Tataaaaaa!!

Before the main post....

30.11.2009 - It is going to be the first DR meet for the FYJC batch this year...ohhhh!! How I wish I could be a part of it! I miss it all, right from the meetings, the fun, the hardwork, sleepless nights, continuous calls, 'no-food-days' to the tears, the dissapointment. I miss it all sooooo much!!!! Well thats RAPPORT for you...its addictive!

And what a sheer coincidence :

On 4.12.2008 I was all set to attend my FIRST DR meeting for RAPPORT

and this year on 4.12 I'll be giving my first prelim paper :S Life!!!

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A 'fancy' biodata has been prepared, research has been done, grilling sessions and mock interviews are done with....Its been almost 3 months of screening and grilling sessions and the final Fab 4 are all set to dazzle at the final interview at Bombay House!!!

Yes! I'm talking about the Final interview for the Dorabji Tata scholarship which is going to be held from 30th Nov to 3rd Dec (mine being on 1st Dec)...AVJ, Vaish, SR and I are all set to go and enjoy THE experience :) Undoubtedly, there are butterflies in the stomach, a bit of anxiousness and eagerness in the heart..but above all theres excitement and that subtle confidence which you get only when you've actually bothered to work for something!

*sigh* I'm gonna miss the 'journey'!! From late night calls and messages to the distress "Ma'm ne kya pucha" chats, from standing outside Ma'ms office and doing full on lukkhagiri to cribbing on why the TATA's actually bothered to venture into so many fields...we've done it all :) Joy, resentment, tension, pride...its been a gamut of emotions :)

Aah!! I shall blog about it in detail later coz right now I'm supposed to be reading up on Tata's ;)

Ciao!!

P.S - There are so many things to write about..the Bangalore trip, friends etc etc!! Coming up soon :)

Cell down the drain :P

Okkkkk this was something I had actually written for a website as a 'fictional piece'...but this is something which actually happened :( Well just felt like posting it here...so here it goes :)
“Once upon a time….” (or so my Dad began) my cousin’s baby fell into the toilet.. (umm I guess ‘loo’ would be more sophisticated!!) I was like YUCK!!!! How the hell could he even think of putting his hand into the s***…urghhhhhhh but today I can share his sentiment, having gone through the same ‘ordeal’ and ‘trauma’ of losing my baby too!!” said I with wide ‘innocent’ eyes….


Fast Forward 4 Months
Date: 5 Sept’08
Time: 6:47:43( to be exact add about 14.2 milli seconds)

It was my first Teachers Day in Junior college…. I remember we all had had a rocking time giving a party to our teachers. Trotting back home I talked to my fav teacher from school. So far so good .The day so far had been picture perfect...friends, party(well not exactly) and food! I did not realize….this was infact the lull before the storm…and as expected then came the big bang…The black Friday of my life
As the story goes…I went to ‘meet’ Dad in his Laboratory in the hope of hitching a ride home …( who’ll walk all the way home when Daddy’s little girl can twiddle him on her thumb?? :P)( What an IDEA sir ji!) I sat chatting away with Daddy dearest when nature called. I rushed to the bathroom to save myself from any (future) embarrassment (read: wetting my pants!!) In my hurry I forgot all about my little baby( lets call it Moby..as in Moby dick!) . And within a few (now blurry) moments…Lo and Behold….Moby fell into the pot!!

SPLASH!!! (glug glug glug…some special effects boss!!)
There goes my baby down the drain…well actually down the pot….

Without thinking twice I plunged my hand into ughh the yucky murky water…I started fumbling in my state of nervous hysteria!! It was my first baby after all!! I screamed,

DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD!!!! Come Hereeee!!!

( while still in the toilet putting in my best ‘efforts’ to save Moby who could’ve very well died of myocardial ischemia i.e. death due to drowning, if I would not have acted lifeguard at that moment.)

The toilet roll began to roll away merrily as I used it as if I’d got it ‘Land of Loos’ to wipe my baby clean…
Dad came rushing thinking it was I who fell in the pot( believe me I’ve done lots of weird stuff). With a grim face Dad asked me to ‘undress’ Moby ,remove his ‘brains’ and stop giving him food and using him to help me in my work…

Hey WHAT are you thinking of you ‘corrupt’ creature??

Wondering who or WHAT in the world is Moby??…want to know my baby’s real name??? Well it’s Nokia 6233..unique isn’t it??? It was my first CELL PHONE…my first love!

So what Dad actually meant was that I should remove the plastic covering, the memory card of my cell phone and avoid using it as far as possible.

Well ever since that day my Moby has been in ‘Coma’. Immediately after snatching him from the ‘jaws of death’ he was wheeled in the operation theatre. He is now under the care of a renowned specialist. I have been constantly making rounds of various ‘hospitals’ with no success…..Boy do I feel the pinch now!!!

Current Status : Moby has been shifted from the ICU in Nokia Priority to the General Ward… battling for his vision ( the display’s gone bust) tooth and nail. Moby is still critical and ‘doctors say that he’ll be crippled all his life!! WHY DOES THIS HAPPEN TO ME??? Please pray to God for my Moby as you know that prayers work wonders! Miss ya baby!!!

Happy Bday G!!!

Aaah!!! Having re-read my last post something just struck me..dude!! That post was like reeeaaaallly long!!! (Happy Realization to me :P ) Well, that is really the 'real' me :P Moreover all these emotions and memories had to come out one day or the other or should I say I was simply toeager to share it all :)
Well today is G's bday and we've planned some fattay surprises for her ;) We were plannin to do the chamki,ink,toothpaste routine too but decided to spare her as she's the delicate darling of our group :)
Love you verrrrryyy verrryyy much G!!! :) Muah!!!
Lots more coming up on her tomorrow as I've gotta hit the bed!!!
Psst...some more on the hike coming up too ;)

Boards are here...again!!!

Its almost as if life has come a full circle (I know I'm a bit too young to say this but still..)
I'm back to the same 'military grind' I went through in the 10th Std....repeated tests, late night studying cribbing about all that I wasn't getting to do blah blah blah!!
I don't know why..but I somehow feel that this time round I'm better prepared-mentally and emotionally- to go through this year. It might seem as if I'm making board exams sound like a huge deal etc. I've already heard all that jazz about boards being important for college admissions etc. Yes, I agree..but for me 10th std also signified something else. I was mentally prepared to go through the over hyped board prep rigours. But emotionally?? No..I wasn't prepared in the least to go through the gamut of emotions..all stemming out of one bitter truth- I was leaving school :( :( :'(
It was my LAST year at school..the last time I would be 'witnessing' the euphoria and the excitement of the reopening day. Not really remembering my firsts is school ( except for my first best friend and ahem..my first crush ;) :P ) I suddenly realised I was well on my way to be ticking off my 'lasts' in the school..the last performance with the original school band,the last teachers day,annual day,Christmas,last Eng lec etc etc. It was literally a mix of emotions..overwhelming to say the least. Moreover, like everyone I had a fantastic 'social life' (read: friends circle :P ) in school. I'm proud to say I was perhaps one of the few in my class who actually had close friends even in my juniors :) That made it all the more difficult. I would undoubtedly miss my batch mates..I knew that. But at the same time all of us were bidding goodbye to school together weren't we??? I wouldn't get to meet all my chotu friends regularly :( I literally cried buckets through 10th and my mom and my close friends were my sounding board throughout ( Ah!! love you guys :) ) At times I was very vulnerable whereas at times I tried to show off my strong side by immersing myself in studies and other activities..literally wearing the 'devil-may-care attitude on my sleeves :P. I possibly cant even blog about it all....all I knew was that I was going insane at the thought of having to leave behind my friends of 10yrs,my teachers who had seen me grow and whom I had grown to love and most importantly my school, my home, my life. I knew even then that it would be quite some time till I actually got over school..till then I would keep on finding excuses to visit school (the fact that it's just a 5 min drive from my place makes it even better!) Until 10th my school was my world and college seemed to be in a big bad world where you can't really trust anyone.It wasn't as if I wasn't excited to start a new phase of my life...but I wasn't all gung ho about it either! I was apprehensive,scared and nervous...In short I was dreading leaving school.
How wrong I was about it all!!! The senti part was all right...everyone does go through it.But the part about the 'big bad world' and 'dreading college'...sheesh!!!! At hindsight it seems SO stupid!!! Podar is THE BEST things that has ever happened to me!!! I wonder what my life would have been had I not gone to Podar and taken up science as I was originally planning to. Eeeks!!! I would've missed out on a helluva lot of things...after all 'I was born for greater things!! '
I've learnt so much, gotten my best friends, taken HUGE efforts to make some people feel special,cried miserably for someone whom I knew just for half a year but had become VERY close to and loved her ( she's the bestest senior, sister and friend mind you!! love you Y:) ), met and interacted with all kinds of people and yea...had some mini crushes and 'awwww moments' as well :) Well only one year into Podar and I cant even stop gushing about it :) (wonder what I'm gonna do in TY : )
Well getting back to the 12th boards...Why am I mentally and emotionally prepared?? Simply coz I know I'll still have 3 more years in Podar after 12th. Friends will be in different divisions but heck! who attends lecs ;) we can always meet up! Infact I'm almost feeling as if I'm back to FYJC now considering this year we are hanging out together more than we did in 11th, going out for food, doing random lukkhagiri on the katta and all the other things which we are 'expected' to do in FYJC(sadly this ain't gonna last long)....all thanks to the 'compulsory attendance' imposed. Atleast we get an excuse to be together and not rush off to study at home! I know this is all gonna be short term. Soon everyone's gonna get 'properly' busy with studies. I'm gonna begin 'multitasking' soon enough coz that's the only way to handle classes, tests, college, travelling and 'partying' :P
Lets see how this year goes...I hope I work hard enough.I want to stick it through and not lose hope in the middle of it all. True at times I feel too lazy to study and get all frustrated of the humdrum routine and sheer monotony of it all but that's when I think of some things told to me by Y and boom!! I get over the 'feeling low phase' in a jiffy and the fire to live up to the expectations( read: dhamkis of Y and quiet confidence of my folks :P ) of people who matter reignites :) I don't want to let em down coz they mean the world to me....
Well that reminds me....why the hell am I blogging!!! Shouldn't I go study ;) :P

Mum on the guitar ?? Naice ;)

Always having nursed the passion to play a musical instrument but never having gotten the chance & time to pursue it, my mom is all set to become a rockstar!!! (not that she wasn't one earlier...but now she'll be an authentic one with the guitar :P )

Well, in fact she was going to learn the piano but it was yours truly who pataofied (actually pestered would be the word) her to take up the guitar. I did'nt want no competition you see, coz Mumma's a quick learner & would prefer retaining my title of the 'Best Pianist' in the family !(actually there's no one else who plays the piano :P) And what's more, if Mumma learns the guitar I get to play it too!! Ain't I smart ;) ?

And aaah!!! Do I see a home grown band in the making :P ?? Lets see, we already have a pianist , a lead guitarist and a cousin as the bass guitarist and mumma can back up for vocals too (considering dad is so bad a singer that I would blindly bet my 'rangeela' on him to win the laryngytis :D) But wait!!!! Something's missing!! Aah Yess!! It's the drummer ;) Ummmm well, I can always marry a drummer can't I?? That would make 'HIM' family ;) :P

P.S - You get the drift G, P and S..dont you :P ???

The sole reason I wrote SO much on the 90% system was mainly because I was pretty annoyed with that great man's thoughts so...umm aah whatever!!!

I've gotten tired of this ( well I get bored soon :P ) But yea I would surely like to have a one-on-one duel with HIM (wanna try knocking some sense into him ! After all, laton ke bhoot baaton se nahi mante!)

Anyway all serious issues and no crazy stuff makes me go zzzzzzzz!!!
Waise bhi A told me to put up some dhaansu articles and I must listen to him no?? :P

So all said and done I retire from this topic..

I rest my case :)

No sooner that the 90% quota system became public, it was welcomed by a huge uproar from students, parents & principals alike. This issue is taking a lot of print space with people condemning it left, right & centre. But the ONLY person who remains blissfully unaffected (or atleast feigns ignorance)..yes you guessed right..our very own 'chahita' Mr.Patil who's acting as if its him v/s the whole big, bad world. He claims that he isn't 'against' CBSE/ICSE students & he's 'concerned' about their future.Sample his statements to the media :

• If they (CBSE/ICSE) claim the quality of their educations is so good, why do seek admission in our JC's? We will give a NOC immediately to CBSE and ICSE schools wanting to start JC's from the current academic year.

(On defending his brainchild 90% system :)

• We had an option of best of 5 but it wasn't possible to implement it as it should've been declared before the academic year starts.

Dear Mr. Patil,

If your genius brain realised that the best of 5 policy couldn't be introduced because it should've been announced before the academic year then didn't the simple thought strike you that the suggestion of beginning JC's in CBSE/ICSE schools is also not feasible as it's even more difficult to get a JC running in a span of few months. And as for the answer to your question, CBSE/ICSE students seek admission to 'your colleges' for the simple reason that there aren't too many schools, they sometimes find the syllabus too 'tough' and getting into 'your degree colleges' is tough because 'your board' gives preference not to merit but to 'your inhouse students'. (I wonder where did 'yours' and 'mine' come into this!! We are citizens of ONE country for God's sake!!)

Btw, Please go to a good doctor sir and get yourself checked up or maybe even better take some rest...you sorely need it!

Non supporter of your brainchild through and through,
Chota Chatri ( blah! Whats in a name! )
P.S- I thank my stars I passed out last year and easily secured admission into the BESTEST college in the world (no thanks to Mr. Patil) !!
Mood: Wondering how can people be so %*&@$#@ stupid!!

Yet another quota????

"90% reservation for SSC students in Junior College..."

"CBSE and ICSE board students wont be given admission into city colleges if respective boards don't furnish the required details..."

- DNA & TOI

Like WTF man!!! Is this some sorta dhamki?? Does the state board HAVE to come up with such 'indigenous stunts' EVERY year to promote 'their' students leaving the rest in the lurch?? Aren't the numerous quotas already imposed enough?? Sometimes it almost seems as if the board is playing the 'vamp' of the education saga in India, planning & plotting against all the 'susheel bahus' (read: CBSE & ICSE students). Reason given by the board for this reckless decision (pretty flimsy one at that) - We get several complaint letters from students complaining that CBSE & ICSE students score more & easily secure admissions into JC's leaving them 'victimised and helpless'.

Yah right!!! As if CBSE/ICSE board students are at fault for scoring more!They have it all on a platter & boards are a cakewalk for them, isn't it? Having been a CBSE student myself I know the ardous pressures & grueling and rigorous syllabus everyone has to study...even a brilliant student has to work his ass off to get a decent score! Here's a sample of the Std X syllabus (2009-2010) -

• Maths
• SST- Eco, Geography, History, Politics and Disaster Management..5 books to study for 100 marks...well, NO COMMENTS :
• Hindi
• English- Heavy duty prose section like "Ode to the West Wind" & "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner"in supposedly extinct languages.
• Science

The cake is taken by SST...for most its a nightmare not because they hate SST but because it's seemingly impossible to study SO MUCH & remember it till the exam (I distinctly remember crying a night before the boards saying I had forgotten everything!)

When I say all this I'm in no way belittling the efforts put in by SSC students, nor am I putting CBSE/ICSE students on a pedestal...I'm just stating the facts.CBSE students get high scores because of what their study entails and that is what they deserve! Students from other boards DO NOT have to go through the VAST and advanced syllabus! Moreover, since the boards are different the syllabus, marking schemes & correction techniques are undoubtedly different! Then how can you NOT expect a discrepancy in the scores??

The board introduced the "20 Mks Orals" system because it felt CBSE students get easy marks through their IA(Internal Assessment). Because the percentile system was introduced & CBSE students were hit hard, this year the paper correction was VERY lenient. All this just seems like a rat race to outshine the other!!

Now all that remains to be seen is what happens next..

• Will the #$*%@*# plan be implemented?
• Considering CBSE and ICSE students have done exceedingly well this year, if the plan is put in place will all students actually get a seat as promised?
• What do people who don't get admission into city colleges do?? Take admission in some remote college even when they've done better than their peers?? THIS IS NOT DONE!!

It may seem that I was more emotional than rational when I wrote this...I would rather say I'm strongly opinionated. If you beg to differ....well that's you opinion!!

Feeling- Disgusted and can't stop ranting

To blog or not to blog...!!

Yippee!!! My first blog post!!! After weeks of debating whether or not I should begin blogging the indecisive me finally made THE decision...So folks, here I am!!!!

There are so many things I want to write, so many things I have in mind for my baby blog and so many I things I want to do..but well I would prefer taking it one step at a time :) And I hope I'm not too irregular considering 2009-10 is a crucial year for me academically and I 'forsee' very little 'me-time' in the coming months :P!
Well lets see what this year brings for me :)
So...Adios!
P.S -I hope you grow beautifully my baby!! :)