COUNTRY COUSINS

Situation 1: Bhat’s residence, a fun filled evening, “So why do you give her money, when you know she spends it!!” Aunt S asks me surprisingly. I reply instantly “She is my younger sister; besides I don’t mind giving money because I myself do not spend much”. The Confused Gemini smiles nodding her head in agreement.

Situation 2: “What time is that boy coming home?”a tired Aunt L wiping her face looks at me with a hope that I say within the next 10 seconds but even I am not sure if that is ever gonna happen. I speed dial Big V (of course he is small V to me!) “Yo! What time shall I expect your arrival- standard or the V time” He mumbles something and I know its time to act, I mentally calculate some time considering the heaviness of his dialogue and my intuitions and reply “in an hour or so, probably coz”…and there goes another cock and bull story. Yup Big V indeed was the reason I got the nick name “V’s lawyer”

So I am writing this in the fond memory (they are not dead) of two of my bloody cousins…I mean my blood related cousins without whom my life wouldn’t have been so wonderful ;-) The major coincidence is the fact that both of them are of the same age and do know every intelligent and stupid moves of my life!

Confused Gemini (CG): I could actually write a biography about her life, she is practical, animal loving, Salsa dancing, dirt biker adventurous gal whose soul aim is to enjoy life the way it goes, jack all trades and master of business (she’s done her MBA).CG as the name suggests is confused most of the time as she keeps multitasking many things at a time and lands up somehow completing them. An apt listener who can at times speak words of wisdom wiser than her age. A fellow blogger who introduced me to the world of Blogging. J

Big V: I can talk about anything under the sun and moon (coz most of our talk were at night during exam times when I get bugged from reading and disturb him with my constant chit chats and he would manage to reply in few hmms and ok and at times also reply more than that).He always manages to get his work done using his puppy dog face! (He’s a grown up version of the tare zameen par kid, who keeps dreaming).He manages to get on my nerves at times by playing pranks. He lives life Kings Style. I wish you all the best to your future adventure J

BEHIND EVERY TEAR, A LAUGH HIDES!

‘A lot can happen over coffee’…this quote is seen in most of the romantic novels or advertisements of coffee, but this blog isn’t about the romance, it’s about interpretations of actions that are irrelevant bringing about a downpour of consequences (I though I should use some heavy words in my blog).Coffee place just happens to be the spot where friends hang out (includes the serial F.R.I.E.N.D.S). One such hangout is most memorable to us (me n Appu) where we nearly died of laughing and I had told her that this will definitely be one topic I will be blogging about. So the story unfolds like this: {font is changed to give some effect, if you don’t feel it, fake it!}

“One summer noon in the month of March, when I had come down town, my mother asked me to attend some pooja in Mangalore and though I was reluctant in attending it, the thought of a reunion with my pals was more appealing that I agreed to attend it, with the condition that I have quick lunch and leave early so that I could meet my pals and she agreed. So I finish with all the ‘I don’t know who your’ smiles to relatives (I didn’t know some of them were related to me, but they sort of knew my biodata) and hurry towards the café coffee day where my friends awaited me for the past half hour, as I start my brisk walk towards them, I notice their expression, Appu-with the evergreen smile on her face, Adopted Son-I hope she doesn’t comment on my weight loss look, Dillz-‘I have so much of work to finish, can’t she for a change be on time’ look and of course I did miss the other two gang members Jos and SK, after the casual hi and wassup, we settle down and then individually start the autobiography from the point where it was left in the last meeting(though we do the swearing and cursing over the phone but live meeting is always better),we order some exotic coffees and realize they have only two kinds available, what the heck! We order what ever is available. As we sip on our coffee and talk total nonsense Dillz announces that it’s her first time in a Café coffee day (let me make it clear that she is not from a remote village who has never been to a Coffee house, its just that she didn’t visit one) . Appu and I cook up some story of how your first coffee house visit should be.(romantic, friends spying and throwing popcorns used as keywords in story–as you see in some crappie bollywood movies) .Asaf makes a comment about something quite irrelevant(as he thinks) but isn’t considered so by us and that point of time ,I swear, both me and Appu laughed our lungs out!!!!It was a solid half an hour continuous laughter, with tears rolling down from our eyes and people around giving us confused look. Asaf and Dillz kept asking why we were laughing so badly, we just couldn’t respond …

Though the matter was utterly stupid and trivial, every time I think of that incidence, it brings a smile on my face; I remember it as the day I cried because of excessive dose of laughter ;-)

SOMETHINGS NEVER CHANGE…OR DO THEY?

I thought from Jan on,I will be a regular blogger but I suck at time management(I admit it!) and was unable to write a proper blog, there are so many memories to write on and I missed out writing them.(I plan to document all this coz in future if I turn out to be Ghajini (synonym of temporary memory loss) then I will require this memory booster).So today’s topic is my current profession. I am a lecturer currently working at a reputed(I guess so) engineering college, how do I feel about it? I am quite unsure but my profession has built in too many questions in the minds of newer friendlier people I meet...would love to share some of the incidents

1. For a weekend I go to my cousin’s place and there I meet this guy and my couz formally introduces and he asks me if I am working…so I say lets play the guess game, three chances to guess my profession..he agrees and says fashion designer(ya right I wear what I am most comfortable in!)and couz says keep guessing its deadlier and he goes on to say…air hostess, interior designer, the list continues and even ends up saying I work for “the company”(gangster) and I say no to all and my couz breaks the ice and says she is a lecturer and all I hear next is censored and he just couldn’t believe that I am a lecturer, trust me even I cant at times!!

2. I meet this girl and tell my profession and at every later dialogue I get this “I don’t believe I am friend’s with a lecturer “come on just coz I am a lecturer doesn’t mean I am a terrorist or is it the other way around???

3. Prajju ‘The Don’ asks me the other day “tell me ammu, do you still dress up the same way as you used to dress up when u were in college with us”(he meant do I still wear long kurtas and roll my sleeves till the elbow and wear long deadly chains)and I reply “na now since I am a lecturer I dress up in proper Indian attire(sari is not compulsory and trust me I am really happy about that) and am at my best behavior with no slang words!!and yet he did not believe it!

So in conclusion when DK(my friend who is doing her PhD in London) and I are in a conversation in the messenger she asks how does it feel to be a lecturer ,I say “Earlier I used to sleep when my lecturers taught me, now I put students to sleep when I teach”I guess in some ways things never change J

New year resolutions

It’s been so long since I had written my last blog…the main reason-me being lazy!!!
So this year I decided to be more regular. The year 2009 was a roller coaster in my life basically because it changed the way I react to things…this year I decided to make resolutions which is going to make me really very happy (not that I am unhappy, but I don’t want any grouchy moment in my life)…so this is the list of things I wish to do this year

meet my pals more often
lead an uncomplicated life
watch movies more often…once I joined the job in B’lore it seems like years since I watched any good ones
most important of all...learn how to think and talk…I am very poor at that
Enjoy life to the fullest coz 2012 boom…end of the world!!!!

Yup...That’s it for this year J

SOUL SISTERS

Hostel life is entertaining as well as a learning experience and i am grateful that i have had an oppurtunity to be in two different hostels which were entirely opposite and was totally fun.The one i want to write in this blog is about my second hostel where i met my soul sisters.When you first enter BVN you get a feeling of entering an old museum!!That builiding stands there from early stone age and so its nothing like a modern day hostel which has attached bathroom or even a washing machine...i wish to write about some gals who were totally of my frequency and are my soul sisters
Soul sister 1 Uma aka Ud: My room mate for three years,partner in crime (like the midnight charmuri snacks which was prepared from the onions and tomatoes exclusively stolen from the mess store room!!and man, it was delicious!!), painter,philosopher,my translator and extremely helpful...i have decided not to write the negative points about her as it will fill the whole blog!!!
Soul sister 2 Kripa aka krips aka rasika:My second room mate,sweet and emotional,radio of kannada songs,and apologizes for everything!! The first word which she spoke as a kid was sorry!!
Soul sister 3 Vaishali aka chotu:she was renamed chotu coz our floor had three more Vaishali's,soft spoken,confident and bold,i know her from old school coz we were together in pu.
Soul sister 4 Harini aka washer:The study worm,loves chikku milkshake,talkative,skinny and according to the doctor's prescription drinks junior horlicks...(please dont kill me next time i met u!!)
Soul sister 5 Poornima aka shapathi:"The official tubelight",and as her name suggests(the second one) she keeps on making stupid pacts which most of the time she never fulfills!!!
Our gang was most famous for 3 things:
-Picking up fights with warden
-Unusual birthday celebrations(every hostel has its own way of birthday celebrations and i guess other fellow hostelites will agree)
-Never entering the hostel before deadline(it was 7 and we usually went out at 6:30 and mostly it was in search of good food)
The friends you make in hostel are the ones which last for a life time!!

10 THINGS THAT MAKES ME HAPPY

1) A stomach hurting laugh(Includes terribly bad PJ's also)

2) Spending time with Family (Though now i badly need some time out of it!!!)

3) Shopping (definitely sets you in a good mood,provided you have loads of money in hand)

4) Chatting with friends..online/offline works anyhow

5) Riding my Dio (It brings back all good memories)

6) Occasional chocolate dad at Ideal's..i guess most of you will have to agree with me on that!!

7) Betting against a sports team my brother's are supporting :)

8) Bathroom singing - makes a bath incomplete without it

9) The monsoon season...simply love it

10) A good Nap

JOURNEY CONTINUES

12th March 2008 :We reach our destination Kuvempu University.As we get down from the bus we realize that the surrounding is not that typical serene village atmosphere but rather the opposite! We find people staring at us as though we are animals from zoo.I do understand that this response is due to the outfits we are wearing (jeans and tee,it was a journey and we wore what we felt most comfortable in).Later i did realize that it was not the outfit but it was like a hobby for them to stare, irrespective of whatever clothes you wear!!!.So Dillu calls up Dr.V and he escorts us to our allotted rooms and we all freshen up and then move to have dinner,i have decided not to comment on food!!!(Appu please do that for me!). After we chit chat and meet few old college mates who generously provide us with fresh water from their hostel aquaguard.End of an exhaustive day, we retire to bed.

13th March:We walk to the destined hall where the opening ceremony is to be held and get welcomed by gentle morning breeze,beautiful trees and lovely animal statues..the campus is one delightful place for a nature lover.On arriving at that place we realize there is no reception desk!!
Some how we manage to enquire and register and have something called "breakfast" and head to auditorium where the inaugural is to take place..which by the way is delayed for two hours,in the meantime to pass our time we start messaging,calling,irritating and of course sight seeing(refers to good looking Homo Sapiens of the opposite gender,though it was a major disappointment but the guys did have a better choices!),so after the inaugural,we get to know the proceeding for the day and realize that some of us had to present poster on same day and others the next.The day continues with series of seminar majority of which we literally slept through!! In the evening we help our pals in setting their posters.Then the meaningless conversation takes place...explaining a poster to a overenthusiastic(some egomaniacs) and some people who just want to irritate the speaker!! At the end of the day,we take a trip round campus head to rooms and look forward to the next day!

14th March:The morning an irritated Asaf comes up to us and says"The next time i stay around i will definitely make sure i don't share a room with a guy of my caste..though i don't mind if its a girl!!(This person was a rigid religious person who caught him listening to music at time of prayer!! and gave him bit of advice)..though he agreed to go for prayer at noon.Seminars over poured that day and that day all of us finish with poster presentation and later we go to the only sane bakery there to relish on something,later that night pre-"dinner" we enjoy a game of dumb charades.One thing i wish to mention here..the staple food of the university is drumstick,because whatever is prepared here has its origin in it.Post dinner we walk towards our stay place singing out loud the songs of Shaan,KK,all bharish ones etc on the empty campus road!!!

15th March:I call this day as the Quest to find good food day! Morning after insufficient food,we in desperation start our quest for food(the bakery opens at 11:30)and this left us with only one choice but search a good place to eat..We get a place and order puffs and that turns out to be a wrong decision coz as soon as Dillu bites it some sticky slime just oozes out of it like mucus or i don't even know what that was!! It was one expression worth remembering..so we walk and walk in search of food and find out that the bakery has opened.Thank God! but they didn't finish with baking so we wait and wait and wait..in the meantime we do have this crowd having no etiquette,only gaping at us..we have the divine food and sent off to listen to the endless lecture series..
and it gets over in the evening and we get our much deserved certificate!!! and we are glad that we get to go back to home sweet home,for most of us it was like a bad experience but i guess it did have the plus point like Melintonia on Star fish,Aysha Banu! :)