Hi,
I have been blogging here for the few months. Many of my friends read my blog regularly and give me their comments. The only issue is that they tend to give their opinions straight when they meet me or by sms( a really easy medium to use and my friends use it extensively!) or by mail. I've tried telling them to write their comments here but most of them don't. I'm tired of reminding them about it. That is why this post has come up!
To my readers and friends,
Some of the reasons I think for your noncommenting online are:
1) You think that your comments don't matter(your comments do matter a lot because I would love to know your opinions on what I write!)
2) You feel that others might not like your opinion(as long as it doesn't hurt anyone, all your comments are welcome)
3) You think that the commenting procedure here is a bit tedious(well,I can't do anything about it! The blogger team should take care if this is the problem. Personally, I think that this is one user friendly site and that the blogger team has done a good job of it)
4) You think that conveying your opinions matter and not the medium( True! your comments over any medium are welcome but I would prefer them to be written here because it is a lot easier and would help a lot when we(or someone else) read the post at a later date)
5) You are worried about your privacy and don't want the world at large to know your opinions( I don't think anyone not known to you and with a malicious intent would try to trace you and send hate messages. Come on! this is beyond anyone's imagination! And, we are giving out so much info over orkut and other websites. A small comment here wouldn't cause much trouble)
6) You think that since you see me day in and day out, you don't bother to write the comments here( A plausible reason! Lets see if the comments increase when I shift to Bangalore in a months time)
7) ............
Frankly, I've run out of reasons!
The comments that you give right to my face are on my mind for some time but I tend to forget them as time goes. A few weeks later, both you and me cannot remember what your comment was about a particular post. And, with the sem work that we have, I tend to forget them sooner. :(
The comments that you give over mail are there in my mailbox but after a few months, when I read them again, I can't make sense of it. I don't know which comment of yours is for what post! And, that adds to the confusion!
The comments that you send to my cell phone are there until either my inbox overflows (most likely) or I delete them to accomodate another msg. Frankly, I cannot keep track of them too. Finally, it leads to the same situation as the face to face comments.
So, I am in a fix over this. Fellow bloggers! Do give me some suggestion as to how you faced such a situation when you started blogging. There should be a way around and I'm bent on finding it.
PS: It is no fun when some one sends a serious comment to your cell when you are busy shopping or having fun with friends. It should be experienced to be understood :(
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
The Voice
She was sleeping.....
She heard a voice bend down and say into her ear "France won, Brazil lost"
She wanted to see it that day... So eager was she!!
Knowing the result, she was no longer interested
She slipped into deep, dreamless sleep
The moment was frozen in her mind
The voice guides her to the stars
And enthuses her to do better
She waits for the voice...
She heard a voice bend down and say into her ear "France won, Brazil lost"
She wanted to see it that day... So eager was she!!
Knowing the result, she was no longer interested
She slipped into deep, dreamless sleep
The moment was frozen in her mind
The voice guides her to the stars
And enthuses her to do better
She waits for the voice...
Monday, October 23, 2006
Time for results!!
Wow! What a response to my last post! So many of my classmates and friends who read that post gave me their feedback( though the online comment history depicts a different picture :) We’ll come to it later.) Most of my friends(let us denote them to be B) said that they would choose option b wherein they would become careful in their dealings with the other person who is selfish (let us keep that person to be A). However, they said that they wouldn’t let A know this unless necessary and then too, it would be done in a very careful manner so as not to hurt A unnecessarily. In fact, one of my friends said that he would never, ever share his deepest secrets, thoughts and feelings with that person anymore because a selfish person is only interested in himself/herself and would not hesitate to give out his secrets to attain their selfish goals. That’s true, isn’t it? When a person is very selfish, he/she would not care about others and would only look at the damage their actions have done after their selfish motives have been attained. Even then, they would not be able to see that they were the root cause for all the problems and would keep wondering as to why others are making such a hulla-bulla over trivial matters. If at all they get a chance to know that their actions caused such a grave mistake, then it could be done only at the cost of others’ lives. One thing with this option is that as we start being careful in our dealings with A, our relationships take a nose dive because a healthy relationship can be built only on solid trust. When the trust is out of question from one party, even if both A and B like and complement each other, the relationship cannot grow however hard they try. In the end, it would finally become a punishment for both of them to keep the relation going. Either the entire relation breaks off(difficult at first but easier later) or dilutes down to a casual friendship (easier at first but painful later).
Another of my friends said that she would try to find the root cause of her friend’s selfish behavior and try to alleviate it to solve the problem. A commendable solution but it would be difficult to change anyone unless they themselves want to change and are ready to observe and correct themselves every time they commit a mistake. She also gave me an interesting insight. She said that most girls (and some guys) tend to become selfish once they are committed to a partner for life. This is especially true in cases of arranged marriages solemnized in a short time (the girl would want to keep talking and spending more time with her would-be partner) or in early days of love (the girl would want to spend each minute of her waking time with her lover).(Sorry, guys! This was entirely her opinion and I have used ‘she’ and ‘her’ to capture the essence of what she said. In my personal view, I think both sexes are equal in this. I’ve seen so many of my friends (guys) who just keep wanting to be with their girl friends in the starting phases of their love lives and just keep avoiding their girl friends in the ending stages J An easy way to find if your relationship rocks or is in the rocks ;) ) But, I wouldn’t categorize this to be selfish behavior. I would put it down to wanting to build a relationship with a significant other and making time for them in his/her lives. In the process, friends also get lesser time.
One of my juniors said that she will throw tantrums and make sure that A actually understood what a loser he/she was and will make sure that she was not the subject of any more of A’s selfish actions. I wouldn’t say that it is a good method because most of the selfish actions happen so quickly that you don’t even have time to protest against it. Thankfully, none of them said that they would go on as if nothing had happened or that they would turn submissive. When I posed the same question to my maid, she said that most Indian women, atleast women of her generation, usually went on in life as if nothing happened or became submissive in order to protect the family. She said that though India is nearing its 60th year of independence, women (especially in the low and middle class) have to digest the selfish acts of her parents, brothers, husband, in-laws, relatives and surprisingly, their children(for whom they would have spent most of their lives working and caring for). This is an appalling condition but how do we find the solution? The only solution that I can think of is to make a person (man or woman) become independent, both financially and emotionally, irrespective of their age. This is possible only when proper education is given to them. By education, I mean the training given to human mind to think and analyze a problem in any given situation. There is no guarantee that this would become possible once a person goes to school and becomes literate. But, this would atleast pave way for the people to read more, know more and, eventually, understand more. This is the long term solution to the problem.
A short term solution to the problem is to reduce the closeness with the person A and try to see to it that we are not affected by A’s selfishness. Also, it is necessary for us to tell A that his/her attitude stinks because of his/her selfishness and that the main reason for the split up in the relations is his/her selfishness. That should make them realize their own folly and atleast be better behaved in their future endeavors. Simply put, move away from them. We, too, would be paying a heavy price. The closer we are, heavier the price. However, realizing the person is selfish and moving away now is better than keeping mum now and suffering more later. What say, friends?
PS: A word about the online history and actual comments contradicting each other. Most of my classmates and friends who read my blog are comment-shy and prefer to give me their comments over phone(sms is the most favored medium) or in person. There were a few who even scrapped me or mailed me. Thanks a lot for your responses. I was able to gauge the way people actually deal with a mental ugliness. Thankfully, most of them were ready to accept it and fight it out rather than actually ignoring and denying it.
Another of my friends said that she would try to find the root cause of her friend’s selfish behavior and try to alleviate it to solve the problem. A commendable solution but it would be difficult to change anyone unless they themselves want to change and are ready to observe and correct themselves every time they commit a mistake. She also gave me an interesting insight. She said that most girls (and some guys) tend to become selfish once they are committed to a partner for life. This is especially true in cases of arranged marriages solemnized in a short time (the girl would want to keep talking and spending more time with her would-be partner) or in early days of love (the girl would want to spend each minute of her waking time with her lover).(Sorry, guys! This was entirely her opinion and I have used ‘she’ and ‘her’ to capture the essence of what she said. In my personal view, I think both sexes are equal in this. I’ve seen so many of my friends (guys) who just keep wanting to be with their girl friends in the starting phases of their love lives and just keep avoiding their girl friends in the ending stages J An easy way to find if your relationship rocks or is in the rocks ;) ) But, I wouldn’t categorize this to be selfish behavior. I would put it down to wanting to build a relationship with a significant other and making time for them in his/her lives. In the process, friends also get lesser time.
One of my juniors said that she will throw tantrums and make sure that A actually understood what a loser he/she was and will make sure that she was not the subject of any more of A’s selfish actions. I wouldn’t say that it is a good method because most of the selfish actions happen so quickly that you don’t even have time to protest against it. Thankfully, none of them said that they would go on as if nothing had happened or that they would turn submissive. When I posed the same question to my maid, she said that most Indian women, atleast women of her generation, usually went on in life as if nothing happened or became submissive in order to protect the family. She said that though India is nearing its 60th year of independence, women (especially in the low and middle class) have to digest the selfish acts of her parents, brothers, husband, in-laws, relatives and surprisingly, their children(for whom they would have spent most of their lives working and caring for). This is an appalling condition but how do we find the solution? The only solution that I can think of is to make a person (man or woman) become independent, both financially and emotionally, irrespective of their age. This is possible only when proper education is given to them. By education, I mean the training given to human mind to think and analyze a problem in any given situation. There is no guarantee that this would become possible once a person goes to school and becomes literate. But, this would atleast pave way for the people to read more, know more and, eventually, understand more. This is the long term solution to the problem.
A short term solution to the problem is to reduce the closeness with the person A and try to see to it that we are not affected by A’s selfishness. Also, it is necessary for us to tell A that his/her attitude stinks because of his/her selfishness and that the main reason for the split up in the relations is his/her selfishness. That should make them realize their own folly and atleast be better behaved in their future endeavors. Simply put, move away from them. We, too, would be paying a heavy price. The closer we are, heavier the price. However, realizing the person is selfish and moving away now is better than keeping mum now and suffering more later. What say, friends?
PS: A word about the online history and actual comments contradicting each other. Most of my classmates and friends who read my blog are comment-shy and prefer to give me their comments over phone(sms is the most favored medium) or in person. There were a few who even scrapped me or mailed me. Thanks a lot for your responses. I was able to gauge the way people actually deal with a mental ugliness. Thankfully, most of them were ready to accept it and fight it out rather than actually ignoring and denying it.
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Quiz Time!!!
Hi Folks,
This is going to be a quiz post( or a post quiz???) Please leave me your answers as comments. Don't worry. This is not going to test your grey matter(Sorry, AB! I know you were waiting for a chance to flaunt yours... But not here and certainly not now). This is more to do with what you think is the right thing to do in a certain circumstance. Ok, no more suspense! Here goes:
My sis and me were having one of our petty arguments(we prefer to call them intellectual debates. My mom has an entirely different opinion though! ;)) We were deep into some psychological stuff and were trying to prove Sigmund Freud right or wrong. Our maid usually overhears our conversation and she too gave valid points from time to time. Gradually, the talk turned towards selfishness and my sis and me were whole hearted in our decision(A rare thing!! But it still happened). We were about to jump to another topic when our maid threw in a few questions.
1) what would you when a person very close to you is very selfish??(you can't live without that person, atleast not in the immediate present)
a) You just accept the fact and go on in life as if nothing happened.
b) You accept the fact but become more careful in your dealings with that person(how??)
c) You try to change yourself according to that person - become too submissive
d) You try to change yourself according to that person - you too become selfish!!
e) You throw a tantrum
2) If you choose options c or d, how long would you be submissive/selfish??
a) A few days
b) a few weeks
c) 1-6 months
d) 6-12 months
e) 1-2 years
d) More than that (then it would become a part of your character)
Please do give me your comments. My views on this would be in the next post!
Till then,
Alpine path
This is going to be a quiz post( or a post quiz???) Please leave me your answers as comments. Don't worry. This is not going to test your grey matter(Sorry, AB! I know you were waiting for a chance to flaunt yours... But not here and certainly not now). This is more to do with what you think is the right thing to do in a certain circumstance. Ok, no more suspense! Here goes:
My sis and me were having one of our petty arguments(we prefer to call them intellectual debates. My mom has an entirely different opinion though! ;)) We were deep into some psychological stuff and were trying to prove Sigmund Freud right or wrong. Our maid usually overhears our conversation and she too gave valid points from time to time. Gradually, the talk turned towards selfishness and my sis and me were whole hearted in our decision(A rare thing!! But it still happened). We were about to jump to another topic when our maid threw in a few questions.
1) what would you when a person very close to you is very selfish??(you can't live without that person, atleast not in the immediate present)
a) You just accept the fact and go on in life as if nothing happened.
b) You accept the fact but become more careful in your dealings with that person(how??)
c) You try to change yourself according to that person - become too submissive
d) You try to change yourself according to that person - you too become selfish!!
e) You throw a tantrum
2) If you choose options c or d, how long would you be submissive/selfish??
a) A few days
b) a few weeks
c) 1-6 months
d) 6-12 months
e) 1-2 years
d) More than that (then it would become a part of your character)
Please do give me your comments. My views on this would be in the next post!
Till then,
Alpine path
Monday, October 09, 2006
A birthday to remember!
Today is my birthday! This is one bday which I can never forget(though all bdays are special, this one was extra special). My family and friends gave me so many gifts that my cupboard is overflowing with them. They know that I am in love with books and chocolates and have gifted me enough to last a lifetime( though, I'm sure both commodities wouldn't last even a month, by the speed at which I am going!) And, so many of my classmates, past classmates, juniors, seniors, colony mates and club mates have wished me today. All I've been doing throughout the day is getting all the wishes and replying to each one of them. (My mom finally threatened to throw my cellphone out if I don't stop messaging! But I know she didn't really mean it!)
The first people to wish me were my parents, then came my sister, R my friend and the others one by one. Then came the calls from my granddad, my periamma, periappa, chithi, chithappa and my bro. One of the calls that I cannot forget is from my best friend from school,SK. It was great talking to her in the morning. Thanks, SK.I also got in touch with friends all over the world through mail(special mention to RKM and SG. Their wishes made me glad! U know the reason guys!) and orkut( even those with whom I was in a hi-bye position).
Then came people from the various clubs I am in and I got a load of chocolates from them. I was also wished by friends whom I knew over these four years from other departments and colleges. A pleasant surprise was from my juniors who wished me today. I never knew that they knew my bday at all. Thanks a lot to you all!
What do I feel at the threshold of this birthday? I usually try to take a good look of all things past and let go of the unpleasant things that happened that year. What is the point of having grudges all through your life? Yeah, you can call it a yearly stocktaking :) This time around, as I did that, I suddenly realized the responsibility that I would have to shoulder from this year on. Not everyone would consider me a kid with no cares in the world and would certainly expect me to pull my weight in whatever I do. Only my parents and chithis and periammas would still consider me a kid and would pamper me as they have done till now. Though I am not a person who would shirk work, I do love the flighty feeling that I get when I rebel against anything that I don't like. So far, I needn't give a reason for my behaviour because it came under the usual 'adolescent syndrome'. (My mom is a Ph.D in this and she can quote more than a hundred instances in less than ten minutes! So much for having a mom who is a professor at college and who can find out all that is going on inside me without me saying a word! So, the minute I rebel, she can pinpoint the exact reason as to why and what has irritated me and can solve it in minutes! I love you, amma for that! You've saved me from so many silly things through the years. And, that is another thing that is worrying me to the core.... So far, my mom was there to soothe any of my ruffled feelings and my dad was there to protect me from anything! Though they would still do all that, it is time I learnt to do all this on my own too. How long can I be dependent on my parents? There would come a time when I would be treated as an adult by the society(not that I am not being treated like that now, but I've still got some leeway) and then, all this would be expected out of me.. A good time to start my training ;)) But from now on, I am expected to follow the rules of the adult world and mind my p's and q's :)
Also, this birthday is extra special because this might be the last birthday that I spend in my home city. I've been here from the time I was born and am feeling sad that I would be leaving this lovely city soon. This is one place which is not too cold nor hot, not too rainy nor sunny. It has a pleasant climate all round the year. The climate is one of the main reasons why I want to settle down here after my sojourns throughout the world. Any ways, lets see how it turns out! So, right fromt the time I got up today, I've been enjoying all what I can about my city, its climate, its people and so on. I'm still doing it.
Have I changed from the last birthday I had? One of my friends asked me this question and set me thinking. Have I changed? In some ways, yes and in some ways, no. (a typical Libran answer! ;)) I have grown and met so many new people, learnt so many lessons along the way and have moulded myself to the demanding circumstances of my life in the past year. But, deep down, my value system has not changed. It has only strengthened with the exposure that I have got the past year. I have understood that the value system that my parents imparted in me in my childhood still stands true and that going by that system, I can never land in any sort of trouble or hardship(mental, physical and spiritual). My views of life haven't changed and the world is proving itself again and again regarding this.
The amount of responsibility that comes with freedom of the adult life is scary. But, as I did in my chidhood and teens, I guess I would learn along the way and would turn out alright!(hopefully).This is to all my friends who have been with me through this year: Thanks a lot, yaar! Its been a great experience in the past year. Hope we continue it next year too! Ok, I sounded a lot serious( and a bit melodramatic too in the previous sentences... But that is straight out of my heart!)
Signing off in style,
Alpine path
PS: I had my lab exam too today. Though I had written everything correctly, I couldn't show the output. So, God help me with it! :)
The first people to wish me were my parents, then came my sister, R my friend and the others one by one. Then came the calls from my granddad, my periamma, periappa, chithi, chithappa and my bro. One of the calls that I cannot forget is from my best friend from school,SK. It was great talking to her in the morning. Thanks, SK.I also got in touch with friends all over the world through mail(special mention to RKM and SG. Their wishes made me glad! U know the reason guys!) and orkut( even those with whom I was in a hi-bye position).
Then came people from the various clubs I am in and I got a load of chocolates from them. I was also wished by friends whom I knew over these four years from other departments and colleges. A pleasant surprise was from my juniors who wished me today. I never knew that they knew my bday at all. Thanks a lot to you all!
What do I feel at the threshold of this birthday? I usually try to take a good look of all things past and let go of the unpleasant things that happened that year. What is the point of having grudges all through your life? Yeah, you can call it a yearly stocktaking :) This time around, as I did that, I suddenly realized the responsibility that I would have to shoulder from this year on. Not everyone would consider me a kid with no cares in the world and would certainly expect me to pull my weight in whatever I do. Only my parents and chithis and periammas would still consider me a kid and would pamper me as they have done till now. Though I am not a person who would shirk work, I do love the flighty feeling that I get when I rebel against anything that I don't like. So far, I needn't give a reason for my behaviour because it came under the usual 'adolescent syndrome'. (My mom is a Ph.D in this and she can quote more than a hundred instances in less than ten minutes! So much for having a mom who is a professor at college and who can find out all that is going on inside me without me saying a word! So, the minute I rebel, she can pinpoint the exact reason as to why and what has irritated me and can solve it in minutes! I love you, amma for that! You've saved me from so many silly things through the years. And, that is another thing that is worrying me to the core.... So far, my mom was there to soothe any of my ruffled feelings and my dad was there to protect me from anything! Though they would still do all that, it is time I learnt to do all this on my own too. How long can I be dependent on my parents? There would come a time when I would be treated as an adult by the society(not that I am not being treated like that now, but I've still got some leeway) and then, all this would be expected out of me.. A good time to start my training ;)) But from now on, I am expected to follow the rules of the adult world and mind my p's and q's :)
Also, this birthday is extra special because this might be the last birthday that I spend in my home city. I've been here from the time I was born and am feeling sad that I would be leaving this lovely city soon. This is one place which is not too cold nor hot, not too rainy nor sunny. It has a pleasant climate all round the year. The climate is one of the main reasons why I want to settle down here after my sojourns throughout the world. Any ways, lets see how it turns out! So, right fromt the time I got up today, I've been enjoying all what I can about my city, its climate, its people and so on. I'm still doing it.
Have I changed from the last birthday I had? One of my friends asked me this question and set me thinking. Have I changed? In some ways, yes and in some ways, no. (a typical Libran answer! ;)) I have grown and met so many new people, learnt so many lessons along the way and have moulded myself to the demanding circumstances of my life in the past year. But, deep down, my value system has not changed. It has only strengthened with the exposure that I have got the past year. I have understood that the value system that my parents imparted in me in my childhood still stands true and that going by that system, I can never land in any sort of trouble or hardship(mental, physical and spiritual). My views of life haven't changed and the world is proving itself again and again regarding this.
The amount of responsibility that comes with freedom of the adult life is scary. But, as I did in my chidhood and teens, I guess I would learn along the way and would turn out alright!(hopefully).This is to all my friends who have been with me through this year: Thanks a lot, yaar! Its been a great experience in the past year. Hope we continue it next year too! Ok, I sounded a lot serious( and a bit melodramatic too in the previous sentences... But that is straight out of my heart!)
Signing off in style,
Alpine path
PS: I had my lab exam too today. Though I had written everything correctly, I couldn't show the output. So, God help me with it! :)
Friday, October 06, 2006
A cool SOP!
If anyone would like to know how hard it is to write about yourself in a manner that is professional, please ask me. I've been doing, or rather starting on SOPs(for the part of population that is blissfully unaware of this three letter word, it is the Statement of Purpose. Had you had any of your friends applying for their Masters/Ph.D in foreign universities, you can check with them the woes related to writing a professional, cool, friendly, non-bombastic, one with inference and not direct statements,a slight touch of humor and so on and so forth... well, my experiences with it would be in another post.), writing a part of it, deleting it out later, writing more, deleting again..... this seems endless... I was checking out some old mails when I accidentally saw a mail from one of the yahoo groups. One of my friends, Sudipta had sent a really cool SOP which he had come across somewhere. Here it is:
This is an actual essay written by a college applicant. The author, Hugh Gallagher, was admitted to NYU. Or so the legend goes .
*******************************************************
In order for the admissions staff of our college to get to know you, the applicant, better, we ask that you answer the following question: Are there any significant experiences you have had, or accomplishments you have realized, that have helped to define you as a person?
I am a dynamic figure, often seen scaling walls and crushing ice. I have been known to remodel train stations on my lunch breaks, making them more efficient in the area of heat retention. I translate ethnic slurs for Cuban refugees, I write award-winning operas, I manage time efficiently. Occasionally, I tread water for three days in a row.
I woo women with my sensuous and godlike trombone playing, I can pilot bicycles up severe inclines with unflagging speed, and I cook Thirty-Minute Brownies in twenty minutes. I am an expert in stucco, a veteran in love, and an outlaw in Peru.
Using only a hoe and a large glass of water, I once single-handedly defended a small village in the Amazon Basin from a horde of ferocious army ants. I play bluegrass cello, I was scouted by the Mets, I am the subject of numerous documentaries. When I'm bored, I build large suspension bridges in my yard. I enjoy urban hang gliding. On Wednesdays, after school, I repair electrical appliances free of charge.
I am an abstract artist, a concrete analyst, and a ruthless bookie. Critics worldwide swoon over my original line of corduroy evening wear. I don't perspire. I am a private citizen, yet I receive fan mail. I have been caller number nine and have won the weekend passes. Last summer, I toured New Jersey with a traveling centrifugal-force demonstration. I bat .400. My deft floral arrangements have earned me fame in international botany circles. Children trust me.
I can hurl tennis rackets at small moving objects with deadly accuracy. I once read Paradise Lost, Moby d_, and David Copperfield in one day and still had time to refurbish an entire dining room that evening. I know the exact location of every food item in the supermarket. I have performed several covert operations for the CIA. I sleep once a week; when I do sleep, I sleep in a chair.
While on vacation in Canada, I successfully negotiated with a group of terrorists who had seized a small bakery. The laws of physics do not apply to me. I balance, I weave, I dodge, I frolic, and my bills are all paid. On weekends, to let off steam, I participate in full-contact origami. Years ago, I discovered the meaning of life but forgot to write it down. I have made extraordinary four course meals using only a mouli and a toaster oven. I breed prizewinning clams. I have won bullfights in San Juan, cliff-diving competitions in Sri Lanka, and spelling bees at the Kremlin. I
have played Hamlet, I have performed open-heart surgery, and I have spoken with Elvis.
But I have not yet gone to college.
Kudos to the author!!!
Though I wouldn't dare to send such a SOP, it is refreshing change from the ones I'm used to reading at... and certainly better than the result of the last attempt I made at writing my own!
This is an actual essay written by a college applicant. The author, Hugh Gallagher, was admitted to NYU. Or so the legend goes .
*******************************************************
In order for the admissions staff of our college to get to know you, the applicant, better, we ask that you answer the following question: Are there any significant experiences you have had, or accomplishments you have realized, that have helped to define you as a person?
I am a dynamic figure, often seen scaling walls and crushing ice. I have been known to remodel train stations on my lunch breaks, making them more efficient in the area of heat retention. I translate ethnic slurs for Cuban refugees, I write award-winning operas, I manage time efficiently. Occasionally, I tread water for three days in a row.
I woo women with my sensuous and godlike trombone playing, I can pilot bicycles up severe inclines with unflagging speed, and I cook Thirty-Minute Brownies in twenty minutes. I am an expert in stucco, a veteran in love, and an outlaw in Peru.
Using only a hoe and a large glass of water, I once single-handedly defended a small village in the Amazon Basin from a horde of ferocious army ants. I play bluegrass cello, I was scouted by the Mets, I am the subject of numerous documentaries. When I'm bored, I build large suspension bridges in my yard. I enjoy urban hang gliding. On Wednesdays, after school, I repair electrical appliances free of charge.
I am an abstract artist, a concrete analyst, and a ruthless bookie. Critics worldwide swoon over my original line of corduroy evening wear. I don't perspire. I am a private citizen, yet I receive fan mail. I have been caller number nine and have won the weekend passes. Last summer, I toured New Jersey with a traveling centrifugal-force demonstration. I bat .400. My deft floral arrangements have earned me fame in international botany circles. Children trust me.
I can hurl tennis rackets at small moving objects with deadly accuracy. I once read Paradise Lost, Moby d_, and David Copperfield in one day and still had time to refurbish an entire dining room that evening. I know the exact location of every food item in the supermarket. I have performed several covert operations for the CIA. I sleep once a week; when I do sleep, I sleep in a chair.
While on vacation in Canada, I successfully negotiated with a group of terrorists who had seized a small bakery. The laws of physics do not apply to me. I balance, I weave, I dodge, I frolic, and my bills are all paid. On weekends, to let off steam, I participate in full-contact origami. Years ago, I discovered the meaning of life but forgot to write it down. I have made extraordinary four course meals using only a mouli and a toaster oven. I breed prizewinning clams. I have won bullfights in San Juan, cliff-diving competitions in Sri Lanka, and spelling bees at the Kremlin. I
have played Hamlet, I have performed open-heart surgery, and I have spoken with Elvis.
But I have not yet gone to college.
Kudos to the author!!!
Though I wouldn't dare to send such a SOP, it is refreshing change from the ones I'm used to reading at... and certainly better than the result of the last attempt I made at writing my own!
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
What is a friend?
Hi,
This was written by someone on internet and has been going thru mailboxes all over the world. I've read it scores of times yet everytime, it brings smiles to my lips and tears to my eyes. I'm happy that I've got great friends who would come in this category and are still so.... Words fail me when I try. Friends, thanks for being there!
PS:Hats of to the original writer, wherever you are!
What Is a Friend . . .
In kindergarten your idea of a good friend was the person who let you have the red crayon when all that was left was the ugly black one.
In first grade your idea of a good friend was the person who went to the bathroom with you and held your hand as you walked through the scary halls.
In second grade your idea of a good friend was the person who helped you stand up to the class bully.
In third grade your idea of a good friend was the person who shared their lunch with you when you forgot yours on the bus.
In fourth grade your idea of a good friend was the person who was willing to switch square dancing partners in gym so you wouldn't have to be stuck do-si-do-ing with Nasty Nick or Smelly Susan.
In fifth grade your idea of a friend was the person who saved a seat on the back of the bus for you.
In sixth grade your idea of a friend was the person who went up to Nick or Susan, your new crush, and asked them to dance with you, so that if they said no you wouldn't have to be embarrassed.
In seventh grade your idea of a friend was the person who let you copy the social studies homework from the night before that you had.
In eighth grade your idea of a good friend was the person who helped you pack up your stuffed animals and old baseball but didn't laugh at you when you finished and broke out into tears.
In ninth grade your idea of a good friend was the person who would go to a party thrown by a senior so you wouldn't wind up being the only freshman there.
In tenth grade your idea of a good friend was the person who changed their schedule so you would have someone to sit with at lunch.
In eleventh grade your idea of a good friend was the person who gave you rides in their new car, convinced your parents that you shouldn't be grounded, consoled you when you broke up with Nick [or Drew] or Susan, and found you a date to the prom.
In twelfth grade your idea of a good friend was the person who helped you pick out a college/university, assured you that you would get into that college/university, helped you deal with your parents who were having a hard time adjusting to the idea of letting you go.
At graduation your idea of a good friend was the person who was crying on the inside but managed the biggest smile one could give as they congratulated you.
The summer after twelfth grade your idea of a good friend was the person who helped you clean up the bottles from that party, helped you sneak out of the house when you just couldn't deal with your parents, assured you that now that you and Nick or you and Susan were back together, you could make it through anything, helped you pack up for university and just silently hugged you as you looked through blurry eyes at 18 years of memories you were leaving behind, and finally on those last days of childhood, went out of their way to give you reassurance that you would make it in college as well as you had these past 18 years, and most importantly sent you off to college knowing you were loved.
Now, your idea of a good friend is still the person who gives you the better of the two choices, holds your hand when you're scared, helps you fight off those who try to take advantage of you, thinks of you at times when you are not there, reminds you of what you have forgotten, helps you put the past behind you but understands when you need to hold on to it a little longer, stays with you so that you have confidence, goes out of their way to make time for you, helps you clear up your mistakes, helps you deal with pressure from others, smiles for you when they are sad, helps you become a better person, and most importantly loves you!
No matter where we go or who we become, never forget who helped us get there.
There's never a wrong time to pick up a phone or send a message telling your friends how much you miss them or how much you love them.
You know who you are, pass it on to someone who you want to remind. And thank you for being a friend . . .
This was written by someone on internet and has been going thru mailboxes all over the world. I've read it scores of times yet everytime, it brings smiles to my lips and tears to my eyes. I'm happy that I've got great friends who would come in this category and are still so.... Words fail me when I try. Friends, thanks for being there!
PS:Hats of to the original writer, wherever you are!
What Is a Friend . . .
In kindergarten your idea of a good friend was the person who let you have the red crayon when all that was left was the ugly black one.
In first grade your idea of a good friend was the person who went to the bathroom with you and held your hand as you walked through the scary halls.
In second grade your idea of a good friend was the person who helped you stand up to the class bully.
In third grade your idea of a good friend was the person who shared their lunch with you when you forgot yours on the bus.
In fourth grade your idea of a good friend was the person who was willing to switch square dancing partners in gym so you wouldn't have to be stuck do-si-do-ing with Nasty Nick or Smelly Susan.
In fifth grade your idea of a friend was the person who saved a seat on the back of the bus for you.
In sixth grade your idea of a friend was the person who went up to Nick or Susan, your new crush, and asked them to dance with you, so that if they said no you wouldn't have to be embarrassed.
In seventh grade your idea of a friend was the person who let you copy the social studies homework from the night before that you had.
In eighth grade your idea of a good friend was the person who helped you pack up your stuffed animals and old baseball but didn't laugh at you when you finished and broke out into tears.
In ninth grade your idea of a good friend was the person who would go to a party thrown by a senior so you wouldn't wind up being the only freshman there.
In tenth grade your idea of a good friend was the person who changed their schedule so you would have someone to sit with at lunch.
In eleventh grade your idea of a good friend was the person who gave you rides in their new car, convinced your parents that you shouldn't be grounded, consoled you when you broke up with Nick [or Drew] or Susan, and found you a date to the prom.
In twelfth grade your idea of a good friend was the person who helped you pick out a college/university, assured you that you would get into that college/university, helped you deal with your parents who were having a hard time adjusting to the idea of letting you go.
At graduation your idea of a good friend was the person who was crying on the inside but managed the biggest smile one could give as they congratulated you.
The summer after twelfth grade your idea of a good friend was the person who helped you clean up the bottles from that party, helped you sneak out of the house when you just couldn't deal with your parents, assured you that now that you and Nick or you and Susan were back together, you could make it through anything, helped you pack up for university and just silently hugged you as you looked through blurry eyes at 18 years of memories you were leaving behind, and finally on those last days of childhood, went out of their way to give you reassurance that you would make it in college as well as you had these past 18 years, and most importantly sent you off to college knowing you were loved.
Now, your idea of a good friend is still the person who gives you the better of the two choices, holds your hand when you're scared, helps you fight off those who try to take advantage of you, thinks of you at times when you are not there, reminds you of what you have forgotten, helps you put the past behind you but understands when you need to hold on to it a little longer, stays with you so that you have confidence, goes out of their way to make time for you, helps you clear up your mistakes, helps you deal with pressure from others, smiles for you when they are sad, helps you become a better person, and most importantly loves you!
No matter where we go or who we become, never forget who helped us get there.
There's never a wrong time to pick up a phone or send a message telling your friends how much you miss them or how much you love them.
You know who you are, pass it on to someone who you want to remind. And thank you for being a friend . . .
Sunday, October 01, 2006
Last few Classes!!!
I would be done with the classes in my college life in a few more days. Right now, I'm in my seventh semester and my eighth semester is a project semester where we don't have any classes. I'm not one to hate classes either in my school or college. I've always loved lectures about technical subjects. There, I've said it!
Most of my classmates don't like classes. I don't know why. I've always loved the way a lecturer takes his/her class, starting from the introduction where we get a glimpse what we would discussing the next hour or so. It is similar to the lovely smells that waft towards you when your mom prepares some delectable dish( that is why, I hate the electric chimneys! Though they are efficient and are most useful from a grownup's point of view, they don't give a person the fun of expecting the sumptuous dishes and becoming more hungry in the process... They just take off all the fumes and don't give a chance for our noses to enjoy the process too! Anyway!). Then comes the actual lecture. The professor slowly unfolds the process and helps the students to know the subject exactly as he wants them to remember it for a lifetime to come( the methods you learn in a classroom stick to you and you do it that way even if you find a better method later in life! Maybe because it is comfortable! for example, I learnt multiplications the normal way. Then, in college, one of my friends taught me the way it is done in Vedic Mathematics(I even brought a book about it)! Though it was simple, easier and faster for calculation, I still do the multiplication the old way!). Then comes the grand finale where the professor makes us understand the importance of what we have learnt and helps us fit it into the scheme of things with which we are familiar. That is the most difficult thing to do as our mind can process new information and old things separately but it cannot connect one another easily. The way the professor connects it is like connecting two exquisite embroidered work with threads that live in the background and yet make the entire work a seamless one! That should be experienced to be understood.
Though I wouldn't say that all the lectures I've attended are of the above sort, there are some professors who can make life a pure pleasure for a whole hour and keep you begging for more. There are subjects where I would touch the notes just an hour before the exams and still get an 'S' (the highest grade in our college). There are subjects where I've searched the net and scoured the library for more information in it for the pure fun of understanding more on that subject. I should thank all the professors and teachers who have given me such an experience. Some of the most memorable ones in that list are Ms.Roselyn John(my algebra teacher, who made algebra the most interesting subject for me in Maths. A terror in school, she was the best of all my middle school teachers), Ms.Anne(my history teacher in 8th. She was one who showed that history is actually fun and honed my debating skills(it helps me even now.. I can never stand the temptation of a good debate on any subject especially history, politics or religion).We discussed everything in her class.There was no taboo subject.),Ms.Vanamala(my Geography and english teacher, who saw to it that we learnt our maps right and could mark all the rivers of India correctly even in our sleep. Her grammar classes were great with the entire class wrestling with the hundred and one things in the famed "Wren and Martin" book. She was so good at it!), Mr.Govindarajan(my Maths sir who is a terror among students but who could make maths so delectable), Ms.Prethija(a teacher with a style of her own in Maths. She was great with Calculus and made us know the true powers of Calculus), Ms.Joy Violet(my Chemistry teacher who made the dry equations come alive in class and who saw to it that we loved the phenolphthalein and benzene formations as much as we loved Tendulkar and Schumi.Only in her class did I know that chemistry could be so much fun), Dr.Jayakumar( who unfolded the beauty of Physics in college),Ms.Kalpana(my Circuits teacher who showed that to succeed in ECE, what was needed was a proper understanding of fundamentals and not mindless learning of facts. I always learnt circuits only half an hour before the exam and still got an 'S' all the way through. We were so thorough with the concepts!),Mr.Sarita Kumar(a sir who made microprocessors so simple yet so powerful and found me my true love in ECE streams). There are a lot more teachers(from Ms.Magdalene to Mr.Sudhakar) who have made school and college life fun with their teachings. I could go on and on about them.
There are also staff in whose classes I've checked out my watch once every minute, yawned in front of their face and not understood one word of what they teach even if I put in my best efforts. It is kind of easy to segregate the staff into these two streams. You listen once to their class, then you'd know what grade you would get in their subjects. There are times when none of us in class would understand a word of what is being taught but would not show it for the sake of decency. But then, there are teachers who have taken this to be encouragement and have gone on and on. God forbid! in those cases :) We would take to passing chits and having fun right in front of their noses and they would be blissfully ignorant of it all. Some of my more industrious friends would finish off all the record work, obsi work and assignments during these boring lectures. They usually come with nil prep for the labs and bank on these staff for taking classes.Then, the whole class would have to bank on the notes of other class teachers. But in cases when all classes have teachers of this kind, it would be utter confusion and fun during the exam times. None of us would know what to learn and we would be as good as not having prepared anything at all. We would turn the books once and go to the examhall. We would then pray to all our Gods to pass us off in that particular subject because the entire paper would be a disaster and we would even write whatever we felt was remotely connected to it. My only thankfulness is that I've not had such staff many times, maybe once or twice(like Ms.S who took maths in 3rd semester or Ms.R).
Now, I want to attend all the classes that we have till the end of semester. Who knows if I would ever get the opportunity to sit in a class again and listen to lectures of any kind? So, now that the time is limited, I'm having an insatiable hunger to attend all the classes :) If all goes right, I might have classes in my Masters in some univ in US. If not, I would have to work in office and forget about classroom scenario for sometime. Till the time when we didn't know the end, we were bored with classes and wanted to finish them. But now, knowing that I have only a handful more classes to go, I want to make the full use of it. One more time to rise up when the prof comes in, one more time to scream your number for attendance, one more time to see a proxy being given(and a lot more sometimes),one more time to pass the chits(sometimes entire notebooks) among friends, one more time to hear SRR commenting on one and all, one more time to have small talk with AG,HI,CR,KV and AB, one more time to see AS nod off,one more time to see P and Rapri messaging to all and sundry, one more time to see AN take notes diligently, one more time to sleep when the OHPs are used, one more time to whisper answers to help friends when asked questions and one more time to close the note in relief. One more time to have all this fun!
Though I know that life goes on and that we have to move on in life, these things will always bring a smile on your face whenever we think of it. I'm sure each of us would have had great fun in class whichever age we were in. I love both my class of 10th and the class of IVth year though they are as different as chalk and cheese. I'm actually sad that I'm going to miss all of them(had someone said this to me some months back, I would have laughed in their faces!)I'm ready for the real world yet a part of me would still love going to classes(as I've done for the past 16 years). These things would forever remain in our memories. They would still have the sweet fragrance of our youth even when our hair turns grey and finally, white. A part of our souls would remain with our classrooms even we have passed and gone. Ok! now, I've got to go into another of my last classes. Ciao!
Most of my classmates don't like classes. I don't know why. I've always loved the way a lecturer takes his/her class, starting from the introduction where we get a glimpse what we would discussing the next hour or so. It is similar to the lovely smells that waft towards you when your mom prepares some delectable dish( that is why, I hate the electric chimneys! Though they are efficient and are most useful from a grownup's point of view, they don't give a person the fun of expecting the sumptuous dishes and becoming more hungry in the process... They just take off all the fumes and don't give a chance for our noses to enjoy the process too! Anyway!). Then comes the actual lecture. The professor slowly unfolds the process and helps the students to know the subject exactly as he wants them to remember it for a lifetime to come( the methods you learn in a classroom stick to you and you do it that way even if you find a better method later in life! Maybe because it is comfortable! for example, I learnt multiplications the normal way. Then, in college, one of my friends taught me the way it is done in Vedic Mathematics(I even brought a book about it)! Though it was simple, easier and faster for calculation, I still do the multiplication the old way!). Then comes the grand finale where the professor makes us understand the importance of what we have learnt and helps us fit it into the scheme of things with which we are familiar. That is the most difficult thing to do as our mind can process new information and old things separately but it cannot connect one another easily. The way the professor connects it is like connecting two exquisite embroidered work with threads that live in the background and yet make the entire work a seamless one! That should be experienced to be understood.
Though I wouldn't say that all the lectures I've attended are of the above sort, there are some professors who can make life a pure pleasure for a whole hour and keep you begging for more. There are subjects where I would touch the notes just an hour before the exams and still get an 'S' (the highest grade in our college). There are subjects where I've searched the net and scoured the library for more information in it for the pure fun of understanding more on that subject. I should thank all the professors and teachers who have given me such an experience. Some of the most memorable ones in that list are Ms.Roselyn John(my algebra teacher, who made algebra the most interesting subject for me in Maths. A terror in school, she was the best of all my middle school teachers), Ms.Anne(my history teacher in 8th. She was one who showed that history is actually fun and honed my debating skills(it helps me even now.. I can never stand the temptation of a good debate on any subject especially history, politics or religion).We discussed everything in her class.There was no taboo subject.),Ms.Vanamala(my Geography and english teacher, who saw to it that we learnt our maps right and could mark all the rivers of India correctly even in our sleep. Her grammar classes were great with the entire class wrestling with the hundred and one things in the famed "Wren and Martin" book. She was so good at it!), Mr.Govindarajan(my Maths sir who is a terror among students but who could make maths so delectable), Ms.Prethija(a teacher with a style of her own in Maths. She was great with Calculus and made us know the true powers of Calculus), Ms.Joy Violet(my Chemistry teacher who made the dry equations come alive in class and who saw to it that we loved the phenolphthalein and benzene formations as much as we loved Tendulkar and Schumi.Only in her class did I know that chemistry could be so much fun), Dr.Jayakumar( who unfolded the beauty of Physics in college),Ms.Kalpana(my Circuits teacher who showed that to succeed in ECE, what was needed was a proper understanding of fundamentals and not mindless learning of facts. I always learnt circuits only half an hour before the exam and still got an 'S' all the way through. We were so thorough with the concepts!),Mr.Sarita Kumar(a sir who made microprocessors so simple yet so powerful and found me my true love in ECE streams). There are a lot more teachers(from Ms.Magdalene to Mr.Sudhakar) who have made school and college life fun with their teachings. I could go on and on about them.
There are also staff in whose classes I've checked out my watch once every minute, yawned in front of their face and not understood one word of what they teach even if I put in my best efforts. It is kind of easy to segregate the staff into these two streams. You listen once to their class, then you'd know what grade you would get in their subjects. There are times when none of us in class would understand a word of what is being taught but would not show it for the sake of decency. But then, there are teachers who have taken this to be encouragement and have gone on and on. God forbid! in those cases :) We would take to passing chits and having fun right in front of their noses and they would be blissfully ignorant of it all. Some of my more industrious friends would finish off all the record work, obsi work and assignments during these boring lectures. They usually come with nil prep for the labs and bank on these staff for taking classes.Then, the whole class would have to bank on the notes of other class teachers. But in cases when all classes have teachers of this kind, it would be utter confusion and fun during the exam times. None of us would know what to learn and we would be as good as not having prepared anything at all. We would turn the books once and go to the examhall. We would then pray to all our Gods to pass us off in that particular subject because the entire paper would be a disaster and we would even write whatever we felt was remotely connected to it. My only thankfulness is that I've not had such staff many times, maybe once or twice(like Ms.S who took maths in 3rd semester or Ms.R).
Now, I want to attend all the classes that we have till the end of semester. Who knows if I would ever get the opportunity to sit in a class again and listen to lectures of any kind? So, now that the time is limited, I'm having an insatiable hunger to attend all the classes :) If all goes right, I might have classes in my Masters in some univ in US. If not, I would have to work in office and forget about classroom scenario for sometime. Till the time when we didn't know the end, we were bored with classes and wanted to finish them. But now, knowing that I have only a handful more classes to go, I want to make the full use of it. One more time to rise up when the prof comes in, one more time to scream your number for attendance, one more time to see a proxy being given(and a lot more sometimes),one more time to pass the chits(sometimes entire notebooks) among friends, one more time to hear SRR commenting on one and all, one more time to have small talk with AG,HI,CR,KV and AB, one more time to see AS nod off,one more time to see P and Rapri messaging to all and sundry, one more time to see AN take notes diligently, one more time to sleep when the OHPs are used, one more time to whisper answers to help friends when asked questions and one more time to close the note in relief. One more time to have all this fun!
Though I know that life goes on and that we have to move on in life, these things will always bring a smile on your face whenever we think of it. I'm sure each of us would have had great fun in class whichever age we were in. I love both my class of 10th and the class of IVth year though they are as different as chalk and cheese. I'm actually sad that I'm going to miss all of them(had someone said this to me some months back, I would have laughed in their faces!)I'm ready for the real world yet a part of me would still love going to classes(as I've done for the past 16 years). These things would forever remain in our memories. They would still have the sweet fragrance of our youth even when our hair turns grey and finally, white. A part of our souls would remain with our classrooms even we have passed and gone. Ok! now, I've got to go into another of my last classes. Ciao!
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