The last of... 'Time on my hands' phase...

These days, I don't get much time to spare. I've got routine for company...

These days, I don't get much time to just sit and stare, coz I've started work in a company.

Back to being my busy self again. I knew I would not have 'time on my hands' for long. However, I did try to make the most of that wonderfully free period of my life. The art classes have paid off. I've finally completed both my paintings and I have learnt to drive. The question being: did I do it well? I think I'd fairly leave the observers to answer that one.

I've uploaded a video of the making of the paintings (The video is in high definition, please play the video with your speakers on)

1) Nostalgia: The Butterfly

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Nostalgia

2) Noire: The Starry Night Sky. 

Noire

I wish to make more, but then, I wish for a lot of things ;)

Hopefully, some of them may come true... Till then!! 

Cheers :)

Time on my hands...

The last time I actually had time was...well...ahem ahem, well...quite sometime ago. So now that I have some time, I guess the only logical thing to do is...to get busy doing things I'd rather not do when I don't have any time (irony)... Well as I always love to say, 'C'est la vie' !
Art-

Oil on canvas- Noire- coat1

Oil on canvas- Noire- coat2

I've always admired art...it may sound boring to some, tad tawny and dry, but I think the effort of painting is never gone in vein, the result of such patience and hard work has always captivated me, even as a kid. Yup, my folks were all enthu and supportive when I joined classes for arts in school. But somehow, I never seemed to enjoy them to the core as the teachers always had motives like drawing exams in mind. There was no freedom given, only still life's and memory drawings to master...which I frankly hated doing. These days, the reason I visit the classroom (in one of my favorite schools) are for my canvas painting classes...and hell yeah, I'm having fun!!
Painting can be a stress buster, only if one doesn't worry about  the end result. With every brush stroke I take, a muzzy image is formed...and then, after a while, I find clarity. This is what I am mainly going to take back with me, more than the canvases I'm doing. We all are constantly looking for clarity. Its so elusive at times, that we tend to procrastinate in its absence... but, what I've learned the hard way is to just go with the flow. Apply the paintbrush on the canvas in a way one thinks will make the picture perfect. At the outset, it may even seem wrong, but patience and perseverance shines through...and what is almost always left behind is a melody of colors, ideas and imagination.
I've put up some pics of some of my artworks. Please give them some leverage, I'm not claiming to be an expert. Ill put up the finished ones soon...Till then :)

Oil on canvas- nostalgia (coat-1)

Oil on canvas- nostalgia (coat 1)

Its been a while...

Its been a while...and I've lots to write.
Today was one of those melancholy days, when one has all the time to reminisce. I thought about school, graduation, my career, my life and the course I'm on. I don't remember the beginning, I never planned its path... and all that in between!
Time, with its fluttering wings, has passed me by. I remember being that tiny person, for whom the doll was huge, the tricycle was heavy and the swing a gigantic delight! For whom the most important decision was choosing the ice-cream for the day...I remember growing up a bit...and finding it difficult to choose what to wear for the annual Christmas party at school.
I remember the hockey games, the daily practice sessions, the in-house camp, the euphoria of winning, the dejection of losing ! I remember the camaraderie and the competition. The partiality and the prejudices. I remember the cheers and the boos ~
I remember the art-classes, the karate kata, the sports day, the grammar lessons and my lovely teachers!
Then,  I remember dressing up for the farewell in mom's loveliest lavender saree and going to school..looking all grown up...I remember: cramming for the boards, caring a damn after they were done and worrying sick till my results were out...I remember hoping and praying for things that actually didn't matter, wishing for the impossible at times...Gosh...school days went by in a jiffy!
Then I remember all the friends, the friday evening conversations, the racecourse discussions the empress garden football, the french connections...Choksey, Ramus, PDK, Patki...cramming, screwing up a bit, managing any how, care a damn attitude, but actually caring too much!!
New college, new group of friends, marathi, bhelpuri, gossip, grapewine, knowledge and lessons for life.
New place, new city, new roomies, new classmates...awesome professors, struggles, success, bitching, competition, ideas, travel, politics!!
New job, familiar faces, happiness, content, commitment, hard work, brainstorming, travel, creativity, politics, games, egos. The good, the bad and the ugly~

I long for the old... I'm looking forward to the new...

All these memories, I have stored away as tidbits of neuro-sensatios. I don't know how many moments I'll be able to store for 'forever' inside the limited human brain!
Ive been making memories ever since!!

Rhy-me-feeling !

Ive been on a trip lately, not physically obviously, although if you call my latest poster presentation at rajkot and solapur a stint at traveling, then yeah, maybe ! But the point I'm making is that I have had a lot of time to think irrelevant (read :non research) stuff. Since all of you know how I love rhymes, I dug this one out from some corner of my (well, I don't know how to put it delicately, but) twisted brain. Heheh ! Caution: Don't read too much into it :P

(rhyme scheme : ab, ab )

~A new jerk...

Oh, I want to be bad this year, as bad as bad could be,

No more sweet 'good morning' and no more pleasant ‘please’,

I want to break rules and see the 'other' side,

I want to make a hell lot of noise and be seen as Miss. Hyde,

I don't want be the head-boy, or the teacher's pet,

I don't want to classy and I don't want to be the class rep... ,

I want to swear, yell, shout and scream,

I want to sit down, watch TV all day and gorge on ice cream,

I want to break the mold and be an outcast,

I want the world to see me, as the 'bad' girl at last.

I wish to work towards that rowdy image I had in mind,

I wish to develop the skills to kill time, and whistle at a boy’s behind.

People make 'resolutions', I assume to become a better being,

I resolve the opposite, for I loath being the better being.

I wish to be remembered not as 'goody to shoes',

For being good takes you nowhere, so, no more virtues!

Being bad does have its share of pros and cons...

But I rather am bad, [than working my ass off being good]…for I fear not of growing horns…

After all, who cares if you were good or bad, when you die?

I'd rather resolve being bad, it seems easier and I get the bigger piece of pie...

The next decade!

Doing a post grad does make you 'one' thing for sure, and that's BUSY ! I don't think I ever went through a phase of 'hardly any T.V.' before doing my masters. However, this is not to be seen as me complaining. I'm just stating facts. Another fact is that I am thoroughly enjoying myself, the amount of new stuff I have learned, career and otherwise!! And I take this opportunity to thank all of whom who made this learning phenomena possible.

The year is coming to an end, well, figuratively only two days to go, but for anyone who has anything to do with academia, the second term has begun, and we have another 4 months to go before we end the year.

Only 4 months till I'm done, shouldn't I be shouting with joy?? Well, no. Sadly, I hate leaving, as much as I hate entering into anything unknown. I know, I was not all 'enthu' and comfortable on my first day, me being a late admission and all....but I must add , I will be sad leaving too. Of course, my ride in NN was full of ups and downs, many of them cliched experiences, but looking back I think Ive grown... I have learnt so much about myself, so much I didn't know!! For this I am grateful again, especially to all those who gave me a tough time. They know who they are, but I want to add, I have no grudges.

I will miss all my batch mates , all of whom have left deep impressions... the baawi, and her loud-but -clear-hearted jokes and pokes. The couple and their ever-supporting love for each other, and sometimes, for me too !! The friend in need ! The firangi and the filler!! The other couple and their academic enthusiasm!! and miss observant! There, all 9 have been aptly nicknamed!! Hopefully I don't create another one of those 'brouhaha's , else, Ill be the next sitting target...heheh!!

Lastly, as I bid farewell to 2009, I would want to mention that this decade saw me graduating from all my endeavours. I completed high school, Jr. college, Sr. college and almost completed my masters. Well, a decade dedicated to education. Well spent? Hopefully, yes! I wish I am equipped enough! Its always frightening to leave and enter into the unknown , simultaneously!!

So bye bye 2009...here comes 2010...another decade, dedicated to....well, I wish I knew the answer to this one. Praying for clarity,

Till then, cheers!! Get high on life!!

Introduction to " Cutting Chai! "

Yes, I've started a new blog, so none of you people have to deal exclusively with "my take on life". (I intend to make "My take on life" a private affair, as advised by many of my well wishers)
I'm posting the link so that its easily accessible in case you have already book marked this page...(high hopes?!!).
http://shirinajanoos.blogspot.com/
The new blog is aptly(?) named "Cutting Chai !", aimed at delivering short, hot and refreshing doses of on current issues. Hopefully, we enjoy the experience!
See y'all there!
Cheers!!

Playing cricket or batting for cash and kind?

Yes, Ive been busy, not the lazy busy (ahem ahem), but the real kind...but isn't that my excuse always...so I won't bother apologising this time. Coz, I am going to put in more just to show how much I do intend to write but time management...or rather the lack of it... can truly bog one down...
Thoughts cross my mind, "blog worthy ones" are favourably etched somewhere in that blessedly less used organ and I make promises to my avid readers (read to myself [mostly] ) that I shall pen (or rather type) my views down the next time I go online, which surprisingly has decreased since exams...and i wonder why?...hehheh!
The latest itch I have waiting to type is about the IPL of course. Cricket has firmly established itself into this generation as wholly and sourly as the idea of cable TV. It was always a given to the intelligent Indian that the shorter...(or will it be the shortest?) version of the game (20-20)was going to be an instant HIT... so commercialisation was the way the money making could finally be done. Apart from the branded shoes and bat, the towels, water bottles, head gear, etc...and various other parts of the 'team colours' (read cricket uniform) were strategically labelled so that the companies sponsoring the team ( and their luxuries) get some prime time action...if you know what i MEAN!
But what bothers me is that too much commercialization is no good...now is it?...From when have we started cheering for more "citi moments of success" rather than sixes?? The concept was to encourage the idea of cricketing, not 'Vodaphoning' , i believe. I don't want the next generation to say, 'Yes, the guy endorsing Bournvita got out at 98, just 2 to go before he completed his DLF century!' ~ That would be a tragedy then for the game and its true spirit.
However, commercialisation has its perks as always. I would never have enjoyed a dancing zoozoo more( Vodaphone jingles and impromptu ads) !! So there, advertisements have begun to capture our hearts with lovely and intelligent gibberish...rather than mundane stuff...thank god for that!
Thinking of the Ad industry, it makes me wonder how else do those people related to this field get some inspiration? Do they carefully observe people trends. Then I think Ive got views that may make news (old maybe) for them! So i think Ill keep this for the next time I'll blog, just to increase my already large...(the effects of positive thinking) readership and to captivate my audience's attention. Also that my eyes are closing and lack of concentration adds to boring reading for you guys!
Okay then, till next time...watch this space!

Elvis, my dear...

This letter is addressed to The king. We all know his history( those who dont look up: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvis_Presley)
Ive made it an open letter so that people with similar(or different opinions) can get a platform to air their thoughts about the guy who rocked the 50's, 60's and 70's with his unconventional rock 'n' roll, in times where ballads of Frank Sinatra and the beetles ruled the roost and hip shaking was considered as satanic movements perverting the youth....
His voice was just magic, he did ballads, pop, blues and gospel music justice.
Dear Elvis,
How have you been? Hope He i treating you well, and you are getting all that you deserve and more.
I write today with lots of joy and a little remorse. Joy because as always, your songs have brought that smile on my lips and made me forget the tension piercing through my brain...Yes, its that of the year when the students, your homie crowd, feel claustrophobic. You got it, its exam fever. Your 'moody blue' serves a great reliever here. We also adore your 'my way'.
Remorse is felt because I feel people are forgetting all about you. People no more find your music enlightening. Its all old and tawdry for most. Oh dear, thats when I wonder shuddering~will there ever be a time when people may say 'Elvis, who?' Will there ever be a time when a guy wont think of 'are you lonesome' or forget about 'Spanish eyes' while thinking of his girl?? Or falling in love, will it ever be the same without fools rushing in singing your classic?
Or will there ever be a party without 'jailhouse rock' or 'king creole' ?, I dread to imagine.
But something tells me, you will never be completely forgotten, no matter how much John Mayers or Chris Daughtry may try, you'll always remain this girl's favorite rock and roll star, who rose against all odds and died an unfortunate and untimely death. I shall 'stand by you' always...
Perennially looking forward to your songs,
Shirin.

Whats the fuss abt??

The Indian middle class is not the same what it was just a decade back. They were then branded as conservative and thrifty people. Not anymore, India’s middle class is now dynamic, educated, liberal and form the pillars of this vibrant Indian economy (due to their spending nature)

Here are the 10 facts that you may not know about Indian middle class:
1. An average family of 4.3 people live typically in a 900 sf apartment; 71% own properties, but only 9% have a mortgage

2. 29% own cars, 100% of households have TVs, 99% have mobile phones and 63% have credit cards (rapidly changing)

3. Household savings are low at 13% of annual income; mainly to meet emergency needs, health care and education costs.

4. Risk aversion is high: 84% have not taken loans, only 11% have invested in equities (this is changing fast)

5. Land and properties account for 51% of wealth, with 30% in cash and deposits

6. Half of households have seen their income rise in the past 12 months, of which one third saw income rise more than 20% (this trend was observed in 2007, before recession took its toll on the U.S., now the pics all different as one might read in all the dailies...time to activate thrifty genes?!)

7. 63% of respondents expect their income to increase in the next 12 months (NOT anymore, the pink slip fear is at its epitome)

8. Slightly more than half say governance has worsened in the past 10 years; improving the economy and reducing corruption are seen as top priorities for the government.

9. Children’s future and education a key concern and priority; other major concerns are rising prices and medical costs

10. Very high aspirations for children with 43% wanting their kids to get a master’s degree and 29% a doctorate
Source: CLSA
"10 facts you should know about Indian middle class" by Arun Prabhudesai was published on September 10th and is listed in Growth, Income, India, Indian, Indians, Top list, economy.

Interpretation:

>1. Procreate less, generate more income. Don't mortgage anything you already own unless absolutely necessary...which brings us to No. 2.

>2. Loans, if possible, should be avoided as the plague...No matter how enticing it may seem, its better to eat less now than starve later.

>3. The nano has arrived, but thats not the answer to all the prayers. Buy one only with rational thought. Its not something to hoard and store, so what if its cheap, fuel isn't for free.

>4. Start being penny and pound wise. Invest safely and carefully. Save more. Money can't buy happiness, but it can surely buy a lots of other things ;)

>5. Gold is the new thing to invest in, it seems. Be smart, not impulsive. Theres a right time to part with the old and ring in the new.

>6. Vote, vote...thats all they say. Reading proficiently proves NO ONE worthy enough, so i guess in the kingdom of the blind, the one eyed jack is king ;/

>7. The Great Indian Middle Class loves their kids , but what do the kids love? No foreign education can secure any MNC job in today's world. Look closely, our system is on revamp.(Or so they make us believe). Stick closer to home, its always more convenient not to dig real deep in the pocket.

>8. Highly educated = highly paid jobs??? Is it? (Mostly not the case) But, for ol' time's sake, lets wait and watch that one out.

THERE, that's pretty simple, or so it seems. The recession HITS everyone. But one must believe its a passing phase and all those hard earned rupees will not disappear into thin air, if its hard earned that is... Easy money, easy to lose, hard to keep.

Hopefully the G.I.M.C. ties its laces, before they trip on them. Now, whats the fuss about again?

Pooh-neigh...

The city where I belong. I can go on singing praises about my birthplace and the place where I grew up and spent the most magical days of my life…pondering over which I stumbled across this forum on facebook claiming that “You know you are from Pune when…”, however, I don’t agree to all that was written, so I didn’t join the forum, but I picked up a few lines here and there, which I thought were most apt to describe my quirky city. I know for a fact that Pune cannot be a bed of roses, but nonetheless, it’s one of the best this world has to offer. *(P.S. Im currently a resident of Mumbai, so the last line just applies.)
So here goes… and I’m trying not to be biased.
Places:
1. Koregaon Park and M. G. are still the coolest areas for you to hang out in.
2. You've spent hours at SGS Magnum Mall, Pune Central and Nucleus.
3. At some point in time you’ve always wanted to live in Kalyani nagar, Koregaon park or Salisbury park
4. You love the expressway! You say, 'The Expressway is truly a boon. Mumbai and Pune are now close, that Mumbai is almost a suburb of Pune’.
5. The default thought in everyone's mind on a holiday is "lets go to Khadakwasla/ Sihnhagad/Panseth/ our farmhouse"
6. Pimpri, Chinchwad, Pashan and Nigdi are far.
7. You have spent numerous weekends in Panchgani and Mahabaleshwar.
8. You keep spotting the famous eunuch of MG road & East Street every time you go there.
Lingo:
9. You know what “ikde”, “thamba”,” kutey” and “mala” mean.
10. When you are not studying, you are doing "VELAGIRI" or "LUKHAGIRI".
11. you refer to change as "Chillar", ditching as "Kalti" and trouble as "Jhol"
12. Every time you speak Hindi in front of a Delhitite they have the WTF expression on their face
13. You refer to cops as Mamu and bus conductors and old men as Kaka.
14. Every time you look at a cop you mentally check how much cash you have on you.
15. When u call cops kaka, they let u go if you show off your marathi speaking skills.
16. When you associate the following words to...
· Wada Pav - JJ Garden’s.
· Mithai – Karachi/ Mulchand.
· Public Transport – Rickshaw
· Extended public transport - Six Seater Rickshaw
· Poor public transport - P.M.T. bus.
· Thursday - Power Cut!
Lifestyle:
17. You speak intelligently.
18. You own/ed a two-wheeler, especially an activa or a deo (women), a hero-honda or a splendour (men)
19. Every 3-4 months u look at your road and wonder.. " why the hell are these guys digging up the road again. Thus at one point of time, some area or the other is always under repairs…roads/flyover/bridge.
20. Always keep an eye on the rickshaw meter to assure it is correct.
21. Where most girls on bikes/ scooters will have a scarf around their face looking like "daku mangal singh or Phoolan devi"
22. You see gals in ABCD jeans sticking to their boyfriends like parasites on bikes....abcd jeans = agga bai chaddi distey jeans!!!
23. You wear/have worn Osho Chappals. Ahh. . .the comfort.
24. Jogging laps around race course is your idea of a healthy life.
Opinions:

25. You are laid back but have lots of tolerance & patience dealing with & accepting Oshoites, foreign college students & other foreigners.
26. You can recognize a "mumbaikar" from his dress & behaviour.
27. You've said or thought "those Bombayites have ruined the peace of Pune"
28. Nobody gets their air, oil & water checked while filling petrol in their cars except the visiting mumbaikars.
29. You don't need to have the seat belt clasped while driving your car.
30. You can drive in the night with no or dim street lights on & full head lights on of cars & trucks approaching you from the opposite side....something a mumbaikar can never get used to.
31. You know someone who works at a Call Center / BPO/ IT Park
Weather:
32. You have had experienced amazing weather in evenings.
33. You wish for the crazy rain to stop during monsoon .
34. It rains in one part of town that you are in.. and by the time you get to where you’re headed that place is absolutely dry .. and you are soaking wet!!
35. You are unable to decide whether potholes are in roads or VICE VERSA.
36. You are sick and tired of the pollution.
37. You wonder what will happen to the city if there are still more cars on the road.(i think traffic will cum to a stand still in a few years).
Road Sense:
38. Traffic Rules are as follows:
· Motorists change lanes arbitrarily
· Vehicles on your right/left change lanes without warning
· Motorists run the red light
· Motorists take their time to move on green light
· Everyone honks like crazy cause everyone's driving like an idiot
39. When you see the light turn orange from green; instead of slowing down u speed up to catch the signal.
40. When u never cross the road at a zebra crossing.
41. When u can always find a car that has a dent or scratch on it.
Food:
42. You’ve waited patiently for a table at Blue Nile to have your biryani.
43. You've eaten Bun Maska at an Irani café.
44. Sat at a table in vaishali with people peering over your head waiting for you to finish eating
45. No matter where you ate Pav Bhaji you still crave for the one from Shiv Sagar on JM Road
46. Your potato wafers had to come from Budhrani on MG Road
47. When the best burgers and Shawarma rolls were always from Burger King or Hite bar
48. You swear by the sizzlers at Zamus or The place
49. Kathi rolls had to come from Kapila or Olympia
50. Bhelpuri, SDBP, etc. is always Murli Uncle, the Victory theatre guy, Kalyan Bhel and Jai Shankar(Camp) too are equally good.
51. You buy biscuits for ur relatives from kayani bakery, camp when they are in pune
52. No matter which part of the world you are if you see a packet of bhakarwadi by Chitale Bandhu at a supermarket you still pick it up with a smile
53. You are amazed at how Kalyani nagar has changed
54. Different cuisine restaurants keep opening & closing at koregaon park & kalyani nagar.
55. You've tried unsucessfully finishing two jumbo chicken burgers at Burger King.

And finally,You curse the city every day of your lives when living there, but if u ever move out you talk of Pune as the beginning and end of civilisation.

A little late...

Today, I finally have found both the time and the will to write something in my blog.
It’s been quite a while since I’ve written and my readers {?} have been considerate enough as to understand how busy I’ve been during the last six months or so.
Firstly, I’d like to inform all my {so called} readers that I am currently a part of Nirmala Niketan, Mumbai University…the University I have so blatantly admonished a few articles below. Life since then has been a coaster ride for me. I cannot even begin to describe how I got through and the kismet konnection thereby involved. I’d however only be just by giving astrology some due credit of my being enrolled in the only course in India offering Foods, Nutrition and Dietetics as a subject combination for the Masters level…(not trying to brag).
So yes, Im living in the heart of this magnificent city—SOBO.
And how can I not mention the terror filled days of 26-27-28/11.
I have lived safely through them and I am truly grateful to God. I also am humbled by the emotions I’ve seen people go through. The only thing I wish to say here is that: Great cities are not built by great architecture, great politicians or great ideas but by the greatness of the people living within…This is my tribute to the city I have started to love.
On to brighter topics...We got our guides today. Yes, I’m actively involved in research now that I’m doing my masters. Dr. Subhadra is one of the most qualified people living on the third rock from the sun and I’m truly blessed to have her as a mentor. The process of efficient research is gruelling and it can take a part of one’s soul towards the end. All that I can possibly pray for is a smooth ride, one which I enjoy and fondly remember as time flows by.
Till the next time…

Fragility.

Topic:Fragility (21 june)
Handle with care.

She got her birthday gift. ”Handle with care”, it read. A glass ballerina, from the glass maker. How predictable, she lamented. Her father’s creation, she knew that for sure. It was his work. She placed it carelessly on her desktop. She pretended not to care.
‘When was the last time you called dad?’ a voice kept screaming in her head all day. She tried to remember. But to no avail. The only thing she remembered was the last time she had heard his voice yelling from the other room, cursing her. “God, focus Avanti, focus”, she kept muttering to herself. She could not go wrong now, not here, she had a point to prove.
As a child, she never had had this problem. She could go on concentrating beyond all her friends. When her teachers thought most of the students were fatigued with the subject, Avanti was always the one to coax them to continue. But today, she was tired, fatigued and irritable. “Where is the nurse…? Why is everybody so bloody tired and lazy…” she was yelling again, just like her dad. She did not want to realize that they had been working for 48hrs now.
The earth had moved suddenly that day. Unawares, many had been swallowed into the ground. Many lay there in their tombs, breathing their last breaths, waiting. She wondered what if….”NO , don’t be distracted…”, she almost yelled that out too. She was talking to herself again.
And then she did it. The heart of the man who lay beneath her fingers did the most natural thing it could do. Beat. With every beat she began to smile. “Yes, dad will be so proud!” she exclaimed in her mind. She could go on forever now. The fatigue had vanished. She was happy again.
‘Trrriing'..
‘Triiiing’..
“Hello”
“Yes, that’s me, his daughter”
“ohh…..ok”
“I’ll be there by noon tomorrow”
“The funeral must start as early as possible, I have a lot of patients here who need my help”

Suddenly, the glass on the table top fell. The ballerina lay on the floor, shattered in remorseful million pieces.

Reviews:
Abbas: Shirin
This was a delicate theme that it seems like you rushed through which is sad because this was exploding with potential. You need to keep us in the space of this woman. We should be the fly on her wall.
Another thing that struck me was the coldness of this woman on receiving the news that her father has expired. I take it that she was a doctor but still it was her father. I would have loved to see you do something more with the moment that she receives the news. I would have to see the very human side of a doctor who after battling courageously for 48 hours snaps to indicate a fragility that is altogether humane, altogether real. Then, the ballerina shattering in a million pieces would have had a more profound effect. It would go beyond merely metaphor to the regions of symbolism.
Great stuff Shirin, but this could have been sublime.

@abbas
I like to write short stuff. Sorry to make it seem rushed.
Okay, and I think I screwed the end. I intended for 'the ballerina' to be the symbol of Avanti, and I think I got that a bit.
But what I actually wanted to depict in the end was ; that Avanti was so upset "she" suddenly and forcefully dropped the ballerina from the table...implying the anger she had within herself for:
a. Not listening to her intuition.
b. For trying to keep her nerves on the phone, when she actually wanted to scream.(The woman was not intended for to be cold, only too well disciplined)
c.For the loss of the man who had thoughfully given her the ballerina.
Guess I was trying for the 'in between the lines' effect...

Nikhil: @ Shirin Nicely written

Amrita: Shirin I found your piece woefully short and abrupt. There were so many undercurrents below the surface of your words, but you did not work hard enough to bring them to the top. I find your piece fascinating in what it could become, not what it already is.

Mukta: Shirin: I liked this a lot. The terse manner of delivery hits the story home. A snapshot of a disturbing incident... I thought the lack of emotion displayed by the girl at the climax was a good move, it gives a little drama, a sense of mystery at her character- although I felt that you could have heightened this by showing a bit more internal talk of the confusing emotions she had for her father. ( I want to interpret it as not just she is too callous or busy to take time out to talk to him, but also maybe that they had a more complex relationship, I saw hints of that , I dont know if you intended this). Again her nononsense attitude towards work is complimented by her lack of display of emotions- too tired or just too hit by everything, she doesnt show her emotions. Good stuff.

Anthropomorphic: Shirin:Crisp. Starts of a bit typically, but ends satisfactorily. I loved the part where the man's heart begins to beat again. Also, need to proofread and eliminate some punctuation errors.

Shirin:
@ everybody who commented:Thanks for sharing your 'pearls of wisdom'.
Hopefully, the next one I write will come off satisfactory to most*
Till then, Cheers.

Votes : 1...yay!

Akshay:
“Handle with care” springs entirely panoplied. It was largely a good work. The plot was appealing. The introduction, the rising action, the falling action and the denouement was given a good shape. The outcome is so much evident. I loved the struggle the protagonist goes through - the internal conflict - which I personally look for and highly prize in every story I read. It is the opposition of forces which ties one incident to another and makes the plot move. The story neatly cuts through the layers to expose the bare face of the environment Avanti is in. Also, the structural aspect - mixing of long with short sentences - did stand for a noticeably good flow. Mostly, it did not seem larger than life, but I wonder why did the ballerina “suddenly” fall? Based on how imaginatively the writers indulged into the central idea - fragility - I think Shirin did an impressive work. I wish if the character of the protagonist could have been revealed better. All in all, I feel it was a good piece (Gosh…Do I envy)

IAW-sensible nonsense..

IAW stands for Indian Amateur Writers. This is a community on orkut of which I've become a member lately.
I think, a procrastinator like me is motivated to write only when topics and deadlines are thrown.
Anyways I want to publish some of my work on my blog, so that I can keep a collection which becomes easy to go through.

The following is my First poem at the IAW community. I'm posting the reviews I got too. I think it'll make for an interesting read. Please add in more reviews as you please.
Topic: Nonsense poetry. (20th june'08)
sensible nonsense..
Give me a hand and I'll give you a tree ,
said the drowning frog to the mystical bee..

Give me your heart and I'll give you a love filled sea ,
deeper than anyone can give to thee..

Give me a sip and I'll let you a bite ,
thats what a rabbit told the snake in fright..

Give me a something and I'll give you a something too..
Is that always to be a rule?

If it were, I'd doubt the notions of my mom ,
for I think she did something selfless, quite out of norm..

She gave me life to live as I please,
which this world has plagued with greed and disease.

Reviews:
The : Shirin- Short and sweet, with lots of sense. Really liked it, but wish it was a little longer.

Amrita: There is an unspoken rule in the community that sms language is not quite de rigeur. That is why I asked you to post your entry again. My fault that I didn't clearly mention that sms language will not be alright even in nonsense poetry. Apologies.

Rohit: Shirin, Short and silly :)

Votes: -x- ...sad, but true.

No Reservations.

India, an independent country since 1947. All indians were to be counted as equal. Although hypocrisy did lay its roots right then. The constitution, to safeguard the weak imposed reservations for them. However, after 60 yrs of imparting this system, only those ppl are being safeguarded who need nothing , coz they got most of everything anyways. They receive the best of education, at the cheapest possible rates and with the simple convenience of a caste certificate.

I, belong to the unfortunate open category. Hence, dreaming of pursuing higher education must remain just that, a dream. The following is the form from the University of Pune, the so called oxford of the east , and most importantly, one of the few campuses offering this course.

University of Pune:

MSc Health Sciences :Health Sciences students learn in addition to basic public health and Epidemiology, skills in the field of health biotechnology (microbiology, immunology, genetics and molecular biology). These students have the training to work in academic or pharmaceutical research institutions. Dietetics offers a student the opportunity to practice as a nutritionist /dietitian in hospitals, clinics, and other health care institutes. Also, private consultancy may require one to be registered.

Legal Reservations:

1. SC--------13 %
2. ST--------7 %
3. DT (A)----3 %
4. NT (B)----2.5 %
5. NT (C)----3.5 %
6. NT (D)----2 %
7. OBC------19 %

Social Reservations: 1] 3% seats are reserved for physically challenged candidates.

Number of Seats available : 20+2 (Sponsored).

University of Mumbai:(Nirmala Niketan)

M.SC. Degree :Foods, Nutrition and Dietetics.

Intake Capacity : 10 Seats
· 50% seats for Christian Minority = 5 seats
· 20% seats for SC/ST/NT/OBC classes = 2 seats (Caste certificate to be attached to the application form)
· 30% seats for Open Category = 3 seats

Where must I go?........ :(

Faux pas...

Date: Tue, 1 Apr 2008 20:38:10 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: [FFO] A real History Lesson !!

History Mystery
Have a history teacher explain this---
-- if they can.
Abraham Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846.
John F. Kennedy was elected to Congress in 1946.

Abraham Lincoln was elected President in 1860.
John F. Kennedy was elected President in 1960.

Both were particularly concerned with civil rights.
Both wives lost their children while living in the White House.

Both Presidents were shot on a Friday.

Both Presidents were shot in the head

Now it gets really weird.

Lincoln 's secretary was named Kennedy.
Kennedy's Secretary was named Lincoln .

Both were assassinated by Southerners.

Both were succeeded by Southerners named Johnson. Andrew Johnson, who succeeded Lincoln , was born in 1808. Lyndon Johnson, who succeeded Kennedy, was born in 1908.

John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated Lincoln , was born in 1839.
Lee Harvey Oswald, who assassinated Kennedy, was born in 1939.

Both assassins were known by their three names.

Both names are composed of fifteen letters.

Now hang on to your seat.
Lincoln was shot at the theater named 'Ford.'
Kennedy was shot in a car called ' Lincoln ' made by 'Ford.'

Lincoln was shot in a theater and his assassin ran and hid in a warehouse.
Kennedy was shot from a warehouse and his assassin ran and hid in a theater.

Booth and Oswald were assassinated before their trials.

And here's the kicker...
A week before Lincoln was shot, he was in Monroe , Maryland
A week before Kennedy was shot, he was with Marilyn Monroe.

Creepy huh? Send this to as many people as you can, cause: Hey, this is one history lesson most people probably will not mind reading!


HOW EVER the above INFORMATION HAS NOT BEEN FOUND TO BE TRUE.
Hey Shirin,
Some notes - after wasting a good number of hours on this at 1 in the morning ... these are the privileges of grad school - and of course it teaches us the *art* of faaltu research ... so i hope you read thru all of it - making it worth my time.
In fact - send it out to all your friends too - that would be super !
a) About being elected a 100 years apart – given the 4 year term of a US president – not so “astonishing”. In fact a cursory survey http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ListofPresidents of the United States shows a whole bunch of ‘em a 100 years apart.

b) John Kennedy was born in 1917; Lincoln was born in 1809.

c) Kennedy’s wife had a miscarriage when he was president. Lincoln lost a 12 year old son.
so i don’t know what to make of “Both wives lost their children while living in the White House”

d) Regarding the secretary business – Lincoln had two secretaries, John Nicolay and John Hay. No record of having a Kennedy as secretary.

e) Lincoln was actually shot on Thursday and died on Friday, whereas Kennedy was shot and died on Friday. Shooting in the head would seem to be a preferred mode of assassination, partly because it is so effective. Of course being shot in the foot is also a pretty good choice - so yeah -this is a major coincidence.

f) Booth (Lincoln's killer) was born in Maryland - not exactly a "southern state". also Lee Harvey Oswald lived most of his life in new York - tho' he was born in the south.

g) Wikipedia tells me that J. Wilkes Booth was born in 1838 not 1839.

h) Apparently JFK wasn't a big fan of "civil rights" - in fact he was criticised for not being very active about it. much of what we credit to JFK was actually implemented by LBJ.

i) Regarding the fact that both were known by all three names - i found this on one website - don't know how true it is (fighting unverifiable rumour with unverifiable rumour):"A biography of Booth that I found on the world wide web suggested that he was known as J. Wilkes Booth. A Mr. there also has a theory that killers are often known by their full (three) names -- after the fact."Also " Lee Harvey Oswald actually wasn't known or referred to by 3 names except after death--during his life he was more commonly referred to as Lee Oswald"

j) Regarding "being shot from a warehouse" - there is in fact no definitive explanation of Kennedy's assassination - and is a prime material for conspiracy theories. Here's Wikipedia " Of the 104 ear witnesses in Dealey Plaza who are on record with an opinion as to the direction from which the shots came, 56 (53.8%) thought that they came from the direction of the Texas School Book Depository, 35 (33.7%) thought that they came from the area of the grassy knoll or the Triple Underpass, 8 (7.7%) thought the shots came from a location entirely distinct from the knoll or the Depository, and 5 (4.8%) thought they heard shots from two locations. John Wilkes booth was captured in a barn, not a warehouse.

k) Booth wasn't assassinated before the trial - he was shot while resisting arrest.

l) And here's the kicker: Marilyn Monroe died over one year before Kennedy's assassination. And there is no record of a place called Monroe, Maryland (at least according to the US post office - not that they would know ... but ... :)

Now here are the really AMAZING coincidences that were missed:-
--JFK served in the Navy, Lincoln didn't serve in the military
--JFK was killed with a rifle, Lincoln with a derringer/pistol
--Oswald visited Cuba, Booth never visited Cuba
--JFK had a brother who ran for President and was assassinated, Lincoln had no brother who ran for President who was assassinated
--JFK suffered from Addison's disease, Lincoln did not.
--JFK went to school at Harvard, Lincoln did not
--JFK's VP was from Texas (where he was assassinated), Lincoln's VP (Johnson) was not from the State he was killed in.
-- Lincoln was elected in July while Kennedy was elected in November
-- The two assassinations were 98 years apart in two totally different times
-- Lincoln grew up poor. Kennedy grew up rich.
-- Lincoln's first name had seven letters and was from the Old Testament. Kennedy's first name had four letters and was from the New Testament. Also JFK had a middle name, abe had none.
-- JFK was more commonly referred to by 3 names and Lincoln was not.
-- Lincoln never served in the Senate. Kennedy served in the Senate.
-- Lyndon Johnson was from Texas; Andrew Johnson was from Tennessee.
-- Lincoln was assassinated during his second term as president. Kennedy was assassinated during his first term
-- JFK was a democrat and Lincoln was a republican.
-- JFK's and Abe's names (as well as Andrew Johnson's and LBJ's) do *not* add to up to 15 letters or in fact - any common number.
REASEARCH DONE BY- Mr. F. Janoos.

Time for an end, or a new beginning?

Today, I feel something amiss. No, I didn't have to get up early, dress in a hurry and zoom to a place which had become my new home. I could get up with leisure, enjoy my breakfast, for the first time since, I dunno when. Yes, I did not have college today 'Coz, I no more am an active member of the institution anymore.
I don't like to leave. I hated leaving school. School was such Fun. And now that I look back, college was soo much fUn too. In spite of all the trouble, the subs, the exams , my mind chooses to look and remember only at the fun times. The times when we had passionate discussions abt every topic under the roof, the camaraderie with our profs, the canteen~sad food, great company. I know of ppl waiting to leave, like they were in prison. But not mee. I wish I could stay. Sounds cliched, but this reminds of of Aamir in RDB, saying~ On this side of the line, U make life dance, and on the other side, Life makes everyone dance. And I dont think I'd like to dance.
People tell mee, its not the end. You can always be "in touch" wid everyone. But I tell them, "Its never going to be the same, is it?" They tell mee, its not the end, But I know IT is the end. The end of good carefree times. Now people will expect me to be responsible, for everything I say and do. I'm not some undergraduate. I have no refuge to make mistakes, I feel the walls closing in.
Maybe, Its just a phase in my life,
A passing phase, I'm told,
and I should begin to look at this
As a stepping stone..
Make new friends and remember the old.
But I find this hard to do,
For my heart fails to listen,
and then when old memories return,
I feel my eyes glisten.

Time to ponder...

When was the last time I enjoyed riding / driving on Pune roads...I do not remember....Did I ever?....well, I dont think so...

So I dedicate this post to people who can empathize with my feelings...

Recently taking the car around town, came to me as a rude shock. How dare a women control the steering wheel, in this Man world? It's a forbidden sin, similar to Eve eating her apple. No wonder I was always honked at by strange cheap men...who thought of themselves as rulers of the road kingdom. Yes, I was snarled at with side ward glances, in spite of driving correctly and following traffic rules efficiently. This brought me to horn back...only a futile attempt to be ridiculed from rear-view mirrors...sheeshs!!! I hate transporting. I sometimes wish I could just leave home and reach my destination without making the journey. Ahhh....wishful thinking. And since I am onto wishing, I also wish for men to have some sense...give way to women, ppl ...they live a tough life juggling tough acts responsibly. We deserve some leniency from ur part. We never ask for more...only that the next time some lady is using the reverse gear, be a little more patient , be a gentleman and give her way to go, it wont cost you anything, Trust me on that :)

Of twist, twirl and rock'n'roll...

Recently on being to a friend's 21st birthday party , something dawned on mee.
To people who know mee, I'm not the person who runs to the dance floor when music starts pumping. In fact, I'm usually dragged from my so-called-hiding place . However, for this party, I didn't pretend to be reluctant. I showed true sportsmanship, and walked through uncharted territory on to the dance floor. This party didn't have a DJ-spinning tracks-disc theme, but here there was more of 'jiving'. For the uninitiated (like I was), Jiving is more like the slang version of ball room dancing, but I must add, I terribly enjoyed it. Dancing is FUN people! And now I understand Why!
Not that I'm a pro - like Andy, and neither do I have all the' moves' , but watching pros enjoy dancing got me wondering whether all those 'socials' wherein I always dug-my heels to the floor was the right thing to do. Man, did I miss opportunities to dance? (Can't believe I'm saying this).
Jive is danced to classics like the dancy numbers of the Beetles' 'twist and shout'. (Hope U ppl get the picture)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxvQ6yNGIes
And P.S. Our Jives were nothing like the above video, heheh!!

The benchmark...

I wonder whats the connection with women and age...its but-obvious one will never remain 16 like one may wish to....but turning old never seemed shameful to me, so in short, I never hide my age...or lest, lie about it. Basically, I never have found the need to.
Turning 21, like every normal 20yr-old, has its charm for me. I mean, common, now Im really counted as an adult...hehehe! (P.S. 18 is just a bluff)...Along with kinda-dreading it, I had set up a wish-list 'to-do', before hitting 21. If U ppl know me, U may not find it necessary for me to mention that wish-lists I construct include real tangible stuff, which one can possibly achieve. Not-to-mention stuff which I really want to do...at least before completing 21yrs of living on the 3rd rock from the sun, whereby I would like to start off with a clean slate!
However, not all of my wish list could be completed, I regretfully must add here. I am tempted to boast of my achievements and complain about my failures...but I guess I rather not. For close friends, who know of the grand to-do list, I must admit of not having the credibility of doing what I set out to do, but you all know, I couldn't help any of it, though I wish I could.
So ONLy for this purpose, I wish I could GO back to being 20 once again.....living with the hope that all my secret desires could be fulfilled before hitting the benchmark, where one sails independently, and everything done in their life is totally their choice.

For 30 days and 30 nights...

The nightmare of interning at a hospital:
The day our postings were put up, I was thrilled to find my name on the list saying " Ruby Hall Clinic". Well, its always quite different before the storm, they say. With content I went there, along with six others from our batch, only to find the sick smell of food and phenol lingering around mee, at least all through the first day, or was it the first week?....I don't care to remember. Of all the wards, I had to get the "k" ward...terror in disguise. Along with being the largest among the semiprivate wards, its also the toughest, being the "renal" ward, where people with transplants and kidney failures are usually admitted. For the uninformed, this ward is tough to deal with, esp. if you are an undergraduate nutritionist.
Along with work pressure, death is a common sight, where one has to toughen up to see the patient one has dealt with the previous morning lie dead. Visitors are usually not allowed, for sterile reasons, so there is patient- attendant relationships which are constantly formed and broken. Being there initially, I must add, took something away from me which lay deep down inside. I learnt to look at individuals differently. I started categorizing ppl as -healthy and non-healthy.
After being done with K , for a gruelling week , I was sent to the 'SR4', that being a deluxe ward, with AC -TV-and the works. Here, along with pain, I found money talking. I saw patients being residents there for 3 yrs, I saw relatives hoping for their family member to die, for property sake, I saw an aged couple being looked after a 'bai' with their children minting cash in the States. I saw stuff which toughens people for life ahead. No rosy-tinted pictures, the real deal.
What followed for me was the NTU(Neuro-Trama-Unit), where Road Traffic Accident patients with Head Injuries are admitted. Life there usually dwells around tube feeds and the ones who care willing to give anything just have a look at their loved ones. And I standing in between looking at desperation on one side of the door, and determination to survive on the inside.
When my time there ended, with vivas done, case studies completed and reports submitted, I wondered what else did I gain along with experience in my work field? Did I learn something other than practical therapeutic diet principles....I really hope so!