ODI-One Day International
This is not another ubiquitous post on cricket or the ASHES which have been flogged to death in most of the sports sites.After completing ,and of course performing poorly in most of them, yet another set of internals{called quiz here..1st QUIZ} i found it quite similar to cricket,which till recently was my passion.The passion has fizzled out thanks to the incompetent performances of INDIA over the past 2 years.
Well i play an ODI on the eve of a test!The batting is done throughout the night with the primary intention of saving the test.The innings starts somewhere around the break of dusk where the notes are procured and photocopied {Hazaar thanks to the guy who invented that}. The next 30 min are spent going through the notes and trying to find out the corresponding pages in the text-book.Probably this could be called the warm-up session.The batting starts with great enthusiasm and verve.Obviously a well begun job is half done and soon its time for some "well left" which i call the SIEVE THEOREM!! Somehow i just cannot fathom/digest the fact that whatever is "well-left" by me surely appears in the exam.So much so that at around 2 am many of my friends gather in my room to find out what is left by me.Then there is the inevitable drinks break.It is coffee for me to rejuvenate my drooping eye lids and get ready for the post drinks session(or post tea session).It is quite surprising that i am able 2 cram so much into my head on the night before the exam.The lurking fear of a Gangulyish score provides the necessary impetus i guess.Of course i end up getting one,but that's a different story of epic proportions altogether.
The perfect example of "inductive effect" is witnessed at around 2 am where a single yawn by a sleepyhead spawns multiple yawns among the neighbours .Coffee is not available at that time and i dance to the tunes of the capricious sleep without any control.Generally i manage to complete the portion by around 4am,albeit with many parts being "well left",which stare at me in the question paper like a menacing fast bowler the next morning.In the 1st QUIZ the irony was that i did well in the tests with minimal effort,which included conf and orkut, while i totally spoilt the test for which i even did "net practice" apart from batting throughout the night.This has deeply entrenched some nonsense in my head regarding exam preparation.
The papers will be given some time this week when it will be time for some introspection again.As of now i have plans of playing a test-studying atleast 5 days for each exam,for the 2nd QUIZ.I am quite sure that this will soon fade out.But still NEVER GIVE UP!Like September for March flunkers there is 2nd QUIZ for 1st QUIZ flunkers.There is an end sem also to revive the sagging fortunes.Lets see what this sem has in store for me!!
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Monday, September 12, 2005
OBSOLETE BLACKBOARD
Firstly let me clarify a few things before i go about cribbing in what is one of the few meaningful posts by yours truly.I am not the typical first bencher in class with a never ending urge to park himslef right under the nose of the teacher and I dont listen to most of the classes.I pay attention only to certain professors,few classes etc which is fn(enthu,hrs of sleep the previous night,the guy who sits beside me).
My first point is the usage of power point presentation in the classes.It is not bad to use it to assist the teacher but it certainly gets on my nerves when the teacher uses only ppt.The poor, old blackboard is relegated to the 2nd position.This is an explicit case of technology misuse or abuse.The primary drawback is that we dont get enough time to write down notes.The prof in most cases just reads out what is there on the slide.If by mistake the prof says "I shall give slides" thats it.It is assumed that we have the notes with us and so he can proceed at his will, oblivious to the fact that class notes are quite important.I have personally faced many problems in the FEW classes where i jot down notes.The teacher is the only one who is benefitted by the ppt.I have also heard of "computerised teachers" or "robotic teachers" or some crap like that where the talking is also done by the comp.It is absolute gibberish/nonsense.The age old method of using the blackboard and the dusty,white chalk is the best in my opinion.I might sound like an octagenarian or a primitive man who is against technology invasion but i do have a valid point here.I am not against ppt per se but i am pained because it is ruling the roost in every classroom these days.It is incumbent now to use ppt and hi tech gadgets at the cost of the blackboard even in kindergarten.I have been and will be a proponent of 'CHALK AND TALK' always.No qualms about it.We did not have these ppts in school and some of my best teachers have used the blackboard with far more superior effect and most of them will vouch for the fact that it cannot be replaced.
In my opinion 'chalk and talk', with usage of ppt to lay emphasis on the finer points or to depict complex diagrams,graphs etc would be the best way of teaching.Let not technology take away the joys of listening in the class,the screeching sound of the chalk on the board,the duster etc which are integral parts of the student life and let it be used in a better manner.My dear readers,if any of you wanna take up teaching as your profession please follow the age old teaching practice.This is my only request.
My first point is the usage of power point presentation in the classes.It is not bad to use it to assist the teacher but it certainly gets on my nerves when the teacher uses only ppt.The poor, old blackboard is relegated to the 2nd position.This is an explicit case of technology misuse or abuse.The primary drawback is that we dont get enough time to write down notes.The prof in most cases just reads out what is there on the slide.If by mistake the prof says "I shall give slides" thats it.It is assumed that we have the notes with us and so he can proceed at his will, oblivious to the fact that class notes are quite important.I have personally faced many problems in the FEW classes where i jot down notes.The teacher is the only one who is benefitted by the ppt.I have also heard of "computerised teachers" or "robotic teachers" or some crap like that where the talking is also done by the comp.It is absolute gibberish/nonsense.The age old method of using the blackboard and the dusty,white chalk is the best in my opinion.I might sound like an octagenarian or a primitive man who is against technology invasion but i do have a valid point here.I am not against ppt per se but i am pained because it is ruling the roost in every classroom these days.It is incumbent now to use ppt and hi tech gadgets at the cost of the blackboard even in kindergarten.I have been and will be a proponent of 'CHALK AND TALK' always.No qualms about it.We did not have these ppts in school and some of my best teachers have used the blackboard with far more superior effect and most of them will vouch for the fact that it cannot be replaced.
In my opinion 'chalk and talk', with usage of ppt to lay emphasis on the finer points or to depict complex diagrams,graphs etc would be the best way of teaching.Let not technology take away the joys of listening in the class,the screeching sound of the chalk on the board,the duster etc which are integral parts of the student life and let it be used in a better manner.My dear readers,if any of you wanna take up teaching as your profession please follow the age old teaching practice.This is my only request.
Sunday, September 04, 2005
PIECE AND SLICE
I love "chat".If the thing that strikes you on hearing that word is 'yahoo messenger' then good.I am a chatter-box and a 'mouse potato'{akin 2 couch potato!}If it reminds you of those unhygienic stalls doling out lip smacking fare then all the more better. But if you think 'chat' means licking{In hindi} then i am sorry.Not a day passed off without me indulging in chat,but that was in my good old school days in Hyd.Ok digress. I was reminded of an incident which took place long ago-2 yrs to be precise.The fact that it has been evoking wide guffaws ever since bears testimony to the timelessness of that!
I dont remember exactly when and where it happened,but this is a true story.I was with this group and we were newbies to Chennai.I had been to Chennai before but was confined to my relatives' places and did not roam around much so i was as good as a newbie,albeit with the knowledge of the local language.We decided to have chaat in some store{it was already 25 days without chat then}.My friends were apprehensive after seeing the shop and the uncouth surroundings but i always advocate this policy "dingier the better"!I have had some of the best food in joints which were much more smaller and unhygienic and came out unscathed,so i felt this wont do any harm and took the plunge.It was a small fast food joint and i thought of having some concrete food first and ordered "pease barota masala"-- note down the spelling.I thought it was "barota"-which is similar to a "paratha" with a side dish which had "peas" {or "mutter" in Hindi} with some masala would be the gravy.After the usual banter to kill the hunger our item arrived.I was shell shocked to say the least.It was like mini idly-hazaar "barotas" in a plate.I could not fathom that.Also there were no "peas" around.I called the waiter and asked him what it was and he said the same.Later i realized that it was "piece barota masala" wherein that barota was butchered to hazaar pieces,some reddish paste{that was masala for u} smeared on them and served.Phew! Needless to say i ate just 2-3 pieces and discarded it.Probably "pee"se barota masala would have been a better name.I just wanted to have some cool drink and escape as soon as possible when my friend told me to wait.He was already in splits seeing the food{that dawg was not hungry} and decided to order another dish just to have a good laugh.We ordered "pani puri" {it is one of my fav}. I was shocked again when i saw that!There was "puri" in it-once again smashed to a thousand pieces,akin to a glass window being smashed by a cricket ball and pieces strewn all over the place. OK there was "puri" but no "pani" in it.It was a concoction of smashed puri and "channa".It was baffling,i mean no water in pani puri!Did someone say water shortage in Chennai? Well i never knew that the situation was so grave.Huh! I was afraid even to order a cool drink.Probably he might have given us glass-which is a super cooled liquid in its liquid form and say cool drink!Or maybe smash it,which is his forte,powder it,put it in cool water and say "cool drink". My friend ,needless to say ,was having the time of his life while we were fuming.The only thing which was decent was the bill.I should have torn the bill to "pieces" after paying it.It was cheap and for once my policy of "dingier the better" failed and i had to bear the non stop rebuke of my friends as it was my suggestion to go to that place.Mea Culpa!
Fortunately i have never faced this "piece" thing again.Peace!That bad experience dissuaded me from going to such small joints,but only for a few months.The stomach ruled over the brain again in a few days and i was happily back to square one munching and downing 'pani puris' at the same rate and in equally uncouth,inadequately furnished joints .I have dined in many star restaurants but stuff from a push-cart vendor gives me the ultimate thrill even to this day.I also ended up puking and singing LM{scratch ur brains and find out whats that} many times,took a resolution- not to eat in those joints and invariably found myself downing junk the very next week!!And what will i do if i have a stomachache again-Well i dont have it now so deferred to another date!Till then enjoy ... Anyone willing to accompany this gourmet,gourmand,glutton and connoiseur???
I dont remember exactly when and where it happened,but this is a true story.I was with this group and we were newbies to Chennai.I had been to Chennai before but was confined to my relatives' places and did not roam around much so i was as good as a newbie,albeit with the knowledge of the local language.We decided to have chaat in some store{it was already 25 days without chat then}.My friends were apprehensive after seeing the shop and the uncouth surroundings but i always advocate this policy "dingier the better"!I have had some of the best food in joints which were much more smaller and unhygienic and came out unscathed,so i felt this wont do any harm and took the plunge.It was a small fast food joint and i thought of having some concrete food first and ordered "pease barota masala"-- note down the spelling.I thought it was "barota"-which is similar to a "paratha" with a side dish which had "peas" {or "mutter" in Hindi} with some masala would be the gravy.After the usual banter to kill the hunger our item arrived.I was shell shocked to say the least.It was like mini idly-hazaar "barotas" in a plate.I could not fathom that.Also there were no "peas" around.I called the waiter and asked him what it was and he said the same.Later i realized that it was "piece barota masala" wherein that barota was butchered to hazaar pieces,some reddish paste{that was masala for u} smeared on them and served.Phew! Needless to say i ate just 2-3 pieces and discarded it.Probably "pee"se barota masala would have been a better name.I just wanted to have some cool drink and escape as soon as possible when my friend told me to wait.He was already in splits seeing the food{that dawg was not hungry} and decided to order another dish just to have a good laugh.We ordered "pani puri" {it is one of my fav}. I was shocked again when i saw that!There was "puri" in it-once again smashed to a thousand pieces,akin to a glass window being smashed by a cricket ball and pieces strewn all over the place. OK there was "puri" but no "pani" in it.It was a concoction of smashed puri and "channa".It was baffling,i mean no water in pani puri!Did someone say water shortage in Chennai? Well i never knew that the situation was so grave.Huh! I was afraid even to order a cool drink.Probably he might have given us glass-which is a super cooled liquid in its liquid form and say cool drink!Or maybe smash it,which is his forte,powder it,put it in cool water and say "cool drink". My friend ,needless to say ,was having the time of his life while we were fuming.The only thing which was decent was the bill.I should have torn the bill to "pieces" after paying it.It was cheap and for once my policy of "dingier the better" failed and i had to bear the non stop rebuke of my friends as it was my suggestion to go to that place.Mea Culpa!
Fortunately i have never faced this "piece" thing again.Peace!That bad experience dissuaded me from going to such small joints,but only for a few months.The stomach ruled over the brain again in a few days and i was happily back to square one munching and downing 'pani puris' at the same rate and in equally uncouth,inadequately furnished joints .I have dined in many star restaurants but stuff from a push-cart vendor gives me the ultimate thrill even to this day.I also ended up puking and singing LM{scratch ur brains and find out whats that} many times,took a resolution- not to eat in those joints and invariably found myself downing junk the very next week!!And what will i do if i have a stomachache again-Well i dont have it now so deferred to another date!Till then enjoy ... Anyone willing to accompany this gourmet,gourmand,glutton and connoiseur???
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