SINGARA CHENNAI IL ORU BUS RIDE

[ I know I know, the title might sound weird, I just decided to go the KOLLYWOOD way. ;D ]

The heat in Chennai can be quite punishing at times. So severe that u go to great lengths to do something to nullify it. A train from the station bang opposite srm and a 90 mins ride from there would have gotten me home but at times, fat at the wrong places makes you take decisions so stupid they can put even the producer of that kollywood blockbuster-VEERASAMY to shame. What did I do? I decided to skip the easier option of the electric train and instead decided to hitch hike a ride in my friend’s “AIR CONDITIONED” car, eventually ending up on a bus from anna nagar, something that would have been quite comfortable except for the timing of my ride-bang in the middle of what you would call PEAK HOUR in Chennai.

As I stood there wrestling with my co-passengers aboard the devil’s favourite weapon of mass destruction(now that osama is dead. ;D), I did notice a few interesting things. Try clearing your mind of the sounds and smells (!!!) around you and you would realize that the MTC buses are actually a bee hive of activity and a congregation of interesting characters. Let me take you through the list of characters you might/will find on a bus in Chennai:

THE LOUD MOUTHED PHONAHOLIC

Every bus/train/any mode of public transport will have this particular homo sapiens sub species, you know, that group of people who haven’t quite realized that a conversation over the phone can also be done quite successfully without putting the ear drums of the people around you under risk.

THE STARER

Nothing more disturbing than actually having someone following each and every action of yours. These people are so irritating that even stark followers of non violence(read as yours truly) are pushed to resorting to violence. or at least giving them a mouthful.

THE LAUGHING HYENAS

They should have actually been categorised under the “laughing hyena” category when biologists decided to categorise mammals but because of their uncanny resemblance to an evolved ape form, they were called GIRLS. They usually hang around in packs and laugh at an unnecessarily high decibel level at the drop of a hat. Targeted audience include the group of boys(usually from the same college/area) hanging around at the back.

NOTE: to the girls who are reading this: not every one of u fall under this group so rest assured. And pls put down your weapons, you are scaring me B-)

THE DAREDEVILS

College students in the age group of 18-23 who are content with hanging from door steps, window sills and monkey bars OUTSIDE the bus(ok, mtc buses don’t actually have monkey bars, I probably went too far there :P) instead of taking the EMPTY seats INSIDE the bus. Blame them not, it has to do with high testosterone levels usually found in males of this species in this particular age group. B-)

THE TRAFFIC ISLAND

This is quite an unfortunate group that is forced into becoming a traffic block inside the bus. This group primarily consists of school kids and engineering students who are weighed down by 750 page text books that are so heavy, they can actually be substituted as dumbbells just in case the dumbbells at your gym go missing. No kidding. I owe my muscular(o.O) body to the engineering text books that I’ve had to carry around for the past 4 yrs(and the next 2 yrs probably but that’s something I’ll reflect on in the future). There you go, your readymade traffic islands who because of the bags at their back can move in one direction only-away from the place where the block started.

An interesting observation in this particular passage is that this group consists of school kids. And ENGINEERING STUDENTS! Talk about growing up. Talk about moving on. Talk about adulthood. Guess those things don’t really happen in india. Or atleast tamil nadu. A big “Thank you” to the education board and the various engineering colleges around the country for still keeping us in the level of schoolkids, albeit, with a different name. :/

MR. GOOD HEART

Could also be mrs. But since I haven’t really been allowed to turn towards the ladies seats(beware of the moral police), I’ll have to talk about the MRs in the crowd. Comprising mostly of Middle aged and/or elderly citizens, these are usually doting parents who give their kids the luxury of bikes but resort to cramped buses themselves to make ends meet. I salute you, caring moms and dads.

THE HARBRINGER OF CHANGE

sounded dramatic, didn’t that? :D

Wondering who I am talking about? Its just your average foul mouthed, ever angry , change demanding(no not the EGYPT protest type change. This is change as in ‘tender exact change’ type), karun siruthais (ara body lorry liyae kambi pudikaama varavanga. ;D) though at times, u get tamer versions of this breed as well. They unfortunately though, don’t last long enough.

SPEED RACER

Though in certain parts of Chennai, they are more famously known as crown prince to the grim reaper. Now if you would have taken driving classes, you might have known what the ABC of driving are- Accelerator, Brake, Clutch. For these guys though, the clutch simply doesn’t exist. As for the brakes, why use them when you have other easier means- like banging instead into that nice new car with the ‘FOR REGISTRATION’ sign. Like in the previous case, you do have rule abiding, proper gear shifting, safe drivers but like I already said, they last lesser than the batteries they show in the DURACELL ads. ;D

By the time you get down from the bus, you are actually equipped enough to write a book on psychology and human behavior. And of course if you are the brave kind that lasts through the entire duration of your journey you are medically fit to pass the INDIAN ARMY recruitment program’s medical exams.

Until next time,

Keep smiling

ADIOS!

THE GUINDY ZOOLOGICAL PARK

You can't refuse to do something for a kid can u, especially if that kid happens to be a hyper active super smart 2 and a half years old cousin of yours. well, that's how this trip came about.

GUINDY ZOOLOGICAL PARK, guindy, chennai
nestled in between the Cancer Institute and the sprawling IIT-Madras campus, this place is actually quite small, housing only a handful of animal species. no wonder then that the majority of the crowd comprised of kids in the age group of 2-12 tugging their parents along from enclosure to enclosure.

while the kids went berserk running from one enclosure to another, the adults seemed to be quite content just taking in the fresh air(well ok, the stench emanating from the animals' enclosures did make it tough to ACTUALLY ENJOY it)

that left out young adults like me. u know, people stuck in that age group where u think kids are fun but u arent really ready to raise one. so what did i do, i took out my camera instead.

and the snaps that follow are the end result of what boredom can do to a person with a passion towards wildlife and an inclination towards photography.


a white heron that came sprinting towards a dead fish lying on the ground


at the spotted deer enclosure


a monkey that seemed to have escaped the confines of its cage


horned owls

MAJESTIC: we actually managed to witness the DANCE but i couldn't get it on tape.
the peacock btw happened to be more than happy to pose for the enthralled audience, walking majestically across the cage, its feathers unfurled in all its glory almost as if to say: WHEN U'VE GOT IT, FLAUNT IT! ;D

a heron perched comfortably on the branch of a tree in its enclosure





well, he sure did have a whale of a time. :D


yup, like the peacock in one of the pics above, i happen to be a POSER too. :P :D


that's about it for the photos. well to be frank, i did snap a lot but these were the ones that got past the editing stage. :P

hope u enjoyed.

until next time,

ADIOS!

CRICKETER BY PROFESSION. ENGINEER BY COMPULSION.

Academics was something that came to me very easily. Whether it was my mom’s tutoring methods or me inheriting my dad’s genes, I would never really know. But ya, I was good at it. So good that my history professor said that the only one he was expecting a state rank from in our batch that time was me(but ya, that didn’t really happen. My history professor btw was called ‘maddy’, not because of his resemblance to a tamil actor with the same nick name but because he was plain MAD). I guess his prediction makes sense now. Never trust what a mad man says!

My academic journey continued. I managed to scrape through the demented class 12 exams with an 87% aggregate, quite a task considering I attended school only for 2 months that year! The 87% was enough for me to get an arts seat(something which me and my parents had planned for long back) but persuasion from people I trusted well enough had me buying the application form for SSN ENGG.COLLEGE, one of the best across the state. But alas, my 87% wasn’t enough. But having already been sucked in by the charm of engineering, I went and sat for the DOTE counseling.

I still remember that day, august 6, 2006. Dressed in formals, waiting in line for my turn to come. My only aim was to get into automobile engg, more importantly at Hindustan college. But when my turn did come, all seats at Hindustan had been filled up! What did I do? I chose VELTECH instead! What happened over the next 2 yrs is something almost everyone I’ve met know(my friends keep mocking me even now abut my standard introductory speech that I come up with whenever people ask me what year I am studying in. :D)

Its been 4 yrs now. 4 hard years. To be frank, i never really realized how tough or how interesting engineering was until 4^th sem came. My 3 sems each at veltech and srm were a breeze. Agreed, only a lunatic would study the same course again but ya, I am one. :P but 4^th sem was different. Out went ‘engineering chemistry’, ‘value education’ and ‘biology for engineers’ and in came the core papers-the fundamentals, the blocks on which automobile engineering is built on. Now I regret having made that decision to take up engineering, not because I hate the course. But because I love it.

Strange reason you might say, but ya, that’s the bare truth. Blessed with a pretty good memory[something that I am proud of. Thank you dad for the genes! B-)] clearing the exams is not an uphill task. But Sitting there in my class, watching one of the best professors(he is such a deviation from the torturous text book following grandpas we know of-young, charismatic and brilliant beyond words) in action explaining how to design the steering mechanism of a car(something which isn’t part of the syllabus btw), a silent tear passes my eye. Sitting there like a dunce watching my classmates come up with answers, my pride and ego having taken a beating, my heart aches, longing for a break from this beating. But alas, I will not be getting one. It is not finishing engineering that I am doubtful of, it is finishing as an engineer that worries me. Clearing exams is something even a 15 year old can do, it is to finish with the practical knowledge of an engineer that I want. And I also know that like it or not, I would never be a true engineer.

Though I love engineering, my heart lies elsewhere. Destiny beckons. I would always continue to love engineering. But I would also continue despising the south Indian society and their rantings for getting their girl married off to an engineer maapla. To heck with it. Half the pass outs don’t even know Newton’s 2^nd law of motion. And they happen to be qualified engineers. If a sheet of paper certifyin that so and so is an engineer is all you need, then rest assured, you’ve found your man. But if a true engineer is what you need, then I guess half the girls in south india will stay unmarried.

How cruel society is.

But all said and done, I’d like to add a word about my parents here. they are probably the best thing that could have happened to me- letting me be ME, Letting me choose who or what I wanted to become. That I love my parents is an understatement. Mom and dad, if you do happen to chance by this post, I want you to know that the 4 yrs[well, 4 now, 6 when I finally finish the course ;)] of hardships that I’ve gone through-the sacrifices, the battering of pride and the pain that keeps silently crawling through me like a sidewinder through the sands of the deserts of Utah, creeping up eerily every single day, is for YOU. I love you beyond words and this is my way of repaying it.

5 more semesters(hopefully) and I’ll be rid of this pain. And then, I’ll be what I’ve always wanted to be, what I am destined to be. Until then, I’ll just have to go with the tide.

How cruel society is.

Until next time,

Adios!

SMS PICK OF THE WEEK

"Dont feel bad that people remember u only when they need u.
feel privileged that u r like a candle.
cos it comes 2 mind only when there is darkness in their lives"

keep smiling,

until next time,

adios!

A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS

Very rarely does a book come up that leaves its readers spell bound, a book that captivates the reader’s mind, takes them to the places described in it and makes them walk and talk as the characters in the story itself. A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS is one such book.

Written by KHALED HOSSEINI (author of the international best seller THE KITE RUNNER), it tells the story of two girls, joined by fate and separated by circumstances, living in war torn afghanistan.

“ONLY THE HARDEST OF HEARTS COULD FAIL TO BE MOVED” says GLAMOUR magazine.

Indeed it is.

if you havent read it yet, pls do asap. :)

until next time,

ADIOS!!!

10 THINGS I LEARNT IN 2010

1. I learnt that Great trailers don’t especially mean good movies!

2. I learnt that it is almost impossible to study when there is a hyperactive 2 yr old running around the house(not that I study anyway, but still)

3. I learnt that the only time girls cant fake looking good(I am not referring to the always pretty, always cute ones :P) is when they are trying to munch down PANI PURIS/ GOL GAPPAS. B-)

4. I learnt that MARK ZUCKERBERG was the founder of the 3^rd most populated country in the world(if u count facebook as a country i.e.)

5. ASSET was founded. ;D

6. I learnt that NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS don’t really last for more than a week.

7. I learnt that however jazzy your new year fwds might be, a simple “HAPPY NEW YEAR with your name on it” msg is the best. There’s nothing more satisfying than receiving a personalized greeting, especially when it cost the sender 50p per msg.

8. I learnt that irrespective of however much you practice, irrespective of the 98% hardwork you put in, there still has to be that 2% luck to make you shine.

9. I learnt that distances don’t really separate friends. The msgs might be missing. But the friendship definitely wouldn’t be. [this one was for u shals. :)]

10. And most importantly, I learnt that when the passion, the intent and drive are all channeled along the right path, success is not too far away, especially when I have friends like you all. Thank you guys, I’ve had a pretty rough 2010 but you were there when I needed you most. For the treats, for the eat outs, for pulling me up after a failure, for the Vchat sessions, for the endless fun, and for all the love and support, thank you guys. You were awesome. What would I be without you.

LOVE YOU ALL! :)

signing out on a happy note,

until next time,

ADIOS!!!

THROUGH THE REAR VIEW MIRROR

'TIME FLIES'

It seems like just a week back(using ‘a day back’ would be a bit exaggerating) that I was sitting at this same computer, typing away furiously, hoping to finish my 26^th post before midnight, December 31^st. and to think that I would be doing the same thing SO SOON is something I never really expected to happen.

But guess this is the truth-time, does fly!

Looking back, I guess 2010 was definitely a better year. But as is nature’s law of balance, it had its share of joy and sorrow, love and hate & success and failures.

Cricket, or rather the performances on field definitely got better. But like a bird that didn’t have the help of thermals, I had to work real hard to stay airborne. A string of starts, a couple of failures, a day when I turned savior and very little after that. Guess my cricket career didn’t really take off this year too like I had expected it too. yet another bad day at the office.

College life was better. New friends, better relationships with the older ones and so many unforgettable moments with friends, ha-BLISS! Not to forget the arrears I managed to get this sem, a first for me. But then, what is college life if u haven’t been a part of arrear exams. :P

Personal life was kinda twisted. Some people got closer, some just fell out. Altercations with dad on occasions more than one, and happy times with him, again, on occasions more than one. Love interests(?!) though not many did come to mind, which again, happens to be a first. But like most controversial and/or low budget kollywood movies, this never saw the light of the day too!

CHANGE- change did happen. A hell lot it did. Both from within(taller, stronger, sharper; well ok I didn’t really get taller but the other two I most definitely became) and on the outside(a new hairdo :P). Not to forget , I finally managed to get some change done at home too-more breathing space to be precise!

Looking back, 2010 definitely seemed to be better for me in more ways than one; it happened to be a year of many ‘firsts’- my first arrear, my first BIG knock, my first REAL crush, my first tangri kabab, my first Frankie, my first gift to and from my bro, my first movie download, my first plyometric workout, my first stint at self taught meditation, my first academic competition at college(which we came SO close to winning), my first anonymous intro, and of course my first drop of tear in a long, long time.

So revisiting those moments, 2010 did have a LOT of happy endings. But as is nature’s way, there were shades of grey too. But then, as incomplete is a painting without the color BLACK, life is also incomplete without a few failures, a few disappointments, and a few tears thrown here and there. But then, ever noticed how tasty even plain bread seems to be when we are hungry. For, only when we have witnessed the deepest troughs of life will we be able to truly admire and enjoy the crests, the crests that is success. Learn to enjoy even failures for they are nothing but opportunities to start the same work again with more knowledge on it (simple example- Thomas alva Edison and his explanation of his 999 attempts at inventing the light bulb. He never called them failures. He instead said that he was now filled with the knowledge that he knew of 999 items that COULD NOT BE USED to produce the light bulb, simple, yet stunning thought. And history says that the next time(1000^th) he tried,the electric bulb WAS invented)

So next time you sit down dejected, think of Thomas alva Edison, and a certain karthik sukumaran(or kihtrak to mr.venkata balakrishnan ;P :D), for only because they learned to look past their failures, they were able to die successful. well ok, am not dead yet but I know I will die successful. optimistic u ask? Well yeah I did vow to look at the glass as half full rather than half-empty.

Considering I’ve been putting in the effort, I know 2011 would be a better year.

And Considering this post was written on dec 25 AND considering that good kids like me(:P) are entitled to gifts from FR.NICHOLAS, all I’d like him to grant me is a very, very successful 2011, a year when I do peak, as I have been hoping for so long.

But enough of the selfishness, this is the season to spread cheer. And joy. So here’s wishing you all a very happy and successful year to come too.

Keep smiling.

Until next time,

Adios!