Will You Shave?

‘This post is a part of #WillYouShave activity at BlogAdda in association with Gillette”

I was tagged by my friend tennyson to blog about this contest that was happening at blogadda.

At first,I thought,"what say will I have in a contest that apparently seems to be designed for men only?"

To that question of mine,BlogAdda had an answer in the form of these lines:

Ladies, you have a say in this too! Write a blog post about the men in your life on the following themes.

• An instance when a stubble came in the way of a man’s chance to make a good impression.
• An instance when a well groomed look ensured that they struck gold on an opportunity given to them.

So,I racked my brains,trying to think of an incident or two,where a clean-shaved look benefitted a man better than any hot stubble would.Needless to say,yes,I am a stubble person.(It only suits some people,but oh!When it does!)

Not getting entrapped into any further distractions,let’s go back to the topic:Of clean-shaved men,and the golden opportunities they land because of their highly sophisticated looks and neat attire!

As you all probably know very well,I am quite the extrovert.Needless to say,I have friends in all the places one can think of!(Exaggeration;but not quite!woot woot).So it is an obvious fact that I am friends with seniors from college.Engineering colleges are reknowned for their placement seasons.I know a lot of seniors who are dear buds of mine,and who sport beards and moustaches as proudly as a grizzly bear would carry off his mane!But,come placement season,all the beards are gone,and you can witness these junglee’s come back to humankind!Gone is the bearded scrawny,shaggy look of rebellion that four years of hard work forces them to adopt1Instead,they now turn into well-groomed,sophisticated,civilized MEN who are ready to earn their bread and make a name for themselves in the big bad world!

It’s funny how a small thing like shaving can make such a huge difference in one’s perception of another human being,but nevertheless,it does.And,I should probably not forget to mention this:but all of them land jobs-good ones,at that!So,kudos to shaving.Cheers,Gillette!

I further tag yash shah and shreyank joshi to carry forward this challenge.Don’t forget to mention me as the kid who nominated you,guys.

To the rest of you lovely people,thanks for reading.Happy Holidays!

1989 A Review

I know,I know,Its way too late for an album review,considering this one is one heck of a success all over the globe,and one of my personal favorites of all time.I’ve been meaning to write this one for a while,but,well,when you have exams,no other excuse is needed!So,today,I figured out,I might as well write it today,on her 25th birthday.(Yes.Its still her birthday in some parts of the world;At the time of writing;so,what if I missed the 13th?Its 13december right now,somewhere,isnt it?) So,enough blabbering,let me get down to business now:Here’s what I thought of the songs on 1989.


Blank Space


Undeniably the best one on this album,this one has killer lyrics!Simple,yet,amazing.Like,”Darling I’m a nightmare dressed like a daydream!”Who thinks of it that way eh?!Pretty.Even though Taylor has made a complete transition from Country to Pop,with 1989,this one still reminds me of the Classic Taylor Swift,with a hint of swag in it!The music,ofcourse,is catchy and the track gets you humming it along with her in no time.No wonder its at the top of all the charts!


I know Places


The beginning reminds me of Lorde,and the song feels like something a happy Lorde would do!(Ladder song is something a gloomy Lorde would do.Love that one,but I had to give the example,for comparison.)Again,her voice,adapts so well to the genre,and,again,the lyrics stand out.With a Taylor Swift song,they always do,and there’s always a line or two you would never ever forgst,so that’s a given.


Clean


Relatable as ever,Taylor tells the story of a girl recovering from a relationship gone sour.Some will say,typical Taylor.Agreed.It is in league with Begin Again,and The Last Time.The background music is soothing,and just the right pitch,which lets the vocals work their magic,and it leaves an impression.(You’d say,”thats what the background score is supposed to do,isn’t it?”,but this one blends in so well,that I had to take the risk of sounding stupid to mention it.)


Bad Blood.


Bad Blood.Well,I can’t say I love it,but,what’s not to like?Taylor seems like one of the many songstresses who sing clichéd teenage emotions to amazing beats.”Bandaids don’t fix bullet-holes”-An example of the way the lyrics are pretty obvious,but profound at the same time.Like I said,teenage emotions!


Style


The music is something which would have you dancing,or atleast nodding heads and tapping feet in tune with the rhythm.Never goes out of style.


Welcome To New York


Given her recent move from Nashville to New York,this one sounds more personal to me,than a mere portrayal of some strong universal emotion.(Well,as far as taylors songs go,it’s all personal,but it never ceases to be relatable does it?)Loved the beats.


How You Get The Girl


Again,music with an upbeat tempo.The way she has sung it reminds me of some of her other songs.The lyrics,again,are something guys all over the world should pay attention to!


Shake It Off!


What can I say about this one?Everytime I hear,and sing along to,this song,I’m amazed at the change in her,from the Love Story and Mine days!No wonder it’s a chartbuster.


Wonderland.


I am partial to this song,just as I’m to Blank Space,and This Love,and You are in Love!It has everything:The vocal variations,the story,the pretty lyrics,and the proper beats. A perfect Pop song,it reminds us of avril,and katy,and even ri-ri and selena at times,but has that signature Taylor Swift feelings to it!Loved.It.
Especially,the last para of the song,which has it all.Also,I love the way she finishes off the “Wonderlaaaand” in the end.


You Are In Love


If you are,or if you think you might be,then this one is the song for you!Taylor has made a masterpiece in this one!It’s so adorable,that I actually drop my critic-facade for a moment to fangirl and go all teary-eyed on the song.The way it builds up,from the first seconds,to the very end,is perfect.Many a girl would have this one on an infinite loop on her phone!


New Romantics


Ir brings out the fun,rebellious side of Taylor we earlier saw in 22.This one reminds me of Britney,or Katy Perry,with the upbeat tempo.And wjen Taylor says “Heartbreak is the national anthem”,we know we’ll sing it along,no matter what.The slow manner in which she pleads to be taken dancing and left stranded there,is a nice flourish.


Wildest Dreams.


Wildest dreams,is a treasure if one values a good storyline.and Taylors voice!”Say you’ll remember me…’
This Love,Clean
I can be prejudiced,and This Love is my personal favorite!Those hauntingly beautiful lyrics,that tempo,and that voice!Perfect combination!I could say the same for Clean,and rant about how relatable it was,a few months ago,but I’d be letting on more than I should,so,wink wink.It suffices to say that these two,along with Blank Space and Wonderland,are the best!
Stay,Out of the Woods
These are the post transition songs,all beats and rhythms and foot tappings!
So,yeah,believe it or not,I finally got through describing all of the songs on the album!Phewwww!You didnt think I’d go all the way,did you?Even I didnt.Track by Track analysis is nobody’s style,but then,you are reading a fangirl’s evaluation,not a critic’s,so you might even be thinking that this was supposed to be more extreme than it already is,if you have had the Ultimate Fangirls Experience.(Mediocre,I know,but,who’s judging?Peace!)
In my opinion,Taylor has grown up,really grown up(Not just physically,ofcourse,duh.)over the course of Red,and that shows,in 1989!From the lovestruck teenager in the last decade,she has transformed into this chic 25 year old woman with an amazing attitude towards it all.When that is portrayed into the songs,like it always is,in her case,it provides this huge amount of inspiration,for the millions of impressionable viewers and listeners all across the world who absolutely adore her,and look up to her.And,Taylor never dissappoints!Promotional tactics aside,she’s this sweet li’l thing to all her fans,and she does it without any obligation to do so!Its a simple thing to be good to everyone,but it has become all the more precious because so very few do it!Thanks Taylor,for that amazing voice,for the songs that had me relating to every word of ‘em,for the ones that got me through certain phases and the others that ruled my heart during certain other phases(You get the picture.)!God bless,Keep Singing.
Now,for my precious readers,who went through this entire monologue without any complaints(hope you did;))-Thanks.Heartfelt Thanks!Its been ages since I’ve written anything substantial,and this was the first article I’ve even given a thought to,in weeks.Reason:Examinations:(
I need to keep writing though,it feels odd if I dont.And it’s all of you that keep me going,with the feedback,the responses and ths comments!Keep ‘em coming.Blessed to have you all:)
God bless.Happy December!
P.s:Did I mention that I love Taylor Swift?!Hahaha,don’t worry,I’m not getting started again!Cheers:)

In Memoriam!

This post is my entry for 'My College Diary' contest held by travel blog My Yatra Diary in collaboration with Collegedunia.com
College:Its been three years since I joined this institution of teenage aspirations,which has seen it all:loads of lives made,millions of hearts bound together,forever,a million others broken!My course gives me the great advantage of staying in college for six years(Two junior college years included.)It's just been three years,but it feels like a lifetime ago,when I first stepped foot on the threshold of junior college!Now,at the risk of sounding cliché,and the hopeless romantic that I am,I would say that college is a place one won't mind staying in,forever!(Academic repurcussions aside,ofcourse.)So,when I came across this contest on MyYatraDiary.com,I decided to give it a go.
As you would've correctly guessed,or know,if you know me,my college life has been a riot!Of fun,of happy memories,of color and emotions,and of priceless people!Its been a glorious three years,and the best is yet to come.And like my favorite protagonist of all-time,Mr.Gus Waters says,"It's a roller coaster ride that only goes up,my friend!"College life,has been,this incredible journey,which is so difficult to put up in words a second time.(Yeah,let me explain that:I'd penned down this beautiful little article,2000+ words only,and it was all ready to be published,complete with images and links,when this glitch occured in my WordPress app,and deleted it all!So,writing this through a haze of tears,and hoping against hope this one turns up as good as the original one!)
As I sit down to pen this one down,for the first time in forever,I am at a loss for words!Where to begin?!!Should I begin from the first day of junior college,when no one knew anyone else?Or should I just begin at the day I left junior college,with 500 new people in my life?Some of these 500 have now become an irrepleceable part of life as I know it now.It's amazing how college gives one the opportunity to know all these people:acquaintances,friends,and more:and with every person comes a treasure trove of memories!Come engineering college,the deal had changed.I knew most of the people already,courtesy coaching classes,and junior college,and the seniors at Atharva are so amazing,they just take you in as their own,no kidding!So,after a million bunks,thousands of hangouts,and a gazillion different memories,(okay,yes.I'm speaking in hyperbole here,but then dont we all have that special place in our heart reserved for such goofyness?),when I finally get around to actually writing about it,here are the things that come to mind right now:
1.Adu's bappa:
Adu is the guy whose place has almost become a regular rendezvous spot for all of us.Every year,the entire group gets together during Ganpati's,no excuses accepted,and it's like old times all over again!Can't thank adu enough for keeping the group together like he has!It's like we never went our seperate ways!And its so amazing to be with the same old people who were there from the beginning,before everyone left junior college and got their own careers!You can see,not a thing has changed,since the first time we went to adu's,back in 2011,I guess,and this years pictures!:")

2.The bunks,The acting,The excuses:
I have a knack of turning up late for class(atleast the one's I attended)and then coming up with the most innovative excuses ever thought of!The look on everyone's face when the teachers buys the excuse,is priceless!I remember telling a professor once that my bus had accidentally swerved into a Swift,and the row that ensued was the reason I was late!He bought it.But no one else believed me:(*poker face*The seniors are also saviours in disguise,as you can rely upon them to come and extricate you out of a particularly boring class for some "work",which never tends to get over before the lecture does!This helps a lot when there are no ongoing festivals in college,which,in itself is a rare occurence!There's this especially memorable incident when kranti rescued me from a lecture by telling the prof that she was my cousin and the keys to her place were at mine,and so,we both had to go,pronto!Since then,along with bff's and soul sisters and whatnots,we are cousins as well!>_
3.The food.
I am ever so grateful about how my body remains in purrfect shape even after I eat like a horse,all the time!The Gods Are Good!And food tastes all the way better when you are not supposed to be eating it,like at three a.m in the morning,or with friends,bunking lectures!Especially when its chocolates,or chicken,or all things "unhealthy!"

4.The crushes!
The numerous crushes,infatuations,some heartbreaks,the happy times!There's two and a half years to go,and these could fill an entire storybook!All the staring,the getting addicted to people,pestering my guy friends about the current concern,botherinh girl friends about how "adorable" he is,in the middle of the night,the numerous conversations,those tears:of joy and pain alike,the disappointments,and the expectations!Giving gyaan to infatuated girl friends,and yhen arguing that the same logic doesng apply to me when my sappy li'l head is lolling side to side,drooling over mr.CurrentCrush!-Oh to be young and in love!It sometimes feels like heaven,and hurts as hell sometimes,but looking back,I know these are going to be some of the best memories of college life!
5.The festivals!
My college is a place where there are festivals happening,almost 90% of the time!Oh,the fun we've had in all of those!Plus,there are memories of countless other festivals:AutoExpos,ComicCons,Debates,all of the KGAF's we've been to!College life is a never ending fun fair!Speaking of,how can I forget to mention the Atharvacha Raja here? Atharvacha Raja.Read about it in my article, for it seriously is awesomesauce!Also,festivals reminds me of my latest visit to Mt.Mary's,durng the funfair.Khush made me ride this humongous giant wheel,and I'd never been more afraid!The rickety caskets almost got me,and you can see how I'm holding on for dear life as the guys all laugh at me.Yess!I'm afraid of rickety giant wheels.I'm a kid.accepted.Now dont scoff!

5.The books,The Movies,The music,and more!
I always have a paperback in my rucksack.Always.Call me a bookworm,or whatever,but Reading has been an integral part of life around campus.And my lovelies know that,what with all the amazing books they've gifted me over the years!(lovelies includes Daddy dearest,by the way,who gifted me the entire Game Of Thrones boxset,this ThanksGiving!Christmas has arrived early this year:)))),and,my dad is a superhero!*_*)

All the movies we've watched:some brilliant ones,some crazy ones which could be sat through only because of the fabulous
company I had,and a few ugly incidents of me rushing the fabulous company out,because we couldnt take it anymore!(Ughh.Grand Masti Debacle:we left after interval!),and the sitcoms and series I've gotten addicted to:I would be 70 and still be watching re-runs of That 70's Show and HIMYM and F.R.I.E.N.D.S,and remenisce about the good old college days when I first saw em!Also,the amount of music one listens to rises exponentially during college!Huge Thanks to all the artists yonder in the west,and a few fabulous ones closer home.Cheers!

6.The Insomnia!and the Sleep-all-day phases!:
All nighters with your friends are sometimes the most amazing days,ever!Nightouts are heaven,with all the crazy humor,drama and never-ending fun.But all-nighters for academic reasons are a continent apart from the ones mentioned earlier!Those are the times which make me realize the importance of caffeine,a.k.a,coffee,RedBull,and all such aerated drinks!On the other hand,there are the aforementioned "sleep-all-day-phases",when all you want to do,is take another nap again,just after you wake up from one!Unfortunately,these occur only during examinations!
7.The studies.
Like it or not,studies are an integral part of college life.Gratefully,I've always been thankful for getting through,always,sometimes admirably,and sometimes,barely!Exams are the times when the student fraternity rallies around each other,taking every stray into its folds,as we determinedly march our way towards the enticing reward that "passing" is!

8.The "forever-and-always-wala- pyaar"
Yes,you read it right.Accuse me of being cheesy,and I acquiesce,gladly.For these lovely munchkins have seen it all:The kiddish stubbornness,the egoistic stuck-up phases,the philosophy guru phases,the tantrums and the emotions going berserk,the panic attacks,and the infatuations!We've had our share of fights as well,no denying that,and I've endured week-long silences where all we wanted to do was text each other about the latest piece of gossip!!!But after all the silly misunderstandings,the baseless temper tantrums,and crazy fall-outs,we've always made it up in the end,with the forever-and-always wala pyaar intact!These people have never let me go through a box of tissues,or a box of ferrero Rocher either,alone!You peepz know I love you so much,it overwhelms me sometimes!It is overwhelming,I kid you not,to have all these people for you.They've been there,through it all,and I know they will always be there!And these are just college friends;if I get started about the others,this article might never end!
It hasn't been all-smiles always.It never is.I've had my fair share of downs and lows:insecurities,and dissapointments and emotional outbreaks,but when I look back at it all,all these faces lit with the most brilliant of smiles come to mind,bringing one to my face instantly!

This is what "My college diaries:volume 1" looks like to me,equal parts of awesomeness,emotions,and fun.It's a heady mix,and the party,is just getting started!I've got two more years of this amazing phase of my life,and I plan to live em out with the awesomeness they will surely prove out to be!Thanks a lot Aarti,for making me relive the first half of my college life,for bringing forth all those beautiful memories!Shukriya jee.Big hugs.
I'd further like these lovelies to share their college memories with the world:
Yash Shah
Tennyson
Divyakshi Gupta
P.s:I've gone berserk with names up here,even though half of you guys will never know these awesome souls,but bear with me pretty please.Thanks for reading it all.I'm sure you have some pretty memories of your own.Share them here: Penning this down for the second time around,I am overwhelmed by all the awesome memories I'll treasure forever.and A bit sad,because the earlier article which got lost in the virtual ocean of information that the internet is,had taken up a special place!I got it all covered,though,the second time around.Atleast I hope so.Going back to being holed up at home,studying!So,adios amigos.

Woebegone!

Yes.
Thats me.
Woebegone!
Why?Well,I’ve got my end of Semester exams coming up in two weeks(almost.),and these are probably the only Exams which are a big deal to us Engineers-to-be.
So,naturally,what one is expected to do,is to cram up on technical subjects by the truckload,and then,cram some more!
We even get a nice month-long vacation,aka Preparatory Leave,for the purpose!Needless to say,no one studies!(Well,except for the good people who do,and then help us poor mortals in our times of need.)Atleast I don’t.
And before you write this off as swag or some weird arrogance,let me clarify,that that is so not the case!I want to,oh I do.But there are a gazillion distractions waiting for my attention,and they all pounce upon me the moment I open a book.
Every day dawns with this countdown towards D-day,which is,incidentally the twentieth this month:only nine days left.(Gods!I almost abandoned this article in a panic attack,but came back to finish it the very next moment!Speak of distractions!)The countdown,is a very sobering,harsh reality check,which motivates,(tries to)me to do the one thing I should be doing right now:STUDY!
But then an hour passes by, deciding on which subject to pick up,as yours truly doesn’t know a single subject properly enough this time!*Again,panic attack!!!*
When I finally choose a subject,(Randomizing.Works every time!),the exhausting efforts have made me hungry,and that calls for a break!Breaks usually extend from lunches to nap times and then walks in the park and sometimes even to dinner-time!(Don’t even mention the sitcoms and silly conversations.They are an essential part of every social butterfly’s life!)
When I finally realize that breaks are supposed to be short,and that the literal meaning of study break is “a short interval of recreational time between long hours of knowledge assimilation!”,I finally get back to the Chosen Subject of the Day,only to be assaulted by this monstrous guilt trip over the time I wasted,am wasting,and will waste!I literally waste time obsessing over wasted time!Gosh!Exams can drive one crazy!
So,after 1% of studying,the clock strikes 12,and,Night Owl that I am,I seriously study.For an hour or two,tops.Among other things.(Checking social networking sites,Playing HayDay,writing poetryand stuff like that!)I kid you not when I say that these days,I feel like the writer in me is amped up on a huge six-pack of Tantrum(Refer HIMYM;p),with all the poetry,and prose that I’ve been churning out!No complaints there,for I love it,ofcourse,Thank God for my writing,Hallelujaah,but most of the time,I feel like Shia LaBeouf from Revenge Of The Fallen!Only difference,I see new poems in my head,instead of old cybertronian symbols!Getting it all down on paper is ofcourse a priority,which reduces my serious study-time even more!
I thought I was stuck in a rut,sleeping at 3 everyday,waking late the next morning,and doing nothing,so I even decided to liven things up a bit!Saw two movies this weekend!Thats normal,but not normal during PLs!I thought that maybe the added guilt will help me mature up a bit and finally start studying.Well,I was wrong.
So here I am,just another day of the countdown gone by,without any serious work on the study front!Only major achievement:I managed to ask all my friends the quintessential exam time question:”Kitna padha??!!”
Those who replied aren’t better off,and that is soothing,for “seeing another human being undergoing the same plight as ours is always better than enduring it all alone,and is found to impart great moral strength!”It is who we are as humans!(ignore the philosophical talk:#InterstellarEffect.)Those who did not reply,well now we know how they manage to score all those marks!
I need to end this on a positive note,so,and I believe this 100%,the universe always gives you what you really want!What I really really want at this point of time,is to preserve my purrfect li’l 8-pointer,and so I will!Don’t be surprised if you don’t hear from me for a long long long time.(A month.I can’t leave you lovelies for long now can I?)This might sound crazy,or like a Note To Self,but this is the time which will matter the most,academics-wise,so I have to make it all count!
If you are an Engineering student,I know you can relate.Just,keep those phones aside and study,for I gotta do the same thing,and:same plight,human tendencies yada yada yada!Happy Studying!
Thanks for reading this,and for all the love and appreciation I’ve recieved for the poems as well (They are here: http://uncivilizedsophistication.wordpress.com ,in case you haven’t seen ‘em yet.)Ya’ll are the best.Many thanks,and much love.
Stay Blessed.
P.s:Did I mention how we all(all of the other engineer-kids who’ll soon embark on perilous journeys) are going to ace our exams and stay All Clear and get great pointers?!Guess I did,.Believe it.We are.Rainbows and butterflies people.That’s what life is!Life’s all rainbows and butterflies,despite the occasional dirt storm,so yess,We Can!Okay,I seriously need to staahp.Like,right now.So,goodbye
:)
And yes,Believe!

worst day of my life!?

So it all began with a night-out gone crazy;(Or,craziER as nights-outs are as crazy as they come!).
I had vivas the day after,(for the layman,Vivas are that phase in an Engineers life where they are supposed to know everything,but infact,know nothing!).By God’s Grace and my absolute talent of bluffing,I had sailed through all my other vivas considerably well!With only the last of the horrors remaining,I decided to take it easy on myself.(Horrible mistake,I tell you)
One crazy night of extraordinary,stupid fun later,there I was:the day before the vivas,dozing off at 10 in the morning,trying to cram up Java concepts,with a heavy heavy heavy head!(Oh the fun we had!But,no,I’m not supposed to tell ya’ll about it,and I’m not supposed to stray,so,getting on with the topic,*wink wink*)Needless to say,in that sleep-deprived state,(we only managed to doze off for a few moments at 4:35 in the morning!Oh I love my friends),my mind could not,or rather would not take much in!All I achieved the day before the vivas,was to brush up some basics,and make some handy chits for copying the programs!(Yes,yes,I know its bad and immoral and shameful and the works:Copying!)
The day dawned with this uneasy squirming in my gut which I dutifully ignored.The first blow came when I got a call from a friend saying that I was running late,horribly late,and that my number was up,literally!(Mine is among the last of roll numbers,so I always turn up a bit late:But the examiners had had a change of mind that very day!Like I said:Worst day of my life!)I managed to get the situation under control by running in and well,bluffing my way out of the examiners dreaded questioning!That made me drop my guard a bit,have some fun,click a few selfies,climb parapets,and,well,joke around,a lot,which in turn,proved to be fatal(No exaggeration)We had to perform some programs as part of the Practical Examinations(Which I din’t know anything of,ofcourse),and I walked in with the false confidence I had gained during the vivas,and a handful of images on my phone(of the programs we were supposed to do!:Not proud of it,but one has to do what one has to,to survive).The papers were handed out,and I luckily got a seat as far away from the examiners as possible,so I could’ve copied in peace!Oh If only I could’ve!The question I got,turned out to be the only question I did not have on my phone!So,after a panic attack and disturbing my immediate neighbours for a while,I wrote(copied) a similar program.Which the teacher rejected,giving me the death-stare!Its funny how teachers who seem harmless otherwise turn into absolute monsters during vivas!
Two more programs,a million attempts to copy,more errors than the teacher could ever imagine,and a bit of rona-dhona later,there I was,staring blankly at the computer,when she finally snatched away my paper!I came out with a dismal face,just hoping she would somehow have the good grace of giving me passing marks,atleast.(Fingers crossed)In my defense,I was just beginning to type the program out(one more time),and it might’ve been right,this time around,and I could even have achieved an output(A mean feat,since the college PCs are ancient versions of what we now call computers,and are so delicate they crash at the slightest stress),and then,atleast I tried,there’s gotta be points for that!Failure is not something I have ever encountered,and I plan to continue that way,so my grouchy mood was a given!It took a lot of convincing(texts,phone calls,hugs and slaps,and screams:the works) by any and everyone of my friends to finally make me let it go,to let it rest and not screw up the entire day over it!Again,I love my friends,so.damn.much!Well.that and some icecream from gelato!Immediate mood-uplifter I tell you,and you wont argue!
So,this is how I go home,when Momma announces I need to accompany them all to some family function!When all I wanna do is curl up in bed and lament over my screw-up some more!Again,I had to oblige,and I did go,but only after going home,watching a few episodes of HIMYM on the run(Yes,Again),eating something,and accidentally leaving a tap open,somewhere in the house!Results:When I finally was beginning to unwind a little and enjoy a bit,I get a call from my kaku(who stays next door),that the house is flooded!I remember mumbling something to dad in a hurry and just bolting from there before mum could catch hold of me!God bless that auto-vallah who helped me reach home in record time:Only to see the entire place in ankle deep water!Could the day get any worse!??!Heavens,I hate the crappy engineering  or plumbing,or both,at my place which makes it flood at the slightest of mistakes!Also,the floor is tilted,I noticed!It was 10 o clock in the night,so my only hope of salvation was to scoop- literally scoop out the water,all of it!Back-breaking work,I kid you not!Two hours later,after seeing corners of my place I had’nt even seen before,and clearing up water which mysteriously managed to resurface somehow,with the help of my angel of an aunt,and some help from daada(God Bless them both!),I finally managed to dry up the entire house,just in time before the rest of my family arrived!
It sounds fun now,but It wasn’t,not then!Plus,mom almost bit my ear off,praising my carelessness,and then shouting at “that stupid phone of mine”(I was texting everyone about this major blooper,and whatsapp tends to make us real busy,doesnt it?)!Finally,when the stories were recounted an ample number of times,and I could type no more,and the battery ran out,I had to go sleep!Thats when I had this epiphany,of how copying is not going to work for me all the time,and how I need to suck it up and actually start studying,for the semester is almost over and my books haven’t even been properly opened yet!So,it wasn’t that bad a day afterall:kind of an eye-opener of sorts,for yours truly has resolved to STUDY (among other things) from now on!Lets see how that goes!
Thanks for reading,and happy studying to ya’ll too,or whatever it is that you do,just,you know:Peace!*weird spock gesture*
Stay Blessed.Hope I pass.I know I will.Hope that works.OkBye!
P.S:The climbing parapets thing is true..will explain in the next post I do!Hang on.*wink wink*

BBlessed!

As I have cribbed about it in a million other rants,you,my beloved reader are surely familiar with the submissions situation in my life!Its basically 24*7 writing(not MY kind of writing,but the boring,slogging type!),and then mugging up the stuff you have written for the next horrendous stage,that is,Vivas!
So,this is last sunday's episode,I was getting ready for the slaughter,and was horribly late,as I always am,ofcourse,(Yes,I can feel those brows raising,and YES,we have vivas on sundays too:(I dont make rules,but I so wish I did)Needless to say,I had absolutely no time for the hassles of putting on makeup,and am not much of a dolling-up kinda person,but when you don't know your stuff properly,looking better than you normally do and acting cute never hurts!Yes,that's a girl thing and am not ashamed!We get our privileges,boo yaah guys!(wink wink).So when I am in this moral dilemma:whether to spend some more time infront of the mirror and risk getting screwed for being late,OR just rush on ahead and,you know,get screwed anyways,a little early this time>_<,almost as if by divine intervention,my eyes chance upon this carton of Garnier BB cream!
It was part of InDispatch,and I'd barely had time to explore,but at that moment,it might have as well been my only beacon of salvation!Hassle free and easy to use,applying it barely took seconds!And the effects,well,I scored a 24/25 in that particular exam,so I explain no more,I need not,rather!
I usually love my skin(and well,all of me,actually;self-obsessed much?,hell yeahh!),but itmade it look all the more perfect!And it fits into our daily routine ohh-so-perfectly!This little carton might as well be your carry-around skin specialist for that matter!Fits into the smallest of purses,and does the job of a skin-brightener,moisturizer and protector all rolled into one!Speak of multitasking eh!Whats more surprising is that it has UV protection against this ugly october heat and our ever present metropolitan pollution!It sounds like I'm selling it or something,but never you worry,for this just me:the same old crazy teenage girl going gaga over something amazing she discovered!I know we can be exasperating at times,but come on,all the cuteness in the world(You could read it as awesomeness too),comes at a price,right!:p
Theres a time crunch,what with busy days and busier nights,with exams,submissions and the festive seasons,I feel like I am rushing from one deadline to another,in this eternal deadline maze or something!Speaking of,I need to submit this entry today before the clock strikes 12 for an indiblogger initiative,so godspeed!
This is an indiblogger initiative with http://www.garnier.in/face-care/beauty/garnier/bb-cream/bb-cream Use it,its amazing,says yours truly!Plus,I get a chance to meet deepika Padukone if the stars allign themselves properly,so just hoping for the best,because,Deepika:OMG deepika,she is so gorgeous she's reason enough for another bout of "gaga",but that's for later!
Thanks for reading.
Love and blessings and diwali wishes and what-nots!(I should probably just,stop!)
OkBye!

My Crisis Angel.

 When floods wrecked havoc in J&K in early September 2014, hundreds of people came forward to help. Among these selfless volunteers was the team from V.O.I.C.E (Volunteers Online for Impact in Crisis and Emergencies) working via their twitter handle @InCrisisRelief. A small group of individuals from across the world coordinated the largest citizen-led relief effort ever, with the help of several other Crisis Angels. This group is now doing the same for the flood-ravaged North-Eastern states.
I saw this post on the IndiChange page,and their name,the crisis angels,got me thinking.A lot of us face crisis in our daily lives,when we think its impossible to carry on!(Unavailability of my morning coffee or slow internet connectivity,for example,are crisis situation001 in my life!)Jokes apart,when all hope is lost,this one person comes along,this one person comes along,holds our hand and guides us towards the light!This one person,our beacon of salvation,our crisis angel,will always be there,no matter how high the odds are stacked up against you,no matter how far behind you are lagging,no matter how deep you seem to sink!
 There are loads of people who have helped me get through loads of "situations"(I wont call it crises because,1.I have had a comfortable,safe ,protected life,all thanks to momma and daddy dearest,who are my guardian angels,and who'll never let me get into a crisis in the first place. and,2.Looking at the various disasters that other people face,my disasters just dont seem "disastrous" enough!),so,coming back to the point,there are loads of people who have helped me overcome situations I couldn't have escaped otherwise,but,I wouldn't name any one of em as my crisis angel.This might sound strangely narcissistic,or vaguely depressing,but bear with me and read along:
My crisis angel,I feel,is an alter-ego.For even though the world is full of people who care for you,and who mean the world to you,it is impossible to keep all your secrets in one basket!All crises simply cannot be shared with or limited to,one single alpha-human with all the solutions in a quickfix flask!At that rate,I would be needing an army of crisis angels at best!When I say I myself am my own crisis angel,it really does feel stupid,putting it out in front of ya'll like this,and a bit crazy,but I kid you not,no one can have an awesome-er,more dependable crisis angel than oneself!
 I can solve all my problems,(or sleep through most of em,that works,every.damn.time!),If that doesnt work,I go straight to my best friends,wallowing about the unfairness of it all,and how uncool it is that I dont get to be my own crisis angel.I could go all aristotle on ya'll right now,proclaiming how the universe actually helps my alter-ego be my crisis angel,and how I am the best candidate for the job since,a.I know myself the best,right from the mood swings to the crazy adrenaline rushes and,b.The only person who'll actually be able to handle all the little things I worry about,without freaking out or coming at me with an axe and a frustrated head,is,ultimately,me.Or,I could do a houdini,and just well,dissappear,before comments about how bad this article was(and rotten tomatoes) projectile towards me at the speed of NoOneCares-kmph!So,as I ninja around my place(I am afraid of the dark.Doesn't make me less awesome.),I'm typing this out real fast,because I think InCrisisRelief are doing a wonderful job,and that Kindness is true magic,and that my mind speeds up at night and how weird is that?and I should stop thinking out loud(or in print)..!I am drifting here,sleep beckons,so good night,Night Owls,sweet sweet dreams.If you have any stories about your crisis angels,I would be glad to hear from ya'll.Thanks for reading.
P.S:Heard One Direction's new single,"Steal My Girl",and oh I love it already!*pre-orders FOUR*I had thought that the magic is fading away,when here they are,with this new album,and they are hear to stay,alright?:"D (Don't judge me.Boy bands are cute.Somewhere deep down everyone loves 'em!)
This post is a part of the initiative by indiblogger for http://incrisisrelief.org/ 

Bang Bang

I don't usually do movie reviews,not even if I fall in love with said subjects of scrutiny,so this is an exception.One would ask the quintessential question of my purpose behind writing this one,other than throwing around big words,that is,and for them,I think this would suffice:I have been looking for something productive to do all day,being stuck on the internet watching out for online deals and offers on our "offers:yes,but they are all SOLD OUT ma'm"-shopping portals,(needless to say I din't get what I was looking for,and a lot of other stuff  I WASN'T looking for,but would've bought anyway,just for the heck of it!Yes.I din't even get that!So,boo,Mission Waste-A-Day:Accomplished:(..)
  I haven't lost hope yet,like a million other peers,still trying to find that perfect steal(One of my friends actually got two USB sticks,a headphone-set,a car charger,and TWo-mind you,TWo phones worth over 10 k each!Where oh where dyou get all that luck from,oh you?Or maybe it's just his sheer dedication of checkin websites 24x7.Paid off.All I could get everywhere were those ugly "SOLD OUT" statements),and meanwhile,what better way to pass time than to comment-slash-criticize this expensively ridiculous,ridiculously expensive movie I saw yesterday??!
  So,the tickets were already booked by a friend of mine,and as I had no other Sunday-plans,I decided to give "Bang Bang" a go!(That wasn't the only reason,I saw hrithik in the promos,End of Story.I mean,look at that greek-god-bod...oops I'm fangirling,sorry sorry).In a very offhand,"no-offence-meant" way,I have always been blissfully ignorant of bollywood and all that transpires in its shining folds.So,the opening credits of the movie took me by surprise,when they announced(with reallllly crappy background music in the,well,background),that it was "based" on Knight And Day!If you have watched it,you know what I'm talking about,when I say that that movie,is actually,in the true sense of the word,AWESOME!Ofcourse I was on the point-of-no-return,so I had to watch "Bang Bang" out!The next 3 hours(which seemed like 4,or more) that transpired were a heady mix of the following:Veet and Macroman advertisement-lookalikes;actual macroman and Pizza Hut advertisements;Hrithik looking like Adonis,Katrina not moving a muscle on her perfectly sculpted,heavily made-up face;Bollywood masala,a good-looking javed jaffrey;same old villians;one good song or two,and a crappy background score!Having said this,I wouldn't say that it was torture,for the cinematography is beautifully done,and Siddharth Anand has shot on some really beautiful locations,so atleast you can enjoy the view,always,all through the movie,and then there's Hrithik,so,the view....(Okay,No.more.drooling.SORRY)
It was a fun experience though:Comparing it to Knight And Day,picking out similar scenes,cracking crappy jokes,and wishing it would end,and the company,the company was gold,so even the crappiest of movies would have been fun,with them!We also got a dose of a Desi Aunty Acid,who wore sunglasses through the entire movie(it was an evening show),and cribbed about us,demanding us to "lower our voices" all the time!That was fun.Also,there are like four or five times in the movie,towards the end,where you almost get up,thinking its over,but then it actually turns out to be another plot twist!That is exhausting!I mean,for the love of God,End It Already!!!!!
All in all,picteresque locations,(and actors,read actor.),some good songs,amazing dance moves,a good story made overly dramatic,and a jarring background score is what makes Bang Bang a good,though a bit expensive,way to pass your lazy sundays!The experience taught me a lot,as well;It taught me that sometimes,it is okay to watch ridiculous  desi remakes of your favourite movies at ridiculous times,just for the heck of it!I mean,YOLO mahn,YOLO,>_<!
P.s:The way the government agency had CCTV cameras everywhere,and I kid you not,EVERYWHERE(always hovering on the protagonists head,yet fixed,or maybe hanging in limbo,even when there isn't a single tree or pole to hang em on!),really impressed me.India would seriously benefit a lot from that kind of technology,do us all a favor and share it with  our ModiJi please!
On that note,have fun,stay blessed,watch "bang Bang",(or don't)!Thanks for reading,comments,criticisms and anti-shopping portal rants are welcome!

In Retrospect

It's been a busy week,with piles of termwork to do,and even more last minute submissions and assignments!Top that with a sprinkle of the dreaded "exams",and you get the perfect recipe for the Great Indian Academic Horror Story!I kid you not,when I say we engineers reach that point in a semester where,if a car hit us,we would probably be thankful to the driver;in these months!
 So,here I am,at some ridiculously absurd time in the morning(2.00,to be precise),lost in quiet contemplation!(I literally changed my twitter username to q8 contemplation>_<.Does that confirm me going nuts?!)Speaking of,it is so damn frustrating to get a proper Twitter Handle these days!If you think of something wonderfully unique,twitter tells you it's already taken!If you manage to avoid the already-takens,you run out of space for your awesomesauce username!hufff so much work:/(I tried UncivilizedSophistication,CrazyConsciousness and what-not!)Sorrry,straying off-topic here.
 Getting back to said topic,there I am,sitting up late,papers strewn around me,assignments half completed,on my umpteenth coffee break of the day,and all I can think about is this:Life is an evolutionary process!Evolution,in turn is a daily process!
 Sounds stupid,I know,but give it a thought!Today,I am this crazy kid with larger-than-life ideas;I am this ancient soul,with kiddish notions about the world;I am the oldest I have ever been,and the youngest I'll ever be,I am the sum total of all I have ever been,all my life!And yet,I am but a thought,an energy?,a soul,some consciousness in the vast expanse of this universe!Tomorrow,I evolve into something more-an infinitesimal change,a little maturity earned,a little experience turning out to be an eye opener,a little sorrow forgotten,a little more love,an expanse of infinite possibilities!
Truly enough,some infinities ARE bigger than other infinities(Thanks John Green),and when I actually give it all a thought,the universe spins in and out of focus,in a beautiful mess of chaotic understanding!A year seems like a huge period of time,but also a tiny dot in this timeless expanse of the universe,at the very same time!
Looking back,I remember loads of people who were an integral part of life,then;people without whom I couldn't imagine a Life!Some of them left,some have stuck around,and it seems like only yesterday,when I look at the pictures,lost in happy memories and quiet contemplation.Many others have now come to mean so much to me,and they might not stick around forever,but life has this inexplicably awesome quality of "going-on",and if you are open to it,love and happiness always find a way in!This is personal experience talking,and not just some crazy teen high on coffee(Or maybe,i dunno:p)!
Okay,so before you actually begin to worry bout me being eaten up by a philosophical guru or something,let me specify:NO,I have not gone bonkers(On the verge of it?maybe.Wait,NO,nay,nada).This is just the ancient soul talking,and now that I scroll up and actually READ what I've churned out,it does make sense,although the overall tone seems quite depressing(Read psychotic;or whatever)!I intended it to be otherwise,though.I love the daily pandemonium of evolving craziness that is Life!And everyone should,too,for we will never actually be the exact same again.Ever.
So why not try being the BEST possible version of oneself,because we only get to be that version just once?All of this may sound too "goody-two-shoes" for one's own good,but why lose a shot at The Good Life,when YOLO!>_<
No pictures in this post because come on,dyou expect this tired li'l bugger to search for pictures at this ungodly hour?Kidding,but I really don't find any,right now!
P.S:Thanks for reading.Yes.ThankYou for reading my nightly rants,my psychedelic ravings!You are awesome,like,seriously awesome!(wink wink)Comments and criticisms always welcome,but for this one post,don't tell me I've strayed off topic,because I know I have,and ya'll are lovely sugarbuns for still reading it all.
I am tempted to put in a Disclaimer here that if it all sounds too BS,its the caffiene talking,so blame it on the hours of scribbling that I was compelled to complete!
Stay Awesome,Stay Happy,Evolve.

A Day In The Life Of A Blogger

Disclaimer:We bloggers are not ExtraTerrestrials;but we tend to live awesome lives.
So,a day in the life of a blogger isn't all that different from their fellow readers.Well,that is only till blogger meets don't come into the picture!
Blogger meet?Well yeah,layman terms might explain it as a gathering of us obsessive compulsive individuals talking bout blogs,blogs and well,blogs.Sounds drab,aye?Rethink.
Now imagine this: The venue is an uptown nightclub,(The BlueFrog,in Mumbai),the sponsors are a popular web hosting company,the giveaways are some of the latest gadgets,the food is to die for,and the opening act is an indie band one can headbang to!No sir...this is no description of a party gone crazy.

  This,is a brief glimpse of the happenings of IndiBlogger's last blogger meet!Oh,and did I mention,the speakers were so amazing, that people actually came down from pune to watch em give gyaan!
A solid line-up of speakers,among which Snigdha manchanda(Story ninja fame),lakshmi Rebecca(from Chai with Lakshmi),krishna chepuri (The UnReal Times) and Sherry Shroff(Our favorite fashion blogger) were my personal favorites,is what made the meet informative,educational,and extremely useful!It wasn't just the Rock Band or Stand-Up Comedy(Which btw was howlarious,thanks to bhavish ailani),which made the meet awesome,as the speakers elaborated on every aspect of blogging-legal,monetary,creative,and what-have-you!
The event,which kicked off to an awesome start with the opening gig by our very own "blogger-cum-rockers", ended in a win-it-all extravaganza where precious prizes like Moto G and Moto X handsets were given away.(Needless to say,my luck din't work,or I would have been jumping about it all over the place,and yodelling from rooftops!)

  But the best part,wasnt the great food,the amazing speakers,the mesmerizing ambience,or the awesome music.It was this:We,as bloggers,are a very diminutive community.IndiBlogger has done a great job of bringing this community together,and meeting up fellow members of this close-knit community was the best part!!!!..

  Its 2 in the morning now,and this is sort of an impulsive article,written under that shroud of sleep..so forgive me my faults..and if your interest is waning from the mundane awesomeness' of a bloggers life,let me tell you this:We win cash by merely saying a number..and we get to improve ourselves as well!

  Signing off now,half asleep already,and will have to recheck it all once I wake up!Till then,loads of love.Stay happy

Saga

Atharvacha Raja-Being "Marathi"!

Atharvacha Raja..two words..literally translated,they mean"The King Of Atharva!",but literal meanings do not hold much value in my emotion-obsessesed mind,and so I look at them with the sentimental approach we girls are normally associated with!These two words pack up the essence of something so spiritual,so..unique,that putting it in words might actually disturb the sanctity of it all:You have to be there,feel it,experience it,take it all in,to know the amazing extravaganza that is "Atharva Ganeshotsav"!
Okay,firstly,this is not publicity,nor the rantings of someone with nothing else to do;I really feel like sharing this with ya'll,and if you are thinking I am slowly losing it(and by it I mean my ability to write profound-looking voodoo in artful words),then just bear with me,the next one will take care of that.Now,moving on, before you just scroll through the pretty pictures here,marvel at them(for they really are beautiful<3),and forget all  about reading!
The Atharva group of Institutes celebrates the annual festival of Ganesh Chaturthi (I am tempted to add "with fervour" here,but yes,everyone celebrates festivals with fervour,and no:I am no celebrity magazine to use it to cover print-space!).By Atharva group,I mean all the institues:Hotel management,for Example,alongwith my Engineering College(Yes,I have a thing for random capitalization,because the reigning rules are unfair to the letters in the Middle!-read this somewhere,green,probably)Okay,mischief no more,sorry sorry.Getting back to the point:As you can very well see the beautiful stage set here,with Bappa in all its Glory,you can surely gauge the scale  at which the celebrations ring in!

Every day,months before the commencement of the festival,students toil hard to make it beautiful,to give Him the warm welcome he deserves!AND all Eco-friendy,at that!The Decor committee sure deserves a round of applause and some hat-tossing!College becomes home for many of my seniors,as Bappa finally arrives to the beat of music,I wasn't there this time,so I dont know what kind of music-but I know I am going to be there next year!(Again you might think stressing on the "kind" of music is stupid when its very obviously the festival music they play in every nukkad,but trust me on this,I am proud of Atharva's musical choices,which are precisely an expression of Being Marathi,but more about that later).

Another amazing feature of these charged days is the Aartis.The Aartis here are a jubilant affair;hour long aartis,sometimes even lasting a couple of hours,are the perfect epitome of all that is Us:The enthusiasm,the unity as the chorus rises in one to praise the Lord,the electric atmosphere,the live-wires that are the young minds all joining in,becoming one in that consciousness,of belonging and being belonged to!The aura has "Assal Marathi" written all over,as the place is drowned in the sweet music of taals and bells,and the waving Atharva flags,swaying to the rhythm of the aarti,are a spectacle to behold!A spectacular valour possesses every soul when the conch is blown and cries of "Jay Shivaji.."resound in the hall!People flaunt there "chandrakor's",there "kurta-dhotars",there turbans,and yes,the sarees-the ultimate expression of Maharashtrian apparel:the elegant nauvaari sarees,with such dignity and grace,that you cannot help but drown in the sweet serenity of it all,and be proud to be one of them!

I got obsessed with this pretty chandrakor,as you very well know by now,if you know me on those corporal devices of time-wastage:Social Networking Sites.

God bless the person who came up with this innovative idea,and the guy who gave me one of those!(I'd made a point of asking his name,but I forgot it in all the ruckus).Everyday,there is the usual array of activities lined up,as people enjoy,pray,and click a lot of pictures.Fun fact:Almost all display pictures of Atharvaites are found to emanate from the reverred phase-3,where Bappa reigns,in this period!>_<.Ohhh and one more thing about the aartis:The singers,a very talented group,do it in a very sophisticated,"proper" ,(sagrasangeet is the marathi word for it,asked momma) manner that would shame the Pundits!Kudos,ya'll!

After seven days of fun and reverence,there comes the visarjan day.I skip right to visarjan,omitting the other mundane activities,like traditional day,and many other "days" which I thoroughly enjoyed by the way!Everyone is a little more enthusiastic,because it is the day we have to say goodbye to beloved Bappa!I wasn't waiting around for the visarjan,(which would have been a horrible mistake),as it is all too sad and (in my opinion,then)chaotic,like all visarjan rallies are bound to be!Thanks to this grouchy(I love you for that one though)friend of mine,I had-HAD to wait!
What happened later came as a pleasant surprise!After a bit of fooling around,singing songs and doing all the stuff that normal teenagers usually do to kill time in a public place,everyone gathered around for One Last Aarti-a sweet/sad affair!Then,surprise of all surprises:There appeared these beautifully dressed people with huge dhols and other instruments,a welcome apparition!And they dropped the beat.

Puneri dhol.One has to hear it to be mesmerized by it.After a moments surprised silence,wherein the department of senses was going all gaga in my brain,every nerve ending tingled to that beat,a trance,a rhythm unparalleled!Needless to say,everyone went crazy dancing,BUT,and I am very proud to say this,the council managed it beautifully,in a very systematic-dignified manner!Throngs of people in identical Atharva t-shirts rejoiced the arrival of the Rains-them adding to the awesomeness of it all!Bappa went home in a beautiful white horse-driven chariot,leaving many an unshed tear in all eyes!

This was the first time I FELT my heritage,my "marathipan";No amount of awareness campaigns,or elderly advice can make youth feel closer to their roots as this one extravaganza can!Nowadays,when everything is westernized,when we ourselves are guilty of being bashfully ignorant of our culture,and i might even go ahead and say that I dont particularly feel all of this all the time;it is a welcome change to be who we were born as,even for a while!As agony aunts and philosophers with nothing else to do lament over the loss of culture and values and sanskaaras and all things pious and good in "aajkal-chi pora",look what  we are busy accomplishing,look at the pride on our glowing faces as we flaunt the essence of our being,carrying forward the great legacy of ShivajiRaje,albeit in a small way!Does the "marathi mann" of our elders brim with joy,looking at our celebration of their ideals???
I sure hope it does!

THANKS for reading(A lot of people say that I say Thanks a lot,well I would love to tell you about Gratitude as A Life Philosophy for Yours Truly,but some other day).Criticisms and comments always welcome.
P.S:I have used a lot of marathi words here,maybe I got carried away,a little.Feel free to ask what some mean,because I do know what all of the words I have used actually mean,because I had a very enlightening brush-up of my mothertongue skills this festive season,which I guess is an added bonus!(Phew!Huge sentence!)
Stay blessed,Stay cheerful.

 Jay Bhavani 
         Jay Shivaji!!!!!