La 'Chaim!

"To life, to life, La 'chaim"

Somehow the song from Fiddler on the Roof keeps playing in my mind in an eternal loop, whenever the order emerging out of a usually chaotic life is a happy realisation.

Its been a mathematically usual, but psychologically long year. And this entry is a vague ( Big understatemnt this, for i can hardly recall all the details, and will need a separate blog to sum up all, but as is my intention here, a harmless and light skimming over the surface is more like it) summation of the year's significant happenings, and a joyous recollection of an awesome Christmas and New year.

So as I look back, the good things to have happened to me were a greater inclination towards metaphysics, mythology, religion, literature and music. While it did stake on my indulgence in an aphorismic equivalent of killing time called "academics". The after decimal half of my grade shifted a niche left on the scale believed by many to reflect intellect. Although the widespread acceptance of an idea is not proof of its validity.

However, more on that later, maybe.

Next came my passionate indulgence in Metal, which included headbanging sessions, opening myself to all genres of Metal and letting it accept me, learning to play some Metal stuff on my new acquisition, the ESP EX-260 and Digitech RP 250. \m/

Also visited Chennai once, for food basically, and Bangalore (Yeah, i TOO hate the new name) for fun. Met my long time online friend who happens to go by the name Siddhartha Nagarajan, a.k.a Dino, and another metalhead. He was generous enough to play guide to the city and then host to a Reaper/KronoS duo with his impeccable hospitality. I recall the party involving sumptuous amounts of chicken and Aqua Vitae, for those who wanted. Ran into fellow college mates almost everywhere in the city, bought my first Metallica poster, which had the legendary Cliff Burton (RIP) in his showmanship brilliance.

Also, owing to copious amounts of peer pressure, started, wait for it, watching How I Met Your Mother. A nice series, must say.

Another significant companion I got this year was Caffeine. It helped me stay awake, initially, and now runs in a parallel stream with a more crimson comrade. (KronoS, in a sensational display of his mirth and power, broke my mug. Which, i shalt not forget in finite time... * Plotting * ). Also finished 3 semesters of engineering, which, although may sound menial, is actually a herculean task.

Christmas was LEGENDARY. Literally. All those episodes of "Million to one" on Discovery channel that used to awe me for the sheer impossibility, rather, improbability of the situation and making me feel insignificant, was reciprocated for. I came to Delhi in little/no hope of meeting my friends who lived here, and of them, the best friend of mine (Apart from KronoS, ofcourse), whom i had NOT met for 7 months, when i enquired, was found to live not only in the same area and locality, but the same lane as I did, here. Which called for an obvious, not to mention interfered with divinity, reunion. Had a nice time, nay, AWESOME time. Also, Saket citywalk holds as the biggest mall I have seen, as of now. It had virtually and literally everything inside it. It was like a parallel universe with an independant civilization and intellect. The fashion consciousness of Delhites is formidable to a more intellectually inclined individual, was one of the most important facts i noticed. I also observed subtle examples to the "Cheerleader Effect" or the "Bridesmaid Paradox".

Of the memorable things I saw were DAVE MUSTAINE's and TOM ARAYA's signed guitars at the Delhi Hard Rock Cafe. (How i escaped embarassment there is another story i would love to narrate in dramatic exaggeration). Also saw Jaysurya at a few arms distance in the DLF Promenade Reebok showroom.

The rest of the days were spent painting T shirts, and going about the city ( On my friend's bike, in the mindnumbing cold) with it having nothing to offer, apart from some fast food. Seriously, the places here are not worth killing time "hanging out" in.

New year, as fate would have it, was again pretty good. Was at a friend's place, for the night, partying.

Well, it was not as ceremonial as this sounds, with just 3 people to it, but wasn't as solemn as the number suggests, either. The twins were a good host, and new year began with roasted chicken and iced espresso. * the complete contents of the mixture have been witheld for sake of modesty *

What followed was definitely something the cards did not predict. The train back to college was crowded, and excruciatingly so, and not to mention, boring. Had the best time reading Lost Symbol, and documenting the * to be searched * stuff from it. Was made to play dumb charades, a game i do not dislike, but can never bring myself to play voluntarily. The company involved some completely random collection of guys and girls from an artistic assortment of colleges in chennai and other places. The session "was" fun, i admit. But what followed was not what my idealization of spending the night is. Was made to listen to an obstreperous list of clubs and hookah joints in Chennai and an illuminating account of club life. To make my condition even more amicable, i was made to listen to, well, club music. "House" and stuff i had mainatained a holy abstainance from. I ended up grieving my temporary host by admitting my hobbies to include Science and Literature. Which turns out is no common taste for spending time doing. And soon, i was back to college, with its architecture looming over my head in an immodest complacency.

The new semester begins.

Scores to settle.

Critics to be answered in action, after long inaction.

New leaves to be turned over.

Happy new year.

La'chaim!

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