Life - A pocketful of sunshine

Look around. There is always one moment, one small moment which will bring a smile to your face. Every single day. I will share one, for each day.

Oct 2nd, 2013
I saw a couple, a very happy one. They stood next to one of those 5-Rs-coin-weighing machine things. The girl took out a coin and stepped on the machine but only to her dismay that she might have gained a kilos. With a visible disappointment while she started stepping down, she saw the guy pulling down the weighing machine with one of his feet :)

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar - Brand Value

Sachin retired from the ODI format of the game last week. I am not going to talk much about the inappropriate timing not just because he deserved a farewell match but also that the much needed media attention for the atrocities being committed towards women in the capital is getting unethically shared. Presently, the rape issue requires undivided attention and focus to nail down the culprits and set an example to prevent such heinous crimes from getting repeated.

On a completely different tangent, I want to talk about the possibility of the dilution of brand value of Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar post retirement. In my opinion, he is safe for another few years and maybe even benefit let alone dilution. The dilution would possibly be visible after some years, when there would someone remotely close to achieving what this little guy has achieved. I would highlight 3 points to put forward what I think.

Firstly, quite honestly, the nation loves him. He is more than a brand. Of all the cricket that I have watched, I have hardly seen people, the so-called consumer, ever shunning him. Even when the little champ was going through the worst of times, people stood by him. We wanted him to play just one more to prove his mettle. The point to note is that there is special attachment that every Indian feels with Sachin. He has been role models for millions and not just the ones aspiring to become cricketers. He has added unparalleled humility to the very sense of success. And this will get more air , now that he is officially retired people would want to see him more. The withdrawal symptoms you see. They would want more of him , be it through advertisements if not on the field.

Secondly, in my opinion he would reinvent himself. Both in terms of being associated with the game and also being more open to other domains like movies, TV shows , chit-chat pre-match shows thus making him more visible in the common media space. It will not be only about cricket then. It was never only about cricket in India. There is bollywood, the TV, and million other ways which Sachin could drive towards if not Kingfisher beer.

And lastly, I have been reading about how most of the ad contracts are ending in 2014 and there are bleak chances that they may get renewed. Please do not forget the 'magic' of the IPL. Sachin has shown tremendous potential even in the shortest formats of the game. Another semi-finals for MI and the advertisements would be left wondering of that ad contract.

Advertisements are driven by human psychology. And till the time Sachin is embedded there, in a very positive taste not just as a cricketer but also as a gentleman, people would love to watch him. This may take a hit couple of years down the line, but not quite quickly.

Humanity died at 9.40 tonight

Baby Falak who fought for 2 months after being battered by 'humans' perished and died today. This is with a lot of grief that I write because I'm stunned by the fact that that little girl who probably haven't yet spoken her first words became a victim of mindless jerks, some insane and insensitive money mongers. You would not even think of doing something so atrocious even it had been the devil's very own child.

There is not a slightest doubt that is left that the ideologies that lead to such inhuman activities have to be rooted out. Rooted out from the system, from the minds, from the very existence of we humans. We really need to look what we are doing. There are millions of more falaks that noone could imagine right now. Many more who have already lost their lives before even having begun living them. The very word 'humanity' is losing its identity.

Fought for 2 months with every possible injuries and infections, she succumbed. And we, sitting in our confy chairs tweeting, sharing on facebook and and then forgetting in a couple of days while someone maybe complaining about the broadband being too slow. Cribbing for every little thing, giving a hard time to parents and everyone before finally diving back in the shallow self-integrity that we barely manage to fake. Well you got another reason to cheer about the same because you are not one of the 'ill-fated' ones!

Delhi Metro - A great leveler

A swank businessman with an iPhone 4 in one hand, a pair of TommyH glasses neatly placed, a Tag Heuer tied perfectly to the wrist, jostles for a space to stand beside a poor family, who, as it appears, has toiled hard to purchase the metro token.

A young aspiring college student or an elderly man who is finding it hard to earn the daily bread given the age, a young little girl who would not leave her mother's hand even while being seated or a to-be-supermodel who makes only an attempt in vain to garner attention, a student solving mock tests despite the inconvenience or a group of some other students planning on how to forge the semester exam result, a group of sophomores giggling about their latest crushes overtly or a girl with a dripping dejection in her demeanor, a man hurling swears over the phone or a dead tired athlete who has the dignity to offer a seat to an elderly woman, has to follow a protocol once he/she enters the premise till he/she boards off.

Each will have to stand in a huge queue often the result of maladministration, compete for a place to seat or stand neck to neck which is often the case, and then again gather all the strength in the world from every minutest cell in his body to finally get down. And this ride after ride, day after day, time after time.

Another beautiful aspect it depicts is law of continuity, that is how I would put it. If you look from a broader view, everyone is same. Everyone has his share of happiness and troubles but despite all of that, the metro ride will continue. It has to. This is what life is, ain't it.

Give it a thought the next time you board that metro train. God bless.

The Brahma-a-stra

Apart from changing my blog's URL, what I also did in last few weeks was pay ears to my friend who had been incessantly complaining about how a 'non-deserving' student belonging to one of the 'elite' categories got through to the IIMs with a much lower profile than required  by a General category student.

The Brahma-a-stra - referring to the certificate 'authenticating' the non-general category to which a student candidate belongs to and more often than not which he/she uses to get an undue advantage. Although an aster-ix sign is beautifully embellished alongside his/her accomplishments only to minutely justify the state of affairs.

Brahma-a-stra, though, may appear to have a definite negative connotation, I have intensionally picked it from my friends' to put forward a valid point.

While I am not personally against against reservation, it does bother me when you botch your conscience so much that you would pay a hefty amount only to get yourself falsely testified as a category student. While there could be some reservation, there could also be stringent mechanism to prevent the misuse.

Survival of the fittest? you may justify for such wrong-doings. But, for how long?

Being an educated and civilized human, you should get gather at least this much grit and honesty so that when tomorrow, you are thrown amongst the bulls, you can manage your way out: Read- ethically

Shying Away from the Radia-Gate?

There have been a lot of talks doing the rounds about the leaking of tapes involving the lobbyist Niira Radia and leading Journalists. Barkha Dutt, Vir Sanghavi to name a few have come in the limelight for the wrong reasons-The allocation 2G spectrum scam. As for Niira Radia, her profession being that of a LOBBYIST don't blow a whistle for me, provided she did not bribe a minister for favors. For others, while I personally don't have anything against any of them until proven guilty, but it most certainly did not bring a very appreciating image of the now-Indian 'Corporate ' media.

What I now fear, is the fact that the real culprits and the people actually involved in the wiring of money under the table would be breathing easy. The focus has shifted. Mr A. Raja would be going back for his morning as peacefully as before. Now, the issue of the journalists will be blown out of proportion by the journalists, beyond measure. Everybody will soon forget the 'scamsters' and things will be back to being happy and gay.

Another thing I have noticed from past 2 weeks is that, every guest columnist is not a leaving a damn opportunity to proclaim himself transparent-clean in their latest columns. There was an article in last weeks' TOI where one very clearly and smoothly walked himself out of the controversy. I am not accusing anyone, but somehow this doesn't go down the throat well.

In todays HT Editorial page 12, also appear a similar few columns attempting cleansing rituals. Excerpts:

Indrajit Hazra: while on a conversation with his mum;

His mum: "Of course not. But why didn't anyone even mentioning your name in passing? You've been in Delhi for 13 years. People int he neighborhood have been asking whether your name is there in the transcripts. I've been telling them that there are 82,665 pages documenting.. What do I tell them now?"

Karan Thapar: "what the hell had I been doing all these years if not one person in the Radia tapes had mentioned my name-not even int he context of me once standing in the bathroom next to a middle-level Congress minister. Is it because I'm incorruptible? "

Best of Luck guys..!!

Have anything to say, throw your comments below.

Professionalism versus Humility

Random thought - Ever thought about being offered a lift, all the way back home-20 kms, by a white collared entrepreneur in his swanky black Honda Civic? Why? He owns a villa next to the flat where you live, but barely knows you beyond the fact you work a zillion levels under him in the 'corporate ladder' ?

Probably not.

The one reason why I find this not unusual is, the obviously - 'who the hell are you a-hole?' question bombarding his immature brain cells, which, what you and I may think it is. What bothers me is the fact that behind a lot of successful people (okay.. whatever), 'publicly', there is an uncanny urge they have which lingers on the edge of humility. And what they brand it, as- Professionalism. And then, again the next morning they are out there to help you with tax benefits, loans or some shit stuff.

My point- Please define the term-Professionalism, very clearly and try to incorporate a few clauses which allows your 'corporat-esteem' to have lunch with a much junior staff in the caffetaria. Although, let it not be like the Indian Constitution, having 90K pages with a million clauses for each clause(Class 7 civics..scored 90 :D) with each successive clause challenging the morality and existence of the one right above.

There is no harm if you would donate few hundreds to a charity run by your business rival's distant cousin. The earth will not rip open and you will sucked into it, if you wished the photocopy guy on his b'day with a genuine smile.

Have I already spoken too much that you being one of 'them' is already willing to throw my job application to your company, in the bin after having termed me as a -kid.

To conclude, is this what we really are striving for, or am I just being too naive and eluded from the 'real' picture. Have I been just too cynical in my opinion.? Or, are you also of the opinion that probably I would understand it myself when I am one amongst the butchers?

Because I don't think I would. Honest opinions welcomed people..!!

The Semester-Not over YET..!!

ISSUED AS A PUBLIC WARNING: the crap written below doesn't have any vocabulary fly-ups and has been a result of a simply fucked-up-never-ending-semester. If you end-up reading the entire bit, consider yourself a winner, trust me. There is no reason I see, whatsoever, why you would like something personal and 'obvious' like this but if you do, do drop in a comment.

It started off pretty well. December '09, is the time when we have the winter break. Working on a soft-computing project from 10 to 6 and then head for a part-time job for 2-3 hours, was what I did. I had the whole thing well outlined in my mind. The money that would come, was to be invested in my first business venture. The Business Model - College Sweat Shirt. And not many people know this, but it did involve technology as well. So, December was extremely tough and fun. When the College re-opened, we launched the sweat-shirt and surprisingly, we didn't do well, ending up by just managing to incur the invested cost. But, the entire experience was enriching.

Meanwhile, as for the project - we did strike luck and hopefully the research paper on the area we worked on, would get accepted.

The college cultural festival took place in feb '10. Got my ass rubbed off real bad again, to get a few sponsors for the events. Talking of events, I had an article published in a weekly newspaper after which I also got a book from my father as a present. It read: I bought the monk's ferrari - Ravi Subramanian. The book initially didn't make too much sense, when I had a belief that these ferrari-kind-of-things are just too plastic. However, I do realize that when you are only 20 , you should believe that stuff, else you may end up being a douche.

Coming back, I did manage a sponsor in the nick of time.

Between all of this was, the infamous DTU-DCE conversion protest took place. It turned out to be the biggest and longest run student protest in the history. Police lathi charge, RAF, Water Canons, Candle marches, hunger strike.. you name it.What I learnt from the protest was:1. If you can speak well, you can have millions following you. 2. If you have the point 1 true, your college life is successful. 3. lastly, it takes a hell lot of courage to take a stand in life. The result of the protest was, apart from some illusionary changes, I have my mid-sem exams re-re-scheduled, starting from tomorrow.

Coming back, the next day I got a call from my mother informing me that my father was to be operated. The operation, as the doctor said, was out of the normal and involved risk. Those three days were scary as hell and I wouldn't be detailing. Thankfully with God's grace and everyone's wishes, he is now recovering. And before I forget, Happy Father's Day dad.

Also, I met a beautiful girl. We went around for a month. But being a complete jerk that I am, I broke off. She is undoubtedly the best girl any guy can get, ever.

My end-sem exams were due in a week. I managed studying whatever possible I could. The previous semester result came out just before the day of the second, and the most dreadful, exam. And as the flow of things had been happening, I faired badly with the results. And hence, some of the following exams got screwed up too. Following week, were practicals which were relatively satisfying. Sorry if this would hurt but, I realized that many of the 'toppers' actually end up cramming everything and know not even a shit-bit of what they read. Not that I got an A+ in my viva but still, settling.

During all this while, I was also trying hard to get an internship. I did have few options, now that I was free for 2 months but internship sounded good. So I started working and gradually liking what I was learning. The company is a start-up based in gurgaon. Just when I thought the shitty semester is finally over and the life was turning good, I get an update about my mid-sem exams

Taking a break from the intern and studying the same crappy stuff appears scary which is why I ended up writing about it. It would also help make myself belief that I was too busy to study.

I may have sounded scroungy all this while but maybe you are allowed to do that once in a while.

Hoping to be slightly more regular with my posts now. Taking leave as of now. Drop in a comment if you anything to say.

ODE TO THE ANDAMANS

November was closing in and so were my end-sem exams. So my family,had decided to take a trip to the ANDAMANS. I personally am a mountain person than a beach lover, at least that was what I believed. It was a hopping flight to Port Blair. We were picked up at the airport by the tour operator and transferred to a 3 star Hotel.

We had reached early morning and had to quickly get ready for the day 1 tour. It was ferry ride to a group of three magnificent islands. First the ROSS ISLAND. It had a lavish french history attached to it, along with the clear details of the tsunami damages caused. Our guide was a well over 50 lady having more vigor then any two of us put together. The local deers an uncanny attraction and bonding with her.

Then we went to the VIPER ISLAND. The reason the name is, that the place is full of venomous viper snakes. It is absolutely uninhabited and yet the stillness of the place is extraordinarily mesmerizing. The associated history behind the island is that the freedom fighters who were given death penalty were brought here to be hanged. The guide here again, had lot of vibrancy and a sense of belonging towards the ANDAMANS.

Next was THE NORTH BAY ISLAND. What comes first to your mind when I say corals?... Still thinking..right..?? Exactly. I also never possibly thought what I would be seeing when it meant Corals. They are easily THE most beautiful, colorful and astoundingly astonishing growing creatures that you can't possibly imagine. Those who have any idea of image processing and the 2 to the power 8 -1 possibilities of combination , would also end up biting nails looking at the vastness and variations of color, size, that they are found in..!!AWESOME

The waves were doing their bit by giving quiet a few pushes, on our way back, but amidst the wobbling waters, and right at the nose of the deck (the re-narration of the famous TITANIC scene, only had there been a ROSE too), I watched the already fading sunlight die.

Next morning we took a cruise to the HAVELOCK ISLANDS for an overnight stay. Sparsely populated but having a lot of life of its own, the place promised a delightful experience. It was not late before we learned that there would a Beach Festival taking place in the evening and that along with the locals, LESLI LEWIS was to perform.

So we planned accordingly. We went to the White sand ELEPHANTA beach after a quick brunch. I did snorkeling there too, only to realize that it is very difficult to get over the surprisingly resplendent corals. In the late afternoon, we went to the Radhanagar Beach. The name may sound mundane, but it rightly deserved to be 7th most beautiful beach in the world. We saw the sun die. The innateness of watching the sun go down into the sea waters is that you get lost in the imagery and picturesqueness it produces, so much so, that it gets hard to return.

In the evening we attended the Beach festival. With a backdrop of moonlit clear waters, when you have awesome group of people performing, the whole crescendo goes far beyond reality. It was great. The next day we returned to Port Blair for local sight seeing. In the afternoon we again took a ferry down to the Limestone Caves.Beyond a point, they take you through the thick mangrove covered forest in a steamer boat.Then, it feels you are no less than a NatGeo enthusiast.

In the evening we attended the Light and Sound show at the Cellular jail. It was very touching and made us realize the sacrifice that was made during the freedom fight. The wrath that the revolutionaries faced and still lived with heads held high was although very disturbing but it made me feel really proud of the country. We had to return the next day.

In a nutshell, the phenomenal islands , exemplary food and accommodation and the pretty Kingfisher airlines' hostesses, did the trick. I had a genuine attachment with the place which will stay with me until I visit again.

ADIOS..!!

IF...!!

Alright. This comes as a surprise to me as well. I was to write on a different topic, when I came across this poem again, after many many months.

While I was at I.P Univ., during my drop year, I met this guy pursuing PhD in Biotechnology. I called him Ravi bhaiya, not for his seniority but his maturity and advice. A self made man with a lot of conviction and guts. It was he, who had introduced me to this poem. Otherwise also, I ended up learning a lot from him.

Now, the reason why I share this. I feel this is something which a lot of us should read, imbibe and end up embracing the wall facing you where you work.
.....................................................................

IF

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!

...........................................................

This was what, Rudyard Kipling had written for his son when he was in 5th grade.

I hope that, there is not a moment in your life, when you are down but if there ever will, keep this little piece in mind.

Thank You bhaiya for having helped me through, whenever I needed.

I owe you a lot..!!

Live The Power

As I sit amidst an aura filled with happiness, triumph of good over evil, and cRRRackers,an aura of one the most celebrated festivals of the country, Diwali, it gives me a great pleasure to wish each one of you a life full of brighntess and success. At this time, the entire place appears to be drenched in a sparkle of the innocent, pure and a beautiful yellow, amongst other, color. Little children jumping over the chakkri till it takes it last turn. Girls, although slightly scared still managing to light up a few crackers, dress up beautifully in an ethnic outfit. Exchange of sweets, gifts, greetings and wellness marks the celebration. And so, I hope it fills your life with infinite joy, peace and prosperity(yeah the usual SMS waali lines..)

starting with the topic...

We were off to a local restaurant for a dinner. Since it was the last day of an extended weekend, so we planned to dine out. Aahhnn crap,actually We need a reason to escape the 'yum' hostel food. We stopped at a red light. I sat towards the left rear window. Across the road, was a boy, pretty much of our age, preparing tea and fighting for a few well deserved rupees to buy an evening meal. The light turned green and we reached the place, ate handsomely. The pineapple raita was soooperb, trust me. Whiling away here and there, as usual, we were back. After few days I returned back home. A newsclip about a little boy aged 7 was featuring on the TV. "agar kaam nahi kareinge toh khaana kaise khaaeynge.", said the little boy. "raat ko sone ki pareshaani hai, police waale daanda maarte hain". He replied to one of the questions. "main padhna chahta hun, bohot zada padhna". No, not a reply this time, but randomly and out of the simple excitement, the little boy said again.


I was reminded of the boy I had seen the other day. I looked at myself. What did I do right or rather they did wrong to be living such a life. Its all luck, destiny and all that shit filled my mind and somehow I reasonably justified myself that,yeah yeah its just like that only. I mean, How can I help it.? I am not wrong anywhere, am I?? No. I wasn't responsible for the way I am or the way they are. So cool, things moved on.

Couple of days later a newspaper article read "son of a rickshaw puller 'pulls it through". It was a story about a boy clearing an exam and he belonged to a daily bread-earner's family. "jo tha ussi mein padha" was one of his statement which brought me back to the two kids I had mentioned earlier.

Then I looked again at myself. I, or I should say we, have one of the best lives with all the comforts. Parents ready to shell out their hard earnings even at a whisper of a need, great clothes, weekly shopping, dining at a restaurant twice a week, occasional night-outs(now no more), more books than we actually require which are now gathering dust, best possible education, best shoes, wrist watch, family trips, festival celebrations, gifts....and bla bla bla.. U name it.

And that was where the problem was. Where I,and we all are wrong..!!

Speaking for myself, and I regret saying this, I haven't valued education, or studies or anything that I have for that matter.. in the last 2 years. Life had been so rosy.Senseless talks, useless advices to everybody around and following none myself amomgst many other things.

Between all this, I failed to realise that I was studying in a world-class institute (those who don't agree with me on this are the biggest loosers..) from which I could have got so much, had I made an effort. I always thought I can change the world, alone, but now when I look back all I have changed is myself and that to, nowhere close to where I always wanted to be., leave apart the world..!! Worrying for petty little things, and being careless about those, which mattered the most.

We all have great powers. Power of knowledge, education,relationships, of being brought up in wondeful families, of having the luxuries and comfort of life and yet we make use of none. They, inspite having less, live more.

Some people might mistake this post to be a drive by me, to STUDY. Absolutely NO. All I want to say is LIVE THE POWER. Realise and accept what you have and use it effectively if it can be. Understand your family, friends and yourself closely.Don't go around crying for having scored less,which is only 15/20, in mid-sems or if your girlfriend/boyfriend didn't reply back with an equally sweet 'good-night' message or if someone did not leave a nice comment on your photo on facebook or having been insulted for something you know, you did not do or(the very popular) someone said this about someone else, to you, whom you never cared to know till now but now you have to have his/her history infront of you.

Be true to yourself and take control of your life in your hands. I think I HAVE said enough. Hope you'll take light.

PS:- Everything I said above apply equally or rather more to me.

This post is dedicated to Lt. Parth Sharma who lost his life during a tragedy which took place while he was with his family in Kerala. May his soul rest in peace..!!

Maybe...You have an Exam Tomorrow..!!

When you study in an Engineering College, one in which it is not easy to get through(..huh??), the first thing on your mind is NOT studies; Maybe NOT EVEN the last. Whatever shit you do, your mind doesn't want to give an explaination against that and your heart doesn't agree. That is, you feel right, in doing all the crap. And that is, the very beauty when it comes to toiling away your ass just few days(or maybe it was hours..) before the exams. And then...

"Monday se mid-sems hain yaar.. Fuck..!!", the journey begins...

You start to realize that there IS(a sad sigh) a subject called-Organisational Management in your course. And that, maybe mid-sem don't have a Practical Exams for the theory subjects. Maybe, the note-book you had purchased for the lectures, after borrowing money from a friend(well, yeah), has never been this 'clean' before. Maybe, the books you had issued from the library, just for the self-satisfaction of filling up the slot, are the ones which can only do a ' counter+1' to your exam score where the counter has always been initialised to 0.

Maybe, all that killing of time in the Cafeteria would no longer seem rosy. Maybe, the novel you had started in the lecture, is coming close to an end but you don't even know the 'A' of the subject. Maybe , there is a list of probable questions in the exam and all you know is that they are written in English(umm..or was it french??). Maybe, you still haven't got your ID card renewed which means you still haven't been re-admitted successfully. Maybe, there was a date when you were to submitt the application form for getting the admit card for the mid-sem exams and that it was, shit shit, yesterday.


Maybe, the 'brightest' minds in the class from whom you preferred staying at a distance, now seem to be the most important people on earth (more important that the girl you like.. ;)..just maybe). You somehow, run here and there just to manage yourself the course books, forget studying. And Maybe, you are just too late, because the library is now officially empty and the book-stores are out of stock. Maybe, the xerox machine waale bhaiya can save your ass for one another time. And he does. Even though, the text is as unclear as it can be.But, Engineers LIVE on xeroxes.

Now, you have the xeroxed copy but Maybe you forgot to get the index xeroxed. That means, when someone tries to explain you the topics in the course, all you can do is pretend to mark it all and then sulk. Repeated phone calls, text messages, online chats and now just Maybe you have the 50- 60% syllabus narrowed down. Maybe, the ever-prominent question of your mom,"when do you have your exam...beta?" now has an answer, although unwillingly, but yes there is an answer.

The air feels slightly better. So now, when you were about to actually sit down to study with a ball-pen, which has been empty since eternity, Maybe you can watch another episode of 'How I met Your Mother', just for the very pretty-Robin. Or maybe two.Out of nowhere comes a cry, "Sachin ki century hone waali hai yaar, jaldi chal". You, now, find yourself seated in the T.V-Room. The characteristic features of a Boy's Hostel's T.V Room are, the people with closed-books on their lap(the self-satisfaction thing I told you earlier..), the same empty pen hanging out of the mouth, the right hand fiddling with the cell-phone, and a hope..that SACHIN doesn't get out on 99.

You are back again, to start studying and then,"khaana acha nahi bana, baahar chalte hain". You reach the restaurant and realize that you had lost your wallet midway. Maybe, your parents have another reason to whip you. The Mom always knew, you are an extremely careless brat. Well done Mom, you are right, as always.Wow, Maybe it seems unlikely that you will start with the subject.

The night dawns in heavily. All you have done is, had a look at the list of important topics and previous years' papers and soon realised that it is worthless to study now. 2 hours in the small open space outside playing football rejeuvenates you to... SLEEP for whatever little that remains.
Minutes before the exam,you have glanced through the xerox copies and maybe it'll drag you towards, only towards, the double digit figure.

You get the question paper. Another glancing, not a very happy one, this time. MAYBE you realise that "I should have studied and MAYBE all the above 'maybe's have not been true., again...."



HaH...How has it been for you..?? Are you the 'brightest' ones ?? Or someone like me ?? Share what you have. And plz, leave your name when comment so that I may who it is.

TECHNI 'AAJ' KAL

No more Hostel, No more Night-outs' post.

First, My very own college-Delhi College of Engineering, got its new 'Avatar': DELHI TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY. Yeah, I know it does (long resentful pause) sound weird. After a numerous failed attempts earlier(precisely 4), to convert Delhi College of Engg. , it finally paved way for DELHI TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY..

Good-Bad, Benefits-No Benefits, Shit - No Shit.. of the conversion has already been the talk of town. AND SO, I would be the last person to invite a discussion and would rather leave it for the still restless souls.

Plus, How can you print T-shirts with that name.. because some people actually did.

DELTECH, the new 'Avatar' of DCE. LOLZZ..!!I'm sure, we can now give Dragon BALL-Z a fight.

For the 'K'AL of yesterday:

I attended a workshop on Linux, OpenSource and Career Opportunities, organized at U.S.I.T (I.P University). The technical head there being a good friend. Although it meant jeopardizing the BOOK FAIR visit but it was worth the deal. After all, all I got to hear was 'Expensive Books' and not so 'Expensive' crowd.!!

The speakers at the event included:

• Mr. Nalin Savara, CEO and Technical Director at DS Tech. Formerly, he was the Head, GameEngine Technology Team at Escosoft Tech (Interactive Division), Software Engineer at Hughes Software Systems and also a Freelance Columnist at PCWorld Magazine India.
• Mr.Narendra Sisodoya (FOSS Activist , EDUVID Project and Founder of IIT LUG-Linux User Group).
• Mr. Atul Jha (FOSSONE)
  

For the AAJ:

We are having the TechWeek 2009. It is an annual event organised by the IEEE DCE students' chapter. It includes a whole variety of workshops which are life-changing. Atleast, the innocent fuchchas has that impression like I, once did. Fuchchas are what they actually bank upon to fill the seats.

Students who want to uplift their Resume or who just for the sake of it, hold workshops with a promise that you would learn every single sh*t they teach. You go home, google through some websites and boil down to the conclusion that, it would have been better to complete the novel which you had borrowed, instead.Whoa.. REALITY BITES..!!

BUT, it can be fun if you get 800 bucks as prize money or, you end up finishing in the final 10 in an event where the rest 9 are atleast 2 years senior to you.

And finally for the 'K'AL of tomorrow:

OssCAMP 2009. A platform of an 'unconferencial' form of discussion for the Open Source Activists and Enthusiasts , which I thought could prove very healthy considering it would be my First meet. I hoped to see a good participation ,as well. A few more than handful was all it was to offer today. Though I did get to meet a few interesting people and also had a self-realization for the nth time that I better pick up my ass before I succumb to the pressure and keep pace with the ever expanding and improving, Tech-World.

Tomorrow is the second and the final day of the camp. A more 'focussed' crowd is expected by the organizer and hence today's shit was all planned. I mean.. okay, I am a newbie but still even the GURUs walked off after getting the free T-shirt and the free lunch(which was late by over 90 mins..!!)

That's about it. Slightly occupied and unwell from past few days, so couldn't post regularly.

Feel free to share your experiences about the Techno-Conferences and meets..that you attended and which did or DID NOT leave a mark and bla bla bla..that is anything..!!

MELANGE

Sitting in the very-touristed T5 canteen, and having repeatedly ordered wai-wai noodles, Mikey popped up, "chal aaj night-out pe chalte hain". It was already 2 weeks from my birthday and 'they' could not celebrate (click to learn what I mean by celebrate) it because it was a holiday.ALL the more reasons.The College had also re-opened. We were back to the hostel. And so we were on..

After the whole ragging sh*t that recently happened, the new hostel rules had come in :-

• No entry outside the college gate after 10 pm
• No switching between hostels after 11pm
• If you fail to mark your attendance for a week, you are thrown out of the hostel.

9.35 pm: DJ, MnM, Mikey (all day-scholars) had reached the hostel. I, Struggler, Batak(all hostellers) were almost ready. No sign of Baba, RP still.
9.55 pm: After a repeated calls, they showed up. RP, " Jagga aaya huahai, checking ho rahi, Jaldi chalo".
10 pm: And we managed to exit the college in the nick of time.

First, The Model-Town Lake-MnM was vehement on visiting the place and assured it to be a great hang-out place during the wee hours.
What we were greeted with was, dirty water, dead fishes floating in a countable number, unchanging & inactive surrounding. All we did was, curse MnM. What a start..!! Scr*w you MnM.

It was already around 12 and we left for CP to have the famous kadhi chaawal. And indeed, it was toothsome. The paapad, salad was all too good. Lot of people had flocked in.There WAS a lot of movement in th air.
Then we headed to the McD's. It was sweltering hot even at that time of the night and who would restrain from an ice-cream.A great relief and as always, all the cr*p talks engulfed the place soon.

1.20 am and we were off to The India Gate.
You WOULD have celebrated your b'day getting beaten up in the classroom, Fair. Or the hostel, still, Fair. How about India Gate...!!

Although the crowd was scanty but right in front of the patrolling guards I was lifted and my a** was destroyed. I mean, I thought Batak enjoyed the whole thing.
After first few kicks and sensing the TROUBLE ahead, I gave in. Afterall, I can act, if the situation demands ;). But I wasn't let go all that that easy. They lifted me again, and Mr.Mikey thrashed me with his chappals. DJ had newspaper rolls in his hand which was showered in no less number. Again the football-kicks, which I had initiated on Batak's B'day, were returned back in full favor. But after a few, extremely unmerciful kicks, I finally surrendered.

While I still lay on the ground, Batak had purchased a Baloon-Ball from a local seller. I somehow managed to regather myself.We played Volleyball. The yellow line in the centre of the the road joining the President's House and the India Gate(yes it does.. you din't know that did you?),was made the 'net'. We were divided into 2 teams. The Half-Naked and The Non-Naked(lulzz).

Everybody was dripping with sweat, when 2 policemen called out for us. "Complaint hui hai, kuch bachche udhdhum macha rahe hain", one of them said. While we(still some of us half-naked..) were tackling with him, A chevrolet car had drifted on the road across us at a very high speed almost killing someone.

Luckily, since none of us was on a fag or booze and that they got involved with the car case, we escaped.

3 am in the morning. We were at The Comesum. MnM had adviced, " you could see pretty girls there even at this hour". So we HAD to go. No pretty girls(but the one in purple ;)), not even the complete menu-items available, no entry to 2nd floor. Well Done MnM. Scr*w you again MnM.

After a coffee each, we were off to Kashmere Gate Bus Terminal. You can get yum paranthas even at 4.30 am. "bhaiya achchar nahi hai, makhkhan bhi nahi hai" announced the waiter. Phew.!! Yea, Yea..got Fu**ed up again. It was already 5.30 and after a resentment by some, we(I and MnM) still wangled everyone into agreeing to go to Gurudwara Bangla Sahib.

The panache with which you wash your feet on entering, cover your head, do a parikrama of the Holy Book, watch LIVE fishes maneuver in the open-bathing area, an unparalled aroma,absolutely everything felt so appealing. I haven't ever been to a Gurudwara earlier so I enjoyed the experience even more. After all the hick-ups since the beginning, I was glad tha it came to a reminiscing end.

We reached Back safe and sound..!! All in all It was a sweet Melange of a whole lotta things.


This wasn't obviously an all-perfect outing. Did you also get fixed up in situation full of comedy of errors. Or you planned perfectly?

Feel free to comment and share anything. Also, you can follow me on twitter.

IT'S 'RAINING' MEN...ALLALUIYA....!!

After Batak's Birthday, most of us had returned back home.What awaited us was, A 2-month long vacation.

PS:- That long a break can make your routine go for a toss. For an instance, Now I am sleeping from 5-9 in the morning,1-2 in the afternoon and finally 10-11 at night. I'm turning nocturnal.

Quite evidently now from our 'nature', none of us had planned on doing anything
productive during the break..uhh or rather actually planned on doing nothing.15 days in and we were already craving for a meet-up.Plus, in the scorching heat, none of the earlier meeting plans could have been materialized. Most of the characters in the earlier post couldn't join us as they put up really far.

I had some hostel re-allotment work and therefore now-me(wishy), mikey, DJ and INTRODUCING-Mr. GAPPU, decided to meet up in the college itself. We decided on playing POOL throughout the day and in the evening maybe go to the 'metro walk'. It was ages(more than 75 days..felt like ages), since we had played POOL.

PS:- There was a time when, even if we had an hour free in between lectures, we would rush to chandu's, a nearby pool-parlour. And rush back to the class even more hastily ending up panting in front of the mam who took the DISCRETE STRUCTURES lecture(..a course in our syllabus) .

It was 12 noon.We headed to chandu's-Economically Entertaining. But to our disappointment, it was closed. Mikey carrying his cursed-plan-spoiling(pun intended..) identity, did well here too. Then we went to another, a less known, parlor and it was gleaming open. We played. DJ & Mikey thrashed me & gappu- 8 games to 1.It was sweltering hot and Just now I lost 8-1. Pretty bad.

It was 3 and we were now sitting in the McD's at the metro walk. Some relief surely(winking... ;)).By that, I mean- the ac's were working perfectly. We had almost finished 'eating'. The number of people flocking to this-water-fountain kinda thing outside the McD's, suddenly increased. The weather took a turn and now it was raining cats and dogs.



We rushed outside. While now, the sweet rain had shifted to heavy hail storm and everybody else took a shed but WEeeeeee... THE FANATIC FOUR were dancing(eeaayeahh..imagine), running-forming a relay-train(imagine again..), standing on the benches, performing arm-wrestling on the floor, jumping on the puddle of water like these little kids who would run from their parents while they are still being scolded-JUST to PLAY and get WET(....keeeep imagining).All of this, out in the open.

PS:- We all are or would be turning 20 in a few months.. :D

Next, we took some 'soft' drinks and snacks and climbed(not literally though) to the terrace of a locally well-known multiplex(name-purposely not disclosed). We removed our T's to feel the rain more closely. ALL that was now needed for a remake of the famous scene from Rang De Basanti was.. a jet flying overhead us.We played bowling with some disowned glass 'bottles' lying there aimlessly. I and DJ scored perfectly while Gappu and Mikey missed their shots. It was almost 5 now and we got to know that the RESULT-DCE CEE 2009 was out.

5.15 and we were back in the college to inform some of the students who had appeared for the exam.

PS:- It was still raining swiftly.

We sat in the mech-canteen for another half an hour. While we were still informing the results to some students, the feeling of FUCHCHE AA RAHE HAIN was beginning to crop up and take wings. It was 6 and we decided to leave-Mikey had his swimming , DJ-his gym, Gappu-his dance and me-NOTHING classes', underway.


All in all, It was a great relief from the boring monotonous life in past few weeks.

NEXT FEW POSTS DOWN THE PIPE, MUCH MORE DEBATABLE THOUGH:-

• The Irresponsible Indian Media

• The Women-Reservation Bill

• The Over-Hyped Delhi University

Have YOU got yourself so madly drenched?? Feel free to comment and let me know. Also, you can follow me on twitter.

BATAK KA BUDDAY..!!CHEERZ..!!

The night-out was finally over. We came back tired and 'embraced' our respective beds instantly.

We woke up in the afternoon(reluctantly...ie). It was 22nd May now. DJ, Mikey, Struggler and Sukkha had gone back home. Everybody else stayed back. Things had to be planned for Batak's BASHING(And I DO mean bashing). After all , It was his HAPPY WALA BUDDAY on the 23rd.

Baba briefed me the whole plan. The cake had to be bought on our way back after a GRAND dinner at a nearby restaurant.The 'soft' drinks, snacks etc..,were to be bought well before time.

PS:-

• I(wishy) had to go back home and could only manage to join them at 11 at night,just an HOUR before the PARTY.
• Struggler, Sukkha could not join us for some reason.
• DJ and Mikey too could not come. DJ was too tired and rightly so...and as for Mikey...choddho
• Tiwari was all geared up to avenge the beatings he 'recieved' from Batak on his birthday.

It was 11 at night, when I joined them.1,2,3,4,5,6...no 7...yeap 7 dumbheads, all packed in one car.(Poor MnM, his car really must have got screwed after all the shit. for consecutive days...lol..!!)

All the other six had gone out for dinner as planned, and on their way back, picked me up.

7 namely- me, RP , Baba , C.O.E ,Tiwari, MnM(the very reliable driver..) and Batak himself., reached the hostel at 11.30. "pehla birthday message, fir start kareinge", cautiously informed - Mr.Batak.

NOW the Journey, poor soul Batak...

First,THE PREPARATIONS:-

• Thick newspaper rolls were made to kick his ass off real bad.
• They were dipped in ice-chilled water so that it may hurt exponentially even more.
  
• He wasn't allowed to put on any thick clothing, not even a full-length jeans, just in case he doesn't 'feel' that its his birthday.
• Toothpaste...yeah.. you read it right..toothpaste, OF two variants, the RED one and the MINT one were specially arranged.
• A very strong and grubby color( leftover since Holi..only for this) was also made available.
• And the ever famous thought of LIFT THE Ass-KICK THE Ass (LTA-KTA) was hovering in everyone's 'innocent' minds.

It was 12...or rather it was the first birthday message and as expected, from her.. ;). He cut the cake and WE were off. Batak unsuccessfully TRIED to offer everybody cake and in return, found the cake to be evenly spread all over his face , hairs , neck , clothes..umm ..everywhere.

Now the bashing part. Each of us had a newspaper-roll. Tiwari had two, and both of them made very diligently by, he himself. Heavy shots came from all corners of the room. One after the other and another and one more...and...It went aawwwnnn. I'm sure you would agree with me that, wet rolls of paper when hit with a significant speed does cause PAIN..what say Batak.. ??

Then he was taken in the corridor for THE LTA-KTA. Countless kicks, many of which were craftly manufactured after a short run-up (You would know this; the run-up during a free kick in football. It was pretty much the same except that there WAS no football..) just to intensify the whole act. Poor chap gave in , not soon though , and had to be put down.

Everybody brought their toothpastes(keep wondering how we managed to brush our teeth thereafter..) Batak still lying on the floor was hoping for some respite.

Naah...

he was then covered with a thick alternating layer of the RED and the MINT toothpastes. Again-face, hairs, neck, clothes, everywhere.Then the famous color, I talked about earlier. It was all OVER him.

Then,the snack time- We enjoyed the 'soft' drinks and the potato chips. Played loud muzic, danced and danced even more.

PS:- Batak was also 'bathed ' viciously with the 'soft' drink by RP and MnM.

Finally we reached the roof-top of the hostel and lay down aimlessly.And as I always say, Mawsum was Awesome. The whole sh*t came to an end with me and RP smashing the bottles against the walls. PURE JOY....trust me..!!

PS:-Batak was not able to sit or lie down comfortably the entire night, because of the TREATMENT he just received.

All in all, it was great fun( I'm sure not much for him) and the best birthday of which I, was a part off.

PS:- I know, I know.. My ass is not secure for too long now...!!!

You obviously wished you were here to wash your hands as well..., din't you??
Let me know your comments. Also, you can follow me on twitter.

SHOWDOWN AT SUNDOWN

Before I start , I hope each and every one of you did caste your votes.


Okay, now the more NONSENSE stuff...

21st May, It started off as a very lazy day.The last exam for the semester and we would no longer be a fuchcha. After dragging our as**s through the 3 hrs, we rushed outta exam hall hoping for an exciting day ahead.

The day, indeed, had BEGUN...

We planned a night-out-driving down to MURTHAL, 50km from the city and thereafter deciding WHAT NEXT..!!

10 of us, namely, me(wishy) , DJ, Mikey, Batak , Struggler, Baba , RP, Tiwari , MnM( ie, the more pro-driver.u did a great job too DJ) and Sukkhaa , got our as**s packed in two small-sized cars...and we were off...!!!

PS:- Neither MnM nor DJ had slept for over 48 hrs and still drove 150+ kms...Hats off guyz..!!

Also here, I would liked to mention the fact that it was very difficult for MIKEY to make through the plan courtesy Mikey himself(..I'm still bowing mikey-hail ho..!!). Earlier he had ASKED his parents for a night-out, having a great faith in himself(don't from where DID he bring that..) that they would encouraging him patting his back. They DID..(pause) pat his 'back'(long pause..and pun intended) and the whole thing had to be cancelled.

Anyhow, he did make it through, this time...!! WELL DONE MIKEY. You DID convince your dad effectively...

PS:- I haven't spoken to him regarding his physical and the pyscho status since then....!!

We left at around 10. Driving our way through the heavy traffic and nutcase-truck drivers, we were outta Delhi soon. A signboard reading-HARYANA WELCOMES YOU- flashed right ahead. Thereafter, and surprisingly so, it was an easy drive(..hope I did not undermine you-DJ and MnM..okay..!!). We reached MURTHAL which is rather a cluster of dhaabaa's spread in an area of few kms. 'GULSHAN DHAABAA' was what was advised to us and believe me the paranthas were yum. Pure unsullied white makhkhan, clear thick curd, spicey achchar did the trick.

Before we could realize, it was already 1. We decided to drive back. Throughout the travel, what we did..?? Talk all the cr*p that we could..excerpts:-

1. RP, do let me know SM hai kaun..??


2. Mikey, the nayan tarse collection was good..!!


3. Baba, kyun sukkhe ki leta rehta hai...!!??

NEON-LIT street, Pahargunj, was the next stop..!!(sorry mikey but how couldn't have I written this). We had to literally HUNT the place down.It was 2.30, and enter Struggler "this area is illegal, lets get our as**s outta here before anything happens".... and yeah yeah.. we DID NOT. Although we didn't stay longer, but I must say, the air WAS(stress) unusually pleasant.

PS:- we there only to feel the AIR...!!

We left for INDIA GATE, the final destination.We had just started and MnM's car broke down. Here we were, 10 wanderers,on the wrong side of the road in front of LNJP hospital trying to fix the problem. After a grueling 30 minutes (More for MnM..), we were back on track and running.

Finally, we arrived at the INDIA GATE at 3.30 and it was rather 'empty'. Apart from a few security guards patrolling, the place was hushed. We rested our as**s on a semi-dry yet cool ground, underneath a hub of huuuuge BATS. Yep Bats. None of us had earlier witnessed them, that big. Talking..(again all cr*p), watching FAMILY GUY, trying unsuccessfully to sync our mobile-phones for a muzical relief and still observing those 'creatures', we effortlessly passed nearly 2 hrs. Batak, also tried communicating aankon hi aankhon mein with a street dog...LOL..!!

It was time to return.

Naah, not so easy...

15 mins in.. and M's car broke down again. This time, it demanded a more proffesional treatment. We halted at a mechanic's workshop. 5.30 in the morning and the mech's enthusiasm was fueling a lotta fire in us. The tiredness vanished and everyone hurdled around the mech(as can be seen) to see what's happening. After a refreshing, I should say, 1hr we hit back the road.

After a satisfying(well...eeyeahhh) drive back, we reached the hostel at 6.30 and here ended an absolutely exhilarating experience which would surely and certainly go down in the memory-books of each of us..!!!



THANK YOU EVERYBODY ...!!!!!


Where would you go for a night-out? Comment on the post and let me know. Also, you can follow me on twitter.

SLOWLY BUT SURELY IPL2- A HIT

With the Kolkata Knight Riders juuuust failing to pull-off a crucial super over tie with the Rajasthan Royals, IPL 2 saw what could be easily described as an enthralling T20 match which surely laid the foundation of yet another super successful MODI-VENTURE.

I would also like to congratulate, MR. LALIT MODI..who at the end of the day made possible another mega event amongst a whole lot of hastle and troubles shooting from all corners. With the IPL2 dates clashing with the General Elections in the country( remember, if you are 18+, you have to vote..) there were security concerns for the majority of players in view of the recent terrorist attacks. The security staff and the personnel required during the Elections could not have been compensated for an entertainment episode. So IPL had to be moved out. Many vowed that this time it wouldnt catch and hold onto to enough eyeballs, it did the last time around.

The ever-pouring south-african sky didn't do any good initially. With the weather steadily clearing ever since then, the silver lining shined brightly. The matches starting on schedule and finally going down to wire before one team(and their million supporter..) could actually breathe easy.

The flavor, the excitement, the cheerleaders..it has it all and exponentially better than the last time.

All in all its a gala affair with a treat for everybody who's watching it at their home or even more for the LIVE crowd. And whom am I supporting...MS DHONI

FOR ANY DETAILS, PLEASE VISIT:-
http://www.iplt20.com/

It would be really encouraging if you could comment on the post. A small HI would also do. Also,you can follow me on twitter.

DOT hai toh HOT hai

The General Elections are on its way, in a hope of gathering as many as a BILLION votes,throughout the nation. With the first phase of elections already over in some parts of the country, we saw an encouraging 62% turnout. The people now joining the 'fray' were...yeah THE YOUNGS of the rural INDIA.

The scheduled date for the voting in the DELHI city is 7th May, not too far from today, while most of us,the youngsters again, would be still thinking of rather catching up with our old school buddies (people,whom we actually never talked to, during the 12 years but now,why not!!??) or planning a movie-DATE. Leave out the friends, how about going on a vactaion to a remotest (almost unacquainted..) chaacha's house or more interestingly (....huh) doing an engrossing project only during "the time " which would surely take your career nowhere(you know that too..).

How about IPL 2....??? ALL Ready to travel thousands of miles to watch a match
par vote.... kaun karega yaar...!!!!!

Delhi is popularly known as the dillwaalon ka sheher but voting.., accepting a national call..naa we are toooo busy... Hypocrisy attains a new well-defined dimensions in any metro-city whenever a national duty is bestowed on us.

After few months,the rainy season will commence.And if anyone of us would have to face its adversity, the next day a procession could be seen(blocking the already jammed roads...)in context of the ineffiiciency of the government.

The kids would be ragged, women be molested, crime rate would increase. The roads would look ever so bumpy. The Queues outside a government office would seem ever so long. The life would AGAIN be SOON out of track. And all this...SUDDENLY

And why....???...??

IT WOULD TAKE HARDLY A FEW MINUTES FOR YOU TO CAST YOUR VOTE AND PROVE YOURSELF A RESPONSIBLE CITIZEN. ITS YOUR RIGHT . GRAB IT.
DON'T REMAIN IGNORANT LIKE THE WAY YOU HAVE BEEN TILL NOW, WAKE UP AND VOTE....

kyunki...DOT HAI TOH HOT HAI....