This is my new blog site as my previous site became in accessible to me. Nevertheless, earlier I ran ‘Diary of an Architect’ blog site. You may have read the same three blogs again and again only to realize well I hadn’t posted anything for almost two years now. Channeling my inner writer again after a long time, let me re-introduce myself again. Well by now you must have guessed that I majorly focus on urban design due to my profession. But sometimes I can be a hopeless writer just pouring unsaid words and incomplete phrases. Here is an excerpt from my previously written blog which basically describes my life crisis.
“Architect?” said the shopkeeper
“Yes! I’m an architect.” I said
“What do you do? You are like an engineer ? You do what?” asked the shopkeeper.
“I make plans and design buildings,do interiors. I’m a designer.” I explained.
The shopkeeper’s face reflected his perplexed state. I have been trying my best ,for years now, to explain people who am I. Well that is quite philosophical.
I can very creatively say that I’m a being distant from the lexicon of life. I’m an embodiment of thoughts and complex ideas. But let’s save this for my matrimonial site bio only to scare my potential suitors (Yeah! I’m an independent woman who still depends on her mom to find her things and prepare her meals).
“Haan bhaia, I’m like an engineer. Bob the builder. That’s what I am” I conceded and just like a jobless person went ahead to run other errands.
5 years. That’s basically “getting your bachelors degree from DU, then pursuing maters, then getting a job, also getting married and having a honeymoon of 5 days-4 nights package” years long. I don’t remember when I even had my school’s farewell. What saaree did I wear? Oh wait! No,those are horrible memories because back then I wasn’t introduced to womanhood. Puberty was yet to hit me like a truck or bulldozer (teenage horror stories). So architecture has juiced out of my baby fat (now I have a jawline. Mind you I’m a female). Why you may ask? Because my dear reader the thing is this course was everything that I never even imagined. WORK. We are Indian students and all school has taught us is just study from books,mug it and give exams. Who the hell makes an effort to go out and put your education to practical use? Architecture. Yes! This course demands you to be on your feet all the time.
You have to think!! THINK! Who does that? I never made a model in school but here I’m carving the sunboard (a stationery material) to make walls for my farmhouse design model. Let me give you a 101 on architecture (not the error 101 which happens to our mind but the rule) : I’m genuinely happy I took this course. It had put me out of my comfort zone. Dealing with deadline,coming up with new plans, creative design ideas, along with this dealing with 7 other subjects, making models, completely abandoning social life, having friendship crisis because how do I explain to my non-architecture friends that my faculty will tear my drafted sheet if I don’t put the north sign, making models, spending money like anything on stationery rather than on health or food, doing site visits in Delhi’s summer and winter (both being pathetic). All this has honed me into the person I’m today. If I don’t exude architecture then probably my parents will feel guilty for paying for my course. Okay jokes apart but yes 5 years and the journey has been like Raju Hirani’s movies. We have learned some very serious lessons in the most non-serious ways. From fights to laughter to sorrows everything has melted down to this very moment when I’m typing this.
My vocabulary is more like “Oxford School of Construction Dictionary With Delhi’s slang”. Don’t worry I’ll acquaint you with it.
“Hi!! How have you been? How come you are here in the market? I don’t see you often!” my neighbour exclaimed disturbing my mental conversation I was peacefully having with myself.
“Oh Hi!! Nah just running errands. You know mom she will scream at top of her lungs if I don’t get things done.” I said.
“This is your last year of college, right?” she asked.
“I’m finally a graduate. I know every year seemed like a last year.” I said.
“So what are your plans now? work?” She asked.
This very moment I suddenly had life crisis. Okay I’m unemployed at the moment. Do i wish to go back to the office work culture after my 9 month training period. Umm…Not now.
“Masters?” she asked again.
My tender heart. I know a lot has been asked. Calm down woman. I’m still figuring things out.
“Currently I gave my exams and actively looking for jobs. It has just been 2 weeks. I went on a vacation as well so didn’t get much time to look ahead” I finally cooked this answer.
“Vacation? Where?” she asked.
Yes! She is distracted. Good strategy.
Is it really necessary for someone to sit in a cubicle for 8-9 hours to be classified as an employed person? What is wrong with society? Well everything. If I’m here at home is it really necessary for me to have something or the other going on? I can relax and read a book or just sleep the entire day. But I don’t blame her asking me all this. That’s how we all are conditioned into. We got to keep doing in order to exist.
Exist? Why can’t we live? Can my brain focus on one thing and let me write a peaceful write-up? Maybe because I belong to female species constantly having too many tabs open in my head. Oh! That’s a controversial statement. I shall say my mind is preoccupied with many things. That’s better. No one can block me now.
“You forgot to bring dhaniya” Mom complained after going through the bag.
“Dhaniya? It wasn’t free so I just avoided getting that” I settled the case with this.
So basically my walk to the market had been more about explaining myself to a layman who I’m professionally and how i wish to go about in life. That’s a very deep conversation to have with oneself . No more walks for sometime.
Time to scroll through Instagram ( how I wish Mark paid me for this advertisement) and waste time.
I guess this is enough for the first time post. The social pressure (which clearly isn’t here as of now). I hope I entertained well.
HINA SHARMA JOURNALS 