Thursday, December 13, 2012

Use and Throw

Having lived in this world for 20 years, I now know the value that people hold. Yes. Being 20 can make you wise. Okay, maybe not. But trust me, I  may know more at my age than my parents did when they were my age. This is all thanks to the developments in technology and something called "Google" that helps me search for everything...even ridiculous things.

Thanks to development, we are all self obsessed. Yes. I am too. This is why I have this blog. And 10 different profile pictures on Facebook of just me. Without anyone else. I am self obsessed. I like to tell my stories. I like to talk about my experiences. I like to take pictures of myself (please don't give me that look. I know you do too. At least I don't do it in the bathroom!). I like to update my Facebook status and get many likes. I like to see the number of followers on Twitter increase. I like to see the number of blog views increase. I AM SELF OBSESSED.

However, last night, I noticed how being self obsessed has turned me into someone I am not. It has changed me from that nice small town girl to some spoiled brat that only cares about...well...herself? It's not that I don't listen to other people's problems and stories. I do. But I immediately think of a story that relates to me. Which is sad.

This brings me to my next point. This post is not going to just criticize me; it's going to criticize all my friends too. Yes. You guys. Well not in specific. But you may want to think about it. The number of times I have tried to keep in touch with people is uncountable. But their side of the effort is not even 1/8th of mine. The number of times I have sent a 'good morning' message to my friends is again uncountable. But never once have I received the same. The number of times people have come to me for help is uncountable. But when I ask for the same, they're all busy.

I had a friend, 4 years back, who had the same issue with me. It was then that I told her, "In friendship, you don't expect the other person to return favours." Clearly I was wrong. It's not meant to be favours. If it is a favour, it's not friendship. All actions have to be based purely on care. In any relationship.

With that, I'll end by saying, do not ruin your character by getting too involved in technology. Give time for the reality of life to sink in. Because once reality hits you, you may not be able to face it.

NB: The examples given above are purely fictional. Please do not relate to them or find them offensive. 

HIGH EXPECTATIONS = HIGH DISAPPOINTMENTS

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Attention or Care?

The problem with today’s world is that we all seek attention. Yes. We all do. Even if we pretend we don’t, we do. It may be that annoying attention from Facebook friends or attention from that one guy you like or attention from a bunch of people for no reason. But we all seek attention. Why?

Seeking attention is not a bad thing. It’s nice to know that someone cares. There are those moments in life when you are tired of the one caring for people and for once would like it if someone cared for you. It’s normal.

What’s not normal is wearing inappropriate clothes, prancing around like the Queen of Wonderland and screaming like there’s no tomorrow. That’s not need for attention. That’s need for help; a psychiatrist perhaps?

Coming back to the point, to care for someone and that someone not caring back is the world’s most heart piercing feeling ever. I know many people would say “To love someone and not have them love you back hurts the most.” I disagree. If you love someone, regardless of whether or not they love you back, all that matters is their happiness. Their happiness lies in yours. But care? Care is a mutual thing. It’s nice to know that someone cares.

Care, Love, Happiness, Sadness, Attention, Trust, Mistrust, Lies, Truth…it’s all part of life. To have someone care about all these things in you is Luck. And if you’re reading this post, thank you for caring enough to visit my blog! :) 

Monday, December 3, 2012

Introspection's Synonym: Boredom

So apparently my emotions are reflected on my blog. I really do not know if that’s true? I don’t use my blog for introspection. Introspection is something personal. Something I’d do when I’m alone. But then again, we introspect in a crowd too. Please don’t give the screen that look. We do; in lectures when we’re bored, among friends when we’re bored, when we go through “depression”, when we go through a break up, when we go through a fucked up phase in life…why is introspection associated with negativity?

Come to think of it, I don’t think a person sits and thinks about their positive qualities. It’s always about the negative qualities. I don’t think a person sits and thinks to themselves, “I have a nice face…and eyes…” there’s always that “but” factor after the positives. “I have a nice face…and eyes…but I am fat.”

Anyway, I really do not know the point of this blog. Or maybe I do. Maybe it’s a form of introspection. How I use the virtual world to escape from the real world. How I use my blog and its audience as a form of venting my emotions…both positive and negative.
Today’s reasons for introspection: Essay stress, Exam stress, Studies, Crush problems and the fact that I will no longer be a teenager in 2 days.

Introspection, yes? No. Usual teenage stuff? No. Life? No. Boredom? Yes. 

To prove that I'm bored (and stressed): I wrote this blog while sitting on a kitchen counter. Yes. I am awesome...but sad. 

Thursday, November 29, 2012

"Shit Happens" Part II

The evening started off with us editing the most hilarious essay ever. Well not really but we never tend to realise the mistakes we make when we are sleep-typing (don't pretend you don't know what that is...you know exactly what it is. We are the procrastination generation!)

Anyway, the fun night slowly evolved into a rather serious night with all the profound talks about life, friends, relationships, boys, girls, noise, family...everything possible. But one thing that struck me most was this one sentence we constantly kept repeating, "I have gone through so much shit."

Have I? Have I really gone through so much shit? I mean for a 20 year old girl (note, girl. Not woman) to say something like that should be meaningful. But then again, "shit" could vary in understanding and definition according to various people. For one person, "I have gone through so much shit." could mean "I took the longest dump today." whereas for another it could mean, "My friends don't understand me." and for another, "I am 18 and pregnant."

My point is, the parameters of defining "shit" could be anything, really. The shit I go through can be a huge deal for me, but a small deal for someone who's "shit parameters" are more widely defined than mine. Make sense? No. Then the point of my so called "post" has gone through to your head. Do reflect upon it.

For more information on shit, please read "SHIT HAPPENS"

Friday, November 16, 2012

If only he knew...

If only he knows, if only.
If only he knows how I feel,
When he stares at other women,
From top to heel.
If only he knows how I feel,
When he ignores me.
Feelings, I have to conceal.

Ours is a special relationship,
Like no other.
We’re best friends, perhaps more;
Or only I think so. 
Sometimes I feel,
I love him to the core.
But he, he’s not aware…
Not aware of the Heart he tore.

I am no expert,
When it comes to love.
Is it restricting?
Or does it let you fly free, like a dove?
I may or may not love this man.
What I do know is,
My happiness lies in his.
If only he knew…if only.

Sunday, November 11, 2012

One Hell Of A Night

Any characters appearing in this work are purely fictitious. Any familiar characteristics are purely coincidental. :P Furthermore, this is not any form of advertisement for 'Once Upon A Time'. 

12 30am. I came home from a long day and a rather crazy night. I was really tired and ready to jump into my comfy bed. As soon as I opened my door, I suddenly got all the energy in the world. I was so hyper and ready to do something. Anything. Unfortunately, I had no one to go out with at this time. I decided to watch ‘Once Upon A Time’ on my laptop.

Funny and tempting text messages from a friend such as “I am so fuxed” or “You should’ve come” or “This is fonnn” made me think twice before I changed into my PJ’s. But I ended up making myself comfortable in my bed, with a laptop and a bar of chocolate, and of course, ‘Once Upon A Time’.

The blind witch opened her eyes and I jumped a little. Not a Nano second later, someone knocked at my door. I jumped! 2 15am. Who’s at my door at this time of the morning? The others back? Why would they inform me? I should be asleep according to them.

I opened the door slowly, half expecting a blind witch. There stood 2 of my flat mates, Jim and Sara. Okay. What? Why? Why are they here? They looked worried. What happened? Jim blurted out, “We forgot David.” I stared at him for 2 minutes, and sadly, I started laughing. It was rather mean, but the situation was funny. We called for a cab and went back to the house party to fetch David.

2 30am. Strangely, when we got there, we were told that David had already left. Meh. We weren’t that bothered as he’s a grown man. We’ll check on him in the morning. We headed back to our university, went to our respective rooms and we were all doing our own thing.

2 36am. The blind witch is being burned in the oven while Hansel and Gretel are running away to the Queen’s palace. I hear a knock on my door again. Son of a bitch. This blind witch is ruining my life. Jim stood there, looking more worried than ever, “I lost my phone!” Okay. Shit just got serious. Now the blind witch took his phone? Grr.

3 43am. Sara, Jim and I were in my room, tracking Jim’s phone online. Sadly, his tracking application was crap. It tracked only after 24 hours. We tried calling his phone a number of times. After a couple of calls, someone picked up and said, “I am sleeping! Pick up your phone tomorrow!” and before we could ask her anything, she cut the call. We tried calling back and the smart woman has switched off the phone in order to catch up on her precious sleep. Bitch. (Well not really. She was really nice. You’ll find out.)

Well we know the phone isn’t stolen. Whew. All go back to bed.

8 45am. Jim is at my door, knocking. I go with a half sleepy face. His face all blurry. He asks for my phone, I give it to him. The woman from last night returned his phone to him. Ah happy endings.

But do happy endings really exist? I mean, what really happens after the “happily ever after” bit of every fairy tale? Watch ‘Once Upon A Time’ and you’ll find out. ;)

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

The 'End' of the World

So apparently the world is going to come to an end soon. December 2012. Hmm.

How many of us actually believe in the end of the world? I mean, if you die, isn’t that the end for you? Hence the end of the world? Okay so maybe I don’t make sense. But there’s a point there.

For me, the end of the world has always been something dramatic in my head. Like Sam (from Supernatural) jumping into Hell to save the world from the apocalypse. So do we have a Sam in our world? If so, that’d be awesome. Because we’d have Dean too and well…Dean. Enough said.

There are a few people that I’ve had the whole ‘end of the world’ discussion with. One person, whose point was rather interesting, was that it’s not the end of the world, but a new beginning. This could be true. I mean, before the universe exploded to form the planets, for all we know, there may have been humans living in that unexploded universe, discussing the end of the universe. Then, the world was formed. Now the world will end and will form something new. Then that new thing will end and form some other new thing and so on. It’s the circle of…life?

Point being, if the world is actually ending this December, we need a bucket list no? I have a friend back in India. She’s been a real inspiration. She had a normal bucket list. I mean, we all do. But how many of us have actually done things out of this bucket list? My friend has done most of what she wanted to: She pierced her nose, she got a tattoo. Sigh.

Scuba Diving
Photograph By: Lakshmi Subramaniyam
So my bucket list, and mind you, the list may get longer (not in order of preference/importance):

    1.       Go scuba diving: Done
    2.       Visit Amsterdam: Done
    3.       Visit Greece
    4.       Go on a Euro Trip
    5.       Lay down under the stars
    6.       Go bungee jumping
    7.       Go sky diving
    8.       Get a tattoo
    9.       Kiss someone under the stars
    10.    Write a novel
    11.     Write a script for a movie
    12.    Visit China with my sister  
    13.     Visit the outer space
    14.     Learn to play the violin

That’s about it for now. I’m sure I could think of more. But my mind is blank now.

One thing we need to remember is that the end of the world could be true…or it could just be a concept. A belief. Or as my friend described it, it could be a new beginning. It’s better not to reflect upon it too much. Make a bucket list. Live your bucket list. The end of the world is the end of your life; the end of your life is the end of your world. Remember that. 

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Is Life a Bitch?

Sometimes life can be a bitch. You do so many things that you regret…but you never realise the lessons they teach you. After all, you do learn from mistakes.

It’s never easy to go through a break up. It’s never easy to go through a fucked up break up either. You know; the ones where you have a misunderstanding and you have a huge fight. What makes it even worse? Social networks or let’s broaden it a little; the recent developments in technology from internet to cell phones to whatever else I am not aware of.

"My ex and I broke up about 4 and a- half years back. I still read the fucked up message he sent me when we broke up. What’s even more fucked up is that the message pin points on certain personal traits of mine; some that I reflect upon when I am introspecting; some that I know are my bad qualities. It’s bad enough when you know your negative qualities, but for someone to list them out and give them to you, that sucks. Major. And at the back of my mind, I am very much aware that I have access to a list of my shitty qualities, hidden deep in some Facebook message." - An Anonymous Friend.

Technology is a major contributing factor to many misunderstandings these days. Think about it. I easily get jealous when I see a guy I have a crush on with some other chic on Facebook, posing for sultry kind of pictures; Or when he comments on her pictures. Gah. What the hell? Back off bitch! See? If this is my reaction to a freaking guy I have a crush on, how would it be if he were my boyfriend?

"The problem with our generation is that we
are so dependent on technology..."
Photograph by: Jiyoon Kim
The problem with our generation is that we are so dependent on technology rather than our own feelings. We are willing to believe pictures, messages, wallposts, tweets and what not from various social networks, but we hardly trust the person. We judge people by their pictures, statuses, notes, etc. but we never give them a chance to explain themselves.

Lesson learnt? A rather cliché one…but never judge a book by its cover. To make it more understandable for our generation, never judge a person by their Facebook profile.

Life is a bitch. That’s only a belief. If you want to make it better, life is still a bitch. But a bitch gives birth to cute puppies. Life is a bitch. But it’ll give you those happy moments when you need them. Just don’t let petty things like technology ruin it for you. Technology didn't make us, we made technology.

"We're all afraid to speak up. So instead we assume, misunderstand, and complicate everything." - @wizdom

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Life

We all love our parents don't we? And of course, our parents loved their parents didn't they? Then I have one question; why were old age homes invented?

Sure everything revolves around money today. That's a fact. Fact fact fact. Am sure Mr Gradgrind from Charles Dickens' 'Hard Times' would be so proud of me for saying this. No emotions involved...just a mechanical life: Go to work, make money, come home, eat, shit, sleep, wake up the next day and do it all over again.

Has it never occurred to the kids who dump their parents in old age homes that their parents could have dumped them in an orphanage as well? Or left them on the streets? But they didn't! They took care of you; when you lied, they scolded you; when you were down, they encouraged you; when you hurt yourself, they took care of you. How do you have the heart to dump someone who gave birth to you? Who brought you into this world? Who made you who you are today?

Life is too short to live mechanically. It's the small things in life we need to appreciate. It's the people in our lives who make a difference. I learned recently:


"One day, you need to have someone with
whom you can look back at these memories..."
Photograph by: Tanushree Dwivedi
It took time, but I learnt to live.
However be the days, I have learnt to live,
Now I have known this, what's happiness and what's sorrow;
Both are weathers of two moments;
Neither they wait nor stay.
Life gets made of two colours, 
Now angry, now placated.
This, this is here...

- Der lagi lekin maine ab hai jeena seekh liya, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.


Learn to live, yes. Seize the moment, yes. Make memories, yes. But never do these things alone. One day, you need to have someone with whom you can look back at these memories. Family, friends, strangers, lovers...everyone means something at some point in your life. 

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Love, Marriage and all that

Recently, my sister and I were talking about marriage. She told me, "You have to get married. But not early." And I was like "Cool cool." all chilled. Then she says, "Find a guy from Canada! Then we can live together." And I was like "Cool cool."

Again, I have a cool mother. She said, "Anu, please find yourself a boyfriend." And I was like "Cool cool." (Bet you guessed my reaction). Mom continued, "But he has to be Hindu, Brahmin, Iyer if possible, okay?"

Sigh. Do you fall in love with specifications? It's not like I am going to ask the guy before I fall in love with him, "Are you Iyer? Do you live in Canada?" I'll just fall in love. I am not going to fall in love with him because of his geographical location but because of his personality; how he is as a person, how he treats me, what he likes, what we share in common and so on.

I recently read a quote:

"Much of the pain in life comes from having a life plan that you've fallen in love with, and when it doesn't work out, you become angry that you now have to pursue a new life plan. If you want to tame your inner demons, you must not become too attached to any particular life plan, and remain open to there being an even better, happier life plan."

Therefore, I cannot plan who I fall in love with. I can just fall in love.

Having said that, the rate at which I am going, I will eventually end up marrying someone my parents choose for me anyway. So this blogpost is for people who still believe they can find someone on their own :P Peace and love to one and all :)

Monday, October 22, 2012

I miss

The crazy moments,
The random photo sessions,
The gossip sessions,
The water vapour incidents,
The self pity sessions,
The times we made random funny faces,
The dance sessions,
The baking and cooking sessions,
The junk food and mid night snacks,
The endless music,
The secret road trips,
The hair straightening sleepy times,
The spider incidents,
The Pepsi incident,
The Chingola days,
The pizza nights,
The 2 weeks we went on a Friends spree,
The sleep talks,
The secrets,
The sudden outbursts of off tune singing,
The advice sessions,
The boy talks,
The future planning talks,
And most of all,
I miss you.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Commitment Issues

I am currently reading Chetan Bhagat's 2 States and came across a rather interesting quote:

'You know what baffles me,' Ananya said, 'how you men need so much time to think about commitment, but how you need no time at all to decide when you have to sleep with the girl.'

Sure, in the novel the guy ends up asking the girl to marry him. But what happens in real life? Maybe girls don't go to the extent of sleeping with every guy, maybe some girls do; I don't know. But why the fuck* are guys so scared of commitment?

Just yesterday, I was talking to a friend. He described being in a relationship as "sporadic". Made it sound like a game. Gah. It's sad that most guys blame the girls and say we complicate things. Do you not realise that you are the ones who complicate things? Maybe not all guys, but the same way, not all girls are complicated either.

I don't know why I am writing this post. I guess it's the knotted feeling inside. I have a theory: You like a guy, you tell him if you think he can handle it. Sadly, none of the guys I liked could handle it. Bleh.

Commitment or no commitment, one must get past the tunnel. Like Chandler. I mean come on! If Chandler can do it, so can you! :P

*Mom, Dad and everyone else not used to abusive language, I am sorry.

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Aging

A few more months and it’s all over,
I am so young, so sober.
Everyone around me dances and sings,
With alcohol in their systems,
Unaware of the danger it brings.

I looked around at my tidy room,
Everything had its own place; Even the tiny broom.
When did everything run by so quickly?
It seemed just like yesterday,
When my mother used to do things for me,
As I sat there, looking sickly.

An immature kid I was.
Running around like there was no such thing as danger.
Today I sit at a desk,
With pen and paper,
Writing this ridiculous poem,
About something that is yet to come.

3 more months; the countdown begins.
This is so nerve wrecking!
People say, “Age is just a number”
And to them I say, “Well, you couldn't get any dumber!”
3 more months, I will no longer be a teenager.
Oh well, let the mature shit begin.

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Father and Child

This post is dedicated to my Father and all other Fathers in the world.

Every man talks about the heart warming relationship between a mother and her child. However, the relationship between a father and his child is equally heart warming and special.

A father always shares a special bond with his child, be it his son or his daughter. He will always treasure the moments he has spent with his children; be it a small game of baseball with his son or a special talk with his daughter before her first date.

Photographer: Lakshmi Subramaniyam
In any case, it is always the father who helps the child realise his responsibilities. When a child walks into his house with a report card full of red marks, it is the father's duty to analyse this report card. Normal situations like these will involve the father getting into a rage. But at the end of the day, the father sits his child down and explains the importance of education to the kid. During these small talks is when the father and child bond.

I remember my father advising me when I didn't fair well in my exams. He told me that it didn't matter and that at least I passed. He talked to me about his personal experiences of failure. I always look up to him. He has always been supportive of what my sister and I do. He has always talked to us when something went wrong and always chose the right words to say.

It is typical that the child may react in a negative manner. However, as the child matures, he realises the importance of his father's words. I know I always do. It is because of the advice and scoldings that when a child grows up, he gains a sense of responsibility.

Any relationship has stages of progression. But that one of a father and his child is special and lasts forever. I love you Appa.

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

"Shit Happens"

A lot of shit happens when you're in University. Especially if you're abroad. Oh and don't take me wrong. "Shit" isn't bad things. You know how the jargon of today's world is: "This shit is cool!" kinda "shit" :P

Anyway, living alone, abroad, no restrictions; sounds fun no? Meh. It's pretty much the same. In fact, you start to miss the times when you had some people around you. Sure I've only been here a week or so, and I've made a few friends. But it's only been 10 days. I mean, who can you open up to in 10 days? Speaking to these people online before meeting them isn't getting to know them. It takes time for the comfort level to sink in I guess. Then again, everything takes time. 

One thing you will definitely enjoy is the lectures. The lectures here are beyond amazing. For one, everyone shuts up. <3 Bless them. And the lecturer isn't boring. He makes the lectures as interesting as possible. Maybe that's why everyone shuts up :P

Going back to the "shit": As we all say, shit happens. I've had my ups and downs. Hell I've already had disputes with my 10 day friends. :D But we still hang out because they just that cool B-) See the cool "shit" now? :P

This wasn't really a post as such. Just a time to let out what I have on my mind. Emotional mix up and all that jazz in my head so needed to do this. All hail blogging <3

Saturday, September 8, 2012

CEP '13: 2 Epic Years


And I’ve moved out of Bangalore; Out of India. I’ve waited 2 years for this moment and it’s finally happened. Only difference is when I first moved to India, I was eagerly waiting for the 2 years to come to an end. At that time, I never realised that I can make the best of friends in 2 years. When the end finally approached, I dreaded saying good bye to people who made my stay in Bangalore totally worth it.
I am not the type of person who is good with testimonials and emotional jazz (that’s Seni, got me started on using your typical phrases ‘and all that jazz’ or ‘aney’). But this post is dedicated to each and every individual who made Bangalore and Christ University worth it and excuse me for saying this (and am sure you’ll all agree), bearable. 

I cannot ramble on and on about each individual from CEP ’13 but the class on a whole is freaking awesome! Sure we had our own groups within the class, but the fact that I got to interact with most of you individually, even if it was for 2 or 3 minutes, makes me consider myself to be lucky. 

I remember the first day of college, I met Abhineeta. When I first met her, I didn’t realise she’s weird. Until one day, when she, Arundhati and I had a discussion about lesbian vibes. Yes. Like I said. Weird. But don’t we all have some element of “weirdness” in us?

I also remember the first few weeks of college I used to sit right at the front. No I am not a nerd. It was just convenient for me to get out of class quickly and not get caught in the large student population of our block. Anyway, I used to sit next to the brothers (Bipin, Sebadas, Shijo and Pradeep) and I remember telling them that I was born in Kerala and don’t know any Malayalam; and they promised they would teach me. So sweet. :’)

As the weeks progressed, so did my seating arrangement. I moved further and further away from the front of the classroom and soon I was one of the back benchers. This is where I met Alice, Rachika, Vishrutha, Kathleen, Prena and Debbie. Oh fun days! We hardly used to pay attention and usually used to secretly take pictures. Or sleep. And if we had a test, copy from each other. And the amount of time we spent on our phones, am surprised we never got caught. :P

I remember a few other people who used to sit at the back; Sumit, Abhishek, Sidharth, Hemali, Aastha and a few others. We never spoke much but had a few moments here and there thanks to Vishrutha. :P

I always broke our class into 3 rows and I had names for some groups. There was Garima, Revathi, Shiny, Adarsh and all you other guys who used to sit to my left somewhere near the front. You guys always used to say hi to me, which I thought was very sweet of you all. Then there were the people in front of me; Shruthi, Aditi, Kamna, Ananya AG, Kumaran, Kartika and a few visitors who were asked to come in front for making noise or whatever else :P We usually had discussions about class; exams, timetables and what not. But I’ve also had my Japanese classes with Aditi, the funny Hindi moments with Kamna and Ananya, and endless discussions about the end of the world (or a new beginning) with Kartika. :P Good times.

Then to my right I had the more active part of the class; always asking questions or always making noise :D :P Joseph, you are awesome. *poke* I shall never forget your oh so funny texts during our one act play; and how excited you were when you had 1000 tweets! :P Rhea, I will take you to prom and we shall go for soup after that :D Mehek, Happy Birthday on every Thursday! You are an amazingly funny and weird person. Additional English was fun. :P Salome, Your random dancing sessions were amusing to watch. I shall miss them. I shall especially miss your Johnny Bravo dance (that was it right? :P)   

Ashwin, you will be blessed with a future filled with dark chocolate every day :P Our rare but serious yet fun talks will always be remembered. Samiksha, I still don’t like you for going off BBM. I am glad we kinda sorta started talking :P We’ve never hung out (except laser tag but that was the most random yet epic group :P) but our exam panics and random advice sessions have made me find a good friend in you.  Manognya, You are crazy and shall always be :P But you are also adorable and one of the most amazing dancers I have ever known!  Abhishek, I know we never hung out but laser tag (again) was fun! And I still remember you used to advise me about my future plans and the whole moving to UK. Just the fact that you told me your point of view meant a lot, so thank you for that. Ashutosh, Talking about movies, series, music and anything entertainment based, it was the best with you! And of course, my collection of snaps of you sleeping in class :P Sonia, You and I have a lot in common...you know the whole thinking of something then suddenly going blank and all that :P And I'll miss our RR Nagar travel times :P Shriya, thank you so much for the chocolate on my birthday. It was really sweet of you. We never talked that much but you were always so nice to me. Rahul, You are uniquely annoying…but nice :P Internship days will be remembered; from your healthy talks to cracking my cell phone password (respect). You are a nice fellow. :P Kishore, keep clicking! Your photography is amazing!! :D

Vidya, Gautham, Soumya, Maitri, Sanya, Vaishali, Sana, Bhavya, Swetha, Prerna, Naaila, Anuj, Pooja, Manasi, Jose, Manisha, Suhas,  and Poorna; Although we may have never talked as often, or hung out often, you guys added on to the awesome CEP experience. And I sincerely thank you for that from the bottom of my heart. <3

Bettina, I remember you came late. And I also remember thinking that you were a nerd considering you asked me for notes and things on the first day you arrived :P But then we got to talking and am glad we became really good friends. The amounts of memories we have are not enough to jot down this post. The CCD dates almost every day, your random KFC cravings, the sleepovers, the exam panic…the list could go on. All I can say is I am glad I found a friend in you, a good one at that :P <3

When it came to organisation, one name popped in mind, Senashia. Oh where do I start? How I envied that black organiser of yours. You had little notes that said “Study” and that made me laugh :P We clicked easily thanks to the non-Indian background, both geographically and educationally :P You taught me the art of being organised and the art of time management and the art of using big words…uh I mean the “skill of expending gigantic verses”  :P You’ve been a good Sri Lankan friend throughout these 2 years and I cherish all the moments we’ve had together from the random gossip sessions to the ride on the metro to window shopping to talking about ambiguity (Yes Bettina, I had to say it :P)

Vikash, I don’t know how it happened but we became amazingly close friends. You were always there for me (literally thanks to BBM :P) so thank you for that! I will never forget your random singing moments. :P I will cherish our virtual dates :P And I will never forget our long advice sessions and career talks. You will reach great heights. Remember that <3



Aswathy, Sneha, Sandhya, Sharvaani, Ananya M, Jonny and Akhil, I don’t know if you guys ever realised it, but you guys were there for me when I needed it most; and I mean this literally. It was my birthday and for the first time ever in my life, I was alone on my birthday. You guys were the sweetest ever to have organised the movie and the surprise birthday donuts :P It was one of the best birthday experiences ever and I shall never forget it! <3  

Achu, Sneha, Sandy, Shar, Betty, Seni and Ananya, you guys have always been there for me and that means a lot. We’ve had our mixture of memories from all the eat outs to Sky Bar to sleepovers to the most ridiculous photo sessions and gossip sessions :P I love you all so much! <3

If I have left out anyone, it was not intentional.  We had a huge class :P Which is why it should be understandable for the department as to why we are so noisy :P Seriously, you guys have been an amazing group of people. I am glad the past 2 years of my life’s journey have been with such ridiculously awesome people! I will always remember each and every one of you, whether we talked or not. A big hug to each and every one of you and every one of you and lots of love!! You guys rock! \m/ :D



Special Mention:

Pavani, I know we just got close. And you are not in CEP :P But you have been an inspiration. You may not know or may have not realised it, but you have advised me when I needed it and taught me how to smile about everything and accept life the way it comes. Big hug to you! <3

I am sorry if I mispelled anyone's name(s). 

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Namibia 2012


A collage of videos/pictures from my trip to Namibia. The four places I visited were Swakopmund, Walvis Bay, The Sandwich Harbour and Windhoek. The video is a summary of what you can do when you are there. Very amateur in nature but worth a watch. Enjoy! :)


How can one visit a place in Africa and not love it? It is highly impossible and even if it is, I would probably assume that that one person is insane.

My visit to Namibia was a short one, literally. I was there for 4 days, but let me tell you; you’re lucky if you can even spend a day in such a beautiful country. One stereotypical notion of most people is that Africa is all about the deserts, wild life, safaris and languages. People also tend to forget that Africa is a continent.

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Day 1

Driving to Swakopmund from the Airport
Namibia is a country that is rich in beauty. I knew this immediately when I was driving from the airport to Swakopmund. With my flight having arrived in the evening, I got the advantage of seeing a beautiful sunset. As you drive from the airport to Swakopmund, you are surrounded by the wild nature of Nambia. Both sides are filled with small hills and mountains, complimented by the earthen tone of sand. The sight is like a preview of what the Namib Desert would be like.




Entrance to the Jetty
It was a 4 hour drive to Swakopmund with the most breath taking sceneries throughout. I decided to explore this small town. It was night and therefore getting a clear picture of the place was a bit difficult. However, one place that you have to visit at night is The Jetty. The Jetty is a place that you can walk onto and have a look at the tranquil sea. In Swakopmund, they have a restaurant, The Jetty, overlooking the sea from the very edge of the Jetty. If you’re not a fan of sitting right on top of water, you can always have a meal at the Tug Restaurant, right before the entrance to the long walk on the Jetty. The Tug Restaurant is located at the threshold of the waves of the sea, at a high point, overlooking the magnificent body of water.

Day 2

German Architecture
Today I went around exploring the beautiful town of Swakopmund. Namibia is a country that has a small population; therefore most of the streets are a quite deserted. However, this comes to your advantage when taking beautiful photographs of the ancient and modern German architecture that the town has to offer.

The Beach at Swakopmund
Swakopmund is also known for its view of the ocean. There is a beach side where you can go and relax, take a few pictures and perhaps have a coffee or 2 at the Beach Café. There is also a Small Museum, right behind the café that shows the history of the country and town. Opposite the Museum is the Lighthouse Restaurant which is apt for a relaxing dinner in the evening.

The same afternoon, I was taken to Walvis Bay. It is a half an hour drive from Swakopmund. On this drive, I had the beach on my right hand side and a few sand dunes on my left hand side. It was two extremes and a rare moment to experience a view such as that.

The Skeleton Coast view from the Dunes
Walvis Bay is a relatively crowded place compared to Swakopmund. The main reason people go to there is because of the view it has to offer. It has the beach with lots of cafes around. But Walvis Bay is the point from which people are taken to the Sandwich Harbour. The Sandwich Harbour, also known as the Skeleton Coast, is where the grand sand dunes meet the Atlantic Ocean, creating the most perfect photographic scene. This is a very rare occurrence.

The Ocean meets the Sand Dunes
The drive to the Sandwich Harbour is a rather thrilling and interesting one. Before actually going to the Skeleton Coast, I was shown how salt is processed and taken to large salt processing areas. After this, we proceeded to the Sandwich Harbour. As we approach the meeting point of the dunes and the ocean, I had a magnificent view of very large sand dunes on my left and a rather calm and tranquil view of the ocean on my right, with a few large waves and a few small waves. If you are lucky, you may even spot a few seals and dolphins.

Sand Dunes


At the Sandwich Harbour, I climbed one of the sand dunes, to get a few pictures of the beautiful mix of the earth and the water. After some tranquil time spent at the Skeleton Coast, I was taken on a thrilling drive on a 4 x 4 up and down the sand dunes.

Day 3

One of the Curio Shops in Windhoek



Today I was taken to Windhoek, the capital city of Namibia. The city is much like any other. Not much sightseeing was done. 

However, there are many places where you can go on a shopping spree for souvenirs and curios. The place is rich in traditional Namibian markets and stores, but also has quite a few shopping centres with modern wear. Windhoek is a place where the traditional and the modern meet.

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Namibia on a whole was a wonderful visit. It was thrilling that I could cover so much in 4 days. However, I also know that I left out quite a few other places that would have been equally exciting to visit. Well, I always have next time. As for you, there’s always a first and Namibia is the place to go if you’re looking for a new outlook on the very stereotypical based continent of Africa.

© Anupama Subramaniyam
All Photographs were taken by the Author


Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Women should care

Rape cases, molestation and all these other cases regarding women are heard of in abundance these days. What's even more sad is that in today's world, people's way of thinking has not changed. For the society, it's always the man at fault. I am not saying that the woman is always at fault. No. But sometimes, it's better to analyse the situation and try to understand both points of views, rather than jumping to conclusions and immediately pointing fingers at the man.

(I will not quote any incidents here as it may create controversial thoughts. These are personal opinions.)

My mother has always taught me, "Whether the knife falls on the leaf or the leaf falls on the knife, it is always the leaf that will tear." The same way, whether the man abuses the woman or the woman abuses the man, it is the woman who will face the consequences.

One needs to understand the importance of the different standards of society today, especially in India. India is a huge country with a large population. This large population is sub-divided into different classes of society from the highest possible to the lowest possible. If you are a woman, sit and reflect upon this: If you wear the most inappropriate clothes and walk in front of an uneducated man or in an area that is not fully secure, with a few men who are drunk or tipsy, don't you think you will be attracting trouble? It's easy for you to immediately argue and protest with signs, "Don't tell us what to wear, tell them not to rape." Sure we could do that, but is it possible to say it to each and every man in India? To give you a better understanding, I will quote my mother's explanation.

Location: UB City, Bangalore
Photography By: Anupama Subramaniyam
"In a country like India, most of the people live together as a joint family. Therefore, it is rather difficult for the husband and wife to sleep together regularly. Especially in rural and smaller towns. Men need to satisfy themselves and do such stupid actions in order to just give themselves some satisfaction. And women dressing up the way they do in cities, and then walking around in areas where such attention isn't needed, just attracts the men even more."

Living in Bangalore, I can only give you examples from this city. If you had to wear a short skirt and a tube top and walk into UB City, I think you will be more than fine over there. The crowd is decent, the place is safe and the crowd is educated. If anything were to happen, there is security around to make sure things are settled down. If you had to wear the same clothes and walk a little down UB City into perhaps Majestic, where there is no security and the people are of lower standards, I am not saying that you will get harmed, but there are more possibilities of it happening.

Being a woman myself, I understand that we need to have the complete and total freedom to wear what we want and behave how we want to behave. But remember the leaf story; even if we don't do anything, we will get into trouble.

Friday, July 27, 2012

"Being Gay is unnatural"

The following post is not to offend or make fun of anyone. It is a personal opinion.

Recently, my friend from English Honors and I were having a discussion on whether being gay is an issue or not. For many people it is, for many people, it isn't. I know that many people from the previous generation find it hard to accept this sexual orientation. They call it "unnatural".

I agree that it is unnatural. God made man and woman to reproduce; and this involves sex. How is it possible if it is man and man or woman and woman? However, there is nothing wrong with being gay. Some may call it unnatural, but many things in this world are unnatural. Look at technology for instance, that is unnatural- it is man made. How are you able to accept that? If you can accept something that harms you, why are you reluctant in accepting something that is not harmful, and is mostly based on emotions?

Another thing that many people need to consider, especially if you claim that you're mature, is playing a rather immature prank on your friends, by updating their Facebook or bbm status to "I'm gay!" Not only is that inconsiderate, but it is offensive. Being gay isn't a funny thing. It is an accepted sexual orientation. It may be funny for you and your friends, but inconsiderate towards people who are actually gay as it is an indirect way of making fun of them.

Like I said at the beginning of this post, these are my opinions and thoughts after a discussion. It is not meant to offend anyone in anyway. My only plea is that one should consider what they say and do before playing a prank or calling someone unnatural. Our sexual orientation doesn't define our personality. Remember that.