Battling exam, summer and games

From what seem like an eternity, here I come. I wonder what triggers me to be here today. I do think it is not because I have a lot of time with me, indeed I do not. My fourth semester examination began today. If you asked me how did it go, here is my reply: One side of my head says it went well, but the other side disagree. With a 50-50 on both side, I can tell you the truth only after the result is declared. (Hint: The paper was British Romantic Literature and there were lots of nature poems, some questions look so related that I wasn't sure if it was from Wordsworth's or Keats' or Coleridge's or Shelley's). I still have 3 more papers to go before they released me for two months of ultimate freedom. As this is my blog, I can write what I want. But what do I want to write? This question keep poking in my head and my mind goes into nothingness. I have my next paper due Monday, which left me with 2 days for preparation. And boy, I need a much longer gap between papers, but again I love the feeling of releasing the paper from my head to their freedom after each paper. It is a win win situation, I freed them and get over it, they get their freedom as well. In the future if we were given a choice to choose when to write our exam, I will surely choose the option to appear all at once. Well, let’s talk about this another fine day, for now, let us look into what I have been doing and how am I doing with my life.

I seem to be doing fine, but hectic. Let us say this exam has been keeping me busy lately. I have been reading a lot which is normal when exam nears. The reading is limited to my course, but whatever books that I read, it is legit to be called as reading.

Every morning – oh wait, I am usually out of my bed only at noon, so – every noon when I open my eyes to the not-so-exciting day that lies ahead, the heat of summer welcomed me. I have written a lot, two or three posts that is, about how much I hate the summer of Delhi. My PG does not provide AC, so we had to battle the heat with fan and cooler. However, my side lost the battle to the heat, its strength growing stronger day by day. Things get worst when we had to go out in the open. The scorching heat of the sun burn us to the bones. Today, the maximum was recorded at 42°C, it will go higher and higher. God save me! 

It is interesting how we get addicted to some games in our phone. Anyone remember the good ole days of Flappy Bird? It is a simple game, and the graphic sucks, but millions get addicted to the game that the developer had to shut down the game! There are many addictive games, I am a victim to some. The first was Angry Bird, then Temple Run, Candy Crush follow suit. The latest trend is Clash of Clans, known in short simply as COC. It is here to stay. I am so into the game that I made a custom Tee. Check this:

Here is me wearing the tee:

I have a lot to tell you, but let’s keep the rest for another day.

That is all for today.

Read More

Where are we heading to?

The past few weeks had been super hectic. Assignments, internals, events and many things had keep me busy. The last time I updated this blog was a couple of months ago, July to be precise, and October is almost over. Wow, time flies. The summer and winter of Delhi are extreme on both side. This month is not hot anymore and is not too cold yet, making it the best month of the year. When the cool breeze blows over my face every morning as I headed to college, I can feel a change, a sweet feeling of home, of family, of childhood, of Christmas, a feeling of nostalgia. My dad called few days ago and told the whole family is celebrating Christmas together this year. Last year, my family was scattered and we celebrated our Christmas in four different locations across the country. Not just my family, even my old childhood friend circle who were now scattered in different part of the country have been cooking up plans for the winter to be together. Some thought this winter might be the last chance for a get-together, because time flies and who knows what is in store tomorrow. I have been getting endless calls from every corner from people thinking I’d be convinced from what they said. Last year, when I told them that I would be in Delhi for the winter, they told me how bored and cold and lonely and deserted the city will be. Christmas in Delhi was just fine.
 
A few days ago, a student leader from Manipur was beaten in Bangalore because he could not speak Kannada. The local beat him black and blue and told him “this is not China” when he tried to explain the matter in English. A day later after the incident, two boys from Nagaland who worked in a BPO near Gurgaon were beaten by locals. After they were beaten, the culprits told the victims they would have killed them “had they been from Manipur” and warn the victims to left the area along with other NE living in the city.

For the past couple of years, people from the north-eastern region of the country living in metropolis have been discriminated by the so-called “mainland”  Indians. Many have already fallen victims of such hate crimes. Many have been harassed, beaten, cheated, looted, raped, murdered, the list goes on. I wrote a similar post in the month of January post the incident when a 20 year-old boy from Arunachal Pradesh was beaten to death because of his different hairstyle. Many youngsters from the North-Eastern states are influenced by western culture and culture of the Far East countries like Korea and Japan. They tend to imitate them, dress like them and act like them. The Korean wave is very much alive in NE states. As a matter of fact, the local cable operator in my state has 2 Korean TV channels that air everything Korean – serial, KPOP music and whatnot. Come July, a guy from Manipur was murdered .

We are as much Indian as the rest of the country is but because we have a very different culture from the so-called mainland, people tend to stereotype the region as outsiders or foreigners. To our people, we are known for our rich culture and tradition but to the majority of the people of the country, we are misinterpreted. No history book from high school to college has text that defines the history of the region. Because of this, the region remained in oblivion to many. For instance, the only thing that people know about the state of Manipur is Mary Kom, thanks to her achievements.

People from the less developed region like the NE flooded to big cities like Bangalore and Delhi in search of work and employment. Many got employment in call centres, shopping malls and as hotel waiters. After the salary is released, many workers sent a fraction of their hard-earn money back home which in turn is used for many purposes. Civilization reach late and many of us are first generation learners. Many still doesn’t have a single government employee in the family. My tribe does have a few MPs, a few doctors, and a few engineers. We do not have any big entrepreneurs or civil servants like IAS yet. I am sure you can imagine where we stand.

Many talented youngsters come to cities to pursue their studies. My state topped the news when it comes to bandh, killing and bomb blasts. Every alternate day, there is a bandh, killing and bomb blasts somewhere within the state. There are countless insurgencies group fighting for anything and everything under the sun. Sometimes, institutions are closed for weeks and even months at times. In a situation like this, no parents will want their children to pursue their studies within the state. After my 4 months stay in Delhi last year, I was to go back to Manipur to continue my studies. Just before I left, my parents called me and told me that it would be better for me to study in Delhi, citing various reasons like “Delhi is Delhi”, “you cannot have quality education here” and so on.

The young generation of learners from the region have been fighting for justice and equality since long. Every day, new incidents hit the news. None knew that Delhi would come to these. From what I heard, Delhi back in the 1990s was the kind of Delhi I had dreamt. People treated Kashmiris, Tamilians, Marathis, NEs equally. People from the NE roam freely at night without fear. Now Delhi has turn into a beast. Oh, atleast I think so. Many thought Delhi has turn into a beast, many thought Delhi is the worst city for people from the NE to live, many thought Delhi has become the rape capital of the world. It might still be the worst city to live for people from the NE, but look at the incident that happened back few days ago in Bangalore. Just because the victim could not speak Kannada, he was beaten. What reason can we give for this if not discrimination? While we were at Bangalore, let us not forget Loitam Richard who was found dead in his hostel dorm room after beaten by his hostel mates back in 2012. Let us not also forget the mass exodus of NE people living in Karnataka few years ago. It is not just Delhi, but it is spreading far and wide.

One day in my first semester, I was my college canteen along with a friend. He wanted to eat chole bhature and told me to take the order. The lady who took the order told me something in Hindi. I told her in English that I did not understand, she replied again in Hindi for which my friend hit back on her in Hindi which left her quiet. Later my friend told me the lady was telling how strange it was to see someone like me ordering an Indian food – a food not belonging to the NE, and how I was supposed to be knowing Hindi when I am in Hindustani. Does she mean that I cannot eat “Indian food” if I cannot speak Hindi? This is another proof how we have been alienated at every angle.

To end this on a brighter note, I have started making plan for Christmas, though it is still too early but yeah, I got the feel. My third semester examination will begin a month from now and will ends in the first week of December. I am 0% prepared

Read More

College Rant - Adieu Seniors

The academic year 2013-2014 for Undergrads at the University of Delhi will end soon. For those students who are graduating this semester, it will mark the end to their college life. For the rest, there is going to be a very long break, so anyway -_-

Very soon, there will be no lectures to attend, the class-rooms will be empty, the campus will be deserted; and not to forget, no more setting the alarm clock to 6:30 in the morning to attend the 8:45 class which I failed 90% of the attempts. Before everything comes to an end, before my seniors graduate, I thought why not write a little something of my freshman year in college. Though only a year has passed, and I still have three more years to be in college, after this semester I will no more be a freshman, a new batch of students will come and life will moves on. Things will change, life will not be the same.

There is a time and a season for everything. I still remember the first day I came to this college, everything was strange and new. Everyone was a stranger to another. I remember how I ran from block to block searching for my classroom. When finally I got in one of those bamboo-classrooms, we were made to introduce ourselves, and yes, let me admit it was awkward. I don't really remember how much faces I remember that day, but as days passed by, we started to know each other better.

During those initial days, before I could remember or recognized faces of my classmates or friends, I would sit in the foyer and look for familiar faces. I know no one. I reckoned, however, I am not the only one who is lost and without any friends. I saw some sitting alone in the foyer, thinking, dreaming, or whatever is on their mind. I would tried saying hi, hello, my name is so and so...to them. We introduced each other about the self, our hometown and just other introductory tidbits. I remember how 90% of those whom I talked with won't believe me when I told them I am an Indian. They would asked about my parentage, and would asked if we were immigrants, and how I came to India, and so on. They are hard to convinced and sometimes I would simply tell them that I am from a certain South East Asian country. I will be a Filipino to one, a Thai to another, or a Burmese, or a Chinese.

[Fast forwarded. December. End of Semester I.]

Come January and the new semester begin, I am now in the IInd Semester. Delhi's winter is hard to pace with, the chill, the morning classes, it bite us hard (but well remembering those days NOW [summer], it is something very soothing, anyway). Then, NEXUS - my college annual fest came. We rocked, we clicked, we had fun...so much of it.

Assignments, projects and presentations followed. I do not blame the FYUP of the University of Delhi, I am neither an anti-FYUP nor a pro-FYUP, but seriously the many foundations courses are ridiculous. Though they don't carry much credits, and aren't a heavy load for end semester exam, yet the assignments and projects and presentations are overwhelming. They ate up many precious hours. I had the busiest weeks in ages, to meet all those deadlines.

Somewhere in this semester, I happened to make friends with two seniors. We came from the same district in Manipur. Though we have met since last semester, it was only in this semester that we really get to know one another well. We spent many hours together in the college lawn, the canteen and in Satya Niketan, we missed many lectures just to be together. We have fun, laughing at silly jokes. One of them is graduating this season and I will miss her.

Though some classes are still going on, many has completed theirs and students don't come to college anymore. They would rather laze in their room at home, rather than beat this Delhi's heat. There seem to be no spring in Delhi, but just winter and summer. Some professors in my department are trying their best to complete the syllabus by taking in lots of extra classes, but many don't care. Even today, right now, there is a lecture going on. But I believe many didn't turn up. I am writing this in the library's reading room, I might missed all the lectures today. Yesterday, only after I reach home I realized that I did not attend even a single lecture. To tell you the truth, I came to college not to attend lectures but because I wanted to be in college.

As the session come to an end, I want to tell my seniors that they shall be missed and I wish them Bon Voyage for the journey that lies ahead.

Read More

Thank you March

I have no idea what motivates me to write this today. I know it has been a long time since I last updated this blog. Life seems so unfair, truckloads of assignments, projects presentations and whatnot flood in endlessly. I had another blog last year, after a couple of months, the light dwindled away and now the blog is dead. I will not let this blog follow the trend.

I haven't wrote anything for long, I have lots to share and lots to tell, yet I don't know which one I should talk about, for they are not few but millions. Time comes and go, and today is 1st April. Time was never this fast, I still remember those early years when waiting for Christmas seems forever. Time was so slow then, but as I grew up, time seem to have make some upgrades.

The past month was great, thank you March for everything. You have been an amazing month, from the start till the end. Many memorable things had happened and those memories which I've created will go a long way in my mind as I traveled along this road called life.

NEXUS, my college annual fest was on the 27-28 February to 1st March this year. Since this is the first ever college fest for me, I cannot judge how the fest was. All I can say is that it was amazing. A lot of things happened in those 3 days.

#liveyoung EXPRESS YOURSELF

Concert by a Jazzy B on the last day 

The Mid-Semester break began in mid-March. Mid-semester break is that time of a semester that every students longed for; to catch up with missed lectures by self study or photocopy notes for missed classes, spent sleepless night to complete assignments and projects on time. I planned to follow up the class for the missed lectures and got myself books from the college library. However, when the break actually began, I changed my mind and instead sleep for hours for all the sleep I have been deprived of. Being an off-campus student, attending the 8:45 class in the morning was impossible. During these breaks, there are days when I found myself waking up only at 1 or 2 in the afternoon. There are days where I do nothing productive but to spend hours online playing Candy Crush (FYI, I have been stuck at level 183 for 2 weeks now). I did read a novel or two, so unbecoming of a literature student and someone who is supposed to be a lover of books. Mid semester break ended. Period.

Due to all the crazy loads of assignments, projects and presentation, my schedule was very hectic and to tell you honestly, I didn't have time even to had my dinner or get enough hours of sleep at times. I am writing this today, but this does not meant that my assignments or other college related works are all done. Indeed, this week might happened to be the busiest week. I still have 3 presentations and 2 projects to be completed before the 4th of April. Sigh.

Lately, I have met and made friendship with two students in my college. We come from the same district in Manipur. One of them is in IV Semester and the other in VI Semester. I met them last semester, but back then I just knew their names and nothing more. This time, we have grown closer. Our little group spent many hours together, in the canteen, the college lawn and in Satya Niketan. At times, we bunked class to be together, I guess that's the fun of being in college.

Us

Read More

10 Things You Never Knew About Me

Life has been pretty hectic lately. Assignments, presentations, projects, oh, those deadlines. In spite of all these madness, here are 10 things about me you never knew, in case you are interested in that sort of things.

#10

I am a left-handed person, which means I do everything with my left hand, yes everything. I am one of those rare breed of mankind. I had a hard time in my early school life because of this strange trait. Learning how to write the alphabets of 3 languages (though I remember only one now), marching exactly like the right-handed people do in parade and stretching out my left hand for handshake at times, all these were bitter memories of growing up as a leftie. I learn how to eat food with my right hand. I still eat with my left hand when I use a spoon.

#9

I did not have a regular schooling. In my first year at school, I was always with my dad who was a principal of that school. I would accompany him everywhere. This has proof, some seniors remember how I followed my dad everywhere. Come KG - II (Nursery second year) and I attended school for 2 days (or maybe 3 days, but not more). My family shifted to another village and I was homeschooled for that year by my dad. I attended two schools for Class V (five), 4 months in one school, then I dropped out to learn music (no kidding) from my sister who had completed her keyboard training course just then, and then I came back to another school for 3 months to complete class V.

#8

I do not have much childhood photos. There are some clicked when I was a toddler. In class VI, I had my first single photo clicked. There were no digital cameras during those days. We use the 35mm roll-camera and you will never understand how eagerly we waited for the prints which usually take days.

#7

While in Class II, my dad promised to buy me a bicycle if I topped my school in the final examination. I worked really hard, and I made it. Just before buying the cycle, my elder brother nagged my dad and me to buy a music system instead. We bought a second-hand tape-recorder costing Rs. 1300/- which was a large sum then.

#6

Back in the land where I grew up, every boys used catapult. They used it to kill birds and squirrel. Though I was not interested, my brother would buy rubber for me. I’ve made around 5 kills.

#5

My first love got married in 2013. Such a bad beginning to my love life, I know. I can't deny the fact that she is beautiful. A friend told me that she is into much and I proposed her which she readily accepted. During those days, there was no phone, we exchange words through letter. Few months later, I found out she had another boyfriend and the relationship ended.

#4

I always mess up being “in love”. I already have three or four failed relationships that just dwindle away.

#3

I wear contacts. It has been more than a year that I've been wearing them. You wouldn't see me much with contacts in my photos. I hope that gives you an idea how much I hate to wear them.

#2

I am obsessed with Korean TV serials. I’ve watch a truckload of them. My favorite is Save the Last Dance for Me, I have watch it for over 10 times.

#1

I used to be very emotional at times. My eyes get wet easily if something goes very wrong.

Read More