Gesundheit

Having the flu puts the dampers on nice long weekends.I just finished my first set of internals and was looking forward to some quality me time.Well,my nasty cold hasn't stopped me from living the nap -snack -read cycle,but what it has done is banish all splendid fancies of early morning jogs in huge gardens and bouts of listlessness lovingly nourished by floating about aimlessly in the pool.

Darn you flu,fly away asap.

My to do to mend to buy list is getting longer and longer,and I fear the time has come to get my bottom off the couch and hit the city's burgeoning markets again.I love shopping,but I hate planning,or making budget lists ( saving is an icky word!)...alas,I'm no Trump,so I'll have to scour the streets for a good bargain,and all of this simply cannot be done when a stupid little cold and fever come a-visiting.

There are a lot of benefits to being les sick invalid though,and I'm milking it for all it's worth.Breakfast in bed , delicious "for the convalescing" meals ,cherished books and dvds are making their way to yours truly.Additionally,Mom,me and my Nani got around to listening to some Carnatic music that my uncle gifted my mom for her birthday last week,and rounds of banana milkshakes helped digest the whole thing...quite a decent morning,I must say.

Waiting to return to my normal hyperactive self though,and unleash the Tarzan within! :)

Happy weekend,y'all!

Not your typical musical night

My semester has come to an end.You know what that means--->end semester exams.Sob!Anyway,I was about to tell you that I have my linear algebra paper tomorrow and that I began preparations in earnest last night,hoping to appease the rather stuck up gods that control the fates of all victims of mathematics.

Despite the honorable intentions,I fared miserably in my attempt to study.Deciding music would help clear my mind,I fetched my CD player and plugged it in(no,I do not like listening to music on a pod or mp3 or any other device which requires me to use headphones,earphones or anything of the like).I got further pissed when I couldn't locate my CD collection.Going with the desperation the hour demanded,I hit play,resigning myself to listening to whatever was in the blasted thing.

Imagine my pleasant surprise when some lovely Hindustani music notes filled the air!Frankly,I don't listen to much classical music myself.That's not to say that I don;t enjoy it,it's just not my first choice.The music was slow.Non distracting.It remained in the background.Mightily please,I went about my cramming.Every now and then however,I couldn't help but devote my attention completely to the music.There was some soulful raag alaap before every song.I particularly enjoyed the one set to the raaga Hamsadhwani. Some of you Carnatic music enthusiasts may know of the raaga Kaanada,it's my favourite,coz it inherently seems like a twang of melancholy.Last night,I discovered my second favourite--Bhoop. :) I couldn't help but digress,and spent some happy moments humming along with the CD.

It's true what they say,isn't it,about classaical music being one of the purest forms of music?My mother says that is among the few forms of music that can manage to pull anyone away from what they're doing(not that my case counts,coz almost anything manages to pull me away from math...still).

The tunes;they rose,they fell,they meandered,and they never failed to amaze.Aw shucks,I'm rambling here.I wouldn't know.

What I do know is that last evening,I got some good studying done.This might even be the first time in living memory that I enjoyed algebra,and that definitely is something to celebrate!

Alright,I've got some nasty exams lined up for me.Till later,then. :)

Last time I was here...

You know what?
When I'm in a place I visit frequently(when I say frequently I mean more frequently than I would visit the toilet,and less frequently than I would visit the gym),I think about the last time that I was there.
Right now,I'm sitting at the same cafe that I was ,nearly a year ago.Though I don't live in the same city anymore,I'm actually visiting some friends there now.
With no homes to invade on a scorching Thursday afternoon,I'm whiling time away at this coffee cum broadband cafe,and thinking about the last time I was here.
Judging by what I posted then,I was high on coffee,jobless and happy.
And I suppose now I am pensive,nostalgic,and ...yes,jobless.
Anyway,take a look at what I had to say.

Bleak mornings

I.hate.overcast.mornings.

This is quite a change.I used to love the sudden rain showers which are something of an acquaintance to people like me ,who live in the Deccan Plateau.However,all the monsoons have been doing lately is ruining my plans.Plans to go out.Plans to meet for lunch.Plans to take a walk in the shopper friendly Brigade road.Plans to raid the panipuri stalls that dot my locality.Basically,all plans which do not involve me sitting morosely at home ,playing Scrabble with myself.Yes,I am aware my life is sad as of now.Big picture please!!!:x

Whatever happened to the rain showers which would last for quarter of an hour,and then vanish quite nicely,leaving behind an optimistic rainbow or two?
Guess the weather is quite keen on imitating the economy,seeing as both have decided to come crashing down.

However,I'm a wee bit thankful to this bleak morning.It's given me a chance to blog,and is that kheer I smell in the kitchen ?

Well...maybe bleak mornings aren't half as bad as I thought they were.
I sincerely hope this foul weather clears up though.I want to be able to resume wandering aimlessly around the city,with my best buds in tow.

Yeah,so???

Yeah,so???

There you have it.Pure indifference,spelled out in two simple words.
Over the years,we have incorporated this particular gene which helps us to ignore all things sad and pathetic around us.This immunity is so efficient that it acts like a metre thick lead wall,shielding every piteous sight and muffling every anguished cry.

The other day, I was taking a break in the park.Merrily swinging on the metal jhoola when this little kid of about four walked up to the swing next to me and clambered onto it.
After a few minutes of silence broken only by the rhythmic squeak of the swings,with innocent curiosity ,the kid,let's call her Chhoti,began a friendly interrogation.

"Where are you from?" "What did you say your name was?" "What do you do?""What is your name?" "Is your favourite colour pink?" "Your favourite colour is blue?Really,blue?"
"Shall we play something?" "Err...what's your name?"

In spite of my miserable mood,I soon became engrossed in this conversation.After a minute or to,a young servant maid of 8 or 9 years joined us in the park.She was the bai or the caretaker/playmate of Chhoti.She shot an inquisitorial glance at me.After assuring her that I lived in the same colony,and that I wasn't some weirdo who hung around the swings despite not being a toddler,she stood beside us demurely.

"Which class are you in ?"

I reverted back to the conversation and proceeded to satisfy Chhoti's eternal thirst for facts about my life.

"I'm in college."

"Well I'm in kindergarten; and this girl here...",Chhoti said,glancing at the 8 year old caretaker,"..she isn't in any class."


"What do you mean?"I ventured.

"Oh ,she's not in any class,just at home.All the time."She concluded in a cool,indifferent ,superior voice.

Reality bit me,hard.Well,...I dont blame Chhoti.The kid's probably seen the young caretaker around the house,doing odd jobs and cooing to her,all the time.The kid accepted her partially as her "friend" and in the same breath,seated her on a lower pedestal because the elder one didn't,and probably couldn't afford to attend school. Albeit unintentionally,this kid had become one of the grown ups who categorize people based on their stand in education ,wealth or family status,rather than trying to connect to a person's emotions or personality.
Attitudes like this might retard the rise of the wave of change that is slowly beginning to take shape in society.

So wht've we gotta do?
We gotta correct the error of our ways,retype the code in our heart and reprogram ourselves to wake up to a barrier-free world!