Ladies & Gentlemen,
Good Night & Good Luck. It's been a pleasure...
Saturday, December 09, 2006
Thursday, December 07, 2006
Abhishek-Aishwarya starrer 'Guru'
All right, so there is a lot of hype surrounding the film already. Why?
1. The film is directed by Mani Ratnam, a great director in his own right.
2. Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai are, if media reports are to be believed, linked romantically.
3. The film 'Guru' is based on the life of Dhirubhai Ambani, one of the most successful (and controversial) tycoons that India has seen.
With respect to the rumours regarding reason 3 above, have a look at this video, especially post the 45 second mark, where Abhishek Bachchan and Mani Ratnam try to evade the question.
But are there similarities that we can see?
Visit the official movie site, www.guru-thefilm.com and you'll be surprised.
Similarity no. 1 --> Guru's character comes from a village in Gujarat. (So what??)
Similarity no. 2 --> Guru's father is also the headmaster of a village school.
Similarity no. 3 --> When Guru moves to Mumbai, wife in tow, he, like Dhirubhai, lives in a one room chawl.
Similarity no. 4 --> Shakti Corporation, according to the film, becomes the first Indian company to enter the Forbes 500 list of companies. Reliance Industries Ltd. is the first private sector company from India to be listed on the Forbes 500.
Similarity no. 5 --> Mithun Chokraborty runs the newspaper 'Swatantra'. It is not very difficult to spot the similarities of the character with Ramnath Goenka who ran the 'Indian Express'.
Similarity no. 6 --> The site actually mentions Dhirubhai's most famous quote "Think Big, Think Ahead, Think Fast"
Of course, people might point out that Guru's character doesn't go to Aden; it goes to Turkey. But then, there are way too many similarities, what do you say?
I'm sure this is one movie the business historian Gita Piramal is going to enjoy. After all, it was after reading her "Business Maharajas" that I became intrigued with the Ambani story.
1. The film is directed by Mani Ratnam, a great director in his own right.
2. Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai are, if media reports are to be believed, linked romantically.
3. The film 'Guru' is based on the life of Dhirubhai Ambani, one of the most successful (and controversial) tycoons that India has seen.
With respect to the rumours regarding reason 3 above, have a look at this video, especially post the 45 second mark, where Abhishek Bachchan and Mani Ratnam try to evade the question.
But are there similarities that we can see?
Visit the official movie site, www.guru-thefilm.com and you'll be surprised.
Similarity no. 1 --> Guru's character comes from a village in Gujarat. (So what??)
Similarity no. 2 --> Guru's father is also the headmaster of a village school.
Similarity no. 3 --> When Guru moves to Mumbai, wife in tow, he, like Dhirubhai, lives in a one room chawl.
Similarity no. 4 --> Shakti Corporation, according to the film, becomes the first Indian company to enter the Forbes 500 list of companies. Reliance Industries Ltd. is the first private sector company from India to be listed on the Forbes 500.
Similarity no. 5 --> Mithun Chokraborty runs the newspaper 'Swatantra'. It is not very difficult to spot the similarities of the character with Ramnath Goenka who ran the 'Indian Express'.
Similarity no. 6 --> The site actually mentions Dhirubhai's most famous quote "Think Big, Think Ahead, Think Fast"
Of course, people might point out that Guru's character doesn't go to Aden; it goes to Turkey. But then, there are way too many similarities, what do you say?
I'm sure this is one movie the business historian Gita Piramal is going to enjoy. After all, it was after reading her "Business Maharajas" that I became intrigued with the Ambani story.
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Rejuvenation
Like I mentioned in the last post, an unlikely group of 7 got together and decided they needed to take a break from their hectic presentations-placements-PPT-schedule filled MBA life and go for a vacation. The destination was Mount Abu in Rajasthan, a five hour drive from Ahmedabad.
Each traveller spent the night preceeding the travel in his/her own unique fashion. Bodo Bhai played Counter Strike and Age of Empires all night, the Whale went off to sleep (as promised), the Dolphin finally dozed off to sleep (not as promised), Debby was up all the while whereas yours truly drifted off at 4 after typing this post.
I woke up at quarter past 5, and the entire group assembled in front of the boys hostel by 6. Only after greeting each party member in the shivering cold did we realise that the car had still not arrived. In the yet dark, early hours of the day, we decided to wait for the car at the University main gate.
In front of the boys hostel(L to R: Mini 'Dolphin', Whale, Debby, Piranha, Bodo Bhai, Shark)
The car finally arrived somewhere around quarter to 7 and we were on our way. We stopped for breakfast at this dhaba off the Ahmedabad-Mehsana Expressway. The piping hot aloo-paratha were yummmm to say the least (my stomach growls an approval more than 84 hours after the breakfast). The extra helping of butter and the mast chai that we were served only made us want to NOT leave the place in a hurry.
At the DhabaA deadly combination of an hour of sleep the previous night followed by the wonderful breakfast was enough to put me off to sleep in the car. I woke up minutes before we crossed the Gujarat-Rajasthan border. And of course, the moment we crossed the police check-post, we could spot one shop after another proclaiming the availability of alcohol (Gujarat being a 'dry' state).
It wasn't long before we left behind the simple driving pleasures one experiences on a highway and were on the long and winding roads which led up to Abu Road. Once past the main town, the road, cut into the mountain-side, only got steeper. The constant twists and turns made the Dolphin experience motion sickness and we had to shift her to the front seat and also request the driver to go a bit slow. Of course, the driver being a driver, paid no heed.
We did stop at a point on the way up to take in the beauty of the valley.
As you can see, the view was breathtaking
Bodo Bhai takes a break
The Dolphin smilesOn reaching Mt. Abu, we checked into Hotel Lake View, so named because it looks over 'Nakki Lake' (I later learned that the lake is named so because it was believed that the lake was dug by the nails of the Gods; so 'naakhun' --> Nakki). The wooden panelled room, the comfortable bed, the oh-so-inviting 'razaai' was just too much for me and I was promptly off to sleep. :D
I woke up for lunch ordered from the hotel kitchen. Though the lunch turned out to be unsatisfactory, the others in the group decided to take a rest. They had been out exploring the nearby areas while I was sleeping. I decided it was time to go out on a small adventure of my own.
I went up to Toad Rock, named thus because of the shape in which the rock, atop a hill, is in.
I woke up for lunch ordered from the hotel kitchen. Though the lunch turned out to be unsatisfactory, the others in the group decided to take a rest. They had been out exploring the nearby areas while I was sleeping. I decided it was time to go out on a small adventure of my own.
I went up to Toad Rock, named thus because of the shape in which the rock, atop a hill, is in.
Toad RockIn order to reach Toad Rock, one has to climb a flight of stone steps cut into the mountain. It was a good exercise running up those 200 odd stone steps and soon I had to take off my woolen jacket and tie it around my waist. The view of Nakki lake and the surrounding mountain range was beautiful and I doubt even those more adept at words than me can describe the magnificence of it all.
An hour later, I joined the rest of the gang at the hotel and we decided we must go boating on the lake before it got too dark. We spent a jolly half an hour in the paddle boats, although I must complain, Bodo Bhai cheated and poor moi had the strenous job of paddling harder than required by a single person paddling in a team.
Bodo Bhai, me and Mini 'Dolphin' wait for our boat
(Can you spot Debby posing like a maharaja?)
An hour later, I joined the rest of the gang at the hotel and we decided we must go boating on the lake before it got too dark. We spent a jolly half an hour in the paddle boats, although I must complain, Bodo Bhai cheated and poor moi had the strenous job of paddling harder than required by a single person paddling in a team.
Bodo Bhai, me and Mini 'Dolphin' wait for our boat(Can you spot Debby posing like a maharaja?)
After our boating expedition, we went off into the main market to try and see if we could buy something to take back home. I escorted the ladies to a Khadi Gram Udyog Shop that I'd spotted earlier to help me buy a kurta for myself. The Dolphin, expectedly, quickly made her exit and left it to Bips and the Piranha to help me choose the kurta. [Unfortunately, we couldn't find anything decent, even after 20 minutes of going through the pile of kurtas. :(( ]
We had dinner at a nice restaurant and were back in the hotel room by 10, if I remember correctly. They were showing the Amitabh Bachchan-Akshay Kumar starrer 'Aankhen' on TV, and even as the Whale was watching it, I was already snugly fitting myself in the quilt. And before long, my heavy eyelids bid goodnight to the world.
The next morning we were faced with a very simple plan of action. We were off to this mandir on top of a hill and the view from there was absolutely UN-BELIEVABLE !!!! We had the most enjoyable time taking in the view, and also had a gala time teasing the Whale. :D
This was perhaps the most hillarious part of the entire journey. While the Whale posed for a pic dressed as a Rajputana maharaja, Bodo Bhai set up his digicam. Now, while the Whale thought that he was posing for a pic, Bodo Bhai was actually recording the entire scene, with me commentating in the background !! The look of confusion on the Whale's face was worth a million bucks when we told him we were actually recording him moving about in that funny dress.
The Whale
.jpg)
As seen from Mini Dolphin's mobile cam
(Doesn't he look as if he is in mid-air?)
Also, on our way down the same hill, we stopped at this place where we fed the fishes in a lake and then explored the nearby terrain. I was on a complete high (literally and figuratively) climbing the treacherous rocks.
On that hill, all by myself, I was nearest to complete peace. I was completely focussed on the next step that I needed to take. And for good reason. A wrong step here or there would've sent me hurtling down the cliff. At some places, a mistake would've perhaps only landed me with a hard thud onto the stony surface below, but at other places, there was nothing except the valley far down below. I'm not sure it would've been death, but it would've surely led to heavy injuries. But somehow, I felt the concentration strangely relaxing. ALL my energies and thoughts had to focus on what was to be done next. I could not, for a moment, let my thoughts wander to my parents, my ex, my studies or to my friends who were down below exploring some other part of the hill. It was, like I said, the most purified form of meditation; complete thought control.
Our final stop before making our return to Ahmedabad were the Dilwara temples. Now, Bodo Bhai and Bips refused to step inside the temples since they'd had a non-vegetarian lunch. On the other hand, Mini 'Dolphin' simply didn't want to go. Her logic ? "I'm tired !!" Uff !!! This girl can be so silly at times.. :P
Anyway, I bribed her with the promise of a Cadbury's if she came along. And tell you what, she would've missed something all right !! My only logic in going in was that I'd read about this place as a kid in history books at school. Having come so close, I didn't want to miss out on the opportunity. Who knew whether I would ever again get to visit this place at all !!
To tell you something honestly, friend, this was the best decision I have taken in a long, long time. The structures made out of marble in these temples were simply out of the world !! Our jaws literally dropped when we saw the intricate work done on the ceilings and the arches. The Whale, Dolphin, Debby and I couldn't stop wondering how the artisans had carved out such beautiful figurines. Everything, from the soldiers, the ceilings, the elephants, the horses to the kings, was beautiful beyond belief. Like Debby observed, it seemed as if the artisans were looking for an avenue to express themselves and these slabs of marble were the only square inches where they could find the freedom to do so.
Tired by the day's efforts of climbing up cliffs, chasing each other up stone-steps and marvelling at the beauty of the temples of Dilwara, we returned to the car for the journey back home. Content and smiling, we piled into the car, carrying with us anecdotes and pics to carry us through till the next vacation.
~~~~~~
And oh, by the way, I had to finally buy Mini the Cadbury for visiting the Dilwara temples, although she admitted she would've regretted not going. You didn't think she would let me off the hook that easily, did you?? ;)
We had dinner at a nice restaurant and were back in the hotel room by 10, if I remember correctly. They were showing the Amitabh Bachchan-Akshay Kumar starrer 'Aankhen' on TV, and even as the Whale was watching it, I was already snugly fitting myself in the quilt. And before long, my heavy eyelids bid goodnight to the world.
The next morning we were faced with a very simple plan of action. We were off to this mandir on top of a hill and the view from there was absolutely UN-BELIEVABLE !!!! We had the most enjoyable time taking in the view, and also had a gala time teasing the Whale. :D
This was perhaps the most hillarious part of the entire journey. While the Whale posed for a pic dressed as a Rajputana maharaja, Bodo Bhai set up his digicam. Now, while the Whale thought that he was posing for a pic, Bodo Bhai was actually recording the entire scene, with me commentating in the background !! The look of confusion on the Whale's face was worth a million bucks when we told him we were actually recording him moving about in that funny dress.
The Whale.jpg)
As seen from Mini Dolphin's mobile cam(Doesn't he look as if he is in mid-air?)
Also, on our way down the same hill, we stopped at this place where we fed the fishes in a lake and then explored the nearby terrain. I was on a complete high (literally and figuratively) climbing the treacherous rocks.
On that hill, all by myself, I was nearest to complete peace. I was completely focussed on the next step that I needed to take. And for good reason. A wrong step here or there would've sent me hurtling down the cliff. At some places, a mistake would've perhaps only landed me with a hard thud onto the stony surface below, but at other places, there was nothing except the valley far down below. I'm not sure it would've been death, but it would've surely led to heavy injuries. But somehow, I felt the concentration strangely relaxing. ALL my energies and thoughts had to focus on what was to be done next. I could not, for a moment, let my thoughts wander to my parents, my ex, my studies or to my friends who were down below exploring some other part of the hill. It was, like I said, the most purified form of meditation; complete thought control.
Our final stop before making our return to Ahmedabad were the Dilwara temples. Now, Bodo Bhai and Bips refused to step inside the temples since they'd had a non-vegetarian lunch. On the other hand, Mini 'Dolphin' simply didn't want to go. Her logic ? "I'm tired !!" Uff !!! This girl can be so silly at times.. :P
Anyway, I bribed her with the promise of a Cadbury's if she came along. And tell you what, she would've missed something all right !! My only logic in going in was that I'd read about this place as a kid in history books at school. Having come so close, I didn't want to miss out on the opportunity. Who knew whether I would ever again get to visit this place at all !!
To tell you something honestly, friend, this was the best decision I have taken in a long, long time. The structures made out of marble in these temples were simply out of the world !! Our jaws literally dropped when we saw the intricate work done on the ceilings and the arches. The Whale, Dolphin, Debby and I couldn't stop wondering how the artisans had carved out such beautiful figurines. Everything, from the soldiers, the ceilings, the elephants, the horses to the kings, was beautiful beyond belief. Like Debby observed, it seemed as if the artisans were looking for an avenue to express themselves and these slabs of marble were the only square inches where they could find the freedom to do so.
Tired by the day's efforts of climbing up cliffs, chasing each other up stone-steps and marvelling at the beauty of the temples of Dilwara, we returned to the car for the journey back home. Content and smiling, we piled into the car, carrying with us anecdotes and pics to carry us through till the next vacation.
~~~~~~
And oh, by the way, I had to finally buy Mini the Cadbury for visiting the Dilwara temples, although she admitted she would've regretted not going. You didn't think she would let me off the hook that easily, did you?? ;)
Saturday, December 02, 2006
Placements and thereafter
Placement Week was one helluva affair. It had all the makings of a Bollywood potboiler. Dharam Paaji could've very well been shouting about Placement Week when he stood atop the water tank in Sholay and shouted "Iss ishtory mein drama hai, tragedy hai, emotion hai...tumhaare aasoon nikal aayenge, kaka.."
I had a roller-coaster ride myself. However, I finally bagged the post of a Management Trainee (Marketing) at Tata Teleservices Ltd. What's more, Basanti and Nike are in too, as HR and Marketing trainees, respectively. (Yipeeeee !!!)
As we were ruminating today, our batch is definitely more cooler than that of our immediate seniors. Not only did NO student throw a party in celebration of his / her placement till the time the last person of the batch got placed, but also the number of folks who (shamelessly) went back home after their own placement was much lesser as compared to last year. In other words, the number of people who volunteered for Hospitality and Logistics committee (responsible for taking care of the companies which visit the campus) was high. It was good to see people standing up for each other when it matters the most. And the fact that they were coming to help inspite their own placement being done showed the selflessness of it all.
As for those fools who went home or lazily stayed locked up in their rooms, I pity them. They missed out on some of the BEST moments of their post-grad life. They missed the emotional lows and highs that each student experienced. They will never witness the scenes of camaraderie where a person leapt for joy just because his friend got placed, forgetting for a moment that he himself was yet to get placed. Never will their hearts be warmed by the image of two guys sharing high fives and hugging each other at the news that a friend, who wasn't present at the scene, had just gotten placed. For them remains the world of cold selfishness, in which they remain blinded by their own selfish gains. I hope they get a heart...someday soon.
As The Whale observed, friendships of the last one and a half years was different, and the friendship expressed during the last one week was different. New bonds of brotherhood were created. People you'd hardly ever spoken to came up to offer words of solace and strength. Individuals who had been indifferent to your presence a month ago came up to share their own experiences. And once the satisfaction settled in that the entire batch had been comfortably placed, the stage was set for the ultimate chill out time.
I went out with friends for a movie after a long long time (the last movie I saw in an Ahmedabad movie hall was 'Rang De Basanti'; the last movie I had seen in a cinema hall was 'Being Cyrus'). Unfortunately, we went for Dhoom 2. Trust me folks, this ain't a movie you wanna watch for reasons beyond a) Fashion, b) Hrithik, c) Aishwarya, d) Abhishek and e) Cleavage. The songs ain't great (according to The Dolphin, the songs got in the way of the narration) and there are G-L-A-R-I-N-G gaps in the story. I can go on and on how sad the movie was, but let's just end by saying that the movie was high on style, but pathetically low on substance. (I kinda also agree with Arpz's version that it was a 3 hour fashion show).
Went to Rasranjan and had a great time eating the Manchurian with Fried Rice.
And since Upper Crust was just next door, I persuaded Dolphin into buying me a Devil's Chocolate Pastry. Yummm.. :D
I slept at 5 yesterday morning and woke up at 1 in the afternoon. Went for lunch to Madhurya. Realised on our way there that most of the folks from the college have gone to Daman & Diu. Plus, there were a few other friends who'd left for Mt. Abu.
Basanti's parents had come over for the day, and they decided to give us a treat for dinner. So the gang went to Bandhan and had some good Punju food. I had a gala time teasing a sweet batchmate about the fact that the dish that she'd chosen was in fact very similar to her personality; so much so that I ended up naming her after the dish !!! So, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the newest addition to the phone-book in my cellphone: Paneer Toofani !! He he..
After the great evening, we came back only to find out that now we too badly wanted to go to Mt. Abu. Bodo Bhai has made the arrangements and now we're all ready to leave tomorrow morning at 6. The Whale has decided to take a nap, but since I was asleep for almost the entire day, I have decided to stay up and go off to sleep in the Tavera that will be taking us tomorrow. As of now, Bodo Bhai, Whale, Dolphin, Piranha, Bips, Debby and I are going. It should be fun listening to the string of abuses that we're gonna hear, since Kaal, Sahu Sahab, Rohit and Zehreela / Crab are already at Mt. Abu. :D
Adios !!
I had a roller-coaster ride myself. However, I finally bagged the post of a Management Trainee (Marketing) at Tata Teleservices Ltd. What's more, Basanti and Nike are in too, as HR and Marketing trainees, respectively. (Yipeeeee !!!)
As we were ruminating today, our batch is definitely more cooler than that of our immediate seniors. Not only did NO student throw a party in celebration of his / her placement till the time the last person of the batch got placed, but also the number of folks who (shamelessly) went back home after their own placement was much lesser as compared to last year. In other words, the number of people who volunteered for Hospitality and Logistics committee (responsible for taking care of the companies which visit the campus) was high. It was good to see people standing up for each other when it matters the most. And the fact that they were coming to help inspite their own placement being done showed the selflessness of it all.
As for those fools who went home or lazily stayed locked up in their rooms, I pity them. They missed out on some of the BEST moments of their post-grad life. They missed the emotional lows and highs that each student experienced. They will never witness the scenes of camaraderie where a person leapt for joy just because his friend got placed, forgetting for a moment that he himself was yet to get placed. Never will their hearts be warmed by the image of two guys sharing high fives and hugging each other at the news that a friend, who wasn't present at the scene, had just gotten placed. For them remains the world of cold selfishness, in which they remain blinded by their own selfish gains. I hope they get a heart...someday soon.
As The Whale observed, friendships of the last one and a half years was different, and the friendship expressed during the last one week was different. New bonds of brotherhood were created. People you'd hardly ever spoken to came up to offer words of solace and strength. Individuals who had been indifferent to your presence a month ago came up to share their own experiences. And once the satisfaction settled in that the entire batch had been comfortably placed, the stage was set for the ultimate chill out time.
I went out with friends for a movie after a long long time (the last movie I saw in an Ahmedabad movie hall was 'Rang De Basanti'; the last movie I had seen in a cinema hall was 'Being Cyrus'). Unfortunately, we went for Dhoom 2. Trust me folks, this ain't a movie you wanna watch for reasons beyond a) Fashion, b) Hrithik, c) Aishwarya, d) Abhishek and e) Cleavage. The songs ain't great (according to The Dolphin, the songs got in the way of the narration) and there are G-L-A-R-I-N-G gaps in the story. I can go on and on how sad the movie was, but let's just end by saying that the movie was high on style, but pathetically low on substance. (I kinda also agree with Arpz's version that it was a 3 hour fashion show).
Went to Rasranjan and had a great time eating the Manchurian with Fried Rice.
And since Upper Crust was just next door, I persuaded Dolphin into buying me a Devil's Chocolate Pastry. Yummm.. :D
I slept at 5 yesterday morning and woke up at 1 in the afternoon. Went for lunch to Madhurya. Realised on our way there that most of the folks from the college have gone to Daman & Diu. Plus, there were a few other friends who'd left for Mt. Abu.
Basanti's parents had come over for the day, and they decided to give us a treat for dinner. So the gang went to Bandhan and had some good Punju food. I had a gala time teasing a sweet batchmate about the fact that the dish that she'd chosen was in fact very similar to her personality; so much so that I ended up naming her after the dish !!! So, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the newest addition to the phone-book in my cellphone: Paneer Toofani !! He he..
After the great evening, we came back only to find out that now we too badly wanted to go to Mt. Abu. Bodo Bhai has made the arrangements and now we're all ready to leave tomorrow morning at 6. The Whale has decided to take a nap, but since I was asleep for almost the entire day, I have decided to stay up and go off to sleep in the Tavera that will be taking us tomorrow. As of now, Bodo Bhai, Whale, Dolphin, Piranha, Bips, Debby and I are going. It should be fun listening to the string of abuses that we're gonna hear, since Kaal, Sahu Sahab, Rohit and Zehreela / Crab are already at Mt. Abu. :D
Adios !!
Saturday, November 25, 2006
The Cycle of Karma
As I lay awake in bed, pondering and worrying over the present state of affairs, I grew more and more restless. It is way past 4 in the morning, my roomie is peacefully asleep, and so is most of the boy's hostel (not counting other people, like my friend 'Zehreela', who seem to be studying for tomorrow's interviews). And even as I battled (and almost lost) to the flaming internal demons of the mind, I realised something which made me pause and smile.
If I were to step back and look at my personal experiences, it seems things have a way of balancing themselves out. If one does a good turn today, he not only deserves a good turn but by a twist of destiny, is actually doled out that good fortune. Needless to say, the other side of the coin is a reality too. All in all, it seems there is simply no need for Heaven or Hell. All that is to happen is to happen here, on Earth, itself. And it will happen to YOU, while you live through your happiness and sorrow.
I think I can be adventurous enough to venture out a step further and say that I've just experienced the 'Cycle of Karma'. Good 'karma' --> Good effect, Bad 'karma' --> Bad effect.
A word of caution to those who might think there is an escape route, a loophole. Even if you were to act out your devilish deeds from behind a mask and the person who bears the brunt of your misdeeds doesn't know you or isn't even aware of your existence, his / her misfortune WILL one day come back to you.
I need not go ahead and mention examples; all of us have heard enough in stories we heard as children from our parents and in movie halls showing the latest Bollywood film (which has been directed by someone who wants to target the 'highly moralistic' average Indian). But the one example which simply refuses to go away is actually an image in my mind...that of King Dashrath screaming out on the top of his voice for his son Ram when the latter is away on 'vanvaas'. King Dashrath had, in a hunting accident, killed the only son of an elderly couple, remember?
Basically what I'm trying to say is:
Be Good / Avoid being Evil: It'll come back to you sooner than you think
If I were to step back and look at my personal experiences, it seems things have a way of balancing themselves out. If one does a good turn today, he not only deserves a good turn but by a twist of destiny, is actually doled out that good fortune. Needless to say, the other side of the coin is a reality too. All in all, it seems there is simply no need for Heaven or Hell. All that is to happen is to happen here, on Earth, itself. And it will happen to YOU, while you live through your happiness and sorrow.
I think I can be adventurous enough to venture out a step further and say that I've just experienced the 'Cycle of Karma'. Good 'karma' --> Good effect, Bad 'karma' --> Bad effect.
A word of caution to those who might think there is an escape route, a loophole. Even if you were to act out your devilish deeds from behind a mask and the person who bears the brunt of your misdeeds doesn't know you or isn't even aware of your existence, his / her misfortune WILL one day come back to you.
I need not go ahead and mention examples; all of us have heard enough in stories we heard as children from our parents and in movie halls showing the latest Bollywood film (which has been directed by someone who wants to target the 'highly moralistic' average Indian). But the one example which simply refuses to go away is actually an image in my mind...that of King Dashrath screaming out on the top of his voice for his son Ram when the latter is away on 'vanvaas'. King Dashrath had, in a hunting accident, killed the only son of an elderly couple, remember?
Basically what I'm trying to say is:
Be Good / Avoid being Evil: It'll come back to you sooner than you think
'Never let them see you bleed'
In his last appearance as the legendary Q in 'The World is Not Enough', this was the first advice that Desmond Llewelyn had for James Bond.
They say it is important for one to let out their emotions, be it anger or misery, from time to time.
I think it is a weakness.
It is a weakness, at least in the minds of the people you work with. For them, you're now "just human". No harm in that, did you say? Of course not. But when you're the one who's supposed to be a leader, or plays the role of the motivator and is responsible for getting stuff done, this would be professional hara-kiri.
It is also a weakness in the sense that for that particular duration of time, you do not have control over your emotions, your reactions or the words that you're blurting out. And with that outburst of emotions also goes the future references to 'those weak moments' which might (and in all probability) will be held against you, or will be used to your disadvantage at the very least.
So what is it that I'm actually driving at?
Never display your emotions, at least not in public. Those moments are your moments which should be kept to yourself. For the world around you, let you be the "heartless block of stone who works with unflagging resolve and determination". Much better than being labelled 'a nice guy'; which, in any case, sounds like euphemism for 'oh, that poor loser'.
NEVER LET THEM SEE YOU BLEED.
They say it is important for one to let out their emotions, be it anger or misery, from time to time.
I think it is a weakness.
It is a weakness, at least in the minds of the people you work with. For them, you're now "just human". No harm in that, did you say? Of course not. But when you're the one who's supposed to be a leader, or plays the role of the motivator and is responsible for getting stuff done, this would be professional hara-kiri.
It is also a weakness in the sense that for that particular duration of time, you do not have control over your emotions, your reactions or the words that you're blurting out. And with that outburst of emotions also goes the future references to 'those weak moments' which might (and in all probability) will be held against you, or will be used to your disadvantage at the very least.
So what is it that I'm actually driving at?
Never display your emotions, at least not in public. Those moments are your moments which should be kept to yourself. For the world around you, let you be the "heartless block of stone who works with unflagging resolve and determination". Much better than being labelled 'a nice guy'; which, in any case, sounds like euphemism for 'oh, that poor loser'.
NEVER LET THEM SEE YOU BLEED.
Monday, November 20, 2006
I will pray tonight before I sleep
It seems God has His own curious ways of telling us, from time to time, to take a step back and take a look at the BIGGER picture called life. Last November, this happened. And today...
I spoke to my good friend Bacchus today (the nick-name being given by me in recognition of the gentleman's abilities to gulp down excessive volumes of alcohol without pausing for breath...or thought) after a long time, only to be told that a good friend from school had passed away in a motorbike accident a few days ago.
I was dumbstruck at the news.
The guy who passed away was a couple of years younger than me and I could only wonder what justified his death. Had God known all along that this child had only a couple of more years to live when he last hugged his friends goodbye on the school graduation day? Somewhere in the drawer of my cupboard back home, there lies a white school shirt; the shirt is special since that was what I wore on the last 'working' day of school before our class XII board exams, and hence, we'd all scribbled stupid stuff (Boys will remain boys, and that is enough hint as to what was scribbled) on each other's shirts.
Somewhere on that shirt, in my dead friend's handwriting, are his good wishes for my future. Elsewhere, in another home in Calcutta which must be enveloped in a pallor of gloom, lies a similar shirt, where the good wishes of a number of friends are scribbled. Of course, those wishes hold no more meaning...
Somewhere in my collection of music cassettes back home, lies a 'Pink Floyd' cassette which my friend had gifted to me as an introduction to the world of rock. I could never develop an ear for rock at that point in time (I don't listen to much rock now either).
A few months ago, I told my Aunt how I was worried about the fact that I wasn't being able to pray daily. Although I would repeat the word 'Om' a number of times silently in a day and be grateful for His presence, I was worried I wasn't 'formally' praying to Him.
Tonight, amidst all this rush to prepare for final placements, I will pause. Tonight, I will listen to Pink Floyd again. Tonight, before I drift off to sleep, I will 'formally' pray again. I will pray, for the departed soul of my friend and for the family that he has left behind.
I spoke to my good friend Bacchus today (the nick-name being given by me in recognition of the gentleman's abilities to gulp down excessive volumes of alcohol without pausing for breath...or thought) after a long time, only to be told that a good friend from school had passed away in a motorbike accident a few days ago.
I was dumbstruck at the news.
The guy who passed away was a couple of years younger than me and I could only wonder what justified his death. Had God known all along that this child had only a couple of more years to live when he last hugged his friends goodbye on the school graduation day? Somewhere in the drawer of my cupboard back home, there lies a white school shirt; the shirt is special since that was what I wore on the last 'working' day of school before our class XII board exams, and hence, we'd all scribbled stupid stuff (Boys will remain boys, and that is enough hint as to what was scribbled) on each other's shirts.
Somewhere on that shirt, in my dead friend's handwriting, are his good wishes for my future. Elsewhere, in another home in Calcutta which must be enveloped in a pallor of gloom, lies a similar shirt, where the good wishes of a number of friends are scribbled. Of course, those wishes hold no more meaning...
Somewhere in my collection of music cassettes back home, lies a 'Pink Floyd' cassette which my friend had gifted to me as an introduction to the world of rock. I could never develop an ear for rock at that point in time (I don't listen to much rock now either).
A few months ago, I told my Aunt how I was worried about the fact that I wasn't being able to pray daily. Although I would repeat the word 'Om' a number of times silently in a day and be grateful for His presence, I was worried I wasn't 'formally' praying to Him.
Tonight, amidst all this rush to prepare for final placements, I will pause. Tonight, I will listen to Pink Floyd again. Tonight, before I drift off to sleep, I will 'formally' pray again. I will pray, for the departed soul of my friend and for the family that he has left behind.
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Sleeping time
Of late, I've been sleeping like a log. I do not know what hits me, but I suddenly find myself feeling extremely exhausted and in dire need of taking a break. And so, I hit the bed, only to wake up after at least 8-10 hours. Considering that my usual sleep duration is between 4 to 6 hours, this is unusual.
Just the other day, I returned from the mess at around 9 in the evening and suddenly felt very very tired. I walked into Surdy's room (room no. 310), spoke to Surdy about some nonsense while lying down on his bed and in an instant, was off to dreamland. I really don't know what got over me. I was feeling so tired, I just didn't have the energy to walk up to my room (room no. 309), unlock the door and hit my bed. Just the idea of reaching into my pocket for the keys and opening the lock seemed to be very energy-consuming.
However, I did leave Surdy's room at around quarter to 10, hit my bed and was again sleeping away to glory. I did wake up at 2 in the morning to see 'Mr. President' sitting on my chair discussing a point with my roomie, 'The Whale'. Mr. President, on seeing me getting up, greeted me with a cheery, "Good morning, sleepyhead." But, I was too drugged to make sense of anything. I just looked at my watch, and God only knows for what reason shouted "F*** !!" and promptly went off to sleep again!!!! As per reports, Mr. President kept abusing me for the rest of the evening. [For the record, I woke up only the next morning at 9, making it a 12 hour sleeping stint.]
Something similar happened to me last night as well. I felt drowsy and tired the moment I started walking towards the hostel building after the dinner in the mess. Even as I looked at my feet trudging its way on the gravel path, I knew I must hit the sack soon. So, as soon as I reached my room, I collapsed on the bed and didn't even bother with removing my sandals or my denim jacket. I mumbled a quiet approval to an anecdote that The Whale read out from "The curious incident of the Dog in the night time" (a book that he has intelligently smuggled out of the reach of Mini) and was soon lost in dreamland again. I woke up today morning at 9, and so this becomes another 12 hour stint. Of course, this is nothing compared to my record-breaking 40 hour non-stop sleep marathon, but then, that was another day and age.
I have just wished Sahu Sahab of room no. 308 on his birthday today. I feel fresh, at least physically, from all the bodily rest that I've received. However, as I can recall, my sleep was punctuated by dreams of which I can remember only 2. In the first one, I dunno why but I sported a beard and was looking at myself in the mirror. The other dream was a very Kal Ho Na Ho-ish moment where I was attending a wedding/engagement. Oh yes, and now I can also recall that I saw a lake and there were 2 groups of people in their snake-boats (the kinds you find in Kerala) practicing for the race. I wonder where that came from???
I have also been reading Karma Yoga from Swami Vivekananda's Complete Works online, and found some extremely inspirational words at the end of the first chapter. I think they are a beautiful way to end this post on the thoughts that fill my mind, and here they are:
"The ideal man is he who, in the midst of greatest silence and solitude, finds the intensest activity, and in the midst of intensest activity finds the silence and solitude of the desert. He has learnt the secret of restraint, he has controlled himself. He goes through the streets of a big city with all its traffic, and his mind is as calm as if he were in a cave, where not a sound could reach him; and he is intensely working all the time. That is the ideal of Karma-Yoga, and if you have attained to that you have really learnt the secret of work."
Just the other day, I returned from the mess at around 9 in the evening and suddenly felt very very tired. I walked into Surdy's room (room no. 310), spoke to Surdy about some nonsense while lying down on his bed and in an instant, was off to dreamland. I really don't know what got over me. I was feeling so tired, I just didn't have the energy to walk up to my room (room no. 309), unlock the door and hit my bed. Just the idea of reaching into my pocket for the keys and opening the lock seemed to be very energy-consuming.
However, I did leave Surdy's room at around quarter to 10, hit my bed and was again sleeping away to glory. I did wake up at 2 in the morning to see 'Mr. President' sitting on my chair discussing a point with my roomie, 'The Whale'. Mr. President, on seeing me getting up, greeted me with a cheery, "Good morning, sleepyhead." But, I was too drugged to make sense of anything. I just looked at my watch, and God only knows for what reason shouted "F*** !!" and promptly went off to sleep again!!!! As per reports, Mr. President kept abusing me for the rest of the evening. [For the record, I woke up only the next morning at 9, making it a 12 hour sleeping stint.]
Something similar happened to me last night as well. I felt drowsy and tired the moment I started walking towards the hostel building after the dinner in the mess. Even as I looked at my feet trudging its way on the gravel path, I knew I must hit the sack soon. So, as soon as I reached my room, I collapsed on the bed and didn't even bother with removing my sandals or my denim jacket. I mumbled a quiet approval to an anecdote that The Whale read out from "The curious incident of the Dog in the night time" (a book that he has intelligently smuggled out of the reach of Mini) and was soon lost in dreamland again. I woke up today morning at 9, and so this becomes another 12 hour stint. Of course, this is nothing compared to my record-breaking 40 hour non-stop sleep marathon, but then, that was another day and age.
I have just wished Sahu Sahab of room no. 308 on his birthday today. I feel fresh, at least physically, from all the bodily rest that I've received. However, as I can recall, my sleep was punctuated by dreams of which I can remember only 2. In the first one, I dunno why but I sported a beard and was looking at myself in the mirror. The other dream was a very Kal Ho Na Ho-ish moment where I was attending a wedding/engagement. Oh yes, and now I can also recall that I saw a lake and there were 2 groups of people in their snake-boats (the kinds you find in Kerala) practicing for the race. I wonder where that came from???
I have also been reading Karma Yoga from Swami Vivekananda's Complete Works online, and found some extremely inspirational words at the end of the first chapter. I think they are a beautiful way to end this post on the thoughts that fill my mind, and here they are:
"The ideal man is he who, in the midst of greatest silence and solitude, finds the intensest activity, and in the midst of intensest activity finds the silence and solitude of the desert. He has learnt the secret of restraint, he has controlled himself. He goes through the streets of a big city with all its traffic, and his mind is as calm as if he were in a cave, where not a sound could reach him; and he is intensely working all the time. That is the ideal of Karma-Yoga, and if you have attained to that you have really learnt the secret of work."
Friday, November 10, 2006
Dr. Ashok Garde reviews his book 'Canakya's Aphorisms on Management'
Yesterday was another dream come true for me. As the founder Co-ordinator of Sumantra - The Book Club at the Institute of Management, Nirma University last year, one of my fancied objectives was to not only present reviews of a number of books, both fiction and non-fiction, to a diverse audience, but also, if possible, invite a number of guest speakers.
I was extremely happy yesterday when the culmination of a month of efforts resulted in Sumantra's first ever 'Authorspeak'. Around 2 months ago, I chanced upon the book 'Canakya's Aphorisms on Management' by Mr. Ashok Garde. [The book, originally published by the Ahmedabad Management Association (AMA), is now re-titled as 'Chanakya on Management', published by Jayco Books and is available at all Crossword stores. ]
Mr. Garde is only the third person to be awarded the Honorary Life Membership of the AMA, his only predecessors being the great Dr. Vikram Sarabhai and Prof. BS Shenoy. He is also a former Director of the Ahmedabad Textiles Industry's Research Association and a resident of Ahmedabad. I pounced on the opportunity and invited him to the Institute.
A septuagenarian, Mr. Garde presented a review of the book with much vigor and passion. He told us how the 'sutras' of Chanakya were essentially a training manual for Chandragupta and his fellow students. He gave us a few examples of Chanakya's teachings and how they could be considered relevant to modern businesses. Mr. Garde introduced us to Chanakya's 'definition' of Management and also scoffed at the idea of comparing Chanakya to Machiavelli. His main point of reference was that Chanakya spoke about ethics when he spoke of 'dharma'; Machiavelli never did so. Moreover, Chanakya was a nation-builder, and had disciples of the likes of Chandragupta who established a dynasty which ruled for almost 135 years; Machiavelli cannot make any similar claims.
All in all, it was an intriguing and spell-binding session. A number of myths regarding Chanakya were smashed to bits and a new figure of Chanakya now loomed large - not only that of a shrewd counsellor and king-maker, but also a nation builder who advised the king on how to manage his resources (defence, economic and administrative) for the well being of the masses.
Dr. Garde explaining a few 'sutras'(You can actually read a few of them on the blackboard)
An audience, comprising of faculty and students,was held spellbound
The Q&A Session
The Vote of ThanksFriday, November 03, 2006
Examination
Examinations are how life tests you and your capabilities from time to time.
I'm lucky just to be attending to those exams which are sponsored by the institute. ;)
See ya later folks. Cheers, and keep smiling.
I'm lucky just to be attending to those exams which are sponsored by the institute. ;)
See ya later folks. Cheers, and keep smiling.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Memories from home
Vakratunda Mahakaya Suryakoti SamaprabhaNirvighnam Kurumedeva Sarvakaryeshu Sarvadaya
A Ganesha idol in our house
The Mandir at our house
My Vision of what Gods must look like....Dad...
and Ma.....
The desk in my room
A closer look at my favorite haunt...My books' cabinet
In my view, one of the BEST places in Calcutta to have tea at.. Balwant Singh's Dhabaon Elgin Road
The elixir of life.. :DRs. 7 for 'chai' in a 'kulhar' !!!
However, you can also order a smaller 'kulhar' for Rs. 4.
A Rangoli that a friend had made in front of her house[I assured her this wasn't 'traditionally' artistic, but yet the sweetest rangoli that I'd seen. :))]
Saturday, October 28, 2006
The traveller packs his bags
As I pack my bags for my flight back to Ahmedabad tomorrow, it is a moment to pause and contemplate. It has been a nice trip back home. As I look at the clothes, the CDs and the books that lie randomly on my bed, I realise that I'm leaving with a lot more than just these articles of daily consumption.
I now have memories.
Some happy and some sad memories; some quiet moments where tears went unnoticed, a few moments where a chuckle and a laughter was all that remained of the innocent past; a few moments of passion which rekindled love.
Dad has already asked me to try and get placements in Calcutta. I haven't promised him anything. Who knows where destiny plans to take me tomorrow and what wings fate might have in store for me? I'm certain I'll be back in Calcutta once my convocation gets over, but for how long, God alone knows at this precise moment.
*Chuckles* Today, Dad kinda realised that his son has grown up. Since last night he kept peeking into my wardrobe and kept asking me at regular intervals what clothes I wanted to take back so that he could pack my bag. I would have none of it and completely refused to tell him what books or clothes I wanted to take back.
Finally, today afternoon, I said, "Dad, you just sit right here and watch me do it. Mind you, I'll stop packing the moment you tell me what to do," I said in mock anger. So Dad just sat right here and watched me arrange all the clothes, books, CDs and toileteries. All it took me was half an hour, and the manner in which I packed the bags (thanks to all the travelling I've been doing alone) impressed Dad. He didn't say a thing at the end; just walked out of the room, went to the kitchen and told Mom, "Well, he's learnt how to pack his bags, at least." Rites of passage?? :)
I now have memories.
Some happy and some sad memories; some quiet moments where tears went unnoticed, a few moments where a chuckle and a laughter was all that remained of the innocent past; a few moments of passion which rekindled love.
Dad has already asked me to try and get placements in Calcutta. I haven't promised him anything. Who knows where destiny plans to take me tomorrow and what wings fate might have in store for me? I'm certain I'll be back in Calcutta once my convocation gets over, but for how long, God alone knows at this precise moment.
*Chuckles* Today, Dad kinda realised that his son has grown up. Since last night he kept peeking into my wardrobe and kept asking me at regular intervals what clothes I wanted to take back so that he could pack my bag. I would have none of it and completely refused to tell him what books or clothes I wanted to take back.
Finally, today afternoon, I said, "Dad, you just sit right here and watch me do it. Mind you, I'll stop packing the moment you tell me what to do," I said in mock anger. So Dad just sat right here and watched me arrange all the clothes, books, CDs and toileteries. All it took me was half an hour, and the manner in which I packed the bags (thanks to all the travelling I've been doing alone) impressed Dad. He didn't say a thing at the end; just walked out of the room, went to the kitchen and told Mom, "Well, he's learnt how to pack his bags, at least." Rites of passage?? :)
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
The last kiss
I'm not a perfect person
There's many things I wish I didn't do
But I continue learning
I never meant to do those things to you...
I'm sorry that I hurt you
It's something I must live with everyday
And all the pain I put you through
I wish that I could take it all away...
[Excerpts from "The Reason" by Hoobastank]
There's many things I wish I didn't do
But I continue learning
I never meant to do those things to you...
I'm sorry that I hurt you
It's something I must live with everyday
And all the pain I put you through
I wish that I could take it all away...
[Excerpts from "The Reason" by Hoobastank]
Monday, October 23, 2006
Saal Mubarak
HAPPY DIWALI AND 'SAAL MUBARAK' :)
The day began early for me today, i.e. at 6 AM. Really, I was surprised that I could find the energy and the enthusiasm to visit three different temples with Mom and Dad in the space of an hour considering I'd slept for only 3 hours. I started watching 'Sholay' last night on my laptop at around 11, and hence the late sleeping hours. :D
I feel it is a wonderful way to begin the year by going to the temples. Most people, I observed, had come to the mandirs with the sole purpose of meeting elders and greeting others from the same community circle. However, the main reason, which somehow seemed to have been overlooked (sadly), was that you want to begin the year by praying to God and wishing Him a happy new year. Once that was done, I had little interest in greeting people I did not know and whom I had no interest in meeting ever again. Radical thinking, by my parents' standard, but that's me.
Spent the rest of the day at home, reading a book and playing Prince of Persia on the computer. Later, 'Chatur' called up and it felt nice to have a frank, honest and open discussion with a true friend after a long, long time. We also met up with 'Cheeta' and had the usual banter about who was her boyfriend, while she kept insisting, between splits, that she was our 'choti behen'. :D Felt nice to be back to our goofy ways.
Have just returned from another 'chai adda' at Ajanta Dhaba between Chatur, Bulla and me. We chatted about life in general, but later we were speaking about placements. Chatur isn't very certain he'll get a good finance related project for his summer internship in Calcutta, and coming back to Calcutta is what, it seems, his family wants the most. I told him that I'm not too certain now (as I was, let's say, a year ago) that I wanted to take my final placements in Calcutta. He asked why, and I was at a loss of words. Somehow, Calcutta seems to have lost that appeal for me. (Or maybe, its just a negative phase that I've hit upon.) Anyway, the truth is more that I am open to a placement anywhere in the country (or abroad, if I'm lucky ;) ) as long as the job profile excites me. I'm not stringent or focussed on any particular vertical or industry. Just show me something that's challenging and interesting, and I'll be there!!
Friday, October 20, 2006
Home for Diwali
Hello people. Just to inform you that I'm back home in Calcutta for Diwali. Will be here till the 29th.
Will post when I have some more time...and cash ;)
Enjoy and have a VERY HAPPY DIWALI. :)))
Will post when I have some more time...and cash ;)
Enjoy and have a VERY HAPPY DIWALI. :)))
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Lazy movie days
I had 5 classes today, but the mind simply refused to take in so much mental activity in a day. :)
So, I gleefully slept my fill till mid-afternoon. Which reminds me, there is this strange problem that I have with sleeping.
You see, when I decide not to sleep, I'm a devil. I can stay awake for long hours, and trust me, there have been days when I've only slept for 2 to 3 hours and have been back on my feet for the next 24, only to sleep for another 3 to 4 hours and be back on for the next 12-18. Usually, I draw the line there and head for a peaceful 6-10 hours after such a schedule, but one never knows for certain. Of course, there've been disastrous consequences (during that crazy exam), but one learns to laugh and move on.
Then, *sigh, there is the other side of me, what people politely call the 'Kumbhakarana'. I sleep, and sleep and sleep for hours on end. My record stands at 40 hours of non-stop sleep (!!!), but then, I had had very little sleep the previous 3 days. Anyway, the point is I can sleep A LOT !!!
Err...so where exactly is the problem??
Well, I would really like it if could actually only sleep for a regular 6 hours. I believe there's been some research work done somewhere which says that a man needs to sleep for a full 6 hours in order to completely recuperate. Of course, the total non-REM sleep would be only 4 hours. (Surprising, did Chanakya know about the definitions of REM and non-REM sleep?? 'Coz he certainly instructed the kings in his 'Arthashastra' to sleep precisely for 4 hours.)
Well, the day went fine. I attended only the last 2 classes and had a nice dinner. Narendra Modi, the CM of Gujarat, was here at the institute for the Convocation dinner of the Nirma Institute of Technology students. The dinner was lavish and like a few friends commented, we almost felt as if we had come to a wedding reception rather than a convocation party.
I've been watching a few movies lately, thanks to the P2P network setup on the intra here recently. I watched 'Lage Raho Munnabhai' yesterday, and I so completely feel that the movie is over-rated. I know there might be many who disagree with me on this, but hey, the movie was just the run-of-the-mill stuff. Still can't see why the country is going crazy over it.
Also saw 'The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift' yesterday. The movie was ok, the babe was ultra cute and the songs were awesome!! :) By the way, you know you're getting old-er when the person who you refer to as 'babe' in the movie, Nathalie Kelley, was born after you. :(( 21 years old and already famous!!
Finished seeing 'Batman Begins' an hour ago. I thought the movie was nice. But I'm biased towards Batman. Have always been. I love the dark aura that surrounds him. And even as a child, I used to argue, that though Superman and Spiderman were good, they just weren't Batman. Others have gotten their powers from something, Superman was born that way, Spiderman got his powers after getting bitten by a radioactive spider. But Batman was different. He found his powers within himself. He learnt to battle the darkness within and accepted who he was. (Thanks to Tushar for reminding me that Phantom was a childhood favorite too, perhaps due to similar reasons.) In fact, one of my all-time favorite desktop wallpapers is the following:
Anyway, me off to washing clothes now. *deep sigh* Yaar, the best part about being in a hostel is that since you have to depend on yourself for getting clothes washed or washing them yourself, no one really knows (or bothers) about the last time your clothes interacted with H2O, unless of course you're stinking to high heaven. However, when you need to go home, the story needs to be altered a bit. Clothes need to be washed in order to be orderly and presented in a neat fashion before folks back home.
Basanti leaves tomorrow evening and so does dear Mr. Roomie. I leave on Thursday, with a chatterbox of a Bengali babe on the same flight. :) Gosh !! It feels nice to know that only a few hours separate me from home.
So, I gleefully slept my fill till mid-afternoon. Which reminds me, there is this strange problem that I have with sleeping.
You see, when I decide not to sleep, I'm a devil. I can stay awake for long hours, and trust me, there have been days when I've only slept for 2 to 3 hours and have been back on my feet for the next 24, only to sleep for another 3 to 4 hours and be back on for the next 12-18. Usually, I draw the line there and head for a peaceful 6-10 hours after such a schedule, but one never knows for certain. Of course, there've been disastrous consequences (during that crazy exam), but one learns to laugh and move on.
Then, *sigh, there is the other side of me, what people politely call the 'Kumbhakarana'. I sleep, and sleep and sleep for hours on end. My record stands at 40 hours of non-stop sleep (!!!), but then, I had had very little sleep the previous 3 days. Anyway, the point is I can sleep A LOT !!!
Err...so where exactly is the problem??
Well, I would really like it if could actually only sleep for a regular 6 hours. I believe there's been some research work done somewhere which says that a man needs to sleep for a full 6 hours in order to completely recuperate. Of course, the total non-REM sleep would be only 4 hours. (Surprising, did Chanakya know about the definitions of REM and non-REM sleep?? 'Coz he certainly instructed the kings in his 'Arthashastra' to sleep precisely for 4 hours.)
Well, the day went fine. I attended only the last 2 classes and had a nice dinner. Narendra Modi, the CM of Gujarat, was here at the institute for the Convocation dinner of the Nirma Institute of Technology students. The dinner was lavish and like a few friends commented, we almost felt as if we had come to a wedding reception rather than a convocation party.
I've been watching a few movies lately, thanks to the P2P network setup on the intra here recently. I watched 'Lage Raho Munnabhai' yesterday, and I so completely feel that the movie is over-rated. I know there might be many who disagree with me on this, but hey, the movie was just the run-of-the-mill stuff. Still can't see why the country is going crazy over it.
Also saw 'The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift' yesterday. The movie was ok, the babe was ultra cute and the songs were awesome!! :) By the way, you know you're getting old-er when the person who you refer to as 'babe' in the movie, Nathalie Kelley, was born after you. :(( 21 years old and already famous!!
Finished seeing 'Batman Begins' an hour ago. I thought the movie was nice. But I'm biased towards Batman. Have always been. I love the dark aura that surrounds him. And even as a child, I used to argue, that though Superman and Spiderman were good, they just weren't Batman. Others have gotten their powers from something, Superman was born that way, Spiderman got his powers after getting bitten by a radioactive spider. But Batman was different. He found his powers within himself. He learnt to battle the darkness within and accepted who he was. (Thanks to Tushar for reminding me that Phantom was a childhood favorite too, perhaps due to similar reasons.) In fact, one of my all-time favorite desktop wallpapers is the following:
Anyway, me off to washing clothes now. *deep sigh* Yaar, the best part about being in a hostel is that since you have to depend on yourself for getting clothes washed or washing them yourself, no one really knows (or bothers) about the last time your clothes interacted with H2O, unless of course you're stinking to high heaven. However, when you need to go home, the story needs to be altered a bit. Clothes need to be washed in order to be orderly and presented in a neat fashion before folks back home.
Basanti leaves tomorrow evening and so does dear Mr. Roomie. I leave on Thursday, with a chatterbox of a Bengali babe on the same flight. :) Gosh !! It feels nice to know that only a few hours separate me from home.
Monday, October 16, 2006
The Roller Coaster
Life has been, and continues to be, a roller-coaster ride of emotions the last couple of days. In short, I do not know whether to classify my mental state as "happy" or "sad"; I guess I've just become a pendulum which swings between the two, never really coming close to either.
From Saturday night last week, when I was so angry and frustrated that I had trouble sleeping, through to today, when I am not being able to come to terms with myself to 'enjoy' life, I can say I've gone through it all (or have I?).
Don't get me wrong, I'm no poor-guy-look-at-him-and-feel-sorry. I'm fine, I'm normal; I'm just not.....me.
So, I began by taking my cell phone last Sunday and throwing it with all my might against the wall. I guess I hadn't let go of my anger (towards the world in general and myself in particular) for a long, long time. And the cellphone, in its decrepit condition (I'd been using the same phone for over 3 years), was just a focal point of all that was wrong.
The phone lay in 8 pieces before me, but I wasn't done yet. I shifted my gaze towards a brown carton which contained memories; letters, cards, photographs. One by one, I tore them up...pointless to carry stones and thorns with which one can only strew the path of the future.
I do not know what happened next, but something led me online. I was, in fact, staring at the blogger settings page which prompted whether the user was certain whether he/she wanted to delete the blog. Somehow, I resisted the devil's tempation. However, the fire was yet to subside and I automatically progressed to my Orkut home page. Somehow, I didn't feel the tug this time and I promptly went on to delete my Orkut account.
Back on my laptop, I deleted the various tools of communications, MSN Messneger, Yahoo Messenger, Skype...the works. "If someone really wants to contact me for something important, he can always e-mail me", said the little voice inside my head.
Oh, and before I forget, a whole folder of photographs on my laptop was also deleted.
Just last night, when I had the opportunity to hang out with friends and enjoy the various videos of groups that were prepared at the Institute, I gave up the idea 'coz I was feeling nauseated and sick. Unknown to many, I had had a dull, throbbing headache since afternoon. And of course, my sleep has lately been plagued with nightmares of fire, sweat, heat, death of loved ones, screams and crying...lots and lots of crying. No. There was no way I could reconcile with these emotions and put up a 'mukhota' in front of friends.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It's difficult to try and act normal when one isn't so. If I could have had it my way, I've would've remain locked up in my room and not come out till I would've felt better.
But the wonderful thing about this world is that it forces you to come out of darkness, both, literally and philosophically.
I went for lunch to US Pizza today and observed that this was the first time in my stay at Ahmedabad of 1 and a half years that I was coming here. Needless to say, I was met with more than just an incredulous look from my friends.
I went to meet Bhai today as well and as luck would have it, Bhabhi was there too. While talking to her, I realized how close to the word 'hermit' I'd actually come. I'm not saying that I've reached the definition of the ultra 'corporate' hermit (that would be someone who talks-sleeps-eats-drinks 'business' and does little else), but yep... I've only gone for 1 movie to the cinema hall during my last 1 and a half years of MBA (which also means that I haven't been to Fun Republic to watch a movie, the basic criterion by which we say we've "had a good time"), my regular eating-out joints are limited to a) Madhurya, b) the Shiv Shakti Dhaba, c) Mc D at Big B on the SG Highway, and oh yes, I haven't once been out playing dandiya or garba on the 18 opportunities (9 nights x 2 years) that I had.
I dunno whether I'm weird, but I surely know that I don't feel like I've lost out on stuff.
P.S. Btw, I had posted something on my blog last night for a couple of hours, but then deleted it 'coz it was way too negative. Adios for now.
From Saturday night last week, when I was so angry and frustrated that I had trouble sleeping, through to today, when I am not being able to come to terms with myself to 'enjoy' life, I can say I've gone through it all (or have I?).
Don't get me wrong, I'm no poor-guy-look-at-him-and-feel-sorry. I'm fine, I'm normal; I'm just not.....me.
So, I began by taking my cell phone last Sunday and throwing it with all my might against the wall. I guess I hadn't let go of my anger (towards the world in general and myself in particular) for a long, long time. And the cellphone, in its decrepit condition (I'd been using the same phone for over 3 years), was just a focal point of all that was wrong.
The phone lay in 8 pieces before me, but I wasn't done yet. I shifted my gaze towards a brown carton which contained memories; letters, cards, photographs. One by one, I tore them up...pointless to carry stones and thorns with which one can only strew the path of the future.
I do not know what happened next, but something led me online. I was, in fact, staring at the blogger settings page which prompted whether the user was certain whether he/she wanted to delete the blog. Somehow, I resisted the devil's tempation. However, the fire was yet to subside and I automatically progressed to my Orkut home page. Somehow, I didn't feel the tug this time and I promptly went on to delete my Orkut account.
Back on my laptop, I deleted the various tools of communications, MSN Messneger, Yahoo Messenger, Skype...the works. "If someone really wants to contact me for something important, he can always e-mail me", said the little voice inside my head.
Oh, and before I forget, a whole folder of photographs on my laptop was also deleted.
Just last night, when I had the opportunity to hang out with friends and enjoy the various videos of groups that were prepared at the Institute, I gave up the idea 'coz I was feeling nauseated and sick. Unknown to many, I had had a dull, throbbing headache since afternoon. And of course, my sleep has lately been plagued with nightmares of fire, sweat, heat, death of loved ones, screams and crying...lots and lots of crying. No. There was no way I could reconcile with these emotions and put up a 'mukhota' in front of friends.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It's difficult to try and act normal when one isn't so. If I could have had it my way, I've would've remain locked up in my room and not come out till I would've felt better.
But the wonderful thing about this world is that it forces you to come out of darkness, both, literally and philosophically.
I went for lunch to US Pizza today and observed that this was the first time in my stay at Ahmedabad of 1 and a half years that I was coming here. Needless to say, I was met with more than just an incredulous look from my friends.
I went to meet Bhai today as well and as luck would have it, Bhabhi was there too. While talking to her, I realized how close to the word 'hermit' I'd actually come. I'm not saying that I've reached the definition of the ultra 'corporate' hermit (that would be someone who talks-sleeps-eats-drinks 'business' and does little else), but yep... I've only gone for 1 movie to the cinema hall during my last 1 and a half years of MBA (which also means that I haven't been to Fun Republic to watch a movie, the basic criterion by which we say we've "had a good time"), my regular eating-out joints are limited to a) Madhurya, b) the Shiv Shakti Dhaba, c) Mc D at Big B on the SG Highway, and oh yes, I haven't once been out playing dandiya or garba on the 18 opportunities (9 nights x 2 years) that I had.
I dunno whether I'm weird, but I surely know that I don't feel like I've lost out on stuff.
P.S. Btw, I had posted something on my blog last night for a couple of hours, but then deleted it 'coz it was way too negative. Adios for now.
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Don't touch my bhaisaa
That's a bull which had been left overnight within the shelter of a mosquito net by the farmer. Spotted by Basanti on the CoNfU-zOnE gang's (that's what we like to call ourselves ;)) way to Thor Lake.
Monday, October 09, 2006
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