Christmas in Salalah

Boredom dominates me these days and hence the blog is often left with the stale post stained with the smell of last month's randomity and joy. As much as I love expressing my happiness here, I hate mentioning my sorrow. I always feel that Its upto the blogger to draw in the reader into his/her world, and when I post once in two months anyways, its pretty unfair to let that post succumb to my desperation.

I am currently in Salalah picking up my life where i last left it before entering the doors of the operating room. If I do happen to pick some of the Humor i lost on the way, I'd be one happy man (pun unintended).

Christmas is almost here and celebrating it in Salalah means tray loads of sweets prepared with rations of almond and raisins and tutti-frutti whatnots budgeted out from the parents' november salary. Some purchased from the Local Supermarket and the latter imported from Mumbai through the luggage of one hospitable aunt. We have to give the traditional rum cake a miss though, mom adds; a result of the side-effects of my surgery (No Alcohol of any sort). We can do the 'Neuris' though, those half-moon shaped deep fried stuffed puffs, a staple of any respectable Goan mothers' christmas tray. Now for all those who don't know the tradition of the tray of Christmas sweets, lets just say every Goan household HAS to have one stacked up to the brim with an array of sweet somethings for guests to peck at. My Childhood memories of Christmas in Goa are filled with many instances when my humble peck turned into plundering. Okay, Neuris done and stored out of reach of the Pet Parrot, we're onto the sweet nothings; Kulkul and Shankarpali. Till today No one who has eaten these has even once paused to salute the elongated hours that have gone into the making. Its just *Click* *Crackle* *Chomp* not necessarily even in the same manner! Sometimes the tray of sweets might also have indigenous friends packed and stacked neatly into the same, earlier mentioned aunts' luggage and sent over to Salalah. These include Bebinca (Oh Good Lord, Its too much to make it at home. Lets leave it to the workers slogging in Goan Factories. Merry Capitalism to you too!), Perad (Guava Cheese. Can stink at times but heavenly when eaten, especially when you don't know whats gone inside), and Dodol (Close relative to the Bebinca when it comes to the procedure.). There are a host of other sweets which make it to a Traditional Goan Tray but I just left it to the specifics or rather, the favorites, i must say. ;)

With regards to the decorations, owing to the fact that Dad leaves on the 22nd of December to celebrate Christmas with the Sister and also because half here and half there never form a whole, we shan't be putting up much of those. Maybe just a wreath outside to show our all-christian neighbours that we too have spent money on the decorations (9 Rials Just on the Wreath #FTW). Also we might, just MIGHT spend Christmas out of Home (us referring to Mother and Myself, Dad flies to Mumbai remember?). 

The remainder of the Christmas Week shall see Long Shopping Sprees, Repetitive visits to the 3 measly departmental stores in Salalah, the same old rush to pack and then just 6 hours after i ring in the New Year in Salalah, i shall be off to ring in the new year in Mumbai.

Just thought of giving you a lighter perspective on my otherwise boring stay in Salalah. (Believe me, this dial-up tone played by the modem is like a horror story in my otherwise perfect Hathway Internet-serviced life). Hope You Enjoy It. Ill Plug In later to wish you guys. Go Spread some of the Christmas Cheer now! 

The Runaway Hit

Its been a While, and my oh my what a while has it been.

The past two months have been like this surprise roller-coaster ride which entertains and amazes you at all the sweet spots. It takes you as low as you could possibly go and then the next moment, while you're salivating at the escape routine you just went through, you find yourself being tossed up again. In this see-saw of emotions you look around and find yourself as the centre of possibly all attraction. You suddenly realize that while you are busy taking this ride, you are drawing other people into the picture. First, of course you get your family in. The first respondents in all life-emergency situations. Just round the corner, not so far, stand your core group, which, owing to your short-attention span, you never knew existed. Not ones to be left behind, hot on their heels stand the rest of the people you call friends.

When the ride finally grinds to a halt, you get out and notice that your plight has succumbed to so much pity that you think the post-ride nausea has got the best of you. Its only when you wake up a couple of days later, wide awake on the matress that you can actually gauge and review the intensity of the ride. You can get back to the sharp curves and the steep climbs, the fast descent and the first climb.Everything comes back to you almost as if you're watching your own movie.

The angles crisp and clear, the drama nonetheless present and the climax, as nail-biting as you may have once wanted it to be. The Editing too is flawless. You remember as much as you want to and flush out only that which was a waste of footage anyways.

Its only when the credits roll however, that you realise the true acquaintances. The ones who didn't just attend your premiere for the complimentary popcorn and pepsi. The ones who stayed back to meet the director, not the ones who lingered behind to scoff criticism. You go to your after-party and again can't help but look around as you see just as many people as many you wanted to be present.

This is one movie. though, which is safer tucked away in the closet labelled a 'runaway hit', rather than being agonizingly played again and again to prove a point. All I can say is a big thank you to the ones who were part of it.

Little into my last year

Ah! It has finally happened. Projects have started hitting us left, right and centre and no matter how much we curse them for being there, we can't avoid the minuscule joy we get by their mere presence. We were just done with one on promoting ourselves as brands, for example. My work was definitely not my best for this one, but at the end of the day im glad i was atleast original in my concepts and output. You guys can have a peek at the campaign here.

In other news, I try each day to get to know my freshers' better. Just thought that would be a good way to get around things for once, instead of the usual, "I-am-an-arrogant-senior-you-are-a-puny-FY" kind of thing. Well, sending all of them facebook friend requests might not be the perfect ice-breaker, but i hope I'll get to know them well atleast in a month or two.

I must say its quite odd adjusting to life as a senior. The tables have quite so neatly been turned, as people tend to come to you for advice and consultation on a vast number of issues. This too shall pass i believe.

On a personal front, Every passing week seems to teach me something new in politics or diplomacy. I am kind of getting to look through a lot of fake bubbles, which don't seem to burst but just grow bigger.

If you may not have known before, i still believe that I have to get smitten by the constantly fleeting love bug atleast this year. I desperately feel that no matter how dumb or flawed puppy love may be, its still good while it happens. And as much as i do not want to sound wannabe, now would probably be a good time.

In the meantime, life goes on. College is seemingly good so far and the rumour mills have gotten rid of news related to me i hope, or atleast that is what i pray.

This is a very random post, i know but my cup was full and i needed to pour the overflow out somewhere. :D

My return from Salalah and other non-important subjects

Wheww. Salalah was Fun. Specially when your first week involved being diagnosed with a Stomach problem diagnosed only because of excruciating Stomach pains on being administered a dose of Epsum Salt which was meant to clear the Stomach in the first place. Well that had a somewhat happy ending too, as I had my first experience of being on Saline and a bland diet which only helped my mom think up of tantalizing recipes for fish ands chicken made entirely oil-free and with very few spices.

The Mid-evening and Late-Night escapades were fun, considering the fact that most of my school friends now have Omani Driving Licenses along with Cars they actually drive! Well THAT only shows me where i stand on the Status List today, and i must confess, besides BMM, i have nothing to present to the world. Maybe a pack of Gulf-Imported Galaxy. Just That.

Mornings were terribly boring as i had to keep company to my pet parrot, a literal pain in my huge little backside. My Dad really loves him which is probably why he stuck around so much anyways.

I had this really nice routine done up for me where i decided to watch one movie from the Oceans' series every night, three-days-in-a-row. I realised with disgust why a Badmaash Company couldn't even get close to this wonder of a series. I also fell in love with Detective Beckett and the "Castle" series. Hoping to get my hands on a season soon.

With all this fun and merry-making you can bet your ass off I was missing Mumbai and the beautiful and sexy people who live here who have the privilege to be called "Brian's Friends" :D (Yes that was lame). I felt a little dagger stab me oh-so-softly when i realised i would be a week late for college. It was good the same dagger didn't show up when i learnt of my diet-to-be for the next one year. I would have probably pulled that dagger out and thrown it at the Doc. instead (The Bugger charged around 8k JUST for his first sitting).

Anyways, i returned to Mumbai two days back, on the 16th....and life which seemed would get better, is actually not. I seem really bored in classes, and something's probably gone wrong somewhere. Just waiting to figure out what. If you are an inquisitive classmate of mine and probably know what's bugging me, please write in at my e-mail id. I really need to get a hang of this unworldy flu.

The Heats getting to me...

Had all gone well, i would have probably been in Manori right now, lying on the sand or probably frolicking in the water, but plans in BMM have a nasty way of going wrong right about the last minute. So it happens again, indecisiveness comes to the rescue and i am home instead, having cancelled a very good plan of my own making.

Staying at home is also something that I have begun to find extremely boring. Well it always is! Even the wonderful occurrence of me getting to sleep as much as i may ever want sounds very unappealing. Like always, i would love to have a sleep-crisis just about now. but then thats all BMM's fault. Entirely.

After joining this seemingly "creative" course, I have discovered that If everything feels right, Its probably not. Even all this sleep in bountiful numbers seems fake to say the very least. Its like ill wake up one morning to a phone call where Jubin's probably at the other end telling me to rush to college with my project (which btw, will be half-complete as always). Fake. The word in itself has obtained numerous meanings in the past two years. In this little course I study in, and after having experienced different kinds of people, I can rightly say that, "In BMM, Everyone is fake until proven otherwise".

The Heat seems to be getting to me as you can see. Randomity prevails in most of my posts in this season. Its like someone's messed up with my brain. Just cant get my thoughts out on paper in a neat and ruled manner. My thoughts don't even seem to be mine all of a sudden. They just crop up from the corners of my brain

Ok. Back to BMM. Third Year to begin shortly. For now, Sudhakar is in Ladakh, on a trek, dealing with demons on his own. God please keep him sane. I want to get through my interview without having to give those gigantic book reviews. Must say my interview last year was a breeze. Hope similar weather conditions prevail this time around.

I constantly feel the need of a two-wheeler. Feel like asking my parents for one. But then again, for one, I think its too early, and secondly, I know they'll be too reluctant anyways. Seems my Kundali (Hindi for Horoscope) has indicated major problems between me and a two-wheeler.

Okay, BMM again. I was just browsing through a few of my TY's photographs on facebook. Hope my year ahead is awesome. Will try not to get too many people to hate me. Well, I do know that people can bitch quite an awful lot about moi. But for now, lets not initiate any hate clubs please.

Girlfriends. I last heard that this little part of a boy's life happens in college. Well im not quite desperate, but would like to get my dose of this little vaccine called puppy love soon. Well with me i'd rather call it Bull Dog Love, but then thats just one Sad PJ which will probably help draw me far from prospective applicants for the post of my lady love.

Festivals. Want to win one of these in my third year. and i definitely might be a little desperate here, but I'd definitely want to do what Royce calls, "Peeing on San Marco". Things wont get that worse if Wilson wins a festival, but I just want to deliver one of those shockers to that nasty little college in Bandra and its students who think no end of themselves. Hopefully this shall be the year.

Well, enough random thoughts. I do not want to make this note any longer. So, here I am, this is me, there's no where else I'd rather be.

Us Humans..

A Friend of mine just started her own blog, Aparna Nair i usually love the way she writes, however there was one post i read today which i was quite against. Not that It was offensive, I just thought i had a better outlook to the topic.

She wrote on how humans always think that the grass is greener on the other side but regret it only after they've made their shift to the better portion. I do admit, that humans take the "sophistication" to another level already. We spend quite sometime making choices which we one way or the other will come to regret in the near future. She also speaks on how we know that things are about to go wrong but we look away from the negatives and still commit mistakes.

In my response, rather, my review of the situation, i'd like to say that the above stated would be mere pre-requisites us humans have. These are totally habitual. But there ARE ways to make sure that the gravitational forces amidst all the change don't get to us. The tip basically, is to surprise yourself.

As an example, let me revert back to the months of August last year. My class was just done with the mammoth task that was Polaris 2009 (An Inter-collegiate festival). And post the festival, even amongst the plethora of subjects thrown to us by the course, we felt as if we had a creative block. Most of us just couldn't think right! We had almost exhausted our energies preparing for the event. And as much silly as it could sound, I must admit, We were indeed affected. It was in the Emergency Swine Flu vacations however, that a few of us got together and said that we needed to escape from our routine. We needed to break free, of sorts. So before we knew it, we set off for the town of Daman, in Gujarat. We hit the road early in the morning and the little drizzle we recieved really set things right. We managed to stay in Daman only for a day. But almost everyone agreed, that it was a welcome respite.

We returned on the next day, and the trip was finished. But believe it or not, we were refreshed in the most odd ways one could ever think of! I personally love those trips, where one leaves in the middle of a deepening crisis, travels afar where he is left solely to himself, and then returns to take up the business with a fresh state of mind.

So, here ends my review of us as humans. We are unpredictable and my guess is that we should remain that way, for the sole reason that we get to surprise ourselves. Do new things, we may have never done before, in order to never get bored with a limited schedule and boredom at work.