Anger and Frustration

Its on every TV channel,every newspaper , Social media and on everyone's minds. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has been victim to revulsion, rage and hatred each time the pictures of those molesters from Guwahati are shown. We have not only hit rock bottom-but have started digging deeper.A mob of more than 30 men manhandling and molesting a teen.

I've always wondered why crimes against women happen.Now that I'm studying something that entails me to thoroughly read a newspaper, not a day goes by where there isn't a mention of rape or molestation that women are subject to. Sad to see that we've been reduced to a nation of sexually frustrated souls who have to take it out on any walking being who has a semblance of female genitalia.

Leering, leching, cat calls and the likes have become so a part of our lives that I'm sure most of the female population would agree with me when I say that at some level, we've all become de-sensitized to it. A fellow classmate and me, the other day, were walking near our college and were subject to some graphic cat-calls from a bunch of school boys, much younger than us. All we could do was laugh about it and brush it off. Though I like to replay the situation in my head with me using my non-existent knowledge of karate and throwing some kicks and punches.Are men so deprived that they have to come and lech at women at 7 IN THE MORNING at bus stops or ogle at them taking a walk in the park?

The more I look at the endless debates on these channels and the endless visuals,I'm just sad at my, rather our inability to to do something about it.While most of the nation seems to be shouting hoarse and pledging their support to the victim and voicing their fury, the other half deems it right to sit back and comment on how the girl shouldn't have been in a bar and how she shouldn't having been wearing shorts and so on.

Before you so called conservative , orthodox beings draw up plans on the best way to bring up girls, teach your sons to respect them. Added classes on how to fight the urge of sexual frustration should be of great help too.

IPL Openings..Mouth Yawnings

Boy, Something has to inspire me a LOT to blog after 6 months and I'll say the IPL 5 opening ceremony has done a fine, fine job of it.

6:30 came and I plonked myself in front of the TV to catch Extraaa(Yes with three a's) innings on Sony Max hoping that there would be a cute presenter( Seriously where did Shiv Pandit go??). Instead was greeted with the normally nice looking Samir Kocchar sporting what looked like a cross between a bad haircut and a Kodambakkam hair piece.

This was followed by the entry of cricketing greats such as Navjot Sidhu and Harsha Boghle(His hair better than Kocchar's) ..Sidhu not wasting a single opportunity to do the Balle Balle most unsuccessfully to the uncomfortable smiles of Kocchar and the Firang Cheerleaders specially flown for the occasion - All accompanied by an absolutely dismal band- really I could play the drums better. All through the one hour- the presenter and the panelists' eyes screamed out the same thing - "Oooh I've been paid a hell of a lot of money to do this Yaay me!"

The performances- The full paged newspaper ads that announced Priyanka Chopra , Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor and Katy Perry almost made me want to see it live. This very moment i'm soaking a handkerchief with tears of joy that I didn't.

Firstly ,By wearing skin tight clothes, you might think you look sexy..the truth is you make people squirm in their clothes..however lose. Kareena Kapoor- My pillow case kurtas fit much better and Salman Khan- Pink Pants...really???

Secondly the definition of dance does NOT involve exercise routines , aerobics or gyrating a certain part/parts of your body to a music beat.

Prabhu Deva- No regrets there. I just wish the ceremony had dances only by him.

TEAM CHENNAI IS ON STAGE!Ooooh Look at them! All smart and confident..and Dhoni looks so cute! Everything is going fin......Priyanka Chopra materializes. All cute and giggly and equally blonde and (un)adorably flirty.

Murli Vijay's mindvoice to Badri/Anirudda/Ashwin : Dai machan enna da pannara this Priyanka Chopra onnume puriyala!

Priyanka Chopra then goes : Ok now we shall have a dance by Captain Dhoni!

(Muisc)

*Dhoni disappears behind Bollinger*

EPIC FACEPALM

In the middle of these awesome super kewl acts. Gaurav Kapoor picks on the already tired, annoyed and clueless celebrities to interview..each time going ""We shall wait for the cheers to die down and then resume talking" to a celebrity when there was pin drop silence around them.

Oooh Awesome moment coming up!!The captains are coming on to the stage!

But why are each one of them accompanied by 2 models leading the way wearing the skimpiest outfits possible? Amma's counter - They should have worn Pavadai Dhavani since it is happening in Chennai. Uncomfortable Silence follows.

Hats off to the choreographers for choreographing an almost ten minute sequence involving Salman Khan that had absolutely NO DANCE. Seriously man .. how did they do it?? He just had to mime a bowler , batsman and playing a guitar. Now if that's not innovation..what is??

And finally..KATY PERRY enters.

Horrified silence.

Me: Wow she sure doesn't sound anything like her songs on CD.

Mami to Mama in the stadium watching it live : Kanna moodikongo. Katy Perry Pant potukka marandhutta.

TV switched off.

Theatre tremors

*Gulp* Day after looms large ahead !

Firstly I decided to re-visit my blog after almost 5 months.Why now..you may ask. Because I'm too nervous to sleep, am running a temperature and am finding FB stalking so scarily comforting that I decided I should do something.

The last two months have been CRAZY. Awesomely good crazy.With super hectic rehearsals and third year.. They've just been a Blur. I still can't forget how I was literally dragged to the auditions and Boy.... Am I thankful! Over these 2 months-I've learnt stuff about theatre that is going to stick with me for life, met some of the funnest people(yes..they deserve that adjective), done stuff that I thought I never would in a million years and have given way to my craziest best.Maya,Radhika,Sneha,Lachu,Poo and anyone else I've missed out..Thanks for making these 2 months what they were :)

I've managed to take my mind of the continuous prayers that I'm chanting so that I don't forget my lines on stage(something that I've managed to do in EVERY rehearsal till now*Gulp*) and put something down here.After all , there's no better solace that writing.Actually there's reading too-I've moved on from reading classics like"Lord of the Flies" and "The driver's seat" to a trashy Chick-lit novel called "Bombay fish is a Duck"- all in the name of distraction of course.

In other news around the world..Paris Hilton came to India-Oh yes and the fact that she went and partied in some godforsaken place has managed to grab more headlines than the fact that people have now been restricted to sending only 100 messages a day.Oh what a tragedy for people like me who force themselves to send at least 10 messages a day to avoid being labelled a "Social Reject".Sigh..Clearly I have issues. But Blog, I've missed you and Its good to be back *Hug*

Okbye..I shall go back to praying now.

P.S.Come for the play!

Confessions of an ignorant Football fan

I have always been a Football fan.Not of the clubs , but of the countries and the World cup specifically.Especially during the 2010 world cup , I watched almost all the matches in rapt attention.And not because all the hot sportsmen play football(That does constitute some part of my interest), I did find it genuinely interesting.

My knowledge of clubs are restricted to just their names...and the occasional mention of Christiano Ronaldo and Manchester United in the news and the occasional funny if not alarming war of words(sometimes blows) that my friends break into over whether Man U or Arsenal is better and how ridiculous Chelshit(Yes they call Chelsea that) is.

This summer , among my many other resolutions , one was to get my knowledge of football right - rules et all and the clubs especially. I started last night with the Man U vs Schalke match .

I would like to think that I emerged a wiser person at the end of it.But my road to wisdom wasn't one that was intelligent..or even close to it.Snippets from my side of a conversation through the match with a friend-who Im scared might have wanted to clobber me by the end of it.

"Raul Gonzalez is a good player no? I saw this cool poster of his in Landmark today"

40 minutes into the match "No one is putting goal :( "

"The Man U keeper looks Nice! "

"Hahaha . That Kutti chinese fellow in United called Parker or something is super cute on the field.Everyone is pushing him"

WHY ISN'T ANYONE PUTTING A GOAL(Notice grammar in times of excitement)

"Man U seems to be good on field.They run quickly no"

*at half time* "Is this match over?Why such a long break?" *2 minutes later* "They're Back!"(Followed by length of matches discussion)

"OMG This Schalke guy just caught this United guy by his neck and pushed him down.so bad!"

"Peer Kluge.Hahahaha What a funny name"

"The Refree is the Paavamest.He is running so much!"

*Tired response to this* "He gets paid to do that!"

"Shit whatte Save!"

"Goal!eeeeeeeeeeeeeee!Giggs Put it!!"

"Goal 2!!Rooney is the man!"

"IN YOUR FACE SCHALKE GOALIE!"

"Match over.All these players are removing shirts.Not that I mind."

After those 90 minutes...I thankfully emerged a wiser person.One thing I'm sure of..I'M A MANCHESTER UNITED FAN!They rock or what??

Oh and tonight is going to be Real Madrid vs Barcelona

In short Christiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi *Sigh!*

Ive snapped out of it. I'm a serious fan now.In a month for all you know..Ill be writing lengthy posts about the Mid field rule and the EPL . Watch out!

The not-so-Ignorant(or so she would like to think) Football Fan

Sharing and the likes

You Know how everyone gets that one stroke of inspiration??Most people wake up in the middle of the night with an idea in their heads , scurry for pen and paper and out comes out the most beautiful poetry or the most meaningful prose.

I had that stroke of inspiration too.This one night a week back..I was tossing and turning in bed since the next day was an exam and I somehow couldn't make myself go to sleep.When suddenly..Inspiration struck..I got this Idea in my head and in my half-drowsiness I reached out for my phone and typed fast...all what came into my head.

And when I woke up the next morning , I knew inspiration had struck me the previous night.So I eagerly turn to my phone and what I had written almost made me want to give up writing all together.Why ....WHY..... WHYY couldn't I have got that stroke of inspiration which could have helped me write beautiful sonnets or essays inspired by Mill or Strachey??

Anyways... I'm messed up ...I know.And Before you read this..Remember I was Half asleep.

Sharing is something we have all been taught since time immemorial. A concept that has been drilled into our heads since we got our first Jumbo box of crayons or that beautiful Doll. Mothers entice their children with the story of “Karna”, who was the epitome of generosity and sharing. And at some time, we all make silent promises within ourselves to imbibe that…..

But a few of us think different. As childish as it sounds, I’m not for sharing..Especially when it comes to food. We are a rare clan but we very much exist. And what really sets us apart?

· Our role model is Joey Tribbiani from F.R.I.E.N.D.S, Not Karna and each time someone reaches across the dinner table to take food off our plates, our brain cells scream in agony.

· We are the ones who have the slightest trace of a frown when our Milkshakes or Drinks are “passed around” because it “Looks” good.

· We position ourselves at the end of a long table, preferably where the waiter is most likely to serve first. First helpings are the best….and the Biggest

· We are masters of the art of subtlety. Its packed lunch day? Then we proclaim loudly that we are especially hungry and dig in. God Forbid – The other person decides to sample your lunch!

· Sickness is a godsend. We do not mind faking it as well. Most commonly used phrases “You want a sip of my coffee? Sorry Bad cold “*Sheepish Grin*. After all no one enjoys the transfer of germs in particular.

We , again as a clan, lie hidden.Some (Or I think the only person in this case) manage to speak up and the result?Im sure every person will take it in them to scrutinize that person who mysteriously has a cold each time you go out as a group.I was forced to chose between a moral obligation and a duty and hence was forced to expose my kind.

But we are a good sort…trust me.

A Play about Death

Sitting in Alliance Francaise Madras' auditorium on Saturday...The haunting theme from "The Godfather" reached my ears and I made up my mind to love this play, no matter what.Turns out that I didn't have to.

A Play About Death directed by Harish Aditya and written by Thomas Manuel and Visvak Reddy is easily one of the best plays I have seen in recent times.Someone has finally dared to bring absurdist theatre to stage!They called it a gamble and I agree.But it definitely is a gamble well paid off.What a relief it is , to sit back and revel in the dark humor and witty dialogue ,something we seldom have the chance to experience here.

I am not going to put the plot or the synopsis of the play down for the simple fact that I cannot do justice to it.and honestly also because I'm sure I will get something wrong in the process :-P.

The abstract concept of death and the debates that follow are thoroughly enjoyable.In one very poignant moment,A character wonders if Death is the only proof of a real life.The arguments on "Fictional" and "real" characters does make you ponder.The monologue at the start was a welcome departure from cliched beginnings.It grabs your attention and you are at once intrigued.The dry humor about the theatre scene in Chennai,Facebook and so on is a product of the awesome writing that has obviously gone into this.

Ralph,the "method actor" and Peter,the playwright, the two central characters along with Gordon,the common man,make sure you are never bored.The actors are nothing short of brilliant.Be it Ralph's "Method acting" or Gordon's expressions or Peter's Monologue in the beginning ,the well etched characters are complimented by the awesome acting and dialogues.The Audience plant Muzamil was one of the most realistic of his kind.

The Minimal set and Warm lighting set the right mood.The sounds at alliance deserves applause too.Not once did it falter.

Well what can I say...Most of my friends and I had tests the next day and we inadvertently kept remembering the quirky lines from the play and laughed to ourselves during the test.If you saw the play last weekend You are probably nodding in agreement to this post..If you didn't..please do not miss it the next time they put it up.Death will be at your doorstep for sure :-P

Socializing and the likes.

Even semesters are what I or any college student for that matter look forward to the most.Why?Because of the college culturals that come one after the other and offer plenty of opportunities to *Ahem* socialize.And lets face it..You know and I know..Some events are most eagerly anticipated.Most times, the college senate have to yell hoarse asking people to participate..but for some events (*insert college name*) they are in a fix as to who to send among the hordes who have volunteered to go.The spirit of participation comes forth and waits ready to prance.

My level of social skills stand at a proud zero.I cannot meet or talk to new people easily.I would rather chose to sit and listen to a Justin Bieber song Marathon than indulge in the dreaded Socializing.However this time I decided to be at my social best.Most of which included:-

1.Smiling very widely at totally unknown people who come over to enquire about something and getting a look of utter panic and *lets get the hell out of here* in return.

2.Having met people once before,spotting them again in a crowd and enthusiastically waving at them ,only for them to look straight through you.

3.My eyes get really wide and my nostrils flare when I talk to a PLEASANT boy.So in short , if i resemble a confused Bull when I talk to one of you..you now know what that means.

Now I shall switch gears and vent.What is it about judging people before you actually get to talk to them?No seriously, Just because I wear Indian clothes doesn't mean My IQ or level of spoken English should lie perilously low.

So next time you person with the artificially straightened hair,perfume thats enough to asphyxiate a mortal and make up thats so caked up thats its cracking, smirks at me..I shall run home and bring my mark sheets and shove it in your face..No seriously.