NOT BULLET-PROOF

Going with the current trend on the blogs, I decided to write my own entry in bullet style.

· It’s proven. When you have all the time in the world to do everything including writing a decent post for your blog your grey cells fail you. Somehow even the neurotransmitters go lazy and the signal takes a long time to reach its destination and till that happens you have already moved on to resting your butt on the couch and flicking channels, some sort of default setting.

· Too much of anything can be hazardous to your mental state. In my case, too much of holiday has been showing its effects. All hail the queen!

· Ipl season over. Csk lost in semis. Dhoni looked like it was a relieve it was over. Hope it was only because he was dying to get some rest before he represented India in world cup and not because he wanted to meet some sultry south babe.

· ADAM GILCHRIST was sheer ecstasy to watch!

· Star plus shows B grade movies in the mornings! Then again it shows other mindless crap in the evening and the afternoons.

· I did not get tanned this summer! *shudders*

· Twilight sucks! So does new moon! Hmm...Why am I dying to read eclipse then?

· This is my last year in college and the only reason we all went to college has deserted us. Bhagat sir has left the faculty. Now our juniors will never be able to isolate dna till they’re in that god damned place

· I did not watch angels and demons. Because the ‘multiplexes’ wont show them. Not surprising considering that they DID NOT run DARK KNIGHT! I now miss going to circle theater which showed every English movie available.

And served extra salted stale popcorn. Or wait was it salty because our sweat was

being mixed with it? The ceiling fans obviously were placed in another galaxy.

· Results haven’t been declared yet.. and am not happy

· MAN U LOST!! HAHAHAHA

· Since when has salwar kameez been branded as formals?

· I rock at bowling!! J

· Its nice meeting old school friends once in a while.

· Hey! This bullet idea is working! I’ve actually managed to write.

· Nah I lost the zeal again.

summer bummer

Its that time of the year again folks! Where u sweat it out even if you are just plopped on your bed doing nothing. Vacations on. Exams were pretty good. Don’t want to bother my mind with the result; it’s snoozing. 

Summer plan just includes the usual-mangoes, sumptuous amounts of watermelons, arguments about sun screens, roohafza, Indore, swimming, books, late night TV watching, movies, scrabble with brother, carom with everyone, badminton with the aunty-in-nightie brigade in the evenings and lots more.

Till now I’ve managed to watch quite a few movies thanks to DDT! Bucket list was really moving

I cried a lot! And 27 dresses was a nice watch. Taken was depressing and Madagascar 1 and 2 are my all time favorites. Twilight was dumb! I mean falling in love with your food? It’s in the same league with the mango slice aamsutra ad with Katrina in it. Weirdoes!

The books include Sidney Sheldon’s nothing lasts forever, jef archer’s quiver full of arrows, the afghan, love story by Eric segal (2nd time) and currently reading Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. 

On TV besides friends and the really hilarious poll scenario there’s ipl! And I’m supporting Chennai super kings. I’ve never been to Chennai and the only south Indian words I know are idli, Dosa, medu wada and wannakam. The only reason I’m supporting csk is dhoni! :)

Speaking of ipl, here’s a video of the first match of season 2 played between Mumbai Indians and csk. It was interrupted by a rather unexpected visitor. We’ve heard of naked people running across the field and innocent pigeons distracting the fielders but this was one of its kind! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUpp19IpeaE

ha! 

anyway whats with srk? they're too busy playing games in their own team that they forgot all about the game they're actually supposed to be playing. anyway who cares! i'm supporting csk! mind it!

SURPRISE SURPRISE!

Contrary to what everybody has been thinking I had a blast on my birthday!

My pre birthday gift included this really yummy sponge cake from anuja! Thanks anu! J

College folk used holi as an excuse and smeared my face with all the icing on the cake. And of course about 3 and a half bottles of water were emptied on me. :/

My 3 idiotic friends from school kept devising these small schemes as a result of which I got a bag full of chocolates from the watchman of my college and a huge bouquet of gerbera flowers awaited me at home. At about 1 in the afternoon I opened the door to find a huge bouquet of yellow roses and a large black forest cake in the shape of an ‘A’ (A for ADITI dum dum!)!  Thank you very much masi!

In the evening I went out with the 3 idiots and they gave me my fake gifts and in return it was expected that I make faces and look disappointed. But me being me (read unpredictable and impossible) I loved those gifts too!! They had no other option but to roll their eyes and finally hand me my ‘real’ gifts- zoya factor and for matrimonial purposes. 2 books of which zoya factor is quite nice.

So the day was not at all like any other day. And to top it all I received ‘the’ card from priya! Priya is the greatest card maker ever! And she makes them for really close and special people. So ahem ahem I got one! J

Thank you all for making my birthday very very special!

And now let me shut myself with lehninger and PTC.

 

birthday special or special birthday?

Its 11^th march. My 19^th birthday.  I was born 19 years ago on this same day and co incidentally it was holi that day too.

Birthdays have always been special. I remember being super excited from February itself. I couldn’t wait for 11^th march.

My birthday cakes have always been home made. Almost. When we did not have an oven it was jaju aunty who used to bake delicious cakes in the shapes of dolls, butterflies and all that. My mother used to cook mouth watering delicacies and the kids from colony, school friends, family friends would all turn up for the bash. I used to love my birthday parties. Dressing up for the same was such a lot of fun. Dressing up in pink frill frocks (when I did not mind pink) and skirts and receiving compliments for the same was a ritual. And the excitement of unwrapping presents when everyone was gone was uncontrollable!

In school I used to distribute chocolates and choose a lucky friend to accompany me to distribute sweets from class to class. The teachers too used to admire my dresses. And back then all that mattered too.

Now things are different. I really don’t make a fuss with what I’m going to wear. i do not expect gifts because over the years I’ve realized that what matters to me the most is the presence of loved ones. An ideal birthday for me would be my really close friends, and my family at my place hogging on home made pasta (or pizzas or Chinese. Mum is great!)

And of course who can forget the bday cake!

Lets see what this year has in store for me. Nothing much today I guess coz its exam time. But still it is a special day for me because it makes me realize there’s a lot to do... And time is running out.. J

this and that..

Been very busy lately. . No seriously! I mean had completion, had my internals, had social issues, and had family issues. Lots going on.

My internals were good. Okay as in they were just 2o marks each. 3 subjects and one of them being English *smirks*.

It’s very annoying to see the general approach of people in my class towards English. No doubt they find it difficult to grasp it as many had it as their second language but what I feel is at least there should be a will to do it. Marks are all what they care about. Don’t they realise that all the further interviews and the research papers to be written and read would all be in English?  Anyway not my problem is it?

Was dad’s birthday yesterday. Had a lot of fun! Baked a cake which turned out to be pretty good considering that I hadn’t baked since last April and that one was a complete disaster. (Rock solid on the outside and half baked on the inside! disaster indeed)

But that’s that. No grand celebrations. Can’t even think of it. Not because of recession but because of boards. My brother has his boards coming up in like 7...no just 6(omg) days...

So no party sharty.. no late night TV watching.. No talking on the phone in front of him.. No talking when he studies... For 20 days to come. And then? Then what? Freak out as much you want. But hey! What about my exams???? ‘Your’ exams? 3 papers with one of them being ‘English’ and you call it ‘exams’??   

Ya whatever!

p.s. I also made pizza day before yesterday which was yummy! J

 

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.