To Frankie, the best part of my childhood!

Dear Frankie,

Where do I even begin to describe you? The first time we spoke was probably when I was yelling at you for throwing mud in my lunch in 3rd standard :-D God, how I hated you then ;-) Ironically, it was the time you bit me that we actually became friends by plotting our escape. Agreed that talking to walls isn't as "sophisticated" as we used to think, we even got a few nice remarks back then, but I'd give anything to go back and do the same yet again if I could only have your company.

Dreaming of World tour and making endless plans to shop and sunbathe in Hawaii seemed more doable when we were roaming around Vadavalli, you in your Sunny and me in my TVS 50. So why does it seem almost impossible now when I am earning and you are about to? Speaking of Connor and Evan, both turned out to be crappy choices. But did you know that I still have a crush on Jeremy;-)

I knew we were poles apart, we still are. You were always the hyper one, difficult to handle, jumping to conclusions, always found something to be excited about, fell in love fearlessly and I was like a stone, expressionless, emotionless,clueless,confused, never cared much about anything. Maybe that is why it has worked out so well for us. How many times would we have planned to go out for a movie or a drive but ended up watching Friends reruns at one of our homes:) I still remember your landline number by-heart. We should've never gotten cell phones, probably we'd still be on the phone now rather than writing long touchy blogs. Sigh!

We don't talk often these days, but not a single day has gone by where something or someone has not reminded me of you. If only you were there, I wouldn't put my fist in my mouth and store all those swear words inside, for you'd've told them out loud and I'd be laughing. It is not that we run out of topics to talk about these days, and I am damn sure that somewhere someplace you're thinking of the same thing when you watch Orton do his signature RKO or hear the song Dola Re, read HP or think of FRIENDS. We might have drifted apart, but the 'BOND' is still very much there.

PriyankaVictor, you've made me laugh my ass off plenty of times before. And now you've made me cry (Please don't gloat). Love you always. Best Friend Forever!!!

Don't ask me how I did today's exam.!

There are 3 kinds of people you meet in an Exam Centre.

1. The know-it-alls:

Generally females, sporting specs and a long plait/pony tail bathed in oil, found clustered right in front of the exam hall, they are the gang of people who always sit together and keep repeating the answers to each other in a high-pitched almost Mandrake-ish tone. They are known by different names, the most common being "nerds/geeks", "Padipists" , "Peter parties", etc . They cram up every nook and corner of the book, perhaps even backwards, and have an Obsessive compulsive need to shout it out loud in the name of revising. They enjoy giving a head-ache to the poor souls-particularly "The Cat-on-the walls".

2. The "Cool Dudes":

As the name suggests, they are mostly young Males. They enter the building honking and roaring (sometimes literally) in their sports bikes. Gym body or not, they love to flaunt their branded boxer shorts beneath their low-waist jeans. They know nothing about the subject and come to the exam centre basically because they have already grazed all other pasture land and need some well-deserved sleep. The silence in the hall and the steady sound of the fan is an added advantage. If they are lucky, they might find an almost pretty know-it-all to gawk at in case they are not getting sleep.

3. The "Cat-on-the walls":

These are the mixed breeds, they are not entirely sure if they have studied or not, or if a particular question belongs to the syllabus or not. They do go to the exam hall with the intention of covering the remaining portions once they're there but end up losing all the time in observing what the 'Know-it-alls' and 'Cool-Dudes' are upto. They are flamboyant thinkers, and like to invent stuff as they write which often makes them lose track of time and finish the exam wondering what they were doing for the last 3 hours. If the dreams start getting interesting, they zone out willingly.

Sometimes, they even think of what to write on their long-awaiting blog post.

Random things I wish to say to people

@Sandy: Oddly enough, you’re still the first person I think of calling when I come across a handsome dude on the street :)

@Dinky: Whenever I get frustrated at work and think if I’ve made a wrong career choice, your image appears in front of me, rolling your eyes and saying in that cocky tone of yours ,”Duh..!”. No matter how far apart we are, you’ll always be my best partner in crime :)

@Manu: If I were a Psychology major, you’d definitely be my research material and I’d do my dissertation on you. ‘Coz you’re that interesting. Not that you aren’t an irreplaceable nut-case ;) Btw, if HP really did exist, you’d make an amazing Ron Weasley (for your expressions, I mean).

@Vaish: I guess even if I become as old as my granny, I’d still have that compulsive need to call you and give you an up-to-date of what’s happening. An event doesn’t seem complete without me telling you about it and hearing what you have to say about that:)

@Divi: Best pillow ever:) You have always been that balancing act in everything. With you around I don’t have to be cautious of what I say ‘cos I know you’ll take it in the way I meant it.

@Paps: I am ‘there’ until you are there. I guess I’d be long gone if it weren’t for you. You are fine the way you are, please don’t think too much :)

@Shuba & Nivi: You gals=awesome fun:) Can’t remember a single moment of us together without us crazily laughing our heads off.

Guess that’s enough for now. Adios!

To Hell and back!

Finally its over. Freedom at last. Freedom to dream more, wake up late, read what i want, roam around, watch tv AND do all this without any guilt. Those sleepless, anxiety filled nights (only 2,but still) are over. Man, the amount of concentration I put in and the different strategies I came up with to somehow fall asleep is really amazing. I mean would anyone ever, by chance, hire me for thinking up cool dreams? Na, the world has lost its creativity. They say they want people who 'think out of the box'( a term I absolutely hate and I swear to god I'll give the finger to anyone that uses it in front of me again) but when we actually do, we're supposedly not good enough as those nerds who did nothing but mug and puke out what was said centuries ago by even worse nerds who didn't even have the common sense to eat an apple when it fell on their head. Anyways, back to trying to get to sleep, counting the sheep doesn't work anymore. What the hell is the deal with those damn sheep?? Why the hell do they have to suddenly turn into beautiful white dear and make even counting that interesting??? Every other time when I don't get sleep, the most interesting programme on tv would be my Paati's Telugu-dubbed Tamil serial. But on the night before the exam, they HAD to show a sexy photo shoot of RK and make my already-weak heart even weaker. I tell you, Paulo Coelho is just crazy. Out of my personal, not-so-pleasurable experience I say, "When you truly want something in life, the whole universe conspires AGAINST you in making it as shitty as possible for you achieve it." I never get tired of saying it, Life's cruel. I don't even get time to savour this moment in peace as I got another one of 'those' tomorrow. Hope I sleep sound and don't screw it up yet again tomorrow.

I am confused. I am mad. Going crazier by the minute. Don't know why, but the world doesn't seem so peaceful anymore. College did suck but I guess I'd happily stay there if it that would help me escape my near future. Always searching for a bigger wall to hit my head, for not learning to study when i was younger, and a lot more tameable. The 'What ifs' are ruling my life, thousand questions battering my head. Wherever i turn, there are people who're suddenly interested in knowing what i'm gonna do with my life. Finding solace in other people's misery never runs out of fashion, does it? Then i'd have to muster up the courage to come with a whole load of crap like, "No, i'm just taking one step at a time, let's see what happens." This kind of stuff shouldn't bother me, I know. But i just want something, anything to think about other than THE thing that i keep fighting off, but which i'm afraid is gonna give me a tumour anytime now.

IPL-II

I still remember last year, 10th May '08, evening 4:30, me and my sister driving d vehicle as fast as v can to the Chepauk stadium in Chennai to watch the last league match between Chennai Super Kings and Kings XI Punjab(the match were Balaji took a hatrick and Chennai won in style)...that was one day which i can never forget...right from the entry of ace drummer Sivamani, grand entrance by the team members, their practice session before the match,floodlights,the excitement in the air, and every single sight and sound is still very clear in my mind....What a day it was!! I simply loved the match...there is something special and soulful about the crowd in India which can never be found anywhere else in the world...we were all so passionate about the whole thing....even a dot ball by our bowlers were met with a big cheer and a huge blow from our li'l custom made trumpets..all of us were standing on the thin chair and jumping up and down for almost every single ball...
God, i miss all that now....this year's IPL is a big let down...why is it even called an Indian Premiere League if its not happening here...the game looks so dull without the bright colours and familiar unruly crowd of India....the people of SA are watching it as if it were a tennis game, sitting and clapping occasionally....there is no fun in it...most of all,the stadium lacks the sound....except for Sivamani's music, there's nothing over there which pumps energy to the players....all of it looks very dull...even the TRP's for IPL-2 is way lower than that of the first edition..not that i'm not watching the matches though,i just hope all this changes and the people of SA let their guards down and soon learn to enjoy in Indian style...only then IPL-2 will be more interesting and succeed in making a mark here....

Being cautious or obsession with consequences??

The beauty of life lies in its utter unpredictability....does it take too much for people to understand this?? i don't understand the need of people to know what's gonna happen to them each and every minute....why can't they just wait it out and enjoy the time they've got at present? this is total insanity....i'm a person who always looks out for an element of mystery in everything i do...after all, what's the use of "trying" something new, knowing fully well how it's gonna turn out...people, in the name of being cautious, really freak me out...life as such is so much fun...if they can just let it be and sit back and relax (ie.,shut up and do their work) without fussing about their would-be great grand daughter's future,everything will turn out well...just for once take your best friend,board the first bus that comes your way,(i'm talking in my range here...of course you can catch a plane or go to Himalayas if you can) get down when you get bored with the ride, explore the place,roam around well without thinking about what'll happen if you get lost,or what if you get kidnapped or fall into a well, you'll get a li'l idea of what i'm talking about here....

Don't let yourself be a victim of the 'consequences phobia' or whatever...try something new,enjoy the time you have now and have FUN...for, "when you look back in your life, you'll always regret the stuff you haven't done rather than the ones you have"...or in typical bollywood style-"क्या पता, कल हो न हो !!!"

The Kite Runner-Khaled Hosseini

This is one of the most touching books that i've read in recent times...usually i don't like such touchy-feely tragedies but this one is an exception...the true hero of the story is Hassan..he wins the heart of the readers right away and remains to be the favourite throughout the story though he comes only for about 1/4th part of it....the lifestyle of Afghanistan, with all its caste and status issues,the way Taliban rule affected the lives of so many in Kabul and other areas etc., is brought out beautifully by the author....this book can break even the toughest of people and create its place in their heart...one of the finest books i've read so far and a must-read for anyone who likes sensitive, emotional kind of books....its definitely worth reading....

BLUR-as cool as it can get !!!

Blur...3 floors of absolute gaming fun in the sathyam theatre complex in Chennai...i'd gone to Chennai during my study hols two weeks before and boy,am i glad or what?? my sister took me to this super cool place which is like a heaven for all gaming freaks...even people who're not much into gaming will go crazy behind these games...it didn't seem to be a big deal back then but to think that i spent more than 500 bucks there that single day,i should've really gone mad...but who wouldn't? though all games where great, my favourite was the sword game i played in PS-3 in the top floor(which unfortunately burnt up half of my pocket money, and which in turn i made my sister reimburse later)...i could've happily settled in that very couch if it weren't for the money factor....still i had llloottttssaaaaa fun there...a very memorable experience:-)

Chinmaya Vidyalaya-those were great days!!!

This is where i spent the best part of 14 yrs of my life...i just loved my school life...it was, is and will forever be the most cherished days of my life..whatever i am now(not much i know,but still) is only because of the wonderful experiences i had during my time at school...though each and every moment spent on the school campus is memorable,there are a few very special incidents that i'd like to share with you here...

1. School tours:
'Wow' is the word that comes to my mind when i think of those amazing tours we had....amazing not because of the places we went(cos it ws jus the clichéd places like kodai,yercaud,madras etc), but only 'cos of the fun we had as a gang...man,it was awesome....those great boat rides in kodaikanal and thekkadi,flicking toys and other souvenirs so to speak(not me) from shops along the way, some 20 of us singing at the top of our voices in marina beach,whole night chatting, going rounds around campus at midnight,dancing(or something like it) in bus...whew,the list is endless...school tours were the best:-)

2. Happy Holi:
This is one story which we tell anyone who'd listen...when i was in 9th std, me and my friends decided to do something colourful in school and played holi...unfortunately for us, the class room we 'modernized' was a centre for 12th public exams to be held later that week...so the authorities got tensed and chased us around to punish....myself and 3 of my friends luckily escaped home before being caught...but the next day in the assembly we were all called and were suspended for a day and were assigned to our P.T master to help him around the whole day...little did they know that the P.T sir hated them as much as we did and let us play in the ground the entire day happily...at last the punishment was more fun than the so called crime for which we were caught;-)

3. Bond classes:
Bond-the ultimate class teacher that anyone can hope to get...don't know when this nick name came into existence or by whom, but since then students from generations to generations have followed it...in fact very few of us in school know his real name...anyways, he was our class teacher for the 2 most important years in school life-11th & 12th...he was also our commerce as well as accounts teacher and as such handled more than 4hrs each day...me and my gang of friends were his pet students cos we managed to score fine and at least pretended to respect him...we learnt texting, chit passing, hearing music through headphones,eating our canteen special bonda and kacha mango which was a rage back then, playing bingo,gossips and my fav pass time sleeping etc etc only in bond classes...he is an icon for us cos it is he who prepared us all to face college practically....we all owe you,sir!!!

4. Strike:
We were the only batch in the history of our school to carry out a strike (successfully)...when we entered 11th std our whole management changed and the new head replaced our old( great) teachers with new ones who couldn't even manage a single sentence in english without stammering...we got furious and demanded them to bring back our teachers back if they wanted us to attend the classes as usual....well, it worked and by lunch few of our teachers resumed work..it was a group effort by the entire batch and we were looked upon as inspirations by our juniors(that part was funny)...

School life just rocked....if i ever get the opportunity to go back in time, i'd select the last two years of my school life and live it again and again...i can never get enough of those memories....those were really great days!!!

The Fountainhead!!!

I don't know from where to start or how...this book is THE best one i've ever read...i really don't know how to express what i feel about the book but i can't just let it go without writing at least a few lines about it...first of all, the characterization is just perfect...never before have the characters of a novel been so simple yet so complex at the same time...Dominique, Howard, Gail, Ellsworth...wow!!! what varieties of character...the games played by human mind is far more significant and deadly than any stunt ever done... the theory of the creator and the second-hander put forth by the author is truly amazing...we can't help but wonder which category we belong to...the nature of human beings has never been put so plainly and clearly...it is true that compromise and sacrifice have become indisputable virtues while personal integrity is treated as a social evil...to say that i loved the book because the characters are so complex and real would just make me another Peter Keating...but then we are all Peter Keatings of the world, aren't we?....we are constantly in need for appreciation, with a little tinge of insecurity, a feeling of not being sure about what we do...this is where the book complements 'the alchemist' that if we pursue what we REALLY want in life we are sure to succeed immaterial of the odds against us...

Well, this book has truly touched my heart...so i'd suggest everyone to read this (with a li'l patience which you'll need initially) so that you can understand and feel what exactly i'm trying to convey through this post...people who've read this book please back me up here, for, i'm sure you'd agree with me...