Friday, January 16, 2009
Mr Dutt and his joke on the Constitution of India
Its official...Munnabhai is set to fight elections for Loksabha from Lucknow representing the Samajwadi Party. Unless something is wrong with my memory, was he not arrested a ton of times with links to the 1993 Bombay bombings? I remember reading in my 6th or 7th grade social sciences text book that once you're convicted by the court you cannot contest in any government elections. And his dear wife Manyata Singh, headed a campaign on boycotting the general elections as a voter after the Bombay seige last november....I am confused! Is India a big joke for these people?
Thursday, January 08, 2009
London
I was strolling from waterloo bridge towards charring cross station, by the thames, enjoying the golden sunrays stay the morning mist on the river and the city. When I reached embankment gardens, I looked back at the City of London on the horizon of the river and wondered, how can anyone not fall in love with London?
Friday, January 02, 2009
Only if I could swear in a title..
The university I studied my PG at is ranked among the top 10 in the world. Its been exciting...the number of opportunities showered with and the excellent, excellent research facilities provided with. As a student or an alumni, I should be proud but here's why I strongly disagree with that list.
I received my master's degree certificate today. It is such a shame that there is absolutely no sense of satisfaction, zilch, not even a smile on my face when I receive it. Ofcourse, it could win an award for the worst design of a certificate (it looks like its printed out of a computer!) or actually it could go to some university in TN overdone with English translations on a cheap white sheet but that is the least of the matter. I worked hard, was happy, till September 15th that is, the day I submitted my thesis. I did not want to return to the university again, so I get together all my library books so as to return it. I go to the library, I'm not let in. My student card says it expires on December 15 so this must be a mistake I think and go to my department. Entry is denied there as well. I'm furious at this point of time, I donot belong here anymore? Registry is next and the bored gentleman there tells me that I will not be able to gain access into any of the buildings as I had submitted my thesis already. Its not logical I tell him. I havent received my results and what if I failed? I am still a student then, am I not? All of this more than one month before I receive my results. One day they welcome you with freshers fairs, parties etc when you're paying incredible sums of money as an International Student. A year later they kick you out without any prior information whatsoever. Why all the pretention then? Why say your card will expire on Dec 15 when it does on Sept 15?! I am just left there, stranded, opposite to waterstones, wondering if and how I'm ever going to get my degree, feeling cheated!
Come November 1st, I receive my results over the internet. I am disappointed with the system...it was not fair. I worked 100 times harder than a couple of my mates. I obviously did score higher than them but by 4 or 5 points. I expected the difference between them and me would be around 10 when it should infact be 20. I am shattered when the difference falls down to 4 or 5! Thesis are marked by different supervisors. Their supervisor didnot have a high standard while mine had really high standards for marking. I know these silly marks may not matter anymore at all but I would feel reassured if I was appreciated for the amount of work I put in. People who took three or four long vacations during the term period scored better than they should have...I should have gone on a long holiday too!
Since I have studied at two different universities in this country, and have friends in other universities, I understand how graduation ceremonies work. There is one in June/July which is mostly for UGs who finish term late spring. There is one in December and this is the one for PGs who finish term in September. The purpose of such a ceremony in this university is to have minimum number of students participating. There is only one ceremony a year which happens in August/September. My UG graduation ceremony was less significant purely due to my performance. My dear mother was looking forward to attending my masters graduation ceremony. I have my degree certificate now but have to wait until next September to wear a funny hat and go shake hands with somebody on stage and officially graduate. It doesnt make sense to me but I guess it does to them.
£16,500 later, I am not a happy consumer!
I received my master's degree certificate today. It is such a shame that there is absolutely no sense of satisfaction, zilch, not even a smile on my face when I receive it. Ofcourse, it could win an award for the worst design of a certificate (it looks like its printed out of a computer!) or actually it could go to some university in TN overdone with English translations on a cheap white sheet but that is the least of the matter. I worked hard, was happy, till September 15th that is, the day I submitted my thesis. I did not want to return to the university again, so I get together all my library books so as to return it. I go to the library, I'm not let in. My student card says it expires on December 15 so this must be a mistake I think and go to my department. Entry is denied there as well. I'm furious at this point of time, I donot belong here anymore? Registry is next and the bored gentleman there tells me that I will not be able to gain access into any of the buildings as I had submitted my thesis already. Its not logical I tell him. I havent received my results and what if I failed? I am still a student then, am I not? All of this more than one month before I receive my results. One day they welcome you with freshers fairs, parties etc when you're paying incredible sums of money as an International Student. A year later they kick you out without any prior information whatsoever. Why all the pretention then? Why say your card will expire on Dec 15 when it does on Sept 15?! I am just left there, stranded, opposite to waterstones, wondering if and how I'm ever going to get my degree, feeling cheated!
Come November 1st, I receive my results over the internet. I am disappointed with the system...it was not fair. I worked 100 times harder than a couple of my mates. I obviously did score higher than them but by 4 or 5 points. I expected the difference between them and me would be around 10 when it should infact be 20. I am shattered when the difference falls down to 4 or 5! Thesis are marked by different supervisors. Their supervisor didnot have a high standard while mine had really high standards for marking. I know these silly marks may not matter anymore at all but I would feel reassured if I was appreciated for the amount of work I put in. People who took three or four long vacations during the term period scored better than they should have...I should have gone on a long holiday too!
Since I have studied at two different universities in this country, and have friends in other universities, I understand how graduation ceremonies work. There is one in June/July which is mostly for UGs who finish term late spring. There is one in December and this is the one for PGs who finish term in September. The purpose of such a ceremony in this university is to have minimum number of students participating. There is only one ceremony a year which happens in August/September. My UG graduation ceremony was less significant purely due to my performance. My dear mother was looking forward to attending my masters graduation ceremony. I have my degree certificate now but have to wait until next September to wear a funny hat and go shake hands with somebody on stage and officially graduate. It doesnt make sense to me but I guess it does to them.
£16,500 later, I am not a happy consumer!
Thursday, January 01, 2009
A loser's qualities!
Little things, very little things drive me far away from people. While I should not (it is a cardinal rule for any single girl) make a list of what qualities impress me, I shall make one tiny list of some unpleasant things I have experienced when out with certain "guy-friends". Men with the singlest of these qualities turn me off, instantly!
A man who does not care to hold the door open when I walk in, yes like in Dostana...I didnt bump onto the glass door but I had to push it open and let myself out!
A man who does not offer to pay at a restaurant, for himself! Some men are just plain cheap!
A man who thinks he is too much of a man for household work
A man who does not let me go to the bathroom before the start of a movie at a cinema. Well, he doesnot feel comfortable telling people that the seat was occupied
A man with a strong Indian (any region) accent applied to English
A man who can talk about nothing but himself, his work, his family, his friends
A man who thinks he's inferior to almost every other man
A man who doesnot bother to introduce me to his friends when we stumble on them or his friends who cannot be courteous enough to say Hi!
A man who expects that a woman do his cooking
A man who thinks he is the smartest or kewl est or greatest of them all
A man who is a boy immature and sloppy
A man who has made an habit out of drinking and/or smoking and its worse when he thinks its cool!
A man who is always raring to show his physical strength
A man who doesnot listen to suggestions even if they are better
A man who insists a girl should either wear a saree or should not wear tight jeans and short tops in front of his parents
A man who is controlling
A man who walks in front of me rather than with me or better, behind me!
A man who does not offer to carry any shopping bags (have you seen Chinese men? They carry their girlfriend's Louis vuittons!)
and there are so many! I have lost the motivation to retrospect or write and so I shall stop here. It is at times like these I feel like punching those men but it happens every now and then with Indian men here and my mind repeats 'just another loser!'
I was 16 when I was swept off my feet last. I was 17 when I came here and 5 years forward, I still have my share of bad men, but others have....eh...luck? My dear darling friend back home, whom I have been very close and attached with for more than 6 years now is getting married. My mind insists that she is too young to be married and has much to live for. She has known the guy for 2 hours in total but there is little left to do when she thinks she is ready. Maybe she is, maybe it is love at first sight but I'm my rational self! So here's wishing her, from all my heart, the best in holy matrimony! It does rain men but it rains stupid men!
A man who does not care to hold the door open when I walk in, yes like in Dostana...I didnt bump onto the glass door but I had to push it open and let myself out!
A man who does not offer to pay at a restaurant, for himself! Some men are just plain cheap!
A man who thinks he is too much of a man for household work
A man who does not let me go to the bathroom before the start of a movie at a cinema. Well, he doesnot feel comfortable telling people that the seat was occupied
A man with a strong Indian (any region) accent applied to English
A man who can talk about nothing but himself, his work, his family, his friends
A man who thinks he's inferior to almost every other man
A man who doesnot bother to introduce me to his friends when we stumble on them or his friends who cannot be courteous enough to say Hi!
A man who expects that a woman do his cooking
A man who thinks he is the smartest or kewl est or greatest of them all
A man who is a boy immature and sloppy
A man who has made an habit out of drinking and/or smoking and its worse when he thinks its cool!
A man who is always raring to show his physical strength
A man who doesnot listen to suggestions even if they are better
A man who insists a girl should either wear a saree or should not wear tight jeans and short tops in front of his parents
A man who is controlling
A man who walks in front of me rather than with me or better, behind me!
A man who does not offer to carry any shopping bags (have you seen Chinese men? They carry their girlfriend's Louis vuittons!)
and there are so many! I have lost the motivation to retrospect or write and so I shall stop here. It is at times like these I feel like punching those men but it happens every now and then with Indian men here and my mind repeats 'just another loser!'
I was 16 when I was swept off my feet last. I was 17 when I came here and 5 years forward, I still have my share of bad men, but others have....eh...luck? My dear darling friend back home, whom I have been very close and attached with for more than 6 years now is getting married. My mind insists that she is too young to be married and has much to live for. She has known the guy for 2 hours in total but there is little left to do when she thinks she is ready. Maybe she is, maybe it is love at first sight but I'm my rational self! So here's wishing her, from all my heart, the best in holy matrimony! It does rain men but it rains stupid men!
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Recipe records
For those who did not know, I am a fantastic cook (or atleast I'd like to think!). I absolutely love Italian food.. well actually any food as long as its vegetarian or chicken or fish. I shall record all my recipes from now on so that I dont spend time thinking in the future on what I'd like to eat for lunch or dinner. My first recipe will have to be 'Penne Giardiniera'. This recipe is inspired by the pasta of the same name served in Carluccios, the Italian chain of cafe-restaurants here. Everytime I go in there, I end up ordering the same thing...every time except for twice I think when I tried the ravioli. Okay, the recipe is the simplest there could be and is easy to cook.
Ingredients: (for two)
Pasta, preferably penne...other types like farfalle or shells can also be used but donot use spaghetti, the structure doesnt gel well!
1 medium sized courgette - grated
1 medium sized clove of garlic - finely chopped
1 spoon of grated Parmesan (you get this in Tesco)
1 small red chilli - the not hot variety - finely chopped
salt for seasoning
Olive oil
Boil the pasta in water with some salt added till its done. Drain it and keep aside. Meanwhile, take a seperate pan, pour in 1-2 spoons of olive oil. Put in the grated courgette and garlic and fry for apprx 3 minutes. Pour some water in between if you donot like your pasta dry. Add the chilli, the parmesan and season with a pinch of salt. Pour the courgette mixture over the drained pasta and mix well. Serve on a pasta plate with sprinkled parmesan on top.
On a completely different note, I started running again yesterday. Its been almost 2 years since I bought running tights and shoes from nike, thought I'll finally put it to some good use (specially after my dear friend in India commented that my weight is 'out of control' and I weigh 56 kilos!) But seriously, a healthy body, a healthy mind or so they say! Besides, Tower hill is so close to home and it is a serene place if one wants to run...and there are plenty running all day long. The weather on the other hand is horrid and discouraging. Not in terms of my body withstanding the temperature but my throat and the cold air donot make a good match. Would love to run a (short distance) marathon sometime...lets see if I can sustain this non-lazy phase!
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Men and monogamy
It is a cruel and difficult thing this monogamy and I think male chauvinists of present age agree with me. Flash back to late 1800 where a wife is namesake. The prime minister of a certain country flings with various women on his visit to various cities. The news about extra marital affairs were indeed public but divorce had not settled into the society. The mother educates her daughter about the importance of being patient and her need to please the husband. Extra marital affairs in western countries were mostly limited to men who could woo or force women into bed ergo the rich or the rich and powerful. Virtually every rich and powerful, young, married man would have slept with more than 3 women to say the very least. It is sad that the wives were merely legitimate child bearing, society pawns!
Across the seas in India, rich men did exactly what their contemporaries did on the other side of the world. Here I think, it is safe to include moderate to poor men too who, under the curtain of having a male successor, would easily be a part time husband to a second wife. Now if you remember Ashutosh Gowariker's previous movie Jodha Akbar, it was widely promoted as a love story untold or something on the lines of a love story. The magic of the movie per se the story failed to touch me then and it fails to do so now. The movie really pushes the envelope of love for me. Was the story of Akbar's low-on-life love for Jodha really a thing to be heralded? Was it not clear for Ashu the number of women Akbar had had "fun" (and I quote that from the cast) with? He should really have said that story..'the flings that Akbar had and how it affect Jodha'! But I sympathize with Ashu..as a director he would have gone for 'easy, no controversy, space for creativity, mass appealing' fake love story. If somebody scripts a story about Krishna (now that Ramayan is underway) may I suggest that it be 'Krishna and his gopika strees' or 'Radha, Rukmini and Satyabhama: how to cope with the mistresses'...still fail to understand Hindus worshipping deities who practice/practiced polygamy...here's hoping I dont the attract Shiv Sena!
Move over to the 21st century and I read that a certain MP, defamed, quit his post over his alleged affair with another woman. Now what exactly is it with men and monogamy? Why is it that men find it difficult to contain their feelings for one woman at a particular time? I dont read/hear about women having affairs as such. Is it because we still live in a male dominated society or is it because one single woman is physically less eloquent? or could it be both?
Across the seas in India, rich men did exactly what their contemporaries did on the other side of the world. Here I think, it is safe to include moderate to poor men too who, under the curtain of having a male successor, would easily be a part time husband to a second wife. Now if you remember Ashutosh Gowariker's previous movie Jodha Akbar, it was widely promoted as a love story untold or something on the lines of a love story. The magic of the movie per se the story failed to touch me then and it fails to do so now. The movie really pushes the envelope of love for me. Was the story of Akbar's low-on-life love for Jodha really a thing to be heralded? Was it not clear for Ashu the number of women Akbar had had "fun" (and I quote that from the cast) with? He should really have said that story..'the flings that Akbar had and how it affect Jodha'! But I sympathize with Ashu..as a director he would have gone for 'easy, no controversy, space for creativity, mass appealing' fake love story. If somebody scripts a story about Krishna (now that Ramayan is underway) may I suggest that it be 'Krishna and his gopika strees' or 'Radha, Rukmini and Satyabhama: how to cope with the mistresses'...still fail to understand Hindus worshipping deities who practice/practiced polygamy...here's hoping I dont the attract Shiv Sena!
Move over to the 21st century and I read that a certain MP, defamed, quit his post over his alleged affair with another woman. Now what exactly is it with men and monogamy? Why is it that men find it difficult to contain their feelings for one woman at a particular time? I dont read/hear about women having affairs as such. Is it because we still live in a male dominated society or is it because one single woman is physically less eloquent? or could it be both?
Sunday, December 07, 2008
Theory of Continuity part deux
Has it been more than an year? I guess one can start, or restart blogging when one does have some time on hand...and I do! I am not occupied by anything these days except for job hunting. Ah! the transitional phase between being a student and being employed...I think it can be compared to Jodie Foster travelling through whirlpools in the movie 'Contact', which is delightful btw.. Search for employment is anything but easy. First, because I know that I donot want to work as an engineer which funnily enough is my major! Second, the economic crisis! Everyday, I hear people getting sacked or companies shut down...is there hope at all? I continue to believe so as I donot want to take the other choice that lies in front of me! Third, maintaining financial stability when one is unemployed and this means cutting down on shopping and going out!
I hope to record my ongoing situations now...maybe one day when I am employed and successful, I can look back and smile!
I hope to record my ongoing situations now...maybe one day when I am employed and successful, I can look back and smile!
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