First things first, my exams ended ages ago !! So that is not the reason for me being away from this blog.. There are a string of things I have been doing since college went on vacations and started again!
This vacation has been the best vacation so far for me..
Starting with my unexpected visit to Mangalore.. A cousin of mine got married this june! Everything was planned in a jiffy and I hardly had the time to gather myself from the lazy schedule I was having as soon as the exams ended..
Next on the list was an industrial trip to Goa.. It turned out to be a mini vacation which somehow packed in a 20 minute visit to the industry!!!
I had a great time with my friends and this was the first time I was allowed to go out of town without family! So finally they thought I m mature enough to take care of myself! Progress on that front :P
During this period, I deactivated my facebook profile ( an effort to experience life as it was before facebook happened) , spent time on gmail, tweeted nonstop, wrote post after post on my creative blog One such story, commented on fellow bloggers' work and started contributing to a book review blog A lot of pages.
I eventually was back on facebook :)
Exhausted all the tales spinning in my mind.. scheduled posts , waited for comments, felt spent after the series and I realise who much I love writing!
College started and it was all about a new sense of bonding.. Goa did bring in some changes!
Drug Information Association Students Chapter is having its seminar on 29th July.. Being a core member I have been busy being a part of organising it. Busy is the best way to escape yourself and I m just loving this feeling.. At least for the time being I don't have to think of other things.. Making this event a success is all I think of..
College, studies, practicals and friends leave little time for blogging and hardly any time to think of creative tales.. A story is playing on my mind.. A little thinking over will give it its final shape and then I will get back to writing it.. Till then Soul Stormers has my attention :)
By the way Proton is not happening.. I will try bringing in some writers to contribute to Soul Stormers :)
Been long since I posted here.. I have a few things on my mind right now. Practical exams for this semester are over and done with. Now left with the theory exams. Glad to hand over the lab lockers !!! But I will miss the pharmaceutical analysis lab for
The only lab with a burette of 25ml. I can conveniently use it... Don't even ask what a task it is to use 50ml burette for someone with my height.
The only labwork which gets over in maximum 3 hours and minimum of 2!!
The only practical where the professor lets us be!
The only lab where you get to know, "who's dating who" hehehe.... if you have sharp eyes that is !!
The only lab where you can do group work...
The lab where all instructions are written!! Nothing left to byheart
So I have a string of things to be done now... Things on my mind are..
I have to write something which has been lurking in my mind for long..
I have to clean my wardrobe.
I have to clean my study drawers.
I have to sort my notes.. Lols whatever I have as yet..
I have to make a few notes.
I have to make a study timetable ... :) :) I know it sound funnny!!!!
We have an industrial visit to Goa in June.. Donno if i m going as yet!!!!!! :P :P
Ok now I better get going to what I have to do....
P.S If anybody is reading this please take the effort to follow or comment :P
The title speaks all about what I m feeling... It's public holiday today in Mumbai .. What has that got to do with my college keeping lectures? Yes, thats exactly how the situation is back at college.. No one cares what day it is.. Lectures are to be kept and portion is to be completed.. I somehow do drag myself out of the bed for the external faculty lectures but inhouse teachers keeping such lectures is too much of a demand to fulfill..
Got up from bed and went into the other room.. The sight of Mom, Dad and bro sleeping !!! I so so wanted to go back into the comfort of my bed and slip under the sheet...
There was some respite that the trains wouldn't be much crowded.. Chilled water on all my hopes.. Looked like everyone who stays at home (read the housewives, the small kids, the holidaying college-goers) stepped out and rushed into the public transport.. Didn't get a seat in bus and train!!! What a start!!
College was boring .. Lectures seemed like they are never going to end.. Had rice for lunch after a longggggg time.. Dozed off for a few minutes in the lecture that followed.. Some smart people bunked the lecture and I wish I had done the same.. ( Sorry Nupura, should have listened to you.. But I didn't know rice after so many days would get into my head.. literally!!!)
Relieved to be back home.. Scorching hot outside.. I either going to melt or get fried before the semester ends.. Who said Mumbai isn't hot???
Here I m typing my latest "meri life ka ek aur din" and my fellows must be busy with their nose buried in books( except Nupura.. she's my twin in this case.. last ones to study!! :) :) smart people I know !)
The post on one such story "A college crush" got me comments ( on the blog, on facebook, on cellphone and in person) that "it doesn't seem fiction".. Well it is fiction people.. My real love story would be nowhere close to it..
Now that you feel it's nonfiction I deserve a pat on my back!! :) Such comments make me feel I can do decent fictions :)
P.S: Readers please take the pain of commenting on the blog..
So it happened that I visited this very cute blog called "DIL KI BAAT BLOG KE SAATH".. I liked the feel and there I found a dog called "Kittu" adopted from bunny hero lab... I just visited the site to see what pets they had in store.. The moment I set my eyes on him, I fell for him... There he was and I knew I had to name him "SIMBA" . I colored him yellow just the way I had seen the "LION KING" on "JUST KIDS".. I adore him..
Then I did something silly which made simba come onto the blog twice.. Once on the sidebar and once on the top.. Yeah I know I suck at handling technology.. Fir pata nahi what all I tried but it made my BLOG a DISASTER as you might have seen the "SOUL STORMERS " thing has got hidden behind somewhere.. I did something with the CSS as PRoton said,"CSS KE SAATH PANGA Q LIYA"
The result is that my simba is gone.. I adopted Timothy on my other blog "one such story".. Now timothy is a tiger cub, inspired by a Ruskin bond tale I read in school..
Sorry for the horrible look of the blog but PRoton will set it right soon.. As he says he is the "BAAP" of this blog..
Today had my pharmaceutics practical.. YEt again got that cresol thingy.. The one which burnt my hand.. its done again.. The solution nowhere close to perfect, but much better than earlier one.. Overall ok ok day.. Came early ...
THe nose is blocked since last one week.. Coughing all the time.. Plus point is I get soup everyday :).. No one asks me to eat more than I want to.. I simply blame my "tonils" for my difficulty eating ,when infact I dont like that veggie or that dal.. Nice na???
Hope proton does the work early.. I have holiday for 2 days which means I can laze about reading my ebook "SHANTARAM"...
P.S :Proton no matter what you do, I m going to get Simba back!! :) :)
5 rupees.. The video was so beautifully made.. Captured the emotions so beautifully.. Simple story yet I could 'nthelp feeling the anxiety.. The love.. The fear.. The joy..
I have always had this soft corner for the rural story.. One thing about them is that they are so human.. No pretence like the urban ones.. When there is a child involved, could the emotions be any less honest?? The video took me back to the times I used to watch Malgudi days.. Stories which never can be forgotten.. Be it the naughty tales of Swami and his friends.. Be it the story of a poor man willing to sell his kidney for money and when he does he thinks of buying a pen for his daughter.. Be it the story of a 5 year old brilliant dancer who is plain scared when her parents talk to directors who wish to cast the girl in movies.. The girl is readied with make up which she hates.. She hides in the basket when the guests come.. When the director spots her and asks her , "Beti cinema pasand hai?" she innocently replies, "Nahi waha bahut andhera hota hai"... The naked feelings of apprehensions..
Having a translation is great but hadn't it been there I would still understand what the child went through... Because I went through the same state while watching the video and there in lies the beauty of this work..
Kids always find a way to melt my heart.. The boy in this video, I would like to believe his name was "Swami" because he has the same charm and eloquence of Swami from Malgudi days although a stark contrast being that this boy is obedient. . When he doesn't have money to buy the balloon and the balloon seller goes away, I feel like thrashing the balloon seller even if he was doing the practical thing..
When his mother first refuses to give money then looking at his face asks "how much do you want you said"? I m reminded of my own mother who has uttered the same dialogue for my endless whims.. Each time I end up spending my money and ask her, she says this.. All mothers in the world are made from the same mould.. :) :)
When the boy refuses to let of his money to his mother and gets beaten, I feel that helplessness.. That fear of not getting the money back..
When his money is lost and he walks all the way back to search it .. rummaging his bag.. I feel that desperation.. That frustration of losing my valued thing.. I get that feeling every time I feel I have lost my journal when I can't fish it out from my bag .. When he waits for the balloon man to come I feel his impatience.. When he is told the balloon rate has gone up, I feel that despair of inflation..
When he runs across the fields with his balloon, my heart leaps with joy... When he falls and the balloon bursts I feel the pain of heartbreak.. Of dream shattered... I m reminded of the way I felt when I was five and my balloon slipped from my hand and into the sky.. never to come back to me... I felt that tears in my eyes which were long dried since then... When he cried, I silently wept in my heart...
I hold myself again when I see him counting the days for the next friday to buy another balloon.. I know he will save enough to buy another one.. This time he won't run across the field jumping with joy. He would be careful and take it home and show his mother,"Look ma, I got my beautiful green balloon"..
The magic of this small 8 minute video is that it fills you with hope..
In many ways a small video symbolised life... I wish I was that simple.. I wish buying the green balloon would be all I wanted.. I wish I had the courage to pursue my dreams even after it shattered once.. I wish I was the five year child again and someone told me "there are problems bigger in life than a balloon gone up in the air"..
I know why this video struck chords so beautifully.. It had all the feelings exposed which we mask...
Watch the video to understand the conversation.. Loved the video for the simplicity and the way it touched my heart.. Hope you will like the video.. The video is in Tamil.. Though the conversation is translated in English, it is not very clearly seen.. Thought of writing down the conversation to make it easier for you.. To feel the connect please watch the video..
Kids:The balloon man's finally come to our place, folks!!
Balloons!! Balloons!!
Get me that balloon, bro! Balloon seller:Which one is it, lad? Kids:That one! That one! Balloon seller:Wait, wait! Calm down!
How many of you need specs, how many of you balloons?
Which balloon, re?
That one cost five bucks, guys
Cough up five, you! you've given only two
Run along now.
That's it for today, no more balloons for you.. Run along..
Then they come like I'm giving away balloons for free!
Hey you! what are you waiting for?
What do you want? come!
Boy:much is that balloon , anna? Balloon seller:Oh this one! That's two rupees. Boy:And the green one on top? Balloon seller:The green one?.. thats five rupees.
You wanna buy? Boy:I'm not having the money now, anna..But I will give it as soon as mother gets back home from work. Balloon seller:As soon as your mother comes..??
Then why don't you write to me when she arrives?
Probably I will get you your balloon next week, now I'm leaving. Boy:When will you be here next week? Balloon seller:Told you I'd come..Maybe on friday or saturday.
Boy runs back home.. Boy:Ma could you please please give me five rupees? Mother:What for? Boy:The balloon guy is coming to our village!! And he had this beautiful green balloon.Please please get it for me ma.. Mother:Yeah like your father has earned billions, for me to fulfil every single whim of yours..!
Well how much did you say? Boy:Five rupees ma.. Mother:I'm giving you fifty paise everyday, right? Save it up and buy what you need.. Go on.. Boy:Says who?. one day you give and the next day you don't! Mother:Don't worry, from now on I'll be regular..
A real prat you are! Boy:So..its one rupee..one and a half rupees.. two rupees.. two and a half rupees..
He'll come next week.. what will I do for the rest? Mother:You keep this for now.. I wil give you the rest.. alright. Boy:Monday..tuesday..yes friday.. Mother:Must study well..ok? Boy:That's ok..you said you would give me the money.. Mother:Clever boy..Yes, yes I will give.. Now go get your back.. Boy:Saturday.. over.. Mother:Be careful when you walk across the fields.. Boy:Alright ma.. Mother:Here's the money.
Boy studying at home.. Mother:Oh.. there's no change here..
You're having the change I gave you right? I'll return it once I pay the vegetable woman. Boy:No, I can't give that. Mother:You just need it for the balloon right? I'll get it for you. give me the change now. Boy:No..no..I won't give. Leave it! Mother:You're stepping on your own bookss.. you pest!! You deserve the flogging. I said I'll give it back,right? You won't trust your own mother huh?
In sleep... Boy:Green balloon green balloon (murmuring)
Next morning.. Boy:Five rupees.. wow!!
Boy searching his bag.. Mother:You've been rummaging in your bag since you came back from school, what is it?
Go clean up and take a wash now. Where are you running to?
When Boy returns Mother:Tell me where were you all this time? Boy:I've lost the money, ma.. Mother:Hmmm. thought so.. Pestered me and got it out of me..And now he says he lost it..
Boy:I swear it was in my bag.. But I don't know where it went now.. I've gone and searched all the way I went, ma.. But didn't find it.. It's ok I don't get the balloon.. I'll play with what I already have..
Mother:Go search your bag once again..Must be hidden in one of your notebooks..
Mother:Boy!! IT was lying here all the while and you didn't see it?
Boy:It had fallen here, huh?
"Yippee, was so scared I'll have to forsake the balloon!
Mother:"Wait change your clothes first" Mother:"Hmmm.. somebody here was getting very touchy and all!"
Boy:Who was that, ma?
Waiting by the street for the balloon seller.. Boy:Did you see the balloon man?
Passerby:No, kid
Balloon seller:What are you doing here, lad?
Boy:To buy the balloon, bro..
Balloon seller:What's the hurry.. I was just entering the village..
So which balloon do you need?
Boy:he green on.. Balloon seller:What, this green one??
Boy:Yes,yes.
Balloon seller:That's six rupees..
Boy:You had said five rupees?
Balloon seller:The balloon's six rupees, lad!
Boy:It's became six rupees..huh?
Balloon seller:Yes, I'm taking my life out coming to a village this far.. Now, the rate has gone up. I'm not giving it for anything less than six..
Boy:All I have is five rupees now.. Please take it..I'll give you one rupee when you come back next week. Please don't give that balloon to anyone else till then.. Please, bro..
Balloon seller:What to do with this guy..
Here,take it..
But you have to give me one rupee next week for sure..alright..Now run along..
At home... Mother:BE careful while you walk across the fields..
