Weekend Highlight - THE Bloggers Meet :)

The bloggers meet at the Ascendas Food Court can pride itself on achieving a lot of distinctions - most number of girls that turned up, the 35(?) counts of silence(!) and two major major bloggers adding sheen to the whole evening!! Who wouldn't deem this meet an absolute smasher with stud King Kribs - the celeb factor - and Jammy in it along with 23 other Chennai Bloggers - NOT from annanagar of course! :) Annanagar is a village - big village, that's all! What do you mean it's part of chennai, asks a disbeliever?? :O :P


The super thing was we all got to meet lots of new people - and really different people at that! The meet saw 'em all - potential lawyers who endeavoured to give satisssfaccshuunnnnn (I just HAD TO say that - irresistible!! :P), architects-in-the-making, graphic illustrators, effervescent dreamers, sparrow-obsessed brainiacs and acad studs frm IIT, incredibly funny engineers who truly believe driving autos is THE thing to do, an intersting couple - female half of which forms the censor board!!, namma ooru ash (who totally damaged gapp - yes!), the super sporty head of blog services at sulekha a.k.a spammer(!), a stud techie blogger who insists BotHack doesn't sound like Buttock :P, a to-be-infyite (treat! treat!) and of course, the two super organisers!!! And more! *No point going "shit, shit, I should've gone too" now!! it's over, it was super-cool - you missed it!* :P

Statutory Warning: Junta who didn't turn up at the meet are warned that after looking at following links, that feeling of hopelessness and oh-my-god-this-is-awesome! may get really difficult to handle. On the other hand - just go ahead and see how much fun it was and TURN UP the next time!! :D

1. Picture perfectness at Sagaro and Spammer's blogs!!
2. Some major kalai and hilarious damage at Ash's - rocks!
3. Blog links at the Dreamy Dryad's - she's one bubbly girl!!
4. Write-ups and more scoop at Janakiammal's blog, Ramanujam's space, Chaos Buddha, Jammy, Gapp, Sharique's diary and The Virtual Veeran!!
5. Synopsis and Statistics on TK's blog - another of the fundoo fellows!!

Cheers!! :D

Chennai Bloggers Meet

Sagaro has very kindly taken the trouble to post in detail about the meet and certain other FAQ's on his blog.
Since I'd hate all his efforts to go in vain, please do check it out!!
Banners Courtesy: Sagaro
Be There!! See You At The Meet!!! Cheers!!!

Let's All Strip - Underwear Spectacle

No. Seriously. Please don't go "Ewwwwwwwwww...."!!

I'm just back from a 20 day vacation - kodai, tirunelveli, kanyakumari, kuttralam et al. The whole South Indian Works.

Now, Kuttralam. All the while on the drive, I had this perfect vision of a thundering waterfall, cold and gushing onto the rocks. When I stepped out of the car and caught a glimpse of the main falls, to say I was deeply disappointed would be understating it. It was a thread, I repeat, a thread of water - gushing onto the rocks by no means. Trickling would be a more apt description.

Even as I was recovering from this cruel version of my perfect dream - I came. I saw. And kept seeing. Before me stretched a vast sea of people - men, women and kids - all in various stages of nakedness. NOT a pretty sight, I assure you. Especially when the men think it's alright to discuss World Cup favourites in their underwear. Soaking wet. And apparently relishing it. *puke*

And the women!! All I say is - "Yuuuuuucccccccckkkkkkkkkyyyyy!!!!!". It's too embarrassing to get into the details!!

It was as if everyone who came there just HAD to strip down to their barest, most minimal clothing and jump into that pile of human bodies in the water. *gets the jitters* And to make things worse - obviously enjoy every moment of it. Oblivious to other beings around. :O

The strange part is that no one else but me and my cousin found the sights even remotely disgusting. Perfectly natural, it seemed. Both of us had packed up stuff for kuttralam. But after this - we contented ourselves with eating maanga - fully clothed!!! - and splashing our legs in the water that flowed below. *sigh*

I'm Free - Hakuna Matata!!! :D

Hakuna Matata! What a wonderful phrase!!
Hakuna Matata! Ain't no passing craze!!! yahoo! :D
It means no worries for the rest of your days!!!
It's our problem-free philosophy!!
Hakuna Matata!!!

Even if not the rest of my days, the next two months are mine for the taking!!! Finally, long due, much awaited freedom is mine!!!!!!!! :D

"The sweet is never as sweet without the sour."

And how!!!! :) All those days of cramming mind-numbing ^@#&$@ - and now blissfully vetti!! :P
End of exams and beginning of hols never ever felt this good!!! A gang of us girls camped out at V's place for a movie (MI 3), some awesome swedish tosca and her mom's famous vadai!!! Not to forget coke n 7up!! (in the new curvy bottle!! :O)

Then of course, the beach beckoned!!! This huge gang of guys n girls from our school showed ourselves up there and played....FOOTBALL!!!! Even if we didn't actually play - it was super dooper jus running around in the sand, feeling the salty air!! Hell, it was great just to be outta the house!! Catch more detail of the fun @ V and DD's blogs!! :D

Then we all shamelessly raided Planet Yumm - predictable, i know!! :) Oh, and the biggest feat of the evening??!

*Drumroll*
Ninju was made to spend a whole 97 bucks for ice-cream!! Note usage: was made to!! :P Bravo! Bravo!! =))

Anyway, now that hols are finally here, I certainly don't intend frittering them away in wasteful pursuits!! Disclaimer: What gets classified under Wasteful pursuits is my discretion. Solely mine. :P

Plan of Action:

1. Go Italian classes at the Italian Consulate
2. Continue my paatu classes
3. Watch as many movies as I can
4. Devour the 40 or so new books i've bought (which, incidentally, have been lying under my bed - coz they're "distractions" and aren't "academic" :P)
5. Go beach everyday - or as many days as I can - V, you're booked!! :D
6. blah...

And if you have sensible suggestions, you may please leave a comment on them. Notice I said sensible!! :)

And once again.....I'm FREEEEEEEE!!!!!!!! Yipppeeeeee!!!!! :D :P

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