Maiden Blog

Madhubani

2009-11-03T05:06:00.001-08:00

Ardhanaarishwar

Madhubani Painting

Created – Oct 09

Bangalore Through My Lens

2009-09-08T22:45:00.000-07:00

Since I moved to Bangalore a little over a year ago, my weekends were spent at the usual hangouts - MG/Brigade, movie @ Lido, Commercial St. [ thanks to all the wedding shopping] and of course countless visits to Coffee day, corner house, pizza hut and brio. Brio @ Crossword is my personal favorite, but it' s sad that they closed the one @ Indira Ngr...leaves me craving for good pasta. Nevertheless, so last weekend I decided to do something different and ended up in Chickpet with a camera going Click click! ... herez B'lore thru my lens ...

Golden Beauties

Daily Dose of Blessings

Earning money - bead by bead

Destined Bakra Day

2009-04-01T07:03:00.000-07:00

I get a call from a Bangalore landline number and I answer:
Voice: Am I speaking to Ms. Ruchita ?
Me: Yes
Voice: Ma'am, you have a ticket booking with Indian Airlines on dd-mm-yyyyy to travel from Bangalore to Mumbai on our flight IC xxx
Me: Yes
Voice: We are sorry to inform you but the flight has been rescheduled and the new departure time is 10 :30 pm
[Ok there we go...]
Me: Ten thirtyyyy !!
Voice: Yes Ma'am. Your flight has been postponed to 10:30 pm and will reach Mumbai only at 12:15 am.
Me: Okk...Is there any other flight that you can put me on ?
Voice: You can change to our afternoon flight at 4:00 pm.
[Aur meri chutti kya tu sanction karega]
Me: That is too early. Any other option?
Voice : No Ma'am. You can either take the afternoon flight which reaches at 6 pm .... [And get stuck in Mumbai traffic !!!!]
or take the rescheduled flight to reach at 12:15 am [ And Trust Indian Airlines' punctuality to make my parents wait endlessly till early morning]
Me: Ummm ...Okk..
Voice: If neither suits you, you can ask your agent to cancel the flight and you will get full refund.
[full refund ka achaar daalun !!]
-----
-----
And the conversation continues.
I look at the time on my computer screen - 7:30 pm, 1st April 2009.
[** Dimaag ki battii **]
[Ok...now please tell me that this is a prank!!]
Me: Ok ...I will reschedule if need be.
Voice: Ok.
[Huh !! OK ?? C'mon now tell me pleasseee ...prank prank !!]
Voice: Thank you Ma'am.
Me : Thank you :-((((((
And the phone disconnects.
No prank :-((
I am actually stuck with this rescheduled flight...
Didn't someone tell me how punctual IA was !! Fooled quite timely, I say.

SMS of the Day

2009-02-13T05:19:00.001-08:00

‘Please note that discounted SMS rates will not be valid on 14th Feb 09. For more, sms 3Days to 222(Toll Free)’

That’s Airtel for you :-)

Nostalgia …

2009-02-07T09:37:00.001-08:00

At times words just fail you and the inarticulate you takes over. The thought does not translate into meaningful words but leaves you with a smile on your face. Yeah :-)

I celebrated my 26th birthday last week and as I look back I remember those enumerable moments that are etched in my mind. Moments that I want to re-live.

As a toddler, I ran behind my elder sister and chased her wherever she went. Yes, she was the world to me. The lush green gardens of Anushaktinagar and a 5 year old chasing around her elder sister, wanting to be like her, trying to do all that her sister could! :-) :-)

Fast forward a few years and I see myself with 2 of my closest friends in the Primary school. I could do anything for them. I mean it. I would bad-mouth anyone who hurt them, Bully anyone who troubled them and happily give away my treasured belongings to them [and yeah, Only to them]. That was me then :-))). Happy in my tiny, little, secure world.

A few more years, and there I am sitting on the steps of RAIT, outside that Mechanics lab, chaapoing assignments, page by page, word by word, as we gossip about the latest happenings. Evenings were spent with the A-nagar gang - those long walks, the car races, Kareena Kapoor’s songs blasting in Angad’s car, I-Max experiences and so much more …

A lot has changed since then of course, like it does for everyone. I call my life Nomadic now …for I haven’t stayed in any one city for more than a year after my BE. Action packed, fast paced and constantly changing – like a stream of flowing water.

4 years, 4 different cities, across 2 continents. I wonder what is it that I will remember about this phase of life when I look back.

P.S – As I read this post again, I notice the similarity with one of my favorite scenes from the movie “Bluffmaster” :-)

Check out Boman Irani and Abhishek Bachchan -

Scotland of the East

2009-01-06T10:25:00.000-08:00

Glimpses of my trip to Shillong this holiday season.

Wishing everyone a prosperous new year !

Enjoiiii …

Mumbai Attacks

2008-11-27T00:45:00.001-08:00

What do you want?
And
How do you achieve it by these attacks?

Rendezvous with Bangalore – 4, November Rain!

2008-11-24T07:16:00.001-08:00

Ok. This post is really about nothing in particular. It’s me unwinding after a crazy crazy week. Ah! What a week it has been. Quiet a juggling between home, office, some traveling and Oh! working till 3am. First time since I joined, I accepted a meeting notice for 2:30 AM…huff!!! Let’s not talk about it.

Amongst the better happenings – I did manage to steal away a few hours for myself to spend an evening @ Besant Nagar beach.Calm yet roaring, dark yet enlightening, quiet yet talking to me and engulfing yet making me feel the warmth of my own Mumbai! It’s amazing how nature makes you feel so minuscule and yet so much a part of it.

Back in Namma Banguluru [Yepp !! it means Our Bangalore, in Kannada – I am getting inducted you see] it was pouring all weekend long. Dark skies and winter evening – perfect for a hot bowl of soup and steaming sizzlers. And that’s exactly what I did – Thanx to K :-)We guys managed a lazy, relaxed dinner in a warm lille place in Indira Nagar.

BTW, in K’s words – Karan Johar has lost it! With his latest flick, KJ has yet again displayed his obsession with the acceptability of gays. And we wonder why the obsession…?

As for me, I am simply in love with all the songs of Dostana, very peppy, yet each one with a different flavor. My personal favorite – Jaane Kyun. There is something about this song, with its colloquial and casual lyrics, it really captures the reassurance that friends give you “TU hai to I’ll be alrite!” Anyways, I thought the movie was a good deal to spend a rainy winter evening and drool over John.

In the end, the weekend rains did what was much needed - shower my spirit and water my soul…err and my fuzzy lille head too :-S

Testing Testing

2008-11-22T01:37:00.001-08:00

Testing …1.2.3 :)

Testing my Nokia for picture quality

Testing the new Windows live Writer Beta!

If dreams were made out of stone

2008-10-31T09:54:00.000-07:00

If dreams were made out of stone, it would be Hampi. There could not be a more apt description for a place so beautiful. A complete world in itself, Hampi is worth a visit.

Ok, so I’ve been prompted by my Dad’s e-mails to really put down this travelogue. His regular e-mails describing various trips inter-twined with his philosophical sways have been a source of inspiration for me. Nevertheless, given my limited capabilities to provide lucid travel accounts, I am going to count on pictures to help me.

Who – TCS Gang
Where – Hampi via Chitradurg
When – Diwali weekend

What one must carry - Loads of time, stamina and spare memory cards and batteries for your camera

Day 1: Chitradurg to Hampi and sightseeing

Early morning @ Chitradurg

Chitradurg to Hampi :-) No. We were not in this bus :-)
Reminded me of a clip from Veer Zaara...

First halt in Hampi – Pattabhirama Temple, Photographers delight !

Sun and shade ...

Quiet proud of myself for having clicked this one :-)

They welcome us to their world... quiet literally!

One of the many magnificient pillars

Clicked this one when we are roaming around aimlessly ...

Queen's Bath - One of the more famous sites. Unfortunately it is in a pretty sad state. Thanks to all the graffiti!

Posing around :-)

After having posed, she asked me to show the preview of the snap ...Yeah ! Way to Go :-)

Entrance of Underground SHiva temple

Ok. Group posing this time !

Elephants' stables

Captured this stunning piece @ Royal Enclosure

Few more of the Royal Enclosure

Day 2: We decided to view the sunrise from Mathanga hills. Mathanga hills are supposed to be the one where SUgreev took refuge.

Ya got up at 4 A.M and trekked up the rocky hill. All we were equipped with was one single torch amongst 5 people. In the dark we could hardly see what we were treading. A little below the topmost point we were accousted by a group of monkeys. But little did we realise we were invading their territorry.

The top of the hill was a small temple. Again it had only the pedestals and missing idols - as is the case with many temples in Hampi.

Clicked this one through one of the columns -

Changing colours in the sky -
As the sun spread orange across the palette

Shiv found some company as we waited for the sunrise. Later we realised the hill had loads of such oversized centipides

Few more as we wait for the sun ...

Finally ...

Yea...that is the height we were sitting at. Got to see some interesting structures from the top-

And then we were attacked by a group of monkeys, whose territory we had encroached ...

Rubaroo roshni ....

Time to give back :-)

The black faced monkey .... remember those from Ramayan ? Btw, check out his eyes-

After a sumptuous breakfast we walked around the vibrant and colorful Hampi bazaar -

Virupaksha temple @ the end of the bazaar -

Some more experiment with the sun and light

One of my favourites. Clicked @ Ganesha temple of course :-)

Some more ruins ...

Ok, this one is just for the gags :-) Check out our poses ;-)

This is what we were really trying to do - Rock on pose :P

Quiet a sight ...

One of the few Gopurams we saw that were not destroyed by the Moughals. Most others we saw had beheaded figures.

The famous Stone chariot @ Vithalla temple. The chariot originally had horses [made in stone ofcourse :-)], which were destroyed and have now been replaced by elephants [not visible in the picture]

Swayam Shri Ram aur bhakt Hanuman :-)

These school going kids earn some money for themselves on Saturday's and Sundays

Temple opposite to Sugreev's cave. You would be surprised to know that Sugreev's cave was the only place we saw which actually had a pujari.

@ the entrance of the watch tower -

Top of watch tower -

A little before sunset. Clicked @ Hazarram temple

The external walls of Hazarram temple, all depict various scenes from Ramayan.

Outside Diwan-e-Aam

Love is in the air :-) Models - Sheetal and Sachin;

Candid picture

Hahahaha. No comments :-)

The sacred bath -

Atop a platform where the king sat and watched various celebrations :-)

Day 3: Return to Bangalore

Visit to Tungabhadra dam on our way back -

Sunset @ Chitradurg-

Ok. This post is No where close to my Dad's e-mails . This can only be a photoblog. No more.

Rendezvous with Bangalore - 3

2008-10-13T05:59:00.000-07:00

Ten Commandments

[This post was written for a blogging contest in office. Now that the contest is over, I can post it in public. BTW... I am moving towards immunity against these experiances :-) So no complains any more]

SO yeah, I was lost in Bangalore, and that left me a lille Mathematically challenged and Linguistically disabled.

Even at the risk of repetition of the subject I can’t help but share my new found knowledge.
And boy! I am still learning. Feel free to add your lessons.

By now you would’ve guessed that this is yet another post on the Bangalore auto guys. For poor challenged souls like me, I believe we need a rule book; err… something like this –

1. What they say- 7 rupees a kilometer
What they mean- 7 rupees or MORE per kilometer
And you thought your math was weak!!

2. You stopped and asked directions to an Autoguy. Be ready to shell out 20 bucks.
C’mon, after all consulting business is booming these days.

3. 20 Rupees for 2 kilometer distance is actually 20 rupees EXTRA [Before signing the document please read the fine print carefully!!]

4. It’s never 15 Rupees, but 50! [Hearing disabilities, I say]

5. Please read the offer document carefully before signing. Auto rides longer than 7 km are subject to “Gas filling breaks” , “bidi halts” and “Detours at our masters’ whims and fancies”.

6. Implicit disclaimer by Auto Guys – “We are not responsible for the completion of your journey. The fare agreed at the beginning of the ride will be updated in transit, subject to traffic conditions, rains or any other mood swing”

7. In Bangalore you may suffer from common embarrassment symptoms and depression. Please contact fellow patients if you feel that you stay in a Godforsaken place, where no blessed soul [read, the guys queued up outside office] wants to take you!

8. The word “meter” is forbidden. Please ensure that you do not hurt the sentiments of our royals.

9. If you see a sign in your majesty’s chariot which says “ Please complaint to the police if the driver asks for extra fare”, it means that he will ask for only 20 rupees extra. “Ain’t I reasonable?”

10. And lastly – You don’t decide where you have to go, the Lord [ read auto guy] does!

And the learning continues…

My Best Friends' Weddings

2008-10-12T03:24:00.000-07:00

My Best Friends’ Weddings … Yea in the last 3 months both my closest girlfriends entered the new phases in their lives. I am so happy for them, but it’s also a strange feeling. Next time when I go back home… I will be visiting 2 newly wed couples. There prolly won’t be a girl’s night out this time around and clearly no more of “Will my parents like him?” talk. When I first heard of their formal wedding announcements … I went “Waow, they really are ready for this!” Always knew that this change was inevitable, but somehow it seemed distant. Not anymore. Oh! What the hell… this sounds like Father of the bride syndrome!!
But nah…quiet frankly I am so proud of them, that they had the courage to take the right decisions, that they did not fumble and did not jitter. Yes, there are some girls who take just days to know that HE is the RIGHT guy…and those who prolly take months to say “I do”. Surely, K and S fall under these. As for me .. I guess I fall into the category of people who take years.
So herez wishing both the couples a rocking start of their new lives!!

Fork In The Road

2008-09-15T09:24:00.000-07:00

Fork In The Road

At a crossroad that you once stood,
Tried to see as far as you could,
One was blocked beyond a few steps,
You could see little light on the other one, instead,

You made your choice,
In that darkness of the night,
What made you tread the second one?
'Don’t know, it just seemed right'

The two paths were now running parallel from what you could see
What awaits at the end of each - sorrow or glee?
You wonder, as the tracks come closer to each other,
Should you chicken out and move from one to another?

Caught gazing at the bright and abandoned,
You are stopped by a well-wisher and questioned,
"Are you sure you took the right path?
Isn’t that one lit and this one dark?"

Unsure, hesitant, silently you walk,
Devoid of company, to yourself you talk,
'Is the other path truly that bright?'
You tell yourself 'But still, this one just seems right'

As you progress, your dark boulevard glows,
A few more paces and its luster grows,
You continue walking as it just feels right,
Seems like, perhaps you are the brightness of this side

Confused, amazed, you wonder one last time,
'Is this why the path always seemed right?'
Needless to say, you soon realize,

The path was lit just for you… and you were its light!

Fool's Garden

2008-08-18T03:50:00.000-07:00

Oh I am so being reminded of the Lemon Tree right now…

I am sitting here in the meeting room,
It’s just another post lunch afternoon
I’m wasting my time
When I got work to do
I’m dozing around
in the meeting room
But nothing ever happens
And I wonder

I am watching around from my seat
I am staring too hard
I am forcing my eyes
I’d like to drive the sleep away
I feel so helpless
As I fall from my desk
But nothing ever happens
And I wonder

I wonder how
I wonder why
Yesterday they told me about the meeting guide
And all that I can see, is some slides roll by
I am turning my head up and down
As slide, slide, slide, slide, slide, slide goes down
And all that I can see is just another hazy view

Ok … back to work … what crap !

Sweet Relics

2008-08-16T09:41:00.001-07:00

The pink that surrounded me. The reminiscence, the silver lining. That silver around my neck. The satin. The drape, mild baby pink and the smooth silver. Fiddling around with the toy hanging down till the waist. The ambience, the mist. The whiff taking me back to the wistful dreamy land. Mild fragrance enveloping me, killing me softly. And then, I tore it apart. Untangled the wrap. Freeing myself from the omnipresent, or so it seemed. And contributing to a noble cause. Perhaps someone will cherish the gift. Be amused. Giggle. Laugh. Play around. Yes dear, I did it. One step to make it less pervasive.

Rendezvous with Bangalore – 2

2008-08-15T02:44:00.000-07:00

Time 5:10 pm, Weekday
Place: Auto stand @ Exit Gate
Me: Hurrying to get home since my evening conf calls begin at 6pm
AG - AutoGuy

Me: Tippasandra
AG1: Disinterested, no response

Me: Tippasandra
AG2: Ignore

Me: Tippasandra
AG3: Where in Tippsasandra madam?
Me: Answers religiously
AG3: Ignore

Me: Tippasandra
AG4: 50 Rupees Madam [Grins]
Me: Ignore …
Yeah even we get to do that sometimes ;-)
And this is one of the first things you learn to do when AG’s Yappily demand thrice the meter amount.

------ditto------
------ditto------
------ditto------
------ditto------
------ditto------

End of the Queue…

Me: Tippasandra
AG: Come Madam, how much will u give?
Me: 20 Rupees
AG: Sit

Me wonders, why did I even say 20!

In the background –
Other AG’s: How much are u taking, 20?
AG: Yes. Go

Now in the Rick -

AG: What time do you leave office madam?
Me: Fix time nahin hai
AG: Same time madam?
Me: No
AG: Morning, madam?
Me: Ignore
AG: Continues questioning
Me: Ignore
AG: More rambling
Me: Ignore
Me is fed up of the over friendliness now

AG adjusts his rearview mirrors
Me goes #*@%#%
Wonders if I have seen him before

AG continues: Ek ghante se auto queue mein khada tha na.. end of queue mein customer nahin milta .. isiliye agreed for Tippsandra

Me: Ignore
Though My face Says – DO you want me to go down on my knees and thank you Saaar !??!!

AG: otherwise 20 rupees mein koi nahin aata. Madam you give 30 rupees otherwise na?
Me: NO. I never give 30 Rupees for this distance
AG: us din diye the na?
[Us din… kis din … kab … kaun … kahan conversation in pipeline]
Me: Ignore

A kilometer later…

Me: Go straight, don’t take this turn. Take the next right
AG: Maloom
AG: Ek baar rasta dekh liya to yaad rehta madam… bhoolta nahin. Kidhar bhi gaya to sab customer ka yaad rehta

Twas clear now that I had indeed seen him before. One of more such days in the past.
Thankfully that also meant – No more conversation with him since he knew the way.

But soon …

AG: Road kharab hai
Me: Ignore
AG turns to look back now
Agitated, My face now says – Would u care to look ahead and drive!!!!
Me: Aap auto chalao na
Signalling him to look ahead
AG: Madam speaker deck bahut heavy hai …blah blah blah … some shitty reason
Me is now looking outside the auto …its IGNORE in CAPS

We reach after a few more BIG time ignores…

I step out and pay him 20 bucks.
AG: Tomorrow evening I will be there same time madam
Me: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Did I hear him right?
Agitated Me was ready to slap him now. But Composed me says – No need. I do not want to fix up any particular auto.
AG waits.
Me walks away.
That’s the Blore AG’s for you. Shameless in every possible manner. And I am being euphemistic here.

Getting Virtual

2008-08-11T22:52:00.000-07:00

Nope, not talking about our online avtaars or social networking sites. I am talking about virtual desktops. Our PC’s will soon go virtual.
We’ve been hearing about remote solutions for quite some time. But what makes me happy is that this news has trickled down from the techie sites to our own ET. Check this link out

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Infotech/Hardware/Virtual_PCs_free_workers_from_hardware/articleshow/msid-3353628,curpg-1.cms

Be ready to see more of this.

Mood – Virtually elated :-)

Happy Friendship Day

2008-08-07T02:17:00.000-07:00

I might have passed that age when frndship day, ribbon day, flower day and the whole multitude of days did not seem like an overkill.
But this FD, I thought was unique. Not because there was any exchange of cards or gifts, but because I thought it coincided with reaching out to a lot of important people in the lives of my close friends. Changes that life brings upon us forces us to leave behind a few and join new hands…and we move on. Here is wishing A, K and K all the best for their new chapters. To A, I have always admired how you face the most challenging situations with tranquility. And I know you will go past this one too.

A post speaks more than its written words. Nd this one sure does.

Must Know

2008-08-05T23:13:00.000-07:00

About a week old article ...But still -
http://computing.in.msn.com/articles/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1596051

Rendezvous with Bangalore - 1

2008-07-30T09:15:00.000-07:00

I walk alone, amongst strangers. In a city that speaks an alien language, in a city which has its own norms. Through the hustle bustle of traffic and through the narrow lanes. Through the pallyas [locality] and through the hallis [ Village]. Along the lake, beneath the trees. Inside the market, besides the temple.

I am clearly not used to this kind of life. Here I walk, lost in my own musings. Knowing that I will not bump into any friend on the way or be greeted by an acquaintance. I am not scurrying to catch any bus/ train/ auto here. And so I walk, at my own pace, in my own world.

Nyone , relate to this ?

But slowly the city is growing on to me. I know a few people, some associations... and we acknowledge each other with a smile or a nod. Besides old TCS/ISB pals and the new friends that I am making, I am also greeted by other people who provide services…my watchman who opens the gate for me, my maid who gives me company for the evening chai, my tailor who sits down the street…

But in this unfamiliar city…things do not seem cold when I walk back home to meet the kindergarten kid playing downstairs. He always has stories to narrate to me – from school activities to the wonders of Chota Bheem – his favorite animation :-) And all the detachment disappears when a toddler walking down the street looks up and smiles at me standing in the balcony …and I wave back :-)

Food for Thought

2008-07-25T03:10:00.000-07:00

Came across an interesting piece of political news today in the paper. And no I am not talking about the UPA confidence vote debate. Neither am I talking about how Laloo was the start entertainer or Omar Abdullah displayed his oratory skills.
I am talking about a small piece of news from our neighbor country Nepal. The news reports that Nepal has seen 3 days of continued protests against the newly elected Vice President. Reason – The Vice President took his oath of office in Hindi and not Nepali or his mother tongue Maithili. There were also reports of criticism of his style of dressing which is seen as non-Nepali, because he prefers to wear Dhoti Kurta.

Firstly it makes me sad that perhaps the 2 neighbors have not been able to build that cultural respect for each other. It surprises me that while my building’s watchman [from Nepal] conveniently talks Hindi, works in India and doesn’t see himself different from us, back in his home country there is agitation over the choice to speak Hindi. [Interestingly, the word Nepal itself has Sanskrit origins.]
And secondly, I wonder yet again about the cultural tolerance that Indians have. Something that we have always heard – whether it was giving shelter to Jews or absorbing the Parsi community or embracing and respecting other cultures. I know we are good at it . But do we over do it? Should we change with time? What do you think Nepal would do if Sonia Gandhi takes on the central role in their country’s political ruling?

<------ Interruption -->

I just received some news. More disturbing than agitation in Nepal. Brings me back to India and its cultural tolerance.

Marriages are made in heaven ….

2008-06-30T08:53:00.000-07:00

...And confusions in marriages.

Off late I’ve attended 3 marriages and all of them have been inter caste. While I don’t usually like to use the term intercaste cause I believe the whole concept of caste is a little beyond me. Nevertheless, I would continue with the same for the lack of a better description. While marriages are big events in Indian society, they also display the complicated combinations of ceremonial rituals and social practices.

So this time around when I went for the Punju weddings – guess what! there was no Joote do paise lo, and yeah the bidai didn’t happen at 4 in the morning. While Suraj Barjatiya would surely be disappointed by the falling interests in extended wedding rituals, he is not alone. There is a Beeji who cribs that the baraat and seherabandi concluded in a hurry without completing all rites and a Paati who feels that the delay in baraat led to the shubh muhurat being lost out for her darling grand daughters wedding.

In the midst of this not so pleased elders and confused set of guests who do not know what to expect in the wedding, poor parents try to ensure that all goes well, the pandit is not pissed off for any reason and the ceremony concludes without any obstacle. But I sympathize the most with the bride and the groom who frankly speaking have no freaking idea of what’s happening in their wedding. In the entire mumbo jumbo of rituals they don’t know what comes next ! Welcome to the ceremony which can be best described as a patch work of “common to both practices” and a “must performs” for either party.

So after attending 3 such mix and match ceremonies I am totally convinced that soon we wouldn’t know how it is supposed to be. And maybe someday amidst this confusion will emerge a common wedding custom across India. Will the bride walk down the aisle in a white gown? Will the groom wear a sehera? Will they say Qubool Hai ? Will it be a 5am muhurat category or 4 am bidai category… I certainly am as clueless. But I am most certain will happen.

P.S – Don’t catch me if it doesn’t. After all they also predicted that the End is Near!

Alarming

2008-06-26T00:01:00.000-07:00

http://www.bhopal.net/bhopalinthenews/archives/2008/04/air_water_earth.html

And it's over...

2008-03-28T12:43:00.000-07:00

I finished my Term 8 exams today… No more pending assignments, no more submissions, no more classes and no more exams. It’s all over @ ISB. As Adi puts it “100% MBA …….* conditions apply” :-)
Of course I am thrilled – but then it’s a weird feeling. Alums say – “Co-2008 – Welcome back to the real world”
Everyone is dreading what’s the truth beyond the rosy picture that we see form campus. But WTH, we are ready to face it!

After 2 back 2 back exams and an hour of badminton, 4 of us headed to Sahib Singh Sultan for dinner. I with a very close group of friends @ ISB… and then it seemed how this time is now so short-lived.
Four of us have had umpteen numbers of meals together Donno if this time will ever come back. Will we ever get to sit like this again? We’ve had our share of misunderstandings, our laughs, our cries, but what was most important – was the assurance that we are there for each other.
Our daily lunch meets was something that I always looked forward to. I think its really been by support system @ ISB.
While I have never really posted any gyaan on this link for batch of Co-09, if I were to say one thing, it would be – Acknowledge that you will need a support system sooner or later; and that nothing can substitute a set of good friends.
One will have zillion things lined up – quizzes, assignments, exams, group meets, club meets, grades, networking, celebrations … ( and a lot more, which is for the next batch to discover)…But a daily ritual of catching up serves as a brilliant stress buster.

Anyways, coming back to present, it’s 1 am and I just walked into my quad. It’s empty.
All my quaddies have magically disappeared. They do have assignments pending and so I assume they are sitting around with their groups to meet the 8am deadline. Nevertheless, it is eerie.
Every piece of furniture assortment looks just the way I left it 10 hours ago – absolutely untouched and unmoved. And so I wonder, how will our quads be one week hence.
It’s hard to imagine a lifeless village with emptiness prevailing in the blocks – an abandoned village where once life thrived. Strange but true.
But what’s re-assuring is that the village will soon be buzzing with action by month end – A new batch, a new spirit and a new face of SV2 :-)

Seems like next 5 says are going to get us all super nostalgic. Despite a lot of people planning to make GOA, Dandeli trips, we’ve decided to stay back. Call it lack of planning, laziness or the sheer affinity to the place – we’ve all decided to be @ ISB for the next one week. So expect more nostalgic posts …

Cya!

Hello, m back :-)

2008-03-26T04:30:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted anything in 2 months while a lot has been happening here in my life. Today again it's the weather that brings back the blogger in me. In one word it's just beautiful out here. After the heavy rains last week campus has been looking sparkling green. And now, in this sleepy lazy afternnoon it's drizzling. The sky is not dark, grey and gloomy...but it has shades of bright blue and white with dark streaks of black spread across. You can see the sun beam piercing the blue and black colored palette.

Sitting by the window, I can smell the wet earth. The gushes of moist wind bring on that smile, the happiness and the pure child like exuberance in me. It tells me not to miss Bombay while I can make the most of my last few days in HYd. After all, the countdown has begun - 10 more dayz while we enjoy ISB; the campus that gave a tough fight to my very own picturesque BARC campus back home. BARC is till close to heart, but then this post is not about getting nostalgic about BARC. More than that, KK's invitation for a hot cup of coffee is so irresistable. SO I shall Chal...Signing off...

P.S - KK, your coffee beats all else @ ISB!

The Wait

2008-01-24T07:23:00.000-08:00

Wait seems endless,
Weather seems rough,
Faith is strong though
the times are tough

Six terms down, 2 more to go

2007-12-20T08:55:00.000-08:00

ISB - A new place, a new world. 421 strangers, 356 days. This place would change my life, they had told me. And how I didn’t know then. I first drove into this campus on 13th April 2007. Didn’t know a soul. Was never a part of any Mumbai pre-ISB meets, so didn’t know my then to-be batch mates. Wasn’t fortunate enough to have anybody from my undergrad college joining me here.

One year is too short to transform someone, I thought. 8 months down and I can say I’ve been proved wrong.
What is a B-school without seniors on campus, I wondered. Now I know how this place doesn’t necessarily need that; with the alums pitching in every time you need em.
In more than 1 ways this campus has managed to challenge, if not change many of my perceptions. So while I look back now, I think about those numerous moments from the past 8 months, that have been etched clearly in my mind, those memories that I will cherish forever. The friends that I have made, the friends that I couldn’t make, the Profs that I salute to, the classes I would rather miss ;) the sleepless nights, the morning 8 am submissions, sleeping after breakfast, waking up to have dinner, the midnight snacks, the all exclusive booze parties, the poolside maggi, the spicy gossip sessions, the irony of being tagged as a Delhi-ite by Mumbai people and a Mumbai-ite by the Dilliwallas :-)

If I were to put my experience in one word, I would say constantly ‘Exploring’; it’s about exploring yourself, stretching yourself, knowing your strengths, your limitations, being able to take in stride things you never thought you could do and truly going beyond what you though (not so) do-able.
It’s been a party all the way for some, an ordeal for others, brought vacation for few, and ‘losin-it-all’ for others; But surely a challenge for all of us, that has given us the strength and confidence of being able to handle all that comes our way; And probably that’s been the most important thing. Now there is no such thing as ‘fatigue’, and no such thing as ‘being limited by time’ and when that happens, there is no looking back :-)

So Cheers! Let the party continue …

The Forthcoming

2007-12-18T02:16:00.000-08:00

Unlocking the doors of future
He tells you what to tune
Only to sit back and wonder
‘What’s my fortune?’

Baby Tax to curb Global Warming – GSBC Revisited

2007-12-11T01:03:00.000-08:00

And we thought we learn from our mistakes!
Or did we say history repeats itself?

Whichever way it is, while we could juggle our way in this play of words, I still find it hard to comprehend how one can slash upon a Baby Tax.
This bizarre stunt, which was earlier tried by the Chinese Government (to address different issues and via varied means), is now being contemplated by the doctors in Australia.

Writing in the Medical Journal of Australia, Associate Professor Barry Walters stated that every couple with more than 2 children should be taxed to pay for enough trees to offset the carbon emissions generated over each child's lifetime. And he believes that families should pay a $5000-plus “baby levy” at birth and an annual carbon tax of up to $800 per child.
Excuse Me!

While I am sure this is just the beginning of a debate (and I will keep away from the ethical issues here), this story in a way completed the circle by linking baby tax to carbon emissions and global warming, especially when this news was published alongside the reports of announcements of Nobel Peace Prize - Where Al Gore and Pachauri shared the honor for warning the world against the severe consequences of global warming!!

The focus of discussion in Oslo was clearly that technological progresses alone cannot stop global warming, and instead we also need to adjust our lifestyles. However seems like this suggestion was taken way too literally and way too far. While I am not sure if I would have really bothered about the Australian scientists silly propositions, I could not ignore it any more given what happened in China. Thanks to our core terms @ ISB and some shocking videos courtesy youtube, this seemingly stupid suggestion did a flashback for me – Term 4 Gov, Society & Biz Class

Coming back to current events, the Nobel Peace prize ceremony, as anticipated, did underscore the work being done on hammering out a post-Kyoto Protocol framework to address global warming. And that makes me wonder again – How fair is it to set national targets and set up an emission trading system? What’s the logical basis for deciding emission quotas? And what are the implications of such legislation measures?

Some relevant links:
News Australia
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22896334-2,00.html
Shocking China Story
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0u7_afmT-8&feature=related
Innovative Suggestions
http://art-bin.com/art/omodest.html

Value proposition - Enhancing viewer experience to maximize clicks? Does it work for my blog?

2007-11-21T01:58:00.000-08:00

If you just went @**# on reading the subject line J Welcome to our world of jargon mania. 5 terms down the MBA-PGP@ISB, the language is sure rubbing on to all of us. Here are some of my encounters with the jargon laden conversational tit bits:

First one in Strategic IT lecture, when my cell went beep beep:
“Do you think that the ROI on predictive s/w for enhancing customer retention and provide analytical capabilities is justified?!!!”

When R managed to reply in a jargon heavy CP:
“That’s very good R, now tell us what it means”

S’s CP of the term, in a data mining lecture:
“ .. So Prof you mean, we need to massage and slice the data before ….”
Prof: “ :-D Yeah S, may be you need to visit a ayurvedic therapy parlor”

When A’s gf was visiting him on campus:
“My wify is coming this term break”
“Dude, she isn’t your wify yet”
“Yaar, it’s the Present value of future inflows”
M, who overheard the conversation almost fell off his chair!

Forever Parents

2007-11-19T14:17:00.001-08:00

Last week I came to know, one of my friends has adopted a baby girl and I must say I am damn proud of the couple. In India its still not one of the 'in' things people would do, but I think it’s a very noble gesture.

While such acts are still limited to celebrities and media gaze and attention,
It takes quite a lot of familial and social convincing for a common man to do it. I am sure my friend was both lucky and brave to be able to proceed with the resolution.

Hats off to you my brave couple!

Shimmer, Magic, Delight ...

2007-11-09T23:44:00.000-08:00

It’s that time again. Festivities all around. Light, Magic, Madness. I’ve loved the Diwali season since the time I remember and I still do. The cold winter setting, the celebration time, the radiance and the shine, it is just so rejuvenating.
After a sleepless week of surviving on barely 3 hours average sleep, I just indulged and pampered myself yesterday. A lazy afternoon, a cuppa chai, a Hillary Duff starrer ‘Perfect man’ (at least on screen) on HBO and my laptop – what else does one need!
For now, the movie name itself seems like such a hypothetical concept. But what the hell!
A cute movie, very girlie, and I think the inspiration behind Desi flick Mitr - my friend, in some ways. While the movie progressed and Holly became desperate to protect her mom's newfound happiness, my quadmates became more determined and pledged yet again, to get me drunk one day. Very clichéd ‘happily ever after’ end of the movie, but for the sparkling illusionary charming mood all around, I let it pass. Freezed another movie plan for Diwali night, this seems so unimaginable at ISB, indulging in movies back to back.

Looking back at Diwali celebrations that I’ve had in my life, from anar and lavangis to more progressed lakshmi bombs and rockets, from my camaraderie with anushakti friends to new found friends in Dallas, from mafco meetings to teen patti teams at ISB fiesta …
It’s brought me many new friends, loads of happiness and a sea of good memories that fetches a smile to my face. May this mood never end …
Happy Diwali people !! :-)

Show Me The Way

2007-09-26T14:58:00.000-07:00

I pray…

for courage, for serenity,

for wisdom, for equanimity

I pray…

To acknowledge the supreme power,

To acknowledge the vagrant poor

I pray …

To feel the guiding strength of my father,

To remember the lessons of goodness taught to me by my mother

I pray…

To stir my inert soul,

To mellow my frenetic core

I pray…

I pray n I pray everyday…

different reasons, different modes,
from childhood, to worldliness, to journey abode.

Pace ISB

2007-09-20T22:11:00.000-07:00

To All my Non-ISB friends complaining about my absence in the blog world,

Firstly sorry for the disappearing act for the whole of last month. There are simply too many things happening around. At ISB, the pace of activities never ceases disappoints you. So while the usual assignments, quizzes and exams are on (Oh! Do they even count on the schedule now ?!) we’ve had some very notable sessions. In a span of ten days we have had Air Deccan’s Captain Gopinath and Ex-Chief Minister Chandra Babu Naidu coming down to campus and address the students. On the other hand we had some very impressive presentations by recruit biggies like Mckinsey, Google and Microsoft. While Mck has been coming to campus quite frequently to interact with the batch, MS – marketing division came down to talk about roles in online sales and marketing and some amazing presentation on the launch of X-box.

Looking forward to some cool sessions lined up including a talk by filmmaker Kalpana Lazmi organized by the Arts and Creativity Club and Convergence organized by CITNE.
CITNE is the Centre of IT and Networked Economy at ISB. This year’s theme for panel discussion is Convergence of ICT industries. Very enthusiastic about the event since it will have some big players from the Telecom field including Qualcomm and TRAI.

And so while we celebrated the termination of the term three torture, we realized that we’ve been bombarded with a whole set of activities to keep us on our feet all the time. – Paev project which is a B-plan execution, short assignment working with an NGO, inter - section cricket matches, rangoli contest, paper writing contest at IIMB – well half the campus was busy with this one believe me : ) and yes the trauma of going through Term 3 grades!

By the time we get ourselves together amidst the plethora of activities, we realize that it’s already midterm - Term 4, yup I have an exam tomorrow!! Have to also complete my bidding for electives for term 5. Term 5 is when the elective courses begin, so you take your pick and bid. More on all the happenings soon, for now I think I should catch some sleep.

Just got a mail from ASA – Term 4 Midterm Exam seating arrangement posted on intranet : ( - Sleeping plan cancelled.

Uncool

2007-08-17T10:19:00.000-07:00

Things I find uncool in a speaker sessions:-

Walking out halfway during the session& that too in groups or in a file one behind the other. Gets very insulting for the speaker.

Even worse, sitting back uninterested and continously whispering and talking.

Ad naeseum Q n A way beyond the allocated session time; that forces many to actually walk out :)

The Lost Mile

2007-08-11T14:25:00.001-07:00

The lost mile

You came back today, my friend,
And my thoughts drifted for a while,
Bringing back the memories
Of the lost mile

A distance that can never be covered
A time that we can’t make up
Been ages since we even spoke
The sadness, the grief makes me choke

The times when we were together
And shared our delights and glee
Not knowing what’s in store for us
But knowing just to be

We are now treading different paths
The mile has only got longer
What happened, I do not know
Is the bond any stronger?

May be I know the answer
And perhaps I do realize
That its time to say goodbye
But can you even hear me sigh?

Murky Me

2007-08-01T06:06:00.000-07:00

Thats what a part of my schedule for the next 25 days looks like.
Yeah Just filled in all the assignment due dates on my planner, mind you have just accounted for 3 subjects out of 4. On top of this is gonna be, accelerated club meets, PAEV, B school competitions, speaker sessions etc etc etc.

Cant afford to fall ill @ this hour. But my Doc DJ strictly advised me to take good rest. Says it's viral, 3- 10 dayzzzz.

It's raining outside and everything seems gloomy. Seen enough politics that I can take for this term. Everyone is under pressure ... ELP teams, Paev, Club activities... the list is endless.

For some breather for myself, I have managed to capture some really cool pics......ah ! there is so much more to life !!
BTW read an interesting quote : Weather forecast for tonight: Dark”

I can be so Dogmatic at times …

2007-07-24T07:51:00.000-07:00

It’s that time of the term again.
First week T3, action replay of first week of T1 classes.
Donno where do people get the confidence to go on ad nauseam in the classes which have a high percentage for CP. And when I say confidence I mean the conviction to go on talking without adding any value to the class.

I agree that a lot depends on the professor facilitating class participation. This is clearly instantiated by the fact that T2 had good CP happening owing to some amazing professors. These Profs precisely knew
When to throw open questions to the class?
How to contain responses which called for high air time
How to cross question to limit arbit CP and also to facilitate more thinking on students’ part
And more importantly, they had the control and gave direction to the discussions happening in the class.

But not all Profs are able to do it as efficiently. Does it not then fall upon the students to ensure that the class discussion is fruitful? Or do we start behaving like school going kids and succumb to pressures of “The CP”.
The CP, which counts for 5-20 % of different courses, The CP, which brings out how different people behave, The CP, which shows what soft skills you carry, The CP which shows how you pick up signals the world around you is giving you, The CP, which shows you different sides of your own friends which you might not see otherwise J
I understand that the pressure to perform is very high, and I also realize that
If it’s not you then someone else will capitalize on The CP opportunity. But in this race why do we forget that by throwing random points in the class no one is actually being benefited. Why do we have difficulty following the Profs instructions and basic discipline of a class?

I know that it’s just the beginning of the term and after the 4 day vacation people are rejuvenated and high on energy. Truly hope that this CP mania cools down soon.
Don’t want to end up being more and more cynical about the whole thing or rather succumb to the same after seeing my own T2 CP score: P
Whichever way it is, I honestly do not want to vent out my frustration against such paltry matters in any further posts …

However I also strongly advocate that CP MUST be a part of grading. Besides the fact that students sometimes do have excellent ideas/experiences/information to be shared,
I believe The CP also makes up for the absence of any psychology/ human behavior class in the MBA course.
After all how else would you practically get to study human responses and behavior in a classroom environment!!

Socha Na Tha ...

2007-07-20T13:23:00.000-07:00

What a week it has been !!

Flew to Bombay twice in 4 days

Wrote 4 exams between the 2 flying visits

Participated in B school case competition @ SPJain – lost in the finals L

Met one of my darling pals :D from engineering college, currently @ SP

Pleasantly bumped into couple of colleagues from TCS Nortel – again @ SP

Encountered compounded levels of shocks to see the differences in SP and ISB

Worked on 2 major assignments

Ate, Slept, Ate, Slept, Slept, Slept, Ate, Slept ….after the exams

Shopped all day and hardly bought anything for myself !!!!!!!!!! ( yeah even I am surprised)

Will be meeting my best friend from college tomorrow J

Now just need a good book and a masala entertainer to call it a week.

P.S – Socha na tha is just the song playing in the background ;)

Statistics Of Life !!

2007-05-25T09:04:00.001-07:00

You never know when and where you will life teach you the its lessons in the most subtle ways. One of the lessons I learnt in the initial days was in basic Stats class @ ISB was - Consistency is not Always a virtue !! How true. Though weve been trained to be consistent and always strive for the best it might not be required all the time and more importantly not possible all the time. Though the stats lesson talked about variance and deviation, it has had implications in the way I see things in life. And so the basics dawned on me again ....Relax when you can and stretch when required. Common sense isnt it ?

Term 1 and came Watermans classes..... one of the best profs. SO while he was teaching multiple regression which I think cudnt have been taught any better, he said .... Never ignore an outlier, otherwise you will never learn beyond what you already know. Such a powerful statement.
To learn new things in life we have to be able to look beyond what seems acceptable.
But do we do that?? Most of the time we excuse ourselves by saying "there are always a few exceptions" The actual wisdom though, lies not in ignoring or accounting for an exception all the time, but indeed in being able to rationalize whether the exception needs our attention or not.

Another one on the same lines... Courtesy Prof Ziv Katalan. ..Class 1 Decision Models and Optimization, Monte Carlo Simulation.
He says -
We know that we dont know, but we ignore the ignorance !!!!
Can it get better than this :)
And we learn to Acknowledge Uncertainity :)

Untitled

2007-05-25T08:48:00.000-07:00

Why do you miss people... when do you miss them ... do you cherish them more than those whom you dont miss....Or do you just miss them cause they are not there with you.
Why is it that you dont value what you have?
Why do you want to have what you cannot?
Why do you miss them even when they are consciously not there with you ... when you know they dont want to be or when you know they cant be.

Why does one glance remind you of someone? a song, a movie, a patented dialogue, a smile, a wink, a laugh or even a gesture. How badly can you miss someone... And what do you do when you miss someone...

All the highs and lows that you went through together, all the obstacles that you crossed together, standing by each other in difficult times, reaching out with a helping hand ....
And then you take them for granted...expectations creep in and u get busy ...Busy , busy ...busy gauging how well they meet your expectations. You lay down rules, what you want to do ,,, what you dont want, what the other one should do ...what they shouldnt ...ignoring what they actually are doing for you.
And finally when you clear your mind of all these calculations, rating, gauging, questioning, the goods and the bads ... and you turn around..
they are no more there with you ... And they never come back .....
Void ...
M I talking about my breakup here ....Hell ..No !

Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness, has never danced in rain

2007-05-24T07:26:00.000-07:00

I loved the rain as a child. I loved the sound that went pitter patter . My earliest memories of rainy season are of when I was about 4 and used to rhyme ..."Rain rain Go away " . Wonder if I then knew what I was reciting.

Imagine the feeling of going to school on a rainy day only to realise that its been declared holiday.Its almost like waking up early and realizing that you have so much more time to sleep.

I vividly remember my first gardening lessons... trying to plant a mango tree, digging the soil, and planting the seed. But I clearly remember the rains that were pouring then. Yes ! the hope that the rains would magically transform the mango seed into a big blooming tree.

Getting drenched in the rain, feeling the rain on the face ..... the rejuvinating aroma of the wet earth, the hiss of the air and the deapth of the dark skies....the genesis of new life, purging away the worries...Giving way to a new world - Pure, sharp, sparkling and ebulliant.
And so when it rained the day I landed in Hyderabad...it was such a treat. Another celebration happened after the midterms...it poured and it poured like crazy...ISB campus was transformed into a resort....
Missing Anushakti days,the campus,the rainy seaon, the long walk with friends, getting each other drenched, the BARC project, the serenity of the hillside, the stormy sea, the mighty winds, the Bombay monsoon, the Marine drive, the bhutta-wala, the cutting chai....
Needless to say ...the song playin right now ... Sawan barse tarse dil .....

2 Week Snapshot

2007-05-15T12:45:00.000-07:00

Its been 2.5 weeks since out core term began..... has been a fun ride so far. If I were to jot down the highlights of the core terms....

( Oh ! BTW .... we started ISB with 1 week of Preterms which are optional courses ...u take those if u feel the need ...Now we are into core terms which are the common subjects for everybody ....and eventually we will branch out with our electives)

Ya so here it is :-

Discovery of Pre reads - Even before we had our first class.... we had stuff to read :( Yeah ..... about 100 pages per subject... I mean I have never got myself to read a 100 pages after a class and here we r to do that before!! .....talk of 1 yr MBA ... or err number crunching ;)

Day 1 session 1; Monday Marketing, mundane CP - Practically saw what arbit CP is :D ...CP is class participation and we have 20% grade coming from our CP ... so ppl go crazy ... I mean I had no clue what junta could come up with ...to sore scores in CP. And so arbit CP is when people just start talking things for the airtime of it ...with no content .... (20% is no less an incentive). SO while the class was busy defining market-'ting' or consumer needs/wants and demands ( cold drink, pepsi/coke, diet pepsi ...... Huh ! wasnt thath wat someone said !! Whatever !!)...we actually had a TA grading the class on their CP or the arbitness of it ...and me ...well I had a great time just observing people ...
Twas so interesting !! u actually had 3 categories of people ...one who had actually done their prereads - Kotler ( read marketing Bible) and were vomitting the whole thing out, the other who had no clue what was supposed to be covered in the pre- reads and were already asking doubts about how marketing is defined !! ( well ya :D) and then a 3rd category ....who just sat there ...like me .. the 'watever category'.
And no prizes for guessing ...the watever category had mainly Engineers and CAs ..... yeah !!!! for once Engineers and CA ... enjoy the mutual empathy.
BTW second marketing class I realized that I had to open my mouth.... but I swore on no arbit CP ( DO u actually believe me !!?? ) Week 1: CP Score 5 (above average …not bad)

Perfect Profs ( err …cudnt find a better adjective with P …but u hafta believe …the most AMAzing profs they are ) – Now we know why ISB is ISB …one reason …simply splendid professors ! Its an absolute privilege to attend their lectures. Particularly liked Stats class by Bob Stine …He is so witty … u cannot afford to miss a word of what he says …One of the most articulate profs Ive ever seen…and speaks with utmost clarity. Eco and Fin have been great too. M sure I can dedicate individual posts to each one of them.

Magic Mantra ; MR = MC
My tryst with Eco…. The magic mantra that everyone on campus has been chanting! (Cant possibly do justice to this in one post)

Poolside Parties – 2 weeks into the term and the party impetus did not slow down …parties without fail…Tango –Thursday’s…Oh ya didn’t mention …we have 4 day class week..so the party begins on Thursday night itself. Interestingly the weekend is otherwise spent with all the quizzes/assignments – individual/group…and yeah not to mention the pre reads ( for those who are still keeping up the pace)

Dunking Doses – 70 people in a section ….. But somehow Sec B doesn’t seam to be a good sample of the population …cause Section B isn’t really matching 1 bday every 5 days (for 70 ppl) ……. We’ve been Dunking much more often than that…. With 3 bdays in a week …and 2 back to back (that’s like a very bad sample) ( OK don beat me up now.. …hav been tryin to catch up some stats for Mid terms ;) )
2 things about Sec B dunking – More than half of the class is dunked no matter whose bday it is (people actually voluntarily jump into the pool)
- Amit gets dunked ….which Amit …well lets leave that for later …( we have 3 in our class)

Mid term mania - LRC rocks !! ( Library, well it does rock for most people here). 2 days to go before the mid term exam for Stats and Eco …….. people have been sitting up late in the LRC ( open till 2 am) … and yeah m here posting a blog !! …. First people thought m very studious kinds ,,,, nd within 2 weeks people came up to me and said ‘ wish we could b as chilled out as u about the midterms ‘ !)
Ive never seen how LRC looks post midnight ( but Hey ! u wanna talk about how atrium is :D )
While all those who have had a long day with Stats and Eco …. Herez a link I completely njoyed ( courtesy Nishti – my sweet old friend)
http://makkadman.com/

Njoiiiiiiiii

Of parties and more parties !! : -)

2007-04-26T07:36:00.000-07:00

Its day 2 and we’ve had 2 parties already
After the time consuming registrations, queing up at various counters, approval of loans, verification of certies, formatting the laptop, submission of forms, opening bank account …a long day finally came to an end….nd yes it was time to party !!

Even before a welcome party was organized by the alums, our sooooooooooper enthu batch decided to get together at an SV…nd thus began the party saga for ISB CO2008

What followed the next day was an even bigger and better party thrown by the alums.
The party was arranged at the step garden at SV1 …gud music and drinks kept the crowd upbeat and the climate jst cud not get better with the thundering, lightening and slight drizzle ….the party continued till wee hours of morning….

With this we learnt our lesson 1 : This campus doesn’t sleep …. nd so wouldn’t we for the next one year :)

P.S: The 2 posts were scribbled in the first days of ISB when I did not have net access ..

First Impressions

2007-04-26T07:29:00.000-07:00

I was asked of my First impressions of the place …nd I didn’t know where to start
I was absolutely delighted when I first visited the campus….lush green in the piercing heat of the Hyderabad summer
The place looked quite Pseud….the amazing campus, the student villages, Recreation centre, exec housing, the awesome and oh so inviting atrium (Tats a huge courtyard …bigger than what u can imagine !!! ) with the cool breeze blowing…the campus simply won me over beyond what I had heard/read about the place.

Looking forward to a new experience ……

Proprietary post ....

2007-03-15T09:53:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is my last day at work and boy I am still submitting code, running checklist and debugging problems. Seeing all this, my cube mate Niti reveals her sheer surprise at this...saying 'Why am I doing all this in my last week? I shud be relaxing and enjoying ..'
Relaxed I am ...very much ...but sum how I dunno from where hav i got this sudden urge to get back to work, to check code submissions, to share tips to use tools and debug stuff...Even I am amazed…I wasn’t like this ;) usually at wrk :)

It’s a weird feeling actually…..its like I’ve been studying for the last 2.5 years and now it’s the end of term….and I am vomiting out all that I learnt….cauz after the exam all that I mugged wont be of any use….tats how proprietary stuff is....like the Mumbai University syllabus …. :) ….of no use once one is out of that system…and not commercially viable outside.

Though tats got nuthin to do with me wrkin till the last day…but ya wrkin just makes me feel connected…nywayzzz…so …How am I feeling ….ya well…ummmm ….mab later ……

5 Pointer or 9 ?

2007-03-09T21:57:00.000-08:00

Every day when I pass the Gandhinagar to Hiranandani stretch along IIT-B....I curse. I simply curse, the traffic which only seems to increase every day, the authorities for the mismanagement and lack of planning, illegal shops that keep expanding their footprint, the Mood-I crowd that adds to congestion and all the junta who decides to take out their vehicle during peak hours. At times I have taken 40 minutes to cover a stretch that should ordinarily take only 5 minutes.

However today, I decided to go in the afternoon shift. On a warm winter afternoon as I passed that stretch, in the midst of moderate traffic, what caught my attention was the huge IIT campus.
Nestled in the lap of Powai hills and flanked by the scenic lake this campus is the cradle of the Indian brain...a place where the best brains in India are nourished, a campus where even an ordinary looking shabbily dressed guy is a stud in his own ways :)

On this winter afternoon the sun rays were being filtered through the trees, as I looked nonchalantly at the campus..... The sight was usual, pink buildings, the main gate ...the security guards, the SBI branch , and then the breathtaking view of the lake, the strikingly chic looking hostel courtesy Hafeez Contracter and the Renaissance in the back drop

Amidst all this what did strike me was the news that hit headlines last month. Yet again, another IITian ended his life. Reason stated: Stress. Low GPA. Inability to get a campus job.
This aint sumthing new, we have grown up reading such pieces of news. Such incidents happen, hit the headlines and fade away from peoples memory.

What I cannot apprehend is the mindset of such students. What happens? How can they feel so low that they decide to take such drastic steps? What is it that is lacking? Why are such brainy brains unable to rationalize the situation to identify their strengths and see the light at the end of the tunnel however dark things might seem? How do they succumb to pressures such as GPA or job? Are we manufacturing graduates who can analyze Quantum mechanics and its fundas but not the jeene ka funda?
I am sure nobody needs to tell them that even if they are the worst performers on campus, they are still better than the average students outside. If a mediocre guy from an arbit collg can make it big in the world, what stops a JEE stud from giving his best shot and come out strong?? Are the pressures on campus so strong...I fail to understand.

OR is it the other way round??? They know that they r the best...and with the best ...but still they don’t find any motivation to move ahead in life...don’t find any heroes whom they can look up to, don’t know why they are distressed.
And they realize that if this is how the best is then they don’t really want to see anymore? I am not really sure if this is the case....but just a remotely possible explanation that I am trying to use to justify to myself what these guys might be thinking.

Perhaps I don’t have a solid insight into what really happens on campus and mab my friends can help me understand better….Ending this post on an inconclusive note .....

Another RDB

2007-03-07T01:39:00.000-08:00

" A MiG-21 fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force broke up in midair on Thursday near Kurseong in West Bengal's Darjeeling district and the pilot is feared to have been killed. Air Commodore Chandramouli in Bagdogra airbase told PTI on phone that the aircraft took off for a practice flight from the airbase at around 1.00 pm with Squadron Leader S Pandey piloting it. The pilot is feared to have been killed after it broke into pieces inflight between Norbong tea estate and Shibkhola in Kurseong sub-division minutes after the take-off, he said. The aircraft's wreckage was spread over the slopes of hills in the area, he said.

An IAF team has rushed to the spot but was yet to locate the body of Pandey, Chandramouli said.This was the first MiG-21 lost by the IAF in nearly a year.The last accident involving one of the ageing Russian jets had occurred on March 21 last year. "

In this year when the Indian Air force is celebrating its Platinum Jubliee, is another RDB staring us in face? Is this just a spurious incident or a start of something more?
When I read the above news article last week, i thought ...there we go again. However I didnt see any news updates after this. Is the pilot alive? What went wrong? Are we attributing it to human error yet another time? But I found no follow ups. The article just came and went away. And as civilians we never bothered to find out.

Today I decided to dig a lille and I was surprised to find the numerous MiG crashes that made way to headlines in all these years and then just vanished.
In the process I also found out a some not so known facts about MiG. The first Mig used by IAF was way back in 1963. MiGs comprise of about 60% of the IAF fleet and that is also a reason why it contributes to 70% of all crashes. IAF's annual loss due to MiG's has seen a steady decline over the last few decades from 40 to 30 and now down to 20. Fair enough. I also happened to come across an interesting read by Retd Air Cheif Marshall AY Tipnis who in his 'An ode to MiG21' sums up as:

"My parting lines on the demonising of the MiG-21 are thus: Heed not the barbed taunt of "widow-maker" my lovely filly, for you are in fact a man-maker of boys. Were I to go down with you, my soul would have been tortured to have anyone call you my "flying-coffin"; but my soul would have been mercifully becalmed would that our joint epitaph proudly proclaimed: "In life you offered this pilot a seat more coveted than that of a king’s; in death you took an air-warrior to his glorious Valhalla." But I live, so I hope that I am there 10 years from now, along with your many disciples and admirers and our progeny and theirs too, to sing your praises for your half-a-century of relentless, superlative service to the nation and the Indian Air Force. Others may continue to call you vulgar names when there is a choice of prettier ones, as some that I have used, but there be many more, more appropriate, but inadequately so. One day surely you must rest your hard driven limbs, but to each one of us whom you took to your bosom, whether in service or in retirement, you will ever remain "My Fair Lady"! "

Agreed, MiGs have contributed more than they have taken away. But even after being aware of various possible pitfalls with MiGs, errors occur and occur again. Question still remainsCan we afford MiGs at the cost of our pilots?

The platform kid

2007-03-04T08:54:00.000-08:00

6:03 pm. Borivalli station. I m waiting for my 6:07 churchgate fast, whiling away time by looking at the ocean of people around me. Peak hour, working day. The adjoining platform is crowded with people waiting for the train to Virar. Every time I am here, I thank my stars that I am traveling against the rush and don’t have to be a part of the madness called Virar fast.

So while I am still waiting for my train .....the loud speaker announces the arrival of the large hearted Virar Giant. I call it the Giant for its energy, aggressiveness and enormity. Though it’s the same train that calmly clambers its way back to Churchgate, it looks boisterous and roaring when heading to Virar. And large hearted because when it arrives it is Oh so crowded! ...with an equally sizable junta waiting to get in....But it takes them in all.

I see a young lady carrying a small baby and a big bag get into the ladies compartment....she can barely manage to stand and is half hanging, a usual sight for Mumbai train travelers. The compartment is so crowded that some girls who had been waiting for the train decided to let go of it....And then a see a small street kid trying to get into that ladies compartment...or here should I be saying platform kid...for it was evident that he was one of those hundreds of underprivileged children who find shelter under the roof of these railway stations and practically grow up here. Nevertheless, he is taking this train to ...God knows where. He caught my attention because he was getting into an already overcrowded ladies compartment ...

But then that’s normal as you do find small kids tagging along all the time....Such kids usually sweep the compartment floor to earn some money, or use their marketing skills to sell safety pins; sing songs that bring us some customized and classified entertainment and earns them some pennies; or sometimes they just wail and cry to earn our sympathy and supplicate.

By then the loudspeaker speaks again, announcing the arrival of Churchgate fast...and I comfortably board the train. However by now there is a lot of chaos on the adjacent platform...the Virar Giant has left but the lady with the baby is standing at the platform, the platform boy is there as well. Apparently the boy has tried to pick pocket the lady’s purse....as alleged by the lady’s husband who was trying to get into the adjacent compartment. The boy has been caught red handed with his loot still intact. He is being beaten and abused. He is pleading not guilty and asking for mercy. "WHy did you open her bag?" is the man’s question. The boy has no answer. He cannot help but cry and plead. They call for the railway police....as my train pulls away from the station.

I wonder about the fate of such children and feel sorry thinking about what would be in store for this boy now....To divert my mind I decide to listen to some music and open my bag in search of my mp3 player. And boy what do I (not) find in there..... My missing wallet.

Gupshup On the way

2006-12-27T03:20:00.000-08:00

Back in INdia after a year...its the same old story...I struggle to find time to put down my thoughts. The long office hours and the gruelling 4 to 4.5 hrs of travelling every day leaves no time or energy to post nything. Again, enumerous thoughts strike but do not make their way to the post. Surprisingly, the thought rate is very high when I am travelling...does the object's speed count ;-) Guess its just that we observe more, daily activities that we sometimes find amusing, acts that trigger thoughts and scenes that catch our attention.

So people don't be surprised if the next post talks about a sabzi vendor who sits across the street, or a sardar wearing a pink shirt, the forever dug Mumbai roads, a cute couple I meet on my way, or even why the BEST buses are painted red :p .... well the last one does sound interesting...nywayz I m clueless.

Not bad seems like sum fun-time ahead. Personally I feel that the coming 2-2.5 months will be interesting as I will be seeing certain things in a different light....y ? Ummmm ...how about thoda intezaar :-)

Professional Musings

2006-12-27T02:42:00.000-08:00

Its 10:45 pm and I am still sitting in office. No, I dont have any deadline to meet and I dont have any code delivery planned for the week. I am not slogging and its not a crucial time of my project. My project is not in the red zone. Rather I am just through with one code delivery and have a relatively spaced out schedule.
And No, I don't work for a Call centre :-) and there is no night shift on my schedule. Its a normal day that began when I left home at 8:15 in the morning.

Welcome to the life of an Indian software professional !

Nocturnal, thats one word which describes the professionals in my league.

A world where the day warms up by 7p.m and meetings start at 8 :-) , a world where you check in at home a.k.a boarding/lodging post midnight and check out every morning. Where you know by heart, the last bus and train timings and the cell number that is always prsent in your dialled list is that of your company's bus driver. "Boss, bus rukana, I am coming".

When u get to office early to talk to ur team mates in Tokyo ..and stay back late to catch up on a teleconference wid your client in US. When in the non canteen hours, maggi and a cuppa coffee rulez and the machine tat u use the most besides ur wrkstation is the vending machine.Where work related ailements include bad wrist, ligament pain...thanks to the all day long mousing musings :-)

When you chat more than you talk, when you havent seen ur team mates who are offshore(or onsite), when you return to ur base branch but find all new faces in ur team, when you can only link voices with names but no faces, when you identify the font style of a persons mail but not his/her handwriting, when you review documents and give comments to convert a statement to active(or passive) voice....

If u've been relating to the symptoms above....u r a true s/w professional ...way to go !!!
err or to say time to take a break!

A decision to live is to die for

2006-11-30T03:55:00.000-08:00

“RoN Woodward was on the 75^th floor of the WTC’s south block when the hijacked United Airlines Flight 175 was rammed into it between the 77^th and the 85^th floors at 9:03 a.m on September 11^th, 2001. Being below the actual impact site Woodward survived but didn’t know he had only 56 minutes before the structure collapsed. Taking no chances, he started clambering desperately down stairs to get out. Falling, floundering and lurching over people and debris in the darkness he finally made it to the lowest floors with only minutes to spare when he passed a fireman on his way up the same stairs. Their eyes met for a moment.

The fireman almost certainly died while Woodward managed to scramble away to safety. Years later he spoke on a television programme with candor and humility.

“He knew where he was going, and he didn’t miss a step. I knew where I was going and I was tripping.”

That’s the difference. At that time neither person would have imagined that the enormity of the collision would compromise the integrity of the entire tower.

Both men also had their jobs cut out for them; one had to save himself, the other had to save others. The survivor only did what comes instinctively to all of us, whereas the fireman was merely performing his duty. But that does not explain why Woodward’s eyes brimmed over with tears when he made this statement on TV.

Should Woodward have stayed back and tried to help other people? Not being trained to do so could have meant that he might have only gotten in the way of rescue operations. In any case the whole exercise would have been futile since the collapsing tower would have killed him in a short while and no one would have ever known. Just like no one would have ever known about the fireman if Woodward did not run into him.

But this much is definite: Woodward would not have wept.”

After a long time I return to the blog world with the above excerpt which is picked from Mukul Sharma’s Cosmic Uplink. It finds its way in my blog because I want this to remain with me forever.

It is so true that any calamity brings man closer to reality. It not only silences the incorrect belief which shouts that man is supreme by reinstating that we are all puppets in the hands of destiny, but it also brings a man closer to another.

I am not denying the fact that what Woodward did is what most of us would have done, but I wonder what Woodward would do if he ever finds himself in a similar situation. Perhaps not as big and drastic as the WTC disaster but a position where he has to make a choice between his safety and his inner voice. Will he take the escape route again to come out and ponder whether others made it, or will he dive in to help others and live forever?

Shattered

2006-08-27T10:16:00.000-07:00

Dreamz…wat r they? Sometimes they are ur fascinations, sometimes they r ur scary realizations. Could be a pleasant emotion or a formidable nightmare.
Fictious wonderland or a pot pourri of ur daily activities. Ur past experience clubbed wid ur distant thoughts or ur all time appalling thought staring u in face.
As realistic as a Ram Gopal Varma movie or as unbelievable as the Karan Johar’s story line.

So, here I am on my way back home from work, listening to Rubaroo from Rang de Basanti. It’s a pleasant evening and people are speeding home after the days work. I stop at the library to return my books and like any other day I take the usual route to get home. Just 2 blocks away from my house I stop at a red light. And the next moment all I know is that everything around me is grey. Yes what ever I see is grey. The car is filled with smoke and I am already coughing ceaselessly. What just happened!!?? I wonder. I realize that the passenger seat airbag is out! Huh! Mine is out too…but now deflated. Man have I met an accident!!! Gosh! I think I have. Even before this thought occurred, my reflexes change the gear to parking and I try to open the door.
Its not opening, Oh no! The door is jammed.
My coughing is getting more and more intense. Panic is deteriorating the condition as the cough was already bad. Now I can’t even breathe properly. Eyes are watering due to smoke. I need to get outa here. Should I try the back seat door…? And again, even before this thought reaches a logical end, I am already reattempting to open my door. It is jammed but it opens just enough fr me to probably get out. I manage to push myself out …huff! Half choked I get out of the car only to see that I’ve been hit by a Camry. The driver of the Camry is out already, on phone and crying furiously.
Wow, is she guilty or what!!!
The car in the adjacent lane is stopped. The driver comes out to ask me if I’m fine.
I think I am …is all I manage to blurt out ….which clearly shows that I am not fine.
“Are there any injuries?” “Are u hurt??” In this state of shock, I can barely feel the presence of my hands and legs, how on earth will I feel any pain! No pain rite now, just some weird quivering sensation in my leg. But the inability to translate what I am feeling, into words, clubbed with all the coughing, I just end up saying … “I think I am fine…but I am in a state of shock” !!!! Can I get more articulate than this! Tell him something that he doesn’t know girl!
One look at the car and my level of shock is only compounded. It’s a total wreck, I tell myself. I still cannot believe this happened to me…all of it just seems like a dream.

I need to call up my roommate...tell her what just happened. I need her to come here. Wherez my fone?? Oh! I m clueless where my fone is..Last I know it was lying on the passenger seat. And ya again…the door is not opening. Car is still filled with smoke…I don’t think I can venture inside again just to get a fone.
The guy who helped me out of the car is diverting the traffic. Helpin everyone out. I ask his wife for a fone. As soon as she is done with the 911 she hands over the fone to me and I call my roomie. I ask the lady if they saw what happened cauz I m still unable to comprehend how this Camry just came and hit me… I know the Camry was maintaining a safe distance. The Camry’s driver is still crying…but she shouts … “She came and hit me from behind!!!”
What !!???? Excuse me !!

Apparently it’s not the Camry but another Honda behind which came and smashed into the Camry, the Camry in turn hit me and I ran into a truck ahead of me …Oh boy …this is getting more n more unreal!!
In minutes the rescue team arrives at the scene. Checking if there are any major injuries, telling us what needs to be done etc. I can’t believe I m standing in the middle of one of the busiest roads of Dallas, talking to a rescue officer. 2 lanes have been blocked. The traffic has almost come to a standstill.

I look at my car in disappointment. There isn’t anything left. My poor Corolla got completely smashed between a truck ahead and a big Camry behind. My first car is standing right in front of me struggling to keep alive. The ignition is still on though. Police is on their way, so are my friends and colleagues. At this moment I have no where to go. All I can do is to just stand and look at what has happened. Time seems to have stopped. What I feel is indescribable. And still so unreal. All seems like a dream.

The police arrive asking all of us for drivers license, insurance and car papers. That’s when I realize I don’t have my wallet. It’s in somewhere, in the car. I ask the guy who was driving the truck ahead, to enter the car from backseat and grab the car papers, my wallet and insurance papers form inside the car. He obliged. By now I can feel some uneasiness and pain in my legs. We leave the back door of the car open to let the smoke out and allow the car some breathing.

While we are exchanging our license and insurance details, we realize that the Honda girl who came and hit all of us from behind …..dosent have a license !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Can this get more plausible !!????
All that can possibly go wrong in a case has already happened.

My friends arrive and help me while I am busy with the information exchange formalities and police report. I still cannot believe this happened.
More illusory than any of my imagination, more scary than any nightmare, more dreadful than any threat, more fluid than any dream…….

A dream…wat happened I had could have never even dreamt of ….but No this is not a dream.
This happened...it happened in the last days of my 11 month stay in US….adding a new chapter to my experience in this foreign land.

And a Beginning..!!

2006-08-01T13:57:00.000-07:00

I had never thought I would blog one day...for not one but many reasons.
For starters I am a person who hasnt even maintained a dairy to pen down personal thoughts. And so I am pretty surprised with myself; surprised to see my thoughts find their way out and yeah ! even more surprised to accept that they will be visible to the whole world out there.

I have always been lucky to have family and friends around me, with whom I could share what I think. Be it my joy or my despair. My confidence or my inner apprehensions; my jubiliant celebrations on a success or reflections to learn from my mistakes. To share a laugh and to moan a cry ; to participate and to guide; to understand and nurture my thoughts ; to discuss, analyze or even remorse. They've been there all throughout.
But today, as life becomes more hectic, schedule tight and days packed, I wonder where those moments have escaped....
"GUess its just me who is getting busier day by day ! " is the thought that I ruminate upon at times.."Am I gettin so involved in my daily chores that I spare no time for myself to cogitate and care."
"Why is it that many a times these days a thought that occurs dosent reach a logical end? " I ask myself.."Why doesnt a new born idea generate a spark any more ? "

Yeah yeah !! I know its me :-) who dosent carry the thought forward.
So herez an attempt to put down what I think, to communicate what i feel, and yes to contend for what I believe :D

Hoping to rekindle the old times, the attitude, the outlook and the vigour...I start to write.

I dont know how far this will continue, will i have the determination to write or will I succumb to laziness ?? Will this energy and spirit prevail or will lack of time become the lame xcuse ?? Ignoring these thoughts for now, I decide to write, for , all the glory comes from daring to begin !!

2006-08-01T12:07:00.000-07:00

After much procrastination I decide to enter the blog world... finally embracing the idea of blogging :-) Posts to follow soon