Cause I eats me spinach

And finally my net acts real normal, lets me upload these pics and after 3 days of trying to transfer them by bluetooth, cord and what not, I sit down to write my 2nd post abt the thing I love doing most after a loong first version.

Oh yes, I love cooking and I sorta missed doing it this semester due to unending vivas and projects.(those stupid excuses that we engineers give :P). I thought I had lost that instinctive hand to experiment and make things work and i would end up only making idlis and dosas :P.   And these autonomous people (you know who I mean :P) put up food posts and make me jealous that I didn't cook for so long, also I will blame Masterchef Australia.

So, I decided I had to whip up something before the exam on Sunday, something that is quite appropriate for the season, Spinach soup.

 

You start off with some cloves of garlic, some freshly cut ginger frying in the pan and when its fried, fresh spinach it is, roughly cut( make sure they're well washed unless the sup is for an enemy who you wish tastes mud :P)

At this point of time, its totally wilted,cooked in its own dampness, looks that natural green, smells amazing. (ohh that ginger and garlic do wonders everywhere :P)

Then off to a new pan where you will fry a finely cut onion,a looong chilli(ohh,I love it spicy :D),3-4 cloves(if a little too much it might become clove soup,so take care :P) and thoda cinnamon,in butter if you please, that again gives a wonderful aroma.

(.It is so difficult being a cook and avoiding eating the ingredients before the actual thing. :P)

 

And then all you got to do is grind them and sniff the air, see that green colour beckoning you to taste it.(Dramatic I know but at this stage its difficult to resist the temptation! ) Bring it to a boil, add salt and pepper to taste..lots of pepper for winter!!

Although this picture isn't very clear, take that boiling soup in the bowl, a ladle of milk and some cheese goes right into it(some into your mouth as well :P ) and voila! ready to be served :D

(Even my sister who avoids spinach actually liked this soup..subtle tasting, you barely realize the onions and the spinach sorta lends its flavour and cinnamon and cloves sorta make it smell like soup. So, all in all ,it was amazing. If its too much kitchen jargon, blame Masterchef again :P)

So all you have to is, Go to your balcony, stare at those blue skies and a spoon into your mouth. Heaven :D

And She Loved...

Amidst the 1000 people in between whom she stood,
her eyes found the only face in her mind,
the soul that stole her heart,           
the only person she thought about,
                                                                
Her heart beat, she could hear against the sound,
the sound of joy for him all around,  
here was the man who filled her with love from within,   
the only one she could see, without.                                      

The vanquisher of her fears,                  
the conqueror of her dreams,              
blinded she was by the love in his eyes,                     
nothing made sense, unless it was him here.                                               

He caressed her so gently,                  
that the whole world she would forget,                         
her hand,when he held so close to his heart,                          
she knew, she knew, she knew he cared.                                                          

In his hands, even a rose could not help not withering,            
his smile was all she needed to survive,
to know that life was still worth living.                                          

The day she lost her heart to him,
she knew it was safe,
safe in the hands of a feeling that no one could ever explain.

Yet he was so distant, so distant that there was nothing she could do,
nothing of what they shared ceased to remain untrue.
Unreal it sure was, it was all a part of an inexplicable dream,
a dream that would remain one, how much ever she would try to believe it's real.. 

A photograph is all that remains,of the only one who resided in her heart,                          
in the world that she lives in,absolutely nothing would let them part.

And in that world she lives,
amidst the 1000 people that she could see, 
with a feeling that would never die,
the only reason that she would be.

You know you're in SP COMPS 2012(T.E) if..

I had always thought of continuing this series when I wrote the previous two of SE and FE. After the reviews they got, the thought had to become reality. And its a long time since I wrote a fun timepass post like this. :P
After yesterday and all of the unexpected stuff that happened this sem, this is something the comps department would identify with.So here we go..

You know you're in SP COMPS 2012(T.E) if

1)You always have Nimkar as a reason for every responsibility you have to get out of. :P

2) If you are given ppts to make and technical papers to write as often as you would like to have a CAD-B.

3)If every code to be done in a practical, especially the TCS ones have to be copied by EVERYONE!!

4)If you find everyone in the class "actually" coding for WE!


5)If you hear the word client at least 5 times a day


6)If your assignments' submission deadline is always on a saturday, sunday or public holiday. :P


7)And the assignments aren't done at least before 2 weeks after the deadline.


8)Forget C++,java, C is the new in thing.


9)And segmentation fault is the most dreaded error you could ever get( why even rajnikanth can't escape that error  :P)

10) Finally the screeching voice troubles you no more.

11)You almost start packing your pillow and not to forget, your laptop into your bag as you're definitely not leaving college before 10.

12) And then you reach college to find, you've been chucked out of the lab even before you get your lappy out of your bag.

13) (Special addition after yesterday)You're definitely expecting the whole 140 marks in a paper to be out of your given syllabus and get out of the examination room laughing about it.

What a semester it has been and the next one is gonna be a hell of a semester as well.

Hoping to see you on the other side of the year,alive :P

Till then, wishing every one of the useless no-job-in-life souls who actually read this whole thing all the best for the exam season. :)

A Relationship

Relationships..no,I'm not talking about the committed,single,complicated stuff that people put up online for other people to read...Not the cliché that every possible human being is so bothered about.


Let us remember, what you share with your parent is a relationship, what you share with a friend is one, why what you share with a dog you play with everyday is a relationship. You may call it anything but at the very base, a relationship is emotion..the presence or absence of it..the feeling related to it.. When we were 5 yrs old, my best friend essay had a person of the same sex and about what u play together..with years, these distinguishing lines vanish.


It is true that you find your true friends in times of adversities,betrayal and sadness. Not that the person who is the reason for sadness is not your friend, but a person who just existed in your life till then, gave u all the support you could have wished for is..and its not in terms of how much time you spend with a person that they become your 'best' friend..that is hardly the parameter..nor is the fact that one of them knows all your secrets..its the trust you would have in a person on a subconscious level..its what you feel about that person..and although it is a known fact that emotions are intangible, sometimes,they are so overwhelming that you cannot define a relationship as any of the ones that you know..


I happened to see 2 movies which were based on friendship between a boy and a girl..in one, this has to turn into love..in the other,they argue that girls and boys would remain friends no matter what..What I don't get is why does it have to be defined as two distinct categories? I mean, calling someone an acquaintance, a  friend,good friend,best friend is something we have done all these years without realizing we are trying to measure emotions.. I realize,what a friend can be and is expected to be can never be encompassed and must not be too.

And with people, there are these moments, some occasions when something transpires or something is done or something is felt which may have given you such an emotional high but is just inexplicable. Leave it that way. At times, the more you try to delve into it , the magical nature of it is lost. If it made you happy, preserve it at someplace at the back of your mind rather than questioning its very existence.


Going back to the two cases...rather than classifying people as close, not close or whatever, just let your instincts take over at times. You needn't but can always tell someone you consider your "best" friend whatever you feel; but there isn't a reason why you shouldn't trust someone else just because your heart says so. Some things are best left just understood. Some things must be done on a whim because they are meant to be so.


The friends forever thing that people keep saying..It is a farce. No, I'm not being negative. But think. You say that you learn with time, with experiences. It may not change the basic person that you are, but it will and definitely will change your outlook about almost everything (yes, a personal experience :P )


And sometimes that is why, some person might be a happy and a very important part of your life for just some time. No matter how much you may try after the period where both of you had so many reasons to meet, it may not happen. Even if you were good friends but opinions have changed over a period of time, that comfort level may just have gone. Do not embitter what was a good time. I think we should develop the mind frame to not spoil what was a good time cuz trust me, you must hold on to every good time possible cuz when you go through trying times, its these good times that make sure you're sane at the end of it. So move on! Think of the good times and rejoice that you had them at all and accept the changes.


Where as with some people, maybe you are just meant to be. You are just meant to grow up with them, be with them, share with them everything. You'll trust them within the blink of a eye and it may be the best decision you've taken. Sometimes, instinctivity is the way to go, it makes you believe in life when it turns out good.

People may not be the best thing out here but they are definitely something we cannot live without. Where there are people, there are relationships, there are bursts of happiness and moments of disappointment too. Learn to live with both and life becomes a journey all of us just can't wait to experience further. :)

Shhhhh....

Secrets are mysteriously weird and have always been a reason to be socially accepted. More on that later.

Think in school, there was always this secret which every group had, they had some code word for it, and if u didn't know it, u weren't cool. Rather you weren't accepted.

But if you think of it , what is a secret? If u plan to tell it to somebody after all, does it cease to remain one?
Of course, consider most secrets are scandalous worthy of gossip, they don't remain what they are, but are a part of the khusur phusur people do but still the fact remains unknown as public. Secrets have a weird definition. If it is a secret about you, you makes sure the other person swears to secrecy when you yourself aren't while telling the person. It depends on who it is that you are telling.

If it is about your feelings or some experience that you had and you are utterly confused or worried or whatever as to what to do about it, you want someone to help you out, that is probably the start of letting out a secret.

If you have ever realized, a secret becomes one once someone who does not know the details comes to know of its existence, else it doesn't exist at all.

And so secrets make you mysterious. Make people curious. Makes them want to wonder what that damn secret is. Perfect recipe for the attention seekers. So people in order to garner attention to themselves will make sure they drop hints that they know something the other doesn't. And they'll make sure they drop hints to the person to whom it matters the most. And well, curiosity kills the cat. People cannot accept that they do not know something the others know; and when it's about them, why even I would wonder what is it. They will ask, persuade, beg at times, the secret bearer may choose not to tell till they have got the most attention, or probably they may not say it at all. At this point, the curious cat is real fed up and doesn't bother or goes back to wasting hours wondering what could it be.

Now, let's come to social acceptance. Let us say that the supposed secret is not gossip worthy because a friend told you about it cuz he/she trusted you. It makes you feel accepted. When people believe you, when they want you to know how they feel about something or someone which is something they think only you could understand besides them, it makes you feel proud of yourself. Consider the secret is sad, yet it is a sign of social acceptance. That person feels they can come to you when they need support. Although, some people when entrusted with a secret feel the absolute need of talking about it with their "best friend". It is harmless if it stops with that. But then, we know the chain, don't we? :P

For the past few years, I have been someone who has been told loads of secrets by different people about different things in different circumstances. I have been trusted to an extent,  where I am scared that I might make a mistake. But nope, mere pet mein sab baat pachti hain. One person will not even know that I spoke to the other if I do not want them to. It may seem like bragging but more than that , it makes me feel I belong. Always having been a person in school who wasn't privy to secrets in class thereby not belonging, when people trust me with something, I always try to make them feel better if it is something bad and what they said definitely doesn't go out cuz the trust is much more worthy than the feeling of having discussed it with someone else. Probably I'm making a big fuss out of nothing but I am definitely proud of the fact that I can keep a secret :D.

I guess secrets will always exist defying their definition and of course defying their very existence as more and more people become a part of one.
(Wow, I wrote this long a post even after a month of absence. Guess, the bad semester hasn't squeezed this out of me :) )

In retrospect

Maybe it is too early for me to write something like this. It is the perfect topic to write on once I leave college when I'm teary eyed and all with fond memories. But then this seems to be the most happening year of engineering, I mean literally. This is the year in which the legendary IEEE committee was, those who knocked us off our feet with their awesomeness, panache and the first time we would have ever thought we respect our seniors. It used to be a proud thing for us in 1st year to boast that I know a 3rd year person or even better, they know you.

And to think, now the first years would look at me that way. I'm definitely not an epitome of respect the way my 3rd year seniors were, but I guess it kind of makes you feel matured when you see them. When you are in 2nd year, it still doesn't dawn upon you that you are seniors with your focus being on ragging and freshers' and volunteers and Oh my God, things which seem alien to me now. FEs in spite of being just 2 years younger than me seem like kids.


And the blog, I don't really know what to say. In my first year, I remember being amazed by Pratap's blog, so amazed that someone could write about things so deep, that someone could even write so much. I had thought this blog would just be a description of events in my college, fun things that happen in life but its much closer to my heart right now and for the last recent posts, its been about me. I never thought it would become so thoughtful but I guess its all a phase. Although one thing that never seems to change is the length of my posts :P. A big thank you to all those who brave through the lengths of my posts and make an effort to comment about it. My dream finally coming true. :D

Also, in 3rd year, suddenly I seem to be talking to a lot of my seniors. Yes, I always did but it never came so easily to me,without the sense of thinking "they aren't in my class or year". Probably the thought of them leaving in a span of a year makes me feel I must make the best of the time they spend here.
Or maybe, 3rd year is when you learn what life is, its where you realize who you are, its when you decide who you want to transform yourself into and what path you will be taking and by the end of it, the definition of YOU is done. I'm not saying its the end of evolution, its the end of change but more or less, you know what you want to be at least in the current decade.

I keep seeing the SEs and wondering ok, this is who I was last year and when they speak to me, I feel like some old saint who has experienced life; speaking. The things that seemed so horrible and bad then seem so trivial now. And when they tell you what they feel, what they are going through, you only feel like smiling and saying, don't worry, this will pass but you have to face much more next year. My seniors tell me when I'm sad
 that this shall definitely pass and life is much better a year ahead. I sure believe them and probably this is why I speak more to them, we connect better when it comes to third year.

And photographs! We definitely underestimate them. There is a story behind EVERY one of those photos in your album. You are lost in that world when you see those. Probably at some point of time, you might feel a bit low that those days don't exist anymore. But then its all part of growing up. You may have something else altogether now that you appreciate.

And those are what I call friends. Didn't we have friends all this while, you may say. Of course we did. But to realize what they really mean to you, who they really are and to wonder if they even exist, I guess you need 2 years to know their worth. I do now, I suddenly feel blessed and loved, I suddenly realize that I have found the people who will accept me as I am. The like minded people I had spoken about in a long forgotten post. Just that they are much more than that now. They are the reason I exist.

If you have finished wiping your eyes(:P), another thing that I realized. You must be yourself, follow your heart. I have done that for 2 years. I have had the best as well as learning times in these 2 years. After that, when you hear some people, who you never expect to, say something honest about you, say they feel you are a nice person to know, say they trust you, accept what you say because YOU say it, promise to be there for you when you need someone and they are, it is the most heartening thing, the reason why you feel you should not change for the wordly ways. It is not that you have to act old just because you are 20. I guess I can keep those idealistic views, the optimistic way out to everything as that is what defines me.

If that kind of makes me vulnerable to the world, it really doesn't matter. If the world is not what I expect or want it to be, it doesn't matter. If I make a mistake unknowingly or I feel lost, it is fine. I have found my place. I have found my people. I have found love. I have found happiness. And that is the sign of the rising of hope again in my life. In retrospect, life is just beautiful. :)

What is the right way to live?

Rumours..Lies..they all have various ways of being interpreted..and various ways of originating.


Some of them are really harmless, stemming out of a doubt which occurs due to some events which happen pretty often. Like speculating if 2 people are committed. You keep seeing them together everywhere.You keep discussing with people till everyone in the college knows including them. They just have to accept or deny and it dies down. This has no consequences whatsoever, considering its an age where people are bound to be in a relationship.

But the others. The malicious ones. The ones that are meant to hurt. The ones that are meant to make someone feel bad. They are spread by people who bear malice towards something, someone. Those aren't white lies in the least,no sir. Those are dark ones, meant to be said. Its all because its relative. Instead of increasing what's good for them, they'd rather decrease what's good for the others. Finally, the comparison is what matters right??

This is done so subtlely that the affected don't realize it too soon. Or at times, subtlety is not called for. The result is what matters. Like my friend Srinath says, there is no good or bad, there is only point of view. I agree. That's why terrorists exist. What's good for them is bad for the world. But in my opinion , there is a little catch to this statement. What's good for the majority of the population is GOOD. But then its not always the majority that's right, is it?

Refine it even more. What is considered good in the deepest of the hearts of the majority of the people is GOOD. But is there any way of knowing it?? It is impossible. We ourselves don't know what we want and what we don't. How can we expect the world to know?

So what is it that we can do in such a situation? Listen to our hearts. Not block our conscience. According to me, most of the crimes that are committed are because people don't want to listen to what their conscience tells them. What it constatntly pricks them with. Even the "God will punish you" fear doesn't stop them anymore.

I am currently in a position where I can be a jingoist.( Light thought, learnt the new word from Shraddha, although it has a negative connotation) I should be lowering the position of people around me to raise mine. But I won't. I shouldn't . People say I will not survive in this big bad world if I don't adapt. ADAPT, they say. Be practical, they say. PRACTICALITY is going against your heart, is it? Now I agree with my friend Nisha. Practicality sucks, at least the way the world means it. Like point of view, even practicality has different meanings. For me, it is to be selfless. Do for others, do for yourself as long as you don't hurt the others. I think that is what God is testing me about. Whether I can do it. I guess too many people in my state. Another friend's status message read "I know God won't give me things that I can't handle. I just wish that God didn't trust me so much." I have to work hard, really hard to do things against what the majority of the people seem to feel. Go with my heart, do what my conscience asks me to do. Maybe I'm taking certain things too seriously. Maybe I should be doing this. Maybe not. I don't even know why I am writing this, or why I am posting this.


I was talking to a friend yesterday. he said he had become a God fearing person recently. He doesn't think in worldly terms anymore.I feel the same nowadays. Marks have become insignificant. It is the thought behind learning that matters. Winning has become insignificant. It is the effort that matters. A relationship has become insignificant. Its the love that matters. What you say has become insignificant. What you do is what matters.

People are deceptive, people are hypocrites, yet people are the reason anyone survives as long as we find the right ones to live with, the right ones to love. Rather, just love them, forget right or wrong.


Praising someone in front of them or when they aren't around is never wrong. Rather I suggest, you do it as soon as possible. We are hungry for love. Hungry for people for whom we matter. Its always better than saying something derogatory. You're never gonna be questioned about praising.

You may think this is all ideal. Of course it is. Just because one person thinks this way doesn't mean the whole world does. Or the whole world will. But think. Its the best way to live.

It is like a mistake committed unknowingly. The moment one feels it is a mistake and repents when it was done unknowingly, the person is forgiven, no strings attached. But if a mistake is committed knowingly, in order to hurt, any amount of repentance later makes no difference. Your point of view may have changed in all those years. But what's done is done right?

Well, writing this down makes me mind clearer. Makes me feel, I will succeed. I'll have no reason to repent later in life. I think its gonna be a long year ahead. But I have hope. I have friends, friends who will vouch for me, who will stop me from taking the wrong path, friends for whom me changing makes a big difference.

I just hope and wish I am remembered for every good thing that someone has felt about me and nothing bad. i think I can just hope.

Hope even in hopelessness

                   Hope, the word in itself is uncertain. Yet, it is the reason why so many people survive the most difficult times. They suffer, they pretend to have that smile, they accept everything wrong that happens in the hope that everything WILL be set right. I mean it is the outlook with which you look at hope which makes it positive. You may say its deceiving but there are times when it takes you from the brink of breaking down into pieces to achieving something which is unbelievable.

Hope is linked to optimism in many ways. I can always cite hope as a reason to why I'm found a positive person by most. It may be exasperating for many, my always happy attitude because life is meant to be bad, sad and not the way you want it. But hope will survive where greed doesn't . When you expect, hope has no place left. So you don't expect. Does that mean you're not confident of what is expected of you?

So, where does hope actually have a meaning? A place where expectations do not thrive. A place where the chance of a positive outcome seems bleak. But the mind is not weak. There is hope, it will happen. That's not all. You really must want it to happen. And you must hope for it to happen. It will.

And its not about you doing it. Its about how it is. Hope is where things are meant to be. If something has to happen, it will. You must hope. It may take a long time, years even, but when it happens, you must remember a time when you had thought this would never happen but finally it did. It is what makes you happy, satisfied to live.You may say certain things must happen soon but we expect all of them to do so, that's where greed enters.

But hope can have a negative connotation too. Sometimes, holding on to things which don't exist anymore with the hope they will change is deceiving. They may change but when you know its time to move on and you don't ,its plain foolishness.

 A very thin line differentiates optimism and foolishness. Its very difficult to identify it. During such times, you have to trust your instincts.

And it is during such times that you feel people are hopeless. You feel cynical. Finally, when you have to take a decision as to why it is all wrong, you'd rather not and hope. At this point of time, hope is for you to survive the negativity, to lead the path to people who you would even trust your life with. How much ever people say hope raises expectation, they are and always will be two different entities, one not to be confused with the other.

So hope for life, hope for joy, hope for trust cuz even if you don't realize, hope is the biggest wealth we have right now.

"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."

Now this makes me hopeful. Everything will be alright. God willing.

My vacation!

This time when I went to both my grandparents' place, it was with a purpose. 4 years of yearning for both the places made me finally decide to go. Also, it so happened that this year, I was the only grandchild expected in both the places. So, excitement was pretty high. For me, I suddenly realized these were places where I always went as a matter of habit every vacation, the only thing on my mind being playing with cousins, reading those books I have already read thousands of times again, watching T.V and done. The only time I would actually spend time with my grandparents was when we went out. Also, I realized that these both are such beautiful places still holding on to their innocence and purity.

I made it a point to click these photos this time. Yes, with the purpose of having it on my blog.. This is the cow shed.. Famously known now as the reason I'm called a cow. But God, the best part of staying at my dadi's place is anytime you get bored, all you have to do is go to the backyard and play with those calves. Its fun really. Especially the naming part of it. Cows are always named lakshmi, it seems. But we kids had a problem with all the cows being named the same. and what about the male calf then?
7 years back, we named one of them Rohan(cuz i and my sister insisted there should be one north indian name) and the female subbalakshmi. It was fun those days, I say.

This is the calf which was born this year. When I had gone, it was only 15 days old. I remember an incident that happened with "Rohan". The funniest thing possible.He was left loose to run around in the shed and these calves literally jump around once they've had their milk.And you see the picture below? He ran right through the back door through the house to the front yard with all of us just realizing a brown thing whizz past us. Yes, he had to be dragged back for fear of him falling into a ditch by mistake. Just shows kids, even if not human are really funny and naughty.

This is a typical "those days" house. It is 105 years old. REALLY! renovated again and again and rooms changed to be the house that it is now. I really like this front door and back door right opposite to each other concept. Not only that, even the door of the house opposite is right in front of the door. When they keep the door to the backyard open, you can actually see from this end to that end!

Yep,I baked biscuits too :D These being one of the specialities of my dadi. And so yummy made in pure freshly made ghee.

The unique part of it. Not baked in an oven. At least not in the oven as you know it. It was great fun making them. Eating, should I even say :D

You may think this is all old fashioned, I was talking to my grand mother about this. She told me, these traditions survive in very few places. People forget there used to be stoves like these. People don't realize that if these weren't there, we wouldn't have what we have now. Its like living in a different world really. And it isn't too bad. Just I think people found me a bit weird.

And village life is not boring really. I didn't even have a music player with me. But the simplicity of the place intrigues you. I went to my maternal grandparents' place after this.I used to go for a walk everyday with my grandmom. First really amusing thing i noticed. Everyone knows her. I mean everyone. They willingly smile and not those politely fake ones you usually get to see. Also these are people who are really curious and will not let the curiosity remain for too long. This inquisitiveness which is considered rude anywhere even near to metropolitan is so common place there. The first day that I accompanied her, this is how the conversation went.

Person: *smiles*

Grandmom:*smiles*

P: is that your granddaughter?

G: yes, it is

P: Where does she stay?

G: Mumbai

P: Daughter's daughter or son's daughter?

G: Daughter's daughter

P: how long is she staying here? why hasn't she come for so long?

and it goes on and on.

But when this happened, it really didn't seem rude or irritating. They were very genuinely interested as a matter of fact and not as gossip to spread although I guess that would eventually happen. This question answer session happened at least twice everyday in the first few days of my visit there.

Also, another highlight point of this visit. It was me alone. When you go alone, trust me, its a really different experience. They are people who now look at you as a young adult which seldom happens when you're at home. And I got to actually know what they think, what they feel about things, what they miss, I don't know how to explain.

Its like, I've always known them as people who tell your mom, "let the kids enjoy, why are you scolding them "type. But this time, it was a more of an emotional journey, them actually letting their hearts out to me about so many things.

And yes, I love such nature pics, so my attempts at trying to capture some good ones, you'll see here.

And after those 2 amateurish attempts, the feeling that I may not get to draw these kolams again, I actually attempted a difficult one. Kept getting hit on my head by the branch of the champa tree. Big time back ache and stiffness by the end of the evening.But the satisfactory feeling is impossible to describe. I was beaming with happiness and this is one of the difficult ones which it seems my mom and mausi didn't attempt when they were my age. Ha! My grandfather's aangan was decorated with three of these.

 Not to forget, my dadi was assured I am still a tamil girl to some extent when she heard me sing, something in which she had lost hope for some time. My nana and nani are big time aficionados of carnatic music. Every time I hummed any song I've learnt, my grand dad would start singing a song in the same raagam, picking up my tune so fast. Its amazing really when someone does that. Now I definitely need to write a post about my association with music.

So, all in all, a wonderful trip and totally worth missing the first week of college. I don't know when I'll be back in these places but I'm truly happy I didn't miss the opportunity when I got it. So that's the end of the long account of my stay there. I had great fun, hope you had fun reading too.

P.S. More pictures would have been there but for the fact that the usual blossoming flower and fruit plants in nani's place were just recovering from a stupid disease that came from america. Also, due to the delay in rains over there, the usual champa tree with 300-400 flowers didn't bloom as usual in july. Have made my grandparents promise that they will send those pics to me. Once that is done, the pics will be uploaded and I promise you, its a sight you just should not miss.

Surviving to live

 Dated: 9/7/10
            Sitting next to a DVD player which is supposedly a time bomb, about to burst in 3 seconds. Unlike movies, it doesn't strike me that I should throw it out of the window, it bursts but unrealistically I do survive. This was all a part of a dream before I got up from a lazy nap. This may all seem laughable but there was one thing I realized. Even though it was a dream, like I learnt from my PCT project, dreams portray your thoughts, fear, hopes, the actual ones. In the dream, I wasn't scared of dying. I was thinking that my life has been happy and i have missed nothing.

Maybe in reality, I won't think the same. But how many of us are satisfied with the life we are living. How many of us are really happy? We think life hasn't given enough for us to accept we are happy. We neither give life or people a chance. If you die the very next second, how any apologies do you owe people? You see,that's the problem. We will sulk and be a sourpuss until  the other person bows down and asks for forgiveness. But we wouldn't even think of it. If we did, problem's solved faster. But it never happens that way, does it?


You want a high end phone, you shout, you scream, your dad refuses. you say its a matter of prestige but is it?You would rather your friends know you rather than your phone.

Lets say you argue with your mom,some stupid reason. You shout, you bang the door shut and leave. What if its the last expression of yours that your mother happens to remember?

This may all seem a tad bit too negative but it all boils down to this. It is in our hands how we wish to perceive life, appreciate and enjoy it. It is how we try as much not to have a reason to let something end bad; even if it does, to change it, to at least try.You don't know why you are brought to this world,you just survive but why not try living. Why not find a reason to live, maybe that's the reason we are here, to find a meaning for our existence.

If you haven't spoken to  a friend for the longest time, now is the best time to do it. If you haven't told someone just how much they mean to you, its always best to let them know as soon as possible. There is no end to the good things you have never done for people and in my opinion, there is an unexplainable joy in seeing someone other than yourself happy. I guess its the joy of earning your place in heaven, if there exists one. So live life, love life cuz you may never know what the next second has in store for you.

Kolam!

Today is the 1st of the month Aaddi in tamil calendar where you not only get to eat delicious food which includes vadai, payasam, etc, one thing you will find common among tamil households are the huge kolams right outside the house. For the unenlightened, kolam is tamil form of rangoli and is more about the intricate design than the colour.

*edit* Also, it is believed that since these kolams are made using rice paste, our ancestors believed they provide food for the insects on the ground. What a noble reason for something decorative :D *edit*

Its good in a way that I missed first week of college so that for the first time in my life, I have a huge area in front of my grandparents' house to do it and I didn't miss the opportunity.

I thought I knew how to do it and refused any advice from my grandmother. Well, I did mess it up a bit but for a first timer , I think it was good enough.

And then as the old saying goes, practice makes man perfect. As also does advice from an expert. I finally conceded in asking my nani who insisted that I first draw it on paper, showed me the way about it and I knew it by heart while doing it on the ground.

I feel real nice to have used this opportunity. Now I will go back to living in my flat satisfied that I did attempt what I love doing most. :D

Bad 'Air' days

No, I dont mean flatulence ot burping(double eww) that all the boys seem to be proud of. Nor have I forgotten an 'H'.(Although being a girl, I should have spoken about that) I'll have to take you through a small flashback before that and you might guess what I mean.

I am blessed with a loud voice(the people around me are cursed though). Even my attempt to talk in whispers is in vain. My friend sitting 4 benches ahead of me could supposedly hear me do khus-phus in a lecture.An incident in school. I was to give a speech. The mike hadn't arrived yet. The students getting restless. My teacher called me, made me give the speech without the mike and well, I was audible to everyone.

Now, add the fact that I like talking, correction: love talking. I've been given many nicknames for the same reason. Another reason why I pity people around me. I don't stop even if people beg me to. It isn't in my character to do so. Believe me, I have tried to change but I just can't.

Thirdly, I am not shy. I make sure I am heard, very instinctively. I have to speak, else I'll go mad.My voice helps me too :P.

And then, I sing with a voice comparable to a frog's croak. Now, its just that the frog most of the time croaks in tune. And this I do too often i.e, when I am not speaking.So, you see, I really don't know how people talk to me or let me talk to them. I would just be exasperating.


And the day dawns when my friends' wishes are granted. The day when nothing but air escapes my mouth. My bad 'air' days. It's bad. Terrible. And this invariably happens the day I have reason to speak but I can't speak even the basic minimum. Consider today. I had an IEEE GD and some group activities which absolutely required me to speak. But what? Voice gone.


Consider our very first IV. Just before "The" play. Only hawa.
In school too, most of the times I entered an auditorium for a speech or a play, My voice would give me up. I have wondered whether it is exam laryngitis like exam fever but I don't even have stage fright,so its just bad luck the people around me have to bear my nonsense and not be able to listen when I might speak sense.

And ME!! God, it must be one of my worst days, when people cannot hear me and they make fun of my inability to talk(Although I must say they deserve the chance :P ) It is completely unacceptable to a person who already feels she croaks and the croak sounds worse when the throat starts repairing itself cuz of forced silence that I keep so that I can talk again.

So as I hope these days don't come too often ,you guys can sit hoping that this would last forever and ever and I assure you ,you aren't fortunate enough. :P

Quijjing

        My association with quizzing rather not quizzing has been evident the whole of my school life. Every time I was to go for a quiz, either it got cancelled or teachers just never mentioned again or it was over. (yes, this indeed happened once) All that while , my sister got every opportunity to go for a quiz. In one of the city level quizzes, she reached the semi finals. Another quiz at school, the team got a trophy and even chocolates!!

So, I just resigned to fate that quizzes will never ever be a part of my life in spite of being influenced by watching BQC every sunday and knowing that my school isn't great enough to appear there.

Then I came to Sardar Patel with the thought of slogging all 4 years. On the contrary, the 3rd sem I happened to find that our college had a true blue quiz club SPQC started by quiz crazy students Chinmay, Rohit and Siddharth and quizzes were being held the whole past year. And in spite of the popularity in the SE CMPN class, we didn't even get a whiff of it! Reason- Class too crowded(sniff,sniff).

Luckily the committee I was in organized a quiz and I happened to be a part of it. My God, the enthusiasm in the air, those heated discussions, those friendly pokes at the other team when they didn't get an answer, those wrong guesses which always make you laugh, I became a fan in those 2 hours.

And I decided that to make up for the 2 sems I missed, I decided I'll make it a point to be regular from 4th sem. You see, when you are denied an opportunity your whole life and you get it, you will do anything to grab it then. So I entered the class sheepishly cuz I knew I would be bad at answering. We got only one question right.Most of the others we skipped or didn't guess cuz we thought it might be wrong. But when we were told the answer was correct, the joy is just unfathomable.

As I regularly stated attending more of them, I realized quizzing is hardly about answering correct. Its that feeling when you know you know the answer, its on the tip of your tongue and without realizing you blurt it out. Its that amazement when you see the answer to a question which was so smartly phrased. Its that momentary excited happiness when you guess and it turns out to be correct. Its never about losing. Cuz at the end of a quiz, you know so much more. You realize so many things were right under your nose but you just didn't look at it.

Why this post all of a sudden? Well, I'm making my own quiz right now. Everywhere I see I find quiz questions. My gmail drafts are filled with plausible questions and so is the note in my mobile phone. I read something and I think, ok..this can be a quiz question. But I think my quiz is gonna end up being one of the most easiest ones, nothing challenging as such but its nice to give people ego boosts when they find they can answer so much.. :P

So now I'm a big quiz fan too! I still suck at answering but I can't wait for thursdays to come. And I think the journey will continue :D

Growing up

                                      Its already two years of engineering. I can't believe my juniors will have their juniors coming in. My SEs are BEs now. I'm living in my home for the past 20 years.20!! I really can't believe. 10th standard seems a lifetime ago. 

Growing up is just so weird. Birthdays come and go, you keep counting your age but you never realize these are years passing by. I can't believe that when a person looks at me, I'm officially an adult, not the child I think I am. Bhaji wale people take me seriously when I argue about the cost, not like some years back if I did the same, I would be laughed off and I would end up buying the vegetables at their quoted cost( although I doubt I'm good at bargaining :P). When I walk on the road, what I would think has changed gradually but to a great extent. It is obvious it would, but you never realize it changing, do you? If you actually compare yourself now with what you were even 5 years back, you will be amused. There was a time when saying you were in 10th standard was a big deal. There was a time where you didn't even know 10th standard was so important.  Graduation was always much much later. Those days, people 5 years older than you were someone you could never imagine yourself to be one day. Now you would just not be thinking of that cuz you don't want these years to run away.There was a time when I used to hear my parents talk to someone and they would say that their son is in engineering or medicine, I would think, hmmm that's a long time away. Now I'm halfway through and the fact is barely registered in my mind.


When you were a kid all of 6 years, a person a foot taller than you and salwar kameez would translate into an aunty, now maybe a kid might think that about me! My cousin's marriage is round the corner. The first marriage of our generation. and I am next. Of course, that doesn't come before much time later but that's how it always seems,doesn't it?


I realize I have changed only when I actually think what I used to think. A problem in 4th standard was deciding which group to sit with when you are good friends with both of them. Now a problem would possibly be "Do I want to pursue an MS in A or in B?Can I even pursue one". Funny these changes are.

It is always that everyone around you is changing, growing but you, nah, you're still the same. And for a person like me who really doesn't look at the mirror(serious, I ask my mother whether I look decent enough to leave the house), I was surprised one day when I saw my face and I could see my seriousness, maturity whatever you call it, but I wasn't that innocent 10 year old anymore. It sort of sinked in..


How those different aspects of life morph into something different slowly and gradually is growing up and it really matters what you are developing into. Of course, your parents are majorly responsible but there are certain aspects which totally lie in your hands. You can always choose, to be that person who you idolized, not be a spoiled brat who you might scorn and may not realize, you're one yourself.

I think I'm always gonna be amazed at how my thoughts have changed over the years. And they will keep changing....

Red flowers on greeny leaves

I ventured out of my house after a very long time for a reason that wasn't exams. "Walking to school" memories came back to me. 6th standard. First year of morning school. I really never regretted waking up because I used to love to walk through the windy road surrounded by so many trees. I happened to remember my first inspiration to write poems. I used to love trees. I used to always want to be a nature poet like William Wordsworth. Rather I used to imagine myself to be one when I grew up. Talk about high aspirations. There is this huge tree which had red flowers and I was "inspired". And this is one of my first inspired "poems" (supposed) which I was so proud of for which I had even made a nursery rhyme kind of tune.

I found this again some months back written proudly in my book when I was seeing it with my friend. I was in splits of laughter just reading it, my friend alike. It's plain funny and shows how childish I was. I really couldn't resist putting it here. This was my first step to writing a poem. So, people who think they can't write a poem for nuts, hope your opinion will change after reading this :P. Hope you enjoy too.(Nisha, I think you'll enjoy this again :P )

Red flowers on greeny leaves,

How beautiful are they,

How much pain they take for this,

How much do we pay?

We don't get them for a penny,

But we get them for free,

Oh, And they are so sweet,

But still we destroy it.

The trees are broken down, the leaves are plucked,

Is this our gratitude to them,

So stop these things and start helping them,

How pleased they will be!

Red flowers on greeny leaves,How beautiful are they! :D

And the heart bleeds

                    A stethoscope around her neck. Kindness filled in her eyes. While her lips said something, her eyes connected with those of the child's at a much deeper level. The child invariably trusted her. A prick, he winced, but he didn't stop looking at her while the nurse went on with her proceeding. The child rushed off to the play area. "Don't worry, he will be fine, 2 years from now, he will be like any other healthy child." The lady's eyes were filled with tears of gratefulness. She could just hold the hands of the noble doctor and not thank enough. A wonderful husband, an angelic child, a noble profession. She was living a life of heaven.

She went out of her cabin to take her usual rounds.She entered the room. First patient. His mother seemed to have cried the whole day. She walked towards her and held her hand and said some comforting words. Her voice did the job.The mother already looked hopeful. The doctor saw his reports. Saw his name, saw his face. He looked really old for his age. She continued with her usual routine when he opened his eyes. He had an oxygen mask around his mouth. He tried to get up but she stopped him. Tears welled up in his eyes. He couldn't speak a word. He didn't need to. She understood, everything, everything he wished to say.

Her past came back to her.

There was emptiness all around. Yet, emotions choked her throat. She could never forget all those years of companionship. Tears usually came very easy to her. But today, it just wouldn't. The child she cuddled every day on her way to college looked at her expectantly. But she didn't notice. Even if she had noticed, she could barely have smiled. The road was too reminiscent of those memories. She was doing what she loved doing, today not feeling the same. The trees didn't seem to sway in happiness anymore. She had always feared this day would come. But never this soon.

She had invariably taken the wrong step. She should not have trusted so easily. Or maybe, she didn't. She just chose to ignore the fact that trust wasn't existent. She deceived herself constantly for those days of her life. He was the boy who everyone wanted to know. But he had eyes only for her. That's what he made every girl think, she thought. There was something about his boyish charm...But the more dangerous it is, the more attractive it seems. She just walked like a corpse having nothing to say more.

The reports were wet. Wet where those tears had fallen. He had no way out. He had no life left either,  it seems. He had to take the invariable step. He had to let her down. Those were promises which are to be kept for life, the ones he had to break. He would have gone against all odds to keep them, but when it wasn't in his destiny, he had to let go. It was hard. But he had made his heart into that of stone and did it, never to meet her again.


Fate is strange, does things you would never expect it to. That wasn't the final goodbye, that was not what was destined, she thought now. That night, it rained, hiding the tears in her eyes. Life was harsh, too harsh for words, but at least it didn't leave bitter memories. He had said his final goodbye and she had too. They went on to live in heaven, albeit different  ones in their own respect.

The Rise

The sun has risen,

the morning has dawned,
the night may not have been peaceful
but still it is a new morrow.

You wish life itself starts afresh,
but this is the best that you would get,
so let your heart rise high,
free your mind off the sorrows,  

It's a new beginning,

embrace it when you can,

it isn't wront to forget the pain,

because the feeling etched in your mind is real.

Most convenient as it may seem,
you cannot just survive,                       
cuz life is to be lived for others,
as much as it is for your own self.

while you drench in the rain of sorrow,
those are the tears of one who cares,
to let them not shed a tear,
is what life becomes about.

So with a new zeal,        

you rise like a phoenix,
wondering whether the nightmare that reduced you to ashes is over,             
and you see a smile, the smile that says,
"life is beautiful, come rise again..."  

Hi, I'm Preeti Ramaraj and you are......

I was just wondering what influence people have in my life when I came across this post by Chinmay and I couldn't help writing about it.

First of all, correction. People have a big influence on "everyone's" lives. They define us. They define our behaviour.  They define what kind of people we are. They give us the identity we have, rather we ourselves know our identity because of our interaction with them. We are a part of the people for others , the way we have them for us.

I am a people's person.Totally. My friend says he is scared of me cuz I supposedly know every second person in college. Well, that is an exaggeration but I happen to know quite some people in college. I always have a conversation starter topic ready if I know I'm talking to someone for the first time. No,I don't think about it, I just talk. Also, I remember where and how exactly I met a person and I recognize too, so at times, the person on the other side is forced to smile when I do cuz they wonder where the hell they met me when I remember the whole conversation that would have happened then. :P

No, it isn't an easy job to make a conversation with a person you absolutely don't know. Not even for a talkative person like me. But then I don't know, I just happen to discover topics common to both of us to start off with.

But it is a wonderful thing really. Meeting people. I don't have any restrictions as such as to who I would talk to. Usually, they are people with similar interests but not intentionally. It's just that this friend of a friend of a friend likes the same kind of music that I do or I worked with them somewhere or something. But that's all I need.

I speak exactly what I think and never have to wonder what I shouldn't talk about or what opinion the other person is forming about me, so the conversation is even more simpler. One thing I just can't bear is if a person thinks that some people aren't worth talking to just because they were brought up somewhere,bad speech skills or such stupid reasons. People should always be recognized for their thoughts, emotions and feelings and nothing more.

I just like knowing people really and that's the reason I happen to talk to so many. The reason for the ease is I really have no specifications or restrictions about anything I like in general..Ok, that didn't make sense. I mean, as long as something is not immoral or unethical, I would enjoy it. I can understand and accept a random person's definition of fun, life, love and anything under the sun. So, people find it easy to converse with me.

Forget people across the world. Think people in your own class you have never spoken to. It's a different world really. You get so many different views, so many different ideas to a small topic, you would wonder how is it possible that your answer was the best one. 

We form these small circles around us. We decide who resemble us most or who accepts our ideas best or who we are really comfortable with and that's the end of people we want to be with. But then, you might just be missing that person in your life who might be the best person you would have ever met just because you have closed the path for them to enter your life. Outwardly appearances are often deceptive. It doesn't matter if you make a mistake in knowing certain people cuz that's how you learn, isn't it?

I agree, there have been instances where I have regretted being associated with certain people but these instances are so less in comparison to instances where I have been so lucky to have just met certain people.

As I get to know these people more, I get to know myself more, I get to realize who I am and the most basic thing...I find more people to bear my incessant talking :P

It's time you take the first step to go and enter a whole new dimension....if you would rather not, at least don't take those steps back when a new person is willing to enter your life. It might just be your lucky day :)

So, I end this as usual lengthy conversation hoping that as much as I love to meet people, they don't ever have to run away at the mention of my name. :P

(I personally think its a very anti-climactical end)

Tears to be wiped

Read this poem I had written during sem 3 exams when I showed it to a friend yesterday..

Why are my eyes now moist with tears,when I cant wipe them anymore,        

what have I lost inside of me,  

something that I had before,

my thoughts are numb and my heart is cold,

where is the warmth that I had before,                                                          

that joy on hearing what I wished to hear,     

that surge of happiness has now all disappeared,           

I crave for those moments ,too precious to be true,                

those lovely  times,which once used to be ours,  

that break of dawn which spelled a day of bliss,                                                 

now the sun rays fall hard on me,       

I can't move my feet no more,          

my mind has lost all hope,                     

of travelling the path to my better tomorrow,                                                    

but wait, I see someone far away,                          

like a breath of fresh air removing all my anguish,        

is it really you, my dear friend,              

you have come to save me from this abrupt end,                                                   

suddenly I find myself willing to live again,                  

leaving behind this desperation and pain,                    

I have to forget the past that I can't change,           

but I think it will be easy,            

now that you are here,                            

like always, alleviating my fear,                                                                

 

What do I have to worry, with a friend like you,        

I must be blessed to be saved from the brink of unhappiness,           

I had lost my ability to love,         

no one to understand what I feel,                                                                  

my dear friend, now I know thats what friends are for,                           

to love and to be loved whoever it may be,                  

my eyes are tearful, but with content,  

that to wipe those tears, you are here....     

My doggy!!!

                                     I was walking down the road when I saw a cute golden retriever with its hair on its head(fur whatever you call it) tied in a ponytail being walked by a lady. I remembered the dog my grandparents had, or  rather the son, Devil.

No, the name isn't bad really. If you guys like reading Phantom comics, you would know what significance this name has. He came as a cute little puppy in 1989 when I wasn't even born. Became a son to my grandparents and a brother to my dad, mom and her siblings, literally too, considering he didn't even like non-vegetarian food. When I was born and was put on the mat on the floor to sleep, he would come and sleep next to me. He would always want to be there where I was around. When my sister was born, a maid used to threaten the 3 year old me in a way of playing that she'll take my sister and go away. As though he understood human language, Devil would growl at this lady whenever she went near my sister. Unfortunately, due to school , we could see him only once every year during the vacations. The moment my grandfather's car used to reach the doorstep after picking us up, Devil would bark joyfully sensing our arrival. He used to listen to songs and try singing along(would turn out to be howling and whining) and also, he used to like this one song for which he used to put his paws on my 6 feet tall mama's shoulders and dance!!

I have always been the sloppiest and most ignorant person ever. I don't think I ever saw the ground while walking when I was 4 or 5 ....invariably use to fall over poor Devil. His fault partly. He chose the nooks and corners for his siesta and those are exactly the places kids like. But the kind fella that he was, he only used to yelp in pain( :( ) but NEVER EVER  bit me , not even once. Whenever we used to go out for a drive, he used to sit right beside me on the car seat with his tongue out enjoying the wind through the window. I remember going to my grandfather's coconut farm and walking there with Devil. I was never afraid of him. We used to play ball, play pakda-pakdi where all he would was try and hold our dress, go walking together and he defined the joy I had in the vacations.

But then I guess God wanted one of his favourite sons back. I still remember crying sooooo much. I wasn't even there. I still remember a time when everyone was playing outside with him and I was watching Johny Quest..that was the only time I watched TV. But , sometimes, the days I miss him, I think ,maybe I should have gone and played Tag with him.

He was the best dog ever. He used to shake hands so politely, expressed his love for everyone so beautifully, always around when you needed him..My cousins who were born after he passed away really did miss something. They would never learn the joy of making friends with such a wonderful being..He taught me that love isn't something only human beings feel...He taught me to love without language being a barrier..He was family..and such a lovable one too..I love you Devil soo much...Here is a pic capturing that world...Signing off in an emotional mood.

Food!!!

                       6 hours, 15 minutes, 7,8,9... seconds. No, you aren't counting how much time you have been trying to sleep, its the amount of time elapsed since you had your last meal. You wonder how YOU haven't thought about food in the last few hours. You think its blasphemy. Now, you have finally found the bug in the code and the code runs successfully. 3 pm. The cell vibrates. Mom calling. You answer the call only to hear your mother say "When are you coming home? Lunch has been ready for an hour"...Lunch, the word sounds divine. You don't see any shop on either side. You can smell a samosa being fried but all you can think of is the plate you eat in at home. Your stomach makes awful noises just when you're passing by some  friends standing there. Hoping they didn't hear it, you hurriedly catch an auto rickshaw. You see yourself sitting on the dining chair with the spoon in your hand. Just when the spoon is about to reach your lips, the rickshaw comes to a screeching halt. You pay some money and you rush towards your door. You ring the bell with your eyes half closed, you hear your mom's voice "Food is kept on the table". You rush inside somehow unconsciously removing your footwear towards the table. But no, mom gives you that warning glance which says "Not clean, no food". you rush to the washroom to the wash basin when you see a smoky hand. It beckons you towards the food. You follow that aroma only to reach the dining table. The plate is in front of you. Your mom serves the rice and the smell makes you only more hungry. Then something, then something, you just don't realize anymore. You can wait no more. The spoon is already filled with rice and entering your mouth. The food is hot , almost burning your taste buds. But all you feel is a tingling sensation with a sudden satisfied feeling when the food is swallowed and you feel it pass through your oesophagus. The next spoon, you manage to relish it and shout"Food is lovely".Your stomach seems to exist now. The food in it also seems to make the stomach exist. The taste lingers on your tongue while you wat for the next morsel to reach your mouth.Nothing can describe such ecstasy.

Ok, you food loving hungry people. You may go and have a snack and come lest ur keyboard is wet already.(:P) (yes, I am thinking about you Pofama, you definitely need a walk to the kitchen right now) This is the effect food has on us. Very rightly, food comes first in the three basic needs. Specifically, ghar ka garam garam khaana filled with mummy ka pyaar :).

                                   But has it ever happened to you that your mom has cooked the best possible food....just that it isn't spicy enough for YOU or it is too bland for YOU  or it has too less salt for YOU.???? If yes, have you told your mother so?? My bets are on the fact that you didn't...cuz you were scared your mom might never make food for you leaving you hungry for life..ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!

Ok..first, moms would never let you go hungry(that's the best part) and yes, it has happened to me. I'm the only person in my chotasa pyaarasa family who loves spicy food and soups that always have lots of salt and pepper. But why does majority always win??? Cuz my mom will make normal non spicy food only cuz my dad and sibling can't bear to find a piece of chilli which is less than an inch long. Also, I did tell my mom and what answer did I get? "Either eat this or make yourself".

I know the first option is the most viable one but then as a saying in tamil goes "naaku rombu neellam" .Although it literally translates to "tongue is too long"(cmon guys, you think I'm a chameleon), it means that You're too specific about taste which I absolutely am and instead of submitting to the sad fate of wishing for spicier food in spite of it being tasty, I decided to do what I do best now, the second dangerous option, TO MAKE IT MYSELF.( Ok, too much exaggeration but mummy ka khana is best na?)

                                                        

   So, there started my tryst with destiny.(I am becoming too filmy) I have always been passionate about cooking. Really! My mom has never had to use the typical dialogue which is used to death in reality and in the movies too.....in case you're wondering what dialogue that is, its "Teri shaadi hone ke baad tera pati khana pakayega kya? " ( :P ) All the more, at the age of 12 , when I wanted to do mainstream cooking ( read adding the salt and the spices and mix the food in its proper consistency) , but my mom made me train like a proper cook( read cut onions, tomatoes, cleaning the place, get the vegetables etc ) which I really got bored with cuz I wanted to jump to the final thing. But yes, I did manage to cook mainstream by age 15. (No, I don't mean cooking maggi when I say mainstream :P)

I do make the best possible tea which my grandparents look forard to having everytime they visit home. I also make the crispiest dosas without the copious amounts of oil which my parents can't resist looking at and wonder how the student is so much better than the teacher. The aroma of the onions roasted for upma will reach your noses and make you fly to reach the kitchen with your mouth watering. And yes, I remember a friend saying "the food you make always tastes great to you". Nope, not to me. I am someone who will criticize my own judgements at times in case of food. Really, one thing which defines me as a chef (yes, I am authorized to call myself one)is experimentation. If the great chefs before us didn't experiment , would we have the variety of food that we crave for in front of us??

Yes, I experiment like hell and obviously without the knowledge of my mother( :P) During the holidays when I absolutely pestered my mother with my boredom, she assigned me the work of making rasam( a south indian soup sort of dish made with tamarind juice....haven't you ever had it? ) most of the days. And everyday, I would add something that my mom doesn't..something as simple as some ginger or some lemon or just fry the jeera with ghee and hope to God, my mom doesn't find it tastes weird. These were the initial stages, so I still used to wonder how my experimentation would end up. Luckily( I'm just being modest) it turned out good everytime. So, I advanced and went on to make even the Hakka noodles which might have come from China itself(ok, too much self pimping but it did taste good) . Really, experimentation in the simplest of foods like even a bread sandwich can make it taste so heavenly, "food divine" it is(Copyrighted by Srinath). 

There is such a big advantage when you can cook yourself, that too good food. 

1)Whenever you're hungry and considering you want the food to be perfect, you can whip up a good breakfast and feel happy about it too.

2) Your mother is relieved that you don't shout impatiently from the bedroom "Mummy!! bhook lagi hai!! khaaaanaa!!" 

3) you can actually cook some nice dessert for someone's especially a foodie's birthday and make them smack their lips with delight everytime they remember their birthday( yes, i did it for my friend Srinath on Nisha's request, it was heavenly!!)

4)You can cook for your mom and make her smile with the prospect of taking rest for a day(Yes, I have done this too on her birthday and it fills you with a satisfied feeling.)

Don't worry, this doesn't mean the days of you sitting on the table with the expectant look in your eyes and banging the table while waiting for the food is gone. Still, the days when you return home with that half droopy hungry face, you really won't be bothered about whether is spicy or whatever and gobble the food at the speed of light. But other days, even maggi can become a main course dish or a starter or anything if you wish it to be. Learn to cook, fend for yourselves, life is so much more satisfactory this way!! :)

(Credit for the cartoon goes to anna....Thanks for the site)