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'SACH' is life!!!

15-11-1989.

A timid BOY, a little taller than 5 ft, made his way to the 22 yards, amidst giants of the game towering over him. And the rest, as they say, is history.

The reality is still taking its time to sink in. Perhaps the truth will not come to bite me till I watch the next Test match played by India. Before I proceed with my love for the little Master, let me tell you that I am a girl. And if I get my silly point, gully and slip mixed up, kindly forgive me. But a few things I will never get wrong- the master’s scintillating straight drive, his magical cover drive, his magnificent upper cuts, those innumerable sixes and those uncountable fours. Now what can a girl have to say about the master that the experts, or the boys have not already spoken about? Well, it is my story of growing up in the late nineties in India. Growing up with cousins who would watch cricket and make you watch it over cartoons, not minding that you were too little to understand the game or make out the difference between the two teams, I had enough knowledge to know that it was a game where there was someone called Sachin Tendulkar, who as my cousin used to say back then was his Living God! I knew little else but that if I let him watch his GOD play, I would get to play cricket with the neighbourhood kids with his SACHIN bat, which was nothing but a battered down bat with an MRF sticker on it! I didn’t even know my cousin’s birthday, but I remember him celebrating Sachin’s birthday with cakes and chocolates, and I got the best chocolates on those days! And I had enough understanding back them to realise, if someone made my cousin celebrate their birthday more fervently than his own, that was just no normal person, but someone who was just above all others. Maybe Sachin Tendulkar is a LIVING GOD.

Now, the most scary thing for a child those days was not to be included as part of a group of friends because you didn’t share anything in common. For a girl, who had to move very early in life from a part of India she had grown up in and been accustomed to, to an entirely new region where she did not even know what the native language of the region was, let alone speak it, fear can definitely reach new horizons. Those days, you didn’t know spoken English when you were 5 or 6 years old. I was barely 6 when we moved. And the place where I went to, people had grown up watching Shah Rukh Khan movies. For me, at that time, I didn’t even know who he was. (No offence, King Khan, perhaps I was too lil to know about you). That was when I began to appreciate that I knew something about cricket. In a place where I knew not the local language, knew not how to speak English comfortably and without basic errors, I was able to talk about Sachin, and that helped me break the ice. And no matter what language they spoke, everyone in my new school knew about Sachin (and cricket, of course)! I made friends in a completely new place. That was when my interest in cricket actually started! I started watching the sport. And I began to understand why Sachin is GOD! I didn’t know what the opposing team was, or who the bowlers were, watching him bat was just sheer magic to me. I may not be good at describing his game as good as guys, but I sure started following all his games with so much interest. And suddenly, the MRF bat, looked like the best thing that was “handed-down” to me! I of course didn’t play a lot with it, just cherished having a version of something that Sachin uses. And slowly, as I grew, the interest in me turned to fervour. The days when I finished my homework early to watch him play, the scolding I got from my parents for watching him play and not studying, being grounded in my room, and staying as silent as possible inside the room to hear the snatches of the commentary outside for every run he scored, the nervous 90s, the eve before the annual exams in school and the semester exams in college, when instead of studying I watched him play in spite of being scolded by my parents. There is just so much to mention. Sachin was my childhood. The many times when I’ve cried at night when he missed his century, the occasions when I sat in a particular spot for the entire duration of his batting so that me changing my place would not bring bad luck to him, keeping my fingers crossed all that time! I was that crazy! And every time he got out, I’d switch off the tv. There was just no cricket without him. Of course, Sourav, Rahul, VVS and Anil have their special places in my heart. One cannot deny the credit that is due to them. But there is just something about Sachin which makes him go above all of them.

When the “Superman from India” retired from the ODI arena, there was the comfort that he would still play in the tests. But when he announced his retirement from the sport as a whole, it was just too numbing. Of course I knew it was coming. Who am I kidding when I say I thought he’d play forever? But was I ready to accept it? No. Definitely not. A part of my childhood died when he made that farewell speech. I cried when he spoke, and I wept when he touched the 22 yards for one last time, along with every other Indian. For me, whose age is less than his life between the 22 yards, it is difficult to imagine cricket without him. We may have our Dhonis, Kohlis, Sharmas (the R, not the I), the Rainas, but we will never have another Sachin. Even now, with an exam tomorrow, I decided to pen this down. Such is the power he wields over me. Not just over me, over every Indian. SACH is life. Will I follow cricket after this? Yes I will. Will I watch cricket after this? That is a different story and a question to which I do not know the answer yet.

You may have retired, but to quote Alfred Lord Tennyson, “For men may come and men may go, but you go on forever”. You will live in our hearts forever, as the little man who conquered the world.

To the GOD who gave me, a girl, a memorable childhood- from the Sachin labels, the number 10 jersey, not to forget my cricket trump cards (you were and always will be the first in the pack), to the newspaper/Sportstar clippings and pictures that covered my room (yes, i’m a girl with Sachin clippings over my wall), to the magic that kept me spellbound, to the tears of joy you brought whenever you hit a century, the tears of agony when you got out in your 90s, the sadness over your various injuries, especially the tennis elbow which threatened to end your career early, I have this to say- THANK YOU. Thank you for everything. You will be missed. Dearly. Love you Sachin. Hope retirement gives you the life you want.

Here goes Sachin. Will there be SACH another??

P.S.- for all those people who think that Rahul or Sourav didn’t get the farewell they deserved, I have this to say- Sachin didn’t ask for it. It came to him. Allow the man to retire peacefully. Please.

P.P.S.- Yes, he is the youngest to receive the Bharat Ratna, and yes, lots deserved it but never did get. But please.. Give the man a break!! 

P.P.P.S.-

This is MY personal opinion!

As the lightning struck...

Hmmmm... I have been in denial mode for a long time now.. one reason why I couldn't bring myself to write... My college days are over.. the last working day has come and gone.. am done with my semesters too.. all that's binding me to my alma mater right now are the final project review and a couple of 'no-dues' certificates.. Life as I've known it for the past 4 years has finally come to an end..  I was simply unwilling to pen down anything sad and teary.. but certain things just have to be acknowledged, no matter what.. The depth of the situation finally struck me only yesterday eve. Till yesterday I was like- 'the end is still not here.. the review is there na.. then what?' But the irony struck me, out of the blue, all of a sudden. I happened to receive a call from one of my first-ever friends in my college. He called me and told me that he is starting back home the very next day! At first, I really thought that I'd heard him wrong.. but then he reconfirmed that he is starting today morn.. All I could manage to tell him before hanging up was that I'll try meeting him today morn.. but sadly, I couldn't make it...:'(

When I first stepped into college, there I was.. as awkward as can be.. a small town girl who had just stepped into the hustle and bustle of Chennai! My first semester was probably my toughest so far.. not in terms of the curriculum.. I found it difficult to find friends.. whom do I trust..whom not to.. I happened to be all alone.. considering that I was a day scholar was another glitch! Had I been a hosteler, life may have been easy, and I might've been able to socialize with other people... I did have friends.. or rather, people whom I used to talk to.. but everyone seemed to be donning a fake attire.. and I was truly uncomfortable to be ME in front of them!! [that things changed completely when I stepped into my department is another story.. ;)] I did have a couple of good friends among girls.. one of them still happens to be my best friend.. yes S.. am talking about u.. :) :) But one person, who truly made me feel at home was B! He was the class rep at that time.. and naturally, I had to speak to him regarding the timetable and stuff.. but gradually, I dunno how, we started developing a fragile bond of friendship.. He had that carefree attitude to everything around him.. not what u expect from a class rep of the first semester.. but nevertheless, he was fun to be with and talk to.. When you are the class rep, u earn friends.. but at the same time, you do make yourself an equal share of enemies! And he was no exception to this rule! Good though he was with boys, he was detested by almost all the girls in the class!! And the reason given by girls- "He always sets the assessment timetable in favor of the boys.. Never consults girls regarding anything" and soon enough, I made it to the hit list of the girls as well, for being on friendly terms with him!!! :| :| So, barring a couple of girls, the rest of them never spoke to me! 

I don't know why I am blabbering about all this now.. whatever the situation in class, B was one helluva friend to me.. I still remember the dumb and meaningless chats we used to have those times.. maybe, I will never forget them.. :P :D.. He was always fun to talk too.. though at times, he can become real moody!! he was one of the few persons who made first semester worth remembering and fun for me! but as we stepped into our second semester, and made our way to our respective departments, we grew apart.. SMSs became less frequent.. talks became shorter.. and we went our respective ways.. I gained some of the best friends I could have ever asked for, in my department.. and life became bright and happy again! :) :) Once a year, B and me used to meet.. catching up on lost gossip.. talking about old things.. and the last I met him was a week or so back when we went out for lunch.. We were actually planning to meet one more time before he headed home, but only yesterday eve did I come to know that he has to vacate the hostel today! :( Complete ill luck!! :( Wish I had gotten to meet u one last time, B.. but then, the silver lining is that all of us will have to come to collect our marksheets.. maybe then we can meet up!!

Source

This post is dedicated to you, my first friend best friend in college.. Thanks a lot, B!! :) :) You are truly amazing.. will definitely miss you... :( :(

The Slumber Party!!

Ah.. first of April.. The Day of the Fools.. :P but being a Potter Maniac, April 1st only means one thing-Fred and George Weasleys' b'day!! :) Happy buhday Fred and George.. :P

That aside, April 1st was an awesome day..:) that evening was 'Sangarsh.. A concert for a cause'.. organized by the Rotaract club of my college.. the proceeds of which went towards the betterment of the society.. as has been a habit among us to make it to the concert, come what may, we headed out to the Music Academy, Mylapore.. :) and the evening, as it has been, year after year, was truly phenomenal.. :) The energy was high amongst us at the start of the evening, and as the show progressed, there were a few dull, and fewer very dull moments, but the energy reached a crescendo towards the very end, with some of the best dance-able numbers being reserved for the last.. ;) Ever since my first year of college, we always went to Sangarsh, not as a class, but as a department, with our seniors always accompanying us.. this year was no different, with a handful of juniors joining us.. :):)

The concert ended well after 9.45pm.. and the next adventure began.. :P .. Since it was late, a few of my friends had decided to crash-in at my place for the night.. a slumber party of sorts...:P and the challenge before us was this- getting to Velachery, from Mylapore.. Considering that the time was almost 10 pm, the bus option was completely ruled out.. and going by an auto at that time was... well, not advisable.. so we were left with the one option- the MRTS.. and when we boarded the train, it was 10pm.. we did have company for a part of the journey back home.. thanks guys, for accompanying us.. :):) but for the remainder of the trip, we four girls were completely by ourselves.. ;) never had I been outta home after 9pm, by myself in Chennai.. and travelling in a deserted train, was definitely thrilling!! [of course, Ooty was a different story.. :P]

When we got down at Velachery, it was 10.40 pm!! :D:D and now began the next adventure.. :P walking home from the station.. a 15 min trip.. of course, we could've taken an auto.. but then again, we didn't wanna miss out on the opportunity.. :P.. so there we were.. four girls, walking alone on a near deserted road, talking loudly, laughing.. we did invite some stares from people crossing by.. but then, we were in no mood to pay attention.. :D:D..considering that the time was nearing 11, never for a minute did we think of increasing our pace.. there we were, walking as if it were only 6 in the evening..:)nerves of steel, I say.. pure steel.. :P.. and then, we tarried to get ourselves Kulfis!! :P:P..yet again, we were the only people to be getting the kulfis at that time.. ;) thus continued our march home..:)

As the clock struck 11, we reached my place.. ;) Surprisingly, both amma and appa were not mad at us for coming that late.. ;) pure luck that was.. ;)

And that folks, was the 'adventure' part of our day.. :P

Proceeding to the Slumber party, well.. nothing new to it.. just a regular sleepover, with food, chocolates, pillows, the usual talks.. and not to forget the watching of the latest episode of Vampire diaries, followed by Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, and fighting over who is more awesome- whether it is Damon or Stefan, or whether it is Hrithik or Farhan.. and then there was the crazy photo session.. real crazy, I tell u.. :P

It was towards the wee hours of the morning that we actually went to bed.. ;);)

I was the first to wake up the next morn.. and as I sat checking my mail, I got a call from my classmate saying we had class in the next half hour.. hearing my cries of annoyance, my friends woke up.. only to sleep off again saying- "CLASS?? WHO BOTHERS? Let's sleep na.. "[ahhh.. the bliss of being a final year student.. priceless!!]

P.S. People, I'm really really sorry if I had bragged a li'l too much about the 'adventure' part.. I agree it is no big thing.. but to us, it really was the biggest so far.. we'd broken at least a 50 something curfew rules in a single evening.. :P

P.P.S. Wish u could've joined us too G!!! I'm sure we'd have broken a couple more rules if u were there.. :P

FAREWELL, forget not the fame!

Sheeshh! College life is almost over! Just a month and a half to go! <don't worry.. am not gonna dwell on how I am gonna miss life at CEG for now.. I've got loads of time to do that.. :P> Ever since my ramblings about how cruel the world is to a girl, I've had loads of fun-filled moments.. :)

Topping the list is the Farewell Party that our beloved juniors threw us..:) 20th March, 2012.. It was the best ever Farewell bash I'd ever seen.. well, I know everyone would say the same about their farewells.. but this bash was something way too special.. the first fact is that, the juniors had to go through a lot of hardships, just to ensure that all my classmates turned up.. which they didn't,thankfully.. :P in spite of all that, they made sure that the party was a success.. and I am, as sure as can be, that the people who didn't turn up for the party regretted their choice, and realized how much they had missed when they saw all the photos and videos the next day! muawahahaha :D:D

the auditorium

Right from the red balloons, to the variety shows, to the dances, to the songs, everything was just way too good!! They even surprised us by unveiling the teaser for our department symposium, to be held the following year!! Well guys, all of u have gained our respect and confidence.. you will surely take the beacon forward.. :):) Though I had taken a silent vow not to breakdown during the party, the fact that I will be within the halls of one of my favorite auditoriums one last time, really made me cry... also the fact that, I will be able to hold the mike, probably for one last time in the audi, was too much to handle.. :( Guess, no matter how much u hate something, at the end, u will end up missing it.. There was a time i used to hate going into the audi.. but that evening was enough to make me realize how much I will miss it.. :'( .. As is the tradition with farewells, the juniors had arranged a cake- a delicious, yummy-looking chocolate cake..but then, a choco-maniac will say so for any choco cake.. :P, followed by a sumptuous dinner banquet.. :):) So ended the Farewell party of BATCH '12..... Memories will remain forever.. :) Whether to cherish, to cry, to ponder upon or to detest, that is left to u..

US!!

I never got to mention about the engagement ceremony of one of my best friends' sister.. :) It was a very beautiful occasion.. it was more of an 'e-engagement' actually.. :P with the groom being in the US.. :) As the engagement was held at Kanchipuram, we had to start very early from college, to ensure that we didn't miss the ceremony.. it was a different experience altogether.. always being shepherded by my parents for such occasions, I found it fun, to travel with friends.. to make sure that we looked presentable despite the long journey was another tough task.. :D The return trip from Kanchipuram was memorable for this one incident!! There we girls were, annoyed to be waiting for a bus to take us home, under the scorching sun.. and a bus did come.. we made it and just as we were about to settle down, a guy came outta nowhere and sat down comfortably, right in front of our noses! Damn annoyed we girls were.. When asked to get off, he just refused to budge! :@ I lost my temper, and blasted him off very badly!! <thank goodness he didn't understand me.. such was my vocabulary that day> and one of my hindi-speaking friends surprised us all by shouting at the guy in her awesome, broken tamil!! :D:D Way to go, K!!! ;) but in the end, we had to get another bus, cos that moron wouldn't budge!! :@.. Looking back, the incident makes me laugh!! :D but, it sure as hell proved a point, unity is definitely strength! the way all of us stood together to blast that guy off is something I am proud of.. ;) Too bad all that shouting was in vain.. but then, experience is what makes life.. :)

P.S. sorry for the time lag.. this post was in my drafts for sometime now.. found time to dust it off only today..:D

Shattered beyond repair...

Ah.. guess I had been right about one thing when I wrote my last post.. Happiness is short lived!! I have so much to pen down that at the end of the day, when I look down at the page I have written, it is bound to be blotchy and wet.. Just when one had the feel that the final few months of college are gonna be fun and memorable, I have been proven wrong! March 8th-Women's day!! For all those people out there, who think the women of our society are given equal rights, let me tell you something- it is not so!! there still are a large number of MCPs out there, whose main aim is to suppress the voice of a girl. And in the likely situation that you do raise your voice to make your point be heard, a decibel above theirs, you will be considered to be the worst of women-kind!! Not just by the guys, but by some fellow girls, who just don't have the guts to stand up to them, and tell the right from the wrong!! To all MCPs I know- understand this! Just because you have a louder voice, and just because you have more brawn than brain, doesn't mean you are always right!! A girl will remain silent only for so long! she will not let you trod upon her-again and again, and will not always be understanding about your ruthless nature! Though I was prepared to accept the fact that 'that guy' was the biggest MCP of them all, it was a surprise that a once best friend decided to take his side in the event of a misunderstanding! To S- I am greatly hurt by what you did, and the scar will never ever go! To think that I had once thought so much of my gang of friends, only to see a couple of them being influenced by the ideas of 'the MCP ' makes me wanna cry out loud! Given a chance, I would readily go and settle scores with the MCP! But, the gentle and level mind(lol.. at least gentler and leveler than his :P) in me just keeps telling- the MCP is not worth it! Never will I forgive you for pouring poison into the minds of my friends and turning them, if not directly, at least indirectly, against us! And never will I forgive you for dragging an innocent someone into the middle of all this brawl, just to quench your personal vengeance!

SHATTERED!!

(source)

Before you arrive at the general conclusion that all guys are MCPs, do wait to read the rest!

When I was upset from are the brawling and bickering, caused for nothing, by the MCP, and had almost broken down, it was a guy who first came to my side to console me! Never had I been ashamed of studying in a class dominated by guys, cause I always believed they had a sweeter side! But today, I wish I had been a year younger.. a year younger so that I can study with people I am proud to call as friends.. proud to run to in times of a problem..proud to share my happiness and sorrows.. To those guys who sought to listen to the truth and search for a solution, rather than put the blame on others- I am greatly indebted to you! If not for your support, we would all have been lost! I am sure the other girls in my class agree with me!!

I am sure that, a few years down the lane, when I look into this post, I am gonna be smirking to myself for being too emotional for a silly reason! But I just had to vent a few things out!

P.S. Yesterday was a real real bad day for me, with a very upsetting something happening towards the fag end of the evening! But I am happy that I had the best and most reliable person to talk to when I was that upset. To that person, thanks for talking to me, and hearing me out! and thanks for proving to me, as you have always done that, no matter what, you will always be there for me! you proved yet again that not all guys are MCPs!! You are simply the best!! :):)

P.P.S. To the reader- please don't mind my ramblings above! I am but a girl, who gets sensitive and emotional and blurts out her feelings, when it is just too much to contain!!

NOT ALL GUYS ARE MCPs!! Just a few guys I know are.. :):)

This too shall pass!!!

8th semester!! that was what I had last written about.. and life has seriously gone way past the 'zeroth review' phase... come March, and I will be having my second review..*sighhhh* I was so damn confused that, for once, I did not know which part of my confusion to put into words.. Apart from the confused me, I did have some awesome time!!

2012.. Is the world really gonna come to an end? Well, we must wait till December for that..or, go back in time and ask the Mayans about that!! As of now, the year seems just like any of its predecessors!! January was good to me.. I got to meet a very special person in mid Jan after a period of some 6 months!! and the time we spent together was really memorable..the travel to and from the airport..KFC.. everything.. it was sad that we had to miss out on the movie.. but then, life is full of surprises!! Strangely, I have no regrets of not making it to the movie.. ;):) Then came le brother's 15th birthday... which was celebrated as all b'days at home are done.. an evening out, ending with dinner.. this time we chose to dine at The Rock.. :):) Just when I was beginning to relax, bang...deja vu!! it was time for the First review!! and as is always, we were totally unprepared! but team work always wins!! we came out of the first review, with a li'l less damage than was expected.. but the task set before us, ahead of the Second review is a daunting one! Of late, the phrase "This too shall pass" seems to have more relevance in my life! more so when it comes to our project.. remember how aamir used to tell 'all izz well', that is how I keep telling myself- this too shall pass; everytime I think of the project!

Fresh dawned February.. and the month seemed to be promising, and began on a happy note.. i had decided to call my friends home for lunch.. Feb 2nd was the day.. them being vegetarians, I settled to prepare Naan and Paneer Makni for them.. Mom provided us with her signature curd rice, a side dish and a dessert.. ;) it was a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon, a relief after that horrifying 1st review!!

But..What really prompted me to write this blog, after such a long gap? well, the Valentine's day!! and the week following it!!

Feb 14, 2012 was an awesome awesome one!! I'm sure all of you would have had a blast with ur special one..! Well, I celebrated it too.. a li'l differently.. my friends and I decided to hang out together.. and they asked me for a suggestion.. and me being a chocoholic, I give you no credit in finding out that I dragged them all to The Chocolate Room.. ;) Gosh, I sooooo love the place!! It was a magical evening we had over there! the image of the waffle wonder still seems to float before my eyes every time i close them.. ;)

waffle wonder!!

If Feb 14th was delicious, the days that followed were fantabulous!!! Techofes 2012 was here!! There was never a single dull moment.. Feb 15-Feb 18 marked some of the best moments of my time as a college student.. And this being my last Techofes, I made sure I relished every single one of them.. I participated in all the competitions I've always loved to take part in.. The inauguration, where Dhanush and Anirudh came and rendered Why this Kolaveri Di, along with other songs from 3, the Yuvan concert, where he sang Iragai Pole, one of my all time favorites, the dumb C that we played way into the wee hours of the morn.. the re-watching of Vampire Diaries, with the 6 of us huddled before the lappy.. the midnight yippee noodles.. the sumo wrestling show, with world famous wrestlers Kelly and Byamba.. and most importantly, the arrival of SIDDHARTH, when I screamed and screamed like hell, that I had almost lost my voice, and stopped only when he left after he sang a song from Kadhalil Sodhapuvadhu Eppadi..and the RJ Balaji show.. every single one was as exciting and alive and full of vibe that the energy was contagious, and even a person who was shy of dancing will definitely not resist the urge to shake a leg!! I sure did!!;):)

The NANBAN Scooter!!!

The sadness and the uncontrollable emotions that came with the end of Techofes is a different story altogether, and needs an entire post for itself.. Maybe i will tell about it in my next post.. That is how Techofes'12 came.. and left.. in pompous, vibrant shades...:):)

Then came a quiet Sunday, most of which was lost in catching up on the lost sleep of almost a week.. and then came today!!!! KADHALIL SODHAPUVADHU EPPADI!!! SIDDHARTH!!! I went to watch the movie with my friends!!!Never was there a dull moment during the entire movie.. maybe cos I was able to relate to almost everything in the movie.. ;);) except for the heroine, the movie was flawless..:):) and ya! the theater was a forgettable one too!! :(

On the whole, I enjoyed my fullest over the past few days.. but then-this too shall pass!! there is so much work to be done for the project.. not to mention the symposium.. with almost all the class playing truant in helping the Leading Lady, it is time for me to help a li'l more than usual!! Hopefully, now that the Writer's Block is behind me, I will pen in a bit more frequently!! ;):)

P.S. I had decided not to write anything till a particular someone wrote something in their blog! But that person seems too busy to write these days.. this post is dedicated to you, who refused to write!!;)

8th semester!!!

Half of December is already gone!! Time is a scary thing! Last week this time I was so looking forward to the start of the next semester, but now, I can't help but feel that the holidays were much better and peaceful!! The grass is definitely greener on the other side! Proven time and again! The holidays were good, but not the best.. with everything in my wishlist being fulfilled,(including the re-reading of Harry and co), I have no one but myself to blame for the hols not being the best!! Endless pondering on everything and nothing, left me feeling that I can never be happy again.. I had christened it as THE DEMENTOR EFFECT!! :P

But all that was not for long.. I had a lot to look forward to.. particularly my 21st b'day!! the fact that the beginning of the next term coincided with it was an additional fact!! :):)



The day was as good as I could have ever expected, with a gift from my professor, and the yummiest chocolate truffle cake..:) but my friends had decided that-"You don't just get a choco truffle, you earn it" (bournville isshtyle =D) they had planned a Treasure hunt.. no no.. Cake hunt.. :P I was made to wander over the entire college campus, searching for clues, leading to the cake.. and just when I thought I had completed my quest, and had reached my cake, I had a surprise in store! When I eagerly opened the cake box, I found a BUN inside it! and ANOTHER clue!! Seriously, if I were given a chance to animate the entire situation, I would have given a pair of Devil-horns to each of my friends!! The clue took me back to the place where I had initially started the search!!! :'(



But I guess it was worth the wait!! There they were, standing with the most most most yummy looking choco truffle cake!(vanish Devil-horns, appear Angel-halos) And once the cake was found, it was the usual thing, with everyone eating the cake, and the poor b'day girl getting smeared with chocolate icing all over her face:'( The evening was family time, with us four going out for dinner..:) And I was soon to realise that b'day surprises weren't over yet!! When I reached home, I found a parcel waiting for me, with no clue of who it was from! After higgedly-piggedly tearing the cover off, I found a Cookbook, from my closest buddies!! :):) The day before the b'day was an equally eventful one, with my li'l brother going crazy as he had to collect a lot of couriers addressed to me!!:):)

If my b'day was a cheerful occasion, the days that followed were the exact opposite!! :(Tmrw, I have got my zeroth project review!!! And my brain seems completely void now!! Thinking of a good project title is one thing, but having to modify it-not to satisfy your thirst for innovation, but to silence the prowling vultures is something else!! Going into my zeroth review with an empty mind, and surprisingly, no anxiety or anticipation!! Whatever it is, I have my fingers crossed! It was only last week that college started, but it feels as if a month has already gone by, with all this thinking and re-thinking of project ideas and stuff!! :( who said final semester was fun??!!

P.S. Dear teammies, I know I must be collecting literature for tmrw's review right now.. but I was really going berserk with all the searching that I JUST HAD TO BLOG!! sorry.. will get back to work asap!!

P.P.S. I successfully created a header for my blog! It may not be much, but it describes me - in short.. :):)

Welcome - Holidays, Welcome - December!!

Yippee!!! Done with the exams...!!! At last!!! :):)I seriously had to keeping telling myself- "c'mon.. only 3 hours till you are free.. attend all the questions.. don't rush out of the hall.. please!!" and when the clock chimed 12.30, I was elated.. never before have I felt this way after completion of a semester examination... perhaps the credit goes to the wonderful paper we wrote today!! :P:P



It is usually said that when you sit down to study,everything in the whole wide world seems more interesting than that which you have to study... Though I have often gone through this phase, it was only yesterday that I appreciated the beauty of my 'bubbles' screensaver!!! I fell completely in love with them.. considering the fact that I had started preparing only yesterday eve, I whiled away half my time staring at them.. My eyes just kept following the bubbles all around the screen.. With pink being my favorite color, I began tracing a pink bubble, and the moment it changed its color, I switched over to the nearest pink one.. And so goes the story of how I prepared for RS & GIS in EM.. :D:D:D


Now that the exams are behind me, I have 15 days all for myself..(before the dreaded results)!!! I am really really looking forward for some 'me' time!!! What with non-stop working on a project, semester practicals and exams, I never really did have a proper break for some 6 months now!! Sheesh!!!

Getting to the fun part- the holidaysss!!! 15 days is perhaps the right number of days to be away from coll.. neither to little.. nor too much.. ;) Just perfect!!
*Have a hoard of movies lined up to watch.. the first one that I am yearning to is Tintin!!! Can't wait for Thursday, when my best friend and me will be heading over to Sathyam Cinemas.. ;)
*Looking forward to indulge in some long pending shopping!! When my mom and me decide to go shop, there is just no stopping us..:P (my wardrobe definitely could do with a make-over!!).
*Am gonna go on a cooking spree!! Long time since I tried something new!!(Not that I didn't cook anytime recently.. I even managed to cook on the eve of a few exams.. :P, but I love shopping for the right ingredients, and trying new dishes.. So, kitchen, here I come.. ;))
*Have to get myself some new novels to read!! Who knows?? I may even decide to re-read the Harry Potter series for the umpteenth time.. :D:D

All this, and the fact that December is my most favorite time of the year, I just can not wait to get started!!!


I maybe a couple of days early, but here goes-

HAPPY DECEMBER people!!!

U call it a question paper??!! Well, I call it something else!!!

Seriously!!! U spend two sleepless nights.. and days!!! trying to refer to the internet.. googling about anything and everything given in the syllabus.. 'wiki'ing for those that google couldn't help with.. and all for this??!!!

Today's exam was perhaps the best example of 'how not to write an exam'.. perhaps, i think the better and more apt topic will be- 'how not to set a question paper'. C'mon..!! I do agree that we are final year students.. and that we prefer and like studying by ourselves, searching and learning in the process..( OK.. guess that was too much.. ;)).. but today's questions were perhaps the most senseless and the most meaningless ones.. (I know senseless and meaningless mean the same.. but then, that is how today's paper was!!!) the frustration in the 36 bright minds in the exam hall was evident the minute the question papers were distributed.. and the frustration immediately gave way to laughter!!! With half the time gone in solving a near impossible problem, the remaining time went off in notching a few points here and a few points there for the remaining questions..as I submitted my answer sheet, I was wondering how the very same teacher can come up with new ways of massacring the same students even when we had done nothing to invite that person's wrath!!

The question paper which was given to us was crumpled, to the best of our ability, while a few went a step above and tore the paper into pieces!!! frustration was in the very air, I tell u!!!

Had the person who'd set the question paper been anywhere in the vicinity, we all would definitely have given him a piece of our mind!!! :@

Phew! Wattey day!!

P.S. I began this post with something in mind and guess it turned out into something else altogether!!!Sorry about that!!! ;):)

All for a cup of chocolate!!

A post a day keeps boredom at bay!!! :P:P

I've decided to blog as often as possible, if not daily.. :P:P *conditions apply*

My day today began much earlier than I would've wanted it to.. Having promised my mom that I won't sleep for more than 6.30 in the morn *sadness*, be it study holidays or semester holidays, I had no other go, but to keep my word! But guess today was better than the previous ones.. ;) Mom and I had planned to make stuffed veggie parathas for breakfast.. :):) I am a person who enjoys cooking.. ;) Though I usually like to be left alone when I cook, today morn was fun to cook alongside mom.. ;) Breakfast was a success... ;) :)

Despite being an OFF, I had to go to coll.. reason- I had planned to catch up on a few things that were taught in class when I was busy doodling away on my notebook, smsing friends, or the more obvious- sleeping in class. I was very reluctant to drag myself to coll.. :( c'mon.. having to walk all the way to the bus stop, catch a bus, and go to coll can be real annoying!! Cursing myself for not having paid attention in class, I began the long walk to the bus stop. All this initial annoyance lasted only till I stepped into coll.. once I was inside, I was lost in wonder.. at the silence and beauty of the sprawling green campus!! My Alma Mater is really a place of awe.. It provides the most amazing atmosphere for studying, or hanging out with friends, or even sleeping under the many many trees.. :P:P After my friend tried to get a few concepts of OR into my head (which was a real tough job, considering there was the bcci.tv playing on the laptop, and the blockbuster tracks of Rockstar blaring from my mobile.. :D:D), we were joined by a couple of friends.. It is amazing at how fast a rate my brain is able to process when it comes to simple chitchat, in awful contrast to the snail pace when it comes to studying!! :P:D True! Human brain is really complex.. and a girl's brain is just 'complexer'!!! :P :P

The foursome of us then started to roam around college.. Talking about everything and nothing.. ;) :) Our legs readily took us in the direction of one of our most favorite haunts in coll.. the Department of Geology, to the room of my most favoritest professor of all times.. :):) As it was the end of the semester, he was able to spend time with us.. He was telling us about a new coffee kiosk that had been opened recently, and that they had Hot chocolate.. as the word came out of his lips, i gasped- HOT CHOCOLATE??!! And then all of a sudden, in a matter of a few seconds, we were accompanying him to the coffee shop!!! ;) :) That shop sold a variety of hot beverages, with hot chocolate topping the charts, and I had just mentioned that I was yet to have lunch, and he got me noodles over there!! So there we were, in front of the coffee shop.. having hot hot cup noodles.. and the yummiest hot chocolate available in my coll.. Ever!!! In the joy of seeing the steaming hot chocolate, I succeeded in successfully burning my tongue!! ;) ;) but the momentary pain was lost in drinking the wonderful elixir!!! yummy!!! how I love chocolate!! :*:*:*<3<3<3 adding to all this is the fact that the weather was just perfect for it.. but then, no one needs an excuse to have hot chocolate, do they?? .;)

What would've turned out to be an ordinary lunch in the canteen, turned into quite a meal, with all of us talking to our heart's content over the hot cups.. :):)


Chocolate, I love you!!! <3<3

Ufffffffffffffff!!! What a week!!!- Part II

Due to the surprising lengthiness (maybe, the not-so-surprising lengthiness) of my previous post, I am forced to continue from where I left off.. ;)

Thursday!!
This was one day which I was looking forward to for a long long time!! Nov 10th dawned fresh and clear!! The fact that I had another assessment on that day was completely forgotten. All that I could think about was the award function that evening!! (I believe I had already bragged a lot about winning the second prize and stuff, so am not going into the details.. :P) I chose a new outfit for the day, one that reflected my moods that morn.. :):) I had called my parents over for the event. That evening was truly truly magical! My parents were happy, and so was I! I was happy taking them around the sprawling campus and my favorite haunt, my coll canteen.. ;) The pic we took that evening with my most favorite professor will remain etched in my memory forever!! :):)

Ha! now back to the mundane and boring life of assignments and assessments!! Friday was no different from this routine!! :(:( I was desperately looking forward to the saturday! Perhaps the only 'working' Saturday to which I've looked forward to.. ;)Reason- MY friend and I were taking our bestest friends out for lunch.. :):) This was supposed to be a treat on our behalf to them, for the success of our project!! ;);) And Saturday did arrive.. ;) With a lot of delay being created in the class for collecting the exam hall tickets, we were ravished by the time we placed our orders at the hotel!! Amidst deciding what to order, and reordering so as to try different dishes, lots of pics were taken.. :):)The lunch was a sumptuous affair.. with everyone eating to their heart's content..:) A satisfying grin was on everyone's face! Meaning behind it=the treat was a success!!! :):) That made me extremely happy!! Making your near and dear ones happy is perhaps the best way of being happy yourself!!! :):):)

So, that is how the last working day of my penultimate semester was spent.. I could not think of a more fitting way to have spent the day than with my best buddies!!

As for the entire week, I have just this to say- I am glad you are over!!! :P:P

And for the coming week, I'm gonna put up a brave face and say this- Exams, here I come!!!

Ufffffffffffffff!!! What a week!!!- Part I

Life they say has its fair share of ups and downs. None can disagree. But to have to experience it all in a matter of seven days!!! That is experiencing life in the super-fast mode!! And that is how the final week of my penultimate semester in college life was!! GOSH! Looking back, it makes me realize how little time we had to even breathe freely!! Am glad I'm done with it!

Beginning with Tuesday, (luckily, we had an off on Monday.. ;))the entire week was one helluva ride to the finish line! It saw us all multitasking- writing, drawing, reading, chatting, playing, and much much more.. ;)Tuesday seemed to be smirking at me when I finally woke up that day! I had an assignment to submit, a practical examination, and two assessments!!

As always, there was me thinking- 'cha! what happened to the three days of holidays??!!', 'I could've done this earlier!', 'I should've studied!!' But then, there was nothing left to do but hurry up with the first chore at hand- ASSIGNMENT!! Strangely, only when I sit down to write, everything seems to be missing! That morning, with the clock striking 7, I couldn't find my pen, or my pencil, or my scale!! I cursed myself for not keeping my things safe, and had to borrow stuff from my bro. The irritating part here is not losing ur pen or pencil, but to have to borrow it from an annoying younger bro, who doesn't fail to make the most of that moment by asking you to 'handle the pen with care'!!! x(. So finish I did! The assignment was good enough to be submitted. Just about enough.. :P The next 'debacle' of the day was my practical exam!! With the teacher suffering from MPD, I was left guessing which one of her personalities I'd have to encounter that day. Strangely, I didn't have to hold any conversation that day with her, and the practicals were way better than how I'd feared them to be.. ;) The lunch hour saw 6 ppl eating from 2 boxes, and 'studying' for the assessment that followed.. ;) Being a general subject, thankfully, the paper tested our creativity rather than our retaining capacity. With one assessment behind me, I opted to skip the next one.. :P Now that I'm done with the 'downs', this was the 'up' of tuesday.. We celebrated one of my friends' b'day at the OAT.. The b'day was an awesome affair with its usual share of chocolatey cakes, bright candles, colorful gifts, and memorable pics.. ;)

Compared to Tuesday, Wednesday can definitely be tagged as a 'normal' one.. ;) We had one practical exam on that day, and with the teacher being a sweet and soft-spoken person, we didn't have anyone breathing down our necks and were allowed to finish our task in a better manner than was expected!! :)

Thursday!!!
The most magical day ever!!!

P.S. The post has got too lengthy!! The remainder of my 'week' 'll be continued in the next post!! :P:P

No pain, No gain!! Indeed!!!

Phew!!! Guess this is the first time I am actually heaving a sign of relief in almost a year!! It all started almost a year back, with my friend and me coming across a circular inviting project proposals. Never did we know that to get your work recognized, you have to strive so much in life! The first task that was entrusted on our shoulders was getting past the first screening committee. The person who had to organize this was also the one who had handled the ever famous 'Communication Skills Lab' for us. That particular subject was one which everyone in my class was the least bothered. We never did what we were asked to.. ;) not because we underestimated the importance of communication skills, but because the teacher was such a personality!! Now this person, due to our lack of interest in her class, resorted to the beaten track of taking revenge!! She was not at all interested in organizing the review for us! And I decided to ask her about it. When I called her, and reminded her that she had to conduct the review for four teams from our class, her response was- "when you people are so uninterested in communication skills, how is it possible that you can come up with ideas innovative enough to be submitted as a project proposal? I refuse to conduct a review for you. You can go and complain to any higher authority you want". All of us were dumbstruck. To not make it to the next level is something different.. But not even being given the opportunity to present your idea is something else altogether!! But all of us persevered and managed in setting up the first review!! The review was a normal one, with questions being asked at a rate that is too fast for the human mind to process.. :P:P

When the results of the first review were out, my teammate and I were thrilled to make it to the next level. Along with us was another group of three.. :):) I was thankful that days of toiling to meet up people regarding the project didn't go in vain!!

If I were to think that the first review was a hurdle, I was proved to be wrong!! The days that followed were even more excruciating!!! Obtaining data was not an easy task. We had to roam offices not just in Chennai, but in Dharmapuri and Dindigul as well!!

Am not gonna brood any more..Cause, the entire project 'review-selection' process is now a thing of the past!! We had two more reviews in between, and my teammate and me made it to the final 28 out of 130+!!! And our review was on the 13th of Oct..! So happy were we after finishing our review that we wanted to scream at the top of our voices!! We never gave a single second's thought to the final results. Guess when you are least worried about something, the wheels of fortune turn in your direction!!! Our hard-work and perseverance of more than a year finally paid off!! The results were announced yesterday, and we won the SECOND PLACE!!!What more can one want??!!




All I want to say is this- to all those who stood behind us when we were down and hurt; upset and in tears- parents, mentors and friends alike- thanks for being there. Your support was paramount in making us reach such heights. Love you all!! <3<3

Time for some relaxation now!!!

Until the final year project at least!!

Peace, they say, is short lived!!! :P

Be a Rebel!!!!

Every once in a while, something spurs the youth of our country to start a revolution. I may not be justified in talking about a rebellion on the eve of Gandhiji's Birthday.. but then, it is never the wrong time to do the right thing!!!

One such rebellion was recently creating waves in Chennai.. the students of the 'brother' institution of my college have raised many heads to look upon them..(well, mentioning the name of that institution always generates awe, but this time, they were looked upon from a different perspective.. who thought engineering students could be such rebels??!!!) I do not know much about the reason behind that uprising.. I am here, just to predict that something much similar to that is gonna happen in my college, and particularly in my department!!!

Wherever we go, whichever staff we meet, "within the department" (I believe those who read it understand the meaning behind the "within the department"!!!), all they have for is appalling words of discouragement.. I do not remember being such indifferent to a teacher ever in my life!! Usually, there will be a couple of rebellious students in a class.. but when the entire class is rebellious, the fault lies elsewhere.. definitely not on the part of the student.. The only heartening thing about this attitude in us is that, it has brought the entire class closer.. every single person in the class is willing to set aside his/her differences and voice his opinion for the betterment of the entire department.. Of course, we, being in our final year, will not be able to enjoy the fruits of the probable struggle, but our juniors will definitely honour our attempt!! ;);)And in the event of us passing out and going our different ways, who knows, the juniors may even take up the struggle onto their shoulders!!!

Do Gandhian principles have value even today?? U may answer in the affirmative, citing the example of Anna Hazare.. but then, not everyone is born with that amount of patience!!!

Sound like a true revolutionary, ain't I?? KHALBALI!!!!!

The Next Step..!!!

Time has moved on fast.. and is proving to proceed even faster.. Seems like it was only yesterday that I was preparing for my placements, but it is actually more than a week!!! and now, I am an ASSOCIATE SOFTWARE ENGINEER, for ACCENTURE!!! Neither can I believe my own eyes when I type those words, nor can I when I tell them out loud to those who ask me!!!

27-08-2011..Went to face the interview with a lot of apprehensions!! and emerged out of it with even greater ones... I was busy devising ways to keep myself busy the next day- it being a Sunday, and I was rudely brought back to reality by a phone call asking me to be in college within the next 30 mins!!! None can escape reality for long!!! Thinking back, the entire process of getting to college in time seems like a blur to me.. and when I did, it was to meet faces which seemed to mirror my own!! anxiety was very much evident on every face I met. They say patience is a virtue.. I realized that day how very little of that virtue I possess!!! Though we were at the placement cell of our college by 12.30, we were made to wait... and wait... and wait!! It was well after 2 in the afternoon when the results were announced!! Not a soul moved from their places during that long long wait... And when the time finally came, it was dreadfully scary... names were called out... heads rose up in expectancy.. a few stayed high, a few drooped.. as more and more names were called out, there was a sense of trepidation in me.. I was reminiscent of the sorting ceremony in Harry Potter (pardon me for bringing Harry Potter into this too).. What if the my name was not called up for sorting?? What if I were called, only to be rejected by the Sorting Hat that I was called out by mistake!! All sorts of thoughts went through my mind.. My friends beside me went through the same emotions.. I remember how tight i was holding one of my friends' hands!!! All departments were called.. not a single mention was made of Geo Informatics... Fear was mounting within all of us.. Name after name was read... a few pages were turned... still- no sign of Geo Informatics... was no one selected?? where did we go wrong??!!! there was just no stopping the thought machine!!!

Finally!!! There... Geo Informatics!! First came the name of one of my close friends... and I rejoiced... but definitely not completely.. I am actually ashamed that I wasn't entirely rejoicing with her... but then, I am human!!! my name was yet to be called..!!! My grip on my friend's hands grew stronger... And then, her name was called!!! I was utterly scared... Felt vulnerable.. ( like how Harry felt when Ron was sorted into Gryffindor!!).. :(:( But next followed my name!!! was flabbergasted beyond words!!! I hugged my friend, who was still gripping my hand, both of us happy that we had made it!!! But, the wait was not yet over... a few more friends from my department were still awaiting their results.. so, with crossed fingers, and bated breath, we waited for a few more mins... and finally, the results were out.. we were perhaps the only department to go berserk over the results!! all of us started talking.. na shouting at the top of our voices!!! Almost all of us made it.. one close friend was on the wrong side of Lady luck that day, and had to go back disappointed..:(:(:( but one thing is certain... greater avenues await him... All the very best for that!!!

Here is me... moving on to the next step in the ladder of life.. What does it have in store for me?? Only time can tell....

Fitting Finale...

I intend to make this post as lengthy as possible.. the only kind of tribute I can pay to Harry Potter, and JKR..

Its been just a little over 2 hours since I walked out of Sathyam and handed over the 3D glasses, with tears in my eyes, after witnessing the end of an epic saga, which has been captivating readers, young and old alike, for more than a decade now.. Four years back, when the final book in the most successful franchise ever, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, came out, I was one of the first to have laid my hands on the book.. I had pre-booked for it a month back.. Now, I am reliving a kinda deja vu.. When I finished reading the epilogue of the book, I was met with a sense of loss. And with the final movie out, that sense is a bit more pronounced. I practically grew up with Harry Potter.

Though the first book made it to the shelves in 1997, I laid my hands on a copy of Philosopher's Stone, only in 2001, when I was eleven. And perhaps, that was indeed the right and best time to have read the book, cause Harry too was 11..;) And since then, there was just no looking back!!! I was real quick in completing the first four books in 2 years.. not much to boast about now, but it was something real great back then. At that time, to be entering your teens and having completed the first 4 books of Harry Potter was something to brag about.. and to this day, I am proud of it.. :):) And among the various memorable things of my first year as a teen was the anticipation I had for the fifth book of the series to release!! :P .. though the books in the middle came at different intervals, somehow, when book 7 hit the market, I was 17, so was Harry. People may laugh at me when I say this.. but I find a way of being able to connect easily with Harry and his friends.. (I don't mean the fantasy part, I mean the emotional part).. When I feel down, I pick up one of the seven books to read.. When I am ecstatic, I do the same.. Harry has become part of my life, whether I want it or not.

The movies which came at fairly regular intervals, were a treat to watch.. There used to be so much discussion on whether the director was justified in editing this part, deleting that, including this, etc etc.. The debate never stopped!! Some say the movies are better, others say the books have a touch of originality. Whether the movies or the books, the true winner is the entire series!!!

When you tell the outside world that you are a POTTER-MANIAC, you'll definitely make a few eyebrows shot up.. People stare at you to check if they heard you right... that, being in your final year of college, you still tell out that you read Harry Potter.. Well, to all those who mock the Potter fans out there, no matter whether I am 20, or 80, I will proclaim loudly to the world that I love Harry Potter, and that even now, I would give all my time just to sit and read the series all over again.

When I finished the 7th book for the first time, I was upset. Upset that I will not have another of the books to read.. But, I was consoled by the fact that I can atleast revisit the sense of acceptance and belonging through the movies. But, now that the final movie is out, I am completely lost. A void feeling runs through me. Maybe I am not the only feeling so.. But sure as hell, I will miss Harry, Hogwarts, Hagrid.. everyone!!! The final movie, HP-7-part 2, is definitely an awesome one.. I never had a single regret during the 2 hour span of the movie!! When the end credits rolled out at the theatre today, I refused to leave the hall.. my friends and myself were the last to exit, well after the credits were done...well after the enchanting and bewitching music died down... :(:(

According to me, there are two kinds of people in this world.. one that reads Harry Potter, and one that doesn't.. And I take it as a source of pride to say that I belong to the first category!!

Love you Harry Potter.. You'll live on forever!!!

SIVAKASI!!!!

This was one trip that was in the planning stage for more than a year!! Of course, better late, than never!!!

So it was that we planned to head for Sivakasi from Dindigul.. We were to go to Virudhunagar and then catch a bus to Sivakasi.. and the bus journeys were forgettable ones..;) We reached the place at around 7 in the eve.. and from the minute we arrived at one of our best friend's place, there was never a dull moment!!! We immediately felt at home at her place!! Here is a 'small' account on the fun we had..;)

Day 1:
Since we arrived only at 7 that eve, we stayed at home and did nothing but talk our heads off!! We were to sleep upstairs in a spacious room all by ourselves and once we settled, all that we did was to talk like we'd never talked before!!! If not for the fact that we had been travelling for most of the day, we'd not have slept as early as at 12 that night..;);)

Day 2:
As against the usual roosters cawing at dawn, it was peacocks that did the job in Sivakasi!! One can know it is 6am from their morning cries!!! The city is crowded with our national birds!!! But despite their wake up call, we never woke up a minute before 10!! A lazy breakfast, followed by a lazier bath, made our morning session. We then paid a visit to my friend's school. That evening, we paid a visit to the Bhadrakaali Amman temple over there. After the temple, we headed for having ice creams!!! We didn't sleep till 5 a.m. that day!!!

Day 3:
Having slept only at 5, we were even more lazy that day!!! That eve, we went to watch Avan- Ivan at BIG cinemas. The movie was a forgettable one... but we had a good time together, munching pop corns and drinking pepsi.. we were joined by my friend's sister and her mom.. it was a family outing.. :):) My friend's mom was shocked when we screamed our lungs out during Suriya's guest performance in the movie(the lone good part in the film!!!)

Day 4:
A quite sunday.. Much of the time went off exploring the streets of Sivakasi. My friends would be able to give a better description of the day..;) That night, we went to dine at BELL Hotel, a 3 star restaurant.. Our hosts made sure we were completely full!!! Another bite, and we would have burst!!! So full of food were we!! I had to sacrifice the jelly-ice cream combo cause of this.. :(:(

Day 5:
The day was reserved for eating Chaat!!! We headed for Malgudi Mittai.. I love the name of the place..:):) Over chaat, we discussed to get some souvenir from sivakasi. The brightest idea we could come up with was to get a kurta each..:):) Thats how we ended up getting the same design-same pattern kurta for the three of us from a store over there..:):):) The night went off playing cards..:):)

Day 6:
We were to return back home that night. Most of the day went off in packing our stuff.. The most memorable event that day was our train journey back to Chennai, when the 3 of us sat on the top berth, chatting, smsing mutual friends, pulling each others legs- even after the lights were off!!!;);)

Day 7:
We came to our respective homes!!!

Hope I did justice highlighting the important happenings of our stay at Sivakasi.. This post is dedicated to Subha, Shruthi, Aunty and Uncle.. Never did I think Sivakasi could be so much fun. I'll cherish the time I spent with you guys forever!!!

Field trip!!!!

OMG!!! Am now a final year student!!! Seems only yesterday that I stepped into college!! And here I am..awaiting the opening of my 7th semester of college life..!!!

The last summer vacation as a student is finally at its end.. And fittingly, this was one of my best summers.. the first place still goes to last summer I spent in Trichy..;)The long-overdue field visits in connection with our project finally came into effect this month.. With a lot of doubts and confusions in mind, my friend and I set forth to Dharmapuri on the 19th of June.. The bus travel was definitely an unforgetful one, barring the forgettable Singampuli movie that was screened.. We both had an amazing time chatting late into the night.. girly gossip of course..;) We reached Dharmapuri at 5 the next morn.. and gosh!!! we never thought it would be so cold over there!! I ended up sneezing the entire morn!!! The people at whose place we stayed were very sweet to us.. we felt so much at home.. even better was the fact that they had two kids at their place..!!! and I enjoyed playing with them. The field visit was a success. The officials we met were so warm and helpful.. the staff of IRS definitely need to learn from them. Going from a place where data is denied to their own students (IRS), it definitely was a shocking surprise when we were offered that amount of help!!! Hats off to them!!! Dharmapuri, particularly Pennagaram is a scenic place.. my only regret is that I could not go to Hogenagal, despite it being just half an hour from there.. :( We started back to Chennai the same night.. and oh boy!!! only on that night did I understand the true meaning of the saying- Appearances are deceptive!! The SETC bus, being the only one available to take us back home seemed to be an 'ultra deluxe' bus only from the outside!!! I had a horrible encounter with bed bugs that night.. :(:( I woke up next morning to bites on my arms and legs..:(:(

The very night,21st June, we started for Dindigul, the other place we had to visit as part of our field visit.. and this time, we were clever enough to book tickets in an AC bus.. and we were also lucky enough to watch Singam movie!! Being Suriya fans, it definitely was a treat..:):) We were to stay at a senior's place at Dindigul.. a place called Pattiverampatti..(hope i got the spelling right!!) and the place was an entire world of its own!!! and the hospitality that we were bestowed- complete awesomeness!! we had an entire room, with an awesome dressing room and bathroom, and with our own tv!!! it was completely furnished like a hotel room!!! We were able to enjoy such luxury all thanks to one person!!! We even had a car to take us around!! ;)

Of my visit to Dindigul, the most interesting one would have been to GANDHIGRAM UNIVERSITY!! I was gaping with open mouth at the entire stretch of the pristine campus!! And true to Gandhian ideologies, the men there were dressed in Khadi!!! It really is relieving to know that Gandhian values are still being practised and taught. Awestruck was I when I saw a banner reading "Department of Gandhian thought and Peace science"!!! The sculptures in front of many departments were intriguing and kept one guessing as to what they meant..:):) The next day afternoon, we departed for Sivakasi.. We were at a loss of words to thank our hosts for being so kind on us and treating us as their own family..:):)

And now, SIVAKASI...
No.. I'd need an entire post for that!!!

Fun in the Sun... and Rain...!!!

WARNING: This is gonna be one helluva long post!!!
People with little or no patience are requested to kindly skip reading!!!


Well, I'm back to chennai now... came back yesterday night... this was perhaps the shortest trip of mine to trichy.. :(

So, what inspired me to write this blog?? It was the trip that I had mentioned in the previous post. My friends were planning this for quite sometime.. but things fell into place only now, and we carried out the plan with perfect execution... :):) Of course, when you actually hear about the trip, you won't think it to be something as great as my bragging seems to indicate..:P

This is it- my friends and I had been wanting to go some place that was a day's journey from trichy and come back home the very same night. Since the closest place to home is Madurai, we decided to head for ATHISAYAM theme park in Madurai..:):) And till the eve before the trip, all of us were filled with apprehension and anxiety!!! Why does one have to be anxious about going to Madurai for a day, will be the first thought that comes to anyone's mind. The main thing that all of us were jittery about were that we were going there by car!!!Well, the fact that Anandh is an amazing driver is well known and accepted... but then, to err is human... so, all of us had our fingers crossed... Also, I had something extra to fear about!!! I was going on the trip without my parents' knowledge!!! ;)

So, start we did.. on 1st morn, at 7.30 from Trichy.. I can never forget how much I laughed seeing Hari's attire that day!!! Well, Anandh too was in his casuals.. but Hari, his casuals and his hairstyle are one rare combo!!! And only that morn did I know that, Mani, one of our friends from Coimbatore was also coming directly to Madurai... It was assured that we were in for a gala time!!! It was a comfortable fit in the car.. Anandh and Hari were in the front, and Srinath, Srinithya and myself were at the rear... We had so much fun... none of us slept a wink during our ride.. en route, we stopped to take pics... The photographers in Anandh and Hari, came up with some funny poses for everyone to give... Hari even came loaded with a tripod stand for his camera!!! :D:D

There were a lotta funny incidents throughout.. to quote a few, at the toll plaza, Anandh forgot his car's number and had to get down to check it... and also, none of us knew how exactly to reach the park... It seems the previous night, the guys had been doing some research on the shortest and optimum route (network analysis in real-life!!!) to take using GOOGLE MAPS!!! And during our journey too, we never stopped to ask for directions... all we did was use the moblie!!! ;)TECHNOLOGY PUT TO USE..:):)

And we reached the park at 10.30, and since the time we went in, there was simply no telling how much fun we had!!! The guys were keen on getting us completely wet... Though we girls preferred to sit by the pool, they dragged us in, pushed us from behind and made sure we weren't idle!!! :D Anandh, a pro swimmer was busy taking lessons for the other 3... and Hari and Mani, who can never be without pulling each others legs, whether on land, or in water, were the centre of attraction!!! Whatever they did- pull the float-mats, or dunk each other in water, a few kids tried immitating..:):)

And to add to all this, the weather was awesome that day!!! It started raining and it was so damn chilly that one had to get inside the pool to stay warm- courtesy: the absorption-radiation of the concrete basements..:) Having ice creams when it rains is always a great feeling... and we did that too..:):) We decided to make our money's worth and went a lot of times on a few rides.:) The 'Family raft', 'Dry raft' and ' Aqua bowl doubles' were some of the rides we frequented. The 'Wave Pool' was good too... Whatever ride it was, whether it was the thrilling ones or just lazying around in the shallow pools, we had a great time out there!!!

We went there when the park opened in the morn, and didn't leave until it was after 5 in the eve. And we had to head upto the city of Madurai to drop Mani off, for him to board a bus back home... and it was 6 in the eve when we were back on track to trichy.. The ride back was even more fun with an awesome weather.. we made stops again to take a few snaps..:):) It is always fun to join together and make fun of someone.. and though it usually is Hari who gets caught, this time it was Srinath's turn!!! Solid 3 hours of teasing him!!! The poor guy would've strangled us if given a chance..!! :D


And so it was that our trip to Adhisayam and back home, was safe and sound!!! Thanks to Anandh for his calm, careful and assuring driving skills..:):) We started at 7.30 in the morn and came back when the clock struck 9...:)

A day out with friends is always fun... none can deny that... I'm really glad that I went on this trip... Thanks to the guys for planning the trip, and thanks to srinithya for convincing me to come...:):) Love you all!!!:):):)