A Bit Of This And That..

Hey there folks! So I’m back in Bangalore and we’re finally done with the second internals! 2 weeks from now we will be “promoted to 5^th term” and we will thence be known as “The Exam-going batch” but until then Home is the only destination. :)

So we had our theory papers and we literally went crazy trying to finish everything. Pathology especially was a tough nut to crack and despite spending 3/5^th of my study time on Pathology most of us walked out rather disappointed with our performance. The bouncer in the question paper was Polyarteritis Nodosa which is a type of vascular disease.  Although Blood Vessels was covered in class and we had a vague memory of the topic being covered in class, none of us were prepared to write a 5 mark answer on it.

Basically Polyarteritis Nodosa affects the small to medium-sized arteries and it’s characterized by a “Rosary Bead” appearance. But alas, even this nugget of information failed to cross my mind during the exam. So instead I uselessly wrote about Henoch Schonlein Purpura (HSP) which is also a type of vasculitis with palpable purpura, glomerulonephritis and pain in the abdomen. Acute Pancreatitis was another question I didn't expect so I wrote a little about the pathogenesis and then went on about Grey Turner's Sign which is bluish discoloration around the umbilicus and it's seen in Acute Necrotizing Pancreatitis. Funnily enough, Aadi and I were quizzing each other just the day before the exam and that's how I thought of writing these random things.

Micro went without much ado because the paper was easy and contained many questions from our earlier Bacteriology test paper. Forensic now seems funny because although I didn’t waste too much time and began studying by 5PM, I had truckloads to finish and to top it all I fell asleep with dreams of waking up at an unearthly hour and finishing what was left. Alas, Sleep overpowered me and at 7AM, I woke up teary eyed and hoped for a miracle. As the words failed to make any sense, I resigned myself to my fate. As the dreaded hour approached, Nammu tried to pep me up by asking some questions but my cluelessness did nothing to improve my mood. Nevertheless, it takes courage to walk into the battlefield knowing that you won’t come back victorious. After vehemently arguing with roll numbers 31 and 34 that I possessed no knowledge whatsoever, we looked at the question paper and well… I began writing whatever little I could remember and concocted plausible answers for most of the questions. Fate, they say, is a fickle friend. :)

After this, we began preparing for the practical exams in all earnest. Reddy, Nammu, Likki and I were had the same practical time table so we began with Pathology and later Abhi and BP also joined us. We began with the histopathology slides (which we got from Icaboo) and then we did a bit of Hematology as well.

Our Pathology practical exam goes like this:

• Spotters: Instruments, gross specimens, histopathology slides, hematology..
• Haemoglobin estimation (by Sahli’s method) [which I managed to screw up to some extent]
• Blood group determination (where again I couldn't answer many of the questions regarding blood banks despite preparing posters on the same subject)
• Urine analysis (where you’ve got to perform chemical tests on the urine sample to look for protein, sugar, ketone bodies or blood as abnormal constituents. Here again, I freaked out over the procedures and walked around hurriedly in hope of a miracle.
• Hematology slide: usually a type of anaemia or leukemia is given and you are expected to recognize the slide and write a report regarding the same. Usually, there is a case that accompanies the slide that gives a clue. Now here’s how it looks:



Acute Myeloid Leukemia



Megaloblastic Anaemia 



Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (look for smudge cells but
don't depend on them :/ )

 So on the ill-fated day, I found myself grappling with a slide that looked suspiciously like CML but the case suggested CLL. Alas, Luck and Logic had deserted me and having found no smudge cells that are characteristically seen in CLL, I presumed that the slide was on CML (even when it clearly said “70 year old with mild organomegaly and lymphadenopathy.. -_-) So when V Sir peeped into the microscope, he looked surprised and annoyed that I hadn't even recognized the slide right. Now how could he sarcastically reply to the lame answers I would give? Nevertheless I felt downright disappointed with myself and the only question that Sir asked was causes for massive splenomegaly (The previous day Sahana had told me a few but all I could remember was Portal Hypertension, CML and my fav, Hairy Cell Leukemia) So after this disaster, I know I have some Serious Issues with Path.

• The histopathology slide was Chronic Pyelonephritis and this was evident from the periglomerular fibrosis, thyroidization of tubules and inflammatory infiltrates. I blabbered a little regarding vesicoureteral reflex and bacterial infection and the rest went on uneventfully.

There is "thyroidization"of the tubules: look at the colloidal material
in the middle of the tubule. Fibrosis around the glomerulus and
relatively larger number of inflammatory cells.

Forensic passed uneventfully thanks to the mnemonics we made to remember the bones of the wrist joint (Can He Talk Less So That They Piss) and elbow joint (Head Mistress of TLC) in the order of the appearance of their centers of ossification. Microbiology also passed uneventfully (Uppi was in a good mood and restricted himself to Antimicrobials which isn't covered yet in Pharmac) and finally it was Pharmacology (by now I sounded like a full blown frog) and Siddu Sir began by asking "So you want to go to JIPMER?" (Me: *stares blankly for 3s* and Sir repeats and then it flashes to me that he's talking about the JIPMER fest Spandan, he later informs that the management will not permit any entrants in the fear of any such similar requests in the future. -_-). It went okayish (Sir: BZD anatagonist? Me: Flumazenil! *withathat'ssoobvioustonethatInowregret* Sir: Morphine antagonist? Me: *It'satthetipofmytonguebutItjustdoesn'tflash*....... NALAXONE/ NALTREXONE!! *Whew* But I couldn't wait to get out of the place and I literally ran back towards the hostel and began packing my bags because it was time to head home! A massive speedy pack-a-thon later BP, Likki and I set off towards Nammooru Bangalooru :)

Movies I've watched lately:

• Lakshya: A beautiful movie directed by Farhan Akhtar and starring Hrithik and Preity. Meaningful, well crafted and yes, it's got Hrithik <3!
• Queen: I loved this movie. It's like Bollywood has finally come of age! :)
• Bahubali: Don't ask, don't judge. I succumbed to parental pressure. -_- Not bad. -.-'

Musicophilia: I've been listening to a lot of songs lately all thanks to Hippo aka Froggie's awesome suggestions! Majority are from MTV Unplugged and take you to another world (especially with the right pair of earphones :P) with the soulful rendition and accompanying music. Music proved to be a stress buster during the exam fortnight because nothing can take away your worries like a beautiful song. Do listen to the MTV Unplugged version of these which can be found on Youtube under MTV Unplugged:

• Javeda Zindagi
• Maaeri
• Rangobati
• Jiyein Kyun
• Saibo
• Yeh Joh Desh
• Nayan Tarse and Badra Bahar
• Phir Se Ud Chala
• Tum Hi Ho

And soo many more! Most of the songs linger in your mind because the music is so rich and pure. Also listen to 

1. Daylight by Maroon5 
2. Songs by Pakistan based Coke Studio such has Dholna (Atif Aslam), Lambi Judaai (Komal Rizvi) and Nindiya Ke Paar (Uzair Jaswal).. 

After landing in B'lore, the next few days were spent on the treaddie, swimming and googling exercises for losing fat in different regions :P

Saturday was time for HSR Express Ver 2.0! :)

At Sanjana's Place.. 

Appa dropped me at BSK Bus stand and after this I took a regular bus to HSR Layout. Suprisingly, I reached in just over an hour (it's usually much more than that) and after this it was nonstop chattering about everything under the sun! Medical college stories, latest trends in colleges, friends, hostel life woes and so many more things. The best part is how both of us have similar experiences in our respective colleges. After a sumptuous lunch we resumed our chatter, photo sessions and some gaming. After a walk in the park it was time to bid adieu, albeit for a short while, and soon, I was on a direct bus to Jantha Bazaar. Here's hoping that we meet again soon! There is no end to conversation when we get together :)

After this, I headed home, only to be back on the same road with family at Village, Central, JP Nagar for another hogging session. Next day, i.e Sunday was eventful because after the customary Baddie, Treadmill and exercises and lazed around till noon and then Di and I headed to BAC by 3.30PM; It was time for Sibling Swimming Session!! We had loads of fun splashing around, racing each other and literally pulling each other's legs in the chilly pool. Now this is something I want to do again before these holidays get over! :D

Be Right Back. I've got a LOT to blog today! B)

Statutory Warning: Nonsense Lies Ahead.

Warning the scanty readers that this post shall make no sense whatsoever.

So today (rather, yesterday) was our End Posting Test in Ophthalmology and we had to present a case. Ours was a immature senile cortical cataract and we answered to some extent to get some sort of marks. It dawned upon me (rather late) that making mistakes is a very good thing. It leaves you with a memory that will last longer than the memory of having gotten it right. (The spank (or rap?) that maám gave me for not doing palpating the globe appropriately will (hopefully) last for a long time.. )  

Weekend getaway to Chikmangalur with Atthe and Maama. A short but memorable trip where we visited Mullayangiri (in the midst of the clouds, the howling winds, the gusty air that makes you sway and the freshness in the air that cannot be found elsewhere!) and Habbe Falls (hidden in the middle of a plantation, this falls is ensconced in the midst of lush greenery and the cool shallow waters falling gently from the height makes it an ideal waterfall to enjoy the beauty as well as indulge in it.

Last week, we'd been to this coaching institute that has opened up in Shimoga. Basically it's to provide help for cracking PG entrance exams. It was a demo class and gave us a brief idea regarding the kind of competition we are going to face, the importance given to each subject, the books that we're expected to read and a sampling of the kind of questions that are often asked. 

I have the knack of doing amazing things in life. For example, walking into a bakery and asking the people at the counter (4-5) if it was open. The looks on their faces clearly indicated that they were wondering if there was anything wrong with me! 

Like I often reiterate, change is essential; we all need to adapt and acclimatize in order to survive and one cannot remain stagnant. We all evolve over time, owing to the surroundings, the company we keep, the work we do and the responsibilities we shoulder. But what if.. the metamorphosis has left you virtually unrecognizable? What if you no longer identify who you were initially after all the multitude of changes you have undergone in order to adapt to your surroundings? You might say that if it's working out for you with all the changes, then it shouldn't matter. But what about your originality? Has it been sacrificed for the price of belonging?

Sometimes the lines between who we actually are and who we portray ourselves to be become blurred and what ensues is a state of turmoil between our thoughts and actions. The mind cautions against frankness but the heart does not heed to these commands and behaves with the hope that one shall be accepted for who they are. But the truth is, very few people actually accept us the way we are; with all our flaws, intricacies and  idiosyncrasies. It is important not to seek this acceptance from everyone. It is important to remember those who have this wonderful quality because you will never hesitate to be yourself in their company!! :D

As hard as it seems to accept, the reality of Life is that people change. People walk in and out of our lives. When people walk into our lives and brighten our day, we don't question them for being a part of our lives. Yet, when people begin to walk out without rhyme or reason, it raises questions within us. We start looking back if we made mistakes and if there was something we could have done better. But sometimes, it's got nothing to do with us! People gradually fade out of our lives before we even realize that there is a void and it might be due to reasons absolutely unrelated to us. Maturity lies in accepting these twists of Fate and letting go.

The Ultimate Nightmare.

Here's to a day that's taught me many things.
Here's to day that made realize many things.
Here's to the friends who make you feel good about yourself, who fill you with inspiration, motivation and a solid dose of advice that makes you look at things in a different perspective.
Here's to the friends who want you to do well, who will lend a hand and make sure you avoid the pitfalls.
Here's to that rare set of friends who will be there for you no matter how far they are, who will have faith in you and who will believe in you in those times when you doubt yourself.
Here's to the friend who takes the time off and convinces you that you are no less than anybody else.
Here's my thank you to you. (Because I'm pretty sure you won't be seeing this. ;) )
Wish there were more such people!

Lately, it had occurred to me that I am probably not extremely competitive. I would describe myself as moderately competitive. No the cut-throat, obsessed kind. My driving factor has most often been the urge to do well and not the desire to be No.1. Yes, it might seem strange, but what I mean is, I do it out my interest, not out of the desire to beat X/Y/Z and get to the top. But I'd been pondering if this was the right attitude because when I see X/Y/Z, it is this competitive spirit that enables them to get to the top.

But the truth is, this is irrelevant. The goal has nothing to do with X/Y/Z. In medicine, the ultimate nightmare is having a patient in front of you and being unable to diagnose/treat them appropriately. Watching the patient suffer while you fumble and falter with your concepts is the most horrifying idea. It's THIS imagery that should prompt any medico to give their 100% and work towards excellence. Yes, it's important to know where you stand relatively because in today's world, you are judged based on how you're better than the one beside you. But that isn't the sole criterion. The most important factor is to keep the Ultimate Nightmare in mind and study so that you will not fail in alleviating the suffering of the patient.

New Year, New Beginnings. :)

Internal tension is in the air, with less than a week to go and a zillion things to be read, understood and reproduced, coffee is once again in demand and the library is packed to the brim!

In the last week of the last year, the population in the hostel gradually thinned and dwindled to a steady number. My unquenchable thirst for chocolate prompted me to win a Flappy Bird challenge after spending several fruitless hours over that annoyingly addictive little bird. Traveled home on New Year's Eve, had the most uneventful beginning to the new year (Err, I slept off! Oh come on, I was exhausted after the early morning journey, the shopping, hogging, mall hopping session (with my favourite uncle, aunt and cousin) after a sleepless night) and the rest of the days passed as usual. Unexpected turn (or rather, 'fall') of events resulted in restricted movement in the following days. Anyway Di had holidays too, so it was we could finally catch up on Bheem jigsaw puzzles, swimming session and Shloka classes.

New Year, New Spring of Life, New Hopes.

One thing I realized is kids have amazing auditory grasping power. As children, we learn through what we hear. No wonder I learnt the songs, shlokas and Shasthriya sangeeta easily back in those days when I really didn't refer the books much. Since Ma couldn't make it to the Bal Vihar class, I agreed to teach the little ones the craft that she had started and prepared myself to handle a gathering of hyperactive kiddos. But things turned out quite differently and the "Bhagini from Shimoga" didn't really have a lot to do because of shortage of supplies and paucity of time. 

Blossoms in the Terrace Garden :)

We'd been to Sapna and I (obviously) could not return empty handed, so I got myself:

• Complications by Atul Gawande (A US based surgeon writing about his experiences as a surgeon)
• A pretty little notebook (NOT A DIARY, MIND YOU! -_-)

I also had the honour of meeting up with Gimpi for a precious few minutes (under the pretext of shopping). We gawked at the long haired lanky vehicle servicing idiot who chose to ignore us because we were ugly morons, we (or mostly, I) scared a poor old man at the restaurant who made the mistake of sitting beside us by talking about my Oh-So-Amazing college life and the various species inhabiting our college. I couldn't hide my laughter because the old man's eyes very nearly popped out as I went on and on about the many facets of life in Subbaiah. Something I didn't realize until I was retrospecting much later was how the "Uncle" topic never surfaced! :P 7 months ago, that's all that we seemed to speak about. Lol.

Unprepared for Selfie, Therefore a Footfie. ;)

Speaking about lol-worthy moments. Looking back, I have never failed to make a fool of myself at every juncture in life. It began with Teletubbies, Little Ladybird (from those neighbourhood boys) Floppie, Pinkie, Psyduck (from Syko), Corn/Maize (from the other green house leader in 7th standard), Pigbrain (from my arch rival in 8th), Creature-Thing (from Shamie the Sheepie the Maidha) ... and here too, there are several names to my kitty; Puppy (by Icabo), Julie (by Figo, propagated by Nammu maám), Pig (by Froggie) and Jaz (by BP). It looks like being dignified, graceful and sober is still a distant dream for me! -_-

Looking back at a lot of things, I feel I could have done things differently, but I probably wouldn't, because today, they all make bring a smile on my face; I feel that maybe, just maybe, I'm evolving for the better (even if it's still on a microscopic scale)

No year begins without a few plans, without a few goals in mind. This year too, I've a few plans to follow, few promises to keep and few pitfalls to avoid. :)

Apart from that, Life is progressing swimmingly well. There comes a moment when you feel a happiness for the simple reason that there exist people who understand you really, really well! Be it Bhopiee (What with our plans to meet up in the NCT in the next 6 months by saving 5K, her complete analysis and understanding with my bare minimum explanation), Gimpi (My anchor to remind me of who I am when I conveniently begin to forget :') ), Icabo (Sense and Sensibility) or Abhi (Soul Sister. :) ), they make be feel that any obstacle can be overcome, dark days can be tided over and they radiate happiness like sunshine on a bright day!

Reach Higher Goals! :P

The day we lose the ability to dream big, the day we don't dare to achieve greater heights is the day we sell our souls to the Ordinary and Average. Maybe I'm being foolishly optimistic and starry eyed, but never ever give up on your dreams, never let difficulties bring you down and never stop aiming higher. Of course, Life isn't going to be perfect, but that shouldn't ever deter you. :)

Sometimes, just sometimes, all I want is Peace of Mind. Of course, still want the "bigger" things, but maybe one day the scale will tip over to the little things. Oh, I don't know. Maybe I should just go back to books.

This is why Robbins is beautiful: One may get so close to the tree that they may lose sight of the forest. :)  And this is when he's talking in Anaplasia about how the benign growth may go undetected even when you're looking at the neoplastic adipocytes under the microscope because they resemble the normal adipocytes so closely. It's only when you step back and look at the discrete mass of cells that you realize it's a lipoma.

Seeya! It's probably going to be a while before I get back to the blogosphere again. Toodles, dear reader. 

El Oh El

Hello there! Salaam Walekum! Ellarigu Namaskara!

Feeling hyper at midnight is certainly not a good sign. It implies I'm going to get up ultra late tomorrow morning and remain in a drowsy stupor for half the day. 

In Bangalore for the weekend. 5th was Ma's B'day and we had a nice time with a few surprises. :) 

MaPaDi :)

I've been bitten by the "Nostalgia Bug", if such a thing exists. Here's a sneak peek into the past. Basically, I was on Facebook since 2009. And in 2012, that account got deleted. (I had the habit of "deleting the account" and then logging back within 2 weeks so that it wouldn't actually get deleted. But then, I forgot all about it once and thus a new account was created. But luckily I had saved a copy of everything around that time so here's how things were back in Circa 2009-12

Short Hair Scenes. School day at
NIMHANS Convention Centre

Me, Lol. This was at the Case Study at NDRI

 

 Graduation Day. Those days were fun! :")

I had short hair once upon a time. The time when
I decided to cut my own hair. On MLK's B'day. -_-

Sleepover at Syko's, Dholarpur, Science Model Making
3G Connectivity, No prizes, Just a lot of fun. :)

My very first phone. Samsung Corby. Lost it when we shifted
our house for the renovation.

The things I posted on Facebook back then! I'm have glad that the old account doesn't exist anymore. So we had this huge discussion over the possibility of this setup. KK was a Facebook Spamming Friend. :P No Wonder
I got less in HCG. I spent 5 minutes spamming walls everyday. Even during Boards. -_-

Guddi. :D

The Deeksha Days. This was during the one trip we had
during our two years in Deeksha. Striped, smileys and Ponies.
<3

Friends since 2011. Friendships that will last a lifetime. :)

  

MyTeaHouse hangout with X A2 peeps. Ba, Punyakoti and I
literally jumped out of the Deeksha bus and ran towards MyTeaHouse
in our uniforms because we were so excited. :P

Ambli Resort on the way to Mysore during October 2011.
Fun times with the Family. :)

 Sensible posts will make their foray in Shimoga. :)

I've been feeling extremely accomplished lately. Very soon, it will be 5 whole years since I started this blog. I feel the need to commemorate the occasion. Although, I agree that mere ranting about the flaws in my persona, the mundane reality of my life on a public platform does make me accomplished by any definition of the term. Yet, it's something, I'm happy about, something I consider as my achievement.

Anyway, Adios reader. :) 

Give It Any Name, fo chrissake!

Tired, Aching and Sleepy. Yet feel the urge to blog because who knows when I'm going to do so again.

One more vacation has passed and it's time to head back to where I belong. Diwali was a noiseless affair and the only things we lit were a few diyas, a handful of sparklers and flower pots. Balipaddimi at Vnagar is another tradition that's been followed for the longest time, but never have we had such a quiet Diwali. But it isn't about that is it? It's a time to get together (and click pigs. xD)

Songs playing in my mind:

• Piya Re Piya Re (by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan)
• Piya O Re Piya (Atif)
• Lehrein (because it's apparently the worst caller tune possible. -_- And I have it. B) )

All Lit Up!

Family Selfie Scenes!

And that's how she spent the three days.

SLR Scenes

And today, I met my homies, my lovelies, my foolies; Bhopie and Shamie (aka Sheepie). Hogged on some breakfast (Food is our numero uno priority in life) and chatted about Life, 'the meaning of "meaning" ' and other extremely sensible topics [the creepiness of rabbits and the importance of finding a soulmate who will be okay with you talking about rabbits for no apparent reason, the pointlessness of snakes and roaches, the horror of having Gopalan ma'am snub you in your dreams (as well), my very exciting social life in Shimoga (which left the two of them gaping in wonderment), the social 'habits' of our friends' circle, the college buzz from PeeShit (Oops, I meant Pesit. :P ), the plans for future and the purpose of the lives we're leading in different cities (by a twist of fate)].  

Happy Scenes

 A dose of Maidha and Sanj can elicit happiness for a long time to come. May they never ever change and continue to spread joy and laughter with those pea-sized brains. I've never spoken so much nonsense (and yet felt so much at peace) in SO Long! :") I'm SO glad this short meetup happened (Maidhs luckily finished her pre-Internal cramming and Sanj surprised us by flying down from Bhopal for the Diwali break. :D)

Spazz Scenes

I shall retire for the night. There's a bus to catch in 8hours, a back that's broken, a brain that's starving for sleep.

Soliloquy. Well, Almost.

I get the feeling that I'm addressing a large room which is nearly empty. Nearly, but not quite and that's enough. It's not that I ever had the feeling of addressing a packed football stadium audience either, come to think of it. :P

My previous blogpost (Lalbagh Ladkis Part 2) had pictures from the Photowalk (mostly Walk-and-Talk) with Vidha3 at Lalbagh. As always, it was nice to meet up with DST Pal and we chatted about college life and how drama exists everywhere! :P 

We went by her Gaadi and I clung on as tightly as possible (Yes, I make a terrible passenger. I feel all wobbly and unbalanced for no reason. -_-) but she navigated with ease through the early morning traffic (in spite of my pathetic direction skills) and we reached safely. I must say I was shocked as I passed through the Lalbagh gates, because the place was packed! It didn't appear anything like the promised 'Botanical Garden' what with hordes of people walking purposefully in all possible directions.

Post the Photo session and the customary trek up the Hill, we rode back to Basvangudi and had breakfast at Halli Thindi (Masala Dosa with a BIG cube of Butter and Akki Roti) and then V3 dropped me home. 

Hyder Ali commissioned the building of this garden in 1760 but his son, Tipu Sultan, completed it. Hyder Ali decided to create this garden on the lines of the Mughal Gardens that were gaining popularity during his time. Hyder Ali laid out these famous botanical gardens and his son added horticultural wealth to them by importing trees and plants from several countries. The Lal Bagh Gardens were commissioned by the 18th century and over the years it acquired India's first lawn-clock and the subcontinent's largest collection of rare plants.

Tuesday was the day with Pings.

We began late (As always, Classy girls need to dress up after all B) ) and took the direct bus to MG Road. We landed right in front of Hard Rock and Pings tried to tempt me (for a drink, what else?) but I acted all pricey [*I'm saving it for a special day*] and we ambled down the famous road. Although the theme was 'Classy' we were anything but that, what with ogling at fake Greek gods and giggling over wannabe models posing in shades (INSIDE the Metro. seriously?!). 

I Love Bangalore.

I got a book:

• The Kite Runner: Khaled Hosseini

We had milkshakes at Lakeview Milk Bar.

 My Imagination:

[Dad: So where did you and Pinki go today?
Me: We went to a Bar. B)
Dad: Whaaaaaaaaaaaaat?
Me: A Milk Bar, Appa.
Dad: *breathes*]

 Lakeview Milk Bar traces a journey parallel to that of Bangalore. A legacy that is unbroken from its start in 1930. An Englishman named James Meadow Charles started the restaurant and sold it to a 19-year-old Indian Vraj Lal in 1947(almost symbolically)!

Hehe. 

 Post some window shopping and Masala Soda, we took the Metro to Indiranagar (The Posh part of Bangalore) and realized that it looks a lot like any other area in Bangalore except for the unbelievably huge number of eateries dotting every street. Claytopia was our initial choice but we were on the wrong side of Time and Distance, hence we decided to give Cafe Matteo a shot. 

Food. <3

Pasta.
We realized we've got to eat it with a Knife and Fork.
*sigh, I wish I'd learnt better table manners*

Post lunch we got back to our Original purpose (B'day Shopping for Gimps) which wasn't as successful as we'd expected but nevertheless its always fun to shop. Post a quick stop at McD, we hurried to Shivaji Nagar Bus Stand where we had to wait for what seemed like AGES until the blessed bus arrived and we scrambled to get seats.

Bangalore romances the Rain. No, seriously! :)

I got back a lot later than I thought I would but hey, this is Indian Stretchable Time (IST), after all, isn't it?

Wednesday passed with a flurry of messages, calls and confirmations and then D-Day arrived. I woke up early (A royal pain in the wrong end, considering that it's holidays and Sleep is a Way of Life, not a Luxury) and began preparations for my share of the meal: PALAK PANEER! (Yes, Palak Paneer has Deeksha memories associated. So do Aloo Tikkis! :P :D ) It was ready sooner than I expected and I fried the Paneer to a Light Golden shade so that it was still soft and melt-in-your-mouth kind albeit with a hint of crisp.

I was there at 9:10AM (As we'd decided) but then again IST pulled a fast one and it was 9:50 before we boarded the BSK bus and 11:00AM before we met the others at Lalbagh. Seeing everybody after nearly a year, I kept gaping at them open mouthed for no particular reason. Everybody was still the same! (Well, almost.) I was as apologetic as ever, thus attracting sarcasm and wit from Nirupama, Sanjana was on a 'Let's Capture The Moment' spree (so was I), Sonika was calm and composed as always while Sahana was hyper as usual (informing all those who care to listen to the *Jayashree looks for her brain on the pavement* joke.) Vaishnavi's accent remains the same and she thankfully refrained from pulling my leg) Ekta is still the cheery madcap while Lavanya's hair is simply beautiful. 

So we all met up at the Glass House, clicked a number of Groupies (or is it known as a Humpfie?) and ambled around in aimless circles (probably because we were engrossed in college talk and pulling each other's legs (mostly mine. -_-). We exchanged notes on the culture in each college, how 'progressive' and 'liberal' the colleges are (Subbaiah, ahem!) and the madness during exam week. All of us (Minus Sahana and Ekta) live outside Bangalore so we exchanged pointers on 'Bangalore stereotyping' that is rampant.

*So where are you from?* 

*Bangalore.* 

*Oh, Baaaangalore!! Acchaaa.* 

*(Gives a dark significant look and assumes that I'm this pub-crawling party animal who's been through more relationships than the number of vertebrae in my body.)*

We realized (too late, though) that there is no part of Lalbagh that permits harmless young girls from enjoying a good game of badminton, so we were shoo-ed from one location to another, in the hope of finding the Promised Land. Tired with all the walking, we crashed every 10 minutes into the nearest benches and played our favourite game: Dumb Charades! (As usual we came up with some regulars: "Manchurian Candidate", "The Shawshank Redemption"..) After a Juice Break, we 'trekked' up the stone hill, clicked more pictures (but the gusty wind got our hair flying so we look a leeetle freaky, truth be told) and tried to take a pic with all of us lying down in a circle (heads together) but the sun peeped out of the clouds so we're all mostly scrunching up our faces. -_-

It was too sunny!

After this, stomachs began to rumble so we descended downhill and sat around in a circle and each person opened their wares. So the plan was that each of us gets an item and shares it with everybody.(Apparently it's called Potluck) We're all used to the concept of eating out at fancy hotels so we decided to give this a shot considering how it's really very effective and economical.

• Sonika: Plates, spoons, cups, juice and even a cake!
• Lavanya: Chapathis
• Ekta: Parathas
• Vaishnavi: Shahi Paneer
• Me: Palak Paneer 
• Sanjana: Pulao (just like the one she used to get to college! :) )
• Sahana: Chips
• Nirupama: *drum roll* Curd Rice (which she periodically threatened us to consume, warning us with dire consequences. :P)

 Post lunch, we chatted some more, discovered that GK Pal, THE GK Pal, teaches at Nirupama's college (Jipmer), Oh and I almost forgot about Shahi! Shahi, or "Shahi The Faithful" was a dog that followed us during a major part of our time in Lalbagh. Shahi was christened over the fact that he was presumably following us for the Shahi Paneer) and it was only near the Stone hill that we managed to give him the slip! (Much to Vaishnavi's relief :) )

After a hurried cake session (harried as well, because some of us were convinced that the ferocious looking dog was barking to invite its mates for a quick Bite!) we said our goodbyes and it was time to go! Plans and promises have been made for another meetup in the coming year at Cubbon Park. *Fingers crossed*

We (Sahana, Sonika, Lavanya and I) took an auto back to our houses (I had my classes at 5!) and thus a beautiful day came to an event. I was simply exhausted and crashed into bed unimaginably early. (9.00PM. -_-)

Many of the gang-members couldn't make it because they weren't in town (or country) or their colleges had begun. But meeting them all made it seem like nothing has changed, we're still a bunch of girls who made it out of Deeksha sanity intact, who love to have fun and who are still simple and uncomplicated. :)

I miss everybody a LOT; the wit, the sarcasm, the PJs, the incessant photo madness and just the people! <3

Coming to another noteworthy matter, I downloaded books online!!

• The Cuckoo's Calling: Robert Galbraith
• Chanakya's Chant: Ashwin Sanghi
• The Sisterhood of Traveling Pants: Ann Brashares
• And The Mountains Echoed: Khaled Hosseini
• Wolf Hall: Hilary Mantel
• Les Miserables: Victor Hugo
• War and Peace: Leo Tolstoy
• Percy Jackson: Books 1 and 2

I've signed up for riding and driving classes and It's been over a week. I should probably chronicle that separately given how exciting it is. There's so much more I want to ramble about but that's a lot of blogging I've done at one stretch.

Toodles! :D

Clarity.

^. I Love the song ( By Zedd) and need the same in my life.

The sad truth is, to blog coherently, I need to be unconscious of the fact that people will read my blog.

So June 2nd was JSS Entrance Exam  and since then I've been obliged to do nothing whatsoever!

So I watched YJHD with Makshi on Monday. Well, the movie is longer than it should be and  it's formulaic to a large extent but it makes for a good one time watch. I got a few books from her too! :)

The next day, after a quick visit to Deeksha, I met my Lunch gang! (Minus Priyanka, Sonika and Lavanya :-/ ) As always, it was a lot of fun and we went bowling at Amoeba. 

Us @ Amoeba. :)

So I read Rozabal Line by Ashwin Sanghi and it made for a good read. Ashwin Sanghi is dubbed as the 'Indian Dan Brown' and reading his book, one feels that this title is well deserved. However, the huge number of unnecessary characters/elements/locations tend to bog you down mainly because they do not contribute significantly. Furthermore, halfway through the book, the plot fizzles out. Yet, It makes for an interesting read (probably because I'm partial towards Indian authors or because the author has done an extensive research for the book). Basically, the book explores the popular myth that Jesus Christ was buried in Kashmir. It involves a fair amount of terrorism and religious beliefs. 

Room on the Roof was typical Ruskin Bond and it was a pleasant read but nothing noteworthy. (I've read most of his books, so I guess it was a bit repetitive.)

Anyway, I'm currently reading Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. The blurb of the book reads:

When The Fountainhead was first published, Ayn Rand's daringly original literary vision and her groundbreaking philosophy, Objectivism, won immediate worldwide interest and acclaim. This instant classic is the story of an intransigent young architect, his violent battle against conventional standards, and his explosive love affair with a beautiful woman who struggles to defeat him. This edition contains a special afterword by Rand’s literary executor, Leonard Peikoff, which includes excerpts from Ayn Rand’s own notes on the making of The Fountainhead. As fresh today as it was then, here is a novel about a hero—and about those who try to destroy him.

I'm disappointed to inform that I'm STILL not done with it. Initially the book seemed to be 'promising' and I was eager to know more about 'Objectivism'. However, halfway through the book, I lost interest (Something that doesn't happen often) mainly because of the authors treatment of the female characters. Not to mention the abysmally long commentaries on mundane matters. The book has a fair amount of philosophy (which I detest) so I must be fair. I should refrain from denouncing the book any further. (I'll do that after I finish the book).

So you've heard about the mantis shrimp? Doesn't matter. Head here for the Cutest way to know about it: http://theoatmeal.com/comics/mantis_shrimp . I found this when I stumbled upon the UChicago essay topics for this year. :)

So long! :)

Well, well, well. Look who's here!

That seems like an appropriate title for SO many reasons!

So CET, COMEDK, JEE, Manipal over. NEET, St. Johns and JSS left.
I suppose I'm marginally improving with each exam but then I would've been happier if the exams were scheduled differently. I mean CET is OVER!

And I'm not even writing JIPMER, AIIMS and CMC. Yes, very disappointing for a medical aspirant. But atleast I should do better in the upcoming ones.

As it happens, the only 'non-academic' reading I'm doing these days is the newspaper. Endless perusal, no doubt.
Planning to do a lot of things in the upcoming holidays (including learning to ride a 2/4 wheeler [people half my age are zooming around] and not excluding a haircut, volunteering at an NGO and writing a good 'piece'!)

Actually there was a problem with my St. Johns App. We'd written the wrong pincode and we panicked about it and sent a letter as well. But luckily, there was no hassle and I got my Hall ticket. What was surprising was when a letter addressed to me, containing the hall ticket of another student arrived a few days ago. So it's an applicant from Hooghly and we sent it back to her and hopefully it will reach her shortly!
But it also meant something more. It was a moment when it hit me that lakhs of students write these entrance exams to gain admission to a few prestigious colleges. It's a race. I wouldn't call it a rat race, but that's just being courteous.

Another interesting point is that a week or so ago, I re-established contact with an old friend. It turns out, not much has really changed. It maybe possible for friendship to stand the test of time. (some of my friendships have, some haven't. But they most certainly haven't failed for the lack of trying :) ) Maybe, people don't change. It is one of those rare times when we can pretend like that day never happened.

In a stark contrast to the this, I met an old 'acquaintance' (That's being polite. We were sworn enemies.) yesterday after COMED-K. Turns out that he's not as vile and insane as I'd known him earlier. (Possibly because the aforementioned qualities do not befit someone aspiring to be doctor) But honestly, it was a surprise that we could have a conversation without expletives. [Not Me. I don't Swear] 
So maybe, people change for the better sometimes? 

It is hard to let go of a dream. A dream perhaps built more in the air than in the firm foundations of reality. But a dream, nevertheless. A dream, for which I worked so that it maybe become true. A dream, which I still have, will always have. Adversity cannot quell a passion. One day, my dream will come true.

Dinka Chika was my life anthem? lol

What we expect and what we get.
So I met papa yesterday. :D
After SAT we may go see Life of Pi!
So yesterday passed in a sleepy haze and I got up with a packed schedule in mind.
I did laundry (I nearly die whenever the machine is in spin mode. It makes all scary rattling sounds and I make a mental plan of how to escape should the machine decide to blow up.)
And then I started homeward for my passport.
Walked for about 1km and then took an auto.
Went home. Ma was leaving. A relative had died.
Don't ask how, but I ended up with her. So we went to KIMS Hospital.
I've never been to a mortuary before. Uhmm.
I sat aloof for the most part, constructing an essay in my mind while occasionally informing inquisitive people that no, I wasn't in engineering but still in 2nd PU.
So there's this post mortem room and one was being conducted there. Later they all came out. It was kind of sad.
Ajji was there. She doesn't know I stay in a hostel. Hmm.
Yeah then came home and Ma showed me her newly acquired skill of riding a two wheeler.
Then back here.
Point being, half of the day passed in a thoroughly unexpected manner.

Whatever. Sanskrit.
Oh and by the way!
Yesterday, in the bio paper, My answers had a LOT of 'phenomenon's in it.
The phenomenon of attachment of blastocyst, the decrease in rate of photosynthesis, the loss of water through hydathodes, the absorption of water by hydrophilic substances and so on.
And suddenly I stopped for a second and looked at this seemingly innocuous word.
I thought, I should have been a Mallu. You know, not a Nair or even a Tharoor but a nice Menon.
And I should have been christened as 'Pheno' or even 'Feno'.
Cuz then I'd well and truly be a PhenoMenon!
And you won't believe it but I sat grinning into my paper for the next 5 minutes and slowly some semblance manifested itself upon me and I continued scribbling furiously.
Last main was Zoology practical and I chose to draw the digestive system.
But alas, it looked more like a mashup of several deformed organs.
I've got stupid custard apple all over my fav purple bag.
I LOVE NUTELLA! Gosh, Yum. Im going to buy my own dabbi soon. Yumm.
I won't be blogging for a while.
{There, now that I've said that, i should blog after a respectable number of days. Lol}
But wait.
Frankenstein WHAT?! Wow.
And Mary and Percy Shelley. What lives. Lol.
They'd 'fit in' in the 21st century.
Holy Oak.
Mt Holyoke.