This is my first actual post of the day. The Beginning was shit and the next one was an excerpt from a letter I had written upon arriving here in Troyes. There are going to be a number of posts with the name “Anecdotes from a faraway land”, all written at various times of my stay here, as I am going to be hyper active on this blog for a week or so. At least I plan to be. But one can never be sure of such things. Time is a tricky thing.

On with the post then. These days I have started listening to Bob Dylan a lot. Beautiful songs and brilliant lyrics. The man is an absolute genius. Before listening to his songs I never thought that song lyrics too could be multi layered. No wonder he has been nominated for the Noble Prize so many times.

But this post is not about the great Bob Dylan, this post is about heartbreaks and the state they generally leave us in. We all have been in love at least once in our lives and most of us have felt the inevitable pain that one feels when it is all over. But how does one feel when the ex returns in your life? I personally have never felt this kind of a thing but I imagine it would be pretty rough.

Diamonds and Rust is a song written by Joan Baez for Bob Dylan in which she talks about the feelings that she feels upon getting a phone call from a long lost lover (namely Bob).  This is the final paragraph of this beautiful song:-

now you’re telling me
you’re not nostalgic
then give me another word for it
you who are so good with words
and at keeping things vague
because I need some of that vagueness now
it’s all come back too clearly
yes I loved you dearly
and if you’re offering me diamonds and rust
I’ve already paid

“If you are offering me diamonds and rust ,  I have already paid. “

PS: Only if a girl that I had broken up with wrote me something like that…. *sigh

How does it feel to be in Europe? Answer: Like an outsider. There is no doubt about it, there is nothing like home. No I am not really home sick. In fact I am quite enjoying my time here away from all the hustle bustle. But there is a sense of uneasiness, a sense which is very difficult to put down in words, but I am sure all of us can feel it. We do not belong here. We are not welcome here. One has to carry one’s passport with himself at all times. If one sees a pretty girl one cannot go straight up to her and strike a conversation (not that it is a piece of cake in India but it is still a possibility). Your every step is watched, in a way you are carrying the reputation of your nation, and your actions will always be remembered as actions of an Indian. We are all ambassadors here.

PS: We refers to: Aman Dehsi, Ishaan Puri, Ankit, Sridhar, Chandan and Neeraj.

Why are the beginnings so important? Are first impressions all that important? Do impressions even matter? Is impression an opinion? What is truth if not an opinion?

Set of questions…this is broadly what this blog is going to be about. Questions and more questions so do not expect earth shattering insights, I will write about anything and everything which captures my imagination.

Also this blog is largely for the IITK junta. As I will be writing in general about my experiences alone and as most of them will take place in IITK, this blog will make more sense to those fortunate/unfortunate (take your pick) few who are part of the system.

Lets bring an end to the first post.

Au revoir.

PS:This blog will also have time to time some passwords, word games etc, so if you are interested in such things do visit from time to time.