How to Kung Fu Panda in Hindi

Dear Aditi,
  Whenever we go to Mcdonald's I buy a happy meal. Even if I have no interest in the toy, I'll buy it anyway. It is a waste of money, most of the time, but I will still do it. I got a Mei Mei toys from Kung Fu Panda. And she is so fabulous. I want to be Mei Mei, or atleast be her friend. I like fabulous poeple and fries.
I also went to watch a movie today, but I didn't really care for what the movie was but the trailer before the movie, now that made it worth watching. It was Kung Fu Panda 3 in Hindi. Hindi! Now, as much as a don't like that language, it is one of the funniest languages. Everything sounds funnier in hindi. Like Doreamon. The Japanese original version is okay, but the hindi one just takes it to a next level. Shows like Shinchan and Kochikame also count. I watched a lot of Hungama as a kid, and I feel like that channel is not meant for thinking while watching. I mean, it is called Hungama to begin with.
I didn't only watch these shows as a child, there were a few arguably sane ones, like Card Captor Sakura and Magical Do Re Mi and Sailor Moon. I also didn't watch only Japanese anime dubbed in other languages, but that was a major part of the things I watched. I didn't even know it was Japanese when I used watch them. My knowledge of the world was that there is India and Abroad. I used to think Abroad is a place, a country where many of my relatives used to stay with funny accents. Also where the expensive chocolate came from.
I was a strange child, who was never curious and liked to sleep and eat ice cream. The sleeping and ice cream part hasn't changed.

Bi!
Upa. 

How to Remain Young Forever

Dear Upa,

                 It’s been a year.

Today, last year, was my last day in Mumbai. 

Okay, okay. In this one year, I made exactly 10 trips to Mumbai and back. I counted. So I didn’t really give anyone much of a chance to miss me, or myself much of a chance to miss home. Nevertheless, it’s a big deal. I barely even remember life before the 10 years I lived in Mumbai. Frankly, I’m not even sure how much of these 10 years I remember. I don’t even think I remember what I did last week.

I guess I’m just a really lucky person, because even though it was very hard, I frankly had it quite easy. I went to Mumbai a lot of times, and you guys came here too. I mean, look at you. You had never been to Delhi before I shifted here and now you’re coming for the third time. I really am very lucky.

Anyway, my point is, one year ago I was a very different person, and I know it.

A year ago I would have laughed if someone told me I would voluntarily perform at a poetry event in front of strangers or would voluntarily go to the dentist, or would voluntarily go running, or even voluntarily study by myself just for the sake of studying. But I did all of those things in the past week. I’m still afraid of the same things, but I’m more confident about myself now. Not very, but the bar wasn’t very high to begin with. In this year, I’ve done a lot of growing up.

Right now, I’m drinking grape juice from a wine glass because my parents were having wine and I don’t like the taste and I didn’t want to feel left out. I guess I have a lot of growing up left to do, but if you ask me, I’d much rather remain Young Forever.

Are we even apologising for making random BTS references anymore?

Bye for now, 

Aditi.

How to Not Exam

Dear Aditi,
   I was thinking yesterday that I want to be the type of person who can wear a garbage bag and pull it off. I went and asked my mother if she could get a garbage bag of my size. She asked me what I wanted to put in it. I answered myself, cause I am trash. Not really, but I find that very funny. Just the amount of trash I am.
While writing my english paper, if had to write a question about which leader inspires me, and I wrote infires. Thankfully, I realised my mistake. And then in the end of the paper, I have around six marks left to complete, and I really need to pee. So I finish the paper as fast as I can, and don't check the last part. The teacher asked me if I wanted to check it, and I just sheepishly smiled and rushed out of the room. To pee. And then in the bathroom, where I practically run to, I managed to scare a girl. Not on purpose. I promise.
Aside from that my life hasn't been that interesting. I missed going to college though, and it's a bit fun to be back but exams are kind of getting in the way. I have 4 more left, and then I'll be done for a while and can go back to concentrating on things I am more passionate about, and no I am not talking about BTS, that is a big part though.

bi bi,
Upa.

P.S. The 'How to' titles are kinda getting to me. 

How to Sort Out Your Priotities

Dear Upa,

                 A lot of small things happened.

I got lenses, but I can’t see very well through them so I mean I don’t really know what use they are. My poem got featured on Berlin Art Parasites which I mean is a really cool thing to happen so I’m happy. I missed school because I was late today, I’m helping my friend in an undercover plot to get her a kpop album, I’m too lazy for school (it’s almost like eleventh grade all over again) and I keep zoning out of real life to think about Kim Seokjin.

It was one of those slow, lazy weeks where it felt like nothing happened, but in retrospect I guess some stuff did happen. Everything seems to be moving slowly right now. I don’t know how I’m going to wait for more than a month for May to come around. I’m so excited for May, it’s not even funny. We’ll live together for almost two weeks and our friends will be there too and the BTS comeback and it’s so exciting, how am I supposed to wait for so long? I will also have school during that time. I almost forgot. Maybe I need to sort out my priorities.

Or, maybe, I don’t.

Bye for now, 

Aditi.

How to Remember What's Good

Dear Aditi,

   I sometimes forget how lucky we are. Like the amount of freedom we are given. How much our parents trust us. You were literally in a different city without your parents. If someone told me this is how things would turn out a year ago, I would laugh at them I tell them they were mad. Because one year ago, travelling to a different city to live with your best friend was kind of a dream. It was very much a dream.

But now, it is happening. And soon enough I will be in Delhi, living with you for a life because let's face it. Your house is my house. Actually it's more like you are my home. Even if you live 15 minutes away by car or 238 hours away walking, you are still the place I feel most at home at. You aren't a place, but if you were you'd be my favourite one. This is my smooth like salad part of me that is coming out.

It's funny, how my dream is so mundane. It's an acheivable dream, somewhat achievable. It's just living with my best friend. If I told this to 7 year told me, she would question me- probably ask me why isn't my dream to go to the moon, or world domination; or the most likely one, have a candy house like that from Hansel and Gretel. 7 year old me really wanted that house from Hansel and Gretel, because she just didn't concentrate on the fact that the kids almost got cooked and eaten. No, she just cared about the sweet things in life. Not a lot has changed since then. I still do the same, I only care about good parts. And kinda of treat the rest like dinner. Like I did for my board exams, and what I am doing but desperately don't want to do, for my finals next week.
Some things have changed though, like what I think about love. Now, I am no expert. Far from it. My flirting skills are that of a cactus. But I feel like atleast I am more knowledgeable than 7 year old Upasana, who thought that love meant someone coming into your life on a white horse and changing everything in your life for the better. Atleast that's what all the Barbie movies had taught me. Now, my perception on white horses has changed a lot.

White Horses remind me of Brute Force, who was my stubborn and annoying, unfriendly and lazy horse from our camp. I learned to love Brute though. I learned that me our extremely similar in many ways. That if I was a horse, I would also be Brute Force. He may have not listened to me half of the time, and he may have cantered faster than the lead horse, but when he wanted to, he could do whatever you needed him to do perfectly. It's just he rarely wanted to do anything. Which I relate to. 

What I was trying to say is that when love arrives, they are probably not who you thought they would be. That beautiful white horse from a distance, maybe a complete idiot. And yet, being an idiot you will still love them. Or they will stamp your foot and bite your hand, whatever they fancy at the time.

This probably didn't make much sense. Okay, I know it made no sense. But then again, nor do I. And nor do the people I love. So it's okay.

Bye-Bye.
Upa.

How Not To Believe In Miracles

Dear Upa,

                 A lot happened.

I guess I should address the fact that it has been almost three weeks since my last blogpost, but I did have my final exams followed by my trip to Mumbai (again). 

In my last blogpost, I was talking about how unbelievably excited I was that my Economics exam got postponed. That excitement turned out to be quite short-lived, because my exam was postponed to a day before my math paper and that made me screw both papers up. I mean I should have seen it coming, my school is the physical manifestation of evil. But you know that already.

Anyway, so when the exam got rescheduled, I was pissed. Extremely pissed. But then my exams got over, so everything should have been okay, right? Wrong. I didn’t have anything to do, I was bored out of my mind, and the fact that I had been wanting free time for so long and had nothing to do when it finally came annoyed me even more.

So, I guess miracles don’t exist. At least not in the obvious, magical way they are believed to exist.

What does exist is playing with dogs on the road. Or having long conversations with your hair stylist, or finally getting your BTS jacket, or doing unexpectedly well in a couple of papers, or getting yourself a Shrek soft toy. Maybe meeting teachers in your old school. Or, perhaps, going for the same animated movie twice in 24 hours with your favourite person. 

My point is, I was wrong. 
Miracles probably don’t exist, but in all honesty, I think I’ve found something even better.

I agree with all your answers.

Bye for now, 

Aditi.