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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!
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
No,not yet. Welcome to round 2 of the name-bashing. In my other post, 'Whts in a nme?' (still hurts to type words like that!), among other things, I said "Yes,I know my name isn't all that bad". I write today,because I think otherwise.
It all started with a classmate making fun of my name. Strange as it may seem, I've never been made fun of,over my name. Nicknames,yes. Crazy reactions and pronunciations,yes. But no one ever told me "Funny name! Haha!" and went on to deform my already handicapped name.Not until now. I was angry. Why me? Why do I have such a lame name? This frustration eventually led to curiosity(God knows how). I wanted to know more about my name. So I've been named after a Roman Goddess. Which Goddess? Whats the story built around her? And what does an aging teenager do,when faced with questions like these? Google.
I looked up 'Roman Goddess Merin' ,on Google. The link to my previous post(where I've mentioned the whole Goddess thing) sat on top of the result screen. My heart sank. As in, no other site on the www spoke of Roman Goddesses known by the name Merin? More research!!! I typed in 'Origin of name Merin' but apart from learning arbit possibilities of the origin, I was slapped across the face,again,with the fact that 'Merin' is not-a-feminine name. And well, no Roman Goddesses. Now I had just one option left. I called out, "Maa!".
Me: Ma,I ran a google search on my name..
Mom: So? Have nothing better to do now that your internals are over?
Me: Listen! There's nothing about any Roman Goddess with my name!!
..
Mom: *grins*
..
Me: *stare* What?
Mom: Took you so long to figure this out?
...
Voice in my head : WTF?! Does she mean what I think she means?! No way man! This is outrageous! Say something! Anything!!!
..
Me: What? *more of the lame my-last-brain-cell-just-died staring*
Mom: Oh it isn't the name of any Roman Goddess. Your dad and I just liked it.
Me: You mean...?! What the hell does my name mean then?! (Oh a couple of 'em cells were alive!)
Mom: We just liked the name. We didn't know what to tell you,so we thought Roman Goddess sounded nice.
Me: You lied to me all my life?! (No,this is not the effect of watching saas-bahu shows. Trust me,you actually react this way,in situations like this.)
Mom: Ok,sorry. But for me, it'll always mean Roman Goddess,ok?
Me: Who in-the-f'ing-name-of-Lewis-Hamilton cares what you would like to think?! You lied?! However did you come up with this name then? Where'd you find it?!
Mom: The Pandit told us your name had to begin with m and we wanted a 5 letter name. And your dad's name starts with m and my name begins with n. So we just put this all in together.
Me: (After spending 15 seconds trying to digest that) So you just had m---n and you filled in random alphabets in the middle?!
Mom: Look I don't remember how we came up with it, but its no big deal. You're my Goddess,ok? Its just a name. (And walks off,making me feel highly immature).
Voice in my head: No,wait,Just a name?! Hello? Its my name. Its like the frikkin' passport number that your passport bears or the whatever code the processor-chip of your computer has! Only much more important!! Come back!
But that stayed in my head. I felt like I'd been robbed. (Don't you call me dramatic,you haven't spent 19 years being called 'merin'!). My name actually had no proper origin/meaning/gender. This was sad. The pathetic, jump-into-the-path-of-a-moving-cycle type sad. I sat in my room for a while,along with my different personalities,trying to cope with the truth.
It wasn't very long before I went back to Google. 'Merin' has to have a meaning! It has to exist somewhere! I'm a frikkin' Goddess!! And I found a page alright. A page that spoke of a Deity named Merin. And how I wish I'd never looked for it!
So there exists a Deity of the name 'Olori Merin',worshiped by the Yoruba-Speaking Peoples of the Slave Coast of West Africa. Then again, its a HE. He's a God. But that's not the worst thing I was to find out. Here's exactly what that site had to say :
Olori-merin, possessor of four heads, is another god whose worship is nearly, if not quite, obsolete. He was the tutelary deity of towns, and was represented by a hillock, or, if no hillock existed within the precincts of the town, by an artificial mound.
Sacrifice was made to Olori-merin every three months, or four times a year, and always consisted of a new-born child not more than three or four days' old. The child's throat was cut by a priest, and the blood, caught in a calabash or earthen vessel, was placed on the summit of the mound, after which the flesh was sliced up into small pieces and buried in the mound. During this dreadful scene the mother had to be present. This sacrifice was called Ejodun (Eje-odun), "The season of blood."
Olori-merin had, as his name betokens, four heads, with which he watched the four points of the compass from the top of his mound, and it was believed that no war or pestilence could attack a town under his protection. He had the legs and feet of a goat. Sometimes, at -night, he appeared in the shape of a venomous serpent.
(If you think I'm SO messed up in the head that I would cook this up, here's the site. )
Now I have every right to scream, WHY ME?! Couldn't my parents have thought of some other set of alphabets to complete their ever-so-special m---n puzzle?! This flood of self-pity suddenly made way for enlightenment. The truth. Stark reality, if I'm allowed to make this sound fancy. Names are said to affect personalities...aren't they?
Now we know the root-cause of my spooky ideas! Next time I joke around saying "I need to see blood! or I'm going to slit his throat with a blunt knife,Joker style! or I'll frikkin' chop him into pieces,yank his intestines out and feed it to dogs!", you know whom to blame. Its NOT my fault. I was born normal; but over the years, my name worked on a couple of those personalities I shelter. And there was once a time when I thought a couple of disturbing Marilyn Manson songs that I liked made my brain think extreme,when frustrated.
When I reported my findings to my (permutation-combination loving) mother,she walked away,laughing-but I saw shock and a tinge of fear in those eyes. For those of you who haven't dismissed this as a ridiculous post by a jobless engineering student whose life revolves around her name(ahem...anybody?), you've no reason to worry. No,really. Nothing changes but for the one statement I would proudly announce when asked about the meaning or origin of my name. I'll probably spend the next one hour spoiling my soul with self-pity and then I should be back to my weird-er old ways. :)
Meanwhile, I prepared a wish-list(number1,draft1) for Christmas/New Years. I haven't asked for better hair/better genes et all, because they've featured on the list way too often(and have been ingored everytime). I've not asked for world peace and a solution to Global Warming because sane statements have always been a misfit in this blog. Here's what I'd like to ask for:
1. A Ferrari Fiorano 599. Yes, I frikkin' know that's too much to ask for,so how about flight and race tickets to ANY Formula1 race next season? (Preferably Imola or Belgium :) )
2. Hmmm,lets see.. more than 5 exam-less days per semester,in college? Wouldn't that be lovely!
3. A new brain. The last one I bought can't be used as it submitted itself to this disease they call 'rusting' and the one I'm using right now has to be discarded as repeated attempts at defrosting have failed. (This shows not only on the blog but also in my exam results.)
4. Santa/Mom-Dad can choose between a new vehicle, hormone-overpowering grey matter and make-me-a-good-programmer pills.
5.Like duh!, a new name. ( We're not past the one-hour mark yet.)
P.S. To certain members of the society who will find bright opportunities in this post :
Crude jokes about the new found connection this five lettered thing called name has,will not go down well with my system. This entire rant must be enough for you to understand that. If it isn't,I can always call upon snakes-at night. Ha!
And so this gripping,overly-competitive,controversy-filled or in one word, brilliant season is done with. How many times did we go about discussing which driver would win,whether FIA would come out with more biased decisions, whether DC would finish the next race, whether Alonso would crash into Lewis sometime(damn the guy for not doing it!),whether Force India would score any points at all and oh,whether or not Kimi would retire at the end of this season! And could we ask for a better finale? I don't think so. For a review of the race (if you are looking for one ) visit http://www.grandprix.com/race/r803racereport.html .
I'm not writing about the race simply because I can't. I can,in no way,explain what happened in the race and how emotions ran loose.The person who has written that article though, has done a great job and has made a mention of every driver/team(most of us forgot about 'the others',didn't we?).So here's what I have to say about a select bunch of drivers,followed by a small discussion about the next season! :)
Massa : How obvious was it,that I would start with him? "He isn't that good","He makes too many mistakes","He's isn't champion-material"..what else have the critics said? Yes,that exact bunch of super-humans who,right now,are having a hard time getting their feet out of their mouths? He didn't just silence the world with his aggression and determination but also showed unbelievable courage,as he stood on the podium this weekend,in the most dignified manner. No,going into the last race,I had no hopes of seeing Massa win the championship this year. But the race had me believe that Massa would,miraculously,win it. But he didn't. Can you get closer to winning a championship? A corner and a straight. That was all Lewis needed to grab the trophy back. When we,mere audience, lost our minds(did anyone suffer a nervous break-down? I'd like to know.My mom almost called for a doctor.) and felt our hearts break and sink, whatever went through that man's head,as he stood saluting thousands of fans? After a steady season and a stunning drive(in changing weather conditions-in front of God knows how many fans-with all the pressure in the world), all I can say is, Massa has trully arrived! And my respect for him has only increased,multi-fold. Hope to see him fight back,and win,in the future.
Lewis : Yes,the first Afro-Caribbean(correct?), youngest fellow to win the championship; The richest Briton, who dates a woman who has a band with a name I despise; The guy who should be gifted the record for rubbing people the wrong way and also, crashing into stationary cars in the pit-lane(I'm certain not many people have achieved this feat) : well,Lewis did it this year! Daddy's boy held onto his pants and managed not to press arbit buttons on the steering wheel this time around. Ok,in all fairness to Hamilton, he is definitely a fantastic driver and you don't need to hear me say it. I hate to admit that his style reminds me of Schumi,but I can't help but compare. He is a great driver. But for me,the greatness stops at that. Congratulations to him and all his fans. Hope we get to see more good,clean racing from him next year.
Kimi :What, oh what do I write here?! Steve Slater said that it seemed like Kimi would fall asleep once a race began, wake up towards the end and then charge through the field! Hard to disagree with that,the way this man has been performing. For majority of the season,he either didn't finish or he'd 'wake up' towards the end. What was the problem? Car didn't suit his driving style? Lack of motivation? Just bad luck? Whatever the reason maybe,I sure as hell am glad he's staying in Formula1!! And it certainly is fun to read about drivers turning up to Ski-resorts under famous-fake names and boating events dressed in Gorilla suits! Hope this fun(read alcohol)-loving Finn gets his act right next year. Needless to say,he's a great driver and actually,I'm sure he will be back with a bang! :)DC : The man of Formula1 retires this year,but sadly his last race wasn't exactly a send-off one would wish for. After being a part of the sport for 15 years,he leaves as one of the most successful non-champions(Going by what Steve said!). One of the most respected drivers around,David always knew the wittiest things to say and he'll surely be missed. Looking forward to those (non-driving)F1 activities he's got planned for himself. :)Alonso : Yes,he no longer is the human I hate the most in this world. He is a fantastic driver and no one can deny that. (Not even the Merin of 2006.)What he achieved with the car he was given this year is remarkable and I sincerely hope he gets a car that a man of his skill desreves,for 09! And,for once,I don't mind hearing all that he's got to tell the world(since most of it is directed towards/against you-know-who). ;)
Fisi : Why him? Because he has been a blessing to Force India. I think the experience he carried along,while joining the team,helped them grow-immensely. And I definitely won't forget the several occasions where he beautifully defended his Force India against superior teams like Mclaren. Well,thumbs up for a great effort and good luck for the next season!(if he plans to stay,that is).
Vettel : Been saving the best for the last! I love Vettel. (The excess amount of love I'm showering on the fellow could be a result of his role in the championship battle though). I've said it before and I'm saying it again,Vettel has what it takes to shine in Formula1. He's young,he has the skill,the aggression and most of what it takes to be champion. He has lots to learn and lets hope he will,soon. He's been doing well in other series and this year, he even won a race, overtook Lewis (ha!) and what not. That's got me rooting for him. But I remember having similar opinions about Rosberg(who,sadly,didn't do very well this year),at the start of this season.Hope Vettel continues to drive well. Let this overtaking maneuver he pulled on Lewis not be a one-time wonder like the one Sato pulled on Alonso! (remember that? :D )
Looking ahead to season 09,there are, but a few transfers happening.
There are these bonds between drivers and teams now. Bonds that are growing to resemble this-
Michael : Ferrari
And the one that stands out prominently is Lewis : Mclaren.
And, I can probably add, Alonso : Renault , Rosberg : Williams.
Lewis and Mclaren certainly seem to work well together and I don't see him leaving the team-not for a very long time,surely. Heikki stays at Mclaren for another year. But as good as he was this year,he didn't remind me of the previous Finns who drove for Mclaren. Ferrari have Massa and Kimi booked for a couple of years now. Am I happy? I guess so. As much as I like both drivers,it would be nice to see a fresh face in the red suit. Someone like Vettel!! Talking of whom, his move to Red Bull,I think,isn't great. Wonder if they can provide him a car with which he can challenge for wins! Rosberg stays with Williams-who promise to improve next season,what with their immense research in the much-talked-about 'KERS' technology. Apart from Honda,Toro Rosso and Force India,teams have announced their line-up for the next season. Except of course, Renault. I'm not too sure about Nelsinho, but Alonso should probably stay put. No other team can possibly satisfy his ego and provide a car that's good enough. The team seem to be improving and they have performed well before,maybe they can help him win more races,and even fight for the championship next year!
Also,there's Bruno Senna(does he need any introduction?) who is supposed to test for Honda, India's Karun Chandhok who supposedly will test for Force India and Germany's Nico Hulkenberg(helped Germany win in A1,last season) who has been testing for Williams.And there are others,mostly from GP2 who have been linked to STR Ferrari and/or Honda. I'm hoping to see young blood racing around in F1,next season!
There are also the rule changes,that I haven't really read about,yet. The KERS, tyre(threading) width, conditions on aerodynamics-related modifications and so on. I also wonder if they'll bring around changes in the qualifying pattern. I hope they do. And how would it be if they awarded a point or two to the pole-setter? After all,the guy who bags the pole doesn't stay ahead after the first five corners,a lot of times.He might as well be given a point for the pole,is what I feel. Your opinion?
Now we have the long,gruelling wait. Four slow months,with no F1. I'm looking forward to reading about the FIA gala though,which happens in December. I'm more than eager to watch their video,which brings out the best moments of the season. IF you haven't already watched last season's video(which,by the way,is brilliant),here's the link. http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=Sg33tkyvG5A .
I'm done, I guess, with all the talking I wanted to do. Looking forward to another-I'm sure-mindblowing season, this coming year! :)
P.S. Any 'fact' that I've mentioned wrong,please let me know.
*Arbit statements. Not for those who have brains that work-well.*Right,so there are a lot of things that I don't understand these days and even the magical discussions with mum don't seem to help. Right from the everyday non-sense to Formula1. And, it looks like I can't think of anything better to do than put these 'questions' out here!
Starting with the not-so-normal everyday stuff :
1. Why do I put up posts when I have internals starting in a day and I have not touched ANY book? Especially when I have nothing specific to talk about?
2. I don't paint my face white or use black lip-stick,or use sticky substances to make my hair stand in different styles. I don't talk about pain and death all the time and I certainly don't believe in Satan.Then what explains my sudden love for Gothic Rock and deep,haunting voices?!3. How do some people manage to take every joke made on them real well? And live with it even if they aren't appreciated enough for being sportive?4. How and why did Chuck Norris become a part of my everyday conversation?!
5. Why are we,normal teenage kids in a normal engineering college,so obsessed with pairing people up? Especially when the two people have a lot in common..like their gender..?
6. WHY on Earth are a guy and a girl 'teased' only because they hang around together? (And that,while waiting for certain seniors to join them and brighten their day!)
7. How do PPTs of a ball that has lost a part of it make my class-mates roar with laughter? *wink*
8. When did I get the guts(or lets say,when did my last brain cell die?) to make fun of seniors,on their face?
9. Since when does my optimized vocabulary revolve around just one or two not-very-pleasant words
Moving on to a topic that I'm more eager to talk about :
1. Do I pay for cable tv, only to watch Lewis Hamilton's father,brother,mother,step-mother, and I hate to add, Massa's father?! And oh,watch Lewis hug his mom and step-mom? Why are those faces repeatedly shown on tv?! WHY?!
2. How jobless is Alonso to go around saying he's going to help Massa? Like he can do anything to actually help. If Massa achieves anything at all, we'll have other fans say he doesn't deserve it because he got help!
3. Not a day goes by,when I don't talk about how much I miss Schumi and how I wish I could see him on the racing circuit again. Doesn't look like I'll ever have this wish come true. But, just twice I mentioned(on this very blog),that I miss seeing Alonso on the podium. And voila! There he is,on the top step.Two races in a row. Why?! Whoever said 'Be careful what you wish for', must've said it out of some solid experience!4. What will I have to face from Mclaren fans once Lewis wins the championship?! (Lord,give me strength!)
5. Do I openly admit that I too believe the FIA supports Ferrari quite a bit? (Agh,the embarrassment!)There's more,really. Like Why I don't feel like studying,Why my friends and I visit depression oh-so-often,
Why creeps pester nice people with high order e-mails,and what not. But what the heck,I'll stop.
That's supposed to be 'Whats in a name?'. For the few who have just studied the first few chapters of 'Unix:Concepts and Applications' by the How-I-wish-I-could-marry-this-operating system author , this title can be misleading. I'm not going to talk about file names.This is about MY name. And the title has those weird looking words because I also want to make a small mention of what I think of the 'super-cool' SMS lingo.
First, my name. Merin. I've been told that it is the name of a Roman Goddess(yay me!) and it means 'merry' or 'happy'. Let me tell you how a usual introduction-session happens,in my life.
Someone: Hi,I'm someone.
Me: Hello, I'm Merin.
Someone: Sorry?
Me: M-E-R-I-N. Merin. Don't worry, no one gets my name right at the first attempt.
Now that gives me one of these responses :
1. No,I got it. Merin. Or,
2. Merin..? Oh....Unusual name...Are you Christian?
Me: No, I'm Coorgi. Just got a name that's very-Christian.
Then there are those set of questions that completely stump me ;
Not Christian?? Hehe,you're joking right? Or,
Oh! You're not Christian?? ......How come?
How come? I dunno,how come?! I've almost always had to answer weird questions about my name, how my parents came up with it, what it means, why I have such a name inspite of not being Christian. I lost count very long back,of the various transformations my name has undergone. Meril, Marlyn, Marium, Marin... and the one that wins,hands down-Mary. I've had many people pronounce my name in many different and ridiculous ways. There are people who even stopped trying to get it right! My German teacher had such a problem trying to get my name right,even after six classes,that he finally decided he was going to use my Coorgi name,Kaveri instead. And there's worse than just wrong pronunciations. I've had people read my name and go 'Whats that?!!'. I don't blame them.'Merin' wouldn't sound like a name to me either!
And oh,here's the bomb. I met a girl online,while looking for would-be classmates in my new college. When I finally meet her in college,she says this: "Oh my God!!! I thought you were a guy!!!!!" .I'm not sure which one of us was more shocked.When I finally decide to join the community for all the Merins in the world,on a social networking site,I learn that there are guys with my name! Is it embarrassing or simply sad when I get friend-requests from the guy-Merins? Especially when most of them have the same cool quotient as this : 'It gives warm feeling to find girl with same name. We can be best friends.' And I got one that said 'Hey! Guess what! We have the same name! And I'm guy! We can have great life ahead!'. Now,assuming the worst of what that could mean, imagine an invite that reads 'Merin weds Merin'. So wonderful,innit?
Yes,I know my name isn't all that bad. Some friends even find my name 'interesting'. It certainly is far from being the worst name.For example, I have a relative back in Coorg whose actual name is Pussy. No kiddin'!!! What were her parents thinking?! Were they even thinking? Well,what were my parents thinking anyway?
All this trauma, if I may call it that,made me drop a certain oath I'd taken long back. For The Periodic Table and me, it was love at first sight. I'd sworn to name my first kid Mendeleev-irrespective of the gender.(In case you didn't know,he designed the masterpiece I fell in love with).I guess, now I know better than to do that. I like a new name now,because it pretty much describes me and how I behave when I'm all hyper. Tipsy. What do you think of it?
;)
And yes, I have to make a mention of the issue that has been driving me crazy. The SMS lingo. Whats with compressing every other word till its unrecognizable,skipping innocent alphabets in every word and even replacing them with alternate alphabets when there is absolutely no need?! Yes, I too use 'u' for 'you' and 'ur' for your, when the number of characters in my message just exceeds the maximum limit for a single message. You know,to save the very important paise. But why do that even when its not necessary? Is it an attempt to sound 'kool'? Oh wait, its kewl, isn't it? ARGH! That's got to be the most mind-numbingly 'un-cool' term ever!
There's wid(with), ma(me/my), yo(you), lik(like), den(then), dat(that), iz(is), wuz(was) and what not! There's the bunch that don't even serve the purpose of saving money. Vish(wish), totali(totally), la8er(later) and so many others. I can go on and on,with this list. There's also the overuse of 'z'. Lolzzzzzzz , frenzzzzzzzzzz!! And get this! 'Wil u cum today?' or ' Im cummin now'. I mean, What the..?!
It is highly frustrating,to have to read messages like that. Cold-blooded murder of the language,that's what it is! I'm only requesting those I know, to not do this. Typing those few extra alphabets won't kill you or paralyze your thumb. I admit, I used to use the weird lingo when I first got my phone. I don't now. And trust me, my thumb works just fine.
Thank you! :)
P.S. I went riding on my vehicle today, for the first time after the accident. For someone who used to drive like Schumi on Rossi's bike, I was very nervous. But the moment the engine came to life,what I felt when I finally drove...pure bliss! :)
From 5.45pm. Yes,from 5.45 in the evening,I'd been trying to tune my damned television set,so I could watch the practice session of the first ever night-grand prix,being held in Singapore. Also,this was the first time a practice session was going to be aired. After nearly two hours and over seven frikkin' phone calls to the cable guy,I was blessed with the privilege of watching it. BUT ,I missed it for 45 minutes!!!!!Our cable fellow can allot three sport-channels.He usually gifts me with ESPN,Star Sports and Ten Sports. But on important days like today,he takes them off! And he puts what?Neo sports-cricket.Ten sports-cricket.Star cricket-do I frikkin' need to explain?!Oh does it get worse? YES! Ten Sports was telecasting an OLD match from some ancient time!!!!!Its times like this that make me dislike cricket. I don't really dislike the game,I only find this extremely unfair! And I definitely don't want an argument with cricket fans now.Yes,this has happened before. No star sports on Formula1 weekends. Friends suggested Tata- Sky and the kind. We get CNN,NDTV,Times Now.VH1 and Mtv.HBO, Star Movies,et all.Even Nat Geo and Discovery.Dad has his TV9. We have no problems with the few Tamil channels that we watch now and then.(Dad loves Vadivelu,you see).So how do I ask my father for Tata-Sky? Should I tell him I want it so I can peacefully watch a sport that he SO does-not-like? The sport that takes away three hours of my 'study-time' on a Sunday?(I nearly choked typing that).I can't get Tata-Sky,thats for sure. :(So I await the big day-this Sunday. Translating quite literally a very filmy Hindi dialogue, I've placed a rock over my heart and decided that I will miss the start of the Singapore Grand Prix, to attend a meet 'On the Rocks' of a certain park in the city.But when I get back home, if I do not find Star sports, I swear in the name of Lewis Hamilton, I will find the guy responsible for it..I will not sue him.No,I won't shoot him. I'll pepper spray him over and over again,I'll kick him where it hurts most and then slit his throat-with a knife,Joker style. Or if I'm really mad and decide to do something worse, I'll give him such a lecture that he wont ever forget in his sorry life and then he's going to make sure that I receive Star sports,for as long as he's alive-this,I swear to God. No, I don't think my cable guy is going to read this, but for his own well-being,I hope there's someone praying for him and hope he's working on the lecture I gave him today.If the race keeps me happy enough to think of sentences to type,I will post soon. :)P.S.The Singapore track by the way,is fabulous!!! The view of the place is so good that I found it hard to keep my eyes on the track sometimes! And did you see how beautiful the cars looked? Oh and did you see Alonso's last lap?! Low on fuel or whatever, that was simply S-T-U-N-N-I-N-G!!!!! Hope to see him and my Ferrari dudes on the podium this weekend!!!
This picture will probably be an all time favorite. I can't help but grin every time I see it! 
