As you know, i've been working on an e-learning project..

the first two weeks were soo difficult..though i had informed them ages ago about coming to this place staying for a month, arrangements for accomodation had not been ready..so we had to travel to and from chennai (the big city)to kuthambakkam (the tiny village) every day..about a 40 kilometers to and a 40 kilometers back..changing 3 buses..there are exactly 3 buses going in and out of kuthambakkam everyday, morning at about 8, afternoon 1 and evening 5..if we miss that bus, we'll have to walk that 2km distance between the nearest town and the village..in the extreme summer heat..i have no idea how we survived these two weeks..the worst part is, we were extremely unproductive..we got very little work done,we were too tired to prepare lesson and when we were at the centre, we didnt have that much energy to teach the kids either..

somehow, during this time, we managed to plan and execute a science exhibition as well as a camp, in a place which had not heard of such things..the exhibition went well though it was rushed but the camp not so well cos it was so much of a success that almost a 100 kids turned up and we cldnt really handle it..we had only planned for abt 50 kids..u may be wondering wat an exhibition and a camp have to do with e-learning,and u right - not much..but when we are here at the centre, we are unable to focus soley on our project..we keep looking at it holistically..anyway both of these events were to attract new students and create an interest amongst the students..only when ppl come here can we have any programme at all..

i've finished writing an After Action Review for the Science exhibition and will be done with the one for camp soon..i'm quite proud of it..do take a look :) http://self-governance.googlegroups.com/web/Science%20Exhibition-Kuthambakkam%20AAR.pdf

It was mel's bday two days ago, and i called her at a rather inopportune time ;) she said she'll call me back and never did :( i had also told her abt my e-learning thing and she said she'll try to help..she asked me to send a proposal..i will, after lunch.. i'm gonna be working on the e-learning thing during may as an internship..awesome how things work out..write now i've asked a classmate, Prakruti, a volunteer who was doing the SEED programme under me, my brother as well as Rajendra..i'll try to get a few more people in case some of these people back out..i hope everything works out fine..

i'll be staying at the place during this period..gonna be somewat painful i think cos chennai gets like seriously hot during summer, its getting bad even now..i hope that the fact that this just a village and that it is near chennai and not in chennai will make a difference..i hope they have proper facilities too..

i was also thinking of speaking to one of my profs about this about turning this into a proper project my exams just ended like some 4 and a half hours ago..like finally..i feel the relief of this sem ending..there have been so many things going on, taking such a toll on me that i didnt even realise till the burden was lifted..now i can peacefully concentrate on my project..btw, did i mention that it can be recognised as an internship? that's like a double perk, i say..

first of all there's a camp at another village for 2 days on the 6th and 7th, just for fun as part of i-vil (IIT for villages, a group of iitians who are into rural development)..i'm in charge of a few events and have to organise a few things..not too much trouble though..its for some 80-100 kids, to show them learning can be fun and all that..it'll be fun for us too :)

i've to start working on my e-learning project..i have done nothing with is so far..i'll probably start it on the 10th or 11th..two of my classmates are helping out in the teaching..i didnt manage to get anyone who is interested in the technical aspect to agree to come down..but there are a few ppl who have agreed to work from home..i dont blame them either..chennai summer is going to be killer..

it's gonna be an experience, living and working in a village for one month..i dont noe whether i'm looking forward to it or am apprehensive about it..my biggest worry though is about how i'm gonna wash my clothes..i can adjust with anything else but i hate washing clothes by hand..both my classmates who are coming along live in chennai..i hope they will be kind enuf to invite me to their house sometime and let me use the washing machine..haha..

one other thing that i have decided is that i will learn hindi over the hols..properly and all that..nxt time there is something that interests me, i dont want the lack of knowledge of a language to be barrier..

i'm really sorry but i wont be coming back this summer..but u ppl cld seriously consider coming over..i would like that very much..we cld go travelling..there are many beautiful and interesting places in india.. okay exams have just started and i'm supposed to be studying BUT i got distracted. hahaha.. WATCH THIS GUYS! gives me goosebumps every single time!!!
can skip to 0:53 if you want.. best part is the dance!! although knowing that it's about helps a lot.. enjoyyy!!!

p.s. san are you coming back this hols? i'll be overseas from 23rd may for about a week.

hallo

long time since i said anything..not cos not much has been happening..this sem's really crazy..we've like tons of readings for each course..seriously..if i actually understood even half of wat is going on, i'll be like some stud..

anyway..mel sent a msg yest..her timing was damn good, i must say..just after i had sent a friend a msg saying that i felt down and needed a hug..nice to that ppl still care..and yes, part of the reason why i'm posting is cos i feel guilty abt not making more of an effort to connect with u ppl..

did you noe, lots of ppl started telling me i write well..(okay, maybe this blog is not such great example but it still shows my style i guess..) esp since last sem we had a creative writing class and had to write poems and short stories, i really figured that i loved writing..if not for that course, i would have never tried writing poems and some of them are really good, even if i do say so myself..(and some of them are quite bad..i can tell that too..) i really want to improve my writing and become better at it..maybe in future, i can become a professional writer..rite now, i hav quite a few pieces that are works in progress.. a writer who had given us a talk once, said that we shld write something every few days..no matter if it is good or bad, or whether u hav inspiration or not..only then u'll get practice and u'll get better..for some time i was following this advice, but now, i've kinda let it go cos it does take alot of effort and can even be draining..

i've started another blog where i've been posting all the stuff that i've been writing..but no one noes of it..and no, i'm not gonna tell you either..it is for the world to see, perhaps to affirm it if it is good enuf..(and yes, i noe mel's gonna use all her spy skills and i wish her luck..haha)

we've had to apply for our minors, and i chose social entrepreneurship because i didnt reallly noe wat else to choose and everyone else thought that it would be the best option for me taking into consideration wat i want to do in the future..i'm kinda uneasy with the way that i've been boxed up and defined like this but i cant help it either..i guess i dont need to place myself in this bix i've been assigned and just do watever i want still..and anyway, to my rational mind, it does seem like the best option since it'll look good with my major of devt studies..and also, i can always take free electives in english if i really want to..

rem the e-learning project that i had talked abt earlier, i feel bad that it is not coming along at all..i knew it wld be hard but to even try to start it is so difficult..i knew it then and still noe it now, that in this project, the only person that i can depend on is myself, that nobody else is permenant or will put in more effort..but i've had so many ppl say ok and not to do any work or back out, not cos they dont want to do this but they've got so much other work too..i'm thinking maybe i shld take this up in summer..then i wonder, wat abt my internship..and i also want to learn hindi..and i also want to come to singapore..i'm really confused as to wat to do about summer  and my mum is nagging me to decide soon as she wants to book tickets..sigh..please advice if u can.. you know what.
i really miss jc.i realized that cliques in university is so darn complicated. their lovewebs are like what the shit. what the hell. everyone likes everyone. and then right, everyone fits in somewhere somehow. you know what, i don't want to be in this shit anymore. this is damn lame. seriously damn lame. it was from the 31st :)