Review 2010

And finally 2010 has come to an end... Its been a year of mixed emotions for me. I enjoyed, laughed, cried, fought, loved, hated, made new friends, lost some of my old ones... well, you get the drift.

The year started with my exams ending and waiting for the results, and I PASSED!!! And that was one of the the 5 hurdles passed. I was happy, not knowing the whole load of work waiting for me, but I'll spare you the details. I did not know what a bumpy year lay ahead and I was happy in my ignorance.

What with  projects, lab works and the stuff, I did not see the months racing by. Sure, I moaned and cribbed about the amount of work, but in my heart I was thankful that I was busy and enjoying it.

This year, I made a bunch of friends, I know I would cherish my entire life. This year would not have been what it is without them.

I grew a year older, and my birthday this year taught me many valuable lessons. I'm thankful for my family and all those around me for me to love and be loved.

I had a wonderful re-union with my old friends and enjoyed every minute of that, too. I hope I'll be seeing more of you next year (Hint!hint!)

The news that I was to have a nephew/niece soon, was undoubtedly the best news I ever received this year. Hey little guy/gal, I'm waiting for you!!

I would say that I had a very tough time towards the end of the year. But thank you God, for leading me through it and I hope I will reap rewards for it.

When I look back, there is no single word to describe this year. I have been happy, I've had losses, I learnt some tough lessons, had experiences never to be forgotten. Thank you God, for all of it, for it made me grow.

Thank you for all the blessings.

And I'm having the best time ever ending this year. Thank you for that.

Goodbye 2010.
I'll Miss You.

Mommy Wisdom

A couple of days ago I hit my leg on the kitchen counter, which resulted in a considerable amount of pain and the admonition from my mom to "go and put some ice on it". And me, flaunting my newly acquired trove of medical knowledge gave her a lecture on how ice is cold(:o) and how it will delay the natural healing process of my body on the trauma(:o :o)...to which my mom responded by telling to "IMMEDIATELY put some ice on it and keep your knowledge to yourself" I did,the ice didn't interfere with the healing process after all and thanks to it being cold, I was saved from the pain of my body's healing, and my leg has been doing very well since, Thank you very much.

My brother, MBBS, DNB,Associate lecturer at the medical college, spent his day last week sniffling and telling his students that there is no found cure for the common cold, came home and told umma that he has a cold, drank whatever thing she boiled for him and went to the college next day, as fit as ever and told his students the same thing again...

Being an Aunt

This blog is best summarised in the card I myself gave my nephew on his b'day... "U get the pride, joy and happiness of a son, without the Work!!"
And before you start, let me warn you that this blog is not anything like the deep "Being a mother/father/grandmother",  just a honest account of what it's been like for me these 4 years.. :)

When the nurse brought out M for all of us to see, I waited for the background music, the tears in my eyes and my li'l nephew holding my pinkie..but the brat that M is, he just scratched his face, cuddled deeper into his father's hands and went to sleep; and I was left thinking "REALLY???" And then everybody else started congratulating each other, calling everybody to tell the news and I immediately took my camera and started my new role as official photographer. The days in the hospital were filmy enough, I go to the hospital everyday, cuddle my nephew and went home in the evening and sleep peacefully... Little did I know all this was soon going to change.

Once my nephew came home, everything turned topsy-turvy. M was no longer the cute little baby from the hospital. Every time I did so much as just look at him, he bawled his lungs out, that I might as well be holding a knife in one hand and a can of poison in the other. And the nights were another matter. I was at that time a busy plus-two student and had to get up at 6 for my tutions. I needed no alarm clock, because, as regular as a clock, M would wake up at 3 and scream till 5 (who said baby lungs were not developed??), but I consoled myself thinking about my poor sister who not only had to stay awake,but also console him and send him back to sleep (Heaven help her!!!)

At the end of a month, M had become more (for want of a better word) mature. He slept peacefully, he even smiled at me two or three times!!! and finally when the day came for him to go to his fathers house, I shut myself in my room and cried my eyes out (yes, I did!!)

By the 3rd month, M had become the active baby of my dreams, and I spent all of the days he was at home playing with him (forget studies!!) and year 1 was a happy blur. I am proud to say that I was a doting aunt and he was a thankless nephew(:p). He played with me all day, and when the clock striked 8, his uncle came home and M was immediately Uncle's boy and when I went up to him, he was like "Have we been introduced?".

By year 2, M was walking, talking and doing lots more. And as far as I could, I was behind him with my ever-ready camera.Now that he had started talking, I had a list of possible names he could call me, which were all possible variations of 'Aunty' in all the languages I knew, but once again M beat me to it by calling me what everybody else called me, and sometimes to assert his authority, went as far as calling me Khadeeja. But, the doting aunt that I wanted to be, I was fine with it; even though I had warnings from all around me about the repercussions it could have in future.

Year 3: M had started going to play-school, and he lost no time at all in letting us all know about his new found knowledge of the world. He was now regarding himself as a Big Boy, and immediately corrected me if called him Baby...

Now he's a school boy and woe betide you if you call him baby!!!!

To end my blog, being an aunt is one of the best experiences in the world and I totally enjoyed it and still do, despite of all the pinches, beatings, stamps I get in return :), and you know what, this blog doesn't even cover half the fun I had all this time. I regard my nephew as one perfect being, and (possibly) bore my friends by talking about him all the time. And maybe some day my nephew will probably kill me for recording all the embarrassing things he did on the camera, but I'll just nod my head wisely and say "Wait till you become an uncle, then you'll know why!!"

The Joy Called Eid

For me, Eid brings fond memories of togetherness and joy. On the day before the day that is expected to be Eid, most of my cousins we would sit expectantly before the TV waiting for news about the sighting of the new moon. Either we or our neighbours would know the news and share it with the other. We would rush over to our neighbours' place to put mehendi. there was one good artist and about 10 hands and I'm sure aunty had a hard time creating designs according to our satisfaction.:) then there were the fireworks (I was always the brave one, who would rush off to the innermost rooms once they started on all those banging ones). By the time, we were finished we would all be carted off to our beds. then there would be the complex problem of the mehendi on our hands. None of us wanted them spoilt, nor did we want to miss out on the fun of all of us cuddling together. We compromised by wearing envelopes on our hands, which solved the problem of both the mehendi getting spoilt, and the one where the mehendi would be there on the face of the person near us.:)

Then next day would dawn clear and bright, with the Thakbir echoing from all of the mosques. We would rub off all the dried up mehendi and be thrilled to see the dark maroon designs. We would wear our new dresses, wish each other Eid Mubarak. Then to the beach for the communal prayer. There we would meet many of our other friends and share our joy. Back to home (and delicious food:)). At night, we would get together again, and we had the main attraction, Eid money from every grownup (yahoo!!!:))

But now, we have all grown up and the celebrations have changed. We still put mehendi on our hands. But there is no clamouring crowd around aunty. Everybody is busy these days. Most of us, would arrive only the next day. Our pre-Eid celebrations are over long before 9. And when I go to sleep, I don't have to worry about the mehendi getting spoilt anymore. Eid mornings, we dont have to rush to the bathrooms before it gets booked by somebody else. Fireworks are no longer part of the list, and most days Eid nights are spent in our own homes, or maybe visiting some relatives and having dinner at a restaurant.

Maybe I sound a bit too nostalgic, but sometimes I do miss that Eid when we were all together. Maybe someday we would all get a really free Eid and we could have fun just like before....

SOMETHINGS I JUST CANNOT RESIST...

I may be all of 19, but they are still some things i just cant resist....

Writing my name on a steamed window...
Jumping into a rain water puddle...
Letting my arms go when i reach the highest point on the swing...
Sticking my tongue at any baby i see..
Tickling my nephew every time i see him...
Stroking a touch-me-not to see it folding up...
Writing my worries on the sand and see the waves washing it off...
Letting my hair loose when there is a strong wind...
Burying myself under a blanket at the first thunder before the rains...
Putting a leaf into a puddle if an ant is stuck in it....

"It isn't the great big pleasures that count the most; it's making a great deal out of the little ones."

F.R.I.E.N.D.S Vs friends!! :D

I've always been a big fan of the TV sitcom "Friends".. And the other day, with nothing else to do, I fell into watching it again (you see, I have all the seasons with me:)).. And I thought why not compare my gang with them!!!

I guess Nd would be Monica. The sensible one. She gives us advice, even when we don't ask for it. She is absolutely maniacal about how her things should be at their exact places at all times. And she also has great food with her every time....

Ne would be Chandler. The sarcastic one. You tell anything to her, and she has an answer ready, that makes you scream, especially when you are in a tight situation

S would be Ross. The brainy one. She prefers things her own way and is too easy to bluff, the one around whom all of us makes jokes.

F would be Joey. The innocent one. She is one innocent being. We spend half our time, trying to change all those things she believes is true. We tease her innocence, yet that is why we love her...

J would be Phoebe. The queer one. Not exactly (in phoebe words) floopy like her, but with queer quirks like her. She takes to dislike someone, she does. And sometimes we doubt if she will be there for us anytime, but she will be. The one i love just for the one reason that she is my friend.

R would be Rachel. The...ok, i don't have a name for this One...bumbling. Who needs people to tell her what to do and what not to do. the whiny one. (yeah!!i got a name!!) you want any gossip??R is the one for you!!!

One more is left, H, who i cant specify any one from the series.. The quiet one. But the one we all turn to when we need a shoulder to cry on, or someone to vent our anger...

and of course, ME!!! any ideas who i would be???? :D

MY TYPICAL WEEK

MONDAY: early morning blues...

no time for breakfast because i woke up late..:(

Reach the bus stop to see my bus pulling away...

reach late to college and miss the first hour...

4 hours of the cursed lab...

somehow manage to last till afternoon before I rush off for lunch...

2 more hours of boring classes...

finally reach home...

manage to exist till dinner...

and bam!!! am asleep, all bushed!!!

TUESDAY: manage to get up early remembering the previous days tragedy...

somehow manage to reach college on time...

morning rushes past in a blur of labs and classes...

then (whew!!) lunch...

1 hour of staring down into microscopes for bacterias you will never see (and wheedle the good students to 'lend' their slides to show our sir)...

1 more hour of classes....

reach home...

had unfortunately taken a vow to study regularly, so I doze in front of my books...

dinner and fall into bed...

WEDNESDAY: no tragedies in the morning...

reach college and spend two hours drilling into the teeth of 'phantom' heads...

and exist somehow till lunch...

2 hours of classes...

aah!! Home sweet home...

have learnt my lesson from yesterday, and therefore postpone my studies for Sunday..

Sweet Dreams!!!

THURSDAY: over zealous me reaches college early and spend time waiting for my friends to reach..

spend an hour straightening wires, and then the next hour bending them into loops (ah!! the cruel irony!!)

2 hours in lab waiting for ma'am to say 'alright, you can stop working!'

and my favorite part of college life LUNCH!!!!

2 hours are wasted mixing various powders to make God only knows what (our record says that we are making something to treat a sore throat)

HOOOOOOOOOOOMEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!

time till dinner is spent fruitfully in front of my PC

Into the arms of Morpheus, the God of sleep!!!

FRIDAY: reach college telling myself 'dont worry, 2 more days to go!!'

FOUR HOURS learning about tumors, cysts, abscesses and carcinomas (the caps was to impress upon you, the boring-ness of the day)

mange to exist till the evening.. (no, even lunch doesn't cheer me up)

thankfully we have just an hour afternoon...

back home...
and doesn't wait for dinner to sleep...

SATURDAY: wake up late, mad with joy because tomorrow is Sunday...

college is uneventful except for two hours of drawing blood to estimate RBCs, WBCs and haemoglobin(Even Dracula would have been jealous of me right then)...

no afternoon classes, so we spend that time in our favourite hang-out near the college, wasting all the money I had saved over the week...

and back to home..

spend time to do whatever I like because tomorrow is Sunday and needn't rush through my work for the morrow...

am not at all tired today, so i sleep very very very late, reading up all my (story)books and all that stuff..

finally asleep...

and YAHOO!!!!!!! SUNDAY!!!!!!!!!!!: no descriptions needed..I do whatever I like...until, when suddenly the clock reminds me that i have a whole load of work to do, and just 3 hours to midnight...I sit down reluctantly and start...

and BOOHOO!! it's MONDAY: wake up late because i spent half my night sitting up...

hey haven't i done Monday already???....

so there you are, a typical week of a typical 2nd BDS student!!!!

WHY I LOVE THE RAINS...

I love the laziness I feel when I wake up in the morning...

I love the warmth my coffee gives when I drink it early in the morning...

I love the way the water drips from my umbrella when i walk in the rain...

I love wading through the water to reach my bus...

I love watching the rain fall as I travel to college...

I love the greyness of the mornings...

I love pattering of the rain...

I love the smell of earth after a first rain..

I love running for cover when the skies open up...

I love the way the cold bites at my feet when i walk barefoot...

I love splashing through the puddles..

I love to share my umbrella with a friend during the heavy rain...

I love the way my vision is blurred when it rains...

I love concentrating on the sound of rain during a boring class...

I love pooling into my money to buy a cup of coffee on my way home from college...

I love diving back under my blanket on a rainy holiday...

I love the way the rains reminds me of things i thought i had forgotten...

All in all, I love the rainy season!!!

A computer customer

(downloaded from net)

Actual dialog of a former WordPerfect Customer Support employee: Ridge Hall computer assistant; may I help you? Yes, well, I'm having trouble with WordPerfect. What sort of trouble? Well, I was just typing along, and all of a sudden the words went away. Went away? They disappeared. Hmm. So what does your screen look like now? Nothing. Nothing? It's blank; it won't accept anything when I type. Are you still in WordPerfect, or did you get out? How do I tell? Can you see the C:\prompt on the screen? What's a sea-prompt? Never mind. Can you move the cursor around on the screen? There isn't any cursor: I told you, it won't accept anything I type. Does your monitor have a power indicator? What's a monitor? It's the thing with the screen on it that looks like a TV. Does it have a little light that tells you when it's on? I don't know. Well, then look on the back of the monitor and find where the power cord goes into it. Can you see that? Yes, I think so. Great! Follow the cord to the plug, and tell me if it's plugged into the wall. Yes, it is. When you were behind the monitor, did you notice that there were two cables plugged into the back of it, not just one? No. Well, there are. I need you to look back there again and find the other cable. Okay, here it is. Follow it for me, and tell me if it's plugged securely in to the back of your computer. I can't reach. Uh huh. Well, can you see if it is? No. Even if you maybe put your knee on something and lean way over? Oh, it's not because I don't have the right angle-it's because it's dark. Dark? Yes-the office light is off, and the only light I have is coming in from the window. Well, turn on the office light then. I can't. No? Why not? Because there's a power outage. A power... A power outage? Aha! Okay, we've got it licked now. Do you still have the boxes and manuals and packing stuff your computer came in? Well, yes, I keep them in the closet. Good! Go get them, and unplug your system and pack it up just like it was when you got it. Then take it back to the store you bought it from. Really? Is it that bad? Yes, I'm afraid it is. Well, all right then, I suppose. What do I tell them? Tell them you're too stupid to own a computer.

A POEM ON THE HIJAB...(not my creation)

They say,
"Oh, poor girl, you’re so beautiful you know
It’s a shame that you cover up your beauty so."
She just smiles and graciously responds reassuringly,
"This beauty that I have is just one simple part of me.
This body that I have, no stranger has the right to see.
These long clothes, this shawl I wear, ensure my modesty.
Faith is more essential than fashion, wouldn’t you agree?"
This hijab,
This mark of piety,
Is an act of faith, a symbol,
For all the world to see
A simple cloth, to protect her dignity
So lift the veil from your heart
to see the heart of purity

They tell her,
"Girl, don’t you know this is the West and you are free?
You don’t need to be oppressed, ashamed of your femininity."
She just shakes her head and she speaks so assuredly,
"See the bill-boards and the magazines that line the check-out isles,
with their phony painted faces and their air-brushed smiles?
Well their sheer clothes and low cut gowns they are really not for me.
You call it freedom, I call it anarchy."
This hijab,
This mark of piety,
Is an act of faith, a symbol,
For all the world to see
A simple cloth, to protect her dignity
So lift the veil from your heart
to see the heart of purity
Lift the veil from your heart
and seek the heart of purity

The aftermath of 26/11

The news on 27/11 that India was facing one of the biggest terrorist attacks in its history, chilled us all to the core. Mumbai was under siege, terrorist bloodied the city with bombs, guns and grenades.. Hundreds of lives were taken away, while our brave commandos tried and succeeded in bringing the situation under control.The newspapers were filled with news and stills of the terrorist attacks. Among the countless lifes taken were also the lifes of those brave people who died in the attempt to save others: Hemand Karkare, Sandeep Unnikrishnan, Thukaram Ombale, who helped catch the lone surviving terrorist, Ajmal Kasab, alive...

Eventually we moved on.. Mumbai showed it's resilient spirit by bouncing back to life within weeks of the attack. The Taj and Leopald cafe opened almost immediately.. and the Oberoi later. Life went on, the streets became busy again, and the bloodstains were all wiped off... On the other side, interrogations and trials went on. And finally today, once again, we reminded of that horrific attack by the news that Ajmal Kasab had been sentenced to death by hanging. The news was met with jubilation by almost all of India. The wounds of the dear ones of those who lost their lives may not heal with this news, but it definitely gives it boost...Terrorists now know that they will not escape alive if they threaten the sanctity and security of this nation...

People may try to destroy India, they may destroy buildings... burn down streets... but they would never be able to break the fire within us, because poor or rich, white or black; the one thing we all are, are INDIANS..

PIGEONS IN THE CITY

As usual, I wake up late, decide not to iron my dress(as usual!!), gulp in some breakfast and rush up to the road to find that there are no autos on the road.. I walk, walk, walk and walk... until finally an auto driver shows some mercy and when I reach there, I see my usual bus pulling out of the stand.. Now I have to wait another 10mts for the next bus. As I stand there [fuming], I notice some pigeons strutting about around my feet... They are searching their way through the dust collected on the roadside for food..they are many of them, yet each remains alone.. None of them foraying into the others territory.. Everything about them fascinates me: their color, the way they fly, their mutual co-operation.... One of the pigeons looks up and I fancy to myself that it has met my eye. Unexpectedly, I find all my anger melting away and I smile at it...

By the time my bus has come, I'm not fuming anymore... I look out of the window, and see that my feathered friends have flown off. But I still smile in the satisfaction that in this city, that has grown so rapidly in the last few years, that you wonder where that old-city charm has gone, has not lost all of its innocence after all!!!!