Christmas

I’m not quite sure why I’m excited. I guess it’s just the festive feeling everywhere. Not being Christian, I don’t actively celebrate Christmas, but for some reason I can’t help but feel slightly lifted during this time.

This year, as usual, we went to the MCC convent to wish the sisters there. I love going there. Not just because I am pampered there – I AM! But that’s not why I love it there! It’s always quiet, though never has it been said that one isn’t allowed to talk. Trees surround the 56-year-old building, and there is never a time when there won’t be a cat or a dog around you – but then again, all of MCC is like that.
We took a cake with us, and we went in to see this huge spread of Christmas goodies spread out before us! Rose cookies, Christmas wine, pastries, and the best plum cake in the world! And I don’t even LIKE plum cake! It was SO stupid of us to have had breakfast before going!

When we had eaten all we could, met all the sisters, said hi to all the cats, and made sure Kutty wasn’t eating any birds…we went and sat in the chapel. The moment you walk in there, you feel different. I went in there alone, while the rest of my family was still talking to Sister Jesuina. There was a nativity visible just inside. The alter was decorated with baskets of fresh flowers. It was only 11 in the morning, and they had already received something like 10 flower baskets! It’s such a calm place; I just sat there till Sister Jesuina joined us. Without a word, she placed a hand on my head, and said a prayer. Out loud. Addressed to the Lord; thanking him for everything. She then said a special prayer…for me. I can’t get myself to type out what she said. She just prayed for me, for my exams…I just can’t get over it.

Going there gave me such satisfaction. I actually felt motivated to study…knowing that there are people at the convent praying for me.
I left feeling so choked up…I didn’t say a word on the way home.

You atheists don’t know what you are missing…

Srishti

Srishti had their graduation day yesterday. Since Sucheta’s mom teaches there, she was going anyway, and invited me to go along. My mom had also been invited separately since she’s HOD at the communications department at MCC. So Sucheta, her family, my mom and I went for the Srishti graduation show.

The art college is just near Aditi. It is huge large campus. Calm and beautiful. The place just radiates creativity. It has an amphitheatre kind of stage, the audience to be seated on stone, at the end of a large field.
Just as you walk in, there is a huge wall with a Madhubani mural. In fact, all over the college, there are murals. Every wall, every pillar, has some sort of artwork on it. What would have otherwise been an unremarkable corridor suddenly lights up. By the time you have walked in, there is no doubt that it is an art college.

The entire place had different things to see.
The graduating students had done projects on topics they had picked themselves – some on what they did on an internship, or a concept they wanted to pursue, or an issue that concerned them. I had gone there with an expectation of it being slightly pretentious, I must admit, but I was surprised to see the enthusiasm and effort put into some of those projects.
One girl, for example, had created this small corner of a room for furniture that she had designed. The chair and the table that she had designed were, she said, inspired from origami. The whole table and chair set is foldable! It was so cool! She had also designed a construction kit for children that starts with two basic shapes and gets built up to a complicated dome! It is amazing! She combines her love for design with her love for geometry!

But there were others, whose projects were quite pretentious. I found, in many places, that people just forced symbolism into things. I mean, pick up anything – anything – and it can be philosophical or a metaphor for something else! That doesn’t mean that one makes everything sound more fancy by forcing a philosophical meaning onto it.
There was this “contemporary” dance that we saw – I only saw one, apparently the ones later were a lot better – that was basically a girl in an elastic white tube. She never came out of it; she just kept stretching her hands and face through the material. There is a very fine line beyond which abstract art loses meaning. After a point, it stops being abstract art, and starts being just weird. Generally, contemporary dance leaves you awestruck; wondering how someone can move that way. But seeing this one, I simply found myself wondering “What is she doing?!”

Apparently the band was amazing! I never got to see them since I left too soon! But all in all the evening was quite cool. I met some really committed and interesting people, and got to see a place that lived on art and creativity. It was a world quite alien to me, but it was interesting to get a glimpse of it. It was nice to see that there are places that nurture this talent as well.

Short breather?

My first prelims are over! YAY!
I’m not quite sure why I am celebrating…it’s not like I’m getting a break! I get back to work starting tomorrow! We have one more set of prelims starting on the 3rd, practicals on the 10th, and then the last prelims starting on the 13th!! I hate the 10th grade! I can’t wait till this whole year is over, and I get to be stressed out by subjects I CHOSE to do!!

At lunch today, just before our practical exam, and just after the 12th grade’s biology/computer science exam, we were talking about who has it harder…us, or the twelfth-graders…
Obviously, we both thought our own situations were worse. But then, Hemanth went “Well…at least you only have three hours of practicals!”
Uh, YIKES?! They have three hours for EACH prelim! My God…sometimes I wonder if the people in the CBSE board have children! Adolescent years are the most fun my foot!! Now I don’t even know whether I want to get out of 10th grade or not, because it looks like it doesn’t get any better!! We finish tenth, only to this whole thing all over again in the twelfth!
Why do we even bother?!

Go Barino!

I just saw the American Idol Home For Christmas concert on star world. Oh my God! What voices those three have!

Most people find it really funny that Fantasia cries every time she sings a moving song. I think it is amazing. Even during the competition…she was so into it! She was literally in tears after “Sunrise”. That song is so difficult! Especially if you want to do it right. And boy did she. She is an amazing singer! I think the singer whose songs are easiest to butcher is Whitney Houston. To sing her songs, you either have the voice, or you don’t. You can’t just sing her song ‘adequately’. It doesn’t work that way. But Fantasia…wow! She sang Whitney Houston’s ‘Believe’ and added her own little bits…and it didn’t sound bad at all! Jasmine on the other hand…yeesh! Don’t attempt songs you can’t handle!

That kind of talent is hard to come across! At anything! Like Bijoyini di’s dance, (If you’ve read my blog before, you’d know how in awe of her I am…) Sucheta’s art, Rati’s writing, Aveek’s poetry, Deepthi’s ability to solve ANY math problem…
And these are just people I KNOW!
There is no dearth of talent! It is just really hard to find it!

Veer - Zaara

His best movie yet. I realise that I say that every time I see a new Shahrukh movie…but anyway
This movie was so cute! Hindustani squadron leader Veer Pratap Singh (played by Shahrukh Khan) falls in love with Pakistani Zaara (played by Preity Zinta)! But of course – like any other Hindi film – Zaara is getting married to someone else! (Ji haan! Is kahani mein twist bhi hai!) Zaara’s marriage however, is very important for her father’s political career. So Zaara’s fiancé blackmails Veer by saying as long as Veer stays in jail, he will keep Zaara happy, but the moment he steps out of jail, Zaara’s life will become hell. So he signs the document pretending to be someone else, while to rest of the world, Veer Pratap Singh is dead.
Now, Rani Mukherjee is Shahrukh’s lawyer. And she hears the story about their love and fights in court for justice.

You have to go watch to movie to find out how it ends. It’s adorable. The end was a bit much; the whole happiness of being reunited a bit too long drawn…but it was cute. Romantic-patriotic-tragedy I’d say!

But the thing that struck me the most about the movie was its diverse star cast! I mean, just look at it: A Muslim (Shahrukh), playing a Hindu…Hindus (Preity and Kirron Kher) playing Muslims…there was even a Parsi (Boman Irani) playing a Muslim (Priety’s father)! I can’t understand the fact that even with the kind of film industry that we have, we still have religious problems in this country! The biggest names in the film industry are Muslims…Shahrukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Nasauddin Shah, Farookh Sheik…and interestingly, they all have (or had) Hindu wives! Almost every part of our society watches Hindi films. If Hindi films have such an influence on us as a country, why is it that despite the amount India has gained from Muslims, some sections of Hindu’s are still hostile towards them?!

I’ve been in arguments with people before, about how the communal problems in India would easily solved by (redefining our constitution) making India a Hindu country! I don’t get that logic! I just think that doing that is taking a step backwards!
By giving up secularism, we are also giving up everything in our culture that is non-Hindu. The Taj Mahal, anything remotely Mughal, sufi music, AR Rehman, Adnan Sami, SHAHRUKH! I don’t get it!
Maybe there is something to this I am missing...

A method in our madness!

I saw the stupidest movie today! Can’t say I expected it to be an Oscar winning movie or anything…I mean, what do you expect from David Dhavan and Govinda?! But for some reason, I just had to watch it!

The movie’s storyline is SO brainless!
Sanjay wants a divorce from Anjalee. But the court wont give either of them a divorce until one has proof that the other is cheating. (?! Don’t ask!) Now, Anjalee decides to tell her husband that she is going on a trip to Europe. But instead of going there herself, she send her friend, so she can catch Sanjay red handed while he thinks she is away. By some strange coincidence, this friend has the SAME name, and the SAME surname!!! THIS Anjalee Sharma being Rani Mukherjee. On the other hand, Sanjay thinks that his wife is cheating on him with someone in Europe, so sends HIS friend, Raj (Govinda) on the same trip! Now during this “trip” Govinda spies on a girl, thinking she is Sanjay’s wife, and meanwhile, falls in love with Rani-Anjalee! Now, WHY Govinda never bothers to ask the name of the woman he is falling in love with…is BEYOND me!!! But yea…
ANYWAY…the woman Raj is mistakenly spying on turns out to be a drug smuggler! And all the Indians in the trip get arrested because this girl presents them drugs before making a get away (Except Raj, because he is conveniently not there at the time!). So he finds out Rani’s real name only when it is read out from her passport! Now he is upset because he is in love with a married woman, and she is upset because she is love with a man who is annoyed with her for no reason…
But in the end they both get married and live happily ever after!
Yikes…

It must seem incomprehensible HOW I managed to sit through this movie…twice. But I’m not the only one! Most people who are into Hindi movies have seen this movie – hated it, but seen it – or movies like it. So, apparently brainlessness sells! Look at Main Hoon Na. As much of a Shahrukh fan that I am, the story of this movie was ridiculous!! But it was a HUGE success! Such a feel-good movie! Maybe it is this kind of storyline – stupid and hilarious – that the public enjoyed. Maybe it was the appearance of a superstar on screen. Whatever it was, it sold!
Personally, I would never admit to having enjoyed “Had Kardi Aap Ne”, but there are some moods that only a mad-brainless-Govinda-comedy can pull you out off! Let’s face it! Bollywood wouldn’t be Bollywood without its brainlessness!

That's so true!

I should probably take my own advice more often...but this time, it's just because sometimes, life is frustrating to a point of hilarity.

1. When one wishes to unlock a door but has only one hand free, the keys are in the opposite pocket.
2. When ones hands are covered with oil, grease, or glue, your nose will start to itch.
3. Your insurance covers everything, except what has happened.
4. When things seem to go well, you've probably forgotten to do something.
5. When you want a book out of a bag...the one you want is always the last one you pick up.
6. You will run to answer the phone just as the party hangs up on you.
7. If there are only two programs on TV that are worth your time, they will always be at the same time.
8. The cost is always higher than one budgets for, and is exactly 3.14 times higher, hence the importance of Pi.
9. Wind velocity will increase proportionally to the cost of one’s hairdo.
10. After discarding something not used for years, you will need it one week later.

Don’t sweat the small stuff!! Don’t take life too seriously, because in the end, you won’t come out alive anyway.

Vasanthahabba

It was one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life! I can’t really even figure out myself what it really was that left a mark in my mind. When people hear about the life I lead during rehearsals, they think “She did that by choice?! She must be out of her mind!” During the last few weeks before the big day, we would go to Nrityagram everyday! Even on days when I had school, I’d leave school about an hour early, and reach home that night past midnight. I still didn’t skip a day of school – why bother since I slept through physics anyways?! – And I, oddly enough, enjoyed every moment of it.

The show itself was just amazing! I was around the best performers in India. There is no other way to put it. I was on stage for the inauguration, and one look at the audience - It was just unbelievable. While practicing at the amphitheatre, I didn’t think that 600 people would manage to sit in a space that small! But there they all were! I couldn’t find my friends of mom in the crowd; I could only see lights and heard so many people shouting! I was looking at only those who managed to get in! I’m not even counting the people watching on the screens outside!

We did the opening item, choreographed by Surupa di, and Rati and I spent the rest of evening watching India’s best classical and contemporary dancers. There was even a male Odissi ensemble. Now, Odissi – for those of you who don’t know – is a very feminine dance form. It was really weird to hear of a male Odissi group. But they were amazing! They brought a completely different style to it!
In spite of the standards, there were some MAJOR washouts, Astad Deboo for example. The guy did three (THREE!) 25-minute pieces! We got really bored!!
The show went on till 4am the next morning! Music and dance the whole night long! It was incredible.

Anyways, to cut a long story short (a bit late for that…but anyhow) it was an amazing experience! And this year, I have been asked to be a part of it again! It is just so amazing that I would be picked out of a group to be a part of HABBA!! But (yes, there is a but to all of this!) rehearsals will be really tough, and they are during the time of my second prelims and practical finals! I still want try and push myself to do it, but I don’t know how it is going to work! I wish I could be at two places at once…

Trust

It is such an easy thing to lose. Its like crystal; so easy to break, but so hard to put back together once broken. Though it’s hard not to trust. Its easier – and more natural – to believe someone when they say, “You can trust me!” I wish it were as easy to mark out a line beyond which not everyone can take liberties with you. It just makes me more and more sure that relationships – of any kind – do nothing but complicate matters. I guess I just find it annoying when those around me don’t have the same standards as I do. And I find it even more annoying when they think they are helping. This probably sounds very vague to those reading it.
It’s like this...
I don’t define a rapport with anyone for a LONG time. And I don’t like people who use phrases like “best friend” or “love” like they mean the same as “dog”, and then having used these phrases, break the trust that goes with it. I don’t do it, so I don’t understand people who do.

Contrary to my previous posts, this one doesn’t have a very concrete point. It’s this...
Trust is a very hard thing to gain. So if and when you do gain it...don’t break it.

CBSE Grammar (Or the lack of it)

Check this out…
How many types of soil there are. *Full stop* Name them? *Question mark*
What on earth?! I have half a mind to answer like this:
Q: Name them?
A: No.
I’m sure that bad grammar in CBSE textbooks is no new thing to anyone. It is just so distracting! But lately, I’ve noticed that grammar isn’t the only thing messed up in those books.

I study Geography out of a set of two books. One of questions, and the other of answers. What I would like to know is…did the people who wrote the answers EVER look at the questions they were answering?!

Give four examples of human-made resources
The skill or technique of crops utilization of resources planning is important for the skillfully use of resources, because without planning, there well be a mass wastage

What is resource planning?
Soil erosion is caused by deforestation, heavy and torrential rains, over grazing and winds etc….

How is soil formed?
Soil erosion, deforestation, land fills, mining and over exploitation of ground water resources.

That is REALLY the way it is!! Spelling mistakes, bad grammar and ALL!!

It is really sad that with our economy boom and everything, we are still incapable of writing articulate English! I am not suggesting that the way we speak in India has to change, I’m not in any way trying to be elitist…but if we can’t publish textbooks in proper English…I don’t know what to say.

I wish people would stop trying to speak in languages they can’t handle. I learn French…but I’m not writing French literature now am I?