Annual Function

I woke up yesterday and the first thought that struck me was- Annual Function! For the last two months we were all busy preparing for one of the most exciting events of the year, the Annual Function. I was a participant in the choir for this year's musical- My Fair Lady. This was my last Annual Function and so I had decided to enjoy every single moment. I reached school two hours before the event. Those two hours of wait were spent fooling around, laughing and talking. I had managed to escape from my allotted class room and spent time with my friend, Manya. Just as I entered my class, our teacher in-charge told us that it was time to go. As we arranged ourselves on the loft where we were supposed to sing, the second programme of the evening began. The item, Taal Sangam, consisted of four different traditional dances. And then it was time for the Musical. It was still hard to believe that it was the final day. We performed well and people applauded after our last song. That was when it dawned on me- it was all over! After the acknowledgements, we were asked to stay back. It was the birthday of our Principal and we had to sing for him at the end of the event. My Fair Lady was followed by Loyola Circus. This was put up by students of class 8 and 9. Many of my friends were in this event. It was really enjoyable! I cheered till my throat went hoarse. Once the Circus ended, the choir sang the birthday song for Father. Just as we were about to leave, our teachers in-charge asked us to stay back, this time for a photograph. This was really special. I love being a part of the choir and am really going to miss it all. After the photograph I located my parents and came back home, slightly disappointed that its all over but with some great memories!

Great Experience

Astronomy fascinates me. I love the subject and read books about it too. Today I got a rare opportunity to attend a lecture by Natalie Batalha, a co-investigator of NASA's Kepler mission. She told us all about the discovery of earth like planets. I felt privileged to be able to attend this talk. It was an awsome learning experience and I was really lucky to be one of the few students who went from my school. I really hope that I get more opportunities to attend such talks and increase my knowledge about astronomy!

Jab Tak Hai Jaan Review

I had been waiting for this one for ages! After two failed attempts at getting the tickets I finally got my hands on them and watched the movie yesterday. Well apart from one negative, the movie meets all my expectations. So, the negative- it was a long movie. Some scenes could have been cut short and the movie would have been totally flawless.
The movie is one of those Yash Chopra movies where twists and turns are far from reality. But then that sets his movies apart. Its a story that cannot be explained in words. You need to see it with your own eyes to feel it. The love story is a unique one. It makes sense if you pay attention. And honestly, it is a great love story. I won't explain much about the story because its better to see it to understand its depth.
The movie is set in beautiful backgrounds and locations. The scenic beauty of Kashmir and the elegance of London suit the romantic mood.
Shah Rukh Khan, as always, has done justice to his character. His chahracter, Samar Anand loved deeply and was kind but at the same time really unforgiving. He was great to watch. Katrina Kaif did well too. Anushka Sharma played her part well. As always, she did the role of a bubbly, lively and extrovert girl.
I don't have much to say about this movie. As I have already said, you have to watch it to feel it. Yash Ji's last is definitely worth a watch!

Fete 2012

I am unsure of how to describe this year's fete. Class 9 has the responsibility of volunteering in the various stalls. There is a system of dedicating songs on Fete Day. Me and my friends had talked to the teacher in-charge and got spots there. We arrived at school an hour before the event. We had to attach some papers telling about the rates of dedications and we also had to bring down tables all the way from the top floor to the ground floor. My friends Manya and Pragati who insisted on helping me nearly fractured my shoulder..! The strongest among us, Urja, carried one on her own. The fete was to be declared open with the lighting of the Ceremonial Lamp. Not many people witnessed the opening. Sambhav Choudhury,another friend of mine, gave a speech on Children's Day which ended like this- 'So Loyola, LETS ROCK!'. That got a lot of cheers. When our shift started we had no work to do. At first we worked quite inefficiently but after the first few dedications we worked like a well oiled machine. One after the other we collected slips and announced dedications.It was fun. At 10:40 we were relieved of our duties as the band had to perform. We headed outside and decided to eat. Manya and Sambhav had a Gupchup competition where Sambhav won easily. This was followed by the Egg Pakoda competition between Urja and Sambhav which was hilarious. Urja almost vomited and both were dying for water. We still don't know who won it. We sat in the shade as my friends wanted to make sure that I wont have a migraine. At the end of the band's performance we went back to the stage where we were unexpectedly asked to help in the second shift. The crowd was much larger than what we dealt with in the first half. A huge crowd was dancing near the stage and it was raining dedications. We had a hectic time dealing with people and the dedications. We had to group all the same dedications so that they could be finished off together.And we had a huge number of slips to group. People came complaining that their song wasn't played and we had nothing to say except a few reassuring words. However, it was great fun. Urja jumped into the crowd with her microphone and kept the crowd going as she danced there like a nut. As the fete approached its end I was feeling a bit sick due to the loud noise and the sun's heat. Manya was forced to go into the crowd and dance. But being the lovely friend she is, she said that she wont leave me. Even though I told her not to worry as I would be fine, she didn't leave my side. And so I told her that I will go into the crowd. Honestly, I don't regret it. We danced a lot! Gangnam Style was the most played song. The fun that we had cant be put into words. As the last few minutes approached we went back up on the stage, where we were working, and collected our stuff. After a countdown from 3, the fete was over. Only then did I realise how tired I was. I was dying of thirst. We (me, Manya, Uj and Pragati) took some group photos with our friends- Akankshya, Ekta, Ananya, Pratik, Lalit, Sayan, Shiv and Anirban. Finally, my dad arrived and I left for home with some great memories. The hangover hasn't passed yet. The work,music,dance,food and most importantly......my friends made this fete really special, unforgettable and the best one I've ever had!

Back to school

Finally the 10 days of vacation are coming to an end. I'm going back to school tomorrow. True I'll miss getting up late in the morning and spending the evenings free. But I prefer school. Most of my days were spent getting bored. The only day when I had fun was when I met my friends this Friday. This was definitely my worst vacation. So I hope that going back to school improves my mood!

Getogether!

The vacations had begun to become a bore. I was very irritable for the whole time. Even you would be if you had to spend the whole day at home. The only consolation was the getogether we had planned to have on the 26th. Me and my friends Urja and Manya had to meet up at Urja's (Uj's) place. We had already thought of what we would do. We first chatted and updated each other about our days. And then began the madness. I had baked some cupcakes. Urja had icing supplies and we decided to decorate them.

My lovely cupcakes!

Iced!

And then we had some fun on facebook. Chatting,having fun and teasing Uj. After whiling away 2 hours online, we had our lunch. We had delicious chicken biriyani. And then we spent some more time talking all sorts of things. Urja had salsa heels which I and Manya wore and tried to walk. I somehow managed it. We clicked some mad photos before heading to the terrace. Uj spread a mat and we discussed about some 'serious' issues that had happened at school. Basically it was a lot of not so girly gossip. And then I became the photographer as the other two stood up on a kind of a ledge and did their favourite Titanic pose. No kidding,it took the living daylights out of Manya...! And then we began to work on the EPIC plan we had. I and Manya are into baking. But Uj only knows how to eat. So we had decided to teach her how to bake. And teach we did! Hilarity ensued as we began the process. We couldnt find the cocoa powder anywhere. On top of that most of the eggs burst all of a sudden and let me tell you, it reeked! After the cleaning, I and Manya kept instructing Uj as she mixed the batter. Finally, after adding our professional touches and doing a masterchef inspection, I and Manya put it into the oven. After 20 uneventful minutes, I and Manya tested it. I was perfect. We iced the cake in chocolate and ate a slice each. It was delicious! Congrats Uj! My camera was out of charge so I couldnt click a photo. That was when my father called up and said that he was waiting for me to come down. It was time to leave. And so we bid our goodbyes. I left for home with a bunch of fresh memories..!

Birthday!

Yesterday was my 14th birthday. It was the best birthday ever! The day began with my mom coming up to my bed side and wishing me. At school, I was wished countless times! And the treat at the canteen was awsome! Chowmein, rolls, samosas and cold drinks.....couldn't have asked for more. After coming home I had my favourite home food- rice and chicken curry.When my mom and dad came back they handed me a gift wrapped box. As I had already received my gift, I was surprised. It was a new phone! Yippeee!!  I went online to check out what was going on in Facebook and Twitter. On Twitter, I tweeted to all my favourites- Brett Lee, Shah Rukh Khan and my favourite MasterChef Australia contestants Michael Weldon, Hayden Quinn and Ben Milbourne. And then I was pleasantly surprised to see that Michael had replied! I ran and jumped! After that I discovered that James Knight,co-author of My Life, had replied to one my tweets where I had asked my friend to follow him! He thanked me for my support and asked me to keep in touch. I was ecstatic! In the evening I had dinner plans with friends..! We went completely bonkers there! I had a great birthday!!! Thanks to my parents and friends for making it special!

Barfi! Review

I am a big fan of Shah Rukh Khan but I do like Ranbir Kapoor a lot. I had been waiting to watch Barfi! for a long time and my wish came true yesterday. I don't where to start! What I can say is that I absolutely loved the movie! A sweet movie that can make you laugh and cry at the same time. It tells us not to ignore our love, once lost it never comes back. It portrays human emotions beautifully. The character of Barfi keeps you entertained throughout. He spread happiness wherever he went. The movie was a flashback of 1978 which contained a flashback of 1972. The story keeps jumping between these three times. However,these transitions were at the right time and made sense. All actors were brilliant in their roles. Ileana D'Cruz plays the character of Shruti, the girl with whom Barfi fell in love. She did well in the character and there were good emotions. Priyanka Chopra played Jhil Mil, an autistic girl. PC made it seem very realistic. Finally, Ranbir Kapoor who played Barfi. He was exceptional! He conveyed so much without uttering a word. Infact, his silence permits the audience to enjoy his superb expressions. I am at a loss of words actually. He can make us laugh, he can make us cry. I was completely absorbed in the movie the whole time. Even after the movie finished,I kept thinking about it. It is one of the sweetest movies I have seen! So if you haven't watched the movie,make sure you catch it! I hope to be writing again soon. Till then don't worry, be Barfi!
:-)

Funny...

I couldn't think of a good title for this post. This isn't funny stuff at all. Its something that me and my friends are going through this moment. There are moments when we feel low. For people of my age it's usually studies,exams and marks. But in these times it is our parents and our friends who stick to us. They encourage us to keep going and keep improving. Well then there's no point going away from your friends at that time. Friends are there for you to be yourself. So make sure that you lighten up yourself by letting us know of your troubles. Just come back and be yourself. Its not the same without you. Be yourself and be the rocking person you are!! Don't go away from us...

Cooking!

During the exams I realised how important cooking is in my life. I could spend the whole day in the kitchen and think that it was a brilliant day. The exams deprived me of this pleasure. As we were approaching the end of the dark tunnel of exams I made a new resolution. After the end of exams I decided to cook something new every weekend. I have also decided to help in cutting and chopping of vegetables for the weekend meals. This will help in polishing my knife skills. The culinary world is one my career options! This weekend I cooked but something which I have made hundreds of times. Plain vanilla cake. That's what mom wanted to eat. I want to try out some new recipes next weekend onwards. So wish me luck!

Happy Days!

Hey! My apologies for not having updated the blog for so long. My exams had completely killed my normal life! Now that they are over, I'm gonna have some good fun..! So lets rewind a little bit. Today I had my maths exam. This was a freaky exam. The first section went well. Section B caused a lot of trouble. We had to attempt any four questions. Somehow I was unable to solve pretty much anything! I was almost on the verge of crying and breaking down. Finally, I told myself that there's no point crying. I might as well calm down and try. And miraculously I managed to solve four questions! This was a complete roller coaster of an exam! So anyway now that its done and dusted I am ready to destress. Today my friend said something that is completely true. While exams are on we feel like doing thousands of things. Once they are over those things don't really please us. The one thing that I am going to do is some baking. Its something I love and I have a new recipe book to try out some desserts. And Barfi has released! I'm dying to watch it! So I really hope this weekend is enough for me to relax!

How Strange...

Hey! I have not been able to post due to my class 9 half-yearly. With a long weekend in hand I can express myself once more. This is all about my exam this year. This one has been a very strange one. Somehow studying doesnt seem like the best thing to do in the evening. During the exams I tend to forget things that I shouldn't. Its the same with all my classmates. Some of the best in the class are having a bad exam occassionally. As for me, no exam has succeeded in giving me a great feeling. Again its the same with everyone in my class. Its a funny feeling. God knows why this is happening but I suppose this is class 9!

Happy Friendship Day!

It is said that it is better to have one true friend than to have many fake friends. But what if you have many true friends? Well,thats how my life is! There is no life without friends. They always understand us. A  line in the movie Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani says that friends have 'no complaints, no demands'. The different 'kinds' of friends that I have is unbelievable. A crazy girl who,like me, loves Shah Rukh Khan,Brett Lee and Harry Potter. A highly boyish girl and a lover of dance who on the inside is very sentimental. Another one, very shy, but has now learnt from us and has often been told off by teachers.Agirl who is now in Mumbai but is as good a friend when she was in Bhubaneswar. A big fan of One Direction. Whenever she talks about them she says 'We have a joke....' or 'Our new album is coming out'. There is one who is very sweet and really is nice to have for company. A crazy guy who always keeps telling me 'Arundhati you have forgotten me these days'. Another one,very temperamental but when in good mood is nice to be around. There is one who always gives us a laugh during maths class and makes them enjoyable. One who is the best neighbour I could ask for and she is a wonderful friend for everyone who loves books,especially Percy Jackson. A nut case who always keeps irritating me to sit next to him. He put me into trouble two days back by spilling ink onto my school uniform. Then there's a guy who always asks me to bowl during games because I'm great at bowling wides and dead balls. And a girl who is called 'Slow Motion' because as the name implies, her actions are very slow. One more who claims to have written a 'great' series of books and has handed me the job of publishing the books. What would have life been if they weren't there? Horrible indeed! So, we must cherish the wonderful company of  the friends that we have. Happy Friendship Day!!

Yet another blog

From now on all my cricket related posts,mostly summaries of India's games, will be posted on my second blog Cricket Lover. The link is http://cricketlover-arundhati.blogspot.in/ I hope that you will enjoy my versions of the exciting matches. Thanks!

Brett Lee Retires

If you have read some of my previous posts you would be knowing that I am a die hard fan of Brett Lee. I must say with a heavy heart that today he announced his retirement officially. I am in a state of shock and am crying. I am sure many other fans would be too. Even though Brett is smiling,I dont feel like it. It is always a pleasure to watch him. And not only that , he missed breaking Glenn McGrath's highest Australian ODI wicket taker record and in doing so abandoned his dream of being the first Australian to take 400 ODI wickets. I wanted to see him for atleast another two years. I knew that Doomsday would come but never knew it would come so fast and so unexpectedly. It is horrible and I don't know in what other ways I can describe my feeling. A day that started so well will finish in a terrible fashion. I hope that he performs very well in CLT20,IPL and BBL. I cant say anymore about it though. Right now I'm bursting with emotions. Just one thing-Love you Brett,you are a legend.

Higgs Boson Discovered?

 Rolf Heuer, director general of CERN, Geneva confirmed on 4th July that the two teams working on the LHC (Large Hadron Collider) have found it. "I think we have it" was what he said. "It" is Higgs Boson, more popularly known as God Particle. A small intro about Higgs Boson. The theory was formulated by Peter Higgs. Higgs Boson is a boson which is responsible for all matter to have mass. Its been 50 years since this expensive project has been on. CERN was confident of discovering it and obtaining results by the end of this year. They think they have and are 99% sure. Finding of this particle not only answers the big question of how particles have mass but also proves that the SM (Standard Model) of Particle Physics is accurate. The SM predicts the existence of the Gauge Bosons,Quarks,Leptons and Higgs Boson. CERN announced the sub atomic particle to be having mass 125.3 ± 0.6 GeV/c²  within 4.9 sigma. So is this it? Is this Higgs like particle what we have been waiting for. Tests and time will tell so lets wait and watch!

Chemistry Practicals!

One of the few positives of class 9 is practicals. The most promising practical is definitely chemistry. Last Wednesday 9-A had its first chemistry practical. The experiment was to make ammonia and perform certain confirmatory tests on the gas. As we entered the lab I could feel the collective sense of anxiety and excitement in my class mates. All of us were scared of hurting ourselves or breaking test tubes. Our teacher gave us a demo. He was so quick in his experiment that I couldn't realise when it finished. Then it was our turn. We were considerably frightened by that time. As soon as we were asked to go to our individual work stations, there was complete chaos. Someone would go around looking for sodium hydroxide while someone would search for Hydrochloric acid. Then there were others whose experiment went bad. Many told me that their solution simply burst out of the test tube. My experiment went well and my fear about chemistry practicals vanished. I realised that if I am cautious enough,there is going to be no trouble whatsoever. Tomorrow is my next practical where I think we will be working on Hydrogen Chloride gas. I hope that it goes even better than my previous one. The only problem is that my Bunsen burner wasn't working last class. I hope its been sorted out by now. 

Living Things Review

What do I say about it..? Its simply amazing. The songs are just so great! I am unable to find an adjective for    the album. I heard the album four times. It begins with the rocking Lost In Echo and ends with the magical Powerless. Its 38 minutes of pure pleasure. Every song has something special about it. The album is magical,engorssing,rocking and absolutely awsome!!!!! I had been waiting for so long and finally heard the full album. It just feels brilliant to get lost in this world of Linkin Park music. I hope to get to listen to alot more albums from Linkin Park. Loved the album!

School..!

So finally after a long wait I will be returning to school. The extension of holidays by a week was completely pointless but it helped me finish my Holiday Homework conviniently. Its been a month since I've met my best friends. Its a very long time of seperation. However, there is a big worry. Getting up early. Its one of the toughest things to do after vacations. After that the next problem is that most of us would have forgotten whatever we studied before vacations. This time I hardly had the chance to brush up. Nevertheless, school is a great place and after a long and eventful vacation its going to be great to get back..!!!

My Life by Brett Lee

If you have read some of my previous posts, you would know that I am a big fan of  Australian fast bowler Brett Lee. As I entered the Oxford bookstore on the 8th of June, I checked out the new arrivals. My heart skipped a beat when I saw Brett's autobiography. A few days back my friend had bought the book and I was waiting to borrow it from her. Finally, I ended up leaving the store with one copy to my name. I couldn't stop smiling and I used to look at the cover every now and then and smile at Brett's photo.

Today I finished reading the book. The first thing I can say about it is that it is a very honest book. Everything has been written very truthfully which I really liked. I have always wanted to know what Brett thought of his own life and achievements which was why I was looking forward to reading it. In this one year of being a Brett Lee fan I have come to know of the various injuries he had. But, I had no idea of how he played a game for the NSW Blues having injured his elbow while throwing the ball. He played a game with an injured ankle once and another with an injury in the ribs. Brett has also said a lot about his love for India. He has mentioned about what is good and bad in the country. Above all it feels great to know him a little better. The best thing is that I have got to know some more about Brett Lee as a person. When I finished reading the last line, it felt wonderful to have read such a beautiful book but also sad that I finished reading it. The book was also very humorous and witty,which was also a result of some confessions he made. Along with the highs of his life,Brett has also written about the lows and his feelings. I have read about the difficulties he has faced in his career but to read his account of the obstacles in his life is a different feeling. It has brought me to respect Brett Lee a lot more than I did before. I knew that the elbow injury I have mentioned would have brought an end to his dream of international cricket even before it started. However,I didn't  know that he sustained throughout the match when he injured himself. In the last chapter he admits that he often asks himself some questions. Those questions are same as those that I have wondered of. How could he play that match with an injured elbow?? The book provides an insight into the interesting life of one of the fastest  bowlers,a friendly person and (I have to say it now) a very cute cricketer. Love you a lot Brett and I hope to see a lot more of you in the cricketing world..!

Venus Transit

Today is the day of Transit of Venus 2012. The planet Venus passes between the Earth and the Sun. However,it was only visible as a spot . I have found out some stuff regarding this phenomenon and will be sharing it. There are two transits every century. Transit of Venus 2012 was the last transit of this century. The previous one occred in 2004. After 2012, the next transits of Venus will be in December 2117 and December 2125. The pattern of occurrence 105.5 ,8,121.5,8. The total cycle is 243 years long.Ancient Indian,Greek,Mayan,Babylonian and Chinese observers knew of Venus. However there are no mentions of transits. Johannes Kepler was the first person to predict a transit,which was the 1631 transit. However,the scientific observation was made in the next transit in 1639 by Jermiah Horrocks.

KKR...!!! Korbo Lorbo Jeetbo..!

KKR have won IPL-5..!! I won't ask you to pinch me. I always believed that they could do it..! However,it hasn't sunk in yet. CSK won the toss and elected to bat first. KKR have been the most economical bowling side but yesterday all bowlers were smashed off and the total was 190. 191 was a stiff target to chase down especially in a final. To add to KKR's woes,they lost Captain Gautam Gambhir in the very first over of the chase. It was then for Manvinder Bisla and Jacques Kallis to provide a solid foundation. They did exactly that with Bisla hitting the ball perfectly and Kallis giving him all the support. They had built up a 100+ partnership when Bisla was dismissed. Now it was necessary for Kallis to stay and guide the innings. Unfortunately,he cramped his leg and very soon lost his wicket. The equation was now 20 off 2 overs(12 balls). The game was equally poised. Kallis was lost in this over and then Shakib Al Hasan and Yusuf Pathan were on the crease. Yusuf Pathan lost his wicket and in came Manoj Tiwary,the most capped player for KKR. Shakib and Manoj managed to find the boundary. 9 runs were required off the last over. The over began with two singles. Manoj then hit the ball for a four. 3 off 3 balls. It could be finished with one shot and thats exactly what Manoj did..! The moment the ball raced away for a four I gave a huge shout and began to jump around. It was a great feeling as I had waited for 5 years for this very moment. Finally KKR played up to their potential and ended up exactly where they deserved to be

A wonderful moment was to see Brett Lee lifting up Shah Rukh Khan after KKR won. He just didn't let go of him!! It was great to see it as I am a huge fan of both of them. The feeling of winning it can't be put into words. This feeling is going to last for a long time. I will really miss watching my team perform and win. I'll also miss watching Brett on TV every other day and the rush of adrenaline.

Come IPL and everyone begins to alter schedules..! When IPL finishes it suddenly feels very strange. This was the best season of IPL and I am really looking forward to watch KKR perform in Champions League T20..!!! Korbo Lorbo Jeetbo...!! Love you KKR...!!!!!

Summer time...Fun time

Today's day was a blast..! Me and my friends,Manya,Urja and Pragati met up at Manya's place to spend time together. We sat down together catching up on our plans for the holidays. Then we kept up our tradition of making funny videos. The first one was an epic idea of Chicken Biriyani Face pack. It was our own advertisement..! Then we made a copy of the new Sprite ads. This was followed by some discussion on lunch. Finally we left for Pizza Hut. This was the first time that only we friends went out somewhere alone..!We made the most of it to discuss all kinds of gossip..! We had a great lunch. After reaching home we sat down for a game of Pictionary. There was nothing but hilarity as the picturists not only drew drawings but also broke the rules and acted out the pictures..! I remember a particular incident where I banged the bed in desperation as I was drawing some clues for Day Dream. As it was All Play, I was racing against my friend Manya. Finally, I won that round though in the end the opposite team won the game..! Pictionary was followed by some IPL talks and some Brett Lee discussions along with three different songs playing on three phones (belonging to Urja,Manya and Pragati) at any point of time..! As the sun went down and it began to cool down we went downstairs and played cricket. I went to the "pitch" and played with all my heart and soul. Urja even declared that I was the most active downstairs. Urja herself hit the most boundaries and was on fire while she bowled...! Manya kept up her reputation as a reliable bowler. I bowled quite alright and also managed to hit a few boundaries ( I've been quite hopeless when it came to batting but I love the sport..!). After playing cricket we ate pasta and frozen yoghurt. At around 7:15 pm it was time for me to leave. I had great fun with my friends and this will be a day to be remembered..!

Catch Them Young,2012

I was selected to attend Spark,Catch Them Young programme conducted by Infosys. It is a training programme where school students have an opportunity to learn about IT and also use of various  applications and softwares. It was a great experience not only from the learning point of view but also to know students from other schools and making friends. In these 10 days I have got acquainted with 38 people who attended this programme with me. Today,was the last day of this programme. Today we didnt learn anything except a little about Adobe Photoshop which requires the ability to explore more than anything else. As I entered the Infosys campus the morning,I realised that this might be the last time that I meet all the people who were a part of CTY. We might not have realised but we certainly developed a kind of friendship. Infact we had even given a few people some nick-names. These 10 days really helped me to pass what would have otherwise been a very boring vacation. I will certainly miss going into the campus with the I-Card hanging around my neck and staying in and observing the production environment. It was great to be a part of this programme and this adds to my unforgettable experiences..!

A Moment of Happiness

In my previous posts I have mentioned that I am a huge fan of Kolkata Knight Riders. Yesterday I got to experience the most satisfying moment as their fan. They made it to the finals for the first time in five years..!! It was a very special moment as I have constanly supported the team ever since the inception of IPL. The scenes of celebration after the victory against DD brought a wide smile on my face. The smile remained on my face for a long time. It was indeed a great moment and words are not enough to describe the feeling. It almost felt like we have won the tournament..!

KKR owner ShahRukh Khan celebrating after yesterday's win

The team celebrate after the win


It was magnifiecient to watch the match. It proved to be a good match as there was big hitting and  the game was equally poised till the end of the second last over. Having defended the total of 162 successfully KKR now wait to play the other qualifying team in the finals..!! Hope to win the Big Game..! Korbo Lorbo Jeetbo..!!

Quidditch!

My uncle had once given me a challenge to write a fanfiction story about a Quidditch Match between my team and Draco Malfoy's team. For those of you who don't know Quidditch is a sport played in the world of Harry Potter. Simple rules...! There are three balls.
1. The Quaffle- There are three Chasers whose job is to score points by throwing the Quaffle through the opponent's hoops. The Keeper of a team defends the hoops.
2. The Bludgers- These are two nasty balls that fly around knocking players off their brooms. Each team has two Beaters who defend their team-mates and hit the Bludgers to aim at opponents.
3. The Golden Snitch- This is the most important ball. It is very small and wicked fast. The Seeker catches the Snitch and earns his team 150 points. A game can end only if the Snitch is caught.
So here is my story....

                                        A Quidditch Match Between Gryffindor and Slytherin 

     The day of the Quidditch Finals finally arrived- Gryffindor vs. Slytherin. All the training had made the team quite confident. Just as we were heading towards the stands, Hermione came running towards us.

“There is a change of plans.Snape is refereeing today’s match”

“He should go and play with his potions set”, said Fred loudly.

     I was quite tensed about Snape’s refereeing. I looked at Harry. He gave me an encouraging look. Harry gave us a small pep talk (unlike Wood who could make anybody sleep!).

    Our team was quite a strong one. Our seven players were Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Fred Weasley, George Weasley, Angelina Johnson and me. The Slytherin team consisted of Marcus Flint, Draco Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson, Millicent Bulstrode, Gregory Goyle, Vincent Crabbe and Adrian Pucey. As we flew out of the stands to our positions, the crowd roared. Snape blew his whistle and launched the balls into the air and Lee Jordan started his commentary,”Gryffindor in possession of the quaffle....Angelina throws the ball into the hoops, Slytherin keeper Parkinson dives and misses. GRYFFINDOR SCORES! 10 – 0"

 There was loud cheering. I flew towards Marcus Flint who was in the possession of the quaffle. Ginny had come with the same intention. She winked at me and we dived at Flint. He was totally confused! In this confusion I seized the quaffle and headed to the hoops.

“Arundhati throws the quaffle.....Gryffindor scores!! 20-0”

“She is MUDBLOOD. Can’t you stop her from scoring?” ,Malfoy shouted at the top of his voice.

Ron looked considerably angry but I calmed him down. Slytherin was now in the possession again. As I was about to fly towards Adrian Pucey, a bludger nearly knocked me off the broom. Pucey threw the quaffle at one of the unguarded hoops. Ron flew as fast as possible. But he was late. He missed the quaffle by inches.

“Slytherin scores...........Oh curse you, you-“

“Jordan!” Professor McGonagall warned him.

“Ok...fine sorry. 20-10.”

We were still leading but not for long. Before we could realise Slytherin had scored again.

 Ron got very restless now. Harry went to calm Ron. Millicent Bulstrode had the quaffle. Angelina dived but missed it. Millicent neared the hoops and aimed. She threw the quaffle. Everyone had their eyes on Ron. This time he was quick. He blocked the quaffle and threw it at me. As Flint dived at me, I passed the quaffle to Ginny, who passed it back to me. This went on and we dodged Flint. Finally, Ginny scored. We took lead again.

 Meanwhile, Harry had to keep a lookout for the Snitch. Malfoy was also alert. The Slytherins were singing their favourite “Weasley is our king!” and distracting Ron from keeping. Ron tried his level best to turn a deaf ear on them. We all realised that it was very important that Harry caught the Snitch. Just then, a golden, shiny object flew by me and Harry and Draco raced behind it. George hit a bludger at Malfoy but it missed him.

  Angelina scored again. Then to our dismay, Bulstrode scored. The score was 40-30. Harry and Draco were trying to knock each other off their broom and at the same time keeping up a wild chase after the Golden Snitch. At this moment the rest of us had virtually stopped playing. They were ten feet above us. Suddenly the Snitch headed down. Harry was quick and he and his Firebolt dived from 60 feet above the ground. The Snitch was almost about to hit the ground when it turned. Harry pulled out of the dive, Draco was following him. Harry extended his arms. The crowd had gone crazy. He bent forward and within seconds the Snitch was in his hands.

“Harry Potter has caught the Snitch! GRYFFINDOR WINS!! Aha! There you go Slytherin! I knew it! You loathsome, foul gits, you-”

“Jordan! You better shut that mouth of yours!”

But even she couldn’t help it—she had to smile! We landed immediately. Hermione came running.

“Blimey Harry! That was brilliant!” Ron said enthusiastically.

“Excellent”

“Great dive”

“Well played,” said a cold,unmistakable voice from behind,”Gryffindor. ” Snape then turned to Harry. “Ah! Mr. Potter, looks like you’ve saved the day.”

Snape was (obviously) not a bit happy. But who cared! We were champions and that was what mattered then. Students of all the houses (except Slytherin) wished us. Luna also wished us.

After dinner (which was marvellous as usual), Harry, Ron, Ginny, Fred, George and I played dozens of rounds of exploding snap.

“You still have homework to do!” Hermione exclaimed, very concerned.

“C’mon it’s not every day that we win the Quidditch Cup”, Ginny and I said.

Hermione frowned. But even she couldn’t resist enjoying Fred and George’s Filibuster’s fireworks.

Professor McGonagall came to the common-room and wished all of us in the team.

“This makes me feel proud to be the head of Gryffindor house”, she said.

We felt very important on hearing this. All Gryffindors celebrated that night. We missed Oliver Wood and decided to write to him and tell him about the victory (The reply said that he was very proud of all of us-he meant all of us and not only Harry. There were blots on the parchment which as per Fred were because of Wood’s tears!)

So, this was how we won the Quidditch finals.

I really enjoyed writing this story and making myself a part of the wizardkind. Even you can write creative stuff and share it with your friends..! So for now goodbye and I hope you enjoyed the match..!

 

A Great Gift..!

God couldn't come everywhere so he sent mothers. A simple statement but it is so true. Our mothers are our guide,inspiration,teacher and so on. They perform so many special roles in our life. Today I had my NTSE exam. My mother stayed around for four hours at the examination centre. She took care of buying food and drinks and comforted me alot during the break. A mother is one person who will always be by our side. Lets do something special for mom atleast on this one day.

Living Things

And a year's wait will soon bear fruit! I've been a fan of the American rock band Linkin Park for over a year. By the time a first appreciated their music their latest album A Thousand Suns had already been realeased. A few days back when I visited the website I got to know that their new album will be out on the 26th of June. My joy knew no bounds. I heard the lead single,Burn It down. Even in this song they have approached something new. After having heard the song I am finding it difficult to wait for their fifth studio album Living Things to release. I am sure that my patience will be rewarded with some rocking songs..!  

Summer Vacations!

The longest vacation of the year is here! It is the summer vacation. Two months of an almost tension-free life, the only worry being Holiday Homework. It is time for Summer Camps,swimming,trips,ice-creams and mangoes. But at the same time it also marks the beginning of the soaring temperatures. However, it is one of those vacations that lets us clear up our mind and take a long break after having to get accustomed to a new class. On the down-side an uneventful summer is one of the worst holidays possible.
I have quite alot going on this summer. First comes the scholarship exam, NTSE. It will be followed by a programme by Infosys called Catch Them Young. After that I'll spend time with my cousin. One of the busiest holidays for me. But before all that I am looking forward to the prospect of spending 3 days at Rourkela,my home-town. So goodbye for now and happy holidays!

Wow..!!

22nd April,2012. It was yet another first time in my life. The first time I went to a stadium to see a live cricket match. It wasn't just any match. It was my favourite team KKR's match in Cuttack. After a long and tedious wait in the line for an hour and half or so we made it to our seats. The match was delayed due to rain but that was fine with me because if it hadn't rained I would've missed the first few overs of the game. My special favourites of the team are Brett Lee,Gautam Gambhir,Manoj Tiwary,Jacques Kallis,Laksmipathy Balaji and Sunil Narine. I saw the playing 11. I got to see Brett Lee closely with him fielding at my end.He was also named Man of the Match..! And that wasn't all. Somewhere in between the first innings came in King Khan Shah Rukh Khan. Suddenly the crowd forgot the match and saw SRK. I managed to see him from the distance...!!! It was an awsome experience and in my very first stadium experience KKR won the match..!! It was great to have been able to see the match,the players,SRK and a glorious victory..!!

Kolkata Knight Riders' batsman Manoj Tiwary plays a shot

Kolkata Knight Riders batsman Jaques Kallis plays a shot

Kolkata Knight Riders bowler Laxmipathy Balaji celebrates after taking the wicket of Deccan Chargers batsman Kumar Sangakkara

KKR Captain Gautam Gambhir takes catch of
DC batsman Ankit Sharma



It was really thrilling and enjoyable..!! Just one evening and so many good things..! unbelievable..!
The match began on 22nd April and came to and end on 23rd April at 12:30 am...! I can never forget the eventful evening..!!!

1. Kolkata Knight Riders' batsman Manoj Tiwary plays a shot during the IPL Twenty20 cricket match between Deccan Chargers and Kolkata Knight Riders at The Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on April 23, 2012.

2. Kolkata Knight Riders batsman Jaques Kallis plays a shot during the IPL Twenty20 cricket match between Deccan Chargers and Kolkata Knight Riders at The Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on April 23, 2012.

3. Kolkata Knight Riders batsman Jaques Kallis plays a shot during the IPL Twenty20 cricket match between Deccan Chargers and Kolkata Knight Riders at The Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on April 23, 2012.

4. Kolkata Knight Riders captain Gautam Gambhir plays a shot during the IPL Twenty20 cricket match between Deccan Chargers and Kolkata Knight Riders at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on April 22, 2012.

5. Kolkata Knight Riders captain Gautam Gambhir takes the catch of Deccan Chargers batsman Ankit Sharma

1. Kolkata Knight Riders' batsman Manoj Tiwary plays a shot during the IPL Twenty20 cricket match between Deccan Chargers and Kolkata Knight Riders at The Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on April 23, 2012.

2. Kolkata Knight Riders batsman Jaques Kallis plays a shot during the IPL Twenty20 cricket match between Deccan Chargers and Kolkata Knight Riders at The Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on April 23, 2012.

3. Kolkata Knight Riders batsman Jaques Kallis plays a shot during the IPL Twenty20 cricket match between Deccan Chargers and Kolkata Knight Riders at The Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on April 23, 2012.

4. Kolkata Knight Riders captain Gautam Gambhir plays a shot during the IPL Twenty20 cricket match between Deccan Chargers and Kolkata Knight Riders at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on April 22, 2012.

5. Kolkata Knight Riders captain Gautam Gambhir takes the catch of Deccan Chargers batsman Ankit Sharma

1. Kolkata Knight Riders' batsman Manoj Tiwary plays a shot during the IPL Twenty20 cricket match between Deccan Chargers and Kolkata Knight Riders at The Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on April 23, 2012.

2. Kolkata Knight Riders batsman Jaques Kallis plays a shot during the IPL Twenty20 cricket match between Deccan Chargers and Kolkata Knight Riders at The Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on April 23, 2012.

3. Kolkata Knight Riders batsman Jaques Kallis plays a shot during the IPL Twenty20 cricket match between Deccan Chargers and Kolkata Knight Riders at The Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on April 23, 2012.

4. Kolkata Knight Riders captain Gautam Gambhir plays a shot during the IPL Twenty20 cricket match between Deccan Chargers and Kolkata Knight Riders at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on April 22, 2012.

5. Kolkata Knight Riders captain Gautam Gambhir takes the catch of Deccan Chargers batsman Ankit Sharma

1. Kolkata Knight Riders' batsman Manoj Tiwary plays a shot during the IPL Twenty20 cricket match between Deccan Chargers and Kolkata Knight Riders at The Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on April 23, 2012.

2. Kolkata Knight Riders batsman Jaques Kallis plays a shot during the IPL Twenty20 cricket match between Deccan Chargers and Kolkata Knight Riders at The Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on April 23, 2012.

3. Kolkata Knight Riders batsman Jaques Kallis plays a shot during the IPL Twenty20 cricket match between Deccan Chargers and Kolkata Knight Riders at The Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on April 23, 2012.

4. Kolkata Knight Riders captain Gautam Gambhir plays a shot during the IPL Twenty20 cricket match between Deccan Chargers and Kolkata Knight Riders at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on April 22, 2012.

5. Kolkata Knight Riders captain Gautam Gambhir takes the catch of Deccan Chargers batsman Ankit Sharma