Those four words...

It's been real long since I've sat down to patiently read the newspaper. Earlier, last month I was super
busy as a part of the organizing committee of my college's cultural festival. Working long hours out of my house.
Not that I've not been in touch with the current affairs, but sitting down on the couch,
with the coffee mug in hand (Ah! Those days..) to go through those 'exclusive' Celeb interviews,
to read those Editorials, the sections about lifestyle and more of those kinds:
all that had been long pending!

As my college festival wrapped up, I thought it meant more time at hand.
But I almost immediately happened to join a project and that meant reporting to college even earlier.
And NO, I am not of the ones who can find time to read newspapers right when they are rushing to work.
Then newspaper reading spelled luxury time for me and newspaper reading these days (read: the last few
weeks) equated browsing thru'!
Today, I finally found out time for all that I had been missing out on!!!
And I came through this article from one of my favorite sections....

It read out incidents that highlighted the fact that the four most wonderful words of the English language
are "Thank You" and "Well Done"!!!
It took me back to the previous post.
Thank You has been one of my addictions. I proudly continued reading the rest of the article!
It talked about the effect created when these words go missing and the contrasting one when they are
used!
C'mon think of it:
A:
A hard, tiring effort made....and it goes unnoticed.
A hard, tiring effort made....and your boss calls out - 'Well done!'
B:
You are back from office, out of an auto rickshaw, you pay your fare and leave.
You are back from office, out of an auto rickshaw, you pay your fare and thank him for the ride.

There.... !!!
Case A: the words you listen make your day!!!
Case B :of course, the thanks-giving makes his day!!!

Small gestures: great leads!
If we continue with things as small as these, which may definitely seem so lame and so very insignificant;
we will be paving our path towards a life full of smiles, full of delight and that in turn means,
staying HAPPY!!!

What say?

PS: There is another set of four word that are very ahem.... cute?!
COMING SOON.

Posting after a long time.
All this while, I was writing a lot though. A task included narrative descriptions about various activities.
Another was to write something to a dear friend (on special request!)
Some reports to be filed. Re-writing unorganised, randomly jotted notes.
Then the long e-mails that I'm fond of...
And yeah, my college exams! They were eternally long and I kept scribbling till the supervisor used to actually snatch my answer sheets, so well, I had been writing a lot. But blogspot wasn't in picture.
Then Freya dropped into my mailbox, "Hey! I've tagged you!"
And so here I ought to list,
My, 'Five Obsessions'.


#1
'Thank You!'
I'm totally smitten by the word !
I lurvve thanking people.
Mom spreading food on my platter. The conductor punching out my bus ticket. Compliments. Friends. The auto-driver, for the ride. The lift-man in college.
Bro brewing coffee for me when I study late into the night. Uh....goes on..
On an average, a twenty-something a day is the count.
Just a couple of words make someone smile, what more can you ask for?
So many times, I realise that it doesn't come out of my mouth, I just whisper to myself:'Thanks'.
So got to work at that.

#2
'Angel'.
Yeah, lucky me! I've one in my life.
Angel's presence transforms my mood from the bluest to the brightest, even if the situation is grave.
My days are tasteless without my Angel around....

#3
'Text-drafting'.
Many around me say that I'm addicted to my phone, text-ing all the time.
But now there is an entire post dealing with that already. So, not getting there.
Well, I draft a lot of texts, then delete about 7 of 10...when I re-read them.
Any and every thing that comes into my mind. Most of my write-ups initially hail from a drafted text!!

#4
'Black&White'.
Well, this a recent add-on. This is purely because I'm onto a series of monochromatic paintings.
Two simple colours, contrasts, when clubbed, create rare effects.
KEEPING ALL THE GREY SHADES OUT!
Mainly B&W patterns, all I need is black ink and plain sheets!

#5
Um,
Can't really think of something...
Will get back, if there is something eligible to be tagged as an obsession.


As of now, I tag you guys,
continue the thread...

Miss Kimi,Mohit.

Conversations with God...

Come.
Here.




Why me?
She left me.



Oh! lust you wanted.

And eternal love she hunted.

Anger greeted change, not grace; of course, as pride was high.

Jealousy fueled the need for more---voidly happy you were, a moment or four...

Voracious you were while eating, lethargic you became while working;
apathy came to the hoggish you, boredom, to the sluggish you.




Monotony took over, drawing in gloom: change was what I urged the most
to live my life to its best; a wish I asked, my only quest----
but dear Lord, it seems you had other plans
or why else would you snatch the queen of my life?



Gourmet, wrath, envy and sloth: pebbles they are on the path you trod,
love you asked----I gave you love but you took it with a tint of lust;
I give you beautiful yesterdays, fill in today's loneliness
since my job is to guide you away, dear these venials are deadly,
they curse you more;
always you kept seeking for a change,
I gave you one, in a different way!

Phew!! Task accomplished!

I had signed up for a poetry event recently, in an inter-college festival.
Though I hadn't created a rhyme for a long time, I wanted to give it a try and moreover, I had a partner for company.
The concept was to create a minimum nine lined poem revolving around the theme:
'the seven deadly sins'

Lust~Greed~Wrath~Gluttony~Sloth~Pride~Envy.

Sounds simple, doesn't it??
Well, hold that thought.

We also had to incorporate the Fibonacci series into our poem. Math & rhyme???
Well. Well. Well.

Each line of our poem had to have a particular number of syllables following the series:
1~1~2~3~5~8~13~21~34~55~89~144.........
That is, line#1 and line#2 needed just one syllable.
Line#3 needed two, and following suit, line#11 needed 89 syllables....
Phew!!!

Here we did our best, and well, we managed to get the third slot as well...!!!
So after all, it is task accomplished!
A rocking event indeed. One needs real brains to create an event like this.

Here on the post above, I have reproduced the poem we wrote. Tell us how you'll find it.
Honest reviews hunted.

Illumination!!!

"WOW" was all I could manage when I saw this picture.
My phone just has a 1.3 mega pixel camera and well, this was clicked without any effects,
just in a normal mode.
Thanks to the photographer in question, Olyve!
I met her after a long long time, I was at her place
for an art meet-up (that is, we were to engage in an arty activity) and the power went off!!!
That so rarely happens in our area.
We had to shut our art stuff and initiated a game of cards around the candles.
Our respective brothers joined in.
But art couldn't leave us that soon, I took up some scrap paper and burned off its edges with the candles, creating an awesome effect. Taught Olyve's brother the same.
It was fun. Then ensued a round of more candle-lit games.
More fun.
Then, the photo sessions, and from there comes this picture.



How has it turned out???


Tell me, with a little artistic view...
I just lurvve the effect it creates...!!!

Flies and more....

I like Biology. But I wasn't very excited about Zoology. I have to study it for a year, I thought it will be okay, not that big a deal!
And then after a couple of weeks in college, I was liking parts of it.
And then after a month, we started with our practical sessions.
The practical sessions in the other subjects are so much fun.
Here, in Zoology, we just have to copy stuff from cards they keep for us, around the laboratory. I personally don't understand a word, well, actually, I don't even bother to.
We as it study the same set of descriptions in our theory classes and understanding and then copying stuff takes a lot of time, which we cannot afford.
The Zoology practicals are officially five hours long.

Can you believe that???

The only thing that is a tiny-bit captivating about the Zoology practical is that we get to play musical chairs. Yeah, the game wherein all the participants keep moving around and find a seat when the background music stops. The idea is to find a seat as soon as possible.
Here the scene is the same, minus the music. We keep hunting for empty seats so that we can get our eyes on a particular display card and copy it down, continuing the saga....

Any way, in this particular session, I was just not in a mood to draw anything. Writing as well. Then I came to this seat in the corner where the card beautifully beamed a dragon fly. Yeah, seriously, we actually had to draw that in our journal. Could my mood get any better, given my phobia for insects??? I roughly sketched it in my book, promising myself to get back to it when I was in THE MOOD.

Switch to the next week.

No, throughout the entire seven days, I was never in THE MOOD to draw the dragon fly. And you know what was in store for me? Another dragon fly. We had to study the same creature twice, under different headings. That meant, we had to draw that same creature twice, under different headings.


!!!*****aaarrgghhhhhh*****!!!


How I wished I was one of those who weren't petrified the moment an insect flew into their rooms!
How I wished I listened to my Gran'pa back home, who tried with all his might, to make me face a dragon fly dwelling at my place!
Probably then, I would have found it easier to draw that, well, when you're considerate, you tend to act better, don't you?

I very smartly left that diagram for the end. And in case you're wondering about my drawing skills, let me tell you I LOVE DRAWING; subject to my mood.
And I'm pretty good at it as well.
So well,...
In the process I drew harmless butterflies and moths and worms and crustaceans and crabs. No, the latter ones ain't harmless but I have never personally seen live ones, so I didn't give it a thought before drawing them.
Then I kept waiting for time to pass. But it was just three hours done. I finally forced myself to get into THE MOOD. I sketched it roughly first, giving in finer details, and then left it just like that, I was a quarter way through.

Again, I promised I would get back to it.
I came back home, and that weekend, I actually did it. I kept my word to myself.
I rarely do that. Any way, the product is all here, for you'll to judge, tell me how it is.


Just an after thought,

If Zoology makes me produce this, I can well tolerate it for a year. It ain't that big a deal, is it???!!!???

Texting!

This is for you, (ASG).
You really inspire me a lot!!!

I am not into a lot of text conversations over my phone.
Um, well; okay I chat, probably a little more than 'a lot' with a selected number of people.
Not addicted, though.
In fact I like typing in a lot of messages that are partly my own creation---if borrowing a line or a quote makes a count, that is.
And when it comes to forwarding a text, they call me a miser. Some in their hearts, while my inner circle of friends, directly, taunting me.
I have a short, simple and same reply to them ALWAYS---
"I believe in dropping a text, a forwarded one, (more importantly) on your phone, only if you happen to cross my thoughts..."
Just unlike some of my friends, from whom I receive a forwarded text seconds after mine reaches them!!!!

Many of you'll who have read some posts here on my blog will think they originate from phone texts. Yeah, they do, thanks to the memorable moments they hail from!
And many of you'll will think
'Oh! Even I forward this girl so many texts, but she doesn't even care!'
Sorry. You ought to be wrong there. I care. I really do.
In fact, so many of the forwarded texts I receive from you'll create such lovely moments.
Like this one.

My new college started the next day.
I was apprehensive, had no clue what the new world would have in store for me.
I was a lucky girl since I never had to change schools. I had childhood friends studying with me even in junior college.
Not that I don't accept changes. It felt different.
Nostalgia filled in.
I had received this lovely text from a dear school friend. It read about missing those lovely days together and wishing to live them today, again!
It had made me miss him, then and there.
Thoughts changed from school to junior college.
I had a wonderful group there; academically, we had all parted ways.
Almost mechanically, I forwarded 'that' text to this young lady from my group, the message was so so so true.
She replied back, instantly:

"All the best for your first day tomorrow.
Don't worry, you'll find someone with similar character traits.
And even if we won't be class mates any more, I would not wanna miss all YOUR FUN!"

I replied.

"Thank you buddy.
I am actually apprehensive but then just some time back I thought I should be thinking on the right track.
Remember, the Universe is conspiring???"

I bound with this female on a spiritual note, as well.
We are the best advisers to each other, I know she won't deny!

"Good.
That means I don't have to give you serious words of encouragement."

Uh, the conversation had only STARTED.....

"Smart girl, that is me....right?"

It went late into the night...

"Yeah, obviously.
No competition there.
But I genuinely pray that you find friends that are just like you!"

"...."
"..."
It went on...

And you know what, I had a lovely first day...!!!
Thank you buddy!

When Pinnacle met...

I don't know why I like this picture soo much!!!
No, wait, I probably know too many reasons why I like it.
Yeah, so maybe that is keeping me away from claiming one big reason that makes me adore it.
To cut it short,
here are some reasons why I like this picture......

~This is one of the first few pics my phone's camera clicked.

~I got a soft buddy as a gift after such a long time.

~Pinnacle came into my life.

~The emotion the picture creates in one's mind....
....the harsh, reality with the medicated glucose dripper and the cute, fantasy with Pinnacle beside it!

~This picture makes me think, 'gal,you are over it!!'

~It reminds me of the endless lectures I missed in class (which I had to cope-up later).

~It reminds me of how the monster-in-disguise injections seemed harmless when I had a look at my new buddy!

~The blue shade of the picture (mood:incandescent) is well-contrasted with the yellow!

~My first ever 'get well soon card' lies there(no NO no, I don't want more!)

~It makes me think about.....

P.S: This ain't my photography....
This post reminds me of my victory over the sickness....


Now, tell me is there any "other" reason you like (or hate) the picture for???

Teen thought # 3

Dad's cool with it.
No idea what's wrong with mom!
Adamant, that she is; looks like my stubbornness has transferred to her.

My friend tells me almost everyday-
'you were sure you wanted to learn to drive....you'll be an adult soon....
what's wrong now???'

I can only reply, ....
.....ahem.....
.......
"Why can't parents settle for one decision??!!??"

your presence counts!

Class 12 results out!
To most of us, it hardly made a difference...there were entrance examination results we were awaiting.
In this particular group of friends I have,
one scored real low marks (it wasn't at all bad, if you ask my opinion that is.period.)
To cheer this friend, I took all that it actually takes...
um, the consoling package also included the usual emotional stuff-__
"I'm real good at turning frowns into smiles.
Don't let me down."
I was successful in getting an artificial smile. Formal talking and all ensued..
But that wasn't it. I was not going to stop there.
I let about a couple of hours, well, say, more time pass.
Back I was to my job.
Getting my friend's smile back!
I'm well-known for my messages__
"a merry heart is a good medicine,
but a broken spirit will make you feel sick.
how is my deary feeling now?"
___I typed furiously.
Came the reply___
"That's so sweet of you.
I'm feeling so much better now.
I know I can't express my gratitude through a silly text...
I'm glad that I've a friend like you.
Thanks."
...There.
Things like these make my day.
It made my night then!
I knew for sure that, even in the least, I've been successful---partially though!
I personally feel, if somebody tells me 'glad to have you in my life' or 'lucky me! I have you!'
it actually tells me, latently,
"GOOD JOB GAL! YOU'VE BEEN 'LIVING' YOUR LIFE!"
After all, literally and figuratively,
your presence is what counts!

Teen thoughts # 2

At the window..
gazing at the two little sparrows tread on the sweet--smelling, damp road.
courtesy: pre-monsoon showers.

Pressure groping in...
exam results, books, friends, ma&pa....
I know my thoughts are on a roller coaster ride....

Flap! Flap! Flap!
The sparrows are gone!

Why can't I fly away???

teen thought # 1

Petty things make sense only to petty minds.

Deep down in her heart, she knew the words held true meaning.
It is true that she is an adolescent.
It is true that she has left her childhood.
It clearly ensues then, that she is no more "little".

Why then, is her mind yet 'petty'?

EASY AND FUN TILE PAINTING

Tile painting...like never before!

Steps

1. Take a tile (any shape, but preferably plain). textured tiles make it difficult for you to paint, especially when you are just beginning! Also, see that you get some single-colored one.
   
2. wipe it clean with a damp cloth. If it has some stains or marks, scrub using some soap and an old, used tooth-brush and get yourself a sparkling tile!
   
3. Draw on it with pencil whatever you want... Let your imagination run wild. For a first shot, try out a tree on the left side and some fences extending to the right edge. Also probably some nore nature elements in the backdrop.;go wild! you can even write custom messages.
   
4. Re- draw your pencil work with fevicol (a tube with a nozzle works best).
   
5. Let the layer dry completely and draw over again with fevicol.
   
6. After each layer dries, apply another one. In this way make 4-5 layers of fevicol over your drawing.
   
7. Let the whole thing dry for about 24 hours. patience is essential for a neat, non-smudgy work.
   
8. Add acrylic colors. You can even paint over the background where you have not applied fevicol.
   
9. Let dry completely.
   

Tips

• you can even apply layers of fevicol on an area(that is, a region, where you haven't drawn anything.
  
• just before the the glue dries, comb it over with a comb or the rear end of a brush, to give that textured watery effect.
  
• Paint in cool blue shades
  
• Acrylic or fabric colors give you a lovely shine.
  

Warnings

• Best results obtained if the fevicol dries of really well and hardens up.
  
• That means you can leave each layer to dry for a "minimum" of 15-20 minutes.
  

Things You'll Need

• tile
  
• rough cloth
  
• old, used tooth brush
  
• water (in a bowl)
  
• brush
  
• acrylic/ceramic/fabric colors
  
• fevicol in a tube with a nozzle (check out the picture uploaded)
  
• comb (optional)
  

ps: here you need not scrap the glue off your tile

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. How to Do Tile Painting. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

(reading) between the days....

It would be an understatement if I tell you that the nine gems were plainly excited- it really would be.
Our college called it "December drift".
It was on every one's mind. The college cult-fest days were nearing.
Being our first, we were "excited" raised to its eighty-ninth power!!
Classes were unusually interesting. No credit to the professors though.
C'mon, everybody got so much time to go off on mental shopping sprees.
we were no aliens!
The nine gems here were the nine budding teenagers -occupying the first three benches of the peculiar triangular-shaped classroom. Three triplets to be precise. Nine people. Nine views. Nine selections of their better halves.
Twins' day was nearing and we were fantasizing!
In the midst of all this, i took a trip down the memory lane.
Class three mathematics:
topic: Odd & Even numbers.
The teacher was anticipating me to identify a number as odd or even.
Suddenly it hit me.
"NINE is odd!" I almost yelled.
Now the dilemma- nine is odd. How were we to pair up for Twins' day??
Realization dawned upon, we used our persuasion skills to the best to try and ask the only loner in class to make it on that day---to transform the three triplets to five twins.
She was a hard nut to crack-not willing to miss out on some stupid street play for the so happening "twins' day". Then we witnessed a revolutionary speaking among us, by sacrificing and not showing up on that day. But then, crossing the octave hurdle was no easy job for her.
As anticipated, the decisions were never ending....
We somehow unanimously zeroed down on wearing the same color that day-and we did!

It was a day we have not, and I'm sure, we will not forget, especially after it witnessed a lot of group-talks, conferencing and fun moments prior to its coming.

After college, we walked down to a nearby cafe.
on the way, my mind played with thoughts, a little unusually this time.
The three-lettered word "day" was what we call "small mouth-big talks"
When I asked what shoots up in your mind the moment I say 'day', ASG could think of that 'day' when everything went wrong with her.
We passed a cinema hall. It reminded me of yet another 'day'-FRIDAY.
The day when movie buffs go on a spending spree. Nothing unusual about these thought except for the novelty of their associations. Different people have different views about a particular day. The road-side fortune teller may coax you to inaugurate your project on an auspicious MONDAY, but you might refrain from welcoming that same old MONDAY morning after partying till the wee hours of the weekend.
DAYS create history and can be reasons to celebrate.
Enter a greeting-card shop ad you'll be overwhelmed by the innumerable 'days' trying to make room in your lives.
DAYS mean nothing to us.
DAYS mean loads to us!
We lived yesterDAY
we are living toDAY
and with hope,
we shall live the coming DAYs!!

reflection

The picture that you see contains the water (yup! the yellowish one in the bowl) that I was supposed to drink---a home remedy to cure something (it was way back and I don't remember what I was suffering from!)... No, this article does not highlight the magical potentials of this water. Actually, this is not really an article. Just wanted to share this picture (I luvv the reflection in it).... huh....sorry, couldn't come up with something better!!

smile

Last Tuesday, I received a text message from my friend.
It was another of those forwards but this one insisted me to reply.
It read:
"today is 'secret compliment' day!
compliment me on something you ever wanted to, but you never did!
Reply is a must. Reply without any hesitation."

I did. I complimented her on the lovely voice she has that reflected in her unique accented speech.
I knew I had to.
I knew also that it was NOT a 'secret compliment day' and this was on of those messages circulating around since
maybe a couple of years and that which
often came in disguise:
like say, an all confessions day, a wishing day, a....
But then, I thought there was no harm in replying and I went ahead.
Moreover, I also forwarded the same to a couple of my friends. I was curious to receive those 'secret compliments' they had been holding for so long.

Pat came the reply,
"I luvv your creative side!"
Then came another:
"when I first saw you, I wished I had a smile like that!"
Almost automatically, I felt my cheek bones being lifted.
I was smiling.
Excited I forwarded to some more.
I emphasized on "reply is a MUST"...

Came in Thursday and came in another text.
Today was not "secret compliment' day but so wasn't Tuesday.
The smiling spree made me super-excited.
It said, "I think I've never told you how beautiful your smile is even with that bluish tooth in class today!"
(I had undergone a dental job and was mid-way between getting it cemented).
From then, I flash my pearlies more often.

But then come to think of it and I'm sure even you would be delighted to learn that it takes less muscles to smile than it takes to frown!
Smiling comes easy, almost effortlessly for many. Actually for everybody, but the problem is that some don't want to really...
your smile can change your own lives and that of people around you as well.
Try it. It's tested and it works.
Tell me about it.
It has within,a magic, which spreads into everyone who just has a glimpse of it.
So rightly,

"It says we live not in a world of strangers.
It's a gift that wants nothing in return.
It's an unseen handshake from a distance.
It's that simple gesture called a smile."

Sometime in my dream....He came...

Sometime in my dream....
...He came...





Sometime, in my dream,
He came,
to wipe my grief...

oh ya!
Sometime, in my dream,
He came,
to wipe my grief...

life asked me, to do or die
I was low but, the mood was high
I called Him,
to give me peace
And love was-
what he didn't cease...

Sometime, in my dream,
He came,
to wipe my grief...

I called Him,
to give ,me peace
And love was-
what he didn't cease...
He didn't cease, to love me all
He was with me, like someone tall
He told me-
life is a ball
no end to it-
YOU LIVE IT ALL!

Sometime, in my dream,
He came,
to wipe my grief...

....nains m
January 20, 2006.




Truly,
He is so mighty that even the world of the worlds cannot fit Him in,
yet,
He is so tiny that "he dwells in my heart!"