Soooooooooooo..its been a while !!

Soooooooo...its been a while !!!

Another guy kicks the proverbial bachelorhood bucket, on his way to the noose we all are scared of, MARRIAGE. The most eligible bachelor of our class, after Vignesh / Chandran Tiruvattar (yeaa riteeeee..u wish!!), is getting hooked to one of the most vivacious and life-of-the-party, sought after girls from our class.

Congratulations Pranav and Pooja!! May the Force be with you both.

I am sorry I could not be a part of the Party last evening..but gonna b there for the rest of them for sure mate.

Now, I have nothing against the Institution, it's just the post-marriage blues which scares me. Ahhh!! that commends a different blog altogether. Someday, y'all will be on the receiving end.

Meanwhile, life's been routine. Writing right now from my Office Desk (btw..yea..we do work the full day on Saturdays!!), not in any particular mood to work at all. Was thinking about contributing to our group since a while now. Just checked the stats and there is just a single entry in the entire year of 2009 (in Sept), which makes it all the more unbelievable for a group which used to post a dime-a-dozen write-ups through the past 5 years.

Oh hell, its been 5 (FIVE) years !!!!

5 years since I last clicked anyone in class
5 years since I last pinched the girls on their arms
5 years since I last was called THE WALL (affectionately, of course)
5 years since I last went to Baban with Chandran
5 years since I last was in a mopey mood over someone who everyone knows
5 years since I had an argument with MJ and not finding her crying over it
5 years since I heard Bum-Blast from P Kumar C or was a part of his fiendish schemes
5 years since I had an intelligent and thought-provoking talk with Pattani
5 years since I was in a Laboratory, most of the times whose brunt my Partner bore due to my absence
5 years since I bunked a damn examination (P'cology, for the unitiated)
5 years since Pooja R scolded me for my childish behaviour and made up for it with her winsome smile
5 years since I called her "Jagi" in person
5 years since I was on the ramp with Vidya, the crowd cheering and the sheer audacity of being there in a black tee and jeans with a skull cap
5 years since Chandran and me sang on that stage, with the crowd asking for an encore
5 years since I escorted Vazir to a bus-stop and made her miss umpteen of those just to spend a few moments more
5 years since
5 years since I washed those lab apparatus after Rachana's sincere work
5 years since I ran to the lab to be one of the first ones in the weighing queue
5 years since I peered down a microscope, hunting for the damn trichomes (hope i got that rite..) and the stomata on the C-S of something as light as a human hair
5 years since I was intuitive for the examinations
5 years since I ran-in with the Central gang and enjoyed the Misal pav uninhibitedly in the Canteen
5 years since I was part of any Gang, for that matter (Central, Gujju, Townie..to name a few)
5 years since I was called "Mr. Shah" in that nasal twang by Dr. Phadnis
5 years since I was reprimanded for "That Ether Episode" in the OC Lab by Dr. Amin
5 years since I bumped my head onto the window of the BEST Bus en route to our college
5 years since I was pushed back by that Maharashtrian lady on whose shoulders my head kept slipping upon, when it wasnt bumping on the window on the other side
5 years since I have been to Ooty and Coonoor to relive those amazing moments
5 years since I rushed to a Xerox machine before an exam and inwardly thanking God (and Rachana) for those notes
5 years since I picked up that GRE book and rammed my puny brain into mugging the damn dictionary
5 years since I held that guinea pig ileum or frog rectus abdominus in front of me and drew their pulses on that smoked drum
5 years since I smelled Ammonia and that rotten H2S egg smell
5 years since I made those pathetic 'ceutics and cosmetics labels with all kinds of wierd coloured pens
5 years since I had a smart-aleck Junior
5 years since I held a textbook in my hand to cram for an exam
5 years since Pranav and me held that Business Maths class late evening, just before an examination for everyone's benefit
5 years since I heard Shivani "whisper" (Actually..thats been never!!)
5 years since I almost had a broken nose by our class boxer, Roma. A swipe of that and I was sure to land a broken heart as well (Rite, Honey??)
5 years since I was accidentally 3rd in the class and that 1 week of pure unadulterated happiness flowing through me. It was the most sincere I was, during my entire tenure at our college. Ask Chech!!
5 years since I have played Baddy (singles or doubles)on court
5 years since those Spiderman underpants
5 years since I got glared by "Chucha" and hit on by the Class babes "Renuka and Shraddha"
5 years since Swapnali and Pallavi first pointed out that I am losing hair
5 years since those funny quips by "Dhirubhai" and "Nilya"
5 years since I heard a word from "Sandeep" (which was usually never in any case)
5 years since I ran outta the bathroom in Matheran because of that silly cockroach
5 years since I participated in that Mock Baaraat, for the benefit of a lotta couples in our class. Hell, at last count there's atleast 3 of those
5 years since the IPA Cell meetings and the best food served in those
5 years since that India-Pak match at the World Cup at Pranav's house
5 years since that Farewell Party and the 2.5 hours it took to reach it
5 years since I interacted with our free-spirited and the best ever bunch of Seniors you could ask for

It's been 5 years since I had the best time of my life !!!

I could probably go on and never finish this blog. It's the best nostalgic trip I am having so far. There's so much more I could add to that list.

In the recent CPhI India, I happened to chance upon a few fellow mates from UICT, none from our class though. A few of our seniors and some from the M.Pharm.-Ph.D. batchmates.

I was aghast to know that Dr. Phadnis has been diagnosed with Cancer, mostly due to her posting next to the Poisons cabinet in her office, I was told. Unfortunately, I have not been able to get in touch with her yet, but sure plan to do so soon. I am sure a trip to her would make her happy. Perhaps, we should all plan for it soon.

Which makes me think, we do not usually plan for Life. Life's what happens, when you are looking the other side.

Any hatchets between friends, erstwhile friends should be buried and long done away with. Misunderstandings and mistakes were a part of our lives back then. It din't take much to spark off a controversy, but it sure did take a hell lotta time to extinguish that.

We aren't all much in touch now, except for a few selected close friends we made in our times at the UICT. In the meantime, we lost many, we made many. It still doesn't justify the fact that many of us lost friends at some points of time only because of those misunderstandings and did not bother to keep in touch with them, in spite of them trying to bury the past.

I am personally sorry for not keeping in touch with most of you and probably all of you and I hope its not misconstrued as a sign of high-headedness or some wierd complex. I have the excuse of lack of time, but once in a while, when I do have the time, I make myself happy just reminiscing about the glorious past all of us have had in our college.

Please let us remain that way and retain that innocence.

Let's bury our past and start afresh. This is the best time for everyone to get in touch with everyone once again and that can happen only when we wish.

(Holy crap, that's a lot of philosophy..is it the Office Desk??)

Anyway, good luck to everyone embarking on a new voyage of self-discovery and happily married life !!!

Let's keep in touch.

Best regards

Dhawal
(The Wall to all of you, still)

The Self

25 random things about me.

Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.

To do this, go to “notes” under tabs on your profile page, copy/paste these instructions in the body of the note, type your 25 random things, tag 25 people (in the right hand corner of the app) then click publish.

1. I am writing this the second time .. after reaching no. 11 (arrrghhhh)..I pressed some dumb key..the whole thing jus disappeared.
anyway..here goes again..hope i m able to do justice the 2nd time 'round (I just noticed the Save Draft key below)... booo hooooooooo

2. Once upon a time, there was this wild, careless, happy-go-lucky big guy, reduced now to a not-so-wild, still careless and still big guy following his routine in a family-owned business (Its prob not so bad as it sounds)

3. Ppl affectionately call me 'The Wall" or "Wall" (shorter version of a big guy)

4. I intend to fund research for 'Inhibiting Hair Loss AND Regeneration of new Hair' for affected ppl below 28 (that includes me..for another 2 years atleast)..Any Takers??

5. I wish I could lose weight the easy way..widout much of hassles..i even joined VLCC for some weight loss program. All was good till I lost all the excess water (abt 2.5 kgs) and then they asked me to go on a diet and jog and exercise to lose more (They promised passive weight loss..i swear) !! I gave them the boot and they are now enjoying the balance money I paid for the entire thing

6. I joined a gym last year..paid for the whole year..went exactly 4 times (last one was in Sept.) and then will go again next Monday (:)))

7. I m a huuuuuuuuuuuge fan of Batman. The Dark Knight happens to be in the top 10 best movies ever for me..after 300 of cos !! I have this 2.5 feet action figure of Batman which I display in the hall and I jus bought this the year before last (yayyy..i m in touch with my kiddiness)

8. I ask Batman figurine to look over my sister in the nites, when she sleeps (Telepathically. of cos !!)

9. Superficially, I have studies in the best institutions in bombay - St. Xavier's Boys' Academy, Jai Hind College, UDCT and NMIMS..but i m lackin this one thing which makes a person of my constitution click !! Still lookin for it .. any help?? anyone ??

10. I am a voracious reader.. and need to read immediately as soon as I get up..however hazy i am..in the loo.. before sleeping...en route somewhr..wherever !!

11. My sister is my Raison d'Etre and I simple cant be widout her. I don miss opportunities to harass her atleast once a day..I thnk she likes it as well !!

12. I fell in love more than once..though the second time, I m not sure yet !!

13. Once I had this huge entourage of friends, School Friends, College Friends, Grad Friends, Post-Grad Friends, Building and Society Friends and random ppl i knew..I think from about 140 ppl I knew at a time, I m in touch with a grand total of possibly 5 on a routine basis..such is life !!

14. I m in love with amateur photography..and try my hand wherever possible. I hv got some beautiful pictures i hv taken and thn some by others..i hv a good collection of those

15. I think i m getting hard of hearing !! it reminds me of Trigeminal Neuralgia, the dread disease my UDCT classmates used to warn me about .. all thanks to my phone shenanigans thru the day

16. I trip on comics..and absolutely love readin all types..I used to stick to the usual Asterix, tintin, archies, Amar chitra katha in the childhood..recent reads are graphic novels of the 300 types..NYC Dayender series, Buddha series..first ever reads of Action comics from DC universe and Marvel comics. I own this extremely awesome 1000+ page bound volume of Batman and the complete Calvin & Hobbes gifted to me

17. I like watching Oscar nominated movies and try to watch movies in different languages..its fun..i like recommendations..they are welcome anytime !!

18. I love Italian food..its the only thing we survive on during our trips abroad..pizzas, pastas, fries, risottos !! yummmmmmmm.. Indian-type Chinese food comes a close second

19. I think some people work hard, some people work smart..but Dad says..most ppl work smart, few ppl work hard..theres less competition in the hard-workin segment..i think i shud focus and try to be lk them !!

20. Family, Work, Friends, Self in that order

21. I am scared shit of ghouls, ghosts, spirits and evil things!! I love watchin them horror movies in the theatres (recently started)..but am more scared of goin across the corridor at nites (even when its fully lit)!! The immediate nites after these kinda movies is a terror (and fun) - filled experience for my family

22. I would love to travel and see more of the world I have already seen. Experiences in Egypt, Australia, NZ, USA, Africa, UAE would be terrific. I m no armchair traveller though

23. Long hair, Beautiful eyes, witty intelligence (none of which I have!!) are the qualities I look for in a girl

24. I am very close to my extended family as well..at last count acc. to this Family Tree i m designing, I am very close to 140 people, whose names I remember very well

25. I think 25 is too less a number to know the real me !! Ask anyone who claims to know me well..really ???

Signing off,
The Wall