Finally!

One would imagine that after nearly a decade of teaching, an academic would become organized enough, experienced enough and composed enough to be rather unaffected by the starting and finishing of a semester. Quite the contrary, as the end-sem exam is going on I am awash with an immeasurable sense of relief, want to break into a jig and stomp on some bubble wrap if it was around. It is high time that the horns that I tend to grow and the claws that I draw out during term time can start receding and I hope that I can find the way back to being myself again soon enough.

Office-bullies

Let us say work-life hasn't been exactly a bed of roses lately. I am not sure what has majorly ticked off some of my colleagues but something surely has because I see an initiative to put me in my place. It is a big let down when people who you thought to be quite reasonable, open-minded and supportive are the ones who are reveling in their rather off-putting new avatar specially when in each others company.

In the last two decades, I have had my fair share of interactions with academics to know that we academics, however much we deny, crave for appreciation and respect from peers. To this end, it is often understood that having an impressive CV is what it takes to earn it. Once you commit yourself to that path you realize that the process of building an impressive CV could take its pound of flesh, and if one is not careful, along with it some of your integrity. As you hop on the ball and call out, "Look at me, look at me, look at me now, I can do all this and that and of course more as I hop on the ball", you may find there are still some out there whose regard is not coming that cheap. Perhaps it is frustrating- how dare anyone not care? Why is the tangible performance index not deciding the worth of my opinion on matters academic or non-academic? The likes of us must join together and show once and for all who is the boss around here, specially to the people who haven't been paying their due respects.



 

Paarpatra ki kahani humari zubani

The business of reissue of my passport has become very much like a soap opera: lot of drama but the story doesn't move forward. And of course with every ongoing episode one gets the feeling that this is going to last the longest of times. The theme music is the background score of 'rahee manwa dukh kee chinta kyon statee hai dukh to apna sathee hai." 

Although at the moment it seems that the world is conspiring against us but there is this glimmer of hope that me and the reincarnation of my passport are going to reunite soon and sing 'tere mere sapne ab ek rang hain, ho jahan bhee le jayen rahen hum sang hain' with THE END.

Muffled roar

The elections are over and done with, much to my disappointment the results are as the exit polls had predicted. And the euphoria that the results have generated all around has only added to the disappointment. Is there something I am missing here? Is it in spite of involvement in mass murder we as a nation accept him as a leader or is it because of the sheer efficiency with which it was committed that we want him as a leader? Anyhow, the whole election thing kind of distracted me from feeling happy about being done with a very hectic semester. Met every deadline at the last minute.... and now, I am in the cozy comfort of my wonderful malyali side of family. I feel pampered and carefree and ready to head for Munnar equipped with a full strip of avomin.

No cheese... please

My brain is getting a little crispy at the moment. I believe it is the time of the year to be blamed. Not just the heat but also the pace at which deadlines seem to hurl themselves at me around this time. Combined with the fact that I am not a born multi-tasker, it seems like a toil that will last till mid-May. After that you are gonna hear me ROAR......

I have slowly weened myself out of the urge to bake bread or pizza as the unpredictability of the yeast behavior is hardly encouraging. Nilgiri's ready made pizza bases are a decent substitute for homemade ones. And finally I have found a great substitute for cheese also. A cup of steam cashews, ground with 4 tsps of sesame oil, 3 tbsps (or more) of vinegar, 3 pods of garlic, salt and pepper. A thick paste which I sometimes flavour with mint leaves or/and tulasi leaves. It stays for a week easily in the fridge.

BEFORE ..............

......... AFTER. 

Sartorial therapy

Some experiences are more rattling than others in that they require desperate measures to get out of the funk. To infuse some crispness to my sulking soul, I wore a saree today.

Dissappointments in baking

The understanding that one develops with one's oven is a critical component of getting things right. With my new oven it feels like starting all over again. If the first cake is anything to go by, much work will be required to rebuild the shattered confidence.

The dark side of the first cake

House of bricks

I don't know why every now and then life has to be such a big bad wolf, huffing and puffing and blowing at my tiny space. Pretty sure I wouldn't have even felt it but for these windows, they are the weakest links, they yield to slightest manipulations. No doubt they are my source to sun shine and fresh air but at times like these they make me feel vulnerable. I am like a little pig now who is petrified and is running around the house in search of that little corner.

You know.......

..... you are back to base when:

• The first step you take outside the airport is in a puddle.
• Hair goes back into its frizzy mode by the time you reach home.
• During family breakfast you have the privilege of viewing  an intimate scene between two monkeys right on the window sill. Aaaarrrgh!

Welfare?

Feel completely outraged by this enormous tragedy that is unfolding in Norway for the past eight months and that too in the name of child welfare. Such an extreme measure that of separating family members and for completely laughable reasons cited like changing diapers on bed, feeding with fingers and children sleeping in the same bed with parents! This not only shows insensitivity but also insularity of the highest order. And even if such ridiculous rules have to be in place can't the system provide some counseling to the parents first before taking the children away. Imagine being allowed to see your children once a year till they are 18 years old! This is one of my pet peeves against the western world, they take the value of doing things as per a fixed procedure just too far. It works with machines but controlling human behaviour to the minutest details, in my opinion, takes away the very freedom that they swear by every minute.

Page turner

I wouldn't wish the worst of my enemies a page-turner in their class. A member of that rather annoying species who are so utterly bored in the class that for the entire duration the only activity that interests them is to turn the pages of their notebook as if it was a page-turner.  Sadly enough I had the misfortune of having one in my class last semester who by the mere act of turning pages rattled me no end. Hate to admit but instead of ignoring PT, I became totally obsessed with PT. Has PT come today-oh there is PT-hmmm maybe today's class will interest PT-oh no PT is at it again-turning pages-damn! There was hardly any class that gave me the natural high that I so crave for. In short, the semester was a complete disaster for me and I was much relieved to see the end of it.



Imagine my horror when I found PT registered for this semester's elective. Why would PT want to ruin another semester of mine? Why? Why? Why? I prayed to concerned authorities up there and things seem to be working. While I am really happy that PT hasn't turned up in the class yet but fear lurks in the mind as neither has PT taken the permission to drop the class. Happened to talk to a colleague in whose class PT had surfaced for a day and needless to say the colleague was a bit ruffled wondering why would anyone turn pages of a notebook that is totally empty. Long semester lies ahead.