Hasta La Vista 2k9

I type this as the clock ticks onto the final hours of the calender year. Let us all look back at how the year has been.. there might have been up's and down's, victories and failures, joy and despair and a lot of other emotions.. however good or bad the year was, it did leave us a bit more wiser, more experienced and with a lot of bitter-sweet memories.. Take a moment to recollect the good moments of the year and end the year on a happy note and welcome 2010 with open arms and lots of hope...

Sayonara 2k9, Swagatam 2010

A Surprise backfired.. But ended well..

Well ever experienced your plans to surprise some back firing on you and leaving you dumbfound and not knowing what to do? Well something similar happened to me and a group of friends who were planning to surprise a close friend of ours who was having his b'day.. being the kingpin of the plan i was almost left with a red face..

The friend was had come back from a class trip and was down with heavy fever. basically he robbed us of the opportunity to surprise him in college bus as well as in the college. We planned to meet up go to his house and surprise him at home. Everything was set. 3 of us brought a cake and a cold drink bottle and went to his house. We had called him on another pretext previously and he said he was at home was watching the cricket match between India and Sri Lanka and will be at home anytime. We reached his home, silently opened the gate, parked our vehicles, climbed the stair, stood outside the door of his house and silently removed our footwear and took our positions. Inside the TV was blaring the cricket commentary at full volume, the door was ajar.. We counted 1..2..3.. and burst in.. only to find aunty staring back at us wide eyed. Seeing her expression , i thought if she had not seen us before she might have shouted "thief thief". We were rooted to the place, some how managed to get back some composure to ask where he was gone and the reply was "Some of his friends had come, he has gone out with them for an Haircut."

We got down and were planning for our next move while aunty was calling him trying to somehow get him back home. While we were downstairs planning what to do next, the plans randing from dragging him from the hair saloon to putting a bucket of water on him the next morning, we heard a movement near the gate. We saw a group of people tiptoing in, and we realised that we werent the only fools thats day. :P Now the total number of fools had increased to 10 and we called him direclty and angrilly asked him to come back home. Usually in surprise b'day plans cake is a problem, but in this cake there were 3 cakes whereas the b'day boy was missing.. Nice irony.. Finally the gr8 man arrived and got a huge number of b'day bumps and finally we got him to his cake(s) and made him cut it, thus ending a surpise party which had began on an embarassing note on a high one(India lost the match that day though).

Though the actual plan backfired, the output was obtained.. :) reminds me to be extra careful when planning something next time.. ;)

States

Well lot has happened in the past few weeks which concerns states.

First one that created a lot of problems is the AP-Telengana issue. Some say that smaller states solves a lot of administrative problems as they are easier to govern and stuff.. I say it might lead to a lot of problems. Even in the current case of Telengana, one of the premier cities of India Hydrebad is thrown into turmoil and it might have to be turned into a Union teritory. And right after this was sancationed(almost), more ppl have jumped on the bandwagon wanting states for their own. Now maybe the next thing we hear is that a city wants to be split into 2(yeah, even that can happen). Maybe we might see Berlin Wall 2. Who knows.. maybe we'll have another India-Pak withing the country and maybe LOC's between all states.. This is India.. anything is possible... Again let me enquire with the rule makers.. "with the Telengana for the telegus and the gorkhaland for the goorkhas and so on, do you have an India for the Indians? or is the cultural, ethinic and linguistic diversity we are so proud of, gonna tear us apart? "

Secondly my mind is in a very jumbbled state. I just dont know what i want to do and what i dont want to do. I've just stopped putting my head into everything thought the urge to do so is very high. I've started to add sarcasm to anything related to college and none of it is funny. i just wanna jump out of there and get some of my otehr things in order cos i understand i'm going nowhere if i stay there.

Lastly i read 2 states. Good book ,definitely better than his previous novel 3 mistakes of life, 2 states has all the ingredients of a Chetan Bhagath novel. You have wit , humour , situations that bring out your emotions. It is a story of a boy and girl from 2 different states of India ie Punjab and Tamilnadu and how they want to get married but thier communites are against it and how they toil to solve eveything so that they can get married. In a way I think it’s Chetan’s best book I read till date right up there with 5 point someone(there are some references of that book in this, sort of like a sequel book to that one). I laughed ,got emo and empathised with the concept of Indianness. Having lived in both North and South i can vouce for a lot of those things that are said in the book. Sometimes its quiet stop and go, sometimes drags a bit, but still is a good read.

Strangly( i dont know why it clicked to me now as i was typing), a crude answer to the above 2 "states" was derived from this book.

For the first one.. After the birth of twins, the nurse asks the lead character Krish, " Which will be their state?" he replies " They'll be from a state called India". I hope some important people are listening(or atleast readin this book).

For the second
“Sometimes in your life you just meet someone or hear something that nudges you on the right path. And that becomes the best advice. It could just be a bit of common sense said in a way that resonates with something in you. It’s nothing new, but because it connects with you it holds meaning for you.”

hmm.. I hope something happens..

Bad Day at work and a stupid new rule

Ok.. i've had a bad day.. so this post can go from downright ranting to a lot of self introspection. If u are not interested to read, pls check out my other posts.

I just had a bad day at the office, which seems the trend of the past 2 weeks. I've been slaughtered for doing nothing out of the ordinary and by the book. now if doing by the book is wrong, at least the person on the other side can tell me what is the right way to do it? But no... they wont and they want everything to be right even if is already right and way better than they expect it to be. some one just said to me " Some people just cant handle power". I say true.. Getting the power does not mean that u slat all of ur subordinates that u dont like. First you got to understand what is wrong rater than directly thinking that the thing is wrong.

Well some people take a position of power for granted thinking that they can say anything and no one will question them. They are the only one right , they are infallible.. They will go to heaven whereas all the others can go to hell.. well for ur sake.. don't take our silence as our weak point for we are silent only by choice, once we explode u wouldn't have a thing to say. When the argument started today i had half a mind to pay back in the same coin, but what stopped me is not the position of the person any other such attribute. We have been taught to be respectful towards our elders and be thankful that i remembered it of the person might have left ashen face today. But still i ended up on the receiving end with a lot of people watching..

I dont know why i'm not the center of attention for a lot of people. Seems like i have a magnet attached to me which drags them to me and i always end up on the wrong side of a one sided debate. Guess i'm getting paid back for some bad things i did in my college, or maybe the other just dont like me and want me out(which i'll be even if they want or dont want). I just wanna get out on good terms and not be a part of any controversy while i'm leaving. So pls don't test my patience.....

Now on to something funny, but it irritated me to the core.. I heard a rumor circulating of some new rule the college had implemented.. The rule goes like this: At any time, no girl and boy should be seen roaming around together in the college, an group of equal number of girls as boys is also not advised. and some more about proportion of boys and girls allowed who can talk and etc etc etc.. I was like "The college is going down the dumps". First of all explain to me why u want to have such a rule implemented.. why not just have a boys college and a girls college. That will solve a lot of problems. Secondly, do u think its gonna do any good? What the bull***t are you gonna achieve with that? The message u are trying to spread is that you dont trust your own students. I dont know who made this rule or implemented it, but he seems like a nutter who was still alive when dinosaurs roamed the earth. Well let me ask you another simple question? Tell me any other leading college(mixed) which advocates this policy? and in this world, how successful do u think its gonna be?? and at this rate its better to call it a convent than a college... Rule makers, You decide...

Finally on the TOP..

Finally the Indian Cricket team has reached the heights that it promised to achieve but always flattered when within catching distance. Finally a decade long quest to attain the top spot in the rankings has be achieved, though the team could have finished the year in first place in Test and ODI's(they could have won 4 of the 5 games against Australia, but ended up winning only 2 and losing 2 by 3 runs). But still its a commendable feat to say that the team will be finishing the year in top spot(probably).

I remember watching the India-Australia Series in Australia almost a decade ago when the Australian team was laying its claim to be the best in the world. They were totally decimated, and the team had a famous tag line when went with them "Tigers at home, Kittens away". well, no longer. The new look team India is no longer a team which depends on one person. It all started with the Australia's tour of India, Ganguly's First as captain, the famous victories in Kolkata and Chennai(one of the best Test series that i have witnessed, on par with The Ashes, which England won in 2005). If that ill-fated tour of Australia in 1999-2000 taught many players harsh lessons about the game and the rub of the green, then it was the next visit there that really laid the platform for what India have gone on to achieve since. Having overcome the improbable odds to thwart Steve Waugh's quest for Indian glory a couple of years earlier, India went into the series without being overawed or intimidated. With a little more luck on the final day at the SCG, they could even have won under Sourav Ganguly's captaincy. Whatever you say about Sourav Ganguly, he was one person who added steel to the Indian Claws, making them tigers from cubs they actually were. He instilled in the team a spirit of defiance which is carried on by Dhoni and his men now.

The ascent, though achieved, was not smooth. Quiet a lot of off field issues have been witnessed, the dismal show the the world cup, Sydneygate, Ganguly-Chappel Spat, Kumble Retirement to name a few. But nothing has affected the players on field performance. Even with all that the objective has been achieved. Sachin Tendulkar , India's longest-playing cricketer, said this series victory was a "special" moment in his career. "This is a reflection of what we have been able to achieve in the last 20 months or so. It is a special day for me and all the Indians. It is great to be sitting on the top."and truly it was. Many have come and gone, some contributed, some didnt, some shone, some failed miserable, but almost all of them have in some part contributed to the effort. One effort that comes to mind is of Sanjay Bangar's(he didnt play in the team much), whose first-day defiance alongside Dravid was so pivotal in India squaring a series at Headingley in 2002

Though it might take a lot of consistency to keep the no1 position. The current Indian Team, under the guidance of Gary Kirsten and the captaincy of MS Dhoni, is capable of doing that and more. With the team already winning the inaugural T20 World Cup and now the Number 1 spot in Test cricket, guess the next thing on the agenda will be, other than maintaining the current position, to go No1 in ODI's and also winning the 2011 world Cup.

Tendulkar and the other weatherbeaten warriors alongside him has done as much as anyone to get India to where they are now. And regardless of what happens over the next few months, it's something to savour. In a country where both administrators and fans are obsessed with cricket in coloured clothes, whether it be over 50 or 20 overs, the players deserve much credit for keeping their eyes on the red ball. After the horrors of a decade ago, these are the best of times.

Congrats....

"Hope"nhagen holds the key

"Copenhagen can be one of two things. It can be an historic event where the world unites against carbon pollution in a collective spirit of co-operation and collaboration, or Copenhagen can be a suicide pact. The choice is that stark." says President Nasheed, President of Maldives, who is being forced to watch as his homeland is wiped from the map. With each year that passes, the rising sea claims more land, and at the current rate it will claim everything.

From the 7th-18th of December the eyes of the world will be on the Bella Center in Copenhagen, Denmark which will play host to the biggest, and perhaps the most important, Climate Conference which can go a long way in determining the fate of the world. COP (Confederation of Parties) 15 is the place where world leaders are expected to, in my layman’s terms, pick up where Kyoto left off and produce an agreement to which ALL of the world’s nations can agree to protect the earth’s climate. as i write So far 98 heads of state and government have already made it to Denmark.

Global Warming has had a an adverse affect of the world till now and if nothing is done about it soon then maybe 2012(ya.. the movie) will be a reality. There has been quiet a resistance from various countries about emission cuts, but hopefully all of them will see the light and agree to some forms of restriction for the better good of the world than their own country. Its not the time to be selfish, it is the time to reason, to know facts, to understand the need, and to ACT. The year has seen a marked interest in concern about Global Warming in people and many people even had public demonstrations on the 24th of October 2009 which was the "International Day of Climate Action" which saw a over 1800 demonstration all over the globle, which shows that people are actually concerned. And 2009 can be a landmark year if Hopenhagen is a resonding success.

All said, failure in Copehangen is not an option as the fate of the world lies with a few. And as Connie Hedegaard, Danish Minister for Climate and Energy says "If the world fails to deliver a political agreement at the UN climate conference in December, it will be “the whole global democratic system not being able to deliver results in one of the defining challenges of our century”

This is a call for all you world leaders.. ACT before its too late.. For the better good of the planet, think sensibly. Good Luck.. Lets hope for the best... Lets Go Green

P.S. Dr. Manmohan Singh Sir, Pls do attend the meeting. Its time for you to show you are one of the better leaders of the world.

Remembering 26/11

Its been a year since the country was witness to the horrific events of 26th November 2008 when a group of terrorists ran amok in the City of Mumbai. That 70 odd hours of ordeal is hard to ‘forget’ and ‘forgive’. The whole country came to standstill and people watched ‘terror at its worst’ live for three long days. The memory of those days of horror is still afresh in the minds of millions of Indians who watched those audacious terror attacks. The media frenzy generated could be compared with those generated after the 9/11 attacks.

I vividly remember watching a sports program on TV and switching channels and suddenly stopping at a news channel(guess it was CNN IBN) which was showing footage of the attack. I at first thought that it was the shooting of a new movie and only after a few moments realising that the shooting was real and it was really happening. And what followed he the next 60 hours was something that no movie could ever show. Having lived in Mumbai not long ago i used to have horrific dreams of this at night. And i remembering waking up the next day and walking towards the TV one thing only " is it over yet? is it over yet? Pls god.. Let it be over" And finally it was.. But at what cost..

Lets face it.. Whilst the last commando and the last hostage may have left the scene, and the last burnt tile or broken door been replaced months ago, the truth is Mumbai and the whole of the country will not be over it until we are able to squarely face what happened to us during those three days. What is more confusing is the fact that justice has not been served.

Now it has been a year when Mumbai was shaken, infact the whole country. And when I think of it today I still go numb… I go numb because of the fact that nothing has been done to give justice to the people who lost their lives that day, they are still mourning and hoping for justice. Kasab should have just been hanged without trial to say the least. Even though he was captured and investigations were put forth and a trail was going on, no judgment has been passed yet which makes up question our own judicial system. And the latest we hear is that the government has spent 31 crores for that man. Now that puts a lot of doubt in the minds of the common public.. Pls.. At least for the sake of the thousands of lives that changed after the event, for those brave soldiers and Policemen, For the sake of the country.. Let justice be served...

Once IC-814 took off for Pakistan, the terrorists won the advantage, and eventually achieved their aim of freeing some of the sub-continent's most dangerous men at Kandahar. "Never again", we said hoping that the country would not suffer at the hands of those terrorists again. But Mumbai 26/11 happened. Well This time also we'll say "Never again." But lets hope only this time we mean it..

Saluting those brave Commandos and Policemen who risked their lives for the cause of the country.

Ending my post with a line from a movie
We are resilient by force not by choice – A Wednesday...

Reasons Aplenty

A student died. Reason – Senseless ragging in college.

Another one attempted suicide. Reason – Depression due to the overloaded syllabus.

Girls beaten up in a pub. Reason – moral policing…whatever that means.

A girl gang raped. Reason – a group of spoilt brats decided to celebrate their victory in a game of cricket.

A man shot another after some quarrel. Reason – The deceased had parked his vehicle in front of this man’s house.

A tourist abducted, killed. Reason – greed for money and more.

Many kids kidnapped, killed, eaten by 2 men…gosh! Reason – some strange neurological disorder, disturbed childhood etc. etc. etc.

Some girl child killed in the womb. Reason – A son is the desire.

Girls sold off to wealthy men double their age. Reason – Need for money, poverty.

A man locks his family inside their house for 5 years - Reason - He does not trust the society.

Thousands of innocent people killed in Mumbai. Reason – a bunch of mavericks believe it’s their duty to kill people and please HIM.

A dog crushed to death by a speeding vehicle. Reason – well what reason can one give for the death of an animal, when there isn’t any explanation for the many human deaths everyday!

It's so Confusing...

Its been a long journey from where i was a tiny tot till now.. and suddenly i find that i no longer go along with the crowd and start realizing that there are and were many things about myself that i didn't know and may not like and some that i tried to hide. and at this stage i started feeling insecure and wondering where I'll will be in a year or two, but then get scared because i just realised that i barely know where i am now. I start realizing that people are mean, selfish, arrogant, and that, maybe, those friends that i thought were so close to aren't exactly the greatest people i have ever met and i think those who i thought would be no good could have turned out to be better people, and the people i have lost touch with are some of the most important ones. But i guess most people of my age will be going through the same phase. They and aren't really cold, catty, mean or insincere, but that they are as confused as I am. As look at my present job and it is not even close to what i thought i would be doing, or maybe I'm looking forward for another job and realizing that I'm going to have to start at the bottom and that scares me. Maybe i was just hoping against hope that the sky's open up and they let me fall into my dream job. My opinions have gotten stronger and wiser, but i have also been known to throw regular tantrums which i didn't do so regularly earlier. I see what others are doing and find myself judging and being opinionated more than usual because suddenly i realize that i have certain boundaries in life and I'm constantly adding things to the list of what is acceptable and what isn't, and what is downright nonsense. One minute, I'm insecure and then the next, secure as if i on a wave. I laugh and cry with the greatest enthusiasm. I Sometimes feel alone and scared and confused. Suddenly, change is the enemy and i try and cling on to the past with dear life, but soon realize that the past is drifting further and further away, and there is nothing to do but stay where i was are or move forward onto untraveled paths. i get heart broken and all emotional and wonder how someone i loved could do such damage to me. I lie on my bed and wonder why i can't meet anyone decent enough that i want to get to know better. Or maybe i love someone but love someone else too and cannot figure out why I'm doing this because i realise that i aren't such a bad person. I want to settle down for good because now all of a sudden that becomes top priority as slowly and steadily i realise that i was over depending. Getting wasted and acting like an idiot starts to look pathetic. I go through the same emotions and questions over and over, and talk with my friends about the same topics because i cannot seem to make a decision. Now the time is such that the major worries are about money, the future, settling down and making a life for myself... and its a rat race. While winning the race would be great, right now i just like to be a contender! I dont know how many of you out there can relate to this. I just know that I'm enjoying the best, even though confusing, of times and worst,even with lot of ups, of times, trying as hard as i can to figure this whole thing out.

Well i guess i have just entered the limbo that people call the "Quarter-life Crisis" :)

A Change in the Blog

This change took a long time coming. I was tired of the previous "Photoshop" template(it looked good at first, but seeing the samething over and over again made my eyes sore :P) and wanted a change. Tried many but still many of them left me dissapointed and wanting to revert back to the old one Then i found this- Chocolate brownish with a touch of chrome put up for good measure. And after a lot of tweaking and aranging i have made it to look as it looks now. Its still a work in progress but its all well as long sit looks good.Keeping widget to a minimum and making putting in a bit more easy links on the side bar.

Pls leave comments on how you like my new template.. :)

India For Indians.. or not?

To,
Mr. Bal Thackeray
Shiv Sena supremo

Sir,

You have taken your hostility over giving the right of "Maharastian Manoos" to them a bit too far this time. You reaction towards Sachin Tendulkar's line of "Mumbai is for all Indians" was totally unwarrented and uncalled for. What is wrong is a national icon saying that? In a country which is a secular democratic and where everyone has the right to excise his religion, his language and his opinion you have no right to say that he cant do so. A person of your stature must restrain from making such comments on an International icon, a person who is loved and respected in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India and the world and has brought glory for India as well as Maharashtrians

You say that "By making these remarks, you have got run-out on the pitch of Marathi psyche. You were not even born when the 'Marathi Manoos' got Mumbai and 105 Marathi people sacrificed their lives to get Mumbai,". But we ask you what about the sacrifice of millions of people to get the Independence of India? Whats wrong is calling one self a Indian before a "my state name" man? Does India Come first or the state? Will the state be there is the county was no there? its like calling yourself a old man even before u were a child.. Andd guess what, saying what you have said you are putting yourself and your party in dispute with the greatest Maharashtrian icon alive today.

I might admire you for your frankness always. The way you have always put forward your opinions(good or not) may it be regarding Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, Hitler, LTTE etc. But there is a limit to which people can tolerate this( and i mean the general public and not your own people). And you don't say bad about a figure of Sachin's stature, a Gentleman, a international figure, a person the whole country loves(and as his comments state he does too), and just get away without drawing opposition. But if these comments are a way of drawing attention to yourselves and also your party then that would be a disgrace.

The worst part is that your comments came at a time when the Sena and your estranged nephew Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) are engaged in a game of one-upmanship to woo Maharashtrians. While the criticism of Tendulkar seemed to be aimed at cornering the MNS, it has certainly backfired on you,and now as you see your are drawing flak from all sides and even your closest alies(read BJP) have not supported you on your comments.

One last question for you. Please do answer this. For your comments Mumbai for Maharashtrians and similarly as for similar sentiments elsewhere like Kashmir for Kashmiri's, Tamilnadu for tamilains and Kerala for Malayali's can you show us an India for INDIANS? Can someone show us that?

Thanking You,

Scathingly Yours
A Young Indian

PS: there are honetly my opinions on the issue which i feel as an Indian and dont reflect anything political or against any party.

A Miracle

A miracle just happened yesterday night..

Friday evening after i got back home i was greeted by my sister with the news that the computer was not working. I just thought that it wont be a big problem and I'll be able to set it right('m so over confident sometimes). But.. It just wont start.. I tried everything i knew(even had the CPU updise down :P) but it just wont budge from its dormancy. I thought it might be the SMPS(for the not-so-nerdy: the SMPS is a small box at the back of your computer that turns AC(current) into DC) that was the trouble. Due to my very good(sarcasm) experiences with computer hardwares i left it at that thinking that it might be good for me to cut out my "Computer Addiction". for some days.. and cue 2 boring week end days.. infront of the TV(most of the time).. I think i have never spent so much time in front of theTV since my 10th standard days.. it was fun watching all that movies on Children's day including scooby doo, HP, Nim's island, home alone and all that(long list).. Yesterday night i thoght i might as well repair the system and just put on the swich and the somputer started running on its own. as if nothing had happened. i was like "W00T".. It was crazy.. it was as if the computer thought " i need a break from the torture of that ungreatful owner.. I'm going on a strike.. I won't start.. I need the rest" .. and the craziest thing is that i think it deserved the rest too :)

I watched Tum Mile yesterday and i suggst pls dont watch it in the theater.. Even if its intended as a serious movie it gives u moments of utter madness from the director which will leave u in splits for more than half of the movie(as long as u have friends with you who comment on each and every scene).. The concept was good and the acting was OK.. but the movie was not worth watching in a theater.. Reasons- Badly done graphics, could have made better use of the concept, many things could have been avoided and some scenes which could have been avoided, some were not even needed. There is one scene where the girl suggests that the boy might be cheating on her, the boy shouts at her, the girl leaves in a huff.. the next scene the girl is in a lift with a "girl"friend of her.. the other girl makes sure that the lift empties, then presses the stop button and they both HUG..(as the lift door closes) eh what?? :O .I failed to understand the whole idea of that lift scene.. Make your own inferences on what the scene meant :P

Finally a FB prediction came true - FB Magic Cookie said that 'll be meeting a special friend of mine(on my travels).. Jyothi(one of my good ol friends/sister) landed from Mumbai from a Moot Parliment in the city.. She had come home and it was good to recollect all those good days.. Thank you sis.. :)

My Time Draws Near...

Three of my friends are gonna join Infosys this weekend(mera number kab aayega!!).. I wish i could meet them before they go. I did call them too but sadly it seems that i have kept it too late and they are all busy with the end rush ie packing, shopping, meeting relatives, making sure all necessary documents are there etc etc..

I guess some day i will also be walking into the gates of Infosys. But before i go i know have a huge group of frinds to satisfy. 3 months doesnt seems to be far away so i guess i'll have to get into the act soon(and also pray that infosys does call me). Lot of debts to clear, lot of things to set in order, lot of people to see, and probably take a small trip with some of my closest friends.. and if possible make a trip to Mumbai if possible so that i can get in touch with my friends there..

Some of them(my close pals) have been asking me if i would miss Toc H Institute of Science and Technology(my contract here nears expiry). We'll of course i would, isnt that obvious..But if it were a film then Toc H forms a backdrop for all that, i would miss the characters of the movie more, the plots and the sub plots of the movie, the action, the drama.. The backdrop could have changed but i'm doubtful if i'll get the same characters elsewhere..

Hopefully i could do every little thing i want to do in the coming 3 months.. If any of u have plans pls let me know.. :)

Exam Day

This is something i had penned up a long time ago while i was working for the college magazine(sigh!!).. The EXAM DAY.. its something most of us hate.. the worst ting in college(for some). The endless hours in front of books without taking in anything, the tension of the day, the nervousness, the laziness of waking up early(or staying up late), the expectation of people around you.. I know most of us have experienced it and sometimes in a better way and sometimes in a bad way.. This is something that came from me just out of instinct and ihave just put in a few things that came to my mind.. Enjoy Reading..

Morning 5.30

Tring tring tring

Bloody alarm.. wont let me sleep in peace.. shut up u useless gizmo

Oh god . I have an exam today…

Hurries off from bed.. to the table and opens the books

Where do I start.. where do I start.. why cant i get a day more

Let me start with the last module.. I haven’t done much from it

Dozes off on the table itself after half an hour of struggle wit the photostats

6.30

“wake up you idiot.. don’t u have exam today” says mom. “sit and study”

Oh ya ya

Lazily opens the book again and continues the struggle..

7.00

oh its 7 already… ‘m late.. Have to start getting ready

Should I take a bath or not?? ‘ll have a short one..

Where is my uniform.. oh damn its not pressed yet

7.30

‘m late… have to rush..

Takes a Photostat in hand he rushes out

On the road..

ahhrrggg.. there is my neighbor coming… hope he does not see me.. or else will have to answer a thousand useless questions

Damn.. he has seen me

after a small conversation on useless stuff and during which the neighbour asks "are u having exam today"(replies "YES") our champ rushes off.

Mannn.. Now‘ll have to find ways to avoid him today evening

Reaches bus stop

There is no one here.. have I missed the bus.. shit had to happen today

Oh wait.. there are some ppl standing there… lucky me didn’t miss the bus.. atleast not today

In the bus:

Everyone is studying.. everyone is studying hard

Suddenly “ Bro did you study the question about design issues.. Thats is always asked in university exams”

Ah what.. what question.. “Dude.. on which page is that”

Now I have to study this question and there are many more that I have to look into

God.. Cant we have a flash strike today? why doesn’t the paper leak

9.00 A.M

Ah everyone seems so confident…

Sms’s every known person who is not writing the exam to pray for him

Time to get ready.. or else the invigilator wont let me inside

Oh no no no no.. dont let it be.. pls pls.. not today pls no… had to happen.. feel like kicking myself. i had to Forget my hall ticket

After a rush to the exam cell to get a temprory hall ticket.. .some how manages to enter the hall on time…

Out of Breth.. Phew!! Made it..

Ah ha.. the invigilator does not look tough…

Invigilaor : “ where is ur hall ticket and id card”

“here Mam” why is she asking.. cant she just let me in.. bloody formalities

Invigilator: “ok.. are u clean?? kept no bit and chits for exam?”

“no. mam”

“Ok go and take ur seat”

“Thank you mam” As if I wouldn’t have taken it unless u said so.

Small prayer.. god pls let the exam be easy

9.30

Bell rings. Out come the paper

Oh not another colored paper.. pls.. yeah its colored and that too a horrible dark blue.. yuck

Gets the paper… goes through it..

Hmmm seems ok.. guess I can manage to pass.. I don’t know the question in 4^th module.. no problems.. I’ll just write something to fill in 2 pages

Starts writing

First module is ok.. I know it byheart

Question 1 has 10 points… hey what was the 3^rd point… hmmm hmmm .. man I’m not getting it.. ya that’s it.. or is it?.. guess it has to be.. (makes up a hypothetical point and goes on with the question)

10.30

3 pages, a module and half later..

God my hands have started paining… should I ask the invigilator to massage it for me?

A knock on the door and a whole group of teachers come into the room

Head of the group “pls co-operate with us.. we are the invigilation team and we are just doing our duty.. all of u are requested to give us your full support”

Oh good… luckily I didn’t think of keeping a chit today.. hmmm

hey that sir is keeping an eye out for me.. am I looking so notorious?.. i did take a bath today..

One teacher : “ ok its your turn now.. turn out your pockets”

Eh.. Ok sir..

“eh wht is this”

“ my kerchief sir”

“unfold it and flap it”

Done

“why have u in-shirted”

“uh uh, sir??”

“put it out.. write the exam in a casual way.. put it out”

“ok sir”

“ ok you are clean.. Continue writing.. no wait… u have a baniyan inside?”

“yes sir”

“pull it out too”

“eh what sir.. pull that out too”

“yes… didn’t u hear what I said”

“uh” done

“ok carry on”

Damn.. why such bloody formalities.. if I wanted to keep a “chit” I can find better places than that.. and for heavens sake they didn’t check my sock or my boot.. if I had one their.. all their check was going to be a waste.. next time I know where to keep a chit and get off with it..

Bloody hell.. wasted my time

11.00

Struck in the middle of a question

Oh wht to write next.. I don’t know the other question from the options.. somehow have to write this

5 mins later…

Leave it.. ‘ll come back later. .hope I get some idea about it.

Oh there is Rahul.. he has already taken his first sheet.. looks like he is gonna top the exam where as I’ll be on the opposite end of the spectrum.

11.30

Another question half left

God.. only a hour more and all I have done is 3 questions.. this is going from bad to worse

Oh god pls help pls help

Guess I’ll have to ask some body

“(silently)dude .. dude .. dude”

Finally he looks..

Ah saved

Take the question paper and point out the question.. the guy does not understand.. signals the question number with fingers

He looks as if he is ready to help.. guess 'll be saved.. Atleast this question

Then with a indication wit the fist he says he doesn’t know

Man… ‘ll kill u as soon as I get out of this hall.. thats a definite

12.00

I should not have wasted all those time playing those stupid computer games during study holidays.. next time ‘ll keep that in mind… this paper is almost out of my hands now..

Rahul has taken his 4^th extra sheet… seems like he knows every damn thing there is in the text book

That’s it.. ‘m out of here.. no point in sitting

With that our champ takes the thread and ties the paper… and after a final look at the questions walks out in a really sullen mood.

Outside the hall some body asks “hey dude.. How was the paper?”

!@#$&^%!#$^&(*&^%# (for the person who set the paper, for the person who was invigilating, for the person who enquired, for everyone..)

12.30

Everyone will be out now

There is Rahul.. looks like he is gonna get cent percent

Are my eyes playing tricks on me… who are those ppl surrounding him?

Girls.. oh good.. i could have been in his shoes had i studied and not wasted my time on those games, movies, hangouts, night outs (as u know the list is long)..

Looks like its his day today.. Mera number aayega..

(for Rahul)Mere haat aayega na baachu dikha dunga tuje.. Tabhi yeh ladkiyan nahi hogi..

Eh why worry.. there is always a second chance.. and that time ‘m gonna make sure that I put in extra effort..

And there goes another paper..

Setting My Things in Order

Well now that 'm free and nothing to kep me too occupied i've been stting my things in order.. thing which i let take a back stage while i was too pre occupied with other things..

One of the things 'm setting in order is my reading habit.. earlier i used to george up books and then it turned up to be a measly 2-3 books per month.. now 'm setting it back on track and guess soon 'll be back to my old form.. ie 3 books per week :P

blogging.. well it has started picking up and i hope the trend does continue cos i usually have a lot of things to share about but mostly 'm eith lazy, pre occupied, or.. just plain and simple.. cant find words.. Now 'm back and guess have put up some good posts in the last week or so.. that mostly attributed to the fact that i have to stay back in college till 7 P.M(the college closes at 4.. but i've been assigned to take care of a lab so that students can use it till 7) on 2 days per week.. have been using the time to get my creative self out..

My research project .. well the less i talk about that the betterit will be cos even i dont know where 'm.. all i know is that if i get a confirmation from my "Boss"(Dean) then i can finish it off in a week.. but till i get that i'm keeping my fingers crossed and in between that wrestling with the college computer network..

Passport.. This is something i have been postponing for a long time.. finally a week ago i registed online for the application and was given a date.. 2 days ago i went to the apssport office.. completed the formalities.. i hope they come for inspection soon.. i need my passport pronto as its one of the main things that i should carry when i join Infosys.. and if i get the passport i guess i fulfill all my id proofs.. i currently have a Driving liscence, Voter's ID, all my necessary marklists.. have i missed something out??

Talking of Infosys.. for anyone who has forgotten i'm joining on 8th of Feb.. thats a good 3 months(almost) from today.. Need to brush up the concepts and hope i'm in good shape before that :)

Some more things are pending like the NSR registration(another thing i need to do before i join Infosys), Cleaning up and decorating the interiors of my car, Cleaning up my computer and my table.. its lying cluttered for so long now, Get back to working out('m putting on weight, need to cut out the fat), Showing up at my Denstist's place( have a long postponed appointment) and maybe take a vacation with friends.. ;)

Its better no one asks me about my CAT preparation.. i've been doing bits and pieces.. but nothing concrete.. i hope i can put in some serious works.. As of now mom says " You have wasted that money".. ;).. The exam is on 28th November :D

The Great Indian Dream

A dream is an aspiration. And we all have that wistful look when we think about our dreams.

We hope for THAT dream to come true. We really, really long for that achievement to be ours.A dream is not a domain of a select few… everybody has a wild fancy for something or the other. You…me…him…her…them...we… all aspire.

Our dreams change with our age, and when a dream is achieved, we move on to the higher plane of a new dream.

Sharing few dreams, we Indians dream of…

Common Man : Roti, Kapada aur Makan	A Farmer : His name in the Green Revolution.
Our Bollywood Actors : Oscar awards for their films.	Cricket Lovers : India wins every match and Sachin scores a century every time!
A Bachelorette : A tall, fair, handsome, well-educated, well-settled, only son, affluent family/NRI as groom.	An Eligible Bachelor : A beautiful, fair, slim, convent educated, professionally qualified bride.
A Student : Get admission in a premier institute a la IIT or an IIM!	Parents of Teens : Kids become either doctors or engineers.
Our Netas : Be the Prime Minister of India, one day!	A Businessman : Be the Dhiru Bhai Ambani of his field.
An Investor : Stock market to remain bullish, always.	A Corporate Executive : Work for the world’s best company and to be at the top of the corporate ladder!
A Housewife : Meri sari uski sari se safed ho!	A Couple : A happy, peaceful, blissful, prosperous married life.
A Delhiite : A bigger car, more diamonds and gold jewelry than my neighbor.	A Mumbaikar : Catch the 7:57 Fast Virar local with a window seat.
Children : Have powers like Ben 10 to transform into aliens and crush all the enemies.	A Blogger : Followers increase by a dozen every day, comments hit a double century for every post, get the every award in the blogosphere and churn out amazing posts every day!
EVERY INDIAN : A peaceful, prosperous, terror-free, poverty-free, crime-free, clean and green, united India.

Whatever our dreams…May they come true.

Because, nothing happens unless first a dream. And to accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe. As a man's dreams are an index to his greatness. So, no one should negotiate their dreams. Dreams must be free to flee and fly high.

So go on and Dream India…DREAM!!

http://shilpaagarg.blogspot.com/2009/10/indian-dream.html

Something's Missing...

I'm not busy.. I am not confused..
I dont have a 1001 things running in my mind.. not anymore...
I haven't been this free and happy in ages...

Yet I feel like there is something missing somewhere...
Like I had to do something.. But I cant remember what..
I feel like I have swayed from my actual purpose...
the funny part being I have no clue what my actual purpose was..
Nothing stops the constant buzzing in my head..
And the buzzers keep blowing off like an alarm at the end of each day screaming
that I've wasted another day doing something that I don't really believe in..

Ane people around me tell me that i'm gonna be a big shot,
expecting to change the world...
And what angers me most is that even though i want to counter and say i'm not,
I have no arguments to defend my stand!!!

Our time is NOW!!!

Its time for celebration
For Sweets and hugs
For Kudos and pats on the backs
For we have achieved what we set out for
and dispelling all apprehensions

What we have yearned for
We achieved our goals
We transcended expectations
The peak was conquered
The depth overcome

Our time is now and there is more to be done
But for now, lets relax
and bask in the glory of our achievement.
But dont sleep off,
For there lie more unconquered peaks and
more depths to overcome

At last...

For all the pessimism
For all the ego
For all the punchline and wicked smiles
For all the tantrums
For all the moments of self doubt
For all the scoldings
For all the "Not supporting" part
For all the meetings
For all the endless hours in the DL
For all the planning
For all the reports
For all the pain
For all the hope
For all the endless phone calls
for all the time and effort
For all the work

The pictures say it all



People We made it... Cheers!!!

Breaking Out

I peeked out into the wonderful world outside
From within my parents shell around me
And waited eagerly for the fine day
I would be granded wings on my own.

With a heart spilling with emotions
I stepped out of the broken shell.
Crushing its pieces under by feet,
I walked out into the brightness.

In the light that has been shielded by my shell,
I saw the world as it really was.
No longer under a filter, my heart slowly learned
The stinking truth of the real world.

Where lies roamed free without a reason,
A hidden sneer always tailed a plastic smile,
Where some fasted for a better posture,
While others to hide their hunger.

Where people killed like dogs in the streets,
While others learned to blind themselves
And to stare at their own paths
Where the only mantra was "I, Me and Mine".

I tried to shield myself and ignore it
But the blanket around me slowly faded away.
I found myself stink with the world around me.
I had finally become a part of the chaos.

Around me I heard sound of cracking shells
Eager faces glancing out of their breaking shells
To stare into the unknown world,
And to face the brightness of truth.

Lot of Questions and lot of answers...

Its been say 4 months since i finally passed out of 4 years of B.Tech and life slowly started unraveling itself. Telling someone that u are a B.Tech degree holder immediatly puts up questions that everyone seems eager to know "Are u placed somewhere?" "Are u working somewhere?" "Are u planning for higher degree? which one M.Tech or MBA?" and blah blah blah and more blahs... Well for now i'm on a WORKING... I'm working as a Research Assistant in my own college(Ya 'm getting paid.. well atleast for the time being)... I have been there for a month and a half now...

To be in the college after passing out seems different. I actually didn't plan to join and spent 2 months sitting at home and making myself appear like a Teapot after being a couch potato all the while. The opportunity to join college presented itself i joined not exactly sure what 'm getting myself into. But i did and 'm happy that i'm not telling everyone who will listen to me that "I'm sitting at home after completing my B.tech" or "I'm waiting for a call from a company and will join" etc.

How can i manage this? Well to suddenly jump from a student mentality to a teachers(not exactly one) mentality is pretty difficult and i never think its gonna happen to me. Atleast not with my current approach. :) and then now its fun to listen to both sides of an argument - from the teachers point of view and the students point of view. :D The work is not much pressing and I'm bide my own time with students, techers and whoever will listen to me(well not many ppl can stand me for long).

And there was a chance to meet Dr. APJ Kalam as he came to our college for an interaction with the students ( better not talk about the event..) To see such a person in flesh and blood itself is worth it. And the management skills she showed were truly inspirational. I hope there are more such people in the county. And during the event i understood that "Its better to mind your own buisness that putting ur head where it doesnt belong" :D

I was finally able to shake of the Captain tag(now i'm former captain) as a new Colelge Council was elected. Now many ppl have been askign me this "Are u satisfied with the new council?" I would say that they are a good bunch just give them time to prove their worth and dont start comparing between councils cos its never in the best interests of the current ones.

Finnally ppl have been asking me "Are u planning to stick around here?" or Well cant answer that. I'm bound for 6 months. So i'll be gone before long. Nothing is permanent.

Thats it for now.. More College Escapades will follow.. Keep tuning it to my blog. :D

Clinging on to Straws

"One thing is clear to me.
You can't know everything you'd like to know.
You can't do everything you'd like to do.
You can't read everything you'd like to read.
You must hold onto some things and let go of others.
Learning to make that choice is one of the big lessons of this life."

Well this is a thought that i found very intresting and that has drawn quiet a train of thought from me just cos my current situtation is very similar. "m clinging on to straws and trying to keep every one near but almost always failing very miserably. I hope that the the current sitiation changes and the gloomy days fly by and the sun starts shining again...

To Follow or Not to Follow....

We all follow many practices and methods without really knowing the purpose or reason for it. Most of the times we fail to ask the reason and sometimes we bother to ask the reason but seldom end up with a satisfying answer. Most of the times the answer would be my parents/elders used to do, so just stop questioning and follow them; all is for our good.

Here are 2 stories.. guess you can make out the moral from them...

Indian version:
During the olden there was a gurukulam where an old gurukul was raising a pet animal – a cat. The cat was so mischievous and naughty that it will disturb the class. So before starting the class he will ask the class leader to tie the cat. And this became a routine for the class leader. Before every day's class he will tie the cat only then the guru will start the class. One day he passed away. Later his son took his responsibilities. And this habit of tying the cat before morning classes continued. At one point of time, the guru had to leave to other place so he asked his friend to take care of the gurukulam. The cat was still there, it was becoming old too. One day it died. The next day before the new guru was to start the class, he asked the boy to tie the cat. The students said that it passed away. But the guru said it’s a custom to tie a cat before starting the class, so asked the class leader to bring a cat and tie it only then he would start the class.

Foreign version:
There was a young newly wed couple leading a happy life. The husband was so caring and used to help her on kitchen activities, cleaning the house and stuff. He used to share almost all the work that she does. One fine day she wanted to give a total rest for her hubby and asked him to just watch TV or go for a gaming and that she will prepare a surprise meal for both. The hubby chose to watch TV. He was relaxing in the couch watching his favorite sports channel. For a long time he dint hear anything from his wife. So went to kitchen to check on her. He saw her struggling with a turkey meat. She wanted to cut the raw meat into two halves before putting it in the microwave. He offered to help her to cut it. He also tried even with a bigger knife but the meat was too hard and stubborn that it dint slit. He left the idea of cutting it, he asked her "Why don’t we microwave the full meat without cutting?"
She said no it should be cut before cooking. That’s how her mother used to do. So he called her mother and asked why cant the meat be cooked without cutting. She said even she isn’t aware of it. She just followed what her mother used to do. So this young man called her wife's grand mother and asked. The wise grandmother said, those days since she did not have a big vessel she always used to cut the meat and cook.

So we see there are many such habits that are followed blindly. We believe they are done for some reason and its all good for us. Yeah all the habits some of which are today's customs were all followed for a reason during the ancient days. But is the still needed to follow the rules laid way back without even knowing why they were laid out for? Way not try out new methods to do a thing and just not do what every one else is doing? I guess we all have had instances where we have mindlessly followed something with no reason. I have and have got struck more times than one. and I have learnt some valuable lessons from them. I would say that trying out new ways to do a thing may not be an instant success but maybe somewhere down the line you may find a better way of doing the thing than the so called traditional methods. I would like to end this post with this quote from Thomas Alva Edison responding to the idea that he had failed after 10,000 experiments to develop a storage battery

"I haven't failed, I've found 10,000 ways that don't work"