Mixed-Up Confusion

I have one of the most awesome beginnings to a trimester in Law School so far. Lots of mixing, lots of confusion and lots of mixed-up confusion. Old people have delighted, while the newer ones have disappointed. I didn't know that there are people out there whose head is more mixed up than mine - indecisive, irritating, but still lovely. But I must let go. Sooner or later, the state which I've dreaded in the last three months will come. i can feel it. It's quite sad that it will end in such odd circumstances.
Looking forward to The Philadelphia Story tomorrow.

Love Affair

As I, along with five other people carried my almirah down, a formal end of something was marked.
And I was reminded of this picture I took in June, 2006.



To all and sundry, thank you for all the love and lessons.

Blae

“Dude, have you ever felt that the world's come to an end?”

“Oye! What’s wrong with you? It was just an exam!”

“I couldn’t attempt 20 marks out of 60. I’ve effectively flunked the course!”

“You won’t. And even if you do, it’s ok. Happens to everybody. You’re anyway probably the chap with the lowest CGPA without repeat in your class! And in any case, since when have you started taking exams so seriously? How can you get stressed out by exams?!”

“Hmm… I always took them fairly seriously but never get stressed out by them. But I really feel the end of everything right now. I mean, I didn’t even feel this way when I saw that sms from that wretched person with a meretricious disposition. Not even the day before that. Never before. It’s a new feeling – sort of despising myself. I mean, I’ve indulged in plenty of self-deprecating exercises earlier. But this is something new. An active hate and loss of faith in myself.”

“Uh ho! What’s the big deal, sir? Just three more days, and then you can revitalize yourself. Have you heard the concept of an unlucky number?”

“No man.”

“Yours is nine. All of us have our bad luck. So relax.”

“Stop throwing silly superstitious bullshit at me, boss! Unlucky number and all. You and your shady Oriental nescient nonsense. Get a piece of rationality in life, man!”

“Ok ok. Sorry. But there’s no use crying now. Assume you’ve got a repeat. Study for it. What else? It’s a perfect opportunity for you to learn, which you were planning to do after exams anyway.”

“That’s true. But it’s not that I didn’t know what to write. I probably knew more than most other people in my class. I was up till 5 o’ clock studying for it. But I just feel so helpless right now. One of those escapist feelings to go into absolute seclusion and become a recluse. Possibly a hermit. But I subdue those because I know I’m here to do something. There’s a purpose. A long term noble purpose, which cannot be allowed to be overridden by these escapist tendencies.”

Blues

It's such a shame that a course like Evidence Law, which seems more interesting than anything else currently, has been destroyed because of a snooty teacher, who randomly decides to concentrate on CopyRights and a lack of replacement for Mr. Ape-resh - a mongrel dog who has left me and my compatriots helpless, not just clueless. Hoping that this vacation will finally see the construction of that destroyed building called "The Law of Evidence". Prior promises in relation to other wrecks like Property Law, Contract Law, Administrative Law never materialized. But then again, there's always a first time.
Apart from that, there are those old-age blues, which I have always experienced in June but are exalted this time by the fact that I'll soon be a great grandfather.
Old. Rankwise. Rollwise. Wisdom-wise, hopefully.

On a brighter side, I've realized that My Back Pages (Bob Dylan: Another Side of Bob Dylan) and In My Life (The Beatles: Rubber Soul) are splendid, one filled with hope and revival- "Coming Back To Life" types; and the other of good memories, and a romantic past.

Of Rahul and Guru Bhai

I generally don’t find movies worth writing reviews about, because I don’t have the capability to judge a movie as being either splendid or ordinary.

But Masoom has to be one of the most splendidly-made movies I’ve ever seen. Although it does not credit Eric Segal for the story, it is based on his novel Man, Woman and Child. Be that as it may, the movie has some very chilling scenes – scenes that haunt you for a long time – the cricket scene, the photo-cube scene, the song Tujhse Naraaz Nahin Zindagi (male version).

Beginning on a sombre note, it picks up with Saeed Jaffrey’s party which includes an all-time romantic favourite song Huzur is Kadar. Jaffrey plays a typical pompous-Delhi-Punjabi Mr. Suri showing off his London-bought cutlery, although a loyal friend.
Everybody’s acting is brilliant and simple. Shekhar Kapur is a genius for a directorial debut like this, and Gulzar (screenplay, dialogue and lyrics) and RD are as usual immaculate.
Deserves 9.5 out of 10.

I also watched Guru day before, which has been generally dubbed as ‘just okay’. Both Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai leave impressions with very good acting. This is the best I’ve seen of Madhavan and Mithun Chakraborty.
However, the movie doesn’t leave you with scenes which keep recurring in your mind, like other Mani Ratnam movies, say Dil Se. By Mani Ratnam standards, it is possibly ‘just okay’. Both dialogues and the music are nothing to ride home about. The crucial oration by Abhishek Bachchan to the tribunal at the end of the movie is very ordinary in terms of dialogue writing.
6 out of 10, mostly for good acting.

Eastern Music and Dance (EMD) yesterday was more than enjoyable and with a couple of incidents (which will be retained in my memory and treasured for life) I felt overjoyed and elated. No, actually euphoric.

Yukatec Mayan and Kalamane Koffees

Jaguar Paw, or "Almost" played by Rudy Youngblood.

I have to put this on record. March 27th was possibly the best day for me after coming to Law School.
Things back home seem to get back to normal, with Ma perfectly all right and back home now.
But in Law School, my first outing in the exclusive company of both of my favourite people in Law School. I won't even bother being adjectival about it, it is indescribable; just that feeling of utter joy and perfect comfort in elite company, which I haven't experienced in Law School so far. Things didn't quite start too auspiciously though. Couldn't get the show for Little Miss Sunshine, so took a while to decide whether to watch Nishabd or Apocalypto. Chose the latter as it had longer running time. Had a cheap lunch buffet at 'Zaika', just before which Batashi's slippers gave in. Then returning to Forum, we commenced watching Apocalypto, despite the intensity of which, it turned out to be comedy for us in the first half. The two ladies even tried shifting to another movie. Anyways, post-intermission, we decided to accept things as they were - the movie as it was. And it turned out to be quite an experience. A movie which I shall remember for a long long time, not only for being exquisite, but for the enviable company I was in. A yoyo got me a free dinner at Grameen.
Very precisely, the day was infinite bliss per second.

On Internet Curbs

Might sound really cliche. Yet, like everything else in this world, internet and technology also has various problems and demerits while being an immense resource of information, of entertainment, of communication.

My roommate and I were condemning in harsh and helpless terms the blocking/'denying access' of certain websites (chiefly ones containing audio and video), and how we are kept devoid of accessing such websites on useless pretexts.

Further, we are not given access to internet in hostels because it might act as a possible distraction to us. There was a short duration when access to this site itself was restricted. On a closer examination, I found that such a practice of regulating internet timings or access is prevalent even in institutions which might require internet access the most - the IITs (the most recent curb being in IIT Bombay). In those institutions, the primary reason seems to prevent students from spending too much time online, rather than the technological reason of slowing the internet speed. The administration is concerned about students wasting their time on wasteful internet surfing, and ignore academics. However, one fails to understand how far this justification is tenable. Takes us to the larger normative issue of whether the university administration should 'morally police' students in such a liberal atmosphere. Even if it should, the extent is quite debatable. Students have often found themselves in disagreement with the administration, not only with regard to this issue. Specific examples from Law School include restricted timings of hanging out of hostels in groups (the limit being 12.30 a.m.), restricting administrative block (which includes the comp lab) timings, restricted posting on the 19(1)(a) board, which is supposed to be a symbol of 'free and fearless' expression and many such other instances. Why should there be such moral policing if it does not cause other people nuisance and is harmless? It's just strange. Will continue on this later, preferably after some comments.
Trying hard to play tennis, somehow plans not materializing..

On Friendship, Elite Company and 'Best Friends'

It is unbearably depressing. There seems to be nothing to be happy or cheerful about. Nearly lost the entire lacrimal gland reserve day before yesterday. Thankfully atleast the eyes seem a lot cleaner now. :-)

Is it me who is at wrong – do I have unfair or great expectations?

This reminds me of Ganga rooftop, with the cheap nice Bong, to whom I told about how I have a very one-sided friendship with her, and how friendships aren’t quid pro quo. I told him how I empty myself before her, and it is I, me and my life who is almost always talked about in our late night walks. How I don’t expect her to consider me as her confidant if she is not comfortable. The stoned (as he then was) cheap nice Bong commended me on my ‘maturity’ of handling relationships in general and friendship in particular. Now I realize how he actually was out of his senses, and how wrong both he and I were. It is such a shallow and self-centered approach to friendship. It’s almost using a person for your own purposes. It is foolish to treat social relationships like that. I am beginning to realize that good and strong friendships have to essentially and always be symbiotic and both-way. How I always strive to have a perfectly graceful platonic relationship with both members of the elite company.

Having ‘best friend(s)’ is another question of great debatable qualities, usually argued on an idealistic and spiritual plane. Shouldn’t the approach to life in general be staying reasonably detached, that is to say, neither too happy nor too sad about people and material world. In other words, as far as possible, staying constant and consistent by remaining aloof. If that is the case, it is best to consider your own self as the solver of your own problems and the only person who you can talk your heart out, which you would ordinarily do with a ‘best friend’. That is not to say that you become unsociable or misanthropic, or you don’t have close friends. It is theoretically possible to be close to lots of people, still not be so close to anyone that have great expectations from that person.

The erstwhile policy of not having any of best friends, having been involuntarily discarded, causes pain as a bye-product. Like most things in life, even this is irreversible and irrevocable. It is but obvious that there are no regrets on having such fantastic friends.

So much horsefeathers about people who do and don't quite matter much in life.

Felt very homesick yesterday. Wished my sister on her last exam. Hope she does well. Planning to fly back home two weeks hence.