HAPPY NEW YEAR and push hard till 2013

And there goes another one paving a path to welcome all that is new and fresh and untouched yet. HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE. Congratulations we have all officially survived 2011.Though we must know that 2011 hasn't been a kind year to all of us. we lost our beloved Jagjit Singh, Dr. Bhupen hazarika, Mamoni Raisom Goswami and Dev Anand. We also managed a loss of Osama and Gaddafi as well. Although I am not sure how sad I might be about that. We lost two great musicians this year so the now directionless music fan has a new favourite_- WHY THIS KOLAVERI DI?(and there is an assamese version so go figure). I do not mean to come off as a hater but it would do me a world of good if some body could explain to me what a SOUP BOY is. May the departed rest in peace, although if they know of this i don't know how those souls are going to manage this feat.

As we step into this new year,lots have a spectrum of new year resolutions like:slimming down, fattening up, abstaining from cigarettes, traveling more, traveling less,learning to cook(master chef dreams), learning to dance or to paint or click and what not. Well these stunts are not for me. lets face it I am of a weak heart and with commitment issues so nothing long term is ever a success story with me. Rather I have promised my self an attitude adjustment. Its my take take on being positive and open to life. Last year taught me that if something is hell bent on going wrong it will go wrong despite my best efforts (now i do not mean don't fight for your way), I might as well ejoy the train wreck.

So the final word is, its not important neither is it possible to be in control of everything at all times but it matters more to be at your best or rather live your best when control and caution take a hike. LIVE AND SURVIVE.

FINGER TO THE DEMOGRACY..(in a legitimate way)

The first phase of assembly elections in Assam begins today for 62 out of 126 constituencies and I am proud to announce that today I had the opportunity to vote or put it in other words exercised my right to vote today for the first time. Now that i can see the mark on my finger, I can't help thinking of this incident as a significant rite of passage and a lesson in humility and a bit of megalomania. I know the combination of the two seems like opposite ends of the spectrum but thats just how it was. The time stipulated for casting our votes today was from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm. Being the lazy citizen that I am, i slept till 8:45 am. And I am the future of this great country, so god help us. Apart from that I reached the polling booth at about 9:00 am with my father. Our polling booth was the Jorhat Law college Campus, befitting of the occasion was the location in a sense. There I was standing at the voting Centre Number 27 waiting eagerly to get my shot at writing the destiny of our country, and forming a favoured government with all my fellow Jorhatians. I know it sounds a lot more grand than what it was. So I was basically waiting alone in the line to cast my vote underneath a surprisingly blazing sun (it had been pouring for a few days). I was alone because my father dropped me off at the polling booth and went back home to get my mother (two trips because he was using the bike). To me in those moments of absolutely awkward solitude the blazing sun shining down at us seemed like a sign from the high heavens that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Finally both my parents arrived and it turned out the I was supposed to cast my vote at the number 21 voting centre not 27. What else out from this line and into the other. Thankfully both were in the Law college premises. Finally I did see the light at the end of my tunnel(the line), in my case which was getting inside the voting centre, getting the ink on my finger, pressing that blue button of the EVM and hearing that long beep. The moment wasn't grandiose at all, I kept fumbling the whole time through my pocket to get my Identity proof out, the ink went in my nail crevices and it looks quite dirty now and i almost ran out after the beep as the beep happened to be really long one and I thought I broke the machine. Only outside did I realise what I had done, more correctly what I had participated in. I had just taken part in feeding the machinery of the World's largest democracy. Many people regard the condition of this country as an unlivable slum, but today I know that i am not alone in this mess, there are just so many with me... that the key to opening this "chicken coop" ( the term chicken coop is adopted from the novel The White Tiger authored by Arvind Adiga) lies within ourselves. And how lightly do we take this right to vote right now seems like a crime to me, we have the right we have the means, its about time the absolute power rests where it belongs, with us the people.

If any Indian citizen reads this blog then please don't throw your rights away. 67% votes were cast in the first phase of the assembly elections in Assam. So people with children, if you may or can, take them out with you to see what an election or voting is all about . As a child I remember accompanying my parents to the polling booths and after they had cast their votes it was almost ritualistically that I would hop on my father's bike and both of us would go around to see what all was happening at other centres, and till this day the ritual is intact. Let the future of the country understand what it takes to remain as the world's largest democracy. On a patriotic note this time, JAI HIND

http://www.indiainfoline.com/Markets/News/First-phase-of-assembly-polls-begins-in-Assam/3632885564
http://search.indiatimes.com/websearch.cms?type=0

for elections news check out the links.

Bleeding Blue And Loving It

After six weeks of cricket mania the whole carnival is comming to an end with the two sub-continental favourites India and Srilanka pitted against each other in the final. the two teams will be in an epic battle tomorrow in search of the ultimate cricketing glory, to win the holy grail- The World Cup. Please don't let my flair for dramatics scare you off. Its just that as we all know India hadn't had the strongest intial campaign comming into this world cup. The team defeated Bangladesh no doubt but only to pull up a draw against England,clawing their way out of trouble against Ireland and a loss against South Africa. Although the Men in Blue had to go through a period of serious blues they made and they made it to the final in style. They ousted Australia the team to have won the past three WC titles in 1999, 2003 and 2007. In the semis India took on arch rival Pakistan- a team to have suffered no loss till that point in the tournament only bring an end to their WC campaign.This match had had us fans screaming on top of our lugs and praying at the stretch of out faiths. But the God of Cricket blessed this team and here we are in the finals.

The next match is has a lot lying on the line for both the teams. For one India is playing on home ground and has the pleasure as well as the pressure to perform in front of us citizen. And Srilanka too as they are playing in a cricket crazy country which has its own team playing in the final. Sachin Tendulkar would be looking towards his 100th ODI 100 and the only piece of silverware missing from this repertoire- The WORLD CUP. And from the visitors bench we have Muttiah Muralidharan the bowler supremo. He has come overlooking an injury to play this match. He would end his International career after the world cup final. The gist is out the best bowler in all history to take on the Little Master tomorrow at the Wankhade Stadium Mumbai.All I have to say is that better be worth the popcorn. And speaking of worth, the ICC has had a heavy tax exemption of 43 cr rupees while making huge amounts of profit. However the ban on media placed by the ICC has been called off. Now since the tax payer has had to shell out 43 cr rupees for this world cup, TEAM INDIA had better bring us the WORLD CUP. Let the game begin.

GLUTTON FOR PUNISHMENT

There are about 11 days left for our major papers and as always we had planned rather matter-of-factly an over night study session. But has such a plan ever stood the test of time? Maybe in some part of universe but not in the lives and times of the residents room no. 17 Tympang Girls' Hostel Laitumkhrah. We had our books decked out on the table and there we were all ready to pledge our legions to the goddess of knowlegde- Ma Saraswati, that we were suddenly hit mercilessly by an almost epidemic hunger pang. This phenomenon of binging wasn't new to us but its intensity was all fresh and raw. Comming to think of it was not really hunger but a necessity rather to fill the void in our guts. It started out with Romantic Capsica Maggie. Ironic in the sense that the maggie was shared by roomies. After we devoured that bowl, the void growled again. Next we decked out some chana mayonaise sandwiches. Gross as it may sound but the combination works at a yin and yang front. The creamy tang of the mayo is like a comforting blanket around the spicy sharp edges of the chana. But were far from done yet. Next up were peanut butter banana and jam sandwiches. But these were very sweet so to counter it we uploaded them with a layer of chana. Thus we made a revealation that day that chana goes a lot well with bread. That was an eureka monent. Finally there we were, after a large bowl of maggie and rounnds of sandwiches, it feels like a food monster is tearing wolfishly at our entrails. As we lay on our beds that night our minds seemed to be going over all the biochemical reactions going on in our stomachs and our hearts feverently wish, praying to wake up on clean sheets the next morning. So for us friends it is now an established truth that GLUTTONY is really a SIN

HAPPY SARASWATI PUJA

Today is when over on this side of the universe we mix religion with education and create a day called Saraswati puja, the day of the goddess of knowledge and her minions- us students. Its one day when going to school feels like whole new experience of its kind i.e., if the institution celebrates this. Well if not there are other ways to enjoy the day which I will talk about in while. Basically over here this day is when all the girls around play dress up on a massive scale. Don't let my use of words fool you I mean it in a very positive sense. It is the day when the jeans, tees, sneakers, skirts and every thing alike makes way for the regale sari or the mekhela chadar. On a serious note its a day when we take full pride in our individualistic identities merging with our cultural identity. But on less loftier note, when else do we get the chance to look our best and march around the city conquering one Puja pandal at a time. And with the famous Lady Boys from Thailand making rounds in around Guwahati Puja pandals there certainly an International feel this year. I celebrated my puja at the P.O.W.I.E.T. this year at Jorhat and had the best time in a while. The event was celebrated on a large scale with a beautiful flower arch way welcoming the public into the institute. There at the venue of Puja we all bowed our head down to the goddess and prayed ( I prayed to pass in the chemistry exam i have). After we payed our legions to the goddess we were given some prasad. Even though the event was meant for all the employees and all the students, they managed to keep a down home ambiance. With the puja mandap erected up on an open field dotted with trees, it was a treat to the sense and the soul. But the ones who had the most fun were the little kids. The spotlight was shared by a little three year old girl who tured out to be and endearing little dare devil. She pranced up and down a dried out drain and climbed up a bars while her mother and the rest of her family were worried witless if she slips. And her partner sharing the spotlight was a little puppy, by the looks of it the animal had probably been abandoned. The pup seemed to greet every one and escort them to the puja mandap. The warm welcome of the organizers continued further as they fed all the visitors. It was sustenance in the form of khidchi, two vegetable preparations, pickle and rasgulla to go with it. It was really surprising and quite heat warming that these students often known to be trouble makers took it upon themselves to organize the event. Not to forget they achieved it all under the tutelage of their teachers who guided them through. They fed up in the classrooms and they did feed a lot of us. So here goes to P.O.W.E.I.T. for opening their doors to all and bestowing upon us the honor of the blessings of Ma Saraswati. No doubt I believe that the school I passes out from was the best, but today I have to confess if only we had celebrated Saraswati Puja even there. Our school being the Army School Jorhat takes an atheist stand at this event hoping the best that they don't encourage communalism. Which is infact important today because we all need to be politically correct at all times, but the question is would it not be better if we look above the religious content of the day and focus on the holistic part of it. In a sense it is a day for the students. At the end of the day we all remember our backgrounds, our religions and our cultures and take them home with us. But wouldn't it be a bit better if we did take home with a bit of diversity too? Well I don't really have nothing to complain about it because I have grown up around people who are accepting of diversity. And it is here at my home town of Jorhat that we identify ourselves with humanity, not just name, community or religion alone. This thought gives me the the peace of mind that we are all going to be alright after all. HAPPY SARASWATI PUJA TO ALL..I HOPE WE ALL PASS

A FADING

My days here at Jorhat are numbered now because I have to go back to attend college . So today my whole day consisted of shopping for hostel supplies, for me its a survival kit. This blog is not about what is in my shopping or any great tips about what one might need to take to the hostel. But instead it is about an old Jorhat landmark standing the test of time or maybe not. Standing tall amidst the dust is the Doss & Co. It is general store that was once the answer to all need general, in-general or even medical. The medial part has subsided now but they still house the dry cleaners- Rupshree and the printing press. When You take a step inside the store it is actually like walking back a bit in time. The interiors are large and spacious with great big floor to ceiling widows on the walls, shelves stacked with goods and old wooden counters. When you put your first step in you are greeted by a mirror reaching up to the top. One feature that made me a fan of theirs is that they have a round table surrounded by shelves and shelves stalked with comics and the best part is that the shopkeepers don't really forbid you from reading them. One more plus about this lad mark is that they never pack goods in plastic bags..ever. but the greatest test is indeed the one of time. It has been revealed that of that land has been already sold off. Rumour has it that there has been a dispute between the owner brothers and only time will tell if the landmark lasts or reduces to rubble and dust that surrounds it now. We all know that if we don't change with the demands of time, time may find a way to break us. But the question here is how much of change breeds innovation, and how much threatens to destroys our history and legacy. The balance is generally the hardest to find.

A LITTLE MORE AND A LITTLE LESS

Well I was planning for a happy and cheery blog about how i went to my old school today, the great memories and everything around..but something happened between now and then and now I am panic stricken, because a few moments ago I split my cousin's card reader into two. So right now my prospects appear grim. Called him a few minutes ago and I am bummed. Just when You think the day could not go any better, an accident or an action changes our mind set. So that is one reason to wrap out hearts around every small source of joy through out the day because we never really are in control of all the elements are we? Somehow today's incident somehow takes me back to Paulo Coelho's novel "The Winner Stands Alone". i will not go into the details of the book but it merely emphasised the interconnection of different things forming a complicated maze in which we live in, disturbing one element causes alterations in the maze and catastrophe happens. In his story its about the murders committed by the character Igor Malev. He travels to the Cannes International film Festival to get back with his estranged ex-wife. There amid the glit, glamour and the excess of the new superclass he launches a 24 hour campaign of extraordinary violence. In the end he manages to kill an innocent young woman selling homemade jewelery, an important distributor, a talented director, a fashion designer and finally his ex wife Ewa. With all the murders he commits he also wrought hell on the lives associated with the people he murders. Thus in the end leaving distress. I don't mean to relate breaking a card reader to committing a heinous crime like murder, but just the interconnection of all life's elements and a good day turning into a bad nightmare are not left to astronomical odds but ourselves. I managed to convert my cousin's trust to distrust and it was my fault. Hopefully the guilt will subside but maybe its just better if it remains, I think that way I will handle things properly in future. I never meant to come off on the philosophical from or straying near the rotating wheel of karma but here I am bummed, unforgiven and wiser(questionably). All I would like to say now is that not all endings are meant to be happy because if they were, happiness will no longer have its meaning.

The Road That Was Taken..

See how clean those roads are...??

This is how the city looks from the top of my hostel. It was taken when we (hostellers) were all too new at a new place. With our 2 mega pixel cameras we all decided to capture the moments.
We were all blown away by the clouds and the hills so close to us, growing up in the plains that is one thing that hits you beautifully._

A FEW SNAPS OF HISTORY

Here are a few snaps from the Queen's Baton Rally at Shillong....

At The End Of The Room

At the end of the class room pressed against the back wall lies an institution in its own right. It seats a few students and provides for almost a sanctum to the perpetual troublemakers and also a partial safe haven from boring lectures or the questioning glare of the teachers.If i wasn't clear enough already, i will spit it out now, it is in fact the "last bench" of the class room. How many times have we scribbled our initials onto that bench? Being in college one can just grab the last being just by showing up early or late, but when i was in school we bench mates had to wait a week to get to that hallowed bench as we had to rotate our seats. Never the less it was always worth it. That day we could afford to be a bit careless in the class, have a conversations (in hush tones) or on a good day even get away without bringing with us a heavy text or a copy for that matter of fact. But what i like the best about that bench is that i could even put the finishing touches (debate able) to my homework as it got checked in the first bench first fashion. But i must tell all.. laziness takes a lot of planning and it is in fact a high risk game. If you depend on getting the last bench to complete your work, remember if some of your friends bunk the class you may be asked to come forward to fill the empty benches. So in the homework department it is better to put in some effort. Moving on from time to time our teachers have tried to coax us, cajole us or even scare us into quitting that safe heaven. One of my favourite teacher went to the length of telling us that more we sit on the last bench the more dumb we will get. No matter what, last bench rules. It will always be the safe heaven even if the teachers tell us that they can pay full attention to the last bench. Anyway i can't deny it when they say," LAST BENCH RULES"- The last Bench Association(fictitious)

Its not that the last bench gives you an excuse to fail but it gives you a chance to rise above the lot here are some LAST BENCH LEGENDS:
1.Bill Gates: Dropped out of college in the first year
2.Dhirubhai Ambani: Only passed class 10 boards and went from rags to riches
3. Warren Buffet: One of the richest men on the planet, never attended college
4.Albert Einstein: Didn't get the job at the Zurich University as professor in physics
5.Richard Branson: Left School at the age of 16 and never looked back. He owns the virgin group
6. Sachin Tendulkar: Failed his class 10 boards.

Finally I would like to quote Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam,"the greatest minds of a nation may be found on the last benches of the class room"

Remember, the last bench is a miracle worker..it makes legends. So are you ready for it?

ELEPHANT FALLS

Its always nice to be visiting a new place. Its not only the whole new freshness about the location that that hits you but it also gives one a sense of adventure and a great story to tell. I haven't really ever been too big on the whole traveling idea. Used to think that its over rated. But staying away from home for almost about a year now i have to say it is necessary for you to move around the new place to familiarise with it and just to get comfortable with the new territory. To be honest its been easier for be because i have been living in one of India's most picturesque states- Meghalaya. Precisely my current location is Shillong. So over the past year (almost) my friends and I have been roaming about the city stumbling upon new (to us) restaurants, shops, fairs, landmarks or just simply getting lost. This has helped us become confident about not getting lost in the new place or if we do get lost we can surely find our way through the maze. This bubbling sense of adventure was the reason we decided to visit the graveyard on all souls day. Our warden told us that it was a great attraction. This was all we needed hear to get fired up and marched towards the graveyard. Me being of the faint heart didn't cross the threshold of the graveyard. Well my friends witnessed some sort of paranormal activity inside there.Their mobile phones and cameras went haywire. And while we were moving back to the hostel one of those friends met wit an accident. Thankfully, the car that hit her didn't cause much damage.

With all the paranormal activity and "near death experience" inside the city we decided we had to try our luck on the outskirts. We decided to go to the ELEPHANT FALLS at about 10 km from the city. With some packed food we called up a taxi driver and more friends to take the tour. We started our journey at about 11:00 am from Laitumkhrah. Our trip was made easier because we had the number of a taxi driver, we called him up and there he was outside the hostel we were staying at. Seven of us including the driver climbed into his beat up maruti car taxi and drove off. At that time sheila was an infant so the car music system blared out the trysts of munni. And there after about 30 min or so we were there. Needless to say that we had a lot of fun there but we did have some friction with the guard about tickets for cameras. Apparently he was was too tired of our uncontainable enthusiasm. But we moved on and discovered the place for ourselves.

There is a split level attraction near the falls in the form of a park, the specialty here is that the you can have picnics there and simply jump into the falls which descend down there into a gentle stream. We did exactly the same, the water was bitingly cold and the experience enjoyable. We had a picnic there with our packed food and some aerated drinks bought from the stall inside. We noticed that one family was also having a picnic there but they were cooking there food right there. You can also eat right at the restaurants inside the park. All in all it was a great trip. One more thing, you can get your pictures taken at the falls in traditional attires, looks good on kids

PAPER, PEN AND A TINY WAR OF FATE

Here we are again back to the dreaded exam days. Every year every time its the same story over and over again. The new year hasn't even settled in yet and we the students have go back to our books. Maybe for people who love to do it its the best time of the year but for lazy blokes like me the time couldn't be worse. The new year is supposed to be about every thing new.. not resurrecting the demons of our past. Is it fair that what we learnt last is what we have to revise again this year to reproduce in this year's paper? It was just so painful to have said good byt to 2010..they are making its sweet memories worse this year by making us revisit the ugly side of it again. I never favoured exams neither do i endorse them now. But my biggest fear isn't really the exam, its rather the result that I fear.

THE GREEN AND THE STUFFED

Food (la. cibus) is any substance or materials^[1] eaten or drunk to provide nutritional support for the body and/or for pleasure. Food is indeed the most basic necessity of life, its food that keeps the mind going. For a few food means a whole new artistic dimension. My very own experiments with food began a few weeks back when i debuted in my mother's kitchen..she taught me how to make pitha. That pitha is what she received as a legacy from my grandmother. In a way food keeps us connected to our roots. Familiar tastes and textures can uplift our moods and make us smile. After that pitha i have tried my hand at making rotis too. I have been dying to share with everyone my very first independent food venture. Recently i managed to make STUFFED CAPSICUMS on my own. So here I am sharing the procedure:
since it was stuffed lets begin with the requirements of the stuffing: for this you need grated paneer, coriander(chopped), chopped onions, cashews and chillies, salt and pepper. For the secret ingredient to the filling i used grated olives treated with some sugar, salt and chillies. Let the mixture have rested for overnight. Add two spoons of this into the filling and mix well

Now the filling needs to be filled into the hollowed out cavities of the capsicums from which the seeds have been removed. Top every capsicum with grated processed cheese and bake for 20 minutes at 175 degree Celsius. The picture shows how my stuffed capsicums looked post baking