Background : A very dear friend of mine recently could'nt digest a change in our academic schedule. The schedule had to be changed in view of the autumns placements coming up and the idea was to squeeze everything so that students have more time at hand to prepare for their interviews. There were 4 of us who were involved in bringing about the change and advancing a few exams so that we could finish everything well before companies start hitting the campus.
Of course, in doing so the four of us made a simple assumption , the assumption being : Students are unlikely to prefer going to an interview ( one that can potentially could define the shape of their careers) just a day or two after having written their 4th Trimester exams.
The Storyline : This dear friend of mine , who is one of the most soft spoken, nicest and innocent of all my friends was supposed to meet her boyfriend in a couple of days time and everything was well planned out. This gentleman had his leave approved from the top brass of his company after a fair bit of negotiations and this lady had planned everything from studies to friends so as to accomodate some time for themselves. Everything was in place for exams and dates.
The Twist : The schedule was staring at the four of us and was begging to be changed.
To give you an idea - The India divisions of two multi-billion dollar MNC's were slotted on the same day that the exams were supposed to end. So when faced with a difficult choice of asking the companies to come later or changing the academic schedule we chose the latter.
Everything was in place for placements.
The Climax : When plans go haywire especially the ones made you have with your special ones , you are likely to go slightly ballistic. And since I was in close proximity to this friend the first throttle was unleashed at me.
Perfectly understandable.
I did all I could to comfort her. Evidently , it wasn't working then.There was a five minute slight altercation after which both of us got back together .
Some movies leave a lot to open for interpretation by the audience so here's my take on the entire script.
#1: People seldom accept that they cant have the best of everything. They want the best of deals on roads, with people, with grades and with dates. I dont have a problem that they do.
I have a problem when they cant and and have to blame someone/something for it .
#2: Expect,expect ,expect and you have had it! The degree of unrest in one's life is proportionate to what one expects out of it. We attribute some of our failures to chicanery,unfairness in public life and misfortune. My question is why shudn't there be any of these. In life there are no rules for good . Things are meant to be unpredictable and it is better if they are unpredictable . Imagine knowing everything about tumro and a year down the line and planning accordingly.Would be such a mundane thing to know whats coming next.
The element of chance that has made so many lives is what makes many look forward to life everyday.
#3: How much is enough? Its been proved beyond doubt that there is a concept of Diminishing Utility in all that we use and consume. If I take "Time spent with Loved Ones" as a utility realistically speaking .. how much is enough really?
I cant take the argument that its unlimited cos at some point one HAS to get bored of the other.
And sometimes people say to this that "You don't know about it.Its different in our case " .
The fact of the matter is that they cant accept the fact that they are no different.
Having invested so much of time,money and energy in a relationship how can anyone acknowledge that its led to boredom? : D
Sunday, July 24, 2005
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
I am alive!
And my blog works.
Schedule . Its a burden when one has to stick to it. And the Marketing Schedule has been a stinker in the last couple of weeks. And it continues for people who have taken Fin Minor. They have a Mid Term tumro.
Thanks Shweta, for talking.
Will be back soon with a topic to write. : ))
Schedule . Its a burden when one has to stick to it. And the Marketing Schedule has been a stinker in the last couple of weeks. And it continues for people who have taken Fin Minor. They have a Mid Term tumro.
Thanks Shweta, for talking.
Will be back soon with a topic to write. : ))
Monday, July 04, 2005
Damn... I knew it would be difficult
Sis’ marriage.
Dad, you are an absolute gem.
A New Chapter begins for us.
God Willing, I should be back in institute tomorrow by this time.
P.S. : Kerala-the state- You are beautiful but you s**k.
You love it when things don’t move. You thrive on holidays and you are at your best when you have nothing to do.
In my five years of education here , I have seen more hartals, strikes and lockouts than in my other 13 years of educational and professional life elsewhere in India (read U.P.,Rajasthan,Assam,Karnataka and Maharshtra) . I don’t quite get it when for every issue that you want to bring to public notice you have to resort to stoppage of work.
I wonder how they do it in other states in India. On second thoughts I think I know how they do it in other states without disrupting normal public life.
Dad, you are an absolute gem.
A New Chapter begins for us.
God Willing, I should be back in institute tomorrow by this time.
P.S. : Kerala-the state- You are beautiful but you s**k.
You love it when things don’t move. You thrive on holidays and you are at your best when you have nothing to do.
In my five years of education here , I have seen more hartals, strikes and lockouts than in my other 13 years of educational and professional life elsewhere in India (read U.P.,Rajasthan,Assam,Karnataka and Maharshtra) . I don’t quite get it when for every issue that you want to bring to public notice you have to resort to stoppage of work.
I wonder how they do it in other states in India. On second thoughts I think I know how they do it in other states without disrupting normal public life.
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
To a Halt
Life has been blinding fast in Second Year.
Come to think of it life has been blinding fast ever since I was born.
Shillong,Gauhati,Jaipur,Hapur,Ghaziabad,Najibabad,Ghaziabad,Punalur,Trivandrum,Bangalore and now Mumbai have been cities of habitat for atleast one year. As a result we were always shuttling places,homes and schools. Though I used to hate the relocation then , when I come to think of it now I think it was damn exciting and if I were to go it all over again, I would.
And somehow Second Year was a rewind in time if you replace those places with Dome3,Dome 1, NCR1, GW Room,Faculty Block B,Chandan and Bistro. Its been a lil more exciting and refreshing than first year.But its still been a grind.
And finally when I wake up tomorrow ,I wont have to think of any of these cos I am going home. Sis' marriage is gonna be a good break . A break from ambitions, perceptions and illusions of my own ...and others'.
Break in more ways than one. Growing up with someone and then letting go is not easy. And for someone like me who would'nt even let go of his CD's ,Books and Cassettes to anyone its gonna be a lesson in abstinence.
And its gonna be fun to get back home cos the last time I went ,it was for less than 60 hours!
Come to think of it life has been blinding fast ever since I was born.
Shillong,Gauhati,Jaipur,Hapur,Ghaziabad,Najibabad,Ghaziabad,Punalur,Trivandrum,Bangalore and now Mumbai have been cities of habitat for atleast one year. As a result we were always shuttling places,homes and schools. Though I used to hate the relocation then , when I come to think of it now I think it was damn exciting and if I were to go it all over again, I would.
And somehow Second Year was a rewind in time if you replace those places with Dome3,Dome 1, NCR1, GW Room,Faculty Block B,Chandan and Bistro. Its been a lil more exciting and refreshing than first year.But its still been a grind.
And finally when I wake up tomorrow ,I wont have to think of any of these cos I am going home. Sis' marriage is gonna be a good break . A break from ambitions, perceptions and illusions of my own ...and others'.
Break in more ways than one. Growing up with someone and then letting go is not easy. And for someone like me who would'nt even let go of his CD's ,Books and Cassettes to anyone its gonna be a lesson in abstinence.
And its gonna be fun to get back home cos the last time I went ,it was for less than 60 hours!
Friday, June 24, 2005
Spurrrss does it!
And I love it!
After 6 days of waking up in the morning at 8:30 and realizing that it was too late to watch the Game N (where 1<=N <7) of the NBA finals I was finally up in time for Game 7 today . What it did mean though was that I had to relinquish the Consumer Behavior class at 9 in favor of the game. It was'nt a difficult choice to make. A spot survey revealed that most of the guys were yet to wake up thanks to the absolutely gorgeous weather Mumbai has been blessed with in the last few days that keeps snugging you back to your bed.
It also brought back days of college to my mind when it was never too regular to miss class for a good game of NBA or Cricket.
Game 7 for Spurs , unexpectedly rather. They should have closed it in Game 6 having ridden on another of Horry's clutch rippers in Game 5 . The game was rather sober in terms of excitement.Pistons were never in it at any point of time baring maybe a phase in the third quarter.And Duncan made sure he did everything right from assists to rebounds to jump shots.
Just felt great to start a day with an NBA final after a long time! : D
After 6 days of waking up in the morning at 8:30 and realizing that it was too late to watch the Game N (where 1<=N <7) of the NBA finals I was finally up in time for Game 7 today . What it did mean though was that I had to relinquish the Consumer Behavior class at 9 in favor of the game. It was'nt a difficult choice to make. A spot survey revealed that most of the guys were yet to wake up thanks to the absolutely gorgeous weather Mumbai has been blessed with in the last few days that keeps snugging you back to your bed.
It also brought back days of college to my mind when it was never too regular to miss class for a good game of NBA or Cricket.
Game 7 for Spurs , unexpectedly rather. They should have closed it in Game 6 having ridden on another of Horry's clutch rippers in Game 5 . The game was rather sober in terms of excitement.Pistons were never in it at any point of time baring maybe a phase in the third quarter.And Duncan made sure he did everything right from assists to rebounds to jump shots.
Just felt great to start a day with an NBA final after a long time! : D
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
To Bro' ...
Cant recollect who called whom Bro first but it stuck on. And its been like that since quite some time now. The first time I saw him last June ,I found him to be very intense and focussed. Looking down on the ground whenever he walked, with a hunch ,a bag laden on his back sporting a ponytail, his hairlocks became a butt for all the ragging the seniors could unleash on him. He was too grown for some of the things they threw at him yet he walked through it all. Big steps and a cigarette would add to his mysterious demeanour.
Is he serious ? Is he studious? He must paint well, he had an exhibition in Bangalore na? Or is he a wannabe rocker who formed his own rock band that could not stand the test of time? He attracted people. You wanted to go near him but you dint know how he would react.
I was talking about Gallows Pole one day while coming back after one of those long ragging nights. And he overheard me and he started singing the song. Thus began a conversation that has not ended ever since. Another of those conversations ended 5 mins back on the phone yet you keep replaying what you spoke or what you heard ...in your mind.
Bro is like that. You can't let go of him. He would stand in a corner and you would walk up to him. It was good to be in his company.He cracked jokes out of nowhere, he narrated tales like he lived through them, he made you laugh on you. You wanted to be with him and be seen as " I was with him...". He had an aura unmatched by anyone. He stood tall , physically and figuratively.
He lived his life kingsize. Criticism couldn't scathe him , ridicule would'nt touch him and diktats never existed in his life. Often I have looked upto him and asked myself "When would I ever be like him? " . And I bet my head on this that there have been many who have asked themselves the same question. Stylishly fearless and boisterously upbeat about life,was he.
Bro had a close set of friends and he lived for them.I was one among those. And together we went through a lot in the first 3 months.Then things happened. Things that were and were not within our control.And those things that were within our control also started drifting away from us. It was evident.
We kept watching from the stands. Bro , meanwhile , found a new meaning for himself. He tried with all his might to stem the tide. He couldn't .He tried harder. He still couldn't. Nothing was wrong with what was happening.
Life sometimes simply disowns you. If you chase it , it runs away.
It could have fuckin' happened to me , to Rajeev , to Anurag, to Farhan, to Anish. It dint.
It happened to Bro...And today Bro is at crossroads. I shudder to think what goes over his mind when he travels in that train from Andheri to Borivali , sometimes 3 times a day. Bro still laughs , makes us laugh on us and criticism I hope won't scathe him and ridicule I know does'nt touch him. Today ,Bro is fighting the battle of his life and his friends are cheering him from the stands.
Bro , you have been one man all of us have looked up to for a smile , a hug , a pat on the shoulder, a "Go Suchi Go..." .
You've given us reasons to look at life and say " Yes, I love you Life.." ,you have given us times we will carry to our heavens and say with pride " Yes, I was with RB", you have taught us to take shit and say " Yes, I will fight it out" . You are going through this phase cos God wills it. You are the only one in this world who can take this and walk out of it with your head held high. Irrespective of what you decide today , it is a new beginning for you and it holds promises, that only you can fulfil.And all of us are with you all the way...
For us you are the world , Bro .And we love you!
It began that night ,last June and nothing has changed since then, nothing will!
Is he serious ? Is he studious? He must paint well, he had an exhibition in Bangalore na? Or is he a wannabe rocker who formed his own rock band that could not stand the test of time? He attracted people. You wanted to go near him but you dint know how he would react.
I was talking about Gallows Pole one day while coming back after one of those long ragging nights. And he overheard me and he started singing the song. Thus began a conversation that has not ended ever since. Another of those conversations ended 5 mins back on the phone yet you keep replaying what you spoke or what you heard ...in your mind.
Bro is like that. You can't let go of him. He would stand in a corner and you would walk up to him. It was good to be in his company.He cracked jokes out of nowhere, he narrated tales like he lived through them, he made you laugh on you. You wanted to be with him and be seen as " I was with him...". He had an aura unmatched by anyone. He stood tall , physically and figuratively.
He lived his life kingsize. Criticism couldn't scathe him , ridicule would'nt touch him and diktats never existed in his life. Often I have looked upto him and asked myself "When would I ever be like him? " . And I bet my head on this that there have been many who have asked themselves the same question. Stylishly fearless and boisterously upbeat about life,was he.
Bro had a close set of friends and he lived for them.I was one among those. And together we went through a lot in the first 3 months.Then things happened. Things that were and were not within our control.And those things that were within our control also started drifting away from us. It was evident.
We kept watching from the stands. Bro , meanwhile , found a new meaning for himself. He tried with all his might to stem the tide. He couldn't .He tried harder. He still couldn't. Nothing was wrong with what was happening.
Life sometimes simply disowns you. If you chase it , it runs away.
It could have fuckin' happened to me , to Rajeev , to Anurag, to Farhan, to Anish. It dint.
It happened to Bro...And today Bro is at crossroads. I shudder to think what goes over his mind when he travels in that train from Andheri to Borivali , sometimes 3 times a day. Bro still laughs , makes us laugh on us and criticism I hope won't scathe him and ridicule I know does'nt touch him. Today ,Bro is fighting the battle of his life and his friends are cheering him from the stands.
Bro , you have been one man all of us have looked up to for a smile , a hug , a pat on the shoulder, a "Go Suchi Go..." .
You've given us reasons to look at life and say " Yes, I love you Life.." ,you have given us times we will carry to our heavens and say with pride " Yes, I was with RB", you have taught us to take shit and say " Yes, I will fight it out" . You are going through this phase cos God wills it. You are the only one in this world who can take this and walk out of it with your head held high. Irrespective of what you decide today , it is a new beginning for you and it holds promises, that only you can fulfil.And all of us are with you all the way...
For us you are the world , Bro .And we love you!
It began that night ,last June and nothing has changed since then, nothing will!
Sunday, June 12, 2005
A Quick Recap
"Ready to go another night?" , I asked Aranyak , the master craftsman of SPJIMR
" I am ready to go till tumro night" pat came the reply.
This, after a 3 hour stint with an elusive Goddess called Sleep . And in it together were 5 of us at the Boys Hostel.Add to it another 143 of my batchmates in different hostels staying awake in the vicinity of the Bhavan's campus and you know have an assignment that was screwing you left ,right and center.
And it's such a relief now that it got over. I had mentioned in my previous post that the Media Project was gonna take a lot of time. So much so that I knew that it wud be impossible for me to post and now that its over, here I am.
The last four days have been boisterously loud and belligerent. And I am so so happy to be a part of this batch that eggs each other on , that trusts each other and that laughs,weeps and celebrates together.
Moreover not many people get that chance to celebrate with 146 others.. (yes.. Nishant was sleeping) . Try it some day if you can. Its unconventional but its good for your health. : ))
" I am ready to go till tumro night" pat came the reply.
This, after a 3 hour stint with an elusive Goddess called Sleep . And in it together were 5 of us at the Boys Hostel.Add to it another 143 of my batchmates in different hostels staying awake in the vicinity of the Bhavan's campus and you know have an assignment that was screwing you left ,right and center.
And it's such a relief now that it got over. I had mentioned in my previous post that the Media Project was gonna take a lot of time. So much so that I knew that it wud be impossible for me to post and now that its over, here I am.
The last four days have been boisterously loud and belligerent. And I am so so happy to be a part of this batch that eggs each other on , that trusts each other and that laughs,weeps and celebrates together.
Moreover not many people get that chance to celebrate with 146 others.. (yes.. Nishant was sleeping) . Try it some day if you can. Its unconventional but its good for your health. : ))
Thursday, June 02, 2005
Phew!
Two things:
1.Good things happening at too fast a pace .
2.Really having to compromise on my sleep nowadays.
Was a lil grumpy a couple of days back but learning to live with a lot of things-good and bad.
Have already thought what my next post would be but would find hard to find time until next week.
1.Good things happening at too fast a pace .
2.Really having to compromise on my sleep nowadays.
Was a lil grumpy a couple of days back but learning to live with a lot of things-good and bad.
Have already thought what my next post would be but would find hard to find time until next week.
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Phat Phish Records
Its gotta have some intrinsic value ,a deeper connotation , a salvage value of some kind for them to have come out with a music production company named Phat Phish.
Anyway the company has hit it big with Rabbi Shergills' debut album. The company which is promoted by a former Channel V programme director Anand Surarpur and is a classic case of a company making news without any effort of trying to push itself. 2 days ago I would have dismissed Phat Phish as a non-descript endeavor by a miscreant to imitate the sounds of the nocturnal or the underwater.Today I am trying to find what's the company doing with a name like that only to realize that the company does not have a website.
.
But what really got me to write today is the stunning english version of lyrics on that album of the song ' Tere Bin' sung by the man of the moment Rabbi Shergill.
Producing an excerpt from the song:
Besides you my love,
I shant't find another.
Beside you, no one else
shall shade me in the sun.
I found today a note of yours
On which you had scribbled
A Varis Shah couplet.
Upon reading which a teardrop fell.
What was locked in my eyes
was revealed today.
That other than you
these tears of mine,
wont be kissed by none else.
That other than you,
these tears of mine
will wither in the dust.
- Rabbi (2005)
Anyway the company has hit it big with Rabbi Shergills' debut album. The company which is promoted by a former Channel V programme director Anand Surarpur and is a classic case of a company making news without any effort of trying to push itself. 2 days ago I would have dismissed Phat Phish as a non-descript endeavor by a miscreant to imitate the sounds of the nocturnal or the underwater.Today I am trying to find what's the company doing with a name like that only to realize that the company does not have a website.
.
But what really got me to write today is the stunning english version of lyrics on that album of the song ' Tere Bin' sung by the man of the moment Rabbi Shergill.
Producing an excerpt from the song:
Besides you my love,
I shant't find another.
Beside you, no one else
shall shade me in the sun.
I found today a note of yours
On which you had scribbled
A Varis Shah couplet.
Upon reading which a teardrop fell.
What was locked in my eyes
was revealed today.
That other than you
these tears of mine,
wont be kissed by none else.
That other than you,
these tears of mine
will wither in the dust.
- Rabbi (2005)
Saturday, May 21, 2005
Unrest Unjustified?
Its one of those days when you pause and think if you are going where you wanted to go.Coming back to that favorite movie of mine in which Jack Nicholson playing Col. Nathan Jessop menacingly declares :
"Son, we follow orders or people die.Its that simple. " leads me to think what will happen if I don't follow orders ,don't study and don't complete my assignments . Instead? And if I do all of that where do I land finally?Doing what?
Friends around me are talking about company and sector preferences and so am I and compared to most here I have set my priorities (read electives,sectors,specialization et al) right just like everyone else would like to believe! So lets say another year down the line all of us join the company that we want to . And work 9-5 or 5-9 as the case may be and watch movies on weekends or party the hell out and come back to work on Monday. And along the way build a home, buy durables , get a life partner and live your life thinking you have made the most of it and have been successful at that.
I can picture myself doing all of the above and it scares me.
To live my life in anonymity like millions others who save,invest,dine out,sleep,have kids and rot in their living mired by the trappings of a society that encourages survival instincts more than pursuit of excellence is not what I would ever be proud of in my grave.
So what do I do or what does anyone else who is not excited by all of this do ?
I thought of it and the answer unsurprisingly is zip. There must be many who would have thought of this before and been in a similar jam as to what would they should have done. As this is post is already replete with conjectures here's another one. My bet is there would have been two reactions from different sets of people.
One group would have laughed it off. They would have told themselves it is an output of the devil's workshop and that they would be of course happy with their lives post placements.They would be getting a plum post, plummer salaries, travel oppurtunities, plush accomodation and all of that would easily offset anything else that they sacrifice and that all of this would be an excellent ROI on their education thus far.
And what would the other group do?
Slip into oblivion?
Can't hazard a guess on this one because most of the people you get to speak to with belong to the first group .
You should not have free days in B-Schools. Am reminded of a song that was penned by the timeless Dire Straits in 1979 and all I needed to do was to substitute 'girl' in that song with 'life' to sum up what's going on over my mind right now...
"Where do you think you're going
Don't you know it's dark outside
Where do you think you're going
Don't you care about my pride
Where do you think you're going
I think you don't know
You got no way of knowing
You got no place to go
I understand your changes
How long before you reach the door
I know where you think you're going
I know what you came here for
And now I'm sick of joking
You know I like you to be free
Where do you think you're going
I think you'd better go with me, life "
If you ain't with me, life, you're gonna be without me!
"Son, we follow orders or people die.Its that simple. " leads me to think what will happen if I don't follow orders ,don't study and don't complete my assignments . Instead? And if I do all of that where do I land finally?Doing what?
Friends around me are talking about company and sector preferences and so am I and compared to most here I have set my priorities (read electives,sectors,specialization et al) right just like everyone else would like to believe! So lets say another year down the line all of us join the company that we want to . And work 9-5 or 5-9 as the case may be and watch movies on weekends or party the hell out and come back to work on Monday. And along the way build a home, buy durables , get a life partner and live your life thinking you have made the most of it and have been successful at that.
I can picture myself doing all of the above and it scares me.
To live my life in anonymity like millions others who save,invest,dine out,sleep,have kids and rot in their living mired by the trappings of a society that encourages survival instincts more than pursuit of excellence is not what I would ever be proud of in my grave.
So what do I do or what does anyone else who is not excited by all of this do ?
I thought of it and the answer unsurprisingly is zip. There must be many who would have thought of this before and been in a similar jam as to what would they should have done. As this is post is already replete with conjectures here's another one. My bet is there would have been two reactions from different sets of people.
One group would have laughed it off. They would have told themselves it is an output of the devil's workshop and that they would be of course happy with their lives post placements.They would be getting a plum post, plummer salaries, travel oppurtunities, plush accomodation and all of that would easily offset anything else that they sacrifice and that all of this would be an excellent ROI on their education thus far.
And what would the other group do?
Slip into oblivion?
Can't hazard a guess on this one because most of the people you get to speak to with belong to the first group .
You should not have free days in B-Schools. Am reminded of a song that was penned by the timeless Dire Straits in 1979 and all I needed to do was to substitute 'girl' in that song with 'life' to sum up what's going on over my mind right now...
"Where do you think you're going
Don't you know it's dark outside
Where do you think you're going
Don't you care about my pride
Where do you think you're going
I think you don't know
You got no way of knowing
You got no place to go
I understand your changes
How long before you reach the door
I know where you think you're going
I know what you came here for
And now I'm sick of joking
You know I like you to be free
Where do you think you're going
I think you'd better go with me, life "
If you ain't with me, life, you're gonna be without me!
Monday, May 16, 2005
Damn!
Finops was 5 runs close of pushing us into the finals and they could'nt.A truly wonderful end to the last of the league matches. The finals would be between Finops and IM.
Sunday, May 15, 2005
Hands Full
Aakraman,Placom-2,Admap Report , Dada and the Marketing Project. I literally have my hands full.And as always only one among the above 5 listed are academic . ; ))
Having a whale of a time in the second year.DoCC was good but was missing the hecticskedasticity of SPJIMR and while others here think I am mad to say this but given a choice betweek 6 weeks at DoCC again and SPJIMR I would choose my institute any day of the week and twice over on a Sunday.
Just played IM in the second round robin game and couldnt pull off a win.We have played 4 games thus far with 2 wins and 2 losses. Fair result. We have beaten both the teams on the basis of simple good old classy cricket.Finops play IM tomorrow .If they win we move into the finals and there is the hitch. I know for a fact that Finops is much more wary of us as a team than IM and even in the match that we lost by 8 runs they were more relieved than happy to win the game. We had freaking caught them by the scruff of their neck and wrung them badly until the last three overs.So it could be touch and go tumro. We are a lil short of ability when compared to both the teams but we more than make up for it by just being there in the field.
Cant wait to get back right there in the middle.I want one more shot at Finops and I want it this Thursday in the Finals!
Having a whale of a time in the second year.DoCC was good but was missing the hecticskedasticity of SPJIMR and while others here think I am mad to say this but given a choice betweek 6 weeks at DoCC again and SPJIMR I would choose my institute any day of the week and twice over on a Sunday.
Just played IM in the second round robin game and couldnt pull off a win.We have played 4 games thus far with 2 wins and 2 losses. Fair result. We have beaten both the teams on the basis of simple good old classy cricket.Finops play IM tomorrow .If they win we move into the finals and there is the hitch. I know for a fact that Finops is much more wary of us as a team than IM and even in the match that we lost by 8 runs they were more relieved than happy to win the game. We had freaking caught them by the scruff of their neck and wrung them badly until the last three overs.So it could be touch and go tumro. We are a lil short of ability when compared to both the teams but we more than make up for it by just being there in the field.
Cant wait to get back right there in the middle.I want one more shot at Finops and I want it this Thursday in the Finals!
Thursday, April 28, 2005
Evening Samosas
It is one hell of a sexy evening in Delhi and since my DoCC report is nowhere remotely close to a point of completion I am at Cyril’s home listening to FM (the radio for Christ’s sake and not my favorite subject : D ) and thinking about what should go in the report.
I had experienced it before and it still holds true. If it rains on an evening in Delhi and you happen to be in the city you should thank your lucky stars cos it’s the best life can offer you on earth. It’s got a very earthy feel but it makes you believe heaven must be similar. And since typing a sad report wasn’t exactly my way of spending an evening like this I ventured out for a walk.
The drizzle, the breeze and the wet road! Truly truly romantic. Kinda wished someone were close and then shut it out. Couldn’t boil down that someone to one person ;)).
So what better way to spend an evening like today’s than devouring a couple of Samosas? My destination became the nearest sweet store and while I was feasting on them with a 7-Up in hand, a teenaged guy walked into the store and bought ten eggs. And suddenly I was taken back to my days in Ghaziabad when I used to buy Samosas by the dozens on such evenings and the entire family would sit at the dining table and wipe the plates so clean that they required no Scotch Brite.Hero, my dog would add to the fun by running around the table and end up not having dinner for a couple of days after such a feast.
Damn man... I was missing home! I have been in and out of home since the last 5 years and the last two years have been particularly bad in this regard. My calculation tells me in the last two years since May 2003 I would not have spent more than 30 days at home. Worse than an Army Officer maybe. The Samosas unexpectedly lost their punch and the 7-Up was no longer keeping me cool.
And then another guy walked in. This time a working executive on his way back from office- it appeared from his formal dressing. And he ordered – “Bhaiyya ek Samosa pack kar dena”.
“Life’s not bad”, I said to myself .And I smiled. The spicy punch in the Samosas was back.
I had experienced it before and it still holds true. If it rains on an evening in Delhi and you happen to be in the city you should thank your lucky stars cos it’s the best life can offer you on earth. It’s got a very earthy feel but it makes you believe heaven must be similar. And since typing a sad report wasn’t exactly my way of spending an evening like this I ventured out for a walk.
The drizzle, the breeze and the wet road! Truly truly romantic. Kinda wished someone were close and then shut it out. Couldn’t boil down that someone to one person ;)).
So what better way to spend an evening like today’s than devouring a couple of Samosas? My destination became the nearest sweet store and while I was feasting on them with a 7-Up in hand, a teenaged guy walked into the store and bought ten eggs. And suddenly I was taken back to my days in Ghaziabad when I used to buy Samosas by the dozens on such evenings and the entire family would sit at the dining table and wipe the plates so clean that they required no Scotch Brite.Hero, my dog would add to the fun by running around the table and end up not having dinner for a couple of days after such a feast.
Damn man... I was missing home! I have been in and out of home since the last 5 years and the last two years have been particularly bad in this regard. My calculation tells me in the last two years since May 2003 I would not have spent more than 30 days at home. Worse than an Army Officer maybe. The Samosas unexpectedly lost their punch and the 7-Up was no longer keeping me cool.
And then another guy walked in. This time a working executive on his way back from office- it appeared from his formal dressing. And he ordered – “Bhaiyya ek Samosa pack kar dena”.
“Life’s not bad”, I said to myself .And I smiled. The spicy punch in the Samosas was back.
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
Silent Valley
I grew up listening to stories of Kashmir at home. Words like Insurgency, militant occupation, the Hurriyat, Kargil, Nuclear tests, Benazir Bhutto, Nawaz Sharif used to be buzzwords in conversations over coffee and dinner ever since I remember. They used to resonate in the drawing rooms of the houses I stayed in because Dad always took a keen interest in the happenings of that region .He used to be very vocal in discussions with his friends and relatives and for me Dad gradually became the symbol of the Great Indian Middle Class.
The Great Indian Middle Class (GIMC for purposes of this post) is the group that rules in India yet suffers the most. This group can unsettle politicians and cricketers alike. They are simple people, pay taxes regularly and more importantly stay away from ‘jhamelas’. In essence they follow the simple “Live and Let Live” policy in letter and spirit. And probably that’s why every time Dad heard of a bomb blast at Anantnag or Srinagar he would be a little disturbed. And this class can only think, talk, hope and pray that things be peaceful. They are found in the “Letters to the Editor”, on television chat shows and in drawing room discussions in homes like yours truly. And lemme also add they are the people who can rattle Indira Gandhi at her peak and more than two decades down the line allow her daughter-in-law to rule our nation when every opinion poll in the country thought otherwise.
Around 2000 Vikram Chandra (of NDTV) wrote a book called “The Srinagar Conspiracy” and we bought it. That made things easier for me to understand. The author had used a fictional plot to sketch Kashmir’s history and since then even I began to follow the saga called Kashmir in papers and news magazines. Soon I read my second book on Kashmir “A Soldier’s Diary”, an account of the Kargil War by Harinder Baweja, an India Today journalist and sooner than I realized I became the partner for Dad to discuss our country’s politicians tryst with Kashmir. I was glad at the promotion from a bystander to a participant in those discussions.
And then I left home in 2003 and whenever I went back home for a week or so we never found an opportunity to talk Kashmir. Things were relatively peaceful in the last couple of years compared to the tumultuous years before. However I and Dad did watch the results of the historic elections in J&K together and that was the last we spoke on Kashmir I guess.
And today a bus carrying 21 passengers from Srinagar and 29 passengers from Muzaffarabad set forth to Muzaffarabad and Srinagar respectively. The event was telecast live on all Indian news channels and since I had to work on my presentation I was at home fortunate enough to see the passengers from either side of the Loc across a Bridge painted in white at Salamabad. A truly momentous occasion cos for some for some of the passengers this was a trip after 57 years of separation. The two passengers from Pakistan who knelt and kissed the Indian soil symbolized the very fact that all this while this piece of land on the other side of the bridge had remained elusive for reasons unknown to themselves and their friends, relatives and acquaintances on either side of bone of contention called Line of Control.
Separation must have hurt some of those passengers. And when they heard of this bus service they would have thought - “You never know when either India or Pakistan would condemn each other and would call this off. Let’s book a ticket anyway. I might catch a glimpse of some of my nephews who have grown up to be grandfathers since I saw them last or (did I?)”
And so a handful of people on either side of the divide booked tickets and on our side we even had a hotel booked on the eve of the departure of bus for the tourists. And then some people for the cause of ‘freedom’ chose to bomb those very people whose cause they were purportedly furthering. Of course they thought in a minute would come the condemnation by India and the rebuttal by Pakistan and the engines of those two buses that were scheduled to leave the next morning at 11 from Srinagar and Muzaffarabad would remain cold forever.
So the Great India Middle Class again thought and talked and asked.
“Would the bus service go ahead?”
And a gentleman voted recently as the best parliamentarian ordered his men.
“Aye”
And a general from the other end reverberated. And so did his Deputy in between the border.
“Aye”
And the passengers on either side of the border said
“Aye”
And finally they arrived. They met their long lost brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces, uncles and aunties and wives (Okie that’s a metaphor!) and they celebrated.
And the GIMC celebrated too by thinking, talking and writing to the editors.They don’t get enough reasons anyway to do all of that with a smile on their faces.
The last I heard from my sister was that Dad was on phone talking about it and watching every news channel of every fathomable regional language.
The Great Indian Middle Class (GIMC for purposes of this post) is the group that rules in India yet suffers the most. This group can unsettle politicians and cricketers alike. They are simple people, pay taxes regularly and more importantly stay away from ‘jhamelas’. In essence they follow the simple “Live and Let Live” policy in letter and spirit. And probably that’s why every time Dad heard of a bomb blast at Anantnag or Srinagar he would be a little disturbed. And this class can only think, talk, hope and pray that things be peaceful. They are found in the “Letters to the Editor”, on television chat shows and in drawing room discussions in homes like yours truly. And lemme also add they are the people who can rattle Indira Gandhi at her peak and more than two decades down the line allow her daughter-in-law to rule our nation when every opinion poll in the country thought otherwise.
Around 2000 Vikram Chandra (of NDTV) wrote a book called “The Srinagar Conspiracy” and we bought it. That made things easier for me to understand. The author had used a fictional plot to sketch Kashmir’s history and since then even I began to follow the saga called Kashmir in papers and news magazines. Soon I read my second book on Kashmir “A Soldier’s Diary”, an account of the Kargil War by Harinder Baweja, an India Today journalist and sooner than I realized I became the partner for Dad to discuss our country’s politicians tryst with Kashmir. I was glad at the promotion from a bystander to a participant in those discussions.
And then I left home in 2003 and whenever I went back home for a week or so we never found an opportunity to talk Kashmir. Things were relatively peaceful in the last couple of years compared to the tumultuous years before. However I and Dad did watch the results of the historic elections in J&K together and that was the last we spoke on Kashmir I guess.
And today a bus carrying 21 passengers from Srinagar and 29 passengers from Muzaffarabad set forth to Muzaffarabad and Srinagar respectively. The event was telecast live on all Indian news channels and since I had to work on my presentation I was at home fortunate enough to see the passengers from either side of the Loc across a Bridge painted in white at Salamabad. A truly momentous occasion cos for some for some of the passengers this was a trip after 57 years of separation. The two passengers from Pakistan who knelt and kissed the Indian soil symbolized the very fact that all this while this piece of land on the other side of the bridge had remained elusive for reasons unknown to themselves and their friends, relatives and acquaintances on either side of bone of contention called Line of Control.
Separation must have hurt some of those passengers. And when they heard of this bus service they would have thought - “You never know when either India or Pakistan would condemn each other and would call this off. Let’s book a ticket anyway. I might catch a glimpse of some of my nephews who have grown up to be grandfathers since I saw them last or (did I?)”
And so a handful of people on either side of the divide booked tickets and on our side we even had a hotel booked on the eve of the departure of bus for the tourists. And then some people for the cause of ‘freedom’ chose to bomb those very people whose cause they were purportedly furthering. Of course they thought in a minute would come the condemnation by India and the rebuttal by Pakistan and the engines of those two buses that were scheduled to leave the next morning at 11 from Srinagar and Muzaffarabad would remain cold forever.
So the Great India Middle Class again thought and talked and asked.
“Would the bus service go ahead?”
And a gentleman voted recently as the best parliamentarian ordered his men.
“Aye”
And a general from the other end reverberated. And so did his Deputy in between the border.
“Aye”
And the passengers on either side of the border said
“Aye”
And finally they arrived. They met their long lost brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces, uncles and aunties and wives (Okie that’s a metaphor!) and they celebrated.
And the GIMC celebrated too by thinking, talking and writing to the editors.They don’t get enough reasons anyway to do all of that with a smile on their faces.
The last I heard from my sister was that Dad was on phone talking about it and watching every news channel of every fathomable regional language.
Wednesday, April 06, 2005
Summer of '98
Preface: This post is dedicated to the storm that unleashed its fury while I and Gaurav were cycling on our way back after our evening net practice and the cell diagram that I and Jaydeep drew as a part of our Biology internal exam for our standard X Boards. It’s also dedicated to the ‘Versatile’ Vijay, the computer geek called Ajith and a lady who can play my mother, sister and girlfriend all through my life-Ritika. Ritika is studying hard for her CA exams and I would not be able to refer anything about her without exceeding permissible lengths of writing on a single post hence this post will be restricted to the first two names listed above.
Prologue: All the proper nouns in the paragraph above are those of my friends during the summer of ’98. We had shifted to Ghaziabad in 1996 and I was admitted to the eighth standard in St. Mary’s School, the best school of that district. A district that was more popular for the exploits of its law breakers than anything else. This was the 3rd school that I was studying in that particular year and I decline to comment now the circumstances that led to me being the Rolling Stone for that year. It was in that very year of 1996 that I first spoke to each of these guys.
April 2nd, 2005: Nine years down the line I found myself walking on the same streets with Jaydeep and Gaurav, sitting on the same cycles that we used to race with, eating Aloo Ki Tikki and sipping ‘Chuski’ at the same Chaat Center, still talking about Sachin’s batting and wondering how on earth Deepti Dutta turned mother at the age of 22.
Deepti Dutta was then popularly referred to as “Metro”- a pun on her initials D.D. And the reasons for her popularity well…. I guess it should just suffice to say that she was my first crush in that school. Deepti’s marriage was something that I had laughed off when Gaurav told me in a mail about it but her becoming a Mom did catch me numb for a couple of minutes.
This was a snippet of the weekend that just went by here in Delhi. Had been to Ghaziabad after four years and I realized that some things just don’t change in life and you feel good when they don’t. It was one of those days when you want to thank your Lord for giving you friends who seldom “keep in touch” but don’t let you drown in the crowd, friends who argue with venom and compete with disdain and yet at the end of the day share that all of them did have a soft corner for “Metro” in the same good old Chaat Center called “Husband and Wife”.
Some things just don’t freakin’ change!
Gaurav is still the sophisticated simpleton while Jaydeep is still the firebrand aggressor. And I still play the moderator in the debates on the streets. When I left Ghaziabad on a sunny morning in the summer of 1998 Jaydeep, Gaurav and Vijay were at the door of my house at 7 in the morning to see me off. Gaurav had bought me a copy of “The Art of Fast Bowling” by Dennis Lillee as a souvenir for the trips that both of us had undertaken to parts of U.P. like Guldher, Sanjay Nagar,Roorkee,Muzzafarnagar and numerous other obscure places for playing cricket matches. I remember seeing all three of them in tears that day and I was moist eyed myself. It scared me to think what if I never see them again. And today as I write this I can only thank my Lord for blessing me with their presence in my life cos even today I am a lil scared of never being able to see them again in the rush of this mad mad world.
But for now I am only wondering how to convince them that my cricketing skills haven’t eroded in the last nine years. They seem to think otherwise after a couple of matches we played this last weekend on the same street that I used to rule as a champion.
Why do some things have to change?
Epilogue: Jack Nicholson in the movie “A Few Good Men”- “Wanna tell you something and listen up cos I really mean this .There is nothing sexier on this earth, believe me gentlemen, than a woman that you have to salute in the morning. Promote ‘em all, I say cos this is true. If you haven’t got a b*****b by a superior officer you are just letting the best in life pass you by. ”
Issac M. John in the post “Summer of ’98”- “Wanna tell you something and listen up cos I know this. There is nothing more precious on this earth believe me ladies and gentlemen, than your friends you have grown up with. Never leave them, I say cos this is true. If you haven’t come back with your decade-long friends on the same streets you used to once cycle with your childhood sweetheart with a ‘Chuski’ in hand you are just letting the best in life pass you by. ”
Prologue: All the proper nouns in the paragraph above are those of my friends during the summer of ’98. We had shifted to Ghaziabad in 1996 and I was admitted to the eighth standard in St. Mary’s School, the best school of that district. A district that was more popular for the exploits of its law breakers than anything else. This was the 3rd school that I was studying in that particular year and I decline to comment now the circumstances that led to me being the Rolling Stone for that year. It was in that very year of 1996 that I first spoke to each of these guys.
April 2nd, 2005: Nine years down the line I found myself walking on the same streets with Jaydeep and Gaurav, sitting on the same cycles that we used to race with, eating Aloo Ki Tikki and sipping ‘Chuski’ at the same Chaat Center, still talking about Sachin’s batting and wondering how on earth Deepti Dutta turned mother at the age of 22.
Deepti Dutta was then popularly referred to as “Metro”- a pun on her initials D.D. And the reasons for her popularity well…. I guess it should just suffice to say that she was my first crush in that school. Deepti’s marriage was something that I had laughed off when Gaurav told me in a mail about it but her becoming a Mom did catch me numb for a couple of minutes.
This was a snippet of the weekend that just went by here in Delhi. Had been to Ghaziabad after four years and I realized that some things just don’t change in life and you feel good when they don’t. It was one of those days when you want to thank your Lord for giving you friends who seldom “keep in touch” but don’t let you drown in the crowd, friends who argue with venom and compete with disdain and yet at the end of the day share that all of them did have a soft corner for “Metro” in the same good old Chaat Center called “Husband and Wife”.
Some things just don’t freakin’ change!
Gaurav is still the sophisticated simpleton while Jaydeep is still the firebrand aggressor. And I still play the moderator in the debates on the streets. When I left Ghaziabad on a sunny morning in the summer of 1998 Jaydeep, Gaurav and Vijay were at the door of my house at 7 in the morning to see me off. Gaurav had bought me a copy of “The Art of Fast Bowling” by Dennis Lillee as a souvenir for the trips that both of us had undertaken to parts of U.P. like Guldher, Sanjay Nagar,Roorkee,Muzzafarnagar and numerous other obscure places for playing cricket matches. I remember seeing all three of them in tears that day and I was moist eyed myself. It scared me to think what if I never see them again. And today as I write this I can only thank my Lord for blessing me with their presence in my life cos even today I am a lil scared of never being able to see them again in the rush of this mad mad world.
But for now I am only wondering how to convince them that my cricketing skills haven’t eroded in the last nine years. They seem to think otherwise after a couple of matches we played this last weekend on the same street that I used to rule as a champion.
Why do some things have to change?
Epilogue: Jack Nicholson in the movie “A Few Good Men”- “Wanna tell you something and listen up cos I really mean this .There is nothing sexier on this earth, believe me gentlemen, than a woman that you have to salute in the morning. Promote ‘em all, I say cos this is true. If you haven’t got a b*****b by a superior officer you are just letting the best in life pass you by. ”
Issac M. John in the post “Summer of ’98”- “Wanna tell you something and listen up cos I know this. There is nothing more precious on this earth believe me ladies and gentlemen, than your friends you have grown up with. Never leave them, I say cos this is true. If you haven’t come back with your decade-long friends on the same streets you used to once cycle with your childhood sweetheart with a ‘Chuski’ in hand you are just letting the best in life pass you by. ”
Wednesday, March 30, 2005
Delhi Tides
Finally I get to blog once again.
Now an IBM R50 does not come with a FDD or a CDRW so what it implies is that unless I have a detachable USB memory device I would be left stranded to decide as to how the hell can I transfer a document from my dearest, cutest, sweetest, nicest lappie to another comp in the Cyber Café. And since I am staying at a friend’s place here in Delhi hogging all the way from dawn to dusk asking my hosts to pay the phone bill for my sojourns on the net is the something that does not appeal to my senses yet. But today I found a Cyber Café the owner of whose has configured my lappie to his LAN and here I am.
Friends, Indians, Countrymen today I intend to speak about a very delicate topic. Its sensitivity cannot be exaggerated and its importance in the life of a fledgling MBA professional is paramount. It’s a topic very close to my heart and lemme at the very outset tell you all that I have attained a high degree of skill in this trade that I will touch upon very shortly.
It is a skill that I shall try and map on a scale called the “Bated Breath” Index. And what brings me to speak on this is the experience of a lifetime. Well simply put what I am referring to here is the skill of waiting for someone or something to arrive. And to further simplify things the lower you are on the “Bated Breath” Index the more proficient you are in waiting .The waiting could be for a phone call that does not arrive even after a dozen messages or a date who is yet to show up but the movie has begun and the sherpa at the hall lets you know that “Agla show to do ghante baad hai Shaaphji”. It could be also be for the IAS official who has to sign his name on a paper and is not in office even after confirming his presence.
.
As you would have guessed by now few skills help you across IAS officials and Girlfriends alike and hence the significance to know how to score as low as possible on the “Bated Breath” Index. Scoring low on the Index lets you relax, tells you how to be not restless even if you have to wait from dawn to dusk. It just lets you go to the loo when you have to and not every now and then simply becos it is an activity that kills the waiting time.
I recently had the distinction (dubious if you like) of having the “Shortest First Day at DoCC” in SPJIMR history. And that’s exactly when the genesis of this post took place. The waiting time that day was two hours and five minutes to be precise. I was there at the headquarters of an NGO called Prayas at 9:25 a.m. and was sitting rooted in a chair at the reception till 11:30 a.m. expecting a certain Ms. Anupama to grace the office.
And this was again only one of the many occasions when I have displayed utmost skill in waiting with as less of a bated breath as possible. And at this moment of time I feel competent enough to pen a few tips to score as low as possible on the famed Bated Breath Index.
1.) Carry a bag always: You can carry something to eat and read. Though eating might not always be acceptable yet some situations give you a room to yourself as was the case when I went to meet an IPS officer in Mumbai for a signature on a certain verification form. This was the longest I had to wait for anyone and I luckily had a few cakes and an Aquafina in my bag. I could not have left the room for a second lest the officer come, pick his tiffin box and leave.Oh yeah I had made a rapport with a peon and was told that “Saab tiffin box chhod ke gaye hain.Waapas aayenge”. Flimsy as it might sound now at that point of time such bits of information from reliable sources offer a new lease of life and hope
2.) It might be prudent if you are stationed in a vocation that does require you to wait more than others (let’s assume you have an outsourcing firm that provides services like “Making getting signatures from Bureaucrats Easy”) to have a mobile service provider that allows you free outgoing SMS’s.
3.) I would also recommend not carrying anything to drink cos no matter whatever the office be it will always have a good source of water. After all bureaucrats need to drink pure water and stay healthy more than others.
4.) Read all instructions written everywhere on the walls. I have an interesting tale to narrate in this regard.
Having got bored of waiting for too long in the room that I just mentioned above I decided to go to the loo. This was less of a time killing tactic and more of a necessity. There was another gentleman in a creamy Safari Suit at the wash basin where I began a customary routine of washing my hands and no sooner than I had picked up the soap that he shot a stern glance at me.
“Sorry Sir, I dint know it was your soap”, I said.
The gentleman continued his glare almost to suggest that I was the underground criminal who had murdered his daughter. And while I was wondering vulnerably looking at him as to what could allay his apprehension of some infected human having spoiled his unadulterated soap he finally spoke after what seemed an eternity.
“Did you not read the instructions on the door” a gruff voice boomed.
Now I have been to many loos before. And afaik restrooms/toilets/loos whatever you call them seldom had instructions on the door. They sure did have a figure resembling a bald man or a girl who had her hair in two knots. This restroom did not have these pictures but I was sure I had entered the one that said “He”. Further proof of the same was the presence of this man himself under the same roof as I. So what the heck was wrong?
I spent the next two seconds mumbling something in the nature of “No Sir, I did not read anything.”
“Its written in pure Marathi and you couldn’t even read that”. The venom in his voice was growing by the word.
Damn. How was I supposed to know that the two sentences I did see indeed on the door of the restroom were instructions and not endorsement one liners in Marathi for 502 Pataaka Beedi?
“This is meant only for employees here.” Oracle spoke again.
I was just glad it was not the issue with the Soap and walked out sheepishly.
5.) And probably the most relevant .Always let the other person know through a call that you are coming. Regardless of whether you still find him there or not it’s important to let him know if you can.
Punctuality is something that I have learnt from my Dad. To the minute. And I can say with a fair bit of pride that I have inherited that trait of his to the T. But as Anurag has said in his blog just like the best of babes roam with the shittiest of guys, the most punctual of us stand outside the bureaucrats offices.
Happy Waiting!
Now an IBM R50 does not come with a FDD or a CDRW so what it implies is that unless I have a detachable USB memory device I would be left stranded to decide as to how the hell can I transfer a document from my dearest, cutest, sweetest, nicest lappie to another comp in the Cyber Café. And since I am staying at a friend’s place here in Delhi hogging all the way from dawn to dusk asking my hosts to pay the phone bill for my sojourns on the net is the something that does not appeal to my senses yet. But today I found a Cyber Café the owner of whose has configured my lappie to his LAN and here I am.
Friends, Indians, Countrymen today I intend to speak about a very delicate topic. Its sensitivity cannot be exaggerated and its importance in the life of a fledgling MBA professional is paramount. It’s a topic very close to my heart and lemme at the very outset tell you all that I have attained a high degree of skill in this trade that I will touch upon very shortly.
It is a skill that I shall try and map on a scale called the “Bated Breath” Index. And what brings me to speak on this is the experience of a lifetime. Well simply put what I am referring to here is the skill of waiting for someone or something to arrive. And to further simplify things the lower you are on the “Bated Breath” Index the more proficient you are in waiting .The waiting could be for a phone call that does not arrive even after a dozen messages or a date who is yet to show up but the movie has begun and the sherpa at the hall lets you know that “Agla show to do ghante baad hai Shaaphji”. It could be also be for the IAS official who has to sign his name on a paper and is not in office even after confirming his presence.
.
As you would have guessed by now few skills help you across IAS officials and Girlfriends alike and hence the significance to know how to score as low as possible on the “Bated Breath” Index. Scoring low on the Index lets you relax, tells you how to be not restless even if you have to wait from dawn to dusk. It just lets you go to the loo when you have to and not every now and then simply becos it is an activity that kills the waiting time.
I recently had the distinction (dubious if you like) of having the “Shortest First Day at DoCC” in SPJIMR history. And that’s exactly when the genesis of this post took place. The waiting time that day was two hours and five minutes to be precise. I was there at the headquarters of an NGO called Prayas at 9:25 a.m. and was sitting rooted in a chair at the reception till 11:30 a.m. expecting a certain Ms. Anupama to grace the office.
And this was again only one of the many occasions when I have displayed utmost skill in waiting with as less of a bated breath as possible. And at this moment of time I feel competent enough to pen a few tips to score as low as possible on the famed Bated Breath Index.
1.) Carry a bag always: You can carry something to eat and read. Though eating might not always be acceptable yet some situations give you a room to yourself as was the case when I went to meet an IPS officer in Mumbai for a signature on a certain verification form. This was the longest I had to wait for anyone and I luckily had a few cakes and an Aquafina in my bag. I could not have left the room for a second lest the officer come, pick his tiffin box and leave.Oh yeah I had made a rapport with a peon and was told that “Saab tiffin box chhod ke gaye hain.Waapas aayenge”. Flimsy as it might sound now at that point of time such bits of information from reliable sources offer a new lease of life and hope
2.) It might be prudent if you are stationed in a vocation that does require you to wait more than others (let’s assume you have an outsourcing firm that provides services like “Making getting signatures from Bureaucrats Easy”) to have a mobile service provider that allows you free outgoing SMS’s.
3.) I would also recommend not carrying anything to drink cos no matter whatever the office be it will always have a good source of water. After all bureaucrats need to drink pure water and stay healthy more than others.
4.) Read all instructions written everywhere on the walls. I have an interesting tale to narrate in this regard.
Having got bored of waiting for too long in the room that I just mentioned above I decided to go to the loo. This was less of a time killing tactic and more of a necessity. There was another gentleman in a creamy Safari Suit at the wash basin where I began a customary routine of washing my hands and no sooner than I had picked up the soap that he shot a stern glance at me.
“Sorry Sir, I dint know it was your soap”, I said.
The gentleman continued his glare almost to suggest that I was the underground criminal who had murdered his daughter. And while I was wondering vulnerably looking at him as to what could allay his apprehension of some infected human having spoiled his unadulterated soap he finally spoke after what seemed an eternity.
“Did you not read the instructions on the door” a gruff voice boomed.
Now I have been to many loos before. And afaik restrooms/toilets/loos whatever you call them seldom had instructions on the door. They sure did have a figure resembling a bald man or a girl who had her hair in two knots. This restroom did not have these pictures but I was sure I had entered the one that said “He”. Further proof of the same was the presence of this man himself under the same roof as I. So what the heck was wrong?
I spent the next two seconds mumbling something in the nature of “No Sir, I did not read anything.”
“Its written in pure Marathi and you couldn’t even read that”. The venom in his voice was growing by the word.
Damn. How was I supposed to know that the two sentences I did see indeed on the door of the restroom were instructions and not endorsement one liners in Marathi for 502 Pataaka Beedi?
“This is meant only for employees here.” Oracle spoke again.
I was just glad it was not the issue with the Soap and walked out sheepishly.
5.) And probably the most relevant .Always let the other person know through a call that you are coming. Regardless of whether you still find him there or not it’s important to let him know if you can.
Punctuality is something that I have learnt from my Dad. To the minute. And I can say with a fair bit of pride that I have inherited that trait of his to the T. But as Anurag has said in his blog just like the best of babes roam with the shittiest of guys, the most punctual of us stand outside the bureaucrats offices.
Happy Waiting!
Friday, March 18, 2005
In and Out!
"Jeez ....Comprees are over and I am finally home" I said to myself on the doorstep of my home on 15th night.
They say Heavens are hard to reach
They say Heavens are nice to be in
They say Heavens are meant for good people
Well I say ... Heaven must be a home.
Drat!!!!
Chuck the poet in you Issac .Its not even there for that matter.
48 hours later : A very short and sweet stint at home.Too short maybe.
Out of SP Jain and still on the move.
Off to Delhi tumro for a DoCC Project .
Woooohoooooooo!!!!
They say Heavens are hard to reach
They say Heavens are nice to be in
They say Heavens are meant for good people
Well I say ... Heaven must be a home.
Drat!!!!
Chuck the poet in you Issac .Its not even there for that matter.
48 hours later : A very short and sweet stint at home.Too short maybe.
Out of SP Jain and still on the move.
Off to Delhi tumro for a DoCC Project .
Woooohoooooooo!!!!
Monday, March 07, 2005
Heavy Heavy Fuel
1st March, 6:40 p.m. -Started FM Preparation for End Term
2nd March, 4:40 a.m-Done with FM.Off to sleep. Unprepared as ever.
2nd March,8:00 a.m.- Alarm rings.Preparation for FM End Term Second Phase.
2nd March, 10:25 a.m.-At the exam venue. Cool as ever
2nd March,12:40 p.m. - Exam over. Shitty as ever.
Phew ...that ended 4 tortuous days of exams coming in the midst of an onslaught of assignments and group works.And the first thing that comes to my mind after the exam is my bed.That beautiful furniture that stays littered with - as I see now a water bottle,a Prasanna Chandra piled over 4 past issues of Cricinfo, a couple of blank CD's (strictly not for what way Naina thinks boys use blank CD's for),a laptop bag, a pair of jeans and a cell and a laptop charger. Time to run to the hostel,order a plate of Schzewan Noodles and sleep like there's no tomorrow.
2nd March, 1:20 p.m-In my hostel room all set to fulfil my ruminations
2nd March,1:40 p.m. "Lets go out for lunch to Arfa", asked Aditya
"Umm.. Errr.. okie lets go"
2nd March,3:20 p.m. Back after a heavy lunch .All set for a siesta."Lemme check my mails before I sleep"
2nd March,4:10 p.m. - "Dude, we got to see the Aviator.Its a sexy movie",said Nikhil
2nd March, 5:45 p.m. - Watching "The Aviator"
3 rd March,12:10 a.m. -Back to the hostel.Vivek lurking near my room
3rd March,3:25 a.m. -Still chatting with girls on Ip and doing a double team with Vivek to fool around on Ip.
3th March, 11:00 a.m.- Planning for Farewell in Aranyak's room.
3th March, 2:00 p.m. - Plan of Action prepared.
3th March, 6:00 p.m.- Fresh after a sleep .
3th March, 9:30 p.m.- Out for dinner.
4th March, 12:05 a.m.-Beginning work on the farewell presentation with Sameer.
4th March, 5:45 a.m. Still working on the presentation.Partners in Crime-Abhi,Anurag,Martin,Aranyak and Madhu
4th March, 9:20 a.m.- Martin wakes me up.Partners unite again in ten mins for the presentation
4th March,5:15 p.m-Still working on the presentation
4th March,6:25 p.m. - Farewell Program begins in Bistro.Me doing a 100 meter sprint back to the insti after a quick shave and a round of deos.
4th March,10:45 pm- Dinner with partners in crime.Best time of the day.No Kulfi in stock but mirth and laughter all around.
5th March,12:20 a.m.-Bliss......zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!!!!!!!
5th March, 11:30 a.m. -Up from sleep. OM,FM and IB pending
5th March,1:45 pm.- Ironing T-Shirt for the Knoplfler Concert
5th March,9:20 p.m.- God sings "Romeo and Juliet"
5th March,10:45 p.m.-Lady in the white top and denim skirt exchanges a glance for eternity( read approx 4.7 seconds)
6th March,01:40 a.m. -Begin work on FM assignment.
6th March,03:45 a.m.- Sleep ...Finally!
6th March, 9:30 a.m.- Submit FM and begin work on OM assignment.
6th March ,3:00 p.m.-Submit OM assignment and off for lunch
6th March,5:40 p.m.- "No,Sir House Full for 6 p.m.Next show at 9"- Guard at the Prithvi theater.
6th March, 9:00 p.m-Seated in Prithvi
6th March, 10:20 p.m.- Jameel Khan acting like no body's business
6th March ,11:45 p.m.-Begin IB assignment
7th March ,3:20 a.m. - Submit IB assignment.
Insane is one word , hectic is another but paranoid come closest to describing the events in the last 4 days. Its been one heck of a rollercoaster ride in the last 9 months and as the dying moments of PGP-1 fade out day by day I am reminded of an array of grades , great friends , staging a play, making presentations,dancing with orphaned children,group works and somewhere along the way also fighting for Harsha's spot...it had everything.
This post is only a reflection of a what we at PGP-1 have gone through the whole of the last month and its been a pleasure to be riding that wave.
6 more exams and all 148 of us would have survived and as I think of the first four days that we spent here I cannot help but think ....
"This too shall pass" : )
2nd March, 4:40 a.m-Done with FM.Off to sleep. Unprepared as ever.
2nd March,8:00 a.m.- Alarm rings.Preparation for FM End Term Second Phase.
2nd March, 10:25 a.m.-At the exam venue. Cool as ever
2nd March,12:40 p.m. - Exam over. Shitty as ever.
Phew ...that ended 4 tortuous days of exams coming in the midst of an onslaught of assignments and group works.And the first thing that comes to my mind after the exam is my bed.That beautiful furniture that stays littered with - as I see now a water bottle,a Prasanna Chandra piled over 4 past issues of Cricinfo, a couple of blank CD's (strictly not for what way Naina thinks boys use blank CD's for),a laptop bag, a pair of jeans and a cell and a laptop charger. Time to run to the hostel,order a plate of Schzewan Noodles and sleep like there's no tomorrow.
2nd March, 1:20 p.m-In my hostel room all set to fulfil my ruminations
2nd March,1:40 p.m. "Lets go out for lunch to Arfa", asked Aditya
"Umm.. Errr.. okie lets go"
2nd March,3:20 p.m. Back after a heavy lunch .All set for a siesta."Lemme check my mails before I sleep"
2nd March,4:10 p.m. - "Dude, we got to see the Aviator.Its a sexy movie",said Nikhil
2nd March, 5:45 p.m. - Watching "The Aviator"
3 rd March,12:10 a.m. -Back to the hostel.Vivek lurking near my room
3rd March,3:25 a.m. -Still chatting with girls on Ip and doing a double team with Vivek to fool around on Ip.
3th March, 11:00 a.m.- Planning for Farewell in Aranyak's room.
3th March, 2:00 p.m. - Plan of Action prepared.
3th March, 6:00 p.m.- Fresh after a sleep .
3th March, 9:30 p.m.- Out for dinner.
4th March, 12:05 a.m.-Beginning work on the farewell presentation with Sameer.
4th March, 5:45 a.m. Still working on the presentation.Partners in Crime-Abhi,Anurag,Martin,Aranyak and Madhu
4th March, 9:20 a.m.- Martin wakes me up.Partners unite again in ten mins for the presentation
4th March,5:15 p.m-Still working on the presentation
4th March,6:25 p.m. - Farewell Program begins in Bistro.Me doing a 100 meter sprint back to the insti after a quick shave and a round of deos.
4th March,10:45 pm- Dinner with partners in crime.Best time of the day.No Kulfi in stock but mirth and laughter all around.
5th March,12:20 a.m.-Bliss......zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!!!!!!!
5th March, 11:30 a.m. -Up from sleep. OM,FM and IB pending
5th March,1:45 pm.- Ironing T-Shirt for the Knoplfler Concert
5th March,9:20 p.m.- God sings "Romeo and Juliet"
5th March,10:45 p.m.-Lady in the white top and denim skirt exchanges a glance for eternity( read approx 4.7 seconds)
6th March,01:40 a.m. -Begin work on FM assignment.
6th March,03:45 a.m.- Sleep ...Finally!
6th March, 9:30 a.m.- Submit FM and begin work on OM assignment.
6th March ,3:00 p.m.-Submit OM assignment and off for lunch
6th March,5:40 p.m.- "No,Sir House Full for 6 p.m.Next show at 9"- Guard at the Prithvi theater.
6th March, 9:00 p.m-Seated in Prithvi
6th March, 10:20 p.m.- Jameel Khan acting like no body's business
6th March ,11:45 p.m.-Begin IB assignment
7th March ,3:20 a.m. - Submit IB assignment.
Insane is one word , hectic is another but paranoid come closest to describing the events in the last 4 days. Its been one heck of a rollercoaster ride in the last 9 months and as the dying moments of PGP-1 fade out day by day I am reminded of an array of grades , great friends , staging a play, making presentations,dancing with orphaned children,group works and somewhere along the way also fighting for Harsha's spot...it had everything.
This post is only a reflection of a what we at PGP-1 have gone through the whole of the last month and its been a pleasure to be riding that wave.
6 more exams and all 148 of us would have survived and as I think of the first four days that we spent here I cannot help but think ....
"This too shall pass" : )
Thursday, February 24, 2005
Something on my mind
I dont react much.. I dont express much .. I never let the other person know what I am thinking.. And I succeed day in and day out..
But I just saw the semi finals of "Harsha Ki Khoj " on ESPN about 5 mins back.. and I am not angry .
I am not sad.
And I am not frustrated.
I was only doing my IB assignment .
And I am just......
"Aaaaaarrrrrrrgggggggggggggghhhhhhhh......."!!!!!!!!!!
Happy Days will be back again!!!
But I just saw the semi finals of "Harsha Ki Khoj " on ESPN about 5 mins back.. and I am not angry .
I am not sad.
And I am not frustrated.
I was only doing my IB assignment .
And I am just......
"Aaaaaarrrrrrrgggggggggggggghhhhhhhh......."!!!!!!!!!!
Happy Days will be back again!!!
Friday, February 18, 2005
The Whole Nine Yards
17th February,2005 1:35 a.m.
"One last time lets rummage through that stage for Arun's cell ..."
I said . The very stage around which we had just spent two of the most beautiful hours in last 7 months at SPJain. We went beneath the stage , eyes were trying hard to stay open but yes they were wide open. "Check for the cell on the stage too" said Alok. We did. The cell was not to be found.
What this searching exercise did though was make Vivek sit on the edge of that beautiful rectangular 25X20 feet block for one last time this year. "What must he be thinking ? " I asked myself. And I heard a whistle from behind. Pretending not to notice I turned my neck in a quick detour. The whistle continued for a while and then I heard a voice that was similar to Shweta's ."Ah there she is .." "Jaaoo... its too late " . We knew it was .But something just pulled us back. Something was special about that stage .It made you feel stay back,not leave that place and not get up.I sat for a moment too.
The End.
Time to go back.And in your eyes picture whatever happened in the last 34 days.I hate the word 'Commitment' . I'd rather go by 'Desire'. A desire to excel and a Team to die for. Thats all I see looking back. I dont see grades ,I dont see cheating and I dont see cribbing.
I see Rajeev sending out mails to his Mob to gargle everyday and asking them to not let him down in front of the other 24 Gaspians.
I see KP responding with a voice that he himself can barely hear because its gone hoarse but yes we in the room can and so can our batchmates in the Group Work room and Girls Hostel.
I see KSP rushing after a workshop ending at 8 straight to the venue for practice and not getting out in between until we are all out at 1 a.m. the next morning.
I see Anish being dot at 8 p.m. everyday at the venue knowing that he could be the first to arrive and will have to wait for another 30 minutes before anything takes off.Oh yeah he was also the first to unleash the spirit of unadulterated passion of Gasp with his maddening first dialogue.
I see Ankush missing his lunch and nodding in a manner that would put a compass to shame. 360 degrees is no more the extent of convolution.His 'Nod' suggests there could be yet evidence that humans continue to challenge well established norms in Mathematics.
And I see Hari coming for practices extending for as long as five hours to speak 3 sentences because the Mob would not be complete without him .
I see Farhan and I see brilliance in method and madness. I see him worried not for himself but for me cos I could forget my next dialogue in the raucous and the play could come tumbling down.
I see Nikhil practice in the Audi,in the class and even when the dress rehearsal is on in the GASP room. I see him improvise to perfection and I bet he would still be wondering about ways to say that dialogue once again.
I see Natasha not going home on Wednesdays and sitting in a corner all alone remembering her dialogue.
I see Gitanjali cutting her calls midway . I see Gitanjali coming to practice on the day her aunt passed away and not make a mention about it to anyone.Just that some of us saw her sobbing midway through the practice.
I see Indu trying to get the best out of every character. I see her arguing for more practice hours and see her googling in class for that perfect design on the poster.
I see Anindita doing everything she has been asked to effortlessly and not cribbing about being asked to show different emotions on the same scene.
I see Megha waking up at 6 a.m. for being a volunteer for Placements and after doing a helter-skelter all throughout the day still coming at 8 p.m.for the practice sessions. I see her spread her infectious laughter all over the place and wreak havoc with her restlessness.
I see Alok giving up Basketball for 34 consecutive days and seeing his mobile balance dwindle by 200 bucks in a week.
I see Rekha scouting for that pen that I specifically ask for and the writing pad that Ramnik demands. I see her in the Bistro, in Dome I and back in GASP room in less than 30 seconds.
I see Parinaz bringing the prayer caps from a store called 'God Knows Where' and making the stage a place I wish Heaven could emulate.
I see Sachin frantic and going crazy because people were asking for extensions .I see him coming into my room at 3:30 a.m. and temme that we are running behind schedule and I see him sleep in every class that he attends cos his mails go out at 4:26 in the morning.
I see Aranyak,the freak just get what we wanted him to get.Crazy Sounds Beware. A simulation of someone tuning a radio on ???? Gimme a break! Oh the directors dint like it so you can change it? You can do it? What ?? You can do that too??
I see Sujith just come there and be a part of it . I see him make his own space.I see him in Lights, arranging chairs , getting e-mail id's.
I see Surabhi bring us a hoard of costumes and make up neatly piled and claiming. "Take your pick.. if you dont like it we have something else and if not this then that and that..."
I see Eashwari pepping us up and playing the caretaker for everyone.I see her to invoke a smile on my face and temme that "Yes GASP is fun!!!"
I see Anurag and ... need I say more..
I see Soundarya count every rupee, ask for every bill and sit for two hours in a cross legged position with a torch for three days in a row .I see her lose her cell too and yet make no fuss about it and go back to the hostel with a smile on her face.
I see Arun take prints one after the other. Rush out of the GASP room and come back in. And then rush out again.I see Arun telling me.. "We are the best man!! ".
I see Naina throwing water on her face after shes spend over an hour burning the edges of chart paper . I see her sweat and burn so that the cast is riding over a successful wave of publicity when it comes on stage.
I see Suchi write,write and write .Beautifully as ever . I see her telling me "No ..Issac I know I have nothing to do now but I just want to see you all practice".
I see Shweta bring us a Cake out of the blue . I see her smile when everything has just gone right and I see her smile even more when everything has just gone wrong and I see her make everyone feel special.
And I see again Vivek sit on that rectangular block of 25X20 feet and say to myself "What must he be thinking ? "
And I see myself hugging everyone and jumping like a madman after the play.
Its some fun being on the moon Huh? : )
"One last time lets rummage through that stage for Arun's cell ..."
I said . The very stage around which we had just spent two of the most beautiful hours in last 7 months at SPJain. We went beneath the stage , eyes were trying hard to stay open but yes they were wide open. "Check for the cell on the stage too" said Alok. We did. The cell was not to be found.
What this searching exercise did though was make Vivek sit on the edge of that beautiful rectangular 25X20 feet block for one last time this year. "What must he be thinking ? " I asked myself. And I heard a whistle from behind. Pretending not to notice I turned my neck in a quick detour. The whistle continued for a while and then I heard a voice that was similar to Shweta's ."Ah there she is .." "Jaaoo... its too late " . We knew it was .But something just pulled us back. Something was special about that stage .It made you feel stay back,not leave that place and not get up.I sat for a moment too.
The End.
Time to go back.And in your eyes picture whatever happened in the last 34 days.I hate the word 'Commitment' . I'd rather go by 'Desire'. A desire to excel and a Team to die for. Thats all I see looking back. I dont see grades ,I dont see cheating and I dont see cribbing.
I see Rajeev sending out mails to his Mob to gargle everyday and asking them to not let him down in front of the other 24 Gaspians.
I see KP responding with a voice that he himself can barely hear because its gone hoarse but yes we in the room can and so can our batchmates in the Group Work room and Girls Hostel.
I see KSP rushing after a workshop ending at 8 straight to the venue for practice and not getting out in between until we are all out at 1 a.m. the next morning.
I see Anish being dot at 8 p.m. everyday at the venue knowing that he could be the first to arrive and will have to wait for another 30 minutes before anything takes off.Oh yeah he was also the first to unleash the spirit of unadulterated passion of Gasp with his maddening first dialogue.
I see Ankush missing his lunch and nodding in a manner that would put a compass to shame. 360 degrees is no more the extent of convolution.His 'Nod' suggests there could be yet evidence that humans continue to challenge well established norms in Mathematics.
And I see Hari coming for practices extending for as long as five hours to speak 3 sentences because the Mob would not be complete without him .
I see Farhan and I see brilliance in method and madness. I see him worried not for himself but for me cos I could forget my next dialogue in the raucous and the play could come tumbling down.
I see Nikhil practice in the Audi,in the class and even when the dress rehearsal is on in the GASP room. I see him improvise to perfection and I bet he would still be wondering about ways to say that dialogue once again.
I see Natasha not going home on Wednesdays and sitting in a corner all alone remembering her dialogue.
I see Gitanjali cutting her calls midway . I see Gitanjali coming to practice on the day her aunt passed away and not make a mention about it to anyone.Just that some of us saw her sobbing midway through the practice.
I see Indu trying to get the best out of every character. I see her arguing for more practice hours and see her googling in class for that perfect design on the poster.
I see Anindita doing everything she has been asked to effortlessly and not cribbing about being asked to show different emotions on the same scene.
I see Megha waking up at 6 a.m. for being a volunteer for Placements and after doing a helter-skelter all throughout the day still coming at 8 p.m.for the practice sessions. I see her spread her infectious laughter all over the place and wreak havoc with her restlessness.
I see Alok giving up Basketball for 34 consecutive days and seeing his mobile balance dwindle by 200 bucks in a week.
I see Rekha scouting for that pen that I specifically ask for and the writing pad that Ramnik demands. I see her in the Bistro, in Dome I and back in GASP room in less than 30 seconds.
I see Parinaz bringing the prayer caps from a store called 'God Knows Where' and making the stage a place I wish Heaven could emulate.
I see Sachin frantic and going crazy because people were asking for extensions .I see him coming into my room at 3:30 a.m. and temme that we are running behind schedule and I see him sleep in every class that he attends cos his mails go out at 4:26 in the morning.
I see Aranyak,the freak just get what we wanted him to get.Crazy Sounds Beware. A simulation of someone tuning a radio on ???? Gimme a break! Oh the directors dint like it so you can change it? You can do it? What ?? You can do that too??
I see Sujith just come there and be a part of it . I see him make his own space.I see him in Lights, arranging chairs , getting e-mail id's.
I see Surabhi bring us a hoard of costumes and make up neatly piled and claiming. "Take your pick.. if you dont like it we have something else and if not this then that and that..."
I see Eashwari pepping us up and playing the caretaker for everyone.I see her to invoke a smile on my face and temme that "Yes GASP is fun!!!"
I see Anurag and ... need I say more..
I see Soundarya count every rupee, ask for every bill and sit for two hours in a cross legged position with a torch for three days in a row .I see her lose her cell too and yet make no fuss about it and go back to the hostel with a smile on her face.
I see Arun take prints one after the other. Rush out of the GASP room and come back in. And then rush out again.I see Arun telling me.. "We are the best man!! ".
I see Naina throwing water on her face after shes spend over an hour burning the edges of chart paper . I see her sweat and burn so that the cast is riding over a successful wave of publicity when it comes on stage.
I see Suchi write,write and write .Beautifully as ever . I see her telling me "No ..Issac I know I have nothing to do now but I just want to see you all practice".
I see Shweta bring us a Cake out of the blue . I see her smile when everything has just gone right and I see her smile even more when everything has just gone wrong and I see her make everyone feel special.
And I see again Vivek sit on that rectangular block of 25X20 feet and say to myself "What must he be thinking ? "
And I see myself hugging everyone and jumping like a madman after the play.
Its some fun being on the moon Huh? : )
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