Why Friendship is awwww-esome:)

Poopy Piggy on the railway, picking up stones....

Keeping in sync with my poetry phase (Now, now...don't groan just yet)..I have decided to do two very brave things. One, To print a poem that I wrote YEARS ago in school. Now before you assume that this is yet another far-fetched, seemingly glassy eyed, very contemplative mood-ish poem, let me assure you that all this poem will do is accomplish the contrary- Show you my sheer, pure, unadulterated stupidity.
Two- to print this in this colour. It is not me.

But wait! This is not how stupid I am now! (That, is a separate topic of discussion, one that some of my friends would simply love to talk about endlessly, over coffee or beer, at your convenience).

This is about how silly I was in school. See, this is a poem I wrote then, And this is proof to the entire education system- this is what students are driven to out of sheer boredom in class! Do something soon, to stop such childish madness!

Also, I would like you to keep in mind that this was a long time ago, back when I was jobless, childish, immature, had quite a ridiculous imagination, was extremely fond of rhyming scheme and overall, quite silly. (Ha! And you think those things have changed.....).

Important: This piece is entirely fictional. Any resemblance to any person alive or dead, is purely co-incidental. (Anyone from PESIT will know what I mean)

POOPY PIG- A short, musical poem.

I Sniff my snout and it is dirty, so I begin to dig.
Confused? Don't be, for I am Poopy Pig.
I Live in my luxury sty, filled with extra hay
That I empty out when it gets too smelly, each may.
I wiggle out and blush, I see the love of my life...
Its Pimply Pig, the beauty who I want to make my wife!
I run out, flash my dazzling smile, and wink
I suddenly feel embarrassed and turn a bright pink.
Pimply winks at me, and I feel a delicious shiver
She pouts her lips out and I then start to quiver!
But wait! She's smiling at someone else! Now, I'm hurt.
She's my queen, and now she's such a big flirt!
She's looking at Prince-y pig, that rich piece of crap.
One of these days, I'd like to give him one tight slap!
Prince-y gives her a daisy, and she beams with pride
Oh, how it hurts to see that jackass at her side!
He whisks her away on his bike, and I'm left in the cold...
Its simply awful how pretty damsels go after gold...
I decide to go get a job, and try earn some money,
and kick prince-y's ass. Now that, would be funny.
I try a bunch of things, from farming to software
and All i could buy, was new clean underwear.
So I contemplated stealing, but I know that's not right...
I'm a principled Pig, and stealing gives me a fright!
So I decide to shape up, and look like a charming guy,
But I'm wayyy too fat...It won't work...Sigh!
So I go back to my sty, feeling so sad
And there was Pimply Pig! The joy drove me mad!
She hugged me and said, "Oh, Poopy, You're the one."
"You're my sunshine, and besides, you're so much fun!"
"Prince-y may be rich, prince-y may be fancy,
But he's such a jerk, and oh-so-pansy!
He has no character, and He's such a bore!
He talks only about himself and my ears are sore.
You, however are sweet, nice to talk to, and kind...
And I'd love to date you, If you don't mind!"
So now, finally, Pimply's mine, 24*7
and I, Poopy Pig, am in Piggy Heaven.

The week

This week was weird.

Don't get me wrong, it was probably one of the best weeks I've had in a long time. Most weeks are very BLAH, you know..where you arbitrarily wait for something to happen, and then something works out, something doesn't..and before you know it, the highlight of the week would've been potting more than two balls at pool, eating something vegetarian in KFC for the millionth time(Believe me, that happens when you completely IGNORE your tastebuds), or someone actually responding to a blog post (No kidding!)

But this week was different.

For starters, This week had an agenda. I don't normally like writing about my personal life at all, but I guess sometimes, you want to. Not because its all oh-so-fabulous, or because reading it will make anyone go "Ooh la la, she lives it up!"...but because I want to. I feel like it. Shocking, for me...but here goes...

So this week, my friend's sister's wedding was the agenda. I'm not big on naming people, and what's in a name, anyway? But wait..that's reserved for a whole new post.

Oh, man. I'm digressing a lot, aren't I? By the way, I'm not the kind or person who says "ain't I" unless I'm in a very bling-kinda mood. Which isn't often.

So, anyway....one night we went to the mehendi, one night we went to the reception..and it was all so gosh-darn-fabulous that I was quietly thinking a lot in my head. Two things make me think-good scenarios, bad scenarios. If its a good scenario, I can't help but break it down into what the hell makes it THAT good...(Yeah, I know..SO Much fun)...but hey! We all have our weird-ness, don't we?
So During the wedding I was just mindlessly moving from the awesomeness (mind you, the dancing was par excellence) to how my wedding would be someday. Every girl has pondered, and pondered some more on the subject. Yes, even the ones with commitment-trust-issues, even the tomboys, even the ones who never, ever played with Barbie. And yes, Even me.(Barbie-playing constituted a gargantuan chunk of my life, though).

So...I didn't know shit. I mean it. I used to be the kind of person who knew what she wanted, how she wanted it..but now..I didn't know when, how, and most most most importantly...why I wanted to get married in the first place. Plus all these hideous girly doubts crept in. Will I be glowing like that? Will I be that happy? Will I feel like that is the moment? Will my hair grow out like that? What If i'm too fat then to carry off a dress like that? What if my hair-do doesn't come out the way it should? What if, what if?
Man, the female brain- It does the mental tour de france everyday. I know mine does.

Odd, eh? In the midst of an event that was spectacular in every way, I couln't help feel rather lost with respect to my event, hopefully a good long way away. I guess at some level I'm happy with that level of doubt. Its mildly comforting.
Except for when I succumb to the doubts.

College the next day, (after THAT much fun and mental thinking) was nothing short of something very much like the blues. I just wanted to sleep, dream, sleep, sleep....I was so out of it that I came back and slept all evening and all night. For most part of it I was in some elemental trance.

We also went to the reception which was....WOW. The clothes, the food, the dancing, the environment. Needless to say, I danced so much that I took care of two workouts I had missed that week. (Ugh. Imagine calling dance a workout when its wayyyyyyyyyy more fun!)

The other highlights of the week were playing the nintendo wii for the very first time (which just totally kicks ass with its technology-cuteness mix), watching the play "Five point someone"(which I totally owe my friend for, and mind you-it was a stunning play..they took a mediocre book and just made an outstanding play...the cast was fabulous) and....cooking! Yes, I'm starting to quite like cooking. Being twenty something changes so many things in you. Its strange.

But why was this week weird? Because after this much fun, I should either be
- energised
- raring to get through any thing torturous
- experiencing fun-withdrawal.

I'm none of these. I'm still very blah.

I know. Women.
I feel it, too. Feelings just don't materialize the way they should, eh.
Ta!

I really couln't think of a title, but does 'Bill Watterson's the Best' suffice? Hmm.

On November 18, 1985, when people picked up their copy of The Daily and saw this strip, I wonder if they knew that they were witnessing a turning point in comic history, one where a comic strip would be elevated to a new league of its own, have a cult following, and make people of all ages turn first to a certain page in the newspaper every morning with an excitement that is unparalleled. Calvin and Hobbes has done all that, and more. It's easily one of the funniest, most poignant, ingenious and popular comic strips to hit newspapers and books in decades. Bill Watterson's creation not only put his characters on the map, it also dared us to look at ourselves and children everywhere in a new light. He managed to distil the very essence of twentieth century childhood, with a fresh dose of humour and light-speed perspective that's almost impossible to find anywhere else, and in any other medium.

Calvin, named after John Calvin, a 16^th century theologian, is arguably the protagonist with a difference- he effortlessly manoeuvres between being a six-year-old with a vivid, colourful and irrepressible imagination and a philosophical genius whose brilliance is impossible to argue with. Calvin is the walking talking embodiment of the typical human psyche, and in essence a good kid who just wants things to go his way, like most people. He also has three alter-egos....

Stupendous Man is Calvin's most powerful alter ego, who can turn back time and attempt to defeat all monsters and villains. However, Calvin comes back to his mild self when he realises Stupendous Man cannot get him certain things, like a day out of school! Spaceman Spiff is a superhero that travels to various other planets, fighting aliens that are mock ups of people in real life. His adventures usually occur when he's day dreaming in class, and end when his teacher, Mrs. Wormwood, a.k.a the alien guard, capture him. Tracer Bullet, the detective, is the third.

Hobbes, Calvin's pet tiger is named after Thomas Hobbes, the 17^th century Philosopher and is Calvin's sidekick in every way possible. The gimmick of the strip lies in Calvin seeing hobbes as a real tiger, and other people viewing him as a stuffed doll. This signifies that people view things differently, one of Watterson's key ideas about life that permeated seamlessly into the strip. Hobbes was always Calvin's voice of reason, even though he never parented him. He was calvin's partner in crime, conviction and curiosity. Hobbes either supported calvin or quietly undermined his efforts, through his somewhat sarcastic side. Their relationship stood the test of time, patience, fantasy and everything else.

The strip's multifaceted charm was enhanced by all the other characters, particularly his all-american parents, who do their best to raise a normal, healthy kid. Their trials and tribulations with calvin's eclectic interests and quirky behavior bring a grin to everyone's face, as they attempt to handle their adorable, sometimes manic son. They even developed a sense of humour that allowed them to feature on strips without calvin, and still live up to the entertainment quotient.

Susie Derkins, named after Watterson's wife Beagle, is the new, smart girl in class that Calvin likes, which he refuses to admit. Instead, he reacts by constantly plotting against her, by forming a group- G.R.O.S.S (Get rid of slimy girls), throwing snowballs at her and torturing her with disgusting information that he makes up. Hobbes, however, likes girls and dresses up for them, making sure he treats them well. Few comic strips bring out the boyish reaction to girls better than this one does.

Calvin's babysitter, Rosalyn, is the only person he fears, and this indimidating relationship brings out the worst in Calvin. She also has to undergo his manic behaviour like everyone else. Mrs Wormwood, his exasperated teacher, is usually the one who wakes him up from his flights of fancy, while Moe is the big bully at school. These supporting characters add a touch of reality to the strip, while maintaining its surreal child-like perspective.

What makes Calvin and Hobbes truly revolutionary however, is Bill Watterson's visually intensive art. His characters display a myriad of expressions, and hence convey their personalities and humour even before we read. His attention to detail, be it the T-rex, water splashes, or facial expressions of disgust, love, loathing and sarcasm is what makes the characters come alive. His strip looks so compelling that it commands interest, even before you begin reading.

Calvin and Hobbes has stood the test of time. Everyone who reads it can see a bit of themselves in every character, and that makes it easy to identify with. Bill Watterson created a whole new world, a world of personalities so distinct and fun, that he received numerous offers for merchandising, publication and even a movie, all of which he turned down. The essence of the strip lies in its ability to interact with you on paper, the words in capitals, the drawing in black and white. Few other strips possess that striking balance, between being appealing and being resourceful at the same time. Life lessons and thoughts could not have been packaged in a more delightful, hilarious and wacky way. It makes for a great read, for anyone, anytime, anyplace, and in any mood. That's what truly makes every strip a collector's item.

distilled

the myriad mud patches, a toothy grin
we're kids outside, we're kids within
“Behave!”, they said, we didn't want to do so
we thought we'd be this way for as long as we know.
we laughed at others, we learnt even faster
how to laugh at ourseleves, the world was our oyster
we cried when upset, we cried when hurt
we ridiculed freely and when we criticised we were curt
the best part though, was that the day after we fought
the past was buried. the horrid things, we forgot.

it was so easy, so smooth. and then we learnt of pimples
no, no. its all not the same now. grow up. its simple.
and we tried, we changed, that openness we held
the way we learnt and forgave, the way our memories would melt
the way intricacies didn't matter
the way we didn't care about money or stature
the way anything grownups seemed to fight about
seemed way too trivial. and then we started finding out
firsthand. issues cropped up in me, issues cropped up in you
i thought it was normal, and it seemed like you did, too.

we can't scream anymore. that's the first thing i miss
we can't relapse into hours of infantile ignorant bliss
we can't shout when we want, get out what we want
because we've learnt to try and control what we really can't
and while it can't change, while we're taught to distill
every emotion that we were born to be able to spill
i still think, sometimes, we should go back in time
and live. and i mean really, live, like those memories of mine
where we fought over ice cream for hours and in the end
offered it to each other and saved up money so we could spend
on each other and when nothing mattered more to me
than you, and nothing mattered more to you than me
and everything else was secondary.