On study leave!!

My friend sent me an SMS now... a few minutes ago.. It read something like this :'are you still pursuing happiness?Why do we have to pursue it? Does it mean it can never be had? Have you ever said - This part of my life, this little part, is called happiness'....

I asked him was it just a forward.. He said it can be a forward to think about or a question to answer oneself... It got me thinking. I was actually about to sleep off after finishing a novel which I desperately wanted to. But then I changed my mind and got up to write about this. When have I asked this question? Maybe whenever I have felt I have achieved something... Maybe when I spend time with friends... But now I think.. That part of my life, that little part I called happiness.. Is because I've lived a part of my life to get there.. and I feel it because I recall what I did to get there... Thats what gives that feeling of happiness.

If you just go in pursuit of happiness.. like some treasure trove.. You'll probably never find it.. You have to LIVE your life to get there.. and feel that happiness...

In a sudden impulse I said in reply to the first message.. that every part of life is happiness.. for me Life = Happiness!

But now I suddenly realised.. It was not just a sudden impulse.. Its really what I feel!

Wow what a day it was! It is I think one of the best days with my friends. Although two of them split up and went with another group, we still had fun, and the way we wanted to. The weather was horrible and the location also mediocre. Had expected much more, this being the 10th picnic. But still it was an enjoyable day. The organisers as usual had done a mighty good job. In addition to the CAPS cap which they give to all students as a souvenier, we had CAPS T shirts also!!. It was amazing to see the whole crowd in uniform hats and shirts. It was as if we had been transported to our school days!!. Our dance performance was also good. Everyone liked it a lot. But the star of the day was Mr.Padamchand Kincha, the chief guest. He is like the shah rukh khan of CA professionals. I think it was a dream come true for many people to see him. He gave an amazing talk which was very inspiring. Sadly I could'nt hear it fully due to some audio system problem. The best part of the trip was the train ride back home. It was just amazing! We were standing near the door of the train the whole journey, enjoying the cool breeze and the scenery bathed in moonlight. I think more than all that, it was the joy of having each other as friends was what we were enjoying most. It reinforced my belief that I am extremely lucky to have such an amazing group of friends.

And,CA as defined by Mr.Padamchand Kincha... CA - Comittment and Attitude!!
It was there for the world to see.. the comittment of the organisers and volunteers, and the attitude of the whole crowd present there!!

Im somehow beginning to feel my batch in CA course is jinxed. First our CPT exam got cancelled cos the paper was leaked in delhi and we had to write it again after a gap of twenty days. Now, our PCC exam has been postponed by a month!! Due to assembly elections in many states. Seems like my study leave has become never ending! Somehow nothing is going according to plans. I've to reschedule my studies. Thats the worst part!... Well.. guess its beyond my control to do anything about the postponement of the exam. Besides, I've got one month extra to revise! Thats the only positive thing! Hopefully there wont be any more of these stupid rescheduling!

I was just going through my old posts in my journal. It's so amazing how much my attitude has changed! My first post is so totally typical puc student, and my recent posts are filled with CA and more CA! It's like I am living because of CA! Thats kinda shocking, because no one would have thought before making a career choice that it can become a way of life, of perhaps, THE life which we lead!. Its truly amazing.

Im just wondering now... after I become old, like some 50 years or so, and then if I read my own posts, How will it be?!! Seems exiting... lets see...!

CAPS - C.S.Academy of professional students. An institution which provides teaching facility for CA students, CA being a distance learning course. As the course is not very familiar with general public, CAPS has been very helpful to many students who want to pursue the course but do not know how to go about things, say registration to the course or even knowledge about the course structure. I have been part of CAPS right from my first step in my CA career, CPT training. The time spent during the three months of my CPT classes are perhaps the most memorable and most enlightening of experiences. It helped me clear out the most stupid and most horrifying misconceptions about the course. It also helped me to better my basics in all subjects, for which I give special credit to the faculty.

Ok, enough of the history of my association with CAPS!.There is a tradition,one can say, in CAPS, of organising a one day trip twice a year for the students, past and present, famous as CAPS picnic!. For the last picnic there was a humongous crowd of around 700 odd people!. I think the numbers are a nightmare for the best of organising teams to handle. It was total fun and masti! as shetty sir puts it!.

This time the crowd is expected to be bigger and better, this being the 10th consecutive picnic. I am a part of the cultural team comprising of singing and dancing presentations. Last time our dance presentation was a big hit. This time also we would have had about two weeks of rigorous practice sessions.Hope all the hard work and time put in by the organising committee will be a grand success. Eagerly looking forward for the trip!!

CA exams!Oh they're so tough!The pass % is only 3% this time!....

Old aunty and me, A conversation...
Aunty - "what are you studying now?"
Me - "BCom 2nd year with CA... im also doing my articleship"
Aunty - "Oh! CA is a very tough course! I've heard not many people pass it even after many attempts... which college are you doing it in anyway?".... !!!

These are a few things which I've heard from a LOT of people, right from the time I took up CA. Now when I say I am preparing for my exams from the past 3 months... and my exams are in may.. people seem shocked!. All thanks to ICAI's "media friendly" policy, all CA students would ve faced these questions atleast a thousand times in their student career. I find it extremely funny!!

Well,on the other hand, a chartered accountant garners great deal of social status. He enjoys a godly status. Him being a CA becomes his trump card in the social circle. I think this image is perhaps due to little or no knowledge of the profession. Its high time people realised its just a course, and CAs are just normal people doing their job!

The time has now come for me to develop myself to clear the first step towards a CA career. Lets see where ill stand five months from now. Will I become another godly being or will I become one among the many students, for whom CA means COME AGAIN!!

As of now... for me, CA MEANS "CERTAINLY ACHIEVABLE"!

Seemed like it had been ages since I felt so nice on a rainy day!It was somehow very magical.Eventhough it was just the usual dirty bangalore rain,there was something enchanting about it today.I just couldn't stop gazing out of the classroom door!.I don't know for sure whether I was the only one seeing outside when the class was going on,because the teacher also was smiling looking at the rain!.The rain brought back some sweet memories.I still remember,when I was in class 4,I would come back from school in the rain.All wet,riding on the cycle.I miss that cycling in the rain so much.I used to enjoy it so much.I felt like running out of the class and dance in the rain like no ones watching,after a long time.Today has been one of the most peculiar days I've ever experienced!It made me very happy.

A few days back,one of my friend's father died due to blood cancer.He was in and out of hospitals for the last few months.The doctors couldn't diagnose what disease he had.They found out just about two months back.He suffered a lot before he died.The doctors suspected many diseases,gave medicines on a "trial and error" basis!wondering what will work and what wont.

A few of us went to her home the next day.The body had been cremated on the previous day itself.That relieved us of more anxiety.We were already freaking out,wondering what to tell her,or what to talk about.when we told sorry to her about what happened,she just smiled and said,"It was meant to be.All of us knew this would happen.But didn't know that the day would be yesterday.I miss him a lot".And when she was saying this all of us had tears in our eyes.This was the first time we had seen her sad 'cos she was always the laughter queen of our group.Instead of us consoling her,she consoled us!.But behind that smiling face,everyone could see how painful it had been to her.

The disease had made him decrease to half his weight before his death,she said.she said she couldn't imagine that a person who had endured much more physical exertion than we could ever imagine,that too in the defense,was on a ventilator,finding it difficult to even breathe.

We had never seen him or spoken to him before.She had told us many times that she wanted us to meet her dad,but he would be ill most of the time.

After leaving from her house,I was wondering how it would have felt to know that your father would die within a month or two,and there was nothing you or anyone could do about it.I'm very sorry about this.I hope she will get over it soon.

Ahh!Summer is her and with it all the beautiful flowers.I still remember those yellow flowered trees in the park in front our home.So many of them that even the groud would be yellow in colour due to the fallen flowers.I simply loved them.Then the huge trees with their boat shaped pods or something.Two boats were joined together and when we opened it, seeds which were like translucent paper flakes would fly out.All of us friends would try to put them on each other's heads 'cos it was difficult to take them out.I would collect the "boats" and leave them in a tank in our backyard.My dad would put them in the "vole uri",A huge vessel of copper used to boil water in the bathroom.Nice firewood supply and free too!!

Then there were these small trees which had these flowers like a shaving brush.There were pink coloured one's,Sometimes red and white also.But pink one's were more.I used to pick them up everyday while coming back from school with my friends and keep it in a fat diary.Then there were the gulmohars and bougainvillias,and "mallige" of various types which my "doddi"{aunt or doddamma}used to grow in pots.She would tie them into a garland for daily pooja and to put it in the hair.I used to help my uncle pluck them every evening.

But now,since we shifted from there,to see even a single jasmine flower,I have to go to the local market or lalbagh.I does'nt make any difference anymore,whether it's summer or winter.

I was reading "vachana bharatha" Written by A.R.Krishnashastry.It is so simple and beautiful that I can't believe I'm still reading it because I thought it would be so boring that I would'nt even finish the first ten pages.Vyasa is truely great to have written the Mahabharatha with all it's complex characters,stories and sub stories and more sub stories.I don't know whether the Mahabharatha did take place or not but we can see it's shadows in our daily lives.It is ancient yet very very contemporary.I am truely amazed at myself that I read this book and to top it all,I loved it.I recommend it to all teenagers who think all our ancient scriptures and holy books are boring,because when you read this one,your attitude will definitely change.

Holidays are so boring.Nothing to do exept watch TV.Can't go outside because of the hot weather.Missing college a lot.All of us friends had so much fun,hanging out,eating pani puri or masala dosa in the canteen,all that stuff.Can't wait for the college to start.But a long time left for that,maybe 2 months.Prabably I should try my luck in cooking.That way I can pass time and become fat.Atleast it's different than reading,listening to music,embroidery and the usual stuff that I do in holidays.Hope no one gets to a hospital on account of my culinary skills!!