Drafts

Felt like I hadn't posted anything in a long time, got that itchy feeling that you get when you want to write something but you're not sure what it is that you want to write. Some people call that a writer's block, I think.

Anyway, so I found these drafts that I never finished, some are as old as this blog itself. One of these has a half story that takes off on a depressing tangent from Bobby McGee, another has some random rant while this other draft talks about my astonishment at where one year at college went, and yet another has something whimsically ridiculous. (You know, tandoori jokes types. And if you don't know what tandoori jokes are, well, some people would say you're lucky. BUT YOU'RE NOT. Now, where was I? Oh yeah.) Hmm. It's like having an argument. You want to say a lot of things when you're pissed off, but give it 5 minutes and then you rethink, and maybe mellow down your tone or discard the idea of rebutting whatever it was that you thought needed rebuttal. (Brevity really isn't my thing, is it? Neither are analogies I guess, no?)

Thing is, I don't know if I could ever finish any of those drafts. But I won't get rid of them either, part of me still thinks I would get around and finish these pieces and maybe they'll turn out a tad more than OK. But then this is the same part of me that wanted to learn guitar, speak German and finish off the tiny bag I stitched for myself on a Sunday in second year. (No really, I did. Ask Juthika. She finished her bag, btw. Hey, mine only has a handle-strap left, okay?)

Yeah, that's about all I had to say, I suppose. (Post for post's sake, this feels like. I should stop talking in broken English.)

PS. Heh, I could be a female JD from Scrubs! (That would be great, right? Although I think there are way too many people who've said this about themselves, sounds wannabe-like than an honest observation. Right, I should sleep. Maybe a critical version of JD.)

Bitten by the bug.

Not done too well, but I'm rather smug about the fact that I didn't need to use any extra conjugates. Missed out on a lot of songs, but got a little tired. Do let me know how many you figure out =)
And yes, you need to be a fan to make any sense out of this.

Picture yourself in a train on a station with a ticket to ride when I get to the bottom while my guitar gently weeps because the wind is high for I have got a letter in your bag for me so hold me tight... it's you, a real nowhere man, your lips are moving, I cannot hear, and my advice to those who remember to let her into her room, isn't it good and I can't forget the time Mother Superior jump the shadow hanging over me; oh it won't be long before this dance is through please remember how I feel when you talk about destruction,don't you know that you can get high with a little help from the eggmen, they are all aboard; many more of them broken hearted people living in the octopus's garden near long and winding road and the way she looked at me was beyond compare, so how could I be there beneath the blue suburban skies so please love me for taking the easy way out but when you talk about destruction, don't you know that nothing's gonna change my world so why on earth should I moan... life goes on and she promises the earth to me and I love her, my Michelle.

Saat samundar paar.

This would've been a huge post had I written in detail. But I had a feeling I would've gotten bored in the middle and left the story unfinished. So here goes. Not written well at all. Most of this is in chronological order, I think.

25th. T3 Indira Gandhi airport. Lufthansa. Excess baggage. 747. Cramped seats. No personal TV. Fat guy on right side. Sleep. No sleep. Cute steward. 9 hours. Frankfurt. Security check. McDonalds. No sleep. Expensive net. One girl missing. Boarding time. Frantic running across the airport. Security check. Hot water bottle. Quarantine. Rat on airport. No, mouse. Random guard. Visa passport check. Train to gate. Herr Ghotra. Squeaky hellos. Nice aircraft. Personal TVs! How to train your dragon. Asian meal. Saunf. No sleep. Philadelphia. Immigration check. Seniors. Shuttle. Head ache. Temporary accommodation. Crestfallen faces. Night stroll around area. Own house. Wall to wall carpeting. Pizza. Sleep.

Oh and then rest of the week could be described as: fire alarms, AT&T, people getting lost, shifting luggage, cooking, fire alarms without batteries, no keys to first two gates, no lease, bidets, no bidets, 1 $ flipflops, fire alarms ringing without batteries, taking lite with fire alarms, no drains on bathroom floors, 'lota', green board/table, 'keedas' and peppermints, cute I 20 guy.

I iz brev. (I haz brevity, so.)

Diwali eve 2009

Deal with five-digit number of files from 9 30 to 5 30. Get a sore throat in the night spent battling with cockroaches. Freeze in the super-cool office. Rush through breakfast and lunch. Comment out little and big pieces of code to make it run in the available memory, in 21st century. Hunt around desperately for a Motorola charger for a phone that doesn't charge when hooked up to a comp. Not wish a friend on her birthday. Note her number down on the same page as a self-devised algorithm. Chat with mom, instead of talk.

Not realize its 'Chhoti Diwali' until a teammate wishes you while he's leaving office.

Waiting for a miracle :)

Happy Diwali!

YAY!

This link is the first result on google if you search for my full name.

YAY!!!

Google PageRank _/\_

Thank you all whose blogs/webpages link to mine. (If you're wondering why I said this, check up the PageRank algo.) And all the people who have their links mentioned here, your PageRank increased too!!!! :D

Now kindly get back to things more worthwhile :)

Traffic in the Sky - Part Two.

So I sat thinking, not realizing when I'd switched my radio set on.

There's traffic in the sky
and it doesn't seem to be getting much better
There's kids playing games on the pavement
Drawing waves on the pavement
mm hm

He should've come back by now, I thought. There seemed to be nobody outside at this time. Well, who would be, when it pours like it does here.

Shadows of the planes on the pavement
mm hm
It's enough to make me cry
But that don't seem like it could make it feel better
Maybe it's a dream and if I scream
it will burst at the seams and
this whole place will fall into pieces
and then they'd say...

So I sat again. Pacing around the room won't really help now, would it. I figured I'd go make some tea, strong with not too much sugar. The way he always likes it. He'd appreciate that more than just finding me waiting here, I thought. It's not like him to be late.

Well how could we have known?
I'll tell them it's not so hard to tell
na na na
if you keep adding stones
soon the water will be lost in the well
mm hm

There are times when I wish i weren't this short. I could hardly pick stuff up from the upper shelf. I made a mental note of telling him to keep things I might need somewhere I can reach, at least before he leaves home.

Puzzle pieces in the ground
but no one ever seems to be digging
Instead they're looking up towards the heavens
with their eyes on the heavens
mm hm
the shadows on the way to the heavens
mm hm

So I sat again, after keeping the tray with my cup of tea in front of me. It was still thundering, and I could hear the raindrops strike my glass window. His car might have broken down. Cellphone signals are anyway not something you could trust on days like these.

Everything momentarily brightened up, there was lightening outside. The lightening was followed by a loud clap of thunder.

It's enough to make me sigh
but that don't seem like it would make it feel better
The answers could be found
we could learn from digging down
But no one ever seems to be digging
Instead they'll say...

I finished my tea, and checked the pendulum clock we had got last year on my birthday. He should've come back hours ago. Power had gone ages back, and now the inverter too showed signs of going bust. I tried calling him up, but couldn't reach him.

I went to the window and looked outside. I must ask him to get the garage roof repaired, it would soon give way, if these heavy rains persist. Still no sign.

Well how could we have known?
I'll tell them it's not so hard to tell
na na na
If you keep adding stones
soon the water will be lost in the well
well, well...

My neighbour dropped by. So I went and made more tea, this time without too many problems. We had a polite conversation, and then before leaving she told me to go to sleep, and not keep on waiting. In any case, he has a key, she said.

Words of wisdom all around
but no one ever seems to listen
They talk about their plans on the paper
Building up from the pavement
mm hm
there're shadows from the scrapers on the pavement
mm hm
It's enough to make me sigh

I couldn't sleep, not with him somewhere outside in this torrential nightmare. I picked up a magazine, one of the many he had subscribed to, and liked reading.

but that don't seem like it would make it feel better
The words are all around
but the words are only sounds
and no one ever seems to listen
Instead they'll say...

So I sat down with the magazine, and started reading it. I didn't follow much of it, it was too technical for my taste. And then I got up to open the door, as I'd heard someone knocking it.

Well how could we have known?
I'll tell them it's really not so hard to tell
na na na
If you keep adding stones
soon the water will be lost in the well
lost in the well

So, you know where he is, I asked the gentleman who I had opened the door for, and subsequently made more tea for, when I thought it was safe to ask him that. I quite liked his demeanour, he was not one of those bossy people you meet so often these days. Besides, I quite liked his suit too, coloured an understated shade of grey.

Well how could we have known?
I'll tell them it's really not so hard to tell
na na na
If you keep adding stones
soon the water will be lost in the well
well, well.

He wasn't coming back, the grey-suited gentleman told me.

it's really not so hard to tell.

Blogger's Block

Not the first time I've experienced this. Kinda similar to Writer's Block, which plagues many world-wide.

Now, come to think of it, Blogger's Block, is just a specialized term for Writer's Block. When do people not write? Sometimes there's no will. Sometimes there's no content. Sometimes you have an idea, but can not find words to convey it. Writer's Block typically is the last scenario (at least for me), though sometimes there really is no content either.

Pretty weird, and rather inconvenient, this Block business. For example, I am walking on a street, and the streetlight just shuts - like it toggles whenever someone walks close to it, and the feeble orange glow it was emanating vanishes. And then I see the moonlight spreading its milky silver all over the place. I pause, and look around for some ten seconds. A brilliant line comes to my head, potent enough to paint an image in the listener/reader's mind.

So I come back, late night, feel like writing, putting the image in the head into words. When the words fail me. I have that one line (if I'm lucky), but no beginning and end, no idea how to construct an envelope of words, that would get the message through. (Not exactly the best pun in the world, blame the Block.)

Or when you see a silhouette of a boat between two islands, as the sun moves westwards. Or when you see a dog trying to figure out why keechad is fun for humans on Holi. Or when you just sit and shut your eyes, and feel the breeze going past you. Words that are there in your head, just refuse to come out.

Blocks really suck. :|

I lou my glasses :)

I had broken my glasses last night,
The screw fell out, went out of sight.
My spects were then no more one-pieced,
My vision blurred, trouble increased.

I couldn't recognize people 3 feet away from me
I couldn't tell a P from an R, or a D!
I was asked to count fingers again and again
That whole exercise really was a pain.

The tune in my head was a strange medley
Of 'What's going on' and 'Everything's so blurry'.
Internet and PC-time was antagonizing
As my anti-glare lenses were missing.

Then today, I thought I'll get them repaired
Even when the rain was playing truant and unfair.
I didn't give up, got wet in the process though.
Pakdofyd a Bakra to accompany me to Vasco.

The opticians were really sweet and nice,
They put in a new screw for no price.
The two pieces were then reunited,
Glasses back to business, I was delighted!

The tune in my head aint a medley anymore,
"I can see clearly now", as Marley had sung before.
I can recognize people, and attend classes,
I lou my awesome -wait for it- glasses!

:D

randomness prevails

How I Met Your Mother (and a friend) once taught me that nothing good can happen after 2 am. Its 2: 21 now. Long day. And yup, when its past 2 you end up saying things you won't otherwise. Or putting up random posts either.

Why am I up? I don't have classes till like 12 noon tomorrow. Ever wondered that for one instant we invented the word noon? I mean, a little past 12:00:00... and its pm, while the left hand side of the limit is all am.

Why am I blogging? I'm not so sure. Blues have got me all blue-ie. Like ONE time I'd admit I write stuff I won't ever put up on a blog, or that I could sing once upon a time, or that I'm actually one of the royals of Monaco.

Does this post make any sense? It logically does. Mathematical logic.

Randomly generated post ends here now.

exam time special.

Well, test 1 going on. Last one tomorrow, Electrical Sciences 2. I should be studying right? Tturns out three-phases and magnetic circuits aren't exactly my idea of fun. One thing I've noticed is that my mind notices everything under the sun and more often than not classifies it as 'interesting'. Well, maybe because stuff is being compared with really realy mundane activities like studying. mugging and associated activities.

Oh well, so here's a list of the things I've noticed during the last week, since before T1 began. Stuff that otherwise nobody pays much attention to. Basically exam-time specials:

1. You suddenly feel very drowsy at nights, when you could stay up surfing the net aimlessly, playing games and what not during non-exam time.

2. You start feeling very very hungry at nights (the ones you are up on), and you almost never have any food in your room. And your neighbours are sleeping too. (point 1)

3. The sudden cleaning spurt. You just HAVE to clean or wash your fan/table/clothes/room. Well, maybe it's a girls' hostel thing...

4. You get addicted. To various TV series (How I Met Your Mother being the flavour last sem, this semester its Kyle XY). Or as in my case, ebooks and comics. (Archie! Jughead! Betty & Veronica! Aaah...)

5. Almost everyone (from your college) on your gtalk list has exam-related, very creative status messages. Sample this: "State urysohn's 7th lemma on Gaussian operators in the Argand plane..backwards.." or "aaye saala ... abhi abhi hua yakeen... test 1 ke liye maine kuch ... pada nahi ... class ko ..main kab gaya .... kitab ko kisne pakda ....chalte raho .... rubarooo...". This was mine, drawing upon my QUARK experiences - "motto of the week: padh le bewkoof!"

6. Eye for detail. Makes itself really prominent these days. Like today i realized that my corridor inhabitants possess all kinds of locks. Like 107 uses a 7 lever lock, and 119 uses a real tiny one, one that you might put on your suitcase while travelling. I realized i have a 6 lever one. And the average i think is between 5 and 5.2 levers per lock in my corridor.
Or that, you suddenly find yourself making B-plans for the local nescafe/monginis outlet. If Monginis increases its stock of veg sandwiches by x%, then they would last beyond 9:30 pm. Hence more food for us, and more profit for 'em.

7. The perennial in Top-10-exam-times. The weather. It always is beautiful outside the evening before a test. Especially brilliant if you haven't touched the subject. Would've put power failure as another essential phenomenon, but well, these days it isn't restricted to exam-time and hence has lost out on its slot.

8. Overall increase in creativity. The status messages provide a glimpse. The simultaneous and exponential surge in flow of creative juices in students' minds mainfests itself in forms like newer posts on different blogs (ET, JD updated theirs already), people redecorating their rooms, revolutionary ideas of bugging the hell out of someone etc etc etc.

9. Exam time is when all your old friends decide to come online at the most inappropriate time(or is it really inappropriate?). You can't talk to them, as you have like 70% of your course left, yet you can't not talk to them. Sigh!

10. Boredom. And that oo, whacked boredom, the kind that makes you go all whacky. Like I was so bored once, I went to my (10 pointer) neighbour's room and did all kinds of keede there, including bouncing a ball on her wall. When she finally managed to get me out of her room, I kinda umm, went and tripped our corridor's main switch off. :D Twice.

Well, so long. I really should get down to those transformers now. Additions to the list are welcome! :)

Bestaluck for all your exams/results
Pranshu

(P.S.: I just realized I use 'well' a lot of times...)

subconscious takes over

Well, have no clue what's happening. Am in my senses but, well, there's a but'. Listening to Coldplay does that I think. Oh well, am obsessed with putting lyrics up I guess. This is one of my favourites. Yellow by Coldplay. Hope, love and optimism. All about giving yourself, and the joys associated with it. :)

Look at the stars
Look how they shine for you
And everything you do
Yeah, they were all yellow.

I came along
I wrote a song for you
And all the things you do
And it was called "Yellow".
So then I took my turn
Oh what a thing to have done
And it was all "Yellow."

Your skin
Oh yeah your skin and bones
Turn into something beautiful
You know, you know I love you so
You know I love you so.

I swam across
I jumped across for you,
Oh what a thing to do.
Cos you were all "Yellow"
I drew a line
I drew a line for you
Oh what a thing to do
And it was all "Yellow."

Your skin
Oh yeah your skin and bones
Turn into something beautiful
And you know
For you I'd bleed myself dry
For you I'd bleed myself dry.

It's true
Look how they shine for you
Look how they shine for you
Look how they shine for,
Look how they shine for you
Look how they shine for you
Look how they shine.
Look at the stars
Look how they shine for you
And all the things that you do.