Ignorant, are we??

You never realize how ignorant you are till you come to a new place and you meet people who know about your country down to its population, economics and culture and you know next to nothing about theirs. which is embarrassing. Every person i meet asks me the city i am from and I have barely any comments to make. Oh Slovakia.. werent u once part of Czechoslovakia!! is that what i say. Which begs the question.. are we as clueless as we make americans out to be. we are so absorbed with our own country, our own culture, languages that we dont bother to understand others. or Maybe its just that india is a known country.. perhaps more so than other countries. But i guess i am in a good place to learn. I can understand a little bit about these countries and how they work.
Yes, i am grateful for this opportunity.

It never ends!!!

You know how you look forward to the day when your current tension would end. Like the last exam.. or getting enrolled in an institution. You are so fed up of the numerous things you have to do and you hope for the day when you can sit back and say, its finished. That day never comes does it? You get to relax for like 5 minutes or less before some other aspect comes into your mind and you start the worry and the running around. The last few months I have been filling forms and arranging for hundred things and finally I thought I was done. And here I am, worrying about other hundred little things before I can finally settle in. It just never ends. There is no finally, is there?

Genetic Range of Possibilities

How much of us is shaped by genetics? I dont want to get into the Age-old Nature versus nurture debate though i have always leaned towards nurture. But for me, I guess in a way, genetics also means family. There are ways in which we resemble our parents and grandparents and uncles and aunts. Maybe it is genes. or maybe it is the fact that we have grown up with those characteristics and imbibed them without deliberation. But here is what I blame on my genetics.

1. Uncontrollable hair
2. Tendency to grey at a young age.
3. Impatience
4. The need to talk continuously at times
5. The going in by one ear and goes out the other ear.
6. Hatred of cooking
7. Love or rather need of arguing
8. Sarcasm
9. Teasing anybody and everybody

I might think of more...
PS: funny thing... apparently i look exactly like my father and like my mother. And my sister. And my paternal grandmother.

Virtue of Patience

I havent seen a lot of people who have patience. Especially when confronted with their circumstantial inabilities - age-induced weakness, fractures, anything. But then I saw my maternal grandfather. I have never heard him raise his voice. He was never restless even after retirement. He is content with what he has and what he can do even as his body becomes old and weak. If it takes him 5 minutes to cover what I would or even he would have a few years ago in 3 steps, then so be it. He doesnt hurry himself which would result in nothing but being hurt. He takes those small steps and doesnt get irritated by his dependencies. And his face lights up with a smile everytime you catch his eye and make a movement of acknowledgment (a wave, raised eyebrows, a smile). And it just feels so nice.
Why didnt I inherit this virtue?

I hate it

I hate filling up forms. The actual act of filling forms as well as the anticipation of documentation needed. And I hate arranging for things. I inevitably drive myself crazy, anticipating all sorts of questions and reasons why they would reject my request. I JUST HATE IT. Why cant I just push a button and everything set itself in place???? Why does everything have to be so complicated?

2009 mandate

So the third front did not win. The thought of Lalu Prasad, Mayawati, Sharad pawar or Jayalalitha becoming PM is postponed to another day.

So the mandate is fairly decisive. Its not a fractured vote. Its not a hung parliament.

So the Congress won and Manmohan Singh became the first PM after Jawaharlal Nehru to come back after a 5 year term.

So the BJP did not win though Varun Gandhi managed to win.

So I for the first time sat glued to the news figuring out what is happening.

So??? I guess I am happy.

Farewell

What am I supposed to feel as I say goodbye to the University and campus I have been part of the past 6 years?
The 6 years gave me friends, some great and some not so great teachers, wonderful memories, confidence, responsibilities that I was always tensed about but which I have always been grateful for after I have accomplished it. I learned so much but most importantly I learned about the person I am. Its an end of an era. And now I begin the rest of my life. Which sounds exhilarating and frightening at the same time.
But as I said goodbye to this important part of my life, I was waiting for some emotion to hit me. Nostalgia, relief, happiness anything. But I felt nothing. It was strange. However I discover that I have one more chance for goodbye. As I meet my friends (who finish exams tom) in college, we can all begin our new lives together.