Brain Freeze
Sunday, November 28, 2004
IntrospectionTaking serious stock of my life..
20 years I've been walking this planet,
So what exactly do I have to show for it?
All I've held dear destroyed by the winds of fate
Another place, another day, another destiny?..
What could've been?, My constant quest.
It seems to the world outside that peers inward,
There's nothing at all that I would ever need.
Yet, somewhere between the smiles and laughter,
The truth got submerged underneath a glossy veneer.
Who is the real person who wants to break free?
Am I just donning a mask for the world to see?
Consumed by an insatiable need for aiming high,
A desire to soar like the boldest eagle in the sky.
There's no room for the looming sceptres of doubt.
A lifetime stretched ahead, like an endless desert,
Little oases of joy found only to the brave of heart.
When opportunity knocks, will I open the door?
Or rue the lost dreams that breathe no more...
I usually resort to poetry as a means to relieve certain feelings. Today, it was my thoughts about a lot of dreams & plans about what lies ahead, and mostly, the 'insatiable need' to prove myself... Okay, so it's not actually latent, but I do wonder all the time if they could come true. I just hope that I am my worst critic, and it's not someone else!
Seriously yours (for once)
Shruti
Friday, November 26, 2004
Update (like you ASKED for it!)Exam over.. did fairly well, but time was a problem.. I started the paper thinking I had all the time in the world. By 12:30, I was scribbling like crazy and the sir had only a few words for me as he pulled my paper, "were you waiting till the last minute to hurry up?"
Well, this will teach me to be early in the hall... At least I ALMOST completed the paper after losing some 10 minutes!
Thursday, November 25, 2004
Exams are upon me once again!I've a feeling that all this multitasking is seriously going to my brain, or whatever is left of it. This is what usually happens when I am writing an exam..
(Hands): Busy drawing the block diagram
Mind (singing):anjaani rahon pe tu kya dhoondta phire/dur jise samjha woh to paas hain tere..
Eyes: (noticing that it's another diagram) Take their own sweet time to relay information to the brain which is busy belting out the second stanza of Lucky Ali's song...
I must say, it's not the ideal scenario...
Wish me luck, tomorrow... finally, after a lot of false starts and alarms, exams are going to start with Basic Instrumentation. Have to get up at 5:30 and revise last module again.. Hopefully, it's going to be okay.. Fingers crossed!
Shruti
PS: Life seems to have composed of holidays and exams only.. when is the learning going to start?
After two nonsensical blogs about very sensible subjects, I thought I'd top it off with this: What does it mean to be an Indian?
You're one among a billion, and that's a very literal meaning too!
Jokes aside, (if I can ever do that) it means that ever second sentence uttered by any proud Indian is of our glorious past. Does India really have to search for her heydeys in some long forgotten civilisation? Granted, we DID have some wonderful eras, granted we gave the world and granted, our country was among the greatest during the time of the ancients.
BUT, at this moment, does it really matter?
To be an Indian means that religion maybe on the forefront of every news item, in some way or shape but for the average person, it's pretty much at the back of their minds. I am not negating the fact that in this big nation, there are some religious zealots for whose actions there can be no apology, but most of the people you see around are caught in some kind of struggle or the other and have no time for petty trifles..
To be an Indian means to constantly strive to put one above our neighbours.
To be an Indian means never having to say sorry, whoops, wrong sentence... To be an Indian is an affirmation that despite all that pulls us down, we'll always rise above all odds and triumph over adversity.
It means yummy food and beautiful places, magnificent culture and crafts, vibrant colours and celebrated diversity. Finally, it means inspite of all destruction plagued on us, our country will still be a haven for peace and one day, prosperity for all..
Wednesday, November 24, 2004
India vs The WorldOkay, so what does India think about the rest of the world? I don't think the world is really ready for this. First of all, when you say the word 'foreigner', (in Kerala, the word is 'madama' or 'sayippu') and you pop your head out the car window and look close at one of the tourists walking around, this is the usual spectacle: Someone wearing a black/yellow/(insert garish colour) 'lungi' (the standard cloth wrapped around the male's waist and provides excellent ventilation), or bermudas and a sleeveless tee, (more likely a 'banyan'), sunglasses, a waist pouch and a filthy cap, complete with a backpack bigger than them from which end hangs rubber slippers, and finally a constant companion: a water bottle. Let's not really go into what the women wear!
What do they do in India? Walk about, ride an elephant, see some animals (and locals), get hoodwinked by the same (locals!!) into buying 'crafts' and go for an Ayurvedic massage... Oh yeah! and exclaim at some poor Indian slum dweller kid with a runny nose and sad eyes. The complete India package..
This is how India views the quintessential tourist!
As a country viewing other countries.. let's go in the order of preference (mine, of course!)
Pakistan is a land usurping, rogue state that could be annihilated by us any second using our nukes, but we don't do it because we are peace-loving. It helps that the Pakistanis look at us in the same manner of course! For either country to change our minds, it'd help if all Indian politicians were roasted alive and the entire Pakistani army deported to Japan, where the courtesy and calmness might kill them all off in a hurry...
The U.S of A is a 'land of dreams' all right. Unfortunately, the vision is slightly hazy right now. What with 'people with bandages on their heads' being mistreated (SIKHS!) and all that. Plus, Indians have woken up to the wonderful fact that "our democracy is way more progressive than the American democrazy"!! Of course, once either country's government is in power, it pretty much runs the same way. A proverb comes to mind "Empty vessels drum more." What gets most Indians' goat is the sheer ignorance of the average American. This could be a myth that is everyday reinforced by seeing the contestants reality shows like "Fear Factor", "Joe Millionare" & "The Amazing Race" throw up. (and I adore The Amazing Race!!) I would NOT eat a slug/beetle/cricket/earthworm/spider/cocktail of creepy crawlies if you paid me a million dollars... These tend to give us a rather dim view of the IQ of an American: maybe he's all stomach? George W Bush is not helping matters in this department either. At least Bill Clinton was charming! One thing we all resent, without any doubts, is America's propensity to act like a big bully in a school playground. "Bugger off, 'dude', we don't want you to scare us into signing the CTBT or the NPT. We can live with your sanctions. Question is, can you?".... And Buddha smiles again!
The quintessential Brit is posh and has his nose in the air. But wonderful accent, ol' man! Where WOULD they be without kebabs and tandoori chicken? But they've built some really wonderful bridges and buildings in our part of the world, and miracle of miracles, they're still standing! (We're talking India, people!) Then of course, we tend to think of Tony Blair as Bush's little poodle. "Wag your little puffball tail for Dubya."
The French speak a weird language. It 'shore' sounds 'purdy', though! I am sure they don't give a damn (Pardon my French) whether Americans eat French or Freedom Fries, (seeing as the fries were already a Belgian creation).
We have a heartfelt connection with the Russians for ages. Both of us having been trying to get rid of our Communist 'brothers' for ages. Those doddering old wrecks keep pulling us back when we're trying to barge into the 21st century... "Remember the proletariat".. I believe you need to wake up to the fact that they have forgotten you! Long live the CPI! At least they provide wholesome entertainment for the family!
China is (of the 'Hindi Chini bhai bhai' fame), politically very devious, electronically a haven, economically sound, linguistically a blank and a very good role model for most of what she does. I am not agreeing with their policies of getting countries to fight with each other while she quietly shifts borders. But, you must admit, it makes for fascinating watching.
Moving east and down south, Australia. We have a love-hate relationship with their cricket team. We love them as long as they're not playing India.. I only have one question: Are all Aussies THAT big? Us puny Indians feel dwarfed! The typical Aussie is very endearing. (I am not talking about Steve Irwin here, 'mates'!)
I love the "Black Caps" even more. So New Zealand is okay by my book....
I KNOW I have missed loads of countries. If your country is not on this list, kindly contact me at
Indiavstheworld@Idontgiveadamn.com
Love
Shruti
Monday, November 22, 2004
Money the root of all...?This week's India Today is very glitzy and glamourous.. It says "India Deluxe" on the cover and gives the Diwali wish list of the posh & loaded in the country... Maybachs, diamonds, Cartier watches, Mont Blanc pens, designer clothes, sporty cars, leather accessories that cost a small country's GDP... The nonchalance with which 7 or 8 figure amounts were tossed about was to put a mild tone to it, appalling.
Here, in the 21st century, what identity does India have? "Third World Country". The Ambani brothers are fighting.. uhuh, the Bombay Stock Exchange could crash! Gold prices have reached astronomical highs. People are selling off their hoards like there is no tomorrow. Doesn't seem like there is a whole lot of poverty around, does it? Yet, it's a joke, the way that the world views India. Questions range from:
"Are you married?" (to a 17 year old girl or boy)
"Do you have electricity?"
"Do you take baths in rivers?/ Do you have running water?"
"Where do you live?"
"Why is your English so good?"
I am not entirely sure what answers they expect, but these are the retorts I usually try and bite off..
"Yeah, I got married when I was 12 years old. My husband is 70. We have 7 kids... "
"No, I am running my computer by treadmill power"
"The river is our goddess. She provides all"
"My family of 15 lives in a 2 room hut by the riverside and we produce electricity using treadmills"
"I am using a translator chip embedded inside my head"....
My eyes are astounded by the sight of fond parents buying their daughter a Rs 5 crore car for her birthday and a mind yet to come to grips with this wide gulf between what it sees and what it perceives.. Because, neither is India slums, dirt and grime, nor is it flashing neon lights, shiny sports cars and a clubbing lifestyle. Why paint a picture of the country she cannot possibly live upto, or to the other extreme, completely debase the country in the eyes of the world, that she may not stand up and say "we are doing our best with what we have"?
I've been beating around the bush. But this is what that article really made me think... What does money mean to me? Is the jet-set lifestyle something I'd crave? I would be talking out of my not-so-expensive hat if I said I did not think money was important. But is it a means to the end, or the end itself? Very little thought needed, I'd say the former.
Can a Mont Blanc pen make my handwriting prettier or a diamond encrusted Cartier watch keep time better? I doubt it. But the ascetic life is not for me. I would still like a good pen and a cool watch. What I would like the best, though, is the thrill of the chase. Not money for its sake or stockpiling possessions, but for seeing the world in its myriad beauty and grandeur. A fortune, for me, would not be the thousand rupee bills I carelessly spend, but seeing the pyramids of Giza, the Swiss Alps, the Great Barrier Reef, the Grand Canyon, a Safari and so on... But most of all, I'd like to be the best of what I set out to be. Drive and motivation and important. Money pales in comparision.
Back to the article. A slightly humourous chord was struck in my mind when I realised this: The Diwali gift list was showcasing luxury items of the ilk that only the super-DUPER rich (like the currently-feuding Ambanis) could afford, but I am not willing to bet any amount of money that they'd read the India Today, when there are MUCH more expensive magazines around. So what I'd like to say is... Don't grab more than you can hold! And it's always applicable!
The ladder theory is one of the important bits of information I gathered today. I am not entirely sure where to apply this knowledge. One of the questions it raised is: When 2 ladders are kept at infinity distance from one another and you're trying to find the shortest distance between 2 different rungs, would the hypotenuse still equal infinity? Of course, by the time you finish thinking about this pertinent point, the ladder theory has descended into the depths of your mind. Maybe, it just ought to stay there. My brain already has enough trouble focussing on what is important..
Like Cost-Volume-Profit (C-V-P) Analysis. Basically, the volume of production required for a business to pass the break even point and make some profit! Where DO you apply the C-V-P analysis? I really don't care, except that there is an Industrial Engineering & Management Paper on Wednesday, and LOOK what I am doing!
Alarm is set for 6 am... 1/2 almost left to do... Writing nonsense somehow makes me feel relaxed. And of course, it's good practice for my IEM paper! (HOW could I let that joke pass me by?)
Coming back to the ladder theory, the only ladders I am particularly fond of are step ladders. The bamboo ladders that were depicted in the site were, well, rickety! Not that I have vertigo, but I'd rather that the ladder I was putting my hopes on had a strong base, so that even if *someone* tried to jump ladders midway, it wouldn't kill them! (SPOILER ALERT!)
But seriously, can guys and girls really be nothing but platonic friends?... I would scream from the desktops, err ROOFtops, "yes", if I didn't know my friends to the extent I do! Kidding aside, I hope the ladders never mix.. And I DO stand by my remark about Intelligence!
Sunday, November 21, 2004
10 Things I Learnt In College10) The most fun you will have in college with your friends is OUTSIDE.
9)There's a clique for everyone, including the minority of baldheaded-pamphlet distributing-nonracist-yet Eminem loving-Jehovah Witness-preppie!
8) Most teachers don't know/care about your existence or your activities and are not exactly thrilled to, either.
7) Forget 1st April, Valentine's Day is when the practical jokers rule the roost.
6) Thou shalt enter the Library only when a) It's the day before your series exams. b) You haven't seen your prescribed textbook... Ever! Of course, your whole year is in the same boat, and hence it's highly likely you will not make the acquaintance of the aforementioned tomes.
5) Lectures are just an excuse for the hard-working (yeah, stayed up all night watching a movie/ Playing CounterStrike or NFS or Prince of Persia (!)/ talking on phone to friend/ on internet/doing sundry things collegiates do) students to catch the much needed forty winks.
4) A Laboratory is a place where thou shalt spend 2 hours trying to coax an output out of a stubborn set of machines/ components, cursing the instruments, exchanging world views and gossip, only to get it (the output!) in the first 10 minutes of the lunch break (My lab partner calls it "Injury time"), by jiggling the whole setup.
3) Strikes are treasured, but are as common as finding a fish in an ocean... Oh India-Pakistan cricket match today? Uhuh, the Hostels have JUST run out of water. Nobody can take a bath! National emergency.. "On strike, On Strike. MH/LH/SFI/ABVP/KSU/VOC/ALOAFTHOI (A Lot Of Alphabets For The Heck Of It) on Strike!".. Okay that just happens in Government colleges in Kerala.
2) Any high marks you get in the final exams are bonuses, because you don't deserve them. If you DO deserve them, you probably won't get them!
& Finally
1) Studying everyday is for the birds. All studying is to be reserved solely for the previous 24 hours before an exam. You never know whether the exam WILL be held as scheduled anyway.. And remember... COFFEE is your friend! (Repeat after me!!) Coffee is my friend!!
Saturday, November 20, 2004
Spelling & 'Grammer'You wanna know what gets my goat? You gotta realize that
1) it's Indians speaking in pseudo American accents. (Akscents)
2) Bad spelling & grammar when people should definitely know better.
You know how the language online is, r8? "hy grl, hw r u doin 2day? long time n c. evrythng all r8?"
Enough numerals in the English to make you SCREAM!
Call me a puritan, but when you're writing in a language you know fairly well, you NEED to be well versed in its rules! (of course, if you heard me talking Malayalam.... )!
You may call it Call Centre culture, this Americanisation of language degrades the language. The sad part about this is that you see people strut around waving their American banner by talkin' in the hep style, dude/man, but sometimes everything slips down to a "vari besick lavel"
Friday, November 19, 2004
Greek, Latin & IntelligenceSo, I had a conversation with a friend of mine. Friend is rather a loose term to describe him. We've met once, in highly amusing and intellectual circumstances and the rest of our correspondence has been through email & the ever-trusty Yahoo & MSN Messenger. (he's promised to write me an email since LAST year). Now he's doing his Architecture in IIT Kharagpur, (Yeah! a fundoo type). He has very varied and how shall I put it, uncommon interests. His obssession with Tolkien's works is so intense, he has gone through Sindarin, and concluded I was to be called Indil from now on.. (nice name!)
Sindarin is not his only linguistic interest, though. He likes LATIN and GREEK. Now, you know the phrase "It sounds Greek and Latin to me"... he can't use THAT! So, to my question of "what then?".. his dead languages are Aramaic and Ignosic (correct me if I am wrong!)!!! They're so much easier on the tongue than Greek & Latin!
Unfortunately, I made the big mistake of saying "intelligence is a turn on". He's been making a BIG deal about it! Apparently, girls are NOT supposed to think intelligence is a turn on. My requisites of a cute smile & dimples on a guy seem to be accepted without demur, but intelligence... NO WAY!
You can't go wrong! There are slightly less than 3 billion males on the planet. But INTELLIGENT males are another cup of tea! (or whatever beverage) It's my personal view that any guy able to carry a half way interesting conversation needs to be intelligent.. but NO, 'dude' thinks they just need to be above average. Maybe his IQ is way higher than mine (grr!), but please define average for me!!! Surely, it's not someone with an IQ higher than his shoe size?
Hey Dawn, this blog's for you. You're my Amenhotep and this is your papyrus for posterity!
Here's a thought... Eta Beta Pi... :D
Wednesday, November 17, 2004
Friends.That one word brings a lump to my throat and a longing in my heart. Sometimes life just is very depressing and your head starts drooping. When that happens, I close my eyes and there they all are. Laughter and light, sorrow and tears, songs and dances and a whole lot of love.
Sometimes, you wonder... They don't keep in touch, is it because they've lost interest? A little voice in the back of your mind whispers, "Maybe they've forgotten you." That's the height of isolation. The world's ganged up on you and there's nothing you can do. That's impotent rage and bottled frustration. But then, a word from them, smoothes away the wrinkles of existence and everything's sunny in La-La Land.
You'll be the luckiest person alive if you find a friend who understands you before you voice a single thought, can look at the expression on your face, the nuances of your gestures and read it correctly. Who does not grimace at your opinions, or impose their will on you. Who does not judge you by your words, but understands your good intentions, thoughts and actions. Someone who good naturedly ribs you about your little foibles... You're even more lucky, if you are as good a friend to someone else.
They don't even have to know you too well to be there for you, through thick and thin, sharing your triumphs and laughing away your defeats, sharing your hopes and ideas, and dreaming about a starry future. When they talk to you, you drop all your thoughts and listen.
Nostalgia envelops you in a warm coccoon and you feel the gentle breeze of the day you went on a picnic or remember the you spent arguing about the silliest notions, the silly rhymes you wrote, the candid photos you clicked, the games you played, the names you called each other, the times you didn't talk because you were sulking, the advice you gave each other. You tried to make new friends, but like ships returning to a harbour, found each other. Sounds dreadfully like codependancy, but you're satisfied.
Were those days truly that perfect, idyllic? Or is it that my mind's playing tricks on me? Distance makes the heart grow fonder and I truly miss that which I cannot experience now.
Life does not treat a person fairly all the time, but a good friend makes it much more bearable. This is to all my wonderful friends. You're all a part of my heart and I love you all to distraction
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
The Da Vinci Code & Tracing rootsRecently (about 10 minutes ago), I was asked a question "Have I read the Da Vinci Code?"
There's only one answer to it, "yes, I have."
This friend of mine, let's call him Manu for simplicity's sake, wanted to know whether I liked it. When I admitted I, in fact, DID like the book, he DEMANDED why, seeing as I am a Christian and it goes against the Vatican.
First of all, I am not a Catholic... The Vatican does not really matter in the whole scheme of the "Malankara Orthodox Syrian Christian" community. The speciality of us MOSC (oh c'mon you DON'T expect me to type that entire thing out!) is
1) There are two factions and there's a faction war. I really don't care about it.
2) They're mostly based in Central Kerala (the achayans) and if you meet another MOSC, they usually start talking about their family names and if you got a maximum of 3 generations back, you're completely likely to find common relations!
Okay, now back to the Da Vinci Code. The first time I read it, I was very scared. It challenged a lot of beliefs I held and that's not an appetising thought for anyone. So, I set out to discover the truth and the search was even more interesting than the book.
Let's face it, the DVC is a very gripping book, but it can hardly be classified as great literature, or even good fiction. It's hardly the sort of book you'd choose to read if, say, you were on your deathbed.
It comes under the head of what I like to call sensationalist literature. It's fine in its own way, but when it starts to erode whole belief systems, then it's time to be wary of those kind of books. The main problem is that, unlike pamphlets distributed by Jehovah's Witnesses, the Da Vinci Code has been on the best seller list for a long time. You read the DVC and suddenly feel you've a hold on the Church history, which is not necessarily true. After I read long and deep about every single disturbing fact in the book, I made some discoveries.
1) The Gospel of Mary Magdalene was not written in even the first century A.D. Nor is the version given in the book completely accurate. The conclusions drawn by Dan Brown from that passage are pretty flawed too.
2) The Merovingians were wiped out. Any claim to Holy Blood can be thought of like Queen Elizabeth claiming that she is a descendant of Odin from one side, and from Antenor, cousin of Priam of Troy, on the other. Who can dispute it with any finality, right?
3) Dan Brown used relatively harmless sects. Most of Opus Dei's members are normal godfearing Catholics. Accusing the Vatican of subversive activities is a universal favourite, anyway! The Priory of Sion is a relatively new sect (and does not trace its roots to the Knights Templar) and is a.... FRENCH PRACTICAL JOKE! (an oxymoron, perhaps!)
4) The Gnostic Gospels were written during the 3rd and 4th Century A.D. The Nicae Convention mooted that the 4 Gospels ACTUALLY included in the New Testament were most accurate. More importantly, they did not vote on the divinity of Christ, but whether he was in any way inferior to the Father, being the Son. The resolution passed stated that he was the equal of the Father and not by one vote either. Remember the "Vishwasa Pramanam"?
5) The word Jehovah is a corruption of the actual word Yahweh (or Yehovah). The Jews never wrote the word for God, in fact whenever the Old Testament contained the word, it was substituted with the consonants YHWH. People just added vowels. When asked to read the Bible in a synagogue, they use the word Adonai ( Lord) instead. I am not entirely sure where Shekinah fits into the whole picture, though.
I guess, a lot of you must have read the article in The Week, of a Malayali painter reinterpreting The Last Supper using common sense and the Vitruvian Man (a deadly combo!). No matter how Leonardo (yeah! Da Vinci means of Vinci, so calling him Da Vinci is like calling me Trivandrum!) painted his masterpiece, it does not necessarily mean that his ideas are true.
One of the important facts that the book DOES highlight, is the fact that Mary Magdalene was, in fact not a prostitute. She is called the disciple of disciples in the Bible. This could just as much be a grand design to kill the Sacred Feminine,as well as a plain old misunderstanding.
A really huge blunder. Nowhere in Genesis is it mentioned that the Fruit of Knowledge is an Apple! Chew on that awhile, please!
Maths has been postponed... I THINK... This is what comes of being a student under the auspices of the KERALA UNIVERSITY (long live!). The reason... Simple. Hall tickets have not been sent. Seeing as our Postal system is so efficient and that the Government has all our *gulp* information for so long, they might as well send it whenever they jolly well feel like!
Vague rumours are floating around that another paper could be postponed as well (vehicle strike, you see) and the last one too (Babri Masjid has to be mourned...)
Okay, I have 'pucca' news it has been postponed. Wonderful, I can chuck whatever I was (not) studying and chill out for another week or so... or until I realise I haven't done anything in IEM!
Monday, November 15, 2004
PTerry & DEATH!I believe humour is one of the most kind of difficult writing to master. One of my favourite fantasy/humour authors is Terry Pratchett. It was one of those days when I'd gone through all the Harry Potters and read a lot about Middle-Earth, I picked up Men at Arms from British Library, and I was hooked!
You can learn more about Terry Pratchett (and why he's called Pterry) from
http://www.lspace.org/
What exactly has Pterry created?
In one word, Discworld! Discworld is one of the universes in this multiverse of ours (I sound like Michael Crichton!).
It is a flat world carried through space atop four elephants, each facing the four directions and all this, in turn, is carried by the turtle, the Great A'Tuin (of indeterminate sex). The disworld consists of many continents (my favourite is XXXX) which are surrounded by an Ocean. Sound vaguely familiar?
Discworld hurtles through space, in this heady mix of different mythologies.
Here's PTerry's take on light:
The only things known to go faster than ordinary light is monarchy, according to the philosopher Ly Tin Weedle. He reasoned like this: you can't have more than one king, and tradition demands that there is no gap between kings, so when a king dies the succession must therefore pass to the heir instantaneously. Presumably, he said, there must be some elementary particles -- kingons, or possibly queons -- that do this job, but of course succession sometimes fails if, in mid-flight, they strike an anti-particle, or republicon. His ambitious plans to use his discovery to send messages, involving the careful torturing of a small king in order to modulate the signal, were never fully expanded because, at that point, the bar closed.
-- (Terry Pratchett, Mort)
Sidesplitting, right? And to an engineer, it's even more funny. Think about what kind of modulation it would be called, KM, or more politically correct, MM (monarch modulation)?
One of the greatest cities on the Disc is Ankh-Morpok. It's actually two cities set on the bank of the river, Ankh. (kind of like Buda-Pest)
Ankh is very special. It's the ONLY river in the multiverse that doesn't flow, it oozes. The technical reason for this is pollution or say, untreated sewage. If I become more graphic, I might gross myself out.
A lot of murder victims find their way into the river. Mostly, though, it's so thick that chalk outlines can be drawn directly in it. That's a good thing. Since, both murders and assasinations are a regular occurrence in A-M! Assasinations, are of course, the business of the Assasin's Guild. They believe that every head (or other part of the body) has a price! and they are willing to 'kill' for the price.
This is where Death steps in. In his own words...
- I USHERED SOULS INTO THE NEXT WORLD. I WAS THE GRAVE OF ALL HOPE. IWAS THE ULTIMATE REALITY. I WAS THE ASSASSIN AGAINST WHOM NO LOCKWOULD HOLD.
- "Yes, point taken, but do you have any particular skills?"
-- Death consults a job broker (Terry Pratchett, Mort)
Death is one of the most cleverly crafted characters in the Discworld novels. He's an anthromorphic personification, complete with black robes and a well-sharpened scythe! What this means, in simple enough words is this: Discworld has an excess amount of magic in its atmosphere, (thanks to the wizards of Unseen University), also measured in thaums (and multiples thereof), and all those characters that are old wives' tales in other parts of the multiverse, literally come true on the Disc!
So, the Grim Reaper walks amongst Man, Dwarf & Troll, responsible for death... and the hourglasses that hold the sands of everyone's lives! Since, rodents are important to the universe, they have a Death of the Rats.
Why's Death so cool?
WELL! FOR ONE THING, HE TALKS LIKE THIS! I figure, anyone who shouts (in virtual terms) and isn't heard, in a physical sense HAS got to be cool!
Since, death is an unremarkable occurrence on the Disc, DEATH has a role to play in most of TP's novels. Which is fine by most of his fans. We say, bring him on! Though Death walks among Men (and rides Binky too), he hasn't understood his charges yet. It doesn't really deter him from trying. Testament to that fact is his House... Death's House. It's chock full of things that are almost human.... but haven't quite managed to reach there.
Death's extended family include Ysabell, his adopted daughter, her husband, Mort (Death's one time apprentice) and their daughter Susan Sto-Helit. (read Soul Music, Hogfather & Mort for more details!). His trusty steed is called... BINKY! Binky's white, of royal equine blood and is slightly more life-like than other horses.
It is a fact that although the Death of the Discworld is, in his own words, an ANTHROPOMORPHIC PERSONIFICATION, he long ago gave up using the traditional skeletal horses, because of the bother of having to stop all the time to wire bits back on.
-- (Terry Pratchett, Mort)
Finally, we have Death's trusty Man Friday, Albert. Albert was once the greatest wizard on the Disc. That changed when he performed the Rite of AshKente (for summoning Death). Instead it took HIM to Death and he's been frying everything (literally, everything) for the Reaper ever since...
"Yes," said the skull. "Quit while you're a head, that's what I say."
-- (Terry Pratchett, Soul Music)
With those words.. I think I WILL quit!
It's weird, I seem to blog only when there are exams around! Sad but, true.
Since last time I blogged, I have discovered new things. Life's just the same old, same old, though. Got my fourth semester marks! Didn't do too badly in Digital Electronics, but achieved new lows in two other subjects. I am least perturbed by it. Fifth semester sees me being the laziest female around...
I got a comment on one of my blogs, that even th0ugh I said I liked Formula One, I haven't blogged about it yet!
So here goes. I was really young when I saw my first race. It wasn't even a live one. I think it was the 1990 or 1991 Monaco Grand Prix.. Alain Prost in the Ferrari v/s Ayrton Senna in the McLaren (shown in 1993, by the way!!). I was completely fascinated. Cars going into a lit tunnel and coming out at completely phenomenal speeds. The two names I kept hearing were "Prost & Senna..". Then, I lost touch, since we didn't have cable TV.
After sometime (8 months or so), I heard of the death of Senna. I was kind of shocked. But then, I was ten years old. Death doesn't really concern you at that age. Even though, I wasn't seeing the sport, Ferrari was not a name I forgot that easily
Fast forward to 2000. I FINALLY got cable and since, channel surfing is at its peak when you initially get cable TV, I switched to Star Sports and voila, THERE was that red car again... This time with Michael Schumacher in it. I think it was the US Grand Prix and I was slightly confused.. They had TWO Schumachers- Ralf & Michael. Don't know why I thought Ralf was the older brother. And NOW, I was hooked for life. Schumacher Sr. just blew my mind away. The machine was gorgeous and he knew how to drive TO the limit. It's just a dream for a lot of people.. drive FAST and get PAID for it! (My mom doesn't like it too much! She's afraid I might just drive on roads like that!)
I know a lot of McLaren fans, and they all adore Kimi Raikkonen. I can't reconcile myself to his ice, somehow. He seems too precise and cold about his driving, AND I kind of feel sorry for Coulthard, he's always been overshadowed by a Finn! It's like Barichello.. In another team, with different partners, they might have been the stars! But not in McLaren with either Kimi or Mika Hakkinen... OR definitely Ferrari with Schumi.
I enjoy Button's driving, I see the same type of building that Michael did with Ferrari with Button, but he almost threw ALL that away to be with Williams! (of the undecided nose fame!)
Speaking of Williams, I can't stand complaining & whiny Montoya. Though, it could be wonderful seeing him and Kimi in a team and watch their pretty contrasting styles of driving. The only other pair more interesting to watch would be Sato & Button. Sato has a talent for blowing up cars!
A driver I REALLY like is Mark Webber. Bad car, weak team, unstable team mates and he still did a wonderful job with the resources he had! He's one the of biggest sports. Everytime the Jaguar crashed/blew up/ran out of steam/spun off track/was crashed into by his partner Jaguar, he did not throw tantrums with the field marshals like so many others. He took it in stride. That is the true hallmark of a future Champion! Hope he has a better time at Williams.
I have left out Renault till now. Alonso is a very exciting driver. He's got skill and grit and fire. I would rather have seen Trulli alongside him, but I guess, Fisichella isn't too bad either. Anyone who can coax the Sauber anywhere has to be good! Not to mention winning a Grand Prix in a JORDAN! Hiring Villeneuve for the final races was fun, but not a good idea at ALL!
Next season, MAYBE, Toyota can do better.
A moment I remember from this season.. Ralf Schumacher's enormous crash and his brother looking at the ambulance while driving past at the Indy. It was very scary!
To round off, another memory from this season, from one of my most favourite circuits.. Yeah, Monte Carlo. Into the tunnel goes the safety car, with a complete Ferrari and fishy looking Williams, out comes the safety car and a whole load of cars... before a truncated Ferrari and a frustrated Schumacher. I always did love the circuit... AND Ferrari!
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Previously, On Brain Freeze
Ice Box
Defrosted
Proxy Wars
Psychos, Unite
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