Thursday, December 30, 2010
A year and a decade
The decade started with me as a 5th standard or 6th standard boy dreaming to be a scientist one day.. As years went many realities hit on my head. There were many regrettable incidences, which happened due to my thought, word, action or omission. There were instances in which I should have said no, but didn’t. It had a good share of happy memories also.. Memories of school life which would be cherished forever.
Coming to the end of the decade, I realized being a scientist doesn’t pay you much so I chose to be a dentist and is currently studying for that. I really hope the coming year and decade would be greater than the one that is getting over!!!
Happy New year!
Saturday, December 18, 2010
You hav a text msg!!!!
Sunday, November 21, 2010
10 steps for a Free Icecream!!
It’s been a year since the blog was born. As with my most of other actions this also didn’t have any particular reason or aim. It just happened As a Matter of Chance! On this happy occasion I am offering free coffee flavored ice creams to all my readers!!!
This is being done in association with Baskin Robbins.
Please follow the steps given below to get it.
1) Put a comment on this post or any other post. (Previous comments are acceptable)
2) Take a print out of that page.
3) Go to your nearest Baskin Robbins outlet.
4) Check for the sign saying “As a Matter of Chance Offer Valid!!”
5) Go in and order coffee flavored ice cream
6) Enjoy the ice cream
7) Show cashier your print out
8) Show your id
9) Argue with the cashier
10) Walk/run out!!!
Repost this on your facebook, twitter or anywhere else to get more flavors. Offer valid only for a week!
Enjoy your ice cream!!
It’s been a great year!
Keep Reading!!!
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Diary of my Nerd neighbor: Long hours, Coffee and the D-man!!
Monday, September 13, 2010
In which I am Patriotic!!!
No problem is our problem unless it directly affects us. Such as the broken water pipe, fallen tree on the road, fused street lights etc.. In these situations a true Indian calls up the concerned officials and abuse them, go to his neighbor and together they sit and abuse the bureaucracy of the country or in the worst case scenario he goes and gathers some people and try to do something (the last one has least chance of happening)
Of course we have so many other things not to be proud of. Such as
• Population growth
• Having maintained corruption at a steady rate
• Reservations and quotas still a mess
• CWG
• The Leftists (who oppose almost everything)
• The Congress (who thinks its still dynasty rule)
• Almost all other political parties ( who think nothing of progress)
There are more but these are ones on top of my head.. In spite of these matters I still felt proud today morning about being an Indian. Whatever communal problems occur here in our country Indians as in the people of India will not let it come into their lives. There is a minority of extremists in all the religions who wants to make problems or issues. It’s sad that in this age of liberation some still wants to go to the extreme. Osama has succeeded in terrorizing the people of America but I feel he has a long way to go before Indians actually be bothered about terrorism unless a bomb goes off in his own backyard...
The following is a letter from Dr.A.P.J Abdul Kalam (authenticity can’t be confirmed but its very inspiring)
“Why is the media here so negative?
Why are we in India so embarrassed to recognize our own strengths, our achievements?
We are such a great nation. We have so many amazing success stories but we refuse to acknowledge them. Why?
We are the first in milk production.
We are number one in Remote sensing satellites.
We are the second largest producer of wheat.
We are the second largest producer of rice.
Look at Dr. Sudarshan , he has transferred the tribal village into a self-sustaining, self-driving unit.. There are millions of such achievements but our media is only obsessed in the bad news and failures and disasters.
I was in Tel Aviv once and I was reading the Israeli newspaper. It was the day after a lot of attacks and bombardments and deaths had taken place. The Hamas had struck. But the front page of the newspaper had the picture of a Jewish gentleman who in five years had transformed his desert into an orchid and a granary. It was this inspiring picture that everyone woke up to. The gory details of killings, bombardments, deaths, were inside in the newspaper, buried among other news.
In India we only read about death, sickness, terrorism, crime.. Why are we so NEGATIVE? Another question: Why are we, as a nation so obsessed with foreign things? We want foreign T.Vs, we want foreign shirts. We want foreign technology.
Why this obsession with everything imported. Do we not realize that self-respect comes with self-reliance? I was in Hyderabad giving this lecture, when a 14 year old girl asked me for my autograph. I asked her what her goal in life is.. She replied: I want to live in a developed India . For her, you and I will have to build this developed India . You must proclaim. India is not an under-developed nation; it is a highly developed nation.
..
YOU say that our government is inefficient.
YOU say that our laws are too old.
YOU say that the municipality does not pick up the garbage.
YOU say that the phones don't work, the railways are a joke. The airline is the worst in the world, mails never reach their destination.
YOU say that our country has been fed to the dogs and is the absolute pits.
YOU say, say and say.. What do YOU do about it?
Take a person on his way to Singapore . Give him a name - 'YOURS'. Give him a face - 'YOURS'. YOU walk out of the airport and you are at your International best. In Singapore you don't throw cigarette butts on the roads or eat in the stores. YOU are as proud of their Underground links as they are.. You pay $5 (approx. Rs.. 60) to drive through Orchard Road (equivalent of Mahim Causeway or Pedder Road) between 5 PM and 8 PM. YOU come back to the parking lot to punch your parking ticket if you have over stayed in a restaurant or a shopping mall irrespective of your status identity… In Singapore you don't say anything, DO YOU? YOU wouldn't dare to eat in public during Ramadan, in Dubai.. YOU would not dare to go out without your head covered in Jeddah.
YOU would not dare to buy an employee of the telephone exchange in London at 10 pounds (Rs..650) a month to, 'see to it that my STD and ISD calls are billed to someone else.
'YOU would not dare to speed beyond 55 mph (88 km/h) in Washington and then tell the traffic cop, 'Jaanta hai main kaun hoon (Do you know who I am?). I am so and so's son. Take your two bucks and get lost.' YOU wouldn't chuck an empty coconut shell anywhere other than the garbage pail on the beaches in Australia and New Zealand ..
Why don't YOU spit Paan on the streets of Tokyo ? Why don't YOU use examination jockeys or buy fake certificates in Boston ??? We are still talking of the same YOU. YOU who can respect and conform to a foreign system in other countries but cannot in your own. You who will throw papers and cigarettes on the road the moment you touch Indian ground. If you can be an involved and appreciative citizen in an alien country, why cannot you be the same here in India ?
In America every dog owner has to clean up after his pet has done the job. Same in Japan ..
Will the Indian citizen do that here?' He's right. We go to the polls to choose a government and after that forfeit all responsibility.
We sit back wanting to be pampered and expect the government to do everything for us whilst our contribution is totally negative. We expect the government to clean up but we are not going to stop chucking garbage all over the place nor are we going to stop to pick a up a stray piece of paper and throw it in the bin. We expect the railways to provide clean bathrooms but we are not going to learn the proper use of bathrooms.
We want Indian Airlines and Air India to provide the best of food and toiletries but we are not going to stop pilfering at the least opportunity.
This applies even to the staff who is known not to pass on the service to the public.
When it comes to burning social issues like those related to women, dowry, girl child! and others, we make loud drawing room protestations and continue to do the reverse at home. Our excuse? 'It's the whole system which has to change, how will it matter if I alone forego my sons' rights to a dowry.' So who's going to change the system?
What does a system consist of? Very conveniently for us it consists of our neighbours, other households, other cities, other communities and the government. But definitely not me and YOU. When it comes to us actually making a positive contribution to the system we lock ourselves along with our families into a safe cocoon and look into the distance at countries far away and wait for a Mr.Clean to come along & work miracles for us with a majestic sweep of his hand or we leave the country and run away.
Like lazy cowards hounded by our fears we run to America to bask in their glory and praise their system. When New York becomes insecure we run to England . When England experiences unemployment, we take the next flight out to the Gulf. When the Gulf is war struck, we demand to be rescued and brought home by the Indian government. Everybody is out to abuse and rape the country. Nobody thinks of feeding the system. Our conscience is mortgaged to money.
Dear Indians, The article is highly thought inductive, calls for a great deal of introspection and pricks one's conscience too….. I am echoing J. F. Kennedy's words to his fellow Americans to relate to Indians…..
'ASK WHAT WE CAN DO FOR INDIA AND DO WHAT HAS TO BE DONE TO MAKE INDIA WHAT AMERICA AND OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES ARE TODAY'
Lets do what India needs from us.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Stranger in the bar
The smell of the coffee is still lingering on my fingers. The coffee I had with the famous inspirational guru in his calligraphy institute half an hour ago who said the above words... According to him I am in my scribbling phase of life and I should start enjoying the beauty of the small things around me... For starters he strongly suggested I stop my drinking habits and start a new life altogether.
Yet here I am admiring the beauty of a glass of 60ml vodka in front of me. I smiled.
“If you ordered the drink just to admire the beauty I’ll go ahead and do the honors of finishing it!” said the bald old guy sitting next to me. I never noticed him coming. I finished the drink and told in a mock sorry voice trying not to offend him that I was lost in thoughts.
“You don’t seem like someone who gets lost in thoughts.” He said.
Then we had quite a few drinks and he got into the talkative phase. He kept on saying funny things about himself and the people whom he has met in his journeys. Then suddenly he stopped and said “I was being rude talking about myself all this time. Now let’s talk about you. What you do for a living? And why were you lost in thoughts?”
I didn’t feel like hiding anything from this good hearted fellow. I told him about my problems. About the meetings I had with various gurus and other similar people who claimed to have answers but I never got one.
He was very interested when I told about the latest person whom I met a few hours ago. He started abusing them royally. Almost everyone in the place looked at us. I was taken aback by his sudden outburst but I joined him! It was so relieving to curse every one of them who took my time and money yet gave nothing in return. I was having a really good time with this stranger.
Finally he stood up, kept his arm on my shoulder and said “I had a good time with you so allow me to pay your bill and we’ll part” He was very insistent and I had to agree.
“But you haven’t told me your name.”
“Oh you know me. We have met earlier this evening. It’s just that I don’t put my hair and beard outside the institute!!!”
Sunday, August 1, 2010
A Dream Fulfilled!!!
Now coming to the fulfilment of my dream. When I was walking around Kottayam my home town, suddenly I saw a Motherjane poster!! It seems they are coming to Kottayam and when I checked its only for a private club... And there appeared no way in which I could go to it.. But after trying really hard I got into some private arrangements which are kept confidential on request!!! Still there was an uncertainty till the moment that phone call came, asking me to come to the entrance!!! It was happening at last!!
Then the essential wait... I sitting in front of a coffee counter alone ( Apparently the private club members are all too private!!) and Baiju who is the lead guitarist walked out of the stage and came right up there!! I shook hands with him and he was so down to earth!!!! It really amazed me!
Then there was Deepu walking around but somehow I couldn't talk to him!! After that I went to main stage and I was again amazed to see Abhijith the band's manager with Suraj standing in a corner talking casually to some other guys... I could just go upto them and talk.. They were totally cool!!
Again after some more wait the show actually started!!! They started off with Disillusion then Mindstreet and after that Blood in the Apple.. By that time I was getting frequent calls from home asking me to come back.. Finally when I decided to go back home, Abijith told the next one is 'Chasing the sun' which is one of my favourites!! So I stayed back!! But then again the song after that was Tribes of Babel, it was the one I always wanted to hear!!They composed it for the Amnesty International!!! So I stood for that also!! And then my phone vibrated for the 3rd time, I knew it was either 'home-way' or the highway!!!
Even though the crowd was a bit dull in the first song, gradually the energy of the band struck a cord with the crowd and many guys started singing along!! But I came out and headed home when the collective energy of crowd was at its peak!!!
The best moments in life always remain the shortest!!!
(This post is dedicated to the two people who helped to meake this dream come true!!)
Kudos to them!! And Motherjane, Keep rocking!!!!
Saturday, July 10, 2010
The Lesser known Heroes!!
Anybody knows what happened to Messi, Kaka, Dunga or Maradona??? They were the stars before the FIFA world cup started!!
Well now we all know where Paul is... He is at the Sea Life Centre in Oberhausen, Germany presumably guarded by the Spaniards!! And apparently threatened by the Argentinians!!
Actually I was wondering if he could predict other things as well.. Like for instance the cricket or my exam results!!
I think its rather unfair that all the spot light be focused on Paul alone.. I mean our dear old 'parrot tarot' thing was there since ages and who knows if given a chance they might also predict the results!!
These are some other psych animals I came across which could use some of the spotlight..
We'll have to wait and see if they are correct..
Nostradamus was the next person who was fortunate enough to have a Ray...As we know he wrote an entire book on those predictions..
Later on there is no definite proof for the existence of Ray but people are pretty sure that Hitler had one which was later kidnapped by a highly trained Russian commando and then followed the obvious fall of Hitler!!
Reports suggest that the Portuguese water dog Bo in the White house is also a Ray dog and there has been rumors that Bo also thinks its gonna be Spain only this time..
And finally,
5)Nandini the cow
Nandini the famous wish granting cow in the mythology!! Her lesser known powers include the ability to predict cricket matches accurately!! Bookies who know about her keep quite and bet high and those who don't know her just looses the bet!! Stories say if you provide her with nutritious grass everyday for 121 days without a break she'll gift you with the inside info of IPL and the ways to control it!! Being an Indian she is not that into football!!!
Paul the octopus was again right about Germany winning the loser's final. But it got wrong for the UEFA finals and lets see if it gets it right this time!!
Apparently just two animals in the above list actually exist!!
Feel free to add your own list of psych animals!!! The best one will be replacing Paul for the next FIFA world cup!!!
Friday, July 2, 2010
Dairy of my Nerd Neigbour: The Exams!!
Now waiting for the practicals!! Theory papers were very difficult!
1st paper Medicine was so difficult I didn't get time to finish a 3 mark question and that Rohan sitting next to me was asking me like everything. How can I show him the answers (as if I want to)!!! It was a university exam and he was acting as if it was just another internal exam. He would sit straight only when the external examiner comes to us. I was seriously hoping him to sit in our hall so that fool won't turn and irritate me. He was asking so much the hall invigilator came and talked to him. I was expecting sir to change his place but sir just told him the answers!!! How absurd!!! And why is nobody telling me any answers???
Even the 2nd surgery exam was also tough! Thou I could write everything I just didn't have the satisfaction after coming out of the exam hall. Think its because I couldn't draw diagrams properly. Even today also Rohan was asking me but I just pretend that I did not hear him. Then there was a question I was not sure of and Rohan just asked it to invigilator!! Can you believe it?? Asking to the invigilator openly!! I was hoping for an angry ma'am, Very angry ma'am!! But she just told him the bloody answer!! And the saddest part is my answer was wrong and I corrected it also!!
The 3rd exam Oral Path was OK!! I could write everything except for a syndrome which I have heard of before but no clue as to what it was about.. I wanted to ask someone but what if somebody sees me?? What if they catch me and take some action against me?? When I was about to ask the person sitting back our sir came and warned against any malpractice.. It seems they caught someone using a blue tooth headphone!! I was so tensed I didn't even move till the exams got over!!
The last exam was Community Dentistry.. My seniors all used to I can write as much 'gas' in this paper! But the paper was difficult. One of the essay questions was out of syllabus!!
Shockingly Rohan was writing like anything!! Somebody told me he finished up the entire answer booklet which is about 50 pages! I could write only 42 pages.. I tried very hard to write so much but I just couldn't fill it up. That was the first time I saw someone actually filing up the entire booklet!!! I really can't think how its gonna be!!!
(As I have stated earlier The Nerd Neighbour is a fictitious character.. Nobody in my batch comes close to such behavior!! At least not very close!!!!
Fortunately people sitting around me were good enough to share the answers, in spite of the frequent visits from the 'kinda cool' external and not so cool internal examiner!! Several times we were warned but nothing more! The biggest surprise was the staff who came for invigilation.. Most of them are known to screw us!!Initially they asked us not to turn or talk, then not to shout the answers and finally they just joined the group and started telling the answers!! God bless them!!
And I did write the entire booklet for the last exam!! Its literally full of crap and if anyone reads through them they might jump out from the window!!! But on the other hand if they give just 1 mark per page appreciating my talent for filling up the paper with 'gas' I just might pass!!!
As my Nerd Neighbor, am also just waiting to finish of the practicals and go home as soon as possible!
Surgery practicals got over today and if they are putting marks on how much I made them laugh with my blunders I might just get to pass!!!
Dates not yet confirmed for the rest of the exams but am seriously bored of watching sitcoms and sleeping!! Mmm.. I wonder as to what I will be doing at home!! Other than eating I still be watching sitcoms and sleeping!!!)
You might also like Dairy of my Nerd Neighbor: The Church bell Acanthoma
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Exams again!!
As my university exam is supposed to be in June 3rd week, they have started preparing for the battle! These are some random thoughts about exams..
The advent of exam season is marked by a sudden increase in attendance and frequent visits to library.
Or it is when I see a couple sitting separately and studying during free time!(Couples doing combined 'study' is a common sight actually!!)
During exam I always felt there is spurt of creativity in everyone. After sitting with the book for sometime you get up bored, go to the other room, start talking about something and the ideas coming are totally mind blowing!! The 'night outs' are yet another phenomenon seen during the season! Last time I did a night out I kept my laptop on thinking I'll watch F.R.I.E.N.D.S or House MD while taking breaks.. And it ended up watching books while taking a break from the laptop!!
The most depressing part in the season is that there is no one to talk to properly!! Either most of them are busy studying or all they want to talk to about is studies! Its really depressing!!
I really hope to concentrate and get through somehow!!
"Damn true: Just when we sit down to study, Everything else on earth gets so interesting!!
Even just staring at the wall!!" - Another forwarded sms..
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Dairy of my Nerd neigbour: The Church bell Acanthoma
I came early to class and sat next to the topper.. Not that I wanted to copy or anything (I was studying for the last one week!!!), but just in case.. But sir made me move from that place and had to sit in the back bench.. I hate those places..
Then Rohan came. First of all he was late and above all he came and sat right behind me.. Test started. It was pretty easy.. I just didn't know one answer.. After 5 minutes I think, Rohan started poking me, he was asking for my paper!! I was too afraid to turn!! Sir will think i tried to copy from him.. (Yeah right!! As if I want to copy from him!!You really cant believe how dumb they act at times..)
I told him ( facing front only, not turning back) I'll dictate the answers.. "I just know one answer!! You'll dictate the whole answer sheet?" He asked. I sat as if I didn't hear what he said. I got up to take an extra paper, saw Rohan's paper. It was shocking! Yeah, it was almost blank.. But the only answer he wrote was the answer I didn't know! I asked him that answer.. "You bloody @!!@$!@$!@!@$... " was the reply.. I am still wondering how he knew the answer...* I think sir saw me turning back.. I simply sat there as if nothing happened.. But then sir came and went through my paper. He didn't say anything, kept it back and took Rohan's paper.. I heard an exclamation..
"What is this?? Church bell acanthoma??** Even though I listened hard I could hear only some mumbled response from Rohan. Finally sir took our papers and left.. Throughout the day I thinking of those two things.. How he knew the answer and what is church bell acanthoma.. I tried searching it in every standard foreign and Indian authors text books.. I searched online also but still I have no idea about it..
Tomorrow have to ask the class topper or I'll ask sir only..
* I had the notes with me.. Unfortunately it had only one answer!!!
** Acanthoma is a pathological condition.. Church bell is how it looked in my paper..
***The nerd neighbor is a work of fiction but 'church bell acanthoma' has been found in my paper recently!!!
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Stranger on Train
I suddenly got the urge to follow her so i gave Sarah back to her mother and went after her. There she was waiting for me.
"Are you a Scorpio?"
"What??" I was taken aback by this strange question.
"Your sun sign. Is it Scorpio?"
"Yes. How did you guess?"
"It was not a guess. A Scorpio always know when it meets another. I am amazed you didn't know it. You never had any such experience?"
"Like what??"
"You meet someone for the first time and then within no time you realise the bond and become really close.. It has happened to me quite a few times."
"I don't think it has happened to me."
"Well now it happened.."
And then she laughed. The ice was broken.
Then she started to ask about me. Unlike every other train journey with every other stranger I didn't hold back or make up anything. I told her everything.How I first fell in love and the horrible breakup which happened recenly. I told her honestly how depressed I was..How often I have thought of suicide.. Never before I have told anyone that I was seeing a therapist. May be
she was right about Scorpio thing. I was not a big believer in sun signs and all.
When I started asking her about her life, she said "Its a long story. I will tell you after your dinner. Think your family is waiting for you."
Indeed they were waiting for me. I didn't tell anything to them. I didn't want them to start yelling at me!!
I quickly had something and went back to her. She was standing at the same place.
"You are not having dinner??"
"No. I had food before getting on the train."
"Alright. So tell me about you.."
"I'll tell you in concise.
My first love happened when I was in school, 11th or 12th.. That was one the best times in my life. We made so many plans for the future believing true love is meant to last long.. Sadly it lasted only for about 6 months. Parental problems!! After school we have talked once or twice on phone.. Then I met this wonderful guy in college. We became friends very fast. I told him everything about my first love.. He was very understanding. He talked to my parents and they kind of agreed and he talked to his parents, they also were ok.. For the next three years in college we spent every moment thinking and caring about each other.. Small fights came in between us but only to make our love stronger... But things always dont't work the way you want it to.. Everything came to a crashing end when he asked me to run away with him.. His parents had never allowed him.. I quarreled with him, stopped talking to him but in the end I gave in... We got into a train and I dreamed of a happy life.. Iwoke up when the train reached its destination but he was not there with me. I didnt know what happened. It was like waking up into a nightmare. For one year I lived in that place, then came back to make the journey once again. And here I am!! It was on this train one year ago we made the journey."
"You didn't inquire or ask anyone?? His friends or relatives??"
"No. I let it rest. Uncertainty is the essence of life.. one year ago when I got on to the train I was certain, but it became uncertain overnight.. I was uncertain what to do when I got into this train."
I was totally speechless.. She was looking out into the darkness, to the distant lights.. Suddenly she turned and said " I cant take it anymore. Goodbye, it was nice talking to you. I know how to make everything certain.. "
I tried holding her back but she was fast and in the commotion I lost my balance and fell out. My head hit on a rock and I passed out. After sometime I regained conscious, I saw her sitting nearby apparently unhurt..
"What happened? You seems OK.."
"I am OK because I didn't fall down. You fell down.."
I didn't understand.. I tried to think hard but my head was paining like anything.. I remember she trying to jump and I was trying to save her.
She came near me and said " You still didn't understand.. Did you?? I am you.. The story I told was what happened to you only.
You believed suicide was not the right way so your mind made me for you to accidentally jump out of a moving train.."
Everything became dark again..
(His body was found the next morning)
Friday, March 19, 2010
Problems and Solutions!!
Problem: a state of difficulty that needs to be resolved
It can be classified into Mild, Moderate or Severe. When a number of mild problems coalesce a severe problem emerge. This is life. If you don't have any problem you probably are dead. Then again the problem arises on what is to be done with it!! (Actually its not your problem!!)
Usually I'll be having mild problems here and there. But last one week got me into so much problems.
It was the continuation of last post's problems only.. Though last weekend was one of the most eventful 3 days in my college life I couldn't enjoy myself because I was sitting inside my small cocoon of problems.. Most of which I made for myself..
Even after the Grand finale (of problems)!!! I was still inside the cocoon!!
Thinking about it now, I realized there is a specific pattern for any problem..
First of all there is a 'problem maker'(in whose eyes you are the problem maker!!!)
Then there is a 'solver'!! ( Who in fact solves a problem you never had!)
Now comes the essential components the 'lighter' and the 'fuel'!!
Obviously to burn you need fuel but how much ever fuel you have it wont burn unless you light it and that is how they work.. One fuels the problems and the other just give it a spark!! Voila!! There is FIRE!!!
The 'maker' is the one getting heated, burned and finally getting reduced to ashes!!
While the solver solves the problem of water leakage from the fire engine!! That is also a problem right??
Finally the maker's ash remains... Waiting to be collected in a jar!!!
I realized something else also..
Every problem does not have a solution!! The problem is solved when people get bored of it or get a new problem.
For every problem that has a solution there will be at least 3 people convinced that its not a solution and would go to any extent to find a solution..
In every problem there will at least a person sharing your opinion but most of the times you wont know it..
Finally there is nothing like a friend noticing that you have a problem and asking whats the matter when you badly need someone to tell your side of the story!!!
Thankfully with few such friends those problems subsided!!!
Waiting for more to come!!
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
The Divine Answer and Fight Club!!
For the last two weeks every single time i ask myself what more can go wrong something worst happens..
When i finally thought nothing worse can happen, again something went wrong... Then I started believing.. It is The Answer!!! You ask a question to the Universe and it answers
All these are in reference to the upcoming intra college student cultural event Renaissance 2010 and our ongoing exams!!! I wanted to concentrate on both but I am not!!
Out of the frustration yesterday night instead of studying I ended up watching 'Fight Club' the 1999 Eng movie!!! Awesome!! It gave me so much hopes!! Wish i actually had the multiple personality disorder at times... Every time I go to sleep, I wake up as different person who finishes off every work I had to do... So when the real me wakes up everything is done! How cool is that!
Sadly I am not suffering from multiple personality disorder neither do I have a cool alter ego when I sleep like Brad Pitt... All I have is just a sleeping personality who likes to sleep a lot!!!
Will update soon on Renaissance 2010!!
Sunday, February 14, 2010
And another V-Day!!!
Happy Valentines Day wishes to all!!!
Those who are having girl friend(s)/boy friend(s) do have a great time getting married!! (If you are in Mangalore!!)
Those who are not having boy friend/ girl friend feel free to express anger, distress, grief etc etc against the frank westernization of Indian heritage!!! I am with you!!
Don’t forget to thank the self appointed moral polices of India who are taking so much pain to check the downfall of the Indian Culture.. Guys you are doing a great job to protect the values and traditions of the Indian society!!! Instead of all the bad publicity you ought to get some appreciation.. But I am confused about lot of things. May be its just my ignorance about the Indian culture. After all I have been here only for about 21 years. How can I absorb the Values accumulated for over a thousand years?
You guys beat up teenagers but worship Krishna. I am not sure but I have heard he used to run around with chicks. But he eventually got married to all of them. So that’s ok I guess. My suggestion is that there should be a Krishnasena to protect and promote Krishna culture in India. It should be ok with the other Senas as we are just following the traditions!! May not be Ramayana ones but definitely Mahabharatham… Partying, gambling, running around with chicks should all come in that..
I am really happy you are totally against the modern outfits!! It demeans our culture. You have a problem with girls showing cleavage but no problem with the heritage sites having naked statues!! You have issues with kissing, hugging and all but have never bothered about the Kamasutra.. You should seriously consider editing the ancient text to make it adapted to the ‘new age’ heritage of our country.. You can take tips from the Great Castration of 1857 in which many manly figures in Vatican were ‘unmanned’ by Pope Pius!!(Ref: Angels and Demons) Or the destruction of the Buddha statues in Afghanistan..
What is so Un-Indian about celebrating your love?? After all it’s the work of Kamadevan right?? Why not go and hunt him down? Can the humble humans be blamed because of somebody else’s doing??
I really can’t understand why people are doing this. And if they are so concerned about the situation why not do it on the other 364 days also? Is it that you think you are showing patriotism by doing anti social acts? If you are patriotic join the army and fight for the country and don’t fight in the country..
I feel the real patriotism is shown in Mumbai by going for MNIK in spite of all the troubles promised by the old man. Things went on smoothly also. What can a handful of lunatics possibly do when masses come out? They can sit back and accept the defeat. Or they can make press statements telling they didn’t actually mean to stop the screening or they were misinterpreted or anything to save their faces. I really hope the josh continues throughout the country. At least in Mangalore I hope they’ll release it.
Apparently the Valentines Day is pretty much commercialized these days. Actually it was the commercialization which bought the Valentines Day, Father’s day, Mother’s day, Brother’s Day, Sister’s day and all other ‘Days’ into the picture. 10 years ago as far as I know there was no Valentine’s Day. Neither was there any other so called days. It seems V-day celebrations are not affected by the recession either. Business is blooming!! Not only the cards, flowers or gifts but also the hotels giving special dinners, jewelers making special items, even flights offering romantic seats and so many others taking a piece from the pie.. The best one I heard is the lunar embassy. With $20 you can buy property in Moon in the name of your dear ones. But I don’t think people should wait for any day to show your affection.
And as on every other Valentines Day this year also I am gonna spent it with myself!!!
Anyone interested in giving me a company are most welcome!!!
Thursday, February 4, 2010
To Sarah, With Love
A prequel to The 5 dreams..
4-2-‘10
My dear Sarah,
How are you?? I really miss you.
Hope everything is going fine with you. Is that lady taking good care of you?? She looked like a good person. If you like her I’ll ask her to stay even after I come back. How is your class going? Don’t get lazy because I am not there. Do your homework in time. I will go through your progress report when I come back. When you are going out to play don’t go near the well. It’s very dangerous. I know I have told you about those a thousand but still I know a naughty girl like you will go there. Please don’t play any pranks on that lady staying with you. Again I forgot her name. (Don’t tell her I forgot her name)
Again I am repeating what I have told you about the uncle staying next door. Don’t go near that house. He has a gun and he will shoot if children go near his house. If he catches you then he won’t let you go. He will not give you anything to eat. So DON’T GO THERE!!
I know you’ll be missing me very much. Even I am missing you. I am almost sure that lady won’t be telling you good bedtime stories like I used to tell you. Or is she? If not ask her to read you out the stories from the storybooks you have. But you know all the stories in those books, right? Then tell her a story. You are good in story telling. Show her how good you are. Oh I really miss playing the story telling game with. I miss how you used to twist those stories.
Don’t get worried about me. They are taking good care of me here. They told I have some disease in my brain. It’s a rare disease. They have to see if I get better by taking the medicines alone otherwise they ay have to do a surgery. Don’t get tensed, there are some really nice good doctors here. Now I have a room of my own. But the only problem is that it’s locked from outside. There are so many unstable people in the hospital and they may cause harm to me. The hospital is actually for such people only. I am forced to be here because the only doctor who can treat me is working here otherwise I wouldn’t have stayed with these mad people. Sometimes I feel like I am also getting crazy. It’s just the thought of you which is holding me together. I am feeling a bit dizzy now. They say it’s because of the medicines I am taking. I will get better soon and will be back with you as early as possible..
Do take good care,
With lots of love,
Your bro’….
(Sarah had died 3 years back in a road accident along with her parents but her brother survived.)
5 Dreams
Dreams that remained.
The 5 Dreams
1st Dream: Waiting for the train
I was in a waiting room of a railway station. I wanted to go out and take a stroll but the heavy downpour outside held me in. I was stuck with an ultra-boring book which wasn’t getting any interesting. I banged the book shut in anger and cursed myself for ending up in such a place.
A handsome young guy sitting next to me smiled and said to me, “The book gets exciting by the end”
Wow. This guy actually managed to finish reading it? Unbelievable.
“Well, what is it like towards the end?” I enquired.
“What good is a book if you know how its going to end? Its like life. Would you care to live if you know what lies in ahead? “
“I don’t know. I really haven’t been in such a situation.”
“Tell me. Are you superstitious? I mean do you believe in astrology and all?”
“Not exactly. Are you going to predict my future?”
“No man!” he laughed. “In fact I was a believer; not any more.”
“Why? Did something happen or didn’t it?”
He started telling me his story, and his was a lot more interesting than the one in the book.
“During my college days”, he started, “I lived life, with no fear of death. In fact a wanted to die because life had been very tough on me. Instead of facing the problems I opted for the crooked short cut of ending things quickly. Once or twice I did try to kill myself but in vain.
Then I met her. She was smart, talented and beautiful. She scared most of pursuers by telling them that according to her astrology she would have two husbands and the first one would die soon after marriage. Her astrologer’s prediction spread like wild fire and no one had the guts to propose her. And she wandered around the campus alone and depressed.
I felt we made for each other, I wanted to end my life and she wanted someone like me, so that she may fall in love and marry the guy of her dreams and live with him for many years. So we decided to secretly get married. We settled in a far off place where nobody would see us. Though we shared the same apartment we led separate lives, not concerned about each other except for the fact that both of us were waiting for my inevitable death. But human mind is far too complex for anyone to understand. And it happened that we began to fall in love with each other. You can remain in a person’s company forever if you love or hate but you can’t survive with indifference. As we got closer, and started to know each other and live as a couple we realized that the superstition was in fact the hand of fate to bring us together. Just like that book, my life had a boring beginning and I wanted to stop reading. But if I had stopped reading would I be here with an exciting and happy life?”
“That’s really amazing. Its like you have won against your own destiny.”
“No. You really can’t change your destiny. We like to think we have changed destiny when something you expect to happen doesn’t happen. But destiny is not always what we expect it to be. There is always someone above who is control, who has written everything even before you were born.”
It was time for the train. We picked up our bags and walked to platform which was wet and slippery, thanks to the rain. As the noisy train was coming to a halt I asked him which compartment is he in. I didn’t get a reply, I turned to ask again but I saw only his bag in the platform and on looking down at the railway track I saw….
I screamed and I woke up.
2nd Dream: The Train Journey
I was in a train, sitting by the window. It was raining outside and I could feel the tiny drops on my face and aroma the wet soil. As I closed my eyes to drift into a slumber, the train came to a halt. I could hear the hustle and bustle, hawkers, and passengers. After a while the train whistled and set into motion again leaving the station behind.
As the train gained speed, the chilling wind was becoming unbearable .Shivering from the cold, I got up and donned on a jacket. Then I saw her. She was a 5 year old angel with the prettiest face I’d seen so far. She walked up to sit on the vacant berth facing me. A smile radiated from that cherubic visage and I smiled back.
“What is your name?” I asked.
“Sarah”, she said.
“Why are you alone? Where are your parents?” I enquired.
She shrugged her shoulders and casually gestured that they were coming. She asked me about me myself I spoke to her. She seemed very excited as it was her first train journey. It was getting more icy and only then I realized that Sarah was wearing not wearing any thermal yet she remained unaffected by the freezing temperature.
“I like the cold wind” she told as though reading my thoughts.
“Do you have a blanket or something? You should not be sitting like this. You would get pneumonia.” I told thinking my past experience with the dreaded disease.
“I think mom has a blanket. I’ll go and get it.”, saying this she ran away.
After sometime a couple came. At the first glance itself i knew they were Sarah’s parents. But surprisingly Sarah was not with them and her mother had a blanket in her hand. I was observing them and their activities. They settled down comfortably and were talking to each other. They showed no signs of having a child.
“Excuse me,” I interrupted, “eh... Where is Sarah?”
What followed was a few minutes of shocking silence. Her parents stared at me in horror. In those eyes, I could see grief. I didn’t understand.
Her father asked me “How do you know Sarah?”
“She was here. I was talking to her till you guys came. Why? What happened?”
Her mother started crying. He called me aside and told
“Sarah, my baby died 3 months back. She got pneumonia on a similar train journey and……… ”
I woke up…
3rd Dream: The Hell
This place where I was sitting was like a corridor .On looking out I could see lush greenery. I could also feel a cool smoothening breeze on my face I relaxed as never before. Just then somebody called me from behind. I turned to see a handsome man walking towards me. He asked “My dear friend do know where you are?”
“No”, I replied.” Where is this place?”
“This is the hell.”
My astonishment knew no bounds. This ought to be a dream. All the frightening images about hell came to my mind.
“It’s not possible. If this is hell then you must be …..”
“Yes. I am the devil.”
My mind couldn’t process the facts it was registering. I looked at him again. Devil could never be such a good looking chap’ I told myself. As though reading my thoughts he said “You are not the first one to get confused about this. Men have always thought the hell be a place of infernal fire and sufferings”
“Is it not? Then how did the stories of such kind came in being? Never ending fire to punish the wrong doers and all??”
“Well I am sure those stories must have prevented some from doing the wrong. But it’s all about perspective. Deep down within yourself if you feel what you did was not the right, you end up suffering.
And if I am helping them to do something then why should I punish them? It’s not logical.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I don’t make people do anything wrong. I just give them an option in their lives. Men always have a choice. Nobody can take away their free will. Not even the devil. I just present myself as an attractive choice. But very few realize that there are options and even lesser choose it.”
“Then what is hell?”
“Hell is my abode, where I treat men who chose me with all the beautiful things in the world. You know more men believe in the existence hell than in heaven because they think that’s where they are going to end up in.”
I woke up.
4th Dream: The Heaven
I was sitting in the same corridor. Hell. I waited patiently there not knowing what to expect.
An old man with a long beard appeared out of no where and stood in front of me. It reminded me of Albus Dumbledore in Harry Potter. His face seems to be radiating energy. He looked like a wise man. He asked me, “Do you know where you are?”
“Is this not the hell?” I questioned.
“Well, no it’s the heaven.!”
“But the devil told me it was the hell! How can it be possible? Heaven and hell are the same place?”
“Yes. Heaven and hell are the same. Its just the matter of perception.”
“I don’t understand. Does that mean that there is no heaven and hell as such?”
“Not as such. It’s the soul of men which gives him the thoughts about heaven and hell. Soul is imperishable. Just as man discards old clothes and puts on new ones the soul discards old body and puts on new ones.
If the body has done bad deeds its soul suffers for eternity and hence it leads men to righteousness. Men need something to fear and something to hope for. The soul gave them hell and heaven.”
“I still don’t understand. Isn’t there a heaven and hell as we have believed?”
“No. It’s the soul which punishes you with eternal sufferings when you end up doing the wrong. You just have to listen to your soul for proper guidance in the world. Each soul is a part of the universe, thus it knows everything, it has answer to every question. Only that you have to ask the right question.”
“What is that question?”
“Very few know; because men usually don’t know what they want.”
“How to know that?”
“I have explained till here. Now you have to find out.”
“All right. Who are you by the way?”
“I am the God.”
I woke up.
5th Dream: Somewhere
I am standing in a place which I have never been to before and yet the place looks so familiar. Its like an old picture in my mind. I start walking. With every step I take I feel immense joy and happiness. All problems stop bothering and my mind is filled with peace. Rarely have I experienced something like this. I am walking through a beautiful garden now, I see someone playing under a tree...
It is Sarah.
I did not wake up….
(A prequel to 5 dreams - To Sarah with love)
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Nostalgia: Part 2 The School
The Best days of life are the shortest…
We always miss those good old days…
May be they are meant to be missed…
However long they are, we always wish for more…
“We always have best friends in each phase of life… Only lucky ones have the same friends throughout…”
The fact that I call up my school buddies whenever I am feeling a bit low tells me that school life is not gone.. It’ll never go.. Stays as the golden memories in life…
I miss my school life… Those were the best days of life...
Yes; I agree with the fact that college life is considered to be the best but school life was different… There are so many things you wouldn’t have done in school but still there is something which makes school life different from everything else..
College life is all about freedom while in school you are under a constant scrutiny by teachers.. Not even in my remotest dreams I have thought about bunking… Now only I realize how easy it was to bunk then… Just one attendance in the morning!!!
Then there was a Principal who called your parents to school every time you get into some trouble like not bringing a record book or failing in a class test.. If that were the situation in college parents had to settle somewhere here only!!!
Rarely only we were sent out from the classroom, which would be accompanied by sadness, anger and a number of other emotions.. In college if sent out from class there are only two emotions: worry about the attendance and relief!!!
PTA (Parent Teachers Association) meetings!! Another dreaded event which occurs usually once a year.. In special cases can occur twice also.. (Happened in 10th and 12th)
Other than the routine complaints from teachers (He is good but because of his company he is not doing well in studies.. And they are telling it to everyone… If everybody is good then how can we be in bad company???) But parents being parents never think of it… They always take the teachers very seriously!! As it always happen those very guys will remain your best friends!! And the ‘good’ guys whom your teachers want you to be friends with will never be a good friend.. Most of the time he turns out to be someone like Chathur in 3 Idiots…!! I really pity people who don’t believe in making good friends!! They don’t know what they are missing out in life!!!
Apparently PTA meetings are the only time when the ‘bad guys’ in the class show their nice side… You probably wonder if the ‘obedient’, ‘respectful’, ‘good’ guy standing next to his mom/dad is the same person who threatened to kick your butt because you didn’t give back his ‘girl friends’ pen..!!!
Well that’s another thing.. How much ever hard you try there are very few chances school time affairs make it to the real world.. Unlike college these ‘couples’ has to be very careful because if you were found together outside or suspiciously close inside the campus you are bound to get noticed by the teachers and would be told to your parents in the next PTA meeting or sometimes earlier also… It has happened when I was in 11th a ‘couple’ was caught from a nearby juice shop by a staff.. Parents were called.. So much drama followed and eventually the boy’s parents took him to another school.. The reason was that roaming around in the uniform gave a bad name to the school… Here in Mangalore I am seeing 9th standard and 10th standard kids roaming around in couples…
I really hope things have changed back home..
(But the lucky ones do make it to the real world and end up in marriage… But there is only a handful of such people…)
It’s been three years since I have stepped from school… On a rainy evening I never think of the times I didn’t bunk.. Not once about the PTA or the principal... It would always be a group of friends who made my school life beautiful… Every time while going through those old photos, it’s all about the fun we had.. The time we went for a tour.. How we spent the last days of school days enjoying the maximum..
Indeed school life was the best time in my life!!!
Dedicated to all my buddies in school…. Without whom life wouldn't have been colourful…
Saturday, January 16, 2010
an Easy Escape and HS!!!
Once in every 2 or 3 months I go on an 11hr train journey to my home.. Consider the following situations you might encounter in a train journey.. When you are alone and hoping for a peaceful journey…
Situation #1
You are in a train. Its an overnight journey.. And your co-passenger really likes to talk!!(And it’s not a cute girl!! Mind it!! Not even a girl!!) But you are not at all interested in sharing his views on the
Situation #2
Actually this guy is better than the next guy who insists on knowing everything from the place of your birth to the place you are planning to die!! After which he proceeds to enquire about your father, mother and every relative alive or dead… And the worst part is that he supposedly knows at least 3 of them also… Many a times I wish I could tell him “dude I am not sure about mine but yours is gonna be this train!!!”
Situation #3
Now imagine you are sitting next to a cute girl who is reading a book you haven’t even heard off… Still wanting to impress her you start off by telling how good the book is and how you liked his previous books also… Apparently it turns out to be the author’s first book!!
Situation #4
Three doctors working together in the same hospital going to the same place without their wives..!!! That is a literal torture!! Please don’t be under the impression that the talk is of the medical mysteries they solved.. Its plain bitching about the fellow doctors!! How under-trained they are and how superior they are… And they do try to show off how cool they are by taking out their over priced ‘smart’ phones and trying to do stuff with it which even a 5th standard kid can do.. Then the essential comparison follows.. “My phone has a horn!!” “Mine has a head and a tail!!” Apparently what they actually know is just to make calls and text…! What else is a phone for??!!!
God save their patients!!!
Situations where you just want to vanish!!! Well there is an easy way!! Get yourself a descent phone with HEADPHONES or a music player with HEADPHONES!!!!
Plug it in and go to your happy place!!!
Has anybody heard of a syndrome called HS (House Syndrome)??? Which results from HA(House Addiction) If not I am planning to be the 1st patient suffering from these rare syndromes!!!! As I am addicted to House MD I started to feel that I am suffering from serious illness which I can’t figure out because I am not House and I am not a post graduate in Medicine ( an UG in dentistry) and most importantly the small sensible part of me is telling there is nothing wrong with me.. I was told that this is just another side effect of the House addiction disease and will soon wear off as it gets over.. But seriously how can I relax when I feel something is not correct..
Not only that, I am now trying to find out things about people just by ‘observing’ them… Sincerely hope none of my cute ‘subjects’ would notice me observing them!!!! :D
(p.s those who are unaware of the series House MD please refer to the previous post or just Google it!!!)
Saturday, January 2, 2010
New year New resolutions!!
Hope all have made Resolutions… Resolutions are meant to broken so mine is not to make resolutions!!! But that would actually require me to make resolutions!!! Not fair!!
So here goes… My resolutions for 2010!!!
Reso#1: Finish House MD as fast as possible
For those who are unaware of it, it’s a series about a doc Dr. Gregory House.. In simple words it’s about him finding out the diseases which no one else can figure out!! His sarcasm, character, unconventional diagnostic methods used and the rare diseases are the chief attractions plus his relationship with other characters which tends to change randomly.. Other than this it’s predictable as any typical bollywood movie!! First something happens to someone.. They reach Dr.House.. Nobody has a clue in the first 30 min then suddenly while doing something else or by doing something out of the way he finds out what it is!! Known to cause addiction and I am just reached season 2 out of 6 seasons… Haven’t seen any other movie after I started this.. So I just want to finish it!! So many works are pending…
For more information just Google him!! (Apparently I did!!.!)
Which leads me to my second resolution…
Reso#2: Reduce Googling
Google has answers to most of our questions… Except when the questions get a bit personal!! If the internet is a huge heap of data, Google is the torch not just a regular torch but a torch which shows where to look also!! I know the metaphor is useless because if you are reading this you should have used Google at least 10 times… Its having a monopoly in the Internet…. Apparently there is a condition called Discomfogooglomania in which a person feels frustration, anger , depression and uncontrolled rage when he is unable to Google.. He feel lack of confidence unless he googles what he is looking for..
(Don’t bother searching it.. Google has made sure it won’t come up in its search)
If any of you have these symptoms do consult a psychiatrist at the earliest to prevent further complications!!!
As the old saying goes ‘Prevention is better than cure’…. Reduce the use of Google..
I don’t have any alternatives to tap the potential of the internet but I’ll put it up here as soon as I find it in Google!!!
Reso#3 Watch good movies
This year I plan to watch a whole lot of good movies.. Movies which got critical acclaims, which has won Awards, which are in the top 250 movies in IMDB instead of the action/comedy movies I am currently obsessed with!! Suggestions are welcome!!
( not for the good movies I can get that in IMDB!!)
Reso#4: Study Online/ study with a laptop
Finally a resolution Am sure of keeping!!!( Don’t get me wrong; not the studying part.!)
For the past three years I had a consistent resolution to reduce my computer usage but it just kept on increasing… So this year I am going with the trend and keeping a resolution to actually increase my usage to ‘study’!!! Am sure most of the textbooks are available in Google books!!!! For free!!! ( Another example of the monopoly I was talking about.!!)
But when you have gigabytes of movies and music I am not very confident if I would use the few megabytes of class notes I am having..!!
Reso#5 Daily exercise
Daily exercise including jogging in the evening and gym visits regularly!!!
But mostly its gonna be hogging instead of jogging and running to the class will be the maximum exercise!!!
I can think of only these many now…. Do put up your resolutions here!!!! And any suggestions you might have about mine!! It’ll be given serious thoughts next year!!!
(Apparently am totally addicted to House MD so mostly wont be active for a week or even longer!!..!)