Be sad and rich or be happy and footloose?

The things people do and seek out, try out.. all the sake for that very elusive drug called happiness. Really, in the end, when you're asked, "why do you study?"
-"to get a job."
"why do you need a job?"
-"to earn money and fend for myself, stand up on my own feet."
"and after that, what?"

Well what follows is that either you haven't planned that far out into the future, and you're not that into philosophy and the baggage it comes with.

I was just doing a bit of introspection [which really means lotsa thinking when you're bored with nothing better to do, really!] and how I'm faring- now that I'm settled down as a trainee/intern/whateveryouwannacallem- and very happy too-- but with the meagre stipend only. And since I'm lucky enough not to be worried about matters of more gravity like having to substantially provide for family etc, I have the freedom to live off on my own.

And I wondered.

If I were offered a well-paid job as guest lecturer at my former college under that very scary boss. Would I pick that up stat? Or would I rather live light-hearted on a measly stipend off on my own?

Funnily enough, as much as I'd like all the extra moolah I could possibly earn- I would choose the second option. I get the experience of working under one of the awesomest, known-across-library scenario-in the world, nicest boss/Chief at one of the awesomest campus around India. Hey, it's not every day you get to work for a whole year at a campus that resembles a hill station dammit!

YOU check the previous post and THEN you check out the campus I'm at. AND you decide.

Happiness? Or money?

Waving goodbyes, trying not to cry, trying to blot out misery

Omg.
I must have totally lost my mojo. How else do I explain spending over  2 months away from blogging, and still not regretting that?
I've been the laziest bum that ever was let astray on the face of earth and I've been watching; NAY; marathoning dramas, series and movies like the world's ending the very next day. well, it might. but that wasn't my point anyway.

So..
I'm done with my post-grad years. I'm still contemplating research, but not gonna go down that road for a couple o' years anyway.

Thinking back to these last 2 years still makes me feel awfully queasy. or specifically, that week. Uh, yeah i get it that i'm not exactly making sense- but it will when you read on.

All these years as a student- be it at elementary school, high school, college and beyond- i've been one of those goody-two-shoes kind of student. May not have come out first place during school- but I was always loved by teachers. Never exactly did anything wrong, and i was favorite student for quite a lot of my teachers. I'm not kidding when i say that even after all these years, some of them still talk about me with a smile on their face to their current students. ACCEPT IT! I WAS THAT NICE!

Why am I ranting on when it's obviously making lesser and lesser sense?

Hm, let's just say there's someone who feels that way. Ok, i'll just refer to him/her as Someone in this post for now. Someone is temperamental to begin with. Volatile emotions and highly oscillating mood-swings. So one moment Someone is being nice and talking well with me. Next thing I know, I'd called up Someone to confirm stuff about a job offer s/he made to me. Let's just say s/he was planning on making me and another classmate low paid guest lecturers. Like, real dirt cheap. Which was also probably why the call never went the way it should have.

I has said just one sentence to Someone, in English, to keep it polite and formal, unless s/he found me to being rude to their face. Yeah, one has to keep  literally a million things in mind before saying a word to this person. I swear. S blows up right in my face (ear) about how I'm being rude (cos allegedly i spoke throughout the call in English, being distant [WTH? are u kidding me?]), mean, disgusting and to just refuse the job offer if I weren't interested.

Truth is, I'm interested. And S is my teacher. But S didn't even bother answering whether S would be covering for my travel expenses even. Youch. #worstphonecallever
and since he blew out in a rage w/o answering on the pay, my family guesses they weren't gonna pay me much. probably lesser than less.
i cried.

So next time I went with classmates to collect certificates and get the hell outta that place, I knew i'd be facing the wrath of something I knew I didnt deserve. Boy, was I right.

Things said to me:

• I'm the worst student ever in S's entire life.
• I'm mercenary (not the exact word, but all the paragraphs worth of ranting s/he spewed in my face amounts to that word I'd say)
• I should get the hell outta here if i'm expecting same pay scale as guest lecturers.
• etc etc etc painful stuff.

I kind of cried again right there. Yeah, call me out on being softie, but I can't handle allegations that maketh no sense. I know S can be angry and then go back to nice real quick. Not in my case. Not yet anyway. I also know S regularly abuses every subordinate and hurls fierce insults at them in public. Yeah, not exactly a well-loved person in there I'd say.

Good to have finally gotten out of there. There were great friends, good teachers, beautiful memories.. But why did the ending have to be so messy ?

Anyway,
goodbye my pg years, and dept

adieu,

alvida,

annyeong,

and every other way to finally sever ties with that horrid memory.

Waving goodbyes,
I'll Trying to keep from crying
Closing a chapter of life,
Blotted by black memories and white.

{o my! that was so spontaneous! *must work on it}

PS- Gilsha, you're an amazing friend whom I never want to lose. Sorry for all the times I may have been mean to you. Forgive me =)

PPS- and no, i didn't take up that job offer. in case you were wondering. not worth the insults i'd've to face anyway.

And Stanley is a leftie!

How can a story be THIS beautiful, and be heart-warming and

heart-breaking all at the same time?

Oh Stanley and your elusive dabba. You had me, my soul, my all, from the opening credits itself. (Yes adorable mini cartoon, I'm talkin' abt you!)

Stanley ka dabba is one of those rare, Rare, Very rare movies where you get to see the child being-well, a child. I'd grown tired of all those hundreds of movies out there where kids behave prissy, with aggravating know-it-all teen sass. *Points accusing finger especially at the kid in Cheeni Kam who wanted to watch porn {granted she was terminal, but what's with the double-entendre laced inappropriate crushing on your sixty-plus neighbour? Weeeeeeeeird and uncomfortable.} and her ilk.
 On the other hand, the nicer ones include the friends in Paa, Taare Zameen Par and company. But yeah, TZP is practically an Amole Gupte product, so the normal children characters are expected.So, Stanley and his friends are such good hearted darlings like kids normally are, that it's a pure delight just to watch them interact on-screen.

Ooh, and for once, we get to see a deep-rooted stereotype squished. About time too. The rich, fat boy is actually nice and the kind who shares his tiffin!

And coming to the titular tiffin.. There's actually a parallel to Stanley's absent tiffin. Stanley meanie Hindi teacher, of the voracious apetite, Verma sir (Amole Gupte) who doesn't seem to have a tiffin either and shamelessly digs into everyone else's tiffins- students and teachers alike. Thumbs up for such a believable performance Amole Gupte! More so for the utter lack of vanity with which he essays the role. You'll totally want to pull out his hair out cos that's how believable he makes the character.

  

Coming to one of my personal favorite moments in the movie. Every frame of it is a personal favorite for me, but this one's all the more dear cos:
 How not to love the fact that Stanley is a leftie, with all the mundane leftie problems lefties face every day of our lives. Your left elbow constantly hitting your right handed neighbour's elbow just one of the many problems you face in a right-dominated, right-biased world. I'm so familiar with that happening like ALL the time at school. But what's more personal is how effectively the director captures each teacher's reaction to this problem. Must, must, MUST gush about how much I love him for including this detail into the story. So trivial,
and yet so true!
 My sister and myself have this fetish for finding out lefties among celebs. So when we do find one eventually, it's always a thrill and squee when you note a compatriot. "omg, i didn't realize he/she's one of us!!"

To say more would be to kill the fun for ya. But I must say, the first time around I sniffed like a little girl by the end of the movie. The second time round? I bawled my eyes out. Apart from the explicit storyline, Stanely ka Dabba mainly is concerning a universal problem. But i'd be a spoilsport if I were to spill more beans. Considering how this is the core of this heavenly fare.

Alright, happy movie watching everyone. Love you Stanley and all Stanley-friends!

About The Gods of Headbangs

The DownTroddence/ The Adiyalans

The six piece metal band's current line-up boasts of some of the finest talent in metal hereabouts. No kidding.
They have won headbangs everytime they do a gig,without fail. Plus the accolades, cheers, critical praise- the popularity rising, and the prizes that keep pouring in, everytime. Every f***king time. See? I tolja, their rhythm make me use expletives in the best ways possible.
Last I know, they won 'Amplified' at the NIT-C(alicut) annual fest Raaga, beating every other competitor from across the country.
So if you find yourself screaming hoarse for their signed albums one day in the (hopefully) recent future, remember that you heard of them from me. *smug
Or you probably know them perfectly already.

(damn i'm slow. Was planning to do this post exactly one year back, can't believed it stayed a draft for so long)


Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to go to any gig of theirs. Wish as I might, it won’t happen. Gah, who heard of petite, headscarf wearing girls at metal concerts?? Not that I care, but I don’t have anyone close-by for company anyway.

So how would you like this post to actually start off? Intro on the kings or their music? I self-voted and decided to introduce their music first to the uninitiated:


THE METAL THEY CREATED
 
Death Vanity- the first single. I'll change my name, my ways, my whole life if you can NOT headbang to this one. Seriously, from the first strings itself the song takes a hold onto you with a death grip and makes sure you have fallen for it, hook, line and sinker. It's so sophisticated, polished and perfect, you wouldn't guess it's Downtroddence's very first creation. Their perfect first child.

Then there's Vengeance, their cover of a band called Evergreen. Though I'm addicted to Death Vanity, can't say the same for Vengeance. But I'm not an authority on metal, so you should decide how amazing this song is for yourself.

 Who can forget Hell within hell?

And there is Shiva(!!!!!)- awesomely head-bang-y. And THE BIG NEWS IS THAT, IT'S OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO IS OUT ON YOUTUBE. Released this 14th of May, 2011. Hells yeah!

Another work of theirs that I really, truly, deeply love is known by the very attention-grabbing name Ortniavis which had me going all, what the...? But really the meaning in within the name itself. This song has quite the back story going for it, but that would be for the next post.
Anyways, talking about this track, Ortniavis is different from their other works in that, it is not hard core metal, and more of an experimental thingamagus. (Wot? That word's in the dictionary. Which one? My own.) Gorgeous and appealing to the senses. Period.

Guess I have your attention now! The next post is more of an interview-metamorphed into a blog post about the evil metal geniuses who are behind The Downtroddence. The concerts they have done, the stories behind their works and all that jazz.
Oops.
All that metal.
=D






Their Facebook official page
Their YouTube official channel 

Gettin high

The more the ecstatic people, the more the creeped-out factor

Reason # 1 why I'm blogging now
Lol. Looks like the blog's still being pissy about the forced starvation part. Well, it had piss anyone off if they were put off fodder too. So here I am trying to fend off dissertation deadlines and the impending exam season by blogging. Or trying to blog.

Reason # 2 why I'm blogging
But why am I actually blogging now? Things really nice and heart warmingly sweet have been happening to me. Mostly so since I don't usually feel like there's any reason people not in direct proximity of me would remember me with love. Not that I'm a nightmare to be around or anything remotely that kind. But still. Everytime someone mentions me with love, I go all; me? You're actually talking about me? You happen to like me a lot?- and that happy mentioning of me by a friend/ good friend/ girlfriend is enough to place me on cloud # 10 in a helium filled state for a looooong time. And recently, a couple of friends; friends whose opinions reaaaaalllly, reaaaaaaaalllllllllllllllyyyyyyyy matter to my happiness and overall peace even have been saying such good things about me [not in my face, mind you. I never take in-my-face compliments seriously even when they are sincerely made] and helping me even if it tires them, that I'm the happiest girl in the world for now,
Yay! Keep me this way please! And thank you dearest Lord for all the unexpected love showers I'm receiving.

Reason # 3 why I'm blogging
And on the other hand, I have recently noticed that I have become a sort of Addiction Initiator-SLASH-Addiction Catalyser-SLASH-Addiction Facilitator for quite a lot of classmates. Lol. It all began with this semester, which is our last, and so, fateful semester as regards our future. Yet, as we have become such experts in procrastination, everyone just slouches all over the place and day dreams until the tests and then do one-night-stands with notes. Thanks to lack of faculty, things have pretty much boiled down to self-teaching.

So as i was blathering, we slouched a lot for the last few months. Everyone has their own way of killing time. Mine was playing "QuadraPop" on buddy Gilsha's SonyEricsson. And boy was I addicted to that game. I had play it for hours on end, even killing all the phone battery at some instances. Then another friend asked for my Nokia and got hooked to "Bounce" for time killing purposes. And before I knew it, things came to the scenario where practically everyone was playing games on everyone else's phone. I had step in the classroom and get asked for my phone before even getting a Good Morning. Oh well!
Life moves on and everyone kind of was de-addicted to phone games. Not all though. I'm still stuck with QuadraPop.
Anyway, THAT was when i started playing Mahjjong on our Ubuntu system. And behold! Sue and Gi get addicted as well!

And here comes the mother of all addictions I spurred-that beats all the other addictions i ever brought:
Korean dramas.

For the last three semesters that we were in post graduation together, my classmates all just scoffed at this weird love i had. Then this semester, I gave the last drama I watched to Bhavya who wanted to know what the noise I made was all about, and,
BEHOLD!
Bhavya is the first one to fall And she fell so damned hard that even I'm surprised and the impact it has left on her. Now she even beats me in talking non-stop about the dramas, the actors, the celeb gossips even. I drew a lot of flak from friends for this. Lots of annoyed curses even. Heh. And funniest thing? I didn't even have to bother to deflect them. Bhavya did all that PR talk for me and even did story telling for the rest. Just.Plain.Awesome.
So I decided to take it a step further and when we girls were all together, Bhavya and yours truly kinda kidnapped and hijacked everyone for full measure, and did a speshul private screening of the first few awesome episodes of that awesome drama. Wadduyuknow? Quite a lot of people fell hard for the drama. And everyone wants a bit of the Korean magic now.

And the ones who didn't fall for the magic?
They are still iffy and giving me baleful stares straight from their closed hearts. I don't mind at all. I have completely converted Bhavya into a full-on faithful ally to the point where-
she and I re-enact our favorite parts with Korean dialogues to boot and
squeal in utter joy when our actor crush breaks up with his girlfriend,
and together we have gotten more addicted.

Life's gooooooooooooooooooood!

The constant push-and-pull I engage you in..

So things have come to a point where every heart-to-heart I try to have with Blog boils down to the Awkward category. This one was no different..

Blog [who's in an aggravated mood thanks to my frequent absence]: Oh lookie lookie, who's come along now after ignoring me blatantly all this month and more?
Me [feeling ashamed]: Yeah love, you have every right to feel that way. Punish me as much as you want, but please don't leave me!
Blog [not as yet in a forgiving mood]: Why the hell are you back though? Exam season approacheth i bet!
Me[feeling cornered and caught]: Riiiiiiiiight. What else but deadlines could bring me running back into your arms these horrid days?
Blog [depressed,yet happy to have me back]: Dayum. You could've at least tried to sound romantic about the running back into my arms/wings/side bars part.

*

Back! 

Why I used to heart PostSecret part II- and still do

***

The last 3 are from Feb 14/2011

But the gems like these seem to be lesser and lesser in frequency nowadays and it's more about pervy sex habits and infidelity that I get to see whenever I give the site a visit. But still, the last 3 were from yesterday's post. And I especially heart the last one since it's just so beautiful! I mean, the maturity in that relationship.

Have a lovely day y'all!
Spread the joy =)

Why I used to heart Potsecret a lot

Now playing (forever playing): Walking Far From Home- Iron and Wine
Found this slice-of-heaven of a song from a blog I stalk day and night.Iron and Wine make insanely beautiful music, and in case you haven't ever tried them out, try now!
You could try the above song, plus their Each Coming Night which is so soothing that I can't even put the feeling into words!


Since I don't seem to have the time to actually post anything regular these days, I'm posting my favorite Valentine-related postsecrets in the last three years. here goes!
Starting with the older ones

The week that was

It was the kind of week where a friend would go on a sneak-date and would find it necessary to hide when almost-spotted by me. Why'd she run away when she saw me? Beats me. Since I'm neither her mom or ex. Maybe it's got a lot to do with my goody-two-shoes image. How the hell do I tell you that's just an image and nothing more? =P  so next time, don't try hiding.

And it was the kind of week where I finally conquered my inferiority complex [temporarily though] and got on stage and sang. =D That was fun!

It was also the week where I finally actually made an effort and called people that matter, and matter beyond std call rates. The kind that are so close, where we're comfortable enough with the distance and time in between, knowing nothing will change how we feel for the other. But I resolved that no matter how much they love me, we'll still make calls back and forth. Even if it may be just to wish good night even! I love my girlfriends soooo very much!

And also, it's been the week where my current drama-crack ended. Also the week that saw my jump in joy at a probably false rumor about the break up of my actor crush from his gf. How I wished it was true though! Just stay single dude! lol- Sometimes I can be so teenage-girly silly, I surprise myself!

hyun bin- and it's sad, but ok if you don't find him as good looking as i do

*Speaking of the crush, Rahul made me a doodle on the palette of his amazing gtalk app- Xscribble. He knows just how crazily crushed I can get over actors who can actually act. And this guy acts like he's actually living that character.

anyway, here's the doodle-

only the squee and clouds were drawn by me. 

Can't keep my eyes off of you

Alexander Wang Donna Leather Hobo Spring/Summer 2009

 

 I'm extremely picky when it comes to bags and footwear. Which means it sometimes takes me months and even a year before I find something that I like enough to buy. Which is also why I haven't bought a new bag even if the one I'm using is getting worse off by the day. But I have finally found The Bag. Has anyone found a cheaper replica of this designer hottie??

I don't know what you make of this image, but I'm seriously smitten. It's not too fancy, but has a crumpled hobo feel to it, the sort that i like.
Black? check.
Silver zippers? check.
Hobo plus boho? check!
I love when a bag isn't too in-your-face, yet awesome enough.Nothing too uptight and formal and maybe even a bit cheeky. I like it through and through.

We had make such a great couple. It my bag and I its person. Love! Go for walks, go shopping, go everywhere with this!

Ever since I've seen this bag, I haven't been able to unsee it. I look at this image like 20 times a day on my desktop and swoon. That's right. Look and swoon. Look and swoon. On repeat!

1/1/'11

exactly my plan for coming year. NO!! it's not any obvious hint towards running away or something as idiotic. 
What am I? 15??
I just want to travel more! See more places, find the peace, bring in more creativity and joy.

1/1/'11 is here finally!

 As for new year wishes,

Not much to say, 'cept wish everyone a happy, happy, REALLY happy year ahead.I never was much into ceremonies. I'm unceremonious even in the required times.
Which is why new years do't mean much, neither do resolutions.But sometimes you totally have to promise yourself some stuff.

My resolution #1 [and the only one really] as regards my blog: Less comebacks and more posts. 

Yes! Cheer for me so that I don't end up breaking this word!

***
What was 2010 for me?
Apart from being extremely busy, over-straining myself and breaking down in the process;
I went places,
Learnt more stuff,
Have gotten much more patient [or so methinks]
and watched tonnes of Korean stuff.

The good:

1. Samsung died on me and I switched to Nokia ExpressMusic.
2. Had several meetups with the Girlfriends-of-the-{add several, several} millenia. Last one was yesterday. Awesome!
3. Uncle's housewarming.
4. Subscribed to the awesomest Indian magazine out there-The Tehelka.
5. Almost forgot- lots happening for The Downtroddence [will post on them soon. real soon!]!!

Sad things?

1. More people got married and drifting away
2. Friends and friends' family getting abused, cheated upon and divorced. =(
3. Read lesser books cos of lack of time SLASH lack of time management.
4. And another favorite girlfriend moves out o town. =( But she's doing really fine, so- w00t!
5. .Deaths, suicides.
6. Most of my Eids and my Christmas this year were ruined thanks to effing-aptly timed exams. Dang!
7. The kitten I saw getting killed by some stray dog. Could do absolutely nothing to save it. Had to watch it die.

Another to-do for 2011-
Meet at least ONE blogger buddy. We'll see how that turns out. =/




PS- and don't forget! 2010 was The year of Rajni! ynna rascala...! ;) I don't know about you, but I think he's one of the humblest actors out there in all of Indian tinseltown