My "foreign" Trip

The return back home always gives me the inspiration that the enthusiasm of the exploratory journey fails to provide. As i write this, in the departure lounge of the Heathrow airport, i realize its been two months since i have been away from home, from India. people might stay months, years, life's even, away from their motherland, with the material comforts as their only companions, I can't. I might have to at some point in time, but in my imagination, that time is far away.

There's a lot to learn here.

From the people. Their culture, their mannerisms.
Aeron said today, " you might find the people of England, perhaps rude." Shocked that i actually felt the reverse, he narrowed down his generalization to London. (more about Aeron later). People of England had been cordial and friendly in Huddersfield, a small town near Manchester. Perhaps the small place and old-country-style setting gave us the real taste of "true" English culture. Perhaps Indians in the rural are more cordial and friendly than the urban Indians. Warm and friendly, even the weather welcomed us at the onset of our journey. My experience in the UK was altogether memorable. meeting my sister after about a year, living in her small Heidi-like cottage was like living in my childhood dreamland. Enid Blyton, Dickens and my other childhood companions seemed to look at me from every corner, from every cottage. It sure felt bad to leave England in just about 2 weeks, but my excitement to meet my other sister was not to be contained. My departure came ever too quickly for me, before i could take in everything that Huddersfield had to offer, before i could see the beautiful daffodils or the rhododendron bloom in my sister's garden, and after what seemed like ages of killing a thousand slugs.

My flight to the USA was pretty eventful, with nothing to eat till 1 in the afternoon in Dublin and sleep filled eyes, a result of getting up at 3.30 in the morning. Long flights don't help though... i couldn't sleep a bit. The air hostess in Air Lingus was rude and racist and kept being rude to me for no reason whatsoever. I bore it all with the happiness of meeting my sister after almost an year. Having started the journey at 3 in the morning, we finally slept at 1 in the night. so add 5 hours to that, and it means that my day stretched to almost 30 hours.

But my first glimpse of America was BREATHTAKING. the captain of the flight was awesome. when we were flying over the Atlantic ocean, he dropped the height so that we could see the whales and dolphins jump and swoosh in the ocean below. The left side having seen it, he dipped the plane to the right so that the passengers on the right could have a look as well, announcing alongside, " ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain XYZ. for your entertainment folks, the people on the left can see the mermaids frolicking in the ocean... and now the people on the right can have a try at disbelieving their eyes. Alright, here we go back up guys." my first view was of the Chicago skyline, and it stood up to its reputation. soon after i was in the countryside, watching deer and sand quarries and wind farms on my way to Purdue University.

Though largely different experiences, both US and UK were strangely similar. both places i went to were small quiet towns, and people extremely friendly. though i wouldn't want to enrage either by pointing out more similarities, it was fun. in more ways than one.
the young crowd that i had missed in England was more than made up for in America. staying in the university, i had extensive interaction with the elite of the American youth. playing with the basketball players, meeting the nerds in the library, and the fraternity members lounging outside their frats... all was a part of my "American" experience..

Yet the vast availability of the comforts seemed empty if you see the life of the people there. it isn't easy. They say life is comfortable here, but those who work here know better. the the amount of work, and the "senior-pressure" takes it toll on you. its even more difficult for the international students. coming from different countries, they are obviously ill-suited to the environment, to the culture, to the food habits etc to say the least. they try and find places which gets them their kind of food, and thus either end up spending more than required or under-nourishing themselves.

Life there is difficult, albeit lucrative.

no matter how multi-cultural a country is and how tolerant the people are, no one ever gets the acceptance and comfort that one gets in their own nation.

Hell, life is difficult enough in one's own country without adding to one's misery.

I wonder why I always end with mixed feelings, i wonder why i am neither too happy nor too sad with things, be it something expected to make me sad or something expected to be to my liking. Is life always a bundle of joy and sorrow together???

You to me, and I to you

The clouds run across the sun,

An envelope of sudden darkness,

Yet as hope turned to gloom and despair,

I awaken to your sweet caress.

I care not if it is sleep or wake,

That takes me so close to you.

I know I shall never despair,

So long as you give me a clue.

Yet the sun comes back,

The rays touch my face.

I am jolted to the reality,

Not at my own pace.

I see I am far away,

Far, far away from you,

Yet so close to my heart are you,

I feel you every time I breathe.

I get up in the morning,

At every new dawn,

Confident you have seen it,

Even before I yawn.

I get up knowing what you know,

That all is well with you,

That with distances we are yet nearer,

You to me and I to you.

Love at First Sight

I entered gathering an aura bright,
I looked to see, he sat on my right.
he rose, looked a picture stunning,
'twas all I could, stop myself from running

tall and handsome, he looked his part,
just a look a him, skipped my heart,
he gave me a look, long and clear,
there i went! couldnt see or hear!!

yet when his smile lit up his face,
my heartbeat heightened its pace,
the closer we got, the higher it went,
till I was sure it'll be totally spent.

looking back I might seem timid and shy,
or one to just "love-struck" lie,
but gladden my heart and make my day,
meeting him did, in his own special way

No one could escape the absolute charm
eyes so naughty, yet words so warm,
I love to be lovestruck and awed
cuz to me, it's another way of God




(All this is MB going to my head... somehow.. i don't think i'll ever be able to capture with words what they say they feel...)

LOVE : As deep as it goes

I lay there, as he expected
totally spent, totally rested,
still feeling his lips on mine,
the taste of honey, the taste of wine.

He leant across and from my eye
wiped away a tear dry.
He whispered to me, words of love
took me away, far above.

Above all the griefs, we would soar,
I was a princess, I was a whore,
and yet when he did bring me back,
there was no comfort that i would lack.

All the places that he had shown me,
the ways in which he did own me,
I would skip with joy if he ever said,
I would love him even if I were dead.

Mordern Singhni!!

urm.. for those who r reading this for the first time, i am a sikh. and i have taken up amrit.. that means i carry the five K's everywhere..

Now.. this evening, i had gone to the Gurudwara for the daily class.. There was some path going on in the gurudwara main hall.. so i just went there to ake the blessings before carrying on to the class. On the door, there were two aunties... when i came out of the hall, they stopped me and one of them exclaimed, "oh! so u r a mordern sikhni?!!"
i was taken aback and could only mutter, "err.. i guess u can call me that.. but why do u ask??!"
"Because u r wearing a kirpan with jeans and a t-shirt.. R u coming from college?!"
"No. French class."
"OH!! so u r also learning FRENCH!?! Thats great! So why are you wearing a kirpan? Are you training to be a priest or something??"
"Well, No. i have taken up Amrit because i believe in the principles of my religion and because i want to be a part of the Khalsa Panth."
"Oh My! that is great!"
"Achcha aunty ji, waheguru ji ka khalsa, waheguruji ki Fateh."

Such comments r a part and parcel of my life now.. But nevertheless they get me thinking.. Why is it that not being normal is taken as being ABnormal and not Different?! Why does society make life difficult for all those who want to be different?!

i might seem immodest.. But i can't help saying that i have definitely unintentionally chosen to be different in all respects.. Coming from a family of Science background, i have deliberately chosen to pursue my hobby and taken up Arts.. At the same time, i have taken up amrit and by the rules, i keep my head covered at all times and cant cut my hair... something that doesnt bother me, but horrifies all my friends..

But such comments have been a part of my life ever since i was 13 years old. that was when i had taken up amrit.. Still in school, my friends and random students would come upto me and ask me if i were a christian.. and ask me why i kept my head covered. though they did not bother me, what made life worse in the intial years were the comments from my Teachers..

Well yeah.. Teachers r supposed to support their students.. but there was this one ma'am who used to teach me Economics.. One day she asked me why i kept my head covered. i told her it was because of my faith in my religion. She was taken aback and she told me that she did not expect such orthodox ideas from a mordern girl! she tried her best to convince me that though necessary once, these outward experiences held no importance in today's world and i am an idiot to believe in them. she even said that the whole community was now waking up to this fact,a nd as a result we had mordern sardarnis. In this competitive world, she said, you need to keep up your image.

At that time, my mom advised me and i was saved from delflecting from my promise.. But I always wonder why people can't tolerate those who want to be different. None of my school teachers r ready to meet me with the same enthusiasm as before. In their eyes, i have shown my weakness by taking arts.. Each to his own, i say.
But they stop whole generations of students from pursuing their dreams..

That is what saddens me the most.

BIRTHDAY!!!

For the first time.. i was excited.....

For the first time... it was fun

For the first time i realised why birthdays r meant to be special...

For the first time.... i turned 18...





My day started off at 4 in the morning.. with a lot of apprehensions... but it went away fast and better than my wildest expectations..

they say i am different... isn't everyone?!!

I did what mattered the most to me on the day that matters the most to me.. is that being different??!! well.. i am sure no one meant it in a derogatory manner and am thankful to all those who wished me today.. even if they wished me cuz i reminded them it was my birthday!! :D

hehehehe.. yeah i know.. i ACTUALLY did that.. :D
lol... i'll never grow up.. :D



talking about grown ups...
i am an adult finally..

is it good?
is it bad??

does it matter??
do i have control over it??
i had to come here some point or the other.. everything has its goods and bads..
i just hope what i have vowed to do, will be done..
i just hope that my prayers r answered.
i just hope that i have the strength to fulfill my promises.
i just wish.. a final wish.. my 18th birthday wish...
that i be a responsible citizen. that i be a responsible moral and rational human being. that i be a responsible daughter, sister and friend..

Thank You GOD for the beautiful 18 years that u have blessed me with.

Post- Kscope

KALEIDOSCOPE IS OVER.

FINALLY. SADLY. IRREVERSIBILY.

The question is not whether it matters, the question is how much does it matter??? The thing with Kscope is that when it gets over, it not only means an end to all those months of work and fun, but also that one semester of the year is about to end.
To me, that means that three semesters of college are gone with three more to go. The thought is scary when i look back and feel as if it was yesterday that i joined college. that means college will be over before i realise it.

I hate maths.

Applying logic here makes everything seem so exaggerated. Everything happens when it has to happen. And here is when one of my favorite poets voices my mind.

"O how feeble is man's power,
That if good fortune fall,
Cannot adde another houre,
Nor a lost houre recall!
But come bad chance,
And wee joyne to' it our strength,
And wee teach it art and length,
It selfe o'r us to' advance."
- "Song", John Donne

I think the best part of Kscope (apart from Kscope itself) is that it comes, goes and then comes again!!! Oh well, next it will go and not come back. But HEY!! It will forever remain with us. I never thought i'll get this when i left school. How can i can i say what i shall get when i will leave college??? these things are meant to be enjoyed and in turn had fun at. being sad about it is okay. but absolutely howling about the same fact is, well, unnecessary.

My experience this Kaleidoscope has been a mixed one. Where I cannot deny that it has been more fun that last year, I cannot truthfully say it has been a positive experience all together either. With its own quota of ups and downs, it has definitely been an enlightening experience.

My thoughts are still scattered.