Archive for March, 2008

Talking to myself

The start of a new quarter…and I don’t want to talk about it. I’m supposed to get busy with an article for the Luminaire, but I don’t feel up to it.

I am still happy that I got into PLUMS (Publications at LUMS) which I think is the ost sensible society in lums, but I’m just a bit worried that my writing skills might not be very good in the article–writing sector. A few articles here and there in school and weekly magazines don’t really give one much experience for PLUMS, it seems. I like to keep information in a colorful form of expression and while the coordinator says that’s ok, I still need to get the point across more and be less ‘wordy’, as he calls it. And also I have to cut down on excessive criticism, which is funny, because I’m extremely careful about criticizing anyone at any time. The excessive criticism was in a quote that I used, but apparently, he doesn’t want direct quotes used either. Problem. I love to use direct quotes; I mean, what abut research papers then? Or the numerous articles in newspapers? But I guess that’s his own style. Anyways, I’m just chipping away at my article, trying to make a good piece of work out of it; and it’s coming along. I’m very grateful to the coordinator when all is said and done, because my work is much, much better now. I can feel it. Like he said…training issi taran hoti hai. 

But I am depressed…for a completely different and somewhat juvenile reason. Amanda Overmyer got voted out in American Idol! It’s just about the worst thing that could happen. I mean, she was one of the best performances that hyped-up, rigged and commercialized show ever had. And she had the perfect style that I want in female singers…it may come as a surprise to people who are close to me, but I am crazy about rock music. I loved the raw, strong tone of her voice, and the whole Southern rock makeup with the tongue sticking out, and the angry kicks in the air, shouting, the yelling, and those loud elucidations she used to do. Damn it, I don’t want a cute little pop or country singer! I want hardcore, mature, interesting people who are not afraid to belt out the good, upbeat tunes. I can’t believe I’ll never see that performer again, with her hair white-blond in front and black for the rest. She was amazing! She was what I fantasized about being if I ever had the guts or the ability to go on a show like that. She was just too goddam talented to have gone. And Bon Jovi had better not come on the show now that the rocker’s gone. None of the idiots left could ever go out for a Bon Jovi song like Amanda could. And now, I have sworn off watching American Idol seriously. You can’t take a show like that seriously. It’s stupid. America was stupid to vote her out, and to keep some seriously mediocre people in. I mean, she came in eleventh and I was expecting her to win! Bleargh..I’m going back to my article…it’s a good thing no one reads this blog anymore.

Leave a Comment

“the exam is open-everything!!!”

I have an open book, open notes exam in about two and a half hours…how does one study for that? My last exam was on Saturday evening, and my Sunday was spent in eating, drinking, and sleeping…don’t know what I was celebrating, but my subconscious told me that exams were now over.

But back to the idiotic exam that still keeps me from sleeping till my standard time of 1 or 2 pm. I have only had one open-book, open notes exam before, and that was almost a year ago, when I took Intro, to Philosophy. Now this subject here is History of colonial expansion…and I have no idea what to do other than sit and stare at that dratted textbook.

 

 HOW many times does one have to read about the Chinese dynasties getting overthrown, the Muslim and Maratha Empires getting overthrown, the Ottoman Empire getting overthrown, the Native American being killed by European diseases; the Europeans getting killed by African diseases???…it just depresses the heck out of me. LUMS is weird…liberal arts, my foot…there shouldn’t even be an exam for a subject like this.

I feel like Holden Caulfield, only I don’t have the freedom to break out and just get away.

 

Anyways, it’s not even all this historical stuff that’s going to come in the exam. It’s going to be modern liberalism, nationalism; Marxism…I recently found out that our instructor is probably a Marxist. As if being a political activist and a 40-time jailbird wasn’t enough, you have to attach a name to all of it.

To be honest, the main reason I took a history course was because of this instructor. I just wanted to see that charisma that organized student protests, that got him into jail so many times, and that self-assurance that made him refuse to go to court to be arrested when an FIR was lodged against him. And when I attended the first lecture, it was mind-blowing! The whole world just seemed to be going my way, my thoughts had taken a new and interesting direction…and of course, it didn’t hurt that he was young and good-looking into the bargain :P But let’s leave that for a freshie.

 

Now I am going to get something to eat, and try to read something form the book or the notes or the articles I found online…but how much can one read? And how much use can it be if everything’s going to be right in front of you???

Research papers zindabad…

 

Leave a Comment