I decided to shift to the 2004 diary because this still covers so much of her excitement in Nizam’s college. (The rest of the 2006 diary shifts to TISS.)
24th January 2004
Name For The Diary - Narnia !
You just can’t imagine how glad I am to finally have a diary to write into. I am going to call you Narnia because it says “Narne’ on you and I want you to make as much magic for me as C S Lewis did fro Narnia. I am so glad. Today I am going to give my driving test again and I hope I get through this time.
25th February 2004
X-pressions, Kya Scene Hai!
There’s been quite a bit of excitement in college the past two days because of our college fete X-pressions. I didn’t like it too much day before yesterday but yesterday was too good. Usual starting trouble I guess.
Day before, I was supposed to help in organising ‘Kya Scene Hai’ and with the debate also.
Some of the stuff was hilarious –especially the one where the villain runs off with the hero’s chaddis.
Sat with a friend-he was talking of his life in HPS, at home, in Nizam’s etc. and about how they ragged others. Just then another boy appeared with booze in a Sprite bottle. Other girls and a few more came along too and joined us. All of us were squeezed on to the wall and the boys were secretly swigging off the Sprite bottle. So secretly that even the wiser girls didn’t know! Maybe I wouldn’t have guessed either if this boy hadn’t told me. We then saw one of the group dances and left.
Yesterday morning there was extempore.
Navika got the topic of obesity and she went on about how in poor countries rich people are fat and in rich countries poor people are fat because they can’t afford the gym. Too good it was. I got ‘Sonia and Vajpayee’. I just blabbered some utter nonsense-actually utter sense- obvious things about how they were both great and wanted to be prime minister.
Navika got the first prize and there was tie between Jagdish and me for the second place.
So we had to give speeches again. He got the topic ‘beard’ and managed to impress the jury. I got the topic “Only lunatics love”. I agreed with this and started talking about how everybody was a lunatic because everybody was affected by the moon and started talking about the importance of the moon-how it brings light to the night. To my greatest surprise they gave me the second prize though I deviated so much.
Our team (Jagdih and I) also made it to the final round in the Ad-con. The topic we got in the lucky pick was to make an ad to convince Kantaben (in Kal Ho Na Ho) that homosexuality wasn’t a sin.
Anyway, it all started with me as Kantaben teasing Jagdish about how he comes home each day with a different guy and all. Then he admitted that he was a man’s man. Kantaben gets all angry and asks him to get out of her sight.
In the next scene J acts as if he is getting all beaten up. I come as a journalist (duppatta now worn usual style and not covering my head) and talk about how homosexuality is a natural phenomenon and we do not have the right to punish others just because they are different from us and of a few ancient prejudices. Then J asked (covering his mouth ) “What about our fathers and brothers” and I said gay guys wouldn’t rape them and all. Then the scene changes and I come back again as Kantaben. J asks why I’m happy. I say very shyly that I am a woman’s woman. C’est tout-that’s all!
Other teams did well too… So J and I got the first prize.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Just Another French Class
8th April 2006
Had a loooo…ng French class this morning. Shanti’s not in town …so it seemed even longer I guess. It was fun...in the pause we talked to Amelie about India places and food etc. but sheesh, my French ahs become really pathetic…I just dunno where the aigu is and where the grave is. The other day I couldn’t spell très. Its pathetic.
Anyways after class Anita Sushant and I chatted for a long time. After that I went to the library and borrowed a movie. The librarian was there and I chatted with her for a while. Amelie was writing an English email. She asked me how to spell biriyani. I didn’t know if she wanted it in French or English and I came up with some weirdo mixture. Strangely she spelt it right.
Then I left. On my6 way to the main road, I saw Anoopa (a senior in Nizams). I was real surprised and stopped to say hi. Was real glad to see her. She said she lived real close and asked me to come home. So we went.
It’s really beautiful. One of those old Marredpally houses with a garden and all. As she opened the gate three dogs came barking welcome. I was so glad to see the dogs it was quite obvious on my face. So she said I could stay and help her bathe them. I wish I had. I did totally intend to. Anyway we went in sat down chatted for some time. She gave me some of that Goan sweet that Amma had once bought and we chatted off happily sitting on wooden stools in front of the table in a large spacious kitchen which had windows opening on to the garden. After a while the dogs started barking. Someone had come to take their fridge which had stopped working. So she emptied it and I kina helped her. Then her mom came and they took the fridge away.
Her mom seemed very nice as well. We chatted off normally like Amma and me or something. All the interiors were somehow very Goan. So Anoopa’s been doing this and that ..some research, part time jobs, some courses, I dunno what all.
So she has got admission plus scholarship in the university of Nottingham. That’s real cool. She’s (from) all over the place I believe-Kerala, Tamilnadu, Goa, Karnataka ..everywhere.
Anyway once the fridge went mother and daughter thought about how they should rearrange the kitchen. Anoopa said later, probably because I was there. So I kinda thought I shouldn’t disturb too much and said I should make a move.
I could’ve asked if she was planning to bathe the dogs. I’d have loved to help. Its okay… though she said we should visit again and I said I would, will I? I dunno. I don’t think so. I didn’t feel awkward today but I hate to impose myself on others. I generally don’t like taking the initiative to visit people’s homes.
(I went with her once again…as she kind of drooled over the dogs once again. I think one of the dogs had littered and the puppies were cute)
Had a loooo…ng French class this morning. Shanti’s not in town …so it seemed even longer I guess. It was fun...in the pause we talked to Amelie about India places and food etc. but sheesh, my French ahs become really pathetic…I just dunno where the aigu is and where the grave is. The other day I couldn’t spell très. Its pathetic.
Anyways after class Anita Sushant and I chatted for a long time. After that I went to the library and borrowed a movie. The librarian was there and I chatted with her for a while. Amelie was writing an English email. She asked me how to spell biriyani. I didn’t know if she wanted it in French or English and I came up with some weirdo mixture. Strangely she spelt it right.
Then I left. On my6 way to the main road, I saw Anoopa (a senior in Nizams). I was real surprised and stopped to say hi. Was real glad to see her. She said she lived real close and asked me to come home. So we went.
It’s really beautiful. One of those old Marredpally houses with a garden and all. As she opened the gate three dogs came barking welcome. I was so glad to see the dogs it was quite obvious on my face. So she said I could stay and help her bathe them. I wish I had. I did totally intend to. Anyway we went in sat down chatted for some time. She gave me some of that Goan sweet that Amma had once bought and we chatted off happily sitting on wooden stools in front of the table in a large spacious kitchen which had windows opening on to the garden. After a while the dogs started barking. Someone had come to take their fridge which had stopped working. So she emptied it and I kina helped her. Then her mom came and they took the fridge away.
Her mom seemed very nice as well. We chatted off normally like Amma and me or something. All the interiors were somehow very Goan. So Anoopa’s been doing this and that ..some research, part time jobs, some courses, I dunno what all.
So she has got admission plus scholarship in the university of Nottingham. That’s real cool. She’s (from) all over the place I believe-Kerala, Tamilnadu, Goa, Karnataka ..everywhere.
Anyway once the fridge went mother and daughter thought about how they should rearrange the kitchen. Anoopa said later, probably because I was there. So I kinda thought I shouldn’t disturb too much and said I should make a move.
I could’ve asked if she was planning to bathe the dogs. I’d have loved to help. Its okay… though she said we should visit again and I said I would, will I? I dunno. I don’t think so. I didn’t feel awkward today but I hate to impose myself on others. I generally don’t like taking the initiative to visit people’s homes.
(I went with her once again…as she kind of drooled over the dogs once again. I think one of the dogs had littered and the puppies were cute)
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Impressions of TISS
Sept 2006
This is the first published poem of hers that I saw- though she preferred it to be anonymous most people knew who wrote it…because of one famous occasion where she actually jumped out of a window!
Impressions of TISS
The tall green trees
The rainy days
Clothes which won’t dry
Umbrellas unfound
Blessings from heaven
Plonk! On your head!
People everywhere
Oh so many everywhere!
The tiring ‘Hi’s
The painful smiles
So much ‘nice’ness
Somewhat fake
Classes overcrowded
With windows like doors
The urge to jump out
Amidst the tall trees
The thought of attendance
That makes one sit back
Purring powerful cats
Who fight the helpless dog
A family of monkeys,
That jumps from tree to tree
Infinite birds
Infinite shit and pee
Oh what talk!
Big words, Big thoughts
Marginalisation
Human rights
& what else can it be
But HE-GE-MO-NY?
(UNMAAD, The TISS Annual College Magazine of 2006-07,p46)
This is the first published poem of hers that I saw- though she preferred it to be anonymous most people knew who wrote it…because of one famous occasion where she actually jumped out of a window!
Impressions of TISS
The tall green trees
The rainy days
Clothes which won’t dry
Umbrellas unfound
Blessings from heaven
Plonk! On your head!
People everywhere
Oh so many everywhere!
The tiring ‘Hi’s
The painful smiles
So much ‘nice’ness
Somewhat fake
Classes overcrowded
With windows like doors
The urge to jump out
Amidst the tall trees
The thought of attendance
That makes one sit back
Purring powerful cats
Who fight the helpless dog
A family of monkeys,
That jumps from tree to tree
Infinite birds
Infinite shit and pee
Oh what talk!
Big words, Big thoughts
Marginalisation
Human rights
& what else can it be
But HE-GE-MO-NY?
(UNMAAD, The TISS Annual College Magazine of 2006-07,p46)
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Joint Study Efforts!
This is a fair description,typical of the many occassions she resolved she would study! And she would then work herself up into a tizzy the day before an exam.
3rd April 2006
Studying Hard(ly)
Yesterday I went to Tej’s house early in the morning planning to stay overnight and study sociology all day long. While waiting for lunch we called Navika and she said Sukoon their college fest was going on. She wanted us to come and said we could even stay overnight.
We then convinced Vennella also to come over. N said she wasn’t sure if there would be space and then sms’d back asking all of us to come. So we went but didn’t take toothbrush etc. We reached in time for an Antakshari competition that was pretty boring. We thought we’d get back to Tej’s place for the night.
Then Amrita came over and N and A convinced us to stay though there wasn’t enough place to stay saying we wouldn’t sleep through the night. I thought that was sorta crazy at first and wanted to go back since I don’t enjoy dancing or music. But Tej said we’d stay and A said this is the last time we could do something like this together.
Navika did the compereing for the official function. So we stayed for that. There were lots of paintings in that hall and Amrita and I did art analysis. It was fun and Jagdeesh then came along and added his bit of analysis. We saw Rahul acting very busy, organising stuff and all.
After the function was over we went back to the hostel, ate and went for a walk. Navika showed us her old house where my school teacher lives, where another school friend Amina used to live etc. n and T went on a giant wheel and A,V and I did some shooting. And throwing rings. I shot a balloon and A won 2 soaps in the ring throw. We did some more time pass and then we went to the DJ nite.
It was on an open ground …really dark with really bright multicoloured changing lights at one part where the stage and crowd was. They had great lighting effects loud music and IMMENSE crowd. The cool night breeze and the large open space were really good and it saved the place from being like that disco in Mumbai. I guess it was the space and the breeze that actually made me stay and then dance (though I was stiff).
I found it (and still do) crazy that so many people congregate and dance to such loud music and put up with the light and the heat and the noise and seem to actually enjoy it. I wondered if people really do.
3rd April 2006
Studying Hard(ly)
Yesterday I went to Tej’s house early in the morning planning to stay overnight and study sociology all day long. While waiting for lunch we called Navika and she said Sukoon their college fest was going on. She wanted us to come and said we could even stay overnight.
We then convinced Vennella also to come over. N said she wasn’t sure if there would be space and then sms’d back asking all of us to come. So we went but didn’t take toothbrush etc. We reached in time for an Antakshari competition that was pretty boring. We thought we’d get back to Tej’s place for the night.
Then Amrita came over and N and A convinced us to stay though there wasn’t enough place to stay saying we wouldn’t sleep through the night. I thought that was sorta crazy at first and wanted to go back since I don’t enjoy dancing or music. But Tej said we’d stay and A said this is the last time we could do something like this together.
Navika did the compereing for the official function. So we stayed for that. There were lots of paintings in that hall and Amrita and I did art analysis. It was fun and Jagdeesh then came along and added his bit of analysis. We saw Rahul acting very busy, organising stuff and all.
After the function was over we went back to the hostel, ate and went for a walk. Navika showed us her old house where my school teacher lives, where another school friend Amina used to live etc. n and T went on a giant wheel and A,V and I did some shooting. And throwing rings. I shot a balloon and A won 2 soaps in the ring throw. We did some more time pass and then we went to the DJ nite.
It was on an open ground …really dark with really bright multicoloured changing lights at one part where the stage and crowd was. They had great lighting effects loud music and IMMENSE crowd. The cool night breeze and the large open space were really good and it saved the place from being like that disco in Mumbai. I guess it was the space and the breeze that actually made me stay and then dance (though I was stiff).
I found it (and still do) crazy that so many people congregate and dance to such loud music and put up with the light and the heat and the noise and seem to actually enjoy it. I wondered if people really do.
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