The Memories of Small Things

Reading Arundhati Roy's The God of Small Things didn't make me distinguish between the Big God and the Little God. Rahel and Estha didn't touch me as much as Amir and Hasan in the Kite Runner did. Bt it all sure brought the memories of small things that they discuss as kids.

One particularly vivid memory is of the moon. The shinning full moon. On those long bus rides to Goa and back...that yearly trip to my native place...when every1 slept at night it kept me company. It travelled with me wherever the bus went and was always there large and luminous in the sky like a huge lamp. In later years of life I grew up to connect it with every aspect of my life.

Like the fact that it walks with u wherever u go and always at ur speed. My head tells me science has an explanation...my heart says its there to listen to u and be with u whenever u want. A friend for the friendless. Like the fact that you can reach higher and higher and try to touch it...it just seems a little farther each time. One such clear night I remember climbing on the water tank of the building terrace to try and touch the moon and failed...thats wat most of us do with life and careers...we climb higher and higher to touch the moon...not knowing its best admired and liked if u sit on the ground and stare peacefully at it.

Then theres tht deer on it...that granny said jumped so high it reached the moon...sometimes its covered by the earth's shadow, sometimes by your hand. Thats how i played hide-and-seek with the deer during the bus rides, covering it with my hand then peeking at it between fingers..Peek a Boo!

Oh and the moon's everywhere...its on the way to Neverland, my fav vacation spot for thats where dreams come true and u stay young forever. Its what Lord Ram wanted as bribe to hav supper one evening and what his dad got him. Ofcourse what even the Lord got was a reflection in a mirror! Its that pebble in the sky where R. Daneel Olivaw stayed. Its what Lupin fears and Dumbledore's put-outer orbs resemble! Forget myth...its in current affairs too, as being symbolic of that first step that advanced civilization and mankind.

For me it represents a person...a person with a mysterious personality that changes everyday. Sometimes it is round happy and full like Moonface in the Faraway Tree and sometimes its sullen and sunken in crescent. At times its a moody and irate and refuses to show itself and at other times its winking between clouds and spilling with moonbeamish laughter. On some days called the lunar eclipse it slowly recedes in dignified exit and then returns in skipping light!

Yes its a person that taught me to hold my head high, to aim further and higher..."citius altius fortius" they call it. A person that makes me smile when unhappy and soothes me when nervous or excited. A person that lends light literally and otherwise to dark nights and makes them silvery and romantic. A person who continues its endless voyage around the Earth...a voyage that involves only giving...giving light, a field for science and a platform for hopes and dreams... a voyage that tells u to do your work and not expect anything back.

A pebble in the sky they call it...an insignificant speck in the Universe...barren and useless. To me its Luna...the lady with oodles of savoir faire...the Shiny One!

Bappa Moraya Re!!!

I'm not a very religious person and certainly not a superstitious person. But where Ganeshji or as I like to call him, Siddhi Vinayak is concerned, all this comes to the forefront. He has been a very strong presence in my life since I have known about the gazillion gods that Hindi mythology has enumerated. Sounding suprstitious? Wait and read on a bit...

Incident 1 : Bad 10 std. results inspite of studying hard. I go to Siddhi Vinayak's temple and dont pray in the conventional sense bt instead demand that I'm asking nothing more than what I worked hard for. I want to study science with Computer Science and that only!!! To Royal College, Mira Road then where a neighbour says I have the best chance of getting CS and a long queue awaits me. Standing there I wonder whether i'll ever make it to the front and its the last day of filling forms. Surprise! a girl walks to me and hands me a form, says she has one extra...suspicious person tht I am, I carefully look it over and satisfied that its genuine I pay her for it. On impulse I ask her name..."Gauri"...Ganeshji's mom as per our mythology!! needless to say i got Cs in Royal and completed my jr. college there.

Incident 2 : Not enough PCM marks in 12th. Dont want a management seat anywhere...its CAP seat or no engineering for me. Again a demand to Siddhi Vinayak. Guess where I got thru CAP?? Atharva College. That's one of the myriad aliases that Ganeshji has.

These were jus 2 major incidents bt there hav been so many such smaller ones that I've connected with this God like none other. The personality that I've conjured for him may not be what mythology preaches bt it helps bring me closer to him. The Siddhi Vinayak i kno is someone who does not grant wishes for material bribes like coconuts and pedhas. He must be given a real sacrifice, a most cherished thing must be given up for sumthing in return for theres always an equilibrium in his world. So my offers mostly are a day without laughter for i cherish laughter, hard work and many more such things. My god knows everything, I need not speak anything out loud and I cannot...must not lie to him. Apart from that he understands Engineering...afterall he did write the longest assignment!! (for the clueless...Ganeshji wrote out the Mahabharata for Vyas Muni!)

The reason I write this post on my religiousness is because I'll miss the Ganeshutsav, an integral part of my years at Atharva. The highlight of this for me being the aarti that happens every noon while Ganeshji graces the college with his presence. i consider it an honour to hold the aarti thali and to get it without asking for it is even more a pleasure for me. The significant thing about this is the thali is never kept down during the hour long aarti for which the entire college gathers. Its instead passed from one person to another like a well co-ordinated relay race.

Every of those who take the thali for the aarti move it differently. They have their own style, beliefs, viewpoints and ideals. But we all gather there for a common purpose, to say thanks to Ganeshji (ofcourse some do gather bcos they get to bunk lectures and others for the delicious prasad after the aarti!). So then join me and chant as loudly as u can... "Ganpati Bappa Moraya!!!"

Missing Ms. Nevermind!

Its been a month that shes gone to US now...never really got a chance to miss her till now bcos of teaching and renovations at home. But today was Sunday and with renovations at home i was shooed out and told to go sumwhere and entertain myself...instinctively i reached in my bag, pulled out the cell and dialed that one number i always do when I want to hav sme 'giggly, girly outing'.

Only this time I cut the phone even b4 it had a chance to ring...realization dawned that I'd no longer hear "Chaituuu...telll mee!! Howss u??" on the other line this time. Atleast nt ever on this no. So whos Ms. Nevermind?? As a blog policy (which i've violated several times) i like to keep identities secret bt shes the closest i hav to a sis! Shes one of the few ppl i've never lied to (and even wen i hav i've confessed it smetime later!) and sme1 i really enjoy spending time with.

Anyways, the show must go on as they say so I made my way to Inorbit by myself this time...even going so far as to instinctively stop the auto near Charkop Bus Depot where I usually picked up Ms. Nevermind wen we went to Inorbit. Browsing around Crossword was pleasant and leisurely i admit bt i missd her chatter and gossip!! And ofcourse missed discussing with her that one topic that invariably comes up wen we meet...i hope u kno wat this is Ms. Nevermind :D

Even the plate colouring session at The Color Factory didn't begin without a thought to her. Afterall it was her bday prreent given by her bro that introduced me to tht place!! Abt the session itself, sure it was fulfilling...y nt...the plate was a gift (or a punishment??) for Mr. V!

The evening ofcourse was eventful and fun bt dulled without her. I learnt the art of spending time alone and making the most out of it...and as i said b4 life goes on for me bt nt without once in a while (tht means pretty often) wishing tht she was arnd...so heres to our friendship and hope to see u soon Ms. Nevermind!!

Tech Tricks

Techithon - the name means a technical marathon - was a hard name to come up. There were hours and hours of debate over the name for ACE's techfest when my batch had to start its very first. I forgot whom the credit for this particular name goes to bt its stuck and its the name on every1's lips now...Atharva's techfest is in the 'happening' clique now!!

So why mention this now and here?? Bcos Techithon'07 just finished...and ofcourse if ur a regular blog reader you will kno this post isnt to glorify the fest or to giv post-fest comments!! Its to elaborate on the giant step for student-kind and teacher-kind that I took. I'm refering to my progress each Techithon, enumerated below...

Techithon '05 : Getting CSI's permission for the logo, generally helping to organise it, marveling at Mr. Techithon's event management genius, event-head for Programming, escorting committee member, host for inauguration, participant for GD/PI.

Techithon '06 : Presenting the 4G paper and walking away with the first prize...ofcourse this time with Mr. Techithon marveling at my technical genius (i hope!)

Techithon '07 : Judge for GD/PI, TPP, Ad-Mad World and Debate. Spoke at the inauguration about Techithon '05 - ACE's first techfest (phew! that makes me feel old!).

So the million dollar question : How does it feel to move from being an organiser to a judge? Oh very different! Really hard to describe but feels great. Perhaps i'll make more effort to answer with more clarity if i really was offered a million dollars for this :D

All in all its one more reason to add to why the name Techithon is so special...thats simply bcos it holds loads and loads of memories for me!! From convincing and being convinced that we WILL have a techfest to taking PIs as a judge...I guess I've come a long way...Can't say i'll be a part of more Techithons but wherever I am the least i'd do is surely change my orkut pic for it!!

While we are at it...3 cheers for the Techithon'07 team...it was very well organised indeed!!!