Childhood

When was the last time you made a paper rocket? (that innocent thing that transforms a piece of paper into an aeronautical marvel) Or played your heart out in the rain, dirt flying everywhere? Or simply marveled at the outside world? For those of you convinced I've finally gone mad, (arbit ramblings - first sign of madness) NO, I haven't lost it just yet.
A few days ago, my sister asked me what I'd have done in the summer holidays at her age. I told her that I'd have spent it making rockets out of my year's used notebooks, playing with my friends esp. in the frequent rains or getting my hands dirty in the backyard. It was then that I realised that I really missed these things. Nobody seemed to be doing them anymore. The last time I played in the rain was over two years ago. Why? Have I simply "grown" up? I don't know. Maybe its time for me to get in touch with my thirteen-year-old self. I should be in for a wonderful time!

Disappointment

It's a part and parcel of life. How you deal with it defines who you are. When viewed in the right way, it can be the most essential thing in life. Disappointment. Something each and every one of us has to go through. Whether it is personal or professional, disappointment cannot be avoided. But how on earth do you deal with it? That overwhelming sense of worthlessness. The feeling that every thing you do is just no good enough. The fact that others have got what you felt you deserved. The tag of “failure” that you inevitably attach to yourself. All your mistakes come right back at you. You feel “if only.........”.

Finally you realise that it wasn't entirely your fault. Things can go wrong. And therein lies the best way to deal with it. Treat each cause for disappointment as something that just “happened”. Never ever doubt yourself. At the end of the day you've got to stick up for yourself. Nobody else is going to do that for you.

Many of you might be wondering why I'm (of all the people) telling you this. Well, I have this theory that my luck follows a yearly cycle. For a good portion of the year, everything goes along nicely. I like what I'm doing and the world seems like a wonderful place. However there is a three-odd month period when things just do not work out. Everything around me seems to be conspiring my downfall. Bad luck seems to be the order of the day.

The funny thing is that I don't grudge these three month lows. I feel they're absolutely necessary. They make me feel very happy during the other nine months (Don't laugh. This is not some rambling by a three year old. At the end of the day, you've got to feel happy. Nothing is worth it if you can't or don't). They also help me maintain a reasonably level head.

So yeah, the next time you're disappointed, look on the bright side. There's always bound to be one. It may not be waving cheerfully at you, but its there all the same.

NITK Lingo

Here at NITK, we have a number of words which are at first glance, simply bizarre. Words like "imba", "gg", "shaata" etc. when used in front of people not from here often illicit a response like: "huh???" "what was that???" or best of all, a simple bewildered "eh???". I've often had to check myself mid-sentence and change what I was about to say. Let's face it, sentences like: "If there's a john D test tomorrow, gg only" make little or no sense to outsiders. Worse, they lower their already rock-bottom estimate of our intelligence. We go from being cretins to cretins who talk gibberish. Not good.
I've put together the words most commonly used at our institution and their intended meaning: (note - due to the evolving nature of this language, the meanings conveyed here may no longer be accurate)
1) Imba: complete version- Imbalanced, cut short to "imba". (the lesser the syllables the better) meaning- Used to describe something extraordinarily good. origin- That mother of all shag games, DOTA. The word "imba" was first used by the DOTA players in college but soon became endemic among the junta. example- "The food there is imba."
2) GG: complete version- Good Game. (again same funda as "imba" - the shorter the better) meaning- used when describing a lost cause or something that's hopeless. origin- Again, DOTA. The word is used when one side is getting thrashed. Soon all the loosing side's players begin saying "gg" implying that they've lost. The word is endemic among gamers and certain groups of second years. example- "If there's a surprise test tomorrow, its gg for us". For those of you wondering what in god's good name I'm talking about, let me translate the above phrase: "If there's a surprise test tomorrow, We're screwed."
3) Shaata: complete version- shaata itself. (the usual rule does not apply. We're not that lazy!) meaning- used to ridicule something. The word has kannada origins and I'd rather not speak about the original word's meaning. example- Idiot 1:"That book is really good." Idiot2:"Shaata. It sucks."
4) Arbit: complete version- arbitrary. meaning- something that makes no sense/something that has no reason for its existence. example- "That movie was some arbit nonsense."
Well, there you have it. Four of the most common vernaculars in college. Utter nonsense to anyone but us. The words sound like they've been formed by someone who's severely sleep-deprived and probably drugged. (hey! that reminds me of someone - rather a group of someones) They make lesser sense than Jodhaa-Akbar. However, at the end of the day, who cares? We like them and that's all that counts.

Eligible Bachelors

Twenty One. There are a lot of things you can do when you're twenty one. You're legally allowed in most states to purchase alcohol (not that being underage stops anyone), and for those desperate few, you can also get married.
To get married, you need a girl. However, finding one is not easy. In order to help my friends (and myself) out, I've put together the following profiles. These profiles are ready-to-use for any popular marriage portal.

For most of us:

H'SOME (like I'd say otherwise - beauty is in the eye of the beholder) boy 21/5'blahblah/to-be-confirmed-not-yet-placed-you-see P.A. Studying in NITK. Prospective Btech looking for b'ful, qualified girl (NO. Actually I'd like an ugly, uneducated dimwit but if you insist I'd settle for the others). Preferably single. Must meet mummy's QC. Interested parties may contact: imsokewlimgay@blahblah.com

For the picky (read raving lunatics) few:

EXCELLENT (Compared to what? The devil is in the detail) boy 21/whatever/not-to-be-disclosed-this-isn't-about-selling-myself P.A. Studying in prestigious college. Prospective Btech looking for conservative and homely girl. Manglik needn't apply. Pure brahmin heritage essential (on both sides - I'm not going to be short-changed). Height less than mine (I'm in control, not you - nyah nyah). Subversive attitude must. Girls who can't cook needn't bother applying. Interested parties may contact: male_supremist@blahblah.com

The Person Sitting Next To You

The next time you take a bus/train/flight, take a little care to observe those sitting around you. Chances are you'll learn a lot. Little things like how they speak, what they wear and how they treat others can tell you a lot about their character. The different ways in which people behave amidst others is fascinating to watch. Small gestures such as eye movement, seating posture and facial expressions give away a lot. An overtly expressive person is in all likely-hood short of confidence. A beautiful woman in the midst of a crowd understandably alters things to a great extent. Most people try and steal covert glances when they think she isn't looking. The more intellectual ones (those that pride themselves as being above such base passions) try and busy themselves with a book/newspaper. A classic way of avoiding social contact is the cellphone. Its very simple to make yourself look busy by typing at random.
I would love to travel with people who aren't evasive. Openness, warmth and good humor make for lively conversations. Maybe the next time you travel, a friendly glance will make the trip seem a lot shorter.

A Little About This Blog

Every article in this blog is just that. An article. That's it. I do NOT want anyone to feel bad on account of anything I write. If anything at all is amiss according to you, please do contact me and I WILL remove it ASAP.

Life As We Know It

When I was walking down the street the other day, I saw a couple of kids playing with an old football. It was torn in several places but nonetheless reasonably round. What fun those two were having! For a few moments I stood watching one of them baffle the other with his trickery and excellent ball-control. This young boy, barely thirteen years of age, had the potential to give any defender serious nightmares.
However, he never will. He lives in a slum near my house and will soon be working for a living. When he turns fourteen, his father will make him work as a cleaner in a nearby restaurant. For ten hours of hard labour, he will take home a paltry sum of forty rupees. Some of us will spend his entire monthly wages for a few minutes of fun without batting an eyelid. Some of us will look the other way when he comes to clean our table in the hope of escaping reality. Some of us will become experts in looking the other way whenever we find it convenient. The rest of us will become masters at ignoring our guilt. All of us will find solace by asking the following question: "How many can we help? There are too many".
There are indeed too many. Its life as we know it. We just have to deal with it. Unfortunately, I can't see the light at the end of the tunnel for the boy. He looks set to live a life of poverty and there seems to be nothing on offer to change that. Looking at him playing football, blissfully unaware of the future that awaits, I feel like a fool. Why? Because I spend far too much time worrying about things. If only I could be more like the boy, joyfully enjoying his moment in the sun. Perhaps I need to learn the true meaning of contentment. As the saying goes: "To get what you want is success. To want what you have is happiness". I intend to start living that way.

Happy New Year!!! Hello 2008

So this is 2008. Funny, it doesn't feel any different. And I'm glad.
Eight years ago, I was celebrating the coming of a new millennium. What a feeling, knowing that I was part of something special. I also remember thinking to myself that the years were quite simply flying by. Eight years on, I still get the same feeling and it sends shivers down my spine. These are the years I hope to look back on as part of the "those-were-the-days" era. I'm on a virtual paid holiday at NITK and life couldn't be better. (Well, my love-life needs an injection of the opposite sex and a whole lot of luck - Apart from that minor issue things seem to be going along nicely)
The thing that bothers me is the fact that time is flying by. A few years down the line, I'm going to really miss my present life. As a result, I've reached the following new year vows:
1) Enjoy myself at all costs.
2) Get hitched. (Yeah right!!! Who am I kidding?)
3) Be nicer to people. I do tend to rub some people the wrong way.