The Phoenix's Song..

7th sem has been a mixture-in different proportions- of hectic work with everyone breathing fire down my neck at the last minute and lazy afternoons when I have all the time in the world for myself.. The lazy afternoons,when all actions of mine are lackadaisical attempts to regain some momentum in reading or writing or some such thing, is what I'd prefer to the former.. But the hectic weeks are what makes me better, I guess. Having survived one of those crazy hectic weeks last week, and done pretty decently at that, I'm looking forward to the next few weeks, which is packed with tests and tests and yes, more of those damn tests, but I think I won't be lacking in time for anything.. because tests are more tolerable than assignments and the records.. Oh, did I just mention records? Records are the reason time became a constraint- a commodity an engineering student usually has in ample abundance-they certainly deserve more than a passing mention here. Hence the elucidation. Ne...

2nd internals are on. I have RTS and OFC tomo, and the syllabus for this test is vast. Not to mention, it's a do or die situation for me, coz I've already taken the first test lightly, and life gives you only one second chance to un-screw any screwed up thing. The discerning reader might wonder why I choose to update my blog today of all days. When there is so much of cramming to be done, what am I doing here? Especially when I know that I'm gonna die tomo if I don't do it? Surely, nothing so consequential has occurred that it has to be updated right now? Well no, but Go figure. We had Image processing today.. and hardly 20 students gave the internals- the rest of them are busy cramming for tomo. The paper was way below standards, Murphy's law hitting the others in the face. Tomorrow's subjects are not freaking tough or anything, it's just the general negligence by all of us which fetched us terrible marks-except the 6-7 'Good students'(all of you re...

The role a teacher plays in life is one which can't be sufficiently explained in words. But what are bloggers for, if not to attempt to express the inexpressible, procure the non-procurable and measure the immeasurable? Here goes.. Anyone who hasn't had a teacher who changed their lives cannot empathize with this post. For now, let's forget that particular lot and focus on those who, like me, have become what they are, thanks to a teacher, at some point of time in their lives. The aforementioned Guru, who made such an impact on me, was DVN sir. He taught Maths, Physics and Chemistry. To the others, that is. To me, he taught far more than what anybody else has taught me-apart from parents- in life. The reason I learnt that much from him was probably because he didn't preach much. He simply practiced-and still does, I know. He commanded respect, never demanded it. Beginning of 10th std, I was a girl who hardly cared to attend classes-bunked at every opportunity I got un...

World expo, Shanghai: On November 18, 1999, the Chinese government officially decided that Shanghai would bid for the 2010 World Expo. With support from home and abroad, Shanghai won the bid on December 3, 2002, at the 132nd General Assembly of the International Exhibitions Bureau. The world exposition is for the first time being hosted by a developing country,creating a record for itself. Beijing Olympics overall cost: 4.2 million. World expo, Shanghai: 42million. Expected visitors: 70 million. Cab drivers trained to speak English, about a 1000 new cabs. The entire city tidied up-an understatement-for the big event, also taken into consideration is the convenience-and inconvenience-of the residents of the city. The plethora of events being conducted inspires even as it slaps you across the face that Mumbai was supposed to be the next Shanghai- and at the current rate Shanghai is pacing ahead, we have to work really hard to get anywhere close. The staggering improvement made by Chi...

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!