Group Studies. Socializing.RFTs. Psychology.

One fine day I decided to give Group Studies a try. So Sanjana, Lavanya, Varsha and myself stayed back after regular college got over. The 12th's had special classes so transport was no problem.
What ensued:

• It rained. We ate Pav Bhaji. Did Physics- 1D Motion. (We studied. I had a good time.)
• The physics Test (for which we studied) was postponed.
• Aman and Manish found this very funny. (The fact that I pioneered the "Group Study Phenomenon" among the 11th's. They found it hard to believe that we did anything other than gossip. And I got tired of convincing them.)

Hmmm...

Then last weekend was hectic. It all began on Friday. I got down near COD, waited for the arrival of Anu and Neha. Twas nice to see Neha after nearly 3 months. :) Fashionista Much? So we booked a cake, ate cakes, swallowed Golgappas and strolled to the bus stop. Neha and I got a Marco Polo. It was a remarkable thing to see Neha sitting!

Next Day: (Saturday June 25th)
 After a fairly normal day at college, I got into Meghna's bus (after arguing with Imtiaz uncle) and had a mad conversation with a mad acquaintance (No, I DON'T have the guts to put excerpts of the conversation here.). So Pooja, Sanjana, Swetha, Sindhu and I got down at Madhavan Park and walked towards Pooja's House, which is one well designed Home! (Her dad is an architect). Pooja's mom, an extremely gracious and enterprising lady played perfect host to the group. The artworks of Pooja and her parents adorned the walls of the house. Here again, I gorged on golgappas. And yeah, Kesribath. Soon we were joined by Disha, Sharada, a wet and highly excited Likitha, petite and pretty Vipula, Apeksha and dressed up Padmashri. After clicking loads of pics, twas time for cake cutting!!! And This was Fun!! Sanjana  looked like a brown mess and we conveniently kept putting more cake on her face after every time she washed it until we realized what a waste of cake this was and began hogging what was left of the sinful delight! Post this was a Dance session (Yes, I, I, Actually danced and my friends even imitated my steps but that's probably cause it looked hilarious)) And then came the Buh-Byes and Hugs and All the Best's and What-Not. It was a nice evening. Different. And left me drained. Because ALL I did after coming home was sleep.


Oh!!! And I just rememebered! Today was the "Report Card Day" in college. Mine was nothing great. Paapa didn't come. Which was a pity. So I introduced my friends to Ma. Raksha's Mom's pretty. And the Great Suraj's Mom spoke to me. (Atthe knows her) . And when she asked how are you finding Deeksha, I could only say "uh... Um...It's nice.. I should do better..." and stammer like an idiot. What I wanted to convey was "I like the college and my friends but I'm not as smart as your son so I should work a lot harder." (-A Friend Of Mine perfectly understood my confusion and suggested this.) And of course, the AceTabs were officially on sale.

Day After: Sunday. June 26th.

After planning from weeks, I was thrilled about this day! 3:30 Ma dropped me and Anu opposite COD. Sumana and Vidha3 arrived. The cake didn't have the run-of-the-mill "Happy Birthday". It said " Priya Makshi, Janmadinasya Shubhashayaha".( Suggested by Vidha3!). There was much speculation regarding the arrival of Dee, but when she finally made it, we brisk-walked to DG and got into 2 autos. Anu and me were leading the way and I began to panic after reaching Sangam Circle. (We had to go to Sapna). I claimed to know the way. After nearly dying of panic, we reached Sapna. I must say, that this was the quickest buy that I've (actually we) made.

• Room On The Roof (Ruskin Bond)
• The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)

And then, Ms.Danavadi called and gave us a shock, She and Neha were in the auto and Aks was probably in the Bus. I seriously began to hyperventilate. Especially after it began to rain lightly. And we couldn't find cash to pay for the books. And we couldn't find an auto.

Soon, all was well, we were in the auto (urging to driver to go faster) and we got down in what was believed to be the road where Aks ki house was located. Dee was the only one who knew the House. Funnily enough, although we got down right in front of Makshi's house, she couldn't recognise. Lol. Anyway Duk came in a few minutes. We shook hands like professionals and she led the way. Akshata's mother was equally excited about all this which was very sweet..

All of us chatted and caught up with the latest buzz in our respectives colleges and clicked pics (in Makshi's Room) until she FINALLY arrived! She walked in and began talking to her mom. I peeped out of her room and she noticed the sudden movement and rushed towards the room and that was when all of us burst into 'Happy Birthday' while Makshi glowed with happiness.

And then, the Cake Cutting, the Candles that refused to blow out, Cake on Makshi's Face, Maggi+Lays+Jamun...

Actually I was under the impression that her test timings were 10:AM to 5:PM (Like their PUC/CET Test timings). So I thought that she would login only that night and wrote on her FB Wall (around 8:AM) "Happy Bday Makshi! You Have NO idea what's in store for you today! Today is going to be EPIC"!" But to my bad luck, her timings were 2:PM to 5:PM So she saw my post, got curious and had an inkling of some surprise...

It was a nice evening. I hope Makshi had a great time! And Yeah, It was good to meet Duk. :)


RFTs are over. Term Exams are coming up. Improvement Essential.

Sindhura, my classmate (Also a Bio-med student) hopes to become a psychiatrist. She gave me this Psychology book, and I think it's Amazing!

• Blink- Malcolm Gladwell

She's promised to get me more because this one has shown me how interesting psychology is!

Blink is about how split second decisions can sometimes be better than well researched decisions. It's about how intuition can be useful.

Thin Slicing: To know about a person, a book or even how happy a couple are, you don't have to go in depth to know the answer.

Eg 1): Instead of meeting me in person, If you were allowed into my room for about a minute, wouldn't you gather quite a bit by looking around? (Researches say Yes.)

Eg 2) Designed by a MIT Psychology Prof, It's called the Love Lab. A couple is asked to have a conversation in this room seated in two chairs which have the equipment to measure the shift in seating, heart beat, sweat rate, etc. And of course, the whole conversation is videotaped. This professor could predict with 95% accuracy the success of the marriage by just watching a few minutes of the video. This is majorly by studying the facial expressions which have been given 20 codes. Like, 1=> Disgust, 2=> Contempt, etc.On the whole, It's exciting! So you don't really have to know the couple for years or even months to predict.

I'm even half way through with the book, I'm going rather slow, considering all the other things I've to attend to...


So long! :)

Once Upon A Time.

It all began with an article in the newspaper nearly 5 years ago, which highlighted the rise of new age websites for teens. Namely Stardoll and Doppelganger. Out of sheer curiousity, I asked Paapa to get the laptop and with a lot of excitement, we opened the website! I still remember, the first doll I dressed up (we? Haha) was Angelina Jolie!

And then began a journey which changed my life forever.

Stardoll is a website (mainly for girls). There are 2 parts.

• You dress up celebrities. In the sense you get to see their wardrobe, so you play their stylist. And you can save your dressups in an album too.
• You have your own suite. And you buy furniture for your room. You have your own "Medoll" (Your virtual representation) which you dress up with the clothes you buy with the Stardollars you earn. Complicated? Yeah, so you decide how you look online too.

Trust me, At that point of time, It was fascinating! A whole new world! I made a few online friends nah, not really), started a nature club and designed my own home in the most Fabulous Way!

But the major drawback: Stardoll is not reality. My medoll did'nt look remotely like the real me. My home did'nt look as gorgeous as the (Fake?) virtual one.

But I loved it! Until things changed on 23th September 2008.

Only the ones who've seen my account, my suite, know how much effort I've put into the whole thing. Because it looked Ah-Mazing! Growing up with Stardoll, was great. It was an unforgettable experience. Something that I'll cherish forever. Sadly my account was deleted due to non-usage. And I don't really have any relics/remains of the virtual world I'd created. :(

Maybe it was for the better, but my only dissapointment is that all that I did for 3 years is lost forever. Also, Stardoll is no more what it was. Its undergone a total transformation. Change is the only constant.

www.stardoll.com

Refreshed.

Friends. Forever. :)

Wednesday was memorable. During Breakfast break I had Sanjana's Left over Pizza! (Yum!) and during Lunch ate biscuits and had loads of fun with friends. No, This was the first time I had a junkie meal. And fter 6th period, I literally RUSHED out of the class, ran to the van and sat impatiently! I excited all my otherwise-calm friends with my inane chatter and hyper-ness. And when the van was near KIMS, things rather got out of hand! I had to calm myself down. But the excitement I had still makes me smile. So I jumped out of the van when he stopped near COD and ran towards MyTeaHouse, opened the door and............................. entered the world where people understand me the best and accept me the way I am, where I am free to be myself without fear of being judged, where I am myself.

So I was much more talkative. I spoke to everybody. Had fun. Munched a bit of garlic bread. Chatted with my friends. When I was with them, I suppose I didn't realize how much they mean to me. I guess I took things for granted. Now I think twice before every action of mine. And so, I spent 2 whole hours with my friends. I miss Deepthi. We had a nice time talking. So Sweet she is. I was highly Senti-Menti with Anu. And I spoke to V3 and Mani as well. Twas great. The photos are awesome! :P Love the Group Photo!

Oh and I'm not really concerned about those who didn't make it to MTH. Let's keep that undisclosed.

On a serious note, It's rather like a challenge.I was in my comfort zone with all these folks. Probably that explains my eagerness to meet them. Here (at DCFL), the people don't know me. I have to prove myself. They have no idea who I am. Which means I should began from scratch.

My English has gone to DOGS. It's so frustrating. I Have Proof. Bye.

A Day In Deeksha.

I get up between 4 and 5 (the alarms start ringing from 3:30 AM) itself. I look through my books and sleepily try to do something productive. Around 6 I proceed to get ready. By 7 Ma and Pa start panicking (Pa starts pointing towards my watch and Ma keeps saying "If you miss your van, we can't drop you all the way") while I keep Laughing to myself all the while because the van comes only at 7:20 and the drive from the house to the stop is less than a minute. So Ma drives to the stop (While we cheer her :P) and I wait until the Deeksha Van arrives exactly at 7:20 AM. I usually sit with Meghna and mornings are relatively quiet in the van.
 (Actually, It's fun in the van, usually, I'm not a part of the conversation but I end up laughing at the really awesome jokes the others crack!)
 Then, around 8:15 AM we reach College, we deposit (atleast we are expected to) our gadgets and proceed for the Assembly.During the first week, singing the college song was a Nightmare. I Just Could Not get a hang of the lyrics. So I mumble some nonsense. Actually, our so-called prayer is the weirdest one I've heard till date. And after this, students are encouraged to come forward and share anything. More often then not, They crack a few PJs or sing a song. However, when the seniors conducted a Mini-quiz, I was pleasantly surprised. Also they announce the toppers of the weekly tests conducted. Occasionally, Dr.Shridhar makes an appearance.

After this we go back to class and say, we have Physics. So Narendra Sir comes and spends half the time cleaning the blank board or flashing a variety of smiles. Of course, he quickly gets into the topic for the day and the class progresses smoothly. At 9:45 AM, the class ends, and I rush out to have breakfast (again?!) and catch up with friends. After this, Let's say we have Chem. So Ahipathi walks in panics about how slow we are compared to the other sections. Inevitably, he spends the rest of the class on 1 or 2 sums-

• First he gives time for us to Analyze the problem.
• Seeing that most of the class is still blinking after giving us considerable amount of time, he gives a hint.
• About 20% of the class grasps the hint and makes some progress. (The rest are still clueless)
• Then after clearing individual doubts, he makes quick calculations on the board. And explains to the entire class. *Enlightenment*

After this, the same process repeats for the other problems. And that's Ahipathi for you. Btw the meaning of his name is "Nagaraj", so he is "fondly" called King Cobra by some students. Or "Bohar" (That's how he pronounces Bohr) by the rest. :P

Sarala Ma'am walks in next and immediately begins with the chapter. I kind of like her. Doesn't speak anything else other than Maths. Teaches it well. I guess most Maths teachers are like that. So I like her classes. So Time passes quickly.

Basvaiah comes next and I'm usually hungry by now itself. So frequency of checking the time on the watch increases.In Basvaiah's class, the seating arragement changes and this, in no way helps in the the preservation of peace inside the class. Actually, he's a good teacher. Except that he's inaudible over all the noise.

Next , Phanirazz comes in with his wig-that-might-fall-anytime and collar-mike-that-switches-on-and-off-moodily. This Sir is one of a kind! Hilarious, a laugh riot, and also a very good teacher.

He insists that we call the questions in our book, not as "Problems" but as "Ideas". And calls Physics, "The Queen of Sciences". And he believes in common sense and nothing more, nothing less.And several other dialogues that have had the class in splits. More than narrating it, his class has to be experienced to be understood.

Then comes Lunch and again I rush out. We ( Sanjana, Meghna, Disha, Pooja, Sharada, Padmashri and Shwetha) usually sit near the canteen. I'm the only one in the group from C Section, Med Bio. And Not from CBSE. Yeah, there are several other such anomalies, but moving on, Lunch Break is good. 30 minutes is highly insufficient.

After this, Games period divides the class. some girls and boys play Basketball. Actually, I was ( not am) eager to play as well, but some how I felt I did'nt know them that well. I doubt I ever will anyway. And from the last few classes, I play Dumb Charades and It's Great Fun!! Nirupama, Harshita, Sonika, Thagnatha, Varsha, Dhana (I call her that but her Name's actually Dhana Lavanya), Varsha, Aparajita, Shambhavi  Sanjana Priyanka and I have this "Hangout" in the college. There's a small courtyard of sorts, overlooking a smaller fishtank, and in this cool and shady place, one can hear the high pitched giggles of us girls.

Sometimes we go back early to class, if we have work pending or a test the next day. And then we have Mallikarjuna Sir. (Called Hitler2 by some. Actually he's really good.) Apparently, all trigonometry teachers have this  strange accent. The "Trigo Accent"? Possibly due to constantly chanting formulae. He's a bit fast but I think he's good.

Of course, there's Rupa (Botany), Kavitha (Phy) and the Bio Sir (Zoology). The teach well and their classes and good.

And at the stroke of 4:15, we're out of the class and back in our vans. The return journey is rather boisterous. Especially If you sit at the back. It's like sitting in a Comedy Show. Or else I listen to music. Or I Text my Friends!! :) Today we played Dumb Charades in the Van as well.. Real Good Fun!

Around 5:15 I get down and walk back with Abhigna (Senior) or sometimes alone. I love the short walk back home. And since few days I've been seeing this tiny pup on the way. The Tiniest Pup I've ever seen. I don't know why, I'm surprised, But I'm really attached to the poor lil creature. I often wonder how it'll survive with all the vehicles and hostility around it. The cutest thing I've ever seen! :)

And that's A Deeksha Day for you!

Adios

Delhi Day 2

Red Fort

Bahai`i House Of Worship

Akshardham

 

Qutb Minar

After a good night's rest, we entered Old Delhi and our first stop was Red Fort. Contrary to what I had thought, Red Fort is a HUGE complex. Built of Red Sandstone, we first entered a shopping area full of colourful, eye-catching trinkets.The Mughal style of Architecture was evident in all the structures we saw here.The Museum here several photographs and articles related to the freedom movement. We also found the picture which had come in our HCG exam ( Boards). We walked around, looking at the red sandstone or marble wonders.

Next we went to Akshardham.  When v3 and I heard Cameras  , Mobiles, etc were not allowed, we were devastated. Mayur mahal had beautiful interiors as well as exteriors.

There was this beautiful fountain and in the sweltering heat, I found it rather hard not to jump into the pool of cool water. Akshardham has beautiful sculptures and attention is given to all minute details. There was also a Boat Ride, which would take you through the different ages of India's rich heritage. (Owing to time constraint, we didn't go for the ride.)

" Swaminarayan Akshardham in New Delhi epitomises 10,000 years of Indian culture in all its breathtaking grandeur, beauty, wisdom and bliss. It brilliantly showcases the essence of India’s ancient architecture, traditions and timeless spiritual messages. The Akshardham experience is an enlightening journey through India’s glorious art, values and contributions for the progress, happiness and harmony of mankind. The grand, ancient-styled Swaminarayan Akshardham complex was built in only five years through the  colossal devotional efforts of 11,000 artisans and BAPS volunteers. The complex was inaugurated on 6 November, 2005.Akshardham means the eternal, divine abode of the supreme God, the abode of eternal values and virtues of Akshar as defined in the Vedas and Upanishads where divine bhakti, purity and peace forever pervades."

We had lunch at the Premvathi Food Court and suddenly the weather became cool and pleasant. There were all signs of a mild shower, but we were left high and dry....

The Baha`i House Of Worship was our next stop (Btw on our way, we passed IIT-Delhi and AIIMS. I immediately sent messages to the "Concerned People" regarding their future college! :P)

The garden leading to the Lotus temple was vivd with flowers aplenty. (Another Photo Opp). Inside the Temple, we sat in a semi-circular fashion and heard the volunteers recite verses from Quran, Bible, Gita, Guru Grant Sahib, and the Zend Avesta as well. It was a nice place.

After this, it was Qutb Minar. Unlike what I had imagined, there are a lot of structures around the Qutb Minar, apart from the Iron Pillar. Eg: Alai Minar, Iltutmish's Tomb and several minarets and other tombs. Papa got us this Audio guide, and this provided a LOT of information on what monument we were looking at, like it told us why was it built, out of what was it constructed and other details of that period. It was very interesting, however I personally felt a bit guilty becuase I don't think I utilized it to the fullest extent. Of course, the main attraction, Qutb Minar looked stunning!

And then, It was back to Good Ol' Ginger! :)

Is This Necessary?

I meant this blog post. You'll soon realize why. I have a lot to tell. (Ok, Maybe not).I've never been this glad on any weekend!

Deeksha's treating me fine. (Vidha3 calls it my dietian and several other names I probably should'nt mention :P) Missing Carmel. And my friends. I guess it's not so easy after all to get over it. Of late, I've been recollecting all the wonderful memories of the past decade.

I keep sifting through the DST (Delhi-Shimla Tour) Pics. I'm incredibly lucky to have visited all those places, met so many people. It was such a diverse experience, Itbroadened my outlook of India, it made me realize how much more there is to be seen in this world!

Books arrived and gosh! They're Heavy!! Seriously Heavy! I crashed in the college van trying some stupid stunt (I tried to lift the books when the van was in motion). The van "Journey" is fun. I still don't really speak to any seniors.

My friends (Not acquaintances. (Or Are They?))

• Amrutha (Sophia) (Totally Non-Sophia Material. Lol. Sweet)
• Raksha (DPS) (Yeah, the accent girl. (Haha Pinki- You like the accent na?))
• Aparajitha (Oxford) (Bong. I call her "Aunty". Suits her. Lol)
• Sharada (JKV) (Hmm.. A nice girl)
• Deepthi (Carmel, Bashveshwarnagar) (Sweet)

And Of course, Disha and Meghna! I know a few more people but not that well.

And I just realized. I know 2 people from Chicago. Technically, 1 is From Chicago, and the other Was In Chicago. (Smirk Alert)

Pinki- I'm not fanatic about "foreigners". And You're a bit confused about who's the one witha fishing rod.

Ok, I can't blog sensibly anymore so I should stop. Although this looks like the most-unecessary-silly-lame-blogpost ever, It stays. Why? Because I want to remember this silly event (Event? Lol)

Tomorrow, Hopefully , I'll be going to Jain farms!  So Adios! (Holla Homework)

DCFL

Well. The Last Time I blogged , I remember being hysterical over how Deeksha would be. So much has changed. Truly!

29th April

·         Orientation Program-Speech by Dr. Shridhar and Gopalan Ma'am.

·         Chemistry-Introduction to Fundamentals. 3 branches in Chemistry-Phy, Orgo and Inorganic. Also discussed Atomic Structure and IIT Question Paper Pattern: Comprehension, Integer Type, Matrix Matching…..

·         Presentation about How Deeksha Is, What To Expect, What is expected…… Motivating as well made us aware of the challenges ahead.

I met Disha (From Base), Meghna and Sanjana. At the end of the day, I felt happy because this was where I wanted to be and I was happy that I had found friends faster than expected.

1st May

·         Van- 7:10AM

·         Reached: 8:15 AM

·         Assembly, Prayer and classes began.

·         After 1 class, breakfast, then 3 classes. After this Lunch, 2 classes, 1 class- free period.

·         Van- 4:30 PM

·         Reached: 5:45 PM

On the 1st day the Chemistry teacher said " At the end of 2 years, Deeksha will change you as a person. It is not only academics that is important. A good human being with values is what we would want."

 And I believe, It’s true. Yes, we have a uniform and a school-like atmosphere, but I am happy. This place is good for me. And what’s more, I have the “Right” friends here (one is a leftie btw). The teachers are good. They explain really well and clear doubts as well as supply additional gyaan. We have Games period as well to refresh ourselves. And the Canteen is Ah-Mazing compared to the dysfunctional “Maggi Station” we had back at Carmel.

It’s unbelievable but true- I’ve settled down faster than I expected.  I’m getting used to the work and studying, I’ve made friends and what’s more I’m happy! The other day I spoke to Rachana (I Know, Right?) and we were discussing about our respective colleges.  It all seemed so distant. Speaking of distance, Yes, Deeksha is far, but it’s OK!

Coming back to academics, I don’t really feel lost because I’ve either done it in school or Base. If not, they’re explanation clears all doubts. I think there are several bright students in the class and there’ll be some stiff competition here. Most of the time, during class or during a free period, all we discuss is whether we got the homework sums or  understood a particular concept. Yes, So that’s how it is. Except for Biology, I believe all the teachers here are extremely good. Maybe I’ll need time to get adjusted to her.

Overall, I think it was a good decision to come here. Yes, I sometimes think of my friends. I do miss them. But, it all seems like another world. It’s like, DCFL makes it a little hectic so that you concentrate mainly on things that are on “No.1 Priority”. Isn’t that a good Idea?

Deeksha

This Is My World.
Does This Summarize Deeksha? I Guess Not, But this is all I can tell you at the moment.

Maybe It's True....

I don't know the song. I just love this line:

Maybe It's True,

I can't live without you.. 

  

Deeksha  starts on Friday. Today Is Tuesday. I'm confused...

I'm seeing way too many movies. And I think I'll stop.

• Break Ke Baad
• Anjaana Anjaani
• Aisha (I could write a thesis on this.)
• New Moon
• Aptha Mithra
• Titanic
• Robot

I'm not feeling particularly well right now. Damn this weather. And the 1000 piece jigsaw is just TOO difficult.
I don't know what to expect on Friday. Yes, I'm nervous. I hope I remember how to make friends. (Ah! It sounds rather frightening.)
This is the end of the transition phase I guess. I mean from the 10th standard to College. A transition. New friends. New place. It's a fresh beginning. But is this what I wanted?I'll need time to answer that. Periodically, I fluctuate between yes and no. Maybe It's all for the best.
I doubt I'm good at, you know, keeping in touch with friends. (Except Pinki). Archana, Navyashree, Road Rachana, Binitha, Tanvi- These are fine examples. Add Hemalatha. So What's gonna happen? Ideally, I'm expected to "Concentrate On Bigger Things". Um. Ok.
I'll wait and see. But, You know, I can't force myself to do this.

Pinki: I'd like to say something. If everybody gave each other ultimatums at the drop of a hat, What a world this would be? O.o

I'm now realizing how inactive, inert, lazy and useless my brain has become. It was a BIT better. Just a Bit, I assure You.. 


How will the next two years be?
Nearly everybody's been saying  one word: INTENSIVE.
Ok. That Means I become a sporadic blogger.(Like Before?) 

Change- This word means so much. Adaptation to different circumstances. I know I've said this before, but, I's really Important. I hope the next 2 years will not test my perspicacity. In case it does, I have a Plan B. I know what To do. But will That work Out? I'm pretty excited about that too. 
Somewhere in the middle of all this I'm wondering,Is This what I really want and aspire? Again, should I change my goals to suit others? So that it's convenient for others? Huh.


I get the feeling these days, that I'm turning out to be rather run-of-the-mill. That's not what I want. There's the need to constantly reinvent and be creative. Not stagnate. (Maybe I'm like a lake now.Stagnated.Yuk.) Anyway I'm sick of It....


And ordinary 16-year old. No More?

.
.
.
.
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I miss quizzing.
I miss games! (The other day I played with Dad. I realized how much I've missed!)
I miss Stardoll. (Screw Callie and her staff. I didn't know they'd do this if you don't login often. Oh well. I'm expected to Grow Up.)
I miss School. (I needn't worry. I'm going to Deeksha After all)




I rather nervous about results. (That's an Understatement. Total Understatement.)


I don't need to be told how vague this is or isn't. I'm contented that I've blogged.

No Explanations.