TEENAGE MUSINGS!!!

College was the coolest but fastest  four years of my life .College, that helps us avoid the real world for just a little bit longer. While graduate school seems like the easiest solution to escaping reality, we think we might want some time off after 17 years of school.Four  years ,  pretty short time to make friends, to get committed to the first guy we meet in college , to be involved in fights (big time), to console hearts , to  slap ones back when you get kicked out of the lab,… Well , i think  that was the beauty of  college life .Its about how many people influenced you.Although homosapiens can be difficult, it was definitely more than just 60 different minds of the same species sharing a room from 8 in the morning to 5 in the evening.
Well there are two important facts about college life. One is the college peer and the other is friendship.College is a place that not only gives you a degree after four years of sheer hard work but also human behavior and perseverance.The initial impression that you have on people changes with time . The ones who befriended on the first day of college and whom  you thought might be your partner in crime turned out to be the reason for your crime and you ended up being friends with people whom you never thought you could get along with.I was typically an outsider here as i joined MBT a week later, so making friends for me was quite a task. As in getting the right kind of people with whom I could share a good bond. But my class in general was  good . I may not have been  friends with everybody but there were lots of my classmates whom I found extremely sweet and endearing.
In a war , there a are two ways of defeating your enemy , either with money or power. With money you can update your infantry department with guns and tanks or with power your can win over the weak. Friendship in a class with 60 is similar . If you want to decide what needs to happen in your class then you either got to have a strong group, comprising of the smartest boys and girls (with satisfactory credit in their account ofcourse)  or you need to be outstanding in your grades and should have ingrain respect for all teachers.Personally , i have tried both .The end result was either college life becomes a  nightmare and it assails you or you become bait(you tempt others) for it.Though i sound totally archaic in my believes , we had our moments.Especially  “girl” talks, an intrigue for guys.Hours together , thinking how we misinterpreted something, the opposite sex, said that  got us into trouble, to know what guys and girls are actually thinking, and how you should react when someone says “we have to talk” or “I’ll call you”? Writing chits, sending texts and  running around for facts on whose dating and hating were big time entertainment.(Though i should warn you , be factually correct on this .)
They say whats  fun without a cheese bun.Baking was a great activity to do with your friends or to help reduce stress during exams. There was nothing more exciting than smelling fresh baked cookies in the oven. The recipes were simple, delicious, and fun to make. However, living in a dorm and no access to an oven, was the times when we  checked out the common room, cafeteria, or even  visited a friend’s house to use the oven. These delicious treats were worth it! .Having food that all of us made was like a food fest for us classmates .
More importantly,hostel life was more amusing than what it looks like from outside.The glazed  terracotta building with high walls and windows with tinted glass  gave it an architectural beauty of its own (though it neatly resembled a monastery).As soon as you walk into the kitchen, it hits you like a brick wall thinking what could possibly produce a stench of this magnitude?The answer was the trash bag has been sitting out all night, releasing grotesque smells into every corner of the apartment, the cat on the plate and the cow in the kitchen. While living with roommates, it is very easy to get on each other’s nerves. Let’s face it—it’s part of nature. It’s harder to face these problems, though, when said roommates are your good friends. Is it really necessary to put a damper on your friendship over dirty dishes and heaping laundry piles?But again that’s what made life in the hostel.
While, a lot of us decided to stay and pursue studies for another 2 years, the overachievers had started crediting their account for a stable future and happily ever after. With the current economic recession and financial crisis, the number of students doing post graduation has  rocketed. However, students and educators still argue the price that comes with boasting a 2-year degree.So some working their asses out still feel they have made the better choice. All these and more was because of a silver lining and that was the transparency of college administration . College had access to Media coverage . The involvement of students in activities and sports were extensive. Sharing articles with students about college events and letting them start  clubs of various interests should be brought to the lime light.
Let me conclude.If one needs to accept the facts about a world unknown to you , without caring about the past or knowing the future , not knowing that you are in a whole new world were your possibilities of survival was only if you stood up for yourself or you could  drown in your own ocean of fears.But this was the world worth being, the land of knowledge , the land of friendship , the land of close relation and we call it….. MAR BASELIOS CET.

THE ROAD THAT I TOOK !!!!

Well it has been a long time and maybe I will pick it up again. Stopped because blogging about the day to day grind became a grind in itself; the hope for relief from writing just disappeared and in itself turned into yet another required task at a time when there was too many tasks and not enough smiles.

                                         A remarkable thing happened about a week ago. Like a veil lifting from my eyes, the depression that had been laying on me for the past four years lifted. Just like that, the gray wet blanket that had been lying on my head was gone.What was left? Feelings of deep sadness and fatigue mostly,but also an ability to feel much more keenly than had been allowed to me over the past several years.Apparently,i  feel HAPPY,and thats a big one.Everyone interrogated me in all the ways possible to find the reason of my exuberant state.My mom ,even tried to bribe me but i really dint know what was disturbing me and now why isnt that disturbing me anymore.??Everyday , i get loads of sleep. I feel like going somewhere warm for a while and roast on a beach.I can feel the clear sky and my emotional batteries recharging.??

BUT,for how long will this feeling of relief stay.A week from now i am going to be 22,the bench mark for a girl from a catholic family, with legacy and blind belief.The church bells are ringing in my ears .The hunt for the  young executive go-getters has begun,waiting for the nodding head and satisfying smile.Scripts, dialogues, menus ,and planned obsolescence.Today,how should i feel ,?? what should i prepare for ,another cloud thats going to descend on me or expect a thunder storm. ??

Though this is what the world half expects , when you reach a crossroad you can always take a DETOUR .so here i am,looking at the two roads


"and am sorry that i could not travel both,
and be one traveler long i stood
and looked  down one as far as I could
to where it bent in the undergrowth;

then took the other , as just as fair,
and having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I marked the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
i doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."-Robert Frost,23rd August,1953.


And now his poem makes perfect sense. I am  feeling good about these things. Starting to enjoy the fact of the professional success. Enjoying time spent with myself. Enjoying the long walk  Enjoying the fact that I can feel sad.The goal and decision i have chosen for now is not a deep Freudian analysis, rather just to help me through this period, learn things about myself, help me develop some tools so I can be better in future career and relationships, and help me get out from under the grinding depression.So here i am hoping to pick everything back that i either lost or left on the way ,to fill in the blanks ,to tell the tale,which is not finished but it looks like it has potential for a happy ending.

heart to heart !!!!

The one characteristics found in almost all treamendously successful men and women like you and me is unlimited energy(human dynamo of super energy ).Today, we come accros different avenues to accomplish more than what we have , where the best investment is “YOU”. All great powers like religion, nation, cooperate bodies etc, have special symbols ,so does MAD – a symbol of love…..

THE EXODUS…

The first time i came to know about MAD was at an inter -collegiate fest . Beneath the hot sun some of my friends and me thought of attacking the baskin-robbins counter.. and there under the shade of a tree i saw two familiar faces , two of my juniors sitting behind table with a pamphlet swaying in the air … i couldnt make out what it read , so i thought of ending the conversation with not more than a wass up ?

i found a plain paper on the table and two smiling faces ,(sarcastic coz, a whole after noon and not even one name in the paper ) …. so i thought let it be … may be i will start of with my name .. and that was how i joined MAD… calls after calls to attend the workshop ,sort of distrubed me ,… but…………..my first workshop , was , phew!!!! an awesome one,.. it blew my mind of,…. or should i say our minds off…i learnt that the solution in building a better future lies in each one of us , including me….. i never thought about it before.. the exodus of my mind set was so enormous… couldnt wait for the next week…

HAPPILY EVER AFTER…

some of us (10) to be precise went to poojapurra divine home.. a classy building , with all facilities including an LCD tv and DVD player. we met the kids ranging from nursury to 8th standard students both boys and girls. when i looked into thier eyes i could see a deep desire for protection,care,and freedom,… i did think for a moment that i will definitely not find strength in me to fight for them but did have a great time narrating stories ( cinderalla and rupunzel) to them. they wanted more of happily ever after stories ,. it wasnt just stories for them , it was their dream (as said by keran, a girl of 8th std, the eldest at divine home).she believed that one day a prince will come to take her away. i was shocked!!!!!!

from that moment i knew where to begin … they are ready to make the journey , all we had to do is show them the right path for the jorney… we needed to be the horse for the their chariot and we will have to fight for them to the finish-a success full happily ever after ..

GOAL

as MAD trivandrum begins our new MAD year, we look out upon a landscape of challenges and responsibilities. we are at the beginning of a new journey together – with a map , a compass and a goal..we know that the MAD foundation will help us stay focused on where we are going , and keep us all traveling in the same direction, whose aspirations are common..i am glad to be embarking my new journey with you .

who should we blame !!!!!????

Parties, get-together , functions……the usual occasions with music,booze ,and fun.. it’s very common in Trivandrum …the same well-settled-educated people , same ambience, same topics of discussion.

If conversations were about SARS months ago , now its SWINE FLU. Last night I went to a similar so called get-together. Something really unexpected happened.

Some boys sneaked in from the neighborhood.Every time such a function takes place they do try tricks of theirs by breaking into cars or some such thing.

This time one of them got caught. Now some of the guests started thrashing him. It went on for around 15 mins before he was finally handed over to the cops..Think about it this way, the boy may end up at a juvenile home and may one day come out as the best ghoond in the city …

What else could have been done ? ? The people who thrashed him dint think about this ,did they?.When a person is ill-educated or doesn’t have a square meal a day, he may end up doing anything. Now, thrashing them up , or kicking them away from what we call society will not do any good. so what can we conclude, that we make criminals and then we punish them..

Who can we blame?The society which is now bringing up latch-key kids or ,the newspapers that reported about 7000 cases of swine flu till date but did not bother to take a look at the number of malnutritioned children in the country. A developing country like ours , still has got kids working in dhabhas for a meal. Kids with no education, support or protection. Still we say that we are “Proud to be INDIANS”.. proud about what??

literary and debating club of mar baselios college of engineering and technology

MAR BASELIOS COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY
LITERARY AND DEBATING CLUB

OUR MISSION
THE LAMP STILL BURNS ... BUT IT DOTH FLICKER...
The primary mission of the LITERARY AND DEBATE CLUB is to cultivate better thinking. Studies show that more than 75% of us leave our talent after high school and of the remaining ones; more than 60% abandons our skills after college. These staggering statistics are a wake-up call that there is more to be done to help ourselves stand strong. The LITERARY AND DEBATE CLUB will help students develop solid thinking skills, examine why they believe what they believe, and learn to locate the values, worldview and assumptions behind positions expressed by others.


WHERE SHOULD NEW STUDENTS BEGIN?

Students who are just starting out in this activity are encouraged to do both Speech and Team Policy debate. Team Policy debate is recommended for all new debaters as it involves more concrete level thinking and therefore easier for new students to grasp. Debate is more abstract and geared toward high school students who enjoy political theory, philosophy and history.
Students are also encouraged to participate in PUBLIC SPEAKING! Speeches sharpen students’ oratorical skills and provide a creative outlet for those who enjoy performance related events like Dramatic or Humorous Interpret Platform speech events (like Persuasive Speaking) provide a platform for students to speak on important issues that they are passionate about and Limited Preparation speech events (such as Impromptu, Apologetics and Extemporaneous) sharpens students ability think on their feet while articulating their beliefs about their faith or current events.
Both Speech and Debate work hand-in-hand in building well-rounded communicators who can think critically and articulate their ideas persuasively.


GOALS

Cultivate better thinkers
Sharpen critical-thinking, reasoning and logic skills
Develop the ability to understand assumptions behind positions expressed by others
Develop strong research skills
Construct logical refutation
Speak persuasively with poise and grace
The power of words
Leadership skills
Controlling speaking stress, fear and apprehensions
Competition is a vital part in achieving these goals. Competition provides motivation to research, strengthen cases and polish speaking skills throughout the season. Meetings will include instruction, small group exercises and practice, to develop debate skills as well as affirmative and negative cases. Debate research and homework could take 1 hour per week depending on a student’s goals.


ACTIVITIES

The members gather at least once in a week to perform any one of the literary activities (G.D, Debate, Extempore, etc.).
Topics will be declared in the notice board.
Various weekly/monthly columns are maintained by students in the notice board.
Conducts various literary activities in the college.
Covers topics from current affairs, education, our problems, social, national & international issues.
Programs to develop communication skills and preparing the students for interviews.
Events like model parliament, mock press, best manager etc will be conducted every fort night
Sessions will be conducted every FRIDAY from 1 to 2pm for all the students of this college

TVM_MADs_DAY_OUT

Divine home is one place where you can meet kids from 2 yrs to 15yrs. Each one has a story to tell, a dream to fulfill, a world to conquer. For a few the four walls of their dormitory is their world for enjoyment, well for the rest it’s their books with extra home work that they requests from their teachers. If its school during weekdays, its mad lessons during weekends. They started getting used to this routine with no complaints, no expectations (or should I say, no one to complain and nothing to expect).

all happy and rocking....

Since this is what they thought the world was, TVM MAD decided to prove them wrong. So today we, volunteers of DIVINE HOME, ventured down to kawdiar for a day at the zoo. Getting permission from Alice mam was in fact an improbable task, but we knew it was worth it. So we hit the roads by 2 in the afternoon.20 children from divine all colorful and beautiful. At around 2 30 we got in. On seeing the animals, they were all excited and happy. Sometimes we even hoped to have more arms to keep them under control. It was as if a whole new world was opened to them.

hippos , always amusing...

They could see, feel, understand and even touch in real, all what they have been listening to, only in books and images. Each kid had a story to tell. Each animal gave them memories in some way or the other. If lion reminded, the boys, of their KALLARI sir, the peacock gave memories to the girls ,of the feathers in their books that they think might multiply one day.

We did make them feel comfortable by taking pictures, buying them ice creams and most of all showing them a world other than theirs. It was in fact surprising to know that they have never been to the zoo before. All they were aware of was that snakes are dangerous to be with. That we understood when we took them to the reptile house. We had a herculean task keeping them together.

hey, i saw the python move!!!!

We thought by the time, the long walk through the zoo was over, they’d be tired.But they had it in them after all. We took them to the park . To our amazement ,they left us and were running around ,making sand castles ,playing on the slides and swings like never before.

they werent afraid of anyone!!!!or anything!!!

Well if you’re talking about the volunteers, though we weren’t there to enjoy the zoo this was in fact a very new experience. We felt the compassion for each kid , the innocence in their thoughts (though robin ,a 2^nd std boy, said that he felt the gal more cute than the puppy in her hand…).

lets go horsey!!!

Since there was a bit more time left we took them to the palace grounds , to give them a taste of some more space ,to give them a free feel,to let them fly with no strings attached. and this is what we saw…..

look at me !!!

thats us!!!

well this was the day we spent with a bunch of kids who made us feel like kids, who taught us that life’s not just about growing up, its about how you grow up.If it wasn’t for MAD , we the volunteers of DIVINE HOME wouldn’t have had the passion to work , and the dream to make this day happen.