HIST 2110: American History ...WTF!

Desi Prof! ...Not only desi, but a desi prof with an interest and experience in European History - French to be specific - teaching American History just for the fun of it! ...WTF!

Dolina's (I guess that's how it's spelled) research interest is Pondicherry - the similarities between the French and Pondicherry - a city that's in no way Indian (her dialogue!).

She has been here in the US for ONE SEMESTER! Why did she VOLUNTEER to teach US History, with no previous experience in it? B'cause, she's living here... she'd like ot know what it's about! ...WTF!

Her class was boring. She did not catch my interest. I learned more in High School than in her crash course of early American History. And in the US that's not how it's supposed to be, here... people don't learn stuff in High School! She told three stories about the natives and the Puritans that she thought were intersting. Well, they WEREN'T! Not when she told them. Because she didn't really tell them! It seemed like, she said the introduction sentence and the concluding sentence, and bam! that's the story. ...Well, NO! It doesn't quite work like that, unfortunately.

I do feel sorry for her for being so boring, and having had a surgery ... yesterday. I hope today's class was a disaster just because of her just getting out of the hospital. If not, god help the students!

The Attraction Theory

Remember that short "film" I wrote about earlier? The one I helped in the making of as the camera (wo)man, audio specialist, and also as the latest "Priyanka Chopra" ... haha! I take it back, I do not like Priyanka Chopra - as a matter of fact, currently I do not like any actors/actresses in Bollywood (but let me save that for another post) ... What I meant to say was mine was a guest appearance in this short film.

Well, as of 6 days ago Suban Dey - the writer and director - uploaded the clip on YouTube and on Google Video. He did not even tell me about it! Why? Because he wanted me to see the better quality version. I was surprised he didn't know I couldn't wait for summer session to start to see it. I got the URL from his Facebook profile, and from then it all began - my journey as an audience.

Enjoy the show!



All of this was shot at Georgia State University's Student Center. The scene in the open area is shot right out side the Student Center and in front of the Recreation Center.

aah! ...life.

5:45 AM is when I went to bed. Setting a personal record of staying awake for 2 days and 2 nights in a row. I wanted to make this record for for 3 days and 2 nights, but unfortunately the internet connection in the morning went off; the only thing that could help me stay awake, went dead!

I need to read several books, but my mind was not in a state of comprehension. While watching the movies Hazaaron Khwaahishein Aisi and Rebecca earlier in the night, there were times when I had no idea what the characters inside the computer screen were saying. The words did not make any sense. I had to shake my head in order to come back to reality and in order to prevent myself from going too far down sleepy street in the land of undisturbed unconsciousness.

Woke up at 3:50 PM. Went down Tech Square to see how they had set-up the movie night. Saw about 15 minutes of Mr. and Mrs. Smith that started at 9. I had already seen it, and wasn't too excited about viewing it for a second time. Came back and had sambhar and chawal for dinner while watching Born into Brothels. The movie just ended and it's 11 PM.

The day came to an end even before it began.

6/6/6 - the day!

Today morning seemed very different for some reason. I felt something very unique and it seemed that I was experiencing something for the very first time. Could not decide what it was. And even now, while writing about it and trying extremely hard to find words to describe the incident, the experience, the feeling, the emotion, the drive, the moment - I regret to say, I fail myself!

Had the final exam for ECON 2106: Principles of Microeconomics at 8 AM. Mark Rider, our instructor, has a habit of being late to class. The test started at 8:30! I had stayed awake during all the hours of the previous night. Was studying - reading over notes, skimming through the book, reading chapter summaries; orkutting; reading blogs, and commenting. The test went well, I suppose. I'm not really looking forward to the results; prefer living in a dream rather than reality.

In the car, Punit said something about yesterday morning, and my ears found the word 'yesterday' very odd. I expressed, to me it did not seem like an entire day had already passed, gone, poofed! It only seemed like - not yesterday, but - yesterhour(?) or yesterminute(?) or probably just yestersecond(?) that we had been driving on the same road, stopping at the same traffic light, thinking about whether or not to reverse from the civic center station or not. This was the beginning of a very different morning.

While waiting for Professor Rider for thirty some minutes my mind drifted, and did something that it had not practiced for the past two months and two days, to be exact. It thought of words, combined them together, made sense out of them, forced my hands to pen them down, and finally create a piece of art - ek kavita! I wrote it in less than ten minutes and posted it on Intoxicated Senses soon after the test, under the time tag of when I penned my last word - 8:22 AM on Tuesday, June 6 '06. The poem compares one's life with the moon - a very common metaphor in Hindi Poetry - with a different approach. Instead of moon being the ideal symbol of beauty, the poem declares the moon a lonely soul who nobody really loves or cares about. Have a read and please, do post your views.

I decided to head back to my apartment sometime around 4:30ish. Before which I was busy orkuttin - latest fad of my life. I am already over facebook (thank god!); chatting; and of course promoting this latest kavita of mine. I stepped out of Aderhold and started walking towards the Peachtree MARTA station. The weather was quite good and I sure was enjoying it with my slow, leisurely steps. As soon as I started approaching the elevators down to the train level, I decided to walk past them. With a Red Bull in my right hand and a nice breeze blowing and messing up my hair, I was ready for a walk of over an hour through the heart of downtown Atlanta. I was certainly tired as a result of no sleep or rest, but I did not want to give up on this afternoon cum evening walk.

I walked down Peachtree Street - passed by the amazing architechture of the SunTrust building; saw office workers boarding Cobb Transportation; answered questions of roadside homeless people; smiled with and at this guy who was extremely happy about something; waited for the walk sign and crossed intersections; admired urban architechture; sometimes paused and had a look at tall buildings, trees, and street lamps from different angles - as a photographer's stunt; and much more! I did not feel like walking all the way upto Home Park. So, I cut through North Avenue into Georgia Tech campus in the hopes of boarding the Blue Route Stinger Shuttle. It was too hot at the stop and the sun had decided to take away all my energy. I stood there for just five minutes and gave up all hopes of sitting on a leather seat in an air-conditioned bus. After loosing all hopes I started walking towards the Tech Trolley stop. Oh! that Stinger stop in-pact with the deadly sun actually had snatched all of my strength. Yet, I walked!

Three other students had already been waiting for the Trolley near the Fraternity and Sorority houses. I sat on the bricks, my heartbeat was too fast, I could not do anything - not even think! After about seven minutes the Blue Route Stinger stopped across the road. Two other students who had joined the first three students and myself at the Trolley stop walked towards the bus, the other three went in a completely opposite direction, but I kept on sitting - didn't have any energy to move, no intentions either. Two minutes later, I was sitting in the Trolley myself.

Reached home around 5:50ish, collapsed on the bed, regained strength, changed into something loose, and got on my Apple.

wow :) - prisoner number "Rs. 10"

I do feel sorry for this particular guy... but man, is he fucked. Check out this article at HT's website - Two years in jail for bribe of Rs.10! - that states a head constable has been sentenced for two years in jail and a fine of Rs. 15,000 for taking a bribe of Rs. 10 some thirteen years ago.

A good thing? Too harsh? I don't know people, I'm just taken aback. Don't know in a good way, a bad way, or a neutral one :-?

Fernbank + controversies + GOD

Security guards at Fernbank are fun to talk to. Specially when it comes to a controversy... but then, talking about controversies is always fun... no matter who your counterpart.

These days, because of the movie's release, DaVinci Code is flourishing as a great topic to pluck your brains over. For me, however, it's stale news now. I've already had discussions on that topic with many engaging minds.

There's this particular security guard at Fernbank - I'm unfamiliar with his name - who always asks, after setting eyes on me, "do you believe the book is true?" I always look at him, smile and say..."I don't know if the book is true or not, but I do think Brown got a good imagination." And he does! The book, I believe is terrific. The way it engages its readers, how it builds and carries suspense through out the novel is just great! I haven't finished reading it yet, but as of right now - in very simple words - I'm crazy about the plot. Yes, I know there are many individuals who are completely against the book due to religious reasons... and this is completely understandable. Although, the book and the movie clearly state the story is fictional, in spite of being based on some true facts, it still questions the Christian faith. Average humans do not just read such materials and sit quite. They have to take an action! They are asked and forced to choose one side - true or false. Look at what happened when Hussain painted a naked picture of a Hindu deity? Look at what happened when some guy in Europe ridiculed Muhammad? They too were pieces of art - just like DaVinci Code - and they too were critical and controversial. When individuals play with somebody's emotions, beliefs - religious or personal, controversies come up, crazy stuff happens! Be there an intention behind it or not. This is how the world works!

Anyways. Yesterday, while talking to the no-name guard God also came up. He asked me if I was a Muslim. I said No. Then he thought about it and realized that I was a Hindu. A few seconds later I corrected him -

"Hindu, by birth."
So he asked me again, "What are you then?"
And I said, "an Agnostic."
"So you are an Atheist?" he asked.
"No. An Agnostic. I question the existence of God. I ask for proof, either for his presence or absence."
"So, how do you think the world was created?"
"I don't know" I said.
"What about human beings. Where did they come from?"
Same response from my side - "I don't know."
"Do you think we were created by Aliens?"
"It could be a possibility" - Hey! A different answer this time. I explained to him some different scenarios, gave him some different - more scary - outlooks on the world's existence.
"There could be many things. Aliens is definitely one of the possibilities. Basically, who is God? A superior being. Somebody higher than all of us. Right? Well, what if there's a particular species out there in the cosmos which is highly advanced than our own. There's definitely a possibility that they came down here and left some two beings to start life on their own. These aliens periodically visit earth just to check on us. It's not impossible."
He just said, "Hmm." His face clearly saying, "People at this age!"
Yet I continued... "Another possibility can be that we are living in a computer game. A programmer designed this simulation/strategy game, he did the basis things and now it's up to us to survive. Like Sims."
He just listened.

It is not true that I am the only person coming up with such scenarios or that I am the first to questions God's existence. Others have come up with similar possibilities and more will reach this point. This is what reason is about, this is what being rational does to you.

The no-name guard discussed this with Craig - another one of the security guards there. Several minutes later I came to know about this and Craig was happy to find some support to solidify his statement of Geetali being a rebel, which he made earlier in the day.

And the story goes on... the discussion did not end here. Jesus and Muhammad also came up. I made it clear that I do not deny the existence of either one, and I put extra emphisis on the word "either."