Not much to say :(

Dear readers, I'm sorry. My writing gene seems to have shrivelled up and gone on holiday lately. Though I'm penning down any ideas as they come, the drive and will to write them out is missing. Call it laziness, being overworked or writer's block, it'll be a while before I can pen you something fresh. So for now, here's a poem I'd written earlier on the topic of Nuclear weapons. Could I have some feedback?

                                            Hear the call to be free

My life was a dream I didn’t appreciate

With beauty, life and happiness I didn’t create

Without asking, I had been granted

That the sun was shining and the trees had been planted.

Then what went wrong, what was my crime?

That the rivers dried up and were coated in grime

That the sun felt cold and the birds wouldn’t sing

That we no longer knew the joy a home could bring.

Life was a struggle and there was daily pain

Toiling for answers in the hot sun left us drained

The places I had known my entire life

Were all sacrificed for someone’s else’s strife

But it was not only buildings that were ground into dust

We lost our hopes, our dreams and our trust

Oft repeated as that is, things will never be the same

Especially when people close to you have gone blind or deaf or lame

Life and love were torn away

Many journeys and meetings went astray

Fresh rain can’t wash away the dirt left behind

New grass can’t make us forget the sadness, the hurt in our minds

Our live are diseased, polluted forever

Even now when we’re older, matured and clever

Questions we can’t answer and the nightmares of our youth

Still haunt us today despite others’ ruth

Consider this please, consider the cost

Consider what all will be lost

The people, the conditions, the things you value will be gone

And then you’ll have to start again and move on

Stop this destruction from ruining your days

Say no to nuclear weapons and make others change their ways

Remember, only differences in thinking shouldn’t cause it all

When all it takes is to hear the call.


                                      -  Charu

I've been pretty busy handling republic day celebrations, sports day, homework and self reproach. I'm trying to catch up on reading and actual studying. And there's like a hundred different things running through my mind at the same time, so things in my life are a little strained.

Most interesting event lately: Being reminded over and over that I'll soon be in 12th a.k.a. board year. Boo!

Yeah, I'm not even feeling at ease. Emotions have been running high this last week with anger, self-annoyance and some moments of happiness. But now that the weekend is here, I'm feeling much better. Finally I'll be able to do some actual study, the reason for which I go to school. And I'll get to face to projects which count in my finals. And my eyes feel sore already.

Wish me luck in the new week. And the same to all my readers too :)


Image from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Operation_Upshot-Knothole_-_Badger_001.jpg

It was cold !

A lot's been happening between my last post and this one. Books, music, movies and commitments have had my brain in a whirl. And looking back, these holidays have been exciting.


I visited the British Council Library at CP for the first time (had some absolutely heavenly aloo chaat outside it too!) and visited the Delhi Book Fair on the same day. I wandered around all day with wide eyes and untiring feet and ended up buying...nothing (classic move). Celebrated the new year with cake. Did some *gasp* study. Spent some free time in the school library near my house. Did some shopping. Read plenty of blog posts, with or without commenting. Worked a lot on the computer. Lazed around at home. That about covers the main stuff and today's the last day of my winter vacations. Tomorrow I have an Economics exam I feel unprepared for. But I am excited that school is FINALLY starting again. 


The main discussion topic everywhere was the winter chill. The sun seemed to be going on hibernation now and then. It was very windy most of the time and it still is a little cold inside the house and out. No one felt like coming out of the blankets in the morning and my 6:30 wakeup time went straight to 8:30 (And yes, I know even that is considered early by most students). The sun set early and wherever the heater was became a second home for most people. 


I haven't written much during the vacations. I'd fallen into the trap of over thinking the process of writing. I'll have to work on getting back to it somehow. But in the meantime, I would like to share this poem I came across. Hope you like it!

How to leave the world that worships should 

Let faxes butter-curl on dusty shelves.
Let junkmail build its castles in the hush
of other people’s halls. Let deadlines burst
and flash like glorious fireworks somewhere else.
As hours go softly by, let others curse
the roads where distant drivers queue like sheep.
Let e-mails fly like panicked, tiny birds.
Let phones, unanswered, ring themselves to sleep.

Above, the sky unrolls its telegram,
immense and wordless, simply understood:
you’ve made your mark like birdtracks in the sand -
now make the air in your lungs your livelihood.
See how each wave arrives at last to heave
itself upon the beach and vanish. Breathe.

Seaside Sonnets by Ros Barber

Nice, isn't it? And as a little bit of trivia, this is iambic pentameter, kind of like what Shakespeare wrote :)


In other news, I'm planning to revive and finally finish my ten part series on working for the environment. But I know that if the posts aren't regular, it won't be as much fun. So this time, I'll write the remaining 5 parts first, and then post them one after another. I'll also change the format by adding some links, videos, audio etc. to make it more interesting. 

Nothing much else to share, so I'll stop here. Better go and revise for my exam tomorrow

What will this year bring?

Wish you loads of laughter and happiness in this new year :)
 Charu




Image taken from : http://dailyrevolution.com/?p=656

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

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/)

Stuck at home...again

I'm writing this post on the 8th of september (that sounds lame). I've been feeling guilty for a while for not updating my blog and I don't have much to do, so here's an update from my end.

Let's start with the title of this post. Why am I home? Oh, the epidemics currently travelling in the city of Delhi decided to pick on a student of 11th class. One who gets frantic if she has to miss school, doesn't like covering up missed work and is worried about half yearly exams on Monday. Just her luck. Here's how it started (and in case you don't feel like reading a sick diary, feel free to skip to the end):

• My diary says that the symptoms started on the...30th. The day started off with a bodyache, headache and temperature. Of course, my family insisted I stay home and after a lot of protest, I had to agree. I did feel guilty as I knew that I might miss work, but I optimistically hoped that I wouldn't miss too much. In the meantime, I sat at home, lazily watching a movie on TV while announcements in school (I live right across my school) kept on blaring. I even sat home making up theories for the symptoms: basketball, stress and a heavy school bag 

• On visiting the doctor, I was told (to my horror) that I had viral fever. To add to the experience, the doctor told me to stay home for three days and take about five different medicines every day. Now let me say it straight away: I don't like swallowing medicines. I think it's a deep seated fear of choking. However a girl's got to do what a girl's got to do. So I just had to take those coin sized pills. On the bright side though, all symptoms vanished with the first dosage. But I knew perfectly well I wouldn't be allowed to go to school until three days were over.

• I spent the next three days in my words "going up and down the stairs like a restless spirit". Luckily, I also took out time to read a few new books and do a little study as well. I eventually came to the conclusion that I really did need a break from my studies. But I was sure that all the peace of mind I would've gained would vanish once I returned to school. Besides, I was getting a little cranky stuck at home.

• The 2nd (janamashtami) was my last holiday before I returned to school. I returned to school on the 3rd to enquiries from several students wondering why the padaku of the class had vanished for three weekdays. Yes there was work to cover up, but I managed eventually. But that's when the next problem came on...

CONJUNCTIVITIS

And now to end that little story, NOW I'm stuck at home with conjunctivitis a.k.a. eye flu. The red eyes and the swelling started yesterday in school and I'm on leave today. I'm stuck home with red, swollen, itchy, streaming eyes feeling cranky...again, this time along with my whole family. This time I don't have any pills to swallow, but now I have something more menacing - eye drops! Fortunately, I don't have to worry about covering up any work since only revision is going on in the school right now. But still...now I'm stuck at home AGAIN ! So here follows the rant of a little girl who doesn't think she's studied properly for exams. (Disclaimer: Whether she's right or wrong remains to be seen):

I have so many chapters to cover! If I can't even read, how the heavens am I going to prepare? It's Maths on Monday and I haven't practised well enough. It's Political Science on Thursday and I've haven't even read all the chapters. I don't even feel like studying. Great, after all this, I'm preparing to fail? Aaaarrrgghhhh...
End Rant

Ah well. Moving on...

And now, after a very long time, here is not one, but three pieces of 55 fiction:

Old age

She’d gone through myriad experiences: Regretted, celebrated, cherished and fleeting.

She’d felt different things: Fear, happiness, excitement, despair, confusion, admiration, anger, kindness…

And yet she wondered,

Had she achieved her purpose?

She’d made her choices. And she had given her best, she smiled. Life was what she thought it was.

And now it was over.

-----------------------------------------

A choice

There was too much to do. Why? He had decided before that this was too important. He trusted his past judgment. But how to do it?

He toiled on, thinking about the loss, the pain, the past...

Finally, he screamed, “Enough!”  

And the door slammed behind him.

Why? There was a life to be lived. 

------------------------------------------------

Inevitable

In his 15 years, he’d never seen it. 

Others were working in the field. No one noticed the cloud climbing the hill. Usually, he would’ve celebrated Indra’s generosity. Not now.

Lives would be lost and destroyed. Great fuss would be caused. But it would cease, and they would be left alone.

The flood came closer…

----------------------------------------------- 

Here are links to two great articles I've found:

1. http://37signals.com/svn/posts/2538-the-first-step-is-to-start - A great article called "the first step is to start"

2. http://in.news.yahoo.com/columnist/anand_ramachandran/7/a-plan-to-save-the-commonwealth-games - A great satire on our very own Commonwealth games

Got to go, time for the eye drops. Hope I'll get well quickly.
Take care of your health folks, and have a great week!