A Tryst With Television

Writing after a long while is certainly a pleasure. Not very much into the idiot box anymore (after the year 2008 or so), I may not be the right person posting this but after all this space is mine. So let me have the the opportunity to elucidate the series of events that pushed me towards this painful activity.

I lived a normal life with all the modern facilities (the internet, basically), food and water (for thirst as I have always maintained, is a very dangerous thing) till one day when the internet started behaving human. As the world comprises of much more smarter people today than ever before, I reckon it is unessential to elaborate the working of the internet and servers on which it works. By the way, I think that even I might get confused in the process of explanation. So, in  the vernacular of the common man, the servers were down. I looked behind to ensure that the food and water were safe enough. For a couple of minutes, I played with the idea of dozing off for the whole day but it wouldn't be fruitful as the pain of separation from all the three essentialities would be unbearable. Hence, I looked for alternatives. In the vicinity, I heard a sound, a strange but familiar one. I tried to recollect where I had heard this one. In a flash, it occurred to me that it 'might' be the television. I still remember watching it ... in the days when people believed cartoons were real, and cellphones were mythological instruments of communication (I am good with exaggerations).

So I decided to live, only to die another day as James Bond would have said it. A long battle with the family members earned me the remote control. The remote control is one fine instrument and hence the battle, I must add. Within no time, I saw myself surfing through the channels. There were a lot of them, sports channels, entertainment channels, kids' channels, music channels, channels airing bull-shit, yes literally, it was certainly there on some channel that egotistically called itself an Animal Planet. Fascinated, I watched them, one after the other. Something called "daily soap" was very interesting. From that old lady who must have been in her grave by now to the kid who created all the nonsense that the show required, the supposed thirty minute show was something inexplicable. Why the middle aged woman cried was a mystery and the child artist's over-acting was history (perhaps in the making). Then I chanced upon something new, a Discovery in the sense of the word. There were humans, there was science, there were animals and there was a battle among the three. Nobody won, except the commercials in between. Commercials were categorical : boring, intriguing, funny, and some meaningless, nonetheless. I missed watching cartoon serials, the ones I used to see as a kid, but the best part came from a familiar territory, that of music. I listened to some good music that was occasionally interrupted again by commercial advertisements. Sports channels put up a dismal performance as there was nothing LIVE on them. There were movies on some entertainment channels but I didn't have the required time to spare.

And hence ended my tryst with the television. It may have sounded like a lifetime but I'm afraid (elated, rather) that it lasted not more than two hours. I do chance upon to see the television once in a while now. We are good friends now but not the best and none of us really care, I guess, for both have busier schedules now. For such a post, a perfect conclusion can do wonders but I am in no mood for any further extravaganzas. I would only like to quote Ralph Waldo Emerson for the ending as :

We aim above the mark, to hit the mark. Every act hath some falsehood of exaggeration in it.

Silence Please !

Now through this post I would try to figure out why I had been keeping quiet all this while, now that I actually have nothing to do.

Let me start with the initial days of the supposed 'vacation' period. This 'vacation' (no inverted commas hereafter as they weren't as substantial as I had wanted them to be) was not merely a summer vacation but one that had been welcomed long before it had actually arrived ... it was after all, the end to my school life. Now as per the academic traditions here which don't spare you even a single holiday without a homework, I had, like many of fellow classmates across the country, some aspirations to fulfill, some goals to reach, and so I replaced the books on the table with my brains and started to mug up things as vehemently as possible ( studying would have been a better term, but I shall justify why I use 'mugging' ).

Starting off with the State Common Entrance Test for engineering early April , I found myself getting unexpectedly better on my birthday that co-hosted the IIT JEE exam. I would have talked about the other exams as well but pardon my tendency to speak only of good things. Hence I stop. Were the goals achieved ? Later please.

So the whole of month of April had to pass in these tedious ordeals. Just when I thought May would be better, I had my board exam results. Psst ! They were awful. Well actually, you expect a lot when you work hard on something. The same was with me. The results rendered me numb for a few days and so did the results of the various entrance exams ... I turned out to be a complete failure when it mattered the most. Nobody told me that but you expect things from yourself too at times. The aspirations unaccomplished. Done with May.

June, has by far been the best in the past three-four months ! Not because I conceded any victory but because I didn't concede any failure either. Things look pretty well in shape right now, no signs of any further damage.

Diverting from the topic of discussion hasn't always been entertaining to me but because I hadn't planned on writing this one, I guess things turned out to be bad and utterly boring. Everybody loves a heroic story, whereas only few relish upon miseries. So what was it that actually kept me away, I wondered and found out that there were quite a few factors. Studying for the boards and entrance exams is so exhausting on the mind that you lose the creativity required to carry on with the task of writing. Then, I chanced upon to give myself a facebook account and that has also been occupying my mind to some extent. The status update feature serves the purpose of a micro blog and you get more followers so complacency was bound to take its toll. Doing nothing, was I guess the most important thing done during this tenure. 

On an ending note ... I hope to be back to blogging as soon as possible. The vacationing period would end soon and I'll be busy again but I guess I am better with the blog while busy. So let's see how it turns out to be.

     

A Killer Attempt at Poetry

Ever since I read in an article that prose writers lack inspiration, I was dead keen on coming out with a work on poetry. Well poetry, they say, comes to you naturally ... not in my case as you'd see in a matter of minutes.

And whatever be the reasons, I dare to publish it, would have loved to make an excuse regarding my age but then John Keats wasn't a 60 year old ! ... so here goes the feeble attempt :

Memorabilia 

I want to relive a few 

Moments that someone randomly threw

Of days of childhood, of youth   

Of which I feel I was a part 

Then life tossed me

And it seemed to me I was a dart

In the air that surrounded me

I could hear blasphemy

Maybe someone cried 

For something he never tried

And then again he went on

To curse God for things bygone 

People continued to tell

That memories do not sell

But I did not believe in memories either

Like dead leaves , over time they wither

Still I wish to relive my memories

The habitat of treasuries

Of happiness and miseries

Of defeats and victories 

 

End to School Life ...

Here's part of the speech , I made at the farewell programme ... hope you enjoy reading !

"... To begin with, I would like to share my recollection of the first day in class 12. I have been studying here for the last seven years but never ever had I the same feeling as that day when I read on the pillar “Go out to serve your country and countrymen”. I thought to myself: One year and you’re finally out to serve your country.

One year … this one year was something I would remember throughout my life. And maybe everyone does. There were ups & downs, successes and failures, emotions of disgust, pain sorrow but still greater were the emotions of joy and that of pride. Pride of going out from a school considered one of the finest education establishments in India. Almost everyday was a challenge. With teachers having fun with us and getting annoyed when we did something wrong, all of it seemed to be a part of a process, I guess, called school life. I, would, however lay stress on the fact that we were lucky to have such fine teachers to teach us. I have heard of “bad experiences” from students in other schools but I can’t seem to remember any such incidence happening to anyone of us. Yes of course there were times when a teacher scolded a particular student but that happens and all the other students did enjoy stealthily laughing if not the “victim”. Talking about the teachers, I don’t think any of them kept a bad incident in memory for more than a day … and as students we too forgot those eventually.

From the first period with our class teacher Tiwari sir to the sixth period with Santosh sir, the whole day was exciting. There was something special about all these periods. The physics period, Tiwari sir would teach us saying things in between that would make all of us laugh. Chemistry was fascinating for us as we sat with blank faces whenever Vinod sir would ask a question and we loved it when he got annoyed. Then came the computer science period where Atul sir helplessly explained one topic again and again just because as he famously says “I am paid for it”. The biology students ask me to add that their period was equally enjoyable and they convey their thanks to Kundanlal sir through me. English periods were fun too. Srivastava sir would engage us in refreshing activities and he once said something I would remember always ... he said you can say the doctor or the lawyer insulted me but you cannot say the teacher insulted me. Then the maths period was after the recess … and came in Santosh Sir. Santosh sir would do at least 10 sums every day as he said one after the other “Write one more question”. So, to look back and ask if we enjoyed it … we would say yes, thoroughly.

In November and December all of us students talked about how “hard” and “stressful” life had become. And for this reason, many of us longed for the school to end. To add to it, many said they wanted to grow their hair long, some simply said they did not want to get new uniforms or shoes. I never really thought why I wished to leave the school. I too, wished it to end but for no particular reason as such. So this is how the year passed. On a personal note, I don’t remember any other year working so hard and yet not getting the desired results. On a couple of occasions, I let many of you and myself down. But the time spent in the classroom was indeed worth it. I will remember the useless chit chatting that we had in the free periods, the rare yet serious study atmosphere. We all will remember being too sleepy to study and at the same time striving tirelessly to make the grades. To the year 2009-2010 that was like a scene from a train journey, I dedicate a 4th class poem by R.L. Stevenson:

“Faster than fairies, faster than witches; bridges and houses, hedges and ditches; all charging along like troops in a battle, all through the meadows the horses and cattle.… Here is a mill and there’s a river, each a glimpse and gone forever.”

In a matter of months or so, we’ll all be gone forever as well. At this junction, I can only hope to find all of us prospering, making us proud. We hope to meet each other someday and hope is a good thing, maybe the best of all, and no good thing ever dies.

On an ending note, I, on behalf of my class would like to apologize for every mistake we made, for every time we let you down. We would like to thank the Principal and all the teachers from the bottom of our hearts. I wish we had every teacher who taught us was present here for I’ll never ever be more grateful. I would also like to thank Class XI for hosting this programme. Concluding with the quintessential lines by Robert Frost:

The woods are lovely dark and deep

But I have promises to keep

Miles to go before I sleep…

Miles to go before I sleep…

FAREWELL CLASS XII 2010 "

A Misery Called Childhood

Before the title may suggest anything , I take the opportunity to clear the fact that this is not an account of problems faced by a depressed soul wanting to commit suicide or eager for vandalism. This is just an account of the things in my childhood I've dreaded the most or maybe not. I have no idea how this may look like . Please cooperate , even if you feel like "what do I have to with it " . And to see the silver lining , I had a fine childhood like you may have had !

I'd like to begin this with a shock ; not a metaphor , a real, electric one. They say a magnetic field is generated when current flows. Ask me and I can tell you what else than a magnetic field is generated. An electrical shock , for me , basically generated a "heavenly" field and a racing sprint circuit for the blood in my body. And as far as I can rememeber , new standards were set in the race with blood completing a thousand laps up and down my body in a matter of around two minutes. Thankfully , someone pulled out the plug and according to the doctor , i was saved by a minute or so.

After this time elapsed quite peacefully and I took part in the school's annual function . Like being forced into dancing to the tunes of "Monkeys ! we are the monkeys " with yourself wearing that monkey dress wasn't enough , I suffered a fracture in my left foot. The accident, however, took place a day after the function when someone wished to see us dancing one more time ( must have been a sadist ! ). So we were all geared up in our costumes and I was having fun on the swings. Just then ,someone called and hurriedly coming off it , my leg was entangled in the swing bar and I had a fracture . And that took another 3 months of my life . The 3 months actually were not quite bad . I mean if you are eight or so and you get to play computer games all the day and chocolates and chips to feast upon ,and people visiting you , would you call it a bad day ? Not at all for me !

Another 2-3 years passed and I was more than happy. No electric shocks , no fractures , not a thing on earth to care about except being chased by moneys once (that really scared the hell out of me ! I , never feared monkeys though ) and bulls twice . Just when it all seemed to be perfect and I was learning the song "All things bright and beautiful , all creatures great and small ... " a creature great yet small emerged on the scene - cometh "Naughty" . Well "naughty" was the name of a puppy ( later to be dog , but of course ) who I considered every bit deserving enough to be a wolf or a hound or a lion or anything like that. I dont know what on earth contented his owner to name him "naughty" . I would have gone for better adjectives had they asked me ... how about "Fiercy" , "Annihilator " or something. Yes ,a glimpse of him could annihilate me at that time . No, naughty didn't bite people , he ate them ( to be honest , it was just that he barked continuously at me -- only me ! ) . And the naughty chapter was unwilling to close until thankfully we shifted from our place.

So these were incidents that impacted my life to a great extent. There were certain other things , very subtle in nature. Out of those , some I understand now, some I am patiently waiting to understand and some I know I'll never understand. But the lesson learnt was a very common one and so common that it isn't worth mentioning about. There are times when you feel like you've lost it , then you hold it tight. Suddenly , you lose your grip and you feel helpless of the sweat thats causing this lose grip. Then you realise that the sweat was a result of your own worries and anxiety. So this is how life has been to me and to everyone , I guess. Good or bad it is , you live it. And it is good or bad only as long as you live it. So what do I have to say in the end ? I am clueless for I havent seen the end .