2008 May « Quarter Past Seven

Playing Tag

May 29, 2008 at 11:19 pm | In games | 19 Comments

Although it’s fun to read when others write it, it’s a pain when you have to write things about yourself. I have been tagged by Akshay who, I can see had a lot of fun doing his.

These are the rules:

1. Link the person(s) who tagged you Akshay

2. Mention the rules on your blog

3. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours…

4. Tag 6 following bloggers by linking them…

5. Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger’s blogs letting them know they’ve been tagged…

1) When I see dust indoors, I HAVE to clean it up. I can’t stand the sight of settled dust on table tops, books, shelves, anything. I just take a duster or a tissue and start cleaning. It doesn’t matter where I am. Because of this habit I am sometimes teased beyond belief! But I just can’t imagine anyone living with so much dust around them. The idea sickens me.

2) I am obsessed with odd numbers, prime numbers to be more precise. My alarm clock rings at 6:23 am everyday. I buy mints in 3 packs. I am always tempted to buy things which cost $**.23 or $**.47 etc.
3) I am addicted to milk tea. On a normal day I can have 6-7 cups without regret. Although I am trying to cut it down now, when I smell tea, I have to have a cup.

4) I am smitten with bollywood. I used to average 9 movies a week a couple of months back. Now I am tied down with work and can only manage about 3-4. A lot of people tell me I am very bollywood-ish in my daily, normal (or not normal) behavior as well. I have more than 10 GB of bollywood music on my computer. Ranging from those from the 40s until now. Although I can’t name all the music directors or producers or whatever a lot of people can. I just enjoy bollywood and that’s why I watch the movies.

5) I google everything. EVERYTHING. My friends used to call me “google queen” sometime back. I google anything that I am curious about. If there is nothing I am curious about at anytime I just pick up a random word and google it and then follow from there. That’s why if anyone needs anything from the internet, they approach me first, since I am most likely to have the link with me.

6) I am VERY organized when it comes to papers. I have different files for notes, bank stuff, phone bills, apartment things, projects, anything that you can think of. I colour code them too sometimes. If I can’t find a document that i am looking for, it is probably lost. You’ll find all my papers arranged according to date in the files. The ones which are not dated will be arranged according to the date that I printed/received/read them.

Yes, that’s me. Go ahead, call me an obsessive moron. But that’s what I am, and I can’t say I don’t like all that about myself. I am me. That’s it :)

I tag Bharat, Noelia, Jeff, GoneCase, AJ, Brat

Of Jet-Lags, Timezones and Travel

May 25, 2008 at 5:37 pm | In Insomnia, Journey, Wonderment | 14 Comments

First things first, I miss Singapore! All my friends, and hostel, and people and office..each one of them! :(

Moving on,

Despite being in 4 different time-zones in the past 24 hours, which has led my body clock to be wonderfully messed up, despite being pulled out of queues for individual questioning 5 times during my 22 hour journey, despite getting a middle seat in my longest flight, despite being up at 4 am because of the 12 hour time difference and despite being terribly tired, I have to admit, it feels amazing to be in beautiful Chicago =)

Post-Assessment Trauma

May 19, 2008 at 11:40 pm | In Angst | 20 Comments

When I was in the last years of school, we used to have spot check for uniforms. Our hands would automatically start adjusting our skirts to make them look like they are no higher than 2.5 inches above the knee. The ties would be pulled up, all the way up, enough to almost choke us, since we would rather get choked than button up our shirts until the top. Me, being the disciplined one always managed to escape the scolding. We also had pop quizzes for chemistry which half the class would inevitably fail. In PE, we had random assessments for running a 2.4k or sit-ups or pull-ups. Physics lab was always a surprise since we never came to know beforehand whether we were actually going to work in the lab or just discuss tutorials.

After going to college I sort of forgot about all this. Everything had a deadline about which we were informed months before. There are no ‘Surprise term paper’ or ’surprise lecture quiz’ or ’surprise projects’. We know exactly how much time we have before handing in the next assignment. I forgot how a random assessment feels like. Only to be reminded again, today.

When I saw those survey forms which my “girls” filled up today, my heart kind of skipped a beat. When they were filling in details about whether I constantly ask them questions related to studies or if I inspire them to be better, or whether I can be a role model to them, I was thinking if one month is a long enough time to be coming to a conclusion like this. I wonder if it’s only me who thinks this way or would someone else have the same opinion as I do. I wonder what everyone would have said. Am I considered one of the friendly ones or am I the intimidating kind? Sigh. Surprise tests suck. I would rather run a 2.4 kilometers on a hot afternoon.

Apologies and Updates!

May 11, 2008 at 2:05 am | In Wonderment | 7 Comments

After all the sitting through love-struck couples during my exam time, I decided it was time for me to take a break and not stare at the computer screen for a few days. Actually, I was just trying to get more used to people at my new place. Have you ever realized it takes longer than you think to do that? Right when I felt I was there, I tried to go and find the laundrette, and ended up in a room filled with four non-functional washing machines and my coins stuck in the coin slot. I was cursing my luck for picking up a time of the day when there was absolutely no chance of someone visiting and helping me out. And then, I met the lady who takes care of laundry for students, or ‘laundry aunty’ , as she is affectionately called. I explained my situation to her and she listened to it intently, smiling all the time. When she did not reply to me for a whole minute after I had tried to explain things to her, I knew what had just happened.

‘You have no idea what I just said to you, do you?’, I asked.

she smiled. And spoke to me in chinese.

Sigh. Bye bye my 3 dollars.

At that time, I was really wondering why the administration would let her work if she could not even speak basic english. Then I came to know her story. She is a woman from a chinese village who has three kids because her mother-in-law wanted a grandson, who was born third. Since they are only allowed to have one child in China, the aunty has to pay a fine for the other two. Having no money to pay for the fine, she borrowed some money and came to singapore in search of work, leaving her family behind. I found out the amount of money she pays back every year and the amount she earns. It is going to be a good 40 to 50 years before she can pay the full amount back. This means no family for her for so long. Since that day, when I look at her I feel concerned. For her and millions of other people who migrate with the hope of being able to make ends meet at home and end up in such situations. Really, one the one hand we have people who buy private Jet planes for their wives on birthday and on the other are these, whose lives are centered around sending and receiving money to get out of a debt. Life is unfair, after all, isn’t it?