Sunday, March 29, 2009

The Inside Story

As part of the college magazine team I have been working on some editorials for the past month.During the course of putting together various articles and scrapping away quite a few(read: tearing my hair over them),I decided to put up one article which has been inspired by most of my own experiences as well as inputs from my enthusiastic friends.I gave the title as The Inside Story...



THE   INSIDE   STORY

 

Here’s to a different take on what actually occupies the inner recesses of the mind of students during lectures, labs and seminars at our college( or I should rightly state that “the general trend observed in that similar species called engineering college goe-er’s”;  wink).

The precautionary tagline comes henceforth as the picture does not seem too rosy .The sea of students who appear…mind; just appear to be engulfing knowledge are actually  being bogged down with some pretty disturbing thoughts. After having spoken to a good number of students( who of course want their identity to remain anonymous) I jotted down a few  of their ponderings……

 

 

@ Lectures

Lectures mean a lot to our students and when I approached them with this question the responses that I got….

 

1.       “Excuse me???? What??!!!”

(Apparently suffered from the temporary ‘ I am ignoring you by acting deaf’ syndrome..hehe)

2.       “OFF; OFF; OFF!!!!”

(That anthem which soothes the ears.Wonder how the chaotic noise from different sources at different pitches, sound to that one silent , dignified source which receives it??????)

3.       “Yawn!! If Sir walks this way wake me up..”

(Read: My eyelids won’t remain open even if I  crowbarred toothpicks into them.

Conclusion: Bachi hui(or not) neend ko pura karna)

4.       “Why has the attendance sheet not been circulated till now?”

(After all, a platform to exercise new handwriting styles..hope you caught the drift.)

5.       “I am a little loaded today…Aye please take it off …21 ki proxy laga na!!!!

(That effervescent personality comes bubbling to the surface at this point of time.The most awaited activity during.. or wait!! Should I say at the end of the lectures.)

6.       “Oh yaar!! Roll no. nikal gaya….maam; maam”

(For those beauties who went the snoring way)

7.       “Hollywood-Bollywood, Bingo,  Zero-Crosses, Name-Place-Animal-Thing, Sudoku”

(Yipee!!! Recreation hour.)

8.       “ Pass the journal sheets.(By whispering or via chit system.)”

(Rate of writing is directly proportional to rate of speaking of the lecturer in class.)

9.       X: - “Bluetooth on kar na.”

Y: - “Can’t you wait a minute. I am texting.”

(Proven: - The cellphone ought not to be exposed to children; snigger)

10.   V: - “I didn’t understand this particular equation”

(Grinding teeth; the one who is accidently paying attention in class today)

W: - “Which unit is going on?”

(Grinding teeth ;Grinding chalk and giving murderous glares to V.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

@ Labs

Labs are crucial. So we found our correspondents a little sober and grim but they assured us that there have been and will be good old memories…

 

1.       “Kya karna hai? What is going on? What is this scary looking equipment?”

(The usual clueless state. I am willing to assume it as lack of sleep.)

2.       “Do bunk ho gaye; pause for harassed look; will I be there in defaulters?”

(Something to converse upon since the experiments are nowhere near to penetrating the head.)

3.       “Cut, Copy, Paste.”

(Comp to comp or pendrive to comp…stealthily or unabashedly.)

4.       “Two hours…groan!!! Stomach is grumbling.”

(For the foodie, who is currently drooling over her fantasy puff from the canteen.)

5.       “That bright sun; the clouds so white; that blue bird.”

( Nature and technology in sync. Read: experiment is still not penetrating the head.)

6.       “Patch cord tails!!!!  hehe”

(Experiment just refuses to enter the head.)

7.       “The hands of the clock move so slowly!!!!”

( To blame on universal laws and curse the general fate.)

8.       “ Why  are so many corrections in journals given?”

(Makes you get up from your unfinished sleep and mutter curses under your breath. As it is you are not able to configure the experiment and are depending on some reliable source. So this provides ample time pass for two hours.)

9.       “ Maam excuse me from the lab. It is urgent.”

( With a spring in the step our person visits the washroom, empties and refills the water bottles and does general time pass in front of the notice-boards.)

10.   M: -“Copy maar na readings; teach me later on how we went about it.”

N : - “Maam told me to press this button and that; toh phir kar diya(sheepish grin).

(Conclusion: - Bang your head on the wall. Experiment has not been understood by any living soul in the lab, even the reliable source.)

Friday, March 6, 2009

Black

I've blacked out.

The inner recesses of my mind has been bogged with black for sometime now.As the world whirls past me,the black stays,like a blur,reflecting a deep thought in my black eyes.
I run my fingers along my black locks thinking of the times when I have felt elevated listening to Pearl Jam's 'Black'. The rhythm, so strong,Vedder's voice so powerful, that it takes me into the black realms and when I close my eyes the world vanishes into oblivion.
And sometimes when darkness falls and it is black, I see myself in fear.Fear of the unknown,yet to come or the past which creeps along like a venomous snake.
The time when the world is at my feet and smiling to myself, all I can see is the black beyond;untouched and yet to be conquered.
When the void,the vaccum brings about serenity in the soul or the mourning which cleaves the mind to fragments.The world captured in black which mystifies its very being.The silence and the chaos.
The black which sometimes  makes me radiate the positive, empowers me.


Pearl Jam's Black



Sheets of empty canvas 
Untouched sheets of clay 
Were laid spread out before me 
As her body once did 
All five horizons 
Revolved around her soul 
As the earth to the sun 
Now the air I tasted and breathed 
Has taken a turn 
Ooh and all I taught her was everything 
Ooh I know she gave me all that she wore 
And now my bitter hands 
Chafe beneath the clouds 
Of what was everything 
Oh the pictures have 
All been washed in black 
Tattooed everything 
I take a walk outside 
I'm surrounded by 
Some kids at play 
I can feel their laughter 
So why do I sear 
Oh, and twisted thoughts that spin 
Round my head 
I'm spinning 
Oh, I'm spinning 
How quick the sun can, drop away... 
And now my bitter hands 
Cradle broken glass 
Of what was everything 
All the pictures had 
All been washed in black 
Tattooed everything 





All along I lived in a rainbow world,bright and sunny loving all the hues which made life so colourful. But somewhere I forgot the 'hueless', the one which brings with it the completeness.