Thoughts from the football ground

It's been ages since I last wrote in. I've been meaning to do this post for quite some time now, but somehow kept putting it off. In a way, the delay provided me with some more material, but I still did not actually settle down to the process of writing. But now, I have a presentation to make in a while, and suddenly, blogging seems to be the most important thing to do...

I've been thinking for a while that I should 'chronicle' my thoughts from the football field. And looks like I'm finally about to do just that, though by now, events are not as fresh in my memory, and some of the things I'd have liked to have written down are now gone forever from my thoughts...

Anyway, here goes :

I'd been thinking for many days that I should go and see the football being played on (or is it in? at?) our campus ground. It was a Wednesday, in the last week of June, that I finally managed to go there. SU had just called me so that we could meet and catch up with each other, after her having gone back to her place for a couple of months. I told her that I was planning to go to the ground, and she asked me if she could come along as well. I said she was welcome, if she didn't mind the walking, as I was just going to see how things were. We ended up going together, and, following a longish conversation with her mother who'd just called (during which time I actually paid more attention to the game being played), we ended up talking about marriage and relationships :)

I had to go home the following day, but went again by myself on Friday. After returning from the week, this daily visit to the ground became part of my new routine. Once, NW joined me after her Yoga class. And nowadays, AG is dropping in and sometimes sitting with me for a while there. But mostly, it's just me.

I have now tried sitting at different places, from leaning on the wall near a building, to sitting just near the boundary of the field; but am yet to find My Spot.

Initially, I couldn't make much sense of what was happening on the ground - I could seethe play, but I was clueless about the teams. In fact, I (yes, indeed it was me!) once went up to a guy and asked him about the teams, but did not get a clear response. But now, I have a better idea of what goes on.

I wish I knew the names of the people. I know AJ and K, but the others are to me just numbers and team jerseys and colour jerseys. For example, there's a guy in a Man U jersey , and one in an Arsenal one, then there is one who sports a Van Persie jersey. And plenty of Spain jerseys. Messi, of course. There's even a Beckham... And there is someone in a Real Madrid kit ( :D :D :D ), a couple of players in their university team jerseys - the maroon ones with 4, 10, 17, the black with the 10 and 97. Then there's the one in the grey jersey. Well, now, even if I see them in other clothes, I only remember what they wore while playing...

Which reminds me, I sometimes come across these people even outside of the ground. And I can recognize at least some of them. Like, there was this guy in a white T-shirt, whom I saw yesterday and the day before, and I suddenly thought to myself, "Maroon 4!!!". I later saw this other guy, and I told myself, "Oh, the Man U guy!" :)

And well, I remember admiring the skills of some of the players. And my, what speed most of them have! By now, I have a rough idea of what half of them do well. I sometimes think to myself, "Why do they lose possession so easily?".

Well, the first time I watched them play, Maroon 4 was the goalkeeper, and suddenly, he entered the field (it struck me much later that during practice, people take turns at goalkeeping), and he scored a goal from the very goalpost he'd just left. No wonder I was confused...

I think I have been rambling on for ages now, so I'll just mention what happened a couple of days ago, and then sign off for now.

So, it'd been raining a lot recently. It was raining on Monday, but Tuesday evening dawned clearer, and there were about 7 people practising on the ground. I rode my cycle for a long while, and reached the ground much later than usual. I was just sitting there watching the practice, when the ball came out. I got up to throw it back to them. I took the ball in my hands (though my mind was telling me to kick it), and raised my hands and threw it. Plonk, the ball landed in a puddle a couple of metres from me, and my cycle key (which had been on my finger) flew higher (the way I'd wanted the ball to go :( ) and I went to take it, while K signalled to me that he'd take the ball from there. So much for my 'participation' in the game...

I told my brother about it, and he too made fun of me. It reminded both of us of this (especially between 1:00 - 1:21).

And now, it's time for me to sign out...

Adios!

Of dreams, dream-like reality and reality

I'm left wondering at what is happening to (and with!) me these days.

First, there was this dream, where there was some guy sitting on my bed in the hostel, asking me if I'd received the book my friend said he was sending. (Even in my dream, I was wondering how the security guard had let him enter the ladies' hostel.) Then, he and my roomie, SM started chattering away, and I was just standing there like some statue in the background (now, that is not far from reality!), while these two continued their conversation. And finally, just as I'm leaving the room, the guy was saying that there was a book whose name had a farm in it, and I said, 'Animal farm'. But he said it wasn't, but there was an 'academic' in it, 'Academic farm', and SM agreed with him. I was left wondering if I was indeed that dumb. I woke up laughing at this point, and so have no idea what happened next.

Then, today, we'd gone for tea. SM has been pulling my leg and telling me that she'd 're-introduce' me to SD, and I could take off from there. She also keeps reminding me not to go mute after being introduced, re-introduced, rather. But SD wasn't around today, but thankfully, there was a substitute from the eye-candy department. And poor fellow must have been embarrassed by all the attention he was getting :)

I was telling SM she could write about introductions and re-introductions and playing Cupid, but she doesn't want to. It's one of those bizarre cases of mistaken priorities. She thinks writing her thesis is more important than writing on her blog. God save her!

Speaking off all this, AG accuses me of being a (serial) heart-breaker, just because I get some extra food sometimes when I get it packed at these places on campus. ('Too much love, man', to quote her.) Well, (un)fortunately, something similar happened outside the campus too. I still deny these baseless allegations.

Speaking of which reminds me, I actually got the chance to 'issue a denial', the way all celebs seem to be doing these days, I told SM lines like, 'I don't want to put a label to our relationship' and 'We're just friends'. Unfortunately, I couldn't spout more drivel as I was affected by an attack of uncontrollable laughter. I don't really remember the context anymore, but I remember that I did get an opportunity to utter these inanities (is that the word I'm looking for? I need a Jeeves to supply me with the words I'm looking for, when I'm looking for them)

I remember writing about German songs playing in my head, especially when I go to meet my guide, today was (or could have been) worse - I'd been listening to some Tamil songs, ones I'd heard when I was in school/college (having reserved the German and Finnish ones for the evening, after having met my guide). One of them had some English lines in between, like 'Will you be mine? - No, no, I won't', and I had to remind myself not to actually sing it out loud to my guide :D

And I was just telling SM how I drift off, and she said she was well aware of it. Being my friend, she's been inflicted by (or is it with? Oh my! I'm forgetting my English and all my prepositions...) my company for long enough. :)

I've been thinking about how I think I should do something, and then think I've actually done it, just because I thought I should. If that makes sense.

It's now time to leave, thanks to a heavy dinner and heavier eyelids...

The one with the languages*

Yesterday, I interrupted SM's writing and distracted her, with the result that the two of us spent a while poring over a world map and identifying the places we would visit, "if we had the time and the money" :) I think the theme has remained in my mind, and since I'm anyway a big fan of learning languages and cultures, I thought why not write a post about them.

(Well, I just felt like writing something, and then realized that the thing I actually wanted to write was just a couple of lines long, which does not 'qualify for a post', and so I just thought that if I'm anyway going to ramble on about something, then why not this? Ok, Ok, back to what I was going to write...)

I heard a Spanish song (some Ricky Martin song, if I remember right - I even had the cassette for the longest time, and played the songs over and over again, singing in a language that tried to be Spanish, but was more of jibberish), and I told myself that I would one day learn Spanish, at least enough to understand the song I'd heard...

French, I just started learning thanks to my mother, and it just continued somehow... (The only problem is that nowadays, I sometimes need someone to identify what language I'm speaking in)

Telugu, I speak, thanks to all the summers I spent as a kid here in Hyderabad, and to my mother and aunts for reminding us (my brother and me) of the language during the rest of the year. (I'd written rest of the other! I need to 'Focus', as SM says.)  (Well, to be honest, I think I speak Telugu, but I've been told it's just passable and understandable owing to the intelligence of the people I talk to... I think I'd prefer to have an alternate hypothesis...)

I speak Hindi (a little bit of the Hyderabadi version of it), too. I know for a fact that JP (or JJP, as we recently discovered his name to be) does not believe me capable of this feat. Why, even SM actually stared at me because I said, "hawa dalna" at the cycle shop. I'm not exactly a fan of poetry and shayaris and I'm lost with Urdu, but I know enough Hindi to get around. And well, I can still recall a few lines from poems I read in school.

I've wanted to learn Russian for a very long time. I like the script, especially as I feel it has letters like B and R written backwards :D And I'd like to be able to pronounce names ending in -ov and -ich and -off :)

Macedonian was a language that AK introduced me to (it being his mother-tongue), and it has a Cyrillic script. And after listening to some songs (and repeatedly trying to sing them), I'm enjoying the sounds of words with 'zd's' and 'mn's' and 'sm's' and 'sre's' :)

I'm now getting interested in Greek, but it's still in early stages. (Maybe it's the effect of the math and physics I've been studying, but I sometimes end up imagining people talking in alphas, betas and gammas :) I got to listen to a couple of Greek songs and thankfully, that has given me a somewhat clearer idea of what Greek sounds like)

I now want to learn some basic Finnish, just because I listened to a song whose name had A's with little circles above them. (three such a's, actually). (Maybe I'll one day learn what they are called, those accents.)

Among the Indian languages, I've been fascinated by Malayalam and Bengali. And well, I'm yet to learn either despite having friends who speak them...

Arabic and Japanese are two other languages I'd like to learn, just so I can write from right to left, or vertically :)

I guess I've rambled on for quite a bit already, so I'm signing off now, remembering the advice of some close friends and family, asking me to learn Tamil (my mother-tongue) first...

See you later...

(* - SM has been mentioning F-R-I-E-N-D-S to me quite a few times, and she even quoted something from an episode, hence the title... Also since my mind is kinda asleep and way too lazy to think of some other title)

Random updates - as usual

It has been nearly three weeks since I last posted something here. And, as SM says, 2-3 line posts aren't the real thing :)

So well, life has been going on as usual. My team lost a crucial match, which I stayed up late to watch. Well, to stay up reading live commentary, if you wish.

 I ended up watching like this. And yes, I know he's from FCB, but well, this was how I was for most of the match.

And Mr. MV was kind enough to rub salt on my wounds.

Well, I've been trying to figure out why we lost. Could it be that lucky dress is no longer lucky (in which case I have to get a new one!)? Or could it have been because I've got a couple of German rock songs stuck in my head? Or did I misread the sign - on the morning of the match, just as I was crossing the road, I came across a guy wearing my team jersey, complete with logo and all. Well, so much for it...

And now, onto non-football stuff...

So, these days I have a lot of 'besht' friends, and a 'gang' with whom I have my meals. And if I go out of the university, I have other 'besht' friends. In fact, they seem to be everywhere!

Speaking of which, I suddenly remembered how I once thought ,'Oh, that was a gentlemanly and chivalrous act by MV' :D

I've been having weird discussions with PM (who is diplomatic as ever), and I've been practising my Spanish. (That I seem to be stuck with the label of 'dangerous', in addition to 'crazy' is another matter altogether.)

This past week, half the time I've been sitting in my guide's room, I've ended up hearing German rock songs on repeat mode in my head. No wonder FCC thinks I'm nuts :D

I seem to have become more absent-minded as well - I once called my guide, and drifted off while waiting for him to answer the call, and when he did start speaking, I was wondering what I was doing and who I was talking to - it took me a moment to remember that I'd been the one to call him to ask something...

And oh, I'm back to being obsessed with a word a day. And yesterday, I happened to browse through my book and read some 'marcadores' in the afternoon, and I ended up using at least ten of them in my exam. :) In fact, I was looking at my paper and grinning :D

Well, the weekend is nearing. It's bringing my brother and his wife. And dinner with the Senor. (He and MV happen to be such good friends - and it just struck me that they even share initials :D And well, MV calling MV 'Mo' just tickles me each time I hear it - and believe me, I've been hearing it quite a lot over the past few months)

So, anyway, I'm back to my rambling. And I'd better leave. Hope I write more often. (Well, if you can hope for your team, you can hope for anything :P )

Praveen

There are times in life when you need a great friend. Like, when one of your closest friends refuses to remind you to take your lucky dress just because you support rival teams. Or, when you need someone to listen as you go on endlessly about Spanish footballers and other eye-candy. I'm glad I have someone like that.

I don't know if you ever realized, but the first time I asked you for your mail address (for some data my old Spanish teacher was collecting, I think), it took me almost the entire day to find the guts to do it :) Never at my best with people I don't know well, I was worse off knowing that you were one of the best students in the class, and the one who'd rattle off every single word of the recordings we listened to in class.

It was only when I asked you about your backpacking plans for Chile, and you replied, that I felt we were actually having a conversation. I don't remember how we got talking over the phone after that, but I do remember that it was only after long discussions and much encouragement from a school friend that I decided to ask you if we could actually meet again. And boy, am I glad I did. :)

I always assumed you and I lived in different worlds, and it was only that day when we met (and you bought me a chocolate tart*) that I realized I'd been wrong, you were such good company and so easy to talk to.

Once I joined guitar classes ( thanks to you again), it felt like we'd been friends forever. I remember you having to tell me quite a few times that it was almost time for my class :)

If it weren't for you, I'd have missed Goa and Mohineer Ghoraguli :) As also the coffee at Udipi and the chocolate tart at Cakes n more. And I wouldn't have had chai at that chai-shop near my old college :) 

And maybe by now you know that sometimes it's my turn to pay. And you should actually let me. Unlike the dinner at Grasshopper. :) Something tells me you're going to be luckier than my other best friend - you might actually end up getting the treat I owe you. :)

It isn't to everyone that I can say things like, "I don't want to risk our friendship" (I'm still cringing at the thought of having said it!), or other lines straight from corny novels; and still be friends.

I never thought a day would come when you'd have to actually bear the brunt of my, "Oh, he said 'hi' to me today", "we actually spoke for two minutes" and other such school-girly ramblings :)

I still feel kinda honoured that you shared with me some of the recent happenings in your life. There have been times when I've wondered what it would feel like to be in your shoes, times when I wish you'd teach me the secret of patience and giving someone space. :) (Instead, you're encouraging my crazy dreams :) which I have enough of, by the way!)

The other day, SM told me, "Oh, Praveen is such a nice guy!"

And I realized it's true :)

Thank you, Praveen.

Thanks. For being such a good friend. For remembering me when I thought the world had forgotten me. For giving me the courage to dream. For giving me hope when I thought there was none. For the confidence in me. For listening. And remembering what I say. For putting the smile back on my face during some really dark moments. For trusting me. For making me laugh. For being someone to whom I can actually say , "You look hot", or "you looked like a kid in that photo" or even, "You sound so sexy" without having to think twice about it.

Thanks. For being my guinea pig and liking my Gazpacho (maybe I'll make you tortillas too ;) ). For encouraging me. For taking my Spanish craze seriously, despite the teasing and jokes :). For telling me some things I'd like to hear, and wish were indeed true. For reminding me to look ahead and never give up. For making me feel cherished. For remembering to say 'bye' before you left on yet another of your trips. For all the fun I have looking at maps and marking out travel routes and hatching crazy plans (which I may not be able to realize, but hope that you will). 

(And for condemning some poor soul to my company for the rest of his life! ) 

Thank you.

And I know it sounds cliched, and I don't know how it came to be - my life just wouldn't have been the same without you in it.

A day might come when we no longer live in the same city (or in the same country ;) ), I just want you to know I'm here for you if you need me. (though chances are, I'll need you more :))

(P.S. : Something I'd written a while ago, updated a bit. Just thought I'd post it.)

Dream on, Sam - yet again!

And so I wondered if my dreams could get any weirder. Turns out they can. And they do.

So, I had this dream one night last week :

I was sitting on a plane with my mother (it was white, I think), and the plane is moving forward on its wheels. Only, instead of taxiing the runway, it was on the road. More precisely, on the Pazhavanthangal subway in Chennai.

The destination of the flight was Paris, and I suddenly realized that I don't have a passport. I then told myself that as I was anyway inside the flight, I'd just wait until we landed at Paris and then see how the Authorities would react.

And by now I was sitting in the cockpit with the pilot, and we were on the platform at the Pazhavanthangal station, when the pilot stopped the plane. I asked him why he'd stopped, and he pointed to the train coming on the track next to the platform where we were.

And the airport was almost right there!

Anyway, at this point, I woke up and sat up laughing really hard.

I told my brother about the dream, and he asked me if I was sure I could distinguish between a bus and a plane!

Anyway, it's almost sleepy-time again, so goodnight!

(Psst! See you in Paris... when I land... there... ;) )

Where am I?

My prof claims I keep going home. (Ms.A will probably agree with him)

My family says I'm not home most of the time.

So, where am I all the time?

"Seems like I should be getting somewhere,
Somehow I'm neither here nor there..."