Well, I had told you that I'm working on a book. Today I shall post a peek of it. Let me tell you, the book is far far away from completion. And given the limited time in this exceedingly - hectic life(classes even on sunday!), I don't really have much time for playing football, let alone writing a book.
But nonetheless, here's a short excerpt.
"Rain splattered across half the hall, the deafening clank of the raindrops almost inaudible in comparision to the thunder. The building was half non-existent, quite literally. THE STORM had blown it away, alongwith all the other things it did across the globe.
Below the half broken staircase was a barely distinguishable trap door, so well hidden that anything would fail to notice it even by standing right in front of it.
Lightning ripped the sky accompanied by ear-splattering thunder and incessant rain.
On the other corner of the hall stood a well covered figure, impossible to recognise among the shadows. It saw another figure leaping from the sky and landing just in front of the trap door. THen it did something which wasn't visible from behind. The next second, it vanished."
I think we all know pretty much what a big revolution "Twitter" is (come on who am I kidding, of course it is!). At first, it was awesome. I mean 140 characters mini-blog. It's for those who couldn't write a letter more(kidding), and for such, it was heaven on their mobile and internet life.
Stats say that twitter, since launch has grown at the rate of 2000%. Yeah you got that right, no extra zero, no typo. Everyone became suddenly addicted to this new motion. All they cared was how many people followed them. I agree twitter is good, and it lets you stay in touch, ALWAYS.
But think about it. Is it that necessary? How does it matter if a few people from around the world come to know that, "Wohoo, I got a new job." (-_-)
You get my point hopefully. What the thing is that it's like people have started salvaging on twitter in such a way as if they have been deprived of oxygen all this time(and I think people would prefer twitter over oxygen, at least some).
What my point is, twitter has gotten beyond what it was made to be. There's a border to every nation, twitter's just crossed it's territory. People need to get a grip on themselves before they loose their minds completely. As it is, we have enough of facebook and all other (^_^) sites.
Some people might get me wrong that I'm totally against all such social networking sites, but look, this loon is himself blogging awn and awn and awn (o.0.o). Well to clarify, I'm not, but if I am against something, it's excess of it.
So what do you do now? Well before the time comes that a person is dying on the road and you decide to "tweet" about it first, all's well! But addiction to twitter(as a matter of fact, anything) is a very bad thing, and this picture does absolute justice to it.
http://www.feedmil.com/feedview?q=%22Blue+Hills+Beckon%22&urlhash=50a5423238827a2b0242d436f2b5bab0
If you click this link, you'll find my blog and a description of the same along with the latest post. I was approached by Feedmil a week ago regarding the same, and now I'm very happy to tell you that my blog is a part of the program and that website.
It has been 5 months since this blog was started and indeed, we have come a long way, yes we, you readers and I both together.
Well, just as a sneak peak, I'll be posting a few lines(rather chapters) from my book(I told you about it, and I ain't kidding) by the end of this month, and another mega post about.......t--tt--.
Watch out for more.
Today, I saw something which isn't worthy of a tell-a-tale but worth mentioning for all to know. I think people of New Delhi, India are pretty sure of their GK that Delhi is the country's capital, and also the crime capital of India. With a lead of more than you can count over the other states, you might as well call this city a law-less one.
Today, I saw it for myself. While on a cab back home, I saw two bikers(on the same bike) wearing a black suit with face all covered up. The next second, I heard a woman start screaming. I just could take in the minute details possible within a second. From what I reckon, those two guys stole the woman's cell, or necklace, or maybe her handbag, with the last case leaving her stranded, and second, cut off from home temporarily in a possibly unknown area.
This incident has left me shaken from the core, and indeed it's a sad event that took place.
Okay maybe not all but some must have obviously noticed that the number of subscribers dropped from about 48(finally approaching 50) to 16. I was left aghast. How did this happen, and so suddenly?
I'm sure everyone's not suddenly opted out of Blue Hills Beckon, no that's only the last resort once the world comes to an end(LOL).
I hope this issue will be fixed. I've seen it happen on other sites as well, but thankfully they returned to normal soon. Hope this is the same case here.
Today is 15th August, the day India declared to the world that it too is an Independent country, and had achieved it without the use of force or non-violence after being under slave of British for nearly two centuries.
We all remember this day as the day our nation's father was most proud of all of us, for what we had finally achieved after many failed tries, and that all our hardships hadn't gone to waste. Even I feel inspired and awed when I read of the speeches that our Netas(Leaders) gave to instigate the people, awaken them and to make them fight for their rights, not literally, but with the supreme commandment of "non-violence."
Now, after 63 years, it indeed makes me
proud to be a part of this country India. But there are many things that hit my mind hard, and most of all saddens and dampens all the liveliness associated with the word Independence. The truth is that, we are only using this word, but our country in the true sense is not living it.
Even now, our country is, say, emboldened with poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, etc. The number of people who die due to starvation or lack of medical facilities is phenomenal.
Every second people are dying, but every second even more people are coming to life. The birth rate too is very high here, and with a population that has long ago crossed 1 Billion, and in league with China, even a small percentage increase sums up to a huge real-life increase in number.
In short, we are far from living "Independence" and are still a great many foot-yards away from achieving it. But still, our country is rapidly making progress, even more so in these recent years, with the economy booming(save for recession time).
Swine Flu, yes it's happening, and everywhere. More than a million have been affected, and nearly 2000 have died.
That's a big figure if you think back to the time when it had happened to only a handful of people.
SO you get the magnitude of this problem, one person to one million. One million to a billion?
Well, I have provided many many details in my previous posts, which you can find using the "Search" option. Anyways, I myself have now started to panic as the flu has spread to many schools in India, although fatality rate is about 1% only, but this is just the beginning to a long tussle(last time H1B1 virus broke out, 200m people died!). I think you all get the picture of the problem I am trying to describe.
From tomorrow onwards, even I will be wearing a mask(surgical) to school, as preliminary, but no doubt, some protection. All I want to tell you people is:
- Stay away from known countries or areas of infection
- Wash hands frequently with warm water
- Try to control your eating outside
- DO NOT go to crowded public places
- Unless completely sure, do not go for a check up, in case you catch it there from another infected person
The virus is spreading, but all hope ain't lost. Vaccination is on the way, and if all is well, it shall arrive by December this year. Our own country India will come up with it's indigenous vaccine by Jan-Feb 2010. Hopefully it won't be too late by then.
That's all I can say, rest is up to you for your own protection.
Well guys, all for being against social networking sites and envying every beautiful picture of mother nature I see, I love another yet simple, harmonious and elegant element that life has to offer - "MUSIC".
I'm not saying that I'm a master musician, or that I sing very very well(ahem..), but yes, I love music(besides football). And yesterday, my parents surprised me and my little sister who's another music-frenzied-Hannah-Montana-fan 11 year old, by bringing in a CASIO, and not just any model, this one's grand, and the music soothes the ears.
Well, that's there. Now on to playing. I first thought of the "Harmonium"(if you all know, it's an Indian musical instrument that's yet unmatched by any electronic instrument, or so I thought. This CASIO is not just good, it's godly. When I started playing(I have some knowledge of a synthesizer as I used to play the harmonium for nearly 3 years), it was like WOW! The sound, it's soothing.
I actually woke up at 7am today and started playing the CASIO immediately. It feels joyous to heal the calm sound of a violin right in the morning, or the pleasure of feeling like you can actually play a piano which hasn't been squashed to a 1:10 ratio.
Well, that's it of my experience. Till then, I'll get to experimenting and getting the most out of this wonder piece.
Facebook, My Space, Orkut, Yahoo! etc etc etc, these have become a very basic and common part of our "today" lives. Nowadays, we play around with a cellphone as if we were born with one dangling on our ears.
We say that we can't live without them. However, there was a time when all this was non-existent. SO how did people manage it all then? And another peculiar thing that I have noticed and I find funny. Why does a person need to be in touch through facebook, yahoo! and what not especially when that person is YOUR CLASSMATE? These new-age gadgets and tools have made us from face-to-face conversing to in-front-of-screen conversing people.
Now don't take this lightly, it is a very very bad thing. And a sign of you being 'addicted' to this is that you can't resist checking your accounts every few hours. And somewhere in the back of your mind, you are still thinking about it even though you are actually doing something else.
I know that just blabbing about it won't make any difference, but to anyone who reads this article, please try to identify the signs and get a hold of yourself before you get 'addicted'!
I think you guys have already understood the theme of this article. But it's not about me complaining mind you!
Everybody complains. We complain about this and that and about anything which doesn't go according to exactly how we want it to go. We complain if we cannot finish homework, saying there's too much. We complain like hell has broken loose when we catch a terrible bout of flu.
But in all this, only a very very small percentage of people analyze their own situation. I have been among that small percentage group.
Well, recently, I guess many of you have come to know of my ill health. Well I have Eschericia Coli in my small intestine. Lethal in some cases(if severe) and difficult to cure, my condition was worsening day by day. Recently, my doctor suggested to take 14 injections(twice daily) for 7 days, a very powerful anti-biotic. I was determined to know more about it. I searched google for "Amykacin" and it's side effects left me scared, literally. Of the many bads, some included 'permanent hearing-loss', 'kidney failure', 'nervous complications' etc. For the first time in my life, I was scared.
But we consulted another doctor, who to my greatest relief shed light to the matter and instilled hope into me. Till then, I was constantly complaining to god of why he has been so unfair with me, and why he has given me such punishments. But I guess he heard that and sent me his message too, no matter indirectly.
The Heart, natures wonder
I only noticed recently the boy who came with his grandfather everyday. The boy was hunched back, and maybe had a mental illness. It was the first time I truly noticed him. He was a little less of my age. And then I got the message. I got to stop complaining and say "Thank You" instead for such a wonderful life I have got. That I have air to breathe, food to eat, clothes to wear, hands and legs, a brain and a warm beating heart. I can see, what a sensation it was to see pictures of trees in my own city New Delhi on TV later that day. It felt wonderful when I was running after the football the next day.
This was the first time I paid attention to all these no matter minute but infinitely important parts of my life, body, soul, and I did feel blessed. I just needed to share this experience with you all.
At last, I would like to end with this quote:
"What can be added to the happiness of a man who is in health, out of debt and has a clear conscience?" - Adam Smith