Of this that and everything

Well, the assignments have started pouring in. I am to:

Spend time on social work

Write 3 stories and dissect the creative process involved in it

Design interviews

Predict a persons personality by looking at him/her

Do a book review - am doing Prince, and it is due tomorrow

Read a case every day

and see a movie a day.

My Values

A result of having to study ethics.. here goes why these are big with me. Feel free to comment on them.

Truthful to myself: I need to know what I do and why I do it. This single value is the cornerstone for the rest of them.

Freedom: I believe in freedom – to grow as an individual, to think, to explore your abilities. And I believe in others enjoying them too.

Dignity: I expect myself to maintain my dignity. I do not believe in degrading myself or others based on their cast, sexual orientation, gender & economic level.

Acceptance: I believe in acceptance of different POVs even if I donot believe in them.

Faith: In myself and others

Flexibility: For me, it is acceptance in action. And making martinis out of lemons.

Forgiveness: I believe in forgiving others and myself of things done and not done – and moving on.

Responsibility: I am responsible for my actions – good, and most importantly, bad.

Looking at this list, I am struck by the strong streak of individualism that runs through them. More important than love, more important than family...

For I believe that unless you believe in yourself, nobody else can. And unless the individual units are strong, the society crumbles.

Making this list and comparing it with that of other people have let me learn a lot about myself.

So, what are your values?

War of Words

I have been touring like a minister during election time. Relatives, family friends, friends - you name it, I have been to it.

Generally, most of the visits are boring, barring those where I get to talk with youngsters. Else the talk usually goes like this:

Host(H) : Tea?

Me (M) : Nope. Also no coffee or milk please.

H : Milk, then? ( rushes to the kitchen without waiting for an answer)

M : Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!! ( runs behind her)

Her duty as a hostess supposedly done, they talk with my parents, and the next nanosecond, I grab a book/magazine/newspaper/ticket foil - ok, may be NOT a ticket foil - and start reading.

Another headache is the " isn't she getting married? " game. I grit my teeth and bare my fangs which they mistake as a shy ( WTF?? ) smile and proudly proclaim it to my delighted mom, while I chant voodoo spells to make that person a deaf-mute.

This evidently makes my mom make another go for my marriage.

MoM: Shall I start looking for a guy?

Me: No.
MoM: I will get you a nice guy who doesn't drink or smoke... Or go to pubs or discos or parties...... a nice sweet boy and who is ready to settle in Kerala.

Me: No way!! ( WTF?? She is planning to get my SUCH a guy?? A nincompoop?? And Who want to settle in Kerala in the midst of 1000 people who want to tell me how to lead my life and make sure that I do it?? )

MoM: ( to dad ) Seee!!! She has stopped listening to us!!!!

Me : I am going to run away. It seems you guys are tired of me [ thanks to all the mega serials for the following dialogue ] Seems like I'm a burden to you guys.... Sniff!!

Dad : ( to MoM) Stop bugging her... She is mature enough to decide when she should marry. ( To me, so that Mom wont feel that he is siding with me) And YOU start listening to your MOM!!! You have to get married sometime you know....

Me: (meekly) Yes dad... I will dad... ( changes the TV channel)

Mom & me start the remote control war. Which I tactfully end by moving to Animal Planet or Tom & Jerry show - which we both like. The net few hours are spend oohing and aahing the dogs, cats, parakeets, leopards, tigers, fish, monkeys and horses, or laughing at Tom & Jerry; with fond reminiscences of our eight ex- official pets.

The problem with me and my mom is that we are too much like each other in our stubbornness. Mom thinks that she knows the best, I think that I do a better job at it. She is tenacious ( which helped that daughter of a 4th standard educated coolie to be a Bank Manager ) and so am I. She is talkative, and so am I, but to a lesser extent - I am my dad's kid too, I need my share of silence.

I cannot stand my mom most of the times - and she has told me too many times that she prefer the 3 year old cute baby I was to this boisterous young woman that I am to take it as a joke anymore - and she too feels the same. But we both have this fierce love for each other too. The moment someone doesn't sing my paeans my mom hisses at them like a mother cobra protecting her eggs, and the moment someone slights my mom I bare my fangs like a hungry lioness ready for the kill.

I have never answered her question to her face, but yes mom, I love you in my own special way.

And no, this doesn't mean that I will start listening to you from now on.

Back to Basics

I'm back to kerala. The land where I was born and grown. The land where I will have to forget my self for a while and be the nice obedient prosaic daughter. To not venture out without my parents, not even a drop of wine. No movies which my parents might find boring, dutiful visits to at least a few people which is a meaningless act of boredom for us and them.

Still I plan to:

Perfect my car driving skills.
Go for morning walk in the museum.
Go to the beach.
Try and go for the marriage of a classmate.
Eat mallu food - espy tapioca, fish, jackfruit, beef, seafood, et all...
Visit my grandparents in Kollam.
Watch TV.
Read Malayalam books.
Call up old friends.
Have a gyan session with CAT aspirants of TIME/Career Launcher.

And try and meet up with fellow XLers in TVM.

And ya dooood, I WILL blog about you!!! :))

Ciao for now,

Surya

Speed Monkeys

A bike is the closest experience that I have had of heaven. It is designed for freedom, for humans to release the slight madness inherent in them. Going on a bike ride is one of the bet things that could ever happen to me.

The bike cut across the traffic, fast now, slow now, and soon we are out of the city traffic. Like a liberated bird, the bike starts flying. The speedometer climbs 80, 90 and is now touching 100 +. The wind whooshes past you ears, and with each higher notch in the speedometer, it is taking you to higher ecstasy.

A bike ride of 100+ kmph is a profoundly spiritual and sensual experience.

We come across a traffic signal. Other vehicles disregard the red light and move. We wait for one minute and slowly move when the signal is green, overtaking everyone who had passed us in a few seconds. I think of giving them the finger salute as they had violated the traffic rules to crawl past, but the fellah who is riding the bike might be shocked by such acts. Speed is his only poison, he is a strict veggie, and non - smoker/drinker/drug addicter.

The wind, sun and open spaces claim us as we speed into everything that humans need, but only dream of.

We are the speed monkeys.

Back to Heaven

Rains in Bangalore are like unwanted guests if you are not lying under your blanket. They flood the drains, cause trafic jams, make trees fall down on your precious Sumo or - God forbid! - Enfield. Even the smallest bathroomshower of a rain, like a little naughty child, create havocs and chaos, especially on the roads.

The adjoining drains fare little better. Like an alcoholic who has had one too many, they start vomiting up the dirt and grime from the bowels of the city.

But on Sunday, I am going to kerala. The place which has an enduring love affair with the rain. Where the rain is a way of life, not a traffic stopping drunkard.

NS - Part II

Guess what?? did not get any reply from my 'aunt's' lawyer. :(

But got a mail from a guy addressing me with the psude name I have supplied.

Arbit bits of everything

Final presentation is over. And more importantly, it went well. TG! Now in the report generation mode. Thankfully, my project manager is a stickler for small ppts & reports. Made a 9 slide ppt presentation - i guess it is an altime record atleast for this year & my senior's year - and am plannin a similarly small report.

I cannot believe that summer is over. Back to Trivandrum on 12th night. Am plannin to sign up for a refresher coure in driving. My parents would be too happy to see me - In the last 14 months, I guess I have been wth them for a total of less than 15 days - to crib about the grunge jwellery that I have collected ( I hope!).

Finished "The Games People Play" . Guess research is all about vaidating your intution. Was into the Space Odessy series of Arthur C Clarke, finished part one, two and three; now on to the last book.

Also wondering what to do with a bottle of tempting Marlot. Guess I will take it to XLRI to enjoy it with my close buddies.

I would have liked to say good bye to all my friends here in person, but dont think that is going to happen except in the case of a select few. But the good thing is that I managed not to come across any critics - esp from my UG days - who might have had me apply some choice words on them.

Feeling rotten. About not starting the report and converting this blog to a diary.

BnB

Like everyone else, I saw the movie. It is bland. There are no jokes which make you laugh long after the movie, no romance which make you go all misty eyed, no sentiments which leave you with a vague sense of unhappiness.

Only songs with good beats and bohemian chick-ish accessories of Rani Mukherjee.

And a remainder of why Julia Roberts said that Aiswarya Rai is the most beautiful woman in the world.