:: DURGA PUJAS ~ food, friends, family, nostalgia ::

The earliest memory I have of the Durga Pujas is watching the awe-inspiring idols sitting on the shoulders of my dad. I remember waking up to the beats of the dhak, with the tempting smell of home made malpuas wafting from the kitchen. On Mahalaya, we would be up at four,turning the knobs of the cranky radio to set it to the right frequency to catch the songs and the programme. Puja used to be waking up early in the morning, dressing up in new clothes, taking the blessings of the elders, and then running out for the daily share of adda, games, prasad, to the para pandal. After a short rest in the noon(for which my mother had to literally lock me up in a room), it would be dressing up in new clothes again, sitting near the pandal with my para friends, playing antakshari and dumb-charade, ocassionally sipping on Coca-Cola and munching on Uncle Chips. Late evening, mom and dad would usually give in to my constant begging and take me out to visit the nearby idols. Enthusiast that he always was, Dad would be ready with all the information on the best of idols and pandals nearby, and Saptami and Nabami mornings would be spent on visiting those, and then returning home with packets of fried rice and chilli-chicken. And the most special of them all would be the astami mornings. With a good few hours spent on draping mom's oversized saris on myself and holding it up with safety-pins(so many of them that I would be like a mini pin-cushion), and then give anjali, all the while trying in vain to curb my hunger(we were supposed to fast till the anjali). We would wait eagerly for granny to sneak out of the pandal with plates of sweets and fruits and distribute it among our large group - we were about 12 kids in the neighbourhood if my memory is not failing me. Comparing dresses, bragging about the new hindi songs that you memorized,gossiping about that cute boy in class whom you had a crush on, more cold drinks and more chips, occasional phuchka treats by someone in the para, running about and distributing the thalis of prasad to the nearby households and that innate sense of freedom for those five days - Durga Puja was inevitably the most awaited and anticipated festival of the year.

With the festivity season setting in, it is almost in a nostalgic mood that I look back at what the Pujas meant to me for the first twelve-fourteen years of my life. This year, Mahalaya, which marks the start of the season of the Goddess, was a welcome holiday spent in watching the latest movies at the house of my best friend. We gorged on burgers, pastries, popcorn, Chinese delicacies and lazed around the whole day before returning home in the evening. For the last few years, the Pujas have been pretty much the same - waking up late, having some breakfast, sitting with the laptop to check update statuses and tweets, surfing through the newspaper to see if some good movie is playing in the plex, then dressing up in those branded jeans and tees or boutique made kurtis, balancing on the high heels of the new shoes, or just slipping into the comfort zone of the converses, and then meeting up with school and college friends at CCD, KFC, HHI, Tantra or even Maddox Square. The adda sessions usually culminate with dance sessions at Underground or Venom, or even random photography sessions. Food is usually from the various buffets hosted by the city restaurants, wrapped up with Mamma-mia gelatoes and CCD floats. The dhak beats serve as sudden unexpected souce of alarm when in the mornings you suddenly wake up and realize, oh, its the pujas.Family time is the Navami luncheon with mom at Park Street and coming back home with packets of food, like old times. Para friends have become practically non-existent. Pujas have become an occasion for meeting friends and eating good food. Phuchka still reigns supreme though.

The reason I wrote this is not to pass any value judgement. Its not that I hate what I did back then or what I am doing right now. Both are fun in its own sweet way. The only discontent in my mind is that I no longer get to sit on Dad's bike and visit the pandals in the morning and come home to taste the yummy coconut jaggery balls(nadus) concocted by granny. Yes, some voids can never be filled.

Image courtesies: Google Image.

:: THE FAILS OF BEING A FAILURE ::

"He used to be a singer in a rock and roll band.

He would write the songs and I'd tremble at his hand but oh, la laa.

He lost poetic ethic and his songs were pathetic, and he's a failure now.

He used to be the life and soul of everyone around.

You'd never catch him looking up and never see him down but oh, la laa.

He couldn't raise a smile oh, not for a while, and he's a failure now.

Don't cry child, you've got so much more to live for.

Don't cry child, you've got something I would die for

And if it comes to the rain, just be glad you'll smile again

'Cause so many don't. 

And so many go unnamed."

Laura Marling's song Failure, more or less summarizes my blog post today. So, why failure as a topic out of the blue, you might ask. And I would reply why not summarize the condition of the whole world in a world - FAIL! Too pessimistic? Maybe, but not really. 

Lets first see what failure actually is - "Failure refers to the state or condition of not meeting a desirable or intended objective, and may be viewed as the opposite of success". Too heavy? You bet! That was copied straight out of Wikipedia. To me, failure is basically not getting what you thought you would get. You mug a lot the week before the exam, give a thumbs up paper and when the results are hung on the college notice board, you feel like - Damn! I passed, but I am a failure... And in another instance, you don't even bother to study for the impending exam, give a crap paper and you end up getting a 40, when you didn't even think you would get a double digit score. You say "Yeah I failed, but who gives a damn!"

My point, friends, is that Failure is a very subjective topic. What is failure to one person, is success to another. We fail because we think we have failed. That is the essential difference between having FAILED, and being a FAILURE. When we think we have "failed", its the way the world sees us. And when we think we are a failure, its how we see ourselves.

Ever seen an ant carrying load on its back? It walks, stops, drops its load, picks it up and walks again. Yes, it had failed, but it had not allowed itself to become a failure. Its just that self-confidence that matters. You never know, who might love those very qualities in you which you think made you fail. You are soft spoken, shy, can't express what you want to say exactly - you think you failed because of all these. Somewhere in the corner of this world, there is someone, who likes you just because of that shyness. Someone, who wants to shed their fits of rage and overt expressiveness to be just like you.

Failing is one of the most subjective attributes you will find, like most human attributes are. Do you always love what everyone else loves, see something the same way everyone else sees? Then why think yourself a failure when everyone else does? After all, isn't "We are all unique" a very true cliche? Fail, but don't be a failure. Wouldn't you like to celebrate that success party with toasts to every fails you have crumpled and left behind? So, in true Bollywood style, just place your palm on your heart and say All is Well... it may not do you miracles, but that extra dose of confidence never hurts.

- by a failed blogger, trying to rise above the failures.

Cheerio :)

You are responsible for your failures, and you are responsible for your successes too. Its upto you what you choose.

:: RANDOM GIBBERISH ::

And its one of those days again - when I have one of these sudden irresistible urge to put up a really funny and interesting blog post and then end up looking blankly at the screen for twenty minutes, excavating the depths of the brain for some sane ideas and then finally closing down the computer due to utter infertility of the useless brain. With the nice, 'romantic' and very un-Calcutta-ish weather outside, all I can do is down cups of coffee and check and recheck my the Facebook home page with random gibberish floating through my brain... So, how about a sneak peek into what's on my mind  -

• For the first time today, I had to wade through knee-deep water at Park Street - a first time occurrence if my memory is not failing me. While I detested the slimy dog-poop and god-knows-what-else mixed water, I cant deny that walking like that with your friends is fun [ though later on you feel like crying with a single glance at your jeans].

• Has Calcutta suddenly shifted to the Equatorial Zone or something? What's with the daily torrential rain in the afternoon? Or may be with yesterday's earthquake, and all this rain, some sadistic omnipotent person sitting right up there is trying to shout out - "Hey, 2012 is almost here you know... I'm gonna drown you all... Bwahahaha(*evil laughter*)!! ".

Courtesy: www.cartoonstock.com

• What were the "officials" actually thinking when they decided to change Calcutta to Kolkata and West Bengal to Paschimbanga? What? Serious nomenclature lessons needed her in the state.

Courtesy: www.wikiind.com

• Am I really spastic or does everyone have initial problems in mastering the barre chords while playing the guitar? And talking of the guitar, I am planning to graffiti on the black wood with white. Any idea with what do I do that? Poster colour?

Courtesy: kais-a-ninja.deviantart.com

• I should really get on with reading the never-ending notes on Paradise Lost given in class. And now that I brought it up, how would you not love someone who says stuff like - " It is better to reign in hell than serve in heaven", or, "The mind is its own place, and in itself / Can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven" and "Awake, arise, or be for ever fallen!". If Milton was indeed trying to glorify God, why did he even give such lines to Satan?

Courtesy:foolishnessntears.blogspot.com

• With everyone saying that they can smell the Durga Puja in the air, the only thing I can smell is the Petrichor(smell of the rain, silly), the one month long vacation ahead and the coffee brewing in the kitchen... mmmm....

Courtesy:susanna1980.blogspot.com

• I really think fasting is the 'in' thing in India right now. After Sharmila Erom and Anna, its Modi now. Soon it will be like -X "Mom I want that new bag". Mom - "No, do whatever you feel like." X - "Ok, I will go on a fast". Mom - "Uh...erm.. how much is it beta? I think it wont be a bad buy afterall."

Courtesy: walkingthefenceline.wordpress.com

• A photography tour to the North East. With two friends, hiking and camping gear, phones switched off, a Canon S95 IS camera, roasted meat, bonfire - life WOULD have been so good. The closest I can do is probably a photography tour to the Sundarbans.

Courtesy :ehow.co.uk

• And it is Literaria'11 tomorrow,finally. The St.Xaviers College English Department Fest. We are so gonna rock, provided the rain gods do not start having their own little share of fun in drowning us in the deluge.

Courtesy:www.facebook.com/andy90

• And after all this nonsense, I suddenly feel like reading Kurt Cobain's death note once more. The man - the voice - the words - the legend - the inspiration and Boddah. For those who haven't yet read it, just go through this once - Kurt Cobain's Suicide Note. Who says rockstars are not poets?

Courtesy:www.kurtcobain.com

And till then, adios until I come back with some more fragments from my Scatter brain.
Sincerely,
A true scatter brain.

A/N: In case of any copyright infringement of the pictures on this post, please contact me @ sancho.dbest@gmail.com. The picture will be taken down immediately.

:: THE EXAM SEASON ::

Dear good sunny World,
Its the end of August and inevitably I find myself looking ahead at the bleak coming week, dreading it as usual. Its a pattern my brain has fallen into maybe...end of August, the start of the exams... Somehow even before the routine was put up in the college notice board, I knew what was coming, or rather my subconscious did...
All around me were the familiar faces dunked into books and photocopying notes...the usual haunts in the library changed from the Fiction section to the Reference section. But my brain failed to make my body react. I knew I had on notes... I knew nothing, but still I could not make myself up and see the routine or enquire about the syllabus.. After endless persuasion by a dear friend, I took the pains of traversing all the way up to the second floor of the college housing the grand computerized central library. When I came out, instead of notes on Milton's Paradise Lost, philology and Great Expectations, I found a fat copy of Stephen King's Under the Dome in my hand. My friend gave up all hopes on me thereafter...
With a week to go for the exams that are supposed to test our 'knowledge' and ability of the language, I finally bunked college and stayed up at home to 'study'.
To tell the truth, I did study to a degree. Infact now I know that Lake of Fire is not just a Nirvana song, its a part of Milton's epic; English is even lesser original than I had even imagined-god knows it borrows truckloads from French, Scandinavian and Latin; and that Japanese Manga cartoons are damn difficult to draw, 'We don't Need no Education' is very easy to play on the guitar, 'Under the Dome' is truly Epic in the literal sense of the word, Google Plus can never compete with Facebook, Iridescent is my favourite Linkin Park number... get the drift?
And in such an elevated state of mind I will in to write the examinations... another exam season will come to an end soon... I will again promise to myself to sit with my books at least once... And once more I will drift off into a world that's essentially my own and necessarily free of all lines of examinations.
~sincerely,
A harassed and worn out student.

:: MONSOON DIARIES #1 :: Sudden Cloudburst ::

And another season sets in,
Spreading through the haphazard maze
Of stone,brick,concrete and life,
And the usual rush of hopes
And scattered dreams
Sheltered from the dusty sun.

The melting bricks find solace
In the sudden rain of the afternoon,
Pouring in through the gaps
In the canopied sky,
Crowded with tower after tower,
All vying to reach the daystar.

Somewhere down across the labyrinthine road,
Someone throws the window open,
Taking in the smell of dust and rain
Wafting in through the rusted grills,
Setting the air free
From the shackles of monotony.

And in the lane opposite,
The distraught lad
Finds alleviation in the dusty guitar,
Not strummed since
He had finally come to face the world,
And realize its potential.

In a city where discord is the only harmony,
Similar smiles of ease
Spreads across the convoluted
Works of iron-
All together,all alike,
All in a similar sense of relief.

The sudden deluge
Surprises the grime coated foliage,
Washing them off
To the rich emerald and bich hue;
All looking up in a silent prayer
Of whispered thanking to Tlaloc and Chaac.

The strange mechanical humming
Of the monstrous growth of metal and bricks
Suddenly seems amputed
By the congruous sound of every single
Drop of rain
Striking the black air of the city.

But then all suddenly break out of the reverie,
And abstract technicolour dreams
And are back to stacks of files to be transfered,
Open trigonometry text-books,
Whistles of the pressure cooker in the background,
And the din of metal hitting metal.

And I still search in absolute vain
For verses to pen and words to explain.

SANCHALI GHOSH
26TH JULY, 2011
______________x___x_________________

:: RAINDROP MEMORIES ::

I was jolted back into reality from my dreamland as the howling wind gathered speed. The sky was a strange violetish blue, with interspersed hues of orange and gray. Weirdly, I could never understand if it was cloudy during the night. All I could make out were patches of purple, blue, gray and the in-betweens. Now, which part was the cloud and which wasn’t was beyond my comprehension. I looked at the space in front of me – two thick volumes of The History of English literature by David Daiches, a stack of half written, doodled in and almost illegible notes on metaphysical poetry, my cellular phone and an open copy with just two lines on it –

                        “I look up at the open skies

                         I feel your twinkling eyes”

I couldn’t remember if I had given it up as a bad job or had just fallen asleep like that. It was three in the morning. Not the best of times to tax your gray matter. I would attempt finishing that on the next day I guessed. What was more important was that I had missed four precious study hours just a day before the Honours examination. Since the rest of the year was spent on Facebook, Youtube, with the guitar and in pursuit of happiness, these few days before the exam were absolutely crucial.. I pulled the notes stack closer and stared at it for two minutes owlishly. No, it definitely was not making any sense. My English teacher was probably reading more into it than the poet had intended to express. I could not concentrate. The shrieking wind did not exactly help my cause either. I got up to drink some water and freshen myself. On the way, I checked on my mother sleeping peacefully and my pet kitten curled up at the corner of the bed. No exams in their life. What bliss. When I got back to my study, the strong smell of rain on dry earth caught me unawares. It was much too strong. I inhaled deeply taking in the scent. What was this called again? I Googled on my phone and Wikipedia came up with the word Petrichor. Who cared anyway. Nonetheless, I scribbled  it down at a corner of the copy.

Thick broad raindrops invaded my table. I hastily swept the books aside. This weather was definitely not meant for any kind of studies. I took up the copy and went through the two lines. Nah! It sounded too corny; almost like a punk pop song. I suddenly imagined a certain blonde girl jumping on the stage, mic in hand, in weird punk attire and gothic eye makeup and singing those to lines. Definitely not the best of inspirations to carry on the lyrics. I thought of scratching it out. But somehow I could not. I left some blank space and started all over again –

                        “ The raindrops invade my room,

They fall on the pages strewn,

I think it is weird,

But they lighten up the gloom.

Erasing every thought

Of the memories I’ve sought,

Maybe all those golden times

Were indeed flawed.

Because they drench me,

Dissolves the memory,

‘Cause they lock up the door

And melts away the key.”

A fat raindrop pattered straight onto my copy. It fell on the word ‘thought’. The word turned a light gray, almost bloated. And then another tiny drop fell on top of it. The impact dissolved the ‘oug’ of the word and droplets splashed right on trop of ‘memories’ and ‘times’. Another drop. ‘times’ was eliminated. Some splashes later, ‘gloom’, ‘door’ and ‘key’ dissolved. But the drop on ‘memories’ was still undisturbed. If it stopped raining, the paper would dry up and the memories would turn back to being normal gain. Panic seized me. I pushed the copy closer to the window. But not a drop more on ‘memories’. It was time for desperate measure. I took a pencil and swirled the drop on ‘memories’. That did the trick. I had accomplished what nature could not. The black ink swirled in the water and turned into a dirty mess. I sat back and smiled to myself. I had done it. The next moment, I felt utterly stupid. I had spent the last ten minutes writing the lines and the next fifteen in washing it away. Was I even normal? I wondered if I should laugh or cuss. I didn’t do either. I just patiently took out a fresh sheet of paper and wrote down the lines again from memory. And then added one last verse –

                        “ The raindrops try as they might,

                           They just couldn’t ignite,

                           Me and my weird wonderings

                           Tonight.”

THE END.

INDIFFERENCE OF A SOMEONE

I have been walking,

Crossing the paved causeway

With amazement in my eyes;

A dual feeling

Of awe and wariness.

But more than anything

It was this gnawing

Indifference.

Sipping the warm afternoon coffee,

Trying to let the world

Sink into me,

Trying to comprehend

All that mattered.

I have failed.

I have been living before I was born –

A life of pulsating energy,

Never knowing that

I would die with my

Birth into nothingness.

The dead yellow macabre

Leaves of Autumn

Too shy away from my company.

Neither do the long stretch

Of the cemetery walls

Agree to share their

Hidden secrets.

Everything passes by,

Everyone passes by,

I stand watching,

Letting it all pass,

Letting it all flow,

Tied up with my

Indifference.

What if it does not

Matter?

Even if it does,

I am no one, nothing,

To make it all stop,

Stand and stare me

In the face.

-            Sanchali Ghosh

-            21^st May2011

-             

-            SG ║▌▌║█ ▌║▌║▌║║▌▌▌║█║

-            © 1 5 0 3 1 9 8 8 0 2 0 6 7

-            copyright Sanchali 2011

:: THE JOURNEY NEVER ENDS ::

( 1 )

Persia::1275

She: How could you?! How could you kill him?

He: I love you princess and that’s all that matters…

She: And I loved him… I loved Knight Raphael… and you dirty Shaman… you killed him…!

He: I did princess…I was craving for the sweet taste of revenge…

She: Revenge? Revenge for what?

He: He stole your heart in front of my eyes… how could I tolerate that princess? All that matters is he is no more…

She: So what if he is no more? I loved him and will always love him… you can never get me…

He: What are you going to do? Kill yourself princess? Go ahead… I will follow you…

She: No… I will get you hanged for what you’ve done…

He: But then, there’s a problem…I cannot possibly leave you alone here princess…I will have to solve the problem…

Her blood created intricate web like patterns on the cold stone floor… flowing from the deep gash where the silver dagger had ripped her apart…it flowed, incessantly… squeezing her dry…

He looked at his hands… the stench of blood made him nauseous… he would have to follow her as soon as possible… get hanged in public or follow her himself? He made the decision. He wrenched apart the knife from her body and made a final stab… how easy this was… three stabs and a new journey altogether… freedom? No.. he will have to follow her… it will be long before he gets that freedom…. He would finish this journey…no matter what.

( 2 )

New Jersey:: 2006

She: How are you?

He: I am fine, lucky that the knife didn’t puncture my liver…

She: I don’t understand what’s got to him… he was my best friend…

He: And he tried to kill you too…

She nodded mutely.

He: He loves you…that’s what it is…

She: So what? I love you…and just because of that, he tried to kill you…he’s a psychopath…

He: So, what happened?

She: Its still quite vague in my mind… I remember he tried to stab me and then a scuffle…the knife was in my hand…and then, its all blank…

He: Tomorrow’s his funeral right?

She: Who cares anyway… he was my friend though…I remember he said something about following me and finishing the journey and all…

He: Forget it now… you need rest…. It must have been a traumatic experience for you too… and as for his journey, he can finish it in hell….

( 3 )

India::2098

“Sheesh… I did love that girl… she never realized…”

“You… you killed her just because she loved me and not you?”

“Fair enough…don’t you think?”

“You should be…. You should be..”

“What? Brutally killed? Kill me…I will be with her though… you know what I feel… I have been trying to follow her… to get her for long… for years… centuries…millenniums maybe…and she still loves you… my poor stupid girl…I regret killing her… I regret… this means I will have to go on again…”

“Go on? What are you talking about you bloody psychopath?”

“You won’t understand… its been too long…maybe fourth time lucky…”

“Fourth time? I will kill you here and now…”

“I guess its your turn now… its been myself the first time and she did it the second time…kill me this time…you do it…’coz it doesn’t matter anyway you know…the same journey…just a different map…”

THE END

:: 15 THINGS I AM GRATEFUL FOR ::

Though I may not be the whiny teenager that you hate, I realized [after being stranded for an hour beside a footpath dwelling family because of a downpour] that probably there are a hundred thousand things I am truly and honestly grateful for... here's listing the top twenty:

• 1) My High Level of Tolerence: for example, I am tolerating that buzzing mosquito beside my left ear for the past ten minutes. The fact that I have been tolerating pointless education for the past sixteen years of my life, doesn't hurt either.

• 2) Enigma, Muse and Linkin Park - they probably keep me sane in my insanest of days and get me high in my lowest of lows. Take a bow Enigma.

• 3) The Cracks and Cobwebs on the Walls: I am no Robert Bruce, but trust me, any student would agree that there is no better distraction than the numerous cracks and cobwebs on the blank walls, just before the night of the examinations. You can stare t it for minutes all together, never knowing how fast the time is flowing. And if you are the constructive type, you are sure to take a lesson or two from the tiny spider. ;)

• 4) Facebook: do I really need to say more about this? Nah, I wouldn't put you all to shame.... Thank you Mark Zuckerberg. Really.

• 5) My Mother : for everything. Period. Oh, did I miss the fact that you also make me that lovely mango smoothie when I am down. Love.

• 6)The Garfield Poster in my Room : My true unending source of confidence, attitude and panache. Oh, add the 'laziness' bit too.

• 7) My College: My second home, my friends, my philosophies, my inspiration, my madness, my crazy hole, my eduction, my dreams, my aspirations, my food, my off-classes, my teachers, my Green Benches[fellow Xaverians will be knowing this], my music, my discussions, my gossips, my fights, my library, my examinations and my LOVE <3

• 8) The Rain Gods: Wherever, in whichever form, from whichever mythology, I offer my humblest prayers to you - my true infinite source of relief and inspiration. Add poetry and photography to that.

TLALOC - The Aztec God of Rain

• 9) My being a Bengali - how else would I talk non stop on sports, Saurav Ganguly, left and right and red and green, Robi Thakur, Satyajit Ray, and talk in the world's sweetest language? Bangali hoye gorbito.

• 10) My Old Desktop Computer: I know its slow, its a senior citizen, its nothing sleek, almost an eyesore, but the fact that its been rendering me steady service since my seventh grade, makes my PC a strong contender on this list.

• 11) My Part Time Job: You get fast bucks and it pays your MacD bills. What else? Enough to make it on this list.

• 12) Patience: How else do you think I've been writing this at 2a.m. at night? What? Insomnia you say? But isn't that kind of too obvious?

• 13) Harry Potter: My childhood friend, my fountain of weirdness and well of ideas, the insect that bit me with the writing bug. Enough said. Peace.

• 14) Larry Page and Sergey Brin: for everything else, there's God.

• 15) Everyone Reading this: Otherwise, I would still have been writing at the back of notebooks. Your infinite patience as you are going through this definitely weighs very heavy. Thank you people.

So, there goes the first 'GRATEFUL' list... rest coming up soon. Keep reading.

P.S.- Sharing Rocks. **hint**hint**

Author's Note: IF ANYONE FINDS ANY PICTURE OBJECTIONABLE OR COPYRIGHTED, I AM SORRY. JUST CONTACT ME AT sancho.dbest@gmail.com AND I WILL REMOVE IT ASAP. PROMISE.

MADNESS ::proved::

I don't really know why I posted this, but then, its here...

:: My Anime Addiction ::

They say there's no such place... as Paradise. Even if you search to the ends of the Earth, there's nothing there. No matter how far you walk, it's always the same road. It just goes on and on. But, in spite of that... Why am I so driven to find it? A voice calls to me... It says, "Search for Paradise."  - Kiba (Wolf’s Rain)

As a young girl, I was never much into movies. Television for me, consisted of just one thing – Animes aired on a lone channel called Animax. Well, before I delve any further into this post, let me explain what Animes exactly are.

As the name suggests, it is obviously a form of animation, in this case, Japanese animations. Both hand-drawn and Computer –animated anime exist and represents most, if not all, Genres of Fiction. Most of the human figures depicted in these Animes are not correctly proportioned, but still, those large expressive eyes, slender figures and long limbs make the characters so endearing that you cannot help but fall in love with them.

My rendezvous with Anime started with a fantasy how ‘Card captor Sakura’- the story of a young school girl who fights her fears and weaknesses to capture certain destructive cards and master them, saving the human population in the process. Sakura fascinated me. I got hooked. Soon, Hungry Heart (story of a soccer player), Captain Tsubasa, Astro Boy and Detective Academy Q followed. While the other people in my class were busy watching Tom and Jerry and Richie Rich, I had found my treasure trove in Animes. The very fact that they were so real yet so very unreal, made me fall in love with them. And I was not the only one in class. A few other guys were hooked into these Japanimations too, and this made our whole group kind of outcasts (not that it mattered to me anyway).

All these days, I had just watched the Prime time shows, never bothering to tune in later. I realized what big a mistake this was when, one day, the insomniac that I am, switched on the television at 1 a.m. at night and watched the repeat telecast of a show named WOLF’S RAIN. I soon worked out the actual timing of the show and devoted myself to it. And the Wolves never disappointed me. Other niche shows like GET BACKERS and //.HACK SIGN: LEGEND OF TWILIGHT soon became my staple. They captured my imagination like nothing before. What I did not realize then was that what I was watching was shows on Dystopia, Cyberpunk and Post-apocalyptic earth – stuff that excite me even today.

Wolf’s Rain was set hundreds of years from now, when most of the Earth is a mere ruined wasteland and people live in few domed and widely dispersed cities. Legend speaks that at the end of this world, which is almost near, Paradise will open, and it will only be known by the wolves. But wolves, along with most wild animals have been extinct for 200 years… or so everyone believes. In fact, a few still survive, using their mental strength to cloak themselves as human beings, living off the gutters. All changes when a young white wolf named Kiba arrives, drawn by the scent of the Flower Daughter, a mysterious girl held captive by a group of researchers.

Wolf’s Rain deals with very delicate human-animal relationships and the very pressing issue of environmental destruction. The message is not shouted out. The subtle reality of the world in which the wolves live – the options of scavenging from the city of leaving it for freedom into the vast empty wasteland, makes one stop and take notice. The monochromatic barren landscapes, sweeping melancholy and gloomy vistas add a chilling sense of dread. Added to these is Yoko Kanno’s haunting music which does not leave you for a long time to come. Maya Sakamoto’s ‘GRAVITY (youtube link)’ and Steve Conte’s ‘STRAY (youtube link)’ are masterpieces. No show has portrayed a dystopic society better before, just like Kiba says – “Dying or getting killed isn't something unnatural. Living aimlessly without a purpose is.” (Wolf's Rain).

Get Backer on the other hand is apparently an action comedy of two guys who call themselves "The GetBackers" and their claim to fame is a 100% case success rate. Ginji Amano and Ban Mido make up the spiky-haired retrieval agency that will get back any lost or stolen item, for the right price. On the surface, the GetBackers look like an ordinary male duo; however, Ginji and Ban both possess unique capabilities. Ginji is able to produce thousands of volts of electricity from his body while Ban has what's called 'The Evil Eye'—for one minute he can hypnotize someone by trapping them in their worst nightmare for what seems an eternity, and that’s not intimidating what is? What I actually liked about it was the portrayal of a certain place called Maze City, which Ban says is “ a place where reality and virtual reality collides”. As soon as you enter it, you get automatically plugged into the virtual reality system through microwaves. What happens in it is both real and unreal. Like, you could be actually walking in the city, but your mind can be made to think that you are doing something else. In the same way, you could be really sitting in the 2^nd floor of maze city, but if the VR(virtual Reality) system wants you to think you are standing in the hallway of the 3^rd floor, you are. The VR actually sends signals to our brains directly. So we end up in seeing, feeling, hearing, tasting and feeling unreal objects. The fact that the makers use such convoluted concepts and yet manage a perfect coherent ending never fails to amaze me.

 

If you want a break from your regular Television channels, Anime is a must watch. And if Animax isn’t airing, there good ol’ Youtube for the rest. Go, search up the tube and get ready to be spellbound. Animes  (good ones that is) will hold your attention longer than you imagine. Borrowing from the Bard, There are more things in Animes, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

:: About Moi ::

1. I feel short compared to most people, even though I'm probably not that short. 


2. When I was young I worried that I would still be reading Harry Potter when I was an adult, and it would make me an outcast... :( 


3. I've never broken a limb (WHAT AN ACHIEVEMENT!!).


4. My favourite ice cream is Butterscotch with choco dumplings.... ymmm!!!


5. I once owned a She-ra Crystal Castle, which was exactly the same plastic castle as He-Man's Castle Grayskull, only spray painted pink. 


6. I once ran away from home at age 9 with a packet of chips, a pair of toy binoculars and a ten bucks note in my backpack. I made it as far as 10 km...


7. Despite the unreliability, crowd, and slow speed of the city buses, I am still stoked that I only have to wait 4 minutes for a bus.


8. I never saw DDLJ until last month and I think I really hate it .


9. I can't believe I made it in Neptune.. by my own personal scoring system, anyway ..


10. I have never been to Atlantis.


11. I love being in love <3 <3


12. I don't believe in love at first sight .


13. I have a problem with hypocrites.


14. I appreciate my mother .


15. My hobby is talking to myself.


16. I think about my mistakes .


17. I've been known to hold grudges, although I try not to ...


18. I feel lucky that I have been loved ..........


19. If I had the chance to start again, I would do almost nothing differently!


20. I swear too much ... damn.. (there I go again...)


21. I've never been cool. I kind of go my own way, which is uber-cool, apparently. 


22. I don't remember ever having chicken pox. I think I had the measles once 


23. I really really hate being sick. I am hardly ever sick enough to stay home from college, though. 


24. I don't have a "type" 


25. People who make me laugh fascinate me. Especially when its a sarcastic or caustic remark that does it 


26. I am writing this at the middle of night because I don't have any to do (some things never change).


27. I am leaving for dreamland in 45 minutes and I don't know if I want the dreams 


28. I can't think of that many things to write about myself! 


29. My favourite author is William Gibson, followed by J.K.Rowling, Alistair Maclean and Edgar Allan Poe


30. I always wanted to be in a real haunted house and have to stay the night with a group of my friends 


31. I love to read. Especially when its cold and raining and I'm inside 


32. I hate weddings. They're boring and stressful. 


33. I love mashed potato. Any potato dish really 


34. I can't sing, but I still love to anyway. 


35. I am a super huge Anime and Manga fan!!!!!! 


36. I'm a big fan of starfish sleeping 


37. My favourite color is black, which is boring because almost everyone elses is too 


38. The best game ever written is The Sims.. I own all the expansions. I've bought them twice, because I lost the first set 


39. I don't like being tickled. 


40. But I love pillow fights 


41. My blood type is AB+ 


42. I have a weakness for microwaved popcorn 


43. I love doodling in most of my classes.


44. My secret ambition when I was 11, was to be an astronaut, detective, adventurer and god knows what…


45. I waited all day on my 11th birthday to get the letter from Hogwarts


46. I secretly read Dante's Inferno. 


47. My favourite font is Chiller


48. I can talk to lizards


49. I absolutely love wolves… damn gorgeous


50. I've never met anyone from Siberia. I think that would be cool 


51. I don't like dolphin motifs on furniture, ornaments etc 


52. I love goats cheese 


53. Greek food is my favourite 


54. I am pro-choice, however I'm not sure what I'd do if I had to make one 


55. I like music with sad lyrics. This does not make me permanently depressive, however 


56. I cannot keep my room tidy. 


57. I had a cat called Tussy, named after... god knows what?!


58. I hate small tweeny irritating kids.


59. After a long day, I play GTA:Vice City just to ride the cool cars and blow up people.


60. I miss old friends sometimes but realise our parting was probably for the best 


61. I love old fashioned rooms with patched upholstery and nicotine-stained ceilings 


62. I like bingo. 


63. I am no good at gardening, I tend to kill all plants 


64. When I was in primary school Tazzos (free with chips packets)  just came out. You could get Pokemon, Digimon and all sorts of them.... I was the proud owner of 300 of them.


65. My one secret ambition is to write a book on Dystopian 'cyberpunk'ish society....


66. I once caught a cricket ball in my hair and became the most popular player for the day 


67. I don't really like a lot of candies, cant say the same for chocolates though...


68. My favourite movies are Rang de Basanti and A Clockwork Orange,Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Inception, Blade Runner and the rest I cant remember now…


69. I hate doing dishes only slightly less than studying


70. I love Grappo Fizz


71. Above all programs, I hate Macromedia Flash the most


72. If I were a cartoon character, I'd be Milhouse from the Simpsons. ("My beautiful eyebrows!") :P


73. If I were an animal, I'd be a cat. Lazy, feline and fat :) though I've always loved Wolves


74. I adore my new window drapes.


75. I hate Big Boss (and variations thereof) 


76. I'm passionate about music and have a pretty diverse taste 


77. I'm not in the least bit original, but praise others for being so 


78. I hate noise waking me up. 


79. I secretly like the colors Red and White


80. I have been known to start fights due to lack of sleep irritability 


81. I hate Professor Snape


82. Sapphires are my favourite. Followed by blue topaz, amethyst, emeralds, rubies, any colored zirconia, and rose quartz. I do not like yellow gold and prefer silver or white gold 


83. I don't do walking. 


84. I like Draco Malfoy


85. Rich food and a lot of laughs = the perfect night out (or in, depending) 


86. I miss my old school and old life sometimes. 


87. I think a turtleneck on a guy is damn near the cutest sight in the world. 


88. I'm going to Atlantis in December 2012. 


89. I am addicted to Facebook. No, really. 


90. I barely turned my computer on since I realised I had 5 days left for the exams and I wonder if this is a bad thing. 

91. I keep promising to take pictures of where I live and around Calcutta, but I am too slack. 


92. I worry that I'm not taking Calcutta in and that I won't remember when I get home.


93. I wonder if I'll ever go Home.

94. I think Tom Felton is smoking hot and Imran Khan is cuddly cute


95. I am not in the least bit interested in Robert Pattinson (Edward 'leech' Cullen). I think this may make me a freak.


96. I secretly love T2 - even if they do have 90% useless news. 


97. One of my favourite things to do is to visit a theme park. My secret aim is to visit as many as possible in my lifetime.


98. I’m not always right, but I am never wrong


99. I am writing this and that makes me damn gutsy


100.     My name is Sanchali and this has been 100 things about me.  :-D