Tuesday, November 28, 2006

PhD

For those who have done and passed...hats off!
For those who are writing..greatest sympathies!
Just had a review..and as reviews go, it was not bad! I got a lot of positive feedback about my theoretical grounding and the pathbreaking work I have done. I got a lot of shit for being modest about it..hmm!!!
While I am happy to know I am on the right track...I am disheartened by the long way left to go. Everytime I think I am nearly done, comes another round of feedback...asking me to do more.
People want my thesis to be perfect...
I just want it to end! Eat, sleep, drink, think and write...for nearly 5 years about it..and then one day you wake up and it does not matter any more..coz you are sick of it. I am! And then you get a parting shot from the Doctors...no one said this would be easy...
Y...e..ss...but then no one said it would be this damn hard!!
Boo Hoo!

Monday, November 20, 2006

Smells like London

Walk around London with your eyes closed..if you dont mind the risk of being knocked down!
And all kinds of smells shall assault your senses...
Caramalised peanuts, hot dogs and onions on the barbecue, coffee brewing and in thick cardboard cups, the stale air in the underground, the smell of traffic, crepes on hot pans, cigarette smoke, bagels being toasted and expensive perfumes and aftershaves in crowded spaces, the smell of brakes on the iron rails of the tube. Its endless...
The problem being that the sights and sounds tend to crowd out the smells, unless the smell is particularly strong or nasty! And thats not confined to London only. We are so used to relying on sight, that the other senses are ignored at most times.
I shall write about sounds some other time. The only sight I can mention which struck me on the train this weekend was the Autumn was finally here (though it should be winter by now) The leaves are golden, orange, yellow and brown, the sun has started to disappear and sloping sunshine breaks through at times to colours everything with a startling shade of golden yellow..its mellow and mild, the sun feels like its reaching out to take one last touch of the things it likes like tree tops and building roofs, before it goes into hibernation. Its a lovely time of the year!

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Milk Wars

Being one those unfortunate few with a mild allergy to Milk I was constantly chased as a child with a glass of milk first thing in the morning. It made me feel sick and could projectile vomit at the thought and smell of milk. Many spillages, tantrums and tears later I was told that I had no getting out of milk till is turned 16..which feels a long way away when you are 8!
Indian products filled the markets..mum plunged spoons of Bournvita, Complan, Cocoa, Chocolate syrup, Maltova into my glass of milk. Mohan Meakin made cornflakes..which were nasty tasting to me...MILK tasted as bad as ever before. I was allowed half a tea spoon of coffee..nope..couple of spoons of tea...nope. It was disgusting. Mum then introduced glasses of all sorts, with bubbles, with straws, made of glass and also many other strange varieties..nope. I hated milk.
And then came the Milk ad...doodh doodh (milk milk) piyo glass full (drink a glass full) and ofcourse mum was straight up telling me that even the TV tells me to drink milk so it must be good :(

The battle continued for long, mum chasing me, dad chasing me, grandad grinning at the confusion, early morning school runs delayed by 'accidental' spillages, finding dirt in the milk, finding a film of cream (malai) cooled on the top..yuck! It did not help that my siblings gulped it first thing in the morning with a relish, and in fact still do. Horrible milk memories I have. Perhaps I have had a traumatised childhood thanks to milk!
On my 16th Birthday I had a cup of tea in the morning and it was good bye milk.
This morning as I made my cup I thought back to the milk wars and smiled, because last night mum told me she has started drinking the white stuff again..osteoporosis is not far!

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Your Soul?

He entered the warm train compartment, rubbing his hands briskly to get them back to life. It was freezing cold and dark outside and the Northerly winds seemed to go through all his layers of clothes.
The train crawled out of Nuneaton and he sat back, his cap and scarf still on, waiting to thaw.
The man in front looked at him hard. In a plain voice asked, "I am cold, give me your cap."
This startled him, he was only trying to warm up and as he looked at his travelling companion he thought, it was a weird request to make from a stranger. He hesitated.

The man noticed the hesitation and said,
'I could have taken your soul, but I am only asking for your cap'

He handed his cap over.

Based on a true incident on a train in England!