Yesterday was well spent amid books, infinitely many books. Classics, old ones, new ones, ones I always wanted to read but never found in the library. 4 hours just whisked past in the bookstores looking at them, flipping through pages, suggesting, selecting, discarding. I like spending time like this in the library too, but the collection there remains the same. Here, they were all new, fresh books.
It's weird, but I love the smell of a fresh book. I loved it right from the time I went to buy my textbooks in 1st standard. I remember having bought He-Man name labels also. It used to be very exciting, buying new books, uniforms, lunchbox, water bottle and all before the new year began in school. The excitement of the first day always remained, though the cause behind the feeling changed over the years. When we were kids, it used to be the excitement of carrying new things, new classroom, new partner to share the desk. As years passed, it turned into the excitement of reuniting with friends, resuming the masti routine in school, finding new bakras to pick on in the school bus and that of having a newcomer in the class.
Having studied in the same school from Kg1 to 12th, I never had to face a first day in some new school, answering all sorts of questions to a bunch of curious people. Though I would've liked such an experience.
This reminds me of my first day in IIIT. I came a day before the scheduled registration date and was allotted a room on OBH, 3rd floor. Yes, I was lucky not to be thrown into NBH or GHEB. They remind of a morgue for some reason. I've never been to one, but I'm quite sure it won't be too different. I didn't shift my stuff on the same day. My father and I went back to the place where we were staying in the city. I remember having been very quiet that day. It had suddenly hit me that I won't be having anyone familiar with me from the next day. It was a kind of a mild shock.
This has turned out like any other post on this blog. Arbitrary, incoherent, drifting from topic to another, and I like it this way. This isn't a place to rant about serious issues. So, why bother?
Monday, July 24, 2006
Saturday, July 01, 2006
Blah
I had written this post on my defunct wordpress blog due to the absolute lack of things to do. Ok, not exactly. It was actually the complete lack of the desire and enthusiasm to do the things at hand.
I had abandoned this blog long ago, but the extremely intelligent directive from the Indian govenment to block blogspot has left no other easier option for a desperate blogger like me. Sad it is, that I can’t celebrate The Don’s Blog’s first anniversary, by writing a post there. My dear blog, has completed its first year in June.
I’m not really desperate, just that it’s been a long time since I last blogged. This is going to be a list post, an update about what’s going on in my life.
1. Was there at home for Aai’s birthday after a gap of 3 years, had a nice time.
2. I was puzzled by the number of people asking me for advice about which college and branch to take. Cousins, younger siblings of my friends, children of my parents’ colleagues, neighbours etc. Come on! I’m not some career counselling baba. I don't even have clue about myself and people want me to help them?
3. Finished reading ‘Freakonomics’ and ‘From Heaven Lake’. I particularly liked Heaven Lake. An excellent account of Vikram Seth’s hitchiking journey through Tibet. A must read for people who like travel books.
4. Came back to IIIT on 14th. 10 days at home are not sufficient at all.
5. I’ve shifted to room 132. Thanks to Billu, Smiley, Gas, Badri who were here to get the allotment done from MBG.
6. Shifting your room is a real pain.
7. Course selection and stuff has been a source of major confusion for the past few days.I feel a little more clear about things right now. Lets see what happens.
8. Oh! I forgot the most important point, Fed won the Wimbledon! That just made my stay at home perfect. All I did for those 10 days was eating, sleeping and watching Wimbledon on TV. I even watched many of the doubles and mixed doubles matches. Agassi’s early exit was sad. The only move I saw at home was also Wimbledon.
9. I don’t hate Nadal anymore. I’m not a fan, but his tennis and his behaviour off the court, in press conferences and interviews has left a good impression on me.
10. Sharapova losing in the semifinal was a major heartbreak. But the tournament was full of new and better--in every sense of the word--female players. Vaidisova, Bremond captured my attention. Na Li also surprised many by upsetting some big names.
11. Schumacher is doing well, I hope Alonso bounces back soon.
12. One major target was achieved before I left for home. The final result was a little disappointing though. An enriching experience nonetheless.
13. Kill Bill is a series of really good movies, in spite of all the blood and gore, I found them to be a good watch.
14. Anti ragging action by IIIT faculty and anti-blogging action by the govt. are both, quite pointless and autocratic, more pointless than Jeevan Vidya. Blocking blogspot does not serve any purpose. Nor does completely disallowing free interaction with the freshers, who’ve already been fed a fear of their seniors.
IIIT administration has become more despotic and money hungry over the years since I joined. Charging inexplicable amount of money for sheets of paper with the Institute’s stamp is beyond my understanding.
15. I’m waiting for Pirates, Dead Man’s Chest to hit the theatres in India. Expecting a movie as good as the first part, if not better.
16. Saw very few movies in the past week. Ice Age 2 was good, Fargo wasn’t. I don’t know how it got a respectable IMDB rating.
17. Also need to catch up with the spat of Hindi comedy flicks that has come out recently.
18. Life is peaceful as of now. Is this the silence before a storm?
Done.
I had abandoned this blog long ago, but the extremely intelligent directive from the Indian govenment to block blogspot has left no other easier option for a desperate blogger like me. Sad it is, that I can’t celebrate The Don’s Blog’s first anniversary, by writing a post there. My dear blog, has completed its first year in June.
I’m not really desperate, just that it’s been a long time since I last blogged. This is going to be a list post, an update about what’s going on in my life.
1. Was there at home for Aai’s birthday after a gap of 3 years, had a nice time.
2. I was puzzled by the number of people asking me for advice about which college and branch to take. Cousins, younger siblings of my friends, children of my parents’ colleagues, neighbours etc. Come on! I’m not some career counselling baba. I don't even have clue about myself and people want me to help them?
3. Finished reading ‘Freakonomics’ and ‘From Heaven Lake’. I particularly liked Heaven Lake. An excellent account of Vikram Seth’s hitchiking journey through Tibet. A must read for people who like travel books.
4. Came back to IIIT on 14th. 10 days at home are not sufficient at all.
5. I’ve shifted to room 132. Thanks to Billu, Smiley, Gas, Badri who were here to get the allotment done from MBG.
6. Shifting your room is a real pain.
7. Course selection and stuff has been a source of major confusion for the past few days.I feel a little more clear about things right now. Lets see what happens.
8. Oh! I forgot the most important point, Fed won the Wimbledon! That just made my stay at home perfect. All I did for those 10 days was eating, sleeping and watching Wimbledon on TV. I even watched many of the doubles and mixed doubles matches. Agassi’s early exit was sad. The only move I saw at home was also Wimbledon.
9. I don’t hate Nadal anymore. I’m not a fan, but his tennis and his behaviour off the court, in press conferences and interviews has left a good impression on me.
10. Sharapova losing in the semifinal was a major heartbreak. But the tournament was full of new and better--in every sense of the word--female players. Vaidisova, Bremond captured my attention. Na Li also surprised many by upsetting some big names.
11. Schumacher is doing well, I hope Alonso bounces back soon.
12. One major target was achieved before I left for home. The final result was a little disappointing though. An enriching experience nonetheless.
13. Kill Bill is a series of really good movies, in spite of all the blood and gore, I found them to be a good watch.
14. Anti ragging action by IIIT faculty and anti-blogging action by the govt. are both, quite pointless and autocratic, more pointless than Jeevan Vidya. Blocking blogspot does not serve any purpose. Nor does completely disallowing free interaction with the freshers, who’ve already been fed a fear of their seniors.
IIIT administration has become more despotic and money hungry over the years since I joined. Charging inexplicable amount of money for sheets of paper with the Institute’s stamp is beyond my understanding.
15. I’m waiting for Pirates, Dead Man’s Chest to hit the theatres in India. Expecting a movie as good as the first part, if not better.
16. Saw very few movies in the past week. Ice Age 2 was good, Fargo wasn’t. I don’t know how it got a respectable IMDB rating.
17. Also need to catch up with the spat of Hindi comedy flicks that has come out recently.
18. Life is peaceful as of now. Is this the silence before a storm?
Done.
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