In the studio, after the last show of NEWSBEAT!!! 

Amanda's Party! 

End of BBC...

The BBC course got over day before yesterday. Got our certificates or 'bits of paper' as Amanda calls them. She also wrote personal notes to all of us. Sweet of her to do that. I secured a 75% which is good (not great - just good). Piyu got the highest - 78%. We had a photo session in the studio after the last show.
Then last night, we had a party at Amanda's place. Had a nice time. After that we went to 'Sparks' thinking we'll dance but the place was quite dead. They were to have 'Hip hop Nite' from 11:30p.m. but that would mean waiting for an hour and in addition, there were cover charges for men. So then we decided to go to 'Bikes n barrels'. It was nice and lively there (unlike sparks)...so danced a lot...mostly good music too...danced till 12:15-12:30am...then it was shut down time...all pubs and discs in Chennai shut by then ever since the Stephanie case. All in all it was a fun evening.
Don't feel like it's holi today...probably only the second time when I'm not playing...otherwise I just looooooooove the festival. Let's hope next year is better. Ok, I should be finishing my article on supernovae now. Ciao.
-M:)

Dissertation Done!!!!

:) :) :) :) :)
My dissertation is done! Wow! It's a wonderful feeling. I remember reading the college prospectus before joining ACJ and wondering -"If I get into this college, how the hell will I write a dissertation?"
But I enjoyed doing my dissertation...it's called -"The Bulletin Boom: The growth of television news channels in India". I had fun researching it and believe it or not I managed to write more than 6000 words on it (that seemed slightly impossible to me at the beginning!)
Anyhow, right now I'm overwhelmed by a sense of joblessness...so I'm chatting and blogging and doing all the forbidden things. This week we'll finish off with the BBC course and then we'll just have to work on the Investigative Project. Then there'll be that test in the Business elective and the global warming debate in the science elective and there's also that photojournalism assignment that's to be done...bah..so much for feeling jobless! Got a call from Ruby last night - a junior from hostel..asking me for tips to get into ACJ..HAHA! For some reason it really amused me:) The new prospectus is out and I like it better (not just for the fact that it has a lot of my snaps!) because the colour scheme is more appealing in my opinion. Ok, I wanna eat now..haven't eaten all morning 'coz of the dissertation. Ciao!
-M:)

In the studio...handling the camera! 

Work, work and more work...

Just about a month left for the course to end and needless to say that we are overburdened with work (not that we weren't throughout the year!). The dissertation deadline is approaching at the speed of light...21st March, which also happens to be the deadline for the special report. After that we'll have the investigative documentary to do. We have one week to film and edit the special report. We're doing ours on the money spinning activity of private tutors and the over-stressed kids! Went to shoot outside Vidya Mandir yesterday. It was so damn hot man. Interviewed a few parents, teachers etc. Am feeling overwhelmed by work at the moment. Have just completed about 2,500 words of my dissertation (the minimum is 5,000) so that leaves me about halfway...and a week's time is too less in my opinion..I think the labs should be open 24*7 now and I should be banned from playing Pacman and Jardinians! Ok, I think I should also be banned from blogging. Let's begin sunday morning - with the dissertation of course! Ciao.
-M.

Is there a 31st of Feb?

Hehe..good one this...
It all started when I was chatting with a school friend and wished him for his birthday..he was surprised that I remembered his birthday after all these years.So anyways, he asked me about mine (said that he'll definitely remember to wish me)...so I said "It's on 31st Feb". It was my usual poor joke (well, not so poor anymore!) and I expected him to say -"Come on, stop kidding..tell me when is it?". Instead, what he said was - "Ok, I'll definitely wish you!" I thought, ok let's see when he realises that there's no 31st in February. No no, that's not the end of the story.
I met him online yesterday and he says - "I'm so sorry, I forgot to wish you on your birthday. It was on 31st na? I've been remembering it every morning since the 31st but just couldn't wish you!" This was unbelieveable. I thought he's pulling my leg or something. So I just played along and said - "That's ok, not a problem!" I was kinda surprised that he still didn't realise that February had only 28 days. Anyhow, I couldn't stop laughing and finally said - "Congratulations! You are the only person on the face of this earth who's experienced a 31st in February!" Poor boy - needless to say how embarrassed he is about the whole issue and I feel bad that he'll have to suffer this for the rest of my lifetime! Hehehe! I haven't laughed this much at anything in a long, long time!
Ciao,
M:)

Contemplation....

I've just been wondering...should one be in touch with things that have long been a part of life just because they've been there that long? I agree that it's tough to move on and give up stuff. But does that mean that you still carry on with stuff that's rapidly deteriorating and has few chances of survival? Do you wait for it to die or do you just give it an instant death? Or do you (yet again) give it that one last chance - hoping that it'll make it this time? Can you ever give up on trying to make things work? Can't make up my mind...
-M.