Of Sport and Passion.

This article happened after raking the brain for hours. Six hours. Five of those six came after 00.00 hour.
Anyway, I wrote this for a department fest magazine called Transit. The theme, hence, being 'change' or 'transition'.


Change. One knows not whether it is for good or for bad . Change is all pervading, all affecting. There are many things that change , as we grow. Grow out of our shells, grow out of our habits, grow into adults. All the while, moulding our personality, making us the people we are. And then there are those changes that we have no control over, but still make a massive impact on our lives.
As a Formula 1 fan for about ten years now, I have seen the many changes that this sport has undergone. Be it rules and regulations, new teams, departing teams or simply the change into becoming a sport with theatrics, I have been there to watch. But nothing changed me, as much as Michael Schumacher did.

Michael Schumacher drove his last Formula1 race in October, 2006. It was a breath-taking race, a spectacular display of the Meister's capabilities. Watching him drive would have filled the heart of every fan with pride. After 71 laps, it wasn't just the race that had come to an end. For most people around the world, it was the end of an era. For me, it was the day my childhood ended. I had grown up watching his shiny red car take him to the podium every alternate weekend. This man, along with the team he revived, was the constant change that my life grew around.

Michael Schumacher gave me my identity. He defined my existence as a human being , driving most of my instincts and my puerile opinions. A Schumacher victory or defeat would decide my mood for the following couple of days. Being a tomboy who rarely cried, there was, surprisingly, no resistance for tears that rolled out of my eyes when he crashed. When the same happened to his opponents though, my neighbors would have monstrous laughter echoing through their homes. Defending him or cheering for him was all I ever did. There have been many friends lost over arguments. Countless hair strands were pulled out and plenty of blood vessels threatened to burst, while I watched every race.

It might seem like taking things too far if I said his wins inspired me to do well at school, but yes, they actually did. I particularly remember a project we were asked to do, on our favorite sports person. It was the first time I worked on a project with all of my heart and soul, making helmets and wheels out of paper , scanning the internet for hours and eventually ending up with a mini-biography. The appreciation I received from my teachers only made me love this man more. There have been times when I'd vow to not watch the sport again , all because Schumacher came second and not first. Until Schumi, I wasn't one who thinks of competition. Stories of his dedication to his team and to winning, of how he worked on his car all night , would leave me in a trance. A state of complete awe which would eventually have me motivated and full of energy. I was always told, it was an absurdity to let celebrities and their exploits affect us to such an extent. But how Schumacher drove his races would always show in me and my work. And more often than not, it worked to my benefit. The era of Schumacher was and will always be, the period when I had 'the time of my life'.

Lets jump to the less inviting present. One might say the sport hasn't been drastically affected by Schumacher's retirement. Yes. Only, now there is more drama off-track than on it. If we recall the huge wave of excitement that swept the world when Michael announced a come-back earlier this year, we realise just what he did for this sport. There are many talented drivers, agreed. But no one for whom I would ignore sleep , skip work and ensure that races were not missed. There are Britons who have the whole nation rooting for them, charming Finns who never fail to spice up races , young Germans who don't stop proving themselves. But I, like many fans, still look for Schumachers in them. It is both a matter of pride as well as pain, when every driver who performs well is compared to Schumi. Pain, because no matter how good the newbie is, he is not Schumi. For Schumacher made the sport heavenly. His drives were nothing short of magical. My vocabulary restricts me from expressing articulately, the euphoria he brought to us, Schumacher fans. Michael was special. And he is irreplaceable.

So when Michael retired, I was stranded. For a while, there was nothing that could interest me or inspire me. I believed that it was the end of following the sport. That I wouldn't have anything to look forward to, week after week. That my passion for sport and enthusiasm for life would die a quick death. But three years on, I look back at his retirement as a refreshing reminder of reality. A change that was foisted upon me. After three calm years of introspection, I realize, it was not merely the person that had given me my identity, it was a whole body of ideals. Of heroism, of victory. Of dedication and will. Of simplicity and supremacy. He had been but the embodiment.

With his retirement, a defining feature of my childhood was taken away. And I didn't have a say. I knew then that it was time to grow up. Schumacher, and what he stood for , changed me as a child, helped me grow as a teen and stand by me still. I reiterate, nobody will ever affect my life, like Michael Schumacher did.



A big Thank You! to Nihal and Sid, for getting this piece and me out of our ruts.

Not an F1 post.

Music is love. If music were a person, I'd want to marry him. (Its another thing that I'd say the same for Batman). There's isn't an instance when music hasn't helped me, there isn't an occasion when music isn't welcome. And I believe one of the most satisfying experiences, apart from living it yourself, comes from sharing music.

I've been blessed to have many generous people around me, who don't take too long to post links to the new discoveries they make. I've also been extremely jobless in scanning arbit sites and well, profile pages (I don't stalk, honest!) , to collect new music. Making an attempt to list out my favorites would be futile, with no doubts. Attempting to post an article about shady songs would be useless as well, because I can name a good number of crazy dudes around me, who'll know songs that are just that much higher up on the weird-o-meter.

So, this edition of my tribute to music will simply list ten artists/songs that are non-english! Famous or unknown, pronounceable names or otherwise, the music is definitely good! :)

1. Hedningarna.
The inspiration behind this post, I love how the male and female artists blend their voices in with the mystifying beats and enthralling music! They are brilliant. Listen to 'Räven' and tell me if I'm flattering them. I LOVE this song. Love it so much, I can sing those Swedish words even. 'Vargtimmen' meaning 'Hour of the wolf' is just as good. Try this band, if thats the last thing you do. This band and their songs are among the many things that make me want to shout out, All hail Scandinavia!

2. Sigur Rós - Hoppípolla (from the album Takk)
An Icelandic band, these guys play music that I would call exotic! This song is rather famous and has been used for/by various events and networks, including the BBC. Trailers of Slumdog Millionaire used this song as well.. Oh well, the other day TV9 Kannada had this on while talking of the floods in North Karnataka. Famous? Oh yes.
Must give it a listen!

3. Beirut - Prenzlauerberg (from the album Gulag Orkestar)
One of my shadiest search expeditions on the Gulag story got me the name of this album. Initially, I concluded this band was noise. But this song changed my opinion of them. Gotta admit, they are American, they do sing in English, but not much of the song sounds like English to me. Heh!
Mum loves this one. Aunties, please do try.

4. Avial! :D
Yes yes, our very neighbours, this Malayali band won me over. Thanks to an over-enthu quizzer-classmate , I decided to give them a listen. And I'm glad I did. They remind me of Linkin' Park, ever so slightly. If you haven't heard 'Karukara' , you're missing out on some genius here.
Really.

5.Sergio Mendes - Magalenha (OST Dance with me)
Thanks HBO. Most songs from this movie are fantastic, but this one stood out. A Samba number, if I remember right, do give it a listen. You will most definitely pull off a couple of dance moves you didn't think you were capable of. And while you're at it, give the OST a shot as well. There's lots of Latino jazz and Salsa and Cha Cha Cha and what not. Oh oh, do watch the actors perform in the movie. Splendid!
Sigh. Love dance.

6.Gypsy Kings
Discovered them with their version of 'Hotel California' (featured in The Big Lebowski!), which I definitely recommend. And there's 'Oye como va', 'Volare' and many more! Fast and uplifting songs, most of them. They're all Spanish, in case you wanted to know.

7. Manu Chao - Me Gustas Tu
All thanks to Facebook and kind seniors who post links regularly. Fun song. Very catchy!

8-10. German bands.
Of course I had to mention them! There's plenty I haven't been able to get my hands on, in spite of all that searching I do. But among the bands I have heard, here are the ones I really like and songs I suggest you try first. Rammstein - who dun-know-'em? Plenty songs to list, but I'm currently hooked to 'Sonne', 'Engel' and 'Zerstören'.
Oomph! - Rammstein credit them, listing them as a major influence. Try 'Labyrinth' and 'Augen Auf!'. If you like German, you'll like them.
Steinkind - Boy, can they scream! 'Deutschland brennt' provides an entire week's dose of screaming, for me. 'Larissa' is addictive and 'Ich Muss' helps me stay up till 5 , while I try to mug for an exam at 9.

I would add a few Tamil songs to the list, but since I can't spell any of them properly, I'll let it be. Here's hoping you have the patience and time to listen to all of this. Opinions and of course, more artist/song suggestions(with links, preferably) are very welcome!

An F1 post.

One post I say I miss seeing Alonso on the podium, he wins the next race.
Last post I said, bring Michael back! Well, it almost happened!

..
Ahem!
..
How I wish Vettel will be world champion this year!!!

Well, all the wishful thinking apart, I really do miss Michael. All I have is this small tribute(flicked off some blessed site) to share with you. Best bits of his last race.



Michael is, without doubt, the best.



(Is this to be mentioned?
Well, the entire clip is a property of the FIA ..I suppose. And I only intend to share some greatness with the people of the world. Please don't take it off,pretty please!)

The kind of post that gets deleted -3

*Arbit rants that are supposed to pull a disappearing act*


1. Life's been giving me more than my fair share of lessons lately. (Its another thing that I don't seem to learn well.) Coorg is a wonderful place, I love it. (who doesn't?) But on my latest trip to the native, I had a lot to learn - the hard way.
a. When your mother tells you 'take a thick shawl and a sweater' , you take a thick shawl AND a sweater.
With the monsoon season paying a visit, its been raining non-stop in Coorg. We got off at the station there at 5 in the morning and I realised, it wasn't as cold as I'd expected it to be. It was far worse! And the I-can-freeze-the-shit-in-you type weather and I didn't really bond. Not only did my fancy, good-for-nothing stole make me crave sunshine, my feet went defunct. Each foot under two pairs of socks and a shoe, stung so bad, I almost felt the need to check if my toes had turned blue. The weather was unbearable and it got me thinking about the unfortunate many who have no option but to endure it. Until my brain went numb, that is. And to think, when I was younger, I used to wonder why Eskimos wore that many warm clothes. I'd say to myself, it can't get that cold now, can it?
I have nothing to comment on degrees of coldness anymore.

b.My favorite Nike shoes aren't waterproof.
Whats worse than cold feet? Wet-cold feet. Skipping and hopping across the puddles and pits on the almost tar-less road, I tried my best to step only on stones/rocks. But when you come across a pond , you can't really do much but walk across it, placing your foot as lightly as possible. Now knowing me, placing-my-foot-lightly wasn't going to help in anyway, so I told my shoes I was sorry and walked on. And then I hear my shoes go 'I'm sorry too'. You know the feeling of having your intestines twisted and yanked out through your mouth? That's pretty much what I felt as my socks soaked in and passed on the dirty water to my feet.Having to walk on ahead, with my feet going *squish squish* was a feeling that I'd need a whole new set of intestines and cutting tools to describe.

There were a couple more. Like, when you hear a creepy sound, don't locate the cause because the goddamned insect might jump you. And don't say you aren't hungry when you haven't tasted the food. You won't like it when you see others relishing it.
Really.

2. Current obsession(s) :
I'm not depressed, no. I'm just fond of the following lines ; from songs which you should give a listen to, definitely.

"Death makes angels of us all
and gives us wings
where we had shoulders
smooth as raven's
claws "
A Feast of Friends- The Doors

"Our freedom's consuming itself
What we've become
It's contrary to what we want
Take a bow."
Take a bow- Muse.

"I'm feeling rough, I'm feeling raw, I'm in the prime of my life //... I'll miss the boredom and the freedom and the time spent alone // ... Love must be forgotten, life can always start up anew //
...We're fated to pretend. "
Time to Pretend- MGMT.

3. I'm a new addition to an already massive fan club. Batman Begins happened a little too late in my life. But it did. And all I have to say is this :
Christopher Nolan, Christian Bale are amazing.
Batman is incredible.
Gary Oldman owns all. (He always has, even before the Batman movies) The Oscars mean less than insect pulp until he wins one.
I'll use this space to thank a certain Jim Gordon for all the help rendered.

4. Harry Potter is heeeeerrreee! I'm not 1% as faithful a fan as most friends around me, but this series brings back fond memories of pre-univ college when everyone's-favorite-blogger(A, indeed) and I,along with another friend,spoke about Harry, Snape and darling Sirius every lunch break, made kick-arse badges and wore them to the theater, to watch movie 4! That was the first time I had bunked college for entertainment purposes and you could tell I was thrilled! heh!
Cheers to those days. :)
Hope the movie won't disappoint!


5. Everyone's saying it. And I can-not not agree. Formula 1 is getting boring. I don't know what should be done, I don't know how the changes can be brought about but I do know what I want to see. Bring back Schumi, bring back Mika, bring back Montoya if need be! Give Alonso a good car , throw Lewis in along with him, say bye-bye to tracks that provide no opportunities for racing, kick Mosley under his chin, do whatever it takes but just give us this :




And when/if that happens, BAN stewards from penalizing the drivers.

Something old this way comes.

The average age of drivers in Formula1 today is about 28. Young drivers, that's a good thing. But there's many things old in F1 now. Old people managing the circus, old stewards, old parents and aging controversies. And no, old ain't gold here.

To explain :
1.The old, slow-brained stewards penalize people a little too much. The penalty for Sebastian Vettel at Australia, for *racing*, completely blew the concept of such penalties for me.

2.Old parents are Ok, I have no issues with them-as long as they do not hog the camera. Call me a cold slab of Granite if you wish to, but I haven't the slightest desire to watch them exult with joy on seeing their genes on the podium or express deep shock over a smoky engine. (You can add slightly old pussy cats and dolls to this list.)

3.Controversies. F1 seems to have a theme for each season. 2007 had the Spy-gate controversy (whatte-story! Make a movie anyone?).


2008 had bored Stewards playing snake and ladder with the drivers for pawns. But whatever the gurus had planned for this year, certainly isn't working. F1 is getting boringly monotonous. I say 'boringly monotonous' because Michael's dominance was still enjoyable. Like a wise friend (a non-Schumi fan,mind you) told me, "Michael's victories were a lot more classy". And whats worse is, we have tasteless battles being fought by the oldies. Talking of whom, I move to the finally category of annoying oldness.

4.I only want to express my irritation on the itch in everyone's butt- Mosley. The old dictator who likes turning Jewish in bedrooms , can't seem to get the message. *Everyone is sick of him!* We had the F1 greats, most teams and drivers breathe a sigh of relief when he announced he wouldn't stand for re-election. And what do you know? It doesn't take him too long to go back to the media and say something to the effect of "Looks like I'm needed. I can't leave F1 like this. I may stand for re-election if necessary. I won't walk away from a fight." @#$%*!
Cost reduction is required, yes. But in my opinion, if teams want to spend, they should be allowed to! Its not like they would spend without a cause. How about we let them decide their budget? If teams cant find enough money, they should look for more means of survival, like its always been done. Else, there are other racing series they can walk into (and perhaps dominate?) I firmly believe Formula1 is a class apart from all other forms of racing and I'm not for lowering its standards in any way. I agree the budget cap will help new teams come in, help the weaker teams do better, but quite frankly, I don't care-not as much as I care for Ferrari anyway.
You can tell a person's brains are rusted when he makes a statement like this , "F1 can survive without Ferrari". *ahem* HAHAHA! Wait, isn't this the team that's been with F1 since forever? Isn't this the team with (arguably) the biggest fan following? Isn't F1 almost synonymous with Ferrari, to a large part of the audience? With the big teams failing to deliver this year, we see a decline in F1's popularity. And our old buddy actually believes F1 will survive without them? "Survive", it will, perhaps, but on life-support.
If I haven't been able to convey the reasons for my dislike well enough, get this ; I just don't like his face. I can-not wait to scream out "auf Wiedersehen, sucker!". If Mosley has his way or stays on as the chief of the FIA, I'm all for a new series with FOTA taking charge.
In which case, I will hold an Indian-ised funeral in the loving memory of Formula 1. You are invited.

With fingers crossed on hopes of seeing a German win the German GP next weekend, I'll sign off by wishing Formula 1 a speedy recovery.

A little game called go insane.

Doors dedic, yes.

Funny is my thing. Atleast, I badly want it to be. And so, I keep myself from posting when what I have to say cannot accommodate funny. But I couldn't find a better place to proclaim my love.Status messages do not look good when you have epics written on them. So well, the latest addition to my list of obsessions and fetishes, what manages to drive me insane : Voices.

I have nothing much to say, really. Just that I love deep voices. Yes, there was a time when I thought nothing or no one could surpass Shane. The lead singer of Westlife, remember? (no? thought so.) And then there was Bryan Adams and a few years later, Bon Jovi. After three years of listening to Jovi's inspirational songs, I discovered Gothic rock and oh, did engineer-in-the-making-depressed-me love it! All the black , the deep voices, dark lyrics..heavenly. Nothing gets better than Finnish Rock, when you're looking for deep or opera-ish voices. Try HIM(a good looking front man can never hurt) and Theatre of Tragedy, you'll know what I mean.
Right now, there's The Killers. The lyrics, the voice, the music-all addictive. Also, Eddie Vedder. 'Into the Wild' ,anybody? \m/ Cannot articulate better.

Whats better than just deep voices? Jim Morrison. The long-hair/Greek-God look only adds to the baritone I so love. The first time I heard 'The End' by The Doors, I sat still for over half an hour, in complete awe. Morrison's voice took me to this whole other place! When he sings 'Riders on the storm' , I put off all work at hand and let my soul enjoy music,at its best. As (awesomely) weird as the man was, nothing compares to his poems or songs, and the way he voices them. I could mention many,many lines that I absolutely love, but I guess I'll leave them for you to discover, if you haven't already.

There's a whole lot of other artists I love, obviously. Many brilliant artists. Probably many,many more that I haven't come across yet. But I'll limit this post to so much. After all, it started of with me wanting to put up a status message saying 'I love deep voices'.
If there are any artist/band/song recommendations you'd like to make, please do! :)



P.S. GO VETTEL!!!!!
Yes, I'm still loyal to Ferrari.

The kind of post that gets deleted-2

Arbit rants again. Not one of those unfortunate beings that interact with me everyday? It might do you(and the number of your future visits to this blog) good to skip this one. :)


1.This picture will probably be an all time favorite. I can't help but grin every time I see it!
What is it about? This is a small joke, on a bigger joke called Lewis Hamilton. Canada-08,anybody? Mr.World Champion(that would be Hamilton,for now), while moving at snail's pace in the pit lane, apparently did not see the red lights at the exit. Snail's pace in F1 being around 60kph, he was set to crash. The fox conveniently chose to crash into Kimi(he drives one of them red cars we call Ferrari ;) ), who was then his strongest opponent.











If I'm going down, I'll take you with me kinds. Smart man,ain't he? Rotten eggs to him and a hug to the person who drew this cartoon!

2. Picture this : Just done welcoming the New Year, I'm extremely tired but have to study for an exam I have the next day. Very late in the night(almost morning,really), my brain is refusing to accept any information-but I have to study. So there I am, cursing myself for not having studied before, fighting sleep and laziness, desperately trying to understand what lay in front of me. In an attempt to refresh the scenario, I select random folders on my system, turn on the 'shuffle' mode and plan to let random songs play. The very next song that comes on goes 'Kya hai problem? Kyun tera Bheja kum?', while screaming out 'idiot!' at regular intervals.(from Taare Zameen Par).

The world doesn't stop screwing with me,does it?


3.Formula1 again. Skip, if you must.
So the FIA had its gala, with all cost-cutting measures in place. They got out a video for the 2008 F1 season, drawing ridiculous and annoying comparisons between Ayrton Senna and Hamilton. The video also had Hamilton's pussy-cat-doll screaming her head off every 10 seconds. Now, the official site's photo gallery has a bunch of photos of the gala. While there is one of last year's champion,Kimi, there's plenty of Anthony. Who, you ask? Remember that face that was constantly shown to you, race after race, while all you watched tv was for some racing action? Yes, that guy who got more tv coverage than most other drivers combined! Daddy, baby Hamilton's daddy. Anyone care to join in for a petition, say, to get them to show more of the drivers and the racing? If that's not too much to ask for, of course. :)

4. This one is easy. I don't have to drill through my brain, looking for words.
I want certain people from Ujjain to fly down and if possible, settle down in Bangalore!
I want to go to Saarang! And if that's not to happen, I want to be gifted three mobile phones. Good ones. One for myself and one for each of the dear souls on either side of the fence.

5. Torturing the few surviving brain cells in my head, I wondered, isn't it weird how relationships change? Friends without whom you had imagined you would cease to exist, you talk to only if the Gods of the internet brought you online at the same time. Relatives who you grew up with simply don't seem as familiar as you would want them to.
Likewise, with obsessions! They arrive, they drive you crazy and then they pass. I've had plenty. There were the small ones like Westlife, Blue, Bryan Adams. And then I grew up. Slightly bigger ones like WWE and Linkin' Park. Come college, massive ones in the form of Bon Jovi and Harry Potter. I remember forcing my friends to watch live performances of Bon Jovi. Now I realize, my friends didn't hear what I heard when Richie Sambora produced those amazing sounds with his talkbox in 'livin on a prayer'. I realize, my friends didn't see what I saw when a long-haired Jon Bon Jovi flashed that billion-watt smile. Being in the position my friends were in back then, I find it funny how my views changed. And how they keep changing!

But life isn't much without obsessions,is it? Now, my mother, as much as she likes The Doors,can not understand what I find in Morrison's cheery poems about death. And she certainly does not appreciate Gothic Rock. I probably will laugh at this someday, but All hail Morrison! :)

Of all obsessions I've had in life, one stayed. And to this day, my life revolves around it. It was love at first sight for me, when I saw Schumacher's car zooming past all the others, like they were stationary toys on the track. This, in 2001. I can confidently state that Schumi and hence Formula1 made life better. This being my biggest passion ever, I could go on. And on. But there's a part of me that says it deserves a little more than a corner of a post I plan to delete. :)

Finishing off with another picture that I love, this I post with more optimism than confidence.


Heck, I can't wait for the Formula1 season to start!

The one with all the goodwill.

Keeping with my habit of warning all innocent beings out there,
Please note: This post is infested with inside jokes and that may result in you not understanding my blink-and-miss attempts at humour.


So, in case you didn't get the message, I won an award. Yes,I know its not the kind that I can proudly tell my father about. In fact,its the kind that makes my mother laugh(out loud). But it is special because somebody else, who comes close to being my mentor, gave it to me.

"This award is given to a blog that invests and believes in PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships! These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award"

*Lets all be nice children and show some respect,ok? :) *

Considering the fact that this could be the only award I'll ever get, lets thank a few of those people I should thank. No,really.
Thanks to mom, for letting me use the internet whenever I want to,inspite of the strict rules I'm supposed to abide by. Among others, Nihal(my good ol' F1 mate and the reason why my first post came up), Gautam(who more often than not does something that makes me want to write),Arjun(the theories he builds!),thanks. And of course, all my friends who (are forced to) read my blog and leave that tiny little comment to make me feel good,thanks.

Time I do my bit and pass this on. Since I have a problem with numbers(among other issues), I can't stick to eight. But going by the text above, more awards given, more friendships propagated,right? :)

Akshata
This lady needs no introduction in this part of the world.She's the perfect person I always wanted to be. Her blog has excellent ideas-each turned into a masterpiece , brilliant language, beautiful poems, a tinge of attitude(the right kind) and more of the good stuff,all garnished with wit.(She happens to be a very good cook too!) Nothing I say can compliment her talent well enough, so with a big 'thank you' for two splendid years at college,here's the first award.

Siri
Here's someone I definitely can't do justice to, with just my words. The life of every gathering, it doesn't take her too long to win hearts. Over 30 articles for a leading newspaper, numerous articles for Citizen Matters, editor of the college magazine, a bunch of interviews(she's been the interviewer and the interviewee!), a fan following-all before she turned **(as young as she is,she doesn't like it when we mention her age). And if you still require a kid to break it to you, she's among the best writers that have walked the ground of our (beloved)state.
The most sought after person in adoption issues, she fills in every void that life lays in front of her children and siblings. Here's to the person who walked into my life just as I was to surrender to certain evil forces of the 8th mile, the person who made college fun.
I'm lucky. Why? Do you know someone to whom you can say 'lets get depressed together!' with a huge smile on your face and feel great about the plan? No? Thought so. :)

Padma and Nandini- Here's the first of the twin awards.
Padma has a blog that reflects her, with an additional supply of attitude and wit. Simple and fun,that's her and her blog as well. The quiet one that keeps a certain infamous group tightly knit, she's my partner in majestic and well planned crimes that are never committed and well, quizzes where we battle our demons. Would love to give her a Darcy but this award is the best I can do. :)
Nandini. (the . was necessary) Of trees,dates and branches. Of happy-talk(find suitable synonym), tasty food and issues with hormones. A LOT can be said about the wonderful equation I have with this lady, if only I could. Here's an award for having a thought-provoking blog name and for being that special person I can't do without.

Soda and Nakul
What can I say? One loves saying things like 'women are complicated pa' and the other always talks high of the female kind. But both,willingly or unwillingly put up with my constant rants, hyper-ness and depressions alike. There's Soda who saves my soul with excellent tuitions a day before an important exam(bunking a class,that too! ;) ) and Nakul,who simply has nice advice to offer,when I need it. The future of a certain quizzing community(cough!), these young lads also happen to write very well. With a special mention of Soda's ability to come up with excellent titles for his posts, out go two more awards.

Vijay
Is it possible to love someone even after they beat you up,cause mental torture and almost-permanently damage your backbone? Apparently,yes. There's a clan that specializes in such display of greatness. Those losers are called sisters.
This cousin of mine maintains a blog when he's not busy winning quizzes and national level essay competitions,making fun of almost everyone around or simply torturing(or getting tortured by) street dogs. My guru since always, I picked up everything he left behind.(be it F1, wwe or Iron Maiden) I have no hopes of getting anything out of his huge first salary but I shall say this anyway: his articles are absolute fun to read (even when he's talking about eating/not eating dogs) and you should give his blog a visit. :)

Datta
*For additional effects, play Get Back by Ludacris*
Yes,the master of all masters does have a blog. But hey, when you're this busy winning tennis tournaments, acing exams, building cars, posing for photo-shoots with important people, winning/breaking hearts, reading everything the internet has to offer, making chicken soup, spreading cheer, making lives better and generally making sure every sentence that comes out of your mouth is witty, how would you find the time to blog,right? Needless to say, the man can write very well and hopefully, will start writing again. Since no part of my brain can come up with a fancy way of praising this person sufficiently, I shall stop. He's just one of those people everyone should have the privilege of knowing.
(and just when you think you've exhausted all kinds of praises, he'll come up with a new one-in honour of himself. ;) )

The Siddharths of Kharagpur
a. Sid Prabhu
Mr.I'm-too-busy-to-do-any-of-the-stuff-you-do-online really has a tight schedule. Though he doesn't have a blog of his own,each of his comments on other's blogs are worthy of being blog posts. Oh and he happens to be on the team of The Scholars Avenue! This award goes to him because he can write(and well) and also for being : a great senior at school, one of the best-est friends I could ever ask for ,the great adopted brother that he is and for simply making life better.
b. Sid Singh
Would you spend time helping out a cranky,hopeless teenage girl that you know not too well,with her trivial issues? Zoo,as he is fondly called at IIT,wouldn't mind. And he's not just a nice guy, he blogs very well. His blog oozes nerdiness and wit. :D Oh also, he's homophobic and blogs about it! Definitely a must-visit,dont you think?

Swathi
This happening lady blogs about everyday's everythings and in style! Just what I would like to read when I want to cut-off from the world I know. Simple and refreshing. And very worthy of an award meant for super-nice bloggers.

And well, lets give extra credit to a personality that battles various forces to be able to blog :
Myself
I step out into the world everyday and be myself. Like that's not enough, I come here and blog to keep my stupidity on display to the virtual world. And that requires courage(among many other characteristics you may be aware of). So this is in honour of that personality of mine that doesn't give up on blogging irrespective of how stupid my other personalities think it is. Cheers to me! :)


On a concluding note :
If I have missed out on a couple of names(sheesh!) I should've mentioned,sorry.
If I was under some kind of an obligation to give you the award but still didn't, sorry again.
If you're a great writer and a Lewis Hamilton fan...serves you right, sucker! :P