Alpenliebe

I've eaten too much today. I started off with a sandwich for breakfast and then a cheese dosa at around 10:30 while we were waiting around for our next class and then I had a smoky-panneer-and-cheese roll cause I couldn't bear not to eat anything at 'Wraps and Rolls' and then we went to an orphanage to 'celebrate' one of the sociology students' birthday with the kids and I popped an Alpenliebe, some cake and some other stuff and then I came back to the hostel and had soup, mashed potatoes, chana, naan and a banana for dinner. No wonder I'm getting fat! What can I do, Bombay offers good food!!
My interview went pretty good yesterday. It wasn't half as scary as I thought it would be. There were seven panelists and just all the waiting added to the anticipation. But the good - no the GREAT thing is that I was calm and I didn't freak out and my heart didn't start pumping for dear life like it was going come up and lodge itself in my throat and prevent me not only from speaking but more importantly from breathing!! (these things have happened to me before!) Thank you, God. :)
I was exhausted by the end of it though - as if my body had been preparing itself for a 'flight or fight' situation, using lots of energy in the process and thus I was pretty drained by the end of it! I fought though and didn't flee although I had considered it a couple of times ;) but not seriously. I'm really glad, I went through that. Give me any interview now and I know I can do it!
So there. Boo to you, fear! :P
I'm reading like three books at the moment which leads to, I'm not reading any of them seriously. I WANT to just read 'A Thousand Splendid Suns' (Khaled Hosseini's second book; his first was 'The Kite Runner') but then I also have to do this stupid book review for Sociology. She told us the book could be anything but had to deal with a 'Social Issue' and "it shouldn't be more than four pages." Fan-bloody-tastic! I can't even decide what to write it on and it's due day-after-tomorrow. First I thought I'd do it on 'My Feudal Lord' by Tehmina Durrani - a book I read a long time ago and really liked at the time but then I took it out of the library again and I couldn't really stick to reading it - it's really not that great a book. It's horrible, the things that happened to her but it's not great to read.
So I got another book, called 'Survivors' which is a compilation of stories of kids who survived the Holocaust. Depressing, infuriating. I mean, it's really incredible (in a bad way) how low human beings can stoop. What I want to know is, how did Hitler manage to sleep at night? How did the thousands of people who followed his orders and support his ridiculous mission sleep at night? It's scary to think that you can actually kill your own conscience. Maybe that's the worst that can happen to a person... Is it easy to get to that point? Probably even the small things count. And it keeps piling on. Guilt on top of guilt on top of guilt.... on top of the door of the box containing your conscience until it can't open up any more.
Hmm, anyway, I better go and try and finish that book so I can START writing a book review on it!
But first to shower!
Later!

Garlands and such.

So the play was amazing and there was so much packed into this past weekend that it seems like I just got back from a holiday.

Anyway, about the play. Firstly, I was just soo excited. It's exactly the sort of thing I've been wanting to do for like ages - go out and watch a play. This play was at the NCPA (National Centre for the Performing Arts) at Nariman Point which is like the very TIP of Mumbai (after which you fall into the sea!) and was called 'FLOWERS' written by one Girish Karnad. The play only had one actor, an amazing set and yet he managed to paint this story quite vividly in the audience's mind describing how he is sort of suspended between worlds and he actually looked it - sort of suspended in mid-air. The synopsis of the play on the net says this: "A dramatic monologue about a devoted priest who violates both his ‘dharma’ and ‘bhakti’ because of his love for a courtesan. Torn between his love for his God and his love for Chandravati, between his duty to the king and his duty to his wife – the priest tells the story of his life after matters have come to a head, and all his loves and duties collide on a single night."
We've started Choir practices for the Carol service in church. I went for the first practice yesterday and I just loved the songs. They were quite jazzy and the usual ones you hear every christmas which is nice. So I was at church pretty much the whole day and then we went for the play in the evening and then after the play we stood out in the street indecisively trying to decide where to go for dinner and basically cracking up for no reason and then finally decided on McDonalds and then after we hogged on burgers and chips every one dispersed on their ways back home... AH, what a fantastic day!

I really don't feel like I'm back in college cause I haven't really got much work and have been gallavanting around town quite a lot and I've already got my tickets to go back to Bangalore on the 20th!! I guess this is what the month before Christmas is like, we come back from Diwali break and then by the time we're really settled into college life - it's holiday time again!!

I do have to read a book and write a review on it for Sociology by Thursday and I have my interview tomorrow which I just want to get over with. I hate this waiting around in apprehension - well I'm actually not too freaked out about it right at this moment. Ah, whatever, I'll live.

More later,

The Plan

I’m swaying to a song from ‘Saawariya’ – my favourite song, ‘Yoon Shabnami’

I still haven’t watched it and I refuse to watch a bad, pirated copy of it but then everyone else has already watched it and I don’t really have anyone to drag to the theatre with me. Hmmm, I might just go alone one fine day. That’s an idea. I’ve been hearing lots of mixed reviews about this movie. There’s one lot, who loved it and one who hated it. I don’t think I’ve met anyone who said it was OK.

Anyway, I spend the day yesterday at Joyee’s (my cuz) place and had a grand time. We watched one rubbish movie (the word in hindi would be ‘bakwaas’) called ‘Airplane’ it was like mad-humour types and I’m not a fan. Anyway, I had yummy lunch and we talked and we had lots of ice-cream and then we went out to have pani-puri and I ended up buying a pair of shoes on the way back! We only had Rs. 140 on us so that’s all the guy could take for the pair – a good bargaining tactic! ;)

We were planning on going for a play yesterday but it didn’t work out so we are now planning to go today. The plan is that I have to call up the theatre and ask if the tickets are available and if I should go and book them in advance and if they say ‘yes’ then I’ll go get them after church, otherwise we meet up at McDonalds at around 4 and go get the tickets and then hang around till 7pm and then go watch the play which is called ‘Flowers’ and is supposed to be really good. (English Prof’s recommend so it better be good!!)

Anyway, so I better be off!

More later,

Snap my fingers

Actually less than a month till I go back home again! I decided to come back for New Year's though. Actually my friends bullied me into it! ha ha, No I'm kidding. There's some event happening in IIT Mumbai which is supposed to be really good so we'll all go for that together and I'm going to kill you all if you leave me alone on the 31st!! I swear. I wonder what New Year's in Mumbai is like. It'll be a first. Although, I keep having pangs of changing my mind. Like I just want to be home!! Anyway, I managed extend the holiday a little more on the other side cause the 21st of December is Eid and so I can leave on the 20th after college.
Yesterday was a looong day. We only had two classes and then we went out to lunch and this really neat restaurant called 'Samovar' which is hidden in the famous Jehangir Art Gallery. Good times. The food was great, the company was better and we had some good laughs and conversations. After lunch we checked out the paintings on exhibition in the gallery and also outside on the sidewalks (the side walk ones were actually better!). And then we also stumbled upon this other neat gallery which was sort of like a maze. It was amazing! It smelled great cause there were these huge candles in the front of the gallery shaped in the letters L-O-V-E. I loved it. The painting were amazing and it was seriously like being in a dream, like you'd discover something new around every corner which you didn't even notice the first time you walked past. I just don't have enough words to describe it.
We also went to an amazing music store called 'Rhythm House'. Have I mentioned that I LOVE this city!!
After all that, I met up with a friend from church and we headed over to Jogeshwari on the other side of the city on the train (crowded of course!) for the Hillsong London concert. Also this band called the Yeshua Band did the opening act and they were FANTASTIC! I just loved it. Most of their songs were in hindi and the lead singer -- oh-my-goodness. Hillsong of course was also great, but I couldn't stay for too many of their songs cause I had to get back to the hostel in time and Jogeshwari is quite far away. Anyway, glad I got to go.
I need a book to read!!! I finished 'The Pact' - It was pretty good. Didn't really like the ending.
I have a scary interview on Monday or Tuesday or Wednesday. Not sure when exactly - I'll probably get to know tomorrow. Oh Lord, I hope I don't freak out too much. I'll tell you what it's about if I get through!! So if you want to know about it, you have to say a prayer for me! haha, bribery. No but seriously, I'll need some heavenly intervention on this one! I need it on everything really, but I just don't always admit it!
I'm listening to 'Dance' by Derek Webb. It's a song that he wrote for his Grandma. Really cute story to it.
"I wanna dance, I wanna snap my fingers all night long and dance. I wanna dance, move around the room, just like a woman in a trance. All night, I wanna dance. I wanna wrap my arms around your neck and dance. I wanna listen to the music that's ringing in my ears. Cause one day I'm gonna dance right outta here!"
I feel like taking out my Christmas collection already.
More later,

Find your wings --

I pray that God will fill your heart with dreams and that faith gives you the courage to dare to do great things, to help you find your wings -– Mark Harris.

I like the idea that human beings can fly, even without having wings. I don’t mean like in a plane, or a parachute or whatever, but figuratively. And I don’t mean drug induced highs either. But reaching for meaningful things, for your dreams…

Anyway, I’m back in the hostel. My roomie left this evening for a twelve day educational tour in Karnataka. I’m excited for her – traveling is always good fun, especially when you’re with a big bunch of people – but I will miss her. Twelve days is quite a long time.

today dragged, to be frank. The entire ‘gang’ – my mad bunch of college friends – was not here and we were getting results from an exam that I had entirely forgotten about in our classes. I managed to scrape a ‘pass’ in Eco – which I am not particularly proud of and I HAVE to get 15 more marks this semester to pass the subject or I will have to re-write the exam. Bleh. At the beginning of the year when they told us about exams and told us we had to get 35 marks out of a 100 just to pass the year, I thought well that shouldn’t be too hard, right? Well, now I know. They’re actually pretty hard on marking. Wake up Tina, you’re in college! Anyway, I did pretty good in Socio and Psycho, which are more important subjects to me so cause I have to major in either one of these subject or double major in both in the third year so every extra mark counts basically…

Righto, that’s about all for now…

Cheerio!

The will...

It's been a while.
Landmark is the new Crosswords. I think i've mentioned that Crossword is my favourite book-store. Well, I went to Landmark at Forum mall here in Bangalore yesterday and it wins -- hands down. They definitely have a much much larger collection and they're not scared to stack up and they have books on absolutely everything and I also like how they arrange the books...
I went to Forum to meet up with Rishi, my good ol' neighbour from back in the day in School. Ahh, we used to have so much fun and Rishi is just great. We had some good laughs and talked about College, Life, Boys, etc.
Anyway, after she left, I had some time and so I went to Landmark. Give me money and some time and a mall, and i'll find a bookstore to spend the money on! I would much rather buy a book over clothes anyday. But then I do have a genius of a mother who's been stitching a whole bunch of kurtis for me. I don't know how she does it, but she does it great.
Anyway, so I went searching for 'The Pact' and one of the guys at the store pointed me towards where all the Jodi Picoult books live and I looked and looked and they had every title except for this one. So I was reading through the back cover of 'Plain Truth' or maybe it was 'The Tenth Circle' and I look up and there it was --- 'The Pact' staring at me from the top shelve, for some reason separated from the rest. I gasped and smiled and made my way to the cash counter, also with a book on oil painting for my mom -- it's her newest hobby and she's pretty good. So I now have something to read on the plane.
I'll be on the plane back to the big city on Sunday morning and I'm trying to think of things to look forward to, so that I'm mildly excited about going.
1) Well, of course seeing everyone!
2) I'll be joining the choir at church for the Christmas service -- looking forward to that. Also means, I get to spend some more time with the folk at church and get to know them a little more.
3) Apparently there's a Hillsong concert on the 21st, but it's a Wednesday and it's at Jogeshwari so I really hope I can go. Provided the warden -- who lives up to every dreadful notion of that word, I'm sorry, I don't like here very much -- let's me go..
On the other hand, I'm gonna have quite a handful of stuff to do when I get back especially cause I just remembered last week that I was supposed to do some research for FC and I also haven't finished the water conservation data inputting thing. Oh blah. Sorry, this is probably gibberish to most of you. Basically, I'm gonna have to pay for my procrastination when I get back...

Take my dreams, come and give them wings. I am small, but You are big enough. I am weak, but You are strong enough. Take my dreams, come and give them wings. Lord, with you, there's nothing I cannot do...
-- Britt Nicole

It's a friggin' battlefield over here!

Today is: Diwali again and this is actually my first time in an Indian Metro during Diwali which is like right on top on the list of the million festivals that India celebrates. Like a lot of things, there's a linguistic divide on this one too - the South Indians celebrate it one day earlier than the rest of India. Don't ask why, cause I really don't know... Anyway, so being in Bangalore, we had a fair bit of madness on the streets outside yesterday with people bursting crackers like there's no tomorrow and it'll be the same if not worse today. (Imagine me yelling - I can't take it anymore!!!) Yes, firecrackers are up there on my list of 'things I don't like'. The pretty ones are still okay (in moderation!) - it's the loud ones I really hate. Now those are really pointless. So don't burst too many crackers this Diwali! And try and check for a sign that says "No Child Labour Involved" on the boxes of crackers that you buy... I know they could easily lie about that, but that's the closest you get to knowing for sure if you have to burst crackers...

Movies: Oh lots in the last couple of days. The most recent would be 'Jab We Met' which was fun... I also watched 'Little Women' on TV and 'The pursuit of Happyness' (Liked it better than the book) and 'Reign Over Me' - good movie.

Music: Well I'm listening to the soundtracks of 'Saawariya' and 'Jab We Met' - both are good...

I wonder: What Saawariya is going to be like... With all the hype especially...

Game: India lost yesterday in a nail-biting match. It was good fun, I was the only one holding on to the possibility of India winning in my house. All pessimists I tell you! I missed you Sonu!! Reminded me of the Twenty20 Final. Sooooo close!

Her Highness...

Things on my mind...

~I'm reading 'Salem Falls' by Jodi Picoult at the moment. She's good. She's really good. This book is better than 'Vanishing Acts' but not as good as 'My Sister's Keeper'. For a change we get to look at rape from the man's point of view. No - she doesn't justify it. It can never be justified but what happens when a man is wrongly accused of it? I've never given this much thought so I'm seeing a new perspective and I like it when books make me do that....

~After some time of wishing I could remember my dreams, I remember what I dreamt of last night and now I wish I didn't! Life!

~I met up with my good friend Doris this past weekend. We met at the MMB classes (German classes) and really clicked. At the moment she's pretty much my only friend in Bangalore so it was really nice to meet up and talk about everything - God, Life, etc!

~I only have like two weeks left of holiday! Meh. I'm in two minds on this one. I want to go back and see all my crazy friends (Sharan, Vini, Sonu, Joyee, Gauri and my darling roomie Dakshu!) but I so DO NOT want to go back to classes!! No surprise here about Economics especially! And also I don't want to leave home and the wonderful, cool weather and mum's cooking - yum!

~Pakistan in state of Emergency

Power in the hand of one man, is truly dangerous. It's horrible to see how the fundamental rights of people are being denied, people put behind bars for no reason. What does a man truly gain out of this mindless violence? How does he sleep at night?!?!? Reminds me of this verse... "What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?" (Luke 9:25)

However, the cricket goes on! India-Pakistan first ODI today...

~ हिंदी - my blog can speak hindi better that I can! Maybe i'll be able to learn some this way. I really should...

~'Fiddler on the Roof' - I remember Tashu going on and on about this movie but not paying much attention to it. I finally watched it last week though and man, it's great! It's hilarious, educative, musical and one more must watch!

Anyway, those are a few things on my mind--

I'm off to watch the cricket and have some lunch--

Oh yeah, here's a picture we took on Sunday of all the cousins (and their better halves) that are here in Bangalore...

Toodles!

***** = it was amazing!

Some of my favourite lines from "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini

~ It’s wrong what they say about the past, I’ve learned, about how you can bury it. Because the past claws its way out...

~ There was a brotherhood between people who had fed from the same breast, a kinship that not even time could break.
Hassan and I fed from the same breasts. We took our first steps on the same lawn in the same yard. And, under the same roof, we spoke our first words.
Mine was Baba.
His was Amir. My name.

~ Children aren't coloring books. You don't get to fill them with your favorite colors...

~ There is only one sin, only one. And that is theft. Every other sin is a variation of theft....When you kill a man, you steal a life. You steal his wife's right to a husband, rob his children of a father. When you tell a lie, you steal someone's right to the truth. When you cheat, you steal the right to fairness...

~Quiet is peace. Tranquility. Quiet is turning down the VOLUME knob on life. Silence is pushing the OFF button. Shutting it down. All of it.

And many more... This book had me stopping in between reading and going "Wow!"

It had me awake till 2 am determined to finish it although I really didn't want it to finish.

It made me question myself.

Made me imagine myself in situations of life and death where my life could mean the death of another and ask myself would I really have the courage to choose life for another?

It reminded me also of the impermanence of life and especially of wealth. One minute you're a rich man and the next you're on the streets begging. It can happen to anyone.

Made me make up my mind on the question of war: It's never good. You go into war with the excuse of saving something but at what cost? Rape? Innocent lives? Mindless violence? Starvation? Abuse? Millions of refugees? Worst of all; stealing the innocence of children. The cost is always too high. And it always happens. It justs happens behind the scenes mostly and people forget to notice...

This book made me angry, cry, laugh, smile, think, and hope. I highly recommend. The best I've read in a while.

P.S.I hope the movie does it justice! It released yesterday but obviously will take some time to get here... See the trailer.

Crackling Spinach

So I was bored and I went on a banner-making spree, one of which I put on my blog (it's the little old women on a purple background) but i'm not sure if anyone (besides me) can actually see it... So if you can, please leave me a comment and if enough people can, then it'll stay otherwise it'll have to go back to the plain-jane that blogger offers!
P.S. There's also a banner on Niru's blog. Can anyone see that??