Day 1: 10 Secrets

So, my 3 friends and I - are taking the 10 Day You Challenge. Its not a contest. Its just an activity where we  blog about one common topic on 10 consecutive days (well, we tweaked it to 10 consecutive weekends) but we thought this would be fun. So, here goes Weekend 1. 

1. Michael Bevan and me !
This is one fond memory which is still fresh, even after 11 years and will continue to be so for the rest of my life. It was when we were in the 2nd year of college, enjoying tension-free lives and having a gala time for the most. Sports Day. Girls Cricket between us and the seniors - 4th year folks. We managed to play fine and drew the match leading to a short 2 over rematch - 4 balls per over. Last ball. Am at the striker end. We need 2 runs to win. 1 to tie. It was a complete heart in my mouth situation and we had guys from our class, our coaches come in every second and provide advice. I can still close my eyes and see the bowler pitching me the ball, my arm raising as the bat connected with the ball and it goes straight for a cover drive rushing past a fielder, every single image etched in my mind. A friend even referred to me as "Michael Bevan" that day - someone who hit a 4 on the last ball and his side won - we all moved on to better and more fun activities later through the years but thinking about that last ball still has me tingling every time !

2. When my sister thought that an eraser was food !
This was even earlier - my younger sister - 6 years old then, was at school, when I got a call from her school - her teacher or someone who spoke to me saying that she had swallowed an eraser. I was all of 13 then, neither emotionally nor mentally strong and I remember breaking down, crying loads and finally calling my father at his work. He rushed home to calm me first and then took me to her school with him. I was so scared and frantic. Well, she was perfectly fine and looked peachy. The little imp !

3. My Love-Hate relationship with my Dad's field of work and Anushaktinagar 
When I was young, I was almost a rebel against my Dad's field of work and Anushaktinagar. Dad had dreams of me joining him there. I, as most teenagers, only wanted to get out of there and Anushaktinagar as soon as I could. I think in my own way I knew I didnt have the brains or the calling to get into that field. College didnt help either - it was a 20 min walk. I hardly knew Bombay. College friends called my colony "The Lost World" and I can still recollect a friend asking me if they close the gates at 7 pm ! But I have been away for 6 years now and I can't miss it enough. Its been home to me for so long, I can't wait to get back now ! I miss my Anushaktinagar friends, the Garuda, the fields where we used to play the frisbee, the Mafco, the chaat corner .. everything !

4. Law and Order Season ?
If I got a chance to do it all over again, I would never pick Engineering as my college option. I have always been interested in Law and recently someone brought it up that its only the TV making an impression on me ! I agree that I love watching all the crime shows like Law and Order, Criminal Minds, Not without a Trace etc but then that set me thinking and I remember when I was in the 11th grade or so, I used to discuss this with my Mom. But then the sad fact of India/Bombay, was that IT was the "hot" field. There were not really many career options or good job prospects elsewhere. Everyday we would see dozens of lawyers dressed in black coats walk aimlessly outside the Bandra High courts. Well, that was the end of that topic !

5. Mechanics, Electronics and other brainy stuff ! Stay away from me ! 
I just don't get it. Its the sad story of my life. I scored 41 in Mechanics in my 1st semester at college and 42 in my 2nd semester. Well, that was an improvement ! I can spend hours trying to read up and get my head around all of the basic concepts but I still wouldnt get it ! Sure, I might be average smart and can get stuff done, I might be a hard worker and I can get by day to day, but throw mechanics or those laws like the Newton's laws at me or the questions where they talk about a train travels at x km/hr, the front of the train reaches the station at 9:55 AM, the train is Y feet long so what time would the end of the train reach the station? I give up !

6. A complete Disney Princess !
I can totally lose myself in fairy tales, mushy romantic love stories, I wouldn't even mind the ones that might leave me teary eyed ! Its been a childhood legacy starting with Grimm's Fairy Tales and since then I have been hooked ! The Princess Cinderella's coronation at the Disney World, Florida left me speechless. Once in a while, I don't even mind watching the Karan Johar flicks (I know people are going to peg me hopeless) !

7. Solitary Food Intake? Hell No !
I can never eat alone in a public place. NEVER. If I am ever in that situation I would just pick up something and go home to eat it. I cannot sit by myself even in the cafteria to munch on breakfast. I have to, have to, absolutely have to have some company ! I have had food by myself, atmost twice in the cafeteria at work - when I was absolutely out of options and I couldn't bring myself to sit at my desk, but I hated it !

8. Asthma Attack ! 
One more memory that I would rather forget because it shows us as mean kids ! Giggle. When we were in the 11th grade and got bored with the Biology lecture, or wait, was it just Botany? !! The teacher was in the front of the room and a bunch of guys decided to play sick. R started wheezing and A and K said he got an asthma attack and R then promptly fell off his desk making all sorts of actions down on the floor. The teacher ran out like crazy hoping to get help and only then did we notice the guys shaking with laughter. We, the partners in crime, didn't say a word.  It was a mean trick to play because the teacher was scared for a while after that. Poor thing, she was also a very innocent naive person ! Well, again, it is a fond memory.

9. My subconscious connection to fall down at the time !
I haven't done this in a while, but up until a couple of years back, I used to fall down and embarrass myself all the time ! Be it in school, on the playground, in workshop class, even in college ! I had to fall down. It was an annual activity. No exceptions ! A year was up, and my subconscious alarm would go "Ting"! Hopefully, the lack of this activity would indicate I have finally grown up !

10. Born Wild !
People who I have only met in the recent years find this surprising, but people who know me from my childhood know me to have been a very agressive wild kid always picking fights with others. I remember I once had collected stones to throw at an 'enemy' then (well, so did she too!) - this was probably when I was 10 or so.  Me and my 'enemy' A have both become good friends since. I once even got pushed into a stream by another girl G, at school, because there was this thin bridge to cross over to the other side and I refused to let her go first. I have upturned food, scaled walls, jumped from the first floor, got hit hundreds of times always coming home with a grazed knee or elbow or a cut somewhere. I guess my folks and friends are glad that I have finally sobered down ! *hehe, giggling*


I would love to hear your views!