Archive for the 'Good things' Category

Its a good thing to have friends

Published on August 3, 2008 in Good things and These thoughts of mine. 4 Comments Tags: , , .

We make a lot of friends along the way. A friend once told me that we’re all like passengers on a bus, traveling along wherever our lives may take us. We talk, share, open up a bit of ourselves to each other for the moment and as long as time permits us. Sooner or later, we reach our stop and get off, sometimes without even looking back to say goodbye.

Thank you to all my friends, whom I’ve met, known, no matter how briefly or even if it may be from a distance. I cherish the moments spent with each one of you. For they say – you have but one life. And it was a pleasure meeting all of you.

There are a lot of my close friends with whom I’ve lost touch. People who have been instrumental in making me the person I am today. Yet we’re no longer in contact for we’ve parted ways long back. Sometimes I wonder when it was that we lost touch. Was it me or was it them? Were we all so busy and caught up in our lives that we slipped away unnoticed so easily?

I look back and wonder where all of them are, what they’re doing and wish them love and happiness in everything they do. Perhaps we shall meet again, perhaps not. I hope the former, in all earnesty, some day.

There there are some, a handful of people; who dont let distance or time matter when it comes to friendship. They are my backbone, my strength in life. I would be lost without confiding in them my deepest, darkest feelings as well as any ecstasies that come along my way.

For those who have always been there for me, even if I werent for them. True friends, with no issues towards any of my idiosyncrasies and who embraced me for what I am – thank you. Happy friendship day.

Connected

Published on July 31, 2008 in Good things and Life as it happens. 4 Comments Tags: .

I finally got a broadband connection at home. The lady who installed it at my home was pretty sweet. I know this cause I bugged her for three days non-stop and even then she didnt seem to get pissed at all. I admire people who have that level of patience with anyone.

Ah, my poor blog. Let you be neglected no more.

Corny things

Published on July 27, 2008 in Good things and Sikkim. 2 Comments Tags: , , .

Things get very corny enroute to Gangtok and you can intercept the freshly roasted smell miles before you actually reach the place where they sell them. Thats my cook buying some roasted corns while we were on our way towards Gangtok. The corn fields line the highway and the village people make their living selling corns for 5 bucks a piece. Pretty cheap. And delicious too. I ought to probably say healthy too but I’m not entirely sure if it is indeed so.

I dont know how but nowadays they sell corn throughout the year along this stretch of the road. Earlier there used to be certain seasons for which people used to wait impatiently for the corn to ripen. Guess the villagers decided to make this a way of life. And looking at the large number of vehicles which stop and buy from them, I’d say people are really fond of this stuff.

Use of plastic bags are banned in Sikkim so we didnt get one. A small step towards reducing pollution and rightfully so. Therefore, as we continued our journey, the whole car started smelling like a corn field itself. Half an hour later, as I picked up a friend, the moment she sat in the car she exclaimed, You bought corn!!! Lets have some!!!

Splitsvilla

Published on July 22, 2008 in Good things. 4 Comments Tags: .

I had been avoiding mentioning this show for sometime now but what the heck – its my blog and I can write about anything I want, right? I watch Splitsvilla every saturday evening at 7 pm. Why? Because Roadies 5.0 spoilt me and my fingers automatically switch on MTV at that time. Plus its got Rannvijay and Raghu in it, whats not to like???

Anyone can plainly see that its an Indianised version of The Bachelor and although many may comment about the show being degrading to women and so on, I dont think these women really care about what people think. So, everyone needs to lighten up. If the show offends you, dont watch it – period.

One thing for MTV – its sure coming up with a lot of interesting shows while all channel V does is permanently display a Get Gorgeous 5 tag on its bottom screen. Nice work, MTV!

My favourite Splitsvilla girl is Hannah. I think she’s divinely beautiful although she’s got a voice that could kill. Or at least split eardrums. Of the two boys, I like Vishal better even though I didnt watch Roadies 4. He’s cute but I like Rannvijay best, if you really ask me.

And with Raghu appearing on the show from time to time, its entertainment guaranteed. If anyone wants to know where I’ll be the next couple of saturdays at 7pm, you’ll know where to find me.

Tax-free

Published on June 19, 2008 in Good things. 6 Comments Tags: , .

I may be exempted from paying my Income Tax, as per the latest notification by the Sikkim government.

I wonder how to blow up that extra cash every month.

Highway on my plate

Published on May 14, 2008 in Good things. 8 Comments Tags: , , .

I’m a self confessed TV junkie but most of you already know that by now. Even my dog thinks its highly strange of me to be glued to the idiot box as soon as I return home from work as opposed to petting its stupid head. I agree to disagree, as Ron Burgundy a.k.a. Will Ferrell says in The Anchorman. (Further proof of my unnatural fixation to everything that airs on TV, one may think. Again, agree to disagree)

My TV is one of the most important (materialistic) things in my life. That is why, I am a slave to Tata Sky’s whimsical offers and myriad packages that they offer on a monthly basis. Like the blessed time when NDTV Good Times was showcased for free and my instant favourite was Highway on my plate.

But alas, Tata Sky made this channel payable for an extra sum of Rs. 30 per month. Oh, never underestimate the evil corporate mind! First they dangle the carrot and get TV addicts like me hooked, line & sinker. Then they withdraw the string in a mighty hurry. Now, its not about the money. Just my chagrin at devious media plots.

I tried to resist as much as I could – I truly did. But in the end, the very thought of missing Rocky & Mayur’s “Food Quote of The Day” on Highway on my plate was too overpowering to resist. So I caved in and got poorer by 30 bucks. And the show is all I look forward to watching on NDTV Good Times ever since I got the connection back.

The show is about two hungry people scouring the highways of India in search of local culinary delicacies. Its also about two extremely witty friends who liven up the show with their hilariously funny comments. I’m more partial to Rocky than Mayur because as all non-vegetarians would unanimously agree, we tend to stick together through meat and bones.

This was written on the walls of a dhaba they once visited – Tehzeeb se mango, izzat muft milegi. After which they proceeded to ask the cook to call Mr. Tehzeeb so that they could get free Izzat for lunch!

While in FaceBook

Published on February 28, 2008 in Good things. 2 Comments

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You bit some chumps! Soon they will join your Vampire army! Mwuh ha ha ah HA HA!

Run, baby run

Published on February 27, 2008 in Good things. 4 Comments

Last weekend was the Annual Sports Meet during which two days were spent in a whirlwind of every sports event imaginable. Whats interesting about this meet is that one gets to observe the students outside of their classroom and witness their incredible stamina and sportsmanship. I think the Best Athlete also enjoys other perks such as attention from the opposite gender and all.

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She’s Chozum and can she run!

The most fun was the 800 m race where everyone, including some children also participated; although finishing the race wasnt a priority for most people and rightfully so. Before you ask, let me clarify here that I was not a part of ‘everyone’ and that finishing three circles of the huge cricket ground isnt my kinda thing. My lunch-mate claims he ran one & half rounds. Yeah, like I believe it.

I had the opportunity to observe a Kabaddi match up-close as I threw caution to the dust flying everywhere, not caring if the aggressive bunch of the kabaddi team actually collapsed on me where I stood cheering. Some of the participants were so aggressive that it was almost scary watching their contorted faces, determined to either bash their opponents, if thats what it takes to win. The losing team members actually starting slapping their rivals out of anger instead of just tagging them by the fag end of the match. By the end of it all, I drew to this conclusion that I’m undoubtedly going to be nicer to certain students henceforth.

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This is not a student :)

The Office

Published on February 20, 2008 in Good things. 2 Comments

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Who says office isnt fun? The Office is funny, yes but its my office I’m talking about.

 Take the case of an innocent ex-colleague. He was so gullible that everyone used to pull his leg a number of times and get away with it. Like the time in which three people cooked up a corny plot of changing the banner of an online news column and inserting this poor guy’s name in it.

The glaring headline read: Mr. X of Y Institute has been charged with molesting a girl in Z place. The arrest warrant has been issued accordingly. There would have been an ambulance required immediately on the scene had not the rest of the people calmed Mr X down and cleared the matter. We laughed for days after this little drama.

Another time was when we organized a Fun Fete for our students. (Yes, we’re such self-sacrificing noble teachers in every respect) A raffle was in order and we all spent 20 bucks on one ticket. Since the cash prize was Rs. 3000, 1500 & 500 in that order, sales was Huge. When the raffle finally got drawn, there was a huge crowd thronging to hear the results and one student went happily to collect her 500 bucks.

One staff however, cursed his fate & tore the raffle ticket to tiny bits and threw them away. When someone told him that 2nd & 1st place was still to be announced, the rest of us almost missed out hearing the numbers correctly because we were laughing uncontrollably. You would have been too, if you’d been arranging the now-torn tickets into a readable position on the ground. 

Who says indeed that office life isnt fun? That is, if I’m not dooced at any given instant henceforth.

An interesting game called 29

Published on October 30, 2007 in Gender blender, Good things and memoirs. 2 Comments

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Anyone who knows the card game of 29 can understand the frenzy and mania associated with it, thereby automatically understands what I’m talking about. Someone made the mistake of remarking, “You people dont know how to play 29? Let me teach you the most interesting game in the world” Ever since then, there’s been no looking back on the happy havoc created by the game in our lives.

The game itself is simple enough. Thats what you think in the beginning. Here are the rules for playing the game itself. Although me and my pal have been hopelessly trying to master the game for about four years now with very little luck. An interesting concept of keeping the score is using a black SIX & red SIX which are arranged to display a red heart (or spade or club or diamond) to show a game won. A black pip shows a game lost. If you continue to lose till all the black pips are uncovered, then you keep score with a black FIVE.

To our shame, me and my best bud, who were partners, once continued to play the game, all the while continuously losing till the last black TWO was uncovered and there were no more cards to lose any further. That game went on till the wee hours of the morning, all the while with us refusing to let the other team leave the table at any cost.

Finally, sick and tired of losing the game to the guys so much that a gender-battle went on as soon as anyone mentioned ’29′, me & my gal pal resorted to signalling which card was which. Then for a while, we started winning although it was only a matter of time before the male radar caught on and used the silent signal to their advantage and win the game themselves!

My partner and me then went and changed the signals for the hearts, diamonds, spades and clubs so much that we ourselves finally got confused and lost the games anyway like how we used to in the beginning. The fates deemed it necessary for us not to win at any cost.

Playing the game till 2 or 3 am continuously was a way of life for the four of us for a long time. We used to celebrate every occasion with a drink and playing this magical game. We used to divide our time between everyone’s places, sleeping overnight just so that we could 29 it.

Sadly, my partner is out of the state till at least April 2008. That means we dont get to play till then but I cannot wait for her to get back. Till then, I dedicate this post in her memory and will probably dream about playing 29 tonight…

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