Tuesday 9 October, 2007

Phrases from "Five point someone" - Part II

Continuing from where I left a few months ago.

Pg 19:
Everyone in class knew about the rumour, and the quiz was as much a surprise as snow in Siberia.
I wouldn't be surprised if people give a perplexed look after reading this book in about 50-100 years from now. I am speculating that this novel will become a college-life classic in that time.

As Hari expresses his state of mind about the quiz to Alok, Alok says
"We are screwed. Let's get screwed in silence at least," ...
What obedience? Long live the obedient nerds.

... he said as he placed his head in his 'study' position, left cheek almost touching the answer sheet.
This is how close you observe people when you don't know answers in an examination.

Pg 20:
I saw my own answer sheet. The instructor had written my score in big but careless letters, like graffiti written with contempt.
What an analogy 'graffiti written with contempt' and what a time to say it!! Impeccable in every aspect.

Ouch, the first quiz in IIT hurt.
But take Ryan's scores. ... I was two points ahead of him, or wait a minute, sixty-six percent ahead of him, that made me feel better. Thank god for relative misery!

The traditional ways of satisfying your ego!

Pg 21:
... Alok wrinkled his pug nose as he dispiritedly plopped a thick blob of green substance mess-workers called bhindi masala.
Reminds me of my first attempts at cooking when what you intend is seldom what you get (WYIISWYG) ;)

Ryan and I took everything; though everything tasted the same, we could at least have some variety of colors on our plate.
Unbelievably humourous!

Pg 22:
I think Alok picks up a word and uses it too many times, which ruins the effect. There were too many 'damns' in the dialogue.
"Then drop it ...

What timing in the narration! I think the author was saying it to himself rather than to the character.

You heard what he said? Hari ...
I had heard Alok, nothing being the matter with my eardrums but I wasn't paying attention to anything apart from keeping count of the 'damns'.

This reminds me of a friend who always said 'you know what ... I was like ... oh my god ... and I was like' in a very ordered pattern, and the pattern is what I count when I converse with the person.

Pg 23:
As Hari narrates how he brought the fight between Alok and Ryan to an end, he says,
Sometimes, if you just paraphrase everyone's arguments, you get to be the good guy.
What a philosophy to terminate the Terminator chapter.

Pg 24:
The quiz mishap reinvigorated our commitment to studies for a while. Ryan was quieter when we studied in the rooms, controlling his urge to discuss emergency topics ranging from movies to food to new sci-fi movies ...
This book is becoming the beacon of sarcastic wit.

Pg 27:
Hari after the four kilometre long run he made with Ryan to get his body in shape:
My entire body groaned as muscles I never knew existed made themselves known.
This reminds me of the stories that one of our lecturers used to say when I was doing my undergrad. "You get to know where your body parts are only when you experience pain in them". How true that is!

Pg 27:
As Neha hits Hari with her car,
"I am so-so sorry,"
A typical Indian girl apology.

Pg 37:
We did go to Connaught Place that weekend and had quite a blast. The movie was what every Hindi movie is like - regular boy meets girl, boy is poor and honest, girl's dad is rich and a crook.
This is the best part of the summary!
However, the heroine was new and eager to please the crowds so she bathed in the rain, played tennis in mini-skirts and wore sequined negligees to discos. Since all her hobbies involved wearing less or transparent clothing, the audience loved her.

Absolutely hilarious reasoning!
The girl's father damn near killed the boy who flirted with his hot daughter, but ultimately the hero's love and lust prevailed.

I like the usage of the phrase 'love and lust'! How true of the pretty much standard Indian movies.
The hero had no damn assignments to finish and no freaky profs breathing down his neck. I know, these Hindi movies are crap, but they do kind of take your mind away from the crap of real life like nothing else.
Yes, that is true! Though you watch a thousand different good movies nothing is as relaxing as a nice masala movie.

At the restaurant after the movies:
Tearing his rotis like a famished Unicef kid, Alok got chatty.
That was quite a visual analogy of how Alok ate!

Pg 40:
After Ryan put forth his plan for the upcoming semester, to handle the pressure studies and also enjoy the life of that age. Alok and Hari agree to his plans. Hari gives a glimpse of how Alok agreed to it:
Alok agreed, but his voice was so meek, it sounded like the chicken he hust ate speaking from within.
Absolutely hilarious!

Pg 42:
Neha apologizing to Hari:
"... Hey, I am really, really, really sorry, I could not reply to you properly there. There's a reason." she divulged.
Now, girls do this all the time, they think repeating an adjective makes it more effective; the three 'reallys' supposed to constitute an apology.

Can't put that in better words. Feels like he is doing a kind of stand-up comedy this whole book.

Pg 43:
"... We can go to the Hauz Khas market. Do you feel like some ice-cream?"
It is hard enough to say no to pretty girls or to the ice-cream but when it's offered together, it is well nigh impossible. I said yes, and she instructed me to walk out the campus gate ... She ... gave me a five-minute headstart, walking sedately behind me.
It was completely weird to walk alone that way, and I kept thinking how stupid I'd look in the parlour if she did not show up. At least I'd have ice-cream, I thought. Food is almost as good as girls.

What gluttonous thoughts? Stomach pain out of laughter is the end result of reading this book.

Pg 45:
Neha on Hari, Alok, and Ryan's scholastic plans for the next semester.
"... Guess you are underestimating the profs and their love for assignments,"
In their love sometimes they are so blind that they overestimate the abilities of the students. Afterall love is blind!!!

3 comments:

KP said...

ha ha ! wanna read that book again :)

Pangalihal said...

No matter how many times I have read it, it still makes me laugh!

Sarah said...
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