The Life of an Ambivert

So, in a previous blog (#18) I stated how not to judge students on what career options they like and want to follow. I actually got a lot of pageviews on that blog (129 I think). And although I stand by my principle that the commerce section is not at all inferior to the science section, I got to say, most commerce students are a bunch of idiots. The commerce boys section is one of the many reasons boys in the senior secondary are always frowned upon. Any appearance by a guest of honor is welcomed with snide comments and the general ape-like behavior. The mere mention of a girl's name gets their blood pumping all sorts of crazy. Most of them lack decorum, public decency, sense of admiration, gratitude, I could go on and on. Sometimes I just feel like punching the inoculum student(new biology word i learnt, means starter or spark, Don't think i used it in the right context though). Now, the reason I am typing this right now is because I was angry after what I saw. Let's s...

I hate dancing. I don't have the excitement for the art-form, or perhaps even the flexibility one should possess in order to move their body. Worst part of it all, I am an indian. Why? Because dancing as a skill for an indian is customary. We dance at weddings, parties, gatherings, recitals, when some music is playing, when the lights are down, and at birthdays apparently. On Friday I was invited to a birthday. The invitation was a surprise, the party was meant to surprise the birthday girl. The group chat was wild with arguments and retorts the day before on what the venue should be. Everyone wanted something discreet and silent. But there wasn't one finalized. Being the good Samaritan, I chipped in an idea about how my building pool has a huge space beside it, easily holding thirty people. Sure residents and office workers made a fuss when I played games there, so there was definitely no issue with fifteen hot-headed teens dancing and shouting. Everyone agreed, and the pla...

" Life is like a roller-coaster.", they say. "You need to live through its ups and downs.", they say. Well, I get motion sickness. I believe in the existence of a higher power. God or not, there is something or someone looking down upon us, toying with us and our lives, influencing our decisions with bias and out of spite. It's like a game of cards, where the best hand wins you everything, but you never if and when you get the best one. Life has been dealing me all the bad ones right now, as if dealing with prejudice. It has gotten so bad that I developed the habit of counting my luck as it runs out. If something good happens to me, my mind immediately wavers to thinking about the consequences and repercussions. Or, if something bad happens, I breath a sigh of relief that at least I will have something fun later. I guess that's the reason my friend called too optimistic about life.  The other day, I was walking home from tuition and took a longer rou...

It's been a long time since I wrote one of these. With the exams and the overall laziness, I didn't find any time to write anything. Today gave me the perfect topic for #23. As you know, I live in the U.A.E., which is by part a Muslim country. In Islam, one month of every year celebrates the festival of Ramadan. It encourages fasting, donating to the poor and needy. And every year, charity events take place across Dubai, donating food and drink to laborers so that they can break their daily fast. This year, my dad's company was invited by a caterer to give away dinner in a labour campsite. So, after school my parents picked me up and we drove all the way to an enormous warehouse turned kitchen.  Work had already started inside. We were given a quick tour over the workings of the kitchen and our role in the process. They had cheesecake, buttermilk, water cups, salad bowls, dates (the dry fruit, not a right swipe on Tinder), and biryani, a meat and rice delicacy superior t...

Life is so cruel. Things turn around just when you wish to remain proper and nice. It's as if life only wants us to fall from grace every time. Just the other day, my mum was talking about how she was about to sell her decade-old Mitsubishi. The very next day, a wheel from car pops off while driving and the front of her car tears open. And this is a person with the cleanest track record, with only parking fines on her licence. Speaking of grace, just yesterday the boys section participated in an Annual Talents Day. Myself, I took part in a group dance along with most of my classmates. Ours was quite something, considering that none of us knew how to dance properly and we were given a limited period of time to practice. Where we lacked in choreography and flexibility, we made up with our sense of humor and hope to gain admiration from the audience through our awe-some selection of songs, which fortunately reached the audience's hearts. Sadly, we didn't win in the dance,...

Wow, was today plentiful tiring. My day started with me writing an SAT test. My dad shook me awake by six o'clock. I wasn't ready at all. I had to drag myself off. When we reached the test center, it was impressive. The pillars and walls were ordained with knitting. The library was overwhelming, books and novels that would put the students in my school to shame, who shove Tinkle comics into their bags. To begin took enough procedure to last an hour. Unfortunately, I am bound by law not to disclose anything about that test (email, text and but not limited to the Internet!). I will just say this though, for test-takers writing the essay, don't. Its terrible having to be time-bound and write a 500 word essay with a 2B pencil. I have never given a SAT before, so I didn't know what to expect. No you can curse me for being skeptic and rude and inhumane, but what happened during the test was disturbing. So, we are writing the Language section, when one student raises her ...

Is it wrong that I care little about most things? Don't get me wrong, I care very much about myself, but not so much when it comes to others. Its weird. I care about how much weight I reduce per month but not much for friends, not enough to even get a friend a birthday present one month after his birthday. Not enough to feel for someone else, not enough to understand the way a person feels and reacts to your actions and decisions. I am not a very decisive person. I improvise according to the situation, taking drastic actions whenever necessary. And these actions have and sometimes lead to severe consequences. Just the other day, I broke all ties with my best friend, over what I thought was a big problem (her) but is probably just a petty issue. My judgement can get clouded a lot of times, mainly because of bias and misinformation. As I said, I should be feeling empty, wanting to heal that bond, or happy, that it is severed. But I feel nothing. Is that wrong?

If you were teaching a group of students, or perhaps just the one, what do you think would the basic requirements you expect from a student? Interactive, staying alert and trying to stop your eyes from drooping. Ever since the start of 12th, I have gotten so sleepy, that I have slept successively in every math and physics class I have attended. It's so tiring these days, i cant keep up with class and school and my my exercise routine, all in one day. Today, my dad and I went for a walk early morning, and then i had to go cycling to physics class. All that exercise probably took a toll on my body, i slept within the first half hour of class. Usually I take a sip of water or scratch myself, but today I had none of it. The sir snapped me out of the trance, and told e to go wash my face at the sink. Nothing could be more embarrassing than with everyone's eyes on you while you go to the sink. Granted, it sure felt a lot better then, but in many ways I felt sorry for the sir, who...

It seems as if adults these days, preach a lot, but practice none of it. Every question posed to a student can be dangerous when it comes from an adult, like-minded or otherwise. When you read the news about how people across the world, from illegal migrants to your next-door neighbors are judged and profiled as worthy or unworthy according to their standards in life, it's kind of shocking to notice how much of it is targeted towards students. Being an Indian student, there are a lot of hopes riding on my shoulders to achieve great in life. But sometimes, I realize that I am in the good graces of God. Others might not be so lucky. Here's a example of a man I faced on Friday. I had just finished tuitions and was cycling to a friend's house. She wanted my bike for a trip of hers and I was more than happy to lend it to her. The plan was to meet at the nearest metro station where I would hand the bike over to her and use the metro back home. But I decided last minute again...

It's been a week into my school, but I still find it hard to come into grips with the fact that I am in my last year of school. This year is going to define me as an individual in the universe of opportunities. But yet again, my idiocy has gotten the better of me. I have a speech due this Thursday, a couple of tests this week, I filed an application to become a citizen reporter for the local newspaper and am also applying for a post in the student council. My parents will probably kill me if I do get accepted, because the last time I was a member of the council was in the fourth grade, as a 'Cleanliness Coordinator'. You are probably judging me on that, but I don't mind. When it comes to hygiene, I am most strict. It is almost pertinent for me to keep clean, and keep others clean if they allow me. Sure I may not have the best attributes, but there are a few things that I find myself to be good at. As for my speech, I have decided to do something out of the box, lit...

Wow its been almost three weeks since I posted my last blog. I had gotten busy after my final term exams and distracted by a school trip to a remote campsite in India. Getting a stable connection there is tricky. Of course it would be, when there are more than forty students fighting to upload their latest story on Snapchat. After the short vacation I had to get back to school. The final year of my school life was about to begin. Expectations ran high in every peer. Every teacher was anxious to race through with their portions. It wasn't exactly chaos but it was quite a spectacle to watch the class proceed, pretending that nothing has changed. Surely many have gone through this traumatic experience. Our new English teacher wanted us students to introduce ourselves with our name, our hometown and something special about us. At first, none of knew the answer to that. Something special? The first thing that went to my head was "something weird". When it came to my turn,...

My parents warn me constantly about stranger danger. To me, I don't really mind talking to strangers, I do it all the time. Just yesterday, I was traveling by train to math tuitions during peak hours. This means lots and lots of people traffic. What usually takes me a half hour, instead took me 45 minutes and two missed trains. People never change. I know this from experience. At the metro platforms, The Road and Transport Authority have placed stickers indicating people going in and coming out of trains. This is meant to increase efficiency for commuters. So while waiting for the train, every commuter stands in queue to give space for people coming out of the train, But when the doors open, people gush into the metro like water out of a broken pipe. Its complete and utter chaos as everyone rushes in at the same time to get a spot, with no regard to any of the rules they pretended to follow minutes ago. I missed one train trying to argue with a lady, when someone behind m...

So my holidays started off as a bust. I had plans with friends, atleast I thought I did, until my mum dragged me along for a last minute trip to India. Till now I have no clue as to why. It was all about how I had to get my blood checked, how she had to visit a doctor, and some financial business. Saturday afternoon I decided to watch the new movie, Logan. It's reviews were so good, I would fight to go watch it. So we planned for a Sunday evening show. I come home, when my mum greets me with the sudden news of how we had to leave for the midnight flight. I was shocked, so much that I agreed to it. I can't agree with my parents all the time, so I gave in. Full of Sunday was spent player COD at my cousin's, and then dinner at a fancy ristorante( the clue's in the language). A newly acquired friend of mine, who relishes my interest for reading, recommended 'To kill a Mockingbird' by Harper Lee. I spent five hours reading it continuously. The only reason I agre...

Exam week can be sooooo stressful! When exams arrive, people lose their minds, parents and students alike. My gym routine was brought to a stop by my mum, who on any other day would want me to go and exercise like I was a slob(I am not). Every WhatsApp group goes rampant with questions regarding the portions, certain topics or numericals and queries on the best way to die(just a joke, people!). Every social media outlet starts flaring. Every time I look at Snapchat stories, I see photos of books piled up on top of another, trying to outdo their friends on how much they seem to be studying. I honestly don't understand the need to show any of it, but I feel obliged in doing so that I am not seen in a bad light. Damn you society!! For some reason, many of my schoolmates have been bitten by an Emo bug. A group called 'Scribbled Stories' posts short stories and haikus on life and crises and happiness and sorrow and other touchy-feely topics. I don't really know if its...

Happy Valentine's Day to all who are celebrating! But of course, if you were celebrating Valentine's, you wouldn't be reading this blog. So, just another Tuesday for the rest of you lot. I think most of my friends are probably out doing stuff today. It must be so easy for them. Often I hear/overhear classmates and friends talking about their relationships with other people. I don't understand some of it. My best friend is always on about how he is depressed to find that he is alone in a world full of couples. I don't get why its so important to have a girlfriend at this age. I am always reading articles and jokes of how life becomes miserable when you are in a relationship. If that's the case then why get into such trouble? Also, I would liked your opinion on the webpage. I know its a bit plain, so for all you readers, if you have any suggestions, please put them in the comments section. It will help me a lot. Thanks!

I am disappointed with the response I am getting on this blog. Either people don't read or they don't read my blogs. I try to upload as many as I can when I get time. But I get it, the blogs are very boring. Nothing really fun happens in my life, so much that I have time to write a post. The only thing that keeps me going is studies these days and my parents raging at me all the time. I have begun to learn to play my sax. I listen only to violin and cello symphonies. Mostly Mozart and Vivaldi. Its interesting how their music is labelled as soothing and useful during studying and sleeping. Beethoven's Sinfonia no. 9 is soothing but it is good for keeping me awake than asleep.

What is fear? In my last blog, I talked on the technique used by our Supervisor to catch the guilty. I will take fear from a different point of view though. What is fear? Basically, its a shock response to your brain which stimulates a fright/flight hormone in your body. Which comes to my next question. How does one identify the stimulant? I wouldn't call myself as an expert, but I have played horror games, so in a modest way, I probably am. If that's the case, every teenager should have an expertise. Back to the topic, games. Why are games been made so enormously popular and successful. Especially, horror games to be exact. I have realized one thing. I recently played Bloodborne, a game similar to the Dark Souls franchise. It is extremely famous for its gore and violent combat. I once played the Five Nights At Freddy's game. It revolved around a security guard working the night shift at a fast food joint. the joint is filled with robot plush toys, or animatronics, a...

There are two types of people in this world. Those who know how to deal with youngsters and those who don't. Some adults are more prone to using force to teach children a lesson. Even then, the children don't break easily. its probably because they find the shouts and screams as hilarious than frightening. But when the same is done with a person talking in a calm yet controlled tone, children tend to cooperate more. We had a special presentation prepared for us by a travel agency. It was about three different trips to three different locations. Throughout the course of the presentation, most students were busy talking about the trip, or making fun of the various clips, or just chatting. Once everyone in the audience heard what sounded like a snort. The supervisor gets 'triggered'. He believed that someone started to mock him. So after the agency representatives left, he got into a full rage mode and started to shout at every one of us. he also kept back my class ...

If someone is giving you some advice, check if they are a reliable source. it doesn't matter if they are your friends or family, or a complete stranger you met at a bus stop. Fact check always because the information is more reliable if the informant has used this information or has had experiences leading to that advice. It helps a lot. I come from an Indian family. In our culture, having a loving relationship outside of your family under the age of twenty-one is considered as ill-fated and plain stupid. But in my life and environment, it almost seems imperative for every student to have budding relations with their friends. Every conservation has to followed by 'We are just friends'. Is their anything wrong in having friends? No. But again, the devil that is social construct demands that we be made fun of and mocked for our actions and reactions with different sets of friends. I have this friend. Her name is say, Janice (privacy matters). We have been good friends ...

As a child, I always wanted to be Batman, brave and bold. But as I face reality, I wish for different superpowers. I once read an article in a magazine which talked about how one's dreams and wishes are based on the choices they make in life. These days I think about myself as a master of time, owning the ability to change and turn time at will. As I said before, it probably reflects on the fact that I wished that I had done things differently in the past and want to change the outcome of my actions. I keep replaying things in my head, from words I said an hour back, to things I did in the 9th grade. I feel alone. It's not that I don't have friends, I do. I don't think they care about me at all. I wish I was more enthusiastic, and not so controlling. It has probably led to me writing about it. I don't get why I behave the way I do. Its like a conflict. I see posts about my friends hanging out at expensive joints while here my mum and dad warn me from spending t...

Sorry that I couldn't publish any more blogs. After school started, my priorities changed. Finally I got some time on my hands to write. I try to be modest when i say that I have a skill when It comes to reading people. For  a person like me, I can blend easily into a crowd. I have built my social structure around how I want to live. I am probably ripping someone off when I say that life is like a mathematical equation. Full of indefinite variables. One of them is friendship. I once read a post on Facebook which said that friendships that last for over seven years, last a lifetime. I don't think that's at all true. As a human, one's priorities are ever changing. Just today, I was about to leave school with my friend, when he got distracted by the apparent love of his life. When she said that she was going out to someplace with her 'squad'(why do people call it that?), he dropped his plans with me and strutted off after her. How times change.

January 6th 2017 was probably the worst day of the year for me yet. I remember when I told my sister how I have never gotten an injury of any kind. I should t have jinxed it. I woke up at 4 am in the morning with a splitting pain in my stomach. I thought that I was just really really hungry because I hadn't eaten a lot the day before, but turns out it wasn't that at all. I go to the kitchen hoping to get some water when I am introduced to water of my own. Turns out I was hungry because all of my digested food was stuck in my oesophagus. I immediately vomit on the kitchen floor. It lasts for about a minute till I am covered in my own mess. I immediately he'd to the bathroom to watch my feet when I sat to soil myself. The next eight hours were pure misery. I remember the last time this happened was when we had barbeque and the meat wasn't cooked properly. It was bad. This was worse. I had three reruns of intestinal explosions and several cases toilet disasters. Remem...

I wasn't able to upload my blog of Day #3 because I didn't have access to the internet so by now I would have uploaded both of these blogs. The thing about human interaction and communication is that once it stops getting interesting, it gets hard. But when you have a conversation which is going nowhere, it like escaping hell. People think that I get shy while conversing, but honestly I am probably more concerned about insects and snakes crawling inside my shoe, and correcting their pronunciations while singing out the lyrics to the 'Eye of the Tiger' in the back of my head than listen to the latter talk about their summer internship. Of all the weddings that I have been to, which is not a lot, this has been unique. Since both families are of different sects, they wanted the wedding ceremony to happen according to their preferences. So there was one at 8:30 am and another at 11:30 am. By four o'clock in the afternoon, I was sitting next to bride, watching her b...

Finally some action. Today was the first day in the procession of the wedding. The Sangeet is the event where several people showcase their stupidity and get familiar with the different families. I finally got to dress fancy with the outfit I got in Delhi (that's New Delhi to foreigners). The PM of India, Narendra Modi seems to have inspired lots of people with his fashion sense. I wore a dirty-grey(yes, that's a colour) waistcoat, a blue shirt and white formal trousers. Turns out everyone and the children had the exact same idea. I enter the hall to see all the men and a child wearing waistcoats and the formals. Speaking of clothes, 2016 has pronounced so many events into the world. Judging homosexuality on the basis of colours of certain garments is a common trend today amongst people. Just today afternoon, I wore a faded pink formal with trousers. When I was introduced to some old women by my mother, their first reaction was to how I was brave enough to dawn a pink garmen...

Day #2 What are the traits seen in a sociopath? For all those who have seen Sherlock, know that the incredible detective has certain antisocial mannerisms. They lack all conscience, and lack human emotion. Today I felt a little bit of that. I am sure I am no Hannibal Lector,but today struck me as weird.  I woke up in an unknown room this probably. No worries, I had slept their the day before. It was a short arrangement made for the men. So I wake up late as always, thinking, "Damn you Nachiket! Way to make an impression." So I rush down the stairs and see all of them leaving. The host asked me to stayed for some coffee and i was obliged.  Some people really start judging you when you tell them your from Dubai. I remember everytime I told someone I live in Dubai, they are probably thinking that I sleep on a bed made of pure cotton and toilets of pure gold. So when I was asked if I preferred a Western washroom to the Indian one, meri char hoke phat gayi (I got piss...

Blog #1 Second day of the year, four days to go till the wedding. I remember one thing which my aunt told me about my mum. My mum had the knack for being late. Whether it was for a family dinner, business meeting, or festival, there always seemed to be something to stall her. The same happened today. In the rush of fixing my stubborn sister's loose blouse and doubting my dad's waist size, she forgot that we had a function to attend in a different city. Then came the issue of the car. My family lives in Dubai, and came to India for the winter. My mum claims to be a spectacular driver, but that seems only evident in Dubai. I was yet to inspect her trying to tackle the Indian streets. To say the least, we got there safely, if not in time. Now what does a sixteen year old boy who is probably known for nothing than his height and strength do during the wedding period. The best done by me was probably get in others' way and move stuff from here to there, and vice versa...