Its one of the rare occasions when your male friends are allowed to hug you, unless you are Italian of course.
"So now that 25 years old, what are your plans?"
You dont realize you are 25 till you hear it from someone. It's quite a number. 25 weeks at the
box office earns you a silver Jubliee tag. 25 years with one spouse means you have really high levels of tolerance. You have to be 25 before you can become the PM of India (oh yeah)...
All in all, it's a good number... only till they ask you what you wanna do with your life...
I have never been able to answer that question properly. When I was asked that question as a kid by my relatives when visiting them in the summer, the answer was easy. I would say I wanted to be a doctor - one of the advantages of having a doctor mother. Then the next question would be, why dont you want to be an engineer like your father?
Never did I have an answer. I wonder if I ever wanted to be a doctor... I never wanted to be a Pilot, or a Police officer or Giant Robot (like some friends in my colony) or Michael Jackson (like my cousin). I just didnt wanna be anything...
I didnt know what I was good at. I was good at maths and science, but so were 4 others in the class. I was not extremely good at cricket, so being the next Sachin Tendulkar was out... I never wanted to be an actor like SRK. I wonder if any guy wants to be SRK or should want to be SRK.
The point here is, I never really knew what i wanted to do with my life. I am less confused than I was when I was 22. When I was 22, I tried out everything. I applied to FTII's direction course,
lectured CAT students, worked for Siemens, got into MDI, gurgaon.... I thought this would help me sort things out... It doesnt work that way...
Anyway, in a bid to feel good about myself, I tried to see what good things have happened to me in the last one year... what have I learnt... have I become wiser than what I already was! :P
* I got my novel Published. To be honest, I dont feel to excited about getting it published. All my friends around me are extremely happy. I was wondering why I cant feel the same happiness... Then I thought about my blog, the best feeling is when I get comments on the blog...
This is what I am waiting for - reviews of the book... Once they trickle in, I would be happy...
hopefully :)
* I made awesome friends in MDI and Germany. I realized that I have really cool friends in general. I fail to understand why do they like me so much. sometimes
I wonder if I have been a good friend to them.
* I finally got a chance to come to Germany. I have wanted to come here ever since I saw that ad about German Engineering (Opel ad).
* I have fallen in love with Berlin. dont know if that stands for all of Germany, but Berlin in Summers is beautiful. God is a male. And he made summers in Berlin for his recreation. You ahve to come here to know what I am talking about.
(Now that I am an author, I have decided not to post raunchy photos... only clean ones like the one below)
* 'Genau' and 'alles klar' have to be my favourite words in the German language. Genau means Exactly and alles klar, it means all clear, but it is used like 'thik hai' in hindi.
* I miss MDI. I miss Arcus, the night canteen in MDI. I miss my room. I miss Air-conditioning. As weird as it sounds, except malls, you wouldnt find ACs in Berlin. And Germany is like the birth place of Mechanical Engineering. Btw, last week it was like 37 degrees C here. But I am not complaining - you know, God, summer, recreation thingy? :P
* You know the sweet smell of soil when it rains? You dont get that smell in germany. I dont know why. I mean, I know the biology behind the smell, but I dont understand why you shouldnt get the same smell here. I think that's where the phrase -"Desh ki mitti ki khusbu" comes from.
* Football is an unforgiving sport. One mistake costs you the match. Cricket is a better sport for a lotta reasons, one of them is that no one pulls ur jersey while playing. This is one of the reasons we dont play football. You come home with a torn jersey everyday and your mom gives you the dressing down of your life. Also our country cant really afford so many new jerseys everyday. The GDP of India will suffer. We will have to import jerseys from Bangladesh. And we all know that all football teams buy their jerseys from Bangladesh. Imagine a country as big as ours importing jersey after jersey from Bangladesh.... this will create a jersey deficit and Europeans will have no jerseys to wear.... and that my friend will lead to no football, europe's only pressure valve.... europe's GDP will suffer.... Hence we decide that for World good, we wont play football... We are just a class apart, arent we!
That's it for now... I cant explain any more complex problems in the world. If there are any, I am sure few of us are already working on it...
Meanwhile, my novel can be now bought online at -
Dont worry about the number of days. It should reach major cities in 5 days. Only in small villages does it take around 10 days I have been told.
If you find it in a store, do let me know... I ll be thankful :)
If you like/dislike it, please do send me an email - arshat.chaudhary@gmail.com
Till next time - Get nerdy :)
Editor in chief Arshat Chaudhary
Current Issues: author, How i got my girl back, mdi gurgaon, novel
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A said...
Someone wanted to be MJ??! That has got be an exaggeration! In any case, it was to read this post. Football is a beautiful game. Jersey or no jersey, we ought to play! :-P Waiting for your book to hit the stores.
aroop said...
Hahaha, It's been a long time, since I really really really loved your post..
You had entered into that soft chocolate boy "Read gay" syndrome and I was wondering whether I had lost all of my bro to a love bug. :D
well evidently a part you is still the man I love..
Love it...
s4n705h said...
got ur book today. started at 1 and finished it just now (in 2 hours flat. ) That a record (for me). Great book. Found some chapter written here as your blog post :)(the one with the last day of class 8 and why does it rain). Will try to do a full review on my blog soon. Don't mind if i come up little hard.
@madhuri i not sure if you will be happy not wearing a jersey while playing football. on second thought be it any game :P.
s4n705h said...
BTW happy belated Birthday and congrates on the book :)
A said...
@s4n705h: I meant without a jersey, and not without anything on! :-P
Srinivas said...
Belated Birthday Wishes,Arshat!!!You will be successful in whatever career you choose!!!
Excellent reasons for Indians not playing football!!!Cheers!!
Srinivas said...
Belated Birthday Wishes!!!
Good posting!!!
Keep it up
Arshat Chaudhary said...
@Madhuri
You believe that someone wanted to be Giant robot and u cant believe someone wanted to be MJ! This was b4 the allegations u knw. You have some black guy turning white overnight, you wanna be MJ if u r 8! :P
@Aroop
Deep inside I am just a poet :P
Glad u enjoyed the post :)
@Santosh
2 hrs is too less... We spent more time on studying cryogenics in engineering :P
@Madhuri
You spoiled a lovely thought :P
@Srinivas
Thank you :)
Hit Wicked said...
25 is a strange no. though. You know you have stepped into the age where you will called an Uncle by street kids. Congrats though. Me 25 too! :D
Hehe cricket thingy is very true!