TAG

Here's the tag.

1. A book that made you laugh: Many. In bits and pieces, I've laughed at many sentences from many books. But if I were to name one book which had the most stylish humour, it has to be Catch-22.

2. A book that made you cry: None, actually.

3. A book that scared you: Haven't read any (scary ones).

4. A book that disgusted you: Many. , 'The Fountainhead' - disgusted me right from the preface, its popular run being a fine example of how good publicity can affect one's perception of books, 'India: What it can Teach Us'- for the super-bore it was; some more you wouldn't want to know about.

5. A book you loved in elementary school: I wasn't quite reading books when I was in Elementary school, for as much as I can remember. Of course, I liked Billu and Pinky comics, and was a big fan of Chacha Choudhary, a fascination for whom I grew even before I started attending any school, elemantary or whatever. To let a little secret out, I could read and infer sentences before I stepped into any school or pre school or play school or whatever we call it, and it was largely thanks to these comics.

6. A book you loved in middle school or junior high school: H'm I can recollect having a liking for one particular Mickey Mouse book, the exact name of which I'd have to check and see. Also, the Ninja Turtles series - in some parts, not a big fan of it, on second thoughts. And some stories of the Short story compilation called 'Malgudi Days'. And I loved looking at the Atlas a lot, if that qualifies.

7. A book you loved in high school: I was thoroughly impressed with Premchand's short stories. So two of his compilations 'Premchand ki Sarvshreshtha Kahaniyaan' and 'Premchand ki Lokpriya Kahaniya' were among my favourites of those times. Also, I liked his novel 'Gaban' a lot. For some strange reason, I liked 'The Bachelor of Arts' more than any other of Narayan's more acclaimed novels.

8. A book you loved in college: 'The Stranger', without a doubt, before any other. Others that I've loved are Catch 22, The Google Story, The Argumentative Indian, iCon, The Idle Thoughts, and some more.

9. A book that challenged your identity: None. Though many contributed, and introduced new dimensions to my identity, none challenged it.

10. A series that you love: I haven't read any series, except the comics that I told you about, and

some magazines. No books.

11. Your favourite science fiction book: Haven't read any.

12. Your favourite fantasy: Haven't read any.

13. Your favourite mystery: Haven't read any.

14. Your favourite biography: 'The Boys' Life of Edison.'

15. Your favourite "coming of age" book: I don't know what that means.

16. Your favourite classic: 'The Stranger', again. Also, 'The Fall', 'Catch-22' and 'The Catcher in the Rye' also up there among my favourites, again.

17. Your favourite romance book: Haven't read any.

I am not much of a popular fiction/genre fiction fan. Literary does it for me.

Since the only one I could hope to complete the tag if I tagged, is one who actually tagged me with this in the first place, I tag no one in particular. Goes without saying, anyone who wants to pick it up from here, please pick it up.

aise hi

We had the first mock test today and it was quite a wake up call for me. The results though aren't out; I don't think I have reason to be satisfied. Even if it turns out to be a good performance relative to others after the results get declared, I'd still be disappointed since I know I could have done much much better than this. In contrast, I'd have been much happier even with a lower percentile but only if I could say to myself that I gave my best. On second thoughts, no I am happier only this way. Lest God will choose the other way for me – work more, score less wala. Like the last time (last post) I caught fever. This way it’s fine. Just make me, Oh god, a little more hardworking. Please Please.

And I've become quite an addict of facebook apps. Ever since I joined it the other day, I have played endless number of quizzes and games on it both of the non and cognitive variety. It is quite an addiction, whhooop – I just keep seeing one game or quiz after another, tempted to try all of them, wasting a lot of time in the process, and consoling myself with the affirmation that I’d have wasted that time anyway. But time is limited, and .. oops .. it’s limited, so bye. I’ll play a few more quizzes and shut down.

शिक़ायत पेटी

Really need to get things into order now. It's like being a laaton ka bhoot. I've been some months into this coaching thing now but truth be told, haven't even begun with solving the study material they gave me. It's a really guilt-inducing thing, being wrong while being aware of being wrong. I've made some really ambitious plans now, and just hope that I stick to them for some time until the rhythm sets in, because I feel it is always easy to follow through once you get your rhythm or flow.

One more thing that is and has been troubling me to some extent over the past few weeks is this stubborn acne problem that I caught about four or five months back. And its just not going away. I know it feels kind of odd to admit a thing as trivial as acne is troubling you, as though you've got no better things to think about, but it really is. Honestly, I don't think any personal discomfort of an individual level has bugged me as much as it has. Fevers and all, they make you a little gloomy, but this thing makes you particularly irritable and generally unenthusiastic. Add to that, that you do not feel like going out or meeting people all that much, and it takes considerably larger dimensions than just dots on the skin.

Apart from that, life is pretty smooth. We're having the usual fun in the hostel, that does start getting monotonous once in a while, but then you can't complain about every goddamn thing in the world.

Added later : As it turns out, within hours of writing down this piece, fever grips me. These days God just needs the slightest clue. ''Hell yeah, fever's better eh ? Take it.''

:(

Bicycles

When I rode a bicycle as a child and then as an early teenager, I saw a lot of bicycles around me. When I rode a bicycle, bicycles were important things. I saw a large number of people riding their own, it made me wonder why the elder people don't ride it swashbuckling swiftly the way I did. Probably they underestimated their bicycle's thrill value, was what I often concluded to myself. Then I stopped using one. And before I could realise, or more appropriately, pay any heed, they were gone. They weren't to be seen in schools, or in college streets. They weren't even thought about, except in irritation when some sluggishly moving bicycle with an old man on top of it, or a trembling one ridden by a kid, either hindered my speed or blocked my way for a second; and I thought of them as mere nuisance for those, like me, on their respective vehicles out for some real, valuable, get-things-done work. So, effectively, I didn't want to think about them when I thought about them, and for the most part I actually didn't think about them. They were as if they were not. Today, as I was walking down a road after my own assessment of people having had stumped me, I was quite unsure of myself, actually still am. For a while it was as if all strong opinions I had formed in these years were falling down on me after having completed their way up against gravity. I was unsure of the wisdom I always thought I was only too comfortable with. A bomb alert at that time wouldn't perhaps have diverted my mind from my own perplexity, but after I sat down on the pavement I saw a bicycle travel inches from me at great speed. I somehow felt that this kid looked like I did, but was even more sure that this feeling would also turn out to be another absurd figment of my chimera, that I had started trusting over these years. Lazily I turned my head towards it when it was already three cricket pitches from me, and frankly I hardly cared. I turned back again, and a few bicycles passed over again. I stood up, and about-turned to see as far in the horizon as I could, to figure how many more are there coming at me, and there were scores. More than the cars, or the motorbikes. I could instantly see that they were always there, had always been. I could sense that I had grown oblivious, though 'grown' wouldn't be apt to use here. Whilst my cultivated wisdom should have made me more aware, it made me slightly the other way. And I wish I don't become oblivious to bikes when I graduate to cars. Being unsure, ironically, has always taught me more than being sure and confident.