Musings

March 28, 2012

Roots

When I started college, it was a huge change. New people, new place, new things to study. And I missed school quite a lot at times. Suddenly, some memory would take hold of my head and I would go spiralling around the web of nostalgia. I had known I would miss school…who doesn’t? After spending roughly 12 years in a place, you’re bound to have made many happy memories.

But what I didn’t expect was the strong wave of nostalgia which washed over me a few days back when our batch photograph was being taken in college. Now that I looked at the pictures, bitter-sweet memories keep coming in and I keep smiling. I will now miss college just as much as school it seems! Even though I’ve spent only 3 years here. I didn’t expect such a strong feeling of…loss, y’know?

Life keeps moving on, and people go out of touch. But then, it’s the tiny roots you keep sprouting out everywhere.

Wherever you stay long enough, you anchor yourself there by sending tiny little roots into the place. And then when you have to move on, you have to wrench those roots out and move on. Again, wherever you go next, you will, unknowingly and involuntarily, grow some more roots. It’s just natural.

I guess it’s these roots which help human beings become social beings. Without these roots, you’ll never feel like you belong. And belongingness is a good thing, right?

March 22, 2012

What are you ‘destined’ to do?

As I told you all some time back, I had to go to Mumbai for my interview for an institute there. The trip was quite hectic, and taking into consideration the fact that this was my first ever attempt at a GD (Group Discussion) and formal PI (Personal Interview), let’s not even talk about the state of my nerves for two days.

So anyway, the GDPI went off quite well (I think), but more than memories of how it went, I carried away memories of a different sort. I made a few new friends, I got to learn a little bit of Marathi (Mumbai is the state capital of Maharashtra) and stayed in some awesome high-rise buildings (both my relatives whom I stayed with, live at the 10th and 8th floor. For me, this was really cool as Delhi doesn’t have too many high-rises. Mumbai however seemed to be made up of mainly buildings with anything more than five floors. Always).

I now realize that for me, more than this being a question of whether I’ll be coming to attend my masters course here, it was more about coming out of the life that I’m living everyday, and entering a totally new situation. It was a sort of…coming-of-age (don’t you dare laugh). After school, college was definitely a huge change. New people, new hangouts, new things to do. Life changed. And this time, as I went around Mumbai, I felt so much more grown-up. I never knew I could make friends so fast (though the fact that we had to wait for a few hours with nothing to do but chat might have contributed to it). And not just ‘you’re-sitting-next-to-me-so-lets-talk-random-stuff friends. I think I left the institute the second day with a wonderful feeling of having met people who would actually be friends for me even later on in life (we’re already back in touch, thankfully).

The day I reached Mumbai, I got to know that a person I knew there was no longer present; she had taken her own life. She was a bubbly, kind, happy person and I’m saying this after having met her only once. Memories of that one meeting with her kept flashing in my mind and I haven’t still been able to completely take the pain out of the memory. It’s surprising how some people can leave an  impression on you without having met you ever before.

But, this trip was quite something. Though I couldn’t go to many of the ‘touristy’ places, it was still wonderful. but I also missed my own city so much while I was there!

Can you ever actually love a place as much as where you grew up?

March 18, 2012

Tag! I’m it

On Windy Days…this was a tough one! That is, the making up of new questions. But I’m done! At last :P

Here are the rules:

  1. You must post the rules.
  2. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post and then create eleven new questions to ask the people you’ve tagged.
  3. Tag eleven people and link to them on your post.
  4. Let them know you’ve tagged them!
It’s pretty exciting. Well…here are my questions (and answers)
Well, since you’ve been tagged…that obviously means you have a blog. What led you to create it?
My blog for me is a place I can talk about anything and everything that touches me, excites me, amuses me, hurts me, overwhelms me. Writing for me is kind of therapeutic. And it lets me put my thoughts into perspective.
What country are you from, and if you had the opportunity what country would      you like to visit?
I’m an Indian. And as for where I want to go…can I say all over the world? I just LOVE travelling. But I guess the places on the top of my list are Italy, U.K., Austria, Spain, Egypt.
If you were an animal, what kind of animal would you be?
A dolphin
What is the last book that you read, and did you enjoy it?
The last book I read was ‘Sybil’ by Flora Rheta Schreiber. I enjoyed it thoroughly…it’s a brilliant insight into the life of a woman suffering from Multiple Personality Disorder. The fact that she has not one, not two or three, but sixteen different personalities, makes it an absolutely engrossing read.
What is the one greatest piece of advice that you have had the opportunity to receive from someone?
This advice didn’t exactly come from a person, but it is definitely a very very important thing to remember : Those who matter, don’t mind; those who mind, don’t matter.
If you could trade places with any other person for a week, famous or not famous, living or dead, real or fictional. With whom would it be?
No one really.
If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?
Flying :D
If someone wrote a biography about you, what do you think the title would be?
A Smile & A Laugh
How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
Funny, Friendly, Caring
Who has had the most impact in your life?
My parents
How did you first find this blog?
Oh gosh…I don’t even remember anymore. I think I reached ‘On Windy Days’ through somebody else’s blog. That’s all I can remember!
And now…my questions :
  1. Which part of the world do you live in and what is your favourite thing about this place?
  2. If you could go way back in time and observe the life of some historical figure, who would it be and why?
  3. How did you come up with your blog’s title?
  4. Mention any 2 hobbies of yours.
  5. What would you choose if you had to write a book – a typewriter or a laptop? And why?
  6. What kind of movies do you like?
  7. What are your views on Disney’s animated movies?
  8. What is it that inspires you on a daily basis?
  9. Which 5 words would you use to describe yourself?
  10. If you could choose between Wisdom and Luck, which one would you pick?
  11. What, for you, is the most precious thing on earth?

Next up are the people I will tag

Teenage Babbling

Musings of a Twenty-Something

Belle of The Carnival’s Blog

Certainly not lost down under

Aliza’a Window

It’s not eleven people, but then that much cheating is allowed I guess :P

February 27, 2012

Serious Indeed

Did I mention I’m suffering from the Big Block? Writer’s Block, to be more precise. And of course weird, half-formed fears, anxieties and thrills related to the future don’t always help; I’ve either bitten off all my nails (and then mourned their loss) or have been spinning beautiful, hopeful dreams.

It is true then…writing about writer’s block helps you get some writing done at least. Thanks for the idea Darla!

Well….uh…um.

Okay.

Alright. Here’s a Calvin and Hobbes strip to break the tension (caused by me phasing out yet again and not knowing what to write). This is being called the last C&H comic. I am so depressed. I loved these guys so much.

Speaking of depressed, Y U NO LIKE MY PHOTOBLOG?? :'(

(Sorry. Couldn’t resist trolling. So many troll faces all around)

February 17, 2012

Mrs. Sparkly’s Ten Commandments

Someone named Mrs. Sparkly has sent me a message through Steph. She wants me to honestly answer ten questions about myself and then send the message on to some others. The fact that Mrs. Sparkly is commanding me to do this is slightly eerie. I’ve never before been commanded around by anyone with a name like that.

Well Mrs. Sparkly, here goes

1. Describe yourself in seven words.

Friendly, Humorous, Responsible (so people say), Fun, Sensitive, Whimsical, Loving.

2. What keeps you up at night?

Insomnia of course. Unless it’s the imagined apparitions lurking around the foot of my bed. Heh.

3. Whom would you like to be?

Myself! I don’t love everything about myself (like, who does?), but I wouldn’t want to be anybody else unless it’s just a better version of me :D

4. What are you wearing now?

Blue and grey Goofy nightsuit

5. What scares you?

While I’d love to say that I’m a fearless young woman, out to change the world, I can’t. I’m scared of quite a lot of stupid stuff. Their is no situation of incapacitating fear however.

6. What are the best and worst things about blogging?

Best : The pleasure of being able to write and write, whatever you want. Also, as a consequence, getting acquainted with so many other wonderful bloggers.

Worst : Needs a lot of time (which I don’t have right now) to satisfactorily maintain it

7. What was the last website you looked at?

Facebook

8. If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?

One thing? Only?

9. Slankets, yes or no?

No. Way. They look quite hideous, like you’re wearing a tent. Nuh-uh.

10. Tell us something about the person who tagged you.

I was tagged by Steph from ‘Certainly not lost down under’. Her blog is pretty amazing as she puts up some wonderful poems by some great poets and poetesses. She’s also been posting a few songs. Steph was one of the first people to give me a blog award and I can therefore never ever thank her enough (because I’m such a baby when it comes to blog awards. I simply love getting them).

And now…the people to whom I must pass on Mrs. Sparkly’s message :-

Runa

Saumya

Manshi

Ayesha

Bella

February 15, 2012

Valentine’s Day and Feminism

I had to write up an article about this, and I turned to Google. As I skimmed through the many blogposts which discussed how V-Day and feminism get along, it was easy to spot a few predominant types. So here’s how my article went :-

What is Valentine’s Day like for feminists? Is it still filled with flowers, chocolates and gifts wrapped in gauzy pink paper? Most probably not. A feminist’s V-Day would rather include buying gifts for themselves, campaigning for freedom of marriage rights (after all, St. Valentine was arrested and executed by King Claudius II for marrying off Christian couples against his wishes), spending time with family and best friends or attending a performance of the Vagina Monologues.

The feminist approaches to this day are varied. Many are cynical about the concept – why the need to single out one day for love? Also, at the end of the day, it’s just a way of commercializing love. There are also those who think that the media’s projection of this day reiterates the depiction of women as the more dumb gender, which always graciously accepts all apologies just because they are accompanied by flowers, gifts, chocolates and teddy bears.

The most extreme approach may be of the hardcore feminists who believe that Valentine’s Day is a shame as it again emphasizes on the need for a man to ‘complete’ a woman; this idea of course is something these feminists abhor.

The day still enjoys a great popularity, but the cynical, revolted voices of dissent have made themselves heard.

There are obviously a few things I didn’t put in there, like how all the red, pink, hearts, satin, velvet, red ribbon bows and streamers repel me. I understand flowers and personal gifts, but what is the need for all those heart-shaped things everywhere? Ugh *shudder*

 

Some people will say that all the cynicism expressed for this day is actually a form of contempt from those who are secretly in denial about the fact that they love all this mushiness just as much as others.

I do NOT agree.

If my boyfriend (when one comes along sometime in the course of my life) ever gets me red and pink fluffy hearts and pink teddy-bears, it will be time again to enjoy solitary-ness.

I’m not against Valentine’s Day, and neither am I particularly against the gifting and all, but what is the use of making it such a factory-made day? Fluffy hearts? Seriously?

January 29, 2012

Evolution

With the coming of a very new world, even some viruses and bacteria have started evolving and walking past genial, well-meaning antibiotics or other medicines who are as old as grandpas (at least from the point of view of since how long they’ve been launched) and wrecking havoc on our bodies with the least bit of respect for their veteran enemies. These no-good bugs have evolved according to many doctors and all. Hence they are no longer affected by the medicines that earlier produced more-than-satisfactory results within no time. Goodbye dear old-timers. You need to retire and make way for a new army which is better equipped to fight these germs.

So, we can basically put it as this – staying around something long enough, makes you get used to it and then it doesn’t affect you as much. This may be for good or for bad. In the case of disease causing microorganisms, it is not good. At all.

Why am I bumbling away about germs? Well, putting aside the fact that I have a slight cold again (with my nose getting blocked and unblocked according to its own whims and fancies, but mostly making me roam around the house wheezing like a whatsit), what got me thinking of evolution was when I was in the train on my way to Madhya Pradesh for our recent holiday. Our train departed from the station at an inhuman timing which was sometime at the crack of dawn (we literally saw the ‘crack of dawn’. It really cracks in a manner of speaking. Suddenly, the sunlight’s creeping in. Good phrase. I approve). Anyway, the timing doesn’t really matter. That was just me whining. So anyway, when we were passing the beautiful green (or yellow, in case of mustard plants) fields, I saw innumerable scarecrows stationed at (supposedly) strategic points in the fields. And there were actually no birds on the plants.

Why?

You would think that having lived with these straw-headed, stick-sized things ever since their great-great-great-…..-great grandparents came into existence, this form of life would have gotten it into their heads that these straw thingies are not real. You meant to say that ever since scarecrows were envisioned and then created, birds have as of yet not realized that it’s not an actual person? What the hell happened to evolution here? I mean seriously!

Maybe they need Guidance Counsellors. Can’t you just imagine a person going and running amok in a field, encouraging his/her feathered friends to come…come and attack the bountiful produce of the earth? *sigh*

Maybe bird-sized brains actually aren’t a good thing to have.

Disclaimer : I love birds. I really do. But they need to move on

January 10, 2012

“You is kind, you is smart, you is important”

The Help (2011)

Everybody needs to watch this movie. Really. Sometimes, serious movies can be so heart-warming. This is one of those movies.

Aibileen Clark has realised that she has the power to make the white kids she looks after, believe that they are important. Her own son was killed even as she continued loving and caring for the children of white women who do not have the time to do so themselves.

I love a good cry once in a while. The sort of tears which come out because of that warm feeling in your heart. I think that’s quite therapeutic.

(I know I’m supposed to post the last part of the M.P. trip. But I just had to write about this first)