I'm It - Tagged!!

Shashi "chained" me, to quote him!! :) So here goes...

Five people on my shit list:
You know who you are. If you're reading this, you may please identify yourself and jump off a cliff for me!! :)

1. Burger Filling - Pinkish in the extremest of extremes!!
2. Wannabe dude who does weed coz it's "cool"
3. Punk across the road who thinks it's macho to rev his bike till the fuel runs out, thereby making himself sound like a you-know-what

Well...believe it or not, there aren't any more people I can't stand!! Either I'm too nice and accommodative or the world ain't all that bad!! I'm inclined to suppose the former! :P

Close brushes with death/danger:
It's around eight-ish in the night. We're driving up the hill to kodai. Suddenly, little things start falling from the sky. All of us are going - "What the...?!?!". It was a few minutes before we realized the little things were pellets of ice. We were driving up a hill - in the middle of a hailstorm - no lights, barely any vision, no signs of curves ahead - it was a bloody NIGHTMARE!!! *shudder*

Five preferable modes of suicide:
I'm generally considered an optimist. But after results come out, I might well be in need of one of these!! :(

1. Cyanide - Just like that.
2. Blow my brains out - ouch!! :O It's instantaneous though!
3. Jump off a cliff!! :P

Oh gosh! This is already giving me the creeps!! *gulp* Oh, if you want ideas, you could always read this and this.

Five guilty pleasures:
1. Chocolate and Coffee
2. Movies
3. Appa's almond-cognac cake and orange cheese cake *drool*
4. Books
5. Footwear collection! :P

Five things you never want to forget:
1. My passwords - If I do, I'm so dead!! :O
2. September, October, November 2005
3. The sweet is never as sweet without the sour.
4. The truth, at whatever cost, is the best you can do.
5. Do unto others before they do unto you.

Five loves of your life:
Not necessarily in the order mentioned!! :)

1. Books and Words
2. People
3. Chennai and Travel
4. Movies
5. Coffee

Strangest Dream:
I don't have dreams!! And if I ever do, can't remember a thing in the morning!! :P And no, it's NOT because of a hangover!! :O

Five most valued possessions:
1. iPods
2. Journals
3. Computer and Cell phone
4. Sanity
5. Love

Five favorite superheroes:
1. Superman - Dean Cain is hawt!!!! :P
2. Swat Kats - Dunno if they qualify as super-heroes!! :D
3. Suderman
4. Inu Yasha - yeah, he's a semi-demon!! so?!!
5. Samurai X - :D Blame it on kid sis n animax!! :D

People who follow may consider themselves TAGGED: (muhahaha!!)
V
Soumi
Paddy
Efreak
Vara
Sagaro

Do It!!!!! :D

Road Trip To Vellore

Sagaro and some friends are planning a cylce expedition to Vellore. You can check out the whole plan, itinerary etc at the Vellore Wiki.

The trip probably starts fourth week of June - short trip, around three days. They're inviting people interested to join them on the trip - a small group of 8 may be. So, if you're interested, put your name up in the wiki.

Also, they've got a list of essentials - check wiki. So even if you aren't going but can supply some of the things, please do so and indicate it on the wiki. If you've got any ideas - what they can do at vellore, places they can see on the way etc - feel free to edit the wiki and pitch them in. The password for login is 'c4mbt'.

Oh and if you can do spread the word about it! Thanks!! :)

Plans And Post-Its

A certain chem prof always said – Plan your work and Work your plan.

It’s very weird, you know. I seem to be able to do the first part of that maxim quite exceptionally. But the second part – I do mean to do that too, but determination and will just sort of frizzle away…

It just so happens that I’m a compulsive list maker, user of post-its and planner. Not a lot of people know that. Universal claim is that I’m a chaotic and disorganized individual in the extreme. :P

Sleepy eyed and tousle haired, I entered my room this morning. Something was amiss. I distinctly remembered my room being painted a calm, ice blue. This morning, though, it seemed to have assumed a sunshine-yellow with little sections of cool blue, hot pink and neon green! I reeled. You would too if you found your room morphing itself overnight into ghastly colours - which it had no business to do!!

When sleep very kindly released my senses and I was restored to functional mode, I saw that all the calm, ice blue had been covered inch upon inch by post-its – yellow, green, pink, blue, you name it!! Astonished, I realized that I never took off any of them from as long back as Feb. 24th!! I read one out loud – it said,

“1. Electrostatics Organic Solid State Matrices Alexander
2. Watch Alexander – educative purposes
3. Take the damn day off!!" - :P

Horrified at the prospect of parental units coming across such frivolous and flippant plans, I hurriedly ripped them all off. Wastepaper basket’s day out!

Note to self: Confine humour, however lame, to self/friends/blog.

You’re probably infinitely better organized than I am. But still, nothing like this ever happened to you??

That you make plans, stick post-its, religiously tick off finished agenda and somehow, just somehow that most important thing that you had to do got over-looked. Never had to scramble at record speed in the nick of time?

You’re intensely concentrating on integral calculus and the phone politely whirrs. But of course, it’s your bestest friend with the hottest gossip and so of course you just had to talk. And just let integral calculus be for the moment. And for the next two hours. Never happened? No?

Sigh…I guess it just happens to me.

Jottings

BIG UPDATE: We just got our awesome, new, super-sexy Ford Fiesta delivered today!!! Am typing this after going to the temple and the beach in it!! Woo!!! Go Fida!! :D

A lot of things have happened in recent times. I didn't seem to be able to sustain a whole post on any of them.... :P

1. First, a BIG welcome to Soumi who’s started her blog this week. She’s a terrific writer and I’m sure her blog is gonna be one of the more popular ones. Go Girl!! :)

2. One of the supposedly “major” exams, the AIEEE, made its exit out of the exam schedules this week, with students hoping that their answer scripts would somehow self-combust.

3. That done, student community is left with BITSAT and TNPCEE, both of which they hope will write themselves.

4. Pramod Mahajan, BJP General Secretary, shot thrice at point-blank range by his brother Pravin Mahajan, died today after battling against death for 12 days. For more scoop, catch this.

5. With Elections in Tamil Nadu a mere 5 days away, campaigns are going strong with all parties (except may be Lok Paritran) pulling out all stops – free rice, colour TV’s, free basic amenities…et al. For more scoop, catch this and this.

6. Freakspace achieves a record for itself. 63 comments on this post and 78 comments on this one – highest yet on this blog thanks mostly to FreakLord and Sagaro. :D

7. David Blaine, celebrated illusionist, lowers himself into a sphere of water and intends staying submerged for a week. Thereafter, he’ll try his hand at the World Record for holding breath underwater. The current record is 8 minutes 58 seconds. Blaine hopes to make that 9 minutes. His most famous stunt was the 44 days he spent in a glass box suspended above the river Thames.

8. Weather in Chennai seems to have confused itself. It, seemingly, has initiated an exchange program with Weather in Africa. Or may be it just discovered Thermal Equilibrium. Temperatures here seem to be raising the mercury and a lot of tempers beyond endurance.

9. Kaavya Viswanathan, episodical literary marvel and Harvard sophomore, was found appropriating passages from two authors – Megan McCafferty and Sophie Kinsella – in her book How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild and Got a Life. Her publishers have withdrawn her whopping $500,000 two-book contract and Dream Works have dropped the rights to an How Opal… movie. I’m sure she dreamt of her work flying off the shelves – but not like this!

10. Much awaited release of Gautam’s Vettaiyadu Vilayaadu is postponed once again from May 5 to May 12. Damn!! For more scoop, catch this.

A field day for cross-linking. Yay!! :)

School Times #2 - Snapshots

The general scene when us gang of girls raids Anandha Bhavan which is our staple "treat" place be it buddays, end of eggjams or just a very boring day!! :)

Niranjan a.k.a Ninju and Rushi a.k.a Paddyman a.k.a The Giant Koala Bear.
Fellow Last Benchers, Perpetual Troublemakers, Partners in Crime and fully responsible for all entertainment in 12 A!!!

Sou, Ram n Me - Last Day at school. Freakish!! :D

Outside 12C classroom on the last day. Result of vetti roaming in corridors!! :)

Some of 12A with our much-adored vice-principal LS!!

The very same "fussiest english teacher on the planet"!! :)

Our awesome, "state-of-the-art" Chem Lab.

Holds a lot more than lab equipment and chemicals - more memories than I can remember reside here!! :) Esp. for me and vara.

Aaaand....Presenting, Class Teacher of 12A 2005-2006, KVKK a.k.a The Student Union Secretary of Pachaiyappa's College during his time!! (Reminding us every day of which, he takes immense pride and pleasure!!)
/*Read - "Ina da?? Ni porukki na, naa onnoda periya porukki!! Don't mess with me!! Onnoda theory paper liye kaiya vechiduven!!" :)) */
Attendance each morning - a pain and a necessary evil!! :D

Top Up, Topped Up, Topping Up!!!

Following is an e-mail my friend sent to Hutch in the aftermath of "gross negligence" in their part!! Read on!!

-----Original Message-----
From: Shravan Srinivas
Sent: Wednesday, April 19, 2006 12:30 AM
To: ALEX MENDES
Cc: G.Dhananjayan
Subject: My Miserable Experience!

It started out when I headed back home from Manipal, Karnataka to
Coimbatore. I have a number from Manipal, 9886480614. Upon calling
customer care there in Manipal, they said I can topup in Coimbatore as
Hutch is now in Tamil Nadu. So, upon coming here, I bought topups worth
Rs. 60/- ( rs 30 + rs 30) and tried topping up! But the codes didn't
work here. I came to the Hutch office and they told me it was not
possible to topup from Tamil Nadu while Karnataka Customer Care told me
exactly the opposite. So, later, I called up Karnataka Customer care
from my landline ( num: 9886098860 ) and asked them what the problem of
topping up from Tamil Nadu was. They still said there wasn't any problem
and I should try a 'validity recharge' as topping up may have 'server
problems', he also added that I could call Karnataka Customer care FREE
of cost from my Hutch Karnataka number even though it was on roaming,
which i did later and lost the last rs. 3/- of my balance! My balance
being zero on the Manipal number and me having no option ( as all my
friends in Manipal too, have left for their study leave ), I bought a
new SIM card. Upon asking the shop keeper, he told me that is was the
'College Scheme'. I went ahead and bought the number 9843971347 and
topped it up, while submitting the required documents at the BPL / HUTCH
office, I did ask them to activate me as the 'College Plan'.


So now using the previous topup I had bought from you to recharge my
Manipal number, I topped the new number up happily assuming it was
anyway valid by default for 10 days as it was in the college special
scheme. When I rang up your customer care, to my rude shock, they told
me that the validity by default on the sim wasn't 10 days, but seven
days! They said I was in a Basic Plan and I could change to the "campus
plan" if I wished now. Upon arguing (that I asked the shop keeper for
the "college plan"), the customer care promptly told me that it was the
"Campus Plan" and not college plan. He furthur went on to tell me that
I should've looked for 'specially marked' packs which said "CAMPUS
PLAN". Im here for 10 days, and now after all this HUNGAMA, I only get
the TN sim for 7 days! Even then, I kept my cool and asked them if I
could exchange balance for validity, to which they replied the offer
wasn't there in Tamil Nadu! So, now if I've got to make the card work
for the remaining 3 days, I've got to recharge for rs.150/- as thats the
least denomination that gives any validity!

I have been cheated, exploited and mentally harassed by your staff,
retailers and customer cares lack of knowledge and plain INDIFFERENCE!.
I was cheated when:

- Karnataka Customer care told me I could top up using cards pruchased
in TN and later tell me to buy 'validity cards' because they 'think'
that the later might work! - what do they 'think', that I grow money on
trees!!! And if I did, you'd probably be in court by now!

- I asked for the College Plan - Am I god to know the difference between
College and Campus. If you've done your marketting right I think you
will read that "Customer is GOD". It wasnt my fault that I asked for it,
you bloody retailer should've had the courtesy to tell me that the SIM
didnt come with the CAMPUS plan and it was the tariff that I could
change later! As far as I'm concerened, all colleges have campuses! And
the plan too bloody well!

I would like you to at any cost give me the three extra days of
validity i.e. till the 28 of April.

And Hutch's Reply:

Dear Mr.Shravan Srinivas,

This has reference to your email dated 19/04/06 and the subsequent
discussion you had with our Executive, Mr.Movin regarding the extension
of your talk time validity.


We thank you for your valuable feedback and deeply regret the
inconvenience caused to you. Based on your feedback, we have extended
the validity by 3days - from 25-April06 to 28-April06 for mobile number
9843971347.


Trust this meets your requirement. We appreciate this chance to be of
service to you. In case you need further assistance, please do call or
email us. We'll do our best to assist you in any way possible.

Warm regards,
Usha Nandhini
Customer Service

:)

Ars Poetica - Updated

I've updated my poetry blog. Those interested can read it here!!!

School Times #1 - English Essays

*Click To Enlarge Images*

1. Half-Yearly Exam - Speech by "Vikas" on Economically Backward Children - 9/10. Result of which were several euphoric minutes after receiving paper.


2. Revision Exam - Essay on Globalisation: 5/6 and a good from LS. Who btw is the fussiest english teacher on the planet. Good from her is beyond Cloud Nine.


Unforgettable, these!!

Warm Days, Then And Now

It is a warm and sultry day. You know. One of those days, on which you just want to curl up with some book and some cold juice. Or maybe invite some friends over and watch a movie. Today, it was déjà vu.

She remembered the warm days then. Days when paati* used to have big bottles of rasna in the fridge. When papa soaked her with cold water from the garden hosepipe. When her mom made her drink elaneer** everyday!

She remembered the hot, dusty terrace where paati and she would put out the vadam*** to dry. And mangoes! There would mangoes or mango milk shake for desert everyday at lunch. She remembered thinking that her mom made “the bestest mango shake in the universe”!!

And today was just like so many of those days in the past. There was rasna and mangoes in the fridge, vadam on the terrace and elaneer in the kitchen. She’s smiling to herself now, realizing how much these small things mean to her. :)

________________________
*paati - granmom!! :)
**elaneer - coconut water
***vadam - home-made crispies that you fry and eat

Happy Birthday Freakspace!!

Exactly one year and three days ago, Freakspace was born with the sole intention of torturing the daylights out of both the author and readers alike!! :)


A Very Belated First Birthday to Freakspace!! It's been a great place to vent, to share and to FREAK!!

P.S: I really wish that cake was real! :P

Church Bells

In an expanse of bare land, there stood a beautiful chapel. On entering it, one could feel that every pew and aisle was full of prayer. It was here that a kind priest served. His faith in God and in his fellow beings afforded him that rare kindness, a little of which he had for everyone.

One fine day, there came at his doorstep a little orphan boy, poor and hungry. The priest fed and watered him and told him that he could stay and work at the church if he liked. And so the boy did. He would ring the church bell after every mass and at every fourth hour. Many such happy years passed. The once little boy was now a young man who knew nothing else but to ring the church bell as he had done in days of yore.

The priest, now old and weary, retired from his services to the lord. His successor, on finding an uneducated young man in residence ordered him to leave the church at once. He had no place for people who couldn’t read and write. Giving the young man a small sum to live off, he bid him farewell.

Having been turned out of the only job he knew, he wandered in search of something to do. Soon, he felt pangs of hunger. Looking around, he saw miles and miles of dusty, brown land but not a place he could rest his tired self and have a spot of lunch. And so he walked until he came to a wayward village bakery. While eating, he mused that it was indeed a tiresome task for churchgoers to walk this enormous distance and back without refreshment.

It struck him that he might buy some stuff from the bakery and start shop at a reasonable distance from the church. This enterprise of his turned into a flourishing business. Soon he expanded his little shop and in time he was a prosperous restaurateur and owner of a chain of eateries. Being somewhat a noteworthy public figure, banks soon flocked to him in search of prospective patronage.

During one such rendezvous, a banker expressed his absolute shock at the fact that such a vastly successful man was uneducated. He said, “Sir! If you are this successful without any education, imagine what you would’ve be doing if you were learned!”

The man said nothing. At the sound of distant church bells ringing, he just smiled and said, “I would’ve been ringing church bells.”

A Transition

It feels different. Sort of weird – like I’ve somehow suspended the reality of a few weeks before. Like these next couple of months are just a “phase” and I’ll revert back to the comfort of that reality. It just dawned that it wasn’t to be.

Doesn’t seem like I’ve left school. As if I’ll go back to it again someday in June. Reopening day. :) Half-day, new timetable, new class teacher, new benches, new windows to look out of, new books to mug up. It’ll still be all those things. Just in a very, very different scenario. College. Someplace in the middle of nowhere or someplace right here at home. The word of the day is uncertainty.

I’m just thinking out loud. A week since the boards ended and I haven’t called a single friend. To chat, to reminisce together, to groan about impending CETs, to tell them I’ll miss them so and that we should keep in touch no matter what and “be friends forever”.

I feel bad about that. Nights this last week, have been filled with conversations, good and bad times, free periods (read gossip sessions) and mostly, thoughts of my friends. Even though I miss them sorely, I don’t know why I can’t bring myself to call them up. May be it’s the feeling that the conversation won’t go beyond bitsat, tnpcee, aieee etc. I don’t know. Don’t know if it’s just me, but things are getting really strange.

That I might have lost my best friend doesn’t help. I’m not feeling really great. For all that talk of leaving school, growing up, and moving on into college, responsibility and adulthood, I’m not feeling great.

Oh, Joy!!!!

IT'S OVER!!! IT'S OVER!!! IT'S OVER!!! IT'S OVER!!! IT'S OVER!!! IT'S OVER!!! IT'S OVER!!! IT'S OVER!!! IT'S OVER!!! IT'S OVER!!!

That just feels sooooooooooo much better!!! Impending Entrance Exam Doom does not seem to have any significance. Don't see it piercing my Euphoria, do you?!! Ha!!

I have a WHOLE one and a half days to FREEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAK!!! :D (sad thing...AIEEE torture starts saturday....dammit!!)

Itinerary - April & May 2006:

April -
Gazillion Entrance Exams interspersed with Gazillion hours of mind-blasting classes and STUDY!! :((

May -
Couple more Eggjams.
A proposed trip to Milan, tickets of which are already booked, lodgings already arranged, sight-seeing plans already made and cousin and I all euphoric.

Slight a, hitch is the bloody #$@#% TNPCEE might land bang in the middle of my holiday. And if that happens, Milan and euphoric cousin can jump out of the window. Hmpf!!

Why they had to go thru this HUGE rigmarole is beyond me!! :O

Anyway....will NOT brood about atrocities now!! Time for a movie, coffee and a nice hard-back!

I'm gonna have some fun....and make sure you all do too!! (Not that I need to say it twice!! :D )

Cheers!!

Edit:

Bloody hell!!! The bloody TNPCEE is BANG in the middle, scratch, BEGINNING of my holiday!!! May 13 n 14......Damn!! This sucks BIG TIME!!! :O :((

Um...Excuse Me?

“Give reason why glycerol is used in cosmetics.”

Don’t wonder where that came from. That’s a question from the CBSE chemistry board paper. Class XII.

Don’t laugh, you! When I first looked at the question, I went – “What?!”. And so did a LOT of my peers.

I don’t know about you but I was under the distinct impression that the board exams are a means of testing functional knowledge on what we actually learn in school. What is relevant?

I have no clue why we’re supposed to know “why glycerol…blah”. But that’s just it! We needn’t know. Reason? Not printed in the NCERT textbook.

About glycerol in textbook:

1. Constituent of oils and fats.


2. By product of soap industry.


3. Colourless, viscous, hygro-something…yes hygroscopic liquid


4. Used in manufacture of dynamite, explosive…etc.

About cosmetics? Zilch.

Now, you might say, “Hey…grow up! You aren’t 8 year olds to be spoon-fed!!” Well, I agree. But when you’ve got eighteen painful chapters to mug and five days to do so, you can hardly go referencing…and even if you do, not for aforementioned insanity!

Five days suffice, you say. Certainly not!! A day to unwind from math debacle. Another to gear up, warm up and get going!! And you’ve got three days left. On one of which, it’s mandatory that you go visit the chem teacher. Doubts or not…immaterial!! Otherwise she’s just gonna cut you dead with words later and make you feel an inch tall….rather small!! :)

Anyway…without her, I’d have left the exam hall sobbing. Hail Sundari Ma’am!! To the best chem teacher I’ve known – cheers!! Just my way of saying “Thank You” to her!

P.S: For all those who’ve forgotten….we’re supposed to write her a review of her teaching before we leave school!! :)

Hoja Rangeela Re!!!

Happy Holi Everyone!!!

P.S: I feel I ought to apologise for my previous abysmally corny post. It was heights, really!! :P

Bugging You!!

This is CHWEET!!! :))

Completely!! :D

Oh God!!

This, devastatingly, is the current state-of-affairs!! :((

A Boy and A Girl

A boy and a girl
The best of friends
From elementary to high school
From beginning to end

Through all these years
Their friendship grew
They both felt the same
But neither knew

Each waking moment
Since the day that they met
They both loved each other
Sunrise to sunset

He was all she had
In her terrible life
He was the one
Who kept her from her knife

She was his angel
She made him smile
Though life threw him curves
She made it worth all the while

Then one day
Things went terribly wrong
The next few weeks
Were like a very sad song

He made her jealous
On purpose he tried
When the girl asked "do you love her?"
On purpose he lied

He played with jealousy
Like it was a game
Little did he know
Things would never be the same

His plan was working
But he had no clue
How wrong things would go
The damage he would do

One night she broke down
Feeling very alone
Just her and the blade
No one else home

She dialed his number
He answered "hello"
She told him she loved him
Then hung up the phone

He raced to her house
But came a minute too late
Found her lying in blood
And her heart had no rate

Beside her was a note
And in it her confession
Her love for this boy
Her only obsession

As he read the note
He knelt down and cried
Grabbed her knife
And that night they both died

She was found in his arms
Both of them dead
Under her note
His handwriting said

"I loved her so
She never knew
All this time
I loved her too"

Edit - Paddy's Request For A Happy Ending:

He raced to her house
Scared to the bone
He saw her shaking white
She and the blade alone

She looked up at him
And at once dropped the blade
They hugged and cried
And felt their agonies fade

They walked out to the beach
Both holding hands
Talking into the night
Their feet digging the sands

He told her he loved her
And she said she did too
Their smiles lit the dark night
Thence they were inseparable, the two!

Set Me Burning In Hades

Sixth Level of Hell - The City of Dis

---

You approach Satan's wretched city where you behold a wide plain surrounded by iron walls. Before you are fields full of distress and torment terrible. Burning tombs are littered about the landscape. Inside these flaming sepulchers suffer the heretics, failing to believe in God and the afterlife, who make themselves audible by doleful sighs. You will join the wicked that lie here, and will be offered no respite. The three infernal Furies stained with blood, with limbs of women and hair of serpents, dwell in this circle of Hell


The Dante's Inferno Test has banished you to the Sixth Level of Hell - The City of Dis!
Here is how you matched up against all the levels:

Level	Score
Purgatory (Repenting Believers)	Very Low
Level 1 - Limbo (Virtuous Non-Believers)	Low
Level 2 (Lustful)	Very Low
Level 3 (Gluttonous)	Very High
Level 4 (Prodigal and Avaricious)	Very High
Level 5 (Wrathful and Gloomy)	Moderate
Level 6 - The City of Dis (Heretics)	Very High
Level 7 (Violent)	High
Level 8- the Malebolge (Fraudulent, Malicious, Panderers)	High
Level 9 - Cocytus (Treacherous)	Low

Take the Dante's Inferno Hell Test


Evil ain't I ??? Muhahahaha...............*Satanic Look*

St.Valentine's Day

It’s Valentine’s Day tomorrow. I’ve never especially looked forward to it. Or made special plans. Or done anything out-of-the-ordinary at all!! But this year….I sat down and introspected. And then made this list. It’s the best of my life – best people, best things, best thoughts, best anythings!!! :)

Thoughts
That uninhibited feeling of craziness
That I can laugh and be happy no matter what
V – For being there for me to vent my insanities. And for accompanying me on endless, singularly pointless beach trips.
That very first “valentine” I got *blush*
Abhi – For just being there.
That I can be my worst critic
Those three passionate months
The one-friend-to-another convos with dad – Papa, You’re THE BEST!! :)
The yearly trips to kodai
That I find comfort in knowing that people think I care
All those people who’ve made life hell for me. If not for them, I wouldn’t have learnt how to control the self, how to tolerate supreme bullshit, how to get what I want without seeming to. Very valuable qualities, you must agree. :)
The rainy afternoons cuddled up in bed reading, thinking or just staring out
The “sister-bonding” talks with my kid sis – I love you, H!

Finally, for everyone who has been with me, taken the cream and the bruises alike, thank you! I love you all! :D

P.S: Me no feeling…Feel Pannala!! ;)

The Cornflakes Saga

     It all began that one fine morning when this little girl refused to eat cornflakes. She blatantly, stubbornly put her tiny foot down. And brat that she was, her poor mommy could do nothing but sigh in exasperation. Don’t be too harsh on the kid though. We didn’t have chocolate flavoured cornflakes then. Just the boring, plain, old cornflakes. :)

     It so happened that this kid had a cousin. They were two kids who simply refused to stay civil and nice to each other. He would pull her pigtails and make her cry. She would smash his toy cars and gloat while he hurled childish vilifications at her. Thus went on their relationship never once showing the promise of improving. Their two mothers decided that there simply had to do something.

     Their master plan: bring the terrors together. Now you wouldn’t think it was such a great idea. Still, that was what happened. That summer vacation saw the cousins united at the little girl’s place. The scene every morning went something like this. Her mother would warn both of them to behave. The little girl would stare coldly at him and he would give her a look that would put the worst governess-glare to shame. They would then sit for breakfast. It would invariably be – cornflakes!! :D

     She discovered that he didn’t like cornflakes any better than she did. A lot less, if that was possible. And also that he liked hershey’s strawberry syrup as much as she did. She was disgusted. Absolutely and utterly disgusted that this boy, whom she hated so much could have tastes so similar to hers. She then decided. She would rebel. She would do everything that he did not like. That would show him, she thought.

     And so she jumped rope. Dressed up in pink. Sang in her loudest voice. Banged things together. And ate cornflakes. :) Lots of it. Whenever she could manage it. She didn’t realize it but she was beginning to LOVE cornflakes. She would look forward to the once yucky breakfast every morning.

Age 10: Repulsed by cornflakes. On the verge of puking every single time.  
Age 11: Sought vengeance. Made cornflakes a reluctant obsession.
Age 12: Loved cornflakes. Moved on to Frosties.
Age 14: Shifted affections to Chocos.
Age 15: Experimented with Fruit Loops. Concluded it was trash.
Age 16: Moved back to Chocos.
Age 17: Embraced cornflakes variant with Strawberry pulp. :D

     Though the two cousins are still brats and still hostile, at least one good thing came of it. Hail Cornflakes!! :)

Gawd...Can IT Get Any Worse?!

"DADDY! HOW WAS I BORN?" the Junior asked his dad.

His dad, who is a software engineer, sighed and replied:

Ah, my son, I guess one day you would have to find out anyway!...

Well, I saw your Mom and I first got together in a chat room on
YAHOO.

Then I set up a date via e-mail with your mom and we met at a
cyber-cafe.

We sneaked into a secluded room, where your mother agreed to a
download from my hard drive.

As soon as I was ready to upload, we discovered that neither one of
us had used a firewall, but it was too late to hit the delete button!

Six weeks later your mom sent me an instant message saying that her
operating system was showing signs of unauthorized program activity
from a self extracting file which had implanted itself in her BIOS.

Then nine months later a little Pop-Up appeared and said: "You've Got
Male"!

JEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESUS CHRIST!!!!!! 

Everyone Can Go To Hell

It's over.

I'm fed up. I'm sick of it.

It's getting on, in and around my nerves.

I'm stopping. I'm not talking.

And everyone on earth can go jump.

Edit:

Things don't seem the same anymore. They aren't. It's an unseen barrier that's in between that makes things so distant. There are lapses, seemingly significant pauses, thoughts that are best left aside. I didn't choose it to happen this way. It did. And I accept it. That doesn't make it or me feel any better.

Voila!!!

Lakme salon and a hundred n fifty bucks later........ta da!!!!!!! :))

and before u wonder....that is a self pic wit my awesome new phone!!! :D :D (k700i) muhahaha!!!




P.S: will gloat about phone when time permits!!!! :D

Good God!!!!!

Now i'm completely, positively, 1000% sure of it!!!!! I'm talking way toooo much to certain people and should start watching it!!! :O That's because....I took this insane test and the result turns up EXACTLY the same!!! Aaaaarrrghhh......way too much influence.... not good at all!! And especially bad before BOARD PRACTICALS!!!!

Your Seduction Style: Sweet Talker

Your seduction technique can be summed up with "charm" You know that if you have the chance to talk to someone... Well, you won't be talking for long! ;-) You're great at telling potential lovers what they want to hear. Partially, because you're a great reflective listener and good at complementing. The other part of your formula? Focusing your conversation completely on the other person. Your "sweet talking" ways have taken you far in romance - and in life. You can finess your way through any difficult situation, with a smile on your face. Speeding tickets, job interviews... bring it on! You truly live a *charmed life*

What Kind of Seducer Are You?

The Actual "Farewell Party"

This evening was the "actual" farewell. That's the get-together organised by our juniors for us. That makes us almost-alumni of our school. Sad.

Anyway....we had loads of fun playing games, generally kalaichifying ppl....the works!!
:D
*Highlights*

-- The Paddy who I thought would turn up in nike/adidas tee, branded jeans, nike/adidas socks AND nike/adidas shoes....actually turned up in.....you won't even guess it.....A SUIT!!!!!!

Your corporate ishtyle black trousers, black blazer, a demure striped shirt and a wacky orange tie!!I saw him well into the farewell....and reeled!!! I went..."Whoa....check HIM out!!! Hehehe". But actually, the fact of the matter is that he did look totally good. :) It was a huge shock though.

-- Anin - yes, the ubiquitous commentator and tagger on my blog - was "The Best Dressed Male" of the evening. *Applause Applause* (a sherwani fetched him this. And if they are as uncomfortable as i think they are, then he really deserves it!!! :D )

*End of Highlights*

After the get-together, about 20-25 of our class gumbal raided Planet Yumm. LOL!!! Now that was fun!!! Solely coz i got to eat o.c. chocolate cake....hehehe....thanks, of course, to my superior persuasive ability!!! :D

And yea...i did stuff myself with absolutely super pani puri frm gangotree....ha ha!!! I did get a lot of stares strutting around planet yumm in an uncomfortable sari and hogging pani puri. But...what the hell...the gals all did!!! LOL!!

Threat from mom - "Last day of fun. Too much fun. From tomorrow....get up at 3 30 and get mugging."
Me - Determined to do so. Reason being ejjatly 28 days till the big 'un begins!!! :)

Rang De Basanti - Post Watching

MIND-BLOWING. An absolutely classic experience. A movie that blends the care-free attitude of Dil Chahta Hai and the periodic feel of mangal pandey and the like. Very artfully done. Narration does stumble a bit...but picks up gradually. And a simply superb climax. Awesome.

1. Aamir Khan - Indescribably good. Surpasses his sky-high caliber. More than full marks.
2. Siddharth - Proves his mettle. Exceedingly good portrayal.
3. Kunal Kapoor - Pleasing performance.
4. Alice Patten - Charming. Impresses with her awesome hindi. And very cute. :)
5. Madhavan & Soha Ali Khan - Ultra-cute couple. So in love. Superb screen chemistry. And maddy's HAWT!!!

It's an amazing movie to watch. Not just time-pass. Those of you who haven't caught the flick....don't miss it!!!! It's definitely worth a watch. :)

Return of the Prodigal Blogroll

Ha! I am the absolute victor. I have a feeble blogroll. One threat and it comes right back. I’m lovin’ it.

Brainsick Blogroll

Darn my blogroll. Absolutely useless thing! All of a sudden, it refuses to do my bidding and co-operate. Hmph!! No live. No updates. Nothing to show a blog’s been updated. Nonsense! Crazy, cranky, stupid blogroll. It shall be punished when it decides to come to order. Or even if it doesn’t. It shall pay.

Whatever. I know I’m losing it. No need to remind me. I know it full well. I’ll get back to my normal, sane self in time. Yes - I am normally sane.

Rang De Basanti - A Generation Awakens

Been waiting ages to see this film. Am going on Monday. Muhahaha!!! I've got a lot of expectations....what with Aamir Khan and Madhavan. It's been hyped like crazy and the music absolutely rocks!!! And of course, the best part of it as yet is.....BE A REBEL!!!!!!!

While ur at it....read Sudhish Kamath's Review of Rang De Basanti.

Addicted

     Addicted. That’s what I am. To what, you ask? I say to things that aren’t worth an addiction to. Such as, you wonder? Those simple, innocuous things that you simply cannot do without. You, of course, think I’m talking about schmaltzy things such as love, music, the birds and insects, the sky and stars et cetera. Not to worry. Nothing wrong with you. That’s just the consequence of my previous posts.

     All the same, just for the record, I’m talking about no such things. The particular things I had in mind were coffee and mint. Why suddenly coffee and mint? Because, dear friend, those are the two newest additions to my taboo list. Which, of course, is controlled entirely by my mother. She, for her part, expresses her firm disapproval about caffeine intake by “children”. That would, thank you very much, refer to me. And I, naturally, can’t give up coffee for anything in the world. That’s Part I of War of The Stimulant Ban.

     Part II. Mint. What is so terrible about mint you ask? I would say – NOTHING. It’s the nicest, most useful thing to grace the world after coffee. Predictable and pathetic. I know. Anyway, I have this weird fixation, an idiosyncrasy you might call it. There has to be and I mean there simply has to be a box of mint on my study table ALL the time. Make what you want of it. Whether I eat it, whether I don’t or just simply give it to the dog, it’s got to be there. There’s one upside that you can see to this. I don’t fuss about brands. As long as it’s strong and white, it’s good to go! That’s another thing…I hate coloured mint. Ugh!
     That was my version.

My mom – Mint is bad. It’s not good for health.
Me - *sigh* ok…so? (don’t care – love mint)
Mom - It gets you addicted to it after a while. You’ll become a junkie.
Me – rattle off stats from TIME strengthening my case.
Mom – rattles of more stats from god-knows-where and which completely dwarfs mine. Then goes - We’ll have to do rehab. It’ll become a trauma for the whole family. You’ll never be able to get out of it. <This actually happens when mom gets real desperate to get me to do something. Pity.>
Me – MOM!!! It’s a darn MINT….not some bloody morphine derivative. Sheesh!!
Mom – Don’t you dare swear in front of me!!! …blah…blah…<read dishoom, dishoom, dishoom!!>

This part of it is an entirely different story. We’ll get to that later. Swearing and my mom. Two things you never juxtapose. Anyway, the result of the War shall be announced shortly. There is no alternative. I win.

Wokay....how abt this??

find your element
at mutedfaith.com.


I've no clue what this is about....went slightly crazy before i could complete quiz. Person who set quiz is absolutely mental.

In The Dark

     He didn’t understand it. Nor did anyone else. But they couldn’t, he thought with condescension or was it envy masquerading as disdain? This dispassionate passion was tearing him apart like no other. His life fell to ruins as he watched, smiled, thought and devoured the spirit that was she. He felt as if it were a motion film he was watching – his life gradually, naturally blending into a farrago making her the centre of his love-struck universe. Love. It was too feeble a word, too misplaced an emotion – its commonness bordering on the vulgar. No, to call it love would be blasphemous.

Suddenly, in an almost metamorphic flash, he felt cool and far away. As if he was as detached from it as he only hoped he would be. For himself and for her. There wasn’t a night he didn’t torment his narcotized brain, asking of it to deliver the answer to that one question. That one answer which might, just might, afford him redemption.

Bondage

There he stood, the soft moonlight making ripples of familiarity on his phlegmatic face. His thoughts came down upon him like a shroud, baring their brutal reality against his powerless self. He wanted to reach out. Into the fiery night. Into freedom. Into the blue, blue sea that stretched so endlessly beyond the horizon. Into himself. Into anything. To escape this tortured, masochistic affair he was cocooned in.

But how, how could he let her go. She. As she began weaving herself into his thoughts, it was all he could do from exploding. She metastasized through his being as a force so potent that nothing, not even him could stop her. She. A woman so beyond description. A woman who defied womanhood, but was the very essence of it. A woman who seemed to be an aura herself. He plunged into his psyche, exploring his enslavement to this beast, which had very nearly ruined him. She coursed in his veins. A venom so powerful; he knew without really knowing that this bondage would cause all else to fade into nothingness. It was, perhaps, what a part of him wanted.

ARGH!!!! :((

Aaaaaaaaarrrrrrggggggghhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Phew….that’s better.

I hate chemistry. My exam is over. And I haven’t exactly written a topper’s paper. I hate chemistry.

Thank You.

Conspiracy!! Conspiracy!!!

ROTFL!!! I wonder.....

Check this out!!! hehehe!!!

Feel Pannadha!!! :D

     The all-new fad setting in is “Feel Pannadha!”. Well, ok…it’s bin around for a while. For all those unaware of it…it’s just plain vernacular to substitute the worn out erms, ers, aahs, umms and any and all other vague monosyllabic replies. Vara and me got soooooo used to hearing the term that lately we’ve become part of the club too. Feel pannadha. :D

     Basically, any question worth replying to/ not worth replying to/ unrepliable/ singularly evadable and the like warrants a “Feel pannadha” as its reply! Here are some convos to give u the “feel” of the lingo.

1. Dei, why the hell do u drive as if u’ve gotta be somewhere in 3 sec? (all concerned and protective about friend)
Feel pannadha!! (not a care in the world!!)
     
2. Why don’t u help me collect the money? (glowering at who is supposed to help, annoyed at being made to do boring work alone)
     Feel pannadha!! (huge grin, innocent look, honey-and-caramel voice, the works)

3. I’d like you to fill my slam book now. Could you? (all hopeful and wanting to get as many people done as possible)
     Feel pannadha!! (hand-tennis is more important than slam-book types) :D

4. Tcha….andha padathula evolo super a act panna theriyuma?! (this really konjam feeling about much adored actress)
     Ni yen feel panra? Feel pannadha!! (thinks hero more macho, actress not worth)

5. I hate her! I hate her! I hate her! (positively boiling, seeing red)
     Feel pannadha!! (the oh-life-is-so-smooth aura)

6. Oh shit! I’m soooo screwed at home!! 22 on 50 in math?? Oh damn!! (furiously thinking up plausible reasons to explain pathetic performance)
     Hey, Feel pannadha!! (yeah rite! If I say this to my mom, ha ha ha….I’m history!!) :O

     Anywayz, me thinks tat enough to give u a gist of the whole scene. And if u’ve taken a liking to the jargon, Welcome to the Feel Pannadha Club.

Cheers!

P.S: “Feel Pannadha” ;)
  

Temenos!!

The Temenos - Chennai Marathon is bach wit a bang!!! *Schwarzenegger Ishtyle!!* Better than before, the sponsors and organisers claim. So far, there has bin nothing tat contradicts that claim!! Well, my mom’s bin going on and on about it coz it’s her club (Rotary District 3230) that’s organising it. Lucky her! She’s in the middle of the whole hullabaloo!!

The concept of a “Marathon” came into existence to commemorate the spirit and gallantry of the Greek soldier Pheidippides when he ran all the way from battle at Marathon, Greece to Athens in 490 B.C. History leads us to believe that he delivered the message “Niki!” meaning “victory” and then foundered and died.

This year’s marathon promises to be a blast!! Too bad I’ve got my own marathon against time. Read Board exams in a month and half! :)

Note

This is for all the cretins in class who thought the post "Now That's Amore" was about certain other people in class. Well, it wasn't. Anyway, as it is our last year and we hardly have a couple of months together, I don't want any bitter memories of misunderstandings cropping up and tarnishing what has been till now a memorable two years. To this end, I'm taking off the darn post. Just to make things abundantly clear to aforementioned dumbos. And if I have in any way offended or hurt anyone's sentiments, I express my sincere apologies.

Ze Slambook Arrives....

The first slambook has arrived. Few more hav promised to turn up in next couple of days. Now me expected to write nice things and fond memories in it. The Works. Me lost. Took ages to fill 1 n half pages of a book. Small one at that. Managed.

Sent me into a reminiscent spree. Thoughts and events streamed in and out of consciousness. I regretted some, wanted to relive some, wished some had never happened, shrunk away from some. Tempted and desperately wish these could be put in words. Makes me feel in control and so much better. But the part of my brain responsible for coherent expression fails me. So i'll just let it float. And fade away. But they just refuse to go away....

It's A Brand New Year!!!!!

Got this one from another blog. Loved it! So put it in here. Happy New Year all you guys!!!

Hobbes: Everything familiar has disappeared. The world looks brand-new!
Calvin: A new year...a fresh clean start!
Hobbes: It's like having a big white sheet of paper to draw on!
Calvin: A day full of possibilities! It's a magical world, Hobbes, ol' buddy...let's go exploring!

2006 and Me

I dunno why i'm posting this. Debated a while. Decided firmly not to post. And so, naturally, here i am.

New Year Resolutions:

1. Will not make a new year resolution
2. Just broke that. Shall stop craving for things tat make life worth living. Read chocolato, coffee, rasagolla, gol gappas et al.
   
3. Make sure i do not watch more than 3 hours of movie per week. As in two english or one hindi/tamil. Hmmm....
4. Think up further ways to revel in bugging the world around me.
   
5. Keep room clean. Read be able to find what i want when i want it and not couple of weeks later. :(
6. Alphabetize and index library and KEEP it tat way.
   
7. Break all of this asap. :D

Now, why did i ever bother with that? Beats me.

As my friend's constantly telling me - I need a bath. I need coffee. Double Espresso. Triple while i'm at it. Throw in soulful music. Read iPod. And a hardback and i'm on top of the world.

*BANG* Utopian vision shatters. Back to banalities of life. Two more months till boards. One more till farewell. Few weeks till pre-board. Wow. I love my life.

On a nicer, more maudlin note, today was "stories-of-love" day. Our cherubic God of Love seems to be having one helluva time!!!!! :D

And tempted as i am to post about aforementioned tidbits, i shall be patient and write, check, add nice touches and finally post tomo. :D

Cheerio!!

If...

This is the most realistic and idealistic poem...and one of the most brilliant compostions i've come across.

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,
If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!

--Rudyard Kipling

Disgusting!!

I meant to post a long time ago but couldn't coz of exams.

The rape and murder of a call centre employee, a 24-year-old woman, by a person pretending to be the late night driver of her company transport has sent a chill down the spine of the BPO industry in Bangalore.

-The Indian Express

The rape and brutal murder of a newly-wed woman by a cab driver attached to a call centre has sent shockwaves across the BPO industry, raising grave fears about the safety of its two lakh employees.
The victim has been identified as Prathibha Srikanth Murthy (24), employed by Hewlett Packard (HP) Global Delivery Application Services in Electronic City. She was married to Pavan, working for another BPO called Ocwin Finance in Koramangala.

-The Times Of India

I'm sure all of you are aware of this horrific incident. First it was Kushboo, then the ridiculous "moral policing" in colleges and now this. This is the kind of repugnance that our society has been reduced to. What makes it all the more worse is that inconsiderate and insensitive people think it's their birthright to give judgemental and retrograde opinions on the matter.

Apparently our generation is supposed to be the future of the Indian Democracy. It repulsed me to hear some of my peers throw careless remarks at such a serious issue.

Imagine my disgust when i open my mailbox and find an e-mail which forwards pictures of the poor girl, claiming that it was because she was "provocatively" dressed that the driver decided to rape her. And provocative would be jeans and a short tee. For crying out loud!!

If this so-called educated society can be so narrow-minded so as to even suggest something so stupid, then there really is no hope for us to evolve into better individuals.

This is the 21st century for the love of god! If you cannot handle girls dressing in western outfits, I don't think you even belong here! Dressing in salwars and saris(which incidentally was voted the "sexiest" outfit in a survey conducted among Indian men) doesn't indicate culture and values any more than dressing in micros indicates promiscuity. You either accept and adapt yourselves to the changing culture and globalisation or, frankly, jump off a cliff!

For all you people (men and women) who are of the aforementioned opinion, please broaden your minds! And get your facts right. The whole rape and murder was planned. It wasn't as if the driver saw her clothes and "spontaneously" decided to rape her. So, any moron can understand that her clothes had nothing to do with it.

I'm quoting a friend here.

"Whats the solution? If she was wearing a full armed t shirt none of this would have happened? or would it be better if she was wearing a pardah? hey mayybe she just shouldn't be allowed to step out of the house. wait a minute. that sounds familiar. oh yeah, thats the taliban system im talkin about!"

We don't need to take over from the Taliban and start imposing those ridiculous notions here!

You say western outfits are provocative but why then do girls dressed in salwar kameez get jeers and cat-calls hurled at them when they walk the streets?? Or why is it that over 60% of all the rapes and sexual abuses in India in the slums and regions of lower-economic status??

It is our society and our mentality that has to change - not the clothes or the culture!

Birthday Bumper!!!

Two days since yours truly turned all of 17 !!!

-> I tried explaining that to my mom when she insisted that she feed me a bowl of sorry looking salad with unidentifiable veggies. In vain. My only consolation was that it contained a considerable amount of mayonnaise which i happily slurped! :P

-> Had math exam on 15th. Sulked the day before. Trudged through 300 odd problems. Stayed up till 2. Rose at 5. Slogged some more. Got all excited when i got family presents.
Pick of the lot - Mom's crocodile skin purse. (i am a firm supporter of the SPCA but it was so gorgeous!!)

-> Went to school. Got swooped on by friends and all and sundry for sole reason of possessing two huge packets of toffees. Jeez. Looked on while aforementioned sundry helped themselves. Best friend was kind enough to let it drop with about 12 of 'em! Wasn't complaining.

-> Came home. Got phone calls from long, long lost friends and rivals too. Very satisfied and at peace with the world. Was a picture of contentment.

-> Today. End of torturous exams. Necessary evil they claim. Bah! Day off. Frizzled the time away. Went out. Treated friends(with V). LMAO. Reason being two very very very comical pals. Blew an entire grand. Got very pretty kurti as birthday gift.

-> Came home grinning and all happy to face the smoldering glare of the kid sis still plagued by those awful things they call exams. Anticipated this. Ergo, got her richest cake I could find. Positively smothered with chocolato. Sister pacified. Peace reigns.

-> Here I am. Typed out chronological unfolding of birthday events. Read through. Spell Checked. Satisfied.

-> Sandman beckons. Day dawns early tomorrow. Yours truly will get into serious mode and start intense preparation for forthcoming necessary evils.

-> Arrivederci e Acclamazioni

Tagged !!!

I got tagged by soshy ages ago......and here goes!!!

7 things that I plan to do:

Read ulysses
Take an extra creative writing/journalism programme after skool
Learn italian
Pass my boards with decent grades
Finish the NYT crossword someday
Learn to make creme brulee
Have a bloody mary (once i'm 18 and shhhh.....!!!)

7 things that I can do:

Talk, laugh, talk, laugh, talk, laugh and TALK!!!
Cryptic crosswords
Sing quite decently....if i may so myself
Play doom and quake (finished 'em all)
Bake an almond-cognac double layered cake
Comment like crazy on any and everything!!!!
Dismantle and assemble any electronic device

7 things that I can't do:

Live without books
Go a day without coffee
Wait more than 10 min for any person on earth!!
Talk slowly....that's at less than 70 wpm!! :O
Comprehend and grasp newtonian physics
Be pretentious and socialize with pretentious people!!
be serious about anything for more than 2 hours...and that's stretching it!!!1

7 Words I use most Often:

Oye!/Hey!
Free
Whattay!!
damn
o-h-m-y-g-o-d!! (Chandler Bing Style!)
bull!!
aaaah....like tat!!

Blogs that I wish to tag:

Soshy
V
RA.V

Invictus

One of my all-time favourites.

Out of the night that covers me
Black as the pit from pole to pole
I thank whatever Gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced, nor cried aloud
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the horror of the shade
And yet, the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find me, unfraid.

It matters not, how strait the gate
how charged with punishments, the scroll
I am the Master of my fate
I am the Captain of my soul.

William Ernest Henley (1849-1903)

Push or Pull - That Difficult??

Post Inspired By – RA.V

Intro meant primarily for RA.V. :D Others may kindly scroll down to the actual post few lines later!!

Doors that open one way or the other almost always have PUSH or PULL written on them. Well, that’s common knowledge and so much for a good start to this post. :D

Anyways, people are generally expected to conform to the sign and do as instructed. Some people, however, manage to do exactly what’s not expected!! Like aforementioned friend!!! :D

Now others welcome to read also.

Comp. Sci. Lab. Friend and me highly frustrated on reading stupendous article and petrified on learning it was awarded first place and about to go into the school magazine. We fussed because we were supposed to be editing all articles!!

In a huff, full of tick-offs and fuming at the standards of English, ventured out into different section of the lab. Was looking around aimlessly when BANG!!!!! :O
RA.V strikes again!!! Door said PULL, Madame pushes. Result: door opens the wrong way and gets stuck and almost broken!!!!! That whole section of the lab went ROTFL, computers included….and yes, I’m very much aware they cannot laugh but bear with me.
RA.V looks bewildered, says “Whaa..?!” and bursts out laughing too!!! Then frantically starts calling “TB, TB!!!”. (TB is classmate beyond the door, who apparently didn’t’ give a damn!!!) Yours truly, of course, in uncontrollable with giggles!!!!! : ))

In due course, classmate is kind enough to help and get door un-jammed!!! And, obviously RA.V, you’ll never hear the end of this!!!!!!! Ha Ha!!!

P.S: Love u like the klutz you are!!!!!! :D

Bridget Jones's Diary

Before you can say anything........yes, i know the book came out eons ago and yes, i admit it's bin rotting away in my library thru said eons. Well, was rummaging thru the library in a valiant effort to get the immense pile of books in order....but of course, in vain.

Discovered aforementioned book under a couple of whopping language-help books. Cheered by prospect of some light reading in a long while, greedily began reading book abandoning supposedly more crucial things.....umm, like math. And, well.....continued reading......some more......on and on.

Virtually un-put-downable!!! Helen Fielding (the author), i swear, is a comic genius!!!!! Gloriously funny book!!! Haven't laughed so much in ages and ummm....yea, fallen down the bed in the process.....*sheepish look* !!! Anyways.....this book goes down in my list of favourites!!!!!! Ha Ha!!! :D

21st Century Lifelessness...

Our communications - Wireless
Our business - Cashless
Our telephones - Cordless
Our cooking - Fireless
Our youth - Jobless
Our religion - Creedless
Our food - Fatless
Our faith - Godless
Our labour - Effortless
Our conduct - Worthless
Our relations - Loveless
Our attitude - Careless
Our feelings - Heartless
Our politics - Shameless
Our education - Valueless
Our follies - Countless
Our arguements - Baseless
Our commitments - Aimless
Our poor - Voiceless
Our life - Meaning less

And finally, Our Existence - Useless??

Of course, i'm not all that conceited to give myself credit for the above. Just the content of one of the message tees tat my bro got me! :D

See.....now that proves that i have ABSOLUTELY nothing to write about at this juncture!! :O

The Sandman Beckons!!!

Yes, another test......wacko though!!!!

Results of the Sleep Hygiene Test

	Sleep Hygiene Index
Your score = 72

What does your score mean?

According to your sleep hygiene score you are aware of your body's sleep cues, but you don't always respect them! You need make sleep a priority by really tuning in to your body's needs for sound and uninterrupted sleep. Though you do follow some of the rules for good sleep hygiene, there are still several issues you need to work on before attaining the ultimate sleep regime.

I'm in the 12th, for crying out loud!!!!! Whaddya expect??

Honestly! worst test i've come across!! and the Advice and Tips for "drifting off to dreamland" - abominable!!!!!!!!!!! :O
The "keeping a sleep journal" takes the cake though!!! :))

....

I guess this happens to everyone. Everywhere.

Looking back, I’ve a feeling that the last four years of my life have whizzed past. In a turbulent whirlpool of people, events, things and matter.

Looking back, I begin to grasp what these last few months in school mean to me.

Looking back, though not wanting to….

I realized, with a jolt, that come April, I’d actually be out of school. And come June, they’d be no scramble for last minute things do – uniforms, shoes, stationery. : )

No more rush for seats on first day of school, no more timetables and why-haven’t-you-brought-your-books, no more familiar faces yelling, “Oye! How was hols?!!”

I guess it happens always – this bittersweet pang of parting….and of new things yet to come.

How Narayan Murthy Reached The Top at Infosys!!

Gratuitous Day Off!!

Hurrah for my first, real post in a loooong time!!! :D

The rains have done it yet again!!

It’s a beautiful, beautiful day and we have the day off from school!! Yippee!! For yours truly, the day dawned nice and early at four-thirty thanks to an overly obligated and committed mom, who has made it her personal mission in life to get me up early and studying!!

So, you could well say that the phone call at 6 45 which went thus, brought one hell of a grin to my face!!

Me (glad for the diversion): Hello…
Pal on fone: HIE!!!!!! GUESS WHAT? GUESS WHAT? NO SCHOOL! NO SCHOOL!
Me: WOW! Okay, stop saying stuff twice over!! Very kewl…are you sure??
Pal: Positive!! Got about 10 msgs just now and UV’s confirmed too. (UV is our too-smart-for-her-blue-pants…erm..saris VP).

Me to mom (bouncing up and down and grinning): Ha!! We don’t have school!! We don’t have school!! (Very sing-song and latching on to the saying things twice thing!!)

But, apologizing to all my cheerily vetti friends, on a personal front, I really don’t think this holiday was in order! I mean, I’m not against hols and nor am I overly fond of school but c’mon…who wants to have the day off on Monday and work full day Saturday?!! Well, I don’t for sure!!

On the 27th of Oct., when the gods decided it was time we saw the most fantastic display of waterworks, the rain lashed with a vengeance at Chennai, ravaging it. Justifiably, we had a holiday that day. The next day, incredibly, the weather was as innocent and clear as can be! Not a vestige of the previous day’s torrential downpour!! That day was, to our delight, a holiday too!!

My point here is that, shouldn’t the schools and the Met. Dept. be researching the weather better before they declare the day off on clear days?? And in case of our school, make us poor things work the weekend??
Like today for instance, the weather news presaged a storm and hail for the next 48 hours, but all I can see as I peer through my window is a merry breeze blowing its way through trees – not a hint of clouds or rain!

Oh yes...Another Test!!!

Global Personality Test Results

Stability (90%) very high which suggests you are extremely relaxed, calm, secure, and optimistic. Orderliness (53%) medium which suggests you are moderately organized, hard working, and reliable while still remaining flexible, efficient, and fun. Extraversion (66%) moderately high which suggests you are, at times, overly talkative, outgoing, sociable and interacting at the expense of developing your own individual interests and internally based identity.

Take Free Global Personality Test
personality tests by similarminds.com

Trait Snapshot:

social, outgoing, worry free, optimistic, upbeat, tough, likes large parties, makes friends easily, rarely irritated, open, enjoys leadership, trusting, high self control, dominant, thrill seeker, strong, does not like to be alone, assertive, fearless, adventurous, brutally honest, mind over heart, confident, semi neat freak, controlling, feels desirable, likes the spotlight, loves food, social chameleon, hard working, concerned about others...

The results seems quite okay.......not all that exact though!!!

And Apparently....

You are a descriptive writer. An avid reader of
Robert Frost, perhaps, you LOVE to use flowery
words and use the paper and pen as your canvas
and paintbrush. You prefer to paint a mental
image rather than simply toy around with
people's minds. A very inspired person, you
love to be in nature and usually are a very
outdoorsy type of person. A writer with a
natural green thumb, perhaps?


What's YOUR Writing Style?
brought to you by Quizilla

With Love, From Egypt....

Egyptian Hieroglyphics.....always wondered how the people-that-were deciphered them - Exotic. as is everything to do with Egypt....

Anyway, saw this thing on Abhi's Blog .....very kewl!!! Check Out!!

In case you're wondering......tat's Suraksha in hieroglyphs! :D

Try your name

Script by

Right-Brained Me

I took a brain test and this is what i found... :-|.

Brain Lateralization Test Results

Right Brain (58%) The right hemisphere is the visual, figurative, artistic, and intuitive side of the brain. Left Brain (32%) The left hemisphere is the logical, articulate, assertive, and practical side of the brain

Are You Right or Left Brained?
personality tests by similarminds.com

I guess statistics claim that yours truly is right-brained.....Not particulary shattered or exalted to know it though!!! :D
At least this disproves my mom's hypothesis that i have no brain at all!! hehehe......

Cheers!!

Arrivederci - At Least For Now

The contents of this post reflect not what i want to do, but what i, alas, have to do.

As it is, i'm letting FreakSpace rot....posting only intermittently. I regret the fact that i will be able to post much less frequently than now, if at all.

It's exactly 8 minutes and 46 seconds since i wrote that. I've been staring at the monitor ever since thinking random thoughts that refuse to be put coherently into words.

Fact of the matter is, we're in October and i'm.....let me count....five months from my boards and six months from my JEE and other CETs. The Exams that will decide how, where, when and with what people i spend the next four years of my life. Put like that, it sounds way scary.

As per common and personal belief, it's time i bucked up, became serious, studied 15 hours a day and slogged my butt off!! Well, that's that. And that's why you won't be hearing my raves and rants as occasionally as you're accustomed to for a few more months.

So Long - Auf Wiedersehen!!

Me an Easy Rider!!! :D

Took 45 questions to get the comp to say something the whole world already knows!!! Take the test sometime!! Cheers!!

What Classic Movie Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

Let's Go Shopping.....Hilarious!!!!

Last two weeks was exams galore!!!!! shall blog about the torments, tortures and distortions of that when i'm in a peevish pique!!! For now, check out our typical guy friend's hapless shopping exploit with typical girl pal!!!!!! :D
Courtesy: Forward frm aforementioned friend V!!!

10:45 am: Female friend declares intention to buy women's clothing

10:52 am: Author's heart resumes beating and partial activity returns to both lobes of brain

11:20 am: Enter Spencer's Plaza

11:25 am: Decide to buy women's clothing first as we only have 4 hours left before the movie and she needs the time

11:30 am: Decide to visit Pantaloons first

11:32 am: Black t-shirt right length too tight

11:42 am: Maroon t-shirt right fit but too short

11: 43 am: Green t-shirt in right length and fit but not available in pink. Pink has been declared as favourite colour

11:45 am: Author suggests pink t-shirt that seems right in fit and length. Severe feedback received on the unsuitability of colour of piping. Author requested to refrain from further comment or input

11:47 am: Wonderful yellow t-shirt. She loves it. Things looking good. She asks the Author if she looks fat in it. Author mentions slight tightness around the arms. 10 minutes of abuse evenly split between author and t-shirt. Mothers of both briefly referred to.

11:50 am: Pantaloon found to be severely short on choice, colours and sizes. Female anger let loose on security guard. Cashier however is politely spoken to as he is cute.

12:00 pm: Westside endowed with our attention and time. Initial reaction positive. The lighting highlights complexion well and air conditioning is just right. Saleswomen not hot. Things looking good.

12:05 pm: Kurti in orange has bad red embroidery

12:06 pm: Kurti in orange without embroidery is too plain. I suggest nice brown sleeveless shirt. Curtly reminded of previous request to "SHUT UP WHEN I AM DECIDING!!!"

12:07 pm: Kurti in orange with just the right embroidery. Hurrah. No wait. She already has similar top. Damn.

12:08 pm: Pink t-shirt is perfect but way too tight. Pink is a horrible colour. I agree. Maroon is actually the favourite colour. I am hungry. I agree to that too.

12:15 pm: NO ONE WEARS T-SHIRTS ANYMORE. Absolutely I say. Button down shirts here we come.

12:16 pm: Asked to check if neck is too deep. I take my time to decide. Almost gets slapped. No guys around to notice. Phew

12:20 pm: Suggest lunch break. Heavy plastic hanger with metal clips misses right eyeball by inches. Sorry.

12:30 to 2:30 pm: Finally the perfect blue loose shirt with a spot-on neck and an immaculate print design on the front. She tries it on and I tell her she looks like Phoebe in one of the episodes in season 4. This time hanger does not miss. Ouch.

3:00 pm: Paid for the top and it's in the bag. We proceed to the men's section.

3:05 pm: Two shirts, one t-shirt and a pair of jeans tried, packed and paid for. She complains of too much delay and possible missing of movie. I briefly mention the difficulty of shopping with one eye in bandage.

Well....so much for the feel good day our man was looking for!!!!!!! Cheers!!!!!!!

Chasing Deadlines...

Vanakkam!!!
Trust me....when i start working, i'm gonna make SURE tat i get a job tat does NOT involve chasing cumbersome deadlines!!!!! :O
Pardon....but the whole of last two week tat's precisely wat i've bin doing. (Sarcastic looks and what!!-that's-your-fault looks absolutely not appreciated!!!!)

Physics record, chem record, physics, chem and so on and so forth. As if tat's not very nice, we had this irritating-to-the-power-infinity exam on electrical gadgets, typewriting theory, physical education and health!! wow!!!

I agree written work is essential for formation of good study habits. (i apologize!!!) But TWENTY experiments in each record is a trifle too many!!! Disagreeing is not allowed!!!! Well.....i prefer that we don't go into facts such as i had to submit it a month back and was lazy to do it!! Ahem...better left alone!!

Gist of Last Week (22/8 to 28/8)

Day 1:
Me: Hey v, can i have your record??
V: Ummm....like we were supposed to submit it two weeks back?
Me: Record or no record? No advice.
V: (after surrendering to my amazing persuasive powers) Wat do i do wit u!!!!!

Day 2:
V: Finished record??
Me: You're better off not asking questions.
V: (exaggerated rolling of eyes!!)
A: What!!! Not yet a?? Oh i forgot...it's Suraksha!!
Va: Adi pavi!! this is too too too much!!!! :O

Day 3:
V: Well?
Me: :D
M: Why do you even bother?? (to V)

Day 4 and Day 5 pass in verisimilitude!!! Days 6 and 7 - weekend!!! Yaay!! :D

This Week:

Day 1:
Me: Hey v, thanks a million for your record!!!
V, M, A, V: Huh?? Wha...?? Is this the end of the world?? You actually managed to finished the record??? How'd this happen??
Me: (philosophically) Expect the Unexpected!!!
--------------------------

Me: Ma'am, my record. Where do i leave it?
Ma'am: Record a? I don't correct records now. Too late ma.

After a lot of maska and a lot of this-won't-happen-agains,
Ma'am: Well...apdiya....seri ma....keep it here n go. Make sure you don't do it again!!!
Me: (very sincerely) Yes ma'am...surely ma'am....definitely ma'am!!

When narrating this to M,
M: (snorting uncontrollably) What!!!!!! She actually bought tat frm you!!! YOU of all people!!!! You a big time talker man!!!!!!
Me: Well...it's jus me y'know!! (Take a bow!!)

Good....i'm satisfied now that all of you actually kno how hard i work to meet deadlines!!!

Padipz and sincere sigamanis going "Hard work a?? summa she'll slog in the end and butter the teacher!!!"....Stop right there!!!!!
Take my word....maska adichifying teachers and getting work done is a rare gift!!! Not so easy mates!!! :D I'd be lost in the world if i didn't have my gift of the gab!!!!!! Hehehe!!!!
Cheers!!!