversations start after the clock strikes twelve? There's something to these late night conversations that bring out the best of the philosopher and comedian in you. I personally think I've been at my witty best only in the wee hours of the morning..

The conversation could be one online, a call ( though this isn't always a great idea to have with just about anyone, so late in the night) and of course the ever dear sms.. I personally have introduced several mortals to the wonderful world of 20 messages per minute. I have several tired fingers cramped hands to my name. And as gory as the last message sounded, i take great pride in this 'achievement' of mine..

My latest achievement has been this friend of a friend ( why take names, right :P )

You know how sometimes it takes you a couple of years to get to know a person and feel close to them while with certain others all it takes is a conversation to feel like you've shared a lifetime of friendship with them? Well this friend of a friend ( F.O.F lets call him) belonged to the latter, and all it took us was a countable number of messages for us to 'bond'..

Now ever since vedha has started working and supri has moved in with her grand mum, neither of them stay up late. Thus a nocturnal creature like me can get pretty lonely in the night, not having anyone to share the eeriness of the night and the random thoughts with. That's where our nocturnal hero, mr F.O.F played a pivotal role, turns out he was pretty much a vampire himself, and thus grew a friendship known only to the shadows of the darkness.

Random comments about mallus, hang outs in the city, pretentious peers and many such topics formed part of our conversation with each of us trying to outdo the other with our response. Though i think last night's conversation is worth a mention..

F.O.F is coming for a play i'm helping organize and so he'd asked me to arrange for tickets. I collected it a week back and have been planning to drop them off with him for quite a while now, but things keep coming up... I was to meet him today, but then i had to cancel last minute cos my mum and i were planning to have a few friends over..

" Still awake? i was getting bored, was hoping for company. Oh, btw guess what, my parents are coming down tomoro"

" Yup, still wide awake! they are? cool. So its gonna be good ol' quality time with the parents tomoro"

"hmm something like that, though i've saved my eve for this really sweet girl who took the pains of getting me tickets to a play i've been wanting to watch"

" lol very very lame reference my boy! and i completely forgot to tell you, i wont be able to make i tomoro. Mum's made plans. I'll send them thro someone else if its urgent"

" No, thats ok, i'll take em from you when you're free.. though the wait goes on and on doesnt it?"

"I guess.."

"But it's good"

"The wait is good? How? rather why?"

"you're a fan of how i met right? remember the drum roll?"

And thus a 2 hour conversation on the 'drumroll' followed.. For those of you who're unfamiliar with the term, well thats why i'm writing this post :)

You know the wait before a large event? How your mind starts working at double the speed? You visualise the event the way you like it in your head..

For instance, you have a really important paper presentation that could lead to a long awaited promotion. All the while you're waiting your turn, you're rehearsing what you're gonna say and how you're gonna end the presentation with a witty joke. You picture the entire hall clapping and appreciating your work, you picture the board of directors noding their head in approval and some old grouch even giving you a thumbs up.. The excitement that visual gives you, the confidence that boosts in you, the funny feeling in your tummy that all the anitcipation gives you-Well that is the drumroll..

The event as such goes by faster than one can blink an eyelid, and all that remains is the drum roll before the event and the success that follows it.

Another example? Well this is the one they use in the series itself and its the best possible example of the drumroll. Imagine you've just started seeing someone, things are going fine and you guys are going on your first official date. The ambience is just as you'd imagined it to be, the place has just enough people to let you have your own privacy and after the desert he leans over..

He puckers up and closes his eyes and you know wats gonna follow, but for those 30 seconds of seperation you're picturing the most perfect kiss, the one in which you can hear bells ring and see sparks fly. While you're thninking, you move closer and then suddenly you pull back just a little bit to add to the intensity of the moment. You move closer so that you can feel his breath on your face and you study his features and imagine how they will change when your lips touch. Thw excitment and fervour of that moment, well THATS the drum roll!

And we all have experinced this 'phenomena' at some point of time or the other, i personally love the drama that life offers and for fellow nuts like me, Enjoy the drum roll!

I can't wait to see you again (part 3)

2009-08-28T09:57:00.000-07:00

It could be just in my mind

A funny feeling you were giving me

Whenever you were coming around

I seem to be floating on a Cloud

I seem to be losing control

Can it be love that I feel in my heart?

Can it be love - have I fallen for you?

Can it be love?

Everlasting Emotion?

'Cos when you look at me and Smile I Know...

What does one do when one is stuck alone in a room with wat might be the love of their life?

a) Make small talk and hope cupid shoots an arrow at him

b) Get the 'flirt' on

c) RUNNNNNNN!!!!

Option 'b' was something i wasn't well versed in and any attempt at it would be an epic failure.

Option 'a' wasn't bound to happen since i had to instruct myself to do something as simple as breathing.

Option 'c' didn't seem like too bad an idea.....

I shifted in my chair, ran my fingers through my hair, cleared my throat a couple of times, rubbed my nose every now and then.. I did everything i could to not look at him and that smile of his. Darn that smile!

You remember how in 5th grade your science teacher was teaching you the concept of 'dispersion' and she probably sprayed some perfume in one corner of the room and told you how due to 'dispersion' you could smell it even from the other end of the room. Well, i was jus 2 feet away from him, and the phenomena of 'dispersion' was acting like a pain in my butt!!

As if sitting in his presence wasn't bad enough and trying not to catch his gaze was torturous enough, the air conditioning was blowing his scent to me. My head was clouding with the smell of his cologne..

'So....hmmmm'

Oh no, don't start talkin, i won't know how to reply.. I looked up, opened my mouth to say something, but one whiff of the aroma that arose from his skin and i was out. I'm pretty sure all i could say would be 'duh'..

Luckily the door knob turned and the others came in, he looked towards the door and smiled, i still stared at him stupidly..

'There you are dippy'

Was someone calling me?

All of them lined up around me, Chandne pulled my hair.

'Ow'.Back to reality

The others shifted behind me, Chandne poked me again. I took the cue and quite unwillingly introduced the others to him. Why the feeling of possession i wondered, but somehow he felt mine!

The usual pleasantries were exchanged, he asked everyone about their course and college and trivial things. My turn came and i too answered without difficulty. Theatre was discussed, questions asked, answers furnished and i continued watching him. The curves his mouth made as he spoke,the way he moved his hands when he was explaining something, how his brows tensed when he spoke of something very serious, how his eyes lit up when he spoke about his passions.. I could watch him all my life.. Wait, what was i saying... Enraged with my lack of control over my emotions, i walked out of the room.

'You've got to go?', he asked.

I swept a quick last glance at him.. 'I'll be right back', i lied..

I walked to the fountain, i wanted to be as far away from a crowd as i could.. I could hear the loud thumping of music, but that was nothing compared to my heart.. Maybe the sight of the bamboo and the sound of water would calm me down!!

I watched as a pigeon dipped its head into the water and held it there for a bit to long, it shook it's head so hard when it came out, that i was scared it's head was gonna fall off.. I held my hands tightly around myself and closed my eyes..'FOCUS'

My head was finally clearing up, i had to handle just one more event. I would do that, go meet my seniors and leave for a council meeting, i'd get home, catch up with ma and pa, dinner and then sleep.. But the vision easily melted away and i saw his smiling face again..

I opened my eyes, shook my head and tried again.. I would get a good night's sleep, wake up get ready for college, get on the bike, check my mirrors and in the mirror i wud see him and he would laugh. what?? NO!!!

I opened my eyes again and there he was, right next to me, laughing

' Practicing telekinesis eh? haha careful there, you almost swept me off my feet', he joked..

Sigh, if only he knew who had swept who of their feet.

I stood up and noticed for the first time that he was just the right height for me.. I pinched myself! Stupid hyper imaginative mind!!!

'Leaving now?', i asked.

'Looks like it', he shrugged. He HAD to stop acting cute in front of me!!!

I smiled a fake smile.. so the story was ending jus like that..

I opened my mouth to say goodbye but he interrupted me.

'Can you walk with me till the gate?'

I nodded..

We walked together, i pictured us along the moors again..

I cursed my college for being so small, just a few countable steps and we were at the gate..

'So', i started. He looked up. 'I know we've said this a hundred times over now, but thank you for coming'.

His phone beeped, he looked at it and laughed again.

'Looks like you'll have to bear with me for a bit longer. My sister is still not here'.

My legs felt weak, i quickly leaned against the wall.

'It'd be my pleasure', i smiled.

A half an hour conversation followed, we spoke about food, music, movies, family, Kerala, Scotland ( turns out he worked there) and just about anything. It seemed easy talking to him now, his smile left me momentarily out of breath, but i was getting better. He stepped forward and leaned on the wall too.. I took a step away. 'So why a mundu?'

'Wow! hahaha, ok thanks for calling it a mundu and not a veshti', he grinned. 'I'm shifting actually so all my clothes are in cartons and quite honestly, this is all i could get my hands on. Ravishingly sexy isn't it?' and he pranced around.

Next thing i knew, both of us were on the road, clutching our stomachs laughing our heads off..

His phone beeped again. 'Ah she's come', he said a little disappointed. We got up and dusted ourselves.

'Well it's goodbye then'

'Guess it is. It's been fun meeting you Deepti. I really hope to seeing you again, and don't even dare to say thanks again'

What could i say to that, i smiled.

He held out his hand.' My lady', he said. I streched mine out to him, he held it gently and i felt lightheaded.

He bent his head and bowed. We both laughed. He gripped my hand firmly and shook it.'Thanks for the wonderful time.'

I felt his fingers loosen their grasp. I nodded at him. He turned and walked away. I watched him.

I felt my heart sink.

Just as i tuned to go back in, 'Oye', he called out, 'take care!'. He waved.

I got a way of knowing,

when something is right.

I feel like i must've known you,

in another life.

I felt this deep connection

when you looked in my eyes.

Now i can't wait to see you again!

I can't wait to see you again (part 2)

2009-08-26T10:53:00.000-07:00

If you think the sound of someone hammering a wall when you have a headache is the worst, wait till you hear the loud thumping of your heart when you're hanging off a cliff or worse standing in front of what might be your 'soul mate'...

I counted till ten in my head, I'm not sure if it was to stall a few seconds or to clear my head of the constant thoughts which seemed to be piling in, but it did calm me down. I looked up and smiled.

'Thanks, but I'm good.'

And before i could look away, there it was again, the now familiar smile...

Very few people can emote well with their eyes, and his spoke volumes, as frivolous as it may sound, i could suddenly see myself with him, walking along the moors.. We weren't holding hands, neither was there any violin playing in the background, but somehow even in that momentary day dream, i knew i was meant to be with him..

"And the first place goes to Jatayu." The diva had announced the results.

The hoots and the screams that followed were enough to snap me back into reality, i held out the certificates for him to distribute (maybe, just maybe our hands would touch and i would find out if bells do really ring when then happens), but the diva intervened. Cursing him under my breath, i held out the trophies for him to distribute...

The event was now over, he'd go back in a few minutes and maybe I'd never see him again. Just a few minutes ago i wanted to escape his presence and yet now somehow, his conge pricked me. I gave out the mementos meant for the judges without making as little as an eye contact, mumbled a thanks to both of them and turned to leave. The ocean of students would soon engulf them and just as a boat during a mellow tide, they would drift further and further away and soon disappear..

'Out of sight, out of mind dippy!', I reassured myself. I turned around to pick up my bag and there he was.

"Looking for this?." He held out my bag.

'Erm yea, thanks'.I reached for it and looked away quickly.

'You look like you're from the student's union, could you, uh help me out a bit... Please?'

He didn't have to ask me twice.

'Sure how can i help you?'

'Well I thought the event would take longer, so I'd asked my sister to come in only later. Can you guide me to the guest room so i can wait there?' He gave that smile of his again. How could anyone ever say no to that?

'Sure, this way.' I lead on, biting my lip to stop my mind from drifting into another fantasy, and who knew, maybe that would stop the blood from rushing to my cheeks everytime he innocently enticed me with that smile...

I held open the door for him.

' There you go, oh would you like something to drink or eat?'

' No thanks i'm good. I guess i'll just wait.. Thanks again er....'

'Deepti.. I'm Deepti'

' Thanks Deepti..'

Silence..

'Deepti', he said again. Sigh my named seemed so beautiful coming from his lips.

'The one who brings light.. Isn't that what it means?'

I nodded. He'd been the first to say that, most people simply interpreted it for an analogue for light.

He looked up at me again, i could see a question in his eyes, or was it something else.

I cleared my throat, he looked away.

'Well, i better be goin then, thanks again for coming today, I really hope you'll be able to come back soon for another event'. I chanted a well rehearsed dialogue and stepped towards the door...

Just as i turned the door knob, he spoke again.

'Hey Deepti, if it's ok with you um could you give me company for a while? Till my sister is here?Please?'

I didn't have to look at him to know that the smile was back on his face. I swept the hair off my face and turned to him. " How hard could it be", I thought to myself.

He looked at the chair opposite him, and then at me.

I was getting better at understanding his gestures, i put my bag down and walked up to the chair. Suddenly it was hard to even breath. Breath in.. Breath out.. Breath in... and then???

I looked up, he mouthed a 'thanks'

I smiled, and that was all it took, before i knew it i was lost again in those deep eyes..It was just him and me, everything else around seemed a blur, the only thing i could see werethose intense eyes, the only thing that i could herewas my own heart racing. Why did i feel so connected to such a total stranger, what was that he had that no one i ever knew had, that left me so agog? I couldn't help but wonder!!

Pardon the way that I stare.

There's nothing else to compare.

The sight of you leaves me weak.

There are no words left to speak,

But if you feel like I feel,
Please let me know that it's real.
You're just too good to be true.
Can't take my eyes off you.

We'd be together for only a few more minutes now would i be able to recover from this silly delusion i had fallen prey to? or would i sink in deeper? What was happening to me?

I can't wait to see you again (part 1)

2009-08-25T19:22:00.000-07:00

( Scribbled on the picturesque 2 hour journey from Kochin to thrissur in a empty train as the rain swept across the country side)

I'd never believed in 'love at first sight' and i;m still not quite sure if i do. To me it's just like those far fetched things we see in movies, like for instance how the good cop takes on 6 armed men with just one bullet in his pistol.

I'd heard anecdotes about 'real life' instances of love at first sight, but none of them were convincing enough and yet here i am on a train (buzzing with the topic of kerala's political scenario) contemplating on the existence of this phenomena..

The symptoms are the same according to all 'Yash Raj' films- sleepless nights, loss of appetite, disillusion. (heck they make it sound like some disease) and I've had all of them- maybe it's the flu or maybe it's something more....

I saw him a month ago; he'd come to college to judge and event. No one was looking at him, quite honestly i don't blame them for next to him was this Greek god of perfection. An Indian Edward Cullen if i might call him that.. Those perfect features, those golden brown eyes, that enigmatic smile, even the staff had a tough time keeping from staring at him..

And silently sitting next to this 'piece of art', almost hidden under the stares for his fellow judge was 'he'.Dressed in a red kurta and a veshti, he knew he was nothing to look at compared to the one sitting next to him and he had no qualms of not being the center of attention. Barely anyone looked at him, some to mock at his attire, and others to rave about how gutsy' he was to walk into a women's college in a veshti.Quite honestly, to me he was invisible... for now at least..

All the girl's flocked to Anshuman Pradhan like moths to flame and just like the pitiful insect, they returned burnt.. When i was asked to sit next to him, i tried not to look too eager though I'm sure i skipped and pranced as i strode to the bench. I've heard that everything seems perfect and beautiful under the influence of drugs, and so powerful was his beauty that the world seemed lovelier by just sitting in his presence, the sun looked bright again, the birds were singing again, life in general was 'picture perfect'...

I've always been a good judge of character and it dint take me too long to see through the veil of perfection and see the low lying scum for the person he was, all admiration was lost when i saw him mock every single team on stage. I'd had it with his snide remarks and looked up to argue about something. It was then that i saw 'him'. I read his name card- Vaibhav Menon. As if he'd heard me saying his name, he turned to me. The world seemed to have stood still.. he cocked his head and smiled. I could feel the blood rush to my cheeks, Chandne tapped me on my shoulder for something, the world was on 'play' again...

I didn't dare to look at him for the rest of the event for the fear of getting caught in his gaze again, but even without that, i cud picture his keen eyes every time i shut my own, i could picture the gentle curve his lips made when he smiled that heart warming smile of his.. I couldn't wait for the event to get over..

I was up on my feet as soon as the event was over, my heart had been weak today and i wouldn't dare test it any longer, but as fate would have it, i was asked to go on stage and help the judges distribute the prizes. Anshuman lead the way with his imperial stride and all the attitude of a diva i tied hard not to scorn at him. Vaibhav on the other hand on seeing me, stopped, bent forward and gestured me to lead the way. When i looked up at him, he had that smile on his face again and i heard my heart ringing in my ears...

I rushed to the volunteer's desk to collect the trophies. 24 trophies stacked on a small tray, the slightest movement would bring the structure down. I struggled as i took carefully measured steps. All eyes seemed to be Anshuman again as he made his 'speech' and no one even bothered to offer help except for one soul..

' Need some help with that?' I'd never heard his voice before, but i knew this was him. You know that feeling you get when you hear one of your favourite songs on the radio on a grey depressing day, and how you're suddenly filled with warmth.. Well i had the same feeling, just ten times more intense..

I gulped, could i dare to look at him? Even without my eyes meeting him, i could feel the warmth of his gaze. would i be strong enough or would i make a fool of myself?

Words are all i have

2009-08-15T05:55:00.000-07:00

Dear Love,

I have been thinking to myself a lot lately over what went wrong and what makes me feel terribly awful. I have to accept that lies and falsehoods won't lead me anywhere, but I guess I was just really head over heels falling for you! I might have done many silly things but I just couldn't help doing such stupid things just to win back your attention.And i know it was stupid of me to have stayed away from you for so long, but i guess i was jus playing hard to get.

I really went through a lot trying to prove a point, and now i know how foolish that was.Trust me babe, every moment of the time i was away from you, you were the only thing on my mind. i couldnt sleep i couldnt eat properly wondering if you were ok.it was horrible. so many times i came to see you but backed out fearing that i wouldnt be able to pull myself away from you.

I know that I have hurt you.. hurt you bad.. but there was nothing else i could do at that point of time.. i know its been 2 months and in these two months of being with myself and gathering my thoughts and realizing myself, I've realised how dear you are to me and how i cant live apart from you. for what I've done I am asking for your forgiveness and hoping that we could start all over again. I really cherish those moments when everything was going great. I could hardly take the reality of losing you. I really want you back.

Don't take this for an empty promise, for i mean every word of what i say.. and it's only words, and word's are all i have!

this world has lost its glory

let's start a brand new story

now my love

you think that I don't even mean

a single word I say

it's only words
and words are all I have
to take your heart away

But alas!! you have no heart.. no no don't get me wrong, I'm not calling you heartless.. But its a fact isn't it?? after all, you are jus a blog.

With Love,
Deepti

Of Advice-giving Autodrivers and Situational Songs

2009-05-16T06:51:00.000-07:00

All of us have had blue days.. Days when yu get up on the wrong side of the bed and EVERYTHING seems to go wrong.. but wat if this treacherous day extends to a week.. Imagine!! A week where everything goes wrong

A week when yu don't get to meet your best friends

A week when yu get stupid assignments dumped on yu

A week when the canteen has nothing good to eat

A week when yu ALWAYS miss an empty bus by a few seconds and need to wait for half an hour in the hot sun for the next one to come.. and when it does, its ALWAYS a jam packed one filled with people who either have too much jasmine in their hair or desperately need deodorant ( or worse, both)

A week when yu cant even take two minutes off to stare at trees

A week when yu've not turned the pages of the book yu've left half read

A week filled with 'bad hair days'

and worst of all

a week when yu never have time to talk to a special someone..

pretty rough huh?

Well as my luck would have it, the planetary positions were such that, i had the troublesome Saturn ( shanni) hovering over my life all of last week..

One thing about me is I'm a very pessimistic person, and on days like these ( or shud i say weeks) my pessimism gets the better of me

So even if the glass is actually half full, I'd see a glass that was half empty which was cracked at the rim and had dirt at its base.

So there i was, pulling myself down, drowning my 'sorrows' in chocolate ice cream,brooding to every single soul who was patient enough to listen ( well know, lets not be judgemental.. a girl can act like a drama queen every once in a while cant she?!)

And no matter how much my friends tried to get me out of it, i jus kept sinking further..

Mum tried the 'you're-one-in-a-million' talk

Supri tried the ' you-are-an-achiever' talk

Sar tried the ' you-can-do-anything-you-set-your-mind-to' talk

Vedha tried cheerin me up and ever so kindly made me a timetable.. but i just kept makin the problem bigger and bigger in my head..

Every time any of my friends felt low, I'd always tell them to search for a silver lining.. but somehow, no matter how much i searched, i couldn't find mine..

And i had come to a conclusion that i was the world's biggest loser who'd never be anything in life, i could almost see the crowd passing me by..

And that's when i met Mr Chakaravarthy..

I'd missed my bus once again and my phone's display had stopped working.. i couldn't possibly

be in a worse mood..

So i decided to take an auto to coll..

I got in without asking how much he'd charge cos i was in no mood to haggle, i turned my mp3 player on and mentally started cursing everyone who i held responsible for the horrible week i was having..

So much so that i started cursing Alexander Graham Bell for inventing the telephone, which later developed into the mobile phone (damn technology!)

Nothing i'd planned was goin the way i wanted to!!

And correctly started the lyrics:

I can almost see it,

the dream I'm dreaming

but there's a voice inside my head that's saying,

you'll never reach it

Every step I'm taking,

Every move I'm making

seems lost with no direction

My faith is shaking..

And that was all i needed to break down..i quickly unplugged my earphones and wiped away those tell-tale tears before anyone in the traffic noticed it..

'This road is one bumpy one isn't it', said the burly man in front of me and that's when i looked up into the side view mirror and noticed the driver for the first time.

He must have been in his thirties but his eyes held a pain much greater than someone his age.

' this road is one bumpy one.. isn't it', he repeated himself and smiled. I quickly drew my eyes away from the side view mirror and whispered a yes.

'Life is just like this road ma', he said.. I continued fiddling with my ear plugs.. the last thing i wanted was an auto driver preaching me..

'you must've heard people sayin life is a journey, but remember, the road is not always a smooth one.. there are bumps, there are barriers, but sometimes you need those bumps to slow down your journey.. sometimes you need those barriers to stop and understand where you're heading'

without realising i looked bak into the mirror and this time he caught my eye..

' you looked depressed.. that's why i'm sharing this with you.. You know, i was a rich business man.. you see that car there, i should've been goin in that car with the ac on, but instead, look at my fate, i'm driving autos for a living'

and thus he began his story

' i used to make many a thousand every month, i wanted to save and build myself a big house, get married to an educated girl and live a happy life.. i wasn't a very bright student at school you know, but i was smart.. thats wat you need nowdays, one needs to be street smart'

' i started a garment shops.. there are two businesses which will always prosper.. clothes and food.. people will always have occasions to buy clothes, and people will always celebrate those occasions by eating good food'

' everything was goin on fine, but like in all our tamil movies, the hero is always faced with problems.. My father suddenly passed away and it was after his demise that we found that he'd taken large number of loans. My sister had just got married and we had absolutely no money to repay the loans.. i decided to sell our house and repay the loans using that money.. that's when we discovered that my brother who was a gambler had bet the house during a game and had lost it'

' One bad thing after another kept falling on my head.. my mother fell ill, so there were medical expenses added to the existing financial burden.. i had to sell my business, empty out all my savings and work as a labourer to make ends meet.. and today somehow I've bought my own auto'

he looked into the mirror again

'but you know what ma, i don't regret any of these, for all those incidents have made me as strong as i am today.. had i shyed away from the problems, i would've been on the streets in rags and beggin for a living.. at least this way I'm making my own living without losing my self respect'

i smiled

' And yet i haven't stopped dreaming.. why should i? Just because i lost everything i had years back doesn't mean i cant have it back again.. I drive the auto till 1 in the morning, and start again at 4.. I'm trying my hand at politics and hope someday I'll become an MLA'

he noticed the skeptic look on my face

' oh don't worry ma, i don't intend to become a gold chain adorned, silk dhoti wearing corrupt politician.. i truly want to make a change for my people, i want to voice their needs.. you know when one feels truly liberated ma? not when you have all the money you want, not when you win glory, but when you bring a smile on the face of a less fortunate.. i go to the cancer institute often, and it breaks my heart every time i see all those little children who've fallen victim to such a deadly disease.. i go there and play with them, tell them stories.. i hope to save enough to take them all out for a movie on my birthday'

just then a little girl who sold towels and ear buds at the signal ran to the auto beggin him to buy her wares.. he stroked her head and asked her her name

' julie' said the confused girl..

he dug into his pocket and pulled a five rupee note out.. he placed it on her little palm, closed her fingers over it, blessed her and asked her to run along.. the warmth of the smile that beamed on the girl's face gave me a sense of reassurance and for those few seconds i basked in the warmth of someone else's good deed..

He was right.. somehow my problems seemed insignificant.. i felt liberated..

the auto turned into my college's lane

' Don't forget ma, if you fall and hurt yourself, don't cry. don't blame it on the ground.. simply dust yourself off and run along'

i smiled at him and plugged my mp3 player again as i dug into my bag for my wallet and there couldn't have been a better song for the moment:

Everything will be alright, yeah

The heart is stronger than you think.

Like it can go through anything.

And even when you think it can't,

It finds a way to still push on though..

Sometimes you want to run away

Ain't got no patience for the pain

And if you don't believe it look into your heart

The beat goes on

I'm telling' you..

Things get better,

Through whatever..

If you fall,

Dust it off.

Don't let up.

Don't you know,

You can go,

Be your own miracle..

You need to know

If the mind keeps thinking you've had enough.

But the heart keeps telling you don't give up.

Who are we to be questioning wondering what is what

Don't give up..

Through it all just stand up..

It's like we've all had better days

Problems getting all up in your face

Just because you go through it, don't mean its got to take control.. no!

You ain't gotta find no hiding place.

Because the heart can beat the hate.

Don't wanna let your mind keep playing you

And saying' you can't go on

I'm telling' you..

Things get better,

Through whatever..

If you fall,

Dust it off.

Don't let up.

Don't you know,

You can go,

Be your own miracle..

You don't gotta be a prisoner in your mind.

If you fall, dust it off and live your life

Let your heart be your guide

And you will know that you're good if you trust in the good

Everything will be alright..

You can light up the dark,

if you follow your heart.

And it will get better

Through whatever

You got it in you

Just find it within..

And that's just it.. sometimes you're so blinded by the monstrous image of your problems, that you fail to find the silver lining.. at times like this, all you need to do is look within, for you are your own silver lining..

Welcome to the jungle

2009-04-24T04:59:00.000-07:00

My uncle asked me to try this corporate exercise he learnt recently, cos apparently it helps you understand ppl better and act appropriately in front of them.. It sounded fancy and I'm always game for a new experiment so i decided to give it a shot.. ( not that its very hard for me to associate ppl with animals, which you'd understand from my previous posts :P)

The whole exercise is pretty simple really.. there are basic characteristics that you associate with certain animals, some humans exhibit the same behaviours.. now don get your imagination running with ideas of humans sticking their heads in the sand like ostriches or spraying water out of their nose like elephants.. I mean simple things like, the regal look the lion gives you even when it's trapped in a cage.. or the hungry look of the vultures.. its basically about reading people's expressions..

Now i'd been wanting to do this for a long time, but then things kept coming up so i never was able to go about it, so today on the bus ride back, i decided to give it a shot..

Now before i begin my analysis, i should tell you that the 29c's in chennai have all types of ppl in them.. From the flower garland makers to IT professionals, you seem them all.. And hence you learn a lot about your city that way.. You get the latest gossip about tinsel town, you hear about the fluctuating share market and you also get to hear about the latest sandai ( fight) happening in the slums..

You have the typical Tamil mami's who glare at every college girl who shows even a millimeter of her midriff..

You have the ladies in their 20's who're always on their phone..

You have the roadside romeos who get onto the bus ( whether they need to or not) as long as there are more than 5 girls on the bus..

You have the old uncle's who're travelling to some post office or some bank with a small black leather pouch tucked under their arms

And then ofcourse you have the 'lovely' conductor and the driver..

That just about sums it all.. and now to begin with my analysis..

The bus wasn't all that packed.. i mean there were just 20 ppl standing which is very little considering 29c standards.. and I was one of those standing..

Its easier to observe ppl and their behaviour when you're standing for the simple fact that you have a better view and also that you're in the competition for the ultimate reward when one's on a bus- the seat!!!

And THAT defines the first lot of 'animals' on the bus- the vultures.. they're the ppl who are standing ( NOT out of choice that is) while travelling on the bus

Their greedy eyes scan the environment for their prey!! prey bein anyone makin the lightest movement which makes it appear as if they are readying themselves to get off the bus..

Jus as soon as they see the prey move even just their little finger, the vulture makes its move.. Quick on their feet, always ready for a fight, always ready to butt in when two other vultures are having a fight, they are the most dangerous of the animals on the bus ( except of course the snake)

Who's the snake you wonder?? the Conductor ofcourse..

Always able to find his way through a crowded bus by slithering his way through. Strikes his prey with vengeance ( in this case the prey being anyone who's not bought the ticket)

And often sly and cunning enough to make the right kind of conversation with the right kind of person

That brings us to the lazy hippos.. Those are the middle aged women who probably got onto the bus at the first stop and intend to get off at the last stop . These ppl sit as though they own the bus. Glaring at ppl who lean on them by mistake, and ignoring you completely when you request them to pass on the money for the ticket or request them to hold on to your bag for as little as two stops.

Always ready to complain about anything under the sun, the hippos are the most annoying creatures on the bus

Now trust me, you have many many MANY more animals on the bus, or for that matter anywhere around you, but these were all i was able to make a note off today.

Look around, maybe you'll be able to find more than i was able to..

All i can say is:

Welcome to the jungle
It gets worse here everyday
You learn to live like an animal
In the jungle where we play
If you got a hunger for what you see
You'll take it eventually
You can have anything you want
But you better not take it from me!!

Bow to the queens of bullshit!!

2009-04-21T06:52:00.000-07:00

When you're tired of facebook, there's nothing to watch on tv, and you clearly are in no mood to study, what do you do??

a) Bite your fingernails

b) Photoshop random pictures

c) start messaging your friends and start a random topic

I don't know about you guys, but as far as i'm concerned, there's no better way to while away time than by messagin..

What's there to message you ask??

Why, there's a wide spectrum of topics to be discussed... The indian political scenario.. The box office blunders.. Obama and his "not so WHITE any more HOUSE"... Global Warming...

But what do we talk about?? Bout more interesting topics of course

For instance, take those random messages doin the circles... You know, those ones which say "samosa is like a triangle cos it has three ends..

question paper is like rectangle cos it has four ends..

but out friendship is like parruppu vadai cos it has no ends.."

Now a couple of days back Vedha was feeling utterly jobless so she decided to forward one such message to me.. Little did she realise that i was even more jobless and thus started our analysis of the comparison of friendship to a vadai..

I didn't agree with the comparison.. Why?? well, a vadai, that too a parruppu vadai has bits of curry leaves and parruppu in it.. thus it isn't entirely smooth.. also if its a normal vadai.. that has a hole in the center.. i wouldn't want our friendship to have a hole in it now would i..

Therefore i suggested that friendship was more like an idli..

White= purity

Soft= tenderness/ innocence blah

Circular= endless

How eeet eeees???? :P

Kismat

2009-04-11T03:04:00.000-07:00

And it feels right this time
On his crash course with the big time
Paid no mind to the distant thunder
Today filled his head with wonder... boy

Says it feels right this time
Turn around and found the light lime

Good day to be alive... sir
Good day to be alive he said

Then it comes to be that the soothing light
At the end of your tunnel
Was just a freight train comin your way

Then it comes to be that the soothing light
At the end of your tunnel
Was just a freight train comin your way

Don't it feel right like this
All the pieces fall to his wish
Sucker for that quick reward... boy

Sucker for that quick reward they said

Then it comes to be that the soothing light
At the end of your tunnel
Was just a freight train comin your way
Then it comes to be that the soothing light
At the end of your tunnel Was just a freight train comin your way
It's comin' your way
It comes!

Then it comes to be that the soothing light At the end of your tunnel
Was just a freight train comin your way

Then it comes to be...

Isn't that how life is, just when you think every thing's goin your way and luck's by your side, BAM your hit by all that's bad..

In jus a fraction of a second everything turns upside down.. Wat was right goes wrong..

Doesn't matter if you find a horse shoe or a 4 leaf clover.. No matter how many times you rub the laughing Buddha's belly, you can never put the broken pieces of your life together.. sad isn't it??

Wouldn't it be nice if everything was jus pre- written?

If you knew wat your life would be..

If each one's life was all written in a book and all we needed to do was write the ending... wouldnt it be simpler to know wat's gonna happen by jus turning a page.

Perhaps it would be less adventurous, but at least there wouldn't be any heartbreak..

Wouldn't it be nice if all the characters in your book were pre determined, you would never befriend the wrong person, never be cheated..

Wouldn't it be nice if you knew who 'the one' was.. and would never have to waste time searching and feeling lonely..

Wouldn't it be easier to know wat was gonna happen when instead of things hitting you out of the blue and shattering your world of dreams?

And wouldn't it be easier, to know when the book ends.. instead of living each day in fear and worrying about the future,when you know the pages are gonna get over, write your own destiny... and for however long you are alive, live to the fullest.. no worries about the future, for after all the pen is in our hands!!

Let's go back to the start!!

2009-03-27T03:28:00.000-07:00

It feels like just yesterday, when i was cramming up for my chemistry exam but here i am at the end of the second year of my college..How time flies!!

Supri and i have been running around for the past few weeks preparing for a good enough farewell for our seniors.. I now officially know half the banquet halls in Chennai and have memorised their menus.. in Supri's words, i'm in a "GAAND" mood.. There are a lot of ppl i would like to give a piece of my mind to..

The juniors for answering back when asked to pay up for the farewell

My own classmates for their indifference

And the seniors for their impatience..

All said and done, the task has been finished..

But thats not what this post is about... as i sit here plannin those final details for the farewell, i cant help but think that next year someone will be doin the same for us.. in jus a year, we'll be leaving college, headin in different directions, promising to stay in touch.. Things will change.. and why wait till college gets over cos the change has already begun.. This year seemed exceptionally long.. Maybe cos of the things that happened in it..

Starting with "the big fight" and the end of the six brats, to the loss of a friend, the "abhilasha" drama, the fahad episode, the jhankaar dilemma and now finally this, the farewell.. its jus been one heck of a bumpy roller coaster ride..

The fun associated with college was replaced by the responsibilities and accountability for every effing event/ activity.. people you considered your closest pals turned into creatures you wouldnt utter the names of..

It's sad things had to end this way.. and with the new twist in the tale, i really wonder what the next year is goin to be like..

Here's to the end of a beginning and the beginning of an end!!

From the diary of a nobody

2009-03-10T06:21:00.000-07:00

It's the tenth of march.. just two days until the final presentation..

I had to come early to college for an interview on NDTV and though the excitment of being on national television momentarily distracted me from my fears, now as i sit here alone in the atrium, my mind wanders thinking of what the future holds for me..

There's a gentle drizzle; the smell of the wet earth refreshes one's soul and reminds one of many a happy reminiscence. Intoxicated by the scent, i too cannot bear but drift down memory lane, remembering "those days".

Those days yonder where i played football in all the slush not worrying about the future..

Those days when achacha (my grandfather) placed me on his lap and hugged me and told fascinating tales of distant lands..

Those days when amma when amma made piping hot pakodas as we made paper boats to sail in the rain water..

Those days long gone where we stared out of the window during chemistry class, watching as the raindrops tantalised each leaf with their seductive touch and slid off to the next leaf, thus rejuvinating every leaf in its way before it trickled down the bark and kissed the soil....

But even as my mind floods with memories, I raise my head to the heavens searching for an answer... As a raindrop caresses my skin, i wonder..

I wonder if this is a gentle summer rain; to ease the soul of the sufferings of the scorching sun or if it is the forbear of a storm that is to be..

What will my future be?? i know not

Will there be a summer rain or does a storm await me?

Sigh! Whatever it maybe, I need to sail ahead..

Que sera sera!!

With that thought, i end this note

Let my fears drown in this teardrop..

Let the rain wash away all anxiety..

Let the scent of the wet earth enrich my soul again..

Let me await the rainbow..

Puste!!!

2009-02-04T04:41:00.000-08:00

Wondering what the title means? Well its Polish for blank, thats clearly the state of my mind right now....PUSTE!!

I have a slice of pizza in front of me, my phone's constantly buzzing cos of the messages that are coming in, but i neither feel like eating, nor do i feel like checkin my phone..

I NEED to write a post today.. but whatever do i write? i could continue the love story ( but since that jus doesnt seem to be ending, its pontless writing about that), i could write about how i wish i studied in hogwarts ( but that would make me miss not having a time turner even more)

Coll has been pretty hectic off late, with teachers rushing thro portions to finish in time for the

internals, the Jhankaar practices goin on ( budget constraints, tempers at the highest et all) and to top it all off, council interview.. ( aaah trust me, its scary)

** ah i see the good old cog wheels have started turning, and i finally have stuff to write about**

Off late i've been tagged by several ppl in this note thats goin around on fb called "25 random things" so to compensate for all those days of not bein able to write, here are a few random things i can think of writing

The Trip..

I finally got to travel alone in a train ( day train, but still watever, i was alone.. yay me!!)

Bangalore was amazing fun, got to spend a lot of time with my brother after a long time.. The trip to innovative, the go-karting, the enumerable bottles of pulpy orange, the shopping, meeting the relatives, ( oh and for the adventure part of it) gettin out of forum jus 5 minutes before the fire broke out.. it was all FUN and i couldn't stop wheeing for 5 days after my trip

( Tussad's - Bangalore)

The IT fair..

Well it started of as an attempt to please the NAAC, it ended as a pain in the derier..

First, not being able to display the project to the NAAC cos of the " sudden change" in plans and then having to run to schools to get students to see the displays cos the ching pang gang never really went and invited any of em, it seriously was a BIG FAT PAIN.

But then again ( @ supri: silver lining) it gave the triplets time to spend together.. and we were at our crazy best

The ISRO guy's budday

Billi and Blabber got to wish him together (and scare a stray in the process).Considerin the NAAC blunder that seemed to have soured our spirits, celebrating Mr. Singhania's budday was good fun..and billi finally got to eat the yummy lemon tart..

Sketching

What started off as a hobby, seems to have turned into a full time proffession with a lot of friends askin me to make them their portraits..

Varghese, Vedha, Abhinav and so many more.. It feels nice to be appreciated, and its somethin i love doin.. So atleast its somethin to keep my mind off lesser important stuff

( wow this is harder than i thought)

MOP's Quizzers

What do yu do when a teacher yu've never interacted with calls for yu, and refers to yu as MOP's quizzers and debaters? Lol well thats exactly what happened to supri and me.. (Apparently we're more famous than we give ourselves credit for) and thus we were sent to vivekananda college to participate on a quiz on the life and teachings of swami vivekananda ( with a 24 hr notice mind yu)

Each of us took one volume of his (amazingly huge) biography to "study" and ended up jus goin thro random facts on wiki and in the ever informative amar chitra katha.. end result?? we came second.. loosin to vivekanada college themselves by jus ONE point.. yay us!

The missing spree

No, No, I've not been loosing stuff.. I've just been missing a lot of people off late..

It's really sad when you don't have time for the one's you love and when you do, they don't have time for you.. The saddest part is when you're all alone and memories of the past haunt you.. You miss those moments of happiness.. the giggles you shared echo in your ears.. the tears you cried shine in your eyes.. the scent you miss so much seems to loom around you.. sigh..

The white tiger

For those ignorant souls, I'm talking bout the book.. It's nice.. It's a "time pass" book, but I'm still wondering how it won the man Booker when there were books which were FAR better which were nominated..

I'm not belittling the capability of the Indian author, but the book was so overly dramatic and predictable that it took the fun out of reading..

The author has (tried to) portray a realistic image of India with his explicit definition of the "darkness" and the "light" but the idea behind the book doesn't seem very original.. At some point of time you get bored, for the author talks only about the two extremes in India.. the ignorant villagers, and the ultra modernised urban crowd.. forgetting that a majority of Indians fall in an intermediate category

Treasure hunting

Isn't it exciting when you put on a pair of jeans you haven't worn in a long time and find a 100 rs note in its pocket? What's more exciting is cleaning your loft and finding old scrap books and notes you passed in class commenting on the teacher's pronounciation and talkin about the cutest guy in school.. Finding those goofy pictures you once took during your excursion with your (then) bestest friends whom you seem to have lost touch with now..

Like someone rightly said "Nostalgia is like a grammar lesson;You find the present tense and the past perfect"

A new year a new begining

2008-12-30T21:33:00.000-08:00

New Year's eve is like every other night; there is no pause in the march of the universe, no breathless moment of silence among created things and yet no man has quite the same thoughts this evening that come with the shadow of darkness on other nights....And it is with that same feeling of retrospect that i write this post.. 2008 sure has been an eventful year... So many things have been keepin me on my toes, that i never noticed the year fly by.. Though i must say, i'm glad this year is over and i hope and pray the one to come is better.. The year didn't start too well but as days moved on, things slowly started gettin better.. I know one cant ask for a perfect day on all 365 days, but seriously this year has had more "downs" than "ups" and i really wish the year had atleast ended on a better note..

One things for sure, i've grown over the past year.. emotionally, intellectually ( and yes i have become fatter too, but we can tackle that later)

And the reason for this change ( duh except the last one) are the people in my life.. So this post is my lil dedication to all those who left their mark in my life in the year that has been..

( in no particular order here goes)

Supri..

i know she's probably gonna whine bout me having chosen THIS picture to put on my blog, but i guess though all through our school years and through college we've been close, it was at this trip that we really bonded...

This lil girl has been through a lot in life and i guess one blog post is not enough to write bout all that. but wats more important is her attitude towards life.. well yeah i'm not sayin she's always happy and never cries, but inspite of all she's been through, she never gives up..

There are times when she wants to just let go, but she still pulls herself up and fights back.. and that takes a hell a lot of courage..

Thanks Supri for makin me strong

Vedha..

The eldest of the triplets but the most light hearted one... One super talented chick with the perfect amount of humour and intellect..

The one person i can be completely cooky around and not get weird looks from..

More than learning from her, i guess i have felt this weird connection everytime i shared with her.. Its really strange how two people can think so alike..

Thanks Vedha for making me smile when i was down

Atu..

My lil bald man..I don't even know how and when i started talkin to him and it really doesnt matter either really.. If there's one thing i learnt from atul, its to be hopeful, to be optimistic.. ( and considering i'm the queen of pessimism,for me to even think of something positive is a big deal)

And yes how can i forget his reinforcement on the line " sidhirbhavathi karmaja", he being a living example of this phrase..

The endless messages, the philosophical talks, have been a memorable part of this year

Thanks Atul for showing me the silver lining..

Abiishiek

Boy is it difficult to spell that name or what..

This fellow has been the reason to smile ( or should i say laugh) on some of the darkest days of this year..

Thanks abii for... uh... being yu!!

Vinay

I could write a whole book bout this nut.. The one guy ( apart from the twin souls) that i share everything with.. The one person who loves me for who i am.. The one person i can always rely on..

Thanks vinch for being there for me..

Family

Well unlike yur friends, yu cant choose yur family, but no matter what, i'm glad i have them..

And this includes my other baby, rudy, chini ma and sridhar uncle

Thanks for all the love

I may have missed names and people but every single person whom i have interacted with this year have made a difference in my life ( good or bad, but a difference)

May it be

the ching pang gang ( who taught me how shallow ppl can be),

or a certain mad man in coimbatore( who inspired me when i needed inspiration),

or a jerk from melbourne( who taught me that not everyone can be trusted),

or the kids from lady wellingdon ( who taught me that love is infinite)

as the lines from one of my favourite poems go..

Ring out the old, ring in the new,

Ring, happy bells, across the snow:

The year is going, let him go;

Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Stumped!

2008-12-29T05:27:00.000-08:00

It feels like forever since i wrote on my blog. There seems to be so much to write about, the vellore trip, the exhibition at college, the stella culturals, the loyola culturals, but for some reason i just don feel like writing.. no i'm not depressed.. neither m i lazy ( eh maybe a LIL bit) but seriously, no mood to write..

sigh.. sad it is

If tears could build a stairway and memories a lane, i'd no doubt walk up to heaven and bring you home again

2008-12-03T08:15:00.000-08:00

He'd always sit there on the sofa.. Always in that corner.. Either a cigarette or the newspaper in hand.. Grey shirt, black shorts..His presence almost unnoticed and unknown to those who walked in and out of the door.. His leg moving up and down as if in rhythm with one of the magical tunes he'd helped create...

A quiet person, whose smile of acknowledgement was enough to make any one's day..

The wisdom in his eyes spoke of his experiences over the years. The warmth in his voice would put anyone at ease.

An inspiration for millions, a mentor to thousands,a friend to several.... and to us, a father figure...

Uncle, you shall live on in our hearts. Your memories shall keep you alive forever..

So here's to the great man-H Sridhar

We love you, and will miss you..

Ain't it funny?

2008-11-29T01:55:00.000-08:00

I've been listening to "ain't it funny" all mornin.. why? I don't know.. but so much of the lyrics make sense..

It's so funny no matter how well yu script the story of your life, unwritten characters come in and change everything....they turn your world around.. Sometimes for the better,most times, otherwise...

Ever wondered?

Ain't it funny how a complete stranger becomes your best friend?

Ain't it funny how your closest friend becomes a total stranger?

Ain't it funny how all our life we wait for one special moment?

Ain't it funny how a moment could just change your life?

Ain't it funny how somethings leave you blank?

Aint't it funny how some feelings you just can't deny?

Ain't it funny how you can't let some things go?

Aint it funny how somethings hold you back?

Ain't funny how sometimes you can't stop talkin?

Ain't it funny when sometimes you have NOTHING to say?

Ain't it funny how sometimes we lock our thoughts?

Ain't it funny how our thoughts set us free?

Ain't it funny how we try to push somethings away?

Ain't it funny how somethings draw us towards them?

Ain't it??

Uncle chips- aunty's processing weapon

2008-11-22T09:23:00.000-08:00

What does one do when one gets a topic such as " Uncle chip- aunty's processing weapon" as their adzap topic? Well yeah that had us thinking or a bit too, but then when yu have mokkai queens such as supri, me and vedha around, there's never a lack of humour even in the worst of topics.

The whole act was just so much fun, and though i must honestly say i was a bit scared about the rebutal,there were instances when we left the judges with nothing to say :) end result? FIRST PLACE!!!!!

And after all that fun, came the creative writing.. hey don get me wrong, creative writing was fun too.. but the topics? uh! well! um! i'd rather not comment...

So here's the crap i made up in 45 mins,, ENSAI!

(forgive me for the begining but thats how it was SUPPOSED to start.. as in thats the basic "topic")

"It was 8o'clock. I was late for my routine walk on the beach.The sky seemed dark, it felt like dusk so early in the morning. Prerna who usually accompanied me on my walks had fallen ill and today i had to walk alone. I couldn't find a single familiar face on the beach that day. Sigh it really was pretty boring walking all alone. Prerna and my walks had become a routine. She'd come over to my place at 5.45 AM and try everything possible to wake me up and everyday she would miserably fail. It'd finally take her dog Sassy to lick my toes and get me awake (in utter disgust).Every day we'd start our walk from the crooked rain tree and walk all along the shore up till the broken marble statue. For us it wasn't the walk that was important but the gossip we shared during the walks. As i stared at the overcast sky, i thought of all the funny conversations we'd shared.

It was bad enough walking alone, but the fear of the heavens opening up any minute and engulfing the entire sea and land in a blanket of rain made the walk even more torturous than it already was.

As i walked along, my thoughts wandered and i thought about the dream i'd had the previous night. This was the third time i'd had the same dream. Each time it was the same thing, the vision getting stronger everytime.The dream started with me walking all alone on the beach in the evening- ' I didn't know what i was walkin towards, but i seemed to be pulled by some force. But each step was an effort as with each step i took, i seemed to be sinking further into the sand.'...

A drop of rain on my brow brought me back to reality. The sky looked even more threatening that it did earlier, there was a light drizzle. I looked around and noticed that even the handful of people whom i'd seen on the beach earlier seemed to be nowhere in sight. Perhaps they'd run for cover. All i knew was i was all alone on the vast of the beach, quite like in my dream.

I thought about the dream again-' As i walked what seemed like an endless stretch, i suddenly picked up pace. Maybe out of the joy that i was getting closer to my destination, or maybe out of the fear of sinkin deeper into the sand. Voices from the sea seemed to be calling out to me, but i paid no heed to them and i ran.. I ran for what seemed like forever'....

I noticed it was getting harder for me to walk. My feet kept sinking into the now moist sand. The tide had risen and waves stretched out further, some of them pricking the tips of my toes as i walked. A disturbing wind seemed to be blowing.It howled just like the voices in my dream. I quickened my pace...

Eventhough it was getting closer, i was drenched in sweat, more out of anxiety than out of the exhaustion from the walk.The last part of my dream had me running towards the marble statue- 'I'd run towards it as if i was about to find a long lost treasure, suddenly i'd stop, and there he would be, in the shadow of the statue, the gray old man.

There he would stand, with his peircing gray eyes, an olive green blanket around his shoulders and an "ek tara" in his hand. He'd ruffle his hair, smoothen his gray beard and hum a verse in bengali. It was always the same verse and it never made any sense to me'

A sudden bolt of lightning pulled me out of my thoughts. A clap of thunder followed and before i knew it, it was pouring!I could see the statue in the distance, i ran towards it...

Finally under some cover, i panted for breath! I felt a hand on my shoulder, my heart skipped a beat. i wondered....

I slowly turned around and there he was, jus as i'd seen him in my dreams, the same gray old man, with the olive green blanket around his sholuders, the "ek tara" in his hand. The same peircing gray eyes.My feet refused to move, as if they'd been nailed to the ground. He ruffled his hair and repeated the verse i'd heard so many times in my dream.

"Jodhi thor dakshonekyo naashe,

Thaale ekla cholo re"

He seemed to understand the fear and confusion on my face, he smiled at me and i noticed a set of crooked yellow teeth. This time he hummed the verse in english.

"If nobody answers your calls,

trust yourself and walk alone"

I stood there in the rain watching him as he walked away strumming his ek tara, the gray old man...

Nenjukkul peidhidum maa mazhai

2008-11-16T11:44:00.000-08:00

I've never written a review for a movie before, and perhaps i don't know how to either, but i think i HAVE to write about this movie.. Vaaranum aayiram

Though it doesnt start with a really pleasant scene, the story which is a narrative slowly moves on, taking us thro' every phase of a man's life-krishna. A man who lived his life to the fullest, lived for his family and passed on the same sentiments to his son.

Honestly there's not too much of a story, its all about the relationship a son shares with his dad and how after the dad's death, the son looks back at what his dad has done for him at every stage in his life. May it be teaching him not to be belittled by anyone or anythin, or to pursue his passions or even win his love over(even if it means sending him to San Fransisco), Krishna is always there for his son. And THAT is the beauty of the movie. All of us are blessed to have at least one such person in our lives, maybe not our dads, maybe not our moms, maybe jus a frnd, someone who's been there for us, someone we look up to, someone we consider our hero. And very often, we get so caught up growing up( literally and metaphorically), that we forget bout those very people who made us what we are.

It truly is a tribute to dads who though (often) don make their presence felt in the family, actually make the backbone of the family.

Personally i never used to think surya could really act, i mean yeah he plays the "tough cops" role pretty well but this is the first time i can say he's done full justice to the role.. Whether it be the loving father, the coy boy in love, the confused drug addict or (what he does best) the TOUGH army guy, he's played all his roles with great panache.

Credit should be given to the designers and make up artists who've done a fantastic job in making the actors look genuinely different in the different phases (Surya actually looks like a school boy when he is supposed to).

But the person who steals every one's heart HAS to be Simran.. the role fits her like a glove, she plays it so beautifully, that there are no words to applaud her performance. YES, her role is really small, but even with such a small role she makes her presence felt.

Another actress who's work is worth mentioning is Sameera Reddy. She plays her role so well i'm sure there wasn't a single guy there in the theatre who din wish she was his girl. She plays the (nerdy) girl next door really well and yu cant help falling in love with the way the two young hearts (surya and sameera) fall in love.

Credit is also due to the amazin scores (whether they have been ripped from english songs or not), they truly create the perfect feel for the movie.When yu listen to songs such as Nenjukkul peidhidum maa mazhai, yu cant help but dream about someone serenading yu jus as romantically.Sigh but sadly thats the thin line that divides fantasys from the real.

I'm not gonna rate the movie, but for anyone who loves their dad and/or knows what falling in love feels like, this movie is a MUST watch

So you think you can talk the talk, but can yu walk "THE WALK"?????

2008-11-04T05:34:00.000-08:00

It's become a common joke in class now, people call me and say " hey dp, coll is off for 2 FULL days, aren't you going to kerala??" So now you probably know how frequent my visits have been.. Its always something or the other-poojas, marriages, land issues..whatever.. And since amma goes and dad's always on tour i ALWAYS have to accompany her.

HEY don't get me wrong, I'm not whining, its just that even the guy at Higginbothams at Madras Central has started recognizing me thanks to my frequent visits.

So like always, when we got a couple of days off for Diwali, off we were to "God's own country"

Just like any other visit to guruvayoor, we followed the same old itinerary,

* Be woken up at 5 (and I'm supposed to be on "vacation")

* Have a shower (in not-so-hot water.. brrrrrrrrrrrr)

* RUN to the temple (where might i add, my mom conveniently goes into her own world, absolutely abandoning the person accompanying her.. Wat bhakthi i tell you)

* Stand in a really LONG queue with ladies PUSHING yu (ever seen the rush for rajni padam first day first show???) SCREAMING prayers into your ear

* The darshan( trust me after the pushes and the screaming women all I'd be praying for is to get out of the temple)

* The TONS of vazhivadus ( archanas and blah)

* Getting back home HUNGRY and exhausted after the "fight" I'd put up.

and the rest of the day pretty much involves- eating,local gossip, another couple of visits to the temple and of course IDEA STAR SINGER!!!!

But this time mumma took some time off to do herself some shopping and one of the things on her list was those peacock fans!!!!- those hand fan like things made from peacock feathers

(apparently they're supposed to keep insects and lizards away.. don ask)

And those things are delicate so we couldn't keep them in the suitcases, and since i had two bags to carry and mumma had two bags to carry, the only other option was to stick them into my backpack.

So there i was on Thrissur station the next day - a tall lanky girl in a Blue tshirt(trust me to correctly wear blue!) with peacock feathers sticking out from behind her almost as if they were her own plumule..

ALL eyes on ME.. quite a Cinderella story.. sigh!!!

Well wat can I say? you can talk the talk, but can you do the peacock walk?????

2008-10-24T06:27:00.000-07:00

What a day! what A day.. really.. when I'd planned this blog in my head, i had thought of so much to write about, but NOW, I'm just plain speechless.

Well for over a month I'd been screaming and announcing my birthday to anyone and everyone i knew but the excitement had died down thanks to the exams nd all i wanted to do on the 23rd was SLEEP. But then again, nothing charges one up like the love from one's friends.

At the stroke of midnight the calls and messages just started pouring in. 33 calls in all! and I don't know HOW many messages.

i know I'm probably bragging or showing off but honestly i don't care cos only i know how wonderful it felt.

The rest of the day was no less fabulous. Spendin the morning with the guys, raggin abii, the cake the photos.. everything was jus so much fun!

And then for the next session of "treating"- LUNCH with my lowes from college!

oh man nd all the unwrapping i had to do to finally get to my gift.

(I'm pretty sure we were the noisiest people in the city centre food court that day)

But more than any gift, it was the time spent with all of them that truly made my day. May it be the warm hugs, arun's 100 watt smile, supri and vedha's PJs, maha nd harini's nerdism ( is that even a word)

oh and how can i forget? our analysis of the crowd. the "HOTTIE" with a pink shirt nd stick like hair. The gold chain guy who kept starin at us and of course darling lil SENBAGA nd her passe.

And the BEST part of the day was coming back home and being recieved by dad's hug nd mumma's amazing chocolate pudding.. wat more could a girl ask on her birthday :)

before i end this post, here's a lil dedication to my friends who make my day everyday

"you know the secrets i could never tell,

and when i'm quite you break through my shell.

I don't feel the need to rebel,

cos you keep my feet on the ground.

You don't get angry when I change the plans

Somehow you're never out of a second chance

And Won't say "I told you" when I'm wrong again.

I'm so lucky that I found you.

True friends will go to the ends of the earth

Till they find the things you need

Friends hang on through the ups and the downs

Cause they've got someone to believe in"

TEACHER AMMA

2008-09-16T10:20:00.000-07:00

What do you do when you're mom's the teacher in the same school you study???? wait till you pass out of school of course.. lol

OK now there have been good things thanks to amma being in the same school where i studied, but it was annoying being known as the teachers kid.. But know that I'm out of school and into coll, its actually quite entertaining having a mum in the same school i studied in.

Why you ask? well take today for instance..

Apparently some kids in a particular class amma teaches in had copied in their recent tests, Being the harishchandra's reincarnation that my mum is, she decided to make her students feel "guilty" and own up on their own.

At home, whenever my brother or i do something wrong, she makes us sit and analyse our actions (write out what we did even) and judge ourselves on whether we were right or wrong.. She decided to try the same with her students, so she walked into the class handed all of them a piece of paper each and told them she knew most of them copied. She asked them all to write down why they copied and give the notes back (anonymously if they wanted to)

While most of them merely said" ma'am i usually don copy, i merely "help" others when they need it"( one even went to the heights of saying, " i din even know the MEANING of copying till this year"), there were a few that caught my attention and are really worth mentioning

(note these have been copied LITERALLY so the gramatical mistakes are not errors on my part)

1) ma'am i'm a very good student you can ask math ma'am or english ma'am.( not language ma'am becos language ma'am doesnt like me. I dont copy, i only show everything.I'm very generous thats why i show everything. From now on i wont show

2) Dear respected ma'am, i like biology because it is my favorite subject hence i like it. I dont copy but i've heard other students talk abput copying and i close my ears when they talk about copying. i dont like copying. other students will be talkin about bit nd things like that. i've heard there are different techniques of copying such as diagonal copying, bit copying etc etc. but i dont do any of these becose i'm a good boy

3)i copied in the 1st standard becos i din know spelling of a word durng dictation.. i was a small boy then now i'm a big boy. i know all my spellings.infact in bio assignment when all those big big spellings are ther, everyone copies from me, even the class leader copies from me. i feel pavum for them and i let them copy. if you say i'll stop that also

(there are loads more actually nd if i'm able to save them before amma throws them into the trash, i'll prob scan them nd put them up..)

god save the teachers who go thro this torture everyday!

like some really intelligent person rightly said ENNA KODDUMAI SIR IDHU!

Of mallipoos and Sungudis

2008-09-09T10:02:00.000-07:00

Yes you brilliant soul who got the hint from the title, indeed i am refering to the temple town of மதுரை (OK i wonder if that was spelt right!! )

Thats the place where i "celebrated" independence day this year. WHY did we go there you ask? Well simple reason really. ( as my dad explained) We've been to diff places in India, but never really explored our own backyard so of we were to the town of madurai!

The weather i must say was a refreshing change from the scorchin sun in chennai ( Its funny how jus a few lattitudes can change the temperature so drastically)

Compare for yourself. THIS is what the sky looked like in chennai the day we left

and THIS was Madurai when we landed there ( time difference, 45 minutes)

But why talk bout weather and waste time when there are far more interesting things to talk bout!

Well yes Madurai is filled with temples and smells basically of mallipoo but it sure is an enchanting place.

The "travel schedule" was planned by my mum so obviously the main thing on the agenda was go to AS many temples as possible, though i whined at that time, i'm glad i finally gave in to my mom's wishes.

First of course was the Madurai Meenakshi temple, i'd heard a lot about the 4 gopurams ( one for each direction) and was really looking forward to go look at the real thing, sadaly as they were renovating the temple, the gopurams were completely covered in thatch.

But on the bright side, i got a cycle rikshaw ride to the temple :)

The old man who was riding the cycle rikshaw cudnt STOP talkin and it was quite entertaining as he tried to switch between english, hindi and tamil wondering which language we spoke cos my mum nd me seemed to makin exchanges in all three languages.

So went the first day visiting various temples in and around madurai. Oh by the time we went to this one temple, it was awefully late and the main enterance had closed, one priest ( who was done with his work for the day)took pity on us and took us through the back entrance of the temple, by the temple pond, through the temple kitchen and finally into the main sanctum..

The next day was much more fun when we drove to Rameshwaram.The climate was jus PERFECT. the temples THERE, were far more emptier and less noisy ( well most of them) and of course the MONKEYS!

Well though i'm sure there were far more interesting tales to tell of the trip from a travellers point of view, i don recall enough to write about over here.. though there was this temple ( a murugan temple) where a man had a spear through his tongue and was walkin on wooden slippers which were embedded with nails (OUCH!)

Watever said and done, i did quite enjoy the trip, mostly cos it gave me time to spend with mum nd dad( and THAT doesnt happen often)

oh nd the BEST part of the trip? the flight bak to chennai!

the madurai airport is TINY! its like a house, i mean the waiting launge is the size of a classroom.

our flight was wonderfully late by 3.5 hours nd my mum nd i were whiling away time passin comments on how atrocious the king fisher nd deccan crew looked :P

Finally when we were in the flight, there was this COMLETE wierdo sittin in front of us. He was listening to songs (on his i-phone)from all possible sanjay leela bansali movies( not like there are too many) in the loudest possible volume. (TRUST ME! everybody on the flight cud here it!!!)

so there we are, 100s of feet above the ground, in extreeeeeeeeeeeeeemely bad weather with the plane under terrible turbulence, so much so that it feels like the "roller coster" in MGM,with lightning flashing near our windows and all the ladies at the maximum of their bhakthi, when the air hostess walks upto this wierdo and asks him to turn his phone off as it may interfere with the plane's mechanism.

and Mr. wierdo in return argues about the phone being in "flight mode" nd it giving sadass dialogues such as " madam theeese is not JEST ye PHONE yit eees an i- PHONE" for some reason that reminded me of the rajnikanth dialogues( remember the way he says "yen vazhi THANEEE vazhi")

nd the argument continues, nd since the lights keep goin on and off cos of bad weather and i was unable to read a book, i decided to be entertained by them.

so finally after (20 whole minutes) of the lady explaing the plane mechanism and the guy showin of his "not JEST ye phone" and its features, she finally got up, walked upto her bag nd pulled out a rules book. The rule to switch of phones was mentioned in BOLD, nd since Mr wierdo got a bulb, he asked for a complaint sheet ( to save watever lil maanam he had left)

nd THEN ladies and gentlemen, started wat i call "the essay writing competition" no seriously, he exhausted the entire sheet and asked for TWO extra sheets of paper, underlying here and there, writing with 2 colours (alternating with blue and black, black being used for the IMPORTANT words)

man was it fun to watch his expressions as he wrote..

NUEVA IMAGEN

2008-09-09T07:35:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while, one needs a change.. something different about something.. Not cos things aren't good the way they are ( maybe they are) but cos one wants to explore newer pastures.
And well thats the same reason i've been searching for better templates ( than the simple ones blogger provides us with).
And now, thanks to the initiative Vedha took, i have a new look to my blog..
well its not ALL that different now, but why change everything all together? let's go one step at a time :)

yet another day?

2008-09-05T10:16:00.000-07:00

All of us had been cramming up for our exams for the past few days and had (almost) completely forgotten bout "Teacher's day"
Only on 4th night were we ( well atleast the 2nd years) frantically texting each other discussiing what we should do for the special day (though honestly half the ppl called to ask wat the portions for the UNIX pracs were.. lol)
lets have a lil flash bak now shall we..
let me explain the scene. its around 7 in the eve on the 4th, here i was searchin for the print outs of the programs and tryin to hunt them on the groups at the same time, the last thing i wanna d o is answer the phone.But hey its supri callin so i HAD to answer especially considerin the current scenario. so anyway..
DP: haan bol ( wat? that's how i always start a convo with supri)
Supri: What are we gonna do tomoro?
DP: i don know dude, i cant find the programs hunting for them on the groups, not started studyin yet.
Supri: Bledy! i'm not talking bout the exams, it's teachers day tomoro, wat are we doin for the teachers?
DP: oh shit, i forgot. So wat do we do?
Supri: thats wat i'm askin yu.
DP: and thats wat I'M askin YU.
Supri: oh man, lets get them a cake.
DP: ask vedha.
Supri: k wat else can we do?
DP: uh.... *thinks while still searchin for programs* ask vedha??!!??
Supri: aaaaaaaaaaaargh.. i mean wat do we get them
DP:* finds the file* YAY
Supri: huh?
DP: oh no nothin.. huh yeah yeah gr8 idea..
Supri: i never said anything. i ASKED yu somethin
DP: wat?
Supri: wat do we GET THEM!!!!!!!!!!
DP: oh yaaaaaaa.. hey wait i'll sketch
Supri: yu don have the time
DP: point
Supri: though i dare yu, yu cant draw a pic of HOD smilin
DP: oh yeah?? yu're on! wats the bet.
Supri: hey wait! yu're Deepti, the HOD always smiles at yu, so yu wont need much imagination.No seriously dude wat do we get them
DP: lets all pass in tomoro's exam nd tell them "ma'am the best gift a student can give a teacher, no errors in a compsci program..
Supri: Mokkai man! he he he he
DP: hmph so wat do we get them
Supri: tell yu wat, call reenu, she always has brilliant ideas
DP: wogays, nd yu call madam council member, she may have planned somethin.. oh nd yeah, ask vedha
Supri: yeah yeah..

And then we move onto the next convo, me callin reenu
*tring tring*
Reenu: yeah dude i was jus gonna call yu. there's this event tomro for samsung, charles jus called me bout it, he needs an MC, its tomoro nd day after, 11 to 8 at island grounds. He's already got all the girls for promotional activities their pay isnt much. if yu go as an MC they'll pay around 2k. travel is paid for.... *stops to breath*
DP: uh... hi!
Reenu: the work'll be pretty easy nd see the pay is good, they need ppl who're good in english nd fun loving ppl, deepa's english isnt all that great, i don think priya can handle somethin like that, i'm sure that upa's family wont let her out so late, plus they need a good looking person
DP: *wonders if that was an indirect compliment*
Reenu:so yu're like the ideal person to go. the same thing'll probably be there next weekend for the same pay. I'll give yu charles number...*stops to breath again*
DP:*clears throat* hang on hang on.What bout tomoro?
Reenu: oh no no the event starts only on the saturday nothing tomoro though if yu want to do something tomoro, there's this OTHER event charles and i were talkin bout. all though the pay isnt all that great...
DP: DUDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Reenu: yeah wat?
DP: i wasnt talkin bout the event.
Reenu: oh shit yeah the pracs. oh man i donno wat i'm gonna do tomoro, i have no idea wats to study in UNIX
DP: welcome to the club but i was refering to teachers day.What do we do for the teachers?
Reenu: uh yu wanna do somethin?
DP: uh it'd be nice if we could.
Reenu: cake it IS then.
DP: thats it?
Reenu: uh i think thats enuf for them, wat else dyu wanna do.
DP: i have NO clue.
Reenu: tell yu wat? ask vedha.
DP: Supri's probably doin that right now
Reenu: OH... Supri... she got any plans?
DP: zilch
Reenu: hmmm well wat bout the event, i know 8 is late but it'll be worth it. blah blah blah
DP: *readin program for 2d rotation* ah huh? hmmm.. yeeeeeeeeah.. right right.. *after readin it* hey i'll jus call supri again, i'll get bak to yu bout the event.. ciao for now
Reenu: yeah dude.

YESCAPE!!!!!!!

well luckily for us, our third years had already planned something

....and all WE had to do was make noise :)
the music had been planned so had the games, the cake was ready
nd so were the speeches

(well except for KD's who had the first line " Hey ppl this is KD" nd the last line" nd finally i thank yu")

but the end result was amazing and boy did we have fun.. whether it was the impromptu speeches..(must say sd's was the BEST) all she did was give that AMAZIN amile nd say "uh.... THANK yu" nd quickly turn around.

Then of course we had the official "floral welcome"

nd then the time for the teachers to give speeches where HOD ( in response to Chitu's question,repeated haridas sir's fav line and) said " Yu're ALL my gems ma, how can i segregate nd say who is better than the other? you're all the same to me".

Then as always we had the games, musical chairs nd HOD won.. YAY!
well all in all it was jus so much fun that i wish days like this would come more often
so here's to all those teachers who guided us all thro' our life.
HAPPY TEACHER'S day!

PAPU CANT DANCE SALA, but i can sing in an ambulance :P

2008-08-30T06:53:00.000-07:00

ha ha i know the title is pretty kooky, cudnt come up with anythin better.. So anyway,friday was really special for various reasons..The first being, i got to meet the governor.. yup yup i met MR. Barnala in person. wat was the occasion you ask? well, 15 students from MOP were selected to attend a workshop on lifestyle diseases..And i was one of those "lucky" fifteen.(SERENDIPITY i say!) So as per instructions, we all met up at 9 at Roypettah hospital only to find a band playin there and ofcourse a few other confused souls such as us. Every 15 mins, a car seemed to be leaving with atleast 5 or 6 girls in it.. i know wat you're thinkin, i was pretty much thinkin the same.. So then, we walked upto this lady who seemed to be the lady in charge and asked her where exactly we had to go and said we'd even walk to the place and din need the car. in reply to that, the lady (whom i later came to know was called LION LALITHA) flashed her BEAutiful yellow teeth at us and said " kanna yu cant WALK to guindy". since we din know wat that meant, we jus waited with the others.

there were no chairs to sit and it was bloody hot, and ofcourse the band addin to the torture, supri, me nd walked upto the flag post (which luckily for us was under the shade of a tree) and sat on the lil podium like thingi and started wastin time doin wat we do best, crackin baseless jokes or makin random remarks bout strangers..

10.30 by the time transport FINALLY arrived. Oh if you're thinkin we too were stuffed into an innova or a honda city, your wrong.. WE got the privilege of getting SQUISHED into a PTC bus.. yes folks, they hired good old Pallavan to take us.

so there we are, on the road, some 60 girls stuffed on a bus goin ALL the way from roypettah to guindy.my only sorce of entertainment, some high drama messages courtesy vedha.

After wat seemed like a half hours journey, we finally were there.. where?? there.. where?? lol RAJ BHAVAN.. home of ( you guessed it right) the governor himself

we walked in.. the PACK led by the MOPians ( who obviously seemed to be more alive than anybody else) all of us strolling casually, makin the most of the oppurtunity. Must say, it quite reminds you of IITM. The fresh green, the random deer, the nicely laden roads and most importantly, the serenity. but i guess we were walkin a bit TOO casually, cos this police jeep stopped beside us nd this grumpy cop asked vidya "endha college? suthi pakadhaku vandhingala?"

then there we were( after the security check), at the hall where the inauguration was to be, trust me, it was PACKED. seriously.. there were jus random seats here nd there which were vacant, half of which had been "reserved" for some lion club meber or the other.

End result, those who werent quick/ smart enough, had to stand.. (bad event management i say, sundari ma'am wud be ashamed) :P

then at about 11.30 the function FINALLY started, there were these whole bunch of dignitaries.

well for the description, yu can check this article out "http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/30/stories/2008083055420500.htm"

but for MY side of the story, read on.. :P

there was this guy DR Rajendran if i'm nnot mistaken, superintendant, Roypettah hosp. 2 words to describe him "CONTROL FREAK". he jus WOULDNT let go of the mike, even if he had to sneeze, he'd do so into the mike, even if he had to answer a call, he'd do so into the mike. wierd but entertaining guy.

then there was MR. Paneerselvam, ( later christened PISSAselvam for obvious reasons) who spoke really well, though i cudnt understand most of his speech cos he spoke in HIGH level tamil.. the only part which I got was when he kept sayin how the youth of today should cycle nd not eat PISSA nd BERGER.

If i could give out awards, the MISS ENTHUSIASTIC award would Definitely have gone to this aunty in ORANGE who kept clappin for EVERYTHIN.. ( i'm amazed she din clap after the national anthem)

then there was the governor who spoke bout the workshop and its importance and the need to create an awareness.. honestly, he pretty much said the same things that everyone else who had been on stage said. but its the way his excellency said it that made you sit up and actually listen.. his tone was like that of a grandfather tellin his grandchildren a story, where the tone though not overly dramatic, holds your attention.(unfortunately the lady next to me, some prof from MEENAKSHI college, slept off)

But the sweetest things the governor said were 1. Apologise for the lack of seats (for which too the hyper case aunty clapped)

2. Nanri vannakam (which mind you none of the ministers said)

then it was time to get back to the hospital but the pallavan was no longer there, so we walked upto the control freak and asked him wat to do.. nd he pointed to an ambulance and said, "it'd be our honour to have beautiful girls like you on our ambulance".. we din know whether to smile nd thank him or roll on the floor laughin.. was he KIDDIN us? ride on an ambulance? but thats wat we did. all 15 of us got into an ambulance and we were off..

boy was it FUN, we kept showin "bulb" to random motorists on the road nd EVERy single person turned their headlight on.. rotfl.. we waved at people on the road everytime we stopped at the signal.. nd the best part? we sang PAPU CANT DANCE in the ambulance.. now thats a story worth tellin the grandkids..

i'm sure the driver was confused for he wud never have had SUCH passengers on an AMBULANCE. More confused were the ppl on the road wondering how ppl travellin on an ambulance cud possibly be happy enough to sing papu cant dance at the top of their lungs.. he he

TICK TOCK TICK TOCK.. BOOM!!!!!

2008-08-22T10:36:00.000-07:00

There's so much to write about, the Madurai trip, almost being struck by lightning, the weirdo on the flight,lil bald man going away,olap, link, our victories, ethi, today's movie, college gossip but damn i just cant find the time to write a long enuf entry. Seriously i feel like the white rabbit in Alice in wonderland , running late for everything, no time on my hands..There's so much i wanna write bout.. There's so much i wanna do.. the glass painting is lying incomplete, I've left a few poems half done, there are those sketches i still haven't finished.. nd OF COURSE all that coll work piling up. ..

Oh man one look at the clock makes me feel so guilty.. wish days could be longer..

Finally!!

2008-08-13T09:12:00.000-07:00

This has been on my "to do list" for a long time now, and here i am today, after creating my first ever blog.. and (not) suprisingly i have no clue what to write..

I've often read posts on my friends's blogs and admired the way they weave their words into a story, with every episode jus as interesting as the previous..(unfortunately/ fortunately for me, i know WAAAY to many EXCELLENT writers)

I've always admired that "talent"/ "skil" whatever you call it, and hoped that someday when i start my own blog, i have somethin just as interesting and intriguing to write... and yet, i m as BLANK as a brand new A-4 sheet. Okay okay i know that was a sad comparison, but what does one do when one's brain goes on strike?? oh before yu bio freaks begin arguing on the "brain goin on strike" bit, its JUS a figure of speech!!!!!! sigh..

hey wait, i know what i can write bout, the name of my blog.. :)

SERENDIPITY..

noooooo i din name it after the kate beckinsale starrer

Someone once told me this was his favorite word. i never thought bout the word then, but slowly, it grew on me and though i cant narrow down a single word from a language as vast as english and name it my favourite, i must say, i do quite love this word..

a FORTUNATE ACCIDENT...

its not like i believe in luck and destiny but sometimes stuff happens which yu can not logically reason out
so often, unexpected things occur in ones life, and some of them change yur life forever... and sometimes, its ppl who you meet completely by accident.. and they change your life forever..

I too have been fortunate enough to accidently come upon such ppl in my life.. nd i guess thats one of the reasons i'm writing this today.. and why i chose this name..

Wish i could write more, but i'd rather not die by having all my blood sucked out by mosquitoes.. he he.. so thats all for now, i'll be back later with more on destiny and my adventures with luck

PS: there's also another reason for the choice i made.. serendipity.. or shall we say serenD-P-T :) for those of yu who din get it, KEEP thinkin :)