This is what Nana said when he pressed the answer key on his cell phone. As far as I can go down memory lane, I do not remember him calling me Kishu, it has always been "Geetali." Hearing this "Kishu" from him was surprising, but definitely felt good.
Kishu is my nick name. One of those names Indian kids are known by to their family and neighbors; the kind of name that has no resemblance to one's real or formal name.
I don't like it when a family member calls me Geetali. For some reason, I feel a gap between myself and that particular person. I am used to being called Kishu at home, so hearing Geetali feels a little odd. Plus, "Geetali" is reserved for friends, acquaintances, colleagues, teachers, employees etc. I am close to my friends, of course... but the relationship between friends and family is different. Even if I'm not very close to someone in my family, hearing "Geetali" creates another unnecessary barrier.
The reason Nana called me "Kishu" is because I saved my cell number on his phone by the name of "Kishu" not "Geetali Sharma"... unlike how he saves Mom, Ritu Masi, Harshu Mama, Anuj and Neeraj Bhaiya's numbers.
Jan 16, 2006
"Haan, Kishu"
Jan 4, 2006
Indians & Relationships
Indians lack greatly in their judicial abilities. When it's about tolerance, middle-aged Indians (on the most part) are no where to be found on the list. Indian parents practice force and for the most part care about two things - good education and relationships. When one reads these two words without any presumptions in mind he or she gets a good feeling, but not necessarily if the word "India" or "Indians" is also present somewhere in the sentences.
I would have been talking about education as well, but being a romantic the topic on relationships makes more sense to me :). Plus, this particular post is based on an article from New York Times and an incident that recently occurred in Meerut, India.
If you are an Indian or have visited India, I believe you have been to large parks full of greenery. Grass, plants, trees everywhere. Sometimes a waterfall or two, a little bridge over a small stream, some sort of edifice at random places in the park for shelter. If you know what I am referring to then I am sure you know the trademark for all parks of this kind - couples sitting together, talking, sometimes cuddling, smiling, laughing, absolutely lost into each other. All this done under an open and clear sky. These couples are an amusement to the school children who go to these parks on an yearly basis for picnics [speaking from experience here :) - as a schooler :D]. But to adults this perfectly natural thing, done under the sun, is a crime. The word crime does seem a little too harsh, but it is the well understood truth.
The kind of scene I described above is seen almost everyday! But every now and then, when the enforcers of the law loose their minds, a beautiful day turns into a nightmare for these young couples. That is what happened in Meerut's Gandhi Park. A force of police officers rushed into the park and started slapping and verbally abusing the couples. They were asked their names and addresses, bombarded with sentences and scoldings like:
One couple ran away from their house, because all this was broadcasted on television and reported in newspapers [later their parents agreed to get them married]. A girl, who was sitting their alone, was accused of being a prostitute.
Why is India the Great intolerant towards such a natural phenomenon? Why did the marriage of that particular pair of college students in love was fixed after the incident? Why was that girl [who was there with no-one] insulted and verbally abused in front of reporters? Why do these kind of uncivilized acts continue to occur in the world's largest democracy and the seventh most developed nation?
I think the answer is relationships. Not in a good way though. Hindu textures say until the age of 25 one must lead the life of brahmcharya. From age 25 to 50 it's time for a grihasth life. Mind you, that is the only time for a life of love, physical relationship, and emotional attachment towards one person of the opposite sex (your spouse). I do not deny that this is a very good way to go, but I do object on the control that Indian parents like to feel and have upon their kids no matter how old they get.
One should not expect anyone to follow these old textures and/or their parents' ideals and beliefs on every corner. Specially not in a world that encourages self-thought and provides more and more liberty with every new action. Indian adults are scared of their children getting hurt when it comes to relationships with the opposite sex, not realizing that this process of pain and pleasure is absolutely necessary in the growth of a healthy human mind.
There's a time for everything, an age for the birth and death of everything in a person's life. When that particular time period becomes a thing of the past, the individual looses out on the experience and the immense amount of knowledge that was to be gained from that experience. This age is different for everybody. The average may be on the intervals of twenty-five - 25, 50, 75 - but for some it comes early and for some late. I hope someday people will not only realize this but also let others follow their own time-table.
I would have been talking about education as well, but being a romantic the topic on relationships makes more sense to me :). Plus, this particular post is based on an article from New York Times and an incident that recently occurred in Meerut, India.
If you are an Indian or have visited India, I believe you have been to large parks full of greenery. Grass, plants, trees everywhere. Sometimes a waterfall or two, a little bridge over a small stream, some sort of edifice at random places in the park for shelter. If you know what I am referring to then I am sure you know the trademark for all parks of this kind - couples sitting together, talking, sometimes cuddling, smiling, laughing, absolutely lost into each other. All this done under an open and clear sky. These couples are an amusement to the school children who go to these parks on an yearly basis for picnics [speaking from experience here :) - as a schooler :D]. But to adults this perfectly natural thing, done under the sun, is a crime. The word crime does seem a little too harsh, but it is the well understood truth.
The kind of scene I described above is seen almost everyday! But every now and then, when the enforcers of the law loose their minds, a beautiful day turns into a nightmare for these young couples. That is what happened in Meerut's Gandhi Park. A force of police officers rushed into the park and started slapping and verbally abusing the couples. They were asked their names and addresses, bombarded with sentences and scoldings like:
Is this what your parents raised you for? Have some shame, some respect for your parents! You come to college to study, not to do all this.
One couple ran away from their house, because all this was broadcasted on television and reported in newspapers [later their parents agreed to get them married]. A girl, who was sitting their alone, was accused of being a prostitute.
Why is India the Great intolerant towards such a natural phenomenon? Why did the marriage of that particular pair of college students in love was fixed after the incident? Why was that girl [who was there with no-one] insulted and verbally abused in front of reporters? Why do these kind of uncivilized acts continue to occur in the world's largest democracy and the seventh most developed nation?
I think the answer is relationships. Not in a good way though. Hindu textures say until the age of 25 one must lead the life of brahmcharya. From age 25 to 50 it's time for a grihasth life. Mind you, that is the only time for a life of love, physical relationship, and emotional attachment towards one person of the opposite sex (your spouse). I do not deny that this is a very good way to go, but I do object on the control that Indian parents like to feel and have upon their kids no matter how old they get.
One should not expect anyone to follow these old textures and/or their parents' ideals and beliefs on every corner. Specially not in a world that encourages self-thought and provides more and more liberty with every new action. Indian adults are scared of their children getting hurt when it comes to relationships with the opposite sex, not realizing that this process of pain and pleasure is absolutely necessary in the growth of a healthy human mind.
There's a time for everything, an age for the birth and death of everything in a person's life. When that particular time period becomes a thing of the past, the individual looses out on the experience and the immense amount of knowledge that was to be gained from that experience. This age is different for everybody. The average may be on the intervals of twenty-five - 25, 50, 75 - but for some it comes early and for some late. I hope someday people will not only realize this but also let others follow their own time-table.
Jan 1, 2006
a different me
Read this quote on my "quote of the day" widget, and it brought a smile to my lips. "Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing." So true! Why worry about anything when we are going to leave everything behind and this world will gladly let us go.
All the complications and dilemmas we face on every new step taken is a result of maintaining a certain sort of status in society. When this world is about learning and sharing knowledge, then why limit ourselves in our experiments. Live and let live! But, when it's about your dreams... just do it!
I think I'm becoming more and more indifferent about the people around me. I guess, it's good for me... but not for them :-?
All the complications and dilemmas we face on every new step taken is a result of maintaining a certain sort of status in society. When this world is about learning and sharing knowledge, then why limit ourselves in our experiments. Live and let live! But, when it's about your dreams... just do it!
I think I'm becoming more and more indifferent about the people around me. I guess, it's good for me... but not for them :-?
Dec 30, 2005
"Be the change you wish to see in the world!" --Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
Let me clear something up before you start reading my post. I am not a pessimist. On the contrary, however, I may sound like one. It probably has to do with my stupid and naive beliefs based on observation. An observation that landed me to the conclusion that this world has unnecessary hopes and expectations with every new thing that arrives. Whether it is buying a new house or moving to a new place, starting a new academic semester or opening a new business log, meeting a new individual or becoming a part of a new family. Every time us humans start thinking that our world is about to see a change, a good change, a change long awaited. I ask you, for what? Just because the entire world is about to put a new calendar on their walls does not mean that the bad days are gone, it does not mean that nobody will cry anymore, it does not mean that the terrorist activities will stop, it does not mean that this world will come together as a global village and smile and laugh and dance together. It does not mean that! What we don't realize, or maybe don't want to realize, is that entering a new year is a clear indication that nothing will stop. The world will go on and all the miseries will continue. An end to this world is what will change everything.
I understand that hope is one of the building blocks of life. Without hope, life and this world will be pointless. There won't be anything to look forward to. But, just the hope for something better is not enough. We need to take actions to actually allow that hope to turn into reality.
Receiving multiple mails from family, friends, and acquaintances and reading the same stale sentences in all of them is really bothering me. I really do not appreciate the fact that everybody is wishing everyone they know an year of new found happiness, new adventures and new experiences, new hopes and new desires, and a whole new beginning. A whole new beginning? What is that supposed to mean? It's not like everything from the past has been erased or that on new year's eve one could decide everything all over again. Then why these false hopes? Why these ridiculous wishes?
The longing for the peace and happiness of all doesn't mean a thing if we ourselves don't try to accomplish what we want. Become active! Achieve goals as a result of hard work, don't expect it to happen just out of hope. Look forward to something different everyday, not because it's a new day, but because you are willing to make it a new day!
On this new year I do not wish you all false hopes, but I wish you the courage and the freedom to transform your hopes and desires into reality. You gotta change your world yourself! No body's gonna come help you out. Each individual is self-made and self-supported. Most of everything else is an illusion!
I understand that hope is one of the building blocks of life. Without hope, life and this world will be pointless. There won't be anything to look forward to. But, just the hope for something better is not enough. We need to take actions to actually allow that hope to turn into reality.
Receiving multiple mails from family, friends, and acquaintances and reading the same stale sentences in all of them is really bothering me. I really do not appreciate the fact that everybody is wishing everyone they know an year of new found happiness, new adventures and new experiences, new hopes and new desires, and a whole new beginning. A whole new beginning? What is that supposed to mean? It's not like everything from the past has been erased or that on new year's eve one could decide everything all over again. Then why these false hopes? Why these ridiculous wishes?
The longing for the peace and happiness of all doesn't mean a thing if we ourselves don't try to accomplish what we want. Become active! Achieve goals as a result of hard work, don't expect it to happen just out of hope. Look forward to something different everyday, not because it's a new day, but because you are willing to make it a new day!
On this new year I do not wish you all false hopes, but I wish you the courage and the freedom to transform your hopes and desires into reality. You gotta change your world yourself! No body's gonna come help you out. Each individual is self-made and self-supported. Most of everything else is an illusion!
Dec 12, 2005
mujhe bhi... Doob Jaana Re!
Watched Main, Meri Patni aur Woh - a hindi movie starring Rajpal Yadav in a leading role. Not a commercial movie, I don't think a lot of people with like it. I, however, enjoyed watching it. I guess one could say that this movie was somewhat like Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam, but I rate it much higher than the Shahrukh Khan, Salman Khan, and Madhuri Dixit starrer.
The concept was beautiful. Mithilesh's insecurity, possessiveness, and willingness of sacrifice... is justifiable. The songs from this movie are very good as well. "Doob Jaane Re" is not only my favorite song, but is nowdays played 5 out of 10 times on my iTunes.
B-E-A-utiful!! Of course, it's nothing unique, yet it has made a mark on me. Such songs, which are not out of the blue, but can still make one smile - not for just a moment but for hours at a time - are the ones that always take my heart away.
It may get added to my (um.. our) playlist titled "humtum ke hontho par".
The concept was beautiful. Mithilesh's insecurity, possessiveness, and willingness of sacrifice... is justifiable. The songs from this movie are very good as well. "Doob Jaane Re" is not only my favorite song, but is nowdays played 5 out of 10 times on my iTunes.
Title: Doob Jaana Re
Singer: Sonu Nigam and Shreya Ghoshal
Music: Rajendra Shiv
Lyrics: Rocky Khanna
Male:
(aaj maine dilse
baadlo se milke) - 2
sapno ki baarish se kaliya sajake
mahki umango se khushbu churake
halki si boondo mein
lahro ki goonjo mein
gum ho jana re
(doob jaana re
mujhko doob jaana re
tere paas aana re
mujhko doob jaana re) - 2
Female:
(chalte chalte maine yun hi
jaane mere dil se aisa kya keh diya) - 2
(kyun ye mausam bhi hai lagta ab suhana re
dhadkane bhi saath mere gungunati re) - 2
khamosh aanho ke simte irade
masum palko pe sapne sajake
halki si boondo mein
lahro ki goonjo mein
gum ho jaana re
(doob jaana re
mujhko doob jaana re
tere paas aana re
mujhko doob jaana re) - 2
Male:
(badlo se dil ka rishta hai purana re
hai safar anjaan lekin aazmaana re) - 2
maine na socha na samjha na jaana
rukte kadam phir bhi aise kyun chaahe
halki si boondo mein
lehro ki goonjo mein
gum ho jaana re
(doob jaana re
mujhko doob jaana re
tere paas aana re
mujhko doob jaana re) - 2
Female:
aaj maine dilse
baadlo se milke
sapno ki baarish se kaliya sajake
mahki umango se khushbu churake
Male:
halki si boondo mein
lehro ki goonjo mein
gum ho jaana re
Male and Female:
(doob jaana re
mujhko doob jaana re
tere paas aana re
mujhko doob jaana re) - 2
B-E-A-utiful!! Of course, it's nothing unique, yet it has made a mark on me. Such songs, which are not out of the blue, but can still make one smile - not for just a moment but for hours at a time - are the ones that always take my heart away.
It may get added to my (um.. our) playlist titled "humtum ke hontho par".
Dec 9, 2005
Business Attire
Had the individual interview for Incept 2006. Of course, had to go in professional attire. Took this pic to upload on multiple profiles.
I don't know what I feel about my performance. In many instances, I don't think I gave an answer to the question they asked me. Haha, twice, in the middle of my answer, I forgot what the question was. God, I feel so stupid and funny about this whole interview thing. Don't know what the result will be like. Am not very positive about it. --Hilarious!
Dec 8, 2005
drinkin' coke like water
it got caffeine!
got an exam in 5 hours, then a paper due by midnight. have been studyin' for the exam and workin' on that paper since 10pm. did i sleep? no! ... do i wanna sleep? umm...i wanna see how long i can go. plus, i got my bud with me - caffeine!
god, i hope i analyze that excerpt from that book correctly. gotta make an A in phil. help me jesus, khuda, bhagwan, yahwee, vahe guru... and all the other names the aasman is known as.
got an exam in 5 hours, then a paper due by midnight. have been studyin' for the exam and workin' on that paper since 10pm. did i sleep? no! ... do i wanna sleep? umm...i wanna see how long i can go. plus, i got my bud with me - caffeine!
god, i hope i analyze that excerpt from that book correctly. gotta make an A in phil. help me jesus, khuda, bhagwan, yahwee, vahe guru... and all the other names the aasman is known as.
Nov 5, 2005
I salute me!
Yesterday, I was reading my poems. I am impressed with myself. I don't like the good comments and praises get into my head, but I do feel proud of the fact that every single word writen on that page is composed by me, myself, and I. I am my own fan! All those phrases reflect some aspect of my life, the one's that I like the most are from a time left long behind. That lamha, that moment, will never enter my life again, I won't allow it. The memories, however, will remain in the form of the poems that changed my life, my writing style, and made me into what I am today.
Nov 3, 2005
this is college...
I cannot log onto our school's wireless through my laptop because supposedly a hacker has taken over my machine and it is now a threat. So, the Georgia State tech department blocked my log-in ID. In order to get it reactivated, I'd have to reformat my computer and tell them about it. Yeah, I am sad about this. I don't want to reformat, it's too much work. Can't avoid it, 'cause internet is my life. All this crap took about an hour because I had to contact the tech people, tell them what the problem was, then they looked up stuff, and informed me about it.
Had a film test at 11; I entered the class 10 minutes late, finished the test in 20 minutes. Was planning on attending the Indian Student Association (ISA) meeting at 12; but instead decided to reach work early; was inside the office by 12:05. Left work at 3 and was back at school by 3:30. Didn't take lunch to school today 'cause I didn't feel like packing anything in the morning. So, before my 4 O'clock class I had some fries at the University Center cafeteria. For some reason I was tired by the middle of the class. Today's lecture was very interesting though. For the first time in Critical Thinking, I actually understood what the teacher was talking about. It was pretty cool :). After class, I again went to the University Center and had a veggie burger. It was better than Burger King.
I was sitting with a classmate while having my late lunch. Discovered a few things about her and her girlfriend. This was the first time I actually talked to a person about their relationship with a person of the same sex. When she said that some girl standing in the line was hot, asked me not to turn 'cause it would seem too obvious that she was talking about her, and kept on staring at this person... I got a bit speculative. Then she told me about a girl from her high school and some sort of conversation they had about what's up with their dating lives. This classmate of mine (don't want to give out her identity) didn't really want to tell her high school friend about her status. This particular sentence increased my curiosity. I just straight up asked her who she was dating and she told me - "a girl." The question that she then asked me, which was a given I guess, was "Do you feel odd? I mean, are you like I'm never talking to this girl again!" To which I simply laughed and told her that I'm open to everything, I actually wrote a paper in favor of gay marriage. After that I asked her a couple of things about her past relationships with guys and her experiences with girls, what she liked/disliked in each, what she prefers and why etc. It was a new experience, talking about these things with someone who has had a first hand experience with this. I would like to conversate with her more often.
Last, but definitely not the least... I met Vivek Sah at the rec center today. He's a PhD student with a concentration in Business Administration, did his MBA in Finance from India, worked in Mumbai for 3yrs, is originally from Delhi, and came to US a few months ago. He was playing table tennis with some people when I entered. I sat in a chair and watched Larry play pool and these other people play table-tennis. After a while I decided to get a table-tennis racket myself. Played with some dude and had conversation about my accent with Vivek. He has some pretty intersting beliefs about some things. Some that I've thought about, but not in great detail. Others that I didn't really bother considering. We talked for about 2 hours, touching upon a whole lot of things. I certainly don't agree with all that he has to say, but I really liked listening to his opinions because as a youngster I haven't really come across a person who thinks the way Vivek does. Well, I guess he's not really so young after already having worked for 3yrs, after completing his MBA. But I like the fact that I got to meet and talk to him. Would definitely like to see more of him.
Had a film test at 11; I entered the class 10 minutes late, finished the test in 20 minutes. Was planning on attending the Indian Student Association (ISA) meeting at 12; but instead decided to reach work early; was inside the office by 12:05. Left work at 3 and was back at school by 3:30. Didn't take lunch to school today 'cause I didn't feel like packing anything in the morning. So, before my 4 O'clock class I had some fries at the University Center cafeteria. For some reason I was tired by the middle of the class. Today's lecture was very interesting though. For the first time in Critical Thinking, I actually understood what the teacher was talking about. It was pretty cool :). After class, I again went to the University Center and had a veggie burger. It was better than Burger King.
I was sitting with a classmate while having my late lunch. Discovered a few things about her and her girlfriend. This was the first time I actually talked to a person about their relationship with a person of the same sex. When she said that some girl standing in the line was hot, asked me not to turn 'cause it would seem too obvious that she was talking about her, and kept on staring at this person... I got a bit speculative. Then she told me about a girl from her high school and some sort of conversation they had about what's up with their dating lives. This classmate of mine (don't want to give out her identity) didn't really want to tell her high school friend about her status. This particular sentence increased my curiosity. I just straight up asked her who she was dating and she told me - "a girl." The question that she then asked me, which was a given I guess, was "Do you feel odd? I mean, are you like I'm never talking to this girl again!" To which I simply laughed and told her that I'm open to everything, I actually wrote a paper in favor of gay marriage. After that I asked her a couple of things about her past relationships with guys and her experiences with girls, what she liked/disliked in each, what she prefers and why etc. It was a new experience, talking about these things with someone who has had a first hand experience with this. I would like to conversate with her more often.
Last, but definitely not the least... I met Vivek Sah at the rec center today. He's a PhD student with a concentration in Business Administration, did his MBA in Finance from India, worked in Mumbai for 3yrs, is originally from Delhi, and came to US a few months ago. He was playing table tennis with some people when I entered. I sat in a chair and watched Larry play pool and these other people play table-tennis. After a while I decided to get a table-tennis racket myself. Played with some dude and had conversation about my accent with Vivek. He has some pretty intersting beliefs about some things. Some that I've thought about, but not in great detail. Others that I didn't really bother considering. We talked for about 2 hours, touching upon a whole lot of things. I certainly don't agree with all that he has to say, but I really liked listening to his opinions because as a youngster I haven't really come across a person who thinks the way Vivek does. Well, I guess he's not really so young after already having worked for 3yrs, after completing his MBA. But I like the fact that I got to meet and talk to him. Would definitely like to see more of him.
Nov 2, 2005
Diwali, Eid, Delhi Blasts, Bhopal...
School has been going just fine. I've started working at Siavage Law Group, LLC as a Clerical Assistant. The pay is really good and I really don't have to do any "hard work." Got my first paycheck yesterday - on the occasion of Deepavali. On that note, wishing everybody out there a very Happy Diwali and a Prosperous New Year! And yeah.. Eid Mubarak! ...I really like how these two are falling so close to each other this year. This leads to those Delhi blasts. What the hell is wrong with people? Two MAJOR festivals around the corner and these basters decide to blow up three market locations. 60 people killed! Imagine, they were happy, buying new stuff, shopping for their kids, and now... their family is in mourning, kissing good-bye to a couple of years of festivities. I hate terrorists! Anyways...
After starting work, I haven't had any time to hang out with my buds at the Rec Center. Got a chance to catch up with them this week though. Got my hands on pool after a long time; I need practice more often! Classes have been going okay, not too excited about any of them. English 1101 ended about 2-3 weeks ago, got an A in that. In Enlish 1102 we got to write a 12 page research paper on a topic of our choice. I'm writing on the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, with a focus on the health effects on the survivors and the new borns. It's a very interesting subject, I think. So, far I've been able to find a whole lot of information. It is sad, what happened. When you read about it and imagine all these kids being born with deformities, women having miscarriages, people not being able to breath and see properly, all because of water - an essential source for survival - getting into a tank. What the hell did theses people do to go through all this? Huh!? A lot of companies know about this, specially those dealing with chemicals. But it is sad that the average public has no idea of what happened and what is going on. I had to make a presentation, explaining my topic etc. and students in my class (including Desis) had never heard of what was coming out of my mouth. I guess, I can't blame them. The only reason I know of this is because my parents mentioned it once in a while. I am very excited about the paper. It is a lot of work, and I HATE researching. However, my passion for learning something new should act as a driving force against my hatred for something I cannot escape (does this sentence make any sence?!).
I haven't been posting a lot of stuff here. Things happen, but I just don't get the time to write and whenever I do sit down, I write crap about school. I guess I need to find some things from whatever happens daily and elaborate upon that. Gotta improve my writing skills, like Charles Dickens in A Tale of Two Cities, going on and on about a window for two f***ing pages!
After starting work, I haven't had any time to hang out with my buds at the Rec Center. Got a chance to catch up with them this week though. Got my hands on pool after a long time; I need practice more often! Classes have been going okay, not too excited about any of them. English 1101 ended about 2-3 weeks ago, got an A in that. In Enlish 1102 we got to write a 12 page research paper on a topic of our choice. I'm writing on the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, with a focus on the health effects on the survivors and the new borns. It's a very interesting subject, I think. So, far I've been able to find a whole lot of information. It is sad, what happened. When you read about it and imagine all these kids being born with deformities, women having miscarriages, people not being able to breath and see properly, all because of water - an essential source for survival - getting into a tank. What the hell did theses people do to go through all this? Huh!? A lot of companies know about this, specially those dealing with chemicals. But it is sad that the average public has no idea of what happened and what is going on. I had to make a presentation, explaining my topic etc. and students in my class (including Desis) had never heard of what was coming out of my mouth. I guess, I can't blame them. The only reason I know of this is because my parents mentioned it once in a while. I am very excited about the paper. It is a lot of work, and I HATE researching. However, my passion for learning something new should act as a driving force against my hatred for something I cannot escape (does this sentence make any sence?!).
I haven't been posting a lot of stuff here. Things happen, but I just don't get the time to write and whenever I do sit down, I write crap about school. I guess I need to find some things from whatever happens daily and elaborate upon that. Gotta improve my writing skills, like Charles Dickens in A Tale of Two Cities, going on and on about a window for two f***ing pages!
Oct 17, 2005
catching up...
I've been spending a lot of time at the Student Recreation Center. Mostly playing pool and table tennis with Dinesh. Often times we are accompanied by Pavan, Divya, George, Joseph, and Willy. I'm getting better at pool. Used to play with Rinku mama and his friends whenever we visited Meerut. Huh, that was over 4 years ago. Now, Dinesh is working with me. He's pretty good; played for five years in Taiwan.
Neeraj Bhaiya came over from California the week before last. He had a conference to attend on weekdays and spent the weekend with us. Mausaji also came over from North Carolina - a) to attend a pravachan and b) to see Neeraj B. Nana-Nani picked Neeraj B up from Emory and brought him home on Sunday. We celebrated his 25th birthday 2 days late. Papa and MausaJi brought the cake and it was AWESOME! Nana-Nani gave him some insight into "the first 25 years of ones life being brahcharya and thinking about marriage (grihasth jeevan) once one turns 25" :)) hahaha!! I was feeling sorry for Neeraj B. For the rest of the day Neeraj B, Hansag, and I talked in my room while trying to assemble my study table. The task was too overwhelming and we decided to go to Fun Bowl to play some pool (yippy!!). There, again, we were talking about a lot of things. It was pretty good, it helped me decide about a lot of the things that I've been wanting to do and NEED to do since a long time. Later on we decided to the movies, reached the place, couldn't decide what we wanted to watch, and then realized that Hansag has a paper to write. Monday, all three of us - Neeraj B, Hansag, and I - went to my university. They sat through my Psychology class. Hansag found it boring, but Neeraj B enjoyed it. After the class we headed to Aderhold and looked at the restaurants to decide where we'd like to eat. I went to my Calculus class and we ate at Ali Baba around 1:30. After that we went to the Village and played FREE pool (again!). Nana picked up around 4 and we spent about 4+ hours at Nana-Nani's place. It was okay, I feel asleep in the middle of Nana's pravachan :D. Neeraj B's return flight was on Tuesday at 6 something. Nobody was at home on Tuesday so Papa dropped him at Nani's place in the morning. He took a cab from there to the airport. On Monday night, I transfered about 6+ hours of music on his new iPod Nano. We saw him after a long, long time and it was really worth it.
Everything has been going alright. I made my schedule for the spring semester. It's pretty heavy on Tuesdays and Thursday with the Incept training. I'll be doing a lot of work next semester (way more that this semester) with those 6 classes (18 credits), and hopefully getting trained to become an Inceptor and a CA. Whew! Got so many plans, so many dreams, so many ambitions... are they gonna come true?
Neeraj Bhaiya came over from California the week before last. He had a conference to attend on weekdays and spent the weekend with us. Mausaji also came over from North Carolina - a) to attend a pravachan and b) to see Neeraj B. Nana-Nani picked Neeraj B up from Emory and brought him home on Sunday. We celebrated his 25th birthday 2 days late. Papa and MausaJi brought the cake and it was AWESOME! Nana-Nani gave him some insight into "the first 25 years of ones life being brahcharya and thinking about marriage (grihasth jeevan) once one turns 25" :)) hahaha!! I was feeling sorry for Neeraj B. For the rest of the day Neeraj B, Hansag, and I talked in my room while trying to assemble my study table. The task was too overwhelming and we decided to go to Fun Bowl to play some pool (yippy!!). There, again, we were talking about a lot of things. It was pretty good, it helped me decide about a lot of the things that I've been wanting to do and NEED to do since a long time. Later on we decided to the movies, reached the place, couldn't decide what we wanted to watch, and then realized that Hansag has a paper to write. Monday, all three of us - Neeraj B, Hansag, and I - went to my university. They sat through my Psychology class. Hansag found it boring, but Neeraj B enjoyed it. After the class we headed to Aderhold and looked at the restaurants to decide where we'd like to eat. I went to my Calculus class and we ate at Ali Baba around 1:30. After that we went to the Village and played FREE pool (again!). Nana picked up around 4 and we spent about 4+ hours at Nana-Nani's place. It was okay, I feel asleep in the middle of Nana's pravachan :D. Neeraj B's return flight was on Tuesday at 6 something. Nobody was at home on Tuesday so Papa dropped him at Nani's place in the morning. He took a cab from there to the airport. On Monday night, I transfered about 6+ hours of music on his new iPod Nano. We saw him after a long, long time and it was really worth it.
Everything has been going alright. I made my schedule for the spring semester. It's pretty heavy on Tuesdays and Thursday with the Incept training. I'll be doing a lot of work next semester (way more that this semester) with those 6 classes (18 credits), and hopefully getting trained to become an Inceptor and a CA. Whew! Got so many plans, so many dreams, so many ambitions... are they gonna come true?
Oct 12, 2005
Oct 2, 2005
earliest memories
I have a few early memories in mind. They are very clear, but I certainly don't know which particular order they lie in. I know the exact date of only one of these events. I was 3 yrs, 3 months, and 2-3 days old. My brother was born and I was in the hospital. Trying to climb up those huge beds. And I FELL! It really hurt, so I cried a lot and certainly felt very embarrassed. After all, I was a big kid by then - THREE YEARS OLD! AN OLDER SIBLING!
The other memory I remember is of walking back to Divya and Manna Masi's house from the market, holding Chiclets in my hands, shaking it, and making the sound "chhik-chhik-chhik", like in the advertisement. I also remember sitting in Divya Masi's Maruti 800 waiting for her and Bade Papa to return, and being EXTREMELY bored. Another memory involving the Sapra family is of brushing my teeth with my right index finger whenever I spent the night at Maa and Bade Papa's place. And the one involving Nani... how I used to run to her room, get underneath the sheets, wait for her to finish listening to her transistor radio, and then listed to her bedtime stories, often telling her which one I wanted to hear. And you know.. I used to be a character in a couple of her stories. Going to the zoo with my nursery class :) - wow! cute old days!
Now analyzing these memories I notice that although about self, I have other people in these memories as well. In the first one, I know mom was there and once I started crying she held me and made everything better. I also know there were other people and that's the reason why I was embarrassed. But the main character is me, myself, and I. In the second memory, I'm doing the "chhik-chhik-chhik" but Divya Masi and Manna masi are there, both on either side of me. In the one involving the car, I'm the only person in view, but in the back of my mind I know that Divya Masi and Bade Papa are somewhere around there. While brushing my teeth, again It's just me there but other people are also around. With Nani, well it's clear who's in the picture.
It's quite fun thinking about these things. Anyways, according to my text the average age for earliest memory was about 3.5 yrs for the
Sep 13, 2005
College blues...
Writing after almost a month! Well, life has been busy. The few days before school started were very uneventful. Spent all the entire month of August with Nana-Nani. They have dial up and pationately HATE dial up! Therefore, there was no way I was going to get online to update my dear blog. Once school started, everything started happening so quickly. "Buying" textbooks, getting used to classes, deciding whether or not the switch one of my sections etc. Am taking 6 courses... the most you can take in a semester. Two of them are minimester courses - English Composition 1 (Engl 1101, and English Composition 2 (Engl 1102). Usually a course is a semester long, and a semester is about four months long. Minimester courses are two months long. Engl 1101 is a prequisite to Engl 1102 and both of these courses are required for graduation. I did not want to spend an entire year over English, that's why took this route. It's not bad actually. We have 3 essays and 1 annotated bibliography... and that's it! The class is 2.5 hours long, which is a bit of a stretch... but most of the time it does not seem so bad. The teacher, Kerri Allen, is pretty young and motivated. Same is the case with my Critical Thinking (Phil 1010) professor - Tim Crews-Anderson. I like most of my teachers, except the Susan Ferguson, who teaches Calculus 1. She's old and she's irritating. Repeats the same damn words for 5 minutes straight!! Annoys the hell out of me. Have my first test in Calc tomorrow.. let's see how I do.
I've been looking for some on-campus jobs as well. Haven't been able to find any good one's, but did get one! I'm a Student Author, or note-taker, for Student Notes. My job is to go to my Film 2700 - A short History of Movies - class, take good notes, type 'em up, and email them to these people. They are gonna sell the notes. Give me 5% of the net profit and pay me based on how many pages of notes there are. I get the payment on the following Friday of each TEST. So, it's not that much... but something is better than nothing. I mean.. I'm getting paid to go to class and take notes, what could be better?
Well, gotta go... got Film in about 8 minutes.
I've been looking for some on-campus jobs as well. Haven't been able to find any good one's, but did get one! I'm a Student Author, or note-taker, for Student Notes. My job is to go to my Film 2700 - A short History of Movies - class, take good notes, type 'em up, and email them to these people. They are gonna sell the notes. Give me 5% of the net profit and pay me based on how many pages of notes there are. I get the payment on the following Friday of each TEST. So, it's not that much... but something is better than nothing. I mean.. I'm getting paid to go to class and take notes, what could be better?
Well, gotta go... got Film in about 8 minutes.
Aug 14, 2005
wrapping up
We'll be leaving early morning tomorrow. 5 AM is the planned time, and we shall hit the road by 5:30 at the latest. All of out luggage is already in the car including some old suitcases that Nana and Nani had left here before. My back-pack and some food are the only things that will find space in the car tomorrow morning. Although at most times I hate Nana's lecturegiri, even today when he was doing all this packing hurridly I hated the way he was behaving, but the his dialogue that was said after everything was done was pretty solid - "Sone ke liye man ke chain ki zarurat hoti hai" (For a sound sleep, peace of mind is a must). And it makes sense! I ended up smiling at the end :)
Meeku mama and Sejal mamiji (she hates it when I call her that) came over after 2pm. It was okay, I didn't talk much. Sejal mamiji, for some reason, was very quite aswell. It seemed like she didn't want to be there. Hmmm. Took a few pictures, of course!
Meeku Mama, ME, and Sejal MamiJi (shall I call here didi?!)
Meeku Mama, Nani, Aunty, MamiJi, and Uncle
Meeku mama and Sejal mamiji (she hates it when I call her that) came over after 2pm. It was okay, I didn't talk much. Sejal mamiji, for some reason, was very quite aswell. It seemed like she didn't want to be there. Hmmm. Took a few pictures, of course!
Meeku Mama, ME, and Sejal MamiJi (shall I call here didi?!)
Meeku Mama, Nani, Aunty, MamiJi, and UncleI watched a number of movies here... Sehar, Paheli, Hum Aapke Hain Kaun?, Aradhana... and maybe a few others. Also, ripped a number of the DVDs they have and bought a few DVDs from the Indian store here.
Looking forward to the drive tomorrow. This time I plan on driving for a longer duration than last time. Last time I went by Nana's wish, I didn't resist on giving him the wheel when he wanted it... this time I'm thinking otherwise ;)
Looking forward to the drive tomorrow. This time I plan on driving for a longer duration than last time. Last time I went by Nana's wish, I didn't resist on giving him the wheel when he wanted it... this time I'm thinking otherwise ;)
Btw, Happy Pakistan Day!
and
Wish you a Very Happy Indian Independence Day!
Jai Hind!
and
Wish you a Very Happy Indian Independence Day!
Jai Hind!
Aug 13, 2005
NC to NJ
After dropping papa to the airport Nana-Nani and I left for Greensboro, NC around 4:30 PM on Wednesday - August 10th. We reached Dr. Gupta's house by 9:15 PM. Had some dinner and everybody talked for a long time. Nana-Nani and uncle-aunty went to bed around 12 or 12:30 AM. Ruchika and I, however, were up until around 4 AM. Ruchi is Sat uncle and Madhu aunty's daughter who will be leaving for medical school on 30th or 31st August. We were just chatting about a whole lot of things, no particular area but pretty much everything. She transfered a lot of Hindi MP3s on her flash drive. In the morning I got up before 8AM, got ready, had something to eat, and took a couple of pictures with everyone.
Nana, Sat Uncle, Madhu Aunty, and Nani
ME and Ruchi(ka)
We left for New Jersey around 9:30 and I drove for close to 6 hours on the highway. We took a break to eat something. Once Nana took over the wheels, I made myself comfortable in the back seat and slept for 3 hours straight. When I discovered that we were still driving on the highway around 5:45, I went back to sleep and woke up after an hour. We reached P. Sharma aunty's place within 15 minutes.
It has been alright spending these couple of days at their Edison home. I ripped a few DVDs and watched a couple of movie videos. Yesterday Nana-Nani, Aunty and I went to the mall but didn't really buy anything. In the evening some guests came over and we all had dinner together. The food, of course, was great! They don't have internet at home, as they are very busy with other stuff, but my laptop is catching somebody's wireless connection and they don't have a password on it... :D good for me!
Today, Nani, Aunty and I went to a different mall and did some shopping. I bought 3 jeans, 2 tops, and an earing set for myself. Nani and Aunty helped me out in picking out these things. Earlier today we went to a temple and bought some Hindi movie videos and sarees (No, not for the temple). Tomorrow, NJ and NY is having India Day Parade, in honor of India's Independence Day. When we were driving through the Indian marker here, I saw Indian and American flags flying on every single pole. Another thing, Aunty has Zee TV and New York Life's advertisement - aah! Gooddd!! - gave me that feeling of, I don't know how to put it in words... seeing that tiranga, that tricolor, that Indian flag, flying high and Indians - and I mean to true representation of India.. the village people of India, running with that tricolor in their hand, being proud of their heritage, the feeling of being an India, running with on sands of my country, being pround of it, rises inside of me every single time I see that advertisement. :) I love you India!
Nana, Sat Uncle, Madhu Aunty, and Nani
ME and Ruchi(ka)We left for New Jersey around 9:30 and I drove for close to 6 hours on the highway. We took a break to eat something. Once Nana took over the wheels, I made myself comfortable in the back seat and slept for 3 hours straight. When I discovered that we were still driving on the highway around 5:45, I went back to sleep and woke up after an hour. We reached P. Sharma aunty's place within 15 minutes.
It has been alright spending these couple of days at their Edison home. I ripped a few DVDs and watched a couple of movie videos. Yesterday Nana-Nani, Aunty and I went to the mall but didn't really buy anything. In the evening some guests came over and we all had dinner together. The food, of course, was great! They don't have internet at home, as they are very busy with other stuff, but my laptop is catching somebody's wireless connection and they don't have a password on it... :D good for me!
Today, Nani, Aunty and I went to a different mall and did some shopping. I bought 3 jeans, 2 tops, and an earing set for myself. Nani and Aunty helped me out in picking out these things. Earlier today we went to a temple and bought some Hindi movie videos and sarees (No, not for the temple). Tomorrow, NJ and NY is having India Day Parade, in honor of India's Independence Day. When we were driving through the Indian marker here, I saw Indian and American flags flying on every single pole. Another thing, Aunty has Zee TV and New York Life's advertisement - aah! Gooddd!! - gave me that feeling of, I don't know how to put it in words... seeing that tiranga, that tricolor, that Indian flag, flying high and Indians - and I mean to true representation of India.. the village people of India, running with that tricolor in their hand, being proud of their heritage, the feeling of being an India, running with on sands of my country, being pround of it, rises inside of me every single time I see that advertisement. :) I love you India!
Aug 10, 2005
Travel on my mind...
Bibi, my paternal grandmother, expired on August 2nd. She was diagnosed with Cancer 20yrs, survived it, but did get very week. From the time I clearly remember her, she was probably between 60 to 65 yrs of age, but to me she looked like this really old and week lady who didn't even have any teeth. Papa hasn't been to India ever since we came here - 4yrs! This is definitely a reason. Can't say it's good what happened, but if this has not happened Papa wouldn't be in India. Atleast he'll get to meet Baba, my grandfather, and all his siblings. Papa's flight is today at 5:15 PM. Nana and I will drop him by 2. I hope he has a safe and a relaxing flight, as he was telling me that he wasn't feeling very well. It is his first time traveling such a big distance all by his own.
After dropping Papa, I'll reach Nana-Nani's place and we'll immediately leave for North Carolina. Spend a night there and then head to New Jersey on Thursday morning.
We haven't moved into the new house yet because of so many other things going on. Half of our stuff is there. In the past two days we had to take 4 trips to that house to get some stuff that either Hansag, Papa, or I needed.
Life's happening!
After dropping Papa, I'll reach Nana-Nani's place and we'll immediately leave for North Carolina. Spend a night there and then head to New Jersey on Thursday morning.
We haven't moved into the new house yet because of so many other things going on. Half of our stuff is there. In the past two days we had to take 4 trips to that house to get some stuff that either Hansag, Papa, or I needed.
Life's happening!
Aug 5, 2005
working = not getting bored
I didn't do anything worth spending time upon the entire day but the night has been worth living. Got up around 12 and went online right away. Was supposed to reply to a few emails but lazyness took over myself. Uploaded a few pictures here and there, browsed through random blogs, without making the effort of reading any. Dad asked me to pack a couple items for moving, but so half-heartedly. The house was very uneventful as well. I decided to take a nap around 6pm. Got up at 7:30 and helped Dad put the new battery in his Mazda MPV. Then we loaded some of the boxes in the car and took off. Borrowed a sweeper from a Gas Station owner. Dad sweeped the garage and the basement. I arranged my notebooks and folders from last year in my closet and threw some other crap away. We put the rest of the boxes in the garage. I drove on our way back. Driving that humongous thing after such a long time wasn't that bad. The beam, however, was continuously on for no reason at all. There's a technical problem with the thing. Returned the sweeper and got back about an hour ago. Took a quick shower and helped Dad in his kitchen adventure. Am about to go have dinner.
Gdnite.. yawn!
Gdnite.. yawn!
Aug 4, 2005
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Aug 3, 2005
hearing vs. listening
Did some formal things at the new house, made halwa and ate it. Now, it's okay to start moving in. It's an Indian custom to eat something sweet whenever something good happens. Dad and I picked up Hansag from school and reached the house before 4pm. Mom arrived just a couple seconds before Nana-Nani did. Nani brought along something to eat as well. So, eating something sweet, having lunch and tea time was done there only.
Nana wrote Hansag a check for his B'day and did the same for Mom as well. He was writing me a check, but I asked him not to. Once money goes into my bank account, it hardly ever comes out. I need to buy some outfits for school, so I suggested that they can pay for those. I'm driving up to New York City with Nana and Nani on August 11th. I guess this birthday thing will be taken care of there.
We'll leave around four in the evening on August 11th and spend the night at someone's place in Greensboro, North Carolina. The next day we'll leave early and reach New Jersey in the evening. There, Nani has a friend at whose place we'll be staying. Nana has a conference in NYC and that's the entire purpose of this trip. After starting my week at their place, I thought that maybe I should spend more time with them. Meet the people they know and indulge myself in the sort of conversations they have. It's a learning experience. However, I don't always like the way both Nana and Nani keep on going about "Why parents do what they do?" and how "This is the time to study" and blah blah crap. It fuckin' gets on my nerves. Like today, for no particular reason Nana started saying, "It's your age. You just finished High School and will be starting college soon. Same was the case with your Mom when we moved to Trinidad. And well, she 'too' lived at her Nani's place." I really don't know what the hell is meant by that 'too' and why in the world he was telling me that crap so proudly and was laughing at the same time. I personaly hate the fact that my mother lived at her Nani's place during her college days while her parents were living off in Trini. It's disgusting! Why would you abandon your daughter like that? Maybe 'abandon' is too strong of a word, but man! If you are scared about the culture that your kids would have came in contact with then treat them the same. Not send your daughter somewhere and keep your son with you.
I try to hear these things from one ear and allow them to exit from the other. We should hear everything we are told, but of course listen to only the once we find useful and worth practicing. I hope I don't have to make the sound "umhmm" so many times on our way to NYC.
Nana wrote Hansag a check for his B'day and did the same for Mom as well. He was writing me a check, but I asked him not to. Once money goes into my bank account, it hardly ever comes out. I need to buy some outfits for school, so I suggested that they can pay for those. I'm driving up to New York City with Nana and Nani on August 11th. I guess this birthday thing will be taken care of there.
We'll leave around four in the evening on August 11th and spend the night at someone's place in Greensboro, North Carolina. The next day we'll leave early and reach New Jersey in the evening. There, Nani has a friend at whose place we'll be staying. Nana has a conference in NYC and that's the entire purpose of this trip. After starting my week at their place, I thought that maybe I should spend more time with them. Meet the people they know and indulge myself in the sort of conversations they have. It's a learning experience. However, I don't always like the way both Nana and Nani keep on going about "Why parents do what they do?" and how "This is the time to study" and blah blah crap. It fuckin' gets on my nerves. Like today, for no particular reason Nana started saying, "It's your age. You just finished High School and will be starting college soon. Same was the case with your Mom when we moved to Trinidad. And well, she 'too' lived at her Nani's place." I really don't know what the hell is meant by that 'too' and why in the world he was telling me that crap so proudly and was laughing at the same time. I personaly hate the fact that my mother lived at her Nani's place during her college days while her parents were living off in Trini. It's disgusting! Why would you abandon your daughter like that? Maybe 'abandon' is too strong of a word, but man! If you are scared about the culture that your kids would have came in contact with then treat them the same. Not send your daughter somewhere and keep your son with you.
I try to hear these things from one ear and allow them to exit from the other. We should hear everything we are told, but of course listen to only the once we find useful and worth practicing. I hope I don't have to make the sound "umhmm" so many times on our way to NYC.
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