By some strange coincidence, a lot of people I know have got/are getting married in the period from May '07 to July '08- at least 20 people until now and another 15-20 people due in the coming few months. (Please note that for me, being engaged is pretty much equivalent to getting married; hence I include both the sets of people in the same category!) Now though I always used to be (pleasantly) surprised as each wedding invitation kept landing in my inbox, it never bothered me that much coz all were people who were at least 2-3 years elder to me, if not more.
Anyway, cut to about a week ago. I'm talking to one of my best friends- Z, on the phone. We were discussing some teaching assignment she's doing and that is the moment she chooses to tell me that her parents are "looking" for a boy for her and she'll probably be married in the next one year! Now, that freaked me out for three reasons :-
1. I'm petrified of marriage. No, I'm serious. Love and relationships is ok, but marriage is a very different ball game man...impossible to think about it right now!
2. She's my age. Actually, she's 35 days younger than me.
3. She seemed cool about it! I kept yelling and screaming on the phone (which isn't something I do very often, it's a skill only Gauri has!), while she was like, "Yeah! So...just thought I should tell you. My parents think it's the right time!" :-0:-0
See, I know of girls who turn 21 and all of a sudden, the only thing they want to do in life is- get married. I'm not judging them or anything. They're just people who're happier when they're running a home and managing a family. That's a hard job too. But Z is not like that. I know she needs a great career as much as she wants all of the other stuff. Sure, people say a marriage doesn't mean the end of a career, but it surely delays the process a bit right!?
I also know that Z's parents are very cool people, so I never thought they'd be the type who'd get unduly tensed about things like settling down and all. But I guess, on some level, parents of girls are all of the same kind. (Damn!!) I actually had an argument with my mom on the same issue once, when I told her that I felt she was treating me like a to-do list- you don't feel satisfied unless you tick off one of the activities on that list each year!
Anyway not much point to this post, except that- Z, I don't know if you read my blog. But if you do, I'm not dissuading you from going for it. But only if you feel it's the right thing to do! Also, make sure I'm in India for the big day ok! :-) And secondly, parents- please stop worrying about your girls! Don't try to force them down a path when they're (k)not ready yet !!
Peace.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Saturday, March 22, 2008
My future lies in a nadi !!
Ok, so not exactly that kinda nadi ! :-)
People who've read this blog from the start know of my mom's obsession with the stars. I had another experience in the same domain, a few days ago. I don't know how many of you are aware of this branch(?) of fortune-telling called "Nadi Astrology". The first time I heard of it was on this show on Tamil Nadu on Discovery. It looked pretty simple then, and the anchor didn't quite explain the whole thing well enough. Anyway turns out, my mom's sister's sister-in-law (!!) knows someone who does Nadi-reading right here in Pune. So obviously, my mom had to pay homage to this great art. After her visit, she was so impressed with it that she dragged me along to the revered centre last week. I found the whole experience rather interesting, so I'm going to cut the sarcasm now and tell you what it's all about -
For background information on Nadi astrology, check out this link. Quoting from here -
And here's what happens when you visit a Nadi reader -
First you're asked to give your thumb impression on a blank piece of paper, along with your date and time of birth. No name or any other info to be given then. This guy then takes the paper inside (to the bank of palm leaf bundles, I presume- which is called the Nadi) where one of the Nadi readers matches your thumb impression to the corresponding bundle. It's not always that you get your match though. My mom got her's immediately, whereas I was asked to come back in a week. (They got the correct set from Tanjore, which is like the headquarters) This is your first step.
Next, the reader asks you a number of questions about your name, parents' name, siblings' names, other biographical info, events of the past etc. Now here's the interesting bit. He's actually reading out this info from the leaf- you're not asked all of it directly. And you're just supposed to answer with a yes/no! This is to verify which leaf from the bundle belongs to you. What shocked me the most about this part was- how, on earth, does this guy know every single detail about all the significant events of my past!? And when I say "every single detail", I mean it! There was actually a point where he asked my mom to go out of the room coz he was going to talk about stuff he wasn't sure my mom would or should know! (Thank God he had the sense to do that!) I mean...to believe that all of this was actually written down by some Maharashi centuries ago, is like being told that- "dude, you're the actor, the film's already been scripted and no matter how much you object, it can't be changed coz the director's dead!" It's like taking Shakespeare a little too literally..!! But it's all there, written in some weird Tamil script, so you can't even not believe it! Anyway once this is done, you're through with step two.
Finally, he starts the future predictions. And he really goes to the nitty-gritties of it all! Like he told me about some accident I was going to have when I was 42 and hell, I even know the age at which I'm going to die! (Nah don't worry, I live long enough! :-P) He records all of this on a cassette and you're supposed to take it home with you so you can listen to your life chronology over n over again!
(Read the detailed procedure here.)
I was pretty blown over by the entire experience. But the fact is- though it may make you believe that your life is indeed, pre-ordained, not everything of what he reads out about your past from your leaf is true. So it's not like all of what he says about your future is going to happen. Also, I know of a girl who took her two German friends along for a reading and they were told their leaves aren't there, even in Tanjore. So I don't know if the Maharashis limited their writings only to people destined to be born in India! I wanted to ask my reader this, but thought it would be too rude to cross-question him! And lastly, from what I gathered, he predicts the future on the basis of what's written on the Nadi leaf and a horoscope he makes using your time of birth n all.. So once again, the whole arguement of- "what if my time of birth is wrong; then the horoscope doesn't make any sense!"- resurfaces. Ultimately I guess, it's all about belief. I, for one, don't like any form of fortune-telling, science n all notwithstanding, coz I believe that the beauty of life is in its unpredictability. (Ahh the golden words! :-P) I know of people who've not even bothered to make a horoscope and believe me, they're doing fine! Besides, I don't want to live knowing that I'm going to be faced with a huge crisis in my 27th year! If some hardships/obstacles do come your way, as they obviously will, I think God/Nature has made humans strong enough to fight them. It's just up to you now, to decide whether you derive strength from within yourself/God or take the help of some pujas/lucky charms!
P.S.- Anyone wanting to visit this centre- it's in Kothrud near Vanaz. Leave me a message, I'll give you the contact number.
People who've read this blog from the start know of my mom's obsession with the stars. I had another experience in the same domain, a few days ago. I don't know how many of you are aware of this branch(?) of fortune-telling called "Nadi Astrology". The first time I heard of it was on this show on Tamil Nadu on Discovery. It looked pretty simple then, and the anchor didn't quite explain the whole thing well enough. Anyway turns out, my mom's sister's sister-in-law (!!) knows someone who does Nadi-reading right here in Pune. So obviously, my mom had to pay homage to this great art. After her visit, she was so impressed with it that she dragged me along to the revered centre last week. I found the whole experience rather interesting, so I'm going to cut the sarcasm now and tell you what it's all about -
For background information on Nadi astrology, check out this link. Quoting from here -
"Nadi is an ancient astrology, which has been composed by great Maharishis (sages) of India in the past using their spiritual powers. The sages recorded these predictions for every individual for the betterment of humanity and to safeguard dharma (righteousness). These sages predicted the characteristics, family history, as well as the careers of innumerable individuals contain in several thousand volumes, each containing around a hundred predictions. The Rishis, who dictated those Nadis, were gifted with such a remarkable foresight that they accurately foretold the entire future of all mankind."
And here's what happens when you visit a Nadi reader -
First you're asked to give your thumb impression on a blank piece of paper, along with your date and time of birth. No name or any other info to be given then. This guy then takes the paper inside (to the bank of palm leaf bundles, I presume- which is called the Nadi) where one of the Nadi readers matches your thumb impression to the corresponding bundle. It's not always that you get your match though. My mom got her's immediately, whereas I was asked to come back in a week. (They got the correct set from Tanjore, which is like the headquarters) This is your first step.
Next, the reader asks you a number of questions about your name, parents' name, siblings' names, other biographical info, events of the past etc. Now here's the interesting bit. He's actually reading out this info from the leaf- you're not asked all of it directly. And you're just supposed to answer with a yes/no! This is to verify which leaf from the bundle belongs to you. What shocked me the most about this part was- how, on earth, does this guy know every single detail about all the significant events of my past!? And when I say "every single detail", I mean it! There was actually a point where he asked my mom to go out of the room coz he was going to talk about stuff he wasn't sure my mom would or should know! (Thank God he had the sense to do that!) I mean...to believe that all of this was actually written down by some Maharashi centuries ago, is like being told that- "dude, you're the actor, the film's already been scripted and no matter how much you object, it can't be changed coz the director's dead!" It's like taking Shakespeare a little too literally..!! But it's all there, written in some weird Tamil script, so you can't even not believe it! Anyway once this is done, you're through with step two.
Finally, he starts the future predictions. And he really goes to the nitty-gritties of it all! Like he told me about some accident I was going to have when I was 42 and hell, I even know the age at which I'm going to die! (Nah don't worry, I live long enough! :-P) He records all of this on a cassette and you're supposed to take it home with you so you can listen to your life chronology over n over again!
(Read the detailed procedure here.)
I was pretty blown over by the entire experience. But the fact is- though it may make you believe that your life is indeed, pre-ordained, not everything of what he reads out about your past from your leaf is true. So it's not like all of what he says about your future is going to happen. Also, I know of a girl who took her two German friends along for a reading and they were told their leaves aren't there, even in Tanjore. So I don't know if the Maharashis limited their writings only to people destined to be born in India! I wanted to ask my reader this, but thought it would be too rude to cross-question him! And lastly, from what I gathered, he predicts the future on the basis of what's written on the Nadi leaf and a horoscope he makes using your time of birth n all.. So once again, the whole arguement of- "what if my time of birth is wrong; then the horoscope doesn't make any sense!"- resurfaces. Ultimately I guess, it's all about belief. I, for one, don't like any form of fortune-telling, science n all notwithstanding, coz I believe that the beauty of life is in its unpredictability. (Ahh the golden words! :-P) I know of people who've not even bothered to make a horoscope and believe me, they're doing fine! Besides, I don't want to live knowing that I'm going to be faced with a huge crisis in my 27th year! If some hardships/obstacles do come your way, as they obviously will, I think God/Nature has made humans strong enough to fight them. It's just up to you now, to decide whether you derive strength from within yourself/God or take the help of some pujas/lucky charms!
P.S.- Anyone wanting to visit this centre- it's in Kothrud near Vanaz. Leave me a message, I'll give you the contact number.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Tryst with the kitchen
I've always taken some sort of perverse pride in the fact that I suck at cooking! In the sense, I not only was absolutely inept in making the stuff deemed "simple" by my mom like an egg omlette, but I couldn't even distinguish between the different dals (you know...moong, udad and the like..) and different masalas! It never bothered me, of course. For me, cooking was never one of those skills a person needed to show atleast minimal expertise in. Infact it's a standing joke in my family that a guy fit enough to be my life partner would need one of these qualifications- he should either be a good cook; or should be rich enough to afford one !!
I think my hatred for cooking was because my first two attempts at it failed miserably. The first time was when my sister and I decided to surprise my parents on their wedding anniversary by making them pinwheel sandwiches! (I was around 12 then; I had simple tastes :-P) We were supposed to mix cream cheese and tomato ketchup, add salt and pepper, apply it on the bread slices and roll them up. Simple enough, eh?! Well, everything that could possibly go wrong, did. The cream cheese and ketchup mix wasn't smooth enough, I added too much salt and pepper and the bread got all soggy when the mix was applied on it, so it didn't even roll up properly! We ultimately ended up eating the mixture without the bread so as not to waste it, and bought a cake for our parents! So basically, when you mess up something as simple as pinwheel sandwiches, it doesn't do much to bolster your confidence! Added to that is the fact that my mom always says that I look my awkward best when I'm in the kitchen! The icing on the cake was when I messed up Maggi noodles! Huh! Well, over time I did manage to make a decent omlette, so I could atleast rake up something to eat in case of an emergency.
The past week has been a radical change though. I think it all started when the admits count reached four. I think my mom had been waiting for this very opportunity all this while. I knew it was coming of course; I didn't want to be thrown out by my room-mates in foreign land coz I didn't know how to cook! So now I proudly declare that the jinx is over and I can make edible food, fit enough to be consumed by fellow graduate students! :-D:-D Of course, I still hate cooking and I'm bored of it in just a week but atleast I know that I won't go hungry now. And I admit, it's pretty easy to make the simple Indian stuff, as long as you get a judgement of the proportions of the salt, sugar and the masalas. Besides, it does feel good to sometimes cook for your people- even if it's a simple gobi ki sabzi! The best part was when my dad told my mom ki kabhi socha nahi tha ki kisi din apni beti ke haath ka bana khana bhi kha sakenge! Lol.. :-D
I think my hatred for cooking was because my first two attempts at it failed miserably. The first time was when my sister and I decided to surprise my parents on their wedding anniversary by making them pinwheel sandwiches! (I was around 12 then; I had simple tastes :-P) We were supposed to mix cream cheese and tomato ketchup, add salt and pepper, apply it on the bread slices and roll them up. Simple enough, eh?! Well, everything that could possibly go wrong, did. The cream cheese and ketchup mix wasn't smooth enough, I added too much salt and pepper and the bread got all soggy when the mix was applied on it, so it didn't even roll up properly! We ultimately ended up eating the mixture without the bread so as not to waste it, and bought a cake for our parents! So basically, when you mess up something as simple as pinwheel sandwiches, it doesn't do much to bolster your confidence! Added to that is the fact that my mom always says that I look my awkward best when I'm in the kitchen! The icing on the cake was when I messed up Maggi noodles! Huh! Well, over time I did manage to make a decent omlette, so I could atleast rake up something to eat in case of an emergency.
The past week has been a radical change though. I think it all started when the admits count reached four. I think my mom had been waiting for this very opportunity all this while. I knew it was coming of course; I didn't want to be thrown out by my room-mates in foreign land coz I didn't know how to cook! So now I proudly declare that the jinx is over and I can make edible food, fit enough to be consumed by fellow graduate students! :-D:-D Of course, I still hate cooking and I'm bored of it in just a week but atleast I know that I won't go hungry now. And I admit, it's pretty easy to make the simple Indian stuff, as long as you get a judgement of the proportions of the salt, sugar and the masalas. Besides, it does feel good to sometimes cook for your people- even if it's a simple gobi ki sabzi! The best part was when my dad told my mom ki kabhi socha nahi tha ki kisi din apni beti ke haath ka bana khana bhi kha sakenge! Lol.. :-D
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Current Mindset
Ok... so I suck at poetry n all....couldn't compose a couplet even if I was held at gunpoint !! But this song by Wendy Matthews pretty much sums up my current mood...
The Day You Went Away- By Wendy Matthews
Hey, does it ever make you wonder
what's on my mind
I, I was only ever running to your side
I never cried, I just watched my life go by
It's just a pack of lies,
'cause you're leaving me behind
Why, after this long is there nothing
I'll keep, oh, I can shout
you'll pretend you're falling asleep
I live a lie, yeah, believing that you're mine
It's just a waste of time
'cause you're leaving me behind
Hey, there's not a cloud in the sky
It's as blue as your goodbye
and I thought it would rain
on a day like today
Hey, there's not a cloud in sight
it's as blue as your blue goodbye
and I thought it would rain
the day you went away
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
P.S.- Before your imaginative mind goes wild conjuring up some heartbreak crap, I state, for the record, that there's nothing of the sort.. Lol.. Enjoy !! :-)
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Ich liebe Deutsch !!
....and that is the extent of complexity I can manage in concocting a German sentence today, which is weird, considering that German has always been one language that I have absolutely and truly loved! I started learning Deutsch only in the ninth standard at Symbiosis. It was one of those composite languages we had, for fifty marks, and I took it up because my teachers told me it helped in easy scoring during SSC. And thank God I did !!
We were taught German by this teacher called Mr. Dusmanta Chakra, who is probably one of the most amazing teachers I have ever come across. He used to get a tape-recorder to class and teach us these fantastic German songs, complete with hand gestures and all- that used to be our education!
Of course, what makes German even more special is that it gave me Anushree, one of my best friends ever. Coz I think Social Studies, unfortunate rejections by other friends and a mutual maddening love for German were the three factors that formed the foundation of our friendship! We used to go for German class to this lady on Law College Road and those days spent in the company of stray dogs and Reena are probably some of the most memorable moments I’ve ever had. Then in tenth, I joined another class closer to home. A school friend of mine called Pranav and I used to go together for this class, in one of those tum-tums (six seater rickshaws)*. And the whole time, he used to fill me in on the latest bit of gossip among the Symbi guys- who secretly likes whom, what happened during the class picnic...all that kinda scoop. Used to be pretty interesting to know what guys talk!
So you see, apart from actually loving German, there were a lot of reasons why it was special to me. Of course, Anushree and I have a long cherished dream of going to Germany some day, for a nice long holiday. And Inshallah, when she’s earned a lot of money as an art historian and I’ve earned a lot of money as god-knows-what, a day will come when we’ll leave behind our pesky kids and boring routines to make that trip !!
So anyway, in my tenth standard, I participated in this competition organized by Max Mueller Bhavan, wherein students were supposed to write an essay on a given topic, short listed candidates had to go through a German interview and the top three won an all-expense paid trip to Germany, and get to stay with a German family etc- sort of a cultural exchange thing. I’m reproducing the essay I wrote here- for posterity. You see, the only copy I have of the essay is two A4 size sheets of paper which have already been folded seven times over! And though I narrowly missed making it to the top three, this was one of those times when I did something purely for the love of it, without a definite purpose in mind. I have no idea of how good the essay is, or how grammatically correct or incorrect it is, but it is something that I’m very proud of…
The topic of the essay was “Freiheit und Disziplin” or “Freedom and Discipline”. (We were school kids then, we weren’t supposed to have views on nuclear testing !! :-P..)
--------------------------------------------------
* Incidently, these tum-tums in North India are a fluorescent green colour and are called vikrams- I have no idea why !
--------------------------------------------------
P.S- The essay below is really long and in German. Reader discretion is requested!
Disziplin- das ist ein häßliches Wort für die Schüler. Aber die Disziplin ist sehr wichtig in Lebem besonders in die Schuljahren. Die Schüler, die als Kind schon diszipliniert sind, sind erfolgreich im ganzen Leben. Die Hausaufgabe rechtzeitog zumachen, täglich das Lehrbuch lessen, im Unterricht nicht laut sprechen, sich höflich benehmen, das alles gehört zur Disziplin.
Die Disziplin ist auch sehr wichtig für die ehrgeizigen Schüler.
“Der Fleiß in den Jugendjahren
wird später gold’ne Früchte tragen
Drum nutze jeden Augenblick
verlor’ne Zeit kehrt nie zurück.”
Sie haben gut Noten bekommen und haben viele Zeit für Lernen und Spielen.
Meine Schule besteht auf das Prinzip “Freiheit und Disziplin”. Unsere Schulleiterin ist streng, aber sie gibt uns auch die Freiheit. Wir dürfen unsere Gedanken ausdrücken. In der Freizeit düren wir mit einander sprechen, aber wir müssen nicht viel Lärm machen. Unsere Lehrer und Lehrerinnen schimpfen uns aber das ist für unser Gutes.
Aber viele Disziplin ist auch nicht gut. Die Jugenlichen düren Fehler machen und dadurch können sie lernen. Sie können über ihre Karriere selbst bestimmen wenn sie genug Freiheit genießen. Die Jugenlichen müssen eine Gelegenheit haben. Die Freiheit verbessert die Persönlichkeit der Jugendlichen.
Die Jünger in Europa habenmehr Freizeit als in Indien. In der Schule sind die Lehrer mildere und liberater als die Alten in den Gesellschaft. Das ist gut in gewissem Grad. Die Schüler legen dann keinen Wert auf das Lernen und die Zeit. Sie geben viel Geld aus.
Die indische Tradition hat viele Begrenzung. So die indische Leute haben nicht so viele Freheit. Indien ist nich ein senr moderner Land. Die Eltern kümmern sich um ihren Kindern und schützen sie sehr viel. So haben die indischen Jugendlichen nicht viele Freiheit.
Man fragt mich: Wo willst du leben? Ich sage: Natürlich in Indien. Das Land hat 29 Bundesländer. Die Kultur ist reich und alt. Jedes Bundesland hat seine Tradition. Aber Indien, als ein Land, ist eine Einheit. Die Leute helfen sich. Indien beitet einen großen Spielraum für Entwicklung. Die Leute sind sehr klug und fleißig. Ich möchte in Indien altwerden. Für das Land und die Leute möchte ich vieles tun.
Die meisten indischen Politiker sind korrupt und unehrlich. Aber trotzdem möchte ich in Indien wonhen. Hier bleibe ich.
Indien hat eine größe Bevölkerung. So viele Leute sind arbeitslos. Viele Leute haben keine Chance im Leben. Die Leute sind arm und das Schulwesen hat keine Wert. Die Jugenlichen in Indien haben größen Druck von ihren Eltern, denn sie müssen gute Noten in ihrer Prüfung haben. Die Jugenlichen müssen immer lernen. Sie wollen in die Discothek und ins Kino gehen. Sie wollen unabhängig sein. Aber die Alten und die Großeltern sind alt-modisch. Sie dürfen die Jugendliche das alles nicht machen.
Besonders die Mädchen in Indien müssen im Haus bleiben. Sie dürfen nicht studieren. Die Jugendliche in Indien haben auch Druck von ihren Freunden. Die Jugendlichen möchten machen, was sie sich wünschen. Die Jugendlichen möchten besser als ihren Freunden sein. So sind sie aggressiv und anmaßend. Die Jugendliche in Indien wollen mehr Freizeit haben.
Die Jugendliche in Deutchland haben ähnliche Probleme. Sie fühlen, daß sie genug Freiheit nicht haben. Deutschland is auch ein industrielles Land. So viele Leute haben keine Arbeit. Das Leben für die Judendlichen ist sehr geschäftig. Die Jugendliche haben keine Erholung. So sind sie sehr nervös und aggressiv. Die Freunden der Jugendliche verführen sie oft. So fangen sie das Rauchen und das Rauschgift an. Sie zerstören ihr Zukunft. So ist die Disziplin wichtig im Leben, aber mit genug Freiheit.
We were taught German by this teacher called Mr. Dusmanta Chakra, who is probably one of the most amazing teachers I have ever come across. He used to get a tape-recorder to class and teach us these fantastic German songs, complete with hand gestures and all- that used to be our education!
Of course, what makes German even more special is that it gave me Anushree, one of my best friends ever. Coz I think Social Studies, unfortunate rejections by other friends and a mutual maddening love for German were the three factors that formed the foundation of our friendship! We used to go for German class to this lady on Law College Road and those days spent in the company of stray dogs and Reena are probably some of the most memorable moments I’ve ever had. Then in tenth, I joined another class closer to home. A school friend of mine called Pranav and I used to go together for this class, in one of those tum-tums (six seater rickshaws)*. And the whole time, he used to fill me in on the latest bit of gossip among the Symbi guys- who secretly likes whom, what happened during the class picnic...all that kinda scoop. Used to be pretty interesting to know what guys talk!
So you see, apart from actually loving German, there were a lot of reasons why it was special to me. Of course, Anushree and I have a long cherished dream of going to Germany some day, for a nice long holiday. And Inshallah, when she’s earned a lot of money as an art historian and I’ve earned a lot of money as god-knows-what, a day will come when we’ll leave behind our pesky kids and boring routines to make that trip !!
So anyway, in my tenth standard, I participated in this competition organized by Max Mueller Bhavan, wherein students were supposed to write an essay on a given topic, short listed candidates had to go through a German interview and the top three won an all-expense paid trip to Germany, and get to stay with a German family etc- sort of a cultural exchange thing. I’m reproducing the essay I wrote here- for posterity. You see, the only copy I have of the essay is two A4 size sheets of paper which have already been folded seven times over! And though I narrowly missed making it to the top three, this was one of those times when I did something purely for the love of it, without a definite purpose in mind. I have no idea of how good the essay is, or how grammatically correct or incorrect it is, but it is something that I’m very proud of…
The topic of the essay was “Freiheit und Disziplin” or “Freedom and Discipline”. (We were school kids then, we weren’t supposed to have views on nuclear testing !! :-P..)
--------------------------------------------------
* Incidently, these tum-tums in North India are a fluorescent green colour and are called vikrams- I have no idea why !
--------------------------------------------------
P.S- The essay below is really long and in German. Reader discretion is requested!
FREIHEIT UND DISZIPLIN
Disziplin- das ist ein häßliches Wort für die Schüler. Aber die Disziplin ist sehr wichtig in Lebem besonders in die Schuljahren. Die Schüler, die als Kind schon diszipliniert sind, sind erfolgreich im ganzen Leben. Die Hausaufgabe rechtzeitog zumachen, täglich das Lehrbuch lessen, im Unterricht nicht laut sprechen, sich höflich benehmen, das alles gehört zur Disziplin.
Die Disziplin ist auch sehr wichtig für die ehrgeizigen Schüler.
“Der Fleiß in den Jugendjahren
wird später gold’ne Früchte tragen
Drum nutze jeden Augenblick
verlor’ne Zeit kehrt nie zurück.”
Sie haben gut Noten bekommen und haben viele Zeit für Lernen und Spielen.
Meine Schule besteht auf das Prinzip “Freiheit und Disziplin”. Unsere Schulleiterin ist streng, aber sie gibt uns auch die Freiheit. Wir dürfen unsere Gedanken ausdrücken. In der Freizeit düren wir mit einander sprechen, aber wir müssen nicht viel Lärm machen. Unsere Lehrer und Lehrerinnen schimpfen uns aber das ist für unser Gutes.
Aber viele Disziplin ist auch nicht gut. Die Jugenlichen düren Fehler machen und dadurch können sie lernen. Sie können über ihre Karriere selbst bestimmen wenn sie genug Freiheit genießen. Die Jugenlichen müssen eine Gelegenheit haben. Die Freiheit verbessert die Persönlichkeit der Jugendlichen.
Die Jünger in Europa habenmehr Freizeit als in Indien. In der Schule sind die Lehrer mildere und liberater als die Alten in den Gesellschaft. Das ist gut in gewissem Grad. Die Schüler legen dann keinen Wert auf das Lernen und die Zeit. Sie geben viel Geld aus.
Die indische Tradition hat viele Begrenzung. So die indische Leute haben nicht so viele Freheit. Indien ist nich ein senr moderner Land. Die Eltern kümmern sich um ihren Kindern und schützen sie sehr viel. So haben die indischen Jugendlichen nicht viele Freiheit.
Andererseits wird man unabhängig und pragmatisch wenn man frei ist. Aber viele Freiheit ist schädlich für die Erzeihung.
Man fragt mich: Wo willst du leben? Ich sage: Natürlich in Indien. Das Land hat 29 Bundesländer. Die Kultur ist reich und alt. Jedes Bundesland hat seine Tradition. Aber Indien, als ein Land, ist eine Einheit. Die Leute helfen sich. Indien beitet einen großen Spielraum für Entwicklung. Die Leute sind sehr klug und fleißig. Ich möchte in Indien altwerden. Für das Land und die Leute möchte ich vieles tun.
Die meisten indischen Politiker sind korrupt und unehrlich. Aber trotzdem möchte ich in Indien wonhen. Hier bleibe ich.
Indien hat eine größe Bevölkerung. So viele Leute sind arbeitslos. Viele Leute haben keine Chance im Leben. Die Leute sind arm und das Schulwesen hat keine Wert. Die Jugenlichen in Indien haben größen Druck von ihren Eltern, denn sie müssen gute Noten in ihrer Prüfung haben. Die Jugenlichen müssen immer lernen. Sie wollen in die Discothek und ins Kino gehen. Sie wollen unabhängig sein. Aber die Alten und die Großeltern sind alt-modisch. Sie dürfen die Jugendliche das alles nicht machen.
Besonders die Mädchen in Indien müssen im Haus bleiben. Sie dürfen nicht studieren. Die Jugendliche in Indien haben auch Druck von ihren Freunden. Die Jugendlichen möchten machen, was sie sich wünschen. Die Jugendlichen möchten besser als ihren Freunden sein. So sind sie aggressiv und anmaßend. Die Jugendliche in Indien wollen mehr Freizeit haben.
Die Jugendliche in Deutchland haben ähnliche Probleme. Sie fühlen, daß sie genug Freiheit nicht haben. Deutschland is auch ein industrielles Land. So viele Leute haben keine Arbeit. Das Leben für die Judendlichen ist sehr geschäftig. Die Jugendliche haben keine Erholung. So sind sie sehr nervös und aggressiv. Die Freunden der Jugendliche verführen sie oft. So fangen sie das Rauchen und das Rauschgift an. Sie zerstören ihr Zukunft. So ist die Disziplin wichtig im Leben, aber mit genug Freiheit.
“Früh übt sich, der Meister werden will”
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Tagged !!!
Ah these book tags! I’m not particularly excited about writing this one, coz I don’t think I have a lot to boast about, as concerns books. This tag is just going to make me look ignorant and predictable! I haven’t read most of the really awesome books that a person my age should have read by now. I used to read quite a lot when I was in Doha. Somehow lost touch in the initial few years I spent in Pune. I’m actually grateful to Gau and Akshay for having brought "real" books back into my life.. Anyways, here goes-
* Total number of books that I own:
I haven’t really bothered to count, but I think it would roughly come to about a 100 !! I know, not that great… But as I said, I’ve taken up serious reading (again!) only in the last 4 years. Besides, a lot of the books I read are from the library. I buy books only during Crossword sales or when a friend strongly recommends one.
* Last book I bought:
That would be The Legends of Pensam by Mamang Dai. No, I hadn’t heard of it either, but I’d gone to this bookstore near my place to get a copy of The Namesake and this really cute store guy suggested this book, so I bought it !! (Whatever! Besides I didn’t have enough money to buy The Namesake, so settled for this one instead.) Haven’t read it yet, but it looks to be interesting..
* Last book I read:
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri. Well, I bought the pirated version of the book finally. (I’m not proud of it!) But it’s way better than the movie, which kinda confuses you in the end. Though one good thing about the book is that the story goes much beyond ABCDs (American Born Confused Desis yaar !!) and their identity issues.
* One book I couldn't finish:
Ummm…quite a lot of them actually. It took three attempts to finish The Alchemist. I still haven’t finished The Goal by Eliyahu Goldratt. Don’t know why actually; guess it just got a little boring in the end. And I’ve been trying to read Atlas Shrugged for ages. Somehow I’m just not ready for another heavy duty dose of Ayn Rand, especially after Fountainhead.
* Five books which mean a lot to me:
This is going to be quite a run-of-the-mill list actually, because I haven’t experimented a lot with my reading. I think the experimentation will begin once I’ve read all the books on my must-have list..
- Doctors by Erich Segal:
Can I hear groans already?! Lol.. Ok, I know Segal is not something to be read more than once, but I’ve read Doctors four times already….and loved it each time! Of course, this may have to do with the fact that I’m fascinated by doctors, and this book tracks the lives of a whole group of Harvard Medical School graduates. Besides, I love the character of Barney Livingstone (one of the protagonists of the story). He, kind of, resembles this one person I know. And I love the friendship between him, Laura Castellano and Bennett Landsmann. It’s the kind of friendship I’ve always wanted. (No, this book is NOT a love story, as some people have assumed. People should read it before sprinting off to their own conclusions !!)
- The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone:
This is a biography of Michelangelo. I have to thank Anup for raving about this book so much that I had no choice but to read it. It’s easily one of the most inspiring books I’ve ever read.
- The Kite Runner by Khalid Hosseni:
My sister picked up this book on a whim at one of the Crossword sales, and I thought it would be some silly kiddy book. (See how ignorant I am... Didn’t know this book was on the bestseller list for quite a few months.) But this is a book that everyone has GOT to read. The narration is beautiful, almost poetic. I think no other author has made me “feel” every scene so vividly. The best thing is- the protagonist is in no way a conventional “hero”. He’s flawed, weak-hearted, confused, gullible and even mean at times, but when he is given the opportunity to redeem all that he ever lost, he goes all out, faces his worst fears and gets it.
- Fountainhead by Ayn Rand:
I don’t think I need to say a lot about this book. It makes you think, and it redefines a lot of your ideas, in a way…
- The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling:
Ahhh…now these books have been faithful companions through some rather tough times- boring submissions, exams, or just not-so-exciting semesters. Can’t wait for 21st July. Yup, big plans for The Day…I’ve booked a copy already and apparently Twist ‘n Tales will be open right from 6 am !! I just hope it lives up to all the hype !! But I’ll kill JKR if she kills Harry, Ron or Hermione in the end. :-)
* I am going to Tag:
Now the people I’m going to tag are rather voracious readers (or atleast have read a lot more variety of books than I have, so I’m sure it’ll make for some interesting reading. Plus, it’ll give them a reason to update their blogs.. :-P.. So I tag Anup, Akshay, Keshav, Vipin and Niri. (I dunno if you read, Niri, but nonetheless…atleast now you can’t copy-paste my post !! :-P..)
* Total number of books that I own:
I haven’t really bothered to count, but I think it would roughly come to about a 100 !! I know, not that great… But as I said, I’ve taken up serious reading (again!) only in the last 4 years. Besides, a lot of the books I read are from the library. I buy books only during Crossword sales or when a friend strongly recommends one.
* Last book I bought:
That would be The Legends of Pensam by Mamang Dai. No, I hadn’t heard of it either, but I’d gone to this bookstore near my place to get a copy of The Namesake and this really cute store guy suggested this book, so I bought it !! (Whatever! Besides I didn’t have enough money to buy The Namesake, so settled for this one instead.) Haven’t read it yet, but it looks to be interesting..
* Last book I read:
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri. Well, I bought the pirated version of the book finally. (I’m not proud of it!) But it’s way better than the movie, which kinda confuses you in the end. Though one good thing about the book is that the story goes much beyond ABCDs (American Born Confused Desis yaar !!) and their identity issues.
* One book I couldn't finish:
Ummm…quite a lot of them actually. It took three attempts to finish The Alchemist. I still haven’t finished The Goal by Eliyahu Goldratt. Don’t know why actually; guess it just got a little boring in the end. And I’ve been trying to read Atlas Shrugged for ages. Somehow I’m just not ready for another heavy duty dose of Ayn Rand, especially after Fountainhead.
* Five books which mean a lot to me:
This is going to be quite a run-of-the-mill list actually, because I haven’t experimented a lot with my reading. I think the experimentation will begin once I’ve read all the books on my must-have list..
- Doctors by Erich Segal:
Can I hear groans already?! Lol.. Ok, I know Segal is not something to be read more than once, but I’ve read Doctors four times already….and loved it each time! Of course, this may have to do with the fact that I’m fascinated by doctors, and this book tracks the lives of a whole group of Harvard Medical School graduates. Besides, I love the character of Barney Livingstone (one of the protagonists of the story). He, kind of, resembles this one person I know. And I love the friendship between him, Laura Castellano and Bennett Landsmann. It’s the kind of friendship I’ve always wanted. (No, this book is NOT a love story, as some people have assumed. People should read it before sprinting off to their own conclusions !!)
- The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone:
This is a biography of Michelangelo. I have to thank Anup for raving about this book so much that I had no choice but to read it. It’s easily one of the most inspiring books I’ve ever read.
- The Kite Runner by Khalid Hosseni:
My sister picked up this book on a whim at one of the Crossword sales, and I thought it would be some silly kiddy book. (See how ignorant I am... Didn’t know this book was on the bestseller list for quite a few months.) But this is a book that everyone has GOT to read. The narration is beautiful, almost poetic. I think no other author has made me “feel” every scene so vividly. The best thing is- the protagonist is in no way a conventional “hero”. He’s flawed, weak-hearted, confused, gullible and even mean at times, but when he is given the opportunity to redeem all that he ever lost, he goes all out, faces his worst fears and gets it.
- Fountainhead by Ayn Rand:
I don’t think I need to say a lot about this book. It makes you think, and it redefines a lot of your ideas, in a way…
- The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling:
Ahhh…now these books have been faithful companions through some rather tough times- boring submissions, exams, or just not-so-exciting semesters. Can’t wait for 21st July. Yup, big plans for The Day…I’ve booked a copy already and apparently Twist ‘n Tales will be open right from 6 am !! I just hope it lives up to all the hype !! But I’ll kill JKR if she kills Harry, Ron or Hermione in the end. :-)
* I am going to Tag:
Now the people I’m going to tag are rather voracious readers (or atleast have read a lot more variety of books than I have, so I’m sure it’ll make for some interesting reading. Plus, it’ll give them a reason to update their blogs.. :-P.. So I tag Anup, Akshay, Keshav, Vipin and Niri. (I dunno if you read, Niri, but nonetheless…atleast now you can’t copy-paste my post !! :-P..)
Friday, June 01, 2007
Facts...
1. It’s easy to make a brand new start. Nothing to look back to, no limits to what you can achieve. What is difficult is going back to doing something you had left behind. Going back to complete something you left unfinished, especially when you know how different and difficult it’s going to be... It’s scary..
2. Paulo Coelho said it wrong. When you want something, the entire universe conspires in helping you NOT to achieve it. Maybe that’s why people talk so much about perseverance..
3. I still have to find that one thing that, in one stupid guy’s words, I believe in so much, that at times, it may even keep me awake at night..
4. I wonder why it’s so difficult to tell your friends what they mean to you for fear of sounding like a sentimental schmuck! I wish people would let their guard down just ONCE and speak their heart out. (This applies to me too. Coz I know how terrible I am at telling people I care. I expect them to "understand"- it’s kinda obvious, isn’t it?! ...no, it isn’t!)
5. I wish you knew I was talking about you.
Over and Out.
2. Paulo Coelho said it wrong. When you want something, the entire universe conspires in helping you NOT to achieve it. Maybe that’s why people talk so much about perseverance..
3. I still have to find that one thing that, in one stupid guy’s words, I believe in so much, that at times, it may even keep me awake at night..
4. I wonder why it’s so difficult to tell your friends what they mean to you for fear of sounding like a sentimental schmuck! I wish people would let their guard down just ONCE and speak their heart out. (This applies to me too. Coz I know how terrible I am at telling people I care. I expect them to "understand"- it’s kinda obvious, isn’t it?! ...no, it isn’t!)
5. I wish you knew I was talking about you.
Over and Out.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
83 questions
Disclaimer: Read the following only if you have nothing to do in life and/or are bored to death !!
Credits: Veepeen for putting it up on his blog first and Akshay for dhaaping it from him!
Ok...so I'm in the process of writing an article for JAM and somehow it's just not going right, when I see this questionairre type thing on Akshay's blog and think...hey that looks like a fun break.. So if you are in a similar situation, instead of wasting time reading my answers, attempt it for yourself.. It's quite interesting..
So, here goes -
1. Thought your cousin was hot? Nahhh...my cousins are bachchas !!
2. Been in love? Yep yep yep...
3. Gone over the speed limit? Do Pune roads have speed limits?!
4. Painted your room? No...that’s gonna happen this Diwali !!
5. Drove a car? Yup.
6. Danced in front of your mirror? Everyday!
7. Been dumped? Nope. Thank God!
8. Stole money from a friend? Nope. It’s more like they owe me money! Akshay, Mangesh and Gauri- pay up or you’re dead meat !!
9. Gotten in a car with people you just met? Yup.
10. Been in a fist fight? Yup. Loads of times.
11. Snuck out of your house? Not snucked out, but snucked in a few times.
12. Had feelings for someone who didn't have them back? Hell ya, it sucks!
13. Been arrested? No.
14. Left your house with out telling your parents? Yup, and had them scream at me later!
15. Had a crush on your neighbor? My neighbors are all 10 year olds.. I think it's time to change my house.. :-P
16. Ditched school to do something more fun? Of course!
17. Slept in a bed with a member of the same or opposite sex ? Yup.
18. Seen someone die? Yup, my neighbour’s dog. Most terrible feeling in the whole world.
19. Been on a plane? Oh yes, Doha to Mumbai, Mumbai to Doha for nine years !! :-)
20. Kissed a picture? Haha...no !!
21. Slept in until 3? Naaaaa...that’s not my thing! I think the latest has been till 12 !!
22. Love someone or miss someone right now? Totally !!!
23. Laid on your back and watched cloud shapes go by? Yup, during vacation.
24. Made a snow angel? I’ve never made a snow anything…but angel…eww…
25. Played dress up? Never, not even when I was five!
26. Cheated while playing a game? Oh ya!
27. Been lonely? Hmmmm...quite often in the past one year..
28. Fallen asleep at work/school? What a question! Obviously!
29. Been to a club? Nope.
30. Felt an earthquake? Yup.
31. Touched a snake? Nope, but I’d LOVE to! Snakes are pretty cool...
32. Ran a red light? Yup, right in front of the cops!
33. Been suspended from school? Thankfully no! My mom wouldn’t quite like that!
34. Had detention? A couple of times...
35. Been in a car? Yup, five minutes ago!
36. Hated the way you look? Hmmm...I kinda hate my hair!
37. Witnessed a crime? Yup, Mumbai local trains zindabad !!
38. Been lost? Yes, loads of times!
39. Been to the opposite side of the country? No...
40. Felt like dying from embarrassment? Lol...yeah on a few occassions!
41. Cried yourself to sleep? Hmmmm...yes. Some days are just plain bad!
42. Sang karaoke? Yup, it’s awesome fun! So what if I suck at singing...most people who sing karaoke do!
43. Done something you told yourself you wouldn't do? All the time. Mostly to convince myself why I shouldn’t do it!
44. Laughed till some kind of beverage came out of your nose? Again, loads of times!
45. Caught a snowflake on your tongue? Yup. Awesome feeling!
46. Kissed in the rain? Hmmmm...not exactly!
47. Sung in the shower? Everyday! Thinking of giving that Indian Idol thing a shot next year! :-P
48. Had a dream that you married someone? Haha...yes, once! One of the freakiest dreams I’ve ever had. And no, I’m not telling who I dreamt I got married to...poor guy would die of shock!
49. Played getting married? Never, its plain freaky!
50. Got your tongue stuck to a flag pole? No, does that happen to people!?
51. Ever gone to school partially nude? No!
52. Sat on a roof top? Yup, quite often!
53. Didn't take a shower for a week? A week?! No no no... Max is 3 days!
54. Ever been too scared to watch scary movies alone? Nope! I love them!
55. Been pushed into a pool with all your clothes on? More like I jumped into a pool with all my clothes on... C’mon, that’s fun !!
56. Been told you're hot by a complete stranger? Yes, men and women. Errmmm...a firang woman staying in Pune once asked me out after seeing my snaps on Orkut. Yes, I think all those people were blind!
57. Broken a bone? Like a fracture? Yup, twice!
58. Been easily amused? Yes, all the time.
59. Laugh so hard you cry? Yes, loads of times when with my COEP bozos!
60. Cheated on a test? Yes, once at school. Couldn’t do it again ever!
61. Forgotten someone's name? Lol...yeah! But that person forgot my name too..
62. Blacked out from drinking? No, it’s one of the things on my to-do list!
63. Played a prank on someone? Oh ya!
64. Gone to a late night movie? Yup. Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, 11:00 pm show, Mangala... Don’t ask why!
65. Failed a class? Haha...yeah!
66. Choked on something you're not supposed to eat? Not that I can remember..
67. Played an instrument for more than 10 hours? 10 hours! No.. Maybe 5 or 6..
68. Cheated on a girlfriend/boyfriend? No, would never do that!
69. Did you celebrate the 4th of July? No.
70. Thrown strange objects? Yup...I do such things when I’m with my cousins!
71. Felt like someone? Ummmm...no! I actually don’t understand this question!
72. Thought about running away? Yup, loads of times!
73. Cried over someone? Yeah...but I was a 14 year old stupid girl then. And the guy’s my best friend now, so no worries...
74. Have a dog? Well, the neighbour’s dog is as good as mine. I have a cat though!
75. Own an instrument? Yup, a synth, a flute and a rattler!
76. Been in a band? In school.. Wait, Firodiya in COEP counts right?
77. Drank 25 sodas in a day? Nope!
78. Broken a cd? Not really. I’m pretty careful with them!
79. Shot a gun? Nahi yaar! Another thing on my to-do list. Akshay, can I borrow your dad’s gun?
80. Been on orkut for more than 5 hours? Nope. What a TERRIBLE waste of time!
81. Have a major crush on someone right now? A Crush?! I haven't had one of those ever since SE..
82. Have a religion? Yes.
83. Thought about what people would say at your funeral? Not really, but they’d say good stuff for sure... I’m pretty lovable! Besides, people generally say good stuff about you if you're dead.. :-)
I'm done! And now it's back to my article...
Credits: Veepeen for putting it up on his blog first and Akshay for dhaaping it from him!
Ok...so I'm in the process of writing an article for JAM and somehow it's just not going right, when I see this questionairre type thing on Akshay's blog and think...hey that looks like a fun break.. So if you are in a similar situation, instead of wasting time reading my answers, attempt it for yourself.. It's quite interesting..
So, here goes -
1. Thought your cousin was hot? Nahhh...my cousins are bachchas !!
2. Been in love? Yep yep yep...
3. Gone over the speed limit? Do Pune roads have speed limits?!
4. Painted your room? No...that’s gonna happen this Diwali !!
5. Drove a car? Yup.
6. Danced in front of your mirror? Everyday!
7. Been dumped? Nope. Thank God!
8. Stole money from a friend? Nope. It’s more like they owe me money! Akshay, Mangesh and Gauri- pay up or you’re dead meat !!
9. Gotten in a car with people you just met? Yup.
10. Been in a fist fight? Yup. Loads of times.
11. Snuck out of your house? Not snucked out, but snucked in a few times.
12. Had feelings for someone who didn't have them back? Hell ya, it sucks!
13. Been arrested? No.
14. Left your house with out telling your parents? Yup, and had them scream at me later!
15. Had a crush on your neighbor? My neighbors are all 10 year olds.. I think it's time to change my house.. :-P
16. Ditched school to do something more fun? Of course!
17. Slept in a bed with a member of the same or opposite sex ? Yup.
18. Seen someone die? Yup, my neighbour’s dog. Most terrible feeling in the whole world.
19. Been on a plane? Oh yes, Doha to Mumbai, Mumbai to Doha for nine years !! :-)
20. Kissed a picture? Haha...no !!
21. Slept in until 3? Naaaaa...that’s not my thing! I think the latest has been till 12 !!
22. Love someone or miss someone right now? Totally !!!
23. Laid on your back and watched cloud shapes go by? Yup, during vacation.
24. Made a snow angel? I’ve never made a snow anything…but angel…eww…
25. Played dress up? Never, not even when I was five!
26. Cheated while playing a game? Oh ya!
27. Been lonely? Hmmmm...quite often in the past one year..
28. Fallen asleep at work/school? What a question! Obviously!
29. Been to a club? Nope.
30. Felt an earthquake? Yup.
31. Touched a snake? Nope, but I’d LOVE to! Snakes are pretty cool...
32. Ran a red light? Yup, right in front of the cops!
33. Been suspended from school? Thankfully no! My mom wouldn’t quite like that!
34. Had detention? A couple of times...
35. Been in a car? Yup, five minutes ago!
36. Hated the way you look? Hmmm...I kinda hate my hair!
37. Witnessed a crime? Yup, Mumbai local trains zindabad !!
38. Been lost? Yes, loads of times!
39. Been to the opposite side of the country? No...
40. Felt like dying from embarrassment? Lol...yeah on a few occassions!
41. Cried yourself to sleep? Hmmmm...yes. Some days are just plain bad!
42. Sang karaoke? Yup, it’s awesome fun! So what if I suck at singing...most people who sing karaoke do!
43. Done something you told yourself you wouldn't do? All the time. Mostly to convince myself why I shouldn’t do it!
44. Laughed till some kind of beverage came out of your nose? Again, loads of times!
45. Caught a snowflake on your tongue? Yup. Awesome feeling!
46. Kissed in the rain? Hmmmm...not exactly!
47. Sung in the shower? Everyday! Thinking of giving that Indian Idol thing a shot next year! :-P
48. Had a dream that you married someone? Haha...yes, once! One of the freakiest dreams I’ve ever had. And no, I’m not telling who I dreamt I got married to...poor guy would die of shock!
49. Played getting married? Never, its plain freaky!
50. Got your tongue stuck to a flag pole? No, does that happen to people!?
51. Ever gone to school partially nude? No!
52. Sat on a roof top? Yup, quite often!
53. Didn't take a shower for a week? A week?! No no no... Max is 3 days!
54. Ever been too scared to watch scary movies alone? Nope! I love them!
55. Been pushed into a pool with all your clothes on? More like I jumped into a pool with all my clothes on... C’mon, that’s fun !!
56. Been told you're hot by a complete stranger? Yes, men and women. Errmmm...a firang woman staying in Pune once asked me out after seeing my snaps on Orkut. Yes, I think all those people were blind!
57. Broken a bone? Like a fracture? Yup, twice!
58. Been easily amused? Yes, all the time.
59. Laugh so hard you cry? Yes, loads of times when with my COEP bozos!
60. Cheated on a test? Yes, once at school. Couldn’t do it again ever!
61. Forgotten someone's name? Lol...yeah! But that person forgot my name too..
62. Blacked out from drinking? No, it’s one of the things on my to-do list!
63. Played a prank on someone? Oh ya!
64. Gone to a late night movie? Yup. Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, 11:00 pm show, Mangala... Don’t ask why!
65. Failed a class? Haha...yeah!
66. Choked on something you're not supposed to eat? Not that I can remember..
67. Played an instrument for more than 10 hours? 10 hours! No.. Maybe 5 or 6..
68. Cheated on a girlfriend/boyfriend? No, would never do that!
69. Did you celebrate the 4th of July? No.
70. Thrown strange objects? Yup...I do such things when I’m with my cousins!
71. Felt like someone? Ummmm...no! I actually don’t understand this question!
72. Thought about running away? Yup, loads of times!
73. Cried over someone? Yeah...but I was a 14 year old stupid girl then. And the guy’s my best friend now, so no worries...
74. Have a dog? Well, the neighbour’s dog is as good as mine. I have a cat though!
75. Own an instrument? Yup, a synth, a flute and a rattler!
76. Been in a band? In school.. Wait, Firodiya in COEP counts right?
77. Drank 25 sodas in a day? Nope!
78. Broken a cd? Not really. I’m pretty careful with them!
79. Shot a gun? Nahi yaar! Another thing on my to-do list. Akshay, can I borrow your dad’s gun?
80. Been on orkut for more than 5 hours? Nope. What a TERRIBLE waste of time!
81. Have a major crush on someone right now? A Crush?! I haven't had one of those ever since SE..
82. Have a religion? Yes.
83. Thought about what people would say at your funeral? Not really, but they’d say good stuff for sure... I’m pretty lovable! Besides, people generally say good stuff about you if you're dead.. :-)
I'm done! And now it's back to my article...
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
A world without men....
Read this article in the Times of India nearly a month ago. But is one of the most hilarious pieces I’ve ever read (in TOI), so been wanting to put it up here for days...
The article is based on some new technique by which stem cells taken from men's bone marrow can be modified into an immature sperm cell, which would help scientists come up with better fertility treatments for men and women. Now leave the science part aside, that’s for the biologists. Here’s the part on what author thinks would happen to a world without men-
Firstly, God...women are boring! And secondly, someone's gotta stop this research !! :-P
The article is based on some new technique by which stem cells taken from men's bone marrow can be modified into an immature sperm cell, which would help scientists come up with better fertility treatments for men and women. Now leave the science part aside, that’s for the biologists. Here’s the part on what author thinks would happen to a world without men-
While the research will be fine-tuned over the years, it's already got people wondering. Is it possible that someday we might just have a world empty of the male species? For, once the technique of producing sperm from bone marrow is mastered, it is possible that female bone marrow will be used for the process.
Should that be the case, it's obvious all the babies will be girls because females cannot produce Y-chromosome sperm. Science apart, the idea seems very appealing, if not ideal. For one, there will be no violence. Bomb Iraq? And forego all those exquisite carpets and exotic spices? Forget it, darling!
In a world without men, sports will not mean raging hormones (Whoever heard of a woman biting off another's ear? Or butting her in the chest?).
Subtract men from this planet and ‘serial killer' will just mean the person who fired the gun in the nail-biting final episode of your favourite soap, not a psychopath with a personality disorder. Without men, global decisions will be taken with a warm heart and world summits sealed with perfectly manicured handshakes.
It's no secret that men are basically genetically modified women the female being the fall-back developmental pathway for any fetus. Bryan Sykes or Dr DNA as he is popularly known is a professor of Human Genetics at Oxford University. Sykes believes that men are headed for extinction in approximately 125,000 years.
While feminists are rejoicing at this latest research, chauvinists are understandably peeved. To pacify them, the idea of men not totally disappearing off the face of the planet but becoming a relatively less important part of the human race is being mooted.
As a result, the king of the jungle, the ultimate muscle-bound stud and God's gift to womankind will have nothing to do really. Except, maybe drink beer and sit before the television watching sports all day.
But wait a minute...In a woman's world, beer will be banned, television channels will telecast only soaps and sports will be the polite name for catfights. Men will exist, but only for our viewing pleasure. No foul-mouthed, beer-bellied, crotch-scratching, boorish men with receding hairlines, please.
In their place will be perfectly groomed, lip-smacking metrosexuals, all charm and chivalry... or is that extinct already? Their only use doing odd jobs and being toy boys of course, only after they've taken a crash course in foreplay. A world with such men? Amen!
Firstly, God...women are boring! And secondly, someone's gotta stop this research !! :-P
TRRP and Sports movies...
One fine day, a pit-stop tire changer speeds along the roads of Manhattan in a taxi, coz he’s late for an appointment; in the process, he’s discovered by the team manager of a failing racing team, goes through some stupid selection and next thing you know, he’s a professional racer! Two days later, he’s won his first race, and subsequently goes on to win 50 titles over the next few years! This is the story of the first one hour of Ta Ra Rum Pum.. Now I didn’t know racing was that easy! No practice sessions, no rigorous training, no planning or talking sport with his teammates- all Mr. Racer dude does is sing and dance on the roads of NY with his lady love, get married and have children...and yes, race on the side! Interestingly he comes to know about the "bump and run" technique used in auto racing, only when he’s 50 laps through his first race; yet he sure becomes No. 1 !! And this is exactly how sports movies in India are made. Now if you are going to spend Rs. 25 crore on those racing sequences (which were really good, by the way), you might as well add a two minute prelude showing the guy practice a few laps, right ?!
See, the logic is simple. The focus of your movie may not be on the sport itself, but if your movie is about a sportsperson, do justice to the sport he plays. So if you have a movie on boxing, show the guy practice his footwork and pump some iron, coz without that, he’s not going to win those matches! Firstly, very few movies on sports are made by Indian filmmakers, and the ones that get made focus more on the iconic status and glamour of the "stars", conveniently sidetracking the hours of sweat and grime.
I think one of the best Indian sports movies ever made is- Iqbal. (Of course, there was Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar and Bend it like Beckham too; but JJWS was the one of the first movies of this genre I think, and Bend it.. isn’t exactly Indian, so I’m leaving those out) Coming back to Iqbal, the movie’s main focus was on the protagonist overcoming his disability, going against his father’s wishes and fulfilling his dream of becoming a cricketer. But what made the movie stand out was that it didn’t glamorize cricket as a sport (For a change!) It showed the protagonist go through intensive practice sessions, Ranji selections, strategizing, dejections, rejections and lots and lots of hard work. (I specially loved the training using the buffaloes and the chakravyuh concept.) That is what added so much credibility to the movie and the character of Iqbal. No wonder attendance at cricket camps went up after the movie was released.
I don’t know why filmmakers shy away from showing the non-glamorous side of the sporting world. It’s something that everyone knows exists, and it’s rather illogical to show absolute novices become overnight superstars! I hope someone understands that!
By the way, apparently Abhishek Bachchan and Bobby Deol play boxers in some movie called Jhoom Barabar Jhoom or something! Bhagwan hame bachao !!
And while we’re on the subject of movie themes, I think someone should make a movie on doctors too! Yes, people who know me know of my fascination for this profession, but seriously, there’s a lot to experiment with, and no one’s ever made a film on the medical world before… Mr. Madhur Bhandarkar, are you listening?!
See, the logic is simple. The focus of your movie may not be on the sport itself, but if your movie is about a sportsperson, do justice to the sport he plays. So if you have a movie on boxing, show the guy practice his footwork and pump some iron, coz without that, he’s not going to win those matches! Firstly, very few movies on sports are made by Indian filmmakers, and the ones that get made focus more on the iconic status and glamour of the "stars", conveniently sidetracking the hours of sweat and grime.
I think one of the best Indian sports movies ever made is- Iqbal. (Of course, there was Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar and Bend it like Beckham too; but JJWS was the one of the first movies of this genre I think, and Bend it.. isn’t exactly Indian, so I’m leaving those out) Coming back to Iqbal, the movie’s main focus was on the protagonist overcoming his disability, going against his father’s wishes and fulfilling his dream of becoming a cricketer. But what made the movie stand out was that it didn’t glamorize cricket as a sport (For a change!) It showed the protagonist go through intensive practice sessions, Ranji selections, strategizing, dejections, rejections and lots and lots of hard work. (I specially loved the training using the buffaloes and the chakravyuh concept.) That is what added so much credibility to the movie and the character of Iqbal. No wonder attendance at cricket camps went up after the movie was released.
I don’t know why filmmakers shy away from showing the non-glamorous side of the sporting world. It’s something that everyone knows exists, and it’s rather illogical to show absolute novices become overnight superstars! I hope someone understands that!
By the way, apparently Abhishek Bachchan and Bobby Deol play boxers in some movie called Jhoom Barabar Jhoom or something! Bhagwan hame bachao !!
And while we’re on the subject of movie themes, I think someone should make a movie on doctors too! Yes, people who know me know of my fascination for this profession, but seriously, there’s a lot to experiment with, and no one’s ever made a film on the medical world before… Mr. Madhur Bhandarkar, are you listening?!
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
For TML....
Well, since I have spent a better part of the last one year at TATA Motors Limited, I think a post exclusive to it was long overdue. Kind of a record of the whole experience.. Of course, we do have a 110 page (yes, we wrote 110 pages; that’s why I haven’t been blogging !! :-P) colourful report, costing 400 bucks, to keep with us for as log as we’re alive..
Anyway, I think one of the best things about working at TML, especially in the Engineering Research Centre (ERC) was that...well, it looks good on the resume! I know that’s as selfish as it can get, but it’s also a fact. Firstly, for a mechanical engineering student, TATA Motors is one of the best companies you can get to do your project in, and secondly, Research is always an attractive word…makes people think you’re a rocket scientist! And of course, if you’re working on developing something called an "Active Bonnet", which most people haven’t heard of before, it’s like sone pe suhaga! (No, I’m not explaining what an active bonnet is...google it if you want to know!)
Coz anytime your relatives and friends (especially juniors) ask you what your project is all about, you can start rambling about how an active bonnet is a growing field of research, because pedestrian safety is a big concern nowadays, especially in European countries! Of course, throwing in jargon like safety regulations, reversible hinges, retractor pretensioners, deformation space, head impact tests etc in good measure, helps a lot!
No, jokes apart, we were really lucky to have got such an amazing project. (Thanks to Gau’s dad and Gogate sir!) Actually developing and testing your own mechanism is something very few undergrads can boast of doing. (Yes, what we did was something no one in India has done before! Seriously!) Besides, the whole experience of working in a company like TML for 8 months helped put a lot of things into perspective. Like the fact that what we have learnt in the past 3 years is just a tiny crystal on top of the iceberg; and that some of our basics are horrible messed up! Plus, considering the bigger picture, it helped answer a lot of the what-do-I-want-to-do-in-the-future questions.. So it definitely was a learning experience!
And, we developed a lot of valuable skills along the way. For one, efficient photocopying! And how to work from 6 am to 7:30 pm for two days straight, something I hope we never have to do again! Most importantly, patience! And loads of it! Well, when you’re made to work with shopfloor people who take fifteen minutes to fit one hinge on a car bonnet, you are left with no choice but to be patient! Of course, eventually we ended up doing the fitting jobs on our own, which works out much better...and faster!
But one of the biggest advantages we had was that we had a fantastic oral exam! And anyone who’s given a project oral knows how difficult it is to get one of those! The thing was, our examiners, like most people, had never heard of an active bonnet, and so after our presentation, instead of asking us screwy questions on why we did what we did, they were asking us stuff like- "So does the bonnet work like a spring in this mechanism?" and "If you raise the bonnet by 80 mm, wouldn’t it hamper the driver’s vision?" :-)
I should mention that it wasn't all fun, one of the downsides was that we ended up working a lot harder than most of our friends and seniors. We could take a break only if we had a really good reason, and our project guide was an absolute perfectionist, which is good in the long run, but as students who are used to bunking lectures and doing nothing at BC, it was a little overwhelming at times!
Anyway, all of that is over now! We just have a couple of things left to wrap up the project completely. And there’s this amazing feeling of accomplishment whenever I see my 110 page, hard-bound report with my name embossed on it in gold. Of course, 160 students of my batch have a similar report, but mine is different coz it’s the biggest of them all, and coz we worked the most for it, without any stipend!
So all in all, it’s been good !! :-)
Anyway, I think one of the best things about working at TML, especially in the Engineering Research Centre (ERC) was that...well, it looks good on the resume! I know that’s as selfish as it can get, but it’s also a fact. Firstly, for a mechanical engineering student, TATA Motors is one of the best companies you can get to do your project in, and secondly, Research is always an attractive word…makes people think you’re a rocket scientist! And of course, if you’re working on developing something called an "Active Bonnet", which most people haven’t heard of before, it’s like sone pe suhaga! (No, I’m not explaining what an active bonnet is...google it if you want to know!)
Coz anytime your relatives and friends (especially juniors) ask you what your project is all about, you can start rambling about how an active bonnet is a growing field of research, because pedestrian safety is a big concern nowadays, especially in European countries! Of course, throwing in jargon like safety regulations, reversible hinges, retractor pretensioners, deformation space, head impact tests etc in good measure, helps a lot!
No, jokes apart, we were really lucky to have got such an amazing project. (Thanks to Gau’s dad and Gogate sir!) Actually developing and testing your own mechanism is something very few undergrads can boast of doing. (Yes, what we did was something no one in India has done before! Seriously!) Besides, the whole experience of working in a company like TML for 8 months helped put a lot of things into perspective. Like the fact that what we have learnt in the past 3 years is just a tiny crystal on top of the iceberg; and that some of our basics are horrible messed up! Plus, considering the bigger picture, it helped answer a lot of the what-do-I-want-to-do-in-the-future questions.. So it definitely was a learning experience!
And, we developed a lot of valuable skills along the way. For one, efficient photocopying! And how to work from 6 am to 7:30 pm for two days straight, something I hope we never have to do again! Most importantly, patience! And loads of it! Well, when you’re made to work with shopfloor people who take fifteen minutes to fit one hinge on a car bonnet, you are left with no choice but to be patient! Of course, eventually we ended up doing the fitting jobs on our own, which works out much better...and faster!
But one of the biggest advantages we had was that we had a fantastic oral exam! And anyone who’s given a project oral knows how difficult it is to get one of those! The thing was, our examiners, like most people, had never heard of an active bonnet, and so after our presentation, instead of asking us screwy questions on why we did what we did, they were asking us stuff like- "So does the bonnet work like a spring in this mechanism?" and "If you raise the bonnet by 80 mm, wouldn’t it hamper the driver’s vision?" :-)
I should mention that it wasn't all fun, one of the downsides was that we ended up working a lot harder than most of our friends and seniors. We could take a break only if we had a really good reason, and our project guide was an absolute perfectionist, which is good in the long run, but as students who are used to bunking lectures and doing nothing at BC, it was a little overwhelming at times!
Anyway, all of that is over now! We just have a couple of things left to wrap up the project completely. And there’s this amazing feeling of accomplishment whenever I see my 110 page, hard-bound report with my name embossed on it in gold. Of course, 160 students of my batch have a similar report, but mine is different coz it’s the biggest of them all, and coz we worked the most for it, without any stipend!
So all in all, it’s been good !! :-)
Saturday, March 31, 2007
That's me !!
Ok people.. I know this is NO way to get back to blogging, but Vipin had this cool thing put up on his and I had fifteen minutes to spare this afternoon, so I gave it a shot too.. :-P..
And yes, ACTUAL posts coming your way very soon.. I promise !! :-)
And yes, ACTUAL posts coming your way very soon.. I promise !! :-)
Monday, May 29, 2006
It's been a while !!
New look. New name. And I officially announce that I’m back to blogging…..
Well, to begin with, I thought of writing a customary post about the past one semester (something on the lines of this one…) but somehow I don’t feel like reliving the past 3 months! Not because they’ve been the most terrible ones I’ve ever had to go through, but at the same time, they have, in no way, turned out to be like I expected… So I am considering myself memory charmed for the past 3 months and moving on…
Cut to the present. And this is probably the most amazing time I have ever had in a long long time. Doing nothing is really a privilege these days. And I’ve also discovered that I’m an expert at doing that, without actually feeling an iota of guilt !! ;-)
Some valuable revelations:
- Playing ‘Life’ and ‘Uno’ is fun….wonder why I never played it more often before !!
- You don’t always have to read big, fat books that are high on literary quotient. One hour of the good ol’ Tinkle comics helps one to clear one’s thoughts !! Really !
- Mushy movies can be enjoyed tremendously even when you don’t have ‘someone’ to watch them with you… And they don’t leave you feeling all sappy in the end… How can a person not love While You Were Sleeping….its BEAUTIFUL !!!!
- My cat has learnt some really new antics, which I wasn’t aware of, till now!
- Its fun to stay up till 3 at night… Especially if you’re chatting with old school friends after months…
- Eating platefuls of bhajis and drinking tea on Sinhagad after a (hard?!) climb is a different feeling in itself…
- Same goes for getting wet in the first pre-monsoon showers!
- I haven’t listened to genuine ghost stories crammed up in a car at
- I can effortlessly talk absolute gibberish with Akshay for on hour on the phone, and actually feel good about it in the end… :-P
- I rock at teaching… I could teach my sister Gravitation in one hour flat, and actually enjoy it much more than I did during my 12th !!
- Doing 30 lunges with 5 kg weights IS an accomplishment !! :-P
I guess this is what Gau means when she talks about ‘ayushyatlya chotya chotya goshtit ananda ghene’ (Translating specially for Anup, that means- taking pleasures in the smaller things in life…)
Now frankly speaking, I’m not very much of a ‘living-for-the-moment’ kinda person. Never have really understood the meaning of this philosophy. How can a person not think about what happens next?! But now I know that there’s a different kind of happiness in just setting yourself free at times.. :)
Saturday, February 11, 2006
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
And Month Six...
A low-down on the months that were:
- Semester 1 of T.Y.B.Tech has ended successfully !!
- For the first time ever, I got through a whole semester without submitting a single bunksheet, and having more than 70% attendance !! And this IS a big deal !! ;-)
- PIET is back to COEP !! Hurray !! Actually it’s PIET’s COEP now….but whatever…
- Finally zeroed down on Finite Element Method (FEM) as an elective. Decision was based more on elimination of other elective options. Added attraction to chose FEM was that it has computer programming… Hoping it doesn’t turn out to be a let down….
- Submissions got done on time, and we survived the ordeal…through numerous purple glitter pens, Lexi black refills and night-maraoing !! The thrill and satisfaction of holding our first, 93 page, entirely hand written TOM journal was unbeatable !! So much so, that Gau, Gaya and I have a brilliant snap of us holding it, right before final submission, like it were our graduation certificate !! :) The list of disaster management skills we’d learnt at COEP just got bigger !!
- Survived through the five orals too !! Right from discussing ergonomic considerations involved in designing a chair to suffering a near blank-out before ICE orals to bearing Shewatkar’s atrocities…I’ve done it all !!
- Mini project was the coolest !! My dear uncle and Productivity Aids Pvt. Ltd came to the rescue, and voila! We had a leakage testing fixture used in AC units of cars adorning our ME journal. Thanks Mamu !!
- Somehow Barron’s didn’t seem so bad anymore !! That’s the best thing about having a passion for languages! The incomparable thrill of learning new words supersedes the mammoth task of learning 5000 of them !! About the actual GRE….don’t really want to get into it !! Got a 1410, which is ‘pretty good’, ‘sufficient for mechanical’, and even ‘awesome’, according to people !! The funniest thing about being the first one to give GRE in the new year is that news of your score spreads around the whole campus as if it’s the latest alleged link-up to hit Bollywood !! ;-) Even I was amazed at the number of people who knew that I was done with THE GRE in the 21 hours before I stepped into college next day !! But yeah…the good thing about being done with it is that life is finally back to normal…GRE is no more a reason not to do Fervor, Firodiya, Gathering, Zest etc etc…. But nonetheless, I had fun studying for it….
And finally….I’m back to blogging !! Can’t imagine what kept me away from it for six months….not that nothing exciting happened, just that nothing was exciting enough !! :-) And I had the GRE….so………. ;-)
Monday, August 08, 2005
Month One...
[Disclaimer: Its been nearly a month since I wrote my last blogpost. The long period away from blogging and the numerous activities that have taken place in the past one month, have resulted in a post that a tad too long than its meant to be. Niri...and others...I beg for forgiveness...I can't help it !!]
The past one month has been nothing less than a rollercoaster ride !! Most importantly, the Third Year of Mechanical Engineering at COEP has finally begun, and boy...its been way more shocking than I expected it to be !! Of course, I had heard from loads of my brilliant senior friends about how 'true' engineering begins at Third Year level und so weite...but that it would begin right from the first day of T.Y.B.Tech (Maaz !!) was a real shocker !!
Shock No 1: For the first time, probably in the history of COEP, lectures began right from the 'theoretical' first day of college. In the sense, it is an understood fact for years now, that when the COEP notice board says: 'College re-opens on 4th July', no one is supposed to even step into the classroom before 20th July, at the earliest. But lo and behold...we enter college on 4th and news spreads that Mech I has a lecture in Room 11 !! What the hell ??!! What's wrong with people ??!!
And that, my friend, was just the begining...
Shock No 2: Dale enters class. I mean, OK we need to attend lectures on the first day of college after a billiant two month vacation, but DALE ??!! Could it get worse than this? And of course, as expected...he went on to lecture us on how we are at a very crucial stage in our lives where everything we do will have a direct impact on our placements, and consequently our careers. And of course, how we should stop acting like 'Pariksharthi' or 'Exam -Givers' (Doesn't he LOVE that word ??!!) and learn more, to bettter our knowledge. And how in the true sense, placements don't really determine our careers, because it's only when we face such setbacks, that we learn to dream beyond our limitations and earn a better life. And how the Indian parents determine that their child should become an engineer and earn a salary of 20 grand, right from the time he enters this big bad world (Khara mhantla tar, 'pair'ents chi hi attitude ach chukichi aahe !!) Christ !! Attending lectures on the first day of college was bad enough, now we have to bear up with the same ol' ghisa-pita, das bar doharaya hua lecture, which I now know better than the working of a 4-stroke petrol engine !!
Shock No 3: We have electives to take next semester. Options are: Finite Element Method, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning, Analysis and Synthesis of Mechanisms, Tribology, Non-Conventional Energy Resources. Do we understand anything of anything? NO. So how do we decide what elective to take? DON'T KNOW. Present status: After a not-exactly-fruitful talk with Dale (!!), we have zeroed down on FEM and RAC as options. Still waiting for Mangesh to arrive in Pune...some expert guidance is necessary !! Seniors..HELP !!
Shock No 4: NO PRINTED JOURNALS THIS TIME !! This was, by far, the worst shock ever. That implies sitting up late nights writing gibberish on one side ruled papers. That implies more work. That implies havoc !! Why introduce printed journals in 'autonomous COEP' (Damn the B.Tech !!) when you're gonna get bored of typing them for us, in 2 years ??!! Right now, one ICE and MD assignment and one 35-page (and 42 with my handwriting) Carburetors submission later, the grave reality has dawned upon us...its tougher than it seems. Ok the true COEP-ians sat up one night and wrote the whole journal out, but we just can't do that ! We have weekly submissions, which are graded the next week, and so we need to do them WELL !! Enter purple sparkle pen, 5 hours of sleep before the BIG day (and 20 minutes, if you're Gaya), GT, good handwriting, and if you're Akshay then colouring your diagrams to get a 10/10...the works. Anyway we are getting the hang of it soon enough.....after all, we have no choice now !!
Shock No 5: Five practicals !! Isn't there a 'standardised limit' for the extent to which a department can screw its students ??!!
Shock No 6: Chowgule tells us that we have a mini-project in MP, where we have to design a jig/fixture for some component which has to be given to us by a company. And the 2-D drawing of the component is to be submitted in a week. Hang on.....WHAT is a jig and fixture ??
Anyway, College done, we began our first GRE Dilip Oak class that evening at 7. Day 1, greeted by Mr. Atul Londhe.
Shock No 7: GRE has tough words !! Ok, so I never expected it to be a cakewalk, but words like vexillology, discombobulated, ameliorate are.....Martian ??!! In D.O.'s words, 'words that we've never heard before, and will never hear again once GRE is done !!'
Shock No 8: AWM is weird !! Its not the stupid kind of writing, like we do while posting on blogs. Here we need to understand, analyse and present in logical order, with fast typing, good language and correct grammar. When has so much thought-process gone into writing an essay ??
Shock No 9: I've forgotten Math. Day 1 of Analytical, and Gauri and I couldn't solve a Sets problem. Dammit ! That's 9th grade syllabus !! I came home and asked my sister to give me her school textbooks. One hour of revision, and things were back on track..
Anyways, the initials shocks had done their job...we were terrified about the days to come !!
Fortunately for us, the Gods decided we were getting too hard a deal. Second week onwards, things were more relaxed !! The off-lectures, off-practicals made their way for the usual timepass. CCD-going, Softy-eating on F.C.Road, Dumb-C playing on BC, Dare-giving to Omkar to tell fat-belly girl on BC that she's wearing disgusting clothes (which he didn't do ultimately !!), gandao-ing Akshay, Gaya getting new cell (finally !!)...all of that rubbish !! A beautiful Wednesday morning, an off MD practical and two over-enthusiastic friends for company (Read: Gau and Gaya) resulted in we watching Dus at E-square, 9:30 am show, first row 40 bucks seats !! And the enthusiasm prevailed even after the movie, so we topped it up with two chocolate mousses and a spicy chana chaat !! Rains played havoc in everyone else's lives, but for us, it was heaven-sent. COEP closed for 4 days !! BC waters had reached an all-time high...the sight was phenomenal !! (Photo below) Can you imagine BC being closed for students, because of perilious levels of Mula waters ??!! Election season arrived soon enough. Again the campaigning, distributing panel members' lists, strategising, serious meetings with Pranjal after D.O....and more lectures to bunk !! :-) The mini-project problem was solved by a visit to my uncle's jig and fixture factory with Gau and Gaya. Was an awesome experience. Finally got to see real jigs and fixtures. Now we're armed with two components, given by my uncle, for which we have to design a fixture. Interesting work...
GRE class was awesome fun !! Our Verbal Prof., Mr. Mukul Hinge knows everything of everything !! From Coppernicus to Desert Rose by Sting. (Did anyone know, by the way, that when Sting sings Desert Rose, he is refering to his dream sweetheart, who, like a rose in the desert, is an illusion ?!) And he has to begin every sentence with 'Okay Engineers....' and end it with a '...., Right ?' Londhe is good too. And of course we have Vicky's wife, Mrs. Chitnis, teaching us too !! ;-)
All in all....finally life is back to normal again !! :-):-)
The past one month has been nothing less than a rollercoaster ride !! Most importantly, the Third Year of Mechanical Engineering at COEP has finally begun, and boy...its been way more shocking than I expected it to be !! Of course, I had heard from loads of my brilliant senior friends about how 'true' engineering begins at Third Year level und so weite...but that it would begin right from the first day of T.Y.B.Tech (Maaz !!) was a real shocker !!
Shock No 1: For the first time, probably in the history of COEP, lectures began right from the 'theoretical' first day of college. In the sense, it is an understood fact for years now, that when the COEP notice board says: 'College re-opens on 4th July', no one is supposed to even step into the classroom before 20th July, at the earliest. But lo and behold...we enter college on 4th and news spreads that Mech I has a lecture in Room 11 !! What the hell ??!! What's wrong with people ??!!
And that, my friend, was just the begining...
Shock No 2: Dale enters class. I mean, OK we need to attend lectures on the first day of college after a billiant two month vacation, but DALE ??!! Could it get worse than this? And of course, as expected...he went on to lecture us on how we are at a very crucial stage in our lives where everything we do will have a direct impact on our placements, and consequently our careers. And of course, how we should stop acting like 'Pariksharthi' or 'Exam -Givers' (Doesn't he LOVE that word ??!!) and learn more, to bettter our knowledge. And how in the true sense, placements don't really determine our careers, because it's only when we face such setbacks, that we learn to dream beyond our limitations and earn a better life. And how the Indian parents determine that their child should become an engineer and earn a salary of 20 grand, right from the time he enters this big bad world (Khara mhantla tar, 'pair'ents chi hi attitude ach chukichi aahe !!) Christ !! Attending lectures on the first day of college was bad enough, now we have to bear up with the same ol' ghisa-pita, das bar doharaya hua lecture, which I now know better than the working of a 4-stroke petrol engine !!
Shock No 3: We have electives to take next semester. Options are: Finite Element Method, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning, Analysis and Synthesis of Mechanisms, Tribology, Non-Conventional Energy Resources. Do we understand anything of anything? NO. So how do we decide what elective to take? DON'T KNOW. Present status: After a not-exactly-fruitful talk with Dale (!!), we have zeroed down on FEM and RAC as options. Still waiting for Mangesh to arrive in Pune...some expert guidance is necessary !! Seniors..HELP !!
Shock No 4: NO PRINTED JOURNALS THIS TIME !! This was, by far, the worst shock ever. That implies sitting up late nights writing gibberish on one side ruled papers. That implies more work. That implies havoc !! Why introduce printed journals in 'autonomous COEP' (Damn the B.Tech !!) when you're gonna get bored of typing them for us, in 2 years ??!! Right now, one ICE and MD assignment and one 35-page (and 42 with my handwriting) Carburetors submission later, the grave reality has dawned upon us...its tougher than it seems. Ok the true COEP-ians sat up one night and wrote the whole journal out, but we just can't do that ! We have weekly submissions, which are graded the next week, and so we need to do them WELL !! Enter purple sparkle pen, 5 hours of sleep before the BIG day (and 20 minutes, if you're Gaya), GT, good handwriting, and if you're Akshay then colouring your diagrams to get a 10/10...the works. Anyway we are getting the hang of it soon enough.....after all, we have no choice now !!
Shock No 5: Five practicals !! Isn't there a 'standardised limit' for the extent to which a department can screw its students ??!!
Shock No 6: Chowgule tells us that we have a mini-project in MP, where we have to design a jig/fixture for some component which has to be given to us by a company. And the 2-D drawing of the component is to be submitted in a week. Hang on.....WHAT is a jig and fixture ??
Anyway, College done, we began our first GRE Dilip Oak class that evening at 7. Day 1, greeted by Mr. Atul Londhe.
Shock No 7: GRE has tough words !! Ok, so I never expected it to be a cakewalk, but words like vexillology, discombobulated, ameliorate are.....Martian ??!! In D.O.'s words, 'words that we've never heard before, and will never hear again once GRE is done !!'
Shock No 8: AWM is weird !! Its not the stupid kind of writing, like we do while posting on blogs. Here we need to understand, analyse and present in logical order, with fast typing, good language and correct grammar. When has so much thought-process gone into writing an essay ??
Shock No 9: I've forgotten Math. Day 1 of Analytical, and Gauri and I couldn't solve a Sets problem. Dammit ! That's 9th grade syllabus !! I came home and asked my sister to give me her school textbooks. One hour of revision, and things were back on track..
Anyways, the initials shocks had done their job...we were terrified about the days to come !!
Fortunately for us, the Gods decided we were getting too hard a deal. Second week onwards, things were more relaxed !! The off-lectures, off-practicals made their way for the usual timepass. CCD-going, Softy-eating on F.C.Road, Dumb-C playing on BC, Dare-giving to Omkar to tell fat-belly girl on BC that she's wearing disgusting clothes (which he didn't do ultimately !!), gandao-ing Akshay, Gaya getting new cell (finally !!)...all of that rubbish !! A beautiful Wednesday morning, an off MD practical and two over-enthusiastic friends for company (Read: Gau and Gaya) resulted in we watching Dus at E-square, 9:30 am show, first row 40 bucks seats !! And the enthusiasm prevailed even after the movie, so we topped it up with two chocolate mousses and a spicy chana chaat !! Rains played havoc in everyone else's lives, but for us, it was heaven-sent. COEP closed for 4 days !! BC waters had reached an all-time high...the sight was phenomenal !! (Photo below) Can you imagine BC being closed for students, because of perilious levels of Mula waters ??!! Election season arrived soon enough. Again the campaigning, distributing panel members' lists, strategising, serious meetings with Pranjal after D.O....and more lectures to bunk !! :-) The mini-project problem was solved by a visit to my uncle's jig and fixture factory with Gau and Gaya. Was an awesome experience. Finally got to see real jigs and fixtures. Now we're armed with two components, given by my uncle, for which we have to design a fixture. Interesting work...
GRE class was awesome fun !! Our Verbal Prof., Mr. Mukul Hinge knows everything of everything !! From Coppernicus to Desert Rose by Sting. (Did anyone know, by the way, that when Sting sings Desert Rose, he is refering to his dream sweetheart, who, like a rose in the desert, is an illusion ?!) And he has to begin every sentence with 'Okay Engineers....' and end it with a '...., Right ?' Londhe is good too. And of course we have Vicky's wife, Mrs. Chitnis, teaching us too !! ;-)
All in all....finally life is back to normal again !! :-):-)
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
From A Beautiful Mind...
"Queer little twists and quirks go into the making of an individual. To suppress them all and follow clock and calendar and creed until the individual is lost in the neutral gray of the host is to be less than true to our inheritance….
Life, that gorgeous quality of life, is not accomplished by following another man’s rules. It is true we have the same hungers and same thirsts, but they are for different things and in different ways and in different ways and in different seasons….Lay down your own day, follow it to its noon, your own noon, or you will sit in an outer hall listening to the chimes, but never reaching high enough to strike your own...."
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I read the above extract in 'The Beautiful Mind'. The moment I read it, I fell in love with it. Liked it so much that I had even put it up on my Orkut profile till a few days ago. Thought of posting it here.
Dunno what to title it
The previous post I wrote created quite a stir among my friends. They asked me what was wrong. I gave it a thought yesterday…wondered why I wrote those two lines….and I couldn’t explain why !! Dunno…but it does happen sometimes right, that everything really is ok, as normal as things could possibly get, but yet something somewhere just doesn’t seem right !!
I read this in RD someday- When a person thinks his memories outweigh his dreams, then has grown old. I think I’m growing old. I think I’m allowing my past to take over my present. I think I’m trying too hard to forget certain incidents of my life, and its just not helping…I’m getting pulled into it even more !!
It is not a very nice feeling to be 20 years old and not really have anything substantial to account for, in those years. And it’s not at all a nice feeling to know that half the goals I set for myself, have remained unaccomplished.
The HSC results got out a few days back….ok…quite a many days back. I remembered the day my HSC result was declared. And was I disappointed !! And why? A 92.5% aggregate and 96% PCM wasn’t quite a bad result. But I had missed the Merit rank by 4 marks…and THAT hurt ! Because a Merit Rank was what I had wanted ever since I came to know of its existence. The Rank didn’t matter anyways- two months after the result, and it all was forgotten. I forgot the entire incident too. But the result day reminded me of it, after a whole 2 years. And it hurt yet again !!
I’m planning to give my GRE in March 2006. Took admission in Dilip Oak’s Academy. But I just realized that my English is not as good as I thought it to be. In fact it’s deteriorating at an exponential rate !! That’s a scary thought….
Scary reminds me…Gauri thinks my posts are scary. I don’t think so. At least they’re not meant to evoke those kind of responses. Maybe that’s the kind of stuff one tends to write when one is confused….but scary ??!!
I don't know what I have written in the above paragraphs. I hope I haven't scared anyone !! :-)
But all that gibberish that I have typed away, has certainly made me feel much better !! Its true- Writing is therapeutic.......
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