When I was at my geek-awesome mode [yes, there IS such a mode]

Apologies for taking soooooo long in a blog update. Was away from internet, was away from home. Spent a week in a new city [specifically speaking, 12 hours or so away by train] as part of field trip, spent most of that time visiting libraries. Yeah well, you thought library and information science courses would be tedious and geeky. But you didn't realize there were so many uber cool and rad libraries in one city itself right?

BUTTING IN BETWEEN: Lordy, if I say I got a tan from there, that'd be an understatement. I got practically sun-burnt! No gorgeous bronzed look for me. I just look like my favorite comic-cameo star at the moment.

 ok... maybe I was exaggerating a leeeetle bit. = p

AND BACK TO WHAT I'M SAYING: Trivandrum rocks for all the right reasons for me honey.

The cleanliness of the city, the i-don't-give-a-damn-about-you-even-if-you-are-weird attitude of the people; parks; fantastic architecture of most of the buildings and structures I came across; finally being able to visit one of my favorite family friends after years; and of course- at the expense of a remark that will make me look absurdly like a geek- I loved most of the libraries I visited while I was there.

*********

But the best were- in order of their awesomeness for me-

Numero uno is IIITMK. Freakin' awesome! While we were there, listening to everything the head told us on the library, the trainee blogged about it right then and there. Talk about live blogging!

Kerala Legislative Library. Probably the library which really makes you strain your brain cells a lot. The legislators call you up for data that will help back up their arguments in the legislative assembly all the time. Which means you gotta find both pros and cons of same topic for both the opposition and ruling party. You gotta feed them with the right kind of info if you don't want to face upset legislators- which I'm pretty sure can be scary.

CDS library which specializes in research of Economics. And man, do they have the best landscape and architecture or what?!! Laurie Baker is the coolest architect when it comes to economizing resources. Way cool.

University of Kerala Library is hot property too. Though it ain't looking so very hot at the moment thanks to the huge scale renovation going on. And that's where my mom's best friend works. =)

*******

I loved staying with my batch mates and friends at a hostel for a week. Yelling at each other while taking showers over the cubicles, moaning about the food, doing some reckless, idiotic shopping for pipes and blowing them in the middle of the town and being pleased [and a tad sad] that no one gives a hoot that you and your girlfriend are over 20 and blowing pipes.

I loved the last night of the trip where we stayed up all night playing antakshari and the afternoon I spent shopping with my partner-in-craziness Shesly in Kanyakumari. Like any trip, there were fun parts and lousy parts. And some fun-cum-lousy parts. Like the Kovalam beach thing we did in the middle of a drizzle. Gah. Would've been fun if I hadn't been wearing one of my favorite clothes and my favorite footwear-that-shouldn't-be-wet-too-much.  In the end of all the sand and sea, I emerge from the beach complete with very black-looking bare feet- courtesy the sand. Urgh. Definitely not my idea of fun.

Anyways, to cut all of it short, I'm off for internship, which means- more of less online presence. Which is exactly why I'm planning some posts to be published while I'm away so you guys won't totally forget me. =|

Love,

Raphael.

PS- which reminds me, I'm giving out my real name from now on since too many rellys read my blog anyway. No privacy people. :\ damn. But I'd prefer if you just call me Raphael, since that's the name I had name myself had I had the opportunity. Yes, that's the cue to say "weeeeeeiiiiiiiird" and close this page. Ciao for now everyone!

PPS- Or shouldn't I?

and thus the long awaited brother-sister road trip finally happened

Everything else took a back seat for these past 7 days.

Yes, all you jealous ppl, I had a fantastic brother-sister-road-trip-of-sorts. The destination wasn't fancy by any means, but there was a comfy house tucked away in a suburb of Tamil Nadu. my uncle's place. our favorite vacation retreat.

My favorite parts from the trip?
*EVERYTHING! EVERY SINGLE MOMENT!

*the lure of the train. [you know i love them!There's a gypsy in me that LOVES roads,wheels,winds,traveling and the whole package about road trips]

*my favorite cousin/brother for company.

*sharing the music [Than ta naaaa!!!!!!!!{kaminey} for one]

*Kite Runner. [my choice for on-the-move read. Bro had "The Broker"-John Grisham] i swear i almost cried thru several parts of it.

*making acquaintances on the train. i chose not to ask their names though, what's the fun if you can't add some imagination to all those friendships you made?!

*all those late-night movies and laughing at tacky old Tamil movies. [no offense meant!]and throw in the bits where we fought over the remote like we were kids.[never mind that we are both way past the age to fight like kids!!]

*and add to that the fact that we two bought a whole box of chocolates to go with the tv watching. munch,munch,munch.

*THE Shopping. ohhhhhhhh, the shop-all-day at Coimbatore!

*Uncle lent me a book of his, the one which he hadn't parted with in all of the 20 odd years of owning it, yet. And I'm the lucky girl who gets her hands on it. The book?
Between Ourselves: letters between mothers and daughters.
*Him saying that I was going to be his heiress. No, not money. But to his VAST collection of books. Think of every masterpiece, memorable books and all those good books- he's got 'em all in his shelves.
And I'm going to inherit them all!!!!!!!
-------------
I don't care if I don't actually get those books. Just the idea that he thought me important enough to leave his precious books with... that's the best part of it.

*The food. We dined out virtually every day. Went to many of the well known South Indian restaurants around there.And I have tasted some of the best veg food, plus discovered how spicy the "dragon chicken" dish was. Yum!

And the best-best part of all? That bonding time. With the best uncle in the world and my aunt and,most importantly-
with the best cousin in the whole wide world.

Beyond sharing music,books,movies,chocolates and some sizable portions of good television watching [which would include NDTV, Nat Geo as well-IF you're wondering what i meant by good television watching]
and some dumb fights,
and 'fessing up on past relationships [read-ruined relationships],
our shady records of shady vices,sins and our dealings with:
Stuff-considered-taboo-in-our-family;

i know I have a wonderful brother of a lifetime.
He's always been so good; despite me being one big jerk of a sister to him. :D





The part I didn't like-

*Eating prior to long journeys makes me queasy, for some mysterious reason. On the other hand, when I travel on an almost empty stomach, I'm so good!

Maybe I'm just being psycho.


-this shot taken from Flickr

Vignettes of the tour

Day 1:Crossing the Kabani river, leaving the idyllic Kuruva Island behind. Scaredy cat Nauman watches from distance, all the while smoking his hundredth cigarette.

The Kabani River. Fantastic clicking from Prof Efthikar.

Pretending to call evil spirits in the candle light. Ouija Board thing. [Power cut follows us all the way to a small tea shop in Wyanad, Sulthan Bathery]

On the left side you see the street-fast-food-joint. It's not everyday that we girls get to eat off from a street food joint at night!

Day 2:At the Wildlife Sanctuary at Wyanad, Kerala, India. Beautiful. Us Offbeats were like ready to give up everything and live somewhere like here.


Heading for the Edakkal caves. The caves were worth all that huffing and trudging we had to do to climb up there.

Feet lapping in the Kara River, watching the sunset with best friends. Only thing that pissed me off? The jeans I wore got wet and thus muddy after all that wading in the water.

Prof Babu [left] and Prof Efthikar returning to bus after some cigarettes. Shot is foggy 'cos we took it through the rear window of the bus.

Suicide Point, Ooty. [Only thing I can't undertsand is, why'd anyone trudge all the way up here just to die??? It's a sin in itself to die from such a gorgeous, breathtaking place. Moodspoiling!]
ps- the wind was so strong that everyone was worried that I might get blown off! point to be noted since I'm the skinniest. :\

The last flames of the camp fire. Kind of symbolic even. Shucks, things are getting too sad!

The tour that felt like a lifetime

Sun burnt, freckled, a 9000 times more happier than before...
That's me, post the MUCH awaited trip!
Though it lasted a 3 days, the tour sure felt like a lifetime in itself. An experience! Adventure!
And might not happen ever again... :(
Unless the promise of our cool professors happens, that is! They loved the time spent with us sooo helluva much, that they want another one with us! Wow!!
17 students and 3 uber cool professors.
Day 1:
We just made it to one place. But, as we always say-
it's the people and the time we spent together that matters in the end. Not the destination.
Same here. We just grooved to a lot of music and screamed our throats out for the most part.
Went to Kuruva Island in Wyanad. Mother Nature never fails to blow my mind! Crossing the river in old fashioned boats (with boatmen!) and bravely waded halfway across a fiercely flowing Kabani river. Thanks to our heroes of the day, the boys, we made it through without too many mishaps. Especially Prajeesh. So so so strongg!
erm... I slipped and fell quite a few times. Sheesh!
Came across elephant footprints and a monkey. Prof. Efthikar tried scaring it, but our simian dude wasn't impressed at all by sir's antics! ha ha!!
Night we reached our dorms where we had be staying the night. The person who organised our accommodation in Wyanad was Prof Babu's friend Eldo. Namitha and Vrinda had an instant crush on him. (Which lasted the evening only. Both were disillusioned after seeing him in broad daylight the next day.)
Dinner was street food. Everyone was actually demanding that the dinner be from some street food joint. Finger-lickin' gooood... Welcome to the original fast food makers! They whipped us up our dinner so cracking fast!

Day 2:
Wyanad again.
Morning was real cold. So cold that we breath out and mist comes off!
Wildlife sanctuary visited. Which meant, everyone was staring at the monkeys and calling them by our names. Like, Akhil: "Look, Namitha is up there!!"
See?
Saw monkeys, deers, foxes etc etc. Tall trees. Unpolluted cool climate. Verdant landscape. Streams, rivers...
I am in a happy dream. Friends, myself, great place, cool profs...
Had fun teasing Prof Efthikar about his age which is 38 as per Prof Babu and 33 as per Efthikar Sir.
Edakkal Caves archaeological importance. plus hill climbing. multiply the fun involved!
Vinaya, Nimisha, Praveen made it almost to the topmost. Vrinda,Akhil,Prajeesh made it to the topmost. You can see all 4 states from up there! Kerala,Tamil Nadu,Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh!! ain't that wickedly!
River Kara a bath and a lot of fun. Well, most of us couldn't swim, so we just let our feet lap the water. The rest did swim. Caught a glimpse of Prajeesh's 6pack body. Vinaya&I are so much in awe!
We wanted to do Pookod Lake too. But time restriction.. so had to give up on that idea.
Dinner was excellent. Not street food though. Posh hotel and all.

Day 3 is already here! @%$^%$*&^(!!:
Off to Ooty. Way so cold. Jumped off at tea estates, sang Pehla Nasha, Chale Jaise Hawayein.. Ooh-ed and aah-ed at breathtaking scenes all the way round the scary hair-pin bends. Touched sheep. Off to Botanical Garden and Lake. Vrinda gets instant crush on a cute guy at the Garden. Prof Babu allows her to look back at him. finally we had trouble shaking him off from following her! Arre!! How could I forget those awesome pani puris and good bhel puris we ate at the lake. You don't get them in Kerala, y'see. Vinaya,I,Ragitha loved 'em!
We got on to the mini train and sang "Aditi" and "Kaataadi" a Malayalam song. Cheesy to the core! Shopping session upto night. Camp fire in the freezing cold midnight in Gudallore or somewhere's woods. Pretty emo feeling riding all over. now that the thing is almost over.
Wrapped up the night with a crappy comedy movie before finally falling asleep inside the bus.

Day 4:
Goodbye, Au Revoir, Auf Weidersehen, Alvida etc... Everyone hops off at their places in the morning. Things have changed. We are hell more closer and attached than when we began the tour. The tears aren't rolling yet though. I don't wanna prick the happy bubble in me now.

Photos to follow up soon in next post!
Ciao!

Really back to blog-land this time around!

Eeps. That wasn't a fun way to make a comeback. But the questions were kind of bugging me since yesterday. I deleted that post, cos it went completely against this happy place I'm trying to make up in here.

I'm pretty much really enjoying the Ramzan month. Y'know, all that fasting is actually good for you!Totally detoxifies the bod and soul. Make you come out clean. Mmm..

And at beloved college?
Excellenta!
This week has been especially earthly-heavenly!!

Some random day of this week:
We meet up with Gymnast's boyfriend. And he looks utterly toy-boy despite his almost brutal looking, breath taking muscles.

Y'day:
Lots of free hours. Had hard time convincing everyone that we weren't bunking at all. In fact, we haven't bunked at ALL for a long-long time. AND there was a sorta-spat between Phon.E and Frizz. It ended with Phon.E crying and Vinaya had to console her.
Post everyone else's lunch, we goof around the grand stairs, finally settling down for a game of reverse-quizzing. Un-understandable??? You think of someone we all know, I shoot max 21 questions at you to try to find out who it is. We split into pairs. Me and My-Girl weren't scoring at all, so finally when we DID manage to come up with a person the others couldn't guess, we were so happy. Hugh and Mad tried to madden us by saying we cheated, blah-blah. In the end, MG cried and I was almost out of breath with anger. The fire-coming-from-nose type anger.
One among the many things i can't, simply can't bear?
-False accusations. Even though they were just joking, we got all too messed up.
Anyways, Vinaya consoled MG. The Agony-Aunt back in action.

That done with. We realise that Namitha and Yours Truly are the only ones who haven't cried in college. Yet. The others have cried in random places within the campus. Dusk tops the list.

Got hold of K gang's shades. Very cool and Armani and all. We all take turns wearing it and taking photos in it, mimicking K gang's style. [=P]

To top it all, Hugh, Mad and me were sitting on the steps of the Grand Stairs as well. Quite unashamed, of course!
***********************
Today:
Free hours all morn. So we pack off to town to shop for my dress. Cool Uncle gave me money for that! Then zipping back to college on Singer's bike. Post everyone else's lunch, I slouch with loosened wild,untamed hair.
i love my hair. totally. truly. deeply. madly.
And then, Mad, Z and Frizz bunketh class and sit outside, listening to songs on CJ's phone.
Hey! Mad and Dusk are already crushed on him, proposing him back and forth. Now, it seems Z is a big fan of his as well!
Mad and Z lean on to each others' back. Then both mistake 2 strangers to be our professors and scramble for cover. Dumbo!
Ah well,
Lip-Syncing to "My LOve"-Westlife with Vinaya. Loved it sooo much! Both were squealing with delight, we couldn't really sing along since we wanted to enjoy Westlife's angelic voices.
Where the skies are blue, see you once again my love.
==========================
So addicted to college now, that we fantasise of setting up a tree-top house on the tree over Main Entrance and staying there for.ever.
***
Music-wise
*Namitha and I listen to "Where Did You Sleep Last Night"-Nirvana
I'm awestruck. So much passion and so intense. I could almost feel it in me.
*They try in vain to make me like some Malayalam romantic song. Un-impressive.
*Rock On is so wow.
*Everyone, everywhere is everytime listening to a new Tamil song "Kankal Irundaay" from movie "Santhosh Puram". Or something like that. I like it too!
* Jal new song "Ye Mera Pakistan" [at least, new to me] sounds good. real good. I sing with corrected lyrics "Ye mera Hindustan", :)
*Someone's got hair all Bob-Marley-in-the-making this monday! Turns out the yaar was pretty sick then. Dishevelled hair thus explained.



Dusk is missing out on a Lot. A helluva lot.



And Raphael's birthday is coming up!! Only 4 days to go!! Yeah!!

bLAH bLAH

*Namitha, Vrinda and myself are the new "gang within gang". In respect of being "amazingly slothy", and um, amazingly slothy again. Not just that though, we three are the ones always ready to be deliberately late for lectures, bunk as well,and the first ones to volunteer in anything "ulti-seedhi".

*Eight girls together on an impromptu hike to a beach is mega fun. Even more so when the beach is kinda like an "undiscovered bit of nature."We could hear the roar of the sea miles before we were anywhere near the woods through which we stepped into the beach. And, the sight blew my mind, took my breath away and... made me cuss[I have this problem I see or sense happiness]. The long strip of sands with the water lapping on the edges... I forgot all my initial protests. I had been a bit too lazy and had wanted to opt out of the plan. Good I didn't! The fun was hindered a bit by the stoopid-stoopid male numbers. But still, it was all-out fun. By the end, when Vinaya asked," who all are ready for such a trip 3/4 years later??" All hands went up. I wished we had a couple of scooters or a Hummer (I know it's macho. So?) Vinaya wanted a Gypsy. Whichever way, we want to go there again.

*After that I hopped on with Vrinda and we zoomed on her scooter at....50s and a bit mo'!!!
Reached home with sandy feet and windswept face.

* We wondered how it would be if we made a film. Or a serial. Vaikhari, Prajisha and Ragitha will act. I will be the script-writer, and everything that need be penned down. Vinaya will be the camera-girl(obviously!). Sajla will sing all the background stuff and tracks. Vrinda will handle the transport section. Nimisha will handle the finance department (she's good at numbers. I know!)
Namitha will be the costume designer. And Nilla will be the stunt-woman! Vinaya suggested.
It fits! So who's all ready for Project Movie Making??
All hands shot up.
But i guess Project Mega Serial will be more beneficial since we all can be together for,like eternity!

*Vrinda wonders how it would be if we all end up at the same work-place?
If it's a call center, in Namitha's opinion, no one would call for a second time.
She thinks a bit more and adds, the office would go out of business within a month!!
Considering the kind of behaviour we all put up together, it's possible.

*Vaikhari has found out a sure-fire way on how-to-shut-Raphe's-mouth. Not that I'm such an irritating chatter box though. She's trying to find love-symptoms in my every action,gesture and everything! Like, I told her I can't sleep well nowadays. She declares that I'm in love.I say I'm not hungry, same respponse from her. The girl is yet to notice that you fall in love when there is someone to be called the "love interest". There are none in my life. Silly lovable goose!

*I have taken 500 odd pictures with my friends already!

*It's difficult to have an online life when your Professor is in the same orbit as well. Especially if you're spending a lot of time online when you could be working on your project.

*"Hell is empty, all the devils are here"-Shakespeare. Too true.

*Phone.E's heart broken again by her MCP of a boyfriend.

*Me and my pals are supposed to be contributing stuff to the regional webportal. Nothing has churned out so far.

*I have learnt how to ride on a scooter without having to hold onto the shoulders of Vrinda. Just sit with your hands on your laps. Easy! Namitha on the other side isn't too interested in scooter rides anymo'. She gets back aches!! whoa!

*I'm yet to watch JTYJN. And that makes me feel all grouchy.

Rain-Bikes,Birthdays,Photo Sessions...and Aditi and Pappu

I'm talking about Wednesday first because that was the best day of the week. Hope you guys have the luck myself and Vrinda had!
good luck!
*Wednesday
The BEST DAY OF THE WEEK
I realise I'm quite broke in the evening and so had to take a lift from Vrinda. Had to take? Not exactly, cos I love bikes,I love bikes and I love Vrinda! She turns on the engine and we are ON! In between before we'd made a quarter of the ride, Vrinda made the first halt to take out her driving glasses to stop the dust from getting in the eyes.
I'm riding full-saddled. Hey, comfort first, maintaing feminine illusions is only next!
By the time we reach the Court areas, the climate had progressed to a full-fledged downpour. We giggle down to our second halt. I take out my umbrella and by then the rain is down to a minimum of a drizzle. On the bike again and off we start, this time with the umbrella as well. We wouldn't have bothered about an umbrella if it hadn't been for the fact that you can't drive smooth with rain blinding your eyes. But the strong winds keep trying to blow the umbrella out of my hands. And the place we were driving along was very close to the sea. So really,really strong gales. The umbrella finally breaks off the hold and__flies awayyyy! We were like, "oh shit!" and laughing our heads off. Vrinda halts for the third time in the ride and I step off to pick up the umbrella. All the while with my face and hers split into smiles and drenched to the bones. The umbrella wasn't helping much and the rain had come down. So we drove with the umbrella folded and put aside and enjoyed the rain. We still had to make a fourth halt when it got too heavy to see straight.
You can guess the scenario. No frustration. 2 girls laughing like mad,pointing at a broken umbrella (yes, it got twisted) and pointing at each other's wet clothes. We couldn't even wipe our glasses as there was no part of us which wasn't wet! Both couldn't stop saying over and over again, "This is the best ride I've ever had!"
Finally reached our places.
Drenched, cold and happy as a 'nything.

*Monday-
KS's 11th birthday. Happy birthday dahling!! I still can't believe the Kid Sis is growing up, and that too in such a short time!
At college, my pals and meself wolf down the biriyanis me and Vrinda brought in a matter of nano-seconds.
Somehow by 2.30pm all our buddies have left college. That is,except me,Namitha and Vrinda. We take out my camera, and it's clickety-click,snappity-snap-snap-snap!! Climbed broken walls and trees for cool poses. And since our college has a history of more than 200 years, there were millions of places to discover! After snapping each other in every thinkable place and pose, we used the auto-timer and laughed and giggled for the camera. Plus we went into a mini-jungle and climbed trees (trying to be oblivious to the presence of biting ants and worse biting insects). Obviously by the time we stepped out of there, the 3 of us were scratching arms and feet.
Babes in the woods, but not at all lost!

*Tuesday- Vinaya is mighty jealous that we held a photo-session when she wasn't around. Mind you, she's the first camera-obsessed among us. (I became camera-obsessed only after I owned one.) Morning onwards I'm all pepped up. But by 10am, Namitha,Vinaya,Vaikhari and Nimisha leave to watch that very-hyped "Dashavataram" of Kamal Hasan. Seriously, I'd have been suffocated to watch the same man 10 times over in the span of 3 and a half hours. Ragitha,Prajisha and myself stay back and do a photo session. Cute photos turn up. Noon and we did a house-hunting. Futile search,I may add. By then, our movie-going pals have returned and are speechless. Yes,they loved it and were mind-blown. To tell you more, they mark the movie as an "experience" in itself. What do I know? I'll just don the garb of Scroogie for now.
Bah, Humbug!
Vinaya is all-consuming jealous by now when she learns that we conducted yet another photo-session without her. Hey! Nimisha swept me off my feet literally and had the moment immortalised by Prajisha who handles the cam. I couldn't stop giggling! By this time, a misunderstanding has begun and a spat over between Offbeats and a friend. No one's too sure what triggered him to talk so.
Was he on dope? drunk? or in love???
Anyways, we clicked more photos.

*Thursday
At college,Vrinda has already dished out our adventure to all and we can barely stop laughing when we so much as look at each other. *Sigh!
The best ride on wheels yet!
Vaikhari has finally fallen in love with "Aditi", so has Namitha. Which means everyone is singing "aditi" all the time. Then it's "Pappu Can't Dance".
Photo sessions. Jumping from fences. "strangling" Namitha and Vinaya. But i notice that volunteers for "strangling" Namitha were much higher than for Vinaya.
!
Say what you want!
Just as I expected Namitha is highly jealous of our very cool bike adventure.
-------------------------------------------------
*Friday
A fight in which many of our friends get hurt. What was worse is that the whole "friction" began right from the place we were. Very ouch feeling for the rest of the day.
A movie star comes to college for some club inauguration.
On a happier note, Prajisha's birthday!!!!
Took videos of the whole thing. I'd taken along my pipe. nothing too excellent. in fact, it makes a very ugly noise when blown, which had everyone in splits!That's exactly why I bought it at the flea market. Plus it lengthens when you blow. Extra fun. The childishness of the whole thing had Prajisha and everyone else tiring themselves out laughing.

YOU SIMPLY HAVE TO READ THIS, IF YOU ARE AN A.R RAHMANIAC.
"HOW A.R.R COMPOSES A TUNE"
Amazing write up, Farzad! Kudos!

I'm loving the wheels and the rain!

-No, there were no side cars and helmets. And no cats.

I'm in an extremely happy mood now. Guess what? Bike ride again! This time, courtesy sweetheart Vri aka Vrinda. Everybuddy was leaving college phataphat today. Since I wasn't in the mood to go shopping along with my pack, and Vrinda happened to be going along my route, she gives me a lift. She drives way so smooth and fast that I'm loving it!!! I totally lov'd it! So much that I want a bike of my own now. Anyways, great ride, cold chilling winds, rain clouds looming threateningly, me very happy and hoping a lot that this ride would not end. We were slightly on the illegal side cos Vri wasn't wearing a helmet.We reached the bus stop perfectly in sync with the rain drops. My feet had not even so much as touched the ground that it starts raining heavy. Of course Vri couldn't possibly go on in the rain. Apart from the getting-drenched-to-the-bones part, you're partly blinded when u try riding in a downpour. Not a good option when you want to reach home alive. We were to part ways from the town. I had leave for home on a bus. She homeward on her scooter. And since it was raining, I kept her company until the rain had abated. Bought a Nestle Classic and we munched through it, watching the falling drops. Excellent feeling, I swear!

And then, its goodbyes.

PS-On the gloomy side, Ragitha is having a bad time. We think her grandfather is no more. She did get a call from home telling her that her grandpa was grievously ill. Usually such calls come when the person is already dead. Hope its not the case here.