A TAKE ON LIFE... I DONT GIVE A DAM

I AM BACK

2009-10-23T01:37:00.000+05:30

Friends, Indians and non-Indians l, countrymen as well as country women, lend me your comments
I come here to dig up the grave of this blogger, not to praise him.
For the praise that he deserve can be only through his writings,
So let it be with this blogger also. My noble readers
Who should say I was lazy,
If it were so then it is a grievous fault,
And grievously have I answered it,
Here, By having no post in my blog and no comments from you all,
For you all are honorable men and women,
Come I now to speak in this bloggers resurrection,
I am your friend, faithful and just to you all,
But you all should say that I was lazy,
And you all are honorable men and women,
I have written many posts,
With the hope that they made you thrill,
Did this in me seem lazy?
But when the plane left ground, and I landed in a place far away,
I got no time and this was lazy of thee,
Thus you all should say that I was lazy,
And you all are honorable men and women,
But now you all will see in this webpage,
Posts from my trip, my experiences, my thought, My Take on Life,
For I write to please myself and to please you,
For you all are honorable Men and women.

For those like me who find Shakespeare difficult to comprehend and my above adaptation even more difficult to make any sense the simple message is that I AM BACK.

VISA power

2009-07-05T20:50:00.002+05:30

As part of my company’s training routine me and my fellow recruits are to be send to our head office abroad for a three month training session.

So when I first landed in my new job in this new town I was informed that we all will soon have to go to Chennai to fulfill our visa formalities. As it turned out, that day was long, unique and action packed.

I left home at 2 in the night. Reached office, got on the bus to airport. Bangalore airport is fancy enough to make your eye balls pop out. It is also far enough to ensure the road trip till there will invariably be longer than your air trip. We reached the airport by 5 am. I was sleepy to the core. So as soon as I got into the pigeonhole of a airplane which we were assigned I slept off. I woke up only after we landed. Many adventures followed in Chennai airport, given that it was early morning, a time when nature beckons you.

Chennai airport it by no means comparable to Bengaluru airport, but at least it is close to the city.

We went to the embassy lounge. It was not what we had imagined. It was a small building in one end of a tiny street. The queue to enter was not long, but it took forever for us to enter as they scanned us and our belongings to every slightest detail.

We entered the place, completed the formalities and waited for our turn to be escorted to the embassy. I went on the third batch after a good portion of my colleagues had left.

We reached the place, all that I could see was a very high boundary wall, the kind you see encircling forts and palaces. Then again the US embassy is a virtual fort. There was just one tiny window in the entire wall which seemed endless. This perfectly fitted what we had imagined.

After submitting our documents the ghost from behind the glass pointed towards a small steel door. I was frisked before as well as after crossing the door. The inside was calmer. Now there were numerous glass windows. I waited for my turn. I kind of had the hunch that everything will be ok. As always my hunch turned out to be incorrect.

I walked up to the glass window. Once again I submitted my documents. A lady was seated in front of me. She examined all my documents. They were all fine.

“Kindly place your two thumbs on the finger print scanner”- said the lady with a smile. I obliged.

“Now place your left four fingers on the scanner”. I obliged once again.

“Now place ……..”. I stopped hearing. I knew she would ask me to do the same, but with my right hand instead. What is the big deal? I have done it twice. I will do it once again.

I did it. But this time something wrong had happened. The lady’s expression changed. She gasped, my heart skipped a beat.

“Can you do it again”. I did it, but her expression did not change, mine got worse. She asked the others behind me to wait. She made a few calls. Soon many people gathered at her desk. People from adjoining windows also went to her. I was asked to wait. I moved back, away from the action.

The wait seemed endless. I could see my colleagues going for their Visa interviews. They went in and came out smiling. I was still waiting. My face was becoming paler by the second. Finally the wait was over.

They called me. I knew I had the Murphy luck. Of course I will not get visa. I stood there waiting to hear the bad news.

“You have jointed fingers in your right hand; the machine cannot read all four finger prints of yours. It is accepting only three and not four prints. “

Give me some good news please.

“You have created a bug in the system; we got to learn something from you today. You may now proceed for your interview.”

I did not believe my luck. Turns out that I a am unlucky, but not ass much as Murphy.

Seeing me so nervous she promptly added –“Don’t be nervous. Go and give your interview with confidence. Wish you luck”. She was very sweet. I finally went for my interview.

It was a breeze. I was asked no questions whatsoever. I finally got the much sorted stamp of approval.

I went out with a jump in my step. I am a computer science engineer. I fix bugs, but today I turned out to be the bug. I left the fort, my colleagues were long done with there interviews. They were all waiting for me.

I celebrated by treating myself to lunch at The Taj (not worth the price) and then taking a bath in Chennai sea (in spite of the heat it was totally worth it).

I boarded the 5 pm flight back home. Reached home by nine and slept like a baby. That was the end of a highly tiring and sleepless 24 hours. But it was successful. Now even I have the VISA power.

BANGALORED

2009-07-05T20:46:00.001+05:30

“It is time that we stop shifting our jobs to Bangalore. It is time that we started promoting our own cities like Buffalo and not Bangalore”.

These words are those of the most powerful man in the world. These words symbolize the effect the city of Bangalore has had on the world. This city of 6 million is the primary reason why people approach us Indian and say “Are you from India? There is something wrong with my laptop. Can you fix it?”

Such has been the impact of the city I now reside in. Such has been the impact of the ‘city of gardens’.

So now people abroad work twice as hard, because they know the slightest inefficiency means they risk being “bangalored”. They know there is someone or the other in this amazing city who can do their work in a faster, better and cheaper way. But there is so much more to this city than its IT safe haven.

Bangalore or Bengaluru as it is now know is truly a glamorous city, it has a mall in almost every street, its business parks will give you the illusion that you are no longer in India, the lifestyle of some of its people will give force to you believe that India is not a poor country.

All big cities have a darker side. Mumbai’s slums accounts for 40% of its total population, Delhi does not fare better but surprisingly Bangalore hardly has any slums. The people are also highly congenial. The co-passengers of my office cab refer to my cab driver as “sir”. You may have been careless while walking and end up bumping into someone, but who shall always hear a “sorry” from the other side before you can utter one. Even the autowallas who are the most dreaded elements, especially in south Indian cities, more often than not agree to go by the meter fare. The city is a huge air conditioned room. When the entire country burns, here in Bangalore you hardly feel anything.

But it is not all rosy, nothing in life is. People looking for a place in this city do not just consider the house, the rent or the locality. They also take into consideration the number of traffic light between the house and their office. Many times this becomes the deciding factor. People who think Bangalore is a north-Indian city in south India are in for a surprise. In Bangalore you will be the odd one out if you do not know at least one south Indian language. Given that is way better than any of its southern counterparts and that English can get much of your work done, but sooner or later you will find yourself scratching your head trying to figure out what the other guy is trying to say. The city has a high per capita income, being as expensive as it is the lesser off population must have succumbed and migrated. Mumbai may need 90 cm of rain to bring it to a standstill but in this city areas get flooded even in the summer.

I am new to this place. But I have developed a liking for it. But any given day I will still prefer my janam-bhumi over this tinsel town. I think that is the case with most of us. No matter where we end us in search of prosperity, a part of our hearts shall always long to go back to our hometown.

But I have heard people say that there is something about this town which makes you make her your hometown.

For now at least
It’s a new place………..A new Beginning

THE PROFESSIONAL LIFE

2009-07-05T20:42:00.002+05:30

It has been three weeks since I have embarked upon this new journey. Needless to say many things have changed. The fact that I my posting this piece so late in spite of having the urge to do so much earlier speak volumes about this change. Priorities have changed; factors which motivate have changed in general one’s outlook has changed.

Not too long ago I was a student. The fact is that being a student you are never expected to come up with ground breaking achievements. Not that it is any different now; no one expects much from a fresher one week into the job but still once gets the notion that the margin of error is small. In college one always “knew” the other person. We had a very good idea as to which professor was the blood thirsty Dracula not to be messed with and who were the rather “cooler” ones. We were thus able to choose our battles. The new world which I have entered offers no such liberties. Everyone is congenial to the core. This is a very good thing but I am the type who appreciates constructive criticism and thrives on it. With everyone busy with themselves, no one is there to tell you what you are doing wrong. You are own your own. Thus after falling down if you cannot get up on your won, you will soon be buried. This may sound as rather harsh, especially coming from a person with such minimal truth but it is true as well as necessary.

For if it was not like this the professional life will lose it’s most unique and prized characteristics- freedom. You are truly the master of your own destiny. You can dig a hole for yourself or build your own staircase to heaven. You cannot let the situation get the better of you; one cannot be overwhelmed by the first impression which more often that not is scary. You have to believe in yourself and remember this simple truth that all those who made it big in this “mean” world were amateurs once, they too must have found all this a bit too overwhelming but gradually settled in.

Yes all the above statements may seem boring to those who are still “young” at heart irrespective of which “life” they are leading. But my first impression of this “life” was that it is boring, at least at the onset (may be it has something to do with me practicing indolence all this while).

The lack of one-upmanship is the greatest difference between my past and this life. Although it may still exist but you certainly don’t see it superficially. That is all well and good especially because of the tried and tested formula of star teams and not star players. But this difference leads to lesser zeal but at the same time better compatibility and harmony.

Another interesting observation is that you can mould the professional world to suit your requirements. It gives to that much freedom but that does not mean it will cut you some slack. It demands certain minimal things, which you have to give else risk being booted out. It is up to you how you can mould your actions to get the result that is required but still do it your way.

Such subtle differences do exist. But the fact still remains your life is what you make of it. I am a professional now, but at heart I shall always be “me”.

THIS WILL BE A SHORT ONE

2009-06-12T20:09:00.003+05:30

With my entry into the corporate world many things have changed. I now know people who find 24 hours too less a time. There is a urgency every where. People get in early, try to get there work over at the earliest so that they can leave(yes you guessed it right) at the earliest.

Time is money and i am finding it out by first hand experience. So how can i be spared. So realizing that it will be very difficult for me to be a regular blogger i am bidding goodbye for an indefinite time. Hope you had fun in this journey.

GOTCHA.... ;-)

No time to blog are you kidding me!!!!!!
I BLOG SO I AM.

It is just that being part of a clandestine organization does not allow you to access certain very public web pages. Thus i am having problems to access blogger.com.

But the blogger in me will not give up. I will soon find a way and soon update you with my takes on my this new life and i guess this time i do give a dam ;)

LEAVING ON A JET PLANE….

2009-05-30T09:30:00.002+05:30

In the book of life many chapters are to be written. A very important chapter of my life just got over, but at the turn of a leaf a new one is to begin even sooner. I am in transition mode.

I am to enter the mean and dreaded professional life. Dreaded not from experience but because of what I have heard. Many people laments for not having enjoyed there college days enough. They say that if given a chance they will trade their present for their past in a heartbeat. I being fully aware of this school of thought tried to live my last days if college as if there was no tomorrow. Now those days are history and I am standing at the crossroads of life, uncertain and also a bit scared about the future.

But I have never walked on the beaten path. I remember in school I went through the same phase. I remember people saying how much we are going to miss school and that we close friends will now be separated for good. Thankfully today that is not the case. School got over, the fun did not. I am still friends with those who really mattered to me in school and am sure that it will last a lifetime. Things have got better with me getting the best of both worlds. College was always great, and when I came back home I was pampered like anything.

But I got a hunch that this time it will be different. The professional world may not be as kind to me. Firstly I will have to toil more, secondly I will get much lesser vacation time and thirdly I would have become old. My mentality may get reduced to- go to office, come back, chill- no spirit of adventure left.

Thus now as weird as it may seem, after cursing for years as to why we have to go to class so early, today I am actually a bit skeptical as to if that was the “good” life and what lies ahead is nostalgia and remembrances.

Change is the only constant, but there are certain things which you hope never changes. Things that matter the most, things that you dread to lose. Thus as I enter a new phase of life I hold on to these magical things very dearly, with all my life and swear to never let go.

The book of life may have many chapters; it may take many twists and turns but what matters is what happens in the long run, how it all culminates. I may leave on a jet plane many times, my life may take many turns but the end is predefined.

I SHALL ALWAYS RETURN TO YOU. Sorry to make you cry.

All my bags are packed
Im ready to go
Im standin here outside your door
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye
But the dawn is breakin
Its early morn
The taxis waitin
Hes blowin his horn
Already Im so lonesome
I could die

So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that youll wait for me
Hold me like youll never let me go
cause Im leavin on a jet plane
Dont know when Ill be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go

Theres so many times Ive let you down
So many times Ive played around
I tell you now, they dont mean a thing
Evry place I go, Ill think of you
Evry song I sing, Ill sing for you
When I come back, Ill bring your wedding ring

So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that youll wait for me
Hold me like youll never let me go
cause Im leavin on a jet plane
Dont know when Ill be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go

leavin on a jet plane
Dont know when Ill be back again

leavin on a jet plane
Dont know when Ill be back again

leavin on a jet plane…… leavin on a jet plane

THE POWER OF LAN

2009-05-22T19:21:00.002+05:30

I am sited in the comfort of my home. I has all the resources which are normally available to the average middle class Indian.But I am a bit bored. I do the obvious. I switch on the idiot box. After a few hours I realize just why it is called the “idiot” box- you have to be an idiot to watch some of the programs on it. With IPL not on till the evening and the good English series not being aired I succumb to the torture and give in.

After having switched off the 21 inch, I took a leap backwards in time; I next tried the ancestor of television-the radio. But gone are the days of vividh bharti (not that they were much entertaining). Today we dance to the tunes of FM radio. But I soon got feed up of RJ’s cracking below the belt jokes. It was really awful, the cheesy alias, the brain dead PJ’s and the irritating, artificial tone negated the joy of listening to good music. I soon gave up on that also.

So I turned to something which is the invention of the century. The largest network on the planet with millions of pages, each with its own uniqueness and appeal had to be the answer to my boredom. But I was cheated once again. The browsing speed was too slow. I did not feel like surfing educational websites. So I was reduced to social networking. But I was never an active member and I always used to feel that the task of going through others private information is an act of voyeurism. So it happened again- I got feed up. Not knowing what to do I started to search for some good, entertaining torrents. My search found many hits but when I pressed the magic download button, it flashed the estimated time left. My heart sank. I would die of boredom before this download could be complete. If only I had a faster download speed? Then it struck me, not long ago I had that facility, because not too long ago I was a member of a 2000 computer strong, 20 TB worth LAN. Not long ago I had access to my college LAN.

So whenever after college I had to study I had the prefect distraction and did not study, whenever I should have gone out and played, I being true to my engineering subject did play, but “on lan” not in the hot sun. Also, whenever I was bored all that I had to do was run "DC++.exe" and presto-the beautiful and limitless world of entertainment was there in front of me. It was all that easy, so easy rather that we did not appreciate it, but know when we no longer have that invaluable asset we miss it like hell.

So when out of utter desperation I see the DC++ icon in my desktop and double click it which the hope that a miracle will happen and I shall somehow get connection, I get the reply “Host unreachable” and my heart sinks. I knew the result before clicking it, but sometimes when you miss something terribly you start to hope against hope.

Yes I miss my classmates, I miss my institute, I miss my friends, I miss my bestest friend but DC-I miss you too :-(.

BREAKING A HABIT

2009-05-18T16:22:00.003+05:30

Dedicated to all my special friends from college

The fine line between regular activities and habit is usually crossed without the self knowledge of the practitioner. But when we are to let go of our habits and once again reduce it to an infrequent activity the change is difficult, long and tiresome.

Thus when I left my picturesque campus some practices which were merely activities when I joined my college but then in the course of four years became an essential and almost involuntary habit, had to be broken, almost suddenly. This breaking away was rather difficult.

There was the usually lazy, laid back attitude which us engineers practice throughout those wonderful years of college. It was just like heaven- waking up at 7:50 to attend the 8 o clock class, the liberty of not taking bath for ages and also the independence of not being judged by any of your classmates as all of them are in the same shabby state. The freedom of being as indiscipline in your personal hygiene as possible (you don’t want to be the one who broke the thumb rule of the hostel). But when you are back home and are firmly under the rule of your mom you are forced to abandon the good life for a more “disciplined” way of living.

All that is well and good, I mean we are engineers not maugly, but the habit most difficult to break it the feeling that you have certain special friends who were a stone throws away all these years but now are very far way. Through out college these special people were all that you had. You got up with them, meet them in the bathroom, walked till college with them, sat in class besides them ,ate in canteen with them , played with them , fought with them, wherever you went they went with you,. It was assumed they will follow your every step, be with you every moment, never leave you; you will never have to miss them. But change is the only constant; you get to find this the hard way.

So those special people go away and you have to break the most wonderful habit you practiced all these years. You have to let go the habit of amusing that someone will always be there for you , besides you, holding your hand, comforting you, telling you in the deepest, darkest moments that “everything is gonna be all right”. You have to let go of the habit of believing such well intentional words and forgetting all your troubles just like that. You will have to let go of lots of fun times.

Miss you all 

BIDDING GOODBYES

2009-05-15T21:23:00.003+05:30

Goodbye is often a very difficult word to utter. I found this to be untrue. Bidding good bye is the most difficult thing to do. So as I set sail to begin a new life I bid farewell to my past with a truly heavy heart, moist eyes and with memories that make life worth living.

So it all began. The last day in college began. After being awake till the wee hours of the morning I woke up late realizing that I till that a few things to sort out. So hastily started to scrutinize my room and ended up stuffing things randomly into any bag which had any space left. After all once I reach home my super-mom will set things rights. So after having left many important things and packed the useless ones it was finally time to bid adieu.

It all started with my first room mate showing up in my room. It all began with him and ironically the end also began with him. He was his own self as usual but like myself he too was nostalgic. We remembered the pigeon hole we shared together, it was a small, filthy room but we had some good times, we had some really good times. Then one by one they kept pouring in. My friends were all there in my room to have one final banter with me. We chatted like any other day. We made fun of each other, we giggled, and we frowned. But it was all so special. We were doing this for the final time.

Interactions with acquaintances were also heart warming. Whoever crossed the lobby and saw my bags packed stopped for a second just to say good bye. Many close friends were not close by, so frantic calls were made to find there whereabouts. I just had to meet everyone who mattered before I left.

By the time my transportation arrived I was feeling in a car wreck. The auto wala pressed for a quick departure else I would have stayed much longer. So with an auto rearing to go he all shook hands and embraced each other with a promise that no matter what may we shall all be friends forever. So after having let go of my beloved hostel is was now time for the real test.

After a calorie full pit stop I and a few close friends had reached the railways station. I was now a train wreck I vividly remember my previous journeys back home. The time spend in the station waiting for the train to arrive was the worst. The hot sun, the crowd, the noise, the flit, the lack of sitting place used to get to my nerves. But like everything else this time was also different. That hour of misery, which earlier used to stretch on for time infinite, ironically flew by with me wishing all the while that it last a few more moments.

The train arrived. I and my friends got on it. Placed my luggage on my berth and stepped back on the platform. My last few minutes with some very special people had begun. We did not talk anything special .We did not explicitly say that we were going to miss each other. All of us just looked as each other. I looked at the line signal. It was still red. I was still happy. Suddenly it happened- these girl I tell you. One broke down and then the chain reaction started. It was not comfortable seeing your best friends sob, but they were sobbing for you. It just tells you just how lucky you are to have certain very special people in your life and the fact that they will miss you when you are not there simply makes you not go anywhere. But it was inevitable. We were soon back to our merry ways, joking and pulling each others legs. But then it happened. The signal turned green. The trumpet blew. I was going. So with a final wave of hands I jumped into the train and stood near the gate waving for as long as I could and gazing out for those wonderful figures till my eyes permitted.

Bidding farewell is definitely tough. But I happy this was not the final farewell. We will all meet again .I will ensure that we will all met again.

……AND THEN THERE WERE NONE

2009-05-11T23:04:00.003+05:30

As I that stated earlier, due to the unsurprising goof up of my dearest institute my journey of becoming an engineer got prolonged a bit more. Many including this writer found this irritating. But we decided to focus on that single ray of light in this room of darkness and took solace in the fact that this lovely journey is not yet over.

So we had a last man standing….but after it was all said and done, after the dust had finally settled, after we all had answered that last question and squirted that last drop of ink we all realized that it was all over. For some time we had one last man standing tall but now there were none left.

It is over, not almost but completely over. We are done. Our time is over.

It struck us all of a sudden. It was always coming but somehow none of us could see it coming nor could understand the magnitude of it. I guess for me the moment of reckoning had to be seeing the status message of my fellow college mates in my IM list. I mean seeing everyone keep the same status message in a way says that something huge has happened. Although the words used where different but it all meant the same. All the statements were written with a heavy heart, all of them were stating the obvious, and all of them were going to miss this place.

For the past four years we all traveled on the same road. We lived together, we grew up together, we learned new things together, and we became engineers together. But now we have all come to the crossroads in our lives. The road will now diverge into many separate, lonely sub branches. Each road is different from the other, each road is unknown and while going through this new journey we shall miss our past fellow travelers to the extreme. But all of us still carry the hope in our hearts that these separate roads will sooner or later intermingle once again so that we all could reunite once again.

Bas ek bar wapas lautne ka man karta hai

Aaj har wo din jeene ko man karta hai.

kuch buri batein jo ab acchi lagti hain

kuch batein jo kal ki hi batein lagti hain.

abki baar class attend karne ka man karta hai

Dopahar ki class mein aakhein band karne ko man karta hai.

Doston ke room ki wo baatein yaad aati hai

exam ke time pe wo hasi mazak yaad aati hai,

college ke paas Munna ka dhabe ki yaad aati hai

tab ki bekar lagne wali photos chehre pe hasi laati hai.

Apni galtiyon pe tumse daat khana yaad aata hai.

Par tumhari galti dekhne ka ab bhi mann karta hai.

Ek aisi subah uthne ka mann karta hai

bas ek bar wapas lautne ka man karta hai.

bas ek bar aur

wapas lautne ka man karta hai.

LAST MAN STANDING

2009-05-01T13:15:00.001+05:30

It’s over … almost.

As our fight with pen, paper and time reached its final leg it was going to be all over for us. But as faith will have it in a fitting tribute to the past four years something unexpected happened… again! So while everyone was but taking “final” snaps, being nostalgic, being sad as well as excited at the same time I was in a totally different state. I was indifferent because for me the last hurdle was till to be crossed.

This gave me a good opportunity to observe others and realizing once again that what perceives the eye is not always true. For the scenes after the “last” exam was a sight to behold. The various emotions were all out there in the open. I realized for the first time that we may actually want something very bad and be very eager to get it, but when we finally achieve it we realized that it was the journey that stole our hearts, mesmerized our souls, got the adrenaline rushing whereas the end result was just a consequence of the journey which was to occur sooner or later but had no real importance.

We were all to become engineers. We were all destined to leave the place when we first landed here. But somehow we all valued the end result more. I remember having thought about the “future” in my first year itself. I remember having thought- when this will be over I will enter the “good” life. I remember making plans about the distant future, so distant that when the future finally became the present the idea became obsolete. I felt like kicking myself for having worried so much. I felt like punishing myself for not living in the moment. So now as everyone lined up to bid their final goodbyes, to take their final bow and someone asked me “how are feeling now that it is over?” I smiled back and corrected him and replied “It is not yet over, at least not for me”.

For seeing people realize that it is all over it made me think that even I will end up in this state very soon. But until that day comes I will not think about it. I will not stop enjoying the present by trying to anticipate the future. When it is over it will be over, but it is not over yet. So I will carry on in my merry ways keeping in mind the fact that it will be all over soon which will hopefully drive me to enjoy the present even more.

So because of another stupid action by our administration it is not yet done and dusted with for me. Although it is irritating that such silly things happen again and again but keeping in mind Dr Phil’s philosophy I am able to look at it from a different perspective
-IT IS NOT OVER YET- KEEP ENJOYING.

My Last Hurdle is still standing tall and I will take my own sweet time to knock it down. :-P

Yesterday is history
Tomorrow is a mystery
Today is a gift
That is why it is called the present

LAST DAY IN COLLEGE

2009-04-16T20:16:00.002+05:30

My last exam in this institute is going to start in less then a week. I should be studying but I am not. I am not the only one, no one is studying. I cannot speak for everyone but if you want my opinion it is this overwhelming thought that is lurching in the back of our heads that is preventing us from doing the obvious. This feeling is the sad but inevitable realization that the end is near.

So as I am typing this new post I am sad because tomorrow is my last working day in college.

Going to college tomorrow is more or less a formality. We all are pretty much sure that nothing much is going to happen. But none will dare to give it a miss, even if that means rising early and reaching class in time (for the first time in four years). Our emotional state of mind is hard to explain. The best word to describe it has to be mixed. We are all confused. We all have mixed feelings. A part of us wants us to be practical and accept that the four year tenure has come to an end; thinking about it will not delay it. Another part is excited about the uncertain future, hoping that it will bring more joy that grief. A class of thought is so overwhelmed by the time spend here that it fears to let go for it is sure that the future cannot be as good as the past. But no matter the feeling one has, one thing is for sure-when we walk out our class after the final bell all of us will turn back to view that empty class room and feel a slight pinch in our hearts.

For it is the same classroom where we have spend so many hours learning, quarreling, sleeping, concentrating, planning but above all having fun. It is the same classroom where all of us have regretted going to so early in the morning, it is the same class room where time seemed to stop when the lectures were going on, it is the same class room where we became what we are. We make now have liked every moment we spend within those four walls but we will not have it any other way. For enclosed within that concrete and cement were the best days of our lives.

It was in this place we learned the tricks of not just engineering but also life in general. We grew up in that classroom, we made mistakes, we goofed up, and we fell down but also got up. It was in that classroom where we met some real special people who became our classmates, our partners, our FRIENDS.

Now when I look back and remember the best moments of my life it is not surprising that most of them occurred in the past four years. This realization reminds me more as to how special my college days have been and how much I will miss it.

As we move on we remember
All the times we spend together
As our lives change come whatever
We has all be friends FOREVER

BATCH PHOTOGRAPH

2009-04-12T16:46:00.005+05:30

As my days in my current college draw to a close emotions are running high. Everyone is busy bidding their good byes. They are trying very hard not to leave any stone unturned and are trying to do anything and everything that they might have missed out on. The atmosphere is electric. You feel the energy in the air as well as the pain and realization that it will all be soon over.

As the D day approaches a series of farewell events have been lined up for us seniors. Due to the varied nature of my institute one person can get quite a few farewells. The numerous clubs and societies have their farewells, also some student gives their state seniors farewell, and certain departments give their students a separate farewell in addition to the institute farewell. But without a shadow of a doubt the most awaited event leading to the adieu has to be the batch photography session.

If you think about it, it is not batch but branch photography as each branch lines up one after another to have their picture taken, but somehow the name has stuck and we all like it this way only.

Every year in the month of April us seniors dress up in our best attires to pose with our branch mates and professors. But it is much more than just one picture. It is an extravaganza. It normally spans across three four days to accommodate all the braches as well as UG n PG as a result all of us end up having a lot of fun. Everyone has friends in almost all the branches so we end up going to the main lawn almost everyday.

The build up to the day is arguably better than the day itself. The boys are able to keep their cool but for the girls it all goes haywire. The have the task of dressing up in sarees, which for many is a first time thing. So from a month beforehand they are busy choosing, modifying, and improving their attire. Some even call their moms to the hostel to help them dress up. These girls I tell you :-P

We boys have it really cool. No hassles whatsoever. 

So when the day finally comes the cameras are rolled out. Pictures are taken of all possible objects, of all places, with everyone imaginable. Snaps are taken in the way to the main lawn, in the lawn, in the institute, in the department, in the canteen, on the road and everywhere else. So by the time the “official” photo is to be taken it really does not matter that much as we already have taken pictures with the people who really matter. But we pose again and are able to freeze this lovely moment for eternity.

With this picture we accept that our time in this beautiful place is over, the most important phase of our life is over. But we shall all remember this moment and we have this picture to help us remember.

We came, we saw, we conquered and now we shall remember.

Now I also believe that “a picture can speak a thousand words”.

Figments Of Imaginations

2009-04-07T21:58:00.005+05:30

Slumdog Millionaire has swept away the Oscars and made its unknown cast superstars overnight. In spite of such achievements Slumdog has been severely criticized by not just Indian critics but also by a section of the Indian film fraternity.

Many of them believe that because Slumdog depicted the poverty of India and stamped the prejudiced opinion of the West about India it was able to win over the jury. In other words Slumdog showed the gora chamdi wala’s what they wanted to see. Such an argument is not entirely untrue. This year Sean Penn won the best actor award and was truly surprised for having "wrestled" past the come back kid. On receiving his award he even commented “You homo loving sons of guns”, clearly advocating the academy’s basis towards gay right movies. May be poverty also greatly appeals to them.

But curse Slumdog as much as you want for not portraying the “shining” India but one cannot overlook the fact that the rising and shining of new India is being depicted thoroughly in main stream Indian cinema, may be a tag bit too much.

When was the last time that a big banner bollywood flick that its lead protagonist as a poor guy? Sure the cinema of 70’s had an Amitabh Bachchan born into poverty, cheated by the system who finally defying the system and becoming the angry young man. But cut across to today and invariably you will find the lead man to be born into a rich north Indian family who instead of attending class in college roams around with the hottest chick in campus but soon after campus fit into the family business earning the laurels of one and all.

sadly all the big banners have a pattern. The Yash Chopra camp picturises its movies in beautiful Punjab where everyone has huge kotharis and acres of fertile farm lands. Karan Johar makes movies for the NRIs in places where you will find NRIs . UTV which till now was a breath of fresh air is kind off following the same path with movies where the “hero” does nothing for a living.

Farhan Akhtar is many times credited to make movies for the youth of this country. But even in his work the artists are from metros living a very comfortable life(on their dad’s money off course).

I hail from a fairly affluent family, but even then it was ingrained into me and all my friends fairly early that we being from the service class and being born in India had to struggle. Studies if not everything in my household was given importance and no one ever( especially my parent) cut me any slack. Even my friends from business families knew that they had to be shrewd to succeed. This obviously does not mean that we followed our parents’ advice like the holy gospel or that our childhood was deep ingrained in books. We had our share of fun, our share of papers were flunked, our share of unparliamentary activities were committed but there was always a level to which we were allowed to screw up, and we were well aware of it. But do our directors portray it in their work. You yourself are the best judge.

Some may argue that we live our fantasies, our dreams through the silver screen. Thus they are allowed to be larger than life. That is true if you consider cinema only as a form of entertainment but given the fact that we are born in the multimedia generation and have successfully traded books with electronic media as our primary pass time, the highly influential world of Indian Cinema needs to become a bit realistic and cannot simply be the figments of imaginations of a chosen few.

I AM CHANGING

2009-04-07T14:12:00.003+05:30

"Change is the only constant"

The world around us, the people around us, circumstances almost everything changes. It is also natural that we individuals will also change. Change here does not just mean physical growth or mental maturity. Many times an individual may also witness a paradigm shift in his way of thinking and approach towards life in general.

Such a change can be a dangerous one. For it defies the natural order of things. A change like this is opposite to the acquired changes. Normally as we grow older our mind starts functioning in a particular way. We acknowledge certain class of things and refuse to accept another. Our ideology and thinking gradually mature into either fundamentalism, fascism, liberal or any other type. But this development is gradual. From a state of indifference to a state of confusion to a state of believe, we all go through the same stages although the destination might be different.

But once a while people "change". There might occur fundamental change in there believe, working and relationships. Such changes can actually "change" a person and make him into something that he or she actually is not.

I too am changing into something else.

I am at a stage where i could not care less for certain things. My priorities are changing and i no longer believe in being completely honest. I am lazy enough not to blog for two months although i had the time. I am selfish enough not to indulge in certain activities because they provide aesthetic pleasure only. I am now ready to say something and mean something else.I am not me anymore.

It might be the realization had my previous tactics in life did not serve me well in certain fields that i am resorting to alternative methods. Although many times change is for the better this time i feel i am trying to mold into something i am not. May be i am thinking too much but the plain fact that for the first time i am writing a post about myself in particular and not about us in general proves how much i have changed.

I believe that in life you are always in a state of predicament. The mind constantly debates which path to take among the various at hand. Same with this mortal. A school of thought says that the changes happening are for the good only. It is essential to ensure progress and not repeat the same mistakes again, but another thought is much more blunt- "screw everyone, you be yourself". The path i will eventually take is unclear as of now,but one thing is for sure I need to pull back things a bit. Starting with being a more active blogger.

"Change is good when it happens by me change is bad when it happens to me"

2009-02-22T11:34:00.000+05:30

SO… YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE ?

2009-02-22T11:30:00.000+05:30

Every man has his own specialization. Every one of us has certain comfort zones. We all can do some things really well. But once in a while we step out of our comfort zone and try to do something we have never done before. A rush of adrenaline, a misjudgment or simply an intrinsic desire to make a fool of one self may forces one to accept this endeavor. The reasons can me many but once we decide to travel the path less traversed a journey of self discovery awaits. This journey can be daunting, inspiring, confusing, futile or simply a fun filled one. So when I, born with two left legs, decided to do a step or two during our cultural fest life had a few surprises in stored for me.

First things first I CANNOT DANCE.

I can do a lot of other things BUT I CANNOT DANCE.

So I took the plunge fully aware of how bumpy the ride would be. Little did I now it would be even more bumpy.

The first day at practice was the toughest. It was the only time I wanted to give up and thought the end result was not worth this much of effort. But music can tame the beast and dance can excite the dead. So I got more and more excited. Make no mistake about it, dancing is no walk in the park. It is a team effort. One has to remember all the moves, all the facial expressions all the beats and hope that everybody else in your dance group also remembers and does exactly the same moves in exactly the same way and does it in exactly the same moment when you are doing.

So I persevered. We all struggled but I guess time and desire was with us. So after a few setback, numerous trails and much sweat, we gave our auditions got selected and were all set to set the stage on fire.

Before the dance I was not that pumped up. It’s just a five minute dance, how good can it be? But I was dead wrong.

There is a feeling about the stage which is so hard to explain. Once to are up there facing the crowd, hearing the music, dancing your way to glory it is a different feeling all together. Your body becomes numb, you feel no pain, you just want to DANCE. As I was up there performing I had a strange sense of satisfaction. I attempted to do something that was totally new to me, with people many of whom were strangers to me, in conditions that were adverse to me, but I, correction WE pulled it off. Those five minutes were simply magical, may be that’s why we had named our group so. As the songs changed and the music faded I said to myself-“Shit! It’s over”.

Special thanks to my group members for dancing the way they danced.

Thanks to all my friends who were present that night.

2009-01-15T22:38:00.000+05:30

I AM WHAT I AM

2009-01-15T22:36:00.001+05:30

In this weird world where every fat guy wants to be slim, every slim person wants to be muscular, every curly haired girl wants to have straight hair and every straight hair girl wants to have blue eyes it is every difficult is accepting yourself for simply what you are. In this world where every body wants to be somebody else true happiness can be achieved only by loving yourself.

We somehow always manage to live life the way others want us to live it. We may proudly proclaim that ‘I live life on my own term’ but the truth is something really different. For like it or not respect is social and to achieve this we many times mould ourselves into being what others want us to be. Thus we end up not being honest with ourselves and always undergoing a struggle with our inner self.

Social scrutiny is unavoidable. We do live in a society and this mean society has some norms which we have to follow. Many such rules are highly essential and form the very essence of our social existence. Such rules prevent us from infringing on the private space of others and allow us to live in a civilized manner. But one man’s bread is another’s poison.

What society claims to be civilized rules, may turn up to be unacceptable to certain extraordinary individuals. Such people who lay there own rules find themselves cramped because society expects them to be something that they are not. To avoid social scrutiny one has succumb to such regulations but sooner or later the call of rebellion from inside overcomes the fear of social boycott and these rebels find themselves in a battle against the society.

This war may seem to be for a lost cause. How can the might one a single individual change the social order. But time and time again a new world order has come into existence and such new ideologies have always found their root from a single individual. It all a matter of believing in your self and the fact that “I AM WHAT I AM”, no point in trying to change it as sooner or later it will fail. But if we change the society which is plagued with a false sense of righteousness we will definitely succeed

He who falls in love with himself has no competition.

PLANNING AHEAD

2008-12-29T10:38:00.001+05:30

‘In life things never turn out exactly the way you plan them’

The above line is the closing observation of one of my all time favorite show. The show is a heart touching portrayal of the daily life of a confused boy. It is the story of his adolescence life and how life in its own weird way moulds him into the person that he eventually becomes.

The lead protagonist had it all figured out at a very early stage. He knew exactly what he wanted and how he was going to get there. But as the story unfolded he found many instances when things did not exactly go ‘according to the plan’. At numerous occasions he was at bay. In the end after numerous twists and turns he did not exactly get what he intended to but had a reasonably happy ending never the less. Today I, and I am guessing even my readers, can empathize with him.

I am at a crossroad of my life. I have numerous options, but I have it ‘all figured out’. I am almost sure that I know not just how to talk the walk but also walk the talk .But seeing how things have unfolded recently I can’t help but ponder as to whether planning ahead will do me any good? Will going with the flow serve me better? The thing is I can already feel the strange way in which life operates. You are many times sure of a few things, a few people, and a few achievements but as time takes its toll they end up becoming either trivial or unacceptably different. Ironically a few non-planned and undesired occurrences leave their ever lasting impressions on you.

So what is life trying to say to us? Keep your eyes and ears open; allow things to follow their natural order and allow your gut instincts to dictate your movements. If this is true then what about preparation, labor and ‘planning’?

I guess the desire to perform is what matters the most. Many times we plan a bit too audaciously and do not back it up with the required effort, hence are left with egg on our faces. But I have, and I am guessing even you, have encountered a true winner in life who is a perfectionist and achieves what he plans. His single minded focus and maturity allows him to achieve exactly what he wants.

Such people are a rare bread but they do exist.

Planning your future and aspiring big is an audacious task. Do it only if you can follow it with hard labor

ME n MY BIHARI FRIENDS

2008-11-30T16:22:00.001+05:30

“Do not mix with bihari people, stay aloof”, instructions like this and several others in the same line was hammered into my ears about four years ago. Ever since I got lucky and got into a good engineering college in Jharkhand (erstwhile Bihar) ever acquaintance of mine did not hesitate from giving me the very same advice over and over again.

“Which engineering college did you get into?” would be the question, barely would I have finished my reply then spat comes the statement of shock “Its in Bihar !, be careful”. “It is actually in Jharkhand” was my automated answer to this common misapprehension.

As the days rolled by, this common opinion did affect me. Unaware of what life had installed for me I started my journey, little did I know how wrong common perceptions are.

In the beginning I stayed aloof but then it happened. May be it was destiny but from friendly smiles in the hostel lobby to introductions which involved using ‘nics’ and wit rather than your place of origin, from meaningless gossip which involved numerous people squeezed into one 10 X 10 room (God only knows how!) to fights in the cricket field over umpiring decisions, things just started to happen. One thing lead to another and there I was with my new formed gang of friends. Although it took me some time to notice but almost all my friends were biharis. Ironically the only other ethnicity I was friends with was Bengali, arguably the second most dreaded ethnicity of the country.

So there I was a misfit by text book definitions. But life is not about not following stereotypes; it is about creating your own rules. So I jumped the bridge, free from all social reserves and end result was true friendship.

Don’t get me wrong. This has not been a fairytale affair. There have been the usual ups and downs. There have been times when I felt that it would have been best if I never came here and never meet the people I met, there have been arguments, criticism, leg pulling, embarrassment, abuses, cynicism and all other negative emotions possible in all possible quantities. But then there have also been some really good times, numerous night outs, birthday bashes, placement treats, simple casual banters on the mess table or serious discussion about life in general, all of which leave you with the notion that you have friends you can depend on. Irrespective of what happened I know this much that what ever happened, the positives as well as the negatives, was because of my doing, my karma. It was a culmination of the person I am and the persons I am a part of and ethnicity had very little to do with it.

If I was given the ability to reverse the arms of clock and change time I will give it a pass. I am what I am. The things that have happened have made be different, for better or worse only time will tell, but I willing to take that chance. I have installed a few qualities within myself which I shall cherish forever, and I would have never learned them if it was not for the company I have. A few things are for sure, no one can indulge like a bihari can, no one can abuse like a bihari can, no one can care like a bihari can. So here I am proudly proclaiming that life would have been less eventful if it was not for my biharis friends.

May be I got lucky. It might be that the best of people who just happen to be biharis became associated with me. That may be true but I think it is fare that this ethnicity is given a fair chance to present their case before declaring the verdict.

In this “Raj” ,where blood is drawn based on whether you are a bhaiyaji or if your ends with a kar it is very much essential that we practice tolerance and do not allow stereotypes to affect our judgments. It is a matter of individual perception.

And you might just get lucky like me and discover great friends and be left with a life time of sweet memory about people called “biharis”.

OLD IS GOLD

2008-11-19T12:57:00.003+05:30

It was a hot April afternoon. The Sun was out in full flare. The sky seemed spotless. There was hardly a soul in the streets as Aditya and his Dad rode towards the Lord Shiva temple.

Aditya, now finally a teenager was going there to pay respect to his deceased grandmother. His grandmother had departed for her heavenly journey a few months ago and keeping in line with Hindu customs the family went to the famous Lord Shiva temple of his city to perform the necessary rituals.

Aditya sat in the front seat alongside his Dad who was busy driving. They left the busy city roads and entered the narrow lanes leading to the magnificent temple. The road was stone laden and not made of tar. It was build by the same king who made the Temple. As they neared their destination the crowd grew. The fact that Indians were deeply religious was evident these devotes indifference towards the scorching sun.

They finally found a place to park their vehicle. The Gods have followers from all strata of society. The Temple was gigantic. Legend has it that he entire structure was carved out from one single rock. But Aditya had seen it so many times that its beauty no longer excited him.

Aditya was a typical teenager. He was restless, hyperactive and like all teenagers he did not like to be corrected. He believed he was now “mature”. Also, like all his peers he somehow resented been told what to do and how to do it.

Aditya’s father was a typical “Dad”. He wanted his son to do the “right” thing. He wanted him to study well, be clean and tidy, sleep early, eat his vegetables, and talk softly. But Aditya’s age always prevented him from taking his fathers words in the right sense. Even their interests did not match.

Aditya’s father was a man of science. Research was his life. Even Aditya loved science but how can he wholehearted agree with his father? Many times his father had corrected him when he enquired out the spiritual or the metaphysical

He always thought him to be judgmental. The generation gap was evident. But being an Indian son he dare not say anything. He just kept fuming from inside and occasionally disclosed his thoughts to his Mother. His mother served as a good audience. She knew it was a phase that every teenager goes through

Aditya and his father entered the holy place. Near the entrance there were numerous beggars. The Temple premise somehow incites the benevolent nature of the devotees making the place a hot spot for beggars. But

Aditya noticed in one corner a very old lady. It seemed as if she was as old as the temple itself. She seemed insignificant in the crowd. But unlike everyone else she did not have her arm stretched out. She was seated quietly. After much deliberation Aditya finally discovered that she was a soothsayer, she had no customers; her fragile body suggested that she was hungry for many days. But she still chose not to beg.

“Come along quickly, I don’t have all day” -his fathers words broke Aditya’s analysis. “I had asked to stay close to me. What if you get lost?” Aditya became furious. How can his father think he would get lost?” I am old enough to take care of myself” Aditya thought so but did not utter a word.

Inside the shrine they searched for a Brahmin. They were required to feed a Brahmin to earn punya so that the soul of their loved one may get salvation. All this time Aditya was remembering his Grandmother. His mother being a working lady, her grandmother served as his foster mother. He was the apple of her eye and he loved her dearly. But Alas! She is no more.

They finally found a Brahmin. He sat down, cross legged, and Aditya served him while being corrected by his father for not doing the rituals properly. His father may have objective and protested correctly a nominal number of times but to his son it was one too many times. But still Aditya did not say anything. After the meal the Brahmin got his dakshina. He then had a friendly banter with Aditya’s Dad. His father talked about the scientific reason behind using banana leaves to consume ones food, he then talked about the architectural marvel of the shrine giving it a technical analysis, he further talk about religion and how we should look at it in an objective way and not give in to century old blind practices. The Brahmin was impressed. But Aditya was not.

With all the rituals done they came out of the temple. Aditya distributed alms among the beggars. He turned back hoping to find his father but he was no where to be found. After stressing his vision he found his father near the old lady soothsayer.

His father- a man of science was talking to a soothsayer whom he at numerous occasions had labeled illogical. He could believe my eyes. His father was leaning forward with both his arms stretched out. The old lady was meticulously reading the lines in his palm and making remarks. She first made projections about his past. Aditya’s father nodded to whatever she said. ”It is all true” he said .Then she made claims about his future. With eyes wide open and a beaming face, Aditya’s father listened with great sincerity. When she was done he gave her a heavy tip for her services and walked away as a satisfied man.

Aditya was furious. How can his father not practice what he preaches? He had corrected Aditya so many times now it was Aditya’s turn. As they approached their car Aditya finally burst out.

“How can you do this? You believe is soothsaying whereas you always ask me to think logically. What logic were you trying to display back there?” Aditya was loud. He had never talked to his father like that.

His father, calm as always smiled at him and replied in the softest voice “No son, I still don’t believe in soothsaying”.

Aditya was puzzled. He looked back and got his answer. The old lady who was a minute ago all alone was surrounded by customers. Aditya’s dad knew the mentality of people. They always follow the herd. He simply wanted to break the ice. After his dad’s high praise many passersby where curious to query the “talented” soothsayer. The old lady will not be hungry today.

Aditya made eye contact with the old lady. She smiled; it was as if she was saying thank you. She understood what he failed to realize. She understood his Dad’s true intention. He entered the car and they drove away.

Aditya had always believed his dad to be a scientist but above all Aditya’s father was first and foremost a humanist. His Old man truly had a heart of Gold.

The above is an work of fiction but fiction always draws inspiration from real LIFE.

I AM SCARED

2008-10-10T12:31:00.003+05:30

There are times when you are terrified, there are times when you are petrified, there are times when you are mortified and then there are times when you are simply scared.

Given the nature of English Language, the first three verbs used is the paragraph above will strike more to a reader but I think the subtle notion of being scared is more scary, as unlike all others isn’t a reflex to some ghastly action and is not short lived. It is actually a logical conclusion drawn by carefully observing the scenario and stays with you even after the adrenalin stops flowing.

The reason why I am saying all this is because I am truly scared and have been scared for some time and will be scared for some time to come. I wish that I was rather terrified or mortified or petrified as that would mean that I am overreacting and impulsive but as I am simply scared I know better.

The reason I am scared is because of the insanity prevailing everywhere. After the turn of the millennium we have had more devastation and derailment of human life than ever before. It is almost a CATASTROPHY.

So what is wrong with the India and the world in general? I say everything.

With global terrorism at its peak life is very unpredictable. With the prolonged and now ineffective struggle going on in Afghanistan and Iraq the world is literally bleeding. To make things worse the Georgia crisis happened. So now the world has a new bully.

Back home things could not be worse. The recent happenings have given a new definition to the abbreviation IM. The phrase “blow away” has a new figurative meaning. No major town has been spared and the question on everyone’s lip is “where next?”. What has made things worse is the investigation procedure. The “fake” encounter is Muslim populous Jamia area of Delhi has left many fuming. Both sides have there swords drawn. Many suspect that such incident may add fuel to fire. We are walking on a thin line and are fast loosing balance.

Even the Gods are unhappy with us. The Bihar flood has the worst in history. Orissa has faced flood in one side and drought on the other.

In the religious side we are been torn apart. Kashmir is on boiling point. The Amarnath Shrine controversy has now become a call for complete independence. The valley which has been ignored till now is finally erupting in mammoth ways. The inefficient negotiation skills of the authorities has not made things better. Communal violence against Christians in Orissa , Karnataka has lead to loss of face in international media.

To top it all off we have the on going US Credit Crisis whose ripples are being felt all across the world. With financial institutes and i-banks going bust the world is headed for a global meltdown. The major economies are going into a recession and this will adversely affect the developing nations. With crude oil shortage growth is a thing of the past.

The worst part is that most of these troubles are our own doing. We screwed up big time.

I am scared because of all these calamities. But the question is shouldn’t you be sharing my concern? Shouldn’t we all do something?

“Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death."

TCS ZINDABAD

2008-08-25T17:04:00.002+05:30

Yes you read it right ……TCS zinbabad. I will say it more more time TCS ZINDABAD.

Before my placement season began I felt an anti-TCS atmosphere in my campus. It was mainly because of the stereotype that TCS suffers form-Trespassers Can and will be given Service (TCS). But now I know better.

A lot has been said about how TCS hires trucks during its recruitment procedures as the number of offer letters can also be brought in using trucks. Bathroom humors like this and many more are common before the D day.

The D day should actually be rechristened as T-day. It is in this day that our desi MNC TCS comes alone but leaves after making 100’s of dream come true. In many campuses this is the first and last company to come as others are not required. That may be stretching things a bit too far but still as long as TCS is there all engineers and computer application students know that their chances of remaining unemployed is slim.

Even during the 2000-01 IT screw up TCS stood firm and now with depreciating dollar, rising oil prices, sub prime crisis and political uncertainty one would have been forced to believe that TCS’s dream run is over but in its characteristic way TCS has surprised every one but hiring if not more but at par with previous years.

But people still say “if not any where else than TCS”, well given the present crisis “no where else but TCS” is more apt. Lets not go into technicalities. Many may argue against my claim by talking about the type of work given there, the environment, the talent there blah blah blah….

I say at least it is giving you a job, a security. It has given all of us a cushion to fall back on. If you really think that you better than this then prove it by getting a “better job”, and even when you do that dare not look down on a TCS employee, as the work for a company which has revolutionized the Indian IT arena.

TCS today is a far of cry than the India of 70’s. A typical Amitabh Bachchan movie of that time symbolized the angry young man, frustrated from the system due to lack of opportunities. But today we can not be that grumpy. The youth of today has immense opportunities. It is a question of tapping it.

I guess bestowing TCS all the honor is not fair. The current opportunities are the results of years of toil by numerous organizations, but some how at least in my opinion TCS is the crown jewel. It has shown the way for others to be inspired and try to follow it.

Yes there are companies “better” than TCS but still no one recruits as many as TCS, no one leaves behind so many smiling faces as TCS, no one can sweep campuses like TCS.

Don’t get me wrong I am not an employee of TCS. I am just an admirer.
TCS zindabad.

IN TWO MINDS

2008-08-11T20:10:00.001+05:30

‘Did you ever have the feeling that you wanted to go
And at the same time had the feeling that you wanted to stay’

Computer science engineering is always a trade off. Some of the greatest minds always strive to obtain the optimal code the best possible algorithm but invariably what they end up achieving is a compromise. They solution is almost always implementation dependent. So we end up with an “optimal” solution for a “particular” test case. So when all is said and done, it is always a ‘trade off’. Its is always about weighing the pros and the cons. It is about choosing one of the many correct paths.

Cut to real life and we have an almost same story. We are always in two minds. We always wanted the best of both lives and curse faith for making us choose one. Some may argue it is like having your cake and wanting to eat it also others may counter argue it is like having either cake or cookies but not both.

But many times it is not about choosing between two good things, invariably we have to choose the lesser of two evils, also no matter what decision we take it will leave someone heart broken and will make us the villain. It is as if we make one decision and are forced to stick with it, but all the time we wish that we had taken the other available path knowing fully well that the other path would have also led to this mind set of regret.

Yes there are a few who always know which path to traverse when they reach a crossroad. They decide; they stick to it; they face the consequences with no regret. But this is also true that such men are a rare breed. But for the majority of us are always in two minds. May be this is what separates the focused for the unfocused, the believers from the quitters, the leaders from the followers and the winners from the losers.

But many times it is not within our control. It is just human nature. It is human to want more and imagine ‘what if?’, also it is human nature to hope against hope and believe that no matter what I will end up fine.

Then again winners are not just mere human beings. They are ‘winners’.

‘Did you ever have the feeling that you wanted to win
And at the same time had the feeling that you wanted to lose’

PLACEMENT SEASON a.k.a LIFE

2008-07-30T13:30:00.001+05:30

Well it is that time of the year again when emotions run high, dreams become reality, boys become men, wars are fought, blood is drawn and kingdoms are won as well as lost. It is that time of the year which is most anticipated as well as dreaded, it is that time of the year when it is make or break, because after three years of engineering this is what it all comes down to. Yes we are talking about the placement season.

Now like any other engineering college in the country the placement season is a very big deal in my college also. Even those who wanted to pursue higher studies still wanted the security of a good offer under their belt. So throughout the summer the gladiators where busy shining up their armor ready to do battle at the coliseum. For almost all it was the most trying period of their life. With great things expected out of them, the candidates (read warriors) were feeling the heat. But just like day to day life here also everybody was optimist deep down inside. Everyone was hoping against hope that they get placed in their “dream” company.

So as the season started Life, as always took unexpected turns and nothing went according to the “plan”.

On the one hand a few lucky people did get into there “dream’ company but like life a vast majority of them turned out to be “unlucky”. It was a split verdict all the way.

On one side we had people jubilating, they didn’t have words to express their happiness, they were on top of the world, and their hard work had “finally” paid off. Life could not have been better.

But on the hind side we had a whole different story. The unfortunate were tricked by faith, once again. They came so close, they were a whisker away from being fortunate, but the cruel “life” had something else in plan. They persisted but to no avail. They fought but to no luck. Life could not have been worse.

As the days roll by and more companies come to campus, the unfortunate once again try there luck. Lady luck smiled on some, and they got into their new “dream” company but for the remaining it was back to checking out the notice board. As the days will roll by it is very much possible that each and everyone gets a job but still the feeling of failure and the sense of uncertainty will linger on.

Yes in these placement season dreams are coming true but there are many more dreams getting shattered. Yes many people find out how good they are but most find out that they are not good enough. As the days roll by invariably everyone asks themselves this question “Is it really worth it?” .

But this story has always had a happy ending. This track record is what keeps us going and most of the times our faith is FINALLY rewarded. Just like LIFE. Yes, invariably we engineers do not land up in the company we first dreamed off, but as in life ditto here, we win some and loose some but end up believing that we won them all. It may not be the truth but we make ourselves believe this. We may initially take it hard but finally accept our fate and celebrate it. Just like in LIFE.

We camouflage the truth to suit our requirements because

sometimes in life people deserve more than the truth. Sometimes people deserve their faith to be rewarded.

2008-06-29T22:28:00.000+05:30

THE WONDER YEARS

2008-06-29T22:24:00.001+05:30

“Every man is a child and every child is also a man”. Educative and heart stirring lines like this make the 90’s television serial “The Wonder Years”, one of my all time favorites.

It is about The Arnolds’. It tells the story of a Kevin Arnold- his journey through adolescence and is very beautifully set in the backdrops of the late 60’s and early 70’s.

The show much life the time in which it is based is about discovering Life. Narrated by Kevin’s grown up self, it explains the trials, triumphs and turbulence in the life of a teenager.

The show is multifaceted. It talks about all the aspects of life. The struggle of a family to stay united, the dreams and aspirations of parents regarding their children, the struggle of a teenager to cope up with his ever so rapidly changing world, are all depicted through daily events in Kevin’s life.

The show explores the core of human relationships. In every season it tries to explore the dynamic aspects of our fragile existence. The talks about how brothers can be friends, strangers, enemies or simply brothers can be soul touching. It proves that parents always want the best for their children and no matter how big the child becomes he shall always remain his parents’ baby. It explores a daughters attempt to break free and explore the world on her own but at the same time is proves that one’s world lies along his loved ones.

All these lessons are learned and also taught by those who are truly young at heart. Now “when you are 16”, as it is said so frequently in the show, the “ever so invaluable” lessons may seem trivial and the smallest lessons leave a ever lasting impression. This sense of purity allows the show to truly capture life from a teenager’s point of view. This unabashed approach forces viewers to exclaim “this is my story”.

In a way “The Wonder Years” is everybody’s story. It is a story about care, warmth, despair, despises heartbreak, jubilation, victory, defeat, pain, relief. It is a story about LIFE.

“The Wonder Years” most efficiently captures the concept of friendship and love. It is Kevin’s bonding with Paul which proves that everyone needs a confidant a supporter, an adviser, a helper. Everyone needs a best friend. It proves our craving for a true friend and that our life is incomplete without a friend to share it with.

But if I were forced to choose that one relationship which the show epitomizes then it has to be the relationship which a man shares with the women he loves. For the on and off romance of Kevin and Winnie explains heartbreak as well as heartily love to the core. On one hand we had the young and immature love of Kevin and Winnie and on the other we witnessed the silent but undoubting relationship between Kevin’s parents- Jack and Norma.

Jack and Norma’s love was never projected much in the show. It was a calculated act, because their love was like the wind, one could not see it but everyone could feel it. It proves how difficult it is to keep one’s family together but if you develop it with the person you truly love it will b a cakewalk. Jack and Norma fell in love when they were kids and even after so many years Norma still remained Jack’s girl. Their relationship makes you appreciate your parents and applaud them for trying so hard to keep the family together.

On the contrary Kevin and Winnie represented a different kind of love. The two were since as far as memory goes. Winnie was the girl next door and she was the only girl Kevin ever thought of. Their relationship was a journey in which they discovered each other as well as themselves. The fact that in spite of being together for six years the headed their separate ways, truly asserts the reality aspect of the show and proves just how unpredictable life of a teenager is. It says one more thing, live life in the moment. If you are too entangled contemplating about the future you will ruin your present also.

The series finale is heart touching to say the least. It explains Kevin’s final journey his final step towards adulthood. It depicts his parting away from his family, his love, his hometown to explore life on his own, to become a MAN. The series finale reiterates the importance of family values and the significance of friendship. It also explains that no matter how much we oppose it, one day all of us have to leave our comfort zone to explore the outside world.

“Growing up happens it a heartbeat. One moment you are born and the next moment you may be gone”. What matters is the wonderful moments you spend with your loved ones and the lessons that you learn in the process.

I guess there is a reason that I am able to relate so much with the show. I will be soon entering my final year n college, so my WONDER YEARS are all but over. It is time for me to start looking back in WONDER.

2008-06-17T14:19:00.000+05:30

GOOGLED Once Again!!!!

2008-06-17T14:09:00.002+05:30

Google take a bow. Once again it has proven just why it is the fastest growing company in history.

Google stands for innovation. It signifies out of the box thinking. Whatever Google does it involves meticulous planning and a foresight which only few can recognize. It has never threaded on the beaten path but has always created a unique path of its own, and when this happens everybody else is left awestruck and kick themselves for not having thought so themselves.

As far has technology is concerned Google has no match. Its recruitment process is THE toughest in the computer world. As a result its engineers always come up with state of the art techniques. So whether it is the ‘Pointing search engine algorithm’ or ‘the g mail file system’ they are all original and ground breaking achievements.

In marketing also Google managers have made more than just a name for themselves. The exploited man ‘need to know everything’ by making their products accessible by ‘Invitation only’. As a result their products appeared elusive and thus everyone wants a piece of the cake. Who can forget Google famous ‘Hoarding recruitment process’ Google wrote an encrypted message in hording all across US which upon successfully decipher yielded a phone number. When the select smart one’s who were actually able to decrypt it , called the number they faced their recruitment interview. Now a company with cool tricks like these will obviously catch the imagination of any computer geek.

But very recently Google proved its mettle in a unexplored area also -‘Strategy’. We are all aware of the Microsoft’s attempts to buy Yahoo. Microsoft offered a price, Jerry Yang demanded more, Ballmer said no more and walked away. But greedy promoters desperate to sell there shares when the going is good decided to start a ‘proxy’ fight to win control over Yahoo.

This deal would not go down well with Google. It of all people will now want the cash rich and market dominator named Microsoft to find a foothold in the online advertisement business. But how can Google stop Microsoft. All the ‘great’ market strategists suggested that Google will fall to Microsoft if the Yahoo deal goes ahead. SO in order to save itself it had to buy Yahoo, a mere advertisement partnership will not be good enough. But Google definitely doesn’t have either the cash or the incentative to buy out Yahoo. So what can it do? Has Google finally run out of ideas, is this the end of the Road?

Not Quite! Google did sign an advertisement partnership deal with Yahoo but t was not just any other deal. It had a fine print which suggested just why Google is ‘Google’.

Google and Yahoo have entered a 3 year deal, but here the catch if a majority of Yahoo’s present board where to be replaced then Google has a right to break the deal and in this case Yahoo will have to pay a huge compensation to it.

What did I tell you about these people? They are amazing.

So now if Microsoft or any other company takes over Yahoo it will have an additional overhead it terms of the compensation it will have to pay Google. This combined with packages for potential retrenchment victims will be more than enough to force the potential buyer to withdraw the offer.

So Google as always has found a way such that it not only gets its cake but also eats it. Wonder who will be ‘Googled’ out of their senses next.

Google take a bow.

2008-06-01T01:38:00.000+05:30

SPOT(L)ESS

2008-06-01T01:19:00.002+05:30

When you are 20 appearances matter. In fact many times you fell that they are the only thing that do matter. So we have teenagers running from pillar to post trying to find the perfect formula and make themselves look better.

But it’s sad that we live in a world where no one is sure of himself and everybody wants to be somebody else. A world where no one appreciates want they have.

But having said that, I do belong to the same generation and am affected when I appear below par. Well I am nothing great to look at but why lower oneself further. After all acceptances is a social factor and every unfortunately people tend to believe that good looking people are also good people.

Now one of the greatest side effects of my recent infection is that it left quite a mark, literally. So after having overcome the pox I now had to bear its consequences. During my time of suffering I felt a uncontrollable desire to ITCH my wounds. But I was fully aware that if I itch I will scar. So I tried very hard to ‘Do the right thing’ but Alas! I, a mere mortal was defeated. I did itch and now have a “spot-full” face.

Well I did not itch much, or at least thought so. But my small indulgences have left permanent (but I am sincerely hoping against this possibility) prints.

So now I have quite an encrypted face. The best part is that the spots are so placed that the give me a rather funny new look. So I have the biggest spot in the centre of my forehead, in between my eyes, which very much looks like a natural bindiya. The feminine resemblances do not stop there; I also have a spot in the left corner of my nose which gives the impression of a nose ring. My cheeks are light checkered fields with black, brown, light red colors thrown in for some dazzling special effects.

Well they are my doing but I did not deserve so much. Well at least now I have a unique face. My doctor mother says they will fade away soon and I hope for my sake she is right.

But whatever be I have so many spots on my body now that mujhe kiski najar nahi lagegi

2008-06-01T00:39:00.001+05:30

“POOR MURPHY” OR “POOR ME”

2008-06-01T00:31:00.000+05:30

Murphy’s Law has proven itself once again. Something could have gone wrong and like always it did go wrong.

After a rather forgetful end semester examination it was that time of the year which is most cherished by people of my ‘type’. It was summer time and it was certainly going to be an extremely eventful summer. With a very important phase of my life coming up this summer was ‘do-or-die’. I mean I had to pull up my socks, kill all the doubts, rise above everyone’s inspection and try to touch the sky. Yes it sounds too melodramatic and clichéd but I am an optimist (or at least I believe myself to be one) .

But who could I have dared to dream, how could I have forgotten that I am cursed like Murphy. So one bright summer morning I discovered a tiny red inflammation near my neck. Being the ignorant I am I ignored it. It took a visit to the hostel barber where it was pronounced ‘aap mein maa agaye hai’, which upon translation means to have got chicken pox. So I did the obvious and ignored it once again. But my body could not ignore it any more. They doubled, tripled so much so that I started to loose count. With no potion left I accepted the truth and was reminded once again that I have Murphy’s luck. So bags were packed in record speed and a train headed home was boarded, so much about ‘touching the sky’.

Well Murphy did not leave me so easily. Mr Lalu also disappointed me. His brain child ‘The Garib Rath’ left its passengers even more garib. The train was 3 hours late. This was surprising as mine was the starting station. So restless, sleepless and irritated I decided to roam about the train. For some weird reason all the passengers keep looking at my face. It was as if some were shocked and the rest were frightened. Thinking there was something wrong with the people around me I returned to my berth. As I was about to be seated I caught a reflection of myself in the mirror. Holy @##! I had transformed into mirror cracking material (pun intended). My RBC’s and WBC’s were falling against the might chicken pox causing verisella virus. My face was like a crater field. There were lumps all round, at least a hundred of them. No part of my face was untouched and I had a feeling that the rest of my body was no better (a feeling validated in the near future).

So afraid of not being chased and called a Frankenstein I head for my berth, pretending to sleep, I laid face down covering it with my hand. But I still had no peace. I am Murphy, remember? The TT was the first strike, then numerous junk food vendors but the height was when a group of eunuchs woke me up and demanded reimbursement in their own ‘tantalizing’ manner. The night became darker but there was no sleep for me. The train rolled on. No matter how fast it went it was not fast enough for me. All along my berth wobbled, the guy nest to me snored louder than a full strength orchestra and I developed a great feeling, an uncontrollable feeling, an insurmountable feeling to ITCH my wounds but I could not do that.

The train finally rolled into the destination station a good five hours late. My dad was there to receive me. The only thing good about the journey was that it was over. I was very happy to be back with my doctor-mother. She is my magician and I was desperately hoping that she casts a spell which frees me of Murphy’s curse.

Poor Murphy….correction poor me.

I must thank a friend who on knowing of my condition kept calling me and inquired of my health. Her voice was the only relief during the journey

2008-05-03T12:34:00.000+05:30

I AM ALL ALONE

2008-05-03T12:33:00.001+05:30

Well as things turned out instead of spending the summer in Hyderabad I was left lurching in the dark ( a bit too melodramatic :P). So not knowing what to do, I decided to spend the summer in my hostel by ‘studying’ (pun intended) for my upcoming placement session.

So after a grueling 6^th semester when we were tested to our core (again being melodramaticJJ) I was left in no man’s land with very few human souls in sight. So after amazingly fighting off the rigid opposition by my mother I was finally all alone.

Well this is only the beginning of a long journey of solitude. Quite frankly I am excited because this is the first time I will be completely on my own without the comfort of family or friends. Being all alone is a process of self discovery and rediscovery. In such a situation you are free from the unwanted opinion of others, you are free to think straight as your thought is the only one that falls on your ears. You are free to explore unexplored paths and find out what you really want.

The environment I am in has been favored by great mind like William Wordsworth, great leaders like Winston Churchill. In fact if you think of it at some time or the other every soul irrespective of how big or small he is needs and invariably takes out time to introspect. So why not give it a try.

Well I agree that you need to have people around you who are more experienced and wiser, who guide you through thin and thick. But once a while no formula irrespective of how much it is tried and tested will fail. This is where your personal innovation, your inner gut feeling comes into play. Moments like these where you have to make the decision all by your own are the ones which really test you. It is for tests like this that being alone is very important (or at least I think it so).

After writing so much I cannot help to remember the words of one of my friends-‘Solitude is enjoyable for two days but not for a single second more’.

Hopefully I will not discover it to be like this.

2008-05-03T12:28:00.000+05:30

MICROSOFT UNCONQUERED

2008-05-03T11:30:00.002+05:30

‘Unconquered’- this was not the word I was hoping to use once everything was said and done. But life has a funny way of springing up surprises, and this time it was not a very pleasant surprise. I had actually thought of the title ‘Microsoft Conquered’ (after reading a post of a fellow blogger with the same name) but for now I will have to deal with these the extra two letters.

After a procedure which was delayed so much that no logic could explain it, I was left high and dry. For nearly two months I was entailed in a quest which was to end with me empty handed. So as it turned out after three trips to ‘the city of joy’, after fighting off a trinamool bandh and spending a night in a dirty dormitory, I ended up from where I started. In short I DIDN’T GET THROUGH.

Sorry for sounding like a sour loser but could not help it. But now that I have a chance to look back I do feel better. Yes it would have been great if I had got through, but the truth is it didn’t happen so simply get over it and prepare for the future. It’s easier said than done but I accept it as life is never quite easy. My initial reaction was that the sky had fallen but now I realize how naïve of me to allow this minor set back affect me.

Then it struck me ‘Failure is the stepping stone to success’. I never wanted to fail but I did, now the best I can do is use it for my self improvement. It is a awful feeling and I will do anything not to feel this way again. So there you had it, my new found inspiration.

How I mould myself and use this failure to my advantage is a thing of the future. For now the most valuable lesson I have learnt is to be content with what you have. It is good that one desires to be better and strives for success, but win or lose always be happy with the result. No point stressing yourself out trying to win always because quite frankly you CANNOT win them all. So savor what you have. Also ‘He has a plan for everyone’( from the movie Constantine), so don’t worry too much just keep doing what you love to do.

I realized this very deeply that this test was just one of the numerous i will be taking. Just like all the ones i had taken and the ones i will be taking this was not FINAL. Neither were the damaged unrepairable nor the possible fruits permanent. It was just a one off thing which will come back.

So what if I lost out on a 7 digit paycheck, in the words of my friends

I LIVE TO FIGHT ANOTHER DAY

I FINALLY HAVE IT

2008-03-20T15:09:00.001+05:30

ME DOING MANUAL LABOR

THE CORRIDOR OF MY NEW HOSTEL

It was a long and tiresome journey. The war was bloody to say the least. Much was lost. There was agony and despair, there was sweat and tears; the body became fragile and the heart became weak but when all was said and done I was still standing tall. Now as my reward ‘I finally have it’.

Since long I was cramped for space very literally. The pigeonhole I lived in added new meaning to the term small. Now what was even worse was that I was clubbed into it with another guy. I had to be extra careful all the while. No stretching of hands as I might end up slapping my roommate accidentally, no food in the room else ants may occupy much needed space. It was a war each day.

But I will be lying if I say I didn’t have my share of fun. Sharing a room with two different people for a year each had its moments. The transaction from a quite, inert, lazy roommate to a wild, hyperactive, noisy one was both educative and humorous. The two were very helpful and we did form strong bonds. The pain was tolerable as long as ‘I was supposed to tolerate it’. But things in a way got out of hand. For me Murphy’s Law took over-‘if anything can go wrong it will go wrong’.

As the days went by I started to believe that my days of struggle were numbered but fate took many unfortunate twists. Many people were relieved of their misery I was not, many hostels got created but the one were I was suppose to shift in never got made. Even all my juniors got single rooms but I still had to bear the grunt of life.

But Alas! Lady luck finally smiled on me and I could not have been more relieved. From the spring of 2008 I officially have a single room of my own. Now that I look back the last 30 months may not have been that bad, I may have allowed the situation to get the better of me but the best part is that it is the past.

When I first shifted in she needed a facelift, but I was more than happy to toil because I knew it would be worth it. So finally after much labor I had my prize before me, to savor and to celebrate.

All this taught me one thing, no matter how difficult and dark the journey is there is always light at the end of the tunnel, and if you know this before hand the journey wont b that difficult either.

IN ‘DHARTI MAA’s ’ LAP

2008-03-20T15:02:00.002+05:30

The employees of numerous MNC’s and PSU’s who regularly complain of mismanagement in their companies should descend on my campus and visit my present hostel. They will realize what a great job their administration is doing. This is because my Institute was now cemented its position as the epitome of mismanagement and its activities has literally landed us up ‘IN ‘DHARTI MAA’s ’ LAP’.

We were supposed to shift into our brand new hostel as soon as the new semester began. So our administration in a display of their foresight decided to shift all the steel cots into the new hostel during the semester break itself. Now after our return to no one’s surprise our administration has got it wrong one again. The new hostel is not ready yet and the old hostels are without beds. To out of options wwe are forced to take asylum in ‘DHARTI MAA’.

Now the hostels are ready but they haven’t been ‘inaugurated’ (errr!!!! L). So no matter how tempting the dish may be we cant dig in yet. It is believed that the formalities should be done and over with in two to three days till then we get to enjoy the pleasure of sleeping on our ‘not so cold’( pun intended) hostel floors.

But what’s scary is my Institute’s track record as far as procrastination is concerned. It will be our worst nightmare come true if the ‘two’ days are stretched to ‘twenty’. Although very unlikely nothing can be ruled out.

So this is a sincere request o everyone, please PRAY FOR US!!!!!!

2008-03-20T14:59:00.000+05:30

BEAUTY IS ONLY SKIN DEEP

2008-03-20T14:57:00.001+05:30

Beauty has since long been a great inspiration for some of the most brilliant personalities ever to have walked the surface of earth. Beauty has inspired geniuses to compose every lasting melody, writers to write epics, visionaries to brood over its social effects.

Beauty has caused war, made peace, provided reason, eliminated sense, turned pacifiers into bellicose, made saints out of devils. Such is the power of human beauty.

This writer, like any other mortal being, is amazed by beautiful people and has an inclination to be like them. But he does realize that ‘Beauty is only skin deep.’ Nevertheless this has not deferred him from finding solace in admiring their external forms. Although never taken aback by ‘intense beauty’, many times I do feel that the ground under me has been swept off. The admiration is purely aesthetic and is a genuine analysis rather than amazement as ‘Beauty is skin deep’.

In my way back to my hostel after the semester break I travelled by train. After enduring the cold night it was finally day break. My destination was near by. Now the train stopped, their was an influx of bodies and to maintain equilibrium an proportionate out flux.

A family boarded, the sat in the same compartment in which I was seated. Now there she was, a object to behold, an object of beauty.

Beauty has many forms. The most common is the ‘obvious beauty’. The ones who are drop dead gorgeous, the ones who have it all, the ones who are tall, slim, fair, with long straight hair. They are the ‘barbie dolls’. They are very obvious.

But this one was different. She was the one I liked. She was beautiful in a very shuttle and mysterious way. She was not gorgeous, she was simple. She was ‘beautiful’ but not in the way the dictionary describes it.

She was dressed in a black ‘salwar kameez’. Her attire, her nose ring and her complexion suggested her religion. She was surrounded by siblings yet there was no one remotely similar to her.

She was not slim, neither was she fat. She was fair with a glowing face. But the thing that made her ‘beautiful’ and was the crown jewel of her appearance has to be her EYES.

They were the biggest and darkest eyes I had ever seen. It seemed that the entire world can be lost for time infinite in her dark eyes. The sharply contradicted her skin and sharply increased her looks. Her ‘duppata’ covered her head but from what could be seen she had long black straight locks. All in all she was definitely eye-candy.

Now don’t get me wrong. I was a plain admirer who didn’t have anything better to do and so glanced at the cute girl in front of him. Now for those who say ‘Beauty is only skin deep’, the best reply has to be that I was looking at her and my eyesight is also only skin deep

2008-03-20T14:35:00.003+05:30

ALMOST A WINNER

2008-03-20T14:32:00.000+05:30

I tried so hard and came so far

But in the end it doesn’t even matter

Pakistan needs only 6 runs to win the honors of maiden T20 world champions. After a middle order collapse the hard hitting Misbah-Ul-Haq plays a gallant innings to bring his team inches away from one of the greatest victories of all times. But then it happens. To a wide ball of Joginder Sharma ,the brave Misbah plays a predetermined shot as a results the ball scoops up and into the waiting hands of Sreesant. ‘India crawl out of a hole’ and become world champions.

A quick jump to the present and the IPL has taken the cricketing world by storm. Player auctions have made cricketers millionaires overnight. Over 80 players were auctioned. But our brave Misbah was no where in the reckoning. Why was it so?

Ishant Sharma bowled one magnificent 9 over spell to the best batsmen in the world and earned an extremely fat paycheck from one of the ICL bidders. But then what about Misbah?

The answer is simple. Misbah was almost a winner. He almost brought home the trophy, but in this world almost is not good enough.

In contrast Ishant’s spell actually resulted in India winning the Sydney test. He went all the way. He ended up actually winning.

Cut to motor sports and we get a similar picture. Throughout last year’s season Lewis Hamilton was the talk of the town. But when it was all said and done the seven words which summed it all up were ‘The Flying Fin is the World Champion’.

This theory is applicable to each and every field and discipline. We associate fame, wealth, glory and success based on the end result only and not based on the effort. For in the end the summit is wide enough for only one person.

We value the winners. Coming second earns no points. But then in this highly competitive world were the difference between first and second (read looser) in many times is decided by fortune or by fortunate/unfortunate twists of fate, is such treatment justified?

It simply reiterates what I have always believed, LIFE ISN’T FAIR.

2008-03-20T14:26:00.000+05:30

INNATE TALENT

2008-03-20T14:23:00.000+05:30

How many times have we come across the statement ‘He was destined to succeed’.

I recently heard it. I was told that due to innate talent a person I know has cracked the toughest exam in the country. There were many who toiled day and night but in the end the stood no chance. It was said that they simply weren’t lucky enough to be born with what it takes to succeed. This made me think. If our ‘innate talents’ decides our fortune then what is the need to labor. You will succeed only if GOD has paid a little more attention to you and has installed some extra applications in you. Right? Thankfully this is not the case.

Earlier I used to forget my failure saying that ‘it was never meant to be.’ If any of my comrades achieved something which I could not I will say ‘It was his destiny’. But this recent conversation finally beamed sunlight into my gloomy thoughts and helped me see light.

One thing and one thing only decides our fate-EFFORT. It’s all about how much you can dish out and dish in. It’s about unidirectional focus and unfettering faith. It is about persistence and practice.

But then why do we many times forget this universal truth. This is because we are silly enough to equate one’s effort as the labor they do in the eleventh hour. The truth is we are fighting during every passing second. It’s a struggle. The people who accept this and polish there armor from an early age end up begin innately talented. It is about being smart enough to practice and improve each and every second.

Given our short sight we associate pre-developed talent as innate talent. We undermine the hard labor that was the cause of this ‘innate talent’.

We are all born equal. It is left upon us to choose. All of us write our own destiny. Those who squirt away this valuable ink may fall short when the want to write the climax, but those who have regularly inked down their story have to simply write the conclusion when the D day arrives.

So next time after tasting defeat I involuntarily utter the words that it was not meant to be, I shall immediately kick myself and remind myself the true meaning of ‘Innate talent’.

Armed with this new realization we should all push ourselves more for in the words of the great Napolean Bonapart ‘Success goes to the most perseverant’.

‘He is not a better student than you,

He simply studied better than you’

Mr. Nayak

My class X Geography teacher

2008-01-15T15:06:00.001+05:30

HEARTBREAK

2008-01-15T14:56:00.000+05:30

I don't know why they call it heartbreak. It feels like every other part of my body is broken too

Yes it happens in every ones life, some how we know that it is inevitable but nevertheless we develop the misconception that we are immune from it. But Alas! Tragedy shall strike; it’s just a matter of time.

So when and not if, it happens we first refuse to acknowledge it. This is our first line of defense. But the little rascal plays hard ball. He breaks through this shield like knife through butter. We are shocked, but being the optimists that we are we refuse to give in so easily. We then use our second shield -we play it easy, take it as just a minor hiccup and allow the universal fix-it-all, ‘Time’, to carry out the repair work. But it’s not that simple any more. We wait first with resolve, then with anxiety and finally with helplessness for ‘time do take its toll’ but that never happens. Mr. fix-it-all can’t glue back this broken entity.

Now you start getting desperate. One day you suddenly jump from your sit and say to yourself ‘how could I have allowed things to go with the flow?’. Man creates his own destiny. I have to take the initiative’. You kick yourself for not having thought of this sooner. ‘How could I have been such an ass?’ is what you keep asking yourself.

So you pull out your last line of defense, determined and unfazed you set out to achieve the unachievable. ‘Failure is not an option’ is what you keep telling yourself. You do all the right things, you ask for help; you try whatever others tell you to do. You try the untried, you do the obvious, you travel the beaten path as well as the path less traveled upon, you leave no stone unturned, but finally you see the truth. You are forced to acknowledge it. You were just running away from it fully aware that ‘there is no place to run to.’

The thing is that all of us will have our hearts broken sooner or later. It is the rule of life, but the real question is- can you savor it before it becomes beyond repair. All of us build up our dreams, goals and aspiration with great hope and all of it is preserved in our hearts. So should we guard it with our life? The trick lies in foretelling the situation and making amendments. Just remember we have only three exhaustible shields.

2007-12-15T18:15:00.000+05:30

IT’S COLD BUT I LIKE IT

2007-12-15T18:14:00.000+05:30

This writer isn’t much into poetry; neither do I see much into the aesthetic part of life or the concept of ‘creating’ happy moments rather than living them. But a recent uninvited experience made me think otherwise.

Arguably the greatest poet of all times, William Wordsworth had made his love for Nature profoundly clear. He deprived inspiration for some of the greatest poems ever written sitting in the lap of Mother Nature. Solitude was his only companion. In his loneliness he observed some the various forms and mysteries of Nature and penned down all is thoughts which in turn ensured his mortality. William Wordsworth wrote invariably about the colors of spring season and how its’ mystical and mysterious beauty left his spell bounded.

Now I have never followed the beaten path. Like wise this time also.
I unlike the great poet had my tryst with Mother Nature, not in spring but in a cold winter morning. It was cold but I liked it.

Now I am not that kind of a person who reads between lines and sees the unseen. I prevent the labor of banging my head, to find the deeper meaning whenever possible. But that day the beauty, although not in an obvious way, was very striking.

For a person like me who lives in a place which is ‘Hot all year round’, the refreshing early morning chill was different and unique.

That day this late riser was forced by an unfortunate twist of fate to wake up early in the morning. Now even far worse luck was to follow as I was to venture into the cold. It was inevitable so with a deep breath I set out to wrestle the morning cold.

Shaking throughout, I steadily made my way towards my destination. But then I started to enjoy the surroundings. There was a fog so thick that one could have cut it with a knife. The shy sun’s struggle with the crowd was enjoyable. The falling leaves made one feel that even the Gods where sending their blessings.

Always having struggled to comprehend the fact that Nature is the most inspiring thing for all creatures, I was finally beginning to see so. The chilly wind was refreshing for the body, mind as well as soul. The solitary road, the green leaves soaked in mist, the ever so slowly moving clouds together with the elements resulted in a hearth warming combination.

So as I neared my destination, the climatic left an ever lasting memory and made me realize just how important and satisfying it is to enjoy the finer details of life. While contemplating my new love for things chilly, I kept saying to my left ‘It is goddamn cold…………but Hell………..i like it just like this’.

2007-12-13T16:51:00.000+05:30

FRIENDSHIP-

2007-12-13T16:34:00.000+05:30

Dedicated to all my friends

This has to be the most sensitive and difficult post which this blogger has made so far. The thing is that explaining something as complex and as powerful as Friendship is beyond the scope of this mortal creature. This one word has affected all our lives; it is powerful enough to help us crawl our way out of the deepest hole, its’ absence can force us to jump into a bottomless pit with no hope of survival. But the only reason I dare to infringe upon this powerful feeling is that I had once witnessed a very simple but extraordinary act which proves just how refreshing, enduring, benevolent and eternal true friendship is.

It made me think what all our lives would have been without our friends and the very next moment I was gasping for air and praying desperately that such an ill fated day never comes in any of our lives. Such is the degree of our dependencies on ‘Friends’.

The incident I am talking about is one which would not have provoked much interest in much of us. Some may dismiss it as ‘ordinary’, some may observe it and develop a smirk in their face, some may accept it as a lesson but I decided to rejoice. For it told me just how lucky I am to have friends who will be their besides me it thick as well as thin.

It was one of those numerous seminars which happen ever so often in my University. Those Seminars' where everyone eagerly waits for ‘High Tea’ as it is the only reason why people show up. Seminars’ where you cannot be blamed for sleeping during a Lecture. Now as I was ‘asked’ ever so politely to be a volunteer by a senior of mine and due to my inability to think of a good alibi I ended up actually going to the place where ‘Great minds meet and share’. I should have known better than reaching on time for there were hardly any souls visible.

But yes we did have the Professor who engineered this wastage of time. He is one of the senior most Profs of my Institute. A person with no hair on his head, carbon ripped glasses (it will fetch him a fortune if he decides to sell such an antique piece) and one whom I had hardly ever seen smile. There he was serious as always examining the events.

Soon a car pulled up. Another senior Prof came out. He was not much different from the previous one. Serious and ever ready to pull up a innocent student for the slightest misdoings. He meant business; all of us knew this and never dared cross his path. He also shared the same resolution of never smiling in public.

Now as he approached the entrance the made eye contact with the first Prof. What happened next was unbelievable. It was history in the making, a moment to behold and rejoice.

For the first time in my three years stay here I saw a smile in their faces and it didn’t stop there. The smirk just kept becoming bigger and bigger. Soon it took the form of a noisy laugh. The came near and hugged each other with great warmth. Their happiness was beyond measure.

They took advantage of the lonely place and chit-chatted for quite some time. I, their only audience kept my ears open and learned a valuable lesson. They talked at lengths of the time when they where younger, how much fun they had, how many times they got into trouble, how narrowly they escaped from them.

Now this eve-dropper could not abstain from drawing an analogy. Yes they were old, they were our teachers who ever so frequently chide us, corrected us. But they too were of our age once. They too were “FRIENDS”. They too did all the illogical and futile deeds ever conceivable. Just like every one of us.

Now the beauty is that no matter how royal, qualified, esteemed or wealthy you are, in front of a friend you will get reduce to being just ‘HIS FRIEND’. For friendship is powerful enough to break all bondage and barriers. At the end it gets reduce to the simplest relationship possible without any inhibitions and without strings attached.

So rejoice ever moment with a true friend for ‘these are the best days of our lives’.

“It’s like you are always stuck in second gear
when it has’nt been your Day, your Month or even Your year
I will be there for you I will be there for you.........................
for you were there for me too.”
(THE “FRIENDS” THEME SONG)

2007-12-02T22:57:00.000+05:30

PLAYING CUPID

2007-12-02T22:55:00.000+05:30

The past few days have been eventful as I got to play the most powerful force known, inferior only to the almighty. I imitated cupid.

Yes you read it right the same guy so moves about with a bow and love quoted arrows read to strike the most unsuspecting preys forcing them into a liaison of love and warmth.

If you ask me no one can play cupid just like no one can play GOD. Genetic manipulation, cloning, robotics may give man the false belief of having superior power over life but a minute itch in the palm of mother nature spreads havoc of immeasurable proportions which affirms the statement ‘Mortal Man’. The same holds for the next big being after GOD.

Although no one can have the ultimate power of making two people fall in love with each other for love can only happen if destined to, (clichéd but true) but two prospective love birds can always be given the extra nudge by their friendly neighborhood cupid.

So I played along trying to be as resourceful as possible, trying to make the right statements, trying to explain the beauty of love, trying to make each of them aware of just how beautiful/smart/funny/caring/joyous/kind/tender and all other humanely possible qualities are incorporated deep into the hearts, mind, body and soul of their prospective better half. Yes all these qualities can never be found in a single person but love is blind (again clichéd but once again true). It was as easy as hook-line-sinker or in this case hook-line-love.

Yes it was funny, seeing them blush at they very mentioning of the others name, seeing them making eye contact and then shying away. They wanted to be alone but could not be alone at the same time.

It was all too hilarious now it may not lead to stuff by which dreams are made of, but why should it for I realized one thing that man is so desperate for warmth and prosperity that the mere mentioning of it will make life better if not for long but for a microscopic moment none the less. So why spoil the present by being too far sighted. Live in the moment for if you act in the spur of the moment past, present and future fuse into one. Playing cupid may not have lead to a love story which will be told on for generations but in made me realize never miss the slightest opportunity to be associated with something remotely good. Absorb the moment, make the best out of it, and do not get lost in the maze of future for who knows the day after tomorrow may never come.

2007-12-02T20:10:00.000+05:30

HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT??

2007-12-02T19:27:00.000+05:30

“Itni shridat se maine tumhe pane ki kosis ki hai
ki har zarre ne mujhe tumse milane ki sajis ki hai”

Half the woods in the green forests have been chopped down to pen down the golden rule to success, but all that they ended up achieving was promotion of Global Warning. But the path to success has many lanes and I think I may have bumped into the right trajectory. Off course this may not hold true universally but at least for this mortal writer in holds true.

Being around people who seem to achieve whatever they set their sites on I can’t help to think life is about desiring something badly, and I mean really badly.
Expertise holds an upper hand in any discipline but in the end it is all a matter of heart. For
victory is the liberty of the most perseverant. One shall succeed if thou want it the most.

Desire is the thing that differentiates achievers from dreamers. The will to rise above the crowd, the desire you be the very best and not settle for anything less, the hunger for success is what makes all the difference.

One may have a born advantage, one make have all the skills, one may have all the help ,one may have the money to buy anything but in the end it is he and only he who has the heart to outperform and the desire to win, who reigns supreme.

That brings us to the fundamental question of just what is desire. Is it a phase? Or is it a state of mind? Is it inborn? Is it attainable through practice?

The answer is a big NO. It is a feeling and nothing more. It is a call from within which all of us witness at some point or the other and which we alone can create or destroy. All of us have it, it’s a matter of self discovery and realization of the obvious.

It starts with a dream, metamorphoses into a world of infinite possibilities but then it breaks.
The dream gets a reality check. We are reminded our mortality. Now here our actions make us what we are. We can let go, allow our dreams to sink into the dark lanes of oblivious terms or we can dream on. We can light up the spark and make it a wild fire with no limitations, which can overcome any obstacle.

So it’s a question of just how much can you stuff out, how much can you sacrifice, how much can u dish out, how much can you endeavor?

The thing with life is that it has it funny ways of throwing up surprises to rattle you. But true want is untarnished by small obstacles, undeterred by failure, unscratched by pain for it knows the price of success and is more than happy to bleed for it.

So if you ever want to achieve some goal for which you deeply long for just ask yourself one simple question –How Badly Do you Want it??

“Kethe hai ki aghar kishi cheej ko dil se chaho
to puri kayanat use tumse mila ne ki shirdat karti hai”

2007-11-10T18:36:00.000+05:30

MOI

LIGHTS ONLY

As GOOD AS IT GETS

FRONT VIEW OF THE MAIN BULIDING

A illuminated VIEW of ONE of the HOSTELS of our CAMPUS

OUR MAIN BULIDING-a side view

DIWALI IN BIT

2007-11-10T18:33:00.000+05:30

This is the first time in my three years stay at my institute that I am spending the Festival of Lights right here. Although disappointed at first for not being able to be at home Diwali -07 was indeed a memorable affair.

As I am among the first to pull up my institute whenever it makes a mistake I thought it will be only fair to complement it when it does something right.

Well it certainly did things right this time.

The entire campus was a sight to behold. The radiance was almost blinding.

The main building was as beautiful as a newly wedded Indian Bride. The hostels were also lighted. There was light and joy everywhere. For may be our administration understood that the Lights symbolized much more than radiance. They gave us student a quick reminder that although we may be away from our homes we are in our ‘home away from home’.

Yes we were at home. The feeling was of mutual harmony and joy. There were smiles all around, genuine smiles. Everyone was dressed in their best, ready to live life the only way it should be-BIG.

As night approached our excitement doubled, we all realized the next few hours will be one of our finest hours and the memories shall last for many years to come. We sang, we danced, and yes we did burst.

We lived as if there was no tomorrow and in many ways it was true tomorrow certainly was not ‘Diwali’.

So kudos to the administration of BIT for lighting up our campus and thereby lighting up our Diwali.

2007-11-10T18:22:00.000+05:30

HAPPY DIWALI

2007-11-10T18:16:00.000+05:30

Yes it is that time of the year again.

Yes it is time to celebrate. The color of lights is upon us and as always it promises to bigger and better than ever before.

Diwali has always had a very special place in the hearts of all Indians. In gives us a hope, a reason to smile, a reason to believe in Life, a reason to say to ourselves that ‘Life is Beautiful’. As the lights take over in this auspicious night with the glow all the Darkness of the year is burned away and all of us make a new beginning. All of us are more resolved and strong. We feel rejuvenated, we feel free, we feel like living life to the fullest Such is the power of ‘the festival of lights’, such is the Magic of Diwali.

So Wishing all of you a Very HAPPY DIWALI.

2007-10-27T17:59:00.000+05:30

I HAVE FOUND MY visualDNA
You too can know your dna

2007-10-24T10:09:00.001+05:30

COMPETITION

2007-10-24T10:08:00.000+05:30

In life things are never as obvious as they seem at first. Life has a demented way of letting you know the obvious. When, and not if, you choose to believe the virtual reality you fall flat in your face. All of us are lost in the maze, we believe what life makes us believe, we get scared by the friendliest beings, we chase the lowliest goals, and we fear success and strive for failure.

This is because of our innate misconceptions and pre-conceived notions. But once a while we see the light, we are able to rise above fundamental judgments and see things in their right perspective. Then when it finally strikes you, when after all these time the bells finally start to ring, when you realize that the round about way was the straight way you kick yourself and regret the fact of not having seen the prominent truth more prominently. Now that moment will cause you to look back and absorb the new fact, for if you accept it and correct yourself you make the right beginning all over again.

I recently had such a moment. The curtains were raised and the truth was unfolded. I had my moment .I realized that ‘competition always leads to growth.’

Yes its clichéd, yes I had heard it before, yes people and well wishers have preached so, yes life has in some way or the other made this statement hold true, but before now I did not believe in it completely.

I say ‘not completely’, as given an option of dismissal performance between giants, which will cause loss of false honor but increase of inner strength, and glorification among handicapped dwarfs I many times would have chosen the latter so as to bask in the immediate sun ignoring the storm in the not so distant future. For who doesn’t like attention, who doesn’t want glory, no matter how immediate and short lasting it may be. So I took the bait and was lost in the mist of life.

But life has a weird way or teaching you stuff. I learned it the hard way but learned it none the less. The fact that ‘competition leads to growth’ is an understatement and in no way brings about its true essence.

For anyone to succeed competition is as important as skill, determination and attitude. It keeps us at out toes, prevents complacency, makes us aware of your assets and liabilities and more important than anything else competition leads to failure.

Yes we fail because of our highly skilled peers but actually that’s the beginning of our success. ‘The one who falls can only rise’. Without competition we become stagnant, we think we are growing, actually we are falling.

So fear not competitions, because your competent peers are your gateway to success. Analyze your competition, judge it, fight it, you may loose but one day it will happen, the game of competition will lift you, you will be a winner!

“A competitive world offers two possibilities. You can lose. Or, if you want to win, you can change.”

2007-10-07T22:00:00.000+05:30

CHANGE—THE ONLY THING CONSTANT

2007-10-07T21:31:00.000+05:30

My world is changing everyday. Changes are occurring at the blink of an eye, after every passing second and in a heartbeat.

Changes were happening a bit too fast. Not just my life, the entire world was changing. So the metamorphosis of dull, long, repetitive ODI cricket into thrilling, nail-biting, unpredictable Twenty20 is well documented. Also the slow but qualified changes as far as India global image is concerned, which includes Vijay Malliya buying F1 team Spykar among other things, where happening at an alarming rate with sensex crossing the 17K mark.

Some of the changes were not pleasant. Like Amitabh Bachchan of ‘Mohabatein’ I too “don’t like changes”. So I repeated this clichéd dialogue of Mr Narayan Shankar and fought against the changes happening around me. Predictably, I failed.

The more I tried to prevent things from changing the more they changed. All my surroundings objects, people, events were getting a face lift. Although I would rather have prevented these ‘changes’, I realized that they were beyond my control.

For, ‘change is the only thing constant.’ ‘Changes’ will happen, one way or the other.

But I learned a great lesson. ‘Change is good when it is done by me. Change is bad when it is done to me.’

Times change, we have to change with changing times. Faces change, we have to change accordingly. Circumstances change, we have to adjust. Life stops for no one. The cycle of change rotates and evolves with every revolution. It can be mesmerizing, it can be heartbreaking, it can lead to miracles, it can cause catastrophes, but one thing that it won’t and can’t do is stop the cycle itself. So instead of trying to stop it initiate it. Change when brought about by you opens the door to limitless possibilities. In a way change makes or breaks you. You have to innovate, change for the better if you wish to survive in the highly competitive world. In a similar way changes initiated by others get the better of you and force you to first decline and finally perish.

So at the end of the day it’s your call, identify your drawbacks, change them and thus prosper else allow your competitors to identify your faults, exploit them and get the best out of you.

So change is not that bad a thing in the first place. It proves a very old saying, ‘If you want to overcome your greatest fears- EMBRACE THEM’.

2007-09-20T22:28:00.000+05:30

AND THE LIGHTS WENT OFF…

2007-09-20T22:18:00.001+05:30

Life is unpredictable. You never know what awaits you at the next turn. With every passing moment we witness a twist of faith, the real questions being whether this twist will be a fortunate or unfortunate one.

Life practices a reflex action of throwing up surprises. No matter how much one prepares for such surprises one is invariably caught off guard. The irony is the smallest of such surprises can make or break us. They can make us forget our greatest sorrows and leave us rejuvenated; they can also draw a hole in our hearts.

Most of the unpredictable nature of life is caused due to circumstances. Numerous times the surroundings control our actions. We are forced to ‘go with the flow’. Circumstances make us do the meanest of things as well as the holiest of activities. It’s beyond our control .We can’t resist the temptation and are lured into doing what the situation demands.

I recently had a faceoff with such a circumstance where we all were driven to do something that we wouldn’t have done otherwise. Fortunately for us we did something truly outrageous which made us pay attention to the finer details in life.

It was exam time. Adrenaline was running high. Previous failure had made us realize our fragility as student and pushed us into unknown territory-“seriousness”. Yes we are were seriously into books, so much so that he had left our merry ways of ridiculing every object which can be ridiculed. We had lost our gift.

But then it happened. Circumstances made us their tamed creatures. We submitted, THE LIGHTS WENT OFF……

All of us were dinning in our common mess. Everybody was eager to finish this unwanted chore so that we can return to our studious ways. But then we had a power failure.

No body knew what happened. No body new how to react. There was silence, but not for long. It had happened. The shield was removed, we were all back to our original selves, we were back to being rogues.

There was a scream. An illogical, meaningless scream but it broke the ice. It started the chain reaction. Soon all of us pitched it. Meaning less slogans were shouted out, mockery of uncanning suspects were handed out, tables were banged, songs were sung in the most painful manners. All this, in the protection of darkness. It gave us the license to do as will with no strings attached and no one to answer to.

Yes it was just a few lunatics makes a few noises in the dark but there was so much more to it. It reminded us of our undoubting inclination to be happy and do as one wishes to. It reminded us of how free we are and that no hardship can kill our spirits which inspires us to overcome all odds and smile no matter what.

It is refreshing to know that in a world which is hell bent to squeeze out the last ounce of fun from our life we somehow always, and I mean always find a way to break free.

2007-09-20T22:15:00.000+05:30

RACE TO BE BACKWARD

2007-09-20T22:08:00.000+05:30

The recent reservation policy has instilled an irrepressible zeal in many to be backward. The GUJJARS’ demanded their right to be ‘backward’ and resorted to everything from road blockage to stone pelting to become ‘backwards’. But the MEENA’s who didn’t want to loose any of their exclusive rights to ‘backwardness’ rigorously protested the GUJJARS’ bid to be ‘backward’.

This unabashed display should have shaken us up. It should have been a death blow to the dangerous being called ‘reservations’ but I served as a catalyst and triggered numerous similar claims.

Man…..how foolish is man???

But I am a die hard optimist. Even with regards to something as illogical as ‘The race to be backward’ I can mould it to suit my requirements. After all life is all about perception. You see what you want to see. So because of my keen sense of observations and the eccentric ways of my classmates I stumbled across a new definition of ‘the race to be backward’ and then found myself laughing out of my skin.

The race is held every single day. It begins with the rising sun. The racers prepare themselves fully aware of the dangers ahead, the joy of triumph and the misery of defeat. The act is no small feat; it will have far ranging consequences. It will determine the course of the day. Failure is not an option. Fully armored and rearing to go, they enter the race tracks.

But this is not an ordinary race. Speed and accuracy matter the most. There is no margin for the slightest error. But the goal is different. No body wants to be ahead every body is racing to be backward.

So as the clock strikes eight and the lazy peon finally figures out which key opens the dreaded door….THE RACE BEGINS.

It’s a war. No mercy is shown. Only the best will survive. The key is twisted, the lock opens, the door swings open and they are off.
Rushing through mad traffic, squeezing through the tiny door, they reach out for their trophy.

Not all will savor victory. “Success goes to the most perseverant”. So after squeezing your way, for the first time in the day you see the reason for this race. You grab it.

Now seated on your prize you realize it was so worth it. “THE LAST BENCH” that’s the prize. It was a race to reach the end of the class, to be as far away from the devilish looks of the professor, it was a race to be ‘backward’.

The last BENCH in the class is a student’s ultimate destination. But only a few make it. The rest say to themselves “May be tomorrow”.

So there you have it. A race to be backward. A race to distant yourself from the disease called
“Education”. A race which reminds you how hilarious and ironical life can be.
RACE ON…….

2007-08-09T23:05:00.000+05:30

LOVE IS IN THE AIR

2007-08-09T22:54:00.000+05:30

Om puri in Pyar to hona hi tha’ Zindagi mein har kisi ko ek na ek bar pyar jaroor karna chahiye pyar insan ko bahut acha baba deta hai’

One of my favorite movies kal ho na ho has a scene during a song sequence where the lead characters try to answer the unanswerable question ‘Pyar kya hota hai?’

What transcend next are hilarious interpretations by different people. All define love to suit their needs.

To define LOVE is beyond the scope of this writer all that I can say is different love-strokes for different folks.

But something that has caught my imagination of late is the number of people around me falling (or as the old clichéd goes ‘rising’) in love. Cupid seems to be working overtime without any respite. Love is everywhere.

Back home all three of my extremely close friends have jumped on the love bandwagon. The three were poles apart but love has seemed to make them similar. All three now practice many similar activities. They blush at the mention of their better halves, they seem to day dream a lot more, they can talk at lengths but about one topic only, they all seem to have surgically fixed their cellular phones on their palms.

They also seem a lot calmer; a smirk has been permanently imprinted on their lips. A shine in their face, a jump in their steps and a joy in their voice are their newest attributes.

Back in my institute the story is almost the same. Love birds separated due to the mean and unwanted summer vacation (unwanted for them blessing for rest of us) have finally reunited and their joy seems to have no bound. It I as if they are falling in love all over again. So its deja –vu as over again. Overcrowded canteen and permanently occupied benches are a side effect of their love which we have to bear. But I am game for it.

It’s almost an epidemic now. Many new hearts have united to become one (is it actually so).I see them, they seem excited, they run around campus visibly embarrassed with all the unwanted attention, then once a while their eyes meets they light up brilliantly and they simply smile. A moment to behold.

The thing is this Blogger is a hopeless romantic. So seeing people in Love gives him an aesthetic pleasure. It reminds me faith still exists and can triumph over all odds.
Given the transformation in people I simply can’t imagine how powerful it is. But irrespective of the final faith of your love affair being in love is a heart touching experience, just the feeling of someone being their makes you appreciate life and live it in as grand a way as possible. It makes to gentler, it makes to appreciate the smaller details, and it forces you to be good to others.

So live on and love.

AN OBITUARY

2007-08-09T20:25:00.000+05:30

Although it has been quite sometime since the sad and untimely demise of one of my favorite teachers, the truth has begun to sink in just now. Not knowing what to do, I thought the least I can do is to write something about the phenomenon that was Mrs.Daschaudary. It will be very hard to do justice to such a fine lady, friend, confidant and above all teacher but I hope to do my best.

I distinctly remember my English Literature class of grade VI. That was the first time she had thought us. An alumnus of our school, She knew stewatorians in and out, and had managed to formulate an ingenious mix of warmth and rigidity which will kept us on our toes but at the same time long for her attention.

She commanded respect. She had an unparallel gravity in her personality and an aura of invincibility surrounded her. She was always clear and precise. A no-nonsense approach always. Once she was a bit late to class. We did what we do best, create sound waves of great amplitudes and annoyingly high pitches. She was pissed. It was intolerable. She asked all of us to bend our necks and to look down for the entire period (she was a severe critic of corporal punishment). After passing her judgment she left.

The class stood there with its head held low. She had gone we could end this turmoil, she will obviously not know. All that was required was a upward movement of the neck. That never came. All of us waited for one of the others to make the move so that we could follow suit. It never happened. The rogues were tamed. But why so? Why did we allow us to undergo the pain and risk spondilitis wherein we could have ‘just raised our heads’? May be it was her. It obviously was her.

My neck was strained. But it felt good. Obeying her made me feel good.
That was only was the beginning of a truly educative journey. She always pressed on character development. Her classes paid attention to minute details. She was a perfectionist. She settled for nothing less then the best and incorporated the same values in her students. She was strict but never mean.

Now that she is no more a void has been created in all our lives. It has been sometime since I have passed out of school, but I could have never forgotten her. As the sad news broke out all my friends were in a state of shock. Every body stood quietly in disbelief not knowing how to react.

If anyone ever asks me how good she was, I will have the perfect answer.
The fact that she is remembered and missed by so many, the fact that I am writing this, the fact that all her students have grieved is reason enough.

Anthony may have said ‘The good of men gets buried with them but their bad deeds live on’, but it is also true that you are remembered and missed only because of your good deeds. Mrs. Daschaudary has done a lot of them.

‘You have left us for your heavenly journey leaving a void that shall never be filled up. You taught us to be strong, to laugh, to struggle, to triumph. You made us what we are. You inspired us. Now from all those who love you a sincere pray has been uttered –MAY YOUR SOUL REST IN PEACE’

MRS. Daschaudary may have left but she surely has not gone. She will be survived by all her students.
TEACHERS DON’T DIE.

MAN....How mean is Man??

2007-07-27T11:19:00.000+05:30

One of the least covered but most sensational sports run of recent times has to be the fearless display of gut, glory and grace by the Iraqi national football team in their dream run to the Asian cup final. Their performance is the stuff that dreams are made off. It was nothing less then a fairytale story coming true.

The Iraqi team has show great potential before. They have reached the semifinal of the 2004 Athens Olympics and also the finals of the Doha Asian games. But nothing could be compared to reaching the Asian cup final for the first time ever, defeating teams playing their full strength which includes world cup semifinalists South Korea.

This blogger due to his innate inclination towards dark horses was visibly moved and inspired by their achievement. Football is a beautiful game, the primary reason for this being its ability to bring a smirk in the face of the most miserable beings in the world. As if by a divine intervention Football makes people forget the Hell around them and simply allows them to enjoy the moment.

The Iraqi footballers gave their countrymen Hope. It was something way beyond aesthetic pleasure. It was security. A sense of well being that they too can now dream of being counted in the international community.

To sum it all up it was the assurances that ‘if our footballers can do it then so can we, in any other discipline.’

So the mass celebrations were rightly justified. After all it has been a very long time since the average Iraqi has had something to cheer about. The football crazy Iraqi’s went wild. Adrenalin was running high. It was time to sing, dance, celebrate…it was time to be HAPPY.

Just like in The pursuit of HappYness ‘this very minute part of their lives was called happiness.’

But man is mean. How can he witness the transformation of a poor, helpless nation from years of hardships to a few moments of joy? Man struck back with vengeance. Their joy was reduced to tears…tears of blood.
‘The devil hits where it hurts the most’ this was proven deadly correct.

Two suicide bombers struck during a mass celebration, killing more than fifty and injuring hundreds.

The resurgent nation never resurged. Their fairytale ended abruptly, not in the field of football but in the field of death.

The fact that it was an act of cowardice is well known. But when I first got the news I stood still for a second and introspected. I was in disbelief but I was also overwhelmed by the cruelty of man.
From deep inside a voice said ‘MAN……how mean is man?

POWER OF LETTERS –II

2007-07-15T00:30:00.001+05:30

“Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

This is applicable to all. So how can our ever so powerful 26 building blocks be an exception?

Yes they are powerful and they are corrupt. This is made more than evident by the phenomena called G.P.A. My previous post tried to convey the truth-‘D’(read doom) shows absolutely no mercy.

But God and justice still prevail in this kalyug. Whenever evil has reared it’s ugly face we have been blessed with our messiah to guide us and help us crawl back to normalcy.

After being forced to succumb to the ever so powerful ‘D’ my prayers were finally answered and from the ashes of pathetic existence emerged the most unlikely savior….my HERO ……the letter ‘C’.

I never realized this obscure letter would be my brahmashtra to redeem my heart of evil and rekindle hope, faith, belief and above all the desire to win. I never realized its presence until one day it was finally morning I saw the following in my institute notice board-
BE/161/05 Bidu Prakash Das M-3 changed to “C”

HURRAY!!! Where’s the band, where’s the Champaign. Diwali had come early this year.
I was in disbelief. Could it have happened?

Could life, which screwed me up just a month before have had second thoughts and finally decided to show some mercy?

But how? My luck seemed to be worst then the chicken that tried to cross the road but know I thought may be, just may be it is not that bad.
May be its karma. May be God’s beam balance which sways back and forth took a nosedive resulting in my misery but as always in gave it’s child a hope, a support, a hero. My HERO was none other then the letter ‘C’.

So there is was my answer to the devil, my certificate of competence, my reaffirmation of faith, my death blow to the letter ‘D’.

It gave me back my lost hope, my ability to reason, my ability to fight back and WIN. For the outright havoc caused by ‘D’ (D for destruction) can only has been neutralized by the late fight back of ‘C’. But what a heroic fight back it was….Alexander would have taken note.

Its funny how one incident can make you despair and even funnier is the fact that something out of the blue can make you believe. The thing is not everybody is that fortunate to get a break after a heartbreak. I was, but may be only this one time. I learned my lesson and hopefully my readers have also.

For those in a daze even now here the missing piece-
D- 4.0 grades but FAILED (see you in summers loser)C-5.0 grades but more importantly PASS, you survived it……LIVE ON.

POWER OF LETTERS

2007-06-12T12:11:00.000+05:30

Ek letter, ek letter …admi ko helpless kar de ta hai…

Shakespeare couldn’t agree more. So will William Wordsworth. As his name suggests words are very worthy.

Alphabets constitute logic, reason, contradiction, announcement and all others humanly practices. They are the building blocks of all our motions, communications and exercises. They form words and words form LIFE.
So it will be very true to say that our very existence depends on letters and the way we manipulate their uses.

Letters give us the power to communicate our deepest thoughts in the most powerful or powerless way (depending on its use), they also allow diplomats to shape world politics for better as well as for worst, they are used to ingrain the most noble or most evil thoughts into the absorptive mind of the youth, they can be used to persuade the world into following tolerance, nonviolence or can be used to spread hatred and cause havoc.

Such is the power of letters.

My institute has realized this a little to well and as constituted an ingenious way to display the power of letters.

Grade Point Analysis (G.P.A) is how I had a first hand realization of this solemn truth.

A single letter decides how good or bad I am, my existence as an engineer begins and ends there. That’s all that I am worth. So when I got a ‘D’ slapped across my face I realized how mortal I am.

“A ‘D’…how can this be? Is the alphabet D written like the way it is written in my GPA card? It can’t be?”
But it was. I had got a ‘D’ (read doom). May be I was being over speculative. Surely a single letter can’t define my existence? But for now it did.

One bloody letter was telling me, rather asserting the fact (it seemed like a fact) that all my dreams, hopes, ambitions were not nonexistent.
It was as if this letter constituted my greatest fears and apprehensions, which was all coming true now. I had never given the letter D much importance but now it had ascertained itself in a way that forced me to bow down and pay homage. Never had I conceded defeat to any mortal but now a letter had defeated me, comprehensibly.

Now I realize why alphabets are said to be the atoms of our existence.
My readers are free to conclude that this description is too melodramatic but it was what a felt once I saw that ‘D’, which further signifies the POWER OF LETTERS

IRONY----

2007-06-06T21:39:00.000+05:30

Present day---

I am sitting in front of my television, but one thing is very wrong the remote is not in my hand. How can that be?

I am the youngest in my house...so quite simply I RULE…what I say goes, what I want happens and what I want the ‘idiot box’ to do it does.

All through out the week I have been excited. Many things were happening this week-Roger Federer tries to become immortal my becoming the king of Roland Garoos , Lewis Hamilton may finally proof youth and ruthless aggression triumphs over all, and most importantly “Beckham is back” and hopefully with a bang. Also I have my regular sitcoms and I think KJo has invited Shetty sisters this time (talk about souring temperatures) .
But what now…all seems like a mirage because “the remote is not in my hand.” Now the reason for this truly unlikely occurrence is that there is someone younger than me in the house now. He know controls destiny.

Although I tried to persuade then intimidate him, he dodged all my attacks using his ‘magical shield’. Each time I attack he counter attacks “BADIMOM, look what bhaiya is doing”. My mom arrives at the scene of crime and I am reminded my age (literally).

So cornered I surrender to the watching habits of my kid cousin. So first it’s the oldest crew member “CARTOON NETWORK”. It starts with Power puff girls (and he calls himself a boy…errr), cant believe this my interesting some day...How LAME, but it gets worst Swami, Birbal maharaji and it went on….whatever happened to Tom and Jerry or Tintin. Please I can’t take it any more changed the channel, which he did but soon I wished he hadn’t. Now it was Disney channel--cartoons I had never heard of and all of them where in Hindi-God save me. But them the straw that broke the camel’s (read BIDU’s) back, some channel called POGO which will double as a torture chamber. Seeing adults dress up in monkey suits making faces, cracking the worst jokes, asking their foolish and childish (again literally) viewers to imitate and repeat their words seemed too much to handle.

It was as if we were reliving the Stone Age, all our achievements seemed immaterial, every thing was either green or pink with spots, a meaningless smile and every one hopped, skipped for reasons unknown.That was it, my mind was slipping away.
I had no option but to run, which I did.I ran out of the room with my ears blocked using my palms and then it struck me…the IRONY.FLASHBACK …10 years ago

IRONY---II

2007-06-06T21:36:00.000+05:30

10 years ago---

Things were going my way. The remote was with me and I was watching my favorite show in the entire world—‘Dexter’s laboratory’. What a show I said to myself, an act of genius.In walks my elder brother (just two years elder to me but much more mature). “hey ashes is going on,let me watch it.”“Are you crazy?” I promptly replied. “How can you even compare Dexter’s Laboratory to your stupid Ashes? Its Test cricket the boring form of them all and It doesn’t even involve India.” My patient brother tried to make reason but at last I got to him and he tried snatching my prized possession. He attacked I counter attacked with my ‘Brahma ashtra’—my MOM, “Mom look what Bhai is trying to do”. “Let your brother watch his cartoon, he is a kid after all” said my savior.

Helpless my brother abided and decided to taste my flavors. Soon I saw him running out of the room in despair. I said to myself “He is missing out on the finest form of entertainment”. I could not care less and carried on with my endeavor to gain ultimate wisdom.

So there you have it, I am suffering today the same fate I once handed out not so long ago. Come to think of, it isn’t suffering of any sort. It’s the way of life. Life always makes a full circle. What goes around comes around.We are all so distinct yet we are go through the same circle of life…thats an IRONY… THE IRONY OF LIFE.

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

2007-05-20T12:48:00.000+05:30

One of the most popular characters ever to dawn the Indian television screen “JASSI’ had once remarked that “How strange it is that the one name by which we will be known all our lives is actually not chosen by us but given to us?”

The writers by making such a statement had meant to give the viewers an insight into this complicated character, it can be inferred that she was extremely BORING but at the same thing looked beyond the fundamental meanings of things thus making her interesting at the same time. But this writer choose to ignore both of the above points (partly because I was not a follower of that show) and instead zeroed in the debate as to whether a person’s name single handedly defines his existence and differentiates him from others or is it just a form of nomenclature and nothing more.

Not able to make much headway into these two contradicting statements I decided to venture into more familiar territory, my own name.
Yes my name, for those who don’t know it its’ BIDU PRAKASH DAS.

Now I agree it isn’t a regular name so it might qualify as a strange one also.
Many times during the beginning of our semester when the teacher reads out the roll list invariably when my name shows up they all will-pause for a second, take a deeper look, raise their eyebrow and then pronounce it, but never correctly. Bidu gets twisted to beedu,bedo or even bibhu…talk about tongue twisters.
Even some of my closest friends find my name funny and manipulate in according to their own terms to suit their requirements (read tease me to death).
Introduction to a total stranger also lands me in a spot purely because of my name…
”What was your name again…Bikram, Bijay?”
I reply in vain “Bidu”
“What did you say…b-ee-du…ok”
Sometimes it really gets on my nerve, correcting people each and every time they pronounce your name is laborious to say the least and it is also embarrassing, so when I realize I can’t win I just let it be and swallow the bitter pill.

So it sometimes makes me complain “Mom dad couldn’t you think of a better name?”
My mom being as cunning as she is promptly replies” anything for my son’s happiness. Let us go to the court tomorrow itself an file an affidavit to change your name to whatever you want.”
Being cornered and out of moves I accept my defeat and reply, “Fine no need for that I will live with it.”I tell you my Mom….

READ ON...the next post is a continuation of this one.

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

2007-05-20T12:43:00.000+05:30

But once you think of it, it’s not that bad to live with such a name. Like it or hate it one thing you cant do is ignore my name. It may not sound that good but it surely is unique.
So when you shout out aloud my name in a crowd be rest assured that only I head will turn around in respond (provided off course I am there) but that may not be the case for other so called ‘beautiful names’.

Also I don’t have to add strange prefixes or postfixes to my name to get registered into any happening web service.(e-mail, messengers etc). For others it may have to be ajay123 or 123vijay but for me a simple Bidu does the trick. No hiccups here.

But I must say, I truly appreciated the value of my name once I typed in the words bidu prakash das (within double quotes) into google search engines.
I returned zero hits.
Yes you read it right zero hits.

Hear I am using the most powerful search engine in the world, the same engine which is at par with the printing press or steam engine as great inventions which have affected and changed the way we live our everyday lives, that one invention which gave two non political, non military Stanford graduates the power to revolutionize the world bowing down in front of my NAME. All my friends’ name returned some hit or the other but not mine. It lost my name won.
The thing that I could make out from this discovery was that I have a barren land, which no one has discovered till date. It is mine for the taking. If I think straight and work hard I can carve a niche for myself which will be totally my own. So thank you mom and dad for giving me this name and allowing me to truly make a unique ‘name’ for myself.

So in my conclusion I think I have realized that irrespective of one’s birth name each one should strive for a name beyond alphabets and one made on the foundation of accomplishment and recognition…. so STRIVE ON

AGONY AND ECSTACY

2007-05-16T20:31:00.000+05:30

This is a two-piece continuation of the same post, which I did deliberately to exhibit the sharp contrasts of emotions, which I am trying to portray…so please read the next one also.

AGONY…….???

Who kehte hai na…jo hota hai ache ke liye hota hai……
Galat kehte hai…

Agony----What is it?
Only a person whose heart has been ripped can truly say what exactly agony is. I, like most of us have been in agony at some point of my existence. So if you ask me I would say -To be in a state where you loose FAITH and start doubting your EXISTANCE is equivalent to being in AGONY.

In the words of the patriarch of the Indian film fraternity Mr. Bachchan himself ‘umeed’ is what makes the world go round and makes us hang on a little bit longer. Now what can be so gruesome that forces us to loose FAITH? Now that’s how cruel agony can be. Also man may loose everything in life but one thing in life but he can always boast about one thing, his LIFE his EXISTANCE, the one thing that makes us the most superior being in the face of the 3rd rock from the sun. But the cruel hands of AGONY snatch away without a trickle of remorse our this sense of security and force us to concede the pleasures of being alive.

After being aware of the devastating ill effects of agony lets us imagine the cause. It can be as small as a heartbreak (small to others and obviously not to the person who undergoes the pain) or massive like the devil ringing the Death Bell of a near and dear one. It hurts more when your state is neither caused by you or is controlled by you. You feel SATAN hand picked you to lent his frustration out…you ask again and again..why me God…why me??? You feel no end to your misery…you don’t realize the reason you came to the world. To feel helpless and hopeless as if destiny had walked right up your door, slapped you in your face and made you realize how insignificant and worthless you and your very existence actually is. It does not matter how you end up in such a state but not if but when you do, its’ is a torture which even the most sadistic minds would dare not experiment with.

And then you bow down to your knees and say to yourself…life is a BITCH….

AGONY AND ECSTACY

2007-05-16T20:28:00.000+05:30

ECSTASY…???

Jubilance, joy, happiness, pleasure when we ‘think’ we are undergoing such great emotions what exactly are we….I say we are ecstatic…in a state of ecstasy .

My critics will argue that ecstasy is a synonym of the words I have used above, but I feel it rightly describes our mindset in a way, which is exactly opposite to AGONY…a state of much happiness as compared to a state of despair.

Ecstasy what is it???
Again a state of mind. A felling, which gives you the impression that you are on top of the world. A truly marvelous combination of joy and self belief which makes you feel that impossible is nothing, no goal is too high to achieve and no path is too difficult to transverse. You can now stare at destiny, right into its eyes and say ‘I am the master of my own destiny’.

Such ecstasy can be caused by absolutely everything and anything. It can be the result of a once in a lifetime achievement or it can be the effect of one’s wild imagination, which may carry no practical implications whatsoever. Irrespective of its cause it has very sweeping effect across one’s mindset. It is very mysterious but a single event of ecstasy can cause a chain of reactions, which may very well be the defining moment in that person’s life.

And what a feeling that is? A combination of a sense of achievement coupled with the satisfaction of you being able to make a difference. You regain your lost hope feel you stand out and are accounted for in this world. It makes you realize how beautiful life is and how much there is to it. IT again makes you go down to your knees and murmur to yourself…

Who kehte hai na…jo hota hai ache ke liye hota hai……
Saht kehte hai…

Whatever inference can be drawn from this writing is upon the reader to discover all I want to say is that both AGONY and ECSTACY are state of the minds.
So think straight and win the mind game called LIFE

WHAT A GIRL!

2007-05-12T19:24:00.000+05:30

Yes this blog in an opinion blog, a take on life but I have to pause for a moment and pay tribute to the most lovable person I have ever meet. Yes you guessed it; she is a girl, my girl. What can I say to u about her? She is just perfect. I never thought I would meet such a wonderful person who will fill my life with love, warmth and would inspire me to live life the only way it should be lived-BIG.I have known her for such a long time that I can't remember doing anything else before knowing her. She walked into my life and since then she has taken control, loving me and inspiring me each and every moment. Like a guarding angel this truly magnificent creation of the Almighty has been with me through thick as well as thin. I know not what I would have been if not for her.Now that I am away most of the time I miss her lots and I am sure that she yearns for me even more but having realized that it is for the greater good both of us have swallowed the bitter pill. But whenever I return I find her love grown many folds. She embraces me with all her strength making me realize how fortunate I am to have this girl in my life.Sacrifice is another word synonymous with her name. She has the ability to kill all her most precious dreams without even a word coming out of her just for the sake of others and especially me. I have asked her numerous times to mend her ways and for a change put herself first but habits don’t change easily. To be honest I don’t want her do change a tat bit. She is the epitome of love, care and the best part is that she is ALL MINE.So there you have it my description of the most beautiful girl in the entire wide world. I would love to write at lengths about her but no matter how hard I try I can never do justice to her-MY MOTHER.
THE MOTHER LOVES HER CHILD MOST DIVINELY NOT WHEN SHE SURROUNDS HIM WITH COMFORT AND ANTICIPATES HS WANTS, BUT WHEN SHE RESOLUTELY HOLDS HIM TO HIS HIGHEST STANDARDS AND IS CONTENT WITH NOTHING LESS THEN HIS BEST
I LOVE YOU MOM!
HAPPY MOTHERS’ DAY.

PAPER PRESENTATION

2007-03-22T15:09:00.000+05:30

Here is the summarised abstract of a paper presentation i made on DNA COMPUTATION

What it is?. DNA computing is a form of computing which uses DNA and molecular biology, instead of the traditional silicon-based computer
The Origin- Adleman was struck by how how a living enzyme "reads" DNA much the same way computer pioneer 1936is was calculated how a machine could read data.
If you look inside the cell you find a bunch of amazing little tools,The cell is a treasure chest. ?
Adleman used his computer to solve the classic problems there by drawing similarity between dna strand and the computer.For example -"traveling salesman" mathematical problem -- how a salesman can visit a given number of cities without passing through any city twice -- by exploiting the predictability of how DNA interacts. He generated thousands of random paths, in much the same way that a computer can sift through random numbers to break a code.
Advantages-
The primary advantage offered by most proposed models of DNA based computation is the ability to handle millions of operations in parallel. The massively parallel processing capabilities of DNA computers may give them the potential to find tractable solutions to otherwise intractable problems, as well as potentially speeding up large, but otherwise solvable, polynomial time problems requiring relatively few operations. The use of DNA to perform massive searching and related algorithms will be referred to as "classic" DNA computation for the purposes of this discussion. Proposed "classical" models of DNA computers derive their potential advantage over conventional computers from their ability to: Perform millions of operations simultaneously; Generate a complete set of potential solutions; Conduct large parallel searches; and Efficiently handle massive amounts of working memory. of optimal encoding techniques, and the ability to perform necessary bio-operations conveniently in vitro or in vivo.

. . Disadvantages-
Biologists are only now grasping the basics of how and why DNA unzips, recombines and sends and receives information. DNA is notoriously fragile and prone to transcription errors -- as the world's cancer rate thus a lot a work is still required for it to be success.
A limited amount of work has been directed at real-life applications and the practical feasibility of DNA computers. While the practical benefits of DNA based computational schemes are still questionable and the vast majority of work to date has been theoretical, there have been many allusions to
These models also have some of the following drawbacks: Each stage of parallel operations requires time measured in hours or days, with extensive human or mechanical intervention between steps; Generating solution sets, even for some relatively simple problems, may require impractically large amounts of memory; and Many empirical uncertainties, including those involving: actual error rates, the generation
The future-These realizations and others have tempered initial expectations that DNA would ultimately replace silicon chips. Still, researchers in this field believe they remain on the vanguard of a computational revolution. After all, a single gram of dried DNA, about the size of a half-inch sugar cube, can hold as much information as a trillion compact disk.

EXAM FEVER

2007-03-22T15:07:00.000+05:30

They are finally over.....

Like a fire breathing dragon it reared its ugly head upon us. It vultured upon our sorry state hovering high with a killer instinct looking down upon its’ preys smelling blood and hoping to extract blood soon. Some fared well whereas some cursed their luck. Some rejoiced in victory whereas some sank deep into the deep, dark sea of despair. May be we (at least I) were partly to be blamed for our this state but I cant help to think that SATAN himself had planed this massacre for us. But Alas! they are finally over. The one good thing I can say surely about all of us is that we all SURVIVED it
Examination times are crucial times this all of know very well. But I have tumbled upon a new discovery in my latest encounter with them. They are also dam FUNNY times.
In a herculean sized hostel like mine where student of all imaginable brain sizes and level of preparation interact you are bound to have your ‘gut-aching’ moment.
IT WAS FUNNY when a certain BATCH TOPPER went to sleep every night, during the exam at sharp 10 pm (even during the CORE ECE papers) and woke up at 9 in the morning. He was genuinely surprised when all of us gasped at this act of horror. Although all of us knew that he was going to get double the marks that any one of us (those who l studied all night long) could possibly get.
IT WAS FUNNY when the coolest stud of our batch decided to sleep out the exam period(not just in his room but also in the examination hall). He confessed ‘One night preparation won’ t do me much good so it is better if I save my energy for the summers’. He and our BATCH TOPPER slept long and well. The irony (again quite funny) was that they were doing the same activity but for reasons that were poles apart.
IT WAS FUNNY when a very superstitious person decided to were the same pair of jeans throughout the examination. His reason was ‘I had worn this pair in the first exam. I had not studied much but did well. It was because of my lucky jeans. So I intend to were it in all my examinations’. All I could think off was that ‘Thank God he had a bath in the first day. This prevented him from coming to the conclusion that not taking a bath was lucky for him. Thus our nostrils were spared from much torture’.
IT WAS certainly FUNNY quiet a lot of times during our examination I just hope that it will still be funny when our results come out.

THE APPLICATION

2007-03-22T15:06:00.000+05:30

MY lovable institute is up to its old tricks again making us do the most illogical activities which has no practical implications attached whatsoever.
This time around we students who had missed any of their classes on the 1st or 2nd of March are suppose to write an application justifying their this heinous crime. We are required to submit it with our respective teachers.
On 2nd we had only a single lecture, having finally realized that MID-SEM was rearing its ugly face over us the majority of the class didn’t show up.(But almost all showed up in CP or MX fanatically searching for tuite sheet sols…..)
So on the first day after midsem we got our rude shock. We were supposed to write the dam thing and submit it then and there. Synchronous sounds of pages being torn filled the air. All of started banging our heads hard, desperately trying to remember the great art of writing an ‘APPLICATION’. It was a crisis. I firmly believe that panic leads to humor. The actions which followed reaffirmed my faith.
In the small time frame given to us we filled our blank papers’ with some ink and submitted it. I being seated in the first row was forced to keep turning back and collect the applications which were being passed on from behind. I passed them on but not before having a sneak peak of the reason provided.
They came in all sizes and forms and finally left me gasping for air.
We obviously had the usual alibis-‘I had fever/cold/migraine…..’. Some went a step ahead and wrote that they even had the med-cert and will be more than happy to provide it if required. May be they were trying reverse psychology-if they say they have I they won’t be asked to provide it.
Some said that they had stomach ache and added that the reason for their sorry state was the uneatable mess food. Talk about killing two birds with one stone.
One was truly outrageous-‘Sir as I had more than 75% attendance, I felt no need to attend the class’. Talk about sticking it in your face. Courageous or foolish you decide.
Another one said , as I desperately had to go to the loo and the institute levorotary made me(I think all) nauseous I had no option but to go back to my hostel.
But this one had to the show stealer –‘As 2nd was the last working day before Holi , I was fully aware of a possible holi bash. Afraid of this I decided to hide myself in the safe vicinities of my hostel room’.
One can make that some of the outrageous alibis were intentionally written that way. A way of getting back …..i guess. But one can’t help to imagine if actually these were true reasons.
Weird but very hilarious.
PS-None mentioned about bunking class to prepare for midsem.

INDIA ROCKING

2007-02-26T21:59:00.000+05:30

I recently read the papers on the eve of our 58th Republic Day and found out that ‘the soft spoken general’-VLADIMIR PUTIN will b our country’s guest of honor on this great occasion.
I then thought he must be one really pissed of guy. The leader of the ’Red Army’ must be ragging red now that India has officially back-stabbed it’s old friends in Moscow and signed the so-called “ground breaking “ Indo-Us nuclear deal. But to my utter surprise, when asked about the implications of the deal on India’s relationship with Russia, he acknowledged India’s right to search for alternate and cheap energy sources and reaffirmed Moscow’s commitment towards Delhi. He also announced that his country will be supplying us with enriched Uranium to serve our energy needs, very generous indeed Mr. Putin. But WHY????
Another News in everybody’s lips is the alleged Racial slur witnessed by a Bollywood Beauty in channel 4’s hit reality series. It kicked off a real storm. With such a diplomatic reaction of quantum proportions it seemed as if they were trying to prevent two countries from going to war. But once again I was unfazed. Nothing new was happening-if u ask me. Racism and Britain went and in hand. I have not seen a single of those ”VIDESI born confused DESI” flicks without racism been acknowledged in it. Even in Football black players have become accustomed to the “Monkey Chants”. Then why are Tony Blair,Gordon Brown(Britain’s Prime minister in waiting) all so very concerned? Once again I ask WHY???
One may think that both Putin and Blair are doing the ‘right’ thing.But they are Politicians, they have better things to do then do the right thing.
Why all of a sudden is India everywhere?
The answer lies in the question itself. All this is happening because INDIA IS EVEYWHERE.
India with its’ young population, availability of cheap labor, immense brain pool is virtually guaranteed to be the flavor of the future. Thus the ‘firangis’ don’t want to stay away from the party. As a result we have F-16’s and MiG-21’s fiercely pitted against each other, lobbying very hard just be get the IAF contract for new fighter planes. We also have the likes of Vodafone ready to pay whatever price is necessary just to get a foothold in the largest and also fastest growing telecommunications market in the world. We also have retail giants realizing the potential of Indian consumers and forming alliance with Indian counterparts .Finally we have our very own Laxmi Niwas Mittal ready to undergo the difficult task of setting a Green field project (A first time for Mittal steel) rather than acquisitions. All this trouble because it is worth it. India is worth it.
Having missed an opportunity with CHINA, no one is taking any chances now. Everyone wants a seat on the success train whose engine happens to be controlled by INDIA.
So I guess Blair,Putin,Bush are not being kind to India. On the contrary they are being kind to themselves by doing what is right for their economy. Now we are in a position to choose. Predictably no country wants to do anything to look bad in our eyes hence all the attention.
Another very crucial change that has come about due to Indian’s economic crusade is the mind set of its’ people. So a sreesanth dancing down the pitch(with absolute no regret of his actions) causes no surprise. In the 70’s during the “LICENSE RAJ” Amitabh Bachchan became the numero-uno star because of the character he portrayed. A ‘angry young man’ frustrated with the system trying to break away and create his on rules. The general audience identified with him and hence the popularity. Even today he has the same popularity but for a different reason altogether. Today he represents a different cause. His is a success story. Today our nation identifies with his success more than with him. His smile represents the smile o the nation. I say this is all very good. A more confident Indian has more chances of being successful. This new found confidence is already showing results.
But a word of caution. We are Indians. Whatever good things are being said about our nation is a hypothesis. We Indians have a tendency of letting victory slip away from our fingertips. Let that be history and nothing more. Yes nothing much has been achieved and a lot of hard work needs to be done to achieve “VISION 2020” but I will say this much-WE HAVE MADE A BEAUTIFUL BEGINNING.
INDIA-keep ROCKING

THE SOUND ADVICE

2007-02-26T21:56:00.000+05:30

ADVICE-Telling someone else what to should do in a particular situation.
It’s a dangerous habit if you ask me. I often wondered when I can’t make a full circle judgment about the things happening in my life, how can I ever tell someone else how to go about things.
Anyways I am writing what I am because for the first time in my life I actually got to hear a ‘sound advice’. The funny part is that it was not even given to me but I got so influenced that I think it’s worth sharing.
There I was in my first BOOZE party ever. I had come there with three more persons. The person who was throwing the party lets call him STUD, we shall call the other two INSANE and DUDE. Each of their name suggests their characteristics.
STUD was finally giving us a treat for the enormous success he had had in the recent pass.
None of us exactly knew what great deed he had accomplished but we didn’t care as long as the food was worth going to the DHABA in the cold. Among other reasons the one I was aware of was him hooking up him a girl. According to INSANE this amounted to a booze party. His wish was granted.
I had promised someone very special ,who was very well aware of what engineering students do in their 4 year curriculum, that I shall stay away from the three ing’s-doping, boozing and smoking. I was sticking to my commitment. I was there to ensure that the three drinkers reached back without getting a suspension order midway.
We had to sit on the roof of the DHABA. Shivering was an additional price all boozers have to pay here.
Broken chairs and tables, lying in a corner were proof that it was a boozers’ joint.
INSANE said he remains stable till the 9th peck; he was out by the third one. DUDE didn’t say much. He was our drinking champ. He kept munching the chips and emptying the glasses. STUD could not manage more than one.
INSANE kept asking DUDE-”you game for a Bottom’s Up”.(For those like me unaware of the art of boozing, bottom’s up means trying to finish the entire bottle in one go and seeing who does it faster.)DUDE fully aware of INSANE’s condition gave up without a fight allowing him to do his victory dance.
Its funny how drunk people can talk about all the irrelevant things in the world without the slightest idea of what they are saying. As INSANE once again opened his mouth(and I tried closing my ears) to blabber something stupid then came the “sound advice”.

“Cheers to you dude” said INSANE while smashing his glass with STUD’s(GOD only knows how it didn’t break).
“How serious are you about this girl?”He asked.
“I really dot know, I am taking it easy. Let time take its’ toll. I am not that serious.” replied STUD.
INSANE’s brow got raised, either due to the reply he had heard or due to his bitter drink.
He replied and I listened in amaze-“See here, I suggest that you change your mindset a bit. It’s your life and I am no one to intervene but your answer reminded me of myself.
I thought the same way when I first got into a relationship.”
Dude got a call. He went do attend it while INSANE continued…..
“As far as I remember I first wanted to get into a relationship because I thought it was HIP to do so .I saw countless school flicks which forced me to think that to be happening I need to be committed.”
I realized that this was going somewhere so I paid more attention.
He then said” Then after getting into a relationship I realized it is more happening to be the playboy of the town then to be a dull committed guy in love. I started getting into relationships to get out of it. I have had twelve girlfriends till date.”
I had heard that last line before. Each time he had said it in a boastful tone. But not this time, now it was more in a regretful note.
Then he said it .He said that one line which gets stuck inside your head and gets repeated inside your brain cells for time infinite.
“And now if I am suppose to fall in love with the 13th girl I meet ,what am I to say to her. Will she trust me when she comes to know that I have had flings all my life. How am I to make her trust me? I can only lie, else I am doomed.”
There you had it a person whom I thought was nearly invincible (both in relationships and otherwise) confessing his deepest secret.
He continued ”Take it from me dude, being in a long-term relationship is the best thing that can happen to one.”
The word long-term from a guy like INSANE did sound odd but it did make sense.
DUDE was finally back, unaware of what he had missed.
While returning INSANE was so darn ‘out’ that I had to literarily drag him back.
Carrying (no pun intended) his half dead body was laborious, but keeping in mind the advice he gave, I didn’t mind at all.
I leave it to the readers to introspect on what he said all that I can say is that his “sound advice” was good enough t be written about.

The above article is an act of fiction. But fiction takes inspiration from truth and life.

BIDUISM....what is it

2006-12-04T22:25:00.000+05:30

Any guesses my readers what is this...bidu+ism or jst biduism....
well your guess is as good as mine...so keep trying i aint leting you know as of now
A TAKE ON LIFE...why??
i ask why not...we all may be as distinct and as varied as our DNA strands but one thing is undenayable we all live LIVES.
A extremly simple statement but it single handedly describes fully what we are.We are what we live to be.....
The reason why i am doing this is that each and every day something special occurs which makes me feel how simple and at the same time mysterious life really is.This single moment forces me to reflect,introspect and admire LIFE.
But i must confess this moment doesnt stay with me for long,it may move me but never changes me.So i guess it is strong but not strong enough.I have heard wise people say 'in life comes that one magical moment,that moment which affect you the most and makes you what you eventually become'.Well GOD has always had had different plans for me,this time also there is no exception.Instead of the entire package he is sending me my MAGICAL moment in installments,and he has already started mailing.
So this blog.......
MY take on life.i write what i feel.I share my life,my passions,my desires,my success,my failures,my MAGICAL moment.I am doing this for one person only...ME.I wish to learn and improve.You all are invited to be my companions in this journey.But plz remember i am only human,laible to be wrong.i intend to share not to PREACH.....This is what i feel,it is not neccesarily right.

So read on and if any of my writing make you think,make you reflect back into your own life then i certainly will be an happy man,and if they disgust you then it's your problem not MINE.......