58. Being Inspired...

Do one thing everyday that scares you!

That is one of the lines from the video clip that Ziddi gave me when I was in one of those depressions and lows which usually cause heavy downpours.(It's apparently a sunscreen Ad, but I have no clue as to how it is related to the product!) Well anyways, guess what? I got inspired!

Maybe way too 'inspired'....Exams are among the things that scare me. I bet I am not the sole person belonging to this category. During the exam times, I take special care, to be extra careful as to not to waste my 'precious' time, indulging in any kind of fun. So exams are those times during which, I confine myself to self-room-imprisonment -No outings, No gossiping, No 'TV'ing, No blogging/orkutting/facebooking/tweeting/chatting -although all that I may do is sit in my room and sleep all day, or day-dream all day, or playing with my computer all day, or a combination of all!

Well, our exams are just 4 days away(gulp!)...and I haven't even laid my hands on any of the books. I was returning from the college, when I saw many of my classmates, all dressed-up, leaving for 'Backwaters'(IIMK). My heart longed to join them, but instead, I gave them a pitiful sigh, as they would be wasting their time over there, while I can use the time and mug in my room. But just then it struck me, that it was my last year in college, and why the heck should I sit and slog here, when I can as well give myself a break and go have some fun.

The 'nerd-me' and the 'non-nerd-me' had a great inconclusive debate, which can be compared to our parliament sessions, and finally one decision making phone call made to my parents, confirmed that I was infact going![Sigh! I might be probably the only 21 year old who still have to seek parental permission even for such cases..:( ]

By the time the rest of the group had already got into the TATA Sumo and were about to leave. I was in CM's room, eating Aloo Parathas that somebody flicked from the mess. I quickly changed there, grabbed somebody's handbag and dashed off. I wasn't even dressed decently -my hair uncombed, no earrings or chain or any kind of jewelery on - I looked like a runaway Pentecost. As I reached the main gate, Appu came running behind me, swearing -I had accidentally run off with her phone :|

It is really cool to travel through the Calicut roads at night! We reached the IIMK campus and was stopped at the security gate to check our IDs. Damn! I had forgotten to take mine. I had made it till here. Don't tell me I have to go all the way back again! I started cursing myself. But soon enough I found out that being invisible has its own advantages. They didn't seem to have seen me. I got in without any of those darned IDs!

The campus was really awesome. It is situated on the top of a hill. The ride uphill reminded me of one of those trips to the holiday hill stations.

Once we got out of the car, we went on a photo taking spree. We didn't spare any nook or corner. We wanted to get it across to those 'nerdos' mugging back in hostels that we were indeed having fun. We were behaved like a bunch of drunk hooligans. We didn't want any of them to know that we were from NITC, so in all our 'loud conversations', we mentioned Medical college and KMCT more than a few times. ;)

We didn't even spare the toilets(gents'!) or the random statue or the random tree or the random lawn

There were very few programs, and very few participants. The crowd was also less, especially compared to the stampede-level crowd in the NITC OAT during ProShows! So we were um...pretty much bored, which might explain our new found fondness for the camera.

Our dance team did a wonderful job though.

The other event was fashion show. It still remains a mystery, the purpose of these FS. I wonder why people go gaga over FS. Oh yea there are hot guys and girls on the ramp to ogle at, but I really dont get the point. The other day I was watching some FTV programme and I realized how people can 'adapt themselves' to survive with minimal clothing during these hard times of recession.

The Medical college team had an interesting show. Their theme was one that gave a message -AIDS- and there were HIV viruses, gays and guys with inflated condoms on their heads, walking down the ramp!

It was past midnight when we got back, and we returned with not much of memories, but lots of snapshots.

Oh my Gosh! Reality strikes again -I've got exams in a couple of days(gulp!). Hope I don't screw them up!(gulp!gulp!)

57.I saw it too..:D

Yea, I too witnessed the much hyped, once-in-1033-years 'solar feast' -First a projected image in the Physics department, then a more clearer view through NDTV, CNN etc, then through an X-ray film in LH, and then finally i caught it with my very own k750i...a very crude image though!

[Sheesh! Imagine if I had missed it...I would have had to live upto 1054 years of age to see it again!:P]

PS: Contrary to the popular myths, I didn't find birds acting weird(they were shitting,as usual, the whole of the 'rajpath'), or any snakes running about the place. Did you notice anything weird?

56. I wanna grow up once again...

Give me some sunshine,

Give me some rain,

Give me another chance,

I wanna grow up once again...

Haven’t you ever felt like rewinding your whole life (atleast some part of it), travel back in time, and do it all over once again? Haven’t you ever wondered what would have happened if you had taken the other road? Haven't you wondered what if that sperm had lost its way and hadn't reached that egg? Haven’t you wished that you could have said the right thing at the right time? Haven’t you ever been curious to find out what would have happened if you gave a NO instead of a YES? Haven’t you wished if life had ‘Undo’ options and ‘Backspace’ keys? Haven’t you longed for second chances?........

PS: Yea I watched 3 idiots –all by myself- with no subtitles or a human/google translator![I know I’m growing up! :P]

A must watch for every Indian parents, teachers and students especially, who have been ensnared by this rotten education system, which steals many from a life, which could have been driven by their own dreams and passions, but instead have been snubbed by the stereotype doctor-engineer fawning society!

55.Just millimetres separated her from a 3 storey fall!

The year barely started and it’s already filled with action. Happening things are happening everyday, except for studying and this is really freaking me out.(my status is still unemployed-and-dunno-what-lies-ahead K) Now to my account of the suicide attempt that kept the LH on th edge....

It was at about 9.30 while I was returning from Chacko’s room, after a futile attempt to crack the geo assignment, that I noticed a little commotion going on outside my room. Some girls were leaning over the balcony parapet. Fear and horror were written on their faces! I feared the worst –a suicide attempt?No it can't be.... I was shocked to find that my worst of the wildest imaginations was being materialised right before my very eyes!

She was standing on the edge of the sunshade. A chill ran down my spine! I froze! My whole body became numb. My throat had gone dry. I couldn’t even give out a scream..... just millimetres separated her from a 3 storey fall!

We tried using hangers, broomsticks and ropes, but the feline seemed to find them more life-threatening than a fatal fall.....After about half an hour of cajoling, coaxing and trying to lure her to safety, she finally jumped to the relatively flatter and broader part of the sunshade, where the inclined shades came to a stop. From there, many interconnecting sunshades and pipes could serve as her route to safety. Phew! We returned to our rooms. At least no bloodsheds on the 3d day of the year!

An hour later I heard voices and hurried footsteps outside my room. I opened it to find nearly the whole wing gathered in front of the room. I followed their transfixed gaze down the balcony. The paranoid suicidal kitten had returned to the suicide point!

We held our breaths –sure to witness a tragic free fall. Some weak souls turned their faces away. Some said ’tch tch’. A few tear drops were shed.....(okay that was a long shot! :P)

What are we to do?

Suddenly, our hero –The Che-Kkan-enters the scene. Under the frenzy to save the kitty, Chekkan tried to jump over the parapet and save her.

But we were in no mood to witness multiple murders on the same day. We pulled Chekkan back in.

Come on, think something smart!...and quick!....someone suggested a bucket(Gee!was that me?:D)

I volunteered to give my bucket. So now I will have an excuse for not taking a bath tomorrow! ;) The bucket was brought and lowered in.

Look at her! What Jaada! What Ahangaaram! She wouldn’t get in. Guess she was rather enjoying the limelight.

Come on again...think something smarter! Someone suggested a bait (Gee! Was that me too? :P)

Saliny(now Tintu Mol :P) brought a piece of cake from her room and threw it inside the bucket.(I made a mental note to pay her a visit soon). The cat fell for it. It was inside the bucket, and Swoosh! Kitty was bucket-lifted to safety. Somehow, the cat reminded me of Joey( I told you I am watching too much of F.R.I.E.N.D.S these days!)

So thanks to Che-Kkan and the piece of cake(and my bucket too!), the day is saved!

PS: This incident made Che-Kkan to go down the long list of the legendary Khans(Shahrukh-Khan,Aamir-Khan,Salman- Khan,Ghengi- Khan,Sher-Khan,Moor-Kkan ......:P)

54. The ‘perfect’ first day!

A new year, a new beginning –a time to set things right, learn from mistakes, start over again, hope for the year to turn out to be good. I doubt if there is any other single day hyped so much all around the world, as the New Year day!-a day of resolutions and new determinations, everyone wants the day to turn out to be PERFECT.

I certainly am not superstitious! But I always want my Jan 1 to be a perfect day, as it sort of sets the pace for the entire year. So even though I may not follow it regularly at any other part of the year, I’m particular that on this particular day, I should pray properly, dress up properly, behave nicely to everyone, flip through the pages of (long forgotten) books and learn something.....In short, Jan 1 = the complete day(since 1988 :P)

I woke up cursing the girl banging at the door threatening to break it. The cursing transformed into an alarmed shriek in an instant, when my phone blinked 7:29am at me. Gosh! I had exactly 31 minutes to ‘prepare’ for my ‘perfect’ day and hit to the class. Ran to the bathroom with my bucket –had a ‘quick’ bath and brush which consumed more than half of my total available time.

I realised I hadn’t completed the seminar ppt I was supposed to present that day. I had left the finishing touches for the morning. You see, my perfect day was supposed to start at 5:30am. But I don’t even remember when I fell asleep last night. All I remember was that I wanted to do the last post of 2009 before hitting the sack....but then it was total blackout...Hangover?!!

Call comes from home. I hadn’t wished Mom Happy New Year yet. She starts to wish me, when I cut her short and hangs up the phone quickly shouting over to her “I WOKE UP LATE!”. Apparently she had tried calling me at midnight, but remember? I don’t remember anything! :-|

No time to have breakfast either. Attending first day first class on an empty stomach! Noooo!...this is not at all my ideal day! Little did I realize then, that my fist meal of the year wasn’t until 8.00pm....I stuffed the ppt file into a pendrive, and ran to the class. I didn’t even iron my clothes...Later in class I noticed that my umm.....zipper(pant) was undone and the price tag of my new top still dangling from the back collar. Thankfully(hopefully) my top and my hair was long enough, and nobody else noticed....Reached class in time, but sweating and panting –at least I didn’t get kicked out on the first day. I thanked God. Then I realized, that I forgot to pray! :-|

I knew then and there, that the day will turn out to be a blog material.

HP’s sandals broke on the way to the class...Phew! atleast I was not the only ‘chosen one’![I know I can be a bitch at times:P]

In the steel design class, I forgot to bring the code book, which is like an indispensable part of the course. I realized that my bench-mate and I shared more things in common, than the totally lost and frustrated look on our faces. I was too proud to borrow codes from others on ‘my perfect 1^st day’. So was she. Once a borrower, always a borrower. So the rest of the class, I was scribbling this post at the back of my notebook. So much for the atleast-first-day-listen-attentively-in-class resolution.

I felt really bad when our group had to shun away from presenting the seminar ppt (it was an optional course, but we spent hours searching for the materials). Said NO to a task assigned on the first day itself. L The meeting with our project guide, and the proceedings at the PAN card mela took so much time that I barely had enough time to go back to hostel and have lunch. I was hoping to have lunch from outside, with a friend, but one shouldn’t hope/expect/assume too much. It really hurts when people close to you hurts you –intentionally or unintentionally. It really does! 

As luck would have it, the coffee shop too was closed. :-| I had to attend the afternoon extra class on an empty grumbling stomach. Grrr.....(that was my stomach!)

After class, a quick decision was made to pay Calicut city a visit, as a phone call informed us that our stitched blouses are awaiting us. The bus journey to city was as horrible as ever. The newly inaugurated fly-over did little to improve the traffic condition. Felt thoroughly exhausted and pukish by the time we reached Westlife. Thankfully, the saree and the blouse had escaped the ‘NewYear curse’ that was cast on the whole day. We bought parcels for dinner. Was dying to get back to hostel asap and lay hands on it. The empty, grumbling stomach, started growling now.

If you are an LH inmate, or an NITC student, or atleast faintly acquainted with the college, and if you exercise your brains a little, you can easily guess the next part of the day. It was 7.25pm when we reached the hostel, and the hostel guards made a fuss for about 15 minutes before we were let in. We weren’t disappointed, nor pissed –atleast we had food to look forward to. Ate (read gobbled) like 3 hungry beggars who saw food for the first time in the year.

The moon looked big, round and orange.

The juniors had arranged a NewYear party at the basketball court(LH) in which they got us all drenched to the core! :-| The rest of the night was spent in chatting and discussing about the coming farewell....and it was by midnight, that I got back to my room. The things-to-do list was lying on the corner of the bed –all the to-do-things, remained as ‘to-do’! I didn’t study even a single word on day 1. Hope the rest of the year, doesn’t turn out to be as ‘perfect’ as this. :-/