Thursday 26 June, 2008
it's over
They finally left. We r left with an empty base (the kennel went along with them- the base of it was left behind) n hearts. I'm trying to finish with my NET exam so I can get back to work on July 1.
Thursday 19 June, 2008
Monday 16 June, 2008
Sunday 15 June, 2008
If I Were A Man! (My most famous poem)
To be a man, first of all, I would not desire
For it’s the woman after all, who sets the world on fire.
But if I were to be a man, what would I do?
Obviously much more than make a hullabaloo.
I’d stop complaining about the men in power,
And start aiming at the bottom of the political tower.
Instead of forever harping about my wife,
I’d find solutions to end the long strife.
Other couch potatoes would have lazed in front of the telly,
But I, I would have helped with the supper and jelly.
The garbage bin would be cleared without a frown,
My perfectly arranged shelves - surely nagging it would drown.
The children would find their father briskly ironing his pants,
With an eye on the cricket stadium packed with fans.
At night I’d take turns to tell stories galore,
Of knights and princesses and wizards of yore.
At work you’d find me sympathising with a worker,
Whose life story is a sure tear jerker.
You’d find me at the desk from nine to five,
Not constantly at the coffee machine, like bees to a hive.
From the office secretary you’d definitely not hear
How I made a pass with an unmistakeable leer;
And you’d have heard the boss commend me the other day
For handling a tough problem in the best possible way.
At the Jones’ party I might have had a drink
But surely you wouldn’t have found me on fours, quite pink.
The Shahs next door give us some home grown lime,
Because I cut the hedge promptly, in time.
But such dreams are meant for only those in heaven,
Because men I know, will never be like women!
- Tina Jose
For it’s the woman after all, who sets the world on fire.
But if I were to be a man, what would I do?
Obviously much more than make a hullabaloo.
I’d stop complaining about the men in power,
And start aiming at the bottom of the political tower.
Instead of forever harping about my wife,
I’d find solutions to end the long strife.
Other couch potatoes would have lazed in front of the telly,
But I, I would have helped with the supper and jelly.
The garbage bin would be cleared without a frown,
My perfectly arranged shelves - surely nagging it would drown.
The children would find their father briskly ironing his pants,
With an eye on the cricket stadium packed with fans.
At night I’d take turns to tell stories galore,
Of knights and princesses and wizards of yore.
At work you’d find me sympathising with a worker,
Whose life story is a sure tear jerker.
You’d find me at the desk from nine to five,
Not constantly at the coffee machine, like bees to a hive.
From the office secretary you’d definitely not hear
How I made a pass with an unmistakeable leer;
And you’d have heard the boss commend me the other day
For handling a tough problem in the best possible way.
At the Jones’ party I might have had a drink
But surely you wouldn’t have found me on fours, quite pink.
The Shahs next door give us some home grown lime,
Because I cut the hedge promptly, in time.
But such dreams are meant for only those in heaven,
Because men I know, will never be like women!
- Tina Jose
An Old Friend
How do you usually react when an old friend comes visiting unexpectedly? Do you feel out of this world? Ecstatic? Overjoyed? Out of words or breathe? And what do you do next? Welcome your friend with open arms? Maybe a hug? Sometimes with blasphemous words for having disappeared for so long, but definitely joyously? And then what next? Do you sit and have verbal exchanges over what you’ve done with your lives? Talk about old times and mutual friends, and enjoy the nostalgia? Swap pictures of families and that drooling baby or b.f. whichever it may be? Maybe a cup of coffee or dinner? And finally? You part ways again? Promising to keep in touch, whether it happens or not?
You might agree with at least some of these responses. But let me tell you, none of this is what I did when an old friend came visiting me. We had parted ways for sometime, especially after I left for Chennai and been so out of sync that neither knew what happened to the other. And then all of a sudden he turns up at my doorstep in Kottayam (I shall call the person he irrespective of gender, as the male sex has often ended up being a pain in the neck for me).
This happened last Sunday evening. I was busy with my dogs when he suddenly showed up. You can imagine mine and everyone’s surprise. But unfortunately I felt no joy. Rather it was with deep hatred that I eyed him. How could the wretched creature have dared to come back after all the pain he had caused me? How could he have actually thought I would be glad to meet him? And that too after the wounds he had caused, had just begun to heal.
I was completely distressed. I know you must be wondering what in the world could this person have done to upset me so much. After all nobody would meet an acquaintance this way. But I had literally cursed him.
And he had decided to stay with me for a couple of days. You should have seen me on the third day - begging God and every saint I knew to help me throw him out. My dear readers will have begun to wonder what on earth could my friend have done. Was he a murderer? A thief? A lover who dumped me? What?
Dear reader, he was all this and more. He murdered my happiness. He stole my peace of mind. He filled my heart with hatred for him and a desire for vengeance that I have sadly never been able to carry out. How much more would I have loved him if he had not given so much of pain – and that too at all three levels: physical, spiritual and mental.
Who is this fiend you ask who has ruined my whole being? Why nobody else but a sprained knee that has decided to plague me for sometime.
You might agree with at least some of these responses. But let me tell you, none of this is what I did when an old friend came visiting me. We had parted ways for sometime, especially after I left for Chennai and been so out of sync that neither knew what happened to the other. And then all of a sudden he turns up at my doorstep in Kottayam (I shall call the person he irrespective of gender, as the male sex has often ended up being a pain in the neck for me).
This happened last Sunday evening. I was busy with my dogs when he suddenly showed up. You can imagine mine and everyone’s surprise. But unfortunately I felt no joy. Rather it was with deep hatred that I eyed him. How could the wretched creature have dared to come back after all the pain he had caused me? How could he have actually thought I would be glad to meet him? And that too after the wounds he had caused, had just begun to heal.
I was completely distressed. I know you must be wondering what in the world could this person have done to upset me so much. After all nobody would meet an acquaintance this way. But I had literally cursed him.
And he had decided to stay with me for a couple of days. You should have seen me on the third day - begging God and every saint I knew to help me throw him out. My dear readers will have begun to wonder what on earth could my friend have done. Was he a murderer? A thief? A lover who dumped me? What?
Dear reader, he was all this and more. He murdered my happiness. He stole my peace of mind. He filled my heart with hatred for him and a desire for vengeance that I have sadly never been able to carry out. How much more would I have loved him if he had not given so much of pain – and that too at all three levels: physical, spiritual and mental.
Who is this fiend you ask who has ruined my whole being? Why nobody else but a sprained knee that has decided to plague me for sometime.
About Me
I thought this first posting should tell you a little about me. Orkut users will find a lot about me in my profile. I often go by the name Tina- the acronym for There Is No Alternative: basically because a) it’s my real name and b) it implies what it means- there’s no alternative to me. There’s only one me. TINA works as a guest lecturer in her obscure town of Kottayam at the college of her under graduation- B.C.M. College for Women. In the English department where I work (and manage to create quite a ruckus) with a shoestring budget we attempt to create vistas into the world of literature to undergraduate students. The astounding number of unsuccessful attempts only proves that were it not for the likes of Shakespeare, the likes of me would be jobless. For me it’s the English student’s nightmare – literary criticism – that provides unemployment.
As a non-entity on this earth – very little can be said about my other aspects. Physically I cut an imposing figure- a round one. Academically I’m one of those almost-made--it ones who never did. With an M.Phil. degree yet to be under my belt, I have set out on this journey into the world of literature. Yet to publish my writing, I’ve contributed to miscellaneous magazines and journals. Hopefully this blog will turn out more successful than my other writing ventures left half-done. Sample my earlier writing at www.geocities.com/tinaannrebecca.
Family: parents I never stop fighting with, an icon of an elder brother, the sweetest sis-in-law and a pet cum devil of a younger brother.
Extended family: 8 dogs, 2 cats, pair of geese, a myna, and several hens and flying ducks.
Philosophy: There is more to life than you or I know. Celebrate the gift of life coz we have very short ones.
As a non-entity on this earth – very little can be said about my other aspects. Physically I cut an imposing figure- a round one. Academically I’m one of those almost-made--it ones who never did. With an M.Phil. degree yet to be under my belt, I have set out on this journey into the world of literature. Yet to publish my writing, I’ve contributed to miscellaneous magazines and journals. Hopefully this blog will turn out more successful than my other writing ventures left half-done. Sample my earlier writing at www.geocities.com/tinaannrebecca.
Family: parents I never stop fighting with, an icon of an elder brother, the sweetest sis-in-law and a pet cum devil of a younger brother.
Extended family: 8 dogs, 2 cats, pair of geese, a myna, and several hens and flying ducks.
Philosophy: There is more to life than you or I know. Celebrate the gift of life coz we have very short ones.
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