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!