The Phoenix's Song..

7:12 a.m. I stand on a pavement opposite to my college, waiting for a comrade to turn up. Breezy morning. A woman weaves a basket behind where I stand. A man is cutting wood, right next to the woman. 3 guys enjoy a smoke and conversation. A boy cycles his way to school. A vintage car passes by. An old man carries a heavy bag and walks towards his destination. The birds suddenly demand attention. A family are on a trip-the car is ringing with music, the grandfather driving the car! The same vintage car passes by again-I'm not too sure. I turn around, the woman is now arranging the baskets, the man has done such a good job with the wood, I think he makes them thin enough to weave baskets, but I don't know if that can be done.I'm hoping I will get to see him make the wood into thin strips so I'll know for sure. And they're now listening to the local news on a transistor (I presume). A lady and her colleague walk past me. The lady talks about her son's studies. The...

What has changed, and what remains unchanged.. First for the changes: We have only senior lecturers-surprisingly, all the junior lecturers who handled a few of the 7th sem subjects previously have been replaced, and we are glad. We have SEVEN hours theory in a day. 9-5, on two days of the week. Now, this is something I've never, like never done in my life before-attending 7 hrs theory. If you think 'final year' is supposed to be light, think again. Lab groups- CCN lab commences next week. ADC lab started this week. We had a good laugh after the lab, thanks to preksha's bag and overflow of creativity from Poornima, Mallika, Shruthi Rao and yours truly. My lab group has 1 new member-the remaining 3 of us continue.. and Sannan, for the first time is not gonna be in my group in either of the labs this sem-lets see how it turns out to be. The then freshers and the present 3rd sem guys occupy the adjacent classroom-and I'm trying to get used to having them around-it's...

Just another ordinary friday evening. A clear sky. A slight breeze, enough to keep you cool, not enough to give you chills.. A cleaned room. New books in the closet-some specially acquired ones. New course books too. A new wallet placed on the table. A photograph(also on the table) which brings a smile always. The frame which brings memories. Maggi noodles. A phone. A computer with unlimited broadband, and touch wood, continuous connection for quite sometime now. A brother in the adjacent room who comes to me when he needs help, and looks up to me. Who also quarrels. Who knows me like how I know myself. Quite the contrary of another ordinary friday evening, if you ask me.. such evenings are rare, moments when I get to enjoy the silence, be my own company, experience tranquility. Peace!