iTag

Found this tag while I was blog-trotting. No one tagged me. Hence, no courtesy.:D

I am: Unpredictable.
I think: That people need to take Global Warming seriously.
I know: That I can't always get what I want. But that doesn't stop me from trying! :D
I want: People to mind their own effing business, for a change.
I have: The bestest set of bestest friends that I could've asked for.
I wish: That cell phone bills were a myth.
I hate: Eave teasers.
I miss: My awesome school-life.
I fear: That hell actually does exist. :D
I feel: That judging someone before knowing them is one of the biggest mistakes that you can make.
I hear: A lot of nonsense in my mind.
I smell: Rather extra-sensitively. I either like a smell. Or it gives me a headache. There is no "okay-it-doesn't make-a-difference" smell.
I crave: For chocolate at the most inconvenient of times.
I search: I don't. I make my sister search things for me. :D
I wonder: Why amount of studying done is inversely proportional to the time available for studying.
I regret: Over-eating. At times. :D
I love: Shopping!
I ache: When I am dying of boredom. Has happened a lot over the past couple of months.
I am not: An extrovert. Really.
I believe: In "live and let live". Amen!
I dance: Rarely.
I sing: Frequently. Never in the bathroom though. :D
I cry: Inaudibly.
I don’t always: Wear pink.
I fight: The most with my sister.
I write: Poetry when I'm all senti.
I win: Over everyone I want to. :D
I lose: my mind regularly.
I never: take my friends for granted.
I always: Apologize if I know I'm wrong.
I confuse: My Science teachers.
I listen: More than I talk.
I can usually be found: Doing nothing productive.
I am scared: Of clock-spiders.
I need: To know the meaning of an unfamiliar word immediately.
I am happy: Whenever I'm with my friends.
I imagine: Weird stuff. And I make others imagine them too so that they can appreciate the beauty of it. But, most of the time, they just swear back at me.
I Tag: Sriram, Nitin and Vipin. Enjoy! :D

Please Turn Over

The task at hand;
To turn to a new page.
To a fresh page, waiting to be inked
With the pen of Destiny.

Turning pages blotted with Time.
An epoch, punctuated with moments that made me.
Moments building up to this moment.
It's time to learn to fly.
Will I soar or will I fall
Is still unknown.
But spread my wings, I will,
Persuing that goal which glows hazily afar.

But it's the interim that excites,
Not the prize.
New places, new faces.
Old lessons, new tests.
The upshot, can be but presumed.
The wait, worth it.

The task at hand;
To turn to a fresh page,
To write a new chapter,
A new beginning.

Tag...I'm it!

Well, after the multitudes of tags that have been on the rounds lately, I have finally found one that I can actually write something about. So here goes.

1. LAST MOVIE YOU SAW IN A THEATRE : The Dark Knight. Was okay. Nothing exceedingly overwhelming. The second-half was avoidable . I know that all my guy friends will be screaming "blasphemy!" after reading this. But that's my opinion. To each, his own. Must admit that the Joker was simply awesome and that Bruce Wayne was hot. But that's it. I don't really understand why this movie topped the IMDb's Top 250 Movies list. I have seen better movies.

2. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING : The Great Indian Novel - Shashi Tharoor. Finally managed to get this one from the library. Is an interesting read. The author has expertly blended the Mahabharat and the Indian struggle for freedom. You need to have basic idea about both of them to get the subtle hints about who is who. And you can't help but smile at Tharoor's sheer ingenuity. Hope to finish it during my upcoming train journey. :)

3. FAVOURITE BOARD GAME : This one will always be Monopoly. I'll always remember the countless hours that I've spent playing this game with my sister and friends. Hours that would otherwise have been spent lying on my bed, staring at the ceiling, thinking about nothing productive. The "Chance" and "Community Chest" cards always gave you something to do. Would like one right about now.

4. FAVOURITE SOUND : Hmm... some nice, soft song with gooood lyrics.. Currently, it's Khuda Jaane from Bachna Ae Haseeno. And Pehla Nasha will be an all-time favourite. NOT a heavy metal person. Maximum rock that I can handle is Nickleback.

5. WORST FEELING IN THE WORLD : That should be breaking up with someone you really like.

6. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU THINK OF WHEN YOU WAKE : Either "Is it time for lunch yet?" or "Wait, am I too late for something?". Occasionally it's "#^@% you, you lil ^%!$&*", when my sister intentionally makes a racket in my room while getting ready for school (Her study table is in my room. So is the ironing board.). Sigh!

7. FAVORITE FAST FOOD PLACE : Let's face it. We aren't exactly spoilt for choice here, at Trivadrum. The usual places are Ambrosia and Pizza Corner. And the once in a while visit to Minus 24. Out of these, only Ambrosia is reasonable priced. Not to mention that, at Pizza Corner, all vegetarian items taste the same, all non-vegetarian items taste the same and the veg and non-veg items taste the same. Then there's CCD, which I strongly despise because of all the smoke. I'm asthmatic . Will always be a fan of the road-side pani-puri walahs at Bombay. :D

8. FUTURE CHILD’S NAME : Hehe. Well, I would like to have just one kid. But still have thought of 2 names for each gender. If it's a girl, Nicole or Rachel. And if it's a boy, Craig or Aaron. Don't ask me why. I just like these names.

9. FINISH THIS STATEMENT, ”IF I HAD A LOT OF MONEY I’D..." : Okay, if I were to be absolutely honest, I'd say that I'd buy a penthouse in some metropolitan city, an Audi R8 and the Hershey's chocolate factory. Yeah. That's all. The penthouse is a real aim that I hope to achieve though. As in...seriously.

10. DO YOU DRIVE FAST? : Not usually. Just on the Kowdiar Avenue road place. Top speed, till now, has been a li'l over 80.

11. DO YOU SLEEP WITH A STUFFED ANIMAL? : No. Don't think that I ever will. They are cute and soft and all. But they are also dusty. Recall my asthma.

13. FAVORITE DRINK : A virgin Pinacolada. Not the ones made from artificial concentrate. I mean the real thing. With pineapple juice and coconut cream. Mmm.

14. DO YOU EAT THE STEMS ON BROCCOLI? : Not a fan of brocolli. Any part of it. But cauliflower is a tastier substitute, and the stems ain't that bad.

15. IF YOU COULD DYE YOUR HAIR ANY COLOR, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR CHOICE? : Haha. Done that already. Got a single bright red streak.

16. NAME ALL THE DIFFERENT CITIES/TOWNS YOU HAVE LIVED IN : Bombay, Trivandrum.

17. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH : Cricket, tennis, billiards, football.

18. WHAT’S UNDER YOUR BED? : Nothing much. Really. Just this old plastic box with some random chains, bracelets and the like that I have never worn. It also has these glow-in-the-dark hair tattoos. Maybe I should try them sometime. Hmmmmm.

19. MORNING PERSON, OR NIGHT OWL? : Definitely a night owl. Death to alarm clocks!

20. FAVORITE PLACE TO RELAX? : My bedroom. With (i)my iPod, (ii) a book. Either/or.

That's all folks. And I'm not tagging anyone. People are welcome to consider themselves tagged if they wish.

P.S. Thank you, Nitin!

L for Learner

In my recent endeavour to pass the Learner's Driving License Test, i was provided with a booklet, containing 100 sample questions and answers, by my school. So, for formality's sake ( and the fact that I didn't intend to embarrass myself by failing the silly test) I opened the booklet and braced myself for a half hour of humdrum perusal.

But surprisingly, it turned out to be quite entertaining. Actually, the word to be used is facetious. I mean, not that all the questions were funny at first sight. But once you actually deliberate with yourself on the answers, our opinions might differ a tad bit from what has been printed.
Here's a sneak-peek into "A Book of Guide To Learner's Driving License Test".

Q. In which gear can the vehicle come down a slope/hill?
A. The same gear in which the vehicle went up the slope/hill.
--> :

Q. What is the signal to be shown by the driver while:
(i) Turning to the left
(ii) Turning to the right
(iii) Slowing down the vehicle
(iv) Stopping the vehicle
(v) Allowing another car to overtake
A. The driver should
(i) Put his right hand out and turn it to the left in circles.
(ii) Put his right hand out with the palm held open.
(iii) Put his right hand out and move the forearm up and down.
(iv) Put his right hand out and hold the forearm straight up.
(v) Put his right hand out and move the forearm in half circles forward and backward.
-->Q. (vi) To show a fellow driver that you don't appreciate his road etiquette.
A. Put his right hand out and flip the birdie. :D

Q. Which vehicles should be given preference on the road?
A . Ambulance and fire-engine.
--> MY ride!

Q. When can a driver drive a vehicle through the footpath?
A. On request from the Police or Traffic-police.
--> When the driver is completely wasted. Hey, they asked "When can a driver...?" and not "When may a driver...?".

Q. What is the maximum speed allowed for privately owned motor cars in Kerala?
A. 70 kmph
--> Uh huh. Like, totally!

Q.How many people can travel in a tractor?
A. Only the driver.
--> Now, does one really need to know that?

Q. What is the punishment given for driving under physical stress or mental disorder?
A. Rs. 200 fine.
--> : Do we have check-posts for that?

Q. What information should be given to the police station if your vehicle meets with an accident?
A. Circumstances in which the accident took place, whether medication has been given to the injured and if not, why.
--> Most importantly, start with, "It wasn't my fault!".

Q. What are the things to be checked before the vehicle is used, to ensure safety on the road?
A. Efficiency of brake, lights, wipers, tyres and also if the windscreen is clean.
--> Make sure that the right CDs are in the MP3 player.

Q. What are the rules to be observed when another vehicle tries to overtake you?
A. The driver should slow down and take the vehicle to the left side of the road; allow the vehicle behind to comfortably pass by. The driver should not, in any case, increase the speed or turn to the right, thereby blocking the passage.
--> Yeah, right. Put the pedal to the metal, baby!

P.S And yes, I did pass the test with 12 right answers from a respectable 14 questions.

Think, think, think!

When interviewed about 'Being Cyrus', Saif Ali Khan said that he was interested in the movie because acting out a character in the language which he thought in would be different.

Now, this was how long ago?...I don't remember. But ever since then, I have been trying to figure out what language I think in. It's not as easy as it seems. The figuring out part, I mean.

The first thing that you attempt to do in the process is to clear your mind so that you can 'hear' your thoughts clearly. When you fail miserably, you settle for the best that you could do.And then you listen, or at least, try to. When I did that, I heard, 'Oookaaay,what language am I thinking in?'. All right. So my mind speaks English. Cool. Matter settled.
But that was sorta easy, right? You bet!

A couple of weeks later, I was looking up stuff about the all-important Seebeck Effect on the Internet and my mother was watching a lame soap on TV. The character (a mother-in-law) was 'thinking' up of new ways to make others' lives miserable [Surprise!Surprise!]. All right. So she thinks in Hindi. Good for her. Do I think in Hindi? "Arrey, nahi yaar", I thought. Wait a sec, wasn't that Hindi? Nice. My mind is bilingual.

It doesn't stop just there. Once I did something really dumb. Too dumb to be mentioned here. And for some unknown reason, I thought of what one of my friends, who comes up with the funniest criticisms in Malayalam, would say. And I did think of something. Not only that, I continued to imagine the whole situation in my mind, in Malayalam.Great. I can't even speak Malayalam but my mind can.My brilliant brain can think in 3 languages.

Apart from this, whenever I spoke in Gujarati, I found myself thinking in the same language later on for some time. Four.

So what is the answer to my quest for finding out the language in which I think? Is there no difference between the languages that we speak in and think in? After a LOT of contemplation, I could come up with just one solution.So here it goes.

Our mind doesn't have a language. It just thinks. It considers stuff and we just know it. It Imagines. Imagination doesn't need a language. And whenever you catch yourself 'thinking' in a language, it's just you imagining of conversing with someone, maybe yourself, or even of writing something. Maybe our thoughts are our conversations with ourselves. I don't know. I am not sure. Maybe I'll never know. Maybe I will.

So as I conclude, I ask you (if you are still reading that is), what language does your mind think in?

Blessing In Disguise.

Don't you get it?
You don't mean anything anymore.
Nothing.
Stay there. I here.
Pretence of concord is just that: pretence.

Was. Is not.
Did. Do not. Don't want to.
Eye-opener.
Learning from mistakes is something that I've learnt.

Breaking trust, breaks all.
Rejoined by friends, most precious.
Comprehension of the value of Friendship.
Bliss!

Ode To An Odyssey.

Gone is the time when there was time,
Now ‘tis no more.

Time, treasured times
Of thoughts, tears and smiles,
Of love, joy and spirit,

The company, sufficient.
The emotions, abundant.
The bond, ceaseless, most powerful.

Every unsaid glance, comprehended.
Every need, friended.
Every secret, shared.
Every heart, bared.

Age of friendship, insignificant.
It’s span, eternal.
Value of the tears, with the smiles, at par.
Lesson from every experience, gained.
No regrets, no amends desired.
The past formed them, the present values them and the future will cherish them: Memories.
Complete elucidation, impossible.
Inexpressible for lack of words.
Gratitude for friendship, limitless, understated.
Thank You.