The perfect number

When it comes to exams, one might just be the perfect number. It is midsem week and I had one paper today: Quantum Computing. I did have a Humanities paper as well, last week, but that doesn't count, does it?
I remember frantically mugging for papers with A and G, at the last possible minute, memorizing formulae using mnemonics and no common sense, sitting cross legged on a mess table and explaining Thermodynamics, and gigglingly trying to decipher sleepily scribbled notes. There was none of that this year, I was alone. All the juniors were mugging and the hostel was unusually quiet. I procrastinated till the very last minute, but managed about three hours of cramming and went alone to the department I wrote the paper and submitted it with a flourish, ten minutes before time.
Now, at the end of my college career I discover that I quite like giving papers. Or perhaps, I like giving one paper, in the middle of a long week of inactivity. It's comforting to know that not all my brain cells have died, given the idleness they've been subjected to. It's gentle fun to me mucking about with equations, this is after all, what I once thought I'd be doing for a career.

Last things

Reader, I'm sorry for the absence of posts, I've been having net problems. I have however been faithfully recording my happy things for all the days I've been gone and you'll soon find them all below, if you're interested.

Today, I had my last mid semester exam: Quantum Computing. I studied in earnest for it, for about three hours, desperately missing A and G. The three of us used to have such fun, studying for papers together. We'd bestir ourselves to collect notes nearabout midnight, passionately debate the relative merits of plain salted potato chips and mad angles, try on jewellery, gossip, and do pretty much everything besides study. It didn't seem right somehow, to write my last midsem without them. Still, it's done now and I'm heartily glad.

Twenty Two

I'm twenty two, Reader. It had to happen. A whole year older and not a whit the wiser. Still, I did manage to do quite a few of the things on my list. As for the rest of them, serves me right for not giving myself enough time, but I do have the whole of twenty three to do them in.
I seem to be invested with an almost unrufflable placidity. K calls it cow-like, but then brothers will be unflattering. I prefer to call myself chill  (I wonder how much longer I can get away with slang, before I become too old and lame to use it.) I do wish though that I could rile myself up on my failings and bring myself to do something about them. So far all I've managed is gentle chastisement; I can't bring myself to be harsh to myself...
It was a lovely birthday. A, S, R, G and I had dinner last night and excellent conversation. Then I came to the wing and proceeded to get smeared with cake. I fell asleep smelling like chocolate frosting.
The morning was spent quite.. um... placidly. In the evening Amma and Appa came over expressly to wish me, and I felt very loved.

Poetry

Oh Reader, I was so determined not to be a cliche this Valentine's day, and yet, I ended up writing poetry all morning. I'd been selected to participate in the Poetry Slam of the Kala Ghoda festival and I admit to you freely, Reader, poet I am not. So I cussed my way through some muddled verse in the morning and went there anyway, because the experience would count, wouldn't it? Besides, it'd give me something to tell you about when I returned.
The festival was lovely, albeit extremely crowded. Serves me right, I suppose for putting off going there till the very last day, along with what seemed like most of Mumbai's population. By 6 in the evening, I found myself in the lawns behind the David Sassoon library, nervously correcting my scribbled verse. We were on stage soon and some of the other contestans were really quite incredible. I quaked to go up after them, but my last year's experience did give me some assurance. I ended up placing second and meeting some very wonderful and talented people.
S was there cheering me on and doing lots of his own networking. We ended up dining at Leopold's cafe, before I sleepily boarded a train home. Single Valentine's Days can be pretty awesome too.

Convo

I had my second-last midsem today, and my last one in the Convo hall. That hall is the first place I went to when I came to IIT. Amma and I sat in a back row and I was distracted by the pigeons that fluttered above us, narrowly missing the lazily turning fans. Since then, I've written countless examinations there, sung on that stage, watched some incredible shows and danced in the pit.
I'm only beginning to be struck by the countless "last things" I'm going to do these next couple of months. College is almost over and it's time to grow up.
I'll be there one last time in August though, when I go up on stage and receive my degree.

Up and down

A, N and I decided to go for a run today. We took the lakeside route, it's a road that hugs the curve of the lake, offering perspectives at every angle. I find it calming to see such an expanse of emptiness, it's a rare sight in Mumbai. Sunset is the best time to go, it's really quite glorious then, what with the sun leaving a bright orange trail, as if marking the spot where it is to return tomorrow.
There are a set of steps leading down to the lakeside and it was when we saw them that it occurred to us, that it would be good exercise to run up and down them. So we did twenty sets, giggling and panting all the way, and we quite missed the sunset.

Ice cream at midnight

Today we had a PAF meeting. I've said this before, PAF time is my favourite time of the year. And I can feel it all over again, the same excitement from years before. The meeting was all the way across the campus, in H13, but it didn't seem to matter. I had excellent company and was almost sorry when we reached our destination. After the meeting, K and I snuck out, leaving the juniors to negotiate who was giving whom a treat. We stopped at the ice cream parlour on our way back though, for a little treat. It was fun licking our cones, in the chilly night air.

Another Day

Yesterday was good to me Reader, one of those days when you go to bed tired. I have very few of those in fifth year, come to think of it and it's not a good thing. It was a normal sort of day, I didn't do anything very much out of the ordinary and no particular moment stood out. It was one out of hundreds of other days, passed by and soon forgotten. But I must've done something right, because I went to bed not guilty or uneasy, but contentedly and I slept dreamlessly.

Windy day

The weather's been quite glorious today, Reader. I do love a windy day. I love watching as the wind churns up fallen leaves and sets them dancing madly, I love standing up to the wind, testing my strength against it and I love it when it whips away my words as soon as they're spoken, carrying them off. It's only on windy days that I wish my walk from the hostel to my department was longer, it seems almost a crime to go indoors and not emerge till it is dark and the wind has blown itself away.

February

I'm back, Reader. I think what I need is a routine. Every evening, 7 pm, post on blog. Something I can stick to. Otherwise I wander away from here and don't return for weeks on end.
It's February now and I don't quite know where the winter went. It seems like just yesterday that I was curling up in bed, pleasantly shivery, but now I already have my rickety fan on as fast as it can go. This is also the month I turn twenty two. Twenty two isn't a particularly significant age, I suppose. I firmly hold that all birthdays after twenty one are simply depressing. I look back on my year and wonder what on earth I've achieved. (I know I should've already done this on New Year's, Reader, but I was too busy partying then) I made a list over the weekend of things to do in the nine days left before I officially turn a year older. It's a rather scandalous list though, so I don't think I'll tell you about it here.
I do love though that my birthday comes in the spring. There's such an air of possibility around. I don't think anyone can be depressed for long in the spring. Why, just today, an adventurous squirrel clambered onto my windowsill and snatched away a hunk of bread almost from my fingers.
I'll spare you the long introspection today Reader, I still have nine days left to complete it. Wish me luck on my list!