Technically speaking...

Written on 14th Oct 2010

...We are all star-children, born of stardust.

Of assignments and pampered dogs and home

I missed my Tuesday Thanks yesterday, not that I had anything new to add, except that what kept me busy: our OS Assignment (thats Operating Systems, to the uninitiated).

Thank you to Supriti, Kiran, Divya, and Sruja for being a part of the 'we' that solved the assignment. Those two questions took up the entirety of Monday and Tuesday, but-- well, we got the output we were supposed to (I think) and I am inordinately pleased. I shall post the code here on Coppice Gate, for showing it off, if nothing else.

--

The dogs in our campus are certainly an over-indulged lot. I would know; this evening, one paused his fight(?) with its companion to demand affection from me. I am an affectionate creature, now, but I have none to spare for creatures that come growling and nipping at each other, and then approach me with their sharp teeth in full display. Next time, Mister Dog, if you do not frighten me with those teeth that appear so ready to bite me, perhaps I shall dare to pet you.

--

I haven't been home since Diwali. True I have been busy with exams and assignments, but I did not lack for opportunities. I feel incredibly selfish, 'cuz it is just ma and dad at home, and I know they like me there, but... home means richness and warmth, and coming back to find the campus rather empty. I feel settled here, light spirits and everything, and daren't risk that. --Well, I am to go home this Saturday, have got a whole list of things planned up. Let's see how that goes.

--

Oh, and Happy Birthday, to a very, very dear friend. Hope you had an lovely day, Ajita!

#tilts head#

Who/what is foo?

Sumedha and I: Our afternoon at Aalankrita Resorts

13th Oct, 2010

Light conversation trailed away, and we tacitly went back to our books...

Laughter gave way to a rhythmic creaking of the swings...

Little nothings melted into a bite off our brownie...

Thursday Thanks

Disclaimer: This exercise of thanking blank, for blank was done purely for amusement, and has all the therapeutic value that it is alleged to have. That, and I believe that these thank you's need to be said.

• All the people I hate, for one needs to have the satisfaction—the ego-boost—of hating someone in the world.
• The instruction division (or whoever schedules the exams at BPHC) and the Course IC’s, for the inter-discipline wars going on, over who has the worst exam schedule.
• Said exams and assignments, for keeping me away from home.
• Numerical Analysis. Period.
• The internet speed, for being so awesome (or NOT).
• The mess, because the cabbage was yummier than the aalu, which, in turn, was absolutely yummy –small concession I know, for all those Potatophiles #runs away from the pitchforks#.
• The I-don’t-know-what for giving me a bad dream the very evening after receiving thanks for keeping away the nightmares. To be fair, it wasn’t night. So yes,
• Said I-don’t-know-what, for having a sense of humour.
• Another I-don’t-know what, for making me wake up at 8 am to attend the DECO lecture. I’m sure you’ll be pleased to know that it screwed up the rest of the day.
• Sleep, for being whimsical and cranky.
• Time, for same reasons as Sleep.
• Anything else that ought to be in this list but titillates and flits away just beyond conscious grasp.
• Life, the Universe, and Everything.

Happy Birthday, to a remarkable woman

She could swim the entire length of the Hussain Sagar and back.

Her Gurukul education also had her well-versed in Sanskrit and the Martial arts.

Her beauty and grace rivalled Gayatri Devi or Leela Naidu.

She played the Harmonium, and sang beautifully and evocatively.

When circumstances worked against her, she worked hard to singlehandedly raise and educate her children; she wrote down  400 pages of a text book with her own hand so that her son could study, because she did not have money to buy the book.

She was called the ‘Iron Lady,’ for her never say die spirit.

Her name was ‘Shanti’, and indeed, she was the epitome of peace; she never raised her voice, disliked conflict in others, and came out of poverty and hardship retaining a benevolence towards the world.

She had the highest respect for every human being; she spoiled the servants, offering more biscuits for their tea, for example.

When her son fell ill, and his legs hurt, it was natural that she should press them, no matter that she herself was weak and suffering all the problems that come with age.

To me, she was just a beloved grandmother, who spoiled me, took care of me when my parents were at work, nagged me to eat when I refused, indulged me with stories, and loved me.

Tuesday Thanks

9/11 to 16/11/2010

• Ma and Dad, for being my ma and dad. 
• Jiji and jijaji, for loving me. 
• My friends, and everybody else who made me laugh. 
• Ajita, for a full thirty-nine minutes of laughter and understanding, and a bubbling affection. 
• Jagruti, for an evening spent entirely outdoors on the pavement, with nary a thought for Time or any of the World. 
• Dusk, for bringing Night with her. 
• Night, for bringing Darkness. 
• The night-sky, for sparkling so on Wednesday. 
• Arcturus, for being my friend. 
• Rafa Nadal, for being defiantly humble. 
• Diwali, for leaving me with yummy papdis and deewle and kaju barfi. 
• Our Mess, for food that is more than just edible, at times. 
• Ice-cream with this little bit of curd, for being tangy uhh--- ice-cream. 
• Honey, for the delightfully random patterns while trickling down my glass of water. 
• Exams, for keeping me busy and out of mischief. 
• Iron Maiden, for seven and a quarter glorious minutes of Blood Brothers. 
• Somewhere Over the Rainbow, for the dreams that you dare to dream. 
• Won’t you buy me pretty flow’rs, for being such a comfort. It's a song, in case you’re wondering. 
• Dear Blank please blank and Silent English: for amusing me so.
• The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, for the hole that is nothingth of a second long, a nothingth of an inch wide, and quite a lot of million light years from end to end. 
• I-don't-know-whom, for keeping away the nightmares.
• The one-who-will-not-be-named, for being there. 
• The World, for putting up with me.

Four Letters

Dear Gulab jamun,

    Please learn to self-replicate. I will be forever grateful.

Sincerely,
Nitika.


Dear Room,

    Please learn to tidy up after yourself. I will be forever grateful.

Sincerely,
Nitika


Dear Wind,

    I dropped by to tell you that my wind-chimes are lonely.

Sincerely,
Nitika



Dear Arcturus,

    I missed you.

Love,
Nitika.

Deal.

http://www.joie-butter.com/2010/05/you-are-too.html

Tuesday Thanks

Disclaimer: This exercise  of thanking blank, for blank was done purely for amusement, and has no therapeutic value what-so-ever. That, and I believe that these thank you's need to be said.

Tuesday Thanks: 2/11 to 9/11/2010

• Ma and dad, for being my ma and dad.
• My friends, and everyone else who made me laugh.

• Sumedha and Jagruti, for taking me to Aalankrita resorts last Wednesday.
• Jagruti, for sharing a brownie with me.
• Said Brownie.
• Clouds, for raining on said Wednesday, and making said resort absolutely pretty.
• The jhoola outside a deluxe cottage in said resort

• Late nights and Divya and Lion King and salted apples (though this was rather long ago).
• Night, for the cool breeze it wraps 'round me.
• Dawn, for that lovely shade of blue when she arrives.

• Judy Garland, for Somewhere over the Rainbow.
• The Dreams that you dare to dream.
• Igoogle, for the virtual piano gadget.
• Sheetbox, for sheet music and Zebrakeys, for teaching me the basics of reading sheet music.

• My jiji and jijaji, for chocolate, and leggings, and a beautiful watch. And for being my jiji and jijaji.
• Said chocolate.
• Hand showers, for being awesome.

• Saanvi, for showing me how to be a child again.
• Saanvi, for being affectionate and sweet, and trusting and innocent.
• Saanvi, for giving me a carefree Diwali.
• Diwali, for the Diyas that light up the street.

• Milk, for being a life-saver.
• Home.
• Tomatoes and Potatoes, and Ridge Gourd and Eggs, for somehow being more 'home' than chicken.

• Audrey Hepburn, for Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and for Moon River.
• Tiffany’s, for being better than the library.
• Moon River.

• Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam Darcy, for being awesome.
• Elizabeth Burke, for awesome writing of said awesome characters.
• Douglas Adams, for The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
• Said book, well the first 30 pages of it, at any rate.
• Earth, for being harmless. Or mostly harmless.

• A one-who-will-not-be-named, who recommended said book way back in July, for being there.

• Vanessa, for Joie Butter, and for inspiring me to write this.