coming soon...

The new semester has started. My courses for the next 5 months or so will be

• The Visual and the Verbal: Theory and Representation in Art and Literature
• The Construction of Social Space in the Nineteenth Century English Novel

Both are very interesting courses, so I am excited about them. There were so many courses to choose from this time, it was quite difficult even though I had my eyes set on these two from a long time! I had to chose wisely, especially since these will be my last two courses. After this semester, I shall have to work on my Individually Supervised Essay. More about that when the time comes for it.

For now, I shall be working on Leonardo's Notebooks for the first course, and Hogarth's Prints for the other. I have to present one more short paper for the Visual and Verbal, will decide on what later.

I havent really done anything exciting recently. My life was put on hold until my long papers were done. This time I really tried to finish them before the deadlines and it was a huge pain.... Anyhow am not going to talk of it online! lets just say, that they, and winters have had a chilling effect on everything around me. A few days back, I was very sad. The winters always do that, but this time I really felt I had nothing to look forward to. Seems like I hardly have a life worth living, what with living at home, doing M.Phil. and no boyfriend... And its just so bloody cold to do anything on my own - anything simple and easy like take a walk outside!

I know all those living in below freezing zones are telling me to shut the f- up! But one must consider that the way you feel at -5 deg cel. is how I feel at 5 deg cel. So delhi at 2 deg cel. is really cold for me! BBC predits 0 deg cel. for Delhi on Friday. Its really cold for the kind of climate and infrastructure we have. We dont have central heating! And heating blower dont really work! I can wear ten thousand layers but if I am cold from the inside, they dont help. I wish I could run to the tropics. But darn M. Phil. has to be done! It just gets me down.

I wished I could just leave everything and stop existing. But as I was coming back from the univ. that day, I saw that the sky was blue. and as the sun was setting, it had set the clouds ablaze with different fiery colours. The last time I had seen the sky like this was in Okinawa. and before that in Delhi, when we lived in the clean North Campus, in the middle of green Delhi Ridge, the happiest time of my life in Delhi. (Yes, I don't like Delhi very much. Those who have been here might know why... )

Anyhow. That day, I felt if the sky could be this clear and beautiful in Delhi, then surely not all goodness is dead and that there is still hope left. Soon spring will arrive. flowers will blosom. and I will be warm and happy again. till then I shall put my life and all the fun times on hold.

busy day

What a day it was today! Exhausting, strenuous and eventful:

I was involved in an argument I didn't want to be involved in.
I saw a book written by my father as the object of a guy's photocopying desire.
I was given unconscious complements about my age by 2 different people in separate circumstances.
I shouted at people in the Metro like never before.
I climbed 32 flights of stairs up and down.
I was in an out of the metro stations 5 times (as opposed to a usual of 2).
I signed my name on an important document over 50 times.
I made and recieved calls more times in one day than I do in a week.
I twisted my foot badly while descending stairs.

Beni-imo Matsuri!!

Today my friend Sawako, and her two friends Masumi and Chisato, left. They came from Okinawa to visit India in the winter vacations. Due to my exam, I wasn't able to accompany them on their trips to Varanasi, Agra, and Rajasthan. Nor could I show them around Delhi because the day set apart for Delhi sightseeing was 3 days before the exam! So I was quite a bad host in a way! But I would hope, I still helped them have as good a trip as was possible in the short duration of 10 days.

They brought Okinawan treats for me and my family... Beni-imo goodies!!!

Awamori-tinged chocolate Shiisa anyone?

Ah! It's impossible to believe its been barely five months since my return! I miss Oki!!

Happy New Year!!

Heylows!

The New Year has kicked in with a serious stomach upset! I think I might be heading towards what has been described by Chiye as the Worst Diet Ever!! But anyhow.... updates:

UGC NET went disastrously. It is the world's biggest sham! Worse than my scooter license test! At least there I could pass after willfully failing it! This thing... God only knows how to get it out of the way! The Exam consists of three papers. The first paper is general for all and includes questions on logical reasoning, research methodology, comprehension passages etc. Easy if you have normal brains.... unless brought face to face with a question like:

What should logically follow in this series : 4, 16, 36, 64, ?
a) 300 b) 200 c) 100 d) 150

If you answered c) you are wrong. At least according to UGC who give this in their syllabus as an example test question. They say its a). I don't know how, maybe someone can explain to me?

Then, there is paper 2. 50 Multiple choice questions from the history of English Literature. Could be any random question, from any random book. Which novel by Graham Greene has a little girl character, Brigitta?

Honestly, it felt like I knew nothing when question after question, I couldn't be sure of the answers! Gave me the inferiority complex of a lifetime... what am I studying English Literature for if I can't answer 50 multiple choice questions with absolute certainty!!!

Paper 3 was still better... its subjective type questions on English Literature. I could answer those fine enough! But whats the use? If you can't clear Paper 1 and 2, the 3rd one isn't even checked!!

I am so disillusioned with the whole thing! And this is the test when one clears it, one is qualified to teach at college level! Disgraceful! It makes no sense whatsoever. Having the NET cannot make anyone a good teacher, but you can't teach if you don't have it! Ugh! its so frustrating!! This was my 4th attempt, and I shall give it once more in June, and if it doesn't happen, then I wont even bother with it anymore! My Dad and Mom can say whatever they like. I don't care. I worked so hard this time, but what's the use? They expect the impossible! It used to be mandatory a year ago, and now that it's not, people say its become more difficult. That's true enough, the 1st time I ever gave it, I remember it being much easier. We could remember the questions of Paper 2 and even the options when discussing it with each other, but this time, I could bare recall five, they were so obscure!

My parents picked me up after the exam as we had to go see Babaji (my grandfather). He just had an operation. He's doing fine, so no worries. He is diabetic and its a problematic thing to be when one is old...

My parents had to meet some people, so my sis and I went to a mall nearby while they met up. It is like a different world altogether. Enter a mall in Delhi and it is very hard to believe you are in Delhi. This one was in Noida, called the Great India Place. These malls have everything under the sun, and more. You name it, they have it here. Its quite overwhelming... And it reaffirms my belief that we are living in very interesting times, and in developing economies like ours, the markets can swing our culture either way - to great heights or plummeting dumps.

Photos follow later!