Proud To Be Me – Day #9

I have been on fire in all of my latest zillion presentations. And I did work hard for all of them. I love the recently updated version of ‘the public-speaker me’.

PS: *Touch Wood* I hope it stays tthat way forever. :)

Leave The Stars Alone, I’ll Settle For The Stratosphere – Day #8

The impending month shall witness me pulling my socks up and actually doing the following:-

       - As always I have accumulated a humongous amount of crap (which contains a cached speck of    important stuff in it.) I have to clean, sort and pack that speck, and get rid of rest of the crap.

      - After 9 months of PhD work, I am baffled and somewhat dubious of how far along I am. So I   plan on making an overview of all my experimental approaches to keep track.

     - The Gilbert ‘Developmental Biology’ book has been perched on my desk for more than a month now. It’s been pleading me to lay my hands on it, to be opened, to be read… I can’t avert it from it’s destiny any longer.

      - My laptop is just as saturated and messed up as my room. I need to organize and make some space in both.

      - Since I have just one month left in my current Abode with an amazing Swimming Pool. I have to find time to go swimming everyday again (like I had been doing for 6 months straight until the festive mood had set in. :P)

      - For the entire last month I have been lagging in all my work although I have been working my ass off. (Courtesy the zillion presentations I have had every week.) Now it’s time to cease my retrograde progress and squeeze in yet more work everyday to regain my lead and relish the exhilarating satisfaction of leading myself.

       - I have been constantly forgetting to drink enough water, so I need to drink more often. :P

      - I haven’t followed anything passionately since the Football WC, now its time to be hit by the fan-fever again for the Cricket WC, so I somehow HAVE to figure out a way to watch it online.

     - The forthcoming month will mark my 24 years of existence on this planet :( and I have to brainwash  myself to look at the brighter sides of turning 24, instead of sulking about aging issues. I have to focus on the ‘wisdom, perspicacity and experience’ that comes with it rather than the number itself.

Imprints For Life - Day #7

Colours

They always cheer me up.. On trees and plants or in the sky, on a canvas or in a little child’s drawing.. Each colour has a special meaning, represents a special season, has a special mood attributed it.. Each colour heralds a special message. I know that it is a visual illusion, a meticulous game of tiny molecules. But that does not depreciate the remarkable beauty colours impart to the world around us.

Colours remind me of conviviality and mélange. They are a fine example of how a blend of various colours makes everything so vibrant and mesmerizing while any one of them alone makes everything so dull and drab. (A whole new perspective to the ‘united we stand, divided we fall’ theory.) They remind me that everything in life is not black and white, neither does it stick to the RGB scheme. Things can be multifarious, obscure and complex like Orange, Turquoise or Magenta.

So to everyone who is fortunate enough to be able to behold the beauty of varied colours of nature, take a moment and savour the flavour.

The Sky

It’s amazing how I can gaze into the sky for hours, resplendent sparkling sky, or a somber cloudy sky.. Making patterns in my mind, drawing lines between stars, staring into emptiness and approaching oblivion… It comforts my nerves, calms me down and provides me succor to clear my mind.

The variegated demeanors of the sky make me feel like it’s the same and so familiar, yet so disparate and contrasting everyday. It’s empty, yet profusely laden with voluminous space and celestial bodies.

The sky is everything I love.. versatile, kaleidoscopic, mysterious and infinite.

A new colour.. new patterns in the stars.. new shapes in the clouds.. Never the same :)

Time and again I have wished to break free from the shackles of gravity and soar high into the sky :) Alas.. The Earth is what God chose as the Human Abode.

It has been rightly said, ‘The sky is the best place, that is why God lives there.’

Music

It is the anchor that holds my life in place. It is the drug that keeps me from insanity. Sometimes it brightens me up when I am blue. Sometimes it takes my hand and leads me to swing by my imaginary and quixotic world when I am sick of the real one.

And when I am in love with a song, it’s like the proverbial feeling of being in love all over again. Nothing I say here will do justice to my love for music and its impact on my life. So I drop the pen there…  

Images Courtesy : Deviant Art

Super Heroes - Day #6

Spiderman

He may not be smokin-hot, he may not have super-cool gadgets, but he is the most down to earth and genuine superhero. The best combo of fantasy land and the rather unreal real-world. Peter Parker is the most adorable common-man-turned-superhero. He bears the onus of personal guilt in the most forthright way possible and truly embodies the human traits of regret and selfless nobility. Toby Maguire did total justice to Spiderman in the movies with his starry-eyed look, benevolent demeanor and honorable intentions. And the movies were jazzy Blockbuster-style grandeurs and action packed extravaganzas.

I loved how the following lines describe why I think Spiderman is better than all other superheroes.

 “Most super heroes had problems no more complex or relevant to their readers' lives than thwarting this month's bad guys.... Parker had far more serious concerns in his life: coming to terms with the death of a loved one, falling in love for the first time, struggling to make a living, and undergoing crises of conscience.”

                                                                                     - Peter Sanderson (Comic Book Historian)

Hiro Nakamura

Now isn’t that the cutest superhero-smile in the history of time. However don’t be deceived by his puppy-eyes. His ferocity may get camouflaged by his cute looks, but he IS ‘the perfect superhero’. Bestowed with the superpower to freeze time and cross time-space barriers, fighting and kicking-ass of all the possible iniquities one can think of, he did ‘save the world’ more than once (and he ‘saved the cheerleader’ as well). All that he lacks now, is to don his boxers over his jeans. (Certainly not a pretty sight.)

I have stopped following the TV Series owing to the plot’s extreme complexity and total derailment from its original mission to ‘save the world’, but Hiro is still the most adorable Hero ever.

The Powerpuff Girls

It isn’t my favourite cartoon.. but it IS my favourite superhero cartoon :) Girl Power at its best! I wanted to put one of them in this list, but after contemplating for a long time (that is the Real reason why this post is delayed.), I still couldn’t decide. There is something I love about each one of them. Blossom’s self-proclaimed echelon and seasoned wit, Bubble’s gaiety and gentle demeanor, and the feisty temperament of Buttercup, together they form the perfect blend of “sugar, spice and everything nice”.

But I think Bubbles is blessed with the coolest superpower :) When I was a little girl I had wished more than often to have her superpower and be able to talk to animals. I still think it would be really cool. :D

Where I've Tread - Day #5

The Dream City of Millions..

I was amazed and at the same time touched by the relaxed lifestyle of the French :D Shocking.. was the denigrated and unabashed response of the French road hogs to traffic rules.

The Mighty Falls

                                                                  The Bridal Veil Falls

                                                                 The Horse Shoe Falls

The most fervent, vehement and mighty form of nature I have witnessed after the 1999 Super-Cyclone.

The Bridge

                                 The bridge connecting the “Eh” s and the “Like.. Totally” s :P

Vices - Day#4

Reflecting on Myself..

- Often Interchanging Obsession & Passion

- Perseverance

- Attachment Issues

- And lastly, I regret not having regrets in life. (Not that my life has been perfect, but I have learnt to appreciate imperfections) :D

“When you can think of yesterday without regret and tomorrow without fear, you are near contentment.”

- Anonymous

The Trio - Day #3

A few lines I composed a few years ago, best describes the friendship of The Trio.

‘Through these years we have stood by each other through tough times, heartbreaks, times of crisis, delusions and blunders. We have been partners in crime, consorts in treason and allies in charity. With each step we are assured that if we screw-up and create a mess then there is someone abaft to scour and purge it all. These days we seldom talk and hardly get to see each other.. grown up business.. too preoccupied with managing our diligent and chaotic lives. Therefore there is not much time to rekindle the old friendship, but I know it requires none. We might be separated in time and space but we still connect at some abstract level.’

A picture that best describes The Trio

And finally presenting a picture of The Trio.

PS: I couldn’t resist posting the picture of the most awesome class in school for 7 years :D Most of us have drifted apart, but some of us have stuck together through the trials and tribulations of time (and hurricanes like Genda). We are all awesome in our own ways.

The Bitch Magnet

Dear lonely and tattered heart,

For years I meandered with you in my sleeve.

But I descried not a soul which

Would betide and never leave.

I found no takers,

But only breakers.

And for your own sake,

Now I have stashed you in my sneakers.

I have locked you in a chest and flipped the key in the ocean.

Until a decent lady comes along and takes me as her lover,

Shows me she is prudent.

And shows me what the deal will cover.

For I am weary of this fatuous dragnet.

And you my lonely heart, are the perfect bitch magnet.

Dear lonely and tattered heart,

You know not this heinous world, so bear with me.

It is infested with nefarious pretty predators

With no ethics or decree.

They cast their spell and snatch you away,

With dubious smiles and enchanting eyes.

And no one can evade their pernicious clutches

No matter how hard one tries.

Don’t misunderstand me for stifling you.

When you are there you crash and burn.

I m scared this time you may not bounce back.

The damage they cause is hard to discern.

Alas the word got out, and it’s no more a secret,

That you my lonely heart, are the perfect bitch magnet.

Dear lonely and tattered heart,

If I could sing, I wouldn’t sing of love,

Or if I could paint, I wouldn’t

Make a picture of a butterfly or a dove.

They are menacing weapons,

For the fragile yet strong-hearted.

And I wish, my revered heart,

From you I had never parted.

They poke and prod you,

Those stone-hearted bitches will never know how it feels.

And when nothing is left,

They wreck you under their heels.

Maybe it’s better to stay a forlorn hamlet,

For you my lonely heart, are the perfect bitch magnet.

Dear lonely and tattered heart,

I have been there and done that.

And trust me it’s more onerous

Than Mortal Combat.

Now I have come to terms, and gathered

That love is a part of life.

And I can’t put you at stake again and again

Just to find a freaking wife.

I have learnt to love my desolate life,

And so should you.           

We will consort and escort each other.

With all those subtle games, I am through..

And I have no regret,

That you my lonely heart, are the perfect bitch magnet.

Not Just A Namesake - Day #2

The Meaning Behind The Name of My Blog:-

Although there is no sole rationality, but there were a few facets that inspired me to adopt the epithet of ‘The West Wind’ for my blog. Most things that I come up with signify randomness and helter-skelter pattern of my thoughts. However, this time the name has a more profound connotation to it.

My current location, which is ‘The West’, geographically as well as according to persisting language trends, and my incessant & abysmal inclination, fascination and connection to my homeland, which is ‘The East’, contributed to this nomenclature, for ‘the west wind is a wind that blows from the west, in an eastward direction’.

While whirling over bits and pieces of the Greek Mythology and striving to fit all the stories together, I stumbled upon ‘Zephyrus’, The Greek God of ‘The West Wind’. The variable depictions of the Wind Gods, especially as Horses in the stables of the storm God, Aeolus, who could set them on the world at his fancy, immensely intrigued me.

As I dug deeper, I realized how potently the characters of the west wind coincided with my own attributes. The gentle and propitious nature of the west wind cannot be less congruous to my amorous and humble self. (Amorous is an adjective designated to me by someone who knows me the best and therefore, I have decided to stick to it.)

Eventually what led me on to the final act was the beautiful amalgamation of death and life woven into words in ‘Ode To The West Wind’. A few lines from it will explain everything else :) And you know it is not just a namesake..

O wild West Wind, thou breath of Autumn's being,

Thou, from whose unseen presence the leaves dead

Are driven, like ghosts from an enchanter fleeing,

Yellow, and black, and pale, and hectic red,

Pestilence-stricken multitudes: O thou,

Who chariotest to their dark wintry bed

The winged seeds, where they lie cold and low,

Each like a corpse within its grave, until

Thine azure sister of the Spring shall blow

Her clarion o'er the dreaming earth, and fill

(Driving sweet buds like flocks to feed in air)

With living hues and odours plain and hill:

Wild Spirit, which art moving everywhere;

Destroyer and preserver; hear, oh hear!

                                       - by Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822)

The Very Credible Me – Day #1

I have taken up this seemingly interesting yet impossible challenge called ‘The 31 day Challenge’. I first read about it on Ice Maiden’s Blog and the idea of challenging myself appealed to my diligent and whimsical brain.

So here it goes, everyday (starting today) I will post the answer to a specific question. So will my better half.. Get to know her here.

15 Random Facts About Me:-

·      I am an optimist.

·      I can write in extremely tiny handwriting, when necessity or my fancy urges me to.

·      I am very proud of myself these days as I finally learnt to swim (with all the technical aspects) and feel completely at home in water (in the swimming pool to be more precise).

·      Most of the times when I am studying.... I am actually procrastinating.

·      More than often, I wish I could pause life at a particular moment.

·      I seldom lose my temper.. even when I do.. hardly any of the people around me realize it.

·      The most difficult part of my day is when I have to wake up.

·      I miss the old, but I love the new. Fortunately I adapt pretty well, but I hate changes. I like things to go on just the way they are, especially, blissful sleep at night, vacations, days just before exams and so on. :P

·      English, may not be my mother tongue, but for me, it is the language of expression as well as thoughts (I sometimes even dream in English). 

·      My tangled and embroiled brain is constantly full of thoughts, many varied thoughts keep playing hide and seek in there all the time. Sometimes I have to note them down and follow them later on.

Most recent thought:- To write poem called ‘The Bitch Magnet’. The idea has been budding in my brain for a while now. It is a dedication to a very good friend, who will know when he reads this.

·      Generally, I am not a sports freak but when big events like the Cricket World Cup, Football World Cup or Euro Cup are due, I get totally hit by the fan-fever. (I love it). And yeah.. I am a die-hard fan of German Football.

·      Since a time beyond my memory, I have wished to have twins. (And it’s not a secret. I know its weird.. But I hope it is fulfilled).

·      Even on the verge of a natural disaster or an alien attack, I would notice and point out the grammatical and spelling mistakes around me. (Nothing escapes my scrutinizing eyes *evil grin*)

·      I love to imagine kicking certain people’s ass, but I reality I could never do it. (But I an blessed with a Fairy Godmother ..Err.. God-Friend who has taken up the ass-kicking as her department.)

·      As a child, I wanted to become an Astronomer.. (a term I first heard in my first visit to a planetarium at age 5). But I dumped the idea in a Black Hole when I studied Physics in 11^th Grade.

A Recent Picture of Me:-

This is the most recent it could get as it was clicked yesterday :)

Break Free..

As I stand over your bloody corpse,

I know something within myself died.

But my swollen eyes show no remorse

They have for too many nights sobbed & cried.

I embraced you with your dreams,

While you crushed mine under the burden of your love.

No one heard my silent screams,

But the broken smile and my pale skin from above.

I had given my best,

But you failed me at my worst.

I thought I was blessed with a gold crest,

But in disguise I was cursed.

Cursed.. with an innate ability to love

And not let go..

But tonight I have murdered my love..

My undying love for a man,

A Man who trampled me so low.

Now I know that I have let go..

As I stand over your bloody corpse.

A void is formed by the death of my undying love,

for better or for worse..

I shall bury it deep under my garden,

And plant new seedlings on it.

Now only the earth shall bear my love’s burden,

While I go seeking another piece of shit.

And this, my darling me,

Is the fate of my cursed love.

Tonight I break free..

With it murdered and buried, while I walk above.

This is to elevate a loved one and help her make a new beginning. Together we shall rejoice forfeiting our sorrows, instead of grueling in self loath. :)

The Book Of Life

This New Year, I had decided not to write a New Year post. But some ideas kept poking at my brain and they won’t stop until I picked up a pen. (Trust me, a real pen.. not my laptop. I don’t do that very often other than when I am updating my lab book.) Just like every other New Year, the advent of this year also lured me into analyzing the lives of others and my own.

Life, to me resembles a gigantic book, an enormous book recording zillions of events. Some books are colorful, flashy and wrapped in pretty covers, while others are rather rugged, old and drab. Some are huge with several volumes, while others are just a few hundred pages. A lifetime comprises of decades and years, which are just like chapters.. old ones pass by and new ones come along, one after the other.

Everyday unfolds like the turning of a new page. The book of life engulfs all the varied forms of human emotions, some action, some drama, some romance and some heartache. Sometimes we glance through the pages of our past, with nostalgia, with fondness, sometimes with regret, but rarely with satisfaction. We always think that there was some scope of improvement. It is like grading an essay, nothing is perfect, nothing is an A+. But doesn’t it make us feel better to know that ‘that was the best I could do’.

The commendable thing about this book is that the characters write their own story. Some may fancy the admission to a higher power to choreograph our stages, but I think it is just a vindication to hand over the reins to a pair of invisible hands and evade the responsibilities and obligations that come with making choices. I believe that a higher power may have blessed us with life, he might be the one who guides us through our path but the choices are our own. And these choices lead us to the ups and downs of our life and the ultimate culmination of the epic called ‘life’. The book of life isn’t pre-written, we have to carve each chapter on our memory as the story of our life unfolds.

And if it is a choice then shouldn’t we make an effort to make it a worthwhile read for ourselves when we look back through the pages of our past. Sometimes we are so focused on reaching the perfect closure that we overlook the little things that bring us joy and forget to make the story worthwhile all along. After all these little pixels of happiness make the big picture of life.

So this New Year, in order to make the story of my life splashy and perky, I have decided, there shall be no resolutions to make or promises to make. I wont make shallow promises to myself about acting less crazy or more matured, swimming everyday or eating healthy, reading scientific articles or renouncing procrastination, sleeping early or cleaning my room more often. The only thing I have promised myself is that everyday I will do one little new thing. One little new thing.. which makes me happy. These tiny little droplets of happiness will make me an ocean of joy and my life will be worthwhile... maybe not for anyone else.. but for myself. This year I will see people I love, go to new places with them and drown my sorrows in Tequila.

So lets start yet another chapter in our lives not with resolutions and shallow promises, but with the hope of making our lives worthwhile for ourselves, the hope of new experiences, travelling to new lands and the hope to comprehend ourselves and the ones we love better.

May this year, actually be a New Year.