Downs downs and ups!!

Remember I told you about my environmental science viva?

Well it was conducted this Monday.. How’d it go?

Well let me tell you that was the only good thing that happened that day. Viva and good? No I am not a nerd who enjoys studying and loves thy exams. Read on kindly...

And anyway I had worked on the project ‘stray dogs’ and had written everything in it and the others had to copy it. And the others in my group get ‘GOOD’ and also a ‘VERY GOOD’ and I get a ‘SEEN’.

So there were people who actually bunked a day and sat at home revising for evs viva. I mean revise for evs? Let me clarify that I am no genius at evs and neither had I been studying and preparing for the viva months on end. I just believe that evs is such a subject for which you just need common sense. I mean you need to be aware of what’s happening around you and what you at your level can do to save the environment… am I not right?

So a night before the viva I had this telephonic conversation with apurva mama

MAMA: so evs viva eh?

ME:       ya so? I don’t understand the logic. I mean viva on evs? What can           you possibly study for a viva on evs?

MAMA: Well do all the definitions, and BOD n all.. Usse zada to poochenge nahi...

ME:        YA, well they’ll ask questions on the project we did on stray dogs..

MAMA: HMM... SO FINISHED WITH DEFINITIONS?

Me:        what definitions???? I mean I know all the technical terms... And I can define evs without having to mug the definitions from a reference book! I do not understand why you even need a viva on evs in the first place!! I mean all those people who’re planning to study all night don’t have the common sense to actually apply whatever we’re learning in daily life! They throw wrappers everywhere, leave the tap running in loos, and conveniently forget to switch off the fan when leaving the class room!! I mean how ignorant and stupid can people get!!

MAMA:   WO! WO! So you’re gonna say all this in viva tomorrow? He he

ME:          er, ya good idea!

MAMA:    WHAT!

ME:           ya why not??

MAMA:    ER, how much did you say you scored in your last practical and   viva?

ME: HMM.. 89/100 and 93/ 100

MAMA: HA fir theek hai!! All the best!!

 

So it was worth taking a risk…

1 hour before the scheduled time for viva- had our English lecture and the people begged and pleaded to let them mug and mug so that they could speak in front of the professor.. The teacher was more than obliging but stayed in the class to make sure everyone studies.. Me and purva started discussing our project and all when suddenly-excuse me mam, could I have a word with the students? Said an msc. Prof. Before the eng TR could say the s of “sure”- “WHO WAS THE LAST BATCH TO PERFORM THE PRACTICAL IN THE PTC AND ATC LAB!!!!” and she blasted us all for devastating the lab which the msc. had ‘painstakingly’ cleaned for 3 days…ya the msc. who cleaned and scrubbed the floors, walls, with detttol, alcohol and conveniently left the window open-result we had to do all that in a span of 1 hr because we need perfectly sterile conditions to perform our pracs. So the whole batch was instructed to come and clean the lab immediately. The people were shocked and crestfallen!! 1 hr. to go or the viva and we clean and scrub?? Noway!!

Well we just had to do it didn’t we?  Hmm...The viva begins. Our group’s turn is later... In the meantime we get blasted for the very first time by our hod for listening to songs in the lab.. Big time drama... Anyway finally the moment arrives we place ourselves – me beside our subject teacher and the others right in front of the external examiner. Lets call him Mr. a.

I braced myself for anything to come. The first thing he said was”hmm I’m happy to see a mixed gender group. Good very good.” I almost blurted out BIG DEAL but controlled myself. The viva began.

MR. A – “SO first and foremost my first question to you would be DO YOU THINK EVS IS A BURDEN TO STUDENTS? DO YOU THINK MAYBE THERE IS A BETTER WAY TO DO THIS?

                             WHAAAAAAAAAAAT??????? That guy is asking me to officially tell him the things I had been wanting to tell him?? I mean am I dreaming? OUCH! No I wasn’t!

Couldn’t suppress a grin and I blurted- “sir! I have a well rehearsed answer to this!”

All heads turned. My project partners gave this ‘I knew it’ look... And Mr. a said “oh yes please...”

And I went on and on (of course in a more polite way and editing all the negative stuff about teachers and colleges and all that) and on about how people should actually act in a wise way and imply whatever they are learning to their daily lives and how the future lies in our hands..

Mr. a nodded and smiled. And politely said ‘good very good. So I wa...” and I started again saying things I had forgotten to mention. “That is very good miss. Aditi... Now let us hear what the OTHERS have to say on this.” Followed by” oh sure sir” and a sheepish grin.

The rest of the viva went pretty ok. Some other questions asked on practicality of the subject.

And of course there was- “Aditi!! Did you notice?”

“What?” “Your journal!”

“What about it?”

“Did you check the remark?”

‘Ya well I got a seen, didn’t I?’

“No! While you were answering sir changed you seen remark to EXCELLENT!”

 

Of slums, dogs and millionaires..

So I saw slumdog millionaire this morning finally with a friend. And how did I like it? Well it was good.  In the sense that it showed India. Not the whole of it. But yes definitely a part of it. And they showed reality which we should face and stop escaping from. All the debates, the star quotes, sms polls and the other hype that was created about this particular movie did spoil the fun. I mean I seriously would’ve preferred watching it minus the hype. When you hype a certain think the expectations increase. But still I thought the movie was pretty good.

   This movie as I already mentioned has invited debates from all over the country. The debate is about many issues. Firstly does this movie mock India and its people?

I think no. it does not. We ourselves have made many movies about the Indian scenario loaded with bribery, politics, goondalism, hypocrisy, love, lust, double-standards and underworld. It has showed almost all the above stuff which has been showed in the other movies made in India (I would refrain from using the word bollywood). So why the sudden uproar? Why the hue and cry? Because we Indians can stand being underdeveloped but we won’t like it if some outsider points at our misery! No sir!! How could he do it? None of his business!! So whose business is it?? Ours? So why are we not doing anything about it?? The slums they’re a reality. So what is the solution? Demolish them and who cares anyway were these slumdogs bitches and pups go? As it is we’ve got bigger issues to tackle like ‘valentine’s day’ and the’ pub culture’ and the western influence ruining ‘our culture’. This makes me raise a question what exactly is our culture?? Why any tom, dick and harry can dictate our lives? Who are these self-appointed guardians of our culture anyway? These are cheap publicity hoggers.  

I seriously feel the time and energy spent in these unnecessary issues could be better utilized to safeguard our future. If you really care about women and young girls do something to stop the flesh trade. Stop the dowry system so that no parent will frown at the birth of a girl child and regret not killing it in the womb. See to it that child marriage is not being practiced and women are no longer treated inferior. Irritated about the child beggars that bug you? Ever tried to find out whether they are really orphaned? Why doesn’t the government do anything about it? Well my question is why cant YOU?  Like to roam around the happening places in the city on your to wheelers and waste fuel? Do it. I do too. But ever considered spending some time with any ngo and utilizing your time for a better cause? Wake up!

All this can definitely end. I sincerely believe in our generation. I think we’re much smarter much more capable than our elders and we are lucky to be a part of a developing nation because it makes us adaptable. Remember survival of the fittest theory? But this does not mean, of course, that we should be as they say’ like that only’. This laziness and shamelessness has to be dealt with

And about the second debate whether we need a foreign hand to be capable enough to win the Oscars? NO! NAH! NAHI! Why the whole fascination with the Oscars dude? It’s a pretty obvious thing. We make movies which suits OUR audiences. Hate the singing and dancing around trees? Well I think we should be proud of it!! No were else will you see such a thing! And I believe that there are some classics (aradhna, anand, saransh, rdb, etc. to name a few) that Indian cinema has given us. Which definitely do not need an Oscar. Oscars are no parameter to judge Indian cinema. And A.R. REHMAN has given us many better songs and better music for sure in swades, lagan, roza, rang de basanti etc. His vande mataram gives me goose bumps. So Oscar or no Oscar rehman you’re the best! And we definitely are proud of you. Having said that let me also confess that A.R. is truly deserving of the nomination.

      So that’s that... Now I’ve to study for EVS VIVA. Frustrating concept. But I’ll write about it later… J go see the movie. Hindi or English does not matter... And please do something for our motherland.