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.

2010 ENDS...

As 2010 draws to a close(Thanks to Vodafone for the kind reminder as to how they are looting us in lieu of the new year) I decided to sit back and reflect on the roller coaster ride that this past year has been for me....

Ok Who am I kidding?No roller coaster ride and all...Just the usual with some things that made this year extra special..and some that didn't.Here I go,in no particular order.

11.I rung in the new year 2010 with a bunch of friends for the first time.Super Fun.

10.I completed a year and a half in college.Wow I sometimes do find it hard to believe that I am grown up enough to be going to college.For all the great people in college who put up with me..You guys are the best!

9.I had my first Model United Nations experience.My surprising lack of GK did not stand in the way of me having a whale of a time at SMC MUN 2010 and met a lot of new people and learnt a lot of new things.2011-I shall be attending more MUNs for sure!

8.Raghav Prashant got married.Yes the Brother got married in June after many months of intense planning and research.With the whole family in Chennai after a long time,this was easily the best part of the year.Madhumitha - I couldnt have asked for a better Sis-in-law

7.I learnt to let go.Now its my turn to sound ambiguous and intense like all those weird FB status messages.

6.I learnt never to regret decisions made in the past.What goes around comes around baby.(The ambiguity shall stop with that)*cue for cool quote on Karma*

5.An article of mine got published in Nxg(A supplement of a daily newspaper).That was a dream come true.Not to mention... worth months of waiting and ranting.

4.I realized my love for writing.I was never a great writer to begin with.But I loved every minute of it.Hopefully a lot of it will be seen this year.

3.I became a rebel.Now..Hold that thought right there.I actually cut my hair a bit short and pierced my nose.(Thats a huge leap in the world of rebelling by my standards)

2.I watched Enthiran.Yes this takes the cake.For sure.Rajinikanth Rules.Period

1.2010 you might have had your ups and downs for me....But I loved a lot of you.And I hope 2011 is as good if not better!

Happy New year everyone!

FINALLY!

The day couldn't have been better.After months of bombarding Nxg(The Hindu) with articles they finally published one of mine!!

http://www.go-nxg.com/?p=9084

Check it out in the above link.

Poorvaja :)

Indiblogger and Stray Factory's The Great Indian Blogologues-"Yours Digitally,Madras"

"I am a blogger and I pollute cyberspace" declares one of the many vibrant characters of The Great Indian Blogologues-"Yours digitally, Madras".The theater group Stray factory in association with Indiblogger adapted different blogs by nine bloggers and brought them alive on stage.With a host of actors and a bevy of characters , there was almost never a dull moment on stage and the audience had an evening of rollicking fun and laughter.An adaptation of blogs on stage was a first...A good idea that was well executed!

The whole thing was divided into 3 acts.The first act was my personal favorite."Judy finds the one" was a blend of 8 different blogs and kept the audience in splits.Judy's qualifications for her "Perfect guy" and the requirements for her funeral were a scream.The monologue by the terrorist was simply brilliant and there were so many witty one liners that the audience had almost no time to recover from the liners thrown at them in top speed.The detailed highs and lows of working as a terrorist were really funny and I felt was the best written in this act.

Acts Two and Three do not possess the same cohesion that kept Act one together but nevertheless had some of the best actors of the evening.Act 2 "Vigilante vs Vigilante" was the one that probably got the most audience response thanks to Inspector Sathya who I'm sure is going to go down as one of the most popular actors on stage.He was a scream and his interrogation with Sammy ,the detainee in the police station was nothing short of a riot.Harikrishnan leering at Sammy contributed to it all.My friend and I couldnt stop repeating Inspector's phrases after the play was over(Dead aah?Transference aah?Mudder! to name a few).The loan shark was good and I really liked how a character like that effortlessly quoted Shakespeare!.Special mention to the Lighting for this act..Towards the end It was really effective!

Act 3 which was "Confessions of a scattered mind" had adapted 5 different blogs.The outcome?I didnt quite get the connection but the individual posts were brilliant.The Lalit Modi Monologue(Shilpa,Preity..Main Hoon Na!) was my favorite and Shashi Tharoor's entry and his "Tweets" was a scream and I literally couldn't wait to read the original Blog!The guy trying to impress the girl was also something that really reached out to the audience and there was a lot of response and cheering for it(My fav -"I love you""what??""Ok bye").I really liked how it ended as well-"Please please be my friend!".The tamil skit was funny for its use of the local language complete with slang and was entertaining.The three actors there were good!The Mime depicting traffic was pretty awesome.I appreciate anyone who can move seamlessly and silently and their depictions of Autos and Cycles were perfect!

Almost always Rib Tickling and enjoyable,The Great Indian Blogologues had the audience hooked and entertained for most of the time.In some parts ,the flawless and funny writing worked and in other parts the brilliant characters that were neatly etched.It brought out the flavour of Madras all right!I felt that it really connected with me and it was definitely an evening well spent.I really wish they had introduced the actors though!The Blogologues got me thinking as well...I probably need to write more from the heart and put my views down.I have a crazy number of lists as well and as I realized..I could actually share it with cyberspace and not come off as a lunatic or a person with OCD(We shall not go there yet).

It definitely worked for me big time for It got me blogging about it!

Cheers!

Endhiran

Point number One.This post is coming weeks after the movie's release only because I got to watch the movie just yesterday.Anyone who wants to make fun of that fact can please do so in the comments section

Secondly all those Rajini and Endhiran haters out there who tore the movie apart..What did you expect when you went to see Endhiran?Coen Brothers style slick drama coupled with Tarantino's writing and the star cast of Inception?Thats your fault.( Stop reading right now If you are one of these)

Last night, when just walking into Sathyam ,I knew the movie I was going to watch would be one hell of an experience and Boy I was not disappointed.All those Rajini Jokes are totally justified.Those stunts , those fights those dances...There is definitely nothing Rajini-Kant!(If I sound like a star struck crazy fan -Well,Yes I am :-p)

Story in a nutshell.Vaseegaran(Rajini) a scientist , creates an advanced Humanoid Robot that he finally wants to donate to the army.The robot Chitti is an absolute delight.But rejected along the way for not having emotions and feelings,Vaseegaran proceeds to teach the robot that and all hell breaks loose when Chitti develops a thing for his girlfriend Sana(Aishwarya Rai).The Baddie in the story,Dr Bohra(Danny Denzongpa) does all he can to stop the success of the Robot including programming it for mass destruction.

The film was a refreshing change for its effects.Think Indian cinema and tacky effects -Endhiran thankfully isn't so and is definitely in a super league of its own.The last 20 minutes especially with the Robot army was mind blowing.The robot is delightful .In both the good and the bad avatars.

Rajini is mind blowing.As the scientist(Looking really smart.Tough to believe he is 60) and as the two versions of the robot-He thoroughly entertains.You simply cant take your eyes off the screen and the Baddie Robot was definitely my Favourite.He was the scene stealer and earned the most claps.This might easily be his best role in recent times.Coming to Aishwarya Rai..there was never anything much in the acting department to begin with so no complaints there.Though she does look really pretty.(Botox or awesome makeup..Its working!)The only misfit is the so- called comedy track which was anything but comical.Rahman's BGM is excellent and out of the songs Kaadhal anukkal(complete with amazing locales) and Kilimanjaro(The costumes!) were the best.

The movie does have its share of flaws and the logic just ricochets off track but then again..When Rajni's there..who cares :-p

Total Paisa Vasool entertainment coupled with awe.My dad who staunchly refuses to watch tamil movies as a principle actually enjoyed it.(FYI he walked midway out of "Baba" and I was terrified of a repeat performance this time around as well)

Dont miss Endhiran for anything.

Attapadi Diaries Part 2

This has been long overdue so let me get down to it.In the evening, during our first day in Attapady,we were all taken to Thunduur ,A hamlet of the Mudugar tribes who live in Attapady.The trek to the hamlet was a lovely one.It started with all of us walking on an extremely narrow concrete path which led to a small bridge over a stream.That led into this grove with really tall trees and plants.The path after that was a beautiful one, A stone path that was above the flowing waters of the waterfall with thick shrubs and plants around it.All through our walk to the hamlet , we could hear the gurgling of the stream beneath us and the loud calls of birds.(If this resembled a Wordsworth or Keats poem , It just goes on to show how beautiful it was and how it inspired me!)

When asked what were our notions about tribals , Most of us vehemently stated that we did not think of them in the stereotypical notions, but all of us sure were bluffing.We were in for a big surprise.The people we met were the warmest ,politest and of the most friendly kind.They did not hesitate to answer any of our questions about their living or culture.We spent our whole evening there and when darkness fell,A huge bonfire was lit and The Mudugars danced and sang for us,giving us a peek into their styles of art.We were on top of a small mountain and the stars above us shone like never before.However the rains had made most paths slippery and I had a small mishap of my own when i slipped down a path and landed straight on my backside.Sigh,Im still being given a hard time for it.Since It was pitch dark by the time we left the hamlets,Our trek back to the bus was a rather interesting one.2 fire torches were all the source of light we had and balancing on all those narrow paths in the dark was not easy though very exciting.My friends were not amused when amidst all the wilderness,balancing on the narrow path with the sounds of the waterfall in the background I exclaimed "This feels just like an episode of LOST".

We went back to the hamlets the next day to complete our projects and interact with them even more.We learnt a lot and spoke to many of them.They chopped a huge Jackfruit right of a tree of theirs , peeled and gave us all pieces to eat and believe me , it was the sweetest Jackfruit I have ever tasted.You simply cannot find ones like those in Chennai.We bade them a rather loud Good-bye with a farewell song we sang much to the amusement of many there.We visited a bridge built on the beautiful kunti river.It was one of the most picturesque spots we saw.Apart from that,we climbed a small hill which was a really beautiful place coupled with the green grass and mountains and stretching for miles around you and the continuous blowing of a strong breeze.We indulged in many activities such as trying to roll down a hill and climbing on top of our bus-activities that kind of had to be stopped after our teacher threatened to disown us.(Lillian Maam you rock anyways for putting up with a bunch of girls like us!)

When we see people living as one with nature,We actually begin to realize what has been happening to the planet where nature has been exploited ruthlessly and we are forcing our dominance.The trip did make all of us think about what we have been doing to contribute to it and we made small silent vows within ourselves to try and do something about it.Experiencing nature in its untouched and very pristine form can change you for the good!

MUN memories

Weirdly enough,given my obsession with extra curricular activities,I have never gone for a Model United Nations(MUN)all through school.The only things I knew about MUN came from a bunch of pictures posted on FB by a few friends which mostly involved them wearing starched formals and posing with serious looks holding files and placards or frowning at their laptops.My first MUN experience came with the Stella Maris MUN from the 16th to 18th of august.

It all started with the MUN SG Poorvaja (!) who came to college and invited us to participate.Almost immediately I vowed to go and Boy am I glad!Everything right from the procedure to the agendas seemed so complicated at first.I never ceased tearing my hair out and an introductory workshop did help but its only actually when you go and sit there that you know what to do.And it gave me endless joy that i was representing Spain(The land of HOT sportsmen..Much to my mother's dismay).

My tryst with the UN started and ended with my 8th Std Civics textbook.So feverish looking up of facts and knowing all what there was to know about Spain ensued.My almost non-existent GK rose to alarming heights and Boy ..Dad is glad!In short 10 Things about this MUN in no particular order.

10.FOOD:everyone who complained about it needs a reality check.Aloo Parathas,Kachoris,Fried Rice and samosas.It cant get better!The first day's Aloo Paratha got my instant love and loyalty to the MUN.

9.SPAIN:As I discovered Spain is too rich for its own good.The country didnt seem to have any freaking problems!FAO reported no cases of malnourishment..and the agenda was hunger.Moral:HOT SPORTSMEN do not give you good debating points

8.GENERAL ASSEMBLY:With 66 Member countries at SMC MUN it was the largest council and this ensured people scrambling to speak or shouting each other down(Which as I discovered is not exactly allowed).I kept my mouth shut for most of the time being a first timer(NOTE:For my friends-Yes This does happen once in a while)

7.HUNGER:There is a lot to it than I thought there was.Its not just the feeling that you experience 10 minutes before the bell at 12 50 PM)

6.EMERGENCY:An emergency situation introduced did a lot more than inducing wars and invasions.Columbia's loss in the form of Shakira resulted in two delegates breaking out into a jig for "Waka Waka".May she rest in peace and not turn in her grave.

5. ASSASSINATION:The sudden declaration of the death of a Famed PM left me and the delegate next to me,very immersed in the emergency, thinking that it was true.

4.LATIN AMERICA:The Latin American countries there had promptly ignored SPAIN while forming a bloc of their own.When realization dawned,they tried to convince me and Israel meanwhile was left to convince me to stay on with the bloc that had nuclear weapons and the superpowers of the world.Some talk that was!

3.WILD STATEMENTS:

DELEGATE 1-"There are no anti social elements in *insert country*,only terrorists"

(The drug cartel govt had just been overthrown in a country and amidst all the supposed seriousness)DELEGATE 2:" Point of personal privilege-There is something in my eye, can I go and wash it?"

DIRECTOR:"If there is any food found in the hall, we will throw it"

DELEGATE 3 :"Can we donate it instead"?

DELEGATE 4(At the end of day three,examining the MUN newspaper and wondering out aloud )"Who is Suryadeep seal?"

2.UNMODERATED CAUCUS:Probably my most Favorite part of the GA.The chaos and confusion that ensues when an unmoderated caucus is declared is awesome fun.I should say i was looking forward to this right from the time we were instructed not to climb on tables or remove coats(or shirts) and wave them to attract attention.

1.RESOLUTIONS:We managed to pass two resolutions...with some difficulty though.And when they were passed a lot of air punching and table banging ensued.Overheard A Delegate saying "Wow some people get too emotional"Hmpphh What would he know!

0.PEOPLE:The best part of it all.Ive met so many people and made many friends who Im sure Ill not forget in a haste.Catfights,Arguements and foreign policies aside,At the end of the day we were all a very happy bunch of countries :)

SMC MUN was super awesome and an experience .I loved every minute of it and Im sure many other did too.Applause to all the people who organized it and made it so special for so many of us!

P.S.Is it just me or did any other delegates hear "Delegates! Decorum!" or "We shall start a moderated caucus for the time period 10 minutes 45 seconds speaking time" in their sleep?

Creepy?Ok, Forget it.