Like Magic

I had funny thought yesterday, well, it finally struck my head, that in a week, my third term was going to start... the third and final term of the school year, the final term of my school years. It was quite hard to grasp, for an emtional twist was added on.... so i decided to do what i do... write a poem about it...and voilà! I think i many would feel the same way as they reach the end of the first major part of their lives - the school days. But, its time to carry on naa.....

Twelve magical years
Have passed oh so swiftly
In a beat of a heart,
In a glimpse of a second

It started out, an upside down fairytale
Only to ripen into an epic drama,
The only unwritten Shakespearean grandeur,
The never been scored Mozart symphony.

The memories hover in the air like the hummingbird,
Sunnily relishing the sweet nectar of the last bloom
Yet, conspicuously, ever turbulent, swirling
Like the ball in the last hoop of the season.

A birth of innocence in childhood,
Molded into more tricksy behaviour,
Tremendous excitement coupled,
Zipping through the galaxy, never to stop

Brimming my mind with
Ideas, ideals, culture, and life
Carving its way to the deepest of thoughts
Strangest of emotions
Discovering a new path to tread

The second home
The place not known for the education
But the love and warmth
Cascading and drowning infinitely

The friendships that blossomed
The wings that spread
Every second enjoyed, brought
The brightest of smiles
The most beautiful people

Magical indeed they were, the reminiscence
Of the past will live on in another dimension
Revisited every once in a while
Through yearbooks, pictures, and tea-table talks

A tear drop falls, a snowflake star
Shatters like crystal, shards in all directions
Smudging the very last words,
The reflections of a past experiences

Now, the future awaits the beginning of a new epic.
The quill is set, the ink is drawn
And the now the beginning, back to innocence

And it feels like magic.

Year 7 : Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Rowling Names Last Book In Potter Saga

By Reuters
Friday December 22, 11:26 AM
By Paul Majendie
LONDON (Reuters) - British author J.K. Rowling revealed on Thursday that the long-awaited seventh and final book in her wizard saga will be called "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," sparking the next phase of Pottermania.
Fans of the series that has already sold an estimated 300 million copies worldwide were kept guessing with the publication date not set -- although that did not stop one U.S. bookseller from starting to take reservations.
The intriguing and ominous title had Potter aficionados puzzling over what might happen to the bespectacled hero.
"Will a favorite character die? Could Harry himself face a grisly demise? How will it all end?" asked Sam Harrison, children's buyer at the British bookchain Waterstone's.
"But surely the question all Potter fans will want answering as soon as possible is -- when can they get their hands on a copy?"
Rowling, whose creation has turned her into one of the world's richest and most successful authors, revealed on her Web site this week "I'm now writing scenes that have been planned, in some cases, for a dozen years or even more."
"I am alternately elated and overwrought. I both want, and don't want, to finish this book (don't worry, I will)."
She said in the diary entry on her official Web site (www.jkrowling.com) that Potter had now inveigled his way into her dreams.
"For years now, people have asked me whether I ever dream that I am 'in' Harry's world," Rowling wrote. "The answer was 'no' until a few nights ago when I had an epic dream in which I was, simultaneously, Harry and the narrator."
But she gave no clues as to what will happen at the end of the upcoming book, amid speculation that some of the characters, possibly Harry himself, will die.

SciFi Challenge!

$1000 for a short sci-fi story! Who wouldn’t want to put in their heads into it?!
Only thing is, these shouldn’t be short, they should be really really short! As in a sentence or two or less! And must be science fiction and must be a story with a beginning and end… or neverending?!. Writing long epics is much easier than this challenge! Well I gave it a shot with a couple of stories here. I need to choose one … and hoping your ideas will help… I don’t mind parting with some of the prize money!


Tired he fell onto the bed. He kept falling.

This galaxy is my gift to you.

Time slowed down on the ship headed for the black hole. It never stopped.

Gordy had never eaten humans before.

Start time. 0 s – nothing. BANG! 10^-43 s – everything.

He said “What the heck?!” and saved God from the Universe.

The sun went nova. It was silent.

Adam said yes. Eve said no. No one could question.

Input: Can entropy be reversed?
Output: ……...analyzing……...

“We’ve just deciphered the cosmic noise! It’s HELP?!”

Hell! Here We Come!!

Once again, I found myself falling down the endless abyss which leads to that heavenly place we call Hell. Indeed sublime at first glance; those vivid crimson hues over cauldrons boiling with freshly s(k)inned mortals (the fragrant incense of burning flesh), those refreshing fountains of blood and carmine cascades, those placid black seas over borne with exultant drowning souls, those lovely trails through the charred, blistered forests, and of course the eternal abundance of the sweet absence of light and warmth. One mustn’t miss the sight of the dark hooded knights with their most splendorous sharp silver shimmering sabers who usually soar through the meadows with new batches of aspiring slaves.

Hell’s that ubiquitous, upside-down, inside-out world that everyone’s been dreaming of. Its machinery is always in a lively state of perpetual destruction in worlds beyond its own. I had this special once-in-a-lifetime rendezvous with that ever sinister Mr. Devil this time, whose external features are quite amusing; with a Snap-It-On pointy tail which comes along with the Snap-It-On pointy ears packaged especially in time for Christmas. He’s really got that appeal for the ladies as well, with his characteristic insanely gelled jet black hair… Yowza! (But you never should get on his good side as he’s quite short tempered and morphs into his more comical scary avatar and his hair makes a roller coaster twirls as it is electrified into sharp clustered pins (giving a new meaning to the term pinhead… hope he doesn’t see this!)).

Well at least I’m not the first who discovered this wondrous land and this eccentric personality. Hell’s not quite far from the present state of affairs. It would take some time for you guys to actually meet busy old Mr. Devil, but you will soon enough! (Most probably, because I hear the golden gates of heaven are rusting.) It seems only more than obvious, with the ludicrous decisions people make these days with desires to procure envy and jealousy, along with desires to hurt and kill even more prominent. I swear on Mr. Devil, such thoughts do necessarily rule our mind, and denying such fact means you are quite enthusiastic in taking the faster route to Hell. Have you never felt hatred towards anyone, (even your closest friends? Teachers? …highly possible), such that you wanted them to make them suffer the worlds most horrifying tortures… Right!…now that we’ve are on same terms… I think you would quite as much agree on my hellish notions that Hell is the place-to-be. Oh no worries! I guarantee you’d enjoy yourself there, more than where you are now!

(Just between you and me, I’m paid for this. My job is to recruit sinful, happiness-destroying, mad, insane, cynical, insignificant, fruitless, brainless, insipid, pieces of contaminated humanity, mortals like yourself to the extravagance and ecstasy of Hell)… Start changing, or Start packing! :)

EPISODE I : Where did all this rapturous rhapsody come from?

Now follows a bunch of higgledy-piggledy slices of madness, ;)

I remember the days, when I was just a normal kid doing things what normal kids would do. Sitting alone at my desk, copying notes from the board, and of course the occasional flirting in between class hours. The people around me had an aim – they aspired that I would one day get into IIT or AIIMS and make life out of metal or syringes. Now that does sound a bit freaky! ‘cause I ain’t the one deciding.
I find it excessively amusing that from the marks I have chalked up over the years, my best of friends still actually mistake me for that overworked, studious, assiduous, brainy geek of a person. Indeed, if such was fact, I would be leading a multibillion dollar business by now… which apparently am not, though I really wish it be reality. That brings me back to being that normal kid I told you about.
Money, fame, wine and women, would top the list of my possessions when I’m a celebrity at Tinseltown… as would for all celebrities. Then again, I’ve been reading about philosophical madness and even written quite a few papers on “Transience of Life” (hmm.. wonder what that means?). Anyhow, creativity is my fountainhead. Since birth, I’ve constantly been trying to explore new ideas, new frontiers and such.
The statement I’d put my heart and soul into “A culture is as great as its dreams.” To make a great culture, we’ve got to dream big and you’ve got make them count. Many of you would be surprised, if I tell you that my “role model” is actually Tom Cruise. Apart from his stunning appeal, I love his almost perfect portrayal of the characters and his generosity as a person (of course, not referring to his wealth in terms of money).
The Arts are what genuinely inspire me… whether it be painting, sculpture, literature, drama, music… these are what are going to live through time… (well at least the good ones). Maybe… just maybe an extra-being would actually unearth a statue of me in the far future… I can still dream can’t I? lol…
So where did all this rapturous rhapsody come from? .... (Hmm havn't you guessed yet?;)

MORDOR

This poem is for that special someone who took my heart away, and couldn't keep it, but gave it back... will it still beat as before?
This is the finale ... the inevitable sequel to Ardor, most probably the last of my poetic pursuits (lol ...yea rite!!). So once again, here's to that someone...

To face the world in shadow
To be blinded by darkness
To exist in obscurity
To forfeit hope

To drown in tears
To give in to grief
To dwindle joyousness
To cry to sleep

To lie down miserably
To wake up wretchedly
To snicker sprightly
To pride on idiocy

To thrive in ridicule
To flourish in fallacy
To renounce vehemently
To demean sentiments

To accept defeat
To despise oneself
To flicker in doubt
To appraise apathy

Love sojourn once
Remains unbearably mystifying
To come and go, oh so simply?
Never… it shall endure eternally

Sci-fi propels writer into a new world

For all those, who havn't seen the papers lately... Priya, the young author of the year... though she doesnt like to write?... well in any case... she defintly deserves praise... so a toast to Priya for breaking free and doing what she feels... and doing it good! ..cheers!!
(now should follow a clang of champagne glasses...)

this is here is the article on her from Deccan Chronicle dated october 27, 2006::

That is not what I want to be,” says Priya the young writer and a class 12 student of Chinmaya Vidyalaya. Her prodigious feat saw her emerge as one of the 16 finalists selected from 1,20,000 students from over 4,000 schools across 15 cities in the contest, organised by ITC Ltd. titled ‘Classmate Young Author Contest.’

One would have thought that winning a story writing contest and the story finding its way into a book edited by none other than Ruskin Bond would have been reason enough for C. Priya to think of literary pursuits. But strangely enough, that is not what she dreamed of. “I am not a literary person, my inclination is towards singing and playing basketball,” says confident Priya. Apart from that, she also loves music and is very keen on western classics. “I like listening to John Denver and Carol King,” confides the teenager. Or perhaps, like all teenagers she wrestles with the dilemma that plagued Hamlet — to be or not to be.

The contestants were asked to choose from four topics — Chain Reaction, incognito, Clueless and Dream Factory. Priya being a science fiction aficionado, chose the first topic. The story that she penned can be likened to what transpired in the Stephen Spielberg classic ET or nearer home Koi Mil Gaya, but the similarity ends there. In Priya’s story, the protagonist is the alien and it revolves around his experience with a little boy. Like Priya, all the 16 finalists have their stories published in a book ironically titled, Stairway to Nowhere and edited by the much loved and admired writer of children’s stories, Ruskin Bond.

Humane Hearts

This poem was inspired by one of the most bizzare experiences I have come across with recently. It really is wonderful to search for the hearts in people and all the more exciting to actually find them.

The spirit of humanity glides along amity,
Even when thrust to face a nobody.

An odious detestation brews frustration.
Inherency to dislike isn’t obvious.

But when log upon log crash down the stream,
One finds themselves incensed yet once more.

Deplorable acts frisk further contempt,
Further contempt frisk unsullied animosity,

Acceptance of a mistake committed
However, is far more a difficult task,
And even more, an apology to ask,

Whilst doubt remains, the heart repents,
Whilst doubt still remains, the soul cries.

To the one, whose clemency quite profound
Forgives much too easily, too casually,
Who sheds ego as simply as another’s treasure
To have any reason to flaunt his cowardice?

Or is in rather an inscrutable deeper thought -
Is he showing pusillanimity?
Or is it more like magnanimity?

Like all beliefs and trusts indeed
This too – dependent on perception
Yet again, isn’t every person human enough
To pardon a misdeed punished by guilt?

To truly be human, is to be ever on quest
Searching for the heart as heavenly as heaven.

One needn’t look far, for the spirit of humanity
Shall never sway from friendship and amity.

Enchanting Existence

This here is another poem on love, this time some thought went to it... so it does have a bit of meaning if you try to understand it. The feel of poetry is always more important than the meaning behind it.

Love, classic conflict
Twixt sentiments distinct

Amusing, when one tries to deny
True affection being puerile,
By reasons of peculiar skepticism,
More than elusive mysticism,

Yet, one doesn’t know the inner feeling
Which hides far beneath every feeling

Love, pure and immaculate
Thought of as an euphoric enigma,

One doesn’t describe it,
Rather shouldn’t describe it,
For essence is lost
If one is able to decipher it

Uncertainty romances romance
Certainty revolts romance

Now and then,
Bitter as Californian cranberries
Then and now,
Sweet as Swiss strawberries

Making men lose rationality,
Rejoice in reflective spoonerisms
Succumb to sober solicitations
Crack concomitant contradictions
Tussle with tempestuous trauma
Awaken quiescent quintessence
Dissolve deific virginity
Confide confidential ineptitude

To love to be in love,
An enchanting existence indeed

Life, as a Musical

Life is becoming dull, mind-numbing, monotonous, humdrum, and whatever dreary word out there you can exploit. Face it! Our world is going to hell quicker than you can say “Freaky Fruity Champagne”.

It’s raining outside, and you are looking out your window, onto that luscious green lawn of yours. Two flamboyant little robins are perched on the tree, dodging the sparkling, limpid raindrops which make a tune of their own as they strike the ground. You, in that frisky mood, feel like breaking free, you run out there and dance in the rain… you sing, you frolic, you swirl, you whirl, you twirl, till you fall flat on the wet ground. Your mom’s there at the doorway, with that unwavering, sharp piercing eyes staring at your, now limp, wet body as you walk up the stairs. That sure destroyed the moment, didn’t it?!

What would make the world a much better place is if it were like a big, extravagant musical. Think about it, life would be great if it were like a Broadway spectacular. For no apparent or explained reason, ordinary people would burst into song. Everyday people like you and I would croon our inner feelings to the world. No one would even notice our self-indulgence and lack of talent.

It would be a wonderful sight to behold young couples serenading to their quixotic tunes at the parks. A furious brawl could turn into a lively, sprightly bout of voices. A girl sobbing at the porch would soothe her soul as she hums melancholy tones. Children would sing as they cavort to school. The waiters at the restaurants pirouette as they bring the dishes to your table, and you even thank them by singing with your euphonious voice. Why not? Even the flowers shall undulate with the melody.

Surely, that would be an exhilarating life. It would bring back that spirit, that upbeat, that chutzpah that’s been sleeping inside us and would let us break free! So try it out… Life, as a musical. After all, singing is no crime!

This post has been inspired by quite impressive movies like West Side Story, Flashdance, Rent, and more recently High School Musical.

Language No Bar

Language gives a snub to borders in a way that is denied to any other human invention. There are no controls or checks to prevent words from crossing boundaries, there are no duties to be paid when phrases migrate from one culture to another. In the basic and simplest sense of the phrase, language is a free market. Among world languages, English has some claim to providing the freest market of them all, not only because it is compounded from a variety of sources but also because it has made itself open to linguistic influences from around the globe.

It is interesting to see how the different languages have come to be deployed in different fields. French is traditionally the language of diplomacy, of détente and démarche, but it is just as traditionally the language of sex and romance (billet doux; cinque à sept, describing the time late in the day when lovers traditionally meet). When we buy a house and sign a mortgage, let's keep in mind that the word derives from Old French mort(death) + gage (pledge).

Latin, functional and precise, provides us with many of the abbreviations we still use (e.g., i.e., etc.) as well as a number of legal terms. From Spanish come a handful of "masculine" terms like macho and cojones. At times it is difficult to avoid the feeling that an entire culture may be contained within an expression that remains tantalizingly elusive even when translated. One thinks of the sombre northern European quality of the German Weltschmerz or the way an entire (Mediterranean) quality of life seems to be embodied in the Italian dolce far niente (literally, sweet doing nothing)!!

Pathetically Exquisite

Annual Day was held at my school on September 8th.
A dance drama (adaptation of a poem by Rabindranath Tagore) was the highlight of the evening.
Though the play was in Bengali, (one couldn’t understand a single word of it), the impressive portrayal of the protagonist by Amrithavarshini of class XI is worth to laud. She is a passionate, expressive, and endowed dancer, and stole the audience with her magnificent performance. Bishen, as the saintly monk, gave a splendid act, as well.

After the play, the English teacher commented that it was a “pathetic play and a wonderful dance drama,” over the speakers. Wait a minute! Did she actually say pathetic? Is she expressing her acquiescence as a dreadful director?
I went to my dictionary, to recall the definition of pathetic and pitiful… well the two definitions given are on completely different arms of the galaxy.

pathetic

1. pitiful:
provoking or expressing feelings of
pity
2. contemptibly
inadequate: so inadequate as to be laughable or contemptible
(informal)

pitiful

1. arousing pity:
arousing or deserving pity or
compassion
2. arousing
contempt: arousing or deserving contempt or derision

I think, she was referring to the first definition… I think. I guess she could have used a better word…but all said and done, one can’t help but chuckle at the ironic conclusion.

The final word: The dance was amazing.
I’m sure most of you also had the wrong definition of pathetic, from the fact that there was a big controversy after the play. No denying… what did you think by just seeing the title of this post? So I hope I have cleared your doubts.

Unit Dispositions

I was just browsing through my physics text the previous day, trying to imbibe some of the diminuendos and crescendos of this lackluster and insipid subject (My apologies to the ardent lovers of physics). Half awake and half asleep; perfect for my peculiar and weird thoughts to take shape. I realized that the most the units, let alone constants, used are names of the guys who put in a lot of effort and toil to make our lives miserable.

To state a few: we have the Ampere for electric current, Becquerel for radioactivity, Coulombs for charge, Faraday for capacitance, Henry for inductance, Hertz for frequency, Joules for energy, Newton for force, Ohm for resistance, Pascal for pressure, Tesla for magnetic field, Volt for voltage, Watt for power, Weber for magnetic flux, and the Kelvin, Celsius and Fahrenheit for temperature, etc. etc.

What I find incredible, is that I don’t think any other unit would satisfy the concepts in concern. Maybe we just become accustomed to their usage and it becomes second nature. Still, I think Newton is the perfect unit of force, and Joules for energy. I don’t think it’d be elegant to measure something in Johns and Jacks, but maybe in Earnests….
With more developments in the field of science, new unit measures will surely arise, and the world must have scientists with apt and apposite names to satisfy the panache and elegance of the art of assigning units. So think twice before naming your child Bob or sumthin!

THEY ARE AMONG US.... THE BIONIC ET!!!

In this work of fiction, the characters, places, and events are

either the product of the author's imagination or they

are used entirely fictitiously.

This here is Priya, SPL of Chinmaya Vidyalaya.
Very nice, cute, jovial looking girl.
Ahem.... note the word... looking.

On September 6th, 2006 9:45 ISD Earth Reference, the Priya we know morphed into her true form. Many couldn't have noticed the subtle differences, but thanks to timely photography, we here at the CVSR (Space Research) have uncovered the truth. At that precise time, she must have recieved commands from the alien spaceships that have been orbiting around the once-upon-a-time planet Pluto (... which the stupid astronomers of the elite class keep mistaking for tiny planets.. go figure!) What commands you may ask... well, we humans... i think would never actually know. But one thing is for certain, this bionic extraterrestrial was on a mission that day... to conquer the humble institute of learning of Chinmaya Vidyalaya. She posed as the head of the institution the entire day... and the following picture shows you the transformation into her bionic self quite clearly, bossing out orders to her space servants (no doubt, posing as teachers as well). Can't you see that glint in her eye... a destructive laser for suree!

We certainly have underestimated the power of the ET lifeforms... Maybe Jessica Alba can act as the invisible woman in Fantastic Four.. but here we see that this alien life form literally has such powers... In the picture below, notice the hand.... She is assaulting an unsuspecting student... I dont think she was hitting him as such, because the fella was admitted in an hospital for twisted bronchioles and punctured lungs.

This is a caution to all you people! WE ARE NOT ALONE!...

BEWARE! TRUST NO ONE.....

Priya no more hiding! We know the truth!!! Your time is near, dont be suprised when you find us at your place with vapourizers!!

Thank you Atul Gupte, and Aditya Nair... your pictures have been very useful to CVSR in exposing Earths future threat.... We award you the Black Diamond for your services.

ARDOR

This here is a poem that i concocted when i was almost half asleep during my physics class. I find that i get these weird inspirations when im drowsy, dont ask why... i think many of you might feel the same way. As is ovbious, this is a love poem, written to turn that someone on... well here's to you...>>

To adulate a pretty girl,
To cajole her rationale,
To elate her spirits,
To see the sparkle in her eyes,

To relish in chocolate,
To swim in ecstasy,
To dance undulant,
To desire passionately,

To surrender the soul,
To revive the psyche,
To resuscitate vivacity,
To purloin generations,

To smile, for sadness,
To taste delicious sorrow,
To feel sensuous misery,
To laud a grievance,

To sympathize,
To empathize,
To extemporize,
To lionize,

Love, an intricate multifarious
Blend of emotions
To Love…
With me, will you be?

Photooggrappphhyyy

Well, some pictures come out quite different from what you expect.
Yesterday, there was this teachers day celebration at my school where there were these sexy dances. Being a part of it myself, i gave my cam to my friend to take the dance...
I thought I would recieve nice pics of the people in poses... but what i got were much more extraordinary multiexposures... which are really quite amazing. Just check some of em below. And Narendra can think of a career in photography!






Note: NO Part of the pics were altered in any form

SIDHBARI - MANALI 2006

Here is my journal for the past 10 days, I had a hell lot of fun and i have many experiences to share with you....so pardon me for the 5000 words I have written on this post. I hope that you may relive the same journey as i have and you enjoy it just the same....Voila!!...here we go...

May 23rd

On 23rd May, 10: 30 p.m., I boarded the Tamil Nadu Express to Delhi. I bid farewell to my cousin who had come to drop me and my friends’ parents and received warm and loving hugs from other friends. I found my compartment with two of my classmates. Apart from the occasional sirens and the unremitting chug-chug of the train, that night was a peaceful one. There were only a handful of 12thers coming, and quite a few of my juniors who were eagerly awaiting their 10th board marks. I turned on my ipod, and dozed off and entered into my so-called world of tranquility; only this time it wasn’t so tranquil. The sea inside was tumult in a tempest; thoughts, ideas, apprehensions, aspirations, angst, fear, dread, desires, all intertwined - rising high above the sea level as a horrendous water twister; it was a confusion in my mind I could not decrypt. I had no clue whatsoever that by the end of this trip, that twister would never be resurrected again in me.

May 24th

I did not sleep well the whole night. I woke up every hour only to find different people sleeping in the bed in front of me – the one that was assigned to a CHYK (Chinmaya Yuva Kendra) member, who on the other hand was frolicking with his mates in another compartment. I overheard the conversation of two army men. They were speaking in a tamil slang,
“Hey how are you?”
“I’m fine, how have you been?”
“Alright”
“Where are you posted?”
“On this train, till Vishakhapatnam.”
“How is your family? I heard your daughter got married.”
“Yes, I got a letter.”
“You mean you didn’t go??!”
“I couldn’t make it, I had a job in Bangalore.”
“Oh…okay then. You better go see her as soon as you get out of this place!”
“I sure will. Just another week to go”
“See you later then”
“Bye”
I slept for another hour, feeling sorry for the man who couldn’t be at his daughters wedding. However, in his eyes I saw that he felt no regrets whatsoever; The Indian Army – his job, his family.
That morning I decided I would go to the other compartments and make new friends. I first met some CHYKs, then some of my juniors, then some college students too. We started talking, then playing. We played ten rounds Mafia continuously, and the different card games and of course, UNO. The last time I had gone to Delhi, it was unbearably hot and stuffy – like you were in Venus, not only were you burnt beneath your skin, but the humidity outside steam-fried the epidermis. This time, astonishingly, it was quite pleasant, and it even rained in Madhya Pradesh bringing the temperature down to the survivable zone. I had an apple for lunch and an orange for dinner; the stale pooris, I left for the tracks. I lied down ravenous and tired to sleep with futile attempts.
Then just at that moment, I glanced at my watch. It was 00:00. I instantly became alert, grabbed my cell and started searching my head frantically for her phone number. I cursed myself for almost forgetting my best friend’s birthday the next day and I promised myself to wish her at midnight. I found the number and dialed. No ring. I checked my cell – it was flashing two words that made me almost scream. It said – NO SIGNAL. Off all the times, it should have happened then. I was bemused. I didn’t know what to do. I just sat on my berth, my eyes fixed on the screen. At 00:02, I noticed a slight signal came up, I immediately dialed the number and I wished her. Then I slept. The storm was still raging inside my head though.

May 25th

I reached New Delhi, and refreshed myself at the Chinmaya Vidyalaya School, at Vasant Vihar. I guess, here I found my first arduous task in the trip – to find an empty bathroom. After about two hours of searching, I decided ‘What the hell?’, and went into an empty girls’ bathroom. Just seconds after I removed my shirt, a girl comes in and kicks me out, literally. Red with embarrassment and still dirty, I went out and for another hour searched for a bathroom. In the end, I did freshen up in a girls’ bathroom.
In the evening I had my lunch cum dinner at McDonalds (4 years since I last feasted at that place). I had two burgers, a coke, and the delicious fries there, at the ‘Priya complex’ near the school. I wanted to do some shopping, but I whatever interesting I could find was expensive, and for me anything that is expensive is uninteresting.
In the evening, I boarded the bus for Sidhbari. There was no AC, and no water, and it was uncomfortable…period.

May 26th

I reached Sidhbari in the morning. Sweet memories filled my mind – my previous excursions in the place. I still found it amazing. My room was right across the Samadhi of Swami Chinmayananda. I shared it with Akash, Sanjiv, and Bharadwaj, each with a different character and personality of their own.
The camp was inaugurated officially at 3: 30. We received a camp kit with some interesting books “Awakening Indians to India”, and we got those racy orange robes. The first session was the Ice Breaking session where I got to meet the 300 people congregated there from all over India (Delhi, Goa, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai) and outside India too (USA, Australia, France). The session was organized quite well. We had to make groups of 20 with people who shared our interests. We had to acquaint ourselves with as many people possible and the one who made the most received a gift (a bookmark!). Then finally, the organizers randomly chose some 20 with the help of chits and made a group out of them. I was in group 5, later on named as Parivarthan.
In the evening, I escaped into the lush and verdant landscape surrounding the Ashram. I took some of my new found friends to a stream I discovered the last trip – It was as lovely as ever. The picturesque mountains and the valley beneath were as delicious as Swiss chocolate left to melt in your mouth.
I attended the Aarti at 6 p.m. and just before it got over, it started raining. A slight drizzle for a few minutes, and then more heavily, and more and more till water solidified and pelted you down as hail – the fury of the Gods in the form of strafe.
At 7:00, the campers watched Gurudevs video, wherein Swami Chinmayananda gave his insights into the laws of causation and the meaning of God and enlightenment to evolve the self. The Culturals which were planned was canceled due to the rain (lucky for the Chennai Chyks, who had not practiced).
I took a walk around the place that night and my entire body felt serene and placid, and the tempest started to quieten down a bit.

May 27th

The first session this day was Swami Mitrananda’s talk on the Chinmaya Pledge.
He stated that power of one in society is not as much the power of society in which everyone is together. We must stand as one family. He gave us the difference between love and attachment. Love is giving up ones own self for another and forfeiting ego for virtuousness, whereas attachment yet another form of egotism. He said that courage to serve ones nation is the utmost sacrifice and we must all eliminate our materialistic and false tendencies in order for higher evolvement. I was entranced by his lecture. If anyone else had quoted the same message, I would never have bothered to listen. Swami Mitrananda had a mystique and aura that demanded deference and veneration. I was genuinely intrigued by his words and for the next hour after the session I contemplated over it at my private stream.
The next session was a workshop to develop focus, team cooperation, and patience. There was a ring with 20 strings attached to the ends. The object of the ‘game’ was to carry a basketball within the ring without dropping it, over a few obstacles to the finishing point. The goal was simple, it was the means which was difficult. The game demanded utmost concentration and focus and team work. Aishu, a 10th going girl with the maturity of that going to college, was our forerunner. We made it without dropping the ball a single time and 15 minutes before the time allotted was over. Our group came first in the event. We found out later that one group had dropped the ball a whopping 42 times and 4 groups never made it to the end. The next ‘game’ was with a half-pipe and a TT ball. The object was to get the ball to roll through the pipe which was with each person of the group and to make it fall into a cup. Silence was the key to this game, which none of us realized until the last minute. But still we made seven successful finishes.
Then the most awaited part of the camp – The Treasure Hunt. Given clues, we had to find our way around Sidhbari. This Hunt really developed close bonds between the team members in the group. We all had to work together deciphering the clues and finding the shortest route to our destination and at the same time not swaying our thoughts from the goal. The first clue led us to a Shiva temple inside a forest. The trek was difficult, with thorns on either side of us. The place was definitely scenic though. The next clue led us to a monastery and the next towards school. It was the Sacred Hearts School. The clue was “There is nothing sacred about it, just cross over it”. We all thought it was a graveyard or something and wasted our time searching for it until we got a brain wave and then we rushed taking a bus to the place. The next clue led us to the splendid Norbulinga Palace. To get there we had to walk about a kilometer and there were two groups already on their way there. So we took a bus and bribed the driver to not stop for any of the other groups in front of us. The last clue was extremely infuriating. Each person deciphered the clue in a different way and no one was ready to accept the other ones decisions. We decided to play nasty with another group. We started following them and then tried to get them off track. Unfortunately they discovered our ulterior motives, and played back with us. We were left arguing and fighting with each other for the next hour. Little did we know then that we were the first group that had got that far. If we had not wasted our time fighting we would have got first. The other group which we mocked made it first but fatefully they lost three of their mates (a pair of twins and their friend), and they couldn’t win for every person of their group must make to the finishing point which turned out to be our Ashram. My group made it seventh. We came back-hunched, our feet numb and our muscles felt excruciating pain. All we could do was pose for a group picture and we all went and fell into our beds.
There came a hiatus in my tempest, which became filled with all the pleasant memories of hardships faced with my new friends and that is what I call a fun-filled trek.

May 28th

Today we had a Gayatri Havan in the morning. It is like a yagna, a ritual to calm the body, mind, and soul. A fire is lit between bricks and special ingredients are added for the sole purpose of inducing tears. I wouldn’t say it was fun or anything, but I sure did enjoy it. Then all the campers assembled into a huge hall. The projector was tilted towards a wall and Swamiji’s laptop was connected to it. We saw “The Last Samurai”, a exquisite movie brilliantly acted by Tom Cruise. The theme of the camp was Transformation, and the movie explicitly showed the change in Cruise’s character. It is definitely an amazing and heart rendering movie and I think everyone should go and watch it, so I wont say much about the movie, only that it was good. After the movie, we had a workshop on it. We had to discuss some special features the movie portrayed. My groups topic was Focus and we spent an hour discussing and made a splendid presentation out of it.
After discussions, I once again escaped to my private sanctuary near the stream and took some wild pictures and enjoyed myself. I went alone and I could feel the Earth actually whispering to me. The beauty of nature I could never comprehend, but now I could, but still just a wisp of its glory.
At 7, we assembled for Gurudevs Video. This time he talked about famous BMI chart and how to leave all of the Body, Mind, and Intellect to reveal the Vasanas to ourselves and reach the higher being. Inspirational – Yes, Me Inspired – No… but that was what I thought then, for it did make a impression on me which I figured later on.
That night the current was cut, and I just wandered outside. I slipped and fell on my back and I think I got a sprain or something. I looked up to the night sky and I was mesmerized. I had never seen so many stars together since my last excursion to Rajasthan. I let the marvelous feeling within me sink in. I started connecting the countless diamonds studded on black velvet and made my own constellations. I even managed to make out a face of someone, and I soon added a dress to it and then some jewelry and I let my imagination run wild. I laid on the grass for a long time till some CHYK came and told me to return to my dorm. I went reluctantly and decided I would kill the power supply the next night to witness the sky again – that never happened though.

May 29th

Today I visited a temple in the morning – A Chamunda Temple. I must admit I wasn’t impressed at all. I had quite a lot of expectations after a two hour bus ride to the place, but it wasn’t maintained even a bit. There were a lot of shops around the temple, and I wanted to buy something. I looked everywhere and nothing really caught my eye. I really didn’t know what I was looking for just that it was going to be a birthday present. I didn’t find anything. In the afternoon, we made a trip to McLeod Ganj, the monastery where the great Dalai Lama finds his abode. The view from the monastery was spectacular. There was some sort of ritual going on and all the Tibetan people were rolling some sort of device that supposedly brought them good luck in the future. I went to a young girl and asked her for the thingy. She enthusiastically gave it to me and instructed me. She spoke in some dialect I couldn’t understand but I got the message from her vertiginous hand movements. I now have a lucky future ahead of me. There were several shops here too – all the ones you had to bargain with. I looked at necklaces, ear rings and various other curios, but found none as worth as what the shopkeepers were asking. A ring worth 300 was bought by friend for just 50. I don’t know Hindi, so I didn’t bother. I got a pastry item and some root beer (non alcoholic of course) and felt light headed. I got a bracelet for one of my new made friends whose birthday was the next day. At night, all the campers were in for a mega surprise. I knew Swamiji always had something up his sleeve, I never could guess what. After dinner, all of us appointed to new groups and lined up at the courtyard to make our way into the woods. It was dark and when I say dark, I mean pitch dark, like u cant see any goddamn thing in front of you. We were supposed to lose our torches, our watches, and our cells and were made to keep absolutely silent. I smuggled a torch just for emergency sakes. I admit I was apprehensive and nervous at first like every other person there. We were taken by an unknown path to some unknown location in the middle of a rough road. From there, groups of four were chosen and we were to walk through the road alone (not exactly – there were four, but still we couldn’t see each other). After I got used to the dark, I walked in the front I think. Then I was pulled back and my hand was snatched back and was held immovable by some girl who I think got close to a panic attack. I never could see her face and I lost hope of teasing her later for it. There wasn’t anything to be really scared of. But then suddenly someone just jumped in front of us and made some whining noise “Heeelppp Meee,” For a second my heart just skipped a beat. I came to my senses and just shouted “Yea sure, just follow us.” A lame attempt to scare us, but I felt the girls fingers dig into my skin. Then some two more ‘frightening’ people came to scare us, but I was ready for them and we all just walked past. We made our way to some lawn and I laid there for about an hour. I heard all these screams from the ones who were still in the woods, and a snicker from my mates around me every time a shriek was heard. I just looked up at the sky and enjoyed myself within. Then after sometime we were made to walk to another location and we spent another hour there just sitting in the dark hearing fake screams still. My friend shared a FiveStar with me and I was still enjoying myself. Someone wanted to go to the loo, so Swamiji pointed to some trees and the person went, coming back a bit embarrassed. “BOO”… I woke up and then we were called one by one and sent alone in the dark to find the ashram, each person 10 feet from each other, but no one did stay 10 feet as they ran to the person in front as soon as they left. I decided to get my self lost on purpose but in the last minute I decided otherwise, because I felt tired and stuff and I made it to the ashram at 12:30.


May 30th

Today was the last day of the camp. In the morning I decided to take the path I took last night just to see where I had gone and I found that we were never really inside the woods, we were on the road the whole time. I don’t think I really found anything scary the previous night, but many ‘victims’ were gossiping about all the frights they received and I just laughed (to myself of course…I didn’t want to let their fear go in vain…lol). I made a trek of my own deep into the forest. I found the remains of a deer (I prefer to say dinosaur) and I literally bathed my self at a stream. I came back and packed my bags and went for the Valedictory function. Everyone was talking about their experiences at the camp. I wanted to too, but I figured Id say too much (as you can see this is word number 3330). In the afternoon, we boarded the uncomfortable buses to Manali. I spent part of the night watching “Enter The Dragon” with my friend with his portable DVD player. I decided to sleep but couldn’t. I couldn’t move my seat, so I went to the steps near the door and laid down there only to be woken by the conductor who accidentally kicked my…ahem. I did not sleep at all the whole night, but I was unconscious from the kick I guess. Hour after hour, it kept getting colder and colder as we made our way to Manali. There was no tempest in my mind anymore. The sea was now filled with indelible memoirs of the camp.

May 31st

Reached Manali in the morning and almost immediately took Sumos to Rohtang Pass. The whole journey, we nine guys in the car listened to songs from my ipod connected through a cassette adapter. Every time we passed a gals car, we turned up the volume and let the car bounce past them making them jealous. We halted half way up the mountain on some hills. I ran up and down the hills as if I was flying and I received warm compliments from Swamiji. I’m an endurance racer…Whoohoo ... (maybe it was just the atmosphere which made me fanatic). Some rented furry overcoats and gloves here (I say ‘furry’ cause it wasn’t real fur) to stay warm. I felt warm enough in my jerkin so I didn’t bother. The view was spectacular. I couldn’t wait till I reached the peak. We finally did make it there. I saw snow after four years, but it was quite dirty and muddy. I went up the slope and slid down on my butt. I shouldn’t have done that for I couldn’t feel my bum for the next hour or so. I carved some names and pictures on the snow. I was almost run over by a snow mobile. I met some lovely yaks too. We had a snowball fight. I was outnumbered and I was pelted down by snow from some 6 people, I had to kneel and beg mercy for them to stop. But at that very moment my hand was deep in the snow making my own snowballs and when they stopped throwing them at me, I got up and flung out in all directions. You should never mess with me on things like these. They regretted it.
We got back in our cars and made our way back to a hotel in Manali. On the way we stopped for lunch cum dinner and got caught up in a folk dance. We made the instrumentalists play some fast beats, and the campers started dancing erratically as if they all injected some Ecstasy into themselves. Back at the hotel, I found a fast food place and had noodles – my first complete meal in the trip. I wandered around the place and by 11 I was back. Another good friend of mines birthday was the next day. This time there was signal and I decided to wait till midnight. I was tired from all the snow fights and stuff, so I closed my eyes…I fell asleep!!! Just like that I woke up I don’t know how, I just got up and instinctively and frenziedly checked my cell for the time, I thought I missed the hour and that’s when I saw it – it was exactly 00:00. Once again I was bemused. I thanked God (something I had never done before in my life) and dialed her number and wished her. I felt exultant and content and slept well.


June 1st

We left by bus to Kullu in the morning and reached the place by 11. Today I was to go rafting. I saw the river Beas. It was mad. It left no rock dry as it slithered through the mountains. The rapids were fast, extremely fast. It left rough scales all over its wet body. I looked up with the eyes of a solider, ready to face the challenge in front of me. I formed a group of seven and our special volunteer was Swami Mitrananda himself. He had come rafting with me even on the Ganga last year, and I was surprised and delighted that he was coming with me again. The Guide gave some preliminary warnings and some basic instructions before we got in the rafts. I took first position with Hardhik, and behind me was Nishad and Shara, and between were Sruthi and Rama, and Akila and Swamiji took the back positions. We had fun. We swiveled past the many curves of the Beas for about 8 km. The tempest which was in my mind earlier had manifested into the rapids of the ferocious river. It took us up and it took us down. The cold water beat against my flesh and went through the life jackets to my chest and heart. I felt ecstatic and euphoric. The girls were screaming with every jerk, and there were times wherein I thought the raft would topple over and Swamiji even expected it and deliberately tried to overturn it amid cries from my fellow rafters. At one point, all of us were made to jump into the river. It was ice cold literally, but then again the Ganga was even more freezing. I wanted to get onto the raft as quickly as possible before my hands and feet froze. But I had to wait till all the girls were pulled up first. The force of the entire river was on me and I felt my chest crush through the cold. Finally I was pulled up, only to find out that Sruthi hadn’t jumped in, so I made it my point to pull her in the next dip and I did. We all reached the bank alive and met up with the other victims of the journey, all of them shivering. I was happy to be back on land and the hot stones beneath my feet felt cozy though they were rough. Then out of nowhere someone pushed me back into the freezing river and I pulled them in with me and there were so many inside already and we started splashing water among each other with tremendous rapture. I went to the bus, and changed my clothes. My friend hugged me for a photo shoot and my glasses fell down. I found they were bent so I tried to bend them back and …SNAP…they break right in the middle and I am left blind for the rest of the trip. I didn’t get angry and I didn’t cry, I just cursed and cursed and decided to live with it. I was offered a pair by a junior, but they were too small for me. At least it happened only towards the end of the trip. In the evening we boarded the bus to Delhi.

June 2nd

I reached Delhi by noon and back to the Chinmaya School again. I was the first there so I got a private bathroom to myself to freshen up. In the afternoon, we went to the “Priya Complex” again and I went to McDonalds again. I decided to shop for a new pair of glasses. I went to a store and found the perfect pair, but it was 1500. I asked for their cheapest ones and they were 1000. So I just walked out! I had to save my money so I decided to manage with one side of lens alone. I found some cute bears and fuzzy dolls at a gift store and decided to buy them, but I didn’t really find them appealing so I left those too. I was bored so I just bought a shake and sat near the sidewalk till everyone else came back. We left for the train station by nightfall. Ironically, we had loads of fun at the station, and my half glasses became quite popular. I felt that I was being mocked, but then I knew that they were just having fun so I joined in and mocked myself! We boarded the train at 10:30. This time I knew almost everyone on the train and all my friends were in the adjacent compartments. I started a conversation with the 10th topper only to find that she thought the capital of London was Paris and so I kept further reserved opinions to myself.

June 3rd

Card games, Mafia, card games, Mafia, card games, Mafia. The whole journey went that way. I watched Manmathan with my friend. We talked about the camp and about our future endeavors and the methods to keep in touch. Around noon, some bisexuals came up begging for money in their own ludicrous and burlesque ways. Most of the guys went up the berth and pretended to sleep. One fella came up to me and told me not to cry and he went and hid himself in a corner (lol). Remember I couldn’t see, so I basically purposefully walked past them three times. The fourth time, I could feel their gaze on me, so I stuck up my finger and walked away. After a while, I came back to see the guy who warned me huddled up near the far end of the seat, nervous and anxious. I laughed (to myself of course - I don’t like to mock people straight out). That’s how the day went. At 11: 45 I decided sleep. I slept at 11:55. I woke up at 12:00 to feel some paste on my face, I took a lick and found that it was toothpaste. I took out my mirror to see a nice decoration on my face with toothpaste and some eyeliner. It wasn’t really that creative, just some blotches here and there. I ran to the wash room, but people were still awake and put my hands over my visage and ran. I found out that they had already taken picture of the facial and I was quite embarrassed. Fun nevertheless, for after that I had my own hand at creating masterpieces.

June 4th

Arrived at Chennai at 8:00. I bid a reluctant farewell to all my new made friends. Some who come to my school, I shall see them again. Some CHYKs I would meet if I go to the Heritage Centre. Some in other schools, whom I might meet in Cultural activities and stuff. Some others I hope to meet again some where, some day, and keep in touch with them forever through emails and chats and letters. The sea in my world of tranquility is as calm as calm can be. I believe the excursion has brought a change in me. The experiences, the people, the joy I shall never forget. Indeed, have I transformed into a better person than I was before even if it is just a small percent. Swami Chinmayananda had used to quote form Lao Tse, “The journey of a thousand miles, begins with one small step,” and I have made that small step.

Maiden of the Seas

P.B. Shelly style. My first attempt in archeic English and romantism!


I

O maiden of the seas, Listen to my hearts behold
Thou mayst spend time with happiness and peace
As thy friendship with King Terrous the Bold

Even thou shall not linger with the handsome prince
Who didst thou fell in love, eftoons when thy eyes met
Sly, wily creature was he, yet thou love ne’er shall cease

Man of wisdom, not he, yet the marriage set
Brings doubt and happiness to you, my lady
O thou, forgive my presence in thy crest

Meaningful my words maybe to thy sacred - Pray
To the Lord, watchful, eternally watchful
Gratify thou precincts with my kingdom, O lady

The sisters of the seas have borne contently thy fateful
Life with me, forget thy fatuous prince, O graceful

II

O maiden of the seas, visit my dreams often and bestow
Thou blessings to conquer for thee and conquer, I shall
The empire of creation, destruction, and shadow

Come beneath the ocean to my humble abode; dwell
Thy mind on the seven voyages of Sinbad the Sailor
And say not but a word and he’ll be at your will.

Elate my heart with thy comely presence, my dear,
And I will give all thy heart’s desire,
Merely a touch beneath all, clear your fear

Thou maketh my life complete, your ire
Shall not be muddled against your ease
The flame is lit and thou can deem the fire

O impeccable princess, without you I shall cease
To exist, O help me, maiden of the seas!

-B'rath


So whtdya think..?..

Da Vinci...nah...Dasmunsi Code!

I read an article in the newspaper the other day on the release the much awaited Da Vinci Code. It said,

“Mr Dasmunsi hinted that he was aware of a political conspiracy to destabilize the Government by creating a controversy over the film. Referring to past instances, he said he cleared ‘Rang de Basanti’ after viewing it five times”.

Hmm…is something fishy going on here or what! “conspiracy to destabilize Government”…now how the hell is a blockbuster movie going to do that? Where the hell do people come up with that stuff? Maybe the Dasmunsi himself must have read Dan Brown’s ‘Deception Point’ to think in those lines. The Da Vinci Code (though not released yet) is the greatest movie of all time. Due to all the controversies about it is surely going to make more at the Box Office than expected. It is after all a work of fiction. The only problem is that Dan Brown has written it so incredibly convincing that we forget that it is indeed really fiction and could (possibly) destabilize the Government!
Oh! As for Rang de Basanti…phenomenal movie for Indian standards, nothing was really controversial in it…just the plain hard truth…controversial enough!. It was soo good, that Dasmunsi just wanted to see it a hell lotta times before it released so he can so off to his friends. Hope Da Vinci Code releases ASAP... its one movie I wouldn’t miss for the world!

Missing Moments!

Reminiscing, I am… of the road I’ve traveled to get here. Early in the journey, a fuzzy haze clouds further thoughts of my young self, only partial streaks flashing past, those which let me enjoy the most special of moments again. Here is my life as short as possible (even then reaching 1000 words).

Born in Chennai June 11th, 1990 as an innocent, humble being.
I do remember my first birthday in Dallas, my dad held me on his shoulders, the cutest smile ever humanly possible, on mine.
A year later I’m in Paris, more memories: a kitchen set, a room of my own with blue spreads on my bed, a diamond ring in my pocket by chance but (un)-fortunately found and returned. I lived a few blocks from the Eiffel Tower, and was always found playing in its vast, verdant gardens, stealing a drink from the fountains every time I got the chance. My first medal, won in a running competition; I still have it, its blue ribbon ever lustrous. I remember my obsession with dinosaurs; such magnificent creatures I thought I would meet some day, and a song “Wish that I could go to grandma’s house to see the dinosaur…..,” the tune I will never forget. The trip to ski resort in Geneva, and my grueling yet comical efforts on skis. One of the more fascinating things I saw was that my cousin’s dresser opened into a complete kitchen unit with stoves sinks and such, all enclosed within the closet. I found that totally amazing then. Maybe that’s why I still remember…The veil of mist shrouds more memories. A dance in Belgium (Hawaiian style belly dancing I think); I was about six at the time.

I’m on the flight to Madras, India. I had these weird trepidations of the country back then. I imagined a desert and jungle country with snakes and tigers, something just out of ‘The Jungle Book’, (one of my more favorite movies earlier). I get down on the runway, and felt a gust of hot hair on me, Man I AM in a desert! But the thing is, Chennai wasn’t as hot as it has been these past few years. I had never seen an Auto Rickshaw before; I thought they were tricycles on motors (which they are! apparently). And so went a couple of years at Vidya Mandir. First friends, first fights, first singing classes!! I used to love going to the temple, see the Idols brilliantly decorated, smelling the flowers, feeling the softness of the scared ash between my fingers, and the ladoos!! (that’s one part of me that has completely changed)The temple tank was filled with water back then, now can only be a dream when the rains come.

Back on the flight again, this time to Omaha, Nebraska where I spent my next 3 years. New friends and teachers much more enthusiastic than the ones I met in India.
A new obsession, the violin. I found out I was extremely talented, from third seat to second to first seat in a month, I enjoyed it very much. I was selected for my first public speech in 6th grade on the farewell to intermediate school. I went to 7th grade in Beveridge, a huge school indeed. First crush, then more. I learnt to waltz and even the ‘art’ of fine dining. The school dances were my favorites during that year. I failed in my algebra tests; I excelled in arts & crafts. This was in 2001.

The next year, I moved to Pittsburg, PA., a whole new environment, Chartiers Valley Middle School. Once again, more new friends, more new crushes, and finally a ‘girlfriend’ in my Honors Geometry class…uh…ahem. I loved my teachers there, they understood so much and taught so much; not just the subjects. I spent almost a year there when once again I moved back to my hometown, now called Chennai.

I was deliberately reluctant to come here; I had quite a few apprehensions before I came. A brand new education system, I can never understand (Board Exams indeed!!) and so many among other things.

Chinmaya Vidyalaya, my new institution of knowledge. I first saw our Principal; it’s confirmed: I’m doomed. Well it wasn’t so bad, as I found out later.

Now, my memories have escaped the fog, and are a bit more vivid. I went into my 9 A class. Everyone was staring at me, who the hell is this guy? From the US I think!? What the hell is he doing here!? Expressions I’ve received too many times in my life. Another new student was sitting at the front bench crying; Hell with him! I thought. An exceptionally pretty girl watched me as I walked past; Well, life isn’t going to be that bad!. I found a seat next to a boy who shared almost the same name as mine. I got caught for possession of a calculator in math period. Apparently they found I was too impish for the class, so they shifted me to 9 C. The C section, where I spent the 2 years, making new friends (once again!...one can never have too many friends), competing for a rank that I thought I would never get, Man these Indians are damn smart! Startling myself even, I did excel in my studies and stuff. I made more friends through the competition, my future friends I should say, for they were merely rivals in the game of Board-Exam-Frustration. I had the best of times in the excursions I had gone to, the first to Rajasthan, the next to Sidhabari. I never had felt such joy and the memories are now an indelible part of my existence. I shall not describe them here, for they may take enough space for an entire months worth of articles. Then 11th grade, the best school year so far. Once again, excelling in all subjects, going to an IIT Prep class (the use of which I still can’t figure….apparently guaranteeing a seat at IIT…ha ha indeed!). I started to figure out that there is something more to life than just this, ergo I fell in love…ahem.

Now I’m in 12th, the final year before my step into the unyielding world and I’m sure I’ll be able to add more lovely memoirs to last for a lifetime and a bit more.

Dead Ringer

This story was put up on my earlier blog. Considering that this is one of my better works back when i was in 9th, i thought it deserves a place here too!!

Max Riley, a smart teenage boy wearing a Navy jacket, T-shirt, and faded jeans climbed up the stairs to the principal’s office to discuss his recent ‘behaviors’. He knocked on the door.

“Come in!” an unfamiliar voice called from within.

Max opened the door and walked into the principal’s study, a tiny cluttered room with views over the school grounds. There was a desk and a black leather chair with its back towards the door.
“You wanted to see me”, Max said.
The chair swiveled around and Max froze. It wasn’t the principal sitting behind the desk, it was himself!!! He was looking at a fourteen-year-old boy with fair hair, brown eyes, and a slim, pale face and even dressed identically to him. In Max’s perplexed state it took him almost forever to accept what he was seeing. He was standing in a room looking at himself sitting in a chair. The boy was him. A dead ringer, as a matter of fact. With just one difference, the boy was holding a pistol.
“Come in,” he said, “I have been looking forward to this meeting.”
Max looked at this – this ‘clone’ straight in the eyes. He always believed that cloning was impossible - and to see a clone of himself! In front of him! ... How? ... Not to mention the gun! … Why me? …
Leaving the questions unanswered, he felt behind him; he still hadn’t closed the door. Without warning, he threw himself backward out into the corridor. Simultaneously, the gun went off, the cartridge exploding inches above his head and crashing into the far wall. He surged down the corridor and went up the flight of stairs into the chemistry lab. He instinctively ducked down, evading four bullets which ricocheted around him splintering the wood and smashing one of the gas pipes which instantly caught fire.
Max scrambled to his feet and went up another flight of stairs to the top of the building. Smoke was curling up from the windows two floors below. He thought of the chemicals on the shelves and the gas – the gas! – he could be standing on a virtual time bomb!
Just then, a bullet creased past his shoulder as he saw his double coming up the stairs. He made a dash toward the ersatz and a second later seized hold of his wrist and forced the gun away. A tremendous explosion below shook the building, but neither of them seemed to notice. They were locked in an embrace, two reflections that had entangled up in a mirror, the gun over their heads, fighting for control.
A crater suddenly appeared on the roof with another explosion, swallowing the gun as it fell down. The boy noticed it too late and fell through. With a shriek he disappeared into the smoke and fire. One Max walked over to the opening and looked down.
The other Max lay sprawled on his back, not moving, three floors down. The flames closing in. A teenage boy with fair hair, brown eyes, and wearing a Navy jacket, T-shirt, and faded jeans walked to the edge of the roof and began to climb down the emergency-ladder.

Joy of Flight

Everyone wishes to fly; across the world, out of the galaxy, out to their dreams. I always feel the destination never matters, the magnificent beauty of flight means much more.

this is such an amazing n inspiring picture!!

Music at Twilight

A trip to the mall is one of the most pleasurable time-passing, especially when you are at ‘JavaGreen’ with two of your friends singing away their favorite pieces. It was one such day on May 13th. I had gone to the mall on pursuit of that jade green dress, with turquoise frills which had caught my eye for quite some time. I was thinking of how lovely a gift it would be to someone on their seventeenth birthday. The shopkeeper had promised to hold one for me the very morning. As is habitual with him, once more I was deceived; the dress had yet again proved its worth by evading my grasps. Dismayed and crestfallen, I went to the café spot, bought myself a delectable piece of chocolate cake and found an empty stool near the pair of musical ‘artistes’. I received a wide grin from Arun who was on the guitar, and a breath of positive reception from Priya, who with her euphonious voice sang out eternal pieces of English and Hindi songs. Soon I was joined by other friends, who gaily entered the place, got themselves some drinks and joined in the merriment. The evening turned out to be quite splendid and impressive. Some college guys started to sing along, and with oodles of requests coming in from the enthusiastic listeners, Arun and Priya continued mellifluously without a break. Some ludicrous people even went to the extent of getting lyrics for the duo to listen to their favorite songs; well, they’re not to be blamed, because one can rarely find such a harmonious voice and cadence these days. Of course, the artistes were in for the money, but still the evening proved to be one hell of a memorable musical experience for all.

Voilà Mon Amour!!

Have any of you felt that you knew a lot about a person but only to find out that you didnt know a damn thing about the person in the first place?
Well...in my case it isnt that drastic (i atleast know a bit).
Obviously I'm talking about a girl. Girls aren't only a bit more difficult to understand but they usually dont want to be understood...and that makes it even more difficult.
Some who are reading this might know the girl I am talking about.
She is this one really cute and trendy kind of person (of course you know that I wont say anything bad about her here....well my opinion is that there is really nothing bad about her in the right sense of the word).
An extremely talented person who as been endowed with the gift of gab; she can take someone to Pluto and back and you would never have been bored or tired the whole of the journey. No one and I mean No one (not even You) can be as charismatic as her. She is exceptionally beautiful in her own special way and that makes her such an enchanting young girl!
Well now that I have told you all about what I feel and think about her, you would want to know how she really is. I cant tell you because this is the point where I sometimes doubt what I really do know about her....basically umm.... I dont know.
And well, its not bad that you dont know a person too well, it urges you to go that extra mile just to find out.
Oh...with this girl, it won't be a mile but a light-year!!!

Ze Officiale Langua'ge

The European Commission has just announced an agreement whereby English will be the official language of the European Union rather than German, which was the other possibility.

As part of the negotiations, the British Government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a 5- year phase-in plan that would become known as "Euro-English".

In the first year, "s" will replace the soft "c". Sertainly, this will make the sivil servants jump with joy. The hard "c" will be dropped in favour of "k". This should klear up konfusion, and komputer keyboards kan have one less letter.

There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year when the troublesome "ph" will be replaced with "f". This will make words like fotograf 20% shorter.

In the 3rd year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reach the stage where more komplikated changes are possible

Governments will enkourage the removal of double letters which have always ben a deterent to akurate speling. Also, al wil agre that the horibl mes of the silent "e" in the languag is disgrasful and it should go away

By the 4th yer people wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing "th" with "z" and "w" with "v".

During ze fifz yer, ze unesesary "o" kan be dropd from vords containing "ou" and after ziz fifz yer, ve vil hav a reil sensibl riten styl.

Zer vil be no mor trubl or difikultis and evrivun vil find it ezi tu understand ech oza. Ze drem of a united urop vil finali kum tru. Und efter ze fifz yer, ve vil al be speking German like zey vunted in ze forst plas

Aston Martin

This is da New James Bond Car in Casino Royale....man! id love to own one!!! Wuldnt u??!!

Writers Deceit

Its not just how good a writer you are. What you write about matters more. Controversial works are now a favorite among the readers. Actually, it all comes down to publicity of the book. Readers love to read books which come in the news; doesn’t matter for good or bad. For example, let’s take Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code. Not many had really noticed the book until the entire controversy about the Catholic Church came up, challenging the entire Vatican. So the moral of the story is to write about topics that are highly debatable.

More recently Kavyaa Viswanathan’s How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got A Life is another book that achieved fame due to the controversy around it. The book apparently was plagiarized from other notable authors. When the book originally came out in the market, the response was apathetic. Now that since book has been removed from the bookstores, it has become surprisingly a best seller. Kavyaa might have lost her originality and reputation, but she sure has gained fame. So moral number two, its okay to plagiarize as long as you want to get fame alone. Kavyaa’s dreams have ended in disaster; we just have to hope that the people give her a second chance. The next book that she comes out with is surely going to be a bestseller, whether or not it is good. This writers deceit has worked perfectly in getting books sold and its going to stay a while longer and that alone I can assure.

Whoohoo!!

Yes we are finally here. After a long time ive decided to start this blog... I had another blog Phanatasmagoria, well i just didnt update it often...so it like fizzled out..so here im again, at a new beginning, wishing tht this blog would live on...soo i guess id update abt once a week or sumthin........well thts da plan. I shall share with u my thoughts, ideas, and whatever i find fun. Hope to see u here more frm now on>>>!

Scream PPL .......WHoooHoo!!!