The Dear Departed

When he called me..I said…” wait a minute grandpa…I’ll be right back…”

When I called out to him…asking him to wait for a minute….he went and never came back..

My Grandpa

Mumbai…..26-11-2008

India’s most distressing day

November 26, 2008 dawned on just like any other day in Mumbai ….children left for their schools and colleges…people left for their office as usual..and the rest were busy with their household chores and life was normal there…in the afternoon and in the evening…it seemed no different from the morning…people were going about their usual routine..

Let us just assume the following two instances…

My So Called “Study Holidays”…..

I was ecstatic after Oct 17…..the day I finished with my practical exams….i did it reasonably well…..except for the viva voce….everyone who questioned me had a sort of bewildered look on their face…as though I invented something which they din know….(apparently…I invented everything at the spur of the moment…when I could think of nothing relevant to what I was actually asked….: ) ..Anyway...coming back to the elated mood…..I was happy that I got a good…much deserved break from the sem…just before the exams…on the pretext of study holidays…. I was just thinking of what all I could do…….

The Disadvantages Of Speaking The Truth!

Weird? let me tell you how its not!

everyone wants to be either A Harishchandra or A Mahatma when it comes to speaking the truth.,but seriously we would end up with more worries and troubles ...so much so ,that we sometimes feel we should have either kept quiet or just said something politely.The following instances prove it.

Misunderstandings....

Friend : hi

Me :Hi

Friend : Whats wrong with you? you din talk to me even yesterday...

Me : Sorry...something came up...I was a lil busy....

Friend : busy? Are the president or what? you are just a student and so am I and I'm  never preoccupied with stuff.

Me : No..its not that.,its just that i have to devote more time for my work and unfortunately less time with you...but...

Friend : whatever....bye

Me : Hmm....sorry..bye

This is something common among Friends.Misunderstandings and silly arguments at times can even cost you their friendship.So in order to stay clear of everything,we always need to talk it out and it really really works wonders. trust me!

My Dear Angel....

Siblings.Brothers.Sisters

How much we love them. How much they mean to us.How much we depend on them. I could probably keep rambling about this. Everyone who is blessed with a sibling will agree with me. I just wanted to write something about the Most special person in my life. I owe so much to her..My Adorable Sister :-)

Exam Results.....

There were a lot of rumours regarding our results....some said it will be out by the first week of july..some said mid july...some said it would be released along with our senior's results...some said there might be a delay in our results as were had the annual pattern and wrote our exams only after the seniors finished with theirs. ..from july 1st i was receiving countless sms saying that we were likely to get our results in the forthcoming days listing so many websites ( where the results would be published) which i hadn't even heard of...

On thursday, 3rd of july...as usual i received many messages stating that we were to get our results that day at around 10 pm(nothing out of the ordinary as i would get the same msg everyday)...but luckily when i checked the sites at 10...there was not a single mention of any results being released. I was up till 12 that day ...trying to finish my mountain load of work...when i received a message from one of my friends stating that the results were released . i was not scared this way...even when i appeared for the exams. and then..half scared , half praying i switched on my system and i went to the usual anna univ website....there was nothing displayed.....i again messaged him asking about the site in which he had checked his results..he said it was 123ugofroo.com... at that instant i was thinking of nothing else but just about the marks i would probably obtain...it din strike me that the name of the site was a bit funny.... when i could not find anything about the results......i once again messaged him.... asking for the correct url....and he replied that it was all just a prank......god! i was so angry and irritated...come on.. there is a time and place for playing a prank on someone....cursing... i went back to my work and i got a call from my friend...he said the results were out...i asked him almost 10 times if it was a genuine call....and yea...indeed the results had come...without any prior information form the university...they released it just like that..when one was least expecting it....but i feel its better...it happens suddenly....than waiting for it for days and weeks....i've been through it before....so this was something different...usually we get tensed atleast say one week before the results( 12the exam results for instance) are to be released but i was tensed say for 5 minutes....thats it...and lo...i had my marks with me.....88.6 percent...not bad i thought..and the first thing i did was to open the pooja shelf and thank god.....then i just ran to the room were my parents were sleeping and woke them up with my marks....they seemed happy and the best thing was my sis ...waking up, shaking hands with me and asking me what she was supposed to say...and then she was like congrats and slept off...and i was on cloud nine literally... then i was online for about 3 hours...till 3 30 ...calling up my friends and checking their scores in the dead of the night ..and finally when i could no longer resist...just went to bed..and closed my eyes and it seemed to me that the next minute ma was like " get up..time for coll" and it was then i realised that it was all over...the tension, the excitement, the anxiety in just a fraction of seconds and it was much much better than the usual trauma......

Catchy Phrases

Before winning , think

" If  I can't, who can?"

After winning, say humbly

" If I can , who can't?"

There are two rules for success

1) Never tell everything you know.

2) Never tell, you know everything.

Marks

I wanted to write this post ever since the 12th results were out...but anyway.....
12th exams are given a lot of hype...and the students are under tremendous stress and pressure to perform well....to meet the expectations of their parents and teachers.....to get good marks...to get admission in a good college....and what not...

Once the results are released...emotions run wild.... a few are elated and ecstatic... many are dejected...having expected more....but scored much less...parents are more anxious than the students...some parents are understanding and they empathize with their wards...but some are annoyed as though they've reached the ends of their lives....all this trauma is because of this 5 lettered word....m-a-r-k-s


Many people say that the present way of awarding marks in an exam is not appropriate ...thanks to the education system....they test what we've toiled for 6 months in 3 hours and within minutes..say about 3...our fate is sealed....so what is important is not that 6 months of hard work and preparation......all those days of sleplessness.. is not of any worth...its just those 3 hours.....180 minutes...that decides are fate and we are judged only by its outcome...what an excellent education system we have!

Traveling by Train

I was under the impression that traveling by train was a boring experience and I never really looked forward to it until one day...

'Pic' N 'Mix'

I love ice creams.....i am just mad about them.. from vanilla to chocolate to black current to spanish delight to fig and honey to rum and raisin to brownie + vanilla ice cream to mango to orange to strawberry to all the exotic favours you can ever think of.....i simply am crazy about them.... and thats when i found this interesting place in cochin.......'Pic' N 'Mix'

'Pic' N 'Mix' is the very first place i think of when i just hear a whisper of the word ice cream some half a mile away....its my all time favourite because....

*** irrespective of whether i have an exotic flavour or just a simple one....i am charged the same for both.....

*** i can have as many scoops of ice creams i want...to my heart's content....literally....picking my flavour and mixing it with the others....

***we have a free hand to choose our toppings....whether we need black current sauce or strawberry sauce.. or almond sauce ..its up to us...

***and as for the rates.....our mixture of ice creams are weighed and it costs 25 paise per gram.....ok...this was 6 years back...but now because of the development and changes cochin is undergoing...it has been increased by 3 paise....to 28 paise..... :)

***its open from 11 to 11

what more could i ask for???

Cochin

Man!... what a change.....
I couldnt believe my eyes when i landed in the Nedumessery Airport in Cochin a few days back to spend a few days there...as a part of my vacation...it was almost 5 years since we had moved out of cochin and settled in chennai...after a long four year stay in cochin....initially all of us found it a bit difficult to adjust to the just developing city after we were in a metro for those many years...it was just developing then...

No Age Bar for Working?

Rag pickers. Remember? People with those huge sacks, picking plastic covers and bottles and cans and what not; just throwing stuff from the dustbin to their whims and fancies in the process of searching for what they want, not bothering to even put the trash back; the whole idea of having a dustbin being lost? But today these people have found a different way to collect the trash- “the dumping ground” of course!

Semester Exams.....

I was used to writing exams...of course....14 years of education had taught me something...but after listening to all those stories from my seniors and cousins ..about Anna univ exams... i was scared out of my wits... every time i ask my sis..she always emphasizes on the words luck, luck and luck. she says you cane never ever predict how much you can score..... there is very chance that a student who is confident enough that he would definitely get above 80% could get well below the required limit....and a person who just hopes and prays that he should escape with at least a pass...could get over 90%...such are the miracles these exams can create...

It's not just an exaggeration ...but i have seen people who have been at the receiving end of all these kind of problems and i wonder how many have lost hope in the so-called education system and let everything take its own place ..at its own pace...in spite of a key being given and so many hands the papers go through why are some sides left uncorrected...making a difference of a pass or fail? why do they take just 3 minutes to evaluate a paper which is written for 3 hours and prepared for 6 months...? if this is going to be the method of evaluation.....how can one ever produce quality engineers.....marks is the only way one would be able to judge a student...but if the very marks are not evaluated and presented properly...how can we ever judge a student? how many students have not been given their recognition they actually deserve because of someone else's mistake? the answer to this ...is what my sister puts in......LUCK.....so instead of toiling for those exams.....its wise to spend some time...praying....praying.....praying.

One Year of Blogging

I've done it.. :) It's been almost one year of blogging..and I give myself a pat for the so-called good work that i think i have been doing .Though my posts are not extra ordinary like many others' which i have been reading on a regular basis.,I don't wanna give up,but try improving my writing at least till someone says it's 'ok' and at least till I am satisfied..Having posted around 30+posts I feel its good, as a beginner....and I think I have to be a bit more regular and update it frequently. And not to forget a big Thank You to all those valuable comments posted by my friends and other eminent bloggers ..I couldn't have thank you more ,for patiently reading my blog.
THANK YOU :)

18..What now?

At last...at long last...after waiting for 18 years now i can proudly say i am no longer a child..or...an adolescent any longer..i am an adult now......cool

When i was an adolescent i use to think that being an adult was really cool... you have your own responsibilities..your parents will not be behind your back for each and everything ...you get to go out with your friends as and when you like and all those fantasies we read in books.....

But now..when i am actually an adult...i just see no difference in my lifestyle or any of my way of doing things..I've realised its not just what we read in books and all those wonderful fantasies but its all about leading a more responsible life and not just about parties and stuff. we know our position in life...we know what we want in life and we are all set to achieve our own feat. Our parents are a little more relaxed on us as they give us a free hand to select what we want but still they are always there for us...though some people think no end of themselves and they distance themselves from their parents ...inviting unnecessary troubles for themselves...but yea....i like the way i was a child...not that I dont want to be an adult and shoulder any responsibility but ..they way my parents and sister care for me and treat me as the lil one at home....i enjoy being given importance in that way....anyway...the transformation is not yet of any marked difference for me but i just hope that it turns out good for me....the transformation!

Yay! No Longer the junior most!.

Wow.....9 months ago...i remember entering my coll....everything new, everything different..new atmosphere,new people,new surroundings....god...everything new from a to z....and now...when i look back at those 9 months..i am filled with a sense of ecstasy and contentment on realizing that my new beginning had gone on well and i am more than satisfied with it... the environment was friendly and it had a lot of positive energy coming from it as far as i was concerned and yea...time just flew by..and before i realized i was writing my sems and now...I've finished my first year of engineering ....

And now...i am just looking forward for the next year and it feels good to be a senior for a few...though we are still the juniors for a majority..but still who cares :-) .
one year gone...another's come... so i just hope that we carry on our sweet memories of the first year...leaving behind all those hatred and negative thoughts and look forward to a better way of life!

Why I prefer being a girl!

Sometimes when I think about it,I feel that it’s better that I am a girl because,

• There are only two sides to all your problems…your side and the wrong side.
• You (girls) get to enjoy so many benefits like, seats and compartments reserved especially for women.
• You are never the cause of accidents on the road (even if we are).
• You are never the reason for any mischief in our house (but this is valid only if u have a brother…else you are gone!).
• You have varieties in everything…from your outfit to your accessories to the color of your nail polish and lip-gloss to anything.
• You can openly say that u use a face cream!
• You can burst into tears at any point of time.
• You can escape the traffic police when your caught for not wearing a helmet or for over speeding .
• In life threatening situations you are always rescued first.
• And yea …a single drop of tear can do wonders!!!!

SEVEN reasons I prefer Shah Rukh Khan to others

• He looks too good and is a damn good actor
• Even Kabir Khan couldn’t have done chak de so well
• He is an awesome dancer and his steps are not restricted to just aerobics
• None can be so romantic other than SRK-kajol…. The best Jodi ever
• And next to the rain…this lucky charm helps India win any match…be it hockey or twenty-twenty…it really works! Believe me!
• Mind you he is a gold medalist in economics and he speaks well…be it English or Hindi or Tamil... (Remember in OSO…………….)
• He is an all rounder… in the sense….

* He is a very good hockey player; his team was the runners up in one world cup
* He is an excellent music teacher
* The best mafia who ever existed
* The perfect Raichand son
* The fabulous basketball player
* A violin teacher too
* The stupendous chef
* He was even a king! And lots more……………………

P.S. in case you are wondering about the last few lines...well...its his roles in his varoious films....

Hols….err….study hols all over again

Ha…unbelievable! Within a few months I will have completed my first year and of course... Not a junior any more…it seems just a week ago I had joined college and now……

…Now with just a few more weeks (which I am regularly told that it would fly like a jet) for the exams almost all the first years are busy preparing a schedule, to satisfy themselves or their parents and plan up for all those group studies and adopt various methodologies for preparation…let me give you a tour of my daily schedule….

A Friend In Need

" Are you really out of your mind...close your books....and get some sleep...its 4 in the morning..."

"Hey why do u always ask me if i am angry or irritated with you..this irritates me...."

I always valued friendship...its something very different....but i realised the true meaning of friendship only some time back.its thought me so much of what even 14 years of education din't teach me..i could go on saying that i have a wonderful set of friends...but of course that intimacy comes only from some... every morning i look forward to a good morning message from them and yea...it comes uninteruppted everyday..and its really nice to know that u are remembered by someone and even they like to begin their day thinking of you..just as you like to think about them...they become an integral part of your life..and without you realising you find that you feel at home when you are with them and you find yourself telling your worst kept secrets and sharing every precious second you have...with them..you turn on to them for advise and u trust their judgment than you trust yours...the small fights..the silly talks...the mundane conversations and gossips...the worst fight...all a part and parcel of life....you feel very secure..and your not worried to face the world when you have them by your side...they stand by you through thick and thin...and through all eternity......

Someone said....." friendship isnt about who you have known the longest or who came first or who cares the best...its about who came and never left at all......"

Yea....thats the main thing....and thanks to all my close pals out there without whom this post is meaningles :)

The Brains That Drain!

Image Courtesy :Dreamstime

(This article was written for Anna University Magazine, in 2007)
Literally speaking, brain drain is the draining of the brains. People who are educated here go in search of the Promised Land to earn their living. They leave their hometowns and go abroad. The main reason being, they get to earn more money and there are plenty of opportunities out there. Once they settle there and become accustomed and adapt themselves to the style of living there, they find it difficult to come back to their home town. So more and more people keep moving day by day, year by year.