Diary of a Wimpy OLD kid !

so.. Firstly I actually like Reading diary of a wimpy kid.. it actually talks about the real things that we as kids went through...
well.. kid not anymore.. but an old kid yeah!!  I have always been confined to this bubble of mine where everything is easy.. you just call mommy or daddy for anything you need and voila the next day its there ( i'am not talking expensive things!) you want to go out? sure kid take the car the driver is there tell him exactly where you need to go..
so mostly its just been college -home-back to college!
Come INTERNSHIP ! .. a little flashback.. I had a small surgery two days before my internship could start.. so what happens? well water works ! sobbing in front of daddy saying how will I do this.. what if it hurts me.. what if I faint .. what if.. well the cranky list continues.. My superman daddy :D haha he says Well hon don't worry come work with me.. il get you the certificate for internship.. hell il even do the project.. don't you cry.. don't you worry.. everything will be great all will be good.. lil me stops crying then..
Then comes internship day.. and.. it was difficult but I decided that I will try being more independent and try pushing myself rather than acting like a lil baby!
So I pick up the phone and call up my manager.. she says " okay you have to visit all the shops in Koregao PArk and report to me in the evening ! " I was like " huh ?.. wait what? you want me to go to Koregao Park which is 13 km away from my house? alone? and I don't even know the route? you.. actually want me to go there ?"
I obviously didn't say this.. what I said was.. " Okay Mam."... and then ? well return of the water works!!
So as usual I vented out to my bestie and she calmed me down.. I did the job and honestly it was great.. :) I had fun .. it was a new and beautiful place.. :)

Long story short.. If you also sometimes find yourself in such situations .. talk it out to someone.. family.. friends and go for it.. do something new.. push yourself.. check your limits :)

PS: daddys darling got the driver and car to take her to Koregao Park.. but hey.. I did have my own efforts too ;) haha


Laters darlings!

N

 

HOPE !

Tears in my eyes... while watching a movie!! SHOCKER !!(could be because of the chums.. just.. may be!) I normally don't cry while watching movies.. I infact pride myself in front of friends when they say they cried in this movie during this scene and id b like.. Blah " are you kidding me.. I laughed my ass off at that scene!"

so here i was watching this movie.. crying at the end scene.. a little about the movie.. its called. WE bought a Zoo..

the movie starts with this cute little family dealing with the loss of the mother and in turn wants a whole new change.. just wants NEW.. and in the process ends up buying a house... that has a ZOO attached to it!! pretty new huh !so through their unending problems of adjusting of moving on and reviving the zoo.. which if fails will probably kill all the animals or transfer them.. and through their journey of self discovery of patience of hope.. the triumph all the obstacles and help each other in moving on to a better place..
the main climax is the week following the opening of the zoo.. it starts raining!! it rains the whole week and at the day of the opening its all sunny and bright ..
everyone is happy.. standing all dressed in new uniforms all polished.. but.. no one come... but this little boy still believes.. he runs towards the entrance and finds this huge tree blocking the entrance and all the visitors stranded on the other side.. that scene.. where his belief didn't make him give up.. that made my eyes swell..

Aren't  life's hardships like those rainy days? where everything is dark ,cloudy.. but all i have to say is.. don't lose hope , don't give up, don't stop believing .. because just like that sunny day at the end of the rainy week.. just like all those people stranded at the other side of the entrance... the good side.. the side where your " happy ever after part lies.. its there its still waiting.. just pass through all those rainy days with hope for the best.. ( I am trying too ) its very difficult.. but push yourself :)











Lots of love
*N

 

the magical flower

Faded... losing all the light.. the flower lay there in her hand.. " the magical Flower " she referred it as.. something that made her believe.. something that gave her trust... now.. it just looked like a rotting old flower that had given up through the tough times
the storm the rains the sun.. the mud the ice.. it took all the love away.. the love that once gave the girl hope.. that gave her peace that gave her assurance .. it now just gave her pain..

Let go.. her friends said. let go, it wont do you any good to cling on something that has faded.. that has given up..
the magical flower had given up easy.. the light travelled far away without letting the girl say goodbye.. without her taking one last look at the flower that gave her magic.. she now just looks the flower.. a mere flower.. that dark black colours that have slowly come on her palms.. she tries to wash it off at the pond.. slips her hands in feeling the cold water piercing her senses.. creating ripples in the pond... and reminding her the way the flower gave up..
Its time she thinks.. she takes the flower... and lets it go.. lets it flow away.. in the pond.. looks at it till it finally settles at the ground... she clearly can see.. what it was.. and what it has become now.. she thinks to herself its time to let go on the "could haves " and focus on the present.. gently she walks away as a fairy takes her in her arms and asks her to fly and not look back at that flower.. she gives her hope that a flower doesn't define you.. cant change you...
its only you...


* N

            I need to vent.

            I’ve had a breakup. It’s not that big a deal. Except that it kinda is a big deal. The previous two sentences pretty much sum up how I’ve been feeling for the past two months.

            This has been my first major breakup. And I’m not kidding when I say ‘major’. The last time I was single, it was three days before my 16^th birthday. I’m going to be 22 in February. How’s that for perspective?

            The why doesn’t matter right now. The repercussions of this event matter. I’ve been in a very fluid state of mind these days. And that fluid also happens to be very volatile.

            My breakup has shifted a lot of priorities for me. Loving someone means you make them the centre of your universe. And now that universe feels decidedly off kilter. Decisions made that seemed best for the relationship then must be re-evaluated now, keeping only my benefit in mind. I always thought myself to be a one-and-done kind of girl; utterly convinced that there was just one perfect soul mate for everybody out there. Now I am not so sure anymore. Sometimes I catch myself thinking what foolish, childish notions I used to believe in before. I feel like every time I told someone that true love exists, it was nothing but hollow preaching. I’m not jaded towards others’ relationships, I just feel like I might have lost a part of myself that might be irreplaceable. I find myself wanting to hide behind the veil of sarcasm and humor and not let people see just how much I feel broken on the inside.

            Right now I could give you several valid reasons why the breakup was necessary. I can tell you rationally why I couldn’t be with my ex anymore. But then in the very next second, I just feel so miserable; willing to do anything just to exchange sweet nothings with him again. It’s like a simultaneous conversation in my head; the sappy emotional side wants to bawl when our song comes on while the rational side just wants to keep busy. I get an attack of ‘feels’ very randomly and sometimes without a trigger. I feel like I shouldn’t burden my friends with these random emotions that my hormones keep throwing me into; but I keep wishing someone would just read my mind and tell me how to navigate through this emotional bog.

            I’ve seen uncountable relationships fail. I’ve seen all of my friends go through those stages- denial, grief, anger, acceptance. I’ve consoled so many people through all the torrents of emotion. I know that such moods are prone to strike me; yet, even as I sob, one part of me wonders that if I saw it coming, why am I still bawling? Sometimes, a part of me knows that it’s unhealthy to just lie around and stuff my face with Snickers and cry over every single YouTube video that held any significance in my failed relationship, yet I feel like that rational part is telling me that’s alright to go on with it. It is just a passing stage.

            I wonder if anyone reading this actually understands the conversation happening inside my head. Sometimes I don’t understand it myself. I just want to be 100% sappiness-free. I don’t want to be assaulted with emotions without warning. I know the drill of a breakup by now, thanks to all my friends’ experiences; I want to bypass all the unnecessary mental trauma, is all. But then again, it seems like my own brain is telling me, the trauma is required, if I want to heal.

            Boy, you’d think being in the medical field, I’d have learnt by now how to shut off these feels. I guess not.

            (This isn’t the best of my work, I admit it. I just find it difficult to concisely explain what I am going through right now)

~I

Cooking for Chumps

A few days ago, a friend of mine showed me a chicken recipe so laughably easy, it was absolutely mind blowing. Now, as much as I love her as a friend, she is a bit culinarily (that’s not a word. Yes, I know. Yes, I just made up a word. I’m very proud) challenged. And yet, she pulled off the dish with élan. That’s because the entire process is riddled with shortcuts. Here’s how it goes.

        You take some pieces of chicken in a bowl. And to it, you add dashes of whichever sauce you prefer. My friend added plain ketchup, red chili sauce, green chili sauce and dark soy sauce. Add in some crushed garlic and just a pinch of salt. Marinate for minimum one hour. Then add a few drops of oil in a nonstick wok. Add the marinated chicken pieces with less than half a glass of water. Cook till its done. Prep time- less than 5 minutes. Cook time- anywhere between 10 to 30 minutes depending on the size of the pieces and the presence of bones.

        That’s all. When I tried to recreate her dish, I took more of an oriental route. I added some sesame oil and oyster sauce. Just as brilliant. Just as delicious. Just as simple.

Why has this dish sent me into such a tizzy you ask? The dish goes well with rice. It goes well with bread (either fresh off the loaf or toasted). It goes well with chapattis and phulkas. Make it into pizza toppings! Turn it into sandwich or paratha fillings! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the dish which answers so many prayers in one go.

Look at the possibilities! The only constant ingredient in the marinade needs to be ketchup. Everything else is variable. Want an Indian twist to it? Add some garam masala, some curd and some turmeric. Continental food is your go-to? Add plentiful crushed garlic and some herbs like oregano, thyme and rosemary. I’ve already described the Oriental options.

Besides, you can forgo the water in the dish and serve it dry as an appetizer. You can add extra water and turn it into a curry. You can even substitute the protein element with some other alternative like cottage cheese, soy nuggets, sea food or vegetables! (in fact, I considered naming this article “Chicken for Chumps” when I realized that even the chicken element is a variable).

Mind not boggled yet? Imagine how many ways this dish can be your salvation. You can have it when you come back home after a grueling day and do not have the energy or inclination to make a complicated meal. You can rustle it up when you get news of unexpected (or uninvited) guests. You could be a harried mother of six kids or a clueless BPO employee crashing with three more clueless roomies whose diet is primarily made up of Maggi noodles. It doesn’t matter if you’re a kitchen noob or a seasoned chef. You could be in Kashmir or you could be in Kanyakumari.

Let me sign off now while you try to wrap your head around this amazing dish. You’re welcome ;)

~I

Things I Learnt (Still Learning) During Engineering

1.       Whoever said Computer Engineering is easy… Bitch Please!

2.       Engineering screws everybody. No partiality

3.       Assignments, though designed for individual evaluation, are a team effort. One writes, the whole class copies (taking Ctrl-C very seriously… Computer Engineers, you see!)

4.       Practical sessions are our way of connecting to the outside world. INTERNET!

5.       Practicals are spent in guessing the admin password, gateway password and looking out for hot seniors.

6.       After the practical session:

Geeks: Arrey mera who program run hi nahi hua yaar!

Normal people: Did you check that video of making a bow out of paper? Interesting.

7.       Attending lectures for attendance, not knowledge. Because knowledge can be gained during preparatory leave (PL). But attendance ek hi baar milti hai sahib!

8.       Don’t act smart… Just, DON’T!

9.       Scenes outside an exam hall

Before the exam: What IS this shit?

After the exam: What WAS that shit?

10.   On normal college days: Movie chalo, lecture chalo, canteen chalo, etc.

On result day: Jai Mata Di, Aal izz well, Lord help me; I’m a good child, hey bhagwan!

11.   Engineering makes you a hardworking individual- One night before an exam!

12.   Jugaad is the keyword.

13.   Finally, engineering is fun; till it screws you.

~ Vivacious V

Dealing with Distance

            Before I even begin, let me just put this disclaimer out there- I don’t have any certified degree that gives me the right to dispense advice for anything. I’m just an average Jane; scrambling to make my attendance quota in college, worrying about passing my exams and obsessing over every new pimple that erupts on my face, take up most of my day, just like 99.99% of you people out there.

But all I know is, I’ve been in a relationship with the same boy since what feels like forever, he’s a cadet in the Merchant Navy, and between the couple of times he’s been away at sea, I’ve accumulated a total of 18 months of being in a long distance relationship. Plus, the world (read- my Facebook newsfeed) is just filled to bursting with people who break off relationships when things start to get serious and people dissing long distance. There seems to be this unanimous opinion in people’s minds that maintaining long distance is a Herculean task which isn’t worth the effort that goes into making it work. Others feel that long distance is synonymous with cheating on your partner. Well, I beg to disagree. I mean, whatever happened to ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’?

Being in a relationship, any kind of relationship, not just long distance, is hard. I mean, why would you choose to go steady with a person until and unless you were 300% sure that person was worth the time, effort and emotional investment? Even if you put in a variable like distance into the equation, your opinion shouldn’t waver. If you ARE indeed 300% sure that the person is worth the time, effort and emotional investment, there’s absolutely no need to think any further. Your feelings shouldn’t be affected by whether your better half is standing 3 inches away from you or 30,000 miles away.

Our (that is, Gen Y’s) greatest advantage is that we live in the digital age. If you think LDR is impossible today, what would people do earlier when they’re sweethearts left town to go to college in a city far away or got a job somewhere at the other end of the world? They had to rely on good ole snail mail to hear from each other. The worry and frustration must have been at least twofold greater. Today, however, all it takes is a matter of seconds to get in touch with someone. There are so many communication platforms. Facebook Messenger, Whatsapp, Telegram, Line, Hike, Skype, WeChat, Yahoo Messenger, GTalk, Hangouts… C’mon! Do I even need to continue? Even the remotest of areas have some traces of cellular network. If you’re very lucky, there’s even 3G sometimes! Any workplace today is hooked up with snazzy super fast WiFi. I know we’re all looked upon as this anti-social generation, hooked on to our mobile screens, unaware of things beyond our Twitter or Facebook newsfeed, but then again, in today’s times, the internet is our guardian angel, the savior of our sanity when it comes to long distance.

The first step to dealing with long distance is, ironically, the same as the first step in shaking off an addiction. You need to accept the reality. Keep reminding yourself that this is real, you are in a long distance relationship, and this will be your foreseeable future for quite a while to come. This way, when you can feel yourself go down that road of insecurity and self-doubt, you can remind yourself that you volunteered to do it, of your own will and you do have what it takes to see yourself through it.

I don’t understand why people believe that long distance murders their social life. Excuse me, but did you sign some sort of agreement that you will morosely stare at your phone 24x7 waiting for some sign from your partner that (s)he is still alive? What happiness can be got from walking around all day in your PJs like a zombie, eyes bloodshot from crying, watching chick flicks all the time and dreaming up perfect happily-ever-afters in your head? NONE. Just a heads-up, the relationship hasn’t ended. So get your act together and stop acting like it has. Long distance is the perfect reason for you to dive back into life with a vengeance.Meet some old friends. Make some new ones. Take up an extracurricular activity. Hone some skills. Get a job. Start a new hobby. The possibilities are infinite. You can keep yourself distracted and you never know just how much that flambé class may enrich your life!

At the same time, don’t get too swept away in this miracle we all call life. Now since my boyfriend is never in the same time zone as me, I don’t have a fixed schedule of when he’s free to communicate, but through trial and error I’ve realized that he’s usually free from late afternoon to late evening, in my time. For people residing in the same time zone, fix up a schedule when you both will be able to sit down and talk at length and catch up with what’s happening in the other’s life. And when you do that, make sure no other task comes in the way. Show your partner that they have your undivided attention. Regular communication is essential. And when some unavoidable circumstances come up and either you or your partner cannot find the time to touch base on some particular day, don’t grudge them for it. I’m pretty sure no one would be so cruel and petty on purpose. When you are in LDR, a fleeting message like ‘Have a good day hon’ or just a kissing emoji means a lot more than it looks like. It means that someone is still thinking of you. Someone cares enough for you to make time out for you while they are swamped in work, bone tired or both.

Be more considerate. Be more allowing. Trust your partner. Otherwise the relationship is ear marked for doom. Girls, don’t be divas and play hard-to-get. Don’t play at all. LDR is not an ideal situation for games. Be liberal when it comes to interpreting messages. For example;

Me- Hi hon! Where are you?

Him- Atlantic Ocean

(The next day)

Me- Hi sweetie! Where have you reached now?

Him- Do you think the Atlantic is our Mula-Mutha kya? To be crossed in one day. I’m still in the Atlantic.

            Now there are two ways of interpreting this message. I could choose to be affronted and pick a fight with my boyfriend for the silliest of reasons. Or I could choose to laugh at the joke he made and then life goes on as normal. In long distance, people are pressed for time anyway. Why would you want to spend the already limited time that you have on arguments? Sometimes, arguments aren’t resolved in a day. The bitter sentiments spill over and ruin the conversation for days to come after that. So, put your ego aside and look at the sunnier side of things. Virtual messaging platforms cannot convey sarcasm very well. So you cannot be insinuating and hinting at things all the time. Be direct and upfront. Share lighthearted things with your partner. Tell him/ her about new movies in town, new songs doing the party circuit, all the gossip about who hooked up with whom. Ask them about their day. Be eager and interested.

Now, I know that the key to a happy relationship is utter honesty, but there is one exception clause in the case of an LDR. Maybe your partner doesn’t need to know that today you cut yourself while shaving. Or that you had an argument with your parents. Or that you’ve had a face-off with your BFF. Or that someone stole your lunch. I mean, not only are these things really REALLY trivial, it’sabsolutely no use bothering your partner with all this info. Can they magically kiss your boo boo and make it alright? Do you think they can spare the time to analyze your life and why no one understands you? Why would you even make them worried for you for such small issues? Serious things like a bad illness or an accident or an especially vivious exam paper may merit some discussion; but then again, try to be strong for your partner. Don’t whine, don’t be a bitch (excuse my French) and don’t dwell on your issues like you normally would.

Don’t expect to be waited on hand-and-foot in the relationship. Learn to compromise. Don’t go leaping to conclusions. Don’t add 2 and 2 to make 22. Take some initiative sometime. Be the person who makes larger-than-life gestures. Surprise your partner with a sudden visit. Ask a friend to deliver a Valentine’s day present on your behalf. Make a video montage or a picture collage for special occasions. Send them care packages. Just because you may be physically distant, it shouldn’t stop you or your other half from feeling the love.

This may seem like a disagreeable point, but avoid discussing the nitty-gritties of your relationship with people in your friends’ circle who haven’t experienced what you have. They may be sympathetic but they wont be able to empathize with you. If they enquire, politely tell them that you’re fine and steer the conversation to a different topic. You can open up to people who are in the same situation, compare notes as to what makes other long distance couples tick and share your doubts and insecurities.

Last, but definitely not the least, when you and your better half have the luxury of physical proximity, make every moment count. Spend time together. Click a ton of pictures. Party like no tomorrow. Take trips together. Focus on making new memories instead of dreading the time they might leave again. And never, EVER, take your relationship or your partner for granted.

~ I