Going to the gym...

Now I am a thin person.. some would say extremely thin but I disagree. Just thin.. and I accept that.

I recently started going to the gym and when I told people this, they immediately asked me one of two things:

1. Why on earth would you want to go to the gym?? You'll disappear!
2. To lose weight or to gain weight?

Now to people of the first category.. Hello? Going to the gym is not equivalent to wanting to lose weight! You can go there for general fitness too ya know! Exercise leads to a bigger appetite.

As for the others, is there really a need to ask such a question? Do I look demented to you? Do you really think even for a moment that I would consider spending an hour or so everyday to lose weight? I don't need a gym for that! I can do that with completely no effort on my part whatsoever..

So, of course, I tell these same people that I'm going to lose weight (with a completely straight face, mind you) and they totally fall for it. And at this point they become people of category 1. Its ridiculous.

Secondhand

When I go book hunting I prefer the secondhand stores. Unless its a recently published book, I stay away from 'proper' bookstores.. There's just some kind of immense joy I get when I find an Asterix, or Tintin, or Peanuts, or Garfield, or Calvin and Hobbes(Yeah I mostly go for comics..) secondhand. It just isn't the same when I look at a brand new copy.. one that hasn't been opened, spine intact, no writing on the first page..

And hey, theres always the fact that its cheaper to buy it secondhand. You can bargain with the seller too. And if you don't want to keep it, most sellers let you return it, charging a small reading charge (10-20). Its cheaper than a usual circulating library and therefore great!

If I see a used book store, I have to go in and browse. It's a compulsion. And I almost always walk away with a purchase. Not surprisingly, a large chunk of my pocket money goes in buying/borrowing books. (The rest of it goes in food, believe it or not..)

Most used bookstalls/stores have a majority of novels of every kind. I guess those are the most popular to read and return. When I can't find a comic I usually get one of those.

There used to be sooo many of these stores at Flora fountain.. pity the BMC decided to get rid of them. Thankfully they left the job half done and about 5-6 of these stalls remain. And on Sundays, it seems all the others who had to leave come and sell their books on the footpaths (the BMC is off on Sundays..). Thats when you can easily buy books for very cheap coz these people just want to get rid of their stock..

Thunderstorm

It's raining cats and dogs outside at the moment. Finally, I can assure myself that the monsoon has arrived. It certainly took its time getting here..

I love the moments just before it starts to rain. You can always tell.. The wind picks up speed.. distinct chill in the air.. no sun to speak of..

I just love thunderstorms! My favorite part has got to be the sound of the wind howling like some rabid beast, rattling the windows, trying to get in.. I love to burrow under my blankets and just lie there, listening.. I'm not a big fan of thunder.. mostly because it can jolt me awake.. but usually I can sleep through the best of them.

In such weather, most people tend not to venture out. My cat Felix, however, doesn't let himself be fazed by a bit of rain. He still demands to be let outside. And somehow, when he returns, he's never wet.. if at all he is, its only a few drops here and there or maybe the end of his tail. It's highly suspicious.. Like today, he went out when it was absolutely pouring! And when he returned some 3 hrs later, he was completely dry. How does he do it?? If I were to go out I'd be wet in 30 seconds flat. Even if I simply stood under my building, the spray would get me.. And so, I am forced to conclude that Felix has some weird rain-repelling-energy-force-thing going on and he uses this to mess with my mind!

I could extol the virtues of storms for a loooong time.. but the rain's dying down now, and my blankets beckon.. or something like that :)

Want to learn to draw? Take Science!

So I was sitting in the foyer of my college one day, my pencil flying over the pages of my Zoology journal, as I rushed to complete the seemingly endless diagrams. My classmates were sitting around me engaged in likewise pursuits. An Arts student, a friend of one of my classmates, walked up to us. I was introduced to him. He looked at my journal and said, "Whoa, nice! Are you an artist?" Bemusedly, I looked up at him and replied, "No.. I'm just a Biology student."

My father once told me, that his school teachers advised him not to pursue biological sciences. Apparently it was because he couldn't draw very well. People who could master the skill of drawing neatly on the other hand, were pushed whole-heartedly into it (which in those days simply meant medicine).

I believe, that even if you are completely rubbish at drawing, if you go into the Biology stream, you will emerge as a passable draw-er of diagrams.

The journals were always my biggest headache. I'm not too bad at drawing. There are even times when I enjoy it.. However, I am a chronic putter-offer. I may have a whole 3 months to complete the journal but I'll only begin when there's about a week left. In my first year, my Zoology journal was a combined effort. I somehow managed to get other people (from my sister to Arts students to my father to friends' parents) to draw at least one diagram for me. and 80% of my journal was completed this way in about 2 weeks. In the end, anyone who looked at my journal would have known it wasn;t all my work. Some diagrams were dark and huge; some were light and tiny; some were shaded; some were smudged. My professor was vastly amused..

Gotta post some of my (better) diagrams.. and for the record these are all 100% my work! Click on them if you want to see them bigger.. much bigger.

My Fraidycat

Lucky is a shy cat. Since she was abandoned as a kitten I always reckon her previous owners treated her badly. If you're a stranger in the house, she disappears from sight. Usually to a bedroom. If you follow her there, she runs to another room. Follow her again, she'll make a mad dash for whatever room is furthest from you.. even if she has to go right past the danger - you. Make a grab for her, and it's very likely all you'll have are scratches and some fur (yes she sheds, she sheds like her life depends on it)to show for it. So please don't try..

Stay in the house for a few days and Lucky usually gets used to you. She *might* even let you pet her. That is the highest honor she can bestow upon you because for Lucky, petting is no light matter. It's a serious job that can last from minutes to, well, hours if she can persuade you.

Early in the morning (by my standards) you can hear the impatient meows as Lucky follows you (and when I say 'follows' I mean dogs [cats?] your every step; 'you' implying anyone who is up at such an ungodly hour) around demanding that you stop and pet her. If you pause on your way, she immediately falls to her side and looks up at you imploringly. Continue on your way, and she's up and running beside you once more. It does not stop until you give in and pet her..

Usually this occurs even in the middle of the night. If, say, you get up to drink a glass of water, you'll find you have a little bell-tinkling shadow trotting beside you.. She seems to be of the opinion that we have awoken for the sole purpose of paying her a bit of attention. I must say, this cat gives the impression that she's affection/attention starved. Although its true we ignore her pitiful cries sometimes, that is anything but the case..

The utter bliss that comes over her as you start to pet her, simply cannot be described. She is enraptured by your hands. Try to lift them away and she's likely to grab them back towards her. And the purring.. never have I come across a cat that could purr so loud. In fact, I think it's something called 'trilling' that cats do when they are ve-e-e-e-ery happy.

Even if she doesn't ask (and when I say 'ask', I mean 'demand'), petting is always welcome to Lucky. Even if it means waking her from deep in kitty slumber..