A walk down the memory lane

I set  forth to write my autobiography of the assignment that I had mentioned earlier. I thought I had a good start and wrote about two pages. This is when I noticed that a red light was blinking on my laptop. My laptop was going to shut down itself automatically as there was no charge in it.

The plug points were not working and there was nothing I could do. Cursing, I quickly saved my work and set out to find if anybody else was also facing the issue with the plug point. Within minutes I confirmed that everybody on our floor had this problem.

We quickly decided to go forth and tell our warden the issue. After all we did have a lot of work to complete. We set out only to suffer a set back. Our warden told us that since it was almost 10.00 in the night she was not going to call any electrician to the girls hostel. She said we had to wait till the next morn. We knew that there was absolutely no need for an electrician. All that was needed was that the switch that had tripped needed to be pushed back into its earlier position. But none of us had the courage to argue it out this time. Dejected we all trooped back to our rooms.

My attempt at the autobiography stopped there and then. I hadn't touched it after that. After many days of sitting on the work already done, I accepted the fact that I needed to complete. Many days of procrastination followed by this one day where I would complete my entire autobiography for my SAR.

I opened the file that I had worked earlier on and re-read what I had written. I stared at it for more than an hour trying to figure out how I should continue and whether the style in which I was writing was right. After a hour of absolutely no productivity, I decided to scrap my earlier work and start afresh.

Now I sit a few hours into the process. I find that the pace is agonizingly slow. Sometimes I spend time thinking of the past, whereas others I spend wondering how to pen it down. All in all the day till now has been a slow stroll along the memory lane.

"For good or for bad, for better or for worse..." as the words go, I started my journey and haven't yet completed half the way. I guess it will take time and I need to accept it. Probably these were memories meant to be re-looked at with a smile, a grin or even a twinkle in the eye.

So despite hammering away more than half of my morning and discovering that I still have a long way to go, I continue. After all, isn't it the story of my life? The story of my life - it would be the diary that I haven't kept, those diaries that I had disposed of - all in a concise form for me to look at whenever I would feel like.

So now off again to another session of hammering as I pen down the next phase of memories...

Kindled....

I came home bone tired and weary...It had been really long since I had come home. More than 2 months I believe. And I was just glad to be back. Glad for the sense of peace that being at home would give.

Though I reached home tired, I was excited because things had been happening at home and I had missed out on those. So coming back home after such a long time would mean that I could see the rooms that my parents and brother had painted, the new netbook that my dad had bought, the CPU that we had to buy once our computer died on us and the latest addition to the familys' technology gadgets, (my brothers new toy).

My brother had just got a Kindle. Don't ask me which version of the Kindle it is, because I really do not know!!! I was really happy that both my mother and my brother had a kindle. I was waiting to get a job so I could buy my own Kindle. I walked around telling people that he was getting a Kindle before he got it. And I was walking around telling people that he got it once he received it.

The only dark spot in the entire Kindle business was the fact that not neither my mother nor my brother would be as keen to go to the library as before.

"Sigh..."

But then a Kindle is a Kindle and I guess I could take Rohit's Kindle whenever I needed it. After all he did say I could.

So I reached home a bit late. And as tired as I was I didn't inquire about the Kindle for almost another hour. And when I did ask Rohit about his Kindle he gave me the box and asked me to open it.

I tried to open the box but the things seemed to be stuck.  I told Rohit that it was stuck and asked him to open it as I didn't want to tear the box. He opened it and I took it out and compared it my mother's Kindle.

I tried to switch it on but it was taking way too much time to load. I asked amma why the Kindle was slower than hers.

That is when I noticed my mother and Rohit giving side- glances to each other and smiling widely. And that is when I realised....The Kindle was a new one...It was taking time to load because it was being switched on for the first time...And I was sure that Rohit had already used it...And it could only mean one thing.....

The Kindle was mine!!!! I got a Kindle.....A kindle!!!!!!

AAaaaaaaaaaa!!!!

I was jumping up and down ....Kept grinning from ear to ear...I wanted to call up somebody...anybody and share the good...great...amazing news...!!!!!

"Oh My God!!! Oh My G0d!!!!! Ooooh My Gooood!!!!" A kindle...I got a Kindle"....Saying this I kept up my act of jumping around and grinning and wading in from one room to the other"

The Kindled Family!!!!

I too have been Kindled!!!! I too have a Kindle now...So now I am transferring the books to the Kindle...Looking at covers to stitch one or to get amma to stitch one for the Kindle. And finally...last but not the least I am waiting to finish my work so that I can settle down with my Kindle and a good book to read...

An autobiography

I set out to write my autobiography.

Na...Don't be too surprised!!! My writing hasn't gone to my head and neither have I gone crazy.

It's just that I or should I say 'we', the students of the HR class have been given an assignment to prepare a 'Self Assessment Report' for career planning. And one of the activities that would form a part of the SAR is our autobiography.

The writer in me is not too keen on this project or am I too keen. I know not from where to start and what to write. What should I include and what should I leave out? Like sir says, "it should contain those portions fit for public consumption". But even then the thought of putting down all the significant and the insignificant portions of one's life for an other to read seems to overwhelm me.

The document is supposed to a confidential one with access to only the faculty guide and anybody else that I would give access to. I am filled with nervous excitement as I contemplate the things I would put down and the people I would actually show it to.

So ideally an waiting for the time when I can sit down without any interruptions and write down whatever it is that comes to my mind. And I guess once I am done I can decide whether or not to share it with any other. 

Setting out for the data...

I set out for my data collection trying to act as though confidence was oozing through every pore of mine. Slightly nervous I set out from the hostel at the time that I had decided to leave.

I gathered up courage and decided that the day was going to be mine and I was going to conquer it. I met a batch mate who offered me a ride to the nearest bus stop from where I had to start my journey.

Standing there and waiting for the bus to come, it seemed like the longest time ever. But even then the time was pleasant as I received calls from the bestest of my buddies asking me not to go alone. These great friends of mine were trying to get somebody to accompany me as they didn't want me to go alone. Great friends aren't they?

Well...anyway...I reassured them that it was okay and that they did not have to cut class and come for me. That I would call them as soon as I wanted any help or was in any difficulty. Having persuaded them and having got down at the first bus stop, I proceeded to catch an auto to the first branch office I needed to go.

After what seemed to be ages in the auto, the auto fellow and I couldn't still see the branch that we were supposed to go to. Finally after going up and down twice, I called up the branch office to find out where exactly the location of this branch was.

And that is when thunder and lighting struck. It seemed that they address the regional office had given me was wrong and the location of the branch was only 5 minutes walk away from the place that I had alighted the auto. Feeling peeved by this time, I reached the branch and found myself waiting for the managers meeting to get over so that I could start distributing my questionnaires.

I met the manager and gave my questionnaires and was out of the office. I started walking back to the bus stop trying to get my bearings right. And then I realized that even though things didn't exactly go the way I had planned the only thing that I had lost was a bit of time. I charged right ahead.

And in that enthusiasm I went on to the nest branch in my list and soon moved on to third branch  in my list.  As I was going to the third branch Saji had called me up and he offered to pick me up and take me back to college.

I was exhausted with only the 3 branches covered and since it was a getting late and I welcomed the thought of returning. And soon I ran into Saji and covered the 3rd branch with him and we set back to college just in time for class.

And so with 3 down on my list and 5 more to go, I am waiting for Monday when I can finish the list of those branches that I couldn't visit on that day along with the revisiting of all the branches to collect the filled inn questionnaires.

My exploratory, though begun in an exasperating way ended well and I am looking forward to the rest of my data collection

Data Collection and me

The date for the submission of the data that should have been collected was fast approaching. I had my research in hand and my questionnaires ready but I still hadn't started on my data collection.

Not entirely my fault mind you. I hadn't been entirely free to devote the time, resources or energy needed for this with the INFLORE running full steam during these days along with the classes and the assignments. 

So though I was extremely enthusiastic about my research topic and had set almost everything in place, I still had not started on the next stage. As the atmosphere cleared up with the INFLORE coming to an end, I decided to devote my time to my dissertation work.

Things quickly fell into place and yesterday I decided I would set forward in my data collections process. I knew that I may not find myself able to submit everything on time but I had to put in my best and so I charted out the branches to which I had to email my questionnaires and the branches in Kochi that I could visit. 

Being a Saturday the branches would close by noon and my task was cut right out for me. I had to cover 5 branches in 3-4 hours. All set into place I looked at the places that I had to go only to realize that I didn't know how to get to any of them.

Woe unto me...Filled with despair and the tears readily springing to my eyes at the realization that all my enthusiasm was for nothing. I began to feel that my data collection was going to be hopeless. Like the silver lining to the dark cloud, one of my good friends explained to me each area in my list of 5 branches along with details on how to get there and back by bus/auto. 

And so filled with determination and nervous trepidation I set out to explore....

Dreaming...

A nice day at home....If there was a fireplace at home, then have the fireplace lit and keep home nice, warm and cosy. Snuggle up with a good book to read.

Now, that to me is the best way that one can spend their time. I am not a recluse who spends her time cooped up in a place and not interacting with people. But to me quality time with myself and my books is pretty special.

I do love going out with my friends and family and that fills me with happiness. 

But a romantic I am...and a romantic I will be. Dreaming about my books and living the lives of each of the characters of my book I am content. My heart rate increases as the murders take place, I try to seek out the murderers and the detective in me triumphs each time I find the murderer, I turn an adventurer and go places never gone before. But the best among all this is the Victorian era with the corsets and the plumes and the laudanum and the powders and the patches, not to mention the romance in each.

My heart lifts up each time I think of these. And I remain dreaming about my books, my stories, my library and my fireplace to snuggle with my books.

So I remain dreaming