Monday, June 27, 2011

An evening to remember

Where do weekends go? This question always comes to haunt me every Sunday evening and Monday morning. Each week I tell myself that I will work really hard and study over the weekend, but the results are always the same - weekends just melt away... My mornings - sleep for just one minute more, just twooooooo minutes more, round time 6:30, yes,i know, just getting up.... and now, my weekends seem to be going the same way

Anyway, Monday's almost over, so I'm putting the Mystery of the Vanishing Weekends on hold.... It's almost sure of being taken up again a week from now :)

So, what is the point of all this rigmarole, you may ask. I just wanted to write down about my day today, more specifically the evening. And as usual, I ended up rambling. (I'm glad to be able to justify my blog's title by invariably rambling along every single time :) )

Ah, so where was I? Oh yes, the point. Lets come to it.

This evening, I finally managed two things I'd been planning for quite a while - meeting my friend and enquiring about guitar classes. And it was a case of "one stone, two mangoes"*

I invited PM for coffee, and thought that since I was anyway going there, I'd check out the music classes as well...

Now, my friend PM, has been playing the guitar for quite a long time, so I thought it'd be a good idea if I could get his opinion of the place too.

And so, I arrived punctually at 6:30 , after some desperate cycling (made all the more dangerous as I wasn't sure whether to look at the road and try not to hit anyone (after all, I'm accident-prone even on a bicycle!!!) or to stop and watch the football match in progress); and cursing the sudden lack of buses and autos. Only to find that he was already there. I was feeling bad for having made him wait, but he told me he'd come early. :)

A cup of coffee and an hour of conversation - that is something, if you ask me.

Well, I'd tell you more about him, but then, I don't ever want to sound like I'm putting someone on a pedestal and worshipping them - I realized I end up sounding that way when I really let myself go. Not that he wouldn't justify my description, but I do end up getting carried away. And losing one friend that way is enough for a lifetime.

But, to be fair to him, I'll mention the one thing that I always associate him with - travel. I remember the first time we chatted - it'd been ages since we'd last met, and I'd spoken hardly ten lines to him. It was by chance that we were both online at the same time, and it was his status message that got the conversation going. He'd mentioned a backpacking trip to Chile, I told him Peru should also be on the list.

And that was it - since then, I've gotten to know him better, and his friendliness is something I really like. With travel and languages to discuss, conversations flowed. And then there was music, yet another topic of discussion.

To cut a long story short, I really enjoyed the evening. Except for his refusal to let me pay. :( Maybe next time, he'll let me...

Coming back to dinner-and-chai with friends just extended the pleasantness of the evening.

And now, with peace in my heart and a song on my lips (hopefully, soon I should be able to say, song on my fingertips!!!), I now go to attack my work.

Peace!

*- a literal translation of a Tamil phrase, which is roughly the same as hitting two birds with one stone.


(Apologies yet again for such a soppy title - I think I should seriously post a disclaimer that good titles are not to be expected, and any that happened to be good were purely due to sheer good luck...)



Thursday, June 23, 2011

The Chronicles of Courage - Part two

When I wrote this post, I didn't expect another test of courage to come so soon :)

A couple of days ago, some of us had planned a trip to the famous 'Mushroom rock' on our campus. Despite having been here for a long time, I hadn't yet had a chance to be there.

Morning dawned fine, and on top of that, I found back my favourite football t-shirt. The day passed pleasantly, and evening came at last. We had planned to start around 5 P.M., but you know what happens to even the best laid plans... It was finally 6 P.M. when we set out.

Our friend N, who's also a philosopher ;), was now our guide. The walk was really enjoyable. And then came up the issue of how we were going - whether we were willing to jump a wall and be spared walking almost 2 kms. We decided to jump the wall. I just said yes, thinking it would be a small wall, like the ones I used to jump over many years ago. (The shortest path to my best friend's house was jumping a wall, so naturally I gained some experience ;) ) And then, when I came to the wall, I managed to get on to it with the help of my friend A. I looked down, and the ground seemed a long way away. T was already on the ground, and told me to just jump. And jump I did. Thankfully I landed safely on my feet.

Having walked a bit further, we finally reached our destination. I had never even imagined that this was the kind of rock I wanted to climb - it looked pretty scary to me, there not being any proper foothold or grip for the hands. N's first attempt at climbing failed, and he fell down. My fears increased tenfold seeing it. But he just got up, dusted himself and went on to climb again. This attempt was successful. He helped two of the others climb up. When my turn came, I was still hesitating. I didn't have the guts to climb - I didn't want to break any bones.

After some cajoling, I finally managed to climb up with the help of my friends. (I know their shoulders must be hurting from the burden of almost lifting me up - not that I'm heavy or anything, just, you know, erm... the effect of trying to do a job against the effect of gravity.

Once I was up, I enjoyed the breeze and the panoramic view. And of course, watching T refusing to climb this rock where we all were. When it was finally time to leave, I realized that getting down was also a Herculean task. But I managed it. With a little help from my friends. :)

We then dined together before going our separate ways.

 I was glad to have overcome my fears. Thanks to the special people I call my friends. Thank you, A, T, S, S & N, for lending me a helping hand (literally!!!). And for a wonderful experience.

And before I end, I should mention one more little incident to justify the title of this post - while we were waiting for dinner, there was a tiny grasshopper on our table. Right in front of me. I wouldn't have even noticed it if it hadn't been for T!!! It slowly started scratching itself. As I tried to calm myself down, it slowly turned away from me. And finally, when our dinner arrived, we decided to change tables. And the grasshopper decided to leave as well - it just jumped away. And I happy to realize that I was slowly overcoming my fears of various members of the Insect Family.

That's it for now... Adios!

Some photos :







Sunday, June 19, 2011

Ramble on

"Ramble on"... So, here goes, obeying Led Zep's words :

I just thought I'd ramble on... And, maybe get my life back in order...

I had an exam today, and for once, I didn't have the jitters. And, I also bought a Sportstar. I think that the couple I went and sat down next to (having gone more than an hour early!), didn't know what to make of me :) The guy, at least, seemed to be lost - what do you make of a girl who suddenly comes and sits next to you and starts eating her breakfast while reading a Sportstar??? Poor fellow, he decided it was easier for him to just turn to the other side...

Why is it that I remember all old and long-forgotten songs suddenly in the middle of an exam? I was trying to solve an equation, and suddenly my mind starts singing!!! And then, there was this guy sitting next to me - he reminded me of an old friend, and so I was thinking that he'd clear the exam, my mind starts singing "Grow old along with me!!!" (Maybe the fact that he looked like a kid had something to do with the 'grow old' coming up!) Am going crazy, methinks... (psst!!! Don't mention this to any of my close friends, they'll tell you I'm already there ;) )

Talking of old songs, I recently felt good after managing to sneak in a BSB line into one of my posts :D But I felt I hadn't done justice to my friend - and so, poor him now merits a soppy Princess Diaries style dialogue - "Thanks, for hearing me when I was silent!!!" That's just what he did, did AJ - when a guy takes time out to talk to you when there is a really beautiful girl around, it shows you that Mankind isn't all that bad. ;)

"And now it's time to go" (as the PF song goes :P )

And stock up my list of soppy dialogues for future use (I just got my hands on a collection of books my mother and her sisters used to read way back when they were just finishing school, when there weren't enough libraries around!)

Looking forward to a brand new week ahead - maybe this will the week when I get to take up AJ's football offer, the week when I finally make my room habitable, the week when I actually study (big joke, that!), the week I finally get my guitar classes going, the week where I meet PM after ages... and a whole lot more ;)

"That's it,folks!"

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Blah

Sometimes, a day can go bad despite a promising start...
When the mess serves you food you enjoy... for breakfast (the one you got ready for in 10 minutes flat!) as well as lunch, you might be lulled into feeling that things just can't go wrong on such a day...
And then the day throws the sucker punch... In the form of a picture... A picture you could have done without... Just when you think that everything is alright with the world once more, there it comes, the jolt to rouse you...

Why did I see the photo? As if it wasn't enough that A is one of the sexiest guys in the world to me (it means something, when he wins even over many Spanish footballers!!!), his pictures keep turning up. And in a grey t-shirt and blue jeans... That irresistible combo (what is it about grey t-shirts that makes them so awesome? Maybe the fact that I'm (desperately) seeking one adds to their appeal!).

"he don't give a damn to me", to slightly modify a Tom Petty song... I seriously wish A weren't this attractive...

What is it about insecurities that once one starts, it's almost like an avalanche? On coming to know that my friend was a friend of someone who almost brought out the green-eyed monster in me started me off with the blues. And more followed. And almost before I knew it, I was really down in the dumps...And it was "beaucoups of blues", as the song goes...

Thank God for my brother in whose company the day came to a close on a splendid note...

There was too much on my mind, and I just wanted to rant...

The Chronicles of Courage - Part one

Sometimes, victory doesn't seem as sweet....

A couple of days ago, just before going to sleep, I went to brush my teeth. As a precaution, I switched on the light in the bathroom first and waited a few minutes before going in. I finally went in with my brush in hand, thinking I'd given the cockroaches in there enough time to go back to their hideouts... But alas...

I opened the door, and there it was... One of the biggest cockroaches I'd ever seen. And with wings! If there's one thing worse than a big cockroach, it's a big cockroach which flies. At least, that's what I think.

And thus began my war with the cockroach. Despite my fears, I tried pouring water over it, but it managed to escape all my attempts. So, with Machiavellian cunning, I just closed the door, hoping it would get back to its hole if it valued its life. But it didn't. When I opened the door again, the roach had fallen into the water and was trying its best to swim out.

I was now in two minds. Whether to have pity on it, and help it the way the bird helped the ant; or whether to hope it would die. In the end, my pity lost out. And the roach died.

And I told this to a friend, and he was "impressed" by my courage.

Now this friend, AJ, had already been exposed to my "courageous" self. We were returning from a wedding dinner, when I heard a dog barking somewhere in the distance. Not being scared at all, I made a slight change to my walking trajectory, and walked as far away from the dog as I could without falling into the ditch next to the road. And observant as he was, AJ commented upon it :)

So, when I told him about the cockroach incident, he called me "courageous" and "brave". (And I felt like singing "AJ hit it", pleased to know there was one soul in the world to call me 'brave' :P (Yay!!! I've managed to insert a line from a song I used to listen to years and years ago!!! :D ) )

(I seriously doubt if he'd have made such a comment if he'd known the barrage of messages coming his way :) )
And thus rests the victor, seeking new territories to conquer, and new fears to overcome :)

* - the part one in the title makes it seem like there will be more such episodes of bravery in the future... :D

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

GBYH!!!**

Comfortably Dumb :
The feeling you get when you're not not chosen to answer a question you don't know the answer to

Elevator to Heaven :
Led Zep's tribute to Otis

Remember when :
A song to cure an amnesiac

Brain Damage :
Amdittance to Col. Hatch's institution

Va-caw Va-caw:
How to call a crow (Va=come (tamil))

Free Word :
Freedom of Press

Everything will flow :
Plumber's assurance

The World from Yesterday :
The Eagles' newspaper

A(a)man-da :
The Boston way of saying yes in Tamil

Roll another Joint
The physiotherapist's song

**- Go Bang Your Head :P







Verse for a stranger

You reminded me of dear DV*,
I think you just about saw me,
Seeing your blue jeans and black tee
made me almost go weak in the knee
Wish I'd one more oppurtunity,
and your face I again get to see.


* - David Villa

A pathetic verse for a stranger I saw on my way home....

Pathetic attempt !

This post has been responsible for making my friend feel like banging her head on the wall (as a reaction to what I got started on, following the post)...

Well, here goes :

What did Rooney become after his hair transplant?
Vain :P
(Feign Rooney - M's contribution!)

What do you call a crow's humour?
Caw-medy!!!

And, one more :

What do you call someone with a promising career at the Bar?
a potential barrister!!!

That's it for the present.
 
And now, I'll go to get a helmet for myself and bandages for the people who'll be banging their heads on walls after reading this...

Thanks to M for her feedback and patience...  and supreme levels of tolerance!






Friday, June 10, 2011

K-fixation!!!*

After a very long time, I spoke to my friend V yesterday. Of late, we've both been busy with our lives (he busier than me). And just almost drifted out of touch. I just pinged him suddenly, and he replied! I was happy, and then he told me that our mutual friend L was getting married yesterday. And that almost effectively cut out any thoughts of continuing the conversation. For, you see, V had been crazy about her since school days. Later, they both started going out with the mutual consent of their families. And suddenly, I came to know that things were no longer hunky-dory between them, and now they were not even on talking terms. V was shattered. I could see the change - he'd been so happy earlier, and now he was almost like a zombie. He gradually got better, but still, it must have been a real blow to him that L was getting married to someone else.


V has been a pillar of strength to me at times. There have been times when he could just understand what I was talking about, and of course, I don't have to mention the sensible advice he gave me (which naturally I didn't follow (Apologies,V ;) ). Talking of V, he just suddenly gave me the news that he was going on an official visit to Cochin. Which is what I was going to write about here, before I got lost in other stuff. And, so, I asked V if there were any temporary part-time openings in his office, but he said no, even he was barely there,so until they kicked him out, there wouldn't be an opening. And so I offered him my services as a P.A., without even a salary - I said I'd be satisfied with a ticket on a Kingfisher flight. (V was travelling second class on a train...). But he refused. (Wonder what's wrong with him!!!)

Another friend of mine, his name also happens to be start with a V(!!), had just told me he was going to Trivandrum. And V's trip to Cochin on top of this!! Why does everyone seem to be headed to Kerala? (Without me, which is the more important question!!) And why do they have to inform me and make me jealous?

The day had one more thing to do with Kerala - my friend A told me that I'd be marrying a Mallu guy. (That he said so because I could identify a few letters of Malayalam does not matter ;) ). When I told this to my parents, they said, "Ok, if your friend has said so, then it must be true...". I also mentioned it to V, and he said he could see how happy I was!!! And he called it a bond made in my previous birth! (If he could feel me "blushing" over an STD line, then he sure must have been able to sense my "happiness" over an internet cable!)

And so I end this post, to go back to my dreams ;)

(And hope that my dreams do come true!!!)

P.S. : Do half-mallus count too???

P.P.S. : I can almost hear my best friend G slapping his forehead in exasperation and deciding that he'd be better off in heaven than in any place where I am :) I, for one, know he has had enough of me and my dreams :P

* - Apologies for yet another truly terrible title - looks like Ekta Kapoor isn't the only one with a fascination for K.... The K here is Kerala, FYI...

(This was written two days earlier, but could not be posted earlier)

Monday, June 6, 2011

Open letter to FedEx

Hey Mr.Federer,

How could you?

For starters, I don't even understand tennis fully, but still sat and watched the match for the sole purpose of seeing you win. And then, since you started playing well as I just flipped open a Harley Davidson brochure, I was obliged to sit in that posture for nearly two hours till rain interrupted play. Two hours... With not even a picture to look at or anything to read.... How long can you keep reading "Live to ride, ride to live"??? And then, we were so happy to see you win the third set. Then what happened to you, we never knew...

Well, we were really disappointed.... Almost everyone I knew was supporting you, except for a couple of people. But still...

Anyway, let bygones be bygones.

We wish you luck for the future.

Regards,
S.

(P.S. : I thought I'd finally learnt the game, only to realize that I was wrong :) Everytime I cried Ace, I was told it was a Fault, and when I called it a Fault, I was told it was an Ace. Some confusing game it is...)

Thanks to GK for the format

Friday, June 3, 2011

Making memories...*

It's been a long day.

It was one of those rare days of being woken up by something other than Mom calling me (softly, for the thousandth time) or the ring of the alarm clock (which I usually manage to stop before going back to sleep). As usual, I'd gone back to sleep for "just a few more minutes" after having my morning cup of coffee. And all of a sudden, there was this mewing sound coming from somewhere very close to me, and I groggily woke up to hear my mother and aunt calling out to the cat - it was finally the thought that the cat was just next to my coffee cup that actually woke me up. (It took quite a while to finally make the cat come out of the house, that's another story, I'll save it for a rainy day (though today was one...)).

I was very happy to think that I'd finished my morning routine so fast, and was pleased to settle down with what I thought was meant for my breakfast, and the day's papers. And as usual, I found that after breakfast and the papers, I had barely enough time to reach the bus stop in time to catch my bus. Just like every other time, since I was on time, the bus was late.

I enjoyed a good cup of coffee in the canteen, and after an inevitable trip in the summer heat, I finally settled down in the lab and did a spot of studying, before my stomach indicated to me that it was time for lunch. I had lunch with a friend after a very long time. And now that I had no more trips to make, the weather became pleasant. My friend kept glancing at his watch and wondering if I'd ever finish my tea. I very graciously told him that he could leave, but he just sat there egging me on with his "Drink, drink" and a smile. When I was almost done with my tea, he just went off to buy something and then I met him at the door. It had started to drizzle by then, with signs of a heavier downpour. And as we walked off into the rain, I asked him sweetly, "Why did you delay so much? See, now we're caught in the rain..."


The afternoon also passed pleasantly. I enjoyed watching the Sandwich War and the Revenge of the Stapler. And then there was the news that my best friend had resigned from her job. It was a relief for me to hear that, given that my friend had almost lost her peace of mind and the job was making her depressed.

A pre-presentation cuppa in the pleasant weather, followed by an interesting presentation; and then a sudden change of plans - that seems to about account for the afternoon and evening.

On the spur of the moment, my friend and I decided that we'd scrap our earlier plans, and go out for coffee. "The best laid schemes of mice and men....",you know... My friend called her friend, and we set out. The poor  fellow didn't know where we were headed till we were actually on the road there.

We finally reached our destination, and were then given an introduction to the food and the place. We just ordered coffee for the present. (Today, I learnt that papad when broken into pieces is called papad chips!)  We followed it up with some food after a slight delay of about twenty minutes in trying to decide what we'd eat. The Illusion of Free Will played a role in the delay. In the end we managed to finish what we could, and called it "dinner". And we also resolved never to return to that place.

We then went in-and-out-in-a-matter-of-minutes from an ice cream shop, only to settle down with ice creams of our choice in the shop next to it. We finally returned to our rooms, after enjoying the cold breeze following the rain.

My friend is already back to her books. Which reminds me, I should also do the same. In other words, it's high time I logged out of the internet and switched off the computer.

*- Apologies for not thinking of a better title.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Matchpoint!!

It was Saturday night and I'd just settled down to watch two matches back-to-back.


I found my best friend G online. I asked him if he was watching the matches. He told me how I could even ask such a question - his TV was ready, and connected to his home theatre, and food and drinks were also ready.
Seeing that we had both made our preparations (mine included blackcurrant ice-cream! ); we started discussing the teams and their chances. G rattled off the players' names one by one; claiming that no team had a chance against a team with such good players. (CSK & FCB were his choices, CSK being my choice as well, and since RM wasn't playing, I wanted to watch LM&DV in action).

Talking of the players, one of the CSK players happens to share his name with someone I know. So, when G emphasized that name, I asked him why he was emphasizing that particular name. I reminded him of the player's namesake. "That fella", said G, disgusted. (G always refers to him as "that fella"). He claimed I was driving him nuts, and said he wanted to jump off a building.

I told him that in that case, he could deliver his home theatre to me and leave his bike here with me and then jump off. He asked me how I could be so heartless as to watch a friend of 14 years die, I told him I didn't want to watch him die, it was the match that I wanted to watch. G is convinced of my utter lack of sympathy for him.

I consoled him saying that far from wanting him dead, I was offering an incentive to live - my cooking. And that made G wonder why I was hatching murder plots!!!

In the end, we both watched both the matches; despite the horrible relay making me want to leave at half-time. (I'm glad I stayed up to watch Messi and Villa in action!)

(And all the while G kept harping on the fact that he was watching the match live on TV, with a good reception).

As of now, G is alive and well. And so am I.

The rest is silence, as they say...