Nostalgia, thy name is Orkut.

So last night I indulged myself with a little trip down memory lane. Browsed old school and college photographs and relived some good old times. Perhaps it was providence but, just a little while later, I accidentally clicked on my old "Orkut" bookmark. (Yes I still have it bookmarked. It is actually right up there on the toolbar up top >_>. I really should go through them properly someday and purge all the outdated and useless stuff.) Quite a lot of new stuff, random things I did not recognize, etc. Took a gander at my "Scrapbook". Followed a few old conversations (of course I went to the other person's scrapbook too and scrolled down till I found the corresponding responses on it). Was appropriately horrified and embarrassed at my language and basically everything I said and how I said it. Anyway, next time I checked, it was a good 2 hours later (and 3 years in scrapbook conversations world). Moved on to the albums, videos and some old favourite (much dead) community threads. And then came the testimonials (We actually used to call them "testis" and snigger about it. Cue facepalms for our level of maturity. *sigh*). I was pretty much a puddle of nostalgia by the time I finished. Tried looking for any way of downloading everything (like one can do with Facebook and, as far as I can recall, with Google+ as well) but apparently no show. Bummer. 

Like misery, nostalgia loves company. And since there isn't exactly a "Share on Facebook" button for this, a note shall suffice. Here are the testimonials reproduced from my old Orkut profile in all their glory. Commence cringing, facepalming, laughing and awww-ing in equal measure. 

Testimonials I wrote: Unfortunately, it seems that whatever I wrote for whoever has since left Orkut is gone. Anyway..here are the ones remaining.

Nitish Sanadhya - Feb 1, 2008

srry fr d delay..bt evrytym i tried, invariably gt stuck droolin at one of his hot dps n cudnt make it to d testi sectn..n besides, m unimaginably lazy (probably d real reason..lol)..neway, to get on wth it..

nitish..or chibi ero sennin as i prefer to call him..knwn him bt a scant few weeks tho feels far longer..its kind of hard to figure him out really..pervert (expected..lol)..nerdy topper (shocking!)..philo (really?)..contagious disease? O_o (his wrds nt mine..swear!)

a chat buddy lyk no othr..hes lyk dis cute lil boy ud wanna irk jst fr a glimpse of dat adorable "grrr" n his trademark *red face*(feel anothr grrr cumin on yet?? :P)

d most unapologetic perv ive met..whos actually proud to say dat ero sennin is his god!..an amazing flirt..can totally charm d girls into doin his bidding..or so he'd like ;)..bt alas, d girls dese days r more tsunade types :P

overall n amazing frnd to hav..seen quite a few sides to him..hope m around to peel off a few more layers in future :)

(to b contd.)

Madhumita Seshadri - Mar 6, 2007

hav been tryin to write a testi fr her fr god knws how long but nevr got down to it even with my overflowing abundant free time..hehe..soo..comprising of 1/3rd of our "mistress deal" (yeah..looong story), this nutcase is credited as one of my closest frnds here..shes been with me thru gud times n bad..pulling me thru quite a few tough spots along the way..is (or at least claims to be) the sanest in our grp (but thats not saying much considering the degree of our craziness..hehe)..has a manic obsession about b'lore..loves anythg chocolate (dbc *will* probably b her end!!)..completely bananas over sirius black, colin "filth", julian mcmahon, aragorn, pollock n a dozen othr hot guys (but thankfully spares my jap choices!)..well..could probably write a thesis on this crazy gal..but my inherent laziness n the 1024 word limit will only get me so far..we've had sum super times togethr..frm crazy photoshoots to "confession poiiiiint" sessions..thnx fr being such a gr8 frnd n more..**with added emphasis on "more" ;)**

Smita Paliwal - Sep 24, 2006

smita..hmmm..well what can i say that hasnt already been said before..to start off she is an absolute sweetheart..a simple down-to-earth girl.."decent" has probably been defined after her..a sweeter friend i havnt seen..fun to be with..never a dull moment with her around..but again theres a serious and responsible side to her as well..always there for her friends..a helpful soul to the core..wont say no to anything..ever..

shes a charming blend of the traditional and the modern..n thats a rare find in these days..innocent as a newborn babe..(n thats an almost extinct species!!)..tho some of her antics would, i dare say, belie that belief..(n im sure u know what i meant smita :P)..hehe..

shes the cutest friend i have here..heres wishing u all the best in everything in life..and a lil advice from a jaded cynic like me..dont ever change :)

Debosmita Mitra - Jun 19, 2006

today you turn 18!!..can't really believe it..my innocent lil sis has turned in2 an adult.. (well..chronologically even if not mentally..lol)..and so 2day i take d opportunity 2 pen down sum thots on my cuty-pie sweety-pie sis!!

dunno ver 2 begin with dis enigma..1024 characters is really not enough..hmmm well..as all ppl she has her good points and bad alike..pretty, intelligent, absolutely naive and an encyclopedia on sports (and an awsum sportsperson to boot!!)..an absolute baby at heart who pretty much cant do w/o her mommy!!(kuchh zyada hi pol khul rahe hai kya??)..but den ders also a responsible mature (?) side of her..shes a total crazy tomboy..a happy-go-lucky kind of person who brings a smile to d face of evry1 she meets..tho we fight like cats n dogs fr lil things..but den dats wat sisters r fr rt??..hehe..n wats more..dats wat spices up d relationship..

all in all..a real gem of a person..may u achieve all dat u evr want in life..thnx fr evrything n more!!

Illusory n Mystery!!! - Mar 12, 2006

tho m no literary genius like shavii in terms of poems n all: hers r sum of d gr8est, d saddest n d most touching ones iv evr read..still il try n make sum sense out of dis endeavor of writing a testimonial worthy of her..

shaveta..d cute gal with d million dollar smile!!its dat smile wich will first draw u 2wards d mystery dat is shavii..its dat smile wich will make u totally comfortable around her..its dat monalisa smile ;)

but dont let her mesmerising smile stop u frm knowing wats behind d pretty face..a sentimental softy at heart (tho she blivs dat she can b "very tough") shavii is d most helpful gal by far..actually 2 gud 2 b true sumtimes:)..a frnd in need is a frnd indeed..well shes more dan dat..evn without asking shel b der..always..

n finally..shes one of d last remaining (would-be) lawyers who hasnt quite mastered d art of lying!!shes bound 2 let d cat outta d bag evn if it means shel get in2 trouble..

so dats sweet innocent(?) angelic shavii fr u!!..heres 2 hopin dat our frndship lasts frevr..

sHiLaDiTyA SeNgUpTa - Aug 17, 2005

'tis said dat "...to love without condition...to talk without intention...to give without reason...and to care without expectation...is the heart of a true friend..."

shankha is one such true frnd...a treasured "re-discovered" childhood frnd..caring, sweet, funny...basically a nice guy of d highest degree...very gud "best-friend" material :)...his fun-luving, wise-cracking, happy-go-lucky, "bindaas" exterior hides a pretty mature, sober, dependable, sensible n responsible guy...u just need 2 dig a bit deeper!!...[well....mayb a looottt deeper ;)]

so dats shila in a nut-shell...glad 2 hav u as my frnd...hav a wonderful life...keep smiling n joking always...n hav fun!!...

[ps:im sure ul find ur ms.perfect sum day :P..]

Shanu S John - Aug 10, 2005

ummm...its hard to describe anyone by words alone..n hes no exception..id just like 2 say dat hes one of d sweetest guys around..tho i havnt known him dat long hes one of d few "guys" i can actually trust..tho tries 2 appear macho hes a total softy inside!!..

has a mile-long funny bone n can keep u in splits with his hilarious experiences..but has such an insight u wudnt bliv..one othr thing i like abt him wud b his frankness..

all in all a completely crazy-funny-sweet-naughty-sensible guy ;)..thnx fr being der..

.:: Romina ::. :) - Aug 6, 2005

romina..rome..roshnai..been pals fr god knows how long..family frnd, classmate but most of all a very gud frnd..n d only girl who can giv me a run fr my money ver reading books r concerned ;)..shes dis really sofisticated young lady whos still a child at heart..

ders nevr a boring moment wen shes around..guess il nevr 4get ur "deewana tera" on d excursion day!!..thnx fr dose wundrful moments..u go girl!!..all d best fr evrything..

Subhasri Das - Feb 25, 2005

she is the oldest and dearest friend of mine..as innocent & chweet as the pic of the cute kitten in her album.. 

at first glance she appears an introvert-extremely studious & serious..but get to know her better and you'll be surprised (rather..shocked!!)as she reveals her true colours ;P 

she is the most fun-loving person ever and she has the most infectious laughter i've heard..she can laugh at the silliest of jokes, without rhyme or reason, and set us all going as well..she is famous for her ridiculous hand gestures (have to be seen to be believed)..they have us all in splits.. 

basically a witty, intelligent, humorous, frank, straight-forward, hardworking gem of a girl.. 

may your laughter never fade away subho..and as i usually say to all my good friends :D 

_____________________________

___________000__O____________ 

___________0__0_ISCO_________ 

___________0__0_ANCE_________

___________000__AILY_________

_____________________________ 

thanx for being there always..luv..debo :)

Anannya Ghosh - Feb 23, 2005

anannya..hmm..the unique one - that's what she is in one word..one of the most simple, sweet, caring and generous girls i ever met (& a pukka candidate for a nobel peace prize :P)

she is always there for her friends..motherly at heart (sorry abt that anannya) and saintly by nature (sorry again..and its not meant to be defamatory!), this is one girl who is truly selfless..

she is a true friend who reaches out for your hand and touches your heart..

keep smiling always..

Testimonials about me:

Sreenivasan Rengarajan - Dec 2, 2009

"Nihongo ni atashi no testi kakeru?"- tte sa... chotto mendou dakedo, ma ii ka :)Rina to shiriatte ammari jikan tattenai. Demo honno sukoshi no jikan ni nanka mecha shitashi-ku nachatta. Sonna Rina-chan wo dou setsumei shitara ii no ka... mecha mecha kawatteru chou-atama ga ii bengoshi-san... ka na? chotto dasai kedo sorede iku wa. Kanojo ni tsuite wakannai koto takusan aru. Nanka fushigi na kyara motteru shi, toki ni nani kangaeteru ka sappari wakaranai. Demo sa, kanojo hodo shojiki na hito wa yake ni aenai... chotto mezurashii ne? Mondai wa kore da. Ore ni totte rina-chan wa ittai nani?Aeta bakkari dakedo ironna tanoshii koto ishhoni yattakara, nanka nagai tsukiai mitai na kanji da. Manga toka Anime toka yoku miru kara ore-tachi nanka shumi ga atteru mitai (demo ore shoujo manga yomanai yo :P ). Kanojo to yoku nihongo de hanasu shumi... Kaa-chan igai ni suunin no hitori. Ii tomodachi da koitsu. Yozuruni, ore no kanojo da. Nani? Bikkuri shita?Nanka kore dasa-sugiru kara ato de kakinaosu wa

Mohan Sandeep -: モハン サンヂプ :- - Oct 21, 2009

Se noRina chan ni tsuite nani kakitara ii desu ore niwa shira nai."Kanojo wa hijouni osoro shii kyuketsuki desu" ittemo sore wa amari machigattenai desu. Rina chan wa akuma, oni, jaaku sono mono, yami no keshin da.Soredemo ore wa rina chan ni suki desu ...aa eto.. kanchigaishinaide.. ore wa hanshita suki wa so yu suki ja nai(sore mo chotto aru kedo..).. demo.. nanno gokai shinaide yo..Rina chan wa ore no hijouni saikou no tomodachi desu... watashitachi itsumo watariau demo ore wa katsu koto wa hotonde nai :(Tonikaku, kanojo wa ore ni totte nanika wo kyuuyuu dekiru hito da...Imamade to sorekara mo yoroshiku.Ore wa kimi o kesshite wasure masen.Jinsei ni gambattekudasai.Rina chan BANZAI!!!

surabhi singhi - Apr 24, 2009

crazieeeeee..................d wrd summarizes her....shes a very talented person...can drive u mad while packing gifts......a perfectionist...a small lil grl who is nt so lil...has quite a twisted n perverted mind....but a great frnd.....all d best "LEENU"...hope u bcum a gr8 criminal lawyer n own the island........will miss u n ur insanity....

Akshay Iyer - Sep 20, 2008

Insane, mad, mysterious, weird, non-conformist, rebellious, headstrong, and ... did I say Insane? :-)

Ananya Nath - May 30, 2008

shez DEBOLEENA MITRA....

Nitish Sanadhya - Jan 29, 2008

well deboleena aka debbz is insanity personified....frst, there are few things which i would like to warn u pp abt her1. dont be fooled by her sweet n innocent face..she is devil inside...2. she has got reasons for each n every thing so dont ever try to prove your point or lead into an argument wd her...the result is predecided u will lose3. she is a jap freak so evn if u love animes dont talk abt dem infront of her u will end up feelin a BAKALOL :Pkeeping eveythin aside in true sense even in her insane and inane things u will see her sweetness and cajole nature...she is one who can lift up your spirits , evn if you think u are in the deepest of the abyss...she can make u laugh can make u cuddle like a baby and ofcourse can teach you JAPS..lol...i really think the ones who r close to u will really know tht u are a priceless gem and will be proud to have a freind or a human being as in u....Continued in my next testi

Sourabh Khan - Jun 11, 2007

sweet lil gal.......with dreams touching the sky...a true jap lover ..........get one JAP bf soon .....(hey ...... r jap guys here on orkut.........den sure try on her .......)

Ananya Nath - Apr 22, 2007

what has really prompted me to write her a testimonial at this hour of the nite(i.e, one-thirty ante-meridiem).... is the way she swtiches to Japanese while chatting with me..(err..yes, we live two rooms away AND we b'live in 'keeping in touch').... basically,. i intend to inform the reader of two FACTS about her:
1. Yamapi(Yamachita Tomohita), Ogusi Shum, Akanishi Jin(better knwn as Hitishi Pitishi in certain circles....hehe, jus kiddin), Mike He..... these are some of the Japanese (the last one being Taiwanese) men she admires..... so this tells ya dat she lurrrrrvs Japanese guys.... [so those of u guys who wanna be in her gud buks, nw u knw wat to do....u gtta change ur nationality( n ur luks) to Japanese ( yes mR. R** from B'lore...are u listening???!!!) ....]
2. She tarnishes metal( n by metal i mean GOLD)..... yep, believe me, she DOES..... sum fire...eh??!!!.... 
So there u go, few extraordinary facts about an extraordinary woman, issued in public interest(yes..thnk u,thnk u...deep bow!)

abhishek sardar - Mar 6, 2007

STATUARY WARNING:PLZ TAKE THE COMMENTS VERY SERIOUSLYi have known debbz for 33 days (today included)to be precise nd in such a short period of time she has become a very gud grlfrnd of mine..errr..oops...a gud frnd who happens to be a grl nd i regret she was'nt one in 5 years i had the oppurtunity to knw her frm close quarters.so i present b4 u a vry honest opinion of her.......i thnk she is the DEVIL herself incarnated in the form of a cutie beauty gal....nd look at the name.... DEBOLEENA !!!a vry clever disguise i must saywht she does is she sneaks into ppls heart real steathly nd rips them into pieces!!(myslf being the victim)so i warn u dont befriend her bcoz if u do u r kinda caught in a labyrinth......thr will be no end to ur ever growing list of woes....doomed fr life.u knw wht i managed to pull out tiny specks of graciousness rt frm the devil's heart fr a tiny speck of time...( :) i m talented u knw)but i m telling u again dont take chances with this grl!!

Debosmita Mitra - Mar 22, 2006

who knows her better than me, coz i'm her little sis & i know her inside out,he he he.well, when she is nice ,she is just wonderful(no 1 can beat her) but when she's in a temper(quite often) she's not dat bad either.when she was here with me, i did not quite realise her worth & it was only when she went 2 jodhpur dat i got 2 know what she really meant 2 me(there was nobody 2 do my homework,projects & other stuff).she's been with me through gud times & bad(all her doin' ofcourse...just kidding) 'n' i owe a lot 2 her.we've had sum super fights & squabbles, but after all she's my big sis & i can't complain(can't i?).

Illusory n Mystery!!! - Mar 11, 2006

i feel testimonials are as unstable as human emotions as our feelings keeps changin but still......hmmm first and the only line she writes about herself is "i am indescribable....." well tht may b true but her frenz can definetly describe her.vel Debbz alias Deboleena is as thin as me but she calls me more thinner than her..!! anyways frenz below have described her to an extent but i can surely add sum more into it!!well she is a fren who everyone wants with them..the sayin first impression is d last one stands overuled where she is concerned coz u might find her rude at first instance but believe me tht just an inherent quality she has but once u have figured tht out u vil b happy to have her as ur fren..n well she's a foodie like me n we have had gr8 times together exploring various eating joints out here in jodhpur!! and she is too good at english and can argue with you for hours together for any damn topic on earth....anyways i am glad that i have fren like her and i will cherish our frenship forever!!

Anannya Ghosh - Feb 8, 2006

yes finally.... i hav time to spare fr uuu... be extremely happy;)...soo... let us c... here we hav a small bottle of suppressed energy, alwayz looking fr a way to let a bit of it out, sumtimes with "amazing" jokes thou... shez incomparable at it thou.. amazing to hang out with, sum pple may mistake her outspoken manner as rudeness... but then a most amazing frnd one can have... full of ideas, sumtimes weird... but still... nd an amazing choice of movies, wch she can watch upto eternity... (this i think is enough Leena, now i will find u flying away to cloud 9)

Sourabh Khan - Sep 23, 2005

Yo DeboShe is Kool ... Fun LovingShe is ...very frank...and...at the same time very understanding she argues ...pull legs...but evrything she does ..have reasonable ideas behind it...sometime to have fun...sometime to remind ones socialvalues...sometime to get into the soln of a problem...she is a gr8 problem solver...says "no prb..let's work it out" she thinks she is hard hearted and rude...i don't knw why she thinks so...she says she is "sometimes"..... NO....u have never been hard hearted and rude ....u are always sweet...understanding......and caring..... i won't say to belive my words that u r sweet...but everytime u read the testimonials...everytime u'l knw what friends find in u...and that's u...she loves to be independent...wants to fight against crime and all....(Good Luck...u'l win every battle in ur life)she is always there for her friends ....she is a true friend...A very GOOD FRIEND of MINE

Subhasri Das - Aug 23, 2005

As deboleena writes in her profile she is "indescribable". yes she is.but still being sumone who knows her frm primary till............i opine it's my responsibility 2 scribble sumthin out here in her honour.!!!!!!wrds here r 100% true...deboleena can b described as a proper "blend" of"bold and beautifull" qualities.she can b hard as a rock and soft as a rose petal...depending on situations and persons.she has a soln 2 any prob u pose...a shoulder 2 lean on at worst times...she can laugh with stupids like me at unusual occasns but can nvr cry wth u....and may god nvr make her do dat.may all her dreamz and desires cum true.it's a gr8 feeling having her as a frnd.long live our frndship!!!!!

Prachi Singh - Aug 20, 2005

deboleena..she's a sort of person about whom u don't need to know much in advance or hear things about her from anyone else..she's very straightfwd and self-expressive. you talk w/ her once and you know how witty and cool this gal is! we've known each other since kindergarten...oh god, come to think of it, it's been 15yrs!!!! another thing, her proficiency in english is admirable...the number of books she reads...amazing yaar amazing! good good..good habit...lawyers need to read all their lives! ;) Debbz' sense of humor, carefree nature, coolness...the 'just chill' attitude totally has me fida over her! :) and within this outer layer, the core is of a strong-willed bud abt to bloom into a flower the world will witness and admire. Good luck w/ everything debo..i cherish our friendship...do keep in touch, come what may!

sHiLaDiTyA SeNgUpTa - Aug 11, 2005

....A Proverb/a saying/a dialogue goes like:"A FRIEND IN NEED IS A FRIEND INDEED"...and thats exactly what she has been for me.Debbz has been like a true frnd/sis/philosopher and guide...in one of the most difficult times that I hv faced.Apart from these She is a person who might seem(caution) to be hard hearted,vr less sensitive and rude type...but REALITY is stranger than ur assumption..she is sweet,sensitive and has a soft heart(guarantee hein bhai..humhari!).She'll be a lawyer someday,and yup! she has the killing analytical mind and spirit -"hillake rakhdegi"...and then I as a geophysicist will be dere to measure the earthquake intensity on my Richter scale(hey! debbz u seem to employ me..gr8..thats y i wrote the first line..haha!)Debbz don't worry in life..chahe 'SKELLY'(the skeleton in the bio lab of our school) kabhi tumse baat kaar paye ya nahin..we(ur childhood frnds) will always b there to help you out and keep u SMILING !!!!..ur smile is worth a million dollars(bt nothg in rupees)..jst kidding!

Shanu S John - Aug 9, 2005

the profile photo is very deceptive and so is she in real life. Here's to the few who forgive what you do, and the fewer who don't even care. - Leonard Cohen, Night Comes Onshe is one of those people who wouldnt care wht u are who u are if she considers u worht making friends with and if she thinks u arent then you wouldnt exist for her. but once she considers u worthy then she will spend all the time she's got with u and be real generous abt u. but she is not always praises she will scold u, stand against u and generally make u feel miserable if she thinks ure wrong,she loves playing the devils advocate to her friends and lso the character of agony aunt also suits her or so i am told.another thing she might look like she stepped of the boat from somalia but boy can she eat. and another thing dont look at her when shes let her hair loose and is in amood to do so she'll look hot and really bewitching belive me one rainy night i was left speechless.im really thank full she is on my side.

.:: Romina ::. :) - May 13, 2005

its not really possible to describe her in such a short space but since i've taken up this endeavour i wud like to justify it by saying she is the most straightforward, diplomatic person i've evr met. she is a good friend to have and to trust. anddddddd........she is the greatest book-worm i've seen till date. keep smiling debo...are u still waiting for ur skele???? i'm sure u will prove to be a very successful lawyer coz u hav all the qualities of being one. all the best.