One More Poem

Right, so this one's bout History. Yeah, yeah, cliched but I like History. What's wrong in admitting it? Not one of my best attempts, but here goes.

                                              HISTORY

History is something that we all hate

When we have to study it, we curse our fate

But I think that History can teach us a lot

We learn through it what we should do and should not.

Mankind has been treading this earth for ages

There  have been hundreds of rulers and sages.

They mey have seemed perfect to their own people's eyes

But they made mistakes before they all died.

We can learn a lot from their mistakes

Like discerning beteween true leaders and fakes.

Because, according to our ancestor's advice,

No smart person makes the same mistake twice.

History has happened because we are human,

And always tend to pay heed to emotions.

We have a great legacy of holding on to the past

And wishing that time wouldn't go quite so fast.

Each of us has our own personal history,

The past has been here and gone; the future's a mystery

A personal history defines your personality

And tells people who you are in reality.

So, in the end all that I'd like to say,

Is that History's not boring if you see it my way,

It's simply a method of preserving old memories

And on this note I'd like to end my summary!

My personality in four photos

Disgusted

Drunk

Dreamy and Spaced out

Hi-Fashion and Prinky


The facets of my personality.

Annoying? Oh, not much, just enough to make me rip my hair out.

A list of things that make me want to cry, rip out my hair, and murder myself all at the same time.

1. I'm sitting there minding my own business and reading a book. Someone comes up to me and asks which book I'm reading. I politely answer (you have to be patient with such people) and continue reading. But no, they're not satisfied with the name alone, they simply have to know the story. So I tell them, to which they respond ," Eeeee, so stupid! How can you read books like that?" Well why the hell are you bothering to ask? Uuugghhhh.
2. I reluctantly go to a relative's place with my parents. There, I'm not allowed to sit and talk to the grown-ups. Oh no, I have to go and play with the little 8-year-old who happens to have been waiting since 10 am for me to arrive so that we can play with her kitchen set. So I sit and do nothing at all productive while she chatters away, looking exactly like what I am, an opinionated, moody, Twilight-obsessed teenager. And then my parents accuse me of being rude. See the irony?
3. Parents. Nuff said...
4. Bullies. Why do they think that they rule over the school? It's just so plain stupid and narrow-minded. Oh, and they are so uncool. Pimply and gangly. Pooh.
5. People ask embarassing questions, and then giggle," Oooh, blushing!" One, I was so not blushing. It's not my problem if you're color blind. And two, even if I was blushing, what else do you expect me to do? Be proud to answer such a stupid question?
6. People telling me to clean my room. It's going to get dirty again anyways, what's the point in cleaning it?
7. I'm in the toilet, and my mom or dad bangs on the door and asks,"What are you doing in there?" You mothered me, I expect you to know the function of a toilet...
8. When people accuse me of cribbing on my blog. It's my blog and I'll crib on it if I feel like it.
9. Braces. Another nuff said, I'll write a whole post on them.
10. When my friends call my brother cute. Yeah, he's cute, but you try having a slumber party with him around. Then you'll see how cute he is...
11. When people call me overdramatic. Is a crime to want some excitement and drama in life? This is gonna make another post...
12. I'm sitting in my place and trying to have a good cry. Someone notices, and there goes my effort to be unnoticed. "Omigosh, Aboli, why are you crying? Heeyy look, Aboli's crying!" And then there's this huge group of people comforting me (not that it works) and muttering the eveready line,"It's okay!" No, it is not okay, why the hell am I crying if it is?

I'll add more when I think of them...

Why won't they let me READ???

Whenever I'm depressed, or upset
Or simply want to try and forget,
I grab a good book and go and lie down
And fervently pray for a little less sound.


But as soon as I lose myself to suspense
And dream of a book release three months hence
There comes a shrill voice screaming my name,
"Aboli..." as always, and still the same.


The whole world seems to hate us whenever we read
Parents specially treat it like some awful deed
And all us poor book- lovers have to face
An unfair prejudice that grows with the days.


Just cos you parents never find the time
Doesn't mean you should yell with no reason or rhyme.
Can't help if we're in love with Edward or Jake
Oh, and Harry's just icing on top of the cake.


But now, the thing that almost makes me cry,
My dad laughs,"No books now! My pocket's dry!"
I can see on his face that he's really joking,
But he doesn't care even if I'm moping.


And the worst part is, we can only plead,
Please, please, please, please let us read!

As a supplement to the previous post, in which I discussed myself through the form of a poem, I would like to talk about the word 'me'. Here goes...

I'm me. Me. MEEE. I look at myself as me. And I see you as you. So basically, I'm me and you're you. Now if you were me, and I was you, then you would be me and I would be you. So there would be another me in me. And there would be another you in you. And the new me in me wouldn't be me. So, naturally, the new you in you wouldn't be you, because you're in me. And you could make me do stuff that I wouldn't usually do. In the same way, I could make you do stuff that you wouldn't do if you were you, because I would be you. And this makes sense. If you read it again and again, and TRY to understand it, it will.

A poem about me

To prove just how egoistic I am, I've written a poem about me. Quite mushy, and very deep. I like it.

ME

My name is Aboli

I know I'm unique

I don't really care

If you think I'm a freak.

I know I'm not perfect

And never will be

I have imperfections

That everyone can see.

I will always be pulled down

And misunderstood.

No one sees the real reason,

For bad or for good.

But out of it all

Through the tears and the pain

Through self-doubt and letdowns

I will rise again.

Because I am strong

And I know who I am

No matter what they say

I know that I can.

I admit that I'm vain

And a big egoist

These faults are on top of

A very big list.

But I have a great group

Of friends that I love

We share almost everything

From secrets to hugs.

And kudos to my parents

They've had a tough time

And I know they'll be with me

Till the last bells chime.

All these people do tell me

About all my wrongs

So I can correct them

Before the time's gone.

I want to be a strong woman

In a powerful position

My dreams touch the sky

I have endless ambition.

My future, I hope

Will be dazzling and bright

For if now is the dawn

There will soon be light.

My name is Aboli

I'm as happy as can be

'Cos I'm proud to say,

That I'm uniquely me!

Hi everyone! Sorry for the long break in posts, our internet wasn't working, and so, I'm going to post enough for the last three months.

Secularism

This is something I wrote for our Civics project. I got full marks! Well, 5/5. Ha-Ha.

Stopping people from treating each other disrespectfully by
Ending all inhibitions they may feel.
Completely abolishing differences over religion
Using education and the media as tools.
Learning how all people feel differently about their deities
And using this knowledge as a way to spread love.
Realising that though we worship differently, God is one, and that
India will rise and soar if all of us understand this.
Seeing a new India, free of prejudice and ready to embrace success
Means secularism.

Yet another poem

One more exclusive poem from the poem factory in my head. This one for Teacher's Day. It's quite sentimental. I really had to refrain from insulting the teachers in this, and it has quite a large Maska Quotient, so hopefully I'll be scoring a lot of unnecessarily given marks in the terms! Nidhi was going to read hers too, but if you read her poem on her blog, you can see that it's possibly the meanest poem ever written! Here goes:

GRATITUDE

Today we been gathered here,

To thank the people we tend to fear.

They've taught us for years and watched us grow,

Their love for their students will always show.

These wonderful women taught us how to add,

And comforted us when we felt sad.

They did scold us when they thought it necessary,

And made scary subjects like math compulsory!

But now, we look back, and we thank them with zeal,

And let them see all of the respect we feel,

They've cried for us, shedded so many precious tears,

They take the most tension when the exams near!

Yes, we have troubled them to no end,

But our broken ties will always mend,

You've been with us right from the start,

You'll always have a place inside our hearts.

They sit up at night to correct our books,

They never complain about the pains they took,

They're ready to stay after school to explain,

And they never, ever let us get wet in the rain!

They are the school and the school is them,

Doesn't matter if they teach Biology or Chem,

We hope you've had fun, getting to know us all,

Cos' we've had a jolly good time overall.

And so, with pride, we'd all like to say,

Have a very, very happy Teacher's Day!

An Essay

I wrote an essay for the Commonwealth Youth Games Essay Competition. The topic was 'Save Our Mother Earth'. It has gotten selected to be sent to the CYG Games Officials. Here it is.

SAVE OUR MOTHER EARTH

Who is the person most precious to you? Of course, it is your mother. Our mother is the person we treasure the most. She gives us life, and then feeds us, cares for us and educates us. We love her more than anyone else. Suppose you saw your mother being murdered in front of your eyes. How would you feel and what would you do? You would seek revenge on the murderer.

In the same way, our mother earth protects us and gives us shelter. She too, is someone we should love. But unfortunately, she is also being killed, and that too by her own children! We are murdering our protector, and if she dies, then where will we go? It is like hacking at the branch that you are sitting on.

I fear that it is now too late to save our mother. But there are things that we can do to reduce the effects of humans' ravaging.

We should stop polluting, whether air or water. For example, to stop air pollution, we should try and carpool with our friends and family. Or, use buses and the local transport system. If using a car id unavoidable, remember to use unleaded petrol as it pollutes less than leaded petrol.

Water pollution can be stopped in your own home, without any fancy machinery or gadgets. Simply watch what you throw down the sink! We all tend to throw kitchen waste down the basin, but next time, put it in the dustbin. Also, when you take a bath, use minimal water. That translates into "DON'T TAKE A SHOWER EVERYDAY!!!!!". If possible, use a natural soap and avoid harsh shampoos.

Taking all of these precautions is in our hands now, because the youth has the most power. Don't expect your grandparents to break their habits! As we are the most adaptable to change, it is up to us to change our personal lifestyle for the benefit of our mother earth. It may seem difficult, but as we all know, where there is a will, there is a way.

Aboli

A new look at patriotism

The day finally came. India won her first gold Olympic medal in over a century. Strangely enough, the person responsible for winning it doesn't care. Abhinav Bindra doesn't give a damn. He's all calm, and quiet, and collected. In interviews, all he says is that it's just another medal, and he could have won it anytime. That's saying something, seeing as half of the world's population would have shouted themselves hoarse. I really admire his character. I mean, he's getting a hotel worth Rs. 200 crore from his father, and all of the Indian states are sponsoring huge prizes for him.

Point is, I shouldn't be happy about this. I should be cursing all Indians for eternity. Hell, I shouldn't attend my school's Independence Day ceremony. I'm an American citizen. And I was the happiest person when we got the news. My teacher got an SMS from her daughter telling her the good news, and then she told me. I spread it to the rest of the school. And guess what? When I told this to my friends, most of them just went, " Oh? How interesting, to be sure!" and that was the end of it. I mean, hello people, wake up, this is your country we're talking about here!

Funny, isn't it? I was jumping with glee. This just shows how you don't understand the value of a thing until you lose it. I never understood how much my country meant to me until I became an American citizen. It all changed then. And even though I have an OCI, it isn't the same. It's never the same after you've lived abroad. Some of my teachers (no names mentioned) do discriminate against me because I've lived in the USA. If I contradict them in any way, even make a casual remark, their first reaction is," Of course, abroad it will be different-" or," If you think so, then you'd better go back to the US-". And it hurts knowing that even if it was never your fault, you're being discriminated against for going to another country and living and learning there. Sometimes I even think that my parents might have made a mistake in going somewhere else in hope of better prospects.

Of course, there's the flip side. I'll get admission into a better college, faster. I'll be able to go to so many countries without a visa. And, I'll be able to live anywhere on earth with a guarantee that a country's lawyers will fight for me if I get arrested as a criminal (not that I will!). So if you think about it in the right way, I get the best of both worlds!

I also know that I am extremely lucky to have gotten a chance to have lived in a country like the USA. My memories of California and all of my friends there are priceless. But of course, the heart is where the home is. And even though I was very sulky at being forced to come back to India, I think that somewhere inside I am happy at being able to experience the culture and lifestyle of both the countries. And to put it truly, I do think that India is the perfect mix of heritage and modernity, and I hope that that fragile balance will be maintained in the future. And I also feel that we will be able to if we don't allow greed and corruption to pollute our country. I end on a patriotic note: Jai Hind!

My Debate Speech- 2008-2009

This year's debate was held in July. We came last, because I forgot my speech, and I cried, and I was ill, and a lot more. Long story, I'll write about it later. Anyways, here's the speech:

MODERN SPORTSPERSONS ARE POOR ROLE MODELS FOR THE YOUNGER GENERATION

Good Morning to one and all. Today I, Aboli Joshi, wholeheartedly support the motion 'Modern sportspersons are poor role models for the younger generation' on behalf of Grieshma house.

You may ask, who is a role model? A role model is a person whose behaviour, conduct and character are so good that others look up to them. Modern role models include Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Dr. Manmohan Singh. They are neither self-centred, nor do they attract unnecessary attention. They are patriots in the true sense of the word.

But I strongly feel that the same cannot be said about the sportspeople today.

Earlier, sportspersons were thorough gentlemen, who practised good sportsmanship, and a healthy competitive spirit. But now, be it any sport, all sportspeople are setting a most shocking example for the younger generation.

Take, for instance, the well-known cricketer Harbhajan Singh. From insulting Symonds, to slapping Sreesanth, he has broken countless laws of men's cricket. Would you really want the future of our nation to be influenced by a person who was banned from playing his game? Yet, as usual, wherever Singh goes, he is mobbed by a crowd of raving fans.

The ad companies know that people worship these sportspeople. Taking advantage of this, they pay them huge amounts to endorse their brands. So you see Sachin advertising for Boost and Sania promoting Sprite.

Naturally, the crowds go wild over these products. The people just don't understand that these stars have been paid in crores, and all of that just to toss a bottle in the air, catch it and then say one sentence. Boost is not the secret of Sachin's energy, and Dhoni has a fleet of cars at his house. Why does he need a motorcycle?

This might be fun for the media and ad companies, but the youth of our nation take it very seriously. And the moral values inculcated by these innocent-looking stars are far from perfect.

They're practically telling children to go ahead and beat up their team members! And don't be surprised if your 6-year-old brother starts reeking of deodorant.

The sportspeople don't know of the influence they have over the youth of the nation, and those who do aren't using this power wisely. Instead of telling kids to save the environment, they're telling them to use deodorant and drink Pepsi.

There is no solution to this problem except to wait. Unless some visionary decides to inject sense into the heads of the public, all we can do is hope that these sleeping and ignorant stars will begin to act sensibly. Thank you.

Jaane tu... ya Jaane na- Na Maanu!

This is too good to be true. Jaane tu... is the perfect movie. THE perfect movie. Simply put, it is ADORABLE!!!!!



I am speechless. The acting! The music! The emotional scenes! And most of all, IMRAN KHAN AND HIS HEART- MELTING EYES!!! I am trying to do justice to the movie, so I will put it simply:



Story- Imran- Genelia. Best friends. They are in love but they don't know!!! They both help the other find a match. Then they both find out that they love each other and they get together! The typical teeny-bopper, college campus love story.

Actors- Genelia is practically perfect. So is Imran. The rest of the gang is just as good. They can dance too (unlike Pappu!) and they handle emotional scenes incredibly.

Music- A.R. Rehman. The songs are totally different from what one would expect from him. There aren't his usual powerful songs with held-back tempos, but there are some incredibly adorable love songs like "Kabhi Kabhi Aditi" and "Jaane tu ya Jaane na". Then there are the full-out dance songs like "Pappu Can't Dance".



So overall, a good movie to go to with family and friends and have a lot of fun at!

How I almost, mistakenly went half a day without talking.

I know. The heading itself makes you get a heart attack. I mean I WENT HALF A DAY WITHOUT TALKING!!! I still haven't gotten over the shock myself. Of course, there is a perfectly reasonable story behind the whole thing, but the occurrence of such a story itself is astonishing. Well, I guess I should stop the bakbak now, and explain the whole thing.
May I take the liberty of saying that a few parts of this narrative are shamelessly exaggerated, and I do not mean any offence to anyone through these harmless embellishments.

I have this awful cough for the past three weeks, and I've been coughing my head off. I threw up on Thursday night too, the result of which nobody got any sleep, and my mom was super-cranky all day long. I was on homeopathic medicine for a week or two, but it wasn't working as well as it used to do before. I mean, when I had a pollen allergy. So, after the whole me-throwing-up-and-nobody-sleeping-and-mom-being-cranky incident, my dad decided to take me to an allopathic doctor. I don't think that it was my constant cough as much as my mom's mood that did it, but I finally got some attention. The doctor did the whole stethoscope and flash a torch in your mouth routine, and then she told me that I have asthma. She prescribed an inhaler and some pills, and then I left. All of this happened on my birthday, in the evening, on Friday.

We ate out that night, and we came back home. And that night I threw up again. And again the night after. And again on the next. If you've been keeping track, that means that I threw up on all nights from Thursday till Sunday. All of Sunday, I had a super-squeaky, Minnie Mouse voice. And then today (Monday) morning, I woke up. My voice was alright in the morning. As in, it was intact, if a bit squeaky. But when I reached school, I found that my voice had disappeared. I could manage no more than a bare whisper.

That was when I freaked out. I was scared. Really scared. I couldn't talk! That was the worst affliction that ever happened to me. And the saddest part was, everyone was happy about it! I got a lot of compliments on my ability to conveniently lose my voice. Like I did it on purpose. Anyways, there was nothing to do, so I promptly appointed Prach to the prestigious position of 'The Mouth'. In short, I would whisper in her ear, and she would convey the talk to the person I wished to contact. It was tedious, but way better than not talking at all. I went all day like that. Talking in whispers. Which soon made me think that it would be better not to talk. So I stopped talking, except for when anyone asked me anything. Like, you know, no unnecessary nonsense. It was really sad. I mean, 'Nonsense and Irritation' is like, my motto.

And so it went, until Science practicals. I was getting fed up of having to whisper all the time. Actually, who wouldn't? And let me tell you that that complete OAF Amogh had been teasing me all day about my wimpy, whispery voice. I must admit, I was getting a bit embarrassed too. No wonder that when he started teasing me again I ended up bellowing back. I think I kind of lost control. Losing control comes in handy sometimes, doesn't it? And it's fun going off the hook.

The rest of the time, which was admittedly not much, was spent in telling everyone I met how I got my voice back. Some sympathetic, kind creatures like Namrata were good enough to congratulate me, but some of those total WORMS didn't do anything but groan and wish each other good luck.

I think the only lesson I learnt from this episode was that we shouldn't overdo it when it comes to any illness. I am firmly convinced that my losing my voice was due to my mentality that I was going to lose my voice. And it wasn't a very pleasant experience!

One more poem from the factory known as Aboli

This one is about how we all want justice from the teachers, cos they do all the talking and don't let us say a thing. That hurts me lot, because you know that I am an EXTREMELY talkative person. OK...

GIVE US JUSTICE!

What is the reason we all come to school?

I bet that you think that I'm a fool.

They say that we come here to study and learn,

While all of the teachers come here to earn.

But all day what do we end up doing?

Sleeping while the teachers go on droning.

Or unconsciously taking down notes.

From the boy upon which the whole staff dotes.

In P.E. and games, we sleepily run.

And play basket ball in the scorching sun.

At lunch, we tastelessly gulp down our food.

Cos the seasoning depends on the caterer's mood.

Shouldn't our school be a bit more fun?

Classes should have teachers who crack jokes and puns.

School trips! We don't mind if they're educational.

Or playing games that are both fun and informational.

Why let the teachers talk all day long?

We should get some time too, to sing our own song.

And if we successfully combine work and play,

Everyone will be happy at the end of the day.

A poem about my dad

Now this is a potentially dangerous poem about how my dad irritates me and is overall incredibly embarrassing. I think it's funny, but no guarantee that my dad will feel the same way!

WOES OF THE DAUGHTER OF AN OVERLY CREATIVE DAD

My dad's wearing this awful tie,

He cannot see that I'm going to die.

My cheeks turn scarlet with shame,

And I know that my father's the one to blame.

He annoys me so much wherever we go.

To point of where both of us have a big row.

Multiplexes, restaurants, even my school!

He has a knack of making me feel a fool.

Wakes me up in the morning by telling me

Sick stories while sitting beside my knee.

Or, until now, the worst by far,

Singing old songs till my eardrums char.

He scares me and like a fool I jump.

And then that big horrible insensitive lump

Exchanges high fives triumphantly

With my brother, who laughs unshamedly.

I know that it's just my youthful blood,

Teens over the world think their parents are duds.

But being embarrassed comes naturally,

And my face turns red just habitually.

My favorite music

I really love music. Mostly I listen to Bollywood film songs. And a few American pop singers. But not much.
My main source of Bollywood songs is Radio Mirchi (98.3 FM. It's hot!). But I have a website where you can listen to free Indian songs. It's http://www.musicindiaonline.com.
American pop... I really like Rihanna. Some of her songs are incredible, especially Unfaithful and Don't stop the music. I like Fergie too, but the lyrics of some of her songs are just plain disgusting. But nobody can beat the tempo of her songs, so I listen to them too. I like Irreplaecable by Beyonce, but I haven't listened to any other of her songs yet. Shakira's songs are nice too, they have that typical Indian feel to them. The beats are fabulous. The Pussycat Dolls are great too. I like Beep, Buttons, Wait a Minute and I Don't Need a Man. Britney Spears is OK. Her voice is pretty good.
In the Disney hamper, I like Ashley Tisdale and Vanessa Hudgens. Their voices are great solo and in the duets in High School Musical 1 and 2.
I listen to most of these songs online on http://www.smashitsusa.com
So overall, I enjoy music a lot, even if I don't know much about the latest hits. I like the tried and tested and I don't listen to much unless someone recommends it to me.

Money

That last post got me thinking. What is money? I know it's a very philosophical question but I had to ask someone. It's just a fancy. Human imagination. A figment of our thoughts. That's it. If some aliens landed on our planet who didn't have money back home, what'd they do? They'd probably throw all of the supposed 'printed paper' in the bank down the drain. Then how come half the world is working and living and dying for paper? Forget aliens. Suppose that all of our own people, humans, Homo sapiens just lost their minds some day. A mass brain destruction or something. The whole world. Everyone. What value will money have then? What will be the use of those bits of paper and those round pieces of metal? Nothing. Nil. Zero. I just don't understand. I know that I'm still young, and my mind and outlook isn't as developed as an adult's, but this is one question I'd definitely like answered.

A thing that's been troubling me for ages.

A year ago, when I learnt that Paris Hilton spends 4 million dollars a year on her dog, I was astounded. I began wondering: Is it really worth it to spend so much money on a DOG? I know that Paris Hilton is a maniac, but even maniacism has its limits. I sometimes wish I had that much money to burn. I would at least do something worthwhile at least, like pay a few million dollars to plant a tree plantation somewhere in Maharashtra. Or clean Pune's atmosphere. Sadly, I can't do anything but pity the poor dog, who has its sad little tummy stuffed full of cake and then squeezed into vulgar puppy tuxedos. I mean it's a DOG for heaven's sake! Spend that much on three humans and it'll be OK, but on a DOG!! It really gets on my nerves! Why can't she use that money to stop world hunger rather than spend it on a petted and pampered Chihuahua? And the dog is so small! And it's worth so much. If size meant money then it wouldn't be worth a penny. And I would be worth a lot. And my mom would be worth the earth.
So I'll just wait. And hope that I'll someday earn that much money. I can't do anything, it's just a useless observation. But it's there all the same. And I hope it makes a difference.

My First and (I hope) Last Sentimental Poem

I got one of those sentimental fits a few days ago (my friends know what I'm talking about!) and I wrote this poem about my friends group and what they mean to me. I couldn't think of a title. To be frank, I hate being sentimental. I mean, I feel nice and all, but later I feel faintly disgusted that I could ACTUALLY WRITE STUFF LIKE THIS??? Eeww. It's quite soppy and all mushy to tell the truth! Well here goes.

My friends mean more to me
Than most of the people in my life.
Some are in school with me,
And some are outside.
All of them are very close
And have a place in my heart.
We have fights every now and then
But we're never truly apart.
I've written this poem today
For all of my dear friends
Through it I'd like to try and explain
Our breaks and our mends.
I've written what our group means to me.
All the joy and all the pain.
I've written why we've stayed together
Through sunshine and through rain.

Hanging with the girls.
Watching secrets unfurl.
Huge group fights.
Crying in the night.
Cat fights in our tent.
Later we repent.
Going to the theatre.
Crying all together.
Feeling each other's pain.
Playing in the rain.
Disagreements over tiny things.
Giving each other friendship rings.
Getting giggling fits.
Throwing secret chits.
Whispering in the loo.
And in the classroom too!
Complaining 'bout the food.
Changing someone's mood.
Exchanging dresses.
Making messes.
Playing Truth or Dare.
Making the teacher stare.
Teasing and shouting.
Later pouting.
Cheering her up.
Just gupshup.
Endless phone calls.
Going shopping in malls.
Doing projects for school.
Trying to be cool.
Chatting for hours.
Using girl power.
Huge sleepovers.
Movie hangovers.
Staying up till dawn.
Rolling on the lawn.

My group is all this to me,
And ever so much more.
They are the special people who,
I dedicate this poem for.

Movie Review-Bhoothnath

Before I begin this review, let me tell you that if you are an emotional type, take at least three handkerchiefs and one cotton dupatta along with you when you go for this movie! If, like me, you end up crying the whole time after the interval, they'll come in handy. I found a whole new use for stoles too. Mine came in really useful.
This movie is definitely worth watching. The story is basically about a boy called Banku. He moves into a new house with his mother. There he meets a ghost called Nath. He is the owner of the house. They make friends, and then they have a lot of fun playing pranks on everyone they meet. Then Nath's son decides to break down the house to build a resort there. Nath gets angry, scares away the builders and insists upon Banku living there. Banku's dad does a pooja, Nath ko mukti milti hai, he turns into a star and then comes back. Typical story? Yes. But definitely atypical presentation. The storyline may be old and stale, but everything else is fantabulous!
The graphics has been done pretty well, it's none of the fuzzy, weird, mechanical looking stuff anymore. I especially liked the part where Banku's hand passes through Nath's, and the scene where the packet of Kurkure floats in midair. It seems quite real, you have to give it to the graphics people.
I absolutely adored the acting of all the actors. Aman has acted really well, you wouldn't think that it's his first movie! Amitabh, as usual, has added a lot of charm to his character. He has acted, danced and sung perfectly, you wouldn't think he's 66. Juhi Chawla has played the part of the flustered mother very well. The emotional parts have been portrayed excellently by everyone (that's why I cried! I've never cried so much for any movie, not even Taare Zameen Par!)
Vishal-Shekhar have composed fantastic numbers for this movie. Mere Buddy and Banku Bhaiyya are my absolute favorites. As it happens, I'm quite partial to Vishal-Shekhar!
So all in all, this is a really good movie to go to with family and friends to have a laugh and a cry together. Absolutely fabulous if you have a bowl of hot buttered popcorn and some Pepsi on the side, even better at a slumber party in sleeping bags! So just go and enjoy.
Aboli's rating- 3 1/2 stars.

My Family and Friends

Some of the important characters in my life.

Family:

Baapus- My dad. You could call him an intellectual. He's very serious outside home, but at home he's a complete monkey. He and my brother play these weird tricks on me, and then give each other high fives, and that really gets on my nerves. Is always on my side, even when I don't deserve it. Very hot-headed, gets angry really fast. His blog is: http://ankushjoshi.blogspot.com/.

Aai- My mom. She's round and chubby. A cleanaholic. She's so busy most of the time, that she doesn't get time to clean, and then I have to help her, and then I get irritated. She constantly nags me about something or the other. We fight A LOT and as she says, if she trys to help me with math, she ends up screaming her head off in the first ten minutes.

Omkar- My brother. There is no time of the day when we are not fighting. I mean, I bet we fight in our sleep! He's actually very cute and he listens to everything I say but when I'm in a bad temper I treat him really badly. I feel bad later. But sometimes he really annoys me. The only problem is that everyone in my family treats him like he's some kind of king, and I get left out. Of course, that's expected, seeing as I'm the older child. But it does get irritating sometimes.

Aajoba- My Grandfather. He's really helpful, but he expects a lot from me that I can't do. He's pretty old-fashioned, but when it comes to technology, he's got only the best and he deserves it! I could wax eloquent on his laptop for hours! I mean, the whole wide screen, high-definition experience. I love it! We clash a lot too, but most of the time it's my fault.

Aaji- My grandmother. She's got so many diseases that I wonder that she can stand upright! You have to give it to her, she does a lot of the housework even when she's ill. She expects a lot from me too. Gets along incredibly with my mom because they're both cleanaholics!

These are only the people who live in my house. The rest of my family is so extended that it's not possible to write about them here!

Friends:

School Friends: I've used nicknames because I don't want to disclose their real names. People from school, please do not disclose anything!

Anna- My soul mate. I can tell her anything and get good advice too. She gets angry really easily, and when she's angry she's dangerous! She's small, but powerful! I adore her.

Wuta- She's sporty and very active. Always raring and ready to do anything! We fight so much, you wouldn't imagine. I mean, over the tiniest things! At night camp last year, we had a huge cat fight that'll be in my memory forever.

Nix- She's really sensitive, and cries really easily. But she's my wackiness partner, we have a lot of fun doing stupid things that no one can understand. She's really sweet.

Prach- She's the most athletic person in our group. I can tell her a lot of things about myself. She stays away from gossip and scandals like a mouse from a cat! An excellent handball player. Does tend to be a bit pushy and is fond of pulling me down for some reason.

Chaitre- The typical all-rounder girl. She is the center of more than half of the scandals in our school. I can talk to her really easily. I share everything with her, and she tells me everything too! She's fun to be with, and gets irritated really easily. I love annoying her! Sometimes, she can be really rude, but most of the times she's OK. I hate her and I can't live without her! Shares my passion about all the HSM movies. The most popular girl in the whole school, there is no student from first to tenth who hasn't heard her name!

Ira- She is the decided head girl of our class. I mean, you know those girls who are so good in everthing that they have to be the head girl in tenth? She's one of those. Really popular, though not as much as Chaitre.

Nidhi- She's the craziest person I've met in my lifetime! We are both freakazoids in her language, and we do crazy stuff that no one can imagine. We both enjoy freaking people out. She shares my passion for books. Her blog is at http://nidhi-myonlinejournal.blogspot.com/.

Nammy- She is a lot like me and Nidhi, except that she is a lot more quiet and sarcastic. Loves books, music, and writing. Her blog is http://nammykrew.blogspot.com/.

Out of School Friends:

Anushka- We used to live in the same neighborhood in the US, and we grew up together. Now she's in Pune too, and we visit each other a lot. She's really fun!

Srijanee (Jenni)- We used to live together too, now she's in Bangalore. She's a kindred spirit, we share a lot of likes and dislikes. I talk to her about all sorts of stuff.

Deepti- She lives in my building. We're really good friends, we chat for hours on different topics. I like talking to her so much that whenever I go to her house, I end up coming home hours later than expected! She's leaving for her MBA in August, I'm going to miss her a lot! We're both bookworms, I've borrowed so many books from her. A fellow Gemini.

Dhananjay- Deepti's brother. He's obsessed with cars! Really nice to talk to. He helps me a lot with my school projects. According to one of those 'inner consciousness awakening' emails, he is my 'twin soul'. Did I mention that he is mad about Katrina Kaif and books?

Rhea- I met her at summer camp the first time. There was no looking back from then! We are pretty good friends and stay in contact even though she lives in Mumbai.

And that's about it!

Aboli

What I've wanted to be

I've been pretty ambitious since I was a toddler. Problem is, I keep changing who I want to be. I've changed precisely eleven times (I've counted!). The first person I've wanted to be was an astronaut at the wee age of three. Then inventor (I still have no idea what I meant to invent in the first place). After inventor, I wanted to become a scientist. I didn't know what kind of scientist, but I knew I wanted to become one. After that, author. I seriously think that every bookworm wants to become an author at some point in their life, so I'm an example of that. Anyways, that lasted longer, about three years. Then I decided to become an architect, but nothing came of it. After we came to India, I got inspired by my aunt and decided to become a biologist of all the things in the world! I finally realised that biologist rhymes with science. So another one gone. Then, we had our home renovated. That made me architect crazy again. And then my mom explained to me - to be an architect, you have to be able to draw. *sigh*. Another dream shattered. Soon after the obsession passed, I began thinking about (eeewww!) choreographing!! Luckily, I realised soon enough that I wasn't exactly Shiamak Davar, so I forgot about it. Then, the inevitable, the thing that happens to all girls, the AIR HOSTESS!!! It still gets on my nerves to think of this. But one look at the insane timings and I was back to normal again. But then alas! another fever betook me! Upon watching Emeril and Nigella strut their stuff, I took up the mantle of Chef! That one lasted ages, half the people who know me know me as ' Le Chef Abolee'. My wiki has a separate page for recipes and I used to watch Food Channel like my life depended on it. I got over that one pretty late. And then... the journalist monster struck! It had been rearing its ugly head at me for a few months. But no, then I found refuge in the glamorous post of actress. I'm still on that one, but I don't know if I have the looks for it. I hope that I'll just get one lucky break, like a chance to audition or something, and I'll do my best!

Poem

One more poem folks! This time about politics in school. In case you want to know why, in our school, the politics is over the top. So I decided to write a poem on it!
Note from the poet: All the names in this poem are fake. Anyone with a same or a similar name or a person knowing anyone with a same or similar name, please, no offence meant! And do take it lightly!

SCHOOL POLITICS

The politics in school,
Is unbearably dirty,
You'd better be careful,
Kids can get pretty shirty.

Gossiping, and all those shocking scandals
Did you know? Neha hit Rohit with her sandals!
Half of the time I just can't believe
When my friend throws a chit on my head I get peeved.

I never knew boys and girls could stoop so low,
Talkin' 'bout how she slapped his face just so
Don't they have other work to do?
Can't believe that they're gossiping inside the loo!

And when Priya told her ex-best friend's secrets
To her brand new, sparkling best friend,
What did the ex do?
Take the class on her head!
Small kids would be running home, and what would they say?
Mummy, Mummy, two girls were fighting in VIII F today!

Sometimes its hilarious,
Sometimes scary,
Oh God! I really don't care who Aditya will marry!
And so what if Ritvik's got one more fake wife?
Is it going to make any difference in my life?

Sometimes I just feel like leaving it all,
I don't care who Isha went with to the mall!
It's affecting my studies so I don't care.
Let Saili go to the movies with a bear!

One More Poem I've written.

Right, so I've written yet another poem (hey, i'm churning them out at a surprising rate!!) and it's all about nagging. Now if you think I'm crazy then you're justified because it is not a common topic. But if you saw how my mother goes on at home then you'd be surprised. By the way, a question for her colleagues, does she nag you to get your work done too ?:) One thing is for sure- she nags my dad, my brother and of course, me. Well here goes:

DO STOP NAGGING!

Do stop nagging!
What would I give
If I got some time
Just to live.
But NO, you always insist upon
Nagging, nagging on and on.

Do stop nagging!
Is your homework complete?
There are guests coming, and your desk isn't neat!
Don't you ever get off the phone?
Ugh! How many times must I hone
My multiplication skills?
Just thinking of fractions gives me the chills.
And yet you make sure at least ten times
That I sit at that desk till the twelfth hour chimes.

Do stop nagging!
Yes, you'll say that it's all for our own good
But for God's sake! You're putting us off our food!
I really never saw the necessity
What you're committing is an atrocity.
We've absolutely no free time for ourselves.
It isn't our fault if our mind delves
Into obscure memories when we're at those books.
Just remember that inspite of all your strict looks,
We can't help thinking of other things.
When we're studying, we're physically there but our mind takes to wings.

Now that you have read this,
I hope you understand
Nagging takes kids nowhere
Except to dream land
So if you want our marks to improve
Learn from us and just go with the groove.

Teaching My Brother To Tie His Shoelaces

Today I tried to teach my brother to tie his shoelaces. Tried, mind you. I wasn't successful. Well that's an understatement. I was half in tears at the end of it (at my inadequacy in teaching him), my brother was crying (because he couldn't get it), and there was no outcome anyways (obviously not). This goes to show the level of my patience. I couldn't teach anyone anything to save my life. I mean, I think my brother's hand-eye coordination is faulty. But that's not possible because he can draw like a pro. Then why on earth does he need about half an hour to make two loops of those shoelaces? I mean, even if you say that fine, it's his first time, just leave it, he'll learn, but half an hour? It's the limit. And my mother is breathing down my neck and referring to Mr. Bill, and saying," If he taught you how to tie your laces then you've never given justice to his memory unless you teach someone else how to tie theirs, and blah blah blah." Mr Bill got paid to teach us stuff like that. And he was a great man and teacher, unlike me. I really got irritated. Even my dad couldn't teach him properly. Why do I always have to be the one to teach our pet monster stuff and take care of him? Even now at 2:42 in the afternoon, I'm supposed to entertain him so that my mother can take her nap or read or whatever it is she's doing. Now tell me, if you had a 6 year old boy bent on irritating you and eventually burning your poor brain and body down to a frazzle behind you for every moment of the day (if he had a chance I bet he'd follow me into the toilet), how on earth would you feel? Irritated. Angry. Annoyed. Nope. That's not it. I feel like murdering him. And in your comments please don't write, "Life is not a bed of roses." Or "Life isn't fair." Why can't it be fair at least about this topic?

Sholay Review

This is a review I've written about the movie 'Sholay'. Hope you enjoy it!

SHOLAY- THE REVIEW BY ME

Sholay is an excellent movie. Of course it is, if it was in the box office for five whole years! But there are some pros and cons about it which I would like to bring to light.
Jaya Bhaduri could have been given something else to do other than lighting and putting out lanterns and watering the plants. Granted, she's acted well, but we want more action! Why couldn't she knock a bad guy over the head using a watering can? Or maybe throw burning matches on Gabbar to avenge her husband's death?
Basanti (Hema Malini) is definitely capable of doing more than just dancing on glass to save her husband-to-be's life! How about training that ultra-bubbly lass to wield a gun? Or possibly, would she have the guts to run Dhanno and that famous tonga of her's over Gabbar the great dacoit?
In the movie there are way too many flashbacks. "Bahut lambi kahani hai", keheke lambi kahani ban jati hai!
But on the other hand, the movie is a superhit! And there are so many funny parts!

For example, when Veeru is on top of the water tank, you almost die laughing! And Jai and his sarcastic remarks like," Tumhara naam kya hai Basanti?" keeps us in splits!Plus, I have formed many strong opinions after seeing this movie:-

1. Dacoits should be punished severely. Locking them up doesn't do it. (Dipped in boiling oil?)
2. All tonga drivers should be girls. They come in handy with their Dhannos. (ha ha)
3. Widows should be allowed to marry again. It reduces their social status 'cause they only choose men who make them widows again. (Luckily, Radha didn't marry Jai before he died!)

I enjoyed this movie and I want to watch the new one so I can compare them!

My Debate Speech

I had given a speech in our school's Inter-House Debate. We came third (boo-hoo). It's OK, I don't mind. At least I participated! Well here goes:-

PATRIOTISM IS OLD- FASHIONED IN TODAY’S INDIA

Good morning respected teachers, worthy opponents and my dear friends. Today I, Aboli Joshi of Std VII Florence would like to express my views on the topic ‘Patriotism is old- fashioned in today’s India’. I will speak for the motion.
You may ask- What is Patriotism? Patriotism means love for one’s country. Great patriots like Bhagat Singh And Mahatma Gandhi have helped us achieve freedom.
But Patriotism is gradually declining in India. Why is this so? There can be several reasons.
In my opinion, the fact that heroes do not get recognition has lead to the decline in patriotism. In and before 1947, thousands of anonymous heroes gave their lives for their nation. These people deserve, but did not get a tribute to all that they did. Many people, even now, are labouring under the delusion that if they do a good deed or help the nation, it will go unnoticed. That is why they do not wish to do anything for their country.
I feel very strongly that it is due to the selfish nature of people that patriotism has reduced. They do not want to help anybody if they do not stand to gain from it. On the contrary, if they were given money for helping their country, they would do so whole-heartedly. But sadly, as they do not gain, they do not take the pain.
In the times of the British, it was an honour to join the army. But now, due to the laziness of people and the reluctance of mothers, the army does not have sufficient recruits. This is due to a lack of patriotism.
My next argument for the motion is that in most democratic countries, freedom is taken for granted. Not only countries, but our own Gurukul is a perfect example of this. Children misuse the freedom given to them by misbehaving, disrespecting the teachers and much more. If they themselves misuse freedom, then imagine the chaos in the country! If there was patriotism then there would most definitely be less disturbances in our nation.
My final argument for the motion is that the caste system prevails in our country. A true patriot would abide by the Constitution, which states very clearly that there is no such thing as a caste. But now, even more than ever, people are practicing the caste system. If we treat each individual as a person and not as a member of a caste, then it would most definitely make our India a balanced, peaceful and harmonius country. This, in my opinion, is the true meaning of patriotism.
My examples show that the word patriotism is old-fashioned in today’s India. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to express my views.

Book Review- Bartimaeus Trilogy

This is a trilogy of three books. The author is Jonathan Stroud. The books are set in modern-day London controlled by magicians. The three books are:

1. The Amulet of Samarkand
2. The Golem's Eye
3. Ptolemy's Gate

THE AMULET OF SAMARKAND

The main characters in this book are:

• Nathaniel
• Mr Underwood
• Mrs Underwood
• Bartimaeus
• Simon Lovelace
• Faquarl
• Jabor
• Jessica Whitwell
• Rupert Devereaux

The story revolves around a boy called Nathaniel who summons a djinni called Bartimaeus to steal a protective Amulet from Simon Lovelace. The story kickstarts and they go on a journey of magic, hate and betrayal. My favourite character is Bartimaeus because

• He is hard-working
• I can relate to him when he is forced to work against his will.
• He faces dangers which not many people could face.
• He is witty and humorous.
• He has lived for 5,000 years.

THE GOLEM'S EYE

The events in this book take place when Nathaniel (now known as John Mandrake) is climbing his way through the government. To save his job, he has to stop the attacks of the Resistance, which is a group of people fighting against the magicians' rule. Before he can start the investigations, another series of attacks begin. Yet, they are nothing like the usual attacks by the Resistance. He is now charged with finding out about these. To do this, he is forced to summon Bartimaeus once again.

In this book, the author gives us an insight on the movements of Kitty and her team as well, hence making it different from the first book. I admire the character of Kitty because:

• She is ready to give her life for the 'cause'.
• She has resistance to magic.
• She is very hard-working.

PTOLEMY'S GATE

This is the last book in an epic series. The book is all about how Nathaniel uncovers and defeats a criminal who is destroying the city government. It is beautifully written with touches of humour. The only downside of this book is that to understand it, you should have read the first two books as well. I have truly enjoyed reading this book.

I would recommend this series to people who regularly read modern classics in fiction such as the Harry Potter Series, The Inheritance trilogy and so on. The book needs the reader to have a strong imagination. Be sure to have three whole days on hand (more if you are a slow reader) because once you start reading this book, you won't want to put it down till you're finished. I give it full five stars.

Another poem that I've written

OK, so I've written another poem which I gave to my teacher on the last day of school. Here it is.

TO MY FAVOURITE TEACHER

The seventh grade has been a memorable year,
These tables, chairs, even the board have become near.
But the saddest parting today by far,
Is with the one whose memory no one can mar.

My favourite teacher on this earth,
Diamonds are much lesser than her worth,
She taught me how to multiply and divide,
In the fifth grade when I left her, I still remember how I cried.

And it seems that tears must once more be shed,
By me as I'm leaving the person who led.
She was always there for me when she was needed,
When I wanted help to solve my problems, she always heeded.

My second mother, who was always there for me,
She did so much for all of us that we didn't see.
And now the time has come for us to part,
Just remember, you'll always have a place in my heart.

Saigeetha Aunty, I'll miss you!
I hope that you'll remember me too.

With love from your very own
ABOLI

A poem that I've Written

I recently wrote a poem on the dangers of workaholism. It's quite funny, but maybe it's Ok. Hey I may even have discovered a new talent in myself! A budding poet as well as a writer--nothing better. Well here it is. Please comment and tell me how it is:-

THE DANGERS OF WORKAHOLISM
You IT people,
Always on the phone,
Don't have time to eat,
Even when you're home.

Do you feel any remorse
About what kind of course
Your children are taking?
Whether they're into baking,
Reading, writing, or nothing at all,
Just sitting around waiting for the sky to fall.

Really, though you may find this very funny,
I wonder what makes you do this to us?
Is it the money?
Or is it so that you can satisfy your workaholic craving,
Of working all day, all night long?

Though the situation may not be so bad I confess,
Is it good for your health to be under so much stress?
When you sit and you work and you eat that junk food
My God! Look at the oil on that, dude!

When your back starts to hurt and your head starts to ache,
You may find that there is nothing to take
The place of a bed, soft and warm,
And then you realise that you are not in good form.

So I beg you all, please awake!
Workaholism is really no piece of cake.
Remember my warning, I'm ringing a bell.
Now the rest of the story, time and your conscience will tell.