Shifting to wordpress

Hello everyone!

There is probably nobody who reads this blog, but I figured its only polite to notify my non-existent followers that I have started over fresh at sloppychronicles.wordpress.com
Hoping to be more regular with blogging now.

Wish me luck :)

Thanks!

Moos-adventures: Part 2

So Moo was going back home after his one week trip to meet the rest of us. And surprise surprise! A girl (yes, a female of the human specie) who works with him, actually told him that she will also be traveling with him in the bus on his way back home. Moo is excited, and possibly fantasizing about the adventures that lay ahead.

Now if you thought Moo was lucky enough to have an actual girl voluntarily deciding to travel with him on an overnight journey, you won’t believe how much luckier he actually was that day! His brother-in-law’s friend who had bought the bus tickets, got them (by mistake it seems) for the bus that leaves next morning, instead of starting the same night.

Girl suddenly found herself stranded in a strange place for the night, for she was actually passing through, and she knew nobody here, where she could spend the night. So she decides to stay with Moo and his brother-in-law.

Do you envy Moo yet? Well, hold on to that envy, because there’s more!!

Moo and Girl spends a long evening together, talking, doing random things to pass the night. Brother-in-law has slept long back. It is past midnight now. Girl is starting to feel sleepy. She had, after all, traveled a long way to get here. So she decides to go to sleep. Moo gets her a blanket, and turns on the ceiling fan and asks her if she needs anything else. Girl gets all cosy and comfy under the blanket, and as Moo watches her, she beckons to him, moving her palm up and down, “come come”.

Moo cant believe his luck. First she wants to go with him overnight in a bus, and now she wants him to join her under the blanket? Moo wants to kill himself and be born again, just to experience this moment once more.

Moo suddenly snaps out of his day (er…night) dreaming, as Girl says something else to him.

“What did you say?”, he asks.

“Kam”, she repeats, “fan ka speed thoda kam karo”!!!

(Translation: Reduce the fan’s rotation/speed a little bit. Kam = reduce)

As you have figured out by now, Girl was feeling too cold with the fan on (the weather here is like living in an air-conditioned room), and she wanted him to reduce its speed a bit. Hence the whole lot of gestures and repeating the word kam/come. Moo, lost in his hopes for a filmy encounter with Girl, had totally jumped at the 1st instance he got (or misunderstood, rather) to make his dreams come true. Little did Moo expect that language was going to be a sadistic bitch in his life.

Moos-adventures: Part 1

WARNING: The following is meant for those who personally know Moo; it’s an update and a reminder of all Moos-adventures. Others may or may not find it entertaining.

Story 1:

We started our journey. Moo was sitting next to me. Moo’s Hindi is worse than mine. This is what happened (translated to English) –

Moo: I had kept an apple in my room last night. I thought we can have it today in the cab. But when I woke up, it had been half eaten by a tortoise (!!!).

We were baffled for a nano-second at the thought that there was a wild tortoise in his room, stealing apples in the dark. Then we laughed our a*ses off at Moo’s stupidity (we always look for reasons to laugh at his expense, actually). Moo had meant to say chooha (rat), but instead ended up saying khachhua (tortoise).

Story 2:

Moo has big party with his friends today. So he dresses up in a white kurta and denims. On the way to the main gate is the basketball court. Moo notices there are lots of girls on court. He can’t resist stepping on the court for a quick basket to impress the girls. He enters in full “ishtyle”, grabs a bball, goes to his favorite spot (zero degree), and shoots. Sure enough, it’s a basket. We look at him leaving, unable to believe that we can’t make fun of him this time. And he knew it. So he moves in slow motion, trying to make a grand exit, while the girls (and boys) watch.

Whooooops! Moo has slipped on the slushy ground outside the court, he is lying flat on his back with his legs up in the air like a little baby, unable to realize for a moment what happened to him; while people around starts to hoot, shout, laugh and everything possible that Moo wished to never happen to him. In fact, Moo realizes with a sinking heart, people who had not even seen the basket he scored seem to have seen him fall. And for some strange reason, almost everyone who knew him was present (we filled in on the few remaining people who missed it). And to hope that his favorite white kurta survived, was equal to hoping that pigs fly (or I grow tall).

Moo goes back to his room, trying to ignore our shouts and hoots, changes clothes and comes out again, hoping that by now, everyone is back to whatever they were doing. Nope! We were all there, keeping an eye out for him. And yes, it was laughing again like never before, as Moo walked (rather swiftly) past us, to safer grounds (away from us).

Even today, when one of us feels a bit low, sad, bored (or even when there is no reason), we remember this story and laugh. Moo definitely saved/s the day!

Story 3:

Moo and friends are walking past crazy lady’s house. Crazy lady likes to sit outside her big house and beg for money from people who walk past her. She also likes to wear giant orange flowers that fall onto the street from the trees nearby. She occasionally spends some of this money buying tea from the vendor passing by. But basically, she likes to beg.

Moo has never been on that road before, so when he spots the crazy lady calling them, he immediately beckons his friends to help her. They walk to her. One of them asks her in the local language what she needs. Crazy lady replies in Hindi to them that she wants 20 Rupees. Another friend thinks that Moo knows this lady, that’s why he wanted to help her. So he immediately gives 10 rupees. Another friend chips in with another 10 rupees. Crazy lady is happy.

After walking further only did they realize what happened! When we heard what happened, we all had a good laugh at them all. And as usual, Moo was blamed (and his birthday celebrated) for his over enthusiasm in helping women.

Story 4:

Moo came to visit me at work. We had lunch. Then ice cream. Moo’s cone broke and the single scoop he bought (ice cream was costly) fell down. I enjoyed my ice cream. Oh, and I also laughed at his plight and regretted the fact that I couldn’t take a photo of it.

Story 5:

Moo was invited to lunch by girls from his office. Moo was very excited. Moo got dressed up nicely, and left to their home. Moo likes to make others happy, so he decided that he will cook for the girls. The way to a girl’s heart is through her stomach, Moo said. Moo cooked for them. After that day, the girls stopped talking to Moo.

More Moos-adventures coming soon!

Linux vs Windows: A laywoman's opinion

This was something I wrote on GNU/Linux a couple of years back, I figured I might as well put it in here.

Linux vs Windows: A laywoman's opinion
Hmmm..... (scratching head, looking thoughtful)
Yeah, so like I was saying, Jun has been on my case since the time I was down with chicken pox (two weeks of extreme tourture and self pity) to write him an article on what I think of linux. I assume its got to do with bringing in more Linux users in your college or some such motive. To tell the truth, there is a part of me that doesnt want to do this. I mean, doesn't it somehow make your college seem better than mine? But then again, to hell with all that, I like Linux and I like Jun!

Oookay, thats one paragraph of absolute crap and nothing about what I'm supposed to be writing. Well, getting down to business, all I got to say is "LINUX ROCKS, PEOPLE!!!". And I'm not saying this just because thats what I'm supposed to be saying. Let me tell you why I think so.

Firstly, I want to clear up a few misconceptions about Linux:
Windows is 'user friendly', Linux is not: Thats complete horseshit, you know. Seriously, the first time you started using Windows, did you know how exactly it worked? It's all about taking time to figure it out (with or without help). And frankly speaking, I didn't find Linux extremely difficult to comprehend. True I don't know how to fiddle around too much with the terminal, but so far, I've not had any trouble with Linux because of it.
All software is designed for Windows, Linux has no apps: Everyone seems to notice just the software available online, or off the shelf, which, somehow, is by default for Windows. But what people don't seem to realise is that there's almost always, a free alternative meant just for Linux, which you can easily download and install with the help of Synaptic Package Manager (This is a feature of Ubuntu, which I use, but Jun tells me there are other package managers too.). This can, infact make your comp 'cooler' than Windows can ever make it.
You need to learn a lot of coding and scripting to be able to use Linux: This is again just a bifurcation of the first point. I hardly know around ten linux commands, and I do definitely and easily use Linux every day (for music, movies, internet, sharing on LAN.... Isn't this what most of us normally use the comp for?).
Linux is complicated and difficult, and so takes us a really long time initially to understand it, and then get it running: It probably took me a couple of hours to get things running smoothly. True, I did have help from Jun, but then again, considering that help is probably much closer to you, than me, what's stopping you from starting out with Linux??? I mean, arent the others in the User Group there to help you out with it all?

Misconceptions done with, I guess we can now say Linux atleast equals Windows. Now let me tell you how Linux is better than Windows:
Most Linux distros are free, Windows rapes your wallet: Hence, many (Type 1 people) lighten their wallets (because they get the 'user friendly' Windows) or more often, they (Type 2 people) prefer using pirated versions of Windows. Now if you're Type 1, you end up losing a lot of money as you have to keep getting newer versions of Windows, and better hardware to go with it, as they are released (because a new version is better than an old one, and because afterall, all the latest app sofware is designed for the latest version of Windows). Type 2 is very economical, except that you miss out on all the Windows freebies because its pirated. Who cares about the one-in-a-million chance that MS finds out, you end up in jail!? Right? Why all the trouble? Be the smart one (Type 3 people) and use Linux anywhere and everywhere and for FREE!!!
Linux lets you see the code: Freedom means everything to us, right? Our forefathers died for it and we fight with our parents and college over it..... Well, freedom is what linux is all about. Windows is supposedly completely designed to meet the user's demands and needs (or rather whatever Microsoft considers to be our demands and needs). But when we want to change something to our liking, we just can't. But with Linux, you get to make it the way you like it, and if you can't someone else certainly will help you out. So! Change whatever you want. Absolutely no restrictions. You are finally the master of your computer.
Linux is virus free: We all hate viruses. Be it infecting us or the comp, we hate them. Period. Almost all Windows users have suffered not once, not twice, but over and over again because of viruses that infect their comps and damage everything. But its not like we can stop using the internet or the LAN, just to avoid the viruses. For many, its even become a hobby to keep installing Windows again and again, each time their system crashes. All the time and data wasted!! And the number of anti-virus software I've tried out, don't even think about it! And still, the worms just keep increasing and there's nothing you can do it stop it. Unless of course, you're using linux, in which case such a problem doesnt even exist!
Its a hacker's paradise: Haven't we all secretly desired to be one of those cool hacker types (Of course, working to save the world or something like that. Those who break into machines malaciously, are called crackers.), like Neo from the matrix? Well, here is your opportunity! Learn Linux seriously and you'll get an idea of what all this baby can do!
Lastly, there's the new respect, admiration and coolness factor you get when people get to know that you're into Linux.

All right then, I guess I'm done with what I had to, in here. Oh, by the way, in case I did convince you to switch over to Linux, do let me know how convincing this was. Engineering sucks, we need honest politicians and I do need a job in the future :D
Ciao.

PS: The author is a recent convert to GNU/Linux, so any errors above are pardonable.

PPS: Its been more than two years since I converted to linux, and I must say that I'm more than happy with it.

The Little Girl

The little girl played all alone
You might say she had no friends
How can she be so cheerful
In her forlorn little world?

It’s not that bad, said the little girl
With a smile so sweet and pure
For I got my imagination with me
And I got so many toys

She was happy
For she never knew
That “happier” existed too

The little girl played all alone
In her little world of joy

Years went by
The little girl grew
She forgot her toys
And made new friends
Discovering a whole new world of joy

But along came the strangers
Into her life
The unwanted new companions
In the form of betrayal,
Envy and hate.

The little girl began to feel
So lost, confused and distraught
Her toys had never
Let these things
Happen to her before.

What went wrong
To faith and happiness?
What happened to humanity?
When did it all disappear?
When did everything change?

The little girl stayed all alone
In her little world gone so wrong

The world never changed
Back to how it was
It only got worse with each day
The little girl
Forgot how to smile
Forgot what joy used to be like

Little girl,
You are not so young anymore
For this is life
You ought to realize,
Said the world
In a tone so harsh,
That she cowered in fright
And closed her eyes tight
Tears streaming down her pretty face

I want this to end
I want this to change
I want to go back to the world I was in,
She cried and prayed to God,
Or I will end it all
For I despise this world
I loathe this horrid life

The little girl cried all alone
In her little world of pain

Then came the angel
Into her life
So sudden that it seemed so unreal
For God loved the little girl
He loved her a lot
Just like the angel he sent

The angel loved her so much that
The world was beautiful again
He took care of her
He protected her
And he taught her to be strong
Now she had grown
For the angel had brought
The weapon of love along
She was helpless no longer
She could face what the world threw at her
And she was happy once again

The little girl was no longer alone
In her little world of love

Origin of "Failure"

Now that I've finally graduated, I guess I can admit that this poem originated as a desperate attempt to stay awake in class. Being one of those types that can't keep their eyes open once the droning voice of the teacher hits the brain and the brain decides it wants a shut-eye, I had experimented on many methods to not fall asleep in class. Some of them being

• genuinely paying attention in class (yeah, right!)
• singing in my head (singing helps sleeping)
• doodling in the notebook (sleep generates better doodles)
• doodling on the desk (spoils the pen)
• trying to decipher the graffiti already present on the desk (taxing on the brain, tired brain accelerates sleep)
• eating black pepper (read that tip in a book, totally useless)
• SMS-ing (wallet didn't agree on that much)
• writing a novel on ninjas (after writing pages of a highly decorative introduction of the characters, I realised that I had no plot!)
• pretending to take down notes, but actually writing on how much I hate the subject or the teacher (stopped after a teacher tried looking into my notes, while I hastly turned the page)
• deliberately dropping the pen, bending down on pretext of retrieving it, sleeping for a few seconds and resurfacing with the pen (the effort made me more sleepy)

........... The methods were countless. But they all failed. That was when I suddenly came up with the idea of poetry. Now I am not much of a poetry person. I like stories more. Find them more straightforward (not referring to the plot), and they last longer. Even when I hear a song, I end up paying more attention to the music and the voice than the lyrics.

During college, I noticed that most of the poems were written by music band members, as lyrics for their self compositions. Now what was strange was that they all preferred to stick to genre of depression, pain, cruelty, trauma, loss, suicide, and yes, broken hearts! I even asked one of them as to why don't they write happy poems, but he just gave a one of those looks that says "dumb kid, what do you know about life! (or rather heavy metal lyrics writing)".

Back in the classroom, I was trying really hard on writing a funny poem, with rhyming words and everything. Failed! Then I figured, if not funny, the poem can still be happy if I appreciate the beauty of nature or something like that. Failed! Now at this point, I concluded that I lack imagination (previous experience with novel writing proved it), so I almost gave up on poetry as well. But all that failure made me think of the poets of my college, who wrote only on negative thoughts. And that made me think, I can be just as negative and depressive as they are! And thus orginated my poem Failure, which I named so because

• it was about failure
• it orginated as a result of my failure at staying awake in class
• it was as a result of my failure at happy poetry.

I wont say thats its a really good poem, specially since I can't judge it (I'm not much of a poetry person anyway). But I am happy that I managed to rhyme words and actually make sense of the rhyming, something that I didn't think was one of my capabilities. And more importantly, I did stay awake in class! Though I paid zero attention to what was happening, but hey, one can't have everything, right?

Failure

There's a fire in me
Fighting hard to get out
I don't want to be
Just like everyone else around

I know I am different
God intended it that way
But failure flowed down in a torrent
And the fire was washed away

Now there's just emptyness
As though the fire was just a scam
I pray to God for forgiveness
For the disappointment that I am

I don't know where I went wrong
What happened to all those dreams
But now its been so long
That I just want to scream

I despise myself
I'm angry with God
How could I tire
Why did God put out the fire
There's so much I wanted to do
Its too late, my spirit says, because I'm wounded too

I cant seem to move on
The wounds and pain won't heal
Everyone's left me and gone
Before death now I kneel