cat!

there was once a cat
who thought he wasnt
so he was a cat who wasnt.

Have you looked out of the window, in between work, caught the rays of the setting sun, and felt unreasonably happy? Have you eaten an ice cream candy and felt six year old again? Have you ever contemplated buying yourself a balloon just because the colour was pretty? or Have you wished to sit in a swing again.. to Have the unbridled freedom, where your feet nearly touched the sky? Have you even felt like stopping the buddi ka baal vendors to eat those lovely sweet white fibers... Have you ever felt like going back to your childhood?
after quite a depressing week( or two) of doing the records, procrastinating, yelling and screaming, today was pleasant change.. I love today. I bought a balloon, ate an ice cream.. The only thing I dint do was sit on the swing.( see the park near my house has a board on the set-'above 10 year olds cannot have a swinging time here)
oh I love the swing.... Even as I child,it was my favorite. It is a fantastic feeling to feel the wind in your hair as you go higher and higher up... I still remember the contests.... I had one recently, in Bhavya's house... I lost to a six year old. But I haven't felt happier in my life...On a swing, you have no worries.. No assignments, no records. Nothing. Just plain unadulterated fun!!
I know of lot of people who would think of it as being.. Putting it politely funny.. But just because you are an adult doesn't actually mean you can't have fun now, does it?
Am going to Bhavya's house again. And maybe this time I'll win!

The GameWorld triolgy

I just love books. And fantasy, dragons, elves, fairies always fascinated me. Always! .. maybe it cause of the Enid Blyton effect. I ‘ve read so many of her works when I was a kid that I thought fairies actually existed. Believed it with all my heart that one day when I was old enough that one would come knockin on my window ( the fact that there wasn’t a window in my room was trivial ) like in the book – The Magic Faraway Tree – and take me to those wonderful lands. Why am I babbling about fairies etc? Cause, I read a book. (WOW! You might say. Can you do that? ) a book that I enjoyed so much, that I had to share it with others. The book is Samit basu’s gameworld trilogy.( though technically its two book I’ve read and the third isn’t out yet.) He’s great. He’s awesome. So much so that I want to marry him (kidding! But if you are. Samit Basu,Call me! My no is………) anyway, back to the book.. its brilliant.. a complex interweaving of mythology of all cultures( ok I confess! I got that of the back of the book.). It’s a well written spoof that surprisingly has a story of its own- beautifully written.(I wrote THAT on my own). Well, It’s hilarious, its entertaining, its thoroughly enjoyable. All in all a great book. A must read for people who appreciate good books or just want to have a good laugh. It’s a true stress buster with its Gods, dragons, Vamanas, Rakshas, pashans . Read!

Fountainhead

I finished Ayn Rand’s Fountain. FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!! But I haven’t been able to decide whether I like it or not. It was my most difficult read. When I started to read it.. I expected to like it. Because everyone I know had. But isn’t it the same with that play or that book – gallant gallstone in fountainhead. Well, the ideas are refreshing if not shocking. But do you actually think people like Roark exist in the world? Is it possible for anyone to be so indifferent to everybody? Well, personally I don’t think so. The characters in the book, Roark, Dominque, Wayland are different from each other but are essentially just the same. People have claimed that the book changed their lives or the way they think. But isn’t that what the book is warning you about-Listening to others, being led by others, not knowing what you want? Well…

We are all born second handers. Everyone I know is. Even the fountainhead cult members. What was the purpose of this book- I wondered for the week after I finished the book( notice the use of the word finished.). Did it change my life. Is my life any different compared to BF(before fountainhead) . Nope. Not at all. Its just the same. Maybe I have a little more confidence in my opinions. See, am not selling my soul. But. Other than that, it’s the same. No moment of clarity. Not light of realization. Just a reality that the book is a work of fiction. I might not be able to decide if I like the book. But I have to give it to the lady. Its quite an unforgettable book.

The empty wall

The world to him –an empty wall

A canvas to paint; to leave his mark

With paintbrush of confidence

And paint of compassion

Set he off on a mission

The canvas that seemed empty before

To paint, to name his own

Jumped to life; filling

Intricate work with colours unknown

A world he knew not shown

As he stood, astounded

The paint along with his confidence ebbed .

As he watched the beautiful cruelty

That the world is. Often we miss

What we mean not to miss.

The world seemed so colourful

So full of life.

But yet so sad. Depressing even.

Wasn’t there anyone who could

Make any difference?

He reached out, the boy.

Through the pain.

And touched a life and spread some joy

So he didn’t own the world

But difference, he did make at least in one life

He wasn’t alone. His friends came

Soon many lives were touched

Many laughs shared.

The wall- the world was as intricate

But with a little less despair.

Meghna Iyengar

TYPICAL ZOOLOGY CLASS:

SCENE 1- theory class.(has benches with students on them, blackboard. teacher enters with chalk-white, pink, blue etc)

TEACHER: where were we? Yes the migration of eel and salmon.

(scribbles on the board. A arrow here, a arrow there till it looks like a very ‘pointy’ butterfly.)

TEACHER : and that is how the migration takes place!

ESTUDENTS: (all gaping dumbly while singing in their minds-we don’t need no education…)

SCENE 2- Lab. ( two students ask to be let into class five minutes late )

TEACHER: Ah!1 and 2 why have you come so early? The next class doesn’t start for another two hours.

1&2: sorry ma’am was stuck in traffic.

TEACHER: why? And when you know no dear that the bangalore traffic’s bad antha. Then you should leave no early?.. I live so far , and you don’t have to cook and clean no? At home.. Your mummys cook no? Tell me? You cook at home?

1: (softly) no ma’am

TEACHER: (suddenly) what you girls lack is respect. We do so much for you and what do you do? Nothing. I’ll tell you, you won’t do anything but get married and wash vessel.( turning to 1 and 2) what will your mother in law say? Your mummys and daddys will get a bad name no? and we are not here to teach you zoology. That is open and book, you can learan on your own. Why are we here?” (looks at 5, 6, 7 and waves 1 and 2 in) all the clothes you wear ! Goodness!.. all panties peeping out. Its so embarrassing to the external examiners! I mean you know , its like, we aren’t interested . all of us have the same thing? Nobody’s interested in seeing your mammary glands!

ESTUDENTS: (thinking together) our what!!!!????

TEACHER : (continuing) and all that love affair and all you get into. Do you know its useless. How will you get married if someone finds out? You don’t move to the left when a teacher is passing by. Don’t stand up and wish her. At least respect her age. When we were young… (Bell rings!! Thank God!)

Ok finish the record till what we did today. And get the book next week. You girls disturb me so much. I can’t do anything in class at all

STUDENTS: (zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz)

SCENE 3- The department-(students 3 and 4 go to the department)

ESTUDENTS: ma’am we have a doubt. Are you free?

TEACHERS: Yes, yes, come in. yes tell me.

ESTUDENTS: ma’am, in phylum mammilia…..

TEACHER : (cutting of the students) Ah! Before that , were 7 and 8 in class today?

ESTUDENTS: don’t think so ma’am. 7 has a high fever. And 8 hasn’t come to college.

TEACHER: just as I thought! Somebody has given them proxy. 1 and 5 are absent too.( seriously) why didn’t you give proxy? You don’t like them?

ESTUDENTS: (too shocked to react)

SCENE 4 : the Parent teacher meeting.

TEACHER: good morning ma’am. How are you?

PARENT: fine. You?

TEACHER: good. (looking at the estudent who’s standing next to her parent). We don’t have any complaints about your daughter ma’am. She answers in class and does her work on time.

PARENT : ( perplexed) then why was I called here? I was lead to believe that there was a problem with my daughter.

TEACHER: not actually ma’am, the only problem we have is that she talks in an accent. She doesn’t talk to everyone. WE think she has a attitude problem(looking at the estudent) will you talk to your mother in law also like this?

PARENT: did she something to you?

TEACHER : no its just the way she walks . looks like she has an attitude.

PARENT: ( thinking the dept is crazy) but she talks like that to everyone. To me and even to the maids! Anyway I’ll ask her to try and control it!

TEACHER: ( to student as they are leaving) Will you remember us even after you have gotten married and gone to Australia?

Ok, to understand the extent of my lamentation.. a) you should me a girl b) you should be a carmelite c) you should belong to the zoology department. ( all conditions are neccessary and blah!)
Picture this: a usual day in bangalore, a usual day for carmelite. But ah! it wasn't..The crowd outside the college gate reminded me of our famous queue of CUL-AH.. Fest! i thought . Yummy! But I was to be proven wrong. And hundreds of other carmelites too. And then we get the news, girls were being sent out of college for ' indecent' clothes.. ok question time. What is decent? The meaning of this term is so relative. What’s decent to me might not be the same for you. Girls were sent home for wearing a sleeveless, on a hot summer day. They were herded and tortured (by this time visions of the holocaust was rushing past my brain )’ lift your hands up girl!” I can see a millimeter of her skin below her shirt. Bend over, girl!’ echoed in the drives of our college. It was almost like the prize. ‘Find the most indecent girl and win a trip to Hawaii. Hurry! Limited seats!!!’ RIDICULUS!!! And that too in a GIRLS COLLEGE!!! And what’s this got to do with zoology department? I’m glad you asked. Question time again: from which situation has this line been taken?- ‘ .. And what will your mother-in –law say???’ Answer in the next post!!

Hello

welcome to my damned life.. why damned you ask.. i'll tell you.. keep watching this space..