Kabir

Kabir

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

and i start..

well well.. i knw i've been promising to write.. so here goes. we'll start with the most recent event. the Chemistry Club's annual dinner. now i know i sound nerdy but the club is really cool (and it happens to be my major, no duh!) and the annual dinner has always been a no miss for me. this year, it was more special i suppose because of us being seniors and about to graduate. i wasnt aware of it before but it is a night for the senior class.

alas! i dont think that the juniors had the same thing on their mind. we'll leave that part now. lets move on. there were too many things going on and many of my closest friends also decided not to go (not related to each other). anyhow, we all prepared with outfits, shoes and accessories. the day arrived, raining cats and dogs. we bundled up and off we went. well the night was poorly planned, the food not worth how much we payed and so on. but there were a few highlights of that night, which i smile now thinking of, the motivation guiding my tapping fingers.

first was our head of dept, a beloved lecturer of ours, and a frequent guest in my posts, dr marinah's speech. the juniors (who as we've mentioned did a less than pristine job) did not inform her of her speech and officiation ceremony, but she said a few words that, looking at the comments on facebook (where i posted it) the entire 3rd yr student body felt something. (the song fireworks by katy perry plays in my background now) she talked about how we looked amazing that night, and how they, the educators have been looking at us, watching us grow from the very first day that we stepped into this university. and now, it is time already for us to leave. she said to keep in touch (i think the lecturer's love our class) and to contact them if we need anything, any help, anything at all. 'i just really want you all to be successful and to do well' she said accompanied by oohs and aahs by us. that little speech is something that each of us, sitting there that night,listened to, and i mean really payed attention and listened to, will cherish and see a beautiful picture out of. all at once, it spoke to each and every one of us, maybe some more than others, and as for me, it is a huge boost and motivation.

and the most important part of the night for me was this. winning the best student award or the gold award, which goes to a senior. the lecturers decide and its based on academics and extra curricular involvements. im not just saying this, but i did not expect at all to get it. when dr m went onstage to give the award, like everyone else i waited for the emcees to read a brief intro about the winner, but instead they just announced the name right away. and it was my name. i was still sitting in shock when Kar yen shook me and pushed me to go, following behind with her camera. and the first thing i said to dr m was "seriously?" and she smiling said "seriously".

wearing pink was not planned and totally coincidental..
it was a really short program and we were just waiting gor it to end to take the gazillion pictures we were waiting for. as for me, i think i did pretty well getting shots with most of my friends, coursemates and all. but since the educators left right after i only have a few decent shots with my darling dr marinah. (dr k was really cute about it)


and it felt good. it feels good.

that we have so much love and they are telling me i deserve it and that as i look at the modest plaque saying gold award, i know that more is expected of me. i guess this is the push that i needed. i only told like 3 people about it and others found out by word of mouth and facebook. but some people were really enthusiastic about it which made my heart fill with love and (dare i say it) a little dread that soon, this will all be but a memory.

:)

thank you kalai for the hug and for being so excited. thank you joey for the extremely lovely texts -i could actually imagine vividly how her reaction was :) thank you mom dad sis and bro for being proud of me and for sounding so happy :) thank you dr marinah - for being so amazing.. thank you to the lecturers who deemed me worthy of this. and thank you my friends, the people of the 2 courses, of the department of chemistry. and most of all, thank you, God. i guess this is my acceptance speech :) (i said, 'seriously, thanks' onstage - i know that was bad) i think thats it for now, i gotta do loads of calculations for thesis. but i'll be back real soon. stay safe, God bless and as always, my love. p.s. : will upload more pictures soon and thanks to kar yen for such awesome pics!

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

the dog days are over

no, they're not. im just saying. wishful thinking (couple of mths couple of months)
anyway, the little date area tells me its been 2 months since fingers met keyboard. well, we'll have to do something about that real soon. just not now. but fret not, i return soon. with flexed fingers and pixel stories. for now, take good care of yourselves, loved people (even those who dont love me anymore). my love ,God bless,
Ash.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

INDIA

traffic churned through the streets with wondrous and mysterious efficiency- a ballistic dance of buses, trucks, bicycles, cars, ox-carts, scooters and people.
those words are in the book im reading now, Shantaram. and a true story it is too.

thinking about India and all that I have to write (type) would most probably reduce this post to a long,nonsense ramble. so I think I'm gonna have to split it up and insert some stuff from the last trip as well. hmmm, and yes, of course there will be pictures =)
so last trip was basically last year, in the height of summer (and I mean like the peak!) which means it was sweltering hot. but having our Ishnaans were lovely to get out of the heat ;P
this year was winter (but it wasnt that cold yet, it was only December). this time around was better in some ways, and different in many ways.
lets start from the start. i got home, did shopping and off we were on the 10th of Dec 2010, 9am?flite. as I was super excited to go we were all smiles all the way. we landed sometime around noon, local time. we emerged into the new terminal built for the Commonwealth held earlier there (in October).This terminal 3 was awesome, with paintings, sculptures, carpeting and even cool loos!;P

the bharatnatyam gestures hot guy and girl not included :P
then we got into the best ever Delhi taxi ;) and got into an hour-or-so long hunt for the hotel..hahaaa..



and immediately upon settling in, who should greet us but Big B himself on tv(love their cable!).
that night, mom,dad, Perv and me went to Gurdwara Sahib Karol Bagh (the hotel was extremely close by) and yes, we totally laughed thinking that there is a serial on karol bagh.hahah!

the next day we took the train to AMRITSAR, but not before going again to G.Bangla Sahib and G.Sis Ganj Sahib, after which we dropped by at Haldiram's (obviously!)


ok seriously there was a wedding going on a few hotels away (check out the REAL horse)

the mad mad place called Chandni Chowk :) (view frm Sis ganj Sahib)

Place of Martrydom Guru tegh Bahadur Sahib Jee


yehaha


As it was a last minute booking, we got 3rd class seats. now, we were pretty skeptical (although I was kinda excited thinking it would be adventurous)- but amazingly, those seats on Shan-e-Punjab were allright and we had a great time (yes, for the whole 8 plus hours). the last trip had us on 2nd Class AC- Shatabdi Express, and eventhough that was cool, this was fun :) the endless stream of chai wallahs, snacks and cold drink guys, magazines, trinkets, food, and even paper soap kept us well entertained. not to forget the-um, transvestites in sarees, sweeper folk and people who for some strange reason, crash the coaches and STAND although they have tickets (I suppose for open seating). since the windows opened, endless gusts of wind swept my face and got my hair,looking as it always does-:Lion kIng-esque.

the moment we got there, bags were left in the room, and we headed to HARMANDIR SAHIB at promptly: midnight :)


the most beautiful of times to go down the marble steps towards the Oasis of LOVE that Darbar Sahib is, we rested our foreheads on the cold marble and walked around the parkarma. Now, as we arrived at NRI nivas, there was a guy (I guess everyone knows about him, he's rough around the edges, as are most Indians, but he was ok after that) who made us kinda sad with his attitude. NOw, as we walked in the cold midnight air, smiling at the fact that we were there and a little frown of sadness, a Bhai Saab at the Shabils for Jal smiled a dazzling smile at us, and invited us for water.
That was what we had needed. Our hearts positively swelled with gratitude and we knew, Guru RamDas Jee had welcomed us.
.....................to be continued.

i may not say it..

but i say it all the time..
this post goes out to as usual..the people who are always there for me (willing or unwillingly).
so like always, it was some big crisis (for me) and in the super melodramatic-ness that's me, i was pretty freaking out.
enter:
Dr.Marinah
Dr.Kerol
Dr.Jam
Mom
Thuls
Gurps
jadoo di jhaphis to them :)