CWG Opening Ceremony: I was there!

So, I was at the grand CWG '10, Delhi opening ceremony last night.
One word: LAVISH!

When we Indians do it, we do it in style.
Our infrastructural development might've been slow, but hell we can dance! :D
And what spectacular lighting and technicality!
The AEROSTAT!
IT WAS FABULOUS!
And it is being considered one of the best opening ceremonies ever held.

Wait, what were they saying about the games a fortnight back?
Seems like everyone's forgotton.
World media, Indian media.. you guys got SO OWNED last night! xD

It was amazing and unforgettable. I am never going to forget last night. I was there in the JLN Stadium. I could feel the energy.
When the crowds cheered when India came with the flag.
The fantastic crowd cheered even when Pakistan made their entry.
And when CM Sheila Dixit was mentioned. We love you madam Chief Minister. :)

Last night. I shall remember always. My country shone worldwide.
My country, the best country.

Incredible India.

The Commonwealth Games 2010

Well, I guess the whole world knows about the Delhi CWG 2010 by now.
I've been wanting to do a post on them since a very long time but I just wanted all the matters to settle then and then commence.

Alright. So, today was the last day of school before Autumn Break was to commence. My English teacher was asking each one of us our plans for the autumn. When she asked me, I blatantly said, "Ma'am, Ill be going to see the Commonwealth Games" ..
To that, there was a response of utter preposterousness and ridicule by each one including my teacher.
She said, "I hope no tile falls on your head"

Now this really pinched me. Yeah, I know what the media has been saying for the past one month.
I've seen it all. At one point, I had started to lose hope but I still believed in my country.
The media hyped each and every negative aspect of the games and NEVER, NEVER EVER highlighted anything positive about the games.
The upgraded metro, the innumerous flyovers and bridges, the world class stadia etc.
Never did they do anything to promote and encourage an Indian athlete.
Yeah, I know an overhead bridge collapsed, a minor slab of tile caved in and there was grave criticism for the Games Village.
But which country and which event has not faced hiccups?
The International media never misses a chance to do some India bashing.
BBC World News went on a rapid rant about how awful the Games conditions' were and quoting all these comments by random what-not officials from Australia, NZ, England etc saying what a mistake it was to give India this chance to showcase it's progress.

We all should realize that there are ALWAYS two sides to a story.
http://commonwealthgamesvillage.in/
http://sports.rediff.com/slide-show/2010/sep/17/slide-show-delhi-commonwealth-games-village-suresh-kalmadi.htm#contentTop
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=128322373885609#!/album.php?aid=289638&id=7319903884&fbid=469892953884&ref=mf
Yep.

What upset me most is the perception of the Games created in the minds' of Indian people.
When BBC posted negative articles about the Games, I saw a lot of Indians saying, "OH, This is India" , "Nothing can happen here. It was a mistake" , "The politicians are so corrupt. Oh, this country is stupid"
HOW CAN YOU CALL YOURSELVES INDIAN? HOW DO YOU LIVE WITH YOURSELVES?
I guess all of these so-called Indians should rather leave the country than rant about it incessantly on an international forum showing the world how disintegrated we are.
I defended the Games on and on in every forum. I tried to highlight every positive aspect and I didn't deny the faults which had emerged. That is because I believe in my country and I love it.

The Commonwealth Games were supposed to be about the spirit of sports, festivities, a platform to show that YES, we are emerging into the global scenario. Sadly, India's image has been marred.

Now, with just 3 more days for the Games. The International delegates and athletes are very happy with the whole set up. All of them giving a thumbs up to the village.
One of the British athletes said, "It's a world class village with excellent facilities"

So, you see now.
It's all about belief.

The Delhi Commonwealth Games 2010 WILL be a success.
India will shine.

Being a Kid.

Don't you have those moments when you suddenly recall those old days of yours?
The time when you had no responsibilities. No tension whatsoever. No politics between your friends.
You could be yourself without succumbing to any kind of pressure. You didn't have all that excruciating academic pressure. You didn't need to think about your future.
You looked better than what you look now.
You could be free.

I remember when I was 7 or 8. I would have those wonderful birthday parties where my dad would call magicians and puppeteers and there would be a mini ferris wheel in my frontyard. There used to be amazing cartoons which used to come on TV.
The lifestyle of people was simple. There were no iPods, cell phones were not that popular in India at that time, laptops were almost non-existent, having fast internet access was a BIG thing. Terrorism was non-existent.
People would have those little cosy parties where everyone would have a great time.
There wasn't any traffic.
People lived such simple lives.

And suddenly one day I wake up everything on the contrary. I don't know why things had to change so much.
When I was 11, I always wanted to just magically turn into a teenager because I was so fascinated with the whole idea which was supremely glorified by them teen movies.
And now that I am one, it's not all that great. Guess they say it right, "Everything that shines ain't gold"

If I had an option, I would totally go back to being 8 or maybe 12. And not in the present times for God's sake. These are dark times.
I'd go back when I was really 8. In the 90s when Spice Girls and Powerpuff Girls and Dexter used to rule the world.

Iris Reverie

This was something I wrote a long time back when.. Oh, I just thought I'd post it here.

It was the night of the dance spectacle at the auditorium. Dozens of kids were gearing up to get ready for their performance. There was chaos everywhere in the backstage. Somebody's attire came undone, somebody was getting nervous about their act, somebody broke a leg and the instructor couldn't stop eating out of tension.
Out of the green room came Alex, an average boy who was part of the dance recital.
He made his way through all the pandemonium and went straight to the wings of the stage. He had a lot on his mind. He was thinking about someone when suddenly, that someone he was thinking of passed right infront of him.
"Hi Taylor", said Alex nervously.
"Hey Alex, ready for the show?"
"Yep, you? We've got that little flying birdy dance together"
Taylor laughed. "Yeah, I'm excited about jumping around on the stage with you"
Just then, the lights dimmed. The show had started. Alex & Taylor weren't up for another half an hour. They both decided to go and get a drink from the stall.
Amidst the brouhaha which had erupted on knowing the show had started, they witnessed a stampede. Kids crumbling under the feet of other kids. It was a really funny sight actually.
They helped little Jamie get back to his feet. "Thanks a lot, you guys! Everybody here is out of their mind! Anyway, best of luck to you two. Break a leg!", saying that, he trodded away.
"I don't want to break my leg. Would you break yours for me, Alex?", Taylor joked.
"Yeah, yeah. Let's get going! We don't have much time"

"Oh Alex and Taylor! COME FAST! You're up next", Mr. Cauldron exclaimed.
"Great! No iced tea", they said in unison.
It was a contemporary dance. Like the one you would see in those famous TV shows.
The act was about being in love with your best friend, and them not knowing it; not knowing how much you care about someone until they are gone; the feeling of loneliness and vulnerability when your love leaves you.
Who would've thought this storyline was destined to come true?

The song, 'Paradise Circus' started playing. Alex and Taylor glanced at each other and held each other's hand and made their entry. At slowly, they slowly perched up to the centre of the stage.
Taylor was wearing a red slip-on with bold make up. Her eyes dark with kohl, eye lids covered with green dust, each nail of her hands painted with a color of the rainbow.
Alex was wearing a white shirt with the buttons undone with black loose pants.
It was time for their high-flying to begin. Alex & Taylor were all over the stage. Alex & Taylor
performed their favorite steps - The Bison Jump and The Jumping Bicycle.
After a lot of jetti en tournents and grand fouetté en tournants, it was time for the solo by Jamie.
Alex and Taylor just had five minutes to catch their breath before they were to go back on the stage for their final act.
There were lights dancing all around them. Taylor looked at Alex. Her eyes gleaming, she smiled which resulted in a white shimmer spreading all around them.
"We were wonderful back there. Together"
With that she clenched Alex's hand. Alex looked down and saw both of their hands in a tight grasp. Her nails glowing all seven colors of the rainbow, spreading the colors into his palm.
He looked up, she was still smiling. Alex kissed her on the cheek. "Together", Alex said with a smile.

It was time for them to go and perform their final act. The song had reached it's peak. It was time for the lover to leave forever. The music along with their dance moves were so strong, the audience was in tears. One could feel the intensity and the passion. Taylor jumped high up for the finale.
All of a sudden, the lights on the stage went out and there was darkness whilst the music
Ten seconds later, the lights came back on and sheer horror spread throughout the auditorium.
Taylor lay on the stage, stabbed straight down with a dagger, dead.
Alex's eyes widened. He fell on his knees. His voice was gone. He lay besides Taylor's body in utter shock. There was screaming and chaos everywhere again.
Alex lost everything. A tear rolled down his cheek and that, was the end.

"What?! This can't happen! I'm destroyed!", said the manager far away in the control room. Whereas this line would have proved more relevant somewhere else.

The song came to an end. It's tragic end.
Love is like a sin, my love.
For the one that feels it the most
Look at her with a smile like a flame
She will love you like a fly will never love you again.

And with that, it was over.

The Delhi Sky

I just found this picture of the Delhi sky during twilight in one of my friends' Facebook albums.
Thought I'd share. :)

New Delhi is a wonderful city despite all the potholes and the traffic. :)

Twilight better than Potter? REALLY, now?

I find it totally ridiculous how people can even dare to compare the Twilight saga to the epic Harry Potter books.
But there's still hope left in this world. Recently, the Facebook status of one of my friends was:

Nayantara Sam ‎"Harry Potter isn't Twilight, you know. It doesn't sell sex."

Yes, I couldn't agree more.
And then, I found a wonderful comment in the chain which perfectly distinguished and proved (Harry Potter doesn't even need to be proved) that Harry Potter is majestic while the Twilight books are grotesque literature.

Here is the comment (which is just a copy-paste of a random comment she found somewhere but I guess the former few lines are by her) :

Arushi Khosla
It would probably sell more if it sold sex. Maybe some of us would read it.
Instead it sells bullshit about sparkly vampires and girls with no self esteem.

What I believe is so alarming about Twilight is the fact that it causes impressionable teens to think impossible things. No one, absolutely no one, in the Harry Potter series that is worth liking (besides Fleur, but that's a stretch in itself) is described as attractive. The main characters are total geeks in the beginning. It's way more realistic. Cho, who is described as attractive, is one of the biggest mistakes Harry makes. She has terrible choice in friends, and doesn't prioritize in a sensible manner...also, if anyone caught in book 7 she tried to sneak Harry away. Cedric pretty-boy Diggory is seen for what he is in HP: a mindless and yet handsome face.

In Twilight, all of the characters are flat and hollow. None of them truly changes, and it does promote sexism in that Bella is completely dependent on Edward. (And yes, I have grounds to speak because I've read both series and watched all the movies.) It is frightening that Bella doesn't think before she acts, and puts her life on the line for a boy. I know it was for emphasis on her so-called "true love", but honestly? Also, Edward i s abusive in that he restricts Bella's communications with those she loves and cares about.

Twilight also demotes age...Bella's worst fear is getting old, while in Harry Potter, Albus Dumbledore and Bathilda Bagshot, both well into their lives, were seen as icons of wisdom and bottomless pits of knowledge. Twilight also promotes the fear of death and darkness, while Harry Potter puts all the cards on the table and shows how foolish it is to fear such things, and what the fear really is: the fear of the unknown. It is also more realistic, and releatable. Harry Potter's teen society shows what happens in real life: bad dates, awkward situations, mourning, confusion, and laughing when things are really, really funny.

Twilight was also poorly written. The language was repetitive, and the story line had no overall meaning. It was an empty love story, and that is all. It's upsetting Harry Potter fans because Twilight fans keep insisting that Twilight is anything more. Twilight fans like the story on the surface...just its story. This also relates back to the fan base. Harry Potter fans are, generally, heavier readers, and no offense, a tad more intelligent an d intellectual. Harry Potter fans look deeper than the surface, and were terribly disappointed to see that if they scratched the surface of Twilight, it's cavernous beneath it. Harry Potter is rock solid for miles.

If reviewers hadn't suggested that "Twilight is replacing Harry Potter," none of this would have happened. Personally, it's simply disappointing to see that people of any intelligence level can't recognize great literature when it's dancing naked in front of them.

So you see, I needn't say more. Everything is self-explanatory.
BTW, ^^She is very cool. She has this great blog - http://fabblab.blogspot.com

Well, that's that.
HARRY POTTER IS LEGENDARY. THANK YOU SO MUCH J. K. ROWLING.

Another Oil Rig Explodes

Yeah, as if the BP oil rig explosion which caused hundreds of million gallons of oil to be released into the Gulf of Mexico and the Mumbai coast oil spill weren't enough, there's been another one at Mariner Energy oil rig in the gulf of Mexico.

"An explosion has torn through an offshore oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico, west of the site of the blast in April that caused a huge oil spill.", reports BBC News.

And now the usual "Obama-in-national-security-meeting" facade is going on.
Yeah, we all know how much and what all Obama did during the drastic BP Oil Spill.
Nature warned us with all those hurricanes, earthquakes and tsunamis during early 2010 to stop with the exploitation else it'll show it's wrath.
We didn't stop and this is nature taking revenge.

We have been exploiting the Earth incessantly since forever now.
HOW MUCH MORE CAN MOTHER EARTH BEAR? Hasn't she had enough?
It is time for all of us to change our lifestyles and living standards to cooperate with the Earth. The extent of brunt the Earth can take has been exceeded. If we don't change NOW, we're gonna have it hard.
Perhaps THIS is what 2012 is all about. The Earth is finally gonna give up on all of us and it'll be Le Fin.

As for the Oil Spills, it's time for renewable and clean energy to shoot up. We can't even afford oil and gas anyway.
There's so much oil in the Gulf, they might as well call it the Gulf of Texico.

All of this is making me so sad. So sad. The BP oil spill was devastative. There's another one west of it, too now. Over that, freakin' Hurricane Earl is heading towards the coast, too.
May God bless America.
May God Bless the world.
May God bless us everyone.

And if he doesn't wish to bless us, I guess we should change ourselves and GO GREEN.
And RESPECT OUR DEAR EARTH.

Appeal me, quotes.

A few quotes that I genuinely enjoy reading:

Each to his grief, each to
his loneliness and fidgety revenge. - Gwendolyn Brooks.

Jesus wept; Voltaire smiled. From that divine tear and from that human smile is derived the grace of present civilization.

As a means of contrast with the sublime, the grotesque is, in our view, the richest source that nature can offer. - Victor Hugo.

When beggars die there are no comets seen;
The heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes.

Sweep on, you fat and greasy citizens,
'Tis just the fashion.

Thou hast the sweetest face I ever looked on.
Sir, as I have a soul, she is an angel.

When clouds are seen, wise men put on their cloaks;
When great leaves fall, then winter is at hand;
When the sun sets, who doth not look for night?

Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow.

Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon 'em.

It's not enough to speak, but to speak true.

Et tu, Brute! Then fall, Caesar.

Shakespeare.

I can actually go on and on with Shakespearean quotes but I guess it'll be a bit unfair to everyne else.

No evil can happen to a good man, either in life or after death.

It is a common saying, and in everybody's mouth, that life is but a sojourn.

I shall assume that your silence gives consent.

To go to the world below, having a soul which is like a vessel full of injustice, is the last and worst of all the evils.
Plato.

Okay, so I'm done now.
Well, I guess Shakespeare is pretty cool.
Exeunt, me.

Matter Much? Not.

Alright. Have you ever had that feeling in which you feel that you are just another average person who'll end up with an average life and that you're nothing special?
I get that all the time. I feel so insecure about my future. My present. Even about the things which have happened in the past.
It's a rhetorical question: Why me?
Most of the time, I blame myself for being so average.

But you know what? I am NOT average. And you know what? You're NOT average either.
What causes that feeling in you is NOT you. It's those little people that surround you during most of your waking hours.

On a personal account, I shall state and prove with an example now:
There's this kid in my class. Let us name him Paul.
Now Paul is, in people's eyes, a very sober, calm, composed and intelligent hard working child.
Real story? Yeah, he's finely bright and hard-working? Rest, I shall elaborate.
You see, I don't know what the matter is with him, but he's sort of "afraid" of talking to girls.
Whenever a girl comes in front of him, he freezes. As soon as she departs, he turns into a Mafioso.
He morphs into a manipulative, assertive and irate personality. They say it right, looks are deceiving.
Who would've thought that THIS person would be the one who filled the mind of an innocent boy to attack me in retaliation. (He'd got hit by a pencil box par faute by me).
That kid didn't say anything. I apologized and he was fine with it.
Seconds later, Paul is filling his mind with shrewd and demeaning thoughts.
10 seconds later, I have a flying keychain hitting me on the head thus resulting in gushes of blood coming out of the left side of my head.
Yeah, Paul. Way to go!

Paul always completes his homework. He studies intently for his exams. He's pretty fine. He gets good marks. Better than me many times.
But you know what? Even though my homework's not on time many times. Even though I study casually for the exams and become vigorous only in the last few preceding days, I'm better than you. Why? I'll tell you why.

Today in English class, we had to write down a few things "being dictated by the teacher.
Paul was sitting behind me. The teacher said something like, "Antony's speech is considered immortal" .. Now, firstly, boys like Paul have no interest whatsoever in literature so..I don't even want to comment.
So, Paul asked everyone around him the spelling of "Speech" and "Diplomat" ..
Yeah, so a 10th grader of "high repute" asking all this. Bright kid, yeah.

What I'm trying to prove through this post is, "Does it really matter?"
Does it matter if you're bright academically and are a good student if you have a bad character?
What is the essence of education? Marks/ Grades compose only 50% of our education.
The rest. The rest consists of our life and social skills that develop over time. Our nature, our affection, our attitude, our perception of life, our dreams.
People like him who consider themselves :Perfect: .. I'd say they're wrong.
I do pretty fine academically. Not outstanding, I agree. But I have friends. I have a good pure mind. I love the environment. I love people. I love my life even when it's going poopy. I dream every single night.
I am NOT average.
I am. Me.

And nothing can change that. Not what they say. Not what they think. Not what anyone thinks.
It's what I think. And what's my take on everything.

You just gotta strive to be a better person.
And when you are one, everything's gonna get all fine by itself.

Koo Koo Kachoo.

Now, I know the song I Am The Walrus by The Beatles is a classic and all that.

But I simply love this cover by Oasis.
Oasis are one of my favorites. They're just simply awesome.

"You say it best, when you say nothing at all"

I have this thing for the '90s since I was born in them and I miss them dearly. They were the years. :')
And therefore, 90s music is as dear to me as anything else.

So, I was watching vh1 early morning this previous Sunday.
And the following song came up. And I felt all nostalgic and happy. :')


And then I came across a version of this song by Alison Krauss.




These things from the past which randomly appear in my present delight me so much.
Exactly what I needed to make my Sunday. :)

The newly rich, nostalgia.

I'm going to be talking about something which everyone must have seen but never really pondered over.
So. We've all seen rich people, right? (I'm not filthy rich, you see. I'm from a very average South Delhi household)
So, anyway. We've all seen rich people.
But have you noticed how different Rich Person A was from Rich Person B?

I have classified rich people into two categories.
1. The Hierarchal Rich.
The Hierarchal Rich are those who've been rich since the dawn of the modern times.
Their grandfathers and great grandfathers businesses and empires still bring them treasures to take home. They're classy and live in grandeur. They have luxurious homes. They act like high society should. Their wardrobes are filled with labels by European designers. Their little daughters start reading Vogue Italia from age 8. Their sons are taught how to play Polo since age 6 who are then sent to the West for their higher education. The wives attend their little kitty parties, charity functions and what-not.
They have a servant for everything. And oh, do not forget farm houses and swimming pools.

No, I'm not stereotyping. I've seen all of it. Trust me.

2. The Newly Rich.
Now this is the category I shall talk over. The newly rich are those who are originally from small towns. They migrated to urbania. They mysteriously acquired a whole lot of wealth somehow.
And well, now they're filthy rich.
But what separates them from the hierarchals?
Well, EVERYTHING.

Let me elaborate with an example.
My parents took me and my sister for dinner to one of our random far-off relatives' place.
Now this man who is about to come into view is the PERFECT example of what I call Newly Rich.
Okay, so this man - Raju, is originally from small town Agra. I have no idea how my mom is related to him, I dont even wanna know.
Anyway, he got into the stock market biz and acquired this whole glob of money and now he's just very rich.
He then bought a house in Noida. Now here comes the main part.
Yeah, so he bought a house in suburbia. But then, he furnished his house SO GARISHLY, it looked as if he's running a display for the Home Store.
A Hierarchal would furnish and decorate his house with class and grandeur. There would be marble sculptures and mild colors. There would be a whole lot of greenery. The furniture would be exclusive, suave and sharp.
Whereas in Raju's home, the kitchen decor had bright shades of red and white hitting your head so hard it made you dizzy. The furniture was so overdone and ostentatious, it looked like he went straight to a store and bought the first thing with a price tag which was something like Rs. 1,00, 000.
Let me tell you, everything which is 50 grand and above is not exquisite.
Getting back to Raju. Ok, he had 50 inch plama screens in every freakin' room of his house.
The lighting and decor of his house was that of a banquet hall. That too, overdone.
There's just one way to explain his lifestyle: gaudy.
He came up to my sister with those big CD Case which read, "Top Indian Classical Musicians" which included the works by random Indian maestros I've not really heard of.
He then said, "Look at this! I bought this recently. They play this in all of the top hotels all the time"
Well, he's trying so hard.
I could go on and on about this. I would just advice him, and the newly rich folk to kindly subtle it down a bit and go modest. We know you've got the bucks. We know you can afford it all.
However, going over the top just makes you look like a dork.
Take a tip or two from the folks living on Aurangzeb Road, yeah?

If I, too, somehow mysteriously acquire all this wealth, I would certainly be a lot more different. That's for sure.
Well, someday. ;)

Anyway, in a totally unrelated piece of incidence, I visited one of my aunts since she'd recently given birth to a baby.
When I saw her, I started getting all these flashbacks.
I clearly remember her wedding. I was 5 or 6 when she got married. And now she has two daughters.
Time passes by so swiftly and you don't even realize. :)
I felt so nostalgic at that time. I think I've grown up enough now.

Peter Pan's soul, I'm free. :)

I couldn't stand the idea of bloodshed, casualties.

Blood. Ooh.
"And I said, yes, if you think that I avoid bloodshed by standing aside, then I will stand aside"
The reason why I'm saying all this?
You see, the previous week, I was just fooling around with a friend and I accidentally hit this guy.
He got enraged and when I was looking away, he hurled this metallic substance at me.
It hit my skull. There was a cut. And oh, the pain.
My first thought and action was to hit him back.
Since my shot kinda sucks, it was a bummer.
I got back to my normal, average life then.
(5 minutes later)
"ABHINAV, BLOOD. YOUR HEAD. BLOOD. YOUR HEAD. BLOOD. YOUR HEAD"
Now I'm going to be honest, I'm a little slow so I couldn't understand what was going on at first.
About 134 seconds or so, I sort of realized that blood was gushing out of my head from where it'd gotten scratched.
I touched the left side of my head and WHOAA, I look back at my hand and there's all this blood.
And then all this drama followed which included me toppling over the table of that guy who'd injured me in a rush of sudden wrath. Also, I spilled all his food. Feel guilty not, me.
And then it all got sorted out and I was all repaired in the medical room and poo.

And that's about it with me attaining a minor scratch on my head.
HEY! AT LEAST SOMETHING EXCITING HAPPENED WITH ME.

Anyway, besides that life's been pretty much monotonous. Pretty much the same things happen everyday.
Sometimes a few exciting things happen.
Like when I got to know I'm going to FRANCE.
YES. YES. YES.
Wait, I shouldn't get too excited. Nothing's confirmed yet.

Although, I'm going to Malaysia and Thailand this winter for a week. Yep, that's confirmed. I booked the tickets myself. Pretty cheap, yeah.

So. You know what? I think I want to do something of my life.
Like something big.
But I don't know what.

Also, the Vogue Italia Oil Spill Issue. The Europeans are so brilliant and creative.
However, this might be a bit ghastly.
http://www.refinery29.com/oil-spill-fashion-photoshoot-from-vogue-italia.php/slideshow/1/

I appreciate the initiative by Vogue Italia.
However, just the idea of thousands of dollars of luxury clothing being flown down to the affected areas just to be ruined seems a tad bit sad to me.

It's raining here in New Delhi. We Delhi folks love it when it rains. I think God kinda likes us.
I love Delhi with all the..y'know.. boulevards lined with trees.
And the whole thing, pretty much yeah.

My exams sort of got postponed by a few days and I'm totally wasting these days doing nothing.
I should study. Yes, I should.
However, there are a lot of things I should be doing.
The day I start doing them, I swear I shall be the President of the Republic of India.
OH, YEAH.
Okay, maybe not.

I'm just gonna go out and take in some air. The air smells good during and after the rain, right?
Guess it's just because everything gets cleaned up and there's all this clean air waiting to be polluted by the horrific waste disposal system of my lovely city.
Okay, excuse me for the above paragraph. Spazz moment.

Alright, this blog post was very random and sort of makes me feel like a blond American teen.
Doesn't matter. I AM a blond American teen.
well, that's what I think.

OKAY, ENOUGH NOW.

Chugh says BOOM-POOH.
Ok, Sorry about that. This.

Little Things That Make Life Worth It.

Imma be a bit philosophical this time and pour some of me heart out.
Okay, so here it goes..
So, I'm always complaining about stuff that I don't have. I get jealous of people who've achieved something I haven't. I have a major inferiority complex. I don't like it when people get ahead of me.
That's a confession and perhaps this might be true for quite a lot of other people as well.

What's wrong is, I don't appreciate little precious things which make my life so perfect.
That smile of gratitude you get from people when you help them out.
The way you blush when someone you like looks at you and greets you.
The times of joy and laughter with your friends. When you get appreciated by your teachers over little things.
When you talk to that special friend of yours for long hours about every little detail about your life.
Much more.

Not that this is the first time I've had this thought risen in my mind. I always promise myself that NOW, I'm going to appreciate every single thing. NOW, I would change and strive towards optimism.
However, it's not that easy.
Well, I guess I'm just a bit of a pessimist in this case but I somewhat think A LOT about all the negative things that I encounter.
I ponder over them for long hours and in turn, it messes up my life.
All these intrusive thoughts further trigger off my obsessive compulsive disorder which makes it very hard for me.
Yeah, I have OCD. If I can't remember a name, an incident, a thought, ANYTHING.. I go paranoid and I HAVE to find out what it is else I shall go crazy.
I have been trying to control it for a long time and I'm getting better at it.
Except for this thing in which I HAVE to touch a switch four times, twice by each index finger.
You might find this funny but trust me, you don't wanna know how hard it is.

Getting back, I wish I could just for once stop thinking about all the things which shouldn't have been and instead, fathom all the wonderful things that have happened to me over all these years.

Today my friend, Mahima returned from China. I was by the staircase waiting for her eagerly.
She didn't arrive so I went to her class to check. She wasn't there either.
I turned back and I saw her pacing towards me and I reciprocated as well.
We met midway and gave each other a prodigious hug and glided in circles, still entwined, for a long time. We talked for hours after that. Later, I had watery eyes and you know what? I felt blithe.
Now THAT is what I'm talking about.
I want to cherish these memories. They make me so happy. So blissful.
Thinking over irrelevant stuff just ruins your mind and soul.

It's these little things that make you smile wide that matter the most and what are required the most for a paradisiac and consummate life. :')

L'été, c'est fini

Today is the last day of my vacations. Today is the last day of June.
I thought I should blog today since tomorrow, it'll be July. And also, because I wanted to recall all of my summer.

So, vacations kicked off May, '10. The foremost exciting event was my DELF exam. Now, many would think what excitement does an exam bring about. Well, first of all, it was at Alliance Francaise de Delhi, which is an awesome place.
Secondly, it's a really cool exam. If I get that diploma (which hopefully, I will), I'll be very happy and it's universally recognized so even the better.
And it was a chance to meet up with my pals. :)

Then, I started reading Harry Potter which, I'd say, was the BEST THING OF MY SUMMER 2010!Many'd think, "Hey! Why is he reading Potter NOW?" Well, even I don't know why I didn't read them earlier. I should've. I'd been a much wiser person then. However, better late than never.and I am sooo glad I read them because they make me fall right back into my childhood which I had started missing gravely ever since I touched 15.
Ah, J. K. Rowling is a Goddess. I am currently on Order of the Phoenix.
Each page, each letter is magical.
It's, as many would say, EPIC MODERN LITERATURE.
Oh, and the Deathly Hallows trailer that released yesterday made me cry.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EC2tmFVNNE

Now, that brings me to June.
Well, June was VERY eventful.I went swimming with my friends. Oh, and the awesome photos. That's me in the Superb tee. :)
And there was this one evening when I went to this park near my place. Oh, that was one wonderful summer evening. I sat on the bench looking up the clear sky. Enjoying the hot summer evening. A breeze blowing. The leaves of the trees rustling. And a dog, whom I named Delilah came and sat next to me on the bench.

And then, I scored a goal in FIFA '09 from WAYY BEHIND the half line playing with Spain, player Puyol. That was a glorious moment for me. Truly.
And then there was the Castle season finale. Oh, the tears I had in the end. Waiting for it to return this fall. :)

Then came 20th of June. Best. Summer. Day. Swimming. Awesome photos. Loads of fun at Sanjeeta's.
And I stayed at her place till 10:30 which is so cool. And she and the rest of the girls had a sleepover. :)
Then there was the 25th, Arzoi's bday. Boy, never have I had so many pizzas altogether. May God bless Zoi. We also made some funny parodies of CID. xD
Then there was my sister's Roka, 27th June, which is a ceremony to make things official. So, now she can openly say she's getting married in November. :)

And that, brings me to Today. Last day of June.
Over my previous posts, you might have interpreted my obsession with summer.
Now that it's sort of over, I'd say I was not disappointed at all. Everything more or less lived up to my expectations tho it was not completely perfect for me. But hey, all my wishes can't come true. And we should always be careful for what we wish for! ;)

My summer was brilliant. It had it's ups and downs. But I think there were more of the ups than the downs. And I am fully contented and I'm looking forward to going back to school (though I've not really made good progress with my holiday homework, but I think I'm not alone).

My summer kind of wonderful. :-)

P.S. I found my brother from another mother =P
Kalra boy. Who thought the ex and the present could turn out to be such cool friends. ;)

P.P.S. I'm going to remember Mahima's crying when Pritish arrived from Canada for a long, long time. :P

Sigh. You learn so much everyday. ;)

L'été, c'est ici

Today was the laaaaasssssttt day of school before my summer vacations! And boy, what a brilliant day it was!
The month of April & May had their great moments. It surprises me how wonderful my life has been lately. :-) I've been enjoying loads with my friends.. Each day is unique, each day is better than the former.
I am loving 10th grade more than anything! :)So, today was the last day hence obviously everybody was freakin' out and going crazy.
So was I.

Among the really cool stuff I did was:
1. Participate in an Inter-House Choreography Contest in which I'd gotten a very minor role of depicting the stock market. I had these weird hand wavy movements to show the fluctuation of the market. I thought nobody'd really notice me but that step of mine is VERY famous now.
It's The Chugh Wave. ;)

2. Sang the retarded milk booth guy rap with a couple of my friends in 3 distinct classes.
Look, the retarded milk booth guy is this guy in my neighborhood who sells milk in a milk booth.
And he's retarded and he speaks funny.
and me and Lakshya, my neighbour, have been publicizing and exploiting his vocal abilities all around school. I think there's a Facebook group coming up for it soon, too.

3. Created a new song along with it's cheap moves. It's called Chandi Chudail and it's really funny once you see me dancing on it with Nakul. Oh, lord. When shall I grow up?

4. Lost my mind in almost EVERY French class. I think there's some wandering soul who lives in the closet in La Salle Francaise which gets inside me each time I come for me class. I just go on a frenzy.

5. Brought Pasta to school almost EVERYDAY. Oh, mother, how I dote on thee.

6. Was Hyper-Active almost ALL THE TIME.
Look, young people..err.. I tend to become awfully hyper when I'm happy. And April & May (till now) have had absolutely NO sad moments which means I've been content the whole time which is directly proportional to my hyper super energy rush index.

And well, that's about it. It's been a really delightful summer till now. And now, with the vacations up, I am really excited. I've got some really cool stuff planned out and I just hope everything goes according to plan.
x-----x

Anyway, apart from all that. I had my Summer Batch Party. And boy, it was one hell 'va party!

We danced, we sang, we jumped, we took a lot of pictures, we drank mocks.. and the best part - THE CHICKEN LOLLIPOPS!
Oh, man. They were heavenly. I crave for more till date.
So, that's it till now.
But Summer's just arrived and A LOT of stuff is supposed to happen.
And I just read what I wrote above and I realized, "Boy, what a happy kid I am"
And that makes me feel even more wonderful.
Isn't that how we're all supposed to be?

A Happy And Peaceful World.
Amen.

Entertaining Monotony.

Now that I'm in the 10th grade, that means I'm horribly busy. (Not really, I just like to think of myself as a busy person).
There isn't really much work to do since or perhaps I feel so because I'm already used to the horrifying work stress which came to me as a surprise last year.
And luckily, Physics & Chemistry this year is pretty easy and so is Maths. *Thank you, Lord*
So I'm expecting a good year! :-)
Anyway, my life has been very monotonous the past week. School is THE SAME everyday. There is nothing different. It's kind of creepy how the same thing happens again and again EVERY. DAY.
And then when I'm back from school, the same ol' Maths & Science tuitions.

And then, the real thing happens. ^.^
On the last day of my Spring break, I decided I shall start watching The OC right from the beginning this summer.
'Watching The O.C.' was a part of my, "Things To Do Before I Die" list. And so, to check it off, I have commenced. :) I watch around 3 episodes everyday.
And my, IT IS THE BEST SHOW EVER.
With emphasis on Best, please. :)
I have become addicted to this show. Presently, I am on the verge of starting with the 14th episode of the first season. I have four seasons to watch this summer and so I shall. I just can't let go of it.
I have become totally obsessed with it. It's better than every other show there was, there is or there might be. It has an excellent storyline. There is development in each character. There's GREAT music and a GREAT background score. It's just awesome which, btw, is an understatement.I love Ryan&Marissa and Seth&Summer. Well, of course every OC fan would say that. But I just wanted to mention it out here. :)


As I said, the music from The OC is fabulous. So, here's just a really nice song from one of the eps.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiO_7LhPZFM


Besides from my aforementioned obsession and addiction, I've also been reading the Percy Jackson series. I'm currently on the third book - The Titan's Curse.
And like every other thing in my life right now, it is amazing as well. No doubt. Greek Mythology is fascinating.
Anyway, I've got History homework to do now.
"The Age of Industrialization" FTW.

Be safe.

Spring Awakening

Apparently, I had created this account way back in '07 when I was 12. However, me being a lame kid back then, didn't bother to ever touch this account ever again.

So, now that I'm not a lame kid anymore and pretty cool instead ;) , I'm gonna be a regular.

So, Spring break's gonna be over in just two more days. I shall be entering 10th grade which is a pretty big deal but I really don't feel any older. Just a bit annoyed over the fact that I'm growing up (well, yes. That tends to happen to everyone) but besides, great expectations will be held out of me by my parents and all. So, yeah. It's annoying.

Apart from that, these 20 days of Spring off from school have been absolutely great.
My final exams ended on the 9th of March, the same day all the parties started.
And my cousin from Germany was over so it was pretty cool. She taught me a bit of German (& Swedish). Ich bin ser gespannt -> I am very curious. Something I fortunately remember. :)

And over everything else, I had a lot of this spring.
I visited the Taj Mahal for the first time in my life. That was some sight. Here's a photo of the Taj Mahal and another one of me and my German cousin together somewhere in the complex. Yeah, I look a bit retard, can't help it.

And then, there was this other time when I went to watch a 3-D movie for the first time. Alice in Wonderland !! And it was absolutely awesome. Are you like me, did you peek out of your 3D glasses whilst watching a movie just to see the difference? Don't worry, we're all like that. :)

Then, there was another First time. I went to watch my first cricket match in a stadium. It was an IPL match between Delhi & Mumbai. The excitement and the energy you feel in the stadium is unexplainable. It's an experience each one should witness. Although Delhi lost, I didn't really mind because I had an experience I'll always remember. Thanks dad and thanks whoever gave us those free passes to the clubhouse seats! ;)
Here's a picture of me in the stadium. :)













Apart from that, I tried doing some random stuff like building a house out of Plaster of Paris, which was btw, very unsuccessful. And I regularly took my dogs out for a walk without a leash. I hate tying my dogs with a leash. Very unhumanitarian, I'd say.
And I started with the Percy Jackson books. They are absolutely awesome. The Lightning Thief was the best book I've ever read. I'm currently on the second book, Sea of Monsters. There are five parts and I'm hoping to complete them all before my summer vacations. I have to start with Harry Potter in summer.
Yep, 10th grade has that effect of people. You get all serious and studious and yet remain cool. :)

It was one of my best friend - Mahima's b'day yesterday. Her house is the cosiest place in the whole world. I wish I could stay longer or perhaps, spend the night there. However, that seems out of the question. She's a really nice person and we have this big history together which I don't like speaking about. I wasted one whole year not talking to her and Im just delighted to be back being great friends with her.
Here's a picture of me and Mahima together. :)



All in all, I had a wonderful spring with all the possible fun I could have. And now that Spring's almost over, I'm looking forward to a fantastic summer and a great new academic session.
Let the flames begin. :)