Monday, December 27, 2010

An impulse post...

Once again, life is busy. Our school's Annual Day is coming up. And based on the annual tradition, here are some of the "rules" of the annual day:

1. Study goes from full to nil in a week. Students run off to practise (or pretend to) and teachers go over to help them practise (!)
2. There's no better time in the year to socialize and catch up with friends whom you haven't seen in a while
3. After a point, you give up on working harder and harder and focus on peace of mind instead
4. You get used to hearing "didi" and "bhaiya" when you're working with your juniors
5. If you're considered responsible at all, you're wanted on special service by half a dozen teachers
6. You discover that running up and down the stairs with papers in hand is an excellent way to work out
7. You find all kinds of freebies everywhere including, wait for it...free cake
8. Teachers act very, VERY different all of a sudden, some acting joyous, and others, snappish
9. You sometimes feel like a doormat, before you forget it and get into school spirit again
10. Once the decoration work and rehearsals start, confusion reigns supreme !

My main contribution this time has been to train the NCC cadets. I've been working hard everyday (even out of school) to get them into shape. We have to train groups of them to greet the chief guest when he arrives. And believe me, it's no easy task.You're having to deal with students from  from 7th to 10th class by teaching them how to turn, stand at attention and go through different motions as well as keeping them disciplined. You're practically guaranteed the following if you want a good outcome: throats hoarse from shouting, ears tired from hearing complaints, legs tired with running here and there to get things going, irritation from idiots shouting taunts and brains overworked with stress. Me and the other commanders had our lows, when we felt so depressed that we felt like quitting. We had some highs where we thought it could still be salvaged. But now we're trying for a more practical approach. This is the net result of our hopes, dreams and efforts. We can do our best and then hope for the best. If we're disappointed, well, we'll all be pretty hurt for a while, but ultimately, there's no logical reason to blame ourselves too much. The experience was worth it and we can only hope that it will be as memorable for the cadets as it was for us. NCC has a special place in our hearts and we only hope that the spirit will be carried forward by the young students whom we trained this time.

It's been tricky to keep up with classroom studies and practices. Luckily, the teachers and my fellow students have been wonderfully understanding, so I didn't have much trouble. In the meantime, there are enough theatrics everywhere to keep us amused. Especially from watching rehearsals which is a great source of laughs and jokes - Right from the my home turf, the NCC, to the drama and choir rehearsals, and even at random moments in the corridors. From prizewinners to participants, everyone is part of it!

But in a few days, it'll all be over and it'll be the start of the winter vacations. Another in the line, *Sigh*

I'm not saying that we don't need vacations. A student's life is incomplete without holidays to laze around in, right? And in this winter cold, who wants to freeze themselves by going to school? But we've just had so MANY holidays this year. Summer vacations, autumn break, commonwealth holidays and of course, public holidays with weekends. Last session, I'd had enough of sitting home for two months before my boards. I really think I've had enough of holidays for a while now. Actual study is getting interrupted again and again when we have exams early in 11th class. Do we need another vacation? Ah well, better find some way not to get bored. Best of luck to me!

I'll also confess I'm really nervous about 12th, or rather, after 12th coming closer. Last year of school, boards, career, alma mater, college and other such topics run through my mind like cunning hunters. As if they're just waiting for me to mess up.( Yeah, I take on a lot of advance pressure, any tips from my readers? )

In the meantime, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all my readers! Hope you have a wonderful year ahead  :)




Cheers, people!



Image from : http://joonbug.com/national/glamdamnit/Need-Gifts-For-Your-Trendy-Friends/BR5pgf4NAjL

Friday, December 17, 2010

Hi everyone!

And I'm baaaaaaacccccckkkkkk!

Yes, after about two months of staying away, I'm back. I've updated the blog with a new post and a new template. In this last month before the new year, I'll have enough time to update my blog more often. And yes, I probably deserve to be punished anyway.



*Stands up bravely for the virtual storm of tomatoes, potatoes, eggs etc.*


Yeah, I've been EXTREMELY negligent these last few months. (BTW, Anyone miss me?)


And yes, I have been feeling very very guilty too. So moving on. 


Life's been crazy busy these last few months. My reasons for not updating my blog kept changing with time. Here's a condensed list:


1. Procrastination
2. An on-off obsession with productivity, which stopped me from accessing the net for a days at a time
3. Teachers adding lots of unofficial tasks 
4. Trying to build up a chain of posts which would release one after another so I wouldn't have to worry about updating
5. Using my computer time to explore other subjects like writing better, public speaking, music, books, movies etc.
6. Working hard for a chain of inter school competitions 
7. Things in every sphere of life were fast and one day led to another.


But like I said, I'm sorry to all my readers. You guys are the reason I developed some confidence and interest in my writing skills. Thanks for waiting so patiently until this post.


So as a compensation, here's one of my poems. (I wrote it about two months ago) Hope you'll like it! 




Before the sun rose




In this dawn time, things are quite still
Except for the occasional passing car and the delicate calls of early birds
One lone streetlight still shines
Even as the light blue sky and its white moon fade, forgotten
To be replaced by a golden tinge along the horizon

That orange arc far away reminds me that the real sun will rise soon
Leaving but pale memories of these tinges and arcs
And while some have woken to meet the sun
Others slumber, waiting for a different reminder of the new day

As the time passes, I see flocks of birds and more cars
I see trucks, vegetable sellers and newspaper boys
But few people look around, busy in fulfilling the purpose for which they had risen
Except the many folks out for their morning walks
And cute dogs going for their own

So far, the tree leaves have been quite still
They barely even fluttered with the breeze
As if they, the heavy sleepers, the perpetual workers
Were not to be disturbed

I look up once more from my writing
Birds are flying past the blending colours
The soft spectrums of yellow, brown, orange and blue along the horizon
As if they are part of them, painted by an artist

It is silent once more and I’m alone on my balcony
But a bird on the streetlight calls out to me
It comforts me, saying that even in the chaos of humanity
I will find nature and its beauty, if I look

As the sparkling crimson makes me turn to gaze
She flutters away after her friends
And I run in to my studies.

                                  
- Charu

Imagine nature and humanity together...





Well, It's time to go to all the blog posts which I read recently, but didn't comment on. Cheers people!






:) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :D Glad to be back ;)

Charu
















(P.S. - I'd like to avoid any copyright complications. This image I used was taken from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:New_Delhi_North_Block.jpg and originally came from the Flickr page here http://www.flickr.com/photos/13527886@N00/369077062/)