College Freshers: A Type

College started a week ago. And now that I’m in my final year, I can fearlessly comment about the Freshers who I see around the campus. Even though I haven’t had a chance to interact with many, there seems to be a general trend that they follow; a kind of a category that they seem to belong to. Surprisingly hardly anyone breaks this clichéd norm. It’s a shame. But then again, even I was hesitant to try something different in my first year. They’ll get around just like I did.

Here is a list of the typical type of Freshers who I have observed with keen interest:

1. The Nerd: There is always this person who you will find issuing books on the very first day. Never seen in the canteen or other hangout places, but only in the library. Watch out for a school bag and heavy specs.
2. The Fashionista: This one is either most sought after or made fun of the most. Generally it’s a girl but even a guy can fit into this category. Recognized easily from a distance, the Fashionista always catches the eye. She (or he) may be wearing clothes which you would normally wear at a party. Watch out for heels, totes and good perfume.
3. The Flirt: The sole aim of getting into college for this person was finding a soul mate. Well, as we know, when we run after love, we don’t usually get it. So The Flirt rarely manages to fulfill his goal. He (or she) may never be seen in class or working for a cause but always at some crowded spot, victimizing and plotting. Watch out for ‘sexy’ glares and an air of “Yo baby, look at me, I’m so cool!”
4. The Auditioner: This person has given his name for every society in college. He thinks he can dance, sing, paint, debate, act and/or play sports. He wants to be known in college for his talents and works hard for whichever society he gets into. Watch out for a whiff of confidence and a busy schedule.
5. The Politician: Well, this category may not be as loud in many colleges but it is in mine. Being a student from the only college of India which has it’s own parliament, complete with an elected Prime Minister, I do see a lot of Freshers getting a taste of politics right from day one. The flashy cars, the rowdy slogan shouting, the standard white kurta attire or the rigorous campaigning, everything fascinates this person and he too desires to be voted for.

I’m sure there would be more categories which I didn’t cover. But those would be specific types. When a student graduates, he does so having become a mixture of all the above types. It’s only a matter of time.

Murder! Murder!

R U 1 of dose whu type lyk dis?

If you are, disclaimer: All items in this article are purely coincidental and are not intended to harm or offend anyone from any background, religion or gender.

I understand that it’s the technological era and we live in the ‘SMS language’ world. But now that we have smart phones and QWERTY keypads on almost all phones, why would anyone want to use short hands anymore?

Guys, let me tell you a secret (applies to girls too actually). Typing in short forms is turning off. And bad grammar is even more so. Yes, I’m one of those people who correct their partner’s grammar while he’s being romantic with me. Yes, I know I totally kill the moment but dude, the grammar kills it before I do!  

I was in class yesterday and I was trying to decipher what my chemistry teacher meant half the time while she was speaking. ‘You should be write’, ‘that phenomenon will be occur’ or ‘this is the belongs to’ are just some of the phrases which totally killed my concentration regarding more important facts. Microsoft Word underlines these phrases in green proving that it is not right to murder English like this!

Yes, English can be confusing at times. Specially the pronunciation part. Like why is ‘ch’ pronounced differently in Christmas and chair. Or why shock has the same sound but different spelling as stalk. Why cut is not pronounced similar to put, even though they have the same letter ‘u’ in between. Why the past tense of fall is fell but that of call is not cell.

It takes years and maybe a lot of reading practice to actually get a lot of words and their combinations right along with their meanings. Why finish and complete can be used one for another while talking about work but not so when talking about finding a life partner. I read a joke recently which explained the meaning of the two: finding a soul mate completes you. Finding a soul mate while you’re married to someone else finishes you and getting caught with that soul mate by your partner completely finishes you.

Words used in Hindi may not be used in a similar manner in English. For example, in Hindi, the plural of sheep is countable but in English, the plural of sheep is not sheeps but a flock of sheep. There is no word as ships; it is a fleet of ships.

Good English makes for good reading. Perfect grammar makes for a satisfactory article. For an English student, using a comma in the right place is as important as adding salt to lemonade. Otherwise ‘let’s eat, my friend’ won’t be any different from ‘let’s eat my friend’ and that won’t really be a nice thing to do now, would it?

Content.

Life is made of bits and pieces. So if you look at the various pieces in your life, you will see that you are happy with some and not so happy with the others. The problem is, we tend to focus more on the others most of the times. We try our best to make the imperfect parts of our lives perfect and thus waste the happiness that the near-perfect ones try to give us. 

Sometimes letting go is a wise choice. It may not seem so that moment, but in the long run, you'd be glad that you made that choice. Letting go is not easy. But when you let go, it feels free. Letting go of emotions, of the past, of some people, some incidents, mistakes, judgement. Starting afresh. Being open to the idea of newness. Embracing change.

I've never wanted a monotonous life. That same old boring schedule, those same people I've been with all my life, walking those same roads, feeling those same feelings. Na, never wanted that. But if there's no constant in life, then the presence of change goes unnoticed. 

I love surprises. The idea of not knowing something, of not having to take tension before it actually happens, of not PLANNING, that idea totally seduces me. I want to wake up everyday and wonder who I'll meet today, what new thing I'll learn today. I want to sleep every night with the satisfaction that I learnt, that I felt, that I experienced, that I lived.

And presently, right here, right now, I can say without a doubt, that yes, I'm living. And I feel good.

I.am.not.a.loser.

 School was great. No, it was awesome. I was the editor of the magazine, member of the students’ council, member of the basketball team. I belonged somewhere. I was someone.

College was a disappointment. More because I expected a lot and reality was not what I had expected. The very first day, I returned home with a feeling, “THIS is college? No ragging? No music? No instant friends? No basketball court?”  But no, I’m not writing to emphasise on all this. I want to write something I can read later and know that if I can survive this, I can survive more.

I learnt a lot this last one year. I learnt to adjust. I learnt that life doesn’t always give you what it had always given you. So you should never take your time with someone for granted. The time you were someone or belonged somewhere does not last. But happiness is a different issue. Was I happy in school because I knew I was good at something? And was I disappointed with college because I felt like I was betrayed of all the promises my dreams had made? Happiness is within me. It has always been within me. It’s just that I focussed on it more when I was in school and forgot all about it in college.

I enjoyed studying in school. Completing my work well before time, finishing studies a month before exams and watching movies days before them, that was me. Now, my thinking had become, “who studies in college?” I had forgotten that I used to study for myself, to give myself the satisfaction that I knew stuff. I forgot myself in the quest to find myself.

I regretted not giving the auditions for the drama society of my college last year. I didn’t have enough guts. I thought drama is not my forte. The vacations after my first year ended, I made some promises to myself. On top of the list was giving the auditions. At least appearing for them.

I saw my school friends and got jealous. They knew exactly what they wanted, exactly what they loved. And they enjoyed striving for their love. But did that mean that my love had to be what their love was? No. I had started looking for “my cup of tea” in others’ saucers. I assumed that whatever I was doing wasn’t cool enough and that what they were doing was the thing to do. I didn’t see the happiness in their work. I didn’t notice that their thing looked great to me because they were happy doing it, not because the thing was great.

I learnt. I learnt that happiness and fun does not reside in an activity, it resides in me. My passion, my will, my heart.

This year, yes, I auditioned. I lasted all 3 days when most people give up on the first. It was a challenge for me. I didn’t want to get in this year. Why? Because I had something better lined up. Call it chance or luck but the captain of my school’s boys’ team got admission in my college this year. One thing led to another and before I knew it, I was asked to form the girls’ basketball team. I put up posters, I organised trials and got people to get up in the morning and come for practice. I wasn’t looking to being a leader. But basketball is my passion, it makes me happy and I would do anything for it.

During the drama society auditions, I was asked how I would manage both. I told them basketball would be my priority. If it had been someone else who was initiating the team, I would have told them otherwise. But since I was the one who was central to the basic possibility of the formation of the girls’ basketball team, I couldn’t back out. I chose basketball. And then I felt confused.

What if this doesn’t work out? I would end up belonging nowhere, again.

And then I realised.

I had to start acting like the leader I should be. If I start being sceptic about it, how would that leave my team? I am not going to give up this time. I want to be known as the girl who started the girls’ basketball team in a college which is more than 100 years old. Sometimes decisions have to be made and they may not be easy.

This decision was very small if you see life as a whole. But it taught me a lot.

It taught me to believe in my choices. To not regret my choices. To work towards what I have chosen and not look back at what I haven’t. I’m done being lost. I’m done waiting for things to happen. I’m done trying to be someone I am not.

Why did I appear for the 3^rd day of drama society audition then when I was sure that I didn’t want to get in? Because I don’t give up. I had chosen to challenge myself and leaving that in between is just not what defines me. Some of my friends call me stupid, to have gone through all that for nothing. But I know that exhilarating feeling inside me, having completed the challenge I’d set up for myself.  

Second year has definitely started with a new promise. I look forward to college. I look forward to embracing who I am. If being a nerd is what gave me immense satisfaction in school, so be it in college too. I decided to join the science forum of my college as well.

We may not win a single match for some months, because we’re making a team from scratch. But that’s no reason to regret choosing it. Sure, we’ll have to do a lot of work, endure a lot of politics, but we’ll do it.

Because choosing easy is really not what I do. And it’s going to pay off. Is that hope? No, that’s belief. And this makes me feel like a winner already.  

My Happy Place!

There comes a time in everyone’s lives when they get frustrated for nothing. They know they have everything, all is as perfect in their lives as humanly possible and they have nothing to complain about, practically. But there’s still something missing. When life becomes routine, when all one sees is work and sleep and more work and more sleep, a kind of a void fills you up. That happens because you stop paying attention to the little things in life and concentrate only on the things which keep you busy. This way, you lose the bigger picture and your focus becomes narrow. Ironic, isn’t it?

I know this will happen to me more frequently as I grow up. So I made a list. A list of small things which make me smile, make me laugh, make me happy. If ever I start being idiotic, I want to look back on this list and get right back on track.

Visit: http://myhappyplace14.blogspot.in/

Seven Types of Hahaha!

T         1. The Fake One

Most annoying, most irritating, most any-other-synonym, this is one laugh which is most popular among the kitty-party aunties. “Your daughter just peed on my new suit! She’s so cute! Hahaha!” No points for guessing that this laughter is applied when you’re actually fuming but can’t do anything to show it. So you just ‘laugh’.

         2. The Silent One

I have a friend who starts laughing when she remembers a joke. And yes, we never get to know when a funny thought is going to come to her mind and she’s going to start laughing in the middle of a serious conversation. More than the unexpected timing, the speciality of this laugh is the sound. The volume, the pitch, the amplitude. This friend I’m talking about? Her laughter is SILENT. She just laughs with her mouth open, eyes closed, her shoulders vibrating. It’s a sight not to be missed.

            3. The Vibrating One (Nothing perverted please)

Well, this one is quite a new discovery for me. Another one of my friends, when she laughs, she vibrates so much that the entire bench vibrates! It’s difficult to not laugh along with her when you’re in class and listening to formation of azo-compounds and suddenly an earthquake hits your bench. Another sight not to be missed. Her shoulders shake with such precise rhythm, I’m not surprised she’s a musician.

        4. The Creepy One

I’m sure everyone knows at least one person who laughs in such a weird manner, it looks like he’s having a seizure. It’s funny to watch at times, but sometimes, you’re wondering if you should shake the person and ask, “Hello, are you okay? Do you need a glass of water, should I call the doctor?” And then there's the 'speed-breaker' kinds in which you desperately want the person to stop for a moment and take a breath before launching another fit of laughter.

        5. The Shy One

I would like to tell the followers of this type of laughter, please don’t laugh as if you’re doing laughter a favour! Are you embarrassed of the best part that makes you YOU? Sure, people might see you and maybe laugh. But how is that a bad thing? You’re spreading happiness! So lose the inhibitions and that hand from in front of your mouth and LAUGH!!

6    6. The Loud One

Sometimes you hear someone laughing and wonder, “what is so damn funny?” Yes, you feel out of place not being included in the joke. But sometimes a loud laugh can really trigger your own laugh and then there’s no stopping from letting those lips carve and those teeth glow! Loud laughs are usually practiced by those who aren’t afraid of the world, who want to draw attention to themselves or who just can’t control their reaction to an epic narration of a situation!

       7.  The Funny One

Sometimes, one’s laughter is funnier than the joke. This is the best type of laughter and not everyone can manage it. Some have this squeaky laughter that when they laugh, you start looking under the bed for mice. Some have a fart-like start to their laughter and some squirt unwanted saliva on others (sometimes this isn’t funny, it’s plain disgusting).

You know which laugh I like best?  The laugh which says “I’m happy and I know it!”

So go on, widen those lips and laugh like there’s no tomorrow!

Who is Most Powerful?

Will I be God

If I control you,

What you are and what you do?

You come out of the womb crying

And there starts my walk

Tick tock, tick tock, around the clock.

My pace is same all my life

But as you grow, you cry

For you think that, for them I stay and for you I fly.

For some I am a curse

For some, a blessing in disguise

Too much or too little? You be wise.

I tip toe in and halt it all

Even though I myself won’t

Some I force to think; some I haunt.

They call me relative

Too fast, too slow

Why do you even have to compare and know?

In this contemplation, someday you’ll wake up

And wish for it all to rewind

And I won’t let that happen; call me unkind.

You were taught to value me,

But did you?

One day, when you need me the most,

I’ll be done with my endless wait

You’ll just give up and call it your fate.

What you don’t realise

Is that I always give you my best

Lessons good or bad, it will always be a quest.

Yes I can change it, change you

But only when I see the need

Can you walk with me, at my speed?

Bow down to me, I am most powerful

But you can be too, want to know how?

Pace with me, respect me and just live in NOW.

Unpredictable, unreal and unseen

Yes, that’s what I mime

Beware, be relieved, here I come, Time.

Some great personalities said somethings (actually they said a lot of things, that's why they're great you see):

“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.” 
― Mother Teresa

“Time is what we want most,but what we use worst.” 
― William Penn

“The future is something which everyone reaches at the rate of sixty minutes an hour, whatever he does, whoever he is.” 
― C.S. Lewis

Time is so important just like Love. Both can't be seen or heard. But unlike Love, Time can't even be felt. It just IS. Some say it's an illusion (ok, Albert Einstein said so) and some say Time is God.
What is Time?