Graduation day

Well, the day finally dawned when I acquired another degree. I was sitting in the huge hall, feeling stifled and hot, as you do in Jane Austen novels when you are a young heroine vastly uninterested in capturing the attentions of an appropriate suitor. Anyway, back to the point. So I skipped breakfast, because I was far more interested in looking stunning for the Big Day. Of course, in my life, that translates into looking like a drowned rat because I didn't get time to dry my hair, too much perfume and half-done make up. At least I had natural rosy cheeks from running after a bus for 7 minutes down Eccy road. (Damn you, taxi that never turned up!)

I spent the first few minutes in City Hall chatting with the few people from my course who turned up, cursing myself for forgetting to bring a mirror and looking for spots I'd missed whilst shaving my legs. I eventually got up to find a bathroom to beautify myself, making everyone in my row stand up, then doing the awkward try-not-to-let-your-bum-touch-anyone-as-you-exit walk. Once there, I realized I had forgotten my handbag in the hall, with my precious make up stash in it. I tried to fix my appearance but the harsh lighting made me feel worse, so I slunk back. By now, I was ready to faint from the heat, lack of food and the butterfly farm which had nested in my stomach. I became light-headed. And that's when I remembered a similar day...

(Cue the dream sequence wavy lines)

No, it was not the day I graduated from MH, that hallowed all-girls institution where I did my first degree. It was the day I joined it. I remember the hot July afternoon, standing at the back of a massive auditorium, upon whose stage I would perform in years to come (but I didn't know it then), with hundreds of other young women. We were all bored, waiting for the endless welcome speeches to end, and the Principal seemed to be droning on for ages. I was standing at the very back, fanning myself with a fresher's welcome brochure of some sort, feeling faint because I'd skipped breakfast so that I could (you guessed it) look good on the Big Day. I knew no one and was acutely aware of it for the first 30 minutes or so, after which all I wanted was air conditioning. But then the Principal said some things about being a student at MH and what it meant to be there, something about a history of strong independent women, making a difference in the world, and how we should all be proud of being a part of it all. She said that our time here as undergraduates was precious and we should make the most of it and find a way to shine. I felt strangely inspired and had a deep feeling that one day I would understand the full weight of her words. She said we would be adults when we left, and it was so true. I learnt a lot, not just about literature, but about life. Before I embark upon a philosophical diatribe about it all, I shall stop. the point is, I had the same feeling yesterday. The university's VC said some similar things, things which I think I may fully understand a few years from now. And I look forward to it.

Oh and my joke about the lack of gown with the VC got a few laughs and lifelong infamy. But if I don't lead a soap-opera life, who will? :)

g.k., B.A. (Hons.), M.A. ---> ha ha!

Foodie food food

Today, I cooked from what was left in the fridge. Good times.
My cooking went down so well, that I decided to share my perfect recipes with the world. So, here you are-burdened with my greatness. Enjoy!

Amazingly Easy Roasties

Wash and cut potatoes into cubes, one to two inches square. Cook your spuds in the microwave first, in a bowl with a spoon of water in it. Vary cooking times according to your oven, but ensure you turn them over once and that you remove them when a knife goes in the middle of a cube smoothly. Then, put them in an open roasting tin/dish with olive oil and any herbs you've got (I use fresh black pepper, garlic and Herbes de Provence). Put it in a hot oven for 10 to 15 minutes, to brown the outsides. Turn them once halfway through to brown evenly.

Even Easier Sugar Snap Peas

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok or pan. Fry your seasoning (I use whole red chillies and whichever fresh herbs I have) for 1 minute and add the washed and drained peas. Toss for 2 minutes until glossy.

oh dear oh dear

Well hello readers. Your favourite blogger is back, and is she bursting with news or what? New place, new lifestyle, new job and lots of big news! I have finished film school, at last. Please shed a tear for the end of my student life as we know it. I have also moved into a new place, a lovely grown-up flat in a nice part of town, far away from the cries of schoolchildren.

Now, apologies for not writing in a long time. I know it is an unforgivable sin, but alas, moving home means dearth of internet for extended periods of time, and well, I was a bit busy. Aren’t we all? Wait, this was meant to be an apology. Ok, I’ll just leave it at sorry. Now, on to the real stuff. The interesting and banal. The great and the totally nonsensically useless.

First up, I’ve been home for two weeks in May, for a breather. I thought I would go mad if I stayed here for longer than 6 months at a stretch and I was right. I needed time at home, doing the things I’ve loved to do for years; eat, shop and then eat some more. And I am not talking about home cooked food the way all good-Indian-children-away-from-home should. I mean all my favourite café’s, restaurants and street food carts. Mmmmm…the taste of food I haven’t cooked. And the pleasure of not having to wash up afterwards. Amazing. I also went out to old haunts and new, including the new (not new, there was one earlier but it was forced to close for dubious reasons…only in Delhi) and improved (yawn) F Bar. Yep, it was predictably full of VIPs with too much money, thinking that it made them all-powerful and gorgeous-looking.

And this leads nicely to my monumental question, what with the whole controversy on the fake lashes used in mascara ads. They have now been forced to stick a little “warning” at the bottom of such ads, to say they were “filmed with lash inserts” or “edited in post-production”. But the thing is, this is shown in every mascara ad on tv or in print. So, where did this get us? I watch an ad and think-wow that’s great. I can look like that! Oops, they gave her lashes in post. Hmmm, so why should I buy that product? How do I know it really works? Oh gee, maybe I should just get some fake lashes to look like the model. Or an editor to follow my virtual self around and airbrush me every minute. Point to ponder, my friends, point to ponder.

If you are looking for a serious world issue to think about (how dare you?), check this out.

Keep debating, readers!
luv,
gk*

Archive Material May-July 2005

The best of May-July 2005

Just wrapped up a theatre fest at IHC. It was pretty hectic, but PG and I had loads of fun and made loads of new friends (who will hopefully help further our theatre interests...muahahahahaha) The week just flew by, and now we are left wondering what we're gonna do for the rest of the summer holz. I don't think any of us is capable of sticking to a job ;) , so decided to start looking for scripts for our next production. Also looking forward to our play in July at IHC and IIC. Started on publicity work for that, as well as arranging sets, etc...

I realized I can be quite relentless in my search for books sometimes, be it a fancy bookstore or a roadside stall selling second-hands...you never know where you might find a treasure...

Been busy lately...with rehearsal for the play! The countdown to showtime has begun! Exactly 26 days left. Seems like a long time, but trust me, it ain't! There's SO much work to do and no sponsors in sight!
On other fronts, we are making a lot of progress. Also, the search for scripts for next play is moving along nicely. How i wish I could share more details with you all, but alas, there is the competition to consider! What if our trade secrets were leaked?
We also managed to pull through some major issues, namely 2 actresses dropping out from the production, last-minute! But we found replacements in 24 hrs. How good are we? :)


Press Release-written by moi...

The English Dramatics Society of Miranda House presents its adaptation of “The House of Bernarda Alba” by Federico Garcia Lorca, directed by Sohaila Kapur.

The House of Bernarda Alba is Federico Garcia Lorca's last play, written the year he was killed, at the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War. The play expresses what Lorca, often called the “finest Spanish playwright of the twentieth century”; saw as the tragic life of Spanish women. This adaptation of Lorca’s masterpiece is set in Old Delhi, before Partition. The characters, all women, exist in a cloistered household, managed by a newly widowed mother of five daughters. Under the shadow of strict religious doctrines and the tyranny bred from a need to protect the reputation of the family, the matriarch represses her daughters by enforcing an eight-year mourning period. The tensions build rapidly among the imprisoned women, with a demented grandmother playing a role resembling that of a Greek chorus. The powerful features of this work include its terse dialogue and growing tensions, which are relentlessly sustained until the dramatic climax, and the hint of madness and impending chaos that surrounds the characters, who are constantly in conflict. This is a study in family relationships under the strain of culturally and socially imposed taboos, regarding sexuality and the self-determination of women. The House of Bernarda Alba might be seen as the tragedy of virginity, of Indian women who will never have the opportunity to choose a husband. It is also a play expressing the costs of repressing the freedom of others.
The play had its stage premiere nearly a decade after Lorca's death, in the same year in which it was published. The House of Bernarda Alba continues to be revived and read all over the world, in both Spanish and English productions. Its setting is specific to the values and customs of a rural Spanish people, but the play's appeal is universal rather than national.

I must say, the play was an absolute success. For all of you who came to see it, thank you dahlings! It was a great show...sold out both days! The audis were packed and people came for tickets even after they were sold out..no jokes! I would like to thank everybody in the cast and crew, without whom this would not have been possible...you all know how hard you worked and we all deserve a pat on the back...so here it is-pat! It's a weird mix of happiness and relief...Relief that nothing went horribly wrong, and that it all worked out in the end! Happiness because of the unexpected success of the show. I truly didn't think all the tickets would sell, but I guess i underestimated us! As a last toot on our trumpet, I would like to mention that we were interviewed by Aaj Tak, and we appeared not once, not twice, but all day on TV yesterday, during the hourly bulletins :D yay! Toot!