Managed to vote for the first time this time around .I cast my vote in Jamshedpur for the constituency of the same name.It was your typical Jam morning with mercury in the forties but I was excited nevertheless having spent days trawling election websites and watching countless debates on Television.What I particularly like are statistics and the numbers in the exit polls.One thing about statistics such as the number of Lok Sabha constituencies per state is that it makes you starkly aware of the population distribution across states.Do you know that if UP was a country of it's own,it would be the sixth most populous nation on the planet?UP elects 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha.But this is along expected lines.But which is the state with the next biggest contingent of MP's?It is Maharashtra with 48 MPs and then next in line is AP and WB with 42 seats apiece.The polling booth was DBMS school and when we arrived there were very few people with 'stalls' of political parties set up outside to help people find their identification numbers in the copy of the electoral roll.We found our names but there were no photographs against them.We walked into the polling station and there were two classrooms earmarked for voting.Each had a security guard standing outside but the whole set up was anything but intimidating.When my chance came,one officer checked my Electoral ID card and before I could step into the Booth another officer inked my finger but surprisingly no part of the ink touched my nail.I walked into the booth and took a minute to gaze at the EVM and all the candidates and their symbols and then pressed the button against my chosen candidate.There was a loud beep registering my vote and I was done.It was all over in practically ten seconds because the officer was coaxing me to vacate the booth quickly.It was my mom's turn after this and she took some time to put on her glasses,look at the list and then press the button,she did not take more than fifteen seconds but the officer was already mumbling about people taking time which infuriated mom and she turned around and gave him a piece of her mind.

It was as good a voting experience as it gets,quite often people have to wait for long hours sometimes in adverse weather conditions but there is one thing I would like to point out for people who are confused about the procedure of procuring voter's ID card and getting their names on the electoral roll.There is no clear link between getting a voter's ID card and getting your name on the roll.The voter's ID card is to be seen as an Address proof.The reason it is usually insisted upon is because most rural and poor voters have nothing else which can act as a proof of residence.But us Urban voters have a plethora of cads such as driving license,Passport,Ration card or PAN card.The more important thing is to get your name on the electoral roll and technically it is possible for you to vote in more than one constituency if you have names on more than one electoral roll (you can furnish your Election ID card in one and your other card in the other constituency)

PS:This was in draft mode for a long time.

I was going through my drafts and I found this Tag.I am just incredibly busy these days and so have been unable to post.Went home for a couple of weeks mid-April, bought a new phone(A N73-I am in love again....ah the seductive joys of seamless wireless file sharing! I love Bluetooth(Yes it is a big deal if you consider the fact that my last phone would switch off every time I pressed '9' on it ) , voted for the first time(this would go into another post),managed to finish One hundred years of solitude,The Black Book(which was on the list since last July!) and The Reluctant Fundamentalist(really not up to the hype-a big letdown)Also was gifted the Entire Sandman series on my birthday! :D(I know you guys are sick already with all the gloating but seriously...do you know anyone as lucky ?).This tag is kinda sappy and I still can't remember where I flicked it from but here goes:

1. If your lover betrayed you, what will your first thought be?->Screw Everyone!I hate this world.Then probably go and listen to some Nirvana.

2. If you can have a dream coming true, what would it be?->Spending all my life reading in a room full of books.
3. What is the one thing most hated by you?->The current misuse of the world 'culture' to depict seemingly legal activities in a bad light .E.g. 'Pub Culture','Eating-out Culture' etc.This is being done quite frequently and I am sick of it.

4. What would you do with a billion dollars?-> invest some and spend some to buy a house for myself. will stop working and tour the world.Perhaps start my own firm if I am not too bored.

5. Will you fall in love with your best friend?->I don't think so.It is too complicated and is not fun.

6. Which is more blessed, loving someone or being loved by someone?->loving someone because in this you can improvise.You just have to accept what you get when you are being loved by someone but loving someone can be done in unique and myriad ways.

7. How long do you intend to wait for someone you really love?->I don't have to.I am already in love.

8. If the person you secretly like is already attached, what would you do?->think of someone else.simple.lot of fishes in the sea :D

9. If you like to act with someone, who will it be? Your gf/bf or an actress/actor?-> No one.I would perhaps like to watch Jack Nicholson or Leanardo di Caprio when they shoot for scenes.

10. What takes you down the fastest?-> I don't know what this means but what totally demoralizes me is disinterest esp in people you care, for you.

11. How would you see yourself in ten years time?-> probably a lot more fitter and slimmer and surer of what I want to do.

12. What’s your fear?->The only fear I have is of not being able to live upto my own ideals.

13. What kind of person do you think the person who tagged you is?-> Like I said,I don't even remember where I got this from.

14. Would you rather be single and rich, or married but poor?->married but poor.I think poverty is a lesser curse when compared to loneliness.

15. What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?-> look at my cell phone to see how late it is.

16. Would you give all in a relationship?->I would certainly want to give as much I can but not give up on things which I think makes me what I am.

17. If you fall in love with two people simultaneously, who would you pick?->The one who loves me back more?

18. Would you forgive and forget no matter how horrible a thing that special someone has done?-> No.I hope I won't get into such nasty situations.

19. If you get to go back in time and fall in love all over again , would it still be with the same person?->Yes.I am not allowed to say anything else. :D

20. What will you do about climate crisis?-> try hybrid cars and solar heating and lighting systems.probably convince people to become vegetarians.