It's Birthday Time!!

It is the last week of the year and is also the best time. I say so not because it is time for Christmas or the new year, but because it is time for my birthday. This post is for my self analysis and to find out as to in what ways has my d-day changed over the years.
I am a person who tends to get muddled in numbers. I forget phone numbers and birthdays. So to help other people remember my bday I start rallying about it from at least a month before the scheduled date. I have properly etched my birth date in the minds of my relatives, so that they can forget anything but not my birthday.
I used to love to distribute sweets among my friends at school. But the trouble was that my school used to be always closed on my birthday on account of the winter vacations. But as it is rightly said, “Where there is a will, there is a way”. So I would celebrate my birthday 10 days in advance in school. I liked showing off my frilly frocks with matching sweater and bands and bellies to my friends. And on your birthday, obviously one is the star of the show. But I always had to share the limelight as some of my other fellow capricornians would also think in the same manner, and would also celebrate their birthday in advance. This fad lasted only till junior high and after that there were no such celebrations.
I would also throw the mandatory party at my house. I would start preparing from at least a week before. The guest list had to be made, the music had to be decided and new games had to be thought about. I used to make my mother (and still continue the tradition) to take a day off from work. My father would come home early with (hold your breathe) the birthday cake. I have had many shapes of birthday cakes( one cannot play with the flavour-it has to be blackforest).
Once there had been a house shaped one. Otherwise when you want to underplay it, then the normal round one would do.
Now coming to the menu, there were no options. My friends would decide that they wanted to eat only south indian cuisine and that’s it. My mom would make soft idlis, vadas, sambhar and all other titbits. Even now when my friends turn up they want to eat only south Indian food. (So much for experimentation.)
But this has also changed now. I take my friends out for a treat to some restaurant or some pizza parlour and we would hang out together and have fun.
The best part of the birthday is the gifts. As a child I would tell my parents what I wanted (most probably a Barbie or its accessories. I had about 7 of them but still they were not enough.) I used to love the gifts that my friends would give me, be it a pencil box or a sketch pen set. As one grows older, the variety of gifts that one receives greatly reduces. My friends have started gifting me some small showpieces or other stuff, which I don’t know where to put. I don’t blame them but I am better off without such gifts that have no use. Even if the hapless souls ask me now as to what I want, I can’t tell them, as I myself don’t know.
Anyways it is birthday time again! Its time to leave behind the nostalgia and to decide this year’s game plan. It’s time to get busy.
Happy Birthday To Me.

Stress Busters

The week before the dreaded exams is generally like this- Got up in the morning, tried to study but failed, then slept again, then got up and again tried to study...and the vicious cycle continues. So how to beat the stress as the D-day comes closer. Here are a few techniques to beat the heat which are regularly put to use in the girls hostel.

• Unlimited Bakar- It has been seen that the rate of bakar increases exponentialy as the exams approach closer. The topics range from global warming, the sensex to would be's and M-I-Ls. The optimum time for this is from 11 PM to 3 AM.
• Phone- The telecommunications department would be pleased by the rocketing phone bills. During the stress periods, everyone ranging from parents to cousins, whom you have never met are called. Else turn to the text messages which are a bit cheaper but still burn a hole in the pocket.
• Mess and Canteen- These are the favourite hangouts during the PLs. Girls you never know existed, turn up in the mess at 7:3o PM sharp. The bairaajis have to put in double effort in order to ward off the onslaught of girls. And if you are hungry at unearthly hours,then not to worry. For there is the friendly canteen waala bhaiyya to the rescue. The tasty paranthe and chai can put even the best hotels to shame.
• Dressing up- As the exams approach, all sorts of acessories are taken out and paraded about in- The latest Earrings to bracelets. Another good timepass is changing the nail paint colour. Wacky shades are tried( My personal favourite being Blue) and then rejected.
• Movies and songs- The 60,000 rupees lappy is now put to the best use. Movies are seen and songs are listened to, with a fervour never seen before.
• Orkut- Now is the best time to change your profile name on orkut. Names like-"AArgh...exams are here" and "I am screwed" reflect the various thought processings.

And finally, there do exist some black sheep, who study despite all this, and turn the advantages of the relative grading system into disadvantages.

When will I learn? Maybe next sem(one should always be optimistic). Till then it is time for me to enjoy and find out new and innovative ways to beat the STRESS.