Random Clicks

I am on a thousand words spreeee...

Strawberries at Mahabaleshwar @ Rs 20/- per bunch!!!

Rock art by my sis!!

Environment friendly Packing @ ABB Ltd- Peenya

Mushroom.. looks yummm.. but NOT edible!!!!

The humble Lenovo T61 Keybord

Pretty seed flowers.. No.. its not a natural formation.. just Time pass during T time:)

A vintage ford at Chennai ( Round tana, Annanagar)

And finally, the gates of the Ladies Hostel, College of Engineering trivandrum... Many strong women have passed through these ...

Pictures Courtesy:- Divya Catherine Francis

The Sky Through My Window

I have run out of words for a long time... I believe Pictures equal a thousand words... so here are a few snaps of amature photography.

The sky through my window:- a series of pics clicked in a span of a year , through the window of my room ( # 79, Ladies Hostel, College of Engneering, Trivandrum). The change of seasons are reflected in the tree.. like a time span captured...

( VGA camera...requesting a pardon for image quality)

A rainy day...

Blue Blue skies...

Dark ominous Monsoon clouds

Dusk...

Pink autumn

Picture Courtesy:- Divya Catherine Francis

The Past

Memories cant be wished away,
Happy, sad - Shades of grey,
Sticking on to every breath,
Till they smudge to icy death,
They turn they twist - they tear away,
Tears in the night, smiles in the day,

Slivers of laughter from the past,
Refresh my mind, But alas,
They're of moments long gone by,
Smile at it with a longing sigh.

Heartaches and mistakes, bitter to taste,
Parts of decisions made in a haste,
Would it be better this way than that?
Would memories change now? Be laughed at?

Snaps and snippets blow the horn,
Chugging trains of thought are born,
Flashes of the past frame the windows now,
Smiling at victories, crying for love,
Wishing to live some, Change some,
Yearning for some in things yet to come...

And so.. Memories need not be wished away,
They're Sunshine wrapped in clouds of grey.

Divs

Dreams

Dream your dreams so high,

Let no one pull you down,

Dont let the world reach

That place, call it your own.

Forget the world and what they say,

Just let go of the noise

Then you will see the beauty

You will see the dream rise

Make it sacred

More sacred than a shrine

Go there when you need strength

Go for peace of mind

Dont let them touch it

Or even have a peek

Dont ever listen to them talk

Of what you "were meant to be"

Decide for yourself,

Stick to your dream till the end

Its not they who will be you

When you have broken dreams to mend.

Divs

India Burns

Immersed in darkness

Lonely roads to trudge

Time cannot heal

The scars of an unforgotten grudge

Coz love can stay no more

Hatred engulfs all

Humanity forgotten

By sapiens big and small

Reason is a blur

Reasons don't affect

The fuhrers refuse to listen

Coz hysteria overrules intellect
The plebeian look on

As insane demons declare

War among brothers

Some sane heads bowed in silent prayer

Impervious to pleas

Stoic hearts don't melt

Sanguinary minds

Fuel riot, to instigate threat

The air tastes of sorrow

As the bereaved bury their dead

Crushed are virtues

As hypocrisy lifts its head

In the name of religion

Are sown seed of hatred

And from the chaos arises

A question of dread:-

WERE THE SACRIFICES ALL VAIN

OF MARTYRS OF THE PAST

WILL THERE BE A DAY

WHEN MOTHER INDIA BREATHS HER LAST?



Written in memory of the riots and wars that rocked our country.. Divs

MEMORIES

Spring is in the air,
The flowers are in bloom,
But the heart wilts
Awaits an impending doom
A mist hangs around
In there sadness seeps
Cold and damp surrounds
The lonely heart weeps
Echoes come back
Of memories far away
Cherished Thoughts-
In distant times they lay
Tears stream down
Join the rivers of sorrow
How sweet, How Bitter,
The reminiscence of yesterday,
The dreams of the morrow
Roses have thorns
They prick it bleeds
Has it not to be borne.
For the fragrance so sweet?
And so this sorrow
Is nothing but that thorn,
So great is the joy
Of remembrances of the times bygone

Divs

The Veteran of CATs

Once in a way life decides that you do not have enough excitement… and it throws you in the centre of a typhoon. Right now I am standing right in the midst of one…
Ok so ill start from where things usually start – the beginning silly!!! For four long years I have been trying my hand at what I think is India’s most Hyped Exam the Common Admission Tests (more popularly known as CAT). This year it actually was hyped with all the hullabaloo about the test going online. And predictions of the demise of the new online system even before it were given a chance to prove itself.
My track record began in my final year of college; I really did not know why I was giving the CAT except that I had to “further my education”. Fancy term it seemed then. So, I gave the exam without bothering too much to find out about the admissions. Obviously I bombed!!
The second time, I joined ABB at Bangalore, and I still wanted to “further my education” only this time it was just for fun. I tot I’d give ABB a try to gain some experience which counts, so I gave the CAT a light hearted try.. and surprisingly did quite well (Not well enough for the IIMs of course) but well I was kicking myself for not applying to any of the colleges. At that time experience that counts did not seem such a good Idea after all.. and the year dragged on.
I wonder if happens to all fresher, I was bored, yes too soon you may say. But two years into the job and when you are doing work which you think anyone with a basic knowledge of excel and math could do isn’t all that exciting is it? So, this time round I decided to give it my best shot! To further my education no longer seemed to be a fancy term or a light hearted trial. I dutifully did research of B schools, listed out ones I would be interested in and applied to each one of those. And I studied with respect to the exam too! Well… as fate (or whatever you call that abstract thing) would have it; this time once again I bombed not only in CAT but in all the other exams too…
Year four, I was a veteran now, a seasoned CAT writer.. I was doing pretty well at office; at least I had a better profile now! But still somewhere lurked the desire not to give up. That’s when life shrugged and dropped the next bomb.. There are only so many surprises that life can throw at you! CAT 2009 going online!! Thankfully the other B schools still considered the paper pencil test quite adequate for them. This I vowed was going to be my last shot, and hopefully my best. It’s funny you know, no matter how much one prepares; the best just does not seem good enough. All other B school results started rolling in..I was nowhere in on any list. The CAT result was the last to be declared, and of course was the most awaited. The number and types of rumors floating around made me wonder why there was a dearth of innovation in India.
The results were finally out. I was elated!!! Not bad on the border line of can be - cannot be. The uncertainty was unbearable! I even went to extent of changing my Gtalk status message as “Hanging on to the last thread of hope”. The IIMs of course were out of question. A month rolled by… I started doubting if I would make it anywhere… The Score was not good enough for MDI or IMT… So I gave up all hope.. I was kind of Shattered (that’s what my status message read).
It was a usual day at office. Not very eventful till there behold was a mail which read “Dear Divya Catherine Francis…. Congratulations! My heart leapt for Joy, Literally!!! Overjoyed, excited, thrilled, exhilarated, exalted all seem pale compared to what and where I was. Cloud 9 seemed too close to the ground..It was as if someone had just swept me off my feet and placed me on the moon. After a while the excitement did subside, and I went into a lower level of better conscience, but still am very much in the centre of a typhoon as I await my Interview. Please guys pray for me!!!

THE ROAD TO EL LH

There is laughter,
There are tears,
There are memories stored
Of many long years.

The walls stand in testimony
Of generations gone by
Of life of women
Who have taken it in their stride.

Hold the pillars close,
And hear a whispered note
Of love, of life
Of frequent anecdotes

Broken hearts , they say, heal
But bits are, left behind.
The rooms hold the echo
Of many a sob and sigh

The courtyard resounds
The festivals, the spirits high
The sound of Arts Week, of Onam, of Christmas
The sound of LH NIGHTS.

The summer brings in
Not just exams and rain,
The mango showers are eagerly awaited
By all sane and insane

The (phone) lobby has perhaps
Learnt of love and hate.
In newspapers and students tales ,
Of teachers and fellow classmates.

And so life goes on,
Its vibrant with life u see.
The life of many a woman…
“JAI BOLO LH KI…”

Life is a kaleidoscope. Looking through that kaleidoscope, I see the images of time I spent in the place called “The College of Engineering Trivandrum” and nestled in the corner is one place I cherish as my own. Well times have changed, faces have changed, ...but all the new never ever overshadow the spirit which has lived on and will live on forever…

The Genesis

No smoke without a fire and no fire without a spark...
Wat set this fire... Its been ages since my pen had come up with something readable! as i was sharing my woe with Tusky ( who was sweet enough to entertain me) he hit upon this brilliant idea to put into action the plan that was set 2 yrs ago. Kartik ( also known as Tusky ) and I ( Divya, also known as Shock) decided that we simply had to give a try at blogging. So here's our attempt to keep our word to each other :)
The Oath
We, Tusky and Shock , promise that we shall give this venture our best try. We wow to not break the chain until sickness or travel render us unable to scribble a thought.And that all comments, shall be honest. We shall by abide to this next to scared pact until a time comes when the differences( obviously not geographical) shall be too large to be bridged by a URL. By the name of the almighty above and all his minions down on earth, we give our word that 'Keeping our word' shall be to the last letter.

Ok guys its time to toast and applaud!