Still Searching!!

I undo my last action
Sit in solitude and contemplate -
What
Where-
As eyelids begin to give away.

I hope
I find
somewhere
the piece that adds up!

Such a smooth affair!

Its unbelievable...watching a movie in mumbai is such a simple affair....

Things u can do in Mumbai and not (even dream of) in B'lore:

3. Walk into a multiplex and buy tickets for a show (new release) on the same day

2. Get extremely inexpensive tickets (100 bucks for regular class)

1. Experience the comfort of recline-able, huge, comfortable, heavenly seats and watch the movie in shavasana....all this for 150 bucks..... :P

Had a super time today!!!

Cheers!!!

Its raining thoughts!!!

Hmmm so this has been a hectic week with lotsa (read: daily) quizzes, long classes, dance practise for the Freshers' Party, group work, studies to do for exams next week (havent started yet), etc.

But I guess thats wot has made time breeze away and it feels great to be almost a month old in Mumbai. I've emerged a survivor.

I did not wanna make a post about Mumbai without spending enough time here coz I always thought I'd be biased to make the "ayyo" statements in every line. Now finally I'm all set to say what I wanna say abt the city:

1. Climate - Its extremely sultry here and the 1st week was by far the worst climate-week of my life. But the rains....ah they've made life pretty neat....I love the Mumbai rains...they really turn u on...and yeah the water clogging is not actually that bad......I quite enjoy walking in the calf-deep still water.

2. People - All types can be found on campus. N I've realised one thing - people will be the people they are. Jus let them be. Go about ur job, make sum nice friends, chit chat, stay happy and life'll be like never before.

3. Home - Calling home everyday makes u feel nice. At least my folks back home are pretty happy to know that I've managed to "live" without them. N honestly, I never thought I could do that. But the distance brings a certain subtlety and refinement to ur relationships. It makes you wanna enjoy the space and the responsibility. It makes you deserve what you long for before you get it. N it actually makes sense, if u think of it objectively.

4. Attitude - The biggest take home. Beyond words.

For me Mumbai has been a world of many 1st times. 1st time -

1. Away from home

2. On my own

3. Living in a hostel (sharing room n loos) :P...having to lock the room evrytime u go out

4. Experiencing so much dirt and filth on the roads

5. Never eating anna saaru and mane oota

6. Travelling in the local (read - trains)

7. Sleeping after 11 pm (yeah, I never slept later than that in Blore)

8. Dancing on the stage

9. Not watching TV at all

10. Bonding so much with kannada (Me: XXX r u from Blore?, XXX: Yes I am!, Me(startled, red n with an unprecedented 100 watt smile): Kannada baratta?, XXX (more often than not): Super aagi, Me: yey!!!)

The following poem is one of my all time favourites. its called - The Oyster... (Dono the writer)

There once was an oyster whose story I tell,

Who found that some sand had got into his shell.

It was only a grain but it gave him great pain,

For oysters have feelings although they're so plain.

Now, did he berate the harsh workings of fate

That had brought him to such a deplorable state?

Did he curse at the government, cry for election,

And claim that the sea should have given him protection?

No--He said to himself as he lay on a shell,

Since I cannot remove it, I shall try to improve it.

Now the years have rolled around, as the years always do,

And he came to his ultimate destiny--stew.

And the small grain of sand that had bothered him so

Was a beautiful pearl all richly aglow.

Now the tale has a moral;

For isn't it grand what an oyster can do

With a morsel of sand.

What couldn't we do

If we'd only begin

With some of the things

That get under our skin.

Mumbai's started to become a special place for me...for helping me bond a lil more with myself and more importantly - for making me work on things that had sooooo gotten under my skin!!

PS - Another 1st time - My longest post :P.....enjoy maadi :P

All the world's a stage??

Over 15 years!

Thats probably how long i've been associated with being on the stage in the context of public speaking!

But each time I address the audience, there is an element of stage fear that encompasses my existance. I'm quite sure I shud've gotten rid of it by now but no - doesnt happen.

Some details:

1. The first inter-class debate I took part in was disastrous. I didnt get past the first line and gave up mid-way with an inexcusable "Cant speak anymore. Sorry!".

2. The first song I sang on stage got me choking twice. Despite winning the competition eventually, I was less happy and more nervous till at least 2 hours after the announcement of results.

3. My first inter-school debate got me the maximum applause of my life from an audience constituted by unknowns.

4. In college I think I did more public speaking than anything else -I'd say at least 4 months per year excluding holidays.

Its been 3 yrs now since I addressed a resonably large audience. And on Wednesday, when we had to make a 5 minute presentation in a class of 90, I felt choked thrice.

Talking about unlearning things and relearning them! Life begins here again....