The Terrace - A Trip down the memory lane..!!!

Right then, now that I have renamed my blog, although, not necessarily I will be writing in relation to the caption everytime, but it sounds savvy, :D. This post will ring a bell to a few of my blog's followers, and guys just correct me if am wrong anywhere. This also is a description of a few of my most enjoyable days in Chennai. The characters here, Ma, Mu, Ab, Ant and ofcourse myself (cant hide me, since its a personal story!). The moment, ok I dont remember the exact date (like hell I would!), +2 graduated and preparation for entry into Professional Entrance Exam (TNPCEE). I guess these people, if they are reading this post, already know what I am going to talk about.

Scene 1 (Ma and Harish, during the +2 -Board exam preparation)

A very typical day for a student going to give the board exams for the last grade in school, revising the books, looking through question papers, just to get one more mark in the practice tests, except that this misses some reality in it, keeping me on bed with the door of my room closed and fantasies just within my reach. Just then annoying ring of phone wakes me up and mom yells out "Harishaa" (Mom seemed to be comfortable adding a few a's always to my name, making it sound to eternity!!). "§$&%%§$&$%&, nice timing, just a few minutes more and I would have been a state topper". Anyways Ma and I almost had talks everyday, atleast twice, discussing 'also' about studies and just to know how much time the other has wasted, without studying. A mutually extended knowledge about the amount of time spent not studying, always helps in pacifying for the time I used to end up sleeping. However, on that Ma had a few things more in his mind to analyze. Being in +2 grade, options get streamlined and yes it was about a girl in his neighborhood.

Ma - "Machan (machan is a synonym to the common hindi word between two buddies like yaar and synonymous to dude of english!) saw this female from my balcony da, I think she studies in the school nearby, +2 grade, drives to school in cycle daily! looks like we 've quite a 'look' at each other. Her name's, Ry".
Quite evidently, my response, "I am coming over in the evening, at what time she returns? ". Ma- "I think 4pm, but then what will you tell at home?".
Me- "The usual, group studies! :D :D"

Scene 2 (At Ma's place, evening 4 15 pm, being on time atleast for some reasons!)

Me- "So where is she? did I miss her?"
Ma- "I dont think so, she must be coming this way in another 10 mins, atleast if she hasnt taken any half day!"
After an eternal 30 mins, the street continues to remain full of kids playing cricket, which was also good, as we can have a better look at Ry. But the Man above, had other plans, for no female driving the cycle went and we ended up sitting with books atleast for sometime.

The next few days, breezed past as the exams began, nevertheless, our gang Mu, Ab and Ant also came to know about this female, Ma had been 'looking' at, but we hardly got time to stalk-out again. Nevertheless, Ma enjoyed those instances of divine coincidence, and he also had a talk, or did he. I guess he will reply to this post, when he reads.

Scene 3

Mu's place, terrace, along with Ma, Ab, Ant and myself, pretty worked up times, for the entrance exam for Professional studies lay ahead.

Mu and Ma stayed nearby, separated by a street and the houses along the street were quite visible. For a change, the 5 of us were far from distraction, the seriousness of getting into the lines we wanted and in good colleges elevated and at times we realized that a break was badly required. The time 5pm, still very evident in my mind, coz that was when it started. I had just got up to give a stretch to a rather stout me, then, and turned around in the direction of Ma's house, when a sudden movement on the terrace near Ma's place caught my sight. Quite obviously, it had to be a female, so I asked the other guys, to check it out. And boy, did we have interesting scenes there, only for me to realize, that the other guys were already seeing in the direction. The girl, with open hair giving quite casual and suave walk on the terrace, with a good mix of some sleazy moves, intentionally or unintentionally, kept us glued to her for quite sometime, giving us the much required break (am not in for detailed description here..!!). It was a few moments until Ma realized who she was and he ended up screaming, thats Ry and thats her house's terrace. We only wished that the terrace would start moving, so that we could have glimpse of her face, only in vain, which Ma had already had a premier of. The next half an hour, flew past like it was just minutes, giving us the indication that break time's over, and time to get back to work.

That was the last time we saw Ry, Ma although had a few more glimpses, before she shifted her place. This post came forth, after I went through another blog of a friend of mine, retrospecting a few of my +2 grade experiences, as they were one of the best days of my life, bringing a smile whenever they creep in.

Blog name changed..!!

Its been more than a year, since I started my blog, which got active only in the past few months and the previous blog name sounded a bit lethargic. So after spending an hour before my lappy, the current name comes forth, which also happens to be a synonym for "observation". I hope this one should stay a longer than the previous one, ofcourse under the condition, that I keep hanging on this blog...!!!

Rendezvous with Kitchen..!!

My Mom's word's still echo in my ear, " Dei Harishaaa, come here, and atleast see how to make this Sambhar, I don't know what the hell are you going to do there(in Ulm)?" and as usual I'll go, "Mom! chillax, I will manage". I used to feel silly sometimes at those continuous recursion of words from Mom, and they always used to end with a warning, "No one will be there to cook something for you when you return from University, so better listen to me!" and evidently, I have never regretted those words more than now (Well, Mom also used to tell that, you will regret it there!). You are in a country, where there is only one Indian shop for selling Indian food and only one Indian restaurant, which sucks big time and the worst, you are not earning, so money management needs to be absolutely precise than those of the Chartered Accountants. Damn, these stats should have hit my head in India. Nevertheless the rendezvous had to be done someday.

The first day I arrive here and check out my room, the Kitchen appears as some alien land, with some hot plates. Oh boy, here we go. However, the first month somehow I managed, as mentioned before, with Bhuvan the saviour, who's an amazing cook. Nevertheless, the guilt finally took the better of me and I told Bhuvan, I can take from here mate. Hell I was ready. only if I could have foreseen, that huge disasters awaited me. I can't even think of those days of experimentation, which my stomach was put under, it would not surprise to see the stone get dissolved as some edible stuff making me burp! Everytime I would be talking to my stomach, consoling it, making it ready for the food. Suddenly for a brief moment the lunch at the Uni, who provided only-salt-spiced-German-'special' lunch tasted like elixir. The fact that I had no job till the first 4 months made it even difficult, as my brusque brain would calculate faster than a Casio 991MS for the spendings and we would provide the Indian shop with all the profits, who still enjoys his monopoly here.


Finally, in the month of June, the job came calling, for once something went right, and the first thing I do, get some great spices, though cooking lay in genesis. Incourse of time, I was getting better at combining the spices and my first decent-tasting-dish turned out to be noodles (not maggi!). For the next 2 weeks, noodles would be the main part of my menu with all sorts of combinations, with vegetables, egg, tuna (another disaster!), etc. However, there was a new problem now, with the exams creeping upon, the cooking would squander 2 hours atleast, if the work load at the Uni was not enough. Everytime I would enter the kitchen, Mom's words would automatically playback, as if someone forgot to change the record (I almost ended up playing music the next time!). Towards the end of July, finally I make something good to taste (ok, this is relative to me!), Pulao, what was even better that it would take a maximum of an hour and a half to finish it, and this time decreased subsequently. Now I can't say that I am good at it, but I can make something edible (very positive from my perspective!). Mom's words still echo, but feels good, makes me feel at home.

Diwali Dhamaka..!!!

The previous 7 days were the most happening days, so far, for me in Ulm. Saturday, November 8, 2008 was a celebration of the most awaited festival back home, Diwali, in Ulm, the delay of 2 weeks could be accounted for the preparation time. It all started with gathering of few families and few students, in the early weeks of September, to organize the events, which had been going on for the past 5 years. Frankly speaking, thanks to Vamsi, I got myself involved in this, which otherwise wouldn't have brought in the feel of student (talking from the extra-curricular point of view), which was the only missing point. The first gathering, we end up meeting a few families, discussing the over-all layout right from the welcoming to the end. It looked quite simple then, with the layout looking just like, Welcome-Cultural Event-Dinner-End. However, I was quick enough to realize that this was not as simple as it looked and thoughts of giving my own performance also crept up my mind.

The following weeks breezed past as I had to finish another exam of my first sem, which turned out to be a bit disappointing, despite a better preparation. Nevertheless, I was happy that I sailed across. In the meantime, I start to plan on my performance, which would mean it was the 2nd time I was going to be on stage, the thought would just give a wobble to my vulnerable stomach. The best response for the event was the number of events we had in our hands, going upto 17, right from the families to the students and even the kids. Boy! those kids steal the thunder, just displaying their innocence (a prized possession!) on the stage, makes me go back to good old days. As the day neared, the excitement just increased. Just to know that you have an Indian festival being celebrated here, makes you feel at home and want to get back soon. Whats even better, the number of Indians one gets to meet here and one never gets surprised at the Germans' curiosity to check us out. So when the day came, we were not ready for only one surprise, the time. We were supposed to start at 5 30pm, and what do we see, the Germans storming in from 4 45pm. Being on time is something which is Germans' specialty, but hello, being ahead of time, was a bit too much to handle. Nevertheless, the welcoming team was already there.

Once the event started, I didnt even have the time to watch the time :). One moment it was 5 30pm, and next it was 11 30 and the best part was the end, where the stage was open and everyone including the Germans and others, grooved to fast-paced Indian music. I remember teaching some moves to William, his sister, Daniel and Diana (Colombians), who for change, tried on some Daban-kuthu (tamil folk) and a bit Bhangra (Punjabi folk). Not only they, but many other nationalities tried on some Indian moves. This had to be most eye-catching one. The clock hands had just struck together, when a friend of mine and me decided to call it a day and take leave. So after dropping her half way to her house, I took the usual path from my bus stop to my dorm. There was mixed emotion there, one where I was happy that the event was over, so that I could get back to what I came for, Studying and one where I was surrounded by emptiness, thinking about all those excitement which I will be missing for quite sometime. It did take me sometime to get back to books on sunday, and I ended up making a report with some music and doing a bit of dance while sitting on the table (I hope my report is not messed up :D!). I believe its a usual cycle, that one has a day of excitement, followed by an emptiness around oneself.