Finally, I have something to write about.

Lately, I have been writing more and more football related stuff. When I started the blog, I intended to write about life in general. But over time, football has dominated my blogging (just like it has dominated my real life.)
Went through Shafeeq's blog yesterday. He had almost abandoned blogging for months. It is really nice to see him blogging again.
Shafeeq is my friend , and he happens to be living in the room just across mine. We talk about life everyday, but what makes his blog worth reading is that he remembers each and every incident that took place during our seven year long stay at the residential school, that would change our lives forever. Reading his blog brings back memories of the adolescence, most of which was spent in the contrasting companies of extreme fear, and bountless joy.
The residential school in question, like its 500-odd carbon copies around India was more like a prison than a school. We were part of a Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya. Teachers, who also happened to be Housemasters (they were more like jailers, I can vouch for that !) were the last word of authority. Punishments were severe, and there was no system in place to review punishments. Such systems would not have helped us, even if they existed, as most of the punishments were physical.
It was not all gloom at the 'jail'. There were little things we used to enjoy. We learned a lot about life. We learned about surviving with the least means possible and we learned to 'fall in line' ( I dont like 'falling in line', though). Shafeeq remembers all those things very well, and writes about it. But then, he would remember everything, because he was one of the guys in the thick of things. I was one of those who got involved in everything, but was always on the edge of things.
But I too have memories, endless, of joy and pain, of depression and ecstasy, of friends and foes and I have decided that I am going to write about them as well. There is lot of things to write about, I could post ten pieces today. I am not going to attempt that, though. But from now on, expect some non-football posts from me.